Columbia-Tusculum Community Council

OKI At A Glance The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments ( OKI ) is a council of local governments, business organizations and community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life and the economic vitality of the region. Formed in 1964, OKI has spent 45 years cultivating partnerships and alliances that range from the federal government to local councils. Its 117 members represent governmental, social and civic groups from nearly 200 communities in the eight-county, three-state region. Together, OKI works to solve interstate dilemmas, create far-reaching development plans, break through political bureaucracy, provide services to the public and advocate for federal funding. OKI has final authority over all federal dollars spent on transportation in the region. This past year, OKI approved roughly $40 million in funding for projects in this region. While OKI's primary mission has been transportation, OKI is not confined to just highways and pavement. OKI helps communities develop Land Use, Infrastructure, Capital Improvement, Economic Development and Greenspace strategies. An emerging toolbox, including guidance on writing better comprehensive plans, sample ordinances and a fiscal impact analysis model, will aid local decisions that maintain the region's vitality. OKI continues to work on water quality issues across the region with a number of public, private and civic sector groups, including the Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities. The Mill Creek is a vital but much abused waterway in the center of the OKI community. OKI's Clean Air Program is leading the fight for cleaner air in the region by bringing ozone and particulate matter pollution issues to the forefront of people's minds.