Trending
WARREN -- Commissioners are expected to vote on the formation of a Transportation Improvement District, also known as a TID, which would make Trumbull eligible for state grants designed to promote economic development in terms of job creation, job retention and private sector capital investment.
The state makes available up to $4.5 million per year for areas with qualified TIDs, which allows county governments to submit proposals valued up to $500,000.
TID funding can be used on all publicly owned Ohio roads. Districts are permitted to submit multiple applications per round. This money can be used for "preliminary engineering, detailed design, right-of-way or construction of transportation improvements."
During today's meeting, the commissioners are expected to determine if the district's board will be comprised of five voting members or a larger board of up to 13 voting members.
Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa during Tuesday's workshop proposed creating a five-member board that includes one representative each from the county engineer's office, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the county commissioner's office, the planning commission and the county auditor's office.
Last week, a proposed TID agenda item that would have created a 13-member board was submitted by commissioner Niki Frenchko to her fellow commissioners. That larger board would include the mayors of Warren and Niles, as well as a representative from Howland, the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, Western Reserve Building Trades and the Western Reserve Port Authority.
The agenda item was tabled at that time to allow Commissioners Denny Malloy and Cantalamessa time to review the proposal.
Cantalamessa said he supports the idea of a smaller board because it would be more streamlined.
"This mirrors what Mahoning County has done with their TID," Cantalamessa said. "I want to get the ball rolling."
Malloy suggested the larger 13-member board could create a situation that makes the process political.
"All the TID does is enable us to get $250,000 to $500,000 in grant money for road construction type of projects," he said. "We want the best people in the process."
County Engineer Randy Smith said the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber proposed the idea of the TID to the county in 2021, but it was not acted upon by the commissioners at that time.
However, after recent development opportunities became available, Smith said his office met with various governmental agencies, including Warren, Niles and Howland to discuss the formation of a TID.
If approved, Trumbull County will be joining 53 other counties in the state eligible to apply for TID funds, Smith noted.
ARP DISCUSSION
In other business at Tuesday's workshop, Malloy wants the commissioners to begin discussion on the American Rescue Plan Act distribution after next week's workdshop, or at a time when Frenchko will be available to meet.
Auditor Martha Yoder told the commissioners there are 80 remaining requests for the approximately $7.4 million remaining in ARP's general project and $2.9 million in revenue loss categories to be distribuited.
Yoder emphasized the amount remaining may change based on whether those already awarded ARP grants use all of the funds allocated, and, if projects already awarded will require additional funding not anticipated in the original requests.
Malloy wants about half of the remaining money to be allocated to township and other qualifying areas that have not received funds through infrastructure allocations.
"If there are nonprofits in the areas, I will try to fulfill the projects," he said. "I want to hold off on any county requests, such as buildings, brick and mortar, because we've already done a ton of infrastructure already."
Yoder said some of the remaining requests that have not been acted upon do not qualify for the ARP funds by regulation.
The county's legal counsel, Baker, Dublikar, Beck, Wiley & Matthews, approved five requests valued at $720,879, prior to all projects being placed on pause in August. These are waiting for commissioners to either approve or reject them.
There were 17 requests submitted to the county's counsel, but the commissioners had not received recommendations from the counsel whether they qualify to be given the funds. These requests are valued at approximately $2.4 million.
There were three requests valued at $692,100 recommended by commissioners to be submitted to their counsel for review, but were not submitted prior to the pause.