[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
[00:00:31]
AND YOU ARE LIVE, YOU CAN TAKE THE MEETING ACTIVE ANY TIME YOU'D LIKE TO, SIR.
ALL RIGHT. I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
LET'S SEE MR. CLERK ARE YOU PRESENT? YES, I AM PRESENT.
OK, THANK YOU. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET STARTED WITHOUT YOU.
OK LET'S CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. AND WE WILL DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
WITH THAT WE NEED THE CLERK TO TAKE THE ROLE.
ALL MEMBERS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT'S KIND OF COOL, OUR HONORED GUESTS HERE AT THIS POINT, MR. WALSH, DO YOU KNOW. SUPERVISOR.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OUT AT SIX O'CLOCK, I DON'T SEE THEM YET, MR. GEBES MIGHT KNOW. MR. GEBES.
WHO IS IT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, SIR? THE TWO YOUNG LADIES WHO.
HELLO AUTUMN AND DO WE HAVE REGAN HERE YET? I DON'T SEE.
IT WAS UNDER MARLA, BUT SHE'S ON HER WAY, IN RIGHT NOW.
OKAY. SHE'S INCOGNITO UNDER MARLA.
OKAY. THIS IS A RATHER COOL THING HERE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW, THE FORMER BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA BECAME SCOUTS BSA AND IN FEBRUARY 19, THEY ALLOWED YOUNG LADIES TO BECOME SCOUTS.
AND WE HAVE WITH US TODAY TWO OF THE VERY FIRST GROUP OF FEMALES TO BECOME EAGLE SCOUTS.
AND THIS IS AUTUMN EYRE AND IS IT REGAN OR REAGAN.
REGAN. REGAN WOODS AND AAUTUMN EYRE AND THEY BOTH BECAME RECENTLY BECAME EAGLE SCOUTS AS SCOUTS BSA.
AUTUMN BECAUSE SHE DID LANDSCAPING AT THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN [INAUDIBLE] AS
[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
HER PROJECT, AND REGAN BECAUSE SHE UPDATED THE YOUTH ROOM AT THE OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH.THEY'RE BOTH MEMBERS OF TROOP 164, WHICH IS THE OKEMOS TROOP.
AND I WILL START OUT WITH AUTUMN BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING WITH FIRST NAMES OFF AND AUTUMN. YOU WANT TO TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU DID? YEAH, SO I'M AUTUMN EYRE I'M A SENIOR, AND I ACTUALLY GO TO LAINGSBURG HIGH SCHOOL.
LAINGSBURG IS EXTREMELY SMALL.
WE HAVE ONLY ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED KIDS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I WENT TO MY FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER THERE FOR THREE YEARS AND IT REALLY NEEDED THE COSMETIC OUTSIDE DONE.
SOME PREVIOUS GIRLS DID IT FOR ACTUALLY FOR THEIR GOLD AWARD, BUT IT'S BEEN MANY, MANY YEARS AND IT JUST NEEDED COMPLETELY REDONE REMULCHING.
WE TOOK OUT AN ENTIRE LINE OF VERY, VERY DEEP ROOTED SHRUBS ALL ACROSS THE FRONT AND PUT IN SOME BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND SOME PERENNIALS AND THINGS THAT WILL GROW BACK EVERY YEAR.
IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO MANAGE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR KIND OF WE HAVE AN OLDER CONGREGATION, SO IT'LL BE VERY EASY FOR THEM TO MANAGE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE REDID THE PARKING LOT AND.
YEAH, OH, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.
VERY COOL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HAVE REGAN TELL US WHAT SHE DID.
[00:05:01]
I'M A JUNIOR AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.AND FOR MY PROJECT I REDID THE YOUTH ROOM.
SO WE FIRST STARTED I WAS A PART OF THE YOUTH FROM FIFTH GRADE TO EIGHTH GRADE.
AT THE OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH.
RIGHT? YES. SO THE ROOM WAS VERY MESSY AND WASN'T REALLY USED A LOT.
AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE IT THEIRS AND KIND OF MAKE THEM REALLY LOVE THEIR SPACE.
SO I HELPED THEM TAKE OUT ALL THE STUFF THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED AND HELP THEM PAINT THE WALLS AND REALLY JUST.
KIND OF UPLIFT THEIR SPACE TO MAKE IT FIT THE YOUTH, BECAUSE IT REALLY DIDN'T FIT THE YOUTH, BECAUSE IT WAS DONE 10 YEARS PREVIOUS AND JUST MAYBE JUST DID COSMETIC UPKEEP AND
[6A. 2020 Action Plan Review]
JUST MADE THEM REALLY LIKE THEIR SPACE.SO I WILL BE REALLY EXCITED ONCE I GET TO GO BACK AND MEET IN THE ROOM.
YEAH. WOULD ONE OR BOTH OF YOU LIKE TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU THAT NOW YOU COULD NOT ONLY BE A SCOUT BUT YOU CAN BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT? REGAN DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST. I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL THAT WE GET TO DO THIS AND KIND OF ON AN INTERNATIONAL PIECE, THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SO LONG, I THINK IT'S AWESOME THAT WE FINALLY HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE HAVE HAD TO BECOME SCOUTS AND DO INTERNATIONAL SCOUTING AS GIRLS AND ALSO JUST BECOME EAGLE SCOUTS AND KIND OF BE RECOGNIZED AT THAT SAME LEVEL AS THE BOYS HAVE BEEN FOR THIS LONG PERIOD OF TIME. I THINK IT'S REALLY AWESOME FOR US AND FOR YOUNGER GIRLS TO SEE.
ANYTHING TO ADD AUTUMN. I DEFINITELY AGREE FOR SURE IT'S AT THIS POINT OF BEING AN EAGLE SCOUT NOW, WE KIND OF ARE LOOKED UP TO, I THINK, BY A LOT OF THE GIRLS IN THE TROOP.
SO JUST BEING THAT FIGURE THAT SAYING WE WENT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND WE DID IT JUST LIKE THE BOYS CAN DO, BUT NOW THEY HAVE SOMEBODY WHO LOOKS LIKE THEM AND IS FEMALE AND CAN TEACH THEM EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY.
AND GETTING THAT RECOGNITION IS REALLY GREAT TOO.
WELL, AS AN OLD BOY SCOUT, I COULD TELL YOU, I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO THE EAGLE SCOUTS WHO WERE BOYS AT THE TIME.
SO I CAN IMAGINE THIS HAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON THE YOUNG LADIES THAT ARE NOW IN SCOUTING.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU.
DID ANYBODY DOES ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO THESE YOUNG LADIES? START OUT WITH OUR TREASURER, MR. DESCHAINE.
CONGRATULATIONS AUTUMN AND REGAN, AS A FORMER EAGLE SCOUT MYSELF, I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK IT IS TO GET THERE AND PARTICULARLY YOUR SERVICE PROJECT, WHICH OFTEN INVOLVES ONE HUNDRED HOURS OR MORE OF VOLUNTEER LABOR, RAISING MONEY AND RECRUITING OTHER SCOUTS TO HELP OUT.
AND REGAN, YOU'RE RIGHT, INTERNATIONALLY BOY SCOUTS HAVE BEEN COED FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO IT'S GREAT THAT THE US SCOUTS HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THAT.
AND I'M GLAD ONE OF YOU MENTIONED THE GIRL SCOUTS GOLD AWARD, WHICH IS EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT AWARD GIVEN BY THE GIRL SCOUTS.
IT TAKES EVERY BIT AS MUCH EFFORT AND TIME.
SO BOTH THE BOY SCOUTS OR SCOUTING USA AND GIRL SCOUTS MAKE A TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER BUILDING AND YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF BOTH OF YOU.
YEAH, WE GOT TO GET USED TO NOT SAYING BOY SCOUTS, BECAUSE THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE.
[LAUGHTER] YEAH, TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
YES, WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BLAZING A TRAIL FOR THE REST OF THE YOUNG FEMALES OUT THERE AND VERY PROUD, IT SOMETIMES CAN BE HARD, BUT YOU'RE ROLE MODELS NOW.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK.
WE APPRECIATE YOU WELL ONCE AGAIN, THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR MEETING, WE ARE HONORED TO HONOR YOU.
WE HAVE ANOTHER HAND UP TRUSTEE JACKSON.
THERE YOU GO. I, TOO, WANTED TO CONGRATULATE THE NEW EAGLE SCOUTS.
MY HUSBAND WAS AN EAGLE SCOUT.
I WAS NEVER ABLE TO BECOME ONE.
AND I'VE BEEN JEALOUS EVER SINCE I'VE MET HIM AND HE'S TOLD ME ABOUT IT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE A PART OF THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF FEMALE EAGLE SCOUTS IN THE UNITED STATES. AND I CONGRATULATE YOU HEARTILY FOR THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
OK. [INAUDIBLE] ONE MORE TIME AND HANDS.
YOU ARE A SHINING EXAMPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR OTHER PRESENTATION, I THINK WE'RE CALLING ON CHIEF HAMEL FOR THIS ONE.
YES, THANK YOU, MR. STYKA. SO I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS WE ADDED ONE AND I'LL EXPLAIN AFTER I'M DONE WITH STEPHEN, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME TWISTS IN THAT ONE, TOO.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME VACANCIES SINCE APRIL, REALLY, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY
[00:10:02]
PATIENT TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD FIT IN THE WAY WE OPERATE HERE. AND I WANTED TO INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TONIGHT.THE FIRST ONE IS STEVEN GARELIK, WHO COMES TO US FROM PINCKNEY, WORKS FOR [INAUDIBLE] WORKS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HOSPITAL AS A TECH IN THE PEDIATRIC E.R.
IT LOOKS LIKE HE [INAUDIBLE] WORKING.
SO HE'S GOT ANOTHER WEEK AND A HALF AND HE'LL BE STARTING WITH US ON THE 30TH.
HE GOT HIS PARAMEDIC LICENSE FROM GENESEE EMS IN 2014 AND WENT TO THE FIRE ACADEMY IN GENESEE COUNTY IN 2011.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM HE'S GOING TO START WITH US WITH YOUR APPROVAL ON NOVEMBER 30TH AND FILL ONE OF OUR EMPTY SLOTS.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I GIVE YOU MR. STEVEN GARELIK THERE ON THE SCREEN IN HIS SCRUBS.
HE'S PROBABLY TOO FAR AWAY TO HELP US.
BUT [INAUDIBLE] LIKE I COULD PASS OUT RIGHT NOW.
HE COULD HELP ME RIGHT NOW. LIKE THE CHIEF SAID, MY NAME IS STEVEN GARELIK, CURRENTLY I DO WORK AT MOTT E.R.
FULL TIME, I AM EXCITED TO COME TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE TO BECOME A FULL TIME FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO STARTING WITH THE TOWNSHIP.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING STAFF OF FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS HERE IN MERIDIAN AND WE'RE ALWAYS GLAD TO WELCOME A NEW ONE WHO WILL CONTINUE TO BLAZE THAT WONDERFUL TRAIL THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
CHIEF. YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE YOU SAID? YES. SO WE HAVE ANOTHER ADDITION.
SO, ANGELA COLES, IF YOU RECALL, SHE WAS ON THE BOARD BACK IN EARLY LATE JULY, EARLY AUGUST. WE ARE SPONSORING HER TO THE LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE FIRE ACADEMY.
SO SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THAT WE DID THAT WITH.
AND SHE CALLED ME LAST FRIDAY.
THEY ARE SPEEDING UP THE FIRE ACADEMY TO THE POINT NOW WHERE SHE ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO TRY TO BE ON TONIGHT.
BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY GRADUATING EARLY INSTEAD OF THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
SO SHE HAS OFFICIALLY MADE IT THROUGH AND SHE IS GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR HIREES.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SHE'S GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPORTANT GRADUATION TO ATTEND.
BUT I WANTED TO ALSO ANNOUNCED HER.
AND REMEMBER, SHE CAME TO US, I BELIEVE, FROM [INAUDIBLE], AND SHE IS A PARAMEDIC THAT TEACHES AT LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SO SHE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER GREAT ADDITION FOR US.
AND I THINK WHAT I'D STILL LIKE TO DO WITH HER IS BRING HER ON TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING SO YOU AT LEAST OFFICIALLY CAN SEE HER FACE AND KNOW WHO SHE IS.
THANK YOU. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR EITHER THE CHIEF OR MR. GARELIK? WELL, WELCOME ONCE AGAIN.
OH WE DO TRUSTEE JACKSON, I WOULD ASK THE CHIEF IF THIS COMPLETES HIS SEARCH FOR FIREFIGHTERS OR DO WE STILL HAVE VACANCIES.
SO WITH STEVEN AND ANGELA, THAT'LL FILL TWO OF THE FOUR.
AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'VE INTERVIEWED TWICE.
WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH MR. WALSH TO DO, BUT WE'RE HOLDING OFF ON HIM.
HE IS A PARAMEDIC FROM LAST YEAR'S [INAUDIBLE] FIRE ACADEMY THAT IS CURRENTLY FINISHING HIS INTERNSHIP, HOPEFULLY BY JANUARY.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND SEE IF HE'S GOING TO WORK OUT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS CHRISTY BERGIN, WHO WE'RE SENDING TO ACTUALLY TO GENESEE COUNTY FIRE ACADEMY. SAME THING THAT STEVEN GRADUATED FROM.
SHE'S GOING TO WORK PART TIME AS A PARAMEDIC WITH US UNTIL THEN.
AND THEN WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING HER ON BOARD ALSO.
SO I HOPE TO INTRODUCE HER IN APRIL, EARLY MAY AT THE LATEST.
THANK YOU. FULL STAFF ANYONE ELSE.
I HAVE NOTHING ELSE, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. MR. GEBES. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY IN LINE OR INTERESTED IN TALKING? YOU HAVE TWO HANDS UP ALREADY AND WE WILL GO IN TO ORDER THE HANDS WERE RAISED.
BUT BEFORE WE PUT HIM ON, I WILL REMIND PEOPLE THAT IF THERE'S PEOPLE WHO NEED TO MAKE A COMMENT VIA TELEPHONE, WE CAN TAKE TELEPHONE COMMENTS AT FIVE ONE SEVEN THREE FOUR NINE ONE, TWO, THREE, TWO.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL ASK MR. BOWLBY TO STATE HIS NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD, UNLESS YOU HAVE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. BUT I BELIEVE MR. BOWLBY IS WELL, FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROCESS.
YES, HE IS FAMILIAR, BUT I WILL SAY STATE HIM ANYWAY BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE MAY WANT TO SPEAK. AS MR. BOWLBY KNOWS, WE LIMIT TO THREE MINUTES.
[00:15:03]
WE DON'T DIALOG DIRECTLY WITH THE SPEAKERS, BUT WE MAY LATER IN THE MEETING DEAL WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES THEY RAISE.AND WE EXPECT THEM TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AS A WHOLE AND NOT INDIVIDUALS AND PROCEED WITH DECORUM. AND MR. BOWLBY KNOWS ALL THAT.
AND I'LL NOW CALL HIM MR. BOWLBY. THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR. WITH REGARD TO A LETTER THAT WAS IN THE BOARD PACKET AT YOUR LAST MEETING, PERSONALLY, I DON'T FIND BAGPIPE MUSIC TO BE NOISE.
BUT AS FAR AS THIS MEETING, I FIND IT A LITTLE BIT IRONIC THAT LATER IN THE MEETING, THE BOARD IS LIKELY TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION IN RECOGNITION OF CLERK DREYFUS.
AND I SAY I FIND IT IRONIC BECAUSE IF THE CLERK WERE INTERESTED OR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE WERE INTERESTED TO FIND OUT HOW THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TRULY FEEL ABOUT HIM, THEY SHOULD GO AND LOOK UP THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS OF A PAC CALLED RESIDENTS FOR A BETTER MERIDIAN. THIS WAS A PAC THAT WAS FORMED IN 2016.
THAT WAS A PRO BRT PAC AND AFTER THAT GOT SHOT DOWN, THEY KIND OF STOOD IDLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND THIS SPRING THEY REEMERGED AND CHANGED THEIR STANDING FROM A POLITICAL [INAUDIBLE] TO AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE.
THAT WAS ON APRIL TWENTY FIRST.
AND ON MAY EIGHTH, FOUR MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND ONE PENDING MEMBER OF THE BOARD OR BOARD MEMBER ELECT DONATED FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, A TOTAL OF FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THIS PAC. I DON'T REMEMBER THAT THE BRT WAS AN ISSUE AGAIN.
AN THIS PAC, SPENT SOME MONEY ON ROBOCALLS.
I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING ANY CALLS ABOUT SUPPORT FOR THE BRT, BUT I DO REMEMBER GETTING SEVERAL CALLS OVER THE SUMMER ABOUT IF THE ELECTION WERE HELD TODAY, WHO WOULD I VOTE FOR CLERK. SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE EXPENDITURES.
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE AN INDEPENDENT PACK, THEY HADN'T MET THE CRITERION FOR BEING ABLE TO DONATE 10 TIMES THE AMOUNT THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN TO AN INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMMITTEE, BUT THEY DID ON.
LET'S SEE. IT WAS MAY 10TH, TWO DAYS AFTER THESE FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DONATIONS CAME IN.
A FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR DONATION WAS MADE TO THE BRIXIE FOR MICHIGAN PAC.
AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, ANOTHER THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS WAS DONATED TO THE BRIXIE FOR MICHIGAN PAC, WHICH IS AN INDEPENDENT PAC THAT CAN MAKE TEN TIMES THE AMOUNT OF DONATIONS TO AN INDEPENDENT OR TO A CANDIDATE COMMITTEE.
AND IT TURNS OUT THEN THAT RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF JUNE, TEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS WAS DONATED FROM THE BRIXIE FOR MICHIGAN PAC TO THE OPPONENT OF BRETT DREYFUS IN THE CLERK PRIMARY ELECTION.
AND SO I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK INTO CAMPAIGN FINANCE, IN PARTICULAR THE ADDITIONAL DONORS TO THE CLERK ELECT'S FUND, I THINK YOU'LL FIND SOME INTERESTING DONORS TO HER CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE.
MY MINUTES IS UP. SO ONE OTHER THING, CLERK DREYFUS, THERE ARE THOSE OF US OUT HERE WHO ARE SINCERE IN OUR APPRECIATION FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TOWNSHIP OVER MANY, MANY YEARS. THANK YOU.
THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON YOU SAID MR. GEBES IS IN LINE. YES.
WE HAVE A FEW MORE. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO I'M SORRY.
NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW ROBYN SCHNEIDER TO SPEAK, PLEASE.
START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, SIX CADE STREET, HASLETT, MICHIGAN.
THANK YOU. I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF HASLETT, A PROUD HASLETT VIKING ALUMNI, A HOMEOWNER AND A TAXPAYER WHO RESIDES HERE IN HASLETT.
I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY SO MUCH THAT I PURCHASED MY HISTORIC ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEAR OLD AMERICAN FOUR-SQUARE FROM THE OLD HASLETT WRESTLING COACH, DICK BIRD IN DOWNTOWN HASLETT.
I COMPLETELY RESTORED IT SO THAT I COULD RAISE MY FOUR CHILDREN HERE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE AFFORDED THE VERY SAME AWARD WINNING LEVEL OF EDUCATION THAT I WAS SO FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE HERE. I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LIFELONG GOOD STANDING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AS SEVERAL OF YOU ARE AWARE, I'VE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
I WAS ALSO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE COALITION TO REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL.
THE BALLOT COMMITTEE THAT LED PROP 118 TO VICTORY.
[00:20:02]
I RAISED THREE POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS IN MICHIGAN AND SIXTY ONE PERCENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VOTERS APPROVED THAT BALLOT INITIATIVE.I AM ASKING YOU TO UPHOLD THE WILL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND MOVE FORWARD WITH CRAFTING AND ADOPTING AN ADULT USE ORDINANCE FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THERE ARE MANY RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO ARE READY TO FILL THOSE GOOD PAYING JOBS.
THERE ARE MANY CANNABIS CONSUMERS WHO ARE WAITING FOR OUR STORES TO OPEN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER TOWN TO SAFELY PURCHASE CANNABIS, WHICH IS LEGAL NOW.
WE DESERVE TO HAVE WELL REGULATED AND SAFE RETAIL LOCATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS HOW WE REDUCE THE ILLICIT MARKET AND PROTECT OUR YOUTH.
THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES THE TAX REVENUE AS WELL.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO ADD I'M GOING TO BE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HOW EVERYONE VOTES OUT OF THIS MOVING FORWARD.
I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN MOVING THIS PROGRAM FORWARD.
THE INDUSTRY IS MAKING INCREDIBLE STRIDES AN BY OPTING IN YOU WILL BE PUTTING LEGAL CANNABIS INTO SAFE AND VERY SECURE ON CAMERA LOCATIONS WHERE OUR STATE REGULATORY DEPARTMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO REGULATE THAT PRODUCT, GET IT OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.
NEXT, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM ALAN [INAUDIBLE].
ALAN START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
HELLO, ALAN [INAUDIBLE], ONE ZERO EIGHT SOUTH MAIN STREET SUITE A ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN, FOUR EIGHT ZERO SIX SEVEN.
FIRST, I'D LIKE SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
I REPRESENT THE CURE LEAVE TC WHICH IS ONE OF THE PERMIT HOLDERS FOR A MEDICAL LICENSE TO OPEN A PROVISIONING CENTER WITHIN YOUR TOWNSHIP.
WE WERE AWARDED THIS, I BELIEVE, BACK IN MARCH OR APRIL, AND UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO COVID AND ONE OF THE REASONS DUE TO THE DELAYS.
BUT ANOTHER REASON IS A LOT OF THE TOWNSHIPS AROUND A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES AROUND YOU HAVE ADOPTED A RECREATIONAL ORDINANCE AND HAVE OPENED RECREATIONAL STORES.
AND THE OWNER OF THE CURE LEAF TC, WHO HAS MULTIPLE FACILITIES AROUND THE STATE, HAS SEEN WHEN A MEDICAL ONLY TOWNSHIP OR MUNICIPALITY OPENS AND RECREATIONAL IS ALLOWED IN NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIPS.
THE BUSINESS SIMPLY ISN'T THERE TO SUPPORT THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT THAT IS NEEDED TO NOT ONLY CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY, BUT TO BUILD IT OUT AND TO SUPPORT THE STAFF THAT WE HOPE TO STAFF AT THIS FACILITY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ANYWHERE FROM FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FIVE FULL AND PART TIME EMPLOYEES.
THIS INCLUDES THE VARIOUS ROLES MANAGEMENT LEVEL, AND THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS EXCLUSIVELY HIRES LOCAL RESIDENTS.
THAT'S ONE THING HE PRIDES HIMSELF ON.
THE CAPITAL THAT'S INVOLVED IN THESE BUSINESSES IS EXTRAORDINARY, NOT ONLY TO CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND SINCE THE ORIGINAL LOTTERY THAT YOU GUYS HAD OVER A YEAR AGO TO NOW, THE MARIJUANA MARKET AS A BUSINESS OWNER HAS ENTIRELY FLIPPED. THE VALUE OF THE BUSINESS HAS GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO OFFER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS TO THE MARKET, 90 PLUS PERCENT OF THE MARKET THAT POTENTIALLY WOULD BUY FROM YOU IS NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU, SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE A CARDHOLDER, SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE A MARIJUANA REGISTRY CARD.
IT ALSO IS BECAUSE THE STATE HAS ADOPTED THE RECREATIONAL ORDINANCE, A NUMBER OF PATIENTS ARE NO LONGER RENEWING THEIR CARDS BECAUSE THEY CAN SIMPLY DRIVE 10 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD AND GO TO A STORE WHERE THEY HAVE POTENTIALLY MORE OPTIONS FOR PRODUCT THAN THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRODUCTS. I KNOW WHEN I WAS BEFORE YOU ALL BEFORE THERE WAS CONCERNS ABOUT
[6D. Develop 2021 Action Plan]
SAFETY, ODOR CONTROL, THINGS LIKE THAT, I CAN TELL YOU MOST OF THE BUSINESSES TODAY ARE THE PRODUCTS COME IN ALREADY PACKAGED.SO THE MARIJUANA SMELL IS NOT A NOXIOUS SMELL THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT WHEN STORES WERE FIRST OPEN OR WHEN YOU WALK INTO A CULTIVATION FACILITY, THERE'S AN ADDITION TO THE HEPA FILTRATION AND OTHER DEVICES YOU CAN USE TO LOWER THAT SMELL AND SAFETY AS A CONCERN.
THERE'S BEEN PROVEN STUDY OVER STUDY THAT CRIME GOES DOWN, PROPERTY VALUES GO UP WHEN A PROVISIONING CENTER OR A MARIJUANA RETAILER CENTER OPENS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I IMPLORE YOU TO EXPAND UPON YOUR MEDICAL ORDINANCE, ADOPT THE RECREATIONAL ORDINANCE, ALLOW THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE GOING TO SPEND MILLIONS OF
[00:25:02]
DOLLARS TO INVEST IN YOUR TOWN AND EMPLOY PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA TO BE GIVEN A FULL AND FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEIGHBORING TOWNS AND OTHER CITIES AROUND THE STATE. THANK YOU.WE'LL HEAR FROM MEGAN MCFARLAND, PLEASE.
MEGAN START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
HI THERE MY NAME'S MEGAN MCFARLAND, I RESIDE AT FIVE ONE FIVE CORNELL AVENUE, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN. I'M THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR GREEN PEAK INDUSTRIES. WE'RE THE LARGEST VERTICAL LICENSEE IN MICHIGAN FOR MARIJUANA WITH SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF PRODUCTION SPACE AND 11 RETAIL LOCATIONS KNOWN AS SKYMINT.
TEN OF OUR 11 STORES ARE LICENSED FOR MEDICAL AND ADULT USE SALES.
THREE OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE IN GREATER LANSING, TWO IN THE CITY OF LANSING AND ONE IN EAST LANSING. WE'VE OPERATED THE MAJORITY OF OUR RETAIL STORES FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WITH NO SAFETY SECURITY ISSUES TO OUR STAFF OR THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
OUR LOCATIONS ARE HIGHLY SECURE WITH KEYCARD ACCESS CODED TO EMPLOYEE JOB FUNCTIONS, THE SECURITY GUARD PRESENT DURING OPEN HOURS AND 24/7 SURVEILLANCE, WHICH IS MONITORED IN REAL TIME BY SECURITY STAFF AT OUR HEADQUARTER PRODUCTION FACILITY IN DIMONDALE.
WE RECENTLY OBTAINED APPROVAL FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR MEDICAL LOCATION IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LOCATED ON NORTHWIND DRIVE.
IN ADDITION TO THE 11 EXISTING STORES, WE HAVE ANOTHER 14 PROPERTIES IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, SUCH AS LOCAL LICENSING, APPROVAL AND CONSTRUCTION, OR WERE AWAITING PRE LICENSURE INSPECTIONS.
AND WHILE WE ARE A WELL CAPITALIZED GROUP, WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS AND WE ARE CURRENTLY PRIORITIZING PROJECTS LOCATED IN THE MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THAT IS AT LEAST AN INDICATION THAT THERE WILL BE AN ALLOWANCE FOR ADULT USE LICENSURE.
AS THE ADULT USE MARKET FORMS ACROSS THE STATE, IT'S BECOME QUITE OBVIOUS THAT A MEDICAL ONLY LICENSE PROVISIONING CENTER WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE AS THE MARKET GROWS.
PATIENTS ARE RENEWING THEIR MEDICAL CARDS LESS NOW THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SAME PRODUCTS THROUGH ADULT USE LOCATIONS, EVEN IF IT'S AT A HIGHER PRICE.
AND WITH NEARBY MUNICIPALITIES LIKE LANSING, EAST LANSING AND OTHERS LIKE LAINGSBURG BATH AND BATH TOWNSHIP MAKING MEDICAL AND ADULT USE LICENSE LOCATIONS AVAILABLE, IT'LL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR MEDICAL ONLY RETAILERS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO REMAIN VIABLE BUSINESSES.
SO WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THE ALLOWANCE OF ADULT USE MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. WE HOPE TO STRIVE TO BE A COMMUNITY MEMBER IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND DESIRE TO MAINTAIN OUR BUSINESS THERE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AND IF AN ADULT USE ORDINANCE IS NOT ADOPTED, THERE'S A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT OPERATIONS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER? YES, WE DO.
CALLING IN, SIR, CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
AND ADDRESS. MY NAME IS BENJAMIN [INAUDIBLE] AND MY ADDRESS IS TWO TWENTY NINE DEPOT ST.
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FOUR EIGHT ONE ZERO FOUR.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE STAFF FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. MY NAME IS BENJAMIN [INAUDIBLE] AND ALTHOUGH I DO REPRESENT HASLETT GALLERY, I'D LIKE TO STOP AND SAY THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS ONE OF THE BEST POOLS OF PROVISIONAL LICENSES THAT I'VE SEEN IN THIS INDUSTRY IN QUITE SOME TIME.
I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR SOME TIME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF LICENSING PROCESS AND THE WAY THAT YOURS WORKED AND THOSE THAT YOU ENDED UP WITH IN YOUR POOL OF PROVISIONAL APPLICANTS IS ONE OF THE BEST THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE STATE.
SO YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
I AM HERE TO URGE YOU TO ADOPT AN ADULT USE ORDINANCE BECAUSE OF THESE APPLICANTS AND BECAUSE OF THREE DISTINCT REASONS, THOSE BEING IT WILL REDUCE THE BLACK MARKET IN YOUR AREA. IT WILL INCREASE TAX DOLLARS FOR YOUR COMMUNITIES.
AND IT WILL ALSO ENSURE THAT MERIDIAN PATIENTS STILL HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICINE.
IT'S BEEN SHOWN THROUGH COUNTLESS STUDIES AND COUNTLESS TIMES THAT WHEN YOU HAVE LEGAL OUTLETS FOR MARIJUANA, IT REDUCES THE BLACK MARKET.
AND I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GO INTO THAT.
WHAT I'M GOING TO GO INTO AS AS ROBYN AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, IS SAFETY. THIS IS ALSO SAFETY FOR YOUR CITIZENS THAT WANT TO PARTAKE IN MARIJUANA, FOR YOUR PATIENTS FOR THE PURVEYORS OF THIS AND ALSO YOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET ADULT USE MARIJUANA, WHETHER IT BE FROM A SHOP IN LANSING, EAST LANSING, MERIDIAN OR THEIR FRIEND'S BASEMENT.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GO TO A PLACE THAT IS CLOSEST TO THEM.
AND IF THEY GO TO THEIR FRIEND'S BASEMENT AND GOD FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENS THERE, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS THAT WE DO HAVE AT LEGAL OUTLETS THAT PEOPLE'S BASEMENTS DON'T HAVE.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OR OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS TO
[00:30:01]
PLACES THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.WHEN YOU HAVE A LEGAL MARIJUANA FACILITY, YOU HAVE LAYOUT, SURVEILLANCE AND OTHER SECURITY MEASURES THAT MUST BE IN PLACE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE BLACK MARKET, YOU ARE SENDING CITIZENS WHO ARE GOING TO GET THIS DOWN INTO PEOPLE'S BASEMENTS, TO PEOPLE'S GARAGES, PLACES THAT ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DON'T HAVE THE WAY OUT, DON'T HAVE SURVEILLANCE, DON'T HAVE SECURITY.
SO ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE IS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND TO HURT THE BLACK MARKET.
ADDITIONALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT BLACK MARKET, YOU'RE NOT COLLECTING YOUR TAX REVENUES.
AND IF YOU DON'T OPT INTO THE ADULT USE MARKET, THOSE STATE TAX REVENUES ARE NOT GOING TO FLOW TO MERIDIAN IN THE AMOUNT THAT WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.
SECONDLY, THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THAT MEDICAL PATIENTS STILL HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICINE IS TO HAVE THESE ADULT USE FACILITIES.
AS YOU ALREADY HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS BEFORE ME, THE VIABILITY OF THESE OPERATIONS ALMOST DEPENDS ON HAVING AN ADULT USE ORDINANCE.
WITHOUT AN ADULT USE ORDINANCE THE COST OF OPERATING THE STARTING UP AND OPERATING ONE OF THESE IS VERY HIGH.
YOU HAVE AROUND SEVEN MILLION ADULTS IN MICHIGAN THAT ARE OVER THE AGE OF TWENTY ONE.
AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE AROUND 200,000 REGISTERED PATIENTS.
YOU'RE GOING TO START WRAPPING UP SIR.
BUSINESSES IN LANSING AND EAST LANSING THAT HAVE 35 TIMES THE CUSTOMER BASE.
SO I JUST DO WANT TO REITERATE, YOU HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF PROVISIONAL LICENSES AND THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND ALSO TO KEEP YOUR CITIZENS SAFE. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER.
WE DO NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM BEN.
WE NEED YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
BEN DISCONNECTED, LET'S TRY MR. MIKE MCCURDY. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
MIKE MCCURDY AND M I K E M C CAPITAL C U R D Y.
AND MY ADDRESS IS FIVE, FOUR, FIVE, EIGHT, OKEMOS ROAD EAST LANSING, THAT'S A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ADDRESS, THOUGH. OK, GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK HERE TONIGHT.
I'M EXCITED THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS AGAIN CONSIDERING HAVING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES. I REPRESENT THE CANNABIS CAUCUS OF THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
SO BESIDES BEING A SECOND GENERATION RESIDENT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, I AM REPRESENTING THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANNABIS CAUCUS ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL.
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROW IN MICHIGAN.
WE THINK IT'S AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENTIRE STATE, AN EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THE STATE TO CREATE JOBS.
AND AND ALSO, AS OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALLUDED TO, BRING THE TRADITIONAL MARKET INTO INDOORS, INTO A SAFER PLACES WHERE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR TRADITIONAL GROWERS CAN CAN PAY THEIR TAXES, CAN PARTICIPATE IN A LEGAL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THEM SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, SAFE PLACES TO PURCHASE THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY'RE PURCHASING ANYWAY.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, AS OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALLUDED TO, I'VE BEEN IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MY ENTIRE LIFE. MUCH OF THAT LIFE, I HAVE CONSUMED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
IT'S NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM OBTAINING MARIJUANA IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THE MARKET IS HERE AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT MARKET SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE FORCED UNDERGROUND.
WE HAVE VOTED AS A STATE TO SAY WE DON'T WANT THAT ANYMORE.
WE NO LONGER WANT PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO BE LIVING IN FEAR WHEN THEY SELL THEIR PRODUCT, WHEN THEY GROW THEIR PRODUCT. WE WANT TO HAVE LEGITIMATE MARKETS.
AND WE AS A CANNABIS CAUCUS, WE FOCUS ON TRYING TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED UNDER PROHIBITION TO MOVE INTO A LEGAL MARKET SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE LEGAL JOBS AND LEGAL PROFESSIONS.
AND AGAIN, I JUST URGE YOU, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WILL BE LEFT BEHIND IF WE DON'T TAKE THESE STEPS BECAUSE THESE MARKETS WILL OPEN UP IN EAST LANSING.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE DOLLARS WILL GO.
THEY'LL GO TO LANSING. WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EMERGING MARKET IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS? NEXT, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM VT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS, V.T..
YES, CHRIS, [INAUDIBLE] AND ADDRESS IS 222 EAST MERRILL IN BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN, 48009.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY TAKING THE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY, I'M NOT GOING TO GO OUT AND REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS ALL SAID. AND WE I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT RECREATIONAL WILL BRING IN HIGHER TAXES AND THAT'S
[00:35:02]
JUST COMMON.IT'S 10 PERCENT EXTRA SALES TAX THAN THE REGULAR MEDICAL.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A MATTER OF SAFETY, MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL IS THE SAME THING THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY SAFETY ISSUES.
IN FACT, PEOPLE FEEL MORE SAFE TO GO TO A [INAUDIBLE], WHETHER IT'S MEDICAL OR RECREATIONAL. I MEAN, ALL THOSE KEY POINTS I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S WELL AWARE OF.
THE ONLY THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE DECISION TO MAKE IT MEDICAL ONLY VERSUS MEDICAL AND WHEN REC IS OUT THERE.
I KNOW WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD, MEDICAL WAS KIND OF LIKE THE THING THAT WAS GOING ON. IT WAS NEW TO THE STATE.
IT DID TAKE SOME TIME FOR A LOT OF TOWNSHIPS AND CITIES TO COME ON ONCE IT'S RECREATIONAL AND AS THEY GO ALONG, I THINK IT'S A GOOD TIME TO JUMP IN.
MAYBE IT WASN'T THE TOWNSHIPS GOAL IN THE BEGINNING, BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS DIFFERENT THAN WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO. SO I THINK IT'S JUST MORE INSTEAD OF TELLING YOU WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT, MAYBE THINK ABOUT WHY YOU WOULDN'T TO DO IT VERSUS THEN.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE I'M AT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS INCREASE THE ABILITY TO SELL, BECAUSE AS THE SPEAKER BEFORE ME MENTIONED, YOU HAVE TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND SOME REGISTERED CARD HOLDERS VERSUS SEVEN MILLION TWENTY ONE PLUS MEMBERS.
THANK YOU AGAIN. I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
AND I'M SURE WHATEVER THE TOWNSHIP DECIDES, WE'LL GET THERE SOONER OR LATER.
AFFIRMATIVE SIR, WE HAVE MARVIN [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE STATE YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE? MARVIN CORANAO, TWO NINE FIVE ZERO ZERO, [INAUDIBLE] ROAD SUITE 250 SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN, FOUR EIGHT ZERO THREE FOUR.
HOPE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS OR THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE DOING WELL TODAY.
I AM THE OWNER OF THE DMV K2 FACILITY AT ONE SIX ONE FOUR WEST GRAND RIVER OPERATOR PROVISIONING CENTER. I'M GOING TO PROBABLY ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE. WE ARE PROPOSING A NEW CONSTRUCTION FACILITY AND JUST LIKE MR. ALLEN [INAUDIBLE] STATED, THAT THESE FACILITIES COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BUILD, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S GOING TO BE A VIABLE BUSINESS.
RIGHT AROUND WHEN TOWNSHIP WAS CONDUCTING THEIR LOTTERY, WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RECREATION MARKET IN MICHIGAN.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RECREATIONAL TAKES OFF? THE MEDICAL MARKET PRETTY MUCH FADES AWAY.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO NEED TO MAKE A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT.
THERE'S NO NEED TO PAY THE STATE FEES FOR A MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD IN MICHIGAN OR EXCISE TAX IS ONLY 10 PERCENT.
OTHER STATES IT RANGES ANYWHERE FROM I THINK TWENTY TO THIRTY FIVE PERCENT.
SO IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR SOMEBODY JUST WALK INTO A STORE AND PAY THE EXTRA 10 PERCENT THAN HAVING TO MAKE A DOCTOR VISIT.
IT'S A VERY EVOLVING MARKET AND WE AS A TOWNSHIP AND BUSINESSES ALSO NEED TO EVOLVE WITH IT. I'LL GIVE A QUICK EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE AN OPERATING MEDICAL ONLY PROVISIONING STORE.
IT'S IN LAPEER. AND WHEN WE FIRST OPENED UP AUGUST OF TWENTY NINETEEN, RIGHT BEFORE RECREATIONAL, WE HAD ABOUT 20 EMPLOYEES [INAUDIBLE] IN OTHER CITIES SURROUNDING US STARTED TO OPT IN. WE HAD TO LAY OFF HALF OF OUR STAFF.
WITH ADULT USE THE STORES ARE A LOT BUSIER.
THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR JOBS AND.
I'LL GIVE A QUICK SNIPPET FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND DIRECTLY FROM THEIR WEBSITE IN INGHAM COUNTY IN OCTOBER OF TWENTY NINETEEN, THERE WAS ABOUT SEVEN THOUSAND PATIENTS AND A THOUSAND CAREGIVERS.
NOW, ON SEPTEMBER 2020 THERE'S ABOUT TWENTY SEVEN HUNDRED PATIENTS AND FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE CAREGIVERS.
THAT'S LESS THAN HALF OF THE PATIENTS.
AND WITH SIX STORES BEING OPERATIONAL IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH A PATIENT MARKET FOR THAT. I KNOW SOME CONCERNS COULD BE ODOR AND SECURITY ODOR EVERYTHING IS PREPACKAGED. AND WE DO HAVE SOME ODOR FIGHTING DEVICES WHERE THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO ODOR SMELL.
A LOT OF THE PROVISIONING CENTERS NOW OR DISPENSARIES HAVE BANKING.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CASH [INAUDIBLE] FACILITY.
THE EMPLOYEES ARE PAID VIA CHECK.
THERE'S NOT VERY MANY CONCERNS WHEN DOING MED OR RECREATIONAL, WE WOULD HIRE AT LEAST A 20 TO 30 EMPLOYEES HERE.
WE WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
CHARITIES WERE VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK IN.
AND I HOPE FOR ALL THE FACTORS THAT I STATED THAT YOU GUYS STRONGLY CONSIDER OPTING INTO ADULT USE. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FROM ANY OF THE TRUSTEES, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS? YES. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM ROBERT [INAUDIBLE], PLEASE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, WE HEAR YOU BOB GO AHEAD.
NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD MY ARGUMENTS BEFORE, IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT MARIJUANA BOB YOU GOT TO START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
[00:40:01]
ALL RIGHT, BOB [INAUDIBLE], I'M AT 2719 MOUNT HOPE ROAD WHERE I'VE BEEN FOR ABOUT FORTY FIVE YEARS AND HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE PROGRESS TOWARD DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA FOR ALL OF THOSE YEARS. AND IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT MARIJUANA IS LESS HARMFUL THAN TOBACCO OR ALCOHOL. THE ARGUMENTS ARE OVERWHELMING FOR TREATING IT NO DIFFERENTLY THAN TOMATOES.I'M NOT GOING TO REITERATE WITH SEVERAL OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE ALREADY STATED, YOU'VE HEARD MOST OF THE ARGUMENTS BROUGHT.
WHAT I CAN ADD TO THIS DISCUSSION IS MY OFFICE, MY LAW OFFICE HAS REPRESENTED OVER ONE HUNDRED VENTURES LICENSING IN VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE, AROUND THE STATE FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS PROSPERING AND BRINGING VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY IN COUNTLESS WAYS, THE PROBLEMS ARE VIRTUALLY NON EXISTENT.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS A COUPLE OF YEARS BEHIND THE CURVE IN SERVING ITS CITIZENS WHO VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR LEGALIZATION AND ACCESS.
SO I JUST STRONGLY URGE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO TAKE A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO NORMALIZING ACCESS AND USE OF THIS RECREATIONAL SUBSTANCE.
ANYMORE SPEAKERS. AND THE LAST PUBLIC SPEAKER AND I WOULD HARDLY COUNT HER AS PUBLIC, BUT MS. GUTHRIE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
SHE SHOULD PROBABLY STATE HER NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
THANK YOU. MY NAME IS DEBORAH GUTHRIE.
I LIVE AT TWO FIVE SEVEN FIVE DUSTIN ROAD IN OKEMOS MICHIGAN.
AND JUST REAL BRIEFLY HERE, I WANTED TO THANK CLERK DREYFUS FOR HIS 20 PLUS YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND WHILE I DID RUN AGAINST YOU IN THE ELECTION, IT DOESN'T NEGATE THE FACT THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE THAT YOU GAVE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND THE SACRIFICES THAT YOU MADE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE MAY BE DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS OR DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE AISLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM MY APPRECIATION FOR WHAT YOU GAVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, MR. GEBES, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE THAT'S EITHER CALLED IN OR WANTS TO SPEAK? THERE ARE NO MORE CALLS.
THERE ARE NO MORE HANDS RAISED SIR.
OK. THANK YOU I'LL MOVE ON TO THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT.
THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR, AND GOOD EVENING, BOARD.
THERE'S A LOT OF CERTAINLY A LOT OF NEGATIVITY IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AND A LOT OF REASONS TO FEEL DOWN AND OUT.
BUT I WANT TO START WITH SOMETHING VERY POSITIVE TONIGHT.
THAT IS, THERE ARE 17 HUNDRED COMMUNITIES IN MICHIGAN.
SEVENTEEN HUNDRED. THAT'S IF YOU ADD UP TOWNSHIPS AND CITIES AND VILLAGES.
AND RECENTLY THE RANKINGS CAME OUT FOR THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN MICHIGAN.
AND YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE ANN ARBOR OR BIRMINGHAM OR ROYAL OAK OR GRAND RAPIDS OR SAUGATUCK OR TRAVERSE CITY? TAKE YOUR PICK. BUT NO, IT'S OKEMOS MICHIGAN RATED NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE AS A PLACE TO LIVE, AND HASLETT NUMBER 13.
SO OUT OF THE SEVENTEEN HUNDRED TWO OF THE TOP 13 ARE RIGHT HERE, THAT'S WE OUGHT TO TAKE A PAUSE AND REALLY LET THAT SINK IN FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE THAT'S QUITE AN HONOR.
THE BOARD WILL BE MEETING MONDAY NIGHT, THE TWENTY THIRD AT SIX P.M.
FOR THE GOAL SETTING SESSION FOR REVIEWING 2020 AND LOOKING FORWARD TO TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE LOCAL ROAD LIST, THAT LIST WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE DECEMBER 1ST TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING.
WE'RE WORKING INTERNALLY WITH THE BOARD.
THREE BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEE WISINSKI JACKSON AND OPSOMMER ON A DEI PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S BEING LED BY OUR VERY TALENTED HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR ABBY TITHOF.
INDIAN LAKES, THE ANDEV PROJECT.
YOU REMEMBER THAT BEFORE THE BOARD AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WENT ON WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO TRY TO BRING THAT CONCEPT OF AGREEMENT THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT WITH A BUFFER AND THE CONSERVATION AREA AND THE ACCESS TO THE STREET, ALL THOSE ISSUES THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND BRANDIE YATES AND HER TEAM, THEY HANDLED THE CENSUS COUNT FOR US, HAPPENS EVERY 10 YEARS.
TEN YEARS AGO, WE HAD A SEVENTY SEVEN POINT TWO RESPONSE RATE AND THIS YEAR SEVENTY SIX POINT FIVE. SO DURING A PANDEMIC, OUR RESPONSE RATE WAS OFF BY LESS THAN ONE PERCENT, WITH A STATE AVERAGE OF JUST OVER SEVENTY ONE.
SO WE BEAT THE STATE AVERAGE BY FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT AND WE'RE ALMOST EQUAL TO THE TWENTY TEN MARK DURING A PANDEMIC.
THAT'S JUST EXCELLENT WORK BY OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
AND I ALSO TOO WANT TO WISH THE ALL THE CLERK WELL, DREYFUS WELL, IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU FOR THE LAST ALMOST
[00:45:03]
EIGHT YEARS. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT UNLESS THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD. THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR.ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MANAGER? OK, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
TREASURER DESCHAINE AND THEN CLERK DREYFUS.
MR. DESCHAINE. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR.
THIS THURSDAY, THE 19TH IN THE TOWNSHIP TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WILL MEET AT SIX P.M., AND IT'S A VIRTUAL MEETING.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE [INAUDIBLE] REDI-RIDE ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS CHANGES IN REDI-RIDE AND OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS ON THE COMMISSION TO WORK WITH THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
THIS THURSDAY IS THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY MEETING, WHICH DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY CHAIRS.
OUR RESIDENTS SHARE A LOT ABOUT THE HIGH QUALITY OF OUR WATER, AND THOSE MEANS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND ENCOURAGE ANYONE CONCERNED ABOUT WATER QUALITY TO ATTEND AND HEAR THE GOOD WORK THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE.
AS THE BOARD KNOWS, THE RESURGES OF COVID-19 IS HUGE AND AS A RESULT, WE SHUT DOWN THE TOWN HALL. AS OF TODAY TO THE PUBLIC, MICHIGAN CASES ARE UP AVERAGING SEVEN THOUSAND NEW CASES A DAY, WHICH IS SEVEN TIMES WHAT IT WAS A MONTH AGO.
MY QUESTION FOR THE MANAGER, WALSH, IS HAVE YOU CONSIDERED BRINGING BACK THE COVID-19 HOTLINE? AND IF YOU ARE, WHO ELSE BESIDES YOU WILL BE ANSWERING THE CALLS? BECAUSE IT'S A BIT TOO MUCH TO HAVE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE DO THAT HOTLINE ON YOUR OWN AGAIN.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE A NEED AS WE MOVE FORWARD THE DAYS COULD BE DARKER GOING FORWARD THAN THEY ARE TODAY.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR OTHER QUESTION, TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION? YES, WE WILL IMPLEMENT IT IMMEDIATELY AND GET THE PRESS INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THAT TO THE PUBLIC. THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE UNLESS YOU WANT TO CARRY AROUND, I CARRY AROUND TWO PHONES NOW FOR PERSONAL REASONS, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO CARRY A THIRD ONE AROUND. SO I HAVE THE HOTLINE RING IN TO MY TOWNSHIP CELL PHONE.
SO IN THAT IT REALLY IS DIFFICULT TO PASS THAT DUTY AROUND.
AND IT WASN'T REALLY ANYTHING THAT AFFECTED MY PERSONAL LIFE AND JUST ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN IT CALLS. AND SO WE'LL BE PUTTING THAT BACK OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC.
I DO APPRECIATE THE HELP FROM THE ENTIRE TEAM, THOUGH, BECAUSE WHEN THOSE CALLS COME IN, MOST NOTABLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO ANSWER THOSE CALLS.
SO, YES, WE WILL BE REINSTITUTING THAT.
I ONLY HAVE ONE COMMENT TO MAKE, AND IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND A DELIGHT TO STATE THAT THE NOVEMBER 3RD PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS CERTIFIED BY THE INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF CANVASSERS. SO THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE NOW OFFICIAL AND THAT IS ALL [INAUDIBLE] REPORT THAT IS NEEDED TO BE STATED AT THIS TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE MR. DREYFUS. THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS REPORTS, MR. OPSOMMER. YES, I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THAT THE CATA BOARD WILL BE MEETING TOMORROW AT OUR USUAL TIME OF 4:00 P.M., VIA ZOOM VIRTUALLY AND WE WILL BE ON THE SECOND READING, AS I HAD PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO YOU.
WE ARE NEARING THE ADOPTION OF THE NEW ADVERTISING POLICY.
SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVIATION FROM CATA'S LONGSTANDING POLICY OF HAVING NO ADVERTISING AT ALL.
AND AGAIN, FOR THE PUBLIC, WHEN YOU SEE THE NEW STATIONS THAT ARE GOING UP ACROSS THE REGION, LIKE THE ONE ON GRAND RIVER IN FRONT OF THE NEW TARGET OR THE ONE ON HAGADORN ROAD NEAR CAMPUS, THOSE STATIONS WERE DESIGNED FOR THE PROSPECT OF HAVING ADVERTISING WITHIN THE CATA SYSTEM.
AND WE ANTICIPATE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ONE MILLION TO ONE POINT TWO FIVE MILLION IN ADVERTISING, DEPENDING ON THE MARKETPLACE AND THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE.
AND PART OF THAT AD POLICY WILL ACTUALLY HELP FUND THE BUILDOUT OF THOSE NEW LED AND SMART STATIONS WITH BUS TRACKING AND OTHER FEATURES.
SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE HAVE SCOURED DILIGENTLY EVERY PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES
[00:50:01]
ADVERTISING POLICY TO FIND ALL OF THE BEST PRACTICES WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH SOCIAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENGAGE IN FREE SPEECH, BUT POLITICAL ORIENTED ADVERTISING YOU KNOW ALL POLITICAL ADVERTISING IS PROHIBITED UNDER THE POLICY, THE MARKETING OF TOBACCO, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS WHEN YOU SEE AN AD ON A BUS OR IN SUCH PROXIMITY TO A PUBLIC AGENCY, THE PUBLIC TENDS TO ASSIMILATE THAT.
THAT'S THE AUTHORITY OR THE AGENCY'S PERSPECTIVE OR VIEW ON THINGS WHEN REALLY, IN FACT, IT'S AN AD. SO WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF PRECAUTIONS AND MAKING THE POLICY VERY NARROW IN TERMS OF WHO CAN ADVERTISE AND THE PRODUCTS AND COMMODITIES THAT WOULD BE ADVERTISED AND MADE SURE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT WILL STAND UP TO LEGAL SCRUTINY.
SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
AND WE'LL BE ON FOR SECOND READING DURING THE CATA BOARD MEETING TOMORROW AT 4:00 P.M..
THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, REPORTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I WILL HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE.
THE MERIDIAN CARES THE MERIDIAN COMMUNITY RESEARCH COMMISSION, WHICH RUNS MERIDIAN CARES IS TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS.
WE'RE GETTING INTO THE WINTER SEASON WE ARE IN BAD COVID TIMES, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN NEED. JUST BASED ON THE LAST CENSUS 10 YEARS AGO, 13 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION OR ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
AND ACTUALLY THREE THOUSAND OR EVEN 50 PERCENT BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AROUND AND WE SEE A LOT OF NICE NEIGHBORHOODS IN HASLETT AND OKEMOS, EAST LANSING, PORTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND EVEN [INAUDIBLE] DOWN IN THE CORNER THERE.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION, WITH ITS MERIDIAN CARES FUNDS, TRIES TO HELP THEM.
SO RIGHT NOW, THERE'S AN EMERGENCY NEEDS FUND THAT THEY'RE RAISING MONEY FOR.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE CITIZENS AND ANYONE WHO IS WATCHING THIS OR CAN GET THE WORD FROM SOMEONE ELSE TO CONTRIBUTE, CONTRIBUTE TO THE MERIDIAN CARES FUND.
YOU COULD DO THAT THROUGH THE WEBSITE OR YOU COULD SEND A CHECK DIRECTLY INTO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MARKED FOR MERIDIAN CARES.
WHAT I WANT TO MENTION IS ANOTHER UNDRAISER.
THIS ONE ACTUALLY GOES TO MERIDIAN CARES AS WELL.
AND THAT'S THE NO SHAVE NOVEMBER.
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A HISTORY OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS WHERE THE OFFICERS COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER. AND I KNOW THAT OUR ASSISTANT CHIEF IS ON HERE, PROBABLY HE LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE STUBBLE ON IT.
WHERE THE OFFICERS DO NOT SHAVE DURING NOVEMBER.
THEY GET THAT MONEY GOES TO MERIDIAN CARES [INAUDIBLE] THOSE PEOPLE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FIND AN OFFICER AND SUPPORT THEM BY SUPPORTING THEIR ACTIVITY, BY NOT SHAVING.
AND THERE IS A WINNER IN THAT COMPETITION EVERY YEAR.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THAT DECEMBER.
THE OTHER THING THE THIRD THING I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT DUE BY NOVEMBER 30TH, MERIDIAN IS CONDUCTING A BUSINESS COMMUNITY SURVEY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BUSINESSES. AND WE ENCOURAGE ALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN INFORMATION ALREADY, IF NOT CONTACT THE TOWNSHIP, AND PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY SO WE CAN SERVE YOU BETTER.
OK, I'LL MOVE ONTO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL ON THIS.
WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS UP IN FRONT OF OUR FACES AND WE'LL KNOW THAT YOU'RE THERE.
EXCEPT FOR MR. OPSOMMER EVERYBODY APPROVES THE AGENDA.
NEXT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT CONSISTS OF 4 ITEMS, SEVERAL CATEGORIES OF ITEMS, FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS. AND WE HAVE OUR MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER FIVE, VIRTUAL REGULARLY MEETING . OUR BILLS AND FINALLY, THE AUTHORIZATION OF NEW SIGNER FOR OUR BANK ACCOUNTS.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
[00:55:03]
CLERK DREYFUS. I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI, ANY NEED TO [INAUDIBLE] ANYTHING OFF FOR LIKE CHANGE OF MINUTES OR ANYTHING. OKAY IF NOT WE NEED A ROLL CALL.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER. YES. TRUSTEE WISINSKI, YES.
YES, AND CLERK DREYFUS VOTES YES.
WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS FOR ATTORNEY OR HEARINGS TODAY.
WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS, WHICH IS NUMBER 12 ON OUR AGENDA.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS THE RESOLUTION AND RECOGNITION OF CLERK DREYFUS.
THERE'S A RESOLUTION IN YOUR PACKET, AND I WOULD ASK TRUSTEE SUNDLAND IF SHE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN READING THAT FOR US.
YES, I WOULD. OK, SO CLERK DREYFUS.
WHEREAS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD WISHES TO THANK THE TOWNSHIP CLERK, BRETT DREYFUS, FOR HIS 12 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE BOARD TOWNSHIP BOARD AND WHEREAS CLERK DREYFUS SERVED THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS TOWNSHIP CLERK FROM 2012 TO 2020.
AND WHEREAS CLERK DREYFUS ALSO SERVED THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE FROM 2008 TO 2012.
AND WHEREAS CLERK DREYFUS LEAVES OFFICE AS THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
AND WHEREAS PRIOR TO HIS TENURE IN ELECTED OFFICE, CLERK DREYFUS VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AND PLANNING COMMISSION. AND WHEREAS WE FONDLY REMEMBER CLERK DREYFUS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTIONAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT GLENDALE CEMETERY, AND WHEREAS BRETT DREYFUS, AS A MEMBER OF THE MERIDIAN BOARD, ARDENTLY ADVOCATED FOR LAND USE POLICIES CONSISTENT WITH HIS VISION OF SMART TOWNSHIP GROWTH.
WHEREAS CLERK DREYFUS ADVOCATED TO MAINTAIN THE [INAUDIBLE] QUALITY OF THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE TOWNSHIP AND FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE URBAN SERVICES BOUNDARY, WHEREAS THE ENTIRE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY JOINS US THIS EVENING IN ACKNOWLEDGING AND APPRECIATING CLERK DREYFUS IN HIS 16 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO OUR FORTY THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR RESIDENTS.
AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMEMORATES BRETT DREYFUS AND CELEBRATES HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND YES, WE WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRETT, FOR SERVING.
IS THAT A MOTION THEN TO ADOPT THAT MS. SUNDLAND. YES, THAT IS A MOTION TO ADOPT.
THAT'S RIGHT. JUST SAY THAT IS THERE A SECOND? SUPPORT.
[INAUDIBLE] BY MRS. JACKSON. ALL RIGHT.
ANY DISCUSSION? OH, I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE SERVED WITH CLERK DREYFUS NOW FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND I KNOW THAT HE IS A VERY TENACIOUS ADVOCATE FOR HIS POSITIONS AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I THINK HE'S REPRESENTED HIS POSITIONS EXTREMELY WELL, EVEN IF HE'S NOT ALWAYS IN THE MAJORITY. HE PRESENTS HIS ARGUMENTS CORDIALLY AND WELL AND HE'LL BE MISSED IN THAT REGARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, BRETT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. DREYFUS. THANK YOU.
OKAY GREAT. I HELD OFF ON MAKING ANY COMMENTS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT OR BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS SO I COULD JUST TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES BRIEFLY TO GET SOME THANKS AND APPRECIATION AT THIS MOMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
FIRST. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION RESOLUTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT. IT DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME.
AND I THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS AND FOR PRESENTING IT TO ME.
JUST I HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY HERE.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO GO INTO ANY LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF FEW KEY THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THE COMMUNITY WITH AND LEAD THE BOARD AND ANYBODY HERE LISTENING WITH THIS FINAL MESSAGE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT WAS MY PLEASURE AND AN HONOR, PERSONAL HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SERVE
[01:00:04]
THE RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS.YES, IT DID START A LONG TIME AGO, BACK IN NINETEEN NINETY NINE, WHEN I WAS [INAUDIBLE] TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND I WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE ZONING BOARD.
AND THEN I WAS EVENTUALLY ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AS A TRUSTEE IN TWO THOUSAND EIGHT BY TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE I DIDN'T THINK I WAS NECESSARILY GOING TO CONTINUE ON WITH THINGS, BUT IT DID. THE WAY TIMING IN LIFE WORKS WE ALL SEEN THIS ON THE POLITICAL LEVEL. POLITICS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH TIMING THINGS THAT YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER AND THINGS YOU DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
AND LIFE DID TAKE A WONDERFUL TURN AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS A CLERK.
STARTING IN 2012, THE FIRST DEMOCRAT ELECTED CLERK IN SIXTY AND 60 YEARS, SIX ZERO.
PRETTY AMAZING AND IT WAS EXCITING.
AND THE LAST EIGHT YEARS HAS BEEN VERY, VERY INTERESTING.
INTENSE, EXCITING, DISAPPOINTING.
A WHOLE RANGE OF EMOTIONS COMES WITH BEING IN THIS ROLE, LOTS OF THEM.
BUT OVERALL, A PERSON IS LEFT WITH A FEELING OF SATISFACTION, A FEELING OF GENERAL HAPPINESS, A FEELING OF CONTENTMENT THAT WHEN A PERSON PUTS FORTH THEIR BEST EFFORT, IT CAN ACTUALLY FALL ON THE RIGHT EARS.
AND SOME OF MY MESSAGE RESONATED WITH PEOPLE WHO OFTEN FELT LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A VOICE IN GOVERNMENT, THAT PEOPLE WHO NEVER REALLY DEALT WITH THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP, BUT THEY HAD A DEVELOPMENT ISSUE, SOMETHING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WENT AWRY.
THEY HAD A PROBLEM OR AN ISSUE.
IT WAS VERY GRATIFYING TO TRY TO HELP THEM MOST OF THE TIME SUCCESSFUL, NOT ALWAYS, BUT MUCH OF THE TIME SUCCESSFUL.
AND WHEN I WASN'T SUCCESSFUL, WE'RE ABLE TO COMMISERATE AND HELP SERVE, TO EMPATHIZE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEEDS AND DESIRES AND PROBLEMS AND ISSUES.
AND I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE IN A ROLE TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE RE INTEGRATE AND REAFFIRM THEIR BELIEF IN GOVERNMENT.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAD A REAL DISBELIEF IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND I BELIEVE I HELPED TO REAFFIRM SOME PEOPLE'S TRUST BACK IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT MY CONSTITUENCY WENT BEYOND PEOPLE.
WHEN I FIRST RAN IN NINETEEN NINETY AND MY FIRST SEASON RAN IN TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT.
I WENT AROUND ON AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER.
PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE WERE BACK IN TWO THOUSAND EIGHT, A LITTLE SCOOTER.
AND I MADE A POINT OF SAYING BEING ENVIRONMENTAL IS MORE THAN RECYCLING.
SO ONE OF MY KEY CONSTITUENCIES WAS LIFEFORMS THAT COULD NOT VOTE.
THEY WERE NOT PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT AMONG THE MOST VALUABLE ASSETS THAT ARE NOT PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND THAT'S PROTECTING AND SAFEGUARDING THE PRECIOUS ECOSYSTEMS, THE GREEN SPACE, THE FLOODPLAINS, THE WETLANDS, THE NATURAL AREAS THAT ARE PRECIOUS AND HAVE TO BE SAFEGUARDED FOREVER. THAT'S THE INHERITANCE THAT WE CAN GIVE OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT SETS US APART.
IT'S OUR UNIQUE ONE OF OUR UNIQUE PLACEMAKING FEATURES, WHICH IS WHY I'M THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THE ORIGINAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
GREW BACK IN TWO THOUSAND WHEN IT WAS FIRST PUT TOGETHER IN NINETEEN NINETY NINE AND TWO THOUSAND. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS INVOLVED IN HELPING TO GET THAT FORMULATED AND I WAS SO EXCITED BACK THEN.
I KNEW I WAS IN THE RIGHT COMMUNITY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE NINETEEN NINETY FIVE.
I SAID THIS IS A PLACE WITH FORWARD THINKERS TO HAVE ONE OF THE ONLY LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S SPECIAL.
AND I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THAT HELPED TO DRIVE AND FUEL MY PASSION WAS TO HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE OTHER AREA WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE URBAN SERVICES BOUNDARY.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IT'S ALMOST A JOKE LIKE JOHN VEENSTRA, THE FORMER TRUSTEE AND HIS LED LIGHTS. YOU MENTIONED URBAN SERVICES BOUNDARY IT WAS FAIRLY SYNONYMOUS WITH ME BECAUSE I WAS A BIG ADVOCATE FOR THAT AS A TOOL TO TRY TO CONTROL DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE EASTERN THIRD OF OUR TOWNSHIP.
BUT THE SAME REASONS FOR A LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY, PLACEMAKING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO ENJOY.
TO BE THE CHIEF ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS AND ONE OF MY CHIEF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS NOT JUST, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ELECTION IS THE MOST COMPLICATED ELECTIONS IN HISTORY, IN MERIDIAN HISTORY AND BY THE WAY, GETTING IT CERTIFIED I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE A BIG DEAL, BUT WE ACTUALLY MEANT IT WAS FULLY RECOUNTABLE.
AND IT'S GOOD TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
SO I DIDN'T GO THROUGH A FIVE MINUTE LIST OF ALL THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE DID IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THAT ELECTION CERTIFIED AND GOOD TO GO.
BUT I'M SUPER PROUD OF THE TEAM TO HAVE THAT DONE.
BUT WHAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, IS FIGHTING FOR EXPANDED ABSENTEE VOTING, WHICH I DID FROM THE MOMENT I TOOK OFFICE.
IN FACT, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, MS. GUTHRIE HERSELF HAD INTERVIEWED ME NUMEROUS TIMES ON WHAT ARE THE THINGS I WAS REALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE BACK IN 2013 14.
AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I EMPHASIZED GREATER PARTICIPATION AMONG ALL VOTERS BY USING
[01:05:06]
EXPANDED ABSENTEE VOTING.TOOLS AND ABILITIES, INCLUDING EXPANDING OUR PERMANENT AV LIST, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT HOMTV PROVIDED, INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES, VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES AND SPEAKING ABOUT IT AT BOARD MEETINGS, PROBABLY ENOUGH WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK OF HEARING ABOUT IT.
BUT WE SEE THAT SOCIETY DID CATCH UP WITH THAT.
AND BY NOW WE HAVE AN ABSENTEE VOTERS CONSTITUENCY WITH THE NUMBERS THAT CAME IN IN THE LAST ELECTION. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF MY EARLY ADOPTION OF TRYING TO PUSH FOR ABSENTEE VOTING AND THE SUCCESS OF IT IN THE TOWNSHIP, ALONG WITH GETTING ALL THE ELECTION EQUIPMENT IN 2016 VIA THE GRANTS THAT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE THROUGH MY APPLICATION PROCESS.
FINALLY, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION MY FIGHT FOR ASPECTS OF THE CLERK IT HAD NOTHING TO DO NECESSARILY WITH WHAT I JUST MENTIONED.
BUT IN GENERAL, THINGS, CERTAIN ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S SO MANY OVER A 12 YEAR PERIOD MASTERPLAN FIGHTING OVER CONCEPTS OF WHAT'S GOOD DENSITY, WHAT IS APPROPRIATE GROWTH AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT I'M JUST GOING TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF KEY THINGS THAT I'M SUPER PROUD OF.
I WAS A STRONG SUPPORTER AND ONE OF THE KEY INITIATORS, ALONG WITH TRUSTEE WILSON FOR OUR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED BACK IN 2014.
THAT WAS VERY IT WAS ANOTHER PIVOTAL MOMENT IN OUR EVOLUTION AS A COMMUNITY AND HOW WE THINK. THE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE PROTECTED THE LGBT COMMUNITY FROM DISCRIMINATION IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES.
I ALSO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE THAT WAS ALLUDED TO THAT WAS A UNITING ASPECT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE GOT ONE HUNDRED PLUS PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY BAND AND MANY STAFF MEMBERS, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR TO HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR FREEDOMS. AND THAT WAS A UNIFYING EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I ENCOURAGE OUR NEW CLERK TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION AS IT IS COMPLETELY LED BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE WITH THE HELP AND ASSISTANCE OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS I WAS MENTIONING.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK SOME INDIVIDUALS REAL QUICKLY, INCLUDING JOHN VEENSTRA, HE PASSED AWAY BACK IN 2017.
TRUSTEE VEENSTRA WQAS A STRONG SUPPORTER.
HE HELPED TO GET ME INVOLVED IN POLITICS.
AND EVEN THOUGH HE AND I DIDN'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, HE WAS A UNIQUE PERSONALITY, A STRONG, PASSIONATE INDIVIDUAL, AND IN SOME WAYS A ROLE MODEL AND IN SOME WAYS JUST A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SORRY THAT HE PASSED AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR WHAT HE PASSED ON THROUGH ME AND MY INTERACTIONS WITH HIM. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR SUE MCGILLICUDDY, OUR LONG ESTABLISHED SUPERVISOR AND A LONG PERSON ON THE BOARD.
SHE HERSELF ALSO DID A LOT TO HELP TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY.
SHE TRANSCENDED POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP SHE TOOK UNPOPULAR POSITIONS THAT REPUBLICANS DID NOT LIKE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
SHE TOOK UNPOPULAR POSITIONS THAT DEMOCRATS DIDN'T LIKE.
SHE SHOWED WHAT STRONG FEMALE LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT.
AND SHE DIDN'T BUCKLE BECAUSE SHE WASN'T SHE DIDN'T SEEK POPULARITY AND TO BE LIKED.
AND SO I ADMIRED THE QUALITIES THAT SUE MCGILLICUDDY GAVE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND I'LL ALWAYS BE IN DEBT FOR HER AND THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED BY WORKING WITH HER.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK LYNN [INAUDIBLE], RICK FOSTER, AND THERE'S MANY OTHERS THAT HAD INFLUENCED ME ALONG THE WAY, WHO I CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO WHAT HAS GONE ON HERE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. THE FINAL ASPECT OF MY ROLE AS CLERK INVOLVED TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND ALL OF THOSE ASPECTS OF GOVERNMENT.
AND I FOUGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR GOVERNMENT THROUGH HOW WE OPERATE OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETINGS, THROUGH OUR MINUTES, THROUGH TOWNSHIP MANAGER, THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION, THROUGH STAFF THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ALL OF US INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY.
AND THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR.
I DIDN'T MAKE FRIENDS SOMETIMES FOR MY PUSHING CERTAIN ISSUES, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOW WE EITHER COMPLY OR DON'T COMPLY.
AND I FELT LIKE I HAD TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT, EVEN IF IT DIDN'T MAKE ME POPULAR AT VARIOUS TIMES. BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THE ROLE TO TRY AND HELP MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN AND RAISE THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF MY CITIZENS AND MY FELLOW ELECTED PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT HAS SERVED IN THE TOWNSHIP.
AND IN CONCLUSION, I WANT TO SAY TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, I WELCOME DEB GUTHRIE AS THE NEW CLERK.
I WISH HER WELL SUCCESS IN HER ROLE.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT SHE WILL LEAD THE OFFICE AND IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND IT'S IN CAPABLE HANDS FOR THE FUTURE.
AND SECONDLY, I WANT TO JUST SAY FROM MY FINAL SUMMARY AND THANKS TO THE CITIZENS AND THANKS TO PEOPLE LIKE NEIL BOWLBY AND LENNY PROVENCHER FOR BEING WHAT I CALL CITIZEN ACTIVISTS AND MANY OTHERS WHO GO WITHOUT MENTION AND MANY OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
[01:10:04]
AS WELL. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT I WORKED WITH, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY. AND I PERSONALLY HAVE LEARNED MUCH.I'VE GROWN AND EVOLVED ON MANY LEVELS, BOTH ON AN INNER LEVEL, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL AND ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.
AND FOR THAT, I WILL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL.
SO WHAT I TELL EVERYBODY WHO TAKES THE SACRED OATH THAT I'VE BEEN GIVING FOR YEARS, I SAY GO FORTH AND DO GOOD.
THANK YOU. THOSE ARE VERY, VERY WELL STATED IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE PROUD OF, [INAUDIBLE] WORKED ON ALL THESE YEARS AND I WITNESSED A LOT OF THAT.
I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I GUESS WE NEED TO VOTE ON THIS DON'T WE.
AND I GET TO DO THIS AMONG MY FINAL VOTES TO BE DOING.
YEAH, WHY DO WE DO THAT CLERK? IT'S JUST A NICE IRONY AND OR WHATEVER.
IT'S GOOD. IT'S A BOOKEND OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CALL IT IN THEATER.
SO I'LL START WITH MYSELF FIRST FOR THIS ONE, CLERK DREYFUS VOTES YES.
HE'S MUTED BUT HIS MOUTH IS SAYING YES.
[LAUGHTER][INAUDIBLE] RESOLUTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO.
NEXT ACTION ITEM IS THE LADDER TRUCK.
AND I THINK THE CHIEF IS STILL ON HERE.
YES. CHIEF, WANT TO TELL US ABOUT THE LADDER TRUCK.
[INAUDIBLE] EXCITED. YES, I AM VERY EXCITED.
THANK YOU, INTO THE FUTURE IN NEED AND NOT ONLY WORKING ON A WAY TO LOOK AT THE PENSION COSTS, BUT STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT WITH LOOKING AT A MILLAGE AND THANK THE RESIDENTS FOR THAT MILLAGE. SO IT'S REALLY NICE WHEN YOUR NEW FIRE CHIEF, YOU'RE TOLD YOU HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND ON A LADDER TRUCK.
IT'S KIND OF EXCITING BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY.
AND IN TWENTY NINETEEN I PUT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER AND THAT WAS WITH CAPTAIN RICHARDSON, CAPTAIN GONZALES, LIEUTENANT DIAZ, LIEUTENANT JOHNSON, FIREFIGHTER LEWIS AND FIREFIGHTER [INAUDIBLE]. AND WE SPENT SOME TIME KIND OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WITH THE CURRENT LADDER THAT WE LIKE AND DISLIKE AND SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT'S OUT THERE NOW AND ALSO THE GROWTH OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IN THAT THIS VEHICLE CAN BE USED KIND OF AS A MULTIFACETED VEHICLE, NOT JUST AS A LADDER TRUCK.
SO IT HAD TO BE A VEHICLE THAT WAS GOING TO BENEFIT US AND AND GIVE US ROOM FOR GROWTH.
SO REALLY, IN THE EARLY 2020, WE REALLY STARTED PUSHING HARD WITH OUR SPECIFICATIONS.
AND PRIOR TO THAT, WITHIN THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR, WE MET WITH FIVE COMPANIES, ROSENBAUER, [INAUDIBLE] PIERCE, BARTON AND E ONE.
AND WE ACTUALLY GOT TO LOOK AT A LOT OF THEIR VEHICLES.
THEY BROUGHT IN SPECIFICATIONS AS WELL AS VEHICLES WE HAD TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT WE LIKED AND WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE.
PROBLEM THINGS THAT COULD BE ON VEHICLES, A LOT OF ELECTRONICS TODAY.
AND IF YOU LOSE ONE PIECE OF ELECTRONICS, YOU LOSE A TRUCK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO ONE OF THE GOALS WAS TO STAY AWAY FROM WHAT WASN'T REQUIRED IN REGARDS TO ELECTRONICS.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY NECESSARILY AS MUCH ABOUT THAT.
SO COVID HIT SLOWED THINGS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, WE DID STILL HAVE SOME MEETINGS, WE STILL WERE DISCUSSING OUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WE DID CHOOSE E ONE, AS THE MANUFACTURER WE WANTED TO UTILIZE AND PART OF THE REASON OF THAT IS THE REPUTATION.
THERE IS SOME VEHICLES OUT THERE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH IF YOU DO SOME [INAUDIBLE] AND SOME OTHER THINGS, AS WELL AS SOME HIGHER SAFETY FACTORS THEY HAVE BUILT INTO THEIR LADDER TRUCKS, SO WE STARTED WORKING WITH THEM.
REALLY? END OF JULY 1ST OF AUGUST, WE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS REALLY STARTED BEATING UP THE SPECIFICATIONS, OF WHAT WE WANTED.
AND BY SEPTEMBER, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.
THEY BUILT THE SPECIFICATIONS IN WRITING.
WE BROKE THEM DOWN, LOOKED AT THEM, FOUND SOME THINGS THAT WERE MISSING AND BASICALLY GOT TO A POINT WHERE NOW WE'RE CLOSE TO BEING READY TO ORDER THE VEHICLE.
THEY'VE HAD A DELAY FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
LAST WEEK WAS BECAUSE OF THE HURRICANE.
THE COMPANY ITSELF IS IN OCALA, FLORIDA, WHERE IT WILL BE BUILT.
SO THEY WERE SHUT DOWN LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF THE MORE TROPICAL STORM THAN A HURRICANE.
[01:15:03]
AND THEN THE WEEK PRIOR TO THAT, THEY HAD SOME COVID ISSUES.SO THE LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE BEEN A KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOW DOWN FOR THEM.
I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO MY CONTACT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WORKING THROUGH SOME LITTLE THINGS, BUT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH THERE TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING GOING AND ORDER, THIS THING. SO AS YOU COULD SEE IN YOUR SPECIFICATIONS THAT I SENT YOU, IT'S AN E ONE TYPHOON HP 78 REAR MOUNT ALUMINUM.
SEVENTY EIGHT FOOT SINGLE AXLE.
SO THE REASON WE WENT TO A SINGLE AXLE OR A DUAL AXLE IS BECAUSE YOU CAN RUN IT JUST LIKE AN ENGINE. SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MULTI PURPOSE.
SO IF WE EVER HAVE AN ENGINE THAT BREAKS DOWN, WE CAN RUN IT AS AN ENGINE AS OUR VEHICLES AGE. IT CAN BE UTILIZED AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
AND WE ADDED SOME COMPARTMENT SPACE SO WE COULD PUT SOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ON IT IN THE FUTURE IF NEEDED. SO THAT WAS REALLY OUR GOAL AS WELL AS TO TRY TO NOT REALLY SPEND THE WHOLE MILLION DOLLARS. I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE WAS I WAS A PART OF A TEAM THAT BOUGHT FOUR ENGINES AND WE USED A COOPERATIVE BID CONTRACT.
WE SAVED QUITE A LOT OF MONEY PER ENGINE.
SO WE DID THE SAME THING HERE AND WHAT WE USED THE SOURCE WELL.
AND BASICALLY, YOU GET A BASE PRICE, YOU BUILD YOUR TRUCK AND THEN THEY GIVE YOU ABOUT A 17 PERCENT DISCOUNT.
SO OUR ORIGINAL BID CAME IN ABOUT ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS AND WE'RE AT ABOUT EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND WITH ALL OUR DISCOUNTS.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S REQUIRED THAT WE'RE GOING TO PURCHASE WITH IT. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO FINALLY BE THERE.
LIKE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE VOTING OF THE RESIDENTS AND ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A VERY EXPENSIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO LAST A LOT OF YEARS AND WORK FOR US THE WAY WE NEED IT TO.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.
FIRST, I WANT TO I WANT TO SAY THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS WE'RE DEALING WITH PURCHASING A LADDER TRUCK GOING BACK TO WHEN WE FIRST APPROACHED THE PUBLIC ABOUT IT. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? YOU GOT A TRUCK WITH A LADDER.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO HERE.
THIS IS MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED.
AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES FROM THE LATE 60S IS IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD. AND [INAUDIBLE] SEE THAT IF ANYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH IT INCLUDES ALL THESE GREAT COMIC STARS OF THE AGES AT THAT TIME UP ON THIS HUGE LADDER.
[INAUDIBLE] TOWN AS THEY'RE BEING THROWN THROUGH WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I'M PICTURING OUR CHIEF HAMEL DOING THAT WITH ALL OF US ONE DAY AFTER WE VOTE, SOMETHING THAT HE DOESN'T LIKE.
BUT ANY OF THAT I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD, GOOD PROPOSAL YOU HAVE HERE.
IT LOOKED AT ALL YOUR WARRANTIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT LOOKED LIKE A LOT OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THIS.
AND AS YOU SAID, IT'S SEVENTY THOUSAND OF THE MILLION DOLLARS YOU WERE ALLOWED.
IS THERE SOMEONE HERE THAT WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION IT'S ON THE BACK OR A PAGE TWO OF YOUR SHEET. AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT I DID FORGET IT'S ABOUT A 12 MONTH BILL. SO ONCE WE OFFICIALLY GET THE PURCHASE ORDER AND FROM THAT DAY FORWARD, IT'S A THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE DAY BILL, SO.
I MOVE TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO SIGN DOCUMENTS APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW E1 LADDER TRUCK IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND THIS IS A VERY EXCITING ADDITION FOR THE TOWNSHIPS, VERY STRONG FIRE SAFETY BRIGADE.
AND I THINK THE VOTERS, AGAIN, FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR BELIEF IN OUR POLICE AND FIRE AND THEIR APPROVAL OF THE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE IN 2017 THAT MADE THIS ALL POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU TO EVERY ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS.
VERY GOOD, ANYONE ELSE? MS. JACKSON. YES, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CHIEF THE REACH OF THE LADDER.
IT'S A SEVENTY EIGHT FOOT, 78 FOOT.
LISTEN, SOMETIMES THE EASY QUESTIONS ARE THE BEST QUESTIONS.
OK, I'M SURE SOMEBODY OUT THERE ABOUT A 90 FOOT [INAUDIBLE] SAYING [INAUDIBLE] OTHER PEOPLE OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE BOARD.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO VOTE THEN.
DREYFUS YOU GET TO DO ANOTHER ONE.
[01:20:02]
YOU REVIEWED IT BUT YOU GET TO DO ANOTHER ONE.LOOKS LIKE IT'S EVEN MORE THAN THAT COMING UP.
CONGRATULATIONS GO PLACE YOUR ORDER CHIEF.
THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] AND THE NEXT ITEM IS THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION REAPPOINTMENT. MS. JACKSON HAS BEEN SERVING ON THAT.
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT HER TERM IS RUNNING OUT THIS MONTH.
AND SHE HAS TOLD ME IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS SHE LIKES THE POSITION.
SHE WANTS TO CONTINUE REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF MERIDIAN ON THE TRI-COUNTY AND ASKED ME TO PUT HER NAME UP FOR REAPPOINTMENT TONIGHT.
CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? COULD BE [INAUDIBLE] TO REAPPOINT.
I DON'T SEE IT IN THE PACKET, BUT I MOVE TO REAPPOINT TRUSTEE JACKSON TO THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A TERM ENDING 11-20 OF 24.
SUPPORT FROM MR. TREASURER DESCHAINE. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION MS. JACKSON DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT? NO.
WELL, ONE THING I HAVE SERVED AT THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVE ON THIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND SO THIS ACTION RARELY RETURNS ME AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO THAT BOARD. AND YOU DO WANT THAT AND YOU DO ENJOY IT.
OK, MR. DESCHAINE. I'D LIKE TO THANK TRUSTEE JACKSON FOR HER SERVICE IN THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING BOARD. IT'S NOT JUST ONE APPOINTMENT.
YOU GET APPOINTED TO THE BOARD AS A REPRESENTATIVE AND THEN YOU ALSO SERVE ON ONE OR MORE SUBCOMMITTEES. IT IS A HUGE TIME COMMITMENT.
AND THIS TOWNSHIP IS VERY WELL SERVED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON'S COMMITMENT TO THE COMMISSION AND BRINGING BACK TO US.
GOOD INFORMATION. TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PLANNING INFRASTRUCTURE THEY HELP US WITH ROADS, WATER, OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
AND SO THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION.
AND I'M THANKFUL FOR TRUSTEE JACKSON'S REPRESENTATION OF THE TOWNSHIP ON THAT COMMISSION AND THEN ALSO THE DRIVER OF REGIONALISM, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
ANYONE ELSE? AND WE NEED A VOTE CLERK YOU GET ANOTHER ONE.
YES. THE REAPPOINTMENT PASSES SEVEN ZERO.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS AND THE FIRST ONE IS AN UPDATE ON THE COVID 19 WORK FROM HOME PROGRAM MANAGER WALSH.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS THANK OUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS PROCESS AND ESPECIALLY OUR DIRECTOR ABBY TITHOF.
SHE'S LEADING THIS AND SHE'S GOT GREAT EXPERIENCE THAT SHE'S HAD WITH HER YEARS OF SERVICE AT THE JUSTICE THE SUPREME COURT DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW THIS ISN'T EASY BECAUSE WE HAVE 13 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO MUST BE HERE EVERY DAY, SOME PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY SHOULD BE HERE EVERY DAY, AND THEN SOME PEOPLE WHO DON'T NEED TO BE HERE EVERY DAY, WHO CAN'T RESPOND TO A HEART ATTACK VICTIM WHEN WE'RE AT HOME, WE CAN'T WRITE THAT BUILDING PERMIT ISSUE AND TAKE THE PAYMENT WHEN WE'RE AT HOME.
SO FINDING A COMMON GROUND IN ALL OF THIS AND MAKING IT SO IT'S AS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.
WE WENT TO A WORK FROM HOME PROGRAM HERE RECENTLY, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN IN MARCH.
DIRECTOR GEBES DESERVES ALL KINDS OF CREDIT IN HIS DEPARTMENT FOR TRYING TO MOLD ALL OF US TOGETHER BECAUSE ALL THE HARDWARE NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.
A STRONG FINANCIAL COMMITMENT WITH THE LAST BOARD MEETING WHERE WE'RE AT IS THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING AT HOME.
WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL HERE SERVING THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THAT WAY FOR, I THINK, QUITE A WHILE.
OUR BUILDING IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THERE'S TWO ISSUES ONES
[01:25:04]
PRESSING RIGHT NOW AND ONE'S GOING TO BE MORE PRESSING HERE IN THE FUTURE.ONE IS HOW DOES SOMEONE GET A PERMIT RIGHT NOW AND MAKE A PAYMENT FOR IT? SO RIGHT NOW, YOU COME TO THE BUILDING, THERE'S A NUMBER TO CALL SIMILAR IF YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE VET, YOU CALL THE NUMBER THEY COME OUT AND SERVE YOU.
AND WE'RE GOING TO SERVE PEOPLE IN THE TOWN HALL ROOM SIMILAR TO HOW WE HAD ELECTIONS CENTRAL IN THERE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IS TAX COLLECTION, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
IT'LL GET REALLY HAPPY IN JANUARY.
IT'S CERTAINLY THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN FEBRUARY.
AND THE TREASURER AN OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND OUR WHOLE TEAM IS WORKING ON THAT.
THEY'LL HAVE A PLAN AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO EVEN THOSE THAT WANT TO COME AND PAY CASH.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DO THAT.
THE TREASURER IS WORKING ON A PLAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT OUT OF RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING HERE AND OUT OF RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC, WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING IN TO THE BUILDING. WE DO HAVE WITHOUT GETTING INTO GREAT DETAIL, WE HAVE SEVERAL POSITIVE TEST AMONGST OUR TEAM RIGHT NOW.
MOST OF THOSE ARE OCCURRING IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT REALLY MAKES SERVING IN THAT CAPACITY VERY DIFFICULT.
ONCE YOU HAVE A POSITIVE TEST, IT COULD PUT A WHOLE SQUAD DOWN IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO BALANCE IN THIS PANDEMIC, BEING ABLE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, BUT YET STILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS.
WE HAVE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN PEOPLE TO CARE FOR, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. DIRECTOR GEBES HIS DEPARTMENT IS GETTING THE HARDWARE HERE TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR PEOPLE TO BE SERVED AT HOME.
AND WE'RE DOING ALL THE THINGS WE CAN DO.
NUMBER ONE, TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND NUMBER TWO, SERVE THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK WE'RE DOING WELL AT BOTH.
BUT EVERY DAY'S AN ADVENTURE IN TRYING TO DO THIS.
I KNOW DIRECTOR TITHOFF IS ON THE CALL AS WELL.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS.
YEAH, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MANAGER ON THIS PROGRAM? WE ALL KNOW THAT MICHIGAN IS IN THE THROES OF GREAT GROWTH IN TERMS OF THE NEGATIVE GROWTH, IN TERMS OF OUTCOME, BUT POSITIVE GROWTH IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF COVID, AND WE HAD TO TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION.
AND I THINK THE MANAGER AND HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS DONE A GOOD JOB IN PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
OK. OUR NEXT ITEM IS WALNUT HILLS UPDATE, AND WOULD THAT BE YOU OR MR. MENSER? WHO WOULD WE BE CALLING ON.
THAT WOULD BE ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALTHOUGH MR. KIESELBACH AND MR. MENSER ARE ON THE ZOOM CALL IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THEM.
BUT SO WE'VE BEEN OBVIOUSLY BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE LISTENING FOR THE FIRST TIME, WALNUT HILLS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND IT'S ONE HUNDRED NINETY ACRE FORMER GOLF SITE FOUR YEARS AGO WAS PURCHASED BY A DEVELOPER FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE STATE.
A LOT OF CONTENTION OVER HOW MANY HOMES COULD BE BUILT.
MEDIATION. WE FIXED THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT CAN BE BUILT.
THE PROPERTY HAS NOT BEING CARED FOR OVER THE LAST TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE RESIDENTS AND TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT.
FAMILY HAS COME ALONG, WHICH IS A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FAMILY, AND HAS SAID THEY WERE GOING TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AND INSTEAD OF BUILDING THREE HUNDRED ELEVEN HOMES, THEY WANT TO BUILD THREE OR FOUR AND HAVE IT BE A FAMILY SITE FOR THEM AND THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY.
THAT AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S THE ISSUES OF DEMOLITION OF THE CLUBHOUSE AND THE CLEANUP OF THE PROPERTY AND ALL OF THAT.
YOU'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH THAT AS A BOARD AND AS A STAFF.
SO ON MONDAY, A WEEK AGO YESTERDAY, THE SALE WAS MEMORIALIZED.
THE FAMILY DID FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEIR PROMISE, THEIR COMMITMENT TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. THEY HAVE THE PROPERTY NOW IN HAND AND THEY ARE BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF CLEANING UP THE PROPERTY.
AND WE ARE MEETING WITH THEM ON THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK IN ZOOM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR THE PROPERTY.
BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.
THE STRATEGY OF THE BOARD AND I WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU.
IT HAVE BEEN VERY EASY AND HAVE BEEN TITILLATING TO GET INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE GOING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEMOLITION WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND TRY TO FORCE THAT TO HAPPEN. INSTEAD, THE TOWNSHIP TOOK THE STANCE OF YOU GO FIGURE IT OUT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO MEDDLE IN THAT.
AND ONCE YOU FIGURE THAT OUT, YOU COME BACK TO US AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
WE DID NOT WANT TO GET MEDDLING INTO THAT SITUATION.
IT WORKED OUT. THE DEAL'S DONE AND THEY'RE MAKING PLANS TO DEMO NOW HERE IN THE VERY NEAR
[01:30:05]
FUTURE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON WALNUT HILLS TONIGHT.BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
OTHER QUESTIONS CONCERNING WALNUT HILLS FOR MR. WALSH, MR. KIESELBACH, MR. MENSER. I DON'T SEE ANY.
SUPERVISOR STYKA NO QUESTIONS.
JUST WANTED TO THANK MANAGER WALSH, PRINCIPAL PLANNER MENSER AND DIRECTOR KIESELBACH ONE MORE TIME FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S WENT INTO THIS, NOT JUST THE SALE AND THE NEW OWNERSHIP INTEREST, BUT AND I WOULD ADD JOE WADE TO THAT LIST AS WELL.
AND CHIEF PAGA AND OUR DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE HAD TO RESPOND TO CALLS ON SITE JUST FOR THE LENGTHY PROCESS FROM EVERYTHING THAT'S TRANSPIRED SINCE IT CEASED BEING A GOLF COURSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ADJACENT AND EVERYONE INVOLVED, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SAD TO SEE MR. SCHAEFER SELL THAT PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS A GOOD DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO WILL ACTUALLY CARE FOR AND STEWARD THE LAND AND TAKE CARE OF THE SITE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO DEMOLITION OCCURRING AND RESOLVING WHAT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR THE PAST TWO TO THREE YEARS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OK, THEN WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO OUR LAST DISCUSSION ITEM, WHICH IS THE GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF OPTING INTO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
AND KIND OF FOR SOME BACKGROUND MATERIALS, I'LL CALL ON MR. MENSER. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
GOOD TO SEE YOU. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS PETER MENSER.
I'M THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO I'M HERE TONIGHT JUST TO SHARE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE TOWNSHIPS MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM. AND THEN THE BOARD IS GOING TO DISCUSS POTENTIALLY CONSIDERING RECREATIONAL.
SO [INAUDIBLE] OUR REWIND, BACK TO TWENTY NINETEEN, THE TOWNSHIP ADOPTED A MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE, I BELIEVE, IN MAY OF 19 AND PROCEEDED TO OPEN AN APPLICATION WINDOW AND ACCEPT APPLICATIONS.
WE RECEIVED A LOT OF APPLICATIONS, EVENTUALLY BOILED DOWN TO FIVE EXCUSE ME, SIX APPLICANTS. WE WENT THROUGH A LONG PROCESS OF NARROWING DOWN AND REVIEWING EVERYBODY.
SO WE GRANTED CONDITIONAL APPROVAL FOR SIX APPLICANTS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN PROCEEDING THROUGH OUR PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE SUBMITTAL OF THE APPLICATION AND A LONG REVIEW PERIOD, BUT ALSO SUBMITTAL FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT
[Additional Item]
APPLICATION GOING [INAUDIBLE] THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD.SO AS OF TODAY, WE HAD SIX APPLICANTS, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO BE RENEWED AFTER ONE YEAR, SO ONE OF THE APPLICANTS, THE APPLICANT FOR AREA SIX, WHICH IS OVER ON HAGADORN ROAD.
THEY DID NOT RENEW. SO THEY DROPPED OUT.
SO WE ARE NOW DOWN TO FIVE REMAINING APPLICANTS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
FOUR OF THOSE HAVE RECEIVED SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL.
THE SITE THAT HASN'T IS OUT ON TOWNER ROAD.
SO EVERYBODY AS OF NOW IS IN THE PROCESS.
YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT WHY THEY MAY HAVE NOT PROCEEDED ANY FURTHER IN THE PROCESS. AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE STAND AS OF TODAY.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I'VE BEEN WORKING ON AREA ONE.
THIS IS THE TOWNER ROAD APPLICANT GETTING THEM TO A PLAN THAT COULD BE SUBMITTED FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT OTHERWISE, ALL THE OTHER APPLICANTS OR ALL THE APPLICANTS, INCLUDING THAT ONE, HAVE RENEWED AND THEY ARE GOOD FOR THE COMING YEAR.
SO FROM HERE, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE REST OF THE BOARD TO DISCUSS WHATEVER YOU MAY ON THIS TOPIC, AND I'M DEFINITELY HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. DESCHAINE. THANK YOU, MR. STYKA. QUITE FRANKLY, I'M TORN ON THIS ISSUE.
ON THE ONE HAND, I'VE BEEN A HUGE PROPONENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. WE SIMPLY NEED NEW BUSINESSES DURING THIS PANDEMIC IN PARTICULAR.
BUT I'M JUST NOT SURE WE NEED THIS TYPE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN MERIDIAN BECAUSE WE'RE DISCUSSING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
SO I CHECKED AND AS PETER SAID, WE'VE ISSUED FOUR SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
BUT TO DATE, A YEAR LATER, SINCE THE LOTTERY IS NONE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
SURE, WE ALL REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE FINISHED OUR WORK ON PRODUCING THOSE TWO MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCES, WE DID DISCUSS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
WE DID IT IN PART BECAUSE WE JUST HAD GONE THROUGH AN EXHAUSTIVE PROCESS OVER A YEAR LONG AND MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS CAME OUT TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES.
[01:35:04]
MANY OF THEM WERE QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT INTRODUCING MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN OUR COMMUNITY.SO AS A RESULT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND PASSING THOSE ORDINANCES BY, AS I RECALL, SPLIT VOTE, THE BOARD VOTED NOT TO PROCEED WITH RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA UNTIL WE HAD AT LEAST A YEAR, PREFERABLY TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THESE SIX MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPERATIONS BEFORE WE ALLOWED ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
OUR CONSENSUS WAS PRETTY CLEAR.
THESE WERE A NEW TYPE OF OPERATION.
THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS YET TO BE ANSWERED.
WE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM WHEN WE HAD SOME REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA BEING OPEN AND OBSERVED BY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BY OUR PLANNING AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS. THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT SO STRONG THAT WE VOTED SEVEN TO ZERO NOT TO PROCEED RECREATIONAL A YEAR AGO.
MANY FELT THAT WE OWED IT TO THE COMMUNITY TO HALT AT THAT POINT, STOP ALLOWING MEDICAL TO GET IN PLACE, OBSERVE THEM BEFORE WE PROCEEDED AND EVEN THEN PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY.
SO TONIGHT WE WERE BACK TO DISCUSSING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
BASED ON WHAT WE WERE TOLD IN THE EARLIER COMMENTS.
NOW IT'S NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO OPERATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ONLY, AND THESE OPERATORS ALSO HAVE TO HAVE RECREATIONAL TO BE VIABLE.
IF THAT'S THE CASE MY QUESTION IS, WHY WASN'T THIS BROUGHT UP A SINGLE TIME IN THE 12 MONTHS WE WERE DELIBERATING MEDICAL MARIJUANA? YOU NOW TELL US WE HAVE TO HAVE MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL TO OPERATE THAT INVALIDATES ESSENTIALLY OUR WHOLE YEAR OF DELIBERATIONS BECAUSE WE WERE DISCUSSING ONE THING AND VERY SPECIFICALLY ONE THING THAT WAS MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
WE DID NOT BRING UP RECREATIONAL.
SO TO BRING IN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA NOW WOULD MEAN WE WOULD NEED TO GO BACK AND RELITIGATE, IF YOU WILL, RE-DISCUSS AN ENTIRE ORDINANCE.
IT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE REALLY SAYING SOMETHING ELSE TO US, WE DON'T WANT TO OPERATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA, REALLY, WE WANT [INAUDIBLE] OUR BOTH.
AND SO WE START OFF WITH THE FIRST ORDINANCE AND THEN COME BACK RIGHT AWAY WITH THE SECOND ORDINANCE. AND OKAY IF YOU NEED BOTH, THEN THAT'S HAD THAT DISCUSSION, BUT ESSENTIALLY THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO ESSENTIALLY DISCARD OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCES AND START OVER FROM SCRATCH.
JUST AS A REMINDER ABOUT THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERN ABOUT THIS, WE RECEIVED OVER ONE HUNDRED LETTERS AND EMAILS OPPOSING MEDICAL MARIJUANA, THE CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT LETTERS FROM FAMILIES WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
THESE LETTERS FAR EXCEEDED THE NUMBER WE RECEIVED IN SUPPORT OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES. WE NONETHELESS, WE MOVED AHEAD WITH A LIMITED ROLL OUT OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA WITH A PROMISE TO BE REALLY CAUTIOUS AND OBSERVANT BEFORE THE NEXT BIG STEP, WHICH WOULD BE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES.
SO AS A RESULT OF THIS, I AM OPPOSED TO LICENSING ANY SORT OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES IN MERIDIAN BEFORE WE HAVE REAL EXPERIENCE OF HOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES ARE OPERATED HERE, WE'VE ALLOWED SIX LICENSEES TO DO THIS.
MY MESSAGE TO ALL THOSE WHO SPOKE EARLIER IS THIS.
PLEASE STAY WITH YOUR ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WITH US.
AFTER YOU HAVE A YEAR OR TWO OF EXPERIENCE IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA, THEN IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO COME BACK TO THIS BOARD.
THEN REQUEST FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO CONSIDER LICENSING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
FOR US TO ALLOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES NOW WOULD BE TO BREAK OUR PROMISE WE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY, OUR PROMISE TO BE CAUTIOUS, TO OBSERVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BEFORE WE DID ANYTHING MORE. WE PROMISE NOT TO PROCEED BEFORE WE CAN EVALUATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE OPERATIONS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
WE NEED TO STAY TRUE TO THAT PROMISE WE MADE TO OUR RESIDENTS TO BE CAUTIOUS AND TO GO FIRST WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER. YES, THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU SUPERVISOR STYKA. I DO WANT TO JUST REMIND THE BOARD THAT THE RECREATIONAL OR ADULT USE MARIJUANA VOTER INITIATED ACT, WHICH WE ALL VOTED ON AND MICHIGAN VOTERS APPROVED IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN IN NOVEMBER, WAS UNIQUE TO OUR CIRCUMSTANCE WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WITH THE ADULT USE, WITH RECREATIONAL, THE ACT PROVIDED THAT WE HAD TO OPT OUT, OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE OPTED IN AT A DATE CERTAIN.
AND WHEN WE OPTED OUT WE WERE APPROACHING THAT DATE AND WE DID NOT HAVE AN ORDINANCE, SO WE WOULD EFFECTIVELY HAVE BEEN OPTED IN WITHOUT THE LOCAL REGULATORY STRUCTURE THAT COMPLEMENTS THE STATE STRUCTURE.
SO MY VOTE ON THAT WAS NOT UNDER THE GUISE THAT I WANTED TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE MEDICAL MARKET WOULD [INAUDIBLE] IT WAS BECAUSE WE LITERALLY HAD NO CHOICE, OPTING IN WITHOUT OUR OWN ORDINANCE WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE WE WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN HAD A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS.
[01:40:04]
EVEN OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA APPLICANTS WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN IF THEY WERE GIVEN THE ABILITY TO OPERATE IN THE RECREATIONAL MARKET OR THE ADULT USE MARKET.SO IT WOULD HAVE COME WITH JUST A SLEW OF LOGISTICAL ISSUES.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAD TO OPT OUT, OTHERWISE WE AUTOMATICALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN OPTED IN.
THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WITH MEDICAL.
WE WERE ABLE TO WAIT IN PERPETUITY.
WE COULD HAVE WAITED THREE DECADES AND AT NO POINT WOULD WE HAVE THEN OPTED IN UNDER STATE LAW. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK OUR TIME WAS LOST IN DRAFTING THAT BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF THE VERY DIFFICULT LEGWORK WAS DONE OVER THE COURSE OF THE 15 TO 16 MONTHS THAT WE CRAFTED THE TWO ORDINANCES, THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND THE REGULATORY ORDINANCE THAT COMPLEMENTS IT.
REALLY THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW THE ONLY FAIR APPROACH WOULD BE TO GIVE THE EXISTING PERMIT HOLDERS IN THE TOWNSHIP THE ABILITY TO DO REC.
OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE CREATING TWO DIFFERENT MARKETPLACES.
THEY'D BE COMPETING AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD ONLY GET RECREATIONAL APPLICATIONS.
AND SO THERE WOULD BE NO MEDICAL MARIJUANA MARKET.
AND THERE IS A UNIQUE SENSE TO THAT MARKET FOR THE CONSUMER, FOR THE CONSUMER THAT HAS A MEDICAL CARD THEY DO GET TO YOU KNOW THEY DON'T PAY THE EXCISE OR THE SYNTAXES, WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT, AND THE ASSOCIATED SALES TAX.
SO THE TAXATION OF THE PRODUCT IS DIFFERENT.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE TWO.
SO REALLY FROM IF WE SIMPLY JUST WANT TO OPT IN.
ALL OUR ATTORNEYS WOULD NEED TO DO IS TAKE THE ORDINANCE, DO A FIND AND REPLACE FUNCTION AND REPLACE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WITH MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY DO IT WITH A FUNCTION PRETTY FLUIDLY.
REALLY, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT'S UNIQUE TO THE ADULT USE MARKET RELATIVE TO THE MEDICAL MARKET IS THERE'S ONE UNIQUE FACILITY TYPE AND THAT'S THE MICRO-GROW FACILITIES.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH TO CONTEMPLATE.
OUR ZONING ORDINANCE AND THE OVERLAY DISTRICTS WITHIN IT I THINK REALLY DID STAND THE TEST OF TIME. WE HAVE CONCERNS FROM THE CHINESE COMMUNITY WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT THE NUMBER OF FACILITY TYPES AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE TAKING THE CUMULATIVE NUMBER OF PERMITS ACROSS GROW FACILITIES, TRANSPORTERS, THE PROCESSING AND THE TESTING FACILITIES AND ADDING UP THE CUMULATIVE PERMITS.
AND, OF COURSE, WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE ACTUALLY DID OCCUR.
AND WE ONLY HAD APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROVISIONING CENTERS.
SO WE ENDED UP WITH SIX FACILITIES, NOT 20 SOME ODD AS SOME WOULD HAVE LIKED THE COMMUNITY TO BELIEVE. BUT WE PUT IT OUT THERE JUST TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INTEREST.
YOU CAN'T WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE OPEN A LOTTERY AND GIVE THE MARKET THE ABILITY TO SHOW INTEREST. BUT FOR THE REASON AND REALLY WHAT WE LEARNED IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HYPOTHESIZING THAT NO ONE'S GOING TO HAVE ANY INTEREST IN DOING A GROW FACILITY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BECAUSE THEY CAN GO TO OTHER LOCATIONS IN MICHIGAN WHERE LAND IS CHEAPER AND IT'S MORE AVAILABLE AND THERE'S MORE LAND WITH AN INDUSTRIAL OR AN AG ZONING WHICH IS REQUIRED UNDER STATE LAW.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE MARKET DOES.
IT GOES TO RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE.
AND WE WERE RIGHT IN THAT WE WOULDN'T GET ANY APPLICATIONS.
THAT SAME MARKET FACTOR IS DRIVING THE FACT THAT WE WON'T HAVE ANY MEDICAL FACILITIES UNTIL ONE OF TWO THINGS OCCUR.
I MEAN, WE WON'T HAVE ANY MEDICAL MARIJUANA OR RECREATIONAL UNTIL WE OPT IN ON REC UNTIL ONE OF TWO THINGS OCCUR.
WE OPT IN AND ALLOW RECREATIONAL IN ADDITION TO MEDICAL FOR OUR PERMIT HOLDERS OR THE RECREATIONAL MARKET FULLY MATURES.
EVERY MONTH, MORE COMMUNITIES ARE OPTING IN.
AND SO THE MARKET'S GOING TO GO TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE MEDICAL AND REC IT'S NOT GOING TO COME TO THE COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS THAT JUST HAVE MEDICAL.
AND THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL ALL OF THE MARKET DEMAND IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT OPT IN HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED, WHICH THAT COULD BE DECADES.
SO REALLY, IN EFFECT, WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IF WE DON'T OPT IN IS WE WOULD BASICALLY BE WE WOULDN'T LITERALLY BE REPEALING OUR MEDICAL ORDINANCE, BUT FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, IT WOULD GO BY THE WAYSIDE UNTIL ALL OF THE RECREATIONAL AND ADULT USE PERMITS ARE KIND OF BOUGHT UP AND INVESTED IN BY THE MARKETPLACE FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
IT'S A VERY INTERESTING MARKET BECAUSE LITERALLY SOME COMMUNITIES ARE OPTING IN EACH MONTH. THERE'S STILL COMMUNITIES THAT AREN'T IN SO THE MARKET CHANGES AND BROADENS EVERY MONTH. SO AND UNTIL THAT STOPS OCCURRING, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO SEE INVESTMENT.
[01:45:06]
SO WE REALLY JUST NEED TO DECIDE IF WE'RE IN MY OPINION, IF WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE PERMIT HOLDERS WHO ARE HERE? AND OPT IN OR IF WE DON'T? AND THEN MY LAST THOUGHT WOULD JUST BE TO LEAVE THE BOARD WITH ONE THOUGHT.WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SIX PERMIT HOLDERS WHO WON ONLY TWO OF THEM OR ONE FOR A PROPERTY THAT HAS AN EXISTING BUILT SITE, SO FOUR OF OUR SIX ARE BUILDING OUT UNDEVELOPED SITES, EVEN LIKE GREEN PEAK IS BUILDING AN UNDEVELOPED SITE.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THE ONE ON HAGADORN IT'S ACTUALLY IN AN OLD INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX BETWEEN NORTHLAND DRIVE AND DAWN AVENUE.
SO IT'S THE ONLY UNDEVELOPED PARCEL OVER THERE.
IT'S SAT THAT WAY FOR MANY DECADES.
LITERALLY NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO IT IF THIS DOESN'T PROCEED.
IT'S LINGERED THERE FOR A REASON DUE TO THE MARKET COMPONENTS.
SO FOUR OF THESE PERMIT HOLDERS HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL COST TO OPEN A STORE AND THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST THAT IN A NEW STOREFRONT, IN A NEW BUILDING IN MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY COULD ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXIST IN THE RECREATIONAL AND MEDICAL MARKET. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO INVEST THAT SAME FINITE AMOUNT OF RESOURCE HERE WHEN THE MARKETPLACE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE IS GOING TO BE 10 PERCENT, 15 PERCENT OF WHAT IT WOULD IN THAT OTHER COMMUNITY, IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO EXPECT SOMEONE TO DO THAT.
IF YOU'RE IN SALES, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO INTO SALES AND TAKE AND ONLY TRY TO SELL TO 15 PERCENT OF THE MARKETPLACE. YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO EXPAND YOUR MARKET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO DID SPEAK, I DO BELIEVE IT GETS IT OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUT OF THE HOMES, AND I BELIEVE IT HELPS ABSOLVE NUISANCE ISSUES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN WE HAVE CAREGIVERS GROWING IN NEIGHBORHOODS CAUSING ISSUES WITH OWNERS AND NEIGHBORS AND WE HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT COMPLAINTS, THOSE JUST DON'T GO AWAY.
THEY'RE AUTHORIZED TO CONTINUE GROWING.
BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY PUT STOREFRONTS AND WE PUT PROVISIONING CENTERS IN AND OPERATING, WHEN CUSTOMERS GO THERE, IT'LL SLOWLY RESOLVE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK THAT'S A BENEFIT TO US ALL AS WELL.
AND I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A LENGTHY PROCESS BECAUSE ONE OF OUR ORDINANCES IS THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO THIS HAS TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOO SEE IF WE ARRIVE AT A CONSENSUS.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT TWO AND A HALF TO THREE MONTHS MINIMUM TO MAKE THAT SMALL ADJUSTMENT IN THE ORDINANCE SO THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE A VAST AMOUNT OF TIME, JUST LIKE IN THE PREVIOUS DRAFTING OF THE MEDICAL ORDINANCE, THEY HAD ABOUT 16 MONTHS TO PROVIDE INPUT AND WE HAD A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD SIT INS AND DUE TO ISSUES UNIQUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE RECEIVED VERY LITTLE RELUCTANCE OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS WHO JUST KIND OF HAPPENED TO TUNE INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS DUE TO OTHER ISSUES THAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE BOARD MEETINGS. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS, I THINK GIVEN THE NATURE OF EVERYTHING AND HOW RECREATIONAL CAME INTO MICHIGAN AT THE VERY SAME TIME THAT WE WERE OPTING IN, IT CREATED A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE.
IF WE HAD DONE OUR ORDINANCE TWO YEARS EARLIER, I THINK THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT BUT WITH WHERE WE ARE TODAY I THINK IT'S TIME TO OPT IN.
FIRST, I ECHO TRUSTEE OPSOMMER COMMENTS, I APPLAUD TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SYNOPSIS OF SOME OF THE ISSUES AND AN OVERVIEW OF WHY WE SHOULD OPT IN TO RECREATIONAL OR ALSO KNOWN AS ADULT USE FOR PROVISIONING CENTERS.
AND HE COVERED A LOT OF KEY POINTS IN A METHODICAL MANNER.
I'D LIKE TO ADD A FEW POINTS TO BUTTRESS AND SUPPORT HIS ARGUMENTS BY ADDING A FEW OTHER COMMENTS INTO THE MIX AS WELL.
SO EVERYTHING HE SAID STANDS ON ITS OWN.
I THINK THAT EVERYTHING HE SAID ARE REALLY STRONG REASONS THAT THIS COMMUNITY, THIS BOARD, SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH OPTING IN.
[9. CLOSED SESSION]
LET ME JUST ADDRESS A COUPLE OF RANDOM THINGS THAT KIND OF ALL FIT AS OTHER PIECES IN THIS PUZZLE. COMMENTS WERE MADE ABOUT THE BLACK MARKET BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE EARLIER. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I ACTUALLY DIFFER FROM THE VIEWS OF SEVERAL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME HERE, PRESENTED IT.I THINK THAT AND THE WAY THEY'RE VIEWING THE BLACK MARKET IS ACTUALLY NOT REALISTIC REAL WORLD VIEW ACTUALLY.
I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE IN THE FIELD AND ACTUALLY I DON'T SEE THE SAME PERSPECTIVE. THE BLACK MARKET EXISTS PRIMARILY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT COST DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN GOING TO A LEGITIMATE LEGAL PROVISIONING CENTER AND NOT GOING TO A LEGAL PROVISIONING CENTER, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, BY AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO SAID
[01:50:01]
THEY CAN ALWAYS GET MARIJUANA IN THE COMMUNITY FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE, THAT HE'S LIVED HERE, WHICH IS DECADES. AND THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP DURING MANY DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST.MARIJUANA, CANNABIS HAS BEEN PREVALENT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR DECADES.
IT'S BEEN IN DIFFERENT CIRCLES AND IN DIFFERENT ACCESS LEVELS.
AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT WANTED ACCESS TO IT COULD ALWAYS GET ACCESS TO IT IF THEY HAD ENOUGH EFFORT TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY COULD GET IT.
THAT MEANS WE DON'T PUT OUR HEADS IN THE SAND AND PRETEND THINGS THAT ARE NOT THE REAL WORLD. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT TO KEEP IN MIND.
A BLACK MARKET WILL ALWAYS EXIST WHEN THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO UTILIZE THE BLACK MARKET.
AND IN THIS CASE, THE REALITY IS THIS A PERSON IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT CANNOT GET MARIJUANA WILL LOOK TO GET IT.
AND IF THEY NEED TO DRIVE 15 MINUTES TO GO TO LANSING, THEY'LL DRIVE 15 MINUTES AND GET IT AT AN ADULT RECREATIONAL USE PLACE AND ADJOURNING COMMUNITY.
SO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IT LOCAL TO MAKE SURE MERIDIAN RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS IN TODAY'S SOCIETY AND WHERE WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY NOT THAT BIG OF A PUSH FOR A CITIZEN TO WANT TO SAY TEN MINUTES TO COME JUST SO THEY CAN DO IT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
YES, OF COURSE, THAT'S NICE TO DO.
AND OF COURSE, JUST ON A BASIC LEVEL, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THAT.
BUT THAT'S REALLY NOT IT'S NO LONGER AN ACCESS ISSUE.
MERIDIAN RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO GET IT CAN GET IT LEGALLY BY GOING TO AN ADJOINING COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WE HAD TREASURER DESCHAINE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ALMOST LOOKED LIKE THE WOOL WAS PULLED OUT UNDER US BECAUSE IT WAS SORT OF DUPLICITOUS THE WAY THIS ALL CAME ABOUT.
AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT A YEAR LATER WE'RE SUDDENLY IN THIS POSITION.
THE REASON THAT WE'RE IN THIS POSITION IS THIS IS A BRAND NEW MARKET.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A NEW MARKET AT ALL SINCE MAYBE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHIP AND THE PERSONAL COMPUTER IN THE EIGHTIES AND USHERING IN THE IT REVOLUTION.
WE HAVEN'T HAD REALLY A NEW MARKET LIKE A CANNABIS MARKET IN EVER REALLY LIKE THIS.
IT'S A NEW PRODUCT, A NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS.
AND AS A RESULT OF A NEW MARKET, IT'S LIKE THE WILD, WILD WEST.
THERE'S EVERYTHING IS MOVING QUICKLY AND MARKET DEMANDS AND MARKET REALITIES SORT OF MANIFEST IN THIS CASE VERY QUICKLY.
AND WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE CAN SEE IN ONE YEAR WHAT HAS REALLY CHANGED IN ONE YEAR. THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED RECREATIONAL OR ADULT USE HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY SPIKE IN CRIME. THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN ANY NOTICEABLE SOCIOLOGICAL PHENOMENOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE A COMMUNITY TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR WELLBEING IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE MALINGERING OR LOITERING, IN TERMS OF YOUNG PEOPLE SUDDENLY HAVING DOPE DEALERS COMING OUT OF ADULT USE DISPENSARY AND TRYING TO PEDDLE IT TO KIDS, ALL THESE SORT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, REALLY, WE CAN SEE NOW, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN A YEAR.
HOLD ON. THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE PRETTY MUCH BETWEEN MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND ADULT USE MARIJUANA. THIS IS THE SHOCKING RECOGNITION.
NOW, WE'VE COME TO REALIZE IN TWELVE MONTHS THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE THEY'RE THE SAME MARKET. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE NOW IS SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE LAW THAT WOULD INCENTIVIZE ONE PARTICULAR GROUP TO WANT TO SAVE A 10 PERCENT EXCISE TAX.
AND ANY AS SOMEONE TOLD ME RECENTLY, YOU WANT TO HEAR THIS IS HOW A MODERN MARIJUANA PERSON THINKS. THEY THINK LIKE A BUSINESS PERSON.
THE PERSON SAID TO ME, I MADE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH MY MARIJUANA USAGE IS IN A YEAR.
THEY SAID, I KNOW I SPEND MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN MARIJUANA.
THEY GO I KNOW THAT. I KNOW I SPEND A HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN MARIJUANA.
SO HE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT MEANS AN EXAMINATION ONLY COSTS LIKE EIGHTY DOLLARS FOR EVERY WHATEVER HE SAID A YEAR, EVERY TWO YEARS, ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS EVERY YEAR OR TWO YEARS, HE SAID THE ECONOMICS SAYS THAT IF I PAY AN EIGHTY OR A HUNDRED DOLLAR FEE AND GET MY MEDICAL MARIJUANA CERTIFICATION, I SAVE 10 PERCENT ON MY WEED COSTS, WHICH MEANS AS LONG AS IT'S MORE THAN THE COST OF AN EXAMINATION FOR THIS PERSON, IT MAKES SENSE. BUT GUESS WHAT? MOST PEOPLE REALLY DON'T THINK LIKE THAT.
THIS GUY IS A REAL BUSINESS PERSON AND HE'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO SAVE MYSELF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR IN EXCISE TAXES.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK LIKE THAT.
AND SO BASICALLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS A LOT OF REGULAR CARD HOLDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA USERS ARE GOING TO SAY, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE DOCTOR AGAIN.
I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY.
PLUS I JUST WANT TO DO IT. YOU KNOW WHAT WHO CARES ABOUT THE 10 PERCENT DIFFERENCE? I'LL JUST DO THAT, TOO.
AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND IS THAT THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN THESE KINDS OF USERS BECAUSE SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA USERS IN THE STATE, WHAT, TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND OR SOME LARGE NUMBER, WE REALIZE THAT CUTS ACROSS LOTS OF DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS.
SO THE CUSTOMERS, THAT ARE GOING TO COME TO OUR PROVISIONING CENTER ARE LIKELY TO BE SOMEONE'S GRANDMOTHER, SOMEONE WHO GOES TO CHURCH, SOMEONE WHO MAY EVEN BE IN A PUBLIC BODY OR COMMISSION ON MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND PEOPLE NOW ACROSS ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT WANTING TO PRIVATELY USE MARIJUANA IN THEIR OWN HOME.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE THESE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN THE WAY THAT WE
[01:55:06]
HAVE BEEN AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, THEY'RE BASICALLY ONE IN THE SAME.WE HAVE TO LOOK STILL AT STEREOTYPES AND IMPLICIT BIAS THAT'S STILL INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY. IMPLICIT BIAS.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? AND WHEN IT COMES TO MARIJUANA, IT'S STILL PRESENT.
THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPLICIT BIAS AND THEY CAN'T RECOGNIZE IT.
IT'S A PART OF THE WAY OF VIEWING THE WORLD.
AND YOU TRY TO PRESENT LOGICAL ARGUMENTS.
BUT WE RUN INTO THIS BLOCK BECAUSE OF FEARS THAT ARE NOT SUBSTANTIATED BY FACTS.
SO REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT PROVISIONING CENTERS, LOOK AT THE ONE THAT'S CLOSEST TO MERIDIAN RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A PROVISIONING CENTER THAT IS WITHIN I THINK WE CAN MEASURED IN FEET, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. I BELIEVE IT'S WITHIN SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND THAT IS CALLED PLEASANTRY ON THE CORNER OF MERRITT AND HASLETT ROAD.
IT'S LITERALLY RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND IT IS A DENTIST'S OFFICE THAT WAS CONVERTED INTO A PROVISIONING CENTER.
WHEN YOU LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE, IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
THEY UPDATED THE OFFICE AND THEY HAVE A SECURITY CHIEF THAT'S OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME AND IT IS NEVER CROWDED.
ONLY A HANDFUL OF CARS, WHENEVER I'VE DRIVEN BY THERE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
IT BLENDS IN PERFECTLY WELL WITH EVERYTHING, AND THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS EXACTLY. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO GET IT THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE MODERN DISPENSARY.
SKYMINT HAS MODERN BUILDINGS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY COULD ALMOST BE DOCTORS OFFICES YOU WANT. THEY HAVE GLASS AND BRASS AND BRIGHT OPEN WINDOWS AND OPENNESS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE ANY MODERN AS MODERN AS YOU CAN GET.
SO THERE'S NOT THIS SEEDY IMAGE OF SOME DARK PLACE THAT'S GOING TO BE SELLING DRUGS TO PEOPLE. THIS IS A MODERN HIGH CAPITAL INVESTMENT BUSINESS.
SO THIS LEADS ME TO THE FINAL CONCLUSION.
THERE'S AN INESCAPABLE CONCLUSION HERE.
ALL THE LEGWORK HAS BEEN DONE FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY THIS COMMUNITY.
WE SPENT SEVERAL YEARS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE.
WE'VE DONE THE HEAVY LIFTING AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER ELOQUENTLY POINTED OUT, IT'S AN EASY TRANSITION TO OPT IN TO RECREATIONAL.
ALL THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN IN PLACE.
WE CAN DO THE TRANSITION AND WE HAVE DONE ALL THE SAFEGUARDS.
WE'VE LISTENED TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS VERY DILIGENTLY AND THEY BOIL DOWN TO ODOR WAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, SAFETY AND SECURITY, MAKING SURE KIDS COULDN'T HAVE ACCESS AND NOT BEING A VISUAL BLIGHT.
THESE WERE ALL AMONG THE TOP LEVEL CONCERNS THAT COULD CAUSE PROPERTY VALUES TO DROP AND ANY OTHER CONCERNS THAT WERE LISTED.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN ADDRESSED WITH OUR WELL THOUGHT OUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE.
AND WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THE MARKETS ARE ABOUT THE SAME NOW, WE CAN NOW EXPAND OUR MINDSET AND REALIZE THAT WE CAN JUST MAKE THAT SMOOTH TRANSITION.
NOW, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES IF THIS BOARD CHOOSES NOT TO DO THIS, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES AND TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED THEM OUT.
AND ACTUALLY, SO DID SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTING IN THE BUSINESS WHEN THEY SPOKE EARLIER THIS EVENING. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THERE'S NO LONGER EARLY ADOPTERS.
THERE ARE SIMPLY MOVERS AND SHAKERS NOW COMING INTO THE THING.
IT'S NOT EARLY ADOPTION, IT'S STRAIGHT UP ADOPTION.
AND IF WE DON'T MOVE ON IT, THEY'LL BE LATE ADOPTION OCCURRING HERE.
AND THE DANGER OF THAT IS THAT LATE ADOPTION MAKES THE EXISTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE INVESTED IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA LOSE THEIR INVESTMENT.
THE REALITY IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA ALONE IS A BAD INVESTMENT.
WE JUST SEE THAT THE MARKET HAS CHANGED.
THEY DIDN'T REALIZE IT. NOBODY KNEW EXACTLY HOW IT WOULD PLAY OUT.
BUT IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY VIABLE TO HAVE A MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITY WHEN YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE ELSE. AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO ELSEWHERE.
THEREFORE, IT'S WE WANT TO PROTECT THESE INVESTORS THAT CAME INTO MERIDIAN.
WE CAN DO THAT BY DOING WHAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, BY CHANGING THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE, BY DOING A FIND AND REPLACE.
PRETTY SIMPLE. FIRST, MAY HAVE TO DO A FEW LITTLE TWEAKS, PROBABLY VERY LITTLE AND THEN HAVE A DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR THE BOARD TO REVIEW, HAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION BEGIN THEIR PROCESS. AND I BET YOU YOU'LL FIND THE COMMUNITY WILL BE IN FAVOR OF IT OVERALL COMMUNITY. OVERALL, WE'LL SUPPORT IT.
IT'S ONLY GROWN IN POPULARITY.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE OPPOSITION.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE OPPOSITION.
WE CANNOT THWART THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS VIEWPOINTS AND DESIRES BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE MINORITY.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE MINORITY.
WE HAVE TO LISTEN AND HOPEFULLY WE COMPROMISE AND WE CRAFT ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS TO BALANCE THE MINORITY INTERESTS.
REMEMBER, I GOT INTO TROUBLE FOR SAYING THE WORD MINORITY MINORITIES, REFERRING TO THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTES IN A COMMUNITY NOT BASED ON ETHNIC OR DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS.
[02:00:02]
IS THIS WHOLE ARGUMENT CAME UP PREVIOUSLY.PLEASE. ANYBODY LISTENING BE CLEAR WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M TALKING ABOUT MINORITY VOTING NOT MINORITY PEOPLE.
SO MINORITY VOTES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE PROTECTED BY THE MAJORITY, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE LISTENED TO AND THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCES.
AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE I THINK THE MAJORITY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ON BOTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ON OUR BOARD BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO BE TRUE.
WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO SAFEGUARDING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAIN CONCERNS ABOUT ODOR SAFETY, CRIME AND VISUAL BLIGHT, ALONG WITH OUR NUISANCE ORDINANCE ARE ALL ENFORCED.
THEY HAVE TEETH. WE CAN KICK PEOPLE OUT, WE CAN TAKE THEIR PERMITS AWAY, AND THEY CAN LOSE THEIR ABILITY TO DO BUSINESS HERE.
WE CAREFULLY THOUGHT IT OUT AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO THIS OTHER NATURAL COMPONENT.
THAT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THING AS WHAT WE'VE DONE ALREADY AND ULTIMATELY WILL PREPARE OURSELVES FOR A GOOD TRANSITION FOR THE FUTURE.
THEY'LL BE GOOD, VIABLE BUSINESSES AND GREAT BUSINESS PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO OFFER SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON THIS AS WELL.
I CAN AGREE WITH WITH SEVERAL COMMENTS AND SUPPORT THAT'S BEEN MADE.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I DO AGREE WITH THE TREASURER DESCHAINE, THAT AND I KNOW WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD RIGHT NOW, GIVEN COVID, GIVEN THE TIMING OF WHEN WE ADOPTED OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA VERSUS WHEN REC WAS APPROVED HERE IN MICHIGAN.
BUT I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND GOING BACK TO PUBLIC HEALTH. AND THERE'S MANY, MANY ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH THAT ARE ARE VERY RELEVANT TO MARIJUANA AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, AND I DO GO BACK TO THAT INITIAL THOUGHT THAT WE AS MERIDIAN OUR PRIME COMMUNITY, WE BELIEVE THAT MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS A NECESSITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND WE FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND PERSONALLY, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SOME OF THAT ASSESSMENT HAPPENING IN THAT ASSURANCE THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS MEDICAL TYPE OF FACILITY, UNDERSTANDING HOW IT DOES AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY IN MULTIPLE ASPECTS, WHETHER IT BE THE RESPECTIVE NEIGHBORS, WHETHER IT BE THE RESPECTIVE RESIDENTS, WHETHER IT BE HOW OUR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WILL, OUR BLACK MARKET AND OR HOW OUR TEENAGERS ARE ACCESSING SOME OF THIS, THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY NOT AS I GUESS LEGAL, BUT I DO GO BACK TO THAT PUBLIC HEALTH PIECE AND I JUST FEEL LIKE WE ARE LACKING DATA AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO OTHER COMMUNITY DATA AND STATEWIDE DATA. WELL, QUITE HONESTLY, WHAT DATA WE HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH TIME TO EVALUATE EFFECTIVELY HOW THIS DOES IMPACT DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
AND I LOOK FOR EXAMPLE, ANOTHER PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN FOR ME IS AND THIS CAN HAPPEN WITH MEDICAL AS FAR AS MUCH AS REC, BUT.
I'VE GOTTEN MULTIPLE CALLS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ON MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND USING SECONDHAND SMOKE, WHETHER IT BE EITHER TOBACCO OR MARIJUANA AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OTHER FOLKS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE JUST DON'T KNOW YET.
AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT WITH VERY INTENTIONAL AND METHODICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DATA AS OPPOSED TO ASSUMPTIONS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING SO WELL.
I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO SUPPORT MAKING THOSE GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS.
IN LOOKING ECONOMICALLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST THIS EXCISE TAX THAT IS WHAT YOU KNOW IS THE DETERRENT FOR USING MEDICAL VERSUS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
THERE'S OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE UNDER A LICENSE AN UNDER A DOCTOR'S
[02:05:06]
SUPERVISION TO USE A MEDICAL, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WHATEVER DRUG OF NEEDED.IF WE'RE NOT BEING MEDICALLY MONITORED OR FOR THAT, HOW DO WE KNOW HOW THAT IS AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT CONCERNS ME THAT IF THAT'S ONE OF OUR SUPPORTING COMMENTS IS THAT WELL IT'S EASIER TO GET RECREATIONAL, SO IT MIGHT AS WELL JUST LET OUR RESIDENTS THAT NEED MEDICAL MARIJUANA JUST HAVE ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL WELL THEN, THEY'RE NOT BEING MONITORED MEDICALLY. AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SUPPORT.
AND THAT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY USING MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR A MEDICINE, YET THEY'RE NOT BEING SUPERVISED BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. SO I GO BACK TO AGAIN, I KNOW THERE'S A TIMING ISSUE HERE, BUT WE I WAS COMFORTABLE AND THERE WAS KNOW, I THINK WE SAID IT, MANY DIFFERENT APPLICANTS THAT WERE APPLYING TO OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM.
WE ACCEPTED SIX OF THEM WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THIS COMMUNITY AND THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THIS PARTICULAR ECONOMIC COMPANY, IF YOU WILL.
AND I WANT TO I REALLY IF THAT'S THE FACT AND THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THAT AND THEY WERE READY TO DO THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY WERE READY TO INVEST.
AND I WANT TO SEE THAT COMMITMENT.
AND, IN FACT, TO GAIN THAT TRUST OF OUR COMMUNITY, GAIN THAT TRUST OF THE BOARD.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE AND THEY REALLY ARE COMMITTED ONE MORE YEAR OR BUILDING AND DEVELOPING, KNOWING THAT I THINK WE USE THE WORD INCEPTION OR INDICATION THAT THIS BOARD IS WILLING TO CONSIDER IT LONG TERM, I THINK THAT THAT'S I MEAN, I'M LOOKING FOR AN INVESTMENT, I'M LOOKING FOR A COMMITMENT, AND I'M CERTAINLY LOOKING FOR THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BEFORE I CAN FULLY SUPPORT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
AND JUST TO REITERATE, I AM NOT OPPOSED TO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA USE AT ALL.
I JUST FEEL THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL.
IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT IS MOVING VERY, VERY FAST, LIKE THE WILD, WILD WEST IN A COMMUNITY, WE CAN DO THIS.
WE CAN STILL BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE CAN BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IF WE DO THIS INTENTIONALLY AND WE USE SOME SCIENCE AND SOME EFFICACY, IT'S KIND OF WHERE I STAND.
BUT MY THOUGHT IS LET'S NOT RUSH.
LET'S DO THIS AND DO THIS RIGHT.
KNOWING THAT THERE IS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ELSEWHERE, IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
LET'S BE HONEST. MARIJUANA IS HERE TO STAY.
SO. I KNOW WHERE I STAND RIGHT NOW.
OK, IS IT A HAND MS. JACKSON GO AHEAD. YES, IT IS.
AT THIS POINT, AND AFTER ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF A CONSIDERATION AND RECONSIDERATION OF INCLUDING THE USE AND THE SALE OF RECREATIONAL OR ADULT USE MARIJUANA IN THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE ALREADY BUILT FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND SO I PROPOSE THAT WE ACTUALLY DO TAKE ON LOOKING AT ADDING PERMISSION FOR THAT, THOSE STRUCTURES THAT WE'VE ALREADY SET UP.
AND PROVE TO CONSIDER HOW WE CAN ALLOW THEM ALSO TO MOVE INTO THE OTHER MARKET.
I THINK THAT IF AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN, THAT WE CAN COME TO A REASONABLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE SOLUTION TO THIS QUESTION AND THIS PROBLEM, THIS MARKET PROBLEM THAT THIS INDUSTRY IS HAVING UNDER OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA ONLY CONDITIONS.
AND SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF CONSIDERING ADDING THAT.
THAT PARTICULAR MARKET TO THE MARKET THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORKS AND THE LIMITS AND REGULATIONS AND STRUCTURE THAT WE SET IN PLACE.
[02:10:06]
I'M GOING TO MAKE MY COMMENTS NEXT.FIRST, I WANT TO MENTION THAT MY VOTE TO OPT OUT WAS BASED ON OR SOME EXPERIENCE WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA. IT WASN'T JUST BECAUSE WE HAD A DEADLINE FACING US.
THAT WAS PART OF IT. BUT I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY, IN TERMS OF OUR GOVERNMENTAL WHAT EFFECTS WOULD IT HAVE ONCE WE HAD AN OPERATING MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY? I SINCERELY WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD IN A SMART WAY WITH REGARD TO RECREATIONAL.
SO I AGREE WITH AND BASICALLY THE THINGS THAT BOTH TREASURER DESCHAINE AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI HAVE SAID THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONTEMPLATE RATHER THAN JUST SUDDENLY MAKING THE CURRENT RECREATIONAL LICENSES OR POTENTIAL LICENSES.
ALSO RECREATIONAL OR INSTEAD RECREATIONAL IS THE NUMBER, RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE DEBATED LONG AND HARD FOR A LONG TIME, A NUMBER.
AND PART OF THAT NUMBER OF SIX AND LOCATIONS WAS BASED ON CONVENIENCE BECAUSE OF PEOPLE'S MEDICAL NEEDS, NOT FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE NEW NEED TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AGAIN.
DO CAREGIVERS GO AWAY, THERE'S BEEN SOME IMPLICATION IN THAT MAYBE IS THAT WHO THE BLACK MARKET REALLY IS, IS CAREGIVERS UNDERSELLING THE STORES IS THE IDEA THAT WE'LL GET RID OF CAREGIVERS AND MAKE PEOPLE COME TO OUR STORES? I DON'T KNOW. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING WE NEED EVIDENCE ON.
CLERK DREYFUS SAID IT ISN'T THAT IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF ACCESS, BUT IF IT'S NOT AN ISSUE, THEN WHY ARE WE SO WORRIED ABOUT HAVING IT RIGHT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH REGARD TO MEDICAL, BUT RECREATIONAL IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. HAVE THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD BEEN RESOLVED BY THE ORDINANCE YOU KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED BY THE PRIOR SPEAKERS, THAT THERE IS ALL THESE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN TERMS OF ODORS, SAFETY, ET CETERA, AND THAT WE CAREFULLY CAME UP WITH AN ORDINANCE THAT RESOLVED THOSE FOR MEDICAL.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT. WE THINK WE DID.
WE'VE GOT A PROPOSAL THAT WE HOPE RESOLVES ALL THOSE POTENTIAL ISSUES, BUT WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT. WE'VE NEVER HAD A LICENSEE ACTUALLY OPEN UP A FACILITY, [INAUDIBLE] WHETHER OUR ORDINANCE DOES, IN FACT, TAKE AWAY ALL THOSE CONCERNS THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE WITH REGARD TO OPERATING MARIJUANA BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY'RE MEDICAL OR RECREATIONAL. JUST A LOT OF UNANSWERED THINGS THAT [INAUDIBLE] EXPERIENCE OF MEDICAL FOR A WHILE. I'M NOT AGAINST EVENTUALLY HAVING RECREATIONAL, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH MEDICAL. AND WE ORIGINALLY CONTEMPLATED WHEN WE ADOPTED OUR ORDINANCES BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD THE NEXT STEP.
AND I'M SURE WE CAN HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A CONSENSUS BECAUSE AT BEST THERE'S THREE TO THREE HERE.
MR. OPSOMMER, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA. JUST SOME OTHER THOUGHTS THAT I THINK ARE HELPFUL FOR OUR DISCUSSION. I DON'T THINK MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN ONE OF THE PROVISIONING CENTERS, WHICH ARE THE FACILITIES THAT WERE SET UP UNDER LARA'S FRAMEWORK AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S REFORMS TO THE ORIGINAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACT IN 2008.
BUT CLERK DREYFUS ALLUDED TO IT.
THERE IS A SKYMINT THAT IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THE ONE AT SKYMINT PROPOSED HERE, AND WE APPROVED THE SITE PLAN FOR IT IN THEIR SPECIAL USE PERMIT, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. SO THERE'S AN IDENTICAL FACILITY IN [INAUDIBLE] OR IN COOLIDGE, SO YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE WHAT THAT FACILITY WOULD ENTAIL.
SO WE DO HAVE LOCAL EXAMPLES WHERE WE CAN EXPERIENCE IT FOR OURSELVES AND LOOK AT WHAT THE PRODUCT WILL BE, EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T OPENED HERE JUST YET.
BUT IT'S LITERALLY THE SAME COMPANY AND EVEN THE SAME BUILDING TYPE AND DESIGN AS ALL OF THEIR FACILITIES ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE COMPARE THIS TO OTHER INDUSTRIES BECAUSE IT'S UNLIKE ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO SEPARATE MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL.
BUT WHEN YOU GO TO A RITE AID, THEY DON'T EXIST STRICTLY ON PRESCRIPTIONS AND SELLING PRESCRIPTIONS. THEY ALSO SELL SYNTAX COMMODITIES LIKE TOBACCO AND CIGARETTES.
[02:15:02]
AND THIS IS A NEW INDUSTRY THAT'S JUST GROWING AND EVOLVING.SO THIS IDEA THAT PERHAPS SOME FACILITY SHOULD BE MEDICAL AND SOME SHOULD BE MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL AND BASICALLY THEN YOU'RE JUST REDUCING THE FACILITY TYPES AND GOING TO CAUSE SOME OF THE PERMIT HOLDERS TO GO UNDERWATER OR NEVER BUILD OUT AND SOME TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT IF YOU TRY TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO, THERE'S NO STOREFRONT OR RETAIL OUTLET THAT EXISTS ON LIKE ONE SOLE COMMODITY ANYWHERE.
THIS INDUSTRY IS UNIQUE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PROHIBITION OF CANNABIS PRODUCT FOR SO LONG IN PERPETUITY AND NOW WE'RE ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST TRYING TO BRING IT OUT INTO THE LIGHT.
AND SO IT'S UNIQUE IN THAT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO SELL ESSENTIALLY ONE COMMODITY, EITHER UNDER A MEDICAL LICENSE OR UNDER ADULT USE RECREATIONAL.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO OPERATE UNDER.
AND THERE'S PENT UP MARKET DEMAND.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY BEING ASKED TO DO SOMETHING THAT NO OTHER BUSINESS IS ASKED OF.
NO ONE'S RESTRICTING RIGHT AID'S ABILITY TO SELL OTHER COMMODITIES, EVEN COMMODITIES THAT RUN COUNTER TO THE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS.
ONE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPTH, WE OPTED IN SO LATE THAT OUR LOTTERY WAS ONE YEAR AGO ON SEPTEMBER TWENTY THIRD. AND LARA UNVEILED THE RECREATIONAL REGULATORY STRUCTURE IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, SO WE LITERALLY HAD JUST FINALLY APPROVED AND ONE OF OUR LOTTERY WINNERS DIDN'T EVEN GET APPROVED AND HAVE THEIR BALL DRAWN UNTIL OCTOBER.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE SIX LOTTERIES WAS DELAYED.
SO LITERALLY, OUR APPLICANTS WERE APPROVED LIKE A MONTH BEFORE THE RECREATIONAL MARKET WAS UNVEILED IN MICHIGAN AND STARTED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OUR TIMELINE.
IT'S BASED ON WHEN WE STARTED AND WHEN WE FINALLY COMPLETED OUR ORDINANCE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT HAS REALLY LED TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE HERE.
IF WE OPTED IN TWO YEARS EARLIER, WE'D BE UNDER A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES BASED ON THE LOGISTICS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALSO DID HAVE COVID OCCUR RIGHT AFTER THAT.
BUT EVEN FROM THE POINT THAT THESE PERMIT HOLDERS WON THE LOTTERY, THEY HAD TO START APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO THE EARLIEST THEY EVER WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND COULD HAVE STARTED BREAKING GROUND WAS IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR WHEN COVID WAS HERE AND WHEN RECREATIONAL HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE AND BEGUN IN MICHIGAN.
SO OUR TIMELINE COINCIDED DIRECTLY WITH RECREATIONAL UNVEILING.
AND I JUST I DON'T SEE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MEDICAL ACCESS HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP OCCUR IF IT DOESN'T COINCIDE WITH RECREATIONAL FOR THE SAME MARKET DEMANDS THAT RITE AID AND WALGREENS HAVE TO SELL OTHER COMMODITIES TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AS WELL, OR THE [INAUDIBLE] PHARMACY, ET CETERA, CAN GO ON DOWN THE LIST.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF STORIES OUT THERE ALONG THESE LINES, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO THE LICENSE PROVISIONING CENTERS TODAY ARE GOING THERE MANY OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW THE POTENCY OF THE PRODUCT THAT THEY'RE BUYING AND CONSUMING, AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME HOME VENDORS THAT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO REALLY TEST THE POTENCY, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE LIKE TRYING TO FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.
THEY GO AND THEY PAY THE MARKED UP PRICE BECAUSE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE BUYING.
SO WHETHER IT'S AN EDIBLE PRODUCT, SMOKABLE PRODUCT, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THESE MARKETPLACES, THE LEGAL, LICENSED AND REGULATED, THESE ARE JUST LIKE PIZZA HOUSE HAS INSPECTIONS.
LARA COMES IN AND INSPECTS THESE FACILITIES AND THEY'RE THE ONLY PLACE THAT YOU CAN GET GUMMIES AND OTHER EDIBLES.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH NATURE, WE'RE REALLY PUSHING PEOPLE TO SMOKEABLE PRODUCTS IF WE DON'T ALLOW THESE FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE ALSO INCREASING ACCESS TO A SAFER PRODUCT IN TERMS OF THE CONSUMPTION, BUT ALSO THE POTENCY. AND THERE'S EVEN STORIES OF PRODUCTS BEING LACED WITH OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT MARIJUANA AT ALL.
WHEN YOU'RE IN THE BLACK MARKET, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING.
AND SO I DO THINK THERE'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CASE TO MAKE YOU KNOW THE DATA, YOU KNOW, PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH LITERATURE OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO BE QUITE SOME TIME BECAUSE IT'S A NEW MARKETPLACE AND BECAUSE IT'S GROWING SO SLOWLY AND IT'S GROWING SO SLOWLY BECAUSE WE PUT
[02:20:01]
VERY ONEROUS STIPULATIONS ON THE MARKET AND RIGHTFULLY SO.IT'S A NEW INDUSTRY. AND SO THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF LOCAL CONTROL.
AND WE TOOK 16 MONTHS TO EXERCISE THAT AND LEVERAGE THAT LOCAL CONTROL EVERY WHICH WAY WE COULD. I THINK IT WAS LIKE TRAVERSE CITY THAT HAD 80 SOME APPLICATIONS.
AND HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT MANY APPLICATIONS BECAUSE WE HAD A VERY THOROUGH ORDINANCE THAT VETTED OUT A LOT OF THAT.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH, I BELIEVE, TWENTY ONE THAT WERE ELIGIBLE, TWENTY OR TWENTY ONE.
SO REALLY WE HAD LIKE A FIFTH OF WHAT MOST COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCED, GRAND RAPIDS, EVEN WHEN YOU BREAK IT OUT PER CAPITA HAD WAY MORE APPLICATIONS THAN WE DID.
SO I DO THINK OUR ORDINANCE IS ABOVE WHAT MOST COMMUNITIES HAVE BECAUSE WE TOOK THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE PEER REVIEWED LITERATURE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH EFFECTS. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE DEFINITIVE, ABSOLUTE PROS TO OPTING IN ACCESS TO EDIBLE PRODUCTS VERSUS SMOKABLE PRODUCTS AND THE CONSISTENCY OF THE PRODUCT THAT'S BEING CONSUMED AND ENSURING IT'S SAFE.
BECAUSE THERE ARE EXAMPLES OUT THERE WHERE PEOPLE ARE PURCHASING AND CONSUMING PRODUCTS ON PRIVATE SALES THAT ARE NOT WHAT THEY ARE ASSERTED TO BE.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS A TANGIBLE BENEFIT OR WE JUST DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW, ACROSS ALL OF THE VARIABLES.
AND WE PROBABLY WON'T KNOW THAT FOR ANOTHER DECADE FOR THE PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH TO REALLY COME IN. BUT OBVIOUSLY.
IT BEHOOVES THOSE WHO DO NEED IT FOR THE MEDICAL PURPOSE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFER ONES AND MANY WHO ARE OBTAINING IT FOR A TRUE MEDICAL USE DO NOT OR CANNOT USE A SMOKABLE PRODUCT.
SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME THOUGHTS THAT I WANTED TO LEAVE US WITH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE TIME CONSTRAINT OF WHEN WE HELD OUR LOTTERY AND WHEN REC STARTED, JUST HOW SIMULTANEOUS THOSE TWO THINGS WERE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE THE CLERK'S CANDOR ABOUT ACCESS BECAUSE OF THE MERRITT ROAD FACILITY A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT CAN GET RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA NOW QUICKER THAN THEY CAN GET A LOU AND HARRY'S [INAUDIBLE].
THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT TO HAVE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
I AM NOT OPPOSED TO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
I THINK THE VOTERS SPOKE AND THE STATE LAW IS CLEAR.
SO IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF BEING FORWARD OR AGAINST IT.
THAT'S A MUTE ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS, ARE THESE THE KIND OF FACILITIES WE WANT TO HAVE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? THERE'S LOTS OF FACILITIES WE DON'T HAVE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PURPOSEFULLY. AND IT'S PART OF OUR PRIME COMMUNITY THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, FAMILY BASED COMMUNITY. THAT IS WHY WE'RE RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL ABOUT OUR PLANNING AND VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ZONING.
AS FOR THIS BEING A NEW MARKET COMPARABLE TO THE PC, LIFE CHANGING REVOLUTIONARY, FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THE WORLD, REMEMBER THE MICHIGAN LOTTERY BEING KICKED OFF IN THE 70S AND THEN THE CASINOS IN THE 80S, THAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.
SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO BE SWIMMING IN MONEY.
WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH MONEY FOR SCHOOLS.
STATE TAXES WERE HEADING SOUTH.
THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE WINDFALL UPON WINDFALL.
WELL, TALK TO A TEACHER TODAY TO SEE HOW THAT TURNED OUT.
OK, DIDN'T TURN OUT AS WELL AT ALL.
INSTEAD, YOU SEE BILLBOARDS ALONG I96 SAYING GAMBLING PROBLEM DIAL THIS NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S BECOME A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T THINK THAT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WILL IN TURN BECOME A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, YOU'RE DECEIVING YOURSELF DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GOOD OR BAD.
IT JUST MEANS THAT NEW OPPORTUNITIES ALSO MEAN NEW PROBLEMS. AND FOR THOSE THAT SPEAK UP OF THE REVENUE, WE'RE TURNING DOWN AT FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, A LICENSE WE AREN'T EVEN CLOSE TO BREAKING EVEN IF IT JUST INVOLVED THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T BE BREAKING EVEN NOW YOU ADD THE POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, THE INSPECTIONS, THESE FACILITIES WILL LIKELY COST US TWENTY FIVE TO FIFTY THOUSAND A YEAR TO MONITOR AND DO THE KIND OF DUE DILIGENCE WE ARE PROMISING TO THE VOTERS TO DO.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY MONEY.
WE'RE GOING TO LOSE MONEY ON THESE FACILITIES.
A LOT OF MONEY. THE QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH ARE WE GOING TO LOSE? BUT THESE PANACEAS OF NEW TECHNOLOGY OR NEW PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE SOCIETY. YOU'VE HEARD THEM BEFORE AND THEY'VE NEVER TURNED OUT LIKE THEY PROMISED TO BE S O DON'T BE TAKEN IN BY THESE PROMISES OF THIS REVOLUTIONARY MEDICAL OR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, ARE GOING TO CHANGE SOCIETY AND GIVE US ALL THIS REVENUE AND ALL THIS NIRVANA AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS ALLOWED OUR RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO IT ALONG THE MERRITT ROAD. AND THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT TO HAVE MORE ACCESS WITHIN THE CITY AND TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES? AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
BUT ACCESS IS NO LONGER THE ISSUE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CLERK [INAUDIBLE] TO THAT.
[02:25:12]
THANK YOU.SO A NUMBER OF COMMENTS WERE MADE.
I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT ONES AGAIN, I THINK TRUSTEE OPSOMMER HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND COVERED FROM ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW, LOOKING AT USAGE PATTERNS AND LOOKING AGAIN AT THE TYPES OF DISPENSARIES THAT EXIST AND ENCOURAGING MEMBERS TO THIS BOARD TO ACTUALLY GO AND LOOK AT THESE OTHER PROVISIONING CENTERS.
IT'S LEGAL. YOU CAN WALK IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT SKYMINT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE TYPE OF FACILITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
SO I WANT TO KIND OF COMMENT ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL COMMENTS MADE BY BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT CONCERN ABOUT THE CURRENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA APPLICANTS AND THEIR SUPPOSED COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THEY TOOK A SACRED VOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THIS PROCESS AND THAT THEY'RE LETTING US DOWN AND THAT THERE'S REALLY SOME HEAVY SORT OF CONDEMNATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ABANDON WHAT THEIR AGREEMENT WAS.
YOU KNOW WHAT IF WE TOOK THAT APPROACH WITH DEVELOPERS, OH, MY GOD, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE CHANGED KEY ELEMENTS THAT WE SPENT MONTHS DISCUSSING DEVELOPMENTS AND THEN WE MADE BIG CHANGES AFTER WE APPROVED THE DEVELOPMENT? I'M GOING TO GIVE EXAMPLES.
FOR EXAMPLE, [INAUDIBLE], FORSBERG AND THE ELEVATION AT JOLLY AND CEDAR AND WILL RANDALL IN THE DOWNTOWN FOUR CORNERS OKEMOS.
WE HAD LONG PROCESS OF TRYING TO EVALUATE THE BIG CHANGES AND THE IMPACT THAT THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND SUPPOSEDLY MULTIPLE MIXED USE WITH LOTS OF OF AMENITIES AND LOTS OF COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND IN REALITY, THEY'VE HAD TO COME BACK TO US AND DO MAJOR CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT, PRIMARILY ALWAYS INCREASING THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT AND REDUCING DRAMATICALLY THE RETAIL COMPONENT.
THOSE WERE BIG CHANGES IN A MIXED USE PROJECT.
AND WE MADE THOSE CHANGES AND WE TOLD THE DEVELOPERS, THE BOARD BY MAJORITY ALWAYS SAID TO THE DEVELOPERS, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS, BECAUSE YOU TOLD US THAT THE MARKET'S CHANGING.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE CAUSING US TO FAIL IN THIS ENTIRE BUSINESS AND EVERYTHING WE INVESTED.
SO THE DEVELOPERS TURNED IT AROUND AND SAID, YOU OWE US THE COMMITMENT OF THE MONEY WE PUT FORWARD. AND I CHASTISED PUBLIC BODIES BEFORE FOR BEING SORT OF BULLIED INTO DEVELOPERS, MAKING SHAMING AND GUILTY PUBLIC BODIES FOR NOT WILLING TO SAY, HEY, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THESE CHANGES.
YOU KNOW WHAT? EVERY SINGLE TIME THIS BOARD HAS ACCEPTED THE CHANGES THAT THE DEVELOPERS HAVE DONE AND THEY WERE BIG CHANGES.
IT IS THE SAME THING IN THE COURSE OF ONE YEAR, INCLUDING A PANDEMIC.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE THROWING THE EXISTING LOTTERY HOLDERS UNDER THE BUS BECAUSE THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING THE MARKET'S CHANGED.
AND JUST LIKE WE NEED MORE APARTMENTS AND [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTIAL BELOW, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL WANT RESIDENTIAL, IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING WITH THIS.
WE BASICALLY HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MEDICAL CARDHOLDERS THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES.
AND IT'S BEING IMPOSING AND FOOLISH TO LEGISLATE THAT INTO A MARKET THAT THE MARKET IS SAYING DOES NOT EXIST.
THAT'S WHAT THE DEVELOPERS TELL US AND WE AGREE WITH THEM.
SO WHY ARE WE NOT AGREEING WITH THIS? BECAUSE OF IMPLICIT BIAS ABOUT THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND THE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS THAT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA PRESENTS.
AND AGAIN, I SUBMIT TO YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK DEEP INSIDE YOUR OWN IMPLICIT BIAS BECAUSE THE ACTUAL MARIJUANA CUSTOMERS YOU'RE AFRAID OF DON'T EXIST.
THESE ARE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY CAN BE THE FACE OF AN AVERAGE MARIJUANA CUSTOMER.
AND ANY BUILDING THAT'S PLACED THAT WE HAVE VETTED CAREFULLY WILL NOT HAVE ODOR ISSUES IS GOING TO LOOK ATTRACTIVE.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THERE'S NO REASON TO SAY NO EXCEPT FOR BIAS ABOUT MARIJUANA AND CANNABIS AS A PRODUCT TO BE USED AND WHEN A TRUSTEE SAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT OPPOSED TO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, THAT ARGUMENT DOESN'T HOLD UP BECAUSE THE STATEMENTS SOUND LIKE THEY'RE ANTI RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BECAUSE THEY STILL ARE UNCONVINCED OF THE HEALTH IMPACT, IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND OTHER CONCERNS THAT THEY LISTED.
AND GUESS WHAT? THE VOTERS ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS BY OVER 60 PERCENT.
THEY SAID WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS.
WE'RE READY TO EMBRACE AND LEGALIZE MARIJUANA USE AMONG ADULTS.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED.
I'M SURE THE NUMBER NOW IS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN 60 PERCENT IF YOU POLL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS.
SO BASICALLY, IF WE LOOK AT IT, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED BY ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, WELL, IF ACCESS IS JUST NOT THE ISSUE, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN NEED THEM HERE? BECAUSE WHY DO WE NEED ANY OTHER BUSINESS?
[02:30:01]
WHY DO WE NEED MORE APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? BECAUSE DEVELOPERS COME TO US AND SAY, I CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROFIT BY DOING THIS.AND WE SAY THAT'S A COMMUNITY GOOD.
IF THE DEVELOPER CAN DO IT AND DO IT WITH MAKE MORE MONEY AND PROVIDE MORE SERVICES, THE MARKET WANTS IT. THAT'S GOOD.
SO THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WITH THIS.
THE MARKET SAYS WE WANT TO DEVELOP BUSINESS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
WE THINK IT'S LUCRATIVE AND WE WANT TO PUT IN A QUALITY BUSINESS.
WE WANT TO HIRE PEOPLE AND WE WANT TO PAY TAXES.
AND WE WANT TO DO LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS DOES.
BUT THIS BOARD, UNFORTUNATELY, IS CREATING ARBITRARY DISTINCTIONS THAT WE SEE NOW DON'T REALLY EXIST. THESE ARE IMAGINARY CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED HERE.
THESE ARE NOT REAL LEGITIMATE CONCERNS.
ALL THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED IN OUR EXISTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, WE SIMPLY HAVE TO BE WILLING TO JUST SAY THE MARKETS CHANGED, A CUSTOMER IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE SAME.
THE STORES ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT THE SAME.
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE THE SAME.
IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE SAYING IT'S NOT A MEDICAL CONDITION.
ANYBODY CAN DO IT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT SOME BOARD MEMBERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH.
IT'S THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIAL RECOGNITION THAT IT'S A FREELY ACCESSIBLE SUBSTANCE LIKE ALCOHOL WITH TOBACCO.
AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT ALMOST AS READILY AVAILABLE AS THESE OTHER PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY PROVEN MARIJUANA TO BE LESS HARMFUL THAN THOSE TWO MENTIONED SUBSTANCES, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND EVEN PHARMACEUTICALS.
SO WE'RE BACK TO THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN REALITY.
AND THIS BOARD HAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE SOME.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT IT DOES AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT HELPS STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. IT BUILDS IN A NEW COMPONENT THAT'S VIBRANT AND THAT'S GOING TO BE HERE.
AND THAT'S STRONGER THAN THE MERIDIAN MALL AND SO WE HAVE A MALL THAT'S IN CRISIS AND WE HAVE BUSINESSES KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR SAYING WE WANT TO INVEST MONEY IN YOUR COMMUNITY, STOP MAKING IT HARD FOR US TO INVEST MONEY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
THEN WE HAVE A MALL THAT'S STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE.
WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THE DAO, THE FLOW, THE COSMIC FLOW.
AND YES, IT'S NOT A PANACEA FOR EVERYTHING, BUT IT SHOWS THAT IT'S A PART OF OUR ECONOMY THAT CAN BE VIBRANT AND IT CAN HELP SUSTAIN IT.
AND I MUST DISAGREE WITH TREASURER DESCHAINE ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ABOUT THE LOTTERY.
THE FACT IS THE MICHIGAN LOTTERY HAS PRODUCED BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE FOR THE SCHOOLS. AND IN FACT, WITHOUT THE LOTTERY, TAXES AND PROPERTY TAXES WOULD HAVE GONE UP AROUND THE STATE IF NOT FOR THE MICHIGAN LOTTERY AND EXCISE TAXES ALSO THAT ARE PLACED ON CASINOS.
SO THE REALITY IS THAT THE LOTTERY PROGRAM IS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS AND HAS HELPED TO ACTUALLY KEEP OUR SCHOOLS AFLOAT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND IT'S BEEN LONG ADVERTISED BY THE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT HOW VALUABLE THE LOTTERY IS.
SO OPEN OUR MINDS KEEP AN OPEN MIND FOLKS IN THE FUTURE AND GO WITH THE FLOW OF A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.
USE THE EXISTING ORDINANCE, HAVE ALL YOUR SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE, AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO A GREEN AND MORE PROSPEROUS FUTURE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
[INAUDIBLE] TO THE TOWNSHIP IS NOT MY ISSUE.
MERIDIAN IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE, WHICH HAS BEEN RANKED NOW A COUPLE OF TIMES RECENTLY, IS MY ISSUE CRIME NEIGHBORHOODS, CRIME SCHOOLS, ET CETERA.
THAT'S MY ISSUE. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA MAY NOT HURT THAT IT MAY NOT OR WE REALLY DON'T KNOW. IN ORDER TO KNOW IT WAS MY DESIRE THAT WE WOULD GO AHEAD WITH THE WITH THE MEDICAL, WE GET INFORMATION, WE GET OUR DATA, WE GET OUR EXPERIENCE, AND THEN WE'D BE ABLE TO INTELLIGENTLY DECIDE ON THE RECREATIONAL.
ONCE WE HAD ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE LINED UP, WE'D HAVE THE ANSWER OR AT LEAST BE MUCH CLOSER TO THE ANSWER. THAT'S WHAT I PROMISED THE RESIDENTS WHEN I VOTED.
THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR AT THIS POINT.
AGAIN, WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A CONSENSUS HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SEVEN MEMBERS THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE DECIDING IT.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK I THINK AS A DISCUSSION ONCE AGAIN WHERE WE CAN GET A CONSENSUS.
MS. SUNDLAND YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I AM NOT OPPOSED TO THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
I THINK ALL ALONG I'VE KIND OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I KIND OF SAID THAT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
SO I WOULD BE OPEN TO TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE FACILITIES OR HOW DO WE TAP IN ON WHAT OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS REALLY WANT? SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, SO I'M OPEN TO IT.
RIGHT, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE THIS COME BACK AS A DISCUSSION ITEM IN THE FUTURE WHEN THE NEW BOARD GETS SWORN IN AFTER THE NEW BOARD GETS SWORN IN.
[02:35:02]
ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT IS COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.MR. GEBES, ARE YOU WITH US? I SEE PEOPLES HANDS BUT I DON'T SEE MR. GEBES.
THEM WITHOUT HIS HELP. [LAUGHTER] WORKING 18 HOUR DAYS, I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT HE ISN'T WHAT IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE TV ASPECT OR SOMETHING? AND HE'S BUSY. THIS IS A FIRST.
YEAH, THIS IS ACTUALLY IN THE ENTIRE TIME WE'VE NEVER HAD NOT ACCESS TO OUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT.
IS HE DOWN HERE, I CAN GO IN THE BOARDROOM AND SEE IF HE'S AT THE BOARDROOM SHOULD I TAKE A QUICK LOOK AND SEE IF HE'S IN THE BOARDROOM? SURE. MR. WALSH ARE YOU THERE. [INAUDIBLE] THE TWO OF THEM ARE TALKING IN THE HALLWAY OR SOMETHING.
THERE WE GO. WE'RE LOOKING FOR MR. GEBES, YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M SURE HE'S AROUND.
THERE'S TWO HANDS RAISED, BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO WAY OF DEALING WITH THAT WITHOUT HIS HELP. YEAH.
MR. SUPERVISOR, IF YOU CAN ENTERTAIN IT FOR A MINUTE, HERE, YOU ARE A CO-HOST.
I BELIEVE YOU CAN ACTUALLY UNMUTE, YOU WOULD NEED TO HIT THE PANELIST BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ZOOM WHEN [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T HAVE A PANELIST BUTTON.
IF YOU HOVER NEAR THE BOTTOM, THAT MENUBAR WILL POP UP.
I'M DOWN THERE I GOT THE MENU BAR.
I DON'T HAVE PANELIST IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST OVER FROM A STOP VIDEO.
I'M TELLING YOU, I DO NOT HAVE IT.
I CAN SEE WHO'S RAISING HANDS, BUT I HAVE NO ABILITY TO UNMUTE THEM.
I WAS JUST MADE A CO-HOST BY SOMEBODY.
[LAUGHTER] OK, OK, I AM GOING TO PROMOTE ROBIN SNYDER TO SPEAK ACTING IN A VERY PECULIAR MANNER OF SUPERVISOR PRO TEM AT THIS MEETING.
ROBIN, YOU'RE BEING PROMOTED TO PANELIST.
OKAY I'LL CALL ON THEM. YOU GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU GET THREE MINUTES.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. WONDERFUL.
ROBIN SCHNEIDER AGAIN ADDRESSES IS 5676 CADE STREET HASLETT MICHIGAN.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, TRUSTEE JACKSON AND TRUSTEE SUNDLAND FOR THEIR VERY FAIR AND BALANCED COMMENTS TONIGHT.
I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO PLEASE STOP USING THE TERM BLACK MARKET.
WE DON'T USE THAT TERM ANYMORE.
IT IS DOES HAVE VERY RACIAL CONNOTATIONS.
WE USE THE TERM ILLICIT MARKET.
AND I THINK BEING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WE'VE GOT THE BEST SCHOOLS AROUND.
WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT.
FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR SOMEBODY SAY WE DON'T NEED THESE KINDS OF BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT.
AGAIN, IT'S VERY DISCRIMINATORY THING TO SAY.
FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT A FEW MEMBERS DO NOT CARE ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THE REASON THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THESE FACILITIES OPEN NOW IS BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO OPT IN TO MEDICAL.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SIT BACK AND LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY AND LOSE THE JOB CREATION, YOU KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A RESIDENT, A LIFELONG RESIDENT, I'M GOING TO BE VERY VOCAL ABOUT. FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY I THINK A LOT OF THE TRUSTEES ARE JUST NOT EDUCATED ON IT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
CONSIDER SENDING OUT A SURVEY TO YOUR RESIDENCE FOR US TO FILL OUT ON THIS AND ALSO TAKE THE TIME TO GO TAKE A TOUR AND SEE HOW WELL REGULATED OUR FACILITIES ARE AND HOW SAFE THEY ARE AND ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE CONSUMERS IN THE COMMUNITY SAFETY AS WE'RE ACQUIRING PRODUCT. AND OTHER THAN THAT, I'M GOING TO GET OFF OF THIS CALL AND I'M GOING TO CALL
[02:40:05]
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY FRIENDS THAT I GREW UP WITH HERE IN HASLETT.AND I'M GOING TO LET THEM KNOW WHO SAID WHAT ON THIS CALL.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU. IS THERE ANOTHER PERSON [INAUDIBLE] YES, WE DO HAVE MORE ON THE PANELIST SECTION, BUT STEVEN HAD REPORTED THAT HE WAS HERE IN THE COMMENT SECTION. AND STEPHEN CAN YOU UNMUTE YOURSELF AND SPEAK.
I WAS HAVING A SMALL TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.
THERE IS, SCOTT [INAUDIBLE] AND WE CAN ALLOW SCOTT TO STATE HIS NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. YES.
GOOD EVENING. THIS IS SCOTT [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN.
MY ADDRESS IS 25607 [INAUDIBLE] UP IN CALUMET.
SO WE SEND OUR BEST TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FROM THE UPPER PENINSULA, MICHIGAN.
I'M THE FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SEVEN COUNTIES OF THE WEST END OF THE UPPER PENINSULA. I REPRESENT AS A VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT FOR TRANQUILITY FIELDS, WHICH WE ARE A MICRO BUSINESS UNDER THE LAW OF A NEW LICENSE TYPE THAT WAS ENACTED BY THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WHEN IT WAS IN PLACE.
AND WHAT OUR BUSINESS DOES IS WE ARE A MICRO BUSINESS THAT GROWS PROCESSES AND SELLS ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PLANTS INSIDE OF A FOUR THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, WHICH IS OPERATED BY A LOCAL OWNER.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WELCOMING RECREATIONAL PARTICIPATION, WE IDENTIFY A LICENSE, WE IDENTIFY A PIECE OF PROPERTY, WE FIND A LOCAL OWNER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FRANCHISE.
OUR BUILDINGS ARE BUILT UP IN ALPENA, MICHIGAN, AND THEY'RE ALL CONSTRUCTED ON THAT SITE.
AND WE BRING THOSE BUILDINGS IN COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM SET UP WHERE WE CAN GROW, PROCESS AND SELL.
OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS A SMALL BUSINESS, LIKE A MICROBREWERY.
AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR A TARGET OF CONSUMERS IS THE BABY BOOMER MARKET.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT ASPECT FOR THE RECREATIONAL SALE OF THE CANNABIS.
THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE ARTHRITIS THEY GOT ANXIETY, THEY CAN'T SLEEP.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER, WITH THIS MICRO BUSINESS, WE'RE GOING FROM THE UPPER PENINSULA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BORDERS FROM WISCONSIN AND THE UPPER PENINSULA TO THE TWO SOUTHERN BORDERS ON OUR STATE.
WE ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY OF THESE BUSINESSES ACROSS MICHIGAN. WE ALREADY IDENTIFIED LOCAL OWNERS.
WE ARE HAVING LICENSES CURRENTLY.
WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR TOWNSHIP AND WE ARE WANTING TO MAKE A REQUEST TO BE ABLE TO SEND INFORMATION TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ON THE COMPANY TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE WANT TO DO. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR WHAT WE HAD TO SAY.
I KNOW THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT ON THE CALL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WAS SECURITY.
OUR BUILDING IS BUILT LIKE A VAULT, LIKE A BANK.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE ARE NOW PROCESSING THE SECURITY SYSTEM THAT WILL BE OFFERED 24/7 LIVE THROUGH THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO THEY GOT TO LOOK AT EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS.
THE OTHER THING IS IT WAS RAISED ON THE CALL TONIGHT WAS AN ODOR FACTOR.
WE ARE HAVING A BUILDING THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS IN CONSTRUCTION. YOUR TIME IS UP PLEASE WRAP UP.
YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE NO ODOR BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO AIR EXCHANGING SYSTEMS INSIDE THAT BUILDING.
SO THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU.
OTHERS MR. GEBES, THERE ARE NO OTHER HANDS RAISED OR CALLS AT THIS TIME, THANK YOU AND SORRY FOR MY DELINQUENCY. NO IT'S NOT.
HEY YOU WERE BUSY. I SUSPECTED YOU WERE BUSY WITH SOMETHING TECHNICAL.
OK OTHER THAN THAT FOR THE BOARD FINAL COMMENTS.
ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK MR. DREYFUS. YES. MR. OPSOMMER. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE.
THERE WAS AN EMERGING NEWS TONIGHT.
EARLIER TONIGHT, I THINK PEOPLE MAY HAVE SEEN EARLIER TODAY THAT THE LANSING MALL HAS BEEN PUT UP FOR SALE, BUT THE MERIDIAN MALL ALSO FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY.
BUT THEY DO PLAN TO OPERATE IN THEIR CURRENT STATUS ON THAT [INAUDIBLE].
I THINK WLX AND LSJ EARLIER TODAY, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND WHATNOT, BUT THEY DID
[02:45:08]
FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY IN THEIR CONTINUED EFFORT TO WEATHER THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN COVID FOR BRICK AND MORTAR RETAIL.SO. I ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO PATRONIZE THE MALL SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY, SO THINK OF THE MALL AS WELL AS THE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS DURING THIS TIME WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO YOUR BEST TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.
WELL SAID, YEAH, WE'VE KNOWN FOR A WHILE NOW THAT BANKRUPTCY WAS GOING TO BE DONE, OR GOING TO BE FILED.
BUT WE ALSO KNEW THEY INTENDED TO KEEP GOING.
AND WE DO ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO GET TO THE MALL, SHOP, EAT, DO WHATEVER.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, MR. DREYFUS. THANK YOU.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU PROBABLY AT THE OTHER END ASPECT OF THESE MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[INAUDIBLE] WISINSKI. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE BY PUTTING YOUR HAND IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.