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WRTA board to solicit bids for office project
The new countywide WRTA board selected a president and vice president.
YOUNGSTOWN — The Western Reserve Transit Authority expects to have between 12 and 15 bidders for its administration office expansion project, said Don Meszaros, director of maintenance.
The board passed a resolution Thursday for the transit authority to begin soliciting bids for the job.
The WRTA received $3.51 million from the federal stimulus package’s transportation funding program. Of that total, $2.2 million will be used for construction.
No money from the 0.25 percent, five-year sales tax that was passed in November will be used for the purpose of the expansion, transit officials said.
Original renovations of the offices began in 2005, but because of financial constraints the project couldn’t move forward, Meszaros said.
“We are shovel ready because we had a head start,” he said, saying he expects 12 to 15 companies to bid on the project.
Meszaros hopes bidding will be wrapped up by June, and once the project is under way, it should take about 10 months to complete, he said.
As of the new year, the transit authority board shifted from a city board to a county board.
Thursday marked the first meeting with the entire board which includes three members of the previous board, Michael Bosela, the Rev. Edward Noga and Barbara Orton, all of Youngstown, and new members George Freeman Jr. of Youngstown, Steven V. Gondol of North Jackson, Lee F. Kohler of Springfield Township, and John P. Brown III of Boardman.
Bosela, who previously served about seven years as WRTA board president, was reappointed to the position and Brown was named vice president.
“I really felt the exchange of ideas between board members was great,” Bosela said after the first meeting with the expanded board.
It’s apparent that getting to know the WRTA is a priority for the four new members, but it’s the priority of the entire board to get service to the whole county as soon as possible, he added.
Upcoming service plans are still on track for the WRTA, and the communities outside Youngstown should expect to see county-wide service implemented in September. Nights and Saturday services were restored at the beginning of February, said executive director James Ferraro.
kseminara@vindy.com