YOUNGSTOWN — City council has agreed to use $40,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to buy two specialized drones for the police department and authorized an $89,004 contract for the head of its Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program.

The $40,000 ARP allocation was sponsored by Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, at Wednesday’s city council meeting to reimburse the police department for the purchase of two drones with thermal imaging and the training of officers to use the equipment.

These two drones would be used largely for search and rescue efforts and for the crime lab, police Lt. Brian Welsh, the department’s fiscal officer, said.

The department has purchased seven other drones to help it with law enforcement work, Davis said.

Officers are being trained to use the drones, Welsh said. None of the drones are being used now.

Davis, a retired Youngstown police officer, serves as chairwoman of council’s safety committee, which has heard a few presentations on the drone program in recent months.

Council voted in April 2022 to give $2 million in ARP funds to each of its seven council members.

Council has approved more than half of the total $14 million in ARP spending from its members, but much of it has stalled as the board of control has declined to consider authorizing council legislation.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and Law Director Jeff Limbian, who serve on the board with Finance Director Kyle Miasek, have publicly stated a number of the requests haven’t been vetted properly to meet federal ARP guidelines and city goals.

Council also authorized the board of control to approve an $89,004 contract retroactive to Jan. 1 for William “Guy” Burney to continue to run the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program he’s headed for several years.

That is $7,417 a month.

CIRV is a program that includes law enforcement, social service agencies and others seeking to reduce gun violence in the city by offering young people supervised activities and trips.

Burney was paid $78,000 last year, but received the $7,417 monthly amount for the second half of 2022.

Council rejected the exact same contract for Burney at its July 31 meeting but voted Wednesday to approve it after hearing from him and asking numerous questions about the program.

Burney has worked without a contract since Jan. 1, but was paid monthly even before council’s approval.

Brown didn’t ask council to consider Burney’s annual contract until May 17.

The board of control approved Burney’s deal Thursday.