Lawrence County commissioners approved two community-development items at the Nov. 12 meeting: a clerical/template update required by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for an earlier Community Development Block Grant resolution, and a change order to the Shenango Township Park improvement contract to address an unanticipated ADA accessibility issue.

Rebecca Schafer of the planning office said DCED updated the resolution template after the county had already submitted its application; the requested revision was described as clerical and not a policy change. "They updated different wording in the resolutions," Schafer said; commissioners approved the updated resolution by roll call (Resolution 367).

Schafer also explained a change order for the Shenango Township Park CDBG contract (Resolution 368). On Nov. 3 staff and the engineer found existing handicapped parking and a six-inch sidewalk elevation that created an obvious trip hazard that was not included in the original bid. The change order increases the contract by $9,877, taking the contract from $98,045 to approximately $107,009.22. Commissioners emphasized that the funds come from the CDBG grant and not the county general fund, and they approved the change order by roll call.

Commissioners said the change order is needed to meet the ADA objectives of the project and to complete the park improvements as intended under the grant-funded scope.