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Youngstown council to consider Wednesday legislation to make about $400,000 in improvements to two busy downtown streets
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider legislation Wednesday to authorize about $400,000 in improvements to two of downtown’s busiest streets that will shut them down for about two weeks in August.
The proposal would be for resurfacing, pavement markings and replacing traffic signs on West Federal Street between Phelps and Walnut streets and Market Street from Front to Commerce streets. If approved, the legislation would have council authorize the board of control to enter into a contract with the state for the project.
The city would use state funding for 80 percent of the project, about $320,000, and $80,000 coming from money Youngstown collects from a $5 vehicle license fee, said Mayor John A. McNally.
“Traffic will be routed around that area during resurfacing,” he said. “There will be some inconvenience downtown, but the road, particularly the Market Street portion, is in bad shape. We’ll get the work done all at once. Downtown folks will adjust to it. It should be a two-week project at the most if the weather cooperates.”
The work would start in early August, McNally said.
The city will seek proposals on the project in April or May, he said.
Council also will consider an ordinance Wednesday that would have the board of control sign an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice for the latter to fund 75 percent of the money needed to hire six police officers.
The federal Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS] program would provide $747,368 with the city paying $249,123 for the six new hires over a three-year period.
The city plans to hire five of the six patrol officers in the next couple of weeks with the final one hired in the next month or two, McNally said.
When the six are hired, there will be 159 officers in the police department, McNally said.
After the three years are done, the city will pay 100 percent of the cost of the officers, he said.
Meanwhile, McNally will honor a bet he lost by wearing a James Madison University Dukes shirt to the council meeting.
McNally and Harrisonburg, Va., Mayor Deanna Reed made a wager on the Jan. 7 FCS national championship game during which James Madison beat the Youngstown State University Penguins 28-14. The losing mayor had to wear the apparel of the winning team at the next council meeting. The package from Reed’s office, which also includes an oversized No. 1 James Madison foam finger, was delivered to McNally’s office a couple of weeks ago.