Jan 06, 2021 Environmental Commission Meeting

[00:00:05]

WELL, LET ME CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

LET'S SEE. WELL, IT'S BEEN A CRAZY DAY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT CALMER HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THANK GOODNESS.

AND SO LET'S FIRST ITEM IS, OF COURSE, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]

ALL IN FAVOR, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, PLEASE.

OK, MOVING ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, AND IS THERE ANY SUGGESTED CHANGES OR

[3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES]

THE SECOND. OK, THANK YOU, LUCA.

AND ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OK, THAT BRINGS US UP TO PUBLIC REMARKS, AND I BELIEVE JOHN IS GOING TO TREAT US WITH A

[4. PUBLIC REMARKS]

OK, THIS POINT IS JUST AN MP3.

IT'S NOT YET AN MP4 WHICH IS POSSIBLE.

BUT I WILL I THINK ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE] HAS THE COPY OF THE MP THREE, WHICH HE WILL PLAY.

BUT I DO HAVE A LITTLE INTRODUCTION, BUT I THINK YOU PROBABLY ALL HEARD YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS. BUT LET ME JUST READ WHAT I HAVE HERE IN THE WEDNESDAY MORNING GREEN DIALOG MEETING LET LEROY ORGANIZE AS WE TALK ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

ONE OF THEM CAME UP A FEW WEEKS AGO.

HAS TO DO WITH WHAT I WILL REFER TO AS PET WASTE, THE SOLID FORM.

AND WE DISCUSSED A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PICK UP AND DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY. SOME PLACES HAVE SIGNS ON PATHS.

SOMEHOW WE HAVE WASTE BAGS OR WASTE BAG DISPENSERS.

AND MY BACKGROUND NOT BEING SO MUCH IN THE SCIENCE AREA, MORE AS A WRITER AND PRODUCER IN THE STUDIO, I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD FIND SOME WAY TO BRING THIS TO THE PUBLIC IN A FRIENDLY, ENTERTAINING MANNER.

AND I DEVELOPED WHAT I CALL A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT WITH A FITTING TITLE OF PICK UP THE POOP. I BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE.

WELL, I'LL ADD THIS IN.

BUT LEROY YOU HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO PLAY FOR OUR LISTENERS.

I'M SURE THEY CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR IT.

YES, I DO. YEAH.

ARE YOU ARE YOU ALL READY.

WE'RE READY. HANG ON TO YOUR SEATS.

I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS VERSION EITHER.

SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING SHOCKING ABOUT IT, BLAME JOHN.

YES, IT'S REALLY NOT THIS, JOHN.

WAS THAT IT? THERE'S ACTUALLY AN ENDING THERE SOMEWHERE.

[LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE] THOUGHT BEHIND ALL THIS AND WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, IS THAT THERE MAY BE WAYS I THINK THERE ARE WAYS OF PRESENTING SOME OF THIS INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC IN A MORE PALATABLE FORUM THAN JUST KIND OF SHOVING IT DOWN THEIR THROATS.

THERE MAY BE AN ENTERTAINING WAY OF DOING THIS BECAUSE TO ME, THAT'S EASY TO LISTEN TO.

KIND OF BRINGS A SMILE ON YOUR FACE, AND YET IT PUTS YOU IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT

[00:05:04]

AND I GUESS PART OF WHAT MY THOUGHT IS OR MY QUESTION IS, DOES THE TOWNSHIP HAVE ANY INTEREST IN PURSUING SOME MORE THINGS ALONG THIS LINE IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM THAT COULD BE TAKEN ONE AT A TIME AND LOOKED AT AND SORT OF FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DOING IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOMETHING AS KIND OF FUNNY ALREADY AS THIS WOULD BE, BUT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE WILL ENJOY LISTENING TO IT.

AND MAYBE IT BRINGS TO THEIR MIND, TO THEIR ATTENTION SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION AND VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NED.

AND JUST TAKE A SECOND TO THANK NED AND CLIFF, BOTH FOR DOING THE YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE ME ALL THIS SCIENCE STUFF TO WORK WITH, WHICH I HAD TO WATER DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT, WELL, I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER.

YES. SO IT'S TECHNICALLY CORRECT AND ALSO VERY ENTERTAINING.

AND IT DOES DEFINITELY GET A MESSAGE ACROSS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS WE HAD A GREEN DIALOG THIS MORNING AT NINE O'CLOCK AND THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND CITIZENS, INCLUDING WHAT JOHN IS DOING.

AND CLIFF ACTUALLY SHARED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION HAS BEEN DOING.

SO IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN KIND OF TALKING ABOUT OUTREACH, THOSE WEDNESDAY MORNING DIALOGS ARE A GOOD PLACE TO KIND OF CHAT ABOUT IT.

AND I GUESS WITH THAT, I MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND NOMINATION ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

[5A. Nomination and Election of Officers]

SO FEEL FREE TO VOLUNTEER.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO BE EVEN MORE INVOLVED.

YOU'RE ALL INVOLVED ALREADY.

SO WITH THAT, LET ME OPEN UP THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

I'D LIKE TO VOTE FOR OR NOMINATE THE OFFICERS WHO ARE ALREADY OFFICERS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DOING SUCH A FABULOUS JOB, BUT THAT'S UP TO YOU GUYS.

OK, DO DO I HEAR A SECOND? I SEE JIM, OK.

AND I ACTUALLY ROSE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

ROSE, ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT THE NOMINATION? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR WELL, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ELECTED YET BECAUSE.

ALL IN FAVOR OF.

WELL, LET ME ASK FIRST, IS THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? THE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS, WHO'S GOING TO STORM THE TOWNSHIP.

[LAUGHTER] RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, MOVING RIGHT ALONG, OK.

ALL IN FAVOR OF JIM.

ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING? I MOVE NOMINATIONS TO BE CLOSED.

SECOND.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT JIM.

[INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, THAT WAS VERY GOOD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOUNDS VERY PROPER IN ORDER TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.

THANK YOU. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF RETAINING OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

IT LOOKS LIKE, I GUESS, ANY OPPOSED.

OK, OK, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.

MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2021.

[5B. Meeting Schedule for 2021]

THIS SEEMS LIKE A KIND OF ROUTINE MATTER.

CAN I HEAR A NOMINATION OR A, YOU KNOW, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SCHEDULE OF THE MEETINGS? OK, [INAUDIBLE] OK.

A SECOND, OK, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? JUST FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN THE PACKET OR HAD NOT READ THE PACKET IT'S BASICALLY THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH FOR 2021.

SO IS THERE ANY DATES THAT HAD TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS OR WHATEVER? NOT THAT I RECALL.

OK, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE.

I DON'T I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR, BUT DOES THAT HAVE ANY CHANCE OF OVERLAPPING WITH THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY? YEAH, WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IF NEEDED, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS INTERFERING WITH ANY TOWNSHIP HOLIDAYS.

BUT IF PEOPLE PREFER TO, OFTEN WE'VE EVEN CANCELED.

[00:10:04]

THAT WOULD BE NICE. HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL ALL BE VACCINATED.

YEAH, OK, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OK, AND ANY OPPOSED.

OK, LET'S SEE.

GOALS FOR 2021.

[5C. Goals for 2021]

SO DO MOST OF YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? I DON'T.

I DON'T, BUT I WOULD JUST I WOULD JUST SAY, IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS OR CHANGES, PERHAPS THEY COULD EITHER SEND THEM ALONG OR BRING THEM UP NOW AND WE CAN MAYBE OFFICIALLY VOTE ON THIS NEXT TIME IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO DO IT TONIGHT.

YEAH, MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

YOU KNOW, LET ME JUST BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE.

WE'VE GOT TO ASSIST WITH THE GREEN GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS EXPAND THE GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK, ACHIEVE TREE CITY, USA DESIGNATION AND IMPLEMENT THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND ALL THE VARIOUS ONGOING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, GREEN THEME PRESENTATIONS, REVIEWING WETLAND PERMITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARDS, AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, YOU KNOW, REGIONAL ACTIVITY, TOO.

SO THAT'S. BUT YEAH, LEROY.

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WHY DON'T WE UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

WE CAN PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

YES, COURTNEY. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A VOTING MEMBER, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WITH ALL THE WORK THAT CLIFF'S DONE AND ALL THE WORK THE COMMISSION HAS DONE, MAYBE CONSIDERING I MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT IMPLEMENTING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INTO TOWNSHIP, I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M NOT THINKING I'VE BEEN WATCHING CNN ALL DAY AND INTO EITHER TOWNSHIP CODES AND OR ORDINANCES.

AND ACTUALLY UNDER, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. BUT I JUST KIND OF WAS QUICKLY GOING OVER IT.

IT'S UNDER THE IMPLEMENT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.

IT TALKS ABOUT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONTINUE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, CHANGES TO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, CONTINUED PROGRESS FROM RENEWABLE AND EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHER PARTNERS.

GOT IT. IT DID MAKE THE LIST UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.

GREAT. JIM. I WOULD SUGGEST OR EVEN MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THESE.

RECOGNIZING THAT THEY ARE VARIABLE, ANYWAY, WE CAN WE CAN ADJUST ALL OF THEM AS WE GO.

OH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. OK, WE HAVE TO REVISIT NEXT MONTH.

WE COULD WE COULD LOOK AT THIS AND WE COULD REVISIT IT IN JULY AND SAY, HEY, WE GOT SOMETHING NEW TO ADD.

DO I HEAR A SECOND TO THAT MOTION.

I WOULD SECOND THAT.

OK. [INAUDIBLE] FURTHER DISCUSSION, I THINK I'M CERTAINLY COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT.

WHAT DOES EVERYBODY THINK.

I SEE SOME HEAD SHAKING, SO.

OK, LET'S LET'S TAKE IT TO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE GOALS FOR 2021 PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ANY OPPOSED.

OK, LET'S SEE.

ACTUALLY, THAT BRINGS US UP TO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT AND RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL

[6A. Green Infrastructure Audit & related Environmental Review]

[00:15:08]

AND SO HE HAS RECOMMENDED OR SUGGESTED THAT WE MIGHT NOT DO ANYTHING INITIALLY AT OUR TOWNSHIP LEVEL, BUT PARTICIPATE IN THE REGIONAL REVIEW.

AND CLIFF, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BETTER? YES. SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, CLIFF WALLS WITH TRI-COUNTY.

MY MAIN FUNCTION IS AS THE COORDINATOR OF THE GREATER LANSING REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS THE 17 COMMUNITY COMMITTEE THAT HANDLES A LOT OF THE STORMWATER PROGRAM AND A SHARED APPROACH, A REGIONAL APPROACH.

AND AT OUR MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE DISCUSSED TRYING TO REGIONALIZE THIS EFFORT.

NOT SO MUCH THE AUDIT, YOU KNOW, THE REVIEW OF CODE OF ORDINANCES, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES WILL DO THAT ON THEIR OWN, BUT REGIONALIZING A BASICALLY A GUIDANCE MANUAL THAT WILL HAVE SOME PRE VETTED BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE THAT COULD BE ADOPTED TO REPLACE THE OUTDATED AND PROHIBITIVE CODES THAT MAY EXIST OUT THERE.

SO BASICALLY, WE WOULD COMPILE SOME STANDARD BEST PRACTICE LANGUAGE THAT AREA PLANNERS, PLANNING COMMISSIONS, BOARDS, AND THEN USE THAT AS A STARTING POINT TO THEN IMPLEMENT THEIR PRIORITIES. BUT THEN HAVING EVERYONE AT THAT SAME STARTING POINT WOULD CREATE A REGIONAL CONSISTENCY, HOPEFULLY POTENTIALLY A COMMON CULTURE CHANGE.

YOU KNOW, IF IF DEVELOPERS KNOW, HEY, WE'RE WORKING IN GREATER LANSING, WE NEED TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, PROPOSE A LOT OF NATIVE PLANTS AND BIORETENTION AND CODE DESIGN OUR LANDSCAPING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR STORMWATER CONTROL.

AND SO THERE'S THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN.

DORMANT FOR SOME TIME OUT OF THE GLRC THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE PAST, LIKE THE REGIONAL PET WASTE ORDINANCES, THE POST CONSTRUCTION STORM WATER ORDINANCES.

BUT THIS, I THINK, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECONVENE THAT COMMITTEE AND TACKLE THIS ISSUE. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK YET.

WE DECIDED WE WOULD PURSUE THIS IN OUR FULL MEETING IN EARLY DECEMBER WITH THE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD KIND OF MEET UP TOUCH BASE ON THIS EARLY IN 21.

SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT HOW IT SHAKES OUT.

BUT I'M PRETTY EXCITED. I REACHED OUT TO THE AUTHOR OF THE CODE AUDIT TOOL KIT.

SHE SHARED WITH ME A WHOLE BUNCH OF BOILERPLATE ALREADY THAT SHE HAS FROM PROJECTS THAT SHE'S WORKED ON. AND SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE WISCONSIN SEA GRANT, WHICH IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT PUBLISHED THE AUDIT TOOL, THEY'RE FOLLOWING UP THAT THAT INITIATIVE WITH A KIND OF A BOILERPLATE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT OF THEIR OWN.

SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO RESOURCES AND THEN DISTILLING THAT DOWN FOR WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR US AS A REGION AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, THEN TAKING THAT AND DISTILLING DOWN FOR WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM NOT ONLY CREATES THAT REGIONAL CONSISTENCY, BUT SAVES YOU GUYS A TON OF TIME. AND I THINK THERE'D BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OBVIOUSLY THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY AND A DESIRE TO HAVE INVOLVEMENT OF AREA PLANNERS LIKE YOURS AND INPUT FROM APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS.

BUT THERE'S NO SENSE IN, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE TOWNSHIP DO THIS IN ISOLATION IF WE CAN DO IT COLLABORATIVELY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CLIFF AND DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CLIFF OR ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT KIND OF BASICALLY THIS APPROACH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW.

KIND OF PARTICIPATE IN THE REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS AND HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE SOME GOOD INFORMATION COMING OUT OF THAT THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO US.

ANY KIND OF THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ABOUT NOT US IMMEDIATELY TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.

COURTNEY.

I HAVE JUST A QUESTION FOR CLIFF, WHO'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND I CAN'T EVEN USE THAT I'M NOT I'M NEW ANYMORE.

HOWEVER, THERE IS DISCUSSIONS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THEY CAME TO THE BOARD LAST NIGHT TO DO A PRESENTATION ON FORM BASED CODE.

AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE ON ANY OTHER REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES THAT MAY HAVE ADOPTED EITHER A FORM BASED CODE, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY WITH SOME GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CODE WITHIN IT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT, CONSIDERING THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE MOVING TOWARDS RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, THE MEETING THIS MORNING, THE NETWORKING THING. SO WE, THE MIEAC MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL.

AND THE GLRC STARTED OUT DOING A SIMILAR EXERCISE OF THE CITY OF LANSING.

[00:20:01]

ONE, THEY WERE ADOPTING A FORM BASED CODE.

BUT WE WERE LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF DEVELOPING THAT.

SO THINGS WERE MOVING AROUND A LOT ANYWAYS.

BUT ALSO WE STARTED MEETING LIKE THREE WEEKS BEFORE COVID.

AND SO THAT KIND OF WAS ON PAUSE.

AND I'M NOT SURE THE I JUST REACHED OUT TO THEM MIEAC AS THE STATUS OF THAT.

I'M UNSURE. BUT BASICALLY THAT'S JUST ON PAUSE UNTIL THEY'RE READY.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT BECAUSE WE STOPPED BEFORE THAT BECAME AN ISSUE, WE REVIEWED THEIR EXISTING CODE AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS ALREADY.

BUT I DO THINK THAT THE.

I GUESS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN DRAWING FROM THIS WOULD BE LIKE LANDSCAPING STANDARDS AND THINGS THAT ARE THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE COMPATIBLE WITH WITH ANY CHANGES THAT YOU MAKE.

BUT THAT'S ALSO THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THIS RESOURCE MANUAL, ESSENTIALLY, AS YOU CAN JUST DRAW FROM IT AS MAKES SENSE.

BUT NO, I GUESS I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH FOR YOU THERE.

I'M SORRY. MY ONLY CONCERN IS, AND IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION OF HOW DO WE KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY.

I THINK PART OF THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE TAKEN HERE WITH US, CLIFF, HAS PARTLY INSPIRED THIS REGIONAL 17 COMMUNITY EFFORT, AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING THAT WE CAN A BENEFIT FROM THAT. THAT TEAM EFFORT, BUT WE CAN COME UP WITH A GREAT PRODUCT IN SEVERAL MONTHS OR WHATEVER. IF WE DON'T HAVE THE MOMENTUM GOING, IT MIGHT BE MORE WORK TO JUST GEAR IT BACK UP. SO IF WE COULD GIVE PEOPLE THE SENSE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING COMING THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT ALL OF US AND THAT WE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT, IN OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE OR WETLAND ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, OR OUR SOME OF OUR LAND STEWARDSHIP EFFORT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE PART OF THAT TEMPLATE OR THAT MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS THAT YOU MENTIONED. I THINK YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, I KNOW THE TOWNSHIP STAFF IS REALLY BUSY, BUT IF BILL OR OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF COULD PARTICIPATE IN THE REGIONAL [INAUDIBLE] REPORT BACK PERIODICALLY TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, TOO THAT AT LEAST, WOULD KEEP US THE ISSUE BEFORE US.

YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE REAL IMPORTANT.

AND HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY FROM EITHER THE STAFF OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THIS.

BUT CLIFF, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? AND KEEPING THE MOMENTUM? WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIPS INVOLVEMENT IN THIS REGIONAL EFFORT WOULD, YOU KNOW, LIKE I WAS MENTIONING TO LEROY A FEW DAYS AGO, I WOULD.

NOT VIEW IT AS SO MUCH A HOLDING PATTERN OR A WAIT OF THE TOWNSHIP, I WOULD JUST VIEW IT AS PROGRESSING COLLABORATIVELY, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD PROBABLY NATURALLY SLOWER BECAUSE OF THAT OR WHO KNOWS, MAYBE JUST THE EXTRA RESOURCES BEHIND IT WOULD ALSO SPEED IT ALONG.

BUT YOU KNOW, IN THE FEW NEXT COMING WEEKS HERE A IN AND TO TRY TO NARROW DOWN THE CORE GROUP WHO WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE.

SO I THINK THAT WE CAN GET GOING ON THIS RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

SO I DON'T THINK IT'S.

IT'S GOING TO STALL OUT.

BUT ALSO, I SHOULD MENTION, A LITTLE SORT OF RELATED, THAT SAME ORDINANCE COMMITTEE IS INTERESTED IN TAKING THE TOWNSHIP'S EXAMPLE AND THEN TRYING TO REGIONALIZE A, [INAUDIBLE] BAN.

THAT WILL BE A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF JURISDICTIONS. YOU KNOW WE HAVE EVERYONE FROM WAVERLY SCHOOL DISTRICT UP TO THE NEW ROAD COMMISSIONS AND STUFF.

SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS WITH DIFFERENT COMPLEXITIES AND POLITICAL WILL. SO AND THIS IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN JUST SAY, HEY, THIS IS GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO PASS THIS THROUGH.

IT WOULD JUST BE. PROBABLY UTILIZE THE GLRC AS A RESOURCE TO LEAN ON FOR THOSE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES WHO WANT TO PUSH THAT AND THEN HAVE ME OR WHOEVER HELP EDUCATE THEIR BOARD ABOUT THE ISSUE OR SUGGEST ORDINANCE LANGUAGE PROBABLY BASICALLY COPING PASTING YOURS.

YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE BORROWING.

THAT'S ANOTHER EXCITING THING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU GUYS CAN CREDIT.

[00:25:04]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYBODY HASN'T DONE IT LIKE YESTERDAY, BUT I THINK IT'S YOU KNOW, NOBODY MAYBE WANTS TO BE FIRST, AT LEAST IN THE AREA.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A DOZEN COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN HAVE DONE THIS, BUT MAYBE EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD BE GLAD TO BE SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S SO, LIKE I SAID, SUCH A NO BRAINER THAT HOPEFULLY I'M GLAD TO HEAR SOMEBODY IS PUSHING IT FOR THAT AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.

YEAH, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE TABLE, WHICH ARE MORE LIKE THE ENGINEERS AND STAFF LEVEL WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE A PRETTY LOW BAR TO CLEAR.

WHAT WE HEARD WAS THAT A LOT OF THE LARGER OPERATORS AREN'T USING THIS STUFF ANYWAYS AND THAT IT'S MORE LIKE THE REALLY SMALL OPERATORS.

AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE A HUGE SHIFT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.

SO IT PROBABLY A LOW A SMALL ASK OF THEIR COMMUNITIES TO DO THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT THEY IF THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF IT, THEY STILL HAVE TO GO TO THE LEVELS OF THE POLITICS OF IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE GOVERNANCE.

IT WOULD JUST BE MORE OF THE GLRC KIND OF SAYING, HEY, THIS IS A STORM WATER ISSUE, THIS IS BAD.

IF YOU WANT TO FIX IT, HERE'S HOW YOU DO IT.

WE'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT PROCESS.

BUT WE CAN'T COME IN AND SAY, HEY, YOU GOT TO DO THIS.

UNLESS THE STATE COMES DOWN WITH SOMETHING, WHICH THEY VERY WELL, DID AT SOME POINT.

I KNOW MINNESOTA HAS A STATEWIDE BAN, BUT.

I. DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH.

NO. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A BILL THAT WAS ALREADY INTRODUCED THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST SORT OF STALLED THERE IN THE LEGISLATURE.

YEAH, THERE'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN A LOT RELATIVE TO THE WORK THAT I DO WITH THIS STORM WATER GROUP LIKE THE STORM WATER UTILITY LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN INTRODUCED LIKE FOUR YEARS IN A ROW AND HAS JUST SAT THERE, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH.

BUDGET CONCERNS, I DON'T SEE A NEW TAX BEING, BUT, YEAH, THERE'S.

THERE'S A LOT THAT JUST DIES IN COMMITTEE FOR SURE.

BUT THIS DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY COSTS.

I MEAN, I SUPPOSE YOU CAN CALL IT INHIBITION OF BUSINESS, BUT IT'S BUT THEY'RE CLEAR CUT ALTERNATIVES. IT'S NOT AS THOUGH YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, STOP DRIVING CARS OR SOMETHING.

YEAH, YEAH. I GUESS I WAS REFERRING TO THE UTILITY LEGISLATION, BUT YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE.

WELL, THANK YOU, CLIFF, ANY OTHER FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT KIND OF OUR APPROACH WITH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE REVIEW? TOM? YEAH, I GUESS JUST KIND OF A QUESTION ON TIMELINE FOR CLIFF.

ANY IDEA WHEN, LIKE A MANUAL OR SAMPLE DOCUMENTS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION TO START USING AND IMPLEMENTING? THAT'S TOUGH BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T MET YET, EVEN AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE.

SO I HOPE THAT THEY'LL GIVE SOME KIND OF GUIDANCE.

AND I NUDGE THEM TO YOU KNOW [INAUDIBLE] THINGS ALONG.

BUT I WOULD THINK.

THE THING THAT WOULD HOLD THIS UP, IS LIKE I MENTIONED, THE WISCONSIN SEA GRANT WHO AUTHORED OR PUBLISHED THAT TOOL KIT.

THEY ARE COMING OUT WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS.

I DO HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES.

I WAS GIVEN DIRECTLY BY THE ACTUAL AUTHOR, LIKE THEIR PLANNING ADVISER FOR THE TOOL.

SHE'S A PROFESSOR OF PLANNING AT UC DAVIS.

SHE GAVE ME A BUNCH OF STUFF, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BASIS FOR A LOT OF THE CONTENT THAT BE PRODUCED BY THE SEA THE SEA GRANT.

BUT I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR TIMELINE AND A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE PRODUCING AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS GOING TO WOULD BE.

WORTH WAITING ON THEN MAYBE THAT WOULD KIND OF DICTATE WHERE THINGS ARE AT, BUT IF WE CAN COME UP WITH ENOUGH ON OUR OWN.

IT SHOULDN'T REALLY TAKE THAT LONG BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS STUFF EXISTS OUT THERE, IT WOULD JUST BE SAYING, YEAH, THIS MAKES SENSE FOR US.

AND I THINK THE THING THAT WE WOULD WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO KIND OF CONVENE.

WOULD BE TO FOCUS ON SOME OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT AND THE THE LANDSCAPING STANDARDS AND THE PARKING YOU KNOW, RATIOS AND THE SHARED PARKING AGREEMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THAT IS PRETTY, PRETTY IMPACTFUL, BUT IT DOES NOT REALLY CONFLICT WITH EXISTING POST CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS OF THE MS4 PROGRAM AND SOME OF THAT MORE TECHNICAL STUFF.

IF YOU STARTED DIVING INTO THE REAL TECHNICAL STUFF THAT THE DRAIN OFFICE IS DOING FOR

[00:30:05]

THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.

AND WE ALSO ALREADY KIND OF HAVE A SIMILAR APPROACH BECAUSE THAT POST CONSTRUCTION MANUAL AND ORDINANCE KIND OF CAME OUT OF THE SAME COMMITTEE.

BUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, SINCE YOUR MS4 IS LIMITED TO JUST YOUR PROPERTIES THAT YOU OWN, LIKE THE TOWNSHIP HALL AND THE SERVICE CENTER AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THE IMPACT THAT YOU CAN HAVE IS KIND OF LIMITED TO SOME OF THOSE NON STORM WATER SPECIFIC RULES, WHAT SHOULD BE LIKE YOUR LANDSCAPE STANDARDS AND STUFF, AND JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING IT USEFUL TO COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION, I THINK KIND OF STICKING WITH THAT KIND OF LEVEL OF THING WOULD MAKE IT REALLY SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS.

AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING NECESSARILY.

I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIRLY.

EASY TO DO. I DIDN'T REALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

I HOPE I HOPE THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, HOPEFULLY THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S HELPFUL.

IT'S STILL EARLY IN THE, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN IN THE THIRD AND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT FOR LIKE TEN MINUTES. YEAH, SOUNDS GOOD.

LET'S TALK IN TWENTY ONE.

THAT WAS KIND OF HOW IT WAS LEFT. MAYBE IN THE MEANTIME, TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING, WE COULD JUST HAVE A REAL FOCUS ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR BROADER REVIEW OF OUR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THE TOWNSHIP.

KATIE, WHO MANAGES THE PARKS, HAS TALKED ABOUT MOWING LESS AND REESTABLISHING SOME BUFFER ZONES. AND MAYBE WE CAN WE CAN JUST KEEP ATTENTION ON THIS, KNOWING THAT THIS REGIONAL EFFORT IS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND.

BUT LOOK, MAYBE BRAINSTORM SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN PROMOTE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, TREE PLANTING. WE'VE GOT THAT GRANT MONEY THAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED.

SO MAYBE WE KEEP IT KEEP IT ON THE RADAR SO THAT IT'LL BE JUST AN EASY, EASY PASSAGE WHEN THIS TEMPLATE, BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE COMES DOWN THE PIKE.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT, LEROY.

I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

OTHER THOUGHTS OR [INAUDIBLE] NED? I JUST WANTED TO THANK CLIFF FOR BEING ABLE TO COME TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS MORNING HE WASN'T SURE HE'D BE ABLE TO. SO HE OBVIOUSLY MADE THE EFFORT TO MAKE TIME TO DO IT.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CLIFF, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE REALLY, REALLY INFORMATIVE AND VALUABLE. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

OK, I GUESS WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE, GREEN

[6B. Green Infrastructure Grants]

LEROY, YOU WANT TO GIVE US AN UPDATE? THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT UPDATE.

WE DID GET, HAVE SOME INTEREST EXPRESSED BY THE [INAUDIBLE] FOR A PROJECT AND WE'RE JUST STARTING TO GET THE WORD OUT.

HOMTV DID A PRESS RELEASE.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PRETTY BROAD IN TERMS OF WHAT TEACHERS OR STUDENTS PROPOSE.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO, I WILL POST THE LINK IN THE CHAT WINDOW.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO IF YOU KNOW ANY TEACHERS OR STUDENTS OR PARENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PUTTING A PROJECT TOGETHER.

ROSE, I WANT TO THANK ROSE AND JOHN FOR HELPING PUT THE CONCEPT TOGETHER AND OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR SETTING ASIDE SOME RESOURCES AND ENTRUSTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WITH ANOTHER HOPEFULLY SUCCESSFUL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.

WELL, LEROY TOO, YOU DID MENTION TO ME THAT YOU CONTACTED BOTH SUPERINTENDENTS AND OTHER CONTACTS YOU HAD SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORD HAS OFFICIALLY GONE OUT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TO OTHER FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

SO THAT'S ALL GOOD.

AND HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE SOME GOOD RESPONSE.

OUR DEADLINE IS MARCH 15TH.

OR WHAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST? YOU REMEMBER? WE ARE ASKING FOR A LETTER OF INTEREST.

LET ME PULL THAT UP HERE.

GOT TOO MANY SCREENS OPEN HERE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS THIS MONTH THAT WE WANTED THE LETTER OF INTEREST, BUT MAYBE I WAS READING AN OLDER DRAFT. YEAH, WE'D ASKED FOR JANUARY 15TH THAT SCHOOL SEND A LETTER OR EMAIL, AND THEN WE'RE ASKING FOR PROPOSALS BY MARCH 15TH.

SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

[00:35:04]

YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M ALLOWED TO SHARE DOCUMENTS HERE ON THE IN THE CHAT WINDOW, BUT.

I'LL KEEP TRYING HERE.

ANYWAY, I CAN SEND THAT OUT LATER.

AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY PROJECT IDEAS AGAIN, OR I COULD SAY PARENTS, TEACHERS FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THE PDF.

I'LL EMAIL THAT OUT TO YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

YOU CAN ALSO GET IT THROUGH OUR GREEN, THE GREEN GAZETTE.

THERE'S A LITTLE ARTICLE ON IT AND THERE'S A PRESS RELEASE ON IT ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE, SO. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COURTNEY? I HAVE A QUESTION LEROY, SO I KNOW ALL OF US WHO HAVE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, ONE SITTING RIGHT HERE FOR ME, BUT I KNOW OUR TEACHERS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, IN OUR ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATION ARE JUST OVERWHELMED WITH BACK TO SCHOOL AND COVID.

WOULD IT BE SOMETHING WHERE MAYBE LIKE I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO REACH OUT TO TEACHERS AND I KNOW LUCA HAS SOME CONTACTS AS WELL, BUT WOULD IT BE SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY GIVE IDEAS LIKE SO PEOPLE ARE JUST HAVING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX? LIKE MAYBE THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE AND MAYBE IT MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR TO GAIN SOME INTEREST.

JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE JUST ALL SO OVERWHELMED RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE IF WE HELP THEM ALONG, EVEN THOUGH IT BE THEIR IDEA, MAYBE THAT'S A IDEA, JUST [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY A GREAT IDEA.

WE DID ALLUDE TO A FEW DIFFERENT IDEAS IN THE IN THE CONCEPT PAPER.

STEPHEN, IS IT POSSIBLE YOU CAN ALLOW ME TO TO SHARE A DOCUMENT OR IS THAT NOT AN OPTION ON WEBINARS? ANYWAY, I'LL SEND IT UP BY EMAIL.

THERE'S ALSO A VERY COOL WEBSITE THAT'S LISTED ON THE DOCUMENT.

AND IT'S CALLED GREEN SCHOOLYARDS.

SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE MIGHT HAVE SEEN THIS ALREADY.

BUT THE GREENSCHOOLYARDS.ORG HAS A LOT OF REALLY COOL IDEAS LISTED THERE.

WOULD YOU GO UP A LITTLE LEROY AND SHOWN THE LIST OF POSSIBLE PROJECTS TOO.

OK, WELL, WE PUT RAIN GARDENS, GREEN ROOFS, LIVING WALLS, PERMEABLE PAVEMENT, CAN YOU SEE THAT LIST IN FRONT OF YOU? YEP. AND WE'RE OPEN TO OBVIOUSLY, THE PROJECTS WILL HAVE TO BE VOTED ON BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BUT WE'RE WE WANT TO KEEP IT PRETTY BROAD.

AND AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, BEN HOLLAND IS DOING SOME WORK ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND HE'S A FORMER STUDENT COMMISSIONER, OFFERED TO BE A KIND OF A TECHNICAL RESOURCE AS WELL.

IF ANY OF YOU ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN REACHING OUT OR SHARING IDEAS, I WOULD.

WITH THE ENTIRE GROUP HERE OR WITH OTHER PARENTS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS IN THE AREA THAT BE GREAT. I JUST [INAUDIBLE].

OH, SORRY, ROSE, YOU GO.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY ALSO, COURTNEY, I THINK WE OUGHT TO GET THE WORD OUT TO OUR FELLOW PARENTS, NOT THAT ANY OF US PARENTS REALLY HAVE THE BANDWIDTH RIGHT NOW TO BE DOING ANY OF THIS. BUT I REALLY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS SHOULDN'T FALL ALL ON TEACHERS.

THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT PARENTS COULD REALLY GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE POST SOMETHING ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR FACEBOOK, BUT I THINK THAT THAT COULD GET THE BALL ROLLING TO.

I WAS I WAS JUST GOING TO INPUT WE SAW LAST YEAR THE EARTH CLUB AT OKEMOS WE TRIED TO GET A RAIN GARDEN STARTED RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE, I BELIEVE.

IT WAS LIKE THE LIBRARY AREA AND THE SCHOOL WAS NOT INTO IT.

SO I THEY'VE DONE GREEN.

WE HAVE A GREEN ROOF IN THE BACK.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, LIKE, I THINK IT WAS ROSE'S IDEA FOR THE PERMEABLE PAVEMENTS, I THINK THAT COULD WORK. BUT I'D HAVE TO REACH OUT.

I PROBABLY WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE EARTH CLUB FOR MORE IDEAS.

THAT SOUNDS GREAT. LUCA, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BE A CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL? JUST TO SORT OF YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT YOU COULD BE A SORT OF

[00:40:03]

YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. I'M PRETTY SLOW ON WORK FOR SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S I'VE GOT A LOT OF TIME ON MY HANDS.

COOL. MAYBE YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO BEN, TOO, AND BE SORT OF A.

AS HE WAS A FORMER STUDENT COMMISSIONER.

LUCA, WERE ARE YOU ASSUMING THERE ARE NO, NONE OF YOUR INSTRUCTORS LISTENING TO THIS FOR YOU TO SAY THAT YOU [INAUDIBLE]? I HOPE THEY'RE NOT. [LAUGHTER] OR HIS MOTHER.

[LAUGHTER] YEAH. LOOKING RIGHT DOWN HIM ON MY SCREEN.

ANY OTHER FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GREEN GRANTS OR COMMENTS? OK, MOVING ON TO A TREE CITY UPDATE.

[6C. Tree City Update]

WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY BIG NEWS, BUT I JUST DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE WHEELS ARE TURNING. I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH KEVIN SAYERS.

I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH PHIL.

I THINK WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.

THE BIG THE BIG QUESTION REALLY IS WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO WRITE A NEW ORDINANCE OR WHETHER WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY COVERS THE REQUIREMENTS.

SO. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF BECOMING A TREE CITY IS TO HAVE A TREE CARE ORDINANCE.

AND SO WHAT WE HAVE WE HAVE A STREET TREE SECTION OF OUR CODE AND WE HAVE A TREE PROTECTION SECTION OF OUR CODE THAT KIND OF OUTLINES WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE THERE.

THEY WANT US TO HAVE A DESIGNATED BOARD OR DEPARTMENT.

AND WITHIN OUR CODE, IT SAYS THAT THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OVERSEES TREE STUFF.

HOWEVER, IT'S A LITTLE BIT WEIRD BECAUSE IN TERMS OF TREES THAT ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAYS, THE ROAD COMMISSION IS IN CHARGE OF THOSE.

AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIND SOME CLARITY AROUND THAT.

AND ALSO, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER PARKS.

ANYWAY, PHIL AND I ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT AND.

I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED, BUT SOUNDS LIKE THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GET IT IN FRONT OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, PHIL SAID HE THINKS THEY'D BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER RIGHT NOW THAN THEY HAVE BEEN.

I DON'T KNOW YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT, COURTNEY? BUT HE SAYS THAT THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO PURSUE THIS.

SO, I THINK WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

I WOULD AGREE WITH PHIL, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME MOSTLY DEVELOPMENT THINGS ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S NOT A TON OF TUMULTUOUS ISSUES.

SO, YEAH, AND JUST TO JUST TO ADVOCATE THAT, THE BOARD IS ALWAYS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

SO THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING AND EAGER TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

AND [INAUDIBLE] SO. ROSE, THIS IS IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH TO DO, BUT THIS MAY LEAD TO A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING.

IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO CIRCLE BACK WITH ANYBODY WHO'S STILL INTERESTED IN BEING ON THIS TREE TEAM, JUST HAVING A LITTLE 15 MINUTE, HALF HOUR MEETING, JUST SO WE ALL KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT. AND I DO THINK I COULD USE A LITTLE BIT OF HELP WITH THIS WHOLE ORDNANCE ISSUE.

THERE ARE THERE IS LIKE A [INAUDIBLE], THERE'S A TEMPLATE THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE THAT WE COULD JUST DOWNLOAD AND MODIFY FOR OUR OWN USE IF THAT'S WHERE WE GO.

SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO DO.

I'M JUST NOT SURE IF IT'S NECESSARY.

SO I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM KEVIN.

I WAS GOING TO HAVE HIM LOOK OVER THINGS AND GIVE HIS OPINION ON THAT.

AND THEN I THINK WE'LL KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GOT A PLAN NEXT STEPS.

SOUNDS GOOD. OK, LET'S SEE.

YEP. ROSE YOU COULD CALL ON ME TO HELP WITH THAT.

I'VE DONE A LOT WITH ORDINANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AWESOME, THANK YOU. LET'S SEE, MOVING ON TO THE GREEN NEIGHBOR NETWORK, LEROY.

[6D. Green Neighbor Network]

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF LISTS.

[00:45:03]

THAT WE DEVELOPED, SUCH AS JOHN'S MAYBE JOHN'S PSA ON DOG PICKING UP THE POOP.

LINKS, FACT SHEETS, FLIERS, LITTLE BLURBS THAT ARE EASY TO RECYCLE AND SHARE, AS WELL AS THE GREEN GAZETTE. WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A LIST, AN E-MAIL LIST SO THAT ANYBODY ON THAT LIST CAN SHARE INFORMATION, SO THAT WOULD BE A HIGHER TRAFFIC, MORE EMAILS PER MONTH FOR THOSE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN THAT YOU COULD GET.

MORE BREAKING NEWS, MORE MAYBE TIMELY ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WAY, BUT IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE, SO THAT WOULD BE A TRIAL EMAIL LIST.

THE GREENNEIGHBOR@RENEWS.NET.

LEROY HOW MANY, HOW MANY? GO AHEAD. PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED [INAUDIBLE] AT THIS POINT? WHEN I CHECKED THIS MORNING, THEY'RE UP TO TWENTY SEVEN, WHICH IS ALMOST TWICE WHAT WE HAD THE WEEK BEFORE. SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HELPING GET THE WORD OUT.

ON THAT, AND THAT'S SO.

TWENTY SEVEN, I'M NOT SURE ALL THOSE PEOPLE REPRESENT NEIGHBORHOODS SPECIFICALLY ANYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN THAT AND I'VE SHARED THE LINK IN YOUR PACKET.

I'LL ALSO SHARE THE LINK ON THE CHAT WINDOW.

THERE'S A LITTLE FACT. MOST OF THE PEOPLE.

AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED A NEIGHBORHOOD OR APARTMENT COMPLEX OR? LAST TIME I CHECKED, THEY HAVE.

BUT I DIDN'T CHECK THAT WAS WITH A SMALLER LIST THAN I CHECKED, SO I HAVEN'T CHECKED RECENTLY ON THAT. SO I APPRECIATE THE.

WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START. YEAH, I'M HOPING THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT KNEW JOHN, IT WAS YOUR IDEA. I'M HOPING YOU'LL HELP KICK OFF THE MEETING.

AND I'VE INVITED A FEW OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT DISCUSSION TO HELP PRESENT THIS. IT'S NOT JUST MY PROJECT.

IT'S KIND OF CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S. IT'S DESIGNED, CO-DESIGNED WITH PEOPLE ON IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH SOME OF OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, SO FEEL FREE TO SHARE IDEAS IF YOU HAVE ANY.

I JUST HAD A QUESTION.

SO THE AT LEAST AROUND LAKE LANSING, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE, THE THERE'S A FAIRLY HIGH I'D SAY IT'S ABOUT 50 PERCENT.

INVOLVEMENT WITH NEXT.

WHAT DO THEY CALLED NEXT DOOR, WHICH IS BASICALLY FACEBOOK, SORT OF LOCAL FACEBOOK, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE KIND OF DUPLICATING OR HOW DO WE DISTINGUISH OURSELVES FROM THAT OR HOW DO WE PIGGYBACK ON.

PEOPLE ALREADY HAVING SIGNED UP FOR THINGS LIKE THAT, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS. IT'S BASICALLY FACEBOOK, LOCAL FACEBOOK.

NEIGHBORHOOD FACEBOOK, SO TO SPEAK.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE EVERYTHING FROM PEOPLE SAYING, HOW DO I FIND SOMEBODY TO INSTALL A MICROWAVE OVEN TO, YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR PULLING MY CAR OUT OF THE DITCH.

AND BUT IT'S. YOU KNOW, IT'S REGIONAL AND SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT A MAP OF YOUR LITTLE REGION AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY OF THE PROPERTIES ACTUALLY HAVE JOINED AND SO FORTH. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF HOW THAT THE EMERGENCE OF TOOLS LIKE THAT MIGHT EITHER COMPETE WITH OR AUGMENT THIS EFFORT.

I THINK IT'S THE INTENT IS TO USE THOSE TOOLS TO KIND OF REACH OUT TO FOLKS.

IN THE END, I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT WHOEVER SIGNS UP TO BE A GREEN NEIGHBOR KIND OF USES WHATEVER IS THE BEST MEANS TO KIND OF REACH OUT TO HIS OR HER NEIGHBORS.

SO I JUST DID AN EXPERIMENT MYSELF BECAUSE MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE.

SO I POSTED A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT WORK FOR SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, OTHERS NEXT DOOR MIGHT WORK OR WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE MECHANISMS MIGHT EXIST THAT PEOPLE COULD USE.

BUT SO I THINK THEIR IS BASICALLY COMPLEMENTARY.

I THINK THEY CAN BASICALLY THE GREEN NEIGHBORS NEED SOME SORT OF MECHANISM LIKE NEXT DOOR OR FACEBOOK TO KIND OF GET THE WORD OUT TO FOLKS UNLESS THEY WANT TO GO DOOR TO DOOR.

[00:50:01]

HOW IT WORKS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD IS WE I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON THE PEOPLE WHO KIND OF SIGN UP, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AMONG THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE GREEN NEIGHBORS FOR WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T WORKING AND OTHER IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO GET THE WORD OUT, YOU KNOW.

SO, YEAH, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

GOOD. GOOD THOUGHT.

YEAH. OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ABOUT GREEN NEIGHBORS AND WHERE WE'RE GOING OR THE THE GREEN [INAUDIBLE]? OK, LET'S SEE, OH BOY WE'RE UP TO CHAIR'S REPORT, AND I DON'T I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE AT THIS POINT.

[8. STAFF REPORT]

I WAS JUST SAYING THAT I WAS TALKING TOO MUCH ALREADY, SO MAYBE I SHOULD JUST STAY MUTED, BUT. THE ONE THING THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH SOME OF YOU, I DON'T HAVE IT TO SHARE RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S A TOPIC THAT CAME UP AT OUR GREEN WEDNESDAY DIALOG, WHICH YOU ARE ALL WELCOME TO JOIN IN ON IT'S AN OPEN CONVERSATION.

BUT WANDA [INAUDIBLE] FROM WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

I MENTIONED THIS DELHI TOWNSHIP, KIND OF A LITTLE CHEAT SHEET ON YOUR LOCAL CODES AND CODE COMPLIANCE.

AND WE THOUGHT IT'D BE COOL TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN MERIDIAN, JUST SORT OF A LITTLE SYNOPSIS OF WHAT'S EXPECTED AND BUT INCLUDE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH THE WETLANDS.

YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU CAN AND SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DO IN YOUR IN YOUR BUFFER ZONE, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND JUST GET ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AS THIS LITTLE PIECE EVOLVES.

THERE'S LIMITED REAL ESTATE ON A TRIFOLD.

BUT PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, DISTILL OUR MESSAGE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE ON THAT.

SO I'LL SHARE THAT IN AN EMAIL.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.

THE OTHER THE OTHER THING I'M WORKING ON IS AN ANNUAL REPORT, AND I SHARED SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT ARE GOING TO GOING INTO THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IN YOUR PACKET, ABOUT STUFF THAT I'M INVOLVED WITH BESIDES WORKING WITH YOU.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW. BUT THOSE ARE THE MAIN ITEMS ON MY UPDATE LIST.

THANK YOU, LEROY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR LEROY? OK, MOVING ON TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

[9A. Environmental Justice]

I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO REPORT.

I WAS HOPING BILL WAS GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT.

WAS HE AT THE MORNING MEETING TODAY? HE WAS.

I KNOW HE'S BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT THIS AND HAD A FEW TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION, HOWEVER, I FEEL LIKE HE SHOULD BE THE ONE TO SHARE THOSE, OH WAIT.

DID HE JUST POP ON? OH. I'M TRYING.

SORRY. PERFECT TIMING, PERFECT AND WORST POSSIBLE TIMING.

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

THAT'S ME. DID YOU HEAR EVERYTHING I WAS SAYING, BILL? NO, NO. JUST THAT I HAD HAD PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT.

AND IT'S ALL KIND OF RAW.

AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF A SMALLER GROUP [INAUDIBLE].

SO WEDNESDAY MORNING GROUP OR SOME OTHER GROUP WAS ABLE TO CHEW ON IT BEFORE WE GOT TOO FAR ALONG AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.

OK, SO MAYBE WE DON'T WANT TO DELVE INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.

ASIDE FROM ALL OF BILL'S THOUGHTFUL WORK, I HAVE NOT MADE TOO MUCH PROGRESS THIS PAST MONTH TO ANY END, SO.

LET IT SIMMER. I'D BE SUPER EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT BILL'S IDEAS.

[LAUGHTER] WELL I GUESS PART OF THE QUESTION IS IN WHAT FORM? TO BEST LAUNCH THE DISCUSSION, AND SINCE I FEEL LIKE MY INITIAL THOUGHTS ARE KIND OF SORT OF A PERSONAL REACTION AND NOT WELL FORMULATED, PUTTING THEM TO A PUBLIC TEST MIGHT BE A

[00:55:05]

I THINK THAT THE TAKE HOME THAT I FEEL FROM WHAT I'VE LOOKED AT SO FAR IS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INSTANCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IT SEEMS THAT AT LEAST IN SOME CASES, SOME OF THE MORE FORTUNATE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK.

BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER AREAS WHERE THE LESS FORTUNATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE EXPOSED TO MORE RISK AND I'M JUST INITIALLY TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH THOSE.

I'M SURE I'VE GOT IT WRONG IN MANY WAYS, SO I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF THE GAME. NEXT MEETING MAYBE.

OK, SEE, MOVING ALONG.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES COURTNEY? WAIT. I THINK NED MIGHT HAVE HAD.

YEAH JOHN. OH SORRY.

I JUST WANTED TO I MEAN, WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE SARAH ALLEN'S PRESENTATION ON, WHAT IS IT, THE 12TH ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

IS THAT RIGHT, LEROY? YOUR MUTED.

I WILL SEE IF I CAN SHARE THAT LINK.

I THINK IT'S THE 11TH, BUT YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT.

OH THE 11 I'M.

IT'S NOT IN FRONT OF ME, SO.

IS THAT THE ONE ABOUT BROWNFIELDS? YEAH. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMPONENT TO IT, TOO.

YEAH. MONDAY AT 7:00 P.M.

IS A LANSING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION.

RIGHT? I CAN, CAN I PUT THAT LINK IN THE CHAT? LET ME TRY THAT. OK.

LET'S SEE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, COURTNEY?

[10A. Board of Trustees]

WE'VE HAD HOLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING, BUT I MENTIONED LAST MEETING THAT I WAS APPOINTED TO THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD AND.

I WASN'T ACTUALLY APPOINTED AT THE TIME, BUT I WENT TO MY FIRST MEETING AND IT WAS FANTASTIC. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE MIGHT BE A PART OF THAT.

I'M SURE CLIFF IS.

BUT THE PRESENTATION WAS ON A GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN AND OUT OF THAT LONG PRESENTATION THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND FANTASTIC.

WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF KNOWN GEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR MICHIGAN.

SO THEY'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO COLLECT ALL OF THIS DRILLING DATA AND PUT IT INTO A DATABASE THAT WE COULD USE AS A AS THE PUBLIC COULD USE TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

BUT PRETTY MUCH WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT IS THAT IN THE RESULTS IS THERE'S A NEED FOR WATER CONSERVATION, EVEN IN MICHIGAN, WHERE WE PROBABLY GOT THE MOST FRESHWATER AVAILABILITY, BUT LOOKING TO CONSIDER LIKE NATURAL PLANTING AND ALL OF THE THINGS THIS COMMISSION ALREADY IS VERY WELL AWARE OF.

IN PROMOTING LESS FERTILIZER, RECHARGING OF SURFACE WATER, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

SO IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HAVE TO BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION TOO AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL TO DO SOME OF THIS WORK.

SO I'M JUST HOPING THAT THE MORE INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM THIS BOARD, I CAN BRING BACK TO US HERE AT THE COMMISSION AND THEN MAYBE IT WILL HELP US, YOU KNOW, WATCH SOME OF THAT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD AS WELL.

SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A THERE'S A STORM BREWING.

JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.

SO IT WAS VERY EXCITING.

OTHER THAN THAT, I DID MENTION ABOUT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FORM BASE CODE.

WE DID HAVE AT OUR AT OUR BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY.

WE DID HAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION PRESENT A, THE FORM BASE CODE AND AND THEY JUST PUT A LITTLE PLUG IN WONDERING IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO CONSIDER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOME OF THAT FORM BASE CODE IF, IN FACT, THE BOARD WAS SUPPORTIVE.

SO, OF COURSE, THEY SAID YES, BUT I JUST KIND OF WANT TO MAKE THE PLUG AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS WILLING TO HELP WITH AS WELL.

WHAT I HAVE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

[10B. Brownfield Redevelopment Authority]

SO THAT DID NOT GO UNNOTICED.

I DIDN'T SEE THE ACTUAL MEETING, BUT.

APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT HERE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

[01:00:05]

IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR PARCELS, BUT THERE'S EIGHT WETLANDS, FOUR WHICH ARE REGULATED.

AND THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT DEVELOPMENT, A DIVERSE COMMUNITY RENTAL PROPERTY TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT, IS FANTASTIC AND HAS WORKED IN OTHER AREAS LIKE [INAUDIBLE] AND [INAUDIBLE]. BUT THE PROPOSAL IS TO FOUR BUILDINGS WOULD IMPACT THIS ONE MAIN [INAUDIBLE] WETLAND.

IT REALLY WAS JUST NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.

AND IT WOULD REQUIRE A WETLAND USE PERMIT AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I WOULD NOT BE VOTING IN.

IN SUPPORT OF THAT.

SO MOST OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WERE IN AGREEMENT AS WELL.

SO WE'RE LOOKING TO EITHER REDUCE DENSITY THERE SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE THOSE WETLANDS OR MAYBE LOOK FOR ANOTHER SPOT FOR THAT [INAUDIBLE].

BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT.

NED? NOT MUCH TO SAY.

WE MET WE MET ON DECEMBER 17TH, BUT IT WAS, TO BE QUITE HONEST, SORT OF LEGALISTIC AND BUREAUCRATIC. IT WAS BASICALLY THE BRA SIGNING OFF ON A FIRST PAYMENT TO THE DEVELOPER FOR THE INITIAL MOSTLY FOR THE MITIGATION THEY'VE DONE, AND ALSO PROCESSING A PIECE OF A GRANT THAT'S FROM EAGLE.

AND WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO WITH THINGS LIKE THAT IS THAT SOMEWHAT LIKE WITH WETLAND USE PERMITS, WE END UP HAVING, YOU KNOW, READING THE CONSULTANT'S REPORT AND.

AND THEN TALKING TO THE LAWYER AND THEN SAYING, OK, THE CONSULTANT SAYS THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS PROPER AND THE MONEYS ARE LEGITIMATE, AND SO WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND SIGN OFF ON THIS PAYMENT. SO THAT'S WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO.

THAT WAS FOR THE FOR THE.

THE SORT OF FIRST STEPS AT FOUR CORNERS IN OKEMOS.

THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] THE FOUR CORNERS TODAY? WHAT'S THAT? BEEN BY THE FOUR CORNERS TODAY? NOT TODAY.

UP IN OKEMOS [INAUDIBLE].

THE NORTHWEST CORNER IS EMPTY NOW.

OH, YES. I HEARD SOMEBODY SOMEBODY DID SAY TO ME THAT IT WAS VERY SAD TO THINK OF THE [INAUDIBLE] MUSEUM COMING DOWN.

BUT ANYWAY, THINGS HAVE.

IT'S GONE. YEAH.

ALL THOSE FOND MEMORIES OF ICE CREAM.

YEAH. AND OTHER AND TUBAS TOO.

AND INTERESTING MUSIC, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

THAT WAS A GREAT PLACE.

[10C. Energy Team]

AND THEN THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF FUTURE YEARS, DOING MORE AT THE TOWNSHIP HALL AND AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING SINCE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE MAJOR ELECTRIC CONSUMERS.

AND SO IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT ISSUES LIKE AT WHAT POINT WOULD BATTERY STORAGE MAYBE MAKE SENSE AND ISSUES LIKE THAT, TOO.

SO A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION WITH DEREK.

AND THAT WAS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE MEETING.

AND LET'S SEE, GREEN TEAM.

[10D. Green Team]

BUT THAT'S A REGIONAL CONVERSATION.

AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT FOR THAT.

OK, LET'S SEE. LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.

[10E. Land Preservation Advisory Board]

WE OUR MAJOR DISCUSSION, AND IT ENDED UP GETTING TABLE, BUT WE TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT POSSIBLE RENAMING OF [INAUDIBLE].

IF ANYONE IS OUT THERE LISTENING OR IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY.

THAT LAND PRESERVED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME ON.

SOME OF THEM ARE RESTRICTED BECAUSE OF THE.

WHEN THE PURCHASE WAS MADE, THERE WERE THERE WERE COMMITMENTS MADE, BUT OTHERS.

WE HAVE A LOT OF LATITUDE.

SO WE WERE SENT HOME AFTER THE LAST MEETING TO CONSIDER.

[01:05:04]

WELL. I'M HAPPY, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT, BUT THERE WERE IT'S [INAUDIBLE] THERE WERE A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY [INAUDIBLE] DEER HARVESTED.

WHICH IS THE BIGGEST NUMBER THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR.

SO I HAVEN'T NOTICED, MY DEER RANGE OUT HERE, BUT ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP.

YOU KNOW THERE MIGHT BE ONE LESS [INAUDIBLE].

OTHER THAN THAT [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE]. LET'S SEE OH, MOVING ON TO TOM, MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION AND

[10F. MI Township Association (MTA) or MI Municipal League (MML)]

NOT TOO MUCH TO REPORT AT THIS POINT.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY QUIET OVER THE HOLIDAYS.

I DID MENTION A FEW LEGISLATIVE ITEMS LAST TIME.

THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY MADE IT THROUGH LAME DUCK IS THE ABILITY OF PUBLIC BODIES TO CONTINUE TO MEET VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE END OF MARCH.

SO THAT'S IN PLACE THAT HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR.

AND DECEMBER WAS THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

SO ANY BILLS THAT WEREN'T PASSED AT THAT POINT DIE AND THE NEW LEGISLATURE STARTS NEXT WEEK. THEY CAN COME IN FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE 13TH AND NEW BILLS WILL BE STARTED TO BE INTRODUCED AT THAT POINT.

AND WE'LL SEE WHERE THINGS GO THIS NEXT SESSION.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NOT TOO MUCH TO REPORT.

THANK YOU, TOM. LET'S SEE, PLANNING COMMISSION.

YEAH, HI, IF I COULD GO BACK TO TOM FOR A SECOND, I SAW SOMETHING CAME ACROSS MY DESK TODAY ABOUT A BILL THAT JULIE [INAUDIBLE] HAD CO-INTRODUCED ABOUT AN ABILITY TO REVISE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT EXCLUDED CERTAIN PEOPLE FROM PURCHASING PROPERTY IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE TRYING.

AND IF THAT'S ONE OF THE ONES THAT WOULD HAVE DIED IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? YEAH, ASSUMING THAT WAS INTRODUCED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE YEAR, IT WOULD HAVE DIED.

BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE'S LOOKING AT INTRODUCING FOR THE COMING SESSION, THE EARLIEST THAT COULD BE DONE WOULD BE NEXT WEDNESDAY WHEN THEY FIRST MEET.

BUT EVEN IF THE IF THAT LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED AND DIED, LIKELY SHE WOULD REINTRODUCE IT AGAIN THIS COMING SESSION.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'LL JUST HAVE A NEW BILL NUMBER AT THAT POINT AND START FROM SCRATCH.

OK, THANKS.

YEP. THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MET ON DECEMBER 14 AND REALLY INVESTED ITS ENERGY IN THIS

[10G. Planning Commission]

OTHERWISE, PRETTY QUIET ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FRONT.

AND MOVING RIGHT AHEAD TO TRANSPORTATION, THERE WAS A MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION

[10H. Transportation Commission]

SO I'M NOT.

THERE WAS ALSO A PRESENTATION ON THAT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, AND I WASN'T ABLE TO CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF IT. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IS WATCHING THE SERVICE DELIVERY ON OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT QUITE CLOSELY AND COMMUNICATING THAT TOWNSHIP BOARD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, BILL.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR BILL? OK, WE'RE UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND SO.

[11. PUBLIC REMARKS]

[01:10:01]

THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ATTENDEES.

PUBLIC ATTENDEES IN THE ATTENDEE AREA.

SO I WOULDN'T EXPECT A COMMENT FROM THERE.

AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT HEARING ANY PHONE RINGS.

BUT I WILL INTERRUPT YOU IF THAT CHANGES IN THE NEXT THIRTY TO FORTY FIVE SECONDS.

[INAUDIBLE] I JUST WANT TO MAKE A CORRECTION.

SPEAKING OF THE BROWNFIELD, THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE WENT OVER WAS I'M SORRY FOR THE ELEVATION PROJECT DOWN ON JOLLY.

I'M SORRY. BUT THE BUT THE GRANT THAT WE PROCESSED THAT WE LOOKED AT AGAIN, AS I SAID, THIS IS MOSTLY SORT OF LEGALISTIC.

SIGNING OFF ON REIMBURSEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THAT WAS FOR THE ELEVATION PROJECT, WHICH IS DOWN ON JOLLY.

THE FOUR CORNERS WAS THAT WAS THE EAGLE GRANT.

SO BUT NOT NEITHER ONE OF THEM WERE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SORT OF CHANGES IN THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING.

SO I JUST WANT TO CORRECT MY MISS STATEMENT.

CAN I JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT? YEAH. JUST THAT THE PICK UP THE POOP THING, IF IF THAT'S TO BE USED ANYWHERE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONVERTED.

I MEAN, TYPICALLY, IT WAS GOING TO BE A HOMTV OR SOMEWHERE IT HAS TO BE CONVERTED INTO AN MP4 AND WHICH CAN BE DONE THAT IT GIVES IT A VIDEO ASPECT AS WELL.

AND THAT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF PLANNING TO MAKE IT CONNECT UP WITH THE WITH THE MUSIC AS WELL. THAT'S ALL.

I'D LOVE TO SEE A MUSIC VIDEO.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO WITH THAT, IT WOULD BE FUN TO EXPERIMENT WITHOUT GETTING TOO FAR DOWN INTO THE DETAILS, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S A WAY TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.

THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MAYBE SOME OF THE IF ANY, IF ANY MEMBERS HERE HAVE DOGS, MAYBE THEY COULD BE STARS IN THIS VIDEO.

I ALREADY I ALREADY CHECKED WITH OUR WITH [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR DOG, AND SHE WASN'T TOO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT MY TAKING PICTURES OF THE DOG POOPING IN THE YARD.

AND THAT'S STILL NEGOTIABLE.

I COULD I COULD TALK WITH HER, BUT WE TAKE OTHER POSSIBILITIES.

MIGHT HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT DOGS.

YOU KNOW, THEY BECOME STARS HERE.

SURE. THAT VIDEO.

MAYBE SOME STUDENTS COULD PUT TOGETHER A VIDEO PROPOSAL AS PART OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE YOU GO.

AND YOU COULD EVEN INCLUDE A LITTLE BUDGET FOR JOHN TO PRODUCE THE SOUNDTRACK.

YEAH, IT COULD BE A LITTLE TICTOK THING.

HOW MUCH TIME ARE YOU ALLOWED WITH A TICTOK? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LIMIT IS.

[INAUDIBLE] OK, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA LEROY.

I DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT TICTOK, BUT, YEAH, LUCA DO YOU KNOW? YOU'D HAVE TO ASK MY SISTER.

OH. [LAUGHTER] WE APPRECIATED THAT COMMENT.

OK, 60 SECONDS. OK, THAT'S GOOD.

IN 60 SECONDS. WOW, OK.

IT'S SHORT AND SWEET.

OK. AS EITHER AS EITHER A POINT OF ORDER OR CLARIFICATION AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK, COURTNEY, YOU'VE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE.

YOU WERE REPRESENTING THE BOARD.

YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO VOTE ON THIS.

IT WAS MY IMPRESSION THAT YOU WOULD BE A VOTING MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE.

IS THAT NOT CORRECT OR? I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR A LIAISON, WE HAD NINE MEMBERS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THERE WASN'T THE BYLAWS DIDN'T PERMIT HAVING ANOTHER VOTING MEMBER.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. LEROY, AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK? THAT SOUNDS, MAKES SENSE TO ME.

I DON'T RECALL. OK, I'LL CHECK BECAUSE LUKE AND I BOTH HAVE TO BE SWORN IN WITH THAT WITH CLERK GUTHRIE, SO I WILL ASK HER IN AND CLARIFY.

SO. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE CONFUSING TO ME.

YEAH, ME TOO. [INAUDIBLE] I WILL FIND OUT.

OK. SHE SHOULD KNOW.

SHE'LL KNOW. ANY ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CAUSE? I JUST THOUGHT OF ONE OTHER THING.

MAYBE THE POOP TUNE COULD BE MADE, MADE INTO A CARTOON THAT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY POSSIBLY OFFENSIVE TO SOME PEOPLE.

WELL, WE'VE ALL SEEN DOG POOPING, SO I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT'S A BIG DEAL, BUT I HEAR I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

[INAUDIBLE] SAILOR MAN. OK, DO I, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? OK, JIM, DO I HEAR SECOND? OR SEE A SECOND, OK? OK, I A LOT OF SECONDS.

ALL IN FAVOR. OK, HEY, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, STAY SAFE AND WELL, TAKE CARE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.