Jefferson County commissioners mull Tower building leasing issue
Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County commissioners said Thursday they'd be willing to at least consider letting their leasing consultant manage all of the Tower building's leasing activities.
Commissioner Dave Maple said their leasing consultant, Cedar One's Joe Luckino, mentioned the possibility during a closed-door meeting to discuss a leasing opportunity in the Tower. Maple said that discussion was "not really subject to executive session," so when they emerged he raised the prospect in the public forum.
Luckino is interested in pitching "more of a full-service proposal...for managing all the leases and activity," Maple said.
"Right now, we just do the one-off leases for the individual tenants we place in the building, this would be more encompassing," Luckino said afterwards. "Managing all the tenants in the building...all their lease renewals, breaking down the financials, the economics of the building and basically helping out and assisting day-to-day management and also monthly financial reporting. In doing that, we'd make sure all tenants have current leases, that they're staying up with market rents, increasing as renewals come in...It's more just keeping the building in synch."
Commissioners said they don't know if it will be doable until they see Luckino's proposal. For now, they authorized him to review all the leases currently in force as well as utility bills so he can formulate his proposal.
"We'll see where (it) comes in," Maple said. "We don't know until we see it, but we think his proposal will be that we can take advantage of his services and save some money, maybe be a little more efficient in the building by him managing it. Right now he doesn't manage all the leases, a lot of them we inherited, so we have to see where his proposal comes in."
Commissioner Eric Timmons said "it's worth taking a look."
"I'd like to see if it will save us money, having an outside entity manage the property with the idea of focusing on cutting expenses," Timmons said later.
Commissioners were also intrigued by the idea of possibly teaming with the airport authority on a new style "mini" spec building.
Geary Bates, representing the airport authority, said they have authority over about 12 acres of non-aviation land and pitched his idea for "a mini transfer warehouse for trucking stations." He said a Realtor friend told him they're a hot commodity in Belmont County.
"I just thought if you had any interest, my board might be more encouraged if you threw some money in," Bates said. "Then, too, I don't know what your financial situation is."
"We always say it's bad, Geary," Maple joked, adding that, "In my private role, I deal with people looking for buildings all the time."
"People don't think it's true but it is," he said. "I am encouraging the port authority to look at that 23 acres we finally got freed up from being a wetlands, we did all the right things there. It's now ready to develop. I dealt with any employer in the last two weeks who would have moved right into that thing."
Maple said he, personally, is "open to any discussion that gains us inventory of buildings that companies can move into because there just aren't any. And finding a flat piece of ground you can put one on is even more difficult."
Bates said he'd already floated the idea to the airport authority, with the consensus being "if there's an interest, we should pursue it.
"I'm definitely interested in exploring the option," Timmons said. "Anything in economic development is worth looking into."
Commissioner Tony Morelli agreed it sounds like a good idea.
"It is common knowledge that it is difficult to bring businesses in or grow what we have without some type of inventory," Morelli said. "We are all open to look at what the airport board proposes, then make a decision on what we think is best to grow revenue in our county."
Maple said it sounded like Bates had a modular-type building in mind, "he's going to work on those details."
"There's no inventory, nowhere to move anybody in who's ready to go," he added. "In my experience, people don't want to wait on you to build a building, it takes too long and they want to move quicker than that."
Commissioners also:
— Requested emergency funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission to deal with a landslide blocking vehicle access to Fernwood State Park. The slip, 300-foot long, has an estimated repair cost of nearly $1.5 million.
— Agreed to make sure Frontier Communications understands that contractors working on the county Road 49 bridge replacement project have been authorized "to proceed as necessary" to get the work done, even if it means destroying Frontier's underground lines.
In a letter to Frontier's New Philadelphia office, Maple pointed out the county "has had repeated communication and repeated commitments with you in regard to the relocation" of the underground lines.
"The county intends to proceed with this work as outlined in the project documents," Maple warned. "All claims submitted by the contractor for additional work and/or delays due to removal of your facilities will be directed to Frontier Communications."
County engineers complained of a "lack of communication, lack of corresponce" from Frontier as well as "false claims that they'd be out there next week" and said the communication company's inaction has delayed the project.
"The contractors don't want to hit the line, they're just kind of in limbo also," commissioners were told.
— Will seek an opinion from the prosecutor on whether the county can use oil and gas revenue for recreation projects in townships. Jefferson County had a cash carryover of more than $364,000 in its oil and gas revenue account that commissioners would like to redirect to townships impacted by oil and gas production, provided it can be done legally.
— Signed off on a $100,000 contract for design services for installation of a wildlife fence at Jefferson County Airpark. The airpark is only on the hook for $5,000 of the cost, with the Federal Aviation Administration covering $90,000 of the expense and ODOT Aviation, $5,000.
— Approved a pay raise for airpark employees.
— Raised no objection to a $1,236 change order for the hiring of a seasonal employee.
— Agreed to schedule a site viewing for Wells Township Road 167 as it intersects County Road 19.
— Authorized the Jefferson County Regional Planning Commission to advertise its resurfacing project in Island Creek township, with the bid opening to be June 22.