[00:01:22]
MIC] ALL RIGHT, IT IS 6:04 WE WILL CALL THE MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
[00:05:37]
MERIDIAN TO ORDER WILL SEEK A MOTION FOR SUPERVISOR PRO-TEM AT THIS TIME.I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AND SECOND IT, COURTNEY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE].
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE AN INDIVIDUAL [INAUDIBLE].
AND IF EVERYBODY COULD JUST JOIN US AND RISING TO RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT SUPERVISOR STYKA EXTENDS HIS REGARDS AND IS SADDENED THAT HE COULDN'T BE WITH US THIS EVENING.
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIM RETURNING TO US IN FEBRUARY, AND THIS EVENING WE ARE GOING TO START WITH A ROLL CALL.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, HERE.
CLERK GUTHRIE IS HERE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER, HERE.
CLERK GUTHRIE AND I AM NOW GOING TO ASK THAT WE GO ON TO ITEM 8, WHICH IS APPROVAL
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
OF THE AGENDA AS WE DO HAVE STAFF WHO NEEDS TO DEPART US THIS EVENING.I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH A COUPLE OF CHANGES.
FIRST, WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 12 D AFTER APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AND WE WILL MOVE WOODWARD WAY PILOT ITEM 12 J TO THE TOP OF THE ACTION ITEMS FOR THE EVENING.
SO A MOTION TRUSTEE TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, AS AMENDED BY TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION.
ALL RIGHT, [INAUDIBLE] BY TRUSTEE JACKSON.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE WISINSKI YES.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER YES.
WE HAVE AN AGENDA AND WE ARE NOW GOING TO ADVANCE YOUR AGENDA ITEM 12 12D,
[12D. Poverty Exemption Guidelines]
WHICH IS THE POVERTY EXEMPTION GUIDELINES.SO THIS WAS ACTUALLY AN ITEM THAT I PUT ON THE BOARD AGENDA, AND I BROUGHT THIS TO SUPERVISOR STYKA MANAGER WALSH AND OUR STAFF.
WE'VE HAD ONE MEETING AND A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE ITEM, AND I'M WONDERING IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO READ THE MOTION IN THE BOARD PACKET BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION.
MOTION I MOVED TO APPROVE THE 2022 INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR FROM FOR 100 PERCENT AND 50 PERCENT POVERTY EXEMPTIONS AS FOLLOWS HOUSEHOLDS WITH INCOME AND ASSETS AT OR BELOW 1.35 TIMES THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A 100 PERCENT EXEMPTION.
HOUSEHOLDS WITH INCOME OR ASSETS ABOVE 1.35 TIMES THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES, BUT WITH INCOME AND ASSETS AT OR BELOW 1.85 TIMES.
THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A 50 PERCENT FOR 50 PERCENT EXEMPTIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND, I'LL SECOND.
SECONDED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND I'LL JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTRO TO THE ITEM AND THEN I'LL ASK STAFF AND ASSESSOR WINSTEAD IF SHE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.
[00:10:04]
BUT THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US TONIGHT IS THE ONE THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.IT IS A PARED DOWN PROPOSAL FROM THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT WE DISCUSSED.
IT'S IN LINE WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES IN WASHTENAW THAT WE EXPLORED AT THE ORIGINAL MEETING, BUT DOESN'T GO TO THE EXTENT THAT SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES GO TO FOR THEIR MULTIPLIER ON THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE.
AND OF COURSE, BASICALLY WE'RE EXPANDING OUT FROM THE 1.35 MULTIPLIER THAT WE CURRENTLY APPLY AND RAISING IT BY 0.5 TO 1.85 AND OFFERING A 50 PERCENT EXEMPTION TO THAT NEW ELIGIBLE THE NEWLY ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS IN THE TOWNSHIP UNDER THAT EXPANSION.
I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO ASSESSOR WINSTEAD.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD OR ANY ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS? NO, I REALLY DON'T AT THIS TIME, I THINK WE ANSWERED A FEW QUESTIONS LAST TIME I JUST WANTED TO JOIN YOU TODAY IN CASE YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CALL THE ROLL? YEAH I APPRECIATE YOU MOVING THE AGENDA AROUND.
TRUSTEE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.
[4A. 2022 Township Local Roads Program]
AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO PRESENTATIONS.WE HAVE ONE THIS EVENING PRESENTATION 4 A AND DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY IS HERE TO GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2022 TOWNSHIP LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
THIS IS YEAR THREE OF THE TEN YEAR PROGRAM.
DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
DOING THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'RE HERE.
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM AS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER NOTED THIS WOULD BE YEAR THREE OF THE PROGRAM OF A TEN YEAR PROGRAM, SO THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL PROVIDE A SHORT LITTLE RECAP OF LAST YEAR 2021 AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IN 2022 AS BACKGROUND.
AGAIN, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY THIS MANY TIMES, BUT YOU KNOW, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DOESN'T OWN ANY ROADS.
THE ROADS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP ARE OWNED EITHER BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS GRAND RIVER IN SAGINAW AND OR AND OR INGHAM COUNTY.
THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR MAJOR ROADS AND THE LOCAL ROADS, EVEN THE ONES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT'S WHY ON SNOWY DAYS LIKE TODAY AND YESTERDAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORANGE TRUCKS THAT DRIVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY HAVE INGHAM COUNTY ON THE SIDE OF THEM.
HOW OUR ROADS FUNDED IN MICHIGAN PUBLIC ACT 51 IS THAT FUNDING MECHANISM FOR ROADS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN GETS MONEY FOR THEIR HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
COUNTIES GET MONEY FOR THE COUNTY SYSTEM, INCLUDING TOWNSHIPS, AND THEN CITIES AND VILLAGES GET MONEY FOR THEIR ROAD SYSTEMS, WHICH MEANS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RECEIVES ZERO DOLLARS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
WHAT WE DO RECEIVE FROM THE COUNTY IT TOTALS ABOUT $172,000.
IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
WE DO HOPE WITH THE ADDITIONAL INCREASES TO THE ACT 51 FORMULA, THAT EVENTUALLY IT WILL TRICKLE DOWN TO THE THE COUNTY AND THEY'LL MAKE THAT CAPITAL OUTLAY PIE A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS THE COUNTY REALLY THROUGH THE ACT 51 PROGRAM IS IN SOME WAYS HAND TIED TO WORK ON THEIR PRIMARY ROAD SYSTEMS, WHICH AGAIN, IT HAS THE MOST VEHICLES.
SO I GUESS IT DOES MAKE SENSE IN THAT REGARD.
YOU'RE PUTTING MORE DOLLARS TO WHERE MORE PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING, BUT A PROJECT THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE HAGEDORN RESURFACING PROJECT THAT OCCURRED LAST YEAR.
THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT ANOTHER TOWNSHIP WASN'T READY FOR PROJECT, AND WE KIND OF JUMPED AHEAD.
SO GOOD PROGRAM THERE AND GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOSE DOLLARS HERE IN
[00:15:03]
MERIDIAN.BUT AGAIN, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ABOUT $170,000 TO OUR LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
FROM THAT, THE GENERAL FUND HAS HISTORICALLY ALWAYS MOVED SOME MONEY TO THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
THE TOWNSHIP HAS DONE THAT FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN WHEN WE HAD A DEDICATED QUARTER MILL PRIOR TO THE ROAD BOND PROGRAM.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO PUT AS MANY DOLLARS AS POSSIBLE INTO THAT LOCAL ROAD NETWORK JUST BECAUSE OF THE SHEER NUMBER OF MILES THAT EXIST.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE VOTERS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE READY FOR OUR OWN PROGRAM.
AND THEY OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED THAT VOTER ROAD BOND PROGRAM, AND THAT GENERATES ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ALLOCATE TOWARDS THE LOCAL ROAD SYSTEM.
SO WHAT IS THE NETWORK THAT WE FOCUS ON? IT'S 147 MILES OF LOCAL ROADS.
IT'S ACTUALLY GONE UP A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST YEARS.
AS NEW DEVELOPMENT OCCURS, THAT INVENTORY GROWS CAN BE A GOOD THING AND A BAD THING, RIGHT? YOUR NETWORK GROWS, BUT THAT MEANS YOU HAVE MORE ASSETS TO TAKE CARE OF.
WE DO HAVE A TEN YEAR PLAN AND THAT ACTUALLY WAS EMPHASIZED DURING THE LOCAL ROAD BOND PROGRAM IN ORDER TO SOLICIT A GOOD RESPONSE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT TEN YEAR PLAN REALLY IS WHAT THE VOTERS FOUND IMPORTANT TO THEM AND THE REASON THEY SUPPORTED THAT PROGRAM.
OUR GOAL IS A PACER RATING OF EIGHT.
THAT'S THE PAVEMENT SURFACE RATING AND AN EIGHT WOULD BE A GOOD SO A ONE, ESSENTIALLY AS A ROAD THAT HAS FAILED AND WE HAVE THOSE ROADS IN THE NETWORK.
OVER TIME, WE WILL ELIMINATE THOSE.
AND THEN A TEN IS A NEW ROAD, A NEW NEWLY RESURFACED ROAD.
THE PROGRAM IS NOT MEANT TO TOUCH EVERY MILE OF ROAD IN THE TOWNSHIP.
AGAIN, IT LOOKS AT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND SAYS WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THE OVERALL AVERAGE OF THE NETWORK FROM AGAIN, THAT FOUR POINT FOUR EIGHT ALL THE WAY TO THAT EIGHT OVER TEN YEARS.
AND AGAIN, WE UTILIZE ASSET MANAGEMENT.
SO WHEN WE ARE SELECTING PROGRAMS, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO SAY, HEY, ARE YOU DOING A PROJECT IN THE AREA THAT MAKES SENSE THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME, SOME PROJECTS TOGETHER, LEVERAGE SOME DOLLARS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR UNDERGROUND UTILITY SYSTEMS. AND THEN ALSO WE TRY TO COORDINATE AS BEST WE CAN WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY IN THEIR GAS PROGRAMS SO.
AND THERE SHOULD BE A SLIDE THAT SHOWS UP HERE.
SHOWING ME IN MY LITTLE WINDOW CLIP.
OK, SO THIS IS SHOWING THE WEB.
OK, WELL, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE HERE IS THAT PAYS OUR PROGRESS, SO AGAIN, BACK IN 2019, OUR SYSTEM WAS RATED AT A FOUR POINT FOUR EIGHT.
IN 2020 OUR GOAL WAS TO GET TO A FOUR POINT EIGHT THREE BASED ON WHAT WE FIGURED WE NEEDED TO GET OVER TEN YEARS TO GET TO AN EIGHT.
WE WERE ABLE TO ECLIPSE THAT A LITTLE AT A LITTLE OVER FIVE.
AGAIN, THE 2021 PROGRAM, WHEN WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THAT, WE'RE ACTUALLY ANTICIPATING A FIVE POINT SIX EIGHT PACER RATING, WHICH IS ABOVE WHERE WE HAD SET OUR GOAL.
AND THEN THE 2022 GOAL IS FIVE POINT SEVEN FIVE PACER RATING SO.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE REST OF MY SLIDES WENT.
SO IN 2021, THE REVIEW BASICALLY.
CAN YOU GUYS SEE THAT AT ALL? [INAUDIBLE] MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY'RE NOT TALKING.
BUT FOR THE 2021 REVIEW, WE HAD EIGHT POINT EIGHT SEVEN MILES OF RESURFACING WE DID NOT COMPLETE FOUR ROADS IN THE WHITE WHITE HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THOSE WILL BE COMPLETED FIRST THING IN THE SPRING.
THE CONTRACTOR IS AWARE OF THOSE AND READY TO GO.
AND THEN WE HAVE NINE POINT ONE ONE MILES OF PRESERVATION WORK, SO ESSENTIALLY JUST UNDER EIGHTEEN MILES TOTAL FOR OUR 2021 PROGRAM.
[00:20:01]
[INAUDIBLE] OK.BECAUSE I'M LIKE, I DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING WITH THAT ONE.
SO AGAIN, FOR THE 2021 REVIEW, THIS IS ACTUALLY LAGOON STREET.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE SOME, SOME DITCHES THERE.
THEY'RE NOT AS PREVALENT AS WHAT'S BEEN DONE AFTER THE PROJECT.
AND I GUESS THE REASON I RAISED THAT UP IS ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED IN OUR 2021 PROGRAM WAS TO SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING A ROAD PROJECT THAT PERHAPS CHANGES THE PROFILE THE DRAINAGE DITCHES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN ESSENTIALLY DEALING WITH THESE TYPES OF DITCHES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR PROBABLY OVER A DECADE AGAIN.
THEY REALLY HAVE NOT BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN WE WENT IN AND RENOVATED THE STREET TO PROTECT THE STREET, PROVIDE PROPER DRAINAGE, IT WOULD DEFINITELY WAS A DRASTIC CHANGE TO THEM.
SO AGAIN, WITH ALL PROGRAMS, THERE'S ALWAYS LESSONS TO BE LEARNED AND ANY STREETS.
NOW THAT WE DO WITH ANY SIGNIFICANT DITCHING, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BASICALLY SPEND SOME ADDITIONAL EDUCATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS, SO WE SET THOSE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED, I WOULD SAY FROM THE 2021 PROGRAM.
YEAH, IT DOESN'T WANT ME TO DO ANYTHING.
SO AGAIN, TRANSITION NOW TO WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING DOING NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS JUST SOME SOME PICTURES ACTUALLY OF THE MILL AS IT'S OUT THERE ACTUALLY GRINDING UP THAT ASPHALT.
AND THEN WHAT A STREET LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT'S TOTALLY EXPOSED.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, I KNOW SOME OF THESE PICTURES CAN BE PRETTY HARD ON THE GRAPHICS.
SO OUR PLAN NEXT YEAR FOR THE RESURFACING WORK IS JUST UNDER SEVEN MILES AT SIX POINT EIGHT FOUR MILES.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.
WHAT STREETS HAVE BEEN SELECTED HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR WORK NEXT YEAR? AGAIN, WE SAY THAT IT'S NOT 100 PERCENT DONE DEAL.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE RIGHT NOW DOING THE SURVEY WORK, THE ENGINEERING WORK, AND IT HAS TO BE BID OUT AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE A GOOD BID CLIMATE AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO ALL THESE STREETS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE AND THIS IS OUR LIST THAT WE'VE SELECTED SO FAR.
SO I THINK THERE'S CLOSE TO THIRTY FIVE DIFFERENT STREETS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TOUCHING IN THE 22.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL WE'LL BE PUBLISHING THIS.
I KNOW BRANDIE AND HER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS READY TO MOVE WITH SOME PRESS RELEASES NEXT, ACTUALLY, PROBABLY TOMORROW.
AND THEN PRESERVATION IS IMPORTANT TOO.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS THAT WE NEED TO PRESERVE THE NETWORK THAT'S IN FAIR TO GOOD SHAPE.
OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE IN THIS CONTINUAL CYCLE WHERE WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CHASE THESE FAILING STREETS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO RAMP THAT UP AGAIN INCREMENTALLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS OF THE PROGRAM.
SO IN 2022, WE'RE IDENTIFIED JUST UNDER FOUR MILES OF CAPE SEAL, WHICH IS THAT MICROCHIP AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY DO A SEALANT OVER IT.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THE CHIP SEAL THAT YOU SEE THAT'S NOT REAL POPULAR.
IT IS A GREAT PRESERVATION PRESERVATION TREATMENT FOR ROADS.
BUT THE CAPE SEAL IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT WE ACTUALLY THERE'S A LITTLE BINDER THAT'S PUT ON TOP OF IT, SO IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A TRADITIONAL ASPHALT PAVED STREET.
BUT AGAIN, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY THAT TREATMENT IN NEXT YEAR TOO.
THIS IS A MAP YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO READ, BUT AGAIN, IT BASICALLY TAKES THOSE STREETS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND THEN PUTS THEM GRAPHICALLY ON THE TOWNSHIP MAP.
AND AGAIN, IT JUST KIND OF SHOWS THE OVERALL DISTRIBUTION IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE 2022 PROGRAM.
AGAIN, IT MAKES MORE SENSE WHEN IT'S ONLINE FOR THE PUBLIC TO LOOK AT.
SO THE PLAN SUMMARY AGAIN, REHAB RESURFACING SIX POINT EIGHT FOUR MILES, PRESERVATION IN THE CAPE STEELWORK THREE POINT SEVEN MILE FOR A TOTAL OF TEN POINT FIVE EIGHT MILES WORTH OF ROAD WORK AND AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS THE PACER RATING AT THE END OF ALL THAT WORK AT ABOUT FIVE POINT SEVEN FIVE.
I THINK WE'LL ACTUALLY COME IN A LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT, BUT THAT IS WHAT OUR GOAL IS FOR 2022.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE SCHEDULE SURVEY.
IN FACT, IF YOU'RE IN ONE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A FEW CALLS WHY IS THERE SOME FLAG IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT'S THE PAINT PAINTING GOING ON THAT KIND OF THING? THAT'S THE SURVEY CREWS OUT THERE PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
THE PLAN IS TO BID LATE FEBRUARY, WITH CONSTRUCTION STARTING REALLY AS SOON AS THE PLANTS OPEN.
BUT WE ALWAYS SAY MAY AS FAR AS THE TARGET DATE AND THEN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION INTO SEPTEMBER.
ONE THING I WILL SAY THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS FOR THE NEXT UPCOMING THREE YEARS, ONE OF THE PROJECTS FOR 2022 IS ACTUALLY TO PURSUE THAT
[00:25:04]
SECOND BUCKET OF MONEY FOR THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.THOSE ACTUAL BOND DOLLARS THAT WE USE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, SO THAT WILL BE OCCURRING TOO IN 2022.
I WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
OTHERWISE, WE WILL BE PUTTING THIS OUT ON THE WEBSITE AND DOING SOME PRESS RELEASES AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THAT.
SO I'M SURE PEOPLE WILL BE EXCITED.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE'LL START OUR LETTERS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS ONCE WE HAVE RECEIVED BIDS AND WE KNOW WHICH STREETS WERE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE DOING.
WE'LL START THAT COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LETTERS THAT GO OUT.
WE DO TRY TO DRIVE THEM BACK TO THE WEBSITE FOR DAY TO DAY UPDATES.
SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT, BUT WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, UP TO UP TO SPEED UPDATES.
LETTERS JUST DON'T TRAVEL FAST ENOUGH FOR THE PROGRAM.
DEPUTY MAYOR ANDREW PERRY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
TREASURER DESCHAINE THANK YOU.
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND EXCELLENT FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE PROGRAM.
I THINK WE'VE MET OUR GOALS THAT WE SET OUT FOR.
WE'VE GOT EIGHT MORE YEARS TO GO, BUT THE FIRST TWO HAVE BEEN, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, SUBSTANTIVE SUCCESS.
ONE IS DID THE TACOMA HILLS PUNCH LIST OF WORK GET COMPLETED THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD AND SOME OF US WENT OUT AND VISITED THERE AS WELL.
THOSE THOSE ITEMS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED NOW THERE THERE PROBABLY WILL BE A FEW HOMES.
I MEAN, IN THE SPRING WITH RESTORATION THAT WE'LL HAVE TO REVISIT THOSE.
THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST ALWAYS THE CASE WITH ANY OF THESE PROJECTS.
WE HAD A FEW SNOWBIRDS TOO, SO ONCE THEY RETURN, WE'LL REVISIT THEIR DITCH LINES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH THOSE.
AGAIN, THEY'RE STEEPER THAN WHAT THEY HAVE DEALT WITH HISTORICALLY, AND THEY MAY BE SOME THAT WANT TO HAVE THEM SOME ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS MADE TO THEM, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO ONCE THEIR GROWING SEASON OCCURS AGAIN, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF WE HAVE SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL CONTACTS WITH THEM.
AND JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DONE WITH THE ROAD WORKER DOESN'T MEAN WE WON'T GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNER WHO HAS AN ISSUE.
RESTORATION IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH ANY OF THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, WHETHER IT BE A ROAD PROJECT OR A UTILITY PROJECT, IT JUST IS.
AGAIN, PEOPLE, IT'S THEIR IT'S THEIR FRONT YARD.
THEY TAKE PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP IN THAT AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
AND IT'S JUST SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THE SEASON, HOW HOT IT IS OR THAT RESTORATION THAT REESTABLISHMENT OF THAT SEED.
SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO DO THAT, AND WE JUST CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAKE IT RIGHT.
HAVE YOU FACTORED INTO INTO THE 22 PLAN INFLATION IN NOVEMBER INFLATION NATIONAL RATE WAS SEVEN PERCENT, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S IMPACTING THINGS THAT WE BUY AND THEN OUR RESIDENTS BUY .
IN PARTICULAR HAVE WE HEARD FROM ANY CONTRACTORS ABOUT RATE INCREASES THAT HAVE ALREADY KICKED IN? THE CONTRACTORS HAVEN'T NECESSARILY SPECIFIED ANY ADDITIONAL RATE INCREASES.
I MEAN, THE PROOF WILL BE ONCE WE START, YOU KNOW, GETTING THESE BIDS BACK.
WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING THINGS OF, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, NINE, TEN PERCENT INCREASES.
SO HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL, I GUESS, FLATTEN OUT HERE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT WHEN WE DO OUR ESTIMATES, WE'RE ALWAYS VERY, VERY, ACTUALLY CONSERVATIVE WITH THE AMOUNT OF MILES THAT WE THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO WE WE HONESTLY, I WOULD RATHER BE ABLE TO COME TO THE BOARD AND SAY WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO MAYBE AN EXTRA HALF MILE VERSUS PROVIDE YOU A LIST THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT REALISTIC KIND OF THING.
BUT AGAIN, UNTIL WE REALLY GET THOSE NUMBERS, IT'S TOUGH TO DETERMINE.
TREASURER DESCHAINE TRUSTEE JACKSON MR. PERRY.
AND NOTED LESSONS LEARNED IN GENERAL, THOUGH, WOULD YOU SAY WE ARE AHEAD OF OUR PLANNED SCHEDULE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF MILES REHABILITATED OR ON SCHEDULE OR BEHIND SCHEDULE? I THINK WE'RE ON TARGET.
I WOULD SAY IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PACER RATINGS, WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF ALMOST STAYING AHEAD OF THAT.
THE GOAL THAT WE'VE SET OUT IN REGARDS TO THAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS WORRY, ESPECIALLY ON A DECADE LONG PROGRAM, RIGHT? WHAT HAPPENS IN YEAR EIGHT? DO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF FAILURES THAT ARE UNEXPECTED? SO IT REALLY I THINK THE ANNUAL REVISITING OF THE PROGRAM IS PRETTY CRITICAL.
AND THEN AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THAT END OF THE TEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AGAIN.
THESE THESE SYSTEMS ARE NOT STATIC.
THEY NEED DOLLARS EVERY YEAR AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR OUR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ONCE WE GET CLOSE TO YEARS EIGHT, NINE AND TEN, WHAT IS THE PLAN? AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, THAT HOPEFULLY THOSE LONG TERM
[00:30:02]
PENSION LIABILITIES WILL BE ABSOLVED AND WE'LL HAVE SOME, SOME BASICALLY SOME BANDWIDTH IN THE GENERAL FUND AND WE CAN REALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS TO THE LOCAL ROAD SYSTEM BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT A STATIC SYSTEM, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP FEEDING THE BEAST.TRUSTEE JACKSON AND AND TO THAT POINT IN THE OVERALL PLAN, WE HAVE FACTORED IN MAINTAINING EVEN NEW ROADS, PROVIDING TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE FOR EVEN NEW ROADS SO THAT [INAUDIBLE] TO THE END OF OUR TEN YEARS, THE AVERAGE OF WHATEVER HAS COME INTO THE SYSTEM, THE AVERAGE, INCLUDING WHATEVER HAS COME TO COME INTO THE SYSTEM, COMES OUT TO BE EIGHT.
THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM WAS AT THE END OF THAT TEN YEAR CYCLE WHERE WE HAD THAT HUGE INFUSION OF THAT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD BE AT A AT A A RATING OF AN EIGHT TO WHERE WE COULD THEN BACK OFF.
YOU WOULDN'T NEED AS YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO INVEST THREE AND A HALF FOUR MILLION DOLLARS TO INTO THE SYSTEM ITSELF.
BUT YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT TWO, TWO AND A HALF MILLION KIND OF THINGS TO KEEP THAT SYSTEM.
SO YOU DIDN'T SLIDE BACKWARDS, BUT AGAIN, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THOSE CALCULATIONS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO SEE WHERE YOUR SYSTEM IS AT.
I MEAN, AGAIN, IN SEVEN YEARS, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE TOWNSHIP WILL LOOK LIKE, HOW MANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL HAVE OCCURRED, IF ANY, YOU KNOW, AND HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED THE SYSTEM OVERALL? THANK YOU.
AND MAYBE ACT 51 COMES THROUGH RIGHT? AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE JUST FLUSHED WITH CASH AND THE COUNTY IS SAYING, HERE'S A MILLION DOLLARS EACH YEAR.
RIGHT? I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD MY BREATH, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
NOBODY SHOULD HOLD THEIR BREATH ON THAT ONE.
MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ASKED.
WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT YOU RECEIVE? IS THAT ABOUT THE ROAD ITSELF? OR IS IT BASICALLY WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE YARD AND THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AREA? THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT TYPICALLY IS THAT INTERFACE BETWEEN THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY AND THE INDIVIDUAL'S YARD RIGHT AND THE CHANGE TO THE DRIVEWAY.
SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INCONVENIENCE AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE JUST BASED ON HAVING THAT INCONVENIENCE IN PLACE.
THE ACTUAL REALITY OF HOW LONG CONSTRUCTION OCCURS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT OCCURS FOR THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION SEASON.
AND SOMETIMES THE EXPECTATION IS, HEY, WHY YOU KNOW, THEY SHOW UP FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN THEY'RE GONE.
YOU KNOW DOING ANOTHER PORTION OF THE PROJECT, THEN THEY'RE BACK FOR A FEW DAYS.
AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME, YOU KNOW, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND IT LEADS TO SOME OF THAT FRUSTRATION.
BUT IT'S JUST HOW SOME OF THE THINGS ARE BASICALLY TIMED AND HOW THEY MOVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA, TOWNSHIP WIDE.
SO THAT CREATES SOME FRUSTRATIONS.
AND AGAIN, WE TRY TO COMMUNICATE THAT BEST WE CAN.
BUT IF IF YOU'RE IF IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, YOUR FRONT YARD DUG UP, IT'S FRUSTRATING AND WE GET THAT.
SO WE ASK FOR A LOT OF GRACE AND PATIENCE DURING THESE PROJECTS AND PROMISE THAT WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, YOU'LL BE HAPPY WITH IT AND YOU'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GREAT NEW ROAD IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME.
IT'LL HELP INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY VALUES.
AND WHO DO THEY CONTACT? IS THAT THE DPW EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS? YEAH, WHAT WE DO IS WE ALWAYS DIRECT THEM TO THE DPW AT MERIDIAN.MI.US, AND THAT'S KIND OF OUR GENERAL EMAIL FOR ALL OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS RELATED PROJECTS THAT GOES TO SEVERAL OF US.
SO IT'S MONITORED BY SEVERAL OF US.
SO IT'S NOT ONE PERSON THAT MAY BE OUT FOR A WEEK'S VACATION.
EVERYONE'S KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, JUST OUR GENERAL INFORMATION LINE TOO.
AND THEN WE JUST COORDINATE THOSE QUESTIONS INTERNALLY, AND WE DO USE AN OUTSIDE ENGINEERING FIRM FOR DESIGN AND INSPECTION.
SO THEY DO A LOT OF THAT INTERFACE FOR US, SOMETIMES WITH THE PUBLIC TO DOOR DOOR HANGERS, THAT KIND OF THING.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
OK, THANK YOU, DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY, FOR THE ENLIGHTENING PRESENTATION WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE 2022 PROGRAM SHOULD BE A GREAT YEAR.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK YOU, STEPHEN I APPRECIATE THE HELP WITH THE IT STUFF.
ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES ITEM NUMBER 4 ON OUR AGENDA.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER 4 PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE DO HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK MR. CRAIG PATERSON, MR. PATERSON.IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND THEN GO AHEAD AND PROCEED, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
CRAIG PATTERSON 115 NORTH HURON, MACKINAW CITY.
I'M HERE TO GREET THE BOARD AGAIN AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO
[00:35:05]
SUPPORT WOODWARD WAY LATER.I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A PILOT EXTENSION, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PROJECT.
AND WE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE YOU SPEAK ON THAT ITEM WHEN WE GET
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
TO IT.WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER 6, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT AND MANAGER WALSH WILL MAKE HIS WAY TO THE PODIUM.
JUST A FEW THINGS FOR THE BOARD THIS EVENING OUR ANNUAL DEER CALL THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY 81 PERCENT OF OUR VOTERS IN A RECENT SURVEY.
128 THROUGH ARCHERY, 137 THROUGH FIREARM.
WE ONLY HAVE 63 TO GO TO REACH ALL OF OUR TAGS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE DNR.
PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS PROGRAM AND THE EXTRA EFFORT THAT GOES INTO IT.
I WANT TO COMPLIMENT DIRECTOR MAISNER AND HER TEAM AND ALSO CHIEF PLAGA ON HIS TEAM THEY DO GREAT WORK WITH THAT.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH NEXT MONTH.
WE'RE WORKING ON SOME PLANNING, SOME TYPE OF EVENT.
IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP ELOQUENTLY BY OUR STAFF THAT LET'S NOT JUST CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, LET'S CELEBRATE NOT ONLY OUR HISTORY, BUT OUR CURRENT ACHIEVEMENTS AND ALSO FUTURE ACHIEVEMENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'LL BE THERE.
SO THAT'S AN APPROACH WE'RE TAKING.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A EVENT IN THE ERA THAT WE FIND OURSELVES, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
PRIME MERIDIAN MAGAZINE IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT THE NEW ADDITION TO THE PRIME MERIDIAN MAGAZINE WILL BE OUT IN THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
THIS PAST WEEK, DIRECTOR MAISNER AND MYSELF MET WITH THE OKEMOS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JOHN HOOD AND REFERENCED TO THE SENIOR CENTER WITH THE UPCOMING POTENTIAL MILLAGE.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF THE SENIOR CENTER? IT'S CRITICAL TO THIS COMMUNITY AND WE WANT SOME COMMITMENTS NOW RATHER THAN AFTER THE MILLAGE, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
I THINK WE HAD A GOOD MEETING AND A GOOD DISCUSSION.
THIS WEEK, OUR STAFF AND COMMITTEE, LED BY DIRECTOR[INAUDIBLE] HAD A DEI TRAINING THROUGH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
IT WAS A GOOD HOUR, A GOOD USE OF OUR TIME.
SOME BOARD MEMBERS, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
AS DEPUTY MANAGER, PERRY MENTIONED, IT'S AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR US.
WE'RE GOING TO BE BONDING FOR YEAR FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WORK WITH TREASURY AND WE WORK WITH A LOT OF FOLKS ON THIS BONDING BECAUSE IT'S A BIG DEAL AS RATE COMES IN AT WHAT WE PAY.
THE ANNUAL REPORT WILL BE OUT FEBRUARY 1ST, ROUGHLY FOCUSING ON 2021S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND YOU CAN EXPECT IT TO BE PRESENTED TO YOU AT YOUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY.
DIRECTOR CLARK'S MAKING SOME GOOD WORK UP AT THE HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE, DIRECTOR SCHMITT IS ASSISTING HER WORKING WITH A POTENTIAL DEVELOPER OUT OF HOLLAND FOR THE ADDITIONAL I THINK IT'S 19 ACRES.
SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
THE SPARROW PROJECT TRADER JOE'S, WE HOPE, IS WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME DEMOLITION IN THE COMING MONTHS OF THOSE BUILDINGS ON GRAND RIVER [INAUDIBLE] BUDDY'S PIZZA AND PHASE THREE OF THE ELEVATION DOWN AT JOLLY AND OKEMOS, WE'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE NEW ICE ARENA THAT WE'VE HAD THERE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO OUT THERE, IT'S NOT.
IF YOU USE THE ICE, IT'S YOU DON'T GLIDE AS YOU DON'T GLIDE REALLY AT ALL, BUT YOU DON'T GLIDE AS AS MUCH AS WE'D HOPED YOU WOULD.
AND DIRECTOR MAISNER TAKEN A LEAD ON THAT OF TRYING TO FIND A FIX, AND IT'S WORKED WITH THE CONTRACTOR THAT PUT IN THE [INAUDIBLE] ICE ARENA.
AND THAT'S THAT SPECIAL POTION WAS PLACED ON THE ON THE ICE LAST WEEK, AND WE'RE HOPING FOR A BETTER OUTCOME OF THE ICE ARENA.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE DELTA TOWNSHIP LEAP IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE GM PLANT.
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE REGION, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, TRUSTEE HERRING JACKSON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON LEAP.
EVERYONE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THAT DESERVES A BIG CONGRATULATIONS.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT TO SAY FOR LAST THIS EVENING AND THAT IS THURSDAY'S A BIG DAY FOR US IN THIS TOWNSHIP AND WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE THE WORK OF STEPHEN GEBES.
STEPHEN IS A RESIDENT, A HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
AND ON THURSDAY WILL MARK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STAY ABOUT 18 MONTHS IN A JOB NOWADAYS.
STEVEN MARKS 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP ON THURSDAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE MASK MUFFIN GET TOGETHER IN HERE ON THURSDAY TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
[00:40:01]
SO I WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK STEPHEN FOR HIS WORK.[APPLAUSE] THEY DON'T COME ANY MORE DEDICATED THAN MR. GEBES.
MANAGER WALSH AND NOW WE ARE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 7, WHICH IS BOARD MEMBER
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
REPORTS AND ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST? AND EVERYBODY RAISED THEIR HAND AT ONCE.CLERK GUTHRIE AND THEN TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TODAY I ATTENDED A WEBINAR PUT ON BY THE BUREAU OF ELECTIONS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ON ELECTION SECURITY RISKS.
THERE WAS AN OVERVIEW ON RANSOMWARE AND AN OVERVIEW NOT ONLY JUST ON CYBERSECURITY, BUT PHYSICAL AND OPERATIONAL SECURITY AS WELL, AND MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION, AND HOW WE CAN BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES ON ELECTION DAY FOR SECURITY.
AND I BRIEFLY SPOKE WITH THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER ABOUT THIS EARLIER TODAY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE MEETING WITH A LITTLE BIT.
WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT DURING THE GOALS SESSION ABOUT SOME THINGS WE WERE DOING IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR SECURITY.
BUT I'LL I'LL CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELECTION WORKERS ARE SAFE AND AND SECURE AND ALL THAT SO.
BUT I CAN KEEP YOU POSTED, BUT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE'RE YOU KNOW, THAT VOTING INFORMATION IS SECURE, THAT WE DO HAVE SECURE ELECTIONS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WE RECEIVE A LOT OF CALLS IN OUR OFFICE AND EMAILS ASKING ABOUT VOTER INFORMATION.
AND WE DON'T HAVE VOTER INFORMATION.
IT'S ON THE STATE QUALIFIED VOTER DATABASE.
AND SO I WANT TO ASSURE PEOPLE AND STEPHEN, I MEAN, TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY FOR ME TO HAVE THAT CYBERSECURITY DISCUSSION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MANAGER ANNOUNCING THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS BECAUSE YOU DO AN EXCELLENT JOB SECURING THE INFORMATION HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO WE'LL JUST BE LOOKING AT OUR ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN ASSESSING, ASSESSING OUR OUR OUR RISK MANAGEMENT HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP AND OUR POLLING LOCATIONS AND OUR VOTING RECORDS.
LAST NIGHT, I ATTENDED THE OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I THINK SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT IT WAS ON THE MASCOT SELECTION COMMITTEE, AND THEY ANNOUNCED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT THEIR NEW MASCOT IS THE WOLVES, AND THEY WILL BE GOING BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD SEEKING APPROVAL FOR THAT IN THEIR FEBRUARY MEETING.
AND I DID SPEAK WITH SUPERINTENDENT JOHN HOOD ASKING IF HE COULD COME DURING A BOARD MEETING, EVEN MAYBE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND JUST KIND OF MAKE A COMMENT AND TALK ABOUT THAT WITH TO THE BOARD.
LAST WEEK, I ATTENDED THE FRIENDS OF OKEMOS LIBRARY MEETING.
THEY HAVE AN UPCOMING BOOK SALE ON MARCH 5TH THROUGH THE 6TH.
THEIR SALES HAVE BEEN DOWN PROBABLY BECAUSE OF COVID, SO THEY ARE LOOKING TO SELL MORE BOOKS AND THEY'RE FIGURING OUT WAYS TO DO THAT.
THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR DONATIONS.
THEY ACCEPT BOOKS, CDS AND DVDS.
SO IF YOU HAVE THEM, LET ME KNOW I CAN HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE TO TAKE THEM OR JUST CONTACT THE FRIENDS OF YOU KNOW, CONTACT THE OKEMOS LIBRARY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'M ALSO ON THE MARINE CONSERVATION CORPS, AND THEY DO HAVE AN EVENT THIS SATURDAY ON JANUARY 29TH AT TED BLACKWOOD'S, AND THE INFORMATION IS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GET INVOLVED.
AND I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT WITH OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE DO WANT TO THANK THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE FUND FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
YES, AND THE GRANT THAT THEY PROVIDED TO OKEMOS TO GO THROUGH THIS, IT'S VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE ALL OF YOUR SIGNAGE AND ALL OF YOUR APPARELS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU COLLECT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
WE RECEIVED $250,000, AND IT'S AROUND $4 OR $500,000.
AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ENTITIES OUT THERE WATCHING, THEY COULD APPLY TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE FUND AS WELL IF THEY HAVE SIMILAR NEEDS.
TREASURER DESCHAINE YOUR REPORT.
BECAUSE OF COVID AND HOLIDAYS, WE HAVE NOT HAD MOST OF OUR USUAL TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONS AND OTHER BOARDS MEET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING ON DECEMBER 14TH.
HOWEVER, WE DID HOLD A CAPILLARY TREASURES ASSOCIATION TRAINING FOR OUR TREASURY STAFF AND THOSE OF OTHER COUNTY TREASURERS AND MASON ON JANUARY 13TH AND 14TH, AND IT WAS EXCELLENT, PARTICULARLY AS WE HAVE A NEW DEPUTY TREASURER HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
[00:45:01]
AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT YESTERDAY WITH TRUSTEE JACKSON AND CLERK GUTHRIE AND THE TEAM, WE DID ATTEND THE DEI TRAINING THAT MANAGER WALSH MENTIONED THE SECOND ROUND PUT ON BY MSU.AGAIN, VERY VALUABLE, VERY HELPFUL FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM.
TREASURER DESCHAINE TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT MAKE THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING LAST MONTH, BUT I'LL ATTEND THIS MONTH.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION LET YOU KNOW THAT NATIONAL WETLAND DAY IS FEBRUARY 2ND, 22.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MS. YATES IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO COME UP WITH A WETLAND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TO SAY THE KICKOFF WAS TODAY.
SO YOU'LL START SEEING SOME SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROTECT THE WETLANDS IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY.
ALSO, THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR GREEN GRANTS WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES.
I'M SORRY, $10,00 WILL DEPEND ON HOW MANY PROPOSALS WE GET, BUT IT CAN BE USED FOR THINGS LIKE PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS OR TREES, WETLAND BUFFERS, PROTECTION, NATIONAL SHORELINES, FOOD COMPOSTING, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO APPLY.
JUST A REMINDER THAT HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL HAD HAD IMPLEMENTED AN OUTDOOR LEARNING LAB IN A WASTED KIND OF SPACE IN THE COMMON AREA OF THE SCHOOL.
AND RADMOOR MONTESSORI SCHOOL HAD CONSTRUCTED THE PATHWAY TO DISCOVERY, WHICH WAS ALSO AN OUTDOOR LEARNING AREA FOR FOR THE FOR THE KIDS THERE.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE VERBAL COMMISSION IS WORKING ON THEIR FIVE YEAR REVIEW, THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AND UPDATE, AND I WILL BEGIN THAT WORK REAL SOON.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS? CLERK GUTHRIE I'M SORRY, I FORGOT.
I ALSO ATTENDED THE PARK COMMISSION MEETING AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PASSION AND THE DEDICATION OF OUR PARK COMMISSIONERS AND THE FIVE YEAR PLAN AND AND THE WETLAND RESTORATION PLAN THAT WAS INCLUDED WITH THE WITH THE PARKS MASTER PLAN.
SO THIS WAS VERY IMPRESSED, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
I WILL JUST GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON ONE ISSUE PENDING AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT IS IMPACTING ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE AMENDED IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM THAT ALLOWS FOR VIRTUAL AND REMOTE PARTICIPATION AFTER THE DECEMBER 31ST EXPIRATION.
BRIEF RECAP WITH THAT IS THAT THERE WASN'T THERE WAS BOTH CASE LAW AND THERE WAS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION WHICH ALLOWED FOR VIRTUAL AND REMOTE PARTICIPATION.
WE DIDN'T REALLY EXERCISE THAT IN THIS BODY WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP, BUT THERE WAS THAT ABILITY PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WHEN THE LEGISLATURE WENT IN AND AMENDED THE LAW TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPRESS AND CLEAR THAT YOU COULD MEET VIRTUALLY AND REMOTELY DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEY CHANGED THAT LANGUAGE TO WHICH THE CASE LAW AND THE [INAUDIBLE] PERTAINED TO.
AND SO NOW, AFTER DECEMBER 31ST, YOU CAN ONLY PARTICIPATE REMOTELY OR VIRTUALLY IF YOU'RE ON ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF BILLS PENDING BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.
SOME PERTAIN TO SPECIFIC PUBLIC BODIES.
ONE WOULD EXTEND VIRTUAL AND REMOTE TILL MARCH 31ST, AND ANOTHER WOULD ALLOW DELIBERATION REMOTELY, BUT NOT VOTING AND MMO, MTA, AND MAC, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION ALL CONTINUE TO WORK ON TRYING TO GET ONE OF THOSE BILLS TO A HEARING.
BUT AT THIS JUNCTURE, THERE STILL HAS NOT BEEN A HEARING IN THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE ON THOSE BILLS.
SO THE ONE POINT OF OPTIMISM, I GUESS I WOULD CONVEY, IS THAT THE HOUSE DID HAVE TO CANCEL SESSION DUE TO, YOU KNOW, ARISING COVID AND HISTORIC COVID NUMBERS LAST WEEK.
AND IF THAT CONTINUES, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT PUT PRESSURE ON THE HOUSE TO GIVE SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY TO LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOL BOARDS.
ONE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST NOTE FOR OUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS WANTING TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE ISSUE COMMITTEES IN THE HOUSE ARE OPERATING UNDER A BROADER INTERPRETATION.
I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH IT, BUT AN INTERPRETATION THAT YOU COULD PARTICIPATE AND DELIBERATE VIRTUALLY, BUT NOT VOTE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME OTHER LOCAL UNITS DOING THAT, BUT I THINK THERE'S
[00:50:01]
SOME LATITUDE OR SOME PRIVILEGES BEING TAKEN AND REACHING THAT LEGAL OPINION.BUT JUST SOMETHING THAT I WOULD FLAG FOR MANAGER WALSH AND OUR COUNSEL IF THEY REVISIT THE ISSUE.
ANY OTHER ITEMS UNDER BOARD MEMBER REPORTS SEEING NONE.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
WE ARE NOW ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 9.THE CONSENT AGENDA, IT CONSISTS OF COMMUNICATIONS MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 11TH AND DECEMBER 14TH MEETINGS WERE BILLS THAT NEED APPROVAL.
THE M.43 WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT CONTRACT, THE GREATER LANSING AREA REGIONAL STORMWATER AGREEMENT RENEWAL, THE 6013 GREENMAN LOT 10 OAK GROVE HEIGHTS AND THE RATIFICATION OF A NEW POLICE OFFICER APPOINTMENT.
CHIEF WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THIS APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING, CORRECT? WE'RE APPROVING IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY HERE THIS EVENING, RIGHT? NO.
TYPICALLY AFTER THEY SWEAR AND WE BRING THEM TO THE BOARD.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA TRUSTEE JACKSON.
MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SECONDED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
AND WE NEED A RECORD ROLL-CALL VOTE CLERK GUTHRIE.
SUPERVISOR PRO TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, YES.
[10. QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY]
AND WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10.QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY OUR ATTORNEY IS NOT PRESENT TONIGHT.
WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE ANY HEARINGS UNDER ITEM 11, SO WE'RE ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS AND AS WE APPROVE ON THE AGENDA, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP.
[12J. Woodward Way PILOT]
ITEM NUMBER 12 J.THE WOODWARD PILOT FIRST, WE DO HAVE A MOTION IN THE PACKET.
IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION PRIOR TO ITS INTRODUCTION FROM DIRECTOR SCHMITT TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE TAX RESOLUTION THAT DEFINED BALLOT LANGUAGE BE PLACED, I'M NOT ON THE RIGHT ONE.
IT'S ON THE BALLOT PAGE, IT'S PAGE 101, MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO GRANT TAX EXEMPT STATUS WITH PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES PILOT FOR THE HOUSING PROJECT KNOWN AS WOODWARD WAY.
AND MR. SCHMIDT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM? YEAH.
SO BRIEFLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN THE PROJECT ORIGINALLY CAME UP, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT IS TYPICALLY APART OF ANY FINANCING PACKAGE AND SCORING PACKAGE AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT IS PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE MECHANISM THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO HELP SUBSIDIZE THESE PROJECTS TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THIS WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED IN 2019 EXTENDED IN 2020.
OBVIOUSLY, DUE TO COVID AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ISSUES, CONSTRUCTION DIDN'T GET UNDERWAY UNTIL LATE IN 2021.
SO WE DO NEED TO REAUTHORIZE THIS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
NOTHING HAS SUBSTANTIVELY CHANGED.
THIS IS STILL A FORTY NINE UNIT PROJECT, STILL HAS THE SAME CAPITAL STACK THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] AND PRIVATE FINANCING.
THE PILOT IS ESSENTIALLY A REQUIREMENT TO HAPPEN AT THIS POINT.
IT IS A FIFTEEN YEAR REQUEST THAT A FIVE PERCENT THERE ALSO BE A MUNICIPAL SERVICES PAYMENT IN ADDITION TO THAT WHICH IS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE STATE LAW.
CRAIG PATTERSON, WITH [INAUDIBLE] COOPER COMPANIES, IS HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK ABOUT IT FURTHER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THEY'RE WELL UNDERWAY.
WE HAVE DONE STARTED DOING INSPECTIONS ON THE PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS PROJECT DONE IN 2022.
DIRECTOR SCHMITT MR. PATTERSON, DID YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD? JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN.
IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT ON THE SITE, YOU KNOW WE'VE POURED FOOTERS.
SITE WAS CHALLENGING WHEN WE DID OUR GEOS.
ORIGINALLY, WE FOUND SOME STUFF THAN WE DID MORE GEOS AND WE FOUND MORE STUFF.
AND SO WE HAD TO CHANGE THE SITE PLAN AND THAT'S PART OF THE DELAY AS WELL.
OUR COMPLIANCE PERIOD FOR A PILOT IS FIFTEEN YEARS IT'S MANDATORY.
BUT AS I REMEMBER, THIS PILOT WAS APPROVED FOR FORTY FIVE YEARS.
AND AS YOU REMEMBER, THERE'S A $9,000 PER YEAR MSA THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS BOARD.
MOST OF YOU ARE ON THE BOARD, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE SUPPORT.
ANY DISCUSSION AMONG BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEE JACKSON AND THEN TREASURER DESCHAINE, I WOULD JUST ASK ANYONE WHO CAN ANSWER WHAT IS THE EXPECTED COMPLETION TIME? OH, GREAT QUESTION.
[00:55:05]
HE SAID IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION TOO.WE CLOSED ON OUR EQUITY THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
WAIT, NO, WE CLOSED THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY.
BUT FORTUNATELY, BECAUSE WE HAD PERMITS, WE GOT STARTED A LITTLE EARLIER.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE COMPLETE AS LONG AS WE KEEP YOUR BUILDING INSPECTOR HAPPY AS LONG AS THIS MAN IS HAPPY.
WE HOPE TO HAVE OUR FINAL CFO BY THE TIME SANTA COMES AT THE END OF THE YEAR, SO IT'S A REALLY QUICK TO MARKET PROJECT.
GENERALLY, IT TAKES 14 MONTHS FOR US TO COMPLETE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, BUT WE'RE ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TREASURER DESCHAINE DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? JUST WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THE PILOT AND THOSE THAT WEREN'T AT OUR FIRST DISCUSSION, PILOT IS PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, WHERE THE TOWNSHIP OF BOARD BOARD AGREES TO TAKE A SIGNIFICANT LOWER PAYMENT FROM THE PROPERTY BECAUSE THE PROPERTY MEETS A LARGER GOAL.
FOR US, THAT GOAL IS A MORE DIVERSE HOUSING.
STOCK IN PARTICULAR, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE OTHER PILOTS [INAUDIBLE] PLACED NEXT TO IT.
MARSH POINT AND ALSO GRANGE ACRES.
THOSE THREE ARE ALL TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES THAT HAVE ARE GEARED TOWARDS SENIOR HOUSING AGED SIXTY TWO AND HIGHER.
SO THIS IS UNIQUE AND THAT THIS WOODWAY IS NOT ONLY FOR THE SENIORS, IT'S REALLY AIMED AT FAMILY HOUSING AND THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
FAMILY HOUSING IS A REAL NEED IN THIS TOWNSHIP.
SO THE BOARD TWO YEARS AGO WAS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS VOTED, I BELIEVE, SIX TO ONE IN FAVOR OF IT, AND I HOPE THE BOARD WILL AGAIN TONIGHT.
THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THIS WILL BE AN EXCELLENT PROJECT AND PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, TOP QUALITY HOUSING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSEVERANCE THROUGH COVID THROUGH, YOU KNOW FOR GEO RESULTS.
AND AND THIS IS JUST IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PROJECT.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, YOU KNOW.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I WANT TO SAY MARK HELPED US ALONG THE WAY.
ANOTHER STAFF, TIM, REALLY JUMPED ON BOARD QUICKLY WHEN WE HAD TO CHANGE THIS SITE PLAN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ON BUILDING A CUL DE SAC AT THE END OF [INAUDIBLE], THE COUNTY SAID, WE NEED A CUL DE SAC AND IT TOOK US MONTHS TO NEGOTIATE.
FINALLY, WE PUT IT ON OUR SITE AND IT'S ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEET IN DIAMETER.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT BEING BUILT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.
AND THIS ITEM, ACTUALLY THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY CAME BACK TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS DUE TO THAT CUL DE SAC IN THE ZBA GAVE APPROVAL.
I WANT TO SAY LIKE TWO AND A HALF MONTHS AGO OR THREE MONTHS AGO NOW, IT WAS A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE UNITS GOT STACKED.
SO THE COUNTY KIND OF CLUSTERED THE DEVELOPMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE AS A RESULT OF THEIR REQUIREMENT FOR THE CUL DE SAC.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
I WILL JUST QUICKLY ECHO IN THE EXCITEMENT.
I THINK THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO ATTRACT A LOT OF PUPILS.
IT'S IN THE OKEMOS SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE STARTING OUT AND MAYBE NOT ABLE TO BUY INTO THE OKEMOS HOUSING MARKET YET TO GET IN THERE.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE A TAX CREDIT HOUSING WITHOUT THE AGE RESTRICTION HERE, AND I THINK THE LOCATION IS PERFECT.
I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE RIGHT ONE AND YOU COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM A FOOD DESERT.
SO THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE THIS TYPE OF HOUSING SHOULD GO IN AN IDEAL WORLD, AND IT'S GREAT TO ACTUALLY SEE A PROJECT GO IN SUCH AN IDEAL FASHION.
SO THANK YOU, MR. PATERSON, AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
AND THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT FOR HELPING TO EXPEDITE CHANGES AND CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE NOW NEED A ROLL-CALL VOTE ON THE QUESTION BEFORE US.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSUMMER YES AND TRUSTEE JACKSON YES.
[12A. Appointment of Supervisor Pro-Tem]
THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE.WE ARE NOW ON TO AGENDA OR ACTION ITEM 12 A, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT OF A SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR THE COUNTY YEAR 2022.
[01:00:04]
SUPERVISOR STYKA PREPARED THE MEMO WITH THE HELP OF STAFF.THAT'S IN OUR PACKET AND THERE IS A MOTION WITH A BLANK FOR US TO DELIBERATE ON AND TO ARRIVE AT A CONSENSUS.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? TREASURER DESCHAINE.
FIRST OF ALL, WHILE, I'LL BE MAKING THIS MOTION.
IT COMES FROM SUPERVISOR STYKA, AND IF HE WERE HERE, I'M CERTAIN HE WOULD BE MAKING IT HIMSELF.
I MOVE THE BOARD APPOINT THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2022 TRUSTEE TRUSTEE PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON TO ACT AS SUPERVISOR, PRO TEM AT ANY MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OR IN THE SUPERVISOR IS ABSENT, SECOND.
SECONDED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO APPOINT TRUSTEE PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON TO SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR 2022, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TRUSTEE JACKSON HAS ALREADY SERVED AS SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR TWO YEARS AND OF ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, THERE IS NO BOARD MEMBER THAT IS AT MORE MEETINGS AND MORE INVOLVED IN THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF THE TOWNSHIP THAN TRUSTEE JACKSON.
WE HAVE A NEW TRUSTEE OFFICE AND I AM NOT SURE, BUT I THINK PATRICIA JACKSON IS GETTING HER MAIL THERE.
SHE IS HERE QUITE A BIT AND WE SEE A LOT OF HER.
SHE HAS ASKED GOOD QUESTIONS AND REALLY HAS HER HER FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT SHE'LL MAKE AN EXCELLENT SUPERVISOR PRO TEM.
THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I WOULD ECHO EVERYTHING, THE TREASURER SAID, AND THAT I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR OUR BOARD AND VERY EXCITED FOR YOUR NEW, NEW OR OLD POSITION.
I WOULD COMMENT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE KIND WORDS AND THE THE APPOINTMENT.
I WILL TRY MY BEST TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR FOR THE YEAR.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON AND CONGRATULATIONS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU TAKE OVER THE GAVEL WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
WE NEED TO TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE [INAUDIBLE].
CLERK GUTHRIE BOARD TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
PRO TEM SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER YES.
[12B. Township Manager Performance Review]
CLERK GUTHRIE AND WE ARE NOW ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER 12 B THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S PERFORMANCE REVIEW.WE DO HAVE A MOTION IN THE PACKET.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION? UH, TRUSTEE WISINSKI, SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO FIND IT, TRYING TO MAKE YOU SWEAT.
YOU LET ME USE YOUR COMPUTER AND EVERYTHING.
MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2021 TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S PERFORMANCE REVIEW AS PRESENTED, THE REVIEWED DOCUMENT SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE FOR PROPER FILING, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON.
ALL RIGHT, IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED.
I THINK THE REPORT GOES INTO GREAT DETAIL ABOUT THE SERVICE THAT MANAGER WALSH HAS PROVIDED TO THE TOWNSHIP AND THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BOARD DRAWS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THIS ITEM? TREASURER DESCHAINE, I WILL SAY THAT THIS WAS THE FIFTH PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF THE MANAGER THAT I WAS PART OF, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS FOUR, IT WAS IT WAS AN EASY REVIEW TO DO BECAUSE THE MANAGER EVALUATION BY ALL BOARD MEMBERS REACHED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FIVE EXCELLENT IN ALL CATEGORIES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE SUPERVISOR DIDN'T TAKE SOME FEEDBACK FROM US ON WAYS THAT THINGS CAN BE POSSIBLY DONE DIFFERENT AND TAKE INPUT FROM THE BOARD.
BUT OVERALL, THE BOARD EXPRESSED ITS VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THE EXCELLENT WORK BEING DONE BY THE MANAGER, AND THIS DOCUMENT REFLECTS THOSE COMMENTS AND THE INPUT FROM THE FROM THE BOARD.
I'VE SAID BEFORE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THIS BOARD DOES IS HIRE A MANAGER.
EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THIS BOARD DOES IS FUNNELED THROUGH THE MANAGER.
AND SO IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN PLACE, THE BOARD'S GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS AND HOPES FOR THE TOWNSHIP WILL NOT BE FULFILLED.
THE TOWNSHIP IS MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE'VE HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF INCREASE IN THE PAST TEN YEARS OF ANY TOWNSHIP AND IN THE REGION, AND WE HAD THE RIGHT MANAGER IN PLACE.
THIS EVALUATION REFLECTS THAT TO KEEP GROWING, GROWING IN THE SMART WAY
[01:05:03]
THAT PRESERVES THE EASTERN NATURAL OF NATURAL THOUGHT OF THE TOWNSHIP AND PROVIDES FOR THE ECONOMIC GROWTH WE NEED AS WELL TO BRING BACK OUR BUSINESS DISTRICT AS WELL AS MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT ASSETS OF EXCELLENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND GREAT SCHOOLS.SO AGAIN, IT WAS IT WAS A PLEASURE DOING THIS EVALUATION.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN MANAGER WALSH IN PLACE AND WE'RE WERE WELL-SERVED BY HIM.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM BEFORE US.
TRUSTEE JACKSON I WOULD JUST ADD AS THE SECONDARY THAT I AGREE 100 PERCENT WITH MR. DESCHAINES' ASSESSMENT OF THE PROCESS OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND THE CONCLUSIONS THAT WE ALL CAME TO AND AGREED ON.
AND I'LL JUST TAKE A MOMENT HERE REALLY BRIEFLY TO READ THROUGH THE CONCLUSION AND THE FINDING OF THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S OPINION IN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S OPINION MANAGER WALSH IS AN EXCELLENT MUNICIPAL MANAGER.
MR. WALSH WAS EXCELLENT IN ALL PHASES OF TOWNSHIP GOVERNANCE.
HIS INSIGHTS AND CALM DISCERNMENT OF SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ARE TO BE ENVIED.
IT IS OBVIOUS TO THOSE WHO WORK WITH HIM THAT HE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT HIS JOB, THE COMMUNITY AND OUR CITIZENS.
HIS DEVOTION TO OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTINUES TO GIVE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP A REPUTATION FOR CARING FOR ALL OF ITS CITIZENS.
IN A YEAR WITH INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES, HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE HIS FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND STABILITY SO THAT ALL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OF THE TOWNSHIP CONTINUED AT A HIGH LEVEL, EVEN DURING DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENTED BY THE CONTINUING COVID 19 PANDEMIC, AND A NOTE THAT UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN RATED THE NUMBER ONE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN MICHIGAN BY NICHE.
AND WITH THAT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
SPEAK TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
YEAH, I REQUESTED A MEETING WITH MANAGER WALSH, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE A HOLIDAY, AND HE MET ME HERE AT THE OFFICE WITHOUT REMINDING ME IT WAS A HOLIDAY.
AND AND DURING THAT TIME IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, SO IT WAS TAX PAYMENT TIME.
AND MANAGER WALSH ACTUALLY PROVIDED CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGH HIS WINDOW OUT OF HIS OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE KNEW WHERE TO PUT THEIR TAX PAYMENTS AND WOULD GET RECEIPT.
SO JUST ONE OF THOSE OVER AND ABOVES' THAT I WITNESSED MYSELF.
I WAS HERE ON THAT DAY AS WELL, SO I CAN ATTEST TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WAS PROVIDED AT THE THE WALK UP WINDOW MANAGER WALSH DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE COLLECTING TAXES THAT DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS ONE CUSTOMER, I THINK TRUSTEE WISINSKI SHE WASN'T HAVING IT.
SHE WASN'T GIVING ME HER TAX BILL, BUT SHE WRAPPED IT IN A [INAUDIBLE] BAG AND SHE GAVE IT TO ME AND GOT IT ALL WORKED OUT.
COME TO FIND OUT ON MONDAY ACCIDENTALLY.
NO ONE PAYS THEIR TAXES IN A [INAUDIBLE] TAX BAG AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHECK IN THE BANK, IT WOULD BE THIS CUSTOMER AND SHE HANDLED IT REALLY WELL AND IT ALL WORKED OUT.
BUT IT WAS AN INTERESTING TWENTY FOUR HOURS WITH HER AND GETTING THE TAX THING ALL WORKED OUT.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE HELP FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND THAT DISPOSAL OF THAT MYERS BAG.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE TRUSTEE HERRING JACKSON.
WHAT A GREAT CHOICE FOR SUPERVISOR.
PRO TEM SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.
A NOTE FROM CRAIG PATTERSON, WHO JUST LEFT, WHO ASKED ME TO READ THIS TO YOU BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO TELL YOU THIS.
FRANK, PLEASE CONVEY MY GRATITUDE TO THE TOWNSHIP FOR IT, FOR MOVING ME UP ON THE AGENDA , IT GETS ME HOME AT A DECENT TIME.
AS FAR AS THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW, AND I WAS RAISED IN A HOME WHERE PARENTS TOLD ME, YOU'LL BE JUDGED BY THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH.
THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD ME EVERY DAY AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE JUDGED WITH IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT IN MOST CASES THAT I'VE CHOSEN AND THE TWO THAT WERE HERE TO MY LEFT AND TO MY RIGHT OUTSTANDING AND THE BOARD THAT I GET TO WORK WITH AND THIS COMMUNITY.
SO MY PARENTS WOULD BE PROUD TODAY TO JUDGE ME BY THE PEOPLE THAT I'M SURROUNDED MYSELF WITH.
I REALLY ENJOY MY JOB HERE, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
I DON'T BELIEVE LEGALLY WE NEED A RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE ON US, BUT LET'S TAKE ONE ANYWAY.
[01:10:01]
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER YES.[12C. Township Manager Employment Agreement-Amendment]
AND WE NOW MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER 12 C THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AMENDMENT.AND SO BRIEFLY, I'M JUST GOING TO SUMMARIZE THE CHANGES HERE.
BASED ON THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW CONDUCTED ON DECEMBER 14TH, 2021, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED EXTENDING THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S CONTRACT THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 THE APPROVED LANGUAGE UNDER SECTION 5 C STATES THAT THE EMPLOYER SHALL BE SHALL PROVIDE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AN ANNUAL PAYMENT OF $8,300 INTO A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT HSA.
GIVEN THE MANAGER'S ANNUAL SALARY OF $148,910.
THE SIX PERCENT EQUATES TO AN ANNUAL PAYMENT OF $8,934.60.
THE MAXIMUM ANNUAL HSA CONTRIBUTION ALLOWED UNDER FEDERAL GUIDELINES IS $8,300.
THEREFORE, THE APPROVED CONTRACT AMOUNT EXCEEDS LEGAL GUIDELINES.
FEDERAL GUIDELINES SORRY, THE AMENDMENT BEFORE US AMEND SECTION FIVE TO CHANGE THE SIX PERCENT TO A LOWER AMOUNT OF $8,300.
BY APPROVING THE AMENDMENT, WE MEET THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR ANNUAL HSA CONTRIBUTIONS AND WE DO HAVE A MOTION IN THE PACKET WITH ANYBODY LIKE TO READ THE MOTION, TRUSTEE JACKSON.
I MOVE TO AMEND THE JANUARY 1, 2022 DECEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2024 TOWNSHIP MANAGERS CONTRACT TO MODIFY SECTION 5C BY ELIMINATING AN ANNUAL QUOTE AN ANNUAL PAYMENT OF SIX PERCENT TO QUOTE AN ANNUAL PAYMENT OF $8,300 UNQUOTE.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON, IS THERE A SECOND.
ALL RIGHT, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE MANAGER'S CONTRACT? CLERK GUTHRIE.
I HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THIS MOTION.
I BELIEVE THE AMOUNT THE $8,300 IS THE IS THAT THE MAXIMUM IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED UNDER THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
OK, SO THE THE ORIGINAL WAS EXCEEDING THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE SO THE SO THE INTENT, I THOUGHT, WAS THAT THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED WOULD BE WHAT IT IS RATHER THAN $8,300.
SO IF THAT WERE TO CHANGE, THEN WE WOULD BE CHANGING IT AGAIN RATHER THAN JUST SAYING THE MAXIMUM THAT'S ALLOWED.
SO I JUST HAD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT INSTEAD OF $8,300 THAT IT'S THE 83 THAT IT'S THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
WELL, I MEAN, WE COULD DO THAT, BUT ONE ONE ITEM TO NOTE IS THAT WE DO UPDATE THIS ANNUALLY, SO IT'S A THREE YEAR CONTRACT.
HISTORICALLY, AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, AND I THINK THAT EVEN GOES BACK TO THE PRIOR MANAGER.
SO I MEAN, WE WILL UPDATE IT EVERY YEAR.
SO IF IT DOES CHANGE, IT'S CHANGED EVERY YEAR, THEY COULD.
THAT'S CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY.
THERE'S THERE'S PROBABLY A SMALL POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY ROLL BACK AND THEN WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT OVERALL COMPENSATION AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY SHOULD TREND UPWARD, BUT I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU'RE CORRECT.
[INAUDIBLE] I APPRECIATE THE CLERKS MENTIONED.
I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO MAYBE WAIT AND CONSIDER THAT NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE IF THE PERFORMANCE ISN'T THERE, YOU'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO WANT TO AUTOMATICALLY INCREASE SOMETHING TODAY THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO INCREASE IN A YEAR, YOU MAY WANT TO DECREASE IT BASED ON PERFORMANCE, AND THE BOARD SHOULD HOLD THAT OPTION.
[INAUDIBLE] AT LEAST TRIGGER IT FOR US THIS WAY.
OTHERWISE, THEY'LL NEVER BRING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
SO IT DOES CREATE A TRIGGER SO THAT OUR ATTORNEYS WILL INFORM US OF THIS.
AND THEN THAT DOES BRING IT TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION FOR ANY DELIBERATION.
THE MANAGER GIVING ONE EXAMPLE.
ARE YOU OK [INAUDIBLE] DO I TAKE MY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OFF OR.
NO, YOU CAN, BECAUSE IT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY INTENT ANYWAYS, WITH WITH THE AMOUNT IS THAT IT WAS MAX.
SO YEAH, AND A LOT OF PROVISIONS WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WANT IT TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE AMENDING, YOU KNOW, RIGHT ORDINANCE EVERY YEAR.
BUT THIS CONTRACT, WE DO UPDATE IT EVERY YEAR AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO OKAY, I THINK WE'RE COVERED ON THIS ONE.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH ANY THOUGHTS ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT.
[01:15:02]
SEEING NONE.WE DO NEED A RECORD ROLL CALL ON THIS AS ITS CONTRACT.
PRO TEM SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER YES.
CLERK GUTHRIE, POINT OF PRIVILEGE.
[INAUDIBLE] I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD THAT MOTION READ ALOUD, WHICH WAS THE PREVIOUS ONE APPROVING THE EVALUATION.
SO WITH WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO READ THAT MOTION.
WE'RE A LITTLE RUSTY, BUT I THINK I THINK WE'RE BATTING 100 RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
THAT CONCLUDES ACTION ITEM NUMBER 12 C, AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO 12 E.
[12E. Communications Commission Appointment]
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION APPOINTMENT AND WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM SUPERVISOR STYKA IN THE PACKET.WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.
MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF LISA WHITING DOBSON TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR A TERM ENDING 12/21 OF 2024.
THANK YOU TRUSTEE SUNDLAND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON.
TRUSTEE SUNDLAND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK AT ALL TO THE.
LISA WHITING DOBSON HAS EXCELLENT CREDENTIALS AND EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING DIGITAL MEDIA.
I BELIEVE THAT SHE IS GOING TO PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT BACKGROUND OR MORE KNOWLEDGE TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, AND SHE ALSO HAS A SHE ALSO IS A FRIEND OF MINE PERSONALLY, SO I THINK SHE'S AN EXCELLENT CHOICE.
DID YOU HELP US RECRUIT HER FOR THAT COMMUNICATION? I DID NOT.
I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THIS, BUT I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE IT BECAUSE SHE IS GOING TO BE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
THANK YOU TRUSTEE SUNDLAND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY COMMENTS? TREASURER DESCHAINE I DON'T KNOW THIS CANDIDATE.
SHE'S REALLY TYPICAL OF THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT COME FORWARD AND VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE TO THE TOWNSHIP AND THANK GOSH, THEY AREN'T CHARGING US AN HOURLY RATE BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER AFFORD IT.
SHE HAS FOUR DEGREES, A MASTER'S IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, A BACHELOR'S IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS HER B.S.
IN PSYCHOLOGY AND AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN DANCE.
AND WE JUST ARE SO FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE THESE KIND OF PEOPLE COME FORWARD AND SAY, I WANT TO HELP MAKE THE TOWNSHIP BETTER.
I WANT TO SERVE IN ONE OF YOUR BOARDS COMMISSION.
SO THANK YOU TO MRS. DOBSON FOR STEPPING FORWARD AND I'M SURE SHE'LL MAKE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD TO TREASURER DESCHAINE TO SAY THAT HER OCCUPATION IS IN TELEVISION PRODUCTION, DIRECTION AND INSTRUCTION, SO VERY A VERY GOOD TALENT AND KNOWLEDGE BASE TO HAVE ON THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
MS. DOBSON SHE HAS PROVIDED SHE HAS SENT STUDENTS OVER THE HOMTV INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR OVER 20 YEARS, PROBABLY LONGER THAN THAT.
AND SHE HAS HAD EXCELLENT RECOMMENDATIONS, SENT OUR WAY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PROVIDING A SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SHE KNOWS THE HOMTV INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WELL.
SHE WORKED WITH MYSELF BACK IN, BACK WHEN MICHIGAN STATE CHANGED FROM THEIR SEMESTER AND WE COULDN'T RECRUIT HOMTV, COULDN'T RECRUIT STUDENTS ANY LONGER.
AND SO I REACHED OUT TO MRS. DOBSON AT THAT TIME AND SHE HELPED ME REDO HOMTV'S INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, REWRITE THE PROGRAM TO MATCH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND SOME OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS.
AND AND THAT CHANGED THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS DRAMATICALLY WHO WERE COMING TO THE HOMTV INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND AND SHOWING INTEREST.
IT WENT FROM ONE OR TWO STUDENTS TO HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, AND SHE WAS SURELY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT.
AND I REMEMBER THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME, THEY THOUGHT I WAS TRYING TO GET RID OF THE HOMTV INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND WHEN WE REWROTE IT AND PROPOSED IT TO THEM.
SO I TOO DID NOT KNOW THAT SHE WAS SUBMITTING THIS.
SO I TOO WAS SURPRISED, PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BECAUSE SHE CERTAINLY HAS OVER THE YEARS ALREADY PROVIDED A TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION TO THIS COMMUNITY.
[01:20:04]
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE.I BELIEVE WE CAN JUST DO THIS ONE.
LET'S TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS ONE.
SUPERVISOR, PRO TEM OPSOMMER YES.
[12F. Board of Review Appointments]
AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12 F BOARD OF REVIEW APPOINTMENTS.WE HAVE A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS.
AND BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE MOTION, I JUST WANT TO THANK DIANE FEDORA AND MARTHA [INAUDIBLE] FOR THEIR SERVICE ON THE BOARD OF REVIEW.
AND THEY'RE CREATING SOME VACANCIES.
BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE AND WE HAVE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPOINTMENTS ONE FOR AN ALTERNATE AND ONE FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW BEFORE US.
BUT ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL NUSSDORFER TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW FOR A TERM ENDING 12/31/2022.
ALSO MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF CHRISTOPHER SILKER TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW AS AN ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATE FOR A TERM ENDING 12/31/2022.
ALL RIGHT AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON TREASURER DESCHAINE YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION.
ONE, THE BOARD OF REVIEW IS AN ESSENTIAL BOARD.
IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH OUR ASSESSOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THEIR PROPERTY VALUE, THEY CAN COME TO ONE OF THREE BOARDS OF REVIEW AND MAKE THE CASE THAT THEIR PROPERTY IS NOT VALUED PROPERLY, THAT IS HEARD BY A BOARD OF REVIEW, WHICH IS CITIZENS LIKE THEMSELVES THAT WILL HEAR THEIR CASE AND THEN DECIDE IF, IF THEY KEEP THE ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT OR REDUCE IT AS THE APPLICANT HAS ASKED FOR.
SO IT'S REALLY ESSENTIAL IT PROVIDES A CHECK AND BALANCE TO WHAT OUR STAFF DOES.
I THINK MOST OF THE TIME I'M NOT GOING TO VENTURE TO SAY WHAT HAPPENS MOST OF THE TIME, BUT IT'S AN EXCELLENT WAY FOR CITIZENS TO REDRESS ANY DISCREPANCY OR DISAGREEMENT WITH THEIR CURRENT TAX ASSESSMENTS.
YOU DO KNOW ONE OF THE CANDIDATES, CHRISTOPHER SILKER.
HE'S AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CORNELL WOODS.
HE'S ALSO IN ROTARY AND HE ALSO HAS A YOUNG FAMILY.
AND FOR HIM TO STEP FORWARD TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD REVIEW AGAIN SHOWS THE GENEROSITY OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND I'M NO DOUBT MR. NUSSDORFER IS JUST AS QUALIFIED.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD TRUSTEE WISINSKI JUST A THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR OUR CITIZENS THAT STEP UP.
I THINK WHOEVER SAID IT, WE COULDN'T PAY THEM ENOUGH SO WE KNOW THAT.
AND SO JUST WANT TO THANK MR. NUSSDORFER AND MR. SILKER.
AND WE DO HAVE VACANCIES ON A NUMBER OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WATCHING FROM HOME AND INTERESTED IN SERVING, THEY CAN GO TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WEBSITE TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
ALL RIGHT, WE NEED A RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE ON THE MOTION BEFORE US.
CLERK GUTHRIE TREASURER DESCHAINE YES.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER YES.
[12G. 5-Year Parks & Recreation Master Plan 2022-2026]
AND WE NOW COME TO WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT ITEMS OF THE EVENING.WE HAVE OUR FIVE YEAR PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN FOR 2022-2026 AND WE HAVE DIRECTOR LUANN MAISNER TONIGHT.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE YOU JUST GIVE AN INTRODUCTION AND THEN WE'LL MAKE A MOTION AFTER YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH THE ITEM? THAT'D BE GREAT.
BOY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR DRAFT PLAN OF OUR FIVE YEAR PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN UPDATE FOUR YEARS 2022-2026.
THIS PLAN REPRESENTS THE VISION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR FUTURE PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THIS INFORMATION IS A CULMINATION OF INVENTORY AND EVALUATION OF CURRENT FACILITIES, PUBLIC INPUT AND THE NEEDS BASED ON CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS.
IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE, AND IT FOLLOWS THE GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
IT IS REQUIRED THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS THAT THE PLAN BE UPDATED AND APPROVED AND SUBMITTED TO QUALIFY FOR STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT ELIGIBILITY.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS RECEIVED OVER $3.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS SINCE 1972.
THIS PLAN ALSO SERVES AS A PLANNING GUIDE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT SO WE CAN GAUGE HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS
[01:25:03]
ABOUT OUR SYSTEM.A RECREATION SERVICES AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN? IS THERE A DOES THIS WORK? [INAUDIBLE] HERE WE GO.
[INAUDIBLE] OK, SO ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN INCLUDE OUR COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION, WHICH IS OUR LOCATION, OUR CENSUS INFORMATION, ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, OUR ORDINANCES, THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, WHICH WOULD BE THE STAFFING, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THEN OUR PARKS AND RECREATION INVENTORY AND EVALUATION.
AND AND IN THIS PLAN, IT IS WELL, I'LL GET TO THAT LATER, I GUESS.
BUT IT IS OVER 450 PAGES LONG WITH THE APPENDICES.
AND I KNOW I DIDN'T WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THE ENTIRE PLAN HARD COPY BECAUSE THAT WOULD KILL A FEW TREES ALONG THE WAY.
BUT WE HAVE AN INVENTORY AND EVALUATION OF ALL OF OUR PARK FACILITIES.
SO WHEN WE PURCHASED IT FOR HOW MUCH, WHAT DEVELOPMENT HAS TAKEN PLACE ON THOSE PROPERTIES, WE HAVE SITE PLANS FOR EACH OF THOSE SITES FOR PARKS AND ALL OF OUR LAND PRESERVES AS WELL.
IT ALSO EVALUATES OUR LAND, PRESERVES ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, THE SCHOOL FACILITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY USE, COUNTY PARKS AND MERIDIAN.
THERE'S 430 ACRES OF COMMUNITY PARKS, OUR REGIONAL AMENITIES AND THEN ALSO INDIVIDUAL MAINTENANCE EVALUATIONS FROM PREVIOUSLY FUNDED GRANT PROGRAMS. SO THEY WANT TO SEE HOW WELL WE'VE DONE WITH MAINTAINING OUR FACILITIES FROM PREVIOUS GRANTS, WHICH WERE 26.
AND THEN ALSO, WE HAVE A LISTING OF GRANTS OR PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED SINCE THE LAST PLAN.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
THERE'S MUCH MORE THAN THIS, BUT WATCH PARK REDEVELOPMENT WITH THE WALKING TRAIL LOOP, THE PAVILION, THE OUTDOOR FITNESS EQUIPMENT, HILL BROOK PARK, TENNIS COURTS, PICKLEBALL AND BASKETBALL COURT RENOVATION PROJECT, A NEW PLAYGROUND AT HILL BROOK HARRIS NATURE CENTER, THE NATURE EXPLORATION AREA, THE NEW PAVILION, A NEW RESTROOM, A BIRDWATCH ELEVATED PLATFORM FOR BIRDWATCHING, WET LAB RENOVATIONS, A NEW WELL AND A BUILDING GENERATOR DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTY ROAD PARK.
25 ACRE ATHLETIC FACILITY WITH PAVILION AND ATHLETIC FIELDS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR VERY POPULAR PICKLEBALL COURTS, THE NEW TRAILHEAD AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE IN OUR PARKS.
NEW PAVILION AT NORTH MERIDIAN ROAD PARK DOG PARKS, TWO OF THEM ONE FOR SMALL DOGS, ONE FOR LARGE DOGS, COMMUNITY ART.
WE HAD THREE MURALS INSTALLED PAINTED BY THE COMMUNITY AT FESTIVALS AND THEN OUR, OF COURSE, OUR LEAP ART INSTALLATION AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN AND THEN HBA WITH THEIR THREE SAILBOATS AT THE HASLETT TRIANGLE.
CENTRAL PARK MASTER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED AROUND HERE.
SO THERE'S A NEW BATHROOM BUILDING IN THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE, THE FISHING DOCK, THE CENTRAL MERIDIAN REGIONAL TRAIL CONNECTOR AND BOARDWALK.
THE FISHING DOCK IN CENTRAL PARK SOUTH.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN, WHICH WAS LIKE ONE OF THE LARGEST PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE AND NOW HAS AN ARTIFICIAL ICE RINK.
NEW PROPERTY ACQUISITION OF TWO ACRES AT 5280 OKEMOS ROAD, WHICH WILL SUPPORT FACE FOR NANCY MOORE PARK, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, TRAIL HUB FOR THE FUTURE MSU TO LAKE LANSING TRAIL.
SO THAT'S JUST WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND HAS HELPED TO HAVE THIS PLAN BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S A PLAN AND IT'S DOCUMENTED, THAT'S HOW THINGS HAPPEN.
PUBLIC INPUT WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN HAVING OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS YEAR ROUND THROUGH THE WEBSITE, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS AND THROUGH DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE OUR MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN, THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER FOUNDATION, THE MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB, HASLETT BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION, YOUTH SPORTS COACHES AND OUR DEER MANAGEMENT HUNTERS.
AND THIS PLAN REALLY FORMALIZES THE PROCESS AND DOCUMENTS THE RESULTS.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, I SHOULD SAY, LAST YEAR, THE TOWNSHIP HAD THEIR COMMUNITY SURVEY AND THAT WAS A CONTRACTED, STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY WITH A LOT OF PARKS AND RECREATION QUESTIONS.
THE TIMING COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT AT THAT TIME BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE RESULTS.
[01:30:01]
THE PARK COMMISSION ALSO ENGAGED IN A SURVEY MONKEY SURVEY THAT WAS PROMOTED THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND ALSO SENT DIRECTLY TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.SO ALL OF OUR ANYONE WHO'S EVER BEEN IN A PROGRAM RENTED A PAVILION.
ALL OF OUR HUNTERS OUR PICKLEBALLERS.
OUR SENIOR EXERCISE FOLKS, EVERYONE WAS SENT THOSE DIRECTLY.
AND THE INTERESTING PART IS WE WEREN'T SURE IF THE SURVEY THAT THE TOWNSHIP SENT OUT WAS REALLY HITTING OUR PARK USERS AND OUR PROGRAM USERS.
WE COULD KIND OF JUDGE AND THE RESULTS CAME BACK FAIRLY SIMILAR BETWEEN BOTH, SO I THINK THE PERCEPTION AND THE REALITY PRETTY MUCH MATCH.
SO THAT WAS THAT WAS GOOD AND THE RESULTS WERE VERY SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS.
WE ALSO MET WITH OUR UNIVERSAL ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO WE INVITE TO GET TOGETHER TO REVIEW OUR PARK PLANS, MAYBE GO OVER OUR FACILITIES AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EASIER TO USE? THE PARK COMMISSION ALSO HAD A BOOTH AT THE FARMERS MARKET TO ACCEPT PUBLIC INPUT.
THE PLAN WAS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW FOR 30 DAYS THE MONTH OF DECEMBER HERE AT TOWN HALL, AT THE SERVICE CENTER AND ALSO ONLINE AND PARK COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING TO GAIN ADDITIONAL INPUT.
THE PARK COMMISSION DID FORMALLY APPROVE THE PLAN AT THEIR JANUARY 11TH MEETING, AND I'M HERE TODAY AND THERE IS ACTION REQUIRED TODAY.
I KNOW WITH YOUR MEETING SCHEDULE CHANGING.
NORMALLY YOU LIKE TO HEAR IT, ONE MEETING AND VOTE ON THE NEXT.
BUT I AM REQUESTING THAT YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TONIGHT BECAUSE IT IS DUE FEBRUARY 1ST.
SO SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PUBLIC INPUT, HIGH SATISFACTION IN THE AREAS OF FACILITIES, AMENITIES, CUSTOMER SERVICE, MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY.
POPULAR AMENITIES, OF COURSE, WERE PAVED TRAILS, PATHWAYS, OUTDOOR SPACES FOR PUBLIC GATHERING, PAVILIONS, RESTROOMS, PLAYGROUNDS IN THE RESPONSES RELATED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WERE GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
THE PROXIMITY TO PARKS WHOOPS.
SORRY ABOUT THAT PROXIMITY TO PARKS AND AMENITIES, IN OUR COMMUNITY RECEIVED VERY HIGH RATINGS AND I DO HAVE A LITTLE MAP I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU.
AND WE CALL THIS OUR WALKABILITY MAP.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE OUR PARKS, LAND, PRESERVES AND SCHOOLS BECAUSE MANY SCHOOLYARDS HAVE PLAYGROUNDS.
THERE'S FOR MOST PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY CAN REACH A LAND PRESERVE A PARK OR A SCHOOL WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE WALK.
AND THAT'S WHAT THESE CIRCLES ARE IDENTIFYING.
SO I'VE GOT TO SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN REALLY AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF AQUARIUM PROPERTIES THAT REALLY HIT A MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS I LOOK AT THIS LITTLE DOT, HERE IS ST.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY ALLOW PUBLIC USE OF THEIR PLAYGROUND, BUT THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT ONE AT THEIR SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
AND IF WE WERE TO ADD A CIRCLE THERE, THAT WOULD FILL IN THIS OPEN SPACE HERE.
OUR COMMUNITY PLACES A HIGH VALUE ON OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION, AND OUR RESIDENTS EXPRESSED A STRONG DESIRE FOR A MORE EMPHASIS ON SPECIAL EVENTS, CULTURAL EVENTS, ART AND MUSIC.
RIVER ACCESS AND PADDLE SPORTS TO MAKE BETTER USE OF THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND NEW AMENITIES.
A SKATE PARK, A SPLASH PAD, MORE PICKLEBALL COURTS AND A POOL.
THOSE WERE THE TOP GETTERS FOR FROM PUBLIC INPUT ON NEW FACILITIES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT NATIONAL TRENDS, THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION FROM FROM THEM, THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ARE GOING TO LAST LONG BEYOND 2021.
THERE WAS A RENEWED INTEREST IN PARKS, TRAILS AND WALKABLE ENVIRONMENTS.
AND WE FOUND THAT IN OUR PARKS WITH COVID, WE HAD MORE USERS IN OUR FACILITIES THAN EVER BEFORE.
PEOPLE ARE STAYING CLOSER TO HOME UTILIZING LOCAL PARKS FOR RESPITE AND RECREATION.
PARKS AND NATURAL AREAS WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN CONSERVATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER.
OUTDOOR DINING OPPORTUNITIES, HEALTHY FOODS AND FARMER'S MARKETS ARE HERE FOR A LONG TIME TO STILL TO REMAIN POPULAR.
[01:35:02]
PARKS AND RECREATION WILL PLAY A GREATER ROLE IN SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.SKYROCKETING RATES OF SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS IS CALLING FOR A MORE HOLISTIC FOCUS AND WELL-BEING AND ACCESS TO PARKS AND GREEN SPACE.
WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEMBER WHO'S A THERAPIST WHO PRESCRIBES NATURE TO HER PATIENTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO FEATURE HER IN ONE OF OUR UPCOMING VIDEOS.
AND THEN ALSO, THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER JUST HOSTED A MEDITATIVE FOREST WALK THIS PAST SUNDAY, AND THEY'VE HAD MULTIPLE WINE IN THE WOODS WALKS.
THOSE HAVE ALL FELT LIKE PEOPLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN BEING OUT IN NATURE AND AND HELP WITH WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
TECHNOLOGY AND WI-FI IN THE PARKS BECOMING MORE ESSENTIAL THAN EVER INCREASE IN REMOTE WORK, REMOTE LEARNING, COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATION THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS LOOKING AT BROADBAND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
FEWER BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDINGS EMPTY BIG-BOX STORES MAY SOON BECOME INDOOR SKATE PARKS, COMMUNITY ACTIVITY SPACES AND RECREATION PROGRAM AREAS.
WITH A SKATE PARK HIGH ON OUR LIST AND RUDY MALL LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE MALL AND MAYBE THERE'S AN AREA FOR SHARED HARD SURFACE FOR US TO USE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
COMMUNITIES SHOULD STRIVE TO BE DOG FRIENDLY.
ACCORDING TO A 2021-2022 NATIONAL PET OWNERS SURVEY, 70 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS IN AMERICA HAVE PETS, UP FROM 56 PERCENT A FEW YEARS AGO.
COMMUNITIES SHOULD STRIVE TO BE DOG FRIENDLY TO ATTRACT VISITORS, NEW RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
WITH SELF-DRIVING CARS ON THE HORIZON.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SELF-DRIVING MOWERS, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT MOWERS, THERE'S ALREADY PROGRAMABLE FIELD LINERS.
WE JUST NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT NEW EQUIPMENT AND WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AND HOW WE CAN WORK SMARTER.
ALSO IDENTIFIED IN OUR PLAN, WE LIST OUR QUALITY OF LIFE INITIATIVES THE COMPLETE STREETS ORDINANCE, GREEN SPACE PLAN, CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, PROTECT OUR WETLANDS PLAN FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, OUR BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN PROGRAM, LAND PRESERVATION AND INGHAM COUNTY TRAIL PLAN AND MILLAGE.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM UP HERE FOR ME TO NAVIGATE.
I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE DONE A POWERPOINT.
[INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE RIGHT, WE ARE A LITTLE RUSTY WITH THESE PRESENTATIONS.
I THOUGHT I'D HAVE A PLACE TO SIT STUFF HERE.
SO IN YOUR PACKET, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO.
[INAUDIBLE] I'VE LOST MY PRESENTATION.
I'M SORRY, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND.
OK, SO SO IN OUR PLAN, WE LIST OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND THEY ARE TO PROVIDE SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FACILITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF PHYSICAL SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS.
SO REALLY, IT'S OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
OUR FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, EDUCATION AND LAND STEWARDSHIP.
I WON'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THE OBJECTIVES.
YOU HAVE IT ALL IN YOUR PACKETS.
A PLAN FOR CONTINUED AVAILABILITY OF FINANCIAL, PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PLAN FROM FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAVE LESS STAFF IN OUR OFFICE NOW THAN WE DID FIVE YEARS AGO THAT WOULD HOPE TO GET THAT RESTORED AND THEN ALSO IN TRYING AND WORKING TO FILL SEASONAL POSITIONS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK TO DIFFERENT PLACES OTHER THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS.
[01:40:04]
SO I HOPE WE DO PLAN TO TAKE A LOOK AT MAYBE OUR OLDER, RETIRED POPULATION.WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT WE ENGAGE WITH FROM THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND OUR PICKLEBALL PLAYERS, AND WE JUST HAVE TO MAYBE LOOK AT THE REQUIREMENTS BEING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO MAYBE PEOPLE WANT TO WORK HALF DAYS OR THREE DAYS A WEEK OR DIFFERENT HOURS.
AND SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE MORE OPEN AND FLEXIBLE TO THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS OTHER THAN THEM HAVING TO CONFORM TO OUR EIGHT TO FIVE OR SEVEN THIRTY TWO TO FOUR THREE THIRTY TIME FOR OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF.
SO EVERYONE IS HAVING DIFFICULTIES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE MONEY, BUT IT'S MAYBE THE WORK HOURS OR THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE HAVE THEM DO.
BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP THOSE FOLKS.
NEXT UP, UTILIZED RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS AS A VEHICLE TO EDUCATE AND INSTILL POSITIVE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS ETHICS, VALUES, CITIZENSHIP, SPORTSMANSHIP AND LEADERSHIP.
AND THESE ARE ALL WE HAVE MIKE DEVLIN, WHO HAS BEEN AN AMAZING PERSON WHO HAS REALLY ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY AND AFFECTED THE LIVES OF SO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS, YOU JUST CAN'T PUT A PRICE TAG ON THAT.
AND WE CERTAINLY ARE LOOKING TO CONTINUE WITH THE VALUE OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND ALSO COMMUNICATION, MAKING SURE THAT WE USE ALL VEHICLES OF COMMUNICATION TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REACHING OUR RESIDENTS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 20 YEARS AND I, THEY STARTED USING OUR PARKS AND TRAILS AND THEY'VE NEVER EVEN KNEW ABOUT IT BEFORE.
SO THAT KIND OF TELLS ME WE NEED TO DO SOME MORE THINGS TO GET PEOPLE OUT AND ENGAGED IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
SO THOSE ARE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR ACTION PLAN.
I WAS ALL PREPARED FOR THIS AND I JUST FEEL A LITTLE DISCOMBOBULATED HERE.
BUT WITH OUR ACTION PLAN BASICALLY FOLLOWS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF IN THE LAST FIVE OR SIX OR EIGHT YEARS, AND WE WERE HOPING TO MAYBE TAKE A LITTLE BREATHER.
BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE POSSIBLE OR NOT.
SO THE THINGS WE HAVE COMING UP, THESE ARE THE BUDGETED PROJECTS FOR THIS YEAR AND A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND THEN WE HAVE YEARS AND THAT'S NOT COMING OUT, RIGHT? AND THESE ARE ALL IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
BUT PRETTY MUCH FOLLOWING THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WITH IMPROVEMENTS, NOT ONLY NEW IMPROVEMENTS, BUT A LOT OF RENOVATION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES MOVING FORWARD AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TRAIL AND PATHWAY SYSTEM.
SPORTS FIELD RENOVATION, LAND ACQUISITION AND EASEMENT AGREEMENTS WERE NEEDED AND AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND RECREATION WATER TRAILS AND FISHING ACCESS.
SO IN CONCLUSION, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS PLACED A HIGH VALUE ON QUALITY OF LIFE AMENITIES, INCLUDING PARKS, TRAILS, LAND PRESERVATION PATHWAYS, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSERVATION.
WITH CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE GENERAL FUND, PARK MILLAGE, PATHWAY MILLAGE, LAND PRESERVATION MILLAGE, COMMUNITY SERVICES MILLAGE GRANTS DONATIONS AND WITH OUTSTANDING AND CONSISTENT VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR WITH AND THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEERS, AND WITH CONTINUED STRONG COMMISSION AND TOWNSHIP BOARD LEADERSHIP.
TOGETHER, WE'RE CREATING A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, PLAY AND WORK, AND THAT IS THE PLACE WE CALL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OR, AS WE CALL IT, HOME.
SO WE HAVE IT WAS JUST TODAY I HAD SOMEONE CALL ME AND SAY THAT THEY REALLY USE HILL BROOK PARK, TOWNER ROAD PARK ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THEY ACTUALLY, HE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW WHAT? AND THE DOG PARK.
HE SAID THESE AMENITIES AND THE PARKS ARE WORTH THE TAX DOLLARS THAT I PAY, AND IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT THAT VALIDATION.
I ALSO RECEIVED A COMMUNICATION FROM RESIDENT TODAY WHERE THEY HAD THEY
[01:45:05]
SAW AN ART INSTALLATION AND SENT ME A PICTURE AND SAID, I KNOW THAT MERIDIAN'S FOCUSING ON ART AND I WOULD LOVE TO SERVE ON AN ART COUNCIL ARTS COUNCIL IF WE PUT ONE TOGETHER.SO WE'RE GETTING COMMUNICATIONS EVERY DAY.
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE AND THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM, AND THAT IS THE VALUE OF UPDATING THIS PLAN.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST GET SO FOCUSED INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING EVERY DAY.
AND WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT AND THEY HEAR THAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO THEM, THEY'RE ENGAGED.
AND LIKE I SAID, OUR VOLUNTEER SUPPORT IS AMAZING AND STAFF IS AMAZING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT.
WITH THE UPCOMING AVAILABILITY OF ARPA FUNDS FOR STATE AND LOCAL PARKS, AS WELL AS FUNDS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE LAND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, THE MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO HAVE ON FILE WITH THIS PLAN TO CAPTURE AS MANY OF THESE DOLLARS AS WE CAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE.
I'M OVERHEATED WITH THIS MASK ON, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE DID THIS PLAN AND UPDATED IT ALL IN HOUSE WITH STAFF.
IT WAS LIKE MY ENTIRE STAFF THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS, BUT JANE GREENWAY AND BRIDGET CANNON HANDLE A LOT OF THE WORK.
AND THEN ALSO KARA MANNI, WHO'S OUR GIS SPECIALIST, HELPED US OUT WITH A LOT OF THE MAPS.
AND THIS WAS AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT EFFORT AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT THIS AND MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE FOR AND ELIGIBLE FOR UPCOMING GRANTS.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE ASK IF THERE'S A MOTION BEFORE WE ENTER DISCUSSION.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN 2022-2026 AS A GUIDELINE FOR IMPROVING PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND TO AUTHORIZE ITS SUBMISSION TO THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT ELIGIBILITY.
ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEE WISINSKI AS THE MOTION MAKER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KICK OFF DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'M GOING TO START WITH LOUANN, DIRECTOR MAISNER.
YOUR EXCITEMENT IS INFECTIOUS, SO THERE'S NOT A BETTER PERSON THAT WE COULD HAVE AS OUR PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR DIRECTOR.
I'VE WORKED A LOT WITH EMILY LATELY ON WETLANDS.
SHE'S PUT IN A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE.
OF COURSE, I WORKED WITH MIKE DEVLIN IN THE PAST AND JANE AS WELL.
I'M HAPPY TO MEET THE REST OF THE STAFF, WHICH I HAVEN'T MET YET, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS.
THAT IS A FUN JOB, BUT IT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, A VERY IMPORTANT JOB AS WELL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME AND PUT THEIR INPUT IN TO HELP YOU DEVELOP THIS PLAN.
SO I READ THE VISION AND I REALLY LIKED YOUR VISION IS CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH PEOPLE, PARKS AND PROGRAMS, AND IT REALLY DOES.
THAT'S WHAT THE FOLKS SAID TODAY ON THE PHONE IS.
IT DOES CREATE COMMUNITY THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO IN SOME OF THE EARLY DISCUSSIONS HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEEN A PART OF THAT.
AND IT REALLY IS JUST A DESTINATION PLACE.
IT'S JUST, I MEAN, I TELL PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE REGION, YOU GOT TO COME TO THE MARKETPLACE LIKE IT'S JUST IT'S IT'S REALLY A DESTINATION WITH THE DOG PARK ACROSS IS JUST REALLY ALL COMING TOGETHER AND YOU ARE CREATING THAT THAT PLACE FOR US TO BE.
YOU WENT THROUGH ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
I MEAN, THAT WAS NO WONDER YOU'RE OUT OF BREATH.
A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY.
SO I KNOW EVEN WHEN I WAS ON PARK COMMISSION, YOU HAD ALREADY STARTED THINKING ABOUT THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR AMENITIES AND ARE AS ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
I JUST THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN A PARK AND REC SITUATION, ESPECIALLY FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THEN ALL THE SIGNAGE, A LOT OF NEW SIGNAGE THAT IS INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, BUT ALSO JUST VERY INFORMATIVE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT TOO.
WHEN I USE THE PARKS SITE, YOU KNOW, IT'S SUPER HELPFUL.
THE OTHER THING WAS THE MOBILE TOOL SHED.
SO THAT'S PROVEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AS WELL AND HELPFUL FOR AND THAT'S WITH GARDENING AND
[01:50:01]
WITH ANY OTHER PROJECTS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE DONE THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE.SO OF COURSE, THE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS, I DON'T KNOW HOW DEVLIN RUNS ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. I COACHED FOR HIM AND HE IT WAS VERY WELL RUN CONSIDERING HE HAD, YOU KNOW, 13 GAMES GOING ON AT ONE TIME AT ONE FIELD.
AND SO THAT'S JUST IT'S MY KIDS TOOK.
IT'S EVER SINCE SPORTS FOR SHORTIES, MY KIDS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS AND REC AND IT'S JUST BEEN FANTASTIC.
SO I GUESS I WANTED TO SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR FOCUS ON YOUR NEW GOALS ON THIS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND HE DID HAVE ONE QUESTION AND I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED IT AND I DID REVIEW OUR SURVEY.
I KNOW IN OUR SURVEY, THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE LIKE CULTURAL EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DID YOU GET ANY INPUT ON WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR IS THAT SOMETHING MAYBE WE SHOULD REACH OUT AND MAYBE ASK FOR SOME MORE INPUT ON WHAT TYPE OF CULTURAL EVENTS THAT WE COULD HAVE? YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY STAYED FAIRLY GENERAL, LIKE IN THE FIRST SURVEY THAT YOU HAD DONE THAT THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO HAVE MORE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY CAN ATTEND WITH, LIKE ART, CULTURAL EVENTS, MUSIC.
AND THEY DIDN'T REALLY GET SPECIFIC ON EXACTLY WHAT.
BUT WE DID START WITH MORE MUSIC EVENTS WITH OUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONCERTS AT MARKETPLACE.
THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER HOSTED MUSIC IN THE WOODS.
I THINK THEY HAD LIKE FOUR OR FIVE CONCERTS IN THE SUMMER THERE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, AND WE ALREADY HAVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CONCERTS COMING UP THIS YEAR.
AND IT ALSO COMPLEMENTS WHAT HAPPENS AT LAKE LANSING.
I THINK WITH WITH COVID, WE'RE NOT READY FOR BIG EVENTS.
SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON A LOT OF SMALLER ACTIVITIES AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN COME.
BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE A GENERAL INTEREST TO BRING IN A LOT OF FOLKS, BUT JUST SOME, SOME SMALLER EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE BEYOND THIS PANDEMIC AND WE CAN START GETTING BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
BUT I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING AND TRYING TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN ACTIVE, BUT ALSO TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
COACHES, PARENTS, THEY ALL WANT TO COME TO THE GAME AND BE THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO WEAR A MASK.
AND BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ENDURED THOSE CHALLENGES AND OUR SENIOR CENTER HAS REMAINED VIABLE AND VIBRANT WITH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT'S KEEPING EVERYONE ENGAGED.
OUR FARMER'S MARKET HAS BEEN MORE POPULAR THAN EVER, AND WHEN WE PRESENT OUR ANNUAL REPORT AND GIVE YOU THE STATISTICS AT THAT POINT, BUT MOVING THE MARKETPLACE HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL FOR THE FARMERS MARKET.
OUR MARKET MANAGER HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND OUR COMMUNITY IS JUST LOVING IT.
AND AND SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE, KEEPING PEOPLE ENGAGED.
PROBABLY NOT QUITE TO THE DEGREE WE WERE, BUT ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. OUR HARRIS NATURE CENTER HAD THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF CHILDREN REGISTERED FOR THE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS, AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS FILLING UP, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT OFFERING IT TO MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FOLKS AT ONE TIME.
SO GIVEN ALL OF THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND THEN THE HEFTY PLAN YOU'VE GOT AHEAD OF YOU, I'M WONDERING LIKE, IS THERE? DO YOU? YOU DID MENTION LIKE A NEED FOR NEW STAFF.
SO TO FULLY STAFF AND BE ABLE TO MANAGE ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT WOULD YOU WHAT WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL THAT YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO IS ARE THE FUNDS OR LIKE THAT WE COULD SUPPORT YOU ON YOUR GRANT WRITING OR? I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO WORK SMARTER AND WORK BETTER.
AND WE'RE NOT JUST ASKING TO HAVE MORE STAFF TO SAY, WE NEED MORE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO HAVE MORE STAFF.
AND YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO COVID, WE HAD TWO RECREATION PEOPLE AND WE HAVE ONE AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT POSITION RESTORED AND HOPEFULLY I CAN WORK WITH MANAGER WALSH AND WE CAN MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND THEN KATIE ADAMS MANAGES OUR SHE'S THE LEAD FOR OUR PARKS AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE DIVISION, AS WELL AS LEADING THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER, WHERE WE HAD A FULL, YOU KNOW, TWO FULL TIME PEOPLE AT THE NATURE CENTER, PLUS A FACILITY SUPERINTENDENT.
SO AND THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN COMBINED.
SO THAT'S BEEN WHERE WE'VE WE'VE REDUCED STAFF A LITTLE BIT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND TOTALLY WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH COVID AND THE RECREATION POSITION.
BUT AS WE ARE NOW MOVING OUT OF IT AND PEOPLE ARE DESIRING MORE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO BRING OUR SECOND RECREATION PERSON BACK.
LIKE I SAID, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT I WORK DIRECTLY WITH MANAGER WALSH
[01:55:03]
ON.AND THOSE SELF MOWING LAWN MOWERS THAT.
OH HECK YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL SORTS OF NEW EQUIPMENT AND THINGS WE CAN DO TO WORK SMARTER AND BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, I JUST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
AND IT TRULY IT IS WHAT MAKES MERIDIAN A VERY SPECIAL PLACE TO LIVE.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND OUR COMMISSIONERS AND OUR RESIDENTS FEEL.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR MAISNER? CLERK GUTHRIE? I WANT TO ECHO TRUSTEE WISINSKI'S COMPLIMENTS OF YOUR STAFF, YOURSELF AND THE PARKS AND WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
ALSO, YOU STARTED IN 1998? 99.
1999 AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM THEN, YOU STILL HAVE THAT SAME ENTHUSIASM TODAY AND THAT PASSION AND THAT DESIRE AND IT'S APPRECIATED.
I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A MACHINE THAT DOES THE LINING OF THE FIELDS.
I HAD DERM TEACH ME ONE TIME HOW TO LINE FOOTBALL FIELDS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST AND THE LAST TIME I EVER LAID A FOOTBALL FIELD.
I RECRUITED SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO DO IT AFTER THAT.
SO I LOOK FOR WHATEVER BECAUSE IT'S TEDIOUS.
IT TAKES WAY LONGER THAN PEOPLE REALIZE LINING FIELDS APPROPRIATELY AND GETTING ALL OF THOSE LINES STRAIGHT AND RIGHT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ANY KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IMPROVES THE EFFICIENCY FOR STAFF TO DO THAT IN OUR OWN FIELD.
SO I DID SIT ON THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND BEING PART OF THAT.
AND SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS ABOUT UNIVERSAL ACCESS.
IF YOU IF YOU COULD EXPAND UPON WHAT SOME OF THOSE ITEMS MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ON THIS PLAN, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT.
THERE WASN'T ANYTHING, ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE WORK WITH THE MICHIGAN, THE GREATER LANSING AUTISM ASSOCIATION, I KNOW THEY HAVE PROVIDED TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF AT HARRIS NATURE CENTER.
THEY'VE PROVIDED KITS AND WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH AUTISM.
SO WHEN THEY COME TO THE NATURE CENTER, WE'RE BETTER PREPARED AND HOW TO WORK BETTER WITH WITH THOSE FOLKS.
OF COURSE, THERE'S ALL THE ADA REQUIREMENTS AND WE WORK VERY HARD TO MEET OR EXCEED ALL OF THOSE.
I KNOW AT THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER.
I DIDN'T MENTION WE ADDED THE ELECTRIC DOORS WHERE YOU JUST PUSHED THE BUTTON AND THE DOOR OPEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BEFORE.
AND THEN WITH COVID, WE'VE LOOKED AT, WE'VE WORKED TO PUT IN ALL OF OUR RESTROOMS. THE TOUCHLESS FIXTURES TRY TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP EVERYONE IS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW WHEN WE MET WITH THAT UNIVERSAL ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THEY TALKED ABOUT ADULT CHANGING TABLES.
YOU ALWAYS THINK OF BABY CHANGING TABLES AND OUR RESTROOMS AND THEN ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WITH NOISES OR AND SO PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT MAYBE HAVE REDUCED.
ACTIVITY OR EXCITEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SERVE THAT POPULATION AND THEN JUST JUST REGULAR THINGS ON MAKING SURE THERE'S BENCHES, SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE WALKING, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WALK A MILE BEFORE THEY CAN SIT DOWN OR WHATEVER.
AND WHERE ARE THE RESTROOMS? AND WHAT IS OUR SIGNAGE? SAY IT SO THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE HEADED.
WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING A PARK TRAIL MAP, SO IT'S OUR BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY MAP.
BUT ALSO ON THERE WE'LL HAVE REST AREAS NOTED FOR RESTROOMS AND BENCHES.
SO WHEN PEOPLE GET OUT AND THEY CAN SEE THIS MAP, WE HAVE THE ONE OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE A FUN AND MORE USER FRIENDLY TYPE TYPE MAP, SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOME THINGS AND THEN IT'S ALSO DIGITIZED.
IT'LL BE ON THE WEBSITE AND IN ALL OF OUR PARK TRAIL MAPS ARE ON AN ALL TRAILS APP.
SO IF YOU'RE IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU CAN GO TO THAT TRAIL, THAT APP AND OUR TRAILS ARE SHOWING ON THAT.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED SKATE PARK WAS HIGH ON THIS LIST, AND YOU MENTIONED THE MALL IS SOMETHING THE BOARD CAN DO OR THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF OR LOOK INTO TO SUPPORT THAT SORT OF IDEA.
OR, YOU KNOW, JUST SO WE'RE BETTER PREPARED.
[02:00:02]
SURE.YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD WE HAVE A GROUP OF VERY ENTHUSIASTIC STUDENTS AND PARENTS WHO HAVE COME TO THE PARK COMMISSION RECENTLY AND THEY ARE READY TO PULL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND GO AFTER SOME GRANT FUNDING.
THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR A GREAT LOCATION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
CENTRALLY LOCATED AND HIGHLY POPULATED VISIBLE AREA IS PREFERRED.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT'S ALL IMPERVIOUS SURFACE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SKATE PARK.
SO IS THERE A PLACE WE CAN GO WHERE THERE'S EXISTING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE THAT MAYBE ISN'T BEING USED THAT WE COULD CONSTRUCT SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR WORK WITH OR MAYBE EVEN WORK WITH THE MALL? I KNOW IF WE TRY TO GO TO AN INDOOR SPACE THAT COULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR MANY OF THE USERS.
SO I THINK MAYBE TRY TO KEEP SOMETHING OUTDOORS, BUT MAYBE PARTNER WITH IN SOMEPLACE OR AN AREA THAT HAS ALREADY HAS IMPERVIOUS SURFACE THAT WE COULD UTILIZE IN PARTNERSHIP.
AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE MALL.
BUT I KNOW AND THERE'S DISCUSSIONS OF REDEVELOPMENT THAT THAT'S THE PERFECT TIME TO GET IN AND AT LEAST SHARE SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS.
THEN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
AND THEN JUST TO COMMENT IN HERE, IT SHOWS 2027 MERIDIAN RIVERFRONT PARK TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, A MILLION DOLLARS.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? WELL, YEAH, WE'VE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO MAKE THAT TRAIL RUNS FROM EAST GATE PARK ON MERIDIAN ROAD NEAR GRAND RIVER, ALL THE WAY TO THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER AND THEN ACROSS THE STREET AND THEN THROUGH LEG PARK AND COMES OUT AT THE SYLVAN LAND PRESERVE AT THE END OF SYLVAN GLEN.
SO IT IS LIKE AN ENTIRE EAST WEST CONNECTION.
AND THEN IF YOU GET OUT TO DOBIE ROAD, YOU CAN SLIDE DOWN ALL THE WAY OVER TO OKEMOS ROAD.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PATH, CROSS-COUNTRY PATHWAY THAT GETS YOU OVER TO OKEMOS SCHOOLS.
SO WE DO HAVE THIS OUTSTANDING CONNECTION, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF IT COULD BE A MULTI-USE, ACCESSIBLE TRAIL? PARTS OF THE MERIDIAN RIVERFRONT TRAIL SYSTEM WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PAVE AND REMAIN ACCESSIBLE BASED ON THE GRADE AND ELEVATION CHANGES.
BUT THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE IT MORE NAVIGABLE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEN WE DO NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN, SO YOU'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO DEVELOP SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THE VISION IS, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A VISION THAT WAS ON OUR PLAN BEFORE I GOT TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND THAT WAS FOR AN UNDER THE BRIDGE WALKWAY BETWEEN FERGUSON PARK AND WATCH PARK.
AND IT IS NOW BECOMING A REALITY.
I THINK WE ENDED UP TAKING IT OFF THE LIST BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN ON FOR TWO DECADES AT LEAST, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY SEE THAT THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S BACK AND IT IS HAPPENING.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT YOUR DREAMS AND DESIRES AND WISHES IN WRITING BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT OR RECOMMENDATION.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE, BUT I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I'M INUNDATED WITH COMMUNICATION MESSAGES VIA EMAIL, SOCIAL, TV NEWS, EVERYTHING PRINT, DIGITAL AND JUST A RECOMMENDATION, MAYBE TO DO SOME PUSH NOTIFICATIONS ON FACEBOOK SO THAT SOME OF THOSE EVENTS AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED.
GETS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S EYEBALLS MORE READILY, BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S SO MUCH STUFF OUT THERE, IT'S I WAS MAKING COMMENT.
I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER ONE OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS THERE THAT'S.
WAS IT YOU? THAT IT'S HARD TO SOMETIMES I DON'T SEE THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS GOING ON ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
OK, A FIVE DOLLAR THING HERE OR THERE CAN REALLY SHOW UP IN FRONT OF A LOT OF EYEBALLS.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
AND PLEASE PASS MY THANKS ON TO THE STAFF FOR WORKING ON THIS PLAN.
TREASURER DESCHAINE? WELL PAST FIVE YEARS HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL, AND YOU CAN DO ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE FIVE YEARS OF MORE PRODUCTIVE GROWTH IN THE FIVE YEARS YOU'VE JUST COMPLETED, AND IT'S A FORMER PARK COMMISSIONER, LIKE TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE PARK COMMISSION THAT'S VERY DEDICATED AND HAD SOME OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP, WHICH RECENTLY MADE A LICK BEFORE THAT.
MIKE MACDONALD AND BEFORE THAT, TERRY BANNIS, WHO'S, YOU KNOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
BUT A LOT OF THESE GRANTS WE'VE GOTTEN ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE MATCHING MONEY FOR THEM
[02:05:03]
THAT THE MOST RECENT PARK MILLAGE PASSED IN 2013 ALLOWED FOR.IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
WE WENT YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE CAPITAL AND FOR THE SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WITH NEVER BEING ABLE TO GET ANYTHING DONE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MONEY AVAILABLE FOR MATCHING FUNDS.
SO WE WOULD JUST PUSH IT TO THE NEXT YEARS.
AND ONCE THAT MILLAGE WAS PASSED IN 2014, THAT'S WHAT GAVE THE CAPITAL FOR GRANT MATCHES AND WE'VE BEEN GOING GREAT GUNS EVER SINCE.
KERRY AND OTHERS CREATED THEIR OWN BROCHURE, WALKED THEM THE DOOR TO DOOR.
IT WAS NOT A PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN, BUT IT WAS A GROUP OF CITIZENS, WHICH WAS THE MESSAGE TO THE OTHER CITIZENS AND SAID, WE NEED THIS AND HERE'S WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT.
AND THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR VOTERS, IT PASSED.
SO WE OWE A GREAT DEAL OF THANKS TO THE PARK COMMISSION AND AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
SO LET'S ALL KEEP OUR GOALS HIGH THAT WE HAVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TRUSTEE JACKSON? DIRECTOR MAISNER, I WANT TO KIND OF CHANGE THE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT THIS MASTERPLAN THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND THE PARK COMMISSION HAVE PUT TOGETHER IN HOUSE OVER WHAT, PROBABLY TWO YEARS? YES, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK PUT INTO IT DURING COVID TIME WHEN IT WAS STAY HOME WORK.
JANE GREENWAY DID A LOT OF THE UPDATING AND A LOT OF OUR FACILITY INVENTORY INFORMATION.
AND THEN AS SOON AS THE CENSUS DATA CAME IN, SHE, YOU KNOW, READY TO PUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN.
TEN YEARS AGO, WE DID IT IN HOUSE AS WELL.
AND I THINK I HAD AN ERGONOMICALLY INCORRECT SET UP AT MY DESK AND ENDED UP HAVING TO GO FOR THERAPY BECAUSE I HAD A PINCHED NERVE IN MY NECK AND WHATEVER.
SO THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SWEAT EQUITY GOES INTO THIS.
AND THEN WE ENDED UP CONTRACTING FIVE YEARS AGO TO HAVE THIS DONE.
BUT IN ALL ACTUALITY, WE KNOW THIS INFORMATION AS FAR AS WHAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WITH OUR SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE TOWNSHIP HAS THE REAL VALUE IS THE PUBLIC INPUT AND GAINING COMMUNICATION WITH OUR PUBLIC, NOT JUST TO THEM OR FROM THEM, BUT WITH THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN DOES.
AND IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT THE CONVERSATION HAS STARTED, LIKE I SAID, I GOT THE PHONE CALL TODAY ABOUT THE ART.
HEY, I'D LIKE TO BE ON AN ARTS COUNCIL AND HERE I'VE GOT SOME PICTURES OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN GRAND RAPIDS.
MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE.
SO I THINK IT REALLY STARTED WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SURVEY LAST YEAR AND THEN KIND OF CONTINUED WITH OURS IN THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ONGOING.
WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES AND PROGRAMS AND THEN ALSO ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT EARLIER.
SO WE HAVE A VERY EXCITED AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY AND THIS IS JUST THE GREATEST PLACE TO WORK.
I THINK THE SECOND PART OF MY COMMENT HAD TO DO WITH APPLAUDING THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT YOU USED TO PRODUCE THIS DOCUMENT.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT STRUCK ME IN YOUR PRESENTATION WAS THE COMMENT THAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING YOU NOW AND TALKING TO YOU NOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND NOT AWARE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY AMENITIES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND THEN YOUR FOCUS AND YOUR MASTERPLAN TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATIONS TO THE WHOLE TERRITORY.
I THINK THAT'S A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN, AND I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF THE PARK COMMISSION AND YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THAT FORESIGHT AND PLANNING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? DIRECTOR MAISNER? I'M SORRY, I DO HAVE ONE OTHER THING.
I KNOW THAT YOU NORMALLY LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THE PLAN AND THEN VOTE ON IT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN UPDATE THIS AT ANY TIME.
SO THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL THAT WAS MISSED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDED.
AND THEN ALSO WITH DNR RULES AND REGULATIONS, WE WOULD REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING AND TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR ANY GRANTS.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU ADOPT THIS PLAN TONIGHT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED TO DO IT, THERE'S STILL OTHER PROCESSES MOVING FORWARD BEFORE THINGS ARE
[02:10:01]
CONSTRUCTED OR GRANTS ARE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED.PLUS, YOU STILL NEED TO VOTE TO RECEIVE THE FUNDS EVEN IF WE DO GET THEM.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROCESSES IN BETWEEN TODAY AND WHEN ANYTHING IS CONSTRUCTED.
DIRECTOR MAISNER SO I'LL BE VERY BRIEF BECAUSE I THINK A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ON THIS TOPIC BY EVERYBODY.
MANAGER WALSH MENTIONED THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AT THE BEGINNING IN HIS REPORT, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR STAFF AND YOURSELF, AND THEN TO CHIEF PLAGA AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR TAKING THAT PROGRAM TO A VERY ANALYTICAL LEVEL OF PRECISION AND HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY ADMINISTERING IT AND WHAT OUR TARGET IS AND HAVING AN OBJECTIVE GOAL.
AND I'VE HAD SO MANY RESIDENTS SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THAT PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS, NOT NECESSARILY WITH CRITIQUES, BUT JUST I UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM IS THERE.
DEER ARE STILL AN ISSUE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR ON OUR ROADWAYS, ET CETERA.
AND SO ACTUALLY, WHEN I GET THE UPDATES FROM YOURSELF OR MANAGER WALSH WHEN THEY'RE VOTED ON, I KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE LISTSERV THAT I SEND OUT PERIODICALLY, MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK TO KEEP RESIDENTS APPRIZED ON THE STATUS OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE GIVEN YEAR.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
IT'S REALLY PHENOMENAL WHAT WE'VE DONE AND ALSO THE INGENUITY WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DONATING ALL THAT VENISON TO THE TO THE FOOD PANTRIES AND KITCHENS AND THE REGION WHO NEED THAT FOR FAMILIES.
THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD FLAG THAT I DIDN'T SEE IN HERE AND MAYBE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A WAITING LIST ALREADY FOR A FARMERS MARKET.
HAS YOUR TEAM DELIBERATED AT ALL INTERNALLY ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE FARMERS MARKET BASED ON WHERE WE'RE KIND OF AT TODAY? SURE.
I'M NOT AWARE OF MANY PEOPLE ON A WAITING LIST, BUT WE DO HAVE THE WEDNESDAYS AVAILABLE IF THEY CAN'T GET IN ON SATURDAYS AND THEN ALSO IN THE EARLY SEASONS FROM LIKE MAY AND JUNE.
AND THEN ALSO WHEN WE GET TOWARD THE END OF THE SEASON IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, THERE'S MORE OPENINGS THAN THERE ARE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHERE SOMEONE WAITED, I THINK, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS, BUT THEY DID GET IN, SO THEY WERE A VENDOR OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS.
BUT SO WE'RE ONLY SEEING THAT CAPACITY REACHED DURING KIND OF THE PEAK MONTHS? I BELIEVE SO.
AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DO ALLOW DAILY VENDORS IN AS WELL.
SO THERE'S OUR SEASONAL VENDORS WHO THERE'S GUIDELINES FOR THAT.
AND THEN OCCASIONALLY THEN THERE'S ALSO WE HAVE BOOTH SPACES AVAILABLE FOR DAILY VENDORS.
OK, SO SO THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS SHOULD BE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO GET IN AT SOME POINT.
AND THEN IS THERE ANYTHING I WAS REVIEWING THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS, THE ACTION PLAN? IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WAY OF NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS? WE WELL, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING IN THE ACTION PLAN FOR PICKLEBALL COURTS, BUT WE DO IN, I BELIEVE IN THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE MAY BE LOCATED.
NOW I KNOW CITY OF EAST LANSING AT PATRIARCH PARK IS REDOING ALL OF THEIR PICKLEBALL COURTS AND ADDING AND THAT WILL THAT WILL PUT STRAIN ON OUR COURTS FOR THIS SUMMER.
BUT THEN NEXT YEAR HOPEFULLY WILL EASE SOME OF THE STRESS THAT WE HAVE, WHERE THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THE NEEDS OF WHAT OUR PICKLEBALLERS ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYING THERE OUT THERE WITH SNOW BLOWERS AND SHOVELS RIGHT NOW AND PLAYING ALL WINTER LONG.
I LIVE ABOUT 150 YARDS FROM THE [INAUDIBLE] PARK AND I CAN ATTEST IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD BACKGROUND NOISE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE PLAYING, IT'S NOT.
IT'S GOOD WHITE NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT I CAN ATTEST TO WHEN IT'S BEING PLAYED, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS WORKING FROM HOME.
SO I JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S A NEED AND THAT'S ONE QUESTION I GET OFTEN.
AND THEN I SAW FINAL ITEM AS I SAW THE ALBERT PARK RESTROOM FACILITY.
AND I KNOW WE'RE USING PORTA-POTTIES AT A LOT OF THE FACILITIES IN THE TOWNSHIP WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THAT PERMANENT RESTROOM FACILITY.
BUT I KNOW THE PICKLEBALL PLAYERS AND THE YOUTH BASEBALL LEAGUES WILL REALLY APPRECIATE ACCESS TO THAT FACILITY ONCE IT'S ONCE IT COMES HERE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS FIVE YEAR PLAN.
HOPEFULLY, RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW, AND AS WE LOOK AT GREATER USE OF THAT FACILITY, I COULD SEE THAT.
PROJECT MOVING UP THE LIST TO GET SOMETHING OUT THERE SOON, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH COVID, THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE EVER IMAGINED THEY WOULD BE.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN, NEVER IMAGINED A WINTER MARKET THERE, AND WE NEED TO DO SOME THINGS SOON TO HELP MAKE THAT A LITTLE MORE TOLERABLE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.
BUT OUR VISITATION IS STILL GREAT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WIND.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT RETRACTABLE WIND SCREENS, OBVIOUSLY NOT BUDGETED.
OR MAYBE SOME ARPA FUNDS COULD HELP SUPPORT THAT.
[02:15:03]
AND THEN OUR HISTORICAL VILLAGE, WHEN THERE'S NOT AS MUCH USE IN THE STRUCTURES, THEY COME INTO DISREPAIR.AND THEN ALSO WHEN THERE'S NOT AS MUCH ACTIVITY, THERE'S NOT THE REVENUE THAT'S BEING GENERATED FOR FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN.
SO WE WILL HAVE SOME BUILDING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO.
AND THEN ALSO EVEN AT HARRIS NATURE CENTER WITH WITH LESS PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AND THE ATTIC AREA HAS CRITTER DAMAGE AND WITH A $9000 BILL FOR CLEANING AND REPAIRS AND SEALING.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY ANTICIPATE.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME EXPENSES THAT I FEEL WE CAN ATTRIBUTE TO TO COVID.
AND AND THAT'S NOT EVEN IN THE PLAN.
I GUESS THOSE ARE JUST REGULAR THINGS COMING UP THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND THESE AND RESTROOMS. WE DID NOT MAKE IT A YEAR ROUND RESTROOM .
AT MARKETPLACE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK IN AND RETROFIT THAT RESTROOM SO IT CAN BE OPEN YEAR-ROUND.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND YOUR STAFF'S TIME AND INVESTMENT IN THIS, AND WE HAVE A MOTION.
TRUSTEE JACKSON ANY FINAL COMMENTS? NO.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED? YES.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI MADE IT AND I THINK I GAVE.
I SPLIT THE TIE AND GAVE IT TO CLERK GUTHRIE THE SECOND.
SO WE NEED A RECORD ROLL-CALL VOTE ON ADOPTION OF THE MASTER PLAN.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER? YES.
[12H. Resolution Commemorating Black History Month]
THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE.AND WE NOW COME TO AN ACTION ITEM 12H, RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN LEADERSHIP.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION FOR ACTION ITEM 12H? TRUSTEE WISINSKI? OBVIOUSLY, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? SURE, THIS IS, EVERY YEAR I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, WE ADOPT THIS AND I THINK IT'S SO VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT WE DO.
I THINK I MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF JANUARY IS THE BEST MONTH TO ADOPT, BUT OR FEBRUARY.
IT'S THE SHORTEST AND COLDEST MONTH OF THE YEAR.
BUT I AM VERY HONORED THAT WE DO, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US MAYBE DEVELOP SOME ACTUAL ACTIVITIES THAT WE COULD DO WITHIN THIS MONTH, TOO.
SO I MAYBE BRING THAT TO OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION WORKGROUP.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM? TREASURER DESCHAINE? I'D LIKE TO READ JUST THE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS OF IT, WHICH SAYS WHEREAS SINCE 2015, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS ADOPTED A RECURRING COMMITMENT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY EQUITY IN ALL ASPECTS.
EXCUSE ME, TO INCREASE DIVERSITY DIVERSITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE TOWNSHIP FUNCTIONS AND ITS BOARD GOALS AND FUNCTIONS.
WHEREAS NOVEMBER 2016 PATRICIA HERRING-JACKSON BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AS A TRUSTEE.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN AND INGHAM COUNTY MICHIGAN AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMEMORATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO STRUGGLE TO DIVERSITY AND TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SUMS UP THIS NICELY AND IT ACTUALLY NAMES OUR NEW SPEAKER PRO TEM, SO VERY FITTING PART OF THE RESOLUTION TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION.
TRUSTEE JACKSON? I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT I BELIEVE MANAGER WALSH MENTIONED EFFORTS ALREADY IN PLAY IN THE TOWNSHIP TO DEVELOP WAYS OF COMMEMORATING THIS AND OTHER SUCH.
YEAH, THE STAFF IS WORKING ON.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH AN EVENT THAT YOU CAN DO DURING COVID, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT AND TRYING TO WORK UP SOME SOLUTIONS.
DIRECTOR CLARK HAS SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS FROM HER TIME IN THE CITY OF JACKSON, ALTHOUGH HER COMMENT WAS PRETTY TO THE POINT THAT YESTERDAY WHEN WE SAID, WELL, HOW DO WE DO THIS? SHE SAID, WELL, IN JACKSON, WE STARTED IN OCTOBER.
SO I RECEIVED THAT MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR.
[02:20:02]
BUT WE ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING AND WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A TIME MACHINE? SEEING NONE.
WELL, THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH, AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CLARK FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING ON THAT.
I DID SEE AN EMAIL ON THAT, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT GREATLY.
AND THEN I WOULD JUST NOTE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S TOUCHED ON IN THE RESOLUTION.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, DIVERSITY ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP WORKFORCE IN PARTICULAR IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN AN EMPHASIS AND WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I THINK WE'VE INCREASED OUR DIVERSITY THERE ABOUT FOUR FOLD.
AND OF COURSE, AMONG THE FEMALE PORTION, WE'RE NOW OVER 25 PERCENT OF OUR OFFICERS BEING FEMALE.
SO GREAT STRIDES MADE THERE AS WELL.
SPEAK TO THE PURPOSE OF THE RESOLUTION.
SO FOR THIS, WE CAN DO A VOICE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE RESOLUTION HAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.
[12I. Resolution to Approve Ballot Language]
AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER 12, THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THE AUGUST ELECTION.AND I BELIEVE MANAGER WALSH IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM FOR US.
THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND MAKE THE MOTION HERE.
THE LANGUAGE BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND REVIEWED BY CLERK GUTHRIE FINAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
AND THIS INVOLVES THE UPCOMING I THINK IT'S AUGUST 2ND BALLOT ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA AND THIS IS THE BALLOT.
THIS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT THE BOARD APPROVED TO PUT ON THE BALLOT AFTER THERE WAS THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY THAT A CITIZENS GROUP GOT INVOLVED IN THE ISSUE.
SOME PETITIONS WERE GATHERED AND THE ISSUE IS PLACED ON THE BALLOT.
SO BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS THE APPROVAL OF THE ACTUAL BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT WILL GO ON THE AUGUST 2ND PRIMARY BALLOT HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND IT'LL BE OPEN TO ALL, I THINK WHAT DO WE HAVE 19 PRECINCTS AND 19 OR 20 PRECINCTS, ALL FORTY FIVE THOUSAND RESIDENTS? WELL, ALL REGISTERED VOTERS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD BE VOTING IF THEY CHOOSE ON THIS INITIATIVE, IF IT'S PROVED THE LANGUAGE IS IN FRONT OF YOU AND AGAIN BEEN APPROVED BY LEGAL COUNSEL.
ONE QUESTION I HAD REAL QUICK THE LANGUAGE.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG DIDN'T CHANGE.
WELL, ACTUALLY PRECEDING THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WHEN WE OPTED TO POSTPONE THIS UNTIL AUGUST, WE NEVER ACTUALLY RATIFIED BALLOT LANGUAGE.
IS THAT THE EXTENT OF THE QUESTION REALLY BEFORE THE BOARD? YEAH, I THINK HE MAY HAVE APPROVED THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
I BELIEVE, GOING BACK A FEW MONTHS AGO NOW, I DON'T HAVE MY STUFF IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE YOU IF YOU REWIND THE TAPE, YOU APPROVE THE LANGUAGE FOR THE BALLOT.
THE ISSUE BECAME, I GUESS, THE KEY WORDS WERE AT THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION WAS THE LANGUAGE, THE WORDS THAT TRIPPED US UP A LITTLE BIT.
THERE WAS A CASE UP AND I BELIEVE IT WAS GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP, ACTUALLY, IF I RECALL AND THERE WAS A JUDGE UP THERE, I THINK A FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE [INAUDIBLE].
YEP, JUDGE UP IN GRANGE HARRIS COUNTY, WHO RULED THAT THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION WAS AN ELECTION, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT WOULD BE A REGULAR ELECTION BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE ON IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LAST NOVEMBER.
THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE BALLOT.
IT WAS DETERMINED BY OUR COUNCIL AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN AGREEMENT BY THE BOARD THAT THEY AGREED THAT THERE WAS THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION WOULD BE AUGUST 2ND.
AND SO THEREFORE IT WAS PUT OFF UNTIL AUGUST 2ND AT THE ADVICE OF COUNSEL BECAUSE OF THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION.
AND SO BEFORE YOU IS THE BALLOT LANGUAGE TAKING EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT, I BELIEVE, AGAIN, NOT IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THERE.
I READ THIS YESTERDAY WHERE SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE LAW, THE LANGUAGE OR SOMETHING, AND SO THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN AMENDED TO MEET THAT CRITERIA, I BELIEVE.
I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING IT DIDN'T CHANGE IT.
IT WAS CHANGED TO MEET THE THE PARAMETERS OF THE LAW, BUT DIDN'T CHANGE THE MEANING OF HEY, WE'RE VOTING ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, WHETHER IT BE ALLOWED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AUGUST 2ND, 2022.
[02:25:02]
SO THAT'S TAKING YOU THROUGH THE LAST STEPS OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF WHAT HAPPENED.QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? TREASURER DESCHAIN? WITH THE BOARD'S PERMISSION I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND, 2022.
AND NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE FOLLOWING BALLOT LANGUAGE BE PLACED ON THE AUGUST 2ND, 2022 ELECTION BALLOT BY THE INGHAM COUNTY CLERK CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN INITIATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT ADULT USE MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS.
SHALL THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF SECTION 61 OR THE MICHIGAN REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA ACT, INITIATED LAW 1 OF 2018, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MRTMA-MCL333.279561 ADOPT THE FOLLOWING INITIATED ORDINANCE THAT COMPLETELY PROHIBITS THE ADULT USE, ALSO KNOWN AS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3H OF MRTMA-MCL33 .
27953H WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWNSHIP.
QUOTE "ALL ADULT USE, ALSO KNOWN AS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3H OF THE MICHIGAN REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA ACT INITIATED LAW ONE OF 2018 ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN" END QUOTE.
AND SECONDED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.
MAY I MAKE ONE, UM, JUST ONE CORRECTION? JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S ON RECORD.
IT WAS SECTION 3I NOT 3I, NOT 3H, OF THE MICHIGAN REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA ACT.
AND IT'S CORRECT IN THE ACTUAL PACKET? IT IS, YEAH.
THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF LETTERS AND NUMBERS.
TREASURER DESCHAINE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? THIS IS NOT, AS MANAGER WALSH SPOKE TO A MINUTE AGO.
THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY ACTION BE INITIATED BY THE BOARD.
IT WAS INITIATED ABOUT A CITIZENS GROUP THAT BROUGHT ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO BRING THE ISSUE BEFORE THE ELECTORATE, AND WE HAD INTENDED TO HAVE IT ON THE NOVEMBER ELECTION AND WE WERE TOLD BY LEGAL COUNSEL THAT WASN'T A REGULAR ELECTION.
THIS IS THE NEXT ACT THAT WE DID AND NOT TO DENY THE INTENT OF THE CITIZENS GROUP.
WE ARE PUTTING ON THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION, WHICH WILL BE THE AUGUST PRIMARY.
THIS, I MEAN, IF I COULD JUST FINISH.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, AS WE ALL KNOW HAS BEEN HAS DIVIDED THIS BOARD AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND I THINK PUTTING IT BEFORE THE CITIZENS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY FOR IT TO BE RESOLVED AND ALLOW THIS BOARD TO MOVE ON EITHER DIRECTION BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF THE AUGUST 2ND ELECTION.
THANK YOU, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
CLERK GUTHRIE? I JUST TO LET THE CITIZENS KNOW THAT THE JOB OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS TO VERIFY THE SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION AND THEN TO SUBSEQUENTLY SEND THAT OVER TO AND SEND THIS RESOLUTION OVER TO THE COUNTY CLERK.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS.
AND JUST TO HELP THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER OUT, SINCE I AM ABLE TO ACCESS EMAILS, SINCE I'M SITTING UP HERE, THE CHANGE WAS, OUR ATTORNEY SAID THAT THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT TO [INAUDIBLE] OCTOBER THAT CHANGED THE PARAGRAPH NUMBERS OF SOME OF THE SUBSECTIONS.
SO I WANT ANYONE WHO WAS WORKING ON THIS, THE PETITIONERS, TO KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY CHANGE.
SO IF THEY THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK AND THINKING WE CHANGED A BUNCH OF STUFF, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE ATTORNEY CHANGED.
AND THERE WAS THE PARAGRAPH NUMBERS FOR SOME OF THE SUBSECTIONS.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE MCL CITATIONS THAT CHANGED.
TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES, I JUST LIKE TO, I BELIEVE CLERK GUTHRIE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THE DEFINITION OF REGULAR ELECTION IN THIS INSTANCE.
SO WHAT THE ATTORNEY WAS SAYING, UNLESS MANAGER WALSH.
SO WHAT THE ATTORNEY WAS SAYING IS THAT A SPECIAL ELECTION IS ONE IN WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT.
AND WE DID NOT SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ANY CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A REGULAR ELECTION GOING ON IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
[02:30:01]
SO BECAUSE THE PETITION AND THE CALLS FOR A VOTE CAME OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP, THE TOWNSHIP WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO HAVE AN ELECTION.THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO HAVE AN ELECTION? A SPECIAL ELECTION JUST FOR THIS PROPOSAL, CORRECT.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SPECIAL ELECTION? YES.
EVEN ON NOVEMBER THE 2ND? YES, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
SO THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION FROM THE ATTORNEY.
OF HAVING THIS AT A REGULAR ELECTION, WHICH WOULD BE WHEN CANDIDATES WERE APPEARING ON THE BALLOT.
WHEN CANDIDATES FROM THE TOWNSHIP WERE ALSO APPEARING ON THE BALLOT? NO, NO, JUST ANY CANDIDATES.
SO LIKE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? WELL, YEAH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF MINUTIA THERE BECAUSE IT COULDN'T BE A SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION BECAUSE WE, UNLESS WE HAD ALL OUR FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HOLDING AN ELECTION BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ELECTION IN WHICH TOWNSHIP.
YEAH, THE TERM REGULAR ELECTION IS USED HIM IN STATUTE, IT'S IN MICHIGAN LAW, BUT IT'S NOT DEFINED.
SO TYPICALLY, TERMS LIKE THAT WILL BE DEFINED ON OCCASION.
IT'S UP TO THE LEGISLATURE AND HOW THEY DRAFT IT.
THE COURT DECISION THAT MANAGER WALSH REFERENCED IN GRAND TRAVERSE WAS A VERY RECENT DECISION.
IT WAS ISSUED THAT VERY YEAR THAT WE WERE, THAT THE SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED AND THIS BECAME CAME BEFORE THE BOARD AND CLERK, INGHAM COUNTY CLERK BARB BYRON'S OFFICE FLAGGED THAT, OUR ATTORNEYS REVIEWED IT AND THAT COURT, IN THEIR OPINION, THEY WERE SEEKING TO, THROUGH CASE LAW, CREATE A DEFINITION FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES A REGULAR ELECTION.
SO IT'S AN ELECTION THAT WOULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THIS BALLOT PROPOSAL BY THEIR BEING CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT.
IN A PRIMARY OR A GENERAL? AND IT'S ONLY AUGUST IN NOVEMBER OF EVEN YEARS.
WE DON'T HAVE REGULAR ELECTIONS ON AN ODD YEAR.
HOWEVER, IF THE TOWNSHIP WERE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT THAT SAY WE PUT A MILLAGE ON AND VOTERS CREATED AN INITIATIVE LIKE THIS, THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE LEGAL QUESTION.
AND I DON'T EVEN THINK WE HAVE OPINION ON THAT.
BUT IT'S NOT A MATTER BEFORE US.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE BALLOT THERE WASN'T DEFINED UNDER COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION.
THERE WAS NO ELECTION, REGULAR ELECTION, BECAUSE WE HAD NO ELECTION, BUT WE DID A, SUPERVISOR OPSOMMER RAISES AN INTERESTING POINT.
JUST FOR INFORMATION, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THIS, IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THIS EVENING.
BUT HAD WE HAD ANOTHER ISSUE ON THE BALLOT, THEN THEREFORE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REGULAR ELECTION BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT WAS.
AS LONG AS IT WAS TOWNSHIP WIDE SAY WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MILLION, JOHN, THEN THIS QUESTION WOULD HAVE BEEN ON BACK THEN.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE BALLOT.
IT WAS NOT A REGULAR ELECTION AND WE LISTENED TO OUR COUNCIL AND OUR COUNTY CLERK FLAGGED THAT AS WELL.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO SET THE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR AUGUST 2ND OF 2022.
OK, THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JACKSON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS ON THE BALLOT LANGUAGE AND THE MOTION? SEEING NONE, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY FOR A RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE.
CLERK GUTHRIE PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER? YES.
TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES, TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE.
[12K. Nomination of Trustee Herring –Jackson Ingham County Broadband Task Force]
AND WE ARE NOW ON TO OUR FINAL ACTION ITEM OF THE EVENING ITEM 12K, NOMINATION OF TRUSTEE PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON TO THE INGHAM COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE.THIS IS A RECENTLY FORMED TASK FORCE AND WE HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM.
WE ARE ACTUALLY THE ONLY COMMUNITY TO GET A RECOMMENDATION IN WITHIN ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO, AND WE WERE ON TOP OF THE MEETING WHERE THIS TASK FORCE WAS ANNOUNCED BY COMPTROLLER TODD.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION IN THE PACKET BECAUSE THIS WAS A LATE ADDITION TO THE AGENDA.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I'LL MOVE TO APPOINT TRUSTEE PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON TO SERVE AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S REP REP.
OK, I MOVE TO APPOINT TRUSTEE PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON TO SERVE AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE INGHAM COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE.
THE APPOINTMENT IS CONTINGENT UPON THE APPROVAL OF INGHAM COUNTY OFFICIALS.
[02:35:02]
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.AND MANAGER WALSH? DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE SITE? JUST REAL QUICK.
SUPERVISOR STYKA DID ISSUE A LETTER.
WE WERE THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN, AS OF A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE'RE THE ONLY TOWNSHIP INGHAM COUNTY, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TRUSTEE HERRING JACKSON HAS AN INTERVIEW COMING UP ON FEBRUARY ONE TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THIS WAS SUPERVISOR STYKA'S STRONG RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE BE THE ONE.
AND I WOULD JUST NOTE FOR CONTEXT, THE THE TOWNSHIP KIND OF COALITION THAT HAS STARTED UP AN EMAIL LISTSERV AND INGHAM COUNTY.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY APPROACHED BY THE COUNTY BECAUSE NOBODY HAD REACHED OUT FOR THE OTHER TOWNSHIP SPOTS.
AND SO THEY TRANSMITTED AN EMAIL OUT TO THE LISTSERV TO KIND OF DRUM UP SUPPORT.
SO WE'RE REALLY KIND OF WEEDING ON AT LEAST THE ENERGY ON THIS ISSUE, AND WE APPRECIATE TRUSTEE JACKSON'S SERVICE ON THE TASK FORCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR UPDATES TO COME.
I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT, TOO, THE REASON IS SIGNIFICANT FOR FOUR TOWNSHIPS.
TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS TASK FORCE IS THAT THAT'S THE WAY THE TASK FORCE IS SET UP.
THE POSITIONS RESERVED FOR TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVES AND THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF.
AND TOWNSHIPS HAVE A PRETTY GOOD REPRESENTATION ON THE TASK FORCE THROUGH OUR WE JUST REPRESENT MORE RURAL AREAS IN GENERAL ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO THEY WERE GENEROUS IN PUTTING THREE TOWNSHIP SEATS.
I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY TWO CITY AND VILLAGE SEATS COMBINED.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT TRUSTEE JACKSON IS THE PERFECT PERSON FOR THIS FOR MERIDIAN OR REPRESENTATIVE.
I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR BROADBAND FOR AS LONG AS I'VE KNOWN.
AND THEN ALSO, I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT A REGIONAL BASIS, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST.
SO I JUST I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'VE BEEN NOMINATED AND I KNOW YOU'LL DO ON YOUR INTERVIEW.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE MOVEMENT IN THIS AREA.
AND IF I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SPEEDING THAT UP A LITTLE BIT, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NOT SEEING ANY.
LET'S TAKE A RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE.
CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER? YES.
THAT WAS A LENGTHY LIST OF ACTION ITEMS, BUT WE HAVE NOW CONCLUDED OUR ACTION
[13A. Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Recertification]
ITEMS WERE ONTO ITEM 13, A REDEVELOPMENT READY REDEVELOPMENT, READY COMMUNITIES, THE RRC RECERTIFICATION, AND WE HAVE DIRECTOR CLARK COMING UP TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON OUR SERIOUS RECERTIFICATION PROCESS.IS QUITE THE TONGUE TWISTER, RIGHT? ANOTHER RECERTIFICATION.
SO BROUGHT TO YOU THE CONVERSATION AND OUR GOALS MEETING THAT RRC HAS TRANSFERRED FROM A THREE YEAR PROGRAM TO A FIVE TO KEEP UP WITH OUR MASTER PLAN UPDATE.
INSIDE THE PACKET, YOU'LL SEE THE FULL SUGGESTIONS AND BEST PRACTICE UPDATES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PLANNING ARE THE HEAVIEST, INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND COMMUNICATIONS PLANS.
I JUST WANT TO LEAVE IT OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY FOR TIM OR MYSELF, I INCLUDED OUR SUCCESSFUL RECERTIFICATION PATHWAY IN THERE FOR YOU TO GET A GIST OF WHEN ITEMS MIGHT BE COMING TO VARIOUS BOARDS FOR APPROVAL.
QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD FOR DIRECTOR CLARK? TREASURER DESCHAINE? MOST OF US HERE WERE PRESENT, FOR THE PREVIOUS ECONOMIC DIRECTOR CHRIS BUCK'S ORIGINAL APPLICATION FOR REDEVELOPMENT READY RECERTIFICATION.
IT WAS QUITE A LENGTHY PROCESS AND TOUCH AND GO FOUR TIMES.
HOW WERE YOU EXPECTING THE RECERTIFICATION TO GO? WILL IT BE ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH WORK AS THE INITIAL CERTIFICATION? UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT ME BEING HERE TO KNOW WHAT WENT THROUGH THE FIRST TIME, I CAN'T REALLY COMPARE.
I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN DO IT.
WE HAVE TWO YEARS AND WE HAVE A SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT AS ITEMS ARE UPDATED, I CAN JUST DIRECTLY UPDATE THAT TO MEDC.
THEY CAN CHECK IT OFF WHEN THEY HAVE TIME AND THEN RECERTIFY US.
[02:40:01]
TRUSTEE JACKSON? YES, I TOO, RECOGNIZE THAT BOTH YOU AND MR. SCHMIDT ARE ESSENTIALLY NEW TO THIS PROCESS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO POSE TO BOTH OF YOU IS.
IF YOU THINK, IF YOU STILL THINK THIS IS A WORTHWHILE PROCESS FOR US TO PURSUE AND I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO GAUGE THAT BASED ON OBSERVATIONS OF WHAT WE ACTUALLY GOT OUT OF THIS CERTIFICATION.
HOW IT HAS HELPED US, YOU KNOW, COME TO THIS PART.
AND WITH THE CHANGES TO RCC 2.0, DOES IT STILL LOOK LIKE SOMETHING WE SHOULD RECERTIFY, SOMETHING WE SHOULD COMMIT TO? SURE, SURE.
IT'S A VERY VALID QUESTION, RIGHT? IS IT WORTH ALL THE TIME THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT INTO AND WORTH THE UPDATES NECESSARY? THE MEDICI HELPED TO DO THE PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING, AS WELL AS A MARKET STUDY FOR THE HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE.
THAT IS THE ONLY SITE THAT WE HAVE LISTED ON THE MDC'S OUR SITE.
WE ARE USING THAT TO ATTRACT POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT OUR SELF TO A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL STATE KNOWING THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS 30 PERCENT WETLAND, A THIRD AN AREA THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP.
WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 40 PERCENT TO DEVELOP HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ALREADY DEVELOPED, AND MEDC COULD BE A VERY GOOD PARTNER.
WE ARE A REDEVELOPING OUR COMMUNITY.
I CANNOT SEND IN THE YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE.
I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW MANY SITES HAVE RUN INTO THAT USED TO BE A DRY CLEANER OR A GAS STATION.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU BASICALLY POP OPEN THE HOOD.
AND ONCE YOU DO NOW, THE COSTS ARE EXACERBATED.
I WOULD SAY IT'S WELL WORTH OUR TIME.
MUCH OF THE THINGS ON THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THINGS WE ARE GOING TO DO LIKE AN UPDATE TO OUR MASTER PLAN.
UPDATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, UPDATED COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS PLANS.
THESE ARE THIS PROGRAM FROM MEDC'S STANDPOINT IS A WAY TO MARKET MICHIGAN AS EFFICIENT COMMUNITIES, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.
IF YOU'RE A DEVELOPER IN THE STATE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE BEING ABLE TO GET YOUR YOUR PROJECT TO APPROVAL.
I THINK IT'S GOOD MARKETING FOR US AND I THINK MANY OF THE ELEMENTS WE WERE GOING TO ACHIEVE ANYWAY.
CAN I GET MR. SCHMIDT? I DIDN'T SEE HIM.
DIRECTOR SCHMIDT SO YES, I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH OUR TIME AND I HAVE TWO REASONS FOR THAT.
I AM SOMEONE WHO IS NOT AFRAID OF CHANGE AND ALWAYS WANT TO BE REVIEWING PROCESS AND PROCEDURES TO MAKE THINGS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE I HATE HEARING THE ARGUMENT THAT THINGS COST MORE BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT TAKES TIME.
I THINK IN THE MIDWEST SPECIFICALLY, THAT SHOULDN'T BE AN EXCUSE ANYWHERE.
THAT'S A COASTAL ISSUE FOR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES BEYOND ANYTHING WE SEE.
THE SECOND PART AND I WILL SAY THIS, I'VE SAID THIS.
THIS IS PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION WE USED.
I USED IN THE CITY OF HOWE WHEN WE GOT CERTIFIED.
THE MEDC IS SLOWLY BUT INTERACTIVELY MOVING TOWARDS TYING INCENTIVES TO OUR CE CERTIFICATION.
THERE WILL BE A TIME WHERE THE MEDC SAYS IF YOU'RE NOT RRC CERTIFIED, YOU WILL NOT GET INCENTIVES FROM US.
IT STARTED WITH GRANT PROGRAMS. WE WERE A LOW TO MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITY AND HOWE AND STARTED WITH YOU GOT BONUS POINTS IN YOUR GRANT REVIEW AND THEN IT WENT TO YOU HIGH.
YOU HAD TO BE RRC CERTIFIED TO GET INTO SORT OF THE FIRST ROUND.
THERE WILL BE A POINT AT WHICH THEY PUSH THIS AS A REQUIREMENT.
AND SO STAYING ON TOP OF IT, ESPECIALLY IN THE BACKDROP THAT DIRECTOR CLARK MENTIONED OF US MOVING FROM REALLY FROM A GREENFIELD TO A BROWNFIELD COMMUNITY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TOUGHER AND TOUGHER SITES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IT'S IMPORTANT.
TRUSTEE JACKSON? I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WORKING FOR RECERTIFICATION.
I WOULD NOTE THAT WHAT IS ACTUALLY IN OUR SYSTEM, WHAT IS OUR RRC 2.0, IS A LOT OF WHAT YOU FIND BUILT INTO MASTERPLANS ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, AND AND ANNUAL REVIEWS AND ANNUAL UPDATES AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WHICH AS AS I THINK BOTH OF YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE BEEN MOVING TOWARDS AND OUR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
[02:45:04]
ANYWAY.BUT I WILL NOTE THAT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT OF 2.0 THAT I DON'T LIKE, AND I THINK WE NEED FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.
YOU MAY KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS, BUT IT IS AND A SECTION THAT REQUIRES THE MANDATES THAT WE MAKE A PARTICULAR KIND OF ZONING CHANGE OR NOT BOTHER TRYING TO BE RECERTIFIED.
SO I'M OPEN TO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT ISSUE.
BUT OF NOTE THAT I'M A LITTLE WEARY, LEERY .
I CAN SAY ON THAT, IF IT IS THE CHANGE I'M THINKING OF, WE DID HAVE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH OUR CAT TEAM REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT MEETING RECERTIFICATION STATUS AND IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HAVING TO MAKE ZONING CHANGES TO DO SO.
THEY SAID THAT THEY DO NOT REMOVE NECESSARILY YOUR STATUS, BUT THAT YOU JUST ARE INACTIVE.
AND SO YOU IF WE FALL INTO AN INACTIVE STATUS WITH MEDC, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOSE INCENTIVES LIKE WE WOULD FOR A MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT LIKE IN HASLETT VILLAGE OR OKEMOS.
OK, BUT WE DO HAVE TWO YEARS TO? WE DO HAVE TWO YEARS.
DIRECTOR CLARK, COULD YOU JUST OVERVIEW FOR THE BOARD WHAT THE ZONING CHANGE REQUIREMENT IS UNDER RRC NOW? IF IT'S THE ONE I'M THINKING OF, IT'S A MIXED USE AND MULTIPLE FAMILY UNIT DWELLINGS BY RIGHT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DOES NOT ALLOW MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL DWELLING UNITS.
I THINK BY RIGHT IN MANY OTHER PLACES AND MIXED USE MULTIPLE FAMILY MIXED USE BY RIGHT IN OUR ORDINANCE.
WOULD IT BE PERMISSIBLE IF THE TOWNSHIP DID IT BY OVERLAY DISTRICT SO THAT IT'S NOT A USE BY OR WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE BY ZONING? COULD IT BE FURTHER CONSTRAINED AND STILL MEET RRC QUALIFICATIONS? I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET CREATIVE.
FUNDAMENTALLY, AN OVERLAY IS A REZONING, AND THAT'S NOT BY RIGHT REQUEST.
AND IF THEY WANT TO GET TECHNICAL WITH THIS, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY.
I'M STILL TOSSING AROUND THE IDEAS NOW OF HOW TO HANDLE THIS NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OUT OF THE MUPUD UPTAKE AND GOTTEN THAT BEHIND US NOW THINKING THE NEXT.
AND REALLY, IT IS A GOOD SORT OF NEXT STEP TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE NEXT THING.
AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW? YOU KNOW, WE DID NEO TRADITIONAL AND WE'VE DONE FORM BASED CODE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE NEXT THING? WHAT IS THE FARTHER OUT DEVELOPMENT REGULATION THAT MAYBE WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL HERE? AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET CREATIVE TO MEET AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT TWO, OF THE THE STANDARDS IN THIS DISTRICT.
IN THIS REPORT, I WANT TO REREAD THE LANGUAGE, TOO, BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY SPECIFY LIKE THE I CAN ONLY REMEMBER THE COMMUNICATION ONE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT SOME OF THE CHANGES ARE VERY LITTLE LIKE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THINGS INTEGRATED AS PLANS TOGETHER AND THEN JUST PUT TOGETHER.
SO I WANT TO CHECK THE LANGUAGE.
BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY OR MIXED USE IS NOT JUST ALLOW MULTIFAMILY UNIT DWELLINGS AND THAT IS, THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS THEY SUPPORT.
WE'VE EVEN TRIED TO TAKE THEM A CONCEPT PLAN FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
IN HASLETT THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE A VERTICAL MIX, AND THEY PRETTY MUCH JUST SAID, FORGET ABOUT IT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS ON OUR RRC RECERTIFICATION.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I APPRECIATE DIRECTOR SCHMIDT SAYING THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION, AND THIS WOULD ONLY MAKE SENSE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO DO THIS TO BENEFIT.
SO PUTTING THE TIME I THINK WILL BE WORTH IT AND I COULD SUPPORT THAT.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN EARLY IN THE PROCESS BEFORE THE TRAIN LEAVES THE STATION.
TRUSTEE JACKSON, SO THE POINT HERE WAS TO INTRODUCE THE THE PROCESS TO US.
AND ARE WE REQUIRED TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU MOVE FORWARD OR NOT OR TONIGHT YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION?
[02:50:01]
THE PURPOSE THE BRIEF IS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.YOU ARE THE FINAL AUTHORIZING BODY ON ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
AND AS YOU SAW, I WANTED, TIM AND I JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE DID NOT WANT ANY OF IT TO BE A SURPRISE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING MIXED USE BY RIGHT AND MULTIFAMILY BY RIGHT AND MIXED USE DESIGNATIONS.
WANTED YOU TO HAVE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT AND WEIGH THE OPTIONS OF THE RRC PROGRAM.
SO I GUESS FOR MY FINAL COMMENT ON THIS, I DIDN'T REALLY I DIDN'T SEE THAT ZONING THING.
SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE YOU SPEAK RIGHT TO WHAT EXTENT, BUT I DO THINK THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE EXTRA MINDFUL OF.
I MEAN, THE COMMUNITY, WHILE WE HAVE CORE AREAS, THE COMMUNITY ALSO IS VERY LEERY OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S A TRICKY ONE.
BUT I DO THINK RRC IS IMPORTANT.
WE DON'T GET AS MANY TOOLS AS CORE COMMUNITIES AND CITIES, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE, TOO.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] LEAP AND IN MY DAY JOB CAPACITY, AND WE WERE AND I WAS ACTUALLY JUST FLOATING AN IDEA THAT I HAD BY HIM FOR THE STATE'S TRANSFORMATIONAL BROWNFIELD PROGRAM.
WE WERE EXTENDING THE SUNSET JUST RECENTLY IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF WE THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? AND SOMEHOW CREATED A NEW DEFINITION WHERE MALL COMMUNITIES COULD ACCESS A CORE COMMUNITY TOOL LIKE THIS? AND JUST FOR EVERYONE'S EDIFICATION OF CORE COMMUNITY, THERE'S A DEFINITION IN LAW AND AREA MEDIAN INCOME AS A COMPONENT OF IT.
AND SO REALLY, WE MISSED IT ON AFFLUENCE AND WE MIGHT ALSO MISS IT ON TOWNSHIP STATUS.
I DON'T THINK CHARTER TOWNSHIPS ARE, NOW THEY ARE ALLOWED, BUT IT'S EVEN MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN CITY ON THE DEFINITION.
AND SO WE WERE JUST KIND OF BRAINSTORMING, YOU KNOW WHAT IF MALL COMMUNITIES CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THAT TOOL IF THEY ATTRACTED DEVELOPMENT LIKE TWICE THE SCALE OF WHAT CORE COMMUNITIES ARE DOING RIGHT, LIKE FOR A TRANSFORMATIONAL BROWNFIELD PROGRAM TO CAPTURE SALES AND INCOME TAX, YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT LIKE A $25 MILLION PROJECT UNDER STATE LAW IN A COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE BASED ON OUR POPULATION THRESHOLD SO WE CAN ATTRACT $60 MILLION PROJECTS.
WE DID IT WITH OKEMOS ELEVATION.
PINE VILLAGE IS 43, 45MILLION.
I MEAN, SO IT'S CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT THAT COULD CHANGE AS I THINK MALLS WILL REALLY BE THE DRIVING FORCE AS THEY DECLINE.
SO RRC COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE TOOLS BEHIND IT COULD EVOLVE AS SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES EVOLVE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MERIT TO IT.
AND I KNOW MARCIA AMATO, WHEN SHE WAS ON THE EDC, TALKED ABOUT THIS AT LENGTH AND I THINK SHE HAD LEFT OUR EDC BY THE TIME WE FINALLY ADOPTED THIS.
BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT MARCIA TALKED ABOUT AT LENGTH FOR MANY YEARS, AND SO I WAS EXCITED WHEN DIRECTOR BUCK UNDERTOOK IT, NOT SEEING ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THE MOMENT.
WELL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CLARK.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND DIRECTOR SCHMIDT.
AND NOW WE ARE ON TO OUR FINAL DISCUSSION ITEM OF THE EVENING 13B AND WE HAVE
[13B. Township Emergency Plan Update]
CHIEF HAMEL WITH US TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE TOWNSHIP'S EMERGENCY PLAN UPDATE.AND YOU'VE BEEN BEFORE US ON THIS BEFORE WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
REMEMBER, BACK IN 2020, WE KIND OF REDID THE PLAN BASED ON THE ACT THAT KIND OF DICTATES HOW IT'S FORMATTED.
THIS IS JUST AN UPDATE WITH REALLY NAME CHANGES, SUCCESSION PLANNING AND WHO FILLS IN A ROLE FOR DIFFERENT.
I THINK THERE'S SIX CHANGES THAT WERE MADE OVER THE YEAR, AND THAT'S REALLY THE UPDATE.
AND JUST NEED YOUR APPROVAL AND THEN WE'LL GET SIGNATURES AND GET IT OVER TO THE COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE A PLAN ON ON OVER THERE.
IN CASE THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, THEN WE CAN POTENTIALLY BE IN LINE FOR MONEY IF THERE EVER IS ANY.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND THE TECHNICAL UPDATE TO THE EMERGENCY PLAN.
CLERK GUTHRIE? NO, IT'S JUST AN ANNUAL UPDATE.
BASICALLY, HOW IT WORKS IS WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE ON FILE ANNUALLY.
SO IF THERE'S A DISASTER IN THE AREA WHERE THERE'S POTENTIALLY A DECLARATION, WE GO THROUGH INGHAM COUNTY.
IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN, AN UPDATED PLAN ANNUALLY, WE PROBABLY AREN'T IN LINE FOR ANY MONEY.
NOW, THEY MIGHT LET US SQUEAK BY ONE TIME, BUT BASICALLY THE RULE OF THUMB IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, AN UPDATED PLAN ANNUALLY, YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY RECOVERY.
IN LIGHT OF THE WEBINAR I ATTENDED TODAY IN REGARDS TO EMERGENCY PLANS ON ELECTION DAY, AND I MENTIONED IT BRIEFLY
[02:55:04]
TO MANAGE YOUR WALSH TODAY.I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THAT I WANTED TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND CHIEF PARGA AND HIM TO DISCUSS HOW WE SHOULD BE BETTER PREPARED AND HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN FOR ELECTION DAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE.
I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF WHAT I SEE IN FRONT OF ME TODAY, BUT THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE.
IF, GOD FORBID, ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN.
SO I JUST WANT TO PLANT THAT IN YOUR HEAD BECAUSE I DO SEE THAT AS ABSENT FROM THIS.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT UNTIL I HAD THAT WEBINAR THIS AFTERNOON.
I'M GOING TO HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT SECURITY, OBVIOUSLY ON ELECTION DAY, BUT AS PART OF A PLAN, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT UNTIL I ATTENDED THAT WEBINAR LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
SO OK, YEAH, UNLESS IT'S A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, IT'S A SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING WHERE THE DAY OF YOUR ELECTION OR PRIOR TO YOU PLAN UP AND THEN YOU HAVE AN OPERATION PLAN ON, YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR FACILITIES IF YOU HAVE SECURITY ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, FIRE, MEDICAL THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE IN THIS KIND OF THING? IT WOULD BE LIKE A SEPARATE? OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
CLERK GUTHRIE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? THE UPDATE IS LARGELY PROCEDURAL, DO WE IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN ADOPTING THIS EVENING OR DO WE WANT TO HAVE IT BROUGHT BACK IN FEBRUARY? CLERK GUTHRIE? I WOULD AGREE WITH ADAPTING IT THIS EVENING.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR RULES? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES SO THAT WE CAN ADAPT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, AS SUBMITTED BY CHIEF HAMEL.
MOVED BY CLERK GUTHRIE, SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
LET'S TAKE A, WE JUST NEED A VOICE VOTE ON SUSPENDING THE RULES.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
NOW IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE TOWNSHIP EMERGENCY PLAN UPDATE AS PRESENTED IN THE BOARD PACKET? MOVED BY TRUSTEE JACKSON AND SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE, IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED, AND WE'LL TAKE A RECORD ROLL-CALL VOTE ON ADOPTION OF THE EMERGENCY PLAN UPDATE.
CLERK GUTHRIE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ROLL, WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT.
SUPERVISOR PRO TEM OPSOMMER? YES.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR PATIENCE WITH US THIS EVENING.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR THE EVENING.
WE ARE NOW ON TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
WE HAVE NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT.STEPHEN, ARE WE OPENING THE VIRTUAL LINES AT ALL FOR? YOU COULD, BUT YOU HAVE NO ONE IN THE ZOOM MEETING.
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
WE HAVE NO ONE IN THE ZOOM MEETING? WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM 15 OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY MANNERS OR CLOSING COMMENTS? TREASURER DESCHAINE? ONE QUICK ONE.
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL OPENING OF THE AUTISM MUSEUM AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.
MANY OF US HAVE MET TALKED WITH XAVIER DE GROTE.
I KNOW THE TRUSTEE OPSOMMER HAS BEEN A PARTICULAR MENTOR AND FRIEND OF HIS OVER THE YEARS.
HE CAME TO SPEAK TO ME AND INVITED ME TO IT.
MR. DE GROTE IS A VERY INTERESTING, PASSIONATE MAN ABOUT AUTISM AWARENESS AND ENABLING OUR RESIDENTS AND WHO HAVE AUTISM TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTION THAT MANY HAVE ALREADY MADE.
SO IF YOU'RE FREE ON THE 4TH, IT'LL BE SIX P.M.
I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE WING WHERE, NEAR LAUNCH.
YES, SO SHOULD BE EXCITING THING.
IT'S A NEW BUSINESS FOR THE MALL AND A FANTASTIC FOUNDATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THEM.
WONDERFUL ANNOUNCEMENT, TREASURER DESCHAINE.
AND I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT CHIEF PLAGA HAS ALSO BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MR. DE GROTE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT ANY OTHER CLOSING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS? DO NOT SEE ANY.
ALL RIGHT, THEN WE WILL LOOK TO A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[03:00:01]
ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.