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Space Efficiency

BELMONT COUNTY officials continue to display ingenuity and vision in efforts to become more space efficient.

Commissioners Ginny Favede, Chuck Probst and Matt Coffland demonstrated that financial-friendly trait once again Wednesday.

The triumvirate — in partnership with Department of Job and Family Services Director Dwayne Pielech — announced another major relocation project. It is one that makes sense as it will save money for county coffers and taxpayers, alike.

The DJFS will see its departments vacate the Oakview facility and take up quarters at Fox Shannon and the Connections building in Martins Ferry.

The commissioners’ decision to exit Oakview is a prudent one.

The aging structure will eventually serve as a spacious storage home for county records. Such is good use for Oakview, while also providing an improved working environment for DJFS employees.

Moreover, Belmont County residents will be afforded better service.

Federal and state budget cuts have wreaked havoc with both the county budget as well as funding for the DJFS. The financial future of both is shrouded in uncertainty. Tough economic conditions are likely to play out for an indefinite period.

With that as a disturbing backdrop, it’s heartening to have a county board committed to bureaucratic efficiency and economic common sense.

The move this week by county officials to turn Oakview into essentially nothing more than a storage center is just the latest in a series of similar wise decisions by the commissioners.

Martins Ferry will be a beneficiary of the relocation. The Connections building formerly housed Northern Court, which is now headquartered along with Eastern Court in Bellaire.

DJFS will have nice new digs to work out of while the Ferry business community will realize the benefits of 19 new workers in the city.

One other positive Oakview spinoff is now the former Habilitation Center will be able to be put up for sale. At one point, it was targeted for a pricey retrofitting to house all DJFS departments.

We commend commissioners for their ability to save money. In these economic-challeged times, they will likely need to continue such practices.

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