County property at 81 Jefferson St. still might sell
By Kevin Risner, krisner@advertiser-tribune.comThe Seneca County commissioners might still consider selling the property at 81 Jefferson St. The building is the former commissioners office.
The commissioners received a proposal from Charles Knight on Thursday that could reopen the door to a deal. Knight offered the highest bid when sealed offers for the property were opened Monday. Knight’s bid of $61,111 was not considered enough by the commissioners to sell the property. The commissioners voted to reject all bids and began discussions about using the building for temporary document storage until permanent storage space is established in a new courthouse facility.
Prior to accepting sealed bids for the property, the commissioners tried twice unsuccessfully to sell the property at open auctions.
After the vote to reject all bids Monday, Knight suggested to the commissioners they reconsider his bid. If the county would sell the property to Knight, he said, he would lease the building back to the county for up to five years as a document storage facility, possibly for $1 per year.
Knight said the county could continue to have the benefit of storage space in the short run while he could make plans for the long-term use of the building. Knight returned Thursday with a more detailed proposal along those lines.
“I just inspected the building,” Knight said. “I could easily have access to the third floor and not have any access whatsoever (to lower floors), and I could begin to remodel on a very slow basis and work on the third floor with what I want to do.
“You have the same insurance cost whether I own it or you own it. You have the same amount of control. The school system gains because I will at least be paying $1,200 taxes or more, which I am willing to accept and pay if I have the third floor. If you need the third floor, I’d have to rethink this.”
County Administrator Cindy Keller said County Maintenance Supervisor Jim Barth investigated how much space now is used in the vacant courthouse for document storage. Keller said Barth estimated the county would need about 1,864 square feet of storage space for documents now in the courthouse.
Knight referred to the county’s advertisement for the Jefferson Street building and said the building has 7,385 square feet of space.
Commissioners Ben Nutter and Dave Sauber said the county would need to gain more information about the structural strength of the building and create a plan for distributing files if the building is to be used for document storage.
Keller said structural engineer Mike Arnold of TFC Architects provided an estimated price of $2,000 to $3,000 to evaluate the structural engineering of the building. Hank and Associates evaluated the building last year at the request of the commissioners and reported the building was not designed for such use. The commissioners said Monday they might consider investing in structural changes to the building, if necessary, as a less-expensive option than building a new document storage building.
Sauber said the board of commissioners could rescind its order to reject all bids if the commissioners decided selling the building to Knight was the best long-term option. The commissioners said they would discuss the issue further after receiving a report from Arnold about the building’s structural condition.
In another matter, the commissioners discussed progress toward ranking architectural design firms for designing a new courthouse. The commissioners said they would likely discuss the top two, three or four choices of each commissioner Monday.
Commissioner Mike Bridinger reminded his fellow commissioners about the need for new electronic security equipment at the county’s Youth Center. He said the center has a valid need. Nutter agreed the commissioners should move forward to obtain the needed equipment. Since the cost of the equipment is likely to exceed $25,000, the county is to seek bids for the purchase of the equipment.
The commissioners approved a resolution accepting the resignation of Paul A. Harrison as county sewer district manager. Harrison is retiring from public service.
Each of the three commissioners offered complimentary remarks about Harrison and his service to the county.
The commissioners approved a resolution authorizing a correction in the maintenance base and to authorize a refund of an overpayment on assessment for George and Judith Hossler as part of the Keckler-Coleman ditch project.
The commissioners approved a resolution accepting the bid and authorizing the county Emergency Medical Services department to enter into a contract with Ohio Billing as the HIPPA provider and for medical billing services. The contract should take effect April 1 and be for a two-year period.
The commissioners passed a resolution to hire Kathy L. McClenathan as clerk for the commissioners’ office with the authorization to sign purchase orders and vouchers. McClenathan is to begin work Monday.
In financial matters, the commissioners approved resolutions for the following:
* For supplemental appropriations totaling $5,970 to the general fund for the prosecutor’s office.
* An appropriation adjustment of $123,496 to the maintenance and repair fund.
* An appropriation adjustment of $200 to the Allen Eiry fund for postage.
* An appropriation adjustment of $1,300 to the sewer district fund for travel.
