CINCINNATI, Ohio – The United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Partners for a Competitive Workforce are hosting a Career Expo & Hiring Event on May 9 to spread the word that many good-paying jobs are available locally in supply chain, construction, manufacturing and health care industries. The expo is being held during Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week, which is May 6-10 this year.
“These sectors are seeing significant growth in the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana region, with a promising outlook,” said Greg Hudson, adjunct supply chain management at Gateway Community & Technical College.
The Career Expo & Hiring Event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 9 at Southern Hills Post-Secondary Campus, 2225 Hales Way, Mt. Orab, Ohio 45154. More than 20 companies representing these growth industries will be participating.
The event will have two sessions. The first session, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will be restricted to Batavia/Goshen/Williamsburg students. The second session, from 2-4 p.m., will be open to all adults seeking employment in any of the listed sectors.
More than 200 jobs in Ohio are considered “in demand,” based on labor market information, job postings on OhioMeansJobs.com, JobsOhio regional forecasts and employer forecasts.
In-Demand Jobs Week is an opportunity for students and job seekers to learn more about the rewarding and high-demand careers available locally.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 15, 2019) – Clermont County Commissioners David Painter and Ed Humphrey, along with County Treasurer Jeannie Zurmehly and Common Pleas Judge Jerry McBride attended the 2019 Ohio Council of County Officials (OCCO) Legislative Reception on April 9 to meet with state legislators and help build a stronger partnership between state and county government. An important topic of discussion was support for budget amendment HC0607 to fully fund indigent defense reimbursement.
State Sen. Joe Uecker, whose district includes Clermont County, was among the state legislators attending. State Reps. John Becker and Doug Green, both of whom represent Clermont County, are co-sponsors of the bill.
“We are eager to work with our legislators to improve the state-county partnership,” said David Painter, President of the Board of County Commissioners. “Ohio’s 88 counties serve as the administrative arm of the state by providing vital services, such as infrastructure, justice and public safety, human services and economic development. It’s essential that we work together to ensure that county revenue streams correspond to the services they are mandated by the state to provide.”
County leaders had the opportunity to meet with Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as well as their legislators to discuss issues affecting counties, including budget amendment HC0607.
Gov. DeWine’s proposed budget commits an additional $60 million each year in general revenue funds for indigent defense, providing for a reimbursement rate of approximately 80 percent. While CCAO greatly appreciates DeWine’s proposed substantial investment, CCAO is encouraging legislators to support HC0607 to provide 100 percent reimbursement.
“The state assuming full responsibility for indigent defense costs would give Clermont County additional flexibility in allocating limited general fund revenue to support other county cost centers that are funded out of the county general fund,” Commissioner Painter said. “I believe these additional funds could allow us to address the funding needs of the Clermont County Jail as well as the funding allocation of the 911 Communications Center.”
In 2018, a total of $2.02 million was spent on indigent defense in Clermont County. Of that, the county funded almost $1.2 million and the state funded the balance.
The State Public Defender’s office estimates that it will take an additional $30 million in FY 20 and $35 million in FY 21 in revenue in order to reach full reimbursement. HC0607 will provide this revenue along with an additional $1.5 million in each year to support the operation of the State Public Defender’s office.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (April 9, 2019) — The Clermont Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is in the process of updating the watershed action plan for the Lower East Fork Little Miami River, and would like to hear from residents about the water quality needs for this area.
The Lower East Fork watershed encompasses the land area that drains to the East Fork from a point downstream of Stonelick Creek to where the East Fork joins the Little Miami River downstream of Milford. In December 2003, Clermont SWCD and members of the East Fork Watershed Collaborative completed a watershed action plan that summarized the existing conditions and laid out strategies for protecting or improving water quality. Several items listed in the 2003 plan have been accomplished, but new challenges and regulations have arisen since the plan was completed, necessitating an update.
Clermont SWCD will accept public comments through Friday, May 31. A copy of the current plan is posted on Clermont SWCD’s website at www.clermontswcd.org. Comments or questions can be addressed to Becky McClatchey, SWCD natural resource specialist, at rmcclatchey@clermontcountyohio.gov, or 513.732.7075 ext. 6. Written comments can also be sent to Clermont SWCD, P.O. Box 549, Owensville, OH 45160.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (April 8, 2019) – Clermont County’s multimedia 2018 Annual Report – Our Story – is now live online: https://2018ar.clermontcountyohio.gov/.
In a visually compelling format, it features videos from Commissioners David Painter, Ed Humphrey and Claire Corcoran, milestones from throughout the year, a recap of economic development advances, and financials. It also has a series of short videos called Working for You that feature employees from various county agencies and offices.
A print tri-fold will be available at the Commissioners’ office and at various places throughout Clermont County.
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BATAVIA — In a continuing effort to foster activities that promote positive mental health and prevent addiction, the Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board is pleased to announce that mini-grants will again be available for the upcoming year.
The board is looking for innovative projects that will positively affect mental health and/or prevent addiction for any age group. A total up to $40,000, from the board’s levy funds, is available for programs serving Clermont County residents. The maximum funding per project is $4,000. The grant period is July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. Any organized group in Clermont County – with the exception of the contract agencies of the Mental Health & Recovery Board – can apply for funding.
Previously funded applicants are eligible to reapply. Applicants must have a financial structure in place to account for the awarded funds. Funds may not be used to cover ongoing operating expenses.
To apply for a mini-grant, please submit a brief proposal that includes the name, address, email address and phone number of the contact person, a description of the activity/purpose for which the grant will be used, an explanation of how the activity will promote positive mental health and/or prevent addiction, a description of what part of the activity the mini-grant will fund if used with other monies, the date(s) of activity, and the amount of the funding request. Mini-grant funds cannot be used to purchase equipment such as iPads, iPods, tablets or other electronic items. The funds can be used for materials, supplies, and/or food for activities planned.
Proposals must be submitted no later than Wednesday, May 1, to: Mini-Grant Project, c/o Cindy Knoblauch, Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board, 2337 Clermont Center Drive, Batavia, OH 45103.
Last year, the Mental Health & Recovery Board funded a total of 17 mini-grants to 13 separate organizations. Nine schools in Clermont County received grants that assisted in initiating activities that helped children stay drug-free, established mentoring programs, or promoted mental health well-being. In addition, grants were awarded to other agencies providing services directed to community members, such as Safe Harbor of Hope and the YWCA.
Any group receiving funding is required to submit a report to the Mental Health & Recovery Board on its efforts and resulting outcomes following completion of the activity. A final accounting of funds must be submitted within 60 days of the end of the activity. All unused funds must be returned to the board.
It is possible that mini-grants may not be available in the future or that a project funded once may not receive funds a second time, so mini-grants should be viewed as one-time only funds.
If you have any questions about applying for these grants, call the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board at 513.732.5400.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (March 22, 2019) – The Clermont County Animal Shelter will be closed to the public from March 31 through April 5 to install new flooring.
The shelter, which is managed by Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society, will reopen to the public on Saturday, April 6. Saturday hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The shelter is located at 4025 Filager Road, Batavia.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (March 15, 2019) — OhioMeansJobs/Clermont County is hosting a free business seminar, “Happy Employees. Happy Business. Why Does Employee Engagement Matter?” from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the Clermont Chamber of Commerce, 4355 Ferguson Drive, Suite #150, Cincinnati, OH 45245.
Three million Americans quit their jobs every month. Turnover of a single employee can hurt overall performance. Employee turnover costs U.S. companies approximately $160 billion per year, according to experts.
Learn how the performance outcomes of employee engagement can be measured using simple and affordable methods for improved engagement in your organization. And then network with other HR staff and business owners.
Presenter Jackie Messersmith has more than 20 years of experience as the founder/president of Workflow Dynamics. She is the co-founder and president of Talent Management. Messersmith’s work has been featured in books and articles.
For more information or to register for this free event, call OhioMeansJobs/Clermont County at 513.943.3737 or email sherri.bowling@jfs.ohio.gov.
BATAVIA, Ohio – Clermont County’s 911 system now includes a feature called Rapid SOS, allowing 911 calls that are made with a cell phone to be accurately pinpointed by using the GPS on the caller’s phone.
Motorola Solution’s CallWorks system was installed at the 911 dispatch center in mid-January, said Dominick Daulton, Program Administrator for the Department of Public Safety Services, which includes the dispatch center.
Previously, 911 calls from cell phone users were triangulated using the nearest cell phone towers, Daulton said. “Now, using the GPS on the caller’s phone, the location of the caller can be pinpointed, and first responders can get to the scene more quickly,” he said.
Rapid SOS requires IOS 12 for iPhones and Version 4.0 and up for Android phones. Customers should call their cell phone provider to check that their phone is compatible with Rapid SOS.
CallWorks also has a new map feature that allows dispatchers to see where calls are coming in from. If a cluster of calls is coming in from the location of an accident, which dispatch already knows about, and a new call comes in from the other side of the county, the dispatcher can answer the new call. Previously, dispatch operators could only answer calls in the order they came in.
The cost of the system is $875,000, and will be paid for over 10 years.
Clermont County’s dispatch system answers 911 calls from throughout the county, with the exception of Union Township, Amelia, the City of Milford and the City of Loveland.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (Feb. 26, 2019) — Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will offer a free pond clinic to pond owners and managers at 5:30 p.m. on April 9 at the Cincinnati Nature Center-Rowe Woods at 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford.
This year the pond clinic will include additional speakers, a new breakout session format, and a pond walk from 4-5 p.m. before the event, weather permitting.
Eugene Braig, program director of Ohio State University Extension Aquatic Ecosystems Program, will deliver the opening presentation “The Aging Process: Keeping Ponds Healthy for the Long Run.” Breakout sessions will include Ponds 101 with Jake Hahn of the SWCD; fish stocking with Jones Fish Hatchery; pond weed control also with Jones Fish Hatchery, and the benefits of riparian buffers for wildlife attraction and pond protection with Olivia Espinoza of the Nature Center.
“Our event is one of the largest in the area and we want to continue to grow this program to best inform our pond managers,” Hahn said. More than 5,000 ponds are in Clermont County, and being used for different purposes. “We hope our event can be a place for pond owners to interact with other owners in the area to solve management problems with the guidance of our expert speakers,” Hahn said.
“Through this clinic, citizens will learn how recreational and storm water ponds can be maintained, and the steps to planning their own new ponds,” he said. “Since ponds are not a common natural landscape feature in our area, they need additional maintenance and care to function properly and meet the landowners’ expectations.” Clermont SWCD’s goal is to help construct and maintain a safe, functional, and attractive pond. Clermont County Farm Bureau is sponsoring the event.
There is no cost, but registration is required to gain free admission to the Cincinnati Nature Center. To register or for more information, go to www.clermontswcd.org or contact Clermont SWCD at 513.732.7075. ####
BATAVIA, Ohio (Feb. 26, 2019) – Hannah Lubbers, the new director of the Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) and the Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District, came by her love of the outdoors naturally.
Growing up in the City of Hamilton, she and her family enjoyed hiking and canoeing, at Hueston Woods and the Whitewater River in Indiana.
Lubbers was hired by Paul Braasch, the recently retired director of both offices, almost 11 years ago, as a program manager for the OEQ. She had just completed her Masters in biology at the University of Cincinnati. Her undergrad degree at UC was in environmental studies.
“I started as a chemistry major in college,” she said. “I took a class in environmental policy and I got interested in environmental studies – where policy and science intersect.”
That was perfect for her new job, where she specialized in understanding the watershed of the East Fork of the Little Miami River, and studying best management practices (BMPs) that would help farmers to decrease nutrient runoff.
The Office of Environmental Quality is one of the members of the East Fork Watershed Cooperative, an organization comprised of federal, state and county stakeholders that has conducted extensive research on the watershed to improve water quality.
When she began her work, Lubbers said, “We were more focused on wastewater effluent in streams. But local water quality data showed that runoff from agriculture also significantly impacted water quality.”
Partners in the East Fork Watershed Cooperative, including the USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Clermont County Soil & Water Conservation District, have been crucial to enlisting county farmers to use methods, such as planting cover crops and installing biological treatment systems, that lessen nutrient runoff.
And the unique nature of the cooperative has allowed it to pull in state and federal funding, Lubbers said. More than $3 million in grants to Clermont and Brown counties is funding cover crops and other BMPs, enough for 12,000 acres. In 2018, the NRCS allocated an additional $600,000 to the area to fund various agriculture projects, all in the service of improving the quality of water in the watershed.
Lubbers wears another hat as director of the Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District. “My primary goal is to ensure the sustainability of recycling,” she said. In 2018, the Solid Waste District helped Batavia, Ohio and Williamsburg townships secure curbside recycling via waste franchising to over 8,000 households.
“I want to make sure that all county residents maintain access to recycling,” she said. Currently, residents of Union Township, the largest township in Clermont County, have limited curbside recycling opportunities. There are also no drop-off sites in Union Township; several drop-off sites throughout the county have been closed because of illegal dumping.
“One of our goals is to make sure that recycling is available at apartment complexes,” Lubber said. Once more townships adopt curbside recycling, and more apartments have recycling bins, there won’t be as great a need for the drop-off sites, she said.
Lubbers, who lives in Clermont County, loves its natural beauty. She loves and appreciates the rural nature of much of the county. And she wants to make sure that is preserved while the county continues to grow in jobs and population.
Litter – which mars so many of the roadways in the county — is one thing that gets to her. In 2018, an astounding 88 tons of litter was removed from rivers and streams in the county, much of it during the annual Spring Litter Clean-Up.
“There’s that phrase, ‘Think globally, act locally,’” Lubbers says “NOT littering, and picking up litter when you see it, is one way of acting locally. It doesn’t have to be your garbage – pick it up!”
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