Youngstown council to consider a new planning contract Wednesday
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City council will consider legislation Wednesday for a contract to have the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. continue to serve as the city’s planner, and to possibly vote on laws regarding property maintenance, demolition and unsafe buildings.
YNDC was selected in July 2013 to provide planning services for the city in conjunction with the Youngstown State University Center for Urban and Regional Studies.
The city paid about $100,000 to YNDC last year for planning work, said Ian Beniston, the agency’s executive director.
The amount for this year’s work is up to $60,000 as not as much work needs to be done, said T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s director of community planning and economic development.
Much of the work last year was focused on a citywide development plan, including $25,000 to the YSU center for mapping and data.
YNDC’s contract with the city expired last Dec. 31.
The city administration didn’t seek a contract renewal until now because it wanted to make sure there was enough money in the budget to retain the organization, Woodberry said. Council approved the city’s $179.7 million budget March 18.
The new deal will expire at the end of this year.
Also, council will consider repealing and replacing laws regarding property maintenance, demolition and unsafe buildings.
Council postponed a vote March 18 on the new policies as the city law department made some minor changes to them.
The new policies will provide updated and complete documents on these issues to better service city officials and the public, according to Nicole Billec, an assistant city law director.
Council also will consider creating an account clerk for its rental and vacant property registration and its foreclosure-bond programs. The job would be full time and pay $34,320 annually.
The city had three part-time workers, being paid $41,002 in total salary, handling that work, said Abigail Brubaker, code-enforcement and blight-remediation superintendent.
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