by Isabella Carwile | Mar 19, 2024 | Business Expansion, Community, Funding, PCED Office
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 19, 2024
PAULDING – The Paulding County application for the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) residential and commercial blight program was completed and submitted on March 8. Estee Miller, Maumee Valley Planning Organization, shared with the Land Reutilization Committee (Land Bank) that the application for the residential and commercial blight program included 43 properties from throughout the county. Miller shared that the estimated application price tag for remediation is $1,115,316. The county was allocated $500,000 in the program. Because the county exceeded the allocated amount, there will need to be $154,500 of match money provided by the Land Bank committee if the total application is accepted. Purchased properties can also be considered match.
The committee was then updated on the progress of the former Paulding theatre lot by Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director. This project is one of several in the county using ODOD Brownfield program funds. The theatre and adjacent building demolition has completed and all debris removed. The replacement sidewalks along West Perry Street were framed, with cement recently poured. The group will next be made aware of the cost of putting metal siding on the now exposed, east wall of the Hawg’s Tavern building.
The county continues to have ongoing remediation work taking place at the former Grizzley Brake property. The current owners, Arvin Environmental Management, LLC have invested in having natural overgrowth and foliage removed about 40 feet inside the fence perimeter. This has provided a much better view of the chain link fence enclosing the property, and revealed some needed repair. Quotes are taking place on that now. A bid application is also being prepared to drain ponds and level the dirt mounds, at both this site, and the former Stokely site across the road.
Final committee discussions were in regard to following up on properties still owned by the committee and understanding the upcoming mowing maintenance that will soon be required on the properties. Thoughts were then shared in how to proceed in future marketing of remediated properties for development.
by Isabella Carwile | Mar 19, 2024 | Business Expansion, Community, Jobs, New Business, PCED Office
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release 3/19/2023
PAULDING – The Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Board toured the Small Business Innovation Center (SBIC) during their March meeting.
The SBIC is a building located at 103 E. Perry Street in Paulding on the square, that is owned by the Paulding County Commissioners. The building hosts the county Election Board offices on the first floor at 105 E. Perry. The 103 E. Perry side, has offices available for rent on the first floor, and several office and conference room spaces available upstairs (103 ½ E. Perry). These offices are over both first-floor business spaces and offer a spectacular second story view of the courthouse. These offices are managed by the PCED office.
“There are three new members on the PCED Board of Directors this year. We thought it would be fitting to let them see what our office manages, but it also allowed some of our established members the opportunity to see the latest improvements and changes the offices have been through lately,” stated Tim Copsey PCED Director. “Our hope is to get the word out to folks working from home that the county does have a shared working space facility if they needed to host a meeting or just find a remote spot to work from occasionally.”
This space was developed back in 2018 to allow new businesses, researching the village or county, an option to test foot traffic before buying a brick-and-mortar facility. It has allowed many businesses to start and grow, or falter, before a lot of investment is made. One of the recent successes was Ag Credit. They started in this space before moving into their facility at 839 N. Williams Street in Paulding. Another success was having a place for Union Bank to open their Paulding branch, immediately upon deciding to come to Paulding, while the building they purchased for rehabilitation was remodeled.
Other businesses tested the water and weren’t as successful. Brown & Brown, a Toledo attorney group, rented space for a while before deciding they could do their services from Toledo. More recently, Family First Jail Bondsman rented office to see if a Paulding address would be beneficial for more business, but ultimately decided it was not. Currently there is one ground level floor office available for rent open and three upstairs offices available ($250/month upstairs).
Both upstairs and downstairs offices offer a kitchenette, restrooms, and have conference room available. The tours were to show, and remind, board members of the opportunities available for shared office space. The spaces can also be rented by the hour.
The regular business agenda followed including:
- Received updates from the Director for projects taking place around the county
- Accepting PCED By-law changes presented at January meeting for review
- Accepting Financial reports presented by Treasurer Jeff Mumma and Financial Committee
- Heard committee reports as presented
- Heard from each member in regard to the business sector they represent per PCED by-laws
The board will meet again in a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024
by Office Manager | Mar 19, 2024 | Community, Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), PCED Office, Property Development
PAULDING – The first quarter Paulding County Zoning Inspector meeting was recently held at the OSU Extension Building. Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director, provided a brief overview of previous meetings for new attendees and shared how this meeting has developed and grown out of the quarterly county mayor meetings. This group developed in 2023 and has continued to meet as a way to bridge communication gaps and provide idea sharing and collaboration around the county. Copsey then introduced the guest speaker, the Honorable Suzanne Rister, Municipal Court Judge, to the group of township trustees, mayors, village council officials and other local officials that attended.
Judge Rister shared the legal process involved in addressing junk or trash ordinances within villages and townships. She presented stats regarding the number of cases handled by the municipal court and shared that there is a low occurrence of zoning cases across the county. Most issues are resolved through correspondence from governing agencies. The number of zoning cases presented to the court annually were: eight in 2020, two in 2021, nineteen in 2022, eight in 2023, and none so far in 2024. Only a small fraction of cases gets to the point of jailable offenses. The cases that do mainly involve repeated violations of the same code.
Judge Rister highlighted the importance of clear communication between townships and village officials and residents, stressing the need of providing detailed documentation and current evidence in zoning violation cases.
Fines collected from convictions are returned to the charging entity. Judge Rister also addressed reimbursement policies, including attorney fees, indicating her efforts to alleviate financial burden on localities in these cases.
Incite was provided for how to increase the likelihood of favorable rulings for concerned localities. Judge Rister advised that representatives from villages or townships stand alongside prosecutors during court proceedings to be a witness to the case.
Participants asked about various procedure and process aspects, such as submitting evidence and how to handle repeat offenders. Judge Rister provided clarifications on landlord responsibilities and the criteria for jailable offenses.
Prosecutor Joe Burkard followed and elaborated on strategies for addressing property cleanup, expressing the importance of thorough information and gathering photos and time stamped evidence.
Copsey followed providing updates on community cleanup efforts, highlighting recent accomplishments, and shared ongoing projects where the Paulding County Land Bank and Community Improvement Corporations are involved.
Copsey then shared a prospective new project that may aid in cutting down zoning violations. A recent investment at Kohart’s Surplus and Salvage, now provides a way to efficiently shred and recycle vehicles. A request was made to all townships and villages to have conversations with property owners that have vehicles that do not have current plates on them. If the owners are willing to sell the vehicle there is a possibility of designing a county program to purchase these cars and remove them at no cost to the owners. In order for this program to develop we need to understand the demand and interest from residents.
Attendees discussed potential ways, including local recycling events, to facilitate resident cleanup efforts and how to identify blighted properties or open lots for future redevelopment.
Sarah McCabe, with the Paulding County Auditors office, shared that the County GIS system is updated now with zoning layers for Oakwood, Antwerp, Paulding and Crane Township. This was thanks to collaboration with the Paulding County Engineers office.
The importance of continuing to improve the county GIS system was noted. It is extremely helpful when inquires for site development come into the PCED office, especially for water and sewer infrastructure mapping. All localities were encouraged to work on mapping their utilities to better streamline planning down the road.
All in attendance agreed to meet again next quarter for continued collaboration between zoning inspectors and to discuss community revitalization efforts.
by Office Manager | Mar 13, 2024 | Community, Events, Jobs, Workforce
ANTWERP, OH – The Paulding County Business Advisory Council (BAC) met at Antwerp Manor Assisted Living facility on Wednesday, March 6th, headed by Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director to discuss initiatives focused on collaboration between local businesses and schools for the betterment of Paulding County. The meeting kicked off with a welcome and introduction of 22 attendees, including Lu Cooke, Northwest Regional Liaison Lt. Governor’s Office, and Mike Weible, Paulding County Commissioner.
Key agenda highlights included:
Mission Statement Update: Tom Taylor of Western Buckeye ESC and Tim Copsey, PCED Director, spearheaded efforts to refine the BAC Mission Statement for submission to the state. The goal is to ensure collaboration with the steering committee in shaping the business advisory council’s future direction.
Spring SuccessBound Event: Rhonda Hogrefe of Northwest Ohio College TechPrep invited BAC members to the upcoming Spring SuccessBound event at Terra State on April 26th. The event will facilitate discussions and strategies for education and workforce.
Paulding County Career Expo: Kristen Schilt shared details about the upcoming Paulding County Career Expo, highlighting opportunities for businesses to engage with students. Interested businesses are encouraged to reach out for participation.
Teacher Bootcamp: Lu Cooke announced Teacher Bootcamp funding was available again from the state. They recognize the importance of this program and advocated for it. Paulding County Teacher Bootcamp is scheduled for June 3-6 & 13th. The event, in collaboration with Ashland University, offers educators and businesses a way to connect and learn from each other all while earning continuing education credit.
Education Updates:
- Wayne Trace Junior/Senior High School received a $2.4 million grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to enhance STEAM programs and facilities.
- Paulding High School is organizing a community clean-up day on April 29th, providing students with opportunities for community service and engagement. In addition to an update on the Panthers for Careers program.
- Antwerp High School is launching an Archer Career Advantage Program this fall to expose seniors to career exploration opportunities.
- Vantage Career Center is experiencing record-high applications. There is also a need for adult education instructors.
- Northwest State Community College shared an update on the new Van Wert campus.
The meeting also addressed topics such as Ohio TechCred sign-ups, the need for residential housing, and discussions around other career development initiatives.
The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for June 8th at Mercer Landmark Latty. For more information about the Paulding County Business Advisory Council please reach out to the economic development office at 419-399-8295 or office@pced.net.
by Isabella Carwile | Mar 12, 2024 | Community, Events, Membership, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast
Do you know when the last total solar eclipse was in NW Ohio? Listen to
Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA)’s Director, Ed Bohn, update us on the solar eclipse coming April 8, 2024, and the effects it could have on local traffic patterns and even the Paulding County economy.
Listen to this episode this Tuesday or Thursday at 8 am and 5pm on 102.7 FM. Not able to hear it on air? No problem! You can listen to this and previous episodes online at
https://www.my1027.org/paulding-county-business-weekly/ , or find Paulding County Business Weekly in podcast form through Apple, Google, and Spotify.
Paulding County Business Weekly is hosted by Paulding County Economic Development and proudly sponsored by OhioMeansJobs Paulding County.
by Isabella Carwile | Feb 27, 2024 | Community, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast
Join us this week on PCBW as we hear from Jamie Merriman, owner of
Rustic Comfort Photography. Hear about how in just a year this local business has gone from conception to taking photographs on a national level. Learn how this local entrepreneur is looking to help with the history of Cecil and the county.
Tune in this Tuesday or Thursday at 8 am and 5 pm on 102.7 FM. Not able to hear it on air? No problem! You can
Click Here to listen to this episode, and previous ones online, or find Paulding County Business Weekly in podcast form through Apple, Google, and Spotify.
