Ashland County Commissioners choose Simonson for Rite Aid renovations

The old Rite Aid building on Claremont Avenue in Ashland.
The old Rite Aid building on Claremont Avenue in Ashland.

ASHLAND -Under the recommendation from VSWC Architects Project Manager Brad Adams, Ashland County Commissioners on Thursday, Aug. 4 accepted a design-build proposal from Simonson Construction for the building renovations at 1211 Claremont Ave., previously the Rite Aid building. Adams will begin contract negotiations with the firm shortly.

“We met on Tuesday,” said Commissioner Denny Bittle, “and interviewed two contract companies. We do the interview process and then we do a score sheet that we all fill out and then the high score wins. We had three companies originally and then one company backed out not too long ago. So we ended up interviewing the two companies.”

Bittle later said this would be a winter project and if the materials can be purchased, like an HVAC unit and other materials, they are hoping for a May completion date.

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Lake Erie Construction was approved for contract for the 2022 Guardrail & Installation and Upgrade Project in the amount of $299,175.

The pay rate for Mark Gorsuch was amended as a social service worker 2 with the Department of Job and Family Services.

Appropriations were made for Recorder Technology for $10,200 and three transfers to Juvenile Felony Custody for a total of $69,000.

A $1.14 million transfer was made for real estate collection fund.

A quit-claim deed from the Ashland County Land Reutilization Corp. for the county to take ownership of the property listed as Lot 483, South Ashland was authorized on a 2-1 vote with Bittle abstaining.

Three surplus items will be disposed of through internet auction that will include a 1997 Chevy dump truck, a 2011 Dodge Charger and a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan.

J&FS director explains new plan revision concerning gas cards

Director of J&FS Peter Stefaniuk presented commissioners with the Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) Plan revisions and asked them to approve the revisions.

“I am here to amend our county PRC Program,” said Stefaniuk. “To add an Inflation Relief Gas Program as part of it. This will help needy families with the increased cost of inflation. What this program would provide for qualifying families is a $50 gas card for a local gas station in Ashland County. They would need to provide us with receipts proving it was spent on gas.”

The program would allow for up to 4-$50 cards to be provided in a 12 month calendar year. The program is federally funded and would begin Sept. 1.

“This would provide much needed relief or families that have experienced this pressure,” said Stefaniuk.

The revision was approved.

UP NEXT The commissioners will meet Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in the Commissioner’s Conference Room on the second floor of the County Office Building. The meetings are open to the public, but also live-streamed on the Ashland, OH County Government Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Construction company chosen for Rite Aid building renovations