TRUMBULL COUNTY Fairhaven to use money for roofs, other updates

NILES -- Fairhaven officials plan to use a roughly $1 million windfall to repair roofs, pave parking lots and upgrade heating systems at six facilities this summer.
Facilities slated for improvements are the Fairhaven School; sheltered workshops in Champion, Niles and Warren; administration offices; and the bus garage, which also houses offices.
Fairhaven programs, run by the Trumbull County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, serve more than 1,000 mentally handicapped children and adults throughout the county.
Money for this summer's projects came from a $560,000 Medicaid refund earlier this year, and $300,000 payments each of the last two years from the state, to compensate for Trumbull County's relatively poor tax base.
"This is one-time money for a one-time project," said superintendent Dr. Douglas Burkhardt.
Roofs at the six buildings have been leaking for a couple of years, and the heating and air conditioning systems have aged to the point that replacement parts are not available, he said.
The precise cost of renovations won't be available until after contracts are awarded, he said.
The Fairhaven board is also expected to hire a consultant to evaluate different rental properties to house a senior program, offices for case managers and other services.
Fairhaven's lease for space within the former St. Joseph Hospital on Tod Avenue is set to expire this year and the board is exploring different options, Burkhardt said.
He said state law requires the use of a consultant.
Fairhaven has been paying $100,000 a year on a five-year lease.