12-31-02: Board will rent offices, renovate existing buildings to address shortage of space

12-31-02: Board will rent offices, renovate existing buildings to address shortage of space

$35,000 set aside for work

By TIMOTHY COX
The Daily Standard

    Rent, remodel and renovate.
    That is the solution the Mercer County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities has chosen to address a space crunch at the county program's complex on Mud Pike west of Celina.
    Superintendent Mike Overman at the Monday board meeting detailed a list of various projects to shuffle the office staff and fully tap the full space potential of the two buildings there. Board members had twice sought and rejected bids for a modular unit to expand its office space. Instead, they decided to rent some outside office space.
    The MR/DD program will spend about the same to remodel and lease some outside office space as it would have to buy the modular. The new plan provides for benefit for the money, Overman said, noting that much of the labor would be done in-house. Board members have set aside $35,000 for the work.
    MR/DD officials soon plan to lease some office space in the former Mersman Furniture Co. building in Celina, Overman said. Some office staff would move there to alleviate overcrowding in the existing facilities.
    At the existing complex, a mezzanine area would be converted into offices and another open area would be walled off to form a conference room, Overman said. An existing conference room would become an office. The kitchen area of the former school building would be remodeled into an area for occupational and physical therapists to work with children in the early intervention program.
    Additional projects include restroom renovations, adding storage capacity and upgrading the air conditioning.
    In other business Monday, board members:
    - Set a public hearing on the annual Comprehensive Services Plan for 7 p.m. Feb. 24.
    - Changed the date of the regular meeting for next month to Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
    - Agreed to buy a new van with a wheelchair lift from SOURCES Community Network Services for $6,202. SOURCES, the lead agency in the local COLT Transportation system, had agreed to buy the van through the Ohio Department of Transportation but no longer has a need for it. MR/DD's purchase price is the same that SOURCES paid for the vehicle.
    - Extended a one-year contract to Tonya Homan, habilitation manager, retroactive to March 25 for $39,800 annually. A contract was mistakenly not signed when she was hired to fill the new position.
    - Discussed but took no action on possibly modifying the job duties of workshop business manager before filling the position. Current Manager Bob Grube is retiring.

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