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Washington County Board of Elections weighs move

MARIETTA — The Washington County Board of Elections is considering two new relocation options after presentations Wednesday.

The board’s location in the basement of the Washington County Children Services building may be taken by the Washington County Department of Job and Family Services as the agency mergers with children services this year.

Washington County Department of Job and Family Services Director Flite Freimann spoke with members of the board to present the idea of moving them into 202 Davis Ave., just down the hill from the current election headquarters at 204 Davis Ave., That would mean the Ohio State University Extension office and DJFS Family and Children First office currently at 202 Davis would have to move.

Freimann told the board that the building would meet the storage needs of the election headquarters and maintain the elevation above any flooding concerns voiced about two previously considered locations. The two previous places were DJFS’s current building on Gilman Avenue and the former Chase Bank drive-thru behind the Washington County Courthouse on Third Street now owned by the county and slated to house the public defenders’ office.

“It has 7,000 square feet (about 202 Davis Ave.),” explained Freimann. “I will meet with the leadership of both the extension office and the Family and Children First office around (Tuesday) and review what their needs are, too.”

Freimann didn’t offer any suggestions as to where those agencies might move.

Meanwhile, George Broughton, owner of the Broughton Commercial Complex on Ohio 821 just outside of Marietta city limits, also proposed to the board the opportunity to lease space from him. That space is the same one that was temporarily occupied by the Ohio State Highway Patrol for a year before they moved back into the renovated post in Reno last April.

“I’m at 98 percent capacity, which allows me to keep my rent low,” Broughton explained, offering the 5,000-square-foot space for a monthly lease of $3,600 plus $300 in monthly fees for snow removal and maintenance, utilities not included.

Board Chairman Dennis Sipe said he and board member Charlie Wentz had toured Broughton’s location before the Wednesday meeting and believed the facility would fit Americans with Disabilities Act federal requirements for access, a concern which Assistant Director Peggy Byers voiced in the discussion about the 202 Davis Ave. location.

When contacted after the Board of Elections meeting Bruce Zimmer, an extension educator and 4-H youth development and extension county director for the Washington County office, said he was unaware of the proposal Wednesday.

He declined to comment on whether the extension office would be fine with moving locations, deferring to the area extension leader Pam Montgomery, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

But when asked if the building is fully ADA compliant, he said he had heard not all entry points into the building may fall under those parameters.

“We do have a ramp but we don’t have self-open doors, and I’ve heard not all of the doorways are the right width,” he said.

Freimann said the next steps in a potential rearrangement of county offices and a move of the board of elections will begin with the receipt of a report from Pickering and Associates concerning the 204 Davis Ave. location.

“Assuming that report says it’s a reasonable cost (to move the rest of DJFS offices into 204 Davis Ave. from Gilman Avenue) I would hopefully move to give a recommendation to the (Washington County) Commissioners in mid-March,” he explained. “But there are also the needs of the other agencies, so I wouldn’t anticipate the completion of your move until maybe after the first of next year.”

Broughton told the board if they choose to lease his office space, he could have the area and available storage ready within two months.

In other business:

Before the board completed its main portion of business for the meeting Wednesday — certifying Republican and Democrat candidates for Marietta and Belpre 2019 elections — the board denied the filing of one candidate from Belpre and acknowledged the withdrawal of two candidates from Marietta.

* Jeffrey Barrett, a Republican from Belpre, had previously withdrawn his candidacy but requested to the board to remove that withdrawal and reconsider him for certification.

Barrett’s withdrawal from Belpre City Council’s First Ward race had already been accepted by the board and thus his second request was denied.

* Kyle Boker, of Marietta, withdrew his candidacy to run for the Marietta City Council Second Ward seat, against incumbent Mike McCauley, a Democrat.

* Russell Mercer, of Marietta, withdrew his candidacy to run for one of three Marietta City Council At-Large seats.

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