TMACOG hosting premier statewide freight conference in 2025 

Mark your calendar for July 29-31, 2025, when the Ohio Conference on Freight will return to Northwest Ohio. 

TMACOG will plan and host next year’s statewide freight conference, which the organization launched in 2007 and hosted until 2013. For the last few years, the conference has rotated between Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. 

TMACOG’s leadership in the Ohio Conference on Freight next summer will correspond with the anticipated opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. 

When complete, this bridge will expand capacity for international trade between the U.S. and Canada and create new, state-of-the-art customs infrastructure, having a significant impact on our region and beyond. 

TMACOG staff and partners organized a conference steering committee to begin planning speakers and content and hire a conference management consultant. 

In anticipation of next year’s event, TMACOG produced a promotional video to inspire interest among the audience of the 2024 conference in Cleveland, which took place last week. TMACOG Executive Director Sandy Spang shared the video, delivered remarks, and introduced the conference’s final speaker. 

Click the image above to check out the video! 

 

 

Stormwater Smarts: Residential Drainage for Real Estate Professionals 

Help us spread the word about a free workshop in October that will equip real estate professionals with knowledge on residential stormwater infrastructure. 

Stormwater Smarts: Residential Drainage for Real Estate Professionals will include a free lunch from the Original Sub Shop & Deli and 2.5 hours of approved continuing education credit. 

This event, presented by TMACOG’s Stormwater Coalition, is set for 8:30 a.m.-noon Wednesday, October 9 at Glass City Enrichment Center, 815 Front St., Toledo. 

Registration is open now, so tell the real estate agents you know to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to gain expertise to share with their clients. Registration continues until October 3, but seating is limited. 

It’s important for real estate professionals to understand how basic stormwater infrastructure works and why it’s important. Without this knowledge, even seasoned homeowners could cause damage to their property or even public infrastructure in their neighborhood. 

Speakers will share the basics on plumbing, drainage, ditches, and easements, as well as maintenance tips and planning and zoning considerations. A tour of stormwater features at the nearby Glass City Metropark will show examples of wet and dry retention ponds, bioretention areas, and other stormwater management practices. 

Click here to access registration and more information including a full agenda.

 

 

Discuss regional housing issues with state legislators 

Engage with state legislators on housing issues and hear questions posed by planning experts during a special edition of TMACOG Tech: Housing Insights & Legislative Connections. 

Join us at The Toledo Club from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, October 10 for this event, presented in partnership with APA Ohio (Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association) as part of its 2024 Planners Advocacy Days. 

Housing issues are one of the most discussed topics in conversations and caucus sessions among TMACOG members, including how communities can attract and regulate development. 

Housing policy is expected to be strongly considered during development of the next state budget. Legislators will share their perspectives on housing issues and respond to questions from APA planners. 

Our program will include an overview of a recent report from the Ohio Senate’s Select Committee on Housing, which evaluated possible solutions for a widespread demand for affordable housing. 

Click here to access the report, which includes an executive summary. 

We'll have appetizers and beverages, and a cash bar will be available. This event is free for TMACOG members and APA planners. If you are not a TMACOG or APA member, a $15 registration fee will apply.

The Toledo Club (235 14th St.) has plenty of free parking available on site.

Continuing education credit for American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) will be available through the APA's Certification Maintenance program online. 

Click here to access registration.

Thank you to the 2024 supporters of TMACOG Tech: 

• CT Consultants  
• DGL Consulting Engineers  
• The Mannik & Smith Group  
• Ohio Concrete 
   

 

US EPA highlighting Water Workforce Coalition this month 

Northwest Ohio’s Water Workforce Coalition will be the featured topic of this month’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency webinar. 

Set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 18, U.S. EPA’s Creating the Water Workforce of the Future Webinar Series will include remarks from project leaders and a video testimonial from a recent graduate who has obtained professional certifications and employment following their education. 

The presentation will focus on how regional partnership helped form this innovative new program. Speakers will include Kari Gerwin, TMACOG’s director of water quality planning; Chuck Campbell, project manager for the City of Toledo’s Department of Public Utilities; and Mary Kaczinski, a professor of environmental science who instructs students of the program at Owens Community College. 

More information on the webinar series can be found at https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/water-sector-workforce-webinars.  

To register for the webinar, click here. 

 

Water Workforce Coalition students finding quick success 

Graduates from the first class of the Water Workforce Coalition are completing professional licenses and securing jobs with local utility providers. 

The coalition is a 16-week program that offers courses and training through Owens Community College, created using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant funding secured by TMACOG in partnership with the City of Toledo with support from utility service providers across the region, including, Northwestern Water and Sewer District (The District). 

Sydney Bowyer soon found employment as an apprentice with The District after completing the Water Workforce Coalition program this spring. 

The apprenticeship position, the first of its kind at The District, is part of the organization’s succession planning. Bowyer’s apprenticeship will prepare her for a future position as a wastewater treatment plant operator. 

Bowyer is from Oak Harbor and currently lives in Lindsey. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Bowling Green State University. 

To learn more about the Water Workforce Coalition, go to www.waterworksforyou.org  

 

TMACOG electric vehicle plan studies trends and infrastructure needs

What will the future of electric vehicles look like in the TMACOG region and what are our infrastructure needs? The answers to these and other questions can be found in TMACOG’s new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Implementation Plan. 

This recently completed study will serve as a resource for local communities as they expand our region’s charging network. 

The study provides an overview of EV adoption trends, current registration data, available EV models and chargers, and existing public charging infrastructure. It also examines population dynamics, travel and development patterns, and the impact of policies and regulations on EV ownership trends. 

There is a significant increase in the electric vehicle ownership in our region, which confirms a growing need for public charging infrastructure, the study determined.