Oakland County, Michigan (April 23, 2008)

Oakland County Drain Commissioner John P. McCulloch will discuss asset management at a joint meeting of Groveland, Holly, Rose and Springfield townships at 7:30 p.m., April 29, 2008 at the Springfield Township Hall, 12000 Davisburg Road.
Asset management is critically important because were dealing with complex underground infrastructure that has a finite service life, McCulloch said. The service life is the anticipated period of time that a structure will continue to perform its job without unforeseen disruptions for maintenance and repair. A steel bridge, for example, will have a long service life. It may last much longer than the road that leads to it.

McCulloch said he often uses roads and bridges as infrastructure examples because most people are more familiar with them than with the miles and miles of underground water, wastewater and drainage pipes that are hidden from view.

Thats why I refer to the underground pipe system as our invisible infrastructure, he said. But just as with the infrastructure you can see, this invisible infrastructure demands the same conscientious care and maintenance if it is to meet the expectations of its service life.

In addition to his discussion about asset management, McCulloch is expected to provide an update of the first-ever countywide master plan.

This countywide master plan is not intended to replace planning efforts already in place by the communities, McCulloch. But it will provide the holistic and comprehensive tools that will enable individual municipalities to make sound environmental decisions.

The presentation is part of a series of informational updates offered by McCulloch to give elected officials and the public a better idea of the challenges faced by their elected drain commissioner.

With limited financial resources, municipalities, and the residents they serve, often must make difficult choices, McCulloch said. Im convinced that a better educated constituency will be able to make more informed decisions. Im doing my part to promote that educational process.