TRUMBULL COUNTY Panel makes purchasing suggestions

The committee came up with several recommendations.
By STEPHEN SIFFand PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The excessive spending and sloppy bookkeeping that sparked a criminal investigation of Trumbull County officials was limited to the county maintenance department, a blue-ribbon committee says.
The committee has determined that all county departments, except the maintenance department, are following purchasing guidelines.
"It is quite unfortunate that what gets publicized is the negative aspects of one or two county departments and yet the 40 some other departments do not get the recognition they truly deserve for performing their functions in an effective manner with limited resources," the committee's report states.
Recommendations
The report issued Wednesday expands on an earlier set of recommendations by the two-person committee, which called for sweeping changes in how the maintenance department bought and stored supplies.
Those recommendations were implemented by county commissioners in December.
The committee -- retired business executives Ralph Smith and Chuck Joseph -- was asked by commissioners to examine county purchasing after The Vindicator uncovered excessive buying and sloppy bookkeeping in the maintenance department.
The Vindicator stories also spawned investigations by Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
A local grand jury has been hearing evidence relating to maintenance department purchasing practices.
Committee's proposals
After interviewing 25 department heads and their administrative assistants, Smith and Joseph came up with the following recommendations:
*The county should develop a policy for purchasing and defining ownership of property from acquisition to disposal.
*Vendors should be required to identify conflicts of interest, family relationships and political contributions above a certain level to county employees. The report does not give a specific level.
*The sheriff should combine his storeroom with the central county storeroom. Maintenance supplies should also be kept in the central storeroom and officials should study if supplies for the juvenile detention center should be kept there as well.
*The county should computerize its inventory of janitorial supplies and computerize the requisition process.
Commissioners Michael O'Brien and Joseph Angelo said they agree with all the recommendations.
"They did a terrific job," O'Brien said.
Smith and Joseph also noted several areas that should be examined for cost savings:
*The county should study if money would be saved by creating a central mail room.
*Children's Services should look into the potential for a statewide contract for children's clothing with the Ohio Office of Cooperative Purchasing.
*A study on combining the vehicle maintenance and engineer's garages would also be worthwhile, the report says.
siff@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com