Tag: public policy

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Business Development News Politics Transportation

Free interactive workshop at Union Terminal to gather public input on transportation investments

Ohio officials kicked off the first of eight state-wide public workshops yesterday in Columbus. The interactive workshops are structured to get resident input on public policy surrounding transportation investment.

The second of eight meetings will be held in Cincinnati today at Losantiville Cafe inside the famous Union Terminal building. At today’s free event guests will be treated to presentations by Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls and John Deatrick who will discuss the economic development impact of The Banks development for which he is overseeing.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) organizers say that part of the focus will be on how to better create jobs through transportation investments. Officials say that the discussions are part of ODOT’s Go OHIO Transportation Futures Plan which is examining how the state invests in all modes of travel and shipping including highway, air, rail, transit, water, pedestrian and bicycle. From there officials hope to better align those various modes of transportation investments with job creation, economic development and overall quality of life.

“Transportation has always been a driver of jobs and economic development for Ohioans,” described ODOT director Jolene M. Molitoris.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that approximately eight percent of Ohio’s private sector jobs was linked to the manufacture of exported goods in 2008, with approximately $45.6 billion in total export value during the same time according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

ODOT officials believe that the state’s seventh highest ranking nationally for value of goods exported to international markets, the nation’s fourth largest interstate highway system, the fourth most tonnage of goods moved through its waterways, and the third most active freight rail mileage in the nation speak highly to the ability to leverage transportation investments into economic development.

“The timing for this effort couldn’t be better with a report out of Washington showing that infrastructure investments can and will raise economic growth and productivity,” said Molitoris.  “Low construction costs mean we can do more than ever before with our resources and at the same time create more good-paying Ohio jobs.”

The free event at Cincinnati Union Terminal (map) will take place from 6pm to 8pm with registration at 5:30pm. Reservations are not required, but those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP by emailing go.ohio@dot.state.oh.us.

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Business Development News Politics

Hamilton County leaders eye land banking as potential cure for area’s housing woes

Our nation’s housing crisis and subsequent economic recession has led to an enormous increase in housing vacancy, abandonment, and foreclosures across the country. Hamilton County is no exception; the crisis has left many in the region homeless and has put a fiscal burden on local governments across the region, leaving them with the multifaceted challenges associated with widespread vacancy.

In many cases, property vacancy creates a domino effect that leads to further desertion and vacant properties within a neighborhood. This not only results in less tax revenue for cities; vacant property can also lead to increased rates of crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution, and arson. Because vacant property damages are so extensive, it is becoming more and more important for a metropolitan area to have a mechanism in place to transfer vacant property to owners who can/will pay taxes and redevelop the property.

A land bank is a tool that is growing in popularity, and on Tuesday morning local governmental and nonprofit leaders met to discuss how a Hamilton County land bank should be formed, funded and operated.

In April, Ohio Sub House Bill 313 was passed, enabling Ohio counties to create a Land Bank/County Land Reutilization Corporation (CLRC). The purpose of the CLRC is to facilitate the acquisition, reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, and other real property. While there are still many steps that need to be taken before the CLRC is fully functional, county officials are hoping to have the land bank chartered by the end of the year.

Although no specific funding decisions were made at the meeting, there are multiple ways the CLRC can be supported fiscally. For example, the treasurer could recapture penalties and interest on delinquent taxes and assessments on behalf of the CLRC, the group could generate revenue from the resale of rehabbed property, and/or the CLRC could be authorized to issue bonds, accept gifts, and apply for grants. The recently announced NSP3 dollars can also be used to acquire homes for the CLRC.

Not only will the land bank help to address vacancy problems regionally, it will also give local CDCs and nonprofits a chance to obtain blighted property before private out-of-town investors. With a broad jurisdiction, the CLRC will be able to acquire both mortgage foreclosed and tax foreclosed properties. Moreover, the legislation allows land banks to waive delinquent taxes owed in order to clear the title on the property. This tax abatement component is crucial because often the taxes owed on abandoned property are more than the property’s actual market value.

At Tuesday’s meeting, there was a clear consensus that the land bank not just be a pilot program, but instead be a comprehensive and wide-ranging tool that helps to alleviate one of our region’s most pressing problems.

“The Board of County Commissioners want to ensure that the way this is set up is consistent with the community’s vision,” Assistant Hamilton County Administrator Jeffery Aluotto stated on Tuesday. “Land banking holds a great deal of promise as a means of addressing the increase in vacant housing stock we have seen since the recession, and the direct impacts that those vacancies have on the quality of life and economic vitality of our communities.”

With successes in Cuyahoga County and Gennessee County, Michigan, local leaders have high hopes for the potential impact that the CLRC can have on our region.

UrbanCincy will continue to follow this story as it progresses in the coming months.

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Development News Politics

Cincinnati to host form-based code webinars at City Hall

Cincinnati leaders are hosting five webinars sponsored by PlaceMakers to give local residents a chance to learn more about the implementation of form-based codes. The sessions are intended to compliment the city’s ongoing effort at developing a form-based code.

According to Vice Mayor Qualls’ office, the webinars will take place on the third Thursday of each month starting October 21, 2010 and running through February 17, 2011. Each training opportunity will have its own unique focus led by specialists in that area.

On October 21, Ken Groves and Chad Emerson will look at the Montgomery case study. Dan Slone will then discuss how to integrate a form-based code with an existing code on November 18. The webinar on December 16 will include a discussion about SmartCode calibration basics led by Susan Henderson. At the second-to-last webinar Galina Tachiva will look at how to repair sprawl development patterns, and the final event will look at the Miami case study with the help of Marina Khoury.

The 75-minute webinars will be held at 2pm at City Hall (map). Those interested in attending the free sessions are asked to contact Jennifer O’Donnel at jennifer.o’donnell@cincinnati-oh.gov.  City Hall is accessible by Metro bus service (plan your trip), and free bicycle parking is available in the immediate surroundings.

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News Politics Transportation

Ohio transit agencies awarded $20.7M for system upgrades

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $776 million for urban and rural transit providers in 45 states. The money is intended to help bring buses, bus facilities, and other related equipment into a “state of good repair.” The grant money will reportedly support 152 projects across the country.

Ohio’s Department of Transportation (DOT) received $10 million to allocate towards transit vehicle replacement, and another $3.5 million to perform rehabilitation of transit facilities and equipment around the state. Akron’s Metro bus agency received $3 million, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority received $4.2 million.

“Safety is our highest priority, and it goes hand-in-hand with making sure our transit systems are in the best working condition possible,” Secretary LaHood stated on Monday. “The millions of people who depend on transit each day to get to work, to school or to the doctor expect a safe and comfortable ride.”

No money was awarded to Cincinnati-area transit agencies, although Metro officials say that they are working with the state to hopefully receive some of that money.

The money could not be more needed according to transit officials who state that more than 40 percent of the nation’s buses are currently in poor to marginal condition. According to the National State of Good Repair Assessment Study released in June 2010, the $776 million included in this announcement will not come close to funding the estimated $78 billion worth of repairs needed to bring the nation’s rail and bus transit systems into a state of good repair.

In Cincinnati, Metro officials say that money is always needed to replace buses in their fleet as they reach the end of their 12-year life cycle.  Through this program, the agency had requested funding to replace the system’s nearly 20-year-old farebox technology.

“New fareboxes would allow us to not only improve the accuracy of our ridership data for planning purposes, but also introduce new fare media like day passes that could be purchased on the bus, stored value passes, and more,” Metro’s chief public affairs officer, Sallie Hilvers, told UrbanCincy.  “We have some federal grant funding now, but hope to secure the full amount in the coming year.”
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Business News

Cincinnati conducting public surveys about city’s business climate

City leaders are looking to gather public opinion about how Cincinnati performs economically. In two concurrent surveys the city is asking residents and business owners about the economic climate here, and what can be done to improve that climate.

The Cincinnati Business Survey takes approximately five to ten minutes and asks business owners and managers about the greatest challenges and opportunities presented to them by doing business in Cincinnati. The survey asks about everything from quality of life, education and recreational opportunities, workforce, and even the region’s transportation and utility infrastructure.

The Cincinnati Community Survey, meanwhile, is open to all residents in the Cincinnati area and takes roughly five minutes to complete. In this survey, respondents are asked about why they have chosen to live in the region, what its greatest assets are, and what are the greatest challenges facing the region as it moves forward.

Cincinnati’s interim economic development director, Patrick Ewing, says that the two surveys will remain open through Wednesday, October 13 and will help guide elements of the Economic Development section of Plan Cincinnati – the city’s new comprehensive plan.