Miami Township Monthly

March 2018

Citizens to benefit from renovations

Renovations to the Miami Township Police Department are on schedule while some of the construction work made its way to the Government Center for a touch-up of its own. Perhaps most noticeable, are changes to the Board of Trustees meeting room on the second floor.

It is now re-designed to provide attendees a better view and enhanced audio during board meetings. Attendees who previously spoke before the board had their backs to the audience, blocking a full view of the trustees and making it difficult to hear them. The speaker’s podium now sits off to one side and new microphones are in place to rectify the those issues. There is also a new overhead projection screen for easier viewing, and with the township’s continuing efforts to increase transparency, new video equipment is installed to record meetings for later viewing.

“Anyone that cannot make a meeting, will still have the opportunity to watch the proceedings later via our new YouTube channel,” Kyle Hinkelman, deputy director of community development, said. Visit our new YouTube channel now to subscribe. We intend to post each meeting the next business day. It’ll take a little time to grow our list of videos as we investigate other ways to best use YouTube to the community’s advantage.”

The area outside the board meeting room is re-configured to allow for overflow space with a television monitor should the need arise. Visitors to the Government Center will also notice changes at the administration and planning reception desks where new security glass was installed.

Detectives move into their new offices on the renovated second floor of the police department in mid-March. The new space allows for more private interaction with the public. The police chief and captains will move to the first floor once construction there is finished. Their move will allow for better lines of communication with officers. Becker Construction says the entire project should be complete early this summer.

Go to YouTube

At Your Service

Trustees host first Breakfast with the Board of 2018

The first Breakfast with the Board of 2018 was held on Valentine's Day at the Homewood Suites. Our hosts graciously provided a hot breakfast for nearly 40 attendees.

Miami Valley Fire District Matt Queen was a guest speaker. He talked about the organization of the district, including staffing and the number of calls it receives. Chief Queen says the district responded to 173 fire calls and nearly 6,300 calls for medics in 2017.

Miamisburg City Schools Superintendent David Vail shared details of a busy sports season in the district, and Homewood Suites General Manager Michelle Cartone shared information about the hotel's recent renovation and the ongoing need for new employees.

Cartone accepted a special proclamation on behalf of Homewood Suites from Trustees Doug Barry and John Morris for hosting the event and its continued support of the township.

Both trustees also looked forward to a busy year ahead. The next Breakfast with the Board is planned for May.

Trustees set standards for sought after property

A strict set of zoning standards are now in place for a property that sits just north of the Dayton Wright Brothers Airport and east of Austin Landing.

While the Humane Society of Greater Dayton is purchasing three acres of the land, the other 59 acres have potential for future development, even though nothing is currently planned.

These new standards ensure that nearby residents living in the Villages of Miami have proper buffer zones from any future development. It also restricts what type of business can move there.

Among those that are prohibited include gas stations and repair shops, drive-in and carry-out restaurants, convenience stores, and vehicle sales and rental. The Board of Trustees voted to approve the measure upon the recommendation of the Zoning Commission.

New restaurant on the horizon at Austin Landing

A new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant will be opening at Austin Landing by the end of the year.

The Miami Township Board of Trustees have approved the final development plan to begin construction of the new restaurant on a swatch of land between the Kroger store and Kohl’s.

The developers say the restaurant design is the first of its kind in the country and will meet all the building standards set forth by the township.

If all goes as planned, construction should begin this spring, and opening day will be in late fall.

Three paving projects in works

Plans are in the works for paving projects along three area roads.

The township is receiving assistance from the Montgomery County Partnership Pool Program. It allows for asphalt resurfacing, crack sealing and pavement marking at competitive rates.

Streets on the 2018 schedule are Byers Road from the Lyons Road intersection heading north; Spring Valley Pike from SR 741 eastward to the Venture Loop; and Kingsridge Drive from SR 725 northward to Washington Park Drive.

The estimated cost of the project is $90,000.

Township to debut new website design in March

Miami Township's website is getting a whole new look in March. It will provide easier access to board meeting agendas, permit applications, the calendar, township news and so much more.

You will also notice updated graphics and photos. The site is managed by Civic Plus, who upgraded the site at no additional cost to the township.

Visit our website

Chili cookoff champ makes a mean bowl of chili

Miami Valley Fire District Battalion Chief Andy Harp took top prize at the 3 ^rd annual West Carrollton City Schools Chili Cookoff in February.

Harp's giant pot of chili contained 50 pounds of beef, 10 huge cans of beans, a dozen cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, plus pounds and pounds of peppers, onions and spices. It served approximately 400 people.

Three 'cooks' from area fire departments competed including West Carrollton, Moraine and the Miami Valley Fire District (Miami Township).

The event raised $1,600 to benefit the Pirate Pack program which provides food for weekend meals to West Carrollton students in need.

A competition was also held to see which community could donate the most jars of peanut butter to the event, and guess what?

Miami Township residents came through and donated the most jars to the cause!

Watch Andy's appearance on Fox 45 in the Morning

Meet the Neighbors

Ron and Cherry Bingamon

Ron and Cherry Bingamon are 40-year residents of Chautauqua, an area of Miami Township rich with history. They moved away once, but not for long. The couple missed the family-friendly community and quickly returned. They raised two children there, and now regularly welcome their four grandchildren.

The Bingamons are a living encyclopedia of the Chautauqua movement that dates to 1895 in New York. It was established as a place to learn about the fundamentals of Christianity through non-sectarian lectures, concerts and dramatic performances. The first Ohio Chautauqua was founded in Franklin in 1896 and by 1901, established itself in Miami Township along the banks of the Great Miami River.

“Chautauqua is truly a wonderful place to live and raise children. We treasure our years of memories as homeowners here,” Cherry said.

One such memory happened during the late 1970s when their son Tom, who was about 11 years old at the time, and his buddy went door-to-door touting a Fourth of July firework display about which their parents knew nothing.

“Here comes people with chaise lounges and chairs, and all the boys had were caps and a hammer,” Cherry said. “We’re looking outside and people are wondering where the show is, so I quickly run outside with some iced tea and cookies.”

Then, there is the time that they literally swapped houses with their neighbors after outgrowing their home at the same time their neighbors were looking to downsize.

“We went room by room, swapping out the furniture, moving it across our front lawns,” Ron said. “A couple pulled up in front of the house and asked to buy a bed that was sitting outside. My neighbor said ‘sure, $50.00,’ but it wasn’t his bed, it was ours. I had to tell the man the bed wasn’t for sale.”

Part of Chautauqua’s heritage lands right in the Bingamon’s yard. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited in July 1940 to speak to a crowd of 4,000 people inside the Chautauqua auditorium. She stayed in the house next door to where the Bingamons live now. A photo captures her in their side yard talking with neighbors.

“We weren’t there, of course, but we have the photo to show it off,” Cherry said.

During the Miami Valley Chautauqua’s 120-year history, a grand hotel, swimming pool, summer cottages, skating rink and much more were built. Families would spend their entire summers there with every amenity at their fingertips.

Chautauqua was a private community until 1987 when its association voted to become part of Miami Township for better management of roads and property assessments. Residents pay an annual fee that helps with the upkeep of a community center and another building used for Boy Scout meetings. There are more than 200 houses in the Chautauqua area, many of which have been handed down through generations of families.

Both Ron and Cherry are retired educators, each having worked at many different school districts; Carlisle, West Carrollton, and Kettering among them. Their grandchildren are the subjects of many paintings and chalk drawings in the Bingamon home that Ron created over the course of 20-years, and there is an easily recognizable theme in the kitchen. There are cherries everywhere; plates, linens, you name it, all very fitting for a woman named Cherry Bing amon.

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Read more about Chautauqua

Community Spotlight

BOGG Ministries Mobile Meals

Photo courtesy BOGG Ministries

BOGG Co-founders Jason Johnston (left) and Jason Barton

Mobile Meals truck

Photo courtesy BOGG Ministries

BOGG Ministries is headquartered at the Southbrook Christian Church on Washington Church Road. It will celebrate its eighth year at that location in March.

Tell us a little bit about how BOGG Ministries came about?

Jason Barton and myself (Jason Johnston) saw a need, talked about it and decided to do something other than just talk about it. At the time (2009), the Dayton area was the fourth hungriest city in America. We knew if there was something we could do about it, we needed to do it. We started bringing food to four families' houses in 2010, hung out with the kids, helped with homework or just played video games. It was always about helping people and getting to know them.

How does Mobile Meals work?

Anyone is welcome to come out to a mobile event who needs food or just wants to help. It’s about community. Anyone needing food can shop from our FREE grocery tables, then get a hot meal off the grill. Music is playing and activities for the kids are available too. The goal is to make sure anyone needing food goes home with three meals a day for three to five days.

Why is the Mobile Meals program so important?

Although the Dayton area is now out of the top 10 hungriest in America, we still have over 120,000 people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Going to people's neighborhoods instead of requiring them to come to us makes it easier for them to get the help they need. Since the mobile visits are more of a community cookout which cares about the people, we know people caring about one another does more than just fill their plate.

How can Miami Township residents get involved?

First and foremost, get physically involved! We need volunteers four nights a week. On average, we use 80 to 100 volunteers a week. Give back financially. $1.00 equals two meals. On average, we give out over 600,000 meals a year. You can get started by visiting us online at thebogg.org .

BOGG Ministries is celebrating its 8 ^th anniversary in March. Any special plans?

We like to celebrate by helping more people. In May, we will open our 10th mobile location in Kettering! You will also start seeing BOGG do pop up cookouts all over the Dayton area.

How has the township contributed to your success?

Last year, the police department donated money from its No Shave November event to help buy food.

What are your business hopes and goals for the future?

To love and feed as many people as possible. To show our community we aren’t so different from one another and life is full circle. You get out what you put in and together, we can and will make a difference.

Visit BOGG Ministries online

Staff Spotlight

Name: Chris Snyder

Title: Director of Community Development

Years of service to township: 17

Chris Snyder, MA, AICP, has been with Miami Township since 2001 and has served as the director of the Community Development Department since 2014. Chris has held several positions with Miami Township over the years, but has not spent all his time rooted in the office.

In 2006, Chris traveled to the Gulf Coast with a team from The Ohio State University following the devastation of hurricane Katrina to assist communities planning for their future. Chris also serves as a board member of several economic development entities for Miami Township. Outside of the office, Chris has volunteered his time as a board member on the Miami Township Community Foundation since 2011.

Chris and his team have spent considerable time planning for and pursuing redevelopment opportunities in the Dayton Mall area. This included a series of public meetings, open houses, and workshops during 2013-2015. Chris has presented sessions on this and other topics at a variety of conferences and workshops over the years, including the National Planning Conference of the American Planning Association and most recently at the Ohio Township Association Winter Conference.

Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, and two children who are involved in sports, scouting, and other activities in the local community. Chris is particularly proud of the work his wife does as a therapist working with patients struggling with drug addiction and behavioral health issues.