​By: Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​At its regular meeting scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on September 17, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinance 436-19 which would authorize a new agreement for the city to continue providing fire and emergency services to the Village of Ottawa Hills. The new agreement would terminate the city’s current lease on the village’s fire station and adopt a $300,000 annual service fee with the option for adjustment based on changes in inflation. The city absorbed the village’s fire and emergency operations following a 2011 agreement which included the city operating the village’s fire station. The city recently determined following an 11-month trial agreement that it is able to provide better and lower-cost service to the village using stations within the city.

By: Jeffrey Korzenik, Chief Investment Strategist, ​Fifth Third Bank 

​“Would you rather pay someone $30,000 to do a job, or pay $30,000 to keep someone in jail?” That was the question posed to me by Dan Meyer, CEO of Nehemiah Manufacturing. The Cincinnati-based manufacturer of consumer products has pursued the former option, hiring dozens of employees with past criminal records. The national dialog on the U.S. justice system largely focuses on sentencing reforms, but proposed changes will be fruitless if those with criminal records have no job opportunities and no recourse but to return to illegal activities. Nehemiah and others are pioneers in developing paths for “second-chancers” or “returning citizens” (those who have been released from prison) to lead productive and meaningful lives.

Welcome to the following new members who joined the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in August. 

Just like the weather, energy prices are cooling down. Learn more about the state of the natural gas and electric markets from our Chamber Energy Solutions (CES) Consultants at Palmer Energy. And then check out how you could be saving with our CES program.