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YOUNGSTOWN - City council agreed to appropriate $1.5 million from citations paid by those caught speeding in school zones by unmanned cameras, but a plan is still needed for how it will be spent.
Council voted 7-0 Wednesday on an ordinance that appropriated the money and authorized the board of control to "enter into all professional service agreements to provide planning and construction engineering services as well as advertise for proposals and enter into a contract with the lowest and best bidder for safety improvements to various school zones throughout the city."
Charles Shasho, the city's deputy director of public works, said: "We don't have a specific scope of work."
Shasho said: "The intent is to develop a program specifically around school zones, specifically where there are speed zone cameras, to improve the safety for pedestrians and the students through walk repairs, handicapped ramps, signage, if necessary - although they are all signed fairly well with the cameras - paving makings, that kind of stuff. Maybe lighting if we feel that it's needed. But generally speaking, infrastructure improvements around the school that are related to safety improvements with students."
Finance Director Kyle Miasek said the legislation permits the board of control, of which he is a member, to sign a contract for planning and design work and if there are any contracts under $25,000. But city council would have to sign off on the larger package of improvement work, which is likely to be one contract, Miasek said.
Also Wednesday, council voted to permit the board of control to sign a contract for up to $58,000 of the speed camera money to purchase 15 portable radios that will be loaned to the Youngstown city schools for resource officers to have the ability to communicate directly with the city police department.
Council members had questions and concerns about the proposal, but still voted 7-0 in favor of it.
Youngstown has long struggled to spend money collected by those paying citations after being caught by speed cameras in school zones.
The spending of money collected from speeding citations in school zones by unmanned cameras is restricted under state law to school zone areas.
Miasek said: "We have been collecting on this for years as (a recent article in The Vindicator reported) and we keep adding to it, adding to it. The administration is asking council to start using it toward targeted areas."
To date, the city has spent $261,397 from the money collected from those who paid speed camera citation fees since 2023. That's less than 10% of the money of the $2,676,735 paid to the city from those cited for speeding in school zones.
Currently, most of the money, $184,384, paid for two annual maintenance agreements with SpotShotter, a company whose technology is able to detect and locate gunfire in real time. The city's law department determined in December 2024 that it was a permissible use for the speed camera funds.
Cameras are in use on school days from the time kids head to class until 6 p.m. They aren't used on weekends, during the summer and on days when class is not in session.
During the two hours in the morning that kids go to school, and the two hours when they leave, the speed limit in those zones is 20 mph. In between and after school ends, the speed limit is 25 mph and 35 mph, depending on the location.
Motorists caught going at least 11 mph over the speed limit and up to 14 mph over it face a civil penalty of $100. Those going 15 to 20 mph over the limit face a $125 penalty and those traveling faster than 20 mph over the limit face a $150 penalty. They do not get points on their driving record for the citations.
There is nothing the city can do to force people to pay the fees. Blue Line Solutions, which runs the speed camera program for Youngstown and keeps 35% of the money collected, could turn over the unpaid citations to a collection agency, but that is highly unlikely.
The collection rate has been low - around 35% - for those issued citations.
BOTTOM DOLLAR
Council voted 7-0 Wednesday to permit the board of control to sell the former Bottom Dollar grocery store, 2649 Glenwood Ave., for $350,000 to Potential Development for a K-3 school for students with autism.
Potential Development submitted the only proposal to buy the building, vacant since January 2015, from the city by the Aug. 12 deadline. Potential Development plans to invest $1,066,067 into the building, which is near its three current locations in the city.
Some members of council weren't pleased with the purchase price, but it was the only proposal for the 18,285-square-foot building.
The legislation states Potential Development would use the building for a K-3 building.
Councilwoman Cynthia McWilson, D-6th Ward, asked that the ordinance also permit administrative offices there.
Law Director Adam Buente said that could be ironed out in the purchase agreement.
Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said: "However, our legislation restricts us."
Buente responded: "I don't agree with your analysis on that."
Ray then said: "You don't believe legally it matters what we write in our legislation? We'll just work it out in an agreement?"
Buente said: "I think what we write in our legislation matters. I just don't believe that what we have here in the (ordinance's) caption restricts what they do. I think ultimately what will govern here is the purchase agreement that is recorded."
Buente said there will be benchmarks in the agreement that Potential Development has to reach. If those aren't reached, the city can give extensions or can buy back the land at the $350,000 cost plus whatever Potential Development puts into the building, Buente said.
Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, who hesitated before voting in favor of the sale, said the building could have been used for "a greater service to the community."
Buente pointed out that Potential Development was the only entity to submit a proposal.
Oliver also questioned if there would be an issue selling the building because the city used $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan funds in 2024 to renovate the building for a different purpose. Buente said the law department and Bricker Graydon Wyatt, a Cleveland law firm hired by the city, said it is not an issue.
Potential Development plans to start work in January 2027 and be ready for classes by August 2027.