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[00:00:42]

MIC] ALL RIGHT. TODAY IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 12TH, 2022.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

AND NOW I'M CALLING THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TOWNSHIP TO ORDER.

I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.

LET ME ADVISE YOU THAT IF YOU'RE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK, WE ASK YOU TO FILL OUT ONE OF THE GREEN CARDS.

WHEN YOU DO SPEAK, WE ASK YOU TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF BY NAME AND ADDRESS.

AND WE ASK YOU TO LIMIT YOUR REMARKS TO A TOTAL OF 3 MINUTES.

THERE WILL BE TWO OPPORTUNITIES, WELL, THREE.

THERE'S A PUBLIC SPEAKING PUBLIC ADDRESS PORTION AT THE BEGINNING.

IF YOU CAN ADDRESS US ON ANY TOPIC OF RELEVANCE TO THE BOARD AT THAT TIME, IF YOU WISH TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC TOPIC ON OUR AGENDA, WE WILL CALL FOR THE CALL FOR YOU TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

ALL RIGHT. NOW, AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO TAKE THE ROLE OF COMMISSIONER TREZISE, PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER CORDILL GAVE ADVANCED NOTICE THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT.

COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY, HERE.

COMMISSIONER RICHARDS, HERE.

COMMISSIONER SNYDER, HERE.

COMMISSIONER PREMOE. AND I AM THE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER BLUMER.

SO WE HAVE AN AGENDA.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THE NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL, PUBLIC REMARKS.

[3. PUBLIC REMARKS]

I'M SORRY, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO JUST GENERALLY ADDRESS THE PANEL, THE BOARD, ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC OR JUST ANY TOPIC? I'M SORRY, DID YOU FILL OUT A GREEN CARD? YES. OH.

ALL RIGHT. WHY DON'T YOU COME UP TO THE NEW AND IMPROVED SPEAKING PANEL? YES. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS CECILIA KRAMER, 4560 OAKWOOD, HERE IN OKEMOS, A MEMBER OF FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH.

AND WITH ME IS JOHN MCCRACKEN, ALSO A MEMBER OF FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH.

WE ARE BOTH ON THE PARCEL COMMITTEE.

JUST WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS WEEK FROM FAITH LUTHERAN.

A LETTER IN YOUR SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKETS TO KIND OF EXPLAIN AND UPDATE YOU ON OUR WISHES TO BE HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE DENSITY ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY AT 4515 DOBIE ROAD AND JUST WE ARE TO LET YOU KNOW WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS OR WHATEVER IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR ISSUES QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS REQUEST.

DO LET US KNOW.

WE'D BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PREMOE AND I, OUR DENOMINATION HAS A HOUSE THAT USED TO HOUSE STUDENTS AND IT NOW HAS SIX AVAILABLE ROOMS WITH SHOWER AND BATHROOM FACILITIES AND AN OPERATIONAL KITCHEN.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO.

WE ALSO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE FROM PECKHAM INDUSTRIES WHO IS LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES AND ALSO ACTIVELY TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH.

[00:05:02]

SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET WITH YOU ALL TO TALK ABOUT SOME KIND OF JOINT VENTURE.

WE COULD OFFER TEMPORARY HOUSING, POSSIBLY WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON PERMANENT HOUSING, AND WE CAN ALSO HELP WITH JOB PLACEMENT AND LANGUAGE SKILLS.

OH, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.

I WILL PASS YOUR INFORMATION YOUR NAME.

DAN PREMOE AND I, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I CAN GIVE YOU CONTACT INFORMATION.

EXCELLENT. THAT'LL BE WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOLKS.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO GENERALLY ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

SO ITEM NUMBER FOUR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

MOVED BY COMMISSIONER TREZISE, A SECOND? SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.

COMMISSIONER RICHARDS.

NEXT WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE WE HAD TWO SEPARATE SETS OF MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 24 AND NOVEMBER 14TH.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SHOULD WE DO THEM ONE AT A TIME OR? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 24 MEETING? SO MOVED. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER TREZISE.

SECOND. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

ALL IN FAVOR AYE.

ANY OPPOSITION? NONE.

THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 24 ARE APPROVED.

NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE B, THE NOVEMBER 14TH MINUTES.

THE CHAIR WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 14.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SNYDER.

ANY DISCUSSION? JUST SOME THINGS.

UNDER ITEM NINE OTHER BUSINESS.

I THINK I MADE AN AWFUL LOT OF MOTIONS THERE.

FIRST, I MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION, THEN I MOVED TO AMEND THE PREVIOUS MOTION.

THEN WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY AND THEN I MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AGAIN.

I THINK THE SECOND ONE IS IS IN ERROR.

UNLESS I WAS JUST MAKING MOTIONS WILLY NILLY, WHICH, YOU KNOW.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DID IT TWICE BUT THAT IS THE RESTATED MOTION THAT'S THEN VOTED ON.

IT'S MORE OF A FORMATTING THING, BUT I'LL BRING IT UP WITH ZACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OF THE OCTOBER OF THE NOVEMBER 14 MINUTES? [INAUDIBLE] ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THOSE MINUTES SAY AYE, AYE.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OPPOSITION? NO. THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 14 ARE APPROVED.

ITEM NUMBER SIX, THE PACKAGE OF INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE COMMISSION TODAY INCLUDES EMAIL FROM FOUR SEPARATE

[6. COMMUNICATIONS]

CITIZENS. RESIDENTS.

I'M SORRY, RICK MASON, MARK SANTUCCI, DAVID LEDEBUHR, AND A LETTER FROM THE FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH, WHICH I ASSUME IS WHAT YOU FOLKS WERE DISCUSSING.

VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

[7.A. TA #2022-19 – Recreational Marijuana]

SO THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR ANY ORDINANCE CHANGE TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE.

THIS IS THE CHANGE THAT AS DIRECTED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD THAT WE WERE BEEN WORKING ON THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, THAT WE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED YOU A DRAFT OF.

SO JUST TO RECAP, THE ORDINANCE WOULD ADD DEFINITIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE ENABLING LEGISLATION AND THE STRUCTURE THAT STAFF HAS TAKEN IS TO STRIKE ESSENTIALLY MEDICAL FROM THE ORDINANCE, UTILIZE THE EXISTING OVERLAY DISTRICTS.

WE WOULD ELIMINATE TWO OF THE DISTRICTS, THE DISTRICT ALONG TOWN ROAD AND THE DISTRICT ALONG DON AVENUE DUE TO STAFFS CONTENTION THAT THOSE COULD BE BETTER USED IN OTHER FOR OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES.

FURTHER, THE ORDINANCE WOULD THE EXISTING 500 FEET AND THE EXISTING 1000 FEET ARE ACTUALLY WITHIN THE MEDICAL LICENSING ORDINANCE.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING BRINGING THESE OVER TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE ZONING STANDARDS.

AND LASTLY, THE MAIN DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST MEETING WAS REGARDS TO 2000 FEET FROM ANY OTHER LICENSING APPROVED FACILITY.

AND THE QUESTION WAS WHAT DOES THAT PRACTICALLY DO?

[00:10:02]

AND SO WHAT STAFF HAS DONE HERE IS WE HAVE TAKEN THE PREVIOUS APPROVED LICENSES AND SHOWN YOU WHAT A 2000 BUFFER BUFFER LOOKS LIKE. SO THIS IS THE AREA ALONG WEST GREEN RIVER AVENUE BETWEEN ROUGHLY PARK LAKE AND HAGEDORN TO THE TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY.

AND THIS THE PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTED IN RED IS THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED MEDICAL FACILITY.

SO IF THERE IS A 2000 FOOT BUFFER IN THIS AREA, THAT WOULD FUNCTIONALLY ONLY ALLOW ONE LICENSE IN THIS AREA.

THE OTHER AREA WHERE THIS MAY BECOME WHERE THIS MIGHT POP UP WOULD BE WITH RESPECT TO THE EAST GRAND RIVER.

THIS IS BECAUSE THE EAST GREEN RIVER DISTRICT, THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED LICENSEE, WAS AT THE FAR EASTERN END.

AND SO THIS IS THE ONLY AREA WHERE IN THEORY, YOU COULD GET A SECOND ONE SOMEWHERE ALONG MARSH ROAD.

THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE BUFFER.

AS I MENTIONED IN MY MEMO, IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE BUFFER.

THE OTHER OPTION IS CERTAINLY JUST TO TAKE IT OUT AND RECOMMEND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD THAT WE LIMIT THE NUMBER OF LICENSES IN ANY GIVEN AREA.

THAT IS CERTAINLY COULD BE A FUNCTION OF THE LICENSING ORDINANCE AS WELL.

AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK WE GET THIS EVENING FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE WILL REDRAFT THE ORDINANCE AS NECESSARY AND BRING IT FORWARD IN JANUARY FOR A FINAL RECOMMENDATION.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THE BOARD HAS ANY, AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.

ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? NO. WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE INDICATED A DESIRE TO SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE.

MR. SANTUCCI.

THANK YOU, MARK SANTUCCI, 5909 BLYTHEVILLE DRIVE.

MINES' SHORT FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STATE THAT I, ALONG WITH MY PARTNERS, OWN ONE OF THE PROPERTIES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE ON HAGEDORN ROAD.

I THINK IT'S NUMBER SIX.

IS THAT IS THAT CORRECT, TIM? IT'S NOT CLOSE TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE HORSE FARM AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.

SO I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE THE FOUR PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT IMPACT WITH RESPECT TO NEIGHBORHOODS, THE LEAST IMPACT OF ANY OF THE SITES THAT I'M AWARE OF ANYWAYS.

I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE IN TERMS OF PRETTY MUCH FOLLOWING WHAT THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LICENSING HAS DONE.

WE PERSONALLY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY OWNERSHIP IN A MARIJUANA LICENSE, WHETHER IT WAS MEDICAL OR RECREATIONAL, BUT WE WILL STILL OWN THE PROPERTY AND BE LEASING THE PROPERTY TO A GROUP THAT WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH RIGHT NOW.

SO I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WITH ANYTHING THAT HAS GONE ON AND IS GOING ON WITH RESPECT TO WHAT'S BEEN DONE.

JUST WANTED TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR IT.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. SANTUCCI.

IF I COULD? SURE.

IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMUNICATION, THE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION CORRECTLY, YOU'RE ALSO HOPING TO RETAIN THE GROWER AND PROCESSOR. WELL, AGAIN, IT WOULDN'T BE FOR ME, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING WITH HAVE AN OPERATION IN JACKSON, AND THEY HAVE A SMALL GROW IN THAT OPERATION THAT'S ALL GLASSED IN.

SO WHEN THE PEOPLE GO THERE TO BUY, THEY CAN SEE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE BUYING AND THEY FEEL THAT'S A VERY GOOD MARKETING TOOL.

SO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A LARGE GROW OPERATION, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU DO IT.

IF YOU CAN WORD IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S MORE OF A DEMONSTRATION, LET'S SAY UP TO 100 PLANTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OBVIOUSLY HAS TO BE SOME NUMBER THAT MAKES IT ECONOMICALLY PROFITABLE.

BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR YOU IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ME AS A LANDOWNER OF LAND SURROUNDING THAT AREA THAT WE'D LIKE TO DEVELOP AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU HAVE, YOU MAKE SURE AND WE'LL TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER WE WORK WITH, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO SMELL THAT LEAVES THE BUILDING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

YOU DON'T WANT TO DISTURB THE HORSES [LAUGHTER].

OR MYSELF.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. SANTUCCI? NO, THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. JOAN [INAUDIBLE].

I WANT TO THANK YOU BOARD FOR

[00:15:07]

INVITING THE PUBLIC TO GIVE INPUT ON THE ZONING OF THESE BUSINESSES.

MY NAME IS JOAN WIERZBA.

I LIVE AT 1268 HARBOR CUT IN OKEMOS.

I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR ABOUT 30-35 YEARS, AND I GUESS THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE RAISED MY KIDS AND I SENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THERE WAS A PROBLEM 30 YEARS AGO, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.

[INAUDIBLE] THE PASSES FOR THE SALE OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WAS ONLY PASSED BY SIX VOTES IN THE RECOUNT AND IN SEPTEMBER. AND I AM ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE YOUTH.

I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD, I AM LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I, I AM NOT ON THE BOARD.

I AM JUST A CONCERNED PARENT OR GRANDPARENT.

AND RIGHT NOW I'M INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW MANY BUSINESSES AND I'VE GOT AN IDEA WHERE AND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SUPERVISED SO THAT THE SALE IS IS NOT GOING TO BE TO MINORS.

AND ALSO, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE TESTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN WHO USE MARIJUANA BECAUSE THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE DEATHS OF IN CAR ACCIDENTS.

AND IT ALSO IS VERY DETRIMENTAL TO YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

I DID APPROACH THE OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD WITH A LETTER AND I ASKED THEM TO SEND A LETTER TO THE TOWNSHIP. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DID OR NOT TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

AND I SENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TO THE PRINCIPALS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY RESPONDED OR NOT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THEY DID.

I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE BILLBOARDS ADVERTISING MARIJUANA SHOPS.

IF YOU GO DOWN THE HIGHWAYS, YOU'LL SEE TONS.

THE MAJORITY NOW SEEMS LIKE THE BILLBOARDS ARE OF MARIJUANA ADVERTISEMENT.

AND I WOULD NOT LIKE THIS TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY ALL THESE BILLBOARDS ADVERTISING MARIJUANA.

I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN KNOWING ABOUT HOW MANY LARGE FACILITIES ARE GOING TO BE HERE IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND IF PEOPLE IN THE AREA CAN OPPOSE THEM AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT THEM FROM BEING BUILT.

I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER A COUPLE OF THINGS LIKE HOW MARIJUANA AFFECTS BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS, AS THEY ARE DEVELOPING, THEIR THINKING, MEMORY AND LEARNING SKILLS, HOW THE BRAIN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM ARE NOT NECESSARILY DEVELOPED WELL BECAUSE OF THEIR USE.

AND IF THESE AND IF THE THEY'RE STILL DOING RESEARCH ON HOW LONG TERM USE OF MARIJUANA AFFECTS THE BRAIN DAMAGE.

AGAIN, MY SIMPLE REQUEST IS [INAUDIBLE] SIMPLE.

I'M LEARNING ABOUT HOW MANY ESTABLISHMENTS THERE ARE GOING TO BE AND I'M HOPING TO A VERY MINIMUM.

I'M HOPING THAT YOU WILL NOT ALLOW BILLBOARDS TO ADVERTISE THE SHOPS.

AND I'M TRYING TO GET THIS, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A STRONG PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE THEM FROM NOT SHOWING THE ILL EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

AND I'M HOPING THAT THERE'LL BE A WAY TO TEST THE AMOUNT OF THC IN THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING AMOUNT OF DEATHS THAT OCCUR WITH EXTENDED USE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM.

THE LAST ONE WE HAVE IS FROM LYNN PAGE.

LYNN PAGE? YEAH.

GOOD EVENING, LYNN PAGE 3912 RALEIGH DRIVE IN OKEMOS.

I'M A 26 AND A HALF YEAR RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION ABOUT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA ZONING ORDINANCE.

I'M NOT CERTAIN WHETHER YOU'RE PLANNING TO FOLLOW THE SAME FORMAT THAT YOU DID FOR THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND HAVING A ZONING AND A NON ZONING ORDINANCE.

BUT I THINK THAT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY IS PARAMOUNT IN ANY LAND USE DECISION.

USING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ZONING OVERLAY DISTRICTS AS A TEMPLATE FOR COMMERCIAL RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DEVELOPMENT IS EXCESSIVE AND COULD POTENTIALLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF MARIJUANA BUSINESSES IN THE TOWNSHIP IF BOTH MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL BUSINESSES ARE PERMITTED.

[00:20:06]

BASED ON RECENT LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, IT IS REASONABLE AND NECESSARY TO RESCIND THE CURRENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA ZONING AND NON ZONING ORDINANCES TO AVOID INUNDATING THE TOWNSHIP WITH AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF MARIJUANA BUSINESSES.

ALSO, THE MARIJUANA BALLOT QUESTION DECIDED BY VOTERS ON THE 2022 AUGUST PRIMARY DID NOT ASK WHETHER RESIDENTS WANTED TO OPT IN FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES, BUT ONLY WHETHER TO BAN RECREATIONAL POT BUSINESSES ALTOGETHER.

AS ALMOST 25% OF THE VOTING PRECINCTS COULD NOT BE RECOUNTED, THE OFFICIAL NO RESULT PREVAILED BY A REDUCED MARGIN OF SIX VOTES. THIS ELECTION REFLECTS RESIDENTS DEEP DIVISION ON THIS ISSUE.

MICHIGAN'S LAW IDENTIFIES MANY TYPES OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES, INCLUDING GROWER PROCESSORS, SECURE TRANSPORTER, AND SAFETY COMPLIANCE FACILITIES, IN ADDITION TO RETAIL.

OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE OPTED IN FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES WITHOUT ALLOWING RETAIL DISPENSARIES.

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO A CENTRAL LOCATION NEAR THE CENTER OF THE TOWNSHIP TO SERVE RESIDENTS SAFELY.

I'M PARTICULARLY OPPOSED TO THE MARIJUANA OVERLAY DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE, LOCATED AT I-96 GATEWAY TO OUR COMMUNITY ON BOTH SIDES OF JOLLY OKEMOS INTERSECTION.

BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE LARGEST SCHOOLS IN OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, INCLUDING HIAWATHA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL.

MARIJUANA COMMERCE IN OUR TOWNSHIP WILL IMPACT CHILDREN.

STUDIES OF POISON CONTROL DATA PUBLISHED BY REPUTABLE SCIENCE JOURNALS DOCUMENT THAT WHILE PEDIATRIC ALCOHOL EXPOSURE IS DECREASING, CANNABIS POISONING OF CHILDREN IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN.

I ALSO AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET THAT INCLUDED CORRESPONDENCE FROM OUTSIDE GROUPS APPENDED TO THE DIRECTORS MEMO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THAT MEMO, THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BENEFIT FACT SHEET CONTAINS UNSUBSTANTIATED, SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS AND OUTDATED INFORMATION PRESENTED AS FACTS.

AND I THINK CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED FROM OUTSIDERS THAT ISN'T SUBJECT TO PREPARATION OR SUBMISSION BY THE DIRECTOR AND HASN'T BEEN REVIEWED FOR ITS ACCURACY SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED UNDER THE SIGNATURE OF OUR DIRECTOR.

I'VE WRITTEN TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I'M SORRY IT WASN'T IN TIME FOR YOUR PACKET, BUT I ASSUME YOU WILL GET IT IN TIME FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING AND INCLUDED SOME IMPORTANT DATA FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TASK FORCE THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR SIGNIFICANT DETRIMENTS IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE OPTED IN FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

AND I'D APPRECIATE YOUR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION OF THE MATERIALS THAT I'VE SUBMITTED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MS. PAGE. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? DIRECTOR SCHMITT. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.

IF YOU'VE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING, THEN YOUR OBLIGATION IS COMPLETE THIS EVENING.

BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THINGS FURTHER BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.

ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? YEAH. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT AREA FOR RESTRICTION TO A DISPENSARY ONLY, AS OPPOSED TO LEAVING THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THERE.

WHAT IS THE THINKING OF THE STAFF ON THAT? YEAH. STAFF'S POSITION IS THAT WE HAVE WRITTEN THIS ORDINANCE FOR SIMPLY DISPENSARIES.

WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS REALLY ANY MARKET FOR ANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES IN OUR RESEARCH.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S BEEN NO REQUEST FOR THEM WHEN IT'S PERMITTED NOW.

AND SO THAT WAS PART OF THE REASONING.

[00:25:01]

ADDITIONALLY, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN THIS DISTRICT.

THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS PREVIOUSLY SET UP, THERE WAS A FEW HOOPS THAT HAD TO BE JUMPED THROUGH IF IT WAS GOING TO BE ALLOWED IN THIS AREA.

WELL, IT ACTUALLY THE HOOPS HAVE TO BE JUMPED THROUGH FOR ANY DISPENSARY TOO.

CORRECT. SO IT WAS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST.

YEAH. SO STAFF'S POSITION THROUGHOUT THIS DISCUSSION IS TO SIMPLIFY THINGS WE ARE LITERALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT DISPENSARIES.

OKAY. AND TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP, THIS DOES NOT AUTHORIZE RECREATIONAL SALE OF MARIJUANA.

THAT WILL BE DONE BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IF THEY DO IT.

AND THIS IS ONLY TO BASICALLY PUT THE UNDERLAYMENT DISTRICTS OR OVERLAYMENT DISTRICTS ON THERE TO FACILITATE THE DISCUSSION WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

AND IT DOESN'T AUTHORIZE ANYTHING MORE OR LESS UNTIL APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, BOTH THIS AMENDMENT AS WELL AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE.

SO THIS IS JUST A STEP IN BACKGROUND TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO GO FORWARD ON THIS.

CORRECT. THIS IS THE TINIEST FIRST STEP KIND OF POSSIBLE.

IT JUST LITERALLY TALKS ABOUT THE LOCATION.

THERE'S STILL A LICENSING ORDINANCE THAT HAS TO BE FINALIZED.

THERE ARE AMENDMENTS TO THE MEDICAL LICENSING ORDINANCE THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED BASED ON WHAT WE DO HERE.

THERE'S STILL A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS.

SO AS PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO OPEN, I COULDN'T TELL YOU, GIVEN THAT WE THOUGHT MEDICAL WAS GOING TO HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY AND IT NEVER HAPPENED.

SO I WOULDN'T BEGIN TO PROJECT IT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS STEP ONE IN A LONG PROCESS.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I DO THINK, THOUGH, AND I HAPPEN TO LOOK BACK AT THE PURPOSE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE.

AND IF YOU LOOK RIGHT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, IT TALKS ABOUT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT IN LOOKING AT THIS, WE DO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHETHER IT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF ALL OUR RESIDENTS IN LOOKING AT EVEN SETTING THIS UP, BECAUSE IT DOES THEN ALLOW FOR THE NEXT STEP.

AND SO I THINK IT'S VALID TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT WHOLE QUESTION AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT IF IT'S POSSIBLE, IT'S THEN POSSIBLE TO BE CREATED.

AND I THINK THE BIGGER PURPOSE IS WORTH REALLY CONSIDERING THE BENEFITS AND MAYBE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS, POTENTIAL NEGATIVES OF THIS CREATING THIS POSSIBILITY AND IN WAY THAT INTO OUR DELIBERATIONS.

I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE HOLD THE LINE ON SINGULAR FUNCTIONS ON PROPERTY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, LET US GROW A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN SHOW WHAT WE'RE PRODUCING.

I THINK GOES AGAINST OUR ORIGINAL INTENT.

EITHER YOU DISPENSE IT, YOU GROW IT, YOU KNOW ONE OF THOSE FIVE PROCESSES, BUT NOT MULTIPLE.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD HOLD THE LINE ON.

IF WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW IT, THEN LET'S STICK TO OUR GUNS, AT LEAST ON THAT PORTION OF IT.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE.

IT'S LEGAL UNDER STATE LAW.

WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE IS WHETHER WE'RE GOING WHETHER AND IN WHAT LOCATIONS WE'RE GOING TO PERMIT THE SALE OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

I THINK, FOR INSTANCE, MS. PAGE CAME UP WITH A VERY GOOD POINT THAT IN ZONE FIVE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ZONE THAT IS WALKING DISTANCE FROM OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND A MAJOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT ZONE, YOU ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT LIQUOR DISPENSARIES ALSO IN THE SAME ZONE.

SO WHAT ARE WE REALLY ACCOMPLISHING HERE? I'M NOT QUITE SURE.

BUT THIS ISN'T A QUESTION OF WHETHER MARIJUANA, RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGAL OR NOT.

THAT'S A DONE DEAL.

THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO AUTHORIZE IT FOR SALE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND IN WHAT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AND IN WHAT DENSITY? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

[00:30:01]

I DON'T HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING THAT THE STAFF HAS PRESENTED, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE POINT THAT MS. PAGE BROUGHT UP ABOUT HAVING A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY LITERALLY WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT ONE I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT.

BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, I FULLY SUPPORT WHAT THE STAFF HAS PRESENTED HERE . TRYING TO UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER PREMOE'S DESIRE TO SEPARATE THE SALES, PROCESSING AND GROWING, THAT CLEARLY I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT ARISE WITH THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACILITIES IN TERMS OF HOW THEY LOOK, HOW THEY SMELL, HOW THEY OPERATE, HOW THEY EMPLOY.

BUT IF THERE'S A VIABLE BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO ESTABLISH THAT HAS A BUSINESS MODEL THAT HAS THAT DEMONSTRATION PURPOSE AS PART OF ITS BUSINESS MODEL AND IT SEEMS TO ME OVERLY RESTRICTIVE TO PROHIBIT A RETAIL BUSINESS FROM SHOWING HOW ITS PRODUCT IS PRODUCED.

AND I DIDN'T MAKE THE TIME TO RESEARCH THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF GROWERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY SPECIFIED IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO STRIKE.

AND I'M HOPING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT GROWER TYPES AND WHAT THE SORT OF DEMONSTRATION AREA FALL UNDER ONE OF THEM, OR WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT? IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT UNDER THE RECREATIONAL ACT THERE IS A PROVISION TO ALLOW FOR MARIJUANA MICROBUSINESSES THAT WOULD ALLOW A LIMITED AMOUNT OF GROWING PROCESSING ON SITE.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NOT ONE IN THE STATE.

IT'S NOT A MODEL THAT HAS WORKED ANYWHERE, AND THEREFORE WE DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE THAT AT THIS TIME.

A COUPLE OTHER THOUGHTS.

EVER SINCE THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION HAS COME UP, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO OR MORE, BUT I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT 96 ACCESS, AND PARTICULARLY YOU KNOW AND IT GETS TO THE LOCATIONS THAT JOLLY AND OKEMOS ROAD AND IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL IMPACT, LET'S JUST SAY . BECAUSE OF THE EASY AND EASY OFF SO THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE IN ADDITION TO THE LOCATION NEAR SCHOOLS.

AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS I CAN ENVISION A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF SHOWING THE PRODUCT UNDER DEVELOPMENT.

I THINK, AGAIN, FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, IT'S ONE THING AND I'M MAKING SOME ASSUMPTIONS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN INSIDE AN ACTUAL RETAIL OPERATION, BUT IN TERMS OF SECURING THE PRODUCT, IN TERMS OF THAT WHICH IS BEING READY TO SELL VERSUS THAT WHICH IS BEING GROWN, AND THE POTENTIAL IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, THE PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT OF POTENTIALLY BEING [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU HAVE A GROW OPERATION THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY SECURE AS WELL AS YOU CAN THE OTHER PRODUCTS.

SO I GUESS I CAN SEE THE POTENTIAL THERE OF IT'S DIFFERENT LEVELS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT PRODUCT AND IT'S AT THE TIME THAT IT'S BEING GROWN VERSUS IT'S PROCESSED AND READY, PACKAGED AND READY TO BE SOLD.

SO I MEAN, THAT'S A POTENTIAL AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND IN A LOT OF RESPECTS, POTENTIAL.

SO AGAIN, WHETHER IT IS OR NOT, I GUESS I'M JUST KIND OF THROWING THAT OUT THERE AS ANOTHER AGAIN, THE SMALL AMOUNT WOULD PROBABLY FIT THE IF YOU'VE GOT A FEW PLANTS GROWING.

BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE DIRECTOR SAID, THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S BEING DONE.

AGAIN AND MAYBE IF IT IS A SMALL AMOUNT, THEN THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S OUR PRODUCT.

WELL.

YOU KNOW, EXCUSE ME, I GOT A FROG IN MY THROAT.

BUT THE ISSUE OF SECURITY IS AN INTERESTING ONE.

[00:35:05]

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS MIGHT BE ALLEVIATED BY ACTUALLY VISITING AN ESTABLISHMENT.

THEY ARE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE MOST SECURE PLACES I'VE EVER BEEN.

RIGHT? ANYBODY CAN WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR OF A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT IN THIS REGION, BUT NOBODY'S GETTING ANY FARTHER THAN THAT WITHOUT A VALID ID, RIGHT.

AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THROUGH THE DOOR INTO THE RETAIL SALE AREA WITHOUT THAT ID.

I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT HAVING THE ESTABLISHMENT CLOSE TO A SCHOOL, BUT SCHOOL AGE KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO GET IN.

IT'S, I KIND OF UNDERSTAND EMOTIONALLY WHERE THAT RESPONSE COMES FROM BUT FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, I DON'T SEE IT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL WHERE THE FACILITY IS LOCATED OTHER THAN MAYBE PUTTING THE IDEA IN THE HEAD OF A STUDENT THAT, HEY, ONE DAY I'LL BE OLD ENOUGH TO GET IN THERE.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT CONCERN TO GO AND VISIT . [INAUDIBLE] BE ALLOWED TO [INAUDIBLE] AND TAKE IT OUT.

IF I GO INTO A RETAIL STORE AND BUY, CAN I LEAVE WITH IT THEN? YES. OKAY.

AND THEN WHAT PREVENTS ME FROM SHARING THAT WITH A YOUNGSTER BESIDES THE LAW? I GET THE LAW. BUT WILL IT BE DONE OR SOLD TOO? I SUPPOSE THAT'S POSSIBLE.

AGAIN, THE LOCATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT, I THINK IN MY MIND IS IRRELEVANT.

IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BREAK THE LAW AND PURCHASE A PRODUCT AND GIVE OR SELL IT TO A MINOR, WHETHER THEY'RE DOING THAT, YOU KNOW, TEN FEET AWAY OR TEN MILES AWAY, I DON'T SEE WHY THE DISTANCE IS RELEVANT PERSONALLY . CONSUMER IS REQUIRED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THAT THEY CANNOT CONSUME THAT PRODUCT ON THE PREMISES.

AND GIVEN THE LEVEL OF SECURITY AT THE ESTABLISHMENTS YOU NEVER WOULD.

YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE BUSINESS WITH THE PRODUCT THAT YOU PURCHASED.

WHAT YOU DO WITH IT AFTER THAT IS A MATTER OF WHETHER YOU FOLLOW THE LAW OR NOT.

COMMISSIONER SNYDER.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SECOND COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL'S COMMENTS ON THE SECURITY OF THESE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.

IT'S I MEAN, THEORETICALLY, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COULD WALK INTO A LIQUOR STORE AND STEAL A BOTTLE OF BEER.

THEY'RE NOT STEALING ANYTHING FROM A MARIJUANA RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT.

THEY WON'T GET IN THE DOOR.

SO ALSO, JUST TO SPEAK TO THE FEAR OF KIDS GETTING THEIR HANDS ON SUBSTANCES THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE.

IF THEY WANT IT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON IT.

AND I'M COMING FROM THE ANGLE OF A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.

IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT THE REALITY IS IF THEY WANT TO GET THEIR HANDS ON IT AND THEY HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN PURCHASE IT FOR THEM, THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT.

THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO LANSING OR WHEREVER.

SO I WOULD ALSO SECOND THE COMMENTS THAT I DON'T HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS.

YEAH, I GUESS I DO WANT TO ADD THAT SOME OF THE RESOURCES HAVE BEEN A WHILE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY I DID HAPPEN TO DRIVE BY MULTIPLE TIMES ONE LOCATION IN LANSING THAT HAD AN ARMED GUARD IN THE PARKING LOT.

AND SO, AGAIN, THERE'S INSIDE THE STORE AND THERE IS OUTSIDE THE STORE.

SO I JUST SAY THAT FROM A VANTAGE POINT THAT, AGAIN, I'M LOOKING AT IT IN ONE RESPECT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE, I GUESS, IT WOULD BE POLICE.

AND HOW MUCH OF A DRAW IS IT GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WOULD BE CALLED IN CASES WHERE THERE'S ISSUES.

SO I GUESS THAT'S THE POINT.

I GUESS THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, AGAIN, GETTING TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY THERE AND COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS.

[00:40:04]

I BELIEVE THERE'S A SUBLIMINAL ASPECT TO THAT.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THEN THAT'S ONE THING.

IT'S ACCEPTED IN THE COMMUNITY.

IF YOU DON'T SEE IT IN THE COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY YOU MAY SEE IT OTHER PLACES BUT THERE IS A DISTINCTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND THE LAW, AS IT WAS PASSED, ALLOWS COMMUNITIES TO EITHER HAVE OR NOT HAVE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A QUESTION, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, WHETHER THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, ANY OF THEM, PARTICULARLY THE RETAIL SALES, IS A BETTERMENT OF OUR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE.

AGAIN, IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION THAT WE HAVE.

THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT AS WE LOOK AT A ZONING ORDINANCE.

AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.

YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO PROLONG THINGS TOO LONG, BUT BEFORE LEGALIZATION, ALL OF THE MARIJUANA BEING PURCHASED WAS BEING PURCHASED ILLEGALLY.

EVERYONE WAS COMMITTING A CRIME.

AND WITH LEGALIZATION A LOT, MOST, ALMOST ALL IS BEING PURCHASED LEGALLY.

NO ONE'S BREAKING THE LAW.

SO YOU'VE ACTUALLY REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF CRIME HAPPENING CONSIDERABLY.

WE'VE GONE FROM ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS WITH DUBIOUS PRODUCT TO LEGAL TRANSACTIONS WITH VERY HIGHLY CONTROLLED PRODUCTS.

ALL THE PRODUCT THAT'S SOLD IS HEAVILY TESTED.

YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW STRONG IT IS.

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN IT.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED SUBSTANCES THAT YOU CAN BUY.

SO THE CONCERN WITH SAFETY, I PERSONALLY SEE THE LEGALIZATION AS INCREASING THE LEVEL OF SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY.

MR. BALDORI I SAW THAT YOU WERE FILLING OUT A CARD.

DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS A PUBLIC ADDRESS ON THIS ISSUE? MY NAME IS BOB BALDORI. I LIVE AT 2719 MOUNT HOPE ROAD.

I'VE BEEN THERE FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS.

AND I'M AN ATTORNEY THAT BIG PART OF MY PRACTICE IS MARIJUANA AND MARIJUANA POLICY.

I'M AN ATTORNEY GENERAL.

DANA NESSEL ADVISORY BOARD FOR MARIJUANA POLICY.

I'VE GOT OR HAVE HAD OVER 100 CLIENTS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF THIS BUSINESS.

MICHIGAN HAS ABOUT 1700 MUNICIPALITIES, EACH ONE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN RULES ABOUT MARIJUANA AND ORDINANCES. OVER 200 OF THEM HAVE OPTED IN, AND IT'S BEEN AN UNMITIGATED SUCCESS IN EVERY ONE OF THEM.

CRIME HAS GONE DOWN.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT TEENAGE USE DOES NOT INCREASE.

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND MANY OTHER SCIENTIFIC BODIES HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE STUDIES ON THAT.

BOTH MY CHILDREN WENT TO OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.

FROM THE MINUTE THEY WALKED IN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WALK DOWN THE STREET TO GET MARIJUANA.

THEY COULD GET IT INSIDE THE SCHOOL.

AND TO SAY THAT OF MARIJUANA.

AND IN FACT, IT'S A CLOSER WALK TO THE LIQUOR STORE DOWN THE STREET THAN IT IS TO OKEMOS ROAD, WHICH IS ALSO LOADED WITH PLACES WHERE YOU CAN BUY LIQUOR.

I BRING THIS UP EVERY TIME THE MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT IN 1973 VOTED UNANIMOUSLY ON A COUPLE OF PRINCIPLES.

ONE, THAT THE USE OF, THAT TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL ARE MORE HARMFUL THAN MARIJUANA AND THAT PROHIBITION HAS BEEN MORE HARMFUL TO SOCIETY THAN ITS USE.

AND THAT'S BEEN TRUE ACROSS THE BOARD.

I CONCUR WITH THE COMMENTS ABOUT CRIME GOING DOWN.

THAT'S GENERALLY BEEN THE CASE WHEN YOU LEGALIZE IT, IT DRIVES THE BLACK MARKET OUT.

AND UP UNTIL AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SITTING HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THERE'S A BLACK MARKET EVERYWHERE THAT WILL DISSIPATE ONCE IT'S LEGALLY AVAILABLE.

OVERALL, IT'S BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS IN EVERY MUNICIPALITY WHERE IT'S BEEN ADOPTED AND THE SECURITY FROM SEED TO SALE.

YOU CAN'T MOVE, YOU CAN'T MOVE ANYTHING AND, YOU KNOW, AN INCH OUT OF LINE.

IT'S MONITORED, REGULATED, TRACKED.

AND THERE'S HEAVY FINES IF ANYTHING OCCURS THAT GETS IT OUT OF THAT SECURITY SYSTEM.

[00:45:02]

SO ASIDE FROM THE IMPROVEMENT, IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE JOBS REVENUE.

ASIDE FROM THE IMPROVEMENT, NO ONE WON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE HERE.

I MEAN, IN ALL THESE COMMUNITIES, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM.

I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT OBTRUSIVE.

THEY DON'T DISTURB ANYBODY.

OVERALL IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE? ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. WE'RE ALL SET.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. [INAUDIBLE] YEAH.

[INAUDIBLE] ALL RIGHT, LET'S HAVE A STRAW VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO APPROVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE STAFF IN ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. THIS IS CERTAINLY A TIME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A STRAW VOTE, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO TAKE IT.

YOU'RE NEVER UNDER ANY OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW TO TAKE A STRAW VOTE.

WE'VE HELD OUR PUBLIC REQUIREMENT.

WE'VE HELD THE PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS THE LAW'S REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH AN ORDINANCE.

THE STRAW POLL IS USED BY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HISTORICALLY TO PROVIDE STAFF WITH DIRECTION ON A PROJECT.

THE REASON I'M CONSIDERING ASKING THE PANEL TO DO THAT IS BECAUSE IT GOES FROM HERE BACK TO THE BRING THIS BACK TO.

THE STRAW POLL HAPPENS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE WE WILL BE BRINGING THIS BACK AT YOUR NEXT MEETING FOR A FORMAL DECISION AND ACTION RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD.

SO IF YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE A STRAW POLL, NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE IT.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH.

LET'S DO IT ANYWAY.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STRAW VOTE THEN, WOULD BE WHETHER OR NOT TO APPROVE THE PRESENTATION AS IT'S BEEN CURRENTLY PRESENTED TO US BY STAFF.

YES. I THINK THERE MIGHT BE A VERY SMALL TYPO IN THE DRAFT AMENDED ORDINANCE ON PAGE ONE.

I THINK THE WORD ZONED HAS BEEN ELIMINATED AND IT SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT ON SECTION E.

LOOKS LIKE E 1.

IT'S THE NEW E 1.

WHEN THE ZONED I INDUSTRIAL GOT STRICKEN TO JUST BE C1, C2, C3.

I THINK THE WORD ZONED SHOULD REMAIN.

I UNDERSTAND. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO, I WAS JUST CLARIFYING THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE STRAW POLL IS TO TELL STAFF WHETHER TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO WHAT THEY'VE PROPOSED TONIGHT OR JUST TO BRING IT BACK THIS WAY.

YES, RIGHT. YES.

YEAH, WE WOULD THEN JUST SO I UNDERSTAND WE WOULD HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE AMENDED ORDINANCES, WHAT WE'RE VOTING YES, WE AGREE TO OR NO WE DON'T? CORRECT.

CORRECT. SO WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, THEN, COMMISSIONER PREMOE.

I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN, SINCE I WON'T BE HERE TO VOTE FOR IT.

OKAY. COMMISSIONER SNYDER.

I WOULD HAVE A YES VOTE.

COMMISSIONER RICHARDS. NO.

COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY.

[INAUDIBLE] YES. COMMISSIONER CORDILL IS NOT HERE.

COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

YES. VICE CHAIR TREZISE.

YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

THANK YOU. THOSE OF YOU WHO MADE PRESENTATIONS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.

ALL RIGHT. WE ARE NOW ON ITEM EIGHT OF THE AGENDA UNFINISHED BUSINESS MSU TO LAKE LANSING CONNECTOR TRAIL, PHASE ONE.

[8.A. SUP #22101 – MSU to Lake Lansing Connector Trail, Phase I]

I WENT AHEAD AND BROUGHT IT UP.

THERE'S NOT A LOT TO SHOW ON THIS.

YOU HAD YOUR PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS.

THIS IS PHASE ONE OF THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING CONNECTING TRAIL.

THEY'LL GO ROUGHLY FROM HAGADORN ALONG THE RED CEDAR RIVER TO GRAND RIVER, WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH PARK LAKE ROAD.

THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO THE MEMO THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IS THAT WE GOT TODAY THE SUP APPLICATION FOR PHASE TWO.

SO I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE COMPENSATING CUT THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT HERE IS GOING TO BE BEFORE YOU IN JANUARY.

SO EVERYTHING'S IN PLACE ACCORDING TO THAT.

OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGES IN THIS.

SO STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

QUESTION THE POINT WHERE THE PATH CROSSES OVER GRAND RIVER, HOW IS THAT HANDLED? IT'S NOT CLEAR FROM THE MAP.

IT IS NOT. OKAY.

SO THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION LAST WEEK.

AND MR. MCCONNELL, YOU WERE THERE.

SO TELL ME IF I GET THIS WRONG.

[LAUGHTER] YOU HAVE TO CROSS GRAND RIVER AT A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION THERE.

[00:50:03]

YOU CAN EITHER GO UP THE ROAD, GO NORTH, AND THEN GO EAST ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER, AND THEN GO ACROSS PARK LAKE ROAD OR YOU CAN DO A TRIPLE CROSS AT PARK LAKE GOING EAST.

IT WAS THERE WAS A TRIPLE CROSS IN THERE.

YOU END UP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER, EAST OF PARK LAKE ROAD ON THE PATHWAY.

AND THEN YOU WOULD TAKE THAT TO THE SECOND CONNECTION TO THE SECOND SEGMENT.

IS THAT CLEAR TO A BICYCLE RIDER WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO? I BELIEVE SO, BUT I HAVEN'T RID OVER THERE.

BUT IT WILL BE I'M SURE THE PATH WILL WIND UP THE EMBANKMENT TO THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THAT INTERSECTION OF GRAND RIVER AND PARK LAKE ROAD.

SO BASICALLY ABOVE THE PARKING LOT OF FOODS FOR LIVING.

YOU'LL CROSS THEIR DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY THE SOUTH END OF PARK LAKE ROAD.

THEN YOU'LL CROSS GRAND RIVER, THEN YOU'LL CROSS PARK LAKE ROAD AGAIN AND YOU'LL BE ON THE NORTH SIDE PATHWAY OF OVER THE [INAUDIBLE] RAILROAD.

AND THAT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE APARTMENT BUILDING.

OKAY. OR YOU CAN STAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE, CROSS OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND GET TO THE NEW PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THAT WILL BE INSTALLED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CAMPUS HILL APARTMENTS.

IS THAT ON THE MAP IS THAT WHAT SHOWS AS CAMPUS HILL DRIVE? YES. YES.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

IT JUST WASN'T CLEAR ON THE MAP. AND I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT WOULD FOR WHEN WE COME WITH PHASE TWO, WE'LL ASK ENGINEERING TO COME UP WITH A MORE CLEAR DRAWING OF HOW THAT WILL WORK.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD A $12 MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE AND SHUT DOWN GRAND RIVER FOR THE NEXT 18 MONTHS.

SORRY, BUT NO. [LAUGHTER] OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO YOU WANT A MOTION? YES. I MOVE TO APPROVE SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 22101 MSU TO LAKE LANSING CONNECTOR TRAIL PHASE ONE.

SECOND. COMMISSIONER RICHARDS.

ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

OH, I'M SORRY. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION AS IT STANDS? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE VOTE.

I'LL HOLD OFF ON COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL BECAUSE IT'S HIS MOTION.

COMMISSIONER TREZISE. YES.

COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY. YES.

COMMISSIONER RICHARDS.

YES. COMMISSIONER SNYDER.

YES. COMMISSIONER PREMOE.

YES. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

YES. AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

MOTION IS APPROVED. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ONE. SIMILARLY YOU HAD A.

OH, I'M SORRY.

OKAY. SIMILARLY, THIS IS SPECIAL USE FOR DOUGLAS J.

[8.B. SUP #22111 – Douglas J Floodplain]

WHO ARE DOING SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE IN A FLOODPLAIN.

THERE WAS SOME THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL BASED ON SOME QUESTION THAT CAME UP ABOUT WHAT PART OF THE FLOODPLAIN THEY ARE IN.

SO THIS IS THE RED CEDAR RIVER HERE AND ON YOUR PAPER PACKET, THIS APPEARS IN A DARK BLUE.

THAT'S THE ACTUAL RIVER.

THE FLOOD WAY IS THE MEDIUM BLUE AND GOES OUT TO HERE.

OKAY. THAT'S IN A TYPICAL FLOOD THAT IS YOUR CHANNEL.

THEN THERE IS A FLOODWAY FRINGE AND THAT IS THE PART THAT GOES UP TO THE BUILDING ON THE DOUGLAS J SITE.

THE FLOODWAY AND THE FLOODWAY FRINGE TOGETHER MAKE UP THE FLOODPLAIN OF THE RED CEDAR RIVER.

NOW, BECAUSE THERE WAS QUESTION, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST KIND OF ILLUSTRATE THAT.

THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT ENGINEERING IS ON BOARD WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HERE.

AND AS THEY'VE SUBMITTED, THE NEXT STEP FOR THIS WILL BE SITE PLAN APPROVAL.

AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE THE PLANNING, SINCE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SO STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS SPECIAL USE.

ANY DISCUSSION? IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A MAJOR ALTERATION WHEN WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THREE CUBIC YARDS.

IT DOES NOT.

AND IN FACT, THIS AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS, WE'VE BEGUN INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF A CERTAIN LEVEL.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO SPECIFICS AT ALL.

OKAY.

THERE IS A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY.

IS THERE A SECOND?

[00:55:03]

I'LL SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SNYDER? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR WE SHOULD GO WITH THE VOTE? OKAY. COMMISSIONER PREMOE.

YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDS.

YES. COMMISSIONER SNYDER.

YES. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL.

YES. COMMISSIONER TREZISE.

YES.

THE CHAIR VOTES YES. DID I MISS SOMEBODY? COMMISSIONER SHREWSBURY. I'M SORRY.

YES. SO, MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU. NUMBER 9, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.

ITEM 10, MASTER PLAN UPDATE.

[10.A. Housing]

SO YOUR TOPIC THIS EVENING IS HOUSING.

JUST A SMALL TOPIC.

NOT AN IMPORTANT ONE AT ALL.

[LAUGHTER] NO. WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET YOU THIS INFORMATION NOW IN ADVANCE OF A LONG BREAK SO YOU CAN REALLY THINK IT OVER.

FIRST LONG WINTER STORM WE GET YOU CAN SIT BY THE FIRE AND READ BRIAN'S MEMO, WHICH WE ACTUALLY CUT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU.

NO, BUT THIS IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPECIFICALLY IS THE FOCUS OF THE MEMO.

AND A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, IT'S A TOPIC THAT GETS THROWN AROUND A LOT.

AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS NOW RECOMMENDED SETTING ASIDE A PORTION OF THE ARPA FUNDING FOR POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES.

IT'S A CONSTANT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I ASKED SENIOR PLANNER SHORKEY TO DO WHEN HE STARTED HERE WAS TO START TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REALLY TALKED ABOUT AS A TOWNSHIP BEFORE IN A BROAD SENSE.

SO WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH BACKGROUND AND THOUGHT BEHIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WE COULD SO YOU CAN START TO THINK ABOUT IT AND DEVELOP QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, ETC..

THE OTHER PIECE THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET THIS EVENING IS FROM DIRECTOR CLARK, WHO MENTIONED, HEY, WE HAVE THIS STUDY THAT WAS DONE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA TO RELOOK AT THIS AS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN AS WELL.

AND SO ASSISTANT PLANNER CHAPMAN REVIEWED THAT AND GAVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT IN A SEPARATE MEMO HERE.

SO REALLY WHAT I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH TONIGHT, AND I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS AT WHATEVER LENGTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD LIKE, ALTHOUGH AGAIN, MUCH LIKE THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY DISCUSSION WE HAD LAST TIME, I'D REALLY LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND START THINKING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THE TRACK, AS YOU MAY RECALL, FOR THE MASTER PLAN, IS WE'RE GOING TO START BRINGING YOU CONCEPTS AND LANGUAGE FOR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN JANUARY AND SO GIVING YOU SOME OF THESE BACKGROUND ITEMS. SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, YOU HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

SO THE COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH ARE THIS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A PROBLEM ALMOST EVERYWHERE.

TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK, ANY PLACE THAT'S MORE URBANIZED HAS THIS PROBLEM.

IN THE UNITED STATES THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN THROW MONEY AT THE PROBLEM ARE THE FEDS.

AND THE FEDS GENERALLY TRICKLE SOME OF THAT MONEY DOWN TO EACH OF THE STATES WHO THEN TRY AND SPREAD IT AROUND.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

WHAT WE CAN ADDRESS ARE THE POLICY RELATED PIECES THAT TEND TO DRIVE UP THE COST OF HOUSES.

AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE PUT IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING.

SECONDLY, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ON PAGE SEVEN OF THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING REPORT IS ACTUALLY VERY ACCURATE UP TO DATE INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL RENTS. SHOUT OUT TO OUR INTERN, JOEY EMERY, WHO WAS ABLE TO USE HIS STUDENT WILES TO GET THIS INFORMATION FOR US FROM THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. BUT THIS IS AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THE CURRENT RENTAL MARKET LOOKS LIKE WITHIN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND I CAN ADD TO YOU THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WE DIDN'T INCLUDE ON THERE BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD IT, WOULD BE THE WINSLOW MOBILE HOME PARK IS ROUGHLY $700 A MONTH, $750.00 DEPENDING ON WHICH [INAUDIBLE].

AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW YOU AND DISCUSS BRIEFLY IS JUST IN THAT MARKET STUDY, THERE WAS SORT OF TWO ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY FLOATED FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF WHAT WOULD BE WHAT KIND OF GROWTH LEVELS WE WERE AT.

AND WE'VE LARGELY LAGGED BELOW BELOW THOSE.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, COVID HAPPENED.

SO WE HAD IT'S A FUNCTIONALLY A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS OF NOTHING, BUT THERE'S CLEARLY A MARKET STILL THERE.

AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING ARE THESE INFILL PROJECTS ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE URBAN SERVICE FOUND HERE.

WHAT'S GOING TO FILL THIS VOID? HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE, THIRD AND FOURTH PHASES OF ELEVATION, THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS IF AND WHEN IT MOVES FORWARD.

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO FILL THIS MARKET, WHAT IS CLEARLY DEFINED MARKET GAP RATHER THAN US JUST EATING UP MORE LAND FURTHER OUT. AND SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING.

[01:00:02]

I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS AND I COULD WAX ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THIS FOR HOURS, BUT I REALLY JUST WANTED TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO YOU SO YOU CAN START TO DIGEST IT AND THINK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

NUMBER ONE, I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. SHORKEY. THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK THAT'S REPRESENTED IN THAT MEMO.

I'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT.

IT SEEMS TO ME TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MARKET DRIVEN FORCES.

HOW CAN THE PLANNING COMMISSION DEAL WITH THAT? SO I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS I THINK.

ONE, THERE ARE POLICY RELATED THINGS THAT WE AND WE'VE STARTED IMPLEMENTING THEM INTERNALLY TRY AND TIME IS MONEY, TRY AND SPEED UP OUR PROCESSES WHERE WE CAN.

THERE'S NO REASON WE NEED TO SIT ON THINGS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.

IF WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED, LET'S JUST GET IT GOING.

WE'RE MOVING TO DIGITAL PERMITTING, WHICH IS GOING TO HELP BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT A SET OF PLANS, ESPECIALLY ON LIKE SINGLE HOUSE PLANS YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT A SET OF PLANS THAT ARE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND WITHIN 24 HOURS BECAUSE HOUSE PLANS ARE RELATIVELY EASY BECAUSE MOST OF THE WORK IS DONE ON INSPECTION, ON A HOUSE. ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

A NEW COMMERCIAL, A NEW BEST BUY IS MUCH MORE WORK FOR US UP FRONT BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY TECHNICAL REVIEW.

A HOUSE REVIEW IS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

IT'S MOSTLY ON THE INSPECTION SIDE AND SO IT'S POLICY CHANGES.

IT IS INDICATING, POINTING OUT TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WHERE WE WANT TO SEE THAT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE CHANGE IN THE LAST PLAN TO INCLUDE THE PICA'S WAS A GREAT LIKE FORMALIZING THE FACT THAT THIS IF YOU WANT TO BUILD HERE AND YOU BRING A PLAN THAT'S ROUGHLY WITHIN THESE PARAMETERS, THAT IS WHAT WE WANT THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE CAN BENEFIT FROM.

WHERE WE SEE ORDINANCE PROBLEMS, LET'S FIX THEM, WHICH I THINK THIS STAFF HAS SHOWN WE'RE HAPPY TO DO.

I'VE GOT NO PROBLEM CUTTING THINGS OUT OF THE ORDINANCE IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS. SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE NOT, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM UNLESS YOU HAVE A TIME MACHINE.

AND I CAN TELL YOU ROUGHLY WHEN TO GO BACK IN TIME AND TAKE CARE OF SOME THINGS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S BECOMING A GENERATIONAL PROBLEM AND IT'S GOING TO BE A GENERATIONAL PROBLEM, TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK.

IF I COULD PUSH DIRECTOR SCHMITT TO WAX ELOQUENTLY OR NOT EITHER WAY, TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND HOW ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

AND I GUESS THE MODEL THAT COMES TO MIND IS ONE THAT IS A REGULATION, AN ORDINANCE, A LAW THAT REQUIRES A CERTAIN SET OF COMPONENTS WITHIN AN OVERALL PROJECT.

SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE TO BUILD SOME HOUSING, X PERCENT OF IT HAS TO BE THIS TYPE AS OPPOSED TO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE A DEVELOPMENT THAT IS THIS TYPE.

AND I'M RACKING MY BRAIN TO THINK WHETHER WE HAVE ANY OF THAT FIRST TYPE CURRENTLY IN OUR ORDINANCES AT ALL AND MAYBE REFLECT ON HOW THAT SORT OF ARRANGEMENT HAS WORKED IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.

AND I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF EAST LANSING, WHICH WAS TRYING TO GET A MIX OF RESIDENTS IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND REQUIRED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF UNITS IN CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS BE RESERVED FOR A CERTAIN AGE CLASS.

AND THE THING WAS BUILT AND THEN THE OWNERS CAME BACK AND SAID, WELL, WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED OUR MIND.

SO COULD YOU WAX ON THOSE QUESTIONS FOR A MINUTE? I COULD. SO I THINK FROM AN ORDINANCE PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, THE MUPUD ORDINANCE THAT WE REWROTE DOES HAVE A CLAUSE IN THERE THAT HAS A SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOU GET CERTAIN CREDIT FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT IF BROADLY THE GOAL IS TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF CREATIVE THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY A SPECIFIC GOAL OF DO THIS.

IT'S WORK TOWARDS A MORE INTEGRATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

EAST LANSING HAS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.

ONE THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH AND ONE I WASN'T.

THE 600 BLOCK OF VIRGINIA AVENUE IS A COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE HOUSE.

YOU'D REALLY LIKE THIS HOUSE.

HE'S A GREAT GUY. WE USE CDBG FUNDS TO BUY UP EVERY PROPERTY ON THE BLOCK, AND 40% OF THEM ARE WERE SOLD TO PEOPLE, 80% AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME FOR THE AREA.

IT WAS LIFE CHANGING FOR THOSE PEOPLE, TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK.

I MEAN, OVERNIGHT THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCESS AN ASSET THAT NORMALLY THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO.

[01:05:05]

THAT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE EAST LANSING IS A DIRECT RECIPIENT.

THEY'RE AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY UNDER THE CDBG PROGRAM.

WE CAN'T ACCESS THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE WE OUR MEDIAN INCOME IS FAR TOO HIGH.

WE DO NOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF POVERTY THAT EAST LANSING HAS.

WE HAVE POCKETS OF IT, AND I THINK EVERYONE WOULD SAY THAT.

BUT BROAD COMPARISON, WE'RE NOT AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY.

WE NEVER WILL BE. WE BARELY WERE [INAUDIBLE], LIKE BARELY.

THE OTHER PIECE THAT THEY WANT SOME OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT STANDARDS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN TYPES OF HOUSING AND CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ILL OF THEM BECAUSE I SAW SOME FRIENDS OVER THERE.

I HAVE SOME NOT FRIENDS.

[LAUGHTER] BUT THEY HAVE MARKET STUDIES.

I'VE SEEN THEM THAT SHOW THERE IS A DEMAND DOWNTOWN FOR SENIOR HOUSING FROM THIS PRICE POINT TO LIKE THEY DID THE WORK.

SO I CAN'T FAULT THEM AT ALL FOR THAT.

MY WIFE WAS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN SOME OF THAT WORK TO BACK UP THAT, YES, THIS WILL WORK.

I THINK HAD THEY BUILT IT FIVE YEARS EARLIER, IT'D BE 100% FULL.

THE PROBLEM IS THEY RAN INTO COVID, LIKE THAT PROJECT OPENED.

I REMEMBER TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO IT AS IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS IN AN ELEVATOR WHEN THAT PROJECT OPENED.

AND THEN COVID HIT SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND THEY RAN THAT WAS A BUZZ SAW FOR THAT PROJECT.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MUCH OF THE BUILDING THAT CANNOT BE LEASED EXCEPT TO THIS POPULATION AND WE KNEW THIS POPULATION EXISTS, BUT IF THEY CAN'T SELL THEIR HOUSE TO MOVE IT INTO THERE, THAT WAS FUNDAMENTALLY THE PROBLEM THAT THEY RAN INTO.

I THINK TIMING WAS THEIR BIGGEST ISSUE.

THAT MARKET STILL EXISTS.

THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF BAILEY AND ALBERT IS LARGELY OLDER ADULTS.

THE BUILDING AT MAC AND ALBERT IS MORE OF A MIX BUT HAD A FAIR IT'S ALL OWNERSHIP WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS OF RENTAL LICENSES IN BOTH OF THOSE BUILDINGS.

AND SO IT'S PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE DOWNTOWN THAT SO THAT DEMAND IS THERE.

THAT PROJECT SPECIFICALLY, I THINK JUST DIDN'T HIT IT.

THE SECOND ONE THEY RAN INTO WITH TRYING TO UTILIZE A PORTION OF THE GRADUATE HOTEL AREA YOU KNOW, THE STRUCTURE OF THAT DEAL WAS DIFFICULT.

AND THEN COVID KILLED IT FUNCTIONALLY.

SO I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT APPROACH IS WRONG.

I THINK THEY RAN INTO TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC ON AN ALREADY TIGHT PROJECT.

THANK YOU. SO PLEASE TAKE THIS.

ASK ME, EMAIL US QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IF YOU RUN INTO A STATISTIC THAT YOU SEE AND YOU WONDER WHERE IT CAME FROM.

AND MR. SHORKEY HAS BUT THIS IS WE WILL PROBABLY WE'LL FEED YOU ONE MORE TOPIC EARLY IN JANUARY OF SORT OF BIG PICTURE STUFF.

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO START TALKING ABOUT MORE DIRECTLY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND START GETTING SOME LANGUAGE DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE SLOWLY BUT SURELY MOVING THIS TRAIN FORWARD.

VERY GOOD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GO AHEAD. [INAUDIBLE].

SECOND, YOUR COMPLIMENTS TO PLANNER SHORKEY.

I WAS LIKE JUST EATING THIS UP EARLIER TODAY.

JUST I REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT YOU PUT TOGETHER.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S A NATIONAL AND A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE.

IT REALLY BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

ANYTHING ELSE? SO WE'RE NOW ON ITEM 11 TOWNSHIP BOARD.

[11.A. Township Board update.]

SO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HELD THEIR INITIAL REVIEW OF THE GRAND RESERVE PROJECT.

BUILDINGS GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET HAD NO MAJOR CONCERNS.

THAT WILL BE BACK UP TOMORROW NIGHT FOR FINAL REVIEW AND POTENTIAL ADOPTION.

THEY DID ULTIMATELY ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ELIMINATE THE RRA ZONING DISTRICT AND REZONE THOSE SEVEN PROPERTIES.

AND SO THAT IS IN PLACE AT THIS POINT AND I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER MY LAST ITEM, SO I'M PULLING UP THE AGENDA REAL QUICK.

THE LAST PIECE THAT WE ARE TAKING FORWARD TOMORROW NIGHT IS THERE'S TWO ITEMS THE BROWNFIELD PLAN FOR AMERICAN HOUSE OF MERIDIAN, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY PINE VILLAGE IS IT'S THE BUILDING IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

LONG STORY SHORT IS THEY ORIGINALLY WERE INTENDED TO DEMO THE [INAUDIBLE] GROCERY STORE AS PART OF THAT PLAN.

[01:10:07]

SINCE HASLETT VILLAGE CAME ALONG AND IT'S ACTUALLY ON THEIR PROPERTY, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF IT NOW.

SO WE HAD TO AMEND THIS PLAN TO REMOVE IT.

RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD AMENDMENT AND IT REDUCES THE TIME OF THE PLAN FROM 15 YEARS DOWN TO FOUR YEARS.

SO VERY QUICK PAYBACK ON THAT PROJECT.

AND LASTLY, THE UPDATE TO THE DAYCARE REGULATIONS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED WILL BE UP FOR DISCUSSION TOMORROW NIGHT AND AN APOLOGY IN ADVANCE FOR THE TYPO THAT'S ON THE FIRST PAGE OF MY MEMO IN THE PACKET, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT.

THANK YOU. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. HOW ABOUT LIAISON REPORTS?

[11.B. Liaison reports.]

I JUST WANT TO REPORT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO FIND A NEW LIAISON TO THE ZBA.

APPOINTMENT. IT'S A VOTING MEMBER. IT IS A VOTING MEMBER THE PLANNING COMMISSION MAKES THAT APPOINTMENT DIRECTLY, BUT IT IS A VOTING MEMBER.

THERE WAS NO MEETING OF THE DDA THIS MONTH.

ANY OTHER LIAISON REPORTS? I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING LAST THURSDAY, SO MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT.

APPEARS TO HAVE COVERED IT.

PROJECT UPDATE. WE REVISED OUR FORMAT TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS AT THE LAST MEETING.

[12.A. Project Report]

WE CONTINUE TO WALK IN COMMENT ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO GO, SO WE'RE PRETTY PLEASED WITH IT SO FAR.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.

EXCELLENT. IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER PUBLIC REMARKS?

[13. PUBLIC REMARKS]

I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, I'M GOING TO BE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR BEING A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION FOR FIVE YEARS.

WHEN I CAME ON, WE WERE WORKING ON THE FIRST ON THE MASTER PLAN.

I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR WORKING ON THAT.

AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE WORKINGS OF THIS COMMISSION.

OVER THE FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE GRANTED FAR MORE VERY VARIANCES AND EXCEPTIONS THAN WE'VE HELD THE LINE. AND THAT CAUSES ME TO ASK MYSELF EITHER WE'RE NOT WRITING ORDINANCES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE OR WE'RE GIVING IN.

AND FOR ME, AND I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.

I WAS BROUGHT ONTO THIS COMMITTEE.

I WAS TOLD BECAUSE OF MY CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND AND THEY ASSUMED I WOULD BRING SOME UNDERSTANDING OF BUILDING.

LET ME TELL YOU THAT I BUILT FOR WAL MART'S.

I SUPERVISE THE BUILDING OF FOUR WAL MART'S.

WAL MART DOES NOT GIVE ONE INCH ON ANY OF ITS REGULATIONS AND THEY ALWAYS OPEN ON TIME.

OKAY. SO IF THAT'S THEIR GOAL, THEY ALWAYS MEET IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MOVE.

I MEAN, NO EXCEPTIONS.

NOW, I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU AS THE PUBLIC IS HOW SERIOUSLY DO WE TAKE OUR ORDINANCES AND OUR REGULATIONS IF WE'RE GRANTING VARIANCES EVERY OTHER MEETING.

AND THAT ISN'T TO SAY THAT THERE ARE REASONS FOR EXCEPTIONS, BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW HOW WELL I DID WEIGHING THE COST BENEFITS.

ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT IS GOING TO COME UP WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE RECENTLY APPROVED, WHICH WILL SEND CHILDREN ACROSS GRAND RIVER TO CORNELL, IS GETTING THOSE CHILDREN SAFELY ACROSS GRAND RIVER TO CORNELL.

AND IT'S A SUBJECT THAT DIDN'T COME UP.

IT'S CERTAINLY A SUBJECT THAT CAME UP WITH THE COMMUNITY WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT MOVING CORNELL OVER TO THAT PROPERTY.

AND ENOUGH OF A CONCERN WAS RAISED THAT THEY DECIDED TO KEEP IT WHERE IT WAS.

SO I'M JUST SAYING THE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS AND I'LL OWN IT FOR MYSELF.

I'M NOT SURE. I ALWAYS DID THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE BEFORE THE EXCEPTIONS WERE MADE.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO, IF RECRUITING IS AN ISSUE, WE ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND I THINK WE

[01:15:08]

NEED TO REPRESENT THAT DIVERSITY ON OUR COMMISSIONS.

LOOK AT OUR FACES.

OKAY.

THERE'S A FAIR MIX OF FEMALE AND MALE, BUT WE HAVE AN INCREASING ASIAN POPULATION, WE HAVE AN INCREASING MIDDLE EASTERN POPULATION, WE HAVE AN INCREASING AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION.

AND I'M THINKING IF WE'RE HAVING AN ISSUE OF DRAWING MEMBERS TO OUR COMMISSIONS, WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE RECRUITING A MORE DIVERSE GROUP TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE THIRD THING I'D SAY IS I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT I RESPECT ALL OF YOU AND SEE YOU AS PEOPLE OF HIGH INTEGRITY. AND I KNOW AFTER FIVE YEARS WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO BE HERE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THE TOWNSHIP MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BECAUSE AS I'VE OFTEN SAID, WE ALL LIVE IN HOUSES THAT SOMEBODY DIDN'T WANT.

YOU KNOW, I VALUE THIS FIVE YEAR EXPERIENCE.

MY WIFE AND I ARE FILLING UP OUR BUCKET LIST OF TRAVEL PLANS, AND I PLAN NOT TO BE HERE DURING MOST OF THESE MEETINGS, PROBABLY NOT EVEN IN THE STATE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

BUT ALSO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO AS MUCH DUE DILIGENCE AS YOU CAN IN MAKING YOUR DECISIONS.

AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF EXCEPTIONS WE MAKE VERSUS THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE SAY, NO.

I THINK THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE AMAZING TO YOU.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT MANY EXCEPTIONS, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO, AS OUR FRIENDS OVER HERE HAVE BEEN DOING, TIGHTEN UP THE WAY WE WRITE OUR FIVE YEAR PLANS AND THE KINDS OF DEMANDS WE PUT IN THERE.

END OF SERMON.

JUST YOUR NAME, PLEASE. MARK SANTUCCI.

FIRST OF ALL, AFTER LISTENING TO TIM, I CAN NEVER SIT THERE AND NOT HAVE A COMMENT ON ANYTHING I HEAR.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MODERATE HOUSING, I ALSO HAVE A CHERRY FARM UP ON MISSION PENINSULA, AND I BOUGHT IT 40 YEARS AGO.

AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS A FARMING COMMUNITY WITH A FEW WEALTHY RETIREMENT HOMES ON IT.

NOW IT'S A WEALTHY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY WITH A FEW FARMS ON IT.

THE POINT BEING THAT THE AREA IS SO BEAUTIFUL, THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND FOR IT THAT IT JUST ATTRACTED PEOPLE.

AND PEOPLE WITH MONEY ALWAYS WIN OUT OVER OTHER PEOPLE.

AND I THINK WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME THING HERE.

BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO REALIZE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY, IS ALWAYS GOING TO ATTRACT A HIGHER PRICE FOR THE HOUSES.

YOU CAN TRY TO BUILD MODERATE HOUSING, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE WITH MONEY WILL BUY IT AND TURN IT INTO NICER HOUSING.

SO IT'S WHAT I CALL THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

IT'S ALWAYS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERY THING YOU DO.

AND I TAKE YOUR POINT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I WOULD ADD THAT IN AS WELL.

AND THEN FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE DISCUSSION ON THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

BECAUSE I OWNED THAT PROPERTY THAT WAS ZONED FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA I MET WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BUY THE PROPERTY AND WANTED TO BUILD AT THAT TIME MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

NO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

SO I'M A CURIOUS GUY SO I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS.

AND THE ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IS THERE STILL IS A PRETTY LARGE BLACK MARKET FOR MARIJUANA, AND THAT'S WHERE THE KIDS ARE GOING TO GET THE MARIJUANA THROUGH THE BLACK MARKET.

AND SOMEONE SAID I THINK IT WAS YOU THAT SAID EARLIER ABOUT THIS, WHEN IT'S DONE LEGALLY, THEY'RE, YOU

[01:20:09]

KNOW, EVERYTHING YOU'RE GETTING WHEN IT'S DONE ON THE BLACK MARKET, YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE GETTING.

AND SO YOU HAVE THIS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE THAT'S COMING IN FROM MEXICO THAT COULD BE LACED WITH THE OXYCONTIN OR THESE WHAT'S THE WORD FOR IT? FENTANYL. RIGHT. FENTANYL.

AND YOU ALSO IN THIS STATE, EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO GROW 12 PLANTS.

I SWEAR 20% OF THE STATE IS GROWING 12 PLANTS AND THEY'RE NOT USING 12 PLANTS.

AND IN FACT, PROBABLY HALF OF THEM DON'T EVEN SMOKE THE STUFF.

BUT IT GETS OUT AND IT GETS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY CONTROL IT, IT CAN'T BE CONTROLLED IN THE WAY YOU THINK YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE CONTROLLED BY HAVING AN INDUSTRY THAT ACTUALLY HAS A VESTED INTEREST, A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN EVERYTHING BEING DONE LEGALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING IT LEGALLY.

THAT'S THE WAY YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO DRIVE OUT THE BLACK MARKET, BUT THEY WILL HELP YOU PUSH DOWN THE BLACK MARKET AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO GET RID OF.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

ROAD SO I DON'T HAVE TO SNEAK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE ANY IDEA? I'M JUST CURIOUS. OUR MOST UPDATE INFORMATION IS ON THE WEBSITE. OH, IS IT? YEAH.

IT'S A DIVERSE GROUP.

OF COURSE, MARK'S ONE OF THEM, BUT THEY'RE ALL SUPER PROFESSIONAL AND THEY'VE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO SATISFY ALL THE CONCERNS, THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED HERE TONIGHT AND A LOT MORE OF THEM.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND THE OTHER BOARD FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND THOUGHTFULNESS AND FOR PUTTING UP WITH US AND ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS THROUGH ALL THIS.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL VENTURE FOR BOTH THE ENTREPRENEURS AND THE COMMUNITY.

THANKS. THANK YOU, BOB.

ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE WE ARE NOW AT THE POINT OF ADJOURNMENT.

SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, THANKS TO DAVE FOR BEING ON THIS COMMISSION FOR FIVE YEARS.

I'VE LEARNED FROM YOU AND WISH YOU BEST ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS.

YEAH, I WAS GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT TOO.

I'M ONE OF THE NEWER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I BECAME CHAIR BECAUSE I WAS THE LAST ONE TO RUN OUT THE DOOR WHEN THEY CALLED FOR THE VOTE.

BUT I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED TO YOU FOR ANSWERS TO TRICKY QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR LEVELHEADED APPROACH TO ALL THE QUESTIONS WE'VE HAD BEFORE US.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

WITH THAT, THEN, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT SAY AYE.

AYE. WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU FOLKS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.