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[INAUDIBLE] GOOD EVENING, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES, YES, WE CAN.
ALL RIGHT, GOOD. HELLO, EVERYBODY.
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
WELCOME TO THE ANOTHER MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, THIS BEING AUGUST 17, 2021.I LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
AND WE'LL START OUT WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IF WE CAN PLEASE RISE AND FACE THE FLAG AND SAY THE PLEDGE.
ALLEGIANCE] I WOULD ASK CLERK GUTHRIE TO CALL THE ROLL.
YES, I'M HERE, I'M VIRTUAL DUE TO SOME HEALTH ISSUES, I'M AT HOME, SO I'M HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VIRTUALLY ATTENDING THE MEETING.
THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE IS HERE.
HERE VIRTUALLY FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THANK YOU. THE FULL BOARD IS OK, THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE. WE NOW HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER, MR.
[4A. 2021 Township Semi-Annual Report]
WALSH DEALING WITH THE 2021 TOWNSHIP SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE ALL RECEIVED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.AND I JUST WANT TO MENTION IT'S AN EXCELLENT REPORT, NOT ONLY IN ITS CONTENT, BUT HOW IT'S LAID OUT, ETCETERA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE], I WAS JUST ABOUT AN HOUR AGO HANDED THE DRAFT FINAL COPY OF THE OF THE BUDGET AND I'LL BE WORKING ON THAT BACK HERE IN THE BACK ROOM FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. SO THAT'S WHY MANAGER PERRY IS UP FRONT THIS EVENING.
I WANT TO JUST GO OVER A LITTLE TOUCH ON OUR GOALS OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND ALSO A FEW OTHER ISSUES, PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AT THE TOWNSHIP AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. BUT JUST GOING THROUGH OUR GOALS AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE SEMIANNUAL REPORT. OUR FIRST GOAL, THAT WE HAVE IS SUSTAINABILITY AND WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THAT AREA? AND REALLY, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THREE AREAS RIGHT NOW AND ONE BEING, OF COURSE, SOLAR. AND THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR OF OUR SOLAR PROJECT THAT WAS STARTED REALLY AT THE IMPETUS OF THE SUPERVISOR THREE YEARS AGO WHO ASKED THAT A THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK THAT SINCE THEN THERE'S BEEN A MOVEMENT FROM THE ENTIRE BOARD TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. WE'VE HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND INCREMENTALLY UP TO TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND, AND THEN WAS GOING TO BE TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND THIS PAST YEAR.
AND I THINK TRUSTEE OPSOMMER ASKED THAT THAT INCREASE TO THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO WE HAVE SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INVESTED IN SOLAR SO FAR.
AND WE'RE APPROXIMATELY OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO 100 PERCENT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND WE'RE APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT ALREADY WITH THOSE PROJECTS.
THE SECOND COMPONENT OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY'S ELECTRIC CARS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING.
WE WERE ACCEPTED TO WORK WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY ON A STUDY TO LOOK AT WHAT CONSUMERS OR WHAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL LOOK LIKE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND THAT WE'RE A LONG WAYS FROM THE ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH CONSUMERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND COMPONENT RIGHT NOW OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THE THIRD ONE IS WE'RE SEEKING A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM EAGLE AND THAT'S TO COMPLETELY OVERHAUL OUR RECYCLING CENTER AND TO BRING IT INTO THE NEXT CENTURY AND BEYOND. AGAIN, THAT'S A GRANT REQUEST THAT WE'RE MAKING.
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THAT'S THE EFFORTS OF THE GREEN TEAM.AND MR. HARVEY, IT'S A 20 PERCENT MATCH.
WE JUST I DON'T EVEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE FILED IT YET.
WE'RE IN THE THROES OF FILING.
SO IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN FILED YET.
BUT THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS.
SOLAR, ELECTRIC CARS AND THE RECYCLING CENTER.
WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR FIRST TRAINING SESSION WITH DEI, WITH THE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THIS IS LED BY DIRECTOR TITHOF AND THE COMMITTEE THAT'S WORKING ON THAT, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE, TRUSTEE. I DON'T HAVE THE LIST IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S TRUSTEE WISINSKI, JACKSON AND MAYBE OPSOMMER, I THINK ARE THE THREE THAT ARE ARE WORKING WITH THAT. I DON'T WANT TO SAY ASSIGNED, BUT WE'RE WORKING AS A GROUP.
WE HAD AN EXCELLENT TRAINING SESSION.
I BELIEVE IT WAS A FIVE HOUR TRAINING SESSION MAYBE FOUR THAT WE HAD A WEEK AGO.
THE NEXT ONE IS WORKING ON THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS AND THE VILLAGE OF HASLETT ON IMPROVEMENTS AND TRYING TO GO VERTICAL THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME IN ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT, ANY KIND OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO BE TO BE MOVING FORWARD ON A PROJECT.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT REALLY THE CROSSROADS WITH THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT.
WE HAVE ASKED THEM FOR THROUGH THE DDA AND REALLY THROUGH THE BOARD.
WE'VE ASKED THE DEVELOPERS WHAT WHAT IS THE FINAL NUMBER THAT YOU NEED IN A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP? I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR INTO TIF FINANCING TONIGHT, BUT TIF FINANCING IS A HUGE COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT.
IT'S A HUGE COMPONENT ACROSS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND ANY LARGE DEVELOPMENT AT A DOWNTOWN. BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT AND WE ARE MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPERS ON MONDAY, THE TWENTY THIRD TO HOPEFULLY GET THAT RESPONSE, BECAUSE IN FAIRNESS TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND THE DDA AND THE EDC AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE PUBLIC, WE NEED AN ANSWER FROM THEM EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
WHAT'S UP WITH THE POWER LINES, WHAT'S UP WITH THE UTILITIES? ALL THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO GATHER FOR THE BOARD.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S GOING TO BE THE BOARD THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THAT DECISION. THE VILLAGE OF HASLETT PROBABLY MOVING ALONG QUICKER THAN THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS RIGHT NOW WITH THE PINE VILLAGE PROJECT.
WE'RE STILL HOPING TO SEE THEM BREAK GROUND ON DEMOLITION HERE SOON.
THAT'LL BE THE TWO BUILDINGS, THE THE BUILDING ON THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE OLD [INAUDIBLE] GROCERY STORE.
BOTH OF THOSE BUILDINGS WILL BE COMING DOWN.
THE REDEVELOPMENTS ABOUT A TEN ACRE UPSCALE SENIOR LIVING DEVELOPMENT.
AGAIN, GREAT PROGRESS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MANAGER PERRY.
WE'RE DOING 18 MILES THIS THIS YEAR.
THIS IS OUR YEAR TWO THE MILLAGE WAS PASSED IN 19.
SO YEAR 2020 WAS THE FIRST YEAR AND 2021, OF COURSE, BEING THE SECOND YEAR.
WE HAVE ABOUT FORTY PERCENT OF THE THIS YEAR'S PROJECT ACCOMPLISHED.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DOING SOME TOPPINGS, WHICH THE BASE IS DOWN, WE'RE TOPPING THEM OFF AND FINISHING THEM. THAT OCCURRED YESTERDAY IN THE EDISON AND POTTER AREA, WHICH IS EXCITING TO SEE UP ON HASLETT, BECAUSE THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE WANTED TO DO SIX YEARS AGO AND FIVE YEARS AGO AND FOUR YEARS AGO.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A BIG DRAIN PROJECT THAT OCCURRED UP THERE AND SLOWED THE PROJECT DOWN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT ALL NEW ROADS IN, THEN HAVE THE DRAIN PROJECT COME IN. SO WE'RE ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE WAY THROUGH.
PLEASE CHECK. WE UPDATE THE WEBSITE EVERY DAY AND WHERE WE ARE WITH THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM. SO CHECK IT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
TACOMA HILL'S GOING TO SEE SOME SHOULDER WORK COMING UP.
[INAUDIBLE] FIRE AND SKYLINE AND RIVERWOOD NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOING TO SEE SOME WORK HERE ALSO IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, JOINING THEM ON A SURVEY.
WE EXPECT THAT TO GO FORWARD IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, PHASE ONE AND TWO OF THE LAKE LANSING TO MSU PATHWAY.
BIDDING THAT OUT THAT OUT THIS YEAR AND CONSTRUCTION WILL OCCUR NEXT YEAR.
SO YOU'LL SEE PHASES ONE AND TWO COMPLETED IN 2022, AND THAT'LL GO ALL THE WAY FROM BASICALLY THE MUSIC BUILDING AT SHAW ALONG THE RIVERFRONT AND ALL THE WAY TO THE INNER URBAN, PHASE ONE AND TWO.
RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WIDENING THE AREA BETWEEN OKEMOS ROAD OR ON OKEMOS ROAD, BETWEEN THE SERVICE CENTER NORTH TO THE INNER URBAN.
IF YOU GO BY THERE, THAT AREA'S BEING WIDENED.
THAT'S FOR THE FUTURE OF THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY.
SO PHASE ONE AND TWO BID THIS YEAR AND CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR.
NUMBER EIGHT IS THE NEW SIGNAGE.
AND OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ENTRY SIGNS TO THE TOWNSHIP THAT WERE PUT IN THE MID 70S, IT'S TIME TO UPGRADE THOSE.
WE'RE READY TO GO. WE NEED THE LOCATIONS OF THE EASEMENTS AND THAT'S WHAT'S HOLDING US UP. BUT WE HAVE SOME REALLY NICE, ATTRACTIVE SIGNAGE TO GO UP.
YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO LIKE IT. I THINK THE COMMUNITY'S GOING TO REALLY LIKE IT, BUT IT'S TOUGH FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATIONS.
THAT'S GOING TO THAT'S GOING TO HOLD THAT PROJECT UP FOR SOME TIME.
NUMBER NINE, THE WEBSITE, WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG WITH IT IN THE ROLLOUT EXCUSE ME, THE ROLLOUT WILL OCCUR IN OCTOBER.
[00:10:02]
AND AGAIN, I'M JUST GOING DOWN YOUR LIST OF YOUR GOALS.AND FINALLY, THAT NUMBER 10 IS THE PENSION AND STAFFING AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK INTO THE BUDGET, I GUESS, WOULD FALL UNDER HERE OUR PENSION LIABILITY.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO PAY OUR ARC, ARC ACQUIRED REQUIRED ADJUST ACTUARIAL REQUIRED CONTRIBUTION ARC.
THE ARC FOR NEXT YEAR IS THREE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU AND IF YOU ADD ON THE MILLION AND A HALF TO THAT FROM THE MILLAGE FROM 2017 YOU'RE AT FOUR POINT SEVEN, WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND A FIVE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ABOUT THREE WEEKS.
THE REASON BEING IS THAT IS BASED ON A FIVE POINT THREE FIVE RATE OF RETURN.
AND REMEMBER, WE'VE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING WITH [INAUDIBLE].
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ADJUST TO A FIVE POINT THREE FIVE.
THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A FIVE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLAR PENSION CONTRIBUTION.
WE'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO PUT THREE POINT TWO.
NOT ONLY ARE WE KEEPING OUR PROMISE OF WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO, WE'RE GOING BEYOND THAT.
AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE BUDGET.
JUST A FEW OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE THIS EVENING, THAT PARALLEL WITH THE ANNUAL THE SEMIANNUAL REPORT, THE FOCUS OF THE BUDGET.
THAT'S COMING UP IN THREE WEEKS.
IT'S A FIFTY, FIFTY FIVE MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
LIKE I SAID, I JUST HAVE THE COPY THAT CAME OFF THE PRINTER ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.
THERE'S ONLY FIVE COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH A BUDGET.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO EACH. I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT WHAT THEY ARE.
THE FOCUS OF THIS BUDGET WILL BE LOCAL ROADS, PUBLIC SAFETY, IT, THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND AND THE PENSION AND LEGACY COST.
THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE FIVE AREAS THAT WE ATTACK.
AND THE ONE THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU IS THE IT, OUR IT SYSTEM IS FAILING.
WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST HEAVILY IN OUR IT SYSTEM HERE ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.
OUR SYSTEM IS, ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR, A C MINUS D PLUS RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT AND THAT MIGHT BE FAVORABLE.
WE REALLY NEED [INAUDIBLE]. WE HAVE A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO COME IN AND OVERHAUL OUR IT SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF THIS TOWNSHIP.
AGAIN, WHAT WE DO, WE INVEST, WE KEEP INVESTING, AND THEN A REDEVELOPMENT FUND.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND TO HELP SUPPORT, POTENTIALLY HELP SUPPORT IN A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE PEAK AREAS.
THE DANIELS DRAIN IS GOING TO BE A COMPONENT, OF COURSE, OF THE BUDGET.
THE MARKETPLACE, THE MARKETPLACE IS JUST BOOMING.
IT REALLY IS LIKE THE EPICENTER AS WE'D HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE OF THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THIS TOWN.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE ON A SATURDAY OR WEDNESDAY, IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
CENSUS, CENSUS NUMBERS ARE OUT.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S MARVELING AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CENSUS NUMBERS, 11 PERCENT GROWTH, OUTSTANDING FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE SEEN A DECLINE.
AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS FOCUS ON HOW WHAT CAN WE DO AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP INSTEAD OF [INAUDIBLE], BOASTING AN 11 PERCENT AND GREAT AND GOOD CONTROLLED SMART GROWTH.
AND WE'RE STILL PROTECTING THE EAST SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE GREAT EDUCATION, STRONG PARKS, GREAT PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT'S ALL WONDERFUL. BUT HOW CAN WE LIFT UP OUR NEIGHBORS? HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THE CITY OF EAST LANSING AND LANSING AND MAKE SURE THAT IN 10 YEARS THEIR NUMBERS GO UP AS WELL? BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ONE HERE IN INGHAM COUNTY.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A FOCUS TOO OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OF HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH OUR NEIGHBORS? BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM HAD NEGATIVE NUMBERS AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL POSITIVE 10 YEARS FROM NOW.
THE SURVEY WILL BE BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER, STEP OUT AND SEE THE NEW PAVILION AND THE RESTROOM.
THE MASTER PLAN. AS YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES USUALLY WAIT ABOUT 10 TO 15 YEARS TO UPGRADE THEIR MASTER PLANS. THEY SAY IT'S SUGGESTED THAT WE DO IT IN FIVE, OUR FIFTH YEAR, 2022, AND THERE WILL BE MONEY IN THE BUDGET.
THAT'S RECOMMENDED, OF COURSE, FOR UPDATING THE MASTER PLAN IN 2022.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO JUST SHARE A LITTLE A LITTLE QUICK STORY WITH YOU.
YES. YESTERDAY AND SAW THE SAW THE OWNER OF MIDWEST POWER AND I WAS SPEAKING WITH HIM ABOUT HIS FUTURE PLANS AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE IS A YOUNG LADY THAT'S BEEN COMING HERE AND TALKING TO ME ABOUT MY PLANS AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AND AND ALL OF THAT.
IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE.
HE SAID HER NAME IS AMBER, SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST THE GRAND SLAM OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WHEN SOMEONE I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR CLARK ABOUT THAT JUST GOES TO THE POINT OF HOW WE'RE STRENGTHENING OUR TEAM AROUND HERE EVERY DAY.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY SOMETHING YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW.
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I WILL PASS ON MY TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT AS WELL.I THINK I'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME HERE THIS EVENING, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS MR. SUPERVISOR.
[INAUDIBLE] MR. OPSOMMER. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
FIRST, I JUST WANT TO ALSO NOTE THAT I WAS AT MIDWEST POWER ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO AND ALSO SPOKE WITH THE OWNER.
HE WAS FIXING MY CHAINSAW AND BROUGHT OUT A NEW BAR FOR ME THAT I HAD ORDERED.
AND HE ALSO MENTIONED DIRECTOR CLARK AND SOME OF THE SITES.
AND WE CHATTED FOR A MINUTE ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER SITES THAT HE'S LOOKING AT, INCLUDING [INAUDIBLE] SO.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT HE SPEAKS VERY HIGHLY OF DIRECTOR CLARK.
AS THE MANAGER NOTED, I DID HAVE A QUICK TECHNICAL QUESTION FOR PROBABLY DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY SINCE ITS BROADBAND.
BUT, EITHER ONE OF YOU FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN.
SO THE SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT, THE ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HIRING, IS THAT JUST BUILDING THE NETWORK OR DOES IT GO BEYOND BUILDING THE NETWORK INTO THE OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS? IT'S REALLY BASELINE.
THEY'LL BE A COMPONENT, THAT SURVEY BASED TO FIND OUT BASICALLY WHAT THE LEVEL IS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNTY AT WHOLE.
AND THEN WE'LL START TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO EXPAND THE NETWORK OR FILL THOSE GAPS.
FROM THERE, I THINK WOULD BE A SECOND COMPONENT THAT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT.
WHAT ARE THE THOSE AND HOW WOULD THOSE BE OPERATED AND GET INTO SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL DETAILS. SO THIS IS TECHNICALLY A GAP ASSESSMENT.
OK, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT WHAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE TO BUILD THE NETWORK [INAUDIBLE].
THIS IS NOT WHAT'S IN IT CURRENTLY.
FORGIVE ME IF I MISSED ANYTHING.
HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING FOR AN UNVEILING FOR THE SOLAR AT THE SERVICE CENTER? NO, WE HAVEN'T.
NO. THERE'S REALLY WELL, THERE WAS SOME HOMTV, DID SOME GREAT COVERAGE, ACTUALLY.
THE INSTALLERS DID A DRONE, SOME DRONE FOOTAGE OF IT.
SO THAT'S AVAILABLE PROBABLY ON YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANTED TO GO SEE IT.
BUT BECAUSE OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO SEE PER SAY BECAUSE IT'S A ROUGH SYSTEM.
SO YOU COULD WALK UP AND LOOK AT THE METER, BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL YOU SEE FROM THE GROUND.
OK, AND IT IS A PRETTY REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT TO CONVERT THAT WHOLE FACILITY.
SO I JUST WONDERED IF THERE IS ANY INTERNAL TALKS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL HAD SCAFFOLDING OR SOMETHING YEAH, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO SAY HOW HOW YOU GET ON THE ROOF, BUT THERE'S A THERE'S A WAY.
IT'S REALLY NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
OK, SO THERE'S NO SAFE ACCESS TO REALLY? IT'S STILL POSSIBLE, THOUGH, TO HAVE SOME SORT OF HAD THE GREEN TEAM AND SOME OTHERS IN THE GROUP WE COULD HAVE [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S A GOOD POINT. YEAH, I'M NOT THE BEST OF THOSE.
I CAN'T NORMALLY I CAN'T MAKE THE MIDDAY RIBBON CUTTING.
SO BY ALL MEANS, DON'T DO IT ON MY BEHALF.
BUT IT IS A TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE [INAUDIBLE] LOOKS REALLY GOOD ON THE SERVICE CENTER.
AND LOGISTICALLY, HAVING IT 100 PERCENT RENEWABLE NOW IS QUITE THE FEAT.
SO JUST SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT TO YOU.
YOU MENTIONED THE CENSUS NUMBERS AS THE CENSUS NUMBERS INCREASE IS AND THE SERVICES INCREASE TO MEET THAT DEMAND.
DO WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND HOW WE'RE ABLE TO SERVICE THE COMMUNITY? AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, KIND OF ALONG THE SAME QUESTION THAT I READ IN HERE, THAT THEIR STAFF WAGE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, DOES ALL OF THAT GO ONLINE TOGETHER IN REGARDS TO STAFFING AND SERVICING THE COMMUNITY? WELL, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THAT.
BUT OF COURSE, YOU CAN ONLY LOOK AT IT EVERY 10 YEARS BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR CENSUS COME OUT. AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE BUDGET THIS EVENING.
BUT ONE OF THE AREAS THAT YOU REALLY LOOK AT THAT, MADAM CLERK, IS IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT'S REALLY THE AREA, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT, THE TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WOULDN'T REQUIRE MORE STAFFING BECAUSE WE HAVE A FEW MORE HUNDRED HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT PERHAPS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WE ARE REQUESTING WE ARE GOING TO BE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC POSITION, WHICH THEN WOULD INCREASE US BY 10 PERCENT FROM WHERE WE WERE JUST FOUR YEARS AGO, AND ALSO A POSITION BACK IN THE POLICE, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, YES, THE ANSWER IS YES AND YES, WE DO LOOK AT IT AND WE ARE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS WE
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GO ALONG. BUT MOST OF THOSE BENCHMARKED AGAINST OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH LIKE POPULATIONS.AND YOU DID MENTION BEING PARTNERS WITH OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES AND LIFTING THEM UP AND AND ALL OF THAT GOODWILL SORT OF STUFF.
IS THERE NOT I THINK I SAW THE TREASURER'S REPORT IN HERE FOR THAT QUARTERLY REPORT.
ISN'T THERE A LARGE CONTRIBUTION FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT GOES INTO THE THE THE COUNTY WIDE MILLAGES AND MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS AND OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
BUT IN YOUR TREASURER'S REPORT, ISN'T ISN'T THERE A LARGE NUMBER THAT COMES FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT IS THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN REGARDS TO THOSE MILLAGES? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A TREASURER DESCHAINE QUESTION OR IF THAT'S A MANAGER QUESTION OR JUST MAKING A POINT.
LET ME ANSWER IT. I HAVE THE NUMBERS RIGHT HERE.
OF THE 106 MILLION 7 HUNDRED 43 THOUSAND DOLLARS WE GOT LAST YEAR.
EIGHTY SEVEN MILLION OF THAT WENT RIGHT OUT THE DOOR AND 11 MILLION THAT WAS TO INGHAM COUNTY. SO WE MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION SINCE THE 82 PERCENT OF EVERY DOLLAR WE RECEIVE, WE DISTRIBUTE TO LOCAL AGENCIES PRIMARILY EDUCATION, BUT ALSO THE COUNTY, CATA, CATTLE, THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
JUST SO YES, WE DO. WE'RE VERY MUCH A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE ENTIRE REGION.
SO SO I GUESS, MANAGER WALSH, WERE YOU THINKING OUTSIDE THAT SCOPE AND IN OTHER WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
IT'S A FAIR QUESTION. YEAH, WE'RE ACTUALLY A DONOR TO EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE OF OUR TAX BASE. I THINK THE COUNTY'S EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS.
AND I THINK MERIDIAN, WE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S TWO BILLION OF THAT.
SO WE'RE WE'RE A VERY STRONG PART OF THE ECONOMIC BASE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
WHAT I TALK ABOUT LIFTING UP AND HELPING AND SUPPORTING THOSE ARE ALL NONFINANCIAL WAYS.
I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE SIT DOWN REGIONALLY AND TALK ABOUT CENSUS 2030 AND WHAT STEPS, WHAT, THREE STEPS.
I ONLY KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WE MAY WANT TO COLLABORATE ON.
GET A GROUP TOGETHER AND SAY, OK, OUR GOAL IS IN 2030 THAT WE ALL RISE UP OK.
AND WHAT THREE STEPS CAN WE TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
OK, THANK YOU. AND THEN IN THE REPORT, I WANTED TO COMMEND CHIEF PLAGA AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON HAVING TWICE THE LEVEL OF FEMALE HIRES VERSUS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND MANAGER WALSH FOR HAVING A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT IS 50 PERCENT FEMALE. I OBVIOUSLY I APPRECIATE HAVING A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT IS IS PRETTY EVEN KEEL.
SO THOSE ARE MY LAST COMMENTS ABOUT THE REPORT.
THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THAT TONIGHT.
THANK YOU. I THINK IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM IN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, IT'S 52 TO 48 PERCENT OR 51 49.
IT'S SPLIT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE.
AND THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING IT.
DID WE LOSE THE SUPERVISOR? I THINK WE MAY HAVE LOST SUPERVISOR STYKA.
SO SHOULD I CALL ON PAT JACKSON OR SHOULD I MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE THAT SUPERVISOR PRO TEM IN THE ABSENCE OF SUPERVISOR STYKA? IN THE ACTING CHAIR RIGHT NOW.
OK, YEAH. SO AS THE ACTING CHAIR.
DO YOU MIND IF I CALL SUPERVISOR PRO TEM BEFORE BEFORE WE TAKE YOUR QUESTION? WHATEVER YOU THINK IS BEST.
ALRIGHT. I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT A SUPERVISOR PRO TEM IN THE ABSENCE OF SUPERVISOR STYKA IF HE DOESN'T COME BACK OR IF WE LOSE HIM AGAIN.
ANYBODY LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION? KATHY.
DO WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL VOTE OR? NO. JUST SHOW OF HANDS. OK SHOW OF HANDS.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND MS. WISINSKI'S HAND IS UP AS WELL.
OK, SO I WILL CALL ON TRUSTEE JACKSON TO ASK HER QUESTION OF MANAGER WALSH.
SEVERAL MENTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE OF DIRECTOR CLARK AND HER WORK FOR THE TOWNSHIP. I WOULD, FIRST OF ALL, REMIND THE BOARD THAT WE ALSO GOT VERY POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT HER WORK FROM THE OWNERS, I BELIEVE, OF MERIDIAN, THE MERIDIAN COMPANY, AND INVOLVED WITH THE REZONING THAT WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
BUT I GUESS AT THIS POINT, I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH
[00:25:08]
DIRECTOR CLARK AND I HOPE TO BRING BACK THE PROPOSAL FOR A SMART ZONE OR OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE REGIONAL SMART ZONE PROPOSAL THAT SHE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD I THINK TWICE BEFORE. AND THAT BECOMES EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT.FIRST OF ALL, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MANAGER'S CALLS FOR REGIONAL, MORE REGIONAL PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION AND ELEVATING THE STATUS AND THE POPULATION, PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE OF THE REGION, OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS LIKE EAST LANSING AND LANSING, THE UNIVERSITY AND OTHERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE SMART ZONE.
AND ALSO TO NOTE THAT LEAP, WHICH IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY THAT I REPRESENT ON WHOSE BOARD I REPRESENT, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ONE OF OF THAT GRANT, THE SMART ZONE PROGRAM, AND THAT DIRECTOR CLARK HAS BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO BRING THAT IDEA TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
AND SO WE'VE HAD EVEN MORE SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA.
I HOPE WE CAN CONVINCE THE BOARD THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND IT WOULD HELP US IN ACHIEVING MR. WALSH'S IDEA OF WORKING MORE COOPERATIVELY AND BETTER WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE AREA.
MANAGER WALSH, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THAT? I DON'T JUST THAT MY FINAL MY FINAL COMMENT IS THE CENSUS NUMBERS ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND SOMETIMES THEY GET, LIKE, LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. ANY TIME A MAJOR RETAIL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT LOOKS AT GOING INTO A COMMUNITY, GROWTH IS A NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, ROOFTOPS, PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT COMPANIES LOOK AT, CORPORATIONS, RETAIL, AND TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OF FORTY THOUSAND AND STILL HAVE DOUBLE DIGIT.
IT'S ONE THING IF YOU'RE TWO THOUSAND POPULATION AND YOU GO UP DOUBLE DIGIT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE FORTY THOUSAND, WHICH WE WERE BEFORE WE STARTED THIS AND WENT UP 10 PERCENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE THAT SAY OVER, IT'S A ONE PERCENT GROWTH PER YEAR OVER 10 YEARS.
SO IT'S REALLY SMART CONTROLLED GROWTH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
AND THANK YOU TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER.
[INAUDIBLE] MR. SUPERVISOR WE JUST CONCLUDED AGENDA ITEM 4A.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
IF YOU WANT TO GO ON TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, CITIZENS ADDRESSING.EXCELLENT. NEXT IS CITIZENS ADDRESSING AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE PRESENT IN THE AUDIENCE THAT THEY WANT TO SPEAK.
IF THEY DO, THEY COME TO THE PODIUM, THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES.
INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, GIVE THEIR ADDRESS AND PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO [INAUDIBLE] ANY INDIVIDUALS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM PEOPLE.
YES, WE HAVE A [INAUDIBLE] MR. SUPERVISOR FROM LAURIE [INAUDIBLE].
THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OK. MY HUSBAND AND I RESIDE AT 3833 DOBIE ROAD, WE LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM INGHAM COUNTY MEDICAL.
WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 21 YEARS.
LUCIA IN THE BRITISH WEST INDIES, I FOUND THE STATE INSPECTOR AND I SAID, WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HOUSE FOR ME? AND HE SAID, BUY THIS HOUSE.
AND WE GOT HERE IN JANUARY WITH ALL OF OUR SUMMER CLOTHES AND TENTS.
AND FROM THERE WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS HOUSE AND WE HAVE DONE AN AWFUL LOT. AND THEN OUR HOUSE STARTED LOOKING LIKE A MUSEUM AND THEN IT STARTED LOOKING LIKE A B&B, AND PETER DID A LOT OF WOODWORK.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF CROWN MOLDING AND WE HAVE A 50 YEAR ROOF.
WE HAVE A HOUSE THAT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO BUILD.
[00:30:01]
IT HAS SO MUCH FANCY STUFF IN IT.IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND IT'S HIGHLY UNIQUE.
CAN WE STAY AT YOUR HOUSE, WILL YOU MAKE SOME MEALS FOR US? CAN WE HAVE OUR ANNIVERSARY HERE? CAN WE SPEND A COUPLE OF NIGHTS? WELL, THEN WE SPONSORED SOME [INAUDIBLE] EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN CAN MY MOM AND DAD STAY HERE AND EVERYBODY JUST LOVES THIS PROPERTY.
AND THEN WE BECAME FRIENDS WITH THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STREET AND THE OLD PEOPLE WOULD COME OVER AND I WOULD HANG VIOLINS IN THE FRONT YARD, WHICH IS WEIRD, BUT I LOVE VIOLINS.
I'M AN ARTIST. I'VE PAINTED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO I FILLED THE HOUSE WITH [INAUDIBLE] AND MURALS AND ALL SORTS OF RENAISSANCE PIECES.
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR PROPERTY.
AND WE BUILT FLANK FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT PORCH AND WE'VE DONE STAINED GLASS ALL OVER AND IT'S TURNED OUT REALLY WELL WITH OUR FIVE BEDROOMS. AND THEN SOME PEOPLE STARTED SAYING, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF YOUR HOUSE WAS A B&B? AND HE COOKS BETTER THAN I DO.
AND I THOUGHT, YEAH, OK, THAT BE GOOD.
AND THEN WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OLDER, SO WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE'D MOVE. SO WE HAD TALKED TO A REAL ESTATE LADY AND SHE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE COME AND LOOK AT OUR HOUSE. AND BOTH SETS OF PEOPLE SAID, CAN THIS PLEASE BE A B&B, CAN YOU GET PERMISSION TO MAKE OUR THIS HOUSE INTO A B&B? AND WE SAID WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY B&B'S.
THERE'S A REALLY NICE ONE IN EAST LANSING, BUT PETER AND I LOVE BEING B&B'S.
WE LIKE COMFORT AND SOME PLACE JUST TO RELAX WITH GOOD PARKING.
WE HAVE A 220 HOUSE AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO GET OUR HOUSE STATUS AS BEING B&B, OK, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I THINK IT'S TOO LATE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THAT OK? YOU ARE MUTED MR. SUPERVISOR.
NOT SURE. I THINK HE'S FROZEN NOW.
THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO SPOKE.
WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT, WHICH HE HAS YIELDED THE TIME TO THE BOARD, GIVEN THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE ARE NOW ONTO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ANNOUNCEMENTS. WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST THIS EVENING? TREASURER DESCHAINE. THANK YOU.BECAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR FROM SUPERVISOR.
I WILL SAY TO THE PUBLIC WHAT HE WOULD SAY, WHICH IS WE DON'T RESPOND DIRECTLY TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT YOU SIGNED IN HERE AND WE HAVE YOUR NAME AND I'M CONFIDENT SOME OF THE STAFF WILL GO BACK TO YOU. OK, THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK TO THE MEETING.
[INAUDIBLE] ON LAST WEEK, AUGUST 5TH, I ATTENDED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING FOR AUGUST, IT'S GOING STRONG, LEAD GREATLY BY DIRECTOR CLARK.
ON THE 9TH, A WEEK AGO, I ATTENDED THE MANAGEMENT TEAM DEI TRAINING ON OVERCOMING IMPLICIT BIAS, EXCELLENT TRAINING AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
BUT IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND MANY BOARD MEMBERS WERE THERE AS WELL.
SO EXCELLENT TRAINING, COMING UP THIS WEEK.
TOMORROW'S ACADEMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING FOUR O'CLOCK AT THE OLD [INAUDIBLE] OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THURSDAY MORNING. 7:30 IS THE BROWNFIELD'S REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING, WHICH I'M NOT ON, BUT I ATTENDED. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON BROWNFIELD'S RIGHT NOW.
AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE AT THAT MEETING.
AND THE MANAGER MENTIONED EARLIER, THE DANIELS DRAIN MEETING COMING UP.
THAT'S THE TWENTY SIXTH A WEEK FROM THURSDAY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU LIVE IN FOREST HILLS, CORNELL WOODS, THAT WHOLE AREA SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER.
THE PONDS AND BEHIND THAT, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE BOARD AND STAFF ABOUT THIS. THERE'S CONCERNS, LOTS OF RUMORS OUT THERE.
BUT PLEASE COME TO THAT MEETING.
THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER WILL BE THERE.
WE'LL GIVE EVERYONE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE HAVE ON THE DANIELS DRAIN.
AND SO BEFORE YOU PASS JUDGMENT ON IT OR GET WORRIED ABOUT A HUGE TAX ASSESSMENT, PLEASE COME TO THAT MEETING. WE'LL GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE HAVE AT THAT TIME.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO GO RIGHT IN TO DISCUSS THE TREASURER'S REPORT, WHICH
[00:35:05]
IS IN THE BOARD PACKET.AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE HAD ONE OF THESE IN HERE.
TYPICALLY, THIS WOULD BE HERE IN JUNE, JULY.
BUT HAVING LOST MY DEPUTY JULY 1ST, IT TOOK US A LOT LONGER TO PUT THIS ONE TOGETHER.
IF YOU TURN TO PAGE FIFTY EIGHT OF THE BOARD PACKET, YOU'LL SEE THE DISTRIBUTION FOR 2020 THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, 106 MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND ALL BUT THREE OF THOSE LINE ITEMS WERE OUTSIDE GROUPS, STATE EDUCATION, SCHOOLS, INGHAM COUNTY, AS WELL AS CATA, CATTLE, THE AIRPORT, LCC.
TAXES OR ACTUALLY BEFORE I GO ON THERE.
I WILL SAY IF YOU MOVE FURTHER DOWN THE REPORT, THE NEXT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE OUR FIXED INVESTMENTS AT TWELVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND, A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN PAST TIMES.
WE'VE BEEN CLOSER TO FIFTEEN MILLION.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE NEXT PAGE IN LIQUID INVESTMENTS, AND THAT'S LARGELY BECAUSE INTEREST RATES ARE TERRIBLE RIGHT NOW.
A YEAR TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 250 BASIS POINTS, TWO AND A HALF PERCENT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING ABOUT ELEVEN BASIS POINTS.
SO RATES ARE REALLY EXTREMELY LOW.
AND WITH FEARS OF INFLATION THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW, THEY'RE LIKELY TO GO UP CERTAINLY IN 2022. SO I'VE TAKEN A WAIT AND SEE.
OUR MONEY IS SAFE, BUT IT'S IN NON-FIXED INVESTMENTS RIGHT NOW, HOPING FOR SOME KIND OF BREAK ON INTEREST RATES.
AND LASTLY, TAXES ARE DUE FOUR WEEKS FROM NOW.
THEY'RE DUE THE 14TH OF SEPTEMBER.
SUMMER TAXES, WE DID HEAR LAST WEEK AT A ROTARY MEETING FROM GREG TODD, THE INGHAM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, THAT THE COUNTY HAS SET ASIDE A MILLION DOLLARS IN MORTGAGE RELIEF FOR INGHAM COUNTY RESIDENTS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING YOUR PAYING YOUR MORTGAGE, ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH TAXES, PLEASE CONTACT US.
WE'LL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE COUNTY AND THAT PROGRAM THAT'S BEING ADMINISTERED THROUGH CAPITAL AREA COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO IT'S A IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS OF NEW MONEY TO HELP OUT INGHAM COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE HAVING TROUBLE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.
THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY TOUGH YEAR AND A HALF AND THERE IS HELP OUT THERE THROUGH INGHAM COUNTY. SO CONTACT THE TREASURER'S OFFICE 853-4140 AND WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE HAVE AND WE'LL PUT YOU ON THE LIST AND WE KNOW MORE.
WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU AS WELL.
THAT'S MY REPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS?. THANK YOU, I'M BACK AGAIN THANK YOU.
[INAUDIBLE] MY COMPUTER WAS DISCONNECTED, [INAUDIBLE] . THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
YESTERDAY MORNING ON MONDAY, I ATTENDED THE GARDEN CLUB AWARDS CEREMONY, THEY RECEIVED AN AWARD FROM THE MICHIGAN COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION AWARD, AND OUR SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] WAS THERE AND REPRESENTATIVE BRIXIE WAS THERE TO ALSO GIVE THEM AN AWARD.
THAT WAS A RECOGNITION AWARD THAT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
AND SO THAT WAS THAT WAS A SPECIAL EVENT.
IT WAS HELD AT THE POST OFFICE.
IT WAS FOR THEIR LANDSCAPE PROJECT AT THE POST OFFICE.
AND SO I COMMEND THE MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB AND ALL ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
I LOVE THEIR GARDENS AROUND THE TOWNSHIP AND I, I VISIT THEM OFTEN.
AND MY LANDSCAPING AT MY HOUSE HAS BEEN REDONE IN FRONT TO MIRROR SOME OF THE GARDENS THAT THE GARDEN CLUB HAS DONE.
AND SO I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE BEE FRIENDLY NOW AT MY HOUSE INSTEAD OF DEER FRIENDLY, DARE I SAY SO.
SO THANK YOU TO THE GARDEN CLUB FOR THAT INSPIRATION AT MY OWN HOME.
PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE UNINTENDED.
I DON'T KNOW. I ALSO ATTENDED THE DEI IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING.
I FOUND IT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL AND HELPFUL.
AND AND I WE HAD THESE BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND I WAS IN A BREAKOUT SESSION WITH MANAGER WALSH AND THE FIRST SESSION AND I ABOUT FREAKED OUT BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE SAME BREAKOUT SESSION. BUT IT WAS A GOOD SESSION, WASN'T IT, FRANK? [LAUGHTER] YEAH, I THOUGHT I THOUGHT IT WAS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE TEAM.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MORE LEADERSHIP AND DEI EFFORTS FROM OUR OUR H.R.
DIRECTOR, ABBY TITHOF, SHE'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB ON THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE HER EFFORTS, EFFORTS ON THAT AND BRINGING IT THAT TO THE REST OF THE STAFF AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND INCLUDING SOME SOME BOARD MEMBERS.
I ALSO ATTENDED THE DE-ESCALATION COMMUNICATION TRAINING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[00:40:03]
THAT WAS AN AMAZING SESSION THAT THEY PROVIDED.I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH HOMTV AND CREATING A VIDEO FOR STAFF MEMBERS AND POSSIBLY BOARD MEMBERS WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I SPOKE WITH MY STAFF ABOUT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE IN REGARDS TO POSSIBLY SHARING THIS WITH OUR CHAIRS AND CO-CHAIRS AT OUR POLLING LOCATIONS.
TODAY, WE HAD AN UPSET RESIDENT COME IN AND AND WAS VERY DEMANDING AND HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS VOTER REGISTRATION.
AND IT JUST REALLY SOLIDIFIED IN MY MIND THAT THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE THIS TRAINING FOR OUR CHAIRS AND CO-CHAIRS, THAT THEY HAVE THIS HAPPEN AT POLLING LOCATIONS.
SO IT WAS I WAS VERY GLAD TO TO ATTEND THAT AND HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THAT FOR THE STAFF AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
NEXT WEEK, I'LL BE ATTENDING THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MEETING.
RIGHT HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP HALL AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM AND THEN THE CRC.
THEY CANCELED THEIR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER MEETING.
THEIR NEXT MEETING IS OCTOBER 13TH.
I AM THE BOARD LIAISON FOR THAT.
AND SO I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO BEING AT THAT.
AND THEN I'M ALSO WORKING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS, LOOKING AT OUR POLLING LOCATION SITES, TRYING TO DO TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO TO GET THE POLLING LOCATIONS OUT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND INTO SOME OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND SO WE MET WITH SUPERINTENDENT STEVE COOK THIS WEEK.
AND WE'RE WE'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION IN THE TOWNSHIP TO TRY AND DO THAT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN IN REGARDS TO SMART ZONES, SINCE TRUSTEE JACKSON DID MENTION THAT IF THAT WERE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH AMBER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ABOUT SMART ZONE, TRYING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE HER TIME WITH THAT.
AND SHE ACTUALLY SET UP A TOUR WITH THE VAN CAMP AT THE VAN CAMP BUILDING NEXT WEEK.
AND SO I'LL BE TOURING THAT BUILDING SO I CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER TECH THAT'S OUT THERE AND AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT WHEN SHE'S GIVING A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU SUPERVISOR,[INAUDIBLE].
I ALSO ATTENDED THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING THAT WAS PUT ON BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND I THINK THEY DID DO A FANTASTIC JOB AND HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AND HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOME CHANGE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE [INAUDIBLE]. ALSO ATTENDED THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING JUST THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, THEY ARE WORKING ON UPDATING OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE [INAUDIBLE] MODEL. WHAT THIS DOES IS WE WE MERIDIAN ARE WITHIN A REGIONAL AQUIFER, [INAUDIBLE] AND THE MODEL ESTIMATES WATER LEVELS WITHIN [INAUDIBLE] AREA AND THEN IT COMPARES IT TO WELLS [INAUDIBLE].
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HELPS TRACK FOR OUR [INAUDIBLE] PROTECTION PLAN AND ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE COMPROMISING THAT AND ALSO [INAUDIBLE] TO CONFIRM WHERE WATER IS COMING FROM [INAUDIBLE] MOVEMENT [INAUDIBLE] KNOWING THE FLOODING OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS.
THESE ARE JUST REALLY IMPORTANT EFFORTS.
PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR OUR CHIEF CHIEF ENGINEER HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, [INAUDIBLE] IS ELECTED THE SECRETARY TREASURER AT [INAUDIBLE] MANAGEMENT BOARD.
SO HE'LL BE REPRESENTING NOT JUST AS A MEMBER, BUT ALSO AS SECRETARY AND TREASURER.
WE DID HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING WEDNESDAY [INAUDIBLE].
DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT ATTENDED THAT AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AS COMMISSION MEMBERS ON UPCOMING EFFORTS AND HIS THOUGHTS [INAUDIBLE].
WE ALSO HAD A RESOLUTION TO HONOR [INAUDIBLE], WHO WAS A COMMISSION MEMBER FOR MANY YEARS. SHE HEADED UP THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORK GROUP AND RETIRED FROM THE COMMISSION.
[00:45:01]
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION FOR A NEW COMMISSION MEMBER.WE ALSO HAVE AND I DON'T KNOW IF [INAUDIBLE] MENTIONED THIS, WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMMISSION MEETING COMING UP ON AUGUST 26TH, THAT'S MY REPORT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS.
OK. AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
[INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.[INAUDIBLE] ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NO'S? OK WE HAVE AN AGENDA.
FIRST ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTS OF COMMUNICATIONS.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
I READ IT THROUGH AUGUST THREE AND AUGUST NINE.AUGUST THREE WAS A REGULAR MEETING AND AUGUST NINE WAS A JOINT MEETING THAT WE HELD WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND WE HAVE OUR [INAUDIBLE], WE SET THE DATE OF SEPTEMBER SEVEN FOR OUR BUDGET HEARING, WHICH ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
REQUESTED, WE'RE ALSO APPROVING A REQUEST TO PURCHASE A MERS GENERIC CREDITED SERVICE FOR AN EMPLOYEE.
AND LASTLY, A QUALITY WE'RE APPROVING THE, EXCUSE ME, QUARTERLY TREASURER REPORT [INAUDIBLE] TREASURER DESCHAINE.
IS THERE A MOTION? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SUPPORT. IT'S MOVED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON.
[INAUDIBLE] YES IT WAS, OK, WE NEED A ROLL CALL.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI. YOU'RE MUTED TRUSTEE.
YES. THANK YOU THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.
[INAUDIBLE] NO HEARINGS. WE NOW MOVE ONE TO ACTION [INAUDIBLE], THE FIRST ONE.
[12A. Rezoning #21050 (M & J Management), rezone an approximately 5 acre parcel located at 1999 Saginaw Highway, from C-2 (Commercial) to I (Industrial)-Final Adoption]
AND WE'VE SEEN IT A NUMBER OF TIMES.THIS IS A REZONING NUMBER 21050 M AND J MANAGEMENT.
REZONE APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRE PARCEL LOCATED 1999 SAGINAW HIGHWAY FROM C-2 COMMERCIAL TO I INDUSTRIAL.
THIS WEEK FOR THE FINAL [INAUDIBLE] AS I'VE SAID WE'VE SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES.
IS THERE A MOTION? TRUSTEE JACKSON.
I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL ADOPTION REZONING NUMBER 21050, AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES OF LAND AT 1999 SAGINAW HIGHWAY FROM C-2 COMMERCIAL TO I INDUSTRIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
THE PROPOSED REZONING TO I INDUSTRIAL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LAND USES CALLED FOR ON THE SITE IN THE 2017 MASTER PLAN FOR LAND USE ADOPTED BY THE TOWNSHIP.
SUPPORT. IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THAT MOTION? SUPPORT. MR. OPSOMMER HAD HIS HAND UP FIRST. ANY DISCUSSION MS. JACKSON? ONLY TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT THIS IS AN INSTANCE WHERE THE ZONING IN THIS AREA AT THIS PROPERTY WAS CHANGED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THE OWNERS HAVE COME BACK AND ASKED TO RETURN IT TO ITS ORIGINAL INDUSTRIAL ZONING, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS APPROVED THIS REZONING REQUEST AND RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD DOES THE SAME.
ANYONE ELSE? [INAUDIBLE] FOLLOW UP ON WHAT TRUSTEE JACKSON JUST SAID.
ONE OF FIRST THINGS THIS BOARD DID OR MOST OF US DID FIVE YEARS AGO WAS TO APPROVE THIS REZONING. AND HERE WE ARE BACK PUTTING BACK THE WAY IT IS.
WE ACT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS AT THE TIME AND THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC THAT CHANGES.
AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE REASONS TO COMPLETELY REVERSE WHAT WE DID FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WELL, WE ACTED IN GOOD INFORMATION BACK THEN.
IT'S TIME TO REVERSE THAT ACTION.
ANY COMMENTS, ANYONE ELSE? WE NEED A VOTE CLERK GUTHRIE.
[00:50:01]
TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.[INAUDIBLE] MS. SUNDLAND AT THIS POINT.
IT'S OK. THAT PASSES SEVEN ZERO AS YOU SAID, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO D.
WHICH IS THE REZONING NUMBER 21030, NEW CHINA OF MICHIGAN, REQUESTS TO REZONE 0.42 ACRE PARCEL AT 41, 51 EXCUSE ME, 5114 JO DON DRIVE FROM RC WHISH IS MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDUAL CATEGORY WITH THE MAXIMUM 14 UNITES PER ACRE TO RCC MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS A MAXIMUM 34 PER ACRE.
THIS IS ALSO UP TO FINAL ADOPTION.
WE'VE SEEN IT BEFORE. TREASURER? I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR FINAL ADOPTION REZONING NUMBER 21030, AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 0.42 ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT 5114 JO DON DRIVE FROM RC,
[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)-Final Adoption]
MULTIPLE FAMILY MAXIMUM 14 DWELLINGS DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE TO RCC MULTIPLE FAMILY, 34 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE WITH A CONDITION.IS THERE SUPPORT? MS. JACKSON SUPPORTS.
YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT IT MR. TREASURER? I'D LIKE TO HAVE DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT COME UP AND TALK TO US ABOUT THAT CONDITION ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE IT'S ALL CONTINGENT UPON THAT CONDITION.
DR. SCHMIDTT? GOOD EVENING. THE CONDITION OF THE REQUEST THIS EVENING, IS THAT THE AREA, THE NORTHERN IT'S ACTUALLY A HUNDRED AND EIGHT FEET, I BELIEVE, BE REZONED BACK TO A SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT. AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE THAT SUBMISSION WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE APPROVAL.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY MADE THE SUBMISSION.
SO THE CONDITION ESSENTIALLY IS BEING MET ALREADY.
BUT WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE FORMAL PROCESS TO REZONE THAT.
WE WILL START THAT PROCESS HERE IN THE NEXT.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED, SO WE'LL GET THE NOTICE READY AND HAVE IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO START THAT PROCESS.
I GUESS WE SHOULD VOTE. THIS IS FOR FINAL ADOPTION.
YES. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
THANK YOU. WE NOW COME TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPOINTMENT, THERE'S A VACANCY
[12C. Environmental Commission Appointment]
THAT OCCURRED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION ITSELF HAS A LONG HISTORY [INAUDIBLE].I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF VALERIE [INAUDIBLE] TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR A TERM ENDING 12/31/2022.
THANK YOU, IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT? SUPPORT. [INAUDIBLE] SUPPORT . TRUSTEE JACKSON.
ALRIGHT THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY NEED TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER MS. WISINSKI? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WE HAD FIVE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION AND IT CONTINUES TO IMPRESS ME THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE STILL VERY INVOLVED AND WANT TO BE A PART OF IT AND WORK TOWARDS THE COMMISSION THAT WE WORK ON.
WE HAD FIVE EXCELLENT APPLICANTS AND THE BOARD OR THE COMMISSION DID AGREE THAT MS. [INAUDIBLE] SHOULD [INAUDIBLE].
SHE'S DONE, SHE HAD A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT ALREADY.
SHE ATTENDS QUITE A FEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING.
SHE SERVED ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ALSO HELPS WITH THE MASTER PLAN REVISIONS.
[00:55:05]
SHE CONTINUES TO SERVE ON OTHER COMMISSIONS LIKE THE ENERGY TEAM AND GREEN DIALOG, SHE'S REALLY ALREADY PROVEN HER COMMITMENT TO THE COMMISSION.AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR HER TO JOIN.
VERY GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? NOT SEEING ANY HANDS? AND WE VOTE.
YES. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
THANK YOU. WE WELCOME MS. [INAUDIBLE] TO THE COMMISSION AND I'M SURE [INAUDIBLE].
[13A. Joint Township Board & Planning Commission Meeting Summary]
NOW MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION ITEMS, THEY'RE KIND OF, THEY'RE TWO MORE OR LESS ONE.FIRST ONE IS JUST THE SUMMARY OF OUR JOINT MEETING.
I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, IS THAT CORRECT? GOOD EVENING.
SO BRIEFLY, THE, I PERSONALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS RECOMMENDED IN EVERY COMMUNITY I'VE WORKED IN THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ELECTED BODY GET TOGETHER, AT LEAST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, TO TALK BECAUSE THERE ARE ALWAYS POLICY RELATED QUESTIONS THAT BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO BOARDS THAT IT ALWAYS HELPS TO BE IN A ROOM AND TALK ABOUT THEM.
AND ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE LAST 18 MONTHS BEING PARTIALLY REMOTE AND REMOTE, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
THERE WERE THREE MAIN TOPICS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON AT THE MEETING, THE MIXED USE PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ALSO THE NEXT ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA, THE SIGN ORDINANCE UPDATE AND THE FORM BASE CODE UPDATE.
STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK WITH A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE SIGN ORDINANCE UPDATE. WE'RE HOPING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING HERE IN THE NEXT WEEK, 10 DAYS TO GO THROUGH A, CALL IT 60 PERCENT DRAFT, 75 PERCENT DRAFT, GIVE THE SUBCOMMITTEE SOME THINGS TO CHEW ON AND THINK ABOUT AND WORK ON WHILE STAFF FINISHES UP THE REMAINING REVISIONS TO THE SORT OF CONTENT OF THE ORDINANCE.
WE WILL THEN PICK UP ON THE FORM BASED CODE AND WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON THAT, BUT MOST NOTABLY IS THE MUPUD ORDINANCE UPDATE.
THIS WAS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION EARLIER THIS SUMMER, REFERRED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, THEN DECIDED IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO HAVE A JOINT MEETING. SO THAT WAS A GOOD TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
I THINK THERE'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF MOST OF THE DISCUSSION FOCUSED AROUND THE AMENITIES AND THE PROCESS FOR ADDING THOSE AND HOW THEY WOULD BE ADDRESSED AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND WITH THAT SAID, THE BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING.
WITHIN THE NEXT ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS FURTHER DISCUSSION OF HOW THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THAT MUPUD ORDINANCE.
[INAUDIBLE] I MENTIONED THAT I TRULY APPRECIATE THE OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE, THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS PHENOMENAL.
YOUR WORK WITH WITH THEM AND YOUR STAFF WHO WORK WITH THEM IS ALSO PHENOMENAL.
AND THIS MEETING HELPED BRING THAT TO THE FLOOR.
WE ARE VERY LUCKY IN THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE WORKING AT PLANNING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE MAIN THRUST ENDED UP BEING, AS YOU SAID, THE MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE [INAUDIBLE] TO GO.
THE OTHER ONES YOU MENTIONED ARE ALSO CRITICAL.
AND I KNOW THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AHEAD OF IT NEXT YEAR IS A HUGE TASK WITH UPDATING OR MAYBE REVISING OUR LONG RANGE FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THEM AND MEETING MORE OFTEN WITH THEM WITH REGARD TO THAT. ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEY WANT TO RAISE WITH REGARD TO THE SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR SPECIAL MEETING? TREASURER DESCHAINE HAS HIS HAND RAISED.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. THAT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GET [INAUDIBLE] SCHEDULES THAT WE ARE MEETING AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR, IF NOT THREE TIMES A YEAR WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE NEED TO WORK HAND IN GLOVE WITH OUR PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT AN AGENDA FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE MEETING YET THIS YEAR WILL SET THAT PRECEDENT AND MAYBE SHOOT FOR EVEN THREE MEETINGS NEXT YEAR.
BUT THANK YOU FOR PUTTING TOGETHER.
IT WAS PRODUCTIVE AND VERY INFORMATIVE FOR ME AS A BOARD MEMBER.
I WOULD SAY THAT RATHER THAN HAVE AN ARBITRARY DATE, YOU KNOW, QUARTERLY WHATEVER, WE
[01:00:04]
WOULD WE WOULD DO PERHAPS AS MANY AS THREE TIMES A YEAR BUT DO IT AS SIGNIFICANT THINGS ARE COMING FORWARD THAT REQUIRE EVEN CLOSER ATTENTION LIKE THIS ONE DID.I THINK IT WAS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL THAT WE HAD THE TOPICS THAT HAVE BEEN IN ALL OF OUR MINDS FOR SOME TIME, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? YES, MR. OPSOMMER. YES, SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT THAT JOINT MEETING HAVING THE FORM BASE CODE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA AND I DON'T SEE IT TONIGHT.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST REITERATE MY THOUGHTS ON THAT AND WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD GO WITH THAT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I, I FULLY SUPPORT PROCEEDING WITH A FORM BASED CODE AND LOOKING AT WHERE TO IMPLEMENT IT.
I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE IT IMPLEMENTED IN THE THREE [INAUDIBLE], POSSIBLY THE MALL AREA, AS WE'VE DESIGNATED THAT AREA IN THE MIXED USED MUPUD ORDINANCE AMENDMENT AND THEN ALSO SEGMENTS OF THE CORRIDOR.
MY ONLY TWO CONCERNS AGAIN, ARE NOT WAIVING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR BUILDINGS OR DEVELOPMENTS IN EXCESS OF 25000 SQUARE FEET.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH DO WE APPLY THAT THE FRONT YARD SET BACK TO THE CURB BY THE RIGHT OF WAY, OR DO WE USE THOSE SERVICE DRIVES TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE BUFFER AND KEEP THOSE STREET TREES SO THAT THOSE FRONT YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A COFFEE SHOP LIKE PANERA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE THEY JUST BUILT THERE.
YOU KNOW, IF THAT PATIO ON THE FRONT OF PANERA, WERE CLOSER TO GRAND RIVER, IT WOULD NOT BE AS NICE TO SIT THERE.
RIGHT. LIKE THE TRAFFIC VOLUME IS JUST GOING TO BE SO IN YOUR FACE.
SO THAT WAS JUST ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WHEN I LOOKED, THEY'RE NOT USING, YOU KNOW, AS IT'S CURRENTLY DRAFTED.
WE'RE NOT USING A SERVICE DRIVE TO ELONGATE THAT SETBACK.
AND I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU CONVERT IT OVER TIME, RIGHT NOW WE CREATE OUR SERVICE DRIVES AND YOU CAN PULL LEFT OR RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT DOUBLE SIDED PARKING.
SO THAT FRONT SIDE PARKING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING COULD BE CONVERTED TO, YOU KNOW, THE PATIO AREA AND THE STREETSCAPE AND THAT SEGMENT.
AND THEN YOU COULD STILL HAVE DIAGONAL PARKING EITHER IN FRONT OF IT OR ON THE ROADSIDE.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD STRUCTURE IT EITHER WAY, BUT I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WORTH PURSUING. AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUESTIONS OF DO WE LOOK AT DO WE EVEN HAVE SIDE YARD SET BACKS? DO WE TRY TO GO WITH A MORE TRADITIONAL DESIGN WHERE THE BUILDINGS ACTUALLY ABUT? OR DO WE STILL HAVE A SITE BY SITE, YOU KNOW, NONCONTIGUOUS DEVELOPMENT? SO I THINK THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS AS TO HOW WE IMPLEMENT IT IN A VERY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY. BUT I DO WANT TO SEE US PURSUE IT.
SO. [INAUDIBLE] IT WILL BE PURSUED THAT'S FOR SURE.
ANYONE ELSE? WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
YES, [INAUDIBLE] WISINSKI PLEASE. THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] A COUPLE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO MUPUD ORDINANCE.
TWO THINGS THAT SPOKE TO ME. ONE WAS INCLUSION BY THE DIRECTORS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT [INAUDIBLE] AND APPROPRIATELY ACCOUNTED FOR.
AS WELL AS I'M LOOKING AT THE DEFINITION OF A MINOR REVISION, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, I AGREED THAT I WOULD I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FORM BASED CODE BUT A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE TO MAYBE OUR [INAUDIBLE] AREAS, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO OUR DOWNTOWN OKEMOS. SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THOSE AND I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL JOINT MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO MORE DETAILS OF THE MUPUD, CLERK GUTHRIE.
[13B. Mixed Use Planned Unit Development Ordinance Update]
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.I ALSO I TOO CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE OPSOMMER'S COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THE TWENTY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET AS I STARE AT IT ON THIS DRAFT BEING CROSSED OFF.
NOT GOING AWAY AND BEING ELIMINATED.
AND THEN IN REGARDS TO FORM BASE CODE WITH [INAUDIBLE] ZONES, I ALSO CONCUR WITH TRYING TO EXTEND THAT TO THOSE [INAUDIBLE] ZONES.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A TOPIC THAT THAT WE DISCUSSED IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY.
MAYBE TRUSTEE JACKSON BROUGHT THAT UP DURING THE DURING THE JOINT.
SOMEBODY BROUGHT IT UP. IT WASN'T ME.
SOMEBODY BROUGHT IT UP. AND I APPRECIATE THEM BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE I AGREE, WHOEVER THAT WAS, THOSE THOSE ARE MY ONLY COMMENTS OTHER THAN BEING DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE
[01:05:03]
TIME THAT THESE SUBCOMMITTEES HAVE SPENT FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO TO TAKE THE TIME TO PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.TREASURER? I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DISCUSSION OF FORM BASED CODE.
I CONTINUE TO THINK THAT THAT WE WANT IT BOTH WAYS IN THIS BOARD, THOUGH.
AND IF WE WANTED THAT FORM BASED CODE, WE GOT TO LET GO OF 25000 SQUARE FEET, SPECIAL USE PERMITS. IT'S ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
WE CAN'T PUT DEVELOPERS AND STAFF THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF FORM BASED CODE AND THEN SAY, WELL, WE STILL WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING WE WANT.
WE WANT TO REVIEW IT ALL AND GO THROUGH WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB LIKE WE DO WITH THE OLD FASHIONED WAY. THAT'S A I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S OUR TRADE OFF WITH FORM BASE CODE THAT THIS BOARD NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU. THAT WILL DEFINITELY COMING UP ON OUR AGENDA VERY SOON.
ANYTHING ELSE? AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT DIRECTOR SCHIMITT, AND WE WILL NOW GO ON TO A MORE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ITEM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE ACTUAL MUPUD ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
[INAUDIBLE] HEAR SOMETHING FROM DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT ABOUT IT.
I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION AT THIS POINT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE LANGUAGE TO THE BOARD, AND WE HAVE YET TO FORMALLY PUBLISH IT AT THE BOARD LEVEL.
SO CERTAINLY ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD FOR THE BOARD TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS, SUGGEST CHANGES, STAFF.
YOU KNOW, EVEN AS I WAS GOING THROUGH IT FOR THIS PACKET, FOUND A COUPLE MORE TYPOS, CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN JUST TO CLARIFY LANGUAGE.
SO WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT AT THE POINT OF FINAL FINAL ADOPTION OR FINAL FINAL LANGUAGE, BUT WOULD BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS WHATEVER CHANGES OR CONCEPTS THE BOARD WOULD LIKE, THIS EVENING.
OK LET'S GET DISCUSSION GOING, I SEE THE TREASURER'S GOT HIS HAND UP.
THANK YOU. PAGE 81 UNDER DEFINITIONS OF AMENITIES.
I LIKE HOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS REFINED THESE QUITE A BIT, THROWN OUT SOME ADDED OTHER ONES, LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
TO ME, THE PROBLEM WITH THE AMENITIES, THOUGH, IS IS QUALITATIVELY MEASURING THEM AND HOW DO THEY COMPARE TO OTHER PROJECTS? AND IT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE PROCESS, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT [INAUDIBLE] AT THE BOARD LEVEL, EVEN EVEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION LEVEL, YOU KNOW, [INAUDIBLE] DEALS WITH THIS ALL THE TIME WITH TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES.
AND WE JUST GOT THE [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT APPROVED AND WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION SOON.
[INAUDIBLE] FOR TAX CREDIT PROJECTS GETS TWO OR THREE APPLICANTS FOR EVERY GRANT THEY'VE GOT. AND THEY USE A VERY SPECIFIC, DEFINED SCORING PROCESS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
I THINK WE SHOULD ATTEMPT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH OUR AMENITIES WHERE WE HAVE A UNIVERSAL SAY OF TWO HUNDRED POSSIBLE POINTS AND A CERTAIN NUMBER PER CATEGORY.
AND BEFORE WE SEE A PROJECT THAT HAS AMENITIES THAT ARE ASKING FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THERE ARE AMENITIES, STAFF HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO GIVE THEM A SCORE.
DOESN'T MEAN THOSE THAT SCORE CAN'T BE OVERRIDDEN BY THE BOARD.
BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE A STARTING POINT OF THAT SCORE.
I MEAN, THE SCORE CAN START OFF COMING FROM THE APPLICANT AND THEN REVIEWED BY STAFF AND THEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD.
SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING COULD BE A 10 OR COULD BE A ONE, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING THEY'RE OFFERING.
IS IT ALL THE UNITS ARE JUST SOME OF THE UNITS? IS IT VERY LOW INCOME? MODERATE INCOME OR MIXED IN BETWEEN THERE? AWNING. YOU KNOW, AWNING IS UP THERE UNDER AMENITY, BUT WHAT DOES THAT REALLY WORTH? STAFF CAN LOOK AT THE PROJECT AND SAY THIS IS GOING TO CREATE A REALLY AMAZING PUBLIC SPACE HERE. SO IT'S WORTH EIGHT POINTS RATHER THAN TWO POINTS.
SO EACH OF THESE AREAS, WE'VE GOT AMENITIES.
I THINK THEY HAVE TO ALSO HAVE A SCORE THAT HELPS US AS THE BOARD AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS A BOARD TO REVIEW THESE AMENITIES BASED ON STAFF'S REVIEW OF IT, SO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO US, IT'S GOT A NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
WE CAN REVIEW THAT. WE CAN ARGUE WITH THAT, WHATEVER.
BUT WE HAVE A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE THIS BOARD DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS STAFF DOES OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES TO REVIEW THESE AND FINALLY APPROVE THESE.
A SCORING SYSTEM WOULD HELP US WITH THAT.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT HELP US TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT THESE AMENITIES ARE WORTH.
AND DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT, DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH SCORING AMENITIES OF ANY KIND? I DO. HOWEVER, I WILL NOTE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH A SCORING MATRIX, THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO OVERRIDE IT BY STAFF OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR THE BOARD IS IS
[01:10:03]
ANTITHETICAL TO ESTABLISHING SUCH A SUCH A SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT A DEVELOPER HAS TO GET TO FIFTY POINTS.HOW DO I GET THERE? SO I THINK ACTUALLY IT'S A LITTLE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FLEXIBILITY FROM A BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, THE WAY IT'S SET UP NOW ACTUALLY HAS A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT AN AMENITY QUALIFIES HERE OR THERE, WE CAN SLIDE THAT AROUND.
WHEREAS IF YOU GO TO A SCORING SYSTEM, IT'S VERY MUCH GOING TO BE A FLAT.
IF I HIT FIFTY, HERE'S WHAT I QUALIFY FOR IN TERMS OF BONUS OR VARIANCE OR WAIVER, ETC.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. SO MAYBE DOES HAVE TO BE A HARD AND FAST RULES ON THESE SCORE, ON THE SCORING ENVIRONMENT. BUT IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EXACTING, I THINK, THAN OUR ONE, TWO OR THREE THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO WE HAD A NUMBER THAT WOULD BE DERIVED FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT SCORES THAT WERE PART OF THIS APPLICATION. YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO LIKE A PERFORMANCE BASED ZONING SYSTEM AND THAT'S A A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
[INAUDIBLE] TOPICS ONE AT A TIME.
SO MR. OPSOMMER IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON SCORING [INAUDIBLE].
BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO COME AT THIS WITH THE SAME KIND OF CONCEPT.
WELL, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONCEPT, BUT THE SAME ISSUE.
SO FIRST I WANTED TO ASK DIRECTOR SCHMITT TO MAKE SURE I'M I'VE READ THE ORDINANCE IN ITS ENTIRETY AND UNDERSTAND.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE BASICALLY WE REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE ONE ENTITY.
CORRECT. OR IF IT'S PHASED EACH PHASE HAS TO HAVE ONE AMENITY, THEN WE REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE ONE AMENITY, ONE ADDITIONAL AMENITY FOR EVERY VARIANCE.
AND IN MOST OF THESE CASES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FRONT YARD, A BACKYARD AND TWO SIDE YARD VARIANCES. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MAYBE SOME PARKING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LIKE FIVE, RIGHT? YEAH, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW YOU DESIGN IT.
I MEAN, THE QUESTION THERE'S GOING TO BE A FINANCIAL QUESTION AT SOME POINT.
HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST ME TO PUSH THIS BUILDING UP TO THE ROAD? YEAH. AND IS IT GOING TO BE WORTH ME PUTTING IN ENHANCED LANDSCAPING OR JUST SOME GREEN SPACE, ET CETERA? OR DO I JUST MEET THE FRONT YARD SETBACK? BUT TYPICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE FIVE PLUS.
THE ONE THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IS THAT THEY ONLY HAVE TO DO SIX AMENITIES.
THAT'S A FRUIT OF STUFF THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE REQUIRED.
IN MY OPINION, SOME OF THE STUFF COULD EASILY JUST BE REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, COVERED BICYCLE PARKING IF IT'S A MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THEY'RE BUILDING AT A DENSITY LEVEL WHERE THEY COULD JUST DO THAT IF WE REALLY WANTED.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO SEPARATE SOME OF THESE INTO JUST WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR AN MUPUD VERSUS WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET THAT 18 UNITS PER ACRE DENSITY BONUS, DENSITY BONUS.
AND HOW MANY AMENITIES DO YOU NEED? LIKE WE'D HAVE A LITTLE BAR.
YOU DON'T NEED THAT MANY AMENITIES TO CHECK ALL THE BOXES BECAUSE YOU ONLY NEED LIKE SIX, MAYBE SEVEN TO GET THE 18 UNITS PER ACRE DENSITY BONUS AND TO GET ALL, ANY AND ALL VARIANCES THAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED FOR THE SITE.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE STRUCTURED IT IS WORTH HOW MANY POINTS FOR LIKE THE TOP ONE IS WORTH THREE AMENITIES.
SO JUST DOING A VERTICAL MIXING OF LAND USES LIKE RED CEDAR FLATS WOULD BE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT MEETS THAT RIGHT THERE.
THEY HAVE HALF THE AMENITIES THAT THEY NEED AND IT'S THE FRONT COMMERCIAL SPACE.
WE DON'T REALLY GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD NOT HAVE THAT IN IT'S BY ITSELF WORTH THREE POINTS.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE THEM ACCRUE MORE POINTS.
SO, I MEAN, I'M COMING OUT OF I'M TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE SAME PROBLEM THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE IS. BUT LIKE, IT'S IT'S A TRADEOFF.
LIKE DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT SAID AT THE JOINT MEETING, LIKE WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF BARTERING WITH THESE FOLKS. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO ACCRUE POINTS.
BUT THE ORDINANCE SETS OUT THE RULES IN BLACK AND WHITE FASHION AND EVERYBODY ABIDES BY THEM. SO I THINK MAYBE THEY NEED TWO POINTS OR TWO AMENITY POINTS FOR EVERY VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, SO THEY HAVE TO GET UP TO LIKE 12 OR 14 POINTS.
AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO WORK BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GETTING MULTIPLE POINTS FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR CERTAIN AMENITIES AND A GREAT COUNTEREXAMPLE TO RED CEDAR FLATS WHERE WE HAVE DEFUNCT COMMERCIAL SPACE.
AND WE WOULD ASSIGN IT THREE POINTS.
HERE IS ALDI AND THE MIXED USE THERE NOW.
YES, SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT STACKED AND SEE IT VERTICALLY, VERTICALLY INTEGRATED WITH THE APARTMENTS ABOVE.
[01:15:01]
IT'S ACTIVE. IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.THAT IS WORTH A LOT MORE POINTS JUST TO GET VIABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE.
AND SO IN WHAT WHAT RESULTED IN IT BEING VIABLE, IT'S REALLY THE GROSS FLOOR AREA.
THE SMALLER THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, THE LESS LIKELY IT IS TO ACTUALLY YIELD ANYTHING.
SO I REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, AMPLIFYING THAT TWENTY FIVE PERCENT REQUIREMENT.
TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL GROSS FLOOR AREA, YOU KNOW, IS A GREAT ONE TO ASSIGN MORE POINTS TO. BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM ALL THESE LOW HANGING FRUIT POINTS BECAUSE YOU'RE NEVER THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO EXERCISE THAT OPTION.
RIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF OPTIMIZE THIS.
I HAVEN'T THOUGHT IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH, BUT VERTICAL MIXING OF USES ISN'T DOESN'T TRANSLATE. SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S WORTH THE TOP TIER OF POINTS.
COVERED BICYCLE PARKING IS NOT I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD REALLY BE WORTH POINTS.
YOU KNOW, THE LOW THE LOW FLOW PLUMBING AND THE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS PLUMBING AND FIXTURES THAT SHOULD BE REQUIRED IN A MIXED USE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DENSITY AND IT'S NOT GOING TO DIS INCENTIVIZE, EVEN THE ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING STATIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VOLUNTARILY GOING TO AT LEAST PUTTING IN ONE OR TWO, AND THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE WHERE WE COULD LOOK AT MOVING THAT POSSIBLY.
SO I'LL JUST THROW THAT CONCEPT OUT THERE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT I'VE STARTED LOOKING AT WHICH ONE SHOULD BE IN REQUIREMENT BUCKET VERSUS WHICH SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHICH SHOULD ACTUALLY BE WORTH POINTS.
AND HOW MANY POINTS DO WE WANT THE DEVELOPER TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO TO GET THAT DENSITY BONUS AND TO GET THEIR VARIANCES? AND DO THOSE ACTUALLY MAKE ANY SENSE? ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET SOME OF THESE? I SET THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE ASIDE BECAUSE THAT'S JUST NOT REMOTELY VIABLE UNLESS IT'S A [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT. AND IF IT'S A [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT, IT REALLY ISN'T GOING TO COME INTO PLAY HERE A WHOLE LOT.
SO I MEAN THAT ONE'S KIND OF NOT A HUGE ONE.
BUT AND I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE WANT IN A MUPUD LIKE NEWTON POINT THAT'S KIND OF UP THERE ON [INAUDIBLE] AND IT'S JUST OFF THE BEATEN PATH VERSUS WHAT DO WE WANT OF AN MUPUD ON GRAND RIVER? BECAUSE I THINK WE WANT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'LL STICK TO THE ORIGINAL ASSIGNING OF POINTS AND HOW MANY POINTS ACCRUE.
[INAUDIBLE] RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT IT [INAUDIBLE] SOME CONCEPTS OF [INAUDIBLE] IN GENERAL, AND THEN MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT SORT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE THERE OR JUST WHAT THAT ARE REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR A MUPUD [INAUDIBLE] YOU GET WITH THAT AND OTHERS THAT MIGHT QUALIFY YOU FOR DIFFERENT WAIVERS OR VARIANCES, ETC..
OTHERS, OTHER COMMENTS, OTHER THOUGHTS? ON THIS GENERAL AREA OF POTENTIALLY SCORING AND WEIGHTING, ET CETERA.
DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT, DOES THIS GIVE YOU ANYTHING TO GO BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH OR YOUR STAFF WITH? I GUESS YOU [INAUDIBLE] STAFF ISSUE RIGHT? YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD TAKE A CRACK AT A BETTER A BETTER SCORING SET UP, SLASH SOME REWORKING OF THE AMENITY TABLE BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS I NEED TO LOOK INTO.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE CAN REQUIRE THE PLUMBING ITEMS BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF THE BUILDING CODE.
AND SINGLE STATE BUILDING CODE MEANS WE CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING MORE STRINGENT.
THAT'S, I THINK, WHY THAT ONE'S AN AMENITY, BECAUSE IT'S TRYING TO GET IT, WHEREAS WE CAN'T REQUIRE IT. BUT CERTAINLY GOING TO SOMETHING LIKE REQUIRING A CAR CHARGING STATION, WE COULD TREAT THAT VERY SIMILARLY TO THE WAY WE TREAT BIKE PARKING RIGHT NOW AND ESSENTIALLY PROVIDE A IT'S NOT A WAIVER.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY YOU CAN CONVERT A CERTAIN NUMBER, A LIMITED NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES TO BIKE PARKING SPACES.
SO WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY A GOOD STARTING POINT.
I THINK THE IDEA THAT I'M HEARING FROM THE BOARD GENERALLY IS THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THE AMENITY TABLE THAT NEED RESTRUCTURED.
AND CANDIDLY, I WOULD AGREE, THERE'S A COUPLE THAT I THINK ARE OUT OF PLACE AND NEED TO BE MOVED AROUND A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE JUST BASED ON A PURE ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, I CAN PROBABLY PREDICT THE SIX POINTS THEY WOULD GO AFTER, EVEN WITH THE LIMITATION, BECAUSE THERE IS A LIMITATION THAT YOU CAN ONLY TAKE ONE FROM THE LAST CATEGORY.
BUT I COULD I COULD PROBABLY GUESS ON MOST PROJECTS WHERE THEY WOULD END UP.
[01:20:05]
SO I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF REWORKING THERE.AND WHETHER OR NOT WE GO TO A TRUE SCORING MATRIX OR WHETHER WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AMENITIES YOU HAVE TO GET.
I HAVE SOME I HAVE SOME WORK AHEAD OF ME AND I CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT FOR THE BOARD TO TAKE A LOOK AT OR AT LEAST SOME OPTIONS FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT.
VERY GOOD. OTHER OTHER AREAS [INAUDIBLE].
I'M DEFER TO CLERK GUTHRIE HAS NOT YET SPOKEN ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.
DIRECTOR SCHMITT. HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS WHAT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SAID IN REGARDS TO CERTAIN AMENITIES OR A TIERED APPROACH FOR SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP? HOW WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT? I ACTUALLY HAVE NO IDEA.
I'M I AM OPEN TO ANY IDEAS BECAUSE I'M NOT CONVINCED THIS ORDINANCE CAN DO IT.
SO WE COULD USE THE ACTUAL [INAUDIBLE] BOUNDARIES, THE CIA BOUNDARY, THE DEA BOUNDARY, I GUESS. AND FOR OKEMOS, YOU'D USE THE THE DDA BOUNDARY, NOT THE [INAUDIBLE] BOUNDARY, PROBABLY, BUT THE OTHER TWO [INAUDIBLE] BOUNDARIES.
AND SO YOU COULD CITE THOSE AND THAT'S WHERE COMMERCIAL WOULD BE OF A HIGHER YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW WE NEED TO STRUCTURE SO THAT COMMERCIAL AS A FACTOR IN THOSE AREAS BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS A COMMERCIAL CORES TO TURN TO RESIDENTIAL.
OH RIGHT. BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE LIKE NEWTON POINT OR ACTUALLY THE OTHER DTN, WHAT WE COULD WHAT WE COULD INCENTIVIZE FOR LIKE MAX POINTS, BUT KEEP THE POINT SYSTEM SOMEHOW REQUIRE THEM TO GET ENOUGH POINTS AND TAKE ENOUGH THINGS OFF THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IT.
DTN ALREADY GAVE US THE MODEL.
IT'S A MIX OF HOUSING PRODUCTS.
IT'S EVERYTHING FROM SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED ON UP TO TRADITIONAL APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
AND SO INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SAY TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE GROSS FLOOR AREA GOES COMMERCIAL, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD TRY TO FORCE THEIR HAND TO DO THAT IN THOSE AREAS.
RIGHT. THREE [INAUDIBLE], DDA, CIA, EVERYWHERE ELSE.
YOU TRY TO FORCE THE HAND WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO FOR THE MAX POINT OPTION.
THEY HAVE TO GET THAT THREE POINT THING TO GET ENOUGH POINTS AND THEN THEY CAN.
AND THEN THOSE OTHER AREAS YOU MAKE THEM DO TIERS OF HOUSING PRODUCTS.
RIGHT. TOWNHOME, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, TRADITIONAL APARTMENTS.
SO THEY CAN'T JUST THROW A WHOLE BUNCH OF SAME PRODUCT.
RIGHT. COVERING THE LANDSCAPE UP TO THE IMPERVIOUS MAX BECAUSE THAT MARKET IS GOING TO DRIVE IT. AND THEN WE GET A LOT BETTER PRODUCT THAN THE PLANNING COMMISSION GETS A LOT BETTER PRODUCT TO START FROM AS WE FINE TUNE, BECAUSE ANY PROJECT THAT'S BEFORE US WE IMPACT USUALLY ONLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, TWO TO FIVE PERCENT IMPACT.
SOME, WE CAN REALLY OVERHAUL AND INVERT LIKE THE GAS STATION, BUT USUALLY WE'RE HAVING A MODEST IMPACT. BUT THAT WOULD GET THOSE TWO DISTINCT AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP SPEAKERS] VERSUS OUTLYING, YOU KNOW, CORE AREAS.
LIKE ZONED MUPUD, LIKE, HOLD ON. ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME PLEASE.
WE CAN'T HAVE THIS YOU JUST GOT TO TRY TO TAKE ENOUGH OF THE THE THOSE FREEBIE POINTS OUT AND REQUIRE THEM TO GET ENOUGH POINTS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO FOR THAT TOP THING.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING UNREASONABLE.
BUT YEAH, IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING IN THE CIA, YOU CAN'T JUST TURN COMMERCIAL.
WHAT IS COMMERCIAL TODAY? YOU CAN USE THE AIR RIGHTS IF YOU WANT TO PUT SOME APARTMENTS UP ABOVE IT.
YOU CAN'T JUST CONVERT APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
RIGHT. MS. GUTHRIE YOU WANTED TO COMMENT [INAUDIBLE]. NO I'M GOOD I WAS CLARIFYING SOMETHING WITH TRUSTEE OPSOMMER IN REGARDS TO LIKE ZONED MUPUDS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU HEARD, DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT BASICALLY? YEAH. AND I THINK I, I KNOW THAT THIS WENT OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON AT THE JOINT MEETING.
BUT MY SUGGESTION AT THAT POINT IS WE NEED, FRANKLY, RESIDENTIAL PD ORDINANCE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE PICKED UP ON VERY QUICKLY HERE IS THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP WHERE WE REALLY DON'T WANT MORE COMMERCIAL.
WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON OUR CORRIDORS, ON OUR DOWNTOWN TO SUPPORT THOSE AREAS.
WHEREAS NEWTON POINT, I HATE TO GO BACK TO NEWTON POINT.
I FEEL LIKE I'M PICKING ON THEM. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY HAVE COMMERCIAL OR NOT I THINK IS IRRELEVANT TO MOST PEOPLE'S VIEW OF THAT PROJECT.
SO IT'S I MEAN, CERTAINLY WE COULD WE COULD CERTAINLY TAKE A FAIRLY BIG SWING HERE AND RESTRUCTURE THE WAY WE LOOK AT SORT OF PUDS IN GENERAL.
[01:25:05]
MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE TIME.BUT THERE IS A THERE'S CERTAINLY A PATH THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU ESSENTIALLY CREATE SOME SORT OF ADDITIONAL BONUS AMENITY SYSTEM IN THE CERTAIN AREAS THAT YOU MENTIONED TO PUSH TOWARDS COMMERCIAL, WHEREAS THE OTHER AREAS CAN GO STRAIGHT RESIDENTIAL WITH THE MIX OF USES.
FRANKLY, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GET A MORE MORE YOU HAVE MORE POTENTIAL TO GET AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCT THAT WAY.
IF THERE'S A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL TYPES WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO CARRY THE COMMERCIAL ON ITS OWN, IT'S A BIGGER UNDERTAKING THAT I WILL JUST BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU.
SO DON'T EXPECT IT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE OPSOMMER THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME OF THIS IN THIS LIST THAT JUST ARE CORE TO ANY PUD, THAT THEY'RE JUST IMPLICIT, MAYBE PLUMBING, LOW FLOW PLUMBING CAN'T BE ALLOWED IN THERE BECAUSE OF STATE BUILDING CODE, BUT OTHER ONES PERHAPS WE CAN INCLUDE THAT SHOULD JUST BE PART OF ANY PROJECT THAT WE'RE GIVING THIS CONSIDERATION FOR.
AND IN REFERENCE THAT YOU JUST SET ABOUT TAKING SOME TIME, I'D RATHER TAKE SOME TIME TO GET THIS RIGHT THAN TO DO SOMETHING NEXT MONTH AND OR TWO MONTHS IN AND END UP WITH AN INFERIOR ORDINANCE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE REALLY AFTER HERE IS THE SWEET SPOT.
AS WE SAID EARLIER, WE CAN'T INFLUENCE THESE PROJECTS TREMENDOUSLY, BUT WE CAN IMPROVE THEM. WE DON'T WANT THE ORDINARY, THE MUNDANE AND THE ONE EXTREME.
IF WE LEGISLATE THE PERFECT AND THE OTHER SIDE, THE MOST ELEGANT BUILDING THAT'S ALSO AFFORDABLE, THEY'LL NEVER GET BUILT.
SO WE'RE AFTER THIS MIDDLE SWEET SPOT THERE WHERE WE BRING AS MANY AMENITIES AS WE CAN, BUT IT'S STILL COMMERCIALLY VIABLE FOR THE DEVELOPER TO BUILD IN OUR TOWNSHIP.
SCHMIDTT, YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOU COULD HELP US TO SAY, WELL, THIS SHOULD OUGHT TO BE JUST BASICALLY ANY PROJECT.
THESE ARE THE MOVABLE PIECES THAT A DEVELOPER CAN VIABLY ADD TO A PROJECT TO MAKE IT WORK. AND WE OUGHT TO BE INCENTIVIZED TO ADD THESE TO THE PROJECTS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO EVER HAVE THE DREAM PROJECT, BUT WE CAN HAVE BETTER PROJECTS THERE.
AND I THINK WE CAN FIND THAT SWEET SPOT WITH YOUR HELP.
AND SO LET'S TAKE THE TIME WE NEED TO GET THIS RIGHT SO THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE PROJECTS AND THE AMENITIES.
WE CAN PUT A REAL VALUE ON THEM AND KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT A WINNER OR NOT.
[INAUDIBLE] E FINISH LINE HERE. WE'RE HOPING TO [INAUDIBLE], DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ? NO, I'M JUST READING THROUGH SOME THINGS THERE.
OK. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, ANYONE BESIDES MR. OPSOMMER AND THE TREASURER [INAUDIBLE].
IF NOT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER. JUST ONE ITEM THAT I WOULD FLAG THAT'S ON HERE THAT I THINK WE COULD REMOVE OR MODIFY.
I THINK WE SHOULD MODIFY IT AND PUT IT INTO LIKE REQUIREMENTS IS THE TRANSIT STOPS.
SO CATA IS GOING TO ADVERTISING MODELS.
AND SO THEY ARE TRYING TO GET BASICALLY LIKE IF [INAUDIBLE] WILL PAY TO PUT IN A NEW THE NEW ADVERTISING MODEL STOP.
THEY GET LIKE FREE AD RIGHTS TO PUT ADS UP FOR.
AND THEY CAN ALSO GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO ADVERTISE ON THE BUSSES, WHATEVER PACKAGE IT TAKES TO GET [INAUDIBLE] TO BUILD IT AND RUN THE ELECTRICAL CONDUIT.
SO THAT CAN GO UNDER LIKE A REQUIREMENT IS JUST WORK WITH CATA AND WHATEVER TRANSIT, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS ARE NECESSARY.
I THINK BECAUSE CATA, CATA CAN GET THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO EAT UP OUR POINTS. GETTING SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE ALREADY GOING TO WORK ON.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING THAT I NOTICED THAT I WOULD FLAG AMONG THOSE.
DEDICATED PARKING FOR E-SCOOTERS AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE MOBILITY OPTIONS.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO JUST REQUIREMENTS.
SIDEWALK PLANNERS ALSO IS SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW, WE WOULD REQUIRE THAT, BUT I MEAN, TYPICALLY PEOPLE DO GIVE US A PRETTY GOOD LANDSCAPING PLAN AND AN IDEA.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE.
SO THREE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ACCRUE THREE REALLY EASY POINTS ON RIGHT THERE. AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANYTHING ELSE [INAUDIBLE], YES MS. GUTHRIE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE POINTS GIVEN FOR SOLAR ON THOSE BUS STOPS OR
[01:30:05]
SOME KIND OF HOTSPOT COVERS SOMETHING WITH THOSE WITH THOSE TRANSIT STOP AREAS IN REGARDS TO ANY KIND OF WI-FI HOTSPOTS OR ANY KIND OF SOLAR THAT ALLOWS ANY KIND OF CONNECTIVITY.I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.
OK, THANK YOU. WAS A CLARIFICATION [INAUDIBLE].
I UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE'S HEADED THERE WITH THAT.
OK. RIGHT. ANOTHER IDEAS THAT YOU SEE HERE THAT THE STAFF SHOULD BE LOOKING AT [INAUDIBLE]. MS. JACKSON ANYTHING? NOT NOT AT THIS POINT, NO, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I OBSERVED WAS THE DEGRADATION OF THE IMPACTS OF THE AMENITIES WE HAD BEFORE IS THAT AS TIME PASSED, MANY OF THOSE THINGS BECAME JUST MODERN CONVENIENCES, THAT YOU WOULD BE YOU WOULD EXPECT TO APPEAR IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
AND IN GENERAL, WE NEED TO ELIMINATE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BECOME.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS HAS BEEN SAID HERE, THINGS LIKE COVERED BIKE PARKING OR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND AND LIGHTING IN TRANSIT STOPS BY CATA, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO WE CHEAPEN OUR EXPECTATION WHEN WE INCLUDE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY LIKELY TO BECOME COMMONPLACE AND EXPECTED IN ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT.
INTERESTING POINT. OTHERS? ANYTHING ELSE TO DISCUSS AT THIS POINT OR WANT TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES BACK TO US FROM MR. SCHMIDTT AND HIS STAFF? NOT SEEING ANY HANDS. [INAUDIBLE] YES MR. OPSOMMER. IT'S JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION.
HAVE WE TALKED TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT THEIR INCLUSION? I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THEM DIRECTLY.
I CAN I CAN CHECK WITH STAFF AND SEE IF WE PREVIOUSLY TALKED TO THEM.
BUT I SUSPECT WE HAVE NOT LARGELY BECAUSE OF COVID AND THEM GOING THROUGH BANKRUPTCY AS AN OWNERSHIP GROUP. BUT I THINK THIS GETS TO ONE OF THE POINTS THAT I WILL CERTAINLY BE MAKING AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE NEXT YEAR IS THAT THE MALL IS THERE, BUT WE NEED TO PLAN FOR WHAT'S NEXT, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE REALIZES THAT ENCLOSED MALLS, ESPECIALLY THOSE NOT ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, ARE DINOSAURS AND THEY'RE LIKELY TO CHANGE IN MANY WAYS IN UPCOMING YEARS.
SO I THINK THIS WAS THE PLANNING COMMISSION PROBABLY JUST TRYING TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THAT A LITTLE BIT. BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP AND FIND OUT.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, IT WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, BECAUSE I, I KNOW I TALKED TO THEM ALL RECENTLY AND RATHER THAN LOOKING AT, LIKE OUTLYING DEVELOPMENT, WHEN THEY LOOK AT RESIDENTIAL USES, THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT LIKE REPURPOSING OR DEMOLISHING THE ANCHOR STORES AND THEN BUILDING CONNECTED FOOTPRINTS.
SO THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE WITH US ON THIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WE'RE LIFTING THE HEIGHT REQUIREMENT IN HERE FOR THE MALL.
RIGHT? IT WOULD BE A THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT ALLOWANCE THROUGH THE AMENITIES.
IT WOULD NOT BE IT WOULD NOT BE BY RIGHTS.
BUT WE'RE GIVING THEM THE SAME HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THAT WE APPLIED TO DOWNTOWN.
GIVING THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO GET THERE.
YES. AND SO, I MEAN, THEY'RE ALSO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEIR INTENT FITS INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT BASICALLY THEY DON'T.
I ALWAYS ENVISIONED A RING OF RESIDENTIAL AROUND IT.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BLOCK ANY SIGHT LINES TO THE MALL ITSELF.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT JUST BUILDING OFF THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT.
SO BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GIVING THEM THAT ADDITIONAL HEIGHT BECAUSE OF THE HUGE SETBACK THAT THEY HAVE CERTAINLY MAKES IT.
[01:35:01]
THE SCALE IS MUCH SMALLER, RIGHT, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SETBACK.SO THAT'S GOOD. AND THEN I NOTICE THAT WE ALSO SO WE'RE REQUIRING A TRAFFIC STUDY WHEN WE EXCEED 50 VEHICLE TRIPS DURING PEAK HOURS INSTEAD OF 100.
YES. OK, DOES STAFF RECOMMEND THAT? 100 CAPTURES PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING.
RIGHT? EVEN IF I JUST KEPT IT AT 100, WE'RE CAPTURING ALMOST ANYTHING.
TO BE. A BASIC STRIP MALL WOULD REQUIRE A TRAFFIC STUDY.
I AM A PLANNER THAT DOESN'T BELIEVE NECESSARILY IN TRAFFIC STUDIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR ROADS.
IF WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE A MAJOR TRAFFIC USER'S COMING IN, THEY ARE GOING.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY IS LARGELY GOING TO BE DICTATED BY THE ROAD DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE GOING TO SAY YOU HAVE TO PUT IN X TURN LANE AND X DECELERATION LANE. IT HAS TO BE X BIG BASED ON THEIR STANDARDS.
A TRAFFIC STUDY REZONING IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT QUESTION BECAUSE THE REZONING YOU REALLY ARE COMPARING HYPOTHETICAL LAND USES AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT OF AN ACTUAL PROJECT THAT THAT THE IMPACT OF THAT TRAFFIC STUDY IS GOING TO BE DICTATED FROM THE COUNTY, NOT FROM US.
SO I AM NOT A HUGE BELIEVER IN TRAFFIC STUDIES IN GENERAL.
BUT YES, TO YOUR POINT, ONE HUNDRED CARS IS GOING TO PICK UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROJECTS, 50 CARS WILL, I THINK, PROBABLY PICK UP EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING YEAH, WE'RE GONE FROM NINETY NINE POINT FIVE TO ONE HUNDRED.
NINETY NINE POINT NINE. YEAH, I MEAN, YOU'RE BASICALLY THERE.
YEAH, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS BASICALLY JUST LIKE A ONE USE COMMERCIAL OUTFIT, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE THAT.
YEAH, I CAN THINK OF A COUPLE THAT WOULDN'T, BUT NOT MANY.
I'D BE OPEN TO STAFF'S INPUT AND WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO AND HOW THEY SET THAT.
I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE GETTING MUCH UTILITY.
I GET IT WHEN THERE'S A REZONING OR WHEN THERE'S A LARGER SCALE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, 12000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, THAT'S MUCH DIFFERENT.
BUT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT STOREFRONT, WE'RE NOT. THE IMPACT ON A ROADWAY LIKE GRAND RIVER IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD.
THANK YOU. YES TREASURER? TO FOLLOW UP ON TRUSTEE OPSOMMER'S COMMENT.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, A RELATIVELY NEW DIRECTOR, I, TOO, WOULD WELCOME YOUR INPUT ON VARIOUS TOPICS.
AND IN THE PAST, I THINK OF THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR.
HE WAS VERY GOOD ABOUT BEING IF YOU WERE AGNOSTIC ON MOST ISSUES AND DIDN'T REALLY EXPRESS AN OPINION.
AND AGAIN, THIS BOARD HAS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TO ANALYZE THESE VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS. AND WE RELY ON THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER FOR HIS OPINIONS.
I THINK WE RELY ON THE ASSESSOR FOR THEIR OPINION AND WE RELY ON THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE FIRE CHIEF FOR THEIR OPINIONS ON THINGS.
I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY IS A BAD THING FOR YOU TO EXPRESS AN OPINION ON SOME DEVELOPMENT ISSUE TO THIS BOARD.
WE BENEFIT FROM YOUR SHARING, YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR STAFF EXPERTISE IN THESE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.
IF WE HAVE RIGHT TO ACCEPT IT OR REJECT IT.
BUT ABSOLUTELY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU FROM THIS BOARD MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE ANYWAY, TO SHARE THOSE [INAUDIBLE] OPINIONS WHERE YOU FEEL NECESSARY.
I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I HOPE THAT THE BOARD ALWAYS KNOWS WHERE I STAND ON A PROJECT, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
THANK YOU. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS [INAUDIBLE].
UNDERSTOOD. ALRIGHT ANYONE ELSE.
I SO I WANT TO GET TO THE [INAUDIBLE] SECTION, SORRY, I'M JUST FLIPPING THROUGH MY NOTES.
FIRST THE VEHICLE TRIPS GET STRUCK AGAIN HERE AND WE GO FROM ONE HUNDRED TO 25.
SO I'D BE SIMILARLY INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING AND YOUR EXPERTISE AND BECAUSE WE'RE CAPTURING JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THERE.
BUT WHEN WE GET TO ITEM I, BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE GET TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH DOWNTOWN OKEMOS, I'M NOT QUITE SURE I'M READING THIS RIGHT.
SO ANY REDUCTION IN NON RESIDENTIAL SPACE IN A BUILDING BY 25 PERCENT OF THE USABLE FLOOR AREA OR GREATER.
[01:40:01]
SO IS THAT SAYING THAT TO TRIGGER A MAJOR AMENDMENT, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A REDUCTION OF 25 PERCENT OF JUST THE NONRESIDENTIAL SPACE OR? SO I LIKE IF THERE WAS A 40000 SQUARE FEET AND IT'S PAGE TWENTY THREE.IT'S ITEM I IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.
SO IT WOULD BE 25 PERCENT REDUCTION OF THE NONRESIDENTIAL SPACE BECAUSE USABLE FLOOR IS ONLY GOING TO COME INTO PLAY FOR NONRESIDENTIAL SPACE.
OK, THAT'S WHAT I WAS UNCLEAR ABOUT, WHY WE WERE USING THE TERM USABLE FLOOR AREA OR GREATER. IT SEEMS. SO SOMEONE DOESN'T TRY AND PLAY A GAME WITH BETWEEN GROSS AND NET FLOOR AREA ON US. OK, SO YOU'RE TRYING TO DEFINE THE TERM NOW SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS.
IT'S THE USABLE FLOOR AS DEFINED IN OUR ORDINANCE.
SO WHAT THIS IS SAYING, I IS SAYING IS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY DO WITH ANY RESIDENTIAL USES. CORRECT.
IF THEY CUT THE COMMERCIAL SPACE BY 25 PERCENT, THEN IT TRIGGERS THE MAJOR AMENDMENT.
CORRECT. OK. AND THE CHANGES TO THE TO THE THE AMENDMENT PROCESS, I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR, WERE LARGELY WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.
SO ALL OF THOSE CHANGES THAT YOU READ ARE IN THE BACKDROP OF THAT HAPPENING.
SO THAT'S WHY IT WANTS THE 25 VEHICLE TRIPS.
THAT'S WHY IT WENT TO TWENTY FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION IN USABLE FLOOR AREA.
SO. YEAH, WE SAW IT WITH ELEVATION TOO, AND WE'VE SEEN IT WITH A FEW PROJECTS.
BUT OK, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T QUITE CLEAR ON THE USABLE FLOOR AREA.
ANY CLARIFICATIONS OR COMMENTS? [INAUDIBLE] SOMETHING BACK FROM MR. SCHMIDTT. WE'VE GOT SOME HOMEWORK AHEAD OF US.
WHAT'S THAT? I'VE GOT SOME HOMEWORK AHEAD OF ME.
ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT THEN BOARD MEMBERS WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
[INAUDIBLE] DO WE HAVE ANY [INAUDIBLE] OR ANYWHERE LIKE THAT? I GUESS THIS IS WHERE [INAUDIBLE].
ALL RIGHT. AND OTHER MATTERS FROM
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
BOARD MEMBERS? COURTNEY WISINSKI. [INAUDIBLE] THE BEGINNING, AS YOU DID, I DIDN'T SAY I'M ATTENDING VIRTUALLY [INAUDIBLE] POSSIBLE COVID EXPOSURE SO JUST TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.AND I'M NOT SURE IN THE CLERKS NOTES.
ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? YES TRUSTEE JACKSON.
YES, I REALIZE THAT I MISSPOKE.
AND WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE REZONING ON SAGINAW HIGHWAY, I SAID THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD RECOMMENDED AND VOTED RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REZONING.
I BELIEVE WHAT IN FACT HAPPENED WAS THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT HAVE A DECISION.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
IT WAS ACTUALLY THE JO DON ITEM I SEE. THEY UNANIMOUSLY DID RECOMMEND THE SAGINAW HIGHWAY REZONE.
[INAUDIBLE]. SINCE WE'RE ON ZONING ORDINANCE STUFF, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE NOTE FOR THE BOARD. AND ONE OTHER THING.
CHAIR HENDRICKSON OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE REFERENCE TO US VERY BRIEFLY AT OUR JOINT MEETING. BUT AND I'M SURE TRUSTEE JACKSON IS GOING TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE, HAVING SERVED ON THE ZBA FOR SO LONG.
SO JUST IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE HAD TWO ZONING REQUESTS FOR HOMES IN LAKE LANSING OVERLAY DISTRICT. AND SO THE WAY THAT THE OVERLAY DISTRICT ORDINANCE WORKED, ZONING ORDINANCE WORKED, THERE'S A NUMBER OF STREETS, INCLUDING EAST LAKE DRIVE, WHERE THE FRONT YARD SET BACK IS 85 FEET, WHEREAS WE LAXED THE SET BACKS ON THE FRONT YARD ON LIKE NEARLY ALL THE OTHER STREETS. THERE'S FOUR OR FIVE STREETS LISTED OUT WHERE WE DON'T LAX THAT.
AND SO WE CONTINUOUSLY GET PEOPLE COMING FORWARD, OR AT LEAST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF THEM BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE TO REQUEST A VARIANCE IF THEY'RE ON ONE OF THOSE ROADWAYS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE TO HAVE AN 85 FOOT FRONT YARD SET BACK
[01:45:01]
ON LIKE THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE WHERE LAKE DRIVE IS ONLY LIKE 120 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE WATER OF THE LAKE, AND THERE'S A HOME BETWEEN, OBVIOUSLY.SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SOME TWEAKING AND ADJUSTING TO THAT ORDINANCE SO THAT THESE HOMEOWNERS, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN THE COTTAGE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE, [INAUDIBLE] STREET AND POTTER STREET, ET CETERA, WHERE WE HAVE ALL THEIR HOMES AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO INVEST IN THOSE HOMES AND NOT TO, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY DEMOLISH AND TRY TO WORK WITHIN THE VERY BIZARRE CONSTRAINTS THAT THEY HAVE FOR SETBACKS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE VERY SMALL HOMES.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE NOT HOMES OF HUGE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO BASICALLY WE ALLOWED FOR, YOU KNOW, THE MANSIONS TO BE BUILT ON TIER ONE IN MOST PLACES, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THOSE ARE NONCOMPLIANT TOO. BUT THEN THERE'S THESE OTHER HOMES IN TIER TWO THAT ARE REALLY CONSTRAINED UNDER THAT ORDINANCE.
SO I JUST WANTED THAT FLAG AND GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL FOR BOARD MEMBERS ON THAT, BECAUSE DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT AND I DID TALK ABOUT THAT AFTER THE LAST ZBA MEETING.
AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE UPDATED IN SOME TIME.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, THE ZBA HAS JUST KIND OF TAKEN THE APPROACH OF ALLOWING THE HOMEOWNERS ON THOSE FOUR STREETS TO, WE'VE BEEN APPROVING HOMEOWNERS ON THOSE FOUR OR FIVE STREETS OUTLINED. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, WE STAFF ACTUALLY WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT TODAY AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND PUT TOGETHER SOME OPTIONS FOR THE ZBA AND PLANNING COMMISSION TO START THINKING ABOUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE HERE OF HOW TO ADDRESS THIS, BECAUSE WE AGREE IT'S IT'S A PROBLEM WHEN YOU TREAT ONE SET DIFFERENTLY THAN ANOTHER.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FINAL COMMENT? YES CLERK GUTHRIE.
ONE IS MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO THE MUSIC THE MARKETPLACE LAST WEDNESDAY.
SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, GO OUT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
IT'S IT'S REALLY GOOD MUSIC IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO THE NEW MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.
AND THEN TWO, I WANT TO COMMEND OUR FIRE CHIEF.
I MEANT TO DO THIS EARLIER FOR THE OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS AND THE COVERAGE THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE TOWNSHIP IS COVERED.
AND AND I ASKED HIM A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE THE MEETING BEGAN ABOUT SOME OF THE COVERAGE SITES AND THAT I WAS LOOKING AT ON THE MAP.
AND I HAVE EVERY BIT OF CONFIDENCE THAT HE IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS COVERED AND HE'S MOVING SOME THINGS AROUND JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO SEE THAT COVERAGE MAP FLOATING AROUND AND YOU SEE A COUPLE OF SECTIONS THAT MAYBE DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE COVERED ONCE THE NEW SIRENS COME OUT, THAT IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE HE'S CHANGING THINGS UP TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS COVERED.
SO THANK YOU FOR FOR DOING THAT SO THAT WE CAN ALL HEAR THOSE WARNING WARNING SIRENS.
I WANT TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CITIZEN COME IN EARLIER [INAUDIBLE] B&B SITUATION IN.
WE HAD LOOKED AT THIS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WE STARTED WORKING TOWARDS AN ORDINANCE.
PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME REGULATION OF OF THESE THESE TEMPORARY RENTALS, AND WE KIND OF DROPPED IT. WE NEVER CAME TO ANY CONSENSUS ON IT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE CAN ASK OUR STAFF TO BE THINKING ABOUT, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE SOMETHING WITH REGARD TO THOSE TO THESE KINDS OF FACILITIES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND WHERE [INAUDIBLE].
ANYTHING ELSE? [INAUDIBLE] HEAR SOMETHING ELSE.
YEAH, JUST JUST IN READING OVER THE MANAGER'S SEMIANNUAL REPORT, I THINK I NOTED THAT THE SURVEY, THE END OF THE FIRST WAVE OF THE SURVEY IS ON THE 24TH.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEM TO SEND THEM BACK. I KNOW MY HUSBAND DOES AND HE HAS IT.
AND SO JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE 24TH IS THE LAST DAY OR THE END OF WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THE FIRST WAVE OF THAT SURVEY THAT HAS BEEN MAILED OUT TO RESIDENTS, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO RETURN THEM.
[INAUDIBLE] MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO MOVED. SUPPORT. MOVED BY THE TREASURER, SUPPORTED BY [INAUDIBLE], ANY
[01:50:02]
OBJECTION? THEN WE'RE ADJOURNED.I'M ELENA COUSINO, THE AUGUST 17 TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING JUST ADJOURNED.
[Postscript]
HERE IS THE POST MEETING REPORT ON WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE MEETING.TOWNSHIP MANAGER FRANK WALSH PRESENTED THE 2021 TOWNSHIP SEMIANNUAL REPORT WHICH DETAILED THE TOWNSHIP'S GOALS FOR THE FUTURE.
THE BOARD APPROVED ALL THREE ACTION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
LASTLY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TIM SCHMIDTT GAVE A SUMMARY OF THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH INCLUDES THE MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDER REVIEW SINCE LATE 2020. TUNE IN TO THE NEXT TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 7TH.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT HOMTV'S PROGRAMING, PLEASE CONTACT US AT (517)349-1232 OR VISIT US ONLINE AT HOMTV.NET.
I'M ELENA COUSINO AND ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE AT HOMTV, THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.