YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners on Thursday approved a new requirement for public works projects.

A bidder’s affadavit will be included in bid packets for all such Mahoning County projects.

Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova explained that the commissioners approved a resolution in 2000 that governed the rules for bidding on public works projects.

It required prospective bidders to provide information regarding the quality of their workmanship, reliability, timeliness and credentials.

That resolution, however, did not provide a “specific means for collecting the information from each bidder.”

So the prosecutor’s office researched the matter and came up with a way to collect the information — creating a bidder’s affidavit.

“In this affidavit, what we will be asking prospective bidders to provide is information that is sanctioned” under Ohio law that will verify whether the bidder “is responsible. And what is the experience of the bidder, the bidder’s financial condition, conduct and performance on previous contracts, facilities, management skills and ability to execute the contract properly,” DeGenova said.

She said it is important that the commissioners “have all of the information they can have regarding public works contracts regarding prospective bidders, and the best way to do this is to ask for this information from everyone who submits a bid. And that is what we will be doing from this point forward.”

She said it will be a way to “evaluate every bidder fairly and consistently.” She said it has been used in other areas of the state.

ALLOCATIONS

The commissioners also allocated another $317,120 of their $42 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to several organizations.

They allocated $297,680 to the Ursuline Sisters Mission of Shields Road in Canfield to centralize its office space and expand programming.

The commissioners also allocated $4,940 to Poland Township for Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant picnic tables.

They allocated $4,500 to Poland Township for its zoning department to create a socially distanced workspace.

The commissioners also approved an appropriation of $10,000 from Ohio opioid settlement funds to Mahoning County Public Health.