STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County commissioners on Thursday agreed to the hiring of DS Architecture of Kent to provide engineering and design services for county buildings.

Commissioners received 11 applications from interested firms. The county had been using McKinley & Associates of Wheeling, but it has been the commissioners’ practice every couple of years to ask for interested firms to submit qualifications.

Commissioner Thomas Graham said the list was narrowed and the remaining firms made presentations.

Paul Romanic of DS Architecture noted the firm has 15 registered architects.

Commissioner Tom Gentile commented on the amount of public projects the firm has completed.

The firm began work on Thursday by reviewing the Justice Center, which is in line for upgrades. The firm also will be looking at the control boards at the jail and in the juvenile detention center to electronically unlock 120 doors. The boards are in need of replacement, according to officials.

The commissioners noted the firm will prepare bid specifications.

The firm also will look at engineering work done by McKinley & Associates on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at the Towers.

Commissioners hired the firm for one year and will re-evaluate the agreement then.

“We need a good partner to move forward,” noted Commissioner David Maple.

In other matters, the commissioners on Thursday received $3 million in a loan to tackle improvements at the Towers, Justice Center and building a new courthouse parking lot, which is under construction.

Graham noted the occupancy at the Towers was at 33 percent when the county purchased the building. The occupancy now is at 77 percent, with many county agencies located in the building.

Maple said the commissioners’ first responsibility is to take care of county buildings.

Commissioners signed a one-year contract with county Job and Family Services to lease a county parking lot for employees at Job and Family Services for $3,600, which amounts to $22 per space a month.

Commissioners after the meeting toured the former children services office and children’s home off John Scott Highway. Juvenile court is interested in taking over operations of the building and children’s home to provide more services to troubled youth of the county, according to officials.

The county will have to go to court concerning whether such use complies with the terms of the McCollough Trust, which has been in place for the children’s home for about 100 years.

Commissioners signed an agreement with job and family services to provide two sheriff’s deputies to man the metal detector and provide security at the job and family services building. The cost is $126,915 for a one-year period.

Commissioners also signed a one-year agreement between job and family services and juvenile court for work on child support enforcement cases. The contract totals $419,173, with $275,654 reimbursable from the federal government and $145,519 coming from the general fund.

And a road-use maintenance agreement was approved with Ohio Gathering for the installation of gas pipelines connecting wells in Warren and Wells townships. Multiple county and township roads will be designated as haul roads, according to county Engineer James Branagan. The company has posted a $5 million bond, he said.