MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council legislation on Tuesday — aimed at helping fund the remediation of two former Westinghouse properties — intentionally didn’t include specific dollar amounts, according to Richland County Commissioner Tony Vero.
“It was left blank to make it clear the money can come from many different sources,” Vero said Wednesday afternoon.
Council opted to delay a vote on the proposal until Feb. 1.
The requested $1 million could include revenue from the city’s PRIDE funds, American Rescue Plan Act dollars, other pots of city money or private donations.
Vero, a Land Bank member who has helped spearhead the effort to obtain the 30-year community eyesores, began contacting council members on Wednesday. He said he plans to speak with each before the next council meeting Jan. 18, a session he also plans to attend.
“We are hopeful the city will appropriate a commitment of some sort,” he said. “All of my conversations with council members have been positive. They are asking good questions. Hopefully, we can get this wrapped up after the meeting on the 18th.”
Vero’s comments came after a few members of council on Tuesday evening expressed reservations at voting on the legislation proposed by Mayor Tim Theaker, which would commit the city to helping come up with a 25 percent local match of the estimated $5 million project.
The “blank check” aspect of the legislation seemed to be the key concern.
“I’m not comfortable voting on it today,” said 4th Ward council representative Alomar Davenport, a thought echoed by several of his colleagues before council unanimously pushed a vote on the proposal to Feb. 1.
No such vote was needed or expected on Tuesday night, according to Richland County Land Bank board chair Bart Hamilton, who explained the project to council.
The Land Bank during December acquired the two properties — the decaying six-story “A” building at 200 Fifth St. and a 13-acre “concrete jungle” that adjoins it to the east.
The Land Bank swung into action after the state’s two-year budget set aside $500 million for demolition and brownfield remediation.
Each of the state’s 88 counties is guaranteed $1.5 million from that fund ($500,000 in demolition funds and $1 million in brownfield remediation dollars), leaving $368 million “up for grabs” for projects.
Hamilton said the guaranteed $1 million from the Ohio Department of Development will go to the effort and the remaining $4 million being sought in a grant must include a 25-percent local match.
Work must by complete by the end of June 2023.
Hamilton, who said county commissioners guaranteed the match to allow the Land Bank to apply for the grant last month, said he hoped council would ultimately contribute to an effort to clean up properties in the city.
“You get Westinghouse torn down at a 75 percent discount,” Hamilton told council members. “You are never going to get a deal this good again.
“There is not a $1 million bill at this point,” he said. “There will be a lot of smaller bills (as work proceeds.)”
On Wednesday, Hamilton said, “They need to strategize how they would want to fund it.”
Vero said he communicated with Mansfield Finance Director Linn Steward on Wednesday and learned the city had $1.2 million in its PRIDE income tax fund demolition account at the end of 2021. The city collects more than $800,000 in demolition-designated money each year.
It’s also possible the city could use some of its remaining ARPA revenue-replacement funds it set aside last year. The city set aside about $5 million and has about $4.5 million remaining in that revenue replacement allowable under ARPA rules.
“I thought Bart did an excellent job of not spending other peoples’ money,” Vero said. “City Council ultimately decides how to spend (city) taxpayers’ dollars. He did an excellent job of explaining the plan without telling council how to fund it.”
Vero said the Land Bank has also opened “dialogues” with potential private funding organizations to contribute to the effort.
“We will leave no stone unturned (in the search for funds),” Vero said. “This is too important to the community.”
