Jun 07, 2022 Township Board

[00:00:38]

THANK YOU.

WE'RE READY.

GOOD EVENING.

WE'RE NOT USED TO HAVING THIS MANY VISITORS THIS EVENING, SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR VISIT AND WE CAN PROCEED AS

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

STAND AND JOIN ME IF YOU CAN.

ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL.

MR. LEMASTER.

THANK YOU. ITEM 4 ON OUR AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS.

WE HAVE QUITE A FEW TODAY.

THE FIRST IS GOING TO BE THE HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL ROBOTICS WORLD CHAMPIONS.

[4A. Haslett Middle School - 2022 Robotics World Competition]

GOOD EVENING, BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TODAY TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE HASLETT ROBOTICS CLUB AND WORLD 2022 CHAMPIONS.

WE HAVE THE CLUB MEMBERS HERE WITH ME AND COACH STEVE.

COACH STEVE, THANK YOU.

WANT TO TELL YOU, AS A PARENT MYSELF, I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU WRANGLE OVER 400 STUDENTS WITH ALL OF THEIR PARENTS WHO ARE NOT ENGINEERS.

[00:05:03]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] WELL, THANK YOU.

AS YOU MENTIONED, MY NAME IS STEVE [INAUDIBLE].

I'M THE CHAIR OF THE HAZARD ROBOTICS CLUB.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU LAST YEAR WHEN YOU WHEN YOU RECOGNIZED OUR TWO TEAMS THAT MADE IT TO THE WORLDS LAST YEAR.

SO I'M GOING TO SKIP PAST THE NORMAL SPIEL I DO ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CLUB.

SINCE WE HAVE FIVE TEAMS WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AND I WANT TO TRY AND MAKE SURE WE GET ENOUGH TIME TO DO SO.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS TALK A BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.

SO JUST BRIEFLY WITH THE HASLETT ROBOTICS CLUB, WE USE ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS TO GET KIDS EXCITED ABOUT STEM AND HOPEFULLY GO INTO STEM CAREERS, BUT JUST REALLY GET EXCITED ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS.

WE USE ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS, SO THE COMPETITIONS TYPICALLY WORK THIS WAY.

SO ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THERE'S A GOVERNING BOARD THAT OPERATES TEAMS AROUND THE WORLD AND THEY, THEY COME UP WITH A NEW GAME EACH YEAR AND EACH GAME HAS ITS OWN SET OF RULES, HAS ITS OWN SET OF OBSTACLES AND THINGS THAT THE KIDS HAVE TO DESIGN A ROBOT TO TACKLE IN SOME FORM, SOME FORM OF COMPETITION.

THEY ALSO HAVE TO WORK ON STRATEGY.

THEY ALSO HAVE TO WORK ON PROGRAMING.

THEY HAVE TO WORK ON THEIR DESIGN NOTEBOOKS AND BEING GOOD ENGINEERS.

AND BASICALLY THAT STARTS RIGHT NOW.

THE SEASON TYPICALLY STARTS FOR US RIGHT AROUND THE START OF THE YEAR, SORT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR LASTS ABOUT SIX MONTHS.

IF THE TEAMS MAKE IT TO THE POSTSEASON, THE PARENTS GET TO ENJOY ANOTHER TWO OR THREE MONTHS OF DRIVING THE KIDS THROUGH ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS AND YELLING AT THE KIDS.

SO TEAMS, BASICALLY, THEY COMPETE.

SO THEY'LL TYPICALLY DO TWO OR THREE REGIONAL COMPETITIONS IF THEY DO WELL ENOUGH AND LUCK FAVORS THEM AND THEIR HARD WORK FAVORS THEM, THEY MAY GET INVITED TO THE POSTSEASON.

POSTSEASON TYPICALLY HAS THE STATE TOURNAMENT.

EACH TEAM WILL GO AND COMPETE AGAINST TEAMS, AROUND THE STATE.

AND IF THEY IF LUCK FAVORS THEM AND THEIR HARD WORK FAVORS THEM, THEY MAY INVITE IT TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

ALL FIVE OF THESE TEAMS HERE GOT INVITED TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR, TOOK PLACE IN DALLAS, TEXAS.

AND WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT ROBOTICS PLATFORMS REPRESENTED HERE.

SO JUST GIVE YOU A SENSE OF JUST HOW UNIQUE THIS IS.

WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2008.

WE DIDN'T SEND ANY TEAMS TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS UNTIL 2011.

WE HAD A LONG, NICE, LONG STREAK FROM 2011 TO 2017 WHERE WE HAD AT LEAST ONE TEAM EACH YEAR AND MAKE IT TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ANAHEIM, AND I THINK IN LOUISVILLE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.

A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO GO AND WE THOUGHT THOSE WERE REALLY FANTASTIC OVERACHIEVING YEARS.

2014, OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEAM CALLED THE VEX RAPTORS WENT TO THE COMPETITION IN ANAHEIM.

I THINK IT WAS STILL STILL THERE, TOOK HOME THE THE EXCELLENCE AWARD, WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE A RECOGNITION OF A TEAM FOR BEING THE MOST WELL-ROUNDED ROBOTICS TEAM IN THE WORLD, BASICALLY.

SO WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TYPE OF TYPE OF AWARD.

SO 2017 WAS THE LAST YEAR WE SENT A TEAM TO THE WORLD UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN OUR [INAUDIBLE] MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM AND THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS BOTH WENT VIRTUALLY.

AND YOU RECOGNIZE THEM LAST YEAR FOR THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT AS WELL.

SO THAT BRINGS US TO THIS YEAR.

SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, WITH A PANDEMIC GOING ON AND IN DECREASED NUMBERS AND HIGHER STRESS, WE MANAGED TO SEND FIVE TEAMS TO THE WORLDS, WHICH IS FAIRLY UNIQUE. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, GIVE ME A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

[APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS RECOGNIZE EACH TEAM.

SOME OF THEM HAVE SOME AWARDS.

SHOW YOU WE HAVE A ROBOT TO SHOW YOU A COUPLE OF ROBOTS.

SO WE AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE TEAMS IN DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. SO SOME OF THE BOTS ARE ABOUT THIS BIG.

SO WE'RE ABOUT THIS BIG. SO WE'RE ABOUT THIS BIG OR SO AND THERE'S DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WITH IT.

SO FIRST UP, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE BOATS.

THE BOATS IS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE KIDS FROM OKEMOS AND HASLETT, RIGHT? OR YOU'RE ALL OKEMOS. WE'RE ALL OKEMOS.

WE'RE ALL OKEMOS. I'M SORRY.

ALL RIGHT. SO WE OUR OUR CLUB REPRESENTS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE CALLED HASLETT ROBOTICS.

SO LET'S SEE.

SO THE BOATS.

BOAT STANDS FOR BEST OF ALL TIME AND.

RIGHT. I THINK SOMEONE WERE CALLED GOATS FOR THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME.

SO NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE GOAT BOATS.

SO THEY WON ONE SKILLS AWARD.

THEY MADE, THEY DID A WON TEAMWORK CHAMPIONSHIP AWARD AND A GRAND LEDGE COMPETITION.

IF I RECALL, THEY COMPETED IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT AND THEY WERE INVITED TO WORLDS BECAUSE OF THEIR SKILLS SCORES.

THEY GET MAD SKILLS.

THEY GET INVITED TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

[00:10:02]

SO WOULD YOU MIND WALKING YOUR BODY AROUND AND SHOWING THAT OFF, JUST BY THE WAY? THERE YOU GO. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL VEX IQ.

THESE ARE PARTS OF VARIOUS PARTS YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH DIFFERENT DESIGN.

EACH TEAM CAN CREATE THEIR OWN DESIGN.

YOU PACK ALL THE THE CHALLENGES FOR THAT.

THIS STORY.

SO YOU DON'T MIND.

WE ALSO LIKE TO USE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS TO TRY AND GET KIDS TO ENGAGE ALL THAT A LITTLE BIT.

SO WOULD YOU MIND TELLING THEM WHAT WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? I LEARNED THAT IT WAS A MUCH BIGGER DEAL THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A SMALLER THING.

BUT EVEN THOUGH IT DID HAVE 800 TEAMS AND THEN FOR THE FINALS, THEY EVEN THEY EVEN HAD FIREWORKS AND EVERYTHING INSIDE THE ARENA.

YEAH. SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET FIREWORKS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO THEY SHARED A PARENT COACH SHARED A PICTURE OF HIM SITTING IN THE ARENA.

I THINK THEY WERE LIKE SECOND ROW OR SECOND TO LAST ROW.

AND THERE'S THIS. IT WAS LIKE A ROCK CONCERT.

THANK YOU BOATS. AWESOME.

LET'S DO THE ZESTY MUSTACHES MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM, WE CALL THEM FROM LAST YEAR.

SO THEY ALSO COMPETE WITH THE SAME PSYCHE, THE SAME TYPE OF ROBOT, BUT THEY'VE DISASSEMBLED THEIRS BECAUSE THEY'RE STARTING TO WORK ON THEIR NEXT DESIGN.

RECALL LAST YEAR, THEY MADE IT THE WORLD'S.

THEY ALSO WERE THEY TOOK THE ABSENCE OF WORD TO THE STATE LEVEL.

SO THEY'RE CONSIDERED LIKE THE BEST IN THE STATE.

THIS SEASON, THEY TOOK ONE EXCELLENCE AWARD TO TEAMWORK CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS, FORD'S ROBOT SKILLS AWARD, A DESIGN AWARD.

THEY HAD SOME SOME AWARDS.

IT DIDN'T SHOW YOU TWO. YOU WANT TO WALK THOSE AROUND.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY TOOK THE BEST DRESSED AWARD.

AT THE AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, THEY WON THE INNOVATE AWARD, WHICH I THINK IS ONE OF THOSE THAT THEY'RE SHOWING YOU AS WE SEND IT TO A TEAM THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED THE STRONG COMBINATION OF INGENUITY, INNOVATION AND DESIGNING THEIR VEX ROBOT.

THEY DID THIS BY COMPETING AGAINST NEARLY 800 OTHER TEAMS. [APPLAUSE] WOW. SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT ROBOTICS IN GENERAL? WELL, I THINK AS A CLUB, I THINK THE CLUB HAS DONE A GREAT JOB SUPPORTING ALL THESE TEAMS HERE.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT WE MADE IT TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY'VE MENTORED US.

THEY'VE GAVE US ALL THE PARTS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE NEEDED TO BUILD ROBOTS AND DO WELL.

YEAH, I JUST FEEL LIKE THE CLUB IS LIKE I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A REALLY NICE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU CAN LEAN ON LIKE OTHER TEAMS AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE COMPETING WITH THE SAME THING THAT YOU AND EVEN IF WE ARE COMPETITORS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE STILL LIKE ONE BIG COMMUNITY THAT CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE A GREATER PROBLEM.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] WE'LL [INAUDIBLE] IT'S THE NEXT STEP WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ALSO CALLED THE ZESTY MUSTACHES.

THIS IS OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEAM.

THIS IS A TEAM THAT KIND OF FORMED OUT OF TWO OTHER TEAMS FROM LAST YEAR.

YEAH. THERE YOU GO.

ALL RIGHT. COOL. SO.

SO WE KNOW THEIR BOT, BUT IF YOU EVER WORKED WITH ERECTOR SETS, THOSE PIECES OF METAL KITS AND WHATEVER, SO THEIR BOTS TEND TO START ABOUT 18 INCHES BY 18 BY 18. THEY CAN EXTEND OFF AND DO ALL SORTS OF COOL STUFF, BUT THEY ACTUALLY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE SAWS AND HARM THEMSELVES.

SO THIS YEAR THE THEY TOOK AN EXCELLENCE AWARD.

THEY DID TWO TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS CHIPS.

THEY GOT THE DESIGN AWARD, THEY GOT AN AMAZE AWARD AT STATES STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY WON THE CREATE AWARD, WHICH IS AN AWARD THAT RECOGNIZES A TEAM WHO IS ROBOT DESIGN AND INCORPORATES CREATIVE ENGINEERING SOLUTION AND THE DESIGN CHALLENGES OF THIS SEASON'S GAME. THEY DID SO AGAINST 812 TEAMS. SO. [APPLAUSE] HOW AM I DOING? NO. ONE MINUTE.

ONE MINUTE LEFT. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO IN THE INTEREST OF MOVING FORWARD, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD? ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

YOU WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH THE TEAM? SURE.

ALL RIGHT. SO, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CLUB.

WITHOUT THEM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR.

THEY PROVIDED A LOT OF MENTORSHIP FOR US, A FACILITY TO PRACTICE WITH OTHER TEAMS. THEY'VE REGISTERED US FOR MANY TOURNAMENTS.

SO, YEAH. THANK YOU.

[00:15:05]

AND THIS HAS US UP REALLY WELL FOR FUTURES IN BE IT INDUSTRY OR RESEARCH OR SOMETHING ENTIRELY UNRELATED BECAUSE IT TEACHES US THE COLLABORATION.

EVEN WHEN WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER TEAMS, WE'RE GOING TO SCRIMMAGES WITH THEM SO THAT WE CAN ALL BECOME BETTER AND ALL IMPROVE.

AND THAT'S JUST BEEN REALLY IMPACTFUL IN COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND JUST WHAT OUR INTERESTS ARE IN GENERAL.

AWESOME, COOL.

BUT ALL POSSIBLE. I'LL TALK EVEN FASTER.

SO FLYING PHANTOMS ARE UP NEXT.

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE ENTERED INTO WHAT'S CALLED AERIAL DRONE PROGRAMING OR ROBOTICS.

WOULD YOU MIND WALKING THAT AROUND? SHOW THAT OFF. COOL. SO.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE PROGRAM'S BEEN AROUND A BIT.

BUT WITH COVID, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS UNTIL THIS YEAR.

THIS IS A TEAM CALLED THE FLYING PHANTOMS. THEY ARE A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM.

THIS YEAR THEY TOOK TWO HIGH FLIERS AWARDS.

THEY WON ONE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND AT THE WORLDS, THEY WON THE MECHANICS AND CONTROL OF FLIGHT AWARD, WHICH IS PRESENTED TO A TEAM THAT HAS THE MOST CONSISTENTLY HIGH SCORING AND COMPETITIVE DRONE.

AND THEY TOOK THE SECOND PLACE IN SKILLS.

SO LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE FLYING PHANTOMS. WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? WOULD YOU LIKE. I LIKE THAT YOU COULD BASICALLY DO WHATEVER YOU WANT IN THE TIME OF WHAT YOU HAD IN A DAY. SO IF YOU NEED TO DO WORK ON SKILLS, YOU COULD GO OVER TO THE SKILLS AREA AND WORK ON SKILLS.

AND IF YOU NEEDED TO WORK WITH YOUR NEXT ALLIANCE, YOU COULD GO OVER TO YOUR NEXT ALLIANCE AND STRATEGIZE WITH THEM ON THE MATCH THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE.

AWESOME. SO THE TEAMS ARE SELF GUIDED AND YOU GUYS JUST MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW YOU WANT TO WORK YOUR STRATEGY OUT WITH OTHER TEAMS WITHIN THAT.

HE'S DOING ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU, DEAN. ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS THE ROBOTS RULE IS ANOTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM, SEVENTH GRADER AND SIX FIGHTER.

I'M SO EXCITED.

I FINALLY GOT THAT RIGHT. OVER THE SEASON, THEY WON TWO FLIGHT PLAN AWARDS.

THEY WON A SKILLS AWARD AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY TOOK THE FROM THE SKILLS CHAMPIONSHIP AWARD, BUT THEY ALSO WON THE FIRST EVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AERIAL DRONE.

[APPLAUSE] SO THE WAY THIS WORKS IS AS THE COMPETITION GOES ON, THEY PARTNER, THEY FORM ALLIANCES.

AND AT THE VERY END OF THE COMPETITION, THEY FORMED AN ALLIANCE WITH ANOTHER TEAM FROM MICHIGAN.

AND SO BOTH THOSE TEAMS WON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

SO WE SHOULD ALL TIP SEVEN BURNERS IN HONOR OF THE MICHIGAN BASED TEAMS. SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE? I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT WE DID.

WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS, AND WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE HASLETT ROBOTICS CLUB AND ALL THAT AND THE PLATFORM WE HAVE.

SO THANK YOU TO THE HEADS OF ROBOTICS CLUB.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] COOL.

SO I'M SORRY ABOUT TAKING SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT IT'S FUN AND IT'S FUN TO GET THEM OUT HERE TALKING.

AND AND I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING THAN THAN SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS HERE.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] WE BOTH CONGRATULATE AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS.

WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ITEM.

WE'RE GOING TO DO ITEM FOUR D ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO

[4D. Special Tribute-Tom Haas, Flags over Meridian]

IF WE COULD HAVE THE HONOREE COME UP.

TOM AND THE REST OF THE CLUB WANT TO COME IN AND STAND BEHIND US? [APPLAUSE] THAT'D BE GREAT.

AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL FROM TOM'S DEMEANOR, HE WASN'T EXPECTING THIS.

WE TOLD HIM THIS WAS AN HONOR FOR THE WHOLE CLUB.

BUT I GUESS IF WE TOLD HIM THE HONOR FOR HIM, HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE SHOWED UP.

THE HAS THE HAS THE KIWANIS CLUB, THE KIWANIS CLUB OF HASLETT AND OKEMOS WAS FORMED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN 1956, SPLIT INTO TWO CLUBS LATER AND ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO REJOINING THE ONE COMBINED CLUB.

OUR MAIN PROJECT IS FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN AND I'M PROUD TO BE A MEMBER AND PAST PRESIDENT OF THAT CLUB.

[00:20:01]

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU.

JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I GOT TWO THINGS TO DO BEFORE I READ THIS TRIBUTE.

FIRST OF ALL, TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.

I PUT IN 12 YEARS HERE.

I KNOW WHAT YOU GO THROUGH AND I KNOW HOW LIGHTLY THE PHONE CALLS MUST BE.

HEY, IT'S THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION, NOT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

BUT. BUT, BUT I SINCERELY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

SECOND THING IS, I WANT TO BRIEFLY EXPLAIN TO YOU EVERYBODY WHAT FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN IS.

IT IS A SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM.

WE DON'T SELL FLAGS, BUT SIX TIMES A YEAR WE COME TO YOUR HOME.

THE KIWANIS CLUB COMES TO YOUR HOME AND PUTS UP A FLAG.

AFTER WE ESTABLISH AN INSTALLATION POINT, WE DO IT IN COOPERATION WITH THE ENGINEERING FOLKS AT THE TOWNSHIP, AND WE CHARGE $40 ANNUALLY.

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED THAT THINK IT'S $40 FOR LIFE, BUT IT'S NOT $40 AND THE MONEY IS DEDICATED.

IT ALL STAYS BACK HERE.

AND AS YOU'LL HEAR FROM THIS TRIBUTE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE DO WITH IT.

BUT ROBOTICS CLUBS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF DOING.

SO YOU'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AT, BUT IT'S A SUBSCRIPTION PRESS PROGRAM.

IT'S THE SIX, WHAT WE CALL FLAG HOLIDAYS, MEMORIAL DAY, FLAG DAY, JULY 4TH, 911, LABOR DAY, AND THEN ALSO VETERAN'S DAY.

SO THOSE ARE THE DAYS THAT GOES UP.

WE PUT THEM UP A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE DAY, AND THEN WE TAKE THEM DOWN THREE OR FOUR DAYS AFTERWARDS AND WE LEAVE THEM UP IF IT RAINS.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL ME AND ASK ME WHY MY FLAG IS STILL UP BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO DRY OUT.

WELL, LET ME GET TO THIS RESOLUTION.

WHEREAS TOM HOSS HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

HE'S A LONG TIME HASLETT YOUTH SPORTS COACH, PRESIDENT OF HIS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN.

AND. WHEREAS, TOM HAS JOINED THE QANTAS CLUB OF HASLETT OKEMOS IN 2011 AND IMMEDIATELY VOLUNTEERED FOR SERVICE PROJECTS HELPING OUR COMMUNITY, ONE CHILD AND ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.

AND. WHEREAS, IN 2012, TOM HAS HAD THE LEADERSHIP AND VISION TO HELP US CREATE THE FLAG PROJECT AND THEN DEVELOP THE PLANNING, SALES AND DEPLOYMENT EFFORTS TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN.

WHEREAS OVER THE NEXT NINE YEARS WITH TOM'S LEADERSHIP, THE MEMBERS OF THE QANTAS CLUB OF HASLETT OKEMOS GREW FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN TO ONE OF THE LARGEST FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF ITS TYPE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, WITH OVER 1100 ANNUAL FLAG SUBSCRIPTIONS IN 2021.

WHEREAS, LED BY TOM HOSS, TIRELESS WORK AND DEDICATION, THE KIWANIS CLUB OF HAZZARD HOLCOMB HAS PUT UP FLAGS NEARLY 60,000 TIMES IN FRONT IN FRONT OF HOMES, BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC SPACES IN MARION TOWNSHIP SINCE 2012.

AND. WHEREAS, FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN HAS HELPED ALL TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS TO REMEMBER THAT THE AMERICAN FLAG STANDS FOR OPPORTUNITY, PRIDE, SACRIFICE, HOPE, STRENGTH AND FREEDOM.

AND. WHEREAS, TOM HAS HARD WORK LEADING THE FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN SINCE 2012 HAS ALLOWED THE KIWANIS CLUB TO RAISE MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WHICH THEY INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH, INCLUDING THE YOUTH SPORTS PAVILION AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.

AND AS WE'VE HEARD EARLIER, ONE OF THE PRIMARY BENEFACTORS IS THE HASLETT AND ROBOTICS CLUBS.

AND AS YOU AS YOU ALSO HEARD, THEY HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CHAMPIONSHIPS.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN DOES HEREBY COMMEND TOM HAAS FOR HIS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE GIVEN TO THE 44,000 RESIDENTS OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.

[APPLAUSE] WE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE GOVERNMENT.

YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? THIS MORNING WE HAD A HASLETT MEETING OF THE KIWANIS CLUB.

IT'S A NORMAL TUESDAY MEETING, AND OUR SPEAKER WAS A CLUB MEMBER FROM SHANGHAI, AND HE TALKED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND VERY INTERESTING ABOUT HIS PRESENTATION WAS HE SAID THAT THEY USED DRONES FOR DELIVERIES AND THEY HAD GOTTEN REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT.

AND IMMEDIATELY THINK ABOUT, BOY, WE GOT A ROBOTICS CLUB THAT WE SPONSORED.

IT'S BEEN GREAT WORK AND I REALLY ENJOY IT.

[00:25:03]

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN AND LADY.

WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 4 B, WHERE WE HAVE CHIEF PLAGA IF HE'S IN THE ROOM.

[4B. Police Candidate Sponsorships - Danny Mora & Jacob Gonzalez\]

BOARD MEMBERS, MADAM SUPERVISOR, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY.

THIS EVENING, I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE TWO CANDIDATES THAT WE ARE SEEKING SPONSORSHIP FOR THROUGH THE MID-MICHIGAN POLICE ACADEMY, WHICH BEGINS AUGUST 17TH.

AS THE BOARD IS WELL AWARE, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS SEVERAL OPENINGS AND FINDING GOOD QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IS NOT EASY.

WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE.

WE'VE FOUND TWO VERY GOOD QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IN THESE TWO YOUNG MEN.

FIRST IS DANNY MORA.

DANNY COMES FROM US, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HE'S A ARMY RESERVIST.

HE AND HIS SIGNIFICANT OTHER MOVED HERE AND ARE CURRENTLY RESIDING IN THE TOWNSHIP.

DANNY IS WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENT NOW AS A CADET, AND HIS GOAL IS TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER.

DANNY LOOKED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES FOR A JOB AS A POLICE OFFICER OR SOMEPLACE HE WOULD FIT, AND HE SELECTED MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE DANNY HERE.

HE'S A GRADUATE OF CAL STATE, LOS ANGELES, WITH A DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND COMMUNICATIONS, AND HIS PASTIME IS CORNHOLE.

DANNY GOOD EVENING, SIRS.

MA'AM. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I'M REAL HAPPY TO BE HERE.

MY GIRLFRIEND BACK THERE, JACKIE MADE IT OUT HERE, AND WE REALLY LOVE IT HERE.

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A MONTH, AND THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE TO BE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION FOR THE SPONSORSHIP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

NEXT, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT JACOB GONZALES.

JACOB IS AN OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE TOWNSHIP.

JACOB GRADUATED FROM FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY WITH A DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING WITH US IN THE CAPACITY OF CADET, HOPING TO GO TO THE POLICE ACADEMY IN AUGUST AS WELL.

HE'S REALLY SHOWN AN ABILITY TO WORK WELL WITH THE PUBLIC, REALLY A CALM, CONSISTENT PERSON OVER THERE NEXT DOOR WORKING WITH OUR PUBLIC MEMBERS THAT COME IN KIND OF SOMETIMES UPSET OR OR IN NEED.

AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE JACOB HERE.

THE NICE THING I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH JACOB DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, AND AND HE'S A CAR GUY, SO HE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON CARS.

BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE AN ALCHEMIST, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND RESIDENT WANT TO COME AND WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THEY GREW UP IN.

I GUESS I'VE LIVED HERE IN OKEMOS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SERVE THEM.

SO I WOULD APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S CONSIDERATION HERE.

I HAVE A LOT OF HARD WORK INTO GETTING WHERE I'M AT NOW AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE ME AS A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE WORKING FOR THE MERIDIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] AND I THINK THE TREASURER WOULD LIKE. WELCOME.

THANK YOU. HI.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, CHIEF PLAGA.

THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM CHIEF HAMIL, WHO HAS GOOD NEWS FOR US FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMEN.

[4C. Fire Candidate Sponsorship – Brandon Curling]

AND I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE BRANDON HERE IN A MINUTE.

BUT I GOT TO TELL A LITTLE STORY FIRST.

THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THE STORY.

SO, AS YOU KNOW, SINCE ABOUT 2019-20, I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE THE SHORTAGES WE'VE HAD IS FINDING PARAMEDICS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ACTUALLY ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

AND IT'S REALLY GOTTEN TO THE POINT NOW IN STATE OF MICHIGAN WHERE YOU COULD EVEN SAY IT'S EPIDEMIC.

THEY'RE JUST NOT THERE ANYMORE.

WE'VE BEEN LUCKY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO FIND MEDICS, GOOD ONES.

SO, LOOK, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, TALKING A LOT ABOUT RECRUITING AND RETENTION, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.

AND I'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT HIRING PARAMEDICS AND SENDING THEM TO FIRE ACADEMY, WHICH WE'VE DONE, AND HIRING PARAMEDICS, FIREFIGHTERS WHILE THEY'RE IN PARAMEDIC SCHOOL AND WORKING THEM AS A FIREFIGHTER PART TIME.

SO NOW WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT HIRING A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE HIRING A FEW PEOPLE, EMTS THAT WE WANT TO SEND A MEDIC SCHOOL.

[00:30:03]

AND THIS IS REALLY IT'S SO COMPETITIVE NOW WITH ALL THE OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE.

I'VE LOST A COUPLE OF CANDIDATES WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE FOR NEXT JANUARY THAT WE WERE GOING TO THAT ONE WE WERE SPONSORING TO MEDIC SCHOOL AND THE COUPLE WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT SPONSORING BECAUSE THEY'RE WILLING TO HIRE THEM RIGHT NOW WHILE THEY'RE IN SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S OUR REALLY OUR OPTION.

SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT BRANDON CURLING.

SO BACK IN APRIL ANNUALLY, WE GIVE FOOD, LUNCH, SUPPLY LUNCH OR DINNER TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS OR THE 911 CENTER. ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS PITCH IN.

AND FOR A WEEK WE DO LUNCH AND DINNER.

SO I ORDERED LUNCH FOR FROM OLIVE GARDEN FOR THEIR PARTICULAR DAY THAT WE WERE SCHEDULED.

AND I BUMPED INTO BRANDON AND IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE I WALK IN AND I ORDER MY MY FOR MY ORDER.

IT WASN'T QUITE READY AT THE BACK AND GOES, ARE YOU THE BATTALION CHIEF? AND I LOOKED AT HIM. I WENT, NO, I'M THE CHIEF, BUT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE FIRE SERVICE? AND WE ACTUALLY CHATTED FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

I TOOK THE FOOD, DELIVERED IT, WENT BACK TO THE STATION, GOT MY BUSINESS CARD BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE WITH ME.

I LEARNED NOW TO CARRY THEM AND I GAVE IT TO HIM AND SAID, HEY, LET'S TALK, GIVE ME A CALL TOMORROW, LET'S GET TOGETHER.

AND WE DID. WE GOT TOGETHER THE NEXT DAY AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK EVER SINCE.

BRANDON COMES TO US FROM HOLT, ORIGINALLY FROM JACKSON, HE WAS IN THE AIR FORCE AS A FIREFIGHTER, SO HE'S ALREADY GOT HIS FIRE TRAINING AND JUST TOTALLY IMPRESSED ME, HIS DEMEANOR, HIS ATTITUDE.

HE'S HAD REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST IN THE MILITARY, BUT WITH FAMILY.

AND HE'S JUST I BELIEVE HE'S IN A SPOT WHERE HE'S REALLY GOING TO HE'S GOING TO MAKE US PROUD AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP HIM THROUGH IT.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MENTORS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT CAN PROTECT HIM AND HELP HIM.

AND AS HE GETS THROUGH EMT SCHOOL, IF YOU APPROVE IT, ONCE HE'S DONE THERE, WE START MEDIC SCHOOL IN THE FALL AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT HIRING HIM NEXT JANUARY IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT. SO THIS IS BRANDON CURLING AND THE MIC IS YOURS.

BRANDON GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

LIKE CHIEF HAMEL SAID, I'M HAPPY TO BE BACK HOME AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT I RAN INTO HIM WHEN I DID AND IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS KIND OF MEANT TO BE AND EVERYTHING WORKED OUT.

SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

[APPLAUSE]

[4E. Okemos Public Schools New Mascot-John Hood, Superintendent]

HE HAS SOME GOOD NEWS FOR US AS WELL.

AND I DO HAVE MY DO YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION OR TRY TO BRING IT UP ON MY FLASH DRIVE? IS THAT YOU HAVE IT. ALL RIGHT.

SO THE OKEMOS SCHOOLS IS PLEASED TO FIRST BEFORE I START AS JUST A MADAM SUPERVISOR AND TRUSTEES AS A AS A RESIDENT, I'M JUST SO PROUD OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

WHAT A WONDERFUL PLACE TO WORK AND LIVE AND BE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

SO CONGRATS TO HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ROBOTICS TEAM.

IT'S AWESOME TO COME HERE AS A SUPERINTENDENT AND KNOW BOTH CHIEFS AND HAVE WORKED WITH THEM AND ON A DAILY BASIS TO SEE TRUSTEES THAT WE KNOW AND CAN RUN INTO AND THAT SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

SO IT REALLY IS COMING TO SPEAK TO THE TOWNSHIP IS IS AN HONOR AND WHAT A WHAT A CELEBRATION TONIGHT OF JUST SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS, SO JUST PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT AND TO REPRESENT THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE TONIGHT.

EXCUSE ME, MR. HOOD. YEAH, WE DO HAVE THE PRESENTATION, BUT OUR AUDIENCE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THIS.

YEAH, I CAN JUST PLUG IT IN.

IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT'S IT.

JUST DO THAT AND BRING IT IN IF I CAN.

MR. GIBBES IS BEHIND YOU.

YEAH. YEAH.

IS THE MASCOT CHANGE, BUDDY.

AN UPDATE. AND I CAN JUST PAGE DOWN IT AS I NEED TO.

SURE. OKAY, GREAT.

ALL RIGHT. I WON'T TAKE A LOT OF YOUR TIME UP TONIGHT.

TONIGHT? EVERYONE'S PROBABLY AWARE.

SO [INAUDIBLE] MEANS HELLO AND [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.

WAS A LONG PATH FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REVISIT ITS MASCOT.

THE LAST ROUND OF WHY IT WAS REVISITED REALLY CAME FROM OUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI.

AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER, WE HAD HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR DISTRICT THAT SUPPORTS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

SO HOW CAN YOU HAVE THIS THIS NAME OUT THERE REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, KNOWING THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND GOVERNANCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES?

[00:35:08]

SO WE CERTAINLY LOOKED AT HOW DO WE THEN MOVE OUR PATH FORWARD.

AND THAT PATH STARTED IN THE EIGHTIES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERING WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE TERMS CHIEF AND CHIEFTAIN AND WENT THROUGH MANY PHASES FROM ELIMINATING THE USE OF THAT NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGERY AND NATIVE AMERICAN DRESS AND CHANTS AT OUR SPORTING EVENTS TO UPDATING OUR EQUITY PLAN AND REALLY FOCUSING ON WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO STAND FOR.

AND THE BOARD ABOUT A YEAR AGO UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED A RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE THE NATIVE AMERICAN NICKNAME.

AND WE REALLY DEVELOPED AN INCLUSIVE PROCESS WITH SOME STUDENT COMMITTEES, WITH DISTRICT WIDE COMMITTEE OF PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, STAFF MEMBERS, COACHES, TEACHERS, ALUMNI AND ALUMNI FROM ACROSS ZOOMED IN FROM ACROSS THE NATION, REALLY BOTH COASTS IN TEXAS, WE HAD AS A PART OF THE COMMITTEE, WE HAD NATIVE AMERICAN REPRESENTATION ON THE COMMITTEE TO GIVE US THAT LENS OF WHAT OUR IMPACT IS TO HELP EDUCATE US AND HELP US DECIDE WHAT WE WANTED TO BE.

AND WE KNOW OUR OUR OUR EQUITY WORK ALIGNS WITH THE TOWNSHIP'S EQUITY WORK.

AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS SAYS.

AND AGAIN, THEY SAY THAT ALL THESE NAMES LISTED HERE ARE ONES THAT THEY SUPPORT, SCHOOLS GETTING RID OF, BECAUSE IT DOES PROMOTE STEREOTYPES AND DOES DAMAGE TO ALL MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, MOST ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE NATIVE AMERICAN.

WE ALSO DIDN'T WANT TO BE WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS AROUND US WERE, SO WE LOOKED AT WHO'S IN THE CAAC AND KIND OF SAID, THOSE NAMES ARE OFF LIMITS.

WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER VIKINGS OR ANOTHER COUGARS, ANOTHER ORIOLES.

WE WANTED TO BE ORIGINAL, SO WE AUTOMATICALLY THREW OUT ANY, ANY ENTRIES OR IDEAS THAT ALIGNED WITH WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS MIGHT BE.

OUR STUDENTS HELPED US DEVELOP CRITERIA TO CONSIDER SURVEY SUBMISSIONS SO ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY COULD SUBMIT A NAME TO US.

AND WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF BALANCING WHAT THE COMMUNITY MIGHT WANT AS A NAME, TO WHAT OUR STUDENTS MIGHT WANT AS A NAME, AND LOOKED AT OUR STUDENTS K 12 TO WEIGH IN TO THAT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MASCOT JUST JUST DIDN'T REPRESENT SPORTS, THAT IT SUPPORTED ALL STUDENTS AND WASN'T GENDER SPECIFIC.

WE TIED IT INTO CERTAINLY OUR VALUES AND OUR VISION AND OUR DISTRICT'S EQUITY WORK AND CAME UP WITH SOME CRITERIA ON WHICH TO NARROW DOWN THE SELECTIONS AND PUT FORTH SOME VOTES TO OUR STUDENTS AND DIFFERENT STUDENT BODIES.

PART OF OUR IDEA HERE, TOO, IS THE HONOR OF THE PAST, THE PRESENT IN THE FUTURE.

WE DON'T CERTAINLY WANT TO ALIENATE ALUMNI THAT ARE PROUD OF THEIR HERITAGE IN THE OKEMOS SCHOOLS, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE.

SO WE'VE HAD A GOOD SOME GOOD OUTREACH TO OUR ALUMNI, BUT WE KNOW WHEN WE KNOW BETTER.

WE MUST DO BETTER. AND WE KNOW WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT THE HARMFUL IMPACTS OF NATIVE AMERICAN BEING USED AS AS MASCOTS AND REALLY FELT WE WERE PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TO MAKE THE CHANGE.

SO THE RECOMMENDATION WAS, WAS FOR WOLVES, AND WOLVES WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY OUR STUDENT COMMITTEE.

WE HAD ALL THREE LEVELS VOTE SEPARATELY.

SO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL WOLVES WAS THE TOP CHOICE AT ELEMENTARY.

THE TOP CHOICE AT MIDDLE AND ACTUALLY THE SECOND CHOICE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LOOKED AT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT THAT TOGETHER AND THERE'S ONLY WAS WOLVES BY FIVE VOTES SECOND PLACE AND THEY THOUGHT TO BRING US TOGETHER THAT THEY WOULD WE HAD THEM ALL VOTE.

WE HAD ABOUT 16 STUDENTS AND THEY VOTED VOTED UNANIMOUSLY ON THE FIRST BALLOT.

WE SAID, YOU CAN VOTE FOR ANY NAME YOU WANT.

AFTER YOU SEE ALL THE DATA, WHAT DO YOU VOTE FOR? AND EVERY SINGLE STUDENT ON OUR HIGH SCHOOL COMMITTEE VOTED FOR WOLVES, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T THEIR TOP CHOICE.

AND WHY? BECAUSE OF THAT. TOGETHER, THEY WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOBLE, NOT AGGRESSIVE, NOT CARTOON LIKE THAT WOULD BE UNIQUE TO OKEMOS.

A MESS THAT PEOPLE WOULD SEE IT AND KNOW IT WAS OKEMOS.

SO WE HAD STUDENTS THEN SUBMIT RENDITIONS OF WHAT THE ARTWORK COULD BE.

AND OUR GOAL WASN'T TO PICK ONE.

IT WAS TO TAKE DIFFERENT PIECES FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT ARTWORK AND COME UP WITH A MASCOT.

AND WE WORKED WITH GABE VISCONTI, WHO A FORMER OKEMOS GRADUATE, HE WAS A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT OF MINE.

HE HAS A COMPANY CALLED FABRICATED CUSTOMS AND HE DOES LOGO WORK AND HE REACHED OUT AND SAID WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO SOME LOGO WORK WITH YOU, MR. HOOD. I SAID, YOU CAN CALL ME JOHN NOW YOU'RE GRADUATED.

BUT HE LISTENED TO OUR COMMITTEE AND OUR STUDENTS TALK AND HELPED US DESIGN ACTUALLY THE WOLF THAT YOU SEE HERE.

SO THE WOLF WENT THROUGH MANY RENDITIONS.

[00:40:02]

SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S PURPOSELY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, NOT SYMMETRICAL, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A 22 IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER.

THIS THE LITTLE WHITE KIND OF WHISKERS ARE 22 FOR THE YEAR 2022.

AND IT WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF RENDITIONS IN TERMS OF THE FLUFFINESS AND THE COLORS AND THE EARS AND THEN THE THE O, THAT WE'RE USING IS REALLY A THROWBACK TO TWO DIFFERENT O'S THE DISTRICT HAS USED, WE'VE HAD A BLACK O AND WE'VE HAD A ROUNDED O.

SO THIS IS VERY UNIQUE THAT IT'S SOME OF BOTH TO SHOW AGAIN HONORING OF THE PAST AS WELL AS KEEPING OUR COLORS OF THE CAROLINA BLUE AND THE MAROON. SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF OUR CHANGEOVER.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A FEW YEARS TO GET ALL OUR FIELDS CHANGED OVER.

BUT THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE FUND AWARDED US A GRANT OF ABOUT $215,000 BECAUSE THEY SUPPORTED THIS WORK AND THIS CHANGE FOR US.

AND WE KNOW IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO CREATE NEW IDENTITY, BUT IT DOES SEEM TO BE CATCHING ON.

OUR STUDENTS ARE BEGINNER GARDENERS, OUR YOUNGEST KIDS, WHERE SOMEONE SENT ME A VIDEO LAST WEEK, THEY'RE RUNNING AROUND PRETENDING THEY'RE WOLVES ON THE PLAYGROUND, HOWLING TO EACH OTHER. AND WE JUST IT'LL BE GREAT FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE AN IDENTITY THEY CAN CELEBRATE AND A SPIRIT THAT THEY CAN RALLY AROUND, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID.

AND WE CAN JUST DO SO MUCH MORE WITH THIS MASCOT AND REALLY HAVE IT BE A HOPEFULLY A UNIFYING A UNIFYING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND AGAIN, THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT OUR STUDENTS.

THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE NOKOMIS LEARNING CENTER HOSTED US TO DO SOME EDUCATION FOR US.

SO WHAT A WONDERFUL RESOURCE FOR US HERE.

ALLISON SERENY AND DR.

SLY LED OUR STUDENT COMMITTEES, OF COURSE, THANKS TO THAT NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE FUND.

AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF CHAIRPERSONS OF TRIBES ACROSS NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES ACROSS MICHIGAN ACTUALLY HELPING US WITH THIS WORK AND HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT AND SUPPORTING US, GETTING IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, AS WELL AS THOSE FROM THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE HOPE YOU SEE THE WOLVES AROUND TOWN AND YOU'RE SEEING THE ACTUALLY ON SPRING BREAK, I RAN INTO SOMEONE WITH A WOLVES SHIRT ON AND AGAIN, WE KNEW IT WAS OURS BECAUSE IT'S UNIQUE. WE CREATED IT OURSELVES.

SO IT'S AN HONOR TO SHARE THEIR WORK WITH YOU.

AND AGAIN, AN HONOR TO REPRESENT THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A PUBLIC SERVICE, I BELIEVE, EFFORT

[4F. Severe Weather Awareness & Safety-Protecting our Community -Fire Chief Mike Hamel]

YES, MA'AM. MA'AM. SUPERVISOR THANK YOU AGAIN.

AND BOARD. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT ANNUALLY AND WE DON'T DO A GREAT JOB IS WHAT'S THE BIGGEST THREAT WE HAVE IN MICHIGAN IS WEATHER. GO BACK TO 2008.

WE HAD A TORNADO IN LANSING.

BEFORE OR AFTER THAT, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE YEAR WE HAD A TORNADO WINSTON WEBBERVILLE.

FLOODING EVERY YEAR HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, WIND SHEARD.

AND GUESS WHAT? THEY ALL START WITH THUNDERSTORMS, RIGHT? SO HOW DO YOU PREPARE? GO BACK A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

WE HAD THE TORNADO IN GAYLORD, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON THE 20TH, TWO PEOPLE KILLED.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN REALLY PROUD OF IS OUR TORNADO WARNING PROJECT, WHICH IS OUR SIRENS.

AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.

SO WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO COVER TONIGHT IS, NUMBER ONE, SEVERE WEATHER REALLY IS OUR BIGGEST THREAT.

AND WE'RE AT THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THE BAD WEATHER.

OF COURSE, OUR WEATHER THIS YEAR HAS BEEN STRANGE, COOL, HOT, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT STORMS WILL COME.

SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT PREPARING IS PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WATCH IS REALLY BEING PREPARED, LISTENING, LOOKING, LISTENING TO THE NEWS IF YOU'RE IN YOUR HOUSE.

RADIO.

KIDS TODAY, THEY'RE SO GOOD WITH THEIR PHONES, THEY CAN LISTEN TO IT ON THEIR PHONE.

BUT REALLY IT'S BEING PREPARED, TRYING TO START GETTING ACCLIMATED, WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND IT'S USUALLY IN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA, INGHAM COUNTY, CLINTON COUNTY, OR A COMBINATION OF IT'S REALLY WHEN WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION IS WHEN WE GET TO THE WARNING AND THAT'S WHEN THE STORM HAS UPON US OR EVEN A FUNNEL CLOUD HAS BEEN SEEN.

AND WHAT THAT ACTION MEANS NOW IS TAKE SHELTER MOVING TO YOUR HOUSE.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO AHEAD OF TIME IS BE PREPARED.

GO BACK TO THE ICE STORM.

PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR HOW MANY DAYS? I THINK THE MAX WAS TEN DAYS, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR MEDICATIONS? FOOD FOR YOUR ANIMALS, DRY FOOD FOR YOU, WATER.

SO YOU CAN THE RULE OF THUMB IS THREE DAYS SUPPLY OF FOOD THAT YOU CAN EAT AND DRINK OVER THE THREE DAY PERIOD UNTIL HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET

[00:45:08]

BUT IT'S THAT TAKE ACTION STAGE, GET IN YOUR BASEMENT, MAKE SURE YOUR LOVED ONES ARE ALL THERE.

SO LIKE IN FIRE, WE HAVE THE EDITH'S DRILL, EXIT DRILL IN THE HOME WHERE WE EXIT THE HOUSE.

AND WE WANT TO FIND A PLACE WHERE US AND OUR KIDS ALL MEET.

SAME THING IN THE HOUSE. LET'S MEET IN THE HOUSE.

GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SHELTER IF YOU HAVE A SHELTER NEARBY.

SO I JUST THE TAKE ACTION IS REALLY THE IMPORTANT.

AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE, IF THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION, LISTEN TO THE RADIO.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT GAYLORD, THEY DON'T HAVE SIRENS.

THEY USED TO I DID FIND OUT THERE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.

WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE APPROVED IT FOR MANY YEARS NOW.

AND BUT THEY HAVE ANOTHER SYSTEM.

IT'S CALLED CODE RED AND IT'S A MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.

AND WITH THAT SYSTEM, THEY SENT OUT A NOTIFICATION ABOUT 10 MINUTES PRIOR.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, IT'S OPT IN, IT WORKS.

CHIEF PLAGA USES IT DURING CERTAIN EMERGENCIES IN THE TOWNSHIP TO NOTIFY RESIDENTS.

IT'S USED IN THE COUNTY WHEN PEOPLE ARE MISSING AND THEY'RE SEARCHING FOR THEM.

SO THERE'S GOOD BENEFITS FROM IT, BUT IT'S AN OPT IN.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I PUT IN THE PRESENTATION HERE IS THERE'S TWO WAYS YOU CAN OPT IN.

YOU CAN GO TO LANSING POLICE SORRY, MERIDIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN MY OLD JOB.

SORRY, MERIDIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY'VE GOT A SPOT ON THEIR WEBSITE AND I HAVE IT MARKED HERE.

AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PEOPLE CAN OPT IN, YOU CAN OPT IN TO MORE THAN JUST WEATHER.

THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE YOU CAN OPT IN TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, WEATHER ALERTS, AND THAT WAY YOU'RE NOTIFIED BY PHONE, BY TEXT, BY EMAIL, BY YOUR HOME PHONE.

IT'S WIDE OPEN.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SEE THAT AND RECOGNIZE THAT AND UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THAT COULD BE.

LASTLY, JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THE SIRENS WORK.

WHAT ARE THEY EVEN FOR? SO WE HAVE A REALLY NICE PROJECT THAT I INHERITED WHEN I STARTED HERE, AND IT WAS TO PUT 15 SIRENS IN BUDGETS APPROVED EVERY YEAR.

IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHY DO WE DO IT? AND THAT'S REALLY FOR THEM.

AND WE'VE GOT DESIGNATED AREAS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PRESENTATION, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO.

THE YELLOW ARE THE REMAINING.

SO THERE'S FIVE MORE, INCLUDING THIS YEAR.

AND WE'RE TWEAKING SOME OF THOSE RIGHT NOW FOR DIFFERENT OVERLAP.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER BECAUSE OF THE BENNETT WOODS DEVELOPMENT BEHIND THE BUS GARAGE.

AND WE WANT. MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE CORRECT COVERAGE AS WELL AS WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE POWER COMPANIES TO GIVE THEM POWER AND FIND A GOOD LOCATION.

BUT THIS PROJECT STARTED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO AND SIRENS ARE ACTIVATED BY 911 AND THEY CAN BE RECOMMENDED TO BE ACTIVATED BY ANY FIRST RESPONDER.

911 WATCHES THE WEATHER.

THEY GET WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OUT OF GRAND RAPIDS.

AND I CAN TELL YOU OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE WEATHER IN THE METRO AREA.

THEY'VE ALWAYS SET THEM OFF PRIOR TO ALWAYS.

THEY'VE NEVER MISSED IT, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS I MEAN, THE WEATHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISN'T ALWAYS ON THE SPOT WITH IT.

SO THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE DO IN THE FIRE SERVICE AND IT'S MOSTLY OUT COUNTY, BUT WE'VE DONE IT HERE IS WE HAVE WEATHER SPOTTERS.

SO GO BACK ABOUT A YEAR WHEN WE HAD THE TORNADOES THAT SOUNDED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, WHICH IS REALLY ABNORMAL.

THE REASON THEY SOUNDED FOR AN HOUR IS WE HAD MULTIPLE FUNNEL CLOUDS SITED.

SO ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS SEND PEOPLE OUT AND THEY THEY GO TO GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

I WAS AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND WE LOOK FOR FUNNEL CLOUDS.

AND AT THAT TIME, THE REASON I WAS AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE WAS A REPORT OF FUNNEL CLOUD HEADING UP 127 AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE COMING FROM STOCKBRIDGE.

AND SO WE WERE WATCHING FOR THOSE.

IF THE 911 SYSTEM WERE TO FAIL WHERE THEY COULD NOT SET OFF THE SIRENS, WE HAVE TWO BACKUPS.

WE HAVE LANSING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AS A BACKUP AND INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS ACTUALLY A BACKUP FOR DISPATCHERS.

IF THEIR DISPATCH CENTER COMPLETELY GOES DOWN, THEY CAN GO THERE AND DISPATCH.

IT'S ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVE SITES.

SO REALLY, IN A NUTSHELL, I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KIND OF REALLY BE AWARE OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK, HOW THEY'RE ACTIVATED, WHO CAN SET THEM OFF? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING? HOW TO BE PREPARED.

AND REALLY, PREPAREDNESS IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING OUT THERE BEING PREPARED, BUT IT SAVES A LOT OF LIVES.

AND THE HARD PART IS WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF YEARS PREPARING PEOPLE AND AS THE SIRENS GO OFF EVERY SATURDAY, FIRST SATURDAY, EVERY MONTH, WE DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET NUMB TO THEM.

WE WANT TO DO IT TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THEY WORK.

[00:50:03]

SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.

IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY.

DO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS.

IF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CONTACT YOU.

YES, MA'AM. YEP.

YOU CAN DO IT BY EMAIL.

YOU CAN GET ON OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND SEND US A MESSAGE AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR LAST PRESENTATION INVOLVES THE 2021 TOWNSHIP AUDIT.

[4G. 2021 Township Audit-Ali Barnes, Yeo & Yeo]

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO GREATER RESPONSIBILITY THAN WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT I HAVE, WHAT OUR TEAM HAS THEN MONITORING BEING A SAFEGUARD FOR THE TAXES THAT ARE PAID TO THIS COMMUNITY.

OUR AUDIT IS DUE EVERY YEAR BY JUNE 30TH, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE WELL BEFORE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF FILINGS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE AUDIT THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE BY JUNE 30TH.

I WANT TO REWIND THE TAPE A LITTLE BIT AND TAKE YOU BACK TO APRIL, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TO BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE AUDIT THIS YEAR.

BACK IN APRIL, OUR THEN FINANCE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED SHE WAS LEAVING ON APRIL 22ND.

THE TIMING COULD HAVE BEEN ANY WORSE FOR US BECAUSE OUR ACCOUNTANT, WHO'S THE SECOND IN COMMAND IN A VERY SMALL DEPARTMENT, WAS GETTING MARRIED ON THE 23RD AND THEN TAKING A HONEYMOON. AND WE REALLY WERE BEHIND IN WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE WITH THE AUDIT, INSOMUCH THAT WE GATHERED SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS IN ESPECIALLY THE SUPERVISOR AND THE TREASURER AND TRUSTEE WILSON, WHO HAS A CAREER AT THE STATE AND BEING AN AUDITOR.

IT MADE YOU AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED.

HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AND A GREAT EFFORT ON OUR TEAM, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT BY BEING ABLE TO PRESENT THE AUDIT TO YOU.

I'M TARGET JUNE 7TH.

I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK ASHLEY BARNES.

MS.. BARNES FROM JOE AND JOE, WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, COMPLETING OUR AUDIT.

SHE REALLY HAD TO TAKE CHARGE ATTITUDE ABOUT WHERE WE WERE.

WE HAD NO ONE TO WORK ON OR AUDIT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND THEN ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE TREASURER WHO WAS INVOLVED IN HELPING US AND HIS TEAM, HIS DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO AMANDA GARBER, A CPA WHO OUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND BERNADETTE FAULKNER, OUR ACCOUNTANT. WITHOUT THEIR WORK, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING.

I WILL MENTION BEFORE I BRING MS..

BARNES TO THE TO THE MICROPHONE, THAT TYPICALLY SHE STAYS FOR THE WHOLE EVENING AND THROUGH THE PROCESS AND EVERYTHING.

TOMORROW, SHE HAS TO LEAVE TO GO OUT OF TOWN TO TAKE HER SON ON SOME COLLEGE VISITS.

AND SO SHE'S AND SHE HAS AN ALSO AN HOUR TO DRIVE THIS EVENING.

SO AFTER HER PRESENTATION, IF SHE MIGHT BE EXCUSED BEFORE YOU GO THROUGH YOUR AUDIT.

SO I DO WANT TO JUST I'M VERY, VERY THANKFUL.

I'M THANKFUL FOR ALI.

I'M THANKFUL FOR OUR TEAM. AND I'M THANKFUL FOR AMANDA, OUR CPA, WHO IS WITH US NOW AND BRINGING THIS ALL TOGETHER.

SO WITH THAT, MADAM SUPERVISOR AND BOARD, I PRESENT TO YOU ALLIE BARNES, WHO WILL GO OVER OUR 2021 AUDIT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND ECHO TOWNSHIP MANAGER WALSH'S THOUGHTS.

IT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED ALL THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE THIS YEAR AND REALLY BERNADETTE, WHO WAS DOING WORK THAT I KNOW SHE WASN'T USED TO DOING, AND WE REALLY PUSHED HER BEYOND SOME OF HER AREAS THAT SHE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH.

BUT WITHOUT HER REALLY WORKING ON SOME OF THAT DAY TO DAY AUDIT RESOLUTION ITEMS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS AUDIT DONE.

AND THEN TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROCESS, YOUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR, AMANDA, CAME IN AND REALLY TOOK CHARGE AND WAS ABLE TO REVIEW THE REPORTS WE PUT TOGETHER AND PROVIDE US WITH VALUABLE FEEDBACK.

SO THANK YOU TO THOSE MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM THAT WERE ABLE TO GET US ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

ALL RIGHT. SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRESENTATION UP HERE.

IS THAT CORRECT? PLEASE, MAYBE, STEVE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL SEE YOU ALL HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU ANYWAYS SO YOU CAN LOOK THROUGH.

SO REALLY, I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE PURPOSE OF THE AUDIT.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT TO DO YOUR DAY TO DAY RECORDING OF TRANSACTIONS.

[00:55:01]

AND SO THE OPINION, AN AUDIT OPINION IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU, THAT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE PRESENTED FAIRLY WHEN WE FACTOR IN MATERIALITY.

SO WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT IF SOMETHING IS OFF A COUPLE OF DOLLARS HERE OR THERE.

WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT BIG TICKET.

ARE THEY MATERIALLY ACCURATE? AND SO WE ISSUED AN UNMODIFIED OPINION FOR THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS A CLEAN OPINION.

THAT'S THE OPINION THAT YOU WANT US TO ISSUE.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, BOTH THE PREPARATION OF AND THE INTERNAL CONTROLS THAT SURROUND THE PREPARATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT OURS.

SO WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THE NUMBERS HERE FOR YOU.

I PUT TOGETHER YOUR PRESENTATION THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE PAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE SOMETIMES I LIKE TO SHAKE IT UP AND LOOK AT NUMBERS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR ALL OF US.

AND SO I GAVE YOU KIND OF A HISTORICAL TREND OF YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES.

OH. THERE YOU GO.

SOUNDS GOOD. YOU'LL SEE ALL MY NOTES, BUT THAT'S GOOD, TOO.

WE'LL GET IT ON THERE.

ALL RIGHT. SURE.

CAN PUT A CLEAN COPY UP THERE.

THIS WAS MY PART OF THE AUDIT.

WELL, I'LL KEEP MY NOTES.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GET IT.

I WAS AT A DANCE RECITAL THIS WEEKEND, AND THEY HAD TO DO A TAKE TWO WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR A MISSING PLAYER.

OK. ALL RIGHT, SO NOW THE AUDIENCE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO HERE ARE OUR HISTORICAL TRENDS FOR YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES BROKEN OUT INTO YOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES.

SO PROPERTY TAXES, YOU CAN SEE OBVIOUSLY ARE THE MOST IMPACTFUL SOURCE OF REVENUE IN YOUR GENERAL FUND, BRINGING IN ABOUT 55%.

YOU WILL KNOW THAT BACK IN 2017 IT LOOKS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS.

THAT'S BECAUSE STARTING IN 2018, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL FIRE AND POLICE PROTECTION MILLAGE THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE KIND OF THAT DRAMATIC INCREASE THERE.

AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT'S KIND OF RISEN WITH, I WOULD SAY, THE RATE OF INFLATION, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT OUR TAXABLE VALUES TEND TO INCREASE BY.

THE NEXT CATEGORY THEN IS YOUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES, WHICH HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY THE SAME UNTIL 2021.

AND THE REASON THERE ARE TWO REASONS ACTUALLY FOR THE INCREASES HERE.

ONE, THE STATE REVENUE SHARING FUNDS THAT YOU RECEIVE WERE UP ABOUT 400,000.

AND THE SECOND MORE IMPACTFUL REASON WAS BECAUSE IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, YOU ACTUALLY HAD SPENT SOME FEDERAL DOLLARS ON SOME PROJECTS, BUT YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY WITHIN THE REVENUE RECOGNITION PERIOD.

AND SO THAT HAD TO BE DEFERRED UNTIL YOUR 20-21 YEAR.

AND SO THAT WAS JUST OVER 900,000.

OK.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN TURN THESE.

OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.

HERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AREA WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING FUNDS.

THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 55% OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.

AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT 2017 TO 2018 INCREASE, THAT'S THE IMPACT OF ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL MILLAGE.

SO OUR REVENUE WENT UP.

BUT THEN AS WE WOULD EXPECT, THE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENDITURES ALSO INCREASED.

THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT CATEGORY IS GOING TO BE YOUR SECOND LARGEST AREA WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS MAKES UP ABOUT 28% OF THOSE FUNDS. ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY KIND OF 2020 SHOT UP THERE, A COUPLE ITEMS HAPPENED BACK IN 2020.

THERE WERE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO THE OPEC PLAN OF ABOUT $200,000.

AND THEN THE VERY LARGE HVAC PROJECT THAT HAPPENED HERE IN THE BUILDING ALSO OCCURRED IN 2020.

ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN WE TAKE OUR REVENUES AND OUR EXPENDITURES AND NET THEM, WE GET A CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE.

AND PEOPLE ALWAYS LIKE TO KNOW WHAT FUND BALANCE IS LOOKING LIKE.

SO HERE WE CAN SEE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHERE OUR ANNUAL REVENUES WERE IN COMPARISON TO OUR ANNUAL EXPENDITURES AND THEN WHAT OUR FUND BALANCE LOOKS LIKE IN RELATION TO EACH OF THOSE YEARS AS WELL.

SO YOU'LL SEE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 2020, YOU HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED FUND BALANCE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

[01:00:06]

THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING SOME PRETTY LARGE INCREASES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND BALANCE KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD RIGHT NOW.

YOU'LL ALSO SEE THEN THAT YOUR FUND BALANCE NUMBER THERE COMES IN AT ABOUT 13 MILLION.

AND THEN I ALSO PUT ON HERE FOR YOU YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.

SO THAT'S DOLLARS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PREVIOUS SPENT PREVIOUSLY SPENT IN OUR CONSIDERED NON SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE OR AMOUNTS THAT YOU HAVE ASSIGNED FOR PURPOSES.

NEXT WE CAN SEE ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF YOUR FUND BALANCE.

SO AS I SAID, TOTAL FUND BALANCE CAME IN AT JUST OVER $13 MILLION FOR 2021.

THE PORTION IN BLUE THEN IS THAT UNASSIGNED PORTION, AND THE PORTION IN ORANGE IS GOING TO BE ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.

AND THAT COMES FROM THE BUDGET THAT YOU ADOPTED FOR 2022.

YOU WERE ANTICIPATING IN THAT BUDGET TO SPEND DOWN SOME FUND BALANCE.

SO THIS IS JUST REFLECTING WHAT PORTION YOU'RE EXPECTING TO SPEND DOWN.

AND I KNOW THERE ARE A FEW LARGER PROJECTS RELATED TO THE DRAINS A DRAIN PROJECT.

THE I.T.

DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE DOING SOME IMPROVEMENTS.

AND THEN ALSO THE MERIDIAN REDEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDS WILL BE SPENDING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION THERE AS WELL.

WE'RE KIND OF SWITCH GEARS HERE AND TALK ABOUT YOUR WATER AND SEWER FUNDS, WHICH ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN YOUR GENERAL FUND.

THEY FOLLOW THE FULL ACCRUAL METHOD OF ACCOUNTING.

SO THESE FUNDS ACCOUNT FOR BOTH THEIR CAPITAL ASSETS AND ANY RELATED LONG TERM DEBT WITHIN THE FUND ITSELF.

SO FOR WATER FUND HERE, WE CAN SEE TOTAL OPERATING REVENUES, WHICH CAME IN AT ABOUT 6.2 MILLION VERSUS YOUR TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES, WHICH WERE ABOUT 6.6 MILLION.

SO THIS PARTICULAR FUND DID HAVE AN OPERATING LOSS THIS YEAR OF ABOUT 300,000.

THIS FUND HAS UNRESTRICTED NET POSITION OF ABOUT 4.5 I'M SORRY, 5.4 MILLION.

ONCE WE BACK OUT, YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE EAST LANSING, MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY.

SO THAT'S KIND OF EQUIVALENT TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT CALL WORKING CAPITAL.

WHEN I TAKE YOUR CURRENT ASSETS LESS YOUR CURRENT LIABILITIES, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THIS 5.4 MILLION.

AND THAT'S KIND OF A METRIC YOU WOULD YOU WOULD WATCH WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF A FUND.

WE'LL TAKE A LOOK HERE AT THE SEWER FUND NEXT.

SO THIS PARTICULAR FUND HAD ABOUT 6.6 MILLION IN TOTAL OPERATING REVENUES VERSUS 6.4 VERSUS 5.1 MILLION IN OPERATING EXPENSES.

SO THIS FUND ACTUALLY HAD OPERATING INCOME OF ABOUT 1.5 MILLION.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT PICTURE THAN IN THE WATER FUND FOR THIS YEAR.

YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE UNRESTRICTED NET POSITION IN THIS FUND HAS BEEN ON A VERY STEADY INCREASE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.

SO IT WAS AT ABOUT 5 MILLION AT THE END OF 2020 AND IT'S AT 6.8 MILLION AT THE END OF 2021.

SO ACCUMULATING A GOOD UNRESTRICTED NET POSITION THERE IN THAT FUND, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO DO SO THAT YOU HAVE FUNDS ON HAND FOR REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN SOMETHING MAJOR IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND WE KNOW WITHIN THESE SYSTEMS, REPAIRS CAN BE VERY COSTLY AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO COMPLETE OVERHAULS AS WELL AND CAN'T GET AWAY WITH JUST A REPAIR.

SO GOOD BALANCES WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR FUND.

ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THE LONG TERM OBLIGATIONS HERE.

THIS IS THE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT PENSION PLAN.

SO THIS PARTICULAR PLAN IS A CLOSED PLAN SO NEW EMPLOYEES CANNOT ENTER THE PLAN.

YOU'LL SEE THAT ABOUT 5.4 MILLION WAS IN THE NET POSITION OF THIS FUND AND THERE WAS A 4.9 MILLION PENSION LIABILITY FOR THIS PARTICULAR PLAN.

SO REALLY GREAT NEWS.

THIS GREEN LINE IS BELOW THE BARS.

SO THAT MEANS THAT AT THIS MEASUREMENT DATE, THIS PLAN WAS FULLY FUNDED.

SO YOU ACTUALLY HAD A PENSION ASSET.

[01:05:03]

THERE'S NO GUARANTEES THERE.

IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT THE MARKET DOES AND IF THERE HAVE TO BE ANY ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTION CHANGES.

BUT FOR NOW, THAT PLAN IS LOOKING GREAT.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN OR MERGERS, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, THE ACRONYM BETTER.

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL PENSION LIABILITY HAS BEEN INCREASING A LITTLE BIT EACH YEAR AND THE FIDUCIARY NET POSITION HAS BEEN INCREASING AS WELL.

SO THIS PLAN DOES HAVE A NET PENSION LIABILITY AND THAT COMES IN AT ABOUT 24.4 MILLION.

SO THAT NUMBER IS LARGE AND IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TELL ON YOUR GRAPH, BUT THAT ACTUALLY IS DECREASING.

SO BACK IN 2019, IT PEAKED AT 27.4 MILLION, WENT DOWN TO 26.4 AND 2020, AND NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO 24.4. SO THERE IS SOME PROGRESS THERE ON THAT PLAN IN GETTING THAT FUNDED PERCENTAGE UP A LITTLE BIT EACH YEAR.

LOOKS LIKE OUR THING IS A LITTLE BLURRY.

THAT'S PROBABLY OPERATOR ERROR UP HERE.

AND THEN THE LAST PLAN IS RELATED TO THE POST-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN OR OPEB.

IF YOU KNOW THAT ACRONYM.

AND GOOD NEWS HERE IN THIS PLAN AS WELL, YOU HAVE A VERY MINIMAL NET OPEB LIABILITY AT THE END OF 2020.

YOU WERE SO CLOSE TO ZERO, YOU WERE DOWN TO 18,000.

AT THE END OF 2021, YOU'RE UP TO 361,000.

BUT AGAIN, A VERY WELL FUNDED PLAN.

SO VERY POSITIVE TO SEE THAT.

WE JUST HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE LEFT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO MONKEY TOO MUCH THERE.

SO THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IS THE GOVERNANCE LETTER THAT WE ISSUE ALONG WITH THE AUDIT REPORT.

AND FOR THE BOARD, YOU WILL FIND THAT SEPARATE LETTER IS KIND OF TUCKED IN THE BACK OF YOUR BOUNDARY PORT.

SO YOU CAN READ THROUGH THAT LATER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THROUGH THE PDF VERSION ALREADY.

SO THIS IS A REQUIRED COMMUNICATION WE HAVE TO GIVE TO ALL OF OUR AUDIT CLIENTS.

SO I LIKE TO MAKE THAT KNOWN.

THIS ISN'T SOMETHING SPECIAL.

EVERYBODY GETS THIS, BUT WHAT GOES IN THE LETTER CAN CHANGE FROM CLIENT TO CLIENT.

SO A FEW ITEMS TO TOUCH ON THIS YEAR.

THERE WEREN'T ANY TRULY IMPACTFUL GATSBY'S THAT YOU HAD TO ACCOUNT FOR.

SO WITH A TURNOVER IN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR POSITION, THAT IS VERY GOOD NEWS.

THAT MADE IT DEFINITELY AN EASIER PROCESS TO COMPLETE THE AUDIT.

I DO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS SOME AMOUNT OF ESTIMATION THAT DOES GO INTO YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

SO THINGS LIKE YOUR CAPITAL ASSETS, THOSE PENSION AND OPEB LIABILITIES, THOSE REALLY ARE NOT ALWAYS HARD AND FAST NUMBERS BECAUSE THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE MADE IN CALCULATING THINGS LIKE DEPRECIATION, EXPENSE AND THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE IN THE ACTUARIAL EVALUATIONS FOR THOSE LIABILITIES.

SO JUST A GOOD REMINDER FOR ALL OF US.

AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE UPCOMING GASB STATEMENTS.

SO FOR 2022, THERE WILL BE GASB 87, WHICH IS A LEASE STANDARD THAT WILL HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED.

AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, 2023 IS GASB 96, WHICH IS RELATED TO ITS SUBSCRIPTION BASED AGREEMENTS.

AND SO THOSE WILL LIKELY HAVE SOME IMPACT FOR YOUR TOWNSHIP.

AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH YOUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR AND HER STAFF ON GETTING THOSE IMPLEMENTED IN THE UPCOMING YEARS.

AND THEN LASTLY, WITHIN THIS LETTER, THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND ANY FINDINGS OR MANAGEMENT COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND THIS YEAR WE DID HAVE A MATERIAL WEAKNESS THAT WE ISSUED FOR JOURNAL ENTRIES.

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF INSTANCES, THE FIRST RELATED TO LONG TERM DEBT AND TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THAT AREA AND THEN WITHIN PROPERTY TAXES RECEIVABLE WITHIN YOUR COMPONENT UNITS WHERE OUR AUDIT PROCEDURES IDENTIFIED MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED. SO WE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION TO THE NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR.

THE PREVIOUS ONE HAD ALREADY LEFT WHEN WE KIND OF GOT INTO THIS PIECE OF THE AUDIT TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE AGREED WITH WHAT WE WERE FINDING, AND SHE DID, IN FACT, AGREE THAT ADJUSTMENTS WERE NEEDED.

AND SO THOSE WERE MADE PRIOR TO ISSUING YOUR FINAL STATEMENT SO THAT THE NUMBERS YOU HAVE ARE ACCURATE.

WE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER ISSUED A MATERIAL WEAKNESS HERE, ESPECIALLY FOR JOURNAL ENTRIES.

[01:10:01]

THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS PROBABLY MORE OF A ONE OFF.

YOU HAD A FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO IS LEAVING.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS PAYING AS CLOSE ATTENTION AS THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE MIGHT HAVE SLIPPED SOMEONE'S MIND.

I CAN'T SAY THE EXACT REASON, BUT THAT IS A DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN WHEN WE COME IN EVERY YEAR AND EVERY YEAR, WE CONSTANTLY HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGING THE NUMBERS.

THAT'S A SYSTEMIC ISSUE.

SO SINCE THIS IS KIND OF THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE SEEING THIS, WE'RE GOING TO SAY FOR RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE KIND OF IN THAT ONE OFF CATEGORY.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE VERY HIGH HOPES FOR THE NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR AND WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO THAT A MATERIAL WEAKNESS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ISSUE NEXT YEAR.

AND THEN WE ALSO ISSUED TO MANAGEMENT COMMENTS AS WELL, ONE RELATED TO THE UTILITY BILLING RECEIVABLE AREA AND THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS.

AND THE PREVIOUS FINANCE DIRECTOR WAS LOOKING AT THE MONTHLY RECONCILIATION FOR REASONABLENESS, MORE SO THAN MAKING SURE THAT THE ACTUAL SUBSIDIARY LEDGERS MATCH THE GENERAL LEDGER.

AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THOSE TWO SYSTEMS ACTUALLY MATCH.

THEY REALLY SHOULD MATCH TO THE PENNY, BECAUSE ONCE THEY START GOING OFF AND NOT MATCHING, IT BECOMES MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT WHY AND A LOT EASIER FOR SOMEONE TO TRY TO SNEAK SOMETHING THROUGH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT MAKING SURE THAT THOSE MATCH UP.

EXACTLY. SO THAT'S A PARTICULAR AREA THAT THE NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR COULD CERTAINLY MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ONCE SHE STARTS THE PROCESS HERE.

AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS ACTUALLY A REPEAT MANAGEMENT COMMENT THAT WE'D ISSUED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR RELATED TO YOUR FEDERAL POLICIES.

SO THERE IS A PRESUMPTION IN WHAT'S CALLED THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE, WHICH GOVERNS ALL OF THE FEDERAL AWARDS, THAT YOU WILL ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE CERTAIN WRITTEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE PRESCRIBED IN THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE.

AND SO IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE THERE WAS MUCH WORK AT ALL THAT WAS DONE IN THAT AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WERE IN PLACE.

AND SO WE WOULD CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND, BECAUSE YOU CONTINUE TO SPEND FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT THAT BE DONE.

AND WITH THAT, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I'LL BE TAKEN OFF.

THANK YOU MS. BARNES.

TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO RAISE AT THIS TIME? TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT AND THE AUDIT FINDINGS TO US AND ALSO WORKING WITH US THROUGH THIS NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR AND AS THE MANAGER POINTED OUT, THE DEPARTURE OF OUR OLD ONE AT THAT TIME, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PROCESS, LEFT STAFF KIND OF REELING FOR WHAT TO DO.

AND YOU WERE A GREAT HELP TO TELL US WHAT YOU NEEDED.

AND WE GOT THE DATA TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD IN TERMS OF THE TWO MATERIAL MISSTATEMENTS.

WE AREN'T USED TO SEEING THOSE.

AND IT'S A CONCERN, I'M SURE, FOR EVERYONE ON THE BOARD.

AND YET I'M ALSO RELIEVED TO SAY THAT.

DO YOU THINK THESE ARE MORE ONE OFFS THAN YOU ARE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN PART BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THE BOARD.

DOES THE SORT OF FUND ADJUSTMENT IN PART COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THIS JOINT WATER SEWER AUTHORITY WITH THE CITY OF EAST LANSING AND THEY ACTUALLY BILL US ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OR IN SOME CASES MONTHLY BASIS.

COULD THAT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT THREW OFF THE JOURNAL ENTRIES IN THIS CASE? IT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.

IT IS MORE OF A UNIQUE SITUATION.

MOST TOWNSHIPS ARE USED TO KIND OF MANAGING AND OVERSEEING THEIR OWN DEBT PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE PAYING AGENT VERSUS BEING BILLED BY ANOTHER UNIT.

AND SO THERE COULD BE SOME STRANGE TIMING THINGS SOMETIMES OF WHEN BILLS ARE RECEIVED.

SO IT'S IT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE, BUT THEY ARE VERY LARGE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

AND SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THAT GO INTO THIS JOURNAL ENTRY REALLY ARE CONCEPTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE PREVIOUS FINANCE DIRECTOR TO TO KNOW.

AND REGARDING THE DDA AND BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT NUMBERS, THAT FALLS INTO MY CATEGORY AND THAT I TURN THE NUMBERS OVER TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.

SO KNOWING WE HAD THIS MISSTATEMENT IN 2021, WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH GARBER TO MAKE SURE WE GET HER THE CORRECT DATA IN THE TIME THAT'S DUE.

BOTH DDAS AND BRAS ARE RELATIVELY NEW ENTITIES FOR ME AND TOWNSHIP, AND PARTICULARLY THE AS WE TOOK OVER THE BROWNFIELD FROM THE COUNTY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.

[01:15:03]

IT'S NO EXCUSE FOR MISSTATEMENTS, BUT IT IS ONE THAT'S REQUIRING US TO GET MORE AND MORE UP TO SPEED EVERY EVERY YEAR.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.

ANYONE ELSE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND HAVE A SAFE TRIP.

THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE COME TO CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA

[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDAITEMS]

IF YOU WOULD COME TO THE PODIUM AND SHARE YOUR YOUR COMMENTS AND IDEAS FOR AS YOU CAN WITHIN 3 MINUTES.

WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

AND AND THANK YOU TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME THIS EVENING AND SPEAK.

I TALKED TO MR. WALSH THE OTHER DAY.

AND MR. VAN. YES, I'M SORRY.

I DID NOT READ MY NORMAL STATEMENT.

YEAH, BUT IT INCLUDES ASKING THE COMMON THE SPEAKERS TO GIVE US THE NAME AND THE ADDRESS.

THANK YOU FOR THEY START.

BILL VAN PATTEN, RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SINCE 1986 AT 6193 TOWER AVENUE IN EAST LANSING.

THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I TALKED TO MR. WALSH THE OTHER DAY AND SHARED WITH HIM THE THOUGHTS AS FAR AS WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE THIS EVENING.

AND I'M ON MY WAY TO WORK JUST LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

I'D HEARD THE CONVERSATION BEING SPOKEN ON THIS INFLATION AREA STIMULUS PROGRAM FOR TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A SCROOGE THIS EVENING BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S TOUGH TIMES THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.

BUT THAT JUST KIND OF STRUCK A NERVE WITH ME AS FAR AS WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS BEHIND THIS.

IT'S IT'S HARD TIMES ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY, MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH TAKING FROM THE GENERAL FUND AS FAR AS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

HONESTLY, IN THE PAST 30 SOME YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE SHOWED UP AT A BOARD MEETING.

I ACTUALLY I ALSO ASK FOR MY MY TAX STATEMENTS FOR MY RESIDENTS OVER THE PAST 20 SOME YEARS AS WELL, TOO.

AND AND I COUNTED 12 DIFFERENT ITEMS ON MY TAX BILL THAT WEREN'T THERE 25 YEARS AGO, 12 DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE LIVE IN A GREAT COMMUNITY AND AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO IT.

BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RAISE A FAMILY AND YOU JUST PAY YOUR BILL YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE I'M ONLY LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE I KIND OF HEARD THE STATEMENT SAYING THAT THIS I HEARD $320,000 IS GOING TO BE DISPERSED OUT TO THE EMPLOYEES OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

I THINK THAT THAT MONEY SHOULD REALLY BE USED TOWARDS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S HELPING FEED THE HUNGRY, HELPING DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PUT VALUE BACK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT WE DON'T VALUE THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THIS TOWNSHIP.

I SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE, WHETHER IT'S POLICE OR FIRE.

I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS DO AS WELL, TOO.

I THINK IT'S A HAPPY TOPIC TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I THINK IT'S AN EASY THING JUST TO KIND OF SIGN OFF ON, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY SIT REAL WELL WITH ME IN THE FACT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE HURTING AND THIS KIND OF SEEMS LIKE A PICK AND CHOOSE TYPE OF A THING NOW AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A SCROOGE.

AND I'VE BEEN BLESSED, YOU KNOW, TO WORK FOR A COMPANY FOR 35 YEARS.

THAT'S TAKEN PRETTY GOOD CARE OF ME, BUT THAT'S A PRIVATE COMPANY AND THEY DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN PULLING FROM A GENERAL FUND AND KIND OF PICKING AND CHOOSING THINGS.

I THINK THAT MONEY COULD BE MORE WISELY USED WITH WITH SOME TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND NOT INDIVIDUALS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT GREEN STEP COMES FROM PATTY MCPHEE.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. PATTI MCPHEE.

I'VE LIVED HERE 22 YEARS.

5275 TUMS DRIVE IN HASLETT.

[01:20:01]

WHY? BECAUSE WE VOTED FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE A FEW YEARS AGO.

THAT FUNDED IT AGAIN OFF THE BACKS OF TAXPAYERS BECAUSE OF AN IRRESPONSIBLE EYES ON THE PENSION, THE UNDERFUNDED PENSION THAT WE DID HAVE.

I'M GLAD TO HEAR WE'RE IN THAT POSITION.

BUT WHY IS BECAUSE WE VOTED FOR IT.

AND I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE STIMULUS INFLATIONARY PAYMENT PROGRAM.

KIND OF INFURIATING TO ME.

60% OF HAS OUR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VOTERS VOTE DEMOCRAT.

ONLY 40% OF US VOTE REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE.

YOU GOT WHAT YOU VOTED FOR.

HE TOLD US WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO AND HE DID IT.

AND HERE WE ARE.

SHUT OFF THE GAS.

I'M NOT GOING POLITICS IN IT.

BUT WHAT DID WE THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? IT HAPPENED.

AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO DOLE THIS MONEY OUT TO EMPLOYEES BECAUSE INFLATION'S BAD.

WELL, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

AND WHEN THE FOLKS THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM ARE TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THAT'S PRETTY TOUGH.

SO AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T GIVE A CRAP WHAT I GOT TO SAY, BUT I OPPOSE IT.

AND THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN A TAX AND SPEND POLITICIAN IS A RINO THAT WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE IRRESPONSIBLE FISCAL SPENDING THAT GOES ON.

TAKE A LOOK BEFORE YOU SPEND THIS MONEY IRRESPONSIBLY.

PEOPLE ARE WATCHING OUT THERE.

ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT SLIP COMES FROM TERRY GOLDBERG.

TERRY GOLDBERG. I LIVE AT 5743 WESTMINSTER WAY IN EAST LANSING, RIGHT ON THE BURGE THERE.

BUT I HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 94 AND I TOO OPPOSE E FOR THE THE FUNDING FOR THE I'M GOING TO CALL IT A BONUS. A COUPLE OF REASONS IS WELL, MAJORITY OF IT IS IS AS WE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ARE PAYING TAXES.

I'M AN EMPLOYEE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

BUT WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHY WE NEED TO GIVE EXTRA TAX, OUR TAX DOLLARS TO EMPLOYEES.

I'M ASSUMING YOU GUYS GIVE A COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE DURING EVERY YEAR OR WITH THEIR WITH RAISES, THAT TYPE OF STUFF.

ANOTHER THING, TOO, IS I HEARD I UNDERSTOOD THROUGH AN EMAIL BACK IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR THAT DURING COVID I DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE OF COVID FOR A WHILE.

MY WIFE WAS FURLOUGHED.

BUT NOT ONE EMPLOYEE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WERE FURLOUGHED.

THEY ALL GOT FULL PAY.

SO IF THEY GOT FULL PAY, WHICH IS GREAT FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WORK HERE.

BUT AGAIN, OUR TAX DOLLARS WERE BEING PAID.

WE COULDN'T NOT PAY OUR TAXES BECAUSE WE WOULD LOSE OUR HOUSE, BUT YET WE DIDN'T HAVE THE INCOME WE NORMALLY WOULD DURING THAT TIME.

BUT AGAIN, WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR PAY.

BUT TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES GOT THEIR FULL PAY.

AGAIN, GO BACK TO JANUARY OR FEBRUARY TO MARCH.

FOUR DAY WORKWEEK BECAUSE OF COVID STRESS.

NOW, PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR TWO YEARS.

AND THEN IN 2022, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP NOW HAS A COVID STRESS PROBLEM WHEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND HAS ADJUSTED TO IT AND GOT THROUGH IT. SO, I MEAN, I PERSONALLY THINK THERE'S MORE OF AN ISSUE HERE, A EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT ISSUE FOR THE STRESS THAN A COVID PROBLEM. BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT, I THINK.

BUT I THINK I'M OPPOSED BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IT'S PRETTY CRASS TO USE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO GIVE BONUSES OUT TO EMPLOYEES WHEN THE REST OF US ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME INFLATION AND DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT.

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF. YOU HAVE A LONG AGENDA AHEAD OF YOU.

AND USUALLY I GET UP AND TALK ABOUT PROJECTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND TONIGHT I WANT TO CHANGE COURSE AND TALK ABOUT PEOPLE AND TEAM AND HOW WE SERVE THE PUBLIC.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT DUTY IN THIS TOWNSHIP, WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE SUFFERING FROM A HEART ATTACK FOR SOMEONE WHO'S PAINTING GRAFFITI ALL OVER OUR PARKS, TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO TURN ON THE FAUCET, TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO USE THE RESTROOM, TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO VOTE.

AND ON AND ON. WE HAVE A GREAT DUTY IN THIS TOWNSHIP, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT KEEPING A TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PERFORM THOSE DUTIES.

[01:25:05]

TIM SCHMIDT MAY 17TH WAS HERE, ONE YEAR.

20 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

WHAT'S HAPPENED IN HIS ONE YEAR THAT HE'S BEEN HERE? I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

MELISSA MASSEY, WE HIRED FOR OPERATIONS AND MOVING SOME OF OUR PROJECTS ALONG AND LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST JUST THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH SIGNS, OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELF FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AMANDA GARBER JOINED US.

SHE'S JOINING US.

SHE'S STILL WITH HER CURRENT EMPLOYER, BUT SHE'S GOING TO BE HERE FULL TIME IN MIDDLE OF JULY, A CPA WHO'S GOING TO BRING GREAT PROFESSIONALISM, TEAMWORK AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO OUR FINANCE OFFICE.

AMBER CLARK, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

SHE'LL HAVE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS ON SEPTEMBER 28TH.

GOT IT. FOR CITY OF JACKSON, HASLETT RESIDENT.

SHE HAS DONE MORE FOR THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE THAN WE'VE SEEN IN A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.

AND SHE'S FLOURISHING IN HER POSITION.

MIKE HAMEL, OUR FIRE CHIEF, JULY 2ND OF THIS YEAR HERE JUST IN ANOTHER MONTH.

HE'LL HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS, RETIRE OF THE CITY OF JACKSON OR CITY OF LANSING, A RESIDENT.

LOOK WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR WARNING SIRENS AND OUR PARAMEDIC SERVICE AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND ALSO ABBY TITHOF, OUR HR DIRECTOR.

SHE'LL HAVE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS ON AUGUST 10TH, AND SHE JUST DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB GELLING THIS TEAM TOGETHER.

AND HER LEADERSHIP IN HR HAS REALLY MOVED THE NEEDLE FOR US AND WHAT WE NEED.

AND ZACH LEMASTER, WHO CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF SERVICE TODAY, AND ZACH HAS REALLY DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR OUR CLERK'S OFFICE.

AGAIN, PROFESSIONALISM AND KNOWLEDGE AND AGAIN, JUST A VERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

SO TONIGHT I'D RATHER TALK ABOUT OUR TEAM THAN PROJECTS AND THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE AND IT'S ALL ABOUT RETAINING.

I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.

I REALLY DO. I'VE HAD SOME EXCELLENT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE HERE PRECEDING ME.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU, RETAINING GREAT EMPLOYEES AND RECRUITING GREAT EMPLOYEES IS A REALLY ENORMOUS CHALLENGE FOR MUNICIPALITIES RIGHT NOW.

I'M JUST PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE AND WE'LL KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

THAT'S MY REPORT TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YES, PLEASE, AT THE NEAR THE END OF OUR MEETING.

THANK YOU. WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM SEVEN, BOARD MEMBER REPORTS AND ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES ANDANNOUNCEMENTS]

I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT THAT I WAS AT THE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT GLENDALE CEMETERY ON ON MONDAY THAT CLERK, DEB GUTHRIE, PUT ON.

THERE WERE ABOUT 100 PEOPLE THERE.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE GIFTS THAT WE GET IN THIS COMMUNITY.

SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO COME TO OUR PUBLIC ACTIVITIES AND THERE'S A LONG LIST OF THEM AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

AND ALSO YOU CAN SIGN UP TO GET THE INFORMATION ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD TO TRUSTEE WILSON'S COMMENTS THAT JUNE IS A VERY BUSY MONTH FOR TOWNSHIP SPONSORED ACTIVITIES, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CHECK THE WEB PAGE FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A JUNETEENTH OBSERVATIONS, THE MERIDIAN MARKET, MUSIC AT THE MARKET, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP TO GATHER AND ENJOY THEIR LOCATION.

ARE THERE NO OTHERS.

TRUSTEE. I'M SORRY.

TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR. A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

ONE IS, SINCE THE LAST MEETING WE DID HAVE OUR ZBA MEETING ON THE 18TH AND WE USED THE NEW CRITERIA DEVELOPED BY DIRECTOR SCHMITT.

IT ALLOWED FOR US TO REVIEW THE ZBA CASES MUCH MORE CLEARLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

SO WE THANK DIRECTOR SCHMITT FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THAT ONE.

AND I DO WANT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT TAX BILLS WILL BE COMING OUT AGAIN, THE SUMMER TAX BILLS THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR MAILBOX ON JULY 1ST.

IN THE PAST, WE'VE USED A PRESS AND SEALED DOCUMENT THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A LITTLE BIT MORE SQUARE.

WE ARE MOVING TO A STANDARD ENVELOPE, THIS TIME WITH THE RETURN ENVELOPE AND CLOSE.

WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE CURRENT PRESS AND SEAL THAT PEOPLE.

IT GETS LOST. PEOPLE HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME OPENING OR FINDING THE ENVELOPE THERE SO WE CAN WE CAN SEND OUT, WE THINK, A BETTER MORE INFORMATIVE BILL BY USING A STANDARD

[01:30:07]

SO WE'LL HAVE MORE ON OUR WEBSITE ON THAT AND JUST EXPECT YOUR TAX BILL TO SHOW UP IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT ON JULY 1ST.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW. WE CAN MOVE ON NOW THEN TO APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

COULD I SUGGEST ONE CHANGE TO THE AGENDA AND THAT IS TO MOVE ITEM FOUR DH THE TRIBUTE TO TOM HAASS TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, BECAUSE IT DOES REQUIRE A VOTE OF THE BOARD.

THAT TRIBUTE IS THE ONE THAT IS VOTED ON BY THE ENTIRE BOARD IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION.

YES. SO YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD A NINE DH.

ANDY WOULD BE THE SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO TOM HAAS FOR FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN.

ALL RIGHT. AND SO I'M LOOKING FOR AN APPROVAL OF THE AMENDED AGENDA.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THE TREASURER'S MOTION, THEN I GUESS WE SHOULD VOTE FOR THAT FIRST.

YES, MR. LEMASTER, CAN I DO THAT WITH A VOICE VOTE? I'LL GO AHEAD AND ROLL CALL THIS ONE.

WE CAN VOICE VOTE THE AGENDA.

OKAY. FOR THE AMENDED AGENDA, CORRECT.

SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE YES.

TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON. YES.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, YES.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. MOTION CARRIED FIVE-ZERO.

OK. AND NOW WE COME TO THE CONSENT.

THAT WAS FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE CHANGE.

NOW WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE WHOLE AGENDA.

I BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT.

ALL RIGHT. SO, ARE YOU STILL MOVING? YES. I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.

SUPPORT. SUPPORT BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

WE NEED A ROLL CALL.

NO. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA.

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES, YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

OPPOSED? NO. NOW WE MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS OR ADDITIONS? THEN THIS CALLS FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

MR. LEMASTER.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY.

I'M SORRY, WHICH IS OUR ITEM TEN.

ITEM 11 IS A HEARING.

[11A. Establishment of a Commercial Rehabilitation District 1655 & 1621 Haslett Road]

TIME IS 7:32.

GOOD EVENING FOR MEMBERS.

TONIGHT, THE ITEM FOR PUBLIC HEARING IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT.

WE ARE CALLING THIS THE COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT, NUMBER ONE, EMPHASIZING THE FACT THAT THE TOWNSHIP COULD HAVE MORE THAN ONE.

THE DISTRICT WOULD COMPRISE 1655 AND 16 HASLETT ROAD AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF HASLETT MARSH ROAD.

I COULD GO FURTHER INTO THE DISCUSSION, BUT LET ME KNOW IF NECESSARY.

IF NOT. COULD YOU GIVE US MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE HEARING IS ABOUT, WHAT THE ISSUE IS ABOUT? THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT IS TO HEAR COMMENT RELATED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS DISTRICT THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS THE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH THIS DISTRICT THROUGH AN APPROVAL BY SUBMITTING A RESOLUTION TO THE COUNTY.

COUNTY WOULD THEN HAVE 28 DAYS TO REJECT THE DISTRICT WITHOUT A REJECTION FROM THE COUNTY, THE DISTRICT WOULD BE IN EFFECT.

A DEVELOPER OR A PROPERTY OWNER COULD SUBMIT THEN TO THE TOWNSHIP AN APPLICATION FOR THE REHABILITATION DISTRICT TO BE APPLIED TO THEIR PROPERTIES AS

[01:35:04]

WE AT THIS POINT, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DISTRICT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING AS FAR AS THE TAXES OR COLLECTIONS OR CAPTURES ON THE PROPERTY . AND THE DEVELOPERS AT THE QUESTION.

THE DEVELOPERS WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND APPLY FOR USE OF THIS TOOL ONCE WE ESTABLISH IT? CORRECT AT FULL APPLICATION PROCESS.

THERE IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION WITH THAT, A RESOLUTION WITH THAT.

SO THAT IS A LITTLE BIT SEPARATE TONIGHT.

THE OF THE ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS JUST THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT DISTRICT WHICH IS GOING THROUGH.

WE'VE SUBMITTED OUR CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THE COUNTY AND TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS, LETTING THEM KNOW WE HAVE THE INTENT TO.

AFTER TONIGHT'S MEETING, I COULD SUBMIT A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION SIGNED BY THE CLERK TO THE COUNTY CERTIFIED MAIL, AND THEN THAT IS WHEN THE COUNTY WOULD ENACT THEIR 28 DAYS.

ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE.

WE WILL CLOSE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.

TIME IS 735, I BELIEVE.

[12A. Establishment of a Commercial Rehabilitation District 1655 & 1621 Haslett Road]

AS MS..

CLARK HAS SAID, THIS IS COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION.

THIS WOULD BE COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.

CORRECT. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM? YES. SO FOLLOWING OUR PUBLIC HEARING AND NOT REALLY RECEIVING ANY COMMENT RELATED TO IT, THIS IS THE ITEM BEFORE YOU WOULD BE ASKED TO MOVE FOR ACTION ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION ATTACHED IN YOUR PACKET.

THAT RESOLUTION SPECIFIES THE TOWNSHIP HAS REVIEWED THE PROPERTIES AND WE'LL MAKE A FULL RECOMMENDATION TO ESTABLISH THE DISTRICT AT 1655 AND 1621 HASLETT ROAD.

THIS PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE DUE TO BEING A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT WILL THAT IS PROPOSED FOR REDEVELOPMENT TO INCLUDE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY UNITS AS A PART OF THE PAY TO TEN.

IT IS A REQUIREMENT THAT THE PROPERTY IS A COMMERCIAL STANDING DEVELOPMENT AND THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO BE REHABBED INTO MULTIFAMILY.

WE'VE LISTED THE PROPERTY ALSO BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN OUR PCA, OUR POTENTIAL INTENSITY CHANGE AREAS AS DESIGNATED IN OUR TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN.

I KNOW MANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE HOUSE AT VILLAGE SQUARE FOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND YOUR YOUR WORK WITH ESTABLISHING THE COMMUNITY AS AN R.C.

COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT READY WITH THE MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND ESTABLISHING THAT PIQUA IS INTENSIFIED.

OUR PITCH IN OUR REPURPOSING OF THIS SITE, WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A POTENTIAL PROJECT THAT WOULD COME FORWARD WITHIN THIS YEAR.

SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE ASKING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AT THIS POINT.

AN APPLICATION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWNSHIP FOR THE FREEZE OF TEN YEARS, APPLIED TO ANY PROJECT IN 65 OR 16, 1655 OR 1621 HASLETT ROAD.

WITHIN THIS YEAR WE COULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE APPLICATION IF NECESSARY.

BUT TONIGHT WE'RE JUST FOCUSING ON THE ESTABLISHMENT.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.

YOU WANT EMOTION? YES, I DO.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

I MOVED TO A JOB. THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT AT 1655 AND 1621 HASLETT ROAD AS THE HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT.

NUMBER ONE SUPPORT.

THAT'S BEEN MOVED AND SUPPORTED TO MS..

WILSON, YOU HAVE COMMENTS, FURTHER COMMENTS TO MAKE? I CERTAINLY DO.

THIS HAS BEEN A BLIGHTED AREA FOR MANY YEARS, AND THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE OF MICHIGAN PROGRAM IN WHICH THE TOWNSHIP DOES NOT HAVE TO PUT ANY MONEY INTO IT UP FRONT.

RATHER, TAKING A MORE NOVEL APPROACH THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE IN THIS COMMUNITY BEFORE OF GIVING A TAX.

STAYING THE TAXES FOR TEN YEARS AT THE CURRENT VALUE.

[01:40:01]

SO THIS IS VERY FORWARD THINKING.

IT'S EXCITING TO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THIS PROJECT, AND I'M CERTAINLY GLAD THAT IT'S COMING FOR US.

AND MR. DESCHAINE, YOU SECONDED THE MOTION, AND MY COMMENTS WOULD ECHO THOSE OF TRUSTEE WILSON.

IN FACT, IN EFFECT, WE'VE HAD A FREEZE ON THE PROPERTY VALUES THE PAST TEN YEARS, PROBABLY THE PAST 20 YEARS.

WE HAVE WELL MAINTAINED BLIGHTS THERE BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NOTHING GOING ON THERE FOR A DECADE OR MORE.

AND I MOVED TO THE TOWNSHIP IN 1991 AND WE LIVE NEARBY IN EVERETT FARMS, EVERETT WOODS AREA AND THAT HEATHER WAS WHERE WAS THE HAPPENING PLACE.

CJ VIDEO, ANY VIDEO YOU WANT TO RENT THERE? ELEANOR GROCERY ACTUALLY WAS GOLFS BEFORE.

BEFORE THAT, THERE WAS A RESTAURANT.

THERE WERE DRUG STORE.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THAT PLAZA.

AND OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, IT HAS FALLEN OFF TO VIRTUALLY NOTHING NOW, AND PARTICULARLY THE PAST TEN YEARS.

SO I APPLAUD THE DEVELOPER FOR THEIR REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA.

I, TOO, LIKE THE FACT THAT THIS TOOL DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO PUT MONEY UP FRONT.

INSTEAD, THE TAX CAPTURE OF THE INCREASE IN VALUE OVER TEN YEARS WILL NOT HAVE TO BE PAID FOR.

TEN YEARS WILL BE THE INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPER.

I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S A TEN YEAR WINDOW AND THAT GIVES THE DEVELOPER AN INCENTIVE TO DEVELOP THIS PROJECT QUICKLY.

DO IT RIGHT, OF COURSE, BUT DO IT THIS YEAR RATHER THAN NEXT YEAR.

WE'RE FACING SOME DRAIN ISSUES AND IF WE ALLOW THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED IF THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER HAD DONE THINGS WHEN RIGHT AWAY RATHER THAN WAITING FOR YEARS.

SO WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE GOING TO ACT DIRECTLY ON THIS.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE LAYERED SUBSIDY.

WE DO HAVE A BROWNFIELD SUBSIDY THAT WILL BE HAPPEN AS WELL, A BROWNFIELD REIMBURSEMENT.

IS THERE AN ESTIMATE YET OF WHAT THE BROWNFIELD CLEANUP COSTS WILL BE FOR THAT SITE? AND MAYBE THE DEVELOPER HAS AN IDEA.

I'LL DEFINITELY LET THEM CHIME IN WITHOUT HAVING A PLAN IN FRONT OF US.

I DON'T WANT TO SAY, BUT OUR ESTIMATES HAVE SPOKEN TO A MILLION, A MILLION AND A HALF.

THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE WITH THE WITH THE LAYERING OF THE CRA AND THE BROWNFIELD THAT THE CENSUS CRA IS A CAPTURE ON THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.

THE LAND VALUE IN ITSELF WILL INCREASE OVER TIME AND THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT THOSE REVENUES CAPTURED WOULD PAY BACK THE BROWNFIELD VERY CLOSE TO WHEN THE CRA WOULD WOULD UNCAP.

SO THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE TOWNSHIP WILL VIRTUALLY BASICALLY SEE A DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN OVER PHASED YEARS AND HAVE NO MONEY TO DISPERSE BACK TO THE DEVELOPER. VERY LITTLE AT THE END OF THE TEN YEARS.

TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR. I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD TO WHAT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY.

TO SIMPLY SAY THAT I THINK IF YOU ASKED ANY OF US WHAT OUR TOP TWO AREAS TO EFFECT IN THE TOWNSHIP ARE HASLETT AND OKEMOS DOWNTOWN AREAS WOULD BE THE ONE TWO PUNCH.

AND THIS IS A TREMENDOUS TOOL THAT HASN'T BEEN USED BEFORE.

AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT IMPLEMENTING THIS PROCESS WILL DO TO HELP TO SPEED ALONG THE REHABILITATION OF THIS AREA.

AND I THINK IT'S WORTH EXPLORING NOT ONLY HERE, BUT ALSO WITH THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, WHICH, AS WE KNOW, HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.

AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INTRODUCE THIS HERE.

I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE MOTION THAT COMES TO A VOTE IN A MOMENT.

AND WHILE WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE THE PLAN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT, WE'VE SEEN IN SOME OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND OTHER BODIES THAT THEY'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THIS.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED FOR WHAT THIS AREA HAS BECOME AND HOPEFUL THAT THIS REHABILITATION DISTRICT WILL GET US THERE MORE QUICKLY EVEN THAN THAN WE WOULD BE OTHERWISE.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY ON THAT.

BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS.

I TOO SUPPORT ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT TOOL IN THE TOWNSHIP AND SO I WILL LIKELY BE VOTING YES AS WELL.

THE MOTION IS TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT AND HASLETT AND AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION, A PARTICULAR ADDRESS.

[01:45:05]

MR. LEMASTER, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MOTION CARRIED FIVE-ZERO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ITEM 12 B, SPECIAL USE PERMIT 22-051.

[12B. Special Use Permit – 22-051 – Bickford House Okemos, 3830 and 3836 Okemos Road – Building > 25,000 square feet]

I BELIEVE MR. SCHMIDT, OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WILL INTRODUCE THE SIGN.

THANK YOU. THIS ITEM IS UP FOR AUCTION THIS EVENING.

YOU SAW IT AT YOUR LAST MEETING AND THERE WERE NO MAJOR COMMENTS.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THIS AND THIS IS THE LAST STAGE IN THEIR PUBLIC FACING PORTION OF THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE BUILDING TO BE EXPANDED. AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, THE EXISTING BUILDING AT 3030 OKEMOS ROAD WOULD BE EXPANDED BY 9488 SQUARE FEET ONTO THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH, THEREFORE RESULTING IN A BUILDING AS LARGER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET AND REQUIRING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD UNDER OUR CURRENT CODE OF ORDINANCES. STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED NO MAJOR CONCERNS AT THIS POINT.

THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS SHOULD THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVE THIS? THIS EVENING WILL BE FOR THE APPLICANT TO FULLY ENGINEER AND FINAL DESIGN THE SITE AND GO THROUGH THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS PRIOR TO ANY CONSTRUCTION OCCURRING ON SITE.

THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND I AM OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL, BUT WE WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL AT THIS TIME.

OKAY, THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION FOR US TO CONSIDER? TRUSTEE WILSON.

MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE REQUEST FROM JB LANDLORD LEASING LLC TO EXPAND THE BUILDING AT 3830 OKEMOS ROAD ONTO THE PROPERTY AT 3836 OKEMOS ROAD TO AND TO BE GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET. BOTH PARCELS ARE ZONED ARE A SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.

DO I HAVE SUPPORT FOR THE MOTION? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES.

ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS.

THIS IS CURRENTLY A USE THAT IS PERMITTED AND IT'S BEFORE US BECAUSE THEY'RE EXPANDING THE FOOTPRINT.

YOU HAVE ANSWERED OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE CONSTRUCTION IS GOING TO BE HANDLED BECAUSE IT IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE BRIARWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S BECAUSE IT IS IN THE RIGHT ZONING CATEGORY.

THEY ARE GOING TO DO SOME MITIGATION THAT IS GOING TO BRING TREE COVER TO AN AREA OF THE PROPERTY.

IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE FOR THE USE AND THEREFORE I AM SUPPORTING THIS MOTION.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS? OH, I WOULD JUST ECHO MYRNA WILSON'S COMMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO.

GOOD MOVE. THANK YOU.

MR. DESCHAINE.

APPRECIATE THE THE RECOMMENDED APPROVAL COMMA THAT YOU PUT HERE.

I THINK THE BOARD BENEFITS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT GIVING US YOUR OPINION ON THESE ZONING APPEALS OR PROPOSALS BEFORE THE BOARD.

YOU ARE THE EXPERTS WE RELY ON YOU.

DOESN'T MEAN THE BOARD IS GOING TO FOLLOW YOU EVERY TIME, BUT WE APPRECIATE KNOWING HOW STAFF FEELS ABOUT IT.

SO THIS IS COMING BEFORE US BECAUSE THERE'S OVER 25,000 SQUARE FEET.

RIGHT. IS THAT COMMON? 25,000 SQUARE FEET REQUIREMENT OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

THAT IS NOT COMMON AT ALL.

WHAT WOULD BE A MORE COMMON BASELINE NUMBER FOR A TOWNSHIP OUR SIZE? WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE PROVIDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH A RECOMMENDATION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT SHOULD COME BEFORE THE BOARD, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE A TRIGGER FOR SQUARE FOOTAGE IF IT'S OUT OF LINE WITH WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE USING FOR WHAT MAY REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOU.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS.

MR. SCHMITT, IF I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION.

HOW LONG HAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAD THIS TRIGGER FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR STRUCTURES OVER 30 OVER 25,000 FEET? IT HAS BEEN IN PLACE A LONG TIME.

I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT DATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR CODE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1974.

SUPERVISOR. I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN I SAT ON THE BOARD 30 YEARS AGO, THIS WAS IN PLACE.

AND ONE MORE QUESTION.

[01:50:04]

IT WAS A IT WAS A SOMEWHAT COMMON THING THAT POPPED UP IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE WALMARTS OF THE WORLD.

USUALLY THAT SUGAR WAS A LOT HIGHER THOUGH, BECAUSE THE WALMART BUILDINGS ARE COMING IN AT 100, 120,000 SQUARE FEET.

AND SO YOUR TRIGGERS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER BECAUSE YOU WERE TRYING.

IT WAS A BIG BOX ORDINANCE FUNCTIONALLY, THIS IS NOT THAT THIS PREDATES THAT AND IS A SECONDARY LEVEL OF SPECIAL LAND USE THAT MYSELF AND MY STAFF HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED IN OTHER LOCATIONS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THE QUESTION IS, ARE COMMENTS THEN THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE SPECIAL USE PERMIT BE REQUESTED BECAUSE THE BUILDING OR REQUIRED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE BUILDING GOES AND THE FINAL SIZE IS SOMETHING LIKE 39,000 SQUARE FEET.

I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T PUT THAT IN THERE.

IT'S 34,000.

IT'S SHAME ON ME.

I CAN'T DO THE MATH QUICK ENOUGH AND.

WE'LL WAIT.

OUT 35 THAT JUST UNDER 35,000 SQUARE FEET BY OK.

YEAH, SO THIS MOTION TO APPROVE REQUIRES A ROLL CALL VOTE.

MR. LEMASTER.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. SMITH. ITEM 12 C IS ACCEPTANCE OF THE 2021 AUDIT FINDINGS.

[12C. Acceptance of 2021 Audit Findings]

OH, THERE YOU ARE. SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY. WE'LL DISCUSS MY LOOKING OVER YOU LATER.

THAT'S OKAY. WOULD YOU PREFER I WANTED TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR FINANCIAL AUDIT.

YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT BEFORE THE MOTION? YEAH, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

SO I CAME TO THE TOWNSHIP IN 2013.

THERE'S. THERE ARE NO BOARD MEMBERS LEFT THAT HIRED ME AT THAT TIME.

SO I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, A LITTLE BIT OF A I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A HISTORY LESSON, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF A REVIEW, FINANCIAL REVIEW, AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN OVER THE LAST NINE OR TEN YEARS.

WHEN I CAME HERE IN 2013.

KEEP IN MIND, THE FUND BALANCE OF THIS TOWNSHIP WAS $5.2 MILLION.

AND I REMEMBER THAT VERY WELL BECAUSE TRUSTEE THEN TRUSTEE SCALES MADE THE MOTION BACK IN 2013 TO THAT WE WOULD MAINTAIN A MINIMUM OF $5.2 MILLION AS A FUND BALANCE.

AT THAT TIME, OUR RETIREE HEALTH CARE, WHICH YOU JUST HEARD, IS ALMOST FULLY FUNDED, WAS $4.1 MILLION IN DEBT.

4.1 MILLION. THINK ABOUT THAT.

SO WE'VE BEEN NINE OR TEN YEARS.

IT'S NOW FULLY FUNDED.

PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT.

BUT THAT'S THAT'S THE FACTS.

WHAT ABOUT OUR TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND? IT WAS $1.9 MILLION IN DEBT.

SO WE ARE APPROXIMATELY JUST OVER $6 MILLION IN DEBT BETWEEN THOSE TWO.

THOSE ARE NOW BASICALLY 100% FUNDED.

GOOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.

WE BUILT A BOARDWALK ON OKEMOS ROAD.

WE BUILT A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE DOWN BY MT.

HOPE ON OKEMOS ROAD.

CASH. CASH.

WE, THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR TAXPAYERS, HAVE NOW IMPROVED ABOUT 60 MILES OF OUR LOCAL ROADS SINCE 2017.

CREDIT THE TAXPAYERS FOR THAT.

THE EMERGENCY SIREN PROGRAM.

CHIEF, DIDN'T TELL YOU? BUT BACK IN 2013, WE HAD NO PLAN.

WE HAD FOUR. AND WE HOPED HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY.

AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE NOW HAVE ERECTED SIX EMERGENCY SIRENS ONE PER YEAR.

AND WE NOW ARE PUTTING A NUMBER 11 THIS YEAR AGAIN, ALL PAID IN CASH.

THE HVAC SYSTEM IN THIS BUILDING WAS ATROCIOUS BACK IN 2013.

IT TOOK US A WHILE.

WE DIDN'T GO TO THE TAXPAYERS WITH OUR HANDOUT.

WE STARTED SETTING MONEY ASIDE.

THE BOARD STARTED SETTING MONEY ASIDE.

THEY LISTENED AND THEY PUT MONEY ASIDE UNTIL THEY HAD $2 MILLION SAVED.

HOW DID THEY FIX OUR HVAC SYSTEM IN THIS BUILDING? IN CASH IN 2020.

TOWNER ROAD PARK.

GENEROSITY OF OUR TAXPAYERS WITH OUR PARK MILLAGE.

[01:55:01]

IT WAS PAID FOR IN CASH, THE MARKET PLACE, A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS BECOME THE EPICENTER OF THIS TOWNSHIP.

IT'S WHERE THE ACTIVITY HUB OF THIS TOWNSHIP IS THAT WAS BUILT TWO YEARS AGO AND PAID FOR.

IT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN.

WE DREAMED UP A NEW MARKET, A NEW FARMER'S MARKET BACK IN 2014.

IT DIDN'T GET BUILT UNTIL 2020.

WHY DID IT TAKE SIX YEARS? BECAUSE WE DECIDED NOT TO BORROW MONEY AND SAVE MONEY AND PAY FOR IT IN CASH.

AND THAT WASN'T FEDERAL GRANTS.

IT WASN'T THIS. IT WASN'T THAT.

IT WAS THE TOWNSHIP SAVING FUNDS PAID FOR IN CASH.

THE ROOF AT THE SERVICE CENTER.

NOT A BIG DEAL, RIGHT? IT'S $190,000 PAID FOR IN CASH.

THE MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT.

IT WAS ATROCIOUS SIX YEARS AGO.

IT HAD MORE POTHOLES THAN OUR ROADS.

AND THAT REALLY SAYS A LOT.

$230,000. WE REDID THE WHOLE PARKING LOT.

WE PAID FOR THAT WITH CASH, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF OUR TAXPAYERS.

WE ARE PURCHASING TWO FIRE TRUCKS.

THERE'S NOTHING MORE NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT WE CAN DO THAN THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.

WE BUILT IT. WE PURCHASED A NEW PUMPER THREE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO.

AND WE HAVE A LADDER TRUCK.

$1,000,000. $950,000 LADDER TRUCK.

BOTH WILL BE PAID FOR IN CASH.

WHY? BECAUSE OUR TAXPAYERS WERE GENEROUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US THE FUNDS.

AND WE DID WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO.

WE MADE PROMISES IN 20 2017, AND WE'VE COMMITTED TO ALL OF THEM.

AND WE'VE DELIVERED WE'VE INCREASED OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF FOR THE PARAMEDICS AND TWO POLICE OFFICERS.

ALL THAT WITH A MILLAGE THAT WAS APPROVED, WHY WE PROMISED WE WOULD DO IT IN 2017.

AND WE'VE KEPT ALL THOSE PROMISES.

THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE THAT WILL ALL BE PAID FOR IN CASH, NO DEBT.

I TELL YOU THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE SINCE 2013, THAT'S NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT IT EXEMPLIFIES WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO AS A TOWNSHIP.

AND I'M TALKING ABOUT FORMER BOARD MEMBERS, CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS, THE TEAM AND THE TAXPAYERS.

SO I TAKE YOU BACK TO 2013 WHEN OUR FUND BALANCE WAS FIVE POINT $2 MILLION.

AND WHAT IS IT TODAY? IT'S OVER $10 MILLION.

SO WE'RE $10 MILLION AND WE'VE DONE THAT.

IT'S NOT ALL ROSY.

WE STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT PENSION DEBT WITH OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE INVESTED, INVESTED, INVESTED IN PROJECTS OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S TIME WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TEAM, BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO COMPARE OUR WAGES, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN OUR TEAM. IF YOU COMPARE OUR WAGES, WHICH WE HAVE DONE, WE DO EVERY YEAR.

WE HAVE WORK TO DO.

AND SO INSTEAD OF BUILDING THIS BRIDGE OR THIS NEW MARKETPLACE OR THIS OR THAT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO THIS YEAR AND BASED ON THESE GREAT AUDIT FINDINGS IS REINVEST IN OUR TEAM.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

I TELL YOU ALL THAT, BECAUSE I WANT TO TAKE YOU OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY.

WE ARE IN STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION.

THAT'S NOT UP HERE TO BRAG.

IT'S NOT UP HERE TO BE ARROGANT.

AND MOST OF IT'S DUE TO OUR GREAT AND SUPPORTIVE TAXPAYERS WE HAVE.

BUT IT ALSO HAS BEEN GREAT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT BY THE TOWNSHIP.

AND I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE AUDIT, WE OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS YEAR'S AUDIT.

THANK YOU. OK.

THIS ITEM IS ACCEPTANCE OF THE 2021 AUDIT FINDINGS.

IS THERE A MOTION? MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU MADAM SUPERVISOR. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2021 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS PRESENTED BY [INAUDIBLE] AND EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE TOWNSHIP WITH DISTINCTION.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR. SO I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO MAKE THIS MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AUDITED FINDINGS AND EVEN MORE PLEASED WITH WHAT THE FINDINGS REPRESENT.

AND I THINK THE MANAGER DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF GIVING US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT EXACTLY THAT DID LOOK LIKE.

OUR FUND BALANCE HAS INCREASED EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND OUR LIABILITIES ARE DECREASING IN THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.

IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE PROJECTS THAT WERE OUTLINED AS A TESTAMENT TO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT THAT THIS TEAM THAT'S BEEN PUT IN PLACE IS CAPABLE OF.

AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS HOLD AND WHERE WE ARE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.

[02:00:04]

AS A FORMER AUDITOR FOR THE MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

I TOO AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE THIS AUDIT.

I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

WOULD YOU MIND COMING TO THE MIC? SO IN THE MANAGEMENT COMMENTS, THERE WERE TWO COMMENTS MADE ABOUT THE UTILITY RECEIVABLES AND ALSO ABOUT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE FEDERAL AWARDS.

COULD YOU SPEAK TO THOSE TWO AND WHAT STEPS YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE WITH THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS? YEAH. SO WITH THE UTILITY RECEIVABLE, I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY TALKED TO SOME OF MY STAFF ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO START MAKING THAT CORRECTION AS SOON AS WE CAN.

AND THEN WITH THE WRITTEN POLICIES, I'LL START LOOKING AT THOSE ONCE I GET ALL THE YEAR END REPORTING DONE.

BUT IT'S YOUR INTENT TO GET THAT DONE THIS YEAR, CORRECT? YES. GREAT.

BECAUSE THAT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT, IS HAVING THOSE WRITTEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE IT'S THE LAST THING ANYBODY WANTS TO DO.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.

THANK YOU. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

[INAUDIBLE] THE MANAGER CAN COME BACK AND HE'S BACK, YOU KNOW.

IN MANY WAYS, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IS TOP OF THE TEAM AND IT'S LIKE WE HAVE A TEAM.

HERE'S THE FOOTBALL TEAM ANALOGY FOR A MINUTE, AND THE BOARD IS LIKE THE OWNER OF THE TEAM, IF YOU WILL, AND THE MANAGER IS, IF YOU WILL, LIKE THE COACH.

AND THE CASE OF THE AUDIT LOSING OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

NOT ONLY DID THE COACH HAVE TO CALL AN AUDIBLE, HE ACTUALLY, IN THIS CASE, HAD TO GET OUT IN THE FIELD AND RUN THE PLAY.

AND I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER FOR BEING SO IMMEDIATELY AND IMMENSELY INVOLVED IN THIS AUDIT, BECAUSE WE'D BEEN IN A BAD PLACE RIGHT NOW.

IF IF YOU HAD WASHED YOUR HANDS AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND SAID, WE'VE LOST THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ONE UNTIL JUNE, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD.

THIS AUDIT WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN DONE.

INSTEAD, YOU GOT VERY INVOLVED IN INTERVIEWING, BRINGING THE BOARD MEMBERS UP TO DATE ON CANDIDATES AND MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER NEEDED TO BE GIVEN TO THE AUDITORS WAS DONE.

YOU CHECK WITH ME ALMOST AN HOURLY BASIS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AS TO NOT I WAS FEEDING THAT DATA TO THE AUDITING FIRM AND IT TOOK THAT KIND OF DILIGENCE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR IN PLACE.

SHE HAD LEFT. AND YET THIS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT ATTEST TO THE FINANCIAL STABILITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE TOWNSHIP WAS NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETED WITHOUT SOMEONE TAKING OVER. AND YOU DID.

AND SO YOU WENT FROM PLAYER TO COACH TO PLAYER ALMOST OVERNIGHT AND YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

I WAS JUST GOING TO ECHO I LOOK ACROSS THE ROOM AND I SEE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FILLED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, REALLY HIGH LEVEL POSITIONS.

AMBER CLARK, TIM SCHMIDT.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE YOU'VE RECRUITED SUCH GREAT PEOPLE.

AND I JUST THINK THAT THAT IS PART OF OUR SUCCESS AS A TOWNSHIP, OUR PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR HEARTS INTO IT.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BOARD THAT'S NOT ACTING OUT EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID, AND IT'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT.

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO COMMEND PARTICULARLY THE MANAGER, BUT HIS TEAM FOR THE WAY THEY'VE HANDLED THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN TO BRING US TO THIS POINT WHERE WE ARE WILL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT TO THE STATE AND OUR REGULATORS THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS ON TIME.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ARE THERE FURTHER COMMENTS? NO. AND SO, MR. LEMASTER, I BELIEVE WE ARE READY FOR A VOTE ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE HONOR FINDINGS 2021.

[02:05:08]

YES. SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

YES. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

YES. MOTION CARRIED FIVE-ZERO.

THANK YOU. ITEM 12 D, AMERICAN RESCUE FUND FUNDING.

[12D. American Rescue Plan Funding-1st Round Appropriation]

AND MR. WALSH WILL CARRY US THROUGH THAT.

YES. THANK YOU AGAIN SUPERVISOR JACKSON, AS YOU KNOW, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS RECEIVED FOUR AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY.

2.27 OF THAT IS IN HAND.

THE ADDITIONAL 2.27 WILL COME IN OCTOBER.

YOU READ A LOT ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE DOING WITH THEIR ART FUNDING, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY FUNDING AND GIVING BONUSES TO TEAMS TO THEIR TEAM MEMBERS.

I THINK, IN FACT, ONE COMMITTEE TRIED TO GIVE $25,000 BONUSES AND THAT WAS TURNED AROUND ON THEM PRETTY QUICKLY.

BUT A LOT OF COMMITTEES ARE HANDING THIS OUT AS A PART OF IT.

YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GIVE PART OF IT OUT TO YOUR OR AS MUCH AS YOU'D LIKE TO YOUR TEAM MEMBERS.

THIS BOARD, THROUGH THEIR DISCUSSIONS, I THINK THIS IS OUR FOURTH DISCUSSION NOW, HAS DECIDED THAT THAT'S NOT THE ROAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE.

WE'RE GOING TO INVEST INTO THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.

AND WHAT WE'RE HERE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS A RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE THAT 2.27 MILLION AND COMMIT IT TO $1.3 MILLION IN LOCAL ROADS AND JUST OVER $900,000 OF THAT INTO OUR I.T.

INFRASTRUCTURE. OUR SYSTEM IS BROKEN.

AND AGAIN, TALK ABOUT PAYING FOR THINGS IN CASH.

WE'VE BEEN SAVING TO DO THIS FOR YEARS.

AS YOU KNOW, YOU'VE MADE THOSE COMMITMENTS.

WE HAVE SEVERE I.T.

ISSUES THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE ORGANIZATION.

SO IF APPROVED TONIGHT, WE WOULD INVEST THE $1.3 MILLION INTO ROADS.

WE'VE GONE OVER WHY WE'RE REQUESTING THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE INFLATIONARY COST OF THE ROADS.

THAT'S REALLY CATCHING UP TO US.

AND ALSO WE CAN DO ADDITIONAL ROADS THIS YEAR FOR 2022 RATES RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE INCREASE IN 2023.

SO THAT'S THE REQUEST THAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE WILSON.

TO APPROPRIATE THE FOLLOWING IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS $1.3 MILLION TO LOCAL ROADS AND 700, I'M SORRY, $970,248 FOR I.T.

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE YEAR 2022.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

TRUSTEE WILSON. THERE'S A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS GOING ON HERE.

ONE IS RISING COSTS FOR TO REPAIR OUR LOCAL ROADS BECAUSE THE COST OF ASPHALT HAS GONE UP, I BELIEVE, 22%.

WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEND THIS MONEY THIS YEAR, THEREBY ACCELERATING A ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIVING ON GRAVEL BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR ROADS ARE IN POOR SHAPE.

AND WE ARE ALSO BRINGING FORWARD THE FUNDING FOR IT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN FROM HAVING A SECURE NETWORK AND A WAY THAT BUSINESS CAN BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT HAVING INFRINGEMENT ON OUR SYSTEM.

WE'RE FRANKLY IN A PRETTY SCARY SPACE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF CYBERSECURITY.

SO THIS IS I THINK THIS IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE'RE SPENDING THESE FUNDS THIS WAY.

I THINK IT'S THE WAY TO GO.

AND SO I'M HEARTILY APPROVING IT.

AND JUSTIN HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU MADAM SUPERVISOR. I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT MANAGER OPSOMER, WHO IS NOT HERE TONIGHT FOR WORKING TO ENSURE THAT WE DID HAVE A PATH TO SPENDING THIS MONEY THIS YEAR.

I KNOW THAT WE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION LAST TIME REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE WAITING OR NOT.

AND A LOT OF MY TREPIDATION THE LAST TIME AROUND HINGED ON THE IDEA THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEND IT THIS YEAR.

SO WITH THAT IN MIND, KNOWING THAT WE CAN, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS MONEY OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL ROADS AND THEIR DESIRE TO PLACE IT AT THE TOP OF OUR PRIORITY LIST.

AND WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO THEM TO ENSURE THAT THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE DONE AND DONE WELL.

AND WE'LL RAISE OUR PACER RATING OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVEN OR SO YEARS NOW TO GET IT TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE,

[02:10:06]

AND THIS MONEY WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT WE DO NOT.

SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS MOTION THIS EVENING.

AND TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON YOUR COMMENTS AT THE LAST MEETING WERE WELL TAKEN.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT POINT.

AND THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT WE CAN'T THINK OF EVERYTHING.

AND YOUR POINT MADE A LOT OF SENSE.

AND HAD WE GONE BACK AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY, WE'D BE BACK HERE TELLING YOU THAT THIS EVENING.

I'M NOT ABLE TO SHARE EXACTLY WHAT ROADS WE'RE ADDING, BECAUSE IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THIS LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, IT'S MAKE SURE THE MONEY'S THERE BEFORE YOU ANNOUNCE THE ROADS. THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE LEARNED.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WAIT AND MAKE SURE BEFORE WE GET OUR FINAL BID IN, BEFORE WE ANNOUNCE WHAT ADDITIONAL ROADS.

TREASURER DESCHAINE.

I TOO WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS USE OR THIS COMMITMENT OF THE ARPA FUNDING.

THE FIRST HALF OF IT $101.300,000 TO LOCAL ROADS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO TOUCH ALL 155 OF OUR ROADS AND WE PUT THIS MILLAGE BEFORE THE VOTERS IN 2019.

THEY SUPPORTED IT AND WE HAVE TO FULFILL OUR COMMITMENT.

WE WEREN'T EXPECTING THE SPIKE IN INFLATION, AND WE HAVE INFLATION NOW.

22% ON ROAD PATROLS IS IS THE NUMBER I HEARD AS WELL.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO BE OR THE YEAR AFTER IT'S GOING TO BE.

BUT WE KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW AND THE FACT WE CAN DO MORE ROADS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DONE NEXT YEAR AT THIS YEAR'S RATES IS A BARGAIN FOR US AND A VERY INFLATIONARY TIME. SO WE HAVE REAL CHALLENGES AHEAD TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR VOTERS WHO APPROVED THIS ROAD MILLAGE.

THE ARPA FUNDING HELPS US TO MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS IN THIS INFLATIONARY TIME.

AS FOR THE IT PORTION OF IT, IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE THREE OF OUR LETTER FROM [INAUDIBLE] TALKS ABOUT OUR CYBERSECURITY POSTURE, IT'S EVERY AUDITOR'S CONCERNED AND ANY ANYONE LOOKING OVER OUR SHOULDERS WOULD ASK, HOW SECURE IS YOUR NETWORK? WE ALL SEE THE NEWSPAPER STORIES OF COMMUNITIES THAT IN BUSINESSES THEY GET HACKED AND THEIR DATA HELD UP WITH RANSOMWARE.

IT IS A NIGHTMARE.

IT MAKES THE ORGANIZATION LOOK INCOMPETENT.

IT IS. IT PUTS IMPORTANT PRIVATE INFORMATION AT RISK.

WE ARE MAKING A TAKING A PROACTIVE STEP TO ENSURE THAT NEVER HAPPENS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

SO THESE TWO EXPENDITURES ARE ESSENTIAL.

AND I'LL BE GLAD TO SUPPORT THIS COMMITMENT OF OUR RESCUE AMERICAN RESCUE FUNDING TOWARDS IT.

THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD JUST ADD THAT I TOO SUPPORT THESE PRIORITIES AT THIS POINT USING THE AMERICAN RESCUE FUND FUNDS.

MR. LEMASTER.

ZERO. THANK YOU.

MR. WALSH COMES BACK FOR ITEM 12E.

[12E. Stimulus Inflationary Payment Program]

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS MADE REGARDING THIS PROGRAM SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED.

I WILL FREELY ADMIT I'M THE ONE WHO DEVELOPED THE PROGRAM AND I HAD A SUPPORT FROM OUR FINANCE OFFICE AND FROM HR DIRECTOR TITHOF ON IT.

THERE'S PROS AND CONS.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND I KNOW WHERE THESE PAYMENTS THIS IS A ONE TIME PAYMENT I KNOW WHERE THIS PUTS US ACROSS THE BOARD STILL AND COMPARING OUR COMPENSATION TO OTHER LIKE COMMUNITIES, WE'RE STILL NOT THERE.

I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE LOOK AT TRYING TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF COMMUNITIES WHO ARE LIKE TO RECRUIT THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE.

IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN WE ARE FORTUNATE.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A CPA IN THIS TOWNSHIP IN QUITE A WHILE AND IT SHOWS.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT MS. GARBER FROM THE CITY OF CHELSEA THROUGH A STRANGE TURN OF EVENTS.

IMMEDIATELY, EAST LANSING POSTED THEIR FINANCE DIRECTOR POSITION FOR ABOUT $15,000 HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD OFFER HER.

AND WE OFFERED HER THE TOP OF THE SCALE MORE THAN OUR CHIEFS ARE MAKING.

AND THEY'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS OR 20 YEARS AND FOUR YEARS.

WE OFFERED HER MORE MONEY.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S TAKEN TO TRY TO RECRUIT PEOPLE IN THIS MARKET.

AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION, A DEEP OBLIGATION TO SERVE OUR PUBLIC.

I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO BE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROGRAM.

AND I'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS, AND I APPRECIATE THE NICE CIVIL CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD REGARDING THIS, BUT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT IT.

[02:15:01]

IT INCLUDES ALL 150, 758 OF OUR EMPLOYEES.

IT EXCLUDES ME AND IT EXCLUDES ALL BOARD MEMBERS.

I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVED TO APPROVE THE $400,000 TO BE DISPERSED.

ACCORDING TO THE AFOREMENTIONED SCALE.

THIS IS A ONE TIME APPROPRIATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED AN ANNUAL PROGRAM.

NONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD NOR THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER SHALL RECEIVE THAT PAYMENT.

TREASURER DESCHAINE? I SUPPORT THAT MOTION.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

MR. HENDRICKSON, DO YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS? YES. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TEAM OF EMPLOYEES.

AS MANAGER WALSH HAS MENTIONED DURING THE REPORT EARLIER AND IN INTRODUCING THIS AGENDA ITEM, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND HEAR THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, BOTH AT THE MEETING TONIGHT AND IN VARIOUS OTHER FORMATS SINCE THIS PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED. WE DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OUR RESIDENTS, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE WISH TO BE SPENDING THIS MONEY ON TOWNSHIP PROGRAMS AND ON THINGS THAT WILL BENEFIT EVERYONE.

BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL, AND ALSO THAT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE BEST PEOPLE HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE THEY CAN PROVIDE PUBLIC THEY DO PROVIDE PUBLIC SERVICES TO ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

YOU MAY NOT INTERACT WITH THEM EVERY DAY, BUT THEY ARE HERE WORKING FOR THE RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS, AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB BY ALL, BY ALL ACCOUNTS.

WE OFFER WORLD CLASS SERVICES HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS, AND IT'S THIS TEAM OF EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE THOSE HAPPEN.

SO IN A WAY, RETENTION OF THOSE EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES IS A BENEFIT TO ALL TAXPAYERS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND SO I AM MOST SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM.

I THINK THAT THE MANAGER HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND WORKING WITH THE TEAM TO CRAFT SOMETHING THAT IS FAIR, THAT WILL PROVIDE INSTANT BENEFITS TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND WILL RETAIN THEM HOPEFULLY INTO THE FUTURE SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE GOOD PUBLIC SERVICES THAT WE'VE ALL COME TO EXPECT HERE.

MAY I TELL YOU WHAT THE DEFINITION OF EMBARRASSMENT IS? THANK YOU. THE DEFINITION OF EMBARRASSMENT IS WHEN YOU HAVE FOUR MAJOR POLICE CALLS ON ONE NIGHT, WHICH IS WHERE THIS PROGRAM, THE INCEPTION OF THIS PROGRAM, OCCURRED ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, AND IT HAPPENED AT TARGET.

WE HAD A LOT OF CALLS THAT EVENING.

WE HAD ONE OF OUR FIRST YEAR OFFICERS.

BY THE WAY, SHE'S MAKING $20 AN HOUR.

SHE COULD MAKE 28 TO 35 ANYWHERE ELSE.

AND SHE SHOWS UP TO TARGET SUPPORTED BY THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE BECAUSE WE WERE UNDERSTAFFED, BECAUSE THEY WERE SEVEN OFFICERS SHORT, BECAUSE WE DON'T PAY ENOUGH.

AND SHE SHOWS UP AND GETS INTO A CONVERSATION.

SHE'S SHOWING UP TRYING TO SAVE SOMEONE WHO'S WIELDING, REPORT WAS A GUN, ENDED UP BEING A KNIFE FOR THE FACTS, ENDS UP GETTING A CONVERSATION WITH A [INAUDIBLE] TARGET. AND THE EMPLOYEE TARGET SAYS THEY'RE HIRING.

THEY'RE HIRING AT $22 AN HOUR.

SO THE OFFICER WHO SHOWED UP TO TRY TO SAVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE BEING HARASSED BY SOMEONE WITH A KNIFE GUN WAS MAKING MORE THAN THE OFFICER WHO SHOWED UP, WHO HAD JUST WENT THROUGH THE ACADEMY, WHO PUTS HER LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY DAY.

WHEN I HEARD THAT, THAT WAS EMBARRASSING AND I TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.

WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT WE SHOULD DO.

AND THERE'S NO THERE'S NO WONDER WHY WE'RE SEVEN OFFICERS SHORT.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE MADE UP FOR THAT.

AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.

WE'RE HOPING THAT. I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE INCEPTION OF THIS PROGRAM.

SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION.

TREASURER DESCHAINE? THANK YOU. I INTEND TO SUPPORT THIS.

I DO THINK WE'VE NAMED IT THE WRONG THING, THOUGH.

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED IT THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION PAYMENT PROGRAM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO.

I SPENT 35 YEARS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND SO I KNOW THE PRIVATE SECTOR FAIRLY WELL ACTUALLY.

VERY NICE CONVERSATION WITH MR. BARNETT AND A WHILE BACK AND I APPRECIATE HIS COMMENTS AND THOSE OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SPOKE TONIGHT.

THIS BOARD HAS A PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO THE EMPLOYEES BUT TO THE TAXPAYERS.

[02:20:04]

BUT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, ALSO, TO BE FIDUCIARY IN OUR SPENDING AND LOOK OUT FOR THE TAXPAYERS AT ALL TIMES.

THAT WAS THE REASON THAT A YEAR AGO BOARD MEMBERS PROPOSED A 1000 COVID PAYOUT BECAUSE OUR EMPLOYEES WERE HAVING A HARD TIME BECAUSE OF COVID.

I STRONGLY OPPOSED IT.

I SAID, YEAH, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT SO ARE OUR TAXPAYERS.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE OUT $1,000 TO EVERY EMPLOYEE, WE SHOULD THINK FIRST MAYBE OF GIVING MONEY BACK TO THE TAXPAYER BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME AS WELL.

THIS IS A TWO SIDED EQUATION.

ANY DOLLARS WE GIVE TO EMPLOYEES, WE ARE TAKING ESSENCE FROM OUR TAXPAYERS.

AND SO BEFORE I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANY EMPLOYEE PROGRAM, INCENTIVE PROGRAM OR PAYMENT PROGRAM LIKE THIS, I HAVE TO BE CONVINCED THAT IT WILL BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF OUR TOWNSHIP, AND I BELIEVE THIS PROGRAM WILL.

OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE UNDERPAID.

OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF EMPLOYEES ARE BY AND LARGE UNDERPAID COMPARED TO WHAT I SAW IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

I'M SURPRISED WE KEEP THEM AS LONG AS WE DO.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE POSSIBLE IN THESE POSITIONS, AND IF YOU READING THROUGH THE PACKET, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THIS INCENTIVE PROGRAM ARE RETENTION PROGRAM IS REVERSE WEIGHTED.

SO THE LESS YOU MAKE IN THE TOWNSHIP, THE HIGHER THE BONUS YOU GET.

SO UNDER $50,000, THEY GET A $3,000 BONUS.

IF THEY'RE ABOVE $100,000, THEY GET $2,000.

SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HELP OUT THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST AS EMPLOYEES TO RETAIN TO HOLD ONTO THEM SO THEY DON'T JUMP SHIP TO TARGET OR JUMP SHIP TO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION BECAUSE WE NEED THEIR SKILLS.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE HIRED THEM IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEM.

AND WE'VE MADE MANY MONTH OR YEAR COMMITMENT TO TRAIN THEM.

WE NEED TO IN ESSENCE, WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR INVESTMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES.

WE'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM HERE, BUT IF WE HAD TEN OR 15% LEAVE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, WE WOULD BE HURTING BECAUSE WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME RETRAINING NEW EMPLOYEES TO DO THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE VERY CAPABLY BY OUR EXISTING EMPLOYEES.

THIS IS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES FROM JUMPING SHIP.

FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, IF YOU READ THE NATIONAL NEWS, THERE IS THE GREAT RESIGNATION GOING ON.

THE HIGHEST NUMBERS, I THINK 4.4 MILLION EMPLOYEES QUIT LAST MONTH AND THAT WAS HIGHER THAN THE 4.3 THE MONTH BEFORE AND HIGHER THAN THE 4.1 THE MONTH BEFORE THAT.

PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYEES.

FINALLY, AFTER MANY, MANY YEARS OF HAVING NO BARGAINING POWER, LABOR NOW HAS SOME BARGAINING POWER IN THIS MARKET.

THEY EMPLOYEES CAN GO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO AND THEY GET SIGN ON BONUSES AND THEY GET BETTER WAGES AND THEY GET TREATED DECENTLY FOR A CHANGE.

AND EMPLOYEES ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET AND TAKING THE BEST OFFER THEY CAN GET.

SO IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE ARE UNDER SCALE AND UNDERVALUE OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY WILL LET US KNOW WE'RE DOING THAT NOT BY COMING IN APPEALING TO US FOR MORE MONEY. THEY'LL JUST UP AND LEAVE AND TAKE THAT BETTER OPPORTUNITY THEY'VE GOT.

THIS PROGRAM PREVENTS THAT FROM HAPPENING.

I HOPE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE IT WILL.

AND IN TERMS OF OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, WE DID NOT INCLUDE THESE PAYMENTS IN THEIR BASE SALARIES.

SO WE HAVE NOT MADE OUR PENSION LIABILITY PROBLEM BIGGER.

BY DOING THIS. WE ARE GIVING THEM A ONE TIME PAYMENT THIS YEAR BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY BAD YEAR.

HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR IS MUCH BETTER.

IS THE WORLD CALMED DOWN? IT IS REALLY A PHENOMENALLY SCARY YEAR OUT THERE GLOBALLY.

AND WE'VE GOT HIGH INFLATION.

WE'VE GOT AN INTERNATIONAL WAR.

WE'VE GOT SHORTAGES OF KEY PRODUCTS ACROSS THE ECONOMY.

THE AMERICAN CONSUMER IS SCARED RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE ALL SCARED.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE WAS.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT SENSE OF CERTAINTY THAT WE HAD A YEAR AGO OR CERTAINLY BEFORE COVID.

THIS EMPLOYEE PAYMENT PROGRAM HELPS OUR EMPLOYEES TO FEEL, I HOPE, SAFER WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND APPRECIATED HERE.

SO THEY STAY PUT AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORK THEY'RE DOING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS PROGRAM TO US.

EXCEPT FOR THE NAMING OF IT.

I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM AND I WILL BE SUPPORTING IT.

THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WILSON? YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE DONE SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB OF EXPLAINING ALL OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ON ITS FACE CAN LOOK LIKE.

IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY A NEGATIVE TO US.

BUT WE DO LOOK AT THIS AS I DO AS A RETENTION PROJECT.

WE NEED TO HAVE PRIME INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR ROLES AND THE TOWNSHIP TO DELIVER THE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS EXPECT.

AND IF WE ARE A PRIME COMMUNITY, WE NEED THOSE PRIME PEOPLE IN THOSE ROLES.

[02:25:01]

OTHER COMMENTS? MR. LEMASTER? WE ARE READY TO VOTE.

SUPERVISOR JACKSON? YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE? YES. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON? YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? YES. TRUSTEE WILSON? YES. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.

THANK YOU.

MAYBE WE CAN TAKE ABOUT 4 MINUTES TO FOUR OR 5 MINUTES UNTIL TRUSTEE SUNDLAND CAN COME BACK.

OKAY, SURE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FINISH THIS WITH YOU.

WE'LL COME BACK TO ORDER.

OH. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS, LET'S SEE, WHERE AM I

[12F. Meeting Attendance Accommodations]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH. THIS GOES BACK TO AN ATTORNEY GENERAL NESSEL OPINION THAT WAS PUT OUT IN FEBRUARY OF 2022 OPINIONS 73 TO 18, WHICH BASICALLY STATES THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD GOVERNING BOARD CAN ADOPT AN ORDINANCE, A POLICY, I'M SORRY, THAT ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE WHO MEET A CERTAIN ADA QUALIFICATION TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY IN MEETINGS, IF YOU SO DESIRE.

SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IF YOU APPROVE THIS THIS EVENING, THE PROCESS WOULD BE IF ANY OF OUR APPOINTED 110 APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ONE OR TWO THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO US.

IF THEY MEET A CERTAIN ADA QUALIFICATION, WHICH WOULD BE CONFIDENTIAL THROUGH THE HR DIRECTOR, WE WOULD KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE QUALIFICATION IF THEY MEET THAT THEY WOULD BE APPROVED WITH A FIVE DAY NOTICE BEFORE THE MEETING.

I THINK IT WAS 48 HOURS IN YOUR LAST RENDITION AND NOW IT'S A FIVE DAY NOTICE FOUND ON THE TOP OF PAGE TWO.

YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT ASSISTANT MANAGER OF SUMMER, TO HIS CREDIT, HAS DONE ALL THE WORK ON THIS.

HE COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING AND ASKED THAT I BRING THIS FORWARD.

SO IT'S ATTORNEY NESSEL CAME OUT SO WE COULD DO THIS.

IT'S BEFORE EITHER THIS EVENING AND IF YOU DO IT YOU'RE ALLOWING APPOINTED, BOARD APPOINTED AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE A CLAIM FOR AN ADA CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATION TO THE DIRECTOR.

AND THEY THEN WOULD BE ABLE TO ZOOM IN FROM HOME AND PARTICIPATE AND VOTE ON THAT PARTICULAR BOARD AND COMMISSION.

THAT'S A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.

IT IS.

AND THERE'S A BIT MORE ABOUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. WOULD YOU INCLUDE THAT AS WELL? YEAH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF THIS IS APPROVED.

THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WHEN THE ZOOM COMES UP THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE.

BUT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR ZOOM WOULD, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WOULD OCCUR IS IF THERE'S THE ZOOM OFFERED BECAUSE SOMEONE IS MEETING AT ADA QUALIFICATION AND WE HAVE A ZOOM SET UP, THEN THE PUBLIC COULD PARTICIPATE THROUGH THAT, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.

BUT FOR ALL OTHER MEETINGS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PROVIDING ZOOM.

THEY WILL NOT BE VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION FOR TRUSTEE WILSON TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE ORIGINAL CHARTER TOWNSHIP ELECTRONIC MEETING ACCOMMODATION POLICY.

TREASURE EDITION SUPPORT.

IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED TO SUPPORT IT.

TRUSTEE WILSON YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION YOU'D LIKE TO ADD.

I THINK THAT THIS DID NOT COME TO OUR ATTENTION UNTIL WE HAD A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMITTEES THAT SAID OR BOARDS THAT SAID, I AM HAVING TROUBLE GETTING HERE.

I NEED AN ACCOMMODATION.

SO TO ME, THIS IS DOING SOMETHING THAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO MAKE THAT ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING THIS MOTION AND TREASURER DESCHAINE AS THE SECONDARY.

YES. AND THIS ACTUALLY IMPACTED THIS WARD AS WELL.

PRIOR TO SUPERVISOR STYKA UNTIMELY DEATH, HE WOULD HAVE, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, I THINK, QUALIFIED FOR THE ADA

[02:30:07]

YET HE HE WANTED TO BE PART OF THESE LEAVE THESE MEETINGS.

AND YET THE LAW PROHIBITED HIM DOING THAT DUE TO THE LACK OF AUTHORIZATION, AS WE NOW HAVE THROUGH ATTORNEY GENERAL RUSSELL'S RULING AND OPINION. SO TWO THINGS I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED.

ONE, IT ALSO INCLUDES A MILITARY EXEMPTION, AND THE OTHER IS THAT IF YOU APPROVE THIS SO, YOU KNOW, IT ALSO ALLOWS THAT PERSON, IF THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ADA CLAIM TO THE TOWNSHIP, THEY ALSO CAN PARTICIPATE IN A CLOSED SESSION IF THEY APPLY FOR THIS.

AND THE HR DIRECTOR DETERMINES THAT IS DOES NOT QUALIFY THE RIGHT OF CHALLENGE TO THAT GOES TO THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER. IF I HAVE A IF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR SHALL SERVE IN THAT ROLE.

THANK YOU, MR. HENDRICKSON. SUPERVISOR I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS MOTION AS IT'S PRESENTED TO US THIS EVENING.

I THINK IF BEING A PART OF PUBLIC BOARDS FOR SEVERAL YEARS DURING THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US ANYTHING, IT'S THAT THESE MEETINGS CAN CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AND CAN CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS ELECTRONICALLY.

I, FOR ONE, WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE IF THERE IS IF THERE WAS A SOUND LEGAL BASIS TO DO SO, TO EXTEND THIS BEYOND SIMPLY THE ADA EXCEPTIONS THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION HAS ALLOWED FOR IN THIS CASE, AND THAT'S A MATTER FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO TO TAKE UP, PERHAPS IN SOME FUTURE TIME.

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION COMPONENT OF THAT OPINION AND OF THIS POLICY.

I THINK THAT WE SAW A LOT OF FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE JOINED OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO SPEAK ON ANY GIVEN TOPIC, FIND A MORE ACCESSIBLE PATH TO PROVIDE THEIR OPINIONS AND THEIR THOUGHTS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS THAT CAME BEFORE THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT WERE ABLE TO DO SO VIA ZOOM, VIA ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME OUT TO OUR MEETINGS.

SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS POLICY.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TO TO ALLOW THOSE WHO DO HAVE ADA ACCOMMODATIONS IN OTHER WALKS OF LIFE TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP FOR THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MAY END UP EVEN ALLOWING GREATER PARTICIPATION AND ALSO MORE PEOPLE GETTING INVOLVED IN THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS NOW THAT THEY HAVE A WAY TO DO SO.

SO I'M PLEASED WITH THIS AND I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS MOTION.

ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? MADAM SUPERVISOR, I HAVE A QUESTION TO MR. WALSH. IS THIS GOING TO BE GRANTED AS A BLANKET ADA EXEMPTION, IF YOU WILL, TO AN INDIVIDUAL FOR ALL FUTURE MEETINGS THAT THEY IF THEY ARE ON A BOARD? AND WOULD THEY JUST NEED TO GIVE NOTICE THAT THEY ARE ATTENDING THE FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

SO AS IT'S LAID OUT HERE, BASICALLY THEY WOULD PUT THERE IS AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS.

SO I WOULD WORK WITH THE PERSON REQUESTING WE GO OVER THE INFORMATION AND WE TAKE IT FROM THERE.

WHAT WOULD TERMINATE THE ACCOMMODATION IS IF THE ACCOMMODATION IS NO LONGER NEEDED, IF SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE MEDICALLY OR I GUESS IF OMA, IF THERE WERE ANY UPDATES TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO OR IF THEY JUST IF THE REQUESTER NOTIFIES US THAT THEY NO LONGER WISH TO HAVE IT.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. HENDERSON. THIS IS A.

FOLLOW UP TO THAT. SO IF SOMEONE IS ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION, NOT THIS ONE, LET'S SAY, AND THERE'S A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THIS BODY AND THAT BODY, WOULD THEN OUR MEETING OUR JOINT MEETING BE PROVIDED FOR REMOTELY? LIKELY. I THINK IT WOULD REALLY JUST DEPEND ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF BOTH MEETINGS.

I ASK BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HAVING A BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING FOR FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS OCCASIONAL MEETINGS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AND OTHER BODIES.

AND SO IF SOME OF THEIR MEMBERS ARE REQUIRING ADA ACCOMMODATIONS, THEN THAT MIGHT IMPACT THIS GROUP AS WELL.

LIKELY, YES. THANK YOU.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TWO POINTS.

ONE IS THAT THIS IS THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS CONSIDERING BOTH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND

[02:35:08]

AND THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO NOTE IS THAT THE TOWNSHIP COMMUNICATIONS I.T.

GROUP HAVE HAVE ASSURED US THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS ACCOMMODATION.

AND THAT IS VERY MUCH THE REASON WHY WE ARE INSTITUTING THIS CHOICE, THIS POSSIBILITY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THEN WE HAVE A MOTION SECONDED, PROPERLY SECONDED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE MERIDIAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP ELECTRONIC MEETING ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY.

MS.. THIS IS MR. LEMASTER. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

YES. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YES.

WILSON. YES.

SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. MOTION CARRIED FIVE ZERO.

THANK YOU. WE COME NOW TO ITEM 12 H.

I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT JUNE IS A VERY BUSY MONTH.

AND SO IN VIEW OF THAT, WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA THREE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES AND OBSERVANCES IN THE COUNTRY AND IN THE STATE AND LOCALLY, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS ITEM 12 H.

I'M SORRY. I'M AHEAD OF MYSELF.

I'M. YES, I'M SORRY.

LET'S DEAL WITH CHIEF PLAZA AND ITEM 12 G FIRST, WHICH IS THE AUTHORIZATION FOR POLICE CANDIDATE SPONSORSHIP.

[12G. Authorization for Police Candidate Sponsorships]

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DO GREATLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, THE MANAGER AND THE TEAM HERE.

AND YOU MET THE TWO CANDIDATES.

THEY'RE BOTH FINE YOUNG INDIVIDUALS THAT I COULD SEE HAVING A LONG CAREER AND BEING A BENEFIT TO OUR FORCE.

SO I AM ASKING THAT WE DO GET BOARD SUPPORT FOR SPONSORING BOTH OF THEM TO THE MID MICHIGAN POLICE ACADEMY, WHICH IS PART OF LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

OC TREASURER DESCHAINE I MOVE TO SPONSOR CANDIDATES DANNY MOORE AND JACOB GONZALEZ TO THE MID MICHIGAN POLICE ACADEMY FALL SEMESTER 2022 AT LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

SUPPORT, SUPPORT AND TRUST BY JUSTIN WILSON.

MR. DUSHANE WE GET TO MEET THE CANDIDATES AND WE ARE THEY HAVE THE FULL ENDORSEMENT OF OUR POLICE CHIEF.

I FULLY INTEND TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION AND TRUSTEE WILSON WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD OUR POLICE FORCE UP.

I REALIZE THAT GOING TO THE ACADEMY IS A LONG PROCESS, SO WE HAVE TO BE, AGAIN, FORWARD THINKING THAT THESE GENTLEMEN WILL NOT BE ON THE ROAD FOR PROBABLY A YEAR.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.

THEY WILL ATTEND THE ACADEMY.

IF THEY COMPLETE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THEY WOULD GRADUATE IN DECEMBER AND THEN THEY'D BE THEY'D COME AND DO OUR IN-HOUSE TRAINING, WHICH CONSISTS OF FOUR, FOUR MONTHS OF FIELD TRAINING.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A TOTAL OF SEVEN ADDITIONAL OFFICERS TO BRING US TO FULL SPEED.

AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE FOLKS IN THE PIPELINE.

SO I SUPPORT THIS MOTION FOR THAT REASON.

MR. DE SHEA WILL BE COMING.

NO OTHER COMMENT. ANYONE ELSE? I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO NOTE THAT THIS EARLY SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR THESE OFFICERS AND EVEN SOME OF OUR FIRE OFFICERS IS A PART OF A PROGRAM, A FORWARD LOOKING PROGRAM, IF YOU WILL, THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO TRY TO CREATE THEIR OWN AND SUPPORT THE TRAINING FOR THE POSITIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE FILLED.

ALL RIGHT. THIS IS A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR THE COMMENTS.

MR. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

YES. TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE, YES.

MOTION CARRIED FIVE ZERO.

AND NOW THANK YOU TO FLORIDA.

[02:40:02]

[12H. Resolution in Recognition of Juneteenth]

IT LATER BECAME EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY ONE, 1863, AND THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH ABOLISHES, ABOLISHES, ABOLISHED SLAVERY RATIFIED BY CONGRESS ON DECEMBER SIX, 1864.

I OFFERED THIS MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING JUNE 10TH IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SUPPORT.

ARE THERE COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WILSON. THIS IS A NEW FEDERAL HOLIDAY AND A NEW STATE HOLIDAY.

SO WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT PATH BY MAKING THIS A LOCAL HOLIDAY.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES THAT SURROUND JUNETEENTH ON BOTH SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

I THINK IT'S LONG OVERDUE THAT WE HAVE THIS KIND OF RECOGNITION, AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M SUPPORTING IT.

ANYONE ELSE? I WOULD NOTE THAT I THINK IT'S SAID FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ARE A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND CELEBRATION OF ACTIVITIES AND MONDAY IS ACTUALLY THE IN-HOUSE TOWNSHIP HALF THE HOLIDAY TEAM CELEBRATION OBSERVANCE ANYWAY.

SATURDAY A CELEBRATION SEE IT THEATER SUNDAY AT HISTORIC VILLAGE AND MONDAY OVER AT THE MARKETPLACE AT NOON.

RIGHT. AND THE PARTICULARS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND IN THE ACTUALLY IN THE BODY OF OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS.

RIGHT, FOR OUR BOARD PACKET.

SO ANYONE, EVERYONE WHO'S INTERESTED SHOULD GO THERE AND GET THE PARTICULARS.

THIS IS A VOICE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION AND RECOGNITION, RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. PLEASE SAY YES, YES, YES.

CHAIR VOTES YES.

ANYONE IN OPPOSED SAY NO.

THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AND WE MOVE ON THEN TO ITEM 12 I.

[12I. Resolution in Recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month]

MR. TREASURER DESCHAINE THANK YOU.

I MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION CELEBRATING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER LGBT TCU PRIDE MONTH SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY MR. HENDRICKSON COMMENTS.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT MONTH TO TO CELEBRATE THE LG B TCU COMMUNITY.

WE ARE FAR MORE TOLERANT THAN WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO, BUT WE ARE FAR FROM PERFECT IN TERMS OF HOW WE TREAT THE LGBT TCU COMMUNITY.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A MONTH TO USE THIS MONTH TO RECOGNIZE THIS DIVERSITY AND RECOGNIZE THIS COMMUNITY AND THE UNIQUE AND AMAZING CONTRIBUTION THEY MAKE TO SOCIETY. MR. HENDRICKS. THANK YOU.

I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE TREASURER JUST SAID.

YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS ARE OUR NEIGHBORS.

THESE FOLKS ARE OUR FRIENDS, THEY LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING YEAR ROUND TO MAKING THIS COMMUNITY WHAT IT IS. AND YOU KNOW, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE VIA THIS RESOLUTION AND VIA OUR ACTIONS PRIDE MONTH HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND I THINK THAT PASSING THIS RESOLUTION IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE TOWNSHIP LEADERSHIP THAT WE SUPPORT THEM, WE SEE THEM, AND THAT WE CELEBRATE WITH THEM THIS MONTH.

THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS.

THEN THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

PLEASE SAY YES.

[02:45:02]

ANYONE OPPOSED? NO. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS A RESOLUTION TO CALL FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON GUN VIOLENCE.

[12J. Resolution to Call for Legislative Action on Gun Violence]

I BRING THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT ALONGSIDE TRUSTEE WISINSKI, WHO WAS UNFORTUNATELY NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT, AND TREASURER DESCHAINE IN RESPONSE TO THE ONGOING AND EGREGIOUS GUN VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY.

THE PACKET FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING BECAME AVAILABLE TO US ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

SINCE THAT TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN 280 INCIDENCES OF GUN VIOLENCE, RESULTING IN 279 INJURIES AND 113 DEATHS.

THAT'S SINCE FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN MICHIGAN.

IN THAT TIME. THERE'S BEEN 12 INCIDENCES WITH 17 INJURIES AND FIVE DEATHS.

SO BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE TOPIC, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD FOR A MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE AND A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR STATE AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. THANK YOU. THE THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US THIS EVENING CALLS ON OUR STATE LEGISLATURE AND ON CONGRESS TO PASS COMMON SENSE GOVERNANCE BASED REFORMS TO OUR GUN LAWS.

THESE INCLUDE ENACTING UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, INSTITUTING RED FLAG LAWS, PASSING SAFE STORAGE LEGISLATION, AND BANNING ASSAULT WEAPONS LIKE THE AR 15 IS USED IN UVALDE.

THESE MEASURES ARE STEPS THAT WE MUST TAKE TO CURB THE EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES.

THERE ARE LAWS THAT ARE, BY THE WAY, BROADLY SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC.

A RECENT POLL FROM CBS SHOWED THAT 81% OF AMERICANS FAVOR UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.

72% FAVOR RED FLAG LAWS.

AND 62% FAVOR AN ASSAULT RIFLE BAN.

THIS IS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR ME, WHICH IS WHY I OFFER THIS RESOLUTION ALONGSIDE MY MY COLLEAGUES THIS EVENING, BECAUSE THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MASS SHOOTINGS RECENTLY HAS INCLUDED SCHOOLS.

THERE HAVE BEEN 27 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR ALONE.

SINCE 2009, THE UNITED STATES HAS HAD 288 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, 288.

THE NEXT CLOSEST COUNTRY DURING THAT TIME PERIOD HAD EIGHT.

AS A PARENT OF TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO WILL BE ATTENDING SCHOOL IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COMING YEARS.

I'M TERRIFIED. PARENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KISS THEIR CHILDREN GOODBYE IN THE DROP OFF LINE LANE AND WORRY THAT THEY WON'T BE THERE AT PICKUP TIME.

IN ADDITION, MY MY WIFE WORKS AS A TEACHER IN A NEARBY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HAS BEEN FORCED TO LOCK DOWN SEVERAL TIMES THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE OXFORD SHOOTING LAST NOVEMBER.

BULLETS WERE FOUND IN HER SCHOOL.

THIS IS THIS IS NOT FAR FROM OKEMOS.

THIS IS NOT FAR FROM RADIANT TOWNSHIP.

IT'S NOT FAR FROM HASLETT.

OUR TEACHERS MUST BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON TEACHING THE STUDENTS THEIR CURRICULUM AND NOT WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THROW THEIR BODY BETWEEN A BULLET AND A CHILD TODAY. NOTHING THIS BOARD DOES TODAY CAN BRING BACK THE HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN THAT WE'VE ALREADY LOST TO THIS EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE.

OR THE FAMILY OR FRIENDS THAT WE'VE LOST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT IT IS MY OPINION THAT WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT THE NEXT LIFE IS NOT LOST.

WE CAN SEND A MESSAGE TO OUR LEGISLATORS TODAY THAT WE DEMAND THESE CHANGES SO THAT THIS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE.

CONTINUE. AND THERE'S ONE MORE NUMBER FROM THE POLL I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT I THINK IS GERMANE, AND THAT 28% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT MASS SHOOTINGS AS A PART OF OUR SOCIETY.

AND I DISAGREE.

WE CAN AND WE MUST MAKE THESE CHANGES AND MAKE THEM IMMEDIATELY.

SO THEREFORE, TONIGHT, I BRING THIS RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND TWO OTHERS HERE ON THE BOARD, AND I ASK THAT THIS BOARD PASS IT THIS EVENING TO SEND A MESSAGE, A UNIFIED MESSAGE FROM THIS BOARD TO OUR LEGISLATORS IN THE STATE HOUSE AND AND IN CONGRESS THAT WE CAN AND MUST DO MORE.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE AND CONGRESS TO ACTION ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGISLATION.

MR. DESCHAINE? I SUPPORT THE MOTION. ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS?

[02:50:04]

THIS IS NOT AN ANTI GUN MOTION.

THIS IS A PRO SAFETY MOTION.

IN FACT, THE MAJORITY OF GUN OWNERS SUPPORT BACKGROUND CHECKS, RED FLAG LAWS AND ASSAULT WEAPONS BANS.

THESE ARE REASONABLE REQUIREMENTS OF GUN OWNERSHIP, AND RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS AND NON-GUN OWNERS ALIKE SUPPORT THESE REASONABLE MEASURES.

AND THIS MOTION HOPEFULLY WILL MOVE US TOWARDS MORE GUN SAFETY AND MORE REASONABLE GUN SAFETY LAWS.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MOTION IS HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION CALLING THE MOTION, CALLING UPON THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE TO ACTION ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGISLATION.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. CHAIR VOTES YES.

ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

WE MOVE NOW TO 12K.

[12K. Mixed Use Planned Unit Development 22-0014 – 1621 & 1655 Haslett Road (Haslett Village Square) – Set public hearing for July 12th]

OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO SET A HEARING DATE, PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR THE MU-PUD.

FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. MR. SMITH. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

THE AS THE SUPERVISOR CORRECTLY POINTED OUT, THE ONLY THING IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING.

DUE TO A QUIRK IN THE CALENDAR AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE, WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARD THIS AND THE UPCOMING JULY 4TH HOLIDAY, ALLOWING US TO SCHEDULE THIS BEFORE IT'S FORMALLY INTRODUCED, GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY TO BRING THIS BACK TO YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR A MORE FORMAL DISCUSSION ON THE PROJECT, AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE READY TO GO.

THEN IN JULY, AS WE'VE SORT OF INDICATED ALL ALONG, FOR POTENTIAL ACTION LATER THAT MONTH.

SO THIS IS WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THE APPLICANT IS NOT PREPARED TO DO A FULL DISCUSSION.

I AM NOT THAT PREPARED TO DO A FULL DISCUSSION, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

BUT ALL WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY 12TH AT THIS TIME.

ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE WILSON? MOVE TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR MU-PUD 22-014 1621 AND 1655 HASLETT ROAD HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE FOR THE JULY 12TH, 2022 TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON SUPPORTS THE MOTION.

WE ARE OPEN TO COMMENTS.

FURTHER COMMENTS. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? MR. DESCHAINE? WELL, THE APPLICANT MAY NOT BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS IT.

WE DO APPRECIATE THE UPDATED DRAWINGS OF THE SITE PLAN.

THERE'S A LOT OF BUZZ IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS.

WE'RE REALLY GLAD EARLIER TONIGHT TO ESTABLISH THE COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION DISTRICT FOR THIS PROJECT.

YOU FOLKS ARE SERIOUS DEVELOPERS AND WE ARE IN SERIOUS NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT AND THEY HAVE THE VILLAGE SQUARE.

SO WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU GUYS AND WE'RE EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

SO LOOK FORWARD TO THE FULL, FULL HEARING ON JULY 12TH.

MR. HENDRICKSON? NO, I'M SORRY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THIS IS THIS CALLS FOR A VOICE VOTE.

WE'VE DONE TO SET A DATE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO SET THE DATE FOR JULY 12TH.

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. CHAIR JUST ANYONE OPPOSED.

THEN THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. AND AS I SAID, WE'LL BE BACK FOR A MORE FORMAL INTRODUCTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.

OK THANK YOU.

AND FINALLY, 12L AUTHORIZATION FOR FIRE CANDIDATE

[12L. Authorization for Fire Candidate Sponsorship]

AGAIN, I TALKED ABOUT BRANDON A WHILE BACK.

BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM TONIGHT AND BASICALLY HOW THE PROGRAM WOULD WORK.

ASKING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEND BRANDON TO AN EMT PROGRAM AT LCC.

[02:55:04]

IT'S BASICALLY MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FOR THE SUMMER.

ONCE HE COMPLETES, THAT WILL TAKE THE STATE TEST.

AND THEN ONCE HE COMPLETES THE STATE TEST AND GETS CERTIFIED OR LICENSED, EXCUSE ME, THEN WE WILL TURN FROM THERE AND SEND HIM TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.

WE'VE BEEN USING ASCENSION, WHICH IS OUT OF GRAND BLANC.

THEY NOW HAVE SATELLITE IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY, SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT THAT.

THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS, AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS, LCC IS OFFERED A $4,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO REDUCE THE COST, AND WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR POTENTIALLY SOME GI DOLLARS FOR EITHER THIS COURSE OR EVEN THE PARAMEDIC.

SO THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE OUR COST.

ADDITIONALLY, WORKING WITH THE CAPITAL AREA, MICHIGAN WORKS, THEY ARE WORKING ON A NEW APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PILOT A IT'S BASICALLY YOU GET THREE YEARS, IT'S 2000 HOURS.

AND HOW THIS WILL WORK, HE'LL GET CREDIT FOR GOING THROUGH THE EMT PROGRAM, WHICH IS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 300 HOURS.

BUT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM AND HIRE HIM, THEN HE CAN GET CREDIT FOR THAT UP TO THE 2000 HOURS, WHICH GIVES THEM A US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PILOT THAT AND SEE HOW THAT GOES.

AND IT'S KIND OF AN EXCITING TIME FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT ON THE MARKET FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME.

SO THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE WILSON? I MOVE TO APPROVE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SEND BRANDON CURLING TO EMT AND PARAMEDIC TRAINING BY UTILIZING $8,602 OF THE CURRENT BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING $16,660 OVER THE NEXT TWO BUDGET YEARS. MR. DESCHAINE? IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

COMMENTS? I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF HAMEL EARLIER TODAY BECAUSE I SAID, WHAT ARE OUR GUARANTEES THAT WE WILL NOT BE PAYING FOR SCHOOL JUST TO HAVE THEM GO SOMEWHERE ELSE? SO HE EXPLAINED THAT IF MR. CURLING DOES NOT COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, HE MUST REIMBURSE THE TOWNSHIP AND ALSO THAT HE'S SIGNING A THREE YEAR CONTRACT TO BE ON OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO WITH THOSE ASSURANCES, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THIS MOTION.

MR. DESCHAINE? THIS IS AN OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT PROGRAM.

THE EMT AND THE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, NOT SO MUCH ABOUT BRANDON, BUT ANY CANDIDATE YOU SEND THERE.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY STRUGGLED? THEY NEEDED TO REPEAT.

WHAT KIND OF HELP WILL HE GET OR ANY CANDIDATE GET? SHOULD THEY? SO WE'VE OFFERED, IN FACT, I TALKED TO HIM BEFORE I LEFT TONIGHT.

I SAID, JUST REMEMBER, ONCE YOU START THIS PROGRAM, REACH OUT TO US.

IF YOU WANT TO COME IN ON A WEEKEND, WE'LL TUTOR YOU.

WE'LL HELP YOU WITH AREAS YOU MAY STRUGGLE WITH.

EMT IS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS A PARAMEDIC.

PARAMEDIC WELL. EMT IS ONE SEMESTER, PARAMEDICS, BASICALLY 16 MONTHS.

AND THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN BETWEEN YOUR PHARMACOLOGY, CARDIOLOGY, MED TRAUMA.

IT'S JUST IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE TO ABSORB OVER A TIME PERIOD AND THEN TESTING AND ALL THAT.

SO WE WORK WITH THEM WHENEVER WE HIRE ANYBODY.

THEY'RE ON PROBATION FOR ONE YEAR.

EVERY DAY THEY WORK, THEY HAVE MILESTONES THEY HAVE TO MEET AND THE TROOPS OVER THERE WORK WITH THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY TO FULFILL THOSE MILESTONES THROUGH THEIR FIRST YEAR AND THEN AFTER. EVEN SO, WE WOULD DO THE SAME THING WITH BRANDON OR ANY OTHER STUDENT WE LOOK AT SENDING TO MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL BY HELPING TUTOR THEM AND WORKING THROUGH AREAS THEY MAY STRUGGLE WITH.

THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? THIS IS A ROLL CALL VOTE.

MR. LEMASTER? MOTION CARRIED FIVE ZERO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE FINISHED OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR THE NIGHT.

WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 13A FOR BOARD DISCUSSION ORDINANCE 2022-10

[13A. Ordinance 2022-10 – Decks in Planned Unit Developments]

MR. SCHMIDT? THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, OF ALL OF THE ORDINANCES THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON THIS YEAR.

THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE MOST SPECIFIC.

THIS ADDRESSES A VERY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT COMES OUT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ROUGHLY LATE SEVENTIES OR EARLY EIGHTIES, WHEN MICHIGAN WAS JUST STARTING TO TRANSITION TO THE IDEA OF CONDOMINIUMS. SO WHEN YOU STARTED A GENERAL CONDOMINIUM, YOU YOU OWN A CERTAIN AREA AND THERE'S COMMON ELEMENT THAT IS OWNED BY THE ASSOCIATION. EARLY CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPMENTS WERE DRAWN SUCH THAT THE OWNERSHIP WAS JUST THE

[03:00:08]

THOSE WERE HOWEVER, THOSE WERE PART OF OPEN SPACE OR THAT COMMON ELEMENT.

AND SO ANY TIME YOU'RE MAKING A CHANGE TO THAT, THAT REQUIRES AN AMENDMENT TO THE OVERALL PUD THAT WAS APPROVED FOR THE SITE.

THAT IS A VERY CUMBERSOME PROCESS.

AND THIS HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR, EVERY YEAR, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, LIKE THE SWALLOWS RETURNING TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND WE BROUGHT THIS UP LAST YEAR AND ASSISTANT PLANNER CHAPMAN BROUGHT IT UP.

WE STARTED WORKING ON IT AND JUST SORT OF DIDN'T RISE TO THE TOP AGAIN.

AND THEN LIKE CLOCKWORK, THE REQUEST CAME IN THIS YEAR FOR ANOTHER HOMEOWNER IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE ALMOST THE EXACT SAME CHANGE TO THEIR DECK.

SO WE DUSTED THIS OFF, BROUGHT IT FORWARD.

THIS REALLY DOES ONLY AFFECT A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND A COUPLE OF SITUATIONS THAT IT WILL ALLOW US TO APPROVE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A FULL PUBLIC HEARING AND AMENDMENT TO A PROCESS FOR SOMEONE TO CHANGE THE SIZE OF A DECK ATTACHED TO A GENERAL CONDOMINIUM BUILT IN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME.

SO IT'S A SLIGHT AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE TO GIVE THEM THAT FLEXIBILITY.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF THIS.

AND SHOULD THE TOWNSHIP BOARD NOT HAVE ANY CONCERNS? WE WILL BRING THIS BACK FOR INTRODUCTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.

THANK YOU, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I THINK DIRECTOR SCHMITT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET A SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS IF WE COULD HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, SOME IDEA OF WHICH PODS ARE IMPACTED MOST FREQUENTLY, JUST SO IF FOR NOTHING, FOR NO OTHER REASON, THAN IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, HEY, YOU CAN MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR DECKS NOW IF WE DO CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD AND PASS THIS, JUST A LITTLE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME TO KNOW WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS WERE SPECIFICALLY AIDING IN THIS CHANGE.

YEAH, WE CAN. WE CAN PULL TO THEM PRETTY QUICK, I BET.

OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO, MR. SCHMIDT, THE PARAMETERS AND THE LIMITATIONS FOR THESE CONDO DECKS FALL INTO THE SAME PARAMETERS AND LIMITATIONS OF EVERYBODY ELSE'S DECKS.

SINGLE FAMILY.

THIS WOULD MOVE THEM MUCH CLOSER.

YES. THERE WON'T BE EXACTLY THE SAME BECAUSE THERE'S STILL THEORETICALLY, IF YOU MADE A BIG ENOUGH CHANGE UNDER UNDER A PUD, IT WOULD STILL REQUIRE A MODIFICATION. BUT THIS PUTS THEM MUCH MORE IN LINE WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.

OTHER QUESTIONS THEN WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE THIS IN THE NEXT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

YOU WILL. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WITH MR. HENDRICKSON. SUGGESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

ITEM 13B FIRE CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS.

[13B. Fire Contract Modifications]

I WANT TO FIRST THANK THE MEMBERS, THE 34 MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR PARAMEDICS.

THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT AS WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THIS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

AGAIN, WHEN WE COMPARE OUR TRYING TO GO THROUGH EMT SCHOOL, AS YOU JUST HEARD THE CHIEF STATE, THEN YOU GO THROUGH 16 MONTHS OF PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, YOU INVEST IN ALL OF THAT, AND THEN YOU COME HERE AND A STARTING WAGE OF $42,000 AS YOU COMPARE THAT TO OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

AGAIN, WE HAVE SOME ROOM TO TO IMPROVE ON.

SO WITH THIS MODIFICATION, THAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, THE FIRST LEVEL, THERE ARE CURRENTLY FIVE LEVELS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THE PAY SCALE, IF YOU END UP APPROVING THIS AT A LATER DATE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THE THE THE MEMBER THERE WERE SIX LEVELS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE ELIMINATED TWO.

THERE'S FIVE CURRENTLY IN THE FIRE CONTRACT.

WE WILL ELIMINATE THE BOTTOM LEVEL, THE LOWEST LEVEL, AND EVERYONE WOULD MOVE UP ONE LEVEL INSTEAD OF TWO.

IT DOES KEEP ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT DIRECTOR TIM HOFF, WHO HAS BEEN MANAGING THIS FROM BEHIND THE SCENES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IMPORTANT IS TO KEEP THE POLICE SALARIES AND THE PARAMEDIC FIRE DEPARTMENT SALARIES AS CLOSE AS ALIGNED AS POSSIBLE.

THIS DOES THIS.

AND SO IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE, YOU'RE STARTING WAGE WOULD BE WOULD MOVE TO $48,500

[03:05:05]

SO THAT WOULD BE THE SCALE FOR 2022.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THE OVERALL ANNUAL COST IS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

BE HAPPY TO ANSWER NEW QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.

TREASURER DESCHAINE? SO THE 55,000 COST SPREAD OVER TEN FIREFIGHTERS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

AND ARE WE STILL BRINGING IN FIREFIGHTERS AT A RATE OR WAGE LOWER THAN EAST LANSING OR LANSING? THIS WOULD GET US VERY CLOSE, VERY CLOSE, VERY CLOSE TO EAST LANSING AND SLIGHTLY BELOW LANSING.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE THE THING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IS THAT OUR STARTING PENSION BENEFIT AND STARTING RETIREE HEALTH CARE BENEFIT.

IT'S A GOOD REMINDER FOR ALL OF US IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FOR INCOMING POLICE OFFICERS AND INCOMING FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS.

RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS, YOUR PENSION MULTIPLIER IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A 2.5 WITH A HYBRID OF 2.75. THERE WAS A BLENDING A FEW YEARS AGO, IF YOU REMEMBER, A STEP DOWN FOR AN INCOMING AND YOUR RETIREE.

HEALTH CARE IS 50%, 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, 50 YEARS OF AGE FOR AN INCOMING FIREFIGHTER.

PARAMEDIC. YOUR MULTIPLIER IS NOT TWO AND A HALF.

IT'S 1.75, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION.

AND THEN ALSO, INSTEAD OF RETIREE HEALTH CARE AND PAY FOR IT AND INCREASE DEBT, WE PROVIDE A 7% CONTRIBUTION FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE OF YOUR BASE SALARY AND A 10% DEFINED CONTRIBUTION.

SO INSTEAD OF MAKING ALL THESE PROMISES AND COMMITMENTS TODAY AND SHOVING THEM OFF FOR ANOTHER 25 YEARS AND HOPING WE CAN AFFORD IT AT THE END, IT'S INTERESTING IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACTUARIAL STUDIES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS TO SEE HOW OUR NEW SYSTEM FOR FUNDING FIREFIGHTER AND POLICE OFFICERS, PENSION AND RETIREMENT, HEALTH CARE, HOW WELL WE'RE DOING, HOW WELL WE'RE DOING.

BUT IT'S ALSO VERY FAIR AND MARKETABLE TO THE INCOMING POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS.

THEY GET A175 DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN, SO THEY HAVE A PENSION AT THE END.

IT'S NOT NEARLY WHAT'S THERE NOW, BUT THEY HAVE A PENSION.

THEY ALSO GET A DEFINED CONTRIBUTION OF 10% PUT IN FOR A DEFINED.

SO THAT'S PORTABLE.

THAT'S AN ISSUE, THOUGH, BECAUSE THE MORE WE MAKE THEM PORTABLE, THE MORE THEY CAN GO TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND THEN A 7% RETIREE HEALTH CARE PAYMENT.

SO IT'S CHANGED A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FINANCIALLY.

THE TOWNSHIP'S IN MUCH BETTER STEAD THAN WE WERE THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO BECAUSE SOME OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU TO THE AGAIN, TO THE COMPLIMENTS, TO THE CHIEFS, TO THE COMPLIMENTS OF OUR HR DIRECTOR AND THIS COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO I, LIKE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, ARE STRUGGLING WITH GETTING FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDICS.

IT IS A CATASTROPHE THAT'S COMING, BUT WE ARE FULLY STAFFED AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AT 34, WE'RE DOWN SEVEN IN POLICE.

BUT THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AND IN THE COMING COMING BACK TO YOU IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WILL GREATLY ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO RETAIN THE PARAMEDICS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY SAFE.

WE HAVE 45,000 PEOPLE AND WE RELY ON 34 PARAMEDICS.

THINK ABOUT THAT. AND THESE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON ARE GREATLY IMPACTING.

WE HAVE TO REALLY PLAN AHEAD FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY SAFE.

SO I KNOW THAT'S A LOT, BUT I WANTED YOU TO SEE FULL PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR LIFE SAFETY THAT WE PROVIDE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

QUESTIONS. COMMENTS.

INTERESTING. THANK YOU.

I'M CURIOUS IF WE'RE AWARE OF ANY IMPENDING EXPECTED TURNOVER IN IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THOSE WHO ARE APPROACHING RETIREMENT AGE OR HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN RETIREMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

IF WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING A SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO BE OUT RECRUITING MORE HEAVILY AGAIN.

YES. AND YES, WE HAVE A RETIREMENT, I THINK, IN TWO WEEKS.

AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE, IF I RECALL, TWO OR THREE IN JANUARY OF 23, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT YEAH, WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR THAT ARE COMING UP OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND

[03:10:03]

LIKE FOR INSTANCE, GENTLEMAN THAT MR. CURLING WHO WAS HERE EARLIER, THAT'S SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WE'RE MAKING TO.

AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL ALSO BE OUT RECRUITING THIS PROGRAM.

AND THIS WAGE SCALE ALLOWS US TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE LANSING, DELL HIGH, DELTA, MASON, EAST LANSING AND WE'RE ALL GOING AFTER THE SAME GROUP.

DON'T FORGET, IN MICHIGAN.

YEAH. THEY'RE NOT COMPETITION FOR US IN THE FIRE AREA.

PARAMEDICS. BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY THE POLICE AREA.

HARD TO COMPETE IN THE POLICE AREA.

IN FACT, WE DON'T COMPETE IN THE POLICE AREA.

QUESTIONS. OTHER QUESTIONS.

COMMENTS. SO WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE THIS IN OUR NEXT MEETING, CORRECT? IT WILL BE BACK ON FOR JUNE 21ST FOR ACTION, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NOW COME TO ITEM 14, WHICH IS COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

THIS TIME, MR. TERRY GOLDBERG.

TERRY GOLDBERG 5743 WESTMINSTER WAY.

SO AFTER I SPOKE, I LISTENED TO FRANK.

MR. WALLACE APOLOGIZE CAME UP A COUPLE TIMES AND SOLD HIS HIS EMPLOYEE RETENTION PROGRAM.

AND I GET IT. I MEAN, WE ALL I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS AN EMPLOYEE SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE APPRECIATED.

BUT WHAT I'M CONFUSED ABOUT NOT JUST THAT, BUT SINCE 2013, FRANK MENTIONED HIS BUDGET.

HE REALLY WENT OVER, OVER AND OVER AND OVER ABOUT.

WE PAID IN CASH. WE PAID IN CASH.

WE PAID IN CASH. YOU DID, BUT YOU PAID WITH TAXPAYER MONEY.

SO IT MEANS THAT WE'RE WE'RE ALL PAYING OUR TAXES.

WE'RE ALL DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM PAYING MY TAXES OR PAY MY WATER BILL, BUT IT MADE IT SOUND LIKE YOU DID THIS.

SHE DID THIS, SHE DID THIS, SHE DID THIS.

BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PAYING PEOPLE FOR.

EVERYBODY'S HIRED IN AND FOR PAY.

YOU ALREADY HAVE A YOU HAVE A BUDGET.

THIS IS THE CONTRACT YOU SIGNED.

NOW, I'M ALL ABOUT EMPLOYEES.

BUT AS I KEPT LISTENING AND LISTENING AND LISTENING, WE NOW WE HAVE THESE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED TWO YEARS AGO THAT ARE THE MOST AMAZING EMPLOYEES THAT I BELIEVE THEY PROBABLY ARE. BUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE OTHER ONES? WHY DID THEY STAY SO LONG IF THEY WEREN'T AS GOOD AS WHAT WE HAVE TODAY? SO, I MEAN, THAT'S MY QUESTION IS, DID WE NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THEM BEFORE? WE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN.

IT OVERSTAYED THEIR WELCOME.

THEY WEREN'T. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.

I MEAN, WE'RE PAYING OUR TAXES.

WE WANT QUALITY EMPLOYEES.

WE WANT THE BEST EMPLOYEES POSSIBLE.

SO, I MEAN, I STILL GO BACK TO I THINK WE'VE GOT AN INTERNAL MANAGEMENT ISSUE MORE THAN WE HAVE ANYTHING, A RETENTION PROBLEM BECAUSE THESE EMPLOYEES, THE POLICE AND THE FIRE, LIKE WITH THE POLICE CADET, COULD MAKE 22 AT TARGET AND $20 HERE.

WELL, WHY IS THAT? I MEAN, WE HAVE $10 MILLION SITTING SOMEWHERE.

WHOSE JOB IS IT TO COME UP HERE EVERY TWO WEEKS OR EVERY MONTH, WHATEVER IT IS? HEY, MY PEOPLE NEED MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE RETENTION OR THE ECONOMY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

IT'S ABOUT QUALITY PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS AS A TAXPAYER, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WE HAVE HERE ARE GREAT QUALITY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE'RE I PAY MY TAXES EVERY YEAR.

SO THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.

I THINK WE'VE GOT MORE ISSUES THAN INTERNALLY THEN THE REASON FOR THE MONEY AND THEN ALSO TO THE FOUR DAY WORK WEEK, YOU KNOW, IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH AND AGAIN, REMEMBER, I MEAN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, NOBODY WAS FURLOUGHED DURING COVID WITH WITH THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES.

NOBODY WAS PEOPLE OUT THERE AGAIN, LOST THEIR HOMES, LOST THEIR INCOMES.

AND THAT SO I MEAN, THAT'S GOT TO BE A PLUS THERE, TOO, BECAUSE, AGAIN, OUR TAXES DIDN'T CHANGE.

OUR WATER BILLS WERE SUSPENDED FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT WE HAD TO PAY OUR TAXES.

SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.

SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. PATTY MCFEE.

[INAUDIBLE] DRIVE.

JUST ONE BRIEF COMMENT ON THE SHOOTING.

NO, WE ALL SUPPORT THAT.

AND NO ONE AGREES WITH ANY MORE VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND THANK YOU.

THEY WORK SO TIGHT WITH OUR SCHOOLS.

[03:15:02]

YOU CAN'T. YOU HAVE TO GO TO A FRONT DOOR.

YOU HAVE TO BUZZ IN.

AND YOU THEY HAVE TO SEE YOU.

THEY HAVE TO TALK TO YOU BEFORE YOU GET INTO SCHOOL.

I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB ON THAT NOW.

AND I APPRECIATE THE YOU KNOW, LET'S CHECK OUR SOCIAL.

I THINK OUR TOWNSHIP DOES A SUPER JOB ON SECURING OUR SCHOOLS.

I DO NOT THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM IN OUR.

IT'S MORE AN ISSUE WITH THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE GETTING LEFT BEHIND OR THEY'RE STILL IN SCHOOLS AND THERE'S A VIOLENT PROBLEM THERE.

AND I WAS WANTING TO COMMENT ON THE THE PAYING THE STIMULUS THING FOR INFLATION. I APPRECIATED THAT.

PHIL, YOU SAID THAT THAT WAS A WRONG WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS, A WRONG TITLE FOR.

IT SURE WAS, BECAUSE IT PIQUED A LOT OF OUR ATTENTION.

IT'S KIND OF AN IRRESPONSIBLE, FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE BAND-AID TO PUT ON A MORE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AND TERRY MADE A LOT OF GOOD POINTS THAT I AGREE WITH.

I LOOKED ON YOUR WEBSITE WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE.

YOU DON'T HAVE A RETENTION PROBLEM.

YOU DON'T HAVE ANY JOBS POSTED.

THERE'S AN INTERN, A CADET, TWO SEASONALS, AND THEN YOU'RE MISSING SOME OFFICERS.

SO AND YOUR OFFICERS ARE STARTING OUT AT 52,000.

THAT'S NOT CHUMP CHANGE.

SO MAYBE WE SHOULD SPEND SHOULD'VE SPENT THAT MONEY ON THEM.

NOT THAT ONE TIME BAND-AID, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REALLY HELP THEM PAY THEM MORE, GET THEM IN LINE, MAKE OURSELVES DO YOUR WERE YOUR TAXES ENOUGH.

SO IT JUST DIDN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME AT ALL THAT YOU WOULD MAKE A DECISION TO GIVE THAT MONEY WHEN WE'RE ALL IN THIS BOAT, ALL OF US ARE IN THIS BOAT. AND I DIDN'T VOTE FOR THIS BOAT, THIS BOAT AT ALL.

SO JUST A FEW POINTS I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.

AND THANKS FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] ON THE ROADS, TOO.

THEY DID A GOOD JOB.

ANYWAY, YOU GUYS ARE TRYING AND A LOT OF WAYS I CAN'T JUST BE HERE BEING GRUMPY BECAUSE I DO APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU DO.

SO ANYWAY, THANKS.

AND YEAH, I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT.

FINALLY. THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? YOU. DID YOU FILL OUT THE FIRST ONE? YES. SO, BILL BENNETT.

YEAH. YEAH.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TONIGHT.

AND, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP IN THIS TOWNSHIP MY WHOLE LIFE, I ALWAYS KNEW THAT WE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE MASCOT AND HASLETT.

THERE WAS ALWAYS A PROBLEM WITH THE MASCOT OVER IN OKEMOS.

BUT JUST KNOWING THAT THERE'S SOME CHANGES BEING MADE, WE KNEW THAT A LONG TIME AGO THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE.

BUT I DON'T AGREE WITH YOUR DECISION YOU MADE TONIGHT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALSO BELIEVE IN PEOPLE AND AND HOW WE HOW WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE AND NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER WE PLANT OUR FEET, THAT TYPE OF THING.

IF THERE'S $10 MILLION IN THIS BALANCE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TOWNSHIP, 4% OF THAT'S JUST BEEN GIVEN AWAY TONIGHT THROUGH THIS DECISION ON YOUR GUYS PART.

AND, YOU KNOW, COULD THAT MONEY BE USED MORE TOWARDS WHAT FRANK WAS SAYING EARLIER AS FAR AS CREATING A BETTER LIVING WAGE, A MORE COMPETITIVE WAGE, RATHER THAN GIVING OUT THIS TYPE OF MONEY THROUGH A ONE TIME CHECK AND, YOU KNOW, DISBURSEMENT THOSE FUNDS COULD HAVE MAYBE BEEN USED TO BRING UP THE LIVING WAGE, THE CORRECT WAGE FOR TO COMPETE WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES.

I THINK PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE SUPPORTIVE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PICKING AND CHOOSING DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

AS FAR AS GIVING THIS TYPE OF A CHECK, $100,000 PER YEAR THAT YOU'RE MAKING, YOU'RE GIVING SOMEBODY $2,000, THAT THAT DOESN'T SIT REAL WELL. I THINK WITH THE COMMON PERSON WITHIN OUR TOWNSHIP, IT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME.

THAT'S I THINK THAT THAT'S YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE STEWARDS OF THE TOWNSHIP'S RESOURCES.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE TO SLEEP WITH THE DECISION THAT YOU MAKE AS FAR AS WHETHER THIS WAS A CORRECT DECISION OR NOT.

AND IT'S A GOOD, HAPPY DECISION, I'M SURE.

BUT AS FAR AS DECIDING THAT SOMEBODY THAT MAKES THAT TYPE OF A WAGE SHOULD BE DESERVING OF SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IN THE TOWNSHIP IS FACING AS FAR AS INFLATIONARY COSTS, I THINK THAT THAT YOU WEREN'T THE BEST STEWARDS OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU'VE BEEN

[03:20:09]

THAT'S MY OPINION.

BUT I DO APPRECIATE SEEING YOU GUYS DO YOUR WORK TONIGHT.

AGAIN, SINCE 1986, THIS IS THE SECOND MEETING I'VE EVER ATTENDED SINCE BEING A RESIDENT HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS A HOMEOWNER.

BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS'S WORK, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? NOW WE COME TO ITEM 15 OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.

SEEING NONE.

ITEM 16 CALLS FOR A CLOSED SESSION.

[16. CLOSED SESSION]

TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL MATTER UNDER MCL 15.268.

SUBSECTION ONE. SUBSECTION C.

I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO READ THE REST OF THAT.

THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

I BELIEVE I NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.

MR. LEMASTER? MOTION CARRIED 5-0.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT GIVES US OUR TWO THIRDS MAJORITY.

WE WILL AT SOME POINT, WE WILL COME BACK AFTER THE CLOSED SESSION TO CLOSE OUR MEETING.

BUT I DON'T EXPECT THERE TO BE ANY BUSINESS CONDUCTED EXCEPT TO ADJOURN THE MEETING FOR THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE STILL IN THE ROOM.

SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.