WARREN — New homes for Trumbull County’s coroner and the Emergency Management Agency were set in motion Wednesday when county commissioners voted on where the county departments will be housed.

Trumbull EMA will move from 640 North River Road in Warren to a former fire department at 773 Everett Hull Road in Cortland. The coroner will stay at 640 North River Road, where his office has been temporarily located since 2024. The coroner has been working in the garage of the building, while the EMA has been using the remainder.

The commissioners are working to finalize the financing of the projects.

County officials are expecting to use American Rescue Plan funds to pay for the estimated $300,000 needed to move the EMA offices.

“We received a verbal assurance we can use these funds,” Commissioner Tony Bernard said.

Similarly, the commissioners expressed receiving verbal assurances that they will be able to use opioid settlement funds to pay for the coroner’s permanent relocation in the EMA building. The building has to be renovated to meet the state requirements for a coroner’s office.

Commissioner Denny Malloy emphasized that regardless of whether the county is able to use ARP or opioid funds from either the state or federal governments to pay for these proposed projects, the county needs to provide assurance these moves will take place.

“The coroner and the EMA director will be able to make plans and take actions in preparation of the moves,” Malloy said. “There are things that may not require them to make purchase orders and pay vendors while the funding is being determined. … We have plans where funds will come from.”

During the commissioners’ workshop Tuesday, they said the architects have provided the county with an estimate of between $500,000 and $800,000 to complete the work needed for the new coroner’s office.

“We have the time and opportunity to complete the move,” Malloy said. “I don’t think we need to sit on our heels anymore.”

While waiting for written assurances on whether either ARP or opioid funds can be used for these projects, Malloy said the county will have its recently hired grant writing team look for other funding sources.

The county owns both buildings, so there will be no cost to acquire them. Earlier estimates had the cost of building a facility or purchasing a site for the coroner to be more than $2 million.

Bernard suggested it might cost more than the EMA office.

The county last year looked at moving the coroner into the former county health department building at 176 Chestnut Ave. NE in Warren. However, a study found it would cost it more than $2.5 million to relocate to that building.

Bernard suggested the county look at selling the Chestnut Street building.

The commissioners also are looking for new homes for the Trumbull County 911 Center and the county’s dog pound.

Like the coroner and EMA locations, county officials have possible locations where they can be located, but are looking at ways to finance the moves.

Commissioners are looking at moving the 911 Center to the second floor of the Trumbull County Combined Health District. The health district sent a proposal to the county to allow Trumbull 911 to move into its building last month, according to Bernard.

The commissioners are looking at their legal options.

They are looking for ways to fund the building of a new dog pound that will be located on land the county purchased from the Animal Welfare League.

Bernard suggested said the commissioners have assigned the county’s grant writers to look for funding opportunities for each of these projects.