Trumbull County commissioners obligate ARPA funds for several projects, debate coroner renovation and budget transfers

The Board of Trumbull County Commissioners met Nov. 20 and approved several spending items drawn from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds while debating procurement practices, a coroner‑office renovation and a large sheriff payroll request.

The board approved an ARPA obligation for improvements to the Trumbull County Planning Commission building, a $1 million memorandum of understanding for a county mobile command post, an $850,000 replacement for a 4‑H building and a $50,000 grant to the nonprofit Best Purpose Inc. Most of those items passed on routine roll calls after staff read the resolutions into the record.

Commissioners spent significant time on two contentious procurement matters. For the Trumbull County coroner’s office, the board voted to accept a $29,136 modification to architectural services for a project that raises the contract total to $78,636. One commissioner criticized the practice of approving change orders after work is completed, saying contractors “should get a change order approved by the board of commissioners before they proceed with the work.” Supporters of the modification said the architectural drawings already created will reduce future design costs and improve working conditions.

On a separate but related issue, the board approved the purchase of a new morgue cooler from Mobi Supply LLC for $28,258 after critics asked for documentation of competitive quotes. A commissioner who reviewed the vendor’s publicly posted prices said an apparently identical model was listed online for about $10,000 less with free delivery and asked staff to document why the county selected…