[12A. Rezoning #21-070-5114 Jo Don Drive-Rezone north half of property from RCC, Multiple Family- Maximum 34 dwelling units per acre, to RB, Single-Family, High Density-Final Adoption]

IT'S THE JODA DRIVE REZONING BOARD HASLETT PROPERTY FROM RCC, WHICH HAS MULTIPLE MAXIMUM THREE DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE 2RB SUPERFAMILY HIGH-DENSITY FINAL ADOPTION.

MR. OPSOMMER.

I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR FINAL ADOPTION.

REZONING NUMBER TWO ONE ZERO SEVEN ZERO.

AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE THE NORTH HALF OF A OF AN APPROXIMATE POINT FORTY TWO ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT 5114 JODINE DRIVE FROM RCC MULTIFAMILY MAXIMUM.

THIRTY FOUR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE TO RB SINGLE FAMILY HIGH DENSITY.

BEFORE WE PREPARED THAT CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. OPSOMMER, YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS? JUST SIMPLY THAT THIS IS THE FINAL ADOPTION OR FINAL APPROVAL FOR THIS REZONING WHERE

[00:35:02]

WE'RE REVERTING THIS PARCEL TO ALLOW FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY USE AND THE UP ZONING WAS A CONDITION. WELL, THE D ZONING WAS A CONDITION OF THE ORIGINAL UP ZONING TO MAKE WAY FOR THIS. AND WE APPRECIATE DIRECTOR SCHMITT'S WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO GET THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.

ANYONE ELSE? WE DID DISCUSS THIS IN THE PAST FOR AN INTRODUCTION PREVIOUSLY AND NOW ITS FINAL ADOPTION.

WE NEED A ROLL-CALL VOTE.

TRUSTEE OPSOMMER YES.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI YES.

SUPERVISOR STYKA YES.

CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YES.

MOTION CARRIES SIX-ZERO.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

NOW MOVE ON TO 12 B, WHICH IS THE MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ORDNANCE UPDATE HAVE

[12B. Mixed Use Planned Unit Development Ordinance Update-Final Adoption]

MADE SOME CHANGES TO THAT AND SOME EXCELLENT CHANGES.

I THINK ANYONE A MOTION CLERK.

I MEAN UH TREASURE. I MOVED TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR FINAL ADOPTION ORDINANCE NUMBER TWENTY TWO OH TWO ONE ZERO SEVEN A ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE FOUR.

JUST THE REGULATIONS OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN ZONING COURT CODE TO UPDATE THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO UPDATE THE MIXED USE PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND MUPUD REGULATIONS.

SUPPORT.

OK, THAT WAS SUPPORTED.

[INAUDIBLE] MR. DESCHAINE. WE HAVE DIRECTOR SCHMITT AT THE PODIUM.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAYBE ASK HIM A QUESTION, AND I THINK OTHER BOARD MEMBERS MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION AS WELL. ANY OF OUR DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS SEEING THIS NEW ORDINANCE AND WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE ADHERING TO THIS NEW AMENDMENT? ARE THEY EXCITED ABOUT IT OR ARE THEY NOT SO EXCITED ABOUT IT? WHAT'S YOUR FEEDBACK SO FAR? YEAH, I'VE ACTUALLY CIRCULATED IT TO TO A COUPLE OF DEVELOPERS THUS FAR THAT HAVE PROJECTS FLOATING AROUND, AND WE'LL KNOW A LITTLE MORE NEXT WEEK.

I BELIEVE WE'RE MEETING WITH ONE OF THEM MORE FORMALLY TO GO THROUGH SOME CONCEPTS, BUT AT LEAST THE ARCHITECTURE ON THAT PROJECT THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A PRETTY UNIQUE APPROACH THAT HE HADN'T SEEN ELSEWHERE TO TRY AND ADDRESS SOME DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS, SLASH PROVIDE A HIGHER QUALITY PROJECT WHILE STILL GETTING THE DEVELOPER TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AS WELL. SO INITIAL FEEDBACK IS POSITIVE.

IT CERTAINLY READS A LOT BETTER.

THEY DEFINITELY SAID THAT.

SO HOPEFULLY THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO THINGS IS GOING TO GET US A LITTLE MORE WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE UNDER THESE ORDINANCES.

IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THIS BOARD GOING BACK FIVE YEARS IS KNOWN THAT IT'S NEEDED TO BE DONE.

THE MUPUD WAS SOMETHING WE KNEW WE NEEDED, AND WE ALSO KNEW THAT THE EXISTING ORDINANCE WAS TOUGH. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S TOUGH FOR THE BOARD TO GET HIS ARMS AROUND TO TO WHAT IT DID. DID IT ACHIEVE OUR GOALS? AND SO I THINK THIS IS THE TOOL THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND USE MORE EFFECTIVELY.

THANK YOU. AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE GOOD WORK ON THIS ORDINANCE.

THANK YOU. YES, I WOULD I WOULD COMMENT THAT BETWEEN THE STAFF AND SOME EXCELLENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, WE HAVE DEALT WITH ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PARTS OF THIS VERY WELL, WHICH IS THESE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SET OF EVERY SENIOR MOMENT HERE . ANYWAY IT'S VERY IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD.

LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS.

MR. OPSOMMER.

JUST A VERY BRIEFLY THANK DIRECTOR SCHMITT, MR. CHAPMAN AND YOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE WORK ON THIS, I DO THINK THIS IS A VERY THOROUGH REWRITE.

I THINK WE'VE ARRIVED AT ONE SINGLE ORDINANCE THAT KIND OF ACHIEVED THAT TWO ORDINANCE PHILOSOPHY THAT WE WERE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS.

AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT WITHIN ONE FRAMEWORK.

SO I THINK IT'S VERY EFFICIENT AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AN ACTUAL PROJECT COME FORWARD WITH IT. AND ANY FEEDBACK IN THE INTERIM THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND HOW MANY OF THESE IS WHAT I WOULD HOPE THAT IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE, ANYWHERE.

OK, ARE WE READY FOR A VOTE?

[00:40:01]

[INAUDIBLE] SUPERVISOR STYKA YES.

TREASURER DESCHAINE YES.

TRUSTEE OPSOMMER YES.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YES.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI YES.

A MOTION CARRIES SIX-ZERO.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT TO THE LAST ACTION ITEM TONIGHT IS THE BOARD AND

[12C. Board and Commission Reappointments]

COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS AND WE HAVE A LIST, SO THEY'VE BEEN CONSULTED.

THEY WANT TO BE REAPPOINTED.

WILL THERE BE VACANCIES WHERE THE UPCOMING MEETING? BUT FOR NOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE APPOINTMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE WITH THEIR TERMS OF SERVICE. AND YOU HAVE SAY I GOT TOGETHER WITH THE MANAGER AND OTHERS AND THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH. MR. OPSOMMER, I MOVED TO APPROVED THE REAPPOINTMENT AS PRESENTED IN THE DECEMBER 20, DECEMBER 7TH 2021 BOARD PACKET THE BOARD.

PACKET. ALL RIGHT ANY COMMENTS? THE ONLY COMMENTS WOULD BE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR SERVICE OVER THE PREVIOUS TERMS AND YEARS AND TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR INTEREST IN CONTINUING TO SERVE ON THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. AND JUST TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR RESIDENTS WHO MAY BE LISTENING AT HOME THAT WE DO HAVE VACANCIES.

AND SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, PLEASE GO TO THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.

SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW OF A COUPLE OF VACANCIES, SEVERAL VACANCIES WE HAVE ON THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. SO IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT INTEREST YOU IN THE COMMUNITY, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.

THANK YOU. MS. WISINSKI YOU HAD YOUR HEAD UP. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SAY THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.

A LOT OF WORK GOES IN FROM EACH PERSON, AND IT'S IMPRESSIVE TO SEE JUST THE APPOINTMENTS HERE TONIGHT. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS FOR THE CLERK, BUT I'M NOT SURE.

I'M JUST WONDERING THAT I HAD BEEN ASKED PREVIOUSLY, BUT HOW DO WE DETERMINE THE TERM, THE TERMS FOR EACH DIFFERENT BOARD AND COMMISSIONS CONSIDERING THAT THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE? DO YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS IS A THREE YEAR TERM, BUT THE LET'S SEE THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION IS A TWO YEAR TERM, THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S A FOUR YEAR TERM.

SO I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW DO WE DETERMINE TERMS PER COMMISSION AND BOARD? I BELIEVE AND SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME THAT THIS WAS SET BY COUNCIL BOARD LONG BEFORE ME AND ANY OF US, SOME OF THE STATE STATUTE, BUT SOME OF IT IS ACTUALLY DICTATED BY STATE LAW. OK.

THERE'S THERE'S A NUMBER OF THESE GROUPS PLANNING COMMISSION, ET CETERA, THAT ARE ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED UNDER STATE LAW PROVISIONS AND WE GUIDED BY THOSE TERMS. BUT THEN OTHERS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CREATED THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION JUST A FEW YEARS AGO AND WE SET THE TERP IN THE PROCESS OF ITS CREATION.

SO IT WOULD BE BASED ON WHICH GROUP YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AS TO WHETHER THE BOARD DID IT OR WHETHER IT WAS REQUIRED TO BE DONE THAT WAY.

IF YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW OR WANT TO KNOW.

WE CAN HAVE. I'M SURE YOU CAN DO SOME RESEARCH TO HELP WITH HOW THEY CAME INTO BEING.

WE'LL JUST TAKE A LITTLE WHILE.

NO, I THINK THAT'S SUFFICIENT.

THANK YOU. UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S EITHER LEGISLATION OR VOTED ON BY A COMMISSION AND OR BOARD. THANK YOU.

MR. TREASURER.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ASK THE CLERK IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY OPENINGS WE HAVE IN AGGREGATE FOR ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS CURRENTLY.

I CAN GET THAT NUMBER TO YOU.

I'D HAVE TO LOOK IT UP. GREAT.

AND WE ITERATE WHAT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SAID, THAT WE DO HAVE OPENINGS.

WE WOULD NEED CITIZENS TO BE ACTIVE ON THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE ZONING INTERPRETATION.

THEY, IN THE CASE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY DIRECTLY IMPACT THE WORK WE DO HERE IN THIS BOARD. OTHER ONES, LIKE THE COMMITTEE RESOURCE COMMISSION, IMPACTS THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES EVERY YEAR.

THEY DO REALLY GOOD, IMPORTANT WORK, AND IT'S THE WORK OF OUR CITIZENS.

IS WHAT MAKES MERIDIAN SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IS THAT WE HAVE SUCH TREMENDOUS RESPONSE TO THIS. BUT PEOPLE DO MOVE, PEOPLE RETIRE.

PEOPLE DECIDE THAT FOUR YEARS OR EIGHT YEARS IS ENOUGH AND THEY WERE GOING TO STEP DOWN.

SO WE DO NEED ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO STEP FORWARD AND FILL THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND

[00:45:02]

ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED TO CONTACT OUR OFFICE CLERK GUTHRIE OFFICE FOR AN APPLICATION. AND IF THEY NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BORDER COMMISSION, WE CAN PUT THEM IN TOUCH WITH THE STAFF THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER FOR A GIFT HE SENT OUT TO EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THE COMMISSIONS HAD A LOAF OF BREAD FROM A LOCAL HOLIDAY, BREAD FROM A LOCAL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BAKERY SENT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND MANY OF THEM WERE SENT OUT, DELIVERED BY HAND BY OUR POLICE CADETS.

WE MADE IT EXTRA SPECIAL FOR THEM LAST YEAR.

YOU MAY REQUIRE WE ALL GOT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MASKS, AND SO IT'S BECOME A TRADITION THAT THE MANAGERS MAKE HAS MADE SURE IT'S GOTTEN DONE EVERY YEAR.

IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT I THINK IT GOES A LONG WAY FOR US.

THIS BOARD TO SHOW ITS APPRECIATION BY THE GIFT ORGANIZED BY THE MANAGER.

SO THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH.

IN FACT, THOSE GIFTS WERE IN PLACE IN THE PAST.

THERE'S BEEN A NICE LITTLE GATHERING OF PARTIES, SO TO SPEAK, THAT OTHERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HELP US PAY FOR.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO COVID, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT RECENTLY.

SO THE MANAGER REALLY BRILLIANTLY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF THESE SMALL GIFTS, WHICH AGAIN, THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT THE KIND OF PAYMENT THESE PEOPLE DESERVE.

THEY DESERVE A LOT MORE.

BUT AT LEAST THEY KNOW THAT WE CARE.

MS. GUTHRIE, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.

YEAH, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR STYKA.

I TOO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR CONTINUED DEDICATION TO THE TOWNSHIP. I PERSONALLY, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I NEVER THOUGHT WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN 1998 THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BOARD MEETINGS AND COMMISSION MEETINGS AND ALL KINDS OF MEETINGS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO MAKE TO MAKE EVERYTHING FUNCTION. BUT IT ACTUALLY QUICKLY BECAME ONE OF MY MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS OF INTERNING FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

AND I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO SPORTS AT HOMTV, AND I ACTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MEETINGS AND MY FAMILY USED TO GET UPSET WITH ME ALL THE TIME AT THE HOUSE.

AND THEY MADE ME CANCEL CABLE BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING MEETINGS AT HOME ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I JUST REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING THE MEETINGS.

SO I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANYONE OUT THERE WHO'S MAYBE INTIMIDATED OR UNSURE, OR MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THAT THEY MAY FIT THE BILL TO BE ON ONE OF THESE BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS, YOU ARE.

YOU DO FIT THE BILL.

SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO'S KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT WASN'T REALLY SURE.

I JUST REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT AT SOME LEVEL.

IT REALLY IS A LOT OF FUN.

IT MAY SOUND MUNDANE OR BORING, BUT IT REALLY IS A LOT OF FUN.

AND THERE'S SOME GREAT PEOPLE THAT YOU GET TO KNOW IN THE TOWNSHIP AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU CAN MAKE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS.

AND SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO FILL OUT THOSE APPLICATIONS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE OR GIVE ANY OF ANY OF US A CALL.

WE'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE WORKING ON THE BOARD OR ANY OF THE OTHER BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS.

THAT'S ALL. AND ONE MORE VOICE ADDED TO THE CHOIR.

YES, WE DO HAVE OPENINGS.

IT'S A FEW LESS THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME YEARS.

THANK HEAVEN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE APPLICATIONS ON FILE AND WE'VE HAD QUITE A WHILE.

SO WE REALLY DO HEAR FROM PEOPLE.

THEY DO NEED TO HAVE CERTAIN STEPS, BUT THE TALENTS ARE REALLY THE FUNCTIONS FOR ITS 100+ EMPLOYEES UNDER THE DIRECTION.

AND IT JUST THROUGH THIS.

BUT IT ALSO FUNCTIONS THROUGH ALL OF THESE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS AND THEIR MEMBERS WHO WORK SO HARD. WE TRULY, TRULY APPRECIATE IT.

AND AS SOME OF THEM, THEY HAVE DIRECT DECISION MAKING OR POWER OR AT LEAST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED POWER TO THIS BOARD, SUCH AS THOSE WHICH WAS MENTIONED.

THERE'S ONLY BOARD [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF THEM ACTUALLY THAT GIVE GREAT TO THIS BOARD PRESENT MAKE SOME DECISIONS, SO PLEASE HAVE ANY INTEREST AT ALL IN GOVERNMENT, THE OTHER MEMBERS WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT.

IT'S NOT THAT HARD, SO PLEASE STEP UP.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OK. WE DO NEED A VOTE TO DO THIS? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YES.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI YES.

SUPERVISOR STYKA YES.

CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES.

MOTION CARRIES SIX-ZERO.

[00:50:03]

THANK YOU. OK.

NOW MOVING ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS AND THE FIRST ONE OF KIND OF IMPORTANT ONE, AND IT REFLECTS OUR WILLINGNESS TO INTERACT WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AND TRY TO DO A MORE GLOBAL

[13A. Williamstown Township Police Contract]

APPROACH BY A COOPERATIVE APPROACH TO GOVERNMENT.

AND THAT'S TO REALLY ESTABLISH A POLICE CONTRACT TO ADDRESS THIS FIRST.

THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR BOARD MEMBERS WORKING WITH THE MANAGER AND THE SUPERVISOR, WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

WE ALL UNDERSTAND YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE.

GO AHEAD. THE WORKING WITH THROUGH THE MANAGER OF THE SUPERVISOR AND UNDERSTANDING HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE SHORT STAFFED AT THIS TIME, WE ARE AUTHORIZED FOR FORTY ONE SWORN POLICE OFFICERS. AT THIS TIME WE'RE AT THIRTY SIX AND REALIZING THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

SO HAVING THAT DISCUSSION WITH SUPERVISOR BLOOMQUIST, WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, WE HAD TO PULL BACK FROM THOSE 80 HOURS OF SERVICE THAT WE WERE PROVIDING TO THEM AND OFFER A FORTY HOUR WEEKLY SERVICE FOR PATROL TIME.

WE WILL STILL RESPOND TO EMERGENCY CALLS FOR SERVICE OR THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE AFTER HOURS. THE CONTRACT REALLY HASN'T CHANGED OTHER THAN THERE'S KIND OF A CAFETERIA STYLE PLAN OF OURS TO WORK, SO DEPENDING ON OUR STAFFING LEVELS, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER AND THEN ALSO WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WHEN WE GET TO FULL STAFFING, IF THEY'D LIKE TO RETURN TO 80 HOURS, STAY AT 40 HOURS, OR IF THERE'S EVEN A PROVISION IN THERE WHERE THEY COULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS DOWN TO 20.

BUT I DON'T. I FEEL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SERVICE THE FOLKS IN WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, HOW THIS CONTRACT IS OUTLINED AT THIS TIME. YOU'RE MUTED, SIR. YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. MS. WISINSKI. QUICK QUESTION, CHIEF, I WAS READING THROUGH.

CAN YOU KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT 80 HOURS LOOKS LIKE AND 40? BECAUSE I'M CERTAIN IT'S NOT AN EIGHT TO FIVE? IN WHAT WOULD ENTAIL IN THOSE HOURS? RIGHT. SO, SO REGULAR GENERAL PATROL HOURS.

THAT'S WHEN THERE'S AN OFFICER DEDICATED TO PATROLLING THE STREETS, CONDUCTING TRAFFIC, GENERALIZED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING, VACATION PROPERTY CHECKS THOSE DAY TO DAY NON DISPATCHED OPERATIONS THAT WE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT DO COMMUNITY POLICING ACTIVITIES. THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE DO DURING THOSE 40 HOURS, DURING THE 80 HOURS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 80 HOURS IS EQUIVALENT TO TWO FULL TIME OFFICERS.

IF WE'RE PROVIDING 80 HOURS A WEEK, THAT'S TWO PEOPLE OUT OF THE COMPLEMENT THAT I HAVE NEXT DOOR THAT IS DEDICATED TO WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BACK IT OFF.

THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT CONCERN OVER INCREASE IN BILLABLE HOURS BECAUSE THOSE OUTSIDE OF THOSE HOURS WE BUILD WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

FOR THOSE HOURS, WE RESPOND ON THOSE NINE PATROL OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE AND THE THERE'S A MAXIMUM BILLABLE HOURS THAT IS OUTLINED IN THIS CONTRACT.

THOSE MAXIMUM BILLABLE HOURS HAS WE'VE NEVER COME EVEN CLOSE TO THAT.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE AND WE'LL LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCE AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST IF NECESSARY. BUT I DON'T SEE US DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF BILLABLE HOURS THAT WE'RE BILLING WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP. AS IT IS, THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT INCREASE, BUT THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, THE LEVEL OUT THERE BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION, THE FEWER NUMBER OF ROADS IS A FRACTION OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

UNDERSTOOD. APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK MANAGER WALSH AND CHIEF PARGA FOR WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE EAST ON THIS.

OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS HEARING IS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE INITIAL BID WHEN THEY PUT THIS OUT TO RFP MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE WE CONTRACTED, I BELIEVE WE WERE THE LONE BIDDER AND THEY WEREN'T HEARING VERY SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

SO I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF WORK ON A FLEXIBLE CONTRACT THAT STILL DELIVERS SERVICE THAT THEY NEED AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, A MINIMUM STANDARD OF SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED. AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS AND BE GOOD STEWARDS IN THE REGION.

SO THANK YOU. THANKS.

[INAUDIBLE] TREASURER.

YES CHIEF, THE RATE OF THE HOURLY RATE YOU WORKED THROUGH FOR THE 40 HOURS A WEEK.

IS THAT A HIGHER RATE THAN PAST YEARS AND DUE TO THERE ARE COSTS OF PUTTING OFFICERS THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND OUR REPLACEMENT COST, IF YOU WILL.

[00:55:02]

SO THE WAY I WORKED WITH DIRECTOR MATTISON FINANCE DIRECTOR MATTISON ON COMING UP WITH THE COST FOR PROVIDING POLICE SERVICES.

IF YOU HAVE 80 HOURS, IT'S ALMOST FIVE PERCENT OF OUR OVERALL DEPARTMENT.

YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATION OFFICERS, CARS, TRAINING EQUIPMENT ACADEMY, ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE DRAW OUT SOME OF THE NUMBERS FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE DON'T PROVIDE THAT ARE IN OUR BUDGET.

THE EXTRA AMOUNT THAT IS PAID TO MURRES BECAUSE OF THE MILLAGE THAT WAS PASSED HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP. WE WOULDN'T WANT WE WOULDN'T LEVY FIVE PERCENT OF THAT AGAINST WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP. THAT'S NOT A MILLAGE THAT THEY'VE PASSED, BUT SO WE PULLED THAT OUT.

WE PULLED OUT THINGS LIKE WE DON'T PROVIDE SCHOOL COMMUNITY RESOURCE OFFICERS BECAUSE ALL OF THEIR SCHOOLS ARE IN THE CITY OF WILLIAMSTON.

WE PULL THOSE COSTS OUT OF THERE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER SMALL COSTS THAT WE HAD PULLED OUT AND THEN DETERMINE THAT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET WAS AFFECTED AND THEN WE FIGURED IN THREE PERCENT COST INCREASES OVER EACH YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE HAD WE'VE EXPERIENCED MATERIALS, FUEL UNIFORMS, TRAINING COSTS HAVE GONE UP OVER THE YEARS.

SO THERE'S A THERE'S A THERE'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEAP FROM WHAT 2021 BILLABLE HOURS WOULD COST TO WHAT 2022.

BUT THOSE ARE REFLECTIVE OF ACTUAL COST THAT'S INCURRED BY THE TOWNSHIP.

SO IT WAS A MORE ORGANIC, MORE INCLUSIVE NUMBER THAN WE'VE USED IN THE PAST.

YES, THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO RIGHT APPROACH OR WE I THINK OUR CITIZENS ARE REASONABLY FOCUSED AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THIS AND DO NOT MIND HELPING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME THEY DON'T WANT TO SUBSIDIZE THAT EITHER WHEN THOSE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES ARE CAPABLE OF PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE.

AND I'M SURE WILLING TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

THANK YOU. THE BOARD MEMBERS.

WE'RE INTO DISCUSSION UNLESS YOU UNLESS I'M HEARING NOT HEARING ANY NEGATIVES.

LOOKS LIKE THIS CONTRACT SHOULD COME BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL NEXT WEEK.

THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR. WALSH, OK, OUR NEXT ITEM IS A POVERTY EXEMPTION GUIDELINES, AND I WILL TELL

[13B. Poverty Exemption Guidelines]

YOU THAT I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH THE TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, WHO CAME UP WITH THE THOUGHT THAT WE NEED TO REVISE WHERE WE ARE.

AND THE MEMO IS FROM HIM.

AND SO I'M GOING TO LET HIM LEAD THIS DISCUSSION AND QUITE FRANKLY, TO DO A BACK STRETCH OR TWO. SO I MAY TAKE MY PICTURE WHILE HE'S DOING THAT.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR STYKA.

SO JUST TO GO OVER THIS WITH THE BOARD.

SO THIS CAME ABOUT AS A CONCEPT IN MY MIND BECAUSE OF A CONSTITUENT CASE THAT I RECEIVED FROM A CONSTITUENT IN A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY QUALIFIED AND DUE TO A CHANGE IN THAT COMMUNITY, HAD BECOME UNQUALIFIED BASED ON INCOME OR WAS QUALIFIED FOR A REDUCTION IN THEIR POVERTY EXEMPTION.

AND THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, I LEARNED THAT WE HAVE WE HAVE THE ABILITY UNDER STATE LAW TO SET THE INCOME AND THE ASSET THRESHOLDS FOR THE POVERTY EXEMPTION.

SO THE POVERTY EXEMPTION IS A COMPONENT UNDER STATE LAW, WHERE WE CAN GIVE UP TO A ONE HUNDRED A FIFTY OR A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION ON PROPERTY TAXES.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY TAXES, IT'S THE ENTIRETY OF THE TAX BILL TO FAMILIES WHO QUALIFY.

AND SO THE DISCRETION THAT WE HAVE IS SETTING THAT INCOME AND ASSET THRESHOLD FOR QUALIFICATION, AND WE CAN ONLY GIVE OUT THE REDUCTIONS OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY OR TWENTY FIVE PERCENT SO WE CAN SET THRESHOLDS IN WHICH SOMEONE QUALIFIES FOR 100 PERCENT THRESHOLDS IN WHICH HOUSEHOLDS QUALIFY FOR 50 PERCENT AND THRESHOLDS IN WHICH HOUSEHOLDS QUALIFY FOR TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.

AND IN LOOKING AT THE ISSUE, MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS INGHAM COUNTY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, THE MAJORITY THAT I LOOKED AT, DID NOT USE A MULTIPLIER, AS WE CALL IT.

SO WE TAKE THE MULTIPLIER AND WE APPLY IT TO THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR POVERTY STANDARD, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE INITIAL TABLE IN THE PACKET.

IT LISTS THE HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE HOME, AND YOU TAKE THE MULTIPLIER AND APPLY IT TO THOSE GUIDELINES.

RIGHT NOW, WE USE A ONE POINT THIRTY FIVE MULTIPLIER.

SO OUR ASSET AND INCOME STANDARDS ARE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE PERCENT ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES.

A LOT OF PUBLIC POLICY BASICALLY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES ARE NOT REFLECTIVE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN POVERTY.

SO MEDICAID EXPANSION, FOR INSTANCE, WAS EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY TO FAMILIES THAT

[01:00:01]

ARE AT OR BELOW ONE HUNDRED AND PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES, RIGHT? SO THE GUIDELINES JUST KIND OF SIT THERE AND BECOME ANTIQUATED AND OUT OF DATE.

AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE SET POLICY AND WE APPLY MULTIPLIERS TO IT.

AND SO THAT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

SO STATE LAW, THE MINIMUM THAT WE CAN DO, WE HAVE TO GIVE POVERTY EXEMPTIONS TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD AT OR BELOW THE THE POVERTY GUIDELINES FEDERALLY.

AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DOING JUST OVER THAT WITH A ONE POINT THIRTY FIVE MULTIPLIER.

NOW, WHEN I LOOKED AT OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, WASHTENAW COUNTY HAS GIVEN A LOT MORE CONSIDERATION TO THIS.

AND I THINK WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING IN MERIDIAN OR HERE IN INGHAM, A LOT OF LOCAL UNITS PROBABLY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY EVEN HAVE THIS DISCRETION.

AND IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, THEY HAVE THE DISCRETION, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED IT IN WASHTENAW COUNTY.

THEIR LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE KIND OF COME TOGETHER COUNTYWIDE.

AND SO THEY'VE TRIED TO HAVE SOME UNIFORMITY.

YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE TABLES THAT BEGIN ON, LET'S SEE THE.

THE PAGE NUMBERS WERE REMOVED.

BUT THERE'S A TABLE TOWARDS THE END OF IT THAT LISTS VARIOUS LOCAL UNIT CITIES, TOWNSHIPS WITHIN WASHTENAW COUNTY, AND IT LISTS THEIR MULTIPLIER FOR INCOMES.

THE INCOME THRESHOLDS AND THE ASSET THRESHOLDS.

AND SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY RANGE ANYWHERE FROM ONE POINT FIVE TO A TWO POINT TWO.

SO CYO TOWNSHIP PAGE FIVE, THERE'S THE PAGE NUMBER.

YEP, IT'S UP AT THE TOP NOW.

SO SALIO TOWNSHIP IS AT A TWO IN OUR BUDGET, A TWO POINT TWO.

CITY OF DEXTER AT A TWO POINT TWO.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE.

WEBSTER, IN WASHTENAW COUNTY, IS ALSO AT A TWO.

AND THEN YOU HAVE A RANGE OF OTHER LOCAL UNITS THAT RANGE FROM ONE POINT FIVE UP TO THAT TWO POINT TWO MAX FOR THE MULTIPLIER AND THEY'RE IN THEIR ASSET THRESHOLDS ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.

SO WHAT I'VE PUT INTO THE PACKET FOR DISCUSSION JUST AS A STARTING POINT FOR THE BOARD IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT I PUT TOGETHER, WHICH WOULD BE INCREASING THE MULTIPLIER THAT WE USE FOR THE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT POVERTY EXEMPTION FROM A 1.35 TO A 1.85, MEANING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE AND INCREASING THE MULTIPLIER FOR THE ASSET LIMIT FROM THE 1.35 TO A 2.35.

AND SO THE ASSET THRESHOLD WOULD BE HIGHER.

THE REASON BEING IS THAT THE ASSETS ARE PRETTY EXHAUSTIVE.

ALL OF YOUR VEHICLES COUNT TOWARDS THE ASSETS, ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE HOME, YOUR 401K, ANY RETIREMENT SAVINGS, YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT, EVERYTHING PRETTY MUCH IS INCLUDED WITH THE LOAN EXCEPTION OF THE HOME THAT YOU'RE LIVING IN.

SO ANY OTHER ASSETS THAT YOU HAVE COUNT AGAINST THAT THRESHOLD SO YOU COULD HAVE A FAMILY TODAY BASED ON WHERE LIMITS CURRENTLY ARE.

IF YOU'RE A FAMILY OF THREE AND YOU COME UNDER HARD TIMES AND YOU LOSE YOUR JOB IF YOU HAVE A 401K AND YOU KNOW WITH SEVEN THOUSAND IN IT AND TWO CARS, WELL, TECHNICALLY OUR LIMIT FOR A FAMILY OF THREE IS TWENTY NINE THOUSAND FOR ASSETS.

SO THEY JUST HAVE TWO CARS WORTH TEN THOUSAND AND A 401K WITH TEN THOUSAND IN IT.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO QUALIFY JUST BASED ON THE ASSETS, REGARDLESS OF HOW LOW THEIR INCOME IS. SO THAT'S WHY I LOOKED AT DOING A HIGHER MULTIPLIER ON THE ASSET SIDE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF LOCAL UNITS IN WASHTENAW DO.

AND IN TERMS OF FISCAL IMPACT, OUR ASSESSOR RAN THE NUMBERS AND WE'RE AT ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND IN TOWNSHIP TAXES TODAY.

THE AVERAGE HOME THAT QUALIFIES TODAY HAS A TAXABLE VALUE OF ABOUT FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND, I BELIEVE. AND SO THE OVERALL TAX HIT ACROSS ALL OF THE TAXING JURISDICTIONS WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE 40000 RANGE.

WE DIDN'T GET THAT NUMBER FROM THE ASSESSOR, BUT OUR TOWNSHIP TAX IMPACT WAS EIGHT THOUSAND FOR THE 14 ELIGIBLE HOMES.

AND THEN THE OTHER THRESHOLD THAT I PUT IN HERE.

IS INCREASING OR CREATING A CATEGORY FOR A 50 PERCENT EXEMPTION, AND THAT WOULD BE HOUSEHOLDS THAT FALL ABOVE A ONE POINT EIGHTY FIVE MULTIPLIER, BUT BELOW IT TO.

AND THEN FOR THE ASSETS THAT WOULD GO FROM A 2.25 MULTIPLIER TO A 2.5.

AND SO THE TABLES WITH THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS APPLIED OR LISTED THERE IN THE PACKET ON PAGE THREE AND FOUR.

AND SO HOUSEHOLDS IN THIS RANGE WOULD ONLY GET 50 PERCENT EXEMPTION.

WE'RE NOT. WE'RE GOING FROM A 1.35 OVERALL UP TO A 2.

[01:05:03]

SO WE'RE NOT QUITE DOUBLING THE INCOME AND ASSET THRESHOLDS OR THE INCOME THRESHOLDS.

SO I SUSPECT ROUGHLY WE'D SEE TWICE AS MANY HOMES APPLY.

SO WE HAVE 14 ELIGIBLE HOMES TODAY, SO WE MIGHT GET UP TO, YOU KNOW, 30 TO 35 HOMES TOTAL IF WE SEE APPROXIMATELY A DOUBLING OF THE AMOUNT OF ELIGIBLE HOMES APPLY AND RECEIVE IT.

AND OF COURSE, THE HOMES THAT APPLY AND RECEIVE IT IN THE NEW CATEGORIES WOULD PROBABLY BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER TAXABLE VALUE.

SO INSTEAD OF EIGHT THOUSAND ACROSS 14 HOMES, WE MIGHT SEE NINE OR TEN THOUSAND ACROSS 14 HOMES. SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER TAXABLE VALUE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SLIGHTLY OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND RIGHT NOW FOR THE MARKET VALUE OF THE ELIGIBLE HOMES.

SO THESE ARE AMONG THE, YOU KNOW, LOWEST VALUED MARKET VALUE HOMES IN THE TOWNSHIP BEING JUST OVER 100000 OR JUST UNDER.

AND SO THAT'S THE OVERVIEW AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT BOARD MEMBERS MAY HAVE.

MR. DESCHAINE, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR, AND THANK YOU, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION.

THESE NUMBERS ARE OUT OF DATE AND I THINK THEY ARE CERTAINLY WORTH REVISITING THE AND THESE ARE STRICT GUIDELINES IN HUD HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE INCOME LIMITS, BUT THERE'S VIRTUALLY NO LIMITS ON ASSETS TO LIVE IN SECTION EIGHT HOUSING YOU PAY, YOU HAVE TO PAY A CERTAIN INTEREST ON THOSE ASSETS ARE CALCULATED IN YOUR INCOME, BUT THEY DON'T PUT A CAP ON IT. AND THESE RULES, THE AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER POINTED OUT, TWO CARS IN A LITTLE BIT OF A RETIREMENT AND YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED.

I DO THINK WE NEED TO.

BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT OR TRY AND FIND A MORE EXACT NUMBER FOR WHAT THIS IS GOING TO COST NOT ONLY THE TOWNSHIP BUT ALSO THE SCHOOLS.

BECAUSE OF EVERY DOLLAR WE GET, WE KEEP ABOUT 20 CENTS, BUT 40 CENTS OF THAT DOLLAR GO INTO OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS.

AND SO THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE TOWNSHIP.

AND I THINK WE CAN GET THAT DATA.

I HOPE TO HAVE IT BEFORE THIS MEETING KNOWING THERE'S GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA.

BUT WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST WEEK OF TAXES, I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO THE RESEARCH.

SO I'LL WORK WITH OUR ASSESSOR AND WORK WITH OTHER TREASURERS TO SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT MAY HAVE DONE THIS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE IMPACT WAS.

DID IT DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OR WHAT THE IMPACT WAS? WE CAN GET THAT DATA. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN HARD NUMBERS OR ESTIMATED HARD NUMBERS BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION.

BUT I DO LIKE THE INTENT OF THIS, OF THIS PROPOSED CHANGE, AND I THINK IT WILL BENEFIT FAMILIES IN NEED.

THE STATE JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE STATE DOES NOT REIMBURSE US FOR THESE EXEMPTIONS.

NO, THEY DO NOT REQUIRE THE MINIMUM STANDARD OF USING THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES, RIGHT? THE STATE ALSO DOES NOT REIMBURSE US FOR VETERANS EXEMPTIONS.

IF YOU'RE A DISABLED VETERAN AND THE VA IS CERTIFIED, YOU THERE FOR THAT, YOU TAKE THAT FORM TO OUR ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND ESSENTIALLY WIPES OUT YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES.

THE STATE PASSED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO WITH NO REIMBURSEMENT SET FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES WHO ARE LOSING THAT, THAT EXEMPTION.

SO AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT AS MORE AND MORE VETERANS AGENCIES ARE MAKING VETERANS AWARE OF THIS, THE NUMBER OF VETERANS EXEMPTION IS GOING UP EVERY YEAR AND THAT WILL IMPACT OUR OUR TAX REVENUE AND IMPACTS THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT OUR SCHOOLS AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES GET.

SO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ONE, I DO WANT THE BOARD TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, SHARE THOSE NUMBERS WITH THE BOARD.

AND BEFORE WE BRING IT BACK FOR ANOTHER BOARD MEETING, I WILL HAVE THOSE NUMBERS FOR THE BOARD, BUT I AGREE WITH THIS IN PRINCIPLE.

I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND ONCE WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST US ARE A BETTER IDEA, WHAT'S GOING TO COST US. I THINK WE CAN ALL MAKE AN INTELLIGENT VOTE ON THIS MATTER.

THANK YOU AGAIN, TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.

WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO RUSH INTO THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO DO SOMETHING HERE. SO I, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING MORE IN JANUARY RATHER THAN RIGHT RIGHT AWAY AS WE DO NEED TO INVOLVE EVERYTHING BEFORE US.

MR. OPSOMMER, MORE YOU WANT TO COMMENT HERE.

YEAH SO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT ON DATA.

SO WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP DOES GO UP TO.

THEY DO HAVE ELIGIBILITY UP TO TWO TIMES THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE.

NOW FOR SOME OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS, THEY ONLY DO A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION.

[01:10:01]

SO WHAT THEY PROPOSE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, I ASKED SUPERVISOR BLOOMQUIST HOW MANY HOMES QUALIFIED BECAUSE THEY'D BE GOING UP TO TWO TIMES JUST LIKE WE WOULD.

AND SO THEY HAVE THREE TO FOUR APPLICANTS THIS YEAR, EVEN USING TWICE THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE AND SO THEIR COMMUNITY OF 5000 PEOPLE.

WE'RE A COMMUNITY OF FORTY FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE, SO WE'RE ABOUT EIGHT POINT EIGHT TIMES LARGER THAN THEM. SO WE WOULD SEE BASED ON THEIR NUMBERS.

TWENTY SIX TO THIRTY FOUR HOUSEHOLDS APPLY, WHICH IS ROUGHLY, YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS FORECASTING THAT I THINK WE'LL ROUGHLY SEE THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS DOUBLE AND THE FISCAL IMPACT JUST SLIGHTLY MORE THAN DOUBLE ERRING ON THE SIDE OF HIGHER NUMBERS.

SO I'M ERRING CONSERVATIVELY AND THE IMPACT BEING A LITTLE BIT LARGER.

AND I DO HAVE SOME NUMBERS FROM PITTSFIELD, TOO, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY PRETTY LOW SURPRISED HOW LOW THEY WERE BECAUSE PITTSFIELD IS A PRETTY COMPARABLE COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGH I WOULD SAY THE HOUSING STOCK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OURS, JUST BECAUSE WASHTENAW IN GENERAL IS MORE EXPENSIVE.

THEY HAD 13 PROBABLY EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS TO DATE IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE AS OF LAST WEEK.

THAT WAS DECEMBER 2ND.

SO THEY'RE RIGHT AROUND WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE HOUSING STOCK.

THE PROPERTY VALUES BEING HIGHER, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A MORTGAGE.

AND I GUESS, YEAH, THAT I DIDN'T GIVE CONTEXT, JUST KIND OF BE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE HELPING HERE, RIGHT? THE FAMILIES WHO WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO OWN A HOME TO UTILIZE THE PROGRAM. IT'S GOING TO BE HOMES THAT ARE PASSED DOWN THROUGH INHERITANCE TO PREDOMINANTLY DISABLED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND RETIREES.

THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY WHO WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPING HERE.

SO YOU COULD HAVE A PERSON, YOU KNOW, A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO YOU KNOW TODAY HAS TO MONITOR EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY MAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T ECLIPSE THAT.

AND THE HOME WAS GIFTED VIA A RELATIVE.

OR YOU COULD HAVE A RELATIVE THAT COMES UPON HARD TIMES AND DIDN'T SAVE FOR RETIREMENT OR HAD TO KIND OF LIQUIDATE THEIR 401K BEFORE THEY COULD RETIRE AND IS IN A DIFFICULT SPOT AND RELATIVE STEP IN AND HELP GIFT A HOME TO THEM.

BUT THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE INCOME, RIGHT? THEY'RE LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND VERY LIMITED FIXED INCOME IN RETIREMENT, SO THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT.

AND SO IT'S A BIG, BIG IMPACT FOR YOU KNOW, THE FAMILIES WHO DO WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, BUT THERE'S NOT A GREAT DEAL OF HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PITTSFIELD NUMBERS BEING AT 13 FOR THIS YEAR AND WILLIAMSTOWN BEING AT THREE TO FOUR JUST BECAUSE OF THE HOME OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENT.

SO BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH UTILITY IN MAKING THIS WORK. BUT IT'S AN AFFORDABLE IT'S A IT'S AN EFFECTIVE USE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE FOLKS WHO CAN FIND A WAY TO COME INTO HOMEOWNERSHIP.

YES. TREASURER AND THEN JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

DO YOU KNOW IF PURCHASING A HOME UNDER A LAND CONTRACT WOULD QUALIFY UNDER THE DEFINITION OF HOME OWNERSHIP? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I WOULD ASSUME SO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE WOULD GET THAT THE DEED TO THE HOME UNDER WAY IN CONTRACT. IT'S WORTH ASKING OUR ASSESSOR FOR FULL.

YEAH, YEAH. LAND CONTRACTS CAN SOMETIMES BE A VALID.

YOU ACTUALLY YOU ACTUALLY DON'T GET THE DEED AT ALL IN LAND CONTRACT.

OK. SO I GUESS YOU WOULD NOT BE.

WELL, IT COMES DOWN TO CAN YOU CLAIM A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE EXEMPTION? THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE.

SO. AND THAT'S WHAT PREVENTS PEOPLE WITH SECONDARY PROPERTY, WHETHER IT'S RENTAL, WHETHER IT'S VACATION HOMES, FROM BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS.

SO THE PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE EXEMPTION IS THE KEY COMPONENT.

GOOD QUESTIONS FOR TO ASK OUR ASSESSOR AT SOME POINT.

MS. WISINSKI.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK TRUSTEE OPSOMMER FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD.

I THINK THIS IS A FANTASTIC WAY TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERIDIAN AND WE'VE WE'VE LOOKED FOR DEVELOPERS TO BRING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

WE'VE LOOKED FOR DEVELOPERS TO TO EVEN CONSIDER PORTIONS OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND IT'S JUST HASN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO. SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO DO THAT, TO BRING IT TO THE TOWNSHIP IN IT AT AFFORDABLE COST TO US.

I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, SO IT'S INTERESTING THAT BOTH

[01:15:07]

DEXTER IN [INAUDIBLE] TOWNSHIP HAD A 14 PERCENT ASSET MULTIPLIER OR 14 MULTIPLIER IN ASSETS. DO YOU? WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE? THAT SEEMS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER COMPARED TO THE OTHERS THAT YOU SHOWED? I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THAT FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, THEY DON'T WANT THAT TO BECOME.

THEY DON'T REALLY WANT ASSETS TO EQUATE AND WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE.

WHAT I FORGOT TO POINT OUT TO EVERYBODY THE WAY THAT IT WAS UPLOADED INTO THE PACKET, IT DOESN'T SHOW THAT THAT COLUMN WITH THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY IS LINKABLE.

BUT IF YOU HOVER, THOSE ACTUALLY ARE LINKS TO THE ACTUAL POVERTY EXEMPTION GUIDELINES.

SO YOU CAN SEE THERE TWENTY TWENTY ONE GUIDELINES.

SO FOR INSTANCE, WITH SCIO TOWNSHIP, LET ME JUST GO TO THEM REAL QUICK.

YOU CAN SEE THE MULTIPLIER ON PAGE IN JUST A MOMENT HERE.

SO IT'S ON PAGE FOUR OF SCIO TOWNSHIPS.

IT'S ITEM B ASSETS, AND IN THAT FIRST SENTENCE, IT STATES THAT THE APPLICABLE FEDERAL POVERTY INCOME STANDARD, AS SET FORTH EARLIER IN THE GUIDELINES, WILL BE MULTIPLIED BY A FACTOR OF 14 FOR THEIR ASSET LIMITS.

SO WHEN I READ IT, I THINK THEY JUST WANTED ASSETS TO BE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE TO QUALIFY BASED ON ASSETS, SO THAT INCOME WAS THE PREDOMINANT QUALIFIER.

DO YOU COME IN, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE INCOME THRESHOLD IS THE PREDOMINANT QUALIFIER IN SCIO TOWNSHIP. THERE WERE OTHERS THAT HAD PROVISIONS WHERE THEY ALLOWED THEIR BOARD OVERVIEW TO, UH, TO EXCEED THE INCOME AND ASSET THRESHOLDS.

IF THE FAMILY COULD SHOW SIGNIFICANT HARDSHIP BY WAY OF MEDICAL BILLS OR OTHER UNORTHODOX, YOU KNOW, LIFE EXPENSES THAT THEY HAD BEEN INCURRING.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT INTERNALLY WITH STAFF, AND WE ALL KIND OF CONCURRED THAT WE WOULD GO WITH A MORE PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH.

AND WE ALSO DO HAVE TWO BOARD OF REVIEWS, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT CONSISTENT DISCRETIONARY POLICY WITH TWO DIFFERENT BOARDS.

SO THIS POLICY IS DESIGNED TO BE A POLICY IN WHICH THE BOARD OF REVIEW CAN IMPLEMENT IT, YOU KNOW, BY THE ACTUAL STRICT PROVISIONS PERTAINED IN IT.

AND THAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOME IDEA TO TREASURER DESCHAINE'S POINT ABOUT THE FISCAL IMPACT, ALBEIT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO PERFECT DATA SET.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW PEOPLE'S, YOU KNOW, INCOME AND ASSETS. ONE IMPACT OF THIS FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE WORK ON DARLA JACKSON'S PART.

DARLA WILL INCUR MORE WORK AND JUST TRYING TO VERIFY ASSETS BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT TO VERIFY, RIGHT? SO THE OMISSION OF DOCUMENTATION IS A LOGISTICAL ISSUE.

BUT THE POLICY QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN ACHIEVE ALL THAT AND IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT IS IS THIS A GOOD USE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS? WE'RE LOSING LESS THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HOME, ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED AND CHANGE TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THANK YOU, THAT'S HELPFUL.

ONE OTHER QUESTION SO THE PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF US, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN HAVE A TIERED APPROACH A 100 PERCENT, 50 PERCENT, AND THAT SOME COMMUNITIES ARE USING A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.

SORRY. THAT'S THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME.

CORRECT? THE PERCENTAGES.

YEAH. LINKED TO THAT IN WHAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS FOR YOU IN THE STAFF THAT WORKED ON THIS OF NOT TO INCLUDE A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT? OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ONLY GO UP TO A TWO? AND I JUST WANTED IT TO BE IMPACTFUL.

AND OTHER COMMUNITIES RELY ON THEIR BOARD OF REVIEW TO HAND OUT TO SELECT WHICH PERCENTAGE IS GOING TO BE GRANTED.

WE'RE GOING WITH A MORE PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH AND I WANTED IT TO BE MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL FOR THE FAMILIES THAT DO QUALIFY.

AND I SUSPECT IF YOU HAVE FAMILIES COMING BEFORE, IT TAKES A LOT, FIRST OF ALL, FOR THE FAMILY TO COME IN AND SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORY, RIGHT? IT'S NOT A VERY GOOD POLICY, BUT THAT'S THE STATE POLICY AND WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW, FOR THE FAMILIES THAT DO COME IN AND MAKE THEIR CASE, I JUST HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT THE BOARD OF REVIEW IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ALLOWED THE BOARD OF REVIEW TO DECIDE WE'RE GIVING OUT A LOT OF TWENTY FIVE PERCENT EXEMPTIONS.

OK, GREAT. LAST, LAST FOR NOW I WAS TRYING TO READ THROUGH.

YOU INCLUDED THE ACTUAL THE POLICY DOC.

ARE THESE RENEWED?

[01:20:02]

SO WOULD THEY NEED TO BE RENEWED ANNUALLY? SO YES, WE TECHNICALLY ADOPT THESE ANNUALLY.

OK, SO THAT THE APPLICANTS, IF THEY WERE TO APPLY, THEY COULD APPLY EACH YEAR THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN STATE LAW AND WE ADOPTED A RESOLUTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT CHANGE THAT STATED THAT IF YOU QUALIFIED IN TWENTY NINETEEN, YOU WERE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR THE NEXT THREE CALENDAR YEARS WITHOUT HAVING TO REAPPLY.

OK, SO WE DO HAVE SOME APPLICANTS WHO WERE ELIGIBLE AND APPROVED IN 2019 WHO ARE GOOD FOR 2020, 2021, AND 2022.

THAT WAS KIND OF A ONE OFF CHANGE IN STATE LAW AND THAT WAS ALSO A CHANGE IN STATE LAW WHERE THEY MADE IT SO THAT YOU CAN ONLY GIVE OUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY OR TWENTY FIVE PERCENT EXEMPTIONS.

PRIOR TO THAT, YOU COULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE UTILITY.

SOME PEOPLE DID A FORMULA WHERE PHASED OUT, SO YOU WOULD START AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT AT ONE LIMIT AND THEN IT WOULD PHASE TO ZERO PERCENT AND ANOTHER LIMIT.

THAT MAKES SENSE, ESPECIALLY WITH WITH COVID, AND LIKE YOU SAID, PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE MAKING ENOUGH TO LIVE PRIOR TO THAT.

IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS HAD A 12 PERCENT POVERTY RATE.

WHERE WERE SCIO AND DEXTER, WERE AT LIKE SIX AND FOUR PERCENT.

SO WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE FOLKS IN OUR TOWNSHIP THAT THAT COULD QUALIFY AND COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM THIS.

SO AGAIN, I THINK YOU I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE MAYBE SOME OF OUR ASSESSING NUMBERS AND SOMETHING IN WRITING TO THAT'D BE HELPFUL.

MUTED SUPERVISOR.

THANK YOU. ANY MORE DISCUSSION? WELL, WHY DON'T WE BRING THIS BACK AFTER WE GET SOME MORE NUMBERS? MR. OPSOMMER, YOU HAVE SOME MORE.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF THE MANAGER WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING ON THIS ITEM? ON BEHALF OF I'M GLAD BECAUSE I SEE HIM...

AND MY.

I KNOW THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT WE HAD A REALLY ROBUST DISCUSSION AMONG THE STAFF AND I APPRECIATE TRUSTEE OPSOMMER COMING IN AND MEETING WITH OUR ASSESSOR AND OUR TEAM AND AND MR. AND MS. JACKSON IF THE BOARD'S GOAL IS TO INCLUDE MORE PEOPLE AND MAKE THIS MORE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK TRUSTEE OPSOMMER IS DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT PATH.

SO BUT THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WE HAD THROUGH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. NOW, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? OK, WELL, WE'LL BRING THIS BACK IN A FEW MEETINGS WHEN WE HAVE MORE DATA AND ARE READY TO PROCEED [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.

I REALLY THANK YOU, DAN.

WHEN YOU BROUGHT THIS TO ME, I WAS SURPRISED WHERE WE WERE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES. THAT WAS DEFINITELY A PROGRAM THAT'S WORTH REVISING.

OK. THEN WILL HAVE THIS BACK [INAUDIBLE] FOR OUR THIRD DISCUSSION, WHICH IS ACTUALLY USED

[13C. Special Use Permit #21-00-011–2763 Grand River Avenue – Consumers Credit Union – Modification of Special Use Permit for Buildings Greater than 25,000 Square Feet]

PERMIT NUMBER TWO ONE ZERO ZERO ZERO ONE ONE TWO THREE GRAND RIVER AVENUE CONSUMERS ABOUT A CASE OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR BUILDINGS GREATER THAN TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.

AND WE HAVE IT HERE.

YES, SIR. OK, GO AHEAD.

SO THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF THIS EVENING IS FOR A TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE SQUARE FOOT CREDIT UNION BUILDING.

AND YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY IS THAT HERE? BECAUSE THAT'S WELL UNDER TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.

THE UNIQUE PIECE OF THIS IS THAT THE PROPERTY AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF NORTH WIND AND GRAND RIVER, WHERE THIS IS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED.

APOLOGY SOUTHWEST IS PART OF THE HOBBY LOBBY PARKING LOT.

IT'S ACTUALLY A SEPARATE PARCEL.

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SEPARATE PARCEL AS FAR BACK AS WE CAN TELL, BUT IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL FOR THE EXPANSION TO THAT SHOPPING CENTER, WHICH I BELIEVE AT THE TIME WAS A GIANT EAGLE, WHICH IS NOW HOBBY LOBBY.

AND SO IN TOTAL, THE SUM OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THIS APPROVAL ARE GREATER THAN TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS WHY THIS IS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING. THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED THIS.

THEY DID MAKE A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION ON THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR BUILDING GREATER THAN TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, AND THEY DID APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR

[01:25:01]