Tree-lined Y'town a playground for dogs?

Pit bulls and tree-lined medians and park and recreation charter amendments.

It doesn't roll off the tongue like lions and tigers and bears.

While the three issues don't cause Dorothy-like fear of wild animals on her way to Oz, some Youngstown city officials are thinking "oh, my," about them.

Youngstown recently passed a law that bans the ownership of new pit bulls, supposedly effective this past Saturday. The law also puts new restrictions on existing pit bulls. City officials say there are huge problems with pit bulls, including organized dogfighting and attacks by the dogs, that led to the legislation.

Dog owners throughout the country have called Youngstown city officials to complain about the breed-specific ban.

Law-abiding city residents who own pit bulls are also upset that they are being punished because of the criminal behavior of others.

On top of the complaints, the city is having a hard time getting on the same page with Mahoning County officials.

The city had expected the county dog warden to enforce the pit bull legislation when it took effect almost a week ago. But so far the dog warden isn't doing that despite assurances from county commissioners that the matter would be resolved quickly.

Median controversy

There may be a resolution to the tree-lined median controversy.

City council's buildings and grounds committee was to meet today to hear a proposal from city planners about what should be done with a project for a portion of West Federal Street that includes the removal of the medians.

This project, first introduced two years ago, was to get started this month. But it came to an abrupt stop after numerous people complained about removing the medians to include diagonal parking.

The city's project includes green space for 24 trees — two more than those in the medians between Fifth Avenue and Phelps Street. But those who oppose the plan like the medians and the trees where they are.

City planners were to propose a compromise today that reduces the number of diagonal parking spaces in order to keep about half of the medians. There would be trees in the remaining medians and other trees near the parking areas.

It remains to be seen how those who strongly criticized the plan will react to an updated proposal that has some of the tree-lined medians removed.

As for the charter amendments, Mayor Jay Williams first faced resistance from some council members. They asked the mayor to postpone any changes to the commission and to drop his plan to put the amendments on the November ballot.

Determined to see this through, Williams refused. He apparently convinced council to follow his lead because it unanimously voted to put the amendments on the November ballot.

Williams still faces opposition to the amendments from the park and recreation commission members who want to keep their autonomy. The commission unsuccessfully tried to get the Mahoning County Board of Elections to not permit the city to put the amendments on the ballot.

Mayoral appointments

If approved by voters, the commission's contracts and purchases would need to be approved by city council and the board of control. Also, the mayor, and not the commission, would appoint all permanent park and recreation employees, except the director.

The commission members are criticizing the mayor for proposing the amendments without first discussing the matter with them. Williams said there are long-standing problems that the commission members have ignored for years, and they were repeatedly told that changes needed to be made. Also, Williams says the commission has virtually no accountability.

He's also publicly questioned their competency to serve. It's uncharacteristic for Williams to be so critical of a city entity in public. But he says the commission let problems grow so out of control and still won't properly address them that something immediate had to be done.