Columbiana Co. officials seek $300M for various projects

By D.a. Wilkinson

There’s not a lot of stimulus money to go around, officials say.

SALEM — Governments and agencies in Columbiana County have asked for $300 million in federal stimulus money.

Ohio has received $2.4 billion in federal funds.

State Sen. Jason Wilson, D-30th, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said last week that when divided among all of Ohio’s 88 counties, “that money won’t go very far.”

However, the county is likely to receive money for several projects that may include:

UA new building in Lisbon that would house the Department of Job and Family Services, the county board of elections and the Veterans Affairs office.

UFund sewer improvements in St. Clair Township to aid homes and business development.

UExpansion of Columbia Drive in St. Clair Township to aid growth.

UDeveloping additional space for an industrial park in Columbiana.

Stimulus money is being divided among discretionary funds and competitive funds.

State Rep. Linda Bolon, D-1st, vice chair of the House Finance Committee, urged Columbiana subdivisions and agencies to apply for the competitive portion, which they did to the tune of $300 million. There were 231 applications, and many subdivisions submitted multiple requests.

The key, Bolon said, is that, “They are tied to job creation and reviving the economy.”

A review of the requests indicates that all were well-intentioned. One request was to expand a program to make certified Appalachian items.

Gary Clark, East Palestine’s manager, turned in many requests for water and sewer upgrades, bridge improvements and money to hire two police officers. No officers have been hired since 2003. If the officers are hired, the city would eventually have to retain and pay for them.

To gauge the number of requests, East Palestine’s annual appropriations are about $4 million. Clark applied for about $7 million.

Leetonia’s annual appropriations are about $3 million. It applied for $3.3 million in projects similar to East Palestine. The county’s annual appropriations, for comparison, are about $20 million.

The largest nongovernmental applications appear to have to come from programs involving Craig Newbold, a leader in computer technology. His projects range from a school, technology instruction and the American Spirit Initiative, which is part of a plan to try to restore the southern portion of the county, including fixing old buildings. Some eight applications asked for a total of $26 million.

One of the proposals was for a wind turbine at a cost of $1.8 million to generate power to help the environment.

Steve Ullom, the development manager for the ASI, doesn’t expect a check will be cut for the program. But he said that reaction to the proposals may indicate where the community is headed.

Ullom said the proposals may also help answer the question: “How is the money going to be used, and is it going to have an effect?”

In the short term, the stimulus spending will be tied to the phrase “shovel-ready.”

Wilson said construction projects that may be approved this year will have to get ready quickly in order to be completed by fall.

wilkinson@vindy.com