Carroll County Commissioners approve annex upgrades, oppose state roadway bill

Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Ed Eick presented two proposals to the Carroll County Commissioners at their Nov. 20 meeting. 

First, Eick explained the need to replace the sidewalk along the southwest side of the annex building at 207, noting that the current walkway is not up to code because it is too narrow and has too much slope. Since this area will serve as the main employee entrance, Eick recommended removing and replacing the sidewalk to meet code requirements. Richmond Concrete, which is already completing other sidewalk work at the annex, submitted a $15,275 change-order estimate to widen and rebuild the section. 

Commissioners approved the additional work, which will complete nearly all sidewalk upgrades around the building.

Eick also brought forward proposals for the security film required for the storefront windows at the future Board of Elections location. He said the Ohio Secretary of State confirmed that a minimum 4-mil security film must be installed to prevent windows from shattering or being easily breached. 

After receiving quotes from several companies with prices ranging from roughly $18,000 to more than $28,000, Eick contacted SunRay Window Films, which provided a significantly lower estimate. SunRay offered both a 4-mil and an 8-mil product, with the thicker 8-mil film costing only slightly more at $14,385. Because the 8-mil material is commonly used by schools and municipalities and provides better protection, the commissioners approved SunRay’s proposal. The installation will take two days and includes perimeter caulking, which will also improve energy efficiency in the aging window frames. 

The cost will be covered by contingency funds since the requirement was not part of the original project scope.

In an unrelated matter, Commissioner Chris Modranski reported that he received a call from Ohio State Senator Al Cutrona as the senator was heading to the Senate floor for a vote on Senate Bill 219, which deals with roadway regulations affecting the oil and gas industry. 

Cutrona requested Modranski’s input, and Modranski quickly reached out to County Engineer Brian Wise as well as the County Engineers Association and the Ohio Township Association. After reviewing the legislation, the county responded with strong opposition, noting that township and county roads were originally designed for farm traffic, not the heavy industrial equipment used by the oil and gas industry. 

Modranski emphasized that local road-use agreements developed by the commissioners 15 years ago when no state-level regulations existed have been effective and the bill could undermine those protections. He added that Cutrona had only learned of the vote shortly before it occurred, raising concerns that the bill was being advanced with minimal notice.

In other business, commissioners: 

—LEARNED the courthouse will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28, in observance of Thanksgiving. 

—HEARD Dew Drop Road (TR 121) will be closed to traffic 0.1 miles south of Bramble Road (CR 37) in Perry Township beginning Nov. 24. The road should be reopened about 90 days from the closing date. The closing is necessary to replace the existing culverts and bridge over McGuire Creek. Commissioner Donald Leggett II clarified this is the second time the engineer has submitted the road-closing notice. The water was too high in June to complete the project. 

—HEARD Commissioner Robert Wirkner clarify concerns surrounding the transition from Encino Energy to EOG Resources following the recent sale. He explained that Encino followed a payment system where they waited 60 days after oil or gas was produced before sending out royalty checks, which meant landowners typically received their payments at the end of the month. EOG, however, uses a shorter delay and issues payments 45 days after production. Because of this, residents can expect their checks to arrive earlier, likely around the middle of the month. Wirkner emphasized that this does not represent a bonus or extra payment but simply a change in timing under EOG’s payment system. 

—APPROVED Change Order No. 1 for the Carroll County 2025 Resurfacing Project. The original contract amount for this project was $646,774, and the adjusted contract amount with this change order has been decreased by $43,797.04 due to quantity adjustment of paving materials used. The new contract price after this change order is $602,976.96. 

—APPROVED Change Order No. 1 for the Carroll County 2025 Pavement Marking Project T-1-2025. The original contract amount for this project was $93,700, and the adjusted contract amount with this change order has been increased by $2,905.32 due to the addition of 1.562 miles of striping. The new contract price after this change order is $96,605.32. 

—PAID the bills of $343,528.49.