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The Health Division’s website for information related to COVID-19 vaccines, www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com, remains the best resource for residents to stay up to date regarding vaccinations in Oakland County.
The site shows visitors vaccine providers in their communities and provides access to current information about eligibility and distribution. In addition, residents and Oakland County workers can fill out the “Save Your Spot” form there to receive the vaccine from Oakland County. Once registrants are eligible and vaccine doses are available, the Health Division will contact them by phone, text or email to set up an appointment. If they have already received a vaccine from another provider, they can also remove themselves from the list by clicking the “Remove Your Spot” button.
In addition to Oakland County vaccine locations, anyone can register for Meijer’s Ford Field mass vaccination site. Those who have not yet received a vaccine are encouraged to register using one of the three ways below:
County commissioners and fair housing leaders recently unveiled the proposed Oakland County Fair Housing Initiative.
The initiative, which launched during National Fair Housing Month, aims to prevent source of income (SOI) housing discrimination and eliminate other barriers to fair housing. SOI discrimination prevents residents who participate in the federally funded housing choice voucher program, or other forms of rental assistance, from accessing housing. The voucher program in particular is the federal government’s program for assisting low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments, in the private market.
To address this issue, commissioners introduced the legislative package at the full Board of Commissioners meeting on April 29.
For more information, including details about the resolutions, visit http://bit.ly/OCFairHs21.
With a stable outlook amid the fiscal and operational challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland County has retained its Aaa bond rating.
Moody’s Investors Service awarded its highest credit score to the county for two Water Resources Commissioner (WRC) refunding bonds which will save ratepayers an estimated $5.2 million with lower interest rates over the life of the bonds. Moody’s cited Oakland County’s effective response to COVID-19, budgetary excellence, and the Coulter administration’s strategic vision for the future as the rationale for reaffirming the county’s bond rating.
Oakland County has consistently maintained its Aaa bond rating since 1998 because of the shared commitment to long-term financial planning among the leaders in all branches of county government.
To read more, visit http://bit.ly/OCBndAAA.
Oakland County and its Michigan Works! agency launched the Oakland County Clean Slate Program, which enables county residents with criminal convictions to have specific offenses expunged from their public record and opens the door to find better jobs, housing and educational opportunities. The program provides free legal assistance to eligible individuals seeking expungement.
To start the process, individuals should complete an online request for expungement services at www.oakgov.com/cleanslate.
Program details include:
- Up to three felony convictions may be expunged after seven years (only two may be for assaultive crimes and no more than one felony conviction for the same offense if the offense is punishable by more than 10 years imprisonment).
- An unlimited number of misdemeanor convictions may be expunged after three years.
- Serious misdemeanors and one felony conviction may be expunged after five years.
- Various traffic offenses may be expunged.
- A person can petition to set aside misdemeanor marijuana offenses if they would not have been a crime after recreational use was legalized.
- Multiple felonies or misdemeanors arising from the same 24-hour period are treated as one conviction for the purposes of expungement (none of the offenses can be assaultive, involve the use or possession of a dangerous weapon, or carry a maximum penalty of 10 or more years in prison).
Some convictions that cannot be expunged from a criminal record include felonies that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison; attempt to commit a felony for which the maximum punishment is life; felony domestic violence (if the person had a previous domestic violence misdemeanor); child abuse; cost criminal sexual conduct offenses; and DUI and traffic offenses causing injury or death.
For more information, visit www.oakgov.com/cleanslate.
The Oakland County Legal Resources Center (LRC) has partnered with Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. to find a solution to continue offering free legal assistance on civil, non-family law issues to low-income individuals while ensuring the health and safety of participants.
In-person legal aid clinics remain suspended due to COVID-19, and offices remain closed; however, LRC is hosting virtual clinics. Dates for the remote sessions are posted to the LRC’s website once they are scheduled. During the workshops, attorneys from Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. will inform individuals about court procedures and forms, advise them on their rights, and in some cases, represent them in court.
Once dates are published, registration for the virtual clinics must be done in advance by calling 248-858-0012. For more information, visit www.oakgov.com/lrc.
Oakland County Parks and Recreation (OCPR) is now hiring for seasonal, part-time positions.
Available roles include golf course worker, grill worker, parks attendant, park worker, campground worker, nature center coordinator and more.
OCPR is also hosting job fairs in early May, during which they will be filling positions on-the-spot. For more information about job fairs and available positions, visit https://www.oakgov.com/parks/Pages/jobs.aspx.
To prevent the European frog-bit plant from spreading in local ponds and wetlands, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, in collaboration with Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (Oakland County CISMA), will be sharing helpful information to increase awareness related to how water enthusiasts can help.
The fast-growing plant, which has been found in 16 small retention ponds and wetland complexes in Novi and Northville, forms thick mats that can impede boat travel, prevents ducks from landing and blocks light from reaching plants below the surface.
Oakland County residents can join the fight by keeping an eye on ponds on their property. Those who think they may have this species in their ponds should take a photo and contact Oakland County CISMA at 248-660-0716, or email the photo to oaklandcountycisma@gmail.com. Small infestations can be hand-pulled and left to dry on land, whereas large populations require a more intensive treatment method.
In addition, residents should consider allowing project partners to survey their property for European frog-bit. During the survey, professionals will walk around water bodies and perform quick tests for submerged watch-list species. For more information, visit www.oaklandinvasivespecies.org/european-frog-bit.
Oakland County’s drive-thru COVID-19 testing locations are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pontiac Fire Station (348 South Blvd W., Pontiac, MI) on Wednesdays and at the Southfield City Hall Employee Parking Deck (26000 Evergreen Rd, Southfield, MI) on Thursdays.
Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-848-5533 or visiting the county’s testing page. Same day drive-up tests are also available for those unable to make an appointment. Those who do not make an appointment should allow for an additional 5 to 10 extra minutes to fill out the necessary paperwork. They must also arrive prior to 3:30 p.m. at either location to be tested without a scheduled appointment.
For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.oakgov.com/covid and click “COVID-19 Testing” at the top of the page.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners website, Facebook page and commissioner newsletters are three great ways for residents to stay engaged with the Board.
By visiting www.oakgov.com/boc, constituents can watch Board and committee meetings and access the latest news, meeting calendars, information about each commissioner and more.
Constituents can also sign up for their commissioner’s newsletter by clicking “Sign Up for my Newsletter” on the commissioner’s county website. They can find their commissioner by visiting www.oakgov.com/boc.
In addition, those interested can “Like” @oakgov.boc on Facebook to see the Board’s latest press releases, meet commissioners, learn about events going on around the county and more.
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