TMACOG Paid Internship!

WATER QUALITY INTERN

The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) is seeking a motivated student for work in its Water Quality Department. Must be able to work an average of 20 hours per week from late September through November. Internship may be extended through December if available.

Advice for Septic System Owners

Regulations have changed for homeowners who use home sewage treatment systems - usually septic systems. It's important to keep your system maintained and cleaned out regularly to avoid costly repairs. If you have questions about what kind of system you have and how to maintain it, contact your county health department. And watch this short video about how septic systems work:


















Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

New Parks added to Area Districts

In Wood County, a 61-acre property will open to the public Saturday, August 27. There will be a grand opening from 1 pm to 4 pm.  The Sawyer Quarry Nature Preserve is in Perrysburg Township, at 26940 Lime City Road. The Sawyer family donated the property to the park district through the Black Swamp Conservancy in 2013. There will be a shuttle service available from Perrysburg Township Hall.

In Lucas County, the Middlegrounds Metropark will have its grand opening Saturday, September 17 with family activities from noon to 5 p.m. and Rock the Middlegrounds from 5 p.m. to midnight. The evening festivities will feature live music with food, beer and wine available for purchase. Admission to the park is free all day. Middlegrounds Metropark, at 111 Ottawa Street, starts at the Anthony Wayne bridge and stretches 1.5 miles upriver, providing sweeping views of the Maumee River, downtown skyline and opposite shore. To get to the park, use the blue bridge at the foot of Washington Street, where Owens Corning headquarters is located. Then turn right onto Ottawa Street and follow it to the park entrance, just past the Anthony Wayne Bridge.

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Summer Caucus Notes

Find out what your fellow TMACOG members were talking about in their caucus sessions. See the links below to read notes from the seven separate sessions at the 2016 Summer Caucus and Forum with State Lawmakers held August 4.


City Caucus
Non-government Member Caucus
Schools, Colleges & Universities Caucus
Special Districts & Authorities Caucus
Townships Caucus
Villages Caucus
Counties Caucus

Senators Randy Gardner and Edna Brown at the 2016 Forum with State Lawmakers

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Now Hiring: Water Quality Planner / Engineer

TMACOG is accepting applications for a position in the Water Quality department. The water quality program is organized under the Water Quality Council. There are five program committees under the council. The advertised position will coordinate two of those committees; the TMACOG Wastewater and Public Water Supply Committees. See the complete job description and background information on the TMACOG webpage here.

Skill set:

·         Applicant must hold a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree in engineering, planning or related field. 

·         Strong leadership skills are required. The applicant will need the skills and interest to potentially lead a Water Quality program.

·         Position requires experience in applying statistical and graphic skills to analyzing and presenting data.

·         Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.

·         Knowledge and understanding of stormwater, sanitary sewerage, and public water supply systems is required.

TMACOG Member Caucus Questions

At the TMACOG Summer Caucus and Forum with State Lawmakers held Wednesday, August 4, each of the seven caucus groups generated questions for the panel of lawmakers. Not all of the questions could be addressed in the time allotted. Read on to see what your fellow TMACOG members cited as their most important concerns for lawmakers.

Applications for Gas Station Cleanup Now Being Accepted

The second competitive round of the Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Grant will open Monday, August 8. The grant provides funding for local communities to assess and clean up contaminated abandoned gas stations. A minimum of $3.5 million will be available in this round of funding, and for the first time county land banks are eligible to apply.

Grants up to $100,000 for assessment activities and up to $500,000 for cleanup may be awarded through the competitive program. Competitive applications are scored based on the impact the project will have on the environment, community and economy. Non-competitive Fast Track grants are awarded on an on-going basis for projects where the only likely contamination is associated with the underground storage tank location(s).

Applications for the second round of competitive funding are due to the Ohio Development Services Agency by Friday, September 9, 2016. The application along with the scoring matrix can be found online at https://www.development.ohio.gov/cs/cs_agsc.htm.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact April Stevens at (614) 466-4007 or via email at April. Stevens@development.ohio.gov.


Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org