It's Great 'n Dayton

Provide Input on City Priorities

Every 5 years cities, counties and states are required to submit to HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) what is called a Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development that identifies how the communities will spend funds that are awarded them to address certain needs.

HUD's distribution of funds is typically targeted for use to improve the quality of life for low income persons, provide affordable housing opportunities, eliminate slum/blight, and address emergency situations.

In Dayton funds have been used for code enforcement, nuisance abatement (housing demolition), rental rehab programs, support of Rebuilding Together Dayton, and support of other agencies doing things for teens, foreclosure prevention, support of Red Cross, etc.

Infrastructure projects are also eligible uses and street/alley resurfacing is a common use. Expenses associated with neighborhood development (ie. the running of the Priority Boards and distributing small neighborhood grants) can be covered by these funds.

Additional funds are available to communities to specifically use for housing and homelessness. Dayton's shelters are funded with these funds. Dayton has also used funds to offer downpayment assistance, rental rehabilitation, to do the Phoenix project, to invest in senior housing (Twin Towers), etc.

As you can see many good things happen in our community because of funds we receive from the federal government.

If you would like to learn more or would like to share your ideas and provide input the City of Dayton is holding a public forum on Saturday April 17 from 9 am- noon at the Dayton Convention Center. If you would like to attend, please call 333-3670.

By the way, HUD uses Census data to award much of the funding. Make sure you fill out your census form and return it!

One Cover Charge Allows Entrance into multiple OD Bars

Bars in the Oregon District are trying an experiment to address suggestions made by patrons who complain that every bar has its own cover charge. Actually I say experiment but maybe it's on-going.

Anyway, starting Friday April 2 (coindidentally First Friday), the Dublin Pub, Trolley Stop, Blind Bob's, Tumbleweed and soon-to-be Sidebar will charge cover charges and distribute wrist bands that wave the charge if presented at one of the other participating establishments.

Make a night of it! Visit multiple places for the price of one! Check it out!

For a full story go to ActiveDayton.Com.

Neighborhood Grants Available

The City of Dayton is accepting applications for projects taking place in neighborhoods.

This is a big relief for neighborhood leaders who thought they would see the funding go away when the city started slashing neighborhood and festival budgets as part of its budget cuts.

Projects should be oriented toward community improvement. In addition to impact, leveraging of additional funds/support, community involvement/partnerships, capacity building and collaboration, additional points will be awarded to projects that promote sustainability, pedestrian/bicycle connectivity, and issues dealing with vacant land/lots.

For eligibility requirments and other criteria, visit http://www.cityofdayton.org/Documents/Mini-Grants%202010.pdf

Be sure to pay attention to such details as attendance at mandatory workshops (applications will only be made available to attendees), contacting staff about physical improvement projects and different deadlines for different types of projects.

The City doesn't have to award this money but Dayton has always believed in and supported neighborhood organizing. Along with applying for funds make sure you THANK the commission and mayor for making such funds available.

Support United Way of Greater Dayton

 

Has the economy affected you? Things a little tight? Imagine what it is like for people already down on their luck. Stays at homeless shelters are up, family tensions are up, visits to food pantries are up, seniors and the sick are going longer before seeking treatment or getting medicine, and more.

WE can make a difference by supporting the United Way.

The United Way is the community's one-stop giving shop. You might have organizations you prefer to support; and you like to write your checks to those organizations. If you're supporting multiple organizations you can write a check to the United Way and DESIGNATE the organizations you want to support.

Otherwise, part of what the United Way does is establish community needs by monitoring funded agencies and services, tracking statistics on the numbers of people served, etc. Giving a general gift to United Way goes toward areas of greatest need. And yours truly serves on committees that help make those decisions. Believe it or not, there are not people sitting in an ivory tower doling out money. There are several committees of community leaders and community volunteers who help identify and prioritize community needs and then match them with appropropriate resources.

United Way also wants to know your thoughts and is currently conducting a community survey. Follow the link to provide feedback!

To stay connected with United Way check out its recently launched BLOG and its Facebook page.

So make a gift, volunteer, advocate in support of the needs of our community!

The Ruse of the Creative Class: Apparently even Richard Florida doesn't believe in it anymore

The American Prospect, in its current issue has a story debunking myths about the creative class and reports how many communities have been duped by economist Richard Florida.

The gist of the story is that all the touting that was done about making cities desirable was wishful thinking at best and now scandalous to cities that are "so far gone" that they will never rebound. Florida goes as far as to say that the focus should be on locations that are already thriving.

Here's an except:

As Elmira and other cities on Florida's circuit dutifully carry out his instructions, though, the guru has grown less confident in their prospects. In a warm-up to his next book--The Great Reset, due out in April--Florida has been arguing that the recession has so decimated many cities and regions that it's time for the country to cut its losses and instead encourage growth in places that are prospering, like Silicon Valley, Boulder, Austin, and North Carolina's Research Triangle. And the rest? In his much-cited cover story in the March issue of The Atlantic--"How the Crash Will Reshape America"--he delivered the harsh news: "We need to be clear that ultimately, we can't stop the decline of some places, and that we would be foolish to try. ... Different eras favor different places, along with the industries and lifestyles those places embody. ... We need to let demand for the key products and lifestyles of the old order fall, and begin building a new economy, based on a new geography."

Dayton is mentioned in the article, as is DaytonCreate and c{space. A quote by our former mayor makes you wonder whether she actually understood the creative class at all:

Across the country, the battle to attract the creative class carries on. In Dayton, Ohio, billboards and T-shirts carry a new Richard Florida-inspired logo: "Dayton patented. Originals wanted." The city is building bikeways, passed an anti-discrimination ordinance in 2007 to increase its score on Florida's "tolerance index," and has given a local group called DaytonCREATE the use of a vacant bank, now called "c{space," "where they hang out and do a lot of their creativeness," Mayor Rhine McLin says.

A lot of good has come from efforts to retain and attract young professionals and the creative class. We're certainly not going to bring large industry into the community and leaders have talked about growing small and mid-size local businesses as a strategy. I hope there's more than one strategy and that we haven't put all of our eggs in one basket.

Were we sold an unrealizable dream?

Dayton 2009 Recap: The Good, the Bad, and the Yet-to-be

These are in no particular order. I just randomly thought of things and probably missed some. Feel free to comment and suggest additions to any of the lists:

The Bad
Foreclosure Crisis
Declining sales tax and property tax revenue for city/county
Tight government budgets
Cuts, furloughs and layoffs at city and county
NCR’s departure from the community
Regional rally…great concept, poorly executed

The Good
UpDayton Summit
Improvements/murals on Wayne Avenue
DaytonMostMetro growth as an e-zine
Film Dayton
“This is Dayton” posters and the Urban Excursion
UD and Kettering Health Network buying NCR properties
Resurfacing of Main Street and other streets
Bike lanes on streets
New downtown RTA hub
Relocation of Greyhound Station
Levy renewals for Metroparks and Libraries
Election of a new Dayton mayor
Beautification efforts on lower Salem Avenue
Plans for revitalizing Cooper Park
The Greater Downtown Dayton Plan
Purchase of the Arcade
Creation of student housing downtown
HBO production of The Last Truck by local filmmakers
Reopening of Stewart Street bridge
Continued success on Urban Night and First Fridays
Growing presence and recognition for visual arts
Garden Station
Dayton Beautiful Town Hall Series
Recognition of the role of place-making
Efforts by Citizens for Change (www.ourdayton.com)

The Yet-to-be-seen
Performance of the new mayor
Efforts at regionalism
Execution of the Downtown plan
Revitalization of Cooper Park
Execution of the Gateway Project
New Riverscape pavilion and bike hub
Renovation of the Arcade
Second UpDayton Summit
Efforts by Citizens for Change
Plans for Memorial Hall and the Old Courthouse

So, I’m sure I’ve missed some things but a couple things stand out. The bad list is considerably shorter; although the items do/did have significant and long-lasting impact. The good list is a sign of momentum picking up and moving in the right direction. On the good list it’s also notable how many projects do NOT involve government. Instead, many of the projects are being pulled off by citizens, community groups, and the private sector.

The future is in OUR hands. WE need to make the best of it (and stop pointing fingers).

Public Suppport of the Arts

So today I feel compelled to defend a tiny piece of my job.

 

Today Montgomery County awarded almost $1 million to local arts organizations. You can read about the award and see the list of recipients in Terry Morris’ Dayton Daily News article. While you might have your own opinion for or against public funding of the arts you can imagine the comments in the DDN!

 

Valid points can be raised about cuts to mandated services (ie. sheriff) while funding the arts. However, the arts are also being cut. The article fails to mention that the arts are not funded out of the county’s general fund (tax revenue) like they used to be. And even if they were, it would still be a worthwhile investment. The arts funding was appropriated in previous budgets prior to the current financial crisis in which the county finds itself. Those appropriations will run out next year.

 

Here’s why I believe the arts should be supported (language adapted from the NEA):

The arts help define what it is to be an American—by building a sense of the nation’s identity, by reinforcing the reality of American pluralism, by advancing democraticvalues at home and by advancing democratic values and peace abroad.

The arts contribute to quality of life and economic growth—by making American

communities more livable and more prosperous and by increasing the nation’s

prosperity at home and abroad.

The arts help form an educated and aware citizenry—by promoting understanding in our diverse society, by developing competence in school and at work and by advancing freedom of inquiry and the open exchange of ideas and values.

The arts enhance individual life—by encouraging individual creativity, spirit and

potential and by providing release, relaxation and entertainment.

Additionally, whether it’s through public support or through private contributions, arts organizations and artists need supported. The average theater or musical production only generates enough revenue to cover 45-55% of a show's costs. Without public and private support of the arts our community’s capacity to offer quality arts would suffer.

Montgomery County is one of several counties in the US that funds the arts. For that we should be thankful. Ohio has traditionally had a strong arts council (which is also suffering the effects of state budget cuts). The NEA has a nice piece about public support of the arts and compares us to other countries. Check it out.

Next time you see a local performance or buy a work from a local artist, imagine our community without their existence and be thankful that Dayton has a top-ranked arts community for a region its size. And if the arts funding does go away, what next? Should there be a levy? A sin tax? A survival of the fittest deathmatch among the artists and organizations?

 

And let's not forget patrons who come in to downtown from other counties using local infrastructure and our amenities and neither they (with some exceptions for true arts patrons and donors) nor their communities contribute a dime to sustaining our arts and cultural heritage.

 

Locals have 4x economic impact over nationals

Anyone that's followed my posts for a while knows I'm an advocate for supporting local businesses. I've had several posts about shopping locally, eating and buying from indepdent businesses, buy local campaigns, and supporting local artists (particularly when looking for holiday gifts).

Here's a link to Cooltown studios about a study about independent businesses and their significance. Big factor...local money, spent locally, stays local to be recirculated.

Time for the Old Boys network to go?

The Dayton Daily News has an opinion of the rally two days ago that is dead-on. While I portrayed the rally for what it tried to accomplish (in my last post), the DDN has written about the reality of how it failed. And I agree 100%.

Has Dayton Turned a Corner?

Dayton has turned a corner, or that’s what yesterday’s rally would have you believe.

In actuality I think the region HAS turned a corner. We’ve taken our hits with the economy, job loss, and the housing market.  Yesterday’s regional rally was designed to make sure we’re not beaten down. Speaker Stacia Edwards (from the Regional Workforce Transformation Consortium) reminded us that we can’t let bad news steal our opportunities or our potential. We have a community in which it is desirable to Live, Work, and Play.

I also think we have turned a corner because citizens and the private sector are stepping up to the plate and taking control. Many projects have been under way for a couple years (or longer). Many people in the audience have been part of those efforts. The rally fell flat as a rally but it did accomplish bringing all those people together even if it was to preach to the choir.

We heard about the size of the region, 13 counties and a 60-mile radius encompassing the 937 area code. We heard about urban revitalization. We heard about connecting assets and people and people to people and people to assets. We heard a litany of all the assets we have in our region. We heard about a desire to be more inclusive and to embrace diversity in our community and in our workforce. We heard about the significance of Wright Patterson Air Force Base’s (and the Springfield Air National Guard) role in the region. We heard from businesses that have started here, are growing here, and WANT TO STAY HERE. We heard about water and we heard about a talented, well-educated, creative workforce. We heard about the Metroparks and a vibrant arts and entertainment scene including theater, youth programs, individual artists, and sports.

Other bloggers and Facebook-ers have expressed feelings about some of the inadequacies of the rally. It was long and not well-paced even though the speaking was broken up to keep our interest. Some speakers effectively captured our attention, particularly Mike Ervin (Downtown Dayton Plan), Sean Creighton and Theresa Gasper (Dayton Create), Mike McDorman (Springfield Chamber of Commerce), Joe Sciabica (WPAFB), and Bruce Langos from Teradata who got his digs in at NCR!

Local leaders (loosely defined) have finally gotten some things right. Other communities, for a long time, have focused on themes around having and building environments that create appealing places to Live, Work, and Play (I blogged about it here in April, 2009). I still don’t Get Midwest. I like Springfield’s Dream Big campaign, inspired by Albert Einstein.

Speaking of leaders, I mentioned above that citizens and the private sector have stepped up to the plate. In addition to business leaders and a small amount of average citizens I was pleased to see elected officials and personnel from many surrounding jurisdictions. However, I’ll need readers to tell me if elected officials from Dayton were present. I suppose it was purposeful that no elected leaders from any of the communities spoke. But everyone wondered if Gary Leitzell, the new mayor, was there. Nobody I spoke with saw Rhine McLin or the commissioners or Phil Parker from the Chamber of Commerce or Jackie Powell from the Convention and Visitors Bureau (and there’s even a Water Innovation Alliance convention coming in May 2010). Feel free to comment or send me an email and I’ll update my post accordingly if corrected. Hopefully no one was snubbed. If we're going to be a region we need to act like one and work together like one. It's time to not only pay lip service to the idea of collaborating. We need to do more as citizens, as businesses, and as local elected officials who need to keep the big picture in mind and consider downsizing and combining governments.

Many of you are in the trenches, moreso than me. You didn’t hear anything new at the rally. You already know and celebrate that Dayton is a community in which to Live, Work and Play. Hopefully the rally showed the rest of the community what we’ve known all along. And hopefully you realize you’re not alone in your interest in our opportunities, potential, and desire to change perceptions.

Here’s a story from the Dayton Daily News. I can’t believe - with all the positive things that were said and promoted - that my post is actually longer than the article. Also be sure to check out Esrati.com.