Top administrators, planners and engineers of the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) will soon begin the process of meeting with officials of virtually every city, village and township in Oakland County as part of RCOC’s biennial strategic planning process.
RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar noted that since 1985, RCOC officials have met every two years with the communities to ensure the community officials play an active role in setting the road commission strategy for coming years.
“This is a very time-consuming, but worthwhile activity,” explained RCOC Chair Andrea LaLonde. “It is one of the best investments of our time that we can make. These meetings provide a clear understanding of needs and priorities for all Oakland County communities.
“To our knowledge, we are the only road commission in Michigan that goes to this length to ensure our communities have input in our planning process. It’s part of our philosophy of open communication with our customers.”
Kolar explained that the process allows RCOC to “regularly take the pulse” of the communities on large issues as well as ensure community officials have an avenue to discuss road needs and provide feedback on day-to-day road-maintenance issues.
“Through these meetings, we are kept abreast of what is happening in the communities,” Kolar said. “We learn about new developments, redevelopment efforts and related traffic and road needs.
“It helps promote a better understanding of the issues we collectively face.”
— Matt Mackinder