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In May, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners adopted a series of resolutions that secured funding to complete nearly $12 million in new local road projects.
Oakland County’s annual Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) provides funding to Oakland County cities and villages for repairs and improvements on roadways under their jurisdiction. The program makes county investments in local roads, which are then matched with funding from Oakland County communities. In 2022, the county board appropriated nearly $2 million in county funds to make sure these projects happen this year.
In District 17, the county's funding will go toward:
- Reconstruction of E. California in the City of Lathrup Village
- Pavement rehabilitation of 9 Mile Road (Cloverlawn Avenue to Pinecrest Avenue) in the City of Oak Park
- Pavement rehabilitation of Northwestern Service Drive (Telegraph Road to Bell Road) in the City of Southfield
For more information about the county's 2022 LRIP, visit https://bit.ly/2022LRIP.
At its June 23 meeting, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Oakland County Schools Mental Health Grant Program.
The program will provide grants to local public school districts to address students’ mental health needs, and it allows school districts to create social and emotional programs specific to their unique communities. The $15 million initiative will be funded with up to $10,150,000 of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds and matched with up to $5 million from local school districts. Eligible Oakland County school districts will be able to apply for a base grant up to $175,000, and additional grant funding up to $175,000 will be awarded if matched with equal funds from the school district.
Public school districts in Oakland County will be invited to submit a proposal for grant funding for initiatives that may include additional school mental health professional staff, training to increase the capacity to identify students in need of mental health intervention services, programming to address the social and emotional needs of students, or increased capacity for school-based mental health screenings and/or assessments of students.
According to Oakland Schools, the county’s intermediate school district, one in 10 students has serious mental health problems severe enough to impair how they function in school, home or the community. Social and emotional programs help students develop skills that last a lifetime. In the short term, the positive impacts include the development of social and emotional skills gains in academic achievement; meaningful connections with educators and peers; improved attitudes toward self, school and others; positive social behavior; and fewer behavior incidents.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to establish a pilot program that aims to increase marine safety patrols on Oakland County lakes during the 2022 boating season at its meeting on June 23.
The resolution, authored by Commissioner Kristen Nelson (D-Waterford Township) appropriates $50,000 for the program. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) will determine where to increase patrols based on the number of calls for services, incidents reported, and level of boater activity during the last three years.
The OCSO’s Marine Unit responds to complaints, boating accidents, search and rescue, drownings, and water-related accidents on Oakland County lakes. With more than nearly 70 square miles of water, the Marine Unit is responsible for covering over 450 navigable lakes, five major rivers and 3,000 miles of shoreline.
COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years old are now available at Oakland County Health Division clinics in Pontiac and Southfield.
Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, visit www.OaklandCountyVaccine.com or call the Oakland County Nurse on Call hotline at 800-848-5533. In addition to the Health Division, families can contact their family doctors or local pharmacy to receive the vaccine.
Doses for all ages are available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the North Oakland Health Center, 1200 N Telegraph, Building 34E, in Pontiac; and the South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Road in Southfield.
The Oakland County Board unanimously adopted a recognizing July as National Park and Recreation Month at its June 23 meeting. This month, join Oakland County Parks and Recreation (OCPR) in celebrating by honoring the essential role parks play in building strong, vibrant and resilient communities.
This year’s theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation,” and OCPR will be highlighting the dedicated parks and recreation professionals who “rise up” every day to maintain parks in our communities and to provide excellent programming, services and activities across Oakland County.
During the pandemic, parks — and the recreation professionals that have kept them up and running during an incredibly challenging time — have served as a lifeline for people seeking respite in nature and outdoor activities. All month long, OCPR will be sharing stories from staff and featuring aspects of its parks system that have supported people’s health and well-being when it was needed most.
Oakland County residents are invited to join OCPR in honoring National Park and Recreation Month —and the dedicated staff that work in parks and recreation — by reflecting on how parks have impacted their lives and by sharing their stories, memories or experiences on social media using the hashtags #OCParks and #RiseUpJuly. People are also encouraged to take this opportunity to express their appreciation to the parks and recreation staff in their communities.
The site clean-up and redevelopment of the former Webster Elementary School in Pontiac took a big step forward last month when a contaminated 20,000-gallon underground tank, which had been used to store fuel oil, was removed from the site.
Oakland County received a $425,000 grant from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) last year to clean up the property. Micah 6 Community, a Pontiac-based non-profit, is investing $21 million to transform the former elementary school located on West Huron Street into the Webster Community Center, which will provide social and recreational services including six Head Start classrooms, a food co-op, art classes and therapy, performing arts programs, a WIC (Women, Infants, Children) office, a walk-in clinic, a small business incubator, and community event rooms.
Renovations of the building and property are expected to be completed by December 2023. Tenants will include Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, Honor Community Health, SMART, Rochester University, Art Experience, Pontiac Community Foundation, Oakland County Sheriff PAL, Sprout Fresh Food Store, Kaleo Kids, Accent Pontiac and Pontiac Theatre IV.
The $425,000 EGLE grant will also help remove other contaminants such as asbestos and lead-based paint.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners website, Facebook page, YouTube channel and commissioner newsletters are great ways for residents to stay engaged with the Board.
Individuals who follow the Board at @oakgov.boc on Facebook will see photos from events and information from around the county. Subscribers to the Board’s YouTube channel can receive notifications when Board meetings are live and easily find recent videos. The channel can be found by going to YouTube and searching for the “Oakland County Board of Commissioners” or going to bit.ly/YouTubeBOC. In addition, anyone can watch Board and committee meetings and access the latest news, meeting calendars, information about each commissioner and more by visiting www.oakgov.com/boc.
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