Under the general supervision of the Director of Development Services, the Neighborhood Development Manager is a highly visible team member who leads the City’s efforts to assist residents in improving the desirability of neighborhoods through relationship building, blight abatement, active revitalization efforts, strategic use of property, and placemaking.
Capital Bill in lame duck session: As the 133rd General Assembly winds down its affairs, on Tuesday, December 8, Ohio OBM Director Kimberly Murnieks described a $2.1B state capital budget.
Interestingly, SB 310, originally intended to carry federal COVID-19 allocations through the Ohio General Assembly, has been identified as the vehicle such a fast-tracked capital budget; the capital appropriations would be inserted into SB 310 as the bill sits in conference committee.
Hearings are scheduled for the week of December 14. Be on the watch for amendments as the measure must be reconciled between the existing House and Senate versions to clear conference committee.
Virtual Public Meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Ohio Senate amended HB 404, ostensibly a measure to authorize university and college trustees to participate in meetings through electronic means, to include broadly applied emergency provisions related to COVID-19, several of which were to expire. Most relevant to local economic development practitioners, the bill includes: (1) Open Meetings Act – extends until July 1, 2021 the temporary authorization for members of a public body to hold and attend meetings virtually (this authorization under HB 197 was to expire December 1); and (2) Coronavirus Relief Fund – requires any unspent payments that cannot be redistributed locally to be paid to the state treasury.
Fremont- Sandusky County, Ohio – Quality Steel Corporation, a subsidiary of LT Corporation, has announced plans to create 22 new positions, retain 164 employees and invest approximately $13.9 million into its 721 Graham Dr. facility in Fremont.
Bascom Communications has announced today that it has gone live with its downtown wifi service, Community Connect, which offers anyone in the downtown wireless access to the internet free of charge. With the cooperation of the City of Tiffin, Seneca County Board of Commissioners, and the East Green Foundation, Bascom Communications has been working for more than a year to bring the service online.