Youngstown council increases contract for grass cutting, cleanups

YOUNGSTOWN — City council authorized the board of control to sign a contract paying $174,261 to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. to supervise grass cutting and cleanups at vacant structures.

Council voted 7-0 today on the ordinance.

YNDC will employ four supervisors, a management intern, about 15 workers from the Mahoning Columbiana Training Association – typically lower-income city residents between age 18 and 24 – and about a dozen AmeriCorps members.

In 2015, the year with YNDC having these responsibilities, lawns at 10,356 vacant structures were cut and 533 empty structures were boarded up, said Ian Beniston, the agency’s executive director.

That $135,168 contract was for 35 weeks. The new contract is for 46 weeks.

“A lot of phones [at city hall] ringing with complaints stopped ringing” last year because of YNDC’s work, said city Finance Director David Bozanich.

In 2014, private contractors paid by the city cut about 2,900 lawns.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com