COLUMBIANA — City council took the next step Tuesday night to create a bigger and better city hall.

During their regular meeting, members voted unanimously to contract with Howells and Baird for the civil engineering and design of the renovations of the former #1 Cochran Chevrolet Cadillac dealership at 21 E. Railroad St.

Cochran vacated the structure at the beginning of this month.

In addition to the city administration offices and city council chambers, this structure also will house the Columbiana Police Dept.

Councilman Ty Graham also was appointed as the city’s representative with the Columbiana school system with Ted Souder absent and Graham abstaining.

In other action, council approved the following with emergency language:

— A second reading of an ordinance executing a Efficiency Smart schedule with American Municipal Power.

— Employment of Jesse Wilson as the city’s newly-created service director and Kurt Seacrist as street superintendent effective Oct. 5. The salary ordinance was amended accordingly.

— Legislation requesting the city manager to submit a grant or low interest loan application to the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement and/or Local Transportation Improvement and execute contracts as required for the Middle Street sewer project.

— Legislation to advertise for bids for upcoming sewer projects and directing the city manager to enter into a right of way agreement with Hillcorp regarding certain real property owned by the municipality.