By: Joan Browne Kose, ​The Ability Center Disability Dialog

Earlier this month, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted its second event in the Chamber U: Diversity & Inclusion Series. Hosted at Lott Industries, a panel of three experts made the business case highlighting differing abilities in the workplace and showcased resources available to businesses looking to grow their workforce in a way that pays. 

​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.

For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.* (source: www.sba.gov)

Here locally, over 80% of Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce members have 25 or fewer employees. And of those, almost three-quarters have fewer than 10. Many of them are thriving in the Toledo region today thanks to the assistance they received from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in their 25+ year history at the Toledo Chamber. From the exciting times, like starting-up or expanding, to the scary times when things are not going in the right direction, the SBDC provides confidential, cost-free consulting to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Starting next week, get to know these “magicians of mainstreet” at our Summer GEO Series where we will be highlighting TASBA (the Toledo Area Small Business Association) and the SBDC. This is your opportunity to meet the small business leaders who represent you and your interests at the Chamber as well as the SBDC staff who can help you grow your business, access capital or expand into foreign markets.  Plus there will be plenty of opportunities to network with other businesses in your geographic (GEO) area.

We hope to see you at one of these upcoming GEO events. Click below for more information and to register to join us:
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5.16.19 - Sylvania West/University Area GEO @ Shorty's True American Roadhouse
6.13.19 - Perrysburg/River East GEO @ Hollywood Casino, Toledo, H Lounge
6.18.19 - Maumee-Holland/South GEO @ Rayoka Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
6.25.19 - Downtown/North GEO @  Toledo Museum of Art

​Join dynamic education expert Mark C. Perna as he unveils the groundbreaking innovations and strategies for working with today’s younger generations. The single most important competitive advantage a young person can possess in today’s workforce is the synergy of academic knowledge and technical skills — and Mark’s insights will demonstrate how they can achieve it. 

​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.

​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.

By: Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​​The state of Ohio’s transportation budget for 2019-2020, HB62, has moved to the Ohio Senate for its consideration. The House of Representatives passed the bill last week by a vote of 71-27. Included in the bill is an increase in the motor fuel user fee of 10.7 cents per gallon over the next two years. The user fee on diesel and other fuels will increase by 20 cents per gallon over the next three years. Both fees are proposed to increase on October 1. Also included is a registration fee for hybrid and electric vehicles. It is expected that these increases will generate an additional $870M per year for roads and bridges across Ohio. Governor DeWine originally proposed an increase of 18 cents per gallon that would have generated an additional $1.2B per year to address the current shortfall for roads and bridges. The Ohio Senate is expected to put forth yet a third option for consideration on the table before a conference committee works out the final version at the end of the month. By law, the transportation budget must be signed by the Governor by April 1st.