YOUNGSTOWN — City council plans to spend about $5.1 million to demolish 500 of the worst abandoned houses.

The money will come from the $82,775,370 Youngstown was awarded from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Council also may spend $1 million in each of the seven wards overseen by its members.

Finance Director Kyle Miasek also discussed a list of $53.3 million in proposed water and wastewater projects. The most expensive one is $28 million for a wastewater incinerator that the city could use not only to dispose of its waste but charge other communities for the same purpose, he said.

Council met Monday to talk about options for the ARP money. Youngstown received half in May and is getting the rest next May. The city has until the end of 2024 to spend the money.

There are restrictions on how the money can be spent. It can go toward revenue lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to pay additional money to essential employees and for infrastructure projects such as water, sewer and broadband.

Demolishing abandoned houses also is permissible, and council had a lengthy discussion Monday about taking down 500 of the worst structures in the city.

There were 869 abandoned houses in the city as of June, said Michael Durkin, the city’s code enforcement and blight remediation superintendent.

To take down 500 of the worst would cost $5,122,500 and take 18 to 24 months to complete, he said.

The work is expensive because most of the houses are filled with asbestos and other hazardous materials that have to be removed before demolition can start, he said.

“The goal is to get down the worst of the worst,” Durkin said.

The city has demolished so many abandoned houses over the years that the ones left are “some of the worst properties we’ve ever uncovered” and that makes them costly, Miasek said.

Council members agreed Monday to authorize the demolition expenditure so the work could start in a few months.

Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, said he wants to see some money go into a fund to help residents who cannot afford to repair their homes.

$1 MILLION PER WARD

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, also said she wants $1 million for each of the city’s seven wards. The council member in each ward would be in charge of spending the money.

Oliver agreed with the plan and said Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, who didn’t attend Monday’s council meeting, also supports it.

Council would have to track the money to make sure each dollar is spent in compliance with federal law, Miasek said. He added that council would “have to police each other” and the ARP rules “may change” making spending less restrictive.

Miasek said he would help council members make sure they comply.

Oliver, a critic of the law department, said he wanted city council to hire its own attorney to help with compliance.

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said: “Before we come up with a wish list, I’d like to know what we can spend the money on — $1 million is an arbitrary number. We need to come up with a plan. How do we impact people the most?”

Some council members discussed possibly reducing the amount to $500,000 a ward.

dskolnick@vindy.com