LISBON — Columbiana County Commissioner Roy Paparodis shared some information about the county land bank activities the past two years, including demolitions, brownfield remediations, beautification grants and renovation projects.

According to the numbers, the land bank administered 11 demolitions under a memorandum of understanding with the city of East Liverpool and completed 27 demolitions under a demolition grant through the Ohio Department of Development, nearly $500,000 worth, with 13 in East Liverpool, five in Wellsville, two in Salem and one each in Liverpool Township, Center Township, Kensington, St. Clair Township, Perry Township, Hanoverton and Rogers.

The remediation of the Maryland Street school building in East Liverpool’s east end was almost entirely finished, paid for with more than $1 million from the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Remediation Grant.

Beautification grants were awarded for two East Liverpool murals, improvement of the Columbiana Plaza parking area, East Palestine walking trail, Lisbon pollinator garden and Center Township cemetery improvements.

The land bank was also named the OSU Extension 2022 Partner of the Year and facilitated numerous renovations across the county. Work continued on brownfield projects in Salineville and Columbiana.

The commissioners met in executive session, behind closed doors, with county Department of Job and Family Services Director Rachel Ketterman regarding the upcoming United Steel Workers collective bargaining agreement negotiations. No action was taken. The USW represents a unit of 28 employees in Children Services. The current contract expires April 1.

Also regarding the DJFS: commissioners approved three-year terms for Superintendent Marie Williams of the county Educational Service Center and Jim Stitt of the Family Recovery Center as new members of the DJFS Planning Committee; hired Krystin Davis of North Lima and Michaela London of Lisbon as social services workers; and increased the contract ceiling from $2,000 to $5,000 for attorney Stephen Hill as a legal public guardian through the senior services levy from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 this year.

In other business, commissioners approved the solid waste management plan of the Carroll-Columbiana-Harrison Solid Waste Management District, approved an American Rescue Plan Act expense of $5,600 for JP Plumbing to improve the plumbing at county Municipal Court, requested no hearing for a liquor permit for Fireside Lake Campground, Rochester Road, West Township, and approved a contract between the Ohio Department of Transportation and the county regarding the state Route 170 lighting project.

Near the end of the meeting, Lisbon resident John Williams pointed out that five years worth of

meeting minutes and agendas were missing from the commissioners’ website from 2013 through 2017. He noted that he had talked to commissioners previously about transparency. He offered to help to retrieve the documents.

“We’ll look into that,” Halleck said.

Commissioner Tim Weigle said he could assure him that they have the commissioners’ journals. Halleck also said the law doesn’t require them to put the minutes online, but they do as a courtesy.

Williams also raised the issue of House Bill 331, saying that commissioners should know about the proposed legislation regarding dissolving villages. He actually misspoke at first and said townships, but the proposed legislation creates a mechanism for voters to decide whether to dissolve their village, dependent on the services the village provides.

Halleck said it will never happen, but noted that the County Commissioners Association of Ohio keeps commissioners apprised of legislation and the CCAO has lobbyists who monitor bills. He said a lot of bills don’t go through, with a small percentage actually becoming law.

House Bill 331 as proposed calls for the county Budget Commission to review a 10-year period of a village to see if the village provides or contracts to provide at least five services, including police, fire, emergency medical services, garbage collection, water or sewer service, road maintenance, park services, a public library operated solely by the village or human services. Also looked at will be whether there was at least one candidate on the ballot for each elected position in the most recent election.

If the budget commission finds that the village failed to provide services to its citizens, then the budget commission can request the county Board of Elections to place a question on the ballot on whether the village should surrender it’s powers, to be decided by voters in the village.