All ways, moving forward with Dave Coulter newsletter

Oakland County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 09/25/2024 03:51 PM EDT

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September 25, 2024

Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter

Dear Friends,

I have gone to a lot of groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies over the years and have always welcomed the opportunity to celebrate a new or renovated business in Oakland County.

But the groundbreaking at Walton Oaks in Rochester Hills today was something special and truly inspiring. It’s a project that we’re supporting with Housing Trust Fund dollars that will create a neuro-inclusive neighborhood near Oakland University.

Of the 11 homes that will be built and put up for sale at Walton Oaks, three are being set aside to provide supported independent living for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

These homes provide the residents their first chance at a home of their own where they can truly thrive in a supported environment and give their neighbors the opportunity to live in an inclusive community that understands and respects people of all abilities.

Carly Guy will be one of the first residents of the neuro-inclusive neighborhood and her mother Maureen Guy told me that the development is “magic” for her daughter and her three friends who will share the home.

“She will be living her dream with friends and activities galore and a home of her own,” Maureen Guy said of her daughter’s new home.

Walton Oaks is the first such development in Oakland County and only the second in the state and is a collaboration between developer Three Oaks Communities, the nonprofit Rochester Housing Solutions and Oakland County. It will be followed up by Auburn Oaks, another neuro-inclusive neighborhood that will break ground next spring and will be a combination of townhomes, condominiums, and single-family homes, with up to 24 units designated for adults with disabilities.

These developments help demonstrate how we are achieving our goals – in the case of Walton Oaks, we’re creating liveable neighborhoods and supporting a thriving and inclusive economy -- by living our values. But more importantly, it’s providing a pretty amazing opportunity for a group of people to gain independence and, as Maureen Guy describes it, “the chance to blossom into a butterfly right before our eyes.”

With gratitude,

Dave CoulterOakland County Executive

Oakland County Tackling Student Debt

Oakland County residents and county employees with student debt will have the opportunity -beginning NEXT WEEK - to lighten that burden, thanks to a partnership between the county and Savi, a nonprofit that was founded to address the student loan debt crisis.

More than 170,000 Oakland County residents owe an estimated $6 billion in student loan debt that has people struggling to keep up with bills, maintain reasonable credit scores and plan for the future.

Savi is an organization that provides an easy and straightforward way to see if you are eligible for federal, state and private programs that provide loan payment reductions or elimination.

Through the partnership, which is supported by the county’s leadership and approved by the Board of Commissioners, the county is picking up the cost of the service, which typically runs $70 a year, for county residents and employees.

Savi will determine if a person is eligible for a whole host of student loan repayment programs and help the individuals fill out the paperwork.

So stay tuned for more information on the program when it officially launches on Monday, Sept. 30 at oakgov.com/savi.

Board of Commissioners Give Bipartisan Approval to Coulter’s Budget Which Emphasizes Livable Communities and Healthy Residents

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners gave bipartisan approval to County Executive Dave Coulter’s balanced, transparent and sustainable budget for fiscal years 2025-2027 which will enable the county to retain its AAA bond rating.

"Our budget was approved by the Board of Commissioners today with a bipartisan majority, showing that when it comes to providing resources and programs for our residents, Democrats and Republicans can work together for the good of Oakland County residents,” County Executive Dave Coulter said.

This is Coulter’s fifth budget. It makes a number of investments to support our residents through initiatives like Oakland80, a program designed to assist residents in securing a degree or credential beyond high school, which has been so successful that it has expanded to include career navigators in high schools, and the Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund, which is spurring the development of attainable housing in several communities throughout the county.

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Oakland County Achieves LEED Gold in Environmental Leadership

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified all of Oakland County as LEED^® Gold because of its commitment to improving holistic, county-wide sustainability practices.

The LEED Gold recognition means Oakland County earned high scores countywide for its green spaces, natural resource conservation and restoration efforts, as well as resilience and emergency planning. Many other factors are included in the measurement such as quality of life aspects including low unemployment rates, high education completion rates, favorable median air quality index numbers and low incidences of violent crimes.

Environmental sustainability is one of eight strategic goals by County Executive Dave Coulter’s administration that guide Oakland County.

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