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Youngstown council will consider Wednesday approving a plan to improve two of downtown’s busiest streets
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider Wednesday authorizing that proposals be sought to improve two of downtown’s busiest streets.
The legislation would be for resurfacing, pavement markings and replacing traffic signs on West Federal Street between Phelps and Walnut streets and on Market Street from Front to Commerce streets, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works for the city.
The project will cost about $400,000 with 80 percent of the expense coming from a federal grant and the rest from the city’s $5 vehicle license fee, Shasho said.
If approved by council, the board of control would be permitted to seek proposals and enter into a contract for the work. A contractor would be hired in July, Shasho said.
The work would start in August, shortly after the conclusion of the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest that occupies much of the same space as the improvement project location, he said. The festival is Aug. 4-6.
The project would take about two weeks to complete with the streets closed to vehicular traffic for about a week for resurfacing work, Shasho said.
“The roads would be closed to ease the convenience of downtown businesses because if we shut it down, it would be done quicker,” he said. “If we had the roads open during construction, it would drag it along for a couple of months.”
Meanwhile, Sean McKinney, the city’s buildings and grounds commissioner, abruptly resigned Friday.
Mayor John A. McNally said McKinney called him Friday saying he “was going to take advantage of another opportunity, but wasn’t specific,” and asked that Friday be his last day of work.
McKinney couldn’t be reached Monday by The Vindicator to comment.
“He was a great worker for us, and I’m sorry he decided to leave,” McNally said.
McKinney – hired in September 2006 by then Mayor Jay Williams – oversaw the street department and city-owned buildings including city hall, the police department, 20 Federal Place and the city hall annex.
McKinney’s annual salary was $75,133.
McKinney’s work will be done by Shasho and employees with the street department and 20 Federal Place, an office building the city owns on West Federal Street, McNally said.
“I’ll see if it’s a position I will fill or if I’ll keep it vacant,” McNally said.