City will revise plans for ARP funds | News, sports, jobs

YOUNGSTOWN – The City Council on Wednesday will consider allocating $5.4 million toward American Rescue Plan spending, including $4.02 million for more park improvements and $882,762 to provide 10% “retention bonuses” to every city police officer and emergency responder .

The $4.02 million will be spent on improvements to several parks in the city.

It is the final portion of a $10.5 million ARP allocation that the City Council approved for the park system in June 2022.

The Council on Oct. 2 approved spending $5.97 million on numerous parks throughout the city using ARP dollars. The city awarded most of the contracts, with the bids bringing in about $500,000 less than awarded. That freed up additional ARP money for other park work.

Council will vote Wednesday to increase the ARP allocation of $800,000 for design contracts for the park projects to $859,000.

The City Council on Wednesday will also consider giving 10% “retention bonuses” to every police officer and emergency responder with unspent funds from an ARP grant.

The city received a $1,722,762 ARP grant to hire and retain police officers.

Legislation sponsored by Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said the city could “only use approximately $840,000 for staffing and recruiting.”

The remaining $882,762 will be used for 10% bonuses for police officers and dispatchers.

The legislation states that the federal grant cannot be spent by the city to make pension payments, so the city is responsible for the pension contributions of 19.5% of public employees.

While the city does not pay these pension contributions for emergency services, it does for police officers, and an overwhelming percentage of the funding goes to officers. Obtaining the grant will cost the city about $150,000 in pension benefits.

With the City Council due to allocate all of its ARP dollars by the end of the year, there are a number of other laws to spend or increase that money on projects already approved.

The city received $82.7 million in ARP funds, of which approximately a few hundred thousand dollars had not yet been allocated.

Among the items to be considered by the City Council on Wednesday for new ARP projects are: $55,000 from Councilman Jimmy Hughes, D-2nd Ward, for the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past program; $20,000 from Councilman Mike Ray, D-4 Ward, for the Economic Action Group to purchase a vehicle for neighborhood cleanups and other related activities in his ward; and $50,000 from Ray for Youngstown Cityscape to renovate the greenhouse and single-family home at the Briel site — a former flower shop it purchased — to create retail space, education and event space, a demonstration kitchen and a community garden center.

The City Council agreed in April 2022 to provide $2 million in ARP funding to each of its seven members, for a total of $14 million.

“We were right to do what we did with the $2 million per department,” said Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6 Ward. “I see the impact here. This is the way it was supposed to be spent.”

Also on the municipal council’s agenda are three items to increase ARP expenditure for municipal projects.

They are:

l From $150,000 to $389,000 for improvements to Ohio Urban Renaissance, which serves at-risk and disadvantaged youth, at 421 North Ave. The legislation is sponsored by Councilwoman Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward, and is specifically intended to renovate the agency’s heating system. ventilation and air conditioning system.

l Increase from $50,000 to $70,000 for a program to provide seniors and businesses with safety lighting in the 6th Ward. The legislation was sponsored by Davis.

l Davis is also sponsoring legislation to increase from $75,000 to $125,000 for tree removal on vacant lots next to occupied homes in her district.

The Council will also consider legislation Wednesday to repeal an ordinance passed May 15 to spend $28,000 in ARP funds on a storage and garage building at the Henry Stambaugh Golf Course.