Post-meeting release 9/4
Fostoria Economic Development Corp. Reviews successes
[Tiffin, OH Sept. 4, 2018] – Fostoria Economic Development Corp. President Renee Smith presented economic data from 2016-2018 to commissioners Tuesday morning and requested additional funding from the board. She said in 2016, 146 new jobs were created and $62.7 million was invested. In 2017, 336 new jobs were created and $59 million was invested. Two major 2018 projects were highlighted, including a $30 million investment in a 200,000-square-foot facility and a $25 million investment that will bring 75 new jobs. FEDC has brought in $4.9 million in grant money since 2016, including about $4 million for the county land bank, which aims to clear blighted properties. After presenting some of the successful development projects and statistics of the past few years, Smith asked the commissioners for an additional $30,000 in funding for 2019 to help pay for a fulltime Planning and Development Manager. Smith currently is the only full-time employee. The commissioners currently fund FEDC at about $8,000 a year. No decision was reached Tuesday. In other business, the board tentatively set the end of March to auction off the Carnegie Library building, 108 Jefferson St. The building currently houses Seneca County Juvenile and Probate Court, but personnel is in the process of moving to the Seneca County Justice Center, in the former space of the courthouse annex. In other news, Commissioner Holly Stacy invited the public to attend the Tiffin Historic Trust’s Behind the Facade Tour. The tour includes stops at the Seneca County Justice Center, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and several other downtown businesses and buildings. The event is 2-5 p.m. Sept. 16. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets are available at Simply Susan’s. Also during the meeting, the board voted 2-1 to intervene in the Republic Wind Project, at the advice of the county’s counsel, Columbus firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease. Commissioner Mike Kerschner was the dissenting voter.
During appropriations, commissioners approved:
* A grant agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration. The project includes land acquisition, obstruction removal, tree removal and road demolition to make the county airport comply with aviation regulations. The grant will cover 95 percent of the $151,134 project, leaving the county to pay about $7,555.
* A $500 appropriation adjustment request from the department of job and family services to purchase wellness supplies. The change is to be made within the Public Assistance Budget.
* A $3,000 supplemental appropriation to the Ambulance Service Fund. The money is to be used to reimburse a patient.
* The purchase of two, 2019 John Deere 6110M tractors for $136,572.08 on behalf of the Seneca County Engineer’s Office. The transaction includes the trade in of two, 2016 John Deere tractors for
$101,000. The net cost of the new equipment is about $35,572.08.