The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted older adults and has highlighted existing challenges they regularly face. Throughout the pandemic, seniors have had limited access to care for all health conditions, as well as considerable social and economic hardships. Because isolation increased older adults’ reliance on caregivers, experts say it is reasonable to expect that elder abuse cases have increased throughout the pandemic.
The resolution provides funding for Oakland County senior center updates, educational pieces for older adults, grants to non-profits that provide senior-centered services, elder abuse prevention and a three-year countywide household chore pilot program. The initiatives are results of the award-winning Blueprint for Successful Aging, which was published in December 2021, and they were recommended by the Oakland County Healthy Aging Ad Hoc Committee.
The Oakland County Healthy Aging Ad Hoc Committee will serve as an oversight body for all Oakland County senior initiatives and will approve senior center applications and mini-grant applications, the design of communication pieces and develop the chore pilot program.
If approved by voters, funding from an Oakland County public transportation millage will support current public transportation services in Oakland County, create and extend new routes to connect local communities and increase transportation service for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. It would be levied at a maximum rate of .95 mills (95 cents per $1,000 in taxable property value) for ten years beginning in 2022 and ending in 2031.
The proposed transportation millage would replace the current local public transportation millage for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) and provides funding to replace all other locally public transit millages. It would dedicate funding no less than $2 million for the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), $1 million for the Older Person’s Commission (OPC) Transportation and $2 million for WOTA, and it is estimated that $66 million will be collected in the first year.
The Survivor to Thriver Pilot Program was established on August 4 during the full Board meeting, and it will be administered by Vista Maria/Michigan Abolitionist Project (MAP). The program was created based on a recommendation by the Oakland County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF), which is made up of members from county agencies and community organizations.
The Board authorized up to $10,900 to be used for administration of the program, including reviewing applications and connecting agencies with requests made by survivors. Vista Maria/MAP will raise funds from private sponsorships or donations for the pilot program.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners recently established the Oakland County Gun Buyback Pilot Program and dedicated funding to expand law enforcement training opportunities, both in an effort to combat violence in local communities.
Introduced by Commissioner Charlie Cavell (D-Ferndale), Vice Chairwoman Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Township) and Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford), the program will provide funding to local law enforcement agencies to cover the costs of planning, hosting and administering gun buyback events in Oakland County. The events are being planned to take place during October 2022.
Voluntary gun buyback programs provide a safe, legal way for residents to dispose of unwanted firearms and can help reduce the number of weapons potentially accessible to children, youth and vulnerable individuals. The Oakland County program will allow participants to receive gift cards in exchange for anonymously surrendering unwanted firearms.
In addition, the Board recently established a $500,000 Crisis Intervention Training Pilot Program to increase local law enforcement agencies’ access to training that better equips police officers to assist individuals with mental health concerns and/or addictions.
Residents may notice new county commission district numbers as they complete their ballots this election season.
In December 2021, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners adopted a new plan that set the boundaries and seats for county commission districts, beginning with the 2023-2024 term.
Visitors to four Oakland County Parks can view artwork along the trails thanks to the popular Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Inside|Out art installation program. Inside|Out brings high-quality reproductions of famous masterpieces from its collection to local communities in beautiful outdoor settings. More than 100 locations throughout metro Detroit are hosting the artwork, which will be on display through early November:
At Addison Oaks County Park near Rochester, The Trappers' Return by George Caleb Bingham is located at the Buhl Lake Loop trailhead at Marker 1; Girl and Laurel by Winslow Homer is located by Marker 4 – closer to the campground and near the new playground; and Irises and Calla Lilies by Maria Oakey Dewing is located at Marker 38 in Addison – East.
At Catalpa Oaks County Park in Southfield, Mother and Child by Solomon Irein Wangboje and Ford Rouge Plant (from Dix Rd. Bridge) by Russ Marshall are located around the perimeter of the walking path on the north and south sides.
At Independence Oaks County Park in Clarkston, Lovers on a Balcony During Monsoon by Unknown Artist, View of Le Crotoy from Upstream by Georges Seurat and Dancers in the Green Room by Edgar Degas are located outside the Wint Nature Center along the safety path leading to the park entrance and near the floating dock by Twin Chimneys.
At Red Oaks Nature Center in Madison Heights, Flowers in a Glass Vase by Rachel Ruysch is in the field along the sidewalk/drive into the park next to the Free Little Library, and Bank of the Oise at Auvers by Vincent Van Gogh can be found along the forest trail just south of the main entrance.
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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