STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS

Royal Oak is a community that promotes diversity and inclusion; encourages people to participate, care, and respect each other; and offers a variety of housing that works for everyone.

Priorities

• Ensuring anyone can find a quality home that fits their needs by way of value, accessibility, price, and size.
• Fostering social engagement, civic pride, and community loyalty.
• Providing opportunities for volunteerism and participation.
• Providing individuals access to social infrastructure through community connectivity and amenities.
• Creating an inclusive community for residents, visitors, and the workforce.
• Assessing policies, procedures, and communication channels for accessibility to eliminate language and cultural barriers.
• Maintaining exceptional system of parks and public spaces.

Royal Oak values health, safety, and justice by ensuring access to services, spaces, and systems for all residents and visitors

Priorities

• Being a leader in developing and applying public safety best practices.
• Providing programs and spaces that promote physical and mental health.
• Following the principles of respect, integrity, innovation, openness, and responsibility.

Royal Oak protects the health and safety of the community and provides an exceptional quality of life by instituting aggressive polilcies and practices to combat climate change and protect the natural environment.

Priorities

• Implementing the sustainability and climate action plan (S-CAP).
• Providing funding to support sustainability in the City’s budget.
• Investing substantially in green stormwater management.
• Protecting and increasing the tree canopy and green spaces.
• Promoting non-motorized transit and electric vehicle infrastructure.

Royal Oak pursues policies that encourage sustained business investment and development in the city, by providing employment, core services, and entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors.

Priorities

• Modifying building and zoning codes and related approval processes to encourage development and remove barriers to innovative development.
• Incorporating resident and visitor feedback in the maintenance and development of city infrastructure to provide a safe, accessible experience.
• Improving relationships between local businesses and cultural and entertainment event promoters.

Royal Oak addresses the needs of our community in a timely and respectful manner while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Priorities

• Being an employer of choice that offers flexibility and creative operating solutions.
• Developing individuals that are skilled, motivated, and proactive.
• Offering a knowledgeable, versatile, and communicative workforce.
• Assuring well-rounded and informed departments and staff.
• Establishing criteria to measure employee and department performance.
• Creating innovative programs and solutions for service delivery.

Royal Oak responsibly manages its finances through sound fiscal policy and strategic planning.

Priorities

• Providing quarterly financial health updates.
• Establishing a public-facing budget snapshot.
• Advocating actively for state policies that help stabilize municipal finances.
• Improving cash flow by closing unfunded liabilities early.

Royal Oak maintains, replaces, and enhances the city's infrastructure to promote efficient, environmentally responsible, and sustainable delivery of municipal services.

Priorities

• Developing and implementing asset management plans for water, sewer, roads, city facilities, and public spaces.
• Investing in green infrastructure.
• Providing safe transportation systems to reduce and eliminate crashes.
• Renewing road millage to include roads and sidewalks.
• Converting streetlights to LED technology throughout the city and upgrading underground infrastructure.
• Working with other agencies to ensure physical lines/vulnerabilities are upgraded in coordination with City projects.
• Implementing final sustainability plan goals for infrastructure improvements.
• Replacing lead service lines ahead of the mandated schedule.