Youngstown council approves spending additional $100K for garbage-collection program

YOUNGSTOWN — City council agreed today to increase spending by up to $100,000 for the city’s new residential garbage-collection program to cover the costs of temporary workers.

City administration officials said they didn’t anticipate the additional cost of hiring eight temporary workers when collections began May 2.

The rental trucks only permits garbage to be dumped into the back of the vehicles so the temps had to be hired at a cost of about $6,000 a week, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works. In addition to rear dumping, the trucks being purchased by the city will have the ability to dump garbage into the side from specialized 96-gallon bins the city purchased for its 22,000 residential customers, he said.

When the new trucks and bins are being used by the end of July, the city won’t need the temporary workers, city officials said.

Also today, council approved allowing the board of control to sign deals to sell city-owned property for two projects.

The deals are with Youngstown Specialty Metals on Andrews Avenue for an expansion, and with ONE Health Ohio to turn the former Bottom Dollar grocery store on Glenwood Avenue into a health care facility.

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