Tony Bernard

The meeting included standard opening procedures, followed by announcements for future public workshops and regular meetings. Key agenda items addressed included the approval of bills and the retroactive approval of video recordings for the February 24th and February 25th, 2026 meetings. Significant discussions centered on amending a previous agenda item to authorize the purchase of multifactor authentication hardware tokens for the county jail, at a cost of $2,539. The Board also accepted a grant award of $1,750,000 from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections for the Trumbull County jail roof replacement. Further actions involved approving an agreement modification with Gloss Pile, Shmer, Burns, and Dehaven, Inc. for additional design work. The Commissioners approved an agreement with an actuary for the 2025 self-insurance report and authorized the termination of employment for a telecommunicator in the 911 Department. Purchase of two in-bed salt spreader boxes was approved, partially covered by a grant, resulting in a final county cost of $3,031.34. The Board pre-qualified a list of professional design firms for future projects under $50,000 for the calendar year 2026. The Board subsequently approved an Enterprise Zone agreement with Charles Manufacturing Company for tax incentives related to facility expansion and increased payroll. Finally, the Board proceeded to adopt a resolution authorizing participation in a governmental aggregation electric program, with discussion clarifying the procedure for authorizing the appropriate commissioner to sign the final agreement once pricing is locked in.

Key discussions during the workshop included dispensing with previous minutes and approving video recordings, approving outstanding bills, and amending a previous authorization for purchasing multifactor authentication hardware tokens for the county jail. A significant focus was placed on accepting a substantial grant award of $1,750,000 from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation Correction for jail roof replacement due to longstanding leaking issues, noting that the county committed $500,000 toward the project. The county engineer's office reported on temporarily ceasing the issuance of overweight/hauling permits due to road conditions and addressed an agreement modification for additional design services for the Oldtown Viodok bridge project. Human resources items included entering into an agreement for the 2025 self-insurance actuary report, with extensive discussion on the $20 million annual expenditure for health insurance claims, and the approval for the termination of a probationary telecommunicator.

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance and an invocation. Key agenda items included dispensing with the reading of minutes from previous workshop and regular sessions, held on February 18th, 2026, and February 19th, 2026, respectively, and approving the video recordings as official minutes. The Commissioners also dispensed with the reading of minutes from a special meeting held on February 11th, 2026. Approval was sought for submitted bills and a list of purchase orders (OC 5705.41D January 2026). A significant discussion centered on approving an enterprise zone agreement with Charles Manufacturing Company, which requested 75% tax incentives for 10 years for facility expansion creating six new offices and approximately four jobs. Debate focused on setting precedent for existing businesses versus attracting new businesses, with reference made to a prior rejected proposal (Don Incorporated). The Mayor spoke in favor of supporting the existing business. Ultimately, a motion to table Agenda item number five was made to allow for further research and discussion with interested parties, including establishing guidelines for future abatements.

The meeting addressed several official actions. These included dispensing with reading the minutes of previous workshop and regular sessions and accepting the video recordings as official minutes, as well as approving outstanding bills. Key resolutions adopted involved the issuance and sale of notes, not to exceed $1,250,000 for sanitary sewer improvements, $800,000 for water system improvements, and $6,584,000 for retiring outstanding 2025 bond anticipation notes. Other approvals covered authorizing payment of dues for county administrators to join an association and membership dues to the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber. The Board authorized the purchase of multifactor authentication hardware tokens for the Trumbull County Jail to meet security protocols. The monthly financial report for the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau was received and placed on file. The Commissioners executed a letter of support for the Village of McDonald's capital budget request concerning park revitalization. They also approved updates to the purchasing narrative reflecting MUN software capabilities and authorized advertising for bids on two bridge rehabilitation projects and one road resurfacing project. Furthermore, they authorized the execution of documents related to Trumbull County's participation in the value drug confidential settlement agreement concerning opiate litigation. Finally, two individuals were appointed to the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board. The discussion segment noted the upcoming property tax meeting with trustees and included a farewell tribute to Councilman Pastor Todd Johnson who is moving to New York City. A public health advisory was issued regarding an avian flu outbreak, cautioning residents on handling dead birds.

The workshop focused on discussions regarding upcoming electric rate changes for county aggregate energy users, addressing resident concerns about significant rate increases starting in April, particularly concerning the jump in transmission capacity rates. Discussions clarified that customers switching away from the aggregate program might face immediate higher rates in February and March compared to staying in the program temporarily. The committee also discussed the contract renewal process, opting for a 14-month term instead of a three-year deal with the current provider to reassess market conditions later. Key attention was also given to energy supply sources, noting a shift from coal-fired plants to nuclear and gas. Separately, the body addressed energy procurement for county buildings, noting several large accounts required individual attention for securing better pricing due to high capacity rates, with plans to shop around for better alternatives for these accounts.