YOUNGSTOWN — For only the second time, the board of control approved city council-backed American Rescue Plan expenditures designated specifically for ward projects.

Thursday’s board vote to approve $808,824 in projects, sponsored by Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, indicated a potential stalemate between the administration and council over ARP funds — in particular the $14 million controlled by council — could be improving.

Oliver said he was pleased the funding was approved.

“We don’t want to look to the public like we’re holding back progress,” he said. “The mayor is taking a stand to show he’s making progress with ARP funds and, hopefully, we’ll do more.”

Just before the end of the board meeting, Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, its chairman, said he wanted to point out the three ARP expenditures.

“These dollars are moving out, and we’ll move forward,” he said.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, said she was glad the board approved the council expenditures.

“We’re getting things done,” she said.

Brown said he would “continue to highlight” ARP expenditures at future board meetings.

The three ARP projects approved Thursday sponsored by Oliver are:

∫ $725,000 for a revitalization project on Glenwood and Rockview avenues and High and Bernard streets. It includes funding for all tax delinquent vacant lots on Bernard Street, land clearing of parcels, replacement of broken or failing sidewalks, replacement of curbing, landscaping and enhancement work, home repair at 321 Glenwood Ave. and three new home construction projects.

∫ $53,824 for lot clearing, cleanup and beautification of multiple lots in the Falls Avenue and Hillman Street areas.

∫ $30,000 for a mobile market in the 1st Ward.

Until Thursday, the board had approved only a single council-backed ARP allocation: $160,000 to buy a former McDonald’s restaurant at 2525 Market St. to turn it into a police substation. That legislation was sponsored by Davis.

Council voted April 6 to give each of its seven members $2 million in ARP funds to be used in the wards.

Council has approved about $3.25 million in those projects to date with the board of control authorizing the spending of less than $1 million of it.

Brown has said a number of times that several of the council allocations are incomplete and may not comply with federal guidelines for using ARP money so he won’t support them.

Council members have said they are frustrated by what they see as games and stonewalling by the board of control, which consists of Brown, Law Director Jeff Limbian and Finance Director Kyle Miasek.

At an Oct. 19 meeting, council wouldn’t approve $3 million in ARP requests from the administration and kept them in its finance committee, where they still sit.

The city received $82,775,370 in overall ARP funds. City council has allocated about $46 million in funding though most of it hasn’t been authorized to be spent by the board of control.

dskolnick@vindy.com