Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trumbull County commissioners approve routine items, grants and appointments; convene executive session on sanitary-engineers litigation
Summary
The board unanimously approved agenda items including purchase-order resolutions, a $45,000 MOU for engineering services, OPWC project authorizations, a VOCA/SVAA grant acceptance, personnel hires and several legal appointments, then entered executive session to confer on pending or imminent litigation in the Sanitary Engineers department.
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved a slate of routine agenda items, accepted a federal-state victim services grant and appointed outside counsel on pending legal matters before moving into an executive session on litigation.
Early in the meeting the board dispensed with reading the minutes for recent sessions and approved bills, additional appropriations and transfers by voice vote. The commissioners adopted a resolution to accept a November 2025 list of purchase orders as "then-and-now" purchase orders consistent with Ohio Revised Code procedures cited on the record.
The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Eastgate Engineering Services not to exceed $45,000 to be paid from the County Engineer fund and authorized the president to submit Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) applications and execute OPWC contracts for Hubbard Maissure Road and Mines Road improvement projects, designating county staff to serve as fiscal officer and project manager.
The county accepted an award described as a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and State Victim Assistance Act (SVAA) grant totaling $75,972 with a county cash match of $16,644 for Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026 to support three victim/witness division employees and portions of technical equipment, training and supplies. The board approved a motion to accept the grant and authorized the president to execute the acceptance form for the Trumbull County victim/witness division.
Other approvals included acceptance of substantial completion for the State Line Road sanitary sewer improvements project (Project 1-S-19) in Brookfield Township under an existing intergovernmental resolution with Hermitage, Pa.; advertising for consultant engineering services for the Mineral Ridge Water Booster Pump project; and personnel actions to hire a drafts person and a custodian for the Sanitary Engineers department.
On legal and advisory matters, the board appointed attorney William Evans to provide consulting and investigation on an employee matter at an hourly rate of $250 plus expenses, and authorized an application to the Court of Common Pleas to appoint attorney Aaron Glasgow and the law firm Isaac Wiles & Burkholder LLC to represent the Trumbull County Auditor in Ohio Supreme Court case no. 2025-1506 (hourly rate for Glasgow noted as $225). The board also appointed in-house attorney Matt Blair to provide legal research and consulting related to a sanitary-engineers change order with no additional compensation.
Before recessing to executive session, commissioners heard public comment on local projects, including a request to schedule follow-up discussion about transit options and the transit administrator's planned retirement. Commissioners discussed economic development and workforce issues for the Kimberly-Clark project and emphasized efforts to maximize local hiring while recognizing the need for specialized contractors.
The board then approved a motion to enter executive session pursuant to ORC 121.22(G)(3) to confer with an attorney regarding disputes involving the public body and pending or imminent court action at the Sanitary Engineers department. After reconvening from executive session the commissioners moved to adjourn.
Votes at a glance: Roll-call or voice votes were recorded for each agenda item during the meeting; where recorded the three commissioners voted "Yes."
