The Summit County Council is now one step closer to getting state funded money for a program that destroys old, vacant houses and puts those empty lots into non-profit organizations hands for revitalization.

Jerry Feeman, District Six County Council person tells AkronNewsNow that the project has been put on the "fast track."

The meeting monday night simply concluded that Summit County can now submit an application to participate in the Ohio Attorney General's Moving Forward Grant Program.

Feeman tells AkronNewsNow, "When were done with the tear downs is work with the communities, identify properties and the land bank will be able to foreclose on the properties, work with non-profits like habitat and East Akron Community House and find users for these properties and get them back on the tax rolls"

In the past weeks the council began the process of considering participating in the program and then forming a council to vote on issues like they did tonight.

"I'm going to use The City of Akron as an example, they would identify what homes that they would like to use for this grant money to tear down this homes. Were not going to chooses the homes, it's going to come off their recommendation " says Feeman. 

Now that the application has been passed, the next stage begins with meetings for the public to voice their opinions . This Wednesday, the 27th, will be the first meeting.