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CSU professor Robert A. Simons of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs presented the group's findings Monday to county commissioners, county and Chardon city officials, and Chardon Square business owners.
The crowd of about 60 filled every seat, lined the walls and spilled out into the hall outside commissioners' chambers.
Commissioners hired Simons and his graduate students last year for $35,000 and asked them to survey county officials, department heads and employees about their commutes to work, where they ate lunch, and what errands they ran in Chardon during the course of their workday.
The Simons group analyzed the data collected from about 300 county workers and officials. Their 17-page report, "Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Geauga County Services Consolidation," contains detailed graphs and tables of their findings.
The CSU report also listed four options for commissioners to consider when making long-term plans for county offices and service facilities.
The report said economic factors included commuting travel for employees, distances that county residents need to travel to county offices, value of surplus land, construction jobs created, retail jobs created, estimates of maintenance and energy cost savings, property taxes generated by the sale of the 470 complex, expansion capacity, department proximity, and future county growth.
Department heads listed efficiency and cost-effectiveness as their top priorities, Simons said.
When all the factors were analyzed, the report found that the highest score went to the option of moving all county offices south.
"This result indicates that per our analysis, the Large South move would be the highest ranking option for the county," the report concluded.
The CSU team estimated the Chardon Square option would cost $26 million in construction costs. Both South options would cost about half that amount because a parking garage would not be needed.
Chardon officials were not pleased with the report's conclusions. Attorney Dale Markowitz questioned Simons about whether his data would be available for public scrutiny. Simons said it would not, for what he said were confidentiality reasons.
Markowitz said he did not believe Simons' research fell under any confidentiality laws since it was commissioned by a public body and paid for with taxpayers' money.
At one point, Simons told Markowitz he felt he was being deposed. Markowitz shot back, "Do you want to be smart here?"
Former Chardon Mayor John Park said moving the courts out of Chardon would relocate the county seat, which would require approval from the Ohio Legislature.
Several Chardon Square business owners said that if the county moves out of Chardon, the city will become a ghost town.
"It makes me sick to think of it," one woman said. "What about us guys? What about Chardon?"
Later, Chardon Mayor Karen Simpson said the report's conclusions did not come as a surprise. She said she believed a county move would have a "very negative effect on the economy of Chardon."
"There is so much history and character tied into the county's presence in Chardon," Simpson said. "This study will take a lot of discussion. We want to work with the county and meet their needs."
County commissioners agreed the report will generate much discussion before any decisions are made.
Commissioner Mary Samide said the county would not have committed to spend $5 million for courthouse and office renovations on Chardon Square if commissioners wanted a complete pullout from Chardon.
"We've made no conclusions at this time," Commissioner Bill Young said. "This study is not the end of the story. I don't think anyone wants the square to be boarded up."
Young added he was not in favor of relocating the current 470 offices to Chardon Square.
"I'm never gonna spend $26 million on the square. We need input from Chardon and other people," Young said.
"We will do what's in the best interests of the taxpayer."
