November 2024

Brian O. Martin, AICP

On Sunday, we toured the 3^rd Street Peace Bridge and Wright B Flyer statue as we walked over to the Wright Brothers Interpretive Center and Museum. Narrated by National Park Service Rangers, participants learned how two successful bicycle mechanics and businessmen started aerial flight here in Dayton, Ohio. Thanks to timely transportation provided by GDRTA all week, we returned back to the host hotel for heavy appetizers and drinks and we listened to easy listening jazz provided by the Deron Bell Band. 

Miami Valley Highlights Include the following:

On Monday, the conference kicked off with a welcome from Mayor Jeff Mims, MVRPC Chairperson Sara Lommatzsch, and host Executive Director Brian O. Martin. We also had a presentation on Dayton’s growth and development from Deputy City Manager Joe Parlette.

The lunch keynote highlighted the region’s advancement of Air Taxis, electric Vehicle Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) and Unmanned Aerial Systems by Director Ted Angel from the Dayton Development Coalition. Agency presentations were made by Brian Martin, Martin Kim, and Fabrice Juin on agency happenings and recent findings in regional planning. The coordinated off site dinner was held at Thai9 with transportation again provided by GDRTA. The food and service were excellent over this evening. 

On Tuesday, the Region was again featured including an early morning walk or run led by Leslie and Rebecca followed by a wonderful breakfast and lunch at the host hotel. Local consultants from Tier1 Performance led a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and Rap Hankins, Drive Electric Dayton President, led a discussion on electric vehicles and equity and the importance of everyone having access to EVs and vehicle charging infrastructure. Later in the afternoon, EVs were on-site at the hotel for participants to investigate and speak with vehicle owners. For the Board of Directors Dinner, we again boarded GDRTA buses for travel to Coco’s Bistro.



Due to the outstanding weather at the hotel, the outside rear patio was a common place for our participants to take telephone calls, dine or speak among themselves while at the conference. We greatly appreciate the region’s ambassadors provided by Destination Dayton to help our guests navigate the hotel and region if they needed anything not provided on site at the hotel. In addition to those mentioned, thanks to our staff including Savannah Diamond, Laura Dent, Chanda Davis, Leslie King, and Rebecca Carr for your attendance and hospitality and involvement during conference planning. Thanks also to our board chair Lommatzsch and vice chair Wallace for their participation in our successful hosting of this national conference.

In this section, we bring you the latest updates from our recent board meeting. Stay connected with key information relevant to our board members and partners.

• MVRPC Board of Directors Vote to Enroll the City of Beavercreek and Beavercreek Township into the Miami Valley Age-Friendly Communities - Read the Full Resolution. For more information on becoming an Age-Friendly Community, contact Leslie King.

• Going Places Implementation Tools: A progress update was shared about the PLAN4Health Miami Valley. View the Full Presentation. For more information contact Martin Kim. Following the presentation members discussed affordable housing and education and workforce development. Here are a few resources related to that conversation:
• PLAN4 Health Miami Valley - Built Environment Assessment Equity Analysis
• PLAN4Health Miami Valley - Housing Mobility and Accessibility Assessment
• The Ohio Senate - Housing Reimagined: Building a Solid Foundation for Ohio's Future
• American Planning Association - Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook

• Guest Speaker - Ted Angel, Dayton Development Coalition: Advanced Air Mobility View the Full Presentation.

• Glossary of MVRPC Terminology: Explore a draft glossary of terms frequently used in MVRPC meetings. Whether you're new or just need a refresher, this resource will help you navigate MVRPC’s language with ease.

• 2024 Board of Directors Voting Roster: Our 2024 Board of Directors roster is now available, listing each voting delegate and alternate for every MVRPC member jurisdiction. 

During October, we attended in numerous meetings and events with our members and partners including:

• Darke County CIC resulting in a recommended membership renewal
• Fairborn City Council to update on MVRPC happenings
• The Dayton Foundation to discuss progress on the Institute for Livable & Equitable Communities and interview of Del Mar Fellow Candidates
•  Numerous United Way Greater Dayton Area Board of Directors Meeting on preparation of its next strategic plan
• Safe Streets and Roads for All Consultant Interviews
• Sponsor of the 73^rd Dayton National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Hall of Freedom Awards (pictured above)
• Sponsor of the 47^th Annual National Conference of Community and Justice (NCCJ) Friendship Celebration

We’d love to connect with any member organizations interested in working together! If you’d like to talk about project ideas, share your thoughts, or explore partnership opportunities, just reach out. You can get in touch with Savannah Diamond, Assistant to the Executive Director, at sdiamond@mvrpc.org to set up a meeting or invite us to a local event.

The 2024 Ohio GIS Conference, held in Columbus on September 23-24, brought together nearly 400 GIS professionals from across Ohio, marking one of the largest gatherings in recent years.

At this conference, MVRPC hosted an educational session highlighting the GIS contributions to recovery efforts following the 2019 Memorial Day Tornado Outbreak in the Miami Valley. Topics included data collection, collaboration with local jurisdictions and disaster response agencies, and the use of recovery monitoring dashboards. With recovery efforts nearing completion, it was gratifying to reflect on the hard work done to ensure there was data driven GIS backing the recovery.

In addition, MVRPC staff submitted the “Housing Mobility and Accessibility Assessment” StoryMap, winning 1st place in the Map Gallery competition for the Dynamic/Story Maps category.

Published as part of MVRPC’s PLAN4Health – Miami Valley initiative, the “Housing Mobility and Accessibility Assessment” uses maps to examine the household income and housing costs, and the relationship between the two to explore any hardship that may be experienced by low-income households and amongst different population groups. Competition was fierce, and MVRPC is honored to be recognized. The winning StoryMap, which provides a visual analysis of these factors, can be explored through the Housing Mobility and Accessibility Assessment StoryMap.

MVRPC’s GIS program plays a leading role in the region by coordinating and implementing GIS activities to share data, information, and technical expertise with local governments and the public. For further details on MVRPC’s GIS program and member services, please visit MVRPC's GIS page or contact Tom Harner, GIS Manager.

The Food System and Healthy Eating Workshop was held on October 9, 2024 at the Montgomery County Business Solutions Center was our seventh Plan or Health workshop. This workshop brought approximately 30 planners, public health professionals, and food systems stakeholders together to learn about our regional food system, how it influences healthy eating, and the impact our professions can have on shaping a better food environment.

MVRPC staff highlighted how planning can improve the region’s food environment and bolster healthy eating. Representatives from the Montgomery County Food Equity Coalition outlined their mission and goals to create a sustainable food system accessible to all.

To stay updated on the latest developments in the PLAN4Health – Miami Valley Initiative, explore the PLAN4Health project hub site. For additional information or inquiries about the initiative, please reach out to Martin Kim, Director of Community and Regional Planning.

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation hosted the inaugural Dayton Democracy Summit on Friday, September 20, at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. It was a gathering of people from all walks of life who wanted to learn from each other, be inspired, and be encouraged as they work to create a just and fair world. The event included workshops, panels, speakers, and time to connect over food. Topics such as self- and community-care, movement building, leading from our values, and organizing our neighbors for change were covered. Our Regional Equity Initiative Manager, Fabrice Juin has spent the last year serving as a Dayton Democracy Fellow through the Kettering Foundation and contributed to the both the vision and execution of the summit. Use this link for more information and the recording of the event: https://kettering.org/the-inaugural-dayton-democracy-summit-what-you-missed/

Hosted by REACH Indigenous Advocacy and our Regional Equity Initiative Subcommittee member Stephanie Van Hoose, REACH Fest is an annual Native American heritage festival that brings together Native Nations in the Miami Valley region and highlights their dynamic presence here. The mission is two-fold: 1) uplifting and supporting Indigenous Peoples and 2) building community bridges of empowered allyship in the State of Ohio, with an initial focus on the Miami Valley region. The 2024 festival program will feature high-profile entertainers, two keynote speakers as part of a military/veterans panel; drum, dance, and song performances; an Indigenous art exhibit, children’s program, movie screenings, and more. The festival goal is to highlight Native American artists, showcase our region’s community resources, and empower allyship. All members are welcome to leverage this public event to engage with and commemorate Native American Heritage Month… From November 15^th to November 17^th at the Wright State University Student Union. 

On a monthly basis, MVRPC highlights 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 funding opportunities for our regional jurisdictions and organizations. See more at: mvrpc.org/grant-and-funding-opportunities

This month, we are featuring information on:

• Dayton Foundation Greenlight Grants– Deadline: December 2, 2024



• Solid Waste Management Grants for Rural Communities– Deadline: December 31, 2024 



If you have any questions, please contact Kathryn Youra Polk at kyourapolk@mvrpc.org.

Upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcements in 2024

In order to provide stakeholders with more visibility into upcoming funding opportunities, U.S. DOT publishes anticipated dates for upcoming Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for programs within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well as adjacent programs that support BIL and IRA objectives.

View the Grant Programs Calendar here: Key Notices of Funding Opportunity | US Department of Transportation. 

Please contact Savannah Diamond, MVRPC’s Assistant to the Executive Director at sdiamond@mvrpc.org or 937.223.6323 with your comments or questions about local and regional grant pursuits.

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

EPA WaterTA

EPA's free Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) services support communities to identify water challenges, develop plans, build capacity, and develop application materials to access water infrastructure funding. For more information visit the website: https://www.epa.gov/water-infrastructure/water-technical-assistance-waterta

MVRPC Events

Elective Pay Webinar

Join MVRPC and the City of Dayton on November 14th at 11am for a webinar on Elective Pay tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act. Elective Pay is a new process that allows governments and non-profits to get access to the same clean energy tax credits that have previously only been available to taxable entities. A City of Dayton representative will describe the city's experience implementing clean energy projects and applying for tax credits. This will be especially interesting for finance or sustainability representatives from local governments and non-profit organizations. Register for the webinar. 

Register Now for Free ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online Training Session

MVRPC invites members to a free training session, "Building Interactive Reporting Web Apps Using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online," on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Wright State University. This advanced beginner course is ideal for participants with prior experience in ArcGIS Online or ArcPro, and an ArcGIS account with an ArcPro license is required for this hands-on session. With limited seating, early registration is encouraged, and each organization is asked to limit attendance to two participants. Registration is available until November 16, 2024, or until all seats are filled. For full details, visit our website at MVRPC's GIS page. You can also view the event flyer for additional information. For questions, please contact Tom Harner at tharner@mvrpc.org.

Miami Valley Age-Friendly Network

Please join us for the next Miami Valley Age-Friendly Network Meeting on November 13^th, 10-11:30am. The meeting will focus on overall updates of the Regional Age-Friendly and Livable Communities Initiative; including updates from the AARP, the Coalition of Age-Friendly Communities in Ohio (CAFCO), the Dayton Foundation as well as the 15 communities currently participating in the Regional Age-Friendly and Livable Communities Initiative. We will also introduce and welcome the Del Mar Fellow who will be coordinating and leading this effort in 2025. For more details, please contact Leslie King at lking@mvrpc.org.

MVRPC Meetings

Please check the agency calendar on mvrpc.org or contact Savannah Diamond at sdiamond@mvrpc.org for the status of your meeting.

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 Laura Dent, MVRPC Director of Marketing and Public Outreach to learn more at ldent@mvrpc.org.

937.223.6323 | mvrpc.org