ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR RON STYKA IS ABSENT THIS EVENING, SO I WILL CALL THE
[00:00:21]
MEETING TO ORDER AND ASK FOR A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE DAN TO ACT AS PRO TEM AND CHAIR THE MEETING.TRUSTEE WISINSKI, I'LL MOVE TO ALLOW TRUSTEE OPSOMMERTO CHAIR THE MEETING IN SUPERVISOR STYKA'S ABSENCE.
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
ALL RIGHT, I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL, VOTE TREASURER DESCHAINE.ALL RIGHT, AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING, SO
[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/INTRODUCTIONS]
IF EVERYONE COULD JUST STAY MUTED AND RECITE WITH ME ON MUTE, WE WILL BEGIN.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[3. ROLL CALL]
AND NOW IF WE COULD HAVE CLERK GUTHRIE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.CLERK GUTHRIE IS HERE AND TREASURER DESCHAINE.
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE, AND WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO PRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE
[4A. 2020 Township Annual Report]
PRESENTATION 4A THE 2020 TOWNSHIP ANNUAL REPORT AND I WILL CALL ON TOWNSHIP MANAGER FRANK WALSH TO DELIVER THAT.SO INCLUDING YOUR PACKET TONIGHT IS A I BELIEVE IT'S A 66 PAGE DOCUMENT ENCAPSULATING WHAT OCCURRED IN TWENTY TWENTY.
I THINK I COULD BEST SUMMARIZE THAT BY AN EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED AROUND FOUR O'CLOCK TODAY FROM ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND THE PENSION BOARD, JOYCE VA COEVERING.
AND I WON'T READ IT VERBATIM, BUT BASICALLY, WOW, WHAT A YEAR THAT THE BOARD AND THE TEAM WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND WITH COVID AND I ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO REVIEW IT.
LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I WON'T GO OVER IT THIS EVENING BECAUSE WE'VE HAD OUR GOAL SETTING WHERE YOU HEARD IT TWICE AND THEN WE HAD OUR BOARD COMMISSION MEETING LAST WEEK.
AND SO I WON'T SUBJECT YOU TO THAT THIS EVENING.
BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, TOGETHER AS A TEAM, WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT AND TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS, THE PEOPLE WE SERVE.
A COPY THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT A HARD COPY ONE IS AVAILABLE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND SOON TO BE AVAILABLE AT BOTH THE HASLETT AND OKEMO LIBRARY, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, MR. SUPERVISOR AND BOARD.
BUT THAT'S THE REPORT AT A VERY, VERY TOUGH YEAR.
BUT A GOOD YEAR FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, AND THANK YOU TO THE M TEAM AND TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF FOR THE WORK AND COMPILING THE REPORT.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
[00:05:03]
NOT SEEING ANY QUESTIONS.THANK YOU FOR THE OVERVIEW AND AS YOU SAID, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC JUST TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
BUT WE DO NOT ENGAGE IN A BACK AND FORTH DIALOG WITH THE BOARD.
IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE PRESENT THEM AND WE WILL ADDRESS THEM AT A LATER POINT IN THE MEETING.
DIRECTOR GEBES, COULD YOU PLEASE INFORM THE PUBLIC ON HOW THEY CAN ADDRESS THE BOARD? WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE OPTIONS.
WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE TELEPHONE COMMENT AT 517349 1232 FOR ANYBODY WHO HAPPENS TO BE WATCHING ON ANY OF THE VARIOUS INTERNET STREAMS OR HOMTV THIS EVENING.
ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU'RE IN THE ATTENDEE AREA, YOU CAN SIMPLY USE THE RAISED HAND FEATURE AND WE CAN GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO SPEAK AND MAKE YOUR COMMENT IN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE.
I'M NOT HEARING ANY TELEPHONES RINGING AGAIN ONE MORE TIME.
FIVE ONE SEVEN THREE FOUR NINE ONE, TWO, THREE, TWO.
AND I SEE NO HANDS RAISED IN THE ATTENDEE AREA, SIR.
WILL, GIVE IT JUST A FEW MORE MOMENTS HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS RINGING IN ON THE LINE.
I WILL INTERRUPT YOU IF I HEAR A TELEPHONE RINGING, SIR.
AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT, MANAGER
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
WALSH.THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. SUPERVISOR, JUST A FEW THINGS TO UPDATE THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC ON THIS EVENING.
ONE IS THE AMPLIFIED DEER CALL PROGRAM THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS OPERATING.
OUR GOAL IS TO EXPAND DUE TO A NUMBER OF CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC TO EXPAND OUR DEER CALL THIS YEAR TO THREE HUNDRED.
RIGHT NOW AS OF LAST NIGHT, WE ARE AT TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE APPROVAL FROM THE DNR ON OUR PROGRAM TO GO TO THREE TWENTY SIX.
AND AGAIN, I APPLAUD THE WORK OF OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND SPECIFICALLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIE PLAGAAND THE HELP OF PUBLIC WORKS WHO ARE OUT THERE EVERY NIGHT ASSISTING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SPECIFICALLY MIKE ELLIS, OUR TEAMS DOING GREAT WORK TO TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND AGAIN, IT'S ALL WITH DNR OVERSIGHT AND APPROVAL.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR THE LEAP PUBLIC ART GRANT THAT TRUSTEE JACKSON BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THROUGH HER EFFORTS WITH LEAP.
IT'S A TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT.
WE'RE APPLYING FOR A PUBLIC ARC IN FRONT OF THE MARKETPLACE.
THAT GRANT IS DUE IN THE NEXT WEEK.
AND I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THIS GROUP WAS 2013.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL EIGHT YEARS LATER THAT WE WISH TO BE ON THE DOCKET AND WE KNOW TRUSTEE JACKSON WILL BRING IT HOME FOR US.
WE'RE FULLY CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT.
THERE WAS A PRESENTATION AT ROTARY TODAY.
WE WENT OVER A NUMBER OF THINGS, BOTH TRUSTEE JACKSON AND TREASURER DESCHAINE.
WE'RE IN ATTENDANCE AS ROTARIANS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND I WAS SURPRISED BY THE QUESTION WAS WE'RE HEARING THAT WHEN YOU DO THE WORK ON THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE THAT THE GREEN BRIDGE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN DOWN.
AND I WAS KIND OF TAKEN ABACK BY THAT, ACTUALLY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A JOKE.
BUT THEN FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE SPOKE UP AND SAID, YEAH, WE'VE HEARD THE SAME THING AND IT'S ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND THAT'S A SHAME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT IF YOU'RE SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY.
SO I SAID I WOULD LOOK INTO IT, BUT I'D BE VERY SURPRISED.
I DID CHECK WITH MR. PERRY, WHO HEADS UP OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, AND THERE'S NO TRUTH TO THAT.
THE GREEN BRIDGE IS NOT GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAMPERED WITH, MOVED, ADJUSTED OR ANYTHING.
SO I WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE.
NORMALLY, IF ONE PERSON SAYS ANYTHING, I WOULDN'T BRING IT UP.
BUT SINCE TRUSTEE JACKSON AND TREASURER DESCHAINEBEING THERE.
I KNOW I WAS SURPRISED BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS TRUE AND JUST TOOK IT FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH.
BUT ANYWAY, NO MOVING IN THE GREEN BRIDGE.
AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND REMEMBER MARY ROSE THIS EVENING.
MARY RHODES PASSED AWAY RECENTLY.
JUST A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY GAVE SO MUCH TO THIS COMMUNITY, THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
MATT RHODES, OF COURSE, THE OWNER OF DUSTY'S IS THEIR SON, MARTHA BAYSHORE, WHO'S ON OUR BOARD REVIEW HER DAUGHTER, JUST A COMPLETE FAMILY.
AND THEY'VE GIVEN SO MUCH TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE JUST TAKE A MINUTE TONIGHT AND REMEMBER MARY RHODES AND WHAT SHE'S DONE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT IN THE FUTURE, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP IN HER MEMOR THIS EVENING.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. SUPERVISOR? THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD?
[00:10:01]
I'M NOT SEEING ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH HANDS RAISED.SO THE ANDEV PROJECT, WE KNOW, WAS RECENTLY.
WE DO KNOW THAT THE ANDEV PROJECT WAS RECENTLY ANDEV PULLED OUT OF THE PROJECT OVER OFF HANNAH BOULEVARD, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A VERBAL AGREEMENT ON SOME TERMS TO THE WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROSPECTIVE NORTHERN PARCEL IF THAT PROJECT HAD GONE THROUGH AN THE LAND DIVISION HAD OCCURRED.
CAN YOU UPDATE THE BOARD ON WHERE THAT IS AT CURRENTLY? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID ALL IS COMPLETELY FACTUAL.
WE DID HAVE AN AGREEMENT ON A BUFFER A DONATION INTO THE EASEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC IN THE NORTHERN, VERY NORTHERN PART OF THE PROJECT AND THEN WE HAD AN AGREEMENT ON THE CLOSING OFF OF THE THAT WAS ALL PART OF IT.
I THINK IF YOU GO BACK AND READ, IF ANYONE GOES BACK AND READS THE SEPTEMBER 15TH BOARD MEETING, YOU'LL SEE THE NOTES IN THERE WHERE IT'S CLEARLY DELINEATED ON THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD.
SO I WOULD SAY IT'S MORE THAN VERBAL.
NO ONE CHALLENGED MY COMMENTS THAT EVENING AND NO ONE'S CHALLENGED IN A SENSE.
AND THAT WAS THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT, HOWEVER, HOW THAT GOES FORWARD.
NOW, MR. SUPERVISOR, BASED ON THE PROJECT NOT BEING WITH US ANYMORE IS THE GOOD QUESTION.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A MEETING SET UP.
I BELIEVE IT'S FRIDAY WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
AND SO YOU BRING THAT UP AS A GOOD REMINDER THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE THIS DISCOURSE WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS THIS WEEK, BECAUSE I FAIRNESS TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO LIVE IN INDIAN LAKES IN THE VERY NORTHERN PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT, THEY DESERVE AN ANSWER AS WELL.
SO WE WILL PROCEED AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS ON FRIDAY AND GET BACK TO THE BOARD ABOUT WHERE THAT STANDS, IF THAT'S SATISFACTORY TO YOU.
YES, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A NUMBER OF THE RESIDENTS OF INDIAN LAKES, AS WELL AS SUPERVISOR STYKA, ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED FROM HERE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THAT WAS NEVER THOSE TERMS WERE NEVER MEMORIALIZED IN WRITING SEPARATE FROM THE MINUTES, BUT BETWEEN THE PROPERTY OWNER, THE IDES AND THE TOWNSHIP.
SO ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA AND SOME OF THOSE RESIDENTS WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF VACATING OR ILLEGALLY ABANDONING THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE SUB STREET AS A WAY TO AT LEAST CODIFY IN A DIFFERENT APPROACH ONE OF THE TERMS THAT WE HAD REACHED ON THAT NORTHERN AREA.
SO JUST A SEPARATE WAY OF GETTING AT THE SAME ISSUE.
BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT CONVERSATION TO YOU AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN COME BACK WITH.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME UP AT THAT MEETING THIS AFTERNOON WAS THE TIMELINE FOR THE REPLACEMENT BRIDGE OVER ALONG OKEMOS ROAD OR THE [INAUDIBLE] MANAGER WALSH, WOULD YOU PLEASE UPDATE THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY THAT'S WATCHING WITH THAT NEW TIMELINE.
YEAH, I THINK PROBABLY THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK MR. PERRY WOULD BE THE BEST ONE TO ANSWER THAT.
IS WHAT I KNOW RIGHT NOW IS IT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN 2022 AND IT COULD BE IN UP TO A SIX MONTH DETOUR IS THE LAST I HEARD.
BUT MR. PERRY KNOWS MORE OF THE DETAILS.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGES IS 2022 THEY ARE ANTICIPATING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION SEASON, WHICH IN MICHIGAN IS ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
THEY PLAN TO FINISH DESIGN AND BID IT ACTUALLY THIS SUMMER.
BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THEY DON'T WANT TO SPAN TWO CONSTRUCTION SEASON.
SO THE PLAN IS TO JUST CREATE HUGE INCONVENIENCE ONE YEAR INSTEAD OF TWO.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU'RE REPLACING A BRIDGE.
SO THERE WILL BE DEFINITELY TRAFFIC IMPACTS INREGARDS TO THAT.
BUT TWENTY TWENTY TWO IS THE YEAR THAT WILL OCCUR, SAYING THAT THEY MIGHT DO SOME SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT MOUNT HOPE, MAYBE THIS YEAR MAYBE SUMMER LATE FALL, THAT KIND OF THING IN PREPARATION OF THAT.
BUT THE MAJORITY, THE HUGE IMPACT WILL BE TWENTY, TWENTY TWO.
AND JUST TO BE SURE, MY MEMORY IS COMPLETELY SHOT.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS 2021, BUT IT'S BEEN PUT OFF BECAUSE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT MEMORY? PART OF THAT, YES.
TWENTY TWENTY ONE IS WHEN THEY HAVE THE DOLLARS AVAILABLE, I THINK THEY'RE
[00:15:01]
GOING TO DO SOME WELL, IT HAS TO DO WITH SOME OF THE BUDGETING YEARS.IT HAS TO DO WITH SOME OF THE MONEY THAT'S GOT MOVED AROUND WITH MDOT AND HAD TO DO SOME PLANNING THAT NEEDED TO OCCUR, TRYING TO COORDINATE SEVERAL PROJECTS.
AND REALLY IT'S JUST TRYING TO GET MULTIPLE PROJECTS ALL LINED UP AT THE RIGHT TIME.
SO ESSENTIALLY, OKEMOS ROAD MAY HAVE SOME WORK DONE ALSO NORTH OF THE BRIDGE PROJECT IN 2022 ALSO TWENTY TWENTY TWO IS WHEN THE GRAND RIVER PROJECT WILL BE OCCURRING.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO ADVERTISE HOW PEOPLE ARE TO GET AROUND IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH YEAR.
IT'D BE A GREAT YEAR TO PROMOTE NON MOTORIZED TRANSPORT AND MAYBE QUICKER THAN TRYING TO DRIVE ANYWHERE THAT SUMMER.
ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP TODAY FROM A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS.
ROTARIANS WAS WHERE WE STAND AFTER THIS YEAR, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO STAND ON OUR ROAD PROGRAM? AND IT'S A GOOD REMINDER TO THE BOARD AND TO THE COMMUNITY THIS EVENING THAT WE HAVE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN MILES OF LOCAL ROADS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE THROUGH OUR SECOND.
I'M DOING THIS ALL ON TOP OF MY HEAD.
WE'RE GOING TO BE THROUGH THE SECOND YEAR OF A 10 YEAR PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE 20 PERCENT OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR FUNDING.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN ROADS, WE'RE GOING TO BE SO 20 PERCENT OF 147 IS ROUGHLY 30 OR TWENTY NINE.
AND SO WE SHOULD BE THROUGH TWENTY NINE OR THIRTY MILES AFTER TWO YEARS.
AND MR. PERRY INFORMED ME TODAY THE NUMBER IS FORTY FOUR.
SO WE'RE WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FOR WHERE WE NEED TO BE AFTER TWO YEARS.
THANK YOU, DEPUTY MANAGER PERRYAND MANAGER WALSH.
SORRY IF WE DON'T MIND MANAGER WALSH CAN I ASK A QUESTION WITHOUT REVIEWING THE SEPTEMBER 13TH NOTES REGARDING THE VERBAL AND OR NOTE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE IDES AND THE TOWNSHIP AN THE NEIGHBORS REGARDING THE SUB STREET.
CAN YOU REMIND ME, THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE ANDEV PROJECT, RIGHT.
THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WERE NOT AS A RESULT OF THE END OF PROJECT BEING BUILT.
AM I CORRECT IN THINKING THAT.
THAT WOULD DETERMINE ON WHO YOU ASK.
I THINK IF YOU ASK A NUMBER OF THE RESIDENTS THE THINGS IT WAS ALL TIME BARRED, IF YOU ASK THEM, OTHER PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, MAYBE THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND SOME OTHERS KNOW IT WAS SEPARATE.
AND KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL ALONG OUR COUNCIL TOLD US TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE, DO NOT TIME BAR A DEVELOPMENT INTO THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
THAT'S LIKE OFFERING THAT'S LIKE GIVING CONDITIONS.
SO WE WERE VERY CLEAR TO SAY ANDEV AND THIS IS SEPARATE, OF COURSE, THOUGH THEY DO BLEED TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S IF YOU USE COMMON SENSE.
IN FACT, SUPERVISOR STYKA AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION TODAY, HE ASKED THE VERY SAME QUESTION.
I THINK IF YOU USE COMMON SENSE APPROACH, THEY'RE TIED TOGETHER.
WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SUB STREET IF NOT FOR A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.
I WANT TO REALLY MOVE TO FRIDAY AND HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND SEE WHERE WE MIGHT GET IN THIS DISCUSSION.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, MADAM TRUSTEE, IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHO YOU ASK THAT QUESTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? SEEING NONE AT THE MOMENT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, BOARD MEMBER
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.FIRST OFF, A REMINDER, TAXES ARE DUE TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, THE 16TH AT 5:00 P.M.
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY TOUGH YEAR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IF YOU'RE HAVING ISSUES PAYING YOUR TAXES, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AND WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN PROVIDE SOM RELIEF.
WE KNOW SOME FAMILIES ARE REALLY STRUGGLING THIS YEAR, BUT TAXES ARE DUE IN TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.
AFTER THE 16TH ONE PERCENT PENALTIES ADDED TO THEM AFTER MARCH 1ST AN ADDITIONAL FIVE PERCENT IS ADDED TO THEM BY THE COUNT TREASURER.
SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT MONTH IF YOU'RE BEHIND ON YOUR TAXES OR CAN'T PAY YOUR TAXES.
WE DON'T WANT TO TURN YOUR TAX BILL OVER TO THE COUNTY TREASURER.
GOOD NEWS IS TAX REVENUES COMPARED TO PAST YEARSARE NINETY NINE PERCENT OF WHAT THEY WERE IN 2020 A YEAR AGO.
SO GOOD NEWS IS MOST RESIDENTS ARE NOT HAVING AN ISSUE PAYING THEIR TAXES.
BUT FOR THOSE THAT ARE DO CONTACT US.
IN TERMS OF MEETINGS ON MONDAY, I ATTEND THE DDA MEETING WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA.
OF COURSE, THE GOOD NEWS THERE IS THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE DOWN AND THEY'VE MET OUR GOALS THAT WE SET FOR THEM FOR DEMOLITION.
JANUARY 20TH WAS A BUSY DAY I ATTENDED THE LANSING REGIONAL CHAMBER MEETING IN
[00:20:05]
EAST LANSING BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE.ALSO, THE CAPITAL AREA TREASURERS ASSOCIATION MET THANKS TO DIRECTOR GEBES.
WE HOSTED THAT MEETING AND WE GOT AN UPDATE ON COUNTY EQUALIZATION FROM THE INGHAM COUNTY EQUALIZATION DIRECTOR AND ALSO THE 20TH WITH OUR APPOINTEE, ROBIN LEWIS I ATTENDED THE FIRST CAPITAL AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY MEETING AS A BOARD MEMBER.
IT'S A VERY GOOD MEETING AND I'M PROUD TO BE ON THAT BOARD REPRESENTING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER I ATTENDED THE EAST LANSING KIWANIS MEETING LAST WEEK AND GAVE A PRESENTATION, WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM ASKING ME TO PRESENT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS THEY HAD WAS ABOUT WALNUT HILLS AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT WALNUT HILLS.
AND SO I WAS HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PASS ON THE INFORMATION, ANYTHING THAT I HAD.
ALSO, WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE OKEMOSPUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT THERE WILL BE A MAJOR ELECTION FOR THE OPERATING MILLAGE AND THE SINKING FUND MILLAGE.
AND SO WE ARE UNDERGOING PREPARATIONS FOR THAT.
IN ADDITION, WE HAD IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A COUNTY AUDIT ON PRECINCT SIX IN DECEMBER, AND WE RECENTLY SUBMITTED OUR TABULATING RESULTS FOR THE RISK LIMITING AUDIT.
NOW, THE PRECINCT SIX AUDIT RESULTS ONCE RETURNED.
THERE WERE SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES THAT WERE FOUND IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND I AM MEETING WITH COUNTY CLERK [INAUDIBLE] BYRUM THIS FRIDAY TO DISCUSS THOSE DISCREPANCIES IN OUR ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS TO TRY TO RESOLVE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES IN MOVING FORWARD FOR THE TOWNSHIP SO WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE RESIDENTS AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE SOME RISK LIMITING RESULTS, ALTHOUGH I DON'T SEE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT.
THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS HAPPENING, IN OUR DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN GETTING SOME THINGS IN ORDER THAT SOME BOARD PACKETS AND SOME OTHER SOME CODES AND STUFF LIKE THAT IN ORDER FROM LAST YEAR AND A COUPLE OF YEARS, IF THERE ARE ANY RESIDENTS OUT THERE THAT NOTICE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE PACKET MISSING ONLINE FROM LAST YEAR AND WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT UP THIS WEEK.
SO I JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF THEY HAPPEN TO SEE THAT.
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, TRUSTEE JACKSON.
THANK YOU, MR. OPSOMMER, ON THE TWENTY SIXTH, ALONG WITH THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, WE ALL PARTICIPATED IN THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND IF YOU MISSED THAT OPPORTUNITY OR THAT MEETING, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THE SUCCESSES IN 2020 FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO SERVE THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS THEIR PLANS FOR TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A VERY USEFUL AND ENJOYABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US WHO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO MEET AND SHARE INFORMATION.
ON THE TWENTY SEVENTH I ATTENDED THE WHAT IS CALLED THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.
I REPRESENT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS A BOARD MEMBER AT TRI-COUNTY.
AND IN THE ANNUAL MEETING, WE ELECTED NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE COMING YEAR FROM, I THINK, THE LANSING DELEGATION.
AND I TOOK ON RESPONSIBILITIES FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A DELEGATE POSITION ON THE CARTS COMMITTEE YES COMMITTEE.
WOULD LIKE TREASURER DESCHAINE, I ATTENDED THE DDA MEETING ON THE FIRST AND I WILL JUMP THE GUN AND ANNOUNCE THAT WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE PARKS AND
[00:25:02]
RECREATION DEPARTMENT RECEIVED AN AWARD AND I BELIEVE IT WAS TODAY FROM THE MICHIGAN RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION AND RECOGNITION OF THE DESIGN OF OUR MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.SPEAKING OF AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS MANAGER WALSH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK AT ALL TO THE RECOGNITION THAT DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY RECEIVED JUST LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE.
OH [APPLAUSE], YEAH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, I'M REALLY I'M REALLY PROUD OF DEREK AND THESE AWARDS DON'T COME EASY.
THERE'S A LOT OF ASSISTANT MANAGERS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH DEREK, BOTH IN ST.
JOSEPH AND THEN HERE AS AS MY ASSISTANT OR DEPUTY MANAGER.
AND I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER PERSON TO ASSIST ME IN THE MANAGING OF THIS COMMUNITY OR ANY COMMUNITY.
DEREK'S A HUMBLE PUBLIC SERVANT.
I WILL JUST TELL YOU THE STORY THAT I SHARED AS HE WENT UP AGAINST OTHER COMPETITION IN THE STATE.
AND I'LL TAKE YOU BACK TO LABOR DAY OF TWO THOUSAND NINE IN ST. JOSEPH TOURISM'S A BIG DEAL.
AND WE HAD JUST OPENED A HUGE WHIRLPOOL COMPASSFOUNTAIN.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE COMING TO IT EVERY WEEKEND.
BIG JETS, BIG SPRAY RIGHT ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN.
AND IT BROKE DOWN THE THURSDAY BEFORE LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
THE FIRST BIG HOLIDAY JUST HAD JUST OPENED.
AND IT BROKE DOWN BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH CAULKING IN THE SYSTEM.
THE WATER WASN'T REGENERATING.
AS A NON ENGINEER AND NOT A VERY SMART GUY, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT, BUT IT WASN'T HOLDING WATER.
AND SO WE WERE FACING A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO TOWN AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO.
AND SO DEREK CAME UP WITH THE IDEA, LET'S PARK AND CHIEF HAMEL WILL LIKE THIS.
HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE APPROVED IT.
BUT ANYWAY, WE'D HAVE DONE IT ANYWAY.
WE PARKED THE BIG FIRE TRUCK DOWN NEXT TO THE WATER FOUNTAIN AND DEREK AND OTHERS SPENT ALL WEEKEND, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OF THEIR LABOR DAY WEEKEND USING A FIRE HOSE DOWN INTO THE RESERVOIR EVERY 15 MINUTES TO KEEP THE WATER CIRCULATING SO WE COULD KEEP THE WHIRLPOOL COMPASS FOUNTAIN.
FIVE OR SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE VISITED THAT WEEKEND, THINGS WENT ON.
IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND IN ST. JOE.
BUT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR DEREK'S IDEA TO DO THAT, HIS COMMITMENT TO BE DOWN THERE ALL WEEKEND, LABOR DAY AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON' FORGET THINGS.
THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN HIS COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
HE CARRIES THAT FORWARD TODAY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND HE WAS VOTED THE TOP ASSISTANT MANAGER BY HIS PEERS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THAT ALONG, MR. SUPERVISOR.
ABSOLUTELY, AND IT'S WELL EARNED, CONGRATULATIONS TO DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY ON THE RECOGNITION AND OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE A SMALLER THING, BUT IT'S JUST DELIVERING GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, ONE THAT COMES TO MY MIND, WAS WHEN A CITIZEN CALLED IN A PIECE OF STEEL OR METAL THAT WAS EXTENDING ON A ANGLE INTO THE ROADWAY.
AND RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH THE ISSUES OF DEALING WITH THE COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION TO GET IT PULLED OUT THAT MIGHT EXTEND THAT ISSUE SEVERAL DAYS TO RECONCILE IT.
DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY JUST WENT OVER AND REMOVED THE PIECE OF [INAUDIBLE] OF ANGLE IRON FROM THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY ON HIS OWN.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER STORIES LIKE THAT.
AND WHENEVER THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE IN A RIGHT OF WAY AND I CONTACT THE MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY MANAGER, THERE'S ALWAYS VERY QUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE SO THANK YOU, DEREK.
CONGRATULATIONS, DEREK, WELL DESERVED.
HE SPENT A FEW HOURS OUT IN THE SUN TOO TO MAKE SURE THAT FOUNTAIN WORKED.
AGAIN, I THANK FRANK AND MIKE HUGHES, THE CITY MANAGER OF STURGIS FOR NOMINATING ME.
BUT JUST YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM.
THESE AWARDS ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL UNLESS OUR ENTIRE TEAM IS SUCCESSFUL.
SO I OWE A LOT OF THE AWARD TO EVERYONE THAT I WORKED WITH ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.
THANK YOU, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[00:30:04]
SEEING NONE, I WILL JUST QUICKLY REPORT THAT I ALSO ATTENDED THE LANSING REGIONAL CHAMBERS, EAST LANSING MERIDIAN ROUNDTABLE AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES AND JURISDICTIONS NOT PRESENT AT THE MEETING.BUT I'M SURE TREASURER DESCHAINE WILL CONCUR WITH ME THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WAS THE FOCUS AND THE EMPHASIS DUE TO OUR BUSINESS GRANTS, THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE GRANTS THAT WE AWARDED TOTALING JUST UNDER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THE CLOSURES DURING THE SECOND WAVE.
AS WE FLATTENED THE CURVE, WE GOT A SHOUT OUT FROM SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BEFORE WE EVEN GOT TO THE MUNICIPAL AND GOVERNMENT UPDATES.
SO IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED AND WE GOT A LOT OF ACCOLADES AND WE'RE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION.
I WOULD ALSO JUST UPDATE THE BOARD THAT I DID ATTEND MY FIRST MEETING ON THE MERIDIAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY WAS THERE TO UPDATE THE COMMISSION ON THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE ROAD PROJECT WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE OVER REVIEWING THE MAP THAT OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS PUT TOGETHER, MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION AND RECONSTRUCTIVE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
WE ALSO OVERVIEWED THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE, WHICH WE JUST TOUCHED ON DURING THE MANAGERS REPORT, AND THERE WAS TALK OF THE TOWNSHIPS PATHWAY MASTER PLAN AS IT RELATES TO THIS YEAR'S PROJECTS AND SNOW REMOVAL.
SO THAT WOULD CONCLUDE MY UPDATES.
NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION TO
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED WITH ITEMS 12 F AND G.I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, GO AHEAD AND PUT YOUR HAND UP.
SEVEN TO ZERO OR SIX TO ZERO, [INAUDIBLE].
THE AGENDA IS APPROVED AND NOW WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING INCLUDES COMMUNICATIONS, THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 19TH AND THE JANUARY 26TH VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND ITEM C IS THE BILL'S.I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
CLERK GUTHRIE, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
THAT AGENDA IS APPROVED, ITEM 10 IS QUESTIONS FOR OUR ATTORNEY, WHICH OUR ATTORNEY IS NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
AND WE HAVE NO HEARINGS UNDER ITEM 11.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12 A REZONING #20050 TO REZONE 31.63 ACRES EAST
[12A. Rezoning #20050 (DTN 2013 LLC) rezone 31.63 acres east of Central Park Drive and north of Grand River Avenue from RA (Single Family-Medium Density) to RD (Multiple Family-maximum eight units per acre)-Final Adoption]
OF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, NORTH OF GRAND AVENUE, FROM RA SINGLE FAMILY, MEDIUM DENSITY TO RD MULTIPLE FAMILY MAXIMUM EIGHT UNITS PER ACRE.AND THIS IS ON FOR FINAL ADOPTION.
I'LL START BY ASKING FOR A MOTION.
YOU ARE MUTED, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
THANK YOU, I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR FINAL ADOPTION, REZONING NUMBER 20050 TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 31.63 ACRES LOCATED EAST OF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, AND NORTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE, FROM RA SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY TO RD MULTIFAMILY MAXIMUM EIGHT UNITS PER ACRE WITH CONDITIONS.
SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON, MR. DESCHAINE IS THE MOTION MAKER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO IT? YES, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS EXTENSIVELY THE PAST THREE MEETINGS.
[00:35:03]
IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO WITH THIS PARCEL, IT PROVIDES WITH THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.IT IS RENTAL HOUSING, NOT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, WHICH IS NEW FOR THIS BOARD TO BE APPROVING IN THIS LOCATION, BUT I THINK WE'VE ALL COME TO SEE THE MARKET HAS CHANGED AND THIS PROVIDES THAT MISSING MIDDLE AND PROVIDES FOR WHAT THE MARKET IS ASKING FOR.
AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A HIGH END LUXURY APARTMENT COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A DEVELOPMENT, BUT A TRUE COMMUNITY.
DTN DOESN'T JUST BUILD APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A REAL ASSET TO OUR TOWNSHIP.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A REAL ASSET, AN IMPROVEMENT FOR THAT AREA.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ITEM.
YES, I WILL SUPPORT I PLAN TO SUPPORT THIS REZONING PROPOSAL, HOWEVER I CONTINUE TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE SIZE OF THIS CONCEPT PLAN THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT AND THAT IT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF RENTAL PROPERTIES.
I NOTE THAT IN THE RESOLUTION AND SUPPORT OF THE REZONING THAT THERE IS A COMMENT WHICH DESCRIBES THE PROJECT AS ONE PLAN TO BRING DIVERSITY IN OCCUPANCY AND LIFESTYLES TO THIS TOWNSHIP, AND THOUGH I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING TYPES, I HOLD OUT SOME HOPE THAT THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WILL, IN THE END, NOT ALL BE RENTAL PROPERTY, AND THAT IN TALKING ABOUT THE DIVERSITY, THAT WE ALSO CAN LOOK FORWARD TO SOME DIVERSITY IN THE COST OF OWNERSHIP OR PARTICIPATION WITH THIS PROPERTY AND AS WELL AS THE TYPES OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
TRUSTEE JACKSON, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS TO SHARE ON THIS ITEM.
I'M ALSO PREPARED TO SUPPORT THIS THIS REZONING, I WOULD CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE JACKSON'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
I THINK THE RENTAL PROPERTY COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT IS ACTUALLY THE UNIQUE FACTOR THAT I TRULY DO LIKE.
AND I HAVE BEEN AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE TO ANOTHER TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IN HOLT, AND IT REALLY IS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
AND THERE REALLY IS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY THERE WHEN IT COMES TO AGE AND OR RACE OR WHETHER THERE'S CHILDREN OR DOGS AND DOG PARKS.
AND SO IT REALLY IS A GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CAN HAPPEN, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSITY ECONOMICALLY SO THAT THERE IS SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE FOR FOLKS THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO LIVE IN SUCH HIGH END HOUSING.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS THE REZONING IS ALL CONTINGENT UPON THE THE APPROVAL WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AN THE WETLANDUSE PERMIT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS.
I CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE JACKSON AS WELL IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
BUT WHILE I LOVE THIS PROJECT AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT AREA FOR IT, I THINK THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY UNITS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
I LIVE IN A COMMUNITY HEARTWOOD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION WHERE WE HAVE BASICALLY TWO STREETS.
WE HAVE A POOL THAT WE ALL SHARE.
WE HAVE A TENNIS COURT THAT WE ALL SHARE.
WE HAVE A BASKETBALL COURT THAT WE ALL SHARE.
AND IT REALLY DOES TO TRUSTEE WISINSKI POINT, BRING THAT SENSE OF
[00:40:03]
COMMUNITY AND BRINGS YOUR NEIGHBORS TOGETHER.AND SO IT TRULY PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEIGHBORS TO GATHER AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
AND IN THAT SENSE, THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND THE WETLANDS IS WHY I WON'T BE SUPPORTING IT, BUT OTHERWISE I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROJECT.
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? NO NONE.
I WOULD ECHO TREASURER DESCHAINE'S COMMENTS ON THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING AND THIS PROJECT CONFORMING WITH OUR EFFORTS TO ATTRACT THAT TYPE OF HOUSING TO THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT I WOULD ALSO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF TRUSTEE JACKSON AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND CLERK GUTHRIE IN THE NEED TO BRING DOWN THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND TO ADDRESS THE WETLANDS.
SPECIFICALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE WETLANDS, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME KIND OF DETENTION POND TO TREAT THAT WATER, THAT STORMWATE RUNOFF BEFORE IT GOES INTO THE WETLAND ON THE SITE WHERE THE LARGE WETLAND ON THE SITE, THERE'S SEVERAL WETLANDS TOTAL.
BASED ON THE CONDITIONS, AS I SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, CONSTRAINING THIS TO THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP AND PUTTING A LIMITED TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME ON THIS REZONING BEFORE IT WOULD REVERT.
AND I'M GOING TO VOTE YES IN THE INTEREST OF SEEING IF WE CAN MAKE THE SITE PLAN WORK ONCE WE GET TO THAT SITE PLAN PHASE, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BOARD MEMBERS TO START THINKING ABOUT CONDITIONS THAT WE COULD BE OFFERING, BECAUSE ONCE WE GET TO THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND THE WETLAND USE PERMIT, WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN OFFER CONDITIONS.
CONVERSELY, RIGHT NOW WITH THE REZONING, OBVIOUSLY THE APPLICANT HAS TO OFFER THOSE CONDITIONS.
SO I'M VOTING YES IN HOPES THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK AND FIND THAT RIGHT BALANCE.
AND WITH THAT SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, I WOULD ASK.
JUST ONE MORE COMMENT ABOUT DENSITY.
AND I'M GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THAT DENSITY IS TONIGHT.
I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ASKED FOR WALKABILITY, WE ASKED FOR A NON MOTORIZED COMMUNITY.
WE ASKED FOR COMMUNITY IN DOING THAT, IT REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF DENSITY.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME COMPROMISES WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S THE MISSING MIDDLE.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES WHERE IT'S NOT A QUARTER ACRE SUBURBAN PLOT AND IT'S NOT A TWO HUNDRED UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING, THE CENTER HALL.
SO THIS IS A NEW FORM WHICH IS NEW TO THIS BOARD AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
IT WILL BE MORE DENSE THAN WE'RE PROBABLY USED TO.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID TONIGHT.
WE DON'T WANT TO OVERBUILD THAT AREA.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MANY UNITS THERE TO THE POINT IN WHICH IT LOSES ATTRACTIVENESS AND IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT DENSITY IN A NEW WAY IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT WALKABLE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, BIKE FRIENDLY AND LESS CAR DEPENDENT.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
AND ONE OTHER TRUSTEE JACKSON, [INAUDIBLE] I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT TO POSSIBLE COMPLETION, I THINK THAT THIS BOARD, AMONG OTHERS, SHOULD COME TO SOME AGREEMENT ABOUT WHAT WE MEAN BY MISSING MIDDLE AND SOME AREAS THAT INCLUDES THE IDEA OF DUPLEXES AND TRI-PLEXES AND THE LIKE WITH SINGLE FAMILY AND MAYBE MULTIPLE FAMILY AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS OF MISSING MIDDLE HAS A DEFINITE INCOME FOCUS LEVEL AND SO THAT OR COSTS AND INCOME FOCUS LEVEL AND SO I THINK AS WE MOVE ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT, WE NEED TO COME TO SOME AGREEMENT ABOUT WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY MISSING MIDDLE.
AND JUST ONE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING TO SHARE AND KIND OF SLIPPED MY MIND, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE DO TALK ABOUT THE SITE PLAN, WE WILL BE BEYOND COVID AND THE
[00:45:06]
CONSTRAINTS THAT IT'S HURTING OUR SUPPLY CHAIN.I KNOW FROM TALKING TO FOLKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY THAT THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION HAS GONE UP DRAMATICALLY JUST DUE TO LUMBER SHORTAGES AND OTHER SUPPLIES BEING IN SHORT SUPPLY AND CAUSING THE PRICES TO SPIKE SO HOPEFULLY IF WE CAN GET BEYOND THE PANDEMIC HERE IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, THE NUMBER OF UNITS MAY NOT BE REQUIRED ECONOMICALLY BASED ON WHAT THE APPLICANTS ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT.
ALL RIGHT, SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, I WANT TO ASK CLERK GUTHRIE TO CALL THE ROLL.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 B, AND THIS IS THE ECONOMI DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
[12B. Economic Development Corporation Appointment]
APPOINTMENT.DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF HENRY KWOKTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR A TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST TWENT TWENTY SIX.
SECONDED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON, CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE MOTION AND THEN WE WILL HAVE TRUSTEE JACKSON SPEAK AS THE SECONDER.
YES, HENRY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH HIM QUITE FREQUENTLY ON GIVING PROJECTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP AND HE HAS BEEN VERY GENEROUS OVER THE YEARS, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART IN AND MAKING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP A PRIME COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO MAKE THE MOTION.
I WOULD ONLY ADD THAT MR. KWOK OPERATES TWO BUSINESSES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND HAS LIVED HERE, WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL HERE, I'M SURE, BECAUSE HE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH MY SON AND HE HAS BEEN EDUCATED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
HE HAS WORKED IN SEVERAL SITUATIONS WHICH WILL ALLOW HIM TO BRING A NEW SET OF INPUTS TO THE EDC.
AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, AS WELL AS THOSE REFERRED TO BY MS. GUTHRIE, I THOROUGHLY SUPPORT HIS ADDITION TO THIS BOARD.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
AND HAVING SERVED ON THE EDC SINCE 2016, I CAN SAY HE WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT CONTRIBUTION TO IT.
WE NEED EXACTLY THIS KIND OF SMALL BUSINESS INPUT FROM BUSINESS OWNERS LIKE HENRY KWOK.
AND SO I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT CHOICE AND HE'LL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE EDC.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS JOINING THE EDC SOON.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THIS APPOINTMENT.
SEEING NONE, I WOULD ONLY NOTE THAT I KNOW HENRY PRETTY WELL AND I DID NOT KNOW THIS, BUT HE WORKED AT WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION LOOKING TO SEE IF THE MANAGER KNEW THAT.
SO BACK WHEN FRANK WAS ACTUALLY STILL IN ST. JOE AS THE CITY MANAGER.
SO YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.
ALL RIGHT, CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CALL THE ROLL ON APPOINTING HENRY KWOK TO THE EDC.
AND WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 C RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY
[12C. Resolution Commemorating Black History Month]
MONTH.DO WE HAVE SOMEONE WILLING TO READ THE MOTION OR THE RESOLUTION? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I WILL READ THE MOTION, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE MOTION.
SURE, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE WORLD, RECOGNIZE THE CENTRAL ROLE THAT THEY PLAYED IN HISTORY.
[00:50:01]
I HAD A FRIEND ONCE SAY TO ME THAT YOU KNOW FEBRUARYIS THE SHORTEST AND THE COLDEST MONTH OF THE YEAR, AND WE CHOOSE THAT FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.HOWEVER, I WANTED TO JUST MAKE NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON IT WAS CHOSEN, THE HISTORY OF IT BEING CHOSEN IN FEBRUARY IS IT COINCIDES WITH THE BIRTHDAYS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
AND I JUST FOUND OUT THE NAACP WAS ALSO FOUNDED ON THAT SECOND WEEK.
SO I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH THOSE TWO COMMENTS, BUT I AM VERY EXCITED THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING AND COMMEMORATING.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? WHY DON'T WE GO RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE.
BEFORE YOU VOTE, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE STORY WITH YOU OF I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE DO THIS TO MAYBE REFLECT ON WHAT THIS MEANS TO AN INDIVIDUAL.
AND I GO BACK TO NINETEEN SEVENTY FOUR.
I WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH SOME KIDS I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AND MUCH OLDER AND GOT HIT IN THE STOMACH WITH A BASEBALL AND ENDED UP RUPTURING MY SPLEEN AND ENDED UP GETTING RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL AND JUST MADE AN EMERGENCY SURGERY.
DR. RICHARD BUSTELO WAS THE SURGEON AND WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE ROOM AFTER SURGERY, THE DOCTOR ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER? YOU JUST WENT THROUGH A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE.
I SAID, WELL, LET'S SEE, I WANT TO ASK FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN ICE CREAM, I GUESS.
AND SO I ASKED FOR AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE OF MY FAVORITE BASEBALL PLAYER, AND THE DOCTOR SAID, WELL, WHO'S THAT? AND I SAID, WILLIE HORTON.
THERE WERE TWENTY THREE FOR THE DETROIT TIGERS.
AND HE SAID, WELL, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN GET DONE.
AND WITHIN TWO DAYS, I HAD AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE FROM WILLIE HORTON FROM THE DETROIT TIGERS, AND IT WAS JUST THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD.
AND I WAS FOCUSED ON THIS ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER, A PITCHER THAT I HAD AND STILL MY FAVORITE DETROIT TIGER.
HE HAD GATES BROWN THE GATOR AND MY DAD GAVE ME A LITTLE LESSON BACK IN NINETEEN SEVENTY FOUR AND THESE ARE HIS WORDS AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT THIS WAS HIS VIEW.
HE WAS GIVING ME A LESSON AT NINE YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS ALL IN ABOUT A BASEBALL PLAYER, ABOUT WHAT WILLIE HORTON AND GATES BROWN DID TO SOLVE RACE RELATIONS IN DETROIT AND HOW WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO STOP THE RIOTS BACK IN SIXTY SEVEN AND SIXTY EIGHT, I THINK IT WAS.
AND IT REALLY STUCK WITH ME THAT DAY, THAT THIS PICTURE THAT I HAD WAS MORE THAN A BASEBALL PLAYER AND MY HERO.
IT WAS MUCH MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THAT.
AND MY DAD TAUGHT ME THEN ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE BLACK COMMUNITY WAS TO DETROIT AND HOW I SHOULD LOOK AT THIS PICTURE DIFFERENTLY THAN JUST A BASEBALL PLAYER.
HE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH RACE RELATIONS IN DETROIT AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS NEEDED.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THAT STORY.
I STILL CARRY IT WITH ME SOME WELL, YEAH, SOME YEARS LATER, I THINK IT'S [INAUDIBLE] 1974.
I THINK THAT WAS THE YEAR MR. PERRY WAS BORN ACTUALLY.
SO BUT THAT WAS A VERY, VERY COMFORTING EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD THAT I STILL CARRY TODAY.
THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH AND TREASURER DESCHAINE HAS ANOTHER COMMENT.
I WONDER IF WE COULDN'T GET THE MAKER OF THE MOTION TRUSTEE WISINSKI TO READ IT AS WELL FOR THE BOARD.
WHEREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AND ALL PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES BENEFIT FROM THE INCLUSION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO U.S.
AND WHEREAS IN FEBRUARY, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RECOGNIZES BLACK HISTORY MONTH AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF BLACK HISTORY TO TOWNSHIP HISTORY, MICHIGAN HISTORY AND US HISTORY.
AND WHEREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENCOURAGES LEARNING FROM THE PAST IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND AND IMPROVE EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPE THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS AFRICAN-AMERICANS ENGAGE AND SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES AT ALL LEVELS OF AMERICAN LIFE, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT, MILITARY, ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY, AND WHEREAS DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES AND COMMEMORATES THE IMPORTANCE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP, ENGAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE.
AND WHEREAS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, GILBERT SHERMAN WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO SERVE ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, APPOINTED TOWNSHIP TREASURER IN 1999 IN TWO THOUSAND, GILBERT SHERMAN WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO RUN FOR OFFICE OF THE TREASURER AND THUS FOR A TOWNSHIP BOARD
[00:55:01]
SEAT.SCALES WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN 2012.
AND WHEREAS SINCE 2015, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS ADOPTED A REOCCURRING COMMITMENT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE TOWNSHIP FUNCTION AND SPECIFICALLY IN ITS BOARD'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND WHEREAS IN NOVEMBER 2016 PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AS A TRUSTEE.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN, INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMEMORATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO STRUGGLED WITH ADVERSITY AND TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
APPRECIATE YOU READING THE RESOLUTION AND THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE FOR THE PROMPT.
CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH THIS YEAR? WE'LL START WITH TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
ALL RIGHT, CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES, YES.
I CAN'T SAY MY OWN NAME, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE, AND WE NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 B EXTENSION OF THE POVERTY
[12D. Extension of Poverty Exemption to Qualified Households]
EXEMPTION TO QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS.I WOULD LOOK TO TREASURER DESCHAINE TO SEE IF HE HAS A MOTION ON THIS SEEING AS HIS OFFICE OVERSEES THIS.
I DO, AND I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE MOTION, BUT THEN CALL ON STAFF MS. DARLA JACKSON TO TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE.
SO LET ME JUST BEGIN WITH THE MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVED THE RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE POVERTY EXEMPTION TO QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS.
MS. JACKSON, COULD YOU INTRODUCE THIS ITEM FOR US AND UPDATE US ON THE CHANGES TO STATE LAW? YES, SO IN THE LAST PART OF 2020, THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE PASSED A LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW QUALIFYING HOUSEHOLDS TO HAVE THEIR POVERTY EXEMPTIONS EXTENDED FOR THREE YEARS.
SO TO GET EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE POVERTY EXEMPTION, WE HAVE THE POVERTY EXEMPTION IN PLACE THAT ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE AN INCOME BELOW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES WAIVED FOR THE YEAR.
FOR 2021 THE MAXIMUM INCOME LEVEL FOR A SINGLE PERSON HOUSEHOLD, FOR EXAMPLE, IS SEVENTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX DOLLARS.
THE ASSET LIMIT OF THE PROGRAM IS EQUAL TO THE INCOME LIMIT.
SO AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS FOR THIS PROGRAM WOULD NEED TO FILL OUT AN AFFIRMATION FORM AND BE SUBJECT TO AN AUDIT, AND THEN THE AUDIT PROCESS WILL BE DETERMINED AT SOME POINT BY THE STATE TAX COMMISSION.
AT THIS POINT, WE ESTIMATE THAT ABOUT FOUR HOUSEHOLDS WOULD BE IMPACTED BECAUSE OF THE HOUSEHOLDS THAT APPLY THERE AREN'T A WHOLE LOT THAT IT IMPACTS, BUT THE ONES THAT IT DOES IMPACT, THEY DO STRUGGLE A LOT.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE.
THE PARAMEDICS CAME TO ME A FEW YEARS AGO WITH A WOMAN WHO IS EIGHTY FOUR YEARS OLD.
SHE GETS ABOUT THIRTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN SOCIAL SECURITY.
TOGETHER, WE WORKED WITH HER TO GET HER FOOD STAMPS, MEALS ON WHEELS, THE MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAM, GET HER MORTGAGE STRAIGHTENED OUT.
AND THE POVERTY EXEMPTION BASICALLY ALLOWED HER TO STAY IN HER HOME AS WELL.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE MANY TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE THAT KEEP THE PEOPLE WHOSE INCOME IS JUST KIND OF FROZEN AT THAT LOW LEVEL IN THEIR HOUSES AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT LIVING HIGH OFF THE HOG.
MOST OF THESE GUYS REALLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN INCOME.
AND OF COURSE, THEIR ASSETS CAN'T BE MORE THAN SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND FOR MOST OF THEM, IT IS FAR BELOW THAT.
[01:00:02]
SO PASSING THIS RESOLUTION WOULD TAKE SOME PRESSURE OFF THE BOARD OF REVIEW, BECAUSE EVERY TIME THESE GUYS APPLY FOR THE POVERTY EXEMPTION, THOSE APPLICATIONS ARE ROUGHLY AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF THICK, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE OF THEM FOR EACH BOARD OF REVIEW SESSION.SO IT TAKES SOME PRESSURE OFF THE BOARD OF REVIEW, TAKES SOME PRESSURE OFF THE RESIDENTS SO THAT IS MY TAKE ON IT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
BY PASSING THIS MOTION NOW, WE WILL ENABLE PEOPLE WHO WE APPROVED THE BOARD APPROVED IN TWENTY NINETEEN AND TWENTY TWENTY TO HAVE THE FULL OF A THREE YEAR APPROVAL WITHOUT COMING BACK BEFORE THE BOARD.
IS THAT CORRECT, DARLA? CORRECT.
THE ADVANTAGE OF PASSING THIS NOW, AND I DID FORGET TO MENTION THAT, IS THAT BY PASSING THIS BEFORE FEBRUARY 15TH, THE APPLICANTS FROM TWENTY NINETEEN AND TWENTY TWENTY CAN BE CARRIED FORWARD AS LONG AS THEY COMPLETE THE FORM THAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR BOARD PACKAGE WHICH IS A SINGLE PAGE FORM, BASICALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEIR INCOME AND THEIR ASSETS STAYED THE SAME.
THEY'RE STILL THE PROPERTY OWNER AND ALL OF THAT.
AND CLERK GUTHRIE, CAN I HAVE YOU CLARIFY, DID YOU GET A SECOND DURING THAT MOTION.
I DID NOT HEAR A SECOND ON THAT.
ALL RIGHT, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD FOR DARLA OR FOR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE ON THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US.
SO BASICALLY BY APPROVING THIS AMENDMENT OR THIS ACTION, WE MERELY EXTEND THE APPROVAL FOR THE EXEMPTION FOR UP TO THREE YEARS WITHOUT ANNUAL RENEWAL OR ANNUAL CERTIFICATION? IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT.
YES, SO INSTEAD OF MAKING THE SAME PEOPLE WHOSE INCOME IS VERY LOW AND IT'S KIND OF FIXED ANYWAY, INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM SUBMIT ALL OF THIS PAPERWORK EVERY SINGLE YEAR, IT BASICALLY GIVES THEM A SHEET THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT THAT SAYS NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
THE MANAGER AND DEPUTY MANAGER WILL TALK ABOUT OUR TEAM LEADER IN THIS MEETING, AND THIS RESOLUTION IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE TEAM THAT WORKS SO WELL HERE IN MERIDIAN.
THIS INFORMATION INITIALLY CAME FROM DAVE LEE, OUR ASSESSOR, WHO DROPPED IT OFF, PASSED IT ON TO MS JACKSON AND I.
WE DISCUSSED IT AND WE PUT TOGETHER THIS MOTION HERE.
BUT IF WE WEREN'T ALL THREE WORKING TOGETHER, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS AND WE'D BE FORCING THOSE PEOPLE TO APPLY AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO WE DO HAVE A VERY STRONG WORKING TEAM HERE IN MERIDIAN, AND THIS RESOLUTION IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
AND READING OVER THE SUMMARY PROVIDED BY THE STATE TAX COMMISSION, THIS IS JUST A GOOD PIECE OF PUBLIC POLICY.
IT APPEARS AND MAYBE SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT IT TAKES IT REALLY CODIFIES WHAT THE LAWS ARE.
IT TAKES THE DECISION OUT OF THE HANDS OF A BOARD OF REVIEW THEY MAY NOT LIKE THE PERSON AND SAYS THERE ARE CERTAIN STANDARDS THAT HAVE TO APPLY IF THEY MEET THESE STANDARDS AND YOU GIVE THEM THE POVERTY EXEMPTION, BUT ALSO REMOVES THE SUPERVISOR'S ABILITY TO MAKE THIS DECISION UNILATERALLY.
SO THERE'S A GOOD PIECE OF PUBLIC POLICY AND GLAD THAT WE CAN ENDORSE IT TONIGHT AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO ENDORSE IT TONIGHT.
TREASURER DESCHAINE, OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
BEFORE I GO TO CLERK GUTHRIE, TRUSTEE WISINSKI, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP PREVIOUSLY, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENT.
MY QUESTION WAS VERY SIMILAR TO TRUSTEE JACKSON'S, BUT A COMMENT, I SUPPOSE, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE VERY TRYING TIMES, I JUST THINK THAT THE BOARD AN THE STAFF IS REALLY TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND AND AND PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO HELP FOLKS.
YOU REALLY CAN'T IMAGINE LOSING A FAMILY HOME AT 84 YEARS OLD BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES ANY TIME, BUT ESPECIALLY NOW.
SO I JUST I COMMEND EVERYBODY FOR WORKING ON THIS.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER, THAT WAS BASICALLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY
[01:05:07]
TRUSTEE WISINSKI I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE TIME THAT STAFF AND TREASURE DESCHAINE THE TIME THAT THEY PUT TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.THE LANGUAGE COULD BE COMPLICATED, BUT YOU'VE MADE IT VERY SIMPLE AND AND MS. JACKSON YOUR SUMMARY WAS VERY SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO NEED THIS.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY JUST TO NOTE THAT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION OFFERED THEIR SUPPORT TO US FOR THIS ACTION AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE DON'T GET MANY TO COMMEND MS. JACKSON, DARLA JACKSON FOR THE IT'S KIND OF AN AMAZING BREADTH OF SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT'S A BIT AMAZING.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
ABSOLUTELY AND I KNOW THE FULL BOARD EXTENDS THOSETHOUGHTS THAT TRUSTEE JACKSON EXPRESSED.
DARLA I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY.
THE MEMO STATES THAT IF YOU RECEIVED THE POVERTY EXEMPTION IN 19 OR 20, IT WOULD EXTEND TO [INAUDIBLE] 21 AND 22, BUT IN THE RESOLUTION, IT EXTENDS TO 2023 AS WELL.
IS IT FOR THREE ADDITIONAL YEARS? RIGHT.
YES, IT IS FOR THREE YEARS, SO.
BECAUSE THE THREE YEARS ARE SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED THERE IN THE SO BASICALLY, IF YOU SUBMITTED IT IN TWENTY TWENTY, IT WOULD GO FOR A TWENTY ONE AND TWENTY TWO AND 23.
STARTING THIS TAX YEAR, 2021, AND TO CLARIFY, UNDER THIS CHANGE IN THE PA THEY DO HAVE TO FILE THIS ONE PAGE AFFIDAVIT.
SO I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, AND I THINK DAVID LEE FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE TOWNSHIPS ATTENTION AND FOR DARLA AND PHIL, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND BRINGING IT FORWARD, I WORK IN THE HOUSE AND THERE'S SO MANY BILLS THAT CAN PASS THROUGH, ESPECIALLY IN LAME DUCK.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVING HELPED HOMEOWNERS GET THIS THROUGH THEIR LOCAL TREASURERS [INAUDIBLE] ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IS THAT MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY HOMEOWNERS.
BUT THEIR MORTGAGE IS PAID, SO THE ONLY THING THAT THEY OWE ARE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND I MEAN, WE'RE CREATING DEMAND.
IF WE DON'T KEEP THEM IN THEIR HOMES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SECTION EIGHT OR FOR TAX CREDIT HOUSING OR SOME OTHER FORM OF SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE WAIT LISTS ARE OFTEN EVEN CLOSED.
YOU CAN'T EVEN APPLY TO GET ON A WAIT LIST.
AND THAT'S A FUTILE EXERCISE BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE JUST ON A WAIT LIST FOR YEARS.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF FOR ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS BASED ON ASSET THRESHOLDS AND THE INCOME THRESHOLDS, WHICH ARE PRETTY DRACONIAN BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED.
I MEAN, IT'S A HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE AND THERE'S REALLY NO FALLBACK PLAN.
THERE'S NO OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE TO PROVIDE HOUSING TO THEM IN AN AFFORDABLE WAY.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO FROM PAYING TWO OR THREE THOUSAND IN PROPERTY TAXES EVERY YEAR TO PAYING FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS IN RENT EVERY MONTH.
THAT IS A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN YOUR ECONOMIC SITUATION, AND WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT, SO THE LOGISTICS OF THIS AND THE ONE YEAR REQUIREMENT TO APPLY AND PROVIDE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION EVERY YEAR VERSUS ONEROUS AND [OFFMIC] TO GET PEOPLE KICKED OFF THE EXEMPTION BY REQUIRING THEM TO DO THAT REPETITIVELY.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BRINGING THIS TO US.
I JUST NEED TO ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION, MS. JACKSON SUGGESTED THAT THE ASSETS, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSETS COULDN'T BE MORE THAN 17 OR 18 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE VALUE OF THE HOME.
[01:10:02]
IS THAT CORRECT? OH NO YOU ARE CORRECT.ALL RIGHT, OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
WE THANK DARLA AND PHIL AND DAVELEE AGAIN, AND DEBORAH, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
[12E. Pension Board Appointment]
THAT SUPERVISOR STYKA HAS RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TRUSTEE JACKSON.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF AMY HOLDER TO THE PENSION BOARD FOR A TERM ENDING 12-31-2022.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON, IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEE JACKSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE MOTION? I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT FROM SUPERVISOR STYKA'SMEMO THAT AMY HOLDER IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
AND APPARENTLY SHE HAS SERVED THIS PENSION BOARD AT ANOTHER TIME.
AND SO THERE'S CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE ON HER PART IN SUPPORT OF HER APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD AT THIS TIME.
JUST A REMINDER TO EVERYONE, THIS PENSION BOARD IS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PENSION BOARD THAT ONLY HAS ONE CURRENT ACTIVE EMPLOYEE AND AROUND 40 RETIREES AN AROUND 12 TO 15 WERE ELIGIBLE BUT HAVE NOT YET APPLIED.
THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE PENSION BOARD THAT MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES FALL UNDER, WHICH IS THE MERS SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE OLD PENSION BOARD.
AND IT'S A FULLY FUNCTIONING PENSION THAT PAYS OUT THESE 40 PENSIONS A MONTH.
AND WILL CONTINUE TO INDEFINITELY.
AND IT'S NEARLY A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED AS WELL.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
OTHER COMMENTS WE HAVE MANAGER WALSH.
YEAH, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME, I HAD TO CHANGE SYSTEMS HERE, BUT AMY IS ALSO THE FORMER HUMAN RELATIONS DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
SHE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND LEFT ABOUT THE TIME RIGHT BEFORE I CAME HERE, LEFT TO GO TO MSU.
SHE'S REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT, REALLY SHARP.
SHE'LL BE A GREAT ADDITION IF APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SEEING NONE CLERK GUTHRIE, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I BELIEVE CLERK GUTHRIE'S DOG WANTS [MULTIPLESPEAKERS] MY DOG WANTS TO GO OUT.
[LAUGHTER] SORRY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A YES VOTE.
ALL RIGHT, HOLD ON REAL QUICK, LET ME PULL UP OUR AMENDED AGENDA.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 F RESOLUTION AFFIRMING LOCAL, STATE EMERGENCY IN
[12F. Resolution Affirming Local, State of Emergency in Charter Township of Meridian]
THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.DO ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE ADDITIONAL ITEMS THEY CLERK GUTHRIE SENT OUT THIS AFTERNOON? I KNOW THEY'RE NOT IN OUR VIRTUAL PACKET ON THE IPAD FOR THE PUBLIC AT HOME.
THEY ARE ON THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE LISTED OUT SEPARATELY.
TREASURER DESCHAINE DID I SEE YOUR HAND RAISED.
YES, I'M PULLING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AFFIRMING LOCAL STATE OF
[01:15:08]
EMERGENCY IN THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.MOVED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND SUPPORTED BY TREASURERDESCHAINE.
MANAGER WALSH OR CLERK GUTHRIE, I'M NOT SURE WHO IS LEADING THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS ITEM.
IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A LATE EDITION.
FRANK, I THINK YOU'RE STILL MUTED.
ALL RIGHT, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
MY OTHER DEVICE DIED THE CORD IT'S A LONG STORY, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY THIS.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK, I WILL JUMP ON MY CELL PHONE.
BUT THIS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
THERE ARE WELL, THE FOOD PANTRY IDEA STARTED THROUGH A CONSTITUENT, THROUGH THE CLERK AND THE CLERK HAD THE CONCEPT OF HAVING FOOD PANTRIES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY SIMILAR TO AND CORRECT ME ANYWHERE I'M WRONG, MADAM CLERK, BUT THEY WORK SIMILAR TO LIKE A COMMUNITY LIBRARY WHERE SOMEONE COMES UP AND THEY PICK A BOOK AND PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED CAN COME UP AND TAKE SOME FOOD OUT OF A FOOD PANTRY.
AND OUR ORDINANCE CURRENTLY DOESN'T ALLOW THEM.
IT WAS A PROCESS TO GET TO THAT POINT AND DIRECTOR KIESELBACH.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE THE IDEA WAS BROUGHT UP TO THE SUPERVISOR THAT IF HE WERE TO DECLARE A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY ONLY FOR THIS ISSUE, HE'S NOT DECLARING IT FOR ANY OTHER REASON OTHER THAN PINPOINT TO ALLOW THESE FOOD PANTRIES TO BE ERECTED OUT INTO INDIVIDUALS YARDS OF PROPERTY WHERE THEY WISH TO HAVE THEM.
THIS IS A VERY SINGULAR ISSUE AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND.
AND SO HE'S TRYING TO DO HIS BEST TO GET THIS MOVING THE BEST HE CAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT I KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT'S TO ALLOW FOOD PANTRIES TO BEGIN OPERATING WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP RIGHT AWAY.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING I MISSED IN THAT, I WOULD ASK DEBORAH OR MARK TO SPEAK UP.
CLERK GUTHRIE OR MARK OR DIRECTOR KIESELBACH, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
SORRY, IT HAS TO BE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A IT'S GOING TO BE [INAUDIBLE] AS AN ORDINANCE OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS TO GO FIRST.
AND YOUR NEXT ITEM IS THE ACTUAL REGULATIONS FOR THESE WHAT'S BEING CALLED THESE MICRO FOOD PANTRIES.
BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE.
THE TIME IS QUITE LONG AND IT'S GOING TO DRAG IT OUT.
SO THIS WAS ONE WAY TO FACILITATE THAT IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER.
THAT IS HELPFUL CONTEXT, I ASSUME THIS WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE, I'M GUESSING, WHICH WOULD BE THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TIME TO GET THAT ENACTED, RIGHT? YOU'RE CORRECT.
OK, THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSECONTEXTUALLY.
CLERK GUTHRIE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE FOODPANTRY CONCEPT THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO LIGHT.
I WANTED TO CLARIFY FIRST, SINCE I LEFT THE ROOM BRIEFLY THAT WE ARE 12 F.
ADDITIONALLY, I THOUGHT THAT FRANK AND MARK EXPLAINED IT PERFECTLY.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
I WILL ON THE NEXT ONE, THOUGH.
SO JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT, IN ADDITION TO WHAT MANAGER WALSH OUTLINED IN MY CONVERSATION WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA, THE BOARD ACTUALLY HAD EXPLORED THE RESOLUTION TO THIS EFFECT FOR ONE OTHER VERY NARROW PURPOSE WHICH COULD COME INTO PLAY IN THE FUTURE, WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE MEETING VIRTUALLY IF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AT THE STATE LEVEL DOES NOT CONTINUE TO BE EXTENDED WITHIN THE NARROW FRAMEWORK THAT THE LEGISLATURE KEEPS EXTENDING IT.
SO IN THAT EVENT, IF THAT EXTENSION DOESN'T OCCUR, WHICH IT EXPIRES IN MARCH, CURRENTLY WE COULD USE THIS EMERGENCY ORDER TO CONTINUE MEETING VIRTUALLY SO THERE COULD BE ANOTHER BENEFIT TO IT IN A NARROW FRAMEWORK.
OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE THE BOARD, BEFORE THE CLERK CALLS THE ROLL.
SO THIS SAYS THAT BY VOTING WE ARE ACTIVATING THE TOWNSHIPS, EMERGENCY
[01:20:08]
OPERATIONS, PLANS AND PROGRAMS. IS THERE A SET OF THEM THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT OR ARE THE PLANS AND PROGRAMS TO COME AFTER THE DECLARATION OF THE EMERGENCY.MANAGER WALSH, WAS THERE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL REGARDING THAT.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT NOTHING THAT'S PLANNED AT THIS TIME, I THINK MR. SUPERVISOR ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED THAT THERE COULD BE A SECOND ISSUE, AND THAT IS THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS THAT COULD COME ABOUT IF NECESSARY.
BUT NOTHING ELSE IS PLANNED UNDER THIS.
THIS IS A SINGULAR ISSUE TO ALLOW FOOD PANTRIES IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT AWAY.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
BUT FIRST, WE HAVE TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
YES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO IN THE FIRST VOTE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, I JUST JUMPED DOWN TO A DIFFERENT DEVICE, WHICH HAD ALL MY INFORMATION ON IT.
ALL YOU'RE DOING THIS EVENING IS JUST SUPPORTING HIS DECLARATION.
AND MY READING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THAT WE'RE BASICALLY BYPASSING THE ZONING ENABLING ACT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE STATE LAW THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO CODIFY THIS IN AN ORDINANCE.
I NEVER THOUGHT WE'D BYPASS THE ZONING ENABLING ACT WITH A EMERGENCY DECLARATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
BUT THESE ARE THE TIMES WE LIVE IN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ONE IS TO VALIDATE HIS DECLARATION OF THE EMERGENCY AND THEN 12 G IS TO ENABLE THE FOOD PANTRIES.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, TWO SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 12 F THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION BEFORE US.
OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE THE BOARD.
ALL RIGHT SEEING NONE CLERK GUTHRIE WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? OK, TRUSTEE JACKSON.
CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES AND TREASURER DESCHAINE.
CLERK GUTHRIE, AND NOW WE ARE ON TO ITEM 12 G AND I WILL READ THE MOTION AND
[12G. Resolution Affirming Emergency Regulation 2021-01]
THEN ASK IF WE HAVE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AFFIRMING EMERGENCY REGULATION 2021-01.
SO MOVED BY CLERK GUTHRIE AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
ALL RIGHT CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE SECOND RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTING YOUR COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY CONCEPT? YES, I WAS APPROACHED BY SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO IS A VOLUNTEER WITH ONE OF OUR CHURCHES AND IN HELPING FILL ONE OF THE MAN PANTRIES IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
AND SHE HAD NOTICED THAT NOT ONLY WAS THERE A LOT OF FOOD THAT WAS BEING DONATED AND BAGS WERE ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE OF THE PANTRY CABINET, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ALSO TAKING THE FOOD.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF MOVEMENT.
AND SO SHE REACHED OUT TO ME AND ASKED ME IF I COULD ASSIST WITH GETTING SOME FOOD PANTRIES BUILT AT OTHER LOCATIONS OF THE TOWNSHIP, POSSIBLY, MAYBE REPLACING A COUPLE OF SMALL PANTRIES.
AND I HAD STATED TO HER THAT I KNEW OF A COMPANY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WHO WANTED TO DO SOME.
I DON'T EVEN I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY ITPHILANTHROPIC AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT WORD WRONG, PROJECTS.
AND SO THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOME PROJECTS THAT THEY COULD DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD REACH OUT TO THEM AND ASK THEM, I DON'T HAVE PERMISSION, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED PERMISSION OR ASKED THEM PERMISSION TO SHARE THEIR NAME.
BUT I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO DO THAT IF THEY WANT IT KNOWN.
SO ANYWAYS, I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND THEY AGREED TO THEY TOOK IT TO THEIR BOARD
[01:25:03]
AT THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS AND THEY AGREED TO TAKE ON THE PROJECT.AND SO THEY ARE BUILDING THEY ARE DONATING THE MATERIALS, THEY ARE DONATING THE LABOR.
THEY ARE BUILDING THREE FOOD PANTRIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S I GAVE THEM A PICTURE AND IDEA.
AND SO THEY LOOK REALLY NICE AND THEY'RE SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE MINI LIBRARY MINI FOOD PANTRIES THAT YOU SEE SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE MORE.
SO THERE'S LESS TIME WITH PUTTING THE FOOD IN AND OUT OF THE PANTRIES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SECURING LOCATIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP IN THE EVENT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND HAPPY TO BRING THIS BEFORE THE BOARD.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IN MAKING GROCERIES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE A CAR OR MAY HAVE OTHER NEEDS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD THINK DELIBERATE ON THIS AND MAYBE DISCUSS THI ATTHIS MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THESE ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO, WHAT THE PLACEMENT IS BASED ON WHAT INFORMATION? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE ABOUT PUTTING THESE OUT THERE.
AND WE OUGHT TO CERTAINLY TALK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THEM OUT.
THESE COULD IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BOOKS AND GROCERIES.
WHILE THERE MIGHT BE THE SAME CONCEPT OF SOMETHING IN SOMEONE'S FRONT YARD TO ALLOW FOR EXCHANGE, THEY'RE NOT REALLY THE SAME THING.
THEY CAN ATTRACT RODENTS THAT CAN ATTRACT LOTS OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES HERE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO IMPACT THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE PUT THEM IN, WHY THE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE PICKED, WHO'S GOING TO MAINTAIN THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES HERE, AND I DON'T SEE THE URGENCY TO PASS THIS TONIGHT.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, BOTH THE OKEMOS AND THE HASLETTFOOD BANKS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONING AND PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP WITH GROCERIES CAN GET HELP.
SAME DAY AND MS. JACKSON'S STILL ON THE CALL AND SHE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, BUT IT'S NOT AS IF WE ARE TURNING PEOPLE AWAY AT OUR FOOD BANKS RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS WHY THIS CONCEPT MAY WORK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS I THINK WE NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE PASS THIS EMERGENCY ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THESE TO GO INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OVERNIGHT.
I JUST THINK THE URGENCY ISN'T THERE TO PASS THIS THE SAME NIGHT THAT THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP.
AS A BOARD WE OWE IT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE OWE IT TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO THOSE WHO ARE RECEIVING FROM IT TO KNOW THAT THESE ARE BEING DONE IN A SAFE AND HEALTHY FASHION AND THAT THEY'RE WELCOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY ARE GOING TO BE INSTALLED IN.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I WANT TO THANK CLERK GUTHRIE FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, AND I AM REALLY HAPPY THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU AND OR ANY BOARD MEMBER TO THEM TO HELP WITH THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE IN MICHIGAN ALONE, FOUR OUT OF FIVE CHILDREN GO HUNGRY AT LEAST ONCE.
SO THIS IS FOOD SCARCITY IS AN ISSUE.
I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, TREASURER, THAT WE DO NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL.
I THINK CLERK GUTHRIE HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES LIKE PLACEMENT, MONITORING, MAINTENANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WILL SAY THAT I DID SEE SOME CONVERSATION THAT NEXT DOOR REGARDING SOME OF THE CHURCH FOOD PANTRY AND IT WAS EMPTY.
AND SO THERE IS MOVEMENT AND THERE'S A NEED.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF AN ANONYMITY WHEN YOU CAN DRIVE UP AND PICK THIS UP AND NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FOOD BANK.
AND NOT TO SAY THAT ANYBODY EVER SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED OR INSECURE ABOUT HAVING NEEDS, BUT IT DOES ALLOW FOR THAT ANONYMITY.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN IN A POSITION THAT THEY'RE IN NOW.
AND I REMEMBER MY MOM SAYING TO ME, IF YOU'VE NEVER STOOD IN AN UNEMPLOYMENT LINE, YOU CAN'T JUDGE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT.
BUT I WOULD ALSO AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO PUT SOME INTENTION INTO THE PLANNING.
[01:30:01]
CLERK GUTHRIE.SO THIS INITIALLY THERE ARE THREE PANTRIES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AND THERE ARE THREE LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, ONE OF THEM IS TOM'S FOOD CENTER, WHO I'VE MET WITH, AND THEY'VE AGREED TO HAVE ONE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH OKEMOS LIBRARY AS WELL.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT'S NOT THE INTENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, WHAT THE LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO MAKE TREASURER DESCHAINE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
BUT THESE THAT WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT ARE AT A CHURCH LOCATION, A GROCERY STORE, AND MAYBE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND FREQUENT IT AND THE OTHER IS A LIBRARY.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT.
THOUGH I APPLAUD THE INTENT, I AGREE WITH TREASURER DESCHAINE THAT IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY AUTHORIZING.
AND WHAT IS BEING ASKED TO BE AUTHORIZED? IS IT A RELAXATION OF ZONING STANDARDS? IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME IN THIS RESOLUTION, WHAT IT IS THAT IS BEING AUTHORIZED AND HOW.
TRUSTEE JACKSON, WERE YOU ABLE TO LOCATE THE EMAIL? I KNOW IT WENT OUT.
WE ARE AFFIRMING AN EMERGENCY REGULATION REGARDING THE TEMPORARY PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORIZATION OF A MICRO-FOOD PANTRY.
AND THERE ARE IF YOU GO TO PAGE THREE IS WHERE THE REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES THAT I BELIEVE DIRECTOR KIESELBACH PROBABLY PREPARED.
WHY I'M NOT BECAUSE IT'S JUST BASICALLY CLERK GUTHRIE'S SIGNATURE LINE ON THE RESOLUTION.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP SCROLLING TO THE REGULATIONS.
AND THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED BY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, TOO.
I KNOW THIS WAS KIND OF A CONFUSING ITEM AND I ACTUALLY CALLED SUPERVISOR STYKA WHEN THIS WAS EMAILED OUT JUST TO GET CLARIFICATION ON EVERYTHING.
PERHAPS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL SHOULD WE HAVE DIRECTOR KIESELBACH OVERVIEW OF THE REGULATIONS VERBALLY.
MARK, COULD YOU PLEASE KIND OF GIVE US KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE'RE STRUCTURING THIS LOGISTICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A FREE FOR ALL.
AND I CAN SAY THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY WORKED ON THIS.
THE FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PERMISSION TO BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO THE PROPERTY OWNER IS GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE THAT.
IF IT'S ON TOWNSHIP PROPERTY, THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO HAVE TO APPROVE THAT LOCATION.
WE DID SET STANDARDS IN HERE FOR THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE BOX OR THE STRUCTURE.
THERE ARE AN APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE OR WHAT'S CALLED THE SPONSOR OF THESE SO THAT WE CAN CONTACT THEM IF THERE'S ANY PROBLEMS. AND THERE IS REGULATIONS IN THERE ABOUT IF THERE BECOMES TRASH OR NUISANCE, PEOPLE HAVE LEFT STUFF OUT AND NOT PICKED IT UP THOSE TYPE OF STANDARDS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KIESELBACH, AND ONE OTHER THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS A BENEFIT TO THIS WOULD BE PROMOTING MERIDIAN CARES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS, BUT I THINK WE COULD PUT MERIDIAN CARES INFORMATION ON THE THREE BOXES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROMOTING THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESIDENTS THAT DO COM IN CONTACT WITH THESE MICRO FOOD PANTRIES ARE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH DARLA JACKSON BECAUSE MOST, IF
[01:35:03]
THEY'RE UTILIZING A MICRO FOOD PANTRY, THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN NEED OF OTHER SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE DURING THESE TIMES.[INAUDIBLE], SO I DID REACH OUT TO SUPERVISOR STYKA BECAUSE I THOUGHT JUST THE WAY IT WAS ALL OUTLINED IN THE EMAIL WAS CONFUSING TO ME WITH THE EMERGENCY ORDER AND I NEEDED CLARIFICATION ON THAT AS WELL.
CERTAINLY KIND OF THREW ME FOR A LOOP.
BUT I DO TRUST DIRECTOR KIESELBACH AND HIS DEPARTMENT TO OVERSEE THIS AND AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS.
IN MY HOA OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ONE OF THE PUBLIC MICRO LIBRARIES IN OUR TOWNSHIP PARK.
SO HILBERG PARK HAS ONE OF THOSE MICRO LIBRARIES.
AND SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAD TO GO THROUGH DIRECTOR KIESELBACH'S DEPARTMENT AND PROBABLY DIRECTOR MAISNER'S DEPARTMENT AS WELL TO GET APPROVAL TO PUT THAT STAND UP.
SO THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY A NEW CONCEPT, BUT ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, I SEE NO HARM IN DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES IN NEED HAVE RESOURCES DURING THIS TIME.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND WAS THE DIRECTOR KIESELBACH'S CLARIFICATION ON THE REGULATIONS HELPFUL? TREASURER DESCHAINE AND THEN TRUSTEE JACKSON.
YEAH, I'M SEEING THESE THE RULES HERE, WHICH I MISSED INITIALLY AND DOES PROVIDE US WITH SOME OF THESE FOR SOME REASSURANCE THAT THESE WILL BE MORE CLOSELY REGULATED AND AUTHORIZED.
AND EVEN THE SIZE OF THE BOX IS SEVENTY TWO CUBIC FOOT, WHICH, IF I'M RIGHT, IS A SIX BY SIX BY SIX FOOT BOX IF I'M CORRECT THERE.
SO THAT'S BIGGER THAN A LIBRARY UNIT, OF COURSE, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO STORE FOOD, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER SYSTEM AND IT DOES REQUIRE PERMISSION FROM THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
I MIGHT FEEL BETTER IF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS HAD ALSO SIGNED OFF ON IT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS TOO COMPLEX.
I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE BEFORE SOMEONE PUT THIS HAND IN FRONT OF A PRIVATE RESIDENCE, THEY HAD CONSULTED WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING.
HOPEFULLY THEY'RE JOINING THE EFFORT BECAUSEFOOD INSECURITY IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MERIDIAN CARES AN THAT'SWHY THIS BOARD HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT DONATION TO MERIDIAN CARES EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THESE ARE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES LIFE AND DEATH ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED, INCLUDING HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHIC WHILE WE HAVE A REPUTATION AS BEING A VERY AFFLUENT COMMUNITY, OUR POVERTY RATES, AT LAST I CHECKED, WERE ABOUT 17 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
SO AFFLUENCE IS NOT UNIVERSALLY SHARED HERE IN THIS TOWNSHIP.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH BASIC ECONOMIC NECESSITY, INCLUDING FOOD.
SO THESE RULES ARE VERY REASSURING.
DO WE HAVE AN IDEA, A QUESTION FOR MARK? WHAT THE AUTHORIZATION PERIOD WOULD BE INITIALLY FOR THESE? THE AUTHORIZATION BILL, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T.
YEAH THE TERM OF THE AUTHORIZATION, WAS IT YOUR INTENTION TO DO IT FOR A MONTH AT A TIME? A QUARTER AT A TIME? DO YOU HAVE A SENSE AS TO HOW LONG THIS SHOULD BE AUTHORIZED? A YEAR? WELL, THE WAY THESE ARE WRITTEN, IT'S A TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION AS LONG AS THEY'RE NEEDED AND WE CAN REVOKE IT.
IF WE HAVE CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS, WE CAN GET RID OF IT.
SO IT IS WRITTEN AS TEMPORARY.
SO, AGAIN, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL AND THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN AN ORDINANCE IT WOULD GIVE US A CHANCE TO PUT IT IN THE ORDINANCE IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT PERMANENT.
DEBORAH THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING AS WELL THAT THE INTENTIONS FOR THIS WERE GOING TO BE AT THE CHURCH AT TOM'S FOOD CENTER I THIN COMMERCIAL AREAS, PUBLIC AREAS WITH EASY ACCESS FOR SOMEONE TO PULL UP AND RECEIVE SOME STUFF FROM THE BOXES IS IMPORTANT.
I JUST DON'T SEE A GREAT FIT FOR A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE AREN'T IMPORTANT AND CAN'T SERVE AN IMPORTANT NEED FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION AS WELL.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
YES, NOW THAT I'VE READ TO THE END, I UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO IS TO ALLOW THIS PROCESS OF AUTHORIZATION AND REGULATION TO COME INTO PLAY TEMPORARILY.
AND IT DESCRIBES HOW IT SUGGESTS THAT THESE STRUCTURES WOULD BE
[01:40:04]
AUTHORIZED.AND REGULATED BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY SHOW UP ANYWHERE, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
AND SO I DO LIKE THE CARE WITH WHICH THE TEMPORARY REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AT THE END.
AND SO I CAN SUPPORT THIS AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE IN EMERGENCY CONDITIONS AND UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON, THAT IS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? NOT SEEING ANY.
ONE OTHER ADDITIONAL THOUGHT THAT I HAD IN THINKING THROUGH THIS, THEY ALSO FUNCTION AS AN AFTER HOURS APPROACH FOOD PANTRIES TO CLOSE DOWN.
HAVING A LITTLE ONE AT MY HOUSE.
JACK STILL HAS THERAPY SERVICES AND THERE OFTEN IN-HOME.
SO IF MY WIFE IS AT THE HOSPITAL, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE THERE WITH HIM AND HIS THERAPY DOESN'T GET OVER UNTIL THE EVENING SO THERE MIGHT BE DAYS WHERE I'M KIND OF STUCK AT HOME WITH JACK AND CAN'T I SUPPOSE I COULD DRIVE HIM OUT WITH THE THERAPIST THAT I'M INTERRUPTING SOME OF THE SERVICES.
BUT THERE ARE FAMILIES, TOO, THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT DURING THE PANTRY HOURS.
SCHEDULES ARE VERY CHAOTIC, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE WORKING FROM HOME AND ARE DOING VIRTUAL LEARNING OR OTHER SERVICES IN THIS COVIDREALM.
AND WE MIGHT EVEN FIND THAT AFTER HOURS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
MANY OF THESE PARENTS WHO MIGHT RELY ON A MICRO PANTRY ARE SINGLE PARENTS.
SO AFTER HOURS MAY MAKE SENSE IN THE LONG RUN TOO AND I APPRECIATE CLERK GUTHRIE BRINGING THIS TO US.
AND I KNOW THAT SUPERVISOR STYKA HAS WORKED ONTHIS A GREAT DEAL AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE SIZEIS FOUR BY SIX BY THREE AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO NOTE IS THAT THE COMPANY THAT IS BUILDING THESE BOXES, THEY WILL ALSO BE SUPPLYING INITIAL FOOD PANTRY ITEMS FOR EACH OF THOSE BOXES.
AND SO I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR GENEROSITY AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DOING THIS.
AND I KNOW OUR FOOD PANTRIES HAVE BEEN WORKING RIGOROUSLY, KNOWING A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO VOLUNTEER IN THOSE SITES.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY AND VERY HARD THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC MIC] SERVICE.
I BELIEVE WE ARE READY TO HAVE THE CLERKCALL THE ROLL ON THIS.
CLERK GUTHRIE, THAT CONCLUDES OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR THE EVENING.
[13A. 2021 Citizen Survey]
WE NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 13 A.I'M SORRY THAT CONCLUDES OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR THE EVENING.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 13A OUR ALONE DISCUSSION ITEM, WHICH IS THE 2021 CITIZEN'S SURVEY.
AND I BELIEVE MANAGER WALSH IS LIKELY GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS TO US.
YES, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN STILL HEAR ME ON THIS DEVICE.
DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY CAN JUMP IN AT ANY TIME.
HE'S MANAGED THE SURVEYS, I THINK IN TWENTY FIFTEEN AND TWENTY EIGHTEEN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY THREE YEARS AS A TOWNSHIP.
AND EVERY YEAR THAT EVERY SURVEY THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WHICH IS 15 AND 18, I CAME IN 13 AND THEY DID TH TOWNSHIP DID ONE IN 12.
WE'VE USED THE ICMA OUT OF DENVER, COLORADO, THE INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH I'M A MEMBER OF AND HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF FOR THIRTY ONE OR THIRTY TWO YEARS, A BIG SUPPORTER OBVIOUSLY, OF THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT IN THIS CASE, I FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT IT.
THE COMPANY IS OUT OF DENVER, COLORADO.
AND THE SURVEY IS ALWAYS IT DOESN'T CHANGE MUCH THE TOWNSHIP IS ALLOWED TO ADD LIKE FOUR QUESTIONS, FIVE QUESTIONS OF OUR OWN TO TH SURVEY.
BUT IT'S TYPICALLY THE SAME QUESTIONS.
AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT IS WE CAN COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND WHAT WE HAVE FOUND WHAT I BELIEVE THE CASE IS IT'S TOO MUNDANE, IT'S NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH, AND IT GETS THROWN ON A SHELF AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T USED IT AT ALL.
IN FACT, I WOULD ASK ANYONE ON THE SCREEN, HAVE YOU EVER REVIEWED OUR SURVEY AND DRAWN UP PUBLIC POLICY BECAUSE OF THAT? AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AS YOU LOOK TO GO FORWARD INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT WE'VE
[01:45:05]
ALWAYS DONE BEFORE AND I'VE MADE THIS PITCH BEFORE,AND I'VE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT CREATING OUR OWN SURVEY.I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO WHAT I'VE DONE IN ANOTHERCOMMUNITY.
BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT WE DID IS WE COMPLETED ONE EVERY THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
WE TALLIED IT OURSELVES AND IT WAS VERY USEFUL.
I GO BACK TO ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, WE WERE GETTING READY TO BUY A SNOWPLOW.
AND WE THOUGHT, WELL, SINCE WE'RE DOING A SURVEY BEFORE WE BUY THE SNOWPLOW BECAUSE IT WAS 50 OR 60 THOUSAND DOLLARS, LET'S ASK THE RESIDENTS AND WE'LL GET AN 80 OR 90 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING FOR PLOWING SNOW ON THE SIDEWALKS.
WELL, IT CAME BACK FIFTY TO FORTY EIGHT TO BUY THE SNOWPLOW.
[INAUDIBLE], AND WE PROVIDED AN FOR COMMENTS AND THE COMMENTS WERE, YOU'RE TERRIBLE AT IT, SO WHY SPEND THE MONEY? YOU DON'T DO IT WELL ENOUGH ANYWAY.
SO THAT LED TO BUYING A DIFFERENT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
BUT WE IMPROVED OUR SERVICE BY LISTENING TO OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF A SPECIFIED SURVEY.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COME OUT AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, DO YOU SUPPORT IT, IS IT AT THE RIGHT LEVEL? SHOULD IT BE AMPLIFIED? SHOULD IT BE CUT BACK? THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE COULD ASK IF WE COULD BRING SOMEBODY IN THAT DOES NOTHING BUT TALLY THE RESULTS, MIGHT TAKE A MONTH TO DO IT.
BUT WE WOULD I THINK AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, WE NOT SPEND ANY MORE MONEY THAT I THINK WE'D SPEND FAR LESS, WE'D HAVE A DETAILED MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP [INAUDIBLE] BUT WE CAN STILL ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICE, FIRE ANDPARKS.
BUT THE BOARD CAN COME UP WITH A LIST OF QUESTIONS OF ISSUES THAT THEY THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY'S MUCH DIFFERENT.
IN 2021 THAN IT WAS BEFORE COVID, MAYBE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK, MAYBE THERE'S DIFFERENT QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK.
I JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU LOOK AT MOVING FORWARD WITH A SURVEY TO HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT IS THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWNSHIP OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO IT BASED ON OTHER'S EXPERIENCES? SO THEN I WOULD LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. PERRY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO ADD THAT I LEFT OUT ABOUT THE PROCESS? YOU'VE BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH IT FOR A COUPLE OF CYCLES NOW.
I THINK YOU HIT ALL THE HIGH POINTS JUST FOR THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE OUT THERE.
IT IS EVERY THREE YEARS, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S TIME TO DO IT AGAIN.
IF THE BOARD WANTS TO HAVE ANOTHER SURVEY LAST TIME THAT COSTS THE TOWNSHIP JUST UNDER FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT IS STATISTICALLY VALID AND IT PROVIDED WAYS TO DO IT ONLINE, TOO, IN THE PAST WITH A UNIQUE ID.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT IS, NUMBER ONE, DO YOU WANT TO DO ANOTHER SURVEY? IT'S TIME FOR THAT CYCLE.
AND IS IT TIME TO LOOK AT MAYBE A DIFFERENT SURVEY INSTRUMENT? THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH AND DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY.
THIS IS SOMETHING JUST REAL QUICK I THOUGHT I'D SHARE BECAUSE I'VE DONE SURVEYS LIKE THIS IN MY PROFESSIONAL WORK.
AND THE COST IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THIS PRETTY STANDARD SURVEY, WE'RE PAYING ABOUT 15 THOUSAND.
AND I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE FROM A LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, EAST LANSING DID A LIVE COLOR SURVEY CUSTOM, FULLY CUSTOM.
AFTER THEIR INCOME TAX PROPOSAL FAILED, THEY SPENT ABOUT TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, IF YOU WANTED TO BUILD THAT OUT, IT COULD BE THIRTY THOUSAND.
BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING A HUGE SUM OF MONEY.
IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS THREE OR FOUR TIMES THE COST TO DO IT CUSTOMIZED.
SO JUST FOR BOARD A PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN ONE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE ON DOING IT CUSTOM IS WE COULD ALWAYS PARTNER WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOO WHO SHARE IN THAT COST.
YOU KNOW, SINCE WE WERE READING IT, PRESUMABLY OUR QUESTIONS WOULD BE AT THE LEAD OF THE SURVEY.
BUT THESE FIRMS ARE HIGHLY TRAINED ON HOW TO KEEP THE FOLKS, THE RESIDENTS THAT THEY'RE SAMPLING ON THE PHONE, SO THEY'RE TRAINED TO GET THROUGH ALL THE QUESTIONS AND TO DESIGN IT AS SUCH, SO WE MIGHT I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD FIT MORE THAN ONE, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ONE OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO SOME SURVEY WORK AS WELL.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER FOR BRINGING THIS TO US IN THIS FORMAT AND GIVING US AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO LOOK AT THIS, BECAUSE WE PUT IT IN THE PACKET I LOOKED AT THE SURVEY WE DID IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN THE FIRST TIME I LOOK AT IT SINCE THEN.
SO THE MANAGERS RIGHT, WE HAVE THIS DONE AND WE SHELVE IT DOESN'T REALLY
[01:50:03]
SERVE AS AN ONGOING REFERENCE FOR US.WE KNOW THAT OUR TOWN THREE YEARS AGO OR TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID IT, WE KNOW THAT THE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS VALUE OUR POLICE AND FIRE THEY RATE THEM HIGHLY.
THEY WANT US TO KEEP FINDING THEM FULLY.
PROBABLY FIND THAT OUT AGAIN AS WELL.
AND WE KNOW THAT THEY THINK OUR ECONOMIC CENTERS OUR DOWNTOWNS REALLY ARE LACKING.
THAT'S NOT NEWS TO THIS BOARD.
WE DON'T NEED A COOKIE CUTTER SURVEY TO TELL US THAT WE'RE ALL EMBARRASSED BY IT.
AND SO ARE OUR RESIDENTS AND WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT AS WELL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE MANAGER AND DEPUTY MANAGER BRING BACK TO US AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH THAT WE'VE HAD.
BE IT A LIVE SURVEY AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SUGGESTED, OR A MAIL OUT ONE THAT'S STATISTICALLY VALID, BUT BRING BACK TO THE BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
LET'S SEE WHAT IT WILL COST AND LET'S GET IT GOING.
I THINK CUSTOMIZATION CAN BE REALLY VALUABLE.
THERE'S LOTS OF QUESTIONS WE COULD ASK OUR RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER NOW.
SO I FULLY SUPPORT AT LEAST LOOKING AT AND LIKELY APPROVING AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
IN TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF A CUSTOMIZED SURVEY, I NOTE THAT MR. WALSH TALKED ABOUT INTERPRETATION, ACCOUNTING AND INTERPRETATION, BUT HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ANY COSTS RELATED TO CREATING A VALID SURVEY.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH IT MIGHT COST TO HAVE A CUSTOMIZED SURVEY, TO GET MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT YO THINK ARE MORE USEFUL TO THE TOWNSHIP, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE COST OF FORMULATING OR STRUCTURING AN APPROPRIATE AND VALID SURVEY? WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I WISH I HAD THAT ANSWER FOR YOU TONIGHT.
I'VE NOT SPENT THE TIME TO RESEARCH IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE BOARD DIRECTION IS GOING FORWARD IF THEY WANT TO LOOK AT THAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU ONE THING THAT WE CREATE IN A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS IN A LONG TIME.
WE DID A SURVEY EVERY FEW YEARS AND WE DID OUR OWN.
AND THERE'S A WAY TO AVOID WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF THE FIRST TIME DOING IT BY JUST ALLOWING PEOPLE TO SEND IT BACK IN.
AND WE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS OF PEOPLE GOING TO MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND GETTING SEVERAL COPIES OF IT AND FILLING THEM OUT.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER IDENTIFIED WITH EACH SURVEY.
SO WHEN IT COMES IN, AT FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN COMES BACK IN, THERE CAN'T BE ANOTHER 416.
SO THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO DUPLICATION BY THE SAME PERSON AS BEST YOU CAN.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT WHEN WE DID THIS SURVEY BACK IN 1997.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS WHAT'S MISSING IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT'S MISSING UNDER PARKS? AND WE LISTED FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE, OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE PUBLIC SAID THERE'S NO PLACE TO SKATE.
WE'RE THE 10TH LARGEST COUNTY OUT OF EIGHTY THREE AND THERE'S NO ICE RINK.
SO WE WENT AND WE RAISED OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS FROM A LOCAL FAMILY WHOSE NAME'S STILL ON IT, AND IT WAS THE FIRST NHL SIZED ICE RINK IN BERRIEN COUNTY.
THAT'S THE LEVEL OF DETAIL YOU CAN GET DOWN TO IN A SURVEY.
WHAT'S MISSING IN OUR PARKS? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE DEER CALL? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR ROAD PROGRAM? IF YOU WERE TO IMPROVE ONE PARK, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WHAT SUGGESTION DO YOU HAVE THAT'S MISSING IN OUR PARK SYSTEM? THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT.
ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS I'M NOT AN EXPERT.
I THINK TRUSTEE WISINSKI AS A SURVEY GURU, BUT I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON SURVEYS.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT YOU CAN PUT ONE TOGETHER, YOU CAN TAILOR IT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE AT OR LESS COST THANWE WOULD HIRE A PROVEN INTERN IN THE STATE TO COME IN AND DO NOTHING BUT COMPILE THE RESULTS FOR THE BOARD IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT STATISTICALLY VALID.
YES, AT THE SAME OR LESS COST, I BELIEVE.
YES, AND VERY TAILORED AND SPECIFIC, YES.
YES, I THINK WE CAN HIT ALL THOSE BUTTONS.
IT'LL TAKE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO RESEARCH IT, IF THAT'S WHERE THE BOARD WANTS TO GO.
I HOPE THAT ADDRESSES YOUR QUESTIONS.
[01:55:01]
YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT.I HAD, IN FACT, LOOKED AT THE CURRENT SURVEY SOON AFTER WE GOT IT, AFTER WE GOT THE RESULTS BACK AND I LOOKED AT IT AGAIN BEFORE TONIGHT'S MEETING AND I COMPARED THE KINDS OF THINGS WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS TO THE KINDS OF ANSWERS WE GOT ON THE SURVEY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT HAVE READ IT, BUT WE CERTAINLY ADDRESSED THOSE ISSUES THAT WERE APPEARED PROBLEMATIC FOR THE TOWNSHI ON THAT SURVEY.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
I AM INTERESTED IN HEARING ACTUALLY I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM MORE PEOPLE.
AND SO HOW WILL WE GET THERE IS PROBABLY WHAT I WOULD BE MOSTLY IN SUPPORT OF.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
I DID NOT LOOK AT THIS IN ITS ENTIRETY PRIOR TO THE MEETING, BUT I AM LOOKING THROUGH A LOT OF IT NOW.
MANAGER WALSH MENTIONED A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OFF, THAT IT'S SOMEWHAT MUNDANE BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS OR WE'RE HAVING COMPARATIVE QUESTIONS, TOO.
IT LOOKS IT APPEARS TO BE NATIONAL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT NATIONAL CITIZEN SURVEY.
AND I WOULD AGREE THAT WE COULD HAVE A MUCH MORE USEFUL SURVEY IF WE WERE TO ASK MUCH MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
HOWEVER, I WOULDN'T WANT TO NECESSARILY GET RID OF THIS NATIONAL COMPONENT IT IS NICE TO HAVE THAT COMPARATIVE PIECE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ASTHMA RATES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AS YOU KNOW, AS SIMILAR TO MICHIGAN.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, WHERE WE COULD DO BOTH WITH GETTING VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO MERIDIAN, BUT ALSO HAVING THOSE COMPARATIVE QUESTIONS.
I THINK ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WERE GIVEN, EXAMPLES OF MANAGER WALSH WERE SPOT ON.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO KNOW.
I WANT TO KNOW AS A RESIDENT, I WANT TO KNOW AS A BOARD MEMBER.
I WONDER IF I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S VERSED IN EVALUATION, REVIEW THE RESULTS AND PREPARE THE RESULTS TO MAKE SURE IT IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, BUT I KNOW IN MY EXPERIENCE HAVING SOMEBODY HELP CRAFT THOSE QUESTIONS, TOO, I THINK IS GOING TO BE REALL IMPORTANT.
SO YOU GET THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO THE IDEAS CAN COME FROM US OR FROM STAFF, BUT THEN MAYBE HAVING A CONSULTANT OF SOME SORT THAT CAN HELP CRAFT THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND I'VE PUT OUT PLENTY OF TERRIBLE SURVEYS.
[LAUGHTER] AND YOU LEARN FROM IT.
AND YOU THINK, OH, GEEZ, WHY'D I ASK THAT OR WHY'D I TO ASK IT THAT WAY.
SO THAT WOULD JUST BE ONE SUGGESTION I MIGHT HAVE.
BUT I LIKE THE IDEA OF CERTAINLY HAVING A MORE SPECIFIC TO MERIDIAN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE COMPARATIVE RESULTS A WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S JUST KIND OF MY INITIAL THOUGHTS WITHOUT THINKING TOO FAR RIGHT NOW, JUST ON CONVERSATION.
MANAGER WALSH, DID YOU HAVE A ANSWER FOR TRUSTEE? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO THAT.
THOSE ARE A LOT OF THE POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AS TO WHY WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO HAVE THAT NATIONAL COMPARISON BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPARE IT UNLESS THE SAME GROUP DOES IT.
SO IF THE BOARD AT THE END CHOOSES TO KEEP DOING IT THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, THEN WE WOULD JUST BE ALLOWED THOSE FOUR OR FIVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT BEFORE SO THAT IT'S I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MIDDLE GROUND TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
IF YOU REALLY WANT THAT NATIONAL COMPARISON, I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY STICK WITH THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT.
SO THAT WAS MY RESPONSE TO YOU.
ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION FOR NOT ONLY DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY, BEFORE I MOVE TO ANOTHER QUESTION REAL QUICK.
WHAT IS THE SAMPLE SIZE THAT WE GET ON THIS AS A MAIL SURVEY SAY THAT WE SEND IT TO SIXTEEN HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS AND SO WE'RE RANDOMLY SAMPLING SIXTEEN HUNDRED UNDER THIS MODEL THAT WE'VE USED? HOW MANY DO WE GET BACK? I'M TRYING TO RECALL THAT IT IS ACTUALLY IN THE DOCUMENT, I'D HAVE TO IF YOU WANT TO JUMP TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS, I'LL SEE IF I CA PULL THAT OUT OF THE REPORT.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU.THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO FLAG THAT NOW, BECAUSE I WAS SKIMMING THROUGH JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT THE SAMPLE SIZE IS.
WE'LL GO TO YOU WHILE DEPUTY MANAGERPERRY LOOKS FOR THAT.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER.
I HAVE USED THIS SURVEY QUITE OFTEN, ACTUALLY, AND LOOKED AT THESE SURVEYS OVER THE YEARS AND I, TOO, WOULD NOT WANT TO LOSE THE NATIONAL BENCHMARK THAT THIS SURVEY GIVES.
AND I ALSO DON'T WANT TO POO POO, ANY DECISIONS MADE BY THE BOARD IN THE PAST TO BUDGET FOR THE SURVEY? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE SURVEY HAS BEEN VALUABLE.
I BELIEVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT AS I LOOK AT THIS, THAT WE HAVE USED THIS SURVEY TO SHOW HOW OUR K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION IS HIGHER IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THI BENCHMARKING SURVEY.
AND WE DID USE THIS SURVEY WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROADS AND WE HAVE HAD SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN THE PAST AND WE'VE USED THIS SURVEY WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE AND THE SAFETY.
AND SO I RECALL SOME VERY GOOD PRESENTATIONS PUT TOGETHER BY DEPUTY MANAGER OR DEREK PERRY REGARDING THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY REGARDING WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S MORE RECENT, THE ROADS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA HERE WHERE WE CAN SEE WE'RE COMPLETELY FAILING IN COMPARISON TO SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'VE ACTUALLY APPRECIATED THE SURVEY AND LOOKED AT IT QUITE FREQUENTLY.
AND FROM A COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVE, IT REALLY HELPED.
AND IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE PRESENTATIONS THAT MANAGERS HAVE GIVEN IN THE PAST, SHOWING HOW WE COMPARE WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AND WHERE WE NEED TO STEP UP OUR GAME.
CLERK GUTHRIE ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVEN'T SPOKEN OR ASKED QUESTIONS JUST YET.
I WOULD ADD FINALLY THAT I KIND OF LIKED THE SUGGESTION, I BELIEVE TRUSTEE WISINSKI MADE WHICH WAS TO DO BOTH.
AND THE CONTEXT FOR THAT COMMENT IS THE COMPARISON POWER AND CONTINUING TO DO THE NATIONAL CITIZEN'S SURVEY AND THE CAPACITY THAT WE COULD GAIN FROM REDESIGN OF OUR WEBSITE AND OUR PUBLIC FACING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO ALLOW US TO DO MORE SPECIFIC, GETTING MORE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK FROM OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF MEDIA OUTLETS.
AND SO I THINK I WOULD ARGUE FOR AT THIS POINT, LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING BOTH FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH I GUESS WHAT COMES TO MIND IS HOW INNOVATIVE THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT GOT ON [INAUDIBLE] MANAGEMENT.
AND I'VE DONE AT LEAST ONE SURVEY BEFORE.
I FOUND THE SLIDE THAT TELLS US OUR SAMPLE SIZE.
SO WE MAILED TO SIXTEEN HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS ORAT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THIS FIRM THAT WE'VE HIRED DOES.
WE GET A SAMPLE SIZE OF THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE BACK.
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SAMPLE SIZE FOR LIKE A PRIMARY ELECTORATE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, NOT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE COST TO PRINT THE MATERIALS AN THE POSTAGE TO SEND IT OUT I ASSUME WE GIVE FREE POSTAGE ON THE WAY BACK.
IF WE DID THAT IT WOULD BE A DOLLAR PER MAILER GOING OUT.
IF WE DON'T PUT POSTAGE ON, I MEAN, IT WOULD ONLY BE LIKE EIGHT OR NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO SEND SIXTEEN HUNDRED OUT.
IF WE KNOW THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ON THE NATIONAL SURVEY, WE COULD ACTUALLY REPLICATE IT IN-HOUSE AT A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COST SO LONG AS WE KNOW VERBATIM HOW THOSE QUESTIONS ARE ASKED AND SEND IT OUT OURSELVES BECAUSE YOU'RE
[02:05:02]
ONLY LOOKING AT LESS THAN A THOUSAND FOR THE MATERIAL COST.AND IF YOU DOUBLE IT, IF YOU SENT IT OUT TO TWICE AS MANY HOUSEHOLDS, YOU'D GET A MUCH MORE VALID SAMPLE, REGARDLESS OF OUR METHODOLOGY BEING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT REALLY, THE METHODOLOGY IS RANDOM.
YOU KNOW, DAVE LEE AND TREASURER DESCHAINE, BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS, HAVE A LIST OF EVERY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE OR WHETHER IT BE A RENTAL OR AN OWNER OCCUPIED IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND YOU RANDOMLY SELECT HOWEVER MANY YOU'RE GOING TO SEND OUT.
SO IF WE WANTED TO DOUBLE THE SAMPLE SIZE, THERE'D BE THIRTY TWO HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS AND YOU WOULD PUT A RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR IN EXCEL AND FILTER THEM IN ORDER BY THE RANDOM NUMBER THAT YOU GENERATED AND TAKE THE FIRST THIRTY TWO HUNDRED.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK WE COULD REPLICATE IT IN-HOUSE AND JUST DO IT BOTH WAYS THAT OUR STAFF WANT TO DEDICATE A LOT OF TIME TO IT, SIMILAR TO HOW WE'RE DEDICATING A LOT OF STAFF RESOURCES TO THE DEER MANAGEMENT.
BUT JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE THAT THE MATERIAL COST THAT THE FIRM IS PUTTING IN IS MINIMAL.
AND TECHNICALLY THE STATISTICAL VALIDNESS OF THEIR SURVEY IS NOT GREAT.
I MEAN, WE SHOULD HAVE THREE PERCENT OF THE HOUSEHOLDS.
THERE'S ABOUT SEVENTEEN THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS, SO WE SHOULD HAVE THREE PERCENT OF THE HOUSEHOLDS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THREE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO GET MULTIPLE SURVEYS BACK WITHIN A HOUSEHOLD.
SO JUST SOME THOUGHTS TO THROW OUT THERE AND MANAGER WALSH DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? YOU ARE MUTED.
OK, THE RESPONSE RATE THAT I'M USED TO IN THE SURVEYS I DID IN THE PREVIOUS COMMUNITY WAS 16 TO 20 PERCENT.
AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THE CLERK THAT WE HAVE USED THIS ISSUE, BUT WE DIDN'T NEED TO SPEND FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A POP TO TELL US THAT OUR ROADS NEED TO BE IMPROVED AN THAT OUR DOWNTOWN VILLAGE WAS A MESS.
I MEAN, THOSE WERE OBVIOUS THINGS TO US.
BUT WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS WHEN I THINK THAT I KNOW SOMETHING AND YOU USE A GOOD, SOLID SURVEY, THAT'S PREDICATED ON YOUR CURRENT ISSUES, SUCH AS DEER CALL ON OTHER THINGS, LIKE FOR THE SNOWPLOWING, LIKE FOR THE ICE RINK, I DIDN'T KNOW AT ALL.
AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THOSE SURVEYS BECAUSE THEY WE WERE DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY ISSUES.
AND I REALLY THINK WE OUGHT TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH MORE DIRECTIVE TO AND MAYBE WE JUST DO THE SAME THING AND THE FOUR OR FIVE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO PUT IN, TAKE CARE OF IT, I JUST THINK THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO DO IT.
AND MAYBE WHAT WE DO IS FOR THE NEXT MEETINGWE BRING YOU A COPY OF WHAT WE USED IN ST. JOSEPH AND WE BRING YOU WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
YOU CAN TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
THIS IS NOT AN ARGUMENT OR IT'S NOT A THIS OR THAT KIND OF THING.
IT'S JUST US BRINGING INFORMATION TO POLICYMAKERS.
AND YOU TELL US HOW YOU WANT TO DO IT.
ALL RIGHT, CONTINUING OUR SECOND ROUND, TREASURER DESCHAINE AND THEN CLERK GUTHRIE, THANK YOU.
AND I AGREE WITH WHAT CLERK GUTHRIE HAS SAID ABOUT USING THIS DATA.
AND IT BEING INVALUABLE INFORMATION TO HAVE.
BUT I THINK I FIGURED OUT WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PAST SURVEY AND WHY I'M NOT THAT FOUND OF IT IS THE SAMPLE SIZE IS TOO SMALL.
YOU TURN TO PAGE 156 OF OUR PACKET AND 2006 SEVENTY ONE PERCENT OF OUR RESIDENTS USED OUR LIBRARIES.
THIS WAS BACK BEFORE WE REDID EITHER ONE OF OUR LIBRARIES THAT HAS A LIBRARY BACK THEN WAS A GLORIFIED CLOSET.
OK, TWENTY EIGHTEEN THAT NUMBER HAD FALLEN TO SIXTY THREE PERCENT.
THAT AND OKEMOS LIBRARY EXPANDED BY THEN, TOO, SO IT FELL BY 10 PERCENT ALMOST OVER THE 12 YEARS.
YET BOTH LIBRARIES HAVE EXPANDED AND I BET IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR CIRCULATION NUMBERS, THEY PROBABLY HAVE DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAT WIL SHOW AN INCREASE IN USAGE.
ON THAT SAME PAGE, CONTACT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ELECTED OFFICIALS, 2015, 11 PERCENT DID IN 2018, 15 PERCENT DID.
WELL, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THERE IS A 40 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, PHONE CALLS OR BOARD PACKET INFORMATION, DATA DOESN'T BACK THAT UP.
I THINK IF YOU GO THROUGH THIS, YOU JUST SEE SOME IRREGULARITIES IN THE DATA WHERE IT'S UP AND DOWN.
THAT DOESN'T REALLY MATCH UP WITH OUR REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE.
AND MAYBE THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT TRUSTEE OPSOMMERPOINTED OUT.
THE SAMPLE SIZE IS JUST TOO SMALL.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING VALID DATA.
[02:10:01]
I DON'T DOUBT THAT PEOPLE AREN'T.I THINK WE'RE ANSWERING THESE CORRECTLY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BROAD ENOUGH SAMPLE TO REALLY KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
SO WE JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE IN 2006, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ANSWERED THE SURVEY WERE LIBRARY USERS AND IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN THEY WEREN'T LIBRARY USERS.
SO TO ME, VIRTUALLY ALL THE DATA ON HERE IS A GUESS AND IT'S NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU GO THROUGH THIS AND YOU DO THAT, YOU'LL SEE SOME IRREGULARITIES AND THE DATA JUST DON'T MATCH UP WITH OUR OWN EXPERIENCE HERE ON THIS BOARD PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
AND YOU FIND THAT LINE IT SHOWS VOLUNTEERING ACTUALLY GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND WE KNOW FROM THE PARKS, WE KNOW FROM OTHER THINGS THAT OUR NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAVE, YEAH THERE IT IS IN TWENTY TWELVE, IT SHOWS 30 PERCENT OF THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERED AND IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN, ONLY TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.
SO THAT'S A SEVEN PERCENT DECREASE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TWENTY FIVE PERCENT DECREASE IN VOLUNTEERING.
I WOULD CHALLENGE THAT NUMBER, DO WE SEE A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT DROP OFF IN THE GARDEN CLUB? DO WE SEE THAT IN OUR PARKS, VOLUNTEERS OR COACHES ANYWHERE IN THE TOWNSHIP? DO WE SEE THAT KIND OF FALL OFF, FRIENDS OF MERIDIAN? NO, WE SAW A STEADY INCREASE IN VOLUNTEERING.
SO THAT'S THE DATA HERE REALLY HAS TO BE LOOKED AT AND IN QUESTION.
IT GIVES US SOME DATA, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S STATISTICALLY VALID DATA THE SAMPLE SIZE IS TOO SMALL.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I CONCUR WITH THAT, IF THERE'S ONE ISSUE I'VE ALWAYS HAD WITH THIS NATIONAL CITIZEN SURVEY, IT'S THE SAMPLE SIZE.
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU LOOK AT THE SAMPLE AND IT'S LOW.
AND I THINK WE COULD GET I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, HOW CAN WE GET A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE? AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MANAGER WALSHAND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THAT YOU BELIEVE WE COULD GET A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE IF WE ARE TO DO THIS ON OUR OWN.
MY QUESTION FOR YOU AND DIRECTOR PERRY IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO TAKE ON THIS YEAR IN PUTTING TOGETHER A SURVE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WORK.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME KEY COMMUNITY QUESTIONS OUT THERE.
AND WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY DO IS HIRE A SUMMER COLLEGE INTERN TO HELP MANAGE THE PROGRAM.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN LOCK STEP WITH THE BOARD.
THIS IS A BOARD POLICY DECISION.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD DISCUSSION AND WE CAN BRING BACK DIFFERENT SURVEYS AT THE NEXT MEETING AND SEE WHERE THE BOARDS AT ON THIS.
JUST CRUNCHING A FEW MORE NUMBERS.
MANAGER WALSH IS SAMPLE SIZE ON THE NATIONAL CITIZEN SURVEY MODEL.
THE MANAGER WALSH CITED 15 TO 20 PERCENT IN ST. JOE WHEN HE DID THIS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SURVEY, WE GET A SAMPLE SIZE OF THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE OUT OF SIXTEEN HUNDRED BEING MAILED OUT.
THAT'S TWENTY ONE AND A HALF PERCENT RESPONSE RATE.
SO IF WE DID IT OURSELVES, WE'D HAVE TO MAIL TO ABOUT ELEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS TO GET A 15 PERCENT SAMPLE SIZE OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS LIKE MANAGER WALSH SPOKE TO .
I CAN TELL [INAUDIBLE] THAT LIKE THREE OR FOUR PERCENT WOULD BE STATISTICALLY VALID CITIZEN SURVEYS.
WELL, I'M SURE IT'S COMING IN AT ABOUT TWO PERCENT OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS.
IT'S ONLY ABOUT SIXTY SIX PERCENT OF WHAT THE SAMPLE SIZE NEEDS TO BE.
IF WE DID ANYTHING NEAR WHAT MANAGER WALSH IS SUGGESTING YOU CAN'T EVEN POSSIBLY HAVE A NON REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.
AND THAT'S A STAGGERINGLY HIGH PERCENTAGE, IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY ACCURATE.
I'M NOT WEDDED TO CONTINUING WITH IT, I THINK I GUESS I'M NOT COMPELLED TO THINK THAT WE NEED TO COMPARE OURSELVES ACROSS THE NATION.
BUT PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME GOOD QUESTIONS WHERE WE WANT TO DO THAT, AND I'M THINKING OF THEM, BUT JUST ONE OTHER THOUGHT TO PUT I OUT THERE, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GOING TO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HEADING INTO ANOTHER MEETING OF DISCUSSION ON THIS.
PERHAPS THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE CITIZEN SURVEY THAT WE WANT TO REPLICATE VERBATIM.
IF WE REPLICATE THEM VERBATIM, WE CAN COMPARE OURSELVES.
AND WE WOULD KNOW BASED ON OUR SAMPLE SIZE, WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO 15 PERCENT, BUT EVEN IF WE DID EIGHT PERCENT, THAT OUR READING O OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY ACCURATE.
THE COMMUNITIES WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO THEN WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT QUESTIONABLE, BUT I MEAN, IF WE WANTED TO MAIL OUT TO ELEVEN THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS, WE COULD STILL
[02:15:02]
DO THAT IN ABOUT FIVE TO SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS, PAYING 15 FOR THE SURVEY.SO I DO TRUST THAT OUR STAFF COULD DO THIS AND WE HAVE THE DATABASE.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE MANAGER TO BRING A ST. JOE SURVEY OR A NUMBER OF THEM, AND PERHAP THE RESULTS FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT.
AT THE NEXT MEETING OR EVEN EMAIL IT OUT, AS YOU CUSTOMARILY DO WITH UPDATES CLOSE TO BOARD MEETINGS.
SO THEY REPORT THE NATIONAL DATA IN THE AGGREGATE FORM, SO IT'D BE DIFFICULT TO COMPARE THOSE TWO IF WE DID OUR OWN.
DO WE REALLY NEED TO? AND I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT I'M WONDERING IF I WOULD LIKE TO SEE I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE OTHER SURVEYS AS WELL.
AND I'M WONDERING IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN PARTNER WITH SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
SO MAYBE WE'RE DOING SOME COMPARATIVE RESEARCH.
MAYBE WE DO THAT WITH EAST LANSING [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT IF WE DO WANT TO SEE ON WHERE WE STAND IN RELATION TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE IDEAS THAT MANAGER WALSH HAS.
I THINK TO TRUSTEE JACKSON'S GOAL ON OUR AGENDA.
I THINK BROADBAND IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MEASURE IT WITH FOUR QUESTIONS IN HERE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GOT GOT MANY OF THE BUT THERE PROVIDERS ARE VERY LIMITED AND THEY'RE BASICALLY CONSTRAINED BY COMCAST AND OR AT&T AND THE CLASS IMPACT THAT AS WELL AND IT COULD BE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT APPROACHES OR MILLAGE APPROACHES AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT GOAL FOR THIS SURVEY WHENEVER WE DO IT, WHETHER IT'S THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADAPTING.
QUICKLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS THE CITY COMMISSION WOULD ADOPT GOALS AND THEN WE PUT THEM OUT INTO A SURVEY AND RESIDENTS WOULD RANK THEM BY IMPORTANCE FROM ONE TO 10 OR ONE TO EIGHT.
AND THAT'S VERY TELLING WHEN YOU GET BACK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, BROADBAND IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN NEW SIGNAGE AND OR VICE VERSA.
SO REALLY YOU CAN REALLY GET DOWN IN THE WEEDS AND FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING.
I THINK THE SURVEY HAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY APPLES OR ORANGES YOU EAT PER DAY.
OH, I'M SORRY, I WAS SIGNALING THAT I EAT ONEA DAY.
NO, BUT THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE I THINK KNOWING THE RANKING OF THOSE GOALS AND WHERE THE BOARD IS HEADED AND WHAT STAFF IS DOING, IS THAT IMPORTANT TO THE RESIDENTS OR NOT? I STILL LIKE THE BENCHMARKING COMPONENT, BUT I'M NOT COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO DOING OUR OWN SURVEY AND HAVING IT MORE CURTAILED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NUMBERS OPSOMMER GAVE REGARDING THE COSTS AND HAVING GREATER SAMPLE SURVEY SIZE.
AND I FEEL LIKE MAYBE THE TOWNSHIP AND I'VE KIND OF ALWAYS FELT THIS WAY THAT MAYBE THE TOWNSHIP COULD GET PEOPLE MORE ENGAGED AN INVOLVED WITH A MORE PERSONALIZED SURVEY.
THEN I DON'T WANT TO SAY COOKIE CUTTER, BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T WANT TO POOH POOH ANY OF THE PAST SURVEYS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
BUT I THINK MAYBE THEY WOULD FEEL MORE INVOLVED WITH SOMETHING THAT WE CREATE ON OUR OWN.
DO THIS AS INEXPENSIVELY OR EVEN LESS EXPENSIVE THAN W SPENT IN THE PAST AND WE GET BETTER DATA FROM IT, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE COULD INCREASE THE INTERVAL ON DOING IT EVERY OTHER YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY THREE YEARS IS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT INTERVAL WAS PICKED, I GUESS YOU COULD PICK 4 YOU CAN PICK 2, YOU CAN PICK EVERY YEAR, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT DONE MORE OFTEN, MAYBE EVERY OTHER YEAR.
SO IF WE GET A GOOD TOOL THAT WE GET GOOD DATA FROM WORK OUT THE BUGS ON IT, WE CAN REPLICATE IT MORE OFTEN WITHOUT PERHAPS NOT ANY ADDITIONAL EXPENSE FROM WHAT
[02:20:02]
WE'RE PAYING NOW EVERY THREE YEARS.THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING AND GET SUPERVISOR STYKA'S TAKE AS WELL AND CONTINUE DECIDING THE FUTURE OF THE CITIZENS SURVEY, AND WHICH APPROACH TO GO TO.
WE JUMP BACK TO OUR AGENDA, THAT INCLUDES OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS.
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
WE ARE NOW COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.DIRECTOR GEBES, COULD WE HAVE YOU RECITE THE PHONE NUMBER AND THE OTHER WAYS FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? THE TELEPHONE NUMBER REMAINS FIVE ONE SEVEN THREE FOUR NINE ONE, TWO, THREE, TWO.
AND WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN THE ATTENDEE AREA.
WE CAN, OF COURSE, SERVICE PUBLIC COMMENTS WITH A RAISED HAND.
IF YOU USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE INSIDE OF ZOOM ITSELF, I AM NOT SEEING ANY HANDS GO UP AND I'M NOT HEARING THE PHONE RING, ALTHOUGH WE HAD A CALLER EARLIER WHO ASKED HOW MUCH LONGER IT WAS GOING TO BE.
I WILL ALLOW YOU TO PAUSE AS LONG AS YOU THINK WE NEED TO TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO CALL IN AND I'LL RETURN THE MEETING TO YOU, SIR.
I WILL INTERRUPT IF THE PHONE RINGS.
WE WILL GIVE THE PUBLIC JUST A FEW MOMENTS HERE TO CALL IN IF THEY WISH TO.
HERE COMES THE CALL, STAND BY.
AND IF THE CALLER CAN HEAR US, IF THEY COULD GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR GO AHEAD.
FIRST OF ALL I KNOW ALL ABOUT THAT METAL STUMP THAT DEREK PULLED OUT FOR ME THAT TIME .
I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE PANTRIES.
THE SMALL PANTRIES THAT YOU WERE DISCUSSING.
I KNOW SOMEONE THAT STARTED THEM IN LANSING AND THEN THEY MOVED THEM UP TO EATON RAPIDS AND THEY GREW FROM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD LAST YEAR, BUILT SIX OF THEM.
AND WE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED LATE AT NIGHT AND THEY CAN'T GET INTO A PANTRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS MAYBE JUST LIKE A CAN OF SOUP AND PERSONAL HYGIENE THINGS WAS ONE THING THAT GOT USED THE MOST AND TAKEN OUT THE MOST.
I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL IN EATON RAPIDS AND I KNOW THE PERSON THAT STARTED THEM OVER THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T IT BE A BLESSING IF THEY NEVER HAD TO GET USED? I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL.
I KIND OF HAVE A PANTRY RIGHT HERE AT GRANGE ACRES AND IT GETS USED A LOT BECAUSE THEY'VE CLOSED THE ONE HERE AND WON'T LET US REOPEN IT.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING.
I HOPE YOU GET THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT IT.
I KNOW ANOTHER THING THEY PUT IN THERE ARE PAMPERS PULL UPS LATE AT NIGHT AND I GUESS PEOPLE GO AND GET THEM.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT I KNOW WITH THE FOOD PANTRIES AND THE COMMODITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS AND THEN THEY MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, BUT ANYWAY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING.
I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU DO IT, AND I KNOW THERE'S A NEED FOR IT.
WE HAVE NO OTHER CALLERS AND NO RAISEDHANDS [INAUDIBLE].
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GEBES, AND THANK YOU TO MS. VAUGHN.
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
WE ARE NOW ONTO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.DO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
YEAH, WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE WE'RE DISCUSSING THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT I WANT TO THANK THE CLERK FOR THE EXCELLENT PACKET SHE'S PREPARING EVERY MEETING, THE MINUTES ARE BETTER, THEY'RE CONCISE AND THAT WE STILL COVER WHAT WE COVERED DURING THE MEETINGS.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE LEGAL NOTICES AND PRESS RELEASES THAT YOU'RE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET.
THIS IS INFORMATION GOING OUT IN THE PUBLIC FROM US OR MEDIA NOTICES THAT LEGALLY HAVE TO BE POSTED.
AND SO IT'S GOOD THAT WE SEE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED.
WE SEE THE NOTICE YOU SENT OUT TO THE TOWN COURIER ARE BEING POSTED PUBLICLY.
SINCE MOST OF US GET AN ELECTRONIC PACKET, THAT'S NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO HAVE A FEW EXTRA PAGES IT.
AND IT'S REALLY REASSURING TO SEE THESE NOTICES IN THERE.
YOU'RE DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB AS A NEW CLERK, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE, AND THANK YOU CLERKGUTHRIE.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
[02:25:01]
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE, I APPRECIATE THAT ALL THE KUDOS GOES TO ROBIN FAUST.[LAUGHTER] AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MOST OF YOU KNOW, MY SON WORKS AT THE MALL AND HE GOT OUT OF WORK.
LAST NIGHT, I THINK IT WAS LAST NIGHT, AND THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE SURROUNDING HIS VEHICLE AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND WHEN HE APPROACHED THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN OLDER GENTLEMAN WHO HAD FAINTED AND THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE TRYING TO HELP HIM.
AND SO MY SON WAS HELPING THEM OUT AND THEY CALLED.
HE TRIED TO STAND UP AND HE FAINTED AGAIN.
AND SO THEY CONTACTED 911 AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CAME AND THEY WERE PROFESSIONAL.
AND MY SON WAS JUST SAYING ALL GOOD THINGS ABOUT HOW THEY HANDLED IT AND HELPED THIS GENTLEMAN OUT LAST NIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO CONVEY THAT STORY AND THANK YOU.
AND PLEASE PASS THAT ON ABOUT HOW AMAZING THEY ARE AND WHAT A GOOD JOB THAT THEY DO.
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE, AND THANK YOU, CHIEF HAMEL AND TO THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
NOT SEEING ANY I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOVE BY TREASURER DESCHAINE AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
IF EVERYBODY WOULD SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE SIX AYE VOTES AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.