TRUMBULL EMA Officials to redo moldy building

The Wean Building is being looked at as a possible EMA site.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners expect to rehabilitate the moldy building provided for the county health department at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
However, it is unlikely the county Emergency Management Agency will be able to return to its home in the building's basement anytime soon.
The EMA was forced to leave the Chestnut Avenue Northeast building in May after poisonous mold was discovered growing behind drywall. The basement was subsequently sealed and equipment and files left behind by EMA were removed and cleaned at a cost of $11,500.
After flirting with the idea of moving the entire health department, with about 30 employees, to the Wean Building on North Park Avenue, officials decided to just keep it where it is. To do it, they have to stop the mold, which is being held back with duct tape and plastic sheets.
Several firms have been invited to take a look at the basement before seeking a contract to pull out all the carpeting, drywall and wooden wall supports, said Frank Migliozzi, the health department's director of environmental health.
Precautions needed
Workers will have to wear protective suits and breathing gear and the special ventilation will be set up so none of the potentially deadly mold spores escape, he said. The cost is estimated between $30,000 and $40,000.
To achieve a permanent fix, officials also have to solve the drainage and sewer problems that let the basement become soggy and allowed the mold to grow and spread, said Michael O'Brien, a county commissioner.
Within the next few weeks, commissioners will likely solicit bids for a firm to diagnose how the building can be fixed, he said.
Commissioners also are looking at ways to make the second floor of the building handicapped-accessible, so employees no longer have to come outside to serve some customers with disabilities as they wait in their cars, O'Brien said.
The health department's clinic on the first floor can be reached by clients in wheelchairs.
The decrepit sign on the building's fa & ccedil;ade also will be fixed or replaced.
Work being planned does not include refinishing the basement, so it could again be used as office and meeting space, O'Brien said.
Commissioners are examining if empty space in the Wean Building could accommodate the EMA, which needs a large room to use as a command center in case of a large-scale emergency.