Commissioners to pick 11 for senior council

Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrough hopes to purchase 10 vehicles.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners are set to appoint 11 members to the Senior Services Advisory Council today, including some familiar faces, but not the big names mentioned right after the application deadline had passed.
Individuals such as Margaret O'Brien, former Trumbull County clerk of courts, or Thomas A. Swift, Trumbull County probate judge, were not selected. Instead, commissioners are expected to name Christanne G. Boone, Newton Falls, director of Community Skilled Healthcare Center, Warren; Martin J. "Jack" O'Connell, Girard, former member of the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees; John C. "Jack" Foley, Warren city's retired Community Development director; and Jennie H. Dennison-Budak of Hubbard, an employee of Interfaith Home Maintenance Service and daughter of former longtime Trumbull Commissioner Margaret Dennison.
Other members expected to be appointed today to one-year terms are Lena G. Franklin of Warren, retired; Thomas H. Harwood of Niles, director of business development for Auto Body Products Inc.; Robyn M. Hineman of Cortland, a self-employed exercise instructor; Thomas W. Klingeman of Warren, retired; Janet L. McGeough of Warren, a retired social worker; Christopher D. McLaughlin of Hubbard, owner of Nurse Call Inc.; and Joe Tarantino of Lordstown, a retired GM worker.
The panel will oversee hundreds of thousands of dollars that Trumbull County residents approved last November to support senior services.
Other action
In other business, The request of Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County sanitary engineer, for 10 new vehicles for his department will appear on the agenda a second time today.
Two weeks ago, commissioners asked Newbrough questions about the purchases, especially whether they could be made locally instead of through car dealerships outside the Mahoning Valley.
Al DeVengencie, county maintenance director, said Tuesday at the commissioners planning meeting that the cost of buying the vehicles locally would be $5,000 to $7,000 per vehicle higher than buying them through the state purchasing program, which uses dealerships from outside the Valley.
Newbrough's request is for a Dodge Stratus, five Ford Rangers, two Chevrolet Uplanders and two GMC Sierra 2500s. They would come from Norris Automall in Medina and 32 Ford-Mercury Inc. of Batavia. The purchases would be paid for with revenue from the department's sewer and water fees.
Previously, Commissioner Paul Heltzel questioned why two additional employees would be using a county vehicle under Newbrough's proposal. Newbrough said it is because the county paid the employees around $5,500 each in mileage in 2005, and using a county vehicle would save money over the life of the vehicles.
Newbrough said the deadline for purchasing the vehicles passed, but he may still be able to get 2006 model vehicles. If not, he will have to wait until August or September to get them.