Youngstown council rejects storm water analysis, agrees on demo plan, grants Gasser abatement

YOUNGSTOWN

In a 4-3 vote, Youngstown council rejected legislation to have the city invest $350,000 and have that amount matched by a company to conduct an analysis for ways to reduce the amount of storm water that goes into the sewer system.

The money from Fresh Coast Capital LLC of Chicago would have gone toward a study to recommend ways to use green infrastructure, including plants, trees and soil to help manage the volume and quality of water going into the sewer system.

The study would have taken 12 to 18 months to complete.

Council members had initially heard the Fresh Coast proposal about four months ago, but until Wednesday had declined to act on it.

“I’m surprised with council’s decision,” Mayor John A. McNally, who backed the proposal, said after the meeting. “Quite frankly, I didn’t hear any opposition.”

Also today, council authorized the board of control to approve a memorandum of understanding with the 112th Engineer Battalion, based in Brook Park, to have about 40 of its unit members demolish 15 to 20 vacant structures in the Newport neighborhood on the South Side in July, and to permit the board of control to approve a 75-percent, 10-year real-property tax abatement with Gasser Chair Co. on Logan Way.

Read more about the matters in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.