Alliance for Working (AWT) Representatives

WHEN: Friday, May 11, 2012 at noon

WHERE: Dino’s Restaurant, I-90 and Route 306, Willoughby. Map

COST: $15 members, $17 nonmembers

Contact Melissa at 440-336-4355 for reservations or at cmb6899@sbcglobal.net or register online:

Land Banking

The Cuyahoga County Land Bank has acquired 1500 properties that are distressed and abandoned. The nonprofit is funded by $7 million through delinquent property taxes, interest & late fees. Cuyahoga County has 27,000 vacant homes, 16,000 of those are in Cleveland.

Once acquired, property can be held by the nonprofit, tax free, until it can be put back into productive use.

A board is created- composed of the county treasurer, two commissioners, a member from the largest city, a township member and others chosen by agreement of the treasurer and two commissioners- then the board would create a land utilization plan for adoption by county commissioners and implement programming activities.

Legislation is pending to provide $4 billion in federal funds dedicated for demolition of vacant and abandoned homes. Property values are again expected to drop when the county Auditor finishes property appraisals this year. The county Treasurer would implement the program.

Sources: News Herald & Plain Dealer

Healthy Demand for Health Care Jobs

Nonagricultural wage and salary employment in the United States should rise 15.2% this decade, to 150.2 million by 2020 from 130.4 million in 2010, according to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The health care and social assistance sector is projected to gain the most jobs, followed by professional and business services. The federal government sector is projected to lose the most jobs. Here are data for the five sectors projected to gain the most jobs and the three that are expected to fare to the worst:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; www.bls.gov

Cash Crops

Because of foreclosures, Cleveland has plenty of vacant land. The use of that land can be for gardening. It’s a positive local food movement. The city has called 2012 the "Year of Local Food". With 200 community gardens, about 25 urban farms growing for profit, 60 acres of land in Cleveland marked for agricultural production and 20 farmers markets, the city is already an example to the rest of the nation.

Inside Business 4-12

Tri-County businesses win NorthCoast 99 Award

Twelve companies in the tri-county area are among the 2011 winner of Employees Resource Council’s 13th annual NorthCoast 99 Award. These organizations, recognized as great places to work in Northeast Ohio, have demonstrated excellence in attracting, motivating and retaining top performers:

Source: Tri-County Business Journal 11-11

Painesville Pursues Wind Power Project

Painesville has decided to move forward with a groundbreaking municipal-scale wind power project in conjunction with NexGen Energy, a leading owner and operator of distributed renewable energy systems.

NexGen Energy will develop, construct and operate up to 3.2 megawatts of commercial-scale wind turbines on multiple sites across the Painesville Municipal Electric Utility’s service territory. Painesville is the first municipality in the country to partner with a renewable energy developer for a distributed wind generation project size.

Plans call for wind turbines on multiple sites in the Village of North Perry, which is part of the Painesville Municipal Electric District. NexGen Energy will build six to eight turbines which will provide enough electricity to power 439 homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: Works for Business 6-10

Ohio tops in attracting new companies

Ohio led the nation in attracting new companies and expanding existing operations in 2011.
In all, Ohio closed the year with 498 new or expanded operations, ahead of runner-up Texas, which had 464, according to Site Selection magazine.

The magazine credits Gov. John Kasich and JobsOhio, the state development organization, for the state’s strong showing.

Of Ohio’s 498 projects, 83 involved new manufacturing plants, 200 were expansions of existing plants, and 215 involved new or expanded offices, distribution centers, research and development facilities or mixed-use operations, according to Conway Data’s New Plant Database.

Source: Columbus Dispatch 3-2-12

Jobs added in 42 states; Ohio has the biggest gain

Ohio led the nation in job growth in February with a gain of 28,300 workers.

Payrolls increased in 42 states last month, and the jobless rate declined in 29, signs of broad-based improvement in the job market.

Ohio had 5.15 million nonfarm jobs in February, up from 5.12 million in January. Ohio was followed in job growth by Texas with 27,900, the Labor Department reported.

The Labor Department report follows a four-year low last week in claims for unemployment benefits and new strength in consumer confidence, indicating the labor-market recovery is helping sustain demand. Employment increased by more than 200,000 workers in February for a third consecutive month, giving Americans the means to boost spending, which makes up 70 percent of the economy.

The economy created a net 227,000 jobs in February, capping the strongest six-month payroll gain since 2006, according to figures from the Labor Department. The job-less rate held at 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.

Source: Bloomberg News 3-21-12

Mayor John Rogers-speaking about the Lake County land bank.

WHEN: Friday, April 13, 2012 at noon

WHERE: Dino’s Restaurant, I-90 and Route 306, Willoughby.

COST: $15 members, $17 nonmembers

Contact Melissa at 440-336-4355 for reservations or at cmb6899@sbcglobal.net or register online:

Upcoming Meetings in March

March 9th, noon lunch, Dino’s, I-90 and Route 306, Willoughby.
Cost: $15 members, $17 nonmembers.
Contact Melissa at 440-336-4355 for reservations or at cmb6899@sbcglobal.net

Speaker: Tim Reilly, Geologist; John D. Oil & Gas on Shale Fracking for Oil & Gas.

Trustees Meeting: March 29th, 2012, 8a.m., First Merit conference room,
7800 Reynolds Rd., Mentor

H2A Guest-Worker Program: a regulatory nightmare for local employers

With all the hue and cry regarding undocumented workers, you would think our country would have an effective guest-worker VISA program for agriculture. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Less than 4% of agricultural workers nationally arrive through our troubled H2A VISA program. Over a dozen nurseries in Northeastern Ohio brave the regulatory labyrinth of housing requirements, transportation requirements, wage requirements, fees and arcane rules that seem to change with each season in order to secure an experienced, reliable and legal work force. Employers must pay upwards of $11 per hour this year and between $1500 and $2000 in out-of -pocket costs for each guest-worker. Required housing must undergo annual inspection by two agencies with different rule-books. One of the biggest obstacles is that Job & Family Service agencies can and do make ‘referrals’ of local unemployed workers for each VISA position. These ‘unvetted’(possibly illegal aliens) local workers can thereby ‘bump’ a guest-worker and the employer must either hire more workers than anticipated or forego the VISA worker after incurring upfront costs. Experience has shown that less than 10% of the local unemployed workers show up for their first day of agricultural work, much less stay on through the harvest season. An unfortunate consequence of H2A participation in recent years has been a high incidence of DOL workplace audits. Local growers have incurred fines and back wages for a variety of complex transgressions. In one case a grower was fined for not paying local student workers the same wage as ‘guest-workers’. In another, a grower was fined over $50,000 for wage-hour violations related to H2A participation. Why do growers continue to request guest-workers through this broken system? We can’t afford to risk losing a substantial portion of our workforce in the spring or fall because of false documentation, reply many.

Mark Gilson, Gilson Gardens, Perry Twp. 11-11

Six Community Challenges for 2012

Diversity is key. The communities and regions that will lead us out of the current slump into a faster growth path are those that create an effective demand for real estate. An example of such a community is Austin, Texas, which continues to buck national trends. Austin has developed a diverse economy that is supported by the presence of state government, the University of Texas, and a variety of medical institutions and high-tech companies that are attracted by the region’s intellectual capital, educational opportunities, diverse job base, and high quality of life.

Collaboration and cooperation. Communities and regions that collaborate, compromise and cooperate will be in the best position to convert their intellectual capital into job-creating and income-growing innovation and entrepreneurship. Collaborative communities will create effective land-use plans and regulations to facilitate development and redevelopment. They will provide integrated land uses and transportation networks that foster regional entrepreneurial development and will be in a strong position to attract, retain, and connect the talented labor that innovative firms depend on.

Cultivating social capital. The community’s political and legal infrastructure and its culture of personal relationships-its social capital- are essential factors in economic development. In a world of freely moving physical and financial capital, only social capital remains tied to specific locations. As recent Euro Zone problems vividly demonstrate, differences in social capital, as between northern Europe and southern Europe, can lead to vast disparities in economic and fiscal performance.

Fix immigration policy. One winning strategy could be a shift in immigration policy. The U.S. should allow significant immigration of well-educated, highly skilled people with the ability and willingness to buy homes and help create jobs. The model could be Canadian point system, tailored to reflect unique U.S. priorities. A relaxed policy could have a significant impact on states which are severely affected by the housing crisis- and are also desirable destinations for skilled immigrants.

“Doc in the box” and other approaches. No matter how federal health care reform evolves, we can be sure that a higher percentage of medical care will shift from traditional hospitals to local and regional medical clinics. That makes the “doc in the box” strategy a winner. Another essential strategy is worker training. Both the public and private sectors need to encourage manufacturing and processing firms to provide prospective employees with the skills needed to compete in a globalized 21st century employment market. Winning communities will be those that have a realistic understanding of their appeal to businesses and to visitors. They will base their land-use and economic development plans on that knowledge, recognizing that just because hotels and related facilities are built does not mean that “visitors will come”. Finally, the most effective communities will understand the need for adaptive reuse and redevelopment of obsolete local real estate, particularly retail centers. They will recognize that in- store retailing is unlikely to return to its historic highs.

Wrapping up. Which cities will be most popular with real estate investors in 2012? These are cities with walkable downtowns, exceptional workforces, and strong industry clusters(software, biotech, financial activities). They are attractive to visitors and empty nesters alike, and they are likely to benefit from an influx of capital from real estate investors seeking a safe harbor in the coming year.

Aaron Gruen, Planning 1-12

A World Apart

New federal data show the United States ranks 14th in the world in total wages and compensation for manufacturing workers. That’s about on par with Ireland and Italy and far behind Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. U.S. manufacturing workers earn an average of a bit less than $35 in total hourly compensation, which is about 60% of the amount that workers in No. 1 Norway receive: Here’s the data for the top 10, plus the United States, in 2010 U.S. dollars:

Hourly Country Compensation
Norway $57.53
Switzerland 53.20
Belgium 50.70
Denmark 45.48
Sweden 43.81
Germany 43.76
Finland 42.30
Austria 41.07
Netherlands 40.92
Australia 40.60
United States 34.74

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; www.BLS.gov

Local Companies with High Growth Sales, 2011

Alego Health, Eastlake, 171%
e2b tech, Chardon, 160%
MUM Industries, Inc., Mentor, 156%
US Endoscopy, Mentor, 122%
Marous Bros. Construction, Wlby., 117%
Fairmount Minerals, Chardon, 111%
OurPet’s Company, Fairport Harbor, 81%
Angels in Waiting Home Care, Wlby., 72%
Suburban Mfg. Co., Eastlake, 68%
Parts Pro Auto Warehouse, Wickliffe, 60%
Fredon Corp., Mentor, 43%
Normandy Catering, Wickliffe, 42%

Smart Business, 1-12

U.S. Representative Steve LaTourette was selected by the American Planning Association as the 2011 Legislator of the Year. Representative LaTourette was awarded the distinction because of his long-standing advocacy of transportation programs that enable planners to build communities of lasting value.

Ohio Planners News 12-11

Lake County Eastern Governments Form Cooperative

Entities expressing interest in forming a cooperative government are the Perry Joint Fire District, Madison Fire District, Painesville Township Fire Department, Painesville City Fire Department and Concord Township. A primary purpose of the Council of Government(COG) is to improve fire safety services.

The COG allows communities to purchase collectively expensive specialized equipment. Other benefits would be to foster cooperation among the political subdivisions in all areas of government services. This will include, but not be limited to the effective exchange of information, pooling of manpower and resources for the efficient solutions of specific problems dealing with reciprocal service, mutual aid, parallel action and exchange of ideas.

L.C. Tribune 11-18-11

Unemployment rate in Lake County looks good. The rate in October 2011 was 5.9%, Mentor was 5.3% while Ohio was 8.4%. These rates are unusually good to compared to the national rate of about 9%.

Source: Tri-County Business Journal

House price declines are getting smaller. The gap between 2010 and 2011 are down to -3% whereas the rate for 20 major cities was 20% in 2009. The market projection of the LCDC presenter of 12-16-11 was recovery in four to five years. In the meantime the numbers are inching up toward the positive side.

Source: S& P Indices 11-30-11

Legislative Breakfast Scheduled for 2-27-12

The 17th annual Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for 2-27-12 at LaMalfa Centre at $20. Representative legislators and a county commissioner are expected to speak. Mark your calendar for 7:30-9:30am. You may register with Melissa McArthur at 440-336-4355 or cmb6899@sbcglobal.net or online at www.lakecountydevelopmentcouncil.org.

Married couples now in minority

Married couples have dropped below half of all U.S. households for the first time, the Census Bureau says, a milestone in the evolution of the American family toward less traditional forms.

Married couples represented just 48 percent of U.S. households in 2010, according to data being made public and analyzed by the Brookings Institution. This was far below the 78 percent of households occupied by married couples in 1950.

Just a fifth of households were traditional families-married couples with children-down from about a quarter a decade ago and from 43 percent in 1950, as the iconic image of the American family continues to break apart.

“The days of Ozzie and Harriet have faded into the past,” said William Frey, the senior demographer at Brookings who analyzed the data.

Today, traditional patterns have been turned upside down. Women with college degrees are now more likely to marry than those with just high school diplomas, the reverse of decades ago.

Rising income inequality has also divided U.S. society, making college-educated people less likely to marry those without college degrees. That educated group has struck a new path: They marry later but stay married. In contrast, women with only a high school diploma are increasingly opting not to marry the fathers of their children, whose fortunes have declined along with economic opportunities.

NY Times 5-26-11

Half of Us are Poor

Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans-nearly 1 in 2-have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income. The latest census data depict a middle class that’s shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government’s safety net frays. The numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

Mayors in 29 cities say more than 1 in 4 people needing emergency food assistance did not receive it. Many middle-class Americans are dropping below the low-income threshold-roughly $45,000 for a family of four- because of pay cuts, a forced reduction of work hours or a spouse losing a job. Housing and childcare costs are consuming up to half of a family’s income.

States in the South and West had the highest shares of low-income families, including Arizona, New Mexico and South Carolina, which have scaled back or eliminated aid programs for the needy. By raw numbers, such families were most numerous in California and Texas, each with more than 1 million.

About 97.3 million Americans fall into a low-income category, commonly defined as those earning between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level, based on a new supplemental measure by the Census Bureau that is designed to provide a fuller picture of poverty. Together with the 49.1 million who fall below the poverty line and are counted as poor, they number 146.4 million, or 48 percent of the U.S. population. That’s up by 4 million from 2009, the earliest numbers for the newly developed poverty measure.

Associated Press 12-15-11

Farm of the Future

In March, Milwaukee was one of 24 cities worldwide to win a Smarter Cities Challenge Grant from IBM, which provides $500,000 in consulting help to tackle critical quality-of-life issues. This summer, a team from IBM spent several weeks interviewing potential stakeholders in what proponents hope will be a burgeoning “aquaponics” industry that creates jobs and eliminates food scarcity in depressed neighborhoods.

Aquaponics combines hydroponics, where plants are cultivated in water instead of soil, and aquaculture, the farming of fish and other marine creatures. It uses a series of tanks and pumps to create a closed loop where fish waste fertilizes the plants and plants purify water for the fish. It’s drawing attention as a sustainable approach to urban agriculture.

Plan supporters envision warehouse-sized aquaponics operations that are equipped with sophisticated sensing devices to boost efficiency, and backed by research that multiplies fish spawning cycles and boosts crop production. These facilities could be housed in vacant buildings in poor neighborhoods, providing jobs and a supply of nutritious, locally produced food for residents.

The report proposes launching an aquaponics innovation center to share scientific and technological breakthroughs and serve as an incubator for new companies.

Governing-December 2011

Upcoming Meetings in April

April 13th, noon lunch, Dino’s, I-90 and Route 306, Willoughby.
Cost: $15 members, $17 nonmembers.
Contact Melissa at 440-336-4355 for reservations or at cmb6899@sbcglobal.net

Speaker: Mayor John Rogers-speaking about the Lake County land bank.

Trustees Meeting: TBA , 2012, 8a.m., First Merit conference room,
7800 Reynolds Rd., Mentor

Shale Fracturing

New technology is making it practical to produce oil from oil shale. Conducting electricity via induced fractures in shale melts solidified oil and gas into liquid form, which can then be captured using traditional drilling methods.

Tapping this resource promises to pay huge dividends. It’s estimated that global oil shale reserves amount to the equivalent of 2.8 trillion barrels of oil… more than 3.5 times the size of proven conventional oil reserves in the Middle East.

About 70% of oil shale reserves are in the U.S., mainly in Colo. and Wyo. Although getting oil from shale is more expensive than traditional drilling, the cost is falling and is now comparable to deepwater drilling.

For Northeast Ohio the commercial real estate market looks extremely positive mainly because of hydraulic fracturing. A recent article on Forbes.com stated that Marcellus shale and Utica shale in the Ohio region can be worth as much as $500 billion, and can supply the United States natural gas needs for years. The outcome of hydraulic fracturing will not only be seen in the Akron/Youngstown area but throughout Northeast Ohio. The impact of hydraulic fracturing has already been seen in several cities across the country. In fact the Houston Metropolitan area was ranked the number one city for heavy metal manufacturing and can contribute much of their success to the booming energy sector and fossil fuel industry.

The entire Northeast Ohio commercial real estate market will start to see the effect of hydraulic fracturing over the next few years. The largest impact hydraulic fracturing brings to the Northeast Ohio economy is cheaper natural gas, which will affect every sector of business, especially the manufacturing industry. The cheaper natural gas will lead to an increase in production in all industrial business sectors. For an example, chemical companies will have a direct advantage over foreign companies by using cheaper domestic ethane, and natural gas, instead of relying on foreign oil. Local manufacturing companies will be required to produce and sell the necessary equipment required for “fracking”, which will also have a chain effect on distribution and transportation companies.

Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources says the Utica Shale- a 170,000-square-mile rock formation that stretches through New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio- could hold more than 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and more than five billion barrels of oil. There’s one catch: The oil-bearing rock lies 7,000 feet below the Earth’s surface.

While smaller oil and natural gas companies have been drilling wells in the area’s shallower rock formations for decades, energy giants such as Chesapeake and XTO(an Exxon, Mobile subsidiary) have entered the region in the past year with the intent to tap the Utica Shale.

A recent report from the Ohio Oil & Gas Energy Education Program estimates that there will be more than 200,000 new jobs and $14 billion reinvested into the regional economy as a direct result of Utica Shale drilling in the next four years.

Sources: Business 2-12, Kiplinger 4-15-11,
Real Estate Resource: winter 2012 Mark Gilson, Gilson Gardens, Perry Twp. 11-11

Risks of Shale Gas Development

Methane can reach the surface or ground-water through leaks in the borehole. Studies show that gas from shale formations has reached the surface. Nearly 60 percent of natural gas wells show flaws in their casings and cements by the time they have been operating for 17 years or more. A buildup of sustained gas pressure within various casings surrounding the well bores can pose risks of casing failure and hydrocarbon leakage to groundwater, soils, or the air. Other risks are being studied.

Resources 2012 #179

Northeast Ohio Emerging Industries and Jobs

Team Neo says that the region’s manufacturing sector is expected to outpace national output over the next three years.

Manufacturing employment continues to grow in Northeast Ohio. It’s up 2.5 percent form the second quarter of 2011 and up nearly 8,000 jobs from the previous year.

That should be good news to workers who are targeting a career in manufacturing. But, area companies are finding it difficult to locate reasonably-skilled drug-free workers to answer the need.

While area community colleges and career-technical schools are ready to train an advanced-manufacturing workforce, not nearly enough people are taking advantage of those opportunities. The learning institutes all report increased overall enrollment over the past five years, but students may not be focused on the jobs that are in greatest demand, as evidenced by the skilled worker shortage.

Not only is manufacturing an area of expected high growth, but healthcare and biomedical are other economic sectors that also need skilled workers.

Other emerging growth industries in the region include energy, especially shale gas production. And the job impact is expected to be substantial.

There are companies that manufacture machinery to support the industry that are looking to put new operations here.

Food processing is another perceived area of growth in the region.

As the economy begins to gain momentum over the next three years, the need to expand the region’s workforce to meet that demand is real. Even moderate growth would challenge area companies to find the right number of applicants to hire. For those individuals who are currently out of work or who are looking to make the right career move, now is the time to take action and prepare for these emerging employment opportunities.

P.D. 1-29-12

Businesses Net Millions by Moving

Relocations that netted small- and medium-sized businesses at least $39 million in property tax breaks to move around within the Cleveland and Cincinnati regions largely sent jobs from areas of poverty into more affluent communities.

In “Paid to Sprawl: Subsidized Job Flight from Cleveland to Cincinnati,” the Washington-based Good Jobs First nonprofit research center reviewed business relocations form 1995 to 2010 in the multi-county regions, finding data on 164 moves that involved an estimated 14,500 workers.

Report authors say that state officials should consider regional tax-revenue sharing and encourage regional economic-development cooperation to prevent “poaching” of companies between nearby communities.

Such moves often transfer job opportunities form cities and areas with high minority populations to less diverse areas and often to sites inaccessible by public transportation, they say.

Ohio should use its enabling power to encourage and reward the formation of strong regional systems that deter poaching and promote cooperation.

Cleveland lost 11 businesses while gaining two over the 15-year period. Cincinnati lost 17 and gained 7 from 1996 to 2005.

Investment in urban centers like Cleveland makes good economic sense because of the ready access to the workforce, transportation and key community assets.

Associated Press 7-8-11

2011 Ohio Manufacturing Data

Getting In Shape

It’s clear to everyone involved in health care that overweight, smoking, sedentary workers are more likely to develop chronic and costly diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. That’s why many states are now embracing the private-sector model of encouraging, and in some cases offering, financial incentives to get employees to break unhealthy habits. By offering a wellness program, states hope to cut costs by helping workers shed pounds, kick tobacco habits and otherwise get in better shape.

Nebraska became the first state to offer public employees a plan that packages a wellness program with lower premiums, says Carlos Castillo, director of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services. Wellness options include 100 percent coverage for the basic preventive screenings, along with life-style programs offered by an independent provider. About 30 percent of employees have enrolled, and research shows they already have started to eat better, smoke less, exercise more and feel less stressed or depressed. There also has been a 19 percent increase in the portion of people who went for preventive screenings.

“We have already seen about 10 percent reduction in risk factors,” Castillo says, based on screenings for high blood pressure, blood sugar, tobacco use and activity level. Payback figures are now being calculated to see whether that translates into lower insurance costs for the state. But Castillo says he has “no doubt” that it does. “We are catching many conditions, like cancer, a lot earlier,” he says. “Those lead to huge cost savings.”

In Washington State, 60% to 80% of 7000 subjects were unaware of above normal levels tested in the categories of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. - Governing 11-11

Government’s Retreat
Whether we like it or not, it is time to expect less from government.

It may be a practical reality as the economic contraction threatens to put an end to full-service government as we have known it. Across the country there is a growing realization that the city or country is one player but not the sole funding source or service provider. There is ever-greater reliance on foundations and friends to support city programs and capital needs.

In one Colorado city, 38 percent of the police department’s calls for service did not need a uniformed police officer-they needed a neighbor. Government reformers have long contended that citizens want to be back in the public square. Desperate financial straits are creating opening for them as governments have been compelled to refocus on those things residents cannot do for themselves, with residents otherwise filling voids left open.

In a classic 1998 episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Homer makes a misguided and failed bid to become Springfield’s elected sanitation commissioner under the slogan, “Let somebody else do it.” His use of the phrase was the lazy man’s mantra for having government empty the trash, remove rodents, and do other things that have been professionalized over the years.

What we’re seeing now is the reversal of that. That “somebody else” is becoming us. - Governing 11-11

Private Prisons Hit Snags

Privately run prisons were once seen as a viable way for states to save money in the face of skyrocketing corrections costs. But lately, the idea has hit a few roadblocks. A 2007 University of Utah study found that cost savings of private prisons “are not guaranteed and appear minimal.” Earlier this year, the Arizona Department of Corrections found that housing someone in a private jail can actually cost the state up to $1,600 more per inmate every year. - Governing 11-11

NE Ohio’s manufacturing sector flexing its muscle

It might seem like a rusty old car to some, but Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing economy still has a pretty slick motor under the hood, and it’s revving up the regional economy right now.

Manufacturing, for once, is leading the nation’s economic recovery. In Northeast Ohio, the sector not only is growing faster than others, researchers say, but it’s also growing faster that manufacturing in the United States as a whole- and will continue to do so over at least the next five years.

So says Moody’s Analytics, as highlighted in the latest quarterly economic report by nonprofit business retention organization Team NEO. According to that analysis, Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing sector will grow by 27% from 2010 to 2015 in terms of total output. That’s a much faster rate of growth than Moody’s predicts for the nation as a whole, where it forecasts manufacturing output to climb by 17% over the same period.

“We think that (manufacturing) is what’s driving our relative success,” Team NEO chief executive Tim Waltermire said.

By “relative success,” Mr. Waltermire means the 18 countries in the northeast quadrant of Ohio are experiencing a lower unemployment rate than the nation as a whole- about 8.5% here compared to 9% for the United States. Northeast Ohio gained 30,000 jobs between fall 2010 and fall 2011, Team NEO’s research shows. About 8,000 of those jobs were in manufacturing sector, which was more than the gains in any other sector, Mr. Waltermire said.

There also are various fundamental factors driving the success of local manufacturers, said Ned Hill, dean of the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Dr. Hill said a weakening dollar, relative to the euro, is boosting exports to Europe, while shale gas development is helping to sustain local equipment manufacturers and also is beginning to drive down costs for the plastics and chemical industries in which Northeast Ohio is a big participant.

“I also expect that as the recovery gains traction, Europe willing, there will be a revival in car and light truck production and sales, which benefits Northeast Ohio through the automotive supply chain,” Dr. Hill said.

The research predicts the plastics and rubber industry in Northeast Ohio will increase its output by a healthy 48.6% from 2010 to 2015. - Crains 11-20-11

Asian Carp for Dinner?

Plankton-eating Asian carp swim in dozens of waterways near the Great Lakes. Should they ever break an electric fish barrier, the invasive species could decimate food supplies, starve out native fish and plants, and threaten a $7 billion fishing industry. To preserve native species and address the problem of hunger, one solution under consideration is to offer Asian carp at food banks. But people’s aversion to eating the 100-pound fish is getting in the way. So the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has launched a campaign to try to change people’s minds and palates. The agency has hired Louisiana chef Philippe Parola to show people how to cook Asian carp, which the DNR says is not only cheap but also nutritious-it is low in mercury and high in Omega-3 fatty acids. To help change perceptions of the fish, Parloa calls it “silverfin” instead. - Governing 11-11

If it’s not obvious to you already, a Washington Post story based in part on data from a Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland economist’s work concluded the economic recovery “is likely to be one of the

The bad news: “If it follows the patterns of other similar crises, the recovery of the U.S. economy could take years.”most difficult and protracted in U.S. history.”

Of the 11 U.S. recessions after World War II and before the most recent downturn, all but one were followed by recoveries that were more rapid than the decline, according to research by economists Michael D. Bordo of Rutgers and Joseph Haubrich of the Cleveland Fed.

This one is different because it was a financial crisis that has left behind large amounts of private and public debt.

Some good news for the economy: The IT industry is having a growth spurt. Spending on information technology will climb by about 5% next year, following a 7% jump this year over last. Consumers shelling out for hot new gadgets play a part, but the biggest outlays are by firms upgrading equipment and services. Total U.S. expenditures on IT will near $625 billion in 2012, vs. $600 billion in 2011.

Strong sector growth is also a bright spot on the jobs front. Overall, IT firms will add 150,000 jobs this year and would add more if they could. The labor pool of skilled IT workers is tight. Dice.com, a leading IT job-listing site, currently has more than 80,000 postings from companies looking for workers. The industry jobless rate was just 4.7% in July, and for the U.S. as a whole… 9.1%.

Kiplinger 8-12-11

Getting Around in Cities

Over 50% of the world’s population now lives in cities and this proportion is set to increase. Furthermore, over 30% of the world’s GDP comes from the top 100 cities and this proportion is also set to increase. Thus, urbanization is fast becoming one of the brute facts of life for mankind as we struggle to ensure a sustainable future on an increasingly over-crowded and over-stressed planet. Yet the study and management of cities is beset by a lack of recognition and use of the enormous power of information to enable solutions to address these problems.

Getting around easily by “helping people find their way,” through signage and other visual clues is critical to experiencing cities. Successful wayfinding programs can provide many benefits including creating more positive perceptions by visitors and residents, making it easier to find parking and providing a better, and more branded experience. Addressing wayfinding issues includes:

• Consider the psychological aspects of how users feel and behave in a particular space or place, especially when emotions are piqued.
• Understand movement to and within a space via travel alternatives.
• Decide what kinds of signs are needed with a sign type hierarchy list.

Eating your Landscaping

Nitrogen overloading is a serious problem in estuarine waters. Research shows that excessive nitrogen is causing an overgrowth of algae, which is outcompeting the eelgrass that provides the nursery grounds for many fish and other aquatic species.

An overgrowth of algae depletes oxygen in waters, killing marine life, increases the incidences and duration of harmful algal blooms, and lowers species diversity.

While agriculture, septic tanks, and lawn and garden fertilizers may spring to mind as the most common sources of nitrogen, atmospheric deposition from the burning of fossil fuels has the same impact on water quality.

For the U.S. as a whole, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from smokestacks and tailpipes is estimated to contribute 40 percent of the nitrogen that reaches coastal rivers and bays.

In addition to degrading coastal water quality, atmospheric nitrogen is a contributing factor in climate change.

Ecological landscaping involves practices such as reducing lawn area, using native plants, composting, mulching and programs that promote eating locally grown food.

Edible landscaping uses less fertilizer and reduces lawn areas, but adds the bonus of growing your own food. It reduces both nitrogen and the carbon footprint.

According to advocates, edible landscaping also is beneficial because fewer gas- or electric- powered tools, such as mowers and blowers, are used in its maintenance, compared to traditional lawns.

Edible landscaping uses fruit-and vegetable-bearing plants, herbs, and edible flowers throughout yards to turn the traditional lawn into a more utilitarian- but still decorative- space.

A walkway might be bordered with lettuce, cucumber vines might crawl up a decorative trellis, or mint might be used as a ground cover.

Edible landscaping can also be as simple as growing decorative containers of herbs and vegetables alongside flowerpots on a patio.

Coastal Services 8-11

Urban Agriculture Incubator Pilot Program

The Urban Agriculture Incubator Pilot Program would be commendable even if all it did was re-green 6 acres of vacant property in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood. But that’s just a side benefit of this public-private partnership created to cultivate a new crop of urban farmers.

Initially, quarter-acre garden plots are being leased to 20 participants enrolled in the incubator project. In exchange for selling their fruits and vegetables locally, they get a chance to turn their love of gardening into a new vocation.

One half acre site has been reserved as a demonstration area where The Ohio State University Extension, Cuyahoga County, is offering intensive, hands-on training for the prospective farmers in urban agriculture, direct marketing and business planning. More land is available so the incubator can grow over time.

Cleveland won the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first $740,000 grant through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

The state and the city each committed an additional $100,000. The city donated the vacant land, and Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc. recruited project participants from the community.

Inside Business 8-11

• Determine what sign goes where and with what message using location plans and message schedules.
• Account for special considerations such as vandalism, damage and message replacement.
• Design compelling and appropriate signage that provides information when it is needed and adds to the identity and context of a place.

Ohio Planners News, 9-11