The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s board of directors has launched a publicity campaign to let the public know that it is “More Than A Port.”

The port’s new slogan was previewed as the title of a two-minute video shown to port directors when they met Thursday.

“The public does not have a sufficient knowledge base as to the breadth and depth of the port authority’s role in the community,” said James Tuschman, the port board’s chairman.

Mr. Tuschman said the port authority was founded in 1955 to manage Toledo’s seaport following the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Its role expanded over the years to manage Toledo’s two airports and the city’s passenger-train station. While those tasks remain part of the agency’s core mission, it has expanded in recent years into a busy economic development entity.

Recent port initiatives include redeveloping the abandoned Jeep assembly plant next to I-75 in central Toledo as Overland Industrial Park, now with three manufacturing tenants; financing a $500 million Pro Football Hall of Fame expansion in Canton, Ohio; and helping Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. develop a $700 million iron-processing plant on Front Street in East Toledo.

Mr. Tuschman denied that the campaign is related to the port authority’s 0.4-mill levy, which comes up for renewal or replacement in 2018. The levy raises $2.3 million per year.

Port spokesman Holly Kemler said the port authority created the tagline in 2016 and then used two focus groups to test the public’s knowledge about the port authority.

“Awareness is minimal among the general public,” she said. The port is overseen by a 13-member board appointed by the city of Toledo and the Lucas County commissioners.

The new video is planned to be used in future port board presentations, and will be available on YouTube.com and on the port authority’s website and social media. Ms. Kemler said about $23,000 has been spent on the More Than a Port campaign so far and that $6,000 is budgeted to promote the campaign in 2018.

The video will be expanded into four one-minute videos about transportation, brownfield development, finance and energy, and community programming.

The video prompted warnings from board members Bernard “Pete” Culp and Baldemar Velasquez that the port authority’s efforts would be wasted if they don’t improve employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the city.

And board member Bill Carroll requested the insertion of a reference to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, which is based at Toledo Express Airport and has a homeland security mission.

The port authority’s proper role has been an issue for the board in the past, with several members objecting to what they called “mission creep,” while other members said the board was intentionally broadening its mission.

In other action, the board of directors:

● Approved to reconstitute ParkSmart as a wholly owned entity of the port authority. The port acquired three downtown parking garages and on-street parking authority from the city in 2011 and since then has run them jointly with Downtown Toledo Development Corp.

● Approved a $600,000 bridge loan to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to help it buy $3.4 million worth of land for Metroparks Toledo over a two-year period. The parcels to be purchased were not identified in the board’s materials.

● Approved a resolution honoring outgoing Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson, whose term ends Jan. 2 when Mayor-elect Wade Kapszukiewicz is sworn in.

Contact Tom Troy at tomtroy@theblade.com, 419-724-6058, or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published December 21, 2017, 5:36 p.m.