Officials from the City of Toledo, Lucas County and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority broke ground May 21 to celebrate the beginning of construction at the Overland Industrial Park on the former Jeep property.

William Carroll and Paul Toth of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Lucas County Commissioners Carol Contrada, Pete Gerken, and Tina Skeldon-Wozniak, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell, Toledo City Council president Paula Hicks-Hudson and Toledo City Council members George Sarantou and Tyrone Riley participated in the ground breaking ceremony at Overland Industrial Park in Toledo on May 21. Toledo Free Press Photo by Duane Ramsey

The new 1,500-foot roadway, located off Central Avenue, will serve as the main entrance into the site until the Ohio Department of Transportation completes phase two of the I-75/I-475 interchange project. At that time, a new entrance will be built to connect with Willys and Jeep Parkways near the new I-75 interchange.

The groundbreaking ceremony commemorated the next phase of redevelopment, which will prepare the site for vertical construction this summer. Construction will begin almost immediately on the roadways and infrastructure at the site with completion expected by fourth quarter 2013.

“It’s a monumental event to celebrate another milestone with the groundbreaking that represents a new beginning for this site and our region’s economy,” said Paul Toth, president and CEO of the Port Authority. “We’re excited to begin the next phase of redevelopment at Overland Industrial Park.”

“It’s a great day for our city. It will be a perfect place for jobs and it will create a lot of jobs to help this community. This spot will help turn this city around,” said Toledo Mayor Mike Bell before the ceremony.

Several speakers sited the collaboration between the port authority, city, county and state for the progress of the project.

“This is a transformative place for our city and the community with all the transformations it has seen. We’re here to celebrate another transformation and we couldn’t do it without the partnerships represented here today,” said Lucas County Commissioner Carol Contrada.

Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon-Wosniak called it “a progressive project and game-changer for Toledo.”

The event and site had special meaning for Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken, who said he started work at the former Jeep plant there on March 26, 1976. He said he worked there for 30 years and is among the 35,000 people now receiving pension checks for their work on the site.

Almost all of the officials who spoke at the ceremony cited the collaboration of so many different sources in the partnership on this project. That partnership included the Port Authority, City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“It’s a testament to the cohesiveness and unity in Northwest Ohio with a new era of public-public partnerships leading the redevelopment by taking on risks to do things,” Toth said.

Overland Industrial Park is a multi-phase project planned to develop the former Jeep site with modern and energy-efficient industrial facilities. The Port Authority acquired the 111-acre site in 2010 for $95,000.

Miller Brothers Construction of Archbold will be building the roadways and sewers with a $1.2 million project that will likely involve about a dozen workers, said Scott Jaskeal, vice president of operations for the company. Workers will begin cutting out for the road next week, he said.

William Carroll, chairman of the Port Authority board of directors, reported the group has signed leases with Airgas Inc., which will become the first tenant in the development. Construction will begin later this summer, Carroll said.

The Port Authority will begin construction on a 100,000 square-foot building with Harmon Family Development. That project is expected to be ready by the end of July, said Matt Sapara, who is coordinating the Overland Industrial Park project for the Port Authority.

Sapara said the company is following up on a lot of leads for space in the development that generated increased interest since the announcement of Airgas locating there.

TTL Associates of Toledo and Mannik & Smith Group of Maumee worked together on the investigation, environmental assessment and final remediation of the site. They have finished their part of the project, said Richard Ruse, president of TTL Associates, who attended the groundbreaking.

Toth reported that more than 100,000 cars pass the Overland Industrial Park site each day and that it’s important for the community to know that progress is being made there.

Tags: Carol Contrada, Mike Bell, Overland Industrial Park, Paul Toth, Pete Gerken, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 at 3:44 pm and is filed under Toledo Business Link.
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Voters practice politics in Lucas County like they approach the comfort food menu at a fast food joint. The relatively smart and healthy choices are usually ignored for less challenging options.

There was not one surprise in any Lucas County race this year. The usual suspects won, like cheeseburgers win over salads at McDonald’s. Sherrod Brown. Bob Latta. Marcy Kaptur. Randy Gardner. Michael Ashford (unopposed). Teresa Fedor (unopposed). Future Toledo Mayor Matt Szollosi. Barbara Sears. Pete Gerken. Tina Skeldon Wozniak. Julia Bates (unopposed). J. Bernie Quilter. Wade Kapszukiewicz.

Would you like fries with that?

It’s not that these are bad people; they are just easy options, chosen for comfort and familiarity as much (if not more) as for competence and results.

In the Lucas County Recorder race, voters chose Phil Copeland over George Sarantou. It is gracious and proper to congratulate Copeland, even as one shakes one’s head in disappointment. Under Jeanine Perry, the recorder’s office has stayed out of the news, a testament to its efficiency and competence. Let us hope its employees can compensate for Copeland’s lack of a plan for the office (“I want to go and be a part of it and I may have some ideas when I get in there,” Copeland said, a fair approach when talking about decorating a kitchen but a suspect plan for dealing with an important county office).

Even scarier is that Jack Ford is reportedly maneuvering behind the scenes to garner an appointment to Copeland’s soon-to-be vacated seat. There is buzz that Carty Finkbeiner and current City Council President Joe McNamara are working to help Ford make that happen. Finkbeiner’s days in government are over, but if McNamara is embroiled in moving Council backward with Ford, serious doubts should be cast on McNamara’s judgment if he is truly considering a campaign for Toledo mayor.

Sarantou’s loss was part of another stellar showing for the Lucas County Republican Party, a pitiful group establishing a legacy of epic failures and incompetency. The Lucas County GOP loses so often, it makes the Pittsburgh Pirates’ current 20-season losing streak look like a rousing success.

Making a ‘metafur’

My first-grader’s school was closed on Election Day to serve as a polling place, so he was going to work with me for the day. We left our house at 6 a.m. to make sure I could vote. Six-year-old Evan, who has been absorbing political commercials and propaganda, was anxious for President Obama to retain his job. Evan’s mom and I disagreed on this point; she is an unshakeable liberal who eschews Republican candidates like she shoos away summer flies and I am a conservative-leaning moderate who tries to vote case by case. I voted for Obama in 2008 but have seen enough of his idea of “hope and change” to switch allegiances to the GOP candidate. As we drove to the polling place, Evan asked me repeatedly if I was still voting against Obama and I repeatedly said yes. My jaw, despite regular doses of prescription Motrin, still ached from an earlier double root canal surgery, so I preferred not to talk. But I wanted to encourage Evan’s interest in the voting process so I tried to explain to him why I was voting against his guy.

“This vote is more about you and your little brother Sean than it is about me and your mom,” I told him. “The country needs to make some major changes about money and planning so you and Sean can grow up to be what you want and be comfortable enough to have families if you want to. I believe Mr. Romney is more likely to try to make changes that will benefit you than Mr. Obama is.”

“You don’t know that for sure, do you Dad?” he asked.

“No, I don’t,” I said. “But voting is sometimes about choosing a person based on potential and hope.”

Evan was silent for a beat.

“Daddy, I thought President Obama owned hope.”

I laughed to myself and told him, “No one really owns hope. I voted for Mr. Obama last time but you were only 2 and Sean was just a few months old. Today, I don’t have the same faith in him.”

Evan and I arrived at the precinct voting station a little early and stood in line with about 50 people. The line moved fairly quickly and Evan stood by patiently as I filled the ballot circles and turned in my ballot. We both received “I Voted” stickers, which we placed on our jackets, and walked to the car.

Evan was quiet for a while, then asked, “Daddy, did you vote for President Obama?”

“No, I voted for Mr. Romney. Remember, I think that’s the best choice for you and your future.”

“It’s OK,” Evan said. “I won’t tell Mommy.”

“I think she’ll know, son,” I said.

“But wouldn’t it be easier to keep President Obama?” Evan asked.

“Easier isn’t always better,” I said. “In fact, easier is usually not better. McDonald’s may be more fun, but it’s not as good for you as making a smart dinner at home.”

Evan sat quietly for a few miles.

“Can we go to McDonald’s today?”

“Not today,” I said. “There will be too many voters there.”

“Why would voters be at McDonald’s?” he asked.

“Never mind,” I said.

“You’re making up a ‘metafur,’ aren’t you?” he replied.

I smiled. “Yes, but don’t tell your mom.”

“I think she’ll know, Dad.”

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Barack Obama, Barbara Sears, Bernie Quilter, Bob Latta, Carty Finkbeiner, George Sarantou, Jack Ford, Jeanine Perry, Joe McNamara, Julia Bates, Lighting The Fuse, Marcy Kaptur, Matt Szollosi, Michael Ashford, Michael S. Miller, Mitt Romney, Pete Gerken, Phil Copeland, Randy Gardner, Sherrod Brown, Teresa Fedor, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Wade Kapszukiewicz

This entry was posted on Friday, November 9th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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Recently, the “GreenTown: The Future of Community” conference came to Toledo to “drive to create a healthier, more prosperous and sustainable Toledo-Lucas County.”

“GreenTown is a zero waste, carbon neutral event designed to ‘connect the dots’ between the public and private sector to create a stronger platform for common ground and building community,” according to its website.

I was curious to hear from a few acclaimed activists and leaders in sustainability who would be visiting Toledo for the conference, yet I was also skeptical because GreenTown is more or less a franchise conference that travels the Midwest. It is co-produced by a5, a Chicago-based marketing and communications firm, and Seven Generations Ahead, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “build healthy, sustainable communities.”

I raised an eyebrow at the $125 registration fee, which would mean a person working a minimum wage job would have to work 15 hours to register. I was and am doubtful of Mayor Mike Bell’s idea of sustainability and how he intends to “green Toledo.” I wondered if GreenTown was the latest corporate greenwashing trend or carried any legitimate prospects for the future of our city and our planet.

The main conference opened with a “Call to Action” by Mayor Bell, Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, and two of the conference co-producers. This was a thank you to the sponsors, an expression of excitement about the guest speakers and prospective outcomes, an acknowledgement of the number in attendance (Toledo’s GreenTown registration was larger than any other, more than 450) and an emphasis on different parts of the community working together.

During a short break between Mark Fenton, host of “America’s Walking” on PBS and Alexandra Cousteau, filmmaker and National Geographic Emerging Explorer, I had a chance to chat briefly with Mayor Bell. He had mentioned several times in his speech about “moving this forward,” so I asked him what that meant and what sustainability initiatives he intends to implement. Fortunately, his public information officer showed up quickly because as his eyes darted around and he repeated the simple ideas put forward by the most recent speaker, like benches and sidewalks and bike racks, I could tell he was at a loss.

I heard from the following officials, directly or publicly: Jen Sorgenfrei, public information officer; Tim Murphy, commissioner of environmental services; Patrick McLean, director of finance; Kevin Moyer, executive director of energy efficiency and alternative energy programs for Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. I gleaned from them that there is currently a strong focus and decent amount of funding for energy efficiency in buildings (both city-owned and privately owned), sequential implementation of green infrastructure (solar), considerations for “complete streets” to be included during regular construction and road improvements and a commitment to include environmental sustainability in the upcoming city budget.

According to Sorgenfrei, the GreenTown Conference is a catalyst to develop a sustainability plan for the City of Toledo, based on feedback from conference participants and input from the people as to a vision for a sustainable Toledo.

GreenTown afternoon sessions included: LiveWell Toledo-Lucas County; Sustainability and Community Planning; Green Economy, Green Living; Lake Erie: Our Shared Future; Green Building, Fresh Energy; Local Food; Green Outdoors. A hallmark of the franchised conference is a closing reception with beer from the local brewery. Toledo’s was no different with microbrews provided by Maumee Bay Brewing Co.

I was pleased to see a zero waste effort at the conference at SeaGate Centre, which included composting, no throwaway cups or mugs, recycling and cloth napkins for lunch. I also enjoyed the food and drinks provided by our hometown, including Flying Rhino Coffee, We-B-Ribs (shout out to the peach cobbler), Toledo GROWs and more.

This conference is on the right track. The track to sustainability needs to include even more participants, especially at the grassroots level. Most importantly, the track needs to give the well-being of our environment a prominent voice and heavy consideration in economic development discussions. “Ecology” and “economy” share the same root of “ecos,” meaning home. A strong and sustainable economy and a balanced home cannot exist without a strong and sustainable ecology.

Email Toledo Free Press Star columnist Stacy Jurich at star@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Alexandra Cousteau, Flying Rhino Coffee, Green Building Fresh Energy, Green Economy Green Living, Green Outdoors, GreenTown, Jen Sorgenfrei, Kevin Moyer, Lake Erie: Our Shared Future, LiveWell Toledo-Lucas County, Local Food, Mark Fenton, Mike Bell, National Geographic, Patrick McLean, PBS, SeaGate Centre, Stacy Jurich, Sustainability and Community Planning, Tim Murphy, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Toledo GROWS, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Wandering Roots, We-B-Ribs

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012 at 11:54 am and is filed under Star, Wandering Roots.
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Toledo Free Press endorses the following candidates:

For state representative in District 47, we endorse incumbent Barbara Sears over Jeff Bunck. Sears has been dedicated to fiscal responsibility, supports business-friendly legislation and provides information to constituents on a regular basis. Sears is a conservative, but she is moderate and she deserves another term in office. Her endorsements include the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio National Federation of Independent Business.

For state representative in District 46, Republican Dave Kissinger’s emphasis on economic development catches our attention, but he has not made a strong enough case to unseat incumbent Matt Szollosi. Szollosi has reportedly started a quiet drive to run for mayor of Toledo in 2013, a factor voters might want to keep in mind as they choose who will serve the district.

Michael Ashford is running unopposed for state representative in District 44; more disappointingly, Teresa Fedor is running unopposed for state representative in District 45. This is one of the reasons people become apathetic about elections, when there are no opponents or opponents who stand no chance of winning. It is, however, one of the reasons why we have to vote. The respective political machines want us to stay home so that their choices face no real challenge.

Like many people, we believe the region would benefit from a representative reboot in the newly configured Congressional District 9, but the lack of fervor in Samuel Wurzelbacher’s campaign against Rep. Marcy Kaptur disappointed us and did not convince us that he will be the one to replace the long-serving Kaptur.

In District 5, we endorse incumbent Republican Bob Latta, but offer respect to the strong campaign run by Democrat Angela Zimmann.

The divisive race for U.S. Senator between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Josh Mandel has not put either man in a good light. Brown is nothing resembling a centrist, and Mandel’s inaccessibility and his defense of what one of his ads describes as “normal” marriage do not speak well for him. We endorse the third choice, nonparty candidate Scott Rupert, who may not have a high profile but who offers intelligent and clear ideas. What a wonderful comment it would be for voters to eschew the nastiness of Brown and Mandel and give Rupert a chance.

We expect Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz to prevail over Republican Norm Witzler, but an expectation is not an endorsement.

Another place needing change is the Lucas County Commissioners Office. While we do not see a change coming this year, it certainly does not hurt incumbents Pete Gerken (facing John Marshall) and Tina Skeldon Wozniak (facing Brent McCormack and Kevin Haddad) to have opposition and be reminded that political offices are not meant to be permanent positions.

We also remind voters that in the Lucas County Recorder race, George Sarantou is the clear choice over Phil Copeland. Sarantou has the experience, vision and understanding to continue the solid work of Jeanine Perry.

See you at the polls.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Angela Zimmann, Barbara Sears, Bob Latta, Brent McCormack, Dave Kissinger, George Sarantou, Jeanine Perry, Jeff Bunck, John Marshall, Josh Mandel, Kevin Haddad, Marcy Kaptur, Matt Szollosi, Michael Ashford, Norm Witzler, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio National Federation of Independent Business, Pete Gerken, Phil Copeland, Publisher's Statement, Samuel Wurzelbacher, Scott Rupert, Sherrod Brown, Teresa Fedor, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Tom Pounds, Wade Kapszukiewicz

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 4:43 pm and is filed under Election 2012, Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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In a race for Lucas County Commissioner, incumbent Tina Skeldon Wozniak, a Democrat, will defend her seat against Republican Brent McCormack and Kevin Haddad, an independent.

Haddad is a Sylvania Township trustee. Political newcomer McCormack is a national account manager at The Kent Group, a Toledo-based executive recruiting and search firm.

Tina Skeldon Wozniak

Wozniak has been a Lucas County commissioner since 2003. Wozniak said she and her fellow commissioners have demonstrated “steady leadership despite the tough economic times” and made difficult but necessary budgetary decisions in Lucas County.

“We’ve had to cut $25 million-plus since 2008 in order to right-size county government and handle losses in revenue,” Wozniak said. “We made the tough decisions, but recognizing what our citizens need for services, we can continue making those changes in county government in a fair and compassionate way without cutting services to citizens.”

Wozniak helped merge Job and Family Services and the Child Support Enforcement Agency as well as the Lucas County Mental Health Board and the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lucas County.

One area Wozniak is passionate about is education and job readiness.

“Our college-educated citizenry is only about 17 percent in Lucas County,” Wozniak said. “With that, we’ve worked very hard to create opportunities for a trained and educated workforce.”

Wozniak supports “green” building projects as a “practical and proactive” way to help lower energy costs. She recently organized a GreenTown conference in Toledo, a gathering that brought the public and private sectors together to discuss ways to build sustainable community.

Kevin Haddad

Haddad has been a Sylvania Township trustee since 2009 and said promises to complete his term, which ends in January 2014, win or lose.

Haddad said local government is “stuck in a rut” with no one willing to “think outside the box.” He said he believes in making existing government work more efficiently rather than “cutting it down to nothing.”

Haddad said, “When you keep cutting wages and cutting local workers, you just disenfranchise people from going out and owning a home, buying a car, living in the economy, going out getting their hair done and buying food. I just want to make sense out of government.”

Haddad has owned a Toledo hair salon for 32 years and said he brings his business sense to the government.

“I’m conservative about spending money, but I want to make sure people get their money spent on them for the services they need and demand because, as the Constitution states, a government is of the people, by the people and for the people,” Haddad said.

Helping small businesses thrive is important and the county should be encouraging people who want to start them, Haddad said.

“If one guy wants to open up a restaurant that’s going to hire 15 people, that’s 15 people off welfare, off unemployment and you’re going to get people going in there trying his restaurant. That could be another Marco’s Pizza,” he said.

Haddad is a proponent of what he calls “regionalization,” including establishing a joint public employee health care plan.

“Since public employees all have health care, why doesn’t the county, the cities, townships, villages, schools, TARTA, the zoo, even the university, go under one health care program?” Haddad said. “It would save everybody 30 percent off their health care costs. That money would be utilized in the townships, villages, cities, for everything else and schools.”

Brent McCormack

McCormack said decreasing Lucas County’s unemployment rate would be his main focus as commissioner and his work experience makes him a perfect fit for the job.

“I’m an executive recruiter. Everybody says there’s no jobs, but I’m out there, I see what’s out there. And there are jobs. There just needs to be someone who can put A and B together and connect the dots,” McCormack said. “I work in an industry where it’s my job to match the two and I feel like I can bring that to the table. I feel like that is what we so desperately need in this county.”

McCormack said it’s time for a Republican voice among the Lucas County commissioners.

“For government to work, there needs to be a mix. There needs to be some checks and balances in place and there are not,” McCormack said.

McCormack, 31, said he wants to make government more transparent and accessible, especially for younger residents.

“My age group, we are out there spending money, helping to support small and local businesses. We’re first-time home buyers,” McCormack said. “I just feel like there needs to be a voice for that generation as well.”

Tags: Brent McCormack, Kevin Haddad, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Community, Election 2012.
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A group trying to change the government structure in Lucas County has until June 29 to obtain the 13,500 valid signatures of registered voters needed to get their proposal on the November ballot. The group is proposing a county charter form of government, with “home rule” for Lucas County.

Five co-leaders have taken charge of the effort, which they have titled “Better Lucas County.” The effort is the product of many more citizens’ years of work, said one of the co-leaders, Robert Reinbolt, president and CEO of Reinbolt Consulting Group.

KeyBank, Fifth Third Bank, Mercy and ProMedica are some of the petition drive’s supporting organizations. The University of Toledo provided major research and facilities support for a study that spurred the proposal.

Reinbolt said there was a “citizens for effective government concept” that pushed for county reform two or three years ago. Dr. Richard Ruppert, another of the five co-leaders and former president of the Medical College of Ohio, said when that effort stalled, the county suggested a study be conducted.

“Sometime in early 2010, a former County Commissioner (Ben Konop) suggested that Cuyahoga County and their form of government might be worth looking into,” County Commissioner Carol Contrada said. “An independent group was constituted.”

Advisory group

Reinbolt and Ruppert were on the study committee that consisted of 35 members and met at least weekly for more than a year, Reinbolt said. There was also an advisory group that consisted of about 15-20 people, he said.

Contrada said Lucas County Commissioners Pete Gerken and Tina Skeldon Wozniak were briefed on the group’s findings in May 2011 and the study was released and published in June 2011. Reinbolt said the group met with all the cities’ and some township trustees, got their input and incorporated it into the charter that Neema Bell finalized. Bell is a co-leader and attorney and partner at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP.

“The advisory and study groups spent quite a bit of time leading up to where we finally got the report [and] recommendation, then it was decided earlier this year that we need to take it forward in terms of a petition drive,” Reinbolt said.

The other co-leaders are Scott Hamner, vice president-secretary and principal at Findley Davies, and Thomas Palmer, managing partner at Marshall & Melhorn, LLC. The co-leaders have been presenting and talking to different groups, Reinbolt said.

“All we’re saying is, here’s an idea that’s been through a lot of citizens and a lot of hours, and a lot of research [has been] done, so sign the petition, put it on the ballot, and let the voters decide,” Reinbolt said. “If we get enough signatures we’ll spend the summer making sure the voters know what it’s about.”

Ruppert said the reason for the proposed change isn’t that things in the county government aren’t going well, but that by adopting this charter, the government will improve.

The proposal

Currently, Lucas County citizens elect eight row officers — coroner,  auditor,  treasurer, prosecutor, engineer, recorder, clerk of courts and sheriff — and a three-member board of commissioners. The group is proposing a county charter in which citizens would instead elect a county executive, a nine-member county council and the county prosecutor. Six of the nine council members would represent six different districts in the county, which the group has divided based on population, and the remaining three positions will be at-large spots, open to representatives from any district.

The county executive would appoint the chief fiscal officer, medical examiner, engineer and sheriff, with confirmation from the council. The council would appoint an internal auditor, who would work with the chief fiscal officer, a position that combines the roles of recorder and treasurer.

“Look at how we do private industry, or public. We have a board; even in the public setting we have a chief executive, the mayor, and there’s a council,” Ruppert said.

“That’s what we’re doing now. We’re suggesting that form of government,” Ruppert said.

In the study, the group looked at the two other counties in Ohio that have a similar, charter form of government — Cuyahoga and Summit counties. Reinbolt said Delaware County has contacted him about pursuing a new form of government as well.

“In every case it looks like they were more efficient and more cost effective and they began to focus on countywide, ‘What can we do, collectively, to improve our situation?’” Ruppert said.

Summit County originally adopted a charter form of government in November 1979 but has acquired amendments and adoptions since then, according to ccao.org. Cuyahoga County citizens voted for their charter in November 2009 and it was fully operating in the county as of Jan. 1, 2011, according to charter.cuyahogacounty.us. Ruppert and Contrada said that Cuyahoga County adopted the charter because there was corruption within its county government.

Ruppert said on a per-capita basis, Summit County’s costs of public funding dollars are 20 percent lower than Lucas County’s. Ruppert said the group did not perform a study to discover why that was.

“The committee lacked the resources and time to perform an in-depth analysis of each office, department and agency to ascertain efficiencies that could be achieved by reorganization. These analyses can be left to other groups in the months ahead. However, the committee did draw high level comparisons between Lucas and Summit counties because of their general similarity,” stated the report available at lucascountystudy.org in reference to cost comparisons between Lucas and Summit counties.

Economic development

Reinbolt said that the main purpose for the reform is not to save money, although he said he believes that will happen if this new structure is implemented.

“I can’t really say any cost analysis was done,” Reinbolt said. “It will probably save around $200,000-$300,000 a year but it could very well save more as we consolidate positions. It’s not intended to be driven by saving money, as the main purpose is not to save money. The main purpose is to have a more responsive government.”

Bell said with the charter, there is “every likelihood of economic development countywide.” Bell said it’s an opportunity for job development and a way to keep talented youth in the Toledo area.

“As we have it now, we have row offices; we’ve got all elected officials, none of whom are responsible to anyone other than to the citizens. It doesn’t channel up. With this new form of government, there would be one go-to person with whom the buck stops, which makes it easier to coordinate efforts throughout the county with the various branches. It makes it more efficient for businesses who want to come do business with the county,” Bell said.

Contrada said the report acknowledged that from 2008-11, the county cut more than $20 million from its budget.

“Then [the report] says the ‘committee is not aware of commensurate decline of services,’” Contrada said. “They are making the case that the county has been able to institute efficiencies without the reform.”

Contrada said the group had one good recommendation that the county is already looking into, and that is the internal auditor position.

“You have a lot of different offices that deal with budget and fiscal matters. By having an internal auditor, it makes sure there is a standard, transparent, consistent methodology in use. It helps efficiency from one department to another,” Contrada said.

Skepticism

Sylvania City Councilman Doug Haynam said he is “very skeptical about the proposal,” which was presented to him in November. Haynam said he thinks the proposed structure will cripple political diversity and fair representation.

“One concern I have is the extreme centralization of power within a single executive,” Haynam said. “He is more likely to appoint friends and political buddies instead of qualified people. The executive would be more likely to appoint someone who has contributed to his campaign and would use the positions as political patronage. Trusting in the good faith of a single executive — most people with government experience understand that that would not be a reasonable place to put trust.”

Haynam said he is also wary about the home-rule aspect of the charter and the supposed cost-effectiveness of the change.

Reinbolt said townships, villages or cities that have home-rule capabilities now will not be superseded by the new governmental structure.

“The home-rule is a provision of state law that allows you to establish a law or rule that would supersede something the state or county has in place,” Reinbolt said. “Right now, the county has to go by the charter established for all counties in Ohio. With this [new charter], we could put different laws into place, once approved by the council and a referendum by voters.”

Haynam said the proposal is “change for change’s sake.”

“I don’t have anything to lose or gain [from this],” Haynam said. “It just really isn’t a good idea. The fact that they did it in Cleveland doesn’t mean it’s a good idea here. In Lucas County, we have a well-functioning county government. What we have going here works pretty well.”

Kevin Haddad, Sylvania Township Trustee and President of the Lucas County Township Association, said he wants change in the county government system, but not by way of the proposed structure. When he ran for county commissioner in 1996, Haddad said he and a township trustee created a plan to change the three-member board to a five-member one.

Haddad said he thinks that the three at-large spots of the proposed plan will most likely go to Toledo city representatives, unfairly excluding the other county districts.

“I’m not happy with the three board member [structure] right now, but if we’re going to change the county government, let’s look at something to be fair. With a nine-member board, it’s going to be Toledo City Council running it,” Haddad said.

On the web: visit www.betterlucascounty.com for more information.

Tags: Ben Konop, Carol Contrada, Doug Haynam, Fifth Third Bank, Kevin Haddad, KeyBank, Lucas County, Mercy, Neema Bell, Pete Gerken, ProMedica, Richard Ruppert, Robert Reinbolt, Scott Hamner, Thomas Palmer, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Community, Lucas County.
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Margaret Mead once said, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Well a small group of thoughtful people here in our city have launched a grassroots county-wide anti-Bullying Campaign last March. The campaign was spearheaded by Dr. Lisa Pescara-Kovach, University of Toledo Associate Professor and Mr. John Adams, Senior Director for University Marketing, with endorsements from the Toledo City Council and Lucas County Board of Commissioners. The campaign kicked of by involving local school districts in anti-bullying pledges.

On May 1 a related press conference was held in One Government Center announcing the addition of the Sheriff’s Office to the county-wide campaign. Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak announced a new feature on the Sheriff’s website to report bullying to “eliminate this problem.” Sheriff Telb stated, “in-coming reports will be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement and school district.”

Sheriff James Telb stated “reports on the website are not just for schools, but can include workplace and neighborhood incidents.” The Sheriff introduced Lt. Tricia White with the Law Enforcement Division as “responsible for getting this off the ground.” Lt. White stated the Sheriff’s website at: http://www.co.lucas.oh.us/index.aspx?nid=530 “now has a red “report bullying now icon” and when clicked will pull up a “standardized bullying report form.” When I went on the website on the same day as the press conference the red “REPORT BULLYING NOW” is highly visible and looks similar to a stop sign. A click immediately pulls up the reporting form titled, “Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, Anti-Bullying Initiative, Information Fact Sheet.”

The Sheriff’s report form requires a reporting person to identify him/herself, a phone number or email address, the school name, school district, the police jurisdiction and five incident types in which to click a yes or no, including bullying, weapons in school, threats, fights or other. The bottom of the form requires the reporting person to describe the incident, provide names of persons involved, the date and location of the incident and potential witnesses along with any other useful information.

Lt. White reiterated that when there is an in-coming report from the website, “Lieutenant’s will look at the report form and respond by contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency and school district.” In addition to the website feature, Lucas County residence can report bullying 24/7 by calling or texting the Sheriff’s Office at: 419-654-3425.

Governor John Kasich signed Ohio HB 116, the “Jessica Logan Act” into law last January. The new bullying policy requires public school districts provide “A strategy for protecting a victim or other person from new or additional harassment, intimidation, or bullying, and from retaliation following a report, including a means by which a person may report an incident anonymously.” Although public schools are required to offer an anonymous reporting option, Lt. White stated, “we (Sheriff’s Office) believe it is important the person filing a report can be identified in order to effectively respond.”

Dr. Lisa Pescara-Kovach stated “it is important to include law enforcement in our efforts to stop bullying. Bullying is not always physical, but when it is law enforcement should be involved to determine if there has been an assault.”

The anti-bullying campaign continues to grow as the number of thoughtful people in our community align and strengthen a commitment to work together toward the elimination of bullying in our schools, neighborhoods and places of work.

Frank DiLallo has served as the prevention/intervention schools consultant for the Catholic Diocese of Toledo, covering the 19 Northwest Ohio counties the diocese serves. He also regularly speaks at conferences and schools across the country.

Tags: bullying, John Kasich, Sheriff James Telb, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 10:19 am and is filed under Bullying, Community.
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Five officials from rural Kyrgyzstan spent a week in Ohio earlier this month, exchanging ideas and inspiration with their counterparts from the Toledo area.

The March 9-17 trip was hosted by the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development with funding from the Open World program, an initiative started by the U.S. Congress that brings leaders from the former Soviet Union to the U.S.

“All of them came to learn how their counterparts at the local level are developing the local economy,” said Sheradil Baktygulov, who joined the delegates as a facilitator.

Pictured during a recent visit by leaders from Kyrgyzstan are former Maumee City Council President Barbara Dennis, Daniyar Aytkozhoyev, Ayzhan Chiletova, Maumee Mayor Tim Wagener, Nurzhamal Romanova, Sheradil Baktygulov, Nurgul Akimova and Zhyldyzkan Ysmanova.

Elizabeth Balint, project manager for the Great Lakes Consortium, said the group met with a variety of officials from different levels of government, including U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, state Rep. Teresa Fedor, Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak and Administrator Peter Ujvagi, and city officials from Maumee, Fremont, Perrysburg, Bowling Green and Oregon.

Kyrgyzstan is a poor country, Balint said, but has beautiful mountains that create potential for the tourism industry. She said the country needs help with marketing to reach a wider audience; one challenge, she added, is that Internet access is more limited than in the U.S. and many organizations can’t afford to develop their own websites.

Balint said the delegates were glad to see the level of independence from federal and state authorities enjoyed by local governments in the U.S.

They took home a number of ideas, she said, both from their meetings with local officials and from cultural visits to places like the Toledo Zoo, Maumee Bay State Park, Marblehead Lighthouse and Toledo Museum of Art.

Balint said the delegates were especially impressed with the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen, a nonprofit commercial kitchen facility that serves as an incubator for food-related entrepreneurial ventures, and asked for help developing a similar program in Kyrgyzstan.

Balint said the visitors stayed with host families in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg and Bowling Green.

Balint said the Great Lakes Consortium was established in 1999 and has hosted more than 850 visitors from 17 different countries in that time. The consortium is a collaboration between the University of Toledo, Lourdes University, Bowling Green State University and the WSOS Community Action Commission.

Tags: Great Lakes Consortium, Kyrgyzstan, Marblehead Lighthouse, Marcy Kaptur, Maumee Bay State Park, Peter Ujvagi, Teresa Fedor, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Zoo

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Community, Education.
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On Sept. 11, 2001, State Sen. Edna Brown, then a Toledo city councilwoman, was going to celebrate her grandson’s 10th birthday.

Brown, Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken (then councilman) and Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak (then councilwoman) were all up for re-election in a primary that day.

Former Gov. Bob Taft was driving to work with a state trooper while Gov. John Kasich had been on a corporate conference call since 4 a.m.

“I remember how blue the sky was, how bright the sun was,” said Mayor Mike Bell, then the city’s fire chief.

And then terrorists flew a plane into the World Trade Center. It was no longer just a primary, just a beautiful day, just a birthday, just a Tuesday. It was 9/11.

Gerken

Like so many others, Gerken turned on the TV.

“I thought I had the movie channel on and not the news,” he said.

“It was one of those things, you want to make sure where everyone was but you’re also fixated on watching,” said Congressman Bob Latta, then a representative.

Gerken immediately called his son, who was in Washington, D.C., during the attacks, while current Lucas County Commissioner Carol Contrada’s daughter called from Vermont to inform her of the events.

“We watched the event unfold together on the phone, consoling each other,” said Contrada, an attorney.

Wozniak, along with a campaign worker for her opponent and a woman neither  had met before, bonded while huddling around a TV. Wozniak and the worker were campaigning at a Washington Local school when “a woman across the street called, ‘Would you like to see what’s happening?’” The pair went into the woman’s home to watch the news coverage on her TV.

“There were no barriers, no differences. We basically bonded,” Wozniak said.

Safety officials

Meanwhile, then-Mayor Carty Finkbeiner called safety officials Bell, Lucas County Sheriff James Telb and Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre to his office to develop a plan. Telb remembered being told not to worry about overtime and extra personnel.

Finkbeiner said his two main concerns were keeping Muslims and foreign residents safe from retaliation as well as keeping city locations like the water treatment center, The University of Toledo and The Toledo Museum of Art secure.

“That led to decade-long intensive planning. And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since,” Telb said.

In addition to getting grants for new equipment, Lucas County and surrounding counties have gained access to a radio system that allows all responders to be on one channel in case of an attack, Telb said, adding, “It’s still state of the art. People still want to match it.”

Police and hospital officials also began talking to each other to develop plans in case of future attacks. Before 9/11, “Nobody ever talked to the hospital. No one in law enforcement did that,” Telb said.

Bell was subsequently appointed chairman of the Joint Regional Terrorism Task Force, which included about 30 officials from surrounding counties and parts of Michigan. Following the attacks, people frequently reported low-flying planes that were just checking on power lines, in addition to anthrax scares.

Bell sent 12 firefighters to New York City to help, while the Toledo City Police sent six officers and the Sheriff’s Office sent five officers.

Mayor Mike Bell

“It actually shocked them and these were some pretty tough people,” Bell said of the firefighters he sent to Ground Zero.

Kasich told Toledo Free Press he went to Ground Zero on Sept. 20, 2001, as part of his show “Heroes” on FOX News Channel. He recalled the eerie quietness and observing searchers: “They had big, long sound detectors. They’d make their way across the site, listening for people who had been trapped.”

One man, a retired fire chief, had been at the site every day since the attack because he believed his two sons were caught in the rubble.

“He looked at me and said, ‘My boys are going to come out of there.’ And, of course, in terms of probability, they wouldn’t,” Kasich said. Kasich’s New York office with Lehman Brothers was destroyed in the attacks, although Kasich said he didn’t spend a lot of time there.

Kasich said the death of his parents, killed by a drunken driver in 1987, helped him relate to victims’ families.

“I myself have been in a situation where I’ve experienced that black hole of sudden death,” he said. “While I understand it may not be exactly the same, I can relate to them.”

In Columbus

Taft said he continued to work at the Riffe State Office Tower in Columbus that day.

“I wanted to get into the office, follow the events and do what needed to be done,” Taft said to Toledo Free Press.

He didn’t recall any communication from Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001, but figured an attack on Ohio was unlikely.

“Most of the news was coming from the media,” Taft said. “I think they were still trying to figure it out in Washington.”

The next day, Taft did hear from the White House about 9/11.

He said he continued to hear about the events of that day for the rest of his term.

“No single event while I was governor was more powerful,” Taft said.

After learning of the attacks during an early meeting, then-Lucas County Commissioner Sandy Isenberg sent nonessential county workers home. Isenberg and Finkbeiner held a press conference with officials on the steps of One Government Center.

“If you’ve got a picture of the newsreel, I was up there crying, trying to keep a calm demeanor,” Isenberg  said.

Finkbeiner did not send city officials home and continued to hold meetings and conferences throughout the week, he said.

The primary elections also stayed open that day, in what Gerken called “the best way to keep democratic values alive.”

The attacks, including a third plane flown into the Pentagon and a fourth that passengers took over and crashed into a Pennsylvania field, changed not only government policy, but also politicians’ personal views.

“It’s a game-changer when something like that happens. It resets your thinking,” said Representative Barbara Sears, then a Sylvania city councilwoman.

Lucas County Recorder Jeanine Perry, then a representative, recalled a state trooper checking her and about four fellow representatives’ bags following the attacks. The trooper leaned over State Sen. Shirley Smith’s (then representative) large bag and she yelled, “BOO!” causing the trooper to jump back. Instead of getting angry, “he laughed, and we laughed and that was the first time in weeks that we laughed. It just changed the atmosphere and environment,” Perry said.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the attacks “probably will be with us until the end of light on this earth,” Finkbeiner said.

To commemorate the attacks, he said he will likely visit those steps he spent so much time on at One Government Center “to remember how we all came together.”

Church leaders and police, fire and safety personnel have been invited to sound their bells and sirens at 1 p.m., Bell said.

After the polls were closed that day and the campaign was over, Brown went to see her grandson.

“I did go by to see my grandson and he was puzzled and wanted to know why it happened on his birthday,” she said.

While many things changed that day, some things remain the same as life continues on.

Brown said of her Sept. 11 plans this year, “My grandson, of course, is older but I will celebrate his birthday with him.”

Tags: 9/11, Bob Latta, Carol Contrada, Carty Finkbeiner, Edna Brown, James Telb, Jeanine Perry, John Kasich, Mike Bell, Mike Navarre, One Government Center, Pentagon, Pete Gerken, Sandy Isenberg, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Toledo Museum of Art, University of Toledo, World Trade Center

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at 12:45 pm and is filed under 9/11: The 10th Anniversary, Community.
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Lucas County Commissioners voted to replace two Children Services Board trustees who were seeking re-appointment.

In a meeting on March 22, Commissioners Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Carol Contrada and Pete Gerken appointed county employees Eric Walker, director of workforce development, and Bridgette Kabat, chief of staff for county commissioners. Those who were seeking re-appointment were long-time board members Jeff Zivinski and Diana “Dee” Talmadge.

“It was no discredit to their service or attendance, but so often on boards you need a different look at the operations,” Gerken said.

He said they felt that Kabat’s understanding of finances and funding options within the county and Walker’s knowledge of federal and state law, as well as youth issues, would provide a good fit within Children Services.

“The county has gone through quite a lot of changes with downsizing. [Kabat] will be a helpful asset in making changes in these tough economic times,” Wozniak said.

Since Children Services receives funding from the county, Gerken said, it makes sense to collaborate services, especially at a time when they are being told by “everybody from the governor down” that they need to share resources.

“Jeff Zivinski and Dee Talmadge have been long standing members of our board. We appreciate their commitment and service to Lucas County Children Services. We understand that the commissioners make the appointments to our board and we will work with Eric and Bridgette in the months and years to come,” CSB Executive Director Dean Sparks said.

Zivinski and Talmadge could not be reached for comment.

Tags: Bridgette Kabat, Carol Contrada, Dean Sparks, Dee Talmadge, Eric Walker, Jeff Zivinski, Lucas County, Lucas County Children Services, Lucas County Commissioners, Pete Gerken, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Monday, March 28th, 2011 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Breaking News, Community, Government.
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