An issue that has repeatedly come up in my district office and

coffee hours is the topic of our roads. To help explain why our roads are the way they are, and to hear your insightful ideas about what we can maybe do to fix them, I am holding a town hall meeting. This town hall will be a great opportunity to share your thoughts and ask the questions you want answered.

Joining me for the town hall will be my colleague, Rep. Jack O’Malley, of Lake Ann. Rep. O’Malley is the chair of the House Transportation Committee, and I trust his leadership as his committee is faced with the challenging task of transforming the quality of our roads. I invited him to come to southwest Michigan and participate because I believe his insights and expert opinions on this issue will help us have a productive conversation.

We are also fortunate to have Jason Latham, the managing director of Berrien County Road Department, join us for the question and answer portion of the town hall. Director Latham has extensive experience in the road industry, both at the county and state level. His team at the county road department has done a great job of bringing an asset management approach to planning for road work. This approach looks at all surfaces and determines which should be fixed first in the most cost-efficient way. The department is also increasing its use of technology to more effectively map and manage all of its bridges, culverts, guardrails and signs.

The town hall will take place at the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St. in Niles. The event, taking place from 6 to 7 p.m., will allow time for questions from those in attendance. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. To register for this free event and for more information, please visit tinyurl.com/PaquetteTownHall.

I hope you can join us for this conversation about roads and road funding, so mark your calendars and spread the word.

On a different note, please remember that my office is always ready and willing to help in any way we can. So, if you need help dealing with state government please reach out! My office can be reached at (517) 373-1796 or via e-mail at bradpaquette@house.mi.gov. My door is always open.

Brad Paquette, R, represents the 78th District, which covers Berrien county.