Youngstown City Council is taking action to reduce the police department's overtime budget.

Council asked the city's finance director to reduce the amount the department has available to them by $250,000. About $66,500 of that money will instead go to city parks for mulching.

The remainder will be kept in the city's general fund and determined how best to be used at a later date.

In the meantime, the city's finance director said he is working to process the guidelines and limits on how $88 million in federal relief money can be spent.

"I'm hopeful that as was with the CARES Act that in time they will relinquish some of the stringent guidelines and allow us to use it in ways that are more flexible," said Youngstown Finance Director Kyle Miasek.

Miasek said he will come to council "soon" with details and ideas on how the federal money can be spent.

Council will vote to finalize the 2021 budget on Monday.