Columbiana County awaits report about DJFS site inspection

By D.A. Wilkinson

Commissioners have been debating what to do with the building for 30 years.

LISBON — The Columbiana County Department of Job Family Services building has been inspected to help determine whether it can be renovated.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said Thursday that five experts examined the building Wednesday evening.

They went to look at the mechanical and electrical systems and the roof.

“They’ll write an opinion. We should have it next week sometime,” Hoppel said.

The examination, which took about 90 minutes, was made after hours to avoid interrupting workers and people applying for benefits.

The inspection was designed to help determine if there is a problem with the building that would make renovation impractical or expensive, Hoppel said. He did not identify the people who looked at the building.

The department at 110 Nelson St. has 160 workers spread over two floors. The building has many leaks, multiple heating and cooling systems, and a lack of privacy for clients.

Commissioners moved the department into the building 30 years ago and have been discussing plans to fix or move it ever since.

There are cracks in walls on the west and east sides of the building. Eileen Dray-Bardon, the DJFS director, said the experts making the survey seemed to think a crack on an east wall might be significant.

Commissioners had planned to move the department to a new site at the northern limits of the village but began looking at other options after the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce said losing the department would severely hurt business.

Lisbon Mayor Michael Lewis said the county is at the point where the village government was recently when it built a new village hall instead of renovating the old one.

Lewis said he didn’t think village government should tell the county what to do with its property.

Lewis added he did not think that building a new DJFS facility would have the negative economic impact on the village some business people expect. The department’s workers will still work in the village, which will not hurt the village’s income tax, he said.

In addition to the DJFS workers, other county agencies and employees buy from village vendors for either county or personal needs, Lewis added.

Commissioners have about $1.2 million in grants available to help pay for a new facility.

wilkinson@vindy.com