Butler County Commissioners on Wednesday awarded $1.3 million in contracts to create a new office in Butler for the coroner.

The work for phase two of the renovation project at 107 Woody Drive in the Pullman Center Business Park will take six months to complete after the county issues notices to proceed to the contractors.

A $672,001 general construction contract was awarded to Massaro Corporation of Pittsburgh, a $294,000 heating and air conditioning contract was awarded to First American Industries of Pittsburgh, a $197,777 electrical contract was awarded to Right Electric of Butler and a $141,200 plumbing contract was awarded to Preferred Plumbing and Heating Solution of Hookstown.

Bids for the contracts were tabled for review after they were opened in February.

In addition to the $1,304,978 in contracts, project costs include a little more than $50,000 for the delivery and testing of a generator, security cameras, locks and installation of a fire alarm and sprinkler system; $9,855 building permit fee and a $10,000 contingency. The total cost is $1,374,833.

The coroner’s office is currently located in the Butler County Government Center. The new office will include a morgue, which it lacks now, and it will share the building with the Butler City district court office, which moved there in September.

The commissioners voted to remove the ombudsman service program from the Area Agency on Aging office and add it to an existing contract with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to eliminate a conflict of interest.

Using Area Agency on Aging Block Grant funds, the county will pay Catholic Charities $31,607 to provide the service through June 30 and pay $6,325 to cover the cost of volunteer services.

Agency director Beth Herold explained that the ombudsman program is an advocate program to help people living in nursing, personal care and assisted living facilities resolve issues.

One of those issues arises when the agency has someone moved from their home to a facility due to safety or health issues, but that person wants to return home, Herold said.

The federal government considers it a conflict for a county ombudsman program to help that person resolve the issue because the agency placed them in the facility, she said.

In addition, the commissioners approved a contract for the sheriff’s office to provide security for Farmers and Firefighters Inc.’s “Sportsman Spring Fling” fundraising gun raffle May 3 at the Butler Farm Show grounds at cost of $70 an hour for each deputy.

The commissioners also appointed Human Services director Amanda Feltenberger as the mental health/intellectual disabilities representatives on the Southwest Behavioral Health Management Board, Christine Shipos and Elaine Hockenberger to the Butler County Federated Library System board, and Charles E. Savannah and Dennis Bacher to the Butler County Hospital Authority.