Local leaders in Trumbull County urged a visiting U.S. senator to push for federal and state support for sewer and water extensions, quicker permitting and property‑tax relief to turn a recent manufacturing investment into sustained housing and job growth.

Commissioner Malloy told the senator two‑thirds of Trumbull County is rural and that northern areas "have no sewer no water," naming Mosquito Lake and saying the lack of utilities "is a restricting factor" for housing and business development. "We've got the space. We've got the employees ... but they need a place to live," Malloy said, and he asked for a feasibility study and federal help to extend sewer and water lines.

Why it matters: County leaders said Kimberly‑Clark's decision to build a large processing facility near Warren — a project referenced by local officials as a major investment — increases near‑term demand for housing and utilities. Officials said the county needs federal and state funding and faster local approvals to keep development affordable.

Federal help, permitting and housing affordability

The senator said federal and state incentives, reduced regulatory delay and faster permitting are key. "When you have a developer that comes in ... 18 to 24, 36 months for approvals, ridiculous requests, massive amounts of bureaucracy and red tape," the senator said, arguing approvals must be faster to attract builders. He suggested targeted incentives and property tax reform and said housing goals require building more units in the $250,000–$350,000 range rather than higher‑priced homes.

The senator also pointed county leaders to his state director, James Coyne, and regional director, Max Kovacs, as contact points for proposals that have "broad community support" and local matching funds, saying federal dollars that leverage state and local money receive higher consideration.

FEMA BRIC grant and Amanda Reservoir

A representative from Congressman David Joyce’s office and Mahoning Valley Sewer District staff raised a separate funding risk: they said Amanda Reservoir (described in the meeting as a reservoir project) had a $38 million BRIC/FEMA grant and loan arrangement that may be at risk because work had not begun within the expected timeframe. "They have not broken ground yet, and there is some threat of their funding, obligated funding being remote," the staff member said.

The senator asked James Coyne to "dive deep" into the issue and challenged his office to resolve the matter quickly, saying the earlier federal staff are notified, the faster interventions can be made.

ARPA leftover funds and fiduciary flexibility

County officials also asked whether leftover American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations could be repurposed if projects used less than originally allocated. The senator asked officials to send a letter to his state director describing the exact request so his office could "let common sense" prevail and review possibilities for reallocation.

Energy, workforce and taxes

State representatives and the senator discussed energy policy and a recently passed state bill (referred to in the meeting) to expand energy production in Ohio. Local officials and the senator tied energy availability to prospects for manufacturing growth. The senator urged attention to workforce development and said JobsOhio and local organizations should be part of coordinated recruitment and economic development efforts.

Quotations

"We've got the space. We've got the employees now ... but they need a place to live," Commissioner Malloy said.

"When you have a developer that comes in and they wanna put in 200 houses and the city or the county ... 18 to 24, 36 months for approvals," the senator said, urging faster permitting.

Outcome and next steps

No formal federal commitments were made at the meeting. The senator asked county officials to send formal requests and to coordinate with his state and regional directors; he also tasked James Coyne with following up immediately on the Amanda Reservoir BRIC/FEMA funding issue. Local officials said they will continue to work with JobsOhio, the Port Authority and Valley Vision to assemble matching funds and community support for projects requiring federal assistance.