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City board hires Morrison for planning, development assistance
YOUNGSTOWN
The board of control approved a contract for up to $25,000 to have Hunter Morrison, one of the architects of the Youngstown 2010 plan, provide planning and development assistance to the city.
The board Thursday voted 3-0 in favor of the one-year deal that will pay Morrison $75 an hour for his services.
There’s also a one-year renewal option.
“Frankly, it’s a steal to acquire him, even for a short time,” said Law Director Jeff Limbian, a member of the board of control with Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and Kyle Miasek, interim finance director.
Brown added, “This came from my desire to have a strategic action plan. We need someone to put everyone’s plans together so we can move in one direction.”
Morrison is a senior fellow in urban studies at Cleveland State University. He served as executive director for the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, director of Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies, and as planning commission director for the city of Cleveland.
While at YSU, Morrison was one of the main creators of the Youngstown 2010 plan, adopted in 2005, that envisioned the city embracing its shrinking population and developing a plan to improve Youngstown.
It garnered national media attention and several planning organization honors and had a few successes, most notably the improvement of downtown and a revised zoning code.
Morrison’s duties for the city include:
Assisting T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s director of community planning and economic development, in managing the department’s planning and zoning divisions and advising the planning commission, board of zoning appeals and design review committee.
Helping the city and its various public, private and philanthropic partners prepare strategic development plans for opportunity zones, and Western Reserve Transit Authority transit corridors to connect downtown with the city’s neighborhoods and its surrounding communities.
Advising the mayor and members of the city administration in creating a task force to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of city operations and reduce costs.
Representing the mayor and the city on various task forces and committees as requested.