WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners on Wednesday approved using up to $339,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to upgrade the heating, ventilation and air conditioning at the county courthouse. They also discussed the still-vacant county human resources director position.

Commissioners awarded a $339,000 contract to Comfort Systems USA, of Oakwood Village, to install a new chiller tower and cooling tower at the historic courthouse.

The chiller and cooling tower will help the building’s bipolar ionizers, which keep the air clean, work more efficiently — making the purchase a valid use of ARP funds, officials said.

The county received three other bids for the project, ranging from $353,400 to $428,200.

After voting during the commissioners’ regular meeting, Commissioner Frank Fuda announced that the county has received 72 applications for the position of HR director since commissioners restarted their search for a candidate in June.

The position has been open since former HR Director Richard Jackson retired in February.

An initial round of applications led to some 57 applications. A panel created by commissioners narrowed the pool to six candidates and in May commissioners interviewed three people.

Two of those candidates declined to pursue the position further, Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said previously.

Commissioner Niki Frenchko on Wednesday argued that the remaining candidate from that round of applications had been qualified and willing to take the position. She made a motion to hire that candidate at once, which was not taken up by either Cantalamessa or Fuda.

Fuda said he did not believe that candidate was the best person for the job. Cantalamessa pointed to that person’s lack of experience in the public sector.

The would-be nine-person human resources commission that vets applications for the position was down to seven people on Wednesday, Fuda said, because one member left the panel and another decided to apply for the HR job.

Warren resident Lea Dotson addressed commissioners during public comment, voicing concerns about a lack of equity in hiring county employees and contractors.

“Diversity in hiring is abysmal,” Dotson said. “Having a policy is how you change these things.”

Frenchko offered Dotson a spot on the human resources commission, and then all three commissioners voted to appoint her on the panel, if she is interested in the spot.

Dotson said she had not come to the meeting for that reason, but said she would serve on the panel if needed.

Frenchko had tried to appoint Dotson and one other person to the panel in April, but Fuda at the time said he would not appoint them because they did not apply in time.

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