By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
On July 24, the Ortonville Downtown Development Authority hosted their second annual listening session for local residents, business owners and elected officials.
“The DDA is required to do two information sessions for the public each year,” said DDA Director Matt Jenkins. “That is a requirement in the new DDA law which took effect Jan. 1, 2019. The second thing we’re going to do is our second annual listening session.”
In addition to members of the Ortonville community, Joe Frost from Main Street Oakland County also was in attendance.
“They (Main Street Oakland County) have conducted, the last two summers, listening sessions where they go around to the Main Street Oakland County communities to hear what’s happening,” said Jenkins. “The purpose for that is to see if there are programs or services that they could assist the Main Street Oakland County communities.”
As a result of the listening sessions, MSOC is developing a website.
“Last year, talking to our communities, we heard there was a need for a tourism initiative,” said Frost. “We acquired a grant through the MEDC, Michigan Economic Development Cooperation, and that grant has funded this Visit Oakland County tourism website, that is not live yet, but is soon-to-be live.”
The website will be for select level communities, which includes Ortonville along with 12 other communities. There are 25 MSOC communities in the county total.
“The select level is the highest level in the the Main Street Oakland County program,” said Jenkins. “And it affords us a good deal of resources, but it also sets some expectations. We have to perform at a certain level to maintain our accreditation each year as a select level community.”
Ortonville and the other select level communities will each have a page on the website, with some special privileges as well.
“Each of the select level communities will have a page, will have the ability to have the banner or cover photo or video, the ability to put itineraries on there, and also have the ability to populate a calendar of events.”