I want to give credit to the City & Mr Novotny for getting some pilot projects going & doing research .
However , they shouldn't be trying to set up an industry which already exists on a huge scale elsewhere in the USA & abroad . The City should adverttise internationally for expressions of interest . They should look at demolitions as the sale of a resource & an opportunity to extract value . More demolitions will be done & more local jobs created if the City does this & gets the demolition costs down .
The current high cost demolition method is the main reason delaying demolitions . It may even be economic to sell some houses for removal to other cities .
Companies already doing deconstruction & demolition elsewhere will have have well established eficient recovery processes , insurance cover & distribution & marketing networks for salvaged material .
"Deconstruction" may be new in Youngstown & rare in the United States , but it is the "normal" way of removing a home in many other countries . Alternatively , in some countries , buildings not required on one site are moved on large trucks to another site .
Rising landfill costs & relatively cheaper labor costs have made deconstruction more economic & and demolition operators should be gearing up their operations to cope with it , either instead of or alongside their traditional wrecking operation .
Local government will always , of necessity , sacrifice some efficiency in the name of service delivery equity & democratic control & accountability .
However , this delicate balance needs restoring , as there is now Too Much ineffiency in all local government units in the Valley .When Youngstown's population peaked at about 170,000 in 1930-1960 . Now the City has less than half the population .If it is OK for one City to have a 170,000 population , then only 3 cities the size of the old Youngstown are required in the tri-County area - not the myriad of tiny municipalities, all competing with each other on small budgets to get good quality staff & elected representatives .
It's time for the Valley to move with the times & modernise its local government . By western world standards , the current Council & Township structures are a generation behind the times & that is an impediment to attracting capital & jobs . Thank goodness the Chamber of Commerce is filling the breach in the meantime , but it doresn't have as much of a development mandate as an elected body would have.
A sex shop may not be the biggest problem , in isolation , but it contributes to the degeneration of a neighborhood . I applaud these concerned citizens . The rest of the Valley is dumping its problems on the Southside - if those in good areas want a sex shop ; let them have it in their own neighborhood . Ditto for liquor stores - the Southside needs them like I need a hole in the head .
A potent mix of low expectations, poor schooling , poor urban planning & land uses, & racism causes blight. I'm oftem amazed at how "the suburbs" , knowing the living conditions on the Southside , expect Southside communities to be like theirs .
If concerned Southsiders , both residents & absentee owners get to know each other & work together to clean their neighborhoods , repair buildings , be a little more discerning in tenant selection , always report crimes , oppose the likes of sex shops & liqor stores etc; blight will flee .
people should at least be safe to walk on Market Street . It's time for the City to deliver on its claim a year ago that there is really a police station in the First Pace building at Market & Midlothian . The occasional policing blitz hasn't fooled anyone .
Maybe Mr Cooper is innocent , but Mr Vaughn has no way of knowing that. He is right to try to protect the community in which he has invested his life . He doesn't want to see families move out & his new neighbors comprise only those who are shunned elsewhere . The bigger issue is the avalanche of registered sex offenders - especially Tier 3 - which descended on the Southside this year after automatic mailbox notification ceased . Low market rents don't explain everything . With now 81 registrations, growing at about 1 per week , most people would think there was a good chance that some reoffences will occur ; even if a few are really "innocent" . I'm an absentee property owner trying to improve the area, but I still knew of Mr Cooper's arrival because I registered with the Mahoning Sherrif's website to be notified . Southside internet use is very low . However, families thinking of buying or renting Southside look at the Sherrif's online map & they don't like what they see . Areas with more people online have far fewer registered offenders - e.g. Poland Village , which has only 1 . Southsiders have to get online & get notified & informed. If they don't own a computer , they can use the library's computers for free.
Agreed . But let's not also forget that the equivalent of the Tri-County population was born with birth defects in Vietnam because of Agent Orange & they had no choice at all .
I also applaud the prompt apology . Law enforcement has a difficult job to do , but communities expect it to be done while minimizing collateral damage to the public ; in the same way as communities now expect industry to operate while minimizing pollution .
It's all well to speak nostagiically of the frontier days in America ; but America must continue to update its practices to continue to be a relevant part of the modern world . Remember , 95% of the world's population is NOT American . I know a foreign investor in the Valley , who is bringing in much needed capital to provide jobs - which he is allowed to do . As a developer & local taxpayer, He attended a Council meeting , as he is allowed to do by law . While he was there , the Council members faced the American flag & gave the oath of allegiance & members of the public present were expected to do the same . Of course he was unable to do so & felt embarrased because he owes allegiance to another flag . he compromised , by standing but remaining silent . A small thing , some may say ? Maybe. But its an example of the way official processes will be increasingly be tested for diversity not just in the local context , but in the international context .
Posted on November 7 at 6:26 p.m.
I want to give credit to the City & Mr Novotny for getting some pilot projects going & doing research .
However , they shouldn't be trying to set up an industry which already exists on a huge scale elsewhere in the USA & abroad . The City should adverttise internationally for expressions of interest . They should look at demolitions as the sale of a resource & an opportunity to extract value . More demolitions will be done & more local jobs created if the City does this & gets the demolition costs down .
The current high cost demolition method is the main reason delaying demolitions . It may even be economic to sell some houses for removal to other cities .
Companies already doing deconstruction & demolition elsewhere will have have well established eficient recovery processes , insurance cover & distribution & marketing networks for salvaged material .
Posted on November 6 at 5:18 p.m.
"Deconstruction" may be new in Youngstown & rare in the United States , but it is the "normal" way of removing a home in many other countries . Alternatively , in some countries , buildings not required on one site are moved on large trucks to another site .
Rising landfill costs & relatively cheaper labor costs have made deconstruction more economic & and demolition operators should be gearing up their operations to cope with it , either instead of or alongside their traditional wrecking operation .
http://bcw-congo.blogspot.com/2009/06/bl...
Posted on November 6 at 6:14 a.m.
Why amalgamate just Poland & Boardman . Include Southside as well & get a good population base .
Posted on November 6 at 6:07 a.m.
Local government will always , of necessity , sacrifice some efficiency in the name of service delivery equity & democratic control & accountability .
However , this delicate balance needs restoring , as there is now Too Much ineffiency in all local government units in the Valley .When Youngstown's population peaked at about 170,000 in 1930-1960 . Now the City has less than half the population .If it is OK for one City to have a 170,000 population , then only 3 cities the size of the old Youngstown are required in the tri-County area - not the myriad of tiny municipalities, all competing with each other on small budgets to get good quality staff & elected representatives .
It's time for the Valley to move with the times & modernise its local government . By western world standards , the current Council & Township structures are a generation behind the times & that is an impediment to attracting capital & jobs . Thank goodness the Chamber of Commerce is filling the breach in the meantime , but it doresn't have as much of a development mandate as an elected body would have.
Posted on November 5 at 3:48 a.m.
A sex shop may not be the biggest problem , in isolation , but it contributes to the degeneration of a neighborhood . I applaud these concerned citizens . The rest of the Valley is dumping its problems on the Southside - if those in good areas want a sex shop ; let them have it in their own neighborhood . Ditto for liquor stores - the Southside needs them like I need a hole in the head .
A potent mix of low expectations, poor schooling , poor urban planning & land uses, & racism causes blight. I'm oftem amazed at how "the suburbs" , knowing the living conditions on the Southside , expect Southside communities to be like theirs .
If concerned Southsiders , both residents & absentee owners get to know each other & work together to clean their neighborhoods , repair buildings , be a little more discerning in tenant selection , always report crimes , oppose the likes of sex shops & liqor stores etc; blight will flee .
Posted on October 27 at 2:22 p.m.
people should at least be safe to walk on Market Street . It's time for the City to deliver on its claim a year ago that there is really a police station in the First Pace building at Market & Midlothian . The occasional policing blitz hasn't fooled anyone .
Also , I wouldn't call 57 "elderly" .
Posted on October 24 at 4:19 p.m.
Maybe Mr Cooper is innocent , but Mr Vaughn has no way of knowing that. He is right to try to protect the community in which he has invested his life . He doesn't want to see families move out & his new neighbors comprise only those who are shunned elsewhere .
The bigger issue is the avalanche of registered sex offenders - especially Tier 3 - which descended on the Southside this year after automatic mailbox notification ceased . Low market rents don't explain everything . With now 81 registrations, growing at about 1 per week , most people would think there was a good chance that some reoffences will occur ; even if a few are really "innocent" .
I'm an absentee property owner trying to improve the area, but I still knew of Mr Cooper's arrival because I registered with the Mahoning Sherrif's website to be notified . Southside internet use is very low . However, families thinking of buying or renting Southside look at the Sherrif's online map & they don't like what they see . Areas with more people online have far fewer registered offenders - e.g. Poland Village , which has only 1 .
Southsiders have to get online & get notified & informed. If they don't own a computer , they can use the library's computers for free.
Posted on October 18 at 3:35 p.m.
Agreed . But let's not also forget that the equivalent of the Tri-County population was born with birth defects in Vietnam because of Agent Orange & they had no choice at all .
Posted on October 18 at 3:23 p.m.
I also applaud the prompt apology . Law enforcement has a difficult job to do , but communities expect it to be done while minimizing collateral damage to the public ; in the same way as communities now expect industry to operate while minimizing pollution .
Posted on October 16 at 6:25 a.m.
It's all well to speak nostagiically of the frontier days in America ; but America must continue to update its practices to continue to be a relevant part of the modern world . Remember , 95% of the world's population is NOT American . I know a foreign investor in the Valley , who is bringing in much needed capital to provide jobs - which he is allowed to do . As a developer & local taxpayer, He attended a Council meeting , as he is allowed to do by law . While he was there , the Council members faced the American flag & gave the oath of allegiance & members of the public present were expected to do the same . Of course he was unable to do so & felt embarrased because he owes allegiance to another flag . he compromised , by standing but remaining silent . A small thing , some may say ? Maybe. But its an example of the way official processes will be increasingly be tested for diversity not just in the local context , but in the international context .