MR. GEBES, LET ME KNOW WHEN WE'RE READY TO GO LIVE.
[00:01:02]
DO YOU HEAR ME, MR. GEBES? YES SIR.SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING.
AND YOU ARE LIVE ANY TIME YOU'D LIKE TO GO TO, SIR.
WELL, IT'S SIX O'CLOCK, SO IT IS TIME TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
THIS IS THE MAY 18TH, 2021 REGULAR MEETING IN THE CHARTED TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.AND WITH THAT, WE SHOULD START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I WILL ASK ALL THOSE PRESENT TO SAY THE PLEDGE, EITHER SILENTLY OR WITH THEIR MUTE ON, ONE OR THE OTHER.
ALLEGIANCE] WITH THAT, WE GO TO MS. GUTHRIE, AND I WILL NOTE MS. GUTHRIE THAT THIS MS. WISINSKI MIGHT BE A MINUTE OR TWO LATE, SO.
ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR STYKA, I'M HERE.
ATTENDING VIRTUALLY FROM THE CITY OF LANSING.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT DAN, WE ALL SHOULD BE SAYING WHERE WE'RE BROADCASTING FROM.
I AM IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.
I AM IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN AS WELL.
AND I AM IN OKEMOS IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN, INGHAM COUNTY.
HERE AND I AM IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I'M HERE, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN HEAR ME, BUT I'M GOING TO SWITCH OVER TO ANOTHER COMPUTER YOU'RE IDENTIFIED AS DAN OPSOMMER RIGHT NOW.
SO THE MAN HAS TWO PERSONALITIES.
I'M GOING TO SWITCH OVER TO MINE.
AND THEN LET US KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM, WHERE YOU'RE BROADCASTING FROM OR WHERE YOU'RE AT.
SO IS THAT SIX PRESENT? SIX PRESENT.
MR. DESCHAINE IS ABSENT TODAY.
I WANT TO START OUT THE MEETING BY MENTIONING THAT THE DESCHAINE FAMILY HAS FACED A RATHER TRAGIC SITUATION WITH A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND HE WILL NOT BE PRESENT FOR THAT REASON.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE ALL TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REMEMBER HIS DAUGHTER, MARIANNE, WHO WAS IN HER 30S AND THAT UNEXPECTEDLY PASSED AWAY.
SO IF WE COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT.
OK, WE NOW COME TO OUR PRESENTATIONS AND THE FIRST PRESENTATION WE HAD WAS
[4A. Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation (Part 1 of 2) ]
XAVIER DEGROAT FROM THE AUTISM FOUNDATION.IS HE PRESENT? MR. SUPERVISOR, I DON'T SEE XAVIER IN THE ATTENDEES OR THE PANELISTS, HE MAY BE BUSY OR UP TO SOME OTHER ADVOCACY, BUT I COULD GIVE A QUICK PRESENTATION OF WHAT THE DEGROAT AUTISM FOUNDATION IS GOING TO BE DOING IN THE TOWNSHIP HERE SOON.
SURE, WHY NOT? IT WILL SAVE TIME IF YOU IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT MR. CHIEF PLAGA GO AHEAD.
XAVIER DEGROAT AUTISM FOUNDATION IS ONE THAT BRINGS AWARENESS AND TRAINING AND LEGISLATION TO THE STATE, THEY ADVOCATE FOR AWARENESS.
HE ACTUALLY WAS A DRIVING FORCE IN PUSHING THROUGH SOME LEGISLATION WHERE PEOPLE CAN VOLUNTARILY REGISTER THEIR VEHICLE.
SO IF THEY'RE IN CONTACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE OFFICERS ARE AWARE THAT THE DRIVER MAY HAVE SOME SENSITIVITY TO OVERSTIMULATION OR OTHER ISSUES BECAUSE OF AUTISM.
[00:05:04]
XAVIER'S GOING TO BE HE'S THE CEO OF THE FOUNDATION.THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A FUNDRAISING EVENT HERE AT THE MERIDIAN MALL FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH FROM 4:30 TO 8:30, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL SPECIAL GUESTS.
LOMAS BROWN FROM THE DETROIT LIONS AND MANY OTHER FORMER DETROIT LIONS AND OTHER SPORTS FIGURES WILL BE THERE.
AND THIS IS TO BRING MORE AWARENESS TO AUTISM AND ALSO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION.
I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE I'M ON A DEVICE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH FOR SOME REASON I COULDN'T GET IT UNMUTED.
WE HAD A POWER FAILURE HERE, BUT MIRACULOUSLY, JUST IN TIME FOR THE MEETING, THE POWER CAME BACK.
BUT I WAS ALREADY ON THIS DEVICE, SO NOT WANTING TO MESS THINGS UP.
I'M STAYING WITH IT AND I'LL GET USED TO IT.
[4B. Capital Area District Libraries-2020 Annual Report]
OUR NEXT THING IS THE CAPITAL AREA DISTRICT LIBRARIES, A REPORT, THE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT.HI SUPERVISOR STYKA, MY NAME IS MY NAME IS TOM [INAUDIBLE].
THE HEAD LIBRARIAN AT THE HASLETT BRANCH OF THE CAPITOL AREA DISTRICT LIBRARY.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JOINED TONIGHT BY BETSY HALL, THE HEAD LIBRARIAN OVER AT THE OKEMOS BRANCH.
SHE SHOULD BE HERE IN ONE SECOND, SIR.
SO I'LL GET STARTED HERE A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, AS AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I AM NEW TO THE TOWNSHIP.
I'VE BEEN HERE [INAUDIBLE] WHILE NOW, I SAY, BUT IT'S BEEN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW.
I STARTED IN MARCH RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT AND EVERYTHING CLOSED DOWN, BUT WE [INAUDIBLE] REALLY EXCITED WITH WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN 2020, DESPITE ALL THE DIFFERENT CURVEBALLS.
AND SO I CAN PROBABLY TALK FOREVER ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND EVERYTHING, BUT WE'LL TRY AND KEEP IT VERY BRIEF TONIGHT AND WE'LL JUST SORT OF MOVE FORWARD HERE.
I THINK I CAN SHARE MY SHARE MY SCREEN.
CAN EVERYONE SEE THAT OK? YES, SIR.
SO CADL'S MISSION IS DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO LEARN, IMAGINE AND CONNECT.
AND DESPITE 2020 AND A PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS PUT IN OUR WAY TO COMPLETING THAT MISSION, WHAT I THINK WE LEARN IS THAT WE CAN FULFILL THAT MISSION.
WHETHER PEOPLE ARE IN OUR BUILDINGS OR NOT.
IT'S NOT CORE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO HAVE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING.
WE CAN REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND CONNECT IN OTHER WAYS.
AND SO 2020 WAS ABOUT FINDING NEW WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED EVEN WHILE WE LOOK TO GETTING BACK TO HAVING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR BUILDINGS AND CHECKING OUT MATERIALS AND BEING ABLE TO INTERACT IN THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED WAYS.
SO THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN 2020.
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, CAN YOU HEAR ME AND CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? OH, TECHNOLOGY.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING US.
BETSY WE'RE CERTAINLY HEARING FROM MR. MOORE.
OH, AM I JUMPING, I'M JUMPING ON HIS TOES.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON THE CALL ALREADY.
SO WE'RE ON CIRCULATION AND CONTACTLESS PICK UP IS KIND OF HOW WE STARTED OFF IN JUNE.
WE WERE CLOSED UNTIL THAT TIME DUE TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.
AND REALLY WHAT WAS AMAZING IS THAT THIS CONTACTLESS PICK UP WITH THE ITEMS JUST OUT BY THE DOOR AT HASLETT.
YOU CAN SEE OUR LITTLE BOOKSHELF THERE WITH OUR BAGS OF ITEMS FOR PEOPLE TO PICK UP IN THE PARKING LOT OVER AT OKEMOS WITH THEIR LIBRARIAN-ASURAS, HANDING OUT BOOKS AND DELIVERING THEM DIRECTLY TO THE CARS.
THIS MODEL OF BUSINESS KEPT US SO BUSY WITH THE STAFF.
IN FACT, THE MERIDIAN BRANCHES DURING THE PANDEMIC FOR PHYSICAL ITEMS ACCOUNTED FOR ROUGHLY 30, 32 PERCENT OF ALL OF THE CHECKOUTS FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
THAT WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND THAT THE STAFF HAVE BEEN HUSTLING AROUND.
IT'S TAKES SO MUCH MORE EFFORT TO HANDLE THE ENTIRE TRANSACTION AND DO A
[00:10:03]
CONTACTLESS LIKE THIS THAN IT DOES TO JUST HAVE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AND BEING ABLE TO PICK UP THEIR OWN ITEMS AND BRING THEM TO THE DESK JUST TO HAVE THEM CHECKED OUT.SO WE WERE REALLY PROUD OF BEING ABLE TO OVERCOME THAT HURDLE, FIND A GREAT WAY TO GET ACCESS TO PEOPLE AND GET THESE BOOKS OUT THE DOOR AND OTHER MATERIALS AND AND STILL PLUG ALONG.
I THINK THESE SERVICES, THESE CONTACTLESS SERVICES ARE SOMETHING THAT WILL PROBABLY LINGER AND STICK AROUND EVEN AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO OPENING OUR DOORS.
THEY HAVE DEFINITELY SHOWN THAT THEY'RE POPULAR SERVICES AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE GOING IN SOME FORM.
OK, NOW IT'S MY TURN, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, WE HAD TO PIVOT HOW WE WERE GOING TO PROVIDE OUR SERVICES AND OUR PROGRAMS AND THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, BUT PARTICULARLY WITH OKEMOS AND HASLETT, WE KEPT A FULL SLATE TO MAIN OUR CONNECTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE ALL ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REFINE HOW WE APPROACH THIS VIRTUAL SLASH REMOTE WORLD GOING FORWARD, AS, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY POSITIVE USES FOR IT.
OUR POPULAR VIRTUAL STORY TIMES AVERAGED OVER 200 VIEWS AND SOMETIMES SPEAKING AT ONE THOUSAND VIEWS, AND THERE YOU SEE A MR. TOM FROM OKEMOS AND MS. KATE FROM HASLETT.
AND WE HAD A GUEST READER FROM OUR DOWNTOWN BRANCH COME IN.
YOU KNOW, STORY TIMES ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR LITERACY, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS WE KEPT IN TOUCH WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.
ANOTHER ANOTHER WAY THAT WE STAYED ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITIES WERE THROUGH TO GO ACTIVITIES FROM TAKE AND MAKE CRAFTS, WHERE THEY PICKED UP THE SUPPLIES AT THE LIBRARY AND TOOK THEM HOME TO PUT THEM TOGETHER AND CREATE.
TO STORY TIME KITS THAT REINFORCED EARLY LITERACY SKILLS OR OUR WEEKLY GEOGRAPHY TO GO KIND OF PASSPORT AROUND THE WORLD PROJECTS IN THE FALL THAT TOOK KIDS TO 13 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ONE DIFFERENT COUNTRY EACH WEEK WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, EXPLORE AND ENGAGE AND LEARN.
THESE TO GO ACTIVITIES WERE IMPORTANT FOR ENGAGEMENT FOR US, BUT ALSO FOR THE FAMILIES.
YOU KNOW WE GOT SO MANY COMMENTS, THINGS LIKE GETTING YOUR THOUGHTFUL CRAFTS AND BAGS FULL OF LIBRARY BOOKS BRINGS US ALL SO MUCH EXCITEMENT EACH WEEK.
AND BEING ABLE TO PICK UP THOSE BOOKS AND STORY TIME TO GOES EVERY WEEK HAS GIVEN US SOMETHING TO LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR.
AND THOSE ARE JUST SAMPLES OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE WERE GETTING, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR AS THINGS DRAGGED ON AND EVERYONE WAS GETTING WORN OUT BY BY STAYING AT HOME FOR SO LONG.
WE, I THINK, PROVIDED A LITTLE BIT OF DIVERSE ENTERTAINMENT TO EVERYONE, AND SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THEIR HOMES.
WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF EDUCATION.
HASLETT HAD I DON'T KNOW ABOUT 3000 OF THESE TAKE AND MAKE KIDS THAT THEY GAVE OUT ALONE.
HE SMOKED THE REST OF US IN THE SYSTEM.
I HAD, I HAD A LOT, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO SIT DOWN AND COUNT, YOU KNOW, LIKE TOM DID.
HE THEY REALLY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH THEIR TAKE AND MAKE KITS.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT BACK IN OCTOBER.
AND IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO DRESS UP AND GET OUTSIDE.
BUT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT AND KEEP CONTACT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AND CENTRAL TO KIND OF HOW I APPROACH THE LIBRARY AND MY JOB AS HEAD LIBRARIAN IS COLLABORATION.
I LOVE GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO WORK ON PROJECTS AND WORKING WITH OTHER GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
SO LAST SUMMER WE PARTNERED WITH THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER TO DISPLAY A FAIRY HOUSE TRAIL RIGHT ALONG THEIR FENCE RIGHT BY THE WHAT IT'S THE BEAVER LODGE THERE.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE WE ACCEPTED 30 SUBMISSIONS OF FAIRY HOUSES.
YOU CAN SEE SOME SAMPLES ON THE SCREEN THERE, SOME CARVED FAIRY DOORS FROM FROM
[00:15:04]
THE WOODCARVERS GROUP THAT USUALLY MEETS AT THE LIBRARY.AND THIS ENGAGED MEMBERS OF ALL AGES FROM KIDS ALL THE WAY UP TO ADULTS.
ANYONE WHO LOVED CRAFTING AND THE OUTDOORS WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
IT'S REALLY A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER ANOTHER WAY.
WE WERE REACHING OUT AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE BOTH IN THE CREATIVITY PART AND ALSO JUST GETTING SOMETHING OUT THERE FOR SOME PEOPLE TO ENJOY WHO WERE VISITING THE NATURE CENTER.
AND WE LIKE DOING THAT SO MUCH, THESE KIND OF PUBLIC ART SORT OF PROJECTS THAT WE FOLLOWED UP WITH THIS MURAL PROJECT IN THE FALL WHERE WE ASKED PEOPLE TO PAINT, TAKE THESE STICKS THAT WE HAD OUTSIDE OF OUR DOOR, PAINT THEM AND RETURN THEM.
AND WE PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER FOR A REALLY BEAUTIFUL MURAL THAT WE DISPLAYED ALONG THE FENCE AT [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY, IT WAS UP THERE FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF.
AND THEN WE TOOK IT DOWN BEFORE THE SNOW CAME AND ACTUALLY HAVE IT INSTALLED IN THE LIBRARIES.
AND WHEN WE DO OPEN OUR DOORS AGAIN, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT PAINTED THOSE STICKS OR SAW THEM WHEN THEY WERE WALKING BY ON THE SIDEWALK CAN ENJOY THEM ALL OVER AGAIN.
WE CONTINUED OUR CONNECTIONS TO FAMILIES WITH CLOTHING DRIVES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, HASLETT ALSO PROVIDED POSTCARDS FOR KIDS AND PARTNERED WITH BROOKSIDE SENIOR LIVING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEND THESE CARDS TO THE RESIDENTS.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE TOWNSHIP, FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE TOWNSHIP WE HAVE REGARDING OUR BUILDINGS.
YOU TAKE GOOD CARE OF US AND WE APPRECIATE THE RECENT HELP THE TOWNSHIP GAVE TO US IN INSTALLING THESE MICRO FOOD PANTRIES AT BOTH THE HASLETT AND THE OKEMOS BRANCHES.
I HAVE TO SAY TOO THAT I WAS OUT AT THE LIBRARY ON SUNDAY TRYING TO DIG A STUMP OUT FROM IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY THERE AND, YOU KNOW, IN TWO HOURS IT WAS NONSTOP AT THAT PANTRY, PEOPLE DELIVERING GOODS, TAKING, PICKING THEM UP AND TAKING OFF.
IT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT USUALLY OUTSIDE TO WITNESS THE ACTION THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO IT WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING THAT, YOU KNOW, DONATIONS WERE COMING IN.
PEOPLE WERE GETTING ASSISTANCE.
SOMEONE STOPPED IN AND SPOKE WITH ME FOR A MINUTE.
AND SHE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE GRABBED SOME ITEMS AND LEFT SOME OTHER ONES THAT SHE DIDN'T NEED ANY LONGER.
SO IT WAS REALLY HEARTENING TO KIND OF HEAR THAT.
AND EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED A LITTLE BIT, WERE STILL LEAVING SOMETHING BEHIND FOR OTHERS.
AND CLOSING THE BIG NEWS IS, IS THAT IN TWO WEEKS, ON TUESDAY, JUNE 1ST, WE WILL BE REOPENING TO THE PUBLIC FOR WALK IN TRAFFIC.
WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL BRANCHES BECAUSE SOME SERVICES MAY VARY AFTER WE REOPEN.
BUT COINCIDING WITH THAT GOOD NEWS IS GOING TO BE OUR ANNUAL KICKOFF FOR OUR SUMMER READING CHALLENGE.
AND THIS IS A CHANCE FOR FAMILIES EVERYWHERE FROM FROM BABIES TO TODDLERS TO TEENS TO ADULTS TO ENGAGE IN SOME IN SOME FUN READING DURING THE SUMMER.
AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO EITHER CALL THEIR LIBRARY OR TO VISIT THE WEBSITE CADL.ORG IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SUMMER READING OR THE PROCESS FOR REOPENING.
BUT WE ARE ENCOURAGED AND HAPPY TO BE FINALLY GETTING TO THIS PHASE OF RECOVERY.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING US ONCE AGAIN GIVE US YOUR ANNUAL SHOW AND TELL.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US AT ALL? THAT WAS BRIEF AND ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN 2020, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS.
IF YOU COULD UN SHARE THE SCREEN, I CAN ASK AROUND.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? NOT SEEING ANY HANDS.
LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS GAVE A VERY THOROUGH REPORT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
I DON'T SEE EVERYBODY ON THIS SCREEN THAT I'M USING AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE LIBRARY BOARD SANDY DRAKE HERE TODAY OR NOT? I DON'T SEE HER.
I INVITED HER, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE MADE IT OR NOT.
[00:20:03]
OK.MR. SUPERVISOR, FORGIVE THE INTERRUPTION, BUT I WILL NOTE THAT MR.
[4A. Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation (Part 2 of 2) ]
DEGROAT DID SHOW UP IF YOU WANTED TO ENTERTAIN A COMMENT FROM HIM.YES, WE'RE STILL IN PRESENTATIONS SO WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT FOR A MOMENT.
MR. DEGROAT IS HE AVAILABLE TO SPEAK? HE'S MUTED RIGHT NOW.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? GREAT.
I AM VERY MUCH PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU ALL HERE AT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES.
AND I HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH ADVOCATING FOR AUTISM FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS AS I'M CEO OF THE XAVIER DEGROAT AUTISM FOUNDATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY UPCOMING EVENT IN THE COMMUNITY AT MERIDIAN MALL ON JUNE 11.
AND AT THAT EVENT, WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE QUITE A GOOD AMOUNT PEOPLE AS COACH MARC ANTONIO, WILL BE AWARDING AT IT AND WILL BE HAVING LOMAS BROWN FROM DETROIT LIONS SPEAK WITH ME AND EDDIE MURRAY, THE FORMER KICKER, TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AUTISM AND HOW WE WANT TO BUILD MORE SENSORY ROOMS ACROSS THE STATE AND HELP HOSPITALIZATION CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE WHEN THEY GO GET CHECKED OUT WITH DOCTORS.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING A COMMUNITY AWARENESS EVENT AT THE MALL AND THE LAUNCH TRAMPOLINE PARK IS GIVING BACK 25 PERCENT GIVE BACK THAT DAY AND SCHULER BOOKS IS GIVING BACK 20 PERCENT THAT DAY AT THE MERIDIAN MALL FOR MY FOUNDATION.
AND SO ANYWAY, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANY ONE OF YOU ATTEND.
KEN PLAGA CHIEF OF POLICE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ME TO HELP MANAGE THIS.
YES CHIEF PLAGA ACTUALLY FILLED IN FOR YOU EARLIER IN THE MEETING, JUST BRIEFLY, BUT IT'S GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DEGROAT OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BRING UP? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD MR. DEGROAT.
SECOND, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT, I KNOW, COULD FURTHER HELP SPREAD AWARENESS FOR THIS COMMUNITY EVENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
AND I KNOW MY FRIEND DANIEL OPSOMMER IS DEFINITELY NOTABLE ABOUT ALL OF MY NETWORKING.
AND HOW THIS WOULD HELP ACHIEVE MY GOAL.
YES TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, THE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM, IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH AUTISM AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE CAN ACTUALLY ASK OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY CAN DO TO ASSIST WITH THE PUBLIC LEARNING ABOUT YOUR EVENT, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AWESOME, I APPRECIATE YOU, SUPERVISOR, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ANY TIME IF YOU EVER HAVE ANYTHING WITH AUTISM PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, THEN IS OUR TRIBUTE TO MARK KIESELBACH, THIS IS KIND OF
[4C. Tribute to Mark Kieselbach]
A SWEET AND SOUR TYPE OF SITUATION, SAD AND HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME.MARK HAS BEEN WITH THE TOWNSHIP FOR A LONG TIME AND HE'S GOING TO FINALLY RETIRE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A REAL, REAL TOUGH SITUATION FOR ALL OF US.
BUT WE HAVE A TRIBUTE FOR MARK AND I WILL READ FROM THE TRIBUTE.
WHEREAS MARK KIESELBACH JOINED THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TEAM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1980.
AND WHEREAS MARK HAS SERVED THE TOWNSHIP WITH DISTINCTION OVER THE PAST FORTY NINE.
NO, ONLY MR. WALSH WOULD WRITE THIS FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN MONTHS.
AND WHEREAS MARK HAS SERVED THE TOWNSHIP WITH DISTINCTION [INAUDIBLE] WHEREAS MARK'S LOYAL AND DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE IS A MODEL FOR ALL TO FOLLOW.
WHEREAS IN JANUARY 1980, THE TOP RATED TV SHOW WAS DALLAS NUMBER ONE SONG WAS MICHAEL JACKSON'S ROCK WITH YOU, A GALLON OF GAS WAS ONLY A DOLLAR FIFTY.
A POSTAGE STAMP WAS FIFTEEN CENTS.
THE AVERAGE PRICE OF A NEW CAR WAS SEVEN THOUSAND.
JIMMY CARTER WAS PRESIDENT AND MARK KIESELBACH WAS RIGHT HERE HELPING US OUT.
AND WHEREAS MARK'S IMPECCABLE RECORD OF SERVICE AS DIRECTOR, PLANNING, COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT WILL BE A LONG LASTING MEMORY FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD PRESUMABLY DESIGNATES MAY 25, 2021 AS MARK KIESELBACH DAY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF CHARTER COUNCIL MERIDIAN INGHAM COUNTY MICHIGAN THAT WE EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE TO MARK KIESELBACH FOR HIS 41 YEARS
[00:25:01]
OF LOYAL, DEDICATED AND IMPECCABLE PUBLIC SERVICE.[APPLAUSE] MARK WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? JUST THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR THE TRIBUTE.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR SERVING THE TOWNSHIP OVER THESE YEARS I HAD THE FORTUNE TO WORK WITH A LOT OF GREAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SERVE ON THOSE BOARDS WERE NOT ONLY DID I LEARN A LOT, BUT I HOPE I ENCOURAGE THEM TOO ON OUR PLANNING ISSUES.
AND I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WITH THE STAFF I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH OVER THE YEARS.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS TRIBUTE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF IT WASN'T FOR COVID TIMES WE WEREN'T ZOOMING WE'D HAVE YOU IN FRONT OF THE CROWD AND WE'D BE GIVING YOU A FRAMED VERSION OF THIS.
YOU'LL HAVE TO GET ONE EVENTUALLY FROM US, BUT WE WON'T SEND IT THROUGH THE ELECTRONICS BECAUSE IT MAY NOT COME UP OUT QUITE RIGHT.
SO WE WILL HAVE THAT HAND DELIVERED TO YOU.
WE NOW COME TO CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS, I KNOW WE HAVE MANY CITIZENS HERE, YOUR SCREEN, BUT TRUSTEE JACKSON HAS HER HAND UP.
THANK YOU, MS. JACKSON, PLEASE.
MR. SUPERVISOR, IF THAT WAS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, I WOULD HAPPILY SECOND THAT MOTION.
OH, WELL, WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
I WAS GOING TO ACTUALLY DO IT UNDER THE SET AGENDA, BUT WE CAN DO IT RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS A MOTION BY TRUSTEE JACKSON TO MAKE THAT TRIBUTE AN OFFICIAL RESOLUTION OF THIS TOWNSHIP BOARD.
IT'S SECONDED BY DAN OPSOMMER, TRUSTEE AND PRO TEM.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANYTHING ELSE PEOPLE WANT TO ADD, MR. OPSOMMER.
I JUST BRIEFLY WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MARK FOR HIS SERVICE AS WELL, AND WE'RE LOSING [INAUDIBLE] WITH FOUR DECADES OF CONTEXT FOR UPDATES TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ALL VARIOUS SECTIONS.
AND I'VE ONLY SERVED ON THE ZBA FOR A VERY BRIEF MOMENT IN TIME.
BUT TRUSTEE JACKSON AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SERVED ON THE ZBA FOR MUCH LONGER, LIKE [INAUDIBLE] CAN ATTEST TO HOW INSTRUMENTAL THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU POSSESS IS.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO BE AT A DISADVANTAGE MOVING FORWARD AND TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHY EVERYTHING IS THE WAY IT IS THAT IT IS AND WHY THOSE CHANGES OCCURRED OVER MANY DECADES IN TIME.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MARK.
AND I THINK I WOULD SUMMARIZE YOUR SERVICE THROUGH OUR SIGNED ORDINANCE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION THAT YOU HAVE SO WONDERFULLY PUT FORTH ON THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DRIVE THROUGH, SAY, DELTA TOWNSHIP AND YOU LOOK AT THE STREETSCAPE AND THE SCENERY AND THE FEEL OF THE COMMUNITY DOWN SAGINAW HIGHWAY VERSUS DRIVING DOWN GREEN RIVER OR MARSH ROAD WITH THE GREEN BELTS, THE TREES AND THE QUAINT SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY A TESTAMENT TO YOUR FOUR DECADES OF SERVICE.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, YES, QUICK GUTHRIE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR KIESELBACH FOR SORT OF THE INNER WORKINGS OF THINGS THAT THE TOWNSHIP THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T SEE.
WE'LL WATCH THE MEETINGS AND SEE ALL OF THOSE FANTASTIC PRESENTATIONS AND HEAR HIS KNOWLEDGE BUT ON THE BACK END OF THINGS.
I KNOW PERSONALLY, SINCE THEY BEGAN IN 1996 AS AN INTERN AT HOMTV THAT MARK HAS HAD THE MOST ULTIMATE OF PATIENTS WITH HOME TO THE INTERNS, PEOPLE GOING TO SCHOOL, LEARNING JOURNALISM AND GOING THROUGH THE ROPES AND ANSWERING HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF QUESTIONS AND WORKING WITH HUNDREDS OF INTERNS AND JUST THE AMOUNT OF PATIENCE THAT HE'S HAD IN HELPING TRAIN INTERNS.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING FROM MSU, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND THEY'RE GAINING IT HERE.
AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR KIND MENTORSHIP WITH ALL THE INTERNS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH HERE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL SUCCESS STORIES YOU KNOW AND NOW YOU HAVE ADRIENNE BROADDUS OVER AT CNN REPORTING.
AND SO YOUR PATIENCE HAS REALLY HELPED OUT.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I WILL CHIME IN AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IN MY NINE YEARS SO FAR WITH THE TOWNSHIP INVOLVEMENT IN TERMS OF BEING ON THE BOARD, ANY TIME I EVER HAD A QUESTION MARK
[00:30:01]
WAS ALWAYS THERE WITH THE ANSWER.EVEN AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, EVEN SOMETIMES ON A WEEKEND, HE WAS SO DEDICATED AND I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON HIM FOR WHATEVER I NEEDED.
AND HIS WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN TERMS OF HISTORY WAS JUST AMAZING.
AND SO OFTEN THAT'S KEY TO MAKING A DECISION, KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
OK, NOW ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON NOW WE GOT MARK THOROUGHLY EMBARRASSED.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO [INAUDIBLE] THERE WE GO.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS AND MR. GEBES DO YOU HAVE CITIZENS? AND IF WE DO, I WILL START THE LITTLE SPIEL ABOUT IT.WE DO HAVE CITIZENS, AND I'LL GIVE OUT THE TELEPHONE NUMBER REALLY QUICKLY FOR ANYBODY WHO MAY BE WATCHING VIA HOME TV 517-349-1232.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE PEOPLE QUEUING UP OTHERWISE, SIR.
OK, WELL, WE BASICALLY LIMIT YOU TO THREE MINUTES.
WE ASK YOU BE CIVIL, THAT YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, NOT INDIVIDUALS, EITHER ON THE BOARD OR OUT IN PUBLIC, THAT YOU DEAL WITH THE ISSUES SIX FEET AWAY AS YOU CAN AND KNOW THAT WE THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE A GIVE AND TAKE BACK AND FORTH WITH CITIZENS DURING THIS TIME.
HOWEVER, WE DO MAKE NOTE OF WHAT IS SAID AND OFTEN WILL REPLY IN OTHER WAYS, EITHER LATER IN THE MEETING OR IN OTHER MEETINGS.
SO WITH THAT, WE WOULD THEN BE READY FOR THIS PERSON TO COME THROUGH.
AND MA'AM, YOU ARE ON WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD RIGHT NOW, CAN YOU PLEASE BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS? THANK YOU.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JODY BOND AND I LIVE AT 1502 JOLLY ROAD IN OKEMOS.
I AM A VERY PROUD MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND I ALSO WORK AT ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
MY FAMILY AND I LOVE OUR LIFE HERE IN OKEMOS AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY PLEASED ABOUT THE THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS.
PACIFICALLY IN YOUR JOLLY AND OKEMOS ROAD.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE IN THIS PART OF THE TOWNSHIP IS ACCESS TO OUR HEALTH CARE SERVICES, PARTICULARLY EMERGENCY CARE AND SERVICES SUCH AS PRIMARY CARE OFFICES AND LAB [INAUDIBLE] I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN ABOUT SPARROW'S PLANS TO SELL THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE REZONING REQUEST IN REVIEWING THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING INFORMATION FOR TONIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SPARROW'S REQUEST WOULD REZONE TWO VACANT RESIDENTIAL PARCELS ALONG KANSAS ROAD WHILE LOSING TWO VACANT RESIDENTIAL PARCELS OF LAND MAY NOT BE CONSISTENT WITH THE TOWNSHIP PLAN TO CREATE MORE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPS TO FILL THE GAPS IN ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN SOUTHERN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND WHILE I AM VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THEIR CONCERNS.
I ENCOURAGE THE NEIGHBORS AND TRUSTEE'S TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS AND THE VALUES OF THIS PROJECT FOR THE OTHER 43000 RESIDENTS AND I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN OUR REGION, BUT WE LACK URGENT CARE SERVICES IN OUR PART OF THE TOWNSHIP, OUR AREAS TO HOSPITALS AND EMERGENCY ROOMS ARE GREAT IF YOU HAVE A BIG INJURY OR MAJOR MEDICAL ISSUE.
BUT THEY ARE VERY INCONVENIENT AND USUALLY EXTREMELY BUSY ONE EVENING FOLLOWING A TYPICAL SPORTS INJURY.
MY FAMILY AND I WAITED FOR OVER FOUR HOURS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO BE TREATED.
SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE OR HANDLED A LITTLE BIT QUICKER, MORE CONVENIENT.
AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, IF THERE WAS A STERILE FACILITY AVAILABLE.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
BUT WE ARE LACKING LOCAL HEALTH CARE.
I URGE THE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES TO APPROVE SPARROW'S REZONING REQUEST AS I BELIEVE THEY ARE PROPOSING A MUCH NEEDED VALUED COMMUNITY ASSET.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER, WE DO THE ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS WILL RANDLE, AND YOU CAN UN MUTE YOURSELF AND REMEMBER PLEASE TO BEGIN YOUR STATEMENT WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU, OK? MY NAME IS WILL RANDLE, I LIVE AT 4409 DOBIE ROAD OKEMOS, MICHIGAN.
I JUST WANTED TO WEIGH IN TONIGHT, NOT ONLY AS A RESIDENT OF A TOWNSHIP, BUT ALSO AS A DEVELOPER WHO HAS BEEN A PARTICIPANT IN THE
[00:35:03]
DEVELOPMENT NOT ONLY OF THE AREA THAT SPARROW IS PROPOSED TO BE IN, BUT ALSO OTHER AREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, INCLUDING THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.AND I CAN JUST TELL YOU AS A DEVELOPER, THE ASSETS, THE AMENITIES THAT I LOOK AT FOR ATTRACTING BUYERS TO ANY TYPE OF HOUSING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC, IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE WE HAVE TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE NOT ONLY WITH OUR EDUCATION, BUT ALSO WITH OUR HEALTH CARE.
AND I THINK THAT ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE AND OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS ARE TWO GREAT AMENITIES THAT I WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD AS SUPPORTING.
AND I THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE USE AND AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION.
BY THE WAY, MR. GEBES I NOTICED THERE'S A HAND UP, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MEANT TO BE OR NOT BY OUR ATTORNEY.
IF IF YOU PLEASE, MR. SUPERVISOR, I DO HAVE A COMMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
I LIVE AT 6149 COTTAGE DRIVE AND MY OFFICE IS AT 4151 OKEMOS ROAD.
IT HAS BEEN MY GREAT PLEASURE TO SERVE AS YOUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
AND IT IS MY SAD TASK TO TELL YOU THAT THE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN OUR FIRM AND THE TOWNSHIP IS COMING TO A CLOSE AND IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE TO SERVE YOU, WE WILL NEED TO SIT DOWN AND REACH A RENEWED CONTRACT.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DO VERY MUCH.
I'VE REALLY ENJOYED REPRESENTING THE TOWNSHIP OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS.
IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC CHALLENGE.
YOU'VE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, OUR 25 LAWYERS WORK IN TOWNSHIPS ALL AROUND THE STATE.
BUT IT IS JUST IT'S SOMETHING SPECIAL TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE TOWNSHIP WHERE YOU LIVE AND AND WHERE WE HAVE OUR OFFICE.
AND SO WE'RE VERY, VERY THANKFUL TO THE BOARD, TO THE STAFF FOR ALL THE COOPERATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM YOU AND THE ABILITY TO HELP YOU IN SO MANY MATTERS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN AND TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER THREE YEARS, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS WILLING TO DO.
OUR LAW FIRM IS CERTAINLY WILLING TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER, MR. GEBES, MA'AM YOU ARE ON THE BOARD WITH THE YOU'RE ON THE PHONE WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND THEN YOU CAN GO ON.
HI, THIS IS SHARON MORRISETT 3531 INDIANA ROAD, I'M CALLING BECAUSE I'M VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THE CHANGE.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED IN OUR HOME FOR 40 YEARS AND I SEE IT ADDING NO VALUE TO OUR LIFE.
THE LIGHT POLLUTION ALONE WE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS GONE ON IS MORE THAN WE BARGAINED FOR.
IT DOES NOT ADD TO OUR PROPERTY VALUE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
IF ANYTHING, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM OUR NICE RURAL ATMOSPHERE WE HAD GOING THERE, IT WAS JUST VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH OPPOSED.
THAT WOULD BE JERRY MORRISETT AND SHARON MORRISETT.
ANOTHER SPEAKER? ARE WE ALL SET CAN I HANG UP NOW? OH, YES, YOU'RE DONE.
I'M LOOKING FOR ANOTHER SPEAKER.
APOLOGIES THE TELEPHONE WAS RINGING.
WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S IDENTIFIED AS JAYANT MURTHY.
WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK YOU MAYBE THE PERSON WHO JUST CALLED NOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN ENABLED PLEASE UNMUTE, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
HI, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS JAY MURTHY I'M A RESIDENT OF 2483 ROBINS WAY AND MY PROPERTY DEAD ENDS ON KANSAS.
AND JUST TWO THINGS I WANTED TO SAY THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DIDN'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARY TO INFORM A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THE SPARROW DEVELOPMENT.
I'M JUST ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM THAT PROPERTY.
[00:40:02]
NEVER GOT A NOTICE FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.SO THAT IS A CHANGE FROM PAST PROPOSALS THAT HAVE REACHED THE BOARD.
I AM OPPOSING THAT BECAUSE I'VE UNFORTUNATELY BEEN IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE NINE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE CHALLENGING REZONING PROPOSALS.
I BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY FOR A REASON AND THE REASON WAS THAT IT DID HAVE A RURAL FEEL TO IT.
AND I'M ACTUALLY HONESTLY QUITE TIRED OF FIGHTING THE BOARD EVERY THREE YEARS ABOUT SOME REZONING PROPOSAL.
I THINK SPARROW BEING THERE, BEING IN THIS.
AREA FOR MANY, MANY YEARS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NEED FOR MAYBE MEDICAL CARE, BUT I FEEL THAT THEY'RE DOING IT JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A NICE BIG HOSPITAL COMING UP JUST ABOUT THREE MILES FROM THE OKEMOS LOCATION.
SO THIS IS A MORE COMPETITIVE REASON RATHER THAN AN ALTRUISTIC REASON THAT SPARROW SEEMS TO BE PROPOSING.
THIS IS PURELY BUSINESS AS THE WAY I SEE IT.
SO I'M THOROUGHLY OPPOSED TO THIS.
IT TAKES AWAY THE VALUE OF MY PROPERTY.
THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL WALKS WE TAKE EVERY DAY ON KANSAS ROAD.
AND NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY I SEE IT, I'D BE LOOKING AT THE DUMPSTER IN THE BACKYARD OF A SPARROW HOSPITAL BUILDING WITH MEDICAL WASTE IN IT.
SO I JUST WANT TO RECORD MY OPPOSITION TO THIS PROPOSAL.
THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHER PROPERTIES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT CAN BE USED MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN TRYING TO CONVERT A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY INTO A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER, MR. GEBES, MR. MURTHY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS CELENE TABRIZI.
I THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO TURN THE MEETING DOWN IN THE BACKGROUND, PLEASE.
I DON'T SEE THEM ON MY SCREEN ANYMORE.
GOOD EVENING DEAR BOARD MEMBERS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MARK.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GOOD SERVICE, SIR.
I'M CELENE TABRIZI THE CO-OWNER OF 3566 KANSAS ROAD WHERE MY DAUGHTER RESIDES AND 3917 SHELDRAKE AVENUE WHERE I RESIDE.
I'M DISCUSSING YOUR AGENDA ITEM TWO ONE ZERO TWO ZERO, WHICH IS THE PROPOSAL TO REZONE TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS ON KANSAS ROAD INTO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DESIGNATION.
AS YOU KNOW, THE MERIDIAN PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSED THIS REZONING REQUEST ON MARCH 6TH AND UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED THE PROPOSAL ON MARCH 22ND.
THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN DOES NOT REFLECT NOR INCLUDE POTENTIAL REZONING OF THE TWO PARCELS INTO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE CATEGORY.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ON KANSAS AND INDIANA, AND EVEN NOW ROBINS WAY ROADS VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE THIS PROPOSAL, AS REFLECTED IN THE PETITION INCLUDED IN YOUR MEETING PACKET.
WE EXPRESSED OUR DEEP CONCERNS AND CONTINUE TO VOICE OUR OPPOSITION TO THE REZONING PROPOSAL.
SPOT REZONING THESE TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS, REGARDLESS OF ANY RATIONALE, IS DETRIMENTAL.
IT WILL DESTROY THE IDYLLIC NATURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR RURAL LIKE LIFESTYLE, THAT TRANQUILITY AND SAFETY.
IT WILL DEPRECIATE THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES, ENTICING MY FAMILY TO ACCEPT THE REZONING BY PROMISING ACCESS TO CITY WATER.
GREEN BUFFER BETWEEN THE PROPOSED BUILDING AND OUR HOME DOES NOT CHANGE MY OPPOSITION TO THIS REZONING PROPOSAL.
THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES 24/7 MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICES.
IMAGINE THAT NEXT DOOR TO YOUR HOME.
AS A RESIDENT AND VOTER, I RESPECTFULLY EXPECT EACH BOARD MEMBER TO PUT THE WELFARE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST, SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WELL INFORMED PLANNING COMMISSION, AND FOLLOW THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN.
REGARDLESS OF THE PROMISES PROVIDED IN THIS DEVELOPER'S PROPOSAL.
ONCE THE REZONING IS GRANTED, THE PARCELS ARE FAIR GAME.
IN A FEW YEARS, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WILL HAVE CHILDREN.
THINK ABOUT THESE CHILDREN PLAYING IN THEIR BACKYARDS, WALKING TO CATCH THE SCHOOL
[00:45:02]
BUS.KIDS TO ME, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO FEEL SAFE.
AS WE STATED IN OUR E-MAIL TO YOU, DATED MAY 6TH, DEVELOPERS AND CONTRACTORS HAVE MANY OTHER OPTIONS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP THEY SHOULD EXPLORE AND ACT UPON AS THEY SEE FIT.
INSTEAD OF REDUCING KANSAS STREET BY TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS, PLEASE HELP US TO FURTHER DEVELOP IT INTO A MORE ATTRACTIVE AND DESIRED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
YOU HAVE NO OTHER CALLERS AND NO OTHER HANDS AT THIS TIME, SIR.
YEAH THERE'S HANDS THAT ARE RAISING NOW MR. MURTHY'S ALREADY SPOKEN, BUT JOHN FAICHNEY WE'RE ENABLING YOU TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
YOU CAN UNMUTE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
YES, JOHN FAICHNEY I KNOW RON WAS UNCLEAR ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I HAD PRACTICED MEDICINE IN THE AREA AND ACTUALLY SENT ME A NICE LITTLE NOTE THANKING ME FOR MY COMMUNICATIONS.
ACTUALLY, RON, I SPENT ALMOST 45 YEARS PRACTICING MEDICINE IN MICHIGAN, AND I JUST RETIRED TWO YEARS AGO, BUT I'M AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST.
MY LAST ACADEMIC TITLE WAS CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
MY WIFE AND I IN OUR HOME ON SHELDRAKE AND OUR DAUGHTER IS IS NOW ON KANSAS.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS A PHYSICIAN, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY SERVICES.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WITHOUT GOING OVER MY CRITICISM OF THE WAY THAT THE SUITOR FOR THE SERVICES PRESENTED IT TO US, WHICH IS, WELL, I WILL ACTUALLY HE SAID THAT THIS WAS A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE BUILDING AND CAMOUFLAGE THE FACT THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY AN EMERGENCY ROOM.
THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY DISINGENUOUS TO PRESENT THIS THIS PROPOSAL WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW AT THE FIRST AT THE FIRST THAT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY ROOM THAT WAS PROPOSED.
WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE, THAT IT HAD TO BE THIS SPOT.
I SPOKE TO THE BROKER ACROSS THE STREET.
I KNOW IT'S A LENDON TOWNSHIP, TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND SQUARE FEET VERSUS THIRTY THOUSAND FOR WHAT SPARROW IS PROPOSING.
THEY DO SOME LITTLE, YOU KNOW, WORK INSIDE.
THEY CAN DO THEIR FREESTANDING EMERGENCY ROOM.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO HOUSES STANDING NEXT TO THEM OR ACROSS FROM THEM, ETC..
WE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED IN THAT BUILDING, THAT TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND FOOT SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
YOU KNOW, INFORMED CONSENT IS ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL IN MEDICINE.
YOU KNOW, THE PATIENTS HAVE TO ACCEPT ONLY AFTER THEY DON'T HAVE TO, BUT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT ONLY AFTER PROPER INFORMATION, PROPER COUNSEL, PROPER KNOWLEDGE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T CONSENT.
IN MY OPINION, THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IS THERE AND IF SPARROW DOES NOT WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR PLANNING STRUCTURE AND OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT WE CAN FIND ANOTHER EMERGENCY SERVICE PROVIDER WHO WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP US OUT.
FAICHNEY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS PIOTR LUPA.
YES, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
AND THIS IS PIOTR LUPA OF 3575 KANSAS ROAD IE ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED
[00:50:04]
REZONING, AND I ALSO OPPOSE REZONING OF THE RESIDENTIAL PARCELS TO COMMERCIAL USE.WHEN I CAME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, MY WIFE AND I SPENT A LOT OF ENERGY TO FIX UP THE HOUSES.
MY DAUGHTER WILL BE JOINING US HERE, GOING TO THE OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL THIS FALL, AND WE BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNIQUE IN NATURE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, HAS THAT RURAL FEELING.
I THINK IT'S UNIQUE, IT ATTRACTS OTHER PEOPLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I THINK WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DRASTICALLY CHANGED FOR WHITE PEOPLE I MOVED TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND CHERISH IT.
IF THE INVESTOR WANTS TO INVEST, THERE IS ALSO OPEN, VACANT, I THINK, FOR LEASE OR SALE PROPERTY JUST EAST OF THE INDUSTRIAL LOT, AND I THINK.
YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME NEW INVESTMENT AND CHANGE, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT CHANGE IS JUST PART OF LIFE, BUT I THINK THE INVESTORS SHOULD LOOK FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE TO BUILD WITHIN, YOU KNOW, LAND THAT'S ALREADY ZONED FOR WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO VERSUS REZONING A RESIDENTIAL AREA INTO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? WE'RE SEEING JAY MURTHY AGAIN RAISING A HAND, BUT OF COURSE, THAT CALLER HAS ALREADY SPOKEN.
THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER CHANCE AT THE END OF THE MEETING MR. MURTHY.
THE SECOND ONE WILL BE AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
GO AHEAD, MR. GEBES AND THERE ARE THERE ARE NO OTHER THERE ARE NO OTHER CALLERS OR ATTENDEES AT THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT, WE NOW MOVE ON TO THE TOWNSHIP MANAGERS REPORT.
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR AND BOARD, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO FOLLOW.I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN THESE REZONING SORT OF THINGS HAPPEN ARE REQUESTED, WE FOLLOW STATE LAW.
WE DON'T WILLY NILLY DECIDE WHO WE'RE GOING TO SEND A NOTICE TO.
NOTICES ARE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WHO ARE AFFECTED.
THE AFFECTED DEFINITION COMES FROM THE STATE THREE HUNDRED FEET WITHIN THE PROPERTY LINES.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO ON EVERY REZONING THAT COMES UP, REGARDLESS OF WHO, WHAT, WHERE AND WHY.
SO WE TREAT EVERYONE THE SAME IN EVERY SITUATION.
I WANT TO START BY THANKING OF MR. KIESELBACH FOR HIS INTEGRITY, HIS LOYALTY AND HIS DEDICATION OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS.
WE'VE WE'VE ENJOYED WORKING TOGETHER.
I CAN SAY THAT AND I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
THE CITY OF MASON, WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS RIGHT NOW.
WE PROVIDE BUILDING OPERATIONS FOR THE CITY OF MASON.
AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO YOU BEFORE.
IT'S ABOUT A THIRTY TO THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR CONTRACT FOR US CONTINUING THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
THE CITY OF EAST LANSING, OF COURSE, NOTIFIED US.
WE'VE HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
WELL, THEY DIDN'T NOTIFY US [INAUDIBLE] THE ASSESSOR TOLD US THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TERMINATE AN ELEVEN YEAR AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE HAD GOING BACK TO 2010 THAT WAS NEGOTIATED BY [INAUDIBLE] RICHARDS AND THEN THE LATE MANAGER, TED STAYTON.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE SCRAMBLING NOW.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A LEVEL FOUR MASTER ASSESSOR.
THOSE ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND.
AND THE ONES THAT DO ARE SO BUSY.
SO MR. PERRY AND DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] HOFFMAN, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
WE DO HAVE SOME TIME UNDER THE CONTRACT.
BUT THAT'S NOT A LOT OF TIME WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN ASSESSOR.
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE A POTENTIAL FOR US SECURING A LEVEL THREE ASSESSOR, WHICH IS ONE LEVEL BELOW, AND THEN HAVING THAT INDIVIDUAL SIGN UP AND ENROLL IN THE MASTER LEVEL ASSESSING CLASSES TO THE STATE THEN WE CAN WORK WITH THE TAX COMMISSION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY TO HAVE A WAIVER FOR UP TO TWO YEARS THAT THAT INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH US.
THERE'S A LOT OF HURDLES TO JUMP OVER, BUT WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY TO MAKE THAT
[00:55:01]
HAPPEN.A NUMBER OF US, DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] AND I ATTENDED THE INDIAN HILLS MEETING A WEEK AGO AND SPOKE TO A GROUP OF ABOUT TWENTY FIVE.
THERE'S A MEETING TOMORROW WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY THAT THE SUPERVISOR WILL PARTICIPATE IN.
AND REGARDING TREE CLEARANCE, LAKEVIEW APARTMENTS CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR US UP IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE TOWNSHIP, OUR WHOLE DEPARTMENT AND OUR LEGAL TEAM.
I THINK WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE FROM OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT ARE WORKING, OUR LEGAL FIRM THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.
PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS.
AND IF IT REQUIRES A SHOWDOWN, I CAN TELL YOU PUBLICLY, I WILL TELL YOU WE ARE UP FOR IT AND WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE THERE.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE GEORGETOWN SEWER PAYBACK THAT DATES BACK TEN YEARS AGO AND THAT DATES BACK TO 2013 AS WELL THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THE CHIEF IS WORKING ON MOUNT HOPE ON A SPEED LIMIT WITH WITH THE COUNTY.
WE'RE WALKING OUR NEW HOME ON TV.
INTERNS WILL BE STARTING ON MONDAY THE 24TH, AND WE'LL BE WALKING THEM TO THE TOWNSHIP.
AND ON JUNE 1ST, YOUR NEXT MEETING, A LOT TO GET THROUGH.
ON JUNE 1ST, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE REPORT ON OUR ANNUAL AUDIT.
YOU'LL HAVE THE JOLLY RD REZONING WILL BE BACK ON THE SURVEY WILL BE BACK ON HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE MEETING OUR NEW ASSESSOR AND THE SMART ZONE WILL BE BACK.
THAT'S A LOT OF THINGS COMING UP BY JUNE 1ST FOR THE BOARD.
AND TODAY WE RECEIVED OUR FEDERAL PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH PAYROLL REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I'D ALSO LIKE ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR SUPERVISOR, RON STYKA AND HIS WIFE, GEORGIA, NEXT WEEK.
THEY'LL HAVE BEEN MARRIED 50 YEARS.
IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO THE BOARD, TO THE COMMUNITY TIM SCHMITT.
TIM SCHMITT IS OUR NEW COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
HE HAILS FROM BEAVER CREEK, OHIO, GRADUATED FROM THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL AS MY NEPHEW AND IS A GRADUATE OF THE OHIO UNIVERSITY.
HIS GRADUATE WORK IS AT OHIO STATE.
HE'S A BUCKEYE, AND HE HAS SERVED THE CITIES OF [INAUDIBLE] THE CITY OF EAST LANSING AND THE CITY OF HOWELL OVER THE LAST TWENTY YEARS, MOST RECENTLY WITH A CITY OF HOWELL SIX YEARS OF THEIR FIVE YEARS AS THEIR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK TIM JUST TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO THE BOARD OF THE COMMITTEE.
WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MANAGER WALSH I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO GET BACK TO MID-MICHIGAN.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER A DECADE NOW.
I HAVE A LOT OF DEEP ROOTS IN THE MID-MICHIGAN COMMUNITY AND ALREADY GOING THROUGH FILES AND SEEING NAMES OF PEOPLE THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST AND HAD SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS WITH SO I'M VERY EXCITED.
I'VE ALREADY TRIED TO MEET AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN AND TALK ABOUT AS MANY PROJECTS AS WE CAN IN 48 HOURS.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH SHOES TO FILL.
MR. KIESELBACH, FRANKLY, WAS AN INSTITUTION IN MICHIGAN AND I HOPE TO FOLLOW HIS LEGACY.
AND WHILE STILL CHARGING A NEW PATH FORWARD FOR THE TOWNSHIP, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE IN THE COMING YEARS.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND FINALLY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'D LIKE TO COME OUT AND HONOR AND RECOGNIZE MR. KIESELBACH, WE ARE PLANNING A TRIBUTE TO HIM ON TUESDAY, THE 25TH, WHICH IS MARK KIESELBACH DAY.
THE NAMES ARE NOT THAT CREATIVE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
AND THE EVENT WILL BE 3 TO 4:30 IN THE TOWNSHIP PAVILION.
AND I WANT TO THANK AN ANONYMOUS DONOR FROM THE DAY WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO US FOR DONATION SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A VERY NICE SEND OFF.
AND SO WE'LL BE SERVING MSU COOKIES AND DUSTY'S CAKE AT THIS EVENT, 3 TO 4:30 NEXT TUESDAY THE 25TH, AND THERE WILL BE A BRIEF CEREMONY AT 4 O'CLOCK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SUPERVISOR AND BOARD, AND WELCOME, MR. SCHMITT.
MY SECOND YEAR LAW SCHOOL ROOMMATE WAS AN OH KID, AS WE USED TO LIKE TO CALL IT, HE WENT TO OHIO UNIVERSITY AND IT'S NICE TO SEE ANOTHER FRIENDLY FACE FROM DOWN THERE.
ATHENS, ISN'T IT? ISN'T THAT WHERE IT'S FROM ATHENS? THAT'S COLLEGE DOWN IN THE MIDWEST.
NO, NO, [INAUDIBLE] WAS BETTER ANYWAY.
OK, I GO EAST LANSING AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA OH ANY QUESTIONS FOR [INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEE JACKSON.
YES, FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME, MR. SCHMITT.
AND SECONDLY, ASK MR. WALSH FOR A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ABOUT THE LAKEVIEW ISSUE THAT YOU CITED.
YOU NOTED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.
[01:00:04]
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, ARE THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE ISSUES, PARTICULARLY BUILDING INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE, THE KINDS OF ISSUES OR WHAT IS THAT? IT'S ALL OF THOSE THINGS.MADAM TRUSTEE, IT'S THE CONDITION THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING SUBJECT TO LIVE IN THAT ARE DEPLORABLE AND THEY NEED TO BE THEY NEED TO BE FIXED AND WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THE CONDITION OF THE FURNACES, THE CONDITION OF THE ROOFS, THE CONDITION, I COULD GO ON AND ON THE WATER ISSUES THAT EXIST.
AND THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, TRUSTEE JACKSON, IS THAT A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED MR. KIESELBACH, MR. SCHMITT'S DEPARTMENT IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE BUILDING CODES, BUT ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE MARSHAL WILL BE INVOLVED AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE SAFETY TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING UP THERE AND INSPECTING.
SO I'VE ASKED AND CHIEF PLAGA HAS VOLUNTEERED TO SEND LAW ENFORCEMENT UP PROTECTING OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING UP THERE AND WORKING ONSITE.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING ON IT AT THIS TIME.
AND I SHOULD MENTION, OF COURSE, OUR LEGAL TEAM, THEY ARE VERY BUSY ON THIS.
I'LL BE OPPOSING THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS RETAINED PARKHILL FOR THEIR LEGAL PART OF THIS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF MANAGER WALSH? OK, WE'RE READY FOR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANYONE
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO MENTION? THIS IS THE TIME BOARD MEMBERS, CLERK.I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WILL BE HAVING A MEMORIAL DAY EVENT AT GLENDALE CEMETERY ON MAY 31ST, AT 11:00 A.M.
THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE TODAY AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PUT OUT INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT DURING THIS MEETING SO THAT PEOPLE KNEW THAT IT IS HAPPENING AND THAT THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO JOIN US.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, YOU HAD YOUR HEAD UP AS WELL.
YES, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE THE BOARD REAL BRIEFLY.
THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD DID MEET LAST WEEK ON WEDNESDAY AND DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY CAME WITH OUR PATHWAY MASTER PLAN AND OUR CONTINUED EFFORT TO UPDATE THAT PLAN DURING THE 2021 CALENDAR YEAR UNDER OUR GOALS.
AND SO THE LAND PRESERVATION BOARD WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THAT.
AND THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WILL BE MEETING ON THURSDAY.
AND I BELIEVE WE WILL BE HAVING CONTINUED CONVERSATION ON THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO REPORT THIS EVENING.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? SPEAK UP BECAUSE I DON'T SPOT YOU.
THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE AGENDA.
I APPROVE OF THE AGENDA, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD APPROVE IT WITH A
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
COUPLE OF CHANGES, OR AT LEAST ONE IN PARTICULAR, ARE WE CURRENTLY.HAVE, AS ITEM C UNDER ACTION, A COMMUNITY SURVEY DRAFT AND I WOULD LIKE US TO BE APPROVING THE AGENDA WITH THAT AS NUMBER E UNDER DISCUSSION.
I'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS APPROACHED ME SEPARATELY SAYING THEY THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME AND I AGREE.
SO UNLESS THERE'S A STRONG OBJECTION, WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD.
ADOPT THE AGENDA WITH THAT CHANGE.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED BY OR AS RECOMMENDED BY SUPERVISOR STYKA TO MOVE ITEM 12 E TO ITEM 13 E.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS SO MODIFIED MS. JACKSON.
ARE YOU SECONDING? SUPPORT YES.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR THE AGENDA? IF NOT, WE WILL NEED A VOTE MS. GUTHRIE.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH HAS A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON IT.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
FIRST IS THE COMMUNICATIONS WHICH WAS PROVIDED TO US IN THE PACKET BY THE CLERK, OUR[01:05:03]
MINUTES OF THE APRIL 2021 VIRTUAL REGULAR BOARD MEETING AND THEN THE BILLS THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, IT'S UNDER 9C.AND FINALLY, THE DNR ACQUISITION GRANT FOR PROPERTY ON OKEMOS ROAD.
CONSENT AGENDA NEEDS A MOTION.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ANYTHING PULL OFF ANY MINUTES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, YES TRUSTEE JACKSON.
WE'RE NOW READY TO WE HAVE NO ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE SOME LATER ON IN OTHER ITEMS, WE DON'T HAVE THE GENERAL QUESTIONS FOR ATTORNEY.
WE DO HAVE HEARINGS AND THE FIRST ONE IS THE OR THE ONLY ONE, I GUESS.
[11A. Powell Road Public Road Improvement SAD #43]
POWELL ROAD PUBLIC ROAD IMPROVEMENT, SAD NUMBER FORTY THREE.MR. [INAUDIBLE] INTRODUCE THAT.
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT'S BEEN REPORTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE CULMINATION OF IT.
THE PROJECT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
PAVING IS ACTUALLY EXPECTED THIS WEEK, WEATHER HOLDS OUT FOR THEM.
AND ESSENTIALLY THIS IS ABOUT SIXTEEN HUNDRED FEET OF PAVING FROM GRAND RIVER NORTH ON POWELL ROAD FOR THE SILVER STONE SUBDIVISION.
AND AGAIN, THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, THE LARGE PORTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAVING WILL BE PAID BY THE DEVELOPER.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A PORTION THAT WILL GET REIMBURSED THROUGH THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.
THE TOTAL FINAL ASSESSMENT WAS FIVE HUNDRED FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED SIXTY NINE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY ONE CENTS, WHICH TWO HUNDRED TWENTY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THREE DOLLARS AND FORTY SIX CENTS WILL BE REIMBURSED TO THE DEVELOPER ONCE THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS IS COMPLETE.
AS PART OF THAT, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HOLD TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, THIS IS THE SECOND OF THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS TO HEAR CONCERNS, COMMENTS REGARDING THAT.
ALL RIGHT, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTING THAT, IN FACT, THIS WILL THEN BE APPEARING LATER ON THE AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPENED AT 7:06.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO IS PRESENT WANTS TO SPEAK WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM.
IF YOU DO, LET MR. GEBES KNOW, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ONCE AGAIN, WE CAN TAKE TELEPHONE CALLS AT FIVE ONE SEVEN THREE FOUR NINE, ONE, TWO, THREE, TWO.
BUT ALREADY YOU HAVE A RAISED HAND BY A ZOOM ATTENDEE IDENTIFIED AS HELEN HOANG.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
MS. HONG, GO AHEAD, GO FORWARD.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ACTUALLY CATHY, AND I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HELEN HOANG.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT? THAT'S FINE.
SO, HELEN HOANG IS THE OWNER OF 4714 ON POWELL ROAD? AND SO THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM HELEN HERSELF.
I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THREE REASONS WHY I DISAGREE WITH THIS PARCEL ASSESSMENT.
AND SO THE FIRST REASON IN A SEPARATE MEETING WE HAD DISCUSSED THAT MAYBERRY IS PAYING IN FULL FOR THE FRONTAGE OF 20 HOMES WITHIN SILVERSTONE'S SUBDIVISION AND THE REST OF POWELL ROAD CONSTRUCTION COSTS WILL BE SPLIT ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HOWEVER, MY PROPERTY'S FRONTAGE IS AT THE START OF [INAUDIBLE] SO EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, INCLUDING MAYBERRY'S 20 HOMES, WILL NEED TO SHARE THE USAGE OF MY FRONTAGE TO GET TO THEIR HOMES.
AND SO IT WOULD BE MORE FAIR IF THESE 20 PLOTS ALSO SHARE THE COST OF MY FRONTAGE, SINCE THEY WILL ALSO SHARE THE USE OF MY FRONTAGE.
SECOND POINT, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY RELATED IN THE FUTURE, WHEN POWELL ROAD WILL NEED REPAIRS, WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE REPAIR COSTS? WILL I STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE ENTIRE PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE USING AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONTAGE OF THE ROAD? BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL BE USING MY FRONTAGE, I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD ALSO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE REPAIR COSTS OF THIRD AND LAST POINT.
MY PROPERTY IS RESIDENTIAL AND IT IS NOT COMMERCIAL.
HOWEVER, THE REST OF THE CURRENT RESIDENTIAL HOMES WILL NOT NEED TO PAY ANYTHING IN ORDER TO BENEFIT FROM THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, WHEREAS I WILL UNFORTUNATELY NEED TO PAY
[01:10:03]
ABOUT EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THIS COST IS SIMPLY JUST TOO GREAT FOR ME TO PAY.AND WITH THE LITTLE INCOME I MAKE FROM MY TENANT, IT WILL NOT COVER THE COST.
AND SO MY PROPERTY IS NOT VERY VALUABLE.
SO, I MIGHT NEED TO RAISE THE RENT IN ORDER TO HELP PAY FOR THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT COSTS.
BUT MY TENANT, MIGHT END UP LEAVING IN THE END AND SO I MIGHT LOSE THE INCOME AND HAVE TO PAY THE EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH COST AND RISK FOR A SMALL COMPANY LIKE MY OWN.
SO I HOPE THAT I HAVE MADE MY POINT THERE AND I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE THIS EXTREME BURDEN FROM THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.
ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING? WE HAVE NO OTHER HANDS AND THERE ARE NO TELEPHONE CALLS, SIR.
THEN WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 4:10, AND AS I SAID, THIS WILL BE COMING UP IN THE NEXT SECTION OF THE MEETING, AS THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH WILL BE VERY SOON NOW.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE ACTION ITEMS, THE FIRST ONE BEING THE POWELL ROAD PUBLIC
[12A. Powell Road Public Road Improvement SAD #43- Resolution #5]
SAD # 43.THE ONLY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS I'LL MAKE IN REGARDS TO THIS IS THE DEVELOPER IS SHARING IN THOSE COSTS.
AND ALTHOUGH THOSE PARCELS ARE NOT SPLIT OUT, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY PAYING FOR THE ENTIRE AREA OF THAT DEVELOPMENT AND THOSE COSTS.
AND THE DEVELOPER DID PAY THE ENTIRE COST FOR THE ROAD THAT'S WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT, TYPICALLY WHEN WE DO A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT ON A ROAD, WE LOOK AT A 10 YEAR PAYBACK.
WITH THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONSIDERABLE COST WITH THE POOR SOILS IN THE AREA, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IT GO TO A 15 YEAR PAYBACK TO BASICALLY PROVIDE A LITTLE RELIEF FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS A LITTLE LONGER TIME, SMALLER ANNUAL PAYMENTS AS A RESULT BY GOING TO A LONGER TERM.
AND AGAIN, ONCE THE ROAD HAS BEEN APPROVED AND ACCEPTED BY THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT, FUTURE MAINTENANCE WILL BE PAID FOR OUT OF PUBLIC ACT 51.
ONE ESSENTIALLY BECOMES A PUBLIC ROAD, AND THAT'S HOW FUTURE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ARE PAID FOR.
THE ONLY OTHER CAVEAT TO THAT IS OBVIOUSLY OUR LOCAL ROAD MILLAGE PROGRAM.
OF COURSE THAT WILL BE EXPIRING IN EIGHT YEARS.
AT THAT POINT, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON HOW DO WE CONTINUE ON WITH THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, PAID OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, ROADS ARE PAID FOR THROUGH THE ACTIVE ONE AT FILLING UP THE GAS PUMP AND PAYING YOUR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES.
COULD YOU REITERATE MAKE IT CLEAR HOW IT IS THAT THESE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS ARE PAID? I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD WRITE A CHECK FOR EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO.
YOU ALLUDED TO IT, JUST MORE DETAIL.
SO THESE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS HAVE A TERM THAT [INAUDIBLE] ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE] RESOLUTION NUMBER FIVE AND DURATION REALLY IS SET BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
WE TYPICALLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S YOUR DECISION AS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
AND WE WILL LOOK AT THE END COSTS.
AND USUALLY IF THEY'RE ABOVE SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER PARCEL, A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL LOOK AT A LONGER DURATION FOR PAYMENT, PAYING THEM BACK OR IF THERE'S MULTIPLE UTILITIES INVOLVED, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE JUST PROVIDE GUIDANCE WITH THAT.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THE PROJECT ORIGINALLY WAS ESTIMATED AT FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHICH IS A PRETTY EXPENSIVE ROAD JUST BECAUSE OF THE POOR SOILS THERE, THIS ONE GOT BUMPED UP BY ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL FORTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST TO DEAL WITH THOSE SOILS.
SO WE THOUGHT IT MADE SENSE TO BASICALLY DO A LONGER TERM.
AND AS THE SUPERVISOR ALLUDED TO, IF THIS IS APPROVED TONIGHT, JUNE 1ST, YOU WOULD RECEIVE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT BILL FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY IT ALL OFF, PAY A PORTION OF IT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE INITIAL ANNUAL PAYMENT, OR PAY ALL OF IT AT ONCE.
OTHERWISE, IT GETS BROKEN DOWN INTO 15 PAYMENTS.
AND AGAIN, YOU GET AN ANNUAL BILL FOR THAT.
AND WHEN YOU SELL THE PROPERTY OR IT CHANGES HANDS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ASSESSMENT.
IF THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO A LAND DIVISION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S GOING TO CHANGE IN THE STATE LAW AS FAR AS LAND DIVISIONS GO.
IF THAT OCCURS, THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS NEED TO BE PAID IN FULL SO THEY DON'T CREATE SOME ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS.
BUT IF THE PROPERTY SELLS, THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT REMAINS WITH THE PROPERTY.
SO NORMALLY A SALE WOULD FACTOR THAT INTO THE PRICE, ET CETERA.
[01:15:02]
CORRECT.I WAS NOT PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION JUST YET.
MR. PERRY, DID YOU SAY THAT WE EXTENDED THIS SAD TO 15 YEARS OR WE ARE EXTENDING IT FROM 15 YEARS TO A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME? CAN YOU VERIFY THAT? YEP.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO EXTEND FROM THE NORMAL 10 YEARS TO THE 15 YEARS FOR THE ROAD.
AND IS THAT OUTLINED IN THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US? I WAS TRYING TO SKIM THROUGH AND FIND IT.
IN PART OF RESOLUTION 5, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THE TREASURER'S OFFICE WOULD BLOCK THAT.
SECTION FIVE NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, PART FIVE SAYS THAT THE ASSESSED PARCELS ON THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLL SHALL BE DIVIDED INTO 15 ANNUAL [INAUDIBLE].
NORMALLY, ON A [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT, IT WOULD SAY 10.
I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
OBVIOUSLY, INTEREST RATES ARE LOW, SO RIGHT NOW IT MAKES SENSE TO EXTEND THIS KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE COST OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, AND I THINK IT HELPS DISTRIBUTE THE BURDEN.
WELL, ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE A THOUGHT TO SHARE.
AND I EXPRESSED THIS ONE OF THE PREVIOUS TIMES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE.
I DO APPRECIATE WHAT THE DEVELOPER OF THE SILVERSTONE ESTATE SUBDIVISION HAS DONE IN HOLDING THE PRE THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENT EXEMPTION HOMES ON POWELL ROAD HARMLESS.
SO THE HOMES WHERE THEY ARE OCCUPIED BY RESIDENTS.
I DO NOTE, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE DEVELOPERS CREATED TWO BUCKETS.
THERE'S THE BUSINESS PARCELS, WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY COMMERCIAL FRONTING AT GRAND RIVER.
THERE IS A PROSPECTIVE PARCEL THAT COULD BE A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD WITH SUBDIVISION IN THE FUTURE THAT DTN OWNS.
AND THEN THERE IS THIS 4714 POWELL ROAD, AND I WAS JUST CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS.
I FELT LIKE IT WAS A LITTLE DISPROPORTIONATE ON THAT HOMEOWNER.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS A BUSINESS PROPERTY AND AS A RENTAL PROPERTY, NOT A PRETTY.
BUT I DO FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PARCEL, THEY ARE UNIQUE [INAUDIBLE] PARCELS IN SIZE AND SCALE, SO WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN THE 223K THAT SILVERSTONE WILL PAY, IT COMES OUT TO ABOUT NINE THOUSAND PER PARCEL ONCE THEY DIVIDE THE LOTS INTO 25 AND THAT HOME WOULD PAY JUST UNDER 18 K ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH.
SO I DO THINK THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF AN EQUITY ISSUE THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MARKET VALUE.
THAT HOME IS GOING TO PAY A MUCH HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THE MARKET VALUE, ALBEIT A BUSINESS HOME, THAN THE ONES INSIDE THE SUBDIVISION.
THE HOMES INSIDE THE SUBDIVISION WILL HAVE A MARKET VALUE MUCH MORE PROPORTIONATE TO THE COST.
BUT PART OF THAT FACTOR IS, YOU KNOW, IS COVID AND THE INCREASE IN COST PRODUCED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT AGAIN.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY REALLY SUPPORTED THOSE CONCERNS.
BUT I DO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THOSE AGAIN.
AND MAYBE THE DEVELOPER COULD LOOK AT COMMUNICATING WITH THIS LAND OWNER AT 4714 POWELL ROAD AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT SOME SHARE IN COST THERE GIVEN THE COST IS DOUBLE FOR THAT HOMEOWNER WHAT IT WOULD BE FOR THE 25 PARCELS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT I APPRECIATE DEREK'S WORK ON GETTING US TO THIS POINT AND I DO EMPATHIZE WITH EVERYONE DUE TO THE VERY HIGH CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE'RE SORT OF INTO THE DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION, SO WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE THE MOTION IN FRONT OF US AND THEN CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.
IS SOMEONE WILLING TO MAKE THE MOTION? IT'S A LONG ONE TO MAKE? MS. JACKSON.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE POWELL ROAD PUBLIC ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER FORTY THREE, RESOLUTION NUMBER FIVE, WHICH APPROVES THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLL, DESIGNATES THE PROJECT AS POWELL ROAD PUBLIC ROAD IMPROVEMENTS SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 43.
[01:20:01]
THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AS THE POWELL ROAD, PUBLIC ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 43, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLL AND THE DISTRICT AS THE POWELL ROAD PUBLIC ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER FORTY THREE ADOPTS THE AMOUNT OF FIVE HUNDRED AND FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY ONE CENTS IS THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AND THE AMOUNT OF TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE DOLLARS AND FORTY SIX CENTS TO BE COLLECTED AND REIMBURSED TO THE OWNER OF THE SILVERSTONE'S SUBDIVISION AND ORDERS AND DIRECTS THE ASSESSED PARCELS OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLL TO BE PAID AND COLLECTED.
IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THAT MOTION.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BACK TO OUR DISCUSSION THAT MR. OPSOMMER BEGAN.
AND AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, HE'S LOOKING AT PERHAPS SOME CHANGE WITH REGARD TO THE ASSESSMENT, ONE OF THE PARCELS OR AT LEAST HOW IT GETS PAID.
IT WAS DISCUSSION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION AND ALSO JUST SPEAKING TO THE DEVELOPER OF THE SUBDIVISION, THAT MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THIS RESIDENT, GIVEN THE GAP THERE IN THE COST.
MORE OF A HELPFUL SUGGESTION, I RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE AT BASICALLY FINAL APPROVAL AND CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THE CONCERN THAT THEY HAD EXPRESSED EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
I APOLOGIZE, SUPERVISOR, I MISSED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, BUT IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND DIRECTOR PERRY COULD YOU, I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION AND NOT NECESSARILY THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEVELOPER WAS PAYING FOR THE ENTIRE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.
AND CLEARLY, I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING THAT.
COULD YOU REMIND ME HOW THAT MATERIALIZED OVER TIME? SO WHEN THEY BEGAN THE DEVELOPMENT WANTING THAT ROAD AND THEN HOW DID THE OTHER NEIGHBORS GET INVOLVED? SURE SO WIND BACK THE TAPE HERE, ORIGINALLY THE CONDITION OF THE REZONING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT, THE DEVELOPER, ONE OF THE CONDITIONS, WAS TO PAVE ALL ROAD FROM GRAND RIVER TO THE NORTHERN PROPERTY LINE.
DURING THAT TIME, THE TOWNSHIP WAS APPROACHED BY ANOTHER PROPERTY OWNER, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER ABOUT DOING THEIR DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE.
AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THEM PAYING A PORTION OF THEIR FRONTAGE ON POWELL ROAD BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE RECEIVING THE BENEFIT OF THAT.
SO AT THAT POINT, THAT'S WHEN DISCUSSIONS BEGAN ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS EQUITABLY TO ALL THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS IMPROVEMENT ALONG POWELL ROAD.
AND THAT'S REALLY HOW THE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT WAS CREATED.
SO THEN THE DEVELOPER HAD SOME DISCUSSION, SOME ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS, IT'S ACTUALLY, MOST OF THE PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, SAYING THAT WE WOULD COVER YOUR COSTS OF YOUR ASSESSMENT AND THEN THE ASSESSMENT ROLL WAS SUBMITTED AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO AT THAT TIME, THE BOARD WAS UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OTHER DEVELOPER WOULD PAY SOME OF THIS COST THAT'S NOW GOING TO TRICKLE DOWN TO THE OTHER RESIDENTS, WHICH THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, BRINGS US TO AN EQUITABLE HOW DO WE MAKE THAT EQUITABLE FOR EVERYONE? AND I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SAID, BUT I KNOW WE'RE IN FINAL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING ACTION.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONSIDER MAYBE THAT DEVELOPER TALKING TO THAT HOME THAT I GUESS, COMMERCIAL BUSINESS OWNER, WHICH WOULD BE A RENTAL PROPERTY.
AND I THINK I KNOW THAT PROPERTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE SEV ON THAT PROPERTY WOULD BE NOT NECESSARILY PROPORTIONATE TO THE NEW BUILDINGS GOING IN.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU REMINDING ME OF HOW THAT ALL MATERIALIZED OVER TIME.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER FOR RAISING THAT ISSUE, I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE IN THAT REGARD.
ALSO, I WANTED TO KNOW FROM DIRECTOR PERRY, IF YOU COULD CLARIFY FOR ME.
THE HOMEOWNER WAS TALKING ABOUT FRONTAGE AND SHE FELT THAT SORRY YOU BOUNCED ON
[01:25:01]
THE SCREEN FOR ME AND THE HOMEOWNER WAS TALKING ABOUT FRONTAGE AND SHE FELT THAT SHE WAS PAYING MORE BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO BE USING HER FRONTAGE.COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY IN HERE, BUT COULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN FOR EVERYONE HOW THE CALCULATION WORKS FOR THOSE HOMES IN LAYMAN'S TERMS? SURE SO IT'S ACTUALLY A FAIRLY SIMPLE CALCULATION, WE TAKE THE LENGTH OF THE ROAD AND FIGURE OUT THE FRONTAGE OF THE PROPERTIES AND PRETTY MUCH DO THE SIMPLE DIVISION ALONG WHAT FRONTAGE EACH INDIVIDUAL PARCEL HAS AND TIES THE ASSESSMENT BASED ON THE LENGTH OF THAT PARCEL THE FRONTAGE AND SOME OF THOSE PARCELS, AGAIN, THE DEVELOPER AGREED TO PAY FOR.
AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT THEY DID NOT.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TONIGHT BY THE INDIVIDUAL THAT LIVES THERE.
ESSENTIALLY, THE DEVELOPER DID NOT AGREE TO PAY FOR HER PARCEL.
AND THIS IS THE BASIC CALCULATION THAT'S DONE FOR ALL OF THESE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
IT'S NOT BASED ON USAGE OR TRAFFIC OR ANYTHING ELSE.
WE FOLLOW A PUBLIC ACT 188 AND 1954, AND IT OUTLINES HOW THE PETITIONS NEED TO BE PUT TOGETHER AND SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL AND THEN HOW THE ASSESSMENTS ARE DONE.
TYPICALLY WHEN WE HAVE I DON'T WANT TO SAY TYPICALLY, BUT THE MOST RECENT WATER AND SEWER UTILITY SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THEM BY FRONTAGE PER SAY, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THEM PER BENEFITS.
SO LET'S SAY WE HAVE TWO HOUSES NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
WE DIVIDE THE BENEFIT UP BY THE NUMBER OF HOUSES VERSUS THE FRONTAGE PER SAY.
SO JUST WE FEEL THAT'S MORE EQUITABLE BECAUSE YOU'RE RECEIVING ONLY ONE WATER SERVICE OR SEWER SERVICE.
COULD YOU TELL ME HOW THE FIVE PERCENT INTEREST RATE IS DETERMINED? AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING SET.
THAT'S DIRECT FROM THE PUBLIC ACT THAT WE DO FOR THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS, IT ALLOWS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO SET THAT UP TO FIVE PERCENT.
YEAH, AND I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, I DO APPRECIATE MAYBERRY HOMES AN THE THOUGHT THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS, BECAUSE AS DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY OUTLINED, THEY ARE PAYING FOR ALL OF THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENCES, MEANING THE HOMES ON POWELL ROAD WITH THIS FRONTAGE WHO LIVE THERE.
AND THAT IS THEIR PERMANENT HOMESTEAD.
THE BUSINESSES THAT THEY ARE NOT PAYING FOR WOULD BE LIKE THE AUTO DEALERS SITE, THE LAFONTAINE SITE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS A SIGNIFICANT MONETARY INTEREST, OR ONE OF THE DTM PARCELS, THAT FRONTAGE TO DIFFERENT POINTS OF FRONTAGE.
THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT MONETARY INTEREST, AS DOES ANOTHER PARCEL THAT FRONTS ON BOTH POWELL AND GRAND RIVER TO THE EAST OF THE LAFONTAINE SITE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MONETARY INTEREST OF THOSE, IT'S JUST NOT AT ALL PROPORTIONATE TO 4714, WHICH IS JUST A SMALL SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL.
IT IS A BUSINESS, BUT IT'S JUST A SMALL RENTAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAD EXPRESSED EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
OBVIOUSLY, AT A VERY LATE POINT, I KNOW MR. STRAUB IS ON WITH US.
MAYBE HE COULD SPEAK AND SHARE HIS THOUGHTS.
I JUST WHEN I LOOK AT IT ROUGH BACK OF THE ENVELOPE MATH.
IF MAYBERRY'S BUILDING FOUR HUNDRED TO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR HOMES, THE 9K, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE PAYING DOWN AT HOME IS ABOUT TWO TO TWO POINT TWO FIVE PERCENT OF THAT HOME'S MARKET VALUE.
AND 4714 POWER WOULD BE PAYING LIKE 18 K, I'M GUESSING ABOUT TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR HOME, MAYBE NOT EVEN, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT NINE PERCENT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M LOOKING AT THIS.
IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT WHERE CERTAIN PARTIES ARE SUBSIDIZED AND OTHERS ARE NOT, USUALLY IT'S A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD GOING IN COLLECTIVELY.
AND SO YOUR FRONTAGE IS LIKE THE ONLY METRIC AND THAT IS A GOOD METRIC.
SO JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
I'M NOT EXPECTING SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION WE'RE AT THE END, I JUST WANTED TO OUTLINE THAT ONE MORE TIME.
MR. PERRY, DO YOU SEE THIS TAKING US ANY PLACE OTHER THAN DOWN THE ROAD? I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING READY TO ACTUALLY START THIS PROJECT.
[01:30:03]
CORRECT.IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THE BILLING DEADLINE OF JUNE 1ST, WE REALLY NEED ACTION TONIGHT ON THIS.
OTHERWISE, IF IT'S DELAYED AND AGAIN, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE PURVIEW OF THE BOARD, THE PORTION THAT'S DUE TO THE DEVELOPER WILL BE PAID OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP REVOLVING FUND IMPROVEMENT, REVOLVING FUND TRF, AS WE CALL IT.
AND WE WOULD NOT SEE RECEIPTS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.
SO THE TOWNSHIP WOULD HAVE TO CARRY THOSE COSTS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR IF IT'S NOT APPROVED TONIGHT IT'S APPROVED AT A LATER DATE.
SO THAT'S THE NEGATIVE TO NO ACTION TONIGHT.
OKAY DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT.
OPSOMMER IS SUGGESTING APPROVING THE ASSESSMENT ROLL IN THE HOPES OF THE DEVELOPER AND THIS PARTICULAR OWNER CHANGING THAT OWNER'S PORTION OF THE ASSESSMENT, I BELIEVE.
I'M WONDERING IF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS CAN STILL GO ON, THOSE KINDS OF NEGOTIATIONS OR ADJUSTMENTS CAN OCCUR.
EVEN AFTER THIS ASSESSMENT ROLL IS APPROVED BASED ON THE STUDIES AND THE AGREEMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY INTACT.
SO IF THE QUESTION IS, IF CAN SIDEBAR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS [INAUDIBLE] AGAIN, THEY CAN, OBVIOUSLY, ONCE IT'S APPROVED THE ROLL THAT PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE PAYMENTS.
BUT AGAIN, IF THEY WERE ABLE TO SECURE SOME PAYMENTS FROM THE DEVELOPER OR SOMETHING, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN.
JUST THAT I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THE JEOPARDY OF NOT APPROVING IT TONIGHT OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO WHAT'S BEFORE US IS THE STANDARD AND LEGAL DETERMINATION OF THE ASSESSMENT AND THE ASSESSMENT ROLLS, AND THE MAJORITY ESSENTIALLY HAS APPROVED THIS THROUGH OUR OR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE APPROVING THIS ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT ROLL, AND WE'RE HERE TO ESSENTIALLY SANCTION THAT OR APPROVE OF THAT.
SO TYPICALLY, BEFORE WE GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, THE PETITION IS CIRCULATED AMONGST THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE 50 PERCENT PLUS ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN FAVOR OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT SO WITH THAT, I AM PREPARED TO, AS MY MOTION DEMONSTRATES, TO VOTE TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED MOTION.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? MR. OPSOMMER.
I WILL ALSO BE VOTING IN FAVOR AND AS TRUSTEE JACKSON NOTED, I WASN'T SUGGESTING THAT WE POSTPONE IT.
I WAS MORE HOPING THAT THE DEVELOPER IN THIS INSTANCE MIGHT HAVE ONE MORE CONVERSATION OR REACH OUT TO THAT HOMEOWNER ONE MORE TIME IN GOOD FAITH, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND ALSO THAT PERHAPS DEPUTY MANAGER COULD HELP FACILITATE IF THERE IS AN INTEREST THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EQUITY ISSUE AND I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO PROCEED AND, YOU KNOW WE'RE AT A LATER STAGE OF THE PROCESS, AS I REITERATED SEVERAL TIMES.
AND I WILL ASK THE COURT TO TAKE THE ROLL AND TAKE THE VOTES.
THANK YOU, MR. PERRY YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
JUST TO TRUSTEE JACKSON'S POINT I PULLED A PREVIOUS MEMO FROM RESOLUTION THREE
[01:35:02]
AT THE TIME OF THE PETITION WAS OVER 62 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FRONTAGE HAD SIGNED THE PETITION, SO.OK, NOW WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 18091
[12B. Special Use Permit #18091 (Newton Pointe, LLC) request for an extension of the special use permit for the square footage of buildings at Newton Place, 6276 Newton Road]
NEWTON POINTE, LLC REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BUILDINGS AT NEWTON PLACE 6276 NEWTON ROAD.I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO GRANT A ONE YEAR, 12 MONTH EXTENSION OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 18091 FOR NEWTON PLACE FROM APRIL 9TH 2021 TO APRIL 9TH 2022.
SUPPORTED BY MS. JACKSON, IS THAT RIGHT? ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO IT? MR. OPSOMMER.
I WOULD JUST BRIEFLY RECAP THAT THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE.
I OFTENTIMES WHEN APPLICANTS HAVE TO WORK WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE AND OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES, AFTER THEY GET APPROVAL THROUGH THIS BODY, THEY WILL NEED TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION.
AND OF COURSE, THE APPLICANT DID DETAIL THEIR ONGOING WORK ON THIS PROJECT AT OUR LAST MEETING.
AND THEY HAVE ALSO OBVIOUSLY HAD TO DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
BUT THIS BEING A REGULAR ACT BY THIS BODY, I AM PREPARED TO SUPPORT THEIR REQUEST.
YES, I WOULD ONLY ADD THAT THE CONDITIONS OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT, THOSE SPECIFICS HAVE NOT CHANGED.
THEY ARE ALL THE SAME HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING STAFF AN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THIS EXTENSION AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE, MR. KIESELBACH, THAT IS TRUE, CORRECT? HE'S NOT A YES.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO VOTE FOR THIS, WE DID HAVE GOOD REASONS FOR THE EXTENSION.
OKAY WE NOW HAVING MOVED C TO THE NEXT SECTION DISCUSSION, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO D, WHICH IS THE PRELIMINARY NUMBER 03012 SIERRA RIDGE ESTATES EXTENSION.
[12D. Preliminary Plat #03012 Sierra Ridge Estates Extension]
MR. OPSOMMER.I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION EXTENDING PRELIMINARY PLAT APPROVAL FOR THE REMAINING TWENTY SEVEN LOTS ON SIERRA RIDGE ESTATES TO JULY 1ST, 2023.
SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS AGENDA ITEM BEFORE US.
IN THIS INSTANCE, IT IS FOR SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS SIERRA ESTATES, SIERRA RIDGE OFF OF LAKE LANSING ROAD.
IT WAS NOT HERE FOR ITS ORIGINAL APPROVAL, BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS NEIGHBORHOODS BUILD OUT HAS TAKEN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, WHICH IS OFTEN THE CASE WITH SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
AND THEY ARE REQUESTING AN EXTENSION, AS IS USUALLY THE CASE, IF NOT SEVERAL, FOR PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE.
AND I'M PREPARED TO SUPPORT THEIR REQUEST.
JUST ADD TO THE FACT THAT WORKING IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD, I KNOW COVID HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT PART IN BUILDING MATERIALS, BOTH ACCESS AND COST.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S IN ADDITION TO IT BEING A REGULAR NORMAL PROCESS, THAT THAT'S PROBABLY PLAYING A PART AS WELL AND WANT TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THAT.
MANAGER WALSH IS THERE ANYTHING PARTICULAR OF THIS ONE, THAT'S DIFFERENT OR UNUSUAL.
I GUESS HE'S NOT THERE FOR ME TO ASK.
MR. KIESELBACH ANYTHING DIFFERENT OR UNUSUAL HERE? NO, YOU'VE GRANTED THESE EXTENSIONS IN THE PAST, PRELIMINARY PLATS ARE GOOD
[01:40:02]
FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.IT ALLOWS THE DEVELOPER TO START THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORK TOWARDS FINAL PLAT.
IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO REACH THAT GOAL OF FINAL PLAT, THEN THEY'RE ALLOWED TO ASK FOR AN EXTENSION FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS TO KEEP THE SUBDIVISION MOVING ON.
ALRIGHTY, I GUESS WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE.
AND OUR NEXT ITEM 12E IS THE 2020 DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT,
[12E. 2020 Downtown Development Authority Annual Report]
WHICH WE HAVE, WE SAW IT LAST TIME, I BELIEVE.YOU ARE MUTED TRUSTEE JACKSON.
MOTION, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT AND TO SUBMIT TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN POST ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AND MAKE AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
IS THAT SUPPORTED? BY TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY HOW ON THIS MS. JACKSON.
SINCE I ATTENDED THE LAST DDA MEETING, I NOTE THAT THIS IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT OF THE DDA'S AUTHORIZATION AND THAT ACTUALLY REPORTING TO THE BOARD BEFORE THE REPORT IS MADE IS SENT TO THE STATE IS A PART OF THE REQUIREMENT THEY HAVE TO SATISFY.
AND SO THE DDA HAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED THE REPORTS.
AND I WILL I EXPECT TO FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTION AND APPROVE FROM MY POSITION AS A BOARD MEMBER.
AS MEMBER OF THE DDA I OBVIOUSLY AGREE WITH YOU, I VOTED FOR IT AT THE DDA LEVEL AND ENCOURAGED THE BOARD TO ANYONE ELSE.
COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME THAT THIS IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF CASH FLOW? I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS ME BEING A NEW BOARD MEMBER.
SO OUT OF CURIOSITY, I JUST WONDER HOW TO GAUGE THE STATUS OF THE CASH FLOW.
IF SOMEONE CAN HELP ME OUT I'D APPRECIATE IT.
MS. CLARK ARE YOU IN A POSITION TO DO THAT? YES, I BELIEVE THAT DIRECTOR MATTISON AND I CAN TAKE YOU QUICKLY THROUGH THE DDA'S FINANCES.
AGAIN, THE REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU IS FOR THE TAX INCREMENT INCREASE FINANCING.
SO THAT IS THE CAPTURE OF THE TAX VALUE INCREASE OF THE PROPERTIES THAT LIE WITHIN THE AUTHORITY.
IT DID MANAGE TO INCLUDE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE DDA'S CASH FLOW FINANCE AS THE SOURCE OF BANK STATEMENTS TO GIVE THE BOARD AND THE TOWNSHIP A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT THE DDA HAS TO AS FAR AS FINANCES TO HANDLE TO DO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DDA.
OUR TAX FINANCING PLAN WAS RECODIFIED AND REAPPROVED IN 2018, WHICH MEANS THAT THE FIRST YEAR OF VALUE CAPTURE STARTED IN 2019.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A VERY LONG TIME, EVEN THOUGH THE DDA WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2005 THE CURRENT, THE NEW BASE YEAR BEGAN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS AGO.
SO THERE'S NOT A LOT AS FAR AS THE CASH VALUE IN THAT ACCOUNT OF CAPTURE RIGHT NOW.
THE TOTAL CAPTURE DOES INCLUDE A 2019 AND A 2020 YEAR BECAUSE OF TOWNSHIPS FINANCES ENDING IN DECEMBER AS THEIR CALENDAR YEAR FOR FINANCES WERE, AS THE REPORT MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
SO IT TYPICALLY INCLUDES INFORMATION FROM THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR AND THE CURRENT SIX MONTH TOTAL OF TWENTY TWO THOUSAND ROUGHLY, IN THE TIF REVENUE AS FAR AS CAPTURE FOR THIS YEAR.
DIRECTOR MATTISON IS MUCH MORE OF A FINANCE PERSON THAN I AM.
SO I THINK IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS NECESSARILY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MEANT JUST ABOUT THE CAPTURE OR THE CASH FLOW IN THE DDA.
I CAN MENTION THAT THE DDA IS GETTING LESS INCOME BECAUSE OR LESS INCREASE
[01:45:06]
BECAUSE THERE'S LESS PROPERTIES THERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHANGE.THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR A LOT OF CAPTURE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CAPTURE IS DOWN BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS AT THE FOUR CORNERS, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING IS HOW TO GAUGE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE CASH FLOW, LOOKING AT THE AMOUNT THAT IT IS.
HOW DO WE GAUGE IF THAT'S GOOD? IT WASN'T NECESSARILY A QUESTION OF HOW IT'S CAPTURED.
IT WAS JUST WHAT IS THE TOWNSHIPS OPINION, OF WHERE IT STANDS CURRENTLY AND WHERE WE THINK IT WOULD BE.
AND I THINK YOU EXPLAINED THAT SUPERVISOR STYKA JUST THE SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND MS. MATTISON COULD PROBABLY GIVE US A LITTLE MORE DETAIL AS SHE HAS SEEN THESE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW.
YEAH, SO THIS IS A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WE'VE SUPPLIED THIS TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THIS IS A PRETTY TYPICAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.
AS SUPERVISOR STYKA HAD MENTIONED, IT'S DOWN A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF LESS BUSINESSES DOWN IN THAT DDA DISTRICT.
BUT HOPEFULLY IT HAS POTENTIAL TO CHANGE AS WE GO FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, THE CASH FLOW IS KIND OF TIGHT FOR DDA DUE TO THE LOAN AND OTHER ITEMS THAT IT HAS.
SO, I MEAN, THIS IS A TYPICAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS DOWN THERE WILL CHANGE THE CASH FLOW FOR THE DDA.
WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THIS? THE REPORTING, THE TEXT INCREMENTAL REPORTING THE STATE KIND OF USES THIS TO GAUGE THE TIF PLAN THAT'S SET IN PLACE, THAT IT TAKES IT TO MONITOR WHAT'S BEING DONE WITH THE FUNDS AND SO THAT IT'S NOT GROWING AT SOME LARGE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THE DDA IS SITTING ON IN THAT PLAN.
SO IT'S BASICALLY WANTING TO [INAUDIBLE] WHAT WAS COLLECTED AND WHAT IT'S BEING USED FOR.
SO THIS IS JUST A STATUS FOR THAT.
AND BEFORE CALLING MR. OPSOMMER, I'LL MENTION THAT AS FAR AS WHAT IT'S USED FOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THERE'S LIGHTING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA THAT WAS PAID FOR BY THE DDA.
THEY GET ELECTRIC BILLS WITH REGARD TO THAT.
THEY ALSO DO THINGS LIKE DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
THEY YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE SOME DECORATIONS THAT GO UP THERE.
THERE'S ALSO, THERE'S COST, THERE'S FLOWERS THAT SOME YEARS HAVE GONE UP.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PLAN IS THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THIS PARTIAL CONSTRUCTION SITUATION.
BUT THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT ARE PAID FOR.
MR. OPSOMMER DID YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
[INAUDIBLE] SO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE DDA ITSELF AND ITS FUNDS AND THE CASH FLOW, REALLY FOR THE OKEMOS DDA, WE SHOULD YOU KNOW, WE WON'T SEE ANY CASH FLOW UNLESS THERE'S DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS WERE TO BE BUILT, WE WOULD SEE A SERIOUS INCREASE, MILLIONS IN CASH FLOW THROUGH THE DDA.
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WOULD TAKE LET'S TAKE ONE SITE TO BREAK THIS DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE JARGON AND INCREMENTAL TAXATION AND ALL THAT.
WHAT WAS THE OWNER OF THE HARDWARE STORE PAYING IN TAXES? THEN IF YOU PLAT THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS ON TOP OF IT, HOW MUCH IS THAT PERSONAL WORTH? THAT NET DIFFERENTIAL IS WHAT THE DDA WOULD CAPTURE AND THEN IT REINVESTS RIGHT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THAT DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S GOING TO INVEST IN THE STREETSCAPE, THE STREET TREES, THE SIGNAGE, THE STREET ITSELF, OKEMOS AND HAMILTON ROAD, THE WATER AND SEWER MAINS, WHICH ARE AMONG SOME OF THE OLDEST IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THE HAMILTON ROAD IS THE OLD PLANK ROAD AND ALL THAT ROAD WORK, THE SOILS ARE HAZARDOUS.
SO THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS HAVE TO BE HAZMAT CERTIFIED FOR ALL THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK.
AND THERE'S SPECIAL TREATMENTS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO TO PROTECT THE WATER AND SEWER LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO BRING IT UP TO CURRENT STANDARDS.
SO IT YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY KIND OF A REVOLVING FUND, A MORE ROBUST DDA LIKE EAST LANSING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH IN MANY RESPECTS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE DDA IN EAST LANSING HAS A LONG HISTORY.
AND SO ITS FINANCIAL POSITION IS MUCH DIFFERENT JUST TO GET BEYOND THE LAY TERMS. WHEN DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS, THE INCREMENTAL TAXES SPURRED BY THAT DEVELOPMENT ARE CAPTURED AND REINVESTED.
AND BUT FOR THAT CAPTURE TO INVEST IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WOULDN'T
[01:50:04]
SEE.AND WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING WITH THE OVERALL FINANCING OF EVERYTHING THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE COUNTY IS GOING TO FIX THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE.
THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIX OKEMOS ROAD FROM THE CURVE AT WONCH PARK THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN.
SO THE COUNTY HAS BEEN WAITING TO SEE IF DEVELOPMENT CAN OCCUR AND OUR DDA CAN HELP FUND THAT.
AND HISTORICALLY, THE DDA DECIDED ON I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS GOES PRECEDES MY TIME ON THE BOARD TO PUT IN THOSE NICE STREET LIGHTS, LED LIGHTS THAT ARE IN THE FOUR CORNER AREA SEPARATE FROM THE ONES THAT GO UP AND DOWN OKEMOS ROAD.
THEY'RE MORE OLD FASHIONED, AND THEY'RE STILL PAYING FOR THEM THE TOWNSHIP LOANED THEM THE MONEY TO BUY THOSE.
AND THE BULK OF THEIR INCOME ENDS UP GOING BACK INTO THE TOWNSHIP AS PAYMENT FOR THOSE LIGHTS.
AND IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED NOW AT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER AS A BOARD TAKING UP IN THE FUTURE, THAT PERHAPS WE SHOULD FORGIVE THE REST OF THAT LOAN.
THEY PAID QUITE A BIT OF IT ALREADY.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE THE DDA IS ROLLING IN CASH OR MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.
PERHAPS WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP DOES HAVE A FUND BALANCE THAT IS ADEQUATE, IF NOT MORE THAN ADEQUATE.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD FORGIVE THE REST OF THAT LOAN.
BUT THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION, ANOTHER TIME ON THIS.
ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE NEED A VOTE.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION PORTION OF THE MEETING AND NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON THESE MATTERS UNLESS THE RULES ARE SUSPENDED.
THE FIRST ONE IS A REZONING NUMBER 21020 MARTIN INVESTMENT PROPERTIES INC., REZONE APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF JOLLY ROAD AND EAST OF KANSAS ROAD FROM I OR INDUSTRIAL TO RA SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY TO PO PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE.
READY FOR THE DISCUSSION? MR. OPSOMMER YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP FIRST.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SUGGEST WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF DISCUSSION ITEMS THIS EVENING THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE QUITE A LENGTH OF TIME.
COULD WE TAKE A BRIEF BREAK BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR THE EVENING? YEP.
AND IN FACT, WHEN WE GET BACK, I'D LIKE TO PERHAPS HAVE THE STAFF GIVE US A SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS.
AND I THINK THAT THE DEVELOPER IS HERE AS WELL AND WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO US, GIVE US A PRESENTATION CONCERNING IT.
SO WE WILL TAKE A 5 TO 10 MINUTE BREAK.
SOON AS EVERYBODY'S BACK WILL BE BACK.
I SEE ALL SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT.
SO I GUESS IT'S TIME TO PROCEED.
ARE THE APPROPRIATE STAFF PRESENT WHO CAN GIVE US A SUMMARY OF THIS ITEM.
I'M GOING TO TRY SHARING MY SCREEN WITH THE BOARD.
CAN WE SEE THAT EVERYBODY SEE THAT.
THIS FIRST ONE IS THE SITE LOCATION FOR THE PROPOSED REZONING, THE AREAS OUTLINED IN RED.
IT'S AT THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF JOLLY ROAD AND KANSAS ROAD.
[13A. Rezoning #21020 (Martin Investment Properties, Inc.) rezone approximately six acres on the north side of Jolly Road and east of Kansas Road from I (Industrial) and RA (Single Family- Medium Density) to PO (Professional and Office)]
JOLLY ROAD BEING THE SOUTH BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY AND KANSAS ROAD BEING THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY.THERE'S THREE PARCELS INVOLVED IN THIS REQUEST.
AGAIN, APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES IN TOTAL.
THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO ROADS.
THAT'S AT 2446 JOLLY ROAD AND THEN THE PROPERTY DIRECTLY TO THE NORTH OF IT AT 3532 KANSAS.
THAT'S A VACANT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND THEN THE ONE DIRECTLY NORTH OF THAT AT 3558 KANSAS ROAD DOES HAVE A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE ON IT.
THOSE TWO PARCELS TOGETHER THAT FACE KANSAS TOTAL APPROXIMATELY FOUR ACRES.
[01:55:05]
SO MIDWEST IS TWO ACRES FOR THE TOTAL REQUEST FOR THE REZONING, JUST SOME OF THE EXISTING USES THAT ARE ALREADY SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY.AS YOU CAN SEE TO THE WEST ON THE WEST SIDE OF KANSAS ROAD, THERE IS AN EXISTING DENTIST'S OFFICE.
AND THEN FURTHER WEST THERE'S A CHURCH.
AND THEN ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF JOLLY ROAD, THERE'S AN EXISTING OFFICE BUILDING AND THEN A SMALL RETAIL CENTER DIRECTLY EAST OF THAT.
AND THEN TO THE NORTHEAST IS THE ELEVATION PROJECT, WHICH IS A MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN AS YOU GO NORTH OF THE PROPOSED REZONING YOU HAVE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES, BOTH ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF KANSAS ROAD.
THIS NEXT ONE IS SHOWING THE CURRENT ZONING FOR THE PROPERTY AGAIN OUTLINED IN RED.
MIDWEST POWER IS THE I ON THIS PLAN.
THE I STANDS FOR INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT AND THEN THE TWO PARCELS DIRECTLY NORTH OF THAT ARE ZONED RA.
AND RA IS A SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY CATEGORY.
LOTS IN THAT ZONING DISTRICT MINIMUM IS A TEN THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT AREA AND AN 80 FOOT WIDE FRONTAGE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SURROUNDING ZONING ADJACENT TO THIS AS THE REQUEST WAS FOR THIS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OR PO, YOU'LL SEE THE DENTIST OFFICE TO THE WEST IS ALREADY ZONED IN THAT CATEGORY.
THE OFFICE TO THE EAST IS ALSO ZONED IN THAT PO CATEGORY.
AND THEN THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT AND A SMALL COMMERCIAL SHOPPING CENTER ARE ALL ZONED C 2, WHICH IS A COMMERCIAL CATEGORY, AND THEN AGAIN NORTH OF THE SITE, BOTH ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF KANSAS ROAD.
YOU HAVE THAT RA SINGLE FAMILY ZONING.
AND THE LAST ONE I'M GOING TO SHOW IS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM THE 2017 MASTER PLAN.
YOU CAN SEE THE MIDWEST POWER SITE IS SHOWN AS COMMERCIAL AND THEN THE PROPERTIES TO THE NORTH ARE SHOWN IN A RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY OF POINT FIVE TO THREE POINT FIVE DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
THE REZONING WAS IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY HELD A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEY RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THIS REZONING THE APPLICANT SINCE THAT TIME HAS OFFERED CONDITIONS ON THAT.
AND I KNOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AFTER MY INTRODUCTION AND GO THROUGH THOSE CONDITIONS AND ALSO UPDATE THE BOARD ON WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL BE HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS REZONING.
OK, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE FOUR PEOPLE HERE FROM SPARROW WHO IS THE ULTIMATE APPLICANT HERE.
I WOULD ASK TOM [INAUDIBLE], IS HE GOING TO GO FIRST OR WHO'S GOING TO EXPLAIN THEIR POSITION HERE? TOM.
I SEE YOU ON MY SCREEN, BUT YOUR MUTE.
THERE YOU GO, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR SPARROW AND I'M JOINED BY SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TONIGHT.
DR. KAREN KENT [INAUDIBLE] IS OUR CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, ALSO A FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT.
ALSO WITH ME IS STACI BAKKEGARD, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES, AND JOHN SHASKI, WHO IS OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE JUST 10 OR 15 MINUTES, MAYBE LESS, IF THAT'S OK.
AND I'LL START BY KIND OF OVERVIEWING THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
AND THEN STACI WILL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE FACILITY AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU KNOW US, SPARROW, WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FOR MID-MICHIGAN FOR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS NOW AND WE'RE HEADQUARTERED IN MID-MICHIGAN.
WE'RE NOT FOR PROFIT, ARE OWNED BY THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE YOUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
AND ONE OF OUR FOCUSES AND EMPHASIS STRATEGIES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS
[02:00:04]
BEEN IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE.AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO CARE IS A CHALLENGE FOR ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND MID-MICHIGAN IS NO DIFFERENT.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, IF YOU WERE NEW TO THE AREA AND YOU WERE TRYING TO FIND A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DO SO.
NOW IT'S A LOT EASIER BECAUSE OF MANY INVESTMENTS THAT WE AT SPARROW HAVE MADE.
WE'VE HIRED OVER A HUNDRED ADDITIONAL PHYSICIANS IN THE LAST 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
TWENTY SIX OF THOSE PHYSICIANS ARE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.
WE'VE ALSO MADE INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY.
THERE'S THINGS LIKE VIDEO VISITS AND VIRTUAL CARE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE THROUGH SPARROW THAT WEREN'T PREVIOUSLY THERE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, FACILITIES HAS BEEN A PART OF THE STRATEGY AS WELL.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT FACILITIES AN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS AROUND THE REGION TO MAKE ACCESS TO CARE AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING AT THIS, WE IDENTIFIED THIS OKEMOS JOLLY ROAD CORRIDOR, SORT OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AS HAVING A BIT OF A GAP.
THERE ISN'T AN URGENT CARE OR A FAMILY MEDICINE PRACTICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT SOUTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND WANT TO BUILD IS A FACILITY THAT WOULD BRING THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND THE SPECIFICS ARE A ONE STORY FACILITY IT WOULD BE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER THIRTY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
IN THAT FACILITY WE'LL HAVE A FULL SCALE MEDICAL GROUP, PRIMARY CARE FAMILY MEDICINE OFFICE, THAT WILL HAVE SIX PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.
SO THAT'S SIX NEW PHYSICIANS THAT WE'LL BRING TO THE AREA, ALONG WITH SOMETHING CALLED A FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS WOULD BE REALLY INNOVATIVE FOR MID-MICHIGAN.
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT IN MID-MICHIGAN TODAY.
THERE ARE FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY, BUT NOTHING LIKE IT IN MID-MICHIGAN.
AND IT'S SORT OF IN BETWEEN AN URGENT CARE AND THE TYPE OF EMERGENCY ROOM THAT WE HAVE AT SPARROW AND DOWNTOWN LANSING.
THERE WE HAVE A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER THAT CAN HANDLE ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY THAT OUR COMMUNITY MIGHT HAVE, SEVERE AUTO ACCIDENTS OR OTHER TYPES OF ACUTE INJURIES.
ANYTHING WE CAN HANDLE IN OUR DOWNTOWN FACILITY.
THIS FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WOULD HANDLE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THOSE MOST ACUTE PATIENTS AND DO IT IN A MORE CONVENIENT, EASIER TO ACCESS MANNER, ESPECIALLY FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
WE DID THE RESEARCH AND IN 2019 THERE WERE OVER THIRTY ONE HUNDRED TIMES THAT A RESIDENTS IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA VISITED A HOSPITAL BASED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
BUT THEIR ACUITY LEVEL COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY A FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LIKE WE'RE PROPOSING.
SO COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CONVENIENT NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT TRAFFIC GOING DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE BELIEVE THIS IS GOING TO BE SO BENEFICIAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO AS WE'RE WORKING ON THIS, WE HEARD THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE'VE HAD DOZENS OF MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS.
AND TO TAKE YOU THROUGH SPECIFICS OF THE FACILITY AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE SINCE THAT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STACI AND START SOME SLIDES NOW IF I'M ABLE TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
ALL RIGHT, AND I APOLOGIZE, MY ZOOM IS NOT RECOGNIZING MY CAMERA, SO HOPEFULLY MY AUDIO IS COMING THROUGH OK WITH EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS STACI BAKKEGARD I'M THE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES HERE.
AND JUST TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A COUPLE OF ITEMS, [INAUDIBLE] WILL SHOW ON THE SCREEN HERE.
THE FIRST [INAUDIBLE] THREE PARTS OF THE REZONING FOR THE MIDWEST POWER [INAUDIBLE] THE FRONTAGE ON JOLLY ROAD, AND THEN THE TWO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES NORTH OF THAT, [INAUDIBLE] JOLLY ROAD THE GOOGLE EARTH MAP AND APPLE MAPS ARE NOT EVEN KEEPING UP WITH CURRENT PHOTOS OF THAT AREA.
WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND GOING INTO THE PROJECT AND KIND OF A GLIMPSE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE PLAN THAT WE'VE HAD [INAUDIBLE].
[02:05:01]
[INAUDIBLE] EXCUSE ME, YOU'RE CUTTING OUT QUITE A BIT.I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR AUDIO.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, IS THAT ANY BETTER IF I JUST TALK LOUDER.
SO RECOGNIZING THE CURB CUTS HERE ON KANSAS ROAD, AND IT'S TIME IF YOU FLIP TO THE NEXT SITE PLAN.
[INAUDIBLE] FEEDBACK BOTH AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN PERSON WAS LESS THAN THE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORS HERE.
SO MOVING [INAUDIBLE] THE PROPERTY WE WORKED WITH THE ADJACENT OWNER THERE TO TRY TO PUSH THAT TRAFFIC OVER TO THAT DRIVE THAT IS EXISTING THAT [INAUDIBLE] THE BUILDING SOUTH AND EAST SLIGHTLY TO JUST PULL IT AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE'VE ALSO PUT IN A GREEN [INAUDIBLE] ON THE NORTH END OF THE PROPERTY HERE.
SEVENTY FIVE FEET IN BETWEEN OUR PARKING LOT AND OUR NORTHERN PROPERTY LINE.
THAT REALLY HEAVILY SCREEN THE WEST.
STACI, I'M GOING TO JUMP IN AND JUST TRY TO TAKE IT FROM HERE, BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING YOUR AUDIO.
CAN YOU GUYS STILL HEAR ME FINE? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU FINE.
SO WHAT STACI WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN WAS THAT WE MET WITH THE ADJACENT OWNER.
WE GOT COMMITMENT TO ACCESS THE SITE FROM THE EAST.
SO REALLY, WE THINK THIS IS GOING TO REDUCE TRAFFIC ON KANSAS ROAD COMPARED TO WHAT'S THERE TODAY? WE'RE GOING TO COMPLY WITH DARK SKY ORDINANCES AND MINIMIZE THE LIGHTING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND REALLY BEEF UP THE GREENERY AROUND SO THAT I'LL SHOW YOU SOME RENDERINGS THAT SHOW THE SIGHT LINES.
YOU'LL SEE WE ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPROVED FOR A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORS WERE COMMITTING TO FUND PUBLIC WATER TO THE STREET AND TO THE RESIDENTS.
SO THAT'LL ABSOLUTELY BE IMPROVED.
AND WE THINK ACTUALLY NOISE COULD BE REDUCED BECAUSE COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING WITH MIDWEST POWER TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO AIM FOR LEED CERTIFICATION.
AND WE DEMONSTRATED AN ABILITY TO DO THAT BEFORE WE ACHIEVE LEED CERTIFICATION WITH OUR HOSPITAL IN IONIA.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE THINK THIS WILL BE A REALLY INNOVATIVE HEALTH CARE APPROACH FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE JOLLY ROAD SITE, SORT OF AN AERIAL VIEW THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THE SITE WOULD COME TOGETHER.
WE ALSO HAVE A VIEW THIS IS THEN DOWN FROM KANSAS ROAD.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE AND THIS DOESN'T EVEN SHOW ALL OF THE GREENERY THAT WE'RE GOING TO PLAN TO BUILD IN HERE.
BUT YOU CAN GET A SENSE FOR THE VIEWS.
AND THEN THIS SORT OF COMPARES.
AND WE REALLY THINK THAT THE STREET WILL BE SAFER TO WALK DOWN WITH WHAT WE'RE PLANNING HERE VERSUS WHAT EXISTS TODAY.
THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WITH THE SEMITRAILERS AND STUFF THAT GETS UNLOADED THERE.
AND SO THIS IS OUR FINAL RENDERING, SORT OF A VIEW FROM JOLLY ROAD FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, AGAIN, LOW PROFILE FACILITY, TERRIFIC SERVICES AND INNOVATIVE HEALTH CARE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE DONE YOU KNOW, WE THINK A LOT TO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT ONLY NEUTRALIZE THE CONCERNS, BUT ACTUALLY MAKE THEM BETTER OVER WHAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
OK, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS DISCUSSION TIME, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM STAFF BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING? IF NOT, RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS FOR DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY.
MR. PERRY, CAN YOU TELL US I FORGET THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WORKED ON A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT TO BRING WATER AND SEWER TO THE SLEEPY HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF FRONTAGE, BUT NARROWER FRONTAGE THAN KANSAS.
AND SO AS IT RELATES TO CONDITION THREE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED TO EXTEND, AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CURB CUTS OF THE CONDITION FIVE, TO EXTEND WATER AND SEWER DOWN
[02:10:03]
KANSAS ROAD.WHAT WERE THE COSTS FOR THE SLEEPY HOLLOW PROJECT, PER HOME, WHEN WE FINALLY ABANDONED THAT BACK IN 2018? YEAH, SO WHEN WE FIRST PUT THOSE ESTIMATES TOGETHER, WE WERE ANTICIPATING COSTS CLOSER TO 22 TO 24 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
ONCE WE DID THE DESIGN ENGINEERING AND ACTUALLY BID IT OUT, IT ENDED UP BEING CLOSER TO THIRTY SEVEN, THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HOME.
SO THAT'S WHAT LED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ESSENTIALLY SAYING WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD THESE ASSESSMENTS FOR WATER AND SEWER.
SO AT THAT POINT, BACK IN 2018, THAT'S WHEN THAT ASSESSMENT DISTRICT WAS RESCINDED.
AND THOSE ARE PRETTY TRADITIONAL LOTS SOME PEOPLE HAD A SECOND LOT, BUT LIKE A HUNDRED FOOT SQUARE, 100 FOOT FRONTAGE ON THE ROADS, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, IN SLEEPY HOLLOW, SLEEPY HOLLOW HAD THE LARGE RESIDENTIAL LOTS, YEAH SOME OF THE LARGEST ACTUALLY IN THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THEN HERE WE DO HAVE SOME THAT APPEAR TO BE TWO OR THREE TIMES EVEN OF THOSE ON KANSAS.
PERHAPS THAT'S SOMETHING FOR DIRECTOR KIESELBACH HOW WIDE DO THESE LOTS GET? THE RESIDENTIAL LOT.
THE MINIMUM IS 80 FEET FOR RESIDENTIAL FOR THE YEAH, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY THERE, HOW BIG A FRONTAGE SOME OF THESE PARCELS WERE FAR WIDER.
OH, I'M WONDERING AS IT RELATES TO THE COST OF HOW WE ARE GETTING WATER AND SEWER LINES FOR THESE HOME OWNERS.
THE MIDWEST POWER HAS TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FEET OF FRONTAGE ON KANSAS.
THIRTY FIVE THIRTY TWO, WHICH IS THE LARGER VACANT PARCEL, HAS TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO FEET OF FRONTAGE AND THE SMALLER RESIDENTIAL PARCEL HAS NINETY THREE FEET.
OK, I KNOW THAT HUNDRED [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH, THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE FEET FOR THE RESIDENTIAL AND THEN TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SO WHAT, SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE FEET OF FRONTAGE ALONG KANSAS FOR ALL OF THOSE PARCELS, OK? SO LEARNING FROM THE SLEEPY HOLLOW CIRCUMSTANCE BACK IN 2018, WELL, 2016 THROUGH 2018, WE COULD BE LOOKING AT UPWARDS OF FORTY FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HOME TO EXTEND WATER AND SEWER DOWN THE STREET.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE MARKET IN THIS AREA PREDOMINANTLY SURROUNDED BY HOMES THAT ARE ON PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER.
MY NEXT QUESTION, MANAGER WALSH WHAT CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW CHEIF HAMEL IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING AND HAD A FAMILY COMMITMENT.
WHAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH HIM ABOUT THE PUBLIC IMPACT OF BOTH THE FACILITY AND SHORTENING EMS RUNS FOR AMBULANCES AND ALSO FOR THE WATER AND SEWER AS IT RELATES TO FIGHTING FIRES FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PARCELS BY KANSAS? SO I HAD MY MONTHLY I HAVE A MONTHLY MEETING WITH EACH DIRECTOR AND I HAPPEN TO HAVE MY MEETING WITH CHIEF HAMEL LAST WEEK AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND THE IMPACT THAT IT MIGHT HAVE.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE POPULATION BASE, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS.
EXACTLY, BUT IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT A LARGER POPULATION OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHETHER IT BE 60 PERCENT OR 62 PERCENT, LIVE SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT AMBULANCE COVERAGE, WE HAVE ONE AMBULANCE SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AND TWO NORTH OF GRAND RIVER.
SO WE HAVE 50 PERCENT LESS AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR 60 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION.
AND IN HIS OPINION, HIS PROFESSIONAL OPINION IS HE HAS LOOKED AT THE PROJECT AND ITS IMPACT.
AND IN HIS MIND THERE WON'T BE OUT OF EVERY 10 AMBULANCE CALLS THAT ARE SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER THAT WOULD BE SERVED BY THE SOUTH FIRE STATION.
EIGHT OR NINE OF THEM WOULD NOT BE GOING TO THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT THREE TO FIVE MIGHT BE.
AND HIS POSITION IS EVEN IF ONE OR TWO OF THE AMBULANCE CALLS, ALTHOUGH IT'D BE GREATER IN SOUTH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WERE TO BE SERVICED OR THE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GET
[02:15:02]
CARE, FIRST OF ALL, THEY WOULD RECEIVE MUCH QUICKER CARE THAN BEING TRANSPORTED TO DOWNTOWN OR TO ANOTHER PLACE OF CARE.SO, ONE, IT'S QUICKER SERVICE, SO IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR THE PATIENTS.
AND TWO, EVEN IF IT'S 10 PERCENT OF THE CALLS, HE THINKS IT'S GOING TO BE 30 TO 45 PERCENT OF THE CALLS WERE ABLE TO BE HELPED OR SERVICED, RECEIVED CARE BY THIS BUILDING, BY THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT, THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT BECAUSE THE AMBULANCE SERVICE WOULD BE BACK IN SERVICE MUCH, MUCH QUICKER.
SO FOR THOSE TWO REASONS, QUICKER CARE AND THE AMBULANCE SERVICE BEING MORE READILY AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE TIME THAT IT WOULD BE [INAUDIBLE] IT WOULD TAKE.
CHIEF HAMEL IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THIS PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS OR NOT.
AND DID THE CHIEF SPEAK AT ALL ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HAVING WATER AND SEWER MAINS? WELL, WATER MAINS AS IT RELATES TO FIRES, POTENTIAL FIRES BACK THERE? WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, BILL'S NOT SAYING THAT WITH PUBLIC WATER, WITH HYDRANTS [INAUDIBLE] OBVIOUSLY FOR FIRE SAFETY, IT WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH SAFER, INCREASED THE FIRE SERVICE FOR THAT AREA.
BUT WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE I WAS NOT PRIVY TO THAT CONDITION.
AND NEITHER WAS THE CHIEF HAMEL AT THE TIME WE HAD OUR MEETING.
THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, THAT'S A BIG ONE FOR ME.
DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY, LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING, AND BEFORE YOU CHIME IN, I WAS THINKING, COMPARATIVELY TO THE VAN ATTA ROAD, GRAND RIVER, THE TRAILER PARK AND THE OTHER RESIDENTIAL PARCELS THAT WE RECENTLY WERE ABLE TO EXTEND WATER AND SEWER TO, AND YOU KNOW, THE HYDRANTS THAT COME IN TO THE EQUATION THAT.
I JUST I PULLED THE KANSAS ROAD SANITARY SEWER SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT JUST FOR I FIGURED I'D BE A PRETTY GOOD COMPARATIVE.
AND THAT PROJECT WAS ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS APPROVED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO THE RESIDENTS ALONG THERE ARE PAYING FOR THE SANITARY SEWER NOW.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WAS ABOUT ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND.
WE'RE ESTIMATING THE WATER MAIN PROJECT TWICE THAT.
SO UNDER THE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR SANITARY PROJECT RESIDENTS ARE PAYING, THEIR ASSESSMENT WAS SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS.
SO TO EXTEND WATER ESSENTIALLY TO EACH OF THOSE PARCELS, BECAUSE WE WOULD USE THE SAME TYPE OF FORMAT TO DO THAT, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT DOUBLE THAT, ESSENTIALLY.
SO OUR WATER ASSESSMENT, IF THEY WERE TO PAY THAT ON THEIR OWN THROUGH A NORMAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, THEY'D BE LOOKING PROBABLY CLOSER TO TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST TO EXTEND THE MAIN.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE CONNECTION COSTS, WHICH I BELIEVE IS PART OF THE CONDITION THAT'S BEEN OFFERED TONIGHT TOO.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR KIESELBACH.
SO, MARK WHEN WE LOOK AT PARCEL, THE ADDRESS IS THREE FIVE EIGHT.
IT'S A NORTHERN MOST RESIDENTIAL PARCEL.
WHAT'S THE SETBACK ON THAT CURRENTLY WITH ITS CURRENT RESIDENTIAL ZONING, IF SOMEONE WERE TO PUT A HOME ON IT.
[INAUDIBLE] MARK, YOU'RE MUTED.
YOUR MUTE BUTTON IS STILL MUTE.
IN RA ZONING THE TYPICAL SIDE YARD SETBACK IS 10 FOOT MINIMUM.
WHEN YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE ONLY NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL, THE MINIMUM IS 50 FOOT SETBACK FROM THAT RESIDENTIAL [INAUDIBLE].
AND THEN ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR THE APPLICANT, I DON'T KNOW IF TOM OR STACY WANT TO FIELD IT.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT SPARROW'S POLICY IS ON SILENT ENTRY.
OBVIOUSLY, THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS RECENTLY.
WE DID GO THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS OF THE TOWNSHIP'S CENTRAL FIRE STATION.
AND WHEN AMBULANCES LEAVE OR COME BACK AND RETURN TO THE FACILITY, THEY DO HAVE SILENT ENTRY AND EXIT FOR THOSE AMBULANCES.
IF ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO SPARROW'S POLICY ON THAT AND HOW THE AMBULANCES WILL BE APPROACHING THE FACILITY.
SURE, DR. KENT, I'LL ASK YOU TO HELP US WITH THAT QUESTION, PLEASE.
[02:20:03]
ACTUALLY, THAT'S GOVERNED BY WHAT KIND OF PATIENT TRANSPORT THE AMBULANCE IS RUNNING, MOST OF WHAT WILL COME TO THIS FACILITY, THE VAST MAJORITY WOULD NOT BE A LIGHTS AND SIREN KIND OF A RUN.SO, WHILE IT'S NOT A SPARROW POLICY, IT'S DICTATED BY THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT.
WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE LIGHTS AND SIRENS KINDS OF RUNS WILL COME TO THIS FACILITY.
SO AS I REVIEW THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED AND THE CHANGE IN THE SITE PLAN, I MEAN, THE CHANGE IN THE SITE PLAN IS STARK.
I VISITED THE SITE AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKED FROM THE NORTH PERSPECTIVE, FACING SOUTH AT THE REAR OF MIDWEST.
AND WHAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE SCREENING FOR THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL USE THERE.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S UNCOMMON FOR US TO UP-ZONE IN THIS CASE.
MY CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WITH WELL WATER ON THE STREET IN AN INDUSTRIAL USE, IS WHAT COULD BECOME OF THE MIDWEST POWER SITE IF THEY DO ULTIMATELY MOVE.
THE CURRENT USE IS ABOUT THE LIGHTEST INDUSTRIAL USE THAT YOU CAN HAVE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE SITE PLAN ON ADAPTATION WITH THE ENTRANCES ON JOLLY INTO THE EAST AND ELIMINATING THE CURB CUT ON KANSAS AND PUTTING IN THAT SCREENING, I THINK THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF SCREENING THIS USE, YOU KNOW, THE P&O, THE DENTIST OFFICE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF KANSAS IN THAT, PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE ENCROACHMENT HAS ALREADY KIND OF OCCURRED THERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE INDUSTRIAL USE ELIMINATED AND TO PROVIDE AS MUCH BUFFER AND SCREENING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK WE'RE MAKING VERY GOOD IMPROVEMENT TOWARD THAT.
I THINK THE APPLICANT'S PROVISION ON THE SITE PLAN IS MEETING THAT BY BASICALLY CONSERVING THAT NORTHERNMOST PARCEL.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF IT'S THE ENTIRETY OF THAT NORTHERNMOST PARCEL, THAT SEVENTY FIVE FOOT SETBACK.
BUT IT APPEARS TO BE CONSUMING THE VAST MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF IT.
AND THE CURB CUT CERTAINLY RESTRICTS THIS USE, WHETHER IT BE INDUSTRIAL OR PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE, IN THE FUTURE FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE INGENUITY OF GETTING THAT DIVERTED TO THE EAST FOR THAT SECOND ACCESS POINT IS EXCEPTIONAL.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE.
THE OTHER THING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT I WOULD JUST SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR AND HOW WE SHOULD BE ADAPTING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
WE OFTEN HAVE TO GO TO THE MAIN CAMPUS AND TO THE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER FOR RELATIVELY MINOR ISSUES, MIGHT BE A SLIGHT CUT OR LACERATION.
AND YOU SIT THERE, ESPECIALLY IN FLU SEASON, AND YOU SIT THERE WITH FOLKS THAT ARE ALSO OF A LOW PRIORITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KIND OF LEAPFROG YOU DUE TO THEIR MEDICAL CONDITION AND WHATEVER BROUGHT THEM TO THE E.R.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU OFTEN TRANSMIT, YOU KNOW, THE FLU AND OTHER CONDITIONS WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT SETTING.
SO I LOVE THE COMMUNITY BASED APPROACH IN INCREASING E.R.
CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, A PACKED WAITING ROOM.
I CAN ATTEST, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, THAT WAITING ROOM IS OFTEN PACKED AT THE MAIN CAMPUS, WHICH IS WHERE MOST PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION GO.
MY OTHER THOUGHT ON THIS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL SCREENING, A LITTLE BIT MORE TREE PLANTING ON THAT KANSAS FRONTAGE AND THE NORTH FRONTAGE.
BUT THE ELEVATION RENDERINGS ARE CERTAINLY A STARK IMPROVEMENT.
IT TRANSLATES THOSE PARCELS TO ESSENTIALLY OPEN SPACE ESTHETICALLY AND CREATING A VERY FIRM BUFFER BETWEEN THE USES, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE TODAY.
BUT PREDOMINANTLY, I DO VIEW GETTING RID OF THE INDUSTRIAL USE THIS CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL AS A MAJOR BENEFIT IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE FACILITY BRINGS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
[02:25:02]
I'LL START WITH MR. B'S IF I CAN.YOU MENTIONED THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY TYPES OF THIS TYPE OF FACILITY IN THE AREA.
WHEN I HEAR THE EXPLANATION, I THINK OF THE NINETY EIGHT POINT SIX EMERGENCY CENTER ON THE NORTH SIDE ON LAKE LANSING ROAD.
HOW COMPARABLE WOULD A FACILITY BE LIKE THIS TO THAT, KNOWING THAT, LIKE TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, I USE THAT FACILITY A LOT MORE THAN GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHEN I HAD CHILDREN, BECAUSE THEY COULD PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE NEEDED SERVICES, SUCH AS X-RAYS, CT SCANS, CASTS, THINGS LIKE THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM FOR.
BUT THIS WAS MORE OF EMERGENT CARE.
HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE PROPOSED FACILITY WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SURE, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION AND I'LL LET DR.
KENT WEIGH IN AGAIN AFTER I MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES IS THIS FACILITY WILL HAVE BOARD CERTIFIED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT POSITIONS.
AND SO IT TRULY IS EMERGENT CARE, EXCEPT FOR THOSE JUST VERY ACUTE CASES, THE [INAUDIBLE] PATIENTS THAT WOULD GO TO THE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER.
BUT, DR. KENT, WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THAT? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE KINDS OF PATIENTS THAT WILL COME TO THIS FACILITY.
LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A NUMB HAND A WEAK ARM AND YOU THINK PROBABLY YOU SLEPT ON IT FUNNY.
BUT YOU WONDER, COULD I BE HAVING A STROKE IF YOU COME TO OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, YOU WOULDN'T BE TRANSFERRED TO SPECIAL TO GET STROKE TREATMENT.
WE COULD ADMINISTER THE MEDICATION THAT BREAKS THE CLOT AND STOPS THE STROKE.
AND ONCE YOU'RE STABLE, YOU WOULD THEN BE DIRECTLY TRANSPORTED TO OUR NEURO INTENSIVE CARE UNIT DOWNTOWN.
NO TOUR THROUGH THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DOWN THERE.
AND WE WOULD BE TRANSFERRING A STABLE PATIENT.
SO MOST OF THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT SOME THINGS THAT URGENT CARE CAN'T DO WOULD BE LIKE THAT, YOU THINK YOU HAVE A TUMMY ACHE, BUT MAYBE YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK.
AND I THINK THAT MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ARE ARE LESS HESITANT AND LESS LIKELY TO TALK THEMSELVES OUT OF GOING TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHEN IT'S SO MUCH CLOSER AND SO MUCH EASIER TO GET INTO AS THIS FACILITY WOULD BE THAN PERHAPS A BUSY URBAN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
AND YOU COULD HAVE DEFINITIVE TREATMENT OF EITHER YOUR TUMMY ACHE OR YOUR HEART ATTACK, WHICH IS A LOT MORE SERIOUS OF AN ILLNESS WITH A BOARD CERTIFIED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PHYSICIAN AND ALL OF OUR TRAUMA CENTER CALL.
SO IF YOU NEED AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON TO FOLLOW YOU UP IN THE MORNING, YOU NEED A NEUROSURGEON TO FOLLOW YOU UP IN THE MORNING, ALL OF OUR TRAUMA CENTER IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL THROUGH THIS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND FOLLOW UP WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE URBAN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DOWN AT SPARROW MAIN, MOST LIKELY MOST OF THE TIME.
SO IT REALLY IS ALL OF WHAT A STABLE PATIENT WANTS FROM A TRAUMA CENTER WITHOUT HAVING TO BE IN THE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER, WHICH TRUSTEE OPSOMMER DID A NICE JOB DESCRIBING.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES YOU NEVER WANT TO BE THE SICKEST PERSON IN MY DOWNTOWN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT; I'LL TELL YOU THAT.
AND SPORTS INJURIES, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK YOU TOOK A HIT DURING FOOTBALL TO YOUR RIBS, BUT REALLY YOU DON'T KNOW IT, BUT YOUR LUNGS ARE COLLAPSED.
THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE HAVE A BOARD CERTIFIED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT THAT CAN ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A DEFINITIVE TREATMENT AND TRANSFER YOU DOWN TO OUR INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, AGAIN, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DOWNTOWN.
SO IT'S REALLY QUITE A LOT MORE CARE THAN YOU CAN GET AT AN URGENT CARE.
DR. KENT, MAY I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION? SO, MR. B., YOU'D MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS TO BE EMPLOYED AND HAVE THEIR OFFICE OUT OF THAT BUILDING AS WELL.
I KNOW WE HAVE I KNOW PERSONALLY IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN IN THE GREATER LANSING AREA.
HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU, AND PRIMARY CARE IS JUST A LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE ALTOGETHER, HOW DO YOU SEE RECRUITING FOLKS THAT WILL WANT TO COME WORK PRIMARY CARE IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA AND PROVIDE THAT CARE, KNOWING THAT WE'VE GOT SUCH A NATIONWIDE? SO, SPARROW HAS A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS AS WELL AS
[02:30:02]
INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIANS, SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THAT PROBLEM.IN CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR CARE DELIVERY AREA, AND WITH OUR GOALS OF INCREASING THAT EVEN MORE, WE HAVE A NICE, REALLY A NICE STEADY STREAM, IF YOU WILL, OF BEAUTIFULLY WELL TRAINED, LOCALLY INVESTED.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHOSE SPOUSES ARE TEACHERS AND WHOSE KIDS GO TO DAYCARE WITH YOUR KIDS.
THESE ARE DOCTORS WHO TRAINED IN OUR AREA AND WANT TO STAY.
SO WE HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND 70 PERCENT OF OUR DOCS THAT TRAIN LOCALLY THAT STAY THAT STOCK OUR SPARROW MEDICAL GROUP, PRIMARY CARE, AND ARE INCREASING THAT AT THIS TIME.
SO WE'RE REALLY BLESSED IN THAT WAY AND WE JUST NEED PLACES TO PUT THEM AT THIS POINT.
OK, ONE LAST QUESTION, PROBABLY FOR DIRECTOR KIESELBACH, IT'S CURRENTLY ZONED RESIDENTIAL.
AND I COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO ME HOW MANY POSSIBLE HOME UNITS COULD GO ON THAT PROPERTY AS IS, IF IT WAS STAY CURRENT RESIDENTIAL AND THOSE NORTH TWO PARCELS.
HOW MANY HOMES COULD WE BE LOOKING AT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USING KANSAS ROAD AND OR CONTRIBUTING TO SOME OF THE TRAFFIC AND/OR NOISE THAT SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE COMMENTED ON.
IF THEY JUST SUBDIVIDED IT BASED ON THE FRONT FOOTAGE THEY COULD DO FOR LOTS.
SO IF THEY DID ANYTHING MORE THAN FOUR, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH, CREATING LIKE A SUBDIVISION AND CREATING A ROAD INTO THAT.
TYPICALLY RA ZONING WILL YIELD ABOUT THREE POINT FIVE UNITS PER ACRE AND THIS IS FOUR ACRES APPROXIMATELY.
BUT AGAIN, IT ALL DEPENDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DEVELOP A ROAD TO SERVE THOSE LOTS.
I WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE ALL THE CONCERNS FROM THE FROM THE RESIDENTS, I UNDERSTAND RESPECT OF THE WANT FOR A NATURAL AND A SAFE FEELING THAT I HEARD EARLIER THIS EVENING AND IN REVIEWING THE LAND USE MAP AND THEN SEEING WHAT DIRECTOR KIESELBACH HAD SHOWN.
YOU KNOW, THIS AREA OF OKEMOS-JOLLY IT IS PREDOMINANTLY PROFESSIONAL OFFICE.
THERE IS SOME RESIDENTIAL AND MAYBE A NEED FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT I TRULY THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD USE FOR THIS AREA OF THIS PROPERTY.
IT WOULD GET RID OF THE INDUSTRIAL USE, WHICH I THINK COULD REALLY BE DETRIMENTAL IN THE LONG RUN, DEPENDING ON WHO MIGHT MOVE IN THERE IF MIDWEST EVER MOVES OUT.
BUT ALSO FOR ME AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR THIS FROM ME OFTEN, IS JUST THE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SO VERY IMPORTANT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
I THINK SOMETHING THIS IS VERY INNOVATIVE.
AND I THINK IT COULD REALLY IT COULD BENEFIT SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND AS A PARENT, I'VE USED THE EMERGENCY ROOM MORE TIMES THAN I WANT TO IMAGINE.
AND EVERY SINGLE TIME I SIT THERE FOR FOUR HOURS AND I AM ALSO EXPOSED TO ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IN THERE THAT ARE NOT EMERGENT BECAUSE I HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS.
SO I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE, AS WELL AS THE ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF INNOVATIVE EMERGENT CARE, IF YOU WILL.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WANT TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THE RESIDENTS AND WITH SAYING THAT I DO APPRECIATE THE NEW CONCEPT PLAN THAT THERE WILL BE NO ACCESS TO KANSAS ROAD, THAT WE'RE GOING OFF TO THE EAST THERE.
I THINK THAT WILL REALLY HELP.
KENT SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REGULATIONS OVER WHEN SIRENS ARE USED AND NOT USED.
BUT IF WE CAN BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID GET SOME SUPPORT SPECIFICALLY FROM BURCHAM HILLS THAT HAD INDICATED THERE IS A NEED FOR OUR AGING POPULATION AS WELL, SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, MAYBE STROKES MAYBE HEART ATTACKS THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SPARROW, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THIS FACILITY OR A FACILITY LIKE THIS INSTEAD.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME, KANSAS ROAD SPECIFICALLY, THE RENDERING SHOWED, YOU KNOW SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GREENERY, BUT IT STOPPED RIGHT AT THAT BUILDING AND
[02:35:01]
MAYBE IF WE CAN EXTEND THAT BOTH LONGEVITY AND THEN ALSO WITH TO BUFFER THOSE THOSE FAMILIES FROM THAT ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, THE VISUAL COMPONENT.AND IN PARTICULAR I KEEP HEARING ABOUT THE LIGHT POLLUTION.
AND I KNOW THAT CAN BE VERY DISTURBING, BOTH MENTALLY AND JUST PHYSICALLY FOR FOLKS.
SO, I'M, YOU KNOW, LEANING TOWARDS SUPPORTING THIS.
I REALLY THE ACCESS IS IMPERATIVE, BUT I THINK YOU'VE MADE SOME GREAT PROGRESS ON THE ACTUAL CONCEPTS AND THE RENDERINGS.
IF WE CAN REALLY JUST WORK WITH THOSE RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FEELING CONFIDENT AND LIKE THEY MENTIONED, SAFE, YOU KNOW, I COULD BE IN SUPPORT.
SUPERVISOR, I HAVE A FAMILY CALL COMING IN, SO I'M GOING TO STEP AWAY FOR JUST A MOMENT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? DISCUSSION TIME.
DIRECTOR KIESELBACH, IF YOU COULD, MAYBE WALK ME DOWN MEMORY LANE, OR IF I COULD TAP INTO YOUR INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, IT SEEMS, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN AN AWFUL LOT OF TIMES WHERE DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED AROUND KANSAS AND THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION WITH MERIDIAN MEADOWS, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER.
EXACTLY WHAT THE OPPOSITION WAS WITH THE MEADOWS, WITH, IF THERE WAS ANY, WITH ELEVATION AND I RECALL THE SIDEWALK AND HEWLETT ON THE EAST SIDE OF OF HEWLETT ROAD, THERE WERE A FEW HOMES THERE THAT WERE VERY, VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THAT SIDEWALK GOING ON.
SO I JUST RECALL OCCASIONS WHERE HOMEOWNERS WERE NOT IN SUPPORT OF CERTAIN TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
AND I JUST WONDERED IN THAT LITTLE CORNER OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, IF YOU COULD REFRESH MY MEMORY ON SOME OF THAT.
THE ONE IS THE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION CONNECTION TO KANSAS, WHEN THAT PLAT CAME THROUGH OR PART OF THE SANCTUARY PLAT CAME THROUGH, THERE WAS REAL CONCERN THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE A CONNECTION WITH THE TWO STREETS FROM KANSAS INTO THIS INTO THE SUBDIVISION CONNECTION.
AGAIN, THE CONCERN WAS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC COMING DOWN KANSAS.
OVER THE YEARS, THAT PROPERTY TO THE EAST WHERE THE ELEVATION WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ALL ZONED INDUSTRIAL.
THERE WAS A CONSTRUCTION YARD THERE AT ONE TIME.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY WHAT THEY CALL TRENCH BOXES, IF YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE, FOR CONSTRUCTION.
HEAVY METAL CONSTRUCTION GOING ON, A LOT OF WELDING AND THINGS, AND THEY EVEN MADE CAR PARTS IN THAT AREA AT ONE TIME.
SO I KNOW THEY WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF USES IN THAT AREA.
AND THERE WAS CONTAMINATION FROM THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT HAD BEEN THERE OVER TIME.
THEY TURNED THAT PROPERTY AROUND TO CREATE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
I DON'T REMEMBER REALLY ANY OPPOSITION AS LONG AS THERE WASN'T A CONNECTION AT ONE TIME.
THEY TALKED ABOUT CONNECTING TO KANSAS AGAIN AND THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO THAT.
SO THEY TOOK THAT OUT OF THE PLAN, SO NOT TO CONNECT.
MAYBE THIS IS FOR MANAGER WALSH.
DO YOU DO YOU KNOW OR DOES OUR ASSESSOR KNOW THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT OF THESE HOMES ? IN MY MIND, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE VALUE OF THESE HOMES HAS BEEN OVER TIME AS THE DENTAL OFFICE HAS BEEN BUILT, MSU CREDIT UNION'S BEEN BUILT, THE SANCTUARY, THE ELEVATION, HAS PROPERTY VALUE DROPPED, HAS IT CONTINUED TO INCREASE? I NOTICED PROPERTY VALUE'S THE CONCERN FOR THE RESIDENTS [INAUDIBLE] I COULDN'T REALLY FIND IT IN THE PACKET, IF THERE'S BEEN AN ASSESSMENT ON PROPERTY VALUE, WHAT WOULD OCCUR TO THESE HOMES? YEAH, CLERK GUTHRIE, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, NOR DID I
[02:40:02]
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH ASSESSOR LEE.BUT MY GUESS IS AND IT'S JUST PURELY ANECDOTAL GUESS, BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN IN PROPERTY VALUES FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS, WE TAKE, FOR INSTANCE, THE HOMES THAT ARE AROUND COSTCO, THE HOMES AROUND THE NEW FIRE STATION, SOME OF THE SAME DISCUSSIONS, POINTS WERE MADE WHEN THOSE PROJECTS CAME ABOUT.
MY GUESS IS THAT OF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT GO BACK 10 YEARS AGO BEFORE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OCCURRED AROUND KANSAS, THAT PROPERTY VALUES ARE PROBABLY UP 15 TO 20 PERCENT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.
THERE'S BEEN NO NOTICEABLE DROP IN PROPERTY VALUES IN THAT AREA.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE OR TOO MUCH TO ASK IF YOU COULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR LEE? JUST FOR MY KNOWLEDGE FOR WHAT THOSE PROPERTY VALUES ARE AND ANY KIND OF FUTURE VALUE.
THAT WOULD BE THERE IF THIS WOULD BE BUILT.
YES, I CERTAINLY CAN, CLERK GUTHRIE; I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU TOMORROW.
WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, BASED ON WHAT IS PRESENTED IN THE CURRENT SITE PLAN THAT YOU'VE SEEN TONIGHT, WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE ME TO FURTHER GET AN EXPLANATION FROM HIM OR HIS PROFESSIONAL OPINION BEING THAT HE IS A MASTER ASSESSOR IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, DOES HE SEE POTENTIAL DROP IN PROPERTY VALUES BASED ON THIS DEVELOPMENT VERSUS WHAT'S THERE RIGHT NOW? WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO EXPLORE THAT WITH HIM? YES, AND CONNECTION TO PUBLIC WATER.
THE PROPERTY VALUE FOR HOMES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO PUBLIC WATER VERSUS WELL, IF YOU COULD DO THAT, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I WILL GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
SOMEONE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN YET, IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO--YES, MISS JACKSON.
FIRST OF ALL, I DID NOT SEE THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND SO I WOULD I WOULD FIRST SAY THAT I AGREE AND SUPPORT THE IDEA OF CHANGING THE ZONING CATEGORY ON JOLLY ROAD FROM INDUSTRIAL TO SOMETHING MORE TRANSITIONAL AND COMPATIBLE WITH RESIDENTIAL LIVING BEHIND IT.
I AM IMPRESSED BY THE ONE STOREY DESIGN.
I'M A LITTLE TROUBLED BY ALL OF THE PARKING THAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS ISSUE, IN THIS CASE FOR THE DESIGN.
BUT ULTIMATELY, THE THING I AM PROBABLY HANGING UP ON IS THE LOSS OF RESIDENTIAL SITES AND POTENTIAL IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS ALREADY QUITE A BIT.
THOUGH, IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS, TO THE POINTS ABOUT THE LARGE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL NUMBERS OF PO ZONED PROPERTIES IN THAT VICINITY, THERE IS AN AWFUL LOT ALSO OF RESIDENTIAL AND SOME RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AVAILABLE ON THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SIDE OF OF JOLLY ROAD.
SO ON THE ONE HAND, AS I SAY, I LIKE THE IDEA OF AND SUPPORT THE IDEA OF CHANGING THE WHAT IS NOW ZONED INDUSTRIAL TO SOMETHING MORE CONDUCIVE AND COMPATIBLE TO RESIDENTIAL.
THE AMOUNT OF RESIDENTIAL IN THAT AREA, BUT THE LOSS OF RESIDENTIAL SITES IS KIND OF A PROBLEM FOR ME AT THIS POINT, AND PARTICULARLY TO A NONPROFIT.
[02:45:09]
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? MS. WISINSKI.I'M SORRY I WAS IN AND OUT THERE, BUT I DID HEAR TRUSTEE JACKSON MENTION NONPROFIT AND THAT BRINGS UP A THOUGHT FOR ME.
I'M NOT 100 PERCENT WELL, I'M NOT WELL VERSED AT ALL, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHO COULD ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
BUT AS I UNDERSTAND, NONPROFIT HOSPITALS ARE REQUIRED BY THE IRS TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROGRAM.
AM I CORRECT IN SAYING THAT, IF SO, IS THAT A WAY WE COULD I GUESS AN AVENUE WE COULD DISCUSS ON HOW WE COULD GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY? AND I MISSED THE WHOLE RESIDENTIAL PART, TRUSTEE JACKSONS, SO APOLOGIZE, GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN ANOTHER WAY IN LIEU OF TAXES, PER SAY.
SO WE'RE OPEN TO DISCUSSING AND GETTING CREATIVE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN AND HAVE BEEN DOING THAT, TRYING TO DO THAT FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
AND SO IF YOUR QUESTION IS, CAN WE CONSIDER SOME OPTIONS, CERTAINLY WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO .
THE COMMUNITY NEED AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY WE DO THAT IS THROUGH THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE EITHER SUBSIDIZED OR WERE NOT REIMBURSED FOR CARE.
WE I THINK LAST YEAR PROVIDED OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF UNREIMBURSED CARE THROUGH PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO PAY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT ACCOUNTS FOR A LOT OF THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT WE PROVIDE.
MANAGER WALSH, BUT BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING ELSE, I WILL MENTION THAT I HAD HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTOR, THAT SHE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET TO OUR TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE, THAT SHE TENDS TO SERVE THE UNDERPRIVILEGED WITHIN OUR TOWNSHIP.
YEAH, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE NOT HAVE THAT DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO STICK TO THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE OFFERED BEFORE US AND THAT COULD BE A DISCUSSION ON DOWN THE ROAD, IF THIS PROJECT ENDED UP GETTING APPROVED AND WORKING WITH THEM.
I THINK WE'RE BETTER OFF PROBABLY NOT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
FOR ONE THING, NOBODY WAS PREPARED FOR IT, ALTHOUGH, COURTNEY, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
OK, SO I JUST WANTED TO SUPPORT CLERK GUTHRIE'S INQUIRY FOR THE ASSESSMENT [INAUDIBLE] ON BOTH THE WATER CONNECTION AND OTHER COMPARABLE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I ALSO DO EMPATHIZE WITH THE NEIGHBORS IN THIS INSTANCE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HERE WE ALREADY HAVE THE ENCROACHMENT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT CAME TO OTHER ENCROACHMENTS LIKE THE MSUFC OR THE [INAUDIBLE] OFFICE, I WAS NOT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR THE BOARD FOR THOSE.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE USE BY RIGHTS UNDER OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE OTHER ENCROACHMENTS, YOU KNOW, HERE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT GREENSPACE AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE GREENSPACE TODAY, I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF PRESERVING THAT CORNER AND PRESERVING THAT ENTRANCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE INDUSTRIAL USE, WHICH WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY DONE JUST DOWN THE ROAD AND AS DIRECTOR KIESELBACH NOTED, HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINATION THAT NEEDED TO BE REMEDIATED AND CLEANED UP.
THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE THAT AT THIS POINT IS GOING TO BE THROUGH, UNFORTUNATELY, ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO IN ORDER TO GET RID OF THE INDUSTRIAL, I'M IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT AND MINIMIZING AND INSULATING AND CREATING THAT BUFFER FOR THE RESIDENTIAL USE THROUGH THE TREE SCREENING THE SETBACKS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS REQUIRED UNDER OUR ORDINANCE, WHICH IS WHAT THIS BOARD HAS BEEN DOING RIGOROUSLY WITH ALL PROJECTS.
BUT I MEAN, THE WATER CONNECTION IS SUBSTANTIAL, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST OR A PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR APPROXIMATELY 14 HOMES, SOME OTHER VACANT PARCELS THAT MIGHT BE UNDER DIFFERENT OWNERSHIP, PLUS FIVE TO TEN THOUSAND TO CONNECT.
AND WE'RE SEEING THE KINDS OF INCREASES IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT WE'VE SEEN, IT JUST CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED, [INAUDIBLE] ROAD WENT FROM LIKE FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY
[02:50:06]
FIVE THOUSAND TO OVER FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND.AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THIS YEAR ALONE.
SO THE CONSTRUCTION INFLATION THAT WE'RE SEEING IS STAGGERING.
AND SO THE COST TO DELIVER THIS AND I'M CURIOUS TO SEE THE ASSESSMENTS FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE COME ON TO IT, BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE DONE THE SADS ON THEIR OWN, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE MARKET VALUE RETURN.
THAT'S WHY SLEEPY HOLLOW WANTED TO DO THIS.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT WHAT AM I GOING TO HAVE TO INVEST? EVEN IF IT'S THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND, CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK? IT BECAME COST PROHIBITIVE.
COST NEARLY DOUBLE IN THE TWO YEARS FROM WHAT THEY WERE ANTICIPATING EARLY ON, BUT.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING, YOU KNOW, WITH CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THE WAY THAT THEY ARE, WE MAY NEVER GET WATER MAINS AND IN OTHER INSTANCES, SEWER MAINS TO SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE'VE NEVER SEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND THOSE FOR FREE, AT LEAST AT THE COST OF THE PUBLIC EXPECTS.
SO I DO THINK THAT IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT AS WE LOOK AT THIS QUESTION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY IN ADDITION TO THE SERVICE RENDERED AT THE SITE.
BUT I DO EMPATHIZE WITH THE NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, THE INDUSTRIALISTS THERE.
I WAS HERE FOR THE ELEVATION DISCUSSION, AT LEAST TOWARDS THE LATTER PART OF THAT.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO CLEAN UP AND REMEDIATE THOSE SITES IS THROUGH SOME KIND OF REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE, IT'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THERE JUST WILL NEVER BE PUBLIC FUNDS AT THE TOWNSHIP LEVEL TO REMEDIATE AND RESTORE SITES LIKE THAT.
WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM IN THE STATE IN THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.
AND WE STRUGGLE JUST TO KEEP UP WITH OUR OWN PRESERVES, MUCH LESS REMEDIATE SITES LIKE THIS.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THIS PROJECT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE ASSESSING NUMBERS FROM STEPH.
OK, I HAVE SOME COMMENTS I WAS GOING TO MAKE.
FIRST, I WOULD ASK MR. KIESELBACH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS ODD PIECE OF INDUSTRIAL, WHICH I THINK YOU POINTED OUT ORIGINALLY, THIS WAS A RATHER LARGE INDUSTRIAL ZONE AND WENT ALL THE WAY ALL OVER OKEMOS ROAD, I BELIEVE, DID IT NOT? AND [INAUDIBLE] FROM THERE A WAYS FROM JOLLY.
RIGHT AT ONE TIME, IT WENT ON ALL AROUND JOLLY OAK THAT WHOLE AREA IN THERE WAS INDUSTRIAL ZONING.
I REMEMBER AT THE CORNER OF OKEMOS AND JOLLY WAS THE [INAUDIBLE] COMPANY, WHICH HAD HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
AND IN FACT, MANY OF US WHO USED MIDWEST TODAY FOR OUR LAWN MOWERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT STARTED OUT BY USING [INAUDIBLE] FOR THEIR EQUIPMENT WHERE THEY MAY HAVE BOUGHT THEIR MAR'S, ET CETERA.
AND THEN OVER THE YEARS, AS [INAUDIBLE] FAMILY SOLD OUT, SOMEBODY ELSE BOUGHT IT, CONTINUED ON, AND SO EVENTUALLY ENDED UP WITH MIDWEST AND THEN THEY RELOCATED UP TO THE HAMILTON AND NOW DOWN TO THIS INDUSTRIAL SITE.
WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES COULD OCCUR BY RIGHT ON THIS SITE IF WE DON'T CHANGE THIS OUT OF AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE? WELL, INDUSTRIAL, IT'S BASICALLY LIGHT MANUFACTURING COULD HAPPEN IN THERE.
CERTAINLY SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MIDWEST.
GOOD EXAMPLES, MERIDIAN COMPANY THAT DOES THE PLUMBING AND REPAIRS, SO SOMETHING A CONTRACTORS BUSINESS, WHETHER IT'S HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING AND OTHER TYPES OF ACTIVITIES LIKE THAT.
BUT IT'D BE EVEN HEAVIER INDUSTRIAL, LIKE METAL FABRICATION, THINGS LIKE THAT? NO, OUR INDUSTRIAL IS PRETTY LIMITED TO LIGHT MANUFACTURING.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ENFORCE OUR VARIOUS ORDINANCES IN THE TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF YOUR DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES.
HAVE THERE BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DISMISS MIDWEST, I LOVE THEM.
I USE THEM FOR MY SERVICES ALL THE TIME.
BUT HAVE THERE BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE MIDWEST AND THE KANSAS ROAD?
[02:55:04]
WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW WITH WHEN THEY RECEIVED PRODUCT THEY STORE IN THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY ALONG KANSAS, SO THERE'S BEEN THAT PROBLEM AND THEY'RE LIMITED ON PARKING ON THEIR SIDE.SO WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS HAVING THEIR EMPLOYEES PARK IN THE RESIDENTIAL ZONED AREA, WHICH ISN'T ALLOWED.
AND THAT'S [INAUDIBLE] THEY ACTUALLY OWN AT THIS POINT? THAT'S THE PARCEL TO THE NORTH IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL.
SO NORTH OF THE [INAUDIBLE] WHERE THEY STORE STUFF, THEY WERE HAVING EMPLOYEES PARK THERE.
THEY WERE STORING SOME OF THEIR PALLETS AND STUFF IN THAT AREA, WHICH--BUT THEY DO ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY? THEY OWN ALL OF THIS PROPERTY.
SO ACROSS THE STREET, WHEN I LOOK AT THE MAP OF THE AREA, I SEE THAT THERE'S BASICALLY THREE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE ACROSS FROM THE IRE PORTION OF THIS REZONING REQUEST.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THINGS EXCEPT WHEN OUR ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE GET OUT THERE TO ENFORCE IT LIKE PALLETS AND CARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IS THERE MUCH SCREENING OR ANYTHING ON THAT PROPERTY RIGHT NOW? NO, THERE ISN'T.
ONE THING I SHOULD MENTION FOR THE BOARD SINCE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS REZONING DOES GO THROUGH AND BASED ON THE SIZE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS MENTIONED, THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO, AGAIN, THAT WILL BE ANOTHER PLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC HEARING THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND THE BOARD'S GOING TO HAVE THE FINAL DETERMINATION.
SO IF AT THAT TIME, BASED ON THE DESIGN, LIGHTING, BUFFERING, THE LANDSCAPING, ALL OR PART OF THAT SUP PROCESS.
YOU MENTIONED THE LIGHTING, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING I WANT TO ASK ABOUT.
WE'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS ON KANSAS IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS LIGHT POLLUTION.
CAN YOU TELL WHAT IS OUR CURRENT ORDINANCES AND WHAT ARE OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR A SITE LIKE THIS? WELL, THE WAY THE LIGHTING ORDINANCES IS BASED ON A DARK SKY POLICY.
ALL LIGHTS HAVE TO BE SHIELDED AND DIRECTED DOWN THERE, WHAT WE CALL A LUMEN CREDIT, A CREDIT FOR EACH PARCEL SO YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY LUMENS PER ACRE ALLOWED ON A PARCEL.
YOU KNOW, LIGHT POLES ARE LIMITED ON THE HEIGHT.
SO THEY'RE NOT 40 FEET TALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO SPREAD LIGHT OUT.
I LIVE NOT THAT FAR FROM THE DELTA DENTAL SITE.
AND I KNOW THAT AFTER REDOING A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THEY HAD TO REDO THEIR LIGHTING AND THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT RIGHT NOW, ARE THEY NOT? RIGHT.
AND THOSE LIGHTS ARE VERY UNOBTRUSIVE COMPARED TO THE CHIPPEWA, WHICH HAS [INAUDIBLE] STYLE HIGH BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT SHINE IN MY BEDROOM.
BUT I CAN'T SEE ANY LIGHTS FROM DELTA DENTAL.
ANOTHER ISSUE THAT SOMEBODY RAISED WAS THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING OUT OF DUMPSTERS? THAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL USE TIME LIMIT, WOULDN'T IT, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE SHIELDING FOR THAT? YEAH, AND THE ORDINANCE NOW REQUIRES FULL SCREENING OF ANY DUMPSTER.
OK, AND AT THIS POINT WE'RE IN A ZONING, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE DUMPSTERS WOULD GO, DO WE? WE'RE JUST IN THE REZONING PHASE.
SO THAT WOULD ALL BE PART OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT POINT WAS RAISED TO KEEP KIDS SAFE.
AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY ASKING YOU THIS, MARK, BUT I'M ASKING THE APPLICANT HOW ARE KIDS GOING TO BE KEPT SAFE IN TERMS OF THIS SITE? THAT'S AN ANSWER THAT [INAUDIBLE] AND [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WANT TO HELP AS WELL, YOU'RE WELCOME.
I THINK OF THE HOPEFULLY THE RENDERINGS THAT WE SHOWED EARLIER ILLUSTRATE THAT WALKING ON THE STREET WOULD BE SAFER WITHOUT HAVING THE SEMI TRUCKS AND THE UNLOADING THAT OCCURS THERE TODAY.
AND SO THAT VISUAL, I THINK, WAS THE BEST ILLUSTRATION OF HOW THE STREET FOR KIDS, IF THEY'RE WALKING TO GET A BUS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME DOING SO UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT WE'RE PROPOSING.
IN YOUR PROPOSAL, YOU HAVE AS PART OF YOUR CONDITIONS, YOU DO HAVE THE NORTH BUFFER, WHICH YOU SAY IS ABOUT 75 FEET OF SCREENING, LANDSCAPING, ET CETERA.
[03:00:02]
YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE PROPERTY.I WOULD SAY FROM WHERE THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL ENDS GOING NORTH, THE CURRENT RA PORTION.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF HAVING SOME SORT OF CONDITION WITH REGARD TO THE WIDTH OF THAT KIND OF BUFFERING? BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE SOME NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT.
SURE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO CONSIDER ANY SUGGESTION THERE.
WE DID, IN THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE, MOVE THE BUILDING SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE EAST AND BECAUSE OF THE EAST ENTRANCE WILL HAVE REALLY TRAFFIC FLOWING, YOU KNOW, A DISTANCE FROM KANSAS ROAD.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL WILL BE TO MAKE IT SO THAT THE BUILDINGS NOT EVEN VIEWABLE.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT HASN'T REALLY BEEN MENTIONED YET TONIGHT IS THAT.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OTHER DEVELOPERS, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE FACILITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO LEASE OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE OR THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR HOPEFULLY ANOTHER HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS.
AND SO WHATEVER WE DECIDE NOW ARE CONDITIONS WE PUT IN.
WE WANT TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, AND WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT IN OUR OTHER FACILITIES AND HOW WE KEEP THEM UP.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE DUMPSTER PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO THINK OF AND DEAL WITH THE THINGS THAT DON'T EVEN GET TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT OR IN THIS PROCESS.
THIS LAST LINE OF QUESTIONS, I JUST ASK IS WITH REGARD TO THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY IN POSSIBLE CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, IF I'M LIVING ACROSS FROM THAT, I DON'T WANT TO BE LOOKING AT PARKED CARS, LET ALONE A BUILDING.
AND YOU'VE GOT A NICE BIG BUFFER ON THE NORTH BOUNDARY.
BUT I'M WONDERING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN CONDITIONALLY VOLUNTARILY DO ON THE WESTERN BOUNDARY.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA, JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT QUESTIONS THAT YOU JUST OFFERED, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE NEIGHBORS AND THE RESIDENTS TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CONDITIONS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, THAT IF THEY WERE PART OF AND SUBJECT TO THE REZONING.
NOW, THEY WOULD BE HELD IN ACCOUNT, THE APPLICANT WOULD BE HELD IN ACCOUNT THROUGH GETTING THEIR SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL, GETTING THEIR BUILDING PERMITS RIGHT [INAUDIBLE] DIRECTOR KIESELBACH AND HIS DEPARTMENT WOULD DO FINAL SITE PLAN REVIEW, WHICH IS OFTEN WHEN THEY GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE SPECIES OF THE TREES, BREAST DIAMETER HEIGHT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE USING THE SAME MATERIAL TO SCREEN THE DUMPSTERS AND THE TRASH RECEPTACLE AND RECYCLING CONTAINERS, WE REQUIRE IT TO MIMIC AND MIRROR, YOU KNOW, THE FACILITY ITSELF AND THOSE SAME MATERIALS TO, YOU KNOW, HIDE IT AND CONCEAL IT FROM SITE, AND THAT'S IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO JUST TO OUTLINE THAT LONG PROCESS, BECAUSE THIS WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL, AND THEN STAFF HAVE QUITE OVERSIGHT ON FINAL SITE PLAN REVIEW AND THE BUILDING PERMITS.
AND THAT'S HOW THE CONDITIONS ARE ENFORCED THAT THE APPLICANT HAS OFFERED AND ARE BEING DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
AND I WOULD CONCUR WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WEST BOUNDARY PERHAPS ADDRESSED MORE ACCURATELY.
BUT AGAIN, I SUPPORT THE PROJECT AND I APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT'S WILLINGNESS TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, EVEN BEYOND WHAT THE FACILITY ITSELF WOULD PROVIDE, BUT EXTERNALLY TO THE NEIGHBORS ADJACENT TO YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE THOUGHTFUL INPUT AND TO THAT REGARD AND REWORKING THE SITE PLAN.
AND THEN I DID HAVE ONE FINAL THOUGHT, NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.
I KNOW THAT I SPOKE TO SPARROW ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT THE PARKING AND TRUSTEE JACKSON RAISED IT.
I BELIEVE, AND THE APPLICANT CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE PARKED AT RIGHT NOW IS BASICALLY BASED ON OUR PARKING SCHEDULE.
I TOLD THEM THAT WE TYPICALLY GIVE CREDIT TO PEOPLE THAT APPLY FOR A WAIVER AND UNDER-PARK THEIR FACILITY BECAUSE OUR PARKING SCHEDULE IS TYPICALLY DISPROPORTIONATELY, YOU KNOW, LOWER PARKS, FACILITIES, IF YOU FOLLOW IT.
SO AND I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD GET INTO AT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE EVER GOT TO THE SUP APPROVAL PROCESS AND THE SITE PLAN APPROVAL AS PART OF THAT.
[03:05:04]
SO JUST ANOTHER THOUGHT PROCESS AND THE ELONGATED TIMELINE AND OTHER APPROVALS THAT COME AFTER THE REZONING.THAT LAST POINT, ALTHOUGH, AS YOU SAID, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE, SHOULD WE GET THERE, IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW SAID THAT WE ARE OVERPARKING AND ENCOURAGING LESS PARKING WHEREVER WE CAN.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT CHANGING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE.
OK, ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, WE'LL BRING US BACK NEXT TIME AND HOPEFULLY TAKE ACTION.
OF COURSE, WE'LL DISCUSS IT BEFORE WE DO.
I DO WANT TO THANK THE NEIGHBORS, TOO, AND I KNOW WE'LL HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN AT THE OTHER MEETING FOR ALL THEIR COMMENTS AND THEIR CONCERNS.
THEY ARE VERY MEANINGFUL AND THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I WHILE WE'RE THANKING SPECIAL FOR THEIR RESPONSE, WE'VE GOT TO THANK THE NEIGHBORS FOR EVEN BRINGING UP THOSE THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THEIR EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS AND TRYING TO RESOLVE THOSE IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
WE CAN COME TO A GOOD PLACE WITH THIS.
I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT ANY COMMUNICATIONS WE HAVE RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, THAT THOSE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT PACKET, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN RECEIVED SINCE WE PUT THIS THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTION TOGETHER.
I DO HAVE A CONCUR ABOUT THE PARKING SPACES AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION MAYBE FOR DIRECTOR KIESELBACH REGARDING THE TREES ON THE WEST SIDE? I ALMOST HATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT IF THERE WERE A SIDEWALK ALONG THERE, HOW FAR WOULD THE SETBACK HAVE TO BE FOR TREES FROM--CAN YOU EVEN HAVE A SIDEWALK WITH A NON PAVED ROAD? AND IF YOU BUT HOW FAR BACK TO THE TREES HAVE TO BE? DIRECTOR PERRY MAY NEED TO HELP ME WITH THIS ONE, BECAUSE TYPICALLY THE SIDEWALK IS GOING TO BE PUT INSIDE THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THERE'S USUALLY LIKE A FOOT.
FROM THE EDGE OF THE SIDEWALK INTO THE PROPERTY, SO TYPICALLY STREET TREES ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED ON THE PROPERTY OWNER SIDE OF THE SIDEWALK AND THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WITHOUT THAT BEING PAVED, YOU KNOW, IS THAT A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A SIDEWALK OR? BECAUSE, THERE'S NO OTHER SIDEWALK IN THAT AREA TO GO NORTH ON.
THE RESIDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY.
AND SO IT JUST GOT ME TO THINKING THAT IF THERE WERE A SIDEWALK ALONG THERE CONNECTING TO JOLLY ROAD, WHERE WOULD THOSE TREES NEED TO BE FOR THE APPLICANT SAKE RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, OR IF THERE WAS A FUTURE SIDEWALK RATHER THAN HAVING TO UPROOT THEM AND REPLANT THEM, WHAT WOULD BE THAT BUFFER ZONE? THEY'D BE ON THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY OPPOSITE THE SIDEWALK.
THE SIDEWALK WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLANT THE TREES [INAUDIBLE]--RIGHT.
OK, SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, THEY CAN'T PUT THOSE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY RIGHT NOW IS WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY? CORRECT.
OK, ANYONE ELSE? IF NOT, AS I SAID, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS JUNE 1ST.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
[13B. Okemos Drain]
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR STYKA, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.STEPHEN, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE PROMOTE DEPUTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER CARLA CLOS, THEIR CONSULTING ENGINEER, ALAN BOYER, HE WILL NEED THE ABILITY TO SHARE HIS SCREEN AND ALSO THEIR DRAIN COMMISSION ATTORNEY DOUGLAS KELLY.
JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US.
I'LL JUST START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE STUDY THAT THE BOARD APPROVED BACK IN FALL OF 2020.
THIS REALLY STARTS WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S PROJECT TO RECONSTRUCT OKEMOS, EXCUSE ME, GRAND RIVER.
THAT DID START OUT AS A RESURFACING PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING PROBLEMS AT
[03:10:01]
THE INTERSECTION OF OKEMOS ROAD AND GRAND RIVER.WE FELT IT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME CORRECTIONS WITH THAT.
AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD AGREED.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE DRAIN OFFICE, THE ROAD DEPARTMENT AND OF COURSE, THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO IN THE FALL OF 2020, IT WAS GLARINGLY APPARENT THAT WE NEEDED TO STUDY THOSE DRAINS.
IF NOTHING ELSE, PERIODIC FLOODING THAT OCCURRED CREATES ISSUES NOT ONLY FOR OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT ALSO THE AGE OF THOSE DRAINS.
IN FACT, WE HAD A FAILURE ON SOUTH OKEMOS ROAD NOW PROBABLY TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO THAT SOME FOLKS MAY REMEMBER HAVING TO PUT SOME CONES OUT THERE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT ANYWAYS, AS THEY'VE BEEN CONDUCTING THEIR STUDY ON THE MEIJER AND THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN, IT'S BECOME PRETTY APPARENT THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT A THIRD DRAIN BECAUSE THEY REALLY OPERATE AS A SYSTEM IN THAT AREA.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE VERY COMPLEX DRAIN CODE AND THE BUREAUCRACY THAT IS ATTACHED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER OF THE DRAIN CODE, WE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT A SYSTEM WIDE DRAIN.
AND ULTIMATELY, I THINK WHERE WE NEED TO GO IS A CONSOLIDATED DRAIN.
BUT AGAIN, THE DRAIN OFFICE IS HERE TO PRESENT WHAT THEIR CURRENT FINDINGS ARE AND THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT WE THINK IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD AND WITH REALLY COMBINING THESE THREE DRAINS INTO ONE DRAIN SO THEY CAN BE MANAGED EFFECTIVELY.
SO WITH THAT, MR. BOYER, I THINK THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
MR. PERRY, CAN YOU SEE THE SCREEN? I CAN.
I'M AN ENGINEER WITH LSG ENGINEERS AND SURVEYORS 3135 PINETREE ROAD IN LANSING.
LSG HAS BEEN RETAINED AS THE CONSULTING ENGINEER FOR THE GRETTENBERGER, THE MEIJERS AND THE OKEMOS STRAIN DRAINAGE DISTRICTS BY THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER.
IN YOUR PACKET THIS EVENING IS A BRIEF MEMO FROM ME THAT KIND OF ILLUSTRATES WHAT DEREK WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
DIRECTOR PERRY HAS BEEN IN CONSULTING WITH US REGARDING A NUMBER OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO THESE DRAINS.
AND WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP HIM APPRIZED OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE PHOTO THAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS SLIDE IS THE INTERSECTION OF OKEMOS ROAD AND GRAND RIVER.
THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN FEBRUARY 22ND OF 2018 DURING A FLOODING EVENT ALONG THE RED CEDAR RIVER.
AND NOW THIS WAS A RESULT OF RIVER FLOODING.
BUT CERTAINLY THIS FLOODING EVENT HAPPENS DURING TIMES OF INTENSE RAINFALLS.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE RESULTED FROM THAT.
TO DATE, MDOT, WHO WE ARE WORKING WITH VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK PROPOSED FOR GRAND RIVER AND M-43.
FORTY THREE HAS ALSO DONE A HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS OF THEIR DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN THIS AREA.
AND THEY'VE COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSIONS IN THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THE FACT THAT THIS NETWORK, THIS NETWORK OF DRAINS, WHICH IS MADE UP OF THE GRETTENBERGER, THE MEIJERS AND THE OKEMOS DRAINS, ACTUALLY NEEDS TO FUNCTION AS A NETWORK, NOT AS SEPARATE DRAINS, AS DIRECTOR PERRY POINTED OUT.
MDOT HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY ALSO WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE, AND WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM REGARDING THE WORK THAT THEY PROPOSED.
AT THIS VERY INTERSECTION, WE HAVE ASKED AND THEY ARE INCLUDING IN THEIR DESIGN, THE RAISING OF THIS INTERSECTION TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THIS FLOODING.
AND CERTAINLY THAT IS AN ADVANTAGE TO THE RESIDENTS WHERE THIS WOULD BECOME A MORE ACCESSIBLE AREA EVEN DURING HIGH WATER EVENTS ALONG THE RIVER.
YOU MAY KNOW FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH YOU THAT THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN AND THE MEIJERS DRAIN ARE, PARTICULARLY THE GRETTENBERGER HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS DESIGN LIFE.
THE MEIJERS DRAIN WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY 1970S WITH THE ADVENT OF THE BUILDING OF THE MALL AND MEIJERS AND BOTH OF THOSE DRAINS COME TOGETHER UNDER THIS INTERSECTION THAT YOU SEE HERE.
AND THEN THEY PROCEED NORTH ALONG OKEMOS ROAD TO THE OKEMOS DRAIN, WHICH IS THEIR OUTLET.
THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE MEMO IN YOUR PACKET, IDENTIFIES KIND OF THE SERVICE AREA OF THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
[03:15:04]
THE AREA SURROUNDED IN RED HERE IS A MAJOR PART OF THE TOWNSHIP'S COMMERCIAL DISTRICT THAT INCLUDES THE MALL, THE BEST BUY AND MEIJERS.AND DOWNSTREAM OF THIS AREA IS THE OTTAWA HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH WHICH THE OKEMOS DRAIN PASSES.
NOW, ALSO ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THIS AREA ARE THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED FOR GRAND RIVER AVENUE AND CERTAINLY THE MEIJER DRAIN, AS WELL AS THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN, DIRECTOR PERRY POINTED OUT THAT IN 2018 THERE WAS A COLLAPSE IN THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN IN THIS LOCATION AND THAT DELAYED THE ROAD WORK THAT THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT HAS PLANNED TO DO ON THAT PORTION OF THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
THEY ARE HOLDING BACK ON DOING THAT WORK UNTIL THE DRAINAGE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED.
AND CERTAINLY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO HERE WITH OUR REQUEST REGARDING THIS PETITION.
OUR WORK AFTER THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN COLLAPSE AND MDOT'S WORK AS A RESULT OF ITS DESIGN THAT IT IS WORKING WITH ON THE M-43 HERE, HAS IDENTIFIED THE SYSTEM-WIDE NATURE OF THIS ENTIRE DRAINAGE NETWORK.
AND THAT'S REALLY ILLUSTRATED ON THIS THIRD MAP.
ALL OF THESE VARIOUS COLORED LINES IDENTIFY SOME FORM OF A DRAINAGE SYSTEM THAT IS SOMEWHAT INTERCONNECTED.
THE OKEMOS DRAIN ARE THE RED AND BLUE LINES AND THE ORANGE LINES AS WELL AS LINES DOWN HERE SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AND EAST OF MARSH ROAD.
THE MEIJER DRAIN PASSES IN FRONT OF THE MEIJERS STORE AND THEN NORTH ALONG OKEMOS ROAD TO DISCHARGE INTO THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
IT PICKS UP THE GRETTENBERGER DRAIN HERE.
THE OTHER DRAINS THAT CONTRIBUTE FLOW TO THIS SYSTEM INCLUDE THESE BLACK LINES THAT ARE PART OF THE MALL AND THE BEST BUY PLAZA HERE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE STORM DRAINAGE THAT'S IN GRAND RIVER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MDOT IDENTIFIED, WHICH THEY DID NOT KNOW UNTIL JUST RECENTLY, WAS THAT SOME OF THEIR DRAINAGE ACTUALLY PASSES THROUGH THE OKEMOS DRAIN AND THROUGH THE MALL PARKING LOT ON ITS WAY TO THE MUD LAKE OUTLET.
AND CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ONCE IT'S COME BEFORE IT HAS RAISED THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT NEEDING TO ADDRESS THIS IN A SYSTEMWIDE, CONSOLIDATED MANNER.
THE NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS AND FUTURE MAINTENANCE TO THE COUNTY DRAINAGE SYSTEM REALLY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN A SYSTEMWIDE MANNER AS PART OF A CONSOLIDATED DRAIN, AS DIRECTOR PERRY POINTED OUT IT.
SO IT'S SOMEWHAT COMPLEX AND VERY INEFFICIENT TO DO IT THE WAY IT IS NOW WITH THREE SEPARATE DRAINS AND TWO SEPARATE JURISDICTIONS.
IN ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE THIS, WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE MEMO THAT YOU RECEIVED A FLOW CHART THAT IDENTIFIES THE METHODOLOGY AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS BY WHICH A CONSOLIDATION COULD BE DONE.
AND IT STARTS WITH THIS REQUEST THIS EVENING OR A PETITION FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
CARLA, YOU OR DOUG MAY WANT TO CONTINUE WITH A QUICK REVIEW OF THIS.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERVISOR STYKA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR PERRY, AS ALWAYS, YOU DO AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
YOU LEAVE VERY LITTLE THAT I NEED TO ADD.
THE ONLY POINT IS WE ARE BRINGING THIS TO YOU AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE NOW THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM MDOT'S SURVEY WORK IN PREPARATION FOR GRAND RIVER AVENUE, THERE IS A CERTAIN URGENCY TO KEEPING ANY OF THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE MOVING ALONG SO THAT WE'RE READY BECAUSE THE DRAIN CODE IS RATHER CUMBERSOME PROCESS.
KEEP THAT MOVING ALONG SO THAT WHEN IT IS READY TO DO THEIR WORK AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE IN 2022 THAT WE ARE READY AS DRAIN OFFICE AND THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT TO KEEP UP WITH THEM AND NOT SLOW THEM DOWN.
THIS IS KIND OF A ONCE IN AT LEAST MY LIFETIME, PROBABLY MOST OF OUR LIFETIME FOR
[03:20:07]
GETTING THIS CORRIDOR RIGHT AND THE PROJECT WITH THEM WHO HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC TO WORK WITH.AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO LOCAL CONCERNS.
OF COURSE, AS DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY HAS SAID, AND WE HAVE SAID IT, THE ROAD DEPARTMENT HAVE SAID TO THEM, IS THAT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO GET RESOLVED IN THIS CORRIDOR.
BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPORTANT CORRIDOR DURING EMERGENCIES THAT WE SAW THE FLOODING.
IT'S ONE THING TO PUT A NICE TOP LAYER ON THE ROAD AND HAVE A GOOD TRAVELING SURFACE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE GET THIS DRAINAGE PROBLEMS ALONG THE CORRIDOR RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
ANYBODY WHO'S LIVED IN MERIDIAN FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME HAS CERTAINLY EXPERIENCED THE STORM EVENT THAT YOU SAW IN THE PICTURE THAT ALAN SHOWED EARLIER WAS AS A RESULT OF A 10 YEAR EVENT OR EQUIVALENT TO A 10 YEAR EVENT.
IT'S, WHAT, ALAN, A 10 PERCENT CHANCE? EVERY YEAR YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ONE OF THOSE.
AND IF YOU'VE LIVED IN MERIDIAN AT ALL, YOU KNOW, THAT INTERSECTION GOES UNDER WATER AND IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO HAVE WATER IN ONE OF THE TRAVEL LANES.
CERTAINLY AND THE TURN LANE GOING INTO MEIJERS.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS RESOLVED.
THERE WAS ALSO A [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT NEAR PLAYMAKERS THAT IS SUBJECT TO FLOODING AS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE MDOT IS WILLING TO GET THAT RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL WITH DOING SOMETHING PROBABLY PROBABLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DONE AT JOLLY AND OKEMOS, WITH RAISING IT UP TO GET IT OUT OF THOSE SUBJECT TO THE FLOOD EVENTS, WHICH RAISES ALL KINDS OF ISSUES AND ADDITIONAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THE EAGLE PERMITTING AND COMPENSATING CUTS AND WHATNOT SO THAT WE DON'T JUST CAUSE A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO THERE'S A VERY INVOLVED PROCESS.
A LOT OF MOVING PARTS BEHIND THE SCENES IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYTHING ON SCHEDULE FOR THE FUNDING AND THE PROJECT IN 2022, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ABSORB WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING AS A PROCESS FOR GETTING THAT STARTED SO THAT ALAN CAN DO HIS ENGINEERING THING AND BE READY FOR THE ROAD BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OLD FALLING APART DRAINS UNDER A BRAND NEW, IMPROVED ROAD.
WE WANT TO GET ALL OF THAT CHANGED OUT AND READY TO RECEIVE THE WATER FROM THESE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
AND IT IS THAT FLOW CHART THAT WE SUBMITTED WITH ALAN'S MEMO IS I'M GOING TO ATTRIBUTE IT, BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF IT TO OUR COUNSEL, DOUG KELLEY, WHO CAN RESPOND TO ANYTHING IS A VERY LONG INVOLVED PROCESS.
A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN IN THE FLOW CHART IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER CAN LET ALAN GO WITH DESIGNING ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO KEEP UP WITH THE ROAD CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS IN 2022 AND DIRECTOR PERRY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ATTORNEY KELLEY TO GO INTO MUCH DETAIL OR IF WE SHOULD KIND OF WAIT FOR QUESTIONS.
YEAH, ALAN, IF YOU'LL STOP SHARING YOUR SCREEN THAT WAY WE CAN KIND OF SEE EVERYBODY.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO MAYBE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT LONG PROCESS.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BOARD? WHAT THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS FOR US TO AUTHORIZE THEM TO GO AHEAD WITH STEP ONE, WHICH WOULD BE GIVE US A BUNCH OF RESOLUTIONS OR A COUPLE OF RESOLUTIONS AT OUR NEXT MEETING AND THAT WOULD START THE PROCESS.
IS ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT OR WHERE ARE WE? YES, MISS JACKSON, THANK YOU.
OK, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
[03:25:04]
MY FIRST QUESTION IS.THE OKEMOS DRAIN DRAINAGE BOARD, THAT IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONERS ORGANIZATION.
THREE DRAINS, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS TWO OF THEM I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO KNOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHAPTER 4 AND A CHAPTER 20 IS.
A CHAPTER 4 IS ADMINISTERED BY THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER.
CHAPTER 20 IS ADMINISTERED STATUTORILY BY A DRAINAGE BOARD.
THE CHAIR OF THE DRAINAGE BOARD IS THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER, AND THERE ARE TWO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON THE DRAINAGE BOARD.
IT'S A DIFFERENT SET UP ADMINISTRATED DIFFERENTLY.
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AS MR. BOYER INDICATE IS INDICATED, IS GET ALL OF THIS MISHMASH OF DRAINS THAT WAS SET UP OVER A PERIOD OF TIME FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, WORKING AS ONE DRAIN ADMINISTERED EFFICIENTLY GOING FORWARD.
YOU DID MENTION THE DIFFERENCE WELL, IT'S GETTING LATE.
YEAH, THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR, ONLY BRIEFLY TO SAY THAT I HAVE NO CONCERNS AND SUPPORT PROCEEDING ON THIS EFFORT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED AND INTERCONNECTED WITH ALL OF THIS.
AND SO WE NEED TO GET PROCEEDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE HOLDUP AND WE CAN PROCEED WHEN [INAUDIBLE] BUT I APPRECIATE THE OVERVIEW ON THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT THESE DRAINS ARE WORKING AS ONE SYSTEM.
OBVIOUSLY, THE FLOODING OVER HERE IS SYSTEMIC AND WE KNOW THAT IS ONLY GOING TO PUT IN SO MUCH FILL TO ELEVATE GRAND RIVER.
SO FROM THERE IT'S UP TO CARLA AND THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER TO RESOLVE THOSE OTHER ISSUES.
AND I THINK WE'RE ABOUT FOUR OR FOUR AND A HALF FEET ON MOST SEGMENTS OF GRAND RIVER HERE, BELOW THAT FLOOD LEVEL.
SO THE COST WOULD BE STAGGERING TO GET IT UP TO THAT LEVEL AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO MAKE A COMPARABLE CUT, WHICH WE HAVE TROUBLE FINDING THAT LAND.
SO I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS TO THE APPROACH AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE INFORMATION COMING.
AND WE'RE ESSENTIALLY GOING TO BE CREATING A SKYLINE DRIVE OTHERWISE.
OK, ANYONE ELSE? ANOTHER QUESTION MS. JACKSON, YES, WHAT IS THE NEEDED TIMELINE FOR OUR INPUT AND FOR YOU TO BE READY FOR 2022.
ONCE I HAVE CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD, I'LL PROBABLY THIS WEEK ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE ACTUALLY.
THEY'VE SENT OVER SOME OF THE PETITIONS.
WE JUST NEED TO REVIEW THOSE AND TRY TO GET THEM BEFORE YOU IN AN UPCOMING MEETING SOON AS POSSIBLE.
JUST LIKE ALL THOSE [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF STEPS HERE I DON'T IF YOU SAW THE BACK OF THE MATERIALS, THERE'S SIX DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT STEP ONE AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS ADOPTING THE RESOLUTIONS.
AND AFTER THAT, THERE'S A LOT MORE TALKING TO DO.
THAT'S MY CAT, HE WANTS TO GO OUT, AND MY WIFE WENT TO BED, SO I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO CAN LET HIM OUT [LAUGHTER] THE MICE WILL HAVE TO WAIT.
THEN WE'RE READY TO HAVE THIS AT FOR RESOLUTION ADOPTION NEXT TIME, HOPEFULLY, AND OF COURSE, WE'LL DISCUSS IT FIRST, BUT WE'LL HOPEFULLY ADOPT THOSE NEXT TIME.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE, APPRECIATE IT.
NICE TO SEE CARLA, WHO WE DON'T SEE OFTEN ENOUGH.
AND I SEE MR. BOYER, MR. KELLY.
ALRIGHT OUR NEXT ITEM IS SMARTZONE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY, I BELIEVE OUR DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK, IS ON THE HOT SEAT FOR THIS ONE IF I'M NOT
[13C. SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority]
[03:30:05]
MISTAKEN OR MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE.CORRECT SUPERVISOR STYKA AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
TONIGHT, WE'RE INTRODUCING FOR DISCUSSION SMART ZONE WITH THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY.
WITH ME TODAY HAVE OUR CONSULTANTS FROM PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTANTS, TIM DEMPSEY.
TIM HAS BEEN WITH THE CREATION OF THE LDFA SINCE ITS INCEPTION THROUGH ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF LANSING AND EAST LANSING.
SO I WILL VERY ROUGHLY GO OVER THE ELEMENTS OF DISCUSSION TO BRING TO YOU AND THEN ASK TO CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENTATION.
SINCE I STARTED IN OCTOBER, WE WERE APPROACHED BY WE ACTUALLY FROM THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR, KEN [INAUDIBLE] AND I BELIEVE MANAGER WALSH SAT DOWN WITH THE LDFA AUTHORITY AND DISCUSSED POTENTIAL OF INCLUDING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP INTO THE LANSING SMART ZONE AND ESTABLISHED EARLY IN THE EARLY 2000S AND EXTENDED FOR ITS TIME PERIOD.
EVERY FIVE YEARS SINCE THE CITY OF LANSING AND THE CITY OF EAST LANSING HAVE [INAUDIBLE] THE SMART ZONE DISTRICT, THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY.
IT OPERATES VERY SIMILAR TO ANY OTHER ESTABLISHED TAX AUTHORITY WHERE DESIGNATED PARCELS CAPTURE THE INCREASE IN THE VALUE ON THE PROPERTY SO IT WILL OPERATE VERY SIMILARLY TO OUR DDA.
THE BEAUTY OF THE LDFA IS THAT IT CAN INCLUDE NONCONTIGUOUS PARCELS.
SO YOU HAVE A CITY OF LANSING HAVING PARCELS IN THE LDFA, EAST LANSING AND OBVIOUSLY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT ARE NOT CONTIGUOUS.
TYPICALLY, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE OF A TAX AUTHORITY, THERE ARE ALL WITHIN A GENERAL LOCATION.
THIS ALLOWS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES PROVIDED IN A REGIONAL CONCEPT AS THE LFDA FOCUSES ON ASSISTING ENTREPRENEURS WITH THEIR STARTUPS, PARTICULARLY BUSINESSES THAT INVOLVE TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH.
A RECENT LOCAL SUCCESS OF THE LDFA SMART ZONE IS HIGH CALIBER [INAUDIBLE] WHICH BEGAN IN A TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTER IN EAST LANSING AND IS NOW IS HOME IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND IS INCLUDING ITS ENGINE AT THE MERIDIAN MALL, AS WELL AS PROVIDED TECHNOLOGY THAT DOESN'T EXIST AS FAR AS ENTERTAINMENT ANYWHERE ELSE IN OUR NATION.
A REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WITH MSU LANSING AND EAST LANSING [INAUDIBLE] AND MEDC MAKE THE POTENTIAL OF ADDING NEW TOWNSHIP TO THE SMART ZONE, A VERY SMART STEP IN GROWTH FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH AND OTHER SECTORS THAT ARE GROWING AS FAR AS ATTRACTION FROM MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'S STANDPOINT AND ATTRACTION ACROSS THE LANSING REGION.
OUR PROPOSED FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THE LDFA ACCEPTS INDUSTRIAL ZONES PARCELS, SO WE COULD ONLY INCLUDE PARCELS THAT ARE INDUSTRIAL ZONED AND THAT FALLS INTO OUR AREAS ON DON AVENUE AND OFF OF GRAND RIVER AND [INAUDIBLE] NEAR SAGINAW.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES IN THOSE AREAS AS DIRECTOR KIESELBACH WAS ABLE TO ELUDE WHEN WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT INDUSTRIAL ZONE PARCELS, THIS IS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL SO NON HEAVY MACHINERY.
BUT OUR CONTRACTOR BASED BUSINESSES LIKE [INAUDIBLE] EVEN MIDWEST ITSELF, I DO THINK OFTEN ABOUT HOW DO WE HELP THESE BUSINESSES EXPAND AND WHERE WILL THEY EXPAND IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD THEY WISH TO, AND WHAT INCENTIVES CAN WE PROVIDE THEM TO DO SO? IT HAS GREAT POTENTIAL.
THE SMART ONE HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO CREATE INNOVATION, TO SUPPORT UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES, AND OUR PROPOSED LOCATION IS INCLUDED.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE DESIGNATED PARCELS THAT ARE PART OF OUR CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AT THIS TIME THAT IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY DOES NOT HAVE A TAX INCREMENT FINANCING? AND SHOULD THIS BOARD AND THE QUARTER IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY DETERMINE THAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COULD LEAVE THE LDFA WITHOUT NEGATIVE IMPACT AND BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY FOR A TAX FINANCING PLANT.
SHOULD THAT BE THE BOARD'S DECISION AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO TAX AUTHORITIES DESIGNATED ON ANY PARCELS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES DESIGNATION, WHICH IS FROM.
THE CAPSTONE OF GRAND RIVER, WHERE OUR PROPERTY, WHERE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES BEGAN ON GRAND RIVER END ON GRAND RIVER AND CORNELL.
TONIGHT, THE TOWNSHIP MAY ELECT TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION WITH THE INTENT TO CREATE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE LANCING REGIONAL SMARTPHONE, THE RESOLUTION OF INTENT IS ONLY
[03:35:01]
A DECLARATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WILL BE HELD TO DISCUSS THE LDFA SMARTPHONE AND SET THE DESIGNATED BOUNDARY IT DOES NOT PERMIT THE TOWNSHIP TO ACCEPT INTO THE LDFA.THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING WITH NOTIFICATIONS THAT THE PROPERTY TAX PAYERS TO THE GOVERNING BODY OF EACH TAX JURISDICTION THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO CAPTURE.
IT SHOULD BE THE AUTHORITY BECOME ESTABLISHED AND I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO TIM NOW SO HE CAN FILL IN ANYTHING THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED ON THE OVERALL APPROACH.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP STEPS WITH WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN AFTER TONIGHT'S MEETING.
AGAIN, TIM DEMPSEY WITH PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTANTS.
AND BEFORE I GET GOING, I COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO CONGRATULATE MR. KIESELBACH ON HIS RETIREMENT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HIM ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS WHEN I WAS WITH THE CITY OF LANSING AND MARK WAS NOTHING BUT A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU MARK A RETIREMENT WELL DESERVED.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. SCHMITT, A FORMER COLLEAGUE OF MINE IN EAST LANSING, A GREAT HIRE FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND KNOW TIM IS GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR ALL OF YOU.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO TIM ON THAT AS WELL.
THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE LDFA AND THE SMART ZONE ARE REALLY KIND OF TWO PIECES.
GETTING THE TOWNSHIP PART OF THAT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY, SO THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN THIS PROCESS WHERE IT NOW BECOMES A JOINT AUTHORITY OF NOT JUST EAST LANSING AND LANSING, BUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
SO THAT'S KIND OF STEP ONE WITH THE REQUISITE PUBLIC HEARING AND NOTICES, AS SHE INDICATED.
AND THEN THE FOLLOW ON STEP WOULD BE ACTUALLY ADOPTION OF THE UPDATED TAX FINANCING PLAN.
SHE INDICATED THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS ADOPTED 15 YEARS AGO.
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN PROVIDED A PROVISION WHERE SMART ZONES COULD EXTEND THESE AN ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT GIVES THE SMART ZONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS EXPANSION AND INCLUDE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS, THOUGH, TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE SMART ZONE HISTORICALLY, BUT ALSO INTO THE FUTURE IS REALLY THE KEY ENTITY THAT LINKS IT ALL TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S REALLY MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
WHEN THE SMART ZONE WAS CREATED.
IT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT MSU WAS REALLY NOT LEVERAGING ITS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES IN TERMS OF COMMERCIALIZING NEW BUSINESSES.
AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ACCELERATE THAT.
ADMITTEDLY, IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER MARKETS AND WE DID THIS BEFORE WE DID THE INITIAL SMART ZONE LIKE MADISON OR ANN ARBOR, SOME OF THEIR TECH TRANSFER INITIATIVES WERE REALLY STARTED, SOME OF THEM AS EARLY AS THE 1970S AND 1980S.
SO YOU SAW THE OUTGROWTH OF THAT OVER THE TERM OF DECADE AND MSU HAS BEEN CATCHING UP.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT, BUT THEIR INNOVATION CENTER, MSU TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER EFFORTS TO REALLY ADVANCE ENTREPRENEURISM, THE SMART ZONE IS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE SUPPORTING.
ANOTHER KEY ASPECT TO THAT IS REALLY FOCUSING ON THIS NOTION OF JUST CHANGING THE CULTURE OF ENTREPRENEURIALISM IN THE REGION, IN THE REGION.
THIS RECOGNITION THAT THAT THREE LEGGED STOOL OF GM, MSU AND STATE GOVERNMENT REALLY NEEDED TO BE EXPANDED AND DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY AND SUPPORTING HIGH TECH BUSINESSES AS PART OF THAT.
AND THAT'S REALLY A KEY PART AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST STEP, AGAIN, WOULD BE THE LDFA AND THEN THE TIF PLAN WE INCLUDED OR AMBER INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE, THE DRAFT TIF PLAN WE JUST RECEIVED ACTUALLY SOME FEEDBACK FROM MEDC.
THEY'VE HAD IT NOW FOR SEVERAL WEEKS LOOKING AT IT.
SO THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES MADE AT THEIR REQUEST.
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT THAT TAX FINANCING PLAN DOES IS IT LAYS OUT TWO KIND OF CORE PIECES.
ONE IS THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LDFA AND THE SMART ZONE, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN TERMS OF BUSINESSES SUPPORTED AND FUNDING THAT'S OCCURRED WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS IN WHAT'S HAPPENED REALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN IT HAS THE ACTUAL TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DEVELOPMENT AND YOU HAVE THE DDA.
SO MOST OF YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH HOW THOSE TIF PLANS WORK.
THIS TIF PLAN IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.
IT FOLLOWS ALL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN MICHIGAN LEGISLATION.
SO TO THAT END, WE'VE KIND OF DRAFTED THAT PLAN, PUT IT IN HERE.
A COUPLE OTHER HIGHLIGHTS THAT AND I WON'T GO THROUGH IN A LOT OF DETAIL BECAUSE THE HOUR IS LATE, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IS THAT IT DOES LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REVENUE FOR THE THREE COMPONENTS OF THE SMART ZONE, SO THAT LANSING COMPONENT, EAST LANSING COMPONENT AND THEN THE MERIDIAN COMPONENT.
[03:40:01]
AND TYPICALLY THAT'S DONE ON A VERY CONSERVATIVE BASIS.SO RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY JUST BASED UPON PROJECTED GROWTH THAT WE SEE FROM AN INFLATIONARY STANDPOINT.
SO IF THERE'S ANY PLANNED REDEVELOPMENT THAT WE KNOW MIGHT BE COMING, YOU CAN CERTAINLY INCORPORATE THAT PRIOR TO ADOPTION.
BUT IF THERE IS ANY PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR UNPLANNED AS OF TODAY, THAT HAPPENS LATER, THE TAX CAPTURE WILL DEFINITELY BENEFIT FROM THAT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY LAID OUT WITHIN THE PLAN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND.
OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE REVENUE NUMBERS, YOU'LL SEE SOME DISPARITY.
EAST LANSING IS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SMART ZONE EFFORT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY OF LANSING NOT SEEING A LOT OF GROWTH IN ITS PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
AND NOW WITH THE MCLAREN HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT, ITS TAX EXEMPT REALLY KIND OF PUT THEM BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE SOME OTHER POTENTIAL PRIVATE TAXABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE DISTRICT THEN, OF COURSE, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA WILL BE DEPENDENT AS WELL ON POTENTIAL FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT.
THE OTHER KEY PIECE FOR MERIDIAN, I THINK, IS REALLY THE VAN CAMPING GREATER FACILITY, THAT BUILDING TAKEN OVER BY MSU, A BIG INVESTMENT ON THEIR PART.
AGAIN, THAT LINKAGE TO THE UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY HAVING A BIG PRESENCE, OBVIOUSLY, IN MERIDIAN WITH THAT INCUBATOR, THE TECH IN DOWNTOWN EAST LANSING, AND ALSO THE RESEARCH PART IN THE LANSING P.
SO THEY REALLY HAVE THAT FOOTPRINT IN ALL THREE PIECES THAT KIND OF GO BACK TO THAT FIRST POINT I MADE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MSU TYING IT ALL TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S A REALLY QUICK KIND OF OVERVIEW.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
GEE, EVERYBODY'S STUNNED, I THINK IT'S THE HOUR.
SO LATE, MR. SCHMITT WILL NEVER BELIEVE IT THE LAST THREE MEETINGS WE'RE OVER AROUND SEVEN.
SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO BRING MY BLOOD SUGAR UP, BUT HAVING A QUICK SNACK AT THIS LATE HOUR, I UNDERSTAND TOTALLY I NEED ONE MYSELF.
SO MY QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR CLARK, DO WE HAVE A MAP OF WHAT PARCELLS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE TWO RESPECTIVE SMART ZONE ADDITIONS? WE DO.
THEY ARE INCLUDED AS EXHIBIT'S A AND EXHIBIT A2 IN THE PACKET OF THE DOCUMENT.
SORRY FOR THE CRUDENESS OF 2A.
SO I DID THE BEST THAT I COULD DO TO IDENTIFY EACH PARCEL THAT IS INCLUDED.
AND IT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THE [INAUDIBLE] DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PROPERTIES SINCE THOSE HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ENTIRE DESIGNATION OF THE LDFA AND THAT'S IN THE DRAFT PLAN AS WELL.
OK AND IS MERIDIAN COMPANY THE EASTERNMOST PARCEL ON EXHIBIT 2A.
THEY ARE THEY HAVE A THERE IS A SLIGHT POCKET OF C2 ZONING THAT I BELIEVE THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS INTENT TO BRING BACK TO INDUSTRIAL OR DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY HAVE PLANNED.
OH, ON MERIDIAN COMPANY, CORRECT.
YEAH, YEAH, THEY WERE LOOKING AT A PROSPECTIVE STRIP MALL EDITION THE PAST [INAUDIBLE] OK.
AND SO WITH THESE DISTRICTS, WHAT WOULD WE LOOK AT INVESTING THE TIF REVENUE INTO? THESE ARE TWO PRETTY UNIQUE ZONES.
I THINK THEY'D BE UNIQUE TO THE CITY OF EAST LANSING AND LANSING ZONES.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE, WHAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR OTHER ACTIVITY WE WOULD ANTICIPATE UTILIZING THESE FUNDS FOR.
WELL I'LL JUST START WITH MY GENERAL IDEAS OF GROWTH FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE BASED THERE, THAT WE CAN FIND WAYS TO EITHER DO SOME FABRICATION, HELP THEM ADVANCE THEIR OWN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
THAT HAS BEEN THE DISCUSSION I'VE HAD WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE AREAS THAT THAT IS THEIR THE FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR THEIR BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
AND I KNOW THE WHOLE LDFA HAS A PORTION OF THE FUNDING THAT THAT IS SPREAD ACROSS ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE SMART ZONE FOR BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THE DETAILS, HOW THE LDFA DISTRIBUTES
[03:45:03]
MONEY AND THEN THIS COMMUNITY'S DETERMINED PRODUCT.SO PART OF IT IS FILLING VACANT PARCELS AND UNDERUTILIZED PARCELS.
OK, SO I THINK THAT FITS VERY WELL WITH THE JOHN AVENUE, WE'RE NOT DOING TERRIBLY THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CERTAINLY UNDERUTILIZED AND OR VACANT PARCELS IN THERE.
SO I THINK THAT FITS NICELY THERE.
THE OTHER ONE THE EAST SAGINAW HIGHWAY ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE OVERHEAD DOOR COMPANY, MERIDIEN COMPANY.
WE'RE KIND OF COLLABORATION'S OR USE WHAT WE SEE WITH THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT ONE IS DOING PRETTY WELL.
SO FAR AS I CAN TELL, AND I KNOW THAT THE CORNER A LOT, I FORGET THE TWO BUSINESSES THAT OCCUPY THAT TRIANGULAR LOT, YOUR PARCEL BY TOWNER AND SAGINAW HIGHWAY, BUT THEY JUST CAME TO THE ZBA FOR VARIANTS ON A SECOND SIGN.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE DOING WELL AND ARE AT FULL OCCUPANCY.
HOW WOULD THAT DISTRICT BENEFIT FROM THE TIF.
IN MY OPINION, THIS DISTRICT IN THE AREA WOULD BE ABLE TO BENEFIT AS A.
FROM MY DISCUSSIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, THERE IS SOME BUSINESS EXPANSION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO, SO BEING ABLE TO HELP ATTRACT STAFF OR BEING ABLE TO HELP THEM TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
AND MEN JUST TO EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
HISTORICALLY, MOST OF THE FUNDING HAS GONE FROM THE TIF REVENUE INTO KIND OF THOSE BUSINESS SUPPORT ACTIVITIES, UNLIKE SOME OTHER TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICTS LIKE DDA OR QUARTER IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES THAT ARE LARGELY PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS HAS BEEN MORE ABOUT SUPPORTING THOSE BUSINESSES AS MS. CLARK IS IDENTIFIED.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME DOLLARS THAT HAVE GONE INTO SUPPORTING PHYSICAL INCUBATOR SPACE AS WELL, BUT GENERALLY IT IS ON THAT BUSINESS.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF THIS BEING A COLLABORATIVE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE MECHANISM UNDER STATE LAW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GUIDE GUIDE RAILS AND TERMS OF A REVENUE DISTRIBUTION AS IT RELATES TO THE REGIONAL SHARING? SO I GUESS THE TOP END AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE FLOOR ANDN THE CEILING IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH MERIDIAN REVENUE MIGHT LEAVE OR COME IN TO MERIDIAN? YES.
RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN IS PROPOSING A RISING TIDE FUND, WHICH WOULD BE 10 PERCENT OF ALL TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REVENUE.
SO IN TERMS OF DOLLARS GOING OUT OR IN THOSE WOULD ULTIMATELY BE DETERMINED AT TWO LEVELS.
ONE IS THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY BOARD WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT ANNUALLY EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS DO HAVE TO BUDGET.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT REVENUE OF MAYBE AROUND THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, YOU'RE LOOKING ABOUT THIRTY THOUSAND THAT COULD GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN JURISDICTIONS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A CAVEAT THAT THAT'S THE MEDC KIND OF REVIEW OF THAT.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN OVER WHETHER OR NOT THAT RISING TIDE PIECE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ALLOWED BY THE STATE TREASURY.
IT'S SORT OF A KIND OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT LEAP WANTED TO TAKE TO KIND OF ENHANCE THAT REGIONAL COOPERATION BY SHOWING SOMEWHAT OF A FINANCIAL WILLINGNESS TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE WE'RE WILLING TO LOOK AT A REGIONAL BOARD AND GIVE THEM KIND OF DIRECTION AT LEAST, AND WE'LL HAVE FINAL APPROVAL, BUT WE'LL HAVE A BIG SAY IN HOW WE MIGHT SPEND THESE SHARED DOLLARS, BUT WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE YET THAT IS GOING TO BE APPROVED BY TREASURY.
SO THAT'LL BE ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WILL GET RESOLVED BETWEEN THIS DRAFT PLAN AND A FINAL.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION OF THE PRESENTATION FROM MR. DEMPSEY AND FROM DIRECTOR CLARK.
I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO FULLY REVIEW THE PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTING MEMO THAT IS IN OUR PACKET.
AND I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
I'M OPEN TO IT, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A SEPARATE I'M NOT TERRIBLY FAMILIAR WITH.
SO THIS IS [INAUDIBLE] STATE LAW CHANGES ON THIS, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FROM A THOUSAND FEET UP, THEY HAVEN'T REALLY CONTEMPLATED THE LOCAL IMPACT.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION REVIEWING.
MS. CLARK, I NOTICED THAT YOUR EXCUSE ME, PROPOSED MOTION, WHICH WOULD BE ANOTHER NIGHT OBVIOUSLY CONTEMPLATES A JUNE 15TH THEORY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS WRITTEN IN STONE OR I MEAN, HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 15TH? OH, IT IS NOT WRITTEN IN STONE, SINCE I AM MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THE BOARD WILL
[03:50:03]
NOT BE TAKING ACTION TO CREATE THE INTENT RESOLUTION.THIS EVENING, THE PUBLIC HEARING CANNOT BE BEFORE 20 DAYS OF THE BOARD APPROVING AND NO LESS THAN 40.
OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING WOULD BE THE FIRST, WHICH WOULD NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE THE MOST.
I HOPE YOU BRING THE MOTION OF APPROVAL TO THE BOARD AT THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD [INAUDIBLE] BEYOND THE TECHNICAL ISSUE OF WHEN IT CAN OR CANNOT BE, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE TIMELINE AND HOW QUICKLY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE DONE IN THE BIG PICTURE OF THINGS DEMPSEY I CAN I CAN FEEL THAT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, SO THIS ALL HAS TO BE BUTTONED UP.
BOTH THE LDFA AMENDMENT TO HAVE MERIDIAN ADDED, AS WELL AS THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN, THEN THERE'LL BE ALSO A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE TIF PLAN.
THOSE ALL NEED TO BE ADOPTED REALLY BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR SO THAT THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING CAN BE KIND OF CONTINUOUS.
SO IT'S A TRUE EXTENSION, NOT LIKE A NEW PLAN.
SO THAT'S THE DEADLINE IS REALLY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
BUT BECAUSE THERE'S TWO STEPS AND GIVEN THAT NOTICE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE GENERALLY WANT TO ALLOW FOR A GOOD 90 TO 120 DAYS TO HAVE THE ENTIRE PROCESS GO THROUGH.
SO JUNE WOULD CERTAINLY BE A GREAT START.
BUT IF IT GOT PUSHED OFF A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT WOULD STILL BE OK.
BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO GET THIS ROLLING IN THE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER TIME FRAME SO THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO MISS OUT ON ANY OF THE DEADLINES.
I ASK THAT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, YOU KNOW, MR. OPSOMMER MENTIONED HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY STUDY THIS IN DETAIL, QUITE FRANKLY, WITH EVERYTHING WE HAD ON OUR AGENDA.
I LOOKED THROUGH IT VERY QUICKLY THEN, STUDIED THE LEADER, AND I'M NOT READY PERHAPS TO MOVE THIS TO ACTION ON JUNE ONE.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS BRINGING THAT UP.
OUR MEETING FOLLOWING THAT WOULD BE THE JUNE 15TH DATE.
SO WE COULD DISCUSS IT AGAIN ON JUNE ONE AND THEN PERHAPS, PERHAPS IF WE AGREE, ADOPT IT ON JUNE 15.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY YOU KNOW, I NOTICE A LOT OF SLEEPYHEADS ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OR CONCERNS MS. CLARK? OH, I JUST I JUST WANT TO ADD AT THE NEXT MEETING, IT'S JUST THE INTENT TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT YOU CAN SEE WE WILL NOT BE DOING A FULL APPROVAL THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO ESTABLISH WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT I MEAN IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT RATHER THAN MOVE THIS TO ESTABLISH THAT IT'S ADDING ANOTHER MEETING IS WHAT I THOUGHT PROPOSE A MEETING.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO FEELS DIFFERENTLY? FROM WHAT MR. DEMPSEY SAID, WE CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT.
ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL PUT THIS OUT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE EARLIER AND WE'LL ALL BE BRIGHT EYED, BUSHY TAILED AND BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO ADOPT THIS OR RATHER, TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL RIGHT, NOW OUR RULES SAY OUR UNOFFICIAL RULES [INAUDIBLE] 10:00, WE DON'T START A NEW ACTION UNLESS WE VOTE TO DO SO.
OR DISCUSSION RATHER WE HAVE TWO ITEMS LEFT.
ONE IS THE CONTRACT FOR LEGAL SERVICES, WHICH I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT QUICKLY.
THE OTHER ONE IS A SURVEY WHICH COULD TAKE A LONG TIME.
MR. SUPERVISOR, I WILL MOVE TO PROCEED WITH AGENDA ITEM BOARD DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEMS 13 D AND E THIS EVENING.
MS. WISINSKI SECONDS WE NEED A VOTE.
YES, GUTHRIE VOTES, YES, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, YES, TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
ALL RIGHT, SO SIX SIX OF US SAID, LET'S GO FORWARD WITH D.
THE LEGAL COUNSEL SITUATION IS, AS MR. FAHEY SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND AS I KIND OF ALLUDED TO IN MY LITTLE
[03:55:01]
TINY MEMO, THAT THEIR CONTRACTS WERE ENDING UP, WE HAVE A CHOICE.WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE FAVOR TO EXTEND THEM AGAIN.
IF WE FEEL THAT THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GETTING ARE WORTH THE MONEY AND THAT WE'RE GETTING GOOD SERVICE FROM THEM, OR WE CAN GO THROUGH A FULL RP PROCESS IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, WE'RE REALLY UNDER THE GUN BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE CONTRACT EXPIRES AT THE END OF JUNE IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN MR. FAHEY'S ADDRESS HERE SOMEWHERE AND MR. PERRY SHAKING HIS HEAD.
OK, SO AND I WOULD NOTE ALSO THAT MR. WALSH IS NOT PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, BUT HE WILL COME BACK TO THE MEETING IF WE MOVE ON TO B.
WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? I PERSONALLY WOULD RATHER EXTEND IT, I THINK WE'VE GOT EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM THE FAHEY FIRM.
THEY HAPPEN TO BE MERIDIAN RESIDENTS AS A FIRM AS WELL AS SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY, THEY HAVE BEEN AT THE MEETINGS.
WE NEED THEM AT GIVING US ADVICE.
WITH RARE EXCEPTION, AS QUICKLY AS WE NEED IT.
I WOULD ALSO BE IN FAVOR OF UTILIZING THE THREE YEAR EXTENSION UNDER THE CONTRACT, AND I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT UNDER THE 2018 EXTENSION, WE SAW INCREASES OF 250 FOR THEIR MONTHLY RETAINER.
ONE THING THAT WELL NUMEROUS THINGS THAT I BELIEVE ARE A REASON TO RETAIN OUR ATTORNEYS AT THIS TIME IS THE ONGOING LITIGATION THAT WE FACE, WE'VE GOT FIVE OR SIX SIGNIFICANT LEGAL CHALLENGES, ONE OF WHICH IS OUR PREVAILING WAGE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS OF MORE CONCERN TO ME THAN THE OTHERS, JUST BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE DECISION ON THAT CASE HAS RAMIFICATIONS FOR OTHER LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT WITH SIMILAR BOARD POLICIES OR ORDINANCES.
SO THE IMPACT OF THAT DECISION WILL EXTEND BEYOND THE TOWNSHIPS BOUNDARIES.
AND IF I HAD TO NOTE ONE SPECIFIC CASE WHERE I FELT OUR ATTORNEYS DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE TO OTHER FIRMS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, PLUS THE KROGER DRUG STORE TAX APPEAL AFTER KROGER HAD PUT IN THE GAS STATION, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME RELUCTANCE IN THE TOWNSHIP CHALLENGING THAT.
I THINK THE BOARD WAS UNIFIED IN SAYING WE NEED TO CHALLENGE THIS.
AND OUR ATTORNEYS DID EXCELLENT JOB OF NEGOTIATING A SETTLEMENT, NOT EVEN HAVING TO LITIGATE IT OVER A LONG DURATION.
AND IN NEGOTIATING THAT SETTLEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY SAW A VERY, VERY SMALL DECREASE IN THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY, THE KROGER.
WHEREAS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, MYERS AND KROGER'S AND OTHER BIG BOX RETAILERS VALUED AT TWENTY FOUR PERCENT, YOU KNOW, A QUARTER OF WHAT THEY ARE IN OTHER STATES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO THE HOME STATE OF GEORGIA, HOME DEPOT IN THEIR HOME STATE OF GEORGIA IS VALUED AT LIKE SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT.
HERE IN MICHIGAN, IT'S LIKE TWENTY FOUR.
SO OUR ATTORNEYS DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB IN THAT CASE AND MANY OTHER RESPECTS.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR IT.
AND I THINK WE'RE WELL SERVED.
AND THEY'RE ONE OF THE I BELIEVE THEY'RE THE ONLY FIRM QUALIFIED THAT RESIDES IN THE TOWNSHIPS BORDERS.
YES, I, TOO, WOULD PREFER THE RENEWAL OPTION FOR THE REASONS CITED BOTH BY SUPERVISOR STYKA AND TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS MS. WISINSKI.
SUPERVISOR CAN I ASK A QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE AN OPTION, WE CAN EITHER EXTEND IT OR PUT OUT AN RFP AND THAT'S EITHER WAY WE CHOOSE IS THE.
LEGAL APPROACH TO DO THAT IS THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
I AGREE THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN A FANTASTIC FIRM, VERY ATTENTIVE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED A LOT OF INSIGHT AND ADVICE.
AND I WOULD SUPPORT EXTENDING THEIR CONTRACT AS WELL.
ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING OR ANY NEGATIVES [INAUDIBLE] NOT SEEING ANY NEGATIVES.
MS. WISINSKI YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE, NOT A NEGATIVE.
ANOTHER QUESTION, HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER FIRMS, WHETHER WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OR OUTSIDE
[04:00:01]
THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST? WELL WHAT IS SIX YEAR OR WHATEVER NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WAS THAT THE FAHEY FIRM GOT THE CONTRACT.WE DID A FULL RFP PROCESS WE HAD A HALF A DOZEN OR SO FIRMS THAT APPLIED.
WE WENT THROUGH A LENGTHY PROCESS OF FIRST STAFF AND THEN LATER ON EVEN BOARD MEMBERS INTERVIEWING AND DECIDING ON.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE FAHEY FIRM IS OUR LEGAL COUNSEL THERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT FIRMS OUT THERE.
THEY DON'T THEY DON'T HAPPEN TO BE IN OUR IN OUR BACKYARD, BUT THAT ALSO PROVIDE MUNICIPAL TYPE LEGAL SERVICES.
AND SO THEY WANT TO EXPAND IT IN AREAS SUCH AS EDUCATIONALLY LEGAL SERVICE FIRMS WHO DID APPLY LAST TIME.
BUT LAST TIME WE ALSO WERE FACED WITH THE SITUATION THAT OUR OLD FIRM WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.
THEY LITERALLY CLOSED THEIR DOORS, SO WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DO AN RFP UP TILL THEN I THINK WE HAD TO DO THAT WITHOUT AN RFP.
SO JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT EQUITABLE, BUT THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND TOTALLY.
MR. PERRY, I JUST WANTED [INAUDIBLE] FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT, I'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A LOT OF ATTORNEYS OVER MY 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND I PUT UP [INAUDIBLE] AND THEIR ENTIRE TEAM UP AGAINST ANY OF THEM WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT BUYING WIDGETS, YOU'RE BUYING EXPERTISE.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIRM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE THAT.
SO I JUST SUPPORT CONTINUING THE SERVICE OF FAHEY SCHULTZ.
AND AS MR. OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, THERE ARE SOME CRITICAL CASES GOING ON RIGHT NOW, EVEN MORE EVEN BEYOND THE PREVAILING WAGE CASE THAT THEY ARE HEAD OVER HEELS OF DEALING WITH AND DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF.
BUT THEY GOT SOME WAYS TO GO, OBVIOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL PUT THIS OUT FOR ACTION NEXT TIME TO CONTINUE THE CONTRACT, WE WILL HAVE THE STAFF THROUGH MR. PERRY MR. WALSH WILL KEEP HIMSELF OUT OF THIS, GO OVER WITH THEM AND ME, AND WE'LL NEGOTIATE SOMETHING TOGETHER AND THEN BRING IT ALL TO THE WHOLE BOARD AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF NEGOTIATING, NOT A LOT OF NEGOTIATING.
I'LL SEND THEM A NOTE TONIGHT TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR US TO REVIEW.
OK, THANK YOU, YOU MIGHT LET MR. WALSH KNOW HE CAN COME BACK BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE SURVEY.
AND WE HAVE A PROPOSED SURVEY IN FRONT OF US.
I WILL CALL ON, IF SHE'S WILLING, MS.
[12C. Community Survey Draft]
JACKSON, BECAUSE I KNOW SHE HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.SO SEVERAL OF MY CONCERNS HAVE TO DO WITH JUST THE PLACEMENT OF CERTAIN TYPES OF QUESTIONS AND IN PARTICULAR QUESTION NUMBER QUESTIONS, NUMBER ONE AND TWO, I TAKE ISSUE WITH PRESENTING THEM AS ONE AND TWO SINCE THE MARIJUANA QUESTION WAS NOT THE PRIMARY REASON FOR US.
CHANGING OUR MECHANISM OF DOING THE PERIODIC COMMUNITY SURVEY, I THINK THAT THAT PARTICULAR PERSON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO TOWNSHIP SERVICES AND THE COMMUNITY'S PREFERENCES IN THAT CASE.
AND IN A VERY GENERAL SENSE, I AM OPPOSED TO SEVEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PREFERENCE FOR AS A QUESTION.
I MEAN, THESE ARE NOT THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS AND ISSUES THAT I THINK WE ARE GOING TO GET MUCH INFORMATION OUT OF WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SEVEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PREFERENCE TO CHOOSE FROM, AND I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER FIVE TO SEVEN.
A LOT OF PLACES IT'S TEN DO YOU MEAN TEN OF SEVEN.
[04:05:03]
I'M SORRY, YOU'RE RIGHT.I MEAN FIVE AS OPPOSED TO TEN.
ISSUES I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH QUESTION NUMBER.
I THINK IT'S THIRTY NINE AND FORTY.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN UNFORTUNATE STRUCTURE AND WAY OF ASKING THAT QUESTION, SO I'LL STOP WITH THAT AS A START.
IT'S 10:15, AND WE COULD BE HERE FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF TO GOING THROUGH THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
IT'S THE BOARD'S SURVEY, NOT STAFF'S.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SEND ALL THEIR QUESTIONS THROUGH EMAIL TO AMBER AND DEREK AND THEN HAVE US GET TOGETHER IN LIKE A THREE, THREE, THREE BOARD MEMBERS? COME IN AND LET'S HAVE A MEETING AND LET'S FIRM THIS THING UP TOGETHER AND THEN BRING IT BACK, TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE BOARD AND BRING IT BACK TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT MEETING.
IS THAT A BETTER PROCESS THAN GOING THROUGH THIS FOR THE NEXT HOUR? HOUR AND A HALF? JUST A SUGGESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT SHOULD BE THREE BOARD MEMBERS, THOUGH, OR WHETHER WE SHOULD BE SUBMITTING ALL OF OUR CONCERNS COLLECTIVELY, INDIVIDUALLY, AND HAVE A DIRECTOR, CLERK, AND A MANAGER, ET CETERA, PUT THOSE TOGETHER AND THEN COME BACK TO US RATHER THAN HAVE BOARD MEMBERS INVOLVED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL.
WE DON'T HAVE THREE BOARD MEMBERS DECIDED TO SURVEY, I GUESS WHAT I WAS SAYING.
SO WE ARE ALLOWING OUR MR. OPSOMMER YOU HAVE AN OPINION.
YEAH, I'M FINE WITH EVERYBODY SENDING IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL THOUGHTS AND WHATNOT TO DIRECTOR CLARK AND COPYING MANAGER WALSH MAYBE JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE THING THAT I THINK IS A PRIORITY FOR THE BOARD.
I DO NOT WANT TO GET INTO NIT PICKING THE SURVEY, BUT UNDER QUESTION FORTY ONE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
THAT'S BASICALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE TOWNSHIP DO TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE SERVICE? AND WHAT'S THAT NEXT LEVEL OF SERVICE I FEEL LIKE IS THE GENERAL IMPETUS OF QUESTION 41.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN OPTION FOR BROADBAND THAT SPEAKS TO IT BEING A TRUE PUBLIC SERVICE, MANAGED THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MANAGED PUBLICLY.
TO REDUCE COST AND INCREASE RELIABILITY OF BROADBAND IN THE TOWNSHIP, I THINK THAT'S MISSING THAT NEXT TIER, FINE WITH HAVING, YOU KNOW, A SPECTRUM OF POSSIBILITIES.
I THINK WE'LL FIND THAT IMPROVING BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS IN ALL AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW PROBABLY DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE GREATLY BECAUSE PEOPLE DO HAVE ACCESS.
BUT I THINK IT'S WHEN WE PROVIDE ACCESS AND THAT PUBLIC UTILITY COMPONENT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE NEEDLE MOVE.
AND SO BASED ON THE BOARD'S RETREAT AND THE BOARD'S DIALOG ON THIS, I FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED THERE.
MY ONLY OTHER GENERAL SENSE YOU KNOW WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER, AND I THINK IT'LL BE IN NOVEMBER HAVING A VOTE ON THE ISSUE OF ADULT USE OF MARIJUANA.
I DON'T SEE ANY UTILITY IN PUTTING THIS IN A SURVEY BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE HAD AN ELECTION WITH TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE VOTING.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION THAT'S IN NOVEMBER.
WE WILL PROBABLY SEE TURNOUT SIMILAR TO IN AUGUST, EVEN YOUR PRIMARY.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THIS QUESTION WILL BE AND SHOULD BE DECIDED AT THE BALLOT BOX.
AND I YOU KNOW, I TAKE EXCEPTION TO SOME OF THE HOW IT'S PHRASED, BUT I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GET INTO THAT.
I THINK WE SHOULD JUST LET THE VOTERS DECIDE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LOGISTICS HERE, ALL VOTERS HAVE TO DO IS GET FIVE PERCENT OF ALL VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR.
SO A STATEWIDE BALLOT INITIATIVES, YOU NEED EIGHT PERCENT, THEN YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY GET THOSE SIGNATURES GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED.
HERE YOU COULD GO INTO SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND GET THE SIGNATURES, THE
[04:10:01]
ELEVEN HUNDRED SIGNATURES, AND THEY'RE GOOD FOR A YEAR UNDER [INAUDIBLE] VERSUS A STATEWIDE EFFORT.YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IN SIX MONTHS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT ON THE BALLOT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
WE MIGHT EVEN SEE TWO DIFFERENT PROPOSALS ON THE BALLOT.
THAT'S WHY YOU CAN GOOGLE AND FIND NEW STORIES.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT BELONGS.
THERE IS NO SAMPLE SIZE THAT INVALIDATES ELECTIONS.
ALSO, I WOULD NOTE THAT 2018 WAS AGAIN THE HIGHEST TURNOUT IN A GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN STATE HISTORY.
THAT IS MY TWO GENERAL TAKES, NOT WANTING TO GET TOO NIT PICKY ON EVERYTHING, BUT I'M FINE WITH THE OTHER PHILOSOPHY.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE'RE GOING TO WRITE UP OUR CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE SURVEY QUESTIONS, EITHER WHETHER WHERE THEY'RE PLACED, WHAT THEIR CONTENT IS, WHETHER THEY BELONG IN THERE OR NOT, HOW MANY BOXES SHOULD BE CHECKED.
YOU NAME IT, WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT IN TO MR. WALSH OR MS. CLARK, I GUESS SEND IT TO MS. CLARK AND MR. WALSH.
YOU SAID YOU ORIGINALLY SAID YOU WANTED BOARD MEMBERS INVOLVED.
YOU WANT TO MAKE A CASE FOR THAT.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE DO THAT BECAUSE WE COULD TAKE ALL THIS INFORMATION IN AND TRY TO EXTRAPOLATE IT NOW WE'RE GOING TO SIT AROUND A TABLE.
WHAT DO THEY REALLY MEAN BY THIS? AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT THINK THIS AND ONE THAT THINKS THIS.
AND I JUST THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE OF A TEAM EFFORT THAN A COUPLE OF STAFF PEOPLE THINK WE OUGHT TO GET TOGETHER.
I THINK DIRECTOR CLARK AND MR. PERRY WOULD APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND MAKE IT A TEAM EFFORT AND THEN COME OUT OF THAT.
IT'S NOT ANY ONE OR TWO BOARD MEMBERS DRAFTING THE SURVEY.
IT'S TAKING ALL THAT INFORMATION IN AND COMPILING IT TOGETHER.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT IN FRONT OF YOU IN JUNE, AND IT'D BE NICE TO COME BACK WITH A SURVEY THAT WE COULD ALL ALL OF YOU AGREE ON.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I GUESS MY THOUGHT WAS IT ENDED UP WITH THESE BOARD MEMBERS SAYING, WHAT DID THESE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS MEAN BY THAT? WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY THAT? IF IT'S IN A SAFE PLACE, WHETHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE ON THE COMMITTEE OR NOT? I MEAN, THAT WAS MY CONCERN, IS THAT IT REALLY WOULDN'T GAIN ANYTHING.
AND SOMETIMES THAT SLOWS PROCESS DOWN BECAUSE BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE WHEN YOU NEED THEM TO GET TOGETHER.
BUT HOW DO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL? DO YOU DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE OF BOARD MEMBERS OR NOT? I MEAN, IT'S PART OF THE COMMITTEE, TWO OR THREE MEMBERS.
DON'T ALL SPEAK UP AT ONCE, MR. OPSOMMER.
QUESTION [INAUDIBLE] AS TRUSTEE JACKSON NOTED, IS WHAT'S CAUSING A LOT OF CONSTERNATION, BUT.
IF WE DO, IT NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT ISSUE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHERE THE BOARD MEMBERS STAND AND I WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE ON IT.
BUT THE TREASURER AND THE SUPERVISOR CAN'T SERVE OUT A MEMBER, A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THREE THIS TIME.
THE ISSUE THAT'S REALLY THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IF WE'RE ALL BEING HONEST [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T QUITE GET THE LAST PART, SORRY, MS. GUTHRIE.
I'M WILLING TO BE PART OF THAT, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH A COMMUNICATIONS BACKGROUND AND BEING NEUTRAL AND DELIVERING INFORMATION AND ASKING QUESTIONS.
I HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF LOOKING AT THAT RATHER THAN SIDES OF ISSUES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO WILLING TO BE PART OF IT, IF THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD DECIDES.
BUT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO STAY OUT OF IT.
AND MY FIRST REACTION WITH REGARD TO THE MARIJUANA QUESTION ONE AND TWO, IS FIRST TWO IS IRRELEVANT.
AND SECONDLY, IF WE HAVE ONE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SO SURE THAT MR. OPSOMMER IS RIGHT, [INAUDIBLE] DON'T EVEN NEED IT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VOTE.
WHAT GOOD IS IT GOING TO DO US? BUT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
AND WE'LL DO IT AS A STAFF AND THEN WORK WITH YOU.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE ROAD THE BOARD PREFERS TO GO.
BUT WHAT I'M THINKING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MARIJUANA QUESTION COULD BE LIKE A SEPARATE QUESTION.
IN OTHER WORDS, DO WE HAVE IT OR NOT? AND WE CAN DECIDE THAT.
BUT WITH REGARD TO ALL THE OTHER POINTS THAT ARE RAISED, REDUCING THE NUMBERS OF CHECKBOXES QUESTIONS FORTY, THIRTY NINE, FORTY ONE, WHATEVER, WE CAN GET ALL OF THAT FIGURED OUT.
AND THEN THEN WE COULD DECIDE, DO WE WANT MARIJUANA THERE OR NOT.
AND IF WE DO, IS JUST GOING TO BE ONE SIMPLE QUESTION, YES OR NO AND OR IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH ASK AT THIS POINT AS MR. OPSOMMER POINTED OUT.
[04:15:01]
MS. GUTHRIE.I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE WHOLE REASON WE WENT WITH THE NEW SURVEY WAS BECAUSE WE WANTED A MARIJUANA QUESTION AND A BROADBAND QUESTION AND MORE ISSUE RELATED QUESTIONS, I DON'T AGREE WITH ISSUE QUESTIONS BEING FRONT LOADED IN A SURVEY, NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
THIS IS ALL HOW YOU PUT TOGETHER THE SURVEY THAT FRAMES PEOPLE'S RESPONSES TO THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS.
SO IT CONCERNS ME THAT YOU HAVE A HEAVY, ISSUE ORIENTED QUESTIONS IN THE BEGINNING.
I LIKE MANAGER WALSH'S SUGGESTION.
I THINK WE COULD GIVE OPINIONS TONIGHT FOR OVER AN HOUR AND GET NOWHERE AND THAT WE SHOULD EMAIL HIM.
WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, AND I QUITE HONESTLY, SINCE THIS CAME OUT YESTERDAY, I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD ALL I HAD TIME TO DO WAS LOOK UP IF THE INFORMATION ON THE QUESTION ABOUT PARKS WAS CORRECT OR NOT, HOW MANY MILES OF PATHWAYS WE HAVE AND HOW MANY PARKS WE HAVE.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I REALLY GOT TO.
AND SO I WOULD APPRECIATE TIME TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT AND SEND MANAGER WALSH, SOME, YOU KNOW, AN EMAIL WITH SOME INFORMATION.
LET'S START THAT WAY AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO IT'LL BACK FOR DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING AND HOPEFULLY WITH A DIFFERENT REPORT, MR. OPSOMMER.
YES, ONLY VERY BRIEFLY, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT COMMONLY IN SURVEYS LIKE THIS, HAVING A SCORE OF ONE TO TEN VERSUS ONE TO FIVE ISN'T A HUGE FACTOR BECAUSE THE DATA CAN BE AGGREGATED, WHERE YOU CONSOLIDATE ONES AND TWOS, THREES AND FOURS FIVES AND SIXES ET CETERA TO COME UP WITH A ONE TO FIVE SCALE, CONVERSELY, TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
SO WHEN WE TESTED THE ROAD MILEAGE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO THE COMMUNITY'S RECEPTIVENESS, TRIED TO TAKE CARE THE COMMUNITY'S RECEPTIVENESS, PAYING MORE FOR ROADS, WE OFFERED, YOU KNOW, PRODUCTS, WE OFFERED STRONG SUPPORT, SUPPORT OPPOSED, STRONG, OPPOSED HERE.
YOU KNOW, QUESTION ONE RIGHT OUT THE GATE IS GOING TO BE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES THAT YOU CAN'T LUMP TOGETHER AND CONSOLIDATE INTO A YES OR NO LIKE YOU CAN WITH STRONG SUPPORT, SUPPORT, OPPOSE, STRONG OPPOSE.
SO, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S YOU WE'RE POLITICIZING BECAUSE ONE SIDE IS GOING TO SAY, WELL, ONLY 38 PERCENT SAID YES.
AND THE OTHER SIDE CAN SAY, WELL, ONLY 33 PERCENT SAID NO AND INFER THAT THE REMAINDER WERE YES AND NO.
IF THAT QUESTION WERE DROPPED, I THINK WE'D HAVE A LOT EASIER TIME GETTING THROUGH IT.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE OF THREE OPTIONS, AND IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE TESTED THESE THINGS, WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW.
A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT CAN BE CONSOLIDATED INTO TWO OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT [INAUDIBLE] POSITION, BUT EITHER WAY, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GET HUNG UP ON THE ONE TO TEN SCALE FOR THE REMAINDER OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT'S FLEXIBLE.
YOU CAN CONSOLIDATE IT TO MEASURE IT DIFFERENTLY.
AND I JUST WE DO HAVE A CONSULTANT INVOLVED HERE, DO WE NOT, MR. WALSH.
WE CAN WE ALSO COULD GO TO THE CONSULTANT AND SAY IS ONE TO TEN THE MORE RATIONAL WAY TO DO IT OR THE ONE TO FIVE AND HAVE THEIR INPUT.
WE'D STILL DECIDE IT, BUT HAVE THEIR INPUT.
THAT RAISES THE QUESTION FOR ME, THESE QUESTIONS WERE COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY THE CONSULTANT OR THE STAFF.
THERE IS A FEW QUESTIONS THAT WERE COMPLETELY CREATED BY STAFF BASED ON SUGGESTIONS FROM DIRECTORS OR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT DIRECTORS WANTED.
I WOULD SAY 90 PERCENT OF THE SURVEY IS CONSTRUCTED FROM FROM.
QUESTIONS THAT COBALT, AS OUR CONSULTANT HAS ISSUED IN OTHER COMMUNITY SURVEYS, SO MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR SERVICES, RANGING FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE TOWNSHIP ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVEN THE OVERALL INNER DEMOGRAPHICS, THOSE INCLUDE ARE BASICALLY THE METRICS MADE FROM COBALT COMMUNITY RESEARCH WITH THEIR EXTENSIVE EXPERTISE AND ASKING QUESTIONS FOR SURVEYS.
AND I BELIEVE WE'VE KIND OF SETTLED ON THE IDEA OF ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS SENDING IN THEIR COMMENTS TO MS. CLARK AND MR. WALSH, IS THAT CORRECT?
[04:20:03]
RIGHT.SO WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO IMPOSE A TIMELINE OR TIMEFRAME FOR THAT? GOOD POINT.
I WOULD PREFER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN GET BACK WITH COBALT TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO HAVE THE PACKET PREPARED AND PRESENTED FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS REVIEW.
LOOK AT IT BEFORE THE JUNE FIRST MEETING IS IN TWO WEEKS.
YEAH, I'M JUST PRIVY TO EVERYONE'S SCHEDULES AND STUFF AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TRAVELING A LITTLE BIT.
SO I THINK AT LEAST A WEEK AND MAYBE EVEN A WEEK FROM FRIDAY.
WE MAY HAVE TO GO A WEEK AND A HALF ON THIS.
I KNOW IT'S GOING TO SLOW US DOWN, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE COGNIZANT OF EVERYONE'S SCHEDULES AS COMING UP.
MS. WISINSKI HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET HER HAND UP THERE.
YES, I JUST FIRST WANT TO THANK STAFF DIRECTOR PERRY AND DIRECTOR CLARK, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A DAUNTING TASK, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU.
THE SORRY, THE CLERK THAT EMAIL I GOT THIS AT 11:00 YESTERDAY, I WORK TILL 6:00, I WORK AGAIN 7:00 THE NEXT MORNING.
SO I HAVE NOT I MEAN, I SPENT ALMOST ALL NIGHT LOOKING AT IT, BUT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE TO PUT THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS THAT I THINK IT DESERVES.
SO I THANK YOU MANAGER WALSH FOR CONSIDERING THAT, BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME AND EFFORT IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRAVELING, WE ALL HAVE FAMILY THINGS.
SO I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE I DO HAVE SOME SUGGESTION.
I DO THINK THERE'S SOME POSITIVES IN THERE, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME REALLY CRITICAL INFORMATION BACK.
SO WE'LL SHOOT FOR JUNE 15TH ON THE AGENDA AND WE'LL HAVE A RETURN DATE BY WHEN TO MS. CLARK.
ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC IF MR. GEBES IS STILL WITH US.
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
I AM STILL WITH YOU AND WE HAVE A HAND RAISED I'LL GIVE UP THE TELEPHONE NUMBER VERY QUICKLY.IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PARTICIPATE THAT WAY.
OTHERWISE, WE'LL BEGIN THE PUBLIC COMMENT WITH JAY MURTHY.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR A GOOD SESSION AND THIS IS JAY MURTHY 2483 ROBINS WAY.
OKEMOS, I STAYED THROUGH THE WHOLE SESSION TODAY, AND JUST BECAUSE THIS ISSUE OF THE SPARROW REZONING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND SO I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, TOO, FOR THE BOARD TO TAKE BACK AS WE MAKE A DECISION, ONE, IS DOES THE TRAFFIC ON JOLLY ROAD.
YOU JUST SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO JUST REDUCE THAT JOLLY ROAD FROM A TWO LANE TO A ONE LANE GOING EACH WAY.
NOW ARE ADDING A REALLY BIG FACILITY.
WAS THAT IN THE PLANS OR WAS THAT CONSIDERED WHEN YOU JUST MADE THE INVESTMENT IN THE CHANGE TO JOLLY RD ONE.
SECOND THIS IS A 24/7 FACILITY, SO THERE WILL BE EMPLOYEES WHO TAKE BREAKS, WANT TO WALK.
AND MY PROPERTY IS ADJACENT TO KANSAS ROAD AND ALSO RIGHT BY US CITY WALKWAY.
HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT THESE EMPLOYEES WORKING AT THIS FACILITY WON'T BE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TAKING A WALK ON KANSAS' ROAD AND RIGHT NEXT TO MY HOUSE AND PROPERTY? THAT'S A CONCERN THAT I HAVE.
AND I'M SURE OTHER NEIGHBORS OF MINE WOULD HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THEM HAVE YOUNGER KIDS THAN MINE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING I HOPE THE BOARD CONSIDERS.
AND THEN FINALLY IS JUST HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION AND I MENTIONED THIS IN MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS, IS THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD STATE OF THE ART MCLAREN HOSPITAL COMING UP JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM THIS FACILITY THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THE EXACT SAME MEDICAL FACILITIES OR MAYBE EVEN BETTER.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TWO SUCH FACILITIES IN THE CLOSE VICINITY WITHIN THAT SAME ONE YEAR TIME FRAME? IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM VERY ADDITIVE AND BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE.
AND I HOPE THE BOARD CONSIDERS THOSE AND GIVES IT ITS DUE CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHERS? YES, SIR, MR. MURTHY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY CELINE TABRIZI.
[04:25:03]
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.YES, HI AGAIN, THIS IS TABRIZI REGARDING 3566 KANSAS ROAD, MY RESIDENCE THAT'S I CALL HOME WHERE MY DAUGHTER LIVES AND I LIVE ON SHELDRAKE AVENUE ALSO AN OKEMOS RESIDENT.
I AM PRIVY TO THE PRESENTATION THAT THE SPARROW TEAM PRESENTED.
SO THERE'S NOTHING NEW TO ME REGARDING THAT PROPOSAL OR THE CHANGES THEY'VE MADE.
I STILL MAINTAIN MY OPPOSITION TO THE COUNCIL'S ROAD REZONING PROPOSAL.
THE INDUSTRIAL SITE NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS WAS A MISTAKE.
LET'S NOT REPEAT SUCH MISTAKES.
THE NEED FOR INCREASING HEALTH CARE SHOULD NOT BE ON THE EXPENSE OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
JUST A NEIGHBOR JUST SPOKE ABOUT THERE IS MCLAREN.
SO WHY NOT USE MCLAREN? NEIGHBORS MATTER AND NEIGHBORHOODS DO MATTER.
CURRENTLY, WHEN I KNOCK ON A KANSAS NEIGHBORS DOOR, THEY DO OPEN THE DOOR.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS PROPOSAL, HELP US MAINTAIN THE POSITIVE NEIGHBORLY CULTURE WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON KANSAS AND INDIANA ROADS AND AS WELL AS ROBIN WAY.
I'M HEARING EVEN FROM OUR NEIGHBORS HAVING A 24/7 EMERGENCY LIKE MEDICAL SERVICES THAT ARE OPEN TO ANY MEDICAL CONDITION IS NOT AN IMPROVEMENT TO OUR STREET AND NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE NEED THE BOARD TO SUPPORT INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUILDING FUTURE HOUSES AND RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
MR. KIESELBACH JUST MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT 4 TO 12 UNITS.
IF YOU KEEP IT RESIDENTIAL, SUCH OPTION WILL INCREASE NUMBERS OF RESIDENTS AND TAX REVENUE.
THE KANSAS NEIGHBORS WILL EVENTUALLY ELECT TO CITY WATER AND SEWER IN TIME AND ON THEIR OWN.
OKEMOS IS A SMALL TOWN AND TRAVELING ADDITIONAL FIVE MINUTES FOR MEDICAL CARE WOULDN'T HURT OR SAVE ANYONE SINCE HIGH RISK CASES WOULD BE TRANSFERRED DOWNTOWN ANYWAY.
AS DR. KENT HAD SAID FROM SPARROW.
AS BOARD MEMBERS WHO SERVE YOUR RESIDENCE, I'M A BOARD MEMBER.
PLEASE HELP SPARROW FIND ANOTHER NONRESIDENTIAL LOCATION FOR THE PROJECT.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
WE HAVE NO OTHER HANDS AND NO OTHER CALLERS AT THIS TIME, SIR.
ALL RIGHT, THEN WE WILL CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC REMARKS AND GO ON TO OTHER MATTERS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY LAST THOUGHTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS OR QUESTIONS?
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
IF NOT.I JUST WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT RECRUITING IS VERY DIFFICULT, AND I RECRUITED MR. SCHMITT HERE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I SOLD HIM ON WAS SHORT BOARD MEETINGS.
YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP, I DID I WAS GETTING READY TO WAVE.
MR. SCHMITT, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? HAVING SAT THROUGH WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR LONGEST MEETINGS? I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING.
I THINK I AM THE HARBINGER OF THAT EVERY TIME I COME TO A NEW JOB.
IT'S A LONG MEETING, SO WE'LL TRY NOT TO HOLD THAT [INAUDIBLE] ALL RIGHT.
CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOVED BY WISINSKI, SUPPORTED BY JACKSON IS THERE ANY OBJECTION.
ALL RIGHT, THANKS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.