Executive
Director's
Update
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US 35 Lane Expansion Celebration | |
On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, MVRPC, ODOT, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and AES Ohio hosted a celebration for the completion of the US 35 Lane Expansion Project in Montgomery County, which upgraded the corridor between I-75 in Dayton and I-675 in Greene County by widening the route from two lanes to three lanes in each direction between Smithville Road and I-675. The completion of this project is a win for everyone for safer and more efficient commutes over US 35. A special thanks to our partners for this collaborative project that increases access and ensures equity for all of our residents! | |
Miami Valley TREEcovery Campaign | |
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On Saturday, October 22, 2022, the RETREET program, part of Keep America Beautiful, led a coalition of local, regional, and national partners in planting more than 150 8-10' tall trees, free of charge, at the homes of families in Trotwood, Harrison Township, and Old North Dayton who were affected by the Memorial Day 2019 tornadoes, in partnership with Keep Ohio Beautiful, Keep Montgomery County Beautiful, The Dayton Foundation, and Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
In order to help prepare for the tree plantings, staff from our MVRPC member communities and members of the MVRPC staff volunteered the day prior to the event to prepare tools and supplies and to deliver trees and mulch to home sites. The next tree planting for tornado survivors will take place in Spring 2023.
To learn more and to support this critical disaster recovery project, please visit www.retreet.org/mvtc.
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MVRPC Shares Community and Regional Planning Expertise | |
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During September 28 – 30, 2022, MVRPC staff attended the 2022 Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Planning Conference held in Louisville. Under the theme of “Explore Your Planning Superpowers,” this year’s conference brought together several hundred planning professionals from across the 3 states. Of the 28 total education sessions presented, MVRPC was honored to be selected as a speaker for two of them.
The first agency presentation discussed the importance of advancing planning efforts aimed at creating conditions for healthy people and communities and showcased two projects that have been delivered to date through the PLAN4Health – Miami Valley initiative.
The second presentation examined a steering committee’s role within the planning process from start to finish, highlighting best practices for committee engagement while discussing potential missteps and how to avoid them.
The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Planning conference is held every other year and is sponsored by the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana State Chapters of the American Planning Association. Session presenters were Martin Kim, Tom Harner, Kathryn Youra Polk, Liz Whitaker, and Milo Simpson.
For more information about MVRPC’s Community and Regional Planning Program, visit mvrpc.org/community-regional-planning or contact Martin Kim, Director of Community and Regional Planning at mkim@mvrpc.org.
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Latest Updates on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill | |
MVRPC to host GIS training session November 17th | |
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After a long break, MVRPC is bringing back our GIS training program for members. On Thursday, November 17, 2022, MVRPC will host a training session "ArcGIS Online-Data Collection" at the Montgomery County Business Solutions Center.
Intended for advanced beginner GIS users, this training session will update the topic covered at the last training session held before COVID-19 – using ArcGIS Field Maps to collect data as well as an overview of the latest in GPS technology. MVRPC staff will team with Mr. Eric Sauer from the Five Rivers MetroParks and Mr. Doug Kotnik from the Precision Laser & Instrument Inc. to provide hands-on learning opportunities.
Registration is required and there is a cap of 30 individual participants.
| For more information about MVRPC’s GIS Program, please visit mvrpc.org/data-mapping/gis-mvrpc or contact Tom Harner, GIS Manager at tharner@mvrpc.org. |
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MVRPC Leading Safety Advertising Campaign- Be Safe! | |
MVRPC is leading a regional Safety advertising campaign. We used research that identifies the most frequent types and causes of accidents in our Region to determine the important messages for the campaign to focus like encouraging seat belt usage, and discouraging distracted driving, and speeding. This fall, the campaign will be featured on digital advertising platforms like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartMedia, podcasting platform Audio GO, and social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Additionally, these messages will be featured in Dayton Daily News and Dayton Weekly News. The release of these advertisements will correspond with the time change. The messages for the advertisements are Be Safe! Drive the posted speed limit. Speeding endangers everyone on the road. Speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. Be focused, put down your phone and focus on driving. Studies show using a cell phone behind the wheel is as dangerous as drinking and driving. Be Safe. Wear your seatbelt. Every time. Of the 88 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2016 on Miami Valley roadways, 35% were not wearing seatbelts. |
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Grants and Funding Resources | |
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On a monthly basis, MVRPC is highlighting several funding opportunities for eligible cities, counties, and townships on our website that could benefit communities in the Region. We include a description, contact information, and program links. We have also listed other valuable resources for funding opportunities for our regional jurisdictions and organizations. See more at: mvrpc.org/grant-and-funding-opportunities
This month we are featuring information on:
- Solid Waste Management Grants for Rural Communities – Deadline: December 31, 2022
- Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program – Deadline: January 11, 2023
If you have any questions, please contact Kathryn Youra Polk at kyourapolk@mvrpc.org.
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School Travel Plan or Active Transportation Plan Funding Available | |
Funding applications for development of School Travel Plans or community Active Transportation Plans will be due to ODOT on December 9, 2022. School Travel Plan assistance can also be requested during the annual SRTS application cycle (due March 3, 2023). This change gives communities more time to develop plans for the following year’s infrastructure application cycle. A letter of support from MVRPC is a required element of a complete application for planning assistance funding. Please contact Matt Lindsay at mlindsay@mvrpc.org or Nick Cannistraci at ncannistraci@mvrpc.org so your letter can be prepared in a timely fashion. |
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FEMA and EDA Release New Resource to Align Community Plans and Build Resilience | |
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FEMA and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) released a new guide to help align hazard mitigation plans with Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS).
A CEDS must include economic resilience in its strategy; a hazard mitigation plan identifies and plans for natural hazard risks to key sectors, including the economy. Aligning these means community partners can coordinate better, share priorities and actions that reduce risk, and better use funding.
The guide includes economic development concepts to add to hazard mitigation plans. It also encourages integration of information from risk assessments and hazard mitigation ideas to use in a CEDS.
For more information on resiliency planning please contact Elizabeth Baxter, Manager of Disaster Recovery and Economic Development Planning, ebaxter@mvrpc.org.
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MiamiValleyGovJobs.org is a one-stop website for candidates seeking positions with a public agency in the Miami Valley. This service is provided to MVRPC member organizations and partners at no cost. Posting your positions on MiamiValleyGovJobs.org increases the visibility of your positions and expands your candidate pool. Each job post will be displayed with your organization's logo and a link to your website where candidates can find more information. To post a position with your organization, please email your posting to JobBoard@mvrpc.org.
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Upcoming Meetings and Events | |
MVRPC emails are produced through Constant Contact. We have negotiated a significantly reduced group rate for all of our MVRPC members and partners to join Constant Contact making it easy for you to offer your own customized, professional communication to your communities. You will save considerably more than you could joining the platform on your own, and even if you are already using Constant Contact, you can apply our discount to save even more. Best of all, the MVRPC communication team is here to help you get started! Visit our unique Constant Contact link or contact Laura Henry, MVRPC Director of Marketing and Public Outreach to learn more at lhenry@mvrpc.org. |
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