Oct 06, 2021 Environmental Commission Meeting

[00:00:08]

[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY A IT'S A PHYSICAL THING, IT'S NOT A, YOU SEE I DON'T FADE AWAY IN THE BACKGROUND. YEAH, YEAH, RIGHT.

A BIG PRINT FROM IKEA.

SO IT'S COME IN HANDY FOR THIS ZOOM WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW.

WELL, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE PART OF STANDING ON A BRIDGE.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

WELL, I GUESS WE CAN START, WE JUST GOT THE GO AHEAD.

SO THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING, AND LET ME WELCOME BRIDGET BOOTH, WHO'S

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[2. HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT UPDATE]

AND I THINK WE'RE ALL KIND OF REAL INTERESTED IN KIND OF HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING AND WHERE WE'RE AT. SO, BRIDGET, WHY DON'T YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE AND TELL US ABOUT THE PROJECT? WE'RE REAL INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT IT.

GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.

SO, YES, I'M BRIDGET BOOTH AND I TEACH EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE AT HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL.

THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR THERE, SO I HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE A NORMAL FULL YEAR SINCE MY FIRST YEAR THERE. WE HAD THE PANDEMIC HIT IN THE SPRING AND THEN LAST YEAR WAS A VIRTUAL YEAR.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO I WAS REALLY THRILLED TO IT WAS MY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL THAT GAVE ME THE HEADS UP ABOUT THE THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT.

AND I HAD ALREADY AT THAT POINT HAD MY EYE ON THIS INTERIOR COURTYARD THAT WAS A COMPLETELY NEGLECTED SPACE IN THE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE OF MY MY SCIENCE CLASSROOM WINDOWS.

AND SO I JUST HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THAT THINKING, OH, THAT'S JUST A GEM OF A SPACE AND WHAT COULD WE DO WITH IT? MY BACKGROUND IS A BIG PART OF IT IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.

I GOT STARTED AS A TEACHER KIND OF NON TRADITIONALLY AT [INAUDIBLE] NATURE CENTER.

SO I STARTED OUT AS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR AND THEN THEN WENT BACK AND GOT MY TEACHING CERTIFICATE.

AND SO BRINGING KIDS OUTSIDE IS A HUGE PART OF HOW I TEACH SCIENCE.

AND I JUST THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL TO ESPECIALLY NOW, GIVEN ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT WE FACE, NOT JUST IN MICHIGAN, BUT JUST AS A NATIONAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO THIS THIS GRANT HAS GIVEN ME SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO TO CONVERT THIS INTERIOR COURTYARD INTO KIND OF AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM SPACE.

THAT'S THE GOAL FOR THE PROJECT IS TO CREATE A SPACE THAT STUDENTS CAN USE, BUT TEACHERS CAN BRING CLASSES OUT INTO THE SPACE AND USE IT AS A CLASSROOM, BUT IN A ROOFLESS OUTDOOR SETTING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COMPLETELY ENCLOSED BY THE SCHOOL.

SO LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN REALLY QUICKLY AND SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES.

HOPEFULLY THIS WORKS OUT.

CAN YOU SEE IT? ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS NOT MY NORMAL LAPTOP, SO HOPEFULLY IT'S WORKING OUT OKAY.

OK. SO KIND OF GOT STARTED WITH IDENTIFYING SOME, SOME TEACHERS THAT WERE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THIS WITH ME.

MOVE MY ZOOM WINDOW OVER HERE SO I CAN LOOK AT YOU.

HERE WE GO. AND SO KIND OF IDENTIFY THE TEACHERS AND STARTED BRAINSTORMING ABOUT HOW HOW THIS SPACE COULD BE USED.

AND THEN, SINCE IT'S A STUDENT LED PROJECT, STARTED TO WORK IN IN APRIL ON FIGURING OUT WHICH WHO MY STUDENT TEAM WAS GOING TO BE.

SO I TEACH EIGHTH GRADERS, AND SO I INTRODUCED BASICALLY THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT TO ALL OF MY EIGHTH GRADERS.

AND THERE WAS A CERTAIN NUMBER THAT WERE INTERESTED IN KIND OF WENT THROUGH A LITTLE APPLICATION PROCESS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.

I ALSO HAPPEN TO HAVE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST, AND SHE VOLUNTEERED HER SERVICES.

IT KIND OF JUST WORKED OUT MAGICALLY THAT HER KIDS WENT THROUGH HASLETT SCHOOLS.

AND SO SHE HAD SORT OF A VESTED INTEREST IN HELPING WITH THE PROJECT.

AND SHE'S ACTUALLY WORKED FOR MICHIGAN STATE AND WAS ONE OF THE DESIGNERS OF THE 4H CHILDREN'S GARDEN THERE, SO SHE JUST HAS A LOT OF WONDERFUL EXPERTISE.

AND SO SHE'S SHE'S SORT OF OUR PROJECT CONSULTANT.

[00:05:01]

SPEND SOME TIME INTRODUCING WHAT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.

AND SO THIS IS KIND OF THEM KIND OF TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.

[INAUDIBLE] IT'S NOT MY LAPTOP.

OK. [INAUDIBLE] MY HUSBAND'S LAPTOP.

OK, SO THIS WAS KIND OF A UNIQUE TIME, SO THIS WAS IN APRIL.

AND SO WE WERE ON A HYBRID SCHEDULE, SO WE WERE WORKING WITH STUDENTS BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON, SO WHEN WE WEREN'T TOGETHER IN THE CLASSROOM, WE WERE STILL WORKING ON THE PROJECT. WE DID A LOT OF COLLABORATION OVER ZOOM AND THROUGH GOOGLE CLASSROOM.

SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THIS IS KIND OF AN INITIAL BRAINSTORMING THAT WE DID AROUND, LIKE WHAT WERE THE ELEMENTS THAT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IN THIS SPACE? AND THEN USING THAT INPUT FROM STUDENTS, DEB, OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, WAS ABLE TO KIND OF START WITH A CONCEPT PLAN, A DESIGN PLAN FOR US.

AND SO ONE OF THE ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPONENTS WAS WAS THE RAIN GARDEN.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN INTERNAL SPACE, THERE IS A CATCH BASIN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

AND SO WE IDENTIFIED THAT THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO PLANT A RAIN GARDEN AROUND THE CATCH BASIN TO SLOW THE WATER, TO KEEP IT FROM JUST KIND OF DUMPING RIGHT DOWN INTO THAT BASIN. SO WE SPENT SOME TIME TALKING WITH THE KIDS ABOUT WHAT THE CATCH BASIN IS, WHERE THAT WATER GOES, REALLY KIND OF DIGGING INTO OUR LOCAL WATERSHED AND MAKING SURE THE KIDS UNDERSTOOD THAT WHOLE PROCESS.

AND SO THEN IT WAS THEIR JOB TO RESEARCH PLANT, WHAT PLANTS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE RAIN GARDEN. WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON NATIVE SPECIES, AS WELL AS SPECIES THAT WOULD ATTRACT POLLINATORS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE INITIAL PLAN.

AND THEN SINCE THEN, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE WORKING KIND OF AT THIS POINT, WE'RE IN MAY, SO GET NICE AND WARM, AND SINCE IT WAS A FAIRLY UNUSED SPACE FOR A LONG TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF CLEANUP THAT HAD TO HAPPEN, A LOT OF WEEDS.

SO HERE THEY'RE PULLING WEEDS FROM THE CRACKS IN THE CONCRETE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A CONCRETE SLAB.

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURTYARD.

SO WE HAD A LOT OF WORK THERE.

HERE'S JUST SOME INITIAL WORKDAYS THAT WE HAD, KIND OF GETTING IT CLEANED UP OUT THERE.

AND DURING THIS TIME, WE WERE ALSO COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, SO WE DID THAT IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

I HAD THE KIDS CREATE.

WE DID ANNOUNCEMENTS ON MONDAYS AND THERE WAS A SLIDE SHOW THAT THAT WENT THROUGH FOR EVERY HOMEROOM.

AND SO THEY CREATED REGULAR SLIDES THAT WERE UPDATES FOR STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT THE PROJECT WAS AND WHERE WE WERE HEADING WITH IT.

AND WE ALSO CREATED POSTERS TO PUT UP ON IN THE HALLWAY LEADING UP TO THE COURTYARD SO THAT PEOPLE WHO MAYBE WERE SEEING THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING HAPPENING OUT THERE HAD SOME IDEA OF THE KIND OF WORK THAT WE WERE DOING.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF EDUCATION AROUND WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN AND WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE.

WE HAD TALKED ORIGINALLY ABOUT DOING SOME VEGETABLES AND FRUITS OUT THERE, BUT THAT HAS THAT HAS EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT.

JUST THINKING ABOUT THE REALISTIC NATURE OF MAINTAINING VEGETABLES WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE GONE IN THE SUMMERTIME. SO THAT'S SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT.

SO WE THEN KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, YOU CAN SEE THAT MY CREW SHRANK A LITTLE BIT.

IT WAS A LITTLE TRICKIER TO ORGANIZE SCHEDULES AND THEN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, BUT WE KIND OF DID WHAT WE COULD TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER ON PREPARING SOME BEDS HERE.

THE STUDENTS ARE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT APPROPRIATE AND NATURAL WAYS TO REMOVE THE GRASS AROUND THE CATCH BASIN THAT INVOLVED NO CHEMICALS.

AND SO WE WERE LAYING PLASTIC AND IDENTIFYING THE SHAPE OF THE RAIN GARDEN.

SO WE SPENT SOME TIME ON THAT.

AND THEN TOWARDS THE END OF THE SUMMER, REALLY, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAD SOME PREPARED BEDS, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED A SPACE CLOSER TO THE BUILDING THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE, AND WE WANT THAT TO BE KIND OF A SPACE THAT WILL BE INVITING FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED TO TO COME OUTSIDE JUST TO MAYBE DECOMPRESS.

WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THIS ALSO IN TERMS OF NOT JUST BEING AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, BUT ALSO BEING A SAFE SPACE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE FEELING ANXIETY.

[00:10:03]

WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL HEALTH FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND SO THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN ENCLOSED SPACE BUT STILL OUTSIDE MAKES IT AN IDEAL SETTING FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO POP OUT, TAKE SOME DEEP BREATHS, MAYBE BE ABLE TO LOOK AT SOME NATURAL THINGS AND KIND OF RE-CENTER THEMSELVES.

SO THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS KIND OF INCREASED IN IMPORTANCE OVER THESE, THESE SUMMER MONTHS AND INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE'VE PURCHASED THE PLANTS AND THE STUDENTS ENJOYED THAT PROCESS OF SELECTING THOSE AND AND WE WORKED WITH [INAUDIBLE] WHO WHO WERE VERY HELPFUL.

JUST A LIST OF SOME OF THE PLANTS WE'VE PURCHASED AND AGAIN FOCUSING ON SOME NATIVE SPECIES AND THINGS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR RAIN GARDENS.

SO SINCE THEN, I'VE GOT A NEW BATCH OF STUDENTS, I GOT A NEW EIGHTH GRADE CLASS AND A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT I'M TRYING TO BRING INTO THE PROJECT.

SO THE ORIGINAL CREW IS NOW AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY ARE NINTH GRADERS AND THEY ARE STILL ENGAGED.

I HAD A COUPLE, IN FACT, TODAY JOIN US AT A CONSERVATION CLUB MEETING.

SO I ALSO RUN A CONSERVATION CLUB AT THE SCHOOL, AND SO I'M GETTING THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS CAUGHT UP ON THE PROJECT.

AND I ALSO TEACH AN ELECTIVE CALLED ECO ACTION, WHICH IS ALL AROUND ECOLOGY AND AND HOW STUDENTS CAN TAKE ACTION TO PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THEIR THEIR LOCAL SPACE.

SO THESE ARE SOME STUDENTS IN THAT ELECTIVE CLASS, AND THEY WERE OUT THERE HELPING TO MAKE THE RAIN GARDEN SPACE A LITTLE BIT MORE READY.

WE PLANTED A TREE AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN QUITE A BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT WATERSHEDS AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF A RAIN GARDEN IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE HANDLE LAND USE AND WATER CONTAMINATION.

SO NOW WE ARE KIND OF GETTING PLANTS IN PLACE.

WE ARE SORT OF KIND OF POSITIONING THINGS AND GETTING READY TO TO GET EVERYTHING IN THE GROUND. WE HAVE MORE THAT WE NEED TO PURCHASE.

WE'RE KIND OF IDENTIFYING WHAT WE HAVE NOW.

IS IT FILLING THE SPACE APPROPRIATELY? AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING KIND OF A SECOND ROUND OF PLANT PURCHASING ALONG WITH MULCH AND SOME OF THE OTHER PARTS AND PIECES OF THE PROJECT.

SO HERE'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE NOW IN TERMS OF OUR SITE PLAN, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE.

SO THIS IS AGAIN, OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT IS PREPARING THIS FOR US LOOKING AT WHAT WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED AND THEN WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE YET THROUGHOUT OCTOBER.

WE STILL HAVE SOME STUMPS THAT WE NEED TO GET REMOVED, WHICH POSES A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED. THE WAY THAT WE GET INTO THE COURTYARD IS THROUGH THE SCHOOL BUILDING, AND THEN THERE'S JUST ONE REGULAR SIZED DOORWAY TO GET OUT THERE.

SO GETTING HEAVY EQUIPMENT OUT THERE HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.

SO WE'RE STILL KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT.

DO WE CAN WE WORK AROUND THE STUMPS OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER? WE ALSO ARE CHALLENGED WITH OUR WATER OUT THERE.

THE SPIGOT THAT USED TO BE THERE IS NOT FUNCTIONING.

AND SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THE GROUND CREW TO ASSESS THAT, SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIX OR IF WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT OPTION FOR STORING AND WATERING PLANTS.

SO OUR NEXT STEPS ARE REALLY TO GET EVERYTHING IN THE GROUND IN OCTOBER.

WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO PLANT A RAIN GARDEN AND IT CERTAINLY WASN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY, SO IT ACTUALLY WORKED OUT WELL BECAUSE STUDENTS WERE KIND OF SCATTERED ON VACATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO LOOKING AT FALL FOR GETTING THE RAIN GARDEN PLANTED AND EVERYTHING SORT OF LAID DOWN.

SO REALLY LOOKING AT OCTOBER AS BEING OUR HEAVY WORK MONTH IN TERMS OF RECRUITING EXTRA HELP. SO WE'VE PLANNED WEDNESDAYS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF OCTOBER TO DO SOME OF THE SMALLER JOBS AFTER SCHOOL.

AND THEN WE HAVE A SATURDAY WORKDAY WHERE WE HOPE TO KIND OF TACKLE SOME OF THE BIGGER ELEMENTS THAT MAYBE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT.

I'VE HAD MULTIPLE TEACHERS AND PEOPLE WITHIN THE SCHOOL BUILDING OFFER HELP, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A WAY FOR EVERYBODY TO PITCH IN A LITTLE BIT ON A SATURDAY WORKDAY.

SO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'D LIKE TO INCLUDE WOULD BE A SMALL STORAGE SHED SO THAT THE GARDENING EQUIPMENT CAN BE KEPT RIGHT OUT THERE.

WE DO WANT TO TO GET KIDS THINKING ABOUT COMPOSTING, SO A SMALL, MANAGEABLE COMPOST BIN.

AND ALSO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THAT ATTRACTING WILDLIFE COMPONENT, ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW

[00:15:01]

SO LOOKING AT THAT IN THE FUTURE, NOT NECESSARILY AS PART OF THIS INITIAL GRANT FUNDING, BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK WITH WITH THE ART CLASSES AND GETTING KIDS TO INTEGRATE ART IN THE SPACE AS WELL.

BUT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED RAIN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF IT. SO A LOT OF OUR WORK TIME OR, YOU KNOW, DATES THAT WE HAD SCHEDULED HAD TO KIND OF BE REWORKED.

FINDING THE TIME WHERE I WAS AVAILABLE AND GETTING EVERYONE AVAILABLE, THAT WAS AN ISSUE.

I'VE ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE STAFFING HAS CHANGED AND SO I'VE LOST ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TEACHERS WHO WAS PART OF THE TEAM HAS SINCE MOVED ON FROM HASLETT.

SO KIND OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY A LITTLE BIT MORE TEACHER HELP WITH THAT.

PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES HAS BEEN WORKING ON SCHEDULING WITH THE DISTRICT GROUNDS CREW. THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO DO, LIKE TRIM THE TREE AND REMOVE SOME OF THE THE EXCESSIVE WEEDS THAT WERE OUT THERE.

SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A WAITING GAME TRYING TO TO WAIT UNTIL WE COULD GET ON THEIR WORK SCHEDULE, SINCE IT'S AN INTERIOR SPACE.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT FROM THE OUTSIDE.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS ON THE PRIORITY LIST, ESPECIALLY AS THEY WERE GEARING UP FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. SO SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE PARTICIPATION FROM FROM THE GROUNDS THAT HASLETT GROUNDS CREW.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ORIGINAL TEAM IS IN HIGH SCHOOL NOW, SO THEY HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL SCHEDULE. THEY'RE BUSY, THEY'VE GOT STUFF GOING ON THEY'RE IN THE BAND.

THEY'RE TAKING EXTRA CLASSES.

IT'S CRAZY HOW BUSY THEY ARE.

SO GETTING A NEW GROUP OF STUDENTS ORIENTED, IT'S TAKEN SOME TIME TO GET THEM TO LIKE, HERE'S WHAT THE PROJECT'S ABOUT.

HERE'S WHAT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS.

SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE STARTING OVER WITH A NEW BATCH OF KIDS STILL TRYING TO KEEP THAT ORIGINAL TEAM INVOLVED, BUT GETTING A NEW GROUP OF STUDENTS ORIENTED TO THE PROJECT SO THAT THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO TO CONTINUE WITH THE PLANNING.

SO THAT'S KIND OF IT IN A NUTSHELL.

A LOT OF TALKING THERE, SO IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS OR THERE'S SOMETHING I DIDN'T COVER THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ME ANSWERING RIGHT NOW, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

THERE'S TIME. THANK YOU BRIDGET.

THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING, AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

THE QUESTION I'VE GOT IS HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO KIND OF USE THE SPACE FOR ACTUAL CLASSES ONCE [INAUDIBLE]? WELL, I CAN THINK OF A MILLION WAYS AS A SCIENCE TEACHER.

WHAT I'M HOPING IS THAT IT WILL ACTUALLY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME DATA COLLECTION.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO INSTALL OUT THERE IS A WEATHER STATION.

SO TO GET KIDS OUT THERE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SOME WEATHER INSTRUMENTS, YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO LIKE A QUICK LIKE CHECK ON CLOUD COVER.

WE ARE HOPING TO INCORPORATE MORE SEATING.

SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE THESE CEMENT BENCHES, WHICH A COUPLE OF THEM ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT WE HAVE A FEW MORE THAT ARE THAT NEED TO BE REMOVED.

THEY'RE JUST OLD AND WOBBLY AND UNSAFE.

BUT THINKING ABOUT SEATING SO THAT A TEACHER COULD BRING A CLASS OUT THERE, EVEN FOR INDEPENDENT WORK OR FOR READING OR FOR JUST SOME QUIET WORK, IT'S IT'S GETTING A CLASS OUTSIDE ON A NICE DAY.

SO MY HOPE, ONCE IT'S ESTABLISHED, IS TO ACTUALLY DO SOME TRAINING WITH MY COWORKERS ABOUT WHAT COULD YOU USE THE SPACE FOR? SO THAT THEY ARE MORE INCLINED TO USE IT.

OH, GREAT. THAT'S ALL.

SOUNDS VERY GOOD. QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY.

JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF AND GO AHEAD AND ASK.

BILL, GO AHEAD. THANKS.

THIS IS REALLY EXCITING, I'M REALLY SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT STUFF GOING ON, AND THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT THAT CAN CONNECT TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO US.

THANK YOU. AS A PAST HASLETT PARENT, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS ARE ALL GROWN UP, BUT THAT THAT LITTLE SPACE ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE A VERY PROMISING BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, SUFFICIENTLY EXPLOITED, ENJOYED SPACE.

I'M SURE IT WAS WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED, IT WAS HOPED THAT IT WOULD BECOME A COMFORTING, SORT OF REFLECTIVE SPOT.

AND SO NOW IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR YOU.

MAKING IT MOVING IT IN THAT DIRECTION TO SERVE THE STUDENTS AND I GUESS EVERYBODY IN A

[00:20:05]

YEAH. AS A CHEMIST, IT IS.

THERE ARE WAYS OF DISSOLVING STUMPS, BUT YOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE DUMPING CHEMICALS INTO THE STUMPS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY FAIRLY, RELATIVELY BENIGN CHEMICALS, BUT THEY DO.

IT DOES TAKE A WHILE, BUT THE ALTERNATIVE IS I WAS WONDERING IF THE STUMP LOCATIONS I DIDN'T ABSORB YOUR MAP FAST ENOUGH, BUT COULD THOSE BE FOUNDATIONS FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, STOOLS TO SIT ON OR THINGS YOU COULD SORT OF HOLLOW OUT TO BE ESSENTIALLY A POT THAT YOU KNOW THAT ANOTHER PLANT COULD LIVE IN? I WAS JUST. WONDERING WHETHER THEY COULD BE VIEWED AS RESOURCES RATHER THAN AS THINGS TO BE JUST GOTTEN RID OF? YEAH, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT, ACTUALLY.

ONE OF MY STUDENTS SAID THAT EXACT SAME THING TODAY, LIKE MAYBE THEY COULD BE A PLACE TO SIT. SO THEY'RE NOT REALLY HUGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE LIKE THAT.

AND THEY SO THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE BASE WOULDN'T BE BIG ENOUGH TO SAY MAKE A SEAT OUT OF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT I DID HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT I WAS TALKING TO A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS AGO. YOU KNOW, THAT SAID THE SAME THING.

LIKE, MAYBE THOSE COULD BE PLACES WHERE YOU SET SOMETHING LIKE A BIRD BATH OR SOME OTHER ELEMENT THAT WOULD CREATE INTEREST IN THE SPACE AND SERVE A PURPOSE.

SO THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE REMOVAL.

REALLY, THE THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THEM IS NOT THE STUMP ITSELF, BUT THE ROOTS THAT ARE THERE AS WELL. IT JUST WE HAVE TO KIND OF DETERMINE HOW HARD IT WILL BE TO DIG AROUND THEM BECAUSE THAT KIND OF LIMITS THE SPACE WE HAVE FOR GETTING SOME OF THOSE PLANTS IN THE GROUND. HOLLOWING THEM OUT, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE, SO THAT'S THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA.

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT.

WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITH THOSE STUMPS? WELL, IF THEY'RE REALLY SOLIDLY ROOTED, YOU CAN ALSO IMAGINE BASICALLY CRANKING SOME RELATIVELY LARGE SCREW INTO THEM AS A AS A BASE FOR, I DON'T KNOW, THE EQUIVALENT OF A BARSTOOL. NOT THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE A BARSTOOL, BUT A STOOL OF SOME SORT.

THAT'LL REALLY GET THE KIDS OUT THERE.

NO, THAT'S A GREAT THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

WE SHOULD DEFINITELY INVESTIGATE THAT BECAUSE YEAH, THE GETTING A STUMP REMOVER OUT THERE IS JUST BEEN A LITTLE BIT.

YEAH, IT'S ONE MORE THING, SO I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT WAYS TO WORK WITH THEM INSTEAD OF AGAINST THEM.

ANNA HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.

YES, I REALLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT YOU CAN GROW MUSHROOMS OR OTHER THINGS ON STUMPS, SO THAT COULD BE A COOL LEARNING EXPERIENCE TOO.

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF STUDENTS ACTUALLY THAT HAVE THIS.

THIS FASCINATION WITH ACTUALLY MUSHROOMS ARE KIND OF POPULAR RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE SORT OF LIKE THEY MADE THEM INTO PILLOWS AND LIKE KIDS ARE JUST KIND OF INTO THEM. SO THAT'S A COOL IDEA.

WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.

THAT'S AWESOME. KENDRA, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? GO AHEAD.

I WANTED TO SAY FANTASTIC WORK, BRIDGET, THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US, AND I JUST LOVE HAVING STUDENTS GETTING CONNECTED BACK TO NATURE, USING THAT SPACE AS A GROUNDING AND CALMING SPACE AND CARING AND JUST WATCHING THE WILDLIFE OUT THERE AS IT GROWS AND EVEN THE STUMP COULD SERVICE.

YOU KNOW, I LIKE ALL THE IDEAS, BUT JUST EVEN AS SPACE FOR, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN SPACE, FOR PLANTS TO, YOU KNOW, NOT EXPAND TO AS WELL.

SO YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS IN LINE WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE KIND OF DOING ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND AND RELATED TO WETLAND EDUCATION AND NATIVE PLANTINGS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO THE THING I HAVE TO ASK YOU IS THAT I'M AWARE OF SOME HASLETT STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN EARTH CLUB, CERTAINLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. AND SO HOW DO WE OKEMOS HAS AN EARTH CLUB GOING ALREADY? IS THERE A WAY TO GET THAT GOING? AND, YOU KNOW, HASLETT, MAYBE THIS IS LIKE THE START, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S THE VISUAL AND HOW CAN WE HOW CAN WE GROW WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE? YEAH, SO IS IS EARTH CLUB LIKE A CONSERVATION CLUB, IS THAT OR IS THAT LIKE A SPECIFIC PROGRAM, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF LIKE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL? I BELIEVE IT'S IT'S AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT WE'RE ALSO IT'S SO THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE ON THE COMMISSION HERE THAT CAN KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

BUT I'M AWARE OF HASLETT, SO THIS CAN BE A CONVERSATION FOR ANOTHER TIME, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

THEY HAVE THE VISUALS AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT DOING MORE OF THIS KIND OF STUFF IN THE

[00:25:01]

THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT WITH ANY OTHER STUDENT ENTITY.

I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT FOR KIDS TO KNOW THAT THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE.

AND AGAIN, REALLY THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO EMPOWER KIDS TO BE THE PROBLEM SOLVERS.

THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE INHERITING THAT THEY THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO HOW TO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL OF THE SPACE IS TO KIND OF SHOW THEM THAT.

BUT ALSO, YEAH, TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL SPACE WITHIN THE SCHOOL BUILDING THAT CAN SERVE MULTIPLE PURPOSES.

SO, SO GREAT.

YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO TALK WITH ANYONE ABOUT COLLABORATION.

HEY, TOM, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, THANKS AGAIN.

JUST WANT TO ECHO PREVIOUS COMMENTS ABOUT A GREAT PROJECT THAT SOUNDS REALLY EXCITING.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

ONE IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF THE PLANTING IS IS GOING TO BE DONE THIS MONTH, BUT I JUST WONDERED WHAT THE THE FINAL TIME FRAME FRAME WAS FOR KIND OF FINISHING THE INITIAL PROJECT? AND THEN SECONDLY, KIND OF HOW STUDENTS WILL BE INVOLVED GOING FORWARD.

WILL THEY BE DOING LIKE WEEDING PROJECTS OR MAKING SURE THAT THE AREA IS IS KEPT UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT? YES, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO, YEAH, IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, HOPING YEAH, THAT THAT MOST LIKE THE PLANTING IS DONE BY THE END OF OCTOBER SO THAT WE'VE GOT THINGS IN THE GROUND BEFORE IT STARTS GETTING TOO COLD. AND I KNOW THE GRANT KIND OF THE GRANT PARAMETERS WERE TO HAVE THE FUNDING SPENT BY NOVEMBER-ISH. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR THERE TO HAVE PROJECT COMPLETION, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT FOR WHAT THIS PARTICULAR GRANT IS.

FUNDING DONE BY EARLY NOVEMBER WOULD BE THE GOAL.

IN TERMS OF STUDENT INVOLVEMENT.

AGAIN, I'D LIKE IT TO BE A SPACE THAT WE KIND OF CONTINUE TO LOOK AT.

WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ESTABLISH A BIRD FEEDING AREA.

I'M ALSO KIND OF PART OF A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT THROUGH CORNELL INSTITUTE, WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT STUDENTS TO MONITOR FEEDERS TO KEEP TRACK OF BIRD SPECIES, SO THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT BIRDS ARE IN THE AREA.

SO I WOULD LOOK AT THAT AS AGAIN, THAT DATA COLLECTION PIECE WHERE STUDENTS CAN GO OUT AND MONITOR FOR SET TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND WATCH THE FEEDERS AND THEN SEE WHAT KIND OF SPECIES ARE THERE, WHICH ALSO JUST MAKES THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE AWARE OF BIRDS IN THE AREA. AND THEN, YEAH, TO ESTABLISH SOME THINGS WHERE IT WOULD BE PRETTY REGULAR ROUTINE FOR STUDENTS TO GO AND EITHER COLLECT THE DATA AGAIN, MAYBE DO SOME SOME COMPOSTING.

THAT'S AN AREA WE NEED TO EXPLORE YET IN TERMS OF HOW THAT WOULD WORK.

BUT YEAH, REGULAR WEEDING, MAINTAINING AND KIND OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME FUTURE THINGS WE COULD DO TO KEEP THE KIDS ENGAGED.

WE REALLY DO LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO PLANT NOT A BIG VEGETABLE GARDEN, BUT SOMETHING WHERE KIDS CAN GROW IT, HARVEST IT AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, LIKE PUMPKIN.

RIGHT? SO LIKE AT THE END OF OCTOBER, THERE'S SOME LITTLE PUMPKINS THAT THEY COULD DO SOMETHING WITH. I JUST, YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, HUMAN EARTH CONNECTION IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AS WELL.

GREAT. THANKS.

OK BILL, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OOPS.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY REAL QUICKLY, SOMETHING YOU COULD DO IS HARVEST THE SEEDS, AND BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON DEVELOPING A NATIVE PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT AND I WANT TO SPEND TIME ON IT HERE, BUT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU CAN DO. THAT WOULD BE ONE.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE VERY COOL.

THEY WOULD LOVE THAT. SOMEONE ELSE SUGGESTED THE POSSIBILITY OF A MONARCH WAY STATION.

SO, YOU KNOW.

PLANTING SOME MILKWEED AND KIND OF HOPING THAT THAT ENCOURAGES MONARCH POPULATIONS AGAIN, BEING IN THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY.

BUT WILL THEY FIND IT? I DON'T KNOW. SO LOTS OF LOTS OF IDEAS, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROJECT LIKE THANKS TO YOU FUNDING THIS INITIAL STARTUP.

THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS IN WAYS THAT WE CAN KIND OF ADD TO IT EACH YEAR, AND IT'S REALLY DEVELOPED A LOT OF INTEREST, EVEN WITH JUST TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE A

[00:30:02]

SO IT'S JUST REALLY COOL THAT IT'S SORT OF TURNED INTO THIS KIND OF LIKE, OH YEAH, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITH THIS, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL PIECE, I THINK IS JUST REALLY BECOME OBVIOUS THESE LAST FEW YEARS, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING A CALMING SPACE AS WELL.

AND WE ALL KNOW THE THE HEALING POWERS OF NATURE.

AND I THINK HAVING IT WHERE IT'S INSIDE THE BUILDING STILL MAKES IT KIND OF IDEAL FOR THAT. SO, YEAH, PRETTY EXCITING.

[INAUDIBLE] NO, GO AHEAD.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, SO YOU WERE MENTIONING THE ISSUE OF WATER WATER AVAILABILITY.

SO I WAS WONDERING, WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, COULD USE A RAIN BARREL? IS THERE IS THERE ROOM FOR A? A SPOT WHERE YOU COULD PUT A RAIN BARREL IN A CORNER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE. ADDRESSING THAT IN A PROACTIVE WAY, IN A WAY THAT KIDS CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL IDEAS.

THERE'S NO REAL DOWN SPOUTS OR GUTTERS INTO THIS SPACE, SO WE'D HAVE TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD EFFICIENTLY COLLECT THE WATER.

I'D ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I KNOW, LIKE IN CONSULTING WITH OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, SHE SAID. THERE IS SOME THERE'S SOME PROPERTIES THAT DON'T REALLY LOVE RAIN BARRELS BECAUSE OF HAVING STAGNANT WATER AROUND THE PROPERTY.

BUT I THINK IF IT'S ONE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO KIND OF HAVE CHANGE OVER OR PICK IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY REASONABLE THING TO DO.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE YET TO REALLY INVESTIGATE.

OR JUST HAVING SOME OTHER KIND OF, YEAH, WATER STORAGE OUT THERE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DOOR THAT GOES INTO THE ART ROOM.

AND SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHERE I'VE BEEN.

I'VE BEEN GETTING WATER.

SO. KIND OF A HASSLE, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN OLD SPIGOT OUT THERE, SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF.

YES, WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO THAT STILL KIND OF DISCUSSING THE RAIN BARREL IDEA.

MY OTHER QUESTION IS DO YOU DO ANY OF YOUR STUDENTS OR THEIR FAMILIES OR WHATEVER HAVE A DRONE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DRONES THESE DAYS? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PHOTO FROM ABOVE HAVING SEEN THE MAP.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE COOL.

AND I'M WILLING TO GUARANTEE THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT A DRONE THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT FOR US. SO THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU AGAIN. IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, COURTNEY.

HI, BRIDGET, THIS IS SO VERY EXCITING, I'M SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THIS PROJECT. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING, AND AS A SCIENTIST, I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE LOOKING FROM A SCIENTIST TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE AND USING THIS AS LIKE NED HAD MENTIONED, LIKE JUST USING THIS AS A USABLE SPACE AND AS AN EDUCATIONAL SPACE.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

THE IDEA, LIKE SCIENCE IS SO VERY IMPORTANT, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT OF THE USABLE SPACES, SO VERY COOL.

LIKE, I JUST THAT'S AMAZING.

YOU'RE DOING AMAZING THINGS.

BUT THEN THINKING ABOUT THAT IN A SEPARATE SENSE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH FOR OUR STUDENTS AND I KNOW I HAVE KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL THIS YEAR.

THERE'S ONE ON THE BOARD TODAY OR IN THE COMMISSION, AND IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR ALL OF US, RIGHT? FOR THE TEACHERS, FOR THE PARENTS, FOR THE FACULTY, FOR THE STUDENTS. AND THAT'S FANTASTIC.

I JUST I REALLY I REALLY DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.

IT'S FANTASTIC. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE BOARD AND AND LET THEM KNOW ALL OF THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.

THE ONE THING I JUST I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I HOPE I'M NOT SPEAKING OUT OF TURN JOHN OR LEROY, BUT WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR ADDITIONAL GRANTS.

SO YOU'VE MENTIONED THERE'S ADDITIONAL WORK THAT MAY NEED TO BE DONE PAST NOVEMBER.

AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY FOR THE ADDITIONAL GRANTS FOR, LIKE YOU SAID, THE EXTERIOR HOSE BIB OR WHATEVER.

WE NEED FOR YOU TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET WATER TO THAT AREA OR SEEDING TO THAT AREA. I JUST I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND, YOU KNOW, IT GOES THROUGH THE COMMISSION AND I HAVE YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S OUT THERE.

AND I THINK AS FAR AS SUSTAINABILITY, THIS IS A FANTASTIC IDEA AND YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK ALREADY. AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.

I THINK THIS IS FANTASTIC.

WONDERFUL, THANK YOU, AND THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO KNOW, SO YEAH, IT'S I'M SURE AS WE

[00:35:04]

OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

[INAUDIBLE] ME AGAIN, I'M SORRY.

SO I'M WONDERING, LEROY AND OR JOHN AND THE COMMISSION HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A REALLY I MEAN, BRIDGET DID SUCH A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THIS.

I THINK THE BOARD WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND WE DO PRESENTATIONS IN THE BOARD MEETINGS AS WELL.

I JUST THIS IS VERY EXCITING AND I THINK THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.

AND I JUST LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO A PRESENTATION.

AND IF YOU'RE WILLING, I CAN I CAN ASK THE SUPERVISOR TO PUT YOU AND OR WHOMEVER YOU ASSIGN ONTO THE PRESENTATION.

MAYBE NEXT BOARD MEETING OR THE NEXT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANY TIME SOON, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE. YOU'VE DONE ALREADY.

THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

I WOULD I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT, AND I'VE ALSO TALKED TO THE ORIGINAL CREW ABOUT POSSIBLY MAYBE JOINING ME ON A PRESENTATION LIKE HAVE A ONE OR TWO STUDENTS THERE TO HELP EXPLAIN. I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE WORK THEMSELVES. SO, YEAH, WE'D LOVE TO DO THAT.

THEY WOULD LOVE THAT.

THEY WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND FROM THE STUDENTS AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED.

SO I WORK WITH LEROY AND JOHN ON THAT THEN.

OK, THANK YOU.

AND THAT ALL SOUNDS GREAT.

WOW. ANYTHING FURTHER? YEAH KENDRA. JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT COURTNEY WAS SAYING, AND I'M HOPING THAT THIS IS JUST A START, YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN FLOODING AT THE SCHOOLS, AT BOTH SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, PERHAPS CREATING RAIN GARDENS AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING MORE STUDENTS INVOLVED AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SOME NATURAL APPROACHES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, PART OF SOME OF OUR INITIATIVES HERE TOO.

AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WETLAND BUFFERS AND AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, NATIVE PLANTINGS AND ALL THAT STUFF, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO BE A YEAR LONG KIND OF CAMPAIGN ON THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR STARTING THE WORK.

SO THANK YOU FOR STARTING INDIVIDUALS AT THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOU'LL HAVE MORE EYES, YOU GET MORE EYES THERE IN THE COMMUNITY LOOKING AT IT BECAUSE YOU HIT BY THE VERY NATURE OF HAVING YOUR STUDENTS THERE.

YOU HAVE THE PARENTS THERE AND THEN IT JUST CAN BUILD OUT FROM THERE AND THERE AND THERE.

SO THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

ACTUALLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WITH MY ELECTIVE CLASS WAS WE WALKED THE PERIMETER OF THE BUILDING AFTER LEARNING ABOUT WATERSHEDS AND LAND USE AND HOW WATER BECOMES CONTAMINATED.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE THIS IS AN AREA OF THE SCHOOL THAT FLOODED, WHAT DO WE NOTICE? AND SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO KIND OF SEE HOW THEY CAN KIND OF DIRECTLY APPLY THOSE CONCEPTS TO LIKE REAL PROBLEM SOLVING AND IN A WAY THAT'S LIKE GOOD FOR US AND GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S A WIN WIN.

SO, YEAH, I'D LOVE TO DO MORE OF THAT, FOR SURE.

I WAS JUST GOING TO REITERATE THAT ISSUE OF THE FLOODING BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE HIGH SCHOOL HAD ALREADY, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE BECAUSE OF FLOODING ON THEIR NEW GYM FLOORS AND IT ALL COMES DOWN TO.

PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE THINGS WORK.

SO YOU'RE AND NOW YOUR STUDENTS ARE THERE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL SO THEY CAN LOOK BACK AT THE LESSONS THEY LEARNED ANYWAY.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

OK ANYTHING ELSE? LET'S SEE, BRIDGET, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THIS HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING, VERY INSPIRING, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU TALKING TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, TO THE KIND OF SHARING WHAT YOU'VE DONE ALONG WITH SOME OF YOUR STUDENTS.

THAT'S GOING TO BE MARVELOUS.

AND YEAH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT TO COME TO US TO KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE.

AND WITH THAT, I GUESS WE'LL GO TO THE REGULAR MEETING.

LET'S SEE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

IS THERE ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTS TO ADD TO THE AGENDA?

[3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]

DO I GET A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, TOM, AND THANK YOU, BRIDGET.

THANKS, EVERYBODY. YEAH.

AND LET'S SEE SO.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA.

PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.

OK. ANY OPPOSED? OK, MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE

[4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES]

[00:40:03]

YEAH. KENDRA, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ABOUT THERE BEING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN FLOODING AND WETLANDS.

THAT WAS KIND OF I SENT THAT THE LEROY EARLIER IN THE LAST MONTH OR WHATEVER [INAUDIBLE].

OK, WITH THAT ADDITION, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? SO MOVED.

[INAUDIBLE] SECOND.

THANK YOU ANNA, OK, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'D LIKE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, PLEASE.

OK. ANY OPPOSED? OK, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.

PUBLIC REMARKS.

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE REMARKS? OK, NEW BUSINESS.

[6A. Consent Agenda and other ideas for more productive, enjoyable meetings.]

VALERIE, DO YOU WANT TO KIND OF INTRODUCE US? WELL, YEAH, WE KIND OF HASHED IT OVER, I GUESS A LITTLE BIT.

BUT THE IDEA IS FOR THE REPEAT REPORTS.

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN LANSING ARE DOING THIS AND FINDING THAT THEY CAN SAVE TIME FOR FOR DISCUSSION OR MORE SPEAKERS OR WHATEVER BY HAVING ROUTINE REPORTS SENT WITH THE DRAFT AGENDA AS PART OF A WHAT'S CALLED A CONSENT AGENDA.

AND THEN IF EVERYBODY READS THEM AND THEY'RE OK WITH THEM, THEN THAT LUMP OF REPORTS ARE VOTED ON TO ACCEPT THEM AS IS, SO THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE TO SAY OUT LOUD WHAT THEY JUST WROTE ABOUT AND SENT IN, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST SAVE TIME.

IT JUST MEANT FOR THE ROUTINE ISSUES.

NOTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.

SO. OKAY.

YEAH. WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK? WHAT IF FOLKS THINK ABOUT THE IDEA? COURTNEY. I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA, VALERIE.

I'M NOT CERTAINLY NOT AN EXPERT ON WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.

BUT YEAH, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN CONSOLIDATE THE WAY THAT WE CAN APPROVE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT OR GOING FORWARD, I THINK THAT'S GREAT AND LEAVE MORE TIME FOR ACTUAL ENVIRONMENTAL DISCUSSION, SO I WOULD I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT FORWARD.

I THINK WHAT IT WOULD REQUIRE, I WASN'T SURE IF THE DIFFERENT.

YOU KNOW, LIKE THE THE DIFFERENT BOARDS THAT DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE MONITORING, IF THERE IS A WRITTEN REPORT ALREADY OR [INAUDIBLE] A CONSENT AGENDA WOULD REQUIRE IS LIKE A PARAGRAPH FROM EACH PERSON, LIKE WHAT THEIR REPORT WOULD BE.

SO THAT CAN BE READ AHEAD OF TIME WITH THE DRAFT AGENDA.

AND THEN THEY'D BE ALL LUMPED TOGETHER AND YOU VOTE THEM IN.

AND IF SOMEBODY SAID I'D LIKE TO TAKE A CERTAIN ONE OUT BECAUSE I WANT TO DISCUSS IT, THEN THE REST OF THEM COULD BE CONSENT AGENDA-ED IN OR WHATEVER, IF THAT'S A WORD.

SO YEAH, IT JUST IT JUST ELIMINATES REDUNDANCY.

IT DOES REQUIRE PEOPLE TO WRITE OUT THEIR REPORT AHEAD OF TIME, BUT THAT'LL HELP LEROY, I THINK. SO PROBABLY HELP US ALL JUST KEEP FOCUSED A LITTLE MORE.

I CAN I CAN TALK WITH THE CLERK TO SEE WHAT WHAT THE RULES AND REGS OR WHAT A NORMALCY IS. AND SEE WHAT THE CLERK HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE BRING THAT BACK IF THAT'S HELPFUL. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS WITH LEROY'S SUPPORT, RIGHT, BECAUSE HE GIVES A MORE DETAILED REPORT IN WHEN HE GETS.

WE GET TO THAT PART OF THE AGENDA.

HE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS SOME THINGS.

SO I THINK THAT'S BASICALLY KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WE WOULD GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOPEFULLY PEOPLE KIND OF PUT IN A FEW SENTENCES IN THIS GOOGLE DOC THAT I SAW LEROY HAD SET UP AND THEN WE COULD JUST GO THROUGH THE LIST. AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING OR ADD SOMETHING, THAT'LL BE THEIR CHANCE, WE CAN MOVE DOWN THE LIST OF BOARD LIAISONS AND THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES FAIRLY QUICKLY AND HAVE MORE TIME FOR OTHER DISCUSSION.

LEROY. YEAH, I GUESS IT'S JUST A RATHER THAN SORT OF BE ON THE SPOT.

AT THE END OF OUR MEETINGS, BOTH A QUICK REPORT, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING JUST MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSION AND WHAT AHEAD OF TIME, WHAT MIGHT BE UP FOR DISCUSSION?

[00:45:07]

I THINK WE'RE ALREADY PRETTY MUCH DOING THIS, BUT.

YEAH, FOR ME, IT'S IT'S EASIER RATHER THAN GO INTO ALL THE 10 THINGS I'M DOING, JUST SAY, WELL, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS REPORT AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON OR WHERE DO YOU WANT MORE DETAIL? I'M NOT SURE ANYONE LOOKS AT MY REPORT AHEAD OF TIME, BUT MAYBE IF WE GET USED TO THIS GOOGLE DOC, WE'LL FIND USES FOR IT THAT WE WERE NOT NECESSARILY AWARE OF RIGHT NOW.

AND IT DOES HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF LEROY, YOU KIND OF DIRECT US TO THE GOOGLE OR SEND OUT THE REPORT IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO KIND OF MAYBE IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE THE MEETING SO WE CAN KIND OF ASK.

SO I THINK THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT.

I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL TV STARS, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS JUST THAT ONE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, THE THE ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE WHO WILL LOOK AT US AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON HOMTV AND, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR INFORMATION THAT WAY. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE MAY NOT READ, BUT THEY MAY HEAR ON TV.

OF COURSE, I'M BEING FACETIOUS.

NO, I TOTALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF SUMMARIZING, AND I AGREE WITH LEROY ALSO THAT IT ALLOWS, ESPECIALLY AS A GUILTY PARTY IN THE SENSE OF COMING TO THESE REPORTS, SOMETIMES A LITTLE LESS PREPARED THAN I SHOULD BE.

THE BRINGING THE ATTENTION AND DOING IT AHEAD OF TIME ACTUALLY HAS SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES, AND MOST OF THE THINGS ARE SUMMARIZED EITHER IN THE GREEN GAZETTE OR IN OTHER AVAILABLE REPORTS ANYWAY.

THINGS THAT WOULD MATTER TO THE PUBLIC.

TOM GO AHEAD. YEAH, THANKS.

YEAH, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE AS WELL.

I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE, WOULD THESE REPORTS ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST IN FOLLOWING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION? KIND OF KIND OF A SIMILAR COMMENT TO NED, I GUESS, AND I THINK HE WAS BEING FACETIOUS.

BUT YOU KNOW, WILL PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO THE WRITTEN REPORTS AS THEY WOULD TO THE VERBAL REPORTS DURING THE COMMISSION MEETING? AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME.

NOW, I'M KIND OF ASSUMING AND LEROY CAN CORRECT ME, IF I'M WRONG, THAT YOU KNOW THAT THAT INFORMATION GETS INCORPORATED INTO THE MINUTES, WHICH I THINK IS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.

IS THAT CORRECT, LEROY? WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE DONE THIS GOOGLE DOC, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LINK TO IT. SO ARE THE MINUTES MINUTES FROM THE MEETING POSTED ON THE WEBSITE? YEAH. OK, WELL, THAT I MEAN THAT THAT MATERIAL CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE MINUTES, SO THEN IT'S IT'D BE FAIRLY EASY TO FIND ON THE WEBSITE.

MM HMM. I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUICK THOUGHT.

WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HAVING SORT OF NEXT STEPS.

OR SOME OF OUR PROJECTS OR SOME OF OUR COMMITTEES TEAMS. MAYBE THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK OR EVEN FOR US ON OUR AGENDA.

MAYBE WE CAN ALSO USE IT AS A CREATIVE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS AND ARTICULATE THE NEXT STEPS FOR SOME OF THESE GROUPS.

WHICH WHICH MIGHT BE MORE USEFUL THAN JUST WHAT WE'VE DONE.

IT'S LIKE WHAT'S COMING UP AND HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED OR WHERE DO I NEED HELP, THAT TYPE OF THING? WELL, I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, BUT MAYBE I'LL I'LL CREATE ANOTHER COLUMN THAT COULD BE NEXT STEPS FOR THESE VARIOUS GROUPS.

VALERIE, YEAH, JOHN, I'M WONDERING, I THINK THESE THESE NOTES FROM EVERYBODY THAT'S OBSERVING A COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER THAT WOULD BE PART OF THIS CONSENT AGENDA.

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT WITH THE THE DRAFT AGENDA SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT'S BEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED OR WHAT WAS JUST LUMPED TOGETHER AND APPROVED. OTHERWISE, THEY'RE NOT GIVING ANY NOTICE.

YOU KNOW, IF YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT, VALERIE.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS TRYING TO GO AND NOT REALLY SAYING IT APPROPRIATELY.

[00:50:03]

I THINK ANYBODY THAT'S PROVIDING A WRITTEN REPORT WOULD NEED TO HAVE A DEADLINE SO THAT LEROY COULD INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE DRAFT AGENDA.

SO EVERYONE HAS THAT INFORMATION.

NO, ANNA AHEAD.

YEAH, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA, AND I AGREE WITH THE DEADLINE, AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SAY POTENTIALLY THERE'S A DEADLINE FOR GETTING YOUR SUMMARY IN AND THEN LETTING LEROY KNOW LIKE, OH, AND I ALSO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TOPIC LIKE IF IF YOU DO HAVE A DISCUSSION TOPIC FOR YOUR AREA, BUT THAT WAY WE'RE BUILDING THE FOR WELL, WE'RE BUILDING THE ENTIRE AGENDA KIND OF THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

KENDRA. OVERALL, I LIKE THE IDEA, HOWEVER, THOSE OF US THAT ARE DOING A LOT OF EXTRA WORK ON THE OUTSIDE REQUIRE A LOT OF EXTRA WORK PRIOR TO THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, TO WRITE THIS STUFF UP IN ADVANCE.

SO I SUPPOSE THE DEADLINE WOULD ASSIST AND THEN HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT DURING THE MEETING THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO DO SO.

YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I CAN SEE HOW THIS COULD BE HELPFUL, MORE EFFICIENT USE OF TIME IF THERE'S MORE THINGS THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, SHORT KIND OF THINGS.

BUT IF IT'S LONGER KIND OF THINGS TO ME, THERE'S PARTS OF IT THAT FEEL BURDENSOME.

YEAH, THE OTHER THING, TOO.

YOU KNOW, THE ANYBODY WHO'S KIND OF WORKING IN AN AREA, YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU MIGHT JUST PUT A FEW SENTENCES IN YOUR KIND OF REPORT, BUT IF YOU FEEL THERE'S A TOPIC OBVIOUSLY THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED, IT COULD, YOU KNOW, SEND IT TO LEROY TO PUT UNDER EITHER NEW OR OLD BUSINESS.

SO THAT IS PART OF THE ACTUAL AGENDA WITH RESPECT TO WHATEVER THE TOPIC IS.

SO THAT CAN BE PART OF THE PROCESS.

OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, I IT WORKS THE OTHER WAY, TOO, THAT IF IF YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF DOCUMENTS OR BIG HUNKS OF NARRATIVE THAT YOU'D LIKE PEOPLE TO BE MADE AWARE OF, AND MAYBE YOU WOULD NOT, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SOMETHING YOU WOULD EVER DISCUSSED OUT LOUD AT THE MEETING, BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S TOO MUCH OR WHATEVER, BUT MAYBE YOU THINK IT'S WORTH SHARING.

I MEAN, IT COULD BE PART OF THEIR WRITTEN REPORT.

I MEAN, NOT FOR YOU TO DO A LOT OF WORK.

I MEAN, IF IT'S A COPY AND PASTE OR FORWARD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

A LINK TO AN ARTICLE OR WHATEVER.

TO ADD CONTEXT TO WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE REPORTING ON.

WELL, LET ME LET ME JUST ASK FOR A.

WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION OR ANYTHING, I THINK, BUT LET'S LET ME JUST ASK FOR A SHOW OF HANDS WHO THINKS IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

OK, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS IF YOU DO JUST KIND OF RAISE YOUR HAND AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT? COURTNEY.

NOT AN ISSUE, NOR A CONCERN, JUST WONDERING IF MAYBE IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD PILOT IT AND THEN KIND OF MAYBE REVISIT IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S WORKING AND.

A FEW MEETINGS OR WHATEVER.

LET'S LET'S PLAN ON GOING.

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

LET'S THIS WHOLE THING IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, RIGHT? SO YEAH, LET'S PLAN TO DO IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

AND GOOD POINT, COURTNEY.

MAYBE WE'LL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OR CHANGE HOW WE DO IT.

BUT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN KIND OF START DOING THIS AND THEN JUST SEE HOW IT GOES.

OK. ANYTHING ELSE? LET'S SEE. OK.

I JUST WANT TO SAY I'LL SEND OUT THREE OR FOUR REMINDERS THE WEEK BEFORE AND THE WEEK OF JUST IN CASE YOU MISS IT.

THANK YOU. JUST KIDDING.

WE ARE PART OF THE PILOT, RIGHT? PART OF THE PILOT. WE ALL NEED REMINDERS.

THANK YOU LEROY. OLD BUSINESS, WETLAND EDUCATION AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGN.

[7A. Wetland Education and Outreach Campaign]

GO AHEAD, KENDRA. I JUST WE'RE GETTING READY TO SEND THE LETTER AND THE BROCHURE OUT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, HOPEFULLY AT LEAST BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, AND ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT. SO THANKS FOR YOUR EDITS.

I THINK IT WAS BETTER AS A GROUP PROJECT, ALTHOUGH IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER INVOLVED STAFF AND SEVERAL OF YOU.

AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY IN THE GREEN DIALOG, WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON SORT OF A FALL TIPS FACT SHEET, AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE FALL LANDSCAPING TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT.

[00:55:02]

AND THEN WE HAD SOME GOOD IDEAS THAT CAME UP AT THE GREEN DIALOG.

AND THEN WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT NOVEMBER NEXT STEPS IN NOVEMBER, AND KENDRA HAS WANT TO JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, KENDRA? SO FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WHO WORKED IN THIS, I WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AT THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, STARTED THIS LETTER.

AND YOU KNOW, BOTH EVERYONE SUPPORTING THAT AND GIVING THIS EDUCATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT EDUCATION.

SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THAT.

I THINK WE'VE SHARED WHAT THE WETLAND ORDINANCE IS THE WATER FEATURE, BUFFER ORDINANCE.

THIS IS A NICE WAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH THE DENICE AND DEREK WHO.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LEROY AND YOU KNOW, SEVERAL FOLKS WORKING ON THIS LETTER.

SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE'S ASSISTANCE IN IT.

SO I THINK IT'S NICELY WRITTEN.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THOSE YOU KNOW WHAT THE IMPORTANCE OF WETLANDS ARE THE SIMPLE DO'S AND THE SIMPLE DON'TS, AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE THOSE ON THERE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT STEPS REALLY KIND OF ARE THIS ONCE THIS GETS OUT IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.

AND WE'RE DEVELOPING A, YOU KNOW, AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, A YEAR LONG EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, KIND OF WITH THE BUILD BACK THE BUFFER.

AND WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOME OF THE PART OF THE OCTOBER PARTS OF THINGS.

LEROY MENTIONED SOME STUFF, EMMA IS WORKING ON SOME THINGS.

AND THEN NOVEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO BE I THINK WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE NOVEMBER STUFF LATER ON. BUT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE KIND OF CLEANUP DAYS.

BUT LIKE FALL LANDSCAPING, SOME OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT BRIDGET WAS ALREADY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, STARTING WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT BE PLANTED.

NOT MOWING THINGS LIKE THAT, NATIVE PLANTING AND WITH THE WITH THE WHOLE GOAL OF PUTTING DOING NATIVE PLANTINGS TO ASSIST BRINGING BACK THOSE WETLAND BUFFERS TO HELP WITH FLOODING. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT WE HAD.

THERE'S NO DOUBT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING AND HOW TO HOW WE CAN ASSIST THE COMMUNITY WITH IT.

IN THESE KINDS OF WAYS, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT.

AND THEN THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE LETTERS GOING OUT.

AND THEN WHEN CALLS COME IN, YOU KNOW, THEN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE CALLS AND HOW PEOPLE AT THE TOWNSHIP ARE GOING TO BE HANDLING THOSE CALLS AND HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO BE TRACKED? OK DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? WHAT'S GOING ON? COURTNEY.

I'M CLICKING UNMUTE.

I WILL. THANK YOU, KENDRA, FOR ALL OF THAT, AND I WOULD AGREE LIKE, THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING ON THAT. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD EDUCATIONAL PIECE.

AND I KNOW LEROY AND I HAVE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT LIKE, HOW DO WE PREP THE STAFF FOR THESE CALLS AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING VALID INFORMATION WHEN THEY DO CALL? SO I KNOW WE'LL WORK ON THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.

BUT IT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

KENDRA. LIKE, WE CAN PUT OUT THE INFORMATION, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EDUCATION COMING, THAT QUESTION IS COMING INTO THE TOWNSHIP? WE'RE PROVIDING CONSISTENT MESSAGE.

SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

AND LEROY AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AND I KNOW KENDRA YOU AS WELL.

SO YEAH, I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF FOLLOW UP ON THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

OK, OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY, EDUCATING THE STAFF, EDUCATING CONTRACTORS, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT YOU KNOW, TO TRACK THE CALLS THAT ARE COMING IN SO WE CAN BETTER BE BETTER INFORMED ABOUT HOW TO EDUCATE EVERYONE MOVING FORWARD, I THINK, WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT CAN GET SET UP, WHERE THOSE CALLS ARE GOING TO GO AND WHO'S GOING TO TRACK IT. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN.

AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, LIKE COURTNEY AND LEROY CAN SOUNDS LIKE THAT, AND THEY'LL BE WORKING ON THAT. SO THANK YOU.

ONE OF ONE OF THE INTENTS IS ALSO TO SORT OF.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE, SO HIGHLIGHTING PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE ARE REESTABLISHING THEIR BUFFER STRIP OR DOING NATIVE PLANTS.

SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE EXAMPLES OR PICTURES OR JUST KNOW OF SITES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MIGHT BE GOOD THINGS TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.

I THINK PEOPLE GET INSPIRED BY SEEING SOMETHING IN THEIR BACKYARD, SO WE HOPE TO POPULATE

[01:00:03]

SO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP ABOUT WHAT EXCITES YOU IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR WHAT.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES AND PLEASE SHARE ADDRESSES.

AND PICTURES, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

NED. ALONG THOSE LINES, LEROY.

SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A POSITIVE THING.

I AGREE WITH YOU THAT STORYTELLING IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET A MESSAGE MUCH MORE THAN IN SOME WAY.

I MEAN, I LOVE THIS BROCHURE, BUT IT'S KIND OF AS AN EDUCATOR WHO SOMETIMES SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE FRAMEWORK AND THE THEORY AND ALL.

I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, STORIES, STORIES ARE BETTER.

I THINK IF WE ALSO OFFERED STORIES OF PEOPLE WHOSE BASEMENTS FLOODED BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR THAT WATER MANAGEMENT.

WASN'T SET UP, RIGHT? I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT KIND OF DRAMA AS WELL, AND NOT THAT I WANT TO BE POINTING FINGERS IN THE SENSE OF BLAMING PEOPLE, BUT SAYING, I MEAN, WE JUST HAD IN THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD TWO MAJOR RAIN EVENTS OR TWO MONTHS ANYWAY THAT WERE SHOCKINGLY FAST.

I RODE MY BICYCLE THROUGH ONE OF THEM AND AND I THINK THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE FELT THOSE.

AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THESE THINGS WERE PROMOTING WOULD HELP TO MOVE THINGS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST PROMOTE.

COMMUNITY DESIRE TO AN AWARENESS AND DESIRE TO MAKE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT MORE RESISTANT TO THOSE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. SO IF SOMEBODY HAS A DRAMATIC FLOOD STORY THAT I THINK ALSO WOULD BE INTERESTING, LIKE YESTERDAY, I WAS RIDING MY BICYCLE JUST BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO BE OUTSIDE AND I CAME UP WITH THE RED CEDAR AND THE RED CEDAR WAS OBSERVED, RISING AT AN AT A PACE THAT I, WHERE STANDING IN ONE PLACE FOR FIVE OR 10 MINUTES, JUST TALKING TO A FRIEND.

I NOTICED IT COMING UP BECAUSE SOMEWHERE UPSTREAM, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT OF RAIN HAD DUMPED IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

SO THOSE KINDS OF SORT OF [INAUDIBLE] OBSERVATIONS HELP SOME PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT THESE THINGS ARE REAL. EVEN IF THEY HAVEN'T DIRECTLY EXPERIENCED CONSEQUENCES.

GOOD POINT. ANYTHING ANYTHING ELSE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR.

OK, LET'S MOVE ON TO IT LOOKS LIKE LEROY IS ADDED COMMISSIONER UPDATES THAT IS NEW,

[8. COMMISSIONER UPDATES]

PART OF THE IDEA WAS MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN YOUR LIVES.

AGAIN, THIS IS A LEARN AS WE GO, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN A COMMITTEE WORK OR SUBCOMMITTEE WORK THAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE.

MAYBE YOU'VE GOT A WORM BIN THAT'S IN DESPERATE HELP OF RECYCLING.

BUT JUST IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T REALLY FIT INTO THESE COMMITTEE UPDATES THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A NICE THING OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT IT. WE CAN ADD THAT INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A PERSONAL WAY OF SHARING SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, I MEAN, WITH PARTICULAR REGARD TO SOMETHING THAT MIGHT OTHERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, THAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE.

I DON'T WANT TO EXTEND UP THE MEETING TIME MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE DOES, PROBABLY.

BUT IF WE HAD A COUPLE OF PERSONAL STORIES THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SHARE, IT MIGHT BE INSPIRING. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA [INAUDIBLE].

BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS JUST GO AROUND THE SCREEN.

PEOPLE MAY SEE SCREENS DIFFERENTLY.

SO ON MY SCREEN, NEXT PERSON WOULD BE ANNA.

ANNA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME, EXACTLY, BUT SO I'VE WELL, AT LEAST ATTEMPTED TO BE A PART OF THE ORGANIC WASTE GROUP THAT'S A PART OF THE CAPITAL AREA SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERSHIP.

SO I THINK IT'S ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT AND COMPOSTING IS THE NAME OF IT.

AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN MOVING ON THAT, BUT I WAS THINKING IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE

[01:05:08]

TAKE FOOD AND ORGANIC WASTE DURING THESE MEETINGS, OR, YOU KNOW, I KNOW VALERIE, VALERIE AND I WILL BE MEETING ABOUT THIS.

HOPEFULLY LATER THIS WEEK, AND I'LL ALSO ALSO BE MEETING WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE NRDC WHO'S DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH CITIES ON FOOD WASTE.

I'VE MET WITH HER BEFORE AND NOW HOPE TO MEET WITH HER AGAIN, MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CAST AND WITH THE COMMISSION.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO BE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM OR TO BE A COMMITTEE AND WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AND ALSO MAYBE PUT VALERIE VALERIE ON THE SPOT AS BEING ON A COMMITTEE WITH ME.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT NOW YOU MAY HAVE JUST KIND OF GIVEN US A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW COMMISSIONER UPDATES HELPFUL.

BUT IF YOU DO WANT TO OBVIOUSLY PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, JUST SEND A NOTE TO ME AND LEROY. OR IF YOU IF YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY FORM A TASK FORCE OR COMMITTEE THAT WE FIND YOU.

BUT DO YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT OR DO YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY GO AHEAD AND FORM A SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THOSE ISSUES? VALERIE? I THINK IT'S SLIGHTLY PREMATURE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANNA THINKS, BUT BUT THE OTHER SUGGESTION WAS ESPECIALLY IF IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY FROM NRDC, THAT'S KIND OF AT THE FOREFRONT OF SO MUCH GOING ON WITH FOOD AND COMPOSTING, RIGHT? THEY HAVE ALL THOSE PROGRAMS. MAYBE, MAYBE SOMEONE COULD SPEAK TO US, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CRITERIA IS FOR OUR SPEAKERS, BUT WE COULD LEARN A LOT.

I THINK IF WE COULD FIND THE RIGHT PERSON.

YOU DO HAVE A NAME TO SHARE WITH LEROY.

[INAUDIBLE] SO I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH YVETTE CABRERA.

HEY, YOU WANT? WHY DON'T YOU SEND THAT, CAN YOU SEND THAT NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO LEROY? I CAN.

OR [INAUDIBLE] YOUR GREEN THING. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

ALL RIGHT. YES, I ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY WILL.

YEAH, LET ME THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF A COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OR NOT.

YES, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EARLY.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE AN UPDATE AND HAVING A STANDING AGENDA ITEM MIGHT KEEP US FOCUSED ON GETTING TO AN UPDATE, ON THE OTHER HAND.

I CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO LEROY AND GET ON THE AGENDA.

SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S IT'S PERCOLATING.

AND VALERIE AND I NEED TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL TALKING ABOUT WHERE, WHERE THAT'S GOING AND HOW TO GET IT MOVING. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.

AND DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? NO, NOT REALLY.

I WILL PASS AS WELL.

NED. NOTHING PRESSING UNLESS I TALKED TOO MUCH ANYWAY.

NO, I DON'T THINK SO. ACTUALLY, THERE IS THE ONE ISSUE.

OK? WE STILL HAVE CANDIDATES APPLYING AND THIS QUESTION OF THE BILL AND I HAVE BOTH MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH I ENJOYED BEING PART OF THIS GROUP, I'M PERFECTLY WILLING TO DO IT EX-OFFICIO IF WE BRING IN MORE HIGH-POWERED PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS.

AND SO ANYBODY MORE HIGH POWERED THAN YOU AND BILL.

BUT LEROY DO WE STILL HAVE CANDIDATES KIND OF IN THE QUEUE? YEAH. YEAH. PEOPLE SORT OF REMAIN IN THE QUEUE UNTIL THEY WANT TO BE OUT, SO WE WOULD APPROACH THEM IF THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL OPENING.

I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THE PAST APPLICANTS, SO I WOULD I WOULD TRUST YOU GUYS TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE TO YOU AND JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU WANT TO CREATE AN OPENING.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN STILL SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS.

AND JUST REFLECTING ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT'S IN THE PAST MONTHS OR WHATEVER, BUT THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE TO INCREASE THE MEMBERSHIP, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO THAT.

WHERE DO YOU START WITH THAT? AND THEN, JOHN, YOU HAD ALSO WE START TALKING ABOUT THIS AND THEN GOT WAYLAID, BUT YOU HAD MADE THE SUGGESTION ABOUT SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WITH SO MUCH EXPERTISE AND A REALLY FOCUSED FIELD OF MAKING LIKE A BOARD OF ADVISORS, I FORGOT WHAT YOU CALLED IT.

BUT TO BE AVAILABLE TO CONSULT WITH MAYBE MAKE IT A DESIGNATION, YOU KNOW, NOT AMBASSADORS. IF YOU HAD A GOOD WORD FOR IT AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT A TERM

[01:10:02]

I MEAN, LIKE THERE'S A TEAM OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO BE RECOGNIZED AND THAT THEY WENT AWAY IN OR LISTEN TO THE MEETINGS OR WE GO TO THEM FOR HELP OR WHATEVER.

WELL, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SUSAN WAS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, SO WE WE KNOW WHO SHE IS AND IF WE HAD SOME ISSUES, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HESITATE TO CONTACT HER.

MAYBE THERE'S A MORE FORMAL WAY TO KIND OF STRUCTURE THAT TO, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I MEAN, IT COULD BE A DESIGNATED SORT OF GROUP, MAYBE THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES THAT YOU. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU FIND PEOPLE WITH SO MUCH EXPERTISE, BUT MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, TO A COUPLE OF MEETINGS A MONTH OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, IT'D BE A GREAT GREAT TO HAVE SUCH A THING.

[INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

YEAH, THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD THOUGHT.

YEAH, I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT BE STRUCTURED.

AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCE, IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE US, IT CAN BE ANYBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN BE ON THOSE TASK FORCE AND COMMITTEES.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET PEOPLE AND EXPERTS INVOLVED WHEN WE HAVE AN AREA THAT WE'RE HAVING A COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS.

CERTAINLY, WE CAN RECRUIT OTHER PEOPLE AND THAT MAKES IT MORE MANAGEABLE FOR THOSE PEOPLE IF THEY'RE JUST NOT HAVING TO ATTEND THE REGULAR MEETINGS, BUT PARTICIPATING IN, LET'S CALL IT, COMMITTEE WORK.

KENDRA. THAT, I GUESS.

PASS. OK. BERNADETTE.

SO I GUESS A FEW THINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE, SO WE HAD AN EARTH CLUB MEETING TODAY AND WE'VE BEEN LIKE KIND OF SEPARATING INTO COMMITTEES BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH A LARGE TURNOUT RECENTLY ABOUT, I THINK, MAYBE LIKE 50 PEOPLE OR SO I'D ASSUME.

SO BASICALLY, I GUESS ONE OF THE BIGGER PROBLEMS WE DISCUSSED TODAY IS LIKE THE POLLUTION AT OHS. YESTERDAY, WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR HEAD JANITOR QUIT BECAUSE OF STUDENTS AND POLLUTION AT OUR SCHOOL.

AND WITH COVID AND EVERYTHING.

SO OUR SCHOOL IS KIND OF GETTING LIKE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF CONTROL WITH THAT.

AND WE ALSO HAD THE HOMECOMING PARADE THIS PAST FRIDAY, AND A LOT OF POLLUTION WAS BECAUSE OF THAT.

I ACTUALLY I ORGANIZED AN EVENT TO GO CLEAN UP ALL THE TRASH THROUGH THE PARADE ROUTE, AND WE COLLECTED ABOUT LIKE NINE FULL BAGS OF TRASH THROUGH THAT.

SO AND A LOT OF IT WAS LIKE HALF EATEN CANDY, JUST LIKE STUFF THAT PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO THROW AWAY. SO I GUESS THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGER ISSUES THAT'S TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW. BUT I GUESS BESIDES THAT, ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS I KNOW A FEW EARTH CLUB MEMBERS ARE ALSO PARTICIPATING IN A CLIMATE MARCH, THAT IS ON THIS COMING SUNDAY FROM ONE TO THREE.

THAT IS LIKE I BELIEVE SOME LIKE MSU STUDENT CREATED IT, BUT IT'S GOING FROM LIKE THE PAINTED ROCK AT MSU TO I THINK [INAUDIBLE].

SO AND I THINK LIKE 40 OR 50 PEOPLE OR SO ARE SIGNED UP FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.

BUT THOSE ARE THE BIG THINGS.

OK, HEY, THANK YOU. THAT'S THAT'S ALL VERY INTERESTING, BOY.

VALERIE. WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO GIVE A PLUG.

WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE OF THIS COMING UP SOON, BUT THE SOLARIZE MERIDIAN THAT PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN THAT ARE THINKING MAYBE OF SOLAR AND WANT TO GO THROUGH A GROUP.

SORT OF A GROUP THINK AND ALSO PERHAPS GET A GROUP DISCOUNT OR DOING IT WITH OF FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH A CERTAIN CONTRACTOR THAT THAT'S COMING UP.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE LISTS THERE THAT ARE ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT SOLARIZING MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY FOR THEM, THEN PUT IT ON THEIR RADAR AND MORE TO COME OR CALL LEROY AND.

BUT OTHERWISE, I KNOW WE'LL BE GETTING ADVERTISING OUT THERE, BUT IT'S A BIG DECISION.

SO I THINK PLANTING THE SEED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IS GOOD.

SO. YEAH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LUCA.

[01:15:05]

AND SO THEY'VE BEEN LIKE DOING PA SYSTEMS EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GO TO LUNCH, YOU KNOW, TELLING US TO CLEAN UP OUR SPOTS AND STUFF AFTERWARDS.

SO LIKE, THAT'S LIKE OUR OUR MAIN BIG PROBLEM.

BUT WE DO HAVE LIKE THE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT CLASS IT IS.

BUT THERE'S A CLASS THAT COMES IN AND THEY COME IN AND PICK UP ALL THAT STUFF AND PUT THE CHAIRS AWAY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S BEING WORKED ON.

BUT I COULD SEE HOW IT WOULD BE SUCH A STRESSOR TOWARDS LIKE THE JANITORS AT OKEMOS.

SO IT'S LIKE YOU THINK OF IT LIKE ONE PROBABLY ONE OUT OF FOUR KIDS IS LEAVING THEIR TRASH THAT THEY ATE LUNCH JUST WHERE THEY SAT.

AND SO IT'S AND KIDS DON'T USUALLY JUST SIT IN THE CAFETERIA, TOO, SO IT'S ALL OVER THE SCHOOL. BUT YEAH.

WOW, THAT IS A PROBLEM.

WOW. ANNIKA.

I PASS, BUT YEAH, TRASH PROBLEM IS IT'S IT'S PRETTY SERIOUS.

COURTNEY. NOTHING PERSONAL, BUT CHAIR SARVER, WOULD YOU MIND ME ASKING THE STUDENTS LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD? HELP WITH THAT, THE TRASH PROBLEM.

IS THERE ANYTHING WE AS A COMMISSION CAN DO OR PARENTS OR YOU? GO AHEAD, LUCA. THEY'RE DOING A REALLY, REALLY BAD JOB OF TELLING US WHAT NOT AND WHAT TO DO, I MEAN, WE'RE A BUNCH OF LIKE HIGH SCHOOL TEENAGERS, AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THEY BRING UP, HEY, YOU GOT TO THROW AWAY YOUR TRASH, IT GETS THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE.

AND I KNOW, LIKE JUST BECAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A BUNCH OF KIDS, THEY'RE JUST BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO AND THEN THEY JUST DO THE OPPOSITE.

AND SO, YEAH, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S THERE'S A LOT BETTER WAYS THAT WE CAN HANDLE THE SITUATION. BUT LIKE THE WAY THEY'RE HANDLING IT RIGHT NOW BY GETTING STUDENTS TO GO UP AND TELL THE REST OF THE CLASS TO THROW ALL THEIR STUFF AWAY IS JUST NOT WORKING.

ANNIKA, I THINK YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SUGGEST THAT LIKE IF IF PARENTS AND LIKE OTHER PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I GUESS WILLING, MAYBE WE COULD START DOING LIKE RECYCLING AT THE SCHOOL BECAUSE SO FAR, LIKE IT'S USUALLY JUST LIKE JUST REGULAR TRASH THAT EVERYTHING GOES INTO, ESPECIALLY LIKE [INAUDIBLE] OVERFLOW.

I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN. IT'S A SUGGESTION.

BERNADETTE. I GUESS JUST TO ADD TO WHAT THEY'VE SAID, LIKE I FEEL LIKE ALSO ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS LIKE LOW RESPECT TOWARDS THE JANITORS, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS LIKE ANYTHING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CAN HELP WITH.

BUT I'VE HEARD, LIKE A LOT OF STUDENTS, ARE BEING LIKE EXTREMELY RUDE TO THE JANITORS AND KIND OF LIKE BELITTLING THEM.

SO I FEEL LIKE THAT IS ALSO AN ISSUE THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE POLLUTION IN THE SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S BAD.

YEAH, LUCA.

I ALSO THINK THAT, LIKE A LOT OF KIDS DON'T KNOW, LIKE THE EFFORT THAT THE JANITORS PUT IN TOWARDS THE STUFF, SO MAYBE ONE WAY THAT WE COULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST GET LIKE A PERSONAL ACCOUNT FROM ALL THE JANITORS ON WHAT HOW FAR THEIR JOB HAS BEEN LATELY BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

AND SO LIKE JUST BECAUSE LIKE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS IN THE SCHOOL WHO JUST DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHO'S GOT TO CLEAN THIS UP LATER.

AND SO IF WE CAN GET LIKE, YOU KNOW, FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS, IT'S LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THAT CAN DO THAT CAN BE A LOT BETTER FOR THE FOR THE KIDS. GO AHEAD NED.

I WAS GOING TO SAY ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID, LUCA, ONE OF THE THINGS SO MY KIDS WENT THROUGH HASLETT AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY CONTRIBUTED IN A POSITIVE WAY TO THAT ISSUE WAS THE FACT THAT A COUPLE OF THE JANITORS, THE ONE IN PARTICULAR, WAS JUST ESPECIALLY WELL LOVED BY ALL THE STUDENTS.

EVERYBODY KNEW HIM AND AND HE WAS AN INCREDIBLY HARD WORKER, BUT ALSO SOMEBODY WHO THE STUDENTS DEVELOPED SOME SENSE OF IDENTITY WITH.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS I MEAN, HE WAS HE WAS GROSSLY OVERWORKED, LIKE ESSENTIALLY ALL JANITORS ARE.

BUT THAT SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SOUND REALLY OLD, BUT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT I WENT TO, WHICH WAS THE FANCY PREP SCHOOL, ACTUALLY, WE WERE REQUIRED.

IF IT SNOWED, WE WERE WE SHOVELED THE SNOW.

IF IN OUR DORMS WE HAD, WE HAD DORMS, BUT WE HAD TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH AND SO FORTH, AND THERE WAS A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR OWN SPACE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU COULD OFFER IS ESSENTIALLY A SHADOWING PROCESS OF PEOPLE

[01:20:02]

HERE IN THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT.

WE DO THAT SAME THING.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF UNDERGRADUATES WHO ARE THE SORT OF CO SISTERS OF OUR OUR BUILDING MANAGER WHO AGAIN IS GROSSLY OVERWORKED.

BUT THESE PEOPLE DEVELOP NOT ONLY RESPECT FOR THE PROCESS, BUT ALSO SERIOUS SKILLS.

AND SO I.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CAN TALK ABOUT, PER SAY, BUT I JUST THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO TRY TO HELP BUILD THOSE BRIDGES.

AND I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN HELPING TO DO THEM.

THOSE ARE JUST THOUGHT. OK MOVING ALONG BOARD, I'M

[10. STAFF REPORT]

JUST BRIEFLY, I WANTED TO THANK VALERIE AND JOHN AND ROGER [INAUDIBLE].

AND, PETER, FROM.

OH, GOSH. ABSOLUTE.

ABSOLUTE SOLAR FOR FOR HELPING WITH THE EVENT AT THE FARMER'S MARKET.

LET'S SEE. THIS CAME QUICKER THAN I WAS EXPECTING HERE.

THERE'S SOME HOPEFULLY BE SOME PICTURES IN THE NEXT GREEN GAZETTE.

OUR TALK FOR GREEN TEAM IS MEETING LATER THIS MONTH TO TALK ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS.

BUT WE HOPE TO USE THE FARMER'S MARKET MORE AND MORE READILY WHEN I WENT TO TAKE DOWN THE EXHIBIT TODAY OR PICK UP THE EXHIBIT THAT YOU GUYS NEATLY PACKED UP.

TOM KERRY SAID NO, LEAVE THAT HERE.

WE'LL WE'LL GIVE OUT THE IT'S ALL MONTH RIGHT WHERE WE'VE GOT THE SOLAR TOUR GOING ON ALL MONTH. SO HE OFFERED TO KEEP THE THE EASEL OUT AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT SO AND DISTRIBUTE SOME LITERATURE. SO HE'S A REAL ASSET, I THINK, TO OUR EFFORTS ON THE ENERGY TEAM.

WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD ON THE GRANT FROM THE ON THE RECYCLING CENTER, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE TO UPDATE NEXT MONTH THAN THAT.

IT'S BEEN FASCINATING TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION, SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO SHUT UP, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MY UPDATE, LET ME KNOW.

ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR LEROY? OR. OK.

OK, MOVING RIGHT ALONG THEN.

[11A. Board of Trustees]

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES? NOTHING NEW.

I KNOW I MENTIONED I THINK I MENTIONED THAT THE BOARD HAD APPROVED ADDITIONAL GREEN GRANTS FOR FY 22, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL SOLAR APPROPRIATIONS FOR SOLAR.

AND THEN ALSO ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE WETLAND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.

SO WITHOUT MUCH RESTRICTION.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS FANTASTIC.

I GUESS IF YOU ASK, YOU POTENTIALLY CAN GET SO.

COULD YOU? DO YOU REMEMBER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT? I DO SO FOR THE GREEN GRANTS.

WE KEPT IT AT THE SAME FOR TEN THOUSAND.

SO AGAIN, WHY AND I MAYBE SHOULD HAVE EXPOUNDED UPON THAT FOR.

I FORGET OUR TEACHER. I WANT TO SAY BRENDA, BUT I KNOW THAT WASN'T HER NAME.

BRIDGET, YEAH. BRIDGET.

THANK YOU. SO THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL TEN THOUSAND FOR FY 22.

FOR WETLAND CAMPAIGN.

I ASKED FOR FIVE, SO THEY GAVE US THE FIVE AND THEN SOLAR.

WE ASKED FOR TWO HUNDRED, BUT WE COMPROMISED ON ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR ADDITIONAL SOLAR. AND WE'RE STILL ON TRACK FOR OUR ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SOLAR POWER FOR THE TOWNSHIP BUILDINGS FOR 2024.

SO SO WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS IN THE THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF AND OR DEPUTY DIRECTOR PERRY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE SITES MIGHT BE AND WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLACE FOR THAT.

SO HE'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN AND FANTASTIC ABOUT THAT.

SO YEAH, SO THAT I THINK THAT'S VERY GREAT NEWS.

THAT'S SOME GREAT NEWS. ALL GOOD NEWS.

ALL GOOD NEWS. YEAH.

WOW, OK. BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

[11B. Brownfield Redevelopment Authority]

WE MET ON THE 16TH, AND WE JUST MOSTLY WE WERE REVIEWING.

WELL, IT WAS BASICALLY THE REPORT, THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT.

WHATEVER IT IS AUTHORITY, THAT'S THE WORD.

[01:25:02]

THAT ONE IS THE ONE DOWN AT THE CORNER OF OKEMOS AND JOLLY, WHERE THERE'S A WHOLE SET OF APARTMENTS THAT WORK THAT WERE BUILT THERE BEHIND THE SORT OF BEHIND THE APPLEBEE'S AND SO FORTH. AND THOSE ARE THERE ARE THREE PHASES.

TWO PHASES ARE COMPLETE AND THE OCCUPANCY OF THOSE APARTMENTS IS ALREADY, I THINK, APPROACHING 80 PERCENT.

AND SO THE TAX RECOVERY OF IMPROVING THAT.

THAT AREA IS BEGINNING TO BE ANTICIPATED, UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONE THE ONE PIECE THAT WAS MISSING FROM THIS REPORT WAS THE ACTUAL VALUE OF TAXES SO SO FAR RECOVERED AND I ACTUALLY PUT OUT A REQUEST TO THE CHAIR AND TO THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO SEE IF I COULD GET AN UPDATE ON THAT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL NUMBER.

BUT YEAH, IT'S THAT.

THAT PROJECT IS ACTUALLY APPROACHING COMPLETION, THE THIRD PHASE, OF COURSE.

IN FACT, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE INCREASED MATERIALS COSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAME UP IN THE COURSE OF COVID.

I MEAN, LITERALLY, THINGS LIKE LUMBER HAVE GONE UP BY A FACTOR OF TWO OR MORE.

AND SO JUST THE WAY THAT PEOPLE ESTIMATED THE COSTS OF PROJECTS HAS BEEN HAS HAD TO BE REVISED ANYWAY.

THAT OVERALL PROJECT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALMOST $13 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT THAT'S GONE INTO BUILDING THOSE BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH.

IF YOU WALK AROUND THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S IT'S NOT VERY TOWNSHIP LIKE IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S LOTS AND LOTS OF UNITS.

IT'S ONE HUNDRED AND WHAT'S THE NUMBER? TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN APARTMENTS, AND THEY'RE NOT VERY BIG.

THEY'RE SORT OF A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET AND THEN SEVEN HUNDRED SQUARE FEET THERE.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK AT JACKSON LIFE AND SO FORTH.

SO THERE THE OCCUPANCY IS GOING UP FAST.

SO THAT SEEMS TO BE A SUCCESS.

THE OTHER ONES ARE ALL IN MIDSTREAM VARIOUS PROJECTS JUST TO REMIND YOU THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THAT, WHICH IS FOR BUSINESSES WHICH USED TO BE AN OLD TIRE PLACE. AND THAT'S.

AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT SLOWED DOWN BECAUSE OF THE MATERIALS, BUT IS STILL ON THE BOOKS.

THE HASLETT MARATHON IS SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE CURB IN TERMS OF RAMPING THE SIDEWALK AND CHANGING HOW MUCH YOU CAN SEE AROUND THE CORNERS OF THE INTERSECTION. BUT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF GOING UP AND EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE A COMBINATION GAS STATION AND.

CONVENIENCE STORE, RESTAURANT AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER PROJECTS, THE VILLAGE OF OH SORRY, THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, HAS, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN ON HOLD FOR A WHILE.

AGAIN, THAT'S A MATERIALS THING AND THE TOWNSHIP IS TRYING TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM ABOUT.

WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO. WELL, COURTNEY PROBABLY KNOWS MORE THAN I DO ABOUT THAT WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE PROJECT GOING AGAIN.

AND THEN THE FINAL ONE IS THIS.

THAT'S WHERE OLD MR. R'S DRIVING SCHOOL WAS IN THE HASLETT, THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF HASLETT, MARSH ROAD ON THE BACK THERE, THERE'S GOING TO BE.

MIXED USE LIVING UNITS AND COMMERCIAL.

AND THAT'S THEY'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF CLEANING UP OF THE AREA, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEGUN ANY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING YET.

SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THE STORY THERE.

THANK YOU NED.

LAND PRESERVATION.

[11C. Land Preservation Advisory Board]

AND THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT PARTNERING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, WHICH WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT AT ANOTHER TIME.

AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL JUST ADD MY TREE TEAM UPDATE.

YOU KNOW, I WILL BE MEETING WITH STEVE THOMAS FROM LAND PRESERVATION TO TALK ABOUT THE TREE ORDINANCE AND DESIRE TO GET MORE TREES.

SO I'LL COMBINE TWO FOR ONE RIGHT NOW.

[01:30:01]

LET'S SEE. WELL, LET'S SEE.

I DON'T SEE BILL ANYMORE.

SO MOVING PAST THE PLANNING COMMISSION, TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AGAIN BILL.

EARTH CLUB AND STUDENT GROUPS, ANY OF THE STUDENTS WANT TO KIND OF ADD ANYTHING.

[11F. Earth Club and Student Groups]

SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MORE LIKE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, THE LIKE THAT ARE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. OKAY.

LET'S SEE, ENERGY TEAM, I JUST MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, LEROY MENTIONED THREE OF US WERE

[11G. Energy Team]

I THINK WE TALKED TO ABOUT 40 PEOPLE WHO HAD A LOT OF VERY GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING SOLAR AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT AND RELATED TO WHAT COURTNEY SAID TOO, YOU KNOW, THE WITH RESPECT TO THE TOWNSHIP FACILITIES BECAUSE I'M SOMEWHAT AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE STATE.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS DOING VERY WELL IN MOVING AGGRESSIVELY TOWARD OUR GOAL OF 100 PERCENT RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY FOR OUR OPERATIONS.

AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO CITIZENS ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR INSTALLATIONS AND WE'RE MOVING AHEAD ON, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL INSTALLATIONS.

SO WE'RE MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS.

AND LIKE VALERIE MENTIONED, WE ARE THE ENERGY TEAMS IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING A SOLARIZE PROJECT, WHICH WOULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOPS FOR THE MOST PART WITH GROUP DISCOUNTS. SO THAT'S COMING RIGHT UP, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF KIND OF PLANNING THAT RIGHT NOW. THE IDEA BEING MOST WORKSHOPS WOULD BE PROBABLY IN THE SPRING STARTING IN MARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

[11H. Environmental Justice]

OK. OK.

WELL, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS LEROY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO MENTION

[11I. Green Infrastructure Grants]

THAT'S THAT'S EXCELLENT BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL ENJOY THOSE REPORTS.

SO THAT'S GREAT. GREEN NEIGHBORS, I DON'T PROBABLY THINK THERE'S ANYTHING TO REPORT.

[11J. Green Neighbors]

I JUST THOUGHT.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

LIKE HAS BEEN EXPRESSED BEFORE, WHY DON'T WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT IT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WORTH FIGURING OUT IF WE COULD HAVE SOME RESOURCE PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW, HOW HOW WOULD WE RECRUIT THEM, HOW WE WOULD USE THEM? THE GREEN NEIGHBOR NETWORKS, A GOOD EXAMPLE JUST ADVISING US WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

SO YEAH, LET'S LET'S TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.

EXPERT JANITORS THAT KNOW HOW TO KICK SOME BOOTY.

THAT'S THAT WOULD BE GOOD TOO, LET'S SEE.

WELL, WE'VE COVERED TREE TEAM, AND I THINK WE PROBABLY COVERED WETLAND EDUCATION.

ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THAT, KENDRA? OK, GO GO AHEAD. OH NO.

OK. OK. WELL, ANYTHING ELSE AND ANY PUBLIC REMARKS? WE'D KIND OF GONE THROUGH THE LIST.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING, I THINK, AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE PRESENTATION.

OTHER SORT OF COMMENTS BEFORE WE KIND OF ADJOURN FOR THE EVENING.

OK, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING, SO HEY, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.

AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN NEXT MONTH.

TAKE CARE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. NICE JOB, JOHN, AS USUAL.

YEP. AGREED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.