Commissioners authorized Armeni to sign a contract with COTT System for the preservation work, with the cost not to exceed $180,000, but Commissioner Mike Halleck pointed out that while the commissioners are fronting him the money, the state will be reimbursing every cent.

“We’re just really excited we’re about to get these programs off the ground,” Armeni said.

He explained that getting the older records preserved and in digital format is something he’s wanted to do for some time and with Senate Bill 94 passed in October 1994, the county can apply for reimbursement of the cost of preserving and scanning the documents.

Armeni said his office will be working with COTT System, which is the software provider for his office, to facilitate the projects.

This old deed at the Columbiana County Recorder’s Office dates back to Feb. 11, 1841. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

Having the funding lined up and getting the contract in place with COTT is just the first step in what will be a long process, according to Deputy Recorder Matt Plegge.

“We’re hoping to tie it into the 250th,” he said.

The work is actually divided into three projects, with the first being the restoration of the 1800s records. Some of these documents were recently found in an old box stored in the basement of the county jail on County Home Road outside Lisbon.

Plegge said there was a box with documents that survived a fire that happened in an old county storage building in Lisbon. He said the late John Wargo, who was county recorder at the time, saved the records from the fire. Wargo went on to become a county commissioner and also served as a state representative. Armeni said some of the old records may have signatures of past U.S. presidents.

The second project will be digitizing and preserving the indexes of records. The third project will be preserving and digitizing the original deed books that are stored at the Board of Elections building. They will be moved to the new county records building when it’s finished.

During the commissioners’ meeting, Commissioner Tim Ginter said these records have been subjected to a lot of conditions, including the fire, and this is an opportunity to take action.

“We’re really excited about the project, especially with the older documents we recently found,” Plegge said, referring to 500-plus original deeds dating back to the early 1800s.

In a letter to county commissioners making the request for permission to contract with COTT and appropriate $180,000, Armeni said the funds will be used for conservation work, archival grade repair, secure handling and high-resolution imaging to ensure long-term public access and statutory compliance.

Commissioners approved the contract and will appropriate the $180,000 to the recorder next week.

In other business, the commissioners approved a request by county Emergency Management Agency Director Peggy Clark to hire Adam Noble of the Canfield area as a part-time Emergency Management Specialist. She explained that with Deputy Director/911 Coordinator Brian Rutledge spending half of his time on 911, there’s a gap, which she explained previously to commissioners to have the part-time position of Emergency Management Specialist created.

She said there’s not a lot of people out there with an emergency management background. She put the word out with fire and EMS groups and found Noble, who’s a 911 dispatcher at the Canfield Police Department and a firefighter with the Sebring Fire Department.

For the county EMA, he’ll be working 20 hours per week at a rate of $20 per hour.

The commissioners also authorized county Engineer Bert Dawson to sign a service agreement with Thomas Brothers Property Services LLC, New Middletown, for cleaning services at the county engineer’s offices for a total not to exceed $25,000 per year.

Paul Lease was reappointed to the county Transportation Improvement District for a new two-year term from May 30, 2026 to May 29, 2028 and David and Kaiden Duvall received permission to hunt on the county’s County Home Road, Lisbon property.

The next meeting of county commissioners will be 9 a.m. May 6.