Columbiana commissioners receive proposals to design new JFS offices

LISBON — The Columbiana County commissioners have received nine proposals from architectural firms to design the new offices for the county Department of Job & Family Services.

The commissioners did not take any action on the proposals.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said today a committee, that will include county Engineer Bert Dawson, will review the proposals and select about three. The commissioners will then interview representatives of the firms.

Hoppel said because it asked for proposals, the commissioners can negotiate prices for the work with the bidders.

“If we don’t like the first one, we can go to the next,” he said.

The commissioners want to build a new facility that would include the board of elections at the northern edge of the village. The Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce and preservations fought to keep the JFS in the downtown.