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Officials learn about bond-issue plan
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
City council’s finance committee met with the service director, auditor and law director Tuesday to learn more about the administration’s $24 million bond issue proposal.
But when it became clear that the administration was not prepared to provide all of the answers, officials agreed that the legislation authorizing the project won’t be ready for passage at the next regular council meeting Sept, 14.
The bond issue would provide $8.8 million to construct a one-stop city offices building, refinance debt and make capital improvements such as road improvements.
Councilwoman Helen Rucker said she is still waiting for “a clear plan of action” from the mayor’s office.
For one thing, she wants to know what the city will do with existing city buildings that would no longer be used after offices are moved into one central building.
City council members and the administration talked privately earlier this summer about a location for the one-stop building but talked openly about it Tuesday, saying one of the more likely locations is the former Diane Sauer Chevrolet property on West Market Street.
The private Warren Redevelopment and Planning Corp. bought the 4.9 acres for $375,000, using federal grant money provided to WRAP by the City of Warren.
Doug Franklin, safety-service director, said planning for the one-stop is still in the “early stages,” and he vowed to provide council with more details soon.
Franklin said it’s too soon to have architectural drawings made for the building because those account for 7 percent to 8 percent of the total cost, and council would “string me up” if that amount of expense was incurred without city council being on board with the project first.
So far, the city has incurred some “minor costs” from its bond attorneys, who drew up the legislation council is discussing, but the firm has not submitted a bill yet for its services, Auditor David Griffing said.
Meanwhile, council will have a special meeting at 7 tonight to possibly approve emergency legislation that would allow Franklin and Mayor Michael O’Brien to enter into a contract to allow a shale-drilling company to mine the Utica shale under its Old Avalon Golf Course on Warren-Sharon Road.
Officials say the city could earn $200,000 or more to sign the lease and additional amounts if significant amounts of gas and oil are extracted.
The city would join a pool of other land owners in the area around the golf course to negotiate with mining companies, officials say.