ALL RIGHT, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE ABLE
[00:00:39]
PLEASE RISE TO, SAY, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND I WOULD ASK THE CLERK NOW TO CALL THE ROLL.
ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
WE'RE GOING TO SKIP THE PRESENTATION FOR NOW BECAUSE OF A TRAFFIC JAM.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ONTO ITEM 5 WHICH IS A CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. AND I DO HAVE A NUMBER OF GREEN SLIPS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED ONE OUT, YOU WANT TO SPEAK.
IT'S BACK ON THE TABLE THERE PASS IT UP, BRING IT UP HERE AND
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
I WILL CALL YOU IN WHATEVER ORDER I RECEIVED THEM.YOU KNOW, IF I GET IT WRONG, IT'S BECAUSE I CAN'T READ THE WRITING.
OK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
START WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOU'RE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
AND PLEASE HAVE [INAUDIBLE] ADDRESS THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, NOT INDIVIDUALS AND
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
NOT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE.I'M PETER LUPA, RESIDENT OF 3575 KANSAS.
SO I'M A DIRECT NEIGHBOR TO THE PROPOSED FACILITY.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE DECISION THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE LAST WEEK.
AND I THINK GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE LOT, THE FACILITY, I THINK THE INVESTOR SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BUILD THE FACILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, SERVES WELL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, IF IT MEANS MORE PRIMARY DOCTORS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS GOING TO JUST SERVE THE COMMUNITY IF IT MEANS YOU'RE NOT BEING COMPETITIVE AND YOU'RE NOT CREATING A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN A WEEK.
WELL, MOST OF US GO TO WORK AND WE WANT TO GO TO A FACILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LUNCHROOM OR, YOU KNOW, EXTRA FACILITY.
I THINK THE REQUEST IS REASONABLE.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING TO YOU KNOW BUILD A TWO STORY BUILDING, WHICH WOULD BE TOTALLY A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, BUT GIVING THE SIZE OF THE LOT.
AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS.
THE YOU KNOW, THEY THINK IT'S BEST FIT FOR THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ADVANCES IN MEDICAL FIELD, NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW I THINK THAT WILL HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BE COMPETITIVE, BE STATE OF THE ART FACILITY AND THRIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AT THE SAME TIME I ALSO WOULD LIKE YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CARRY FORWARD THE
[00:05:01]
RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS MADE LAST WEEK OF REMOVING THE EXCESS FROM KANSAS ROAD AND PROVIDING A SIDEWALK, WHICH KIND OF IS, I THINK, MORE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY YOU WANT TO.WE WANT TO PLAY THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE WALKING ACCESS? IF PEOPLE WANT TO WALK TO THE FACILITY, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMING FROM THE WEST.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT KANSAS SHOULD BE KEPT AS A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND THE FACILITY SHOULD BE AT JOLLY IN FACILITY.
I THINK IT'S ALREADY DANGEROUS WITH THE CURRENT BUSINESS TO BE ON KANSAS ROAD.
AND I THINK IF CARS ARE ABLE TO ENTER ON KANSAS ROAD FOR THE HOSPITAL AND THEN CUT CURVE TO THE FACILITY, I THINK WITH THE SIDEWALK IT WOULD BE A HORRIBLE SITUATION THAT IT WILL BE A LITERALLY DIFFICULT TO GET TO JOLLY ROAD FOR US.
GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS, I AM JERRY RICHARDS, A 33 YEAR RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDING AT 3986 E SUNWIND DRIVE WITH AN OKEMOS MAILING ADDRESS.
I SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM 12 C A RESOLUTION TO ADD BALLOT PROPOSAL TO THE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021 ELECTION BALLOT.
THIS AGENDA ITEM IS A RESULT OF FOURTEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE SIGNATURES GATHERED IN A PROCESS SPECIFICALLY SPELLED OUT IN THE VOTER APPROVED LOVE 2018, WHICH DECRIMINALIZED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
THANK YOU TO THE PETITION SIGNERS AND PETITION CIRCULATORS FOR GIVING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VOTERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO EDUCATING AND INFORMING VOTERS AS THE NOVEMBER 2ND ELECTION DATE APPROACHES.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY COMMENTS.
QUINN [INAUDIBLE] I'M QUINN [INAUDIBLE] AT 4526 MARLBOROUGH, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THE DANIELS DRAIN, THE EFFECT IT MIGHT HAVE ON MY PROPERTY TAXES OR ON ALL OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES LIVING THERE IN FOREST HILLS.
AND I COULD START BY COMPLAINING HOW I LIVE ON A LIMITED INCOME, MY SOCIAL SECURITY AND A MINIMAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
BUT ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A CONVERSATION I HAD WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL THIS LAST EARLY JULY.
I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE NURSES AND SHE WAS TELLING ME THAT HER HUSBAND HAD RECENTLY GOTTEN SOME SORT OF MEDICAL DEGREE.
HE WASN'T A DOCTOR, BUT HE WAS SOMETHING OR OTHER WITH A REGULAR INCOME.
AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A HOME.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO BUY.
AND I SAID, YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'VE GOT MATURE TREES, LOVELY PLANTINGS, GREAT NEIGHBORS.
THE HOUSES AREN'T BIG, BUT THEY'RE BIG ENOUGH FOR A FAMILY.
IT'S A VERY NICE NEIGHBORHOOD TO LIVE IN.
SHE SAID NO WE AREN'T GOING TO LOOK IN MERDIAN TOWNSHIP ANYMORE.
I SAID, WELL, BUT REALLY, OUR HOUSE THE PRICES ARE REASONABLE, REALLY.
AND SHE SAID, IT'S NOT THE HOUSE PRICES, IT'S THE TAXES.
[00:10:03]
SHE SAID, WE CAN'T PAY THOSE TAXES.SO WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE THE KIND OF RESIDENTS WE'D WANT TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD OUR TAXES.
THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO URGE YOU THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING INTO THE DANIELS DRAIN PROBLEM AND YOU'RE SORTING OUT WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT, YOU REMEMBER THAT A LOT OF US AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO COME TO LIVE IN OUR AREA CAN'T PAY THE TAXES NOW OR WON'T PAY THE TAXES NOW.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE DANIELS DRAIN AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
ALL RIGHT NEXT IS CECILIA KRAMER.
YES, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS CECELIA KRAMER.
I'M RESIDENT OF FOREST HILLS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE FOREST HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT THE DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN IN AN EVOLUTION FOR ABOUT SIX, SEVEN YEARS.
IT HAS FINALLY COME TO A POINT HERE WHERE IT IS NOW GOING TO BE A VERY FAST MOVING PROJECT.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONDOMINIUMS THAT ARE GARDEN CONDOMINIUMS THAT ACTUALLY ARE SUBMARINER CONDOMINIUMS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT DURING HEAVY RAINS, WATER RISES.
AND THOSE FOLKS IN THE ON THE PONDS, WALDEN PONDS DEVELOPMENT CAN CAN ADDRESS THAT ISSUE BETTER.
AND YOU HAVE THE UNENVIABLE TASK OF TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE APPORTIONMENT OF IT.
NOW, THE TOWNSHIP DID RESERVE THE RIGHT TO PASS ON SOME OF THE ASSESSMENTS TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE DISTRICT.
BUT I WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK, BECAUSE SEPTEMBER 30 IS COMING UP VERY QUICKLY.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING TO EVEN BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS IS OUT THERE AND ARE GOING TO BE SURPRISED.
ALSO, THE AGAIN, DEALING WITH THE BONDS THAT ARE COMING TO PAY FOR THE PROJECT.
THOSE ARE GOING TO BE LED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 30.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO GO WITH HOW YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THE APPORTIONMENT SO THE TOWNSHIP CAN TAKE NONE, SOME OR ALL OF THE APPORTIONMENT TO THEMSELVES FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE BONDS.
BUT I WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OPTION OF MAYBE PAYING THE FIRST YEAR, GET YOUR MONEY IN AND DO YOUR PREPAYMENT BEFORE THE BOND IS SOLD.
BUT DO THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND DO YOUR ASSESSMENT AND LEVY YOUR ASSESSMENT FOR DECEMBER OF 22 INSTEAD OF DECEMBER OF 21.
YOUR ASSESSMENT HAS TO BE IN FOR DECEMBER OF TWENTY ONE BY SEPTEMBER 30, ALSO THAT SAME DATE.
SO TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE AND GOOD LUCK TO US ALL.
GOOD EVENING, LYNN PAGE, 3912, RALEIGH DRIVE IN OKEMOS.
I ALSO WANTED TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR AGENDA ITEM 12 C PLACING THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA PROPOSAL ON THE BALLOT FOR THE NOVEMBER 2ND GENERAL ELECTION.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT THE ACTUAL BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT LEGALIZED ADULT RECREATIONAL USE, MARIJUANA STATEWIDE PROPOSAL 18 ONE SPECIFICALLY ALLOWED MUNICIPALITIES TO BAN OR RESTRICT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES.
[00:15:04]
VOTERS APPROVAL OF THIS BALLOT PROPOSAL WAS NOT A MANDATE TO ALLOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.THE VOTERS WHO SIGNED THE PETITION AND THOSE WHO CIRCULATED IT DESERVE OUR THANKS FOR ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO HAVE A VOICE IN THIS IMPORTANT LAND USE ISSUE.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK CLERK GUTHRIE AND HER STAFF FOR THEIR DILIGENT EFFORTS IN VALIDATING THAT THE NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES EXCEEDED THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO PLACE THIS TIME SENSITIVE MATTER ON THE BALLOT.
AND IN ADDITION TO OTHER ISSUES BEFORE THE BOARD AND PLANNING COMMISSIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
ANY BOARD INITIATIVE OR PLANNING PROJECT THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS DETRIMENTAL TO OUR TOWNSHIP AS A WHOLE IN THE LONG RUN.
AND I UNDERSTAND WELL, FIRST IS CHARLES BARBERRY HERE YET.
[4A. New Full-Time Paramedic/Firefighter Introduction- Benjamin Haviland]
OK, I WILL THEN CALL UPON OUR CHIEF OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, ET CETERA.THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR AND BOARD, THIS IS BENJAMIN [INAUDIBLE].
HE'S GOING TO BE OUR NEWEST FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC THAT'S GOING TO FILL OUR LAST VACANCY.
A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND BENJAMIN IS HE ACTUALLY GRADUATED FROM THE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM IN EARLY 2021 AFTER COVID HIT AND HIS CLASS WAS CANCELED.
SO HE'S POST LIKE A YEAR FROM THE END OF HIS PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, WHICH THE BENEFIT THAT I LIKE ABOUT THAT IS YOU GO A YEAR OUT FROM PASSING A PARAMEDIC PROGRAM AND NOT PASSING YOUR STATE TEST, YOU GET A HIGH RATE OF FAILURE.
AND BENJAMIN PASSED IT THE FIRST TIME.
SO BENJAMIN'S FROM EAST LANSING.
WE WERE LOOKING AT BENJAMIN ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE THINKING HE WAS GOING TO BE DONE WITH HIS PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.
AND LUCKILY WE STILL HAD A POSITION AVAILABLE.
NOW HE'S A PARAMEDIC AND BENJAMIN IS ALSO IN THE MILITARY.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE BENJAMIN HERE AS A NEW PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTER.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK ALL OF YOU.
ONE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN MERIDIAN AS AN EMPLOYEE.
EACH INSTANCE THAT I'VE BEEN IN MERIDIAN, EITHER AS A CITIZEN, JUST VISITING THE AREA OR AS A STUDENT DOING RIDE ALONGS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'VE HAD A VERY ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE EACH TIME WHERE I'VE WALKED AWAY WITH A MEMORABLE MOMENT OR HAVING LEARNED SOMETHING NEW FROM THE FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO I KNOW FROM THE START THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT WOULD BE AT THE VERY TOP OF MY LIST FOR WHERE I WANTED TO WORK.
AND I WAS VERY GRATEFUL THAT CHIEF HAMEL CONTINUED TO PURSUE AT LEAST THE OPTION OF EMPLOYMENT WITH ME THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AS WELL AS THE EVALUATION PROCESS.
AND I KNOW I'VE MET WITH FRANK AND ABBY BOTH AND HAD INTERVIEWS WITH THE TWO OF THEM AS WELL.
SO I THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME AND THE EFFORTS THAT THEY'VE PUT IN AS WELL TO HELP ME GET TO THIS POINT RIGHT NOW.
YOU WANT TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER.
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
OK, NEXT IS OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT.I'LL BE BRIEF, THE LONG AWAITED TOWNSHIP BOARD PLANNING COMMISSION JOINT MEETING WILL BE MONDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 9TH, AT 6:00 P.M.
THE SOLAR PROJECT AT THE SERVICE CENTER IS 100 PERCENT COMPLETE AND WILL PROVIDE 100 PERCENT OF OUR ENERGY NEEDS FOR THE WHOLE CAMPUS AT THE SERVICE CENTER.
AND I WANT TO THANK MANAGER PERRY FOR HIS WORK ON THAT PROJECT AND ALSO HIS WORK WITH THE ROAD PROJECT, THE LONG AWAITED WORK UP AT POTTER AND SHAW UP IN HASLETT ONLY WAITED ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS FOR THAT.
WE WANTED TO DO THAT WORK BACK IN 2015, 2016, RAN INTO A DRAINAGE ISSUE WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE AND IT'S BEEN A PROJECT IN WAITING AND THE BASE COAT IS DOWN UP THERE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE UP IN THAT AREA, IT'S JUST A BASE COAT.
[00:20:01]
WE STILL NEED TO FINISH THE WORK RECENTLY WHERE INDIAN LAKES, BUT ALSO OUR WEBSITES KEPT UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE'LL BE EVERY DAY WITH OUR ROAD PROJECTS.SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, PLEASE TUNE INTO THE WEBSITE.
WE'RE HEARING FROM CITIZENS THAT HAVE RECEIVED IT.
OUR DEI TRAINING GETS UNDERWAY ON THURSDAY, I THINK AUGUST 5TH, AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT.
IT'S A FOUR HOUR TRAINING SESSION IN THE MORNING.
THE BUDGET, THE 2022 BUDGET IS NEARING COMPLETION.
I'LL HAVE MY FIRST LOOK AT IT TOMORROW WITH OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND MANAGER, PERRY.
AND THE GOAL IS TO HAVE IT TO THE BOARD IN DRAFT FORM ON THE 27TH OF THIS MONTH.
ON A FRIDAY, YOU'LL RECEIVE IT AND YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT TEN DAYS TO REVIEW IT BEFORE WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.
THE DDA MET IN THIS ROOM YESTERDAY MORNING EARLY FOR ABOUT A THREE HOUR MEETING DISCUSSING DOWNTOWN OKEMOS WHAT IT IS, WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHAT IT'S GOING TO BECOME.
AND, OF COURSE, FOCUSING ON THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT.
UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
I GUESS YOU ANSWERED THEM ALL FRANK.
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
WE NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS .RAMPING UP AND TRYING TO GET THEIR RIDERSHIP BACK UP WHERE IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.
OF COURSE, THEIR NUMBERS ARE DOWN, AS ARE ALL MASS TRANSIT AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO IF YOU KNOW, OF SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN JOINING THEIR TEAM, THEY'RE OFFERING SIGN IN BONUSES, EXCELLENT TRAINING.
THEY'RE GOOD, STRONG UNION JOBS.
SO CONTACT CATA IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A JOB WITH OUR GREAT CAPITAL AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
ON JULY 29TH I ATTENDED OUR INTERN APPRECIATION DAY OVER AT THE MARKETPLACE IN THE GREEN, ORGANIZED BY HOM TV.
AND WE INCLUDE OTHER INTERNS AS WELL.
BUT MAINLY IT WAS MEANT TO HONOR THE DOZEN OR SO INTERNS WE HAVE FOR HOMTV WHO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT MEETING IN AND OUT ALL FOR NO PAY, WHICH IS A SHAME.
BUT YOU DO EXCELLENT WORK AND AT LEAST WE CAN DO IS BUY YOU LUNCH NOW AND THEN.
SO AND THEN YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE DDA MEETING REFERENCED BY THE MANAGER IN THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS ABOUT THE PROGRESS OR RATHER LACK OF PROGRESS ON THAT PROJECT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME ANSWERS SOON.
BUT THERE WEREN'T MANY ANSWERS FORTHCOMING YESTERDAY.
FIRST, CAN I SAY SOMETHING PERSONAL IS THAT APPROPRIATE.
FIRST, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MY ELDEST SON, ZACH GUTHRIE, WHO HAS BEEN A MARINE RESERVE FOR OVER TEN YEARS.
AND HE HAD HIS LAST DRILL WEEKEND IN JULY AND SO I WORE A MARINE CORPS PIN TODAY.
I WORE A MARINE CORPS PIN TODAY IN HONOR OF HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
AND I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF OUR MILITARY AND OUR POLICE AND FIRE AND ALL OF THOSE WHO SERVE.
AND HIS UNIT WAS CUT LAST YEAR BY THE GOVERNMENT.
AND SO HE'S LOOKING TO POSSIBLY GO INTO THE ARMY.
BUT I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF HIM.
AND THEN OUR CLERKS DEPARTMENT THE STAFF IN THE CLERKS DEPARTMENT TODAY IS AT THE CITY OF LANSING.
THEY ARE LEARNING HOW TO IMPROVE OUR AD ACCOUNTING BOARD PROCESS.
AND SO THEY ARE UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF THE CITY OF LANSING ELECTION ADMINISTRATION AND THEY'VE BEEN THERE ALL DAY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DON'T HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT HERE TONIGHT ZACK BECAUSE HE'S OVER THERE AS WELL AND THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO USE THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY USE THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO PURCHASE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES? THAT'S MY REPORT.
ANYONE ELSE? I GUESS IT WAS QUIET THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS.
OK, WE WILL, NOW MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
I NEED A MOTION.I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
OK, WE NOW COME TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS COMMUNICATIONS.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
OUR MINUTES OF JULY 13TH AND JULY 20TH BOARD MEETINGS OUR BILLS TO SET A DATE FOR A TOWNSHIP JOINT MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSIONER, WHICH AS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER MENTIONED, WOULD BE THE 9TH.DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT.
AND FINALLY, THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE, SOMETHING WE'VE ADOPTED IN THE PAST.
SO I PUT IT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION, MS. JACKSON? YES.
SO MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
I NEED TO PULL THE MINUTES OFF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OK? WHY IS THAT FUNNY MANAGER?
[00:25:02]
LONG STORY.FLASHBACKS TO WHEN WE USED TO DO IT REGULARLY.
[LAUGHTER] NOW WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE BECAUSE OF THE BILLS.
BUT I THINK THE QUESTIONS FOR HIM WILL COME UP AS ITEMS COME UP UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO RAISE.
OK ALREADY WE NOW GO ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS, FIRST ONE IS REZONING NUMBER 21050
[12A. Rezoning #21050 (M & J Management), rezone an approximately 5 acre parcel located at 1999 Saginaw Highway, from C-2 (Commercial) to I (Industrial)-Introduction]
M&J MANAGEMENT REZONED AN APPROXIMATELY 5 ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT 1999 SAGINAW HIGHWAY FROM C2 COMMERCIAL TO I INDUSTRIAL.AND THIS WOULD BE INTRODUCTION.
OK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START WITH TELLING US ABOUT IT MR. SCHMITT DIRECTOR.
EXCUSE ME, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE, BUT A RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF AT THEIR MEETING IN JUNE 14TH AND THE BOARD DISCUSSED AT THEIR MEETING IN JULY.
THE REQUEST WOULD REZONE APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES OF LAND AT 1999 SAGINAW HIGHWAY FROM C2 COMMERCIAL BACK TO I INDUSTRIAL, WHICH WAS ZONING ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
THE APPLICANT INTENDS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY IN THE NEAR FUTURE SHOULD THE REZONING GO THROUGH.
THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE AN APPLICANT, WENT ONE DIRECTION AND BUSINESS CHANGED, THE WORLD CHANGED AND WENT BACK.
I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR INTRODUCTION REZONING NUMBER 21050 TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES AN APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRE PARCEL LOCATED IN 1999 SAGINAW HIGHWAY FROM C2 COMMERCIAL TO I INDUSTRIAL.
ANY DISCUSSION? MS. JACKSON? NO, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL AND AS HAS BEEN SAID, BUSINESS CLIMATE CHANGE OWNERS PLANS CHANGED AND THEY DECIDED APPARENTLY THAT THEY WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE THREE YEARS AGO.
[LAUGHTER] THAT'S THE WAY LIFE IS SOMETIMES.
BUT I DO WANT TO MENTION I MENTIONED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT THIS INVOLVES THE MERIDIAN COMPANY AND THEY GENEROUSLY MADE SOME OF THE CABINETS THAT WE DISTRIBUTED IN THE LOCATIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP FOR CREATING THOSE MINI PANTRIES WHICH HELP PEOPLE OUT, HELP PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE PANDEMIC AND THEY ARE STILL THERE.
[12B. Rezoning #21030 (New China of Michigan), a request to rezone a 0.42 acre parcel at 5114 Jo Don Drive from RC, Multiple Family Residential (maximum 14 dwelling units per acre) to RCC, Multiple Family Residential (maximum 34 dwelling units per acre)-Introduction]
THE NEXT ONE IS 12B REZONING NUMBER 21030 NEW CHINA OF MICHIGAN, A REQUEST TO REZONE A POINT 42.42 HUNDREDTHS OF AN ACRE PARCEL AT 5114 JO DON DRIVE FROM RC, WHICH IS, MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO MAXIMUM 14 DWELLING UNITS, PER ACRE TO RCC MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL MAXIMUM 34 DWELLING PER ACRE.
AND THIS IS IN THERE FOR INTRODUCTION.
MR. SCHMITT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS IS A LONG STANDING THIS IS A REZONING THAT PREDATES ME.
MR. KIESELBACH WAS SHEPHERDING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S REVIEW THROUGHOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
THE REQUEST IS TO REZONE THE PROPERTY AT 5114 JO DON UNDER A CONDITIONAL REZONING THIS.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN CREATE A NEW SINGLE FAMILY LOT ON THE NORTH END OF THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THE PATH THAT MR. KIESELBACH LAID OUT FOR THEM WOULD BE TO REZONE THE WHOLE PROPERTY TO MAKE IT FURTHER INTO COMPLIANCE, BUT WITH A CONDITION THAT THEY VOLUNTARILY OFFERED THAT THEY THEN HAVE TO COME BACK WITHIN 30 DAYS TO REZONE THE VACANT LAND BACK DOWN TO SINGLE FAMILY, PROVIDE SURVEYS AND GO FORWARD TO THE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE AT THAT TIME.
SO AS WE MENTIONED LAST TIME, AT THE REQUEST OF TRUSTEE JACKSON, THERE IS NO SCENARIO
[00:30:01]
UNDER WHICH ADDITIONAL MULTIFAMILY CAN BE BUILT UNDER THIS REZONING, BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T RESUBMIT WITHIN 30 DAYS TO DEAL WITH THE SINGLE FAMILY, THE REZONING BACK TO RC ON THIS WILL ALL GO AWAY.SO THIS IS JUST AN INTRODUCTION.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION ULTIMATELY HAD A SPLIT VOTE DUE TO SOME CONFUSION ON THE PART OF ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DID REVIEW THIS AT THEIR LAST MEETING AND HAD NO MAJOR CONCERNS AFTER SOME DISCUSSION.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION, I WASN'T HERE FOR THE LAST MEETING.
SO THE DEVELOPER PORTION OF THE PARCEL AS IT'S HYPOTHETICALLY GOING TO BE SPLIT, WHAT IS THE USE OR WHAT HOUSING TYPE IS ON THE DEVELOPED PORTION? THERE IS A SIX UNIT BUILDING, APARTMENT BUILDING THERE NOW.
OK, AND THAT WAS NOT PART OF STRAFFORD PLACE THAT'S SEPARATE.
THAT IS NOT IT'S SEPARATE, SEPARATE BUILDING.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE INTRODUCTION REZONING NUMBER 21 JO DON DRIVE FROM RC MULTIPLE FAMILY MAXIMUM 14 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE TO RCC MULTIPLE FAMILY MAXIMUM 34 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE WITH A CONDITION.
SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I WOULD JUST ADD FOR MR. OPSOMMER'S INFORMATION THAT A PART OF THE STRATEGY HERE IS TO ALLOW THE PART OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS NOW BEING USED TO BECOME COMPLIANT WITH A ZONING CATEGORY AND THEN SPLIT OFF SO THAT THIS SECOND PART COULD BE USED AS A SINGLE FAMILY.
YEAH, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT I TALK TO THE SUPERVISOR ABOUT THAT.
AND THE BENEFIT FOR US IS HOPEFULLY ANOTHER PUPIL OR THREE IN THE OKEMOS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE STUDENTS.
IF I COULD CONDITION THE HOUSING TYPE ON PUPILS MOVING IN I WOULD BUT WE CAN'T.
THE MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
OUR LAST ACTION ITEM OF THE DAY AT LEAST WE THINK IT IS IT IS
[12C. Resolution to Add Ballot Proposal to the November 2, 2021 Election Ballot]
RESOLUTION TO ADD BALLOT PROPOSAL TO THE NOVEMBER 2, 2021 ELECTION BALLOT.AND CAN WE HEAR FROM OUR ATTORNEY ON THAT QUICKLY? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.
SO THIS BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET IS THE RESULT OF A CITIZEN PETITION THAT WAS CIRCULATED UNDER THE MICHIGAN REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA ACT.
AND YOU HAD SOME CITIZEN SPEAK TO THAT.
SO THIS IS ADULT USE OR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS WHAT THIS STATUTE ADDRESSES AND WHAT THIS PETITION THEN ALSO ADDRESSES.
THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT MARIJUANA ACTS IN MICHIGAN, AND THIS ONLY ADDRESSES THIS ADULT USE OR RECREATIONAL PORTION.
CURRENTLY, THE TOWNSHIP DOES HAVE AN ORDINANCE PERMITTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES AND THAT WILL BE UNCHANGED.
THERE'S ALSO THE CAREGIVER PATIENT MODEL WHICH OPENED MARIJUANA IN MICHIGAN THAT ALSO WAS UNCHANGED BY THIS PETITION.
SO THEN SUBSTANTIVELY, WHAT IT IS, WAS A CITIZEN PETITION TO RESTRICT THESE ADULT USE ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.
SO CURRENTLY THERE IS AN ORDINANCE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS PASSED.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ADULT USE ESTABLISHMENTS CURRENTLY.
AND THIS WOULD ESSENTIALLY DO SIMILAR THINGS, BUT IT'S UTILIZING THAT CITIZEN AVENUE FORWARD AND THEN WHAT YOUR RESOLUTION IS, IS TO APPROVE THE ACTUAL BALLOT LANGUAGE AND THEN THE THE INITIATED ORDINANCE IS SIMPLY TO RESTRICT THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, TO APPROVE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021 ELECTION.
AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THE FOLLOWING BALLOT LANGUAGE BE PLACED ON THE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021 ELECTION BY THE INGHAM COUNTY CLERK, AND THAT IS AS LISTED HERE SUPPORT.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE ATTORNEY.
[00:35:05]
BOARD HAVE AN OPTION.WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE BOARD DID TURN DOWN THIS LANGUAGE? WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS? OR IS IT SIMPLY A PRO FORMA THAT THE BOARD TAKES ACTION TO APPROVE WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THE PETITIONS? IT IS LARGELY PRO FORMA.
THE LEGAL TERM OF ART IS MINISTERIAL ACT.
SO THE PETITION HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
YOUR JOB THEN IS TO DRAFT THIS BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER PETITION CASES, IF THERE'S DISPUTES ABOUT THE PETITION OF THE LANGUAGE, ESSENTIALLY THE COURT RESOLVES WHATEVER THAT DISPUTE IS AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP JUST HAS TO THEN PUT THAT LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE IS SOME WORD SMITHING THAT, YOU KNOW, GOES INTO PUTTING THE LANGUAGE TOGETHER WITH THE PETITION HAVING BEEN SUBMITTED, A VALID PETITION HAVEN'T BEEN RECEIVED.
IT IS A KIND OF PRO FORMA OR MINISTERIAL ACT WHERE A LOT OF THE DISCRETION IS ALREADY TAKEN OUT.
THEY'VE GIVEN YOU THE PETITION.
IT'S SOMETHING FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO THEN DO IS ONE OF THEIR ELECTION DUTIES.
CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES., TREASURER DESCHAINE.
YES, MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
SO WE HAVE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS.
YEAH, IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN LIVE IN A LONG TIME AND WE HAVE NEW FACES OUT IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND I JUST LIKE TO REAL QUICKLY INTRODUCE SOME STAFF, TEAM PLAYERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US WHO ARE NEW SINCE ALL THIS HAPPENED.
SO FIRST ABBY CAN YOU COME UP.
WE GOT TO GET THEM INTO THE CAMERA.
YEP JUST COME ON UP TO THE YEAH.
DIRECTOR, COMES TO US FOR 30 YEARS IN THE JUDICIAL BRANCH AND A TOWNSHIP RESIDENT.
AND IT'S JUST DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH OUR H.R.
I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE ABBY TO EVERYONE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
DIRECTOR CLARK ANOTHER TOWNSHIP RESIDENT, HAS BEEN WITH US SINCE ALMOST A YEAR NOW AND COMES TO US FROM THE CITY OF JACKSON, WHERE SHE WAS THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER BEFORE THAT WAS WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY.
AND SHE WAS FOUND AT A CONFERENCE THAT TRUSTEE SUNDLAND AND TRUSTEE JACKSON ATTENDED.
SO THEY DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT FOR THIS.
YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, DIRECTOR CLARK.
I WOULD MENTION THAT TRUSTEE JACKSON BROUGHT HER TO MY ATTENTION BACK WE NEEDED SOMEBODY ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SHE SAID SHE'D BE OUTSTANDING.
AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOW A DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
TIM SCHMITT COMES TO US FROM THE CITY OF HOWELL, WHERE HE WAS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR AROUND SIX YEARS BEFORE THAT WITH THE CITY OF EAST LANSING FOR A FEW YEARS AND NOVI BEFORE THAT 15, 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
AND HE IS NOW LEADING OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY TAKEN OUR DEPARTMENT UP A FEW LEVELS AND DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE HIM HERE.
SO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SCHMITT.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE NEW FACES ON OUR TEAM.
AND SO WELCOME TO ALL THREE OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
[13A. Special Use Permit #21071 – Sparrow Health Systems – construction of a building greater than 25,000 square feet]
THANK YOU.WE NOW MOVE ONTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS, AND THE FIRST ONE IS SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 21071 SPARROW HEALTH SYSTEMS, CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING GREATER THAN 25000 SQUARE FEET.
WHO WANTS TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION? MR. OPSOMMER.
I WAS JUST GOING TO BEGIN BY ASKING SPARROW IF THEY HAD ANY REVISED SITE PLANS THAT THEY WANTED TO SHOW TO THE BOARD THIS EVENING OR.
NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET.
OK? IS THERE A REVISED SITE PLAN AS IT RELATES TO THE CURB CUT ON KANSAS ROAD? SORRY.
WE DO HAVE OUR ENGINEERS WORKING THROUGH THAT.
IT HASN'T BEEN SUBMITTED BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A DETAIL IN THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.
BUT WE DO HAVE THE ENGINEERS LOOKING AT THAT AND THEN THE SIDEWALK PIECE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE ADDED ALSO IS BEING LOOKED AT.
SO ONE THING, I WATCHED A GOOD PORTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION DELIBERATIONS, BUT I DIDN'T WATCH ALL OF IT.
WHAT WAS THE KIND OF IMPETUS OR WHAT WAS DRIVING THE CONVERSATION AROUND HAVING A SIDEWALK ADJACENT OR PARALLEL TO KANSAS ROAD? SO THERE WAS I MEAN, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT THERE.
I MEAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU DON'T PLAN FOR POTENTIAL SIDEWALK WHEN YOU HAVE DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR IT TO BE INSTALLED LATER OR IT HAS TO BE INSTALLED AT THE COST OF THE TOWNSHIP OR THE COST OF RESIDENCE OR SOMETHING OF
[00:40:03]
THAT NATURE.SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION.
BUT THERE IS ALSO SUBSTANTIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT INTERACTIONS WITH PEDESTRIANS ON THE ROAD AND POTENTIAL WITH INCREASED TRAFFIC, ALBEIT LIMITED TRAFFIC FROM THIS PROJECT ON KANSAS ROAD AND HOW THAT WOULD INTERACT WITH WALKERS AND RUNNERS AND BIKERS ON THE STREET.
AND SO THAT'S THE GIST OF THE CONVERSATION.
I MEAN, THE SIDEWALK PIECE SORT OF FROM JOLLY TO THE BUILDING WAS A NATURAL PROGRESSION OF IF WE'RE GOING TO THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CATA STOPS AND SO WE'RE GOING TO POTENTIALLY HAVE A CATA STOP WE MOVE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS INTO THE SITE.
AND IT SORT OF GREW FROM THERE.
SO THERE WAS IT WAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS FROM MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND IN MY CORRECTION, KANSAS STREET, I SHOULD NOT BE SAYING KANSAS ROAD, BUT I HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT AS WELL BECAUSE, I MEAN, THE THROUGHOUT THE TIME WHEN WE'VE GONE THROUGH VARIOUS CONCEPT PLANS, THERE HAS BEEN THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS KIND OF CENTERED ON THE FACILITY OR CLOSER TO CENTER DOWN FROM JOLLY ROAD.
SO THERE IS THAT SIDEWALK THAT TAKES YOU ACROSS THE ENTRANCE SERVICE DRIVE OFF JOLLY INTO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
AND I GUESS THE SENSE I GET FROM THE RESIDENTS LIVING THERE, ALTHOUGH THE CITIZEN WHO DID SPEAK TO ME DURING PUBLIC KIND OF EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN IT, BUT I HADN'T HEARD ANY INTEREST IN THE SIDEWALK PARALLEL TO KANSAS PRIOR TO TONIGHT.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IS THERE AN INTEREST, DO YOU THINK, THROUGH THOSE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT EXTENDING IT? BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S REALLY JUST THE STUB THAT DOESN'T REALLY GO ANYWHERE WHEN THERE'S THAT OTHER PEDESTRIAN ACCESS POINT.
YEAH, THAT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THEIR MEETING.
WAS THAT THE PRO OF IT IS THAT YOU GET IT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.
THE CON IS THE STUB THAT GOES NOWHERE AND POTENTIALLY INTO SOMEONE'S FRONT YARD AT THE TIME, LARGELY OTHER THAN MR. LUPA I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE SPOKE OF PEDESTRIAN WALKABILITY ON KANSAS NOR TO THE PROJECT.
OK, AND SO DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY, IF WE WERE TO PURSUE THIS IN THE FUTURE, IF KANSAS STREET WANTED TO PURSUE SIDEWALKS, THAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT TYPE OF PROJECT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, CORRECT? ALL LIKELIHOOD, YES.
AND SO WE COULD DRAW A SPARROW INTO THE SAD AT THAT TIME AND THEY WOULD BEAR THEIR FRONTAGE COST BASED ON THEIR FRONTAGE ON KANSAS.
OK, SO THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WHEN I LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS WAS I THINK IT'S CONDITION FOUR I GET THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY ON THE EAST SIDE WITH THE SERVICE DRIVE OFF WOOD LAKE? BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A SIDEWALK THAT COMES FROM JOLLY.
AND SO YOU COULD CROSS WOOD LAKE, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME ZEBRA STRIPING AND TAKE THAT IN.
BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THE NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION IN A PLACE THAT TAKES YOU CLOSER TO THE ENTRANCE.
SO BASED ON ALL THE INPUT THAT I'VE HEARD, I THOUGHT THAT CONDITION DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE FOR THE PROJECT.
SO THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME.
OTHER THAN THAT, I'M THANKFUL AND THIS HAS BEEN A VERY LONG AND DELIBERATIVE PROCESS THROUGHOUT EVEN DATING BACK TO LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS.
SO I THANK SPARROW FOR WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOR WORKING TO ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR COMMENTS.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION SCHMITT.
SO I MISSED, IS IT REQUIRED THAT WE HAVE THAT ENTRANCE ON KANSAS STREET? SO IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
YOU MAY RECALL THE REZONING THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAD A CONDITION THAT THE, BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF CURB CUTS DURING THE ORIGINAL REZONING PROCESS, THE CONDITION OF APPROVAL WAS LIMITING THEIR CURB CUTS TO THE ONE OFF WOOD LAKE TO THE EAST THE ONE SOUTH ON JOLLY AND POTENTIALLY ONE ON KANSAS DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH THE PORT [INAUDIBLE] ENTRANCE ACROSS THE STREET, ALL SUBJECT TO THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT'S APPROVAL.
IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS, SPARROW DIDN'T INDICATE WHY THEY WERE PROPOSING IT, BUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO RECOMMEND REMOVAL OF IT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? CLERK? I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE THINK FROM THE GET GO, I WASN'T IN FAVOR OF HAVING ACCESS ON KANSAS STREET, BUT, IS THIS KANSAS STREET OR ROAD? ON KANSAS STREET, I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY PART OF OUR INITIAL DISCUSSION WHEN WE TALKED WAS ELIMINATING THAT.
SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT AND HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF THE THE TREES IN THE BACK AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT PARKING SPACES IS.
IS THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT ARE REQUIRED IN HERE?
[00:45:09]
ARE THOSE ARE THOSE SPACES REQUIRED OR? I'M JUST WONDERING WHY THERE ARE SO MANY, BECAUSE I SAW THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASED NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES.SO PARKING IS TYPICALLY SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK AT AT THE SITE PLAN STAGE.
THIS IS SIMPLY LOOKING AT THE BUILDING SIZE.
BUT IN TERMS OF YOUR QUESTION, WE DID LOOK AT IT BECAUSE THE PLANNING COMMISSION BROUGHT IT UP AS WELL.
STAFF CALCULATION IS THAT THEY'RE SLIGHTLY OVER PARKED, MAYBE 10, 12 SPACES.
THE APPLICANT'S CALCULATIONS ARE THERE OF A PARK LIKE TWO OR THREE.
IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HOW YOU VIEW SOME OF THE INTERNAL SPACES AND WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS IT WOULD FALL UNDER OUR DEFINITION IN THE PARK, OF WHAT WOULD REQUIRE PARKING SPACE.
AND SO IT'S NOT THAT OVER PARKED.
THE WAY THEY'VE SORT OF SET THIS UP IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE COMING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WOULD BE SORT OF PARKING THE SOUTH.
PEOPLE COMING TO THE MEDICAL OFFICE WOULD BE PARKED POTENTIALLY ON THE EAST SIDE AND SORT OF THE NORTH SIDE WOULD BE STAFF AND DOCTORS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THEY'VE LAID IT OUT SOMEWHAT DELIBERATELY, DELIBERATIVELY BASED OFF THE USES THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THE BUILDING.
AND IT'S NOT MORE OVER PARKED THAN WE WOULD EXPECT FOR A MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING.
SO WHEN I HEAR YOU SAY OVER PARKED, DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT'S MORE THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED.
SIMPLY MORE THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED, YES.
THE MINIMUM IS 136, IF YOU USE THEIR CALCULATIONS, I BELIEVE, AND THEY HAVE 153, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THOSE NUMBERS.
IT SAYS, IT STATES THAT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES 152 AND THERE'S 159, SO IT'S SEVEN OVER THE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT.
IT'S ONE SPACE FOR FIVE SPACES PER 1000 SQUARE FEET OF THE GROSS FLOOR AREA FOR MEDICAL OFFICE FACILITIES.
SEVEN IS A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT MR. [INAUDIBLE].
I MEAN I THINK TO THE POINT THEY'RE NOT DRAMATICALLY OVER PARKED FOR A MEDICAL OFFICE USE.
THEY'RE WELL WITHIN SORT OF THE BALLPARK.
IF THEY RECONFIGURED THE INSIDE AND TOOK OUT SOME OF THE SPACE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND PUT IN MORE ROOMS, IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE RIGHT IN THE WHEELHOUSE OF WHAT THE PARKING IS REQUIRED.
YEAH, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY [INAUDIBLE] I MEAN, SEVEN SOUNDS A LITTLE AND I'M GLAD THAT THE WETLANDS ARE STILL PROTECTED AND I'M GLAD THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS STILL PROTECTED AROUND THERE AND NOTHING IS ENCROACHING UPON THAT.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE SEVEN BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT REDUCING PARKING SPACES AND ALL OF THE CONCRETE IN THIS TOWNSHIP.
SO EVEN IN OUR ITERATIONS OF RESPONDING TO REQUESTS AND ALTERING THE SITE PLAN, I THINK WE'RE AT 154 RIGHT NOW, WITH 152 BEING REQUIRED.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WE ARE PURSUING LEED CERTIFICATION ON THIS PROJECT AND ONE ELEMENT OF THAT APPLICATION WOULD BE PARKING SPACES DEDICATED TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS ALSO.
SO WHEN WE, I THINK WE'VE GOT LIKE EIGHT SPACES DEDICATED TO THAT.
SO WHEN YOU START TAKING THOSE OUT OF THE LIKE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SORT OF EQUATION, WE START TO GET EVEN UNDER THAT 152.
MISS GUTHRIE MAKES A GOOD POINT, THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS BOARD HAS HAD A HISTORY IN RECENT YEARS OF NOT WANTING EXCESS PARKING.
WHAT IT WANTS LESS THAN WHAT'S EVEN REQUIRED OF IT.
SO BECAUSE PARKING IS NEGATIVE ON OUR ENVIRONMENT, MANY OTHER THINGS.
OK, ONE QUESTION, MR. SCHMITT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S MAYBE A FEW THINGS NEED FINE TUNING IT BEFORE WE VOTE TO APPROVE THIS? I WOULD SAY THAT, YES, CERTAINLY FROM A SITE PLAN PERSPECTIVE, BUT YOU'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO APPROVE THE SITE PLAN.
YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE BUILDING BEING GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET.
I JUST WONDER IF ANY BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE ACTION ON THIS TODAY? TRUSTEE JACKSON HAD A QUESTION.
IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME IN A PROJECT LIKE THIS, ARE THERE REQUIREMENTS FOR BICYCLE PARKING? THERE ARE.
THE BICYCLE PARKING IS, OF COURSE, I DON'T HAVE THE PAGE UP AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S 16 REQUIRED [INAUDIBLE].
AND IT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE PLAT PLANS.
AND THE OTHER COMMENT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THAT I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN MOVED TO A POSITION WHERE I THINK I CAN SUPPORT THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
PRIMARILY BASED ON MY CONCERN, AND THE FIRST PREMISE OF THE SPECIAL USE
[00:50:11]
PERMIT RESOLUTION, THAT THIS SITE IS APPROPRIATELY ZONED.MY INTERPRETATION SUGGESTS THAT THIS PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ZONED COMMERCIAL AS OPPOSED TO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE.
AND I HAVE NOT MOVED OFF OF THAT CONSIDERATION AND PROBABLY WILL NOT SUPPORT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? CLERK GUTHRIE? THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON, FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
THIS IS WHY I VOTED THE WAY I DID AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, BASED OFF OF YOUR INTERPRETATION AND YOUR NUMBER OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ON THE MASTER PLAN.
IN REGARDS TO SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDINGS, IS IT TRUE THAT IF IT WAS LESS THAN TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIRED FOR THIS? CORRECT.
OK, SO THIS WOULD NOT HAVE COME BEFORE THE BOARD FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT.
YES, AND THAT THE THRESHOLD USED TO BE LIKE 75,000 SQUARE FEET, AND SO THAT WAS THE INTENT OF PREVIOUS BOARDS TO HAVE GREATER OVERSIGHT AND ALSO FLEXIBLE OVERSIGHT, SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
THERE'S A LOT OF LATITUDE THAT THE GOVERNING BODY HAS.
AND A LOT OF THAT CAME ABOUT DUE TO BIG BOX RETAILERS AND THE PROLIFERATION OF BIG BOX RETAIL IN THE 80S AND 90S.
SO ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BEFORE THE BOARD HAD STATED THAT SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND.
IT WAS IT WAS AN EFFORT TO BETTER REGULATE LARGE COMMERCIAL BY AND LARGE.
OK, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, DISCUSSION TIME.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SUMMARY OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION? THE VOTE WAS 6 TO 2 AND THEY HAD, I BELIEVE, THREE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS THAT THEY PLACED ON THEIR APPROVAL.
SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED 6 TO 2 ULTIMATELY TO THE CONDITIONS.
WE THEY SORT OF RAN THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THEY ENDED UP BEING WHAT IS NUMBER FOUR IN YOUR COVER MEMO ON THE RESOLUTION BUT ESSENTIALLY PEDESTRIAN ACCESS BEING PROVIDED UP KANSAS FROM JOLLY ROAD AND INTO THE SITE, PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM WOODLAKE INTO THE SITE AND THEN PROHIBITION OF VEHICULAR ACCESS ON KANSAS ROAD BEING REMOVED, ALL THAT SUBJECT TO THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT'S APPROVAL.
SO THEY JUST SORT OF LUMPED THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO ONE ONE ITEM WHEN THEY MADE THE MOTION .
AND HAS THE APPLICANT BEEN APPROACHED WITH THESE CONDITIONS AND THEY AGREED TO MEET THEM? THEY WERE AT THE MEETING.
THEY RAISED NO MAJOR CONCERN AT THE TIME.
I WOULDN'T DEIGN TO SPEAK FOR THEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THOSE CONDITIONS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THIS BOARD.
THANKS, TOM [INAUDIBLE], SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT WITH SPARROW.
NICE TO SEE YOU ALL IN PERSON.
WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CONDITIONS.
JUST TO ADD TO THE KANSAS STREET ANSWER, WE ARE COMFORTABLE EITHER WAY.
WE INCLUDED THAT AS AN OPTION BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THERE'S BEEN PROS AND CONS TO HAVING ACCESS THERE.
WE FELT LIKE IF PEOPLE ACCIDENTALLY TURNED DOWN THE STREET THINKING THEY COULD GET IN AND DIDN'T HAVE A WAY, WE DIDN'T WANT CARS TO BE TURNING AROUND AND RESIDENTS' DRIVEWAYS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WE KEPT IT IN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE THERE'S YOU KNOW STRONGER SENTIMENT TO NOT HAVE IT IN, AND WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BECAUSE EARLIER DISCUSSION MAY HAVE GONE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS THAT SIT HERE IS TO HAVE ACCESS FROM KANSAS ROAD, THE DRIVEWAY THAT WOULD LINE UP WITH THE DENTAL PRACTICES THAT ARE ACROSS.
IT'S TO REMOVE THAT CURB CUT AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS PART OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REVIEW, RECOMMENDED THEY REMOVE IT.
IF I COULD CLARIFY ONE OTHER THING, TOO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HAS CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ON THIS IS THAT CONCEPTUALLY SPARROW SHOWED UP SITE PLANS WITH IT REMOVED, BUT THE CONDITIONS STILL ALLOWED FOR IT.
SO WE KIND OF HAD YOU KNOW, THERE WAS STILL UTILITY BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T WANT A
[00:55:01]
CONDITION AT THE TIME OF REZONING BECAUSE THEY HADN'T GONE THROUGH THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT AND ALL OF THOSE APPROVALS AND WHATNOT.SO THE CONDITION DIDN'T PROHIBIT IT.
BUT CONCEPTUALLY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING IT.
AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION FURTHERED THAT CONVERSATION AND PUT THE CONDITION IN IT'S CONDITION FOUR ON PAGE TWO.
GIVEN THE LONGEVITY OF THIS PROJECT AND HOW MANY TIMES IT'S BEEN BEFORE, THE VARIOUS BODIES HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR RULES SO THAT WE COULD CONSIDER THIS ITEM THIS EVENING.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, THEN THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUSPENDING THE RULES SO WE CAN CONSIDER THIS IS AN [INAUDIBLE] ITEM TONIGHT SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? THEN WE ARE NOW CONSIDERING IT AS A POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM, WE NEED A MOTION.
JUST ONE MOMENT HERE, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER TWO ONE ZERO SEVEN ONE SPARROW HEALTH SYSTEMS BUILDING GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET LOCATED AT TWO FOUR FOUR JOLLY ROAD.
DISCUSSION, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF IT.
THEN GO TO DESCHAINE, I MEAN, YES, ONE OF THEIR MOTION TO STRIKE CONDITION FOUR FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THE KANSAS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS KANSAS ROAD FROM JOLLY ROAD TO THE EXACT LANGUAGE WOULD BE STRIKING UP KANSAS ROAD FROM JOLLY ROAD AND INTO THE SITE.
SO IT'S STRIKING THAT PORTION BECAUSE THAT THE MOTION.
YEAH, THE RESOLUTION JUST TO STRIKE THAT TO STRIKE THE SIDEWALK ALONG KANSAS ROAD SPECIFICALLY STRIKING.
SO IT SHOULD JUST READ PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM WOODLAKE DRIVE INTO THE SITE, ETC..
OK, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION TO AMEND? SUPPORT.
TO FIRST I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS AND I'LL ASK THE QUESTIONS.
AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
STRIKING THIS IS TO MEET THE REQUESTS OF THE RESIDENTS OF KANSAS ROAD.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THIS FACILITY, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, JUST THAT MY SENSE FROM ALL OF THE PUBLIC INPUT IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY FROM PARTS NOT, YOU KNOW, FROM FOLKS UP AROUND THESE COMMERCIAL PARTS, YOU KNOW, VENTURING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT MORE.
THAT'S JUST THE SENTIMENT THAT I HAVE GARNERED.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STONE PATHWAYS, YOU KNOW, THE PATHWAYS ALONG MAJOR ROAD NETWORKS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE BUILDING OUT PATHWAYS.
AND THOSE ARE BUILT OUT THROUGH THE TOWNSHIPS, ACTUAL PATHWAY, MILLAGE AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE A STUB THAT YOU INTEND TO BUILD OFF OF AT SOME POINT.
HERE, I FEEL LIKE THE SIDEWALK IS KIND OF THE SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE.
BUT IF IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS TO DO A SAD, SPARROW WILL HAVE TO FUND THIS SEGMENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REGARDLESS.
SO IF THERE EVER WANTS TO BE A CONCERTED PART TO DO A SIDEWALK, COULD BE ON THE WEST SIDE OR IT COULD BE ON THE EAST SIDE.
SPARROW WOULD HAVE TO PAY ITS FAIR SHARE OR THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WOULD HAVE TO PAY ITS FAIR SHARE, DEPENDING ON HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD DISCUSSION OF HOW DO WE FORMULATE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND ACCESS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF GETTING FROM JOLLY TO THE FACILITY, BECAUSE THERE IS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
WE WILL SEE THE SITE PLAN AGAIN, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT'S OVER TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND FEET.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOU WILL NOT.
THE SITE PLAN WILL BE REVIEWED ADMINISTRATIVELY.
WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED PER THE ORDINANCE IN TWO WEEKS, AND AFTER THAT WE WILL APPROVE IT AND THEY WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION AS SOON AS THEY HAVE BUILDING PERMITS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND JUST ON THE MAIN MOTION, I WOULD JUST SAY I'M COMFORTABLE AT THIS POINT.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREE SURVEY AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO CREATE THE NATURAL BUFFER, THERE'S NOT EVEN A PLACE TO PUT ANOTHER TREE LINING THE FACILITY AT THIS POINT IN ADDITION TO THE AUXILIARY WALL, THAT KIND OF SCREENS BEHIND THE TREE BUFFER THE AMBULANCE ACCESS AT THAT NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE FACILITY NOW.
[01:00:03]
AND THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO THE EAST HAS BEEN HANDLED.AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN BEFORE US THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, I THINK ALL OF THE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT WANTS TO PROCEED.
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF GROUND WORK WITH THE WATER MAINS AND WHATNOT.
SO WITH THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON IN MICHIGAN, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO GO.
WE NEED TO HAVE A VOTE ON YOUR AMENDMENT TO YOUR MOTION FIRST.
AND AT THIS POINT, I WOULD ASK THAT WE [INAUDIBLE], ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF A AMENDING CONDITION FOUR, AS MR. OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, TO BASICALLY ELIMINATE SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE, SAY AYE.
OK, NOW WE COME TO THE ACTUAL MOTION TO APPROVE THIS TONIGHT WITH THE CONDITIONS AS LAID OUT, ET CETERA, IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND I THINK WE'VE THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED IT.
AND THEREFORE, I CALL UPON OUR CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ONE, SIX ONE IF I CAN COUNT.
I WANT TO THANK THE APPLICANT.
IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS FOR THAT.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST MEETING I HAD A LONG, LONG TIME AGO WITH THE EXECUTIVES AT SPARROW AND LONG PROCESS, AND I APPRECIATE THEIR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE THINGS AND ADAPT, ET CETERA, BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS HERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US, VERY IMPORTANT.
RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS SORT OF A LITTLE RURAL PIECE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN OTHERWISE VERY URBAN OR SUBURBAN AREA.
AND IT'S NICE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED HARD TO TRY TO DO THAT WHILE STILL PROVIDING WHAT SHOULD BE A VERY VALUABLE SERVICE TO THE ENTIRE EASTERN PORTION OF THE MID-MICHIGAN.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND COOPERATION.
THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE] FOR ALL THE STUFF YOU'VE DONE ON THIS.
WE NOW GO ON TO DISCUSSION OF A
[13B. SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority]
SMART ZONE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY, I BELIEVE AMBER CLARK [INAUDIBLE] DIRECTOR.SO THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, WE HAD SOME OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INVITATION TO JOIN THE LLDFA.
I THINK I SHOULD PROBABLY INCLUDE THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF THE CURRENT LDFA.
IT IS WITH THE CITY OF LANSING AND THE CITY OF EAST LANSING, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE A BOARD MEMBER FROM MSU AND A BOARD MEMBER FROM THEIR FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SO IT'S A REGIONAL APPROACH FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL THAT CAN BE USED WITHIN THESE THREE COMMUNITIES, THREE, INCLUDING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
SHOULD THE BOARD DECIDE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN.
A QUESTION WAS RAISED IS WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THE TOWNSHIP, TO THE TAX CAPTURE OF THE PARCELS THAT WOULD BE IN THE AUTHORITY FALL TO A NEGATIVE INCREASE? AND REALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS WHATEVER FUND IS SET UP FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO GAIN THAT CAPTURE, WE WOULD NOT.
IT WOULDN'T BE A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THE TOWNSHIP IN THE SENSE OF A BOND OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE HAD TO PAY BACK.
IT JUST MEANT THAT ANY PROGRAM THAT WE WERE TO OFFER IN THE TOWNSHIP FOR THOSE PARCELS, THEY WOULD BE UNDERFUNDED AND THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PROCEED FORWARD.
THE TAXABLE VALUES THAT ARE PROJECTED IN THE LDFA PACK, LIKE THE FULL PACKET AND WITHIN THE DRAFT PLAN, INCLUDE THE SMALL PROJECTED INCREASE FROM 2020 TO 2025, AND IT JUMPS UP SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR 2021.
BECAUSE WE KNOW OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
IT'S A SEVENTY FOUR PERCENT INCREASE AND THEN ABOUT A PERCENT INCREASE EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT'S JUST IF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP JUST KEPT SAILING ON THOSE PROPERTIES WITHOUT DOING ANY MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT.
AND AS WE KNOW AND WE HEARD FROM MR. [INAUDIBLE], THAT MERIDIAN COMPANY IS EXPECTING TO DO INVESTMENT IN THE PARCELS IN QUESTION.
AND THE PARCELS LISTED HERE TODAY JUST HAVE A SIMPLE INCREASE WITH INFLATION, NO DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED, AND IT WOULD COLLECT ABOUT FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE TOWNSHIP.
SO THAT'S JUST IF EVERYTHING STAYED STATUS QUO.
SO THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED IS WHAT WOULD BE THE POSITIVE IMPACT? AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT IS THAT WE EXPECT AN INCREASE AND WE EXPECT TO CAPTURE IF IF THIS BOARD DID WANT TO PURSUE THAT, YOU COULD YOU WOULD HAVE SOME FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN INVESTMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE MADE IN THE PARCELS.
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF POSED IS HOW DOES THE LDFA WORK RIGHT NOW AND
[01:05:01]
WHAT THINGS DOES IT DOES IT CURRENTLY SUPPORTING? IT IS SUPPORTING THE VAN CAMP BUILDING, WHICH IS THE THE MSU FOUNDATION INCUBATOR THAT'S HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.AND I WANTED TO GO OVER SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT SOME OF THE COMPANIES IN THERE AS A LIST.
AND WE GOT 17 COMPANIES IN THERE THAT HAVE STAYED OVER THE COURSE THROUGH COVID.
FOUR OF THEM GRADUATED OUT, THEY'RE AT BASICALLY 100 PERCENT FULL OCCUPANCY FOR WET LAB AND ABOUT 50 PERCENT FOR ANY OFFICE SPACE, WHICH IS PRETTY DRAMATIC CONSIDERING COVID.
AND WHAT THE VERY SPECIFIC KIND OF INDUSTRIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED IN THE VAN CAMP BUILDING .
[INAUDIBLE] PLASMA DOES INNERVATED [INAUDIBLE] PLASMA, WHICH IS SINGLE BEAM ION.
I'M SAYING STUFF THAT I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST GOING TO REPEAT WHAT'S ON THEIR WEBSITES.
THEY CREATE DIAMONDS AND THEY'RE HIGH PERFORMING DIAMONDS.
SO NOT THE KIND ON YOUR RING FINGER, BUT THE KIND TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO OTHER EQUIPMENT TO MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER.
[INAUDIBLE] THERAPEUTICS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, IS DEDICATED NEXT GENERATION OF VACCINES AND HUMAN HEALTH NEEDS.
AND THEY SECURED A GRANT RECENTLY FOR A VERY RARE CANCER RESEARCH THAT THEY ARE DOING ON THE SITE RIGHT NOW.
THE QUESTION POSED WAS THESE ARE THESE ARE ALL BUSINESS INDUSTRIES THAT FALL WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY.
SO THE THOUGHT IS, WELL, IF THIS IS AN INDUSTRIAL IF THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO THE INDUSTRIAL, WHAT TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL, NOT HEAVY MANUFACTURING THAT WE WOULD SEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE IN SOUTHEAST BUT THESE ARE COMPANIES THAT EXIST RIGHT NOW IN THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY.
THEY DO SMALL MOLECULE THERAPIES.
AND GAMMA DATA IS A DATA DRIVEN OPTIMIZATION COMPANY THAT ESSENTIALLY THEIR SERVICES HELP BUSINESSES AUTOMATE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY DO WITHIN THEIR COMPANY BASED ON DATA.
AND ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING ALREADY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
SO THE IDEA OF JOINING THE LDFA IS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THOSE THROUGH PROGRAMING BY USE OF THE TIF.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN INVITATION FROM SOME REGIONAL PARTNERS.
THERE'S NOTHING NEGATIVE THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SHOULD WE NOT JOIN.
AND IT'S THE FINAL DECISION OF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH QUESTIONS AND ALSO DISCUSS YOUR FIRST QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE].
YES[LAUGHTER] THE BUM'S RUSH [LAUGHTER] NO, GO AHEAD MRS. WISINSKI YOU'RE FIRST.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR [INAUDIBLE] SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE EIGHT BOARD MEMBERS FROM THE TWO OTHER ENTITIES, PLUS MSU.
IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT BOARD? ABSOLUTELY.
IF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS IN THE LDFA, WE WOULD HAVE A BOARD MEMBER AND YOU WOULD ELECT FROM YOURSELF.
OK, I THINK THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTION FOR MS. CLARK.
DIRECTOR CLARK, I THINK YOU SAID BEFORE THAT THERE IS THIS CAPTURE POTENTIAL ON THESE PROPERTIES.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD SHARE IN THE CAPTURE AND THE PROPERTIES IN THE OTHER LOCATIONS AS WELL.
THERE IS A THERE WILL BE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ENTITIES.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE SUGGESTIONS THAT IT WOULD BE A 90 10 SPLIT, WHICH IS 90 PERCENT OF THE CAPTURE CREATED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WOULD BE USED.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD BE DETERMINED BY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND STAY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND A 10 PERCENT RISING FUND FOR ALL ENTITIES TO USE FOR BUSINESS, ATTRACTION AND RETENTION, MARKETING, DESIGN, THOSE KINDS, OF COLLECTIVELY AND ACROSS THE [INAUDIBLE] OK, WHAT'S THE LENGTH OF TIME OF THE CAPTURE FOR FOR THIS AUTHORITY? THEY'VE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 15 YEARS.
THEY WILL BE DOING AN EXTENSION FOR FIVE YEARS, OK? CURRENTLY, THIS THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW WOULD BE THE NEW EXTENSION FOR FIVE YEARS.
OK, SO THE AUTHORITY AUTHORIZES CAPTURE FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD AFTER THIS.
THE RE CERTIFICATION OF THE AUTHORITY.
OK, I THINK THAT'S ONE OTHER THING.
ARE THERE ANY KINDS OF RESTRICTIONS ON HOW THE CAPTURED FUNDS CAN BE USED BY THE TOWNSHIP? IS THERE'S SOME RESTRICTION THAT THE TOWNSHIP MUST USE THOSE FUNDS TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THESE AREAS.
[01:10:03]
THEIR RESTRICTIONS ARE LIMITED TO THE LDF OF THE TAX CODIFIED LAW.SO AS LONG AS WE STICK TO THOSE PARAMETERS AND OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE OTHER ENTITIES, THOSE WOULD BE THOSE RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD BE SET.
OK, THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION.
DID YOU WANT TO GO FIRST, MRS. WISINSKI, OR.
I DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IGNORE YOU AGAIN.
AND THEN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE EAST LANSING DDA AND THEY'RE SMART ZONE [INAUDIBLE] TWO IN THE SAME AREA.
AND I ASKED YOU EARLIER TO CLARIFY WHICH TAX CAPTURE GOES TO THE DDA, WHICH GOES TO THE TIFF, AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER TO BE THAT THE SMART ZONE WOULD COLLECT THE TAX CAPS AND OTHERWISE GO TO AN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
THEY COLLECT THE SCHOOL AND THE STATE TAXES AND THE DDA DOES NOT.
OK, BECAUSE THE ISD HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THIS OR HAVE THEY TAKEN A GOOD CHUNK OF CHANGE OUT OF THEIR POCKETS OVER THIS TIFF, DO WE GO BEFORE THEM AND ASK THEM TO PARTICIPATE? HOW DOES THAT WORK? CORRECT.
THEN WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR LDFA TO GO TO THE TAX JURISDICTIONS FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ASK FOR THAT FOR THOSE APPROVALS.
OK, AND THEY HAVE IN THE PAST FOR EAST LANSING, ATLANTA.
QUESTIONS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, SO THE TAX CAPTURED THE MILLS THAT WERE BEING CAPTURED WERE THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WHAT ELSE? IT'S THE SET TAXES.
SO BASICALLY ALL OF THE SCHOOL TAXES, INTERMEDIATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL TAXES ARE GOING TO THE LDFA THE STATE EQUALIZATION TAX, OK? AND THE DDA CAPTURES THE OTHERS.
THE QUESTION WAS RAISED AS WELL AS IF IF BECAUSE WE HAVE A CIA AND DON AVENUE WOULD FALL ON THAT, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? CIAS, THE WAY THAT THE TAX WAS WRITTEN AS THEY KIND OF COME LAST UNLESS IT WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
SO IF WE HAD TO SAY WITH A TIFF THAT THE LDFA WOULD BE THE LAST TO BE FUNDED AND BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CIA WITH A TIFF, IF THE BOARD DOES DECIDE TO GO AND FOLLOW INTO THE LDFA, THAT WOULD BE THE ONE TO CAPTURE BEFORE THE CIA TIFF.
BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE JUST IN GENERAL IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TAX BASE OF EAST LANSING AND YOU LOOK AT THE TAX BASE OF THEIR DDA AND IF YOU WERE TO PUT THAT ON TOP OF THE TAX BASE, YOU KNOW, THE REMAINING CITY TAX BASE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE THEY'RE CAPTURING QUITE A FEW MILLS AS A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR OVERALL TAX BASE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY'RE STILL NOT OVER ONE BILLION IN TAX BASE.
AND THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE SOON APPROACHING TWO BILLION IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE WE ONLY HAVE A FEW BROWNFIELDS AND WE'RE NOT TAKING PROPERTY TAXES IN GENERAL OFF THE ROLE.
YEAH, I GUESS THE BIGGEST THING I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND IS HOW WE INVEST THESE DOLLARS.
I STILL DON'T SEE HOW WE INVEST THESE DOLLARS IN THESE TWO REGIONS.
IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE DDA DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE INVEST THOSE IN WATER AND SEWER MAINS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE OLDEST INFRASTRUCTURE IN THOSE PARTS AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DILAPIDATED CONCRETE ROADS LIKE OKEMOS ROAD, WHICH THE RECONSTRUCT IS MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE VERSUS IT BEING A MILLION RECYCLE FOR PAVEMENT OR ASPHALT.
SO I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH THAT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE THE CONVERSATION ON THE CIA FIRST.
THE SUPERVISOR AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I FORGOT WHAT THE CONFLICT WAS.
BUT BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN THE APPOINTMENTS WERE COMING UP, HAVING ME SERVE ON THAT, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A TIFF AND WHAT A TIFF FOR THE CIA MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND EXAMINING THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CONVERSATION OCCUR FIRST AS IT RELATES TO TAX CAPTURE.
BUT I'M ALSO STILL IN PURSUING THIS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE I GET THAT WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVES TO HELP ADVERTISE FOR BUSINESSES.
BUT I'M HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT REALLY CHANGES THESE TWO AREAS IN A DYNAMIC FASHION.
WE HAVE THE THE REDEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH MSU, AND THAT'S MOSTLY JUST DUE TO PROXIMITY.
AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIALLY ZONED AREA.
SO WE KIND OF GOT LUCKY ON PROXIMITY.
SO, LIKE THAT ONE DOESN'T FIT NEATLY INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THESE TIF DOLLARS WOULD DO.
SO ASIDE FROM, LIKE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH MSU AND RESEARCH, HOW
[01:15:06]
DO WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY HARNESS THIS? AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN TERMS OF PUBLIC VALUE? AND THAT'S WHERE I'M STILL STRUGGLING.IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 15 YEARS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THEIR PLAN, THEY'VE ONLY RECENTLY GOTTEN ANY MONEY INTO THAT RISING FUND.
AND THEN THE LARGEST MAJORITY OF IT IS GOING BACK TO EAST LANSING.
FOR THEM TO USE IT WOULD BE, AGAIN, TO THE DISCRETION OF THIS BOARD TO THINK, IS IT WORTH THE TIME TO COMMIT TO SOMEBODY TO CREATE A PROGRAM, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THE CAPTURED FUNDS FOR IT HERE.
AND THEN THAT WOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE ADOPTED PLAN BETWEEN ENTITIES.
OK, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YEAH, AS BEST AS WE CAN, I MEAN, I GET IT, IT'S A YOU KNOW, THE SMART ZONES ARE THEIR NEWER RELATIVE TO TIFF AND THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT IMPLEMENTED IN AS MANY PARTS OF THE STATE.
SO TRIAL BY ERROR HASN'T BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED.
AND IT'S NOT AS KNOWN OF A UTILITY.
AND SO THAT'S GIVING ME PAUSE.
AND I MEAN, AN SPARK IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
AND THEY HAVE AN INNER LOCAL WITH YPSILANTI IS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT YPSILANTI, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT THAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THAT CHAIR SINCE IT'S SO SMALL IN COMPARISON AND YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT IN NOVEMBER ALREADY HAD PLANNED.
SO, AGAIN, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO FORMULATE A PLAN ON WHAT PROGRAMS WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE AND HAVE TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT.
OH, YEAH, MAYBE I NEED TO ASK THE LAST QUESTION DIFFERENTLY.
SO THE THE FUNDS THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD CAPTURE FROM DEVELOPMENT IN THESE TWO INDUSTRIAL AREAS WOULD BE NECESSARILY USED FOR PROMOTING USE OF THOSE AREAS AND DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS, SPECIFICALLY ONLY? OR COULD THEY BE USED BY SOMETHING LIKE THE EDC TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE TOWNSHIP? GOT IT.
IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY YOUR QUESTION AND IF I UNDERSTAND THE TAX LAW CORRECTLY, YOU HAVE TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS IN THE DISTRICT.
TRAINING INSTITUTE THAT HE HAD PROPOSED TO THIS BOARD FOUR YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS AGO, AND HE DECIDED NOT TO NOT TO PURSUE IT.
THERE WERE OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO HIM TO DO IT.
ESSENTIALLY, THERE WAS A GOOD ACADEMY TO TEACH PLUMBING AND PIPE FITTING DOWNTOWN DIDN'T GIVE ME ENCOURAGEMENT.
AND THAT OF THAT, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN THIS TYPE OF HIGH TECH IN THAT CORRIDOR, PERHAPS WE'D HAD THE SMARTS ZONE FUNDING.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT OF AN INCENTIVE FOR HIM.
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE HE EVEN CONSIDERED IT THAT MUCH ONCE HE FOUND OUT THAT HE CAN DO IT CHEAPER OR BETTER BY SENDING THOSE STUDENTS DOWNTOWN.
SO THAT WAS A GAVE ME PAUSE ON THIS IDEA, WONDERING HOW WILL THESE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GOING TO BE TO EMBRACE THIS CONCEPT OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH A SMART ZONE? SO I THINK MUCH OF THIS BOARD IS STRUGGLING TO FIND THE GOOD REASON FOR DOING SOMETHING AS DRASTIC AS DO A TAX CAPTURE.
AND I KNOW THAT OR AT LEAST I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M DECIDED AGAINST IT, BUT I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
MS. WISINSKI, I APPRECIATE WHAT TREASURER DESCHAINE SAID AS WELL, I THINK OVERALL I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AS A REGIONAL APPROACH TO THIS NEW AND INNOVATIVE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ONLY GOING TO PERSIST AS AS TIME GOES ON.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT TACTILE TYPE OF EDUCATION.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR LACK OF LIKE SKILLED LABOR IN THAT TYPE OF WORK HAPPENING.
BUT I ALSO AGREE THAT I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THE TAX CAPTURE WILL ACTUALLY PROMOTE AND OR DRAW TO THESE AREAS.
SO I'D LIKE TO YEAH GIVE IT A BIT MORE THOUGHT AS WELL.
[INAUDIBLE] HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET.
I WOULD SAY THAT I'M STILL KIND OF UP IN THE AIR AND THIS IS MYSELF, I HAVE CONCERNS AND I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT, CIA, WHICH CAN DO NOTHING AND HOW THEY REALLY NEED A
[01:20:01]
TIFF IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE MEANINGFUL IN THE ENTIRE AREA THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, FALLS WITH IT AT CIA SO THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO POTENTIAL TIFFS IN THE SAME AREA.AND WE'LL SEE WHAT ISSUES ARE PRESENT AS MR., HASLETT BROUGHT UP EARLIER [INAUDIBLE] SO I HAVE CONCERNS ANYONE ELSE SO THAT WE KEEP THIS GOING WITH DISCUSSION.
AT THIS POINT, IT'S PROBABLY BEST IF WE WE JUST TABLE THIS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT TO IT'S AUGUST.
THEY'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, GET THEIR APPROVALS TO MOVE FORWARD AND IT'S NO NEGATIVE TO THE TOWNSHIP.
AND WE'VE GOT FIVE YEARS TO CONSIDER BEING INCLUDED AGAIN.
WELL, WE DON'T NEED A FORMAL TABLE.
WE JUST WONT HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA THAT'S, YOU KNOW.
RIGHT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU HAVE TO FORMALLY BRING IT OFF THE [INAUDIBLE] THEN WE'LL FORGET FOR FIVE YEARS ANYWAY.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS AMBER, OK.
[13C. Daniels Drain Project]
WE NOW COME TO DANIEL'S DRAIN PROJECT, VERY IMPORTANT MATTER.AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR ASSISTANT MANAGER AND HEAD OF ALL THINGS, DIGGING AND BUILDING AND PUNCHING AND SUPERVISOR.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE DANIELS DRAIN.
[INAUDIBLE]I THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD START WITH A LITTLE HISTORY.
MAYBE WE SHOULD START WITH ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE DANIELS DRAINAGE DISTRICT HERE.
SO THIS IS A MAP OF THE DISTRICT OF THE DISTRICT.
YOU HAVE LETS SEE CORNELL THEN.
[INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE ALL BETWEEN THAT SECTION THERE.
THE WALDEN PONDS IS LOCATED WITHIN HERE SERVICES SOME OF THE FOREST HILL NEIGHBORHOODS.
DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND WHERE THE DISTRICTS ARE LOCATED? DOES THAT MAKES SENSE.
HOPEFULLY FOR THE PUBLIC AT HOME, THAT'LL MAKE SENSE FOR THEM, TOO.
SO IN 2015, THE RESIDENTS OF THE PONDS APPROACH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE AT THE PONDS.
WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS BEING FLOODED.
THE POND HAS BASICALLY FILLED IN WITH SEDIMENT AND ALL THAT.
AND THEY WENT TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND THE PONDS RESIDENTS SAID, WE NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING.
AND THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE ESSENTIALLY SAID, WELL, THIS IS A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN.
IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO OCCUR, FOR THE PROBLEM TO GET FIXED, YOU NEED TO APPROACH THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE THE CHAPTER 20 REQUIRES THAT THE PUBLIC CORPORATIONS, WHICH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BASICALLY TAKING CARE OF THESE TYPES OF DRAINS, THESE CHAPTER 20 DRAINS.
SO AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS, WE HAD SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
IT WAS DETERMINED TO CONSULTANTS CAME IN AND SHOWED THE PROBLEMS WITH THE DRAIN.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WAS CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE.
AND SO IN 2016, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FILED A PETITION WITH THE UNION COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER, WHICH STARTED THIS PROCESS.
SINCE THAT TIME, THEY'VE BEEN DOING THE DESIGN AND THE ENGINEERING, AND WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE THE FIX HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND THEY'RE READY TO SELL, SELL THE BONDS AND ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT THE FIX.
AT THE TIME OF THE PETITION WITH A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN, I SHOULD SAY, THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC CORPORATIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE DRAIN.
SO THAT WOULD BE MERIDIAN OF TOWNSHIP AND THE ROAD AGENCIES AND COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT AND MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY ROAD AGENCIES WITHIN THIS DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT COST.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD RESERVED THE RIGHT TO PASS ALONG THE ASSESSMENTS MORE LIKE A TYPICAL DRAIN ASSESSMENT PROJECT WHERE THE TOWNSHIP WOULD ONLY BE ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT PORTION OF IT, AND THEN THE BENEFITING PARCELS WOULD COVER THE REMAINING COSTS OF THE PROJECT.
AGAIN BEING A CHAPTER 20, IT'S THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND THE TWO ROAD AGENCIES THAT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE COSTS.
BUT AGAIN, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SAID WE WANT TO RESERVE THOSE RIGHTS.
SO WHEN THE FINAL COSTS COME IN, WE WANT TO EVALUATE THAT AND SEE IF WE WANT TO PAY FOR 100 PERCENT OF THE COSTS OR IF WE WANT TO BASICALLY DETERMINE THAT THERE'S SOME LARGE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND WE WANT TO TAKE ON A PORTION OF THOSE COSTS.
SO THE COSTS ARE IN THE TOTAL PROJECTS, ABOUT SIX POINT SEVEN, NINE MILLION.
SO, AGAIN, A VERY SUBSTANTIAL PROJECT.
THE TOWNSHIPS PORTION IS THE MAJORITY OF IT.
THE FIVE POINT FIVE, FOUR MILLION, THE BONDS WILL BE SOLD OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD AND OUR COST WILL BE ROUGHLY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST IF WE WERE TO PAY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
[01:25:02]
NOW, AGAIN, MOST OF OUR DRAIN COSTS ARE PAID THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AND WE HAVE ABOUT 500 TO 600 THOUSAND OF THOSE EACH YEAR.SO IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR OPERATING BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THE DRAIN SECTION WATERSHED AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVEN'T BROKEN OUT INTO THE DIFFERENT DRAINS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY AVERAGE ABOUT AGAIN FIVE HUNDRED SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO IF THE TOWNSHIP WAS TO SAY TO TAKE ON THE TOTAL COST OF THIS, WE'D HAVE AN ADDITIONAL THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CONTEMPLATE IN OUR 2022 BUDGET.
NO, THAT'S THAT'S THE IMPACT THE TOWNSHIP WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ON.
BECAUSE WE DID RESERVE THE RIGHT TO PASS ALONG THE ASSESSMENTS, WE WOULD HAVE TO CREATE OUR OWN ASSESSMENT ROLE AT THE TOWNSHIP OR DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO PASS ALONG 100 PERCENT OF THIS OR 50 PERCENT OR 25 PERCENT OF THIS, WE WOULD HAVE TO DEVELOP OUR OWN ROLE THE SAME WAY WE DEVELOP A ROLE FOR A WATER MAIN PROJECT OR SANITARY SEWER PROJECT.
WE WOULD ONCE THE BOARD DETERMINES WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE, WE WOULD GO BACK AND DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS.
WE WOULD DEVELOP THAT ROLE BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T TYPICALLY DO STORM WATER OR GREEN PROJECTS.
WE WOULD ACTUALLY BRING IN A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, TYPICAL DRAIN PROJECTS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THOSE ROLES ARE CREATED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY COMMISSIONER.
AGAIN, THAT'S HIS AREA OF EXPERTISE.
SO OUR THOUGHT IS IF WE DETERMINE TO PASS ALONG THESE ASSESSMENTS, WE'D GET THAT THIRD PARTY TO ASSIST US WITH THAT JUST SO IT'S EQUITABLE AND DEFENSIBLE AS POSSIBLE WITH THOSE ASSESSMENTS AND THE ROLE.
TYPICALLY, THEY TAKE FACTORS LIKE THE SIZE OF THE LOT, WHICH WOULD BE THE ACREAGE, THE ZONING RUNOFF COEFFICIENTS.
AND WHAT THAT REALLY IS, IS THAT'S DETERMINING WHEN THAT DROP OF RAIN HITS THAT PROPERTY, HOW MUCH OF THAT RAINDROP STAYS ON THE PROPERTY AND HOW MUCH IS DISCHARGED TO THE STORM.
OR THE MORE DISCHARGE METHODOLOGY SAYS, THE MORE YOU SHOULD BE PAYING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT DOWNSTREAM INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR.
AGAIN, WHAT WE DID TO HELP YOU DETERMINE, WELL, WHAT WHAT WOULD A POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT BE IF YOU WERE TO PASS ALONG 100 PERCENT OR 50 PERCENT? WE PUT TOGETHER THE MOCK ROLL IN THE MOCK ROLL WE USE WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE WE USED IN 2016, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WHEN THE PROJECT WAS BEING DISCUSSED, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION PEOPLE ASK, WELL WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COST ME? SO AGAIN, A MOCK ROLL WAS PUT TOGETHER DRAIN COMMISSIONER PROVIDED THE PARCELS HIS HIS GREEN COEFFICIENTS AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT SOME DOLLAR AMOUNTS TO THAT.
SO AGAIN WE TOOK THAT SAME ROLE AND THEN PUT THE ACTUAL DRAIN COST TO THAT TO KIND OF HELP THE DECISION MAKERS DETERMINE WHAT A TYPICAL ROLE MIGHT BE.
NOW, AGAIN, THE ROLE WILL BE ALTERED.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE MAY NOT EVEN OWN THE PROPERTY ANYMORE.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SPLITS COMBINATIONS.
SO, AGAIN, IT'S REALLY MORE TO HELP YOU DETERMINE THE MAGNITUDE OF COST FOR A POTENTIAL PARCEL VERSUS TRY TO GO IN THERE AND DELINEATE WELL THAT PARCEL NEEDS A CORRECTION NOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT THAT WILL ASSIST YOU IN THAT DELIBERATION.
THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE BEFORE I TAKE QUESTIONS PROBABLY IS ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS INSTEAD OF SAYING ARE WE GOING? IS IT BEST TO PASS ALONG ONE HUNDRED PERCENT? IT'S REALLY TO DETERMINE IS THERE A PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO RETAIN A PIECE OF THAT ASSESSMENT.
SO, AGAIN, IS THERE A PUBLIC BENEFIT TO UP TO THE TOWNSHIP RETAINING TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE ASSESSMENT AND PASS ALONG SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE ASSESSMENT TO THE BENEFITING PARCELS? SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS AT ALL, BUT THAT'S ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT, A DIFFERENT WAY TO KIND OF LOOK AT IT.
ONCE THE BOARD HAS DETERMINED WHAT AMOUNT THE ASSESSMENT WILL BE PASSED ON AGAIN, WILL DETERMINE THAT ROLE.
THE INTENT WOULD BE TO HOLD A ANOTHER PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS.
I THINK BECAUSE THE PROJECT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN 2016, WE OWE IT TO THE RESIDENTS TO SAY, OK, HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON.
THIS IS WHAT'S TRANSPIRED IN FIVE YEARS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE ASSESSMENTS BEING PASSED ALONG.
AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD AS FAR AS FORMAL ACTION GOES, AND WE WOULD GO THROUGH OUR NORMAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS, WHICH IS THAT FIVE RESOLUTIONS, TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNE TIMES FOR THE RESIDENTS TO WEIGH IN.
BUT WE REALLY NEED TO START WITH THE PROCESS TONIGHT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE AMOUNT THAT THE BOARD IS COMFORTABLE PAYING FOR AS FAR AS THE CHAPTER 20 ASSESSMENTS.
SO AND YOU SAY THAT TRANSLATES TO THE THREE HUNDRED SOME THOUSAND YEARS, WHICH IS CORRECT, SIR.
[01:30:07]
DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT AND THE ENGINEERING INVOLVED AND THEN PUTTING IT OUT TO BID, HOW MUCH NOTICE DID WE HAVE? BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST THE SPORT OF SEEING IT SINCE THAT PETITION BACK IN 2016.TO MY RECOLLECTION, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT'S CAUSING THIS TIME CRUNCH, WHERE IN THE NEXT 30 TO 45 DAYS THE BONDS WOULD BE SOLD SO.
WELL, PART OF THE TIME CRUNCH, I GUESS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
PART OF IT IS BECAUSE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING OUR OUR BILL FROM THE THE COUNTY FOR THE DRAIN, OUR PORTION OF THE DRAIN PROJECT IN THE SPRING.
TYPICALLY, WE WOULD DO OUR NORMAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
WE GIVE OUR RESIDENTS 30 DAYS AND THEIR THEY'RE DUE JULY ONE FOR OUR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS WITH THIS.
IF WE WANT TO COINCIDE AND HAVE THE MONEY IN HAND WHEN THAT BILL ARRIVES IN THE SPRING, WE WOULD KIND OF DO SOMETHING ABNORMAL AND TRY TO PUT IT ON THE WINTER TAX BILL.
AGAIN, THE BOARD HAS THAT DISCRETION.
HEY, IF YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THAT HAS TO BE FINALIZED, IS TOO SOON.
IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF THE BOARD DECIDING WE WOULD CARRY SOME OF THOSE COSTS BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE NORMALLY DO A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.
YOU'RE SAYING WE WOULD GET LONGER TO DELIBERATE IF WE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THE DECISION NOW AND TO PUT IT ON THE SUMMER TAX BILL OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE BOARD COULD DECIDE THAT WE WOULD DO WE WOULD BASICALLY THE BILL WOULD COME IN THE SPRING.
YEAH, WE WOULD PAY IT EITHER THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND OR LIKE WE DO SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
WE COULD EVEN USE THE TOWNSHIP REVOLVING FUND TO DO IT.
THAT BILL GETS PAID AND THEN THE ASSESSMENT BILLS WOULD GO OUT.
OUR NORMAL PROCESS, JUNE ONE, AND THOSE RESIDENTS BEING ASSESSED WOULD HAVE THOSE 30 DAYS TO PAY THOSE BILLS.
THE MONEY COMES IN AND WE REPLENISH BASICALLY EITHER THE GENERAL FUND OR [INAUDIBLE] FUND.
YEAH, AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE 20 YEAR BOND.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS LIKE, WHY COULDN'T THE PLANNING COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE NOTICE? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THEY KNOW WHEN ROLES GO OUT, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN PROPERTY TAXES GO OUT BECAUSE ALL THESE DRAIN PROJECTS HAVE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLES.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHY WE WERE PUT IN A 30 TO 45 DAY TIME CRUNCH.
I GUESS, IS THERE? I THINK PART OF IT IS JUST JUST TIMING OF PROJECTS.
SO IDEALLY WITH US WHERE WE'RE DEALING WITH PROJECTS YEAR ROUND.
SO YOU'RE DESIGNING STUFF, YOU'RE PUTTING STUFF OFF TO BID.
YOU'RE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S JUST THAT YEAR ROUND CYCLE, THERE REALLY IS NO DOWNTIME.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THEIR SPECIFIC CYCLE ON WHY THEY DECIDED TO BID NOW.
BUT MY ASSUMPTION IS BASICALLY BECAUSE THE ENGINEERING WAS READY AND IT WAS TIME TO GET THE PROJECT DONE.
IT'S JUST AN ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
OK, I GUESS I WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A LITTLE BIT MORE NOTICE SINCE THEY'VE BEEN ENGINEERING IT FOR JUST SINCE 2016.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE A TIME CRUNCH.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF APPORTIONMENT THAT'S BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN THREE PUBLIC ENTITIES AND THE INGHAM COUNTY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHAT ARE THOSE FINITE LIKE? ARE THOSE FINALIZED OR WOULD ORE THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT.
ESSENTIALLY, THE CHAPTER 20 DRAINAGE BOARD HAS SET GOALS AND DETERMINED THOSE.
AND REALLY THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DISCRETION WITH THOSE.[INAUDIBLE] FIFTY ONE PRETTY MUCH DETERMINES WHAT THOSE ROAD AGENCIES ARE GOING TO PAY.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET MDOT TO PAY ABOUT SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ADDITIONAL SPECIAL BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO DO A CROSSING UNDERGROUND RIVER.
BUT BEYOND THAT, THEY'RE STATE LAW PRETTY MUCH HAS DETERMINED THAT, WHICH THEN ESSENTIALLY WE'RE THE ONLY REMAINING PUBLIC CORPORATION LEFT.
SO IS THIS IN THE SCOPE OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION WORK NEXT YEAR? THIS ISN'T RIGHT.
THAT PROJECT? WELL, IDEALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE RESURFACING GRAND RIVER, THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE SCHEDULE WAS WHAT IT WAS, IS TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT WORK DONE PRIOR TO THAT RESURFACING WORK, TOO.
IT'S A CROWN POINT, I THINK IT IS.
THERE'S THAT SMALL STREET TO THE EAST THERE.
OK, AND THEN SO FOR THE ROLES, THIS MOCK ROLE WAS FROM 2016 AND NO SITE SPECIFIC WORK WAS CONDUCTED ON THESE ROLES.
THIS WAS BASICALLY JUST MODELING BASED ON THE CURRENT ZONING OF THE PROPERTY, BUT NOT LOOKING AT PREVIOUS TO IMPERVIOUS PERCENTAGES OR SITE GRADING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
CORRECT, BECAUSE DEVIATIONS IN RUNOFF.
THERE REALLY WASN'T THE DETAIL PUT INTO THAT ROLE.
[01:35:01]
THIS IS A ROLE PROVIDED BY THE GREEN OFFICE.IT BASICALLY PROBABLY LOOKED AT ZONING, LOOKED AT THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY AND HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WAS ZONED ESSENTIALLY TO DETERMINE A COEFFICIENT FACTOR.
OK, SO BEFORE THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WOULD BE HELD, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GET THAT THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT HIRED AND TO FLESH OUT THIS ROLE? THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF WORK.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE COULD HAVE IT DONE BY THEN, BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO USE OUR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS, THERE IS THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING AT THAT POINT.
WE WOULD HAVE A VERY SOLID ROLE AND THAT WOULD HAVE WHAT THOSE SPECIFIC ASSESSMENTS WOULD BE BASED ON THAT.
OK, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE DO THESE, WE USE A REVOLVING FUND AND WE PAY DOWN FOR DRAIN PROJECTS AND WE DO SADS, WE USUALLY HAVE A TEN TO FIFTEEN, SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY HIGHER PERCENT INTEREST IN THAT SAD THAT WE PAY FROM THE TOWNSHIPS FUNDS AND WE TYPICALLY DO PAY THOSE OVER THE DURATION OF THE BOND.
AND SO IN THIS CASE, IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY TRY TO PAY THAT OFF PRIOR TO BONDING OR IN THE FIRST YEAR, THE BOND TO REDUCE INTEREST COSTS, WE'D BE LOOKING AT FIVE POINT FIVE MILLION AND CHANGE.
SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE USE OUR TURF, WE'RE NOT BONDING FOR THOSE DOLLARS.
WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE TURF.
SO WHEN WE DO A WATER AND SEWER PROJECT, BASICALLY WE'RE BORROWING FROM THE TURF AND THEN WE.
TYPICALLY SET A FIVE PERCENT INTEREST RATE ON THOSE ASSESSMENTS GOING FORWARD WITH THIS, IF WE WERE TO UTILIZE THE TURF.
MY RECOMMENDATION PROBABLY WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD JUST USE THE INTEREST RATE THAT'S BASED ON THE BOND.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD.
AND MAYBE YOU WOULD WANT TO USE FIVE PERCENT BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CARRYING COSTS ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN WHEN THE COST IS DUE FROM THE COUNTY TO WHERE WHEN THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO HAVE THOSE FUNDS REIMBURSED AND REPLENISH THE TURF FUND.
WHAT DO THOSE INTEREST RATES LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW ON BONDS LIKE THIS? [INAUDIBLE] OK, AGAIN, UNTIL THEY SELL IT, WE WON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THEY WERE THINKING.
YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING GENERALLY, WHAT'S THE MARKET LOOK LIKE? OK, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER THANK YOU MR. SUPERVISOR.
MR. PERRY, SOME WEEKS AGO, I HAVE THIS VAGUE MEMORY OF A DISCUSSION ABOUT COMBINING TWO DRAINS AND MORE LIKE THE CENTER OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS AT THIS POINT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF THE COST OF THAT SITUATION.
RIGHT? SO, WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN, AND THAT WAS THE PROJECT THAT WAS BEFORE YOU TO WHERE.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT WAS TO YOU HAD THE GREY AND BERGER DRAIN, THE MYERS DRAIN AND YOU HAD THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
THE GREY AND BERGER AND THE MYERS ARE I DON'T KNOW IF THEIR CHAPTER FOUR IS OR CHAPTER EIGHT, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS THE TYPICAL DRAIN PROCESS.
SO THERE'S A PETITION FROM THE RESIDENT PROPERTY OWNERS AND SAY WE WANT SOMETHING DONE WITH THE DRAIN.
THEY GO TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND THE PETITIONS FILED, IT'S APPROVED BY THE DRAINAGE BOARDS.
AND THEN THE ASSESSMENT THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER FIGURES OUT THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE BILLS GET SENT OUT DIRECTLY TO THE RESIDENTS, RIGHT? THE CHAPTER 20 IS DIFFERENT AND THE OKEMOS DRAIN ACTUALLY IS A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN.
SO BY CONSOLIDATING THOSE, WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING OUT OF THE CHAPTER 20 BUSINESS WITH THAT DRAIN, WE'RE GETTING OUT OF KIND OF BEING THE MIDDLE PERSON WITH THAT DRAIN.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT I THINK THERE'S SEVEN OF THESE CHAPTER 20 DRAINS IN THE TOWNSHIP AND TYPIC FOR THE LAST PROBABLY DECADE, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY SUBSTANTIAL PROJECTS LIKE THE DANIELS.
SO NORMALLY IT'S JUST MAINTENANCE.
AND THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THOSE COSTS ARE, THE TOWNSHIP BASICALLY HAS PICKED THOSE UP AS NORMAL DRAIN MAINTENANCE.
AGAIN, THIS RISES TO THE TOP JUST BECAUSE OF THE SCOPE OF IT ALL.
BUT ONE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE IS, WE NOW THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR ELIMINATING THESE CHAPTER 20S, WE PROBABLY SHOULD START THAT WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER DRAINS OUT THERE TO KIND OF GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE.
AND THE PURPOSE OF CHAPTER 20 IS THE PUBLIC CORPORATION, HE TOWNSHIP AT SOME POINT FELT LIKE WE NEEDED A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, AND IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THAT, WE NEEDED TO INSTALL BASICALLY STORM SEWERS.
AND THE WAY TO GET THAT DONE WAS THROUGH A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT PUSHED THAT FORWARD.
AS DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED, THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE PUBLIC CORPORATION NEED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT OR SHOULD THEY DEFER TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE EXPERTISE WHO ARE
[01:40:04]
ELECTED TO ACTUALLY MAINTAIN THOSE DRAINS? SO SORRY, THAT WAS A LITTLE TANGENT, BUT YOU'RE CORRECT, THE OKEMOS DRAIN IS BEING CONSOLIDATED.THE NEW OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN WILL NOT BE A CHAPTER 20.
SO AS THAT REQUIRES WORK IN THE FUTURE, EVERYONE WILL, THE BENEFITING PARCELS, THE BENEFIT, THOSE THAT ARE DRIVING BENEFIT FROM IT WILL PAY FOR THAT.
AND TYPICALLY IN THOSE THE TOWNSHIP, THE PUBLIC CORPORATIONS WILL SHARE IN THE PUBLIC OUT OF THAT.
SO THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER WILL SAY, OK, WE THINK THE TOWNSHIP, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 OR 15 PERCENT OF THE OVERALL ASSESSMENT.
MAYBE THE ROAD DEPARTMENT GETS A PERCENTAGE AND THEY'LL TAKE THAT OFF THE TOP.
WHATEVER IS REMAINING, THEN GETS PASSED ALONG TO THE BENEFIT AND PARCELS AND A NORMAL ASSESSMENT.
HERE, IT'S DIFFERENT, THERE'S THAT MIDDLE LAYER BECAUSE WE'RE A CHAPTER 20.
OK, SO THAT HELPS ME WITH THIS IDEA OF HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE TOWNSHIP GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS FOR REHABILITATING AND COMBINING DRAINS.
BUT I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE THAT YOU EXPLAINED.
YES, [INAUDIBLE] BE OPEN TO THE PAGE RIGHT BEFORE WE HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] ROLL THIS PAGE HERE, THE LIST, THE INDIVIDUAL DRAIN ASSESSMENTS AND THEN THE COMBINED 25 MAINS AND THEN LOOKS LIKE SEVEN PETITION DRAINS, STARTING WITH THE BRIGHTWOOD DRAIN PETITION FOR THIRTEEN THOUSAND NINE FIFTY EIGHT.
ARE THE SEVEN ON THE BOTTOM, ALL CHAPTER 20 DRAINS? THOSE ARE NOT CHAPTER 20 DRAINS.
MOVE YOUR PAGE UP, IF YOU WOULD, BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT THOSE ARE ACTUALLY PETITION DRAINS THAT WERE DIRECT PETITIONS FROM THE RESIDENTS AND THEY'RE THE TOWNSHIP SHARE OF THOSE, CHAPTER 20 IS TYPICALLY ARE LISTED SEPARATELY.
OK, HOW MANY CHAPTER 20 DRAINS DO WE HAVE CURRENTLY [INAUDIBLE]; IS IT LISTED HERE? IT IS NOT.
SO WE HAVE THE GREY AND BERGER RELIEF TRAIN, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE GREY AND BERGER, THE OKEMOS DRAIN, THE PROCTOR DRAIN, THE SPRAWL DRAIN, THE UNRUH, THE GREENCREST RELIEF DRAIN AND THE DANIELS DRAIN.
DO WE HAVE A TOTAL AS TO WHAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE DRAINS? IT VARIES YEAR TO YEAR.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE BILL WE RECEIVED FOR LAST YEAR.
AND AGAIN, SOME ARE ONE YEAR ASSESSMENTS, AND THEY DO SOME MAINTENANCE.
THE TOP LIST INCLUDES SOME LIKE 20 DRAINS.
SO SOME OF THE PETITION DRAINS.
THE TOWNSHIP HAS DECIDED OVER THE YEARS THAT THERE IS A PUBLIC GOOD WITH EACH OF THESE SEVEN TRAINS HERE.
AND THIS IS THEIR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THEM, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
IS THIS A DRAIN ISSUE OR A POND ISSUE HERE THAT'S BROUGHT THIS THING TO A SIX MILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG? AND WHO OWNS THE POND? IS IT THE WALDEN COOPERATIVE? WELL, IF YOU IF YOU GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE IN 2016, IT MAY PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS TO ALL THAT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE DRAIN COMMISSION HAS CONTROL OVER THESE DRAINAGE STRUCTURES; RIGHT? THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME SHARED LIABILITY.
THERE'S TYPICALLY THE DRAINAGE OFFICE HAS EASEMENTS TO ACCENTUATE THOSE THIS THAT THE PONDS REALLY ARE THE RETENTION PONDS FOR THE SYSTEM.
BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT THE PONDS RECEIVED SOME AESTHETIC BENEFITS FOR HAVING THOSE PONDS, TOO.
RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE PROBABLY SAYING THEY'RE REALLY NOT MUCH OF A BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY'RE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY'RE RESTORED TO THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE AND FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS PROBABLY SOME SPECIAL BENEFIT TO THOSE DRAINS.
BUT IT'S THE STORM SYSTEM, IT'S THE UTILITY THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER OWNS THAT UTILITY JUST LIKE THE TOWNSHIP OWNS AND OPERATES THE WATER UTILITY AND THE SANITARY SEWERS.
IT WAS SO THAT COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POND LOCATED AT THE PONDS, IS THAT WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING? YES, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THAT'S WHY THE THE PONDS COOPERATIVE CAME FORWARD AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING GREEN COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE IT'S A PROBLEM.
FIRST OF ALL, THE QUOTE ARE THEY.
THE SURVEY SHEET FROM 2013 FILLED ONE TO FIVE FEET.
I THINK CHIEF PLAGA WOULD TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT.
HE WENT IN AFTER PEDESTRIAN IN A CAR AND IT WAS A WHOLE LOT DEEPER THAN FIVE FEET.
SO THAT'S A BOLD ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPTH OF THAT.
SO THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY'VE GOT THE SEDIMENT BUILD UP AND THEY'VE LET THE PHOSPHORUS AND ALGAE BUILD UP TO THE POINT WHERE, THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG.
[01:45:01]
NOW, DID THEY TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FACT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DREDGING IT OR DOING OTHER THINGS TO THIS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING? PROBABLY WHAT THEY'LL SAY IS THIS IS A CHAPTER TWENTY DRAIN IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.IF THE DRAIN WAS FAILING, YOU SHOULD HAVE PETITIONED US TO BASICALLY PROCEED WITH A PROJECT TO MAINTAIN THE DRAIN.
BUT AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THE REST OF THE DRAIN IS WORKING, FUNCTIONING.
THE PART THAT GOES INTO THE FOREST HILLS AND CORNELL WOODS, THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT REPLACING ANY OF THE DRAIN.
THERE ARE SOME SECTIONS OF THE PIPES THAT WOULD BE REPLACED INTO THE SOME OF THE UNDERGROUND ISSUES.
IT'S OUTSIDE OF JUST THE POND AREA ITSELF.
IT'S ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DRAINAGE PROJECT, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION, CECILIA KRAMER, COULD YOU COME TO THE PODIUM? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ABOUT THIS.
WE KNOW THE PONDS ARE RECEIVING FLOODING BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE POND.
I'M CURIOUS IF ANYONE IN THE .
THE QUESTION IS TO SAY, ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS, HOMEOWNERS IN FOREST HILLS EXPERIENCING FLOODING THE WAY THAT THEY ARE AT THE PONDS COOPERATIVE? WELL, NO, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH WATER PONDED.
WE DON'T HAVE A POND AT ALL COLLECTING WATER.
WE ARE, YOU KNOW, A DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS LIKE A BATHTUB.
AND WE'RE UP CLOSER TO THE RIM.
THE PONDS ARE DOWN IN THE TROUGH, BUT SO IS CORNELL WOODS, BY THE WAY.
THAT'S ALL TIED INTO YOUR STORM WATER.
SO, BUT AS FAR AS OUR END OF THE DISTRICT, WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING NOW AND YOU CAN SEE PART OF THE PROBLEM AT THE CORNER OF HILLSIDE AND MARLBOROUGH, THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE BEEHIVE STRUCTURE NEXT TO IN THE SOIL, NEXT TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD THERE, HAS FALLEN IN AND THEY'VE KIND OF STUCK THE BRICKS BACK TOGETHER AND PUT A STANCHION OVER IT.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT AWAY IN THE CURVE THERE, IN THE TURN.
BUT THAT'S THE SORT OF PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING.
WE HAVE OLD PIPE PUT IN DURING THE 1950S WHEN THAT SECTION OF FOREST HILLS WAS BUILT.
AND IT IS NOW THERE'S, IT'S JUST JOINT TILE OFFSET AND IT'S CRACKING.
THERE ARE PHOTOS SOMEWHERE THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER HAS TAKEN OR THE ENGINEER HAS TAKEN USING LIKE A CAMERA TO GO UP THE LINE AND HAS PINPOINTED ALL OF THE ISSUES IN ALL OF THE PIPES ALL AROUND EASTWOOD STREET, MARLBOROUGH, HILLSIDE, AND THEN ALSO THE DANIELS DRAIN WAS NAMED AFTER MR. DANIELS, WHO OWNED THAT AREA OF THE PROPERTY UNDERNEATH, NOW, THAT'S UNDERNEATH TOMS. AND THAT WHOLE AREA WAS AT ONE POINT PART OF THE DANIELS FARM AND THAT PORTION OF THE DANIELS DRAIN.
SOME OF IT DATES BACK TO THE EARLY 1900S WHEN THE FARM DRAIN WAS PUT IN, TO HELP DRAIN THE LAND SO THAT THESE FARMERS, WHO WERE THE PIONEER FARMERS, COULD COME IN AND GET A FEEL TO GOING AND NOT TO HAVE IT JUST BE NOW WE ENJOY THE WETLANDS.
BACK THEN, IT WASN'T QUITE AS GOOD.
THEY'LL BE DOING MAINTENANCE ON SOME OF THE STUFF DOWN IN THE CORNELL WOODS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT NEWER BECAUSE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 80S, 90S.
AND ALSO AT WHISPERING OAKS, THAT AREA ALSO.
AND THERE'S A HUGE WETLAND AREA UP THERE THAT THEY'RE, I SEE THAT THEY'RE EXPANDING THE SYSTEM TO DO OFFSET DRAINAGE SO THAT THAT REMAINS AT A CERTAIN LEVEL SORT OF THING.
BUT THE PONDS, WHICH WERE A VERNAL POND AT ONE POINT IN THE IN THE WALDEN POND CONDOS, IT WAS A VERNAL POND AT ONE POINT WOULD DRY UP IN THE SUMMER AND WHATEVER.
BUT NOW, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF DRAINAGE THAT COMES DOWN FROM THE EDGE OF THE TUB DOWN TO THE BOTTOM BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HARDSCAPE THAT'S THERE, YOU GOT YOUR ROOFTOPS, YOUR STREETS AND YOUR DRIVEWAYS, THINGS THAT IS PUTTING OFF MORE THAN THAT POND CAN
[01:50:04]
HAVE.SO IT'S ALL IT'S A YEAR-ROUND POND NOW.
AND I THINK THEY MAY HAVE DUG IT A LITTLE DEEPER WHEN THEY PUT THE APARTMENTS, BACK THEN THE APARTMENTS IN.
AND YOU CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL OF YOUR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS.
BUT IS YOUR SENSE, THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THIS WORK HAS TO BE DONE? IN ORDER FOR, TO MAKE THE SYSTEM GOOD AND WHOLE.
YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM AND TO MAKE THIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT WORK.
IT ALL HAS TO BE WORKED TOGETHER AND DONE AS A CONCEPT, I THINK, TO TO REALLY MAKE IT FUNCTION.
AND SO THE RESIDENTS OF FORREST HILL UNDERSTAND WORK HAS TO BE DONE.
THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE SURPRISED.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE A SURPRISE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY IF SOME OF THEM HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, THEY'VE LONG SINCE FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT NEW PEOPLE COMING IN THAT HAVE NO IDEA.
I DID ON BEHALF OF THE FOREST HILLS HOMEOWNERS, I TOOK A LETTER BRIEFLY EXPLAINING WHAT WAS COMING DOWN.
SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ALERT TO THE INVITATION TO COME TO A PUBLIC MEETING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE DRAIN.
SO I SENT THAT TO, TOOK THAT AROUND TO MY FOREST HILLS HOMEOWNERS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CORNELL WOODS, WHISPERING OAKS, CORNELL WOODS NORTH, EVEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF IT IS THERE.
THEY'RE NOT HOMES, THEY'RE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.
THEY ARE MOSTLY COMMERCIAL OR THEY'VE GOT A, LIKE MR. BARBIERI, THEY'VE GOT AT THE, ON THE PONDS.
THEY HAVE A MANAGEMENT FIRM THAT'S WATCHING THEM.
WELL, AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, WE WANT TO THANK YOU.
AND YOU DO A LOT OF GREAT PUBLIC GOOD BY KEEPING YOUR RESIDENTS INFORMED AND APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
I ACTUALLY AM PART OF THE CORNELL WOODS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF IT YET, BUT I'M SURE WE WILL SOON.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE]? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PETITION DRAINS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT ARE ACTIVE OR PERHAPS SOME THAT HAVE ONLY RECENTLY EXPIRED, WHAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I WOULD THINK MY COLLEAGUES WOULD FIND IT HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET A LIST OF THOSE AND LOOK AT THE TOWNSHIPS PERCENTAGE BASIS AND THOSE PROJECTS, BECAUSE THE TABLE THAT WE HAVE JUST HAS THE THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
AND I KNOW ROUGHLY THEY RANGE FROM 10 TO SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE LOW 30S TO MID 30S ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS.
BUT IT'D BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THOSE WITH NOT ONLY THE DOLLAR FIGURES, BUT THE PERCENTAGE BASIS OF THE OVERALL PROJECT.
AND TO LOOK AT WHAT THE PRECEDENT CURRENTLY IS FOR THE TOWNSHIPS INVOLVEMENT IN OUR DRAIN PROJECTS.
OBVIOUSLY, CHAPTER 20, YOU KNOW, DREAMS ARE DIFFERENT AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET THAT.
BUT IN TERMS OF EQUITY, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT OUR BASELINE IS AND WHAT THAT RANGE IS.
AND AGAIN, I CAN GIVE YOU SOME ROUGH NUMBERS.
TYPICALLY, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IS ON THE LOW END, 10 TO 15 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT.
I HAVE SEEN THEM AS HIGH AS TWENTY FIVE, THIRTY FIVE, IF THEY TRULY FELT THERE WAS A STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE TO TRY TO SPREAD THAT AMONGST EVERYONE, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND SO FOR THE MACRO, BASICALLY FOR THAT, [INAUDIBLE], YOU JUST GAVE US 100 PERCENT, 100 PERCENT OF THE COST WAS PASSED ON AND THEN YOU GAVE US A 50 PERCENT TABLE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
COULD YOU GIVE US SOME OTHER INTERVALS FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] JUST SO WE COULD SEE? I GUESS WE CAN JUST BREAK IT OUT.
BUT I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE RESIDENTIAL PARCELS ARE GOING FROM 95 TO HIGH 5 HUNDREDS.
IT'S HARD TO TELL WITH THIS LIST WHAT IS COMMERCIAL VERSUS WHAT IS RESIDENTIAL.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WOULD YOU SAY THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RANGES? YEAH.
SO TO HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT, AS FAR AS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT'S COMMERCIAL, WHAT'S RESIDENTIAL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RUNOFF FACTOR, WHICH IS ONE TO THE FOURTH COLUMN, TYPICALLY THE POINT NINE IS MORE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THINGS.
SO MOST OF THAT WATER IS BEING SENT OFF SITE AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL IS DOWN AT THAT POINT FOUR.
AGRICULTURE TENDS TO BE IN THE POINT TO FIVE JUST TO KIND OF HELP YOU UNDERSTAND.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK ACROSS, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW THOSE ASSESSMENTS CORRELATE TO THAT, BECAUSE THEY TAKE THAT RUNOFF FACTOR AND THEY TIMED IT BY THE THE AMOUNT OF THE SIZE OF LOT ESSENTIALLY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THAT BENEFIT PERCENT OF WHAT THAT SHOULD BE.
[01:55:02]
AND THEN YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE AMOUNT OF THE ASSESSMENT BEING SPREAD.WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE POINT FOUR WAS? TENDS TO BE MORE RESIDENTIAL.
OK, POINT FOUR, AND THEN THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY AG, RIGHT? NO.
YOU REFERENCED AG I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY AG ZONED LAND, SO.
OK, AND THE COMMERCIAL WAS POINT WHAT? POINT NINE.
POINT NINE? OK, I FINALLY FOUND THE BREAKPOINT WHERE IT GOES TO THE COMMERCIAL AND THAT'S JUST ONE PERSON.
AND THEN HOW MUCH WOULD WE EXPECT WHEN SITE SPECIFIC WORK IS DONE? IS THAT PLUS OR MINUS THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM THOSE BASELINES OR RESIDENTIAL PROBABLY VARIES A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT? YEAH.
SO, THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT IS BASED ON JUST THE ZONING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S A SIMPLE FACTOR.
BUT YOU REALLY DO NEED TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL DETAIL BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE A RESIDENTIAL PARCEL THAT MAYBE THEY WANT THE LARGEST DRIVEWAY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY GOT A LARGE STACK.
AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, PERVIOUS YARD TO SPEAK UP.
SO YOU DO NEED TO DO SOME OF THAT DETAIL WORK, DO SOME OF THAT ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THERE'S THAT OTHER PIECE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
THERE'S SOME SPECIAL BENEFIT THAT MAYBE A PROPERTY OWNER DERIVES FROM THE THE PROJECT AND WE COULD ADJUST FOR THAT TO AS IT RELATES TO THE ESTHETIC OF THE POND, RIGHT.
IN THE SIGHTLINES VERSUS JUST THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY DOES BETTER IN THAT.
JUST KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOES CREATE RUNOFF AND.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S REALLY WHY WE WANT TO BRING IN THAT THIRD PARTY TO ASSIST US WITH THAT.
OK, WELL, I DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED THE THIRD PARTY, SO YOU SHOULD PROCEED WITH THAT.
SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR NEED TO GIVE AN ANSWER ON GOING FORWARD WITH THE BOND.
AND YOU NEED AN ACTION SOON OR HEN DO YOU NEED AN ACTION? WELL, THE NEXT STEPS REALLY WOULD BE TO PUT THAT PUBLIC NOTICE OUT TO THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THIS PROJECT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
AND I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO SHOW UP FIVE YEARS AGO AND OBVIOUSLY, IF THEY'RE AWARE OF IT THEY'D BE [INAUDIBLE].
SO I WANT TO GET THEM ALL IN A ROOM OR AT LEAST THOSE THAT WANT TO SHOW UP HAVE THE DRAIN OFFICE IN THE ROOM AND ACTUALLY THEIR CONSULTANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT AND WHAT THE IMPACTS OF THAT WOULD BE, SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION STARTING THIS FALL ON THE, IN THE PONDS AREA NORTH OF GRAND RIVER, THEY WOULDN'T GET IT IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTION UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
BUT TALK ABOUT SCHEDULING THAT KIND OF THING WITH THE RESIDENTS SO THEY'RE AWARE.
AND THEN IDEALLY, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT BECAUSE, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT, THAT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S THE MAJOR CONCERN.
[INAUDIBLE] THAT'S A THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS YOU STILL HAS TO GO INTO RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM, ET CETERA.
SO WHAT WOULD HELP, I GUESS, US IS IF WE KIND OF KNEW WHERE THE BOARD WAS THINKING AS FAR AS HOW MUCH THE ASSESSMENT YOU PLAN ON TREATING AS A PUBLIC BENEFIT AND PAYING FOR AS THE TOWNSHIP AND THEN THE PERCENTAGE PASSING ALONG TO THE RESIDENTS.
THEN WE WOULD TAKE THAT REMAINING AMOUNT AND APPLY THAT TO OUR ROLE USING OUR THIRD PARTY CONSULTANTS TO DO THAT TWEAKING TO REALLY FIND OUT WHAT THOSE INDIVIDUAL PARCEL AMOUNTS WOULD BE SINCE WE WERE JUST CITIZENS SITTING HERE GUESSING AT WHAT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IS.
HAVE YOU DONE SOME WORK THAT TELLS US SOME IDEAS AS TO WHAT IT SHOULD BE? SO AGAIN, I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED, WELL, WHEN YOU ARE DOING SOME ASSESSMENTS, YES, THERE'S SOME SCIENCE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S A LOT OF ART INVOLVED WITH THAT.
BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, BASED ON SOME OF THE NORMAL ASSESSMENTS, HAVE BEEN AS LOW AS 10 TO 15 PERCENT AND AS HIGH AS 25, 35 OF WHAT I'VE SEEN.
BUT AGAIN, THIS BOARD HAS THE DISCRETION TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY FEEL THE PUBLIC.
I DO NOT, I THINK, BELIEVE THE MANAGER HAS A RECOMMENDATION.
YOU'VE GIVEN THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT.
WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT PUBLIC GOOD, PUBLIC BENEFIT, OUR COST.
AND I THINK IN THIS CASE, A 50 50 TOWNSHIP PAYING 50 PERCENT AND 50 PERCENT BEING PASSED ON.
THAT'S WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS AT THIS POINT, SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
TREASURER, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO MENTION? WH I THINK MANAGER'S ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
CLERK? IS THERE ARE [INAUDIBLE] IN THE BUDGET.
SO THERE'S REALLY PUBLIC CORPORATIONS CAN USE AD VALOREM TAXES OFF OUR GENERAL FUND.
WE COULD BOND, WE COULD USE OUR REVOLVING FUND.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE EITHER WE UTILIZE THE GENERAL FUND OR WE USE THE
[02:00:03]
TOWNSHIP REVOLVING FUND, LIKE WE DO FOR ALL SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THIS DRAIN GOT INTO SUCH DISREPAIR? WHAT HAPPENED HERE? I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE ALL INFRASTRUCTURE.
OVER TIME IT GETS BUILT RIGHT.
AND THEN IF THERE'S NOT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OR JUST AGE AND LIFE'S CYCLES AND AND THERE JUST COMES A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THAT, JUST LIKE OUR WATER MAIN, IT HAS A LIFE OF 50 TO 75 YEARS.
AND WHEN IT REACHES ITS END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT IT WASN'T BEING MAINTAINED? OR SO AGAIN, BEING A CHAPTER TWENTY DRAIN.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE THE TOWNSHIP WOULD HAVE HAD TO PETITION THE DRAIN OFFICE, BASICALLY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME TYPE OF MAINTENANCE OR, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY, THEY COULD HAVE APPROACHED US, TOO, AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE THINK OF THERE'S ISSUES WITH THIS DRAIN.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOING A PETITION? SO, WAS THE TOWNSHIP MAINTAINING THIS DRAIN? WE WERE NOT MAINTAINING.
THE DRAIN WOULD, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO IT UNDER A PETITION.
OK, SO SINCE THERE WASN'T A PETITION, THE COUNTY WASN'T MAINTAINING THE DRAIN? THROUGH THE STATUTE, THEY'RE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE THAT THEY CAN DO ON A DRAIN.
IT'S A MINUSCULE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED PER MILE TO TO DO MAINTENANCE ON A DRAIN.
BEYOND THAT, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO GET PETITIONS.
AND AGAIN, THE DRAIN, DEPENDING ON WHICH CHAPTER OF THE DRAIN CODE, YOU'RE REFERENCING.
OK, AND SO THERE'S THE PROPOSED NEW SERVICE AREA, WHAT WAS THE COST FOR THAT? AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED HOW MUCH ENDOWMENT WAS GOING TO BE PAYING FOR THAT, THAT BLUE SECTION THAT GOES ACROSS GRAND RIVER? SO, YOU'RE REFERRING TO, WHEN THEY PUT THESE DISTRICTS TOGETHER, THERE'S TYPICALLY THE BOARD OF DETERMINATION AT THAT POINT.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SAY, BASED ON WHAT WE FOUND OUT IN THE FIELD, WE FEEL AT THIS SECTION OF THE EARTH SHOULD BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
SO THAT WAS ADDED AS PART OF THAT PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
SO THAT'S THAT NEW SECTION THAT'S IN BLUE.
AND SO THESE OTHER YOU SAID THERE'S SEVEN CHAPTER 20 TRAINS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
DID YOU SAY THAT THOSE ALSO HAVE ASSESSMENTS ATTACHED TO THEM OR OR WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THOSE? SO I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CURRENT ASSESSMENTS, AT LEAST OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
THERE IS TYPICALLY MAINTENANCE, MAYBE SOME SMALL MAINTENANCE THAT'S PERFORMED ON THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK OUR STRATEGY GOING FORWARD IS TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND BASICALLY REMOVE OURSELVES FROM CHAPTER 20 CONVERT THOSE TRAINS.
FOR THOSE OTHER REMAINING THOSE THOSE SEVEN? OK, SO YOU DON'T EXPECT THAT TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD IN THE FUTURE OR YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOT HAVE THAT? WELL, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, AND THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING RESIDENTS COMING FORWARD TO SAY WE'RE [INAUDIBLE] THE DRAIN.
WE NEED A PROJECT LIKE THAT GOING BACK TO 2016.
THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO SAY, WE EITHER AGREE WITH YOU OR WE DON'T.
IF WE AGREE WITH YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH A PETITION TO THE DRAIN OFFICE SO THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO UNDER THE LAW OR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS THE DISCRETION TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO APPROVE OF THE PETITION AND MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT PERCENTAGE DO RESIDENTS NORMALLY PAY FOR THIS KIND OF THING? IT'S REALLY, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THAT DRAIN ASSESSMENT ROLL, THEIR TYPE OF PROPERTY, THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT.
THE ASSESSMENTS REALLY CAN VARY.
I KNOW WITH OUR WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
A LOT OF TIMES ON THE SANITARY SEWER, LET'S SAY THERE'S 10 HOMES.
WE PRETTY MUCH BREAK UP THE ASSESSMENT INTO 10 PIECES BECAUSE THEY'RE EACH GETTING A LATERAL.
SO THEREFORE THEY'RE EACH GETTING, YOU KNOW, A SIMPLE BENEFIT.
SOMETIMES WE'LL DO STUFF BASED ON THE FRONTAGE.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE DO THE ROAD ASSESSMENT, WE DID POWELL ROAD THAT WAS BASED ON THE FRONTAGE.
SO SOME OF THOSE ARE MORE CLEAR CUT.
THIS AGAIN, THERE'S SCIENCE, BUT THERE'S MORE OF AN ART FORM TO DOING THESE ASSESSMENTS.
I WANT TO THANK CECILIA FOR EXPLAINING THE HISTORY OF THE POND AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT BEING A VERNAL POOL.
AND MY MOTHER LIVES THERE AND THOSE CONDOS AND USED TO TAKE HER GRANDSON DOWN ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS TO GO CATCH FROGS.
AND SHE WOULD TAKE A NATURE BOOK DOWN WITH THEM AND TEACH IN NATURE AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT FOR YEARS BECAUSE IT'S JUST DISGUSTING DOWN THERE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE HISTORY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, TOO, AS WELL, DEREK.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE NEARING THE END OF THIS [INAUDIBLE].
YES.[INAUDIBLE] THE CONDITION OF THE OTHER CHAPTER 20 DRAINS CURRENTLY
[02:05:07]
? DO WE ANTICIPATE OTHER CHAPTER 20S COMING TO US ANYTIME SOON? THAT'S MY QUESTION, YES.AGAIN, A LOT OF THAT'S DRIVEN BY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT PROJECT SIMILAR TO THE DANIELS DRAIN.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE AND JUST KIND OF CONFIRM I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WATER, YOU KNOW, WATER IS A VERY POWERFUL NATURAL RESOURCE AND IT WILL ERODE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING OVER TIME.
THAT'S WHY WE SEE THE DRAINS DILAPIDATE OVER TIME, BECAUSE WATER IS VERY DAMAGING TO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE A 50 PERCENT CONTRIBUTION, THAT WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED A YEAR FOR 20 YEARS.
AND SO THAT'S ABOUT A TWENTY FOUR POINT THREE PERCENT INCREASE ON THE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE BUDGET OF FIVE SIXTY FIVE, FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND A YEAR.
SO CERTAINLY THE TOWNSHIP COULD AFFORD THAT 50 PERCENT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD, AS YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE MORE IF WE'RE GOING TO SET A PRECEDENT OF 50 PERCENT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WITH NOW CHAPTER 20 DRAINS, THE PRECEDENT HAS A VERY WIDE NET, BUT IT'S TEN TO THIRTY FIVE PERCENT.
SO IT'S STILL 15 PERCENT SHY OF 50 PERCENT TOWNSHIP COMMITMENT.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THAT PRECEDENT MIGHT PORTEND FOR THE FUTURE AND WHAT THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THAT PRECEDENT, IF IT CARRIED OUT IN THE FUTURE, MEANS.
SO WHEN ARE WE LOOKING AT THOSE DRAINS NEEDING WORK? I KNOW IT'S HARD TO PINPOINT, BUT IS IT IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS OR IS IT IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS? RIGHT? YEAH.
AND AGAIN, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE GET WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE AND START TO CONVERT SOME OF THOSE THE SAME WAY WE DID THE PROCESS WITH THE OKEMOS DRAIN.
SO AGAIN, THEY'RE NO LONGER THE CHAPTER 20 DRAINS.
THEY'RE MORE OF EITHER A FOUR AND EIGHT OR 12 AND IT'S MORE OF THE TRADITIONAL GREEN PROJECT.
SO IF THE RESIDENTS TRULY FEEL THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PETITION THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER DIRECTLY AND PROCEED WITH A DRAIN PROJECT VERSUS THE TOWNSHIP KIND OF HOLDING THAT MIDDLE GROUND WITH THESE CHAPTER 20S.
AND WAS THIS DRAIN DISTRICT NOT ADJACENT TO THE OTHER ONES THAT WE CONSOLIDATED? AND OBVIOUSLY THAT CONSOLIDATION WAS FOR THE UNDONE ROAD WORK ON, YOU KNOW, 43 AND GRAND RIVER AND THE ELEVATION OF THAT THAT ROADBED BY TWO FEET AND HAVING TO MAKE OFFSETTING CUTS AND ALL OF THAT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT ISSUE.
BUT THIS DRAIN IS NOT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT.
YEAH, THIS IS SEPARATE AND DISTINCT WHERE THOSE OTHER THREE YOU COULD ACTUALLY HYDRAULICALLY SAY THAT THEY WERE ACTING AS ONE SINGLE STORM DRAIN AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ONE STATE MADE SENSE.
I ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT AS WELL? THERE ARE SOME PARCELS THAT MAY HAVE MULTIPLE DRAIN ASSESSMENTS, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, RIGHT? WHERE THAT RIDGE IS NOW THAT RAINDROP HITS, SOME MAY GO TO THE EAST, SOME GO TO THE WEST.
YEAH, YOU'RE CORRECT, SOME PARCELS MAY HAVE MULTIPLE ASSESSMENTS.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE I WAS AT A PARCEL THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY TWO DRAINS, THEY CHANGED IT TO ONE.
? IN THIS CASE, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR TINY MAP OF THE DISTRICT, DO WE HAVE A TINY MAP OF THE DISTRICT HERE? WE ALL HAVE IT IN FRONT OF US AS WELL.
IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO HAVE I CAN POINT AT IT.
OK, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, LET ME SHOW YOU MY OWN HOME, BECAUSE I'VE GOT A DOG IN THIS HUNT, BUT THIS IS MY THIS IS MY PARCEL RIGHT HERE.
IN OTHER WORDS, I'M ON THE TOP OF THE DRAIN DISTRICT.
MY BACKYARD DRAINS INTO THE DANIELS.
MY FRONT YARD HAS BEEN ENGINEERED WHEN THE HOMES WERE BUILT TO DRAIN INTO T,
[02:10:01]
THE FOREST HILLS DRAIN.IT GOES DOWN, IT COMES RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THAT STREET.
MY NEIGHBORS ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT ARE ALSO IN THE SAME SITUATION.
THEIR FRONT YARDS GO INTO THE TO THE STREET, DRAINS THE SOIL AND IT AND THAT DRAIN GOES, DOWN IN THE OAKWOOD, DOWN TO ABOUT THE MIDDLE HERE, CUTS ACROSS AND GOES OVER THROUGH THE GREY AND BERGER.
WHAT'S THE OPEN SPACE? THE SANDERS' OPEN SPACE LAND AND IT GETS TO THE RIVER THAT WAY.
MY BACKYARD IS GOING TO TAKE A TOUR AND END UP DRAINING OVERLAND INTO THE POND HERE AND THEN FOLLOW THE DANIELS DRAIN UP HERE WHERE IT WOULD UNITE WITH THE UNRUH DRAIN THAT COMES BEHIND SPARROW.
AND THAT POND IS THE UNRUH, AND PICKS UP THE DANIELS HERE, JOINS THE FOSTER, GOES UP TO TY HART ROAD, LOOK WHERE I'M HEADED, AND THEN TURNS AND JOINS THE MUD LAKE OUTLET.
NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO CONSOLIDATE THE UNRUH AND THE DANIELS AND POSSIBLY THE FOSTER, WHICH COMES OVER HERE, HATHAWAY, TOO.
THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BODY OF STUFF ALL THE WAY UP TO THE MUD LAKE OUTLET, WHICH ISN'T MAYBE.
I THOUGHT I HAD THEM ALL LISTED, BUT I DON'T THINK I HAVE THAT ONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ONE? ANYWAY, SO AT TIMES YOU CAN HAVE, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A HUGE FIELD, A FARMER'S FIELD, YOU CAN BE LIKE, DEREK WAS DESCRIBING, WHERE IT GOES DOWN, HALF YOUR FIELD GOES ONE WAY, HALF YOUR FIELD GOES THE OTHER.
BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT SUBSEQUENT IF YOU'RE WAY AT THE TOP OF THE WATERSHED, YOU'VE GOT SUBSEQUENT AVENUES THAT YOUR WATER IS GOING TO GO DOWN.
SO YOU COULD HAVE FOUR OR FIVE DRAINS ON A BIGGER LOT, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING DOWN TO THE ULTIMATE GRAND RIVER EVENTUALLY.
SO AND THAT REALLY, I HOPE THAT KIND OF ANSWERS THE QUESTION IT.
I WOULD HAVE THIS BACK THIS TIME FOR ACTION ACCORDING TO WHAT DEREK RECOMMENDS.
WE'LL SEE WHETHER WE CAN GO ALONG WITH IT.
OK, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE I? OK.
THEN WE'RE DONE WITH OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS AND WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO COMMENTS FROM THE
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
PUBLIC.IS THERE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT? COME ON UP.
ONCE AGAIN, TELL US WHO YOU ARE, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T.
OK, I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WATER FLOWS, I HAVE NO CLUE.
YEAH, I DO KNOW THAT BACK IN THE 20TH CENTURY WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS STILL WITH US AND A YOUNG MAN, WELL, MIDDLE AGED MAN, HE HAD A SMALL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND HIS BUDDY, WAYNE MCCLELLAN, ALSO HAD A SMALL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
AND WHEN THE PROPOSAL TO BUILD THE PONDS WAS MADE THEY WERE OVER THERE SNOOPING AROUND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE CURIOUS.
AND THEY CAME BACK AND THEY SAID, THIS IS TOO HEAVY FOR THAT SITE.
THERE'S TOO MUCH MOISTURE IN THE SOIL.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AFTER THEY SPREAD THE WORD FOR THAT AROUND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TURNED OUT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT WE WOULD BE PICKING UP THE BILL FOR THIS.
WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS NOT A WISE THING TO DO.
SO, YEAH, WHEN THIS THING WAS APPROVED, IT WAS CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
WELL, IT'S CREATED A DRAINAGE PROBLEM AND NOW WE'RE BEING ASKED TO PICK UP PART OF THE BILL.
WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT'S LIFE, BUT HALF OF IT? WHY 50 PERCENT OF IT? I MEAN, THIS ALARMS ME WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, AS I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING, I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY FOLLOW SOME OF THIS STUFF, BUT HOW MUCH IS THE FOREST HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD GOING TO BE PAYING ON THIS PROPOSAL? HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST ME OUT OF MY POCKET WHEN I ACTUALLY OBJECTED TO ITS
[02:15:07]
BEING BUILT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HEAVY FOR THE SITE, THE SITE WAS TOO SATURATED TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT BIG.AND NOW THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE SO MANY FLOODED LOWER LEVEL APARTMENTS.
THEY HAVE A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH FLOODING AND MANY OF THOSE BOTTOM LEVEL APARTMENTS BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY ALL THE PLAN WAS ALWAYS TOO HEAVY FOR THE SITE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR IS, WHAT AM I GOING TO PAY FOR IT? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DIALOG DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE DON'T DIALOG BACK AND FORTH DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT'S ON MY MIND.
AND I'M SURE YOU HEARD THE SUBTEXT, WHICH IS I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THIS.
THIS WAS NOT I SEE NO REASON WHY I SHOULD BE PICKING UP THE BILL FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT I WAS OPPOSED TO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
ANY OTHER PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? COME ON UP.
I'VE HAD TO THINK ABOUT HOW I WOULD ADDRESS YOU AND HOW I WOULD PRESENT MYSELF.
I PURCHASED A UNIT IN THE PONDS COOPERATIVE BACK IN 2012.
SO I'VE BEEN AN OWNER OF A POND UNIT FOR NINE YEARS.
I NEEDED AN ADDRESS IN THE US AND I USE THAT AS MY ADDRESS WHILE BEING OVERSEAS AS AN EXPAT.
AT THE TIME I PURCHASED IT, I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A CONDO.
I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE DISTINCTION WAS AND WHAT THAT MEANT.
I'M CURRENTLY A BOARD MEMBER OF THE CO-OP.
OUR BOARD PRESIDENT ASKED ME TO DELIVER A SHORT MESSAGE FROM HER.
I CAN'T SEEM TO GET IT UP ON MY IPAD RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING DEREK SAID, WHICH WAS THAT THE CONVERSATION WAS STARTED BY THE CO-OP; WHERE THEY APPROACHED THE DRAIN COMMISSION? AGAIN, WE DON'T DIALOG DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS.. OK, BUT AND THAT SURPRISES ME BECAUSE THE CO-OP THAT WE CURRENTLY THAT I AM CURRENTLY A CO-OWNER OF, HAS HAD SOME FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
AND WE HAD A BANKRUPTCY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND THAT, AGAIN, WAS A SURPRISE TO ME.
SINCE I'VE RETURNED, YOU CAN SEE FROM MY GRAY HERE, I'M RETIRED NOW.
I DECIDED I WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO IMPROVE.
SO I'LL READ THE AND I KNOW I'M LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
AND YOU'RE DOWN TO ONE MINUTE, SO.
I HAVE THE EXACT SAME SENTIMENT AS MY NEIGHBOR.
WHY? WHAT AM I GOING TO PAY, AND WHY AM I GOING TO PAY IT? WHEN I'M REALLY SURPRISED THAT I'M BEING TOLD THAT OUR CO-OP INITIATED THIS WHOLE THING.
WE DEFINITELY DO NOT BENEFIT FROM HAVING THIS.
I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXAGGERATION WITH THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH THE WITH GROUND UNITS FLOODING.
I HAVE NOT HAD ANY FLOOD PROBLEMS. BUT I'M SURE THAT I, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T OCCUPIED MY UNIT, IT MAY HAVE FLOODED WHEN I WASN'T THERE.
CELESTE'S MOST SIGNIFICANT MESSAGE TO YOU, I THINK, IS THAT THE, TO DRIVE TO OTHER FACT THAT WE ARE, WE OPERATE UNDER A CORPORATE STRUCTURE, OK, GO AHEAD AND COMPLETE IT.
OK, AS REQUIRED BY THE PUBLIC TO ACT 346 OF 1966, THE STATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ACT OF 1966.
[INAUDIBLE] PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE.
OUR CORPORATION WAS ESTABLISHED TO OFFER AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO LOW TO MID INCOME RESIDENTS.
NO ONE RECEIVES DIVIDENDS FROM THIS CORPORATE STRUCTURE.
OUR STRUCTURES WERE BUILT IN 1980S ON MARSHLAND.
WE'RE INCURRING A SIGNIFICANT MAINTENANCE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
[02:20:01]
MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF OUR BUILDINGS.WE'VE RECOVERED FROM A PRIOR BANKRUPTCY AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS FINANCIAL STABILITY TO ENSURE WE'RE FINANCIALLY STABLE ENOUGH TO REMORTGAGE THE PROPERTY IN 2024.
MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE ON LIMITED INCOME, THEY'RE LONGTIME RESIDENTS AND ANY ASSESSMENT COULD SEVERELY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
FINAL YOUR CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THEN WE GO TO OTHER MATTERS FOR BOARD MEMBERS; ANYTHING?
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
TREASURER? ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE PONDS.I LIVE NEAR THERE, I WALK THERE EVERY DAY.
THIS BOARD TALKS A LOT ABOUT IN THE MISSING MIDDLE, WE HAVE THE MISSING MIDDLE WITH THE PONDS.
IT'S AFFORDABLE CONDOMINIUMS, WELL MAINTAINED, ATTRACTIVE.
IT ATTRACTS A WIDE RANGE OF INCOMES AND HOUSEHOLD TYPES.
AND IT'S THE KIND OF INTEGRATED, DIVERSE HOUSING THAT THIS TOWNSHIP SHOULD BE PROUD OF AND THAT WE SHOULD DO ALL WE CAN TO MAINTAIN, MOVING FORWARD.
ONE MORE COMMENT, MORE ON A PERSONAL NATURE.
YOU KNOW, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP KIND OF HAS A, IF WE EVER HAVE A FIRST COUPLE, IT WOULD BE RON AND GEORGIA STYKA, AND THEY JUST CELEBRATED 50 YEARS OF MARRIAGE IN THE SPRING, AND THEY HAD A PARTY THIS PAST WEEKEND.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CALL THEM OUT AND HONOR THEM FOR THAT.
RON, WE KNOW OF THE SERVICE AND THIS BOARD AND 20 SOME YEARS AND THE OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, HIS WIFE, GEORGIA, EVEN MORE REMARKABLE.
PRESIDENT OF THE THE OKEMOS GARDEN CLUB, LONGTIME TEACHER, RAISED FOUR CHILDREN AND ADULTS HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP AND REALLY THE KIND OF FAMILY THAT'S MADE MERIDIAN GREAT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, RON AND GEORGIA.
AND IT'S A WONDERFUL PARTY YOU THREW, OR YOUR SONS THREW FOR YOU.
NOW, EVERYONE ELSE WHO WASN'T INVITED IS JEALOUS THEY WEREN'T.
I WILL SAY WE DID HAVE 150 PEOPLE IN THE BACK YARD AND I PRAY THAT THERE'S NO OUTBREAK BECAUSE OF IT, BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT PARTY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
BUT I WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT FOR QUENTIN'S BENEFIT, THAT THE QUESTIONS SHE'S ASKING NOW ARE THE KIND THAT ARE GOING TO BE ANSWERED AS WE MOVE ALONG IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF STEPS.
THIS STEP IS BASICALLY, DO WE GET OUT THERE AND GET THIS PROJECT GOING, WHICH FIVE YEARS AGO WAS ASKED FOR.
WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YARDS WE COULD USE OF BASEMENTS WE COULD USE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND PONDS THAT DON'T, YOU KNOW, ARE SEWERS, BUT RATHER ARE VERNAL.
OR ANYONE ELSE? MANAGER WALSH? THANK YOU.
HOURS AND HOURS OF WORK GOES INTO OUR CAMPUS HERE BY THE GARDEN CLUB.
SO WHEN YOU LEAVE TONIGHT, JUST PAUSE, TAKE A LOOK AT THE WORK OF OUR GARDEN CLUB AROUND THE FACILITIES HERE, AND YOU'LL BE QUITE IMPRESSED.
[INAUDIBLE].
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.