​By: Jocelyn Liberatore, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

Whether you are new to the Chamber or have been a long-term member, you probably have seen our staff engaged in workforce development. From Career Tour to the annual Morning Access: Education & Workforce Breakfast, we’ve been working hard knowing that the most prosperous communities are those developing comprehensive and collaborative strategies to address talent development, re-engagement, retention, and recruitment.

At the start of the 2018-2019 school year, the Chamber launched the Toledo Region Academic & Industry Network, or TRAIN. As a re-branded approach to Career Tour, TRAIN is a tool for educators and employers looking to connect with each other to provide career exploration experiences to students and student influencers (teachers, counselors) through a streamlined application and matchmaking process. When we launched TRAIN, we knew from our past efforts that there was a great need for the region to strategically develop, attract, and replenish our talent pool. We also knew that many schools and other organizations have identified this need and have been busy bringing together key players in the region to address these challenges. 

By: Jocelyn Liberatore, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​The Ohio EPA launched Ohio Material Marketplace (OMM) in April 2017. Through OMM's interactive messaging system, Ohio businesses, not-for-profits and government organizations communicate with other members of the marketplace to advertise and acquire materials that might otherwise be destined for disposal in landfills. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to create a free account, list items that other businesses may be able to re-use, and browse available items that are often at no-cost. 

​By: Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​The Ohio House of Representatives passed their version of a state budget last week.  Changes are expected to be made to the bill in the Ohio Senate before the legislature presents a final budget bill to the Governor by June 30.

​By: Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. today, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinance 236-19 which would approve accepting and spending $49 million in loan proceeds from the Ohio Water Development Authority for the Basins 1 through 4 improvement project at the Collins Park Water Treatment Facility. The work includes basin repairs and replacement of flocculation, sludge collection, and carbon dioxide feed equipment, in addition to new piping, flow metering, valves, structures and conduits. The project is part of a phased timeline of major improvements at the plant.

​By: Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce​

​At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. today, Toledo City Council is expected to give first reading to Ordinance 186-19 which would authorize $3,543,000 in remaining Capital Improvement Program funding for additional 2019 capital projects. Of the funding, $435,405 comes from dollars remaining from recently closed-out capital projects. Additional projects funded would include $1.7 million for residential roadways, $1 million for software licensing compliance, $450,000 for financial and human resources systems upgrading, $35,000 for a new van to support overweight vehicle enforcement, $283,000 for fire services equipment, and $75,000 for evaluation of the downtown seawall along the Maumee River.

​By: Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

Shortly after taking office, Governor DeWine introduced his first transportation budget. Included in the proposal was an increase in the motor fuel user fee, the first such increase in nearly two decades. Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly should be commended for recognizing the need for additional revenue to provide for new construction and make safety improvements to our roads and bridges. The Chamber worked with a broad based statewide coalition to bring awareness to the funding situation and to call for action to be taken to address the problem. 

​By: Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​Second Chance Month is an effort to highlight attempts to provide opportunities to those individuals who have committed a crime and are wanting to re-enter into society. However for some, this may be their first chance at an opportunity to change their life.

In 2018, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce launched Toledo REDI, or Re-Entry Development Initiative. REDI was formed in response to employers’ need to find more employees in a tight labor market. Our region continues to see low rates of unemployment and employers across all industries tell us finding employees is one of their biggest challenges to growing their company. As a result, in May 2018, more than 60 businesses attended the kick-off event to engage experts and hear some of the local success stories from both employers and employees.

​The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce congratulates the individuals who yesterday graduated from the 2019 Institute for Leadership & Advocacy. These graduates join the more than 350 leaders who have completed this public service leadership program which continues as the longest running of its kind in the state

Here’s a quick quiz to get the week started…

1. What does Michigan have that Ohio doesn’t?
2. What do Texas, Massachusetts, California, and the Virgin Islands have in common? (hint: It’s not the weather.)
3. What does $943,445,837 represent?

May I have the envelope please?

​By: Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. today, Toledo City Council is expected to give first reading to Ordinance 116-19 which would extend the moratorium on applications for special use permits for residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities within Council District 4 until the end of the year. The moratorium currently in place expires April 15 and is to allow Council time to review what impacts the concentration of such facilities may have on neighborhoods. The Toledo Plan Commission was recently presented a completed study and recommendations on the topic from its staff, which will be presented to Council’s Zoning & Planning Committee tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.