Funding through Section 5310 awarded to Eleven Local Entities.
Eleven local entities will be awarded grant funding through the Specialized Transportation Program, also known as the Section 5310 - Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program. The funding, totaling close to $750,000, is made available through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and is designed to improve transportation options for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. A large portion of the funding requested will be earmarked for the acquisition of ADA-compliant vehicles to serve the growing demand for handicap-accessible transportation service throughout the Region. The complete Program of Projects is available at mvrpc.org/specialized-transportation-program.

November 2018 Leads to Changes in 2019
MVRPC’s Chairperson, Miami County Commissioner, John “Bud” O’Brien, is leaving after many years of public service, first as Miami County Recorder and most recently as Commissioner. Because of this change, MVRPC’s current First Vice-Chairperson, John Beals (Council Member - City of Centerville) will serve as “Interim Chairperson” until Board of Directors elections in March 2019.

Statewide, we welcome Governor-elect and Greene County resident, Mike DeWine, as Governor beginning in January 2019. We look forward to working with the new administration and we wait to learn about the makeup of his cabinet and staff. In particular, we are hopeful the new ODOT Director, the Deputy Directors of Districts 7 & 8, and the EPA Director and their staffs are knowledgeable about the work conducted by MVRPC and Ohio’s regional councils.  We have enjoyed the current partnering relationship.

During the final months of the Kasich administration, ODOT has made cuts across the board to its discretionary spending programs. Traditionally, ODOT has supplemented its budget with bonds, backed by the Ohio Turnpike, and those funds have provided $1.5 - $1.7B of ODOT’s budget each year. This fiscal year marked the final bond sale and was the final year of revenue. While ODOT has already started making cuts internally, it will affect MVRPC and the other regions starting in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021. 

Historically MVRPC’s Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Transportation Alternatives (TA) transportation budgets have consisted of approximately $1M in ODOT discretionary funding. If there are no additional funds added to ODOT’s revenues, substantial cuts are projected from SFY 2021 through 2025. More information will come in January on this topic.

MVRPC Digital Media Planning and Survey
Starting in 2019, MVRPC will offer our digital media planning expertise to members who ask for our assistance. Digital media planning may encompass items such as the integration of social media formats into daily communication, an electronic newsletter, and enhanced web page management. Through this service, we look forward to engaging with your communications staff regarding the steps needed to improve your digital presence. In order to understand your range of needs, a web-based survey is available to collect input and identify topics for our initial roundtable session on digital media planning. We envision the roundtables to be similar to our environmental roundtables where best practices are discussed and solutions to challenges are identified. The online survey will be open until February 7, 2019, and is located at www.surveymonkey.com/r/8MR8MVZ or you can email Laura Henry, MVRPC’s Marketing & Public Outreach Coordinator, at Lhenry@mvrpc.org with feedback.

Meet Martin Kim, AICP, Director of Regional Planning
After graduating with a degree in Urban Planning back home in Seoul, South Korea, Martin Kim decided to further his education in the U.S. At Wright State University, he completed a graduate degree in Public Administration. Shortly after graduation, he began working at MVRPC. For the last 18 years, he has been able to put his passion for planning to work with the agency. Starting as a Transportation Planner, he is now the Director of Regional Planning. He is involved with both long- and short-term regional planning and efforts to help local communities with policy development and planning for success. Recently his department has expanded their community involvement into the subject of equity. The equity initiative entails working with residents, community leaders, and private and public organizations to increase awareness and identify collaborative action steps to provide resources and access to opportunities for all residents. 

Martin and his staff also fulfill the Geographic Information System (GIS) initiatives and data services for MVRPC and member jurisdictions.  He noted that it is the diverse subject matter of planning, along with being able to make an impact in our community, that are the best parts of his job. Outside of the field of planning, Martin enjoys reading, playing sports, watching movies and hanging out with friends. He also practices piano and enjoys cooking.

Grants & Funding Resources
On a monthly basis, MVRPC is highlighting several funding opportunities on our website that could benefit communities in the Region. We include a description, contact information and program links to available funding. We have also listed other valuable resources for finding funding opportunities. See more at: mvrpc.org/grant-and-funding-opportunities.
This month we are featuring information on:

• Ohio EPA and The Recycling Partnership-- Recycling Contamination Grant Program– Deadline: January 14, 2019.
• Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs– Deadline: January 29, 2019.

If you need assistance with your grant pursuit or further research, please contact Martin Kim, Director of Regional Planning, at 937.223.6323 or mkim@mvrpc.org. 

Upcoming MVRPC Meetings
12/14/18   9:30 a.m.   MVRPC Regional Bikeways Committee, Huffy Corporation, 8877 Gander Creek Drive, Miamisburg
1/17/19     9:30 a.m.   Technical Advisory Committee, MVRPC, 10 N. Ludlow St. Ste. 700, Dayton
2/07/19     8:30 a.m.   Executive Committee: Dayton Realtors, 1515 S. Main St., Dayton
2/07/19     9:00 a.m.   Board of Directors: Dayton Realtors, 1515 S. Main St., Dayton

Download the December 2018 Executive Director's Update PDF