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JUNE 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

Several times a year the Commissioners hold the meeting in other jurisdictions within Montgomery County to bring local government closer to the people.  The June 30, 2009 Board of County Commissioners meeting was hosted by the City of Clayton.  City Manager David Rowlands thanked the commissioners for holding their meeting in Clayton and highlighted what is going on in their community. On June 23, 2009 the commissioners heard from Charlie Shoemaker, Executive Director of Five Rivers MetroParks.  As stewards of our natural resources, Five Rivers MetroParks is dedicated to protecting Greater Dayton's natural heritage and to providing outdoor recreation and education experiences that inspire a lasting personal connection with nature.   They offer a multitude of educational programming to residents of the Miami Valley that are designed to be participatory, educational, and fun.  Five Rivers MetroParks strives to be recognized as an indispensable leader in the quality of life, wellness and economic vitality of the community by creating a culture of health, fitness and wellness while connecting people with nature. They offer a safe environment where residents can enjoy and learn about our natural resources so they will be here for future generations to enjoy. On June 16, 2009 the commissioners heard a presentation from Montgomery County Water Services entitled "Unaccounted for Water and Leak Detection 2009."   While a 10-20% allowance for unaccounted-for water use is normal, in 2007 lost water for the southern system was at 19.2% or approximately 3.8 million gallons and a cost of $4,850 per day.   Water can be unaccounted-for due to unauthorized unmetered usage (loss from fire hydrants on construction sites, or unauthorized bypassing of meters on services) or inaccurate metering.   It can also be the result of system leakage or fire hydrant leaks.  In 2008 the department adopted a program to right size meters, account for construction site theft, and most importantly detect leaks.   By dealing with leaks as they are discovered we can minimize lost water, minimize operating costs, minimize restoration costs, minimize the amount of time our customers are inconvenienced and lower the potential amount of claims to be filed as a result of a small leak becoming much more. On June 9, 2009, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Superintendent Dean Alexander provided an overview of the various units that make up the park.  The mission of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is to preserve, enhance and interpret the historic and cultural structures, districts and artifacts associated with the Wright Brothers, the invention and development of aviation, and the life and works of Paul Laurence Dunbar through the creation of partnerships.  They work closely alongside Federal, state, local and private partners to accomplish their mission, and maintain close, positive relationships with our communities, area businesses, local citizens and many friends of the park.  He identified and described the many facilities around the region that help us appreciate and learn about our exciting history.   He invited the commissioners to attend several upcoming events.   Residents can call 225-7705 for more information about the park and the events.

MAY 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

On May 28, 2009 the commissioners heard from Tim Donnellan, Director of the Community Action Partnership of the Greater Dayton Area (CAP).  He discussed their Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) which provides low income homeowners or renters weatherization services that can improve their home's efficiency as much as 35%.   This may include attic and sidewall insulation, weather-stripping, safety inspections of furnaces and water heaters, furnace repairs, and consumer education.   Last year CAP spent $3.8 million to provide these services to 636 homes.   Due to stimulus funds, they are receiving $18 million for 6/1/09 – 3/31/11 which will allow them to provide services to 1,966 homes.  Although the majority of these homes are in Montgomery County, they also serve residents in Butler, Greene, Warren, Darke, and Preble Counties.   As a result of these additional funds their HWAP work force will increase by 30 people.  They currently use 13 HVAC, plumbing, and heating contractors.     These stimulus funds are creating jobs and allowing residents to save money.  Interested members of the community may call 341-5000 for further information. May 28, 2009 the commissioners also recognized Montgomery County Building Regulations for receiving a "Distinguished Employer" award at the annual Ohio Cooperative Education Association (OCEA) conference in April.   The OCEA recognizes the vital role of employers who provide learning opportunities for co-op and internship students.   Terry Maiwurm from Sinclair Community College nominated Montgomery County for this OCEA Award.  Maury Wyckoff, Chief Building Official, has consistently hired Sinclair co-op students for the past 14 years.   He received guidance from a number of mentors during his college and early work career, and feels that this represents a way for Montgomery County and him to give a little back to our co-op students who are just beginning their careers." On Saturday, March 28, 2009 the Montgomery County Cougars basketball team won the Special Olympics Division III State Championship.   John Blackburn and Eddie Jones work at Stillwater Center through the Montgomery County Board of MR/DD and were members of the team.    The commissioners congratulated John and Eddie and Coach Dennis Terry for their wonderful accomplishment during the May 19, 2009 meeting. The commissioners recognized Deb Downing, Assistant Director of the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, and Judy Mott, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District and Manager of Community Development, for receiving Wright State University College of Liberal Arts Alumni Awards.    They were honored by the university at an Alumni Awards Dinner in April. The commissioners thanked the Disaster Recovery Branch, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, for their invaluable assistance related to the Snow Emergency of 2004 and the resultant flooding in January 2005, as well as the September 2008 Windstorm.  Their assistance included procuring approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the large project for installation of a dewatering well to protect the County's Administration Building from future flooding and helping us obtain a time extension for the restoration of the County's Administration Building's auditorium.   As a result of their assistance, Federal and State funding was received totaling $433,013.00. On May 12, 2009 the Commissioners recognized the Montgomery County Mentoring Collaborative (MCMC) 2009 Outstanding Mentor Award Recipients.   Thanks to partnerships and strong collaborations, MCMC has been a driving force to increase the visibility of the need and the number of caring, supportive mentor/mentee relationships in Montgomery County from 2,500 documented in 2001 to more than 23,000 documented in 2006.    In their own way, each of the recipients told how mentoring is rewarding and enriches their lives as well as the lives of the children they mentor.   People interested in joining one of the MCMC partners as a trained mentor can call 236-9965 or go online to www.mentoringcollaborative.org to learn how to make a difference in a child's life. The Commissioners are once again encouraging Montgomery County employees to Adopt a Duck for the URS 6th Annual Rubber Duck Regatta.   This an annual release and river race of up to 15,000 ducks down the Great Miami River is sponsored by United Rehabilitation Services to help them continue bringing the highest level of services to children and adults with disabilities.  The Regatta will be held on June 12th in conjunction with The Cookout for Scouting at RiverScape MetroPark.  Several duck sales will be held at county buildings and at locations around the County such as Krogers and Fifth Third banks or they can be purchased online at http://www.ursdayton.org/Ducks.html or by calling (937) 233-1230.

APRIL 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

On April 30, 2009, the Commissioners learned that the county will received an estimated $2.4 million in federal stimulus dollars to expand its "Summer Youthworks" program.   The current program, administered by the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, offers approximately 1,650 economically disadvantaged youth between 14 – 17 years old the opportunity to get on-the-job training in a variety of entry-level jobs during the summer months.   This additional stimulus money will allow the program to serve an additional 750 youth this year and extends the age limit to 24.  Participants will work about 20 hours a week and receive academic opportunities to improve their communication and math skills.    Employers who are interested in supporting the youth of our community by providing a meaningful work experience to these young people may call 225-6444 or complete the contact form at www.thejobcenter.org. The Department will begin taking initial applications from youth at www.thejobcenter.org and by telephone (225-6202) on Saturday, May 9 at 10:00 a.m. County Administrator Debbie Feldman presented the 2009 Budget Projections during the April 21st meeting.   She explained that the county is experiencing an unprecedented drop in revenues.   The County is projecting a $7.6 million deficit for the current year due to the estimated revenues falling $8.6 million below the 2009 Adopted Budget.   The Commissioners gave Ms. Feldman permission to move ahead with the proposed action plan for addressing the budget challenge which includes budget cuts and utilizing fund reserves.    A formal vote will occur on June 9.   Montgomery County Commissioners joined staff of Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services in the presentation of a check for $2,700.00 to Burma Rai, CEO of The Foodbank, Inc.   Between March 27 and April 17, 2009 the JFS staff held a Food Drive which collected 2,594 pounds of food and raised $2,700.00 through a raffle, food/candy cart sales, casual day promotion, sale of Entertainment Books, and cash donations.  The total value of all donations was $19,466.20.   The Commissioners congratulated the JFS staff for taking the extra step to help the residents of Montgomery County.   The Ohio Arts Council recently chose nine winners for the 2009 Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio.   Dayton's own Cityfolk was honored in the Community Development & Participation category while artist Willis "Bing" Davis received the Irma Lazarus Award.   The Commissioners congratulated the two local winners at their April 21st meeting and congratulated them on this exceptional honor.      Commissioners Dodge and Lieberman attended the Arts Day Luncheon at the Columbus Athenaeum where they received their awards. At their April 7, 2009 meeting Montgomery County Commissioners proclaimed April as "Child Abuse Prevention Month" and called upon all citizens to increase their participation in our efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect and strengthen the communities in which we live.   While the number of child abuse cases did not increase in 2008, the severity of abuse injuries to young children greatly increased.  Commissioners Foley and Dodge participated in an event on March 31st at the Christ United Methodist Church where pinwheels representing each of the child abuse/neglect investigations in Montgomery County were displayed.  The pinwheels will be on display at the church at the corner of Shroyer and Lincoln Park in Kettering through the end of April.  To report child abuse and neglect contact a local law enforcement agency or call Children Services in Montgomery County at 224-KIDS.  April 7th, the Commissioners congratulated the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority for being the 2008 winner of the Pioneer in Housing Award from NMA as a result of going above and beyond community partnership into multi disciplinary and creative community collaboration on the River Commons project.  River Commons provides public housing to low to moderate income residents of Montgomery County as well as creating permanent supportive housing for over 60 chronically homeless people.   Although HUD sets a threshold of 20% employment, 70% of the residents at River Commons are employed.   In addition to hearing from The Other Place about the supportive services provided at River Commons, the commissioners also heard about the plans to replace the current building with a new energy efficient and handicapped accessible/adaptable development called River Commons II.    This new building will feature 83 units with full kitchens and the building will have social service offices, a large community room, coin laundry facilities on each floor, and small private meeting rooms for counseling, education or other purposes.  It will be built on the same property and residents will move into the new building prior to the demolition of the current building.   Construction will begin in Spring/Summer 2010 and be completed by the Summer of 2011.

MARCH 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

Several times a year the Commissioners hold the meeting in other jurisdictions within Montgomery County to bring local government closer to the people.  The March 24, 2009 Board of County Commissioners meeting was hosted by Washington Township.  Washington Township Administrator Jesse Lightle highlighted the activities of some of their departments.  March 24, 2009 the Commissioners learned more about the Early Care & Education Initiative ReadySetSoar.   Jenni Roer, co-champion of the Young People Succeeding Outcome Team of the Montgomery County Family & Children First Council and Executive Director of The Frank M. Tait Foundation described the statistics that show the need for the initiative which strives to improve the quality of Early childhood Education for every child in our community.  Robyn Lightcap, Director of ReadySetSoar, described the program and steps they are taking to better prepare Montgomery County's children to be successful in school and in life. On March 17th the Commissioners honored three friends and professionals who have been part of the lives of people in county government for many years – Carl Nichols and Bob Phillips (WDTN-TV) and Denny Cheatham (WHIO-TV).    Many elected officials turned out to extend their best wishes and celebrate the retirement of these remarkable men. On March 17th the Commissioners also recognized Doris Edelmann, Montgomery County Job & Family Services – Children Services Division – for being the 2009 recipient of the Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., Ph.D. Award.  This award is presented each year to a person who exemplifies Brother Ray's dedication to the cause of nurturing and protecting children and families by their daily efforts. Through her efforts at Children Services, Doris has distinguished herself as an exemplary role model in our community, exemplifying community spirit, leadership, volunteerism and making a difference in the lives of others – particularly the children under our care.   Two members of the O.H.I.O. Youth Advisory Board, Timothy Hill and Alex McFarland, were on hand to congratulate her. On March 3, 2009 the commissioners received a briefing from Chris Olinsky and Betty Wingerter, Co-County Directors, on the Ohio State University Extension restructuring plan which will be sent to the commissioners on March 4th. March 3rd the Commissioners were also briefed by Montgomery County Engineer Joe Litvin on possible road closure scenarios related to renovations to the bridge at I-75 and Needmore Road by the Ohio Department of Transportation to occur in 2010.   Due to a number of recent incidents where semi trucks hit the bridge, ODOT intends to raise the bridge 8-10 inches to provide more clearance.   March 2009 is AMERICAN RED CROSS MONTH.  Tom Fodor, CEO of the Dayton Area Chapter, announced that the Dayton Area Chapter attained the top national designation of a Highly Performing Chapter, as measured by the American Red Cross Chapter Performance Scorecard system.  Only 1 in 10 chapters nationwide achieves this status.  He thanked the commissioners for their continued partnership which helps ensure that the Red Cross remains ready to prevent, prepare for and respond to the emergencies and disasters impacting the families of our community. Through donations to the Disaster Relief Fund, the Dayton Area Chapter was able to assist hundreds of individuals and families who were without power during the Windstorm of 2008.    They also relocated their emergency housing which provides a safe haven to 37 families. Captain Rick Davis from USPHS (United States Public Health Service) and Dr. Thais Morata from NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) attended the March 3rd Commission meeting to present Montgomery County Water Services with the National Safe-In-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.   This award recognizes organizations that document measurable achievements in hearing loss prevention programs.  Connie Muncy, Water Services Safety Officer, talked about the process they went through to create their safety program and apply for the award. On March 3rd the Commissioners received the results of the 2009 Dayton-Montgomery County Homeless Point-In-Time Count.   The count was conducted on Thursday evening, January 29th and the early morning hours of Friday, January 30th.   The majority of the homeless individuals, 847, were staying in one of the community's emergency shelters or transitional housing program.  An additional 14 individuals were unsheltered, living on the street.   There were 110 homeless families, with a total of 335 people, including 218 children.    It was encouraging that this year only 52 individuals, or 10% of the unaccompanied adults, met HUD's definition of chronic homelessness.  In 2007 there were 120 chronically homeless individuals.  The reductions seen in the last three years are due to the increased housing resources and intentional assessment and targeting that occurred through the implementation of the Homeless Solutions Community 10-Year Plan.

FEBRUARY 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

On February 24, 2009, Montgomery County Commissioners declared March 2009 as Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.  Mark Gerhardstein, Superintendent of the Board of MR/DD emphasized that people with disabilities are "Just Like You" in their need for education, vocation, recreation and housing. The Commissioners heard a presentation highlighting the partnership between MONCO Enterprises and The McGregor & Surmount Corp, which received one of the 2008 Erin Ritchey Memorial Awards.   February 24, 2009 the Commissioners accepted a Participation Plaque on behalf of Montgomery County Children Services Division from the Public Children Services Association of Ohio in recognition of its involvement in the 2008 Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign.   April is Prevent Child Abuse Month around the state and Montgomery County will be partnering with Christ United Methodist Church for the kickoff of the awareness campaign on March 31st.    Residents should call 224-KIDS if they think a child is at risk or in danger. On February 10, 2009 Kate Barrett, Sickle Cell Nurse Coordinator, talked about the West Central Ohio Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center.   The Center, located in the hematology/oncology department at The Children's Medical Center, provides services for children, adults and their families who have sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait or other abnormal hemoglobin.  For the last seven years, the Montgomery County Engineer's office has joined with the Center to hold the Sickle Cell Family Christmas Party.  Approximately 200 people attended the event this past December.  The staff of the Engineer's office spends time selecting just the right present for each patient so it is a very special event for all.   To learn more about the Center call 937-641-3111. On February 3, 2009 the commissioner received Dayton's Neighborhood School Centers: A Community's Project Evaluated After Two Years which was prepared by the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community and described the activities to date and plans for the future.  The Neighborhood School Centers (NSC) mission is "Committed to children and families, we work with many partners to develop inventive, enduring relationships to create environments where students will excel and neighborhoods will flourish with schools as their centers.  While it will take five to ten years to draw a definitive conclusion on whether Dayton's NSC is successful, indicators after two years are very positive. Beth Anspach, Communications Director from the local American Heart Association, encouraged the Commissioners and the public to "Go Red for Women" during February to support the American Heart Association's campaign to bring awareness to women and those who love them about their risk of cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of American women and the cause of one in every three female deaths.  This year's theme "Our Hearts. Our Choice." stresses the importance of making healthy choices that help reduce your risk factors.   She reminded everyone that Friday, February 6th is National Wear Red Day. Pam Albers from Brighter Futures, a program of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, told the commissioners about the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) which is a comprehensive nurse home visiting program for low income, first time pregnant women. Specially-trained nurses regularly visit mothers and family members in their homes during pregnancy and teach prenatal care. After the birth, they emphasize parenting skills and healthy infant and child development.  The Nurse Family Partnership is a national program and Brighter Futures, the first NFP developed in the country, is still the largest site.  The program strives to improve pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and maternal life course development.  Two clients spoke about their experiences with the program and the relationships they've built with their nurse home visitors.  For more information or to sign up, call 208-GROW. The commissioners heard a presentation by the Dayton Metro Library explaining why it plans to place a levy on the May 2009 ballot which would approve a replacement of the 1.25 mill passed in 2004 and an increase of .75 mill for the purpose of general operating expenses for the Dayton Metro Library at a rate not exceeding 2.00 mills each $1.00 of valuation for five years beginning the first half collection 2010.  The Board of Commissioners, as the taxing authority of the political subdivision, is required to approve the request to place the levy on the ballot per O.R.C. 5705.23. The commissioners authorized an Interagency Agreement with the Montgomery County Transportation Improvement District (TID) to provide funding of $500,000.00 to assist in the implementation of the Austin Interchange Development Project.    Montgomery County and the TID are working with local jurisdictions in developing a development along with planned interchange.

JANUARY 2009 COMMISSION UPDATES

Montgomery County leads Ohio in Reducing High School Dropout Rate! Through the partnership of Montgomery County, Sinclair Community College, the 16 school districts and many alternative schools the dropout rate for Montgomery County has improved from 25.6% in 2001 to 11.6% in 2007.  That 14% reduction is the largest improvement of any of Ohio's ten largest counties…and our unique private-public partnership, Fast Forward Center is the reason.   On January 27, 2009, the Commissioners heard an update from the Out-of-School Youth Fast Forward Center.  Each year over 2,000 out-of-school youth are served by the Fast Forward Center reentry partner schools and programs.  Since 2002 a total of 1,619 students who were disconnected from traditional schools have graduated in Montgomery County.  In addition the Taylor Endowment Scholarship Fund for Out-of-School Youth has been established to provide full scholarships to Sinclair Community College. On January 13, 2009, the Commissioners heard an update from the House of Bread, a community kitchen serving predominately the inner-city residents of Dayton, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.  In addition to serving an average of 260 free hot and nutritious lunchtime meals a day to anyone in need, it also serves as the central meal preparation and distribution site for 135 meals a day at four community centers that provide after school study programs.    For more information about the services or if you are interested in volunteering at the House of Bread, please call 226-1520. On January 3, 2009, the Commissioners received copies of the 2009 Adoption Calendar published by the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services – Children Services Division.   The calendar spotlights 12 children who are available for adoption and includes information for prospective adoptive families.   There are 70 children waiting to be adopted every day through Children Services.   Aggressive efforts are underway to find these children a forever home.  Profiles and videos can be found at http://www.mcohio.org/childrenservices or you can call 224-KIDS. The Commissioners also accepted a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and recognized the staff of the Office of Management and Budget for their hard work. This program has been promoting the preparation of high quality budget documents since 1984 and more than 1,100 governments (state and local) participate in the program each year.  This is the 25th year that Montgomery County has received this award.