EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S
UPDATE
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MVRPC Board of Directors Adopt New Rate Increase for CY2023 |
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October 6th was a proud day for our Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission! For the first time since 1989, the MVRPC Board of Directors adopted a rate increase on its members that will be assessed starting January 2023. Overall, the 25% rate increase was needed to raise more local funding that will be used as local matching funds for federal and state grants the agency pursues for its operating budget. The only way MVRPC could raise local funding is through this dues increase. Unlike other types of local government, MVRPC has no property or sales tax levying capabilities.
As a membership organization, we are very proud that our members see the value that we add to help our region become better and stronger. We are their long-range and strategic partners and they know they can rely on MVRPC to provide excellent advice and support. Thanks to the Board of Directors and our valued staff for their hard work and support for this dues increase. If the matter would not have passed today, MVRPC would then request a 2020 Census only adjustment which could have passed with a 1/3 vote of the Board of Directors (30 members). That amount would not have been adequate to address our budget shortfall.
This was a unanimous vote on the matter that the agency truly needed. We’ve been working with our Board since November 2021 explaining to them the what and why we need more funding now. Back in 1989, the agency was able to pass rate increases by 2/3 the majority of all members by mail-in ballot. Today, the Ohio Sunshine Law makes no such accommodation for voting and so we needed to have all voting members in the same meeting space. Even though there were fewer members in 1989 and voting was by mail-in ballot, that vote wasn’t unanimous. I’m very proud we were able to get the 2/3 majority vote (60 members) to vote unanimously. Achieving this support is quite an accomplishment!
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The City of Fairborn Named Sustainable Community of the Year for 2022 |
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At its annual Fall Awards Event, the Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment (PFE) recognized the City of Fairborn as the 2022 Sustainable Community of the Year. PFE established this award to honor local governments that take active steps to adopt preserve and restore natural resources, reduce pollution, and address environmental challenges, including climate change. The City of Fairborn was recognized for partnerships with community non-profits to preserve green space, for projects to install electric vehicle charging, bicycle and pedestrian improvements within the city, and for establishing an Earth Day event to engage residents on sustainable living. The city has set strong goals for itself to become a Tree City USA, and to develop and implement a carbon reduction plan for city operations with the assistance of Power a Clean Future Ohio, a diverse coalition engaging with cities and local governments to build a clean future across Ohio.
MVRPC staff supported the Fairborn Sustainability Committee over the past two years as it studied community composting, and planned the city’s inaugural Earth Day event for 2022. Staff also worked closely with city staff on the grants supporting the electric vehicle charging stations installed in the historic downtown and along Dayton-Yellow Springs Road. Pictured are Fairborn City Council members, Tana Stanton and Clint Allen, with Matt Lindsay from MVRPC after the ceremony.
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MVRPC Presents at the 2022 Ohio GIS Conference |
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MVRPC staff attended the 2022 Ohio Geographic Information System (GIS) Conference, held in Columbus September 20-22, which included over 45 educational sessions.
As the photo shows, MVRPC planner, Milo Simpson, presented “Plan4Health – Miami Valley” to feature how MVRPC uses GIS to support different components of the Plan4Health initiative. The session offered an “under the hood” look at the recently completed Built Environment Assessment of the initiative.
The Ohio GIS Conference is sponsored by the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO), the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP), and the Ohio Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA).
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Congratulations to Local Leaders Recognized as Ohio's Top 500 Community Leaders in 2022 |
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Ohio Business Magazine released their Inaugural Ohio 500 feature, spotlighting leaders throughout Ohio whose work is helping to shape and grow the state. Congratulations to those from MVRPC Member Organizations and our Executive Director of Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission for being recognized as Ohio’s top 500 leaders in 2022:
- Brian O. Martin, AICP - MVRPC
- Chris Kershner – Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
- Joseph Graves – Troy Chamber of Commerce
- Jeffrey Trzeciak – Dayton Metro Library
- Jack Kuntz – City of Clayton
- Colonel Patrick G. Miller – Wright Patterson Air Force Base
- Michael Davis – City of Moraine
- Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. – City of Dayton
- Gilbert Turner – City of Dayton
- Mike Parks – The Dayton Foundation
- Kristina Lund – AES Ohio
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Dayton Riverfront Plan- Creating Contiguous Open Space Corridors |
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Some places along our river corridors lack public open space along the waterways. People can’t reach the water. Where they can, there are no amenities. Much of the Wolf Creek is inaccessible to dense neighborhoods in West Dayton. A series of parks along the east side of the Stillwater River north of downtown serve the adjacent residents, but the dense neighborhoods on the west side of the river have no access. The bikeway runs along both sides of the Great Miami River downtown, but it’s difficult to find a way down to the riverbank. This restricts the opportunities that the rivers offer to Dayton’s residents, workers, students and visitors.
The Dayton Riverfront Plan expands our open space along the rivers. Contiguous public access to bikeways, trails, fishing spots, and river put-ins, as well as picnic shelters and open areas, are the key to unleashing the potential of our waterways for everyone. The Plan envisions expanding DeWeese Park and the Stillwater Bikeway across the river to serve the Riverdale and North Riverdale neighborhoods. Also envisioned is building the bikeway and expanding open space up both sides of the Wolf Creek and a pedestrian promenade along the east bank of the Great Miami River, from near Sinclair College to OnMain and the University of Dayton. Creating public parks and open spaces on our waterways is a foundational ambition of the Riverfront Plan, and the work has already begun.
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Latest Updates on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill |
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Upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcements in 2022
In order to provide stakeholders with more visibility into upcoming funding opportunities, U.S. DOT is publishing a list of anticipated dates for Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for key Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs. This list is not comprehensive and will be updated periodically with new programs and dates.
October -
December -
Resources -
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MVRPC Creates Interactive Dashboards Highlighting Data About Employment in Our Region |
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The Census Bureau, in partnership with other federal and state agencies, produces Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamic (LEHD) data on employment. MVRPC has used this data to create two new interactive and user-driven dashboards depicting detailed employment data at both county and regional levels for our 6+ county region.
The first dashboard highlights all jobs’ locations and worker demographics in the Miami Valley. The second dashboard depicts more information about different job sectors found in the region. Each responsive dashboard maintains the same functionality that allows a user to zoom in and out, pan around, draw custom boundaries, or filter the data by county. Users may also click on the map to view a pop-up with more detailed demographic or job sector information in a smaller geographic area. Each dashboard displays LEHD data from 2019 and 2011 to portray both snapshots and trend figures.
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Miami Valley TREEcovery Campaign Volunteer Opportunity |
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In partnership with RETREET and Keep America Beautiful, the Miami Valley TREEcovery Campaign is a multi-year effort to heal the landscape devastated by the Memorial Day 2019 tornadoes. The second large scale tree planting effort occurring as part of the Miami Valley TREEcovery Campaign will take place on Saturday, October 22, 2022. Volunteers are needed to plant more than 200 trees for tornado impacted residents in Trotwood, Harrison Township, and Old North Dayton. The event will begin at 12:00 p.m. with check-in at Sinclair Park (685 Shoup Mill Road, Dayton, OH 45415). Volunteers will be taught proper tree planting techniques, then arranged into small groups that will be sent to home sites in the three communities.
A free dinner will follow the planting. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, please visit https://volunteer.kab.org/RETREET/DaytonOH to register. We appreciate your assistance sharing this link on social media and through your community newsletters.
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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:
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF Ohio) – Deadline: November 15, 2022
- Brownfields Cleanup Grants – Deadline: November 22, 2022
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is accepting applications for the 4th round of funding for the ReConnect Program. The Department will accept applications until November 2, 2022 for loans, loan/grant combinations, and grants to expand affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America.
To be eligible for ReConnect Program funding, an applicant must serve an area where high-speed internet service is not available at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). The applicant must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in its proposed service area. Information on broadband availability in your community can be found by accessing the Broadband Ohio website.
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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 |
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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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