YOUNGSTOWN — City council is expected to consider legislation Thursday for moratoriums on permits and licenses for new recreational marijuana businesses, dollar stores, car dealerships and auto repair shops until May 1, 2026.

Council’s zoning committee has met several times with administration officials since March to discuss one-year moratoriums on dollar stores, car dealerships and auto repair shops. During those discussions, the proposed moratoriums grew to nearly two years and recreational marijuana was added.

The recreational marijuana legislation states a moratorium is “necessary while the city council researches whether adult use dispensaries within the city should be allowed, limited or entirely prohibited.”

It won’t stop Leaf Relief at 4323 Market St., the city’s only medical marijuana facility, from selling recreational marijuana. The business has applied for a recreational permit.

Council had planned to vote May 5 on the four moratoriums, but because the zoning committee couldn’t get a quorum at its May 21 meeting, the legislation was delayed. The committee met June 6 to finalize the details of the moratoriums.

The language in a statewide issue approved by voters in November to legalize adult recreational marijuana includes a provision allowing communities to prohibit the location of businesses that sell it. If that were to happen, the owner or operator of a dispensary can attempt to place the matter on a ballot for voters in that community to decide through a petition initiative.

The moratorium language on dollar stores, referred to as small box discount stores, states that although they “may fulfill a need in places that lack basic retail services, growing evidence demonstrates that small box discount stores not only are a byproduct of economic distress, but also are a cause of it.”

In Youngstown, there are 23 dollar stores: Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.

ARP ALLOCATIONS

Council also will consider spending $346,000 in American Rescue Plan funds on three efforts at Thursday’s meeting.

The most expensive request is $250,000 from Councilman Jimmy Hughes, D-2nd Ward, for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. to manage improvements on properties adjacent to primary and secondary thoroughfares in the ward, which includes most of the East Side.

The legislation lists the primary roads as McCartney, McGuffey, Early and Jacobs roads, Wilson Avenue and Oak Street.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, is seeking $50,000 from the ARP fund for solar security lights for seniors and businesses in her ward, which includes most of the South Side.

City council in April 2022 agreed to give $2 million to each of its seven members for projects in their wards.

Legislation sponsored by Mayor Jamael Tito Brown would allocate $46,000 from the ARP fund for a contractor to construct a storage building for city parks and recreation equipment and maintenance vehicles at the city-owned Henry Stambaugh Golf Course on the North Side.

Also, Hughes is seeking to rescind legislation passed in October for $50,000 in ARP funds to have Valley Economic Development Partners serve as fiscal agent for facade improvements to The Take Out LLC, a restaurant at 1852 Oak St.

Council on Thursday also will consider approving $122,540 payment to repair the air conditioning chillers at the city-owned Covelli Centre and $37,627 to replace the building’s air conditioner’s motor, gearbox and driveshaft.

The center also will need its industrial hot water heater and two boilers replaced. Council will be asked in July or August to approve the work.

Have an interesting story? Contact David Skolnick by email at dskolnick@vindy.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.