C I T Y C O U N C I L C H A M B E R S - City of Youngstown

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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 7, 2004 MAYOR McKELVEY: “IF I CAN RESPOND TO THAT?” MR. GILLAM: “YES GO AHEAD, OKAY”. MAYOR McKELVEY: “GOOD QUESTION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR. THE CONGRESSMAN IS CORRECT THE, AND THAT WAS A MAJOR CONCERN OF MINE AND REMAINS A MAJOR CONCERN OF MINE ABOUT A TICKING TIME CLOCK IN TERMS OF HAVING TO MAKE DECISIONS WITHIN THOSE TIME FRAMES. THE TIMELINE IS NOT IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS BILL. SENATOR DeWINE AND SENATOR VOINOVICH HAVE INDICATED TO THE CITY THAT THEY HAVE CONTACTED PERSONALLY HUD OFFICIALS AND HAD BEEN ASSURED THAT UPON REQUEST OF THE CITY AN EXTENSION WILL BE GRANTED FOR THE USE OF THE FUNDS. THEY SPOKE ABOUT TWELVE TO TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS ASSURED, IF IN FACT SUBSTANTIAL CONSTRUCTION WERE UNDER WAY IT WOULD BE EXTENDED TO THIRTY-SIX MONTHS. THAT WOULD TAKE THE PROJECT FROM THE SUM OF CLOSE TO TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS WE HAVE CURRENTLY TO POTENTIALLY FORTY-EIGHT TO SIXTY MONTHS REMAINING TO DO THE PROJECT. ON THE SECOND POINT THAT YOU MENTIONED RELATIVE TO THE FEBRUARY, I’M SORRY IF I WAS DATE SPECIFIC, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS COULD OCCUR IN FEBRUARY OF 2004 AND NO LATER THAN MARCH, SO I STAND CORRECTED”. MR. FORTUNE: “GO AHEAD MR. GILLAM”. MR. GILLAM: “MR. CHAIRMAN, THROUGH THE CHAIR MR. MAYOR AS I UNDERSTAND IT IF SENATOR DeWINE HAS TALKED TO HUD AND BEEN ASSURED THAT WE WILL GET THIS EXTENSION, FOR OUR SAKE ALONE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT IN WRITING, THAT’S NUMBER ONE. (MAYOR RESPONDED: “I CONCUR”) “NUMBER TWO IS BECAUSE IT IS THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNCIL, COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE AN INPUT AND AS YOU SAY THIS IS MY WARD DOWN HERE SO IF I DIDN’T GET ANY INPUT I DON’T SEE HOW ANY OTHER COUNCILMAN GOT ANY. AT THIS PARTICULAR JUNCTION, I’VE ASKED THIS A FEW MONTHS AGO, THAT WE WORK AS A TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, IT’S JUST MY BELIEF AND THAT’S JUST ME, THAT THE CONVOCATION CENTER WOULD BE MORE OF A BANG FOR OUR BUCK BECAUSE IF THERE’S, FOR WHAT I UNDERSTAND THERE WOULD BE A TWENTY YEAR CONTRACT AND WE’D HAVE SOME PERMANENT AND ALSO SOME PART-TIME JOBS, BECAUSE THIS IS MY WARD AND I’D LOVE TO SEE THE CITY CLEANED UP DOWN THERE HOWEVER, I THINK THE ONLY REASON WE GOT THIS MONEY IS BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA, NOT DOWNTOWN, BUT BECAUSE OF THIS PARTICULAR AREA IS WHY WE GOT THE MONIES. IT’S MY FEELING THAT 10 OF 14
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 7, 2004 WE SHOULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS WE INCLUDE THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF THE INNER CITY, AND FOR THEM TO BE INCLUSIVE FOR US TO TAKE SOME BUILDINGS DOWN, DOWN THERE WOULD LEAVE THEM OUT BECAUSE THE ONLY INCLUSIVE THAT WOULD BE THERE IS THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS WHO WOULD BE MAKING THE MONIES, AS I SEE IT. DO WE NEED THIS DONE? YES WE DO. I THINK IT COULD TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, THIS IS MY OPINION AGAIN, I THINK IN MONTHS, PERHAPS EVEN A COUPLE OF YEARS TO COME THAT COULD ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. HOWEVER, I THINK PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED LIKE I AM. WE’VE HAD THIS MONEY FOR THREE YEARS SOMETHING SHOULD BE HAPPENING NOW, JUST SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN. WE GOT A GIFT AND WE’VE HELD ONTO THAT GIFT, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW. THE ONLY WAY THAT WE COULD DO THAT MAYOR IS WE WORK AS COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION AND I’D LIKE TO SEE MORE, I’D LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE, NOT MORE OF IT DONE, I’D LIKE TO SEE IT DONE. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, WE’RE GOING TO LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS THE WAY WE’RE LOOKING NOW THAT THREE YEARS A $26. MILLION GIFT AND NOTHING HAS BEEN, NO GROUND HAS BEEN BROKEN, NOTHING, SO MAYBE YOU COULD RESPOND. THANK YOU”. MAYOR McKELVEY: “THOSE ARE FAIR COMMENTS, I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM. YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN NUMEROUS TIMES AND I’VE REFLECTED THAT IT’S DIFFICULT TO CONTINUALLY REPORT TO YOU THAT IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE PROGRESS THERE IS NO PROGRESS AND THAT’S ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE REPORT WHEN YOU’RE IN FACT DISCUSSING WITH PEOPLE AND ATTEMPTING TO GET THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROJECT WHICH HAS BEEN OUR GOAL ALL ALONG. THE COMMITMENT OF THE CITY AND THE REQUIREMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION IS THAT ALL CONTRACTS FIRST OF ALL WERE INITIATED AT CITY COUNCIL, SO THEREFORE MY COMMITMENT REMAINS THE SAME. IF AND WHEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN FINDING A WAY TO BUILD A CENTER THAT PROPOSAL WILL BE MADE TO YOUNGSTOWN CITY COUNCIL FOR EITHER THEIR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. THAT CAN’T CHANGE AND OF COURSE THERE WAS NEVER ANY INTENTION TO CHANGE IT BECAUSE ONE WOULD THEN HAVE TO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE OF THE CITY OF YOUNGSTOWN AND THAT OF COURSE IS NOT GOING TO OCCUR. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT, I KNOW THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS; DIFFERENT IDEAS WILL COME FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS THIS LANGUAGE IS AMENDED, ULTIMATELY FOUR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL WILL DECIDE HOW EVERY DOLLAR OF THIS FUNDING IS GOING TO BE SPENT. I COMMEND YOU FOR YOU PASSION, YOUR DESIRE TO SEE THE CENTER BUILT. I VERY MUCH, I DON’T BELIEVE ANYBODY INVESTED MORE TIME AND EFFORT THAN MYSELF AND JOHN McNALLY AND DAVE BOZANICH AND YOURSELF. IT WOULD’VE BEEN NICE WHEN THE R.F.P.’S CAME IN HAD THE DEVELOPER AT THAT TIME 11 OF 14
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C I T Y C O U N C I L C H A M B E R S - City of Youngstown

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