July 10, 2022
Disaster Recovery wins NARC Award
MVRPC was the recipient of the 2022 National Association of Regional Council’s Medium Metro Award for leading the long-term Disaster Recovery efforts related to the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes. In the months following the disaster, MVRPC convened leaders of the impacted communities regularly to provide recovery updates and allow for resource sharing. A database was created in order to share and monitor the status of the property recovery which is at over 93% recovered only three years following the disaster. Long-term community recovery will continue with additional tree plantings in partnership with RETREET, grants awarded through The Dayton Foundation’s Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund, and a cooperative planning effort to ensure our region remains resilient to future disasters.
Rap Hankins wins NARC Tom Bradley Award
Rap Hankins and Family receiving the Tom Bradley Award during NARC annual conference
Mr. Rap Hankins is a champion for regionalism in his role as a leader for multi-county racial equity, disaster recovery and environmental efforts. These are three separate efforts that are combined because of who Rap is – a leader, community activist, and a drum major for change in the Miami Valley.  In total, he has dedicated more than 20 years to the leadership of regional initiatives led by or affiliated with MVRPC. There is no end in sight because Rap feels reenergized and feels he is accomplishing far more now as an unelected official toward the regional and state ideals that he has long championed.
Disaster Recovery Leadership Board
The Disaster Recovery Leadership Board met on June 3rd at Sinclair Park to discuss long-term recovery efforts related to the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes. As part of this recovery work, the group participated in a tree-planting ceremony that marked the 100th tree planted at the park and attended an open house to support the Pathways to Homeownership program.
MVRPC Board of Directors Approve Resolution Supporting MVRPC's Position on Federal and State Legislation to Suspend Motor Vehicle User Fees
On June 9th the Board of Directors approved the Resolution Supporting MVRPC's Position on Federal and State Legislation to Suspend Motor Vehicle User Fees, which establishes the agency’s position in opposition to federal and state legislation to temporarily suspend motor vehicle user fees.
 
MVRPC opposes these proposals to suspend user fees for several reasons. At the federal level, it should be pointed out that the 2021 IIJA is mostly funded by the Highway Trust Fund, which receives revenue from the federal gas tax and is already underfunded due to increased vehicle fuel efficiency and inflation. Based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, the proposed ten-month suspension of the federal gas tax could deprive the Highway Trust Fund of over $20 billion intended for surface transportation projects through the IIJA. Any such suspension would seriously undermine the new infrastructure funding by threatening its funding streams and jeopardizing full implementation.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Updates
This new section of the Executive Director's update is dedicated to providing our members with the latest updates on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcements in 2022

In order to provide stakeholders with more visibility into upcoming funding opportunities, DOT is publishing a list of anticipated dates for Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for key Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs. This list is not comprehensive and will be updated periodically with new programs and dates.

July -
Summer -
August -
September -
October -
December -

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next 5 years. In fiscal year 2022 (FY22), up to $1 billion is available. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
The SS4A program supports Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and the Department’s goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on our nation’s roadways. The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2022. For details, more information, and applicant guidance: transportation.gov/grants/SS4A

Resources -
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook: A roadmap for delivering opportunity and investments in rural America
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technical Assistance Guide: A list of federal resources to help communities deliver infrastructure projects
Latest News from MVRPC
Agency Staff Promotions and Departures
Promotions: We celebrate the promotions. We congratulate the following employees:

Serena Anderson, Manager, Regional Transit Programs
Elizabeth Baxter, Manager, Disaster Recovery and Economic Development Planning
Kathryn Youra Polk, Principal Planner
Elizabeth Whitaker, Principal Planner

Departures: We have two team members leaving this month and we wish them much success.

Leigh Sempeles is departing her host agency MVRPC for the Senior Delmar Fellow position at the Dayton Foundation. Her last day will be July 15. As a Delmar Fellow, Leigh has worked on the Age-Friendly and Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities programs. Due to the retirement of a Senior Fellow, Leigh was offered the position with The Dayton Foundation. It has been wonderful getting to know Leigh, to be a part of her return to Dayton, and to work with her on programs for our member agencies and communities. In her new position, Leigh is responsible for helping to locate a replacement fellow for MVRPC.

Stacy Schweikhart, MVRPC Director of Strategy and Engagement, will become CEO for Learn to Earn Dayton. Her last day will be July 22. In my estimation, Stacy is ready to become a CEO, and will be successful, and we thank her for her contributions, especially with standing up the new programs that have emerged since she arrived in 2019. Noteworthy accomplishments include leading a new department, ensuring outstanding communications with media and the Region, disaster recovery, regional economic development planning, transit coordination, water quality planning, active transportation, and the Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities. She has also recruited well and developed a high-functioning team.

While it is sad to lose our co-workers and friends to other agencies, this is a positive reflection of our agency’s ability to attract the best and brightest to MVRPC. While we prefer development into positions within the agency, I greatly appreciate seeing our staff grow into new roles. Both are exceptional people and have put a strong effort into planning and implementing the programs and projects that they worked on. MVRPC will continue to be partners with both The Dayton Foundation and Learn to Earn Dayton and we look forward to working with and supporting Leigh and Stacy in their new roles.  Further, as demonstrated by the promotions, we will continue to develop our staff into leadership roles and we will recruit individuals to join us that fit our agency’s culture and needs. 

Speaking of new employees, we welcome Chanda Hunter as our Receptionist/Administrative Assistant. Ms. Hunter is returning to Dayton from working in Columbus and graduating from the University of Toledo. She will be assisting all employees with numerous administrative tasks. Chanda has a high potential to do great things here. Welcome to the team!

Please join me in congratulating everyone on their new opportunities! We thank them for their service to the agency and Miami Valley Region. We continue our recruiting for several positions: Active Transportation Planner, MPO Planner, RTPO Planner, and Human Resources Coordinator. Please review www.mvrpc.org or www.miamivalleygovjobs.org for more information.
Bike Trail Project Impacting Bike Commute Routes
MVRPC created MiamiValleyRoads.org to provide updates on major construction projects that may impact commutes throughout the Region. It also provides user-friendly access to route planning tools, commute solutions and other ideas to reduce congestion and prevent air pollution for the areas under construction.
 
In Greene County, the Ohio-to-Erie Trail will be resurfaced beginning at the Clark/Greene County line and continuing toward Xenia Station (Hill Street). The restrictions of the bike path, as well as spurs and connectors, will begin and end at a crossroad. This project will have restrictions in effect daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during weekdays through early July. Bike commuters and motorists should use caution in these areas.

For a complete list of major construction projects provided by ODOT District 7 and 8 for the Region, visit MiamiValleyRoads.org. Follow MVRPC’s Facebook and Twitter pages for project update posts.
Grants and Funding Resources
On a monthly basis MVRPC is highlighting several funding opportunities for eligible cities, counties, and townships 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 for our regional jurisdictions and organizations.

This month we are featuring information on:
  • Our Town– Deadline: August 4, 2022
  • 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates– Deadline: August 19, 2022

Cemetery Grants
The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing (REPL) is pleased to announce the availability of the FY2023 Cemetery Grant for qualifying not-for-profit and local government cemeteries. Allowable grant requests include those to defray costs of exceptional cemetery maintenance or training cemetery personnel in the maintenance and operation of cemeteries. The REPL Superintendent is accepting only online applications until August 1, 2022. Details at https://cemeterygrants.com.ohio.gov/.

If you have any questions please contact Kathryn Youra Polk at kyourapolk@mvrpc.org.   
MiamiValleyGovJobs.org
MiamiValleyGovJobs.org is a one-stop website for candidates seeking positions with a public agency in the Miami Valley. This service is provided to MVRPC member organizations and partners at no cost. Posting your positions on MiamiValleyGovJobs.Org increases visibility of your positions and expands your candidate pool. Each job post will be displayed with your organization's logo and a link to your website where candidates can find more information. To post a position with your organization, please email your posting to JobBoard@MVRPC.Org.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Please check the agency calendar on www.mvrpc.org or contact Savannah Diamond at sdiamond@mvrpc.org for the status of your meeting.
7/13/2022 - 10:00 a.m.- Miami Valley Age-Friendly Network


7/21/2022 - 9:30 a.m. - Technical Advisory Committee

7/26/2022 - 2:30 p.m. - Regional Equity Initiative

7/28/2022 - 5:00 p.m. - Virtual Public Participation Meeting for Final Draft Active Transportation Plan

7/29/2022 - 9:30 a.m. - Institute Steering Committee
MVRPC emails are produced through Constant Contact. We have negotiated a significantly reduced group rate for all of our MVRPC members and partners to join Constant Contact making it easy for you to offer your own customized, professional communication to your communities. You will save considerably more than you could joining the platform on your own, and even if you are already using Constant Contact you can apply our discount to save even more. Best of all, the MVRPC communication team is here to help you get started! Visit our unique Constant Contact link or contact Stacy Schweikhart, MVRPC Director of Strategy and Engagement to learn more sschweikhart@mvrpc.org.
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