Notes from Summer Caucus Sessions - Counties

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The County Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1115), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Stahl, the facilitator of the County Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Nominations Sought for Natural Resources Assistance Council in Lucas County

The Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC) is an 11-member committee that evaluates applications for and allocates grants from the Clean Ohio Fund in Lucas County. The council is seeking nominations to fill 4 vacancies, serving three-year terms. NRAC service is voluntary without compensation.

To be a candidate for a position on the NRAC committee, an applicant must be appointed by one of the following types of organizations:

• Local government
• Conservation or environmental organization
• Municipal park system or park district
• Business, realty, planning agency, or port authority
• Statewide organization representing agriculture or forestry
• Soil and Water Conservation District

Qualified candidates can submit applications to the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) until 5 p.m. August 24, 2018. TMACOG administers NRAC District 12 in Lucas County. Applicants should submit the completed nomination form, a resume, and letter from their organization in support of their nomination. The nomination form is posted at http://clean.ohio.gov/GreenSpaceConservation/Documents/nrac.nomination.form.pdf.

The Clean Ohio Fund was first approved by voters in 2000, and was renewed in 2018. The fund calls for $40 million to preserve natural areas and farmland, protects streams, create outdoor recreation opportunities, and rehabilitate brownfields in urban areas. Between 2000 and 2018, the Clean Ohio fund returned more than $15 million to Lucas County for the protection of open spaces and wetlands.

More about the Clean Ohio Fund and NRAC/12 are at http://www.tmacog.org/Environment/NRAC/nrac_body.htm  and http://www.pwc.state.oh.us/GSCDistrict12.html. For more information, contact Sara Guiher, Water Quality Planner at TMACOG at 419.241.9155 ext. 1147, or guiher@tmacog.org.

Submit completed applications to:

TMACOG

Sara Guiher

Water Quality Planner

P.O. Box 9508

Toledo OH 43697-9508

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

Corporate Travel Survey

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University are assisting the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in their efforts to secure additional flights from Toledo Express Airport. 

Business travel is a major determining factor in an airline's decision to open new routes and we need your feedback. In 2016, the Chamber and Port Authority partnered for a survey of Chamber members to gauge interest in service to Charlotte. The results of that survey helped secure nonstop service on American Airlines to Charlotte in 2017! Please take a few moments to complete this short corporate travel survey

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

Happy Mayflies? Happy Lake Erie

by Sara Guiher, TMACOG Water Quality Planner

Very few of us welcome mayflies to our homes, places of work, cars (let’s be honest, they’re EVERYWHERE), with open arms. A large hatch like we’ve had this year might make you want to hide until it passes. But when it comes to the health of Lake Erie, mayflies are a good sign!

Mayflies spend most of their life in an aquatic environment such as a lake or river. The adult form that we are familiar with lives only long enough to reproduce after leaving the water. During their aquatic stage mayflies are intolerant of pollution and low oxygen. When Lake Erie received high levels of industrial pollution and sewage, these organisms could not survive in large numbers. When our lake was declared “dead” in the 1960s, mayflies were in the same place. Today’s issues in Lake Erie could also impact these sensitive species; large algal blooms can deplete oxygen in the water. But this year’s batch is good news about water quality, at least in early summer.

So next time you see a swarm of mayflies, hopefully you smile at their signal that hope is not lost for Lake Erie. Just remember: when you greet a cloud of our water quality friends with a smile, it’s probably not a good idea to open your mouth.

Here's some mayfly larvae collected by students in the 2017 Student Watershed Watch. 

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

Potential Path for Paddlers

People from Pemberville in Wood County to Port Clinton in Ottawa County and communities in between have looked at the recreation potential of the Portage River for many years. Plans were recently dusted off for a proposal to include a water trail project in the Ohio State Capital Budget. While that funding opportunity did not come through, state agencies dealing with waterways say that the idea has merit and preliminary plans are positive.

At a meeting of the Portage River Basin Council held at the Pemberville Opera House on April 4, Tom Arbour, Water Trails Coordinator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and

Bike Month is Here!

Something for everyone this month:

May 4
Pedal to Petals
Sylvania Art Walk bike train. Check WeAreTraffic.org for details.

May 5
Toledo Bikes! Group Ride
Meet at Toledo Bikes! 1114 Washington St., downtown Toledo. Call for time: 419.386.6090.

May 9 
Bike to School Day
Schools hold special events to encourage young students to walk or cycle to school. Cycle with your children.

May 12 
Bike Day at the Toledo Farmers Market (9 a.m. – noon)
Ride to the market in downtown Toledo and pick up the brand-new Bicycle Users Map, created by cyclists for cyclists. Learn how experienced bike commuters use separated paths and city streets to get to work and school. T-shirts for cyclists while supplies last. Toledo Bikes! Is on hand for inspection and minor bike repairs.

Maumee Valley Adventurers - Saturday Casual Ride (9 a.m.). Meet at Middlegrounds Metropark.

May 16
Ride of Silence – Toledo and Bowling Green (6:30 p.m.)
These solemn, slow group rides are an annual reminder to drivers that cyclists share the road. We remember people who have been injured or killed while riding bicycles. More than 200 cyclists riding silently together create a memorable event.

May 18
Bike to Work Day
Be the hero at your office and organize a bike ride. Meet at a park and ride in together, or take your bikes to work and have a lunchtime ride. If you have an office wellness committee, get them involved in planning something special. Call TMACOG for tips on organizing Bike to Work Day at your work place.

May 19 
Outdoor Expo with Metroparks Toledo (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Try out all kinds of outdoor activities at the Expo and meet area cycling clubs and businesses. Learn about Metroparks cycling programs, trails, and other amenities.

Bedford Bike Cruise (registration 9-10 a.m.)
Meet at Jackman Road Elementary, Temperance, MI. Two choices: Land to Lake 30-mile route, or the family friendly local route.

May 26 
Kids Open Shop at Toledo Bikes!
Check website for hours: www.toledobikes.org.

May 27 
Sylvania Slow Ryders
Group bike ride starting at the Sylvania Library. Every fourth Sunday, June-September (4 p.m.).




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

Water/Wastewater Training

“Field Training & Asset Management for Water and Wastewater Operators and Engineers”
Wednesday, May 9, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Grand Lobby of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, Toledo

Topics

• ·         Human Assets: How to manage and motivate your staff
• ·         Asset Management: How to comply with Ohio EPA regulations
• ·         Asset Management: How to take action
• ·         GIS – Inventory of assets
• ·         Financial assistance programs
• ·         Stormwater
• ·         SCADA systems for water and wastewater treatment plants
• ·         Field Demonstrations: Sewer and manhole assessment, hydrant inspection

The registration fee is $40 for TMACOG members and $75 for non-TMACOG members. Attendees will be provided a light breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and will take home a flash drive with presentations. Operators and Professional Engineers will earn up to 6.0 contact hours.

For more information contact TMACOG Water Quality Planner Kris Barnswell: 419.241.9155, ext. 1123 or barnswell@tmacog.org. 

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