John Rogers, manager of Kalkaska County Road Commission (KCRC), accepts the IMPRESS Award for Communications on behalf of KCRC.
The County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan honored the Kalkaska County Road Commission (KCRC) with a statewide IMPRESS Award at CRA’s 2020 Highway Conference. IMPRESS Awards recognize county road agencies that demonstrate innovation with special projects in communications, operations and collaboration.
KCRC received an IMPRESS Award in Communications for its “Community Report” project. The agency began producing a community report to inform residents of road improvements and road commission equipment upgrades. The community report is presented at monthly township meetings, county board meetings, and Rotary, Kiwanis and school board meetings. Residents now have a more accurate account of KCRC’s finances and roadwork plans, along with a better understanding of why and how the road commission operates.
“Kalkaska County Road Commission’s desire to educate the public shows its commitment to effective communication across the community,” said Denise Donohue, CRA director. “By presenting key information to residents, KCRC has become an example to other road agencies.”
An independent panel of communications and operations experts from several of Michigan’s 83 county road agencies judged the projects. Award recipients were honored for projects that solved time restraints, labor costs, communication barriers and fostered collaboration.