Going Places Summary Booklet and Implementation Tools Progress Updates
MVRPC has recently completed a regional land use planning initiative called Going Places to bring our communities together and set a direction for our future. The outcome included two major elements: a shared regional vision that reflects what people want our region to become, and a set of 11 implementation tools that are needed to make this vision a reality.
The Going Places Summary Booklet is first released during the August 2015 Board of Directors meeting. It highlights the initiative’s accomplishments and the implementation tools we are developing to assist local governments. This document will act as a valuable aid to move our collaborative efforts forward.
MVRPC has made good progress with several tools so far by maximizing opportunities to support important projects for our Region. We have focused on three action items: expanding MVRPC’s available resources, taking active roles with multiple regional initiatives, and providing planning services for members upon request.
Visit http://www.mvrpc.org/regional-planning/going-places-initiative to view the Summary Booklet, see my video blog, and the staff’s presentation on the implementation tools progress updates provided at its August Board of Directors meeting.
While we have made good progress, we still have a lot of work to do. Following MVRPC’s decision-making process, MVRPC is developing a business plan to identify top priorities for tool development and define MVRPC’s next steps. While the tools are progressing, MVRPC will continue to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen our partnerships. We want to work with you to find out how we can help contribute to initiatives that improve our Region.
MVRPC has recently subscribed to Grant Finder, a grant search tool that allows subscribers to investigate grant announcement prospects from various Federal, State, and foundation sources from around the country. Below are some recent announcements for grant proposals that may interest our members.
Ohio Local Government Innovation Fund (LGIF)
The Development Services Agency’s Local Government Innovation Fund (LGIF) offers communities financial assistance to create more efficient and effective service delivery. Projects are expected to facilitate improved business environments and promote community attraction with their plan for efficiency, collaboration, or shared services. Communities will be able to save money and provide more effective services to their constituents with assistance from this program. Applications for grants and loans will be accepted quarterly. Applications for scholarships will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Deadlines: September 14; December 7. http://www.development.ohio.gov/cs/cs_localgovfund.htm
National Endowment for the Arts – OUR TOWN
The Our Town grant program supports creative place making projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. Creative place making is when artists, arts organizations, and community development practitioners deliberately integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work - placing arts at the table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety strategies.
This funding supports local efforts to enhance quality of life and opportunity for existing residents, increase creative activity, and create a distinct sense of place.
Our Town offers support for projects in two areas:
- Arts Engagement, Cultural Planning, and Design Projects. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000.
- Projects that Build Knowledge About Creative Placemaking. These projects are available to arts and design service organizations, and industry or university organizations that provide technical assistance to those doing place-based work. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $100,000.
Application Deadline is September 21, 2015. http://arts.gov/grants-organizations/our-town/introduction
Cryptowall Ransomware Virus Infection at MVRPC
On July 8, 2015, the internal MVRPC network was compromised by Cryptowall Ransomware. The virus encrypts files, making them inaccessible, and then leaves a text file with information on sending 500 bitcoins to get a decrypt program to fix the files. More than 15,000 files on several MVRPC servers were affected, but the infection was halted on PCs before it worked through the entire network.
Once the infection was halted, all files were restored from backup. Although the entire MVRPC staff lost about a half hour of work, and IT staff a full day and a half, the overall impact was minimal thanks to the nightly data backup plan in place. We don’t know how the workstation was infected, although it is usually involves a user opening an email attachment file or web link and unknowingly launching a program which will download and install the ransomware. This way, the ransomware eludes virus scanners by having the user actively launch the install.
Ransomware infections have spiked in recent months. These are very strong viruses and have the potential to cause major data and productivity loss for organizations. So far there is no way to decrypt the files other than paying the ransom and getting the decrypt key. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are involved in looking for those behind these extortion rings. While the sophisticated virus is scary, this highlights another reason to have a strong backup system in place, not only at agencies and businesses, but even your home computers. In the end, MVRPC lost no data, and only a small amount of down time for staff.
Members in the News: Dayton Business Journal’s Healthiest Employers Publication
Congratulations to City of Beavercreek, Greater Dayton RTA, and Montgomery County for being listed among the healthiest Miami Valley employers. Now in its 5th year, the publication recognizes the employers that actively work toward improving employee health and managing their healthcare and wellness costs.
Upcoming MVRPC meetings:
08/12/2015 4:00 p.m. 2040 Long Range Plan Public Participation Meeting, 10 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, Ohio
08/20/2015 9:30 a.m. Technical Advisory Committee Meeting, 10 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, Ohio
08/25/2015 9:00 a.m. Regional Transp. Coordination Council Mtg., 600 S. Main St. (Goodwill)
09/02/2015 4:00 p.m. Bike Plan Update Public Participation Meeting, 10 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, Ohio
09/03/2015 8:30 a.m. Executive Committee 9:00 a.m. Board of Directors – 1515 S. Main St. Dayton, Ohio
09/14/2015 Sept. 14 – 16, Conference on Freight, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza