May 6, 2021
Bi-weekly County Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I’m not a big fan of sports metaphors, but the time is right for this one. We’re in the final minutes of a crucial, life-saving contest, it’s fourth and goal at the 10-yard line and we can’t afford to lose this fight.
Seriously, we are so close to beating this COVID-19 pandemic that our final push to vaccinate as many people as possible must succeed if we expect to get back to normal.
And aren’t you ready for that, especially with summer almost upon us? Even when they’re losing, we all want to go to a Detroit Tiger’s baseball game this year, or a concert at Meadowbrook or DTE Energy Music Theater, or our community pool to beat the heat.
Without a vaccination rate of at least 70 percent, we won’t get there. And while Oakland County is doing really well and has already reached a 60 percent vaccination rate, those last doses in arms may be the hardest to accomplish.
Lifting the remaining restrictions on returning to full capacity at restaurants, theaters and stadiums depends on a 70 percent STATEWIDE vaccination rate. So while the county might reach that milestone soon, the virus doesn’t respect geographic borders and we must wait until the entire state reaches that threshold.
If you’ve already gotten your vaccine, that’s great. But now it’s time to convince your more reluctant friends, family and neighbors that one-by-one, we can get stronger, get back to business and return to normal much sooner if they just get the vaccine.
Look at the statistics and see the proof that the vaccine is working. The age range of people who still are getting hospitalized because of COVID is much younger than in the early days of the pandemic. The state and county dashboards show that as the older, more vulnerable populations have gotten vaccinated, they’re staying safer and avoiding the ravages of COVID.
For those who haven’t gotten vaccinated yet and think it’s just too hard and complicated to get a shot, it’s not. There are no barriers to getting your first dose now and there are more places than ever to find a vaccine. We have started offering walk-up clinics this week and will continue to host clinics targeted at places that are easy and accessible to the communities that still need the doses.
Many of the pharmacies and other health care providers in the area also have shots available and are welcoming walk-ins for doses.
If you want to make an appointment to Save Your Spot for a shot, you can do that on the Oakland County Vaccine website at OaklandCountyVaccine.com. To find vaccines from other providers, click on the Appointments page.
So make your vaccination plan, now. I’ll fire up the barbecue. With hope for a return to normal,
David Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Find a Vaccine near you at:
 Coulter celebrates Dia Le Los Ninos
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter joined Fernando Gonzalez Saiffe, the Counsel General of Mexico, and Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein on Saturday, May 1, to celebrate Dia de los Ninos – or Day of the Children.
“I can’t think of a place I’d rather be today than celebrating, appreciating and welcoming these wonderful children to our county,” Coulter said. “It’s so important for us to reach out to all the different groups who are making Oakland County home.”
As part of the celebration at the Madison Heights City Hall, Coulter, Gonzalez Saiffe and Grafstein handed out goodie bags, filled with books, stickers and school supplies to more than 125 children.
Oakland County is officially a Welcoming County that is committed to providing inclusive services and making sure that all of our residents, including immigrants and refugees, feel safe in their hometowns,” Coulter said.
Transparency is key to CARES Act Dashboard
Oakland County released a detailed dashboard last week that shows how $256 million in federal CARES Act money was spent.
The money was approved by Congress last year to help businesses, communities and individuals cope and survive the devastating coronavirus pandemic.
The story map on the dashboard reveals the businesses, organizations, municipalities, and school districts that received grants from the county.
Oakland launches expungement assistance program
A program to help county residents with criminal convictions get offenses expunged from their record launched last week.
The “Clean Slate” effort is designed to open up opportunities for employment and housing that might otherwise not be available for people with convictions on their record.
In its first week, more than 650 people signed up for the Clean Slate assistance. The program, which is paid for with a $314,500 allocation from the state of Michigan, was made possible after the state Legislature passed new expungement laws earlier this year.
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