11-03-2025
Committee discusses local park security
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — While Youngstown is in the process of spending $10.5 million of American Rescue Plan money on major park renovations, city council discussed Monday how those parks will be secured after the money is spent.
Youngstown's City Parks and Recreation Director Clemate Franklin told City Council's Park Committee that the private security firm Signal 88 will continue to check all parks on a daily basis.
There has already been a meeting with Signal 88 officials and corrections were made.'Such as blind spots that we corrected for them to be aware of,' said Franklin.
Signal 88 security guards are required to walk the parks and take pictures showing the patrols were complete. They have found issues in the past.
'Certain people hiding out in our buildings which was a great indicator that they got. Out over at Pemberton, there's a spot over in the press box,' Franklin said.
The committee was also informed that a new maintenance building will soon be going up on Stambaugh Golf Course. The steel has already been delivered. An addition will also be added for a golf simulator.
It was also brought to the committee's attention that the number of people using the Stambaugh Golf Course has increased significantly. In 2019, there were 25 members here. Last year, there were 97.
There's been a minor issue in the Uptown District where the new Market Street Park is being built.
'Some concrete slabs that we discovered that we have to remove. Nothing out of the ordinary that we would expect to encounter in Youngstown,' said Public Works Director Chuck a lot more park work coming over the next two years, Councilman Julius Oliver asked the parks director to keep them informed.
'If you can put together some type of financial outlook as far as revenues generated by the park that would be able to offset some of the cost in your department — I would really appreciate that,' Oliver said.
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