STEUBENVILLE — The Jefferson County Commissioners Thursday pulled the plug, at least temporarily, on plans to get their Cherry Avenue property surveyed so it can be sold, saying there may actually be a way it can still be used for county benefit.

Commissioners said Board of Disabilities Superintendent Mike Zinno has expressed interest in the site, though for what no one is saying. While admitting Zinno’s plan may not come to fruition, commissioners said if there’s a chance the site can be repurposed for a county project it’s worth waiting.

“There’s some information we received from (Developmental Disabilities Director) Mike Zinno about a potential project he has up there that he’s not ready to fully disclose yet, but it sounds like a good project to benefit the community,” Commissioner Dave Maple said. “That made us delay our activities to get rid of that project because there might be a public use for it.”

The downside is the county will continue to cover basic maintenance costs at the property while Zinno does his due diligence.

“(But) I think we need to get all the facts,” Commissioner Tony Morelli said. “I met with Mike last week, what I heard from him was interesting and positive.”

In June, when they’d originally voted to move forward with the sale, commissioners had passed a resolution declaring the property, site of an old armory, no longer served the public interest. That motion was rescinded Thursday.

Since then they’ve met with Steubenville officials to gauge the city’s interest in taking over Pico Park, part of the county’s Cherry Avenue property. They also received a $2,100 quote for a site survey, which was also put on the back burner.

How the proposed park transfer might be impacted remains to be seen, they said.

“I’m not sure what the project is, but if (Zinno) has a need we agree on, then we will keep the property,” Commissioner Eric Timmons said.

Commissioners also:

• Applauded the Appalachian Regional Commission’s recent decision to award Jefferson County’s broadband connectivity project a $2.5 million POWER grant (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) to improve wifi service to 34 businesses and 769 households in parts of Ross, Knox, Salem, Wayne, and Springfield Townships.

“I think it’s a big win for the county,” Timmons said.

“It’s still a big county, there’s still a lot of work left but we’re rolling in the right direction,” Maple said.

“They’ve been working really hard on that for a few years, and credit to them to keep going back after it,” Maple said. “It’s the first step.”

• Signed off on an agreement for Jobs and Family Services to provide A Caring Place with up to $95,000, subject to availability of federal, state or local funds, to continue to operate its Child Advocacy Center.

“A Caring Place provides valuable services to the community regarding healing and prevention of child abuse,” JFS Director Michele Santin said. “These services allow Children Services to perform their duties more efficiently and effectively.”

Santin said the funds help A Caring Place provide “a safe and comfortable environment for children and families in need of these services.”

• Opened bids from five companies for the 2024/25 tree removal project: Asphlund, $164,987; Blue’s Tree Service, $159,899.97; Cliff’s Tree Service, $139,749.93; Hilscher-Clarke, $305,552; and Edward’s Land Clearing and Tree Service., $156,000.

• Reappointed Ed Florak and Melinda Aleksiejczyk to the Board of Developmental Disabilities to three year terms. A third member, Jim Padden, was interested in serving another term but was precluded by term limits from continuing. His seat will be advertised.

• Identified the buyer of a sliver of county-owned property at the Wolf Run Garage to Harriett Lee Davis, County Road 75, Bergholz. Davis paid $400 at auction for the roughly .046 acre strip of land.

• Authorized Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles to seek quotes to replace a counter that is falling apart in probate court.

• Steubenville Nutcracker Village developer Mark Nelson requested permission to place nutcrackers on the courthouse grounds and told commissioners that, although plans haven’t been finalized, it’s possible they’ll put nutcrackers all the way to the Towner building.