As a result of the regular council meeting being cancelled on June 30, a special meeting will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Resolution 212-20 which would adopt the Downtown Toledo Transportation Study. The study was conducted by a consultant team led by Mannik & Smith Group on behalf of the city to address future transportation needs of downtown. It recommends key roadways for improvement alternatives including designating:

Earlier this week, Governor Mike DeWine signed HB16 to grant residency status for college tuition to active duty military service members and their spouses and dependents. This legislation requires the Chancellor of Higher Education to grant residency status to any military service members on active duty, as well as their spouses and dependents, to qualify for in-state tuition at state institutions of higher education.

​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its regular meeting on June 16 at 4:00 p.m., Toledo City Council is expected to vote on ordinances that would advance the Colony development planned by ProMedica and Continental Real Estate Co. which would include two apartment buildings, a hotel and a mixed-use structure near ProMedica Toledo Hospital. Ordinance 188-20 would approve an agreement authorizing the city to spend $1,899,840 on storm sewer and water line improvements at the site, with the developer being responsible for $700,000 of related costs. Ordinances 189-20 and 190-20 would approve 15-year, 100 percent Community Reinvestment Area property tax incentives for the increase in taxable value on the parcels. Total investment for the development is estimated to be $50 million. The property owner would be required to make payments in lieu of property taxes to Toledo Public Schools for the term of the incentives.

​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​At its regular meeting on June 2 at 4:00 p.m., Toledo City Council is expected to vote on two ordinances that would accept and spend funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the federal CARES Act for COVID-19 related expenses. Ordinance 195-20 would approve $4,453,360 in Community Development Block Grant funding and Ordinance 196-20 would approve $2,249,248 in Emergency Solutions Grant funding. Planned allocations under the ordinances include $1,250,000 for the city’s already implemented micro-enterprise grant program and $2,000,000 for its recently announced emergency rental assistance program. Council is expected to give first reading to a third measure, Ordinance 193-20, which would create a specific fund to accept and spend expected funding to the city for purposes prescribed in the CARES Act.

​In light of the approaching July 31 payment deadline in Lucas County for second-half property taxes, and the economic consequences of COVID-19, Lucas County Treasurer Lindsay Webb is notifying those facing late payment of available resources to avoid penalties and interest. While property owners are always encouraged to pay what they can, Treasurer Webb has taken steps to ensure businesses and others in particular need of assistance are able to seek relief through the tools offered through her office.

​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its meeting on May 20 at 5:00 p.m., Toledo City Council is expected to vote on three ordinances giving approval for a proposed development in the former Colony neighborhood near ProMedica Toledo Hospital. Ordinances 182-20 and 183-20 would approve zoning changes, and Ordinance 184-20 would approve a planned unit development. ProMedica and Continental Real Estate Co. have plans for a $56.6 million project at the site that will include two apartment buildings with 262 total units, a hotel with 120 rooms, and a mixed-use structure with retail and a restaurant. The proposals were recently approved by the Toledo Plan Commission. City Council’s Zoning & Planning Committee did not offer a recommendation on the proposals. A simple majority of Council is needed to approve the plans.

By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m., Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinance 159-20 which would approve a Community Reinvestment Area property tax exemption for Olympic Real Estate Group, LLC for remodeling of a building at 5355 Southwyck Boulevard for a new accounting office. The exemption would be 100 percent for 12 years for taxes that would otherwise be generated due to the increase in the assessed valuation. The estimated investment cost of the project is $519,582. The city sold the property to the company in 2018 which redeveloped it in order to consolidate operations for its sister businesses Financial Express and Payroll Express LLC. Toledo Public Schools has agreed to a compensation agreement in lieu of expected tax revenue.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) have provided guidance for building owners and tenants regarding the water service after little or no use during the Stay at Home orders. Please note that this guidance applies to the water systems of all types of buildings that are unoccupied or partially occupied during the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to office buildings, manufacturing facilities, medical offices (e.g., physician and dentist offices, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient centers, etc.), government facilities, and religious institutions. If you are a tenant of a building, it is recommend that you share this information with the building owner, building manager, or management company and ask them to consider taking these precautions.

While we may not be voting in person for the 2020 primary, there is still time to make your voice heard on important issues by casting an absentee ballot. As a result of House Bill 197, Ohio voters have until April 27 to have their absentee ballot postmarked in order for it to be counted in the primary election. County boards of election have also established drop boxes so that you can deliver your ballot, but ballots must be placed in the drop boxes no later than 7:30 p.m. on April 28 to be counted.

House Bill 197 extended the deadline to file and pay the state income tax without interest or penalty.  The extension is available to those filing the Ohio individual income tax, school district income tax, pass-through entity and fiduciary income tax, and also extends to municipal net profit taxpayers that have opted-in to the state’s centralized filing system. Returns, payments and estimated payments with due dates from April 15, 2020 through June 15, 2020, including fiscal year filers, are extended without interest or penalty to July 15, 2020.