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Youngstown council OKs company to design replacement sewer line
YOUNGSTOWN
City council approved legislation to hire a company to design and oversee the replacement of its largest sewer line.
But council postponed votes Wednesday to sign a contract with Youngstown State University’s Regional Economic Development Initiative to assist with applying for grants, and to establish an energy-improvement district for a proposed downtown hotel.
Council deferred a vote on the two-year contract for up to $200,000 with YSU after Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th, said the city should see if there are other agencies interested in helping apply for state, federal and foundation grants.
“We need to see if there’s interest out there from others to do this work who can do the job as well as YSU,” and for less money, she said.
City Finance Director David Bozanich said he and Mayor John A. McNally want YSU to do the work as the university has the expertise and is based in Youngstown.
Other council members spoke in favor of hiring YSU, but agreed to wait until their next meeting, June 1, to vote on hiring the university.
The deal would have YSU apply for grants the city doesn’t normally receive, Bozanich said.
Meanwhile, council approved a proposal to spend up to $400,000 to have the board of control hire a company to design and oversee the replacement of an 84-inch brick line that runs parallel to the Mahoning River between Hazel Street and South Avenue.
The line, the city’s largest and more than 100 years old, is starting to deteriorate and needs to be replaced, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public-works department.
The replacement could cost about $5 million and be done next year, he said.
At the request of McNally, who didn’t attend the meeting, council also delayed approving a series of proposals to establish an “energy special-improvement district” at the proposed downtown DoubleTree Hilton hotel to be built at the Stambaugh Building, 44 E. Federal St.
The legislation by council is needed for the hotel to borrow money for energy-efficient improvements. The Western Reserve Port Authority will issue the bonds for the project. The NYO Property Group, which owns the hotel location, would pay $5,528,118 over 15 years for the improvements.
Before the meeting, McNally told The Vindicator that NYO may need additional legislation or amend the current ordinances so he wanted council to wait on a vote.