Trumbull County commissioners approve routine contracts, acknowledge retirement and set workshop on enterprise-zone request

Trumbull County commissioners handled routine business in a short session that included multiple approvals, a retirement recognition and follow-up planning on a contested enterprise-zone request.

On the consent and procurement side the board approved: acceptance of official video recordings for minutes (workshop 02/18/2026 and regular meeting 02/19/2026); the special meeting minutes of 02/11/2026; payment of bills; and a resolution adopting the submitted list labeled ORC 5705.41D for January 2026 purchase orders.

Contract and procurement actions approved included a net-reduction Change Order No. 1 with United Earthworks LLC for the State Road Water Regionalization Contract A (a $9,450.11 decrease to a new contract total of $2,856,324.89); authorization to advertise Requests for Statements of Qualifications for water and sewer GIS data correction projects (1-W-26 and 1-S-26); and awards for aggregate material bids covering the 02/11/2026–02/10/2027 term to EFCC LLC; Solstice and Sons Enterprises LLC; and Arms Trucking Company.

The board exercised a one-year renewal of the county’s contract with Direct of Eastern Ohio, Inc. (referenced in the transcript) for access to the agency’s social assistance management system for 03/01/2026–02/28/2027. The renewal cost includes a $5,000 base fee plus six provider licenses at $446.08 each for a total listed amount of $7,676.48.

Personnel and local updates included formal acknowledgement of the retirement of Nick Bernard from the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineers department effective 02/28/2026 after more than 39 years of service; remarks by Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrow thanked Bernard for his long service. The chair also recognized assistant clerk Chrissy who sat in for the clerk.

Other administrative updates: planning staff and commissioners reported that an architect redesigned the county’s dog-pound plan reducing its projected cost roughly to $2–2.5 million; a coroner’s office fit-out was estimated at about $800,000; and the 9-1-1 director will provide consultant figures for a potential move. A commissioner also reported an approximately $60,000 expected share to the county from a small opioid settlement pool (part of a larger grouping of settlements roughly described as $550,000), noting attorney guidance that the funds carry no statutory restriction but the board must allocate them from the general fund.

The public-comment period produced no speakers. Commissioners moved to adjourn after scheduling a near-term workshop to resolve open questions around the enterprise-zone request.