Bob Steinbach Retiring
After 12 years at MVRPC, Bob Steinbach will be retiring, or “rewiring” as he refers to it on June 30, 2017. He plans to continue working part-time, traveling more, and getting more involved with various community organizations. Bob began his career in education with a degree from Bowling Green State University and then a teaching job in Vandalia Schools but “a long and winding road” brought him to be MVRPC’ s Director of Sustainable Solutions and Transportation Alternatives. His department focuses on non-driving modes of transportation including walking, biking and riding transit. Bob has also been very involved in planning for the transportation needs of non-drivers, including seniors and people with disabilities. Bob stated, “I like that my affiliation with MVRPC has given me an opportunity to have input on important issues that impact my home Region.” He and his department help address these issues for residents in documents like the Regional Complete Streets Policy, Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map, the 2015 Miami Valley Bike Plan Update, the Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan, and the Regional Open Space Report.
After his departure from MVRPC, Bob plans to take time to visit family more often and restart his consulting and facilitations practice on a part time-basis. He is open to what new adventures the next chapter will bring. “I leave with mixed emotions, and want to thank the Board, Brian and my coworkers for the opportunities that have been given to me,” Bob concluded.
MVRPC Planning Staff Receives APA Award
MVRPC and our member Jefferson Township received the "2017 Outstanding Small Town Comprehensive Plan” Award from the American Planning Association (APA) Small Town and Rural Planning (STaR) Division for the Jefferson Township Future Land Use Strategic Plan.
This Plan was a year-long, joint effort between Jefferson Township and MVRPC designed to bring residents, businesses, and community leaders together to develop the Township’s future direction and to draft a course of action. The Award ceremony was held during the 2017 American Planning Association National Conference in New York City, May 6-9. Upon returning back home, we attended and presented the Award plaque to Jefferson Township at its Board of Trustee meeting.
For more information about the Jefferson Township Future Land Use Strategic Plan, visit
http://www.mvrpc.org/regional-planning/regional-planning-services/planning-through-partnership.
Bike Month Success in the Miami Valley
Despite some rain and high winds, there were some great biking days in May. The first major event, the Miami Valley Cycling Summit, was hosted by Greene County and Bike Miami Valley at Wright State University on May 5. It was a well-attended event that included information sessions on best practices from throughout the U.S. The event culminated with the announcement of Miamisburg being selected to host the next summit.
Following the Cycling Summit, Dayton welcomed the International Trails Symposium which was held by the trade association, American Trails. This was a premier event for trail managers and builders, industry leaders, planners and enthusiasts from throughout the world, to come together in the Miami Valley to learn and collaborate. Other events included the Miamisburg – West Carrolton River Ride. This round trip bike tour took riders past Great Miami River vistas, shady parks, and historic points of interest.
On May 19, nearly 700 cyclists met at Riverscape MetroPark for a free pancake breakfast and to celebrate Bike to Work Day. The season’s first Bike to the Dayton Dragons baseball game was on May 21. This was an opportunity to bike to the Dragons and use bike racks right on the plaza at Fifth Third Field. The River Ride, Bike to Work Day and Bike to the Dayton Dragons are all part of the Drive Less Live More campaign, encouraging residents to try alternative transportation to reduce congestion and air pollution. Visit drivelesslivemore.org for more information.
Lastly, a unique addition to the celebration of cycling was Sculptures on the Square featuring
Las Bicicletas! in downtown Troy. This is an urban art exhibit of 60 metal bike sculptures on display through July 2017. Congratulations to our members and partners on a successful May bike month.
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. If you need assistance with your grant pursuit or need further grant research, contact Lynn Zuch, Research Associate, at 937.223.6323 or lzuch@mvrpc.org
See more at: http://www.mvrpc.org/our-vision/planning-services/grant-and-funding-opportunites
This month we are featuring information on:
- United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative Grant – Deadline: July 25, 2017.
- National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town Grant – Deadline: September 11, 2017
Upcoming MVRPC Meetings:
6/07/17 8:30 a.m. Intro to ArcGIS Training, WSU, GIS Lab, Millet Hall - 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Fairborn, Ohio
7/20/17 9:30 a.m. Technical Advisory Committee – 10 N. Ludlow St., Suite 700, Dayton, Ohio
8/03/17 8:30 a.m. Executive Committee – 1515 S. Main St., Dayton, Ohio
8/03/17 9:00 a.m. Board of Directors – 1515 S. Main St., Dayton, Ohio
June 2017 Executive Director's Update available for download.