Stay Informed
The first step of community engagement in local government is to provide opportunities with which residents can gain awareness, interest, and knowledge of the City's services, programs, announcements, and events. At the City of Oak Park, we aim to provide the community with efficient dissemination of information that is accurate, relevant, easy to understand, appealing, timely, and appropriate.
The ultimate objective of our communications is to foster an informed, supportive, and knowledgeable public. By doing so, we increase the collective awareness within the community and enhance the well-being of the community at large.
Magazines
The Department of Economic Development and Communications produces a quarterly City Magazine and Recreation Program Guide that is distributed to every household and business in the City of Oak Park via U.S. Postal Service delivery. The magazine contains valuable news and information about City initiatives, announcements, services, and events. To access past editions of the magazine online, visit the City Magazine and Recreation Program Guide.
Calendars
In December of every year, the City disseminates a City Calendar to every resident and business within the City of Oak Park. This calendar is usually delivered and attached to the door of the residence or business by a delivery service. There are a few apartment complexes that do not allow the delivery service to deliver within their complex, but they usually allow the service to provide an adequate number of calendars to the complex's management office with apartment managers willing to make the calendars available to the residents of the complex. If you do not receive your calendar by the end of the first week in January, you may want to check with your complex manager first before calling the City. Calendars are also available at City Hall, the Oak Park Library and the Oak Park Recreation Center for those who did not receive one. For your convenience, we keep a copy of the printed Calendar online at City Calendars.
eBlasts
Community eBlasts typically come in two forms: a monthly Mayor’s Message and a monthly Calendar of Events. The Mayor’s Message, typically sent out in the middle of the month, details some of the things that Mayor Marian McClellan has been up to - events, activities, etc. This is a great way to get to know the Mayor and stay informed with what’s going on in the City. The Calendar of Events, typically sent out at the end of the month to highlight events in the following month, lists all notable events and activities from all City departments as well as holidays. Further, there may be additional eBlasts for emergency situations as well as to highlight major City events. By law, you must opt-in to receive eBlasts through your email. To sign-up, visit Community eBlast Sign-Up. Designate which types of messages you would like to receive and through which devices (i.e., text message, voice message, or email.)
Emergency Notifications
As the need may arise, the City provides emergency notification and community announcements to community members. From time-to-time, the City provides information on power outages, street closures, public safety matters, and weather alerts. We provide community members with a choice of receiving text message notifications, voice messages, and emails. To enroll for Emergency Notifications and Announcements, visit Community eBlast Sign-Up.
Social Media
To stay up-to-date with the City on social media, check out these pages:
- City of Oak Park (Main Page)
Video/Broadcast Productions
The City produces a number of video and broadcast productions that are available either live or in video format. For example, the City films the twice-monthly City Council meetings and transmits them live on YouTube for interested community members to view. The City also makes the City Council meetings available online on YouTube for viewing later. In addition, the City produces programs like "Meeting with the Manager" which is a filmed interview between the City Manager and a guest speaker about developments within the City or region. These videos can be found online at our YouTube page and are viewable on the City's Comcast Cable Stations, OPTV15 and OPTV16. To receive a notice when a new video is posted online, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
OakAlert
This is an emergency alert system to efficiently notify those in Oakland County to specific types of incidents (i.e., imminent or perceived threats to life or property, disaster notifications, evacuation notices, public health emergencies and public safety emergencies). With this system, a person can self-register on the County's secure website using a username and password of their choice. When registering, the site will prompt users to choose a preferred method of accepting notifications, which includes email and text messaging. For more information or to register, visit OakAlert.
Marquees
The City showcases snippets of information on two marquees, also known as electronic billboards, stationed in two locations within the City. These marquees are used to remind the public of upcoming events, City programs and public service announcements. The marquees are located at:
The northwest corner of Coolidge Hwy and Oak Park Blvd
The northwest corner of Coolidge Hwy and Nine Mile Rd (Currently broken)
City Hall
City Hall itself can be a good resource for residents to learn more information about the City. City Staff working at the front counter can always do their best to answer any questions you may have. Plus, there is always a full stock of flyers for events and activities in the City Hall lobby. So the next time you’re at City Hall, feel free to ask questions and grab a flyer. City Hall is located at 14000 Oak Park Blvd, Oak Park, MI 48237.
Documents
Resident Handbook
If you are new to the City of Oak Park, or a current resident unsure of which City department handles what types of services and programs, the Resident Handbook could be a valuable resource to have. To download your copy, visit Resident Handbook (PDF).
Community Resource Guide
The Community Resource Guide is a publication that lists a directory of community resources. To download a copy of this guide, visit Community Resource Guide (PDF).
Press Releases
In an effort to announce major developments, promote major events, and address public concerns, the City issues media advisories and press releases. A media advisory is an announcement of and invitation to the media for an event or promotion that may or may not be a public event. A press release issued to the media shares a newsworthy announcement for developments that may include a new initiative, new service, construction projects, public safety update, departmental progress, or anything else that might be deemed newsworthy. These media advisories and press releases are done through email messages sent directly to media contacts. When the City issues a notification to the press, we also make them available to the public at Media Advisories and Press Releases.