Facilitator Services
The Wood County Port Authority’s Board of Directors continually evaluate processes for opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance customer service, and create programs that help build better communities. Innovation and creativity are keys to our success. The Wood County Port Authority facilities include real or personal property, or any combination of the two that is owned, leased, or otherwise controlled or financed for authorized purposes. The Port Authority may assist other political subdivisions for projects such as administrative office facility or a parking garage. They can help manufacturers, distribution and transportation facilities, corporate headquarters, medical office buildings, cultural arts, research and technical centers, recreation, governmental operations, and non-profit organizations.
Based upon the interest of the Board of Directors of the Wood County Port Authority and the commissioners of Wood County, members of the Port Authority Board from time to time, commit their time and effort to leading projects outside of the Port but which the Port may be funding. An example of Port Authority members involving themselves in the leadership of related organizations is how Cher Johnson is providing leadership to the “Chessie Circle Trail”, a multi government coalition, as well as the “Cultural Arts Commission of Wood County”. Michael Liebenthal, also a Port Authority member, is a member of the Board of the Cultural Arts Commission of the Wood County, and one of its founders. Both the non-government agencies are not the direct responsibility of the Port Authority, but are funded by the Port Authority.
A recent project that the Wood County Port Authority offered their facilitator services, the Chessie Circle Trail involved quasi-public (not elected, appointment), federal, state government (such as ODOT) and the private industry. Wood County Port Authority’s Chair Johnson took lead on this project and moved efforts forward to help facilitate the planning of the bicycle and pedestrian path. The Port Authority effectively worked with the Wood County Parks, ODOT, City of Toledo, University of Toledo, Lucas County Metroparks and Wood County Metroparks.
The Wood County Port Authority, which acquired what, was once the Toledo Terminal Railroad’s Upper River Bridge five years ago from CSX Transportation, collectively worked through engineering studies to determine what could be done with the bridge. Ultimately, it was found that the rusting, 114-year-old bridge was so unsound that it could not be renovated for use as part of a bicycle and pedestrian trail along abandoned sections of that railroad. That recommendation echoed one issued two years earlier by the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Office of Structural Engineering. Rex Huffman, the Wood County Port Authority’s legal counsel, said that while the bridge might be able to support the weight of a lightweight platform suitable for people walking or on bicycles, a trail bridge of that length needs to be robust enough to support emergency vehicles.
Federal funding used to buy Toledo Terminal right-of-way for the Chessie Circle Trail development includes a condition that the full trail, including a link between Lucas and Wood counties, be available for public use by 2031. A detour to the Maumee-Perrysburg Bridge will fulfill that requirement in the interim. The Wood County Port Authority, one of that consortium’s five members, took title to the bridge as part of the transaction. The Chessie Circle Trail will one day extend for 11 miles, connecting North and South Toledo and the University of Toledo main campus with the UT Health Science campus.
None Port but Focus-Dedication-Research-Perserverance-Teamwork (FDRPT)
Again based upon the leadership of the Port Authority, the efforts of the ‘Executive Director’, and the Port Authorities ‘Director of Projects’, the Port Authority can be engaged to helping put together unique funding partners to help a city, township, business accomplish a particular task. Several great examples of how the Port Authority used FDPRT to accomplish a particular task are as follows:
- Rossford Railroad Crossing: City of Rossford has needed to improve the railroad crossing on Route 65 as it enters the city from the east, while Rossford’s NSG Pilkington was making other improvements and could shut down the glass furnace for more than 2 days. Funding was not available until the Wood County Port Authority through its executive director and its Director of Projects got involved. The Port Authority found funds by bringing together the Ohio Rail Commission, Jobs Ohio, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. The key restraint was completing the job in two days. The ‘Director of Projects’ and the Executive Director, got the job completed on time and on budget.
- CSX Rail Yard in North Baltimore: The Wood County Port Authority played an important role but not a lead role in the creation of this unique rail facility in North Baltimore. WCEDC (Wood County Economic Development Commission) played the lead role in the putting the land and the client, CSX, together. Two other organizations offered funding for an overpass over the railroad tracks which was to become Liberty High Road. Initial estimates by the County to build an overpass were over $12 million dollars and it would take 3 years to build the overpass. This was going to be a deal killer. So the Wood County Port Authority was asked if they could build an overpass for the amount of the grant money and within a one year time frame. The Port Authority used FDRPT and put together the Wood County Commissioners, the Ohio Rail Commission and Ohio Department of Transportation who used the Port Authority to bid, accept and build the Overpass. Again the Port Authority got the job done on time and on budget.