Royal Oak Guide for New Residents: “It’s Like a Primer for Royal Oak Living”
(Ellen Shanna Knoppow, June 10, 2024)
Royal Oak, MI- Are you new to Royal Oak? There’s a guide available for newcomers that longtime Royal Oakers may find useful as well. Chock full of essential information such as what happens when a snow emergency is declared, where to go vote, and what the city’s mascot looks like, copies of the Guide for New Residents can be found at City Hall or online.
The guide was put together by Community Engagement Specialist Judy Davids with help from Commissioner Melanie Macey. Davids had the idea a few years ago during Covid when she worked for a short period as a greeter in the lobby of City Hall.
“What I learned is that even when nothing else was going on for the most part, people were still buying houses here,” said Davids, who fell in love with the city as a kid and moved here after she got married. “I would see them come in day after day to fill paperwork with the assessor. I would congratulate them on buying a house and welcome them to their new hometown. When things got back to normal, I remember thinking about all those new residents and [thinking], ‘What could we do for them?’
As it happened, Commissioner Melanie Macey had a similar thought. Macey recalled an issue that arose at a city meeting that “newbies” are generally unfamiliar with but that most residents learn along the way, such as the rules governing trash and recycling pickup.
“I said something about how great it would be if new residents got a ‘Welcome to Royal Oak’ guide along with all the other things people get in the mail when they change their address, Macey said. “I suggested that Judy and I could work on it together, and of course she agreed.” But Macey admits she had no hand in the design of the document, that was all Davids’ expertise. After that, Macey and Davids went back and forth deciding what to include and editing.
The two of them wanted to cover the basics of the city itself, city services, what to know about how things work, who to contact, and how to get help. “It’s like a primer for Royal Oak living,” Macey said. “I remember at the time that on the biannual community satisfaction survey, we had gotten a comment from someone that said ‘It’s one thing to have the services, it’s another for people to know about and access them.’ That really rang true for me.”
The guide is also popular among some landlords, who take a stack to distribute to new tenants. In addition, Davids discovered that some residents pick up a guide for a new neighbor—it’s a great way to welcome them to the city.
We asked Davids for the most commonly asked questions and important information found in the Guide for New Residents.
“We answer questions about where to vote, what day to put out your trash, when the city commission meets, how to pay bills, how snow emergencies work, where your taxes go and more,” Davids said. “It also includes all municipal facilities’ addresses and phone numbers.”
Macey is very proud of the finished product and praised Davids’ work. “Everyone who comes upon it loves it, and you are not the first person to say that it is useful even if you’ve lived here for a long time,” Macey told me, a 20-year resident.
“I’m so happy you are doing a story about it because I’d love to get it in front of more people. It’s a somewhat hidden gem. People who have lived here don’t think they need a ‘welcome guide,’ but it does a lot more than just welcome.”
Royal Oak City Hall is located at 203 S. Troy St. Check them out also on Facebook.
View the guide HERE.
