Demos should go on, but without engineer | News, Sports, Jobs

DEAR EDITOR:

I read a recent newspaper article regarding the Council of Governments seeking a response from the State Auditor’s office on whether the council can continue with demolition of vacant buildings.

I strongly believe the COG is doing a great service to Trumbull County by demolishing old buildings and repurposing the property for the betterment of our communities. I believe the State Auditor’s original opinion letter as well as prior opinion letters from the Attorney General are very clear that it is lawful for the COG to be involved with these building demolition projects. However, they say it is unlawful for the county engineer to use his resources (including labor, material, supplies, and equipment) to perform this demolition work.

These opinion letters clearly point out that the county engineer’s statutory duties are the maintenance of roads, bridges, ditches and highways, and that the demolition of buildings by the county engineer is unlawful as it does not fall under an allowable duty of the engineer under Ohio law.

The COG should be allowed to contract with other companies or agencies to do the demolition work; but the county engineer should end this unlawful use of county resources and focus his resources on the lawful duties of his office by maintaining our county roads, bridges, ditches and highways that are continuously in need of attention.

DAVID DeCHRISTOFARO

Nile