Earlier this month, Oakland County’s Office of Sustainability hosted the Community Conversations: Sustainability Event as a resource and information-sharing conference for leadership from municipalities within Oakland County and neighboring counties.

This year’s event drew 70 attendees from 19 different communities across southeast Michigan, kicking off with Lana Crouse and Hiliari Varnadore from the United States Green Building Council awarding Oakland County the LEED for Cities Gold certification. Oakland County is the first county in Michigan to earn the LEED for Cities Gold award, joining an elite group of communities from around the world that have made strides in reaching sustainability goals.

The event focused on stormwater and flood management, materials management and food waste, and regional sustainability planning.

In the stormwater and flood management session, speaker Todd King from the Great Lakes Water Authority presented a study focused on regional flood mitigation in partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Oakland County’s own Taylor Warstler from the Water Resources Commission touched on its five-year plan for sustainability.

The keynote speech was delivered by Lindsey Kerkez from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments who presented a draft of the Southeast Michigan Healthy Climate Plan, which will serve as a regional sustainability framework and help guide communities in their sustainability efforts.

The materials management and food waste session featured an overview of Oakland County’s new Materials Management Plan coming in 2027. Whitney Calio from Oakland County’s Economic Development Department shared details about the timeline and engagement for the plan. Additionally, Souzan Yousif, of Southfield; Angela Fox, from Royal Oak; Logan Applebee, of Ferndale; and Tim Sikma from Wixom sat on the Organic Waste Panel. They shared information on municipal composting programs in their communities including resources, Q&A on frequently heard concerns with composting, and advice for communities looking to start their own programs.

Finally, Sarah Lee from the University of Michigan’s Graham Sustainability Institute and Andy Draheim from 5 Lakes Energy shared upcoming funding and application opportunities for communities.

The Office of Sustainability looks forward to hosting the next Community Conversations: Sustainability event in 2025.

Visit the Office of Sustainability’s website for more information on environmental sustainability.

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