In addition to these employees, a special "team effort" recognition will be given to Regional Planning and Zoning for putting together the Community COMPASS Town Meeting. Through these efforts 1200 citizens were brought together to discuss the future of Hamilton County. 

These employees will be recognized at the May 8th Board of County Commissioners meeting as well as at a ceremony on Fountain Square that same day.  The committee was very impressed with the outstanding service and commitment of these employees as well as the 60 other employees that were nominated by their co-workers. Thank you to all who participated in this year's recognition program. Keep up the good work!

Small business expansion and entrepreneurs continue to account for much of the growth in Hamilton County.  This year, HCBC has attracted 7 new clients into the facility and graduated 2 tenants to communities within Hamilton County. The success of HCBC’s clientele is evidenced by 3 HCBC entrepreneurs receiving nominations for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.  HCBC now is home to 41 tenants – over 40% of which are high-tech companies.  Not content to rest on their laurels, HCBC partnered with BioStart, Emerging Concepts and UC to create SoundingBoard.  SoundingBoard provides start-up entrepreneurs access to 8-12 subject matter experts that critique business plans and presentations of participants.  SoundingBoard opens new doors to early-stage financing for ambitious entrepreneurs.

Demonstrating Hamilton County’s E-Gov initiative, HCDC recently launched its new website (www.hcdc.com) to provide new online tools to local businesses.  The website contains information regarding business financing, tax incentives, local demographics, and a searchable index of available local properties ready for development. The website is the first of its kind to offer the online submission of tax incentive applications within the State of Ohio.

According to County Administrator David Krings, “Eric Stuckey has proven himself to be a valuable professional of considerable ability during his time with Hamilton County. He has taken on many important assignments and handled them well.  We are fortunate to have someone with Eric’s talents and abilities on staff. I am confident in Eric’s ability to meet the challenges of this new position.”

“I am excited by the opportunity and look forward to serving the citizens of Hamilton County in this new role,” stated Stuckey. “I look forward to working with a strong team currently in place to building on the department’s and the County’s  record of excellence.” 

The Department of Administrative Services is responsible for the development and implementation of Hamilton County’s $2 billion budget. In addition to budget and financial matters, other services provided through the department include management of County-owned sports stadiums and riverfront parking operations, central purchasing services, grants management, risk management, and small, minority- and female-owned business development. For the past eight consecutive years, Hamilton County has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Presentation Award, the highest recognition possible for local governmental budgeting. 

Eric lives in Anderson Township with his wife and two young children.

Recently released data from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) shows that Hamilton County achieved a reduction rate of 26.58% in the residential/commercial sector, and 86.27% in the industrial sector in the year 2000. 

"This is excellent news for Hamilton County,” said Jeff Aluotto, manager for Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District.  “Our Solid Waste Management Plan was truly written as a partnership between local communities, businesses and the recycling industry.  The fact that we've exceeded the State goals is a testament to the effort that all of these partners have put forth in providing the public with needed services while protecting our environment."

The District credits reaching the industrial rate to the recycling of large quantities of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.  In the residential/commercial sector, yardwaste and paper represented the greatest proportion of materials recycled.  Over 1.1 million tons of materials were recycled in Hamilton County in the year 2000.  Still, over 1.2 million tons were landfilled. 

Recycling has never been more important, and there is still work to be done.  Hamilton County faces future challenges in finding cost-effective ways to continue to increase the County’s diversion rate, and assisting residents and businesses in dealing with new waste streams such as computers and electronics.

Recycling saves energy and natural resources when compared with landfilling and the manufacturing of new products.  Recycling reduces air emissions, reduces the need for new landfill expansions and has a positive economic impact.  According to a recently released study by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the recycling industry in Ohio employs over 98,000 people and generates annual sales of $22.5 billion.

The Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District is responsible for solid waste and recycling planning in the county.  This includes encouraging and implementing recycling and waste reduction programs for communities and industry.  The District would like to thank the residents and businesses in Hamilton County and encourages all sectors of the public to continue with their recycling efforts.

For more information, please contact Jeff Aluotto at (513) 946-7719, or visit www.hcdoes.org.

The purpose of this seminar is to help small, minority- and female-owned businesses interested in working with the County by providing specific information regarding how Hamilton County does business.  Topics discussed will include the County’s process for the purchase of goods and/or services via competitive bidding and professional service selection process.  Participants will have the opportunity to network and have one-on-one discussions with County personnel, presenters, other small business owners, and representatives of various small business resources (e.g., Hamilton County Business Center, African American Chamber of Commerce, and South Central Ohio Minority Business Council).  A continental breakfast, lunch and parking will be provided.

Although there is no fee to attend, registration is required, and participation is limited to the first 40 registrants (only one person per organization please).  The next seminar will be in the fall.  Previous sessions were held on December 7, 2001 and February 22, 2002.  The seminars have been well received with full registration at the previous sessions.  To date sixty-four (64) small, minority- and/or female-owned businesses have participated. 

For more information, please call Bernice Walker at (513) 946-4323.  Visit www.hamilton-co.org/das/sbe1.htm for more details about Hamilton County’s Small Business Program.