April 13, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Earth Day is just around the corner, which gives me a reason to celebrate our planet and address the work ahead of us to protect the environment for future generations.
Earth Day is not confined to a single day or week. I believe more than ever, every day is Earth Day – a time to fight for the climate, clean energy, responsible development and an equitable approach to implementation. That means ensuring all of our residents and neighborhoods receive the benefits of our sustainability efforts.
Leading on environmental sustainability has been at the top of my agenda since I entered public service. It was a priority for me as a county commissioner, as the Mayor of Ferndale and now as Oakland County Executive. In fact, one of the first commitments I made to residents was to end greenhouse gas emissions on the County campus by 2030. Countywide, our goal is carbon neutrality by 2050. It’s a reach, but I’m confident that by working together and maintaining our vigilance, it’s a goal we can achieve.
Environmental sustainability is an integral component of our County’s strategic roadmap. Over the next five years, we will be creating a variety of initiatives that will lessen our impact on the planet, including leveraging alternative energy and investing in new technologies that are friendly to the environment. With the help of American Rescue Plan funding, we have a real opportunity to make transformational, once-in-a-generation changes.
As one of our seven overarching goals for the county, environmental sustainability helps us achieve other, equally important goals, such as healthy residents, livable neighborhoods, and even a thriving economy. We know that residents and businesses share the County’s desire to protect the environment, reduce carbon pollution, keep our water and lakes safe, and conserve natural resources. A green future is a prosperous future.
I also recently announced a new partnership with Oakland University to address a variety of environmental issues in our County. Not only is this good for the residents of Oakland County, but this partnership spotlights Oakland University as an elite regional research institution and a sustainability model for higher education.
Erin Quetell, our County’s first environmental sustainability officer, is already making a real impact on our campus’ environmental plan. You’ll be hearing more about Erin and our plan soon.
In the meantime, I ask that you join me in doing something kind for the planet to honor Earth Day. There’s plenty to do – plant a tree, pick up trash, carpool to work, listen to an Earth Day podcast, go plant-based for the day or skip the plastic bottle. Check with your local community for local events or visit the Oakland County Blog for a countywide event listing. There’s no better investment, than the investment we make in our planet.
With gratitude,
David Coulter
Oakland County Executive
 Service Highlight of the week: Veterans Resource Fairs
Once a month, the Veterans Services department holds free resource fairs for the county’s veterans, with a variety of services, including:
- Free food boxes
- Free dental appointments
- Registration help for the Detroit VA Healthcare system
- Claims’ assistance for veteran benefits
- $50 Meijer gift cards
- Housing counseling
- Help with behavioral health issues
- Career planning, training and job search resources
The next fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 14 at the American Legion Post 143, 96 Churchill Road, Auburn Hills. At the last fair in Oxford, 12 hairstylists and barbers offered their services free of charge to give veterans haircuts. We hope to have them back for future resource fairs.
For more information about services for veterans, go to oakgov.com/veterans.
County accepted into LEED certification training program
Oakland County is among 15 cities and counties that will participate in the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2022 LEED for Cities and Local Government Leadership program.
The program brings together local governments from around the country to support communities seeking LEED certification. The program provides networking opportunities, technical assistance and access to educational resources.
“Ensuring our county government campus is operating in the most energy-efficient and environmentally sound manner is the right thing to do and a top priority,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “Getting this LEED certification is one more important step toward our goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 and contributing to a cleaner, healthier county for future generations.”
 April is Distracted Driving Awareness month
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners is leading the charge on an educational campaign urging residents to “Just Drive,” instead of texting, eating, snapping a photo or taking in the sites while driving.
The campaign is being supported by billboards around Oakland County that carry the messages:
- “Responding to a text? Just Drive”
- “Eating your lunch? Just Drive”
- “Finishing up your makeup? Just Drive”
- “Snapping a photo? Just Drive”
The National Safety Council, which leads Distracted Driving Month nationally, estimates that in 2018, more than 2,800 people in the United States died in distraction-related crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 14,236 vehicle crashes, 5,560 injuries and 52 fatalities due to distracted driving in Michigan in 2020.
Michigan law prohibits reading, manually typing or sending a text message while driving. The law carries a $100 ticket for a first offense and a $200 ticket for each subsequent offense.
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