Commissioners move to pursue EMA location in former Bazetta firehouse and shift county coroner to EMA building

Trumbull County commissioners agreed to place on a future agenda a plan to relocate county Emergency Management (EMA) to the county‑owned former Bazetta fire department building and to move the coroner’s office into the EMA building as a permanent location.

Commissioners and county staff said the change would repurpose an existing county building and would require relatively limited interior work for the coroner space. At the meeting, a commissioner summarized the financial case: moving EMA and the coroner into county‑owned facilities would likely cost far less than commissioning a new coroner facility estimated in the millions. The commissioner said the county expects to pursue state and federal opioid‑related grant funds as one possible match for renovation costs.

Coroner John Hickey was cited by staff as supportive of the plan; officials said the coroner’s immediate workspace needs could be addressed with limited construction and HVAC work before a full build‑out. The architect’s preliminary estimate cited during discussion placed coroner retooling costs in the hundreds of thousands rather than the multi‑million dollar range that a new build could require.

A motion to place the item on the commissioners’ agenda was made and commissioners recorded assent on the floor. The board directed staff to draft a formal agenda item and supporting documents for a future vote, and to work with county attorneys and grant consultants to identify allowable opioid‑fund uses and other matching sources.

Ending: With legal and grant questions pending, commissioners moved to advance the plan into the agenda‑setting process; no final contract or grant award was approved at the meeting.