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Council sunshines ordinance to engage outside economic-development consultant; debate over Port Authority role
Summary
Council 'sun shined' an ordinance to engage Hamman Consulting for a one-year trial to support economic development; members debated whether the city should prioritize the Port Authority instead or fund both efforts.
Councilman McManamon proposed engaging Hamman Consulting to help Steubenville pursue economic development, describing the consultant’s track record and contacts and asking council to 'sunshine' an ordinance to contract for one year. McManamon said the consultant would work roughly 30 hours per month and that he planned to seek a $40,000 AEP grant in support of outreach and projects.
Councilman Mayo said he favors the Port Authority as the primary development engine and questioned whether the city would get sufficient value for an estimated $50,000 annual engagement, while others, including City Manager Michael Johnson and Councilman Albaugh, supported a one-year trial so the city can evaluate performance without displacing the Port Authority. Council approved sunshining an ordinance to pursue the contract and related grant opportunities.
