The Ohio Controlling Board approved Aug. 18 a lease and related spending authority for the Cosmetology and Barber Board to relocate to a leased facility in Dublin, Ohio, after questions from several members about why the agency selected a non‑state‑owned property.
Laurie Pearson, executive director of the Cosmetology and Barber Board, told the board the agency considered multiple state‑owned locations but selected a Dublin site because it best met operational needs, including parking for buses that bring career‑technical students and dedicated space for daily practical and computer testing. "We test over 12,000 candidates a year," Pearson said, and the testing flow required parking, separate entrances and space configured for a practical examination including water sources.
Senator Blessing and others asked why the board would put an estimated $455,000 into construction and build‑out at a leasehold rather than a state‑owned building. Pearson said most state spaces would have required significant build‑out as well and that the Dublin site offered the needed parking and configuration. She described an estimated $170,000 in moving costs and said the requested increase for FY 2026 reflected the build‑out; the FY 2026 request was a 7.3% increase compared with the original request and FY 2027 included a 4.6% rent adjustment.
Senator Kaler asked whether the site is a lease and how long the term is; Pearson said leases are negotiated through DAS real estate and the state uses two‑year lease terms that can be stacked, and that negotiations allow multiple terms potentially up to a stacked duration (agency referenced DAS for exact stacking policy). Senator Blessing noted an objection on the record; the item was approved after objection was recorded.
The Department of Administrative Services explained it had requested a waiver of competitive selection for rent and that the amounts are included in the Cosmetology and Barber Board item. The transcript shows the board approved both the lease request and the related DAS item; approval occurred despite the vocal objection.