POLAND — State Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, was given the floor at Tuesday’s Poland Village Council meeting to talk about grants the village was receiving this year through her office.

“Every year we do an operating budget and it is usually gobbled up by lobbyists,” she said. “Then we have the capital budget, which has small amounts set aside for local budgets. This year we had a third, one-time budget.”

She said Ohio had approximately $750 million from American Rescue Plan funds and the state decided to set funds aside that would go straight to community projects, with no specific rules. It could be flexible.

She mentioned an Ohio Department. of Natural Resources grant for $185,000 the village received, but it was earmarked incorrectly. Mayor Tim Sicafuse said that grant was meant to go to the “Forest Connector.”

In the village’s 2021 strategic plan, the Forest Connector would be a 0.65-mile walking and hiking trail that would be constructed along the side of Village Hall, southward along Yellow Creek, eventually crossing the creek and following Poland Manor to one of the Poland Forest entrances. The project was estimated at $610,000.

Another section of hiking trail in the plan is the “Sheridan Section.” This trail would head north along Sheridan Road, where the old Youngstown-to-Poland trolley line ran. The trail would use that line to Johnston Place, then head east to state Route 616. The trail would then head south and end up at the Poland Library, where it would simply cross the road and connect to the Forest Connector. The Sheridan Road project was estimated to cost $300,000 in 2021.

“We are trying to get the $185,000 grant switched to the Forest Connector,” Sicafuse said.

As for the Sheridan Road trail, McNally said there is another grant coming from the capital budget.

“You should be receiving an ODNR grant for $107,000,” she said. “I’ll continue working to see if there is anywhere to pull additional funds.”

She praised council members by adding, “You guys took the time to make a plan for your city. So many cities don’t do that. As we gear up for next year, I will look closely for anything to plug into the Poland Village strategic plan.”

Sicafuse added he found out the Norfolk Southern Railroad Company was offering community grants for up to $50,000.

“I submitted an application for it,” he said.

The next council meeting is Nov. 6, a Wednesday, because Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.