YOUNGSTOWN — City council approved three ordinances to spend a combined $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds on three housing initiatives.

Council approved the legislation Wednesday, all by 7-0 votes.

The legislation includes $5 million to create a fund for down payments and interior work for those wanting to buy homes in the city, $3 million for a residential facade program and $2 million for a landlord revolving-loan fund.

There were some questions raised by city council members about the programs, such as specific requirements to be eligible for the funding.

“These are great programs,” said Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward. “Nothing is perfect, but we have great tools in our toolbox. It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. We’re helping people stay in Youngstown.”

With these three programs and two other ARP ordinances approved Wednesday, Youngstown has allocated all but $8,466,733 of its $82,775,370 federal award.

The administration is asking city council to approve, likely next month, ARP funding of up to $15 million for a safety-services complex.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said Wednesday that there is ARP money that’s been allocated but not spent and he’ll ask council to use some of that money for the safety-service building. The project is expected to cost $45 million with the city seeking state and federal grants — and borrowing whatever else is needed.

“I want to make sure council is comfortable with what we do,” he said. “I want to figure out what council wants and look at the different pots” of ARP dollars.

Brown specifically mentioned two ARP funds previously approved by council for possible reallocation: $10.5 million approved for parks and recreation projects and a $2 million allocation for property acquisition to permit the city to buy properties for business development and to help rebuild neighborhoods.

While administration officials asked for $15 million at a Monday meeting at which the safety-service building was discussed, Brown said it could be $10 million.

“We need to find council’s comfort level,” he said.

The proposed location for the safety-services building — though it hasn’t been finalized — is on Wick Avenue on the city’s North Side at what was known as the Wick Six site, a group of new car dealerships that left in the 1980s and early 1990s as the area deteriorated.

The city purchased much of the 12 acres of property in 2015 and has spent at least $750,000, most of it from grants, to clean up the area for development.

ADAMCZAK ARP

Wednesday was the last council meeting for Councilwoman Basia Adamczak, D-7th Ward, who lost reelection by eight votes to Amber White, an independent.

Council approved legislation sponsored by Adamczak at the meeting to spend $1,443,074 she had remaining in her ward’s $2 million ARP allocation.

Council voted in April 2002 to give each of its seven members $2 million each from the city’s ARP allocation. Adamczak spearheaded the effort to raise the council amount from $1 million per member to $2 million.

Before council’s vote, six residents spoke against Adamczak’s largest request: $1.3 million for the Youngstown Foundation to serve as fiscal agent for a major improvement project at Ipe Kids World in her ward, turning it into the city’s first all-inclusive park and the biggest such park in the state.

The residents said the money would be better spent in the neighborhoods.

Adamczak said she’s been working on the projects, particularly Ipe, for a long time and plenty of ARP money is going into the neighborhoods. She also said the decisions to spend the money came after she met with residents in her ward.

White has said Adamczak’s plan “comes off as a spiteful act.”

Councilwoman Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward, was the lone “no” vote on the Ipe ordinance saying council has already committed $10.5 million for parks and recreation.

Turner also voted against legislation sponsored by Adamczak to spend $52,000 for various projects in the 7th Ward.

Council also voted Wednesday for two $50,000 ARP allocations: for the Oak Hill Collaborative to establish neighborhood community broadband centers in the city and for the Youngstown Lifeguard Academy to train 40 people between the ages of 15 and 24 to be lifeguards.