YOUNGSTOWN — City council will be asked Wednesday to amend two contracts to increase the costs for projects.

One request is to increase a contract with Declan Construction Inc. of Brookfield, which is doing work at nine city park locations using American Rescue Plan funds.

Council approved paying up to $4.02 million on Nov. 20, 2024, for that work. The request from the administration is to increase the contract to up to $4,111,033.

Declan’s initial contract was for $3,966,655. But the board of control this past Nov. 20 agreed to increase it to $4,049,750, largely for work at the Henry Stambaugh Golf Course. Also, an additional $40,000 change order for Declan for security cameras at each of the nine parks is expected to be considered Thursday by the board of control. That would bring the contract to $4,089,750.

The other request is to increase the planning and construction engineering contract from $50,000 to $200,000 for improvement work to sections of Wood Street, McGuffey Road, Sheridan Road and Powers Way.

The $1.2 million road project is supposed to start early next year.

At council’s Nov. 19 meeting, there wasn’t enough support to pass three amendments increasing the maximum amounts for contracts, including two that already received approval from the board of control to go over the initial limits.

Council needs support by at least six members to pass ordinances by emergency. With Councilman Julius Oliver D-1st Ward, absent at the Nov. 19 meeting and Councilwoman Amber White, I-7th Ward, opposing contract increases, the three ordinances received first readings.

Council will take up the three proposals again Wednesday.

One ordinance request dates back to Oct. 2, 2024, when council permitted the board of control to enter into a contract for up to $560,000 with a company to improve the downtown area damaged by the May 28, 2024, explosion at the former Realty Tower and its subsequent demolition.

Parella-Pannunzio of Youngstown was hired Oct. 24, 2024, for $545,717 for was hired Oct. 24, 2024, for $545,717 for the work on Market Street in front of the former Realty Tower site and on East Federal Street from Market to Champion, between where the building was and the Stambaugh Building. That work included repairs to the streets, sidewalks, utilities, landscaping, plants and planters, curb ramps and catch basins.

The board of control agreed Dec. 30 to increase the payment to $694,392 for electrical upgrades as well as expanding the sidewalk and curb replacements.

The company had to recently repair the sidewalks because of cracks caused by the building site settling.

Council didn’t have support Nov. 19 to amend legislation to spend up to $2.95 million from $2.8 million, approved March 19 by the legislative body, for a major improvement project to sections of Boardman and Walnut streets downtown.

Parella-Pannunzio was awarded this contract April 24 for $2,778,645. The board of control approved an increase Sept. 11 to $2,861,833 for a water tie-in and trenching for lighting. That pushed the contract over the $2.8 million limit set by council.

The other amended ordinance that received a first reading at the last meeting was for planning, design and construction management services for Madison Avenue, Westbound Service Road and Eastbound Service Road.

The limit approved Oct. 1 by council was for $125,000 for the work. The amendment was to increase that maximum amount to $221,100.

Council also gave a first reading at the Nov. 19 meeting to legislation to create the job of site development coordinator in the community planning and economic development department, with an annual salary of $71,785.

It is up for reconsideration Wednesday though some members of council said at the last meeting that the creation of new positions should wait until Mayor-elect Derrick McDowell takes office Jan. 1 in order to allow him to decide if they are needed.