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 WHO PROPOSED THE FIFTY MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT MATCHED OUR TWENTY-FIVE MILLION WITH THEIR TWENTY-FIVE, BUT THIS MAYOR KEPT ASKING THE QUESTION “WHERE’S THE MONEY?” AND AT ONE POINT I WAS TOLD “WELL DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT JUST SIGN THE CONTRACT MAYOR AND THAT’LL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF”. WELL I DON’T DO BUSINESS THAT WAY, AND I WILL NOT JEOPARDIZE THE TAXPAYERS THAT WAY. SO WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET TO THAT POINT. AND AS YOU WELL KNOW WE’VE GONE FROM THAT LEVEL TO DOWN TO NOW I BELIEVE WE’RE WORKING WITH THE $25 MILLION TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME GOAL INSTEAD OF THINKING, AND I OFTEN HEAR PEOPLE SAY WELL JEEZ THEY NEED TO BUILD A TEN THOUSAND SEAT ARENA, WELL THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL BUT THE ESTIMATE FOR THE TEN THOUSAND SEAT ARENA IN TOLEDO, OHIO IS $63.8 MILLION, WE HAVE $25 MILLION, THIS MAYOR AGAIN IS ASKING AS MAYOR FORD IS IN TOLEDO “WHOSE PAYING FOR THE DIFFERENCE?” AND IF YOU CAN’T PAY FOR THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN ONLY BUILD WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUILD AND THAT HAS BEEN MY POSITION AND IT WILL REMAIN MY POSITION AND I BELIEVE YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY”. MR. GILLAM: “THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, NOW WE HAVE TWENTY REMAINING MONIES OF THE $26. MILLION, WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN BUILD WITH THAT. I’VE BEEN IN MEETINGS AND I THINK THE CONTRACTS ARE READY TO SIGN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. I’M AFRAID TO SAY MONTHS, WHEN YOU SAY MONTHS IT SCARES ME TO DEATH, IT SCARES ME TO DEATH BECAUSE WE HAVE ONLY SO MUCH TIME TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. I’D LIKE TO SEE MAYOR US SIGN A CONTRACT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS SO WE CAN GET THIS THING ON THE ROAD. YOU NEED TO TELL ME AND MY COLLEAGUES WHY WE’RE NOT DOING THAT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT NOW BUT WE NEED TO KNOW THAT, WE NEED TO KNOW WHY WE’RE NOT SIGNING A CONTRACT, AND WHY WE’RE NOT PUTTING AS FAR AS THE TEN, WE KNOW WE CAN’T BUILD TEN THOUSAND SEATS, THAT’S DONE. MR. FORTUNE AND I TOOK A TRIP, THROUGH THE PAIN THAT I HAD IN MY BACK TO GO TEXAS TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN WE BUILD AND WE CAN BUILD THE ARENA WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE HAVE WE CAN DO THAT. THERE’S OTHER THINGS THAT I’VE BEEN TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TO COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT DOING THAT PROSPECTIVE BUILDING THAT COULD BE DONE. MAYOR, I’M ASKING YOU HERE AND NOW AND MY COLLEAGUES CAN CHIME IN OR NOT CHIME IN HOWEVER THEY WANT. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE HAVE A DEADLINE, I’M TALKING TO THE CONGRESSMAN AND AS YOU SAID SENATOR DeWINE TALKED TO HUD, I WILL BE CALLING HUD TOMORROW MORNING BUT, IF I WAS YOU ANYTHING AT THIS JUNCTURE, AND I’M GOING TO SHUT UP AFTER THIS, ANYTHING AT THIS JUNCTURE SHOULD BE IN WRITING, IF THEY SAY THEY’RE GOING TO GIVE US AN EXTENSION, PUT IT IN WRITING. BECAUSE WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT THEY DO COULD BE TWO 12 OF 14
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 7, 2004 DIFFERENT THINGS. I’M SAYING WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW AND MAYOR I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SEEING THE PASSION, NOT ONLY PASSION I’M SO FRUSTRATED IT’S UNREAL. HERE I AM AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO SIT HERE AND TO ALLOW THIS TO GO ON FOR THREE YEARS THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME, AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW. THANK YOU”. (APPLAUSE FROM THE AUDIENCE) MAYOR McKELVEY: “I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOU. I BELIEVE THAT YOU’VE BEEN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAY THE BALANCE OF COUNCIL HAS BEEN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, I’M GOING TO TAKE YOUR ADVICE, I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE. I WAS WAITING FOR THE SENATORS TO AMEND THE LEGISLATION TO REQUEST THE EXTENSION OF THE TIME. I’LL BEGIN WORKING WITH JAY WILLIAMS TO GET ADVICE FROM THE SENATOR’S OFFICE AS TO HOW THAT REQUEST SHOULD LOOK SO WE’RE NOT FORCED TO MAKE A HASTY DECISION OR CHALLENGED BY THE CURRENT TIMELINE THAT WE FACE SO WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT QUICKLY, I APPRECIATE THAT AND AGAIN I WILL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS”. MR. FORTUNE: MR. MAYOR I CAN APPRECIATE, I’LL GET RIGHT TO YOU MR. BOLES IN A MINUTE, I CAN APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOUR COMMENTS HERE THIS EVENING AND I THINK THEY’RE WELL NOTED. IN THE FUTURE MR. GILLAM AND WHOEVER ELSE IS WORKING I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW I WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WORK ALONG WITH YOU AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I’VE GOT SO MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS THING AND I AGREE THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENING TO US AT THE PRESENT TIME, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE NEED TO BE ON TARGET, WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING WITH THIS PROJECT IF SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS ALONG THE WAY AND WE CAN MAKE HAY OUT OF THAT, THAT’S FINE BUT RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON THAT PROJECT. MR. BOLES”. MR. BOLES: “THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME MR. PRESIDENT HERE AT MY FIRST CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I THINK THAT THIS IS NUMBER 84, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THE 84 TH SESSION OF YOUNGSTOWN CITY COUNCIL. I WANT TO THANK THE INCUMBENT COUNCILMEN FOR MAKING ME FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING IN. I’M CERTAIN THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE THEIR OWN FEELINGS AND SENTIMENTS ON THAT ISSUE AND CERTAINLY AS WE PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THEY CAN AND WILL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. BUT ON MY BEHALF I WANT TO THANK THE INCUMBENT CITY COUNCILMEN AND THE STAFF HERE IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE FOR MAKING US FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS AND MAKING THIS TRANSITION AS SMOOTH AS 13 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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