GOOD EVENING. [00:00:33] AND WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL REGULAR MEETING OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD. [1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER] WE ARE VIRTUAL, ACCORDING TO A COURTESY ORDER THAT WAS PUT INTO EFFECT WITH REGARD TO THE PANDEMIC. AND WE WILL START OUT WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. SO LET'S ALL PLEASE START. REMIND EVERYONE TO INDICATE WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED. ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. EXCELLENT, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I'M JUST THINKING THAT THIS IS THE 100TH YEAR OF REMEMBRANCE OF A HORRIBLE EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA. AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REMEMBER ALL THE VICTIMS AND THE FAMILIES OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT 100 YEARS AGO SUFFERED SO, AND SINCE, IN MANY WAYS. THANK YOU. OK, WE NOW START WITH SOME PRESENTATIONS, AND OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE FROM LIEUTENANT BART CRANE OF OUR WONDERFUL POLICE FORCE. [4A. Introduction of New Police Officers-Bryant Martin, Taya Catherwood, Meghan Cole and Maggie Cole] HE'S GOING TO DO SOME INTRODUCTIONS FOR US, I BELIEVE. YES, SIR, THANK YOU. OK. I APPRECIATE THAT, SIR. I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE FOUR NEW MEMBERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH ON THIS LAST MONDAY, MAY 24TH, SWEARING IN FOUR NEW OFFICERS. THAT BRINGS OUR TOTAL SWORN OFFICERS UP TO THIRTY EIGHT. AS ALWAYS, WE STRIVE TO HIRE THE BEST CANDIDATES AND WE HAVE THIS GROUP. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ON THE HIRING GROUP COMMITTEE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS AND I [00:05:01] THINK WE'VE GOT THE BEST CANDIDATES OUT THERE, HIRED THEM, THEY'VE STARTED AND THEY'RE ALREADY OUT THERE WORKING HARD FOR US. THIS IS A LARGER GROUP THAN NORMAL THAT WE INTRODUCE, SO I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE ALL OF THEM AND THEN GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY HELLO. FIRST, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MEAGAN AND MAGGIE COLE. THEY ARE SISTERS. I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE ALL OF THEIR INFORMATION IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. THEY USED TO BE CADETS FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB FOR US. THEY WERE BOTH DIVISION ONE ATHLETES HERE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. THEY'VE GOT LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT RUNS IN THEIR FAMILY. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON BOARD. WE ALSO HAVE BRYANT MARTIN. BRYANT CAME TO US FROM THE FOWLERVILLE AREA. HE GRADUATED FROM KALAMAZOO VALLEY POLICE ACADEMY, AND HE'S HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE AREA HERE NEAR WHERE HE GREW UP AND THEN THE LAST ON THE LIST, BUT NOT THE LEAST IS T. CATHERWOOD. SHE'S ORIGINALLY FROM OHIO. SHE MOVED INTO MICHIGAN. SHE'S LIVING OVER IN THE HOLLOW AREA. YOU WILL RECOGNIZE OFFICER CATHERWOOD WALKING AROUND, BECAUSE SHE'LL BE THE ONE THAT'S ALWAYS SMILING. SHE'S VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, VERY EXCITED TO GET TO WORK FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THOSE ARE OUR FOUR NEW EMPLOYEES. WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ABOARD. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO GREAT THINGS FROM ALL FOUR OF THEM. THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT. AND WELCOME TO ALL FOUR OF YOU. AS THE FATHER OF IDENTICAL TWIN SONS, I CAN IMAGINE THAT THERE'S SOME INTERESTING FAMILY HISTORY TO TALK ABOUT FROM THE COLE SISTERS. IN ANY EVENT, WELCOME TO ALL FOUR, AND IF YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK OUT. WELL, HELLO, EVERYBODY. CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME? MY NAME IS MAGGIE. NICE TO MEET YOU ALL. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU ON PERSON SOMETIME. I JUST WANTED TO GET ON HERE AND SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A POLICE OFFICER IN MERIDIAN. BEING AN OFFICER HAS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL. SO MY DREAM HAS REALLY COME TRUE. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AND STARTING A GREAT CAREER HERE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. MEAGAN, YOU WANT TO GO NEXT? SURE. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MEAGAN COLE. KIND OF THE SAME THING AS MY SISTER. JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN SUCH A GREAT TOWNSHIP. AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEING SPONSORED IN THE ACADEMY. THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING ALL OF YOU AND, YEAH, THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO SPEAK UP NEXT. YEAH, HI, NICE TO MEET YOU GUYS. MY NAME'S BRYANT MARTIN. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK HERE. IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY AND IT'S A GREAT DEPARTMENT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MY CAREER HERE. SO THANK YOU. AND NOT LEAST, BUT LAST, T. HI, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS T. CATHERWOOD. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU GUYS. PERSONALLY, I'M VERY EXCITED AND BLESSED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND START MEETING EVERYONE. I ALREADY FEEL LIKE A PART OF THE FAMILY, AND I JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. SO THANK YOU, EVERYONE. I APPRECIATE IT. WELL, WE'RE ALL EXCITED TO HAVE ALL FOUR OF YOU. DO ANY BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK YOU'RE GETTING OFF--OH, YOU ALMOST GOT OFF EASY. TRUSTEE WISINSKI? NO QUESTIONS. JUST REALLY EXCITED YOU'RE HERE. THANK YOU FOR SERVING. AND I DO ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU IN-PERSON. AND TREASURER? I WANT TO SAY, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING THEIR SWEARING IN CEREMONY LAST MONDAY, AND IT WAS A VERY NICE EVENT AND I GOT TO MEET THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL AND THE COLE SISTERS' GRANDFATHER WAS THERE AND THE BADGE, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON MAGGIE, IF I'M CORRECT. BUT IT WAS VERY NICE TO MEET THE FAMILIES OF ALL FOUR OF THESE OFFICERS. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD. WELCOME TO MERIDIAN. MS. JACKSON, I SEE YOU LIGHT UP THERE. YES, TRUSTEE JACKSON. I WOULD ONLY ADD TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND I, TOO, LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN-PERSON. HISTORICALLY, BEFORE THE COVID THING, WE USED TO ACTUALLY HAVE YOU COME TO A MEETING AND WE'D SHAKE YOUR HAND, BUT YOU PROBABLY GOT OFF EASIER THEN THAN YOU ARE TODAY. WELL, WELCOME, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU ALL. THANKS FOR COMING TO THE MEETING AND FOR JOINING US. AND THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT. OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEW ASSESSOR, WELL ASSESSOR [4B. Introduction of Assessor Candidate-Ashley Winstead] CANDIDATE OFFICIALLY TILL WE DECIDE TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL. ASHLEY WINSTEAD, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE UNDER THE LAW, [00:10:03] TECHNICALLY, THE SUPERVISOR DOES THE ASSESSING. OF COURSE, IN A TOWNSHIP LIKE MERIDIAN, THAT WOULD BE CRAZY. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE'D ALL BE PAYING RIDICULOUS TAXES ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. BUT ASHLEY IS COMING TO US WITH MUCH EXPERTISE AND A WILLINGNESS TO GAIN WHATEVER EXPERTISE SHE STILL NEEDS IN ORDER TO FULLY QUALIFY FOR WHAT'S CALLED A FOURTH LEVEL. SHE'S AT THE 3RD NOW, BUT WELL ON HER WAY TO THE 4TH. AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS DAVE LEE, BECAUSE HE'S SERVED US EXTREMELY WELL ALONG WITH [INAUDIBLE] YEARS. BUT HE'S DECIDED TO GO BACK TO JUST DOING EAST LANSING. AND WE'RE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO FIND ASHLEY AND WANT TO COMPLEMENT MANAGER WALSH FOR HIS EXCELLENT SEARCHES AND HOW WELL HE DOES IN FINDING PEOPLE. ASHLEY WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF. HELLO, I'M ASHLEY WINSTEAD. JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY. I ACTUALLY LIVE IN GRAND BLANC RIGHT NOW, SO I'LL BE COMMUTING. I'M USED TO A COMMUTE. SO NO, I DON'T MIND THAT. BUT I HAVE FOUR KIDDOS AND MY YOUNGEST IS GOING TO BE GOING INTO THIRD GRADE. SO MAYBE ONCE SHE FINISHES SCHOOL, I CAN MOVE A LITTLE CLOSER. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IT'LL BE A BIT OF A COMMUTE FOR ME. WE HAVE OUTSTANDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS HERE IN OUR TOWNSHIPS. YES, YOU DO. WHETHER IT'S OKEMOS, HASLETT, EAST LANSING, [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EXCELLENT EDUCATION FOR THOSE KIDS. OK. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ASK MS. WINSTEAD? OH, YEAH, MANAGER WALSH, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED ON YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE ASHLEY BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING. SHE'S A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, FLINT. SHE IS A LEVEL THREE ASSESSOR, WHICH IS JUST ONE STEP BELOW THE MASTER LEVEL, WHICH IS A LEVEL FOUR. AS THE SUPERVISOR POINTED OUT, THIS TOWNSHIP REQUIRES BECAUSE OF OUR TAX BASE, A NUMBER OF PARCELS, WE REQUIRE A MASTER LEVEL OR LEVEL FOUR. THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND. WE WENT THROUGH AN EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH. THE STATE TAX COMMISSION DOES ALLOW A WAIVER. IF WE FIND A COMPETENT LEVEL THREE WHO IMMEDIATELY WILL ENROLL IN THE LEVEL FOUR MASTER PROGRAM AND WILL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THAT IN TWO YEARS, WE STAND A GREAT CHANCE OF GETTING A WAIVER FROM THE STATE TAX COMMISSION TO HAVE MS. WINSTEAD ACT, NO PUN INTENDED, IN OUR 'STEAD' AS OUR ASSESSOR GOING FORWARD. AND WE WILL NEED TO SEEK THAT WAIVER AND WE'LL BE APPLYING FOR THAT IMMEDIATELY WITH THE BOARD'S APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD THIS EVENING. SO, ASHLEY, FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS SERVED AS THE CITY OF HOWELL ASSESSOR, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY, REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE FOUND HER. SHE'S GOING TO BE A GREAT MATCH. SHE'S HAD THREE INTERVIEWS WITH THE TOWNSHIP, ONE WITH MANAGER PERRY, DIRECTOR TITHOF AND MYSELF, ONE WITH THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND THEN FINALLY ONE WITH JUST THE ASSESSING TEAM. AND YES, THIS ALL CAME ABOUT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LONG TERM 11 YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF EAST LANSING TO SHARE MR. LEE'S SERVICES. AND WE'VE REACHED A POINT, FORK IN THE ROAD WHERE MR. LEE HAS TO GO BACK FULL TIME AND HANDLE HIS RESPONSIBILITIES IN EAST LANSING, WHICH HAS CAUSED THIS VACANCY IN THE TOWNSHIP. SO COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED TO LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VOTE LATER THIS EVENING. WE FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON TO JOIN OUR BUS. THANK YOU. [4C. 2020 Audit Presentation-Yeo & Yeo] ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE MANAGER WITH REGARD TO THAT? WELL, WE WILL HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR ACTION AS 'A' TONIGHT. WE NOW GO ON TO OUR FAVORITE PART OF THE YEAR, AND THAT IS THE REPORT OF THE AUDIT. YEO & YEO, DOES OUR AUDIT EVERY YEAR AND I'M SURE THAT [INAUDIBLE] MATTISON, WHO WORKS HARD NOT ONLY TO KEEP OUR FINANCES STRAIGHT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT THEN WORKS DOUBLY HARD TRYING TO HELP THE AUDITORS WITH THEIR JOB, WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE THE AUDITORS SPEAK. YES, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ALI BARNES, SHE'S A PARTNER AT YEO AND YEO THAT ORGANIZED OUR AUDIT AND ALSO A SINGLE AUDIT THIS YEAR. WE DID THIS ALL VIRTUAL. THEY WERE NOT ON SITE, SO IT WAS ALL THROUGH A PORTAL AND TRANSFERRING INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH. IT WAS A COMPLICATED PROCESS THIS YEAR, BUT WE GOT THROUGH IT. AND I'M HAPPY FOR ALI TO PRESENT THE FINDINGS TO THE BOARD TONIGHT. THE MICROPHONE IS YOURS. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON YOUR MEETING THIS EVENING. I THINK I WILL SEE IF I'M ABLE TO SHARE THE PRESENTATION WITH YOU, SO ALL CAN SEE IT. THERE WE GO. SO REAL QUICK, BEFORE I GET STARTED GOING THROUGH THIS, A HUGE THANKS TO MIRIAM AND ALL THE PEOPLE ON HER AND THAT SHE COORDINATES WITH. [00:15:01] AS SHE ALLUDED TO, THIS AUDIT WAS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT VIRTUAL, WHICH DOES PRESENT SOME CHALLENGES. AND THIS YEAR THERE WAS A LOT OF NEWNESS GOING ON AS WELL WITH DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS AND TRYING TO SPEND SOME OF THOSE NEW DOLLARS CORRECTLY. SO GREAT JOB FROM HER AND HER TEAM. AND WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING BACK ON-SITE IN YOUR BUILDING FOR NEXT YEAR'S AUDIT. VIRTUAL CAN BE DONE BY A TOWNSHIP OF YOUR SIZE, WE REALLY LIKE BEING ON-SITE. WE WILL GET STARTED HERE WITH THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL FIRST START OUT GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE NUMBERS. GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND TRANSFERS FOR 2020, TOTAL OF TWENTY THREE POINT FOUR MILLION. YOU CAN SEE HERE THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FUNDING. SO, FOR YOUR TOWNSHIP, TAXES TAKES UP THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF REVENUE COMING IN AT THIRTEEN POINT SIX MILLION OR FIFTY NINE PERCENT. THAT CATEGORY STAYS TYPICALLY WITHIN ABOUT ONE PERCENT OF YOUR TOTAL REVENUES FROM YEAR TO YEAR. THE PRIOR YEAR WAS FIFTY EIGHT PERCENT. SO RIGHT IN LINE WITH PRIOR YEARS. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE NEXT LARGEST CATEGORY [INAUDIBLE] FOR SERVICES AND STATE SHARED REVENUE MAKE UP THE REMAINING MAJORITY PORTION OF THOSE REVENUES. SO FOR 2020, ALL OF YOUR REVENUE CATEGORIES REMAIN WITHIN ONE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL THAT THEY WERE IN TWENTY NINE. HERE WE CAN SEE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS THE TREND IN GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND THE TRANSFERS, YOU'LL SEE THAT REVENUES SINCE TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN HAVE ALL BEEN TRENDING UP. EACH YEAR THERE WAS A LARGER INCREASE THERE FROM TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND EIGHTEEN, AND THAT WAS DUE TO A NEW MILLAGE BEING LEVIED IN THAT YEAR. SINCE THEN, NO NEW MILLAGES. FROM '19-20, THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND, AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS GOING TO BE RELATED TO INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. SO AS THOSE TAXABLE VALUES INCREASE A LITTLE BIT EACH YEAR, YOU'LL SEE THAT BUMP UP IN THE REVENUE SIDE AS WELL. MOVING ON TO THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, YOU'LL SEE FOR 2020, THERE WAS ABOUT TWENTY THREE AND A HALF MILLION IN GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AND TRANSFERS. WITHIN THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AREA YOU SPEND IN ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 54 PERCENT OR TWELVE POINT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS. AND THEN THE SECOND LARGEST CATEGORY IS GOING TO BE GENERAL GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR, COMING IN AT THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OR EIGHT POINT TWO MILLION. ONE THING TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE, IF YOU WERE TO COMPARE THIS TO 2019, YOU'LL NOTICE THERE IS SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT FLUCTUATION IN THOSE PERCENTAGES, AND THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE 2020 IS THE YEAR WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE MILLION DOLLARS SPENT ON THE PROJECT ARE ACCOUNTED FOR WITHIN THAT GENERAL GOVERNMENT CATEGORY. SO BECAUSE THAT TWO MILLION IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY YEAR, THAT MADE THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT CATEGORY MORE AS THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL THAN IT TYPICALLY IS. SO, IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, GENERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ABOUT TWENTY NINE PERCENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY WAS ABOUT 60 PERCENT. SO I WOULD EXPECT NEXT YEAR WE'LL SEE THOSE GO BACK TO KIND OF THE NORMAL PERCENTAGES THEY HAD TYPICALLY BEEN AT. HERE'S A FIVE YEAR TREND FOR YOUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AND TRANSFERS. NOT ALWAYS GOING UP. EVERY YEAR YOU'LL SEE TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN EXPENDITURES WERE ACTUALLY DOWN SLIGHTLY AND THEN THEY JUMPED UP AGAIN HERE FOR 2020. AGAIN, THAT SHARPER INCREASE THERE FROM TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN TO TWO THOUSAND TWENTY IS GOING TO BE RELATED TO THAT HVAC PROJECT. AND THEN I'VE BEEN BREAKING THIS OUT SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT PORTION OF YOUR EXPENDITURES ARE RELATED TO THE ADDITIONAL MERS CONTRIBUTION PAYMENTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING. AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, YOU'VE BEEN MAKING YOUR REGULAR PAYMENTS, BUT THEN ALSO CHOOSING TO MAKE AN ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION. SO FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, THAT ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION HAS BEEN ONE AND A HALF [00:20:09] MILLION DOLLARS. HERE'S GENERAL FUNDS FUND BALANCE BROKEN DOWN INTO A FEW DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. YOU'LL SEE THE BLUE IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE UNASSIGNED. SO THAT SET ASIDE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, BUT JUST FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS. THE ASSIGNED PORTION IS GOING TO BE RELATED TO THE AMOUNT THAT YOU BUDGET IN YOUR NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO USE IN EXCESS OF REVENUES THAT YOU ANTICIPATE TO COME IN. SO FOR YOUR 2021 BUDGET, YOU HAD ANTICIPATED THAT ABOUT SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND MORE IN EXPENDITURES WOULD BE MADE THAN THE REVENUES YOU'RE PROJECTING TO COME IN. AND SO IN THIS FINANCIAL STATEMENT, WE SHOW THAT A SIGNED FUND BALANCE. NOW, THINGS MIGHT CHANGE OVER THE YEAR AND YOU MIGHT NOT USE THAT FUND BALANCE OR YOU MIGHT USE MORE. YOU MIGHT USE LESS; THAT'S OK, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOW. AND THEN THE GRAY PIECE IS [INAUDIBLE] NON-SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE THAT'S RELATED TO PREPAID ITEMS. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE FOR EXPENSES WHERE YOU [INAUDIBLE] THE CASH OUT BEFORE 2020, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY FOR EXPENDITURES THAT WILL BE INCURRED DURING 2021 AND ARE INCLUDED IN THAT YEAR'S BUDGET. SO THAT GIVES YOU YOUR UNASSIGNED THAT BLUE PORTION OF UNBALANCE IS NINE POINT THREE MILLION. A VERY HEALTHY BALANCE FOR A TOWNSHIP OF YOUR SIZE. AND IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING WHY IN 2019, THAT ORANGE CATEGORY IS SO MUCH LARGER THAN IN 2018 OR 2020, THAT'S BECAUSE IN THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET, YOU HAD ANTICIPATED USING MORE FUND BALANCE FOR THAT HVAC PROJECT THAT HAPPENED IN 2020 [INAUDIBLE] ON THAT [INAUDIBLE]. A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, NO CONCERNS, BUT HOW AMOUNTS ARE SPLIT INTO THESE CATEGORIES AND THEN ALSO I'VE BEEN PROVIDING YOU THE LAST COUPLE YEARS SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT FUND BALANCE WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN TOTAL IF YOU HAD NOT MADE THAT PARTICULAR YEAR'S ADDITIONAL MERS PAYMENTS. YOU CAN SEE THAT KIND OF DEPICTED BY THAT BLUE BOX AT THE TOP OF THE BAR [INAUDIBLE]. OK, SWITCHING GEARS HERE A LITTLE BIT TO THE WATER FUND. HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE LINE DEPICTS TOTAL REVENUES. THE RED LINE IS TOTAL EXPENSES. AND SO IN THOSE YEARS WHERE THE BLUE LINE EXCEEDS THE RED, YOU'RE ADDING TO YOUR FUND NET POSITION, WHICH IS THE CASE FOR ALL FIVE OF THESE YEARS. FOR 2020, YOU ADDED BACK ABOUT ONE MILLION TO NET POSITION IN THE WATER FUND. SO A HEALTHY INCREASE THERE TO THAT FUND. IN THIS PARTICULAR FUND, WE DID DO A RESTATEMENT THIS YEAR. THERE WAS A BILLING ERROR THAT WAS FOUND AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A FEW MORE SLIDES. BUT IF YOU WERE TO PULL OUT YOUR SLIDES FROM LAST YEAR AND THEN LOOK AT WHAT I HAVE PRESENTED HERE FOR 2019, YOU WOULD NOTICE THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME BECAUSE OF THAT RESTATEMENT. SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. AND THEN WITHIN YOUR WATER FUND, A MEASURE OF FINANCIAL STRENGTH WITHIN THIS TYPE OF FUND IS ALSO WHAT YOUR CURRENT ASSETS PLUS YOUR CURRENT LIABILITIES EQUAL, WHICH GIVES YOU WORKING CAPITAL. AND SO YOU HAVE WORKING CAPITAL IN THE WATER FUND OF ABOUT FIVE POINT SIX MILLION AT THE END OF 2020. SO, AGAIN, A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF WORKING CAPITAL ON HAND FOR THE TOWNSHIP IN THIS FUND. HERE WE HAVE THE SEWER FUND. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN, THE OTHER FOUR YEARS, YOUR REVENUES HAVE EXCEEDED YOUR EXPENSES. SO THAT HELPS YOU HAVE THAT POSITIVE WORKING CAPITAL WITHIN THE FUND AS WELL. SO, THE TOTAL CHANGE IN YOUR NET POSITION THIS YEAR WAS ONE POINT ONE MILLION AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR WITH ABOUT ONE POINT FIVE MILLION. SO YOUR REVENUES ARE STRONG AND YOU'RE MAINTAINING THOSE EXPENSES SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT WORKING CAPITAL TO PUT BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. AND THERE IS ABOUT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN WORKING CAPITAL IN THE SEWER FUND AT THE END OF [INAUDIBLE]. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW OF THE LONGER TERM LIABILITIES. [00:25:04] HERE'S THE INFORMATION FOR THE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT PENSION PLAN. SO WE HAVE WHAT'S IN THE BLUE IS THE PLANNED FIDUCIARY NET POSITION OR BASICALLY THE ASSETS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THIS PLAN. AND THEN IN THE RED, WE HAVE THE TOTAL PENSION LIABILITY AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A NUMBER THAT'S CALCULATED BY AN ACTUARY. SO AT THE END OF 2020, THE TOTAL FIDUCIARY NET POSITION OR THAT BLUE GRAPH IS ABOUT FIVE POINT ONE EIGHT MILLION. AND YOUR TOTAL PENSION LIABILITY WAS ABOUT FIVE POINT ONE THREE MILLION. SO THIS PLAN ACTUALLY HAS WHAT'S CALLED A NET PENSION ASSET VERSUS A NET PENSION LIABILITY. SO, THAT MEANS THAT THE ASSETS IN THE SYSTEM AT THAT DATE WERE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OF THE CALCULATED LIABILITY AS OF THAT DATE. SO THAT IS GREAT NEWS. THAT'S LIKE THE GOLD STANDARD FOR A PLAN TO BE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FULLY FUNDED. SO GREAT WORK ON THE TOWNSHIP'S PART FOR REACHING THAT STATUS WITH THAT PLAN. THEN WE HAVE THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN OR THE MERS PLAN. SO THIS LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THE PLANNED FIDUCIARY IN THAT POSITION DOES NOT EXCEED THAT TOTAL PENSION LIABILITY OR THIS FUND, WHICH IS NOT ALL THAT UNCOMMON. WE SEE MOST OF OUR CLIENTS WITHIN MERS ARE NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED, BUT PEOPLE ARE WORKING THEIR WAY TOWARDS GETTING THERE. AND YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING IN THOSE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS, SO THAT HELPS WHEN THE MARKET IS STRONG. THAT HELPS AS WELL. SO WHEN WE TAKE THE TOTAL PENSION LIABILITY AND SUBTRACT OUT THE ASSETS THAT YOU HAVE ON HAND, WE GET A NET PENSION LIABILITY. AND SO THAT WAS ABOUT TWENTY SIX POINT FOUR MILLION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND TWENTY SEVEN POINT THREE SIX MILLION IN 2009. SO THE NET PENSION LIABILITY DID INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR AVERAGE LEVEL FUNDED WAS, AND THAT COMES IN AT ABOUT FIFTY EIGHT POINT THREE PERCENT. AND THAT IS ACTUALLY UP FROM THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEAR ROLLING AMOUNT, WHICH WAS FIFTY SEVEN POINT ONE FIVE PERCENT. SO YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS THERE ON INCREASING THAT FUNDED PERCENTAGE. AND THEN SWITCHING GEARS FROM THE PENSION TO WHAT WE CALL OPEB OR OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HEALTH CARE RELATED SIDE OF THIS. AGAIN, WE REPORT THAT FIDUCIARY NET POSITION AND THE OPEB LIABILITY. SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT FIDUCIARY NET POSITION IS JUST SHY OF THE LIABILITY. SO, YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT QUITE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED. I THINK WE'RE EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT OF BEING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED. SO GETTING GETTING REAL CLOSE THERE WITH THAT PLAN. OK, MIRIAM HAD MENTIONED THE SINGLE AUDIT THIS YEAR. SO NOT ONLY DID WE DO THE NORMAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT THAT YOU'RE USED TO, WE ALSO DID A SINGLE AUDIT AS WELL. AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT. AND THIS YEAR, THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE TESTED. THOSE WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL DOLLARS. AND WITHIN ALL THAT TESTING, I KNOW IT WAS VERY NEW AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS CONSTANTLY CHANGING ON HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY AND HOW TO DOCUMENT THINGS AND GIVEN ALL OF THAT, MIRIAM AND HER TEAM DID A GREAT JOB. THEY HAD NO FEDERAL AWARD FINDINGS THIS YEAR, WHICH, I GENERALLY THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WHEN YOU'RE NOT USED TO HAVING A SINGLE AUDIT. SO FOR THOSE GOVERNMENTS, WE HAVE A SINGLE AUDIT EVERY YEAR. THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT EXPECTING TO HAVE FEDERAL AWARD FINDINGS. GENERALLY WHEN WE HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS THEIR FIRST SINGLE AUDIT, MAYBE EVER OR IN A LONG TIME, IT'S USUALLY COMMON THAT WE DO HAVE SOME TYPE OF FINDING AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FEDERAL AWARDS, BUT NOT IN YOUR CASE. THE TOWNSHIP DID GREAT, GREAT WORK HERE. SO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THE SINGLE AUDIT BOTH RECEIVED UNMODIFIED OR CLEAN [00:30:01] AUDIT OPINION. SO, THOSE ARE THE OPINIONS THAT YOU WANT US TO ISSUE ON THOSE [INAUDIBLE]. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF INTERNAL CONTROL MATTERS, SO WE DID HAVE A MATERIAL WITNESS THIS YEAR FOR AUDIT ADJUSTMENTS AND A PRIOR PERIOD ADJUSTMENT. SO I HAD ALLUDED BACK ON THE WATER FRONT PAGE THAT WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT TO A PRIOR PERIOD, THAT 2019 YEAR. AND WHAT HAPPENED IS THERE WAS A METER THAT ENDED UP ROLLING OVER AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED TO DO IT AT THE END OF 2019 AND THE ERROR WAS CAUGHT AND AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE, BUT THE ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE IN 2020 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED BACK TO 2019 BECAUSE 2019 IS WHERE THE REVENUE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN OVERSTATED. SO THAT WATER FUND WAS ADJUSTED FOR THAT AMOUNT, AND THEN WE ALSO JUST THE AUDIT ADJUSTMENT SIDE HAD A FUND WHERE THERE WAS AN AMOUNT THAT WAS PAID IN 2021, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCRUED BACK AS AN EXPENDITURE IN 2020. AND JUST BASED ON THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE HAD TO CONSIDER THAT A MATERIAL WEAKNESS WITHIN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS DID NOT TOUCH THAT. NOW, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK A MATERIAL WEAKNESS IN TWO WAYS. I THINK OF KIND OF ONE OFF SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT, AND THEN I THINK OF SYSTEMIC ISSUES WHERE THERE ARE CONSTANTLY PROBLEMS, THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND SO THIS MATERIAL WITNESS IN MY MIND FALLS INTO THAT FIRST CATEGORY OF KIND OF BEING A ONE OFF. SO THE WATER ADJUSTMENT, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY AND DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, EVEN WHEN THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS. AND THEN THE AUDIT ADJUSTMENT FOR THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ITEM, AGAIN, IT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS FOUND. THE OTHER ITEMS WE TESTED WERE FINE. SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE. JUST A COUPLE OF PROCESSES TO KIND OF TIGHTEN UP. AND I KNOW I'VE TALKED WITH MIRIAM ABOUT KIND OF THE PLAN IN PLACE, AND AGREE WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT SHE'S MADE SO THAT THIS WON'T HAPPEN GOING FORWARD. AND THEN THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES THIS YEAR [INAUDIBLE]. WE DID ISSUE TWO MANAGEMENT COMMENTS. THE DDA FUND HAS BEEN IN A DEFICIT FOR A FEW YEARS AND WE JUST ISSUED A COMMENT, SO THAT EVERYONE'S AWARE THAT THE DEFICIT IS OUT THERE. IT WAS ABOUT EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND AT THE END OF 2020, WHICH WAS DOWN FROM ABOUT NINETY THOUSAND IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THERE'S NO DEFICIT ELIMINATION PLAN NEEDED TO BE FILED WITH THE STATE. BUT THIS IS JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEFICIT IS OUT THERE AND TO KIND OF BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE AND HOW RECTIFYING THAT LOOKED. AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM RELATES TO FEDERAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SO IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED UNIFORM GUIDANCE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFITS DO ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW. AND THEN UNIFORM GUIDANCE SAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN FEDERAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WRITTEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING, AGAIN, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE AUDIT REGULARLY AND YOU WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN. SO ONCE YOU KIND OF FLIP OVER TO THAT SINGLE AUDIT MODE, THEN WE CAN IDENTIFY THIS AND THEN WORK WITH YOU TO GET IT CORRECTED. SO WHILE THE TOWNSHIP HAS MANY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE IN WRITING, THERE ARE JUST SOME THAT REQUIRE SPECIFIC CALL OUTS TO AREAS IN THE CODE. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING I KNOW MIRIAM WILL BE WORKING ON PUTTING INTO PLACE. WE PROVIDED HER WITH SOME GOOD EXAMPLES OF POLICIES, A COUPLE OF MANUALS THAT SHE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT AND FOLLOW. SO I DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING AN ONGOING ISSUE. I'M GUESSING THIS ONE WILL GET RESOLVED QUITE QUICKLY. AND WITH THAT, I WOULD TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT HAVE. OK, MANAGER WALSH, ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE GET TO THE QUESTIONS? YEAH, THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. [00:35:03] SOME THINGS CAN GET LOST WHEN YOU GET A REPORT FROM AN AUDITOR. BUT IF YOU RECALL THAT, I KNOW ALL OF YOU PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS, BUT IT'S WORTH NOTING, IF YOU RECALL, WHAT WAS THE GENERAL FUND DEFICIT EXPECTED FOR 2020? BECAUSE OF THE TWO POINT TWO MILLION DOLLAR HVAC, IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLAR GENERAL FUND DEFICIT FOR 2020, AND IT WASN'T A ONE POINT EIGHT DOLLARS MILLION DEFICIT DUE TO EXCELLENT PLANNING BY ALL OF OUR TEAM. I THINK THE DEFICIT WAS AROUND TWO OR THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND. THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN GET OUT OF THIS ENTIRE AUDIT. OUR FUND BALANCE UNASSIGNED IS NINE POINT THREE MILLION ON A ROUGHLY 20 MILLION DOLLAR GENERAL BUDGET. THAT'S FORTY FIVE PERCENT GENERAL FUND BALANCE. RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE, IF YOU ARE TWENTY TO TWENTY FIVE PERCENT FUND BALANCE, YOU'RE CONSIDERED A FOUR STAR. IF YOU'RE TWENTY FIVE TO THIRTY PERCENT, YOU'RE CONSIDERED A FIVE STAR. IF YOU'RE THIRTY ONE TO 40 PERCENT FUND BALANCE, YOU'RE THE TOP 10 PERCENT. AND IF YOU'RE OVER FORTY ONE PERCENT FUND BALANCE YOU'RE IN THE TOP FIVE PERCENT IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. THE TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND. DO YOU REALIZE THAT IN TWENTY SEVENTEEN IT WAS A MILLION THREE UNDERFUNDED. AND YOU KNOW THAT WITH PROPER PLANNING AND SETTING MONEY ASIDE, IT'S NOW ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDING, THAT DEFICIT FOR THE TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND IS GONE. LET'S TALK ABOUT HEALTH CARE. YOU COULD PULL THAT SLIDE BACK UP. JUST FOUR YEARS AGO, WHAT WAS THE DEFICIT FOR OUR RETIREE HEALTH CARE? OUR OPEB? IT WAS FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. AND WHAT IS IT NOW? IT'S EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT OF BEING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED. AND WHAT ABOUT OUR MERS? IT'S STILL A STRUGGLE, BUT REMEMBER, JUST THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, WE WERE FIFTY FOUR PERCENT FUNDED. WE JUST GOT OUR REPORT ON FRIDAY, OUR ACTUARY REPORT ON MERS, AND WE'RE NOW SIXTY FOUR PERCENT FUNDED. SO WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS WITH THAT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN TAKE AWAY IS HOW ABOUT THE WATER AND SEWER FUNDS, SINCE MANAGER PERRY ARRIVED IN 2015. YOU REALIZE WE WERE JUST JUST OPERATING AT A NET EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO 2015. AND LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR WATER AND SEWER FUNDS, THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN NOW AND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO THIS IS JUST A GREAT REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE ENTIRE TEAM, LED BY OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MIRIAM MATTISON, BERNIE FAULKNER, OUR ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR. THIS IS JUST A GOLD STAR REPORT TONIGHT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO TAKE AWAY, THOUGH, IS A PLANNED ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS DEFICIT DOWN TO AROUND TWO OR THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MANAGER. NOW BACK TO THOSE QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES AND BOARD MEMBERS. YOU HAD YOUR HANDS UP. YES, TREASURER DESCHAINE. THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND MANAGER WALSH AND DIRECTOR MATTISON ON THIS CLEAN AUDIT. GOOD NEWS. THE FACT THAT OUR FUND BALANCES IS FORTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR GENERAL BUDGET IS AWESOME. THE FACT WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR DEFICIT ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION TO TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND. THIS IS A GOOD FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR US AND I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY IT. AND I KNOW AS A [INAUDIBLE] MYSELF, I GO IN TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE OR DIRECTOR MATTISON'S OFFICE WITH A GREAT IDEA THAT NEEDS SOME FUNDING, THE QUESTION IS, IS IT IN THE BUDGET AND CAN WE AFFORD IT? I MEAN, SO IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, IT'S NOT GOING TO GET FUNDED IN THIS TOWNSHIP. WE STICK WITH OUR BUDGET. WE FOLLOW IT, EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES. I'VE COME TO LEARN THAT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR AUDITOR, THOUGH, REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT COMMENTS, AND THAT WAS, IN THE PAST, THEY HAVE MENTIONED THE DDA DEFICIT. WE KNOW THE DDA HAS A DEFICIT, IN FACT, THE DDA HAS DISCUSSED THIS AND HAVE EVEN TALKED OF PAYING IT OFF. THEY ACTUALLY CAME CLOSE TO DOING THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. BUT, ALI, IN THE PAST, YOU'VE MENTIONED OUR CAPITAL ASSETS POLICY AND OUR CAPITAL ASSETS RECORD KEEPING. DID THIS JUST FALL OFF YOUR MANAGEMENT COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED IT ONCE, OR HAVE WE IMPROVED THOSE TRACKING AND THE POLICY PROCEDURE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE? EXCELLENT QUESTION. THAT 'FELL OFF', SO TO SPEAK, BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP DID IMPLEMENT CONTROLS. THEY ACTUALLY HIRED OUR FIRM TO HELP THEM COME UP WITH A TRACKING SYSTEM. WE HAVE A SOFTWARE THAT'S EASY TO USE, TAKES SOME WORK GETTING THINGS SET UP, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES OVER FROM MULTIPLE TABS AND SPREADSHEETS. BUT THERE'S A MUCH BETTER SYSTEM IN PLACE AND NO MORE MANUAL HAVING TO ADJUST THE [00:40:04] EXCEL SPREADSHEET TO MAKE SURE THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT. NEW ASSETS ARE IMPORTED INTO THE SYSTEM EACH YEAR AND A NICE REPORT IS GENERATED. AND MIRIAM OR WHOEVER SHE DESIGNATES ON HER TEAM ARE THEN ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND WHAT ITEMS NEED TO BE DISPOSED OF SO THERE WAS CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN, WHICH IS WHY THAT FELL OFF THE COMMENTS. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, MIRIAM, THE WHOLE MANAGEMENT TEAM, GREAT JOB. THIS IS AUDIT IS THE REPORT CARD, IF YOU WILL, FOR HOW WELL WE ARE BEING RUN FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW. AND THIS IS AN A+ REPORT CARD. SO WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF HERE THAT OUR TEAM IS PERFORMING SO WELL. YES, SIR. YES, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA, AND THANK YOU, ALI, FOR THE PRESENTATION. ONE QUESTION FOR STAFF, PERHAPS DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY MIGHT KNOW IT, OR MANAGER WALSH. DO WE KNOW WHAT INTEREST WE'RE PAYING ON THE DDA LOANS FOR THE STREET LIGHTS? YOU MEAN WHAT INTEREST THEY'RE PAYING US? WELL, THE DDA IS PAYING DOWN THE LOAN, SO WHAT INTEREST ARE THEY PAYING ON THAT? TO THE TOWNSHIP. MIRIAM? IT'S A THREE PERCENT. SO, THE COST ITSELF ISN'T TOO SUBSTANTIAL, WHAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING ON THE PRINCIPLE? ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED. YEAH, SO MY THOUGHT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD JUST, I FORGET, ARE THE FUNDS SITTING, MIRIAM? ARE THEY SITTING IN THE DDA'S FUND TO PAY DOWN OR DO WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM FUNDS TO PAY THE REMAINDER DOWN, IF WE WISHED TO DO THAT? IF YOU WISH TO FORGIVE THE LOAN, THEN WE WOULD DO SOME JOURNAL ENTRIES TO MAKE THAT LOAN GO AWAY. RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CASH BALANCE TO PAY OFF THAT FUND. SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO FORGIVE THE LOAN AND WE WOULD DO JOURNAL ENTRIES TO WRITE THAT OFF. SO WE'D HAVE TO FORGIVE THE LOAN, AND GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO MAKE THE FINAL PAYMENT IF WE WANTED TO? NO, THEY HAVE CASH. RIGHT NOW, I THINK A FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR CASH BALANCE, SO THEY HAVE THE CASH; IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO PAY OFF THE LOAN. THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING THE DEFICIT. SO THEIR ASSETS ARE LESS THAN WHAT THAT LIABILITY, THE LOAN DOLLAR AMOUNT, THAT'S WHERE THE DEFICIT IS COMING IN. OK. THE LOAN IS ACTUALLY FROM THE TOWNSHIP, DAN; IT'S NOT--FROM THE MEIJER TAX. WE DID THE STREET LIGHTS, THEN MEIJER APPEALED THEIR TAX ASSESSMENT. AND SO WE HAD TO LOAN THEM THE MONEY, BUT WE STILL ONLY HAVE 50000 CASH SITTING IN THERE. SO IF WE WANTED TO PAY THE WHOLE THING DOWN, I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT MAKES SENSE FINANCIALLY FOR THE TOWNSHIP. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE PAYING GUTHRIE PERCENT INTEREST ON SUCH A SMALL, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL INVESTMENT. WE COULD FORGIVE THE LOAN AND JUST ABSOLVE OURSELVES OF THE THREE PERCENT INTEREST IS MY THOUGHT, ESPECIALLY THINKING ON IT FROM LAST WEEK WHEN WE GOT THE DDA REPORT SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. AND THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT HAS COME UP AT THE [INAUDIBLE] LAST [INAUDIBLE], THE POSSIBILITY OF THE TOWNSHIP PERHAPS FORGIVING THAT LOAN FOR THEM AND THAT [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL AS YOURSELF JUST NOW, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE POTENTIAL ACTION. THOUGHTS ON ACTUALLY JUST PAYING DOWN THE BALANCE, FROM STAFF OR THE SUPERVISOR? I'M SORRY? THOUGHT I'M JUST PAYING THE BALANCE DOWN. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GETTING WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THREE PERCENT IF WE INVEST THOSE FUNDS SITTING IN OUR GENERAL FUND, SO, SHOULDN'T WE JUST GET RID OF THAT--IT WOULD BE MAYBE A MATTER OF JUST FORGIVING ONE. MIRIAM, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT? YEAH, IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE A LOAN SITTING IN A BANK SOMEWHERE. OH, IT'S A LOAN TO OUR GENERAL FUND. OK, SO [INAUDIBLE]. I THOUGHT WE... OK. I COULD TELL WHERE YOU WERE GOING; YOU HAD THE OTHER THOUGHT IN MIND. YEAH. YEAH, I THOUGHT THEY HAD A LINE WITH A THIRD PARTY AND WE WERE HAVING TO FRONT THEM THE MONEY INTO THE DDA. SO YEAH, THEN I WOULD JUST SUPPORT DDA FOR FORGIVING THE DDA AND NOT MAKING THEM PAY 3 PERCENT INTEREST TO THE TOWNSHIP. NOW, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU. THEY ACTUALLY POINTED TO AN EXCELLENT THING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ANYONE ELSE QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDITOR, FOR MIRIAM, FOR THE MANAGER? POINTS YOU WANT TO RAISE? I WOULD JUST ASK, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP ON THAT, YOU TALK ABOUT THE DEFICIT MS. [00:45:06] BARNES, THAT REALLY IS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF THAT DEFICIT, IS IT NOT? IT IS BECAUSE THOSE FUNDS WERE EXPENDED WHEN THERE WASN'T ENOUGH REVENUES AND FUND BALANCE TO COVER THOSE INITIALLY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT A FEDERAL AWARD FINDING IS? SO THAT WOULD BE, OK, LET'S SAY YOU YOU HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND DOLLARS COMING IN AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES OF EXPENDITURES THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE THOSE FUNDS ON. AND LET'S SAY YOU CHOSE TO SPEND MONEY ON SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THOSE APPROVED CATEGORIES AND WE CAUGHT IT IN OUR TESTING. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A FEDERAL AWARD FINDING BECAUSE IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT GRANT AND HOW THOSE DOLLARS WERE SPENT. [INAUDIBLE] WOULD RESULT IN US HAVING TO PAY SOME MONEY BACK, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? POTENTIALLY, YEAH. SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A FINDING, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEM BACK. RIGHT. OK, BUT THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM AT THIS POINT? CORRECT. GOOD. LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS MY TWENTY YEARS ON THE OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD WHERE WE HAD A SMALL BUT WHAT WAS CONSIDERED FOR SCHOOLS, A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE. WE WOULD PROBABLY ALL HAVE DIED OF LAUGHTER AND EXHILARATION TO HAVE A FORTY FIVE PERCENT FUND BALANCE. WE WERE LUCKY IF WE HAD, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 10 PERCENT FUND BALANCE. AND I THINK THE TOWNSHIP IS SITTING VERY WELL WITH REGARD TO FUND BALANCE. ANYONE ELSE? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT AUDIT AND THANK YOU, MIRIAM, FOR ALL YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK AND STAFF, EVERYONE AT THE TOWNSHIP, NOT JUST IN YOUR OFFICE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP, EVERYONE WHO WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THE DOLLARS GO TO THE RIGHT PLACE AND ARE SPENT CORRECTLY. MANAGER WALSH, WHO SUPERVISES ALL OF THIS FROM THE SEAT ABOVE. WE'RE VERY THANKFUL AND THANKFUL FOR YOU AND YOUR CONTINUING WATCHFULNESS OVER US. AND IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, WE'LL MOVE ON. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE NEXT HAVE CITIZENS--I SOUND LIKE THE GUY IN [5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS] POLICE ACADEMY--CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA ITEMS AND NOT AGENDA ITEMS, AND WE HAVE THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER. WE ASK THAT THEY BE VERY APPROPRIATE IN THEIR REMARKS, THAT THEY ADDRESS THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, NOT INDIVIDUALS, THEY DON'T ADDRESS OTHER PEOPLE, THAT THEY STICK TO THE ISSUES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND I WOULD ASK MR. GEBES IF HE HAS A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS READY AND YOU START OUT WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YES, SIR, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CALLERS AND THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLE WHO HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND IN THE ATTENDEE AREA. IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WISH TO SPEAK, GO AHEAD. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AT ANY TIME. WE WILL CALL YOU TO ORDER YOUR HAND WAS RAISED. BUT I'M GOING TO START WITH THE CALLER. MA'AM, CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND THEN YOU'RE READY TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD? ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JODY BOND AND I LIVE AT 1502 JOLLY ROAD AND I LIVE THERE CURRENTLY WITH MY HUSBAND MY TWO CHILDREN WHO BOTH ATTEND OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'VE PROBABLY LIVED IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY FAMILY'S SUPPORT FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FOR SPARROWS PROPOSED MEDICAL FACILITY ALONG JOLLY ROAD. WE LOVE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ARE PLEASED WITH THE THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP A PRIME COMMUNITY. ONE THING THAT IS MISSING IS HEALTH CARE SERVICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOWNSHIP. ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE. AND IN TIMES OF AN EMERGENCY OR INJURY, [INAUDIBLE] REALLY MATTER. DURING THE MAY 18TH MEETING, I HEARD A NUMBER OF POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BENEFIT FROM SPARROW'S PROPOSED PLAN, AND I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE PROVIDED IN OUR TOWNSHIP. ACCESS TO MORE CONVENIENT SERVICES FOR THE LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND REDUCED TRAVEL TIME WHERE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE AND EMS WOULD BENEFIT, ALL OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S 43000 RESIDENTS. I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE CONDITIONS THAT SPARROW HAS OFFERED TO REDUCE THE [00:50:01] IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORS ON KANSAS ROAD. REMOVING ACCESS POINTS ON KANSAS ROAD TO ELIMINATE TRAFFIC TO THE FACILITY AND PROVIDING TOWNSHIP WATER CONNECTION IS REALLY REMARKABLE IN MY OPINION, AND UNDERSCORES SPARROW'S COMMITMENT AND INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS FACILITY AND SERVICES WOULD BE AN ASSET TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES TO CONSIDER THE BENEFIT TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND APPROVE THIS REZONING REQUEST. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WELL WITHIN YOUR THREE MINUTES. MR. GEBES. WE HAVE A ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS DR. CHERINE [INAUDIBLE]. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. YES, GOOD EVENING. YOU'RE ECHOING, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING ON THAT--YEAH, I HAVE MY HUSBAND'S COMPUTER. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS FOR 11 YEARS, CO-OWNER OF 3566 KANSAS ROAD AND 3917 SHELDRAKE AVENUE AND OKEMOS. I'M DISCUSSING AGENDA ITEM 12B THE PROPOSAL TO REZONE TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS ON KANSAS ROAD INTER-PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DESIGNATION. THIS PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY SPARROW WILL CAUSE SUFFERING TO RESIDENTS ON KANSAS, INDIANA AND ROBBINS WAY. THE SPARROW TEAM, I SAY IF THE REASON FOR THIS PROPOSAL IS PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES, THEN LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION THAT DOESN'T DISTURB ANY NEIGHBORS. MY HUSBAND JOHN AND I SAW SEVERAL LARGE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES OF JOLLY, ABOUT QUARTER MILE WEST FROM KANSAS AT JAMES PHILLIPS STREET. HUGE AND APPROPRIATE. TO MY DEAR BOARD, I SAY THERE IS ALSO MCLAREN HOSPITAL BEING COMPLETED AND IS EIGHT MINUTES AWAY FROM KANSAS ROAD. WHY APPROVE ANOTHER FACILITY ON THE EXPENSE OF OKEMOS NEIGHBORHOODS? REZONING RESIDENTIAL PARCELS TO OFFICE AND ALLOWING THE DEVELOPER TO DESTROY A NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT A SOUND DECISION. THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ON KANSAS AND INDIANA ROADS HAVE SPOKEN, AND THEY VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE THIS PROPOSAL, AS REFLECTED IN OUR WRITTEN PETITION AS WELL AS OUR CALLS INTO YOUR MEETINGS. SPOT REZONING THESE TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS IS DETRIMENTAL. IT WILL DESTROY THE FAUNA. IT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPT AND DISTURB THE TRANQUILITY AND SAFETY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY. IT WILL DEPRECIATE THE VALUE OF OUR HOME, WHERE IT'S JUST THE NEXT DOOR HOUSE TO THAT PROPOSED FACILITY. IT WILL DEPRECIATE THE VALUE OF OUR HOME AND OTHER HOMES, DESPITE THE GREEN ZONE AND ACCESS TO CITY WATER SPARROW IS PROMISING. THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES TWENTY FOUR SEVEN MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICES. WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE NEXT TO IT? I URGE YOU TO PUT THE WELFARE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST, REGARDLESS OF THE PROMISES PROVIDED IN THIS DEVELOPER'S PROPOSALS. ONCE THE REZONING IS GRANTED, THE PARCELS ARE FAIR GAME. WHAT IF SPARROW DECIDES TO CLOSE IT DOWN IN A FEW YEARS? WHO KNOWS WHAT THE BUILDING WILL BE USED FOR? THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN PLAYING IN THEIR BACKYARDS, WALKING TO CATCH THE SCHOOL BUS. THINK OF THE DISRUPTION THIS FACILITY WILL CAUSE TO THE RESIDENTS AND THEIR QUIET AND SAFE LIVES. THEY DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE, CARED FOR AND APPRECIATED BY ALL OF YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. INSTEAD OF REDUCING KANSAS STREET BY TWO RESIDENTIAL PARCELS, PLEASE KEEP THE CURRENT ZONING DESIGNATION TO SUPPORT BUILDING ADDITIONAL HOUSING, MORE TAXPAYERS DEVELOPING THE AREA INTO A MORE ATTRACTIVE AND DESIRED NEIGHBORHOOD. SORRY, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. [INAUDIBLE] FOLLOWED BY A ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS JOHN [INAUDIBLE]. YES, JOHN [INAUDIBLE], I'M DR. [INAUDIBLE] HUSBAND. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION, AND I KNOW PERHAPS SOMETIMES THAT'S GOOD, SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT GOOD. I THINK YOU FOLKS UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT JUST OUR CONCERNS. IT'S THE CONCERNS OF MANY OTHERS IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC, IN TERMS OF CONGESTION, IN TERMS OF SAFETY, IN TERMS OF QUIETUDE, PERHAPS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. AND SO WHY IS SPARROW, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING IS JUST LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. [00:55:02] YOU KNOW, RIGHT FROM THE START, WE WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WAS TRUE. IT WAS SAID PROFESSIONAL OFFICE BUILDING, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS FREESTANDING EMERGENCY ROOM. AND SO THE FAITH AND THE TRUST, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED FROM THE OUTSET WAS BLOCKED AND DISTURBED BY THE WAY SPARROW BEGAN. WHY DOES SPARROW WANT TO DO THIS PROJECT? WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH FREE STANDING EMERGENCY ROOMS THAT ARE RATIONAL, THAT MAKES SENSE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AGREE WITH, WHERE THERE ISN'T SO MUCH CONSTERNATION AND DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHERE IT SHOULD BE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND THAT SORT OF THING SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOT A LARGE CORPORATE ENTITY, FORCING THEMSELVES UPON A PARTICULAR PLOT OF LAND. LIKE WHERE IS THE GORILLA GOING TO SIT ON THE BUS? WHEREVER IT WANTS TO. SPARROW WANTS THE FAVORABLE PAYER MIX OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PEOPLE, WHICH IS REASONABLE. THEY'LL MAKE MORE MONEY PER PATIENT. SECONDLY, SPARROW WANTS TO BLOCK THE NATIONAL THE NATURAL MOVEMENT OF PATIENTS TO THE NEW FACILITY MCLAREN IS MAKING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL EIGHT MINUTES AWAY FROM KANSAS ROAD, WHERE THIS FACILITY IS BEING PLANNED, ONLY EIGHT MINUTES. AS A PHYSICIAN, IF I FEEL THAT I HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESS, I WOULD RATHER GO TO A HOSPITAL-BASED EMERGENCY ROOM. IF I HAVE CHEST PAIN AND A HEART ATTACK, I WANT TO HAVE A CARDIOLOGIST SEE ME AND SET UP AN EMERGENCY CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION, IF IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS REQUIRED OR IF I HAVE AN ABDOMINAL PROBLEM, I DON'T WANT TO BE TOLD TO SEE MY PHYSICIAN THE NEXT DAY. I WANT TO BE SEEN BY THE GENERAL SURGEON OR I WANT TO BE SEEN BY THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE L TABRIZI. HI, WE'RE CURRENTLY LIVING AT 3566 KANSAS ROAD. MY NAME'S L. TABRIZI AND I LIVE WITH MY FIANCé ALEX AND WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE MY PARENTS PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY AS AN INVESTMENT AND WE WERE KIND OF DRAWN TO IT BECAUSE OF, OF COURSE, LIVING IN OKEMOS, WE LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT IT GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THAT KIND OF URBAN CITY LIFE, BUT ALSO WE HAVE LAND IT'S LIKE PRIVATE. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE DRAWN TO IT. SO I FEEL AS THOUGH BUILDING AN EMERGENCY BUILDING OR STRUCTURE RIGHT NEXT TO US, IT'S JUST NOT, I DON'T THINK CONDUCIVE. I MEAN, IF WE PLANNED OUT LIKE A FAMILY, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT COULD BE LIKE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR A CHILD TO, LIKE MY MOM HAD SAID, WALK TO THE STREET TO CATCH THE BUS OR TO BE PLAYING OUT BACK. I KNOW THAT THEY HAD MENTIONED THE BUFFER, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT'S I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER WAYS THAT THEY COULD PLAN THIS OUT OR THERE COULD BE OTHER MORE CONDUCIVE THINGS TO BUILD THERE INSTEAD OF AN EMERGENCY BUILDING, PERHAPS BUILDING OTHER HOMES OR FURTHER DEVELOPING THIS AREA, BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT YOUNGER FAMILIES WILL PROBABLY WANT TO LIVE HERE. AND I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE SO INCLINED TO LIVE NEXT TO THE BUILDING. BUT WE HOPE THAT YOU REALLY TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. I KNOW IT'S WHAT BENEFITS THE GREATER COMMUNITY, BUT I FEEL THAT THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS. THANK YOU. BY THE WAY, YOU LEFT OUT YOUR ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING. OH 3566 KANSAS ROAD. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER. WE DO, NEXT WILL BE THE ZOOM CALLER IDENTIFIED AS AUBREY HOLMES. GO AHEAD, AUBREY. YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE, WHOEVER THEY ARE. MR OR MS. HOLMES? CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE, WHILE THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE--I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO PETER LUPA. AND I JUST MENTIONED THAT HOLMES WAS MUTED, SO THEY COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO [01:00:03] THAT. GO AHEAD, PETER LUPA. YES, GOOD AFTERNOON. SO, I'M FROM 3575 KANSAS ROAD. SO DIRECTLY, BASICALLY ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT. I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL INITIALLY ABOUT THE PROJECT AND WANTED TO SEE DETAILS. I'VE SEEN THAT INVESTOR, SPARROW, DID TAKE THE INPUT OF AT LEAST I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, THE WATER, I THINK THAT IT IS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ALREADY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SIX YEARS. MY INGHAM COUNTY WATER TEST RESULTS FAILED TWICE. AND I'VE BEEN FORCED TO INSTALL REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM FOR FILTRATION, WHICH ISN'T REALLY THE BEST LONG TERM SOLUTION FOR THE WELFARE OF PEOPLE ON KANSAS ROAD. SHORT TERM, YES, BUT LONG TERM, NO. I WAS REALLY KIND OF PROS AND CONS, SAFETY. I FEEL LIKE THE CURRENT SITUATION, MIDWEST, I LOVE THE BUSINESS, BUT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT DIRECTLY STORED OUTSIDE OFTEN IN HIGH PILES RIGHT ON THE ROAD. YOU KNOW, CHILDREN WALK TO SCHOOL. I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT AND A NEW HOSPITAL WITH, YOU KNOW, MEETING CODE REQUIREMENTS. AND IT MAY BE IT MAY BE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT, IN MY OPINION. LASTLY, I THINK WHAT ALSO SOLD ME WAS REMOVING THE ACCESS TO KANSAS ROAD. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE A LOT OF CARS WHEN YOU WALK INTO JOLLY ROAD COMING AND GOING ONTO THE INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS. AND IF ANY BUSINESS, A NEW BUSINESS STAYS ENTIRELY OFF KANSAS ROAD, I THINK IN THE LONG TERM IT WILL MAKE THE KANSAS ACTUALLY MORE RESIDENTIAL ROAD, SAFER ROAD. LASTLY, I LOVE LANDSCAPING AND I FEEL LIKE 70 FEET OF BUFFER, THERE IS ZERO LANDSCAPING RIGHT NOW BY A MIDWEST. THERE IS ZERO LANDSCAPING ON THE EMPTY HOMES. IF THE LANDSCAPING IS PROVIDED TO THE NORTH OR TO THE WEST, I THINK IT MAY BEAUTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD. LASTLY, I THINK WITH THE BETTER [INAUDIBLE] APPEARANCE, WITH THE MUNICIPAL SAFE WATER, THERE IS PLENTY OF LAND TO THE NORTH AND THERE MAY BE MORE--YOUR TIME IS UP AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE A CALLER. MA'AM, YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. GOOD EVENING. THIS AUBREY HOLMES AT 34 BROAD ST, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, 29401. I AM WITH MS. HACKETT, WE ARE WITH OKEMOS ILAL INVESTORS, LLC HAS AN APPLICATION BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT TO RETURN TO PARCELS FROM C-2 COMMERCIAL TO RA SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY FOR SENIOR HOUSING. I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND OUR TEAM. I'M THE SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH MS. HACKETT. ON THE PHONE IS LYNN BISHOP, THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION, MICHELLE [INAUDIBLE] DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AND THE CIVIL ENGINEER, JULIA IS ALSO ON THE LINE. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS LATER ON, OUR ITEM NUMBER IS 13A FOR THE REZONING. THANK YOU. AND AS YOU INDICATED, IF YOU'D STAY AROUND, SOME BOARD MEMBERS MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU AT THAT TIME. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE THE HOMES TO CALL HER BACK OR NOT? THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE HOME'S CALLER RIGHT THERE, I BELIEVE, SIR. OK. I WANT TO SEE IF I CAN. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE ANY MORE TIME. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER CALLERS, MR. GEBES? WE HAVE BRENT ELTON ADDRESSED AS A ZOOM CALL. [01:05:02] BRENT, YOU'RE ON MUTE. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES. ROBBINS WAY. I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE PROPOSAL OF PUTTING A [INAUDIBLE] BUILDING AT THE END OF KANSAS ROAD NEAR JOLLY. AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THIS SPECIFIC PROPOSAL. HEARD ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL ACTUALLY OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. SOMEBODY LEFT SOMETHING ON MY DOOR. I AM ACTUALLY AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN AND I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. WORKING IN THE ERS IN LANSING, BOTH MCLAREN AND SPARROW AS WELL AS OTHER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ARE SMALLER IN THE LOCAL AREA. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WORKING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO WORK. THE REASON FOR THAT IS WHEN YOU HAVE 24/7 ACCESS TO CARE AND YOU ARE BOUND BY EMTALA, WHICH IS THE FEDERAL LAW, WHICH TAKES EVERY TREATMENT, EVERY PATIENT MUST HAVE A MEDICAL SCREENING EXAMINATION. IT DOES POSE A DANGER, AS THERE MAY BE AND FREQUENTLY ARE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS WHICH MAY COME INTO THAT FACILITY. MANY SMALLER FACILITIES, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS INCLUDED, TWO OF WHICH THAT I RECENTLY WORKED AT, DO NOT HAVE SECURITY AVAILABLE. IT SIMPLY COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY. PLACES LIKE SPARROW AND THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MCLAREN OBVIOUSLY ARE GOING TO HAVE SECURITY AVAILABLE. SHOULD ONE OF THOSE PATIENTS ESCAPE, WHICH WHEN SECURITY IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEY DO AND THEY DO FREQUENTLY THERE. THEIR OPTION ARE GO OUT ON TO JOLLY ROAD WHERE THERE'S PLENTY OF TRAFFIC, OR TO COME DOWN KANSAS ROAD AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN ISSUE. I HAVE NO PROBLEM OFFICE, UROLOGY CLINIC, WHAT HAVE YOU. AND SEE THEDANGER TO OTHERS LIVING IN THAT AREA. THANK YOU. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE DOES HAVE ANY OF WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. GEBES? MR. FELTON WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A CALLER. MA'AM, GO AHEAD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. HI. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME JUST NOD. YES. OK, THIS IS JOELLE ACKERMAN, 3521 INDIANA ROAD. I AM OPPOSED TO AN E.R. AND ANYTHING ELSE NORTH OF THE CURRENT BUSINESS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANTED OR THEY WOULDN'T LIVE HERE. AND OFTEN WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN THE E.R. OR WHATEVER, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE WANDERING AROUND OUTSIDE. SO I AGREE WITH SAFETY ISSUES AND I'M NOT SURE WHY EVERYBODY ON THE RECOMMENDING COMMITTEE OPPOSED IT, WHY WE'RE EVEN CONSIDERING IT AT THIS TIME. BUT THE SAFETY ISSUE OF PEOPLE WANDERING AROUND AND THEY'RE GOING TO TURN DOWN KANSAS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO MISS THE FIRST ENTRANCE TO GO IN THERE. SO I AM HIGHLY OPPOSED. THE LIGHT POLLUTION, THE NOISE POLLUTION, EVERYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU. MS. ACKERMAN WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE ZOOM CALLER STEVE FREEMEYER. THERE YOU GO. YES, HI, MY NAME IS STEVE FREEMEYER. I LIVE AT 3622 KANSAS ROAD AND I HAVE FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS. I AM OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPARROW PROJECT. THIS GOES WAY BEYOND PROFESSIONAL OFFICE. WE'RE TALKING 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR. WE GET NO BREAK. YOUR P.O. IS GOING TO BE NINE TO FIVE WEEKENDS OFF. WE DON'T GET A BREAK. I HAPPEN TO HAVE TO GO TO THE E.R. ON SATURDAY NIGHT, AND I HAD TO WAIT FOR THREE HOURS. AND I WATCHED PEOPLE GET RELEASED FROM THE E.R. AND THEY'RE SLEEPING IN CHAIRS. THEY'RE DRUNK. THEY WERE HANDCUFFED. AND THEN THE HOSPITAL SECURITY COMES OUT, SAYS, YOU CAN'T STAY HERE AND THEY BOOT THEM OUT THE DOOR. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? SO IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. [01:10:02] WE HAVE THIS NUISANCE AT THE END OF THE ROAD, WHICH IS GOING TO CREATE TRAFFIC, NOISE, YOU NAME IT. AND IT'S GOING TO DRAW RIFF-RAFF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT'S WARM TO STAY OR GET DISCHARGED AND HAVE NO PLACE TO GO. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER LOCATIONS, NAMELY, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS AN EMPTY MEDICAL FACILITY THAT IS TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND SQUARE FEET. SPARROW WANTS TO BUILD A 30 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY. WHAT'S THREE THOUSAND FEET? SPARROW OWNS THE PROPERTY OF 4440 HAGEDORN ROAD. IT'S A LARGE, EMPTY BUILDING. IT'S THREE MILES AWAY FROM THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION AT KANSAS AND JOLLY. SPARROW IS IN BED WITH MSU. THERE'S A LARGE CORNFIELD AT THE CORNER OF HAGEDORN AND JOLLY, I'M SURE MSU WOULD LOVE TO DONATE THAT LAND TO SPARROW SO THEY CAN BUILD A GREAT BIG, HUGE MEGA COMPLEX IF THEY CHOOSE. MCLAREN IS ONLY EIGHT MILES AWAY. AS ALREADY MENTIONED. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HEARD AT THAT MEETING AT MIDWEST POWER EQUIPMENT. BUT THERE'S THERE'S 300 FOOT OF FOOTAGE. IS IS THE ROAD COMMISSION GOING TO ALLOW ANOTHER CURB CUT? I DON'T THINK THEY ARE. NOT IN THAT AMOUNT OF DISTANCE, SO THE ALTERNATIVE IS GOING TO BE COME IN ON KANSAS ROAD. I WENT THROUGH IT WITH THIS BOARD, A LOT OF YOU LOOK FAMILIAR. I KNOW, RON, YOU WERE THERE, MS. JACKSON, YOU WERE THERE WITH THE EVOLUTION PROJECT. AND THE DEVELOPERS COME IN AND THEY MAKE THESE GRAND PROMISES AND GESTURES. AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK WITH THE EVOLUTION PROJECT. TIME IS UP, SIR. WE WE WERE PROMISED A GROCERY STORE AND WE WERE PROMISED AT A COMMUNITY CENTER. AND, YOU KNOW, AS THE BOARD, THOSE THINGS ARE NOT THERE TODAY. THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP, SIR, SORRY. AW, DANG. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A CALLER ON THE LINE. MA'AM, GO AHEAD, YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND THEN YOU'RE ON WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI, MY NAME IS SHARON MORRISET AND I LIVE AT 3531 INDIANA ROAD. I'VE CALLED BEFORE. I'M VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THIS REZONING. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 40 YEARS. WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT WE HAVE BEEN HERE TOGETHER WITH FOR 40 YEARS. WE'VE RAISED OUR CHILDREN HERE. WE ARE BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HELP RAISE OUR GRANDCHILDREN, BABYSIT THEM AND SUCH. IT'S QUIET. WE FELT LIKE WE WERE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND BUT YET WE WERE ACCESSIBLE, TO THINGS THROUGH THE YEARS. OF COURSE, STUFF CHANGES. THAT'S GOOD. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO GROW, CHANGE AND PROSPER. JOLLY ROAD HAS GOT NOTHING BUT [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M SURE YOU CAN HEAR THE ROAD IN THE BACKGROUND. OUR DAUGHTER HAS HER CAR TOTALED COMING HOME FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL, TRYING TO TURN LEFT ON TO INDIANA ROAD. NOW, OF COURSE, THEY'VE CHANGED THE ROAD FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE I'VE LIVED HERE, JOLLY. SO THAT'S MY CONCERN IS KEEPING THE RURAL FEEL THAT WE'VE HAD HERE. PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS WAS THERE WERE HOUSES DOWN THESE ROADS. I TALK ABOUT THE LIGHT POLLUTION AND I LISTEN TO THE MEETING AFTERWARDS AND THEY TALK ABOUT HOW MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS REALLY GOOD RULES FOR THE LIGHT. AND I RESPECT THAT. BUT WHERE THERE ARE NO LIGHTS, THERE IS NO LIGHT POLLUTION. NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF LIGHTS YOU PUT UP, THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE LIGHT. SO THAT SECONDLY, THE SAFETY BEING ABLE TO WALK UP AND DOWN KANSAS ROAD HAS BEEN A JOY OF OUR LIFE, BEING ABLE TO WALK IN A RURAL AREA. SO, YES, I'M VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO MORE BLACKTOP, MORE BUILDING. SPARROW CAN FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO PUT THEIR BUILDING. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST SPARROW. I JUST THINK THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS A LOT OF EMPTY SPACE THAT ISN'T BEING USED IF THE BUILDINGS NOT RIGHT, TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD A NEW ONE. BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO COME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IF YOU TOOK AN AERIAL VIEW OF THIS AREA. WE ARE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT NOW WE HAVE MORE HOUSES AROUND US. [01:15:03] IT'S LOVELY. SO PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND THAT ARE COMING AND THAT WANT TO GROW THEIR FAMILIES HERE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. WE HAVE IT LOOKS LIKE JOELLE ACKERMAN WHO MAY HAVE PHONED IN AS WELL. I'M GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO TALK, BUT IF YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON WHO WAS SPEAKING BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT, IS USUALLY ONLY ALLOWED ONE TIME IN YOU'RE CURRENTLY MUTED IF YOU WANT TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF. AND THEN I'VE GOT ANOTHER CALL I'M GOING TO GRAB. WELL. JOELLE ACKERMAN IS HAVE YOU SPOKEN ALREADY? YOU'RE ON MUTE. SORRY, I ALREADY SPOKE THROUGH THE PHONE . GO AHEAD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND THEN YOU'RE ON THE AIR WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. HI, MY NAME IS ALEX. I LIVE ON KANSAS ROAD, 3566. AND I PERSONALLY OPPOSE THIS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BECAUSE OF ALL THE SAFETY ISSUES AS BAD FROM INDIANA, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER STREET THAT JUST CALLED IN AND MENTIONED. LIGHT POLLUTION, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THING. BUT I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY BECAUSE MY FIANCEE AND I ARE, WE JUST MOVED HERE AND WE'RE PLANNING TO GROW A FAMILY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE LOVE THIS COMMUNITY, THAT WE LOVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE NICE ENVIRONMENT AROUND HERE, THEIR SCHOOL. AND MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE FOR THE DEVELOPER THAT, YOU KNOW, WHO IS GOING TO BE LIABLE? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE DID ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE, MENTALLY ILL OR WHATEVER, COME TO THE HOSPITAL. AND LIKE BRAD SAID, THAT IF THEY GET OUT THERE, TOO, THEY HAVE ONE OR TWO OPTIONS. THEY CAN COME TO KANSAS STREET OR THEY CAN GO ON JOLLY. AND MY SECOND QUESTION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT MOVING ON, WOULD BE THAT WOULD YOU AGREE IF YOU HAD AN EMERGENCY ROOM BUILT RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE? AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT, I ENCOURAGE THEM TO THINK ABOUT IT AND PUT YOURSELF IN OUR SHOES AND SEE IF YOU WOULD STILL AGREE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO OTHER CALLERS AND NO OTHER RAISED HANDS AT THIS TIME, SIR. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THEN WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON OUR AGENDA. AND NEXT TO THAT MATTER IS THE MANAGER'S REPORT MR. ROSS? [6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT] THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR. I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A LONG AGENDA AHEAD OF YOU, SO I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO WELCOME ON DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TIM SCHMIDT ABOARD. THIS IS HIS FIRST MEETING AS OUR NEW DIRECTOR. AND I WANT TO WELCOME HIM. THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY. IT'S BEGINNING IN TACOMA HILLS THIS WEEK. I WANT TO THANK THE SUPERVISOR FOR HIS WORK WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY. WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK ON A PROJECT THAT'S BEGINNING IN THE BRIARWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL IS GOING WELL. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO RESPONDED ABOUT THE SURVEY. IT'LL BE ON FOR JUNE 15TH FOR MORE DISCUSSION. I WANT TO THANK THE CLERK GUTHRIE FOR HER MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE THAT WAS THAT SHE ORCHESTRATED AND PUT ON WITH OUR TEAM YESTERDAY. AND THE TOWNSHIP IS BACK TO FULL OPERATIONS AND FULL SERVICE. WE'RE OPEN AND EVERYONE'S BACK TO WORK. THERE'S NO MORE WORK FROM HOME PROGRAM EFFECTIVE TODAY. THE EDC MEETS ON THURSDAY MORNING AT 7:30. AND IT WAS VERY INSPIRING FOR ME TO BE A SMALL PART OF THIS TOWNSHIP TO SEE LIEUTENANT CRAIG INTRODUCE FOUR NEW OFFICERS WITH 75 PERCENT OF THEM BEING FEMALE. THAT'S A REALLY COOL PLACE TO BE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. BUT I'LL BE BRIEF, THIS EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MANAGER BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OH, YES, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? AND I DO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LONG MEETING, BUT IT JUST AND IT DAWNED ON ME TONIGHT THAT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON ONE INQUIRY THAT WE DID GET ANDREW WALSH AND PROBABLY DEPUTY MANAGER HARRY ON THIS ONE. THE SKYLINE HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD HAD WRITTEN US A WHILE BACK ABOUT SAFETY [01:20:03] CONCERNS ON THE STREET WITH THAT BEING IN THE 2021 ROAD PLAN. I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO FAR. WHAT WAS THE SPECIFIC CONCERN REGARDING SAFETY? THEY HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING AND IT WAS REGARDING SPEED, I KNOW IT WAS ASSIGNED TO CHIEF PLAGA AND HE'S NOT WITH US THIS EVENING. SO THOSE CONCERNS, THERE MAY NOT BE A REPORT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO FLAG IT BECAUSE I DID HAPPEN TO FIND IT. AND IT CROSSED MY RADAR AGAIN THIS EVENING WHEN I WAS SEARCHING FOR DIFFERENT INFORMATION IN MY E-MAIL. YEAH, YEAH. THE E-MAIL CAME. I BELIEVE THE EMAIL CAME FROM MIKE THOMPSON. JEFF THOMPSON? CORRECT? YEAH. YEAH. AND THAT WAS THAT'S BEEN PASSED ON TO ACTUALLY TO COUNTY AND THE COUNTY ROAD DIRECTOR. MR. CONKLIN IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH MR. THOMPSON ABOUT WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE ON SKYLIGHT. OK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE MANAGER BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OK, AND WE WILL GO ON TO BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS [7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS] FROM BOARD MEMBERS. AND ANY REPORTS TO MAKE TODAY? TREASURER? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. MAKING MY USUAL REPORT OF TREASURER ACTIVITIES, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO MAKE A MORE PERSONAL COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STAFF AND BOARD AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL TO ME AND MY FAMILY THESE PAST FEW WEEKS FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER, MARIANNE. YOU'VE ALL BEEN, HELPED US SO VERY MUCH. IN PARTICULAR, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MERIDIAN CARES FUND IN HER NAME TO HELP PREVENT HOMELESSNESS TO 830 PEOPLE HAVE DONATED TO THAT FUND AND DOLLAR REPORTS OVER ELEVEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS FUND. AND IT'S A GREAT TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF MY DAUGHTER. THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. OK, THANK YOU, MR. TREASURER. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES OR ANNOUNCEMENTS? TRUSTEE WISINSKI? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. I WILL TRY TO BE PUT MYSELF, I'VE BEEN MISSING FOR A LITTLE BIT, SO I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO REPORT SPECIFICALLY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. WE MEET TOMORROW AT 7:00 P.M. WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE ON OUR GREEN GRANTS, THE MONTESSORI RADMOOR GREEN HOUSE RENOVATION IS ALMOST COMPLETE AND THE CHILDREN ACTUALLY HAVE PLANTING UNDERWAY. THEY HAVE PLANTED INSIDE THE GREEN HOUSE A PET SNACKS BED THAT'S FULL OF ASSORTMENTS OF KALES AND CHARDS AND LETTUCES FOR THEIR CLASSROOM PETS. THEY WILL BE NEXT WORKING ON PLANTING FLOWERS IN BEDS AND THE REST OF THE VEGETABLES. THIS IS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THERE'S A GROUP OF GIRLS WHO INSTALLED THE WATER LINE SYSTEM AND ARE WORKING OUT THE KINKS WITH THE NEW PARTS AND TUBING. HALF THE BEDS HAVE WATER. THE OTHER ONES ARE WORKING TO BE COMPLETED. DIRECTOR AT RADMOOR HAS STATED THAT THIS PROJECT'S BEEN A GREAT TO WORK WITH UPPER ELEMENTARY CHILDREN BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INGENUITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING. THE GIRLS HAD TO MEASURE THE AREA, WORK WITH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONNECTORS AND CREATE [INAUDIBLE] FLOW FOR THE PLANTING AREA. SO ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE FOR HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL. I'LL HAVE ONE FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. AS FAR AS THE TREE TEAM VOLUNTEERS AND THE GREEN TEAM HAVE HELPED DISTRIBUTE NEARLY MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED TREES JUST IN MAY AT THE FARMER'S MARKET. IN ADDITION, THE GREEN TEAM ALSO RECYCLED ONE HUNDRED BIKES ON MAY 22ND WITH HELP FROM A MSU BIKE SHARE BIKE AND VOLUNTEERS. DURING THAT TIME, THEY ALSO DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION ON POLLUTION PREVENTION, RECYCLING AND ECO FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING. THEY'VE BEEN DOING A LOT, THEY'VE BEEN DOING WEEDING AND MULCHING AT THE HIDDEN RIVER RAIN GARDEN, THEY'LL CONTINUE AGAIN THIS FRIDAY AT NOON FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THEY INDICATED THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF NATIVE POLLINATOR PLANTS POPPING UP ALL OVER. THE THIS WAS INTERESTING, THE GREEN NEIGHBORS NETWORK CONTINUES TO GROW WITH MORE THAN 50 SUBSCRIBERS REPRESENTING OVER TWO DOZEN NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THAT'S FANTASTIC. LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING THERE. WE HAVE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING TOMORROW MORNING AND A LETTER OF SUPPORT WAS SUBMITTED TO SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SHIRKEY AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE WENTWORTH TO [01:25:04] APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE WATER USE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND MOST SPECIFICALLY, TO UPDATE THE MICHIGAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ABOUT ALL WE HAVE TO SAY THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. LAST CALL FOR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? YES, A VERY BRIEF AND QUICK REPORT THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION DID MEET LATE LAST MONTH. AND WE DID HAVE A SECOND OVERVIEW AND REVIEW AND DISCUSSION ON THE PATHWAY MASTER PLAN UPDATE. AND I BELIEVE DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY HAS MADE HIS ROUNDS THROUGH JUST ABOUT EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP TO SEEK OUT AND OBTAIN THEIR INPUT. AND THAT SHOULD BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD AS ONE OF OUR 2021 GOALS. PRETTY QUICKLY HERE. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE JACKSON? I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND ALSO. YES, I WOULD JUST REPORT THAT ON THE 25TH OF MAY, I ATTENDED THE MONTHLY BOARD MEETING FOR THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, AND AT THIS POINT I WOULD REPORT THAT THEY ARE THAT THIS GROUP IS GOING THROUGH A FEDERAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION. AND THUS THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC AND ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED AND INVOLVED WITH AND WORKING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION TO COMMENT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS IN THE AREA AND WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF WINNING A ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR GIFT CARD. AND SO IF YOU GO TO THE TRI COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION WEBSITE, YOU WILL FIND ACCESS TO THAT ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE AND BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS. OH, CLERK GUTHRIE? I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENT YESTERDAY, WE HAD BETWEEN ONE HUNDRED AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PARTICIPANTS. AND I ALSO WANT TO PARTICULARLY THANK THE MERIDIAN COMMUNITY BAND, THE FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN PROGRAM. PASTOR DAVE DAVIS, WHO PROVIDED THE BENEDICTION, TOM COOPER, WHO IS A RETIRED AIR FORCE CAPTAIN WHO GAVE AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION TO SCOUT TROOPS, WHO PRESENTED THE FLAGS, AND TERRY CARROLL AS WELL, WHO, AS YOU KNOW, AS OUR LOCAL BAGPIPER. AND SO I JUST WANT TO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ATTENDING THE EVENT AND PARTICIPATING AND THOSE WHO ORGANIZED IT, BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WASN'T ME WHO ORGANIZED IT. IT WAS ALL OF THE PEOPLE I MENTIONED AND THANKED WHO ORGANIZED THIS EVENT. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. WELL, I'M SURE YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS, AND WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORT. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OK, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OUT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, IS THERE A MOTION TO [8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] GO TO THE AGENDA? TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. TRUSTEE JACKSON? SUPPORT. OK. ANY MOTIONS TO AMEND ANYTHING? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE NEED A VOTE ON APPROVING THE AGENDA. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? HOLD ON REAL QUICK, DID CLERK GUTHRIE NOT WANT TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM THIS EVENING? OK, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE AN UPDATED AGENDA THAT INCLUDES THAT, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE PICKED IT UP EARLY ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT IT. YEAH, IT IS NOW 12G AND THAT'S A RESOLUTION CONCERNING PRIDE MONTH. YEAH. YOU KNOW. I'M SORRY, GO BACK TO THE ROLE, CLERK GUTHRIE. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? YES. TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES, TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES, CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES, YES. SUPERVISOR STYKA? YES, TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES. AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI? YES. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. NEXT IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA, THIS COMMUNICATIONS, THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 6TH [9. CONSENT AGENDA] VIRTUAL REGULAR MEETING AND THE BILLS. TREASURE DESCHAINE? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. IS THERE SUPPORT? SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON, YES, ANYONE NEED TO COMMENT ON THE MINUTES OR ANYTHING? NO. IF NOT WE NEED A VOTE. [01:30:02] TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES. SUPERVISOR STYKA? YES. GUTHRIE VOTES YES, TRUSTEE WISINSKI? YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? YES. AND TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES OH, SORRY, I DIDN'T WAIT FOR YOUR YES, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR I DIDN'T HEAR, I'M SORRY. MOTION CARROES 7-0. THE EYE WAS QUICKER THAN THE EAR THAT TIME. YES. OK, WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY. WE HAVE NO HEARINGS. WE NOW MOVE ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS. [12A. Appointment of Assessor] AND THE FIRST ONE IS THE APPOINTMENT ASSESSOR. I NEED A MOTION. TRUSTEE JACKSON? I MOVE. I MOVE TO SUPPORT THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION TO APPOINT ASHLEY JAY WINSTEAD AS TOWNSHIP ASSESSOR WITH THE STARTING DATE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE ADMINISTRATION. SUPPORT. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? S ANY COMMENTS, MS. JACKSON? NO, EXCEPT THAT I WOULD OFFER A WELCOME TO MS. WINSTEAD AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER IN THE TOWNSHIP IN HER CAPACITY AS ASSESSOR IN TRAINING, MAYBE. SHE'LL STILL BE THE ASSESSOR AND SHE'LL ALSO BE TRAINING FOR A HIGHER LEVEL. ANYONE ELSE? YES, TRUSTEE WISINSKI? JUST WANT TO ALSO WELCOME MS. WINSTEAD AND I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER WALSH, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A REALLY DIFFICULT BUT I GUESS TRIAL AND TRIBULATION, THE [INAUDIBLE] AND I APPRECIATE YOU GOING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND GIVING MISS WINSTEAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND TAKING THE EXTRA STEP. SO APPRECIATE THAT. TREASURER AND THEN WINSTEAD, THIS IS THE SECOND REALLY BIG POSITION THAT HE HAS FILLED HERE IN JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING TIM ON BOARD TO REPLACE THE LEGENDARY MARK KIESELBACH AND NOW ASHLEY THE ON BOARD TO REPLACE DAVE LEE. I DID NOTICE MS. WINSTEAD, THAT YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION AND YOU TAUGHT FOR A FEW YEARS. YOU'RE GOING TO FIT IN REALLY WELL HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BECAUSE EDUCATION IS JUST THE TOP PRIORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THAT'S WHY THEY MOVE HERE. DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT YOUR CAREER CHANGE, MOVING FROM EDUCATION TO TO ASSESSING? SO, YOU KNOW, I REALLY ENJOYED TEACHING AND IT WAS A GOOD FIT FOR A WHILE AND I WAS A MATH TEACHER FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I JUST KNEW AFTER ABOUT 10 YEARS THAT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS AND LESS ABOUT THE TEACHING AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS, AND THEN MY HEART JUST WASN'T IN IT. SO IT WAS TIME TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER CAREER. SO. MAY I ASK WHAT LEVEL OF MATH YOU TAUGHT? MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH. THERE'S ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE. I KNOW, YEAH. MS. GUTHRIE, YOU WERE NEXT, I BELIEVE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA. I WANT TO WELCOME, MS. WINSTEAD TO THE TEAM AND WISH YOU GOOD LUCK ON OBTAINING YOUR LEVEL FOR ASSESSOR. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A TITLE OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL IT, THE CERTIFICATION OR, YOU KNOW, WAY MORE THAN I DO. AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT. IT'S A CERTIFICATION. CERTIFICATION, SO I WANT TO WISH YOU GOOD LUCK ON THAT ONE. DAVE LEE SAID HE WAS RETIRING AND MY HEART WENT OUT TO MANAGER WALSH FOR TRYING TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND FIND SOMEONE AND I'VE ENJOYED MEETING YOU THROUGH ZOOM. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU IN PERSON AND GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? MR. WALSH, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD. I JUST WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR T. HOFFMAN AND MANAGER PERRY, WHO SERVED ON THE SEARCH COMMITTEE AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THE WAY WE FOUND ASHLEY WAS ACTUALLY MR. SCHMIDT SAID, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT ASSESSOR, I KNOW ONE AND HOW. SO, YOU OUGHT TO CALL ASHLEY. THAT'S HOW IT STARTED. AND THREE DAYS LATER, HERE WE ARE. SO I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HELP ON THIS. IT'S BEEN A GREAT RECRUITMENT AND WE FOUND A STAR AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. WELCOME, WELCOME. ALL RIGHT, WE NEED A VOTE. TRUSTEE JACKSON? [01:35:01] YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? YES. CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES. TRUSTEE WISINSKI? YES. AND SUPERVISOR STYKA? I VOTE YES. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. THANK YOU AND WELCOME ABOARD, HOPEFULLY THE TAX COMMISSIONER WILL ALLOW IT AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH ASHLEY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM THEN IS 12B, REZONING 21020 [12B. 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) -Introduction] , [INAUDIBLE] PROPERTIES, INC. REZONE OF APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF JOLLY ROAD AND THE EAST OF KANSAS ROAD FROM I OR INDUSTRIAL TO RAA SINGLE, MEDIUM DENSITY TO PO, PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE. THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION AND FOR A QUICK EXPLANATION. WHEN WE DO A ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGE YOU HAVE INTRODUCTION, WE GET IT BACK AGAIN FOR ACTION IF IT DOES BEST FOR ADOPTION. SO THERE'S MORE BITES AT THE APPLE, SO TO SPEAK. OK, WE NEED MOTION. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR INTRODUCTION REZONING NUMBER 21020 TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF JOLLY ROAD, EAST OF KANSAS ROAD FROM INDUSTRIAL TO AND RAA ONE FAMILY, MEDIUM DENSITY, RESIDENTIAL TO PO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE WITH CONDITIONS. IS THERE A SECOND? SUPPORT. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER YOU GET TO GO FIRST. SO I WOULD BRIEFLY JUST NOTE THAT IN OUR COVER MEMO FROM MR. SCHMIDT, WE DO HAVE REVISED CONDITIONS AND THEY ARE NOT HUGELY SIGNIFICANT. THEY PRETTY MUCH PERTAIN TO THE PREVIOUS ONES, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE SOLIDIFIED SOME OF THOSE CONDITIONS AND THEY'VE DONE FAR MORE CONCRETE AS TO WHERE THE SCREENING WILL GO AND WHERE THE LANDSCAPING WILL GO IN. AND IT REALLY HOLDS THEM IN ACCORD BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE PROPERTY ALONG KANSAS ROAD IS FULLY SCREENED AND SPECIFICALLY THE STANDARD THAT THEY'VE HELD THEMSELVES TO IS SCREENING IN ACCORDANCE OR ABOVE THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN OUR ORDINANCE, WHICH REQUIRES INTERLOCKING AND INTERLOCKING DOUBLE ROW OF CONIFERS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEY HAVE SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED THAT THAT NORTHERNMOST PARCEL. WILL BE PRESERVED AND USED FOR SCREENING AND STORMWATER DETENTION AND THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS USED FOR THE STORMWATER DETENTION FOR UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR THAT, I WILL JUST REITERATE FOR ME THE ABILITY TO DELIVER THE WATER MAINS DOWN KANSAS ROAD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE EXCEEDINGLY HIGH INFLATION WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL. WE HAVE HEARD FROM AT LEAST ONE RESIDENT ON KANSAS STREET ABOUT THEIR CONCERN FOR THEIR WELL AND THE WATER QUALITY TESTING THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE INGHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND WE DO KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST SOME SOURCE CONTAMINATION THERE FROM THE INDUSTRIAL USE. THE OTHER BIG KEY FACTOR, I THINK, FOR SOME, THERE WAS ONE RESIDENT WHO SPOKE EARLIER ASKING WHY WE WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL AT THIS JUNCTURE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION TO DENY AND I THINK WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED SINCE THAT TIME IS BASICALLY A COMPLETE REVAMPING OF THE SITE PLAN, CLOSING OFF THE CURRENT ACCESS POINT ON KANSAS STREET AND PUTTING IN THAT SCREENING TO BASICALLY INSULATE THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM WHATEVER THIS PROPERTY MAY BE ZONED OR WHATEVER COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS USE MAY OCCUR THERE, AND MAKING IT A TRUE RESIDENTIAL FRONTAGE ON THE WESTERN EDGE, AT LEAST APPEARANCE WISE. WHEREAS TODAY WE HAVE LITTLE TO NO SCREENING WHATSOEVER FOR THE RESIDENTS. AND THEY'RE OFTEN LOOKING DIRECTLY UPON THE STACKS OF VEHICLES AND OTHER MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT THAT MIGHT BE HOUSED THERE BEHIND MIDWEST CURRENTLY. AND OF COURSE, THOSE INGRESSES AND EGRESSES HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED FROM KANSAS TO JOLLY ROAD AND TOOK THROUGH THE OTHER COMMERCIAL AND LOCATED TO THE EAST ADJACENT TO THE [01:40:06] SITE. SO WITH THAT, THOSE ARE THE REASONS THAT HAS BROUGHT ME INTO SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT, THE CORE REASONS AND I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER FOR OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? YEAH OR NAY? SPEAK YOUR MIND, NOW'S THE TIME. TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT WITH THE CONDITIONS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT BRING ME TO THIS DECISION, ONE OF THEM IS THE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THIS TYPE OF HEALTH CARE, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE ARE LACKING THAT. IN REVIEWING THE CURRENT LAND USE MAP, THE MIX, IT IS PRETTY MUCH A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND PROFESSIONAL IN THAT INDUSTRIAL ZONING IS JUST REALLY OUT OF PLACE IN THE LONG TERM, BECOME VERY COLORFUL, ALTHOUGH ALREADY POSING SOME SAFETY HAZARDS AS WELL AS I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE WATER QUALITY OR WATER CONTAMINATION CAME FROM, BUT I WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD BE FROM AN INDUSTRIAL USE OF SOME SORT. THE SECOND HALF. YEAH. OK. OH, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I'M REALLY I AM IMPRESSED ALSO WITH SPARROW'S IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR CONDITIONS IN THERE. I BELIEVE THEIR TRUE CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEIGHBORS. I KNOW INITIALLY THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF TRANSPARENCY, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATIONS AND I'M HOPING AND WILL ENCOURAGE SPARROW TO HAVE ONGOING DIALOG WITH THE NEIGHBORS. I THINK, AGAIN, ADDING THOSE SIGNIFICANT VEGETATION BUFFERS TO THE NORTH AND WEST SIDE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SAID, THERE IS NO BUFFER RIGHT NOW. REDUCING THE ACCESS ON TO KANSAS REALLY DOES GIVE THAT A NATURAL FEEL THAT I KNOW THAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE EXPRESSED WITH THE DIRT ROAD AND NOW YOU'LL BE YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE A ALL TREE BUFFER. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, ADDING WATER AND SEWERS TO THOSE HOMES ON KANSAS STREET IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEIR WATER QUALITY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING ABOUT THE CONTAMINATION. BUT ALSO JUST AN AMENITY TO THOSE FAMILIES ALTOGETHER, ONE THING THAT THE ONE CONDITION ALSO THAT WAS REALLY STANDS OUT IS THAT THEY WILL PURSUE A LEED CERTIFIED BUILDING. SO THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THAT IS WORK TO MAKE IT AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE NOISE POLLUTION AND OR LIGHT POLLUTION. THOSE ARE THINGS CONSIDERED WHEN GETTING CERTIFIED FOR LEED. SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS IN THEIR CONCERNS AND BRINGING THEM TO US. I DO FEEL THAT THE CONDITIONS GIVEN HAVE ADDRESSED MOST OF THOSE CONCERNS, AND I DO FEEL LIKE THIS WILL BE A REALLY GOOD PROJECT FOR OUR TOWNSHIP. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, FURTHER DISCUSSION? TREASURER? THANK YOU. INITIALLY, I DID NOT SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL, I TOOK THE VOTE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION SERIOUSLY, AS WE ALL DO. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WE LOOK TO THESE ARE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, THERE'S BEEN A COMPLETE REVAMPING OF THIS PROPOSAL. I AM REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE CLOSING OF A KANSAS ROAD, ACCESS TO THE NEW SITE. ALSO THE REALLY SIGNIFICANT CONCESSION TO ADD WATER SERVICE TO KANSAS ROAD. I, TOO, WAS UNAWARE THAT THERE WERE SOME WATER CONTAMINATION ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS. THE RESIDENT THAT INFORMED US THAT HE'S FAILED TO COUNTY WATER TESTS IS SIGNIFICANT. WE DO NEED MORE HEALTH CARE IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TOWNSHIP, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE AMBULANCE AVAILABLE SOUTH OF GRANDE RIVER. ALL THE REST OF OUR AMBULANCES ARE. ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT, I BELIEVE THIS IS GOING TO ADD TO THE HEALTH CARE OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND IN A QUICK FASHION TO CERTAIN HEALTH CARE EMERGENCIES, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP. I LIKE THE SCREENING THAT'S BEING PROVIDED AND SPECIFICS OF THE SCREENING, THE [01:45:01] DENSITY OF THE TREES. THE LEED CERTIFIED BUILDING IS ALSO VERY IMPRESSIVE. THAT'S THE GOLD STANDARD WE'VE ASKED MANY DEVELOPERS TO, MANY HAVE PROMISED US THAT THEY TRY FOR IT. I BELIEVE SPIRIT IS GOING TO DELIVER IN THIS CASE. SO THIS IS A NEW PROPOSAL, I BELIEVE, COMPARED TO WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SAW. I THOSE REASONS AND FOR THE MANY BENEFITS OF THIS PROPOSAL, I'M PREPARED TO SUPPORT IT. ONE OF OUR CALLERS DID SPEAK TO NOT JUST THE BENEFITS TO A SPECIFIC AREA, BUT TO THE BENEFITS OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE THIS HEALTH CARE FACILITY WILL BENEFIT THE GREATER MERIDIAN COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TOWNSHIP. FOR THOSE REASONS, I INTEND TO SUPPORT THIS REZONING. THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ? TRUSTEE JACKSON? I, TOO, AM PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE PROGRESS OF THIS APPLICATION PRIMARILY AS WELL AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, BASED ON THE CHANGES MADE FROM THE PLAN, THE DISTANCE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS GONE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AND THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS IN KANSAS ROAD AFTER THE OR SINCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION. AND SO I AM AT THIS TIME PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION TO FOR INTRODUCTION. THERE'S A COUPLE MORE TRUSTEES DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK UP? I'LL INDICATE THAT IT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY TOUGH CALL FOR ME. YOU KNOW, I DO APPRECIATE THE MORE RURAL ASPECTS OF OUR TOWNSHIP. WE'VE TRIED TO MAINTAIN THAT WHEREVER WE CAN AND INDIANA AND KANSAS ARE KIND OF LIKE THESE LITTLE POCKETS THERE THAT ARE WELL HIDDEN AWAY. YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY'RE THERE, UNLESS YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM, THAT THERE IS KIND OF COUNTRY ROADS THAT ARE VERY LONG AND NOT A LOT OF HOUSES, BUT AND LIKE LITTLE COUNTRY ROADS THERE. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT IS A VALUE IN ITSELF. AND THAT MADE IT HARDER FOR ME TO DECIDE THIS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE SAME PROPOSAL THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD. I ALSO LIKE TO LOOK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SHARE THEIR WISDOM. AND THIS IS NO LONGER IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAD. MANY WAYS IT'S RADICALLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD AS THIS APPLICANT HAS TRIED SO HARD TO TAKE AWAY ANY CONCERNS THAT THE NEIGHBORS MAY HAVE BY POSITIVE CHANGES. AND THOSE CHANGES ARE MANY HAVE BEEN MENTIONED BY OTHER TRUSTEES, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER AND OTHERS, AND THEY'RE VERY SIGNIFICANT. SO, YOU KNOW THAT TENDS TO LEAD ME TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF I'M SUPPORTING IT. AND THEN THERE'S THE WATER ISSUE. AND WHILE THERE MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM, ALL THESE WELLS WE HEARD ONE PERSON SAID THEY DID HAVE SOME ISSUES. YOU KNOW, AS A REGULATOR OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES IN THE STATE, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EVENTUALLY GET OVER TO PUBLIC WATER. IT'S GREAT WHERE NECESSARY TO HAVE YOUR OWN WELL, BUT OVER TIME THAT DOES PRESENT PROBLEMS. THE AQUIFERS CAN ONLY SUPPORT SO MANY WELLS FOR SO LONG, YOU END UP HAVING TO SPEND MONEY TO GO DEEPER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, OR HAVE TO PUT IN FILTRATION LIKE WE HEARD FROM ONE CITIZEN HERE TODAY. AND THE FACT THAT THIS APPLICANT IS WILLING TO ACTUALLY CONDITION THEIR APPROVAL AND PUTTING WATER DOWN THAT STREET IS TO BE A VERY, VERY BIG DEAL. EVEN IF PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO HOOK UP RIGHT NOW, IN THE LONG RUN, THAT'S GOING TO BE A REAL PLUS. SO THERE'S A LOT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THIS APPLICANT HAS DONE TO TRY TO TAKE AWAY CONCERNS. YOU KNOW, IF WE LEAVE, THIS IS INDUSTRIAL AT LEAST THE SOUTHERN PORTION, THE PART THAT PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY OBJECTING TO. BUT STILL, IT'S PART OF THE WHOLE PACKAGE. IF HE WAS INDUSTRIAL, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. OBVIOUSLY MIDWEST HAS GOT IN MIND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE SOMEWHERE OR THIS WOULDN'T EVEN BE IN FRONT OF US IF THAT'S THE CASE. AND THIS PARTICULAR APPLICANT AND IT JUST STAYS ZONED AS INDUSTRIAL AT THE SOUTH END THERE ON JOLLY, I COULD HAVE YOU A NOISIER, MESSIER, MORE DIFFICULT NEIGHBORHOOD THAN THE MIDWEST HAS BEEN. AND MIDWEST IS AN EXCELLENT CITIZEN OF OUR TOWNSHIP. THEY PROVIDE WONDERFUL SERVICES. I'VE USED THEM FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS, AND I THINK THEY'RE OUTSTANDING IN MANY WAYS, BUT THEY ARE A LESSER INDUSTRIAL USE. IT DOES HAVE SOME ISSUES THAT COME FORWARD, AS THE NEIGHBORS HAVE ACTUALLY TOLD US ABOUT [01:50:01] THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND I THINK THOSE PROBLEMS ARE IN SOME WAYS GOING TO BE IN THE LONG RUN, LOOKED AT AS HAVING BEEN WORSE THAN WHAT THEY IMAGINED THE PROBLEMS MIGHT BE. IF THIS BECOMES THIS OLD MEDICAL CENTER THAT WE LOOK AT HERE. SO WITH ALL OF THAT AND ALL THOSE STATS AT THIS POINT, I AM A YES VOTE FOR THIS REZONING WITH THOSE CONDITIONS. AND THOSE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN VERY WELL LAID OUT. TRUSTEE, OPSOMMER? YES, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, MR. SUPERVISOR, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE ONE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I HAD THAT OCCURRED TO ME BECAUSE I DID GO BACK AND REVIEW THE PLANNING COMMISSION MATERIALS. IF WE RECALL WHEN THIS WAS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE APPLICANT WAS ACTUALLY THEN MARTIN. SO SPARROW IS NOT THE APPLICANT AND THE APPLICATION FOR REZONING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT INCLUDE ANY SITE PLAN OR ANY CONFIGURATION. SO MUCH OF WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO OF WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED AND WHAT WILL IT MEAN. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED BECAUSE THAT ORIGINAL CONCEPT PLAN DID INCLUDE TO INGRESSES AND EGRESSES ON KANSAS ROAD. BUT I JUST WANTED TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD THIS BEFORE THEM, THE APPLICANT, THE TRUE APPLICANT WAS NOT KNOWN TO THEM. THE USE OF THE PROPERTY BEYOND IT BEING A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE REZONING REQUEST WAS NOT KNOWN TO THEM. AND THAT, OF COURSE, SITE PLANNING CONSTRAINTS. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT SITE PLAN CONSTRAINTS, AS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS PROPOSED. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACT SURROUNDING THIS APPLICATION AND WHAT'S COME FORWARD. BUT I WOULD REITERATE ELIMINATING THE INDUSTRIAL REZONING, AS YOU HAD STATED, IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR ME AND THEN THE ACCESS TO QUALITY AND RELIABLE PUBLIC WATER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD ONCE IN HERE, SIR. I JUST SORT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE BOARD, THAT LAST MEETING WHEN YOU DISCUSSED THIS, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR FIRE CHIEF HAMEL, WHO WAS NOT AVAILABLE THAT EVENING. HE IS ON THIS CALL TONIGHT IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR HIM. THANK YOU. DID ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I SEE TRUSTEE OPSOMMER YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I ASK THE QUESTION, SO I SUPPOSE I'LL JUST READ PARAPHRASE IT FOR CHIEF HAMEL. MY QUESTION, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO OR SO, CHIEF, WAS TO MANAGER WALSH, SINCE YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND WITH US THAT EVENING. AND I WAS MOSTLY JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND INPUT ON BOTH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT OF HAVING AN E.R. CENTRALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TOWNSHIP FOR OUR AMBULANCE ACCESS AND ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC WATER MAINS AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION TO THE NORTH AND KANSAS STREET. OR POSSIBLY EVEN ON ROBYN'S WAY, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD FACTOR. JASON, YOU STILL ON THERE, BUT I DON'T SEE YOUR PICTURE [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, I JUST SENT HIM A TEXT TO MAKE SURE I SEE THAT HE WAS AVAILABLE. I KNOW HE'S TRYING TO ATTEND HIS DAUGHTER'S SPORTING EVENT TO SEE BEING IN A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR A MATCH. SO HE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE HERE MOMENTARILY. I THINK IT WAS ONE YEAR AGO. OK. IN THE MEANTIME, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTION I KNOW THE APPLICANT IS HERE WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE. ARE THERE ANY OUTSTANDING ISSUES THAT YOU WANT TO ASK THE APPLICANT WHILE WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS? ANY FINAL QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? I WILL ASK THE APPLICANT, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL MATTERS THAT THEY NEED US TO KNOW ABOUT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THIS? THE CHIEF IS ALSO [INAUDIBLE] OK, I WILL GO BACK TO THE CHIEF FIRST. CHIEF, WE HAVE A QUESTION, TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU FROM MR. OPSOMMER. I'LL HAVE YEAH, GO AHEAD. SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO WORRIES, CHIEF AND GOOD LUCK AT THE GAME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. I JUST HAD TWO SIMPLE QUESTIONS. I WAS CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENTS OF BOTH [01:55:05] THE ACCESS FOR OUR AMBULANCES TO REACH THIS E.R. VERSUS OTHER REGIONAL E.R. SYSTEMS AND ALSO THE FIRE SUPPRESSION COMPONENT WITH EXTENDING THE WATER MAINS DOWN KANSAS ROAD FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION IN THE FUTURE IF WE SHOULD HAVE A FIRE. WELL, I'LL TACKLE YOUR SECOND QUESTION FIRST. SO HAVING AN 11 HYDRANTS ON ON THE STREET, THAT'S ALWAYS A BONUS. WHEN WE DON'T HAVE HYDRANTS, WE CALL FOR WHAT WE CALL TANKER TASK FORCE, WHICH IS FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTY COME WITH BIG TANKERS, TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED THREE THOUSAND GALLONS. WE DO WHAT WE CALL A TANKER SHUTTLE OFF. SO HYDRANTS DO MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR US DURING A FIRE SITUATION. SO THAT'S THAT'S A REALLY EASY WAY TO LOOK AT IT. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY A BONUS. IN REGARDS TO THE FREE-STANDING E.R. AND SAFETY, I DON'T SEE REALLY ANY SAFETY ISSUES. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SECURITY THERE. I DID LISTEN TO ONE OF THE CALLERS EARLIER THAT TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SPILLING OUT IN THE STREET AND SUCH, WHICH IS ALWAYS A CONCERN AT ANY FACILITY. SO IN REGARDS TO US BEING ABLE TO RESPOND THERE, THAT'S A PROTOCOL THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SET BY THE STATE AND BY OUR MEDICAL CONTROL FOR US TO RESPOND THERE. AND I CAN'T SAY IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A BENEFIT FOR US. WE WILL TAKE THERE. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY. AND I MEANT MORE THE RESPONSE TIMES AND GETTING FOLKS TO CRITICAL CARE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH ONLY HAVING ONE FIRE STATION WITH AMBULANCE SERVICE SOUTH OF GRANDE RIVER. OK, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PATIENTS WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THERE. SO TO TO ANSWER THAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY WE HAVE A FULL ARREST AND I KNOW OTHER FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY. IF YOU HAVE A CARDIAC ARREST, YOU CAN TAKE THEM TO SOME OF THEM, SOME YOU CAN'T. AND IF YOU GET A SPONTANEOUS RETURN OF A PULSE WHILE YOU'RE MANAGING A FULL ARREST, THERE'S MOST PLACES YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM TO. SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY ALLOW US TO TAKE THERE. NOW, BEING ABLE TO TAKE ANY PATIENT THERE. IT'S GOING TO KEEP OUR AMBULANCE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP INSTEAD OF DRIVING UP TO MCLAREN OR TO SPARROW. IT'S GOING TO KEEP OUR AMBULANCE IN OUR AREA, WHICH IS SAFER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IN REGARDS TO PATIENT CARE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THERE AND WHAT WE'RE NOT. SO IF THAT MAKES SENSE. UNDERSTOOD. APPRECIATE THAT. AND THANK YOU, CHIEF HAMEL. I WOULD ASK I SEE THE APPLICANTS AROUND HERE. THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE RAISED WITH REGARD TO SECURITY, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? YES, THANK YOU, TOM BRADS WITH SPARROW, I'LL MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN INVITE DR. KENT, WHO'S ON TONIGHT AS WELL. THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A FREE STANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, IS THAT A LOT OF THE PATIENTS THAT WOULD AND ARE TAKEN CARE OF AT OUR HOSPITAL FACILITIES ARE THAT NORMALLY ARE HOSPITAL FACILITIES. IT WON'T BE AT A FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. AND SO IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GET EMERGENCY CARE WITHOUT SOME OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER. I'LL LET DR. KENT AT THAT. I AM KAREN [INAUDIBLE], I DO LIVE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AT 6215, BRIDGEWATER, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. THE FREESTANDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE PATIENTS THAT HAD NEEDS FOR CHEST PAIN, STABILIZATION AND MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, MY HEART ATTACK, POTENTIAL STROKES AND WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE EXCELLENT TREATMENT THERE FOR THAT STABILIZATION AND AS WELL AS A BLOOD CLOT BUSTING DRUGS THAT TREAT THOSE CONDITIONS AND THEN WHEN STABLE, TRANSFERRED TO AN INPATIENT BED AT SPARROW. WE DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO EVALUATE AND TREAT EVERYONE THAT COMES TO US LIKE ANY OTHER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT THAT IS CALLED [INAUDIBLE]. AND THEN SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAVE PSYCHIATRY NEEDS, OF COURSE. SO IF SOMEONE'S 17 YEAR OLD IS SUICIDAL, IF SOMEONE'S OLDER RELATIVE GOT TOO MUCH BENADRYL OVER THE COUNTER ACCIDENTALLY AND IS LOOKING LIKE THEY HAVE PSYCHOSIS FROM THAT, THIS FACILITY WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THEM, BUT THEY WOULD BE MEDICALLY STABILIZED AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO ONE OF OUR PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS IF NEEDED, OR TO THE MEDICAL HOSPITAL IF NEEDED OR STABILIZED AND RELEASED HOME WITH LOVED ONES TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. [02:00:01] WE DO NOT TURN PEOPLE TO WANDER WHO ARE INCOMPETENT AND CAN'T CARE FOR THEMSELVES, NOT AT OUR DOWNTOWN FACILITY AND NOT IN ANY OTHER FACILITY EITHER. SO THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF SAFETY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER DISCUSSION? CLERK? I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR THEIR COMMENTS AND THEIR. ALONG THE WAY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, I DON'T THINK STERILE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE CHANGED, THAT THEY HAVE, REGARDLESS OF TREES, ACCESS, SAFETY, THE LIGHTING ISSUES, JUST A NUMBER OF ISSUES. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY APPRECIATE THE CHANGES FROM SPARROW AND. I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT. KANSAS ROAD OVER TIME, THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ON KANSAS ROAD OVER TIME AND MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I MEAN, STRAIGHT OFF JOLLY ROAD AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN THAT AREA AND CHANGE IS HARD. SO I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE. BUT I THINK THAT THIS CHANGE IN ZONING, I CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THAT. AND MANY OF THE COMMENTS THIS CHANGE IN ZONING IS A GOOD ONE FOR THIS AREA. AND I THINK THAT IT IS IT NEEDS THE AREA OF JOLLY ROAD AND ALL CHANGES THAT WE'VE SEEN ALONG WITH THAT FARM BECOMING A NEIGHBORHOOD YOU CREDIT UNION WITH ELEVATION APARTMENTS. THERE'S JUST BEEN A NUMBER OF CHANGES ALONG JOLLY ROAD. AND I THINK THAT THIS FITS IN THAT AREA. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I GUESS IT'S TIME FOR US TO VOTE. TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES, TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES. CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES. SUPERVISOR STYKA? YES. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER. [INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEE WISINSKI? YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH, YEAH, I SAID IT A LITTLE SLOWER JUST IN CASE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU TO YOUR COMMENTS. AND THANK YOU FOR THE APPLICANT FOR THEIR PRESENCE AND. THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION, WE WILL HAVE THIS AGAIN IN FRONT OF US. THANK YOU. WE MOVE ON TO. [INAUDIBLE] THE OKEMOS DRAIN, WHICH WE HAVE DISCUSSED, AND WE CAN START [12C. Okemos Drain] WITH THE MOTION [INAUDIBLE] MS. JACKSON? MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE RELINQUISHMENT OF THE OKEMOS DRAIN TO THE TOWNSHIP, PROVE THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP DRAIN AGREEMENT, APPROVED THE RESOLUTION TO FILE A DRAIN PETITION PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 819 OF THE MICHIGAN DRAIN CODE OF 1956 AS AMENDED AND APPROVED AND SUBMIT THE PETITION FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF DRAINAGE DISTRICTS AND FOR CLEANING OUT. RELOCATING, WIDENING, DEEPENING, STRAIGHTENING, TILING, EXTENDING, PROVIDING STRUCTURES, ADDING LAND NOT WITHIN THE EXISTING DRAINAGE DISTRICTS, ADDING BRANCHES AND RELIEF DRAINS, RELOCATING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, ADDING STRUCTURES AND MECHANICAL DEVICES THAT WILL PROPERLY PURIFY OR IMPROVE THE FLOW, ADDING PUMPING EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO ASSIST OR RELIEVE THE FLOW AND FURTHER CONSOLIDATION OF DRAINS. PURSUANT TO CHAPTERS EIGHT AND 19 OF THE MICHIGAN DRAIN CODE OF 1956 AS AMENDED AND PRESENTED. EXCELLENT JOB OF READING THAT [LAUGHTER]. THAT IS A STRUCTURE TO WORK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MR. PERRY, DO I EXPLAIN THIS TO US BEFORE WE GO FURTHER WITH OUR DISCUSSION? SIR, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME ON A DIFFERENT CAMERA HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH THE LAST ONE. SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME. [02:05:01] WE CAN HEAR YOU. YOU DON'T SOUND LIKE YOURSELF, BUT WE HEAR YOU. ALL RIGHT. AS I SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, THE BRANDENBERGER=MEIJER DRAIN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEING STUDIED IN PREPARATION FOR THE GRAND RIVER AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR. AND AS THE STUDY WAS BEING CONDUCTED, IT WAS VERY APPARENT THAT NEEDED TO REALLY ANALYZE THE OKEMOS DRAIN AS WELL AS PART OF THAT. ALL THESE DRAINS HAVE THEIR OWN OWN BODY'S OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS. AND IT JUST MAKES SENSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, REALLY TO CONSOLIDATE THESE PROGRAMS INTO ONE NEW OKEMOS, CONSOLIDATED DRAINS IN ORDER TO DO THAT. THAT WAS THE PURPOSE FOR THAT VERY LONG RESOLUTION TO ADDRESS ALL THAT. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS ALLOWS US THEN TO FILE PETITIONS WITH INGHAM COUNTY THINGS, COMMISSIONER, MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD. AGAIN. I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE, BUT I KNOW YOU AT THE PRESENTATION LAST MEETING TO DISCUSS THE DRAINS IN THIS AREA. SEVERAL. TRUSTEE OPSOMMER? SO, DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY, THE ONE QUESTION I HAD SINCE THE PRESENTATION AND REFLECTING ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD SEVERAL WEEKS AGO IS HOW WILL THE CONSOLIDATION IMPACT THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT FOR THE DRAINS? I ASSUME ESSENTIALLY ANY WORK ON THE DRAIN AT LARGE, ONCE CONSOLIDATED, WOULD BE SPREAD ACROSS THE NEW SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, REFLECTING THIS NEW DRAIN IN ITS ENTIRETY, CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THE NEW DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS, EVERYONE THAT'S WITHIN THE NEW DISTRICT AND THEIR ASSESSMENT. WE'RE CURRENTLY ACTUALLY THE OKEMAS SPRING IS A CAP OF 20, SO THAT IS THE LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT ARE THE ONES TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF THOSE COSTS. WHERE NOW, ONCE IT'S CONSOLIDATED, THEY WOULD BE UNDER DIFFERENT FACTORS AND THOSE ASSESSMENTS WOULD BE PASSED ALONG TO THE BACK OF PROPERTY OWNERS. AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT, AS IT OCCURS TO ME, IS LET'S SEE HERE. NEIGHBORHOOD, IS IT, BUT WE DO HAVE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS THERE, YOU KNOW, OFF OF MARSH ROAD BETWEEN HAMILTON AND BETWEEN MARSH AND GRANDE RIVER AND SOME RESIDENTIAL ON THE NORTH EAST SIDE WITH THE OKEMOS DRAIN, AND SO BY CONSOLIDATING THOSE FOR ANY WORK THAT OCCURS IN THE FUTURE AND THOSE DRAINS WOULD HELP SUBSIDIZE. BUT FOR ANY WORK LIKE ONE OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT DRAINS, THE COST WOULD BE VERY SMALL FOR THE RESIDENTS. SO IT IS HELPING TO SPREAD THAT COST OUT OR ANY ASSOCIATED DRAIN WORK OUT AND PRODUCE SMALLER SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THE RESIDENTS OVER TIME. CORRECT, THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT COURT HELD THIS HEARING THAT BURDEN AND AGAIN, ALL ASSESSMENTS ARE BASED ON BENEFIT DERIVED, SO AN IMPROVEMENT IS DONE. THAT IS, LET'S SAY, THREE OF THE FIVE PARCEL'S MAJORITY OF THOSE BENEFITING PARTICIPANTS IN THE ASSESSMENT. AND FINAL QUESTION IS, HAVE WE IDENTIFIED WHERE WE WOULD, AS WE LOOK TO DO THIS ASSOCIATED WORK ON GRAND RIVER AVENUE, WHICH WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF FILL BRINGING THAT ROAD GRADE UP . HAVE WE IDENTIFIED SORT OF GREATER DETAIL WHERE WE WOULD LOOK TO MAKE THOSE CUTS IN WETLANDS TO PROVIDE THAT OFFSETTING CUT? WE HAVE, THAT WOULD BE OCCURRING ACTUALLY ON THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION PROPERTY, THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED [INAUDIBLE] SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION PROPERTY THERE. SO, IT WORKED OUT WELL, [INAUDIBLE]. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE, I FEEL LIKE I'M [INAUDIBLE] EVERYONE. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WHAT? SHOUTING AT EVERYONE. WELL, YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT UNDERWATER, BUT IT'S ALRIGHT; WE' GOT YOU. ANYONE ELSE? TREASURER? THANK YOU, DEPUTY MANAGER, FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION AND MOVING FORWARD. WE DIDN'T HAVE FLOODING IN 2021. WE DIDN'T HAVE FLOODING IN 2020. NOT SURE ABOUT '19, BUT '18 OR SO. WE HAD THAT MASSIVE FLOOD THERE IN THE AFFECTED AREA. AND AT THE TIME WE ALL SAW OUR HANDS UP AND SAID NOT MUCH WE CAN DO BECAUSE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS HERE WITH DRAIN SIMPLY BEING OVERWHELMED BY THAT FAST MELT AND HEAVY RAIN. SO THIS IS A LONG TERM SOLUTION. IT'S NOT A CRISIS WE'RE RESPONDING TO BECAUSE OF RECENT FLOOD, BUT GOOD PLANNING ON OUR PART. SO, I'M GLAD WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD BECAUSE CONSOLIDATION MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, [02:10:01] MAY SAVE SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS SOME MONEY ON THEIR CURRENT DRAINAGE [INAUDIBLE]. BUT EVEN IF IT'S A NET [INAUDIBLE], IT'S GOOD PUBLIC POLICY TO BE DOING THIS. AND I'M GLAD TO SUPPORT THIS. AND I APPRECIATE THE STAFF FORESIGHT TO BRING THIS TO THE BOARD AT A QUIETER TIME TO GET IT DONE WHEN THINGS ARE DRY SO THAT NEXT TIME IT GETS REALLY WET, WE'RE READY FOR IT. SO THANK YOU. OK. FURTHER DISCUSSION? I WANT TO MENTION THAT OUR COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER OFTEN REMINDS US THAT DRAINS WERE ORIGINALLY CREATED IN A MUCH DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN WE HAVE TODAY. WE'RE MUCH MORE RURAL, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE. A LOT OF WHAT DEVELOPED LATER ON WAS NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO TRY TO MODERNIZE AND BRING THE DRAINS UP TO THE REALITIES OF TODAY AND THE POTENTIALITIES OF THE FUTURE. AND I THANK MR. PERRY, BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I BELIEVE WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. SO APPRECIATE THAT. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS THEN. SUPERVISOR STYKA, I BELIEVE TRUSTEE JACKSON HAS HER HAND RAISED. OH! SHE'S OVER THERE IN MY CORNER; THERE YOU ARE. SORRY ABOUT THAT, PATRICIA. I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I KNOW THAT THIS MOTION REPRESENTS A CONSOLIDATION OF ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE A CONSOLIDATION OF THE PROCESS AND MANY DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT HAVE TO BE INVOKED TO CONSOLIDATE THESE THREE DRAINS. AND FOR THAT REASON, ALL THAT DESCRIPTION, SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS ARE IN OUR PACKET AND REPRESENTING OUR PACKET AND THE DIFFERENT STEPS IN THE PROCESS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN THAT ONE MOTION. VERY WELL SAID. THIS IS THE LAST WE'RE SEEING THIS, ISN'T IT? [CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT. I GUESS NOW WE'RE READY FOR VOTING. AM I RIGHT? OK, GO AHEAD, CLERK. CALL] CARRIES, SEVEN ZERO. MORE WORK FOR MR. PERRY AND HIS STAFF AND OTHERS. ALL RIGHT, WE NOW GO ON TO ITEM 12D, NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY [12D. National Gun Violence Awareness Day Resolution] RESOLUTION. WE ADOPTED A SIMILAR RESOLUTION A YEAR AGO. THERE IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO MAKE THE FIRST FRIDAY IN JUNE, NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY. AND WE KIND OF SIGNED ON TO THIS LAST YEAR. AND IT'S PROPOSED THAT WE DO IT AGAIN. AND WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, LITTLE CHANGES HERE AND THERE, RESOLUTION THAT WE DID LAST YEAR. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? TREASURER, GO AHEAD. OH, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IT. IT'S THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY RESOLUTION. DO YOU MAKE THAT? I'M GETTING THERE. YOU GOT TO FLIP THROUGH ALL THOSE DRAINS BEFORE YOU GET TO IT. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY RESOLUTION. IS THERE SUPPORT? SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY THE CLERK, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A DISCUSSION, BUT MR. DESCHAINE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SAYING ANYTHING? SURE, WE ALL KNOW THAT GUN VIOLENCE IS A NATIONAL TRAGEDY IN THIS COUNTRY. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE, IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVEN'T HAD A MASS SHOOTING. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE KIND OF GUN VIOLENCE IN MASS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE. BUT, IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. GUN VIOLENCE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT, AND LOOK AT IT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERY COMMUNITY AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. FOR THOSE REASONS, I FULLY SUPPORT FIRST FRIDAY IN JUNE AS NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY. OK. THERE'S SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS IN THE RESOLUTION EVERY DAY, MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AMERICANS ARE KILLED BY GUN VIOLENCE AND ON AVERAGE THERE MORE THAN [02:15:01] 13000 GUN HOMICIDES EVERY YEAR IN THIS NATION THAT AMERICANS ARE 25 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF GUN HOMICIDE THAN IN OTHER HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AND THAT'S RATHER TERRIBLE AS WELL AS AMAZING. ALL RIGHT, THEN WE NEED A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. OUR NEXT ITEM IS LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE 2020 AUDIT FINDINGS THAT EARLIER TODAY [12E. Acceptance of 2020 Audit Findings] WE HAD IN FRONT OF US, INCLUDED IN OUR PACKETS. DO WE NEED FURTHER COMMENTS, OR LET'S DO THE MOTION FIRST. ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO DO THE MOTION? TRUSTEE JACKSON. MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2020 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THE SINGLE AUDIT AS PRESENTED BY YEO AND YEO. SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY, MS. JACKSON OR ASK ABOUT? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I THOUGHT THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY THOROUGH AND UNDERSTANDABLE. GOOD AUDIT. VERY GOOD AUDIT, YES. WAS A GOOD AUDIT, AND I THINK IT'S SAYING THAT THE SINGLE THAT WAS DONE UNDER FEDERAL SPENDING, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY DEAL WITH, THIS KIND OF THE CARES MONEY DROPPED IN OUR LAPS HAS TO BE SPENT EXACTLY AS THE GOVERNMENT SPECIFIES THAT WE PASSED, THAT THERE WERE NO MATERIAL FINDINGS THERE. WE SPENT IT EXACTLY AS WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO. AND IT SPEAKS WELL TO MIRIAM AND OUR ENTIRE ACCOUNTING STAFF FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. [INAUDIBLE] MIRIAM'S REPORT CARD. OTHERS? OK, THEN, THE WONDERFUL WORK DONE BY YEO AND YEO AND MORE PARTICULARLY THE WONDERFUL WORK DONE BY OUR STAFF AND MS. MATTISON, ET CETERA, MR. WALSH, IS IN FRONT OF US. WE NEED A VOTE. OK. NEXT ITEM IS OUR LEGAL COUNSEL CONTRACT AND CONTINUING LEGAL SERVICES WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME IN GENERAL, DO WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING DIFFERENT POTENTIAL ATTORNEY FIRMS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, AND DECIDED GENERALLY THAT WHAT WE WOULD DO INSTEAD WOULD BE ON THIS OCCASION, EXTEND OUR [12F. Legal Counsel Contract & Continuing Legal Services] LEGAL CONTRACT FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO UNDER THE CONTRACT. WE CAN DO THIS LEGALLY WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS. BOTH MR. PERRY AND I WERE CHARGED WITH COMMUNICATING WITH OUR ATTORNEYS MR. FAHEY FROM FAHEY SCHULTZ BURZYCH RHODES. AND WE CAME UP WITH THEY CAME UP WITH VERY FEW CHANGES, VERY MINOR INCREASES IN THE COST TO THE TOWNSHIP. VERY APPROPRIATE IN LIGHT OF THE TIME HAS GONE BY THE CHANGES IN THE REAL WORLD. THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS EACH YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT OVERALL. AND THEN AN HOURLY RATE INCREASE OF FIVE DOLLARS PER YEAR. FOR REFERENCE THE CURRENT MONTHLY FLAT FEE IS [INAUDIBLE] AND THE HOURLY RATE IS TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. AND AS I LOOK AT THIS AS AN ATTORNEY, RETIRED AND A GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY, THEY SEEM TO BE EXTREMELY REASONABLE. AND IF ANYTHING, WE'RE GETTING EXCELLENT VALUE FOR THE PRICE. MR. OPSOMMER? YES, I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE RENEWAL ENGAGEMENT. AS TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS WITH FAHEY SCHULTZ BURZYCH RHODES FOR THE TERM OF THREE YEARS AS PRESENTED AND AUTHORIZE THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF [02:20:01] THE TOWNSHIP. SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY THE TREASURER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, MR. OPSOMMER? YEAH, I WOULD JUST NOTE, AS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR LAST MEETING, THAT WE DO HAVE ROUGHLY HALF A DOZEN LEGAL MATTERS OF MEANINGFUL CONSEQUENCE TO THE TOWNSHIP, ONE OF WHICH OBVIOUSLY MAY BE TAKEN TO THE SUPREME COURT AND HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS MICHIGAN BEYOND JUST TO OURSELVES. AND THEN ALSO THE MOST PREVALENT ISSUE THAT WE FACE THAT HAS FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCE TO THE TOWNSHIP AS THE DARK STORE CASES OF PROPERTY TAX APPEALS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM PREDOMINANTLY BIG BOX RETAILERS IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND OUR ATTORNEYS GAVE US EXCELLENT COUNSEL AND WE HAD ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES IN FIGHTING CASES OF THAT NATURE WHEN WE FOUGHT THE KROGER APPEAL. I THINK IT WAS THREE, THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO NOW, AND IT HAD VERY MINUSCULE DECLINE UNDER THE AGREEMENT THAT WE REACHED WITH BASED ON THE COMPS THAT ARE ASSESSING THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR ATTORNEYS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION. SO WE'VE RECEIVED EXCELLENT COUNSEL HERE. AND BASED ON THE CASES AND THE LITIGATION THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US, I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO CONTINUE. THE AGREEMENT UNDER THE TERMS PROVIDED AND THOSE TERMS ARE SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR INCREASES THAT WE HAD WITH THIS FIRM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS, I WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING. FIRST, THAT MANAGER WALSH, IS NO LONGER ON THIS ZOOM CALL. THAT'S BECAUSE HE HAS CHOSEN TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY AND ETHICS, ET CETERA, AND NOT BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION OF THE ATTORNEY CONTRACT, BECAUSE HIS SON IN LAW, KYLE O'MEARA IS ACTUALLY EMPLOYED AT THE FIRM AS ONE OF HIS ATTORNEYS, ALTHOUGH HE HAS NEVER WORKED ON ANY OF OUR PROJECTS, ANY OF OUR LEGAL MATTERS. IN FACT, PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH AFFINITY FOR [INAUDIBLE] EXTENSION WAS SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE EMPLOYED IN ANY WAY ON ANY OF OUR MATTERS. I WILL MENTION, THOUGH, AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED ON ETHICS ISSUES FOR THE STATE AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, IT REALLY ISN'T A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. IT'S A SON-IN-LAW. AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING WHERE MR. WALSH SHOULD BE GAINING, ET CETERA. BUT HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT CAN. AND HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNEW THAT HE'S NOT REALLY PART OF THIS NEGOTIATION. THAT'S WHY MR. PERRY AND I HAVE PURSUED IT. MR. DESCHAINE, YOU HAD A COMMENT? YES. I'VE OBSERVED THIS LAW FIRM, BOTH AS A BOARD MEMBER AND NOW AS A STAFF PERSON DEPARTMENT, AND THEY REALLY DO WORK AS A PARTNER WITH TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENT HEADS, THEY SERVE AS CONSULTANTS. THEY PROVIDE US WITH STRAIGHT, DIRECT OPINIONS. AND I'M I THINK THEIR GOOD ADVICE SAVES US A LOT OF MONEY. OF COURSE, IT'S NOT FREE, BUT HAS BEEN SOLID ADVICE AND IT'S TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED OUT IN JUST THE KROGER CASE ALONE, WE'VE PAID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE FEES. WE'VE EARNED BACK A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE FEES WE PAID THEM DUE TO OUR WIN WITH THE SETTLEMENT WITH KROGER. THEY'RE ALSO AN EXCELLENT COMMUNITY PARTNER. AND THEY PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR OTHER TOWNSHIPS TO THAT MTA, MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL TREASURERS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AS WELL. SO THEY REALLY ARE COMMITTED TO THE GREATER GOOD OF ALL COMMUNITIES AND REALLY ARE A GOOD MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WE DO HAVE A PRECEDENT FOR THIS EXTENSION OF THESE CONTRACTS. WE DID THIS SIMILAR THING TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WITH OUR PROSECUTOR, THE CULLEN HARKNESS FIRM, AND THAT HAS TURNED OUT VERY WELL FOR US. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PARTNERING WITH THE HARKNESS LAW FIRM FOR OUR CRIMINAL CASES, AND IT'S A HAND IN GLOVE ARRANGEMENT. THEY WORK VERY, VERY WELL TOGETHER. AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK JUST AS WELL WITH THE FAHEY SHULTZ FIRM AS WELL. I THINK THE TOWNSHIP HAS ALWAYS HAD A PRETTY GOOD LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN ALL FIELDS, BUT RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY WE HAVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE WITH REGARD TO ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LEGAL SERVICES. WHETHER THEY'RE CRIMINAL OR CIVIL OR WHATEVER. ANYONE ELSE? THEN WE NEED A VOTE, CLERK, YOU'RE BUSY AGAIN. CARRIES SEVEN TO ZERO. [02:25:17] THANK YOU, MR. WALSH, IF HE COULD BE TOLD TO COME BACK, HE CAN COME BACK. ALL RIGHT. NOW, GOING ON TO A MATTER THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION VERY WELL BY OUR [Additional Item] CLERK, AND THIS IS A RESOLUTION DEALING WITH THE CELEBRATION OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER PRIDE MONTH, WHICH IS THE MONTH OF JUNE. AND WE NEED A MOTION AND GOING TO CALL ON THE THE CLERK. ALL RIGHT, AND MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION CELEBRATING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER, LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH. SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI. DISCUSSION MS. GUTHRIE? YES, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA. THIS CAME TO MY ATTENTION THROUGH I MEAN, NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S AN ANNUAL EVENT AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MY HUSBAND I HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN PART IN SEVERAL PRIDE PARADES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO THROUGH A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THIS MORNING AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT THIS BOARD HAS SUPPORTED IN YEARS PAST. AND SO I WANT TO COMMEND THIS BOARD AND PREVIOUS BOARDS FOR THE EFFORTS THAT THEY'VE TAKEN IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL RIGHTS AND TREATING PEOPLE EQUALLY. NO ONE SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THEIR GENDER OR HOW THEY IDENTIFY THEIR GENDER AS. NO ONE SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THEIR SKIN COLOR, THEIR HAIR COLOR OR THEIR RELIGION OR THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. AND I BELIEVE THIS BOARD IN YEARS PAST AND I TRIED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE RESOLUTION, HAS TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS TO TREAT PEOPLE EQUALLY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND BE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY. AND SO I COMMEND YOU FOR THOSE EFFORTS. AND I HOPE AS THE LATEST BOARD MEMBER TO BE ADDED TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD, THAT I CONTINUE TO REPRESENT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THAT WAY. AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL DO THAT COLLECTIVELY AS A BOARD. AND SO THEREFORE, I WANTED TO BRING THAT RESOLUTION TODAY BEFORE THE BOARD. THANK YOU. MS. WISINSKI? I WANT TO THANK CLERK GUTHRIE, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS JUNE ALREADY, SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS TO US TODAY. I TRULY WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT AND MY LOVE FOR MY MOMS, MY COUSINS, MY NEPHEW, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, MY NEIGHBORS, MY COWORKERS, TEAMMATES AND ALL PEOPLE IDENTIFYING AS LGBTQ. PLUS, WE MUST CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LGBTQ NEIGHBORS FEEL SAFE AND VALUED. I'VE WITNESSED MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHERE SAFETY IS A CONCERN, DISCRIMINATION'S, A CONCERN IN AND EVEN VIOLENCE, AND THAT'S SOLELY BASED ON WHO YOU LOVE. WE SHOULD ALL FIGHT TO LOVE ANYONE, TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AND TO BE OURSELVES AND BE PROUD. SO THANK YOU. I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOUR RESOLUTION REMINDS EVERYONE THAT THIS BOARD, WELL, IT'S A PREDECESSOR BIRD, BUT STILL THIS BOARD IN TWENTY THIRTEEN DID SOME VERY IMPORTANT THINGS. IN MAY, WE JOINED TOGETHER WITH EAST LANSING AND DELTA AND DELHI TOWNSHIPS TO LAUNCH A COALITION PRESS CONFERENCE TO PUSH FOR LGBT NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES. THEN AT A MEETING IN JULY OF 2013, WE ACTUALLY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO AMEND OUR POLICIES TO PROHIBIT ANY DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. AND IN OCTOBER OF 2013, WE ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, ET CETERA. FOR THOSE REASONS. SO I THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH THE STATE IS STILL FAILED TO ACT IN THIS AREA, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THOSE POSITIVE ATTITUDES IN ALL THAT WE DO. TREASURER? I'LL SUPPORT THIS [INAUDIBLE] SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION IT'S IMPORTANT [02:30:06] THAT OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY FEEL SAFE, VALUED AND CHERISHED HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. AND IT'S SAD THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND, ELLIOT LARSON TO INCLUDE THESE PROTECTIONS TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE A STATEMENT BY PASSING THIS RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY. ANY FINAL COMMENTS ? WE NEED A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. GUTHRIE FOR REMINDING US AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH. VERY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DONE WITH OUR ACTION ITEMS AND MOVING ON TO ONE DISCUSSION ITEM, [13A. Rezoning #21040 (Okemos IL-AL Investors, LLC) rezone approximately 9.07 acres located at 1510 and 1560 Grand River Avenue from C-2 (Commercial) to RA (Single Family-Medium Density)] WHICH IS A REZONING NUMBER 21040 OKEMOS IL-AL INVESTORS LLC. REZONE APPROXIMATELY NINE POINT ZERO SEVEN ACRES LOCATED AT 1510 AND 1560 GRAND RIVER AVENUE FROM C-2 COMMERCIAL TO RA SINGLE FAMILY, MEDIUM DENSITY. OK, WHO'S READY TO START THIS DISCUSSION? DO WE HAVE AN EXPLANATION OF IT FIRST? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SUPERVISOR AND BOARD MEMBERS. THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS REZONING TWO PARCELS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE TO RESIDENTIAL R-A ONE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY, IN THIS CASE. THEY'RE CURRENTLY ZONED C-2 COMMERCIAL. THIS IS THE SITE OF THE PREVIOUS [INAUDIBLE] NOT PROCEEDED AND THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IS PURSUING OPTIONS TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO THE DEVELOPMENT GROUP THAT HAS BROUGHT FORWARD THIS REZONING, THE REQUEST IS SUBJECT TO A SINGLE CONDITION THAT THE PROPOSED BUYER OF THE PROPERTY, OKEMOS IL-AL INVESTORS LLC, BECOME THE FEE SIMPLE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY PURSUANT TO THE PURCHASE SALE AGREEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 2021 HONOR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2022. UNLESS THE CONDITIONS EXPRESSLY WAIVED BY OKEMOS IL-AL INVESTORS LLC. ESSENTIALLY THEY ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY AND IT MAINTAINS IT OR THEY DON'T ACQUIRED IT AND IT IS REVERTED AS THAT WOULD BE WHAT THE CURRENT OWNER WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT AS. THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH A PROPOSAL FOR A SENIOR HOUSING TYPE FACILITY. AND I KNOW THAT AT LEAST I BELIEVE AT LEAST ONE OF THE APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVES IS ON THE LINE THIS EVENING. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? BUT THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT WE WILL ADDRESS THROUGH THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS HERE. THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER IN APRIL, RECEIVED NO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN AT THEIR FIRST MEETING IN MAY, DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUESTED REZONING. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT DIRECTLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, THEY DID INDICATE THAT THE PROPOSED USE IS FAVORABLE AND THERE IS SIMILAR ZONING IN THE AREA. SO IT WOULD NOT BE TOO OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR THIS TYPE OF PROPOSAL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT IT IS A MORE NONRESIDENTIAL PROPOSAL BEING MADE FOR THE RESIDENTIAL ZONING. SO THE BOARD DOES HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS IN FRONT OF THEM THIS EVENING. THEY CAN APPROVE OR DENY THE PROPOSED REZONING. YOU MAY ALSO AMEND IT AND IF YOU CHOOSE TO AMEND IT, CAN SEND IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR FURTHER REVIEW. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THAT IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT. THANK YOU, MR. SCHMIDT, YOUR FIRST TIME ON THE HOT SEAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND YOU SAID THERE'S AN APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVE HERE IF WE HAVE MANY QUESTIONS? I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO IN THE PARTICIPANT LIST, IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OK. ALL RIGHT, DISCUSSION, WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? TREASURER. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT. GIVE US A PREVIEW OF WHAT THEY HAVE IN STORE HERE. WE DO NEED ADDITIONAL SENIOR HOUSING, WE DO NEED ADDITIONAL MEMORY CARE FACILITY, SO I LIKE THE BROAD CONCEPT OF IT. AND FOR MR. SCHMIDT, AN APPLICANT, THIS WASN'T JUST A FAILED C-2 PROJECT, IT WAS [02:35:14] A DISASTROUS C-2 DEVELOPMENT. OUR LAFONTAINE CAME IN AND CUT DOWN THREE HUNDRED BEAUTIFUL TREES ON THAT PROPERTY AND THEN SAID, OH NO, WE DON'T WANT TO DO A DEALERSHIP AFTER ALL. SORRY, AND THEN MOVED TO SELL THE... YOU'RE MUTED, MR. DESCHAINE. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT MUTED, BUT YOU'RE MUTED. FIVE, SIX SECONDS AGO. OK, ALL RIGHT. SO ANYWAY, THIS BOARD HAS A BITTER TASTE IN ITS MOUTH, AT LEAST THIS BOARD MEMBER DOES ABOUT WHAT'S TRYING TO BE DEVELOPED HERE BEFORE. SO I'D LOVE TO GET A PREVIEW FROM THE APPLICANT AS TO WHAT THEY ENVISION FOR THE SITE. APPLICANT? SO I BELIEVE AUBREY HOLMES, WHO JUST PUT HER HAND UP, IS THE MAIN REPRESENTATIVE OF THE APPLICANT, IF WE CAN PULL HER IN. GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. I'M AUBREY HOLMES. I'M THE SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH SMITH-HACKETT AND WE'RE AFFILIATED WITH THE OKEMOS IL-AL INVESTORS LLC. SMITH-HACKETT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS, DEVELOPED OR ACQUIRED OVER 150 SENIOR HOUSING BUILDINGS. AND OUR SISTER COMPANY IS HARMONY SENIOR SERVICES AND THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 11-12 YEARS AT THIS POINT. AND THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER IS INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE, ALL UNDER ONE ROOF. AND THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO AGE IN PLACE. WE HAVE A LOT OF AMENITIES THAT WE PUT IN EVERY BUILDING, A POND WHICH THEY LOVE TO GO TO ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK EVERY DAY, A BISTRO, WALKING TRAIL, EXERCISE, PHYSICAL THERAPY, THREE SEPARATE [INAUDIBLE] ROOMS, ONE FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING, ONE FOR ASSISTED LIVING, ONE FOR MEMORY CARE, THREE SEPARATE COURT YARDS WITH A BARBECUE AREA, BEAUTY HARBOR, THEATER, AND THEN ALSO VAN TRANSPORTATION SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE RESIDENTS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. THEY CAN ATTEND CHURCH SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. BUT IT'S ALSO ENCOURAGING THEM TO GIVE UP THEIR INDEPENDENCE, THEIR CAR, BEING MORE RELIANT ON THE VAN TRANSPORTATION. WE LIKE TO CUSTOMIZE THE BUILDINGS, TO BLEND IN WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE SITE. SO WE KEEP ALL THOSE COOKIE CUTTER COMPONENTS IN EVERY BUILDING. BUT THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE SITE SO LIKE A LAYOUT [INAUDIBLE] LANDSCAPING, WE ALSO WILL LOOK AT THE ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO PULL THOSE ELEMENTS INTO THE EXTERIOR ELEVATIONS. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF [INAUDIBLE] GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE COMFORT THAT WE ARE REAL. WE GET ALL OF OUR ZONING APPROVAL, SITE PLAN APPROVAL AND BUILDING PLAN APPROVAL BEFORE WE EVEN CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY. AND THEN OUR GOAL IS TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION AS SOON AS WE CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY. THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE MORE TIME WE'RE LOSING, THE MORE MONEY WE'RE LOSING. AND OUR BIGGEST COMPETITOR COMING INTO THE MARKET IS DRIVING US TO MOVE QUICKLY. IT'S DRIVING US TO GET A SHOVEL ON THE GROUND AND BUILD THE BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF THAT HELPS. THANK YOU. MR. DESCHAINE? THAT DOES HELP. MS. HOLMES, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE BREAKOUT MIGHT BE OF INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS, MEMORY CARE UNITS OR BEDS AND ASSISTED LIVING UNITS OR BEDS, HOWEVER YOU CLASSIFY THEM. SURE, IT'LL BE ROUGHLY 90 TO 100 INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS, ROUGHLY 50 TO 70 ASSISTED LIVING UNITS AND THIRTY FIVE TO FORTY MEMORY CARE UNITS, AND OUR GOAL IS FOR FOLKS TO AGE IN PLACE, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR COUPLES. IF ONE PERSON HAS MEMORY CARE AND QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, THEY CAN GO TO MEMORY CARE AND THEIR SPOUSE CAN BE IN INDEPENDENT LIVING OR ASSISTED LIVING. THEY CAN STILL SHARE MEALS TOGETHER. [02:40:02] THEY CAN STILL SHARE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER AND THEY'RE ALL UNDER ONE ROOF. THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSSION? MS. JACKSON. YES, I HAVE BEFORE LAMENTED THE LOSS OF RESIDENTIAL ZONING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND I AM IMPRESSED BY THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO REZONE PARCELS FROM, I BELIEVE, THEIR COMMERCIAL C-2 COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN POINTING OUT IS THAT SIMPLE REZONING ALSO PRESENTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER KINDS OF RESIDENTIAL USES IN THIS LOCATION. IF FOR SOME REASON THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL IS NOT THE ONE THAT ENDS UP ON THE PROPERTY. AND SO I AM POSITIVELY DISPOSED FOR THAT REASON THAT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD RESIDENTIAL SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A AN AREA THAT IS GROWING AND DEVELOPING WELL IN THE TOWNSHIP AT THIS TIME. WITH REGARD TO THAT, MR. SCHMIDT, IS THERE A CONDITION HERE, SUCH THAT WE WOULD NOT GET TO WHERE MS. JACKSON IS PROPOSING, OR IF WE MAKE THE ZONING CHANGES, IT'S DONE? SO IF WE MAKE THE ZONING CHANGE, THERE IS A LIMITED SCENARIO UNDER WHICH IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE REZONED, BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE UP IN SEPTEMBER OF '22 SHOULD THIS DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY NOT PROCEED. SO CERTAINLY IF THIS DEVELOPMENT DOES FALL APART, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE HERE. AT THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST. IT IS ACTUALLY KIND OF CONDITIONAL, I GUESS IN A WAY. IT'S A VERY LIMITED CONDITION IN THAT THEIR INTENTION WITH THE CONDITION IS TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THIS PROJECT. GOT IT. THAT CONDITION IS LITERALLY, ESSENTIALLY THEIR DEVELOPMENT TIME FRAME OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT. SO THAT IS THEY THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO PROVIDE THAT SORT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THEY ARE GOING FORWARD AND THIS IS HOW THEY'RE GOING FORWARD. BUT CERTAINLY, IF FOR SOME REASON THEY DO NOT CONTINUE, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT IT NEEDS TO BE AUTOMATICALLY REZONED OR NOT. YES, MR. OPSOMMER. YES, MR. SCHMIDT, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT'S THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DENSITY FOR R-A ZONING? UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE MR. KIESELBACH, I DO NOT HAVE THAT IMMEDIATELY AT HAND AT THE MOMENT. IF YOU'D GIVE ME JUST A SECOND. AND I'LL JUST EXPOUND HERE FOR A MINUTE FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHILE YOU LOOK THAT UP. I'M JUST CONFUSED HOW MEMORY CARE, A THREE TIERED INDEPENDENT ASSISTED IN MEMORY CARE UNIT WOULD GO ON AN RAA ZONED PROPERTY UNDER ONE ROOF. THAT SOUNDS LIKE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT ZONING CATEGORY ENTIRELY. SO IN THIS DISTRICT, IT IS SPECIFIC THAT YOU CAN DO SENIOR CARE TYPE FACILITIES SUBJECT TO SPECIAL LAND-USE APPROVAL, BUT NOT A SPECIFICALLY MULTIFAMILY BUILDING WITHOUT THOSE LIMITATIONS. THIS IS THE CARVEOUT THAT WE CREATED AND WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD ONLY APPLY TO [INAUDIBLE] IN ONE LOCATION. NOW IT'S APPLYING TO, BUT DIDN'T YOU HAVE TO HAVE 10 ACRES? HOW MANY ACRES IS IT? THEY DO HAVE TO HAVE 10 ACRES. AND THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THEIR OPTIONS FOR MEETING THAT REQUIREMENT AT THIS TIME. THEY ONLY HAVE NINE POINT SOMETHING I SAW IN THE PACKET, NINE POINT ZERO SEVEN. I MEAN, THAT WAS PUT IN THERE TO NOT MAKE IT A ONE OFF. AT FIRST I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE REZONING, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, DO IT LIKE A PUD AND PACK IT IN TIGHT WITH 60 PERCENT OPEN SPACE WRAPPING AROUND IT, AND YOU COULD RESTORE THE PROPERTY TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS, WHICH WAS TREE LINED ON THE FRONTAGES OF ALL THE TWO ROADWAYS. PUTTING A LARGE FACILITY ON IT LIKE THAT, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE IT TO WHAT IT WAS. IT'S JUST GOING TO BECOME WHAT'S ACROSS THE STREET. SO, I WAS CONFUSED AT FIRST, BUT NOW I REALIZE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIT IN UNDER THAT ZONING ORDINANCE THAT WE MADE AS A ONE OFF FOR [INAUDIBLE]. I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT EXUBERANT ABOUT IT, KNOWING THAT. AND I YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PROGRESS MADE IN TERMS OF RESTORING THE CORNER TO AT [02:45:01] LEAST HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF WHAT IT WAS TO TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO AT THE VERY LEAST. AND THE REZONING ISN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN, BUT I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE IT WAS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT REALLY, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THIS IS BASICALLY. YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PAY A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION TO THAT ZONING AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT WAS A ONE OFF AND WE WERE TOLD THE 10 ACRE THRESHOLD WOULD MAKE IT A ONE OFF. AND NOW HERE IT IS BEING USED JUST A SHORT WHILE LATER. AND SO, I MEAN, YOU'D HAVE TO GO UP TO OUR HIGHEST ZONING DENSITY OF 14 UNITS PER ACRE. IS THE APPLICANT LOOKING AT GOING ABOVE OUR MAXIMUM THRESHOLDS FOR DENSITY? BECAUSE WE DID HAVE CAVEATS IN THERE. WE LET [INAUDIBLE] GO UP TO TWENTY FIVE, EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE OUR HIGHEST ZONING CATEGORY CAPS OUT AT 18 UNITS PER ACRE. I SEE THIS BEING A SLIPPERY SLOPE UNLESS WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING. THERE IS A LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF THE DENSITY SPECIFIC TO THE SENIOR HOUSING UNITS AND SO THEY'LL HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO US WHEN WE GET THERE. AND THERE'S A HARD CAP IN THAT NUMBER IN TERMS OF CIRCLING BACK TO THE UNDERLYING QUESTION OF THE RESIDENTIAL DENSITY. R-A ROUGHLY IT'S TEN THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT PER LOT. SO ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF UNITS TO THE ACRE, A LITTLE LESS GOOD DROPS DOWN TO ABOUT THREE AND A QUARTER ONCE YOU GO UP TO THE R-AA, AND GOES DOWN FROM THERE. SO R-A IS THE SECOND HIGHEST SINGLE FAMILY DENSITY THE TOWNSHIP HAS. YEAH, BUT I BELIEVE UNDER OUR MUPUD AND UNDER THE HIGHEST MULTIPLE ZONING THAT WE HAVE, WE CAP OUT AT 18 UNITS PER ACRE. THE ONLY EXCEPTION WE'VE MADE OF THAT IS DOWNTOWN OKEMOS IN DOWNTOWN HASLETT. AND THEN WITH THIS ONE OFF FOR [INAUDIBLE] WE ALLOWED THEM TO GO UP TO, I BELIEVE THEY WERE OVER 25, SO I BELIEVE WE UNCAPPED IT UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE IF YOU GET THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT [INAUDIBLE] THIS IS FOR THE BOARD'S CONTEXT, I MEAN, IN APPROVING 25 UNITS PER ACRE THERE, WE HAD ALREADY GONE UP THIRTY NINE PERCENT OVER WHAT OUR HIGHEST MULTIFAMILY HOUSING WOULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED FOR. THAT I DON'T THINK WAS THE INTENT FOR THIS CORNER, JUST AS A DEALERSHIP WASN'T. BUT I WAS GETTING REALLY EXUBERANT THERE FOR A MINUTE. AND NOW I'M UNDERSTANDING. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION FROM THE APPLICANT IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS SITE THAT HAS ALREADY HAD CONTROVERSY AND REZONE IT INCONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN. I'D RATHER HAVE THE REZONING STAY WITH THE PROPERTY, SO THE CONDITION, I VIEW THE CONDITION NEGATIVELY, BECAUSE THE CONDITION IS BASICALLY SAYING IT'S GOING TO REVERT BACK TO C-2 AND SOMEONE COULD PROPOSE PUTTING AN AUTO DEALERSHIP ON IT. SO I VIEW THE CONDITION NEGATIVELY IN CONTEXT OF SUPERVISOR STYKA FLAGGING THAT. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER. THANK YOU. YES, YOU SAW THAT CORRECTLY. OTHERS? THIS IS DISCUSSION TIME. MS. WISINSKI? I ALSO INITIALLY LIKED THE MOVING TOWARDS A RESIDENTIAL ZONING AS, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, FROM WHAT I HEARD, I THINK, MS. HOLMES, SAY THAT WILL PUT US UPWARDS OF TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY UNITS ON THIS PROPERTY AND IF I'M UNDERSTANDING I'M NOT THE BEST AT THIS. SO, DIRECTOR SCHMIDT, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HELP HER TO TRUSTEE OPSOMMER EMPD CAP IS AT 18 PER ACRE. THAT WOULD PUT ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT UNITS. SO IT DOES SEEM VERY. THE PROPOSAL SEEMS VERY DENSE. BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD. NOT CERTAINLY NOT OPPOSED TO IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION AS WELL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ADDITIONAL VEGETATION ON THE SITE, AND I KNOW THAT'S LONG TERM AND DOWN THE ROAD, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S TWO WETLANDS LOCATED ON THIS SITE. AND SO I WOULD WANT SOME MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRESERVING OR PROTECTING THOSE WETLANDS DURING DEVELOPMENT IF IT WENT THAT ROUTE. IF WE DID DECIDE OR DID VOTE TO MOVE TO AN RA, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THAT CONDITIONS STAY WITH THE PROPERTY. [02:50:01] I JUST DON'T, I WASN'T ON THE BOARD WHEN WHEN THERE WAS WHEN THIS PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT ALMOST OCCURRED. SO IT JUST IT WAS REALLY DISHEARTENING AS A AS A RESIDENT TO SEE THAT ENTIRE SITE CLEAR CUT AND NOTHING GO ON IT SO THAT IT DOES KIND OF, YOU KNOW, STICK OUT LIKE THAT. SO I GUESS, SUPERVISOR I WOULD, I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ADDITIONAL INFO. SEEMS TO BE A THEME GROWING HERE. MR. DESCHAINE? I WOULD AGREE THAT IF THE CONDITION DOESN'T APPEAL TO ME, IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE IT BACK TO RESIDENTIAL, LET'S KEEP IT AS A RESIDENTIAL. IT MAKES SENSE TO RESIDENTIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ALL AROUND THERE. THE DENSITY DOESN'T WORRY ME AS MUCH. IT COULD BE AT 22 PER ACRE. THE NUMBERS THAT I HEARD HER SHARE WERE MAXIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED INDEPENDENT UNITS, 70 MEMORY CARE AND 40 ASSISTED LIVING. SO THAT COME TO 210 BUT STILL GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE LOW 20S FOR A NINE ACRE PLOT. LET'S REMEMBER, THESE ARE BY DEFINITION HIGH INTENSITY SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDING FOR A NOT ENTIRELY MOBILE COMMUNITY. LOOKING BACK TO END THE HAVE DEVELOPMENT THERE OFF OF HAGEDORN. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FEATURES OF THAT. BESIDES THAT NOT BEING STUDENT HOUSING, ONE OF THEM BEING THAT IT WAS A, THERE WAS A NEED FOR IT. WE DIDN'T HAVE A LIFE CARE COMMUNITY AT PER SAY, WHERE SOMEONE CAN MOVE IN INDEPENDENT LIVING, MOVE UP TO ASSISTED LIVING AND THEN ON TO MEMORY CARE AS THEY AGED. AND WE ALL LIKE THAT IDEA OF A LIFE CARE COMMUNITY THAT A RESIDENT CAN MOVE INTO AT, SAY, 80 AND STAY THERE WELL INTO THEIR 90S AND NOT HAVE TO MOVE TO THREE DISCRETE LOCATIONS. SO THE DENSITY OF THIS FACILITY ON A BUSY COMMERCIAL STREET, GRAND RIVER, DOESN'T CONCERN ME AS MUCH. BUT I, TOO, WANT TO SEE MORE AND I WANT TO SEE THE SITE PLAN FOR IT, ET CETERA, BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO IT. BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE APPLICANT WANTS EVERYTHING APPROVED BEFORE THEY EVEN PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. SO MAYBE WE CAN FIND OUT MORE. MR. SCHMIDT AT A FUTURE MEETING AS TO HOW MUCH WE CAN SEE THE FACILITY BEFORE WE TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL STEPS TOWARDS APPROVAL. WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO SEE MORE THAN A BROAD DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION TO CHANGE THE ZONING ON THIS PARCEL. I'M SURE OF THAT. THE ONE THING ABOUT THIS TOWNSHIP IS THAT SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA, IS WE LIKE FULL INFORMATION BEFORE WE MAKE DECISIONS. WE DON'T LIKE TO CHANGE THE ZONING UNLESS WE KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING. YES, MS. JACKSON, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP. I WAS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO ASK THE QUESTION, DO WE NOT HAVE THE OPTION OF CHANGING THE ZONING WITHOUT THE CONDITION THAT IS BEING OFFERED SO THAT THE ZONING CHANGE GOES WITH THE LAND AS OPPOSED TO WHAT'S IN THE AGREEMENT. I BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO AMEND THE APPLICATION TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IF THE BOARD DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CONDITION IS PROPER FOR THE PROPOSED REZONING, WE COULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, YES. OTHERS? SO FAR, I'M HEARING IS WE NEED MORE INFORMATION. MS. GUTHRIE, DO YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? I AGREE, I NEED A LOT MORE INFORMATION. I THOUGHT MAYBE I WOULD JUST SEND A LIST OF STUFF THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR TO TURN DIRECTOR SCHMIDT. MS. WISINSKI? SUPERVISOR, I SEE MS. HOLMES' HAND IS UP, I DON'T KNOW, SO ANY COMMENTS? OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. I DON'T CATCH THOSE LITTLE BLUE THINGS SOMETIMES. YES, MRS. HOLMES? THANK YOU VERY MUCH [INAUDIBLE], OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION IS ALSO ON THE LINE. HE WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS, I THINK, IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE PROCESSES [02:55:02] THAT WE'VE BEEN OUTLINING, INCLUDING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE ITEMS ON THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, ADDRESS MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO BRING HIM INTO THE CONVERSATION. HE'S ON [INAUDIBLE] COMPUTER RIGHT NOW. IF THERE'S A WAY, MR. GEBES WILL FIND IT. THANK YOU. HERE WE ARE. CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, YES, I'M WILLIAM BISHOP, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION FOR SMITH PACKING AND MICHELLE SONS IS HERE WITH ME. SHE'S A DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT ON OUR PROCESS. WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY THE STAFF PREVIOUSLY WAS THAT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THE DENSITY WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT DURING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS AFTER RESIGNING. BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE INFORMATION NOW ON THAT. BUT IT WAS REALLY A KIND OF A TWO STEP PROCESS. I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT THE REVERSION. SHOULD WE NOT GO FORWARD? THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT, I WILL SAY, OUR CLOSURE RATE ON THESE PROJECTS OR I'M NOT I DON'T THINK IT'S ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO IT. WHEN WE HAVE A TEAM OF ANALYSTS THAT PICK A PICK A MARKET, WE FIND A GOOD SITE IN THE MARKET. WE'VE GOT A GOOD FINANCIAL TEAM. WE'VE GOT OUR OWN SEPARATE COMPANY, WESSEX CAPITAL, THAT DOES ALL OF OUR FINANCING FOR OUR COMPANY. IT'S STILL OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY. THE FINANCING IS NOT A PROBLEM. WE DO WANT TO HAVE EVERYTHING APPROVED BEFORE WE CLOSE ON THE PROJECT. BUT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THIS WILL BE CLOSED AS A SENIOR CARE FACILITY AND WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. ONE QUESTION. I WOULD SAY OUR MOST OF OUR FACILITIES ARE CLOSER TO THE HUNDRED NINETY UNITS. AUBREY WAS KIND OF GIVING YOU OF KIND OF THE BRACKET ON EACH DIFFERENT SITES, BUT WE'RE TYPICALLY CLOSER TO ONE NINETY. AND AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND A MEMORY CARE UNITS OR LIKE FUR HUNDRED SQUARE FEET, THEY'RE NOT LIKE APARTMENTS AT ALL. THERE'S A CONTINUUM OF CARE. OUR SENIOR RESIDENTS IN MEMORY CARE DO NOT DRIVE. MOST OF THE ASSISTED LIVING, DO NOT DRIVE. ASSISTED LIVING, SOME OF THEM DO NOT I'D SAY OVER HALF DRIVE. SO THAT'S NOT A VERY OVERLY ACTIVE. WE DO HAVE SHUTTLE BUSSES THAT WE TAKE OUR RESIDENTS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE TRY TO HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER ONE ROOF SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE AND PROGRESS AS THEY NEED LEVELS OF CARE INTO A-L AND HOPEFULLY NOT MEMORY CARE. BUT THAT HAPPENS AND IS ALWAYS SAID. WE OFTEN HAVE ONE SPOUSE IN MEMORY CARE AND ONE AN INDEPENDENT LIVING, BUT OUR BUILDINGS ARE ABOUT ONE THIRD COMMON AREA. WE HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN. WE HAVE A LARGE INDEPENDENT LIVING DINING ROOM, ASSISTED LIVING DINING ROOM, MEMORY CARE DINING ROOM, A BEAUTY SHOP, BARBERSHOP, A FITNESS CENTER, A PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER, VISITING PHYSICIANS' OFFICE, GAME ROOMS, BILLIARD ROOMS, BISTRO, PUB, HOSPITALITY ROOM. I'M SURE I'M MISSING SOME, BUT A WHOLE LOT OF COMMON TYPE SPACE. THE RESIDENTS IN YOU CAN STAY THERE AND WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE PROGRAMING LIST FOR THEM. SO OUR USE, I THINK, IS VERY GOOD FOR THIS AREA AND ANY AREA REALLY. BUT WE'RE BULLISH ON OUR USE. WE THINK IT'S A GOOD FIT THERE. BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE HAPPY TO SEND ANY INFORMATION AND HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BOARD ABOUT THE PROJECT. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE ON THIS RIGHT NOW ? YES, MR. OPSOMMER? YES, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU FOLKS HAD SPOKEN TO THE EYE COMPANY BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A THREE TIER MEMORY CARE FACILITY PROPOSE A FACILITY UP THE STREET, SOME OF BOULEVARD HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT PROJECT DID FALL THROUGH AND THE TWO PARTIES PARTED WAYS. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAD LOOKED AT THAT ONE, BECAUSE IT IS OVER 10 ACRES AND COMPLIANT. OUR ANALYSTS HAVE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE COMPETITORS, WE I DON'T THINK WE LOOKED AT THAT SPECIFIC SITE. OUR ANALYSTS ZOOM IN TO ONE, THEY'VE GOT A VERY SPECIFIC TARGET MARKET. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR AWAY THAT SITE IS, BUT THEY LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC, THE ADULT CHILDREN, THE HOUSING VALUES, THE COMPETITORS. AND THEY REALLY LIMIT US TO A FAIRLY SPECIFIC TARGET AREA, WHICH THIS ONE FIT THE [03:00:05] BILL. AND IT IS A PRETTY SMALL AREA. SO I DOUBT THAT WE WOULD HAVE FIT IN OUR TARGET MARKET. IT WAS LOCATED OFF OF HAGEDORN ROAD, HANNA BOULEVARD, YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT, IT'S ADJACENT IN WALKING DISTANCE TO THE MSU CAMPUS. IT'S IN A MUCH DENSER PART OF THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL. YOU'RE AT RURAL RESIDENTIAL BORDER OF THE TOWNSHIP RIGHT HERE. YEAH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I WISH THIS SIDE WAS JUST OVER 10 ACRES, BUT IT'S NOT WITHOUT CERTAINLY LARGER SITES, BUT WE'RE KIND OF CONSTRAINED BY THE ROADS. WE ARE KEEPING THE WETLANDS ON THE BACK OF OUR PROPERTY INTACT. WE'RE NOT MESSING WITH THOSE AT ALL. AND WE ARE PLANNING ADDITIONAL TREES ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, AS AN ADDITIONAL BUFFER AND OUR SENIORS LIKE GREEN SPACE. AND WE HAVE WALKING TRAILS. WE HAVE MEMORY CARE GARDEN, ASSISTED LIVING GARDEN AND INDEPENDENT LIVING GARDEN. AND WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET OUT AND WALK IN ON THE FACILITY AND IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE IT AS GREEN AS WE CAN. OK. AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN A HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY, MOST SPECIFICALLY THE RECENT HISTORY WITH THE CURRENT OWNER? YES, WELL, WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW. WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HISTORY. I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW AT ALL. AND I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE DONE OUR DILIGENCE ON THAT WITH THE CURRENT. OK, SO BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT YOU MENTIONED PLANTING TREES, I BELIEVE YOU SAID AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY AT NORTHSIDE. RIGHT. RIGHT, UM. SO YOU WOULD BE. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR SCREENING, OBVIOUSLY, BUT YOU DO HAVE THE WETLANDS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THE TREE CLEARING WENT BACK, BUT I MEAN, THE BIG FACTOR IS THE POWER ROAD FRONTAGE WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR CUT IN THE ENTIRE STATE WAS FORESTED JUST TWO SHORT YEARS AGO, VERY DENSELY WITH, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL SPECIES TO THAT SITE AS WELL AS THE GRAND RIVER FRONTAGE. SO AND THEN THIS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF THE AESTHETIC, OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP. YOU OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SEE THAT AESTHETIC HERE AT THIS CORNER ANYMORE. ALL RIGHT. IF YOU WERE TO TRAVEL TO PARK LAKE AND HASLETT ROAD, YOU WOULD SEE A FOUR CORNERS JUST ON THE BORDER OF EAST LANSING WITH ABSOLUTELY NO DEVELOPMENT ON IT. WE'VE HAD GAS STATIONS, SHOPPING CENTERS, STRIP MALLS, A WHOLE ASSORTMENT OF THINGS PROPOSED OVER THE DECADES. AND WE, IN FACT, DO NOT WANT TO CUT THOSE TREES DOWN AND DEVELOP THAT CORNER. AND WE HAVE MANY OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT. AND THIS COULD BE ONE OF THEM TRADITIONALLY. HOWEVER, THE PROJECT THAT HAD PROCEEDED HERE NEVER CAME TO THE BOARD. SO I WOULD IF I WERE TO SUPPORT THIS, I WOULD WANT TO SEE BASICALLY REFORESTATION AND DEEP BUFFERS TO MAKE IT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. LOOK. YOU KNOW, LIKE IT WAS ONCE BEFORE THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING, THE AESTHETICS OF THE BUILDING ARE NOT REALLY WHAT RESIDENTS IN THIS PART OF THE COMMUNITY CARE ABOUT. THEY WANT THAT REAL RESIDENTIAL FEEL. AND NOW IT'S. ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES BEEN LOST FOREVER ON THAT CORNER. I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE DENSITY, THE NUMBERS THAT I'VE HEARD RANGE FROM TWENTY ONE TO TWENTY SIX UNITS PER ACRE. THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE IN THE TOWNSHIP, ACTUALLY, THERE'S NO PLACES IN THE TOWNSHIP WHERE WE HAVE THAT DENSITY. YOU WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE AND YOU'D BE IN A PRETTY UNIQUE SPOT TO HAVE THE DENSEST PROPERTY IN THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE DOWNTOWN OKEMOS AND THE OTHER AND THREE TIER MEMORY CARE FACILITY WERE NEVER BUILT. SO EVERYTHING IN THE TOWNSHIP IS 18 UNITS PER ACRE OR LESS, I BELIEVE. SO THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF MY CONCERNS, I'LL SUPPORT THE REASONING, I DO NOT LIKE THE CONDITION, I SUPPORT TRUSTEE JACKSON ON THAT AND I WOULD SUPPORT THE REASONING WITH THAT. BUT I HAVE GRAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE SITE THAT YOU'VE PICKED. THERE ARE MANY DENSER AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP WHERE INFILL DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE AN AREA WHERE THE BOARD WILL TO UPDATE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE 2017 MAP, WE DID NOT FOCUS ON THIS AREA. THE COMMERCIAL ON THE CORNER IS A HOLDOVER FROM MANY DECADES AGO WHEN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WAS LAST TOUCHED IN THE 80S. SO. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TREASURER? TO THE APPLICANT, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN DEVELOPING HERE IN OUR [03:05:05] TOWNSHIP, AND AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, THERE MAY BE A BETTER LOCATION THAT STILL WITHIN OUR TOWNSHIP AND ALL THE OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC AMENITIES THAT YOU SEE IN OUR HIGH AVERAGE INCOME, GREAT SCHOOLS, JUST A REALLY RICH COMMUNITY IN THE SENSE OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL AS INCOME IS TO BE HAD HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. HAVE YOU DEVELOPED OTHER COMMUNITIES HERE IN MICHIGAN YET? WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SIX DIFFERENT MARKETS IN MICHIGAN. OK? NONE, NONE OF THEM ARE OPEN. YEAH, WE'RE JUST IN THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE ARE HERE SOMEWHERE ALONG THIS, BUT WE'VE GOT SIX MARKETS RIGHT NOW. IN TERMS OF NATIONWIDE. HOW MANY COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS THE ONES YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE, DO YOU HAVE THAT ARE CURRENTLY OPEN AND OPERATING? ABOUT 30 THAT ARE CURRENTLY OPEN AND OPERATING IN THE PAST, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES. WE'VE BEEN DOING THE INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE FOR 11 OR 12 YEARS. AND WE, OUR EXPANSION, WE'VE TRADITIONALLY IN VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WE'VE GOT PROJECTS RECENTLY IN OHIO, INDIANA. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE LOOKING AT MICHIGAN, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, DELAWARE, A LOT IN THE MARYLAND WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA, EASTERN TIDEWATER AREA OF VIRGINIA. SO WE'RE EXPANDING WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD. WE'RE THE LARGEST SENIOR DEVELOPMENT SENIOR LIVING DEVELOPER IN THE NATION THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT WE ARE RIGHT NOW, OUR PLANS ARE TO STAY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. BUT THAT'S REALLY OUR PRIMARY CONCERN. OK, AGAIN, WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY AND WE HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT SPOT OR MAKE THIS SPOT WORK WITHIN OUR DENSITY LIMITS TO PROVIDE A FIRST CLASS FACILITY HERE FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO PROVIDE THESE THREE LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE. WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW. EARLIER YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE THESE THIS PARADIGM, THESE PARAMETERS, ET CETERA, THAT ZERO IN ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES, ET CETERA, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAY. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, FIRMS THAT DO THAT KIND OF ANALYSIS OFTEN DON'T KNOW THE COMMUNITIES THEY'RE LOOKING AT EITHER. THEY MAY NOT GIVE YOU THE ALL THE CHOICES THAT YOU REALLY COULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY LOCAL TO ADD ON TO THAT IN TERMS OF GETTING INPUT. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ONE SITE OFF OF HAGEDORN ROAD. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIPS ONLY SIX MILES ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BY DEFINITION. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GET FAR AWAY FROM THE CITY. COULD BE THREE MILES AWAY FROM THE SITE YOU CHOSE. AND RIGHT NOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON ANOTHER BUSY ROAD. YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO BE LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM GRANDE RIVER AVENUE, WHICH THE OTHER ONE IS ON. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF LOCATIONS. THE TOWNSHIP YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW. IT'S BEEN RATED NUMBER ONE PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY BY U.S. NEWS, ET CETERA. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND DENSITY IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE GET CONCERNED ABOUT. AND BUT WE DO HAVE SPOTS LIKE THAT, LIKE THE ONE THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED BY MR. OPSOMMER AND ME, WHERE YOU COULD PUT IN SOMETHING DENSE THAT MAY AND MAY MEET YOUR REQUIREMENT IN A DIFFERENT LIFE. I WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH NURSING HOMES FOR THE AGE, ET CETERA IN TERMS OF REGULATION, AND I KNOW ABOUT CONTINUUM OF CARE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I ALSO LIVED IT THROUGH A FATHER IN LAW WHO WENT THROUGH ALL STAGES, INCLUDING MEMORY CARE. SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR BUSINESS FROM AN OUTSIDER'S POINT OF VIEW. AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU HERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE YET ABOUT THIS SITE WITHOUT HAVING MORE INFORMATION. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE HAD IS WE NEEDED TO KNOW MORE AND MAYBE YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OK, THANK YOU. THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN BEING ON THE CALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. BACK TO THE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. MR. GEBES WITH US? [14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC] AM WITH YOU, OF COURSE, ANYONE IN THE IN THE ATTENDEE AREA WILL RAISE THEIR HANDS AND WE [03:10:01] CAN TAKE TELEPHONE CALLS AT (517) 349-1232. SO ARE WE NOT HAVING ANYONE THEN? YOU HAVE NO CALLS IN AND YOU HAVE NO HANDS. OK, WANT TO CONFIRM THAT? RIGHT THEN WE'RE READY FOR OTHER COMMENTS AND MATTERS FROM THE BOARD. [15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS] I WOULD WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING BEFORE WE GET TO OTHERS. I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR ALONG WITH THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER, AND BECAUSE OF THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY, WE WE DID NOT SCHEDULE A MEETING THE WEEK OF JULY 4TH. AND WE GET MY CALENDAR UP HERE. I REMEMBER MEETING THE WEEK OF JULY 5TH, INSTEAD WE HAVE ON THE 13TH AND THE 20TH BACK TO BACK, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE 29TH OF JUNE, WE DO NOT HAVE A MEETING AND THAT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS FROM OUR SECOND MEETING OF THIS MONTH AND ALSO BE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THEY ARE ACTUALLY THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE JULY 20TH MEETING. SO IT'S BEEN THOUGHT OF THAT MAYBE IT WOULD BE IN EVERYBODY'S INTEREST TO MOVE THE JULY 13 MEETING TO JUNE 29TH. BUT IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MADE PLANS, ET CETERA, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT AND WE WOULDN'T WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES IF IT'S GOING TO AFFECT PEOPLE'S VACATIONS, ET CETERA. MR. OPSOMMER? YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, I DO HAVE PRIOR COMMITMENTS THAT EVENING. OK, THE 29TH OF JUNE? YES, TUESDAY, THE 29TH. ALL RIGHT, WELL IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. BUT IN ANY EVENT, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ANY FINAL COMMENTS, CONCERNS, THINGS YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT? IF NOT, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOVE TO ADJOURN. SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY WISINSKI. ANY ABJECTION? WE'RE ADJOURNED. NO. HEY, Y'ALL, COME BACK NOW, YOU HEAR? THE RECORDING HAS STOPPED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.