YNDC produces documents countering Gillam, Tarpley's accusations

YOUNGSTOWN

Accusations from some city council members that the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. gives preferential treatment to certain areas of the city are wrong, its executive director said.

Ian J. Beniston, YNDC’s head, provided documents Thursday to The Vindicator previously given to council members showing that services — such as Paint Youngstown, which addresses problems such as roof replacement, minor repairs and house painting; and owner-occupied housing rehabilitation — are divided evenly among each of the seven wards.

“Every side of town is treated the same,” he said. “We own real estate and board up houses all over the city.”

The documents for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were provided after Councilwomen Annie Gillam, D-1st, and Janet Tarpley, D-6th, who are black, expressed concerns about past bias by the YNDC.

Council postponed a vote Wednesday on a $102,168-a-year contract with YNDC to supervise and manage a grass-cutting and property-cleanup program.

Gillam said the agency gave “the shaft to certain people all along, and I don’t want to be shafted again.”

Tarpley said, “We can’t act like race isn’t an issue when it’s an issue,” and “YNDC has a history with some of the council people.”

But documents provided by Beniston show each of the city’s seven wards had five houses benefit from Paint Youngstown the past two years with the 7th Ward getting a sixth house in 2013.

The distribution wasn’t even in 2012 because of an issue with federal funds, according to YNDC records.

But in 2012, Tarpley’s 6th Ward had the most houses — 13 — benefit from the program; followed by 10 in the 3rd Ward; nine each in the 1st, 5th and 7th wards; and eight each in the 2nd and 4th wards.

Read more about the squabble in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.