Dec 02, 2020 Environmental Commission Meeting

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:00:57]

WELL, WELCOME TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING, AND LET'S SEE, THE FIRST ITEM ON

[2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]

AND IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE AGENDA? OK, LET'S SEE, I DIDN'T SEE ANY HANDS.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? OK, I CAN SEE JIM.

SECOND? THANK YOU, ROSE. OK.

IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, PLEASE.

OK, MOVING ON TO THE--.

[3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES]

EITHER I MISSPOKE OR I WAS MISQUOTED.

THAT'S PROBABLY ME. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, JIM.

YOU CAN GET THAT ONE CORRECTED, BUT THAT'S STILL [INAUDIBLE].

OK, THAT'S A FRIENDLY CORRECTION.

ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS? OK, I DON'T SEE THAT.

WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING? WELL, THANK YOU, JIM. TOM SECONDS.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OK, WE'RE ALL SET WITH THAT.

MOVING ON TO PUBLIC REMARKS, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC REMARK? AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN USE THE RAISED HAND FEATURE.

I THINK LEROY PROMOTED THE LAST PERSON OF OUR ATTENDEE AREA, OR WE CAN TAKE COMMENTS AT FIVE ONE SEVEN THREE FOUR NINE ONE, TWO, THREE TWO FOR ANYBODY WHO HAPPENS TO BE LISTENING ON COMCAST CHANNEL TWENTY ONE HOMTV OR THE INTERNET STREAM.

AND THERE WILL BE FOR THOSE MAYBE WHO HAVEN'T ATTENDED THE MEETING BEFORE, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END OF THE MEETING ALSO.

AND SO WE'RE UP TO OUR GREEN THEME.

[5. GREEN THEME: A Dialogue with Amber Clark, Neighborhoods & Economic Development Director]

WHO'S GOING TO KIND OF TELL US ABOUT THE WORK THAT SHE'S BEEN DOING.

SO, AMBER, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS AMBER CLARK.

IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU ALL.

I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN JUST A MOMENT WHILE I--.

AND I HAVE A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION FOR YOU.

OK, WELL, WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT IN SMALL WINDOWS.

I APOLOGIZE.

[00:05:01]

BUT MY NAME IS AMBER CLARK AS WE'VE KIND OF GONE OVER.

IT IS A LONG TITLE.

THE NEIGHBORHOODS HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE ECONOMICS, SO IT MAKES IT VERY LONG.

NEIGHBORHOOD'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SHORTEN IT, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT LOVES ACRONYMS. I'VE BEEN GOING NEDD.

I DON'T-- I DON'T KNOW. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT SOME IDEAS TO BE.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT ONE.

BUT I'M A MICHIGANDER.

I WAS BORN IN SAGINAW AND MY MOM WORKED FOR DOW BY THE TIME THAT I CAME TO OUR FAMILY.

SO WE MOVED TO MIDLAND.

AND SO I WAS RAISED IN MIDLAND.

AND IT CAME TO THE LANSING AREA TO FINISH MY DEGREE AT MICHIGAN STATE, SO I AM SPARTAN, DEFINITELY A SPARTAN.

AND I BOUNCED AROUND A LOT.

SO I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE HEARD THIS ALREADY.

I DID WORK IN JACKSON.

I LIVE HERE, THOUGH, SO I'VE SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS COMMUTING.

SO THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE RELIEF TO ME.

YES, I KNOW. I KNOW.

AND I'M TELLING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION I DROVE FORTY FIVE MINUTES TWICE A DAY FOR TWO YEARS AND I KNOW THAT'S REALLY BAD.

I FEEL BAD. LOT OF GAS, A LOT OF GAS.

BUT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO REALLY SPREAD MY WINGS.

I'M REALLY BIG INTO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TO PEOPLE.

WHILE I WORKED AT JACKSON, MY TITLE WAS ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.

SO AGAIN, A LONG TITLE.

I MUST REALLY LIKE THAT.

AND I STAFFED THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT THEY HAD JUST CREATED IN THE CITY OF JACKSON. SO IT WAS BRAND NEW.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WERE CHARGED WITH OBVIOUSLY WAS COMING UP WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN.

AND SO WE COPIED A LOT OF OUR STEPS OFF OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS.

I OBVIOUSLY HAD A CONNECTION BECAUSE WE,, YOU KNOW, I LIVED HERE AND I KNEW THAT YOUR PLAN WAS SOUND.

IT WAS WELL PUT TOGETHER.

SO KUDOS AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE NOW JACKSON HAS KIND OF LIKE SOME STEPS TO TAKE.

SO THE NEIGHBORHOODS PORTION HAS BEEN ADDED TO MY POSITION.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP US WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, REALLY FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON EVERYTHING THAT IS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND THIS COMMUNITY IS REALLY GREAT.

THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE. SO ANY TIME THERE'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE COME OUT AND THEY SPEAK TO IT.

BUT I THINK SOME OF THE TIME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS OR THEY DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS OR THEY FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULDN'T SPEAK UP.

SO WE REALLY ADDED THE NEIGHBORHOODS PORTION TO THE TITLE TO KIND OF COME UP WITH AN ORGANIZED WAY TO DO BETTER OUTREACH TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER IT'S A ROAD PROJECT OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, LIKE THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS. ALL OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE SURROUNDING THAT MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING, WHAT THE DEVELOPER IS DOING.

AND SO THINKING ABOUT THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REALLY ENCOURAGED ME TO FOCUS ON AND SO I WAS VERY HAPPY FOR HIS SUPPORT ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHO I AM IS BEING ENGAGED WITH PEOPLE.

THE TOWNSHIP HAS A MASTER PLAN GOAL TO PRESERVE AND STRENGTHEN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.

WE SEE THAT AS A VERY VALUABLE REASON WHY PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE HERE.

AND SO THAT IS ANOTHER KEY REASON WHY THE TITLE INCLUDES NEIGHBORHOODS NOW.

AND SO WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHAT WE-- I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I IDENTIFY THE SAME WAY MOST OF OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS FEEL ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

YOU KNOW, LIKE SO I'VE LIVED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR FIVE YEARS.

WE MOVED HERE RIGHT WHEN OUR SON, HE'S IN FIFTH GRADE NOW, SO HE MOVED HERE RIGHT WHEN HE STARTED KINDERGARTEN.

AND I WANTED TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HE WAS GOING TO START SCHOOL IN.

AND I REALLY WANTED TO BE A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS GOING TO RAISE HIM. SO HE--.

WE LIVED ON MARSH ROAD FOR THE FIRST TWO, THREE YEARS WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE.

AND SO WE JUST MOVED INTO OUR FIRST HOUSE.

IT'S GREAT. LOVE HAVING THE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORS AND THE WHOLE ASPECT OF IT.

IT'S VERY INTERESTING WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MOVE INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE OURS IS THE ONE THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL PARADE COMES DOWN.

SO EVERY YEAR FOR THE HOMECOMING, THEY DO THEIR HOMECOMING PARADE.

AND IT WAS KIND OF A SHOCK BECAUSE WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

THIS IS OUR FIRST FALL. AND THEN EVERYONE'S GOT CARS LINED UP THE STREET AND THE KIDS ARE ALL FREAKING OUT. AND WE'RE KIND OF LIKE COMING HOME FROM WORK, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND THEN HERE'S THE BAND AND THERE'S CANDY FLYING EVERYWHERE.

[00:10:01]

AND I FEEL LIKE EVERY OTHER PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT, WHETHER THEY LIVE IN HASLETT OR OKEMOS FEELS THE SAME WAY THAT THEY ARE VERY WELL CONNECTED TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THEY YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE IT.

AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT AND MAINTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS VERY CLOSELY TO [INAUDIBLE] AND TO THE HASLETT FOUR CORNERS. SO WE THINK ABOUT THAT.

A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORS WALK TO THE TACO TRUCK AND THEY GO GET A TACO FOR DINNER AND THEY'RE REALLY KEEN ON FOLLOWING THE PINE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THOSE FOUR CORNERS.

SO THAT'S HOW I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON ARE CONNECTED TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

I'M TRYING TO DEFINE THAT 15 MINUTE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCEPT WHERE YOU COULD WALK OR BIKE WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF YOUR HOUSE AND BE SUPPORTED BY MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED ON A DAILY BASIS, LIKE A GROCERY, BANKING, HEALTH CARE, THAT YOU COULD HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE AND GREENERY, THAT YOU COULD DO OUTDOORSY THINGS ALL WITHIN A FEW MINUTES WALK OF YOUR HOUSE, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW.

AND I REALLY ENJOY ALL THE ACTIVITY.

I LIKE LOOKING OUT OF MY WINDOW AND SEEING TONS OF PEOPLE WALKING THEIR DOGS, BIKING AND FAMILIES ENGAGING, GOING DOWN TO LAKE LANSING, YOU KNOW, YOU GO DOWN THERE IN THE SUMMER AND YOU SEE EVERYBODY AT THE CORNER AND THEY'RE EATING AT WHAT IS NOW [INAUDIBLE] OR THEY'RE GOING OVER TO LAKE LANSING, LIKE THAT'S THE WHOLE 15 MINUTE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCEPT.

SO I'M REALLY WORKING TO TRY TO DO A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTIAL INCOMES, HOUSING TYPES, HOUSING STYLES, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO LIKE, REALLY GROW AND DEVELOP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE WE REALLY LIKE.

SO THIS, AGAIN, TALKS ABOUT 15 MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH.

IT ALSO INCLUDES MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A GREEN SPACE OR PLACE MAKING, SO I HAVE A BIG GREEN SPACE PLACEMAKING TYPE OF PERSON.

SO THIS IS THE BEST GROUP TO TALK TO.

AND I'VE GOT SOME IDEAS ABOUT PLACES.

I THINK THAT HASLETT FOUR CORNER SQUARE NEEDS A GOOD GREEN SPACE, SOMETHING THERE THAT'S PULLING ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD FAMILIES TO COME UP OUT OF THEIR HOMES.

MAYBE THERE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DINING GOING ON IN THE AREA.

AND EVERYBODY IS JUST KIND OF OUT AND ABOUT IN THE EVENINGS JUST TO HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE ENJOY GREAT WEATHER AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE BAD WEATHER HERE IN MICHIGAN BECAUSE IT GETS SO COLD. BUT WE HAVE REALLY GREAT SEASONS.

MOST PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY, YOU KNOW, SPRING THROUGH FALL.

AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A SPACE RIGHT THERE TO KIND OF CALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER OF ALL DIVERSE HOUSING SIZES AND BACKGROUNDS.

SO AND THEN MY FUTURE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS IS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.

SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ARE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS, SOME OF THEM ARE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION GROUPS.

AND THEN THIS IS A MAP FROM NEXT DOOR WHICH HAS DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD NAMES AND GROUPS, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WE HAVE ALREADY LISTED.

WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS KIND OF COME UP WITH AN ORGANIZED MAP OR SOME SORT OF WAY TO ORGANIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS THAT WANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS KIND OF LIKE DIRECTORY MAP.

IT WOULD BE ON THE WEBSITE, EVENTUALLY, PEOPLE COULD PUT IN AN ADDRESS AND THEN FIND OUT WHAT YOU KNOW, IF THEIR ADDRESS IS IN AN ASSOCIATION, THEY COULD LEARN ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION, WHAT THEY DO.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A COMMUNITY PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET OTHER NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE IN ON.

SOME NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T WANT TO REALLY BE ENGAGED WITH IS WHAT I FOUND.

LIKE, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EITHER SMALL OR MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE AN--.

THEY'RE NOT AS ORGANIZED ANYMORE BECAUSE, AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST VOLUNTEERS.

SO BUT I HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WANTING TO ENGAGE.

SO THAT'S BEEN PLEASANT.

SO THE PLAN IS TO COME UP WITH AN ORGANIZED TO HAVE OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS ORGANIZED IN A VISUAL WAY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

IT'S ALSO GREAT FOR DEVELOPERS BECAUSE WE HAVE A MAJOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, THE [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEY NEEDED TO END UP REACHING OUT TO THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND SIT DOWN AND HAVE A FEW PUBLIC MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND TO KIND OF COME TO SOME TERMS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THE AREA.

AND THAT'S SO THAT'S EVEN, YOU KNOW, A STEP THAT CAN ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT

[00:15:02]

SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT TOOL TO HAVE.

AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS SO GREAT.

IT OPERATES LIKE A CITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TOWNSHIP.

SO THERE'S SO MUCH GOING FOR IT AND THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION.

I REALLY FEEL LIKE HAVING THIS KIND OF ORGANIZED WILL REALLY HELP THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN A VISUAL WAY WHERE EVERYTHING IS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN KIND OF IN THE WORLD AROUND THEM, BUT THEN ALSO INVITING PEOPLE WHEN THEY MOVE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT IT'S ORGANIZED AND THEY ALREADY KIND OF KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE THE PLAYERS AND WHERE EVERYTHING IS.

SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MY TAKE ON NEIGHBORHOODS.

AGAIN, I'M JUST STARTING.

I RECENTLY SENT OUT LIKE A MASS MAILING TO ALL THE LISTED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT I HAD AND ASK THEM IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING SOME OF THEIR INFORMATION TO ME AND SITTING AND HAVING A MEETING WITH ME.

AND SO FAR SO GOOD.

I'VE GOT A FEW MEETINGS.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ONE ON ONE.

I'M THINKING ABOUT EVEN DOING JUST ONE GENERAL PUBLIC MEETING WHERE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR THEY CAN COME.

THEY DO-- THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ALREADY HAVE A QUARTERLY MEETING SET UP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO LEARN ABOUT AND JUST BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON ANYTHING THAT'S CURRENT AS FAR AS ACTIVITY IN THEIR AREA.

SO I WILL BE ATTENDING THAT MEETING AND DO A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THEM THAT WAY, TOO.

BUT THIS IS TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, KIND OF TO GET A TAKE ON WHAT THEY ARE THINKING, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

BECAUSE I AM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER.

SO THAT IS MY JOB.

IT IS SOMETHING IT'S GOING I'M GOING TO PRIORITIZE AS MUCH AS SOME PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT I THINK THAT YOU CAN DEVELOP IN A WAY THAT IT BALANCES A LOT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE FORTY THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE HERE AND WE ALL WANT TO HAVE MORE ACTIVITY.

RIGHT? WE ALL WANT TO HAVE MORE THINGS TO DO.

BUT I THINK A LOT OF US AGREE ON HAVING DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN IN AREAS WHERE WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF GOT THE ASPHALT AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOWN AND TO LEAVE THE GREEN AREAS ALONE.

SO I'M TRYING MY BEST TO DO THAT.

ONE THING THAT I DO HAVE TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T OWN THE LAND ALREADY AND IF WE HAVEN'T-- IF THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS A GOVERNMENT THAT'S LEGAL WITHIN OUR POWERS, THEN THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE COULD DO.

IF A DEVELOPER OWNS THE PROPERTY AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, THEY'RE WELL WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO DO IT. BUT WE DO HAVE A MASTER PLAN AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE MEET THOSE IN OUR MASTER PLAN.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED STRENGTHENING OUR RESIDENCES AND FORTIFYING OUR ALREADY ESTABLISHED COMMERCE BUSINESS COMMERCE AREAS THAT WE DON'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE NATURAL BEAUTY.

SO. I'M PAYING ATTENTION.

SO QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU, AMBER.

ANYBODY WANTS TO ASK A QUESTION JUST ON UNMUTE YOURSELF.

GO AHEAD. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT TANGENTIAL, BUT YOU'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THAT HASLETT FOUR CORNERS AREA AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO ENLIVEN THAT SPACE AND MAKE IT MORE VIBRANT.

AND I SEE TRAFFIC BEING A BIG HINDRANCE TO THAT.

HOW HAS TRAFFIC CALMING OR ANY OF THOSE KIND OF CONCEPTS COME INTO YOUR WORK AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, LIKE THE PEDESTRIAN SCALE AND KIND OF BRINGING THINGS DOWN A LITTLE BIT? IS THAT ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH AT ALL OR IS THAT PART OF OUR MASTER PLAN? AND SO IN CERTAIN AREAS, NOT SPECIFICALLY LISTED RIGHT THERE AT THE HASLETT FOUR CORNERS.

I THINK THE TRAFFIC CALMING REQUEST IS FOCUSED MOSTLY ON GRAND RIVER.

THAT'S GOING TO BE THE LONGEST STRETCH FROM LANSING ALL THE WAY THROUGH WILLIAMSTON, MAYBE DOWN TO WEAVERVILLE.

IF WE DO END UP MAKING THAT LONG CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT LIKE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ON GRAND RIVER HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT IS THAT A PRIORITY AMONG THAT GROUP, ESPECIALLY AMONG SUPPORT [INAUDIBLE].

SO IN THAT CONTEXT, YEAH.

DEVELOPMENT. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR TRAFFIC CALMING, BRINGING PROPERTIES, BUILDING EVEN CLOSER UP TO THE ROAD.

THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO WE ARE DOING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT AT FOUR CORNERS IS SUCH A HUGE SECTION OF LAND.

WHAT'S IN MY HEAD, I GUESS I CAN'T TOTALLY ARTICULATE THE BEST WAY, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE IT AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE JUST NATURALLY FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD SLOW DOWN.

ONE THING I'VE RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT TRYING TO CALM TRAFFIC IS THAT IT KIND OF HAS TO--

[00:20:07]

IF YOU DO A TRAFFIC STUDY AND THEY LOOK AND THEY SEE THAT ACTUALLY PEOPLE ARE GETTING FASTER THAN WHAT WE ASSUME.

THEY'LL SET THE SPEED LIMIT THAT SO IT'S BY ACTIVITY, SO, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

IF I'VE BEEN-- I DRIVE IN THE AREA, I LIVE IN THE AREA.

I SEE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL ALL THE TIME.

THEY'RE LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL. THEY'RE TRYING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF SHOPPING AND GO TO SUBWAY. SO I SEE A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY IN THE AREA ANYWAY.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY THAT AS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE.

AND SO THEN IT'S EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET FROM THOSE FOUR CORNERS, BUT ALSO INCLUDE THE TRAFFIC AS WE'RE DRIVING STATE.

THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH I'D BE ABLE TO DO TO CHANGE ALL THE TRAFFIC.

AMBER, I DO-- I TAKE A DAILY WALK IN PORTION OF THAT IS THE INTER-URBAN, WHICH YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC, PEOPLE TRAFFIC AND BIKE TRAFFIC ON THE INTER URBAN. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE REALLY ISN'T TOO MUCH THE KIND OF DIRECT YOU TO THE FOUR CORNERS, EXCEPT MAYBE [INAUDIBLE] FOR MAYBE BIGBY'S IF YOU WANT SOME COFFEE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH TRAFFIC ON THE INTER URBAN THAT IT WOULD BE A NICE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO KIND OF GET THERE AND JUST KIND OF BREAK UP THEIR BIKE RIDE OR BREAK UP THEIR THEIR WALK AND THEN KIND OF WALK HOME OR BIKE HOME.

SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.

YEAH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED AND, YOU KNOW, IF ALL MY DREAMS COME TRUE, MY DISNEYLAND VERSION OF LIFE COMES TRUE, THEN THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY POPULAR PLACE TO HANGOUT.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ADD SOMETHING TO WHAT YOU WERE JUST SAYING ABOUT THE INTERURBAN CONNECTION. THERE IS, OF COURSE, THE LITTLE LOOP THAT CONNECTS DOWN TO [INAUDIBLE] ROAD.

AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU-- AND IT'S PAVED, YOU KNOW, IT'S ACTUALLY IF ANYTHING DEVELOPED, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED ABOUT WHO OWNED WHAT SECTIONS OF IT.

BUT THE OLD WAY OF COMING UP THE INTERURBAN WAS TO-- THE ONLY THE HALF OF THE URBAN WAS DEVELOPED WAS TO COME UP TO [INAUDIBLE] ROAD AND THEN RIDE THROUGH THE WOODS THERE.

IT'S A NATURAL EXIT, SO TO SPEAK, TO PUT YOU INTO THE BACK OF THE OLD LML.

SO IF THAT REGION CAN BE DEVELOPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT DOES INCLUDE SOME GREEN SPACE AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SORT OF ENVISIONED ALL SORTS OF NICE THINGS LIKE A BREWERY OR AN ICE CREAM SHOP OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.

THAT WOULD BE KIND OF NATURAL EXITS FROM THE BIKE TRAIL.

THAT AND THE OTHER FEATURE THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ACTUAL COMMITMENT TO IT, BUT THE IDEA OF TAKING THE INTERURBAN UNDER THE BRIDGE PARALLEL TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND, YOU KNOW, CARRYING IT FURTHER UP, ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE TRACKS, BUT ALSO THAT WOULD OFFER MORE OR LESS DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE BACK SIDE OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE HARDWARE STORE IS AND THE [INAUDIBLE] AND SO FORTH.

SO THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT TRAIL AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T LEND ITSELF TO THAT LINKAGE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THAT DIFFICULT TO DO IF THERE WERE ATTRACTIONS THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN THE AREA.

AND I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT IF SOME CHUNK OF THAT GIANT PARKING LOT TURNED INTO GREEN SPACE, THAT WOULD BE NICE TOO.

JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.

OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS? THANKS. I WAS JUST GOING TO AMPLIFY A LITTLE BIT WHAT AMBER WAS SAYING ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH CALLS OUT THREE SO-CALLED PICAS, POTENTIAL INTENSITY CHANGE AREAS.

AND ONE IS OKEMOS FOUR CORNERS, ONE IS HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE AND ONE IS [INAUDIBLE].

BUT THE ZONING THAT WOULD CREATE THE WALKABLE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BEGIN ALONG THE GRAND RIVER CORRIDOR IN THE FORM BASED CODE.

SO IT'S KIND OF A POLICY SWAMP THERE OF WHEN YOU MAKE A VISION AND HOW YOU ENACT IN THE CODE. I WAS ALSO GOING TO MENTION THE--.

[00:25:03]

AND THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA, AND I'M HOPING AMBER WILL STICK AROUND FOR THAT PART OF OUR CONVERSATION. AND YEAH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE OFFICE AND SHE IS TOTALLY OPEN TO AS WE DEVELOP THIS, SHARING THAT VENUE AS A WAY TO COMMUNICATE AND AMBER, MAYBE YOU CAN ELABORATE.

I JUST-- I GAVE HER THE CONCEPT PAPER THAT IS EVOLVING AS WE SPEAK AND WE HAVEN'T PROMOTED IT HEAVILY WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION HERE, BUT WE HOPE TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE TONIGHT.

YEAH, SO, SO FAR, SO GOOD.

MY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD.

THE LIST I HAD WAS FROM TWENTY NINETEEN, SO THAT WAS APPARENTLY OLD.

SO EVERY PERSON, EVERY ACTUAL HUMAN BEING THAT WAS A PRESIDENT I TRIED TO REACH OUT TO WAS THE WRONG PRESIDENT, BUT THEY DID EVENTUALLY MAKE TO THE RIGHT PRESIDENT.

AND SO I'M CATALOGING THAT AND GETTING A DIRECTORY.

SO I THINK THAT IS, I MEAN THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY THING I WOULD LIST IS THE BIGGEST HURDLE IS JUST KEEPING TRACK OF WHO IS YOUR MAIN CONTACT IN THE ORGANIZATION SINCE MAYBE PEOPLE MOVED OR THEY CHANGE.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY PICK THE MAIN CONTACT, BUT I'M SETTING UP MEETINGS WITH THEM.

I'M EITHER GOING TO DO THEM AS GROUPS OR HAVING INDIVIDUAL.

OBVIOUSLY, THESE ARE GOING TO BE VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

I'M JUST YOU KNOW, MY OBJECTIVE AND PRIORITY IS FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR FROM THE TOWNSHIP? WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT? HOW DO THEY WANT TO BE INFORMED? YOU KNOW, DO THEY WANT TO NEWSLETTER? THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND THEN JUST WORKING FROM IT FROM THAT WAY.

SINCE YOU ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM AND ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO, I THINK YOUR APPROACH WOULD JUST BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

BUT I JUST DID A FORM LETTER AND JUST MAIL MERGED TO ALL OF THE ASSOCIATIONS AND THEN THEY REACHED OUT ON THEIR OWN.

AGAIN, THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS.

THEY'RE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME HAVE JOBS AND FAMILIES AND STUFF.

SO SOME OF THEM ARE MORE EAGER AND SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO JUST BREAK IT DOWN AND START GETTING TO KNOW THEM.

AND SINCE THEY'RE ALL KIND OF ASSOCIATIONS AND IT'S A SMALLISH TOWN, NOT TOO SMALL, PEOPLE KNOW EACH OTHER. SO ONCE YOU KIND OF GET IN WITH ONE, THEY'LL KIND OF LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER GROUPS. BUT, YEAH, I AM COMPLETELY WILLING TO SHARE WHATEVER INFORMATION I HAVE AND CAN GATHER.

AMBER ONE THING YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, LIKE MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS KEYSTONE HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE AND YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE FACEBOOK PAGES, PROBABLY FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE GROUPS THAT YOU HAVE TOGETHER JOIN.

BUT, YEAH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO JOIN SOME OF THESE FACEBOOK PAGES JUST SO YOU CAN POST SOME THINGS DIRECTLY. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU WANT TO CHECK WITH THE PRESIDENT TO TALK TO HIM OR HER ABOUT THAT. BUT I WOULD THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO YOU TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY KIND OF HAVE SOME DIRECT COMMUNICATION, YOU KNOW, NOTICES OR MEETINGS OR WHATEVER.

YEAH, THERE ARE A FEW.

I MEAN, I COULD JOIN MY RESIDENTIAL GROUP BECAUSE I LIVE HERE, BUT A LOT OF THEM, THEY REQUIRE YOUR ADDRESS AND [INAUDIBLE] ONLY HAVE ONE ADDRESS FOR THAT'S HOW THEY ACCEPT YOU INTO THEIR GROUP. BUT SOME OF THE OTHER, LIKE JUST THE GENERAL HASLETT AND OKEMOS COMMUNITY GROUPS. YES, I'M FRIENDS WITH THOSE ON FACEBOOK AND THAT LINK.

I DON'T REMEMBER THE ACRONYM, WHAT IT MEAN, WHAT IT STANDS FOR, BUT THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD, MAYBE THEY HAVE A-- WE HAVE A MONTHLY MEETING AND BELIEVE IT'S 17TH.

SO I THINK HIS NAME IS NEIL BOWLB, I BELIEVE.

I CAN GET LEROY'S CONTACT AS WELL.

BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ONE SINCE THEY'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD, AN ORGANIZATION FOR NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH ARE THE INFORMATION ONE.

YEAH, WELL, OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO GREEN [INAUDIBLE] DISCUSSION ? OTHER THOUGHTS OR--? WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEW BUSINESS AND THE ITEM IS GREEN LIAISONS.

[6A. Green Liaisons]

[00:30:02]

THAT'S A PERFECT SETUP FOR THIS CONVERSATION, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO KIND OF SHARE SOME OF OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEIGHBORHOODS, AS YOU DO OUTREACH.

BUT WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE WEDNESDAY MORNING CONVERSATIONS SINCE COVID HIT, ACTUALLY AROUND EARTH WEEK AND APRIL WE STARTED GOING STRONG.

AND ITS PEOPLE DECIDED THEY WANTED TO KEEP UP THE CONVERSATION.

AND ONE OF THE RECURRING ISSUES IS HOW DO WE GET INFORMATION OUT TO NEIGHBORHOODS? SO ACTUALLY, JOHN SARVER, OUR CHAIR, SUGGESTED THIS.

I BELIEVE JOHN SUGGESTED THIS IDEA OF A LIAISON.

IDENTIFYING THE LIAISON IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT MIGHT BE SORT OF A CONDUIT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION TO RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO MAYBE FROM RESIDENTS, IF THERE ARE ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LIAISONS.

AND I INVITE OTHERS TO CHIME IN, BUT WE'RE STILL SORT OF DISCUSSING HOW DO WE MAINTAIN A LIST? JUST TODAY I CREATED SOMETHING USING ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP, CONSTANT CONTACT.

AND CREATED A, I'LL SEE IF I CAN JUST PULL THIS UP REAL QUICK.

I'M JUGGLING MULTIPLE SCREENS HERE, BUT--.

JUST CREATED A FORM WHERE PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP TO BE A LIAISON FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX.

AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS ARE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THEMSELVES.

SO THIS IS A DRAFT AND WE CAN REVISE THIS, BUT WE WANT TO BEGIN TO SORT OF TRACK THESE PEOPLE, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PERSON, BUT THEY COULD BE AND THERE COULD BE MORE THAN ONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

BUT THE IDEA IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COULD POST ON THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD FACEBOOK PAGE OR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER, THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US.

SO SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE'RE ALSO BEGINNING TO CREATE A LIST OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS WHERE WE WANT TO SORT OF WORK WITH HOMTV TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT ISSUES, WHETHER IT'S STORMWATER OR ENERGY OR RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT I WANTED TO JUST THROW IT OUT THERE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU AND SEVERAL GUESTS WERE ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS IDEA AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

DOES ANYONE WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT I'VE SAID SO FAR, JOHN? THAT WAS A GOOD SUMMARY, YOU KNOW, AND WE KIND OF-- WE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALIZED IT WAS HARD TO REACH OUT TO OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY KEEP CHANGING IN NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT WE ALSO REALIZED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ALL OF US KNOW, INCLUDING US, WHO HAVE A REAL INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BEING A KIND OF A LIAISON WITH THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND SHARING INFORMATION.

SO WE KIND OF SNUCK IN THE BACK DOOR WITH THE IDEA OF GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE TALKING ABOUT WHO PEOPLE KNEW, IT DIDN'T TAKE TOO LONG TO KIND OF IDENTIFYING A WHOLE BUNCH OF POTENTIAL LIAISONS, BUT LEROY'S BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB WITH HELP FROM THE WEDNESDAY MORNING GROUP, KIND OF TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME STRUCTURE TO IT SO THAT THERE'S EXPECTATIONS FOR THE LIAISONS.

AND LIKE HE WAS SAYING, TOPICS AND THEMES, ESPECIALLY THEMES THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SEASON OF THE YEAR, THAT SORT OF THING.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THIS A LOT OF THOUGHTS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WORKS WELL FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE, I THINK, A FAIRLY LARGE NUMBER OF LIAISONS FAIRLY EASILY. SO I THINK GIVEN SOME THOUGHT TO IT IS HELPFUL.

AND THE FOLKS THAT AMBER OR ANYBODY ELSE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS WHOLE CONCEPT AND THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR?

[00:35:08]

AND SO WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MULTIMEDIA THAT THE NEW DIGITAL AGE SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND WE ALSO, I THINK, WOULD BENEFIT IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN A TOPIC OF INTEREST THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HELP DEVELOP, LIKE COMPOSTING OR WETLANDS OR AN ISSUE THAT'S DEAR TO YOU, WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE HELP DEVELOPING SOME OF THIS MATERIAL THAT WE SEND OUT.

WE'VE GOT WHETHER IT'S JUST AN IDEA OR SOME EXPERTISE OR IF YOU FIND A NICE VISUAL THAT ILLUSTRATES OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO WRITE A JINGLE THAT JOHN WOULD HELP PRODUCE.

HE'S A SOUND GUY. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO CHIME IN OR OUR QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS AS WE--? OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO SIGN UP, YOU COULD BE THE FIRST PERSON TO SIGN UP ON THIS CONSTANT CONTACT FORM. SO IS IT LIVE? CAN PEOPLE START SIGNING UP LEROY? TECHNICALLY, IT IS LIVE.

SO IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE TRY IT OUT TO SEE IF IT'S WORKING.

SO I'LL SEE IF I CAN POST THE LINK IN THE CHAT WINDOW.

AND IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER BEING ON THIS LIST, YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME, JUST LIKE THE GREEN GAZETTE. SO I'LL SEE IF I CAN DIG IT UP AND POST IT IN THE CHAT WINDOW IN A FEW MINUTES HERE.

SUPER. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, THOUGHTS ABOUT GREEN LIAISON? BILL OR AMBER, YOU'RE UNMUTED.

SO DOES IT HAVE TO BE JUST ONE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE OF THREE OF US? DO YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN US? HOW DO WE BECOME THE LIAISON? WELL, NO, ACTUALLY, YOU WOULD WELCOME MULTIPLE LESSONS.

THE ONLY THING WE THOUGHT, THOUGH, IS THAT IF WE DO HAVE MORE THAN ONE LIAISON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE COULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND HAVE A LITTLE KIND OF DISCUSSION OF WHO IS GOING TO DO WHAT SO THAT IF WE HAVE GREEN TEAMS IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

FANTASTIC. AND I COULD SEE THAT HAPPENING IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS.

THERE MAY BE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY, VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY. SO WE COULD HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNING UP AS LIAISONS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THEN YOU MIGHT ENCOURAGE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD DISCUSSION OF ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

OK.

AMBER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STICK AROUND FOR THE WHOLE MEETING, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY AS LONG AS YOU LIKE. I KNOW YOU HAD OTHER COMMISSION MEETINGS AS WELL, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE JUST DOWN THE HALL. SO IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ANY OF YOU, PLEASE FORWARD THEM ALONG.

AND THANKS FOR SPAWNING THIS IDEA, ALL OF YOU HAD A PART IN THAT.

SO. YEAH, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO I LIKE THAT WE'RE DOING SO MUCH FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

RIGHT. IT'S A LOT OF TIMES THAT RESIDENTS SOMETIMES JUST FEEL LEFT OUT.

YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT IF THEY'RE ON A COMMISSION AND EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY CAN'T BE ON A COMMITTEE AND SERVE DIRECTLY.

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE SENIOR PROGRAM WHERE IT'S VERY SIMILAR, LIKE SOMEBODY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS KIND OF ELECTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WATCHING OUT.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE, LIKE, SOME SORT OF CALL TO ACTION ACTIVITY OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY CAN DO, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION.

I KNOW ONE, I'M AGAIN, VERY NEW TO MY HOUSE.

SO AND IF IT CAN'T, LIKE, MAKE NOISE AND HAVE A MOUTH, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO DIE.

SO IT'S IT'S A PLANT, IT'S DEAD.

SO FOR ME, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW, LIKE, HEY, THERE'S THIS CLASS THAT TEACHES PEOPLE NOT TO KILL CACTUSES BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE DONE, CAUSE I'VE KILLED A CACTUS.

SO THINGS LIKE THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE YOU'VE CONSIDERED ABOUT IN YOUR LIAISON IT'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW. GETTING THEM TOGETHER TO DO A NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT THAT'S GREEN OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU, AMBER.

I THOUGHT YOUR PRESENTATION WAS VERY HELPFUL, KIND OF GET A SENSE FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND PLAN TO DO SO.

THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. HEAR, HEAR.

YEAH, I MEAN, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE YEARS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO KNOW OURSELVES AND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING RIGHT ALONG THOSE LINES.

[00:40:01]

MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND OUR FIRST ITEM IS THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT.

[7A. Green Infrastructure Audit & related Environmental Review]

IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, I WAS HOPING CLIFF MIGHT JOIN US.

ONE OF THE LATEST THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS RUNNING THIS PLAN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I BELIEVE BILL HAS DONE THAT A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO.

ONCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS SORT OF GIVES US THE BLESSING, I SEE THEM POTENTIALLY SUGGESTING THAT THE STAFF GIVE SOME INPUT ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD TO INTEGRATE SOME OF THIS LANGUAGE INTO OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES.

BILL, WAS THERE ANY INITIAL REACTION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO THE THE AUDIT AND THE [INAUDIBLE]? MY PRESENTATION WAS PRETTY BRIEF AND CAME AT THE END OF AN EVENING OF TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ALSO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUBCOMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.

AND I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER, BUT THEY'VE BEEN [INAUDIBLE].

BUT NOT A STRONG GREEN LIGHT YET.

OK, GOOD. BUT SOMETIMES THESE THINGS TAKE A WHILE.

YEAH, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

[7B. Green Infrastructure Grants]

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST MEETING AND LEROY JUST EARLIER SENT OUT THE LATEST DRAFT, WHICH IS JUST THE ONE PAGER.

AND SO SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST MEETING, LEROY, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES BEFORE WE KIND OF OPEN IT UP TO FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'VE BEEN SORT OF EDITING THIS.

WHITTLING AWAY AT IT.

I THINK BILL HAD SOME GOOD COMMENTS AFTER SEEING THE LATEST DRAFT, WHICH I'D LIKE TO US TO TALK ABOUT, AND I'LL LET HIM SHARE THAT.

BUT ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT PUTTING THIS TOGETHER WAS DISCOVERING THE GREEN SCHOOLYARDS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A NATIONAL EFFORT, WHICH HAS SOME REALLY NICE EXAMPLES THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SHARE.

AND I PUT THAT LINK IN THE LATEST VERSION THAT I SENT OUT THIS AFTERNOON.

IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEND YOU THAT.

BUT WE'RE OPEN TO EDITS AND--.

BILL, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS NOW OR DO YOU WANT TO--? YEAH, SURE.

I DID ADMIT A STRONG BIAS AS SOMEONE WHO PARTICIPATES IN A LOT OF GRANT PROGRAMS. AND IT WASN'T IMMEDIATELY CLEAR TO ME HOW MANY APPLICATIONS MIGHT BE ACCEPTED FROM EACH DISTRICT OR SCHOOL AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE EVALUATED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF POTENTIAL RECIPIENTS ARE GOING TO INVEST TIME IN WRITING A LETTER.

THE MORE TRANSPARENT WE CAN BE ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS WILL WORK.

AND I SINCE I WASN'T PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT, BUT THAT WAS MY THOUGHT. WELL, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, THOUGH, BECAUSE I'LL SHARE WHAT I ASSUME, WHICH IS I ASSUME IT IS ALWAYS RISKY, OF COURSE, BECAUSE I ASSUME THAT BEING MAYBE I ASSUME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL WILL GET THIS AND FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IS NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THAT THEY'LL ORGANIZE A TEAM OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY, PARENTS, MAYBE INTERESTED NEIGHBORS OR WHATEVER, AND SO THAT WE WOULD ONLY GIVE ONE PROPOSAL FROM EACH SCHOOL AND SO THAT WE REALLY WOULDN'T BE SCORING FOR OUR RANKING ANY COMPETING PROPOSALS. I KIND OF THINK THAT MIGHT BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.

AND SO I AGAIN, THIS IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I WAS KIND OF ENVISIONING A PROCESS BY WHICH ANYBODY HERE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS LOOKS AT THESE MINI PROPOSALS AND THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION OR SUGGESTIONS OR WHATEVER.

AND SO THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE FEEDBACK FROM A REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH WOULD BE THREE PEOPLE OR TEN PEOPLE OR WHATEVER.

AND THAT THEN THE SCHOOL TEAM WOULD DO SOME FURTHER REFINEMENT OF THEIR KIND OF MINI

[00:45:02]

AND I GUESS IF NOW IF THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE THINK IS A GOOD IDEA, I THINK LEROY, IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF PUT THAT EXPECTATION IN THE GRAND SOLICITATION, BECAUSE I THINK THEY'LL LOOK AT IT AND EVEN ASSUME WHAT I DID.

SO IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE, THEN WE WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING OF. I DON'T SEE MUCH VALUE IN HAVING DIFFERENT SCHOOL TEAMS KIND OF COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER FROM LIKE HASLETT, FOR EXAMPLE.

BUT THAT'S, AGAIN, JUST MY INITIAL REACTION.

OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ABOUT--.

YEAH, HOW'S THIS REVIEW PROCESS GOING TO WORK? I SEE THAT THEY'RE-- THE ONLY THING IS THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SMALL PROJECT.

SAY YOU ONLY NEED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR TO PURCHASE A COUPLE OF TREES OR FIVE TREES AND YOU DON'T. SO WE MIGHT WANT TO ENCOURAGE MULTIPLE PROPOSALS IF THEY ARE SMALLER IN SIZE.

I DON'T SEE THAT WE COULDN'T DO MORE THE ONE FOR SCHOOL, BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE. OH, MY REACTION TO THAT.

THAT WOULD BE MARVELOUS.

I PERSONALLY, I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THREE FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR PROPOSALS FROM HASLETT SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT'S TO ME, A LOT OF THE-- I DON'T KNOW, THAT MAYBE IS MORE WORK THAN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK A COMPETITIVE-- WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO ENCOURAGE COMPETITION, BUT MAYBE.

YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, LARRY.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A COUPLE OF SCHOOL TEAMS AND THEY SPLIT UP THE MONEY OR WHO KNOWS . OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.

ROSE? BUT MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT PART OF THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO STATE WHAT THEIR BUDGET WAS SO THAT THEY'RE SAYING WE NEED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.

AND IN THAT WAY, I WAS THINKING THAT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING MULTIPLE COMPETING PROPOSALS POTENTIALLY. BUT IT ALSO THEN ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DIVIDE THE MONEY UP IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET MULTIPLE PROPOSALS THAT ARE UNDER FIVE THOUSAND.

I GUESS WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT THE CAP IS FIVE THOUSAND.

AND THEN MY OTHER THOUGHT, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WAS GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE REVIEW PROCESS ALSO.

IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE FROM OUR BOARD.

NOW THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, WE'LL THROW THAT TO COURTNEY BECAUSE I ASSUME THEY WOULDN'T WANT TO, BUT WHO KNOWS? COURTNEY, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? CAN YOU READ WHAT WAS THE EXACT QUESTION? ROSE? I JUST WAS SAYING IN THIS REVIEW PROCESS, I WAS THINKING THAT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM A TOWNSHIP, THERE WOULD BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SITTING IN ON THE REVIEW OF WHATEVER PROPOSALS WE END UP GATHERING.

NOT SURE THAT THAT'S GENERALLY HOW THE BOARD WORKS.

I THINK USUALLY WE ALLOW THE COMMISSIONS AND THE OTHER BOARDS TO PROPOSE TO US THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO NOT TO SAY THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN.

AND AGAIN, I'M YOUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, BUT GENERALLY OUR COMMISSIONS AND OUR BOARDS PRESENT TO US AND THEN WE GIVE OUR FEEDBACK FROM THERE.

BUT I MEAN, I MYSELF WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING AND OR WE COULD PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD AND ASK IF THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A BAD THING TO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS INVOLVED. AND SO, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THAT'S HOW IT WORKS, BUT DOESN'T SAY THAT IT HAS TO BE THAT WAY. WELL COURTNEY TOO DO YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS REVIEW PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE COME UP WITH FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS OR DECISIONS? IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE WOULD WANT TO, AT A MINIMUM, PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD.

SO THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT, OF COURSE, IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR ISSUES THAT COME OUT OF THAT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO THAT--? OH, YEAH, I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT.

YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD MEMBER, WE GET THINGS BROUGHT TO US ALL THE TIME AND IT'S JUST SO NICE TO HAVE THE EDUCATION FROM THE ACTUAL COMMITTEES AND GIVING US THAT INPUT, GET THAT PRESENTATION PRIOR TO US HAVING TO EITHER DISCUSS ON OUR OWN OR EVEN MORE HAVING TO VOTE.

SO I WOULD ABSOLUTELY HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT THERE BE A PRESENTATION OF SOME SORT TO THE BOARD TO GIVE US SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT AND ASK QUESTIONS LIKE YOU SAID.

[00:50:05]

ASKED QUESTIONS AND MAYBE GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AND, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR THOUGHTS AND EVEN YOU CAN USUALLY KIND OF GRASP A CONSENSUS OF SOME SORT AND MODIFY ACCORDINGLY.

WELL, YOU KNOW, LEROY, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THIS DISCUSSION IS GOING TOO, I THINK THE GRAND SOLICITATION MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO KIND OF INDICATE I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY INDICATED THERE'S FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND I GUESS IT WOULDN'T HURT TO KIND OF INDICATE THAT WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT MULTIPLE PROPOSALS WITH AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SCHOOL JUST HAS FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TOTAL.

AND SO I WOULD HOPE WITH THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE IN THE GRANT SOLICITATION THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS MULTIPLE SCHOOL TEAMS THAT KIND OF WORK OUT AMONG THEMSELVES HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DIVVY UP THE MONEY.

BUT AGAIN, I WOULD JUST ASSUME THAT GOING INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO SCORE AND RANK PROPOSALS FROM ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

BUT THAT'S MY TWO CENTS.

OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS? YEAH, I WANTED TO PIPE IN, EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN OFF THE COMMISSION FOR TWO YEARS, I FIGURED I'D COME BACK AND VISIT AND I REALLY LIKE THIS IDEA YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT UP OF GETTING MONEY FOR--.

IT'S JUST LIKE A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMPETITION.

IS THAT WHAT IT IS EXACTLY? IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.

YEAH, IT'S PRETTY WIDE RANGING, BUT THE GENERAL THEME IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

YEAH, I WANTED TO-- I'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TIME UP HERE.

I'M ACTUALLY DOING RESEARCH IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, FOCUSING ON STORM WATER UP HERE AT TECH AND, MICHIGAN TECH, THAT IS.

AND I WAS CURIOUS IF I COULD GET IN ON THIS IN A WAY.

I WOULD I'D BE FULLY WILLING TO OFFER MYSELF AS MAYBE A SUPPORT SYSTEM TO THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING PROPOSALS.

YOU COULD PERHAPS JUST THROW MY EMAIL IN THE MAIN LANGUAGE AS YOU-- I DON'T TEST THEM WITH DOING EVERYTHING AND THEY COULD JUST MEET WITH ME AND I COULD HELP THEM RUN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL LANGUAGE YOU WANT TO CONSIDER.

I MEAN, I'M A CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT, SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF THAT LANGUAGE AS WELL.

SO I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.

THAT WOULD BE SO COOL TO HAVE A STUDENT MENTOR TO PARTICIPATE.

THANK YOU. BY THE WAY, WE DO HAVE ONE OPENING FOR A STUDENT MEMBER ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND LUCA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE MET BEN BEFORE, BUT--.

KINDRED SPIRITS, I'M SURE.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BOTH OF YOU, AND RETURNING BEN.

I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AWAY FROM ANYBODY ELSE, BUT--.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, YOU PROBABLY NOTICED I WAS FROZEN FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I'M BACK.

ROSE, WAS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER THE MEETING.

I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE.

ONE THING, ONE OTHER THING I DO WANT TO SAY, NOT THAT I WANT TO OPEN ANOTHER CAN OF WORMS, BUT IF WE DO GET COMPETING PROPOSALS, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STATE WHAT OUR CRITERIA ARE FOR CHOOSING ONE PROPOSAL OVER ANOTHER.

SO I THINK THAT OUR LITTLE SUBGROUP SHOULD PROBABLY PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE WE CA FLUSH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT AND COME BACK TO THE GENERAL BOARD WITH THE COMMITTEE WITH THEIR IDEA.

BECAUSE THESE QUESTIONS HAVE GIVEN US KIND OF MORE THINKING TO DO ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS AND UNDER DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND STUFF.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE DISCUSSION, I THINK THE FORUM IS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE LIVE.

SO IT'S WORTH THINKING ABOUT WHETHER YOU WANT TO STAY LIVE WHILE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO PROCESS THE APPLICATIONS.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THANKS, BILL.

[00:55:06]

WE'RE UP TO THE CHAIRS REPORT.

[8. CHAIR’S REPORT]

AND TOMORROW NIGHT, RICHARD [INAUDIBLE], WHO SOME OF YOU KNOW, FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIS TRANSPARENT SOLAR RESEARCH.

YOU KNOW, HE HAS BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND USING WINDOWS AND GLASS TO CAPTURE SOLAR ENERGY.

THAT'S GOING TO BE 7 O'CLOCK TOMORROW NIGHT ON OUR PROGRAM.

AND SO HE'S ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE INSULATION IN HIS OWN HOME, I BELIEVE, [INAUDIBLE]. SO LEROY, IF YOU COULD PUT A LINK TO THAT IN THE CHAT ROOM THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND SEE THAT MOVES US ON TO THE STAFF REPORT.

[9. STAFF REPORT]

JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MOST OF THE ITEMS ON MY AGENDA.

[INAUDIBLE] THE GREEN LIAISON'S OR GREEN GRANTS, THE MEDIA OUTREACH.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN OTTAWA HILLS, BUT THERE IS A RESIDENT IN OTTAWA HILLS WHO'S LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO PARTNER ON A COMMUNITY GARDEN.

AND ALSO LOOKING AT POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR A COMMUNITY GARDEN NEAR OTTAWA HILLS, WHICH IS KIND OF IN THIS NORTHWEST CORNER AT THE INTERSECTION OF OKEMOS AND GRAND RIVER THERE.

SEMINOLE DRIVE SORT OF SPANS HILLCREST AVENUE.

SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.

WE HAVE OVER 10 ACTIVE COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THERE'S NOT ONE RIGHT IN THIS IMMEDIATE VICINITY.

THE ONE OVER AT THE NORTH WIND IS SORT OF DORMANT BECAUSE OF A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING IN THERE. BUT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE CLOSEST ONE.

SO. THAT IS ONE ITEM ON MY AGENDA.

DOES ANYBODY WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? AND I CAN'T SEE ALL OF YOUR FACES WHILE I'M SHARING MY SCREEN, BUT THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION IS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE RECYCLING CENTER. AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT THOUGHTS ON THAT, IF YOU USE OUR RECYCLING CENTER, TRANSFER STATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE SOME SIGNAGE, MAYBE SOME BARRIERS HERE TO KEEP THE YARD WASTE AWAY FROM THE WETLANDS.

SO LET ME KNOW, WE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND OUR GREEN TEAM AND ALSO WITH SOME OF YOU, IF YOU'VE GOT THOUGHTS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU USE THE RECYCLING CENTER AND HAVE GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE TALKING TO RECLAIM BYDESIGN ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

AND THEN FINALLY, I'LL JUST REMIND YOU THAT WORKING ON THIS MEDIA OUTREACH PLAN, WHICH WOULD INCLUDEGREEN LIAISONS, BUT IF YOU HAVE EXPERTISE ON A TOPIC LIKE BEN MENTIONED, HIS EXPERTISE OR INTEREST IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, PET WASTE. THERE ARE CERTAIN THEMES THAT MIGHT EMERGE DEPENDING ON THE SEASON.

I WILL SHARE THIS LINK WITH YOU IN THE CHAT WINDOW.

AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO ACCESS THIS DRAFT OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP RESEARCH A TOPIC, MAYBE IF YOU'VE GOT AN IDEA FOR A STORY, LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

WELL, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU, LEROY, AND THAT TAKES US UP TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

[10A. Environmental Justice]

WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUTDATED LANGUAGE AND NEIGHBORHOOD COVENANTS IN THE PAST, AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS THE HOUSE BILL FORTY SIX SEVENTY SIX WENT TODAY IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

IT WAS A BILL WRITTEN BY REPRESENTATIVE [INAUDIBLE] ANTHONY, AND IT'S CALLED THE PROHIBITED RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS ACT.

AND IT'S COOL BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ASSOCIATIONS THE ABILITY TO STRIKE

[01:00:04]

AND SO I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PRESENTED THIS MORNING.

AND I NEVER HEARD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IF IT PASSED.

CAN'T IMAGINE IT WOULDN'T, BUT THERE IS NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ENERGY BEHIND IT, BECAUSE IN A LOT OF WAYS, SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S SYMBOLIC BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE FAIR HOUSING ACT THAT RENDERS A LOT OF THIS OUTDATED LANGUAGE ILLEGAL ANYHOW.

BUT THE FACT IS, WE NEED TO GET THAT DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COVENANTS, ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN ALMOST ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

SO I'M EXCITED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS PASSING AND MOVING FORWARD.

AND THEN OTHERWISE, COURTNEY AND I NEVER DID CONNECT, WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.

SEE, COURTNEY, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE FROM THE TOWNSHIP [INAUDIBLE]? I DO HAVE A FEW AND TO ADD ON TO ROSE, IF I COULD GET THAT HOUSE BILL NUMBER FROM YOU, THEY'LL BE FANTASTIC AND MAYBE I CAN LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE BOARD LEVEL WITH OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION TO MAYBE SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS. OTHER THAN THAT, WE DID HAVE THEIR SPECIAL MEETING FOR OUR TWENTY ONE-- SORRY, FY TWENTY ONE GOALS FOR THE BOARD, AND YOU CAN VIEW THOSE BUT TWO THERE'S THREE THAT I THINK ARE PERTINENT TO THE BOARD.

FIRST ONE IS CONTINUING TO EXPAND OUR SOLAR EFFORTS IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

SO LOOKING TO WHAT THERE'S FUNDING APPROPRIATED AND LOOKING TO EXPAND THOSE SOLAR EFFORTS AND WHERE WE WOULD DO THAT.

MENTIONED THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TASK FORCE.

IT IS CERTAINLY THERE IS MOMENTUM, IT IS A TRYING AND A SLOW MOVING EFFORT. BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHT AND INTENTION PUT INTO THIS IS IT'S NOT JUST A CONVERSATION, IT'S A DIALOG.

BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TRUSTEE JACKSON TRUSTEE OPSOMMER AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE ACTUAL DIRECTORS OF THE TEAM TO GET THEIR INPUT ON EXACTLY WHAT HAS BEEN ALREADY CONVEYED ACROSS THE STAFF AND OR THE WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY THINK WOULD BE BEST FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL DIVISION.

SO I THINK THAT'S MOVING FORWARD WE'VE GOTTEN REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK.

WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INTEREST.

SO THAT'S REALLY POSITIVE FOR MOVING FORWARD.

I THINK OUR NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO LOOK AT HIRING MAYBE A CONSULTANT OF SOME SORT TO HELP US DETERMINE A PLAN AND HOW WE WANT TO HANDLE THAT AS A RESULT OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE DIRECTORS THEMSELVES.

AT THIS LITTLE LITTLE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

BUT I'M SORRY, A LITTLE OFF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BUT A LITTLE INTO SOCIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING A TOWNSHIP WIDE BROADBAND.

AND WITH THAT, MY QUESTION TO THE BOARD INTO THE TEAM WAS, WILL THAT BE AVAILABLE TO OUR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THAT WE'RE HERE NOW IN THIS SITUATION WHERE EVEN MYSELF AND MY FAMILY IS STRUGGLING WITH HAVING ENOUGH BANDWIDTH TO, YOU KNOW, TO ACCOMMODATE TWO KIDS AT HOME AND TWO ADULTS.

AND WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY FAMILY IN MERIDIAN HAS THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AT HOME LEARNING, AS I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON.

AND IT MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT LONG TERM.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THAT TEMPORARY, I GUESS, MODIFIED SCHEDULE. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE TOWNSHIP, BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING A LOT, HAVING FOLKS AT HOME AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH BANDWIDTH AND OR WI-FI TO SUPPORT THAT.

OTHER THINGS, SO LEROY HAD MENTIONED THE RECYCLING CENTER, SO WE HAD HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS OF POTENTIALLY MOVING THE RECYCLING CENTER, BUT BASED ON SOME COST BENEFIT

[01:05:03]

SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO NEED TO BE MADE. AND I'M WONDERING AND I KNOW IT'S COVID, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO SOME SORT OF FIELD TRIP AS A GROUP TO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE THINGS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A PLAN AND MAYBE PRESENT THAT BACK TO THE BOARD IN ORDER TO MANAGER WALSH.

AND HERE'S WHAT WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MOVING.

WE HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABILITY OR AT LEAST SAVING SOME FUNDING FROM NOT MOVING.

AND SO WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY HERE.

SO I KNOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, WITH COVID, IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY, BUT MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN THINK ABOUT IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS GET BETTER, I HOPE THEY GET BETTER ONCE WE GET A VACCINE.

MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THERE, BUT IT'S FANTASTIC.

AND I THINK IT'S ONLY GOING TO IMPROVE AS WE GET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.

BUT I YOU KNOW, WE GO AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AND IT'S JUST BEING THAT IT'S OPEN AIR AND THERE'S-- BUT IT'S SHELTERED.

IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT TO HAVE THAT THERE.

AND I SO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR CENTER, OUR DESTINATION FOR MERIDIAN EVENTUALLY AND SO IT JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BUY LOCAL TO GO THERE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT THERE.

I THINK, LEROY, YOU HAD INCLUDED THE COMMUNICATION FROM TREASURER DECHAINE ABOUT WORKING ON THE DRAINS UNDER GRAND RIVER AND OKEMOS ROAD THERE AND IN LOOKING TO DURING THE REPAVING OF TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP ON OUR MINDS AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

WE'VE GOT-- WE'VE CERTAINLY GOT A DRAINAGE PROBLEM THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE REPAVING, BUT LOOKING AT MAYBE SOME LONG TERM, WHETHER IT BE RECOMMENDATIONS OR EVEN JUST KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT PROJECT ITSELF.

LAST THING TO MENTION IS I WILL BE ON OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS THE 8TH WILL BE APPOINTED TO THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD, TRI-COUNTY GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD, AS TRUSTEE MEMBER IN THE MEETING WILL BE DECEMBER 9TH.

I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS BOARD.

I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH MY WORK AT THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY HEALTH HUMAN SERVICES.

SOME OF MY WORK IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO DRINKING WATER AND SPECIFICALLY LEAD IN DRINKING WATER. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE THAT LIAISON OR THAT MEMBER AS WELL.

SO I'M HOPING THAT I CAN BRING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE BOARD AND WE CAN JUST MAKE THIS FULL CIRCLE OF KEEPING, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED.

AND IF WE CAN CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND HOWEVER I CAN HELP, I'M JUST-- I'M MORE THAN WILLING. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

HEY, THANK YOU COURTNEY.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR COURTNEY BEFORE WE MOVE ON OR--? OK, I THINK NEXT WE'RE UP TO THE I THINK THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

[11B. Brownfield Redevelopment Authority]

WELL, TWO WEEKS AGO TOMORROW.

THAT WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF ELEMENTS OF THE PAPERWORK WERE NOT READY.

AND SO NOTHING NEW HAS HAPPENED SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, BUT I PRESUME WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING NEXT TIME WE MEET.

[INAUDIBLE].

WELL, THE ENERGY TEAM DID MEET THIS PAST MONTH, AND WE HAVE CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT

[11C. Energy Team]

AND WE DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, TOO, ABOUT HOW THE ENERGY TEAM MIGHT RELATE TO THESE GREEN LIAISON'S.

YOU KNOW, THERE ONE DISCUSSION WAS MAYBE THAT WE COULD HAVE PUT OUT AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR ALL THE GREEN LIAISONS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

AND SO THAT WOULD HELP THEM BECOME MORE OF A RESOURCE PERSON FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO OUR DISCUSSIONS LIKE THAT CONTINUE AND--.

THAT BRINGS US UP TO THE GREEN TEAM.

[01:10:02]

BUT THEY SAID THAT THE UTILITIES HAVE CHANGED THE RULES IN TERMS OF VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, BOOKUP FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING FOR THE TOWNSHIP HOW MUCH OF A MOVING TARGET IS-- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ARE THE YOU KNOW, THE SORT OF INCENTIVE TYPE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE UTILITIES AND--.

YEAH, HOW MUCH OF A MOVING TARGET IS THAT IN TERMS OF BOTH FINANCES AND THE SORT OF PHYSICAL SET UPS WE MAY WANT TO CHOOSE? SO I WAS JUST JOKING WITH HER.

I SAID, WELL, YOU CAN TELL THEM TO SCREW OFF BECAUSE IF YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, INSTALL BATTERIES, THEN THEY WON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO CLAIM THAT THEY'RE YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE GENERATING IS RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT THEY GET CREDIT FOR.

AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW SORT OF THE CONSTELLATION OF THESE INTERACTIONS WORKS FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE TOWNSHIP.

LET ME MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

ONE HAS TO DO WITH NET METERING, WHICH IS A COMMON PROGRAM AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU BASICALLY CAN ANY EXCESS POWER YOU HAVE FROM YOUR SOLAR SYSTEM, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO THE UTILITY AND THEN GIVE A BILL CREDIT.

THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION THAT AUTHORIZED NET METERING, UNFORTUNATELY PUT IN THERE A ONE PERCENT CAP OF ONE PERCENT BEING THE ONE PERCENT OF ALL THE UTILITIES LOAD WHICH CONSUMERS ENERGY HAS NOW REACHED.

AND SO CONSUMERS ENERGY HAS STOPPED TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR NET METERING.

AND THERE'S DISCUSSIONS, NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON NOW AND THE CAP BE INCREASED.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT GETS REAL COMPLICATED.

WHAT HAPPENS, THOUGH, IS THAT I MEAN, IT IS KIND OF RELEVANT TO PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NEXT YEAR. I'M KIND OF GUESSING, LEROY, THAT THE TWO INSTALLATIONS THAT WE DID THIS YEAR, BUT ONE WAS BIGGER THAN-- WELL BOTH WERE QUALIFIED UNDER NET METERING AND PROBABLY THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY GONE BEFORE THEY PUT IN PLACE THIS MORATORIUM.

IS THAT-- AM I CORRECTLY ASSUMING THAT? I'M NOT UP ON THE MORATORIUM TIMELINE, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S THE CASE.

IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH SYSTEMS ARE PRODUCING AND INTERCONNECTED.

SO BUT AS FAR AS HOW THAT IS AFFECTED, OUR SYSTEM, HOPING NOT.

WELL, I'M PRETTY SURE THIS THING WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY JUST HAPPENED.

SO I'M PRETTY SURE OUR FARMERS MARKET AND THE FIRE STATION ARE FINE THAT THEY GOT IN BEFORE THE CEILING CAME INTO PLAY.

OF COURSE, THIS COULD BE RELEVANT TO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR, BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S--.

HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING WILL GET WORKED OUT.

YEAH, I WAS MAINLY SORT OF CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THE LANDSCAPE MAY BE CHANGING FOR FOR A LONG TIME, PEOPLE WERE SAYING, OH, COME ON, YOU KNOW, INSTALLATION OF STORAGE HAS NO POTENTIAL, IT'S EXPENSIVE, AND BATTERIES HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND MAINTAINED AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT NET METERING WAS AVAILABLE. AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS ON KIND OF HOW THINGS ARE EVOLVING. YEAH, THE COST OF BATTERIES IS GOING DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND MEANWHILE, AS YOU POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ISSUES THAT UTILITY POLICIES AND STATE POLICIES ARE CHANGING WITH RESPECT IN THAT MAJOR GREEN AND OTHER PROGRAMS. SO WHICH WILL GIVE A REAL PUSH FOR BATTERIES.

AND A LOT OF THERE'S ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW BATTERIES BEING INSTALLED IN HOMES IN MICHIGAN NOW AND ALSO COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.

SO THE MARKET IS KIND OF DEVELOPING, TAKING OFF, BUT IT'S RAPIDLY CHANGING.

SO LET'S SEE, OK, MOVING ON THE GREEN TEAM.

[11D. Green Team]

I LIKE THE IDEA OF A FIELD TRIP TO--.

COULD I SEE A SHOW OF HANDS OF WHO MIGHT WANT TO GO ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE RECYCLING

[01:15:03]

I THINK THIS IS TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

AND PHIL HAS MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE SUCH STRONG SUPPORT AND THERE'S SO MANY POSSIBILITIES RIGHT NOW FOR WORKING TOGETHER ON PROJECTS.

I THINK WE'RE UP TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, JIM.

[11E. Land Preservation Advisory Board]

WELCOME BACK, EVEN IF IT'S TEMPORARY.

I THINK LAST MEETING I GAVE YOU QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION ON WHAT THE LAND PRESERVATION BUDGET BOARD WAS UP TO.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE DOING.

IN OUR LAST MEETING, WE DID TALK ABOUT THE LAKE LANSING NORTH BERM.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S HAPPENED YET, BUT THERE ARE PLANS TO DO THAT.

AND ALSO, WE TALKED ABOUT A BERM ON THE DAVIS FOSTER PROPERTY.

THAT HAS-- WE HAVE TO HAVE A FORMAL PROPOSAL THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO US PROBABLY AT THE NEXT MEETING OR POSSIBLY THE ONE AFTER THAT.

THE OTHER THING THAT IS RATHER INTERESTING TO REPORT ON, THE DEER HERD MANAGEMENT.

LAST YEAR, THERE WERE EIGHTY THREE DEER HARVESTED.

AS OF AT LEAST TWO DAYS AGO, THERE WERE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR DEER HARVESTED THIS YEAR. AND YESTERDAY EVENING I DID COUNT FIVE IN MY BACKYARD.

THERE ARE STILL MORE-- THERE ARE STILL SOME MORE OUT THERE FOR THE AVID HUNTERS.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOMETHING OVER TWO THOUSAND POUNDS OF VENISON THAT HAVE BEEN HARVESTED AND TURNED OVER TO THE FOOD CO-OPS OR WHEREVER THEY GO . THE TOWNSHIP HAS A COOLER THE DEER CAN BE BROUGHT INTO AND THEN TURNED OVER TO THE FOOD KITCHEN. SO THAT'S ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT.

HEY, JIM, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OR DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY DEER ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP? A ROUGH ESTIMATE THERE? NO, I DON'T THINK I'VE HEARD ANY ESTIMATE ON THAT, BILL.

HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DEER WE MIGHT HAVE? PROBABLY A MILLION.

EVERYBODY HAS AN ESTIMATE.

[LAUGHTER] IT'S A MOVING TARGET.

I DO KNOW THAT LUANNE AND JANE DO HAVE AN ESTIMATE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT I COULD FIND THAT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT MERIDIAN HAS GOT A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION COMPARED TO SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

AND I KNOW THAT THE GOAL IS TO HAS BEEN STATED TO TRY TO HARVEST ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY WOULD TRADE AND HOW THAT WOULD RELATE TO THE CARRYING CAPACITY THAT BILL IS PROBABLY MORE UP ON THAT THAN I AM.

BUT I THINK THE CARRYING CAPACITY IS FAR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

THERE'S A LOT OF DEER OUT THERE, THAT'S FOR SURE.

THANK YOU, JIM. A LOT OF THE CAPACITY OF THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO DO WITH, LIKE JIM MENTIONED, WHERE DO YOU TAKE IT.

SO YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY YOURSELF.

SO THEN DONATING THEM, HOW DO YOU DONATE AND HOW DO YOU TRANSPORT? WHERE DOES IT GO? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT I KNOW THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT HAS EXPANDED OVER TIME.

SO IT'S A LEARNING PROCESS.

AND I KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE.

SO IT'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

[01:20:02]

SO MAYBE I SHOULD THROW IN SOMETHING ELSE HERE FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING IN ORDER TO HUNT. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH TRAINING AND GET APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP OR THE PARKS.

AND SO YOU CAN'T JUST GO OUT AND START SHOOTING.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S-- I'M SURE THERE'S NO RIFLE HUNTING.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S EVEN A SHOTGUN UNLESS THERE MAY BE SOME.

THERE MAY BE IN THE NEXT COUNTY OR SOMETHING THAT [INAUDIBLE], BUT I DON'T THINK IN OUR DEVELOPED TOWNSHIP THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH, IT'S WITH BOW AND AND THEY ADDED SOME SHARP SHOOTERS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR, BUT THE POLICE OFFICERS ONLY.

BUT YEAH, THE RESIDENTS THAT DO MAINTAIN WE IT'S NOT REALLY A LICENSE, BUT THE ELIGIBILITY IS FOR BOW.

[INAUDIBLE] AND I SUPPOSE THAT THE SHARPSHOOTERS HAVE NOT STARTED YET OR HAVE BEEN? YOU KNOW? I DON'T KNOW THAT, JIM, BUT I COULD FIND OUT.

I DON'T KNOW. SHARPSHOOTERS ARE STARTING JANUARY 1ST WHEN THE PARKS AND REC PROGRAM ENDS.

THANK YOU, STEPHEN. OK, I GUESS WE'RE MOVING ON TO TOM.

[11F. MI Township Association (MTA) or MI Municipal League (MML)]

OF COURSE. YEAH.

A COUPLE OF THINGS.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, WERE IN THE LAME DUCK SESSION.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S A THREE WEEK PERIOD BEFORE THE END OF THIS TWO YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND SO IT IS PRETTY CRAZY RIGHT NOW.

BUT ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF MTA AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IS TO ENSURE THAT GROUPS LIKE THIS AND TOWNSHIP BOARDS AND CITY COUNCILS CAN CONTINUE TO MEET VIRTUALLY. SO THERE IS A BILL THAT'S MOVING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WILL EXTEND THAT ABILITY THROUGH MARCH 31ST OF NEXT YEAR.

AND WE MAY BE IN A SITUATION WHERE IT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED BEYOND THAT, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL TO GET THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION THROUGH BEFORE THE END OF THIS THREE WEEK PERIOD. A COUPLE OTHER THINGS IS THERE IS A BILL THAT WAS JUST REPORTED TODAY FROM COMMITTEE TO THE HOUSE FLOOR DEALING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WATER WORKS PROJECTS AND KIND OF ENHANCING THAT FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE STATE REVOLVING LOAN FUND TO INCORPORATE ENERGY AND EFFICIENCY INTO WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.

SO THAT'S MOVING THROUGH.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO SOME LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS ON A MICHIGAN CLEAN WATER PLAN, AND THAT WOULD MAKE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THINGS LIKE STORM WATER IMPROVEMENTS, AGAIN, WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRINKING WATER PROJECTS AS WELL.

SO THOSE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING DURING THE LAME DUCK SESSION HERE AND HOPEFULLY THOSE WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU, TOM. THAT'S SOMETHING I'M SURE SOME OF THAT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

YEAH, RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE ON TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION BILL.

[11G. Planning Commission]

THE FIRST WAS TO REZONE THREE PARCELS ON THE EAST SIDE OF CENTRAL PARK, WEST OF POWELL, SO BETWEEN CENTRAL PARK AND POWELL AND NORTH OF GRAND RIVER FROM A SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY TO A MULTIFAMILY MAXIMUM, 8 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.

THE COMMISSION DID NOT APPROVE THAT REZONING.

THE SECOND ONE AS INCONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN.

[01:25:01]

SO IF YOU'RE COMING WESTBOUND ON GRAND RIVER, YOU PASSED MARSH ROAD AND THERE'S AN ENTRANCE AND AN EXIT TO THE MALL, AND BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT ENTRANCE EXIT, THE PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A DRIVE THROUGH BANK ON THAT PROPERTY.

THE COMMISSION VOTED TO RECOMMEND THAT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT HAS NOT YET REACHED THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

THERE WAS A GOAL PLANNING SESSION AND SOME SWEARING IN AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S REACHED THE TOWNSHIP BOARD YET.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THANK YOU, BILL. AND THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IS LAST REPORT.

[11H. Transportation Commission]

APPARENTLY, THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS DONE A STUDY WITH REGARD TO THE INTERSECTION OF [INAUDIBLE] CENTRAL PARK AND GRAND RIVER AND FORTY THREE, THERE HAVE BEEN REQUESTS FOR A LONG TIME FOR A LEFT TURN, DEDICATED LEFT TURN PHASE AT THAT INTERSECTION.

AND THEIR STUDY APPARENTLY JUSTIFIED THAT.

SO DURING OR AFTER THE RESURFACING OF GRAND RIVER, WE CAN EXPECT AN IMPROVEMENT AT THAT INTERSECTION. THANKS, BILL. ROSE.

JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY.

I NOTICED IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA, BUT NOT TILL AFTER WE TALKED ABOUT THE AGENDA.

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU'RE ALL LOSING SLEEP OVER THIS, BUT MY WHOLE TREE CITY EFFORT, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DID TALK WITH KEVIN SAYERS, AND I STILL DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A TREE CITY.

I DUG UP TWO ORDINANCES THAT I THINK ARE APPLICABLE, AND SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GIVE UP THE FIGHT. AND ROSE, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP? I STILL NEED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH LEROY AND FEEL ABOUT BUDGET AND EITHER MODIFYING, JUST COMING OVER THESE ORDINANCES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.

IF THEY DON'T, WE MIGHT HAVE TO DRAFT SOMETHING UP.

AND I CAN-- I'LL TALK TO LEROY ABOUT THAT, BUT I CAN TAKE CHARGE OF THAT IF THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. IT SOUNDS GOOD.

WELL WE'RE UP TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

[12. PUBLIC REMARKS]

NED, CAN I GET FROM YOU A DIRECT EMAIL THAT I CAN SEND OVER A COPY? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS PSA THING.

I'M PICKING UP THE POOP.

BUT I WOULD LIKE-- THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT THE ACCURACY, I GUESS I'D SAY, OF THE SECOND VERSE. AND I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WE'RE SAYING IS THE RIGHT WAY BEFORE ANYTHING GOES ANY FURTHER WITH IT.

IF I HAVE TO MODIFY THE LANGUAGE OF IT, I CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

BUT I WANTED TO SEND THAT OVER TO YOU, CLIFF.

I THOUGHT CLIFF MIGHT BE HERE. I THOUGHT THE TWO OF YOU WOULD BE THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD KNOW BEST WHETHER THE WAY IT'S BEING SUNG IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE REALITY OF THINGS.

AND I CAN-- IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE ABLE TO HEAR A COPY OF THAT. BUT IF YOU HAVE, I CAN SEND A COPY OVER FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO AND YOU CAN PROVIDE ME SOME COMMENTS. BUT I JUST-- I WANTED TO GET YOUR DIRECT EMAIL ADDRESS, SO I'M SENDING IT OFF SOMEWHERE TO THE MSU, LARGER EMAIL BANK.

WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, THE EMAIL THAT LEROY USES FOR ME IN THE GROUP, MESSAGES THAT YOU'VE PRESUMABLY RECEIVED FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR WEDNESDAY MORNING THINGS, THAT'S THE ADDRESS I WOULD USE, BUT I CAN SEND IT TO YOU.

OK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS THERE, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? THE SUBJECT OF THE NUMBER OF DEER.

I CONSULTED THE SMARTEST PERSON I KNOW ON THE SUBJECT OF DEER IN THE AREA, SEAN RILEY.

AND HE SAID THREE TO SIX THOUSAND FOR THE AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP IS HIS BEST WILD ASS GUESS.

[01:30:09]

AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A LOT HE SAID IF SOMETHING MORE INTELLIGENT IS NEEDED, I HAVE THE CONTEXT.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST AS A REFERENCE POINT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE-- WHAT NUMBER DO WE COMPARE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TO? RIGHT.

WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND OR ONE HUNDRED.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE.

RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, I'LL JUST TAKE 30 SECONDS, BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF GETTING US DONE BY EIGHT THIRTY, BUT I WANT TO THANK NED AND JOHN FOR AGREEING TO BE REAPPOINTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

WE'VE TRADITIONALLY REAPPOINT PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN STAYING ALONG ANOTHER THREE YEARS. AND, OF COURSE, ANYONE CAN ABORT AT ANY TIME.

BUT IF WE JUST WANT TO, BECAUSE THE NEW YEAR IS KICKING IN AND THE TRUSTEES ARE APPROVING THESE REAPPOINTMENTS.

AT SOME POINT, WE WANT TO DISCUSS IF THAT'S THE-- WITH ALL THAT RENEWED INTEREST AND POTENTIALLY SOME MORE COMPETITION FOR SEATS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT PROCESS OR HOW WE WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR STEWARDSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS, IT'S REALLY FUN WORKING WITH YOU. WELL, THANK YOU, LEROY.

APPARENTLY NED AND I HAVEN'T CAUSE TOO MUCH TROUBLE.

[LAUGHTER] AND I HAVEN'T BEEN FIRED YET.

NO, BUT THERE-- IT'S INCREDIBLY EXCITING AS COURTNEY POINTED OUT, AS YOU POINTED OUT, LEROY, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GETTING THAT MUCH MORE SORT OF TRACTION AND SUPPORT AND JUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

IT'S REALLY-- IT'S A CREDIT TO LEROY CREDIT TO JOHN.

IT'S A CREDIT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

AND SO IT'S VERY EXCITING.

WHEN BEN COMES BACK HERE, HE'S GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, TOO.

HE'S GOING TO-- WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPAND THE COMMISSION.

SUSAN, GO AHEAD.

[INAUDIBLE] I JUST LEARNED IT BEFORE IN THE CHAT THAT I HAD USE THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MAP IN MY CLASS.

AND TO DO A SCAVENGER HUNT ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT BEN IS THE AUTHOR OF THAT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MAP.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MAP AND YOU WANT TO DO A FIELD TRIP IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, CHECK IT OUT.

IT'S REALLY COOL.

GREAT JOB, BEN. [INAUDIBLE] AND COAUTHOR.

YEAH, I DIDN'T KNOW GIS.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PARTING WORDS BEFORE WE ADJOURN? OK, CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THANK YOU, BILL. SECOND? THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].

ALL IN FAVOR. HEY, THANKS, EVERYBODY, AND HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY.

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS. TAKE CARE.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR. THAT'S RIGHT.

TAKE CARE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.