The City of Oakwood recently completed a “road diet” concept on Shroyer Road that reduced the number of lanes to improve safety for all modes of transportation. To help with traffic flow and reduce crashes, exclusive left-turn lanes were added at cross- street intersections. This project received federal funding through MVRPC and allowed two neighboring communities to work together to address a serious safety issue. It’s another example of how we’re Shaping Our Region’s Future Together.

MVRPC Hosts “Is Your Community Solar Friendly” Round Table
MVRPC's Sustainability Roundtable was held on November 9, 2017. Robert Beeler from DP&L provided background on the process for net metering solar for residential and business properties. This process allows customers who generate their own electricity from solar to feed their unused electricity back to the grid. This chart shows the growth in solar connections over the last 13 years in the DP&L service territory. Note that the overwhelming number of installs is in the residential sector as shown in purple. Greg Smith from Energy Optimizers, USA listed several reasons for installing solar: it is a clean, cheap, and reliable source, it provides positive public relations, and it reduces pollution. Smith also provided case studies of solar installations completed by entities in the Miami Valley: Kettering Schools, Bradford Schools, and Greene County Public Library.

Miranda Leppla, Esq., energy attorney for The Ohio Environmental Council, described a number of good steps jurisdictions can take to be more "solar friendly." The Ohio Environmental Council is putting the finishing touches on a Local Government Solar Toolkit, which will include sample resolutions, a model ordinance for solar installations, ideas for incentives and resources, and useful data on solar energy. MVRPC will forward the toolkit when it is released. Luke Sulfridge introduced the Solar United Neighbors of Ohio solar co-op which has launched in the Dayton region. The co-op harnesses the power of buying in bulk to leverage lower bids from solar installers for a large number of residential and business properties in the region. Both Dayton area co-ops (North and South) are still welcoming new co-op members, and Sulfridge is available to speak at community meetings to educate your residents about the co-op and sign up new participants. Please contact Matt Lindsay at (937) 531-6548 or mlindsay@mvrpc.org for additional session details and speaker contact information.

MVRPC hosts ArcGIS Online Basics Training Session
MVRPC hosted its third Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training session within a year on Wednesday, November 15, 2017. We shared our data and mapping expertise with 17 attendees; 14 from member organizations.
Intended for people new to ArcGIS Online, the session focused on hands-on learning on how to use web GIS technologies. For more information about MVRPC’s GIS program, please visit our website at: mvrpc.org/data-mapping/gis-mvrpc.

MVRPC Hosts Session on Equity During the APA – Miami Valley Workshop
MVRPC hosted the session "Let's Talk about Inequity in the Miami Valley" at the Miami Valley Planning and Zoning Workshop on Friday, December 1, 2017. The session discussed the role planning professionals should play in increasing access to opportunity in the Miami Valley Region.
Following a brief staff summary of the findings, I participated with leaders from four organizations including: Sinclair Community College; Learn to Earn Dayton; United Way of Greater Dayton; and National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton. The panel brought a wealth of information on Equity in the Miami Valley from many aspects. The remainder of the session focused on an in-depth dialogue among small groups discussing barriers to achieving equity and the role of planners. The session was moderated by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at the Ohio State University. Visit mvrpc.org/regional-profiles for more information about Miami Valley Equity Regional Profile.

Grants & Funding Resources
On a monthly basis, MVRPC highlights new funding opportunities on our website at mvrpc.org/grant-and-funding-opportunities. These grant and funding opportunities were found through our use of Grantfinder software. A description, contact information and program links are included on these new sources. In addition, the website includes other valuable resources for your funding pursuits. This month we are featuring information on:

• The Dayton Foundation’s Del Mar Social Innovation Award for Older Adult Programming. Deadline: letter of intent - January 12, 2018; full application submission - March 2, 2018.
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Recycling and Litter Prevention Grants. Deadline: February 2, 2018.

If you need assistance with your grant pursuit or need further research, contact Lynn Zuch, Principal Planner, at 937.223.6323 or lzuch@mvrpc.org. 

Upcoming MVRPC Meetings: 

1/18/18       9:30 a.m.   Technical Advisory Committee – MVRPC - 10 N. Ludlow St., Suite 700
2/01/18       8:30 a.m.    Executive Committee – 1515 S. Main St., Dayton, Ohio
2/01/18       9:00 a.m.    Board of Directors – 1515 S. Main St., Dayton, Ohio

December 2017 Executive Director's Update available for download.