Given the current state of Ohio’s economy and the long term decline of its manufacturing sector, it is easy to paint a negative picture of Ohio’s future. By dwelling on disheartening stories and statistics, we too often minimize Ohio’s successes. To help curb this tendency, today’s post highlights positive press that Columbus recently received. A couple of weeks ago, U.S. News & World Report, released a study that listed the Top 10 cities in America for finding a job. The report listed Columbus, Ohio as one of the best cities to find a job in 2009. Being the state capital and home to a large university has helped Columbus fair better than other cities. The report also points out that Columbus’ diverse economy plays an equally important role. The strength of the city’s technology, distribution and healthcare industries has allowed Columbus to remain resilient during these tough times.
Gene Krebs in the Columbus Dispatch
Yesterday Greater Ohio’s Co-Director Gene Krebs was quoted in a Columbus Dispatch article about growth policies in Columbus, Ohio. The article was titled, “City shouldn’t push outward, critics contend.” The article discussed the need to re-think growth policies. Krebs discussed the need to focus on the vitality of the core of Columbus. He also drove home the point that smart growth relates back to efficient use of taxpayers’dollars. For more information, read the full article.
Greater Ohio Policy Center on Facebook
We have recently been revamping our facebook outreach. Greater Ohio now has a fan page entitled “Greater Ohio Policy Center.” If you’re on facebook, you should become our fan! We’ll keep you posted with pictures, events and other news. And it’ll also be another venue to post your comments and let us know what’s going in your area too. This is just another way to bolster our communication with supporters like you. Check it out! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Greater-Ohio-Policy-Center/98817441132?ref=nf
We’ve also recently added a lot of pictures from the Cleveland Mini-Summit, our Peer to Peer Workshop, and the Harvard Landbanking Seminar. If you were at any of these events, see if you can find yourself in the crowd. Feel free to tag yourself and others in the pictures too, if you’re so inclined. Most of all, have fun with it! And keep us posted with other suggestions about how Greater Ohio can do a better job staying in contact with supporters like you.
Urban Farming Made Profitable
Urban farming and urban gardening is an idea that has been talked about it for a while. In fact, we wrote a blog entry about it back in July. But a new finding proves that it’s more than just a good idea. Roxanne Christensen of Philadelphia set out to prove that urban farming could be a profitable venture. Her goal was to take a half acre lot and make a profit of $50,000. In her fourth year of planting 60 types of vegetables and high value crops that grow quickly, the gross sales came to $68,000. This is very interesting news because it indicates that urban farming and urban gardening could become a practical business model. This is especially relevant to Ohio’s shrinking cities with excessive amounts of vacant land. Urban farming in these areas is a possibility that could be not only good for the land, but also it could create jobs and become a lucrative profession. Roxanne Christensen is also the co-founder of Small Plot Intensive Farming or SPIN-farming. For more information about SPIN-farming, check out their website. To read more about this story, read Governing Magazine’s article on Urban Harvest.
Stranded at the Station
As we continue to press for additional public transportation options in Ohio, Transportation for America released the following report detailing the rising demand for transit access across the country. The report also highlights the prevalence of recent transit cuts while stressing the need to ensure ongoing operating support for transit systems. This is a must read for those concerned about the future of public transit. Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation
The Competition for Federal Rail Funding
On Monday states submitted their application to receive federal funding for rail, beginning the new federal stimulus program created to increase high-speed rail in the United States. States were ready with a slew of funding requests. California alone submitted 42 applications, totaling $1.1 Billion. North Carolina asked for $76 million and Virginia asked for $75 million. The Federal Railroad Administration grants will be awarded in late September or early October. One factor that could influence the Federal Railroad Administration's decisions is how much money the states themselves are willing to contribute. While there is a lot of enthusiasm for rail, it will take America a long time to catch up with Japanese and European counterparts with trains that travel up to 200 mph. Many of the FRA grants may go to rail projects with trains traveling at 79mph. FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo explains that this is just the beginning of a lengthy undertaking, similar to the decades-long process of building up the U.S. Interstates Highway system. The administration ‘intends to transform the way Americans travel.’
For more details, read the full WSJ article. If you want to share your opinion about rail in Ohio, take the Ohio 3C Survey.
3-C Passenger Rail Survey
Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion throughout the state about the proposed 3-C Corridor project. For those who are unfamiliar with the project, the 3-C Corridor is a plan to reintroduce passenger rail connecting Ohio’s three largest urban areas: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Additionally, to serve a greater number of Ohioans, the plan includes a stop in Dayton. Currently, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) and others are working to finalize the 3-C Corridor’s application for passenger rail stimulus funds. In order to gather supplemental information for the 3-C application, ORDC has posted a survey on their website. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey and voice your opinion about passenger rail in Ohio.
Local Government Reform Commission Toledo Hearing on Friday
The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration will hold a public hearing on Friday, August 28, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library’s Huntington Meeting Room located at 325 North Michigan Street in Toledo, Ohio, 43604. Free parking is available by using the Library garage, located on Adams Street. All attendees will receive a parking voucher at the conclusion of the meeting. This is the second of five hearings that will be held throughout Ohio seeking public input. Testimony and input is being requested in three main areas:
1.) Recommendations that will encourage and incentivize local governments to collaborate;
2.) Identification of local and state tax structure changes which would encourage collaboration or improve service effectiveness; and
3.) Identification of current/alternative service delivery models.
If you are in the Northwest Ohio region and are concerned with the issue of local government efficiency we strongly encourage you to attend to ensure that your voice is heard. If you cannot attend this meeting, you might also consider preparing written testimony.
Greater Ohio and its partner the Brooking Institution have identified governance reform as an important issue to be considered as we work to restore prosperity to Ohio. Governance reform falls within our larger agenda that is charged with increasing Ohio’s economic competitiveness and quality of life by focusing on the four drivers of prosperity in the 21st century economy: innovation; human capital; infrastructure; and quality of place. Again, we ask you to voice your opinion if you feel, as we at Greater Ohio do, that regional collaboration and efficient governance structures are critical to building a more competitive and prosperous Ohio.
The Local Government Reform Commission is legislatively created and consists of 15 members ranging from local officials to business people. It is charged with researching and writing a report that recommends reform and collaboration measures in order to improve local government operations and service delivery to create cost savings for taxpayers
For more information about the Commission visit its website at www.ohioreformandcollaboration.org.
Cleveland’s East 4th Street
By Katherine Buckingham. Last week when I was in Cleveland, I had the pleasure of visiting East 4th Street for the first time. For those of you who haven’t already heard of it, it’s approximately one block in between Euclid Ave and Prospect Ave in downtown Cleveland. This is a neighborhood that has it all. There are amazing restaurants, housing, and entertainment destinations. It’s a vibrant area with plants and flowers growing and strings of lights that cross the street. The street itself has been blocked off so it is a pedestrian thoroughfare.
What’s so great about this neighborhood is that there are so many unique destination spots that bring people into the downtown. I had a delicious lunch at the Greenhouse Tavern, which is the first certified green restaurant in Ohio. I wish I had more time to spend there and check out all the other restaurants and entertainment venues. If you’re in the Cleveland area, you should check it out! Here is their website: http://www.east4thstreet.com/home.php
More on Land Banks
Countywide land bank reform was passed last year in the form of Senate Bill 353, which allowed Cuyahoga County the authority to establish a County Land Reutilization Corporation (CLRC) along with specific financing tools to make the entire structure financially feasible. Thomas J. Fitzpatrick IV, as part of the Federal Reserve’s Policy Discussion Papers series, wrote Understanding Ohio’s Land Bank Legislation, which is an excellent primer on where Ohio was before the passage of SB 353 and what the bill did to help address the growing problem of vacant properties. As of now, the authority is only granted to Cuyahoga County; however, after talking to people throughout the state we see a need to expand this authority and allow other counties the option of forming a CLRC. As we prepare to make the case for expanding this authority, Greater Ohio recognizes that additional changes are needed to make the program more effective for a greater number of counties. Some of the additional changes we are exploring include:
- Permitting two or more counties to form a single CLRC;
- Allowing, on a permissive basis, changes to the existing CLRC Board makeup to better meet community needs; and
- Addressing land use planning to ensure that this powerful tool remains with the municipality where the subject land is located.
We are still gathering suggestions and would like to know what it would take to make county land bank successful in your community. Please send us your suggestions.