MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Thursday pledged up to $1 million in matching funds toward the brownfield cleanup of former Westinghouse properties on the city’s east side.
The guarantee allows county Land Bank manager Amy Hamrick to submit an application to the Ohio Department of Development for the project, estimated to cost $5 million.
The project involves the former “A” building at 200 Fifth St. and the adjoining 13-acre “concrete jungle,” an area the Land Bank is still working to obtain from its current owners.
Each of the state’s 88 counties, as part of the two-year state budget approved this year, are guaranteed $500,000 in demolition funds and $1.5 million in brownfield remediation dollars out of a total of $500 million set aside for such projects.
That leaves $368 million that local governments can apply for on a first-come, first-served basis, though those entities will have to come up with a 25-percent match for any projects after the guaranteed funds are spent.
That matching guarantee must be part of the application and that’s why commissioners acted Thursday, though they hope other funds will also be contributed, including from the City of Mansfield.
Hamrick said the city will likely allocate money for the cleanup, perhaps from its PRIDE tax funds. But that will require legislative action by Mansfield City Council and “time is of the essence,” said county Commissioner Tony Vero.
“It won’t all (come from) the county,” said county Treasurer Bart Hamilton, chair of the Land Bank board. “(Hamrick) has to get this application turned around (quickly).”
The Westinghouse project is one of seven approved for applications on Tuesday by the Land Bank board, efforts that total $7.7 million.
Commissioners, who voted 3-0 to guarantee the million, expressed faith that the city and other funding sources will be found.
“I would expect the city to participate. But to get a written commitment (from the city) is going to take longer than we have ,” said Vero, a Land Bank board member, who has helped to spearhead the effort to clean up a 30-year eyesore.
Commissioner Darrell Banks said, “I have got to believe the city (and other funding sources) will come forward to help us out.”
Commissioner Cliff Mears, also a member of the Land Bank board, said, “We can’t turn this down now. We have come too far.”
According to recently issued state guidelines, applications for brownfield projects must be submitted by the end of January. Demolition applications must be in by the end of February.
Vero said efforts are moving forward to get the “concrete jungle” property donated to the Land Bank. He said a “donation agreement” form was sent to the agency representing the owners.
“That property is being used as a dump and I don’t think the owners knew that,” Vero said.
“I have sent strongly worded emails explaining all of this to their (agents). It may be out of sight and out of mind for them, but for us, it’s been 30 years (since Westinghouse closed its Mansfield operations).”
Also on Thursday, commissioners approved a request from Hamilton to transfer $3,500.06 to his salaries’ budget in 2021 to cover unbudgeted employee incentive payments. Commissioners had balked at the request Dec. 7 until Hamilton explained the need to move money from his other funds within the treasurer’s budget.
Hamilton, who was on vacation Dec. 7, met with commissioners on Thursday and said the funds were necessary to pay workers who had done additional work in the office after former Deputy Matt Finfgeld left to become board of elections director.
“I had never moved money to the salary line before and I didn’t know it would require permission,” Hamilton told commissioners. “I apologize that I didn’t know that.”
Hamilton said he was joking in an email sent to Vero that said he would need to “lay off” staff if the transfer was not approved.
“I was kidding around,” he said. “(But) I guess if someone doesn’t get the joke, it’s not funny. I was on vacation sitting on a patio with my iPad.”
Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the transfer.
“I think when people do extra work, they should get compensated,” Vero said. “That’s the way it works in the private sector (too).”
