RiversEdge at Marcum Park in Hamilton, Ohio named one of five Great Public Spaces in the U.S. by the American Planning Association

The American Planning Association (APA) recently named RiversEdge at Marcum Park in Hamilton, Ohio, as one of five Great Public Spaces on APA’s annual Great Places in America list. APA’s Great Places in America program recognizes the streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the United States demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country. The Great Neighborhoods, Great Streets, and Great Public Spaces of 2018 are places that are unique and exemplary in their amenities and infrastructure, cultural identity, and use of sustainable and innovative practices.

Tracked House Bills – September 2018

Ohio Legislature: Recent House and Senate Sessions have been cancelled, and legislators are in full campaign-mode. However, work has continued in legislative committees. A Senate Session is scheduled for September 25.

Tax Expenditure Review Committee: The Tax Expenditure Review Committee was created in 2016 (HB9, 131st General Assembly) and requires the legislature to evaluate over an eight-year period Ohio’s tax credits and exemptions, including economic development programs that use these tools. The group has met four times, reviewing 15 tax credit/exemption programs, and was legislatively required to issue its first report July 1. That report is now tardy, so watch for the report to come out later this fall.

Tracked Senate Bills – September 2018

Lake Erie Executive Order: Controversy continues about Governor Kasich’s Lake Erie Executive Order signed July 11, which attempted to mandate limits on nonpoint source phosphorus, such as that from agricultural operations, which may fuel harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. Feedback was recently sought by the Ohio Department of Agriculture on proposed rules promulgated under the Order, and concerns were expressed by key legislators as well as the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The Legislature plans to form a Study Committee to gather additional constituent input, although members of the Committee have not yet been appointed. The Governor’s Administration has signaled that it still intends to advance the rules through the rulemaking process via the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. The rules would then return to the commission for final approval.

Call for Governor’s Cup Submissions

It is time again to start thinking about the Governor’s Cup, awarded by Site Selection magazine every spring. Ohio continues to be a leading destination for new business investment and job creation. Through a statewide collaborative effort, we can continue our positive momentum by submitting successful economic development projects to the Governor’s Cup submission portal at https://jobsohio.com/govcup-input until November 20, 2018.

Priming the Talent Pipeline: Manufacturing Day 2018

Manufacturing companies across the country are in the midst of a skills gap crisis and eager to recruit the next generation of workers. Manufacturing Day provides an opportunity for these companies to improve the public’s perception of manufacturing careers by debunking long-held beliefs that manufacturing job conditions and salaries are less than favorable. Since Manufacturing Day’s inception in 2012, the number of events hosted around the country has increased by a staggering 1000 percent.