[00:02:31]
GOOD EVENING. I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO CLERK
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
GUTHRIE, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY THAT EARLIER IN THE LAST HOUR, SUPERVISOR RON STYKA PASSED AWAY, RESULTING FROM A TRAUMATIC FALL THAT HE SUFFERED LAST THURSDAY.SPEAKING TO THE FAMILY, THEY WANTED US TO GO FORWARD WITH THE MEETING TONIGHT.
IT WAS THEIR WISHES THAT WE DID SO AND THAT'S WHAT WE PLAN TO DO.
THE FAMILY WANTED TO THANK THE MANY PARAMEDICS AND POLICE OFFICERS WHO RESPONDED TO THEIR HOME ON BELDING COURT LAST THURSDAY.
WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT RON MEANT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
IT WASN'T JUST MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
IT WAS 30 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
IT WAS YEARS ON THE OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD.
IT WAS YEARS AS TRUSTEE GETTING ELECTED HERE TO THE BOARD IN 2012, ELECTED AS SUPERVISOR IN 2016 AND REELECTED IN 2020.
HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND OKEMOS EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND ST.
MARTHA'S THE LIST GOES ON AND ON HOW MUCH THAT THIS GENTLEMAN GAVE TO THIS COMMUNITY AND HIS FAMILY. HE'S A VERY PROUD GRADUATE OF CASS TECH HIGH SCHOOL.
IF YOU EVER TALKED TO HIM, HE GREW UP IN DETROIT.
HE WAS PROUD GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL AND SPENT 40 YEARS IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
HE MEANT A LOT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE THERE WILL BE TIME IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND WEEKS TO HONOR HIS MEMORY, WE WANTED TO START TONIGHT BY SHARING THIS NEWS WITH ALL OF YOU, OUR HEARTS, OUR THOUGHTS AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE GO OUT TO GEORGIA, HIS WIFE, HIS SON JASON, HUSBAND CLOVIS, TO A SON GEORGE AND KATIE, TO JOE AND MEAGAN AND JAMES AND CRYSTAL AND THEIR FIVE GRANDCHILDREN. HIS GRANDCHILDREN WERE THE CENTER OF HIS LIFE AND RON SO LOVED GEORGIA, AND THANKFULLY, THEY WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST SUMMER.
I PERSONALLY JUST WANT TO THANK RON FOR EVERYTHING THAT HE GAVE TO THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE
[00:05:05]
HIS UNBRIDLED LOVE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND HIS FAMILY WILL LIVE ON.AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO CLERK GUTHRIE TO BEGIN THE MEETING.
THANK YOU, FRANK. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:02 P.M.
. WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR SUPERVISOR PRO TEM?
[Additional Item]
TRUSTEE WISINSKI.I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR TRUSTEE JACKSON TO SERVE AS SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING. SUPPORT. TREASURER DESCHANINE SUPPORTS.
I'LL TAKE THE ROLE. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
HERE. I'M SORRY, I'LL TAKE THE VOTE FOR THE MOTION.
YES. AND CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES, YES.
SO AT THIS POINT, I WILL OPEN THE REGULAR MEETING FOR THE MERIDIAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP BOARD FEBRUARY, THE 15TH 2022.
IF YOU WILL, WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE I'M SORRY.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
CLERK GUTHRIE, IF YOU WOULD CALL THE ROLL.
FIVE BOARD FIVE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT.
THANK YOU. ITEM FOUR ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IS PRESENTATIONS WE HAVE 4.
WE WILL START WITH 4A, WHICH IS THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW POLICE OFFICER, AND I BELIEVE
[4A. Introduction of New Police Officer-Kyle Cornell]
CHIEF PLAGA WILL MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.IT'S MY PLEASURE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE KYLE CORNELL.
KYLE SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS WITH US AND LEFT LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME FOR FAMILY REASONS.
BUT AS MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOW, IT'S IN YOUR BLOOD.
SO HE HAD APPROACHED US AND REQUESTED TO COME BACK, AND WE WERE EXCITED THAT HE WANTED TO COME BACK. AND SO TODAY, ON THE 14TH VALENTINE'S DAY, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE OFFICER CORNELL COME BACK. HE'S A GRADUATE OF SAGINAW VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY.
HE GREW UP IN CLINTON TOWNSHIP, DID A PHENOMENAL JOB WHILE HE WAS HERE, MISSED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CAME ON BACK.
SO I PRESENT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS OFFICER KYLE CORNELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK HERE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
IT'S A PLEASURE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK HERE AND PROTECTING THE STREETS OF MERIDIAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
MOVING ON TO ITEM B, I BELIEVE MR.
[4B. American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funding Presentation]
DEPUTY DIRECTOR PERRY IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THE PRESENTATION TO US.YES. ITEM 4B IS A PRESENTATION ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND ALSO THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS BILL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
AS THE BOARD'S AWARE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS AND HOW THE TOWNSHIP COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WITH ALL SPENDING BILLS,
[00:10:05]
ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.THERE'S LOTS OF STRINGS ATTACHED TO THEM, YOU KNOW, CONSTRAINTS.
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HAVE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
SO IN ORDER TO HELP US WADE THROUGH THOSE WATERS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE JEFF BROWN.
FISHBECK'S, AN ENGINEERING FIRM WE UTILIZE FOR OUR WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
THEY HELPED PREPARE THE SAW GRANT FOR THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH WAS KIND OF AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR SYSTEM. AND AGAIN, JEFF BROWN'S HERE, AND HE'LL WALK THROUGH SEVERAL SLIDES AND PRESENT THOSE TWO PROGRAMS TO US, HOPEFULLY BETWEEN 7 AND 10 MINUTES.
AS DEREK MENTIONED, GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF, BUT DEFINITELY OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE IF ANY AREAS YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL.
AS HE MENTIONED, PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR US IS MORE WATER AND SEWER, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT YOU CAN EXPLORE.
BUT A LOT OF THE NEEDS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP'S CAPITAL PLAN WERE CREATED UNDER THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND WE DID ONE FOR THE SANITARY AND THE WATER.
BUT THE SANITARY HAD A GRANT, SO OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LOT MORE WE COULD DO ON THAT.
DID A LOT OF TELEVISING OF SEWERS, A LOT OF MANHOLE INSPECTIONS FOUND A LOT OF ISSUES, LIKE WITH ANY SYSTEM TO ADDRESS OVER TIME AND CREATED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THAT, WHICH WOULD ALL BE PROJECTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GO THROUGH THIS TYPE OF FUNDING.
HERE ARE A LIST OF SOME I KNOW ROB AND YOUNES HAVE A MORE COMPLETE LIST.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE ONES WE IDENTIFIED IN THE EARLY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED YET.
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ONE ON THERE WOULD BE THE COUNTY PARK LIFT STATION, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE WITHIN THERE A LOT OF MANHOLE REHABILITATION AND SEWER LINING OVER TIME TO ADDRESS I&I THAT COULD BE INCLUDED.
THIS IS MORE OF THE [INAUDIBLE] NEXT FEW FIVE YEARS.
SO FROM THE FUNDING PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT FOUR DIFFERENT ITEMS. ONE IS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, WHICH YOU'RE PROBABLY FAIRLY FAMILIAR WITH.
THE OTHER IS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY PASSED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S CLEAN WATER PROGRAM AND THEN ALSO A SENATE BILL THAT'S CURRENTLY BEEN PASSED BY THE SENATE, BUT NOT THE HOUSE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT EACH BRIEFLY.
SO THE RESCUE PLAN ACT DID ALLOW.
SO THE WAY THE MONEYS ARE DISTRIBUTED IS THROUGH BASICALLY POPULATION DOWN THROUGH THERE, SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART AND YOU MAY ALREADY BE WELL AWARE OF THIS HOW EACH INDIVIDUAL ENTITY GOT AND IT CAME DOWN TO THE TOWNSHIP'S PORTION ON THAT.
EXCUSE ME FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE.
CERTAINLY. IS THIS SCREEN SUPPOSED TO BE ON? I THINK WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY PROBLEMS HERE.
WE WERE JUST ACTUALLY JUST ABLE TO GET THIS.
WE GOT A PROBLEM MR. GEBES JUST ENTERED THE ROOM.
THE QUESTION FROM THE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM IS THAT AVAILABILITY TO SEE THE PRESENTATION ON THE TVS HERE.
YEAH, IS IT NOT THIS ONE IS NOT ON.
I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING YOU.
OH, YOU'RE FINE. ALL RIGHT. IT'S OUR PHONE.
THE TIMELINE FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY ALREADY GOTTEN HALF YOUR MONEY.
THERE'S ANOTHER HALF SCHEDULED TO COME IN MAY.
THOSE FUNDS NEED TO BE OBLIGATED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 AND BY OBLIGATED, TYPICALLY THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT UNDER CONTRACT.
SO FROM A WASTEWATER PERSPECTIVE, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS YOU'D HAVE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE PROJECT COMPLETED, BUT YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO GET THAT WORK DONE AND THEN THE FUNDS MUST BE EXTENDED OR EXPENDED BY DECEMBER 31ST 2026.
SO FROM A WATER AND SANITARY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT COULD BE INCLUDED AND IT'S PRETTY BROAD, PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT'S CWSRF, OR DWSF ELIGIBLE COULD BE USED, YOU COULD USE THOSE FUNDS FOR THAT. A COUPLE EXAMPLES, WE'RE WORKING WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE USING SOME OF THEIR FUNDS TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONE OF THEM, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT'S PUTTING IT TOWARDS WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENTS.
AND ANOTHER THAT'S DOING SOME PUMP STATION IMPROVEMENTS.
[00:15:02]
SO PRETTY MUCH IF IT'S ELIGIBLE UNDER THE CWSRF OR DWSRF, WHICH INCLUDES MOST OF THOSE, YOU CAN PUT THAT TOWARDS THOSE FUNDS.ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED WAS THERE MIGHT BE A QUESTION ABOUT SINCE YOU GUYS DON'T OWN A WASTEWATER PLANT OR YOUR WATER PLANT, YOU TRANSPORT YOUR SEWAGE TO IT AND GET THAT FROM THAT.
AND I KNOW OBVIOUSLY BOTH OF THOSE HAVE PROJECTS GOING ON IS WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THAT COST COULD BE OFFSET.
AND WE DID GO THROUGH AND THE EPA'S QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND SOMEBODY DID SPECIFICALLY ASK WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD BE USED TOWARDS A REGIONAL PROJECT.
AND THE ANSWER THEY GAVE WAS YES.
SO YOU COULD POTENTIALLY USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS.
AND I KNOW EAST LANSING IS GOING THROUGH THE CWSRF.
IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, WE CAN GET YOU THAT A COPY OF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER AND ANY MORE DETAILS FOR THAT.
MOVING ON TO THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
BELOW THIS IS WHAT NSPE IS, A DIAGRAM THEY PUT OUT SHOWING WHERE A LOT OF THE POTS OF MONEY GOING FORWARD, SO WE'LL FOCUS ON THE 1.3 BILLION THERE TOWARDS WATER AND WASTEWATER, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE AND VARIOUS OTHER COMPONENTS. SO STARTING WITH DRINKING WATER, THERE WERE SEVERAL PROGRAMS THEY HAVE GOING ON. SO EACH ONE OF THOSE BOXES REPRESENTS A PROGRAM PARTIALLY, FORTUNATELY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE LEAD SERVICE LATERALS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FROM GETTING MONEY, A LOT OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE GEARED TOWARDS THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT SEVERAL OF THE RED BOXES ARE.
SOME ARE KIND OF MORE OBSCURE PROGRAMS, BUT WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET SOME MONEY UNDER THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND.
YOU'D HAVE TO SUBMIT A PROJECT PLAN AND APPLY FOR FUNDING.
WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DOING THAT.
THEY HAVE NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED HOW MUCH COULD BE USED FOR PRINCIPAL FORGIVENESS.
WHEN THEY SPLIT IT THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS THEY DON'T CALL IT A GRANT PER SAY.
THEY CALL IT PRINCIPAL FORGIVENESS.
AND IT RANGES THE LAW SAID THAT IT COULD BE UP TO 49 PERCENT.
BUT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN A FIRM NUMBER FROM THAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED OVER FIVE YEARS, SO STARTING NEXT YEAR, THEY'LL BE DISTRIBUTING A POT OF MONEY EACH.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE MORE AS THIS YEAR'S DEVELOPS A BETTER IDEA OF HOW MUCH ACTUAL PRINCIPAL FORGIVENESS WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AND UNDER THE DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND THAT MIGHT BE FOR WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT, THAT TYPE OF STUFF. AND LIKE I SAID, USUALLY AS FAR AS GOING IN THIS YEAR, IT'S A LITTLE LATE, BUT YOU COULD PUT ONE IN FOR NEXT YEAR IF YOUNES AND ROB AND YOU GUYS DECIDE THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THAT IS AVAILABLE.
YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A PROJECT PLAN.
YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT AN INTENT TO APPLY IN JANUARY AND THEN SUBMIT A PROJECT PLAN IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. AND THAT'S BASICALLY YOUR APPLICATION FOR FUNDING.
A SIMILAR STORY IN THE WASTEWATER LOTS OF BOXES, MOST OF THEM REALLY DON'T APPLY TO THE TOWNSHIP COMING THROUGH THE MAIN ONE IS THE CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE SISTER PROGRAM FOR DWSRF.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE LARGER OF THE TWO.
IT'S SIMILAR TO THE DRINKING WATER.
BUT WHAT THE LAW SAID WAS THAT A PORTION OF IT WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR PRINCIPAL FORGIVENESS, A.K.A.
THAT NUMBER IS STILL PROBABLY GOING TO BE DEPENDENT ON HOW MANY ACTUALLY APPLY AND HOW THAT LAYS OUT, AND WE'RE DEFINITELY KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
SIMILAR TIME FRAME, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PURSUE, IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
YOU SUBMIT AN INTENT TO APPLY IN JANUARY AND THEN THE PROJECT PLAN IS DUE IN THE SUMMER.
MICHIGAN CLEAN WATER PROGRAM, THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR BACK IN INITIALLY BACK IN OCTOBER 2020.
IT'S MORE OF AN INITIATIVE THAN AN ACTUAL LAW BECAUSE ONLY PART OF IT HAD FUNDING BEHIND IT. THIS IS THE DRINKING WATER.
THEY HAVE SPENT 207 MILLION OF THAT.
IT WAS MOSTLY LEAD SERVICE, LATERAL ALIGNED.
THEY HAD $100 MILLION DOLLARS THEY PUT OUT THAT TO REPLACE [INAUDIBLE] AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITIES FOR LEAD SERVICE LATERALS AND THEN ALSO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR DRINKING WATER ASSET MANAGEMENT GRANTS, WHICH YOU REALLY KIND OF NEEDED LEAD SERVICES TO APPLY. ALSO TALKED [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT WASTEWATER FUNDS.
HOWEVER, THOSE DID NEED AN APPROPRIATION, AND THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO DO THAT.
[00:20:01]
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN PUT ON HOLD FOR NOW OR WRAPPED UP IN THE SENATE BILL 565.AND WITH THAT, THEY'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY PUTTING UP ANOTHER 800 MILLION INTO DRINKING WATER AND CLEAN WATER.
IT'S STILL UNKNOWN WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MONIES TO SRF TO CREATE GRANTS OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO ADMINISTRATE IT SEPARATELY.
THAT'LL HAVE TO GET DETAILED WITH THE HOUSE UNTIL THE HOUSE REVIEWS AND IT BECOMES A LAW.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS A DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAM, LIKE THEY DID WITH THE WATER THAT YOU COULD SUBMIT ON SEPARATELY, WHICH WE'LL OBVIOUSLY KEEP AN EYE ON AND LET YOU KNOW IF ANY OF THOSE BECOME AVAILABLE.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR MAIN ONES I TRIED TO GO QUICKLY, I KNOW TODAY IS KIND OF A SOLEMN DAY, BUT I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE.
OK. MR. PERRY, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD.
AGAIN, WE WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW OF THOSE PROGRAMS TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE YOUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ON THESE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THE ARP FUNDING THAT AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SPEND.
SO JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THERE'S THAT WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A BUNCH OF THESE PROGRAMS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE MENTIONED IN SOME OF THE MEDIA RELEASES.
THERE'S REALLY JUST A FEW PROGRAMS THAT YOU KNOW WE CAN BE LOOKING AT TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS. OKAY.
QUESTION FOR YOU OR FOR DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY? THE CLEAN WATER REVOLVING FUND SEEMS TO BE A VIABLE ONE FOR US TO APPLY FOR.
DID IT INVOLVE? HOW INVOLVED IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND HOW LIKELY ARE WE TO RECEIVE FUNDING BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW? SO UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS PRETTY INVOLVED.
YOU HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER A PROJECT PLAN WHICH THE TOWNSHIP HAS DONE BEFORE WE ASSISTED YOU GUYS TO PUT ONE IN A FEW YEARS AGO FOR ONE OF YOUR PUMP STATION REPLACEMENTS.
THE REPORTS ABOUT YEA THICK SO IT IS A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE PROCESS.
WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND DO PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVE IT OUT.
I WOULD SAY CLEAN WATER IS MORE LIKELY THAN DRINKING WATER.
CLEAN WATER IS THE LARGER OF THE TWO PROGRAMS. FOR INSTANCE, CLEAN WATER TYPICALLY HAS ABOUT $800 MILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE, AND LAST YEAR, EVERYBODY THAT APPLIED FOR THE CLEAN WATER GOT FUNDED.
DRINKING WATER IS CLOSER TO ONE HUNDRED AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING SWAMPED WITH APPLICATIONS.
WHAT I HEARD FROM EGLE THIS MORNING IN A MEETING WAS THEY GOT OVER A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF REQUESTS, SO THAT ONE IS MUCH LESS LIKELY.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD AN ACTUAL NUMBER ON THE CLEAN WATER YET, HOW MANY GOT SUBMITTED, BUT I WOULD AGREE THAT THAT'S THE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GET FUNDED.
I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT COULD YOU MAYBE JUST BRIEFLY TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND AND THE CLEAN WATER REVOLVING FUND AND WHAT THOSE PROJECTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE? CERTAINLY.
DRINKING WATER, AS THE NAME MIGHT INCUR, IS IS ANYTHING RELATED TO YOUR WATER SYSTEM.
SO IT'S WATER MAINS WATER TOWERS.
IF YOU HAD A WATER PLANT, IT WOULD BE INCLUDE YOUR WATER PLANT, BUT YOU GET YOUR WATER FROM ELMWSA, SO IT'S MORE ON THE DRINKING WATER SIDE.
CLEAN WATER IS SANITARY SEWER.
THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE.
THE THING THE SPIEL IN THE INDUSTRY IS, YOU KNOW, COCA-COLA MAKES COCA-COLA EVEN THOUGH WATER COMES IN, SO DIRTY WATER COMES IN WE MAKE CLEAN WATER COMING OUT.
SO CLEAN WATER IS WASTEWATER SANITARY SEWER OR I&I PUMP STATIONS IN THE LAKE.
THANK YOU. ITEM C IS OUR 2021 TOWNSHIP ANNUAL REPORT,
[4C. 2021 Township Annual Report]
MR. WALSH WILL PRESENT THAT TO US.I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
THE REPORT'S BEEN OUT NOW FOR TWO WEEKS.
IT'S AVAILABLE AT BOTH LIBRARIES.
I'VE ACTUALLY SENT IT TO OUR 110 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS AS WELL ELECTRONICALLY.
SO I DON'T REALLY IT'S A 70 PAGE DOCUMENT, IT REALLY ENCOMPASSES OUR ACTIVITIES IN 2021.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE THIS EVENING, BUT I KNOW WE'VE BEEN
[00:25:02]
THROUGH OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AT THREE DIFFERENT MEETINGS AND THIS IS REALLY ENCAPSULATES WHAT'S IN THE REPORT.SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, I REALLY WOULD BE REPEATING MYSELF FOR THE FOURTH TIME. DO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, THE FOURTH ITEM, ITEM D MR.
[4D. Special Acknowledgement-Dan Opsommer]
OPSOMMER WOULD ITEM D PERTAINS TO A MR. OPSOMMER, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, MR. OPSOMMER IS LEAVING THE BOARD.AND SO AT THIS TIME, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND PAY TRIBUTE TO HIS SERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND SO I HAVE A VERY NICE PLAQUE.
THIS IS CALLED A TRIBUTE OF APPRECIATION FOR TRUSTEE DANIEL R.
OPSOMMER FOR OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE.
OPSOMMER BEGAN SERVING THE INTERESTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN 2016 WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND WHEREAS DANIEL WAS ELECTED TRUSTEE TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN 2016 AND REELECTED TO A SECOND TERM IN 2020, HE SERVED AS SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR THIS BOARD FROM 2019 THROUGH 2021. AND WHEREAS DURING HIS FIVE YEAR TENURE AS TRUSTEE, DAN HAS ABLY REPRESENTED THE INTERESTS OF THIS BOARD AND THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ON THE CAPITAL AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LAND PRESERVATION BOARD, THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION, AND THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
AND WHEREAS TRUSTEE OPSOMMER HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ADVANCE AND ACHIEVE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD, SELFLESSLY CONTRIBUTING VALUABLE FOCUS, PERSPECTIVE, INSIGHT AND ENERGY TO OUR MOST CHALLENGING EFFORTS AND SUBSEQUENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND WHEREAS DANIEL OPSOMMER HAS BEEN NAMED ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ON FEBRUARY 8TH 2022.
AND WHEREAS ON FEBRUARY 13, 2022 RESIGNED AS TRUSTEE ON THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OR THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THIS BOARD WISHES TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE, COMMEND AND THANK DANIEL R.
OPSOMMER FOR INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO AND IMPACTS ON THE WORK OF THIS BOARD AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS BOARD IS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE AND WISHES YOU WELL IN YOUR NEW JOB AND FUTURE PURSUITS.
[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, AND THANK YOU TO THE REST OF THE BOARD, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU AND TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MANY YEARS TO COME IN THIS NEW ROLE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU.
THANK YOU. WE'VE COME TO ITEM 5 ON OUR AGENDA.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. I HAVE THREE CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.THE FIRST IS FROM NEIL BOWLBY.
BEFORE I START, COULD I ASK THAT THE HOMTV FEED STAY FOCUSED ON THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR, SO I DON'T HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THESE? I CAN SUMMARIZE THEM, BUT THEY'D STILL BE IN THE RECORD.
FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR TO THE BOARD.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE.
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF ZOOM MEETINGS, BUT I LIKE TO START BY CONGRATULATING DEREK ON YOUR NEW JOB. I'M SURE YOU'RE WELL DESERVING OF IT, AND YOU SERVED THE TOWNSHIP VERY WELL FOR
[00:30:06]
MANY, MANY YEARS.YOU HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL, AND I WAS DOING SOME LOOKING AT QUALIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THEY ALL HAVE SEVERAL THINGS IN COMMON.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T READ THIS, SO I'M GOING TO JUST PUT THEM UP THERE BECAUSE LATER ON, PEOPLE CAN FREEZE FRAME AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT.
FROM CASCADE TOWNSHIP AND PENNSYLVANIA.
HERE'S A COUPLE FROM BURLINGTON, VERMONT.
THE COMMON THEME IN THESE IS THAT THE PERSON THE QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE ACADEMIC TRAINING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT.
SEVERAL YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT.
HANDS ON KNOWLEDGE OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE OVERRIDING THEME IS THAT IF PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND PAYING ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, THAT THEY'RE EXPECTING PROFESSIONALISM AND EXPERIENCE.
SO LET'S LOOK AT FOR A MINUTE PREVIOUS PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORS RAY SEVERY WAS THE DIRECTOR BEFORE DEREK CAME IN.
AND JUST TO SUMMARIZE, HE HAD TWENTY SEVEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BEFORE COMING TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. HE HAS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AND ALSO A DEGREE IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
SO HIS WHOLE BACKGROUND IS IN PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING.
DEREK HIMSELF, WHO WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE MANAGER I DON'T REMEMBER WHETHER THERE WAS A HIRING FOR HIM HAS 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
CONTRAST THAT WITH THE CURRENT APPOINTEE, WHO APPARENTLY HAS ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE AND OR TRAINING IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, CIVIL ENGINEERING OR ANYTHING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THAT. THE THING THAT WAS MOST TROUBLING ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO GET RID OF ACTUALLY SEARCHING FOR A PROFESSIONAL IS THAT THE MANAGER SAYS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DECIDE, HE'S STICKING WITH IT.
HE'S BASICALLY THUMBING HIS NOSE AT YOU AND SAYING, YOU DON'T GET A SAY IN IT, YOU DON'T NEED A PROFESSIONAL.
NOW, THE BOARD HAS GIVEN POWER TO THE MANAGER TO OVERSEE THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
BUT IMPLICIT IN THAT IS THAT HE WILL MAKE WISE DECISIONS AND DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE INTEREST OF THE TOWNSHIP, THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TAXPAYERS OF THE TOWNSHIP.
AND I KNOW YOU DON'T ADHERE TO POLICY GUIDANCE ANY MORE POLICY, BUT THE MANAGER IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT IMPRUDENT OR IN VIOLATION OF COMMONLY ACCEPTED BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND PRACTICES.
AND I THINK IF YOU ASK ANYBODY, I WON'T PUT DEREK OR YOUNES ON THE SPOT TO ASK THEM, GIVEN THE CREDENTIALS OF THE CURRENT APPOINTEE WOULD THAT APPLICATION, MAKE IT ANY FARTHER THAN THE CIRCULAR FILE? I THINK YOU'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP.
TAXPAYERS MONEY IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS POSITION MANAGES A $12 MILLION BUDGET AND I JUST DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN IN GOOD CONSCIENCE GO ALONG WITH THIS.
THANK YOU. YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO SEE THAT A QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL GET PUT IN THAT IMPORTANT ROLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TOWNSHIP.
THANK YOU MR. BOWLBY. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THAT ETHIC IN MIND THAT YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW IN THE WORLD YOU CAN THINK THAT SOMEBODY WITH NO EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WORKS AT ALL.
OH, PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO GET SOMEBODY IN THAT POSITION.
THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVE VAGNOZZI AND MR. VAGNOZZI I FAIL TO SET THE CONDITIONS FOR SPEAKING BEFORE, BUT IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TRY TO ADHERE TO THE THREE MINUTE RULE?
[00:35:05]
OK.I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK ON THE SAME AGENDA ITEM 12E.
I SUPPORT THE WAIVER FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
I RESPECT MR. WALSH'S JUDGMENT BASED ON HIS PERFORMANCE WITH THE TOWNSHIP TODAY, FILLING THE ASSISTANT MANAGER WITHOUT A GAP IS CRITICAL DUE TO THE THREE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WELL ONE HAS ALREADY STARTED YESTERDAY THAT ARE STARTING THIS SPRING, IT ALLOWS FOR HIM TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP WITH MR. PERRY, WHO HAS PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
I KNOW THAT FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH HIM ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, IT AVOIDS THE TIME WASTED BY A PHONY INTERVIEW PROCESS AND THE NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE CANDIDATES NOT SELECTED.
IN MY CAREER WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN I WENT THROUGH ONE OF THESE WHERE ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SO-CALLED INTERVIEW COMMITTEE COULDN'T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO SHOW UP FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE INTERVIEW.
DAN OPSOMMER, WHILE HE DOESN'T HAVE THE ENGINEERING QUALIFICATIONS, HE HAS OTHER QUALIFICATIONS THAT OUTWEIGH THAT LIMITATION.
HE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE TOWNSHIP AND STATE LEGISLATURE, AND HIS CONNECTIONS FROM HIS WORK WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE I KNOW HAVE ALREADY HELPED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT THE TOWNSHIP.
I HAVE KNOWN AND WORKED WITH DAN FOR 10 YEARS.
HE'S A VERY HARD WORKER AND HE HAS A LARGE CONTACT NETWORK.
HE CAN FIND AN EXPERT ON ALMOST ANY TOPIC.
HE WILL BE AN ASSET TO THE TOWNSHIP.
I AM GOING TO USE AN EXAMPLE OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHO HAVE HAD A RECENT, UNSUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE WITH TWO DIFFERENT SUPERVISOR, EXCUSE ME, SUPERINTENDENTS THAT WERE HIRED AFTER A HIGHLY COMPLEX AND LONG PROCESS.
THANK YOU, MR. VAGNOZZI. THE NEXT CARD IS FROM YOUNES ISHRAIDI.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, I WANTED TO SPEAK HERE.
THIS WAS SHOCKING, I GUESS, TO HEAR ABOUT SUPERVISOR STYKA AND MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. YES, IT WOULD BE A BIG LOSS, A BIG MISS FOR EVERYONE AROUND HERE.
WHAT A NICE MAN. MOVING ON TO A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS DIRECTLY MR. BOWLBY'S COMMENT.
AND TRUTH BE SAID, THIS IS A REALLY WAS VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT THAT POSITION WOULD BE HE WILL BE WORKING UNDER A VERY CAPABLE STAFF, JUST LIKE MR. DEREK WAS. MYSELF, I'M A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
MY STAFF, EVERYBODY KNOWS NYAL.
EVERYBODY KNOWS MY STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ON AVERAGE, AT LEAST 25 YEARS.
SO THE FACT THAT HE'S NOT DOESN'T HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN MY MIND IS MARGINAL. I THINK THE ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, COMMUNICATIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS IS MAYBE PARAMOUNT TO THAT, AS EVIDENCED BY THE ROLE MR. PERRY DID. HE'S NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT HE'S A BRILLIANT GUY, AND I KNOW THAT HE'S BRILLIANT. SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE IN GOOD HANDS.
[00:40:02]
SO LET'S GET THAT STRAIGHT.YES. THINGS DON'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE.
I COULD ARGUE IF ANYBODY IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS, IT WOULD BE ME.
BUT I ASSURE YOU AND THE PUBLIC THAT WE CAN HANDLE THIS AND WE'LL GIVE HIM OUR FULL SUPPORT. AND I DON'T THINK THIS ISSUE IS REALLY MUCH OF A CONCERN FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE TOWNSHIP.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT MANAGER WALSH KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH HIM AND GETTING EVEN THE PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THE SUPPORT NEEDS.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR ON THAT, AND I THINK THERE'S NO REASON TO WORRY ABOUT THIS.
YOU CAN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND I'VE BEEN THERE 33 YEARS LOOKING FORWARD TO HELP MR. DAN UNTIL I RETIRE WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS.
AND I KNOW THE REST OF THE STAFF IS EXTREMELY CAPABLE AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT A BIG DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'RE VERY EXPERIENCED, KNOWLEDGEABLE.
SO I'M GONNA JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND JUST REST ASSURED IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT ROUGH OF A TRANSITION. LET'S JUST SAY THAT.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORK WITH YOU AND GOOD LUCK MR. PERRY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. AND THE LAST CARD I HAVE IS FOR MICHAEL OSBORNE.
I'LL PROBABLY SPEAK A LITTLE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES IN ADVANCE JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, MAYBE THREE AND A HALF MINUTES.
THREE AND A HALF, I DIDN'T TIME MY LITTLE TALK.
I BEG YOUR PARDON. I DIDN'T TIME MY LITTLE TALK.
THAT'S WHY I ELECTED TO DO IT LAST.
PLEASE TRY TO DO IT IN THREE MINUTES.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THIS WONDERFUL DANIEL'S DRAIN PROJECT.
BRILLIANT MOVE. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD BUY A CAR? I'VE GOT A CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY HERE.
TIRES ARE OK, BUT HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY THAT CAR? I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT COSTS [INAUDIBLE] WE DO.
ONCE WE HAVE THE CONTRACT SIGNED THEN I'LL SEE IF I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE COST WOULD BE FOR YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH DANIEL'S DRAIN.
MOST NONSENSICAL THING I CAN THINK OF.
YOU DON'T BUY ANYTHING UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU.
NOW WE HAVE FABRICATED NUMBERS THAT CAME OUT WHEN THIS PROJECT FIRST CAME OUT.
THE PUBLIC WASN'T ALLOWED TO FIGURE IT OUT.
PUBLIC WASN'T EVEN VERY WELL INFORMED.
WHY? BECAUSE THE DANIEL'S DRAIN IS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
THIS PROJECT IS NOW IN EXCESS OF 90 PERCENT DONE.
IT BELONGS TO THE COOPERATIVE OF THE PONDS.
IT DOESN'T BELONG TO ANY OF THE REST OF FOREST HILL, ANY OF THE THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY PEOPLE IN FOREST HILL SUBDIVISION.
THIS PROJECT BECOMES PART OF THE POND.
NOW, WHY WOULD ANYBODY ACCEPT, PARTICULARLY FROM THE TOWNSHIP, TO DO A PROJECT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE TAXPAYERS? THAT'S NONSENSE.
YOU CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DO IT IN MY BACKYARD.
I'VE GOT A DRAIN PROBLEM IN MY BACKYARD AND JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM MY THIS IS MY HOUSE AND JUST DOWN THE STREET HERE IS A GULLY MANUFACTURED HOUSE AND MY HOUSE IS MANUFACTURED IN 1973.
THE BUILDER PUT IT IN SLOPPY JOB.
THE DRAINS WERE SLOTTED, THE WATER PLUGGED UP, WASHED AWAY MY BACKYARD.
GUESS WHERE MY WATER GOES, GOES RIGHT THERE.
THIS ISN'T EVEN BEING ADDRESSED BY THE DANIELS DRAIN, MIND YOU, BUT IT'S GOING TO COST TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX IT.
I THINK THE TOWNSHIP SHOULD PAY FOR IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? GUYS HERE AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT THE DANIELS DRAIN, HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE THOUGHT THAT THE PEOPLE AT THE COOPERATIVES BEING OVERCHARGED.
BOO HOO. THAT'S NOT THE [INAUDIBLE] PROBLEM.
THAT'S NOT THE REST OF THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY KNEW WHAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY WALKED IN THERE.
AND WHEN THIS PROPERTY THIS COMPLAINT WAS MADE SIX YEARS AGO ABOUT WATER GETTING INTO A BASEMENT NOBODY REALLY EVEN LOOKED INTO THAT.
IN ORDER FOR THE WATER TO HAVE COME UP HIGH ENOUGH TO GET IN ANYBODY'S BASEMENT HAD TO COME UP 10 FEET. THE WATER NEVER GOT NEAR THAT.
SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE NOW? WE SCRAPED THIS POND OUT AND WE MADE THE WALL OF DIRT TO ANY
[00:45:02]
BASEMENT. WE DIFFERED.AND NOW IT'S MORE LIKELY TO GET IN ANYBODY'S BUSINESS.
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, SOMEBODY'S GOT TO START LOOKING AT THINGS A LITTLE MORE ACCURATELY, LIKE ACTUALLY GOING OUT THERE AND LOOKING.
AND I ASKED ABOUT FUNDING, WHY DIDN'T WE LOOK INTO GRANTS, THERE'S GRANTS ALL THE TIME? I WAS TOLD THERE'S NO GRANTS.
I BEG YOUR PARDON. YOU CAN GET ON THE INTERNET.
YOU CAN FIND THEM ALL THE TIME.
THE PUBLIC SO 320 LANDOWNERS ARE BEING CHARGED FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR WHAT AFFECTS NOT EVEN THIS WHOLE PROJECT DOESN'T EVEN AFFECT ONE PERCENT.
99 PERCENT OF THIS PROJECT IS FOR THE PONDS, FOR A DRAIN THAT DIDN'T EXIST THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE OTHER THAN A SMALL STREAM.
YEP. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO TOWNSHIP MANAGERS REPORT.
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
THANK YOU, I'D LIKE TO USE MY TIME THIS EVENING JUST IN CASE THAT THE CITIZENS WHO SPOKE, THE THREE OF THEM HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE WE GET TO THAT AGENDA ITEM.I THINK GREAT RESPECT FOR MR. BOWLBY FOR NINE YEARS AND IT DIDN'T CHANGE TONIGHT.
IT JUST THE WAY HE'S LOOKING AT THINGS AND THE WAY I LOOK AT THEM ARE JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WHAT WE NEED OUT OF THIS POSITION, THE ONLY REASON THIS POSITION IS TITLED THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE CHARTER REQUIRES IT.
THANK YOU, MR. YOUNES, FOR WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT IN THE ORIGINAL TITLE WE PUT IT IN BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED.
IT'S NOT WHAT, I DON'T NEED SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS YOU WANT, BUT THE RIGHT FIT IS REALLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH ABOUT DAN OPSOMMER THAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE THAT WASN'T DISCUSSED THIS EVENING AND, YOU KNOW, WENT OUT AND PUT CHIEF PLAGA IN HIS POSITION.
AMBER CLARK IN HER POSITION, ABBY TITHOFF, TIM SCHMITT, MIRIAM MATTISON, DEREK PERRY.
WE'VE GOT A STAR, FIVE STAR LIST HERE, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR RECRUITING AND GETTING THE RIGHT FIT AND BRINGING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
AND IF I NEEDED SOMEONE WHO WAS GOING TO KNOW WATER AND SEWER LINES, I HAVE ONE OF THE BEST ENGINEERS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN LEADING OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T NEED AN ENGINEER TO OVERSEE AN ENGINEER.
I NEED SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO HELP OVERSEE THE PROJECTS, COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC.
IT'S A WHOLE SET OF DIFFERENT JOB DUTIES, CHARACTERISTICS OF WHAT WE NEED OUT OF THIS POSITION.
AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTIONED THIS EVENING I WORKED WITH SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE TEAM THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING.
I RECRUITED DEREK AWAY FROM MARSHALL TO ST.
JOE. I RECRUITED DEREK AGAIN TO COME HERE BECAUSE OF HIS TALENTS, NOT BECAUSE HE WENT TO MICHIGAN TECH OR THAT HE'S FROM BAROQUE.
I GOT HIM BECAUSE OF HIS TALENTS AND HIS ABILITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
HIS COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND ALL OF THAT BIG PICTURE THINKING.
AND HE'S DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB.
AND IN CLOSING ON THAT REPORT, I WANT TO THANK THE THREE CITIZENS WHO CARED ENOUGH TO COME HERE AND TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND I WANT TO WELCOME DAN TO OUR TEAM.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DEREK.
THIS IS HIS LAST MEETING AND WE WORKED TOGETHER 14 OF MY LAST 16 YEARS TOGETHER.
AND I WOULD RECRUIT HIM ALL OVER AGAIN AND I WISH HIM WELL.
AND MARSHALL, THE MARSHAL PROCESS TOOK A LONG TIME AND PEOPLE WANTED ME TO WAIT AND FOLLOW A CERTAIN PROCESS.
THAT MEANS WITH ALL THE PROJECTS WE, YOU KNOW, THE GENTLEMAN IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT HERE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGNED THE OKEMOS ROAD BOARDWALK.
NOW MOST COMMUNITIES WOULD SEND THAT OUT.
BUT THREE GENTLEMEN AND I THINK IT WAS MR. GRAHAM AND MR. NUNN AND MR. ISHRAIDI, THEY DESIGNED THE WHOLE THING.
I THINK THEY SAVED US A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS BY DOING THAT.
THAT'S THE TALENTED TEAM WE HAVE ON OUR STAFF.
SO WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR MIGHT BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MIGHT THINK YOU'D BE LOOKING FOR WITH THAT TITLE.
AND I GET IT. THE TITLE IS A LITTLE MISLEADING, TOO, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ONLY REQUIRED BY CHARTER, BUT WE WILL CARRY ON AND WE'LL BUILD OUR TEAM UP AND CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO. AND THAT'S MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.
I WANTED TO RESPOND IN CASE THEY WEREN'T HERE LATER ON IN THE MEETING.
THE DEADLINE FOR MARSHALL ALLOWED US NO CARRYOVER.
WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COMING UP.
A TYPICAL RECRUITMENT TAKES THREE MONTHS AND I CAN LEAD BOTH DEPARTMENTS HIGH AND DRY
[00:50:01]
WITHOUT ANY LEADERSHIP BECAUSE THE MARSHALL PROCESS ENDED.LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.
THE MARSHALL PROCESS ENDED OUT OF RESPECT TO THEM.
I COULD HAVE POSTED THE JOB A MONTH AGO, BUT OUT OF RESPECT TO MR. PERRY, IT WASN'T OFFICIAL.
IT WASN'T OFFICIAL UNTIL EIGHT NIGHTS AGO.
AND SO I'D BE JUST POSTING A JOB.
AND RIGHT NOW THE JOB WOULD STILL BE POSTED.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY LEADERSHIP AND THEN I'D BE WAITING FOR MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO UNTIL WE FILL THAT POSITION IF WE WENT WITH A STATEWIDE RECRUITMENT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE COULD DO IT.
AND LOOKING AT HINDSIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE CHANGED A COUPLE OF THINGS AND MR. ISHRAIDI, AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE LANDED WHAT I CONSIDER THE FIVE STAR RECRUIT IN THIS PROCESS.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DAN'S WORK WITH US, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT TEAM. SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME PRESENT WHAT MY VISION AND WHERE I WAS GOING WITH ALL OF THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU, FRANK. I SEE EXCUSE ME. POINT OF ORDER PLEASE.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
TREASURER DESCHAINE.THANK YOU SUPERVISOR PRO TEM JACKSON.
I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE MY USUAL REPORT OF ATTENDING ALL THE TYPICAL MEETINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED OF ME, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT I DID HAVE THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE XAVIER DEGROAT AUTISM FOUNDATION RIBBON CUTTING WITH MANY MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND POLICE CHIEF PLAGA AND NOW ASSISTANT MANAGER OPSOMMER.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS PASSED AND IT WAS AN EXCELLENT EVENT.
AND THAT FOUNDATION IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE MALL AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE HOSTING THAT. AND OUR ECONOMIC DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK HELPED PUT THAT EVENT TOGETHER, AND WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE REGION FOR THAT EVENT AND MADE MERIDIAN PROUD.
I'M GOING TO USE MY TIME TONIGHT TO NOT TO TALK ABOUT SUPERVISOR STYKA BECAUSE THIS NEWS IS VERY, VERY RECENT AND I'M HOPEFUL WE'LL HAVE TIME IN THE FUTURE MEETING TO PAY HIM A PROPER TRIBUTE. WE'RE GOING TO MISS RON GREATLY, BUT WE DID KNOW IN ADVANCE OF THIS MEETING THAT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER WOULD BE RESIGNING.
AND SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS ABOUT TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
DAN HAS REALLY BEEN AN ALL STAR ON THIS BOARD THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
HE'S BEEN KNOWLEDGEABLE, HE'S BEEN A QUICK STUDY ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ISSUE BEFORE US.
HE'S BEEN AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG ON THE AREAS OF ZONING AND PLANNING, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
HE'S BEEN HE WAS REALLY FROM THE START, PRETTY BRILLIANT IN HIS FORESIGHT TO HELP US TO PUT TOGETHER THE COMPREHENSIVE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE IN 2017 AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, THE ROAD MILLAGE.
AND BOTH OF THOSE ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF THE TOWNSHIP, NOT TO BE STRANGLED BY DEBT AND TO FIX THE ROADS WHICH OUR RESIDENTS CARE GREATLY ABOUT.
AND DAN WAS A BIG ARCHITECT FOR BOTH OF THOSE TO MAKE THEM AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, YET STILL GET THE JOB DONE.
DAN HAS REALLY BEEN A COALITION AND CONSENSUS BUILDER ON THIS BOARD.
HE'S HELPED US TO SEE OPPOSING SIDES AND BRING THE SIDES TOGETHER, AND WE ACTED VERY MUCH AS ONE. BUT IT'S TAKEN SOME WORK, AND DAN HAS DONE A LOT OF THE HARD WORK.
WITH SUPERVISOR STYKA AND DAN'S LEADERSHIP THIS HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL BOARD THE PAST FIVE YEARS, VERY SUCCESSFUL BOARD.
NO ONE CAN REASONABLY ARGUE THAT THIS TOWNSHIP AND THIS TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT IS NOT FAR BETTER OFF THAN IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, THANKS TO SUPERVISOR STYKA AND THANKS TO DAN.
WHILE WE'RE GOING TO MISS GREATLY, DAN, YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE BOARD, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR FORTY FOUR THOUSAND RESIDENTS AND YOUR AMAZING PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IN YOUR NEW ROLE.
SO GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW ROLE AND WE SURE AS HECK ARE GOING TO MISS YOU UP HERE.
THANKS SO MUCH, DAN, FOR ALL YOU DID FOR THIS BOARD.
ANYONE ELSE? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. I'M GOING TO JUST MAKE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS.
PROBABLY SAVE A LOT OF BREATH WHEN IT COMES TO UPDATES, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT I SERVE ON ONE OF THEM BEING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
NATIONAL WETLANDS DAY WAS FEBRUARY 2ND AND THANK YOU TO OUR PHENOMENAL BRANDIE YATES HELPED TO ESTABLISH OUR WEBSITE AND PROMOTE THAT, AS WELL AS THE OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR NATIONAL WETLAND DAY.
JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT EMMA CAMPBELL HAS DEVELOPED WHAT WE CALL WETLAND WALKS ON
[00:55:04]
WEDNESDAYS FROM 5:00 TO 6:30.THE NEXT ONE WILL BE MARCH 2ND AT TIHART PRESERVE.
GREEN GRANTS, PROPOSAL DEADLINES WERE DUE TODAY.
WE RECEIVED THREE FORMAL PROPOSALS WITH SEVERAL OTHER INQUIRIES THAT MAY END UP INTO SOMETHING MORE FORMAL.
I'M ALSO NOT PREPARED TO EXPRESS MY LOSS FOR SUPERVISOR STYKA, BUT I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE DEREK ON YOUR NEW ENDEAVORS.
AND THEN ALSO CONGRATULATE DAN ON YOUR NEW POSITION IN OUR TOWNSHIP.
ECHO A LOT OF WHAT TREASURER SAID AND WHAT THE MANAGER SAID.
DAN'S MUNICIPAL KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT IT WAS UNPRECEDENTED ON THE BOARD SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. HIS RESEARCH SKILLS ARE EXCELLENT AND THOROUGH.
HE COMES TO EVERY MEETING PREPARED AND HAS THIS ABILITY TO WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND ENSURE THAT THEIR PROBLEM SOLVING IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BOTH THE TOWNSHIP AND THE RESIDENTS.
SO IT WILL BE A VOID IN THE BOARD.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A GREAT ADDITION TO THE M-TEAM, AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND SUPPORT THE MANAGER'S DECISION, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS WE WERE UNDER TO MAKE THIS REALLY IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PRO TEM JACKSON.
FIRST, I WANT TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE MERIDIAN CARE'S I AM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION, AND THEY HELP SPREAD THE WORD AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THE MERIDIAN CARES PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN NEED.
AND THEY ARE HAVING A FUNDRAISER AT CHIPOTLE.
IF YOU'RE NOT HERE AND YOU'RE WATCHING TV, THERE'S FLIERS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.
AND I KNOW OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS BEEN SPREADING THE WORD OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEIR E NEWSLETTER AND SOME VARIOUS OTHER THINGS.
SO THEY HAVE A FUNDRAISER WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD AT CHIPOTLE.
YOU DO HAVE TO ORDER ONLINE AND YOU HAVE TO SHOW THIS FLIER AT THE RESTAURANT WHEN YOU GO THERE, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS YOU CAN DONATE AS WELL.
I WAS VERY HAPPY WHEN I RECEIVED MY UTILITY BILL VIA EMAIL AND OPENED IT UP AND IT SAID PAY NOW AND I CLICKED PAY NOW, IT WAS FANTASTIC ON MY CELL PHONE.
I CLICKED PAY NOW AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO PAY, IT GAVE ME THE OPTION TO DONATE TO MERIDIAN CARES. AND SO OF COURSE, I DONATED TO MERIDIAN CARES.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T PAID YOUR UTILITY BILL YET AND YOU NEED TO, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN PAY IT ONLINE, YOU CAN DO THAT AND YOU CAN DONATE TO MERIDIAN CARES IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
I GREW UP IN NEED, AND SO I'M HAPPY TO DONATE TO OTHERS WHO HAVE A NEED.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE MEANS TO DO THAT I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO.
SO WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMMISSION MEETING NEXT WEEK.
WE SENT A NOTICE TO THE NEWSPAPER TODAY SO THAT IT CAN BE PUBLISHED.
WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, FROM THE BUREAU OF ELECTIONS THAT ONE OF OUR PRECINCTS IS OVER THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED AND ACTIVE VOTERS THAT WE CAN HAVE IN A PRECINCT. AND SO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO SPLIT THAT PRECINCT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THROUGH THE REAPPORTIONMENT OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND WHERE THOSE NEW LINES ARE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING SOME OTHER THINGS WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER BOUNDARIES.
SO JUST SO THAT WE CAN MEET STATE LAW AND MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR VOTERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE WILL WE HAVE POSTED A PUBLIC NOTICE ABOUT THAT.
IT'LL BE ON THE WEBSITE AND WE'LL HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK.
IN ADDITION, SHOUT OUT TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR WORKING WITH ME SO DILIGENTLY ON GETTING INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE REGARDING BEING AN ELECTION INSPECTOR.
SINCE THEY PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THERE, I'VE RECEIVED HALF A DOZEN APPLICATIONS AND SO
[01:00:02]
I KNOW IT IS WORKING.AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTIONS IF YOU HAVEN'T WORKED AN ELECTION BEFORE DON'T BE INTIMIDATED.
YOU CAN DO IT. AND WE LOVE WORKING WITH PEOPLE AND WE INVITE YOU TO FILL OUT AN ELECTION INSPECTOR APPLICATION AND BE ONE OF OUR OVER TWO HUNDRED ELECTION INSPECTORS TO OVERSEE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR THAT WE'LL HAVE IN AUGUST AND NOVEMBER.
IN REGARDS TO SUPERVISOR STYKA TO RON.
HE ALWAYS SUPPORTED ME IN MY CAREER.
I CAN'T THINK OF SOMEBODY ON THE BOARD OTHER THAN MR. VEENSTRA, WHO WAS MORE SUPPORTIVE OF ME IN MY CAREER AS A TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBER.
HE MADE ME FEEL LIKE AN EXPERT IN MY FIELD, AND I LOOKED TO HIM LIKE HE WAS LIKE THE GRANDFATHER OF THE TOWNSHIP OR FATHER OF THE TOWNSHIP.
AND YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T GROW UP WITH A DAD, SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT THAT RON GAVE ME. AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO GEORGIA AND THE FAMILY AND REALLY CLOSE MEMBERS TO RON BECAUSE HE REALLY WAS A FANTASTIC PERSON.
AND WHEN I CAME ON THE BOARD, HE, YOU KNOW, FRANK KNOWS THIS MORE THAN ANYONE HE'D CALL ME UP AND SAY, DEBORAH, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
DEBORAH, THIS IS THE ROLE OF A BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I SWITCHED FROM STAFF MEMBER TO BOARD MEMBER, AND HE WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, I CALLED HIM LAST WEEK AND WAS TALKING ABOUT RON, AM I STEPPING ON PEOPLE'S TOES ASKING FOR HIM FOR HIS ADVICE? IT WAS JUST A REALLY, REALLY GOOD ADVICE GIVER.
SO FANTASTIC PERSON AND WE WILL MISS HIM.
DAN, I'LL MISS YOU ON THE BOARD AS WELL.
ONE OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE I KNOW.
I WOULD ASK DAN QUESTIONS AND IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOARD PACKET, IT'S KIND OF LIKE DEREK.
DEREK IS INCREDIBLY BRILLIANT AND I WOULD ASK DEREK QUESTIONS AND HE'D BE ABLE TO RESPOND. SO THEY'RE BOTH OF THEM ARE VERY SIMILAR IN THAT MANNER.
THEY'RE ALSO SIMILAR IN THEIR CUSTOMER RESPONSE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AND JUST THEY ARE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT, MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE JOB AS TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS, AS STAFF PEOPLE, AS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER, AS DIRECTORS OR NUMBER ONE JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW THAT DAN WILL DO THAT HE HAS A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE ORDINANCES.
HE HAS STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF FINANCES, WAY MORE THAN I EVER WILL.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE.
AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE TIME THAT DEREK WAS HERE.
MAYBE DAN CAN FILL YOUR SHOES.
WE'LL SEE. BUT WE KNOW HE'S GOING TO DO A PRETTY, PRETTY DARN GOOD JOB.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM ON PROJECTS THAT I WORKED SIMILARLY WITH YOU ON AS A DIRECTOR IN THE TOWNSHIP.
SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY AND DEDICATION TO THE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
ALL RIGHT I WILL TAKE THE PRIVILEGE TO I HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE MR. PERRY ON HIS NEW OPPORTUNITY, AS EVERYONE HAS SAID, WE WILL MISS YOU.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU FROM AFAR.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP.
WE CAN MOVE ON NOW TO WE NEED AN APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
TRUSTEE WISINSKI.YOU GOT THAT. ALL IN FAVOR OF, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL? NO.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, PLEASE SAY YES.
[01:05:03]
AND NOW TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS COMMUNICATIONS MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 25 REGULAR MEETING.THE BILL'S RATIFICATION OF TWO NEW FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS AND THE TREASURERS QUARTERLY REPORT. IS THERE A MOTION TREASURER DESCHAINE? THANK YOU. I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
ALL RIGHT. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL.
YES. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
ALL RIGHT. WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 12, WHICH IS OUR ACTION ITEMS. THE 12 A IS MERIDIAN REDEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT COMMITTEE AND I BELIEVE DIRECTOR CLARK,
[12A. Meridian Redevelopment Fund Grant Committee]
IS GOING TO PRESENT THIS TO US.WE HAVE RECEIVED APPLICATION FUND REQUESTS FOR VILLAGE OF OKEMOS DEVELOPMENT.
THE MUPUD AMENDMENT IN JULY HAS A 200 UNIT RESIDENTIAL THIRTY TWO THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OR MORE COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT, SO THE DEVELOPERS HAVE NOW POTENTIALLY PITCHED FINANCIAL REQUESTS TO US.
THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS TO APPOINT TWO MEMBERS OF YOUR BODY TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE EDC FOR THE MERIDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THE THREE EXECUTIVE MEMBER CHAIR, THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY WILL SIT WITH THESE TWO APPOINTED TRUSTEES AND SERVE AS A SUBCOMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE APPLICATION, AND THEY WILL EITHER APPROVE OR DENY THAT APPLICATION.
IF THEY APPROVE IT, IT WILL GO BACK TO THE EDC FOR A FULL REVIEW AND THEN RECOMMENDATION TO THIS BOARD. THANK YOU.
AT THIS POINT, MR. DESCHAINE, WOULD YOU FIRST READ THE MOTION, WHICH I FAILED TO DO.
SOON AS I FIND IT. I MOVE TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST FROM THE MERIDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR OR SUPERVISOR PRO TEM TO APPOINT TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE BLANK AND BLANK TO THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS LLC REDEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS BRIEFLY WITH THE BOARD THAT I WAS AT THE MEETING THIS MORNING WHEN THE REDEVELOPMENT GRANT REDEVELOPMENT FUND REQUEST CAME FROM THE DEVELOPER, THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS. AND IT REALLY SHOCKED ME.
WE HAVE ABOUT A $2 MILLION DOLLAR REDEVELOPMENT FUND, AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR $4 MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO WAIT FOR THEIR TIF REIMBURSEMENT.
THEY WANT THE MONEY UP FRONT, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO THIS GRANT APPLICATION NEEDS TO BE VETTED VERY CAREFULLY BY THE THE EDC AND AGAIN WHEN IT COMES BEFORE THE BOARD.
SO THIS IS NOT A PRO FORMA BOARD OF ANY KIND.
ANYBODY NEEDS TO DO SOME PULL UP ITS SLEEVES, SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THE DEVELOPERS TO WHY THEY WANT US TO FUND IT UP FRONT AND WHY THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO WAIT FOR THE TIF FUNDING THAT THIS BOARD HAS PUT IN PLACE FOR THEM TO GET REIMBURSED FOR FUNDING AND THE FUNDING THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS PUBLIC WORKS.
IT'S THE STREET WORK PRIMARILY.
IT'S NOT FOR THEIR OWN PROJECT, IT'S FOR THE STREET AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THERE'S A PUBLIC GOOD, BUT THAT'S WHY THE TIF FUNDING WAS PUT IN PLACE UP TO $10 MILLION DOLLARS, AS I RECALL, TO PAY FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE REPLACEMENT.
THEY'RE ASKING THE EDC AND THEN THEY'LL COME TO US TO ASK FOR A DIFFERENT ROUTE, WHICH IS FOR THIS BOARD TO EMPTY OUT AT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND ON ONE PROJECT RATHER THAN SPREADING IT ACROSS SEVERAL PROJECTS AND TO BORROW OR COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION DOLLARS UPFRONT FOR THEM TO CONTINUE.
SO IT'S A VERY BIG ASK AND IT NEEDS TO BE VETTED CAREFULLY.
THANK YOU. ALL THERE OTHER COMMENTS AND OR QUESTIONS.
I WILL ADD AT THIS POINT THAT BOTH TREASURER DESCHAINE AND I HAVE REGULARLY PARTICIPATED
[01:10:04]
AND ATTENDED THE MEETINGS OF THE EDC AND FOR SOME TIME HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS PROCESS SINCE THE MOTION CALLS FOR THE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM IN THIS INSTANCE, TO APPOINT TRUSTEES TO FILL THIS ROLE IN THIS COMMITTEE, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, TAKE THE PRIVILEGE OF SUGGESTING TREASURER DESCHAINE AND MYSELF AS BOARD MEMBERS FOR THIS COMMITTEE WITH THE EDC, THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE EDC.GIVEN YOUR INVOLVEMENT, BOTH TREASURER AND TRUSTEE JACKSON, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT AND BE READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
ALL RIGHT. OTHER COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS DISCUSSION.
YES, I GUESS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT SAYS TWO TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE A TRUSTEE, RIGHT? JUST TWO TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT RIGHT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE I ALSO SUPPORT THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO NAMES AS WELL.
YEAH, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, CLERK GUTHRIE AND WE DID LOOK INTO THAT AND YOU ARE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
NOW I FEEL REALLY DUMB. [LAUGHTER] OH NO.
OH, IT'S I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.
AND SINCE YOU'RE CONSIDERED THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, IT WOULD BE TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. ALL RIGHT.
SO TRUSTEE WISINSKI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO FORMALLY MAKE THAT MOTION? SURE. THANK YOU.
I'M HONORED TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST FROM THE MERIDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR OR SUPERVISOR PRO TEM TO APPOINT THE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES DESCHAINE AND JACKSON TO THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS LLC REDEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT COMMITTEE.
SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT, IT'S BEEN.
FURTHER DISCUSSION. IT'S BEEN MOVED TREASURER DESCHAINE.
SINCE I MADE THE INITIAL MOTION I WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW THAT INITIAL MOTION TO MAKE WAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT MOTION.
SO THE MOTION BEFORE US NOW IS TO SUPPORT THE APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES DESCHAINE AND JACKSON TO THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS LLC REDEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT COMMITTEE . SHOULD WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
TRUSTEE JACKSON, SUPERVISOR PRO TEM JACKSON.
THANK YOU. ITEM 12 B IS FOR REAPPOINTMENT
[12B. Corridor Improvement Authority Reappointment]
TO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.IS THERE A MOTION? SOMEONE LIKE TO READ THE MOTION TREASURER DESCHAINE? THANK YOU. I MOVE TO REAPPOINT BRUCE PEFFERS TO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM, ENDING 2-1-2026.
MR. DESCHAINE, WOULD YOU HAVE COMMENTS TO MAKE OR ADD? I WOULD ONLY LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S VERY FITTING THAT THIS COME UP TODAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT THE SUPERVISOR STYKA WAS MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT IT WAS THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY, AND HE SERVED IN THAT MANY YEARS AND ALWAYS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THEY WANTED TO DO AND WAS PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS THEY WERE MAKING.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT COMMISSIONER PEFFERS WILL CARRY ON THAT LEGACY AND WE'LL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME REPLACING RON'S PRESENCE ON THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.
BUT WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WITH A LOT OF EXCELLENT VOLUNTEERS IN THIS TOWNSHIP COMING OUT TO HELP, AND HOPEFULLY ONE WILL HELP COME AND FILL RON'S BIG SHOES ON THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.
JUST ANOTHER THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE RESIDENTS THAT SERVE ON THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. THANK YOU.
[01:15:02]
AND SO THE MOTION IS TO REAPPOINT BRUCE PEFFERS TO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM ENDING 2-1-2026.ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY AYE.
NO. ALL RIGHT THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE HAVE A SECOND ITEM FOR APPOINTMENTS TO THE ZONING
[12C. Zoning Board of Appeals Appointments]
BOARD OF APPEALS.SUPERVISOR STYKA HAS MADE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IS SOMEONE READY TO MAKE THESE MOTIONS OR I GUESS WE CAN MAKE THEM ALL AT ONE TIME? OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS ON 12 C.
FIRST MOTION TO MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT MADE BY SUPERVISOR STYKA OF JAMES KOENIG TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST 2022.
SECOND MOTION TO MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT MADE BY SUPERVISOR STYKA OF PHIL DESCHAINE AS TOWNSHIP BOARD REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THESE MOTIONS? SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
THIS IS COMING BACK HOME FOR ME.
NINE YEARS AGO, I WAS APPOINTED TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
[LAUGHTER] AND I BELIEVE SUPERVISOR PRO TEM JACKSON WAS ON ZBA AT THAT POINT.
I HAVE BEEN. AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT BOARD AND IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK AND MOST BOARDS AND APPOINTMENTS DO A LOT OF YES, YES, YES, THIS IS A BOARD THAT BY DEFINITION SAYS NO, NO, NO, ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT'S NO FUN SITTING UP AT THIS TABLE DOING THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE IN MANY CASES. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CHALLENGE AND BRINGING TO IT MY NINE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SINCE THAT ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
THANK YOU. I COULD CONCUR WITH WHAT THE TREASURER JUST SAID.
IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT AND A DIFFICULT BOARD TO SIT ON.
SO I THANK YOU TREASURER FOR TAKING ON THAT FOR THE BOARD AND AGAIN TO THANK MR. KOENIG. HE HAS GREAT CREDENTIALS AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU KNOW THIS BOARD MEETS TWICE A MONTH. YEAH, AND IT AGAIN IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU'RE GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.
[LAUGHTER] SO IT TAKES A LOT OF A EFFORT AND A LOT OF WORK.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.
SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. JAMES KOENIG TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM ENDING 12-2022 AND TO APPOINT TREASURER DESCHAINE AS BOARD REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM ENDING 12-31-2024.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY YES.
THANK YOU. AND SO THE MOTION PASSES AND THESE GENTLEMEN ARE APPOINTED.
THE NEXT ITEM IS 12 D AND THIS IS THE APPOINTMENT
[12D. Board Liaison Appointments to the Transportation Commission and Land Preservation Advisory Board]
OF BOARD LIAISONS TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. SUPERVISOR STYKA HAS PROVIDED US WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT MADE BY SUPERVISOR STYKA OF COURTNEY WISINSKI AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR A TERM ENDING 12-31-2024 AND MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT MADE BY SUPERVISOR STYKA OF KATHY ANN SUNDLAND AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR A TERM ENDING 12-31-2024.
SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SUPPORTED.
FURTHER COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I APPRECIATE THIS APPOINTMENT BY SUPERVISOR STYKA.
I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO HIM AND ASKED IF THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE GIVEN MY INVOLVEMENT
[01:20:08]
WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND MY PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER AT THE PARK COMMISSION.I'M NOT SURE I GOT THE EMAIL OFF BEFORE HE EMAILED BACK.
[LAUGHTER] SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANDING MY PRESENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORLD.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PRO TEM.
I TOO ALSO AM PROUD TO HAVE THIS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE BY SUPERVISOR STYKA TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
I KNOW THAT DAN OPSOMMER SERVED AND SERVED WELL, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND, YOU KNOW, BE A PART OF IT.
TREASURER DESCHAINE. SUPERVISOR KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING HERE THESE ARE TWO REALLY IMPORTANT COMMISSIONS, LAND PRESERVATION, IF YOU POLL OUR RESIDENTS, AND YOU ASK ABOUT CERTAIN TOPICS AND CERTAIN IDEAS, LAND PRESERVATION OF OUR WETLANDS AND OUR GREEN SPACE THAT IS VERY HIGH ON THE LIST.
AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI WILL DO AN EXCELLENT JOB AS THE SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTOR OF THOSE LANDS.
AND TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO BE A REALLY EXCITING GROUP TO WORK ON.
IT'S HELPED TO EXPAND THE CATA READY RIDE ITS WORK CLOSELY MORE RECENTLY WITH THE MDOT AND THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING DOWN GRAND RIVER AND STEVE [INAUDIBLE], WHO WAS HERE EARLIER, HAS CHAIRED THAT IN THE PAST AND HE'S GOT AN EXCELLENT BACKGROUND.
I THINK THE NEXT BIG THING TO COME BACK FROM THEM WILL BE THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONE BROUGHT BACK TO THEM THAT CAME OUT OF THEM, THAT COMMISSION FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO A LOT GOING ON WITH TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
I'M SURE YOU'LL SERVICE VERY WELL IN THAT.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE THE BOARD IN THIS WAY.
THE MOTION IS, OR THE MOTIONS ARE FOR APPOINTMENTS OF BOARD LIAISONS TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.
WISINSKI TO THE LAND PRESERVATION. YOU'RE RIGHT.
SUNDLAND TO TRANSPORTATION. I'M SORRY.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF COURTNEY WISINSKI AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND TRUSTEE KATHY SUNDLAND AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTIONS PLEASE SAY YES.
SO THE MOTIONS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT. WE NOW COME TO ITEM 12 E.
[12E. Waiver of Personnel Handbook Section P]
THIS IS THE WAIVER OF THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK SECTION P.AND I THINK MR. WALSH, MANAGER WALSH WILL DISCUSS THIS.
THANK YOU EVENING. YOU KNOW, THERE'S 10 DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS GETTING THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE SEAT.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
HERE'S THE REAL ISSUE I FACED.
THE PROCESS IN MARSHALL ENDED.
IT TOOK A LONG TIME AND IT ENDED AND I COULD NOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, IN AN ETHICAL WAY, POST A POSITION WHEN THE PROCESS WAS STILL GOING ON.
WE THOUGHT THE PROCESS WAS NEARING AND THEN THE CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS TOOK A COUPLE MORE WEEKS. IT TOOK US UP TILL LAST WEEK.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF AND IF WE WERE TO POST A POSITION, ACCORDING TO THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK, FOR SEVEN DAYS, THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US INTO THIS WEEK AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO INTERVIEW. WE LOST THE LAST WEEK.
THIS IS THE LAST WEEK WE HAVE WITH MR. PERRY. WE NEEDED TO HAVE OVERLAP.
AND I'LL TAKE THE NEGATIVE HITS FOR THE WAY.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO, THEY CAN SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO HIRE TALENT, GET THEM IN THE SEAT AND HAVE A WEEK TOGETHER SO THESE TWO GENTLEMEN CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
READ THE EMAILS FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO HAD ALL THE ISSUES WITH THE OKEMOS ROAD CLOSURE.
WELL, WHO IS THE FIRST PERSON TO GO OUT THERE AND SOLVE ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES WITH THE OKEMOS ROAD CLOSURE? IT WAS MR. OPSOMMER HE WENT OUT THERE AND MET WITH A RESIDENT, AND SHE'S VERY SATISFIED
[01:25:03]
NOW. THIS IS WHY IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THESE TWO TALENTED GENTLEMEN TOGETHER AND HAVE THEM WORKING TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT SOLAR, TALKING ABOUT THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY AND GET THEM TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM AND GET THEM TALKING ABOUT THE OKEMOS ROAD PROJECT, THE GRAND RIVER PROJECT AND SO ON AND SO ON.THE COMMUNITY SIGNS I COULD GO ON, BUT THAT'S WHY I DECIDED THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD INTERNALLY AND GET SOMETHING DONE BEFORE WE WAITED UNTIL THE END OF THE PROCESS IN MARSHALL. SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
MY OPINION, WE GOT THE ABSOLUTE BEST CANDIDATE WE COULD.
WE HAVE VERY TALENTED PEOPLE ON OUR STAFF AND THEY'RE GOING TO BLEND WELL TOGETHER.
AND SO I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT TO USE WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK THAT ALLOWS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO SUPERSEDE ANY PORTION OF THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK AND THAT IS SECTION P THAT SAYS THAT JOBS MUST BE POSTED FOR SEVEN DAYS.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS POSTED JOBS FOR SEVEN DAYS.
IN THIS CASE THE TIMING WOULD NOT WORK FOR US AND IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED GREAT DISTRESS TO OUR STAFF NOT TO HAVE THIS OVERLAP.
SO I'M JUST REQUESTING THAT YOU DO THIS THIS EVENING.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BEFORE US WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I'D BE GLAD TO. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION TO FORGO POSTING THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER / DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION P OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PERSONNEL POLICY MANUAL.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MODIFICATION IS TO ALLOW FOR ONE WEEK OF OVERLAP BETWEEN THE OUTGOING DEPUTY TOWNSHIP MANAGER, FOR INCOMING ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
FURTHER, THIS APPOINTMENT WILL ALLOW THE NEWLY APPOINTED ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN OVERSEEING PROJECT MANAGEMENT, SUCH AS THE LONG TERM CLOSURE OF OKEMOS ROAD.
I'LL SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO ALLOW THE MANAGERS RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION TO FORGO POSTING THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, AS DESCRIBED.
TREASURER DESCHAINE. IF I COULD SPEAK TO THE MOTION FOR A MINUTE.
YES, PLEASE. THIS IS UNUSUAL, AS THE MANAGER POINTED OUT, WE DO FOLLOW OUR POLICY MANUAL PERSONNEL POLICY MANUAL.
WE HAD UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES HERE AS THE MANAGER DESCRIBED.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT MR. PERRY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF MARSHALL ON HIS APPLICATION FOR A WHILE.
HE INFORMED HIS BOSS MANAGER WALSH, THAT HE WAS DOING THAT.
I GAVE THE MANAGER IN FACT, SEVERAL WEEKS, IF NOT MONTHS, TO LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE BEFORE HIM IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
ONE OF HIS HOBBIES IS HIS WALSH CONSULTING BUSINESS, AND AS SUCH, HE'S IN TOUCH WITH VIRTUALLY ANY MANAGER OR DEPUTY MANAGER ANYWHERE IN THE STATE THAT'S LOOKING TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT POSITION. THEY WOULD CALL FRANK WALSH FIRST OR CALL THE MCL, BUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SERVICES. BUT FRANK IS WELL KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND THEY WOULD HAVE LIKELY REACHED OUT TO HIM. SO THE IDEA THAT FRANK WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TALENT WAS OUT THERE IS ABSURD. HE KNOWS IT VERY WELL.
HE'S A LEADER IN THE TOWNSHIP MANAGERS ASSOCIATION AND SECONDLY IN DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH THE MANAGER WHILE IT WASN'T A FORMAL POSTING OF THE POSITION, THERE WAS INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS THAT WHEN THE MANAGER DID REACH OUT TO VARIOUS PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE POSITION TO VET THEIR INTEREST IN THE POSITION AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM.
SO THIS PROCESS OF POSTING IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED FORMALLY, BUT IT WAS FOLLOWED INFORMALLY. AND ANYONE WHO DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEGRITY IN THAT PROCESS AND TRUE OPENING, IT WAS A TRUE OPENING FOR THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE, DOESN'T KNOW FRANK WALSH VERY WELL, A MAN OF HIGH INTEGRITY, THE MAN WHOSE REPUTATION IS ENTIRELY BASED ON HIS GOOD WORD.
AND SO THIS WAS AN OPEN AND FAIR PROCESS.
HE DID FIND THE RIGHT PERSON HERE.
AND WHILE WE ARE WAIVING SECTION P OF THE MANUAL, IT WAS AN OPEN PROCESS AND THE BEST CANDIDATE WAS FOUND IN THIS CASE.
SO I'M ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT ENDORSING THIS DECISION BY THE MANAGER TO HIRE THE DEPUTY TOWNSHIP MANAGER. EXCUSE ME, THE ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
IN ADDITION TO ALL THE TREASURER'S COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, UNDER UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD ALWAYS ENCOURAGE TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS.
[01:30:02]
I THINK IT'S THERE FOR A REASON.IT ENSURES EQUITY AMONGST THOSE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY APPLY THAT WE MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT ARE OUT THERE AND GIVEN THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR EXPERIENCE AND WITH THEIR EDUCATION.
BUT I THINK THE MANAGER MENTIONED EARLIER THAT LEADERSHIP IS MORE THAN EDUCATION.
LEADERSHIP REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VERY SPECIFIC QUALITIES.
AND I ALWAYS WANT TO SAY TRUSTEE OPSOMMER, DAN OPSOMMER, HAS EXHIBITED THOSE OVER AND OVER. AGAIN, IF THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THIS TOWNSHIP OUTSIDE OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR PERRY WOULD BE AND, OUR MANAGER, OF COURSE, WOULD BE MR. OPSOMMER. SO GIVEN THE DEMANDS THAT THE MANAGER WAS UNDER AND GIVEN WHAT TREASURER SAID ABOUT DOING DUE DILIGENCE, IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE PROCESS, BUT I FEEL THAT THE MANAGER HAS DONE HIS DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT HE HAS CHOSEN A PERSON THAT CAN MEET THESE EXPECTATIONS AND TAKE ON THESE REALLY MANY AND REALLY IMPORTANT PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING. I JUST FEEL THAT THIS IS THE BEST ROUTE THAT THE BOARD CAN GO.
I WAS HESITANT DUE TO MY BACKGROUND IN HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, I WAS VERY, VERY HESITANT TO APPROVE OF THIS PROCESS.
AFTER HEARING, YOU KNOW, OUR CHIEF ENGINEER SPEAK TONIGHT AND HE'S VERY SUPPORTIVE AND HE HAS A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN DAN OPSOMMER'S ABILITY TO GET THE JOB DONE.
I'M WILLING TO APPROVE THIS WAIVER OF PERSONAL HANDBOOK SECTION P.
IN SUPPORT OF FRANK WALSH'S EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD AND IN SUPPORT OF THE ENGINEER'S EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF TWO REALLY HIGHLY ESTEEMED INDIVIDUALS AND WE HAVE CONFIDENCE, THEREFORE IN DAN OPSOMMER, BECAUSE HE ALSO HAS THE CONFIDENCE OF THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
SO I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
THANK YOU. I WOULD ONLY ADD THAT MY EXPERIENCE WE HAVE WATCHED MANAGER WALSH BUILD WHAT WE OFTEN DESCRIBE AS A SUPERB TEAM OF, WELL, OPERATIVES IS NOT A GOOD WORD, BUT LEADERS AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT THIS CHANGE IN THE PROCESS WILL BRING TO US THE KIND, THE SAME QUALITY OF LEADERS THAT WE ALWAYS NEEDED AND GOTTEN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT SUPPORT.
IT MEANS A LOT TO ME, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I NEED TO SAY.
AND THAT IS WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU REFLECT AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU.
I WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED MY DECISION ONE BIT.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL. PEOPLE CAN DISAGREE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING I MISSED ALONG THE WAY, AND THAT IS I OWED THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE.
YOUNES ISHRAIDI A PERSONAL CONVERSATION.
AND I DIDN'T GIVE THEM THAT, AND I APOLOGIZED PRIVATELY TO HIM YESTERDAY.
BUT I ALSO BELIEVE WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU SHOULD SAY IT IN PUBLIC.
SO I APOLOGIZE TO YOUNES ISHRAIDI BECAUSE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD HE'S BEEN HERE 32, 33, THIRTY THREE SOMETHING LIKE YEARS AND AS OUR CHIEF ENGINEER SINCE 98 DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. 93? 89. YEAH, HE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB FOR US AND I OWED HIM A CONVERSATION BEFORE THIS DEVELOPED AND I DIDN'T GIVE HIM THAT.
SO I WANTED TO PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU YOUNES.
SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION.
IF WE'RE READY ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
[01:35:04]
AYE. PLEASE SAY AYE.AND THE MOTION IS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
WE NOW COME TO BOARD DISCUSSION ITEMS. AND 13 A UNDER THIS WILL BE HANDLED BY CHIEF HAMEL.
[13A. Township Damage Assessment Plan]
HE'LL TALK TO US ABOUT TOWNSHIP DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PLAN.SO BACK WHEN WE REDID THE EMERGENCY SUPPORT PLAN, ONE OF THE THINGS I PROMISED WAS THAT WE WOULD DO A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT ANNEX.
AND WITH COVID, IT DELAYED IT A BIT, BUT IT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND THEN DIRECTOR SCHMITT, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF IT, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY BEING THE NEW PERSON ON THE BLOCK TO REVIEW IT AND GIVE THE FINAL APPROVAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE PLAN IS IT'S PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM ACT 390 AND IT BENEFITS US. AND IT REALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES US ACCURATE INFORMATION TO MAKE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS DURING AN EMERGENCY SO WE CAN INFORM THE PUBLIC, THINK ABOUT THE RESOURCES WE NEED, WHETHER WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES OR NOT, OR IF WE HAVE TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND JUST BASICALLY SUPPORTING A RESPONSE IN GENERAL.
SO THERE'S THE PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS REALLY GOING TO BE HANDLED LIKE WE DO RIGHT NOW. SO LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT FLOODING, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY COMMON.
IF WE HAVE HEAVY RAIN, I MYSELF, DIRECTOR PERRY, I BELIEVE KEN AND HIS CREW, MY CREW, DPW GO AROUND LOOKING FOR AREAS THAT ARE NORMALLY FLOODED SO WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT IS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BLOCKED SO WE KNOW HOW TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AND REROUTE EVEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT IS WE WILL FORMALIZE THAT WITH WHAT WE CALL A WINDSHIELD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. AND REALLY, THAT DOCUMENT'S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AREAS THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE AND THIS COULD BE FROM A TORNADO, IT COULD BE FROM FLOODING MANY THINGS.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO WITHIN 48 HOURS TO 72 HOURS IS WE GO TO THE FORMAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, WHICH WOULD BE DIRECTOR SCHMITT'S TEAM TAVIS MILLEROV.
AND THEN IF IT'S A BIG EVENT, THEY'LL DO A FORMAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND ACTUALLY GET IN SAFELY. LOOK AT THE PROPERTIES, DOCUMENT IT.
AND WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS THAT'S SUBMITTED TO INGHAM COUNTY.
AND IF THERE'S A DECLARATION, DEPENDING ON THE INCIDENT THAT SUPPORTS US WITH POTENTIAL DOLLARS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, EVEN STATE GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE GOT TRAINING PLANNED FOR DIRECTOR SCHMITT'S GROUP IN TWO WEEKS AND WE'LL ROLL OUT THEIR FORMAL PLAN AND THEN WE'LL TWEAK IT BASED ON DOCUMENTATION AND HOW WE WANT TO HANDLE THAT. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PLAN'S FOR AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO. QUESTIONS? SO, CHIEF HAMEL WHAT YOU WILL NEED FROM THIS BOARD IS ADOPTION OF THIS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PLAN TO YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATING.
CORRECT. AND SO THAT THIS QUESTION WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO US AND AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
I GUESS. FOR ADOPTION? [LAUGHTER] YEAH.
SO THIS IS JUST FORMALLY LAYING IT OUT ON FOR YOU TO QUESTION.
AND IF YOU APPROVE IT, THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR A FORMAL VOTE AND THEY WILL ADOPT IT AND MOVE ON.
OK? DID ANYONE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THROUGH IT? TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT'S USED OR? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PLAN ITSELF, I DID READ THROUGH IT AND I WANT TO WANT TO SAY I KNOW IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE FUNDING APPROPRIATED, BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR ME AS A RESIDENT TO KNOW THAT THIS IS IN PLACE AND THAT WE'VE GOT OUR CHIEF IN CHARGE OF THAT AND OUR DIRECTOR.
WHAT ONE QUICK QUESTION IS THERE A TIME CONSTRAINT? DO YOU NEED, IS THE NEXT BOARD MEETING AN APPROPRIATE TIME? YEAH. I MEAN, WE CAN START THE TRAINING AND WITHOUT FORMAL APPROVAL AND IF WE HAVE TO TWEAK IT ANYWAY, IT'S NOT A HARD PROCESS.
[01:40:01]
SO YEAH, I MEAN. OK.CHIEF HAMEL, IS THIS NEW? IS THIS SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T HAD BEFORE? IT'S JUST I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVER FORMALIZED BEFORE.
I KNOW WE DID IT. SO I GUESS WHERE THIS GOES BACK FOR ME BEFORE YOU EVEN HIRED ME HERE, WE HAD THE WATER, THE BIG STORM AND YOU HAD A LOT OF FLOODING IN THE TOWNSHIP.
I THINK IT WAS EARLY 2018 AND I WAS STILL WORKING WITH THE BOARD WATER [INAUDIBLE] AND I WAS STILL WORKING WITH INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CITY OF LANSING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGER AT THE TIME IN INGHAM COUNTY WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE DOING DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.
AND I'M THINKING, YEAH, THAT DOESN'T CUT IT.
SO NOW WHAT WE DO IS FORMALIZE IT HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO THIS AS WELL IF WE NEED HELP, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE INCIDENT, WE HAVE LANSING.
WE CAN CALL IN THEIR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM INGHAM COUNTY, DELHI AND EAST LANSING TO COME IN AND SUPPORT IT IF NEEDED.
SO IT ACTUALLY HELPS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS TOO.
IT ALSO UNIFIES THE OPERATIONS IN EMERGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
CORRECT? YEAH. AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN DELHI, EAST LANSING, AND THEY NEED HELP, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT NOW IS THAT WILL BE TRAINED, THAT COULD GO IN AND SUPPORT AND HELP.
OK? WAS THERE ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT? NO YOU STOLE MINE. OH, I'M SORRY. I HAD THE SAME QUESTION.
SO I WOULD ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH WHAT IS BEFORE THEM AND ARE READY TO SUPPORT ADOPTION.
I AM, AND I WANT TO THANK THE CHIEF FOR BEING PROACTIVE IN THIS AND SEEING THE DEFICIT IN CASE OF HAVING THE PROPER PEOPLE IN PLACE TO DO DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD, RATHER THAN WAITING FOR ANOTHER CRISIS TO COME AND PASS AND AND BE CAUGHT AGAIN WITHOUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
WE HAVE OUR CHIEF ENGINEER SPEAK.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? WELL, I THINK WE CAN HAVE.
I'M SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO ADD MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS FLOOD PRONE.
WE'VE BEEN SO LUCKY WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A BAD FLOOD.
AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND NYAL, ARE CFM CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN MANAGER, WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL THIS IS.
AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE TO LOWER ITS FLOOD RATES.
WE TRIED FOR YEARS TO GET CERTIFIED OR BE PART OF THE FEMA PROGRAMS CALLED THE CRS PROGRAM, WHEREBY ANY HOME WHO HAS FLOOD INSURANCE WOULD HAVE SUBSIDIES REDUCED AND ONE OF THE THINGS COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE CRS, THEY'RE RANKED FROM ON A SCALE FROM, I GUESS, 1 TO 9.
NINE WOULD BE WHAT THEY CALLED A NO CLASS.
YOU DON'T HAVE A CLASS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T GET ANY SUBSIDIES.
AND THE LOWER YOU ARE LIKE 9, 8, YOU GET MAJOR REDUCTION IN YOUR PREMIUMS. AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO BE PART TO JUST GET INTO THE PROGRAM, BE AT LEAST A 9, BUT THEY WILL NOT ALLOW US TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME VIOLATIONS.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THAT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS, WE GOT A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, LAZY LACK AND WE ALLOWED SOME VIOLATIONS TO HAPPEN ON OUR WATCH.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PART OF THE NFIP, WE'RE MANDATED, WE'RE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW CERTAIN THINGS. SO WHEN WE TRY TO JOIN THE CRS, FEMA DOES ITS OWN INVESTIGATION BEFORE THEY ALLOW US AND THEY SAID, WELL, YES, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU, BUT YOU GOT TO FIX THESE THINGS.
AND I'M BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO.
AND WE JUST LIKE I SAID, THERE WAS SOME CHALLENGES TO MEETING THAT REQUIREMENT.
BUT ONCE YOU JOIN THE CRS, THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO GET POINTS.
AND WE WILL BENEFIT FROM IT OR OUR CITIZENS BY REDUCING THEIR [INAUDIBLE].
IF YOU ARE AN EIGHT, YOU CAN GET A LOT OF POINTS.
YOU BECOME, SAY, LIKE A SIX OR A FIVE, WHICH WOULD BE BASICALLY MANIFEST ITSELF AND VERY LOW INSURANCE, FLOOD INSURANCE, SPECIFICALLY FLOOD INSURANCE.
SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT AND HOW CRITICAL THIS IS.
[01:45:03]
THANK YOU. YOUNES, BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PODIUM WITH ALL THIS KNOWLEDGE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS OF THE MONTH FOR THE NEXT YEAR? WHAT'S THAT? I'M SORRY. AND IF YOU DON'T REALIZE IT, FLOOD INSURANCE IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND IT'S AT LEAST A MONTHLY MORTGAGE FOR MOST ANY HOUSE.AND WHAT HAPPENS IS A LOT OF PLACES THERE ARE A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS AFTER THEY GET THEIR MORTGAGE IN A FEW MONTHS INTO IT, THEY JUST LET IT LAPSE AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, [INAUDIBLE] THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS NOT WATCHING IT'S JUST SO EXPENSIVE.
I CAN TELL YOU LANSING IS ONLY ABOUT 17 PERCENT THAT HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE OUT OF A LOT OF AREAS, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
IT'S EXPENSIVE. SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US IS THAT BY CREATING THIS PLAN AND ADOPTING IT FOR AS A PART OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE OFFICIALLY, THEN WE ARE IN MORE THAN ONE WAY ECONOMICALLY CHANGING THE OUTLOOK FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND FINANCIAL REPERCUSSIONS FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
WELL, I KNEW ABOUT THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THAT WAS GOOD NEWS. [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT.
THIS PLAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESPOND INVOLVES MANY DEPARTMENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
YEAH. SO THE INITIAL PRELIMINARY EMERGENCY RESPONSE, THE INTENT IS TO LOOK AT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IF WE HAVE TREES DOWN FROM A TORNADO, WHAT ROADS ARE CLOSED? WHAT BUILDINGS ARE DAMAGED LIKE THIS BUILDING? AND THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE.
ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH SOME OF THE CRITICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE, WE'LL SEND CREWS OUT DOING WINDSHIELD SURVEYS WE'LL HAVE PD DO IT, PUBLIC WORKS WILL DO IT.
AND EVEN TIM'S GROUP COULD DO IT.
SO REALLY, WE RELY ON A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO GET THAT.
AND THEN ONCE WE DOCUMENT WHERE A LOT OF THE DAMAGE IS AND WE TRY TO DO THAT ON A MAP, NOW WE GO OUT AND DO THE OFFICIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WHERE WE DOCUMENT THE LEVELS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAPERWORK TOWARDS THE END, IT SHOWS THE ZERO THROUGH FOUR ON THE DAMAGE SCALE, WHAT'S DESTROYED, WHAT'S AFFECTED, WHAT CAN BE LIVED IN BECAUSE THEY'LL BE RED TAGGING A LOT OF PLACES TOO, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OCCUPIABLE FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS. SAME THING WITH FLOODING, WHICH IS REALLY OUR BIGGEST THREAT.
SO MICHIGAN REALLY THE BIGGEST THREAT WE HAVE IN MICHIGAN AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND WILL BE FOR YEARS TO COME IS WEATHER THAT'S OUR BIGGEST THREAT.
YEAH WERE VERY COGNIZANT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AREN'T WE.
YES, THANK YOU. I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF ADOPTING.
WE UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT ADOPTING THIS PLAN TO OUR OTHER EMERGENCY PLANS.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION IS THE HARKNESS LAW FIRM CONTRACT MR.
[13B. Harkness Law Firm Contract]
WALSH. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.WHAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS YOUR CONTRACT WITH YOUR COUNCIL FOR PROSECUTION SERVICES. WE HAVE THE FAHEY LAW FIRM THAT HANDLES ALMOST ALL OF OUR LEGAL SERVICES, BUT THEY DON'T HANDLE THE PROSECUTION WORK, AND THE PROSECUTION WORK HAS BEEN WITH GOING BACK TO 2010 WITH MR. HARKNESS. THIS WOULD BE LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, SOMEONE RETAIL FRAUD AT MEYER'S PROSECUTION.
I BELIEVE A DRUNK DRIVING FALLS INTO THAT AS WELL.
SINCE 2010, MR. HARKNESS HAS BEEN YOUR PROSECUTOR THROUGH THE BODWIN LAW FIRM.
IN 2015, IF YOU WELL IF ANYONE.
SO 2015, THE PREVIOUS BOARD ACTUALLY TWO BOARDS AGO, MR. HARKNESS DECIDED TO OPEN UP HIS OWN LAW FIRM, AND AT THAT TIME THE BOARD MADE THE DECISION TO GO WITH MR. HARKNESS AS HE LEFT THE BODWIN LAW FIRM.
AND THAT DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE SINCE THAT TIME.
SO MR. HARKNESS HAS HANDLED PROSECUTION WORK FOR THE TOWNSHIP, GOING BACK TO 2010, 2015 ON HIS OWN. HE HAS AN OFFICE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS TO PONDER IS DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THOSE SERVICES? HE IS OFFERING HIS SERVICES AT THE SAME RATE HE HAS FOR THE LAST MANY YEARS, EIGHTY THOUSAND A YEAR WITH NO INCREASE OVER THE THREE YEARS.
I THINK IT'S SECTION 28 UNDER THE CURRENT CONTRACT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO EXTEND THIS CURRENT
[01:50:03]
CONTRACT FOR 3 YEARS, AND I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE MAY 1 OF 22 TO APRIL 30TH OF 25.SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
THAT'S THE HISTORY OF YOUR PROSECUTION SERVICES DATING BACK TO 2010.
I CAN'T SPEAK MUCH TO THE QUALITY OF THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE I DON'T WORK HAND IN HAND.
A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT I HAVE, IT'S BEEN VERY GOOD, BUT OVERALL I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
THE ONE WHO COULD, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, IS YOUR CHIEF.
HE WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH MR. HARKNESS. SO THAT'S YOUR HISTORY.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, THE CHIEF'S HERE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PERFORMANCE AND MR. HARKNESS IS HERE AS WELL, THANK YOU.
THE QUESTION BEFORE WHERE IT IS IS THAT YOU CAN EXTEND THIS BY THREE YEARS OR DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
WE CAN GO OUT AND TAKE BIDS AS WELL.
THOSE ARE REALLY YOUR TWO CHOICES.
I WAS JUST GOING TO OFFER THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH MR. HARKNESS NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I'VE BEEN HERE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN HE'S BEEN COUNSEL, BUT HE'S A WONDERFUL ATTORNEY. WE ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH HIS WORK.
HE PROVIDES SERVICES THAT TYPICALLY WE WOULD NOT GET.
WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT CALL DIRECTLY TO MR. HARKNESS AT MANY HOURS OF THE DAY, SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH QUESTIONS, CONCERNS ABOUT PROSECUTORIAL.
HE HANDLES A LOT OF CASES FOR US, IT'S SIMPLE ASSAULT.
IT'S DRUNK DRIVING, RETAIL FRAUDS JUST TO NAME A FEW.
AND HE GIVES EXCELLENT COUNSEL.
IF YOU DON'T GET HIM RIGHT AWAY, THE PHONE CALL COMES BACK IN FIVE MINUTES, SO WE'VE BEEN VERY SATISFIED NEXT DOOR THE OFFICERS ARE VERY SATISFIED.
OUR COURT SERVICES OFFICERS WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH HIM HAVE BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH MR. HARKNESS' WORK.
THANK YOU. MR. DESCHAINE. WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, CHIEF, I KNOW YOU'RE SHORTHANDED.
WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT IF THIS BOARD PUT IT UP FOR AN RFP AND WE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE THAT CAME IN A CHEAPER ATTORNEY CAME IN AND WE CHANGED, NOT BASED ON QUALITY, BUT JUST COST ALONE.
WHAT WOULD BE THE COST FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT AND TRYING TO ADAPT TO A NEW LAW FIRM? IT WOULD CAUSE US SOME STRUGGLES BECAUSE EVERYBODY OPERATES IN A DIFFERENT MANNER, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE A NEW DOCTOR, IF YOU HAVE A NEW, YOU KNOW, A NEW MECHANIC, EVEN IF YOU TAKE YOUR CAR. EVERYBODY DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
WE'VE WORKED WELL WITH MR. HARKNESS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WELL WITH HIM AND IT'S RELATIVELY SEAMLESS FOR US.
IT WOULD BE LEARNING A WHOLE NEW PROCESS WITH SOMEBODY NEW, BRINGING THEM UP TO SPEED ON HOW MERIDIAN DOES THINGS.
AND IN THE CASELOAD WE HAVE WE'VE HAD PREVIOUS ATTORNEYS BEFORE MR. HARKNESS THAT THOUGHT THAT THIS OUR CASELOAD WOULDN'T BE THAT SIGNIFICANT.
WE PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF WORK TO MR. HARKNESS. VERY GOOD.
AND SO WE, MR. HARKNESS HAS BEEN OUR ATTORNEY FOR GOING ON 12 YEARS NOW.
ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT STANDS OUT.
YOU DID SAY THAT THE EXTRA CALLS AND THE EXTRA TRAINING THAT AREN'T TECHNICALLY PART OF THE CONTRACT ARE PROVIDED FOR THE OFFICERS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT STANDS OUT THAT YOU'VE SEEN DIFFERENT SINCE HE BECAME THE ATTORNEY? HIS COMMUNICATION ABOUT PLEA AGREEMENTS.
WE ALL KNOW THAT PLEA AGREEMENTS DO HAPPEN.
AND MR. HARKNESS WILL CALL ME PERSONALLY AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PLEA AGREEMENT THEY WANT AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IS THE STANDARD PLEA AGREEMENT THAT WE PROVIDE TYPICALLY FOR THAT SIMILAR CASE WITH SOMEBODY WITH A SIMILAR BACKGROUND BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSISTENT IN HOW WE APPLY OUR PLEA AGREEMENTS.
AND MR. HARKNESS WANTS TO DO THAT, AND HE MAKES SURE THAT HE COMMUNICATES WHEN DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARE PRESSURING TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA.
OK, THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. HARKNESS, IF WE COULD.
WE CAN. GET HIM TO THE PODIUM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
YOU'RE OFFERING US TO CONTINUE THIS CONTRACT AT THE SAME RATE.
WE ALL KNOW INFLATION IS UP THERE FOR A LOT OF COMPANIES.
PRICES ARE GOING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE OUR REVENUE ISN'T NECESSARILY JUMPING UP AT THE RATE OF INFLATION RIGHT NOW. BUT DO YOU INTEND TO PROVIDE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE WITH THIS NEW CONTRACT AS YOU ARE WITH THE OLD CONTRACT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AT THE SAME PRICE? THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.
FOR ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY THIS AS AN ATTORNEY, BUT WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
FOR ME, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE MONEY.
IT'S I LOVE WORKING WITH THE TOWNSHIP, AND I THINK THAT'S A COMBINATION OF BECAUSE MY
[01:55:06]
BUSINESS IS HERE BECAUSE MY WIFE AND I LIVE HERE.IT'S VERY PERSONAL TO ME, WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HELP PROTECT THE COMMUNITY. SO WHILE THE ATTORNEY IN ME ALWAYS WANTS TO KEEPS AN EYE TOWARDS, OH, SHOULD I BE RAISING THAT CONTRACT? I AM SATISFIED WITH WHERE IT'S AT.
I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE AT THAT RATE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
YOU'LL GET THE EXACT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING SINCE I'VE BEEN AT THE HELM IN TERMS OF PROSECUTION BECAUSE BOTH MYSELF AND MY STAFF, WE LOVE WORKING WITH THE TOWNSHIP. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, I MEAN, JUST BY WAY OF REFERENCE, YOU KNOW, I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE COMMENTS OFFERED BY THE CHIEF.
YOU KNOW, BEFORE I DID PROSECUTION, I DID A LOT OF FELONY DEFENSE WORK, AND I'VE WORKED WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE COUNTY.
AND I CAN SAY OBJECTIVELY THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS BY FAR AND ABOVE ONE OF THE BEST THAT I'VE SEEN. SO IT'S A TWO WAY STREET.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MAKES IT VERY EASY TO WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE THEY DO SUCH A SUCH A GREAT JOB FROM THE TOP DOWN.
SOME OF YOUR CASES HAVE ACTUALLY GONE TO THE COURT OF APPEALS AND THE SUPREME COURT, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU DO NOT CHARGE US EXTRA FOR THAT APPELLATE WORK.
I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND HOPEFULLY WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AGAIN. BUT WE APPRECIATE THE EXTRA EFFORT YOU PUT IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROSECUTIONS STOOD, EVEN THOUGH THAT THE APPELLANT IN THIS CASE SEEMED TO HAVE UNLIMITED DEEP POCKETS TO CONTINUE APPEALING THIS CASE.
YOU STAYED WITH IT AND YOU DIDN'T COME BACK WITH A BIGGER BILL FOR US.
AND SO [INAUDIBLE] MEMBER OF THE BOARD I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT EXTRA EFFORT.
AND THAT IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT.
AND, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE DO HAVE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PROBABLY HEADING TO THE APPELLATE COURTS, BUT I WILL BRIEF THE BOARD IF AND WHEN THAT REACHES THAT POINT.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHER CASES THAT TAKE A REALLY LONG TIME? AND WHAT ARE THE SHORTEST BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE [INAUDIBLE] THAT WELL.
THE SHORTEST BY FAR AND AWAY ARE JUST SIMPLE TRAFFIC CITATIONS, YOU KNOW, RUNNING A RED LIGHT, SPEEDING, YOU KNOW, AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
WELL, I SHOULD SAY JUST SO THE BOARD IS AWARE THE 55TH DISTRICT COURT DOES ALL OF ITS MUNICIPAL CASES ON MONDAYS, AND SO THEY CONDENSE ALL THOSE CASES DOWN FOR THAT WEEK INTO ABOUT A THREE OR FOUR HOUR PERIOD ON MONDAYS.
AND I GENERALLY HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 25 AND 30 CASES THAT I'M HANDLING EVERY MONDAY FOR THE TOWNSHIP. WOW.
CIVIL INFRACTIONS ARE VERY, VERY EASY.
I CAN USUALLY DISPOSE OF THEM QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY IF THE PARTIES ARE REPRESENTED.
AS FAR AS THE MORE COMPLICATED ONES, I WOULD GENERALLY SAY IT'S A COMBINATION OF EITHER ASSAULT AND BATTERY CASES BECAUSE AND CERTAINLY THE CHIEF CAN BACK ME UP ON THIS.
THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE AND IT'S NOT JUST MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, BUT ANYWHERE.
WITH ASSAULT AND BATTERY CASES FREQUENTLY, YOU HAVE VICTIMS THAT WANT TO COOPERATE THE DAY THAT IT HAPPENS, BUT THEIR INTEREST TENDS TO FADE AS TIME GOES ON AND SOME OF THEM DISAPPEAR. SOME OF THEM YOU'VE GOT TO REALLY KEEP AFTER THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A WHILE TO ACTUALLY GET TO A TRIAL IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T WANT TO RESOLVE IT WITH A PLEA. THE OTHER REALLY DIFFICULT CASES ARE OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED CASES.
WE YOU KNOW THERE ARE SOME THAT CAN CONCLUDE QUICKLY.
THERE ARE SOME THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE VERY, VERY DEEP POCKETS.
THEY HIRE ATTORNEYS THAT LIKE TO TRY TO PAPER US TO DEATH WITH MOTIONS AND EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS AND APPEALS AND EXPERT WITNESSES.
AND SO THOSE TAKE MUCH, MUCH LONGER AND ARE MORE LABOR INTENSIVE.
BUT THOSE ARE THE IMPORTANT ONES BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY DRIVING AROUND ON A PUBLIC ROAD, THAT'S .3 BLOOD ALCOHOL, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE STOPPED.
SO. SO THESE CASES JUST SO I UNDERSTAND ARE THEY YOU HEAR ABOUT THEM, FROM THE CHIEF OR FROM THE COURT OR HOW DOES THAT WHOLE PROCESS WORK WHERE YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE AND YOU TAKE ACTION ON THEM? SO THEY COME TO OUR OFFICE ONE OF TWO WAYS.
SO BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, TRAFFIC TICKETS, BOTH CIVIL AND SOME OF THE CRIMINAL ONES, WHETHER IT'S DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE, IMPROPER PLATES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
GENERALLY, THE OFFICERS WILL ISSUE CITATIONS ON THOSE DEPENDING UPON IF IT'S CIVIL OR
[02:00:05]
CRIMINAL AND WHAT THE DEFENDANT DOES.IF THEY REQUEST A HEARING, THE COURT WILL SEND US A NOTICE.
WE'LL REQUEST THE FILE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE'LL START BUILDING OUR DOCKET. THE FLIP SIDE OF THE COIN IS SOME OF THOSE CASES.
WELL, IT SHOULD SAY A LOT OF CASES, ALL OF THE RETAIL FRAUDS, ALL OF THE HIGH BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT, OWI'S, ALL OF THE ASSAULT AND BATTERY CASES ARE SENT TO US AS WARRANT REQUESTS THROUGH OUR COURT SERVICES OFFICERS.
SO THEY WILL BRING US BASICALLY A PACKET THAT HAS THE INCIDENT REPORT, ALL THE WITNESSES, THE CRIMINAL HISTORIES, ALL THAT AND I SIT DOWN AND REVIEW ALL OF THOSE.
AND IF I FIND PROBABLE CAUSE, I'LL ISSUE A COMPLAINT AND WARRANT AND THEN OUR COURT SERVICES OFFICER WILL SWEAR TO IT.
AND WE BUILD THAT INTO OUR DOCKET AFTER WE DON'T GET INVOLVED UNTIL THE PRETRIAL STAGE.
SO ONCE WE GET A COURT NOTICE, WE'LL ADD IT TO OUR CALENDAR AND IT PROGRESSES FROM THERE.
SO IT'S EITHER A CITATION IS ISSUED OR A WARRANT REQUEST.
I SEE YOU HAVE A SUMMARY OF THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST.
IS THIS CONTRACT THREE YEARS, THIS CURRENT ONE? YES. HAS THAT INCREASED OVER TIME? DO YOU SEE THAT? I KNOW OUR POPULATION HAS INCREASED? HAS YOU KNOW, IT'S NUMBER SEVEN OR EIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR NUMBER THREE? I'M SORRY. NUMBER ONE THROUGH THREE, 13, 1,350 WARRANT REQUESTS 922 CASES.
IT'S TOUGH TO SAY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'VE STAYED, BUSY.
I CAN SAY THAT. AND I THINK THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF CASES, WE'VE HANDLED HAVE STAYED CONSISTENT. IF YOU RECALL, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE ADDED A WHOLE NEW SET OF ORDINANCES. AND SO FROM WE ADDED ASSAULT AND BATTERY, MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, EMBEZZLEMENT. AND I MAY BE MISSING ONE, I THINK, SIMPLE LARCENY.
AND SO THAT GAVE US AN UPTICK, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ASSAULT AND BATTERY.
WE NOTICED AN UPTICK IN CASES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SIMPLE ASSAULTS, NOT JUST IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BUT IN INGHAM COUNTY.
SO WE DID SEE AN UPTICK THERE.
YOU KNOW, WITH COVID, IT WAS AN ODD YEAR.
BUT WE KEPT GETTING WARRANT REQUESTS.
SO IT WAS TOUGH TO GAUGE HOW THINGS WERE GOING DURING THAT YEAR OF COVID WHEN EVERYTHING WAS KIND OF SHUT DOWN.
BUT I THINK OVERALL THINGS HAVE STAYED VERY CONSISTENT IN TERMS OF NUMBERS.
I HAD THOUGHT THAT THINGS WOULD SLOW DOWN ONCE THE NUMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT STARTED DROPPING, BUT THEY DIDN'T.
[LAUGHTER] SOME OF THESE YOUNG OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE AND VERY EAGER TO ENFORCE THE LAW, WHICH IS GREAT. I THINK SOME OF THE NEWEST PEOPLE ON THE ROAD ARE SOME OF THE ONES SENDING ME THE THE MOST NUMBER OF FILES, SO.
SO IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, THERE'S NEW TYPES OF CASES THAT YOU HAVE.
HOW LONG HAS THIS $80,000 CONTRACT BEEN IN PLACE WITH THE TOWNSHIP? I CAN SAY IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN IN PLACE WITH MY OFFICE SINCE 2015.
AT THAT SAME AMOUNT? AT THAT SAME AMOUNT.
IN 2015, WE DID MY FORMER EMPLOYER AND I COMPETED FOR THE CONTRACT AND WE BOTH PUT IN BIDS AT EIGHTY THOUSAND.
I CAN'T SAY WHAT THE CONTRACT WAS WITH BODWIN WHEN, YOU KNOW, AFTER I LEFT, I HONESTLY DON'T REMEMBER. I WANT TO SAY IT WAS VERY NEAR TO THAT IT WAS EITHER SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND OR EIGHTY THOUSAND. IT WAS PROBABLY RIGHT AROUND THAT NUMBER, BUT IT HAS BEEN AT EIGHTY THOUSAND SINCE 2015.
JUST GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE, I GIVE MY HUSBAND WHO'S THE NUMBER ONE BROADCAST ENGINEER IN THE COUNTRY, AND HE TENDS TO, HE GETS PAID THE SAME AMOUNT YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR CONTRACT WORK. AND I'M ALWAYS LIKE, BUT YOU'RE DOING MORE AND YOU SHOULD ASK FOR MORE.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ASPECT THING AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT THERE'S YOU KNOW.
SO YEAH. I WOULD APPROVE MORE IN OTHER WORDS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, I WILL.
I GUESS I'LL DEFER TO THE BOARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT I WANT TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, I SAT DOWN AND HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE MANAGER AND THE CHIEF, AND WE WALKED
[02:05:02]
AWAY WITH THAT FROM THAT MEETING WITH AN UNDERSTANDING.AND SO I DON'T WANT TO. WELL, I'M NOT STEPPING ON THEIR TOES.
I DON'T WANT I'M JUST SAYING, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.
AND I THINK AS WORK INCREASES, I'M A BIG EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE PAID MORE PERSON.
SURE IT'S I DON'T WANT TO DO A 180 ON THE BOARD.
OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD.
I JUST WANTED TO TWO THINGS ONE, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID IT, BUT IT'S A PRIVILEGE WORKING WITH THE TOWNSHIP. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SUCH A, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW AND IT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT, THERE'S A GREAT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT I INTERACT WITH, YOU KNOW, HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING.
BUT YOU KNOW, KEN'S DEPARTMENT IS OUTSTANDING.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT HE'S GOT GOOD LEADERS, GREAT OFFICERS, AND IT MAKES MY JOB THAT MUCH EASIER, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY I LOVE IT.
THAT ASIDE, I DID WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO DAN ON HIS NEW ROLE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO DEREK. YOU'LL BE MISSED.
DAVE [INAUDIBLE], THEIR ATTORNEY, TAUGHT HIM EVERYTHING HE KNOWS.
[LAUGHTER] AND LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER MY CONDOLENCES FOR SUPERVISOR STYKA.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY TOUGH THING.
BUT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, I LIKE TO THINK OF THE HAPPY MOMENTS AND JUST THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, I USED TO RUN INTO RON ON OCCASION AT KROGER, WE WOULD BUMP INTO EACH OTHER AND DISCUSS HOW OUR RESPECTIVE WIVES HAD SENT US ON SHOPPING MISSIONS.
[LAUGHTER] AND ONE NIGHT I RAN INTO HIM AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I HAD ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW IS GEORGIA DOING? AND HE SAID TO ME, SHE'S AT A GYMNASTICS MEET AND I SAID, OH, GRANDKIDS.
AND HE SAID, NO, SHE'S COMPETING, AND I WALKED RIGHT INTO THAT ONE.
[LAUGHTER] BUT IT WAS THAT GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR THAT HE HAD THAT I'LL CERTAINLY MISS.
AND SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER MY CONDOLENCES.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING PROSECUTION WISE IN THE TOWNSHIP, EVERYBODY HAS MY PHONE NUMBER AND MY EMAIL, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MR. HARKNESS. ALL RIGHT.
BOARD THE OPTIONS ARE TO SEEK A RFP FOR PROSECUTORIAL SERVICES OR EXTEND THE CONTRACT BY IMPLEMENTING SECTION 28.
WELL, I'M GLAD WE GOT A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM MR. HARKNESS AND FROM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FROM THE POLICE CHIEF TO HEAR HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP IS GOING. AND FOR THOSE REASONS, I, SPEAKING FOR MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO SEE US USE OUR OPTION TO EXTEND THIS CONTRACT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BIG DECISIONS AHEAD OF US RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS AN EASY DECISION.
IF WE RENEW IT, THERE IS THE RISK THAT WE COULD COME ACROSS A VENDOR THAT COULD PROVIDE THE SERVICES CHEAPER OR POSSIBLY BETTER.
BUT WE HAVE SERVICES THAT HAVEN'T GONE UP NOW IN SEVEN YEARS.
SO I THINK WE'RE GETTING A PRETTY GOOD BARGAIN.
AND WE KNOW FROM WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE POLICE CHIEF THAT THE SERVICES ARE EXACTLY WHAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS.
I MEAN, MY OFFICE HAS NO INTERACTION WITH MR. HARKNESS AS MANAGER POINTED OUT, ALMOST NO ONE IN THIS BUILDING CONTACTED THEM IF WE NEED LEGAL HELP WE'RE CONTACTING THE FAHEY LAW FIRM.
BUT ACROSS THE WAY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE ONLY CONTACT IS WITH THE HARKNESS LAW FIRM. AND SO BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THEM, THEY'RE VERY SATISFIED WITH THAT WORK. AND SINCE WE'RE OFFERED THIS CONTRACT AT NO ADDITIONAL COST AND IT IS A LOT LESS WORK FOR THIS BOARD TO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS, I THINK IT'S A SAFE AND PRUDENT CHOICE FOR THIS BOARD TO EXTEND THIS CONTRACT FOR THREE MORE YEARS AT EIGHTY THOUSAND A YEAR. TRUSTEE WISINSKI I WOULD CONCUR.
I, YOU KNOW, BASED ON PERFORMANCE.
CHIEF PLAGA HAS EXHIBITED THAT MR. HARKNESS HAD INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, SOME DATA POINTS IN THE PACKET ITSELF.
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK.
I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH, NOT HOW MUCH WORK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES, BUT HOW MUCH PROSECUTION HAPPENS.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS THAT THIS CONTRACT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TIME AFTER TIME, I'M COMFORTABLE, CERTAINLY COMFORTABLE RENEWING THE CONTRACT WITHOUT AN RFP, GIVEN THAT
[02:10:04]
WE STAY AT THE SAME, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME PRICE THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED.IS THERE A DIFFERENT OPINION? THEN THAT'S SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MOVE FORWARD? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.
THANK YOU, MR. HARKNESS, FOR THE INFORMATION AND CHIEF PLAGA AS WELL.
WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM D, WHICH IS THE FIRE ORDINANCE UPDATE.
I THINK WE MISSED C SUPERVISOR.
OH, I'M SORRY. OH, PLEASE MUST NOT MISS THAT ONE.
[LAUGHTER] I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL NIGHT.
YOU'RE IN DENIAL GOODNESS MUST NOT MISS THAT ONE.
SO. ITEM C IS TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT PROCESS, AND I THINK I'LL ASK MR.
[13C. Township Trustee Appointment Process]
WALSH TO COVER THIS FOR US.WELL, THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
AND AS I LOOK AT THIS, THIS REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED ON FOR ACTION BECAUSE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD THIS EVENING WITH A PROCESS.
I WOULD THINK BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, YOU ONLY HAVE THIS RESULTS FROM THE RESIGNATION OF TRUSTEE OPSOMMER. SO YOU HAVE 45 DAYS FROM THE 13TH.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO WRAP THIS UP BY THE END OF MARCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, SIX WEEKS WILL GO BY PRETTY QUICKLY.
OK. SO WHAT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TONIGHT IS YOU WOULD APPOINT A THREE MEMBER SEARCH COMMITTEE WOULD BE ONE.
THERE WAS A SUGGESTION IN THE PACKET IN REGARDS TO THAT.
WE WOULD PUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OUT THROUGH THE HR OFFICE THROUGH DIRECTOR TITHOF'S OFFICE WOULD PUT OUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD GO OUT ON THE 16TH AND WE WOULD BROADCAST IT OUT ON OUR WEBSITE.
I WILL PERSONALLY SEND A NOTICE OUT TO OUR 110 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND I'M SURE THE CLERK'S OFFICE AS USUAL, WILL BE ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THIS AS WELL.
SO THE PROCESS, IF YOU APPROVE WHAT'S BEEN LAID OUT THIS EVENING, YOU'D ONE YOU'D CREATE A THREE MEMBER PANEL TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS THAT COME IN AND DETERMINE WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED.
ON THE 16TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW WE WILL PUT OUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PROCESS.
THE DEADLINE WILL BE MARCH 4TH, WHICH WOULD GIVE TWO WEEKS FOR SOMEONE TO CONSIDER.
THEY WOULD SUBMIT A RESUME AND THERE'S A QUESTIONNAIRE THAT THEY WOULD FILL OUT.
AND THEN, FOLLOWING THE MARCH 4TH DEADLINE ON MARCH 8TH, THE SEARCH COMMITTEE WOULD CONVENE. THEY WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 4TH, WE WOULD PROVIDE, AGAIN THROUGH DIRECTOR TITHOF'S OFFICE WE WOULD PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE THOSE RESUMES FROM THOSE APPLICANTS. YOU WOULD HAVE UNTIL THE 8TH WE WOULD CONVENE ON THE 8TH AND DETERMINE WHO'S GOING TO BE INTERVIEWED.
AND THOSE CANDIDATES ARE THEN NOTIFIED, I THINK IT'S BY MY OFFICE OF THEIR SELECTION TO BE INTERVIEWED. AND THEN ON MARCH 15TH, DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY CANDIDATES YOU HAVE ON THE 15TH PRIOR TO YOUR MEETING A MONTH FROM NOW, WE WOULD SET UP THE INTERVIEW TIMES.
AND OF COURSE, THOSE WOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FULL BOARD.
THE INTERVIEWS OF THE CANDIDATES WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE FULL BOARD.
THE SEARCH COMMITTEE'S ROLE IS DETERMINING WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED.
THIS IS THE SAME PROCESS WE USED FORMALLY WHEN I BELIEVE WHEN WE FILLED THAT WHEN TRUSTEE WISINSKI WAS WELCOMED TO THE BOARD AND I THINK THAT WAS BACK IN DECEMBER OF 19, IF I RECALL. SO THAT'S THE PROCESS BEFORE YOU, THE DEADLINES THAT ARE BEFORE NAME A THREE PERSON COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 16TH, MARCH 4TH, MARCH 8TH, AND MARCH 15TH WOULD BE THE DATES.
AND ON MARCH 15TH, FOLLOWING THOSE INTERVIEWS, THE BOARD WOULD THEN SELECT WHO'S GOING TO FILL THE TRUSTEE SEAT THAT IS NOW VACANT.
SO IS EVERYBODY FAMILIAR WITH? I'M PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION.
GREAT. DO I HAVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO.
TO MAKE A MOTION AT THIS POINT? I GUESS SO. FIRST MOTION IS TO SUSPEND THE RULES.
YES. TO SUSPEND THE RULES SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE SAY YES.
AND SO NOW YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION CLERK GUTHRIE.
I'LL MOVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ADOPTS THE PROCESS FOR APPOINTING A NEW TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE, INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES JACKSON, WISINSKI, AND SUNDLAND AS THE APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE AND ADOPTS THE APPLICATION FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE.
THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE.
[02:15:01]
ANY FURTHER COMMENT? CLERK GUTHRIE. I MAYBE THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER WHO WASN'T PART OF THIS PROCESS BEFORE, SO I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THIS DOCUMENT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT OUR COMMITTEE WILL BE TAKING TO LOOK AT APPLICATIONS.AND OUR OFFICE HAS RECEIVED SOME APPLICATIONS.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, AND I DID SPEAK TO THE MANAGER ABOUT THAT AND I'VE BEEN HOLDING THEM TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE BOARD ACTION WOULD BE ON THIS.
AND SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY OUT THERE, I GUESS AS SOON AS THEY HEARD THAT DAN WAS LEAVING, THEY WANTED TO BE ON THE BOARD WITH US.
WE MUST BE FANTASTIC. [LAUGHTER] SO I WILL SEND IF ANYBODY HEARS THIS MESSAGE THAT SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION, I WILL SEND THOSE OVER TO OUR HR DIRECTOR ABBY TITHOF AND THEN SHE WILL HANDLE THEM APPROPRIATELY, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE BOARD ADOPTS TONIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER, TREASURER DESCHAINE, I'M SORRY.
WE'VE ACTUALLY USED THIS PROCESS TWICE AND THE FIRST TIME WAS AFTER TREASURER BRIXIE WAS ELECTED IN THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND STEPPED DOWN TO BECOME STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT APPLIED FOR IT, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH [INAUDIBLE] IT IS A FAIR PROCESS. IT'S A CHALLENGING ONE FOR APPLICANTS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY INTENDED TO VET THOSE APPLICANTS AND THEIR SKILLS AND GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY CAN BEFORE THE REVIEW COMMITTEE TO THEN BRING TO THE BOARD, UNKNOWN NUMBER OF APPLICANTS.
THAT'S UP TO THE REVIEW COMMITTEE DECIDING HOW MANY THEY THINK ARE QUALIFIED NOT TO BE REVIEWED BY THE BOARD.
IT'S BEEN TRIED TWICE IN THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, AND IT'S WORKED.
OH TRUSTEE WISINSKI. I JUST THINK SUPERVISOR STYKA AND SUPERVISOR PRO TEM FOR CHOOSING US.
AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT AS A MANAGER, I PERFORM HIRING INTERVIEWS A LOT AND I KNOW TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YOU HAD IN THE PAST AS WELL.
SO I TRULY BELIEVE IN THIS PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CAREFUL AND INTENTIONAL IN OUR REVIEW PROCESS TO CHOOSE TOP CANDIDATES.
OK. AND YOU WERE ALSO ON THE APPLICANT SIDE OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
I SAT RIGHT THERE. YEAH. SO IT APPEARS TO BE A TRIED AND TRUE PROCESS.
SO THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE PROCESS AND TO APPOINT A REVIEW COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF TRUSTEE JACKSON WITH WISINSKI AND SUNDLAND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY YES? YES.
AND THE PROCESS IS IN PLACE AND THE CLOCK HAS STARTED ON THIS PROCESS.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, WE MOVE TO WHERE AM I? 13 D.
13 D FIRE ORDINANCE UPDATE, WE'LL HEAR FROM MR.
[13D. Fire Ordinance Update]
SCHMITT. YES, MA'AM.THIS IS A FIRE HYDRANT AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY SEE IT.
[LAUGHTER] WE ARE LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE.
SO THIS IS A CODIFICATION OF A LONGSTANDING POLICY IN THE TOWNSHIP TO REQUIRE A SPECIFIC NOZZLE CONNECTION FOR FIRE HOSES WE HAVE RUN INTO EVER SO RARELY THE OCCASION WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES TO HOOK UP AND THE WRONG NOZZLE CONNECTION IS ON THE HYDRANT.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING, CONSISTENT WITH MY POLICY THIS YEAR, IS CLEANING UP ORDINANCES.
AND SO ALL THIS DOES IS REQUIRES THAT WHEN WORK IS DONE ON A BUILDING, THE NEAREST HYDRANT IS UPGRADED TO THE CURRENT STANDARD AS PROMULGATED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE STANDARD RIGHT NOW IS IT'S CALLED A STORZ NOZZLE.
IT'S A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLAR FIXTURE THAT GOES ONTO THE EXISTING HYDRANT AND THEN THE HOSE CONNECTS TO THE OUTSIDE HERE.
IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ENTIRE HYDRANT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.
WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT IT'S A VERY SIMPLE ORDINANCE CHANGE TO CODIFY LONG STANDING POLICY IN THE TOWNSHIP.
IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM OTHERWISE, WE WILL DO THE PROPER NOTICE AND GET THIS MOVING SO WE CAN GET IT IN PLACE.
[02:20:06]
ALL RIGHT. I HAVE ONE QUESTION BEFORE YOU LEAVE.WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT? IT WILL BE THE APPLICANT.
THE DEVELOPER? THAT IS DOING THE WORK ADJACENT TO THE HYDRANT.
ADJACENT TO THE HYDRANT I SEE.
CORRECT. DO THEY ALSO PAY FOR IT? YES, MA'AM. WHAT'S THE COST? SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS IF YOU'RE JUST REPLACING THE FIXTURE, IF WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY REPLACE THE HYDRANT ITSELF CAN GET INTO SEVERAL THOUSAND AND WE'LL OBVIOUSLY DEAL WITH THOSE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
SO THE TOWNSHIP WOULD PAY FOR THE WE WOULD NOT THE STANDARD THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT IS THAT THE PERSON DOING THE WORK WOULD PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT.
OK. IS THAT HOW IT'S BEEN SO FAR? YES. OK. AND IT IS ONLY FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THIS DOES NOT COVER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
THERE IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT ABOUT SLOWLY CONVERTING OVER ALL OF OUR HYDRANTS TO THE STANDARD, BUT THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL HOMES.
DIRECTOR SCHMITT, I MISSED IT.
WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING SO CURRENTLY, WHO'S PAYING FOR? SO THE BUILDING OWNER OR THE APPLICANT OF THAT'S DOING THE WORK PAYS FOR IT NOW.
ALL WE'RE DOING IS SIMPLY CODIFYING EXISTING POLICY INTO ORDINANCE SO THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION AS TO THE REQUIREMENT.
IT HELPS [LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE].
CHIEF HAMEL WOULD BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN.
THANK YOU. YOU DID ALMOST GOOD.
SO THIS IS A NORMAL HYDRANT WE HAVE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE HYDRANTS IN THE TOWNSHIP, THIS IS ACTUALLY ON HERE.
BUT WHAT WE DO IS OUR LARGE DIAMETER HOSE.
SO WHAT WE USE TO SUPPLY OUR ENGINE WITH WATER DURING A FIRE.
WE HAVE A THOUSAND GALLONS OF WATER IN AN ENGINE.
IT TAKES ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MINUTES MAX.
OOPS. AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE USE THE LARGE DIAMETER HOSE SO WE CAN SUPPLY THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER TO PUT OUT A FIRE.
THIS JUST MAKES IT A QUICKER CONNECT FOR US.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE HAVE AN ADAPTER AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE THREE OF THEM BECAUSE THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT THREADS IN THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE, WELL, WE JUST FOUND OUT ANOTHER ONE.
WE HAD A FIRE DOWN HERE NOT TOO LONG AGO, DOWN HERE.
I'M SORRY. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT ADAPTER BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW THE THREADS WERE WHAT THEY WERE. IT WAS DONE YEARS AND YEARS AGO BY MISTAKE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT PROMPTED THE DISCUSSION ON THIS TO BEGIN WITH.
BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE AN ADAPTER THAT WE SCREW ON HERE AND THEN WE CONNECT OUR FIRE [INAUDIBLE] SO THAT IT'S JUST THIS REALLY SHORTENS UP THAT TIMELINE TO GET WATER WHERE WE NEED IT. BUT ONCE THAT'S ON THERE, THIS PIECE GETS CONNECTED TO THE HYDRANT PERMANENTLY.
AND THIS WHAT WE CALL A SNAP TIGHT IS ON IT, WHICH IS EXACTLY LIKE THAT.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE ALREADY IN THE TOWNSHIP AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ALSO.
AND IN THE LONGEVITY, I MEAN, IT LOOKS TO BE.
I THINK THEY LAST FOREVER FOR THE MOST PART, UNLESS THEY'RE DAMAGED.
IT HIT MY CAR. YEAH, WE DON'T USUALLY DESTROY THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR STUFF JUST SNAPS IN REALLY EASY. BUT.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHIEF HAMEL.
HOW MUCH MORE TIME DOES IT TAKE WHEN IT'S NOT FITTING PROPERLY AND WE HAVE TO GET AN ADAPTER OR YOU DON'T HAVE AN ADAPTER? WELL, SO WE WERE LUCKY ON THIS ONE OVER HERE BECAUSE THERE WAS IT WAS JUST A REALLY MINOR LIKE A MOTOR THAT BURNED UP SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT WAS AT ONE OF THE RESTAURANTS DOWN THE ROAD HERE, SO WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T HAVE TO.
OTHERWISE, WE WOULD GO TO THE NEXT HYDRANT, WHICH IS ROUGHLY AROUND 400 TO 600 FEET AWAY.
SO WHAT DOES THIS SAVE IN TIME? SO HOW WE OPERATE AT A FIRE IS WE LAY INTO A HYDRANT, WE STOP AT THE HYDRANT, WE HAVE A HYDRANT BAG, WE THROW THE HYDRANT, WE PULL THE FIVE INCH OFF THE BACK, WE WRAP IT AROUND THE HYDRANT, THE TRUCK PULLS AWAY AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S GOING TO CONNECT TO THE HYDRANT, WHAT WE CALL DRESSING THE HYDRANT.
THEY TAKE THE CAP OFF, THIS CAP AND THEN WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SCREW OUR DEVICE ON THERE.
IT'S WHAT WE CALL AN APPLIANCE, WHICH HAS THIS.
SO WE'RE SAVING THAT TIME A COUPLE OF MINUTES AT THE MOST.
BUT AGAIN, MORE WATER, QUICKER SAVES, PROPERTY DAMAGE.
I DON'T LIKE LOSING MY INTERNET CONNECTION, I COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT.
SO MR. SCHMITT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT IS YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT OR CHANGE, AND IT'LL COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ADOPTION? YES, MA'AM. MAYBE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
[02:25:01]
IT WILL PROBABLY BE BACK.I NEED TO CONFIRM MY PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THIS IS OUTSIDE OF MY NORMAL WHEELHOUSE OF ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO I JUST NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
BUT IT WILL BE BACK AT ONE OF THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS? OK, SO NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
WE MOVE TO ITEM E COMMUNITY SERVICE MILLAGE.
[13E. Community Services Millage]
MR. WALSH DAN, ARE YOU GOING TOO? YES. MANAGER WALSH HAD TO STEP AWAY.ASKED ME TO FILL IN ON THE LAST DISCUSSION ITEM OF THE EVENING.
SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.
SO TONIGHT BEFORE YOU, WE DO HAVE THE INITIAL DISCUSSION ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES MILLAGE. SO THIS MILLAGE WAS ORIGINALLY AUTHORIZED BY VOTERS BACK IN 2002, AND WE RENEWED IT IN 2012 WITH AN INCREASE FROM THE ORIGINAL .1 TO .15.
TODAY, UNDER THE HEADLEE ROLLBACK THAT HAS OCCURRED DURING THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS, WE ARE AT A MILLAGE RATE OF .1483.
AND SO THIS TAX YEAR, THE MILLAGE GENERATES ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO THOUSAND.
AND THE LOSS REPRESENTED FROM THE HEADLEE ROLLBACKS OVER THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS OR NINE YEARS AMOUNTS TO ABOUT THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED ANNUALLY AT THIS POINT.
THE MILLAGE DOES SUPPORT SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FROM THE SENIOR CENTER AND THE PROGRAMING AT THE SENIOR CENTER TO SOME PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMING AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMING WITH COORDINATOR DARLA JACKSON.
AND SO THE QUESTION FOR THE BOARD REALLY IS, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH A RENEWAL OF THE MILLAGE AND STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH CONSISTS OF DIRECTOR MAISNER COORDINATOR DARLA JACKSON AND OUR SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR CHERIE WISDOM.
THEIR RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN TO DO A SIMPLE RENEWAL, SO NO INCREASE OR HEAVILY OVERRIDE.
AND THEN THE BIG QUESTION FOR THE BOARD IS WHICH BALLOT DO WE WANT TO GO ON? THE AUGUST OR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT? AND I WOULD NOTE FOR THE BOARD THAT THE DEADLINE FOR APPROVING THE LANGUAGE FOR THE BALLOT FOR AUGUST IS MAY 10TH.
AND IF WE DO APPROVE IT AND PUT IT ON IN AUGUST, THAT WOULD GIVE THE BOARD A FALLBACK.
TYPICALLY AROUND AUGUST 10TH TO THE 12TH IS WHEN NOVEMBER BALLOT LANGUAGE IS NEEDED.
SO IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING DID GO WRONG, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE A FALLBACK OPTION ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. SO THAT IS THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO GET THE MILLAGE LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE.
AND YOU SAID THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IS A SIMPLE RENEWAL.
YES, A SIMPLE RENEWAL AND THE CURRENT LOSS IN REVENUE IS THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FROM THE HEADLEE ROLLBACK. SO THAT'S WHEN OUR TAXABLE VALUE GROWS BEYOND THE RATE OF INFLATION FOR THE YEAR, THEN THE MILLAGE IS REDUCED BY THAT SAME FACTOR.
SO IT'S A VERY NEGLIGIBLE DIFFERENCE.
IF WE DID PURSUE A HEADLEE OVERRIDE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE MILLAGE LANGUAGE AND HEADLEE OVERRIDE MILLAGE RENEWALS DO REQUIRE SOME UNIQUE LANGUAGE THAT IS VERY JARGON AND IT'S VERY LEGALESE, SO IT COMPLICATES THE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR VOTERS.
ONE QUESTION FOR DEPUTY MANAGER YOU MENTIONED, SO ON MAY 10TH WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE PREPARED AND READY FOR THE AUGUST ELECTION ON MAY 10TH.
AND YOU INDICATED THAT IN THE EVENT SOMETHING WAS TO HAPPEN, WE'D STILL HAVE NOVEMBER.
WHAT KIND OF THINGS COULD GO WRONG? THE MILLAGE COULD BE VOTED DOWN.
HOWEVER, IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THIS MILLAGE HAS ALWAYS PASSED WITH BROAD SUPPORT. BUT IT GIVES YOU A FALLBACK OPTION AND VOTERS ARE, WE DID HAVE SOME INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS.
CLERK GUTHRIE WAS ON SOME OF THOSE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ON THIS.
TYPICALLY, AT LEAST IN RECENT HISTORY, WE'VE ALWAYS PUT SPECIAL MILLAGE RENEWALS AND NEWLY PROPOSED SPECIAL MILLAGES ON THE AUGUST BALLOT, SO VOTERS ARE BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING THESE SPECIAL MILLAGES ON THE AUGUST BALLOT FROM THE TOWNSHIP SPECIFICALLY.
RIGHT? AND CLERK GUTHRIE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER MILLAGES AND PROPOSALS ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, SO IT HELPS TO DISPERSE THEM AND SPREAD THEM OUT OF IT AS WELL FROM OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS.
[02:30:06]
MR. DESCHAINE. I LIKE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO KEEP THE MILLAGE AS IT IS.HAVING JUST GONE THROUGH ANOTHER TAX SEASON, OUR VOTERS ARE FEELING OUR TAXPAYERS ARE FEELING TAXED TO THE MAXIMUM RIGHT NOW.
PART OF THE GENERAL STRESS THEY'RE FEELING, BUT CERTAINLY ANY KIND OF INCREASE WOULD LIKELY HAVE SOME PUSHBACK TO IT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I AGREE WITH OPSOMMER THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED THIS AND A RENEWAL IS A MUCH EASIER THING TO CONVINCE THE VOTERS TO APPROVE THAN AN INCREASE OF ANY KIND. AND THE STAFF KNOWS THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL AND IT APPEARS THAT THEY CAN. WE CAN CONTINUE THE SENIOR CENTER, CONTINUE THE PARKS PROGRAMS AS WELL AS CONTINUE WITH OUR EXCELLENT MERIDIAN CARES PROGRAM, SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN INCREASE.
WHY RISK IT BEING THE APPROVAL BY INCREASING IT? IT'S REALLY A UNIQUE MILLAGE THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE THAT HAVE SOMEONE LIKE DARLA JACKSON ON STAFF THAT PROVIDE IF YOU WILL, A SAFETY NET AND REFERRAL SOURCE FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN TROUBLE.
AND WE DO HAVE 16 PERCENT OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
SO SHE PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR AN 8TH OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO IT SHOULD BE, IT'S HIGHER THAN ONE EIGHTH OF [INAUDIBLE] I CAN REMEMBER THE FACTOR NOW, BUT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY RELIES ON THESE SERVICES, NOT TO MENTION OUR SENIORS, NOT TO MENTION THE FAMILIES THAT BENEFIT FROM THE PARKS AND REC'S PROGRAM.
IT'S WORKED WELL IN THE TOWNSHIP AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT US PUTTING IT ON THE AUGUST BALLOT FOR RENEWAL. ARE THERE FURTHER COMMENTS OR A DIFFERENT POSITION? SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS A SUGGESTION THAT WE GO FOR A SIMPLE RENEWAL, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE .1483, AND THAT WE GET TO WORK AND PREPARE THE LANGUAGE BEFORE MAY.
WHAT DID YOU SAY, MAY 10TH? MAY 10TH IS OUR DEADLINE.
SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME WE ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS ON THIS AND WE WILL GET WITH COUNCIL AND UPDATE THE LANGUAGE AND PUT IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA, POSSIBLY IN MARCH. OH OK. OK, GREAT.
AND TO TREASURER DESCHAINE'S POINT IN THE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT, IT'S ACTUALLY ON PAGE 14 OF THE PACKET. WE DO HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR MERIDIAN CARES AND THAT PORTION, THAT PORTION OF THIS MILLAGE. SO WE DID HAVE FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE HOMES SERVED IN 2021 AND THE TOTAL FUNDING SPENT THROUGH MERIDIAN CARES, WHICH THIS PROGRAMING GOES TO SUPPORT THAT POSITION OR COORDINATOR POSITION AS WELL.
BUT WE DID EXPEND THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN, WHICH SO FAR AS I KNOW, IS A RECORD. IN 2016 OUR FUNDING SPENT WAS ACTUALLY MORE HOUSEHOLDS, BUT ONLY NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN DOLLARS.
SO THE SUPPORT THAT WAS PUT IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND DURING COVID HAS CERTAINLY MADE ITS WAY TO HOUSEHOLDS AND WE SPENT TWICE THAT 2016 INVESTMENT IN 2020 WITH EIGHTEEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN SPENT SERVING 398 HOUSEHOLDS.
OK. THEN WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU SAID MARCH OR APRIL.
MARCH OR APRIL WE'LL HAVE IT BACK BEFORE THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
MARCH OR APRIL OK, NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WILL COME TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AGAIN.
ARE THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN TO THE TOWNSHIP, OR TO THE BOARD I MEAN.
OK, THEN WE MOVE TO OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
ITEM NUMBER 15.JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT TO THE PUBLIC.
IF YOU HAVEN'T YET PAID YOUR TAXES, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE ABOUT HOW WE MAYBE ABLE TO HELP YOU. AS OF MARCH 1ST, LOCAL TAXES GET TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY TREASURER AND A SIGNIFICANT INTEREST AND PENALTY IS ADDED ON TO THAT.
CALL US. WE CAN TRY AND HELP YOU OR PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH TAXES OR WORK OUT A WAY TO AVOID HAVING YOUR TAXES TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY. IT'S THE PENALTY YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY.
[02:35:01]
GOOD NEWS IS THAT AGAIN, THIS YEAR, 99 PLUS PERCENT OF OUR TAXES WERE PAID BY THE TAX DAY, SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.AND MR. OPSOMMER WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER ANOTHER REMINDER ABOUT THE ACCESS TO OKEMOS ROAD? YES, I WOULD JUST BRIEFLY STATE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT OKEMOS ROAD SOUTHBOUND OVER THE RED CEDAR RIVER IS CLOSED.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THE SIGNAGE FROM THE COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT ALONG GRAND RIVER AVENUE, PLEASE DO KNOW THAT THE ROAD ACTUALLY IS CLOSED.
YOU CAN ONLY GO SOUTHBOUND SO FAR AS CLINTON STREET, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE DEMOLISHED BLOCKS IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS, NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS OF HAMILTON AND OKEMOS.
AND THE DETOURED TRAFFIC SHOULD BE TAKEN NORTH AND SOUTH DOWN ON HAGADORN AND DOBIE ROAD.
WE HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF VISITS OUT THERE.
ONE RESIDENT DID CALL IN WITH CONCERNS AND CHIEF PLAGA DID WORK WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT ON RELOCATION OF SOME OF THE SIGNS.
SO INITIALLY THE BLOCKADE WAS ACTUALLY DOWN BY THE BASE OF THE BRIDGE.
AND SO PEOPLE WERE GOING SO FAR AS THE ENTRANCES TO WONCH PARK AND THEN HAVING TO DO A U-TURN IN THE ROADWAY.
SO THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS SEEM TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AS PEOPLE KIND OF LEARNED WHAT WAS AND WASN'T OPEN ON THE FIRST DAY.
AND IF FOLKS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CONTACT COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT OR THE TOWNSHIP . OR YOU.
[LAUGHTER] THEY CAN EMAIL US AT DPW@MERIDIAN.MI.US ANYTIME.
NO I'LL LET YOU FINISH. NO, WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THAT SITUATION IS WE EXPECT THAT SITUATION TO CONTINUE UNTIL NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
YOU HAVE A COMMENT. I HAVE TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS I DIDN'T MAKE IN THE BEGINNING, BUT I WILL SAY MY SON IS A JUNIOR AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL, AND THERE WAS QUITE A BIT EXTRA TRAFFIC THIS MORNING. A LOT OF TARDIES A LOT OF NOTIFICATIONS HAPPENING.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE TO GET USED TO IT AND JUST PLAN FOR SOME EXTRA TIME SO THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE SO, BUT IT'LL BE WORTH IT IN THE END.
THANK YOU. SO THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE THROUGH NOVEMBER THROUGH BOTH ELECTIONS AND MDOT WILL BEGIN THEIR WORK ON GRAND RIVER IN MARCH.
AND SO I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE FROM HOME.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO GET AN APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN'S WEBSITE AND DO THAT OR GO TO THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE.
WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THERE AS WELL TO VOTE FROM HOME AND AVOID THE HEADACHE.
I TRIED GOING DOWN DOBIE ROAD YESTERDAY.
IT WAS BACKED UP TO FAITH LUTHERAN AND IT TOOK ME ALMOST 20 MINUTES TO GET DOWN THE ROAD.
SO YES, WE WANT ALL THE VOTES IN.
SUPERVISOR, TWO MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T DO THIS IN THE BEGINNING, BUT THEY'RE COMING UP QUICK.
ON FEBRUARY 26, THERE'S A SPECIAL EVENT THAT'S PUT ON BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN, AND THEY'LL BE HAVING COMPOST BIN SALE POTS AND PANS COLLECTION THAT WILL BE DELIVERED TO FOLKS THAT MIGHT NEED THEM THROUGH THE FOOD PANTRY.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO DO UPCYCLED PRODUCTS, WHICH I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, BUT I HAD TO ASK AND THAT'S TAKING USED PRODUCTS AND MAKING THEM INTO COOL ART OR OTHER USABLE THINGS.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, I'M GOING TO GO.
THAT'S BEING HOSTED BY THE OKEMOS EARTH CLUB AND MSU SURPLUS.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS ON MARCH 2ND THE ENERGY TEAM HAS A KICKOFF FOR SOLARIZE MERIDIAN.
SO FOR THAT ENDEAVOR, IT'S THEY'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY SOLAR INCENTIVES.
THEY'RE WORKING TO ORGANIZE NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOPS AND BEGINNING TO CREATE BOTH EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH MATERIALS.
THANK YOU. THE FIRST EVENT, THE THE DATE, AGAIN? THAT WOULD BE IT'S AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN REGULAR SATURDAY, BUT IT IS FEBRUARY 26TH. THE 26TH. OKAY, THANK YOU.
[02:40:03]
ANYTHING ELSE? THEN ITEM 16 ON OUR AGENDA CALLS FOR A CLOSED SESSION.[16. CLOSED SESSION]
TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION WE NEED A A MOTION.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE WRITTEN CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL OPINION FROM THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY REGARDING THE WINSLOW MOBILE HOME PARK.
AND WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THAT WE DO NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE.
YES. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
SO WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN, I BELIEVE.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.