Bedbugs and mattress disposal problem costing Youngstown taxpayers

Youngstown city is having major problems with people illegally dumping mattresses on the sides of the roads or dead-end streets.

Often infested with bed bugs, an outside company needs to collect them, which costs a high price tag for the city.

Youngstown City Council approved spending around $50,000 this year for mattress disposal.

Now they're asking residents to pick up a free cover to put over the mattress before they set it to the curb.

"It is free they have them in the Health Department in Litter Control downtown, and Code Enforcement Offices at the Department of Public Works at City Hall," Youngstown Housing Code Enforcement Director, Mike Durkin said.

At that council meeting, Councilman Jimmy Hughes brought up problems with a bug infestation in the police department, due to the condition of that building.

The city assured him exterminators would take care of reported problems.

At that meeting 21 News asked Chief Barry Finley about public records the firefighters union is going to court over.

The union is asking the 7th District Court of Appeals to mandate that the fire chief turn over correspondence about Realty Towers to and from Chief Findlay.

The chief tells 21 News he will turn over records upon a public records request, however, the union in its motion says it has already made requests.

Youngstown city council members are hopeful they can move back into city hall and conduct meetings there soon.

The fire escape has been fixed but the building must still go through an inspection before move-in happens.