Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) is postponing its 2022 General Assembly until April 25 out of caution for the high incidence of local COVID-19 cases.
The General Assembly is an annual meeting of TMACOG’s members that involves caucus sessions and voting on new leadership, as well as networking, lunch, and a panel presentation. All activities of the General Assembly are being moved from the original date of Jan. 24 to April 25.
Many governmental agencies were authorized during the early stages of the pandemic to conduct business during virtual meetings that were available to the public. That authority expired during 2021 and was not extended by the Ohio Legislature. Most meetings must now take place in person if official action is to be taken. TMACOG’s leaders will continue to discuss solutions with the Ohio Legislature that will allow some entities to meet virtually in a limited capacity.
Across the United States and locally, the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to significant increases in COVID-19 cases following the holidays.
“The TMACOG organization will continue to strive to find balance with the conduct of our business and the safety of the public. As such, we have decided to arrange for a new date for our 2022 General Assembly,” said Mark Stahl, TMACOG chairman and Ottawa County commissioner.
“Since our bylaws give us the option of postponing the General Assembly, we decided it would be best to do so until a time when COVID-19 isn’t having such a large, measurable impact on our communities,” said Michael Aspacher, TMACOG vice chairman and mayor of Bowling Green.
TMACOG’s current chair and vice chair will remain in their positions until a new General Assembly is convened on April 25 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Perrysburg. Regular committee and council meetings will continue to be held in person as required to conduct necessary business.
Anyone who registered for the Jan. 24 General Assembly does not need to register again for the new date. Those who registered for January but will not attend the later session can request a refund by contacting Nate Reiter: reiter@tmacog.org. If you registered as an exhibiting partner, please contact Gilda Mitchell: mitchell@tmacog.org.
Registration and details for the rescheduled 2022 General Assembly will be posted at https://tmacog.org/events/2022-tmacog-general-assembly
Additionally, two other upcoming events for TMACOG members will now be offered in a virtual format:
• 9 a.m. Feb. 8: TMACOG Tech: Social Media and Crisis Communication for Public Officials
• 9 a.m. Feb. 23: 2022 Access TMACOG: Resources for Members
Registration and more information will be posted at https://tmacog.org/events.
