May is National Bike Month
There are many events going on in our Region to encourage cycling for fun, fitness and transportation. Five Rivers MetroParks has an extensive list of regional bike events on their Bike Month Calendar. A couple of highlights of the celebration are National Bike to Work Week (May 16 - 20) and National Bike to Work Day (May 20) which kicks off at Riverscape during the Five Rivers MetroParks' Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast - from 7:00 to 9:00 AM.
Also, just in time for Bike Month, MVRPC has customized the Share the Road Safety Campaign which is now available to member jurisdictions on our website. All materials are designed to encourage local jurisdictions to include their community name, logo, etc. for local use. For information or assistance concerning these materials, please contact Kjirsten Frank Hoppe at 937.531.6524 or kfrank.hoppe@mvrpc.org. Please get out and enjoy National Bike Month, and remember, replacing short car trips with a bike ride is good for you and for the environment. It all adds up to cleaner air!
2016 Annual Spring Dinner
The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Annual Spring Dinner was held Thursday, April 14, 2016, at the Marriott at the University of Dayton, 1414 South Patterson Blvd. It was our pleasure to recognize outgoing Chairperson Jan Vargo of Huber Heights, current Officers and Board of Directors, honored guests, business partners, and staff members in attendance. The reception area opened at 6:00 p.m., a plated dinner was served at 7:00 p.m., followed by the presentation of the coveted Regional Steward Award to Mark Donaghy of GDRTA. The Danny Voris Duo provided the musical entertainment and at the end of the evening there was a drawing for three (3) gift baskets. The total registered in attendance was 291 – second highest only to the 346 registrants for the 50th Anniversary event held in 2014.
Ohio’s Regional Councils & Six Areawide Agencies Meet with OEPA Director Craig Butler
Over a two-day period, April 27 & 28, 2016, in Columbus, the OEPA Director held discussions with the Ohio Association of Regional Councils (OARC) Executive Directors and technical staff from Ohio’s six Areawide water quality planning agencies. OEPA is an important state agency for the regional councils as we work together on transportation-related environmental concerns such as air quality and storm water. We also work together on protection strategies of drinking water and the environment from harmful man-made chemicals that result from the manufacturing process. The agencies developed a joint presentation which provided an overview of the common planning processes and tasks all the agencies do and then also let each agency highlight unique work we’re doing in our regions.
Matt Lindsay, from our staff, presented the Unsewered Communities Project from 2015 and the recently approved Regional Open Space Plan.
Director Butler also took the opportunity to share some of Ohio EPA’s priorities and to open a dialogue with the Areawides about how we could support these issues in our work. Recently, the public’s personal connection with environmental issues has been through the topic of drinking water. Think, for example, about Toledo, Flint, and Sebring. The Director emphasized that the agency is looking at issues such as lead (Pb) and algae as drinking water threats. He also shared with the group that they have made grants available to County Health Districts (up to $300,000 each) for use in residential septic system repair and replacement programs, but they are having a hard time getting local districts to take the funds. He asked the agencies to consider how the Areawides might be able to take and use the funds.
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. We have also listed other valuable resources for finding funding opportunities.
See more at: http://www.mvrpc.org/our-vision/planning-services/grant-and-funding-opportunites
This month we are featuring information on:
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants Program; Deadline – June 28, 2016
- U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD); Deadline - Friday, June 30, 2016
Upcoming MVRPC Meetings:
05/19/16 9:30 a.m. Technical Advisory Committee - 10 N. Ludlow St., Suite 700, Dayton, OH
05/24/16 9:30 a.m. TIP Biannual Review Meeting, ODOT D-8 – 10 N. Ludlow St., Suite 700, Dayton, OH
05/24/16 9:00 a.m. Regional Transp. Coordination Meeting- Goodwill Easter Seals- 660 Main St., Dayton, Ohio
05/25/16 8:30 a.m. TIP Biannual Review Meeting, ODOT D-7 - 10 N. Ludlow St., Suite 700, Dayton, OH
06/02/16 8:30 a.m. Executive Committee | 9:00 a.m. Board of Directors - 1515 S. Main St, Dayton, OH
May 2016 Executive Director's Update PDF available for download