Schools, Colleges & Universities Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 TMACOG General Assembly

School Districts, Colleges and Universities Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

Holiday Inn French Quarter Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions –Ann Theis, dean of the School of Business, Information and Public Services at Owens Community College and the facilitator of the School Districts, Colleges, and Universities Caucus, and called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Roundtable introductions were made by those present.

TMACOG Members in attendance included:

·         Dawn Burks – Board Member, Rossford Schools

·         Ed Ewers – Assistant Superintendent, Penta Career Center

Non-governmental Members Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 General Assembly Non-Governmental Members Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

Holiday Inn French Quarter Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The Non-Governmental Members Caucus met on January 28, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. in Depot Track 5 at the Holiday Inn French Quarter, located at 10630 Fremont Pike in Perrysburg, Ohio. Facilitator of the Non-Governmental Caucus and Safety Council of Northwest Ohio President & CEO Dennis McMickens called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present.

TMACOG Members in attendance included:

·         Laurie Adams – Managing Principal & Traffic Engineer, DGL Consulting Engineers, LLC

·         Meg Adams – External Affairs Manager, FirstEnergy/Toledo Edison

·         Edgar Avila – EVP, AAA Northwest Ohio Region/AAA Club Alliance, Inc.

Special Districts Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 TMACOG General Assembly

Special Districts and Authorities Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

Executive Board Room II, Holiday Inn French Quarter Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – Scott Carpenter, Director of Public Relations for Metroparks Toledo and the facilitator of the Special Districts and Authorities Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made around the room.

Members in attendance included:

·         Joseph Cappel – V.P., Business Development, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority

·         Scott Carpenter – Director, Public Relations, Metroparks Toledo

Townships Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 General Assembly Township Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

Holiday Inn French Quarter, Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – Facilitator of the Township Caucus Michael Hampton, Springfield Township Administrator, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. 

Members in attendance include:

·         Jacob Barnes – Planning Director, Township of Springfield

·         David Bench – Trustee, Township of Jerusalem

·         Stephen Bettinger – Trustee, Township of Richfield

Villages Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 General Assembly Village Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

 Holiday Inn French Quarter Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The Village Caucus met on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. in Depot Track 4 at the Holiday Inn French Quarter, located at 10630 Fremont Pike in Perrysburg, Ohio. 

Gordon Bowman, Pemberville Village Mayor and Facilitator of the Village Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Round table introductions were made.

Members in attendance included:

City Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

2019 General Assembly City Caucus

Monday, January 28, 2019

Holiday Inn French Quarter Perrysburg

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – Facilitator of the City Caucus and Oregon City Administrator Michael Beazley called the meeting to order. He explained the purpose of the caucus for those new to TMACOG.

Members in attendance included:

·      Cecelia Adams – Council Member At-Large, City of Toledo

·      Kevin Aller – Director of Public Service, City of Sylvania

·      Michael Aspacher – President of Council, City of Bowling Green

County Caucus - 2019 General Assembly

Each of the seven caucuses met at the General Assembly January 28, 2019. Read on to see priorities of the different groups.


2019 General Assembly County Caucus 
Monday, January 28, 2019
Weston Hunt Room, Holiday Inn French Quarter

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Stahl, the facilitator of the County Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present.

Fulton County Farmer Praises No-till

One in a series of articles looking at the business of agriculture in northwest Ohio.

Scientists have determined that agriculture is the source of more than 80 percent of the phosphorus that reaches Lake Erie and contributes to harmful algal blooms. This series shows how area farmers make choices during the year to both grow a profitable crop and protect the environment that is their livelihood.

Les Seiler and his brother Jerry farm 1,500-1,600 acres in Fulton County near the Village of Fayette. They are in the Tiffin River watershed which drains to the Maumee River. The land is lightly rolling and has a high water table. Les Seiler says that more than 30 soil types have been identified in the immediate area including what he calls “water sand,” a mucky gray soil that he compares to quick sand. The Seiler philosophy of agriculture emphasizes development and maintenance of healthy soil; they use several best management practices to keep the soil on the land with as little disturbance as possible and to ensure that the soil holds the right mixture of water and nutrients. They have run a continuous no-till operation since 1986 and over the years have seen healthy changes in their fields including higher water-holding capacity, increased organic matter, and more biological activity including more beneficial insects.

“Planting cover crop takes a lot of management, but it fits with continuous no-till. I think cover crops are the missing link for soil health. It makes the biological system work.”

– Les Seiler

Summer Caucus Notes - School Districts, Colleges & Universities

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The School Districts and Colleges/Universities Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at the Penta Career Center Culinary Connections Restaurant, 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Paul Knollman, dean of the business division at Monroe County Community College and facilitator of the School Districts and Colleges/Universities Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made by everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Summer Caucus Notes - Special Districts & Authorities

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The Special Districts & Authorities Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1307), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Scott Carpenter, director of public relations with Metroparks of the Toledo Area and caucus facilitator, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made by everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Summer Caucus Notes - Non-governmental Members

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The Non-governmental Members Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1106), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Dennis McMickens, president &; CEO of the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio and facilitator for the Non-governmental Members Caucus, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made by everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Summer Caucus Notes - Townships

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The Township Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1301), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Mike Hampton, Springfield Township Administrator and caucus facilitator, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made by everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Summer Caucus Notes - Villages

Call to Order/Weclome/Introductions – The Village Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1113), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Gordon Bowman, Pemberville Village Mayor and caucus facilitator, called the meeting to order and introductions were made to everyone present.

Caucus members in attendance included:

Summer Caucus Notes - Cities

Call to Order/Welcome/Introductions – The City Caucus met on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. at Penta Career Center (Room 1302), 9301 Buck Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Michael Beazley, Oregon City administrator and caucus facilitator, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone present. Introductions were made by everyone present. Mr. Beazley suggested turning the discussion into a local government agenda which the cities can ask the gubernatorial candidates their opinions on and request commitments from them.

Caucus members in attendance included:

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