Groups lower ARP request by $1.2M

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, Land Bank look to demolish and rehabilitate city homes

WARREN -- Two local housing agencies are lowering their requests for American Rescue Plan Act funds by more than $1 million during a meeting before members of Warren City Council's finance committee at 4 p.m. today.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and Trumbull County Land Bank made a $3.7 million request for ARP funds in January. Council stripped out the request made by the two organization because some have expressed concern about the amount of money that will remain to be used for community projects.

The organizations are expected to ask for $2.5 million today.

Community Development Director Michael Keys last week committed to providing approximately $800,000 for housing rehabilitation through the CD department's annual Housing and Urban Development grant.

"We do many of the same type of things that TNP does," Keys noted. "We can just have them do these housing rehabilitation projects."

With Keys' commitment, Shawn Carvin, director of the Trumbull County Land Bank, said the request now will be about $2.5 million.

The organizations are looking for Warren to provide $1.5 million in ARP funds for the demolition of approximately 154 properties in the city and the cleanup of the gasification plant property the city owns.

The Land Bank requested and received $4 million from the Ohio Department of Development for the demolition of 154 commercial and residential structures throughout the city. The local match would be $1 million.

It received a $2 million grant for the cleanup and remediation of the former gasification plant. The Land Bank is seeking $500,000 to be used as the local match for that state grant.

Work must be completed on these projects by May 31, 2023.

The Land Bank also is asking for $1 million for emergency home repairs for low- to moderate-income residents.

"The ARP funds are designed to help people impacted by the COVID pandemic," Carvin said. "We have a long waiting list of people seeking emergency home repair assistance. We saw the wait list for this type of assistance grow three to four times over the pandemic."

Projected average cost per homeowner is $10,000, with each emergency home repair project capped at $15,000.

During the last council meeting, Mayor Doug Franklin said the committee reviewing the ARP requests from community organizations once again are going over applications to eliminate those that do not qualify under the ARP and are determining whether some may be funded through other resources.

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, one of two council members on the ARP committee, added they are categorizing the requests under set criteria, such as social service, business and other requests.

"We want this money to touch as many parts of the city as it can," Rucker noted.

Councilman Ken MacPherson, D-at Large, is asking the administration to provide all documents created by the committee reviewing and making recommendations on the community projects seeking ARP funds.

"These are public records," MacPherson said. "I've been asking when the meetings of the committee have been taking place. I would have had liked to attend the meetings. I was not aware that two council members have been on the committee."

MacPherson said council members should have been able to review the requests of citizens and organization seeking ARP funds that were turned in through the city's website and through the mail.

"We may have wanted to have committee meeting to discuss the projects," he said.

MacPherson said another citizen's lawsuit could be filed against city because it has been "less than open" through this process.

Rucker said the administration likely will provide a full overview of its recommendations on the community requests after council returns from it annual summer break in September. Council, in general, takes an August recess every year.

"Council is being brought up to speed as requests are coming in," Rucker said.

TNP and Trumbull Land Bank also have similar requests for funding in front Trumbull County commissioners.

"Commissioners have sent our requests to their lawyers to determine if the projects are eligible," Carvin said.

ARP fund requests from the city's police department will be discussed during a police and fire committee meeting scheduled 4 p.m. Tuesday in the council caucus room.

Police Chief Eric Merkel in June presented council a list of $3.3 million worth of items that could be purchased using ARP funds.

Council agreed to use about $250,000 of its funds to pay for a data conversion software called Mark43 that will assist police officers in report writing, case management investigations, crime analysis, and maintaining property and evidence records.

The department would like to receive help in funding other items as well.

The city received more than $28.6 million in ARP funds, of which it already has spent or approved the spending of nearly $4.7 million. An estimated $12.7 million worth of other suggested spending has not been voted on by council members, including much of the $500,000 each council member has access to for projects he / she determine may be useful.

The ARP funds each council member may use for his / her projects still must be vetted by the mayor's and the auditor's office to ensure they are within the approved uses and then passed by the majority of council, just like every other ARP funding project.

Councilman Gary Steinbeck, D-at Large, for example, said he will seek to use a portion of his $500,000 to pay for the Mark43 system. Councilman Ron White, D-7th Ward, said he wants to focus funds on the development of a park on the old Secrest Elementary school property and starting sidewalk and tree lawn projects.