[00:00:18]
MR. RUTHERFORD IS DOING MUCH BETTER WITH HIS PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDEVELOPED.
YEAH. THERE'S A NATIONAL STUDY USING SATELLITE IMAGERY ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT DID THE AND HE REALLY.
MAKING THE AND THAT'S THE ROLL. THAT'S SCOTT. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT THE DOOR? STARTED FEEDBACK. IT'S 6:00 P.M..
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
WE WILL GO ON AND START OUR MEETING WHILE OTHERS ARE COMING IN AND SIGNING THE ROLL.SO AT THIS POINT, I WILL CALL THE.
I WILL CALL THE APRIL 12, 2022 REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN TO ORDER.
IF YOU CAN AND WILL, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
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.
THANK YOU. THOSE OF YOU STILL COMING IN AND SIGNING AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.
MR. LEMASTER WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL? PRESENT. TRUSTEE WILSON.
TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND SUNDLAND ARE ABSENT.
THANK YOU. THE FIRST THING I SHOULD DO TONIGHT IS BE SURE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS. TO MY LEFT IS MARNA WILSON.
TRUSTEE MARNA WILSON NOW AND TO MY RIGHT AT THE END IS TRUSTEE SCOTT HENDRICKSON.
WE WILL NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION TONIGHT FROM THE MANAGER, I BELIEVE
[00:05:10]
MR. OPSOMMER HAS ASKED TO PRESENT MAKE THAT PRESENTATION LATER IN THE EVENING.WE AT THIS TIME HAVE COME TO ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDAITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. YOU ARE.MANY OF YOU HERE, I'M SURE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING THERE IS A DIFFERENT COLOR OF SHEET FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE NOT AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU SHOULD FILL OUT A YELLOW CARD SO THAT WE CAN CALL ON YOU AT THAT TIME.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, A GREEN CARD WILL HELP US WITH THAT PROCESS.
I HAVE NO GREEN CARDS AT THIS TIME.
SO WHILE I'M GETTING THAT, I WILL READ THE POLICY RELATIVE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
CITIZENS WHO WOULD WISH TO ADDRESS AGENDA OR NON AGENDA ITEMS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AS WELL AS NEAR THE END OF THE MEETING.
INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN FORM LOCATED WITH THE AGENDAS AND THE ENTRY TO THE ROOM AND PRESENT THE CARD TO THE BOARD'S SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, THE SUPERVISOR WILL CALL UPON INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMPLETED A GREEN FORM TO SPEAK ON THE TOPICS THEY INDICATE.
CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO 3 MINUTES, EXCEPT WHEN THIS REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED IN ADVANCED BY THE SUPERVISOR FOR GOOD CAUSE.
A TIMEKEEPER WILL COMMUNICATE TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ADDRESSING THE BOARD AT THE CONCLUSION OF A THREE MINUTE PERIOD.
THE BOARD HIGHLY VALUES PUBLIC COMMENT AND INPUT.
HOWEVER, THE BOARD MEETING FORMAT IS DESIGNED TO FACILITATE THE EVENING'S AGENDA AND THEREFORE RESTRICTS BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH SPEAKERS OR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD LATER IN THE AGENDA AND OR MAYBE ASSIGNED FOR FOLLOW UP BY THE BOARD OR THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AT A LATER DATE.
IN ORDER TO FOSTER THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE BOARD'S MEETING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY PLEASE REFRAIN FROM RUDE OR DISCOURTEOUS BEHAVIOR.
ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR TO OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE. AND FINALLY, THE MEETING IS A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF THE TOWNSHIP, HELD IN PUBLIC FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWNSHIP.
IT IS NOT A MEETING OF THE PUBLIC.
PLEASE LIMIT COMMENTS TO THE ISSUES ON THE AGENDA TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AT THIS POINT I HAVE ONE GREEN CARD AND THAT IS FROM AMY SALISBURY.
GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND OFFER YOUR COMMENTS.
MY ADDRESS IS 1585 PICADILLY DRIVE IN HASLETT.
I'M A HASLETT RESIDENT AND I AM JUST HERE TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE MYSELF AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE INGHAM COUNTY COMMISSION REPRESENTING THE 13TH DISTRICT, WHICH IS HASLETT AREA.
I JUST PUT IN MY PAPERWORK LAST WEEK AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF.
THE ONE THAT HAS GRADUATED FROM HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TWO THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, ONE AT HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ONE AT MURPHY ELEMENTARY.
AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE PROBABLY 12 TO 15 YEARS.
I GRADUATED FROM ALMA COLLEGE WITH A DEGREE IN BIOLOGY, AND I GOT MY MASTER'S DEGREE FROM CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY AND TOXICOLOGY, AND I TOOK MANY OF MY COURSES AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
I DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT FOR OUR FAMILY AND DIFFICULT FOR WORKING MOTHERS AND MOTHERS IN GENERAL.
AND I THOUGHT ME BEING A MOM AND HAVING A SCIENCE BACKGROUND WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL AND A HELPFUL VOICE ON THE COMMITTEE OR ON THE BOARD.
AND I DID WORK FOR THE DEQ FOR 13 YEARS AS A TOXICOLOGIST.
I FIRST WORKED IN THE HAZARDOUS WASTE DEPARTMENT AND THEN FOR THE REMEDIATION DIVISION,
[00:10:03]
AND I SPECIALIZED IN CONTAMINATED VAPOR MIGRATION TO INDOOR AIR.SO I HAVE A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND.
I WORKED ON MANY COMMITTEES AND SHARED SEVERAL STEERING GROUPS, INCLUDING THE DEQ'S TOXIC STEERING GROUP, WHICH WAS A COLLABORATION WITH THE DEQ AND THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH.
SO I DO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL BACKGROUND THAT I THINK COULD BE HELPFUL ON THE BOARD AS WELL.
I CHOSE TO STAY HOME WITH MY VERY YOUNG KIDS IN 2013 AND HELP MY HUSBAND WITH HIS FAMILY BUSINESS IN WEBBERVILLE.
WE STARTED OUT OF OUR HOME IN 2009 RIGHT HERE IN HASLETT AND NOW WE HAVE 95 EMPLOYEES.
IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY, BUT I'M DEFINITELY READY TO PURSUE MY OWN PASSIONS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY OWN WAY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF HASLETT.
I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND THE ISSUES FACING DISTRICT 13, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON COMMISSIONER EMILY STIVERS WORK.
SHE IS CURRENTLY GOING TO BE VACATING THAT POSITION AND SHE'S RUNNING FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE. I'D LIKE TO REALLY FOCUS ON IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE A PASSIONATE HOT BUTTON ITEM FOR FOLKS HERE.
I'D LIKE TO INVEST IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS AND TRAILS AND CONTINUE TO RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENT SMART RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR OUR DISTRICT AND COUNTY.
SO I HOPE THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN TIME, I HOPE THAT I'M ABLE TO EARN YOUR TRUST AND EARN YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS.
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES ANDANNOUNCEMENTS]
WHICH IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.I HAVE MY USUAL LIST OF MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT I ATTENDED, BUT I WILL SKIP OVER THEM FOR TODAY AND SIMPLY SAY, WELCOME TO TRUSTEES WILSON AND HENDRICKSON.
THEY ARE FILLING VERY BIG SHOES.
RON STYKA HAS SERVED THIS TOWNSHIP VERY WELL AND REPRESENTED DECADES OF SERVICE, AND I BELIEVE MARNA WILSON ALSO REPRESENTS DECADES OF SERVICE AND I'M SURE SHE WILL FULFILL THAT ROLE THAT RON PUT AS THE CONSCIENCE AND THE HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP VERY, VERY WELL.
AND LOSING TRUSTEE OPSOMMER NOW AS STAFF BEFORE, AS BOARD MEMBER, SURELY THERE WAS FEW PEOPLE SERVING THIS BOARD WITH GREATER KNOWLEDGE THAN DAN'S OF STATE LAW, OF ORDINANCES AND OTHER VARIOUS FACTS.
YET I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT SCOTT HENDRICKSON AND HIS WORK IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SHOWN US THAT HE CAN DO AS CAPABLE OF WORK AS WE RECEIVE FROM TRUSTEE OPSOMMER.
SO WELCOME, SCOTT. WELCOME, MARNA.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? WE'LL MOVE NOW THEN TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA ITEM 8.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO? TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON HAS MOVED.TREASURER DESCHAINE HAS SUPPORTED THE MOTION.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? THEN ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA PLEASE SAY YES.
YES. YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.
ANY OPPOSED? THEN THE MOTION PASSES TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN.
AND ITEM NINE THEN IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
AND OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE TO BE HEARD IN OUR HEARING TONIGHT.ALSO, MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 15, 2022 SPECIAL MEETING, MARCH 15, 2022 REGULAR MEETING . MANAGERS BILLS, MDOT PERFORMANCE RESOLUTION, RATIFICATION OF A FULL TIME PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTER, NEW FULL TIME PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTER.
HIS NAME, I BELIEVE CHIEF HAMEL WAS HERE.
MR. BRITTON IS A LICENSED PARAMEDIC AND HOLDS A STATE OF MICHIGAN CERTIFICATIONS FOR FIREFIGHTER LEVELS ONE AND TWO.
AND THE FINAL TWO ITEMS IN OUR CONSENT AGENDA RELATE TO THE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, SCHEDULED
[00:15:07]
FOR JUNE 25TH.IT INVOLVES A PERMIT FOR FIREWORKS DISPLAY AND PERMISSION FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THAT EVENT. TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SUPPORT. AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY YES.
I THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE.
THAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE THE BILLS ARE [INAUDIBLE].
MR. LEMASTER. SUPERVISOR JACKSON.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS ITEM 10.
ITEM 11 IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
[11A. Daniels Drain Public Drain Improvement SAD #21]
AGAIN, THE PERMITS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ARE YELLOW.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THE HEARING AND YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT THE FORM, PLEASE FILL ONE OUT AND GET IT TO ME.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL START OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
HEARING AT WHAT TIME? 6:14 WITH THE PRESENTATION BY ASSISTANT MANAGER OPSOMMER . THANK YOU SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
GOOD EVENING. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT COMING WITH THE HEARING, SO I'LL BE BRIEF AND OBVIOUSLY WE SUMMARIZED THIS AT OUR MARCH 15TH MEETING.
SO THE THE DANIELS DRAIN IS A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN.
IT IS LOCATED ON GRAND RIVER AVENUE BETWEEN CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, DOBIE ROAD AND CORNELL ROAD. THE STORMWATER SYSTEM OF THE DRAIN INCLUDES THE DETENTION POND AND IT PRIMARILY SERVES ALL OR SOME OF THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORHOODS, CHIEF OKEMOS, NAVAJO RIDGE, FOREST HILLS. EAST AND WEST PONDS, CORNELL WOODS NORTH, WHISPERING OAKS AND CORNELL WOODS.
NOW THE FACT THAT THE DRAIN IS A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN IS IMPORTANT FOR ONE PRIMARY REASON, BUT MANY OTHER REASONS.
IT DELINEATES THE SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES AS IT RELATES TO THE DRAIN.
SO WITH THE CHAPTER 20 DRAIN, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ACTIVE ASSESSMENTS ON OUR OTHER SIX CHAPTER 20, SO THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH IN SOME TIME.
THE ASSESSMENT ROLE IS SET BY THE TOWNSHIP AND THAT IS THE LOAN RESPONSIBILITY UNDER CHAPTER 20 OF THE DRAIN CODE FOR THE TOWNSHIP IS TO SET THE ASSESSMENT ROLE.
NOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND HIS OFFICE IS TO DO THE ENGINEERING WORK AND ESTABLISH THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH RESULTS IN THE COST OF THE PROJECT.
SO JUST TO GIVE AN ANALOGY, IT'S JUST LIKE DOING A HOME RENOVATION, RIGHT? SCOPE CAN THERE'S A VERY BROAD RANGE FOR SCOPE.
AND THEN WE SET THE ASSESSMENT ROLE BASED ON BENEFIT DERIVED AND BASED ON THE PROJECT COST. OBVIOUSLY THE APPORTIONMENT WHICH WE SHARE, THE APPORTIONMENT COST OR THE COST SHARING WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT AND MDOT BASED ON THEIR SPECIAL BENEFIT.
THE REMAINDER IS THE BENEFIT DERIVED TO THE TOWNSHIP AND IT'S BEEN LONGSTANDING PRACTICE THAT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS ARE USED TO PAY FOR A PORTION OF THAT PROJECT OR THAT COST FOR THE PROJECT.
AND SO IN THIS CASE, WHAT'S UNIQUE IS THAT WE ARE SETTING THE ASSESSMENT ROLE, AND THAT'S DUE TO THIS BEING A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN.
IF THIS WERE A CHAPTER THREE OR FOUR DRAIN, THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE WOULD BE SETTING THE ASSESSMENT ROLE AND EXAMINING THE BENEFIT DRIVE.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS LOOKING AT THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WHEN WE GET TO THE DISCUSSION ITEM 13 A, I WILL HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE AND OR THEIR ENGINEERING FIRM COME AND SPEAK AND GIVE YOU A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD AND TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT OR WATCHING ONLINE.
AND THAT PRESENTATION WILL OVERVIEW THE SCOPE OF WORK.
SO IT'S A BUILT OUT PRESENTATION FROM WHAT IS LINKED IN YOUR PACKET FROM THE AUGUST 26 PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE HELD.
SO JUST TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT, LAST FALL WE HAD THE INITIAL PUBLIC HEARING, SO WE SET THE FIRST PROSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT ROLE, HOW THE PUBLIC HEARING GATHERED INPUT FROM RESIDENTS, BOTH AT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY WE HAD ONE ON ONE MEETINGS BETWEEN TOWNSHIP STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OR PARCEL OWNERS, I SHOULD SAY, THAT LIVE OR OWN PROPERTY WITHIN THE DANIELS DRAIN DISTRICT. BASED ON ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS AND ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING WE HAVE AMENDED THAT ROLE AND SET A NEW PROSPECTIVE ROLE.
[00:20:01]
AND SO A LITTLE OVER TEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, THE RESIDENTS OR THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT RECEIVED THEIR NOTIFICATION, WHICH LISTED THEIR UPDATED PROSPECTIVE ROLE.SO TONIGHT, WE ARE NOT SETTING THE ROLE THAT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH RESOLUTION 5 OR IF THE BOARD WISHED TO, WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
I DO WANT TO JUST GET IT OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THE PROJECT COST HAS COME DOWN.
AND SO BASED ON THE CURRENT BID AMOUNTS FROM NOVEMBER 1ST, WHEN THE PROJECT WAS, I SHOULD SAY, BOND AMOUNTS. SO WHEN THE PROJECT WAS BONDED ON NOVEMBER 1ST, THE FINAL COST WAS ESTABLISHED. SO IT'S COME DOWN FROM 5.5 MILLION AND CHANGE, WHICH IS THE NUMBER CITED IN YOUR PACKET BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BEST NUMBER THAT WE HAD WHEN WE FORMALIZED THE PACKET AND IT'S COME DOWN 5.38%.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TONIGHT? WHAT THAT MEANS IS BASED ON THAT, THE PROSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT ROLE AND THE NOTICES THAT EVERYBODY RECEIVED WITH THEIR PERSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT EVERY ONE OF THOSE WILL BE REDUCED BY 5.38%.
NOW, THERE COULD BE OTHER CHANGES BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT TONIGHT AND BASED ON SUBSEQUENT ONE ON ONE MEETINGS. WE HAVE RESIDENTS CALLING IN EVERY DAY, RESIDENTS COMING IN TO SPEAK WITH STAFF EVERY DAY.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK CHIEF ENGINEER YOUNES ISHRAIDI FOR HIS WORK ON MEETING WITH STAFF. SO NOT EVERYBODY WILL SEE A NET REDUCTION OF 5.38%.
IF THERE'S OTHER CHANGES WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT, EVERYONE WILL RECEIVE THE REDUCTION, THOUGH. IF ONE PARCELS ASSESSMENT IS REDUCED, IF WE DETERMINE THAT THE ACREAGE IS NOT ACCURATE, THAT COST STILL HAS TO BE BORN BY SOMEBODY.
SO THAT COST WOULD SHIFT PROPORTIONATELY ONTO THE OTHER 300 AND SOME ODD PARCELS.
SO BY USUALLY CENTS OR DOLLARS OVER THE COURSE OF THE 20 YEARS.
SO THERE COULD BE OTHER SMALL COST SHIFTS TO WHERE IF YOU FACTOR OUT THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE, IT MIGHT NOT FACTOR STRAIGHT TO 5.38.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT IS THE ONLY SUBSEQUENT CHANGE WE'VE HAD.
ASIDE FROM THE SILVERSTONE ESTATES NEIGHBORHOOD UP HERE, WE DID IDENTIFY THIS PARCEL WHERE MY CURSOR IS AND I'LL ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THIS PARCEL RIGHT HERE IS ACTUALLY THE OPEN SPACE OR THE COMMONS AREA FOR THE SILVERSTONE ESTATES NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NOT BEEN BUILT OUT.
THE ROAD IS IN, BUT THE HOMES HAVE NOT BEEN BUILT.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO WITH A COMMONS AREA OR AN HOA AREA IS WE WILL TAKE THE ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD BE APPLIED ON THAT PARCEL.
WE WILL ZERO THE PARCEL OUT AND WE WILL TAKE THAT AND DIVIDE IT BY THE NUMBER OF PARCELS WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT THAT ARE ALSO WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY WOULD EACH SHARE IN THAT COST. SO IN THIS CASE THERE ARE SEVEN OTHER PARCELS WITHIN SILVERSTONE ESTATES.
AND SO THE ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD BE APPLIED TO THIS PARCEL, EACH OF THOSE SEVEN PARCELS WILL BEAR ONE SEVENTH OF THE COST FOR THAT ASSESSMENT.
THAT AT THIS TIME THAT IS THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH PUBLIC INPUT AND MEETINGS RELATIVE TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLL THAT IS IN THE PACKET.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THIS TIME ALL THE COSTS HERE FOR SILVERSTONE ESTATES ARE CONTAINED THERE. IT'S A COST SHIFT WITHIN THOSE EIGHT PARCELS IT DOES NOT IMPACT.
SO AT THIS TIME EVERYBODY WOULD SEE A 5.38% REDUCTION IN THEIR ASSESSMENT, BUT THAT'S CONTINGENT UPON NO OTHER COST DISTRIBUTION OR ASSESSMENT CHANGES BASED ON THE CURRENT PERSPECTIVE ROLE.
SO JUST AGAIN, TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE DO HAVE THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE HERE TONIGHT AND THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION DURING 13 A FOR THE DISCUSSION ITEM, AT WHICH POINT THE BOARD CAN ASK THEM QUESTIONS OR IF THERE'S QUESTIONS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE THAT THEY DON'T ADDRESS IN THEIR PRESENTATION, YOU COULD PROMPT THEM TO ASK THOSE.
AND AT THIS TIME I DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER INFORMATION FOR YOU, SO I'LL LET YOU GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HEAR FROM THE SIGNER OF THE FIRST SHEET, WHICH IS CECILIA KRAMER.
YES, MY NAME IS CECILIA KRAMER.
I AM A RESIDENT AT 4560 OAKWOOD IN BEAUTIFUL FOREST HILLS.
AND I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE FOREST HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE KIND OF A SIDEWAYS GLANCE AT THE SITUATION.
[00:25:03]
AND I'M HOPING THAT THE DRAIN OFFICE AND OR THE ENGINEERS CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.SORRY. WE'RE JUST GETTING ADJUSTED.
YOUR 3 MINUTES HAS NOT STARTED YET.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CECILIA KRAMER.
BUT THE AT ANY RATE, ALL OF FOREST HILLS IS BEING IMPACTED BY THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO THE POINT THAT THE TRUCKS THAT DELIVER SOIL, DELIVER SAND, WHATEVER ARE USING THE REST OF THE STREETS IN FOREST HILLS, PARTICULARLY OAKWOOD AND THE FOREST HILLS DRIVE TO GET THE TRUCKS IN AND OUT.
THESE ARE THE DOUBLE BOTTOM, HUGE HAULING TRUCKS DIRT HAULING TRUCKS.
AND I ANTICIPATE THAT OAKWOOD DRIVE AND FOREST HILLS WILL BE RECEIVING THE BRUNT OF THIS, TEARING UP OF THIS OF THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD AND THE ROADBED WITH THE WEIGHT, BECAUSE THOSE ROADS WERE NOT DESIGNED TO CARRY ALL OF THAT KIND OF WEIGHT ON THEM.
AND SO MY POINT TONIGHT IS, IS THERE ANY PROJECT MONEY THAT IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON RESURFACING THOSE ROADS THAT ARE BEING BEAT UP SO BADLY BY THOSE TRUCKS, EVEN THOUGH THAT IS OUTSIDE, IF YOU WILL, OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THOSE ROADS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE RESURFACED IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
AND I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT HERE AND SOMEONE CAN COMMENT ON THAT LATER.
THANK YOU. NEXT IS RON POTTERPAN.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S RON, NICKNAMED PETE POTTERPAN.
I JUST WANTED TO BE HERE TO FORMALLY PROTEST THE POTENTIAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR THIS DANIELS DRAIN.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN THE SECOND NOTICE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
AND ON THIS SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AND THE AMOUNT FOR ME IN PARTICULAR HAS GONE UP SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THIS ASSESSMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED A LOGICAL REASON FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD USED TO ARRIVE AT THE INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
WE'VE TRIED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW THESE ASSESSMENTS WERE DETERMINED AND DIDN'T QUITE GET THE ANSWERS WE WANTED.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN DETERMINE IF THIS IS A FAIR AND REASONABLE PROCESS WITHOUT ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT OURSELVES.
SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WHY WAS THIS PROJECT NEEDED IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHO BENEFITS THE MOST FROM THIS PROJECT? AND HOW HAS THAT BENEFIT BEEN DETERMINED? AND HOW WAS IT DETERMINED WHO GETS ASSESSED THE MOST THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS HERE? SO HOPEFULLY SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED TONIGHT.
THANK YOU. NEXT IS JOHN LEONI.
HELLO. YES. JOHN LEONI ADDRESS IS 4544 DOBIE ROAD.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF SIX DIFFERENT PROPERTIES PURSUANT TO THE PUT TOGETHER A WRITTEN COMMENTS AND WHAT I'M HERE TO DO IS THEY WERE EMAILED IN TO CLERK GUTHRIE, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAND-DELIVER A COPY HERE ALSO.
AND WHAT IT IS, IS JUST A COPY OF THE NOVEMBER 15TH PACKAGE THAT WE DELIVERED.
THAT WAS THE APPEARANCE IN PROTEST ORIGINALLY.
AND THEN SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THE SECOND NUMBER UP CALLED THE SECOND ASSESSMENT, THERE'S AN APRIL 7TH LETTER.
AND PRIMARILY WHAT'S HAPPENED IN BETWEEN IS THE CHIEF ENGINEER ISHRAIDI.
[00:30:01]
ISHRAIDI. ISHRAIDI CAME TO THE PROPERTY.THERE'S LIKE SIX PROPERTIES, SEVEN PROPERTIES, ACTUALLY, THAT ARE ALL ON DOBIE ROAD.
AND OUR ASSESSMENT FROM LIVING THERE FOR A YEAR IS IT JUST DID NOT CONNECT THE SURFACE WATER JUST NEVER MAKES IT TO THE SYSTEM.
AND THE CHIEF ENGINEER CAME OUT AND GENERALLY NEED TO USE THAT WORD.
THEY WERE EMAILS WHERE WE ASKED THEM TO CONFIRM.
YET HE GENERALLY AGREED HE CAME AND WALKED THE WHOLE THE AREA AND DETERMINED WHERE I'LL SAY IN A BOWL. BUT THIS OUR DRAINS WHICH MAYBE WERE ORIGINALLY DRAINS BUT DITCHES ALONG THE ROAD JUST DON'T, THERE'S NO FLOWING WATER THERE.
OUR FRONT YARDS FLOOD AND THE BACKYARDS AND THESE BIG BACKYARDS WE HAVE ARE JUST KIND OF A BOWL. SO HE AGREED INITIALLY.
WHEN WE GOT THE SECOND NUMBER, WE WENT TO SEE HIM AND HE'S INDICATED THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSION. SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING THE DRAIN COMMISSION, I FORGET WHAT FIRM THEY USED BUT DID SOME SORT OF AERIAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE.
I MEAN, OUR POSITION IS WE DON'T CONNECT AT ALL.
I UNDERSTAND MAYBE WE CAN'T BE ACTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE DISTRICT, BUT WHATEVER THE CALCULATION IS, THERE SHOULD BE A ZERO IN THERE SOMEWHERE BECAUSE WE JUST WE BENEFIT ABSOLUTELY ZERO FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL.
SO IF THERE'S BEEN WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS THE DATA ON TWO THINGS.
ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT SUPPORT ASSESSING OUR PROPERTIES AT ALL.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION WE LEARNED FROM SOMEONE COMING OUT TO THE PROPERTIES, APPARENTLY FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSION.
AND I'LL ASK TO BE INTERRUPTED BY IF I SAY THIS WRONG.
THAT WAS DOING SOME MEASUREMENTS AND APPARENTLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND [INAUDIBLE] THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF THEY MIGHT DO SOME WORK ALONG THESE DITCHES TO GET THEM TO WORK. SO WE'D BE INTERESTED IN BOTH OF THOSE.
IS THAT WHEN I GOT 30 SECONDS? SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE.
I GUESS THEY DON'T RESPOND NOW.
WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE DRAIN COMMISSION COMES UP, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THAT DATA.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE RECORD THAT I'M DELIVERING THIS TO THE CLERK.
MICROPHONE WHO'S REALLY UPSET ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
BUT I'M MARLENE OSBORNE AND I LIVE IN BEAUTIFUL FOREST HILLS, 1494 FOREST HILLS DRIVE.
THE THING THAT UPSETS ME THE MOST, FOLKS, ISN'T THE FACT THAT THE DRAIN IS BEING REPAIRED. IT'S THE FACT THAT AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYBODY HERE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE ASSESSMENT.
IT'S THE FACT THAT I FEEL THAT YOU WENT ABOUT IT IN AN UNDERHANDED AND ALMOST DECEITFUL WAY. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN CORNELL WOODS WHO DIDN'T EVEN HEAR ABOUT THIS UNTIL LAST WEEK.
AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT IT IS THAT IT WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING AT ALL HAD YOU DONE YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND KEPT UP WITH THE DRAIN REPAIRS AND KEPT CHECKING THE DRAINS AND NOT LET THEM GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WERE SO BAD THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND REPLACED.
I'M ANGRY THAT IT WAS DONE IN A BACKHANDED KIND OF WAY AND A KIND OF A DECEITFUL MANNER.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR FROM THIS TOWNSHIP. THE FIRST WAS WHEN MY HUSBAND LIVED ON FOURTH ON WHERE WAS IT? HELP ME OUT MICHAEL? WEST ARBUTUS.
ON WEST ARBUTUS AND HE WAS CONTACTED BY SOMEBODY FROM THE TOWNSHIP TO JOIN THE WATER DRAIN. HE DECLINED TO DO THAT.
AND THEY TOLD HIM IF HE DIDN'T DO IT, THAT THE TOWNSHIP WAS GOING TO USE UP ALL OF THE WATER. AND IT WAS HIS DRAIN.
HIS WELL WAS GOING TO GO DRY AND HE WOULD WISH HE'D DONE IT.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? THE TOWNSHIP DIDN'T USE UP ALL THE WATER.
BUT WHAT IT DID DO WAS IT PUT THE WATER LINE IN FOR THE SUBDIVISION BEHIND US.
AND IN DOING SO, THE BUILDER BUILT HIS HOUSE BEHIND US, A HOUSE BEHIND US, WAY HIGH IN ORDER TO BRING IT UP TO THE LEVEL THAT IT SHOULD BE.
HE WAS GOING TO USE THE WATER FROM OR THE DIRT FROM THE BASEMENT THAT HE DUG TO FILL IN AND UP TO THE LEVEL THAT IT SHOULD BE, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THE WATER FROM HIS PLACE IS GOING TO DRAIN ONTO OUR PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD US? THEY SAID, WELL, HAS THE BASEMENT STARTED? AND MICHAEL SAID, YES.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THEN THE BUFFER BETWEEN OUR HOUSE AND FOREST HILLS AND THE PADDOCK FARMS WAS SUPPOSED
[00:35:04]
TO BE, THE WOODS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER.IT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE CONTRACT AND IT WAS ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER BETWEEN, OH, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.
30 SECONDS. ANYWAY. BUT THEY [LAUGHTER] BUT ANYWAY, THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT WHEN THE SECOND TIME WHEN IT WAS SOLD.
SO WE HAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE APARTMENTS.
THE PEOPLE ARE OF A NEW SUBDIVISION.
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA WHERE THE TREES WERE TAKEN DOWN, THE POOR PEOPLE THAT BOUGHT THAT, THE SOME ARE NOT EVEN KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEIR LOTS.
IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY AWFUL.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, I AM REALLY DISGUSTED WITH THE WAY YOU FOLKS HAVE HANDLED THIS.
AND I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU SO HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY, BUT MAYBE I CAN GET IN THE LEADER. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT IS MICHAEL OSBORNE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SABERE BISWAS. THANK YOU, MICHAEL OSBORNE.
AND I'M THE OTHER HALF OF MARLENE.
MICHAEL OSBORNE, 1494 FOREST HILLS IN THE FOREST HILL SUBDIVISION.
I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS PROJECT TWICE BEFORE.
EACH TIME I'VE STATED THAT THE TOWNSHIP SHOULD NOT PUSH THE COST OF THIS PROJECT ON THE LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
THE DRAIN REPAIRS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY, AND THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. THE ACCIDENT OF THE WALDEN POND THAT HAS WAS UNDERSIZED FROM THE 1923 BUILD WAS UNDERSIZED. WE ALL KNOW THAT.
THAT'S WHY THE WATER WAS SLOW GOING OUT.
BUT GUESS WHAT? THE STATE'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AND MY REAL OBJECTION COMES TO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF WALDEN POND.
THAT'S PUBLIC PROPERTY OR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WHEN DOES THE TOWNSHIP WHEN DOES GOVERNMENT START STEP IN AND START TAKING CARE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY? IT'S A FIRST FOR ME.
I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON AND BE REAL UPSET AND TELL YOU ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IF THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO START TAKING THIS KIND OF AN ATTITUDE AND THIS KIND OF A SLOPPY PRESENTATION AND HOLDING IT OFF FOR SO LONG BEFORE PEOPLE START BECOMING INVOLVED, THERE'S NO FUTURE HERE, FOR GOD SAKES.
BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING IT, I'VE GOT FOR THE WALDEN POND, THAT HAS TO HAVE TO KEEP THEIR THEIR AMBIANCE UP TO KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE NICE BECAUSE OF THE POND WHICH GOT STINKY AND SO ON.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? I'VE GOT A ROAD, A DRIVEWAY, DRIVEWAYS ALL BUSTED UP.
I'D LIKE IT TO LOOK REAL NICE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M SURE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD LIKE IT.
IF THIS CONTINUES THIS WAY, I'M GOING TO SEND A PROPOSAL HERE TO THE TOWNSHIP.
I THINK YOU GUYS CAN PUT IT ON A NICE FRONT DRIVE FOR ME, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE DIFFICULT THAN WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR.
MR. BISWAS. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
AND SO YOUR PRONUNCIATION WAS PRETTY GOOD, ACTUALLY, THE FIRST NAME.
I LIVE IN 4505 MISTYWOOD DRIVE.
SO I'M ACTUALLY HERE TODAY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE IS THAT I'M IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT THAT WHETHER I SHOULD BE UPSET OR NOT, NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO IS THAT I HAVE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS, LAST QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORWARD TO THE CITIZENS AS WELL AS TO THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT BEFORE THAT, ACTUALLY, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS DANIEL IF I'M PAYING FOR $4,000 DOLLARS RIGHT? [LAUGHTER] SO I SHOULD KNOW WHO DANIEL IS AND THE FACT THAT I DON'T KNOW WHO DANIEL IS, THAT'S ACTUALLY A PART OF A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, BUT I DON'T.
SO SOMEBODY TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN ANALOGY THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN, THAT THIS IS LIKE YOUR HOME REPAIRMENT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF I AM THE FINANCIER FOR MY HOME TO BE IMPROVED, RIGHT, THEN I GET TO BE INVOLVED FROM THE DAY ONE THAT HOW MUCH I CAN AFFORD TO AND HOW MUCH I PAY FOR IT.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT AFTER THE PROJECT HAS STARTED, I GET A BILL FOR 5,000 FIRST AND
[00:40:02]
THEN I GET A BILL FOR 10,000 WITHOUT ANY PROPER EXPLANATION.AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT INCREASE OF 5,000, MY WIFE HAD TO SPEND MORE THAN 2 HOURS OVER PHONE AND EMAIL EXCHANGE TO FIGURE OUT THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR SOME COMMON AREA AND STUFF THAT WAS NEVER BEEN EXPLAINED IN A CLEAR WAY.
AND EVEN NOW, JUST BETWEEN ME AND THE TOWNSHIP, I REALLY COMPLETELY DON'T TRUST THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US JUST BECAUSE OF THE SLOPPINESS AND THE LACK OF RIGOR THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN FOR A PROJECT OF THAT SIZE AND WHERE I HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR $10,000 DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S QUITE A LOT OF MONEY.
I ACTUALLY DISAGREE WITH THIS NOTION THAT ALL OF US CAN AFFORD IT.
YOU KNOW, THE MEDIAN AMERICAN INCOME IS 34,000.
YOU CAN CHECK THIS. SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ON MY BILL IS AROUND 10,000, 9,000 AND CHANGE, RIGHT. SO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT 30% OF MEDIAN AMERICAN INCOME THAT THEY WANT US TO [INAUDIBLE] WITHOUT KNOWING THE DETAIL, WITHOUT NOT BEING PART OF THE INITIAL PROCESS THAT HOW THIS HAS BEEN PLANNED AND HOW THIS WILL PAN OUT.
SO THIS IS REALLY NOT EXPECTED FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM SORT OF WELL MANAGER, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SORT OF ABLE TO DO A PROPER MANAGEMENT IN A TOWNSHIP SUCH AS OURS.
SO THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING ACTUALLY.
SO I MIGHT BE SOUNDING UPSET, BUT I'M NOT REALLY UPSET YET.
BUT I'M IN THE PROCESS, I THINK, BECAUSE I NEED TO FIGURE OUT MORE INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE, RIGHT? SO THE NUMBER TWO IS THAT THESE ARE A COUPLE OF SITUATIONS.
SO THE AMOUNT FOR THE COMMON AREAS, RIGHT.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WHY DOESN'T THE TOWNSHIP CONSIDER THAT TOWNSHIP PICKS UP THE TAB ? SO WE PUT OUR PERSONAL PART AND THE COMMON AREA THAT THE TOWNSHIP PUTS.
RIGHT. AND THE LAST ONE IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A QUITE A BIT OF MONEY COMING TO THE TOWNSHIP FROM THIS AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOB ACT OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO HEAR A LOT ABOUT IT.
SO WHY DOESN'T THE TOWNSHIP CONSIDER DIPPING INTO THAT PART TO BE A PART OF THE EXPENSES.
AND IN MY ROLE AS BEING A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE FOR 40 YEARS, I CAN ONLY TALK WITH I HAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
SO I DID SEND YOU A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
NOW IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP FOR THE GROUP TO SEE OR NOT KNOW, NOBODY HAS IT.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
WELL, FIRST, FROM WHAT I'VE I PRESENTED TO THIS GROUP OR SENT MY PROTEST OR WHATEVER IN THE LAST MEETING LAST OCTOBER.
EXCUSE ME, WOULD YOU GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS? OH, YEAH. I'M IN CORNELL WOODS, 4424 STAINWOOD DRIVE.
THANK YOU. SORRY. ANYWAY, I PRESENTED IT AT THE OR PASSED MY COMMENTS BACK TO THE GROUP AT THE MEETING BACK IN OCTOBER.
AND I DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH A PROJECT ENGINEER, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY FEEDBACK ON ANY OF MY COMMENTS.
SOMEBODY CALLED ME TODAY AFTER I SENT HIM THIS THING AND THEY SAID THEY COULD RESPOND TONIGHT. MY COMMENTS WERE BASICALLY TWO.
I'VE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BY WHICH YOU CAME UP WITH SOME OF THESE ASSESSMENTS.
BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFORMATION AND FROM WHAT I SEE, I GENERALLY COMMEND THE GROUP FOR TRYING TO DEVELOP A REASONABLE PLAN TO AS FAIRLY ASSIGN THE ASSESSMENTS.
I THINK THIS IS A NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TASK BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO PAY MONEY AND NOBODY WANTS TO PAY MONEY, SO THEY ALWAYS WANT THEIR NUMBER TO BE THE SMALLEST.
BUT ANYWAY. BUT DESPITE ALL THE EFFORTS IN DOING IT, I STILL SEE SOME INEQUITIES IN THE PROCESS. PARTICULARLY I'M FAMILIAR WITH YOUR LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION, WHICH I THINK IS YOUR C FACTOR AND YOUR PROXIMITY FACTOR, WHICH IS THE P FACTOR.
AND JUST FOR REFERENCE, THE C FACTOR IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BASED ON THIS NATIONAL LAND COVER DATABASE OF 2016, WHICH WAS LARGELY DEVELOPED FROM THE LANDSAT SATELLITES.
AND I WORKED 40 YEARS ON LANDSAT SATELLITES, SO I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING AND NOT DOING.
AND JUST FOR REFERENCE, THE PIXEL SIZE OF THE IMAGERY THAT THIS RELIES ON IS ABOUT REPRESENTS ABOUT 0.22 ACRES ON THE GROUND, 30 METERS BY 30 METERS.
AND AND ACTUALLY THAT'S KIND OF A BLURRY AREA BECAUSE THE SENSOR GETS LIGHT FROM AROUND THAT. SO ACTUALLY MEASURING SOMETHING QUITE LARGER THAN THAT.
AND THE IMPACT ON THE DANIEL DRAIN ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE TYPICAL LOTS ARE AROUND A THIRD OF AN ACRE HERE. SO WHEN YOU'RE MEASURING SOMETHING, THAT'S EVEN IF IT HAPPENS TO BE CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR LOT, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF SIGNAL FROM THE AREA SURROUNDING IT. SO WHATEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY WHAT'S AROUND IT.
BUT ANYWAY, ANYWAY, WHAT I JUST WANTED TO SAY IS THAT IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY LOTS OF ROADS, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A HIGHER NUMBER THAN IF YOU'RE NOT.
AND WE HAPPEN TO BE ON A CORNER.
SO THE CORNER GETS ROADS ON TWO SIDES.
SO WHEN I LOOK TO AND I PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE MATRIX AND THE PLOT I SENT YOU AND SHOWED
[00:45:01]
THAT THESE NUMBERS VARY WITHIN VERY SIMILAR HOUSES FROM 0.3 TO 0.4443, LIKE 35% VARIATION ON VERY SIMILAR LOT SIZES AND HOUSES.AND I QUESTION IS THAT REASONABLE? AND THAT'S FOR YOU TO DECIDE.
BUT I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER TREATING THEM ALL EQUALLY INSTEAD OF ASSIGNING SOMETHING THAT'S INFLUENCED BY WHAT'S SURROUNDING IT.
OKAY. TOUR COMMENT WAS FORWARDED ON AND IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET JUST TO LET YOU KNOW. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU.
EVENING. I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE TRUSTEES.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT THING FOR ME TO DO BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY AND THAT WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND DO THINGS.
MY CONCERN IS, IS WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH US INDIVIDUALLY AND I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY. YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I'M SORRY. PLEASE, EVERYONE, BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
THANK YOU. MY CONCERN IS THAT THAT I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND IT SEEMS TO ME RATHER EXCESSIVE.
WHEN I FIRST GOT THIS NOTICE, I HAD SOMEONE CHECK THE INFORMATION OUT.
THE SITE RIGHT NORTH OF US IS ASSESSED AT 1500.
I AM NOT SURE WHY IS IT 500 AND SOMETHING.
OUR SITE IS NOT THAT MUCH LARGER.
IT ALSO DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF COVER.
SO THE GROUND ABSORBS THE WATER, IT GOES IN.
I'M ON WELL AND I USE THE WATER THAT WAY.
I WE HAVE NO SEWAGE OR ANYTHING OUT OF IT.
ALSO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAY OF THE LAND, MOST, NOT MOST, BUT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT LAND DRAINS EAST, WHICH SINCE WE'RE RIGHT ON CORNELL ROAD, MEANS IT DRAINS INTO WHOEVER THE NEXT ONE IS.
AND SO MY CONCERN IS, ARE THEY GOING TO COME BACK IN A YEAR OR TWO AND SAY, OH, YOU'RE DRAINING HERE, WE'RE GOING TO CHARGE YOU ANOTHER 7500.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT, AND I'M JUST ASKING TO SEE IF SOMEBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
I CAN'T SAY THAT I'M DOING IT IN TERMS OF A HOMEOWNER SITUATION.
I'M NOT A PART OF ANY HOMEOWNER GROUP OR ANYTHING JUST ON MY OWN.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK FOR ME EXCEPT FOR ME.
WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I MOVED INTO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SOME 40 YEARS AGO, WE WERE TOLD AT THE TIME THAT THIS BUILDING THAT HAD SUDDENLY STARTED, ALL OF THE BUILDING AROUND US WOULD REDUCE OUR TAXES.
WELL, IN THE 40 YEARS I HAVE BEEN IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, I HAVE NEVER SEEN MY TAXES GO DOWN NOT ONCE.
NO. AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF BUILDINGS, IT APPEARS TO ME, WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER THINGS LIKE THE DRAINS ARE ADEQUATE.
AND NOW WE'RE THESE CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DRAINAGE PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE OVERBUILT.
I PERSONALLY AM NOT HAPPY TO WITH THE IDEA THAT I SHOULD BE PAYING FOR SOME OF THIS STUFF. I'M SITTING THERE THINKING, WHY WOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT? I DIDN'T DO IT. I OBJECTED TO IT ALL ALONG.
BUT I DO HOPE THAT WHEN YOU MAKE THESE ASSESSMENTS, YOU REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN THIS TOWNSHIP, MANY OF WHOM ARE JUST GETTING ALONG.
THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE MONEY TO SPARE AND THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO FINANCE ALL OF THIS.
ALSO, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, WHY SHOULD THEY? THEY DID NOT MAKE THESE BAD CHOICES.
THESE WERE CHOICES MADE BY, FOR EXAMPLE, CARLENE WEBSTER'S BOARD BACK WHEN SHE WAS CHAIR.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL AL HOUSE GOT ELECTED SUPERVISOR AND BROUGHT A CERTAIN BALANCE TO WHAT WAS
[00:50:01]
GOING ON. THAT THINGS SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE STILL BUILDING, BUILDING, BUILDING, BUILDING WITHOUT MAKING SURE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN PLACE.WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? NOT MINE.
WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR IT? BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT'S HAPPENING, THAT I'M GOING TO GET ASSESSED OF THIS BECAUSE BAD DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
WELL, I GUESS ALL I'M DOING TONIGHT IS EXPRESSING MY UNHAPPINESS ABOUT GETTING ASSESSED ABOUT THESE DECISIONS THAT WERE BAD DECISIONS WHEN THEY WERE MADE, AND WHICH I DID NOT HAVE ANY INPUT INTO AT ALL.
THANK YOU. I THINK THIS IS MIKE ZAVADIL.
THERE ARE SOME TOUGH ACTS TO FOLLOW HERE.
I LIVE AT 1378 IVYWOOD DRIVE IN OKEMOS.
I'M IN CORNELL WOODS AND I GUESS I FIRST LIKE TO SAY I DON'T WANT TO EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO THE DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT ITSELF.
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT, BUT I AM OPPOSED TO THE METHODOLOGY THAT'S BEING USED TO COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE ASSESSMENTS AND THE ASSESSMENT RULES THEMSELVES.
I'M A RETIRED ENGINEER, CIVIL ENGINEER.
I'VE GOT A LOT OF HIGHWAY AND DRAINAGE BACKGROUND, SO I'M REALLY FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THIS STUFF. FIRST, THE AREA IS USED IN SOME OF THESE COMPUTATIONS.
I FOUND MISTAKES AND ERRORS AND THE AREAS I WORKED WITH CHIEF ENGINEER JONAS, AND I THINK I GOT THAT. HE CORRECTED THAT I THINK.
THE KEY FACTORS USE THE SURFACE, THE RUNOFF COEFFICIENTS THAT ARE USED IN THOSE SPREADSHEETS. I FIND A LOT OF DISPARITIES LOOKING AT THEM JUST IN MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD. I'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I DON'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY ANSWERS FROM ANYBODY FROM.
FROM THE CONSULTANT YOU HIRED TO COMPILE THOSE SPREADSHEETS.
BUT MY BIGGEST BEEF OR OPPOSITION, I THINK, IS THE BENEFIT DERIVED OR THE THE P FACTORS USED AND DETERMINING SOME OF THESE SURCHARGES THAT ARE BEING USED ON THE BEING ASSESSED TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ADJACENT TO SOME OF THE WORK BEING DONE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
I HAPPEN TO LIVE ON LIKE I SAID, I WOULD DRIVE.
THERE WAS ABOUT A 300 FOOT SECTION OF STORM SEWER THAT BELONGS TO THE DRAIN COMMISSION THAT HAD TO BE RIPPED OUT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, REPLACED IN KIND WITH THE SAME SIZE PIPE. I WENT THROUGH TWO MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION, HELL, IF YOU WILL, WITH NOISE, DUST, DIRT, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, EVERYTHING.
AND NOW I'M GETTING ASSESSED BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO BE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THIS THIS SECTION OR THIS REPAIR JOB I'M GETTING.
I'M BEING ASSESSED A 20% P 2 FACTOR OR 20% INCREASE IN MY ASSESSMENT.
AND I JUST AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR.
I DON'T I DON'T SEE ANY BENEFIT.
I'M NOT REALLY REALIZING ANY BENEFITS.
I DON'T THINK AS FAR AS MY DRAINAGE GOES.
THE ONLY BENEFIT I'M BEING TOLD IS I'M GETTING A NEW PAVEMENT AND I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THAT A 20% OR A $750 OR $800 SURCHARGE IN MY ASSESSMENT, BECAUSE I'M GETTING NEW PAVEMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
AND I JUST LIKE I SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT BENEFIT DERIVED FACTOR IS FAIR AND I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ASSESSED JUST BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO BE RECEIVING NEW PAVEMENT [INAUDIBLE]. SO.
HI. HI. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I LIVE IN 4562 SPICE WOOD DRIVE NORTH AND.
I GOT MY HOUSE LAST YEAR AND I GOT THIS MAIL IN AUGUST.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GIFT, BUT IT WASN'T.
SO I BELIEVE THAT I'M NOT OPPOSING THE PROJECT ITSELF, BUT I'M AS MOST OF MOST OF US
[00:55:05]
SAID, I'M OPPOSING THE WAY IT IS COMMUNICATED AND THE WAY IT IS EXPLAINED TO US.IT HAD A LOT OF UNNECESSARY DETAILS.
I RECEIVED TWO LETTERS, THE ASSESSMENT LETTERS.
SO I WENT ONLINE, I SAW THIS 80 PAGE PAPER AND I LOOKED AT IT A FEW TIMES BEFORE I CAME HERE TODAY. I LOOKED AT IT AGAIN.
SO I HAVE TWO ASSESSMENTS AND AND THE LETTER, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
IT STARTED OUT WITH 5000, THEN IT SAYS 4900.
SO IT'S LIKE A 50% INCREASE ON THE ASSESSMENT OR ON THE AMOUNT THAT I'M GOING TO BE ENDING UP PAYING.
AND I'LL GET, WELL, THREE POINT WHAT YOU SAID, 5.38% LESS PROBABLY.
SO I'M SOMEWHERE AROUND 45% HIGHER THAN WHAT I LAST RECEIVED.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE C FACTOR.
I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE P FACTOR IS FROM THIS DOCUMENT, BUT I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE C FACTOR. I'M AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE, BUT I HAD NO IDEA.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WHO'S BESIDES THOSE TWO GENTLEMEN WHO WERE HERE, WHO KNEW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, THEY KNEW WHAT THESE WERE.
I DID NOT. AND I CHECKED THESE 335, I THINK, RIGHT NUMBERS HERE AND THERE ARE ONLY 18 THAT ARE ABOVE MINE.
SO AM I ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES OR NOT? I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT C FACTOR IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS AT THE END THE AMOUNT THAT I'M GOING TO END UP PAYING.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I AM RATED MY HOUSE IS RATED IN THAT RANGE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY THE ACREAGE WAS WRONG THE FIRST TIME.
ACTUALLY, IT WAS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, BUT THE C FACTOR WAS DIFFERENT.
AND NOW, NOW I HAVE ANOTHER ACREAGE AND THE C FACTOR IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
OR THE AMOUNT OF AREA THAT IS AFFECTED OR BENEFITED IS THE SAME AS MENTIONED ON THE SECOND POINT. SO I THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED MUCH BETTER.
I'M NOT AGAINST THE PROJECT ITSELF, ANYTHING.
WE ARE LIVING IN THIS SOCIETY, SO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT THE WHOLE SOCIETY SHOULD BE DONE AND WILL BE DONE.
AND I'M I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT.
BUT THE WAY IT IS DONE IS NOT CORRECT, I BELIEVE, AND IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED.
MY NAME IS KIM [INAUDIBLE] BEERS AND I LIVE IN CORNELL WOODS 1406 IVYWOOD DRIVE.
I UNDERSTAND MY CITIZEN DUTY IS TO PAY MY TAX, BUT I'M SURPRISED MY ASSESSMENT.
I COMPARE MY MY THE COST TO THE REST OF MY NEIGHBORS AND I'M ABOUT $4,000 HIGHER.
IT'S $1,000 LESS IN THE SECOND LETTER.
WHEN I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY AND HAD THE HOUSE BUILT, YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTIES WERE MAPPED OUT BY THE BUILDER.
I HAD MY HOUSE BUILT AS A WETLAND AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE REASON WHY I WAS CHARGED MUCH HIGHER IS BECAUSE I HAVE A LONG DRIVEWAY, WHICH I DIDN'T DESIGN.
SO THAT IS JUST A CONCERN AND A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED.
AND AND SO THIS IN JUNE, I HAD A FLOOD THAT I ENDED UP PAYING 5000 BECAUSE STATE FARM DIDN'T PAY FLOOD.
AND SO WITH THIS BILL, IT IS A BURDEN FOR MY RETIREMENT INCOME.
MY SECOND THING IS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
IF I DECIDE TO SELL MY HOUSE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND CHOOSE THE PAYMENT PLAN, SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY EVERYTHING UP WHEN I SELL MY HOUSE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TOWNSHIP WILL BILL ME FOR THE ASSESSMENT, SO I WANT TO KNOW THAT IF I SELL MY HOUSE, DO I HAVE TO PAY EVERYTHING OFF AT THE TIME I SOLD MY HOUSE? OR IS THAT THAT I DON'T HAVE TO PAY WHEN I SELL MY HOUSE? AND THAT IS ALL THAT I COME TO SAY TODAY.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TODD CORDILL.
1484 FOREST HILLS DRIVE OKEMOS.
[01:00:04]
ONE IS FOR MY PARTICULAR PARCEL OF LAND.I BELIEVE THAT THE RATIO IS INCORRECT.
IT'S A SLIGHTLY LARGER PORTION OF THE PARCEL IS IN THE FOSTER DRAIN IN THE FRONT YARD THAN IS MAPPED OUT FOR THIS.
THE OTHER POINT IS THE STORMWATER ON THE PROPERTY PERCOLATES MORE THAN THAN IS BELIEVED IN THESE RATIOS.
WHY? BECAUSE THERE IS LESS IMPERVIOUS SURFACE THAN IS ASSUMED.
REALIZING THAT IMPERVIOUS MEANS YOUR ROOF AREA, YOUR DRIVEWAY AND SUCH.
THERE'S LESS HARD SURFACE HERE THAN THAN ONE WOULD ASSUME.
PLUS THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SITE IS SUCH THAT IT'S NOT JUST BLOWING ONTO SOME OTHER PROPERTY DOWNSTREAM SOMEWHERE AND GOING IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S ACTUALLY PERCOLATING EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE CLAY SOILS.
THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF SAND AND SILT, NOT SILT, BUT LOAM WHERE THIS CAN PERCOLATE EVER SO SLOWLY. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE COST HAS DECREASED.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO THE 50% MARK ON THE FUNDS.
HOWEVER, I THINK THIS THIS PROJECT, BEING AN ARCHITECT, I SEE SOME EXTRAVAGANCE IN THE PROJECT AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE IN THE CONTRACT, WHICH IS IF YOU DON'T USE IT ALL FOR OOPS OR UNDISCOVERED THINGS UNDER THE GROUND, DOES THAT MONEY GET RETURNED BACK TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE ASSESSED? I MANAGE CONTRACTS FOR A LIVING WITH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND THAT'S A COMMON PRACTICE THAT THAT'S CARRIED IN THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S ONE THING I'M WONDERING ABOUT.
I ALSO THINK IF THIS IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT YET IT'S CONSIDERED A PUBLIC DRAIN, DO THOSE OF US WHO ARE ASSESSED UPSTREAM HAVE RIPARIAN RIGHTS TO THE PONDS.
IN OTHER WORDS, CAN WE WADE IN THERE AND START FISHING? THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I THOUGHT OF AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
SO BUT ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND THE TOWNSHIP OR DOES THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER GET INVOLVED HERE? IF IT'S BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, I THINK SOME THINGS OUGHT TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE OR CONTINGENCY IN THE BUDGET TO FURTHER DECREASE THE COST OF THIS PROJECT.
ALSO, I'VE NOTICED A LOT OF MATERIALS HAVE BEEN STORED ON SITE, SO I WOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY COMPLAINTS FROM THE CONTRACTOR ABOUT MATERIALS INCREASES.
THOSE WERE ALREADY BAKED INTO THE CAKE.
HELLO. MY NAME IS PLOTR [INAUDIBLE].
GENERALLY SPEAKING, I SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
I LIKE HOW THE LAKE LOOKS LIKE NOW.
HOWEVER, I'M SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT IF IT'S ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND WHILE SOME MAY AFFORD AN ASSESSMENT, SOME MAY NOT.
I STILL BELIEVE THE COST IS WAY TOO HIGH FOR AVERAGE HOUSE, SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE AMOUNT WAS CALCULATED FOR EACH PROPERTY.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF MY PARTICULAR HOUSE AND THIS DRAIN? I WALK THIS AREA AND I FIND THAT IN MANY PLACES I HAVE TO WALK UPHILL TO ACTUALLY GET TO THE LAKE.
THEREFORE, I CAN'T SEE HOW WATER DRAINS INTO THERE.
THEN LOOKING ON IVYWOOD DRIVE, I CAN SEE THERE IS A I DON'T KNOW, HOW WOULD YOU CALL IT PROPERTY OR WETLAND? ONE PARCEL IS LEFT EMPTY WHERE ALL WATER KIND OF DRAINS THROUGH.
[01:05:04]
SO I FIND IT CONFUSING.HOW COME WE PAY FOR ONE LEG THAT'S SUPPOSED TO DRAIN ALL THE WATER? ALTHOUGH WE HAVE, LIKE, STANDING WATER NEXT TO OUR HOUSE.
AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK, ASK ALL OF YOU IF THIS COST WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE TAXES. THE TAXES ARE QUITE HIGH IN THIS AREA TO BEGIN WITH.
THEREFORE, I FIND IT PUZZLING WHY THERE IS ANOTHER ASSESSMENT THERE IS MORE COSTS TO LIVING. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] BRIAN HARRIS.
GOOD EVENING. I'M BRIAN HARRIS.
I LIVE AT 4597 MARLBOROUGH DRIVE OR ROAD, DEPENDING ON WHICH CAN LOOK AT IT.
IT FLIP FLOPS A LOT. I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING MY WIFE AND I MOVED HERE APPROXIMATELY ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.
WE MOVED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WERE NOT TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT THE DRAIN ASSESSMENT HAPPENING, SO WE WERE A BIT BLINDSIDED LAST AUGUST WHEN WE RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION IN THE MAIL THAT THIS PROJECT IS HAPPENING. WE HONESTLY WOULD NOT HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IF WE HAD KNOWN THIS WAS GOING ON, BUT WE CAME UP FROM GEORGIA DOWN THERE PUBLIC WORKS LIKE THIS ARE COVERED THROUGH TAXES. IT DOES NOT FALL ON ANY INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER TO PAY FOR THINGS LIKE THIS.
AND WE JUST WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS HERE AND THERE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT TOWN MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, INCLUDING THE SPREADSHEET WE WERE EMAILED AFTER A ONE ON ONE.
IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE OUTSIDE THE OUT AND OUT DRAIN BEING REPAIRED ARE STUFF THAT'S JUST INDEMNIFICATION STUFF BEING REPAIRED BECAUSE IT WAS BROKEN DURING CONSTRUCTION LIKE REPAIR OF ROADS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WE ARE ON THREE DIFFERENT DRAINS ACCORDING TO THE DRAIN ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE.
BUT IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED CONCERNING ALL OF THIS, IT LISTS PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
OUR DRAINS AND EVERYTHING ARE GOING TO JUST ONE DRAIN ACCORDING TO THIS, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ON THREE DIFFERENT DRAINS.
SO THIS MAKES ME WONDER ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE ASSESSMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ON ALL PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT EVERYTHING.
IF IT'S SAYING WE ONLY GET ALL OF THIS FROM ONE DRAIN WHEN WE'RE ON THREE DIFFERENT DRAINS, AND I KNOW AS WELL IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON, THINGS ARE BEING THINGS ARE BEING BROKEN UP, THINGS ARE BEING BLOCKED LIKE WE OURSELVES HAVE BEEN BLOCKED INTO OUR DRIVEWAY BRIEFLY, SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES ALREADY FROM ALL THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS COMING IN AND BRINGING EVERYTHING.
AND IT SEEMS TO COME IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF HASSLE MORE THAN WHAT IT IS.
AND WE'RE JUST WONDERING WE'RE JUST WONDERING ABOUT EVERYTHING IN GENERAL.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY KIND OF CLARIFICATION ON ANYTHING.
WE'VE JUST BEEN GIVEN A SPREADSHEET.
AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT I WANTED TO SAY.
THANK YOU. AND MY LAST YELLOW SHEET IS FOR PAUL.
I WANT TO PREFACE THE CONVERSATION WITH STATING THAT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT C FACTORS, P FACTORS OR RUNOFF COEFFICIENTS AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLASSIFICATION OF THIS TRAIN HAS BEEN DETERMINED AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO CHANGE THAT.
BUT IT'S DISCOURAGING TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE I CAN BE BURDENED WITH A $4,300 BILL WITH NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO PAY IT.
BASED ON THE MAP I'VE SEEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I'LL EVEN HAVE ANY BENEFIT FROM THIS.
AND I UNDERSTAND LIVING IN A COMMUNITY, THERE IS THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, BUT SHOULDERING THAT MUCH MONEY OF THE COST IS A LITTLE SCARY TO ME BECAUSE I FRANKLY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE I'M GOING TO BE SEEING ANY BENEFIT FROM IT.
AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF NOT KNOWING WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL COME UP AGAIN IS A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING AND GIVES ME A LITTLE ANXIETY LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY TODAY. THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS SUBJECT? NO, YOU CAN YOU CAN COME TO THE PODIUM, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND IT'S VERY QUICK. SOMEBODY ELSE'S QUESTION THAT YOU KNOW.
[INAUDIBLE]. AND I'M FROM 4505 [INAUDIBLE].
THANK YOU. SO SOMEONE ASKED THIS QUESTION THAT IF ONE SELLS THE PROPERTY, THEN HOW DOES THE BURDEN OF THIS ASSESSMENT TRANSFERRED, WHETHER IT GETS TRANSFERRED TO THE PERSON.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN GIVE A QUICK ANSWER OR.
[01:10:01]
WE CAN'T GIVE QUICK ANSWER IN THE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.BUT AT ITEM 13A ON OUR AGENDA BRINGS US BACK TO A DISCUSSION BY THIS BOARD AND CERTAIN REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED.
AND HOPEFULLY SOMEONE IN THAT DISCUSSION CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ANSWERED.
I'M HOPING SOMEONE WILL GIVE US MORE INFORMATION IF YOU COME BACK TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AGAIN.
THANK YOU. JUST ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM.
1484 FOREST HILLS DRIVE OKEMOS.
I THINK THIS PROJECT IS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR A LINE ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU TO BE APPROVED UNDER AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS.
AND I THINK THIS PROJECT OUGHT TO BE BACK FED WITH THAT FUNDING, AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR ASSESSMENTS IN THAT LIGHT.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME EARMARKS WITH THOSE FUNDS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS A PERFECT CANDIDATE BEING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE SEE MORE SOLAR PANELS OUT IN FRONT OF THE TOWNSHIP HALL SPENT WITH USING THOSE RESCUE PLAN FUNDS INSTEAD OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY WRONG.
MIKE OSBORN. 1484 FOREST HILLS, I SPOKE A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
I QUESTION WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED AT ALL.
THERE WAS A PETITION THAT CAME FROM THE POND CO OP.
THAT'S WHAT STARTED THE BALL ROLLING.
BUT THEIR PROPERTY IS WHAT THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT.
THEY WEREN'T COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DRAIN OTHER THAN THE WATER LEVELS CHANGED AN AWFUL LOT AND THEY COULDN'T ACCOUNT FOR IT.
THEY ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FEAR OF FLOODING, LIKE THEIR HOUSES OR THEIR APARTMENTS, WHATEVER. WE'RE GETTING FLOODED BY WATER.
BUT ANYWAY, WE WANTED INTO THIS THING.
WE WENT AHEAD AND WE TOOK THEIR PETITION, WHICH NOBODY ELSE WAS INVOLVED IN.
YOU GUYS DID ANOTHER PETITION WITH 40 PEOPLE.
AND YOU WENT AHEAD WITH THIS PROJECT.
TODD MADE THE COMMENT JUST A MOMENT AGO ABOUT THE FUNDING.
I ASKED THE LAST TIME, LAST TWO TIMES, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY GO LOOK FOR GRANTS.
ONE GUY SAID, OH, THERE WASN'T ANY.
THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS AND THERE STILL ARE.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN ALL ALONG.
YOU'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF SOURCES OF REVENUE RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE GIVEN A ONE AND A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO THE DEVELOPER DOWNTOWN AND TO MAKE THE VILLAGE AGAIN. APPARENTLY, HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
THERE'S ALSO IN THE PAPER THAT GIVEN $7 MILLION.
NONE OF THIS MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE.
THERE'S A LOT OF SUBTERFUGE HERE.
AT SOME POINT, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY IN SUCH A MANNER.
EVERYBODY HERE IS A LOT MORE HAPPY.
THE TOWNSHIP, TOOK ON THE BILL, TOOK ON THE PROJECT, SAID, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
THE TOWNSHIP LET A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION FEED THEM.
TOWNSHIP SAID WE'LL GET EVERYBODY ELSE TO PAY FOR IT.
THE FACT IS, THE ONLY THING THAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING FOR IS OUR REGULAR, NORMAL ASSESSMENTS. THIS BILL WILL NEVER GO DOWN.
WE WILL NEVER HAVE A LOWER TAX RATE.
IN MY 45 YEARS OF PAYING TAXES ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY HERE IN TOWN.
NOT ONCE HAS A DIME GONE DOWN.
IT'S FIVE TIMES AND FIVE SEPARATE TIMES OVER 45 YEARS.
WE'VE HAD THE SAME KIND OF SCREW JOBS GOING ON.
IT REALLY, REALLY NEEDS TO STOP.
[APPLAUSE] MR. I HAVE A I HAVE A GREEN CARD FROM KEN BILLS.
[01:15:12]
KEN BILLS I'M AT 4566 MISTYWOOD DRIVE.WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING TODAY, BUT I DID NOTE THAT ONE THING I WAS SURPRISED DIDN'T COME UP THAT CAME UP IN THE LAST MEETING QUITE A BIT WAS THE BENEFITS.
WHO BENEFITS THE MOST FROM THIS PROGRAM? AND I THINK I MEAN, IT GOT STARTED FROM A LOBBY, FROM THE PONDS, AND IT IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY IS I SEE THE DOCKS.
I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET NEW SIDEWALKS AROUND THIS.
THEY'VE GOT A TURTLE POND, A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T GET ANY VALUE FROM.
AND I MEAN, IT SEEMS PRETTY APPARENT THAT THOSE BENEFITS SHOULD BE ALL THE COSTS FOR THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT AND ALLOCATE IT TO THOSE WHO CAN ACTUALLY USE IT.
AND THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SUBSIDIZING ANY OF THAT.
I ALSO THINK I'D PUT IN ANOTHER PLUG FOR THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS.
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR IT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIND ANOTHER.
I SAW AN ARTICLE LAST FALL TALKING ABOUT WE'RE PETITIONING.
WHAT CAN WE USE THESE FUNDS FOR? WHAT NEW PROJECT? WE'VE GOT A PROJECT THAT'S TURNED INTO A REALLY BIG MESS AND A BIG COST FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THAT AND THOSE FUNDS.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN? HAVE YOU SPOKEN? PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
AND AND AT SOME POINT, PLEASE FILL OUT ONE OF THESE CARDS FOR OUR RECORDS.
OKAY. I AM HIROSHI TANIMOTO, AUTO 4417 HICKORY WOOD DRIVE RIGHT THERE.
I WAS IN THE BUSINESS AND I DO NOT KNOW THE PUBLIC SECTOR LIKE THIS, BUT A ISN'T IT KIND OF ORDINARY PROCESS OR THE A NORMALLY HAPPENS THAT BEFORE THIS KIND OF BIG PROJECT OR THE MAGNITUDE THAT BEFORE ANYTHING START YOU DO ASK THAT A THIS PROJECT IS YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT GENTLEMEN ASK THAT HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO CAUSE, HOW GOOD THAT IS GOING TO BE THEN HOW BIG, HOW BIG A BENEFIT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE.
AND THEN WE DECIDE A DAY FOR THE MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE QUIET MAJORITY OR, YOU KNOW, AGREEMENT OR OTHER TO GO TO PROCEED BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE THAT TOWNSHIP AND THE DRAIN COMMISSION CAN DECIDE HOW AND WHERE AND HOW MUCH IT IS GOING GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN ONCE IT HAPPENS, WE DON'T HAVE A MUCH TO SAY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE OF THIS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OR A COUNTY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR IF ANYTHING HAPPENS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BEFORE IT HAPPENED. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SAY.
THANK YOU. HOPE YOU UNDERSTOOD.
IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN, THEN WE WILL CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:16. AND AT THIS TIME, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR
[12A. Economic Development Corporation Member Appointment]
AGENDA, WHICH IS ITEM 12, WHERE WE DEAL WITH ACTION ITEMS. ITEM 12A HAS TO DO WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP MEMBER APPOINTMENT.THIS IS A BODY IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAS AT LEAST TWO VACANCIES AT THIS POINT.
AND AMBER CLARK, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY WHATEVER [LAUGHTER] NEIGHBORHOODS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
RIGHT. WHO'S THE STAFF PERSON FOR THE EDC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS GOING TO
[01:20:03]
MAKE THIS INTRODUCTION.YES. WELL, GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M GOING TO ALLOW THE POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR THE EDC SEAT TO COME UP.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY OUR RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MERIDIAN EDC FOR TRISHA BIRD.
SHE IS A HASLETT RESIDENT, A HAPPY HASLETT MOTHER LIKE MYSELF WITH AMPLE YEARS OF BEING IN HASLETT EVEN YEARS MORE THAN MY EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN HASLETT.
SHE'S GOT A GREAT BUSINESS BACKGROUND, A SHARP MIND, A BOLD PERSONALITY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE FULL RECOMMENDATION ON BEHALF OF THE EDC FOR HER TO GIVE HER INTRODUCTION.
GOOD EVENING. DO I NEED TO STATE MY ADDRESS? YES, I WILL. PLEASE. YES.
5625 VENTURA PLACE IN HASLETT, JUST TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'VE LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY, IN THE HASLETT COMMUNITY FOR ABOUT 17 YEARS NOW WITH MY FAMILY, HAPPILY MARRIED FOR ALMOST 22 YEARS.
WE HAVE A SON, IAN, WHO GOES TO HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL WHO'S WHO'S 12 YEARS OLD.
I'M CURRENTLY EMPLOYED WITH AMGEN.
I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN EMPLOYED WITH AMGEN BIOPHARMACEUTICALS FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, HAVE BEEN IN THE THAT INDUSTRY FOR ABOUT OVER 20 YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN NICE ABOUT THAT JOB IS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AS WELL AS MANY OTHER STATES, AND I'M ABLE TO REALLY SEE WHAT MAKES COMMUNITIES THRIVE AND WHAT REALLY BRINGS PEOPLE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, EVEN TO TO ENJOY SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS IN OTHER NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
AND I REALLY DO LOVE SOME OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE STARTED TO SEE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE OVERALL, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP, MY MY PARENTS WERE BOTH I GREW UP IN THE GRAND BLANC COMMUNITY AND MY PARENTS WERE TEACHERS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT I WENT TO.
MY MOM ALSO OWNED A BUSINESS, AND THEY TAUGHT US AT A VERY YOUNG AGE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET INVOLVED.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I.
MY HUSBAND IS ACTUALLY ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL HERE AT HASLETT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THANK YOU ALL FOR I THANK YOU ACTUALLY FOR THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE EDC AND WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME, BUT WE PROBABLY LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AT SOME TIME AND TALKING WITH YOU LONGER.
ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION AND APPOINTMENT CLERK GUTHRIE.
I MOVE TO APPOINT TRISHA BIRD TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR A TERM ENDING 12 /31/27.
SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED AND SUPPORTED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY YES.
CONGRATULATIONS. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, MISS BIRD.
[12B. Letter of Agreement between the Township and the DPW and the DPR Technical, Professional and Officeworkers Association of Michigan (TPOAM)]
ITEM 12B WE MOVE ON TO ITEM 12B.THIS IS A ABOUT A LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND DPR PARKS, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, TECHNICAL, PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE WORKERS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN.
MR. OPSOMMER WILL INTRODUCE THIS ITEM FOR US.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
SO YOU HAVE MY MEMORANDUM IN YOUR PACKET.
SO WHEN I TOOK OVER FOR DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY ON FEBRUARY 14TH, WE'VE HAD AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH OUR LEAD WATER WORKERS.
WE'VE LOST TWO IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS, AND WE WERE ABOUT TO LOSE OUR THIRD LEAD WATER WORKER DUE TO OUR WAGES BEING FAR SHORT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES.
IN THIS INSTANCE, OUR LEAD WATER WORKER WAS GOING TO LEAVE FOR A POSITION WITH LESLIE, WHICH IS A CITY OF 1700 PEOPLE COMPARED TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WITH NEARLY 45,000 ON A TAX, TAXABLE VALUE OR A TAX BASE OF 2 BILLION.
PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS IS WE HAVE A THE UNION IN QUESTION HERE, OUR DPW AND PARKS AND REC EMPLOYEES WITHIN [INAUDIBLE] YOU HAVE SUPERVISORY STAFF AND THEN YOU HAVE NON SUPERVISORY STAFF.
AND SO OUR FIVE LEADS THE WATER LEADS, SEWER LEAD, PARK LEAD THE BUILDING GROUNDS AND CEMETERY LEAD AND THE MECHANIC LEAD ALL SUPERVISED CREWS.
[01:25:01]
THE MECHANIC SUPERVISES ONE AND THEN THE OTHER CREWS ARE OF VARYING SIZES.THE WATER LEAD HAS THE LARGEST CREW BASED ON NEED, AND SO THE WAGE GAP OR THE HOURLY RATE GAP WAS VERY SMALL BETWEEN THE CREW MEMBERS AND THE TEAM LEADS, AND THAT'S DUE TO THEM ALL BEING IN THE SAME COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT.
AND SO WE WENT TO THE UNION AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND CAME UP WITH A COMPROMISE. AND SO THIS WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THE HOURLY RATE FOR OUR LEAD WORKERS BY $4.81 HOURLY.
AND SO IT'S GOING TO CREATE THAT WAGE GAP THAT WE NEED TO PROPERLY COMPENSATE THE LEAD WORKERS FOR THEIR SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND ACTUALLY PRECEDING THAT CONVERSATION AND PRECEDING OUR LEAD WORKER APPROACHING US ABOUT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT HE HAD WITH THE CITY OF LESLIE, WE WERE ALSO ALREADY EXAMINING AN ISSUE WHERE WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH OUR ON CALL SHIFTS.
SO UNLIKE POLICE AND FIRE, WHERE WE DO HAVE 24 HOUR STAFFING AROUND THE CLOCK FOR WATER, WE DO HAVE 24 HOUR NEED, BUT WE DO NOT STAFF AND PAY FOR STAFF 24 SEVEN SO WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE ON CALL LINE.
AND SO ONE OF OUR UNION MEMBERS WILL TAKE THE PHONE HOME AFTER HOURS AND THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT PHONE FOR A WEEK.
AND SO THEY TAKE THE AFTER HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSES.
IF FOR SOME REASON THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER AT THAT TIME.
THE CALL THEN GOES TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT FOR DPW.
AND IF HE DOESN'T ANSWER, IT GOES TO ME.
SO THERE'S A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT OCCUR IF SOMEONE'S NOT ANSWERING AT 2 O'CLOCK.
BUT WE'VE HAD SOME REDUCTION IN VOLUNTEERISM FOR THAT ON CALL.
AND THEN IF THERE'S OPEN SHIFTS, WE HAVE A FOREST LIST.
AND SO TO INCREASE THE COMPENSATION FOR SERVING ON CALL, WE ALSO HAVE A PROPOSAL IN HERE JUST TO INCREASE THE WEEKLY STIPEND THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM 250 TO 300 AND THEN THERE'S $100 INCREASE FOR HOURLY.
SO IT'S JUST A $50 INCREASE FOR SERVING ON CALL FOR THE WEEK DUE TO A SHORTAGE AND INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING FOR THE SERVICE.
SO THAT'S THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU.
THE FINAL ITEM IS THE MECHANIC CERTIFICATION.
SO THE MECHANIC WAS KIND OF THE LONE UNION MEMBER THAT WAS LEFT OUT OF THE COMPENSATION FACTORS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
WE HAVE NOT INCREASED THE CERTIFICATION STIPEND FOR MAINTAINING THE MECHANIC LICENSE WITH THE STATE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND SO THE CONTRACT OR THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT TO THE CONTRACT WOULD INCREASE THE MECHANIC LICENSURE STIPEND BY $250.
SO THAT'S THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
BUT THIS WAS PASSED 14 TO 1 BY THE UNION WITH BROAD SUPPORT.
AND IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT LONG BEFORE MR. PERRY LEAVING. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A GOOD A GOOD AGREEMENT WITH BROAD SUPPORT FROM THE UNION, WHICH IS WONDERFUL TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE LONG STANDING ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD.
MR. JAMES, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE TO ADOPT A LOT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, TECHNICAL PROFESSIONAL OFFICE WORKERS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN, TPOAM UNION, EFFECTIVE MARCH 17TH, 2022.
SUPPORTED BY MR. HENDRICKSON. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MR. OPSOMMER HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING HERE.
I'VE BEEN ON THE JOB FOR TWO MONTHS AND BRINGS US A RATHER COMPLEX AGREEMENT LETTER HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK, DAN.
OKAY. ALL THE COMMENTS, CLERK GUTHRIE.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS CONTRACT AND I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP ON INCREASING THE WAGES FOR OUR DPW TEAM.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE OTHER CONTRACTS WILL LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR.
THE OTHER FOUR, WHEN THIS ONE OPENS UP AND THE OTHER THREE CONTRACTS THAT OPEN UP.
2002 WAS THE LAST TIME A WAGE STUDY WAS DONE HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL YEARS WHERE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES ONLY RECEIVED 2% INCREASE IN WAGES, MAYBE LESS FAR BEHIND SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS.
AND WE HAVE LOST A LOT OF REALLY GOOD EMPLOYEES DUE TO SOME LOWER WAGES.
SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER WORKING ON THIS WITH THE DPW TEAM AND COMING UP WITH A CONTRACT THAT IS FAVORABLE TO ALMOST 100% OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS CONTRACT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE OTHER CONTRACTS LOOK LIKE FOR TOWNSHIP
[01:30:01]
EMPLOYEES. OTHER COMMENTS, I JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF POINTS. THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO ENDORSE AND ADOPT IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT CONTRACT, AND IT'S BEING PRESENTED AS A TRIAL OR A TEMPORARY AMENDMENT TO THE OLD CONTRACT.CORRECT. IT'S A LETTER OF AGREEMENT TO THE EXISTING CONTRACT, WHICH EXPIRES DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, WITH BROAD SUPPORT FROM MANAGEMENT AND THE UNION MEMBERSHIP AND NOW THE BOARD, PRESUMABLY ALL OF THESE WOULD BE CODIFIED INTO THE NEW CONTRACT.
WITH NO OTHER COMMENTS, I THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS.
SO THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND THIS UNION, EFFECTIVE STARTING MARCH 17, 2022.
MR. LEMASTER ? THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM IS 12C.
[12C. Ingham County Broadband Task Force Appointment]
I THINK I'M IN. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS APPOINTED, I THINK, IN JANUARY TO A TASK FORCE, BROADBAND TASK FORCE SPONSORED BY THE INGHAM COUNTY COMMISSION.AND I AM AT THIS POINT ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT MY NOMINATION OF CLERK GUTHRIE TO REPLACE ME ON THAT BODY.
AND SO THERE IS A MOTION BEFORE YOU, IF YOU WOULD, TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT APPOINTING CLERK GUTHRIE IN YOUR PLACE.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO HEARING JACKSON TO SERVE AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE INGHAM COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE.
THE APPOINTMENT IS CONTINGENT ON THE APPROVAL OF INGHAM COUNTY'S OFFICIALS.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY MR. DESCHAINE. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? WELL, I THINK IF THE SUPERVISOR IS HAPPY WITH PASSING THE RESPONSIBILITIES TO PASSING THE TORCH TO CLERK GUTHRIE AND SHE'S WILLING TO ACCEPT THEM, I THINK THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T GO AHEAD AND DO THAT THIS EVENING.
ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE WILSON? I THINK THAT CLERK GUTHRIE IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO TAKE THIS ROLE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPOINT CLERK GUTHRIE TO REPLACE MYSELF ON THE INGHAM COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE.
SUPPOSE? I FORGOT TO SAY YES. YES TO ACCEPT.
YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR YOURSELF THERE.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION? THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, AND I.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT AT THIS TIME? SURE. I HAVE A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEGREE FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY ISSUES SINCE, GEEZ, 1998.
I LIKE METRO ACT PERMITS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY ISSUES AND WIRELINE ISSUES.
I ACTUALLY LOOK AT THOSE IN THE EVENING AND IN THE MORNING WHEN I WAKE UP AND WHEN I GO TO BED, I JUST HAVE I JUST HAVE A DEEP INTEREST IN IT.
I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN COMMUNITY MEDIA ASSOCIATION.
IT'S A STATEWIDE GROUP OF OVER 250 PEOPLE.
AND WE WE LEAD EFFORTS TO PROTECT LOCAL AUTHORITY IN OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY AND OUR PEG AND FRANCHISE FEES. SO I AM HONORED TO BE ON THIS TASK FORCE AND BE PART OF THIS.
WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 12D.
[12D. 2021 Order to Maintain Sidewalk Resolution #4 - Set Public Hearing for May 3, 2022]
THIS IS 2021 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALKS.THIS IS A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT RESOLUTION NUMBER FOUR.
AND THE ISSUE BEFORE US TONIGHT IS TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR MAY THREE, 2022.
[01:35:08]
MR. OPSOMMER? RIGHT. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.SO AS THE SUPERVISOR NOTED, THIS IS RESOLUTION FOUR IN THE FIVE STEP RESOLUTION PROCESS FOR THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALKS.
SO WE TYPICALLY DO THIS EVERY YEAR TO EVERY OTHER YEAR, AND WE IMPLEMENTED THIS PROGRAM BEGINNING IN 1999.
SO IT'S PROACTIVE, PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE OF OUR SIDEWALKS.
SO WE GO IN AND INSPECT EACH SLAB.
AND SO IT'S USUALLY FOR EACH PROPERTY YOU USUALLY HAVE JUST LIKE ONE OR TWO SLABS.
IF YOU ARE IN THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE, IT'S NOT A FULL REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE SIDEWALK.
AND SO THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE THAT WAS SET BY RESOLUTION THREE BACK IN THE FALL IS IN THE PACKAGE AS WELL. BUT THIS IS SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR MAY 3RD SO THAT WE CAN GET INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ON THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN FOR THE SIDEWALKS THIS YEAR. ALL RIGHT.
I THINK I NEED A MOTION AT THIS POINT.
CLERK GUTHRIE MOVED TO APPROVE A 2021 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT 19 RESOLUTION NUMBER FOUR, WHICH FILES THE PROPOSED SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE WITH THE OFFICE OF THE TOWNSHIP CLERK AND SETS THE DATE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON TUESDAY, MAY 3RD, 2022.
I'LL LET MISS WILSON HAVE IT THIS TIME.
MS. GUTHRIE? CLERK GUTHRIE, ARE YOU DOING A ROLL CALL OR ARE YOU DOING? I'M ASKING YOU TO ELABORATE.
THANK YOU. I THINK OVER THE YEARS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS DONE THE TOWNSHIP WELL IN REGARDS TO MAINTAINING SIDEWALKS AND FILLING ANY SIDEWALK GAPS.
SO I'M SUPPORTIVE TO SEE THIS EFFORT CONTINUE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE WILSON, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? NO, I AGREE WITH THE MOTION.
TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? THANK YOU. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO WAIT FOR AN ANSWER UNTIL THE PUBLIC HEARING, BECAUSE I'M SURE THE RESIDENTS WILL BE INTERESTED AS WELL.
THE SIDEWALKS ARE THIS IS SIMPLY A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT TO WIDEN OR IMPROVE ANYTHING.
IT'S SIMPLY A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, IT'S PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
TYPICALLY, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS IF THERE'S A TREE IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, THE ROOT STRUCTURE MAY BE UPENDING THAT AND LIFTING THAT SLAB.
AND SO WE WOULD COME IN AND REPAIR JUST THAT SLAB OR THOSE TWO SLABS.
SO TYPICALLY, RESIDENTS WILL CALL IN ISSUES AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET ON THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN. AND THEN WE DO FIELD VISITS.
SO IF THE SLABS, IF THE HEIGHT DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN TWO SLABS MEETS OR EXCEEDS HALF AN INCH, THAT'S WHEN WE WILL ACTUALLY PUT IT IN THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN.
OR IF A CRACK EXCEEDS A QUARTER INCH, WE WOULD PUT IT IN THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN.
THANK YOU. ARE WE READY TO VOTE? TREASURER DESCHAINE? I STEPPED OUT OF ROOM FOR A MINUTE, BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE HAS NEVER BEEN POINTED OUT THAT THE RESIDENTS DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX THESE SIDEWALKS THEMSELVES.
YES. AND THEY ALMOST NEVER ELECT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY GET ECONOMY OF SCALE WITH THE CONTRACTOR THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP'S PROGRAM.
WELL, SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I GOT ONE OF THESE ORDERS FOR YEARS BACK AND I DID REPAIR IT MYSELF BECAUSE I FIND IT WAS CHEAPER TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT YOURSELF AND OFTEN COST EFFECTIVE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT MIGHT BE OF BENEFIT TO SAY TO THOSE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOT READ THIS MEMO WHAT WHAT AREA IS BEING REPAIRED AT THIS TIME.
SUPERVISOR JACKSON, SO THE NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN ARE [INAUDIBLE] NUMBER THREE, FOUR AND FIVE, EAST MEADOWS, CONDOMINIUMS, HERITAGE HILLS AND HERITAGE HILLS, TWO, THREE AND FOUR.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT THE SANCTUARY WAS ONE OF THEM, BUT THEY WERE REMOVED.
THIS WORK IS ACTUALLY ALREADY OCCURRED.
OH, SORRY. OKAY, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WE NEED A ROLL CALL. DO I NEED A ROLL CALL HERE?
[01:40:02]
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.MR. LEMASTER? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
ITEM 12E IMPOSING ESCROW CONDITIONS FOR PERMITTING WORK BY TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES,
[12E. Imposing Escrow Conditions for Permitted Work by Telecommunication Within the ROW]
I'M SURE. WITHIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.MR. OPPENHEIMER? YES. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBER.
SO THIS ITEM IS A LATE ADDITION TO THE BOARD PACKET.
WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
IT'S PERMIT SEASON, SO THIS IS WHEN CONSUMERS ENERGY AND THE BROADBAND PROVIDERS GO OUT AND DO UNDERGROUND BORING AND PUT IN ADDITIONAL UTILITIES.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH METRONET.
THEY'RE NEW TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF SUBCONTRACTORS PERFORMING WORK.
SOME OF THE RESIDENTS HERE FROM WHISPERING OAKS, AND YOU PROBABLY SAW FLAGS GO UP IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. A COUPLE OF YOU, AT LEAST ONE OF YOU CONTACTED THE TOWNSHIP.
WE APPRECIATE THAT, BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING UNPERMITTED WORK.
AND SO WE ASKED THEM TO CEASE AND DESIST THAT UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY SUBMIT A PERMIT TO US.
SO WHY DO WE ASK BROADBAND PROVIDERS FOR A PERMIT? WELL, THE NUMBER ONE REASON IS THAT OUR OUR WATER MAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO NOT PUT THEIR FIBER OVER OUR WATER MAIN.
ON BIRCHWOOD. WE DID FIND THEM BORING OVER OUR WATER MAIN.
AND SO WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS IN THE WINTER WHEN WE HAVE THE WHEN WE HAVE THE THAW AND THE FROST HEAVE AND WE HAVE ALL THE WATER MAIN BREAKS, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPLICE THEIR CABLE, WE WOULD HAVE TO USE THE BACKHOE TO GO RIGHT THROUGH THE FIBER TO GET TO THE WATER MAIN AND REPAIR THE WATER MAIN BREAK.
SO WE REQUIRE FIVE FOOT HORIZONTAL SEPARATION AND THEN WE REQUIRE VERTICAL SEPARATION, WHICH USUALLY ISN'T AN ISSUE BECAUSE OUR OUR MAIN IS USUALLY LOCATED ABOUT 48 TO 50 INCHES DEEP TO GET IT BELOW THE FROST LINE, WHEREAS FIBER IS USUALLY BOUGHT AT 18 TO 24 INCHES. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES.
THEY'VE BEEN IN SHAKER HEIGHTS, THE STUB STREET, CALGARY BOULEVARD AND SHAKER HEIGHTS.
THEY LEFT ONE OF THE SUBCONTRACTORS LEFT THEIR REAL AND THEIR TRAILER ON THE STUB STREET.
AND SO THE PROPERTY OWNER THERE BACKED OUT IS NOT USED TO ITEMS BEING LEFT.
IT WAS A LOW VISIBILITY MORNING.
IT WAS SNOWING OR RAINING THAT MORNING.
SHE HIT THE TRAILER. WE'RE WORKING WITH METRONET TO HAVE THEM PAY FOR THE DAMAGES THEY'VE CAUSED ONE WATER MAIN BREAK WHERE THEY BORED INTO OUR WATER MAIN.
THAT WAS INTERESTING JUST BECAUSE THEY USUALLY SHOULD NOT BE AT THAT DEPTH.
THEY ALSO BOUGHT INTO OUR CURB BOX.
SO WHEN THEY BOUGHT INTO THE CURB BOX, THEY ACTUALLY CAUSED A DE LINE TO THE RESIDENTS ON YUMA TRAIL AND TACOMA HILLS TO BECOME CLOGGED.
AND WE TRIED TO WE TRIED TO UNCLOG THE WATER LINE SERVICING THAT HOME AND WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. SO WE HAD TO WORK WITH METRONET TO HAVE THEM PAY FOR OUR EMERGENCY CONTRACTOR TO COME IN AND TRY AND REPLACE THAT.
SO THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES.
AND SO I HAD A MEETING WITH OUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS AND REVIEWED OUR ORDINANCES AND WE DO PERMIT ESCROW OR PERFORMANCE BONDS.
SO THIS WOULD BE BASICALLY A CASH DEPOSIT, BASED ON HOW MANY LINEAR FEET OF WORK THEY'RE DOING. AND WE WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO PUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY DOWN IN ESCROW FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT THEY CAUSE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND IT COULD EVEN BE YARD RESTORATION IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
WE'VE ALSO HAD PROBABLY 12 RESIDENTS IN THE LAST WEEK CONTACT US ABOUT TIMELINES FOR YARD RESTORATION. SO COMMUNICATION TO RESIDENTS ON YARD RESTORATION HAS ALSO BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE. AND THE LAST ONE WAS OUR PATHWAY SYSTEM AT WOODFIELD AND OKEMOS ROAD.
SO THAT'S BY THE CSX CROSSING SOUTH OF THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE.
THEY TRENCHED UNDERNEATH OUR PATHWAY AND ANY SURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THAT, YOU NEED SOIL COMPACTION FOR INTEGRITY IF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO THAT SLAB IS ACTUALLY ALREADY CRACKED.
SO WE'VE BEEN KIND OF TRACKING THEM AND DOING FIELD REPORTS.
AND SO THIS WOULD AUTHORIZE ME IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE TO SET REASONABLE ESCROW PERFORMANCE BOND AMOUNTS SO THAT THEY DEPOSIT THAT MONEY.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO AND HAVE FIELD MEETINGS WITH THEM ON EVERY OCCURRENCE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO PROACTIVELY GET THEM TO DO AND PERFORM FAR BETTER WORK.
SO ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING HAD.
BUT TONIGHT I'M ASKING YOU TO AUTHORIZE MY DEPARTMENT TO UTILIZE THIS PORTION OF OUR ORDINANCE WHICH WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT UTILIZING.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE ROAD DEPARTMENT DOES FOR CUTS.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO CUT INTO A ROAD, THEY REQUIRE AN ESCROW OR A PERFORMANCE BOND
[01:45:04]
ANYWHERE FROM 2000 TO 10000.AND WE HAVE MORE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT BETWEEN WATER, SEWER AND PATHWAY.
AND OF COURSE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS ARE PREDOMINANTLY BEING FUNDED BY THE TOWNSHIP ROAD MILLAGE, NOT THE COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE A MOTION. TRUSTEE WILSON? THANK YOU. MOVE TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING TO REQUIRE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS WHO ARE APPLYING FOR PERMITTED WORK WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY TO DEPOSIT ESCROW AMOUNTS THAT ARE REASONABLE COST PER PERMIT AS A CONDITION OF THEIR PERMIT TO COVER PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND COMPLIANCE WITH PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, RIGHTS OF WAY ARE RETURNED TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONDITION DURING AND AFTER COMMUNICATION PROVIDERS ACCESS AND USE AS PROVIDED UNDER SECTION 70-184 PERMIT APPLICATION PROCEDURES IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, I SO MOVE.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY MR. DESCHAINE. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? CLERK GUTHRIE. ASSISTANT MANAGER OPSOMMER, CAN YOU TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE? BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN METRONET FILED THEIR METRO AUTHORITY WORK, THEY FILED A PERFORMANCE BOND. CAN YOU TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESCROW AND PERFORMANCE BOND? AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN VERY I'M SUPER SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S SUPER DIFFICULT TO COLLECT THESE COSTS TO THE DAMAGE TO OUR RIGHTS OF WAY.
BUT IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE TO ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
PREDOMINANTLY INTERCHANGEABLE TERMS, BUT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE ANY PERFORMANCE BOND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PUT IN UNDER THE METRO ACT.
BUT THESE ARE PERMIT SPECIFIC.
SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO IN, THEY GIVE US THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT THEY'RE WORKING IN.
SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO INTO TACOMA HILLS, THEY HAVE TO MAP THAT.
AND WE WOULD MEASURE THE LINEAR, LINEAR MILEAGE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT THEY'RE DOING WORK AND ASSIGN A CERTAIN PERFORMANCE BOND REQUIREMENT PER LINEAR MILE.
AND THEN WE WOULD CLOSE THAT AMOUNT OUT AT THE END OF THE PERMIT.
SO IF THEY'VE ADHERED TO ALL THE REQUIREMENTS, MEANING THEY'VE GIVEN US THE AS BUILT DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE RECORD OF WHERE THEY PUT THE UTILITIES IN AND THEY HAVEN'T CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THEY'VE ADHERED TO THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS UNDER OUR PERMIT.
THEN WE WOULD RELINQUISH THE AMOUNT BACK TO THEM ON A PERMIT BY PERMIT BASIS.
DOES IT GIVE THE TOWNSHIP MORE LEVERAGE LIKE MORE UP FRONT THAN RATHER JUST A STANDARD PERFORMANCE ON THAT SOME OF WHAT THEY'RE? TODAY, IF THEY HIT OUR, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE WATER MAIN BREAK OR THE CURB BOX THAT THEY HIT WITHIN OUR WATER SYSTEM, WE WILL SEND THEM A BILL.
THIS WOULD ALLOW US JUST TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE PERFORMANCE BOND OR THE ESCROWED AMOUNT, AND THEN WE WOULD REMIT THEM THE BALANCE WITH THE INVOICE.
CAN YOU SHARE WHAT SOME OF THESE COSTS HAVE BEEN TO THE TOWNSHIP TO TRY TO COLLECT? I KNOW IT'S EXPENSIVE.
IT ALL DEPENDS, BUT USUALLY IT'S A 4 TO 5 MAN CREW.
IF YOU HAVE A WATER MAIN BREAK, IF THEY'RE CALLED IN AFTER HOURS, THE MINIMUM, THE GUARANTEED 2 HOURS OF WORK.
BUT A WATER MAIN REPAIR IS USUALLY GOING TO TAKE THREE OR 4 HOURS.
THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON IT DEPENDS ON SO MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS, BUT ONE BEING ABLE TO LOCATE IT. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A LOCATOR.
SO IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY, RELATIVELY NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN HELP YOU LOCATE IT.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD CERTAIN INSTANCES WHERE IT TAKES 1 TO 2 HOURS JUST TO LOCATE THE ACTUAL BREAK. USUALLY IN THIS INSTANCE, IT'S PRETTY EASY.
WHEN THEY BOUGHT INTO OUR CURB BOX, THEY DID SO FROM ABOUT SIX FEET AWAY AND THEY HIT IT SQUARE ON AND IT WAS MARKED WITH BLUE PAINT WITH THE BLUE FLAG, BLUE DENOTING WATER.
SO IT WAS A PRETTY REMARKABLE ERROR ON THEIR PART.
IF THE PERSON WHO STARTED THE BORE HAD FALLEN OVER, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FELL.
HIS HEAD WOULD HAVE FALLEN ABOUT WHERE OUR CURB BOX WAS LOCATED.
SO IT WASN'T LIKE THEY HIT IT FROM 100 FEET AWAY.
SO I APPRECIATE THIS PROACTIVE APPROACH WITH THE WITH THE PERMITS TO HAVE THE MONEY UPFRONT, BE IT'S TIME AND MATERIAL, RIGHT? SO IT'S THE HOURLY RATE FOR THE DPW EMPLOYEES, BUT YOU ACTUALLY HAPPEN TO HAVE IN YOUR PACKET TONIGHT DUE TO THE [INAUDIBLE] CONTRACT.
SO IF YOU GOT A FOUR OR FIVE MEMBER CREW, THEY'RE MAKING ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MINIMUM PAY SCALE TO THE MAXIMUM PAY SCALE.
IT VARIES BASED ON WHO CALLS WHO COMES IN.
SO AND IT'S ALSO VOLUNTARY AND WHO COMES IN.
ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND TO PERMIT THIS ADDITIONAL
[01:50:02]
REGULATION. ALL IN FAVOR OF? NO, THIS IS JUST SAY, MR. LEMASTER.IS THIS A ROLL CALL VOTE AS WELL? I BELIEVE SO, YES. OKAY.
THANK YOU. WE NOW MOVE TO SECTION 13 BOARD DISCUSSION ITEMS.
[13A. Daniels Drain Public Drain Improvement SAD #21]
AND AS PROMISED, THE FIRST ITEM IS THE DANIELS DRAIN.PUBLIC DRAIN IMPROVEMENT NUMBER 21 WILL ALLOW.
WILL HAVE MR. OPSOMMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AMONG OTHER THINGS, LEAD THIS DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS PRIMARILY, AND WE HOPEFULLY WILL TRY TO GET ANSWERS IF NOT PRESENTED OUTRIGHT.
WE WILL TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS FROM THE EXPERTS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS CONVERSATION.
MR. OPSOMMER YES, GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
SO I'M GOING TO START WITH JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT CHANGED FROM THE FIRST ASSESSMENT NOTICE THAT PEOPLE RECEIVED BACK IN NOVEMBER TO THE ASSESSMENT NOTICE THAT THEY JUST RECEIVED. SO WHAT CAUSED CHANGES IN THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNTS? SO THE FIRST WAS THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAME TO OUR STAFF AND EXPRESSED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ASSESSING RECORDS USED FOR THE ACREAGE CALCULATION.
SO HOW MANY ACRES WHAT IS THE ACREAGE FOR EACH PARCEL WITHIN THE DANIELS DRAIN DISTRICT; RIGHT? SO THE ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL BACK IN THE FALL THAT THE ORIGINAL NOTICE THAT PEOPLE RECEIVED WAS BASED ON GIS ACREAGE.
SO GIS MAPPING SOFTWARE EXAMINED THE THE GIS LAYER FOR THE PARCELS AND DETERMINE THE ACREAGE OF EACH PARCEL.
I'LL HAVE SPICER GROUP GO OVER THE FORMULAS AND THE C VALUE, THE A VALUE AND THE P VALUE IN A MOMENT. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING WITH SPICER GROUP AND OTHERS WOULD TELL YOU IS THAT THE GIS ACREAGE IS MORE ACCURATE.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS STRONG PUBLIC SENTIMENT TO USE THE ASSESSING RECORDS FOR THE ACREAGE.
SO IF PEOPLE REFER TO THE ORIGINAL ASSESSING ROLE AND THE UPDATED ASSESSING ROLE THAT'S IN THE PACKET THIS EVENING, ACREAGE IS ALL CHANGED AND IT'S BASED ON THAT SHIFT FROM GIS ACREAGE TO ASSESSING ACREAGE.
AND SO IF YOU GO GET YOUR ASSESSING RECORD THE ACREAGE AND THE ASSESSING IN THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE, THE NEW ONE SHOULD REFLECT THE ACREAGE ON YOUR ASSESSING RECORD.
ANOTHER BIG ONE AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SPOKE FROM WHISPERING OAKS.
SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE.
SO THIS IS THE WHISPERING OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD HERE IN THIS VICINITY.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT ON YOUR TV? NO, THIS TV IS OFF.
DO YOU KNOW WHICH BUTTON? IT'S ON THE OTHER TWO TVS.
IS THE TV OFF ENTIRELY? IT'S OFF. THERE'S A REMOTE.
TO MOVE MY CURSOR ROUGHLY AROUND THE AREA OF WHISPERING OAKS I'M USING.
THANK YOU. PARTIALLY THE DRAIN BOUNDARY AND PARTIALLY THE BOUNDARY OF WHISPERING OAKS.
SO THE PARCELS WITHIN THE WHISPERING OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE ALSO WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT BOUNDARY, WHICH IS THE THICK BLACK LINE ON THE ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT THAT WAS SET BACK IN THE FALL BY MY PREDECESSOR, THE OPEN SPACE ACREAGE HERE AND HERE, AND IT'S A LITTLE OVER EIGHT AND ONE HALF ACRES.
THE BOTH ASSESSMENT ROLLS DETAIL THE ACREAGE OF THIS OPEN SPACE.
AND SO COMMONLY OR TYPICALLY WE DO NOT BILL AN HOA FOR OPEN SPACE.
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE THAT ACREAGE AND YOU DIVIDE IT BY THE NUMBER OF PARCELS WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ENJOY THAT OPEN SPACE OR THE RIGHTS TO IT BY THE ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD BE APPLIED TO THAT ACREAGE.
SO WE TOOK THE ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD BE APPLIED TO THIS OPEN SPACE, DIVIDED UP BY THE 30 PARCELS THAT ARE WITHIN THE DANIEL STREAM DISTRICT, THAT ARE ALSO WITHIN THE WHISPERING
[01:55:01]
OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD AND SPREAD IT OUT OVER THOSE PARCELS.THERE ARE 37 PARCELS IN THE WHISPERING OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD.
HOWEVER, ONLY 30 ARE IN THE DANIELS DRAIN DISTRICT, CORNELL ELEMENTARY.
SO THE COST HERE, I GUESS, JUST TO CONCLUDE WITH WHISPERING OAKS, THE COST WAS CONTAINED RIGHT THERE. NONE OF THE COST FROM THOSE 31 PARCELS, 30 PARCELS WITH HOMES ON THEM, ONE PARCEL THAT IS OPEN SPACE.
NONE OF THAT COST SHIFTED OUTSIDE OF THERE.
THAT WAS A COST SHIFT WITHIN THOSE 31 PARCELS.
NOW, LOOKING TO OTHER THINGS THAT CHANGED AND COST SHIFT ON TO OTHER PEOPLE, ONE, THE ACREAGE CHANGE FROM GIS TO ASSESSING.
DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR ASSESSING RECORDS SHOW VERSUS WHAT GIS SHOWED, THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE A CHANGE. THE OTHER ONE WAS CORNELL ELEMENTARY.
SO THIS IS CORNELL ELEMENTARY RIGHT HERE.
THERE'S THIS ODDLY SHAPED PARCEL ON THE EDGE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY.
AND THEN THERE'S THE MAIN PROPERTY OR MAIN PARCEL THAT ACTUALLY HAS THE SCHOOL ON IT.
SO STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ASSESSMENTS TO BE APPLIED ON PUBLICLY OWNED PARCELS.
SO THE IF YOU LOOK AT THE OLD ASSESSING ROLL, THERE WAS AN ASSESSMENT ON HERE THAT WAS, LEGALLY THAT WAS INCORRECT AND CAN'T BE APPLIED.
SO WITH THE NEW WITH THE ASSESSMENT ROLL THE NEW ASSESSMENT ROLL SET ON MARCH 15TH BY RESOLUTION THREE, THESE TWO PARCELS ARE ZEROED OUT THAT COST IT'S IN THE SPREADSHEET.
IF YOU CHECK THE ROLL, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S NO LONGER AN ASSESSMENT THAT WAS SPREAD ONTO THE OTHER PARCELS, APPROXIMATELY 330 PARCELS PROPORTIONATELY.
SO EVERYBODY'S AMOUNT WOULD GO UP PROPORTIONATELY BASED ON WHAT WAS APPLIED TO THESE TWO PARCELS. THE OTHER PUBLIC PARCEL WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT THAT WAS INAPPROPRIATELY APPLIED AN ASSESSMENT ON THE FIRST PERSPECTIVE ROLL BACK IN THE FALL BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP PARK PROPERTY LOCATED RIGHT HERE.
SO THIS PARCEL HAS NOW BEEN ZEROED OUT AS WELL AND THE ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD HAVE GONE ON TO THAT PROPORTIONATELY DISTRIBUTED ON TO ALL THE OTHER PARCELS.
IF PEOPLE HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THEIR SPECIFIC PROPERTY, WE DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME IN.
YOU CAN COME IN AND DO A WALK IN APPOINTMENT DURING NORMAL HOURS.
YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL AT DPW@MERIDIAN.MI.US AND WE CAN SCHEDULE YOU A TIME OR YOU CAN CALL THE DPW LINE AND WE CAN SCHEDULE YOU THAT WAY AS WELL.
SO EVERY PARCEL IS HIGHLY UNIQUE.
BUT AS IT RELATES TO THE P VALUE THIS MAP DOES GO OVER OR COLOR CODE, THE P VALUE AND YOU'LL SEE THE THE P TWO CORRESPONDS LARGELY WITH WHERE THE DRAIN WORK, THE DRAIN PIPE WORK HAS OCCURRED.
AND SO THE DRAIN OFFICE WILL GO OVER THAT.
THE FINAL CHANGE WAS TREE TOP.
TREE TOP, WHICH IS IN THIS VICINITY, ALSO HAD A COMMON AREA OR AN OPEN SPACE AREA THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ROLL AND SPREAD ON TO THE TREE TOP PARCELS.
BUT AGAIN, CHANGES LIKE THAT ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THOSE SPECIFIC PARCELS.
IT DOESN'T RESULT IN COST SHIFTING OUT ONTO THE OTHER 300 AND SOME ODD PARCELS, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PARCELS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN.
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OR THAT PARCEL OR THAT PLAT.
SO, MAX, COULD I HAVE YOU COME UP AND GO THROUGH THE C VALUE, THE VALUE AND THE P VALUE? THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE THE ASSESSMENT ROLL UP HERE OR THE PDF OR DO YOU.
THIS IS BASED ON RESOLUTION THREE.
SO I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ON THE.
I'M FROM SPICER GROUP, WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP TO HELP THEM DEVELOP AN ASSESSMENT ROLE TO SPREAD THE COST OF THE 50% SHARE THAT IS GOING ON TO THE LANDOWNERS AND THE PARCELS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, STARTING OFF IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR,
[02:00:10]
THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT THAT WE STARTED FROM HAD THE ESSENTIALLY THE KEY FACTOR WAS BASED ON THE ZONING AND THE UNDERSTANDING OR FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE FROM THE TOWNSHIP.AND THE LANDOWNERS AT THAT TIME WAS THAT THE ZONING WAS NOT A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THE KEY FACTOR SHOULD BE FOR THE PARCELS IN THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT SHIFTED TO, WELL, WHAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A C FACTOR APPLIED TO THE PARCELS AS PART OF THE APPORTIONMENT PERCENTAGE? WHAT CAN WE USE? THAT'S A NON BIASED DATA SET THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP DECIDING TO USE THE NATIONAL LAND COVER DATA SET, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE AT THE TOP OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLL.
SO HOW THIS CALCULATION IS PERFORMED IS WE HAVE THE THE THE ACREAGE WITHIN EACH PARCEL IS WE'RE USING THE GIS ACRES FOR EACH PARCEL AND THAT'S INTERSECTED WITH THE LAND COVER DATA SET WHICH THE GENTLEMAN HERE WAS REFERENCING THAT DATA SET, IT IS RATHER COARSE, IT'S A 30 METER RESOLUTION DATA SET.
AND RATHER THAN USING A DATA SET THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CUSTOM DEVELOP AND PAY TO CREATE, SUCH AS A IMPERVIOUS SURFACE DATA SET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE AN EQUIVALENT EQUIVALENT OUTCOME OF HAVING A C FACTOR OR AN IMPERVIOUS PERCENTAGE IN THAT CASE THAT ESSENTIALLY DOES THE SAME THING AS HOW MUCH RUNOFF IS COMING OFF OF THAT PROPERTY. SO THE THE NATIONAL LAND COVER DATA SET, WE'VE ASSIGNED THESE DIFFERENT C FACTORS SUCH AS DECIDUOUS FORESTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE DIFFERENT FACTORS APPLIED THERE.
WELL, THAT'S A DATA SET THAT GETS INTERSECTED WITH THE PARCELS.
AND IF I COULD SWITCH TO THE PICTURE HERE.
YEAH. JUST TO SHOW KIND OF AN EXAMPLE SKETCH OF HOW THAT CALCULATION IS PERFORMED.
EACH PARCEL IS INTERSECTED WITH THAT AND BROKEN UP INTO ACREAGES OF THE TYPE OF LAND COVER THAT'S FROM THAT DATA SET.
AND THE TOTAL OF THE ACRES FOR EACH DATA SET IS IN THERE AND SUMMED UP.
AND YOU MULTIPLY EACH INDIVIDUAL LAND COVER TYPE SUCH AS IN THIS CASE, DECIDUOUS FOREST HAS A 0.15.
SO IF YOU HAD A ONE ACRE PARCEL THAT WAS 50% DECIDUOUS FOREST AND 50% DEVELOPED MEDIUM INTENSITY LAND COVERAGE, YOU WOULD TAKE THE HALF ACRE OF THAT DECIDUOUS FOREST.
TIMES THE RUNOFF COEFFICIENT FOR THAT AND ADD THE HALF ACRE THAT'S DEVELOPED MEDIUM INTENSITY AND THE SUM OF THOSE TWO MULTIPLIED FACTORS AND GET A TOTAL FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL PARCEL. AND THEN THAT INDIVIDUAL PARCEL IS DIVIDED BY THE ENTIRE ACREAGE OF THE PARCEL TO GET WHAT IS SHOWN AS A COMPOSITE C FACTOR, WHICH IS THE C VALUE THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE PDF ROLE.
SO NOW I'LL JUST SWITCH BACK OVER TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLE.
SO THE REASON WE USED THE LAND COVER DATA SET AGAIN WAS JUST BECAUSE IT'S A IT'S AN UNBIASED NATIONALLY PUBLISHED DATA SET THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL EFFORT TO CREATE SOMETHING CUSTOM JUST TO THE DISTRICTS SUCH AS AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE DATA SET. I THINK THAT THAT'S BASICALLY MY ANSWER FOR THE FOR THE C VALUES.
NOW, ALBEIT I UNDERSTAND ON A PARCEL BY PARCEL BASIS, THERE ARE VARIATIONS JUST BASED ON THE NATURE OF THE LAND COVER DATA SET.
AND SO I THINK WITH EACH COMMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT IN, I THINK WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PARCELS. BUT THAT'S THAT'S HOW THAT CALCULATION WORKS.
[02:05:06]
EVALUATE THE AREA.GOTCHA. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE AREA, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AREA IS WE HAD AND DAN EXPLAINED THIS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THERE IS A GIS ACRES THAT WAS CALCULATED BASED ON USING THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT AND HOW MANY ACRES YOU HAVE WITHIN THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S THAT WAS THE FORMER BENEFIT ACRES WITH THE WITH SWITCHING TO A TAXABLE OR THE TAX DESCRIPTION ASSESSING RECORD ACREAGES IN ORDER FOR THAT TO PROPORTIONATELY WORK OUT ACROSS THE BOARD.
IF YOU'RE ON THE EDGE OF THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT, SAY YOUR 50% IN THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
SO HALF OF YOUR PARCEL IF YOU HAD ONE ACRES ON YOUR TAXABLE DESCRIPTION BUT IT WAS 0.9 ACRES IN THE GIS FOR YOUR TOTAL PARCEL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BENEFIT ACRES FROM GIS.
IF THAT WAS AT 0.45 IN GIS, 0.45 OUT OF 0.9 WOULD BE HALF OF THAT.
THAT HALF IS A RATIO THAT'S APPLIED TO THE TAXABLE ACRES.
SO YOU'D BE ASSESSED AT HALF AN ACRE ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROXIMITY VALUES AND LET'S SEE IF I CAN ZOOM IN ON THE P VALUES HERE. BUT THESE WERE WERE BASICALLY SET SO THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE A PORTION OF THE PLANS WHERE THERE'S ROAD OR PIPES DEVELOPED IN FRONT OF THEIR PROPERTY OR ADJACENT TO THEIR PARCELS ARE SET AT A 20% INCREASE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE ROLL AND THEN THE WALDEN PONDS PARCELS THAT WERE IN PINK ON THE OTHER ON THE MAP HERE ARE SET AT A 40% INCREASE COMPARED TO THE BASE P ONE PROXIMITY PARCELS.
SO THE THE TWO PARCELS IN PINK THERE ARE AT A 40% SURCHARGE COMPARED TO THE P ONES.
AND THE PEOPLE IN BLUE THAT ARE IN THE BLUE AREAS ARE AT A 20% INCREASE COMPARED TO THE BASE P ONE VALUES.
SO THAT'S HOW THE CALCULATIONS ARE CURRENTLY SET AND WE'LL, TAKE A LOOK AT THE FEEDBACK THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TODAY AND TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
EXCUSE ME, DAN, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, COULD WE ASK QUESTIONS? COULD THE BOARD ASK QUESTIONS? YEAH. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE QUESTIONS CONTAINED TO CHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO, THE FIRST AND SECOND PROSPECTIVE ROLLS AND THE FORMULAS THAT SPICER GROUP HAS ASSISTED WITH? AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE TO KEEP IT ORDERLY.
TREASURER DESCHAINE? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. SO REGARDING THIS PROXIMITY FACTOR, ONE OF THE RESIDENTS SPOKE TO THE FACT THEY'RE ON IVY WOOD AND HAD A P FACTOR OF 1.24, ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THEIR ROAD'S BEING REPAVED. IT'S BECAUSE THE DRAIN, THE ACTUAL DRAIN IS BEING REMOVED AND REPLACED HERE. CORRECT. AND SO THE PRESENTATION FROM THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION OFFICE, I ASKED THEM TO BUILD OUT THEIR PRESENTATION FROM AUGUST AND IT ACTUALLY DETAILS THE DIAMETER DRAIN THAT PREEXISTED THE PROJECT AND THEN THE REPLACEMENT DRAIN PIPE.
AND IT WAS REPORTED BY THE RESIDENT WHO WAS AN ENGINEER THAT THE DRAIN PIPE WAS THE SAME.
YEAH, THE DIAMETER COULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME.
I JUST GOT THAT PRESENTATION TODAY.
BUT THE DRAIN COMMISSION OFFICE WILL PRESENT NEXT AND THEY WILL TALK ABOUT SCOPE OF THE PROJECT AGAIN.
THAT'S WHERE THE ANALOGY CAME IN ABOUT HOME REPAIRS.
THERE'S A BROAD DISCRETION IN TERMS OF SCOPE.
AND THE DRAIN OFFICE CHOSE THE SCOPE AND THE COST AS A RESULT OF THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT. RIGHT. EVERY DRAIN PIPE AND ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE WITH THE POND AND THEN THE CULVERT UNDER GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
EVERY SINGLE ITEM HAS A PRICE TAG AND THAT'S HOW IT'S ESCALATED TO THE CURRENT COST.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THE IDEA THAT BECAUSE THE ROAD IS BEING IMPROVED AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO OUR RESIDENTS TO REPLACE ALL 155 MILES OF ROADS, THIS ONE JUST GOT DONE SOONER TO UP THEM TO 1.2.
[02:10:03]
SEEMS HIGHLY UNFAIR TO ME, FOR ONE THING.THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THIS P FACTOR FOR THE PONDS? CAN WE DISCUSS THAT RIGHT NOW? YEAH. IS MR., IS BRIAN HERE FROM GI? I BELIEVE SO, YEAH.
BRIAN, YOU WANT TO COME UP REAL QUICK? AND I ASKED YOU TO COME UP BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND FROM DAN YOU'VE GOT AN ENGINEERING AND ASSESSMENT BACKGROUND. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. I MEAN, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION ON THE WORK THAT'S DONE TO GIVE SOME MORE DETAIL FOR THE RESIDENTS.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE 1.4 RATING WE'VE GIVEN THE PONDS.
YEAH, I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE ASSESSMENT AND WHATNOT, SO I'VE ONLY BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT SINCE THE BEGINNING.
SO BUT BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT ASSESSING THE ENGINEERING, DOES THE 1.5 RATIO FOR THE PONDS SEEM TO BE AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER, IN YOUR OPINION? I DON'T THINK I SHOULD ANSWER.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CALL THEM. PLEASE SIT DOWN.
I JUST KNOW FROM HAVING DEALT WITH THE PONDS SINCE 2013 THAT THIS ISSUE WITH THE PONDS, THE FLOODING THAT'S TAKEN PLACE, BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY TAKE EVERYONE'S WATER AND ALL OF THE SUBDIVISIONS. IT'S A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM THAT HAPPENS TO BE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
SO HAD THAT NOT BE IN THERE, ALL THESE SUBDIVISIONS GOING IN WOULD HAD TO PUT IN THEIR OWN DETENTION SYSTEMS. SO THIS IS A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM ON THEIR PROPERTY.
I JUST KNOW THE AMOUNT OF PLANNING THAT THEY HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS KNOWING THAT THIS IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THE PROPERTY.
THAT'S JUST MY KNOWLEDGE OF IT.
THEY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO WAS AND IS GOING TO BE AN EXPENSIVE ASSESSMENT TOWARDS THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PLANNING THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL OF THEIR ANNUAL MEETINGS.
WE GAVE A SCOPE MEETING WHICH WE TALKED TO THEIR BOARD AND WENT THROUGH SOME APPROXIMATE COSTS, AND I JUST KNOW THAT THEY'VE PLANNED THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
THE REASON I ASK IS THIS IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, THIS PRIMARY BENEFIT OF THE POND REDONE, BEING REDONE, THE NEW PATH, THE NEW DOCKS IS RIGHT THERE ON THIS PROPERTY.
IN FACT, I ASKED THE PONDS ATTORNEY TO OPEN UP THE PATHS TO THE COMMUNITY SINCE THE COMMUNITY IS PAYING FOR THIS WORK AND TWICE WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD DECIDED NO, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANY OF THE COMMUNITY ON THEIR ON THEIR SIDEWALKS.
SO EXTREMELY EXCLUSIVE IN THEIR USE OF THAT.
YET THEY'RE PAYING TWO AND A QUARTER, 227,000 OUT OF A 6 MILLION, ALMOST $7 MILLION BILL.
I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO 450 BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO PROPERTIES THAT ARE RELATIVELY THE SAME SIZE. SO RATHER THAN 3% THERE, IT'S CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION OR WHATEVER.
THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARY OF OF THIS.
SO I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD AN OPINION ON THAT FEE FACTOR.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE NOT FREE TO SHARE THAT WITH US, BUT YEAH, I DON'T THINK THE 1.4 IS A GOOD STARTING POINT HERE OR A GOOD ENDING UP POINT FOR THAT FACTOR.
THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? JUST TO SPEAK TO TREASURER DESCHAINE'S QUESTION, THOUGH, WE ARE HAVING AN INTERNAL MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE P VALUES ON THURSDAY, SO WE WILL DISCUSS THAT.
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE BACK LAST FALL BEFORE I WAS ON STAFF THAT ARRIVED AT 1.4 OR THAT 40% FACTOR FOR THE INCREASE IN THE ASSESSMENT BASED ON PROXIMITY TO THE POND AND THE WORK THAT OCCURRED IN THE POND.
I HAVE NOT I DID NOT HAVE TIME IN THE ONE MONTH BEFORE THE MARCH 15TH MEETING TO REVISIT THAT BEFORE WE SET THE ROLE UNDER RESOLUTION THREE.
BUT JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT WILL MEAN, IF YOU INCREASE THE P VALUE FOR ANY, LET'S SAY, ANY PARCEL WITHIN IT WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT, WHAT THAT WILL MEAN IS THE ASSESSMENT ROLL WILL GO DOWN FOR ALL THE OTHER PARCELS AND IT WILL GO UP FOR THAT PARCEL. THE DOLLAR FIGURE THAT WILL GO UP FOR THE PARCEL THAT YOU INCREASE.
THE P VALUE ASSESSMENT FOR WILL BE THE AMOUNT THAT'S SPREAD ACROSS THE OTHER PARCELS RELATIVE TO THEIR C VALUE.
THEY'RE A VALUE AND THEIR P VALUE; RIGHT? SO IT JUST SHIFTS THAT COST DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR OVER THE OTHER PARCELS AND THERE'S 335.
HOWEVER, A COUPLE OF THE PARCELS, SEVERAL OF THE PARCELS ARE ZEROED OUT, WHICH WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.
CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON.
SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT? ARE YOU TAKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT? YES, I CAN. ONE OF THE RESIDENTS ASKED ABOUT AND I THINK MAYBE YOU'VE ADDRESSED THIS
[02:15:04]
ALREADY BY TALKING ABOUT HAVING AN INTERNAL DISCUSSION.IF RESIDENTS WERE SENT A LOGICAL REASON FOR AN INCREASE ON THE ASSESSMENT.
YEAH. SO THE NOTICE THAT IS RECEIVED, I MEAN, IT WOULD TAKE IN THE HOURS REQUIRED TO WRITE 335 PARCELS.
A UNIQUE DESCRIPTION EXPLAINING THE FORMULAS INVOLVED RELATIVE TO THEIR PARCEL UNIQUELY IS A MONUMENTAL TASK.
I WOULD NEED A VERY SIZABLE BUDGET TO HIRE TEMPORARY STAFF OR CONSULTANT TO DO THAT.
THE NOTICE THAT THEY RECEIVED DETAILS THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNT AND THE ASSESSMENT IS PUBLISHED AND PUT ON FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND IN MY DEPARTMENT, AND RESIDENTS CAN COME IN AND DISCUSS IT.
IT'S ALSO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IN THE PACKET, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT WAS IN THE MARCH 15TH PACKET PRECEDING THE BOARD'S ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION THREE, WHICH CREATED THIS SECOND PROSPECTIVE ROLL; RIGHT? WE LEARNED FROM THE PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE FIRST ONE, MADE CHANGES TO IT AND THEN RESET IT FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS.
I THINK SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION IS COMING FROM THE FACT THAT AND I WAS ON THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, THE FIRST I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE PROJECT, LIKE MANY IT WAS IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE, AND BASED ON WHAT I CAN GLEAN FROM MY PREDECESSOR'S RECORDS, HE STARTED RECEIVING NOTICE THAT THE PROJECT WAS READY TO PROCEED IN LATE SPRING OR EARLY SUMMER, JUNE, MAY RANGE OF LAST YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK TO ALL THE COMMUNICATION LINES BETWEEN 2016 WHEN THE PETITION WAS FIRST INITIATED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT THAT TIME AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND TO TODAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS COULD HAVE STARTED EARLIER IF THE COMMUNICATION WAS THERE, THAT THE PROJECT WAS NEARING THE TIME TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN MORE TIME TO DO THIS.
BUT THIS IS THE NORMAL PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, TWO PROSPECTIVE ROLLS PRECEDING THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND TO HAVE RESIDENTS COME IN AND MEET ONE ON ONE WITH STAFF TO GO OVER THE UNIQUE PARCEL AND THE UNIQUE FACTORS TO EACH PARCEL THAT'S JUST FAR MORE EFFICIENT THAN DETAILING A DOCUMENT FOR ALL 335 PARCELS.
SO WHAT I ALSO HEARD WAS THIS IS A NORMAL PROCESS USING NATIONAL STANDARDS.
AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS WAS HOW CAN WE DETERMINE WAS THIS A FAIR AND REASONABLE, REASONABLE PROCESS? YEAH. SPICER GROUP WAS SELECTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE DRAIN ASSESSMENTS HERE IN INGHAM COUNTY AND ACROSS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
SO THEY WERE SELECTED FOR THEIR EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA OF SETTING SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLLS. SO LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE ACREAGE QUESTION, SHOULD WE USE GIS ACREAGE OR SHOULD WE USE THE ASSESSING RECORDS, ASSESSING ROLLS ALL ACROSS THE STATE? USE EITHER OR. YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO PICK ONE.
BUT AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE TO USE GIS MAPPING TO RELY ON WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE PARCEL IS IN THE DRAIN BOUNDARY FOR THOSE THAT STAGGER THE DRAIN BOUNDARY LINE.
DRAIN BOUNDARY LINE WAS ANOTHER BIG ONE.
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO PULL UP.
SO THE DRAIN BOUNDARY LINE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE DRAIN OFFICE, SO THEY'LL SPEAK TO THAT WHEN THEY PRESENT.
WE HAVE NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO CHANGE, MEANING WE THE TOWNSHIP, HAVE NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO SET THAT RIGHT.
ALL WE'RE DOING IS THE ASSESSMENT ROLE AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO.
SO THE DRAIN BOUNDARY WAS REEVALUATED.
I KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO USED TO WORK FOR THE DRAIN COMMISSION OFFICE KNEW THAT HER PARCEL SHIFTED SLIGHTLY RESPECTIVE TO THE BOUNDARY.
SO THAT BOUNDARY DID CHANGE PRECEDING THIS PROJECT.
AND SO RESIDENTS THAT DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE BOUNDARY SHOULD SPEAK TO THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION OFFICE AND THEY'LL GO OVER THAT LATER.
BUT DOBIE ROAD ONE RESIDENT SPOKE ON DOBIE ROAD AND THOSE PARCELS WERE REDUCED.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON MARCH 15TH.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THAT WAS THE OTHER CHANGE THAT I FORGOT TO DETAIL WHEN I FIRST STARTED HERE ON THE DISCUSSION ITEM.
LET ME JUST FIND THE DOBIE ROAD PARCELS HERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ALL WERE REDUCED BY 3298.
[02:20:01]
4112 $4,030.SO THAT'S FIVE PROPERTIES ON DOBIE ROAD.
WHY WERE THOSE PROPERTIES REDUCED? AND THEN THERE'S I THINK TWO MORE.
LET ME JUST VERIFY THAT THESE ARE BOTH DOBIE ROAD.
YES. AND THEN TWO OTHER PROPERTIES.
SO SEVEN PARCELS IN TOTAL, I BELIEVE SIX OWNERSHIP PARTIES AMONG THOSE SEVEN PARCELS.
AND THE REDUCTIONS THAT YOU SEE THERE IN RED ARE BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE THAT THE RESIDENT RAISED AT THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING JUST TO DENOTE THAT THE PROCESS IS WORKING.
THOSE RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE CULVERTS.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE AND UNLESS SOMETHING HAS CHANGED SINCE RECENT CONVERSATIONS, THE DRAIN OFFICE IS PUTTING CULVERTS IN THEIR DITCH.
IT WAS DETECTED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE CULVERTS TODAY.
AND SO WE WE LOOKED AT THE GRADING OF THOSE PROPERTIES IN PARTICULAR, BASED ON BASED ON THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM AT LEAST ONE RESIDENT ON DOBIE.
AND SO THE FRONT YARDS DRAIN TOWARDS THE DITCH, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE A CULVERT TYING INTO THE LARGER DRAIN. THE LARGER DRAIN DRAIN DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, THE REAR YARD STARTING APPROXIMATELY AROUND THE BACK OF THE YARD DRAINS INTO THE DANIEL'S DRAIN AREA.
SO BASICALLY WE TOOK OUT THE FRONT YARD WHERE THE TOPOGRAPHY IS GRADING TOWARDS THE DITCH WITHOUT CULVERTS.
AND SO THERE BENEFIT ACREAGE, WHICH IS EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN, WAS REDUCED BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT WAS TAKEN OUT IN THE FRONT YARD.
WE DO HAVE A MAP. I THOUGHT IT WAS SHARED WITH THE RESIDENT AND QUESTION BY OUR CHIEF ENGINEER. IF IT WASN'T, I WILL MAKE SURE OUR CHIEF ENGINEER REACHES OUT TO THE SIX PROPERTY OWNERS COMPRISING SEVEN PARCELS TO GIVE THEM THAT MAP.
THAT MAP SHOWS THE LINE OF DELINEATION THAT WAS OR THE LINES IN THE SAND, SO TO SPEAK, BETWEEN WHERE WE BELIEVE THE TOPOGRAPHY IS RUNNING TOWARDS THE FRONT DITCH ADJACENT TO DOBIE ROAD, WHERE THERE IS NO CULVERTS, WHERE THERE ARE NO CULVERTS VERSUS THE REAR YARD, WHERE IT'S DRAINING INTO THE DANIEL'S DRAIN DISTRICT.
SO THOSE ARE SIX PROPERTY OWNERS AND SEVEN UNIQUE PARCELS WHERE THE PROCESS IS WORKING.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE OTHER CHANGES BETWEEN THE FIRST ASSESSMENT ROLL AND THE SECOND.
SO I THINK THAT NEARLY COMPLETES ALL THE INDIVIDUAL CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN THE TWO ROLES AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE COMMENTED THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THE METHODOLOGY OF THE ASSESSMENTS.
AND IS THERE SOME OTHER LIGHTNESS? IS THERE SOME OTHER METHODOLOGY THAT COULD BE USED THAT I THINK YOU KIND OF MENTIONED SOMETHING THE P VALUES COULD BE REEVALUATED.
AGAIN, THIS IS PART ART, PART SCIENCE, AND THAT'S JUST TRUE OF ANY DRAIN ASSESSMENT ROLE.
BUT THIS IS ALL OF THESE THE C VALUE OF THE A VALUE AND THE P VALUE ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN DRAIN ASSESSMENTS.
THE P VALUE IS NOT ALWAYS FOUND.
P VALUE IS INTEGRATED TO INCREASE THE ASSESSMENT FOR THE PONDS, CO-OPERATIVES, PONDS, COOPERATIVE PARCELS BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY INITIALLY APPROACHED THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT PETITIONING AND THEN THAT 2016 BOARD DID IN FACT PETITION.
AND THEN FROM THERE THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT ACTIVELY INVOLVED BECAUSE WE HAVE NO LEGAL AUTHORITY OVER THE SCOPE OF THE WORK AND THEREFORE THE COST OR THE ENGINEERING CONTRACT. THAT WAS ONE QUESTION.
I DO HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT I WROTE DOWN, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT A RESIDENT ASKED WAS WHO THE CONTRACTOR PERFORMING THE WORK, WHICH IS HOFFMAN.
WHO'S THE CONTRACT WITH? WELL, IT'S NOT WITH THE TOWNSHIP.
WE DON'T DO WORK ON ANY DRAIN.
THERE'S NOT A SINGLE DRAIN THAT WE DO WORK ON.
WE DON'T MAINTAIN ANY OF THE DRAINS.
SO THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WAS RAISED.
THAT'S NOT THE TOWNSHIP'S AREA.
ALL THE DRAINS ARE MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE.
SO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE ENGINEERING FIRMS AND THE CONTRACTOR, BETWEEN THE DRAIN OFFICE, INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE, AND THOSE FIRMS THAT THEY'VE HIRED.
AND THEY DID. THEY WENT THROUGH COMPETITIVE BIDS TO SELECT THOSE FIRMS. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND A COUPLE OF STATEMENTS TO MAKE REGARDING THE P VALUES AND HOW THEY'RE ALLOCATED AT THIS TIME.
SO I'LL ASK A COUPLE OF BACKGROUND QUESTIONS FIRST THAT MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT WITH.
HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY UNITS OFFHAND ARE IN THE PONDS COOPERATIVES, HOW MANY UNITS? THEREABOUTS. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN EXACT I BELIEVE WHEN I WORKED LAST IT WAS 189.
I THINK A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH ACTUALLY TURNS UP HOW MANY CONDOMINIUMS ARE IN THERE.
THEY'RE OWNER OCCUPIED CONDOS.
AND SO IS IT EXPECTED THAT THE PETITIONING ORGANIZATION FROM 2016 THAT ORIGINALLY CAME TO
[02:25:07]
THE BOARD FOR THE CHAPTER 20 DRAIN PETITION, IS THAT THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL PASS THE COST ALONG VIA ASSESSMENT TO THEIR RESIDENTS? YES. YEAH, THEY WILL HAVE TO.SO THEY'LL DECIDE HOW TO COST SHARE.
EVERY CONDO ASSOCIATION DOES IT DIFFERENTLY.
SURE, THEY MIGHT LOOK AT BEDROOMS OR OTHERWISE, BUT IT'S THERE'S TWO PARCELS.
THERE'S AN ASSESSMENT FOR EACH PARCEL, WHICH IS THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT.
IT HAS TO BE AN ASSESSMENT FOR EACH PARCEL.
THAT'S WHY EVEN THE ONES THAT ARE ZEROED OUT ARE STILL IN THE ASSESSMENT ROLL.
RIGHT. SO I GUESS MY MY ISSUE IS WE'RE LOOKING AT AN OVERALL ASSESSMENT ROLE OF WITHOUT THE TWO PONDS COOPERATIVE GROUPS IS 353 PROPERTY OWNERS ONCE YOU TAKE OUT THE PONDS, BUT THE PONDS MAKES UP 189 WITHIN THE TWO LINE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE.
AND I SEE THAT THEY'RE PAYING MORE.
BY MY CALCULATION, THEY'RE PAYING ABOUT ONE SEVENTH OF THE TOTAL RESIDENT COST OF THE ASSESSMENT. RIGHT.
SO IT'S FIVE POINT SOMETHING, 5.6 MILLION.
5.5 MILLION OVERALL, THE TOWNSHIPS COVERING HALF.
AND OF THE REMAINING 2.7 OR 2.8, LET'S SAY ROUND IT UP, THE PONDS IS COVERING 400,000, WHICH IS 14% ESSENTIALLY OF THE RESIDENT PORTION OF THE DRAIN ASSESSMENT.
SO I SAY ALL THIS AS BACKGROUND.
TO SAY THIS TO ME FEELS WAY TOO LOW.
AND I BELIEVE AND I THINK THAT I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE DISCUSSION THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING LATER THIS WEEK, THAT WE NEED TO DRAMATICALLY REEVALUATE THE P VALUE FOR THESE PONDS PROPERTIES, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT BY A NUMBER OF THE RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF BENEFIT GOING TO THE PONDS DIRECTLY.
AS TREASURER DESCHAINE POINTED OUT, THEY ARE UNWILLING TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO ALLOW SOME OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OF THIS PRIVATE BENEFIT THAT THEY'LL BE GETTING.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAD THEY BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE COOPERATIVE, THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE WIGGLE ROOM.
HAD THEY NOT PASSED THE COST ALONG TO 189 CONDOS, THERE MIGHT BE MORE WIGGLE ROOM.
I TO ME, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THERE'S A DISCUSSION AS TO WHAT THE P VALUES SHOULD BE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAKING A RELATIVELY RADICAL INCREASE TO THE PONDS PROPERTIES TO HELP TO DEFRAY THE COST TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL, I HAVE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS, BUT I THINK WE'LL GET INTO THOSE AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE DRAIN OFFICE AS WELL.
TRUSTEE WILSON? THANK YOU. I WANT TO KEEP THIS TO ASSESSMENTS BECAUSE I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM THE COMMISSION. BUT DO YOU HAVE SINCE THIS, THE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT AND ALL OF THE DETAILS RELATED TO THE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE REPRESENTED TODAY IS ONGOING.
DO YOU HAVE A DEADLINE TO FINALIZE THE ASSESSMENT ROLL? YEAH. SO WE WOULD LOOK TO BRING RESOLUTION FIVE TO THE BOARD BASED ON ADDITIONAL CHANGES THAT WE WILL MAKE BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT TONIGHT, PUBLIC INPUT THAT HAS PRECEDED THIS EVENING'S PUBLIC HEARING. WE'VE ALREADY HAD RESIDENTS COMING IN AND CALLING EVERY DAY SINCE THE SECOND NOTICE WENT OUT WITH THE UPDATED ASSESSMENT.
AND I THINK IT BEARS IMPORTANCE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF SOME RESIDENTS WERE CONFUSED.
I'VE GOT THREE ASSESSMENT NUMBERS.
THAT'S INTENTIONAL. THAT'S YOU DON'T HAVE THREE ASSESSMENTS.
YOUR ASSESSMENT IS CHANGING BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT.
SO THE MOST RECENT NOTICE THAT YOU JUST RECEIVED IS WHAT YOUR CURRENT ASSESSMENT WOULD BE, BUT IT'S STILL SUBJECT TO PUBLIC INPUT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A FIVE RESOLUTION PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH TO GET THAT PUBLIC INPUT AND TO HAVE THE TIME TO FACILITATE ALL THE ONE ON ONE MEETINGS.
SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE BRINGING RESOLUTION FIVE AT THE APRIL 26TH MEETING OR POSSIBLY THE MAY 3RD MEETING.
IT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED AT ONE OF THOSE TWO MEETINGS IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER TAX BILL.
SO THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS DO GO ON THE TAX BILL.
AND THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT IF YOU SELL YOUR HOME WITH A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.
SO TYPICALLY THAT WOULD BE RECONCILED AT SALE.
AND SO TYPICALLY THE SELLER WOULD, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOU HAVE TO WORK AT CLOSING WITH THE BUYER ON THAT TO ARRIVE AT AN AGREEMENT ON WHO'S GOING TO PAY WHAT
[02:30:01]
PERCENT OF THE REMAINING COST.TYPICALLY THE BUYER OR THE SELLER WOULD LOOK TO THE BUYER TO PAY THE REMAINING COST, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'VE ALREADY PAID THEIR SUMMER TAX BILL.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME CLUNKINESS WITH THAT.
IF YOU JUST PAY YOUR SUMMER TAX BILL AND YOU SELL YOUR HOME, THEN THE BUYER WON'T GET A TAX BILL UNTIL THE WINTER TAX BILL COMES OUT.
THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A DATE IN WHICH YOU ACTUALLY CLOSE ON THE HOME AS IMPORTANT, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO RECONCILE AND PAY THE ASSESSMENT OFF AT CLOSING.
DOES THE LIABILITY GO WITH THE PROPERTY ITSELF? YOU WOULD HAVE TO RECONCILE AND PAY OFF THE ASSESSMENT AT CLOSING.
SO THERE WOULD BE NO ASSESSMENT OF THE OWNER? YEAH. AND SO TYPICALLY AGAIN, THE SELLER WOULD LOOK TO THE BUYER BECAUSE THEY'VE PAID IT PROPORTIONATELY OVER LET'S SAY FIVE YEARS.
SO THEY PAID A QUARTER OF THE ASSESSMENT.
THEY WOULD LOOK TO THE BUYER TO PAY THE REMAINING 15 YEARS.
THAT BRINGS US TO SEEMS TO ME TO OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS OFFICE, NOT ME. MADAM SUPERVISOR, WOULD YOU GIVE ME JUST ONE MOMENT HERE REAL QUICK? I JUST WANT TO SHOW BECAUSE I KNOW THE WHISPERING OAKS RESIDENTS ARE FEELING SOME STICKER SHOCK BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN THEIR ASSESSMENT.
I WANT TO REVISIT THIS ONE MORE TIME, JUST TO SLOWLY AND METHODICALLY WALK THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED WITH WHISPERING OAKS.
OKAY, SO I SHOWED YOU THE MAP WHERE WE HAVE THE OPEN SPACE AND COMMONS AREA AND IT'S 8.5 ACRES AND CHANGE.
SO ORIGINALLY THE FIRST ASSESSMENT ROLL IN THE FALL WOULD HAVE JUST BILLED THE HOA THE AMOUNT FOR THAT ASSESSMENT.
THAT IS NOT THE PROPER WAY TO GO THROUGH IT, BUT REALLY NOTHING CHANGED MONETARILY EXCEPT IT WAS HIDDEN OR CONCEALED.
AND THAT IS THE TOWNSHIP'S FAULT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CORRECTED SINCE I CAME ON STAFF.
AND SO THIS THESE PURPLE LINES ARE THE WHISPERING OAKS RESIDENTS.
AND SO, YES, THEIR ASSESSMENTS HAVE GONE UP PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE YOU'VE ADDED 8.5 ACRES DIVIDED BY 30, SO YOU'VE NEARLY DOUBLED YOUR ACREAGE.
THAT IS WHY YOUR ASSESSMENT HAS NEARLY DOUBLED.
SO THIS COLUMN, THIS FAR RIGHT COLUMN.
I CAN'T ZOOM IN ANYMORE ON IT.
ON THE TV REALLY DENOTES THE CHANGE, THE INCREASE.
SO IT'S IT'S VERY LAST COLUMN.
SO IF YOU COME IN OR IF YOU SEND US AN EMAIL AT DPW, I CAN GIVE YOU YOUR UNIQUE PARCEL NUMBERS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT TO COMPARE TO.
BUT THOSE DID EXPERIENCE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES.
HOWEVER, EVEN IF THE FIRST ROLL HAD BEEN ADOPTED, THESE DOLLAR SIGNS IN THIS COLUMN RIGHT HERE WOULD ALL HAVE JUST BEEN ADDED UP AND BILLED TO YOUR HOA, AND THEN YOUR HOA WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY THE BILL SO THEY WOULD LOOK TO COLLECT DUES.
SO THE ASSESSMENT HASN'T FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED WITHIN MISTY WOOD.
IT'S WHERE THE ASSESSMENT APPLIES IN WHICH PARCELS IT APPLIES TO.
I DO APOLOGIZE THAT WE DID NOT GET THE ASSESSMENT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THIS WAY THE FIRST TIME AROUND WHERE THE OPEN SPACE COMMONS PARCEL HAD NO ASSESSMENT, BUT THE ASSESSMENT THAT SHOULD APPLY TO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SPREAD OUT OVER THOSE 30 PARCELS.
WE'VE WE CORRECTED THIS TWO OR THREE WEEKS AFTER I STARTED ON FEBRUARY 14TH PRECEDING BRINGING RESOLUTION THREE WITH THE SECOND PERSPECTIVE ROLL WITH THESE UPDATES.
SO I JUST THINK THAT BEARS A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
AND JANIS AND I ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANY RESIDENTS TO GO OVER THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS. BUT WE DO HAVE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND WE CAN EXPLAIN WHY EVERY SINGLE PARCEL CHANGED DOWN TO THE CENTER IF WE NEED TO.
BUT PART OF IT IS THE PARCELS THAT WERE ZEROED OUT, THE PUBLIC PARCELS, CORNELL ELEMENTARY, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ACREAGE CONVERSION FROM GIS TO ASSESSING RECORDS.
THE OPEN SPACE COMMONS AREA ADJUSTMENT TREE TOP ALSO HAD AN OPEN SPACE COMMONS AREA ZEROED OUT AND SPREAD OVER THE TREE TOP PARCELS.
AND THEN WE HAD THE TOWNSHIP PARK AS WELL, SO AND THEN THE DOBIE ROAD PARCELS WHERE THE FRONT YARD WAS ESSENTIALLY TAKEN OUT OF THE DRAIN DISTRICT.
BUT AGAIN, WE CAN'T CHANGE THE BOUNDARY OF THE DREAM DISTRICT.
THE DREAM DISTRICT STILL SUGGESTS THAT THE DOBIE ROAD PARCELS ARE 100% IN.
I DON'T HAVE ANY STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO MOVE THAT BOUNDARY.
HOWEVER, WE DID ADJUST THEIR BENEFIT ACRES RESPECTIVE TO THE ACREAGE THAT'S FLOWING OR SHEDDING WATER TOWARDS THE FRONT YARD AND THE DITCH WITHOUT A CULVERT VERSUS THE BACKYARD THAT SHEDS OR HAS WATER RUNOFF INTO THE DANIELS DRAIN AREA OR DISTRICT.
[02:35:03]
SO WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND WE WILL HAVE THE DRAIN OFFICE AND GI, THEIR ENGINEERING FIRM COME AND TALK ABOUT SCOPE AND COST OF THE PROJECT AND WHAT HAS OCCURRED SINCE 2016.BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU IF YOU CAN GET READY.
THIS IS A SHORT QUESTION TO YOU.
TALK ABOUT WHO HAS AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT PART OF THIS PROCESS? WOULD YOU VERY BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ONE MORE TIME FOR EVERYONE HOW WE GOT HERE? YEAH. SO WE'RE GIVEN THE FINAL COST AND OUR ONLY STATUTORY AUTHORITY UNDER CHAPTER 20 OF THE DRAIN CODE. SO THIS IS STATE LAW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? THE DRAIN CODE IS A STATE ACT THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE LEGISLATURE, SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR. IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN 1956, HAS BEEN AMENDED MANY TIMES SINCE THEN.
THE ONLY THING THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDER CHAPTER 20 OF THE DRAIN CODE IS SETTING THE ASSESSMENT ROLL.
SO WE TAKE WE COME IN AT THE VERY END BASED ON SCOPE OF WORK, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM THE ENGINEERING, RIGHT? THEY SCOPE ALL THE DRAIN LINES, THEY DETERMINE THE DIAMETER OF THE DRAIN PIPE.
AND IF THE DIAMETER NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED, IF THERE'S CRACKS OR DAMAGE TO THE DRAINPIPE, THE PONDS WORK, THE CULVERT OR THE DRAIN PIPE UNDER GRAND RIVER AVENUE, ALL OF THAT ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT.
SO THEY DO PUBLIC BIDS AND THEY'LL RECEIVE CONCEALED SEALED BIDS FOR THE PROJECT, AND THEN THEY'LL DETERMINE WHICH BID THEY WANT TO GO WITH FOR THE CONTRACTOR.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU ARRIVE AT COST, RIGHT? THE CONTRACTORS ARE ALL EXAMINING THE SCOPE OF WORK IN THE RFP OR THE BID DOCUMENTS AND DECIDING HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO BID ON IT.
AND SO THAT'S HOW YOU ARRIVE WITH $6 MILLION PROJECT.
WE THEN HAVE TO TAKE THAT NUMBER AND THE DRAIN OFFICE, UNDER THE DRAIN CODE DICTATES TO US WHAT THE APPORTIONMENT IS FOR THE ROAD DEPARTMENT.
SO THEY HAVE A SMALL APPORTIONMENT COST WHEN THEY PULL UP THAT REAL QUICK.
SO THE APPORTIONMENT FOR INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT WAS 13.62%.
MDOT HAD TWO APPORTIONMENT COSTS.
ONE WAS 3.33%, ONE WAS 8.66%, AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP WAS 81.39%.
AND SO WE'RE PAYING 50% OF THAT.
SO RESIDENTS ARE PAYING HALF OF 81%.
SO THEY'RE PAYING 40.5% OF THE OVERALL PROJECT BASED ON THE APPORTIONMENT.
BUT THE DRAIN OFFICE DICTATES THE APPORTIONMENT TO US.
IT'S THERE. SO THEY DETERMINE THE APPORTIONMENT BETWEEN THE THREE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, ROAD DEPARTMENT, MDOT AND US.
AND THEN UNDER CHAPTER 20, WE HAVE TO SET THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLL.
AND THE ASSESSMENT ROLL DOES NEED TO PAY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT.
ONE OTHER OUR FUNDING WAS BROUGHT UP.
ONE OF THE THREE PROHIBITIONS ON ARP FUNDING IS PAYING DOWN DEBT.
THIS PROJECT WAS PAID WITH BONDS PUBLICLY SOLD AND AUCTIONED BONDS.
AND SO IT IS DEBT RIGHT BY THE DRAIN OFFICE? YES, BY THE DRAIN OFFICE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY STATUTORY AUTHORITY OVER THE BONDING TO PAY FOR THE PROJECT EITHER.
SO WE BASICALLY HANDLE THE ASSESSMENT ROLE.
DRAIN OFFICE HANDLES THE SCOPE OF WORK, ENGINEERING, BIDDING IT, HIRING THE CONTRACTOR AND WHATEVER THE FINAL NOTE OR ITEM THAT YOU JUST SAID, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
SO I WILL ADMIT IT IS A VERY COMPLEX PROJECT.
I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION THAT RESIDENTS ARE FEELING, BUT WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT SPECIFICALLY SO THAT WE CAN EVALUATE THEIR PARCEL ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
OKAY. HAS THE TOWNSHIP EVER IN HISTORY PAID 50% OF THE DRAIN COST THE WAY WE ARE IN THIS PARCEL? NO. TYPICALLY WE PAY 15 TO 35% WOULD BE THE NORM.
SO THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE AND THIS IS NOT THE UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT THE HIGHEST COST, THE TWO TOWER DRAINS, IT'S TWO SEPARATE DRAINS.
[02:40:03]
BUT THEY WERE DONE AT THE SAME TIME IN 2005 THAT EXCEEDED 9 MILLION IN COST.BUT NO, THIS IS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A DRAIN PROJECT BY ROUGHLY WHATEVER, 15% ON TOP OF 35, AS I THINK IT'S ABOUT A 40% INCREASE OVER WHAT WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE.
READY TO HEAR FROM THE DRAIN OFFICE? GOOD EVENING. I'M PAUL PRATT, DEPUTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER FOR PAT LINDEMAN.
I'VE WORKED FOR HIM FOR 21 YEARS NOW.
HE WOULD ORDINARILY BE HERE, BUT HE IS SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND HOPING TO COME OUT OF IT AT SOME POINT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HE'S PRETTY MUCH STAYING HOME.
HE WANTED ME TO EMPHASIZE HOW PROUD HE IS OF THIS PROJECT AND HOW NECESSARY IT IS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT.
MR. SENSI IS HERE FROM GEI ENGINEERS AND HE WILL TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE AND THE ENGINEERING INVOLVED AND THEN I WILL WANT TO MAKE SOME REMARKS, PARTICULARLY IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT HAVE THAT HAVE COME UP.
I APOLOGIZE TO TREASURER DESCHAINE.
THERE'S A VERY, WE ARE VERY RIGIDLY RESPECTING THE FACT THAT IN THIS CASE, UNLIKE ANY OTHER DRAIN, WE DO NOT HAVE A SAY IN THE ASSESSMENT.
AND SO ASKING OUR ENGINEER WHAT HE THINKS OF YOUR ASSESSMENT IS JUST NOT NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AND THE THAT IS THE ROLE OF THE TOWNSHIP IN THIS KIND OF DRAIN. AND I WILL DISCUSS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE ABOUT CHAPTER 20 AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO CHANGE GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME AWKWARDNESS WITH CHAPTER 20.
BUT FIRST I WANT MR. SENSI TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE WALK YOU THROUGH THE ENGINEERING PRESENTATION.
IT WAS LOADED DOWN HERE REAL QUICK.
AND BEFORE WE START AGAIN, MY NAME IS BRIAN SENSI.
I'M A LICENSED ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON DRAIN PROJECTS. THIS IS MY 22ND YEAR IS PRETTY MUCH ALL I DO IS WORK FOR DIFFERENT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
I THINK MY CURRENT NUMBER IS 17 DIFFERENT OFFICES I'VE WORKED FOR THROUGHOUT ALL THE WAY FROM LELAND ISLE, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LENAWEE IN MONROE COUNTY.
SO. AND ONE THING, TOO, YOU MENTIONED, YOU JUST ASKED THE QUESTION, MA'AM, ABOUT IF THERE'S ANY PROJECT.
AND THE SUPERVISORS MENTIONED TOWER.
THE TOWNSHIP WAS 49 AND A HALF PERCENT IN THAT PROJECT.
AND I ONLY KNOW BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ENGINEER ON THAT PROJECT 15 YEARS AGO.
SO. AND THAT WAS A TOTAL BETWEEN TWO PROJECTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ASSESSMENT STUFF HAS COME OUT IN THE LAST WEEK, CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT WORK THAT'S GOING ON IN DIFFERENT AREAS. AND THEN SUPERVISOR ASKED THAT I COME AND BASICALLY GIVE MORE DETAIL IN REGARDS TO THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING WE GAVE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT TO THE RESIDENTS TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS GOING TO BE DONE.
I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BREAKDOWN IN THE HISTORY OF THE DANIEL'S DRAIN.
IT WAS THE FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1923.
IT WAS A TILE DRAIN SYSTEM BETWEEN AN EIGHT INCH AND 18 INCH TILE.
AND BASICALLY IT WENT FROM WHERE IT OUTLETS NOW TO THE UNRUH DRAIN, WHICH IS 1200 FEET NORTH OF GRAND RIVER AND WENT IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
AND WHERE THE POND NOW IS, YOU'LL SEE ON THE AERIAL ON THE NEXT PAGE I HAVE THAT BASICALLY WAS THE LOW SPOT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT THEY WERE INSTALLING THAT DRAIN SYSTEM TO DRAIN THAT LOW AREA ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT WAS PROBABLY WET TO GET FARM AND GET AGRICULTURAL OUT OF IT. THE NEXT PETITION THAT WAS RECEIVED THAT ACTUALLY STARTED IN 1967, WE'RE ACTUALLY BEAT THE PROCESS THAT THEY DID IN THE LAST PETITION, WHICH DIDN'T GO TO CONSTRUCTION UNTIL THE 1974.
AND IN THAT PROJECT, THEY ESSENTIALLY WERE EXPANDING THE DANIEL'S DRAIN AND THEN DIGGING THE DETENTION POND.
SO THE DANIEL'S DRAIN, WHEN IT STARTED OUT, THE DETENTION POND THAT'S ON THE CO-OP PROPERTY THAT WAS BASICALLY SET UP AS A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
YES, IT WAS BUILT ON THE CO-OPS PROPERTY, BUT IT'S MORE JUST A SUBJECT OF THE LOCATION
[02:45:04]
WHERE THEY'RE AT. THAT'S WHERE THE LOW AREA WITHIN THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE GRAND RIVER BLOCKED IT AND THE AREA COLLECTED WATER.SO THEY EXPANDED A DETENTION BASIN FOR THE AREA AND THEN THEY BASICALLY INSTALLED LARGER PIPE BASICALLY TO GET IT UP TO DOBIE ROAD.
AND AGAIN, TO ME, THIS THIS IS VERY COMMON.
IT WAS DONE AS A CHAPTER 20 DRAIN AT THE TIME, AND IT WAS LOOKING AT MORE REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS AREA, LOOKING OUT THAT IT WAS MOSTLY ZONED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES ALL IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS IN 2016.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A BACKGROUND BEFORE WE GOT JUST TO A PETITION, THE FIRST MEETING I EVER WENT TO WAS IN 2013 TO THE CO-OP BOARD, AND THEY HAD ISSUES WITH THEIR POND AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE IN ORDER TO BASICALLY GET IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED BECAUSE IT HAD FILLED IN A LOT.
SO HERE'S JUST SOME AERIALS THAT I PULLED.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM LEFT THERE, THAT ONCE FROM 1955, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S VERY LITTLE SUBDIVISIONS OR ANY RESIDENTIAL HOMES.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE AREA WHERE HILLSIDE DRIVE, I BELIEVE THAT IS, AND MARLBORO ROAD AND WHATNOT, THAT PORTION OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THAT FOREST HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE DISTRICT IS JUST ABOUT GETTING STARTED WITH CONSTRUCTION. SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE AGE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THOSE UTILITIES OF THE PIPES IN THAT AREA THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY REPLACING.
SO THIS IS PRE THE VERY FIRST PROJECT AND AGAIN, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE A POND THERE BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT POND WASN'T CONSTRUCTED UNTIL 74, BUT THEN YOU BEGIN TO SEE THE BUILD OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN THOSE AREAS.
NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE 81, WHICH AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE POST THE CO-OP GOING IN.
I BELIEVE THE CO-OP WAS IN THE LATE SEVENTIES WHEN THEY FIRST WENT IN.
AND THEN WE HAVE 99, WHICH YOU CAN KIND OF SEE BUILT OUT.
SO THE BIG CHANGE BETWEEN 81 AND 99, BASICALLY THE ENTIRE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE CORNELL WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE WHISPERING OAKS, ALL THAT ALL THOSE PROPERTIES OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WENT IN TO GIVE YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHY THE POND, WHICH IS ON THE GOLF'S PROPERTY, IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT IS FOR THEIR BENEFIT, IT IS A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
SO THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF DRAINAGE LAW IN MICHIGAN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROPERTY CAN DRAIN HOWEVER IT HAS ONTO OTHER PROPERTIES.
SO IF YOU LIVE HIGH IN THE HILL, YOU CAN DRAIN OFF TO OTHER PROPERTIES, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR PROPERTY THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT YOUR NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAINAGE. SO WHAT WE'VE ACCUSTOMED THAT TO BE IS WE NEED TO MANAGE WHAT THE FLOW, WHICH IS THE VOLUME OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND THAT DISCHARGE THAT COMES FROM A PROPERTY.
SO MOST DEVELOPMENTS, SINGLE DEVELOPMENTS GO IN, RESTAURANT GOES IN, THEY HAVE CERTAIN STORM WATER DETENTION REQUIREMENTS AND NOW THEY HAVE NEW STORM WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE THROUGH THE DRAIN OFFICE THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE'S NOT ANY DETENTION.
SINCE THERE WERE BUILT OR CONSTRUCTED, THERE IS A WETLAND AREA, I BELIEVE, ALL THE WAY OVER ON IVY WOOD ON THE FAR WEST HAND SIDE, WHICH SOME PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED, BUT THAT AT THAT TIME IN 99 WAS A REGULATED WETLAND, THAT THEY WERE LEFT TO KEEP IN.
BUT THERE'S NO OTHER STORM WATER DETENTION AREAS TO HOLD WATER.
THEY'RE USING THE PINE THAT'S ON THE DANIEL'S OR ON THE COURT PROPERTY.
THAT IS A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
SO THE IDEA BEHIND A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM IS IF YOU CAN BUILD DETENTION FOR A BUNCH OF PROPERTIES OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT WOULD HAVE HAD TO BUILD THEIR OWN DETENTION, YOU NOW ALLOW MORE HOMES OR LOTS TO BE DEVELOPED IN THOSE AREAS AND YOU MOVE THE DETENTION AREA TO THIS ONE REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE DONE VERY SIMILAR TYPES OF SYSTEMS LIKE THIS.
THE EASTWOOD AREA IN THE WEST PORTION OF THAT NEAR LAKE SAM'S WAY IN MID MICHIGAN'S POSITION, THAT IS AN ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT'S DRAINED BY A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
SO INSTEAD OF PUT AN INDIVIDUAL DETENTION BASINS OR INFILTRATION AREAS AND ALL THE INDIVIDUAL LOTS, IF A 7-ELEVEN GOES IN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUILD A SMALL LITTLE BASIN IN THE BACK. THEY USE OUR REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM AND A PORTION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR IMPERVIOUSNESS IS COVERED WITHIN THAT REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT ALL THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN THIS BASIN AND YOU'LL SEE WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
SO WE ORIGINALLY APPROACH WITH DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE ESSENTIALLY WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON.
THE POND DID NOT ACT LIKE IT SHOULD BE.
IT BASICALLY HAD VERY LITTLE TO NO DETENTION THAT WAS TAKING PLACE.
THE OUTLET CONTROL, THEY HAD THE WATER NEAR THE TOP WHERE THE OUTLET THE WATER WOULD
[02:50:03]
LEAVE. IN OUR BUSINESS, IN TERMS OF STORM WATER DETENTION, WE WANT FREE SPACE, AIR SPACE, A POND THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THE ABILITY FOR MORE WATER TO ENTER INTO IT DOESN'T REALLY DO US ANY GOOD. SO PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE REDEVELOPED HAS MADE THIS A TRUE DETENTION BASIN WHICH IT HAS A NORMAL WATER LEVEL, BUT THEN THE HIGH WATER LEVEL IN WHICH IT CAN STORE ALL THIS WATER FROM ALL THE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT RUN OFF INTO IT CAN BE DETAINED IN THAT AREA. SO THAT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING.AND THEN THE OTHER THING, ONE THING THAT WAS NEVER DONE IN THE 74 PROJECT, THEY HAD PLANNED TO PUT A NEW 24 INCH RCP STORM SEWER UNDERNEATH GRAND RIVER AVENUE.
THERE ARE VERY ODD NOTES THAT ARE ON MDOT'S AS BUILTS, THAT THEY ENDED UP NOT DECIDING TO REPLACE THAT.
WE NOW THINK WE REALIZE WHY THAT IS, BECAUSE WE REPLACE THAT PIPE.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MDOT PAID FOR REPLACING THAT PIPE IN THAT SECTION.
SO IT IS A COST THEY PAID IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFIT WE CALL, BUT WE RAN INTO A TEN INCH GAS MAIN THAT BASICALLY SERVICES ALL THE WILLIAMSTON IN THE EAST HALF OF THE COUNTY THAT WAS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE ELEVATION OF THE PIPE THAT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ROAD I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A GAS MAIN 12 FEET DEEP IN THAT AREA.
THEY'RE NORMALLY 3 TO 4 FEET DEEP, SO THAT'S LIKELY THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
IT WAS RATE IN THEIR GRADE AND IMPACT AND THEY DECIDED NOT TO REPLACE THE PIPE.
SO THE ORIGINAL 15 INCH TILE THAT WAS IN PLACE IN 1923, THAT PIPE, 100 YEARS LATER WAS STILL IN THE GROUND ONCE WE JUST REPLACED IT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE WORK THAT TOOK PLACE.
THIS SLIDE HERE, I'LL JUST KIND OF SKIP THROUGH.
BUT THE THE WALDEN POND, IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW THE TOWNSHIP THE IMPACTS OF THIS THE THE DRAINAGE BASIN ON THEIR PROPERTY AND HOW IT HAD CHANGED OVER TIME AS MORE DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE, THERE'S MORE PHOSPHORUS SALT POLLUTION FROM RUNOFF.
SO THEY BASICALLY PREPARED THIS STUDY FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO BASICALLY GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF THIS IS ALSO A WATER QUALITY ISSUE BECAUSE THIS POND USED TO BE A LOT NICER, ACCORDING TO RESIDENTS, AND NOW IT GETS COVERED WITH ALGAE BLOOM BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY SO MUCH OF IT IS FILLED IN. THIS IS GOING TO BE TOUGH TO SEE.
BUT BASICALLY THIS IS AN EXISTING BATHYMETRIC SURVEY THAT WE TOOK IN THE POND.
NOW, THIS IS BACK IN 2013 THAT WE DID IT AND I'M SURE IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE ALL THESE NUMBERS IN HERE THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT DEPTH OF FILL THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE FROM THE ORIGINAL 74 CONSTRUCTION.
WE TOOK THE AS BUILTS AND THEN WE OVERLAID WITH THE EXISTING POND DIMENSIONS ARE AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN SOME AREAS LIKE WHERE THE WATER ENTERS ON THE WEST SIDE, WHICH WOULD BE TO THE LEFT IN THE PICTURE AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WHICH WOULD BE THE BOTTOM.
JUST AS IT ENTERS THE POND, THERE'S FIVE, SIX, SEVEN.
SOME SECTIONS WERE FILLED IN SEVEN FEET.
THIS USED TO BE A POND THAT WAS IN AS DEEP AS TEN, 11 FEET AREA THAT HAD FISH IN IT.
AND THAT IS FIVE, SIX FEET DEEP AND HAS FILLED IN SIGNIFICANTLY LOST OVER OVER 50% OF ITS CAPACITY. SO THIS JUST OVER A COUPLE OF LINES.
THE RED LINE HERE, THE BIGGER RED LINE, THAT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE A RECTANGULAR LOOKING U HERE WHERE MY CURSOR IS AT.
THAT IS THE EXISTING POND DIMENSIONS WHEN IT WAS DUG IN 74.
SO JUST A PRETTY STRAIGHT STANDARD POND.
THE GREEN LINE IS THE PROPOSED POND SYSTEM THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
SO WHAT WE INSTALLED WHERE THERE WERE TWO MAIN INPUTS IN THE SYSTEM, THERE'S ONLY TWO MAIN INPUTS IN THE POND, A 42 INCH PIPE AND A 24 INCH PIPE.
WE INSTALLED LARGE SEDIMENT, FOUR BAYS THAT BASICALLY CLEAN THE WATER BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE] INTO THE POND.
SO ALL THE MUCK AND STUFF GETS CAUGHT IN THOSE FOUR BAYS.
AND THEN WE'VE SET UP THOSE FOUR BAYS SO THAT THEY CAN BE MAINTAINED REGULARLY AND CAN MAINTAINED EASILY.
NOT HAVING TO GET OUT WITH THE HYDRO OR ANYTHING DIFFICULT WITH A LONG REACH EXCAVATOR TO TRY TO CLEAN UP THE POND IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE CAN JUST CLEAN OUT THE AREAS OF THESE FOUR BAYS WHICH ARE MUCH MORE COMMON AND EASIER TO CLEAN OUT.
THIS BLUE LINE, THIS DARKER BLUE LINE IS WHAT THE POND WAS WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED IT IN 2013. SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT A VOLUME DIFFERENCE, YOU GO BETWEEN THIS RED LINE AND DARKER BLUE LINE, AND THAT TELLS YOU THE AMOUNT OF FILL IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS ACROSS IT THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER TIME.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLUE LINE, DARK BLUE LINE COMPARED TO THE GREEN LINE OF OUR PROPOSED BOTTOM PROFILE, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH VOLUME WE'RE ADDING INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF REASON FOR THAT.
[02:55:01]
IT'S IMPROVED WATER QUALITY, THE TYPE OF VEGETATION WE CAN PUT BACK IN, WE CAN PUT OPEN WATER SPECIES IN THROUGH HERE AND THEY WILL SUSTAIN.SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT PROVIDE FOR A HEALTHIER ECOSYSTEM RATHER THAN JUST A MONOCULTURE WHICH HAD KIND OF TURNED INTO.
WE WENT OVER THERE'S BASICALLY BECAUSE IT'S THE CHAPTER 20 DRAIN, THERE'S ONLY THREE ENTITIES INVOLVED, THE TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENT OR COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ROADS AND MDOT, AND THEN THE TOTAL PROJECT COST, WHICH WAS REDUCED.
WE HAD SOME SAVINGS BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLICLY BONDED PROJECT, ABOUT 6.3 TO 9 MILLION, OF WHICH 77% ARE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
I PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S COMPARED TO MOST PROJECTS.
AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP AT OUR WHEN THE TOTAL PROJECT COST WAS APPROVED BY THE CHAPTER 20 BOARD, WHICH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS, THE MEMBER WHO THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS? CHAIR OF FINANCE, CHAIR OF BOARD OF COMMISSIONS.
ONE OF THOSE CHAIRS INDICATED WHAT A GREAT PROJECT THIS WAS AS FAR AS HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE OF THE COST WAS CONSTRUCTION.
AND IT'S FAIRLY HIGH TO HAVE THAT AMOUNT.
NORMALLY WE SEE 60, 65% BECAUSE ADMINISTRATIVELY SPEAKING, GRANT PROJECTS ARE VERY COMPLEX, LONG AND ARDUOUS.
THEY TYPICALLY REQUIRE A LOT OF LEGAL WORK DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO SHOW THAT OUR FOCUS WAS DO THE WORK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND FOCUS ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
SO THIS IS THE RED LINE IS THE SERVICE AREA.
AND THEN THE BLUE AREA WAS IN 2016 REALLY AS PART OF BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP AGREED TO PETITION JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND IN 2015 BECAUSE WE WERE DOING SOME MAINTENANCE WORK ON THE JOB FOR THE DRAIN OFFICE.
THE TOWNSHIP HIRED US TO SAY, OKAY, IF WE DID THIS PROJECT, NOW WE KNOW THERE'S ONLY THREE ENTITIES, WHAT WOULD OUR PERCENTAGE BE? SO THAT'S WHERE WE INITIALLY GOT THOSE PERCENTAGES, WHICH WAS OUR WITHIN LESS THAN A PERCENTAGE POINT ARE THE SAME ONES THAT WERE ENDED UP USING.
SO WE, THE TOWNSHIP WANTED TO HAVE AN IDEA BEFORE THEY PETITIONED WHAT TYPE OF PERCENT OF THE COST OF THE PROJECT THEY'RE GOING TO END UP HAVING TO DEAL WITH.
THE BLACK LINES ARE ALL THE PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY DRAIN SYSTEM.
MOST OF THEM ARE IN ROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY ANYWHERE.
IT'S OUT OF THE ROAD, RIGHT OF WAY.
WE HAD TO GET AN EASEMENT OR HAD AN EXISTING EASEMENT TO COVER ITS LOCATION.
THOSE JUST SHOW THE MAIN DRAIN.
IT DOESN'T SHOW ALL THE CATCH BASIN LEADS AND STUFF OFF OF THAT.
SO BEFORE WE DID ANYTHING IN 2015 OR EXCUSE ME, 2016 AND 2017, FOR ONCE THE PETITION WAS FIRST STARTED AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE DRAIN OFFICE DOES ON MOST OF THEIR DRAIN PROJECTS. AS YOU CAN SEE, PETITIONS ARE VERY COMMON ON DRAINS, CONSIDERING IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1920.
50 YEARS LATER WE HAD THE NEXT PETITION AND SOME 50 YEARS LATER WE HAVE THE NEXT PETITION. SO ABOUT EVERY 50 YEARS IS PROBABLY A NORMAL, AVERAGE FREQUENCY THAT THESE THINGS WOULD HAPPEN.
SO WE WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT THE DRAIN OFFICE DOES INTERNALLY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO SYSTEMS THAT DON'T REQUIRE ENGINEERING, DON'T REQUIRE CONSTRUCTION ITEMS. SO ONE THING THAT WAS VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE REALLY THIS DRAIN SYSTEM, OTHER THAN THE PETITION COSTS THAT WERE BASICALLY CONSTRUCTED THE MAIN PORTION TO THE POND AND THEN BASICALLY CONSTRUCTED THE MAIN OUT TO DOBIE ROAD ALL THE OTHER DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PART OF THIS DRAIN WERE BUILT UNDER WHAT'S CALLED 425 AND 433 AGREEMENTS OF DEVELOPMENT, MEANING SOMEONE BUILDS PHASE THREE OF CORNELL WOODS NUMBER TWO. AND SO THEY GO THROUGH THESE DOCUMENTS.
AND IN ORDER TO TURN OVER THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE ENTITIES, WHETHER IT'S A ROAD COMMISSION, THEY GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF TURNING OVER THAT DRAIN SYSTEM TO THE DRAIN OFFICE. SO BASICALLY ADDS ON PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY DRAIN TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS OFFICE. SO MOST OF THAT WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER THAT PROCESS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRIVATE DEVELOPERS OR PRIVATE ENTITIES.
AND IN MOST CASES BEFORE MOST OF THOSE SUBDIVISIONS AND CORNELL WOODS AREA WERE IN THE MID EIGHTIES TO LATE EIGHTIES, VERY EARLY NINETIES WHEN THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PRIOR TO THE CURRENT DRAIN.
COMMISSIONER PAT LINDEMANN GOING IN, IN WHICH THEN AT THAT POINT THEY USED TO HAVE HIS OWN STAFF INSPECT THOSE PRIVATE DRAINS THAT WERE GOING IN BUT WERE GOING TO BE TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY SYSTEM.
SO IT'S KIND OF A CRAPSHOOT SOMETIMES WHAT YOU GET WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU DIDN'T BUILD AND PERHAPS WAS NEVER INSPECTED BY YOUR OFFICE, YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO TAKE IT
[03:00:02]
OVER. SO THEY INVENTORIED AND CAMERA THE ENTIRE COUNTY DRAIN SYSTEM, ALL THE CATCH BASINS LEAD ALL THE MAINS.SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANY ISSUES WITH THE PIPE.
ARE THERE OBSTRUCTIONS? HAS THERE BEEN SIGNIFICANT INFLOW? WE FIND THINGS LIKE OTHER UTILITIES OR THROUGH OUR PIPES.
AS SOMEONE ELSE MENTIONED, SOME LEAD WENT THROUGH A WATER MAIN PIPE, WHICH I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. THAT'S CRAZY THAT THEY WENT THROUGH.
I THINK IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN THEY GO THROUGH A CONCRETE PIPE, THEY HAVE TO KNOW THEY'RE DRILLING THROUGH SOMETHING HARD.
THE PICTURE ON THE TOP LEFT IS JUST KIND OF A SUMMARY OF ALL THE DIFFERENT CRACKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THEY LOG THAT IN, THEY THEN GIVE US THE VIDEOTAPE AND WE MAKE A DETERMINATION BASED ON THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE IF IT'S IN GOOD ENOUGH SHAPE.
YOU KNOW, CRACKS IN PIPE AREN'T NECESSARILY BAD IF THEY'RE NOT THAT BIG.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TWO PICTURES YOU SEE, THERE'S ONE IN THE KIND OF THE TOP RIGHT AND IT'S LOOKING DOWN INTO A MANHOLE STRUCTURE AND A ONE TO BOTTOM LEFT.
ONE THING THE COUNTY DID, THEY WENT INTO EVERY MANHOLE STRUCTURE AND THEY COMPLETELY ELIMINATED ANY INFLOW OR INFILTRATION THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE STRUCTURES.
SO WHEN STRUCTURES FIRST ARE INSTALLED, THEY HAVE LARGER HOLES THAN FOR WHAT THE PIPE WAS MEANT TO FIT IN. SO THAT OUTER AREA IS USUALLY MORTARED IN WITH THE TYPE OF CONCRETE THAT TYPICALLY WILL DIMINISH A WASH AWAY.
AND AND SOMETIMES TEN YEARS LATER, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
SO YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF INFLOW.
YOU CAN GET A LOT OF TIMES AROUND STRUCTURES.
THAT'S USUALLY BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING A SINKHOLE COMING DOWN IN THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THESE FRESH PATCHES OF CONCRETE GOING ALL AROUND THE PIPES THAT ARE COMING IN. THEY WENT IN AND SEALED UP EVERY STRUCTURE.
SO ALL THAT COST IS INTO WHAT AS PART OF THIS WORK TOO AS WELL.
SO THEY MADE SURE ALL THE STRUCTURES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION AS THERE WERE ANY WHERE THEY SAID, HEY, THIS IS JUST UNREPAIRABLE.
THEN THAT'S A SITUATION WHERE WE MAY NEED TO INSTALL A NEW STRUCTURE BECAUSE WE WANT THIS THING TO BE SET FOR NOW, FOR AT A MINIMUM, THE NEXT 50 YEARS SO THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE DONE.
SO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK WENT INTO EVALUATING THE EXISTING SYSTEM.
AND THEN THAT LEADS IN EXCUSE ME, THE NEXT PICTURE THERE IN THE TOP, RIGHT? THAT'S LIKE A REPORT THAT WE GET WHEN THE COUNTY LOGS IN AND SAYS, OKAY, HERE'S ALL, HERE'S A CRACK, HERE'S THE PROTRUSION INTO THE PIPE.
THAT'S AN ISSUE. AND THEN THEY KIND OF RATE THEM ON A.
SCALE OF WHETHER IT'S SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO STRUCTURAL FAILURE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS WE GO THROUGH.
SO ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP AND THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS JUST GOING TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF WORK AND WHY WE ENDED UP WORKING IN THESE AREAS.
I'VE GOTTEN AT LEAST A HALF A DOZEN CALLS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASKED ABOUT WHY ARE YOU WORKING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE? AND IVY WOOD, I SAW THIS PIPE THAT YOU SAID WAS BROKEN AND IT LOOKED COMPLETELY FINE.
SO I PUT UP SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.
SO THERE WAS A SMALL PORTION OF PIPE THAT WE DID IN THE RIGHT NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MISTY WOOD AND IVY WOOD.
THIS IS WHERE WHISPERING OAKS WAS TIED INTO THE DANIEL'S DRAIN SYSTEM.
IT'S PROBABLY TOUGH TO SEE, BUT YOU'LL SEE A PIPE THAT CONNECTS THE CROSS.
WELL, ONE OF THE REASONS WE FIX THIS IS WHENEVER THEY TIE IT IN, THEY CUT ACROSS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND NEVER GOT AN EASEMENT TO TIE IN THE PIPE.
SO THAT HAPPENED TO CORRESPOND TO AN ISSUE.
THERE WAS BASICALLY SMALL CRACKING, WHICH LIKELY SOMETHING HIT IT LIKE A LEAD AND THAT CAUSES CRACKING TO FALL OUT FROM THAT AREA.
SO THAT WAS JUST OUTSIDE OF THE MANHOLE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE FIXED THIS ISSUE AND SIMPLY JUST TIE IT IN A NEW PIPE INTO THE MAIN. AND RATHER THAN HAVING IT CROSS ACROSS SOMEONE'S PROPERTY AND HAVE TO DIG UP THEIR PROPERTY.
ON IVY WOOD, WE REPLACED ABOUT A 300 FOOT SECTION OF EXISTING 24 INCH RCP PIPE.
THE REASON FOR THAT WAS MULTIPLE CRACKING IN THROUGH THESE AREAS.
AGAIN, CRACKING IN CONCRETE PIPE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BAD.
THE ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH IT IS IF IT'S A LARGE ENOUGH CRACK THAT THE CRACK GETS INTO AND EXPOSING THE REBAR, THE STEEL REBAR THAT IS IN THERE, THAT'S WHEN IT BECOMES A PROBLEM.
BECAUSE MOST OF THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH OF PIPE COMES FROM THE ACTUAL REBAR STEEL ITSELF.
SO WHEN IT'S LARGE ENOUGH AND WE FEEL THAT IT'S A LARGE ENOUGH CRACK WHERE IT CAN EXPOSED TO THAT OVER TIME, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE STRUCTURAL FAILURE.
SO THERE WERE JUST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, A LOT OF CRACKS IN THAT AREA.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF PIPE REPAIR ON PROJECTS.
ONE OF THEM I THINK IS PRETTY SURE.
I THINK THAT'S A PICTURE OF TOWER UP THERE THAT YOU HAVE ON THERE.
WE HAD A LOT OF CRACK PIPES THE SECOND YEAR YOU'LL SEE ON VIDEO AND THE CRACK WILL LOOK LIKE THAT IN THE CAMERA AND YOU DIG IT UP AND THERE'S NO CRACK IN THE OUTSIDE.
THAT'S TYPICALLY THE PIPE CRACKS, CRACKS LIKE THIS.
[03:05:01]
SO THE LARGEST CRACK IS GOING TO BE AT THE BOTTOM AND THE SMALLEST PORTION OF CRACK IS NEAR THE TOP. SOMETIMES YOU DON'T SEE IT AT ALL BECAUSE THAT PIPE IS TWO AND A HALF, THREE INCHES THICK SOMETIMES.SO IT'S A JUDGMENT CALL THAT WE LOOK AT THEIR REPORTS, HOW MODERATE THEY FEEL OR HOW SIGNIFICANT THE CRACKING IS.
THE IDEA BEHIND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REPLACE PIPES THAT ARE IN GOOD CONDITION. AND AGAIN, THE THE LITMUS TEST WAS, DO WE THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEED TO TOUCH FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS? SO THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND IT.
THE OTHER TWO LOCATIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE SERVICE OR SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE SERVICE AREA, THERE WAS A SMALL ONE ON SATIN WOOD, EXISTING 12 INCH SECTION WHERE THERE WAS DAMAGE RIGHT AT THE MANHOLE WHERE SENSORS ESSENTIALLY REPLACED THE STRUCTURE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SECTION ON SILKWOOD, AGAIN, ANOTHER 300 FOOT SECTION WHERE WE JUST HAD MULTIPLE PORTIONS OF CRACKING IN THAT SECTION WHERE WE REPAIRED THEM.
THE WORK. SO ON THE TOP LEFT, THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE WORK THAT IS NORTH OF GRAND RIVER.
WE COMPLETELY REPLACED THE PIPE UNDER GRAND RIVER AVENUE TO THE UNDER DRAINS.
SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A PIPE THAT IS JUST ABOUT 50 YEARS OLD.
THE ISSUE WITH THAT PIPE IS, AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THE PICTURES, WE DIDN'T GET GREAT VIDEO IN THERE BECAUSE MOST OF THE PIPE HAS ABOUT, IS HALF FULL OF WATER IN MOST SECTIONS. IT'S GOT A SIGNIFICANT BELLY IN IT, WHICH IN OUR CASE IS BASICALLY LOST CAPACITY OF A PIPE OF A 24 INCH PIPE IS HALF FULL OF WATER ALL THE TIME.
IT'S ONLY GOOD AS 50% AS FAR AS CAPACITY FROM OUR STANDPOINT.
BUT THE TOP RIGHT PICTURE IS JUST A SNIP OF OUR PLANS.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S THIS ABOUT A TWO FOOT BELLY IN THE PIPE THAT WE'RE FIXING IN THAT LOCATION. AND AGAIN, INSTALLING A NEW CONCRETE SECTION OF PIPE IN THIS PLACE.
FIXED THE GRADE ISSUE AS WELL, BUT WE SIMPLY REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME SIZE 24 INCH PIPE THAT IS IN PLACE NOW.
THE RED LINE IN THROUGH HERE IS A SNIP OF OUR PROFILE THROUGH THE SEDIMENT FOR BAYS.
SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT'S NORTH VIEW DRIVE IN THE IN THE PICTURE THAT SEDIMENT BAY ONE THAT LONG LINEAR ONE GOING EAST OR WEST TO THE EAST.
THE OTHER FOUR BAY IS KIND OF MORE OF A CIRCULAR SHAPE, BUT IT'S IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND PORTION. AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE SHALLOWER AREAS THAT ARE MEANT TO HAVE SEDIMENT FILL IN SO THAT WE CAN CLEAN IT OUT OVER TIME.
BUT THE RED SHOWS WHAT THE EXISTING GROUND PROFILE IS.
IF YOU TOOK A LINE THROUGH THERE AND THEN CUT IT LIKE A LIKE A LIKE A PIE, AND THEN THE PURPLE LINE SHOWS THE EXISTING END THROUGH THERE.
AND AGAIN, ONCE YOU HIT WHERE THIS BLUE LINE IS, THAT'S IN THE PORTION OF THE POND.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH OF THE POND HAD FILLED IN OVER TIME IN THOSE AREAS.
THIS IS JUST A RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE POND.
AND THEN WE INSTALLED A NEW OUTLET CONTROL STRUCTURE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WITH THE POND NOW IS THE CONTROL STRUCTURE IS KIND OF A PIECEMEAL FROM THE 74 PROJECT, THE BEST THEY CAN DO BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A 15 INCH PIPE, BUT IT GETS CLOGGED A LOT.
SO THIS BASICALLY IS INCREASING THE SURFACE AREA FOR OUR OPENINGS HAS A MUCH BETTER OVERFLOW SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE DETENTION, MEANING THAT THE WATER WILL RISE DURING STORM EVENTS AND THEN GO BACK DOWN AFTER A STORM EVENT.
HAVING A REGIONAL DETENTION SYSTEM DOES SEVERAL THINGS FOR US.
IT MEANS THAT WE CAN REDUCE PIPE SIZES.
SO WHEN YOU ADD DETENTION TO A NEW SYSTEM, YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY TAKING AWAY THE VOLUME AND THE CAPACITY ISSUE THAT YOU MAY NEED BY HAVING LARGER PIPE SIZES.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, THE FOOTPRINT OF IT, I THINK IT SAYS ON A NEXT SLIDE HERE, THEN THE LAST WORK IS OVER ON THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE DISTRICT.
THIS IS THE WORK ACROSS DOBIE ROAD AND THEN THE WORK DOWN IN THE FOREST HILLS SUBDIVISION, WHICH IS MISTY WOOD, [INAUDIBLE] HILLSIDE AND MARLBORO DRIVE, WE WERE INSTALLING BASICALLY THERE IS A VERY OLD STORM SEWER SYSTEM THAT WAS INSTALLED AS PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. AGAIN, THERE WAS NO PROCESS THAT IT WENT THROUGH BECAUSE THIS LOOKS TO BE DONE IN THE SIXTIES, LATE FIFTIES, EARLY SIXTIES WHEN THAT WENT IN.
BUT IT'S BASICALLY A STORM SEWER IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CATCH BASINS HERE AND THERE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT'S A VERY INCOMPLETE SYSTEM. YOU MAY HAVE ONE OR TWO PROPERTIES WITH A ROAD DITCH AND THEN THE NEXT ONE HAS THEIR DITCH FILLED IN AND THERE'S NO CATCH BASINS.
SO THE OTHER THING IS THE HOUSES ARE VERY FLAT TO THE ROAD.
[03:10:04]
THERE'S SIX INCHES AT BEST, KIND OF FROM THE FIRST FLOOR TO THE ROAD.SO WE'RE PUTTING IN THE TOP RIGHT HERE IS THE DETAIL OF WHAT WE CALL THERE'S SOME WE CALL THEM RAIN LAWNS.
THEY'RE JUST BASICALLY INFILTRATION AREAS.
SO THE AREAS WHERE WE WANT WATER TO COLLECT IN THE DITCH, WE PUT IN A SPECIAL MEDIA FILTER, A VERY COARSE TUNED SAND.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE KITTY LITTER.
SO IT ABSORBS A LOT OF WATER BUT LETS A LOT OF WATER THROUGH.
AND THEN WE HAVE BASICALLY A P STONE SYSTEM AROUND A PERFORATED PIPE THAT'S UNDERNEATH THAT AND THAT'S WHAT BASICALLY DRAINS THOSE AREAS SO THEY DON'T BECOME WET OR ANYTHING.
SO IT KIND OF TAKES YOUR CATCH BASIN, WHICH CATCHES ALL THE WATER AND COLLECTS IT AND PUTS IT IN THE PIPE THAT WOULD BE ABOVE GROUND AND IT PUTS SOMETHING UNDERGROUND.
THESE WOULD JUST BE GRASS LAWNS.
THEY WOULDN'T, WE PUT IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TYPE OF SEED MIXTURE WITH THE LAWNS SO THAT IT INFILTRATES BETTER RATHER THAN LIKE A KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS LAWN, THAT TYPE OF THING. SO WE'VE DONE THESE IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN DELHI.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL ONES JUST LIKE THIS WERE INSTALLED.
THESE RAIN LAWNS, THEY'RE BASICALLY THE SAME THINGS LIKE THE RAIN GARDENS THAT ARE IN TOWER, JUST NOT MULCH WITH FLOWERS.
THE WORK WE DID ON DOBIE WAS TO REPLACE AN UNDERSIZED STORM SEWER CROSSING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF DOBIE ROAD, WHICH WAS A 12 INCH PIPE, AND THEN TO CHIEF OKEMOS CIRCLE AND THEN INSTALLED A NEW 30 INCH PIPE UNDERNEATH DOBIE ROAD IN THIS LOCATION.
SO IN THIS LOCATION THERE'S ALREADY BEEN SOME EXPANSION AND I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH HERE.
BUT THIS WAS WE'RE BASICALLY REPLACING SOME UNDERSIZED SECTIONS OF STORM SEWER PIPE IN THIS AREA, AND THIS WORK IS ALREADY DONE.
FIRST THING, THE LAST REMAINING WORK IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL WORK AND IT'S BASICALLY ON NORTH [INAUDIBLE] DRIVE STARTING 300 FEET, 400 FEET SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE, WHERE THE DRAIN CROSSING IS AT NORTH RIVER DRIVE, WE'RE REPLACING AN EXISTING 42 INCH PIPE THAT'S UNDERNEATH THE ROAD WITH A NEW 36 BY 72 INCH BOX CULVERT FOR CAPACITY.
IT'S THE ODD SHAPED BOX CULVERT BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO FEATHER IN THROUGH.
YOU HAVE A BIG WATER MAIN IN THAT AREA AND THEN ALSO SANITARY SEWER.
SO FOR US TO FIT OUR PIPE IN THROUGH THERE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BOX CULVERT AND THEN WE'RE REPLACING AN UNDERSIZED BASICALLY AN 18 INCH STORM SEWER IS WHAT SERVICED ALL OF NORTH VIEW DRIVE AND GOING SOUTH INTO THAT SUBDIVISION.
SO FOR HILLSIDE AND MARLBOROUGH, ONLY AN 18 INCH PIPE AT THE VERY END WAS THIS PIPE AND WE'RE REPLACING THAT WITH A NEW 24 INCH PIPE.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SIX INCH OR SOME PIPE, 24 INCH PIPE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF AN 18 INCH PIPE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONLY A SIX INCH SIZE INCREASE. SO MOST OF THE WORK THERE, WE WILL BE WORKING BASICALLY DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN ALL OF THIS SECTION NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S BASICALLY BECAUSE ALL YOUR OTHER UTILITIES ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO YOUR SANITARY JUST OFF THE ROAD, RIGHT ON THE END OF THE ROAD AND YOUR WATER'S JUST OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMERS JUST WENT IN IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND INSTALLED ALL NEW GAS MAINS AND GAS SERVICE LEADS IN FRONT OF OUR PROJECT.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE COORDINATED WITH THEM SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK IN IN TWO OR THREE YEARS AND REPLACE ALL THEIR STEEL LEADS.
I THINK THEY PUT GAS IN EVERYWHERE.
WAS IT WITH PLASTIC? YEAH, NEW PLASTIC MAINS AND NEW, NEW PLASTIC SERVICE.
SO THEY HAD STEEL IN THROUGH THERE.
SO SO IT'LL BE GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THAT WE'RE GETTING ALL THIS TAKEN CARE OF AT ONCE AND NOT GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND PIECEMEAL ANYTHING.
THEN THIS IS THE WORK ON MARLBORO.
THERE'S AN EXISTING 12 AND 15 INCH PIPE AND I SPELLED MARLBORO WRONG.
SORRY. AND WE'RE REPLACING THEM WITH A 15 AND 24 INCH STORM SEWER IN THIS AREA.
SO BASICALLY A CAPACITY ISSUE.
THEN ALL ALONG, BASICALLY INSTALLING THE ENDS OF ALL THE DRIVEWAYS WILL GET REDONE BECAUSE EITHER PROPERTIES GET A CULVERT IN OR IF A PROPERTY IS AT A HIGH POINT OF THE DITCH, MEANING THAT THE DIGITAL FLOW EITHER SIDE, WE TRIED TO DO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CULVERTS AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IN MY 22 YEARS OF DOING THIS, PEOPLE HATE ROAD DITCHES, EVEN A STANDARD ROAD DITCH THAT IS THE COUNTY STANDARD OF BEING 22 INCHES DEEP FROM ITS LOWEST POINT TO THE CENTER OF THE ROAD AND HAVING A THREE AND A HALF ON ONE SIDE SLOPE, PEOPLE FEEL THOSE ARE TOO STEEP TO MOW.
SO WHAT WE'VE KIND OF DONE IS WE'VE IN BETWEEN HOUSES, WE PUT CATCH BASINS AS MANY LOCATIONS AS WE CAN.
THAT WAY WE CAN JUST DO SWALES WHICH ARE SIX, EIGHT INCH, TEN INCHES DEEP RATHER THAN
[03:15:01]
HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS DEEP, SOMETHING MUCH MORE MOBILE.SO IN A HALF A DOZEN PROJECTS, I'VE HAD VERY SIMILAR LISTS IN THIS COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES. THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE HAVE IF WE PUT IN ROAD DITCHES AND ARE STRICT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH GRADE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE ABOUT PUT A COVER OVER A PIPE THAT'S UNDER A DRIVE, OTHERWISE IT POPS OUT SO EVERYTHING GETS DEEPER AND THEN THAT BECOMES THE PROBLEM WITH MOWING.
SO AND THEN THE LAST WORK I'LL GO OVER JUST THIS IS THE WORK ON EASTWOOD AND I'M SORRY WHEN I SAID HILLSIDE EARLIER, I MEANT EASTWOOD AND MY NAME IS WRONG, BUT THERE'S BASICALLY A COUPLE OF SPOTS WHERE THERE'S EXISTING STORM SEWER.
AND IF YOU CATCH BASINS AND WE'RE BASICALLY INSTALLING NEW 12 AND 15 INCH PIPE ALL THROUGHOUT HERE AND THEN INSTALLING THOSE DRAINAGE WELLS AND INFILTRATION SWELLS IN THOSE AREAS. AND I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I JUST JOTTED DOWN JUST ON A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP AND ONES THAT PAUL DIDN'T.
SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT THE EXISTING TAXES COVERING THE WORK.
AS YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW, DRAIN.
THERE AREN'T ANY COUNTY TAXES OR TOWNSHIP TAXES THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE.
EVERYTHING IS COLLECTED THROUGH SPECIAL ASSESSMENT UNLESS THERE'S A SEPARATE MILLAGE SET UP. THERE'S A FEW TOWNSHIPS THAT I WORK IN, IN ELEGANT COUNTY THAT HAVE THEIR OWN MILLAGE, LIKE A HALF MILL.
AND ALL THAT DOES IS JUST PAY FOR DRAIN MAINTENANCE STUFF.
IT DOESN'T PAY FOR PETITION PROJECTS LIKE THIS TO.
SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT IS IT NORMAL TO GIVE OUT PROJECT COSTS AND ASSESSMENT COST PRIOR.
IN THE DRAIN WORLD, WE DON'T BECAUSE ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING, WE DID DO A SCOPE MEETING WITH THIS PROJECT.
WE I BELIEVE THAT WAS EITHER THE 2018 OR 2019.
THEY HAD A CO-OP BOARD MEETING WHICH WE WENT THROUGH THE PROJECT SIMILAR TO THIS.
WE'RE EXPLAINING THE WORK WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, BUT EVEN IN THOSE THINGS, WE DON'T GIVE OUT COSTS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWNS ON THESE PROJECTS.
WE DIDN'T GET OUR PERMIT UNTIL 2019.
WE THOUGHT FOR A WHILE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO HAUL ALL MATERIAL OFFSITE BECAUSE OUT OF 12 OR OUT OF A HALF DOZEN [INAUDIBLE], WE HAD ONE THAT CAME BACK WHERE WE WERE SLIGHTLY OVER THE LIMIT ON ONE OF MICHIGAN'S METALS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAKE EVERYTHING TO A PHASE TWO LANDFILL.
SO THE 25,000 CUBIC YARDS, YOU CAN MULTIPLY THAT BY $15 A CUBIC YARD JUST TO TAKE YOUR MATERIAL THERE AND YOU'VE INCREASE YOUR PROJECT COSTS BY 350,000.
WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT ADDITIONAL TESTING AND IT BASICALLY FOUND OUT THAT THAT ONE SOIL BORNE THAT CAME BACK WAS SIMPLY AN ANOMALY.
AND ALL THE OTHER ONES WE DID, WE DIDN'T FIND ANY ISSUES, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ANY OF THAT MATERIAL TO THE TYPE TWO LANDFILL.
EASEMENTS ARE ALWAYS A BIG UNKNOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO CONDEMNATION AND GET EASEMENTS OR HAVE TO PAY A LOT FOR COMPENSATION.
AND NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
BUT ON MOST CHAPTER EIGHT DRAINS, THERE'S A BOARD OF DETERMINATION THAT DECIDES THE PROJECT GO FORWARD OR NOT.
THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LOOK AT COSTS AND THEIR DECISION COST IS NOT A DECISION FACTOR IN THEM TO DETERMINE A PROJECT NECESSARY OR NOT.
THAT IS BECAUSE, FOR THE MOST PART, DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
IN MICHIGAN, A VERY FEW PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE ON A PROJECT HAVE A PROBLEM.
THEY INDICATE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BENEFIT.
THIS IS BECAUSE THEY DRAIN OFF INTO USUALLY THE FEW PROPERTIES THAT HAVE AN ISSUE.
SO THEY'VE KIND OF SET UP THE LAW TO BASICALLY SAY, HEY, EVEN THOUGH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM, THEY HAVE JUST AS MANY RIGHTS AND CAN START A PROJECT TO REMEDY IT AS MAYBE 97 OUT OF THE 100 PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT.
SO THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW IS SET UP.
AND WE REALLY DO NOT GET INTO COSTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
AND SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT THE CONTINGENCY RETURNED.
I'LL LET PAUL SPEAK TO THAT, BUT THAT'S USUALLY NOT VERY COMMON.
THERE'S A PROCESS FOR IT, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO A 10% CONTINGENCY MAX ON THIS JOB.
USUALLY WE CAN DO BETWEEN TEN AND 15 ON NORMAL OTHER PETITIONS.
CHAPTER 20 IS ONLY A MAX OF TEN AND WORKING IN AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN, EVERY DAY WE ARE ENCOUNTERING ISSUES.
STUFF IS NOT WHERE IT SHOWS UP ON AS BUILDS.
THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY WERE INSTALLED.
SO WE KIND OF OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO WORK ON THE FLY CONSTANTLY.
FORTUNATELY, I'M COVERED THE MAJORITY OF IT AND THAT BORING JACK UNDERNEATH GRAND RIVER
[03:20:02]
AVENUE THAT WE HAD TO COMPLETELY GO TO A DIFFERENT ALIGNMENT.IT WAS A LOT MORE WORK INVOLVED.
SO IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RETROFIT EVERYTHING IN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE AREN'T EXISTING DRAINS IN THE SECTION LIKE NEAR NEAR MARLBOROUGH AND NEAR THAT FOREST HILLS SUBDIVISION AREA WHERE THERE'S NOT MUCH DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK.
SO WE DO USE A LOT OF THAT CONTINGENCY FOR THOSE CHANGES.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE I JOTTED DOWN.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. DEVANEY, QUESTION TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING.
OKAY. ONE QUESTION THAT WAS NOT ANSWERED IS WHO WAS DANIEL? WHO'S DANIEL'S? WHO'S DANIEL'S? DANIEL'S OF THE DANIEL'S DRAIN.
OH, I DON'T KNOW. WE WE KIND OF WONDER THAT, TOO, BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS DANIEL APOSTROPHE STRAIN, LIKE IT WAS DANIEL'S DRAIN.
BUT WE DID FIND THAT IT WAS ALWAYS CALLED DANIEL'S STRAIN.
IT'S NOT ON. IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE STUFF FROM 23, A LOT OF TIMES MOST OF THE TIME WAS OLDER DRAINS. IT'S USUALLY LIKE A LARGE RESIDENT THAT LIVES IN THE DISTRICT THAT THE NAME IS NAMED AFTER.
I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN THE SURVEY STUFF FROM THE 23, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? WE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION.
TRUSTEE WILSON? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PARCEL THAT WHERE THERE IS BENEFIT OF USE OF THE DANIELS DRAIN, THERE'S A REAL BASIC QUESTION, WHY DOES IT LOOK SO IRREGULAR? WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IN TERMS OF THE AREA THAT BENEFITS FROM IT? HANG OUT, FIND YOU. IT HAS YOU HAVE A CUTOUT HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PERSON ON THE SOUTH END.
SO THAT BOUNDARY LINE FOR THE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT IS PRIMARILY TAKEN OFF THE COUNTY'S ONE FOOT LIDAR DATA.
SO WE'RE SIMPLY TAKING THAT LIGHT OUR MAP AND INDICATING WATERSHED BOUNDARY OF IF RAIN FELL HERE. IS IT GOING TO MAKE IT IN OUR DRAIN OR NOT? SO WE TRY WE BASICALLY COME UP WITH THAT LINE AND THEN AND THEN WE KIND OF PUT A LINE OF BEST FIT TO IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LEGALLY DESCRIBE THAT LINE ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND IT MEETS THE BOUNDS DESCRIPTION.
SO IT'S SIMPLY BASED ON WHERE THE WATERSHED IS AND THEN WE VERIFY THAT IN THE FIELD.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN PLACE THAT MIGHT TAKE THAT WATER ELSEWHERE? IS THERE A CULVERT UNDER THE ROAD THAT ISN'T, THOSE DON'T SHOW UP ON THE LIGHT OUR DATA.
BUT MAYBE THAT CHANGES THE WAY THAT THE DISTRICT IS.
SO THAT THE WATER FLOWS. I MEAN, THE LAW SAYS THAT THE DISTRICT IS THE SERVICE AREA IN THIS CASE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL THE LANDS THAT ARE BENEFITED FROM THE WORK ASSOCIATED.
SO WE TRY TO USE IT AS IF WHAT PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY GETS TO THE DRAIN? AND, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU ARE YOU 1% OF THAT WATER THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH OR HALF A PERCENT, THAT TYPE OF THING? SO IT TRIES TO MONETIZE THAT IN THE DISTRICT.
SO. SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE THE FEW IN THE ROOM AND THOSE WHO SPOKE WHO SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANY WATER, I HAVE A STANDING POND, SO IT'S NOT FLOWING TO THE DANIELS DRAIN. HOW DO YOU ANSWER SOMEONE WHO SAYS THAT I'M DERIVING NO BENEFIT FROM THIS? WELL, TYPICALLY, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE C FACTORS THAT THEY USE, THAT'S LIKE A RELATIVE RATIO OF RUNOFF.
SO THE EASY WAY TO LOOK AT IT, I THINK [INAUDIBLE] THAT MEANS ROUGHLY IF THERE'S 100 GALLONS, 15 GALLONS RUNS OFF, THAT ASSUMES YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LOCALIZED PONDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND AND NOT ALL THE SITE IS GOING TO RUN OFF.
THERE'S JUST CERTAIN AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THINGS.
AND SO THAT NUMBER THAT THEY USE KIND OF TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT, YES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SOME OF YOUR PROPERTY THAT IS GOING TO NOT ALL RUN OFF? BASICALLY. SO DO YOU HAVE ALSO SOME KIND OF JUDGMENT ABOUT PERVIOUS AND IMPERVIOUS SURFACES? ONE OF THE WOMEN WHO SPOKE TONIGHT SAID, WELL, I GOT A BIGGER ASSESSMENT, MAYBE BECAUSE I HAVE A LONGER DRIVE.
[03:25:03]
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WENT INTO LOOKING AT EACH PROPERTY TO BREAK DOWN LIKE PERCENT OF PAVEMENT, DRIVEWAY, PAVEMENT STUFF.YEAH. SO, YEAH, WE DID NOT ACTUALLY DO SITE SURVEYS OF EACH PROPERTY.
THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY TIME INTENSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT UNDER ANY CHAPTER OF THE DRAIN CODE THAT WOULD BE SET THAT WAY.
YEAH, I GENERALLY DONE THAT ON A HANDFUL OF TIMES AND THEY'VE BEEN SMALL DISTRICTS OF LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT PROPERTIES WHERE IT'S NOT AND USUALLY THEY END UP BEING VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THE NUMBER THAT YOU'RE USING TO.
BUT AT THAT POINT. THAT NUMBER, THEY'RE LIKELY TAKING SEVERAL SAMPLE PROPERTIES AND SAYING, OKAY, IF WE DID THAT DETAILED HERE'S ALL THEIR DRIVEWAY AREA AND HERE'S THE GARAGE AND WHEN THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET THEIR NUMBER BASICALLY PROBABLY LOOKING AT SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVE PROPERTIES TO GET AN ACCURATE NUMBER FOR THOSE TYPE OF ONES.
AND THEY ARE USING SATELLITE IMAGERY.
SO IF THE DRIVEWAY IS LARGE, NOW GRANTED THERE'S LIMITATIONS TO THE SATELLITE IMAGERY, WHICH WE'VE COVERED. BUT IF YOU DO HAVE A LONGER DRIVEWAY, MEANING YOUR FRONT YARD SETBACK IS GREATER OR THE WIDTH OF THE DRIVEWAY IS GREATER, FOR INSTANCE, A THREE DOOR, THREE CAR GARAGE VERSUS A TWO CAR GARAGE.
AT SOME POINT, THAT DRIVEWAY IS GOING TO WIDEN.
YOU KNOW, THE SATELLITE IMAGERY IS GOING TO PICK THAT UP TO SOME EXTENT.
THAT'S NOT A FACTOR IN CALCULATING.
IT IS SO MUCH AS THE SATELLITE IMAGERY PICKS UP ON THE DRIVEWAY BEING LARGER.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU.
TREASURER DESCHAINE? I'M FINE, THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A GOOD PRESENTATION.
I THINK IF YOU HAD DONE THIS LAST SUMMER, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETINGS ON THIS AND YOU HAD SHOWN MORE OF THE ACTUAL PROJECT WORK.
WE MAY HAVE HAD FEWER ANGRY RESIDENTS HERE TONIGHT.
THIS IS A GOOD EXPLANATION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
I LEARNED SOMETHING WITH YOUR PRESENTATION AND RESIDENTS THAT COULD STAY THIS LATE LEARN SOMETHING. SO I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD FIND SOME WAY TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE 350 PLUS HOUSEHOLDS IN A COST EFFECTIVE WAY.
HAVE YOU SENT IT TO THEM? GIVE THEM A $25 INFORMATION BILL ON TOP OF THEIR OTHER BILL.
WELL, WE DID DO AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING RIGHT AT THE END OF AUGUST BEFORE WE STARTED, WHICH IS BASICALLY THIS.
I THINK YOU HAD A COUPLE, JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES ON THE WORK TO BE DONE.
IT WAS YOU DIDN'T SHOW MUCH OF THE CULVERT WORK AT WORK SPECIFIC OF LIKE, HEY, WE'RE REPLACING THE 15 INCH PLATE WITH THE 24 BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, MOST PEOPLE DO THINGS DON'T. IF YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE PUT, I GOT YOU.
BUT IF YOU GIVE ME A 6000 BILL, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND IT ON.
AND YOU DIDN'T TELL PEOPLE THAT.
AND THEY CAME HERE ANGRY AND PISSED OFF BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO SPEND IT ON. AND THOSE THAT STAYED MAYBE HAVE MORE INFORMATION NOW, A LITTLE LESS PISSED OFF, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE THIS MEETING TONIGHT.
BUT YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS GOOD.
I APPRECIATE IT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE GETTING THE PROGRAM IN THE NINTH INNING OF THE GAME.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE USEFUL IN THE FIRST INNING.
AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF TALKS WITH RESIDENTS THAT HAVE CALLED IN ASKING ABOUT THE WORK, TOO. SO, I MEAN, I DID GO OVER AT LEAST WITH FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ASKED ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, I CAN PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION TO THE YOU'VE GOT IT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT, I KNOW THE EXISTING ONES, THE ORIGINAL ONES ON THE WEBSITE AND WE DO NOTICES.
WE'VE DONE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT NOTICE TYPE THINGS TO RESIDENTS ON WHEN WE'RE DOING WORK, NOT JUST THROUGH YOU GUYS WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY WHEN WE JUST STARTED NORTH VIEW AND DOING THE WORK BACK IN THAT SUBDIVISION, WE PUT FLIERS IN EVERYONE'S FRONT DOOR TO INDICATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING WORK AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AS BEST WE CAN.
YEAH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THERE'S A LANDING PAGE WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION COMPILED ON OUR WEBSITE. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THIS PRESENTATION GETS ADDED TO THE INDEX OF DOCUMENTS THAT ARE LINKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT LANDING PAGE.
AND BRIAN, ONE QUESTION, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU TOUCHED ON IT, DID YOU TOUCH ON THE OVERLAPPING DRAIN DISTRICT BOUNDARIES? OKAY. THANK YOU.
AS FAR AS WELL, I MEAN, I DO KNOW THIS ONE'S ALL IN UNRUH; ISN'T IT? I ASSUME WHATEVER ONE GOES IN UNRUH BUT WHATEVER BUT SOME OF THE PROPERTIES ON THE WELL SO I LIVE IN IN COUNTY I LIVE IN FOUR DISTRICTS, DRAIN DISTRICTS WHERE I LIVE ON THE LITTLE BRANCH, A LITTLE FOREIGN APPLE BASICALLY CALLED BUTTERFIELD CREEK.
BUT YOU CAN HAVE A SMALLER IT'S LIKE ONE OF THOSE RUSSIAN VOWELS.
THAT'S HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. YOU HAVE A SMALL ONE THAT'S INSIDE OF ANOTHER LARGER DISTRICT IN WATERSHED. THEN YOU HAVE THAT ONE THAT'S INSIDE OF ANOTHER MUD LAKE I KNOW IS A VERY
[03:30:04]
BIG DISTRICT IN WATERSHED.SO THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON IN THE DRAIN WORLD TO BE IN MULTIPLE DISTRICTS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S THE EASIEST ANALOGY I CAN GIVE IS HOW THAT IS.
YOU'RE BASICALLY A SUB DISTRICT OF A LARGER ESSENTIALLY.
ON THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE, SUPER COLORFUL ONE.
IT SHOWS BEHIND THE BRONZE, BEHIND THOSE BUILDINGS, THE OBLONG.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WATER RETENTION.
I KNOW THERE'S WATER IN THERE RIGHT NOW.
THEIR CHILDREN USED TO PLAY THERE AND NOW IT'S PART OF THE DRAIN SYSTEM.
I'VE HAD RESIDENTS FROM THAT AREA ASK ME IF THERE'S ANY CONCERN ABOUT CHILDREN PLAYING BACK THERE ABOUT A FENCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU DO.
IS THIS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE ON THE OVER NEAR NORTH OF YOU DRIVE LIKE THOSE PROPERTIES LIKE THAT OBLONG PIECE RIGHT THERE THAT'S BEHIND THE BUILDINGS.
YEAH, WHERE? DIDN'T USED TO BE THERE.
YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE, THE MAINTENANCE PATHWAY SHOWS GOING ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE CO-OP BECAUSE JUST BASED ON THE TOWNSHIP ALSO HAS A SANITARY SEWER THERE WHICH HAS TO BE REPLACED OR WORKED ON AT SOME POINT. WE LOOKED AT POSSIBLY DOING IT WITH THIS PROJECT, BUT THE CONTRACTOR GAVE THE TOWNSHIP A PRETTY HIGH COST TO DO IT.
DON'T WANT TO PUT OUR MAINTENANCE PATH OVER SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO PROBABLY HAVE TO DIG UP IN FIVE YEARS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY MOVE IT TO THE NORTH SIDE.
BUT WE DO WANT TO ADD SCREENING TREES THERE AS WELL BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE TOOK DOWN SOME TREES IN THAT LOCATION, MOST OF THE TREES WE TOOK DOWN IN THAT AREA WERE ALL COTTONWOODS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH END.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TREES WE HAVE FOR PLANTING.
THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE AREAS SPECIFIED WITH BASINS SET AROUND THE POND.
SO OUR PLAN IS TO SCREEN THAT AREA AS BEST WE CAN AND AND MOVE THE SIDEWALK THE PATHWAY TO HOPEFULLY TO THE NORTH END.
SO THESE TREES THAT I SEE ON HERE WHERE IT SHOWS FIVE TREES BY THE SIDEWALK OR EIGHT TREES NORTH OF THIS, YOU'RE ACTUALLY PLANNING ON DOING MORE TREES THAN THAT? I WOULD SAY PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT IS THERE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES, A LOT OF TREES, LARGE TREES TAKEN DOWN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE AND SCREENING BETWEEN THAT AND THOSE HOMES BACK THERE.
YEAH. AND USUALLY I'M ON PROJECTS.
I MEAN, I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON TOWER, WE DID A 3 TO 1 TREE REPLACEMENT RATIO, SO WE TOOK DOWN LESS THAN 100, BUT WE PUT BACK OVER 300 DIFFERENT TREES OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO TYPICALLY THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER LIKES TO DO A 3 TO 1 RATIO.
THE ISSUE IS MOST OF THE 90% OF THE TREES CAME DOWN IN THE POND AREA.
MOST OF THOSE WERE COTTONWOODS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY PROBLEMATIC, ESPECIALLY AROUND A POND AREA. AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO END UP DOING.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A 3 TO 1 RATIO, BUT THE MOST OF THE TREE REPLACEMENTS WILL BE IN THIS AREA. SO THAT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOUR OFFICE JUST LOOKS.
YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A GENERAL POLICY FROM COMMISSIONER LINDEMANN IN REGARDS TO WHEN WE REPLACE TREES AND WHATNOT.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR COMING IN PROVIDING THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS THIS IS HELPFUL TO LEARN THE SCOPE, THE WHOLE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT YOU PROVIDED ON, I THINK PAGE TEN, AN APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES.
ARE WE ON SCHEDULE? YEAH, ACTUALLY PAUL ASKED ME THE SAME THING BECAUSE THIS IS AGAIN THE PRESENTATION WE USED BACK IN AUGUST.
WE'RE ON. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON SO ON.
THE SCHEDULE WOULD INDICATE MARBLE ROAD, FOR EXAMPLE, NORTHVIEW DRIVE AND THE MARBLE ROAD. SO I THINK WE'RE RIGHT ON SCHEDULE FOR THAT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON MARLBORO RIGHT NOW AND I THINK TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, ARE WE ON BUDGET? YES, WE'RE ON BUDGET.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD ITEMS COME UP THAT CUT INTO OUR CONTINGENCY, BUT WE ARE ON WE'RE WELL WITHIN OUR BUDGET WE HAVE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS SO.
SO EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING PRETTY WELL RIGHT NOW.
AND FINGERS CROSSED, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH WE ARE INTO THE BACK END OF THE PROJECT OVERALL. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PROJECT GOES OVER BUDGET AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PROJECT
[03:35:06]
GOES UNDER BUDGET? AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PROJECT GOES OVER BUDGET.I MEAN, WHEN YOU BOND, YOU BASICALLY GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO FOR TO EXCEED THAT AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO ANOTHER BORROWING, WHICH I'VE NEVER HAD TO DO IN 250 PLUS DRAINED PROJECTS I'VE DONE.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK GETS DONE WITH THE AMOUNT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE ESSENTIALLY GET ONE BITE AT THE APPLE, ONE BORROWING.
WHEN YOU DO DRAIN PROJECTS, WELL, THAT'S GOOD.
THAT TO ME WOULD TELL ME THAT YOU WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR THE BOND, YOU BOND FOR MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE NEEDED BECAUSE THINGS GO WRONG IN THESE PROJECTS.
I HAVE TO IMAGINE YOU HAVE TO PUT IN CERTAIN BASICALLY THEY REQUIRE YOU TO PUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONTINGENCY.
THAT'S REALLY THE MORE SURE WE CAN'T SO ADD OR EVERYTHING HAS TO BE RIGHT IN ITEM IN THE BOND. I UNDERSTAND.
SO WHEN YOU CAME IN AND YOU ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED I THINK ONE OF THESE PAGES HAS IT, SO THE 6.32.
YEAH, RIGHT. AND NOW WE'RE AT THE 5.5.
SO RIGHT. WE'VE COME DOWN WHAT'S THE 5.5.
I'M SEEING THAT IN THE I'M SORRY, THAT'S THE TOTAL OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENT.
SO THAT'S OUR THAT'S OUR PORTION OF IT.
SO I GUESS THEN MY QUESTION, MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, IF EVERYTHING'S GOING WELL AND WE OVERBUDGET, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY SEE? ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, SOME KIND OF A RECONCILIATION FOR ALL THE PARTIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR PAYING FOR THIS SUCH THAT THE AMOUNTS WILL DECREASE IF THAT CONTINGENCY THAT YOU BUDGET FOR IS NOT ACTUALLY USED.
THERE'S PROVISIONS IN THE DRAIN CODE WHICH THE ATTORNEYS CAN SPEAK TO THE EXACT.
IN GENERAL, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GIVE MONEY BACK UNTIL AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY CONSTRUCTION MONEY.
SO AT A MINIMUM, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE AND COVER OUR WARRANTY PERIOD, WHICH IS THE YEAR AFTER FINAL PAYMENT AND YOU BASICALLY HANG ON TO THE RESIDUAL CASH FOR 21 YEARS.
THE AMOUNT GOES INTO THAT MONEY.
AND SO THE IDEA IS SUCH THAT IF WE HAD TO DO MAINTENANCE OUT THERE IN TEN YEARS, THAT WE'RE USING THAT MONEY THAT MAY BE LEFT OVER SO THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANOTHER ASSESSMENT FOR A MAINTENANCE ASSESSMENT EIGHT YEARS OR TEN YEARS AFTER THE PROJECT, IF WE DECIDED TO DRAIN OUT EXTRA MONEY AND THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA MONEY, IF IT'S LEFT AT THE END, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING OVER HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND MAYBE THAT AT MOST.
JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTINGENCY TO COVER THINGS.
AND WE HAVE HAD STUFF THAT HAS ADDED COSTS.
I UNDERSTAND. BUT A COUPLE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MAY NOT MEAN A WHOLE LOT TO THE DRAIN OFFICE, BUT SPLIT AMONG THE 355 PROPERTY OWNERS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A SMALL AMOUNT, RIGHT? WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THEIR TAX BILL.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS YOU BUDGET FOR MORE SO THAT YOU CAN COVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF THE 21 YEARS THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO BY LAW AND REALLY COVER THE AMOUNT OF TIME.
THE IDEA IS YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH SO THAT YOU'RE BONDING FOR 20 YEARS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS OR ENTITY AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY IN THAT 20 YEAR PERIOD THAT THIS SHOULD COVER YOUR PROJECT FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
OKAY. I MEAN, PAUL CAN SPEAK MORE.
I'M NOT. I'VE ONLY GIVEN MONEY BACK ON ONE PROJECT, AND IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCENARIO, SO I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON THAT.
YES. WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE LAST SPEAKER, I BELIEVE.
YEAH. AGAIN, PAUL PRATT, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE A COUPLE OF THINGS BRYAN SAID AND ALSO ADMIT AT THE OUTSET THAT CHAPTER 20 DRAINS ARE NOT IDEAL.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THEY WERE MOSTLY SET UP IN THE 70S BY THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME. AND MOST OF THEM WERE IN MERIDIAN AND THEY WERE THEY THEY WERE.
YES, YES. WELL, THE IDEA IS THE PRESUMPTION IN A CHAPTER 20 IS THAT THE MUNICIPALITY PAYS FOR EVERYTHING. AND, AND, IN FACT, THAT WAS THE WAY THAT THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER
[03:40:04]
FINANCED A LOT OF THE DRAINS IN THE IN THE SEVENTIES HERE AS AS MERIDIAN WAS WAS WAS GROWING. AND SO OVER THE YEARS FOR MAINTENANCE, THE TOWNSHIP IS WE'VE ALWAYS SENT THE BILL TO THE TOWNSHIP AND THERE HAS BEEN MAINTENANCE ON ALL THESE DRAINS.BUT IT IS ONLY THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TO PETITION PROJECTS ON, ON CHAPTER 20 DRAINS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS THE MONTGOMERY DRAIN IN LANSING AND LANSING TOWNSHIP.
AND IT HAS WORKED RELATIVELY WELL THERE BECAUSE IT IS LARGELY COMMERCIAL.
AND AND IT IS THE TYPICAL THING THAT CHAPTER 20 WAS WAS DESIGNED FOR WHICH WHICH IS THE BIG PUBLIC PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT THAT THAT THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT THE COMMUNITY TO PAY FOR. NOW, THE PROBLEM IS IN THE 70S, AS I REMEMBER IT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WERE MUCH MORE HAD MUCH MORE RESOURCES IN THE SEVENTIES.
AND THIS WAS NOT NEARLY THE PROBLEM THAT IT IS NOW.
AND CHAPTER 20 HAS ALWAYS HAD THIS FALLBACK THING, ALLOWING YOU TO, ALLOWING THE MUNICIPALITY TO PASS IT ON TO BENEFITED PARCELS.
AND IT'S A MAJOR AWKWARD THING BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SET UP TO BE A SEVEN HEADED DRAIN COMMISSIONER.
THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER IS ELECTED TO, TO DO THESE ASSESSMENTS.
AND PAT LINDEMAN ALWAYS SAYS THAT THAT'S THE TOUGHEST PART OF HIS JOB.
AND AND YET THE THE THE DRAIN CODE FLIPS IT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL NOT TO UNDERMINE, IT'S YOUR ROLE.
WE DO NOT HAVE A POSITION ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU ASSESS THE PONDS, HOW MUCH YOU ASSESS DOBIE ROAD, HOW MUCH YOU ASSESS ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ONE.
WE DID ANSWER A REQUEST FOR AN ENGINEER'S ANALYSIS OF THE DOBIE ROAD SITUATION, WHERE WE WE DID DESCRIBE THE FACT THAT THERE REALLY DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AN OUTLET AND WE ARE GOING TO EXPLORE USING SOME CONTINGENCY TO TO GET SOME, SOME OF THE CONTINGENCY TO GET CULVERTS ALONG ALONG THE THE FRONT THERE.
BUT WE ARE NOT IN THE IN THE ASSESSING BUSINESS ON THIS ONE, AND THAT IS AWKWARD.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S AWKWARD IS THE IDEA I THINK TREASURER DESCHAINE SAID IT WELL, THE IDEA OF GETTING THE PROGRAM IN THE IN THE NINTH INNING NORMAL DRAIN PROJECT.
WE HAVE THESE HEARINGS WE HAVE WE DEAL WITH THE UPSET PEOPLE UP FRONT BEFORE WE EVEN GO GET THE BOND.
AND AND FOR SOME REASON CHAPTER 20 FLIPS IT AND SO WE'RE HERE.
THE PROJECT IS MORE THAN HALF DONE AND PEOPLE ARE JUST LEARNING ABOUT WHAT THEIR ASSESSMENT IS GOING TO BE AND WHAT BENEFIT THAT THEY ARE THAT THAT THEY'RE HELD TO HAVE. AND SO THOSE ARE AWKWARD.
AND THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS THAT IN IN CONJUNCTION WITH WITH DAN OPSOMMER, THE DRAIN OFFICE AND I ARE ON A MAJOR SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION TO GET RID OF THE REST OF THE 20S.
THERE IS A LEGAL PROCESS AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT SO THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THIS IN THE FUTURE. THE AND SO YOU WILL BE SEEING MORE OF ME AND DEPUTY CLOSE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS BECAUSE I THINK WE REALLY DO WANT TO AVOID THIS AWKWARDNESS AS AS THESE PROJECTS GO FORWARD.
THE THE ONE ONE CHAPTER 20, WE'VE ALREADY CONVERTED AND THAT'S THE OKEMOS HAS BECOME THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED.
AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP THE PROJECT AT THE OTHER END OF OF GRAND RIVER AND WE'RE CLOSING IN ON ON MUD LAKE OUTLET AND UNRUH AND [INAUDIBLE] RELIEF SO WE NOW PROCTER AND GREENHILL.
GREEN CREST. YES, GREEN CREST RELIEF ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE
[03:45:03]
THEY'RE THEY'RE INVOLVED WITH EAST LANSING, THEY'RE YOU AND EAST LANSING BUT I'VE HAD INITIAL TALKS WITH THE EAST LANSING PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE AND THEY'RE ON BOARD FOR GETTING THESE TURNED BACK INTO NORMAL DRAINS.AND SO THAT IS A PROMISE TO YOU.
IT DOESN'T MAKE THIS LESS AWKWARD, BUT BUT AT LEAST WE'RE WE'RE ON IT.
THE, AS BRIAN SAID, THE JUST A FEW MORE POINTS HERE.
THE THE CONTINGENCY IS LIMITED TO 10%.
I ALWAYS PREFER ON THE OTHER DRAINS, THAT'S BETWEEN TEN AND 15%.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE GOING TO I THINK WE'RE ON TARGET TO MEET THAT DON'T REALLY THE DRAIN CODE SAYS IT COULD BE REFUNDED TO THE TOWNSHIP YOU KNOW TO THE PAYERS.
IT WOULD NOT BE BUT I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CHECK WITH BOND COUNCIL.
AS LONG AS THE BONDS ARE OUTSTANDING, WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THAT.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT.
BUT BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS MONEY LEFT OVER, IT CERTAINLY NORMALLY GOES TO MAINTENANCE. IT CAN'T BE MOVED TO OTHER DRAINS.
IT STAYS FOR THE BENEFITS OF THE TO THE IT CAN ONLY BE USED TO THE BENEFIT OF THESE OF THESE PROPERTIES.
AND SO THERE'S NO AND IN FACT, THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPLICATIONS OF GETTING RID OF THE 20S.
YOU HAVE TO PRESERVE THE DEBT OF THE ORIGINAL 20 AND YOU CAN'T JUST PASS IT ALONG TO THE NEXT TO THE NEXT DRAIN DISTRICT OR SOMETHING.
SO SO WE'LL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, BRIAN'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
HE'S HELPING ME KEEP A GOOD A GOOD EYE ON THE FINANCES HERE.
AND AND I REALLY EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING OKAY.
WANT TO SAY A MINUTE A BIT ABOUT DRAIN EASEMENTS? IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF OF DRAINING PROJECTS IS GOING OUT AND CONVINCING PROPERTY OWNERS TO GIVE YOU EASEMENTS.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WE ACTUALLY SUCCEED AT THAT.
BUT THE MAIN REASON WE CAN GET FREE EASEMENTS IS BECAUSE THEY WANT THE BENEFIT AND THEY WANT THEIR NEIGHBORS TO HAVE THE BENEFIT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THE ASSURANCE AND IT'S IRONCLAD PROPERTY LAW THAT THESE ARE NOT PUBLIC EASEMENTS.
AND AND SO THE AND SO THEY'RE FOR DRAIN PURPOSES ONLY.
AND AND SO IF YOU WANT TO USE THE PONDS SIDEWALKS, LET'S ADD A HALF A MILLION OR WHATEVER TO BUY THE POND IN FEE SIMPLE.
AND THEN IT CAN BE A DRAIN, THEN IT CAN BE OWNED BY THE DRAIN DISTRICT AND EVERYBODY AND YOU ALL CAN COME.
BUT UNTIL THEN IT'S A DRAIN EASEMENT.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, HOWEVER HIGH WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY RIGHTS THERE.
WE HAVE GOTTEN VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ABOUT TRYING TO SAY THAT OUR THAT OUR EASEMENTS ARE PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE'S VERY SPECIFICALLY FOR RAIN MAINTENANCE AND THOSE PATHWAYS AND OUTLOOKS ARE EXACTLY, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THEY WILL BE NICE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE COOPERATIVE, BUT THEY ARE THERE FOR DRAIN MAINTENANCE PURPOSES AND SO YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL TO NOT OVER BEAR THAT DEFINITION OF DRAIN EASEMENTS THEN.
PEOPLE DO ARE OFTEN INCREDULOUS WHEN WE START A DRAIN PROJECT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHEN THE FIRST HEARINGS HAPPEN.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU CAN'T TELL US HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO BE, HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST, OR WHO'S GOING TO HAVE TO PAY.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THERE'S SIMPLY NO FREE MONEY IN THE DRAIN CODE TO TO DO THE ENGINEERING UP FRONT.
YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROJECT FIRST AND THEN YOU GO DO THE INVESTIGATION THAT TELLS YOU WHAT THE SCOPE SHOULD BE.
[03:50:01]
AND AND YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.AND YOU CAN'T PAY FOR IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PROJECT.
AND SO THE THAT IS WHY IT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT BUT THAT'S THAT'S WHY PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WAS GOING TO COST.
AND THEN I WOULD SUGGEST MY LAST JUST A PRACTICAL THING, THE WOMAN WHO ASKED ABOUT THE ASSIGN ABILITY OF THE ASSESSMENT IN OTHER DRAINS.
WE CONSTANTLY HAVE THE PROBLEM THAT WHEN PEOPLE SELL THEIR PROPERTIES AND SIGN STANDARD FORMS, THE REAL ESTATE WORLD CONSIDERS DRAIN ASSESSMENTS AND IS A LEAN WHICH THEY ARE.
BUT THEN THEY INSIST THAT THE SELLER PAY IT ALL.
AND WE HAVE CONSTANTLY TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THAT'S NEGOTIABLE.
YOU THERE IS THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER DOES NOT CARE.
AND AND IN FACT, IN MOST CASES, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS, BONDHOLDERS WOULD PREFER THAT YOU NOT PAY OFF BECAUSE THE BONDHOLDERS ARE THEN LOSING TEN YEARS OF THE 20 YEARS OF INTEREST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TEN YEARS INTO IT.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ASSESSMENT IS A TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENT UNDER ACT 188.
I THINK YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY ASK I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD ASK YOUR ATTORNEYS IF YOU CAN HAVE A, IF THERE IS IF THERE IS AN ACTUAL.
I THOUGHT I'D HEARD ONE POINT.
THERE IS A PROVISION AGAINST ACCELERATING TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENTS WHEN WHEN A SALE HAPPENS, BUT IF THERE ISN'T, THEN AT THE VERY LEAST PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE WARNED THAT THEY NEED TO NEGOTIATE THAT BEFORE THEIR CLOSING AND THE TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY HANDS THEM, CALLS US, GETS A PAYOFF AMOUNT.
NOW THEY PROBABLY CALL YOU IN THIS CASE BUT CERTAINLY IN THE OTHER DRAINS WHEN THEY CALL US AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY PAY $10,000, I'M MOVING.
IT'S NOT MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENT, BUT I HAVE TO PAY THAT OFF FOR MY BUYER.
AND AND AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY FAIR, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT I WOULD HOPE THE TOWNSHIP CAN RESEARCH AND TELL PEOPLE ANYWAY, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD PROJECT BETTER FOR CLEAN WATER AND AND SLOWING DOWN THE VOLUME THE MY DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROJECT ALWAYS IS THAT IT STARTS HERE AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND TO MUD LAKE AND THEN IT COMES DOWN, AND REALLY THE DRAIN FROM THE WATER FROM THIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT ENDS UP IN THE BIG MESS AT OKEMOS AND OKEMOS ROAD AND GRAND RIVER.
AND AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IT UP HERE.
TREASURER DESCHAINE? THANK YOU.
I GOT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET BACK WITH MISS CRAMER HERE WITH FOREST HILLS AND ABOUT THE INAPPROPRIATE TRUCKS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SHE SPOKE EARLIER ON.
YEAH. I WAS GOING TO ACTUALLY ASK.
WE'RE, I KNOW WE'RE CLEANING UP AND WE'RE REPAVING ALL THE ROADS WHERE WE DO WHERE WE HAVE PIPE.
BUT I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ONES THAT THEY'RE USING AS HAUL ROUTES.
BUT YOU'RE GETTING. RIGHT, BUT YOU'RE GETTING THE TRUCKS.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THERE MAY BE SOME CONTINGENCY HAVING TO GO THAT FIRST.
ANYWAY, YEAH, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS NOW AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A ROOM THIS INFURIATED AS THESE RESIDENTS WERE TONIGHT.
YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF PISSING OFF A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS.
SADLY, THEY BLAME US AND NOT YOU.
THEY THINK THIS IS COMING FROM THE TOWNSHIP AND IT'S GOOD THE PROJECT HAS COME DOWN FIVE AND ONE HALF PERCENT.
BUT YOU'VE REALLY GIVEN US A HOBSON'S CHOICE.
[03:55:01]
WE HAD VIRTUALLY NO CONTROL OVER THE COST OR THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT.YOU MENTIONED A DRAIN TO OUR RESIDENTS EARLY ON, BUT THEY'VE BEEN PAYING THE FOSTER DRAIN AT $26 A YEAR ON AVERAGE.
SCHULTZ DRAINED 40 FOREST HILLS 35.
THIS IS ABOUT $302 ON AVERAGE PER RESIDENT, PER YEAR PER HOMEOWNER.
THAT'S TEN TIMES WHAT THEY'VE PAID FOR PASTORING.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHY THEY'RE HERE REALLY, REALLY UPSET.
THIS IS A HUGE BILL YOU'RE THROWING AT THEM.
WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT APPEARS FOR YOUR ENGINEERS AND YOUR YOUR CONSULTANTS HERE THAT YOU'RE REALLY HIRED OUT MOST OF THE WORK TO BE DONE ON THIS PROJECT. YET YOU'VE GOT 24 DRAIN COMMISSION EMPLOYEES AND A PAYROLL OF ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY HAS ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION, ABOUT 10% LESS AND THEY'VE GOT FOUR EMPLOYEES. SO WE HAVE 600% MORE EMPLOYEES THAN THE COMPARABLY SIZED TOWNSHIP IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY BESIDES COUNTY AND KALAMAZOO.
SO WE GET OUR RESIDENTS BOTH WAYS.
THEY PAY THE OVERHEAD OF YOU HAVING 24 EMPLOYEES.
AND YET ALL THE WORK IS BEING DONE BY CONSULTANTS AND AND OUTSIDE ENGINEERS.
THIS IS IF WE HAD OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HIRE A PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANY TO DO THEIR AMBULANCE RUNS OR PARKS HAS HIRED SOMEONE TO DO THEIR PROGRAMING AND THEIR CLEANUP OR OTHER TOWNSHIP SERVICES ARE ALL SUBCONTRACTED OUT.
THAT WOULD LAST ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE WE WERE ALL THROWN OUT OF OFFICE HERE.
THE COSTS OF THIS PROJECT ARE ENORMOUS, AND I JUST WONDER HOW YOU JUSTIFY THAT WITH ALL THE STAFF YOU'VE GOT IN MASON, AND YET YOU'RE DOING NOTHING BUT CONSULTANTS.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE. TWO DAYS AGO, I GOT A LETTER ON THE DRAIN BILL FOR THE TOWNSHIP THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO BARD BYRON.
AND THEN YESTERDAY I GOT THE ONE THAT GOES TO THE TOWN.
WHO DID IT COME FROM? MASON NO, IT CAME FROM CLARK HILL LAW FIRM IN BIRMINGHAM.
SO WITH 24 EMPLOYEES, YOU CAN'T EVEN SEND OUT YOUR OWN INVOICES? INSTEAD, YOU'RE USING A TOP DRAWER LAW FIRM TO SEND OUT INVOICES.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE LET COSTS GET WAY OUT OF HAND HERE, AND IT'S NO SWEAT OFF YOUR BACK. YOU JUST DROP THIS BIG BILL ON RAND TOWNSHIP FOR $6 MILLION.
AND ASIDE FROM REPLACING THE DRAIN COMMISSION, WE'VE GOT NO RECOURSE WHATSOEVER BUT TO PAY THIS BILL AND MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS AND THE DISAPPOINTMENT AND THE BILLS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PAY WITH THIS MASSIVE DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT.
I JUST WONDER WHY COST CONTAINMENT OR SIZING THIS PROPERLY WASN'T TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
AND INSTEAD OF GOING WITH THIS MASSIVE PROJECT, WITH THIS ENORMOUS BILL THAT WE'RE NOW ALL FACED WITH.
OH, I DISAGREE THAT IT'S MASSIVE FOR THE BENEFIT.
THE ISSUE IS ON CLARK HILL AND THE ASSESSMENT THAT IS ANOTHER ODDITY OF THE CHAPTER 20.
OUR NORMAL ASSESSMENTS, OUR STAFF DOES SEND OUT I ASKED, AND IN FACT, THEY'RE SENT OUT IN TIME FOR THE DECEMBER TAXES.
THE CHAPTER 20 IS THERE ARE THREE PROJECTS THAT I ASKED FOR THAT HAVE SEPARATE BILLING.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE DECEMBER TAX ROLLS.
I THINK WE COULD MAKE THEM BE.
EXCEPT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THE MUNICIPALITIES MORE TIME.
IF WE WOULD HAVE SENT THESE OUT BACK IN DECEMBER, YOU HAVE TO PAY IT SIX MONTHS EARLIER.
AND SO BECAUSE IT WAS MEETING THAT SPECIAL ISSUE, I ASKED THE ATTORNEYS ON BOTH THE MONTGOMERY AND THE DANIELS TO SEND THOSE ASSESSMENTS OUT.
CLARK HILL WAS NOT ON THE MONTGOMERY.
THEY HAD A MISTAKE AT THEIR MAIL OFFICE, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE CHARGING ME.
AND I AGREE THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
BUT THE IN GENERAL, THE IDEA OF OF HAVING TWO OR THREE SPECIAL, SPECIAL BILLINGS, I MADE THAT DECISION TO USE THE ATTORNEYS BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF THE ASSESSING ROUTINE.
AND THEN TO TALK ABOUT STAFFING OUR MAIN NUMBER OF STAFFERS ARE 11 CREW MEMBERS.
[04:00:05]
THEY'RE FOR MAINTENANCE.THEY'RE NOT SKILLED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES WE CANNOT HIRE.
WE WE HAVE HAD IT POSTED FOR A GREAT AMOUNT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THAT DRAIN STAFF ARE GOING TO BE OUT DOING MULTI MILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS AND FINE.
YOU CAN SAY THAT THEREFORE WE SHOULDN'T DO MULTI MILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS, BUT THAT IS WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS AND THE.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THEM DOING CONSTRUCTION WORK.
THE AS FAR AS COMPARISONS OF OTHER COUNTIES, THAT IS A WAY, WAY BIGGER TOPIC.
BRIAN'S WORKED IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY.
HE KNOWS THEY'VE GOT LIKE 125 DRAINS.
AND MY MEMORY IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT DONE THE THE CONSTRUCTION WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING. AND IT IS UNQUESTIONED THAT DRAIN COMMISSIONER LINDEMANN IS AN ACTIVIST DRAIN COMMISSIONER. HE WANTS TO CLEAN THE WATER, HE WANTS TO HAVE UP TO DATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IN GENERAL THE PUBLIC HAS SUPPORTED THAT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN PHILOSOPHICALLY SAY, NO, I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT THAT'S A CHOICE.
AND SO FAR, THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITH A LET'S MEET THE NEEDS APPROACH.
WELL, YOU SAW TONIGHT THAT THE ACTIVIST DRAIN COMMISSIONER WASN'T REAL POPULAR WITH THIS $6 MILLION BILL THAT'S BEEN DROPPED ON OUR DESK.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO? NO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE DISCUSSION OR IF YOU WERE HOPING TO MOVE ON? NO. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS DISCUSSION AND MOVE ON AT THIS POINT.
WE CAN WE WILL SEE THE ITEM AGAIN.
YES. AT LEAST ONE MORE HEARING PROBABLY BEFORE THE ROLL IS FINALIZED.
CORRECT. SUPERVISOR JACKSON, YOU'LL HAVE THIS ON YOUR AGENDA AT LEAST ONE MORE TIME, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME UPDATES WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSION UNDER THE OMA BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
AND THERE ARE NO MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE ARE NOT LEGALLY. WE'RE STATUTORILY REQUIRED TO DO ANOTHER NOTICE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE ANOTHER NOTICE TO ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO TODAY, AGAIN, THAT WOULD REFLECT THE 5.38% REDUCTION AND THE CORRECTION TO THE COMMONS OR OPEN SPACE AREA FOR SILVERSTONE ESTATES.
THOSE ARE THE TWO CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE RESOLUTION THREE SET.
THE SECOND PERSPECTIVE ROLL, THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET TONIGHT.
SO IF WE WERE TO CONCLUDE AT THAT JUNCTURE, THAT'S WHAT THE VOLUNTARY NOTICE THAT WE'RE MAILING OUT WOULD INDICATE TO PEOPLE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE.
DO WE NEED TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TONIGHT OR? NO. NO, WE'RE DONE WITH PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I'VE GONE THROUGH TWO, AND THAT IS OUR PROCESS FOR ALL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS.
I'M SORRY. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? JUST TO CLARIFY, IF INDEED THERE IS A DISCUSSION LATER THIS WEEK WHEREIN THE P VALUES CHANGE FOR CERTAIN PROPERTIES, THE NEXT ROUND OF VOLUNTARY NOTICES WOULD REFLECT THOSE CHANGES AS WELL? YES, CORRECT.
SO AND THAT IS, I THINK, AN IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE THAT THIS ROLE IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING AMENDED AND UPDATED BASED ON THESE CONVERSATIONS AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON. THE ROLL FOR THIS PARTICULAR DISTRICT HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED AT THIS POINT.
ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RULE THAT SAYS A NEW ITEM CANNOT
[04:05:06]
BE TAKEN UP AFTER 10:00 UNLESS THE BOARD VOTES TO TAKE IT UP.ALL RIGHT, THEN, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WE GO ON, WE DEAL WITH ITEM 13B.
AND POSTPONE THE OTHER THREE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA UNTIL OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
IS THAT IS IT GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR ANY REASON? I DON'T THINK.
WE DO HAVE BEEN HERE WAITING THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE THEIR ITEM.
SO THE BOARD POLICY IS THAT IF YOU WISH TO TAKE ACTION ON ANY OF THE FOUR REMAINING DISCUSSION ITEMS, YOU'D NEED A MOTION TO SUSPEND YOUR RULES TO TAKE ACTION THAT SAME NIGHT. WHY DON'T WE JUST WRAP IT UP? WELL, LET'S CONTINUE.
I'M GUESSING ALL THE STAFF REMAINING ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO GO THROUGH THEIR MEMORANDUM, AND WE WILL GET OUT OF HERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S MR. SCHMIDT AND 13B, AS WELL.
BUT WE'RE NOT EXPECTING TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON 13C.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR ACTION ON EITHER THE ITEMS, ACTUALLY.
OH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAYBE TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST OR JUST KEEP GOING? KEEP GOING.
OR TEN WILL BECOME 15 AND WE'LL BE HERE UNTIL 11:30.
REMAINING ITEMS ARE ALL DISCUSSIONS.
OK. JUST GOING THROUGH THESE REMAINING ITEMS FOR ACTION OR DISCUSSION.
SORRY. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS WITH A MOTION TO CONTINUE.
WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION SO WE CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE THE.
NEXT UP IS ITEM 13B ORDINANCE REZONING.
[13B. Ordinance 2022-09 – Rezone 2260 Jolly Oak Drive – PO to C-2]
NUMBER 22, REZONING OF 2260 JOLLY OAK DRIVE.THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR APPROVAL.
IT WOULD INVOLVE THE REZONING OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF JOLLY OAK AND OKEMOS ROAD.
THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE FOR PNC BANK THAT HAS BEEN VACANT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, I BELIEVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE REQUEST IS FROM BECKY BUSHING-KALKA, WHO'S LOOKING TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AND MOVE HER JEWELRY STORE, THE APPROXIMATE ONE BLOCK NORTH, INTO A FREESTANDING BUILDING, AS SHE WOULD, I THINK, GLADLY RELAYED AT THIS LATE HOUR.
SHE HAS PAID A LOT OF RENT OVER THE YEARS AND IS LOOKING TO OWN THE REQUEST.
THE PROPERTY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS MASTER PLAN FOR COMMERCIAL USES.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICE IS RELATIVELY SMALL.
IN FACT, BY TRAFFIC STUDY PROJECTIONS, THIS WOULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE PROPERTY DURING PEAK HOURS BECAUSE A USE LIKE THIS DOESN'T HAVE A SUSTAINED PEAK LIKE A BANK TYPICALLY DOES AT 5:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AS WELL. IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS FROM THE BOARD, WE CAN ADDRESS THEM IN THE FUTURE.
OTHERWISE WE WILL BRING FORWARD A RESOLUTION TO TAKE ACTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I KNOW THAT THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL.
IS THE APPLICANT, THE BROTHER, SISTER OF BRIAN BUSHING, A LONG SERVING MEMBER OF OUR ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, ARE REALLY AN INSTITUTION HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP.
WE SHOULD APPROVE THIS AND NOTHING ELSE AS DEBT TO THE SAME FAMILY FOR BRIAN'S SERVICE.
SO YES, THE BOARD DOES HAVE A RULE.
MY APOLOGIES. WE DON'T GO PAST 10 P.M.
WE DO NEED A RULE OR A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE BOARD'S RULES TO TAKE UP A NEW ITEM AFTER 10 P.M. SO IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE WE.
I DON'T THINK WE EVER MADE THAT MOTION OR.
OKAY, I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE TAKE UP ITEM.
TO SUSPEND OUR RULES, TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND TAKE UP BOARD DISCUSSION ITEMS AFTER 10 P.M. MOVED BY CLERK GUTHRIE SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON THAT WE SUSPEND OUR RULES ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
ANY OPPOSED? THEN WE WILL WE WILL FIRST ENTERTAIN YOUR QUESTION ABOUT.
[04:10:02]
THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. WE HAVE TO ANSWER THEM ON THIS ITEM.CLERK GUTHRIE? I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY THIS ENTIRE EVENING, SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
WELL, THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, KAYLA.
WE ARE EAGER AND HOPEFUL FOR THE NEW LOCATION.
THAT LOCATION IS, WE'VE BEEN THERE 20 YEARS IN THE CURRENT LOCATION.
NOTHING ELSE HAS EVER COME UP THAT WOULD FIT WHAT THIS DOES FOR US.
AND THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO THE AMOUNT OF ADDED EXPOSURE IS PHENOMENAL. WHEN YOU'RE IN A STRIP MALL, NOBODY CAN SEE WHAT I LOOK LIKE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE THIS GREAT LOOKING BUILDING AND IT'S IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SUPER FOR US. SO I REALLY HOPE WE'VE BEEN PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS MY 33RD YEAR IN BUSINESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY AND IT'S BEEN THE ELF AND THE SHOEMAKER.
YOU KNOW, I STARTED OUT WITH 256 SQUARE FEET, NO INVENTORY AND NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING, BUT I KNEW JEWELRY.
SO STEP BY STEP, WE JUST KEPT GROWING.
AND THIS IS JUST THE NEXT STEP IN OUR GROWTH.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS? TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO STICK AROUND, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR FOR DIRECTOR SCHMITT BRIEFLY HERE, WHICH IS, WAS THERE ANY CONCERN BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE NOTION THAT WE WERE SORT OF INSERTING A PENINSULA OF COMMERCIAL INTO AN OTHERWISE CFPO(? NO, WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT LARGELY BECAUSE THE MASTER PLAN SORT OF ALLOWS FOR EITHER PO OR COMMERCIAL, BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF THIS BROAD COMMERCIAL CATEGORY.
IT IS CONSISTENT IN THAT REGARD.
BUT YOU ARE UNDER NO, IT'S REALLY NOT SORT OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL A SPOT ZONE IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE YOU ARE IT'S SORT OF AN EDGE.
RIGHT. AND THERE IS NO CONCERN WITH REZONING ONE PORTION OF THE CONDOMINIUM BECAUSE IT'S A SEPARATE PARCEL. IT CAN BE DONE.
AND THEN FOR THE APPLICANT, DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE RENOVATIONS TO THE BUILDING AS IT EXISTS TODAY? THE ONLY THING WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS THE CURRENT DRIVE THRU.
WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE DRIVE THRU, BUT THERE IS THE OVERHANG SO WE'RE HOPING TO DO AN ADDITION ONTO IT. SO WE HAVE A PLACE FOR OUR GOLDSMITH AND STORAGE AND THAT TYPE OF WORK, BUT THE DRIVE THRU WILL BE GONE.
CLERK GUTHRIE? WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT? WELL, WE WERE SHOOTING FOR THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT WITH SHIPPING ISSUES, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW. WE'VE TALKED TO SHOWCASE.
I LITERALLY HAVE A SHOWCASE COMPANY LINED UP TO START IN OCTOBER, BUT THEY JUST CAN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES. SO WE'RE IN MY REAL WORLD.
I'D LOVE IT TO BE BY DECEMBER, BUT IF NOT, IT'LL BE FIRST QUARTER NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. SCHMIDT, WE SHOULD EXPECT THIS BACK ON OUR OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING ON THE 26TH? YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK I THINK THAT THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THE BOARD IS LIKELY TO APPROVE.
[13C. Zoning Ordinance Updates]
SMITH. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.BRIEFLY. WHEN I STARTED HERE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS GO THROUGH THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND START ASKING QUESTIONS.
AND I HAVE A LIST OF PROBABLY 30 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ON MY BOARD RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS REPRESENTS THE FIRST TRANCHE THAT STAFF ASSISTANT PLANNER CHAPMAN, SENIOR PLANNER SHORKEY AND I HAVE WORKED ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
SO BRIEFLY, THERE ARE THE SIX ITEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
THE FIRST WOULD UPDATE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS STANDARDS FOR REVIEW.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE EIGHT STANDARDS.
THEY ARE SOMEWHAT DUPLICATIVE AT TIMES AND ARE IN EXCESS OF WHAT IS NECESSARY UNDER STATE LAW. SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING CUTTING THOSE DOWN TO FIVE AND STREAMLINING THE PROCESS.
THE ZBA IS IN SUPPORT OF THIS AND ARE VERY HAPPY TO SEE IT MOVING FORWARD.
PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THIS.
THE SECOND TWO ITEMS WERE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON VARIANCES I SAW IN MY FIRST AT THE BEGINNING OF MY TIME HERE FUNCTIONALLY AND I AND TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND SIMONS THE PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR.
I MADE IT CLEAR THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE THE LAKE LANSING OVERLAY DISTRICT MORE BROADLY.
BUT THIS WILL THESE TWO PROPOSALS WILL ADDRESS THE MOST COMMON VARIANCE REQUESTS WE SEE, WHICH ARE FAR SETBACKS BECAUSE ON MANY OF THE LOTS THERE IS A RESTRICTION ON HOW FAR BACK YOU CAN GO. SO EVERYONE IS PUSHING FORWARD AS FAR AS THEY CAN, WHICH THEN LEADS TO A PROBLEM WITH PRIOR COVERAGE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE PUSHING FORWARD AND YOU HAVE A SMALLER
[04:15:02]
SETBACK, THEN SAME SIZE DRIVEWAY IS ALL OF A SUDDEN COVERING MORE OF THE LOT.SO THESE TWO THOSE TWO CHANGES WOULD ADDRESS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO ADDRESS EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.
WE FOUND A COUPLE OF VARIANCES THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED OR APPROVED IN THE PAST THAT ARE STILL IN EXCESS OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
BUT THIS WOULD COVER THE MAJORITY OF REASONABLE REQUESTS WE GET BECAUSE FRANKLY, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A RECURRING VARIANCE REQUEST.
IT'S EITHER A PROBLEM WITH THE ORDINANCE OR IT'S A PROBLEM WITH GRANTING THE VARIANCES.
THE THIRD ITEM, THAT IS THE FOURTH ITEM I APOLOGIZE THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING.
I'M STILL TRYING TO GET BACK FROM VACATION MODE.
HERE IS THE NONRESIDENTIAL FENCE HEIGHT.
THIS WAS A REQUEST THAT THE ZBA GOT AS WELL AND DENIED ACTUALLY, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO REAL GOOD REASON WAY TO APPROVE IT.
BUT AS WE LOOKED INTO IT FURTHER, WE FOUND THAT FUNCTIONALLY NON RESIDENTIAL USES ALWAYS HAVE HIGHER FENCES THAN RESIDENTIAL USERS.
SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO ESSENTIALLY ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY FOR THE NONRESIDENTIAL USERS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THE FIFTH ITEM IS, I BELIEVE THIS HAD LONG TERM BEEN HANDLED THROUGH AN INTERPRETATION OF THE CODE. I DON'T LIKE DOING THAT.
SO TECHNICALLY IF YOU HAVE A WALK OUT PORCH ON YOUR BASEMENT LEVEL AND A DECK ON YOUR SECOND LEVEL, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT REQUIRES IT ALLOWS ONE YARD ENCROACHMENT.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S FUNCTIONALLY NO REASON WHY THERE'S A LIMITATION ON YARD ENCROACHMENTS.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE STILL MEETING SETBACKS AND LOCK COVERAGES AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE LAST ITEM IS THE ONE THAT'S MOST DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE MASTER PLAN FOR LAND USE, WHICH IS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE.
THE RRR DISTRICT IS ONLY REFERENCED IN ABOUT SEVEN PLACES IN THE WHOLE ORDINANCE.
IT HAS NO DIFFERENT USES THAN ANY OTHER RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT AND THERE ARE NO PROPERTIES THAT ARE ZONED RRR.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING TO STRIKE IT AT THIS TIME AND START DOWN THE ROAD.
WE WILL. WE ARE WORKING ON HOW TO ATTACK A COUPLE OF OTHER DISTRICTS.
THEY GET MORE COMPLICATED AFTER THIS.
BUT THESE ARE THE SIX SORT OF EASY PROPOSAL, PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN RIGHT NOW AND WOULD WELCOME ANY FEEDBACK ON THEM.
EACH ONE OF THEM HAS HAD A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR APPROVAL. WE WILL BRING THEM FORWARD SEPARATELY IN THE FUTURE FOR ADOPTION.
BUT GIVEN THAT THEY'RE ALL RELATIVELY SMALL, WE PACKAGED THEM UP FOR THIS DISCUSSION.
OKAY. QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF TIME.
SO I HAD THE BENEFIT OF BEING INVOLVED IN ALL SIX OF THESE WHEN I WAS STILL A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THE ZBA AS WELL.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT SPECIFICALLY THE ZBA STANDARDS OF REVIEW WILL SIGNIFICANTLY HELP THEM TO STREAMLINE AND MAKE THE SAME GOOD DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN SHORTER AMOUNTS OF TIME. SO THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THE TWO LAKE LANSING'S, TIM'S RIGHT, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE OVERLAY AT SOME POINT BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TACKLE THAT, TO GIVE THE RESIDENTS SOME RELIEF, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE REQUESTS OR BE ABLE TO RENOVATE THEIR HOMES OR MAKE CHANGES WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BEFORE THE EPA, IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE WIN.
MY QUESTION, WHICH I'LL ASK YOU, WHICH YOU CAN ANSWER IN A SECOND, IS CAN THE APPLICANT WHO WAS DENIED FOR THE FENCE SITE COME BACK IF THIS IS PASSED AND JUST BUILD THEIR FENCE TALLER, EVEN WITH THEIR PREVIOUS DENIAL? YES, THE ORDINANCES WILL HAVE CHANGED.
AND SO THEY WILL REQUEST UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT TO ALLOW A TALLER FENCE IN A NONRESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. THAT'S GOOD, BECAUSE IT REALLY DID FEEL LIKE OUR HANDS WERE TIED ON THAT PARTICULAR CASE. SO THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR, TOO.
SO ANYWAY, THESE ARE SIX GOOD SMALL STEPS THAT I THINK ARE GOING TO HAVE BIG IMPACTS ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THESE COME UP.
ANYONE ELSE? JUST TO SEE THE CHANGES, YOU'RE TEARING THEM DOWN TO FIVE.
IT'S ONE OF THE BOARDS THAT WE HAVE THE MOST TURNOVER ON, AND I CAN THINK WE MIGHT HAVE SAVED TEN OR 20 DIFFERENT ZBA MEMBERS IF WE'D HAD THIS YEAR AGO BECAUSE THESE EIGHT ARE SO CONFUSING.
[INAUDIBLE]. THIS IS GOING TO MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR OUR MEMBERS.
WE EXPECT TO BEGIN TO SEE THEM.
THEY WILL BE BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING TO SET TO SET UP FOR ADOPTION.
ITEM 12 DEED IS REPRESENTS A SUGGESTION OR REQUESTS
[13D. Juneteenth]
BY CLERK GUTHRIE AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI.WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THAT?
[04:20:02]
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS HOW CAN WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN MORE DIVERSE STAFF AND HOW CAN WE BE MORE INCLUSIVE IN OUR RECRUITMENT AND OUR RETENTION? AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ONCE PEOPLE ARE HERE AND DO THEY FEEL REPRESENTED? AND SO ONE OF THE ITEMS WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE COMMITTEE, I MAY HAVE SELF DESIGNATED MYSELF ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI.I THINK DAN MAY HAVE BEEN ON IT, ORIGINALLY.
YEAH. OKAY. SO AT ANY RATE, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS EXTENSIVELY AND WANT TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD TO APPROVE JUNETEENTH AS A PAID HOLIDAY FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN THEIR CONTRACTS.
OKAY. OTHER COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL? IT'S A FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
SO IT SEEMS LOGICAL FOR US TO FALL IN LINE WITH THAT.
LOCAL HOLIDAY. OKAY, I CONCUR.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD.
YES. AND ARE WE EXPECTING TO SEE THIS BACK AT OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR? UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADOPT IT TONIGHT? OTHERWISE. YES. NO.
HAVE AN OFFICIAL. AND I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
YEAH, SHE COULD ASSIST WITH THIS LANGUAGE, SO I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK THE CONSENSUS, THOUGH, IS THAT WE WOULD BE INCLINED TO ADOPT THAT MOTION RESOLUTION. AND THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR, WELL, ON THE DISCUSSION ITEMS IS SMALL TALK
[13E. Small Talk Children’s Advocacy Center Donation]
CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER DONATION PROPOSED BY CHIEF OF POLICE.MR. PLAGA? BY THE BOARD MEMBERS. THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE STATE LAW THAT SAYS 25% OF ALL CRIMINAL FORFEITURE MONIES HAVE TO GO TO VICTIMS ASSISTANCE, VICTIMS RIGHTS, VICTIM'S ADVOCACY.
AND WE TYPICALLY USE THAT THOSE FUNDS TO PRINT PAPERWORK AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO HELP ASSIST VICTIMS IN FINDING ASSISTANCE AT POST CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SUSPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THAT MANNER, AND THE IMPACT IS NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS WHAT SMALL TALK DOES FOR US.
SMALL TALK PROVIDES COUNSELING FOR CHILDREN THAT HAVE.
ABUSED AND VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
SMALL TALK ALSO, IF YOU REMEMBER, I BELIEVE MADAM SUPERVISOR ATTENDED THE DARKNESS TO LIGHT TRAINING THAT WAS PROVIDED BY SMALL TALK CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER AND NO COST TO THE TOWNSHIP. THEY PROVIDED MULTIPLE CLASSES HERE FOR US FOR TO GARNER AWARENESS.
WE HAVE OVER 6000 IN VICTIMS ADVOCACY OR VICTIMS FORFEITURE FUNDS.
I PROPOSE MAKING A DONATION OF 5000 TO SMALL TALK IN THE PACKET.
YOU SAW THE LETTER FROM THEIR DIRECTOR THAT OUTLINED THE NUMBER OF SERVICES THAT COULD BE PROVIDED WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY.
DETECTIVE BECKY PAYNE WORKS FOR ME.
SHE SHE SPECIALIZES IN SEXUAL ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT.
THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE HAVE ARE STAGGERING FOR A COMMUNITY THIS SIZE, IN MY OPINION.
AND SO THIS MONEY WILL GO TO BENEFIT CHILDREN AND VICTIMS OF CRIME.
WE'VE CONFIRMED WITH THE STATE THAT THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE EXPENDITURE OF THESE FORFEITURE MONIES. TREASURER DESCHAINE? IN THIS CASE, I WOULD LIKE TO AGAIN SUGGEST WE SUSPEND RULES AND TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT.
THE MOTION PROPERLY SECONDED, ALL IN FAVOR OF SUSPENDING THE RULES TO ADDRESS THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST.
YES. YES. THE CHAIR VOTES YES.
I'D LIKE TO THEN FOLLOW UP BY MOVING TO AUTHORIZE THE DONATION OF 5000 OF THE POLICE FORFEITURE MONEY TO THE SMALL TALK CHILDREN'S ADVOCATE CENTER CENTER TO SUPPORT, ABUSE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I WILL RECOGNIZE, I THINK YOU WILL OUT OF THIS, I WILL RECOGNIZE AS SOON AS I REMEMBER
[04:25:04]
YOUR NAME, TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON, AND SECONDING THE MOTION ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.YES, YES. BECAUSE IT INVOLVES MONEY WE NEED.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT. REALLY QUICK.
WHO SECONDED THE MOTION TO SUSPEND THE ONE BEFORE THAT? ME. CLERK GUTHRIE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING NOW.
THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T MENTION.
THE DESCRIPTION FROM THE AGENCY WAS THAT $5,000 WOULD PROVIDE THE FIRST WOULD PAY FOR THE FIRST INTERVIEW AT SMALL TALK FOR 75 CLIENTS.
THAT'S AMAZING. YES, THAT'S AMAZING.
AND THAT IS AN ADMIRABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR WORK.
I APPRECIATE I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
TONIGHT WAS THE LENGTH OF THE EVENING AND SUSPENDED.
APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH.
I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT AS WELL.
GREAT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
SO WE CAN SKIP WE CAN SKIP ITEMS, BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AFTER THE MEETING. WE WILL ASK YOU TO SAVE IT UNTIL THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
IF IN THAT CASE, I CAN DECLARE THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SECONDED AND MOVED AND SECONDED TO ADJOURN.
THE FIRST MEETING FOR YOU GUYS.
OH, GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.