TRUMBULL COUNTY Panel shelves agency project

A site on North Park Avenue still could be considered.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners say they have shelved for now a plan to create a single building to house public and private social service agencies.
The decision comes after a $13,000 study of potential sites by a Warren architect and more than a year of study by a volunteer committee.
Commissioners say they are not moving forward because of a lack of state funding.
"I've been saying all along that we weren't going to do it unless the money was in the bank," said Commissioner Joseph Angelo Jr. He said he was reluctant to talk before a letter describing the decision is received by committee members.
One stop: The state has asked that counties create one-stop centers for access to county Jobs and Family Services, Child Support Enforcement Agency, Workforce Investment Act, Veterans Service Agency and similar agencies.
Officials hoped that other groups, such as Goodwill Inc. and the Salvation Army, would then choose to relocate to the same place, to create a mall-like setting for social services.
"It's a great idea," said commissioner Michael O'Brien. "But until they [the state] come to the table with checkbooks, it is just a concept."
County officials say the mandate also can be met by computer connections between agencies, on which they could interact to serve more than one need for a client who is at one location. Computer connections are in place between some county agencies.
"We would like the one-stop committee to leave the idea of incorporating the entire Job and Family Services staff into one physical one-stop on the back burner for the current time," the commissioners said in the letter mailed Tuesday to committee members.
Under review: Commissioners said they still will consider creating a one-stop center at the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services offices on North Park Avenue in Warren, which was not one of the final three sites selected by the one-stop committee.
siff@vindy.com