News from BG: March 3, 2021
PILOT RESIDENTIAL FOOD WASTE DROP OFF OPENS MARCH 26TH!
To help reduce the amount of food waste being sent to landfills, the City of Bowling Green is launching a 6-month Pilot Residential Food Waste Drop Off. The Drop Off will be available to Bowling Green residents beginning Friday, March 26, 2021. The City is working with GoZero to place 64-gallon containers behind the Public Works garage, near the public Yard Waste Drop Off, on Tarragon Drive. The area will be clearly marked with signs identifying where to drop off residential food waste and brochures will be available listing the accepted materials and program guidelines. Food waste CAN NOT be left in the yard waste collection area and yard waste CAN NOT be left in the food waste area. All food waste collected will be taken to a certified facility to be composted. Those using this service are encouraged to review the list of accepted items below to minimize the amount of contamination. Site usage, tonnage collected, contamination issues, and cost will be monitored during the 6-month trial period and a recommendation will be made in August for the future of this site.

NO PLASTIC BAGS! Residents are encouraged to use a lidded bucket to transport household food waste to the site. Residents may use any bucket or container they choose. To help launch the program, 5-gallon buckets with lids will be distributed to the first 350 residents who request one. The buckets will contain educational materials and a label displaying the list of acceptable food waste. In return, these residents will be asked periodically for feedback on the pilot program. To request a bucket and/or a label, call 419-354-6222 or email sustainability@bgohio.org. 
INCOME TAX
Need help completing your forms?
Call 419.354.6212
The City of Bowling Green tax filing due date is April 15, 2021 for 2020 tax returns. Payments of your 2020 tax return and first quarter 2021 estimated tax payment are also due April 15, 2021.

The Bowling Green Income Tax Division requires a copy of your Federal tax return (Form 1040) and all W-2s. If you are claiming Bowling Green withholding or a credit for taxes paid to another municipality, your W-2 needs to report this withholding.

Income tax filings may be turned in using the drop box located outside the building or mailed in. Staff will frequently check the drop box throughout the business day (Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm).

Those who are planning to file income tax returns in person are strongly encouraged to do so well in advance of the April 15th deadline in order to avoid long lines.
Parks & Rec to Conduct Prescribed Burn

The Bowing Green Parks and Recreation Department periodically conducts prescribed burns at the Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve as a land management tool. These controlled burns have greatly enhanced the natural habitat for wildlife and assist with plant management – efficiently removing non-native invasive species that invade our local habitat and shade out native plants. Controlled burns are considered a natural resource manager’s most cost-effective tool for managing a natural habitat.

Given the correct weather conditions, the nature preserve will conduct a prescribed burn this spring. The burn will be conducted by a Certified Prescribed Fire Manager, along with trained....MORE
Knox Boxes Provided
by Fire Division

Through a grant from the Bowling Green Community Foundation, as well as generous donations from the Wood County Committee on Aging and Walmart, the Bowling Green Fire Division has purchased residential Knox Boxes to loan (free of charge) to approved citizens.

The box is used to gain access to elderly or disabled patients in an emergency when that patient is unable to get to the door themselves. Having this box saves precious time and costly damages to the doors and windows of residents.

An online application is available HERE or residents may contact the fire division for more information at 419-352-3106.
When in Doubt,
Throw it Out

"Wish"cycling (putting non-recyclable items in your recycling bin, hoping that they will be recycled) can cost recycling programs money and cause true recyclable material to become too contaminated to be recycled.

NO BAGS! Recyclables should be placed loose in your recycling container and not bagged. Plastic bags can become tangled in machinery causing expensive downtime and repairs. In most cases, bagged material is thrown away in fear it is garbage.

The City's list of ACCEPTED MATERIALS can be viewed on our website.

We also encourage you to check out Recycle Coach! The "What Goes Where Tool?" allows residents to search for common household items and provides proper recycling guidance.
WEEKLY UPDATE
COVID-19 Vaccines:

  • Wood County Health Department and Wood County Committee on Aging are partnering to ensure that seniors who are homebound have opportunities to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Being homebound means that a person does not leave his or her home under normal circumstances or without assistance from others. Anyone who feels they meet this definition is encouraged to contact the Wood County Committee on Aging at 1-800-367-4935 to make arrangements to be vaccinated at home.

  • Anyone who is not part of this group can schedule appointments normally with local providers. Local vaccine allotments have increased recently, and as more people continue to be vaccinated, appointments are easier to schedule than they were at the beginning of Phase 1B.

  • Vaccine appointments with several local providers become available for scheduling each week on Friday at noon. This includes appointments with Wood County Health Department, Wood County Hospital, and Mercy Health – Perrysburg Hospital.

  • The providers that have vaccine available may change week to week. Some national providers, like pharmacies, may have rolling appointments that become available on a different schedule. For the most recent information on vaccine opportunities, go to www.WoodCountyHealth.org or call Wood County Health Department’s information line at 419-823-9528 to hear a recorded message with updated information.

  • To review vaccine eligibility guidelines and updates, click HERE