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Ohio State Extension staff tell Williams County commissioners their office is cramped and needs more storage
Summary
Ohio State University Extension staff told the Williams County commissioners on Feb. 26 that five staff currently share limited office space, rely on an off‑site storage unit costing $1,200 per year and would welcome a county-led walk-through to explore options for more space and program needs.
Ohio State University Extension staff told Williams County commissioners on Feb. 26 that their local office is crowded and relies on off-site storage for program supplies, and they asked the board to consider options as county space is reorganized.
Becky McGuire, speaking for the Extension team, said five staff work out of the office where four private offices are available but common areas and front-desk space are cramped. "We have one storage room in the back that is full to the point of perhaps dangerous and then we are paying $1,200 for a storage unit off site for things that we have for programming," McGuire said. The team also listed intermittent water issues in the on-site storage room and said staff sometimes must retrieve supplies from the off-site unit near Tom's Lawn and Garden on County Road 15.
Program assistants Kayla Wyse, Megan Warncke and Karie MacDonald joined McGuire in describing operational limits: only about 10 seats in the shared workspace, a single intern workspace used in summer months and constrained storage that forces multiple staff to keep materials off site. The Extension staff said their programming would benefit from additional workspace and, in some cases, a teaching kitchen or other shared facilities, but they acknowledged that any capital improvements or grants would need to be coordinated through Ohio State processes.
Commissioners Scott A. Lirot and Bartley E. Westfall discussed near-term options, including reviewing floor plans, conducting a site walk-through and considering potential moves when county projects, such as work on the north building, free up space. Lirot offered to visit the site and Westfall said the commissioners expect to have a clearer picture after building moves later in the year.
The commissioners did not commit to a specific relocation or renovation at the meeting. They invited the Extension staff to provide square footage needs and to arrange a walk-through so the county can evaluate options as other departmental moves progress.
