May is National Bike Month. Let's celebrate!

The City of Royal Oak is teaming up with Modern Skate & Surf, KLM Bike & Fitness, Oakland County Parks & Recreation and more for a family-friendly event on May 11 from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Williams Street Parking Lot at 211 S. Williams.

This event features:

BMX bike show
Alternative/electric bike 'test ride' opportunities
Safety information from the Royal Oak Police Department
Bike helmet fittings
Demonstrations on how to put your bike on a SMART bus
See the plans for new bikes lanes coming this summer
Music will be provided by Postman Productions
Pizza and other items will be available for purchase

Bikes not your thing? Oakland County will be on-site with its retro games mobile recreation unit and Modern Skate will offer group rollerskating lessons!

Please bring non-perishable food items for the US Post Office 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive. Let's help our neighbors struggling to put food on the table.

Learn more at https://www.romi.gov/1306/National-Bike-Month.

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Transit Task Force Open House

The Transit Task Force will present its ROGO transportation plan and funding options at a public open house on Saturday, May 12 in the Royal Oak Public Library Friends Auditorium between 1 - 4 p.m.

The purpose of the event is to update the community on the progress of the Task Force, and seek additional community feedback and input before a recommendation is made to the full city commission. The Task Force plans to make a recommendation to the City Commission in June 2018.

Police Department Update

Residents can find the most recent police reports on the city's website at http://romi.gov/963/Press-Releases

Citizens are also encouraged to sign up for crime alerts at crimemapping.com. Crime Mapping's goal is to assist police departments in reducing crime through a better-informed citizenry.

Sign up for public safety alerts from the police using Civic Ready. Click here to subscribe.

A new two-acre public park, police station, city hall, six-story office building, and parking structure are coming your way. The first thing you need to know is that the south side of the Williams Street parking lot will close on May 7, 2018.

The hours and availability of the Royal Oak Public Library and farmers market respectively will not be impacted by Royal Oak's upcoming development project. The library will continue to be open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Sundays during the school year, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. The farners market will continue to be open every Saturday all year round, and Fridays May through December, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Antiques and Collectibles Market will continue to be available every Sunday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m

Find all the latest info at http://rethinkro.com.#RethinkRO

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Mother's Day Tradition Moves to New Location

It's the same great event at a new location!

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Royal Oak in Bloom will host more than 65 vendors at the 6th & Main and 7th & Main parking lots on May 13 (Mother's Day) from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Shop for hanging plants, veggies, perennials, annuals, small trees, lawn decor and more!

Learn more athttps://www.royaloakchamber.com/

Join Royal Oak's Finest for a 5k Run/Walk on June 2.

Let's celebrate a century of service with a 5K community run/walk that includes:

FREE race photos
Mugshots
Chase the Chief Kids Run
1.5 Mile Fitness Challenge
Meet a K-9 dog
ROPD history exhibit
FREE aviator sunglasses
FREE doughnuts
Much more

Register at www.runwiththepolice5k.com.

All proceeds go to the Royal Oak Police Department Donation Fund to be used for the health and well-being of officers.

Green Minute

As temperatures warm up, treat yourself to an ice cream cone. Doing so does away with the plastic lined ice cream containers bought at the store. Bonus: ice cream cones require zero container or utensil waste, which translates into no trash! (Source: myplasticfreelife.com)

Be Part of the Memorial Day Parade

Royal Oak's annual Memorial Day Parade will be May 28 starting at 9 a.m. The parade will again be along Main Street starting at Lincoln and moving north through downtown Royal Oak.

If you are a local group or organization and have interest in participating in this year's Memorial Day Parade, please submit your online application at https://seam.ly/Zqy4AI1W.

Oh...Rats!

It is commonly known that there are rats in Royal Oak. With construction and other displacement factors, they are always looking for new places to nest.

Keep Rodents Away

You may not have a nest on your property, but you may unknowingly be contributing to the problem. Prevention is much easier and cheaper than fighting an infestation. Here are some tips.

Rats need a food source. It can be up to 300 feet away from their nest. Dog waste, bird seed, and garbage are rat favorites. They can survive on ONE ounce of food per day. The more food, the more rats.
Rats need a place to live. Underground holes, often near buildings, wood piles, discarded items etc. are a sign you may have rats living in your yard.
Rats do not respect property lines. They think this is their neighborhood. Their dining room may be in one lot while their bedrooms are several lots away.

Visit https://www.romi.gov/documentcenter/view/133 for more information or call 248-246-3201.

Library Events

There is always something interesting and exciting happening at the Royal Oak Public Library. Go to ropl,org to learn more.

Library hours are: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (September through June)

Work for the City of Royal Oak

Thank you for your interest in employment with the City of Royal Oak.

To browse through available opportunities go to: romi.gov/jobs

'Like Us' on Facebook

Want to know what's happening in Royal Oak?
Join thousands of your neighbors on the city's official Facebook page and get daily posts about the things that matter in our hometown.
Like us today at: https://www.facebook.com/Royal-Oak-MI-City-Hall-157871554266952

Life Now Playing

For a list of meetings and community events please visit our calendar here.

Senior Times Newsletter

The City of Royal Oak offers mature adults opportunities for lifelong education, fitness, nutrition and leisure activities.

Click here for the latest news and information from the Mahany/ Meininger Community Center.

City Launches Mobile App

The City of Royal Oak has a new mobile app! Find out what's happening, get meeting agendas, discover employment opportunities within the city and more.

Download the app at these locations:

Apple Store
Google Play Store

Make Convenient Online Payments

Did you know you can make online payments for property taxes and utility bills?

Go to http://romi.gov/868/Online-Payments to learn more.