[00:01:03]
AND I SEE THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE WELL WE CLEARLY HAVE A QUORUM.
MR. GEBES, I'LL WAIT FOR YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE'RE READY TO GO.
I HAVE NOW RECEIVED WORD FROM HOMTV, BUT IT IS SIX O'CLOCK AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE GOOD TO GO, SIR.
ALL RIGHT, THEN I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND WE WILL DO THE PLEDGE OF
[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
ALLEGIANCE.CAN YOU TAKE THE ROLE OF THE BOARD? I HAVE NOT SEEN HER ON THE SCREEN.
AND HOPEFULLY THE OTHER TWO WILL BE PRESENT SHORTLY.
WE NOW COME FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS.
CITIZENS [LAUGHTER] TO ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. AND MR. GEBES DO WE HAVE ANYBODY WAITING TO TALK TO US? WE DO HAVE AN ATTENDEE WITH A HAND RAISED.
OH, I'M SORRY, THAT'S TRUSTEE JACKSON, WE'RE GOING TO PROMOTE HER TO BE A PANELIST, WE WILL REMIND PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN USE THE HAND RAISE FEATURE AND WE'LL ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK.
ALTERNATIVELY, THERE'S A TELEPHONE NUMBER (517)349-1232 WHERE WE CAN TAKE COMMENT FOR PEOPLE OBSERVING VIA HOMTV OR ONE OF THE INTERNET STREAMS THAT THIS IS ON.
WE HAVE NO OTHER HANDS RAISED AT THIS TIME AND THERE ARE NO TELEPHONES RINGING.
I WILL LET YOU WAIT AS LONG AS YOU SEE FIT.
AND IT MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO TELL PEOPLE HOW A PUBLIC COMMENT WORKS AND THE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MEETING THAT WE WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCH.
[INAUDIBLE] JUST SAYING THAT THIS IS A JOINT MEETING OF WELL IT'S NOT A JOINT MEETING PER SAY, BUT IT'S A MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WHERE WE HAVE INVITED REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ATTEND.
AND IT'S SOMETHING WE DO ANNUALLY.
AND WE DO PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MANAGER AND STAFF TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AND DIRECTLY.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE ASK THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO LET US GIVE US A LITTLE REPORT ON WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THERE, EACH OF THE AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
WE'LL GO TO SOME GENERAL DISCUSSION AND THEN BACK TO OUR LAST COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
IF PEOPLE DO HAVE COMMENTS EITHER NOW OR AT THE END OF THE MEETING THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MR. GEBES, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY? YOU HAVE NO ONE, SIR.
OK, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
CAN I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.SUPPORTED BY WAS THAT JACKSON, I BELIEVE? YES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA.
JUST PUT YOUR HAND IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T.
SO WE HAVE AN AGENDA THAT WOULD BE SIX TO ZERO BECAUSE I DON'T SEE MS. WISINSKI ON HERE YET.
OK, WE NOW COME TO THE JOINT MEETING AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2020 ACHIEVEMENTS,
[6A. Presentation of 2020 Achievements]
[00:05:04]
AND I WOULD CALL ON MR. WALSH TO LEAD THAT IN ANY WAY THAT HE SEES FIT.THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR, BOARD, AND WELCOME TO ALL OF OUR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
I WANT TO START WITH PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT'S INTRODUCING OUR TEAM THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S A VERY FINE TEAM THAT I ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH.
FIRST WE HAVE ABBY TITHOF, WHO JOINED US ON AUGUST 10TH OF THIS PAST YEAR.
ABBY'S OUR NEW HR DIRECTOR, AND SHE SPENT 30 YEARS WITH THE JUDICIAL BRANCH IN HR.
AMBER CLARK IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AMBER JOINED US ON SEPTEMBER 28TH OF THIS PAST YEAR.
AND WE TOOK HER AWAY FROM THE CITY OF JACKSON, WHERE SHE WAS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
MARION MADISON JOINED US ON APRIL 4TH OF 16.
AND BEFORE THAT, MARION WAS WITH THE BWL AND THEIR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
MIKE CAMPBELL JOINED US ON JULY 2ND OF 18.
HE'S BEEN HERE TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
MIKE'S RETIRED FROM THE CITY OF LANSING FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HAS BEEN THE LEADER OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
LUANN'S OUT HERE SOMEWHERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 21 YEARS, LEADING OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT IN VERY FINE FASHION AND WORKING ALONGSIDE WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION.
KEN PLAGA, OUR POLICE CHIEF, JUST IN SEPTEMBER, CELEBRATED 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE'S BEEN LIKE LUANN, OFFERS JUST STELLAR LEADERSHIP FOR OUR FOR OUR TOWNSHIP.
STEPHEN GEBES THE GUY, THE GUY BEHIND ALL OF THIS ZOOM STUFF AND EVERYTHING.
STEPHEN'S BEEN WITH US FOR TWENTY NINE YEARS JUST THIS WEEK AND ALSO JUST THIS WEEK, MARK KIESELBACH, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING.
MARK, REALLY, HE HIT A MILESTONE HERE TWO DAYS AGO.
WELL, I GUESS ON THE 21ST, MARK'S BEEN WITH US FOR 41 YEARS.
THERE'S SAW THERE'S 56 PEOPLE IN THIS MEETING.
I SEE, PETER MENSER IS ON AS WELL.
AND I THINK PETER'S BEEN WITH US FOR 13 OR 14 YEARS OF SERVICE.
BRANDIE YATES AS A 10, 10 OR 11 YEAR VETERAN RUNNING OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF DARLA'S ON OR NOT.
I DON'T SEE DARLA, ANYWAY DARLA IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN OUR IN HELPING MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND DARLA IS COMING UP ON BIG TEN YEARS IN FEBRUARY AS WELL.
I'M SORRY IF I MISSED ANY ONE.
I CAN'T SEE ALL THE SCREENS TO SEE WHO'S ALL ON, BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
I WANT TO START BY TALKING ABOUT TWENTY TWENTY.
NONE OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT.
GO THROUGH QUICKLY WHAT WE DID IN 2020 AND WHAT THE BOARD'S VISION.
SO WITH THAT, I'D ASK MR. PERRY OR DEPUTY, I THINK I JUST SKIPPED MR. PERRY.
WOW, THAT'S A GOOD INTRO, ACTUALLY.
MR. PERRY AND I WORKED TOGETHER IN ST. JOE.
HE WAS MY ASSISTANT MANAGER IN ST. JOE AND HIRED HIM AROUND MARCH 16TH OF 2015.
SO HE'S BEEN BACK WITH ME FOR SIX YEARS NOW.
HE'S OUR DEPUTY MANAGER AND IS ONE OF THE NOMINEES FOR THE TOP ASSISTANT IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN THIS YEAR.
IT'S DOWN TO HIMSELF AND THE ASSISTANT MANAGER IN BATTLE CREEK.
SO FOR THIS WEEK, WE'RE NOT EATING KELLOGG CEREAL.
SO THIS IS THE TWENTY TWENTY REVIEW OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
HERE'S THE GOALS THAT WERE SET OUT FOR THE FOR THE BOARD, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT THEY'RE ROADS AND LADDER TRUCK AND SIGNS AND RECYCLING CENTER AND FENCES AND PATHWAYS AND SOLAR, THE NUMBER ONE GOAL.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING THING HERE.
WE LIKE METRICS HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER HAS A THING ABOUT METRICS, SO DOES TRUSTEE JACKSON, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
BUT WE'RE AT FOUR POINT FOUR EIGHT ON OUR PASER RATING FOR OUR ROADS.
WE WANT TO GET TO AN EIGHT OVER 10 YEARS.
SO TO GET THAT, WE HAVE NUMBERS THAT WE NEED TO HIT.
THIS YEAR, WE NEEDED TO HIT A FOUR POINT EIGHT AND WE GOT TO FIVE POINT ZERO EIGHT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT 2021 NUMBER, BUT WE ARE AHEAD OF OUR GOAL FOR 10 YEARS FOR WHAT WAS APPROVED IN AUGUST 6TH ON THE ROAD BOND.
NUMBER TWO IS THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS AND HASLETT.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
AND THIS WAS THE DEMOLITION SCHEDULE, AND THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BUT THIS WAS THE DEMOLITION SCHEDULE THAT WE ALL AGREED TO A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETE BY WHAT'S TODAY, THE TWENTY.
YEAH, TWENTY SEVENTH, MAYBE TWENTY SIX.
EVERYTHING IS DOWN BY THE 29TH.
[00:10:01]
THAT'S A GOOD THING.AND UP IN HASLETT, WE HAVE PINE VILLAGE, WHICH IS A 55 AND OLDER KIND OF A HIGH END HOUSING COMPLEX, HERE'S WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE ON 10 ACRES ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
WE APPRECIATE THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S WORK THAT THEY DID ON THIS PROJECT.
A DIVERSITY INCLUSION DI, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY INTO WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE OUR DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY AND OUR WORKFORCE, AND THESE THREE TRUSTEES HERE.
OPSOMMER, JACKSON AND WISINSKI HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS OVER THE PAST SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS.
WORKPLACE DIVERSITY, WE'RE DOING BETTER.
OUR NUMBERS ARE UP ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
WE MADE A PROMISE IN 2017, WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN 73 EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND WE'RE GOING TO ORDER A LADDER TRUCK AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS, WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO.
LOOK AT THESE ARE THE METRICS WE'RE REQUIRED TO OUR PENSION PAYMENT OF 2.5 MILLION.
WHAT DID WE ACTUALLY PUT IN? WE PUT IN JUST OVER FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN 2020.
WE SURPASSED OUR METRICS AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND THIS IS THE ACTUAL VERSE REQUIRED OF BAR GRAPH.
THE NEW LADDER TRUCK WE SAID IN FOUR YEARS WE WILL ORDER A LADDER TRUCK.
WE'VE GOT THE PAYMENT FROM 18, 19, 20 AND 21 $250,000 A YEAR TO BUY A LADDER TRUCK.
THE LADDER TRUCK WAS ORDERED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
OUR BRANDING EFFORTS AND WELCOMING SIGNS.
THIS IS AN AREA AND DURING COVID THAT GOT SET ASIDE, WE MADE NO PROGRESS ON IMPROVING OUR SIGNAGE THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT THAT'S ON THE DOCKET, CERTAINLY FOR 2021.
WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR SIGNAGE AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN, JUST AN OUTSTANDING WORK BY DIRECTOR MAISNER, THE PARKS COMMISSION, THE ENTIRE TEAM THAT PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER.
THE BENCH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED IN THIS ENTIRE PROJECT, AND THAT IS THE FUNDRAISING THAT WAS DONE BY NEIL BOWLBY AND LINC TO REMEMBER AND HONOR JOHN VEENSTRA, WHO WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY JUST MARVELED AT THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THIS BENCH THERE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO LINC FOR THEIR WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
NUMBER SEVEN, SOLAR, WE WANT TO EXPAND OUR SOLAR IN MANY WAYS, THIS STARTED WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA'S EFFORTS THREE YEARS AGO TO GET THE FIRST SOLAR BUDGET APPROVED INTO THE BUDGET, AND THAT OCCURRED OUT HERE AT THE CORNER.
AND THIS LAST YEAR, WE HAD WORK AT THE SOUTH FIRE STATION, AND NEXT YEAR WE'RE PLANNING A SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE TO OUR SOLAR.
WE'VE BEEN SPENDING AROUND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND NEXT YEAR, AROUND 300,000 COMMITMENT TO SOLAR, OUR HVAC PROJECT HERE IN OUR BUILDING, A TWO MILLION DOLLAR, JUST OVER TWO MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.
THE BEST NEWS ABOUT THIS IS IT'S FINISHED AND IT WAS DONE WITH CASH.
THERE WAS NO LONG TERM BORROWING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THIS BOARD SET ASIDE MONEY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
GOAL NUMBER 8 WAS LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL OF A NEW SITE FOR A RECYCLING CENTER.
WE DID SOME ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE ARE AT AND WHAT THE ISSUES WERE ARE.
UP AND WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY LOCATED, WE LOOKED AT SOME POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NEW RECYCLING CENTER.
WHAT IT CAME DOWN TO IS THROUGH ALL THE HURDLES AND ALL OF THIS, THE BEST SITE FOR US IS REMAINING WHERE WE'RE AT AND MAINTAINING THE SITE THAT WE HAVE.
OUR CENSUS COUNT RANDY YATES IN THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT LED THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAD A GREAT CENSUS COUNT.
WE WERE 76 AND A HALF PERCENT.
THAT COMPARES TO SEVENTY ONE POINT TWO FOR THE STATE.
BUT HERE'S THE MOST INTERESTING THING.
I THINK A MUCH EASIER TIME TO DO A CENSUS COUNT 10 YEARS AGO, WE WERE AT SEVENTY SEVEN POINT TWO.
WE WERE JUST WE ALMOST HIT 2010S NUMBER IN 2020S NEW CENSUS.
SO GREAT WORK BY BRANDIE AND EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
OUR GOAL NUMBER 10, OUR LAST GOAL FOR 2020 WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEARLY 80 MILES OF PATHWAYS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
TWENTY TWENTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
THAT WASN'T ALL WE ACCOMPLISHED, WE WERE RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, OKEMOS AND HASLETT AS NUMBER 13 AS THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE.
TAKES A LOT TO GET THAT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AS YOU CAN SEE WHO DID IT WE BEAT OUT.
WELL, WHEN YOU START BEATING OUT ANN ARBOR AND GROSS POINTE PARK AND BIRMINGHAM AND BEVERLY HILLS AND NORTH HILLS AND GROSSE POINTE FARMS, AND NOVI.
EXCEPT NOVI IS WHERE THE BILLIONAIRE HIT.
[00:15:01]
SO THE OTHER DAY, I GUESS THEIR RANKING MAY GO UP AFTER THAT.POLICE ACCREDITATION IN JANUARY A YEAR AGO.
WE ARE NOW ONE OF THE ONLY 24 DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN THAT'S ACCREDITED.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT 2020 PROBABLY A GREAT YEAR, CONSIDERING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR TO GET ACCREDITED.
WE OPENED A LARGE DOG PARK ACROSS FROM THE MARKETPLACE.
WE SAW GREAT IMPROVEMENTS OF THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER WITH THE RESTROOM AND PAVILION.
IT WAS A BIG YEAR FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE UPDATED OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN.
UPGRADED OUR NELSON ROOM, WHICH IS IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE GOT ALL OF OUR LABOR AGREEMENTS SIGNED, DONE WITHOUT ANY THREE 12, THE NECESSITY TO GO TO THREE 12 BINDING ARBITRATION.
AND WE WELCOME THE NEW CANINE, ARES.
A MORE [INAUDIBLE] TO CENTRAL PARK, RESTROOM TRAIL CONNECTOR BRIDGE.
MOST OF THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
WE REVAMPED OUR IT DEPARTMENT AND KRISTEN COLE WAS CURRENTLY ON OUR TEAM, BUT KAMIC JOC WAS NOT.
AND THEY'RE JUST DOING A FABULOUS JOB NOW WITH OUR I.T.
WE WELCOME TO OUR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I INTRODUCED AMBER EARLIER, AMBER IS A RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND A FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR THE CITY OF JACKSON.
WE ENJOY POACHING GREAT EMPLOYEES.
ABBY TITHOFF OUR NEW HR DIRECTOR, SHE'S DOING A FABULOUS JOB FOR US.
AND AGAIN, WE TOOK HER AWAY FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
OUR OUTDOOR SERVICE CENTERS WERE RECOGNIZED STATEWIDE AS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT A COMMUNITY OR GOVERNMENT DID DURING COVID, ALL THE CREDIT GOES TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
OUR EMPLOYEES CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA.
THE MANAGEMENT WAS PART OF IMPLEMENTING IT AND MAKING IT HAPPEN.
BUT THIS IDEA UNDER DEREK'S LEADERSHIP REALLY SERVED US WELL.
WE SERVED 90 PERCENT OF OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH THESE PODS THIS SUMMER DURING COVID.
A LOT OF GOVERNMENTS JUST SHUT THEIR DOORS INSTEAD.
WE STAYED OPEN AND FOUGHT THROUGH IT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT TWENTY TWENTY ONE, THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT TWENTY TWENTY, WHAT'S AHEAD FOR 2021.
AND HERE'S WHAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH.
NUMBER ONE, CONTINUE OFFERING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGH THIS COVID GETTING THROUGH IT WITH THE HELP OF OUR EMPLOYEES OBVIOUSLY BEING NUMBER ONE, BUT STILL MAINTAINING A GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
OBVIOUSLY RECENTLY, THE BOARD JUST APPROVED A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE HAD SET ASIDE IN A REDEVELOPMENT FUND AND APPROVED JUST RECENTLY ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE GRANTS, UP TO SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE WERE ABLE TO FUND LIKE 80 SOME PERCENT OF THE REQUESTS THAT WE RECEIVED WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT.
I WANT TO THANK THE WORK OF THE EDC AND THE DDA PUTTING THAT ALL TOGETHER IN THE BOARDS AND FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
ON GOAL NUMBER TWO IS OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE METRICS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN HERE, WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF WHERE WE'RE AT ALONG THE WAY.
I'D REQUESTED ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR SOLAR.
THE BOARD SAID, NO, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY PUT IN THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
THE DEI PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
REALLY SEE A VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT.
THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE OF WHAT THIS BOARD OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF OUR TAXPAYERS, OUR ROADS ARE NOW IN A GREAT PLACE, THEY'RE HEADING IN A GREAT PLACE.
WE HAD TERRIFIC, HORRENDOUS LEGACY COSTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOW MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
WE NEEDED A NEW LADDER TRUCK THE LAST TRUCK WAS 1998, 1999.
WE HAD BLIGHTED AREAS IN OKEMOS, IN HASLETT, AND WE'RE NOW MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE UNDER THIS BOARD.
PROBABLY IN MY 30 YEARS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT I'VE NOT SEEN A FOUR YEAR SEGMENT LIKE THIS IN ALL OF MY CAREER WHERE HUGE, AUDACIOUS GOALS WERE ATTACKED AND DEALT WITH.
AND NOW YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IN THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S NICE AND FLAT NOW, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY THE SIGN SAYS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THERE.
AND AGAIN, WITH THE SUPPORT OF MANY, MANY PEOPLE.
[00:20:02]
SECOND YEAR, THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM, AGAIN, A MINIMUM OF 15 MILES OF LOCAL ROADS.AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU DO THE MATH, WE'RE AT A FOUR POINT FORTY EIGHT RIGHT TO START AND WE WANT TO GET TO AN EIGHT.
SO IF YOU TAKE THAT DIFFERENCE AND DIVIDE IT BY 10 YEARS, IT IS A POINT THREE, TWO PER YEAR, WE NEED TO GET TO A POINT THREE TWO SO AT THE END OF THE POINT THREE TWO PER YEAR TO THE FOUR POINT FOUR EIGHT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE NEED TO HAVE A FOUR POINT EIGHT BY 2020.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO HAVE BY 2021?
[6B. Presentation of 2021 Goals]
WE NEED TO BE AT A FIVE POINT ONE TWO.IF WE'RE ON TARGET, TO MAKE THAT EIGHT TO HAVE A TERRIFIC ROAD SYSTEM IN 10 YEARS, WHICH WE PROMISED WE NEED TO BE AT A FIVE POINT ONE TWO BY TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND WE ESTIMATE WILL BE UP PUSHING FIVE POINT FOUR WHERE WE'RE ALMOST A YEAR AHEAD OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH OUR ROAD PROGRAM.
A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR BROADBAND, THIS CAME UP FROM TRUSTEE JACKSON DURING OUR GOAL SETTING IS HOW DO WE EXPAND AND MAKE BROADBAND MORE AVAILABLE? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA AT ALL.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS.
I KNOW SUPERVISOR STYKA, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME HEADWAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING TO GO.
I CAN'T TELL YOU TONIGHT, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS IS A BIG GOAL OF THIS BOARD.
COMPLETE PHASE ONE AND TWO OF THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY.
ANOTHER, AGAIN, A VERY IMPORTANT GOAL FOR US AS WE LOOK TO EXPAND OUR PATHWAY SYSTEM.
AND FURTHER, OUR BRANDING EFFORTS, AND I THINK TRUSTEE SUNDLAND TREASURER DESCHAINE AND CLERK GUTHRIE ARE GOING TO BE VERY MUCH INVOLVED.
AS YOU KNOW, CLERK GUTHRIE HAS MANY, MANY YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND HER EXPERIENCE THERE'S GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL AS WE DO OUR MESSAGING GOING FORWARD.
SO TRUSTEE SUNDLAND AND CLERK GUTHRIE AND TREASURER DESCHAINE ARE GOING TO BE VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT.
WEBSITE IMPROVEMENT'S GOT TO HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE AND OURS IS GOOD, IT'S NOT GREAT, AND WE'RE WORKING EVERY DAY TO MAKE IT BETTER AND THAT WILL BE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER BRANDIE YATES.
AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE, AND FINALLY, GOAL NUMBER 10, AGAIN, WE'RE LEANING ON THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND OUR TREASURER DESCHAINE, FULFILLING OUR PROMISES THAT WE MADE.
IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT.
WE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROMISES WITH THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION.
WE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROMISES WITH OUR ROAD MILLAGE.
AND WE ARE MEETING OR EXCEEDING EVERY PROMISE THAT WE'VE MADE SINCE 2017, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT AND THE HASLETT PROJECT AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING WE'RE JUST COMING OFF BEING RATED NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE.
AND NOW WE JUST RECEIVED NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE NAMED OKEMOS AS THE BEST PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY IN MICHIGAN.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING UP AGAINST 17 OTHER COMMUNITIES AT THAT POINT AND TO BE RANKED TO BE RANKED NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF, BUT IT STARTS FROM PEOPLE IN NEED BEING SERVED BY THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE PARKS COMMISSION.
PUTTING TOGETHER A GREAT PLAN FOR OUR PARKS, THE DDA AND THE EDC SUPPORTING US WHEN WE NEED IT, WHEN WE'RE FACING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES WITH GRANT FUNDING AND ALL OF THAT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S WORK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING, LET'S THROW ALL KINDS OF SALT DOWN ON OUR PATHWAYS EVERYWHERE, LETS SALT THE HECK OUT OF EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW.
APPRECIATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE OF THAT.
I MEAN, WE JUST HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE, AND THIS IS JUST HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCENTUATES WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS A COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S TWO YEARS AND 20 MINUTES OR 18 MINUTES, TWO YEARS OF WORK AND PLAN.
SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU.
I WANT TO THANK THIS GREAT BOARD THAT I GET TO WORK WITH AND THE STAFF THAT I'M BLESSED TO WORK WITH.
WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP AND YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON US.
THIS YEAR WAS A TRUE MARK OF WHAT WE HAVE DURING COVID, AND WE HAVE ANSWERED THE BELL EVERY TIME AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR.
I KNOW THE BOARD HAS SEEN ALL OF THIS BEFORE, BUT MAYBE BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE NOT.
SO VERY QUICKLY, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT EITHER THE 2020 REPORT OR THE 2021 GOALS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE.
I KNOW I'VE GOT THREE SCREENS TO LOOK AT.
[00:25:01]
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING OUT, YOU MAY HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING UNMUTE YOURSELF AND SAY SOMETHING.ALL RIGHT, WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE ASK THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHAT
[6C. Presentations by Boards & Commissions of Summaries of 2020 Activities]
YOU'VE BEEN DOING, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, WHAT MAY BE SOME OF THE BIG IDEAS YOU MAY HAVE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO THIS TOWNSHIP BOARD THAN OUR MEMBERS OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU WE WOULDN'T HAVE A TRUE MERIDIAN GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO FOR OUR CITIZENS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AND IT'S THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT ALLOW US SEVEN MEMBERS AND THE MANAGER AND HIS KEY TEAM TO TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT.
AND I HAVE A LIST OF WHO AT LEAST INTENDED TO BE HERE.
AND I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T MAKE IT, BUT I WILL MENTION I'LL START WITH THE THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY.
AND I NOTICED THAT MR. THEUER, WHO WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH ME FOR MANY YEARS IN OKEMOS AND MRS. [INAUDIBLE] AND MR. PREMOE INTENDED TO BE HERE.
AND I WONDERED WHICH ONE OF YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
[LAUGHTER] IS IT MR. THEUER OR MS. [INAUDIBLE] YES.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, JEFF? GOOD.
I GUESS MY PORTION OF THIS IS TO TALK ABOUT THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT PROVIDES AN INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY CHALLENGED AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP BY ALLOWING SOME OF THE COSTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP PORTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT TO BE REIMBURSED OR PAID THROUGH TAX, THROUGH ESSENTIALLY TAX INCENTIVE FINANCING.
SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT, TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE KINDS OF AREAS, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PROPERTIES THAT TEND TO SIT AROUND AND NOT BE DEVELOPED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.
AND WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR.
OK, MY SCREEN CHANGED, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO MEET SEVEN TIMES, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD FOR THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WE WERE ABLE TO REVIEW AND APPROVE BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS FOR THE HASLETT MARATHON STATION AND FOR THE PINE VILLAGE AREA AS WELL.
THAT'S THE OLD COMMERCIAL COMPLEX UP ON HASLETT ROAD.
ALL THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN UNDEVELOPED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE HELPED MAKE SOME PROGRESS TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE AREAS.
WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO APPROVE A REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST, THE FIRST ONE FOR THE ELEVATION PROJECT DOWN ALONG JOLLY ROAD.
THAT'S THE PROJECT THAT FIRST GAVE THEM, I GUESS THE IMPETUS FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO START ITS OWN BRA HERE, BECAUSE IN IN THE PAST, WHEN DEVELOPERS WANTED TO DO A REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PROJECT, THEY WOULD GO TO THE COUNTY INSTEAD OF THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THAT PREVENTED US FROM MAKING USE OF SOME OF THE BENEFITS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF SPONSORING THOSE PLANS.
SO BETWEEN THOSE THREE ITEMS, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROJECTS AND TO THE HELP OF THE TOWNSHIP GOING FORWARD.
AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I GUESS THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
YOU ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WE DECIDED TO HAVE OUR OWN BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY.
SO FAR, WE HAVEN'T INUNDATED WITH YOU WITH WORK, BUT WE HAVE GIVEN YOU SOME STEADY THINGS TO LOOK AT.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF MR. THEUER OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY THAT MIGHT BE HERE? I THINK YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK, JEFF.
THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT REPORT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS NEAR THE END OF THE ALPHABET SO IN CLASSES WHERE THE TEACHER WENT BY ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
SOMETIMES THAT WAS WHAT YOU WANTED.
MY WIFE WAS AT THE BEGINNING SO SHE USUALLY GOT CALLED ON EARLY AND SOMETIMES MAYBE SHE DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
[00:30:02]
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO SHAKE IT UP.BUT I'M GOING TO GO TO THE ZBA NEXT.
[LAUGHTER] WELL YOU ARE SECOND MR. [INAUDIBLE] GOES FIRST.
BUT THANK YOU AND FOR HAVING US ALL HERE.
AND I THINK ACTUALLY THE LAST MEETING THAT I WAS IN PERSON WAS THIS MEETING LAST YEAR.
SO THAT BEING SAID, THE ZBA HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SCOPE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, OBVIOUSLY, JUST DUE TO THE NATURE OF WHAT WE DO.
SO FAR FOR TWENTY TWENTY, THE ZBA HELD SEVEN MEETINGS.
ONLY ONE OF THOSE WAS IN PERSON.
AND WE ACTED ON NINE VARIANCE REQUESTS.
WE HAD THREE WELL SIGNS, THREE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE SETBACKS, ONE WETLAND SETBACK, ONE PARKING LOT SETBACK AND ONE VARIANCE TO ALLOW AN ADDITION TO A NON CONFORMING COMMERCIAL BUILDING.
AND THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT MUCH TO DO, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE MADE REALLY GOOD DECISIONS LAST YEAR, AS ALWAYS.
AND WITH THE HELP OF OUR AMAZING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STAFF, INCLUDING OUR MARK KIESELBACH, WHO WE'RE PROUD TO SAY 41 YEARS.
AND HE IS JUST ABSOLUTELY INVALUABLE.
PETER MENSER, WHO HELPED US IMMENSELY AT THE BEGINNING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ZOOM AND GET OUR FEET THERE, AND KEITH CHAPMAN, WHO ALWAYS HELPS US PRESENTING OUR CASES AND IS INVALUABLE AS FAR AS STAFF GOES.
I DON'T I SEE SOME OF OUR A COUPLE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE, NOT ALL.
BUT I AM THRILLED TO SIT ON THIS BOARD WITH MY VICE CHAIR, MONIQUE FIELD-FOSTER.
I THINK I SAW SCOTT SOMEWHERE HERE.
THERE HE IS FROM THE THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SCOTT HENDRICKSON.
WE ALSO HAVE TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I THOUGHT I SAW HER HERE SOMEWHERE AS WELL.
AND ANOTHER MEMBER AT LARGE, DON KULHANEK, AND WE HAD AN ALTERNATE THAT HELPED US A FEW TIMES THIS YEAR.
WE DID OUR BEST WITH ZOOM AND I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE.
WE HAD SOME VERY TOUGH CASES IN FRONT OF US AND WE MADE SOME GOOD CHOICES.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS BOARD THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR, NOT ONLY HELPING RESIDENTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT IS TRULY AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE LIKE TO DO, BUT ALSO REALLY ASSISTING BUSINESSES AND BRANDS COMING INTO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, MAKING THESE COMMUNITIES DESIRABLE PLACES TO LIVE, AND REALLY WORKING WITH BUSINESSES TO STAY WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF OUR ZONING ORDINANCES, BUT TO BE ACCOMMODATING AS WELL IN WAYS THAT WE CAN SEE WHEN UNIQUE SITUATIONS ARISE, HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK WE DO IN OUR BOARD.
AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO JUST BE FAIR, TO LISTEN, TO ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE AND TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS WE CAN BASED ON OUR VARIOUS CRITERIA.
AND AS LONG AS WE'RE DOING THAT, I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE SERVING THE TOWNSHIP WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF MY OBVIOUSLY ALL OF MY FELLOW BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO HELP MAKE OUR TOWNSHIP SUCH A DESIRABLE PLACE TO BE.
AND I'M GLAD I CAN BE A PART OF IT, SO.
I WOULD MENTION I THINK THE ZBA HAS A TOUGH JOB.
ALSO, MOST OF YOU WITH YOUR AREAS, BUT BALANCING TO MAKE SURE THAT CITIZENS FEEL LIKE THEY GET THEIR HEARING AND THEIR DAY IN COURT, SO TO SPEAK.
AND YET WE ALSO HAVE TO WANT TO HAVE A REPUTATION AS BEING THE SAY NO COMMUNITY.
BUT WE DO WANT TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT OUT OF MERIDIAN AND THE KIND OF PLACE THEY LIVE.
IT'S TRUE OF THE BROWNFIELD AND PLANNING AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT IN PARTICULAR, I THINK ZBA BRINGS THAT TO MY MIND.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. MANSOUR? ANYBODY ON THE ZBA? I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY SO SPEAK OUT IF YOU DO.
I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY, OK, WE'LL NOW GO ON TO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY, THE SO-CALLED CIA RATHER SECRET GROUP.
EITHER OF YOU HERE? WHO'S GOING TO REPORT [INAUDIBLE]? ALL RIGHT.
JEFF ROSS IS HERE? JEFF ROSS IS HERE.
[00:35:03]
GOOD.THE CIA HAD, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD A I THINK A FRUITFUL YEAR.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TOWNSHIP FOR HIRING AMBER CLARK.
SHE IS A WONDERFUL ASSET TO THE CORRIDOR AND TO THE TOWNSHIP.
THE MISSION OF THE CIA IS TO LET ME PULL UP MY NOTES HERE.
IT'S TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB FOR OUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT? THE MISSION OF THE CIA IS TO.
OVERSEE AND OFFER, I'M JUST GOING TO GO OFF TOP OF MY HEAD IS TO OVERSEE AND KEEP A THOUGHTFUL OVERSIGHT OF THE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS BASICALLY GRAND RIVER IN THE MERIDIAN MALL AREA.
WE MET WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
THERE IS A NOTABLE MEETING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WHERE A LETTER WAS SENT TO MDOT, A JOINT LETTER WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHICH WAS MOVING FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HELP CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT WITH THE RESURFACING AND THE POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH FORM BASED CODE AND WHATNOT IN THE CORRIDOR.
THE BOARD THE CIA HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN WAS WITH THE OPENING, WE THINK THE BOARD FOR MOVING SO QUICKLY WITH THE FARM MARKET.
PLUS WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WERE PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID.
AND DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, I'D LIKE TO DO MY HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND EVERYONE AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BEING THE NUMBER ONE PLACE TO LIVE AND DO BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IT SORT OF LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE A OF THE THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, YOU HAVE TWO HEADS ON EITHER SIDE OF YOU THERE BEHIND YOU IN THE PICTURE.
YEAH, [LAUGHTER] WE'RE GOING TO THE CIA WANTS TO BRING [INAUDIBLE] TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND IT STARTED OUT [INAUDIBLE].
HAS ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, MR. ROSS, OR ABOUT THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY? OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
WE WILL NOW GO TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND WE AT LEAST HAVE MR. POTTER, BOB LOVELL AND STEVEN VAGNOZZI HERE.
SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
STEVE WILL, THIS IS STEVE VAGNOZZI.
I'M WAITING FOR THE VIDEO TO GET SHIFTED TO ME.
THESE ARE THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2020.
WE MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM CATA MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY MULTIPLE TIMES.
WE HELD A PUBLIC HEARING AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ON THE CONVERSION OF JOLLY ROAD FROM FOUR LANES TO THREE LANES.
WE HELD A JOINT MEETING WITH THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY AND PREPARED A LETTER TO MDOT, IT'S A JOINT LETTER NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
WE RECOMMENDED THE ADJUSTMENT OF HOURS FOR READY RIDE SHIFTING TO AN EARLIER SCHEDULE.
I JUST GAVE THE BOARD A FAIRLY LENGTHY PRESENTATION ON READY RIDES, SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING MORE.
WE MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING TO DISCUSS THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, THE PATHWAY PROGRAM AND UPCOMING IMPROVEMENTS TO GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
[00:40:01]
AND WE REVIEWED AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE TWENTY FORTY FIVE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.AND THAT'S AND THAT'S OUR LIST.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING BIG ON THE HORIZON THAT WE SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR? PRETTY MUCH.
WHAT WILL WHAT WILL BE THE TWO THINGS THAT WILL BE COMING UP ON THE HORIZON AND I MAY, THEY BOTH MAY NOT HAPPEN IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE IS GOING TO BE THE NEW BRIDGE OVER THE RED CEDAR RIVER.
AND THE IMPROVEMENTS IN REWORK OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
I BELIEVE THAT CURRENTLY THAT THE RED CEDAR RIVER BRIDGE ON OKEMOS ROAD IS 2022, BUT THERE WILL BE THERE WILL BE PLANNING WORK.
THESE THINGS DO SLIDE IN TERMS OF THIS CALENDAR YOU KNOW.
ANYONE FROM THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. VAGNOZZI OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION? I MEAN, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
HAVING JUST COME OFF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, I'VE GOT SOME PERSPECTIVE AND I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THEM FOR THE GOOD WORK THEY'VE DONE.
MANAGER WALSH WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR 10 YEAR ROAD PLAN THAT'S GOING TO IMPROVE OUR PASSER RATING FROM FOUR TO EIGHT.
THAT IDEA FOR THE ROAD MILLAGE AND THE NEED FOR IT TO JUSTIFY TO THE VOTERS CAME FROM THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
ALSO, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WAS ACTUALLY CALLED THE READY RIDE COMMITTEE FOUR YEARS AGO OR FIVE YEARS AGO AND IT'S EVOLVED.
BUT THE COMMISSION HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL TO COMPLETE THE OVERHAUL AND EXPAND READY RIDE.
WHAT USED TO BE AN ISSUE THAT WAS OFTEN COMPLAINED ABOUT AT THE BOARD MEETINGS ABOUT THE ISSUES OF SERVICE AVAILABILITY HOURS.
WE'RE NOT HEARING THOSE AT THE BOARD LEVEL NOW INSTEAD READY RIDE'S AVAILABLE FOR THREE HOURS MORE PER DAY, SAME DAY CALLS, LOTS OF GREAT IMPROVEMENTS FOR READY RIDE.
MUCH OF THAT INITIATED BY THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WORKING CLOSELY WITH CATA.
AND SO TWO BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY THAT COMMISSION, WHICH IS OTHERWISE BRAND NEW.
SO GREAT WORK, STEVE AND TIM AND BOB AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES WHAT MR. DESCHAINE BROUGHT UP? OK, THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON, IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO CATA HERE, WHICH IS ROBIN LEWIS, IS SHE HERE.
YES, I'M HERE AND SO HI, TELL US ABOUT CATA WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, I WAS APPOINTED BY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO CATA ON OCTOBER 20TH OF TWENTY TWENTY.
I ATTENDED MY FIRST MEETING OCTOBER 21ST, THANKS TO BETTY AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR WORKING SO HARD TO GET ME SWORN IN SO I COULD ATTEND THAT FIRST MEETING.
THE BIGGEST THING IS THERE WAS A POLICY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, NOVEMBER, I THINK IT WAS TO ALLOW ADVERTISING NOW ON THE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES.
THERE WAS JUST AN ECHO [INAUDIBLE].
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THING, WE'RE STILL IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATION, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE GOING SLOW.
THE I'M TRYING TO SEE THEY ARE CONTINUING THEIR EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE COVID BY BUS DISINFECTING SERVICES, AND THEY'VE ALSO STARTED VOLUNTEER COVID VACCINES.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, DAN IS NO LONGER THERE.
BUT BILL JOINED US AT OUR LAST MEETING JUST LAST WEEK.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO ADD YOUR AS NEW AS I AM, BUT WE'RE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTINUE THE EFFORTS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MADE TO ENHANCE THE SERVICES FROM THE CAPITAL AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
I KNOW YOU'RE A RELATIVELY NEW.
I KNOW DAN OPSOMMER SERVED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE YOU.
[INAUDIBLE] WANT TO ADD TO WHAT [INAUDIBLE]? YES, I'LL JUST ADD A FEW THINGS AND YOU'LL HAVE TO TOLERATE A LITTLE BIT OF
[00:45:04]
BACKGROUND NOISE FROM MY SON, WHO'S HERE WITH ME THIS EVENING, BUT THE BIGGEST THING FOR CATA THIS YEAR WAS WHEN THE COVID PANDEMIC STRUCK IN MARCH.AND WE HAD THAT FIRST PEAK WHERE WE ATTEMPTED TO FLATTEN THE CURVE SUCCESSFULLY IN MAY OR APRIL, MAY AND JUNE.
CATA WAS AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH ALL TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS MICHIGAN AND GOING TO DOOR TO DOOR ON DEMAND SERVICE AND DELIVERING SAME DAY SERVICE, TERMINATING ALL FIXED ROUTE SERVICE.
WE HAD OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE WHO STILL TRIED TO PROVIDE THAT FIXED ROUTE SERVICE AND HAD COVID CASES IN THOSE AUTHORITIES AND COMPLICATIONS WITH TRYING TO CONTINUE THAT SERVICE.
SO CATA WAS REALLY KIND OF THE LEADING AGENCY THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON THAT MODEL AND THEN, OF COURSE, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SAFETY FOR THE DRIVERS.
AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE AUTHORITY AND THE UNION.
EARLY ON, NONE OF THE DRIVERS WERE REQUIRED TO WORK.
ALL OF THE DRIVERS WHO CHOSE NOT TO WORK DUE TO PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OR OTHER COMPLICATIONS THAT THEY MAY FACE WITH COVID WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION AND STAY ON WITH THE AUTHORITY.
SO THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INNOVATION THAT STILL CONTINUES THERE TODAY WITH PROTECTING THE DRIVERS AND PROTECTING PASSENGERS.
AND THEN THE OTHER BIG CHANGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN SEEING NEXT YEAR, WELL, THIS YEAR AND OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS IS THE PHASING IN OF ADVERTISING WITHIN THE AUTHORITY.
THE AUTHORITY HAS NOT ADVERTISED FOR MANY DECADES.
IT DID BACK, I BELIEVE, IN THE 60S OR 70S IN THE INFANCY OF THE AUTHORITY.
BUT SINCE THE 70S, THE EARLY 70S HAS NOT DONE ANY ADVERTISING.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THE NEW STATIONS THAT YOU'VE SEEN ON [INAUDIBLE] AND THERE'S A SPARTAN THEME STATION ON [INAUDIBLE] NEAR ACRES AND HUBBARD HALL, THERE'S ALSO A STATION BY THE NEW TARGET ON GRAND RIVER AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN EAST LANSING.
THOSE ARE ADVERTISING STATIONS THAT CATA PUT OUT THERE SO THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY CAN SEE WHAT THOSE STATIONS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S SOME IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY'RE FAR MORE ARTISTIC IN NATURE.
AND THAT CAME FROM A COLLABORATION AND WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO DESIGN THOSE STATIONS.
AND THOSE CAN BE CONVERTED TO ADVERTISING.
AND BY DOING SO, WE HOPE TO BUILD OUT AND SHELTER THE REGION MUCH BETTER FOR OUR PASSENGERS.
SO BUSINESSES LIKE MYER WILL INVEST TO PUT THE STATION IN AND TO LIGHT IT WITH THE LED, YOU KNOW, RUN THE CONDUIT FROM THE BUILDING OUT TO LIGHT IT.
AND THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT FOR THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT, THEY CAN GET ADVERTISING RIGHTS FOR A CERTAIN DURATION AND THAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD OUT THE STATIONS WITHOUT NEEDING THE BOND OR TO HAVE THE CASH UP FRONT.
SO KIND OF SIMILAR TO THE HVAC THAT THE MANAGER WAS TALKING ABOUT A PRIVATE SECTOR COLLABORATION AND HOW CAN WE GET THAT CASH IN.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST TWO THINGS FOR CATA OVER THE YEAR.
AND HE CHAIRED THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND THEY DID A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING, I CAME IN AND VOTED.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND YOUR GUIDANCE, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS AND NOW DAN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING FOR YOU IN YOUR NEW ROLE.
AND CATA IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH TREASURER DESCHAINE AND WITH ROBIN LEWIS.
I WISH YOU BOTH WELL AND IMPLEMENTING THAT POLICY AND CONTINUING TO WEATHER THE COVID.
I WANT TO THANK MS. LEWIS FOR COMING FORWARD TO BEING WILLING TO SERVE.
I CAN'T I KNOW SHE DID IT FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY IN THE PAST AND WE'RE GRATEFUL, VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE HER NOW IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ADVERTISING.
I GREW UP AS A KID IN DETROIT WHERE WHAT WAS THEN THE DSR DETROIT STREETS AND RAILWAYS ALWAYS HAD ADVERTISING AND ALL THE BUSSES AND STREETCARS, ET CETERA.
THEN I WENT TO A SCHOOL IN [INAUDIBLE] AND WE ALWAYS HAD ADVERTISING THERE.
AND IT KIND OF STRIKES ME AS FUNNY THAT WE'RE NOW COMING BACK INTO THE AGE OF PUTTING ADVERTISING ON BUSSES.
THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING FOR ME.
IT'S A IT'S A NO BRAINER, BUT ANY THOUGH.
WE HAVE OUR LAND PRESERVATION BOARD, AND WE SHOULD HAVE HOPEFULLY, KRISTINE PARNELL AND THEN MAYBE CHANELLE RUSS AS WELL.
HI YEAH, I VOLUNTEERED TO GIVE OUR SUMMARY AND GOALS FOR THIS NEXT YEAR, I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THE BOARD, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME SPEAK.
[00:50:04]
SO JUST TO GO OVER LAST YEAR, IT WAS A BIG MILESTONE YEAR WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF HARDSHIP AND UNCERTAINTY.AND IN THE FACE OF THAT, WE WERE REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR LAND PRESERVES IN THE TOWNSHIP, AS WELL AS JUST HOW INCREDIBLE THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS WHEN IT COMES TOGETHER AND ENGAGES TOGETHER.
SO DESPITE THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE PAST YEAR, THE LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO ENGAGE SIXTY FIVE RESIDENTS AND CONNECT THEM TO THE LAND TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT ACTS OF STEWARDSHIP.
THE LAUNCH OF THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS GAVE CITIZENS A CHANCE TO GATHER SAFELY AND TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AROUND THE STEWARDSHIP THAT INSTILLS A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP, PRIDE AND WELL-BEING.
AND NOT ONLY DID THIS WORK BENEFIT HUMAN HEALTH, BUT ALSO THE HEALTH OF OUR NATURAL AREAS.
AND SO WITH A SUCCESSFUL YEAR BEHIND US, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR.
BEING THE YEAR WHERE WE INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF LAND PRESERVES AND EXPAND OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO NEW LEVELS NOT SEEN BEFORE.
SO SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE SET OUT ARE THAT WE HAVE THE LAUNCH OF THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, WHICH I MYSELF PLAN TO JOIN THIS YEAR.
AND SO IT'S RELEASED FOUR OF EIGHT VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS, RECRUITED ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE VOLUNTEER SIGN UPS AND ACTIVELY ENGAGED THOSE 65 VOLUNTEERS I MENTIONED BEFORE.
THERE'S ALSO BEEN 15 STEWARDSHIP WORKDAYS, WHICH WERE HELD AT 10 DIFFERENT PARKS AND PRESERVES, WHICH REMOVED 12 DIFFERENT INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AND CONTRIBUTED TO OVER THREE HUNDRED HOURS OF HABITAT RESTORATION, WHICH IS REALLY AMAZING.
A TOTAL OF ALMOST 500 HOURS OF THE STEWARDSHIP WAS COMPLETED THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP, INCLUDING OVER TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS OF LITTER REMOVED BY THE CLEANUP CREW AND ALSO ABOUT TWO HUNDRED FIFTY POUNDS OF INVASIVE [INAUDIBLE] AND GARLIC MUSTARD, SOME KEY INVASIVE SPECIES.
WE ALSO HAD THE SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITION OF [INAUDIBLE] OF EXCUSE ME, OF A PARCEL WHICH ADDED ABOUT EIGHT ACRES TO THE TOWNSHIP PRESERVES AND CONNECTED THREE OF OUR EXISTING PROPERTIES TO EACH OTHER.
AND THEN THE LAND PRESERVATION MILLAGE WAS ACTUALLY RENEWED DURING THE ELECTION AT POINT [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
SO THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROGRAM AND THE CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM RESIDENTS AND THEN GOING TO TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT GOALS AND I'M EXCITED TO HAVE RECENTLY BEEN A PART OF ON THE BOARD.
SO FIRST WE'RE LOOKING TO RAISE AWARENESS AND INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE LAND PRESERVES.
SO A LARGE PORTION OF THAT, A LARGE PORTION OF EXCUSE ME OF THAT GOAL WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLMENT OF SIGNAGE, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, AND ALSO ASSIGNING AN ADDRESS TO EACH PRESERVE AND THEN ALSO TO RAISE AWARENESS, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT WILL ALSO BE EXPANDED WITH THE RELEASE OF FOUR NEW MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAMS FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE VERNAL POOL PATROL PLANTING A NATIVE MERIDIAN WATERWAYS WATCH AND BIO BLITZ SQUAD.
THOSE SOUND PRETTY EXCITING TO ME.
AND THEN ALSO WE'VE GOT EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS WHICH WILL COVER A VARIETY OF STEWARDSHIP TOPICS.
AND THEN A PAID INTERNSHIP WILL BE OFFERED TO AID THE LAND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY EMMA CAMPBELL TO COMPLETE LAND MANAGEMENT AND INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL.
AND THIS WILL CREATE A VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE FOR LOCAL YOUTH AND MICHIGAN STATE STUDENTS.
AND LASTLY, WE HAVE THE MANAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP PLANS, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO BE DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING FOR EACH LAND PRESERVE, WHICH WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR LAND MANAGEMENT TO BE MET WITH MORE EFFICIENCY.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR A GREAT YEAR AND I MYSELF HAVE ENJOYED THE PRESERVES AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT THERE AS WELL AND ENJOY THEM.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE A GREEN COMMUNITY HERE IN MERIDIAN.
A LOT OF THE GREENNESS COMES OUT OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE LAND PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE ACQUISITIONS OF THESE LAND PRESERVE AREAS.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. RUSS AT ALL? ANYTHING ABOUT LAND PRESERVATION? YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK.
THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT REPORT.
OK, WELL, I'M GOING TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO ADDRESS US ANGIE WILSON AND GEORGIA STYKA AND ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO GIVE A REPORT.
THERE YOU GO, I VOLUNTEERED TO DO THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE A GROUP OF NINE INDIVIDUALS THAT
[00:55:03]
HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING THE INDIVIDUALS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.IN 1985, THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION NEEDS FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASING NEED FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES AND A CORRESPONDING DROP IN AVAILABLE HUMAN SERVICE RESOURCES.
WE'RE A VERY ACTIVE VOLUNTEER GROUP.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERSIGHT OF THE [INAUDIBLE] FUND.
OUR MEETINGS ARE ONCE A MONTH.
WE MEET ON WEDNESDAY AT SEVEN P.M.
AND LATELY IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BY ZOOM.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OTHER MEMBERS.
WE HAVE SUZANNE BROUSE, WHO'S OUR CHAIR, WHO'S HERE TODAY.
MELODIE WRIGHT, WHOSE BRAND NEW, KATHLEEN LANGHALS AND KATHRINE LINCOLN HAVE BOTH BEEN ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AARON RICHMOND MYSELF JOINED ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR OF THE COMMISSION.
ANGIE WILSON, KIMBERLY MAINGU, AND WE JUST WELCOME DEBORAH GUTHRIE AS THE BOARD MEMBER.
IT'S GOING TO BE HELPING US NOW.
THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION WAS RENAMED AND WE KNOW IT AS MERIDIAN BEFORE AS MERIDIAN CARES.
WE'RE A SAFETY NET FOR RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE FOOD PANTRIES, CHURCHES, ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY IS TO MAKE SURE AS MANY RESIDENTS AS POSSIBLE HAVE BASIC NEEDS LIKE HOUSING AND FOOD WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH.
WE'RE FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION, AND EACH YEAR, LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS TALK TO DARLA JACKSON, WHO IS OUR SPECIALIST HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP, REQUESTING ASSISTANCE MOSTLY FOR RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, BUT EVEN FOR FOOD IN THAT CASE.
AND SO DARLA'S JOB IS TO DIRECT THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO TO SO THEY CAN GET AS MUCH ASSISTANCE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
LAST YEAR IN TWENTY TWENTY OVER THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT HOUSEHOLDS REQUESTED ASSISTANCE.
DUE TO COVID-19 THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASING NEED FOR ASSISTANCE, ESPECIALLY WITH HOUSING BILLS.
AND WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO ADAPT THE PROGRAM TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AS NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES BECOME AVAILABLE.
OUR GENERAL DUTIES ARE TO ASSIST AND SUPPORT FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, REVIEW AND IMPLEMENT GOALS, PROMOTE AWARENESS AND PROVIDE OVERSIGHT FOR MERIDIAN CARES.
WE WILL LOOK IN 2021, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ADAPTING TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO FAR WITH ALL OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOUSING AND WATER.
THERE HAVE BEEN NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT HAVEN'T COME TO OUR ASSISTANCE.
BUT AS SOON AS THOSE INDIVIDUAL MANDATES ARE NO LONGER IN EFFECT, WE EXPECT TO HAVE MORE INDIVIDUALS COMING TO THE COMMISSION.
WE WORK TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE CRC IN THE POPULATION THAT SERVES.
WE'VE HAD LOTS OF FUNDRAISERS, NOT MANY IN THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID.
BUT WE HAVE OTHER THINGS, SUCH AS, IF YOU NOTICE IN YOUR WATER BILL, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOME MONEY TO THE CRC AND THAT HAS REALLY WORKED OUT VERY WELL FOR US.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF MONEY FROM THAT.
WE HAVE PAY PAL NOW FOR PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING AND WE HAVE SOME VERY GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS WITHIN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT ARE GIVING US MONEY ON A CONTINUAL BASIS.
IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, 10, 20, 30 DOLLARS A MONTH GOES THROUGH.
SO WE HAVE JUST AND ALSO THE TOWNSHIP GAVE US A LARGE CHUNK OF MONEY.
SO WE'VE GOT MONEY TO SPEND AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT MONEY IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE GREAT REPORT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY THESE TOUGH TIMES OF COVID AND AS GEORGIA MENTIONED, WE'RE EXPECTING THEY'RE NEEDS TO GREATLY INCREASE ONCE THE LANDLORDS START COLLECTING RENT AND WATER BILLS HAVE TO BE PAID, ET CETERA.
WE'RE TO BE WAY BEHIND ON A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.
I JUST WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, MR. STYKA, AS I NORMALLY DO, AND JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT DARLA JACKSON IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND I CANNOT GIVE HER THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF RESPECT IS DUE TO HER BECAUSE SHE DOES AN AWESOME JOB.
THANK YOU, THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO SAY.
I DON'T MIND BEING INTERRUPTED FOR THAT ONE, THAT WAS GREAT.
OK, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE RESOURCE COMMISSION, MERIDIAN CARES? TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
YEAH, NO QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU, GEORGIA, AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION FOR THE WORK THAT
[01:00:07]
THEY DO, AND I THINK IT BEARS HIGHLIGHTING THIS.THE LAND PRESERVATION WE KIND OF KNOW IS A UNIQUE PROGRAM AMONG LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT.
THIS WOULD SEEM LIKE AN INTUITIVE PROGRAM, BUT IT'S NOT.
I WORK AT THE STATE CAPITAL AND WHEN CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS COME IN, RACHEL HER OFFICE WILL FLAG IT FOR ME.
IN THE FIRST QUESTION I ALWAYS HAVE IS, IS IT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OR A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY? THAT'S TO IDENTIFY IF WE CAN HELP THEM THROUGH MERIDIAN CARES.
AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO OTHER YOU KNOW, JUST IN PASSING, TALKING TO OTHER LOCAL ELECTED AND THE CITY OF LANSING AND THE CITY OF LANSING HAVEN'T LOOKED AT.
ESTABLISHING A SIMILAR FUND LIKE MERIDIAN CARES DURING THESE TIMES.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS UNIQUE AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY NEEDED MUCH MORE DURING THE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS HELPED QUIETLY HELP HUNDREDS AND SOMETIMES EVEN THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES EVERY YEAR.
ANYONE ELSE? YES, RENEE KORREY.
WELL WHAT I WANTED TO SAY THAT QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.
WHEN I USED TO DO EVICTIONS FOR [INAUDIBLE] DISTRICT COURT.
WE DID A COUPLE EVICTIONS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ELDERLY PEOPLE, BOTH VETERANS, THE CHURCH WOULD NOT HELP THEM.
THE VOA WAS FULL AND COULD NOT HELP THEM.
AND I TURNED TO AT THAT TIME, IT WAS SOMETHING SHE SAID BEFORE, I THINK MERIDIAN CARES AND MERIDIAN CARES PAID FOR LODGING FOR BOTH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS UNTIL THE VOA ACTUALLY HAD ROOM AND COULD OPEN UP.
AND I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED THEM FOR THAT.
THERE WAS NO QUESTION IT WAS LIKE, OK, THIS IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED, WE'LL WORRY ABOUT THE DETAILS LATER.
AND SO I PERSONALLY CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND I PROBABLY DON'T SAY IT ENOUGH.
ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE THANK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT REPORT, WHICH IS THE LOCAL OFFICIALS COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, AMY HOLDA IS HERE, I BELIEVE.
SO THE LOCAL OFFICIALS COMPENSATION COMMISSION IS ESTABLISHED, IS ESTABLISHED BY TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE AND IS STAFFED BY H.R.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER THIS YEAR.
SO THE COMMISSION IS MADE UP OF FIVE REPRESENTATIVES APPOINTED BY THE SUPERVISOR AND THEN CONFIRMED BY A MAJORITY OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, EACH SERVE A FIVE YEAR TERM WITH ONE TERM EXPIRING EACH YEAR.
CURRENT COMMISSIONERS INCLUDE MYSELF, A LONG TERM COMMISSIONER, JIM DOYLE, STACEY HICKOX, SCOTT HENDRICKSON, AND IN HER FIRST TERM, TANYA PRATT.
THE CHARGE OF THE LOCC IS TO RECOMMEND COMPENSATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS ELECTED OFFICIALS, SO THIS INCLUDES THE SUPERVISOR, CLERK, TREASURER, TRUSTEES AND PARKS COMMISSIONERS.
SO THE COMMISSION MEETS IN ODD NUMBERED YEARS AND RECOMMENDS COMPENSATION FOR THAT CURRENT YEAR AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS SENT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND GOES INTO EFFECT 30 DAYS LATER UNLESS IT'S REJECTED BY THE BOARD WITH A TWO THIRDS VOTE.
INCREASES, IF THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE THE SALARY, IT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IN THAT 30 DAYS IF THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO DECREASE THE SALARY THAT DOES NOT GO INTO EFFECT DURING AN ELECTED OFFICIALS CURRENT TERM.
SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL THE POSITIONS UP AGAIN FOR THE ELECTION.
SO THE FIRST MEETING OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS FRIDAY, I'M SORRY, NOT THIS FRIDAY.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH AT SIX O'CLOCK, IT WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY AND IS INDEED A PUBLIC MEETING.
NOW, THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS TYPICALLY CONSIDERED, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO CONSIDER ANY SPECIFIC INFORMATION, BUT TYPICALLY THIS BOARD HAS OR THIS COMMISSION HAS LOOKED AT COMPENSATION DATA FROM COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO WHAT DO OTHER CLERKS, TREASURES, SUPERVISORS GET PAID AND.
ARE THEIR DUTIES THE SAME? NOT EVERY SUPERVISOR IS A FULL TIME SUPERVISOR, NOT EVERY SUPERVISOR IS A PART
[01:05:06]
TIME SUPERVISOR.SO WE TRY TO FIND COMPARABLE POSITIONS.
WE ALSO LOOK AT INTERNAL COMPARABLES, INCLUDING UNIONIZED AND THE NONUNION STAFF.
SO WHAT PAY INCREASES ARE THEY SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE? WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS THE MOST RECENT BUDGET.
IT'S NOT GOING TO DO THIS COMMISSION ANY GOOD TO SAY.
RECOMMEND SOME LARGE PAY INCREASE IF THE BUDGET CAN'T SUPPORT IT.
AND PERHAPS IT WOULD MEAN CUTTING ESSENTIAL THINGS ELSEWHERE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE CONSIDER.
AND I WANT TO BELIEVE WE'VE COME UP WITH REASONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT I HAVE SAT ON THE ON THE COMMISSION.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR I CAN'T GET A DECREASE TO MY SALARY FOR ANOTHER THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
NOW, IF THERE WERE A DECREASE THEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE, DO YOU WISH TO RUN AGAIN KNOWING WHAT THE SALARY WILL BE IN THE FUTURE? RIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR AMY? GOOD REPORT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE LESLIE CHARLES AND MIKE NEVELLS HERE.
ONE OF YOU GOING TO SPEAK, PLEASE? IS SOMEONE ELSE HERE FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION? THOUGHT I SAW SOME NAMES.
BRIAN, [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE HERE RIGHT? YOU'RE ON MY SCREEN.
YOU HEAR ME? YES, NOW I CAN HEAR.
I YEAH, I'M ON THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE ENTIRE THING.
I WAS HOPEFUL THAT SOMEONE WAS DESIGNATED TO DO THIS BECAUSE I'M NOT PREPARED.
I DID IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO DO IT THIS TIME.
BUT WE DIDN'T WE DIDN'T GREASE THE SKIDS, AS YOU WILL, AND SET IT UP FOR SOMEBODY TO DO.
WELL YOU CAN GIVE US A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR.
BUT YES, WE HAVE INCREDIBLY GOOD [INAUDIBLE], WHICH IS THE FACT THAT DEBORAH GUTHRIE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
WE APPRECIATE THIS TO BE THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
I THINK DEBORAH HAS DONE A FINE JOB ON THE COMMISSION AND FOR OTHER IN OTHER IN OTHER ROLES HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE INSTRUMENTAL AS WE FIND OUR NEW WAY, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE IF YOU IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION'S ROLE, IT USED TO BE THE CABLE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
WE MOVED TO BE THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND WHERE AT THE TOP ALL THAT MAY SOUND LIKE WE'RE IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S COMMUNICATED.
OUR AIM, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, IS NOT QUITE THAT LARGE, WE STILL HAVE THE BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS, WE HAVE THE CABLE LINES THAT ARE RUNNING THROUGH OUR TOWNSHIP, WHETHER IT BE FROM COMCAST OR AT&T IS TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST AT IT, THEY DON'T COME TO ANY OF OUR MEETINGS.
AND IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE SOME SAY SO AS THE CHANGES ARE MADE.
AND IN TWENTY TWENTY, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS, BUT THERE WERE CHANGES IN THE WAY THAT THE FEES ARE COLLECTED AND DISTRIBUTED.
THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INCOME BROUGHT THROUGH THE BUDGET OF THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, AND THAT ALL CHANGED IN TWENTY TWENTY, AND IT WAS GREAT.
THAT'S ONE REASON WHY IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE DEBORAH STEP IN AND USHER THAT CHANGE IN.
IT WORKED OUT SO WELL BECAUSE BRANDIE YATES BECOMING THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, IT WORKED OUT PERFECTLY BECAUSE DEBORAH TRAINED HER.
SO HOW COOL IS THAT? AND BRANDIE IS DOING A GREAT JOB.
AS YOU SAID, SHE'S GOT 10 OR 12 YEARS WITH THE TOWNSHIP.
AND WE HOPE IT'S A LONG TIME BECAUSE BRANDIE'S DOING A GREAT JOB, THEY STILL HAVE THE SHE HAS THE INTERNS.
AND WE GET REPORTS ON HOW THE INTERNS ARE GOING LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME.
I REMEMBER SEEING THE EMAIL WE HAD.
WHERE DO WE CALL IT, THE GOLDEN GLOBE OR THE GOLDEN? WE HAVE AN AWARDS CEREMONY ANNUALLY.
[01:10:01]
GOLDEN TAPE AWARD.THE GOLDEN TAPE AWARDS THERE YOU GO BRANDIE, AND THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT THING BECAUSE YOU IMAGINE GOING TO THE THEATER THAT THE WIDE SCREEN, THE BIG THEATER, OSCAR'S BISTRO, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IT CALLED? THE SEA.
IT'S BEEN SO LONG AND RIGHT UP ON STAGE, YOU SEE THESE THESE KIDS PROUD AS A PEACOCK TO BE GETTING THEIR AWARD AND HEAR REPORTS OF HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING.
WE HAVE ONE OF THEM THAT WENT ON AND HAS BEEN.
EMPLOYED BY CNN, I BELIEVE IT'S IN CHICAGO AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP JUST HAS A WONDERFUL TRACK RECORD OF BRINGING FOLKS INTO THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.
AND FINDING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, SO IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY, WE ARE LOOKING FOR FOLKS IN TWO CAPACITIES, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INTERNS, DIRECT THOSE APPLICATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO BRANDIE.
AND THEN ALSO WE NEED A ALTERNATE ON OUR COMMISSION.
WE'RE SHORT ONE BECAUSE WE LOST DEBORAH.
WE PICKED UP DEBORAH IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY AS LIAISON.
BUT SHE WAS AN ALTERNATE ON A COMMISSION.
WE'RE ACTIVELY TRYING TO PURSUE THAT.
SO IF ANYBODY HERE KNOWS, PLEASE CONNECT THEM WITH BRANDIE, WHO HAS A LINK THAT SHE CAN SEND AND THEY CAN THEY CAN FIND OUT ALL ABOUT IT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR BRIAN ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION? I WILL MENTION TO YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR TOWNSHIP GOALS HAS TO DO WITH BROADBAND AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO YOUR COMMISSION FOR EXPERTISE AND ASSISTANCE IN THAT.
I'M SURE DEBORAH AS THE LIAISON.
I WILL BE SEEKING THAT AS WELL [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
AND YOU DID A GOOD JOB FOR SOMEBODY HAD TO AD LIB.
I'M GOING TO GO TO THE PENSION BOARD, AND I BELIEVE JOYCE VAN COEVERING IS HERE AND TANYA PRATT HOPEFULLY ONE OF YOU AT LEAST.
PENSION BOARD? YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME? JOYCE.
YES, YES, YES, YES, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
I'M REPORTING FROM THE CLOSE THE PENSION BOARD, WHICH IS THE CLOSED PENSION PLAN.
IT'S NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE ACTIVE MEMBER WHO IS ACTUALLY ON THIS CALL WITH US.
WE JUST CELEBRATED FORTY ONE YEARS WITH THE TOWNSHIP AND I GUESS YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS.
AND WE HAVE FORTY EIGHT RETIREES THAT ARE RECEIVING BENEFITS AND 15 THAT ARE NOT YET RECEIVING THEM.
AT THE END OF TWENTY TWENTY, THE PROGRAM IS EIGHTY SEVEN PERCENT FUNDED AND THAT ALSO INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND FROM THE TOWNSHIP THIS YEAR.
TWENTY TWENTY, THE PLAN ASSETS INCREASED BY THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THEN THIS YEAR WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF MIRIAM MATTISON AND AGAIN I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, SHE'S GREAT.
SHE WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH OUR FINANCE MANAGER, PNC, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A REDUCTION IN FEES OF ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY AND TWENTY TWENTY.
WE'RE WAITING FOR OUR ACTUARIAL VALUATION AND THEN THE BOARD WILL MEET.
WE DO NEED TO APPOINT A NEW BOARD CHAIR.
THE CHAIR HAS LEFT THE TOWNSHIP AND WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER, TANYA, WHO I BELIEVE IS ON THIS CALL, TANYA PRATT.
AND I WANT TO THANK TREASURER DESCHAINE FOR SERVING ON THE BOARD WITH US.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME CLERK DEBORAH GUTHRIE, FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CALL HER CLERK DEBORAH GUTHRIE AND WELCOME HER AS THE LIAISON TO THE PENSION BOARD.
SO WE WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE ACTUARIAL INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO MIRIAM BECAUSE SHE'S INVALUABLE IN THIS ROLE AS WELL AS HER TOTAL ROLE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
ANY BOARD MEMBER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE PENSION BOARD? AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK, I'M SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY IT APPRECIATE IT, TOO.
THAT 100 PERCENT FUNDING, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL GET THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE.
OUR NEXT BOARD THAT WE'LL CALL ON IS THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
[01:15:05]
AND I KNOW THAT RENEE KORREY IS HERE AND I BELIEVE SUSAN FALK IS HERE.ALSO, SHE'S [INAUDIBLE] AT LEAST UNTIL RECENTLY, THE CHAIR.
WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO SPEAK? RENEE IS GOING TO START AND THEN SUE CAN FALL IN.
WELL, LISTEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
LISTEN, I WANT TO START OUT BY JUST READING OUR MISSION, JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE DO ANY TIME WE DO SOMETHING.
OUR MISSION IS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DDA MISSION IS TO BEAUTIFY AND REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN OKEMOS AS A VERY DESIRABLE PLACE TO SHOP, LIVE AND DO BUSINESS.
IT IS A COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE BY CREATING A FRIENDLY, WALKABLE COMMUNITY, EMBRACING THE NATURAL ESTHETICS OF THE RIVER AND PARKS.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT WE'RE GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, THAT IS, OUR COMPASS, THAT IS ALWAYS OUR COMPASS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND CONTINUE TO DO AND WILL BE DOING IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE IS EMBRACING THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND I'M YOU KNOW, I HEARD SOME OTHER OR SOME OTHER COMMITTEES TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING AND I THINK MAYBE KEN ONE OF THEM.
MAYBE DAN OPSOMMER TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PRIVATE MONEY COMING IN FOR THE ADVERTISING AND SO FORTH.
BUT IN ANY CASE, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS DRIVEN BY BEING A COMMUNITY.
AND AS SUCH, WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND PARTNER WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND THOSE COMMITTEES THAT ARE WILLING TO DO BUSINESS WITH US.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST GO BACK TO TAG FRANK WALSH IN THIS.
BUT I FOUND AN ARTICLE IN MY SCRAPBOOK FROM OCTOBER OF NINETEEN SEVENTY SEVEN.
AND IT WAS TALKING ABOUT RECREATING THE FOUR CORNERS OF DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.
AND THEN THE REALLY CUTE THING WAS THEY WERE APPALLED THAT IT WAS ONCE A LITTLE LAZY COMMUNITY WHERE A DOG COULD TAKE A NAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOUR CORNERS.
AND AT THAT TIME NOW THEY WERE APPALLED THERE WERE FIFTY FIVE HUNDRED CARS A DAY GOING THROUGH THERE.
SO NOW WE'RE AT FORTY THOUSAND.
ALL THESE YEARS LATER, WE'RE STILL RECREATING DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.
BUT THE BEAUTY IS UNDER THE WATCH OF MANY PEOPLE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT.
SO ONE THING THAT WE DID, AGAIN, A PARTNERSHIP OF MANY PEOPLE IS WE HEARD ABOUT THE BLIGHT, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE BLIGHT.
WE ALL OF US THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPER, AND THE BLIGHT IS GONE.
SO THAT'S STEP ONE, WE NOW HAVE A BLANK CANVAS.
AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT THE THE VERY LOFTY GOAL IS TO START THIS SUMMER, IT'S QUITE LIKELY IT WON'T FOR [INAUDIBLE].
BUT WE DON'T TAKE ANYTHING OFF THE TABLE.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW THE VIRUS CONTINUES AND ECONOMICALLY HOW LENDING GOES.
BUT IN ANY CASE, THERE'S A PLAN A AND B AND WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH IT.
LIKE A LOT OF THESE COMMISSIONS AND I HEARD THE METRICS AND VERY SPECIFIC THINGS, WHAT THEY'VE DONE, LIKE THE ZBA HAS SEEN THIS MANY THIS AND THIS AND THIS, AND WE'RE NOT WE'RE MORE A GRAY AREA.
WE JUST GO AHEAD AND WE DO WE CAN'T SAY ANY ONE THING THAT WE HAVE DONE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY GO IN SO MANY DIRECTIONS.
BUT WHAT I THINK I'M MOST PROUD OF AND I CAN I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF OUR DDA MEMBERS, IS THAT WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU GUYS, WITH THE BOARD, WITH EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER.
AND IT ACTUALLY EXEMPLIFIES WHY THIS COMMUNITY IS SO GREAT AND SO POPULAR BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
SO I WILL JUST SAY WE'LL STAY TUNED AND SEE WHAT GOES ON, WHAT HAPPENS THIS SUMMER, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DEAL WITH EVERYTHING AS IT'S HANDED TO US.
SO, SUE, WHERE ARE YOU? I'M HERE, RENEE.
WELCOME TO THE BEING THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE DDA.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
I WILL SERVE AS YOUR VICE CHAIR.
AND WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
THIS IS WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO START THE YEAR WITH THE DEMOLITION AND ALL THAT WE ALL THAT WE HAVE PLANNED AND LABORED OVER.
[01:20:02]
WE ARE FINALLY GOING TO MOVE AHEAD AND SEE WHAT DOES COME NEXT, AS YOU SAID.SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WORK FOR INDEPENDENT BANKS, SO THE VILLAGE IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS AS WELL.
AND I JUST LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.
BOTH YOU BOTH, I REALIZE THAT A LOT OF IT OCCURRED A YEAR EARLIER, BUT THE DDA WORKS REALLY HARD TO HELP THE PROJECT MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF REDEVELOPING THE FOUR CORNERS, IN TERMS OF COMING UP WITH A TAX [INAUDIBLE] FINANCING PLAN, ET CETERA, AND PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS.
USED TO BE THERE EVERY OTHER MONTH THAT YOU END UP MEETING MONTHLY BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO.
BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MR. OPSOMMER.
JUST ONE OTHER NOTE TO BUILD OFF WHAT RENEE AND SUSAN AND SUPERVISOR STKYA JUST MENTIONED, BUT WANTED TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CATA, AIRPORT AUTHORITY, LCC AND INGHAM COUNTY FOR PARTNERING WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND WITH THE DDA ON THOSE EFFORTS TO FUND THE REMEDIATION AND THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NECESSARY.
JUST WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THAT WE THANK THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE FOUR CORNERS.
THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US ALL OF THAT.
ALRIGHT WE WILL NOW GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HEAR SO AND I DO HAVE SCOTT HENDRICKSON AND DAVE PREMOE, I CAN SEE MARK BLUMER ON THE SCREEN.
THERE MAY BE OTHER PLANNING COMMISSIONERS HERE.
WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK? THAT WOULD BE ME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SUPERVISOR STYKA AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR WORK, GENERALLY WHAT WE TAKE ON OUR LAND USE DECISIONS IN AND AROUND THE TOWNSHIP, AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER BUSINESS, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENTS, ORDINANCE CHANGES AND AMENDMENTS AND OTHER PROJECTS AS NEEDED.
SO WE ARE THE BODY THAT PROVIDES BOTH FEEDBACK AND CONSIDERATION AND FINAL DECISION MAKING POWER ON VARIOUS DECISIONS IN THAT AREA.
AS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, IT'S BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR THIS YEAR.
A LOT'S CHANGED SINCE WE WE CAME BEFORE THIS THIS GROUP THE LAST TIME AROUND, WE'VE MET 19 TIMES IN 2020 WITH THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE BEING VIRTUAL MEETINGS STARTING IN APRIL.
SINCE WE WERE LAST HERE, NOT ONE, BUT TWO OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN HIRED ON BY THE TOWNSHIP AS THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR CLARK, WHO IS CURRENTLY STILL SERVING IN THAT ROLE.
SO WE'RE PLEASED THAT WE'VE HAD SO MUCH GOOD TALENT COMING IN AND THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL.
I CAN TELL YOU NOW THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I STARTED ON THIS BOARD, WE DO NOW HAVE A FULL COMMISSION.
WE HAVE OUR FULL COMPLEMENT OF NINE MEMBERS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS THAT THE SUPERVISOR HAS MADE AND THE BOARD HAS CONFIRMED OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HAD TO HAVE A FULL BOARD WITH US TO BE TO BE FIGHTING AT FULL STRENGTH, GOING INTO 2021.
SO AMONG THE THINGS THAT WE TOOK ON IN 2020, WE TOOK ON 10 SPECIAL USE PERMITS, INCLUDING FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO OPEN IN THE TOWNSHIP THANKS TO THE PASSAGE OF THE TOWNSHIPS, MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCES IN 2019.
AND A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THAT.
WE HAVE WORKED ON SEVERAL REZONINGS OVER THE PAST YEAR WITH A COUPLE OF THOSE BEING PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATED REZONING, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE TAKING THE PROACTIVE STEP TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY INTO FURTHER ALIGNMENT WITH OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP ALONG IN THE MASTER PLAN.
AND WE'VE ALSO TAKEN ON THREE OR FOUR PLANNED OR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OVER THE LAST YEAR, MOST NOTABLY THE PINE VILLAGE PROJECT IN THE DOWNTOWN HASLETT AREA AND ALSO THE SILVERLEAF DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I'M SURE EVERYONE IS IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE BOARD OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU'RE WELL FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROJECT OVER ON BENNETT ROAD WAS A REZONING AND PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE ALSO TOOK ON A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AT THE MALL WHERE THERE WILL BE
[01:25:01]
SOME DEVELOPMENT COMING UP, I BELIEVE, IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.WE ALSO TOOK ON AND PASSED A ZONING AMENDMENT FOR SINGLE USE OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICTS, AND AS PART OF OUR 2020 GOALS, HELPED DRAFT AN UPDATED MIXED USE PLANNED USE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, WHICH WE ARE FINALIZING AND WILL BRING TO THE BOARD IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AS WELL AS A COMPLETELY NEW ORDINANCE CALLED THE FORM BASED CODE ORDINANCE, WHICH IF PASSED BY THE BOARD, SEVERAL, IF IN A FEW MONTHS, MAY BRING THAT TO A PILOT AREA IN GRAND RIVER, WEST OF PARK LAKE, IN THE COMING YEARS.
SO IT HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY MEETING AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THINK DIRECTOR KIESELBACH, PRINCIPAL PLANNER MENSER, DIRECTOR CLARK, AND DIRECTOR STEPHEN GEBES FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN GETTING US VIRTUAL AND MAKING ALL OF THIS RUN SMOOTHLY.
COMING UP THIS THIS YEAR, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SET A NUMBER OF AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR OURSELVES.
AMONG THEM INCLUDE COMPLETING OUR WORK ON THE FORM BASED CODE ORDINANCE.
FINALIZING AND TRANSMITTING TO THE BOARD UPDATES DUE TO THE MIXED USE PLANNED USE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE SOME MAJOR CHANGES TO MAKE TO OUR SIGN ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT CONTENT NEUTRAL AND COMPLIANCE WITH A COUPLE OF SUPREME COURT CASES FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND WE'VE ALSO COMMITTED TO BEGINNING THE WORK ON UPDATING OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP BECAUSE 2022 WILL BE THE YEAR THAT WE NEED TO DUST OFF AND REVISIT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN.
AND THAT IS A VERY LARGE TASK THAT WE HOPE TO GET AHEAD ON BY STARTING SOME WORK ON THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN TWENTY, TWENTY ONE.
AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL, AS I SAY, THAT WE HAVE A FULL COMPLEMENT ON OUR COMMISSION NOW SO THAT WE CAN DIVIDE OURSELVES INTO A NUMBER OF SUBCOMMITTEES TO TAKE ON SOME OF THESE LARGER PROJECTS WHILE ALSO HANDLING OUR DAY TO DAY FUTURE LAND USE BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO ORDINANCE UPDATES, SUP APPROVALS AND ANY OTHER LAND USE DECISIONS THAT COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO GET OUR FEET ON THE GROUND AND RUN AGAIN HERE IN 2021.
AND WE THINK THE BOARD FOR THEIR SUPPORT SUPERVISOR STYKA AND ALL OF THE TRUSTEES AND THE CLERK AND TREASURER.
I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EXCITING YEAR.
NOT TO DIMINISH THE WORK OF ANYBODY ELSE, I KNOW EVERYBODY WORKS REALLY HARD ON ALL THEIR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BUT I THINK IT'S WELL KNOWN THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUTS IN ABOUT AS MANY HOURS AS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
SO WE TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION? I CAN'T SEE ALL THE SCREENS SO SPEAK UP IF YOU DO.
YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK, MR. HENDRICKSON.
OK, WHAT I'M GOING TO GO TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE KIMBERLY THOMPSON HERE.
AND I SAW JANE SIMMS. YEP, I'M HERE.
[INAUDIBLE] I'M GOING TO SPEAK TODAY.
SO THE MISSION OF THE EDC IS TO SET THE STANDARD IN CREATING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE, BE AN EXAMPLE FOR REVITALIZATION OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS, AND BE LEADERS IN BUILDING SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO THIS PAST YEAR, A MANAGER WAS ALREADY MENTIONED, NOT ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE GRANTS THAT WERE GIVEN UP TO SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS APIECE IN ROUND TWO FOR THOSE THAT SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF.
I REALLY WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SPRING WHEN WE AS AN EDC AND WHEN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WAS VERY PROACTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC IN PROVIDING 42 SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF GRANTS THAT WERE VALUED AT FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS APIECE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY PROUD MOMENT FOR US, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TO REACT FAIRLY QUICKLY AS THAT AS WE CAME INTO THIS SITUATION THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN WITH A
[01:30:04]
PANDEMIC.THE BOARD ALSO VOTED TO APPROVE THE MERIDIEN DEVELOPMENT FUND REQUEST FOR THE VILLAGE OF OPENNESS, AND THAT FUNDING WENT TO SHORE UP EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN SO THAT THOSE NEW THE BUILDING TEARDOWNS AND THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION WOULDN'T CAUSE ISSUES WITH THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE.
WE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN AND REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT UP AND RUNNING.
AND RECENTLY THIS FALL, WE WORKED WITH MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER IS THE MERIDIAN AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, AND WE PROVIDED THEM WITH SOME FUNDING TO SUPPORT A GIFT CARD PROGRAM FOR LOCAL MERIDIAN RESTAURANT.
AND SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT OR PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
THIS IS BEFORE CHRISTMAS WHEN THERE WAS A TIME YOU ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE LOCAL GIFT CARDS FOR RESTAURANTS AND GET THAT LITTLE BONUS FOR THOSE PURCHASES.
AND SO WE WERE HAPPY TO TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD INTO TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
WE ARE REALLY PLANNING ON BEING MORE CREATIVE AND PROMOTING BUSINESSES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND GIVING THEM EXPOSURE REGIONALLY, AND WE ALSO HAD A GOAL LAST YEAR OF ENGAGING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE PRETTY TAXED AS IT WAS, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEIR BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP SO THAT MOST OF WHAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC.
AND IN ADDITION, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK WITH US AS WELL.
[INAUDIBLE] REPORT, THE EBC HAS BEEN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THIS YEAR.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THEY'VE DONE UNDER THE, NOT JUST DURING THE COVID, BUT ESPECIALLY DURING THE COVID TIMES.
IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO THE TOWNSHIP.
AND YOUR ONGOING EFFORTS IN ALL RESPECTS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR INTERESTS THEY WANT TO BRING UP WITH REGARD TO THE EDC? YES.
I JUST WANT TO THANK JANE FOR HER LEADERSHIP.
SHE'S GOING TO BE MOVING ON AND WE'RE GOING TO GREATLY MISS HER AND TO [INAUDIBLE] TO HER LEADERSHIP ON THE DDMO, THOUGH SHE'S REMAINING WITH US.
AND THESE TWO LADIES HAVE BEEN JUST OUTSTANDING LEADERS FOR US.
AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.
YEAH, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO SAY BUT JANE IS GOING TO GET A JOB WITH THE US GOVERNMENT IS MOVING OUT OF OUR AREA AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS HER DEARLY.
I WAS TRYING TO PUT HER ON A PLANNING COMMISSION AS MUCH AS A YEAR AGO AND WAS NEVER ABLE TO BECAUSE I THINK SHE KNEW SHE HAD SOMETHING UP HER SLEEVE.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
AND I KNOW JOHN SARVER'S HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HERE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
AND LET ME START BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE GREAT WORK THAT LEROY HARVEY DOES, SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND DOING ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS AT THE TOWNSHIP.
AND IT HAS REALLY BEEN INVALUABLE HAVING COURTNEY AS A LIAISON FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO THE COMMISSION.
THAT HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL TO US IN MANY WAYS.
WE'VE HAD A VERY BUSY YEAR WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND HELP UNTIL WITH [INAUDIBLE] WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL TREE INITIATIVE.
AND SO WE GAVE OUT APPROXIMATELY 500 TREES AT THE FARMERS MARKETS WITH THE HELP OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE HAD DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS, [INAUDIBLE] PLAN 40 FAIRLY LARGE TREES AT CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND OF COURSE, WE'VE CONTINUED TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTING OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
AS WE'VE BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE THE THE NEW SOLAR ARRAYS, SOUTH FIRE STATION AND MARKET ON THE GREEN AND A NEW SOLAR ARRAY COMING THIS YEAR, A MUCH LARGER ARRAY.
WE HOSTED A VIRTUAL SOLAR HOME TOUR WITH INCLUDED 11 MERIDIAN HOMES TO KIND OF HELP OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GOING SOLAR TO GET SOME GOOD INFORMATION.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO BEGIN A REGIONAL NETWORKING WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SO WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ALL OF US ARE
[01:35:02]
TRYING TO DO RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE.AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A PAH ORDINANCE TO BAN COAL TAR AND PHAS AND DRIVEWAY SEALANTS.
AND I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL THE ONLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE AREA WHO'S DONE THIS BAN.
BUT I THINK OUR LEADERSHIP WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO KIND OF LOOK AT DOING THAT.
WE DID A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE REVIEW WITH THE HELP OF THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, CAME UP WITH A LOT OF GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND ONE THING THAT'S HAPPENING RELATED TO THAT EFFORT NOW IS THERE'S A REGIONAL EFFORT TO HELP DEVELOP MODEL CODE LANGUAGE THAT THAT ALL OF US IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE REGION CAN USE THE KIND OF GREEN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE, OF COURSE, THE NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN IN FRONT OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK, MERIDIAN COMMUNITY GARDENS, PRODUCED OVER FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT SERVED FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR RESIDENTS.
WE DID AN INVENTORY AND MAP OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
WE DEVELOPED A WETLAND BROCHURE TO KIND OF HELP EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT OUR WETLANDS.
ACTUALLY, I JUST LEARNED MYSELF THAT APPARENTLY TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOWNSHIP IS WETLANDS, WHICH AND I'M SURE A LOT OF RESIDENTS DON'T REALIZE THAT.
PART OF THE PURPOSE OF THE BROCHURE IS TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT PROPER MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION OF THE BUFFER AREA.
BUFFER AREAS AROUND THE WETLANDS.
OUR RECYCLING, OF COURSE, IS CONTINUING MAJOR EFFORT.
A NUMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEMBERS WENT TO THE RECYCLING CENTER RECENTLY, TOOK A TOUR, DID SOME DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED AND MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS .
THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PANDEMIC, THE STREETSIDE PARTICIPATION IN RECYCLING HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AT ABOUT 70 PERCENT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY GOOD.
AND LEROY HARVEY CONTINUES TO WORK ON AND MULTIFAMILY TO SEE IF WE COULD DO MORE IN THAT AREA.
OVER A THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS RECYCLED NINETY THOUSAND POUNDS OF ELECTRONICS WITH THE HELP FROM 75 VOLUNTEERS AT THE RECENT RECYCLING EVENT AT CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
LEROY HAS A LOT OF VOLUNTEER HELP AND CONTINUING TO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS AND OTHER MATERIALS.
OVER TEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE WERE COLLECTED FROM MERIDIAN HOUSEHOLDS.
AND WE CONTINUE OUR EDUCATION EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DO THE GREEN THEME PRESENTATIONS DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETINGS.
WE HAVE WEEKLY GREEN DIALOGS ON ZOOMEON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, WHERE EVERYBODY IS INVITED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IDEAS AND HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB.
ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION WAS CREATING A GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK, WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH HOW WE CAN GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND WE THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTED FOLKS IN THE TOWNSHIP INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING ONE OR TWO OR MORE INDIVIDUALS IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WOULD BE A LIAISON, WOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION FROM THE TOWNSHIP TO THE NEIGHBORS AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS.
TOMORROW MORNING, WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR ORIENTATION SESSION.
LEROY INDICATED WE HAVE ALREADY ABOUT 30 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO BE GREEN NEIGHBORS.
AND I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT THAT WILL BE A KIND OF A REAL HELP TO US AS WE MOVE AHEAD TO TRY TO GET ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION OUT TO OUR RESIDENT.
THE OTHER THING THAT GOT STARTED UP THIS YEAR WITH WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF ROSE VADNAIS, WHO'S OUR VICE CHAIR, IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE, AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THOSE ISSUES AND WHAT WE CAN BE DOING IN THAT AREA.
AND SHE'S BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH COURTNEY ON THAT.
LOOKING AHEAD WITH OUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR, 2021, YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR GREEN GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY SOLICITED INTEREST FROM BOTH [INAUDIBLE] AND OKEMOS SCHOOLS, AND WE'VE HAD FIVE PROJECTS ALREADY IDENTIFIED.
[01:40:02]
SO ACTUALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF GOOD PROJECTS, PROBABLY MORE THAN THE TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS WE'LL SUPPORT.BUT WE'VE ASKED THE THE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE AS MANY PROPOSALS BY MARCH 15, DO PROJECTS THIS YEAR, AND THEN HAVE THEM COMPLETED BY THE END OF NOVEMBER.
I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT THE GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK, WHICH IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THAT EFFORT.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE IS REALLY JUST GETTING STARTED.
WE'RE LOOKING INTO ACHIEVING TREE CITY USA DESIGNATION AND OF COURSE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, THOSE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS THIS YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUT THEM INTO OUR ORDINANCES.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE KIND OF A GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF POLICIES THAT CAN CONTINUE OUR LEADERSHIP, THE TOWNSHIPS LEADERSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL AREA.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE TOWNSHIPS EXEMPLARY EFFORTS TO BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND MAKE USE OF SOLAR ENERGY.
AND WE'RE BEING VERY ACTIVE IN REGIONAL EFFORTS TO COLLABORATE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ONGOING EFFORTS TO OF COURSE THE GREEN THEME PRESENTATIONS WILL CONTINUE.
WE'LL BE REVIEWING WETLAND PERMITS AS THEY COME UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE AND WORK WITH ALL THE OTHER TOWNSHIP BOARDS AND OBVIOUSLY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ITSELF, BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO IS TO KIND OF IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT'S MY UPDATE.
WE TRULY APPRECIATE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WE BEEN TRYING TO LIVE UP TO YOUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AS A TOWNSHIP AND WORKING HARD AT THAT, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE OTHER EFFORTS THAT YOU ARE DOING IN TERMS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND HERE IN MERIDIAN AND REALLY EVERYWHERE, BECAUSE WHAT WE DO HERE AFFECTS EVERYWHERE.
ANY ON HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THEY WANT TO RAISE WITH MR STARVER OR ANYBODY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR THE SHOUT OUT.
BUT QUITE HONESTLY, I HAVEN'T DONE MUCH YET FOR THE COMMISSION, BUT I REALLY AM EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS WORK.
I'M GOING TO SAY I'VE BEEN A PART OF A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS AND OR GROUPS AND THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION REALLY HAS IDENTIFIED GOALS AND THEY WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS.
AND THEY'VE ALREADY IN THE YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN ON THERE, HAVE REALLY IMPLEMENTED SO MANY THINGS.
SO I JUST WANT TO I WANT TO THANK THEM.
NOT EVERYBODY GETS EXCITED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.
THEY ALL WANT THAT BUT IT'S HARD TO GET THAT THAT WORK DONE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AND ROSE FOR HEADING UP THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, WHICH AGAIN, IS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THERE AND FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WORK.
HOPEFULLY MY WIFE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AS I'VE GONE THROUGH THE SCREENS I NOTICE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE FROM OTHER THAT ARE HERE FROM COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MENTIONED, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK.
THE LAST ONE I HAVE ON MY LIST [INAUDIBLE] WRONG, MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE WILL SPEAK OUT AFTERWARD.
IS A PARK COMMISSIONER OUR FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I SUPPOSE WE HAVE A AMANDA LICK, AMI VAN ANTWERP, [INAUDIBLE] AND MIKE MCDONALD HERE AT A MINIMUM., WHO IS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMMISSION AND ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT THEY DO.
I WILL SPEAK ABOUT THE PARK COMMISSION.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT GO AHEAD AND TAKE A QUICK STRETCH.
I SAW YOU BOBBING UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ON THESE MEETINGS.
WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER TO MOVE OUR BODY AND BREATHE BECAUSE IT OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S A LONG DAY FOR US ALL, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE EVERYONE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT AND HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE WONDERFUL WORK OF THE PARK COMMISSION.
AND IT'S JUST SUCH AN INCREDIBLE GROUP TO WORK WITH.
AND I'M HONORED AND PROUD TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.
YES, WE HAVE VICE AMI VAN ANTWERP COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE], COMMISSIONER
[01:45:01]
MIKE MCDONALD AND COMMISSIONER MARK STEPHENS THAT MAKE UP THE GREAT CREW.OUR VISION IS CREATING A COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE, PARKS AND PROGRAMS. AND I THINK THAT THAT VISION HAS HELD TRUE THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT VISION HAS LED US TO CREATE AN INCREDIBLE SYSTEM OF PARKS AND TRAILS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO GET OUT AND ENJOY NATURE DURING THIS TIME.
IN FACT, I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME REMARKS FROM LUANN'S ANNUAL REPORT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND READ IT COMPLETELY.
I'M JUST GOING TO PULL SOME HIGH POINTS.
ON THE PARKS AND REC STAFF SAW NUMBERS, RECORD NUMBERS OF PARK VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF SWIFTLY ADAPTED AND MOBILIZED TO KEEP THEIR GREEN SPACES OPEN.
AND AS A GROUP, WE STRIVE TO CULTIVATE A SENSE OF PLACE AND MEANING AND OWNERSHIP FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS.
2020 WAS OUR BUSIEST PARK CONSTRUCTION.
YEAR TO DATE, WITH A TOTAL OF CONSTRUCTION COST OF THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
THE PARK IMPROVEMENTS MADE IN 2020 MEAN THAT 2021 WILL BE FILLED WITH MANY MORE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO GET OUTSIDE.
SO NONE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT AND NONE OF THE GOALS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT INTO 2021 COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
SO AT THIS TIME I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER, FRANK WALSH AND TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS RON STYKA.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE ENTIRE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT STAFF, LUANN AND JANE AND MIKE AND EMMA AND ROBIN, KATIE AND ALLISON, THE PARK MAINTENANCE STAFF, LARRY, DON, DAN, MIKE AND JOSH.
SHERRY, THE SENIOR CENTER COORDINATOR.
BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT FROM THE MISSION PERSPECTIVE OF ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON, THAT IT IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, HANDS DOWN.
AND SO FOR ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT VOLUNTEERS COLLECTIVELY COMPLETED FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE HOURS OF HABITAT RESTORATION.
SO IT IS NOT JUST THE FOLKS AT THE TOWNSHIP AND ON THE COMMISSION AND ON THE BOARD, IT IS OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE DONATING THEIR TIME AS PART OF THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE THAT FOLKS GET OUT THERE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE I MEAN, WALK'S ARE REALLY GOOD IN THE PANDEMIC GETTING OUT AND ENJOYING THE PARKS ARE REALLY GREAT.
BUT PULLING IN INVASIVE SPECIES, I WILL TELL YOU, THERE IS NOTHING THAT RELIEVES THE MORE STRESS.
SO I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS TO THINK ABOUT DONATING SOME TIME AND DEDICATING SOME HOURS OUT IN OUR PARKS AND LAND PRESERVATIONS THAT JUST EVEN JUST GRAB A HANDFUL OF INVASIVE SPECIES.
IT WILL HELP WITH THAT PANDEMIC STRESS LIKE NOTHING ELSE.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE FARMERS MARKET.
AND JUST TO SHARE A COUPLE OF QUICK FACT.
WE ONLY MISSED FIVE DAYS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC WITH ONE HUNDRED AND ONE VENDERS.
SIXTY THREE NEW CUSTOMERS, ALMOST SIXTY THREE THOUSAND.
AND THE FOOD IS THERE WAS TWENTY THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINE DOLLARS IN FOOD ASSISTANCE UTILIZED AT THE FARMERS MARKET THIS YEAR, WHICH IS REALLY INCREDIBLE.
AGAIN, CENTRAL PARK MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN RECEIVED A 2020 M PARKS DESIGN AWARD.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE CAN'T LEAVE OUT OUR OTHER FRIENDLY FANS AND FAVORITES.
THE DOGS, THE LARGE DOG PARK NOW HAS A TOTAL OF TWO HUNDRED THIRTY ONE.
TWO HUNDRED THIRTY ONE CURRENT DOGS REGISTERED UTILIZING THE LARGE DOG PARKS.
I THINK LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I DID WANT TO SHARE THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AT HARRIS NATURE CENTER THAT ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THE PAVILION, THE RESTROOM PROJECT, THE BIRD OVERLOOK.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, PLEASE TAKE YOUR FAMILIES TO THAT SPACE.
AND THEN AT THE CENTRAL PARK GRANT OR CENTRAL PARK, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT THE WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS, INCLUDING A FISHING DOCK, THE BOARDWALK, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, A BIKE FIX IT STATION AND ELECTRICITY FOR A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR.
SO WE'RE REALLY ABOUT ENSURING ACCESS TO OUR PARKS AND COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THEM.
SO LOOKING AHEAD IN 2021, WHERE ARE WE HEADED? WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OFFER SAFE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO JUST AMPLIFY HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY ICE RINK AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN UTILIZING ARTIFICIAL ICE.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT PROJECT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
EXPAND AND IMPROVE PARKING AT THE CENTRAL PARK SOUTH AND NORTH MERIDIAN [INAUDIBLE].
COMPLETE PAVING OF THE CENTRAL MERIDIAN REGIONAL TRAIL CONNECTOR ACQUIRE THE
[01:50:03]
PARCEL AND ROAD ADJACENT TO NANCY MOORE PARK.YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THAT HOME THAT SIT'S THERE AND WE ARE ACQUIRING THIS TO IMPROVE OUR ACCESS AND TO CREATE AND [INAUDIBLE] THE AREA FOR THE FUTURE MSU LAKE LANSING REGIONAL TRAIL.
THIS ACQUISITION WAS RECENTLY APPROVED FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES FUND PROGRAM TO DEVELOP A USER FRIENDLY TOWNSHIP WIDE PATHWAYS AND TRAIL MAP UTILIZING APPROVED FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY PARKS AND TRAILS MILLAGE SEEK COMMUNITY INPUT.
THIS IS A BIG ONE AS PART OF THE UPDATE OF OUR FIVE YEAR PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN, WHICH EXPIRES NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO THE COMMUNITY TO GAIN SOME IDEAS AND SOTHIS DOCUMENT IS A REQUIREMENT ACTUALLY OF THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR GRANT ELIGIBILITY.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, CONTINUING TO SEEK GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR PARKS PROJECTS, THE BEST LEVERAGE OR LOCAL PARK MILLAGE FUND AND CONTINUING TO BETTER OUR PARK SYSTEM FOR ALL OF YOU AND MANY FAMILIES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO ENJOY.
SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR AND 2020, DESPITE ALL OF THE CHALLENGES AND LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EVEN GREATER YEAR IN 2021.
WOW, THAT'S THAT'S A GREAT REPORT AND WE TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THAT THE COMMISSION DOES.
OBVIOUSLY, THE VOTERS DO THEY KEEP PUTTING YOU BACK IN THE OFFICE.
AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT LUANN AND HER WHOLE STAFF DOES WORKING WITH THE PARK COMMISSION IN TERMS OF THE WONDERFUL PARKS.
WE HAVE ALMOST A THOUSAND ACRES OF PARKS IN MERIDIAN.
AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER TOWNSHIP THAT CAN BRAG THAT THEY HAVE NOT ONLY THAT NUMBER OF ACRES, BUT THE QUALITY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE OFFER IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PARKS.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL.
SO I KNOW THAT'S PART OF WHY WE END UP BEING THE PLACE TO RAISE FAMILIES.
NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE, RIGHT? PART OF IT IS OUR PARKS.
OK, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF AMANDA OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE PARK COMMISSION? WAS THAT A HAND, COURTNEY, OR NO.
ALL RIGHT, I GUESS YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK AMANDA.
I WANTED TO MENTION EARLIER WHEN WE GOT THE REPORT FROM [INAUDIBLE] COMMISSION THAT I CAN'T SEE RUSSIA FROM MY HOUSE, BUT I CAN SEE A MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE TREES THAT YOU PUT OUT IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
AND I DO APPRECIATE LOOKING AT THOSE TREES.
THANK YOU TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
AND AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, MUST HAVE BEEN ALL THE YEARS OF TRAINING, SITTING THROUGH FOUR OR FIVE HOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, BUT [INAUDIBLE] THE FIRST REPORT AND 20 SOME PEOPLE HAVE LEFT THIS MORNING.
I TRULY APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHERS THAT HAVE HUNG IN THERE AS WELL.
ANYTHING THAT ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO BRING UP AT THIS TIME.
AGAIN, THIS YEAR, I'M MOVED AND SO IMPRESSED BY OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
WE WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL AS A BOARD WITHOUT THE REALLY GREAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THE TALENT THAT THEY BRING TO EACH OF THE BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS ARE REALLY, REALLY GIFTED TO PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THEIR EXPERTISE IT WOULD BE IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE DONATED EVERY YEAR TO THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND IT'S A REASON THIS BOARD IS SUCCESSFUL IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT STRUCTURE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT SUPPORT US, ADVISE US AND AND KEEP US ON TRACK WHEN SHOULD WE GET OFF TRACK.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
WE GET A SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION THIS YEAR.
WE DIDN'T GET TO HAVE OUR ANNUAL EVENT, HOPEFULLY IN TOWARDS THE END OF 2021 WE'LL BE BACK ON TRACK TO DO AN EVENT AGAIN, TO THANK THEM IN PERSON.
BUT AGAIN, I MOVED BY THE WORK THAT'S DONE ON THE BEHALF OF OUR FORTY THREE THOUSAND RESIDENTS BY THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS.
AND JUST A REALLY, REALLY TOUCHING TO SEE THEM ALL HERE AND HEAR THESE GREAT REPORTS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO WITH A GREAT TOWNSHIP BECAUSE OF THE GENEROUS SPIRIT OF SO MANY PEOPLE.
BEST REPRESENTATIVE THAT ALL OF YOU TONIGHT.
[6D. Discussion]
SO THANK YOU AGAIN.ANY BOARD MEMBERS ANYTHING? ANY COMMISSIONERS OR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FROM THE OTHER THE TOWNSHIP BOARD THAT WANT TO BRING SOMETHING UP.
WE'RE INTO GENERAL DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
I WOULD ONLY ADD THAT MY APPRECIATION AND THANKS TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WHO HAVE ENGAGED AND WORKED TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THIS
[01:55:04]
BOARD.I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND VERY HAPPY TO KNOW YOU AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER THEN DAVID PREMOE.
OK, EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO INDULGE ME ONE MORE TIME OF MY SON'S NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE, ESPECIALLY DURING A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR OF TRYING TO FACILITATE ALL OF THAT WORK VIA ZOOM.
BUT I KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS APPRECIATE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE MASK THAT YOU SENT, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO USE THEM.
I WAS THINKING MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE ALL HAD A SHOT OF OFF HERE AT THE MEETING.
BUT DIDN'T THINK OF IT EARLY ENOUGH.
THOSE WERE THE IDEA OF OUR WONDERFUL MANAGER, MR. WALSH YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.
IT HAS BEEN SUCH A WELCOMING COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, EVEN PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR SERVING AND IN A SENSE SERVING, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE SOMETHING HAND DELIVERED AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SUCH A NICE THING TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THANK YOU EVERYBODY HAS BEEN SO WELCOMING AND AND THE LEARNING CURVE HAS BEEN FAST, BUT FOLKS HAVE ANSWERED THEIR PHONES.
THEY'VE ANSWERED THEIR TEXT MESSAGES, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY AND WELCOME AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER.
THANKS FOR WHAT YOUR DOING WITH CATA.
ANY ONE ELSE? I SEE COURTNEY, YES.
I JUST A COUPLE OF LAST WORDS, SORRY, I JUST [INAUDIBLE] SHE GOT HERE AROUND 6:10 I MARKED IT DOWN.
WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY [INAUDIBLE] OK, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I TRULY AM JUST EVERY DAY IMPRESSED WITH THE THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE PASSION AND THE PEOPLE THAT I GET TO WORK WITH AT THE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
IT'S JUST IT'S IT'S CERTAINLY THERE'S NO THERE'S NO QUESTION WHY WE'RE THE NUMBER ONE COMMUNITY AND BEST PLACE TO LIVE.
SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING TARDY.
ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE? SPEAK UP.
[INAUDIBLE], I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP THERE.
SORRY, I JUST I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO STEPHEN GEBES.
THIS YEAR IS JUST BEEN OBVIOUSLY, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IT'S BEEN A HUGE CHALLENGE AND HE IS SO HELPFUL AND ESPECIALLY WITH US OLD FOLKS, BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY IS ABOVE MY LEVEL.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO EXTEND THANKS TO HIM AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTED BECAUSE I WATCH EVERY BOARD MEETING AND HE DOES A FABULOUS JOB.
EVERY COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE ONE.
HE DOESN'T LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? OK, THEN WE'RE READY FOR [INAUDIBLE].
I MAY BE KIND OF DARK BECAUSE I'M HAVING A [INAUDIBLE].
I THOUGHT IT WAS A BLANK SPACE ON MY SCREEN.
I'M A LITTLE BIT DIM THIS NIGHT FOR A TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM.
I WANTED TO DOUBLE DOWN ON JOYCE'S COMMENT ABOUT STEPHEN AND HIS OMNIPRESENT PRESENCE AND PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
BUT HE'S THE ONE THAT REALLY IS KEEPING US ALL GLUED TOGETHER IN ALL THIS.
[02:00:02]
AND ALSO, I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TO OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, WE HEARD ABOUT A RECYCLING EVENT AND ABOUT A TREE PLANTING EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN THE SAME.SHORT, VERY LONG TIME, AND WE ARE A HUGE COMMUNITY TURNOUT.
AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL IN THESE TIMES.
ONE FINAL SHOUT OUT AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF SCREENS I GOT TO GO THROUGH TO FIND YOU SOME.
FIRST, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF SAYING THANK YOU THAT CAN GO AROUND, SO I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR DEDICATION, YOUR COMMITMENT.
FOR I ECHO THE WELCOMING COMMENTS.
AS A NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBER, I HAVE BEEN WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR TIME.
I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO MAKE A GREAT COMMUNITY, AND I KNOW EVERYONE ON THIS CALL APPRECIATES THAT.
WE APPRECIATE ANYONE ON THIS CALL WHO IS NOT HERE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO AS WELL.
MR. GEBES DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
[7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
[INAUDIBLE] I THINK I'M WAITING.
YEAH, GO AHEAD, ADDRESS YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS THE PUBLIC RECORD YOUR ON PHYLLIS.
PHYLLIS VON 6100 [INAUDIBLE] COURT, HASLETT, MICHIGAN.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW GREAT IT IS TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND JUST THE QUESTIONS YOU ANSWER FOR ME.
BUT I HAVE TO GIVE DEREK PERRY A SHOUT OUT BECAUSE AT GRANGE ACRES, I WAS TOLD I WASN'T AN ENGINEER AND I SAID, WELL I KNOW ONE, THAT IS.
WE HAD A MAJOR SEWER PROBLEM YESTERDAY.
AND HE HAD SOMEONE OUT HERE IN 10 MINUTES.
AND SOMETHING THAT WASN'T MENTIONED TONIGHT IS CATA.
THE LIBRARY WORKED WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS COMMISSION AND US ELDERLY PEOPLE HERE AT GRANGE ACRES, DID A BUNCH OF ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECTS.
AND LATER WE FOUND OUT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE SCHOOLCHILDREN.
AND YOU ALL ARE JUST FABULOUS.
AND WHAT A GREAT NEW BOARD WE HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING CATL.
USUALLY WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM CATL AT THIS MEETING, BUT SOMEHOW WE DIDN'T DO IT TODAY.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC MR. GEBES? NO, SIR, MY APOLOGIES FOR THE BUBBLE AND THE TRANSFER.
I GUESS WE'RE READY TO ADJOURN.
WOULD ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO MAKE A MOTION.
WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.