I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a great start!
You may have noticed that you have not received the usual weekly Mayor’s Minute (and no, it’s not because Kevin Krajewski has blocked my emails). In an effort to ensure its effectiveness and deliver important information, I have decided to change the Mayor’s Minutes to a monthly newsletter. I promise it will still be packed with newsworthy and timely information.
On that note, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! We have had a full year of Mayor’s Minutes…What did you like reading about? What didn’t you like? What do you want to know more about? Your feedback will help us provide information and news that is helpful to you. Email your suggestions to me at barnettb@rochesterhills.org OR Tara at beattyt@rochesterhills.org.
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Each year, I get the opportunity to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. This three-day conference is packed with meetings and presentations, but it has its fun parts. While there, I was able to meet with Congressman Gary Peters, as well as Congressman Mike Rogers, who will be our new District Representative beginning this fall. These meetings provide a great opportunity to share our success stories and to discuss key issues that we need their help in. Perhaps the most exciting part of my trip was that I was (once again) invited to visit the White House, meet with President Barack Obama and speak with other federal officials about the challenges in our community. (I admit that I did steal some cocktail napkins from the library again-they are such good gifts.)
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I am beginning to put some of the information together that will be highlighted in this year’s State of the City, which will be held in March (date to be determined). We have many successful stories to tell, and I will be sure to keep you posted with all of the details as it becomes available.
Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that beginning Monday, February 6th, the Rochester Hills Library Bookmobile will be making weekly stops each Monday at City Hall from 11:30am-12:30pm. This is another great service that is being provided to each of you and the residents, and I hope that you are each able to take advantage of it in some way.
Next Council Meeting: Monday, February 13, 2012
Traditionally at this time of year we are focused on the clearing of snow, enjoying the winter activities such as ice skating and sledding, but the winter season (so far) has been anything but traditional. So why should the customary construction season follow suit? Beginning next Wednesday, February 1, the long awaited start of the Avon Road Bridge reconstruction is going to begin and, unlike the traditional construction staging that permits through traffic, the bridge will be totally closed to through traffic.
The designated/signed detour route for motorists approaching from the west is Livernois Road (south) to Hamlin Road (east) to Rochester Road (north) and the same route is designated/signed for motorists approaching from the east. While under construction, the intersection will remain operational but function as a three-legged intersection letting north- and south-bound traffic along Livernois Road and west-bound traffic along Avon Road to travel through the intersection.
Project Facts:
- Awarded Construction Cost - $2,467,353.60
- City Participatory Cost - $32,071 or approximately 1.3% of awarded construction cost
- Permanent Closure – Wednesday, February 1, 2012
- Anticipated Open to Traffic – Friday, June 15, 2012
Detour Map
The Museum is putting on the finishing touches on nearly $80,000 of improvements at the Stoney Creek Schoolhouse - new sidewalks and handicap parking, off road parking, a new handicap restroom and lift, drainage, and updated kitchen area. All with donated funds! Students will be arriving in late March and the building will be used every day through mid June. We'll also host a wedding shower there in February. New ipads will be mounted inside wood frames to make them look like slates and tell the history of our community for every decade between 1850 and 1950 in the areas of music, headlines, fashions, sports, inventions, and toys.
The Museum also announced that $200,000 in private donations have been raised to initiate the adaptive reuse of the Van Hoosen Calf Barn as the Broomfield Center for Leadership. This Phase I work will stabilize this building and add a roof structure. The next two phases will enclose the building and provide a climate controlled environment. The long term plan is to house our community archives here.
Work continues on the new city webpage. The design and layout of the pages has been completed, the vendor is now concentrating on bringing our content up to current web standards. Training of MIS staff on the content management system will commence on January 30 and last the entire week. We are still in line with a late February, early March go-live date.
In the coming weeks MIS will meet with each department director and web communications person to review content and processes for the sharing of timely information. Stay tuned for more details and a sneak peak coming soon!
The Employee Development and Training Unit for Oakland County is located at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford. Their mission is, “to enhance employee effectiveness by identifying and improving organizational and individual competencies that foster an environment of excellence in public service.” Since 2008, the County has made its training courses available to individual municipalities. Currently, they offer both classroom and computer-based courses designed for general employees, as well as for managers and supervisors.
Information on upcoming Oakland County courses will be updated monthly on the City’s Intranet home page. The registration form and course catalog, including course descriptions and information on Oakland County’s competency-based employee and supervisory development curricula are available on the Home page, as well as Human Resource’s page.
This is an economical public sector training resource. Courses range from $35 to $75, depending on the number of hours involved. Departments are responsible for course fees, however, you must register through Human Resources. If you are interested in registering for an Oakland County training course, please print and complete a registration form, have it authorized by your supervisor and submit it to Helen Sultana-Kelly in the Human Resources Department.
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Option 1: Earn $100 for submitting a Physician Verification form attesting that you have seen your doctor for your annual physical between August 1, 2011 and March 29, 2012. Your physician verification form must be emailed to bbhs@beaumont.edu or faxed to 248-273-6466 no later than March 29, 2012.
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Option 2: Earn $75 for participating in the On-Site Biometric Screening - February 22 (City Hall), or March 1 (DPS Garage). Register for City Hall screenings at: J:/All/Dept/Hum/Open/Programs/HealthyHills2012/RochesterHillsFebruary22ndCityHallScreening Registration. Those wishing to screen at DPS should contact Joni Ogg at ext. 2212. Screening appointments will last approximately 30 minutes and will include an initial coaching session.
New this year – if you screen with your physician under Option 1, you may sign up for a fitness assessment on one of the screening dates and still earn $100. Measurements will be taken for height, weight, BMI, waist measurement, and body fat %; coaching is also available. Register for City Hall appointments at: J:/All/Dept/Hum/Open/Programs/HealthyHills2012/City Hall Fitness Assessment Registration, or contact Joni Ogg at ext. 2212 for DPS appointments.
Step 2 -- Once you’ve completed Step 1; you are eligible to register for one of the wellness road options.
Rochester Road-- Fitness Focus: March- August 2012
– Analyze your personal fitness level and develop a physical fitness plan that is tailored to your wants and needs. No Tracking Required! Just complete two requirements and earn $150 wellness benefit: (1) Attend the orientation session, (2) Schedule and attend (3) three, twenty minute coaching sessions with a certified Beaumont Fit Coach either on-site or at Sola Life and Fitness Center.
Auburn Road-- Nutrition Focus: March- August 2012
– Analyze your current dietary habits with a registered dietician and work together to develop healthy meal plans that are tailored to your lifestyle and needs. No tracking Required! Just complete three requirements and earn $150 wellness benefit: (1) Attend the orientation session (2) Turn in your 5 day dietary recall log to BBHS (3) Schedule and attend (2) two twenty-to-thirty minute sessions on-site or over the phone with the Beaumont Dietician.
Hamlin Road-20Five Combination Challenge: August- October 2012
– Show us what you’ve learned from Rochester or Auburn Road, or show us you’ve got a handle on a well-balanced lifestyle! Little Tracking Required! Just complete three requirements and earn $50 wellness benefit: 1) Attend the program orientation session; 2) Check off the 8-week progress log showing 20 minutes of physical activity and Five servings of fruits/vegetables each day; 3) Submit log and program evaluation to BBHS at the end of the challenge.
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