Youngstown council rejects spending on storm-water analysis

By David Skolnick | March 16, 2017 at 12:06a.m.

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.

Council members questioned the proposal during the finance committee meeting just before its regular meeting, but no one said they didn’t support 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.”

Those voting against the proposal said there was no guarantee the study would have produced results, and they are concerned about the amount of money the city would be spending.

“There were a lot of hypotheticals,” said Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th. “But there’s no guarantee of any cost savings to our residents. I’m not comfortable spending money on hypotheticals.”

“Right now, we can’t afford it,” said Councilman T.J. Rodgers, D-2nd.

Fresh Coast focuses on environmental projects on vacant land in urban areas.

Last year, the company signed a deal with the city to plant numerous poplar trees at three largely vacant park areas. The trees reduce the use of the city’s storm-water system.

Also Wednesday, 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.

For the past three years, the city has unsuccessfully sought assistance from National Guard units to demolish about 200 houses in that neighborhood, said Bill D’Avignon, Community Development Agency director.

Hopefully, he said, the project in July will be successful and the 112th and other units will come to the city next year to take down the rundown houses in that neighborhood.

Also, council voted Wednesday to permit the board of control to approve a 75-percent, 10-year real-property tax abatement with Gasser Chair Co. on Logan Way.

Gasser plans to spend up to $923,700 to convert a warehouse into a manufacturing facility and hire 20 full-time employees. The project would be finished by the end of this year.

Gasser would save $46,675 in property taxes and pay $15,558 over the 10-year life of the abatement.

The company makes chairs for casinos, restaurants and hotels.