The Michigan Economic Development Corporation next month will recognize the Village of Pinckney for becoming certified under a statewide program.

A ceremony will be held at the village offices on South Howell Street in Pinckney on Monday, May 14th, at 7pm. Community members are invited to attend and celebrate the village’s journey in the Redevelopment Ready Communities program. RRC is a MEDC program that aims to revitalize communities by attracting and retaining businesses, entrepreneurs and talent.

Clerk Amy Salowitz says village officials saw the program as an opportunity to become more competitive in development and redevelopment, specifically by tackling areas in the municipality that were affected by the recession. The village began to pursue RRC certification when the program was launched in 2014, but was denied acceptance as only 10 communities were taken the first year. Because they applied, village officials were able to utilize the RRC curriculum and participated in training and self-assessment. When they reapplied in 2016, an initial review found they were already close to completion.

Officials completed and submitted the final paperwork for the certification early this year, making the Village of Pinckney the 19th and smallest community in the statewide program to become certified. At the May event, Salowitz says MEDC officials will share some of the village’s best practices and how they can maintain their certification.

Salowitz tells WHMI achieving certification has helped them streamline processes and view them from a different perspective by removing personal opinions, adding the journey, as a whole, has been “very educational”. (DK)