Commissioners renew lease of Canfield court

By Peter H. Milliken

The only escape clause from the 10-year court lease pertains to calamities.

YOUNGSTOWN — Despite recent discussions concerning consolidation of local courts, the Mahoning County Commissioners have renewed the lease of the area court in Canfield in its current location at 72 N. Broad St. for 10 years at a cost of $906,520.

The commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to renew the lease for 6,970 square feet with Westgate Properties of Mahoning County Inc. of Austintown, which was the only bidder.

The commissioners renewed the lease for the long term despite expressions of support for consolidation of the county’s lower courts by Commissioner Anthony T. Traficanti and the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber.

The Canfield lease contains no clause allowing for the county to escape from the lease before its expiration unless the premises is destroyed by “tornado, storm, fire, earthquake or other casualty.”

After commissioners approved the lease, Traficanti acknowledged that: “If the county had to get out of that lease, then we probably would have to pay our way out of it.”

Traficanti said he favors court consolidation in a centrally-located, county-owned building for efficiency of prisoner transportation, and he said he believes such a merger would result in long-term cost-savings.

However, he said the state Legislature would have to authorize such a merger, and money would have to be found for construction or renovation of a central facility.

“I would certainly welcome discussions about court consolidation, especially if it involves municipal and county courts,” said Commissioner John A. McNally IV.

“When the chief justice [Thomas Moyer of the Ohio Supreme Court] comes to town to talk to Youngstown [officials], he should also be talking to all of us here at the county, and the county officials should be invited as well,” McNally said.

“This consolidation issue is, to me, much bigger than just the city of Youngstown. It involves the whole county,” he added.

The Canfield lease says the landlord is responsible for snow and ice removal and interior painting, fixture maintenance and glass repair.

But the county must “provide general cleanup of the interior,” pay for trash removal and at least $300,000 worth of liability insurance and pay the utility bills.

Colleen Ingram, area court administrator, said she plans to relocate the area court at Boardman Plaza soon because its roof leaks during heavy rains and because that court needs more space.

“I have very serious concerns about the condition of the Boardman court,” McNally said. “I have no desire to keep the Boardman Court in that particular location,” McNally added.

Ingram said Judge David D’Apolito wants to consider relocating the area court in Austintown Plaza to a larger, more visible facility.

The area courts in Canfield, Boardman, Austintown and Sebring all use rented quarters, with the Austintown and Boardman courts on month-to-month leases. The Sebring lease runs through 2011.