A guest column by Executive Director Molly LaLone, Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority
What does it mean to be a good community partner? Being a community partner means that you are actively working together with others in your community to make positive changes. It’s about being part of a team that cares about the well-being of everyone in the community, working towards common goals. Community partners can be individuals, organizations, or businesses that collaborate with others to address important issues and create a better future for everyone.
Here are 10 ways the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is a good community partner for the Village of Lake Orion:
1. The DDA collaborates with Village Council to identify ways to better serve the community and has set aside a significant portion of new capture (75 percent to the village) for village-approved infrastructure projects. Reinvestment in the village through payment of services, shared costs and revenue sharing will equal over $5.3 million through 2039.
2. The DDA uses taxes collected from the community to make improvements in the downtown that benefit the community as a whole. Examples are: sidewalk and road improvements, directional signage, parking creation and maintenance, Paint Creek Trail extension and bike amenities, public restrooms at the Fire Hall and new playground equipment in Children’s Park.
3. A higher share of the taxes collected are reinvested locally. In 2023, over $400,000, normally distributed throughout the county, instead will be reinvested in Lake Orion through the DDA. This is not an extra tax, rather, it is the use of normally collected taxes. Through 2039, it is estimated to total $8.1 million.
4. The DDA pays the village for administrative services, police, public works services, utilities and other shared costs, which helps the village save money.
Over half of what is collected from the village is paid back to the village.
5. The DDA creates and maintains public spaces, such as the Paint Creek Trail extension, Flint Street Alleyway, the Lake Orion Social District and the new playground in Children’s Park, which provide recreation opportunities for residents and visitors.
6. The DDA manages the Main Street America Program, through which the community has been accredited since 2006.
Volunteers help make things happen through their participation in different Main Street Committees: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotions, and Organization.
Having Main Street America accreditation helps the Village of Lake Orion and its businesses qualify for grants which help to pay for special projects like the playground equipment in Green’s Park.
7. The DDA decorates seasonally, dressing up the town with flower baskets in the spring and summer, holiday lights on the trees in the winter and decorative scenes on downtown windows throughout the year.
8. The DDA markets Lake Orion and its businesses through various channels (Facebook and Instagram pages, Orion Living Magazine, website, banners, a-frame signs, posters, ads in local publications and weekly e-newsletters)
9. In partnership with the Oxford DDA, provides the Downtown Trolley Express for free rides to and from each downtown.
10.The DDA invests in projects that help the community thrive, such as restoring Front Street, installing electric vehicle charging stations and improving downtown lighting with Dark Sky technology.
All of these efforts demonstrate the Lake Orion DDA’s commitment to being a good community partner by reinvesting in the village, collaborating with village council and helping the community to thrive.