EAST LIVERPOOL - The Columbiana County Port Authority is borrowing an additional $700,000 to complete some projects.

The port authority board agreed at last week's meeting to increase its line of credit with the Fifth Third Bank to $2.2 million, an increase of $700,000 from the original $1.5 million of credit obtained in 2006 to purchase two fiber-optic cables.

The fiber-optic cables and high-speed Internet service that resulted was to benefit B-Telecom Inc., the high-tech firm that was renting space at the port authority's industrial park in Leetonia. The plan was for B-Telecom to bring in other information technologies businesses by subleasing access to the cables.

The port authority severed ties with B-Telecom last January, claiming the company was dragging its feet and had failed to live up to the terms of the agreement. DRS LLC, a Youngstown-based information technologies company, took over the lease in February.

Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Tracy Drake said the line of credit was increased to complete the fiber-optic project as well as the reacquisition of the Barrett Minerals Inc. property by the port authority in 2008.

Drake said they are required to pay only interest on the line of credit, and rent from the DRS is helping them do that. The plan is for the DRS project to take off, with the increased revenue that would accrue being sufficient to pay off the line of credit when the principle comes due. The port authority is required to renegotiate the line of credit in 2011.

This is the second time this year the port authority has increased its line of credit. In March, the port increased its line of credit with the First National Community Bank from $750,000 to $1 million because of cash flow problems resulting from several projects that failed to deliver as expected. Drake said then he wanted to have the money on hand to provide immediate assistance should an economic development project come along.