Jan 24, 2023 Township Board

[00:00:39]

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CABIN.

THEN WE ACTUALLY GOT A WIRELESS MOUSE.

WE HAD A WIRELESS MOUSE.

YOU COULD DO THAT ALL ALONG? YES. YES.

YOU KNOW? YEAH. YEAH.

BUT IF. IF. WOULD THAT MOUSE WORK? YES. WELL. NOT LIKE THAT.

ONE CAN'T CONTROL OUT.

JUST. I DON'T KNOW ONE PERSON'S AND FOREMOST.

I KNOW THAT.

YES. SO.

ALL AROUND HIM.

POOR.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

ALLEGIANCE] THANK YOU, MR. LEMASTER, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE THANK YOU. TONIGHT IS ITEM FOUR ON OUR AGENDA.

[4. PRESENTATION]

THE FIRST IS WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE PENELOPE [INAUDIBLE] HOUSE DISTRICT 75.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE IS IN SESSION AT THE HOUSE, AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO POSTPONE HER PRESENTATION AND ASK INVITES HER AT ANOTHER TIME TO MAKE THAT.

FOUR B ON OUR AGENDA IS THE RECOGNITION OF WORLD KIWANIS WEEK, WHICH IS JANUARY 21ST TO THE 26TH IN 2023.

WITH US IS MR. TOM MOORE, WHO IS THE CURRENT KIWANIS PRESIDENT, AND HE WILL GIVE US OUR PRESENTATION.

MR. MOORE IS ALSO THE TOWNSHIP LIBRARIAN.

HASLETT AND OKEMOS BRANCHES OF THE CAPILLARY DISTRICT LIBRARY AS WELL.

YES. STAM BUSY.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY AND CELEBRATING WORLD THIS WEEK.

I HAVE TO SAY I HAVE ONLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH KIWANIS FOR TWO YEARS SINCE I MOVED TO THE TOWNSHIP AND TOOK OVER AS THE HASLETT LIBRARY HEAD AND I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A

[00:05:06]

AND IT'S FUNNY, IF YOU WALK INTO BLONDIES BARN AT 7 A.M.

FOR ONE OF OUR REGULAR MEETINGS AND LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, YOU WOULD NOT THINK THAT THAT GROUP OF GENTLEMEN AND A FEW LADIES WOULD HAVE SUCH A BIG IMPACT.

BUT THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS THAT WE RUN EVERY YEAR RAISE NEARLY $40,000 THAT WE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE GIVE THAT BACK IN THE FORM OF.

FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE YOUTH SPORTS PAVILION AT MARCUS PLACE ON THE GREEN.

I THINK WE GAVE $75,000 FOR THAT PROJECT WE GIVE ANNUALLY TO THE HAZLETT ROBOTICS CLUB.

THIS YEAR WE'RE GIVING $8,000 AS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THAT CLUB.

WE GIVE 2000 TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE FORM OF GIFT CARDS TO SCHULER BOOKS FOR MARCH'S READING MONTH.

WE SPONSOR KEY CLUBS AND BUILDERS CLUBS AT THE SCHOOLS TO TEACH LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.

WE PROVIDED DICTIONARIES TO EVERY THIRD GRADER IN HASLETT AND OKEMOS SCHOOLS.

WE SUPPORTED THE MERIDIAN CARES BACKPACK PROGRAM THAT THAT MARNA CAME AND TALKED TO US ABOUT AND WE GIVE IN SMALLER, SMALLER PORTIONS AS WELL.

WE SUPPORTED THE THE SHUFFLE TOY PROJECT, THE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE YOUTH TOT SWIM PROGRAM AT THE PARKWOOD YMCA, THE HASLETT FOOD PANTRY.

WE SPONSOR CONCERTS AT THE LAKE LANSING, BANDSHELL CONCERTS.

WE GIVE IT TO MERIDIAN CARES.

WE JUST GAVE THEM $900 THIS MORNING, THAT WAS SUPER EXCITING.

WE GIVE TO THE OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH PASTORS FUND, THE HASLETT JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIPS.

WE SUPPORT THE SANTAS, FIRST RESPONDERS, CHRISTMAS PARTY, HASLETT BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION, AND SO MANY MORE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND WE ALSO GIVE OUR TIME INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING BENCHES IN THE PARKS AROUND THE TOWNSHIP.

I THINK WE HAVE 75 BENCHES, I THINK IS WHAT PHIL WROTE TO ME.

SO THAT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE, TOO.

WE OPERATE OUR DUNK TANK AT SPECIAL EVENTS.

WE RING BELLS FOR SALVATION ARMY.

AT THE HOMECOMING PARADE FOR THE HASLETT SCHOOLS, WE GAVE OUT 300 HOT DOGS AND ROOT BEER FLOATS DURING THAT PARADE, AND WE CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS MONTHLY WITH A STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR HASLETT AND OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOLERS.

PLUS OUR MAIN FUNDRAISER.

THE FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN NOT ONLY RAISES FUNDS TO MAKE ALL THESE THINGS POSSIBLE, BUT IT HELPS BEAUTIFY OUR COMMUNITY AND BRINGS A REALLY, I DON'T KNOW, A GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

RIGHT. WITH OVER 800 FLAGS GOING UP AND DOWN DURING THE HOLIDAYS FROM MAY UNTIL NOVEMBER.

SO I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER GREAT THING TO BE HERE AND TO BE HONORED, I GUESS I HAVE TO SAY.

AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO GET INVOLVED WITH.

FOR ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING, JOIN US AT BLONDIES 7 A.M.

TUESDAY MORNINGS. COME TO A MEETING.

WE'LL BUY YOU BREAKFAST.

IF YOU COME, I'LL BUY YOU BREAKFAST AND JUST COME AND CHECK US OUT AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO, BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WAYS THAT OUR CLUB SHOULD SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY HERE.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.

IT'S AN HONOR. MR. MOORE. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR LIST OF PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT IS A RED CEDAR RIVER STEWARDSHIP BY MIKE STOUT OF THE MICHIGAN WATERWAYS. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME IN HERE. LET ME PASS OUT THE PRESENTATION DECKS.

I'LL TAKE NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME, I PROMISE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

MR. MOORE, IS THIS THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PACKETS? WE HAVE IT IN OUR PACKETS.

I KNOW. ALL RIGHT.

FIRST, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING AND SHARE WITH YOU MY RIVER ASSESSMENT OF THE RED CEDAR RIVER FROM

[00:10:08]

IT'S A 22 MILE STRETCH FOR.

SO BEFORE YOU START TO GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

MY NAME IS MIKE STOUT.

I'M WITH MICHIGAN WATERWAY STEWARDS.

WHAT ELSE? ADDRESS OH 5171 WHITEHAVEN DRIVE, LANSING, MICHIGAN.

OKAY, SO THAT'S OKAY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO A WEST LANSING RESIDENT, A MICHIGAN STATE GRADUATE, 1983.

[INAUDIBLE] LONG DISTANCE SOLAR PADDLER.

OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, I'VE PADDLED 6500 MILES, PADDLE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES FOR FUN.

THAT'S WHAT BRINGS ME HERE TODAY.

I'M THE FOUNDER OF MICHIGAN WATERWAY STEWARDS AND NONPROFIT AND ADVISOR TO THE RED CEDAR PATHWAY GROUP.

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON RIVER IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES IN THE LANSING AND EAST LANSING METRO AREA.

WE HAVE MOVED RIVER WIDE OBSTRUCTIONS UNDER TWO RAILROAD BRIDGES, ONE ON THE GRAND RIVER, ONE ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER.

WE COMPLETED PARK CLEANUPS AT TECUMSEH PARK AND CHERRY HILL PARK.

WE REMOVED AN ABANDONED HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT ALONG THE RIVER SIDE.

WE'VE DONE RIVER BANK CLEANUPS ALONG THE GRAND RIVER AND THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND FOCUSED OUR EFFORT TO REMOVE E-SCOOTERS AND BIKES FROM THE CAMPUS OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.

THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS THAT TWO WEEKS AGO I DID A RED CEDAR RIVER ASSESSMENT, AND THAT'S FROM WILLIAMSTON TO LANSING.

AND I DID IT FOR TWO REASONS.

ONE, TO FIND OUT THE EASE IN WHICH IT IS TO PADDLE.

THE RIVER RIGHT OBSTRUCTIONS, IS IT SAFE IS IT EASY, IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE? AND THE SECOND REASON WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REMOVE TRASH, LITTER AND OTHER URBAN DEBRIS.

OVERALL, IT'S VERY PLEASED WITH THE EXPERIENCE.

IT'S VERY SCENIC, FULL OF WILDLIFE.

EASY TO PADDLE, WELL MAINTAINED.

AND THEN WE GET TO THE MERIDIAN RIVERSIDE PARK.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SETTING.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BATTLE THROUGH.

AND WE'LL GO OVER THAT AS WE SPEAK.

AND THE DECK HERE, I DON'T WANT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THE BACKGROUND, BUT.

LET'S GO TO PAGE SIX.

ON THE DECK. HOW DO I DO THAT ON THIS THING? KEEP SCROLLING DOWN AND IT'S NUMERIC OR DOWN.

SO SOME OF THESE IMAGES AREN'T POPPING UP YET.

IT'LL LOAD. WELL, WHILE WE WAIT FOR THAT, LET'S GO TO PAGE SIX IN THE DECK.

ALL RIGHT. NOW, THIS IS THE WORK WE'VE DONE ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER JUST OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE AS IN ALL URBAN SETTINGS, HIGH DENSITY POPULATION AREAS, THERE'S A LOT OF DEBRIS THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP, BE IT BIKES, SCOOTERS, NATURAL LITTER, DEBRIS.

WE DO SEE SOME OF THAT IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA.

THAT'S CLOSER AS WE GET TO THE EAST LANSING AREA OR BEEHIVE HAVE A HIGH DENSITY.

THAN THE COMMERCIAL TYPE BUSINESSES WILL LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A BUSINESS WE PARTNERED WITH.

IT'S AN ALCHEMIST BASED COMPANY, ADRIAN BLISSFIELD RAILROAD COMPANY.

THEY'RE THE NEW OWNERS AND THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR CLEARING TWO RIVER WIDE OBSTRUCTIONS AND ONE ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER.

WITHOUT THEM, THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

BUT THESE ARE THE KIND OF CHALLENGES WE HAVE IN SOME AREAS THAT THE POLLUTION HASN'T BEEN OR THE LITTER.

THE TREES HAVEN'T BEEN ADDRESSED AND THEY'VE GONE UNADDRESSED FOR SIX YEARS, FIVE YEARS, AND THEY GET BIGGER AND WORSE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE EVENTUAL CLEANUP.

AND GUYS I MENTIONED HERE, THE RED RIVER OFFERS MORE SCENIC BEAUTY, ABUNDANCE OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, VARIED RURAL AND URBAN SETTINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPORT AND RECREATION THAN ANY OTHER MID-MICHIGAN RIVER.

IT'S A REALLY AN INCREDIBLE RIVER WITH ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF US TO ENJOY.

UNFORTUNATELY, IN MANY AREAS, PARTICULARLY HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF RIVER RIDE OBSTRUCTIONS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE FOR SOME, IMPASSABLE FOR MANY AND OFTEN DANGEROUS FOR ALL.

[00:15:06]

AND WE CAN DO THIS RELATIVELY EASILY.

WE'RE GOING TO DO A SKIP TO OKAY THIS IS THE THE FIRST SEGMENT.

WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS HERE.

THIS IS FROM LANSING AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE GRAND RIVER UP TO THE MSU CAMPUS.

THIS IS THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND WORK THAT'S ABOUT TO BE DONE.

I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY OF LANSING FOR THE COOPERATION AND PARTNERING WITH US.

THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN A NUMBER OF CLEANUPS AND THEY HAVE TWO RIVER OBSTRUCTIONS IN THEIR CITY, WHICH THEY'LL BE REMOVING HERE THE NEXT HOPEFULLY COUPLE OF WEEKS.

NOW, THIS PAGE HERE, IT SHOWS THOSE AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION AND THAT IS FROM THE CAMPUS OF MSU TO WILLIAMSTON.

AGAIN, OVERALL, IT'S A VERY SCENIC, EASY TO PADDLE STRETCH OF RIVER.

THERE'S ONLY REALLY THREE HOT SPOTS TO ADDRESS.

ONES ON THE CAMPUS OF MSU, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE UNDERWATER DAM AND THEN WE HAVE THE MIDDLE HERE, NUMBERS TWO, THREE, NINE, WHICH WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY.

WE HAVE SOME CLEANUP EFFORTS HERE IN WILLIAMSTON.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE AT THE MERIDIAN RIVERBANK PARK.

IS THAT RIGHT? WE HAVE A STRETCH OF ONE AND A QUARTER MILES WHERE WE HAVE EIGHT RIVER WIDE OBSTRUCTIONS.

THIS POSES A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR THIS RIVER ACCESS USER EXPERIENCES.

IT DIMINISHES THE IMAGERY OF YOUR WONDERFUL PARK SYSTEMS, AND IT COULD PROVE DANGEROUS FOR THE NOVICE PADDLER.

IT'S IMPASSABLE, UNUSABLE FOR FLOATERS.

IT'S AN INACCESSIBLE FOR FISHERMEN.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, BY FOLLOWING THE RULES OF WATERSHED DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, THEY BECOME REMOVE THESE OBSTRUCTIONS WITH RELATIVE EASE.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO HERE IS [INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

I'LL TAKE YOU ALONG THE RIVER AS YOU'RE HEADING UPSTREAM.

VERMILLION TOWNSHIP FROM WILMINGTON DOWN HERE TO.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE 1.25 MILES OF WHERE YOU SEE THE LITTER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THE LITTER, BUT THE OBSTRUCTIONS, WHEN YOU'RE PADDLING, YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR KAYAK OR CANOE TOO OFTEN ON THE TRAILS WHICH WE SEE HERE TODAY.

YOU CAN SEE JUST ONE AFTER THE OTHER.

THE TREES THAT HAVE FALLEN ACROSS THE RIVER CREATING NATURAL OBSTRUCTIONS MAKE IT IMPASSABLE.

WE FOUND EIGHT ON THIS TRIP HERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL OBSTRUCTIONS WHICH YOU HAVE TO JUMP THE LOGS TO PASS OVER.

THEN YOU HAVE OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS WHICH WILL SHOW PICTURES OF.

BUT YOU HAVE TO GO UNDER.

BUT THE CHALLENGE IS THAT THE WATER RISES THAT TOO WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE, SO BE FORCED TO NAVIGATE AROUND THE RIVER.

WHEN I WAS DOING THE RIVER ASSESSMENT, I NOTICED THAT ALONG THIS STRETCH HERE, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF SHALLOW EMBANKMENTS, VERY GRADUAL EMBANKMENTS.

SO TO CUT UP A PASSAGE OR TO REMOVE THEM IN THE ENTIRETY.

BUT WE HAD TO BE MINDFUL OF THE NEEDS OF FISHERMEN, OF COURSE.

BUT TO CUT THEM UP, CREATE A PASSAGE, REMOVING THEM IS RELATIVELY EASY.

AND BASED ON THE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, WE CAN DO WITHOUT PERMITTING.

BUT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PARTICULAR PAGE HERE.

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE A TREE THAT'S BASICALLY COVERING THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE RIVER.

RIGHT NOW YOU CAN PASS UNDER THAT.

BUT AS THE RIVER RISES, THAT PROBABLY WON'T BE POSSIBLE IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

BUT YOU SEE OVER AND OVER AND OVER THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE.

SO OUR PURPOSE HERE TODAY IS SIMPLY TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES.

IT'S AN AMAZING PARK SYSTEM THAT YOU HAVE.

THE RED RIVER TRAIL HAS TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A FLAGSHIP PROPERTY, CREATE A MID-MICHIGAN DESTINATION.

BUT WE HAVE TO CLEAN UP THIS DEBRIS FIRST.

OTHERWISE IT'S BASICALLY AN UNUSABLE OR UNDERUTILIZED NATURAL ASSET.

IT'S REALLY NOT FAIR FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO USE IT.

[00:20:01]

AND [INAUDIBLE] WORKING WITH THE RED CEDAR PATHWAY GROUP.

THIS IS A GROUP THAT'S LED BY ROTARIANS.

THEY'RE FROM WILLIAMSTON, HASLETT, OKEMOS, EAST LANSING AND LANSING.

THIS IS BIG PART OF THEIR INITIATIVE.

WE CAN PUT UP ALL THE BOAT LAUNCHES AND SIGNAGE AND EVERYTHING, BUT UNLESS WE HAVE A USABLE RIVER TRAIL, IT ALL GOES TO NAUGHT.

SO THAT'S WHY I MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES, THE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY.

I JUST HOPE YOU HAVE AN INTEREST TO MITIGATING THIS BY CLEARING OUT THE DEBRIS OR CREATING A PATHWAY.

AND TIMING IS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN THE WINTERTIME, THE WATER IS LOW.

IT'S RELATIVELY SLOW.

YOU CAN ACCESS IT PRETTY EASILY.

BUT AS THE SPRING MELT OFF COMES ALONG AND THE WATER BEGINS RACING DOWN THE RIVER, THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT IN A WHOLE LOT MORE DANGEROUS, I WOULD SAY, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CREW AND THE SKILL OF THE CREW, YOU COULD DEFINITELY CREATE A PASSAGE.

I'D RECOMMEND MAYBE 10 TO 12 FEET AT LEAST TO ALLOW FOR PADDLERS AND CANOERS KAYAKERS, FLOATERS, FISHERMEN TO HAVE EASY ACCESS.

IDEALLY, YOU WANT TO MOVE ALL OF IT, BUT BASED ON TIME AND RESOURCES, YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR RESOURCES.

BUT OVERALL, THE RED CEDAR RIVER IS AN AMAZING ASSET.

YOU HAVE AN AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL PARK SYSTEM, BUT THIS NEEDS ATTENTION.

SO HAVING SAID THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? NOT UH MR. DESCHAINE. THE ROTARY HAS FORMED A COALITION OF SEVERAL CLUBS TO ADDRESS THIS, BUT I'M GUESSING YOU'RE EXPECTING THERE TO BE NEED A GOVERNMENTAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT AS WELL IN THIS PROJECT.

AND IF SO, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE COST WOULD BE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CREWS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO MOVE THIS DEBRIS? YEAH, I THINK BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO THIS IS UNDER THE WOODY DEBRIS MANAGEMENT DOESN'T NEED PERMITTING.

SO IT'S A MATTER OF BASICALLY ALLOCATING WHAT RESOURCES YOU HAVE.

I WOULD SAY TO THIS PROJECT, THIS IS A BUDGETARY CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS HERE.

I THINK THAT THE TIME, AGAIN, WOULD BE 1 TO 2 DAYS, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO CLEAR OUT.

AND THAT WAS THE BEST TIME TO DO IT FOR EASY ACCESS.

THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS TOO, IS THE AS YOU GO GOING DOWN RIVER ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'VE GOT NICE RIVER TRAILS SO YOU CAN BRING IN EQUIPMENT AND PULL OUT THE LOGS OR STAGE THEM OR, YOU KNOW, FOR REMOVAL OR FOR LATER.

AS THE GROUND HARDENS, YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, DAMAGING THE SOIL WITH EROSION.

BUT IT IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE PERMITTING TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS TO GO DOWN THERE AND CUT UP PASSAGES.

I WOULD JUST NOT WANT TO RECOMMEND THAT AND TO PUT PEOPLE AT RISK OF GETTING INJURED.

THE DANGER, I THINK, WITH WHAT WE HAVE HERE WITH THE THE CITY, WITH YOUR CREW THAT'S COMFORTABLE AND SKILLED AND REMOVING TREES AND MOVING TREES, THAT YOU'RE BEST APT TO DO IT.

BUT BUDGETARY, I DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURE I CAN PRESENT TO YOU THE NEED AND THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT HAVEN'T GONE THAT FAR.

THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU, CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND COMING BEFORE THE BOARD AND I APPRECIATE, I'M ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER GROUP ON FACEBOOK AND SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE UPDATES.

WHILE I DON'T CANOE OR KAYAK MYSELF, I'M MORE OF A WALKER HIKER PERSON.

I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS EFFORT AND YOU.

COMING BEFORE THE BOARD AND PRESENTING THIS TO US.

YEAH. IF YOU WERE TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE HERE, IT WOULD BE AN AMAZING PRIZE TREASURE FOR NOT JUST FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, BUT THE ENTIRE MID-MICHIGAN AND BECAME A TOP DESTINATION OF PADDLING, FLOATING, FISHING.

BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST BASICALLY NEARLY UNUSABLE.

SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

THANK YOU, MR. STOUT.

YEAH. I THINKING THAT IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE, LIKE AN ANNUAL CLEANUP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS RIVERS DO, THEY BECOME PLUGGED UP AGAIN.

SO IF WE CLEAN IT UP, THEN THAT COULD GET PLUGGED UP AGAIN.

IT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY AN ANNUAL THING.

IT NEEDS TO BECOME PART OF THE CITY'S OF THE TOWNSHIPS PLAN.

AND IF THEY WANT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, BE THE STEWARDSHIP.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE OF THE TREES AND THE EROSION DUE TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THE CHALLENGES YOU WILL HAVE, THE ONGOING CHALLENGES ANY TOWNSHIP OR ANY CITY ALONG THE RIVER HAS WITH THESE TREES FALLING IN THE RIVER.

[00:25:04]

AND IT'LL FORCE THE CITIES AND TOWNSHIPS TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO THE ASSESSMENTS AND REMOVE THOSE OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THEY OCCUR.

BUT DEFINITELY IN TIME FOR A FALL RIVER LONG EVENT.

BUT IT HAS TO BE PART OF YOUR TRAILS MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS JUST TO HAVE THE TRAILS ON THE GROUND.

RIGHT? IF TREES FALL ON THE PATHWAYS REMOVE THEM.

WE JUST NEED TO FIND SOME, YOU KNOW.

MAKE SOME ATTENTION TO THE RIVER WAYS.

AND BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PADDLERS, YOU DON'T SEE IT, RIGHT.

AND IT'S THIS UNFORTUNATE, SOME AMAZING RIVER TRAIL AND WITH ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, ARE CREATING THE THE PATH ABOVE IT.

THIS WOULD BE AN AMAZING COMPLIMENT.

I'D LOVE TO SEE PALACE ALL OVER MICHIGAN.

COME HERE. FISHERMAN ENJOY THE GREAT FISHING THAT WE HAVE ON THE RED CEDAR.

BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST NOT THERE.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ALL HAPPENING WITHIN A MILE OF WATER IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

IT REALLY SNAKES THROUGH YOUR PARK SYSTEM.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. STOUT. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. ITEM 4D IS NOKOMIS CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER, AND OUR PRESENTATION WILL BE FROM MR. JOHN OSTRANDER.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS JOHN OSTRANDER.

I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT AT THE NOKOMIS CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER AT 5153 MARSH ROAD.

AND I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME COME IN, BECAUSE I WANT TO WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE THIS A YEARLY THING WHERE WE CAN COME IN AND GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST YEAR, AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR OR IN GOING AFTER.

BEFORE I STARTED IN, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE BECAUSE WE JUST WE GOT SOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND SO WE FINALLY HIT OUR AFTER DURING COVID AS IT HIT A LOT OF NONPROFITS.

WHETHER VOLUNTEERS LIKE THAT, PEOPLE SCATTERED TO THE WIND.

WE DID HAVE SOME PASSINGS.

AND WHEN WE FINALLY GOT OUR BOARD BUILT BACK UP AGAIN.

AND SO NOW.

AND I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE MARY MORALES.

SHE'S OUR NEW BOARD PRESIDENT.

AND SO BUT JUST TO START OFF, SO THIS IS FOR 2022 AT FIR, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD ENDING BALANCE OF $21,553.39.

AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS THE LAST TIME I HAD TALKED.

THAT WE HAD BEEN GOING ON THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF REBUILDING NOKOMIS THERE WERE TIMES WHERE THEY WERE INTO WHERE IF THEY HAD $100 TO THEIR NAME, BASICALLY AT THE END OF THE MONTH, THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW OF US THAT HAVE PUT A BIG EFFORT INTO GETTING THIS MESS BACK TOGETHER, AND SO ENDING WITH A BALANCE OF THAT MUCH.

AND WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP AROUND 20,000 AS A BUFFER.

AND IT CAME IN USEFUL LAST YEAR BECAUSE NOW IN 2021, YOU GUYS HAD HELPED US PUT UP A NEW ROOF AND THEN WE PUT ALL NEW FASCIA ON.

AND SO AND THEN WE FINISHED OFF ALL THE PAINTING OF THAT.

THIS YEAR WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ONE OF OUR AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO REPLACE ANOTHER ONE HERE THIS SPRING.

AND ALSO WHAT WE DID IS WE ALSO FINISHED ALL OUR PAINTING, MOST OF THE PAINTING ON THE OUTSIDE, LIKE I SAID, ON THE FACE OF THE TRIM, WE REPAINTED OUR DOORS. AND ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAME ACROSS IS WHY I FEEL GOOD THAT WE HAD THE BUFFER.

WE CAME ACROSS TO WHERE OUR SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEM WAS BECAME OUTDATED IN OUR SYSTEM BECAUSE ALL OF IT WAS FROM 1989 IS WHEN THE BUILDING WAS BUILT.

AND SO AS WE GOT THOSE COST ESTIMATES IN.

THEY WERE HIGH JUST FOR THE SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEM.

WE RAN AROUND THE STATE, GOT BIDS, AND WE ENDED UP PUTTING IN A WHOLE BRAND NEW ALARM SYSTEM AND SMOKE AND FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR LESS THAN WHAT THE ONE COMPANY THAT WE'D BEEN WITH FOR 32 YEARS.

SO WE WENT AHEAD AND WE MOVED ON TO A NEW COMPANY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO DID LAST YEAR IS WE CONTINUED ON WITH OUR WEEKLY LANGUAGE CLASSES THAT WE HOLD ON OUR SATURDAYS.

[00:30:01]

WE OPENED IT UP AS A CRAFT DAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND DO THEIR BEAD WORK.

THERE'S WHAT WE CALL THE RIBBON SKIRT RIBBON SHIRT MAKING AND OTHER TYPES OF NATIVE CRAFTS.

AND THEN WE DID OPEN UP TO THE PUBLIC IF THEY WANT TO COME IN, LEARN AND SEW.

AND IT HAS BEEN SURPRISING MOST SATURDAYS NOW IS WE HAVE A FULL ROOM AND IT'S NICE TO SIT BACK AND JUST HEAR THE PUBLIC KIND OF TALK AND WE LEARNING AND THEN JUST PEOPLE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER. WE ALSO HAVE.

WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE MSU LAW.

AND SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY HELPED US GO THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM OUR BYLAWS TO OUR AGREEMENTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH VENDORS AND ALSO WITH AGREEMENTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH ANY OF OUR CONTRACT HELP.

JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, BRING EVERYTHING UP TO DATE AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE'RE COVERED AND THAT AND THAT THEY'RE COVERED ALSO IN USING FOR THE CENTER, TOO, BECAUSE WE ALSO THERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAD OCCURRED.

WE HAD WE HAD AT LEAST THREE TRIBES COME DOWN AND USE OUR CENTER FOR MEETINGS.

AND AND THE REASON BEING AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO START SEEING MORE OF THIS WITH MSU AND ALSO THE CAPITAL.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ON UP AT THE RESERVATIONS, THEY'RE DOWN HERE WORKING.

AND SO WHERE THE TRIBES ARE CONTACTING US, HOLDING A MEETING HERE AT OUR PLACE JUST SO THEY CAN REACH THEIR PEOPLE HERE.

AND JUST SO MOST PEOPLE KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE 12 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN MICHIGAN AND IN THREE STATE RECOGNIZED TRIBES, WE PARTNERED WITH SIX OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND HOSTING EVENTS.

ONE OF THE ONES WAS WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE.

WE WERE HOSTING PROGRAMS WITH NASO, WHICH IS THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS STUDENT ORGANIZATION FROM MSU.

AND WHENEVER THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF AREA IN A ROOM, WE GO AHEAD AND WE ACCOMMODATE THEM.

SO AND THIS IS HELPING US TO GET THAT CONNECTION TO AND PARTNERING WITH MSU.

WE FINISHED A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE OKEMOS MONTESSORI SCHOOLS, AND WHAT WE DID IS WE WORKED WITH THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS.

WE WENT IN FOR FIVE MONTHS, ONCE A MONTH FOR FIVE MONTHS.

AND WE STARTED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE TO CURRENT DAY AND WHO WE ARE.

AND IN THIS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 20 PRESENTATIONS THAT WE DID OVER THAT FIVE MONTH PERIOD AND THE PRESENTATIONS WENT EXTREMELY WELL TO WHERE THEY'VE ASKED US BACK NOW STARTING IN THE FALL NOW TO DO ALL THIRD GRADE CLASSES IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM EVERY MONTH.

THEY WANT US TO SET UP A PROGRAM AND START BUILDING ON THAT.

ALSO, WE WERE AT THE GRAND LEDGE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WE WORKED WITH THE FIFTH GRADERS AND SO IT DID THE SAME THING.

AND AGAIN, THEY'VE COME IN THIS FALL.

THEY'VE ASKED US TO COME IN NOW AND START WORKING WITH THEM ON DOING PRESENTATIONS FOR THEM.

AND SO AT THE THIRD GRADE LEVEL IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THAT'S WHEN THEY HAVE TO START BEING INTRODUCED TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE.

AND SO AND THE THING IS, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF YOUR SCHOOL BOOKS HAVE ANYTHING ON THAT.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WE'RE EVEN WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING IN AND HAVING TO HIRE PRESENTERS TO START TACKLING THIS.

BUT THIS IS A VERY GOOD THING THAT IS OCCURRING.

SO AND OVER THIS PAST YEAR, PRESENTATIONS WHERE NOT INCLUDING THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'VE DONE 29 PRESENTATIONS, WHETHER FOR SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, SENIOR CENTERS, LIBRARIES AND EVEN JUST INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE OR FAMILIES COMING INTO THE CENTER. AND WE'LL TAKE THEM ON A, YOU KNOW, A THING THROUGH OUR GALLERY AND GIVE THEM A HISTORY LESSON.

ALSO, WE SEE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR ALSO WAS WE WORKED WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE AND THE TOWNSHIP AND AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL.

GET THAT BACK GOING AGAIN.

AND I HAVE TO SAY IT TURNED OUT EXTREMELY WELL.

AND SO AND I, I BELIEVE IT'S IN NEXT MONTH THAT WE'RE GOING TO START COMING BACK TOGETHER AND START GETTING THIS PLANNED AGAIN AND AND GETTING THIS IN, GETTING IT TO GROW.

WE ALSO DID A HOLIDAY CRAFTS SALE THE 1ST OF DECEMBER.

[00:35:01]

SO FACEBOOK AND ON THE INTERNET AND I WAS NEW TO THAT TAUGHT MYSELF AND AND I HAD TO SAY IT WORKED.

AND SO BECAUSE THE VENDORS WELL ALONG THAT WITH AND THEN I ALSO BOUGHT OUT HOME DEPOT EVERY YELLOW SIGN THAT THEY HAD BETWEEN THE TWO STORES.

AND SO IF ANYBODY SEEN YELLOW ARROW SIGNS BUT YOU KNOW WHAT IT CAUGHT EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, AND SO BUT THE VENDOR SAID THAT THAT WAS PART. THE BEST YEAR THAT THEY'VE HAD IN A LONG, LONG TIME.

AND SO, AGAIN, THAT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND WORK WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TOGETHER THIS YEAR AND TRY TO PLAY IN SOME EVENT DURING THAT TIME FOR THE FOR THE HOLIDAY FOR A GOOD HOLIDAY SALE FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS TIME WE ARE ALSO ASKED TO OVERSEE THIS ELDERS MONTHLY LUNCHEON.

AND THIS IS A LUNCHEON THAT THIS ONE GENTLEMAN PUTS ON.

HE TAKES CARE OF THE COST EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S FOR THE ELDERS OF NATIVE TRIBES.

AND SO IT'S THE ONE TIME ONCE A MONTH THAT THEY ALL CAN GET TOGETHER BECAUSE SOME OF THEM DO SPEAK THE OLD LANGUAGE.

AND SO AND BUT IT'S A TIME FOR THEM THAT ARE IN THIS AREA.

IT'S JUST A TIME FOR PEOPLE JUST TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK.

AND AGAIN, THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, I DID YOU KNOW, I KEPT IN COMMUNICATION LUANN MEISNER, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND ALSO AND A FEW OTHER THINGS I'VE TALKED TO PHIL ALSO.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT GOING INTO THIS FOLLOWING YEAR IS, AGAIN, I SAID THAT HOW WE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING THAT WE NEED ON OUR FINANCES, THAT, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE DOING A OUR AC UNIT OR REPLACING OUR SECOND UNIT.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO FINISH OFF OUR LANDSCAPING AROUND THE BUILDING BECAUSE THROUGH THE YEARS, ALL THE SOIL, BECAUSE THEY'RE BUILDING, NEVER HAD GUTTERS ON IT. ALL THE SOIL HAS SUNK IN AROUND THE BUILDING.

AND SO WHAT THAT CAUSES IS JUST, YOU KNOW, YOUR SINCE THAT'S A BRICK BUILDING, YOUR BRICKS ALWAYS HAVE A DAMPNESS TO IT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE BRINGING IN SOIL RIGHT FIRST, AS SOON AS IF WE EVER GET TO SPRING AND IN GRADE THAT SO WE THE WATER IS RUNNING OFF. WE GOT NEW GUTTERS COMING IN AT THAT SAME TIME ALSO.

AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE BEGINNING THIS YEAR WITH A FULL BOARD.

AND WE HAVE WE REALLY DO HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ON WITH OUR LANGUAGE CLASS.

I SPOKE ABOUT THE OKEMOS AND GRAND LEDGE SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND STARTING THERE WE DO HAVE TWO OTHER OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT WERE JUST IN TALKS WITH RIGHT NOW THAT WANT US TO GO AHEAD AND TO START DOING PRESENTATIONS.

AND WITH THESE, WE ALSO THEN WITH OUR PARTNERSHIPS, WE WANT TO CONTINUE ONE WITH THE NATIVE COMMUNITY, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WITH BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF.

WE ARE ALSO WORKING ALONG WITH CORY MARSH RESEARCH CENTER, AND THIS IS A PLACE OUT IN LAINGSBURG THAT MSU USED TO USE IT AS A FARM AND THEY WERE READY TO SELL IT UNTIL THE SALE WAS HELD OFF AND THEY WANTED TO USE IT FOR OTHER SOURCES FOR IN THE AREA. AND SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GO FOR A WALK, YOU SAID YOU WERE A WALKER.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE IN THE TO GO OUT WALKING.

AND SO ALSO WE WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE LIBRARIES WITH JUST OUR LITTLE TALKS AND SOME BOOK EVENTS THAT WE HAD WITH THEM.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE BECAUSE WE REALLY FEEL THAT THIS IS AN ASSET THAT'S SITTING THERE AND AND IT'S AMAZING. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE STOP IN AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE.

THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE.

AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAVE LIVED HERE MOST OF THEIR LIFE.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST MEETING WITH IS WE HAVE AN INTERN COMING IN FROM MSU.

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 12 YEARS SINCE WE'VE HAD AN INTERN, AND THIS PERSON WILL BE SHE'S ACQUIRING HER MASTERS.

AND SO SHE'S GOING TO DO DEVELOP A COURSE PACKET FOR OUR LANGUAGE CLASS.

[00:40:04]

SO WE'RE ON THE STARTING OF THIS.

AND SO HE WANTS TO PUT IN OUR GARDEN THIS YEAR, WHICH WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT, WE WERE JUST TALKING AT DOING AND EXPANDING IT.

AND SO AND HE NEEDS TO DO THIS FOR THE GRADUATE.

WE ALSO WILL BE SETTING UP AT THE FARMER'S MARKET, YOU KNOW, HANDING OUT INFORMATION FOR JUST NOT JUST FOR NOKOMIS.

FOR THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE ITSELF AND ALSO FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WORK TO GROW LIKE THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL, THE HOLIDAY SALE AND IF ANYBODY HAD EVER SEEN THAT, BECAUSE ON OUR HOUSE OR ON THE HOLIDAY SALE, IT WAS WE HAD IT ON THE ONE WEEKEND IN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN THE PARKING LOT WAS JUST PACKED AND WE'D NEVER SEEN A PARKING LOT PACKED THAT MUCH.

AND SO IT WAS A GOOD FEELING TO HAVE THAT.

AND SO THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP STAYING IN COMMUNICATION WITH LOUIS AND MEISNER AND OTHER TOWNSHIP PERSONNEL.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THE BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT IN US.

AND SO BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THAT IT HAS HAPPENED A LOT, THAT AS WE'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT WHO WE ARE AND THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO STOP IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEVER KNEW THIS PLACE WAS HERE.

AND AND SO SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR ALL OF US TO DO THIS.

[APPLAUSE] AND SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

TRUSTEE WILSON YES, THANK YOU.

I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A QUESTION.

I JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.

I WAS ON THE FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE NOKOMIS.

IT WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE NOKOMIS LEARNING CENTER, RIGHT IN 1988.

YES. AND WE CONDUCTED A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE BUILDING.

YES. AND I STAYED ON THAT BOARD UNTIL 1992.

AND I WAS THE TREASURER THE FIRST TWO YEARS.

AND I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THINGS WERE FOR YOU, PARTICULARLY DURING COVID.

SO TO HEAR ABOUT THESE ENERGIZING PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE OUTREACH YOU'RE DOING SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN MICHIGAN IS REALLY IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY THE PRESERVATION OF THE OJIBWE LANGUAGE.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

NO, THANK YOU. AND LET ME JUST SAY, BECAUSE AS BAD AS COVID WAS AND IS AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK THAT TO OUR ADVANTAGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CLOSED FOR OVER TEN MONTHS.

AND SO WE LIKE IN OUR GALLERY, WE STRIPPED EVERYTHING OUT OF THAT WHOLE ROOM.

WE GOT STUFF THAT WAS SITTING IN TOTES AND REBUILT IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF STUFF OUT BACK THEN.

AND SO BUT WE WENT THROUGH EACH ROOM.

BUT THEN WHAT WE DID IS WE ALSO WENT THROUGH THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF IT AND, AND REALLY LOOKED AT IT WAS TIGHTENING THINGS UP REALLY WHAT HAD TO BE TIGHTENED UP BECAUSE EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS.

AND SO WHEN WE DID THAT AND GOT REFOCUSED ON WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND, YOU KNOW, AND I HAVE TO SAY I FORGOT THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME AND HE WAS WITH WORKED WITH IRENE BRESLIN ON THE START OF AND SO BUT HE STOPPED IN ONE DAY BECAUSE HE SAYS, I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND HE SAYS HE'D BEEN WATCHING US AND HE TOLD US THANKS, BECAUSE HE SAYS YOU'RE KIND OF HITTING WHAT WAS SUPPOSED YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS LOST.

AND SO IT WAS A GOOD FEELING TO HEAR THAT.

AND SO IT'S A GOOD THING.

AND SO THANK YOU.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

THANK YOU. MR. OKAY.

THANK YOU. ITEM 5 ON OUR AGENDA AS CITIZENS ADDRESSED AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS.

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

A TIMEKEEPER WILL COMMUNICATE WHO WILL COMMUNICATE AT THE CONCLUSION OF 3 MINUTES.

I HAVE TWO GREEN CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.

THE FIRST IS BARBARA CURTIS.

HE WOULD COME TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

HI, I'M BARBARA CURTIS AND I LIVE AT 5248 PARK LAKE ROAD, WHICH IS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, BUT MY MAILING ADDRESS IS EAST LANSING OR THAT SECTION.

[00:45:05]

AND SO WE USE THEIR POST OFFICE.

I DO HAVE A COMMENT THOUGH FOR NOKOMIS THAT I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING PRESENTATIONS THERE TO MY 16 YEAR OLD GRANDSON WHO LIVES WITH ME, HAD ATTENDED A PRESENTATION THAT WAS SPECIALLY TAILORED FOR A MISSION GROUP.

OUR CHURCH WENT OUT TO THE REHOBOTH NATIVE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN REHOBOTH, NEW MEXICO, WHICH WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE TRIP, BUT WE WANTED THEM TO HAVE SOME CONTEXT AND THE COMMENTS REALLY HELPED THEM IN TERMS OF LEARNING, BECAUSE I THINK AS WE ALL KNOW, SO LITTLE IS REALLY PRESENTED ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLES IN HISTORY.

SO I FEEL LIKE I'M ALMOST NEEDING TO TEACH THEM MYSELF ABOUT THIS AND ALSO TALK TO OUR DIVERSITY DIRECTOR FOR EAST LANSING SCHOOLS AND PERHAPS INVITE NOKOMIS TO COME AND DO SOME PRESENTATIONS IN THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY SUCH A LACK OF INFORMATION THERE AND IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL RESOURCE.

I PUT TWO THINGS DOWN THAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS.

ONE WAS THE WATER MAIN BREAK ON PARK LAKE ROAD, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK FRANK WALSH AND DAN OPSOMMER FOR MEETING WITH ME TODAY TO TALK ABOUT IT.

AND ALSO TO DEBRA GUTHRIE, WE KIND OF TOUCHED BASE ON THE PHONE BECAUSE SHE HAD POSTED ON NEXT DOOR THAT SHE WAS AVAILABLE TO TALK TO ANYBODY.

SO WE HAD A NICE CHAT THIS AFTERNOON AND I THINK WE ALL AGREED THAT COMMUNICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING WITH RESIDENTS, I GUESS ONLY 20 HOUSEHOLDS WERE AFFECTED ON PARK LAKE ROAD.

I WAS ONE OF THOSE 20 AND I HAVE SIX CHILDREN AT HOME, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN.

IT'S A VERY FULL HOUSE.

WE USE A LOT OF WATER AND IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING NOT TO GET ANY INFORMATION AND I THOUGHT ABOUT MAYBE GOING UP AND TALKING TO THE WORKERS, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER THEM.

AND SO I THINK AND I WENT THROUGH THE NEXT DOOR COMMENTS AND JUST COUNTED HOW MANY PEOPLE SAID I DIDN'T GET ANY NOTICE EITHER. AND I'M FEELING REALLY FRUSTRATED.

AND THERE'S ABOUT 15, I WASN'T DOING AN EXACT COUNT OF PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT.

AND ALSO ONE PERSON WHO SAID, AND I DO ECHO THIS IS IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CHECK THE PUBLIC WORKS EMERGENCY NUMBER BECAUSE IT WASN'T AVAILABLE.

WELL, AT LEAST NOT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAYS.

BY SATURDAY WE HAD THE WATER BACK, BUT IT WAS YELLOW AND I WASN'T REALLY GOING TO GIVE IT TO MY KIDS.

AND SO WE WERE JUST DRINKING BOTTLED WATER UNTIL WE FIGURED OUT IT WAS SAFE TO DRINK.

DAN WAS REALLY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF GETTING SOME PEOPLE OUT MONDAY TO TEST THE WATER BECAUSE I HAVE VERY YOUNG, GREAT GRANTS.

AND SO ALSO ANYWAY, I THINK WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THAT A LOT.

BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK FRANK FOR HELPING MY DAUGHTER WHO LIVES IN THE WARD CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A STREET ISSUE THAT'S COMPLETELY TORN UP.

AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE TO YOUR WORK.

THANK YOU. NEXT GREEN CARD IS STEPHANIE [INAUDIBLE] HELLO, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE [INAUDIBLE].

I LIVE AT 5320 PARK LAKE ROAD.

I WROTE DOWN MY COMMENTS BECAUSE I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED.

HELLO. I LIVE IN THE WARD CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD.

I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT THE CONSISTENT FAILURE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO COMMUNICATE WITH ITS RESIDENTS.

WE'VE HAD A STEADY RUN OF WATER MAIN BREAKS ALONG PARK LAKE ROAD SINCE AUGUST 2021.

WE WERE THE UNLUCKY HOUSEHOLD WITH THE BREAK IN FRONT OF OUR DRIVEWAY IN AUGUST 2021.

WE HAD TO CONTACT THE EMERGENCY NUMBER AND MY HUSBAND WAS BERATED FOR CALLING.

WE WERE TOLD IT'S ANNOYING TO GET A CALL ON A SATURDAY AFTER A NIGHT OF PUMP TRUCKS, LIGHT TREES AND HEAVY CONSTRUCTION, WE ACHIEVED 30 MINUTES OF SLEEP BEFORE THE COPS ARRIVED TO QUESTION MY HUSBAND ABOUT WHY WE CHOSE THE JACKHAMMER THE STREET AND DESTROY TOWNSHIP PROPERTY.

A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE WITHIN YOUR OWN DEPARTMENTS.

WE HAD A FIGHT WITH THE TOWNSHIP TO GET OUR DRIVEWAY REBUILT DUE TO NUMEROUS CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES REPEATEDLY ON OUR DRIVEWAY.

AGAIN, WE WERE HARASSED BY THE TOWNSHIP POLICE.

THE BOIL NOTICE A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS ANOTHER FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.

MY OCTOGENARIAN NEIGHBORS SHOULD NOT BE GETTING NEWS ABOUT THE BOIL NOTICE BECAUSE MY CHILDREN ARE GOING DOOR TO DOOR.

IT'S THE JOB OF THE TOWNSHIP, NOT MINORS, FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.

THE CONSERVE WATER NOTICE TOLD US TO COMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION TO OUR NEIGHBORS.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING? NOT COMMUNICATING TO ME THE INFORMATION AGAIN.

THIS LATEST WATER MAIN BREAK WAS THE FINAL STRAW FOR ME.

THE STREET LEARNED WE HAD NO WATER FROM A NEXT DOOR POST AND A NEWS ARTICLE POSTED TO THE SITE.

MY OLDEST HAD TO TELL A NEIGHBOR THAT A WATER OPEN HYDROGEN WAS UNDERMINING THE DRIVEWAY.

[00:50:03]

THE ONLY PERSON ON MY STREET WHO GOT A PHONE CALL BACK FROM THE TOWNSHIP WAS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.

THIS MORNING, FOUR AND A HALF DAYS AFTER THE BREAK, SOMEONE FROM THE TOWNSHIP POSTED THEM NEXT DOOR ABOUT HOW THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR COMMUNICATION.

HE SAID ONLY THE GOLF COURSE AND THE GATED COMMUNITIES, THE AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE IT ISN'T FOR YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY STATED IN THIS ONE CASE, YOU ARE LUCKY.

I REGRET TO INFORM YOU IT'S IN ALL CASES, BUT THAT ISN'T TRUE.

THE TOWNSHIP MADE SURE TO COMMUNICATE, I HAD A WATER BILL DUE LAST FRIDAY WITH NO LESS THAN THREE EMAILS.

I'VE CALLED TO ASK IF MY NEIGHBOR COULD CAN GET A SERVICE THE TOWNSHIP IS PROVIDING TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THOSE PEOPLE ARE TAXPAYERS.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR BOTH OF US, I AM ALSO A TAXPAYER.

I HAVE NO LIENS AND I DON'T PAY WITH MONOPOLY MONEY.

I FULLY EXPECT RETRIBUTION BECAUSE I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TONIGHT.

BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ALL OF YOUR CITIZENS MATTER.

WHAT IS YOUR ISSUE WITH COMMUNICATING WITH US? WE LIVE IN A TIME OF AMAZING TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY, AND YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR RESIDENTS IS WOEFULLY ANEMIC.

I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT MY NEIGHBORHOOD ISN'T WORTHY OF READING TOWNSHIP'S TIME.

ANOTHER FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.

THANK YOU. NOW FOR THE ITEM SIX ON OUR AGENDA IS THE TOWNSHIP

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

THANK YOU. AND I WANT TO THANK BOTH SPEAKERS FOR SHARING THEIR CONCERNS WITH US TONIGHT.

I'LL START WITH THAT.

SO, WARDCLIFF IS A REALLY IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE ROADWORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND ALL THE NUMBER OF THE STREETS OVER THERE AND OTHER, WHY GO BACK TO THE HUGE WINDSTORM IN 2015? IF YOU REMEMBER THAT? IT WAS I THINK IT WAS JUNE 8TH AND WARDCLIFF WAS HIT ESPECIALLY HARD, IF YOU RECALL THAT DEVASTATING, IN FACT, EVEN WORSE ON THE EAST LANSING SIDE. BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE.

DIDN'T TOUCH A LOT OF THE TOWNSHIP, BUT IT TOUCHED CLIFF SIGNIFICANTLY.

THE TOWNSHIP PONIED UP, I THINK IT WAS 40 OR 50,000.

TOLD THE RESIDENTS OVER THERE, DON'T BOTHER CLEANING UP.

WE'LL HAVE A COMPANY COME OUT AND CLEAN UP.

SO WE HAVE A HISTORY OF TRYING TO ASSIST ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IMPORTANT AND I'M SORRY THAT THE SPEAKER FEELS THAT WAY, BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH HER ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE PERCEPTION OF THINGS. WE ALSO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR OTHER WORK THAT WE DO IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATIONS.

IT'S NOT PERFECT.

WE MAKE MISTAKES IN WHAT WE DO, BUT WE AND THE DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT, WE WORKED IN FRONT OF 700 HOMES AND THE LOCAL STREET PROJECT.

I'M SORRY, WE WORKED IN FRONT OF 350 HOMES IN THE DANIELS PROJECT AND ANOTHER 700 HOMES ON LOCAL ROADS.

DAILY UPDATES.

AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CONSERVE WATER NOTICE THAT WENT OUT.

I KNOW MYSELF, I WAS PUTTING OUT I WAS UP ALL NIGHT WITH THAT PROJECT IS ALONG WITH DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER AND WE WERE NOTIFYING THE COMMUNITY AT 3:15 IN THE MORNING WITH A FACEBOOK POST WHICH LATER WENT ON NEXT DOOR, WHICH LATER WENT ON OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS.

SO WE ARE WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THE CONSERVE WATER NOTICE.

NOW GETTING BACK TO THE WATER MAIN BREAK THAT JUST OCCURRED THE OTHER DAY.

I'VE LOOKED BACK AT THAT NOW.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK OUR DPW CREWS.

THEY WERE OUT THERE FOR ANYWHERE FROM 24 TO 36 HOURS ON THIS WATER MAIN BREAK.

IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT ONE THAT CAUSED BY THE TOWNSHIP, CAUSED BY MOTHER NATURE.

AND THESE THINGS OCCUR.

WATER, MAIN BREAKS ARE NOT A RARE OCCURRENCE.

WE'LL HAVE OVER 30 WATER MAIN BREAKS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THE TOWN I MANAGED BEFORE, WHICH I WAS THERE 17 YEARS.

IT'S A TOWN OF ABOUT QUARTER OF THE SIZE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

WE HAD MORE WATER MAIN BREAKS THERE.

WHY? BECAUSE IT WAS AN AGE SYSTEM.

AND IN THE WINTER WHEN YOU HAVE THAWING WARM TEMPERATURES AND OR WARM TEMPERATURES AND FREEZING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF WATER MAIN BREAKS.

AND AS OUR SYSTEM AGES, WE'LL HAVE MORE WATER MAIN BREAKS HERE.

THE FACT IS, IF YOU LOOK BACK AT WHAT HAPPENED, OUR CREWS WORKED REALLY HARD.

WE HAD TWO ADDITIONAL SMALL BREAKS HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME.

IT WAS A VERY TRYING TIME FOR US.

COULD WE, SHOULD WE? YES, WE SHOULD HAVE.

AND I'M NOT CASTIGATING ANYONE WHO WAS OUT ON THAT SCENE BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT THERE ALL NIGHT, COULDN'T GET THE WATER PRESSURE TO DIMINISH ENOUGH SO THAT WE COULD MAKE THE REPAIR. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? WE WE FACE THE DECISION OF SPENDING ABOUT $70,000 TO CALL IN A CONTRACTOR THAT COULD FIX IT MORE QUICKLY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE PIPE AND THE VOLUME OF THE WATER COMING OFF GRAND RIVER. SO I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF DOWN IN THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.

ONE THING WE COULD HAVE DONE AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I'M TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS UP FOR 30 SOME HOURS WORKING ON THIS.

SO, AGAIN, NOT DIMINISHING IN EVERYONE'S ANYONE'S EFFORT THAT WAS OUT THERE.

[00:55:03]

AND I THINK, BARBARA, YOU RAISE A GOOD ISSUE TODAY, WHICH WE'VE LEARNED FROM.

WE SHOULD HAVE WENT UP TO EACH HOME.

IT WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN US LONG TO GO UP TO 20 HOUSES AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND SAY, THIS IS BEYOND WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS AND IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILE.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.

BUT GETTING BACK TO WHAT WE DO IN COMMUNICATION WISE, THE GRAND RIVER PROJECT, WHICH WAS AN MDOT PROJECT, IT WASN'T EVEN OUR PROJECT.

WE WERE SENDING OUT EVERY 48 HOURS AN UPDATE TO ALL THE BUSINESSES.

IF YOU TALK TO THE BUSINESSES ON GRAND RIVER, THEY'RE PRETTY HAPPY WITH OUR COMMUNICATION THAT WE PROVIDED.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT.

EVERY DAY.

WE WERE SENDING OUT A NOTICE TO OVER 300 HOMES ABOUT WHERE THE TRUCKS WERE GOING TO BE THAT DAY.

VERY DETAILED.

A PROJECT THAT WAS THE COUNTY DRAINS PROJECT.

IT WASN'T OURS, BUT WE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BRIDGE PROJECT.

THAT'S A COUNTY PROJECT.

IT'S NOT OUR PROJECT, THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

WE'RE GIVING OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THESE PROJECTS THAN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECTS.

IT'S NOT PERFECT.

I'M NOT UP HERE TO SAY WE'RE PERFECT, BUT I'M UP HERE TO SAY, LET'S LOOK AT OUR TRACK RECORD WE'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF 12 OR 1500 HOMES IN THE SUMMER OF 22. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HERE SAYING, WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING? I REALIZED SOME THINGS COULD HAVE WENT BETTER THE OTHER DAY AND WE'LL LEARN FROM THAT.

I THINK IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE IT WAS ON GRAND RIVER AND I APOLOGIZE THAT PEOPLE THAT RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY WERE SLIGHTED ON DURING THE BREAK. I FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT.

WE WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER.

I THINK IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD IF TO DO OVER AGAIN, WE'D PROBABLY USE EVERBRIDGE AS A NOTICE.

OF COURSE, THAT ONLY GOES UP TO PEOPLE OUT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGNED UP FOR THAT.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING IN HINDSIGHT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE USED BECAUSE IT'S PARK LAKE ROAD, IT'S CONNECTING GRAND RIVER UP TO COSTCO AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

SO WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.

WE WOULD HAVE KNOCKED ON THE DOORS.

BUT HAD WE NOT ACTED THE WAY WE ACTED IN GETTING A LARGE CONTRACTOR OUT HERE FROM OUT OF TOWN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT FIX, WE ACTUALLY HAD A SHOT. IT WAS SO BAD WE HAD TO SHUT WATER DOWN AND BUSINESSES ON GRAND RIVER SO THE FLOW WOULD STOP, TRICKLE DOWN SO THAT WE COULD MAKE THE REPAIR TO THIS 24 INCH PIPE.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, THE THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE AND WE'LL DO BETTER.

BUT LET'S LOOK AT THE TRACK RECORD OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN COMMUNICATING WITH OUR RESIDENTS.

WE HAVE HAD CONSTRUCTION, BRIDGE PROJECT, DANIELS DRAIN PROJECT.

WE'VE HAD A BOIL WATER NOTICE AND WE'VE HAD A CONSERVE WATER.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, NOT JUST US.

EAST LANSING HAS HAD THEM TOO, BUT I WILL, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR OVERALL RESPONSE.

DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NOT HOLES IN IT.

SO AND I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH ANY RESIDENT WHO WANTS TO SIT DOWN.

AND I CAN ATTEST TO YOU THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PROFESSIONAL AND WE DO NOT GO OUT AND TRY TO PROVOKE SITUATIONS.

THE DEER CALL AND ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT THAT YOU HAVE? THE DEER CALL. AS YOU KNOW, ARCHERY TOOK 157 RIGHT NOW WITH OUR FIREARMS, THE LAST I HEARD WERE ABOUT 130.

SO THAT PUTS US AT ABOUT UP IN THE CLOSE TO GETTING TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

WE ONLY HAVE 200 PERMITS FROM THE DNR, SO WE'LL END UP AT ABOUT 350 DEER THIS YEAR.

THE ALCHEMIST ROAD BRIDGE TO OUR RESIDENCE.

WE REMAIN HOPEFUL ON FEBRUARY 28TH, AGAIN, IT'S A COUNTY BRIDGE PROJECT.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, AS FRUSTRATING AS IT'S BEEN, LET'S KEEP IN MIND IT'S A ONCE IN AN 80 YEAR PROJECT.

IT IS A $9 MILLION PROJECT.

WE HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THAT PROJECT AT ALL.

SO KUDOS TO THE COUNTY FOR GETTING IT DONE AND GETTING THE FEDERAL FUNDING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

IT'S TAKEN LONGER THAN WE'D HOPED FOR AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE PATIENCE AS WE WORK THROUGH IT.

IF THINGS CHANGE, WE WILL COMMUNICATE THAT OUT AND MANY, MANY SOURCES.

AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME ISSUES THAT OCCURRED THAT WE COULD DO BETTER, I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER AND OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC WORKS CREW FOR THEIR RESPONSE NOT ONLY TO WHAT HAPPENED FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AGO, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE PAST SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS.

WE HAVE A SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND I HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, DR.

LILLY AND THEIR NEW DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE.

THE BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE'LL BE PROBABLY CLOSING THE BUILDING BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER.

THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC AS WE GO FORWARD, BUT WE'RE DOING A TOTAL RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING.

IT'S BEEN ABOUT 50 YEARS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE BUILDING.

[01:00:01]

THE LOCAL OFFICERS COMPENSATION COMMISSION MEETS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON FRIDAY.

REMEMBER, THEY MEET EVERY ODD YEAR AND THEY NEED A JANUARY.

THEY HAVE ONE SOLE PURPOSE AND THAT IS TO SET THE SALARY RANGES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.

YOUR TWO MEMBERS THAT WERE JUST APPOINTED, JOYCE VANCOUVER AND STEVE DIAGNOSI, WILL TAKE PART IN THAT MEETING.

THE FIRST TASK FORCE OF THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER IS FEBRUARY 14TH, ALAIEDON TOWNSHIP, WHICH I SPOKE TO YOU LAST MEETING ABOUT FIRE AND MEDICAL COVERAGE, AND THAT'S BECOMING AN ISSUE.

WE'VE ADDRESSED PART OF IT BY PLACING TWO PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTERS, ADDITIONAL PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTERS IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN HANDLE ANY EMERGENCIES THAT COME UP.

WE ARE CHALLENGED WITH THE BRIDGE PROJECT.

WE CANNOT GO SOUTHBOUND.

THERE ARE TIMES ON DOBIE ROAD WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO SOUTHBOUND.

AND SO WE'RE LEFT WITH HOW DO WE TRAVERSE DOWN TO THE SOUTH PART OF THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN MERIDIAN ROAD, JOLLY ROAD, HAGEDORN AND GRAND RIVER.

AND SO WE'VE PLACED TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL DOWN THERE EVERY DAY ON DUTY.

IT'S COSTLY, BUT IT'S WORTH CERTAINLY WORTH THE EFFORT.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION MET LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THEIR NEW FULL MEMBERSHIP.

WE HAD NINE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS LAST NIGHT, WHICH IS A FULL CAPACITY, WHICH WE'VE NOT HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME.

THE COMMUNITY SIGN PROJECT.

YOU'LL START TO SEE THE SIGNS GO UP HERE IN LATE JANUARY, EARLY FEBRUARY.

AND AS FAR AS THE RED CEDAR PROJECT, CERTAINLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW THAT DIRECTOR MAISNER IS INVOLVED.

I THINK WE ALL WANT TO GET THE PARK COMMISSION INVOLVED AS WELL AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO COLLECTIVELY AS A TEAM TO WORK ON THE PROJECT.

AND I WANT TO ALSO THANK MR. OSTRANDER FOR YOUR GREAT PRESENTATION, AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT NOKOMIS IS BACK UP AND RUNNING AND STRONG AS EVER.

THAT CONCLUDES. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LONGER PRESENTATION I NORMALLY PROVIDE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US HEAD ON.

AND I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FRET.

WE'VE GOT A CITIZEN COMING IN THAT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS OR THAT AND EVERYTHING.

AND I ACTUALLY REALLY ENJOYED MY CONVERSATION AND GETTING TO KNOW [INAUDIBLE] TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY ISSUES AGAIN TO PLEASE LET US KNOW, WE'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE.

I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

HOW MANY POUNDS OF VENISON IS THAT? AND CAN YOU REMIND ME, WHERE DOES THAT GET DONATED? FORGOT. YEAH.

SO WE DID 7,000 POUNDS LAST YEAR WITH THE PROGRAM.

WE'RE GOING TO EXCEED THAT THIS YEAR.

IN FACT, I BELIEVE TRUSTEE WILSON JUST WORKED ON A DONATION HERE LOCALLY.

INDEED, WE HAVE TAKEN 500 POUNDS OF VENISON TOTAL OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS TO THE DOWNTOWN LANSING FOOD PANTRY AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WHERE I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER FOR OVER TEN YEARS.

AND YOU ARE FEEDING A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WE JUST TOOK A FREEZER FULL IN LAST FRIDAY, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.

YEAH, I BELIEVE REALLY HELPS US.

YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE MADE A SIGNIFICANT DONATION TO THE GRAND LEDGE FOOD PANTRY.

YOU DID 1100 POUNDS TOTAL, OF WHICH WE TOOK 300 AND THEY TOOK 800.

AND IT ALL GOES TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES.

YOU KNOW, WE FEED AND OUR FOOD AT THE FOOD PANTRY AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LANSING, WE FEED ABOUT 125 PEOPLE A WEEK.

SO IT GOES VERY QUICKLY.

GREAT WORK BY OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, OUR VOLUNTEERS, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, LED BY CHIEF PLAGA.

MY THE ESTIMATE THIS YEAR IS BETWEEN 8280- 8500 POUNDS OF VENISON THROUGH THE PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY TO REACH THAT.

AND IT'S A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM FOR THE FOOD BANKS IN THE THREE COUNTY AREA.

WE'RE DELIVERING ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS HIGH AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VENISON THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] YOU I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WAS A SINGLE MOM WITH TWO KIDS ON ASSISTANCE LONG, LONG TIME AGO AND HAD ASSISTANCE WITH FOOD.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE EFFORTS TO HELP OUT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

THANK YOU. THANKS.

SMART. I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF WORK ON THAT.

THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS OF COMMENTS ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS.

THANK YOU. MR. WALSH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES ANDANNOUNCEMENTS]

THANK YOU, MADAM. ON JANUARY 20TH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO REPRESENTATIVE SYNAGOGUES. OPEN HOUSE.

[01:05:02]

I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS THERE, THE DISCUSSION WAS OPEN, IT WAS FRANK, IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE.

AND WE GOT TO SPEAK ON A NUMBER OF OF INTERESTING ISSUES THAT ARE BOTH COMMON ISSUES BETWEEN.

FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND ALSO FOR THE STATE.

AND I KNOW THAT I AM EXCITED TO HAVE.

WELL, THANKS TO REDISTRICTING LAST YEAR, WE HAVE ALL BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE NOT ONE BUT TWO STATE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE REPRESENTING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THE LEGISLATURE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING TWO VOICES SPEAKING FOR US AND ON OUR BEHALF TO THE STATE.

AND I THINK THAT BOTH PENELOPE AND, OF COURSE, REPRESENTATIVE BROOKS, WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS WELL.

WILL BE EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES FOR US IN THE LEGISLATURE.

I WOULD ADD THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WHAT WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REPRESENTATIVE COMING TONIGHT AND ALLOWING US TO INTRODUCE HER AND MAYBE TO SOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

BUT WE WILL CONTINUE IN OUR ATTEMPT TO BRING HER HERE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I ATTENDED THE MERIDIAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING ON JANUARY 19TH, AND OH MY GOSH, THERE WAS SO MUCH INFORMATION.

I CAN'T EVEN SUMMARIZE IT.

BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON A TRAIL PROJECT BETWEEN HAGEDORN AND SURE, THE PHASE ONE IS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE CROSSING OVER THE RED CEDAR RIVER, AND THEY STARTED IN DECEMBER.

PHASE TWO FROM CAMPUS APARTMENTS TO OKEMOS.

SO ANYWAY, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES.

THERE'S A BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY AND SO JUST LOOK IT UP.

AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH INFORMATION THEY HAD AVAILABLE.

THANK YOU. ARE YOU POINTING TO THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU'RE REFERRING? YEAH. YEAH. AND I'M SURE THEY'LL BE MEETING MINUTES TOO.

YOU KNOW, WE JUST MET, SO.

BUT YEAH, A LOT GOING ON.

TRUSTEE WILSON. ON JANUARY 11TH, WE HAD A MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMITTEE, AND WE HAD TWO MEMBERS THAT ATTENDED THAT MEETING.

MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT DOING A DEBRIEF ON THE HILL FIRE BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE WANTED TO IMPART ABOUT THAT.

AND I THINK WE MADE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROGRESS HELPING THOSE FOLKS.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY AGAIN THAT THERE IS AN OPEN CLOSET WITH CLOTHING, HOUSEHOLD GOODS, DIAPERS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS AVAILABLE AT FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH ON DOBIE ROAD IN OKEMOS.

IT'S GOING TO BE OPEN FOR ONE MORE WEEK.

IT'S FREE TO ANY PERSON IN THE TOWNSHIP WHO NEED SOME RESOURCES.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT.

AND ALSO, MADAM SUPERVISOR, I'D LIKE TO TO READ SOMETHING.

I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD.

THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, ALSO KNOWN AS DOWNTOWN OKEMOS PROJECT AT THE CORNER OF OKEMOS ROAD AND HAMILTON ROAD, IS ONGOING.

THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CHANGES TO THE PLAN AND MANY INVOLVE PARTIES INCLUDING THE STATE, COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP.

THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS CONDUCTED MULTIPLE PUBLIC HEARINGS, NOTICES AND AMENDMENTS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT, MOST RECENTLY IN NOVEMBER OF 2022.

AS WE APPROACH THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IS FORMALLY ASKING MANAGEMENT TO ARRANGE FOR A PUBLIC FORUM TO INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS DEVELOPMENT.

IT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE DEVELOPERS ABOUT THE CURRENT PROJECT AND ITS TIMELINE. NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC FORUM SHALL BE WIDELY ADVERTISED THROUGH PRINT MEDIA, OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING FACEBOOK AND NEXT DOOR.

WE HOPE THAT ANY INTERESTED CITIZENS WILL ATTEND.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SAME. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

ON JANUARY 18TH, I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT AT PHILANTHROPY CENTER AND ALSO ON THE 20TH OPEN REPRESENTATIVE SURPLUS ELECTED OFFICIAL OPEN HOUSE. IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE TIME.

THE MANAGER AT THE MANAGER'S REQUEST, HE'S ASKED ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SET OUT THEIR TOP GOALS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY THREE WITH WITH THIS BOARD REAL QUICKLY.

THEY ARE ONE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO PAY PERMITS, FEES AND ASSESSMENTS WITH ELECTRONIC PAYMENT OPTIONS WHICH AREN'T AVAILABLE TODAY.

[01:10:08]

SECONDLY, TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS ON WHERE THEIR TAX PAYMENTS ARE DISTRIBUTED, REMEMBER, $0.80 OUT OF EVERY DOLLAR WE GET IS IMMEDIATELY PASSED ON TO SCHOOLS AND OTHER ENTITIES AND HOW WE SPEND IT HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP FOR PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES.

AND THREE, TO MAXIMIZE INTEREST INCOME ON OUR ASSETS WITHIN THE VERY STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS OF OUR INVESTMENT POLICY, WHICH TELLS US WHAT WE CAN INVEST IN.

AND THEY'RE VERY SAFE INSTRUMENTS.

LASTLY, I WANTED TO THANK MANAGER WALSH AND DEPUTY MANGER OPSOMMER FOR THEIR EXTRA EFFORT ON THIS MOST RECENT WATER MAIN BREAK.

AND REALLY THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE HAD A REALLY TOUGH YEAR.

GRAND RIVER WAS TORN UP FOR OVER A MILE, OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARE.

THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN OUT OKEMOS ROAD, NORTH AND SOUTH WAS OUT.

WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF WATER MAIN BREAKS AND THEN THE DANIELS DRAIN.

300 HOMES WERE TORN UP.

MANY OF THOSE WERE MY NEIGHBORS.

THE VERY INTRUSIVE AND EXHAUSTIVE PROJECT, THEY MANAGED ALL THAT.

ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAD A CABLE CONTRACTOR COME IN AND ACT CARELESSLY AND CREATED A HUGE PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD.

REMEMBER THE COMMUNICATION AND THAT WE HAD.

WE WERE ON TOP OF THAT IMMEDIATELY KICK THEM THE HECK OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP AND FIX THAT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.

SO I SEE THEM EVERY DAY IN THE BUILDING.

IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH YEAR.

IT'S A TENSE TIME AND THEY ARE DOING AND THEIR TEAMS ARE DOING ALL THEY CAN TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

SO COMMUNICATION SURE ISN'T PERFECT NECESSARILY, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY MORE FOCUSED ON FIXING THE PROBLEM AND ALLOWING THE COMMUNICATION TO COME OUT AS IT SHOULD.

BUT THERE'S NO LACK OF EFFORT ON OUR DPW AND MANAGEMENT TEAMS TO GET THESE SITUATIONS RESOLVED AND RESUME NORMAL BUSINESS HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND WE'LL GET A LOT MORE NORMAL ONCE THAT BRIDGE GETS DONE SOMETIME LATER THIS WINTER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

AS REGARDS TO COMMUNICATIONS, AS PART OF THE COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE, IF ANYONE HASN'T HAPPENED TO NOTICE, WE BEGAN PUBLIC PUTTING ALL OF THE LEGAL AD NOTICES FOR MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES IN THE CITY PULSE.

THIS IS AN ADDITION TO THE LANSING STATE JOURNAL.

WE HAD DECIDED THAT SINCE WE HADN'T HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC COMING OUT AND ENGAGING THAT WE WANTED TO INCREASE OUR ADDITIONAL OUTREACH EFFORTS BY PUBLICIZING AND IN BOTH PAPERS.

AND I HAVE RECEIVED COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS THAT THEY APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL NOTICES THAT ARE GOING OUT.

SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.

SO IF WE CAN ALL HELP SPREAD THE WORD TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

SINCE I AM THE BOARD LIAISON TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, I NOT ONLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE, BUT TO GO TO THE GET CONNECTED SECTION OF THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR COMMUNITY ALERTS, WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS, MEETING NOTIFICATIONS.

THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF ON THERE THAT YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR AND GET INVOLVED ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP MANAGES.

AND ALSO IN REGARDS TO I DID SEE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON NEXT DOOR REGARDING RESIDENTS BEING ABLE TO CONTACT BOARD MEMBERS.

I THINK I'LL TAKE THE LIBERTY OF SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD BY SAYING WE ARE ALL AVAILABLE.

WE ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO SPEAK WITH RESIDENTS.

I PUT MY CARDS OVER THERE ON THE TABLE.

YOU CAN FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA ANYWHERE.

JUST GOOGLE MY NAME.

I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANYONE AND THE TOWNSHIP, ALL OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S INFORMATION IS FOR HOW TO CONNECT WITH INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS IS ON IS ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SECTION OF THE WEBSITE AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD REFUSE TO MEET WITH THE RESIDENT.

WE REPORT TO YOU.

AND SO I THINK I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US IN SAYING THAT, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANYONE, ZOOM WITH ANYONE, HAVE COFFEE.

I'M A COFFEE ADDICT.

I ALSO LOVE FOOD.

SO IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, HAPPY TO MEET WITH PEOPLE AND RESOLVE WHATEVER ISSUES THERE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY . IN REGARDS TO OKEMOS VILLAGE.

THANK YOU, TRUSTEE WILSON, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF HAVING SOME SORT OF PUBLIC FORUM WITH THE DEVELOPERS.

I THINK IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

I THINK DIRECTOR SCHMITT PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER A WHILE AGO WITH THE DEVELOPERS AND THERE WAS A PUBLIC FORUM WHERE THEY SHARED INFORMATION.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT IN A WHILE.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN PROGRESS AND AND THE BOARD LAST ACTED ON THE BROWNFIELD PLAN IN NOVEMBER.

[01:15:02]

ELECTIONS, IN REGARDS TO ELECTIONS, THE STATEWIDE AUDIT SELECTED PRECINCT SEVEN FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FROM THE NOVEMBER ELECTION TO BE AUDITED.

THAT AUDIT WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH.

WE DO EXPECT THE AUDIT TO GO SMOOTHLY.

THE PURPOSE OF THE AUDIT IS TO FOCUS ON CONFIRMING THAT ELECTION PROCEDURES WERE PROPERLY FOLLOWED AND ELECTION EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AND TO IDENTIFY ANY AREAS FOR FOCUS AND IMPROVEMENT IN FUTURE ELECTIONS.

SO I GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR DEPUTY CLERK, ZACK LEMASTER, WHO'S BEEN A ROCK STAR ALL YEAR WITH ELECTIONS, AND HE'LL BE A BIG PART OF THIS AUDIT ON FRIDAY.

AND THEN IN REGARDS TO DEPARTMENT GOALS, WE'RE NOT NEARLY AS EXCITING AS THE TREASURER'S OFFICE WITH INVESTMENTS.

SO BASICALLY OUR GOALS ARE WE HAVE A NEW FOIA SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING TRAINING AND DOING CROSS TRAINING ON, WILL BE WORKING ON RECORD STORAGE AND MANAGEMENT AND GETTING OUR VOTING, OUR VOTER MASTER CARDS AND CEMETERY RECORDS TO DATE.

AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE SOME BOARD POLICIES.

WE HAVE A BOARD POLICY MANUAL THAT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2014, SO PRETTY SURE I CAN KNOCK THAT OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO THAT'S OUR OTHER GOAL FOR THE YEAR.

THANK YOU. AND I'M SORRY TO BE SO LONG WINDED.

SO WE ARE AT THIS POINT, I'LL BE VERY QUICK.

WHATEVER.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

WHATEVER. JUST A FEW UPDATES.

ONE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAFF, WITH OUR SUPERVISOR, AND POTENTIALLY HAVE A FUTURE PRESENTATION FROM THEM ON OUR ENERGY COMPONENT OF THAT PLAN.

OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION WORKGROUP MET JUST LAST WEEK IN DEVELOPING OUR GOALS MOVING FORWARD.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.

OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, ABBY TITHOF, HAS BEEN FANTASTIC IN ORGANIZING THAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO INTERNALLY WITH TRAINING MORE REGULARLY AND ALSO LOOKING AT LOOKING AT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED, AS WELL AS RECRUITMENT FOR OTHER STAFF OR PERSONS, AND THEN EXCITED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT MORE PUBLIC FACING COMMUNITY EVENTS.

AND ONE OF THEM THIS YEAR WILL BE OUR FIRST EVER LGBTQ PRIDE CELEBRATION.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT VERY EARLY IN THE PLANNING, BUT VERY EXCITED, LOTS OF MOMENTUM.

THE ONLY OTHER WOULD BE THAT SUPERVISOR EUGENE WALSH AND I MET WITH OUR NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT FOR MSU, THERESA WOODRUFF AND AM I GOING TO SAY TOO MUCH? BECAUSE I'M SURE OUR SUPERVISORS AND WE'RE GOING TO MENTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TOO.

SO THANK YOU.

IF YOU WANT TO, I GUESS, COMMENT FURTHER ON THAT MEETING AT MSU.

IT WAS TERMED BASICALLY A MEET AND GREET AND WE HAD A VERY WARM AND SOMEWHAT EXCITING DISCUSSION WITH THE INTERIM PRESIDENT AT MSU.

BUT PROBABLY MOST NOTABLE IS THAT HER COMMENTS AND THE CONVERSATION WAS VERY MUCH POINTED TO HOW MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND MSU EXISTS IN THIS REGION AND HOW WE TOGETHER WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW WE SPECIFICALLY CONTRIBUTE AND WAYS THAT WE CAN TO THE SUCCESS OF THE OPERATIONS AND THE FUTURE AND THE VISION FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

I THOUGHT I FOUND IT TO BE VERY PRODUCTIVE, VERY WELCOMING, AND VERY MUCH LIKE THE A, I GUESS, ATMOSPHERE THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND PLANS TO CONTRIBUTE TO. THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO PROMOTE OPEN CONVERSATIONS

[01:20:11]

IN ADDITION, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND BEGIN CONVERSATIONS AND PROMOTE OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS, SOME MEMBERS OF OUR SCHOOL BOARDS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH OTHER GROUPS, SMALL GROUPS, NOT TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING BUT TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.

WE ALL EXPERIENCED RECENTLY ELECTIONS.

THESE BOARDS HAVE CHANGED AND RECENTLY, AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE OTHER CONTRIBUTORS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

I THINK THE OTHER PLACES I'VE BEEN IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED.

AND SO WE WILL MOVE ON NOW TO APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

I MOVE THE APPROVAL AS PRESENTED.

SUPPORT.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SUPPORTED.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

PLEASE SAY YES. YES.

HOLDS NO.

AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

THE APPROVAL IS UNANIMOUS AND ITEM NINE IS CONSENT APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA (SALMON)]

ITEM NINE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS A CHARITABLE GAMING LICENSE FOR THE OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA BOOSTERS. MR. HENDRICKSON.

I MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

FOR APPROVAL, WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE IN THIS CASE.

MR. LEMASTER.

THANK YOU. HAVING NO QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY AT THIS POINT.

WE WILL SKIP FROM ITEM TEN.

AND WITH NO HEARINGS TONIGHT, WILL SKIP TO ITEM 12.

[12.A. Ordinance 2022-15 Daycare Regulation Update-Final Adoption]

MR. SMITH. MADAM SUPERVISOR, THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS THE FINAL ADOPTION OF THE DAYCARE REGULATION UPDATE.

JUST TO REITERATE, THIS WOULD CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF FAMILY AND GROUP CHILD DAYCARES TO ALLOW FOR SEVEN CHILDREN IN A FAMILY CHILD, A DAYCARE HOME, A FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME AND BETWEEN SEVEN AND 14 IN A GROUP CHILD CARE HOME CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE LAW THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR.

CONSISTENT WITH REQUIREMENTS WE AND THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD, WE PUBLISHED THE NOTICE TO NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT AFTER THE LAST MEETING AND PRIOR TO THIS MEETING. AND AT THIS TIME WE WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE.

OKAY. TRUSTEE WILSON.

MADAM SUPERVISOR THANK YOU.

I MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR FINAL ADOPTION.

ZONING AMENDMENT 2022-15 TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN TO UPDATE DAYCARE DEFINITIONS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RECENT STATE LAW CHANGES.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

TRUSTEE WILSON. THE REASON FOR DOING THIS IS EXACTLY IN THE MOTION THAT WE WANT TO BRING OURSELVES IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI OR ANYONE ELSE? I BELIEVE WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR.

I'M SORRY, MR. DESCHAINE. YES, I WILL SUPPORT THIS AS WELL AND USE THE SAME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY DAY CARE AND ANYTHING THAT THIS BOARD CAN DO APART FROM THIS

[01:25:02]

NONE OF THE FOUR CAN BE THERE WITHOUT GOOD QUALITY DAYCARE.

SO THIS WE HOPE THIS MOTION, IN ADDITION TO EXPANDING IT, DOES NOT IN ANY WAY DEGRADE THE QUALITY DAYCARE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED IN THESE HOMES.

THAT'S NOTHING UNIQUE TO MERIDIAN.

THIS IS A STATE LAW.

BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOW IMPORTANT DAYCARE IS.

SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S KIND OF UNDER THE RADAR.

BUT IT'S ESSENTIAL TO THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS.

WITHOUT DAYCARE WE LOSE HALF OF OUR WORKFORCE AND THAT OR A QUARTER OF IT ANYWAY AND THAT WOULD BE A HUGE LOSS.

THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS.

THEN, MR. LEMASTER, I BELIEVE WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE.

MOTION CARRIED SEVEN ZERO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ITEM 12 B HAS INVOLVED BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS.

[12.B. Board and Commission Appointments]

WITH ONE VACANCY THERE I WON'T MAKE THE MOTION.

I WILL OPEN THE MY RECOMMENDATION IS THE APPOINTMENT FOR THE MR. BILL WILLIAM CAWOOD FOR THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM ENDING.

12/31/24 AND FOR THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.

MS. KATHLEEN FAY.

I GUESS I MADE THE MOTION THAT.

OKAY. MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVED TO APPOINT WILLIAM CAWOOD TO THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM ENDING 12/31/24.

OKAY. SUPPORT.

I APPRECIATE THE SUPERVISOR FOR BRINGING THIS NOMINATION FORWARD TO US.

HAVING REVIEWED HIS APPLICATION MATERIALS, I FIND HIM TO BE WELL QUALIFIED FOR THIS BOARD.

COUNSEL FELT THE SAME.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD JUST ADD THAT MR. CAWOOD IS A BUSINESSMAN IN THE COMMUNITY.

HE HAS WORKED WITH THE TOWNSHIP BEFORE AS A MEMBER, I BELIEVE, OF THE DDA, AND THIS IS ANOTHER RESPONSIBILITY HE'S TAKING IN THAT DIRECTOR.

ALL IN FAVOR OF A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. WILLIAM CAWOOD TO THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSE, NO.

AND FOR THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION, MR. DESCHAINE. I MOVE TO APPOINT KATHLEEN FAY TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR A TERM ENDING 12/31/23.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY MR. HENDRICKSON AND MR. ALL I KNOW OF OUR APPLICANT IS HER APPLICATION FOR MS. FAY IS INTERESTED IN SERVING IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY.

THOSE ARE EXCELLENT QUALIFICATIONS TO ME.

LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD IS IN A MAINTENANCE MODE NOW RATHER THAN THE PAST YEAR WHEN IT WAS BUSY ACQUIRING PROPERTIES.

NOW IT'S A DIFFERENT MISSION, BUT IT'S NONETHELESS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR LAND PRESERVATION EFFORTS.

MR. HENDRICKSON.

NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD THAN THAT.

OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPOINT CATHOLIC FAITH TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, PLEASE SAY YES. YES.

OPPOSE NO. CHAIR VOTES YES.

MOTION PASSES.

ITEM 12 D, AH C IS THE TOWNSHIP EMERGENCY PLAN UPDATE.

[12.C. Township Emergency Plan Update]

AND SO WE'LL HAVE HIM BE REFAMILIARIZE, BRING US UP TO DATE ON WHERE..

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR BOARD.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BACK.

TWO WEEKS AGO, I TALKED ABOUT THE PLAN AND HOW WE ARE REQUIRED TO UPDATE IT ANNUALLY, AND MOST OF IT IS JUST NAME CHANGES FOR PERSONNEL CHANGES.

[01:30:02]

SO ONCE IT'S APPROVED, THEN WE GET ALL THE SIGNATURES AND IT'S GOOD FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

SO I LOOK FOR YOUR APPROVAL IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

OKAY. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE UPDATED SUPPORT EMERGENCY PLAN OPERATIONS PLAN.

SUPPORT.

SUPPORTED BY MS. BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

I READ IT.

IT WAS MINOR WITH MINOR EDITS BUT STILL REALLY IMPORTANT PLAN, SO I APPRECIATE IT CHIEF.

TRUSTEE WILSON. I THINK YOU GAVE A GREAT EXPLANATION OF THE PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING, SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING IT.

THANK YOU. THIS IS A DOCUMENT UPDATE PRIMARILY, WE CAN TAKE CARE OF VOICE VOTES, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION THAT'S BEEN MADE.

PLEASE SAY YES. YES.

OPPOSE. NO.

CHAIR VOTES YES.

AND THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

DO WE NEED A BREAK? SHE'S GONE.

ITEM 12 D IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.

[12.D. Amendment to the Resolution Establishing the Corridor Improvement Authority]

AND TODAY SHE'S TONIGHT SHE WILL BE ACTUALLY PRESENTING THE PROPOSALS TO US.

SURE. SO QUICK RECAP AGAIN.

THE CIA IS INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT A TIFF AS THE ORIGINAL AND INITIATED RESOLUTION FOR THE CIA RESTRICTS THAT DISCUSSION TONIGHT, OUR ASK IS FOR THE BOARD TO ADOPT THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION NON STRIKE THRU VERSION, WHICH IS THE AMENDED RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE CIA.

ESSENTIALLY THE THINGS THAT WOULD CHANGE THE BOARD ATTENDEES, THE DATE AND TIME AND THE ABILITY FOR THE CAA TO DISCUSS THE TIFF . TRUSTEES DESCHAINE. SO I MOVED TO ADOPT THE AMENDED RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO ALLOW THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT OF 30 TO PURSUE A TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND MR. DESCHAINE.

AS WE SEE FROM THE MEMO FROM DIRECTOR CLARK.

THE BOARD APPROVED THIS QUARTER IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY IN 2016 IS ESSENTIALLY TWO FULL BOARDS BACK AND YET THEY LEFT OFF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF IT, WHICH WAS FUNDING FOR IT.

AND IMAGINE HOW OUR DDA WOULD BE WITH WITH NO FUNDING MECHANISM.

SO IT WAS A GOOD TO DO THAT, TO CREATE THAT ORDER AND IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.

IT WAS A BIT SHORTSIGHTED OF THEM TO LEAVE OUT THE FUNDING.

SO WE'RE WE'RE FIXING WHAT THEY STARTED TO DO IN 2016.

AT LEAST TAX INCREMENT FINANCING ARE BY NO MEANS A SLAM DUNK.

THEY'RE GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK ON THE PART OF THE QUARTER IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY AND ITS MEMBERS AND OTHERS TO GO TO CATA AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND OTHERS AND THE TOWNSHIP AND SAY, HERE IS OUR HERE'S WHY WE THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT.

HERE'S HOW THE COMMUNITY WILL BENEFIT BY DOING THIS.

THEY'LL HAVE TO MAKE THAT CASE, AS I'M SURE EVERYONE IS WELL AWARE.

I THINK THE CASE CAN BE MADE IT.

THE CORRIDOR IS OUR ECONOMIC DRIVER AND THIS TOWNSHIP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE CORRIDOR REMAIN VIABLE AND VIBRANT AND THIS TOOL WILL HELP US TO THAT END.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO US.

THANK YOU. MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, I ALSO WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS CHANGE TO THE AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION FOR THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY. HAVING SERVED AS A PAST LIAISON FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO THAT GROUP, I KNOW THAT THEY ARE A COMMITTED GROUP OF NOT ONLY TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO BUSINESS OWNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY ARE SEEKING TO DO SOME SOME THINGS THAT THIS BOARD WOULD VERY MUCH AGREE WITH, WHICH ARE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR MAIN COMMERCIAL THOROUGHFARE IN THE AREA.

TO DATE, THEY'VE BEEN MORE OR LESS UNABLE TO PURSUE THEIR GOALS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE. AND THIS RESOLUTION AND THIS CHANGE WITH TIME AND EFFORT, OF COURSE, BY DIRECTOR CLARK AND THAT BOARD WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT.

AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO.

[01:35:02]

OTHERS.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I CONCUR WITH THE TREASURER AND THE TRUSTEE.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR CLARK FOR HER EXPERTISE AND HER KNOWLEDGE AND THE VAST AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS AND WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND IN PUTTING TOGETHER A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION SO THAT THE BOARD COULD MAKE A KNOWLEDGEABLE DECISION ON SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL PASSIONATELY ABOUT IN SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY OUR RESIDENTS, BUT OUR BUSINESSES AS WELL.

WE WANT BOTH TO THRIVE AND WE UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THAT IS NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO IT TO THIS FOR US TO MAKE THIS DECISION.

THANK YOU.

BOARD MEMBERS. I CONCUR.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON FOR HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DEALING WITH AND AND ITS PURPOSE.

SO IN THIS CASE, WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE.

MR. LEMASTER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. SO IN ITEM 12 E CHIEF HAMILL IS BACK.

[12.E. Continuity of Operations Plan]

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK AGAIN.

I'M NOT GOING TO BORE YOU WITH ANOTHER LONG PRESENTATION.

YOU SAW WHAT THE PLAN'S MADE OF, SO IF YOU APPROVE IT TONIGHT, TREASURER DESCHAINE ASKED ABOUT A TRAINING PLAN, AND I KIND OF THREW TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION.

REAL SIMPLE. AFTER THIS.

ONCE IT'S APPROVED, I'LL MEET WITH DIRECTORS AND KIND OF GO OVER HOW THE HOW THE PLAN WORKS, HOW WE PROCEED WITH DOCUMENTATION.

WHAT MY GOAL IS, IS TO DO IT GEOGRAPHICALLY.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE WHERE FRANK'S OR MANAGER WALSH'S OFFICES AND ALL THE OTHER DIRECTORS THERE, THAT'S KIND OF A GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL DO THEY'LL BE SEPARATE, BUT THEY'LL BE TOGETHER.

AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE WITH THE PLANNING AND AS WE GET THE DOCUMENTATION DONE, WE WILL EXERCISE IT.

AND WHAT I TOLD THE MANAGERS THE OTHER DAY YESTERDAY ACTUALLY WAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE, IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO SEE SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO IT ISSUES AND MOVING DEPARTMENTS AND AND INFORMATION THAT'S IN THEIR OFFICES THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE OR HAVE TO GO FIND.

SO THAT'S REALLY KIND OF HOW WE'LL ROLL UP PLAN.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE WHOLE PLAN DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S BASED ON GETTING ALL THE DOCUMENTATION INTO THE SUPPORT PLANS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.

OKAY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? MAKE A MOTION.

MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN CONSISTING OF THE BASIC PLAN AND FUNCTIONAL ANNEX AND SUPPORT PLAN FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.

SUPPORT.

SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

WE COULD TAKE A VOICE VOTE IN THIS CASE, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. YES. OPPOSE NO.

CHAIR VOTES YES.

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ITEM 12 F IS RE AUTHORIZATION TO WAIVE SECTION 5084 FOR

[12.F. Reauthorization to Waive Sec. 50-84, Subdivision 4.a. for the Okemos Rd Bridge Construction Project]

MR. OPSOMMER.

GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

SO THE ITEM BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WAS ACTUALLY REQUESTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

THE BOARD HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE BECAUSE AT YOUR MARCH 8TH MEETING, AS I NOTED IN YOUR PACKET, YOU DID PASS A SIMILAR MOTION THAT WAS WAIVING THE LIMITATIONS ON CONSTRUCTION HOURS FOR THE POURING OF THE BRIDGE DECK.

[01:40:03]

OBVIOUSLY THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE BRIDGE DECK WAS POURED DURING RELATIVELY COLDER MONTHS THIS FALL AND THIS WINTER.

SO THE MOTION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WOULD SIMPLY ALLOW THE CONTRACTOR TO WORK ON SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS IF THE CONTRACTORS ARE ABLE TO DO SO. TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE LEEWAY ON COMPLETING THE BRIDGE PROJECT, MORE OR LESS.

THAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THE MOTION BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.

OKAY. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

MR. HENDRICKSON, WILL YOU MAKE THE MOTION.

ABSOLUTELY, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE TO WAIVE SECTION 50-84, SUBSECTION 4 A AND OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES TO PERMIT THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT AND ITS CONTRACTORS WORKING ON THE ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT TO CONDUCT CONSTRUCTION WORK MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, INCLUDING HOLIDAYS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7 A.M.

AND 9 P.M. UNTIL MARCH 7TH, 2023.

SUPPORT.

CLERK GUTHRIE SUPPORTS MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I APPRECIATE DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER JUMPING ON THIS ONE AND BRINGING IT TO US.

OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE THIS BRIDGE PROJECT DONE AS QUICKLY AS AS POSSIBLE.

AND WHILE IT IS NOT OUR PROJECT AND THE [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT IS OVERSEEING THIS PROJECT AND IS RUNNING THIS PROJECT, IT IS, I THINK, INCUMBENT UPON THIS BOARD TO USE EVERY TOOL IN OUR BAG TO HELP THEM TO FINISH IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS AN AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP WHERE THERE WILL BE MINIMAL DISRUPTION WITH WORK DONE IN THE EVENINGS AND ON THE WEEKENDS.

AND I THINK BY AND LARGE, THE OVERALL IMPACT OF GETTING THE BRIDGE REOPENED MORE QUICKLY VASTLY OUTWEIGHS ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT WOULD BE HAD IN THE INTERVENING WEEKS BY ALLOWING THEM TO WORK AFTER HOURS AND ON THE WEEKENDS.

AND SO I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK ON THE WEEKENDS AND AFTER HOURS TO THE BRIDGE CONTRACTORS.

AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE US UP ON THAT AND WE'LL THIS WILL HELP THEM GET THAT PROJECT COMPLETE IN A TIMELY FASHION.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE WILSON AS A RESIDENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S BORNE THE BRUNT OF THE DIVERTED TRAFFIC DESPITE THE SIGNS THAT SAY LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY. AND IT'S BEEN A YEAR.

WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO SPEED THIS AHEAD AND GET THAT BRIDGE OPEN, WE'RE IN FAVOR.

OTHER COMMENTS. MR. DESCHAINE. BECAUSE THIS IS ON OUR DISCUSSION ITEM AND BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO FOLLOW BOARD RULES.

I THINK WE NEED TO START WITH A MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO ACTION TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THIS.

SO I MOVE THAT WE YEAH, IT'S AROUND 12F, SO IT'S ON FOR ACTION.

WE MADE SURE TO..

OK THE VERSION OF THE AGENDA THAT I HAVE IS ON THE DISCUSSION ITEM SO GOT CHANGED.

NEVER MIND. THANK YOU. IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

JUST. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I WANT TO THANK ASSISTANT TOWN DEPUTY, TOWNSHIP DEPUTY TOWNSHIP MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS COUNTY PROJECT AND COMMUNICATING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS PROJECT AND KEEPING US UPDATED.

I LIVE OFF MOUNT HOPE ROAD.

I'M NOT GOING TO ADMIT WHETHER OR NOT I'VE DRIVEN THROUGH INDIAN HILLS TO GET HOME OR [INAUDIBLE] PROBABLY SEEN MY CAR.

BUT YES, I HAVE.

SO I, I TO CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND TRUSTEE WILSON IN REGARDS TO COMPLETING THIS AS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

WHO USES THIS ROADWAY FOR BUSSES AND.

AND OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN IMPACT ON THAT.

SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP LESSEN THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS I'M IN FAVOR OF.

I ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION AND..

FOR MR. OPSOMMER, FOR MR. OPSOMMER, DO YOU YOU I HATE TO ASK THIS, DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT GOING PAST MARCH 7TH?

[01:45:05]

TO 9 P.M. AND THE HOLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING SO THAT.

DATE WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE YOUR FIRST BOARD MEETING IN MARCH IS MARCH 7TH.

SO IF THERE'S ANY NEED FOR CONTINUATION, I CAN ACTUALLY BRING IT TO YOU AT YOUR MARCH 7TH BOARD MEETING.

YOU'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME. SO TO KEEP THE TIMEFRAME AS TIGHT AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE AND SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE, RIGHT? I CAN SAY THAT GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL ON THE PROJECT.

I CALLED THEM TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT MORE GRAVEL WAS PLACED IN THE TEMPORARY CURB CUT FOR OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR CENTRAL MONTESSORI.

THEY'RE ALWAYS ON TOP OF IT, AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL.

THE CONCRETE SUBCONTRACTOR HAS HAD MANY CHALLENGES.

THE CONCRETE SLAB WORK DOWN OKEMOS OR GRAND RIVER AVENUE AS WELL.

SO, I MEAN, THEY WERE COMING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTS AND THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND FOR CONTRACTORS IN GENERAL IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE SPACE.

SO THEY'RE ALL DOING THE BEST THEY CAN UNDER VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND JUST AN ABSOLUTE DEARTH OF WORK.

BUT THE MOST CRITICAL THING IS THE BRIDGE DECK.

WE DID PUBLISH AN UPDATE WHICH THE BOARD RECEIVED, BUT THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO RECEIVE IT BY GOING TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

OR YOU CAN GO TO THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AND MEET US FORWARD SLASH GOVERNMENT FORWARD SLASH TOWNSHIP DASH PROJECTS.

OR IF YOU JUST GO TO OUR MAIN PAGE TYPE IN TOWNSHIP PROJECTS, GO TO THAT PAGE.

WE DO HAVE CHRONOLOGICAL UPDATES.

THERE'S ABOUT 30 THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR JUST FOR THE BRIDGE PROJECT, AND THEY'RE IN CHRONOLOGICAL, CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER FROM PRESENT DAY ALL THE WAY BACK TO JANUARY.

BUT WE DO HAVE THE BRIDGE DECK OR THE APPROACHES, I SHOULD SAY, TO THE BRIDGE DECK SLATED FOR CONCRETE WORK NEXT WEEK.

SO AS LONG AS WE DON'T RUN INTO ANY PRECIPITATION ISSUES NEXT WEEK AND THE APPROACHES MEANING OKEMOS ROAD ITSELF IS POURED, THAT CONCRETE IS PLACED ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.

THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST CONSTRUCTION ITEM REMAINING ON THE BRIDGE.

THERE'S STILL OTHER WORK GUARDRAILS, THE PEDESTRIAN RAILING, OTHER WORK THAT WILL HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE THE BRIDGE OPENS.

BUT ONCE THAT CONCRETE SUPPORT, IT HAS ABOUT A SEVEN DAY CARE PERIOD.

AND THEN WE ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH FOR AT LEAST OPENING THE BRIDGE.

THERE'S GOING TO BE OTHER ANCILLARY WORK THAT OCCURS OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITS OF THE BRIDGE ITSELF BETWEEN THE CURB LINES WHERE THE CARS ARE TRAVELING.

SO THAT'LL BE CRITICAL AND FINGERS CROSSED FOR GOOD WEATHER AND LIMITED PRECIPITATION NEXT WEEK.

ONE FINAL QUESTION COULD YOU ADDRESS IF THERE ARE RESIDENTS LISTENING OR WATCHING THIS MEETING, THE TYPE OF CONCRETE THAT'S POURED DURING THE WINTER TO ENSURE THAT IT'S COVERED? I THINK YOU DO SPECIAL MIXES AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING SPECIAL MIXES ON GRAND RIVER AVENUE AS WELL.

AT THE WETTER LATTER STAGES OF THAT PROJECT.

THEY'LL ALSO BLANKET IT TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS THE APPROPRIATE CARE TEMP.

BUT TYPICALLY A CARE TIME WOULD BE MORE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.

IN THESE INCREMENTAL WEATHERS, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS, BUT THAT THE BRIDGE DECK WILL HAVE PLENTY OF CARE TIME BECAUSE OF THE OTHER WORK THAT'S REQUIRED BEFORE IT WILL OPEN.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT BRIDGE DECK HAS BEEN CARRYING SINCE THE SECOND WEEK OF JANUARY.

THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I THINK THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SNOW STORM TODAY.

IT'S RELATIVELY MILD, BUT AS LONG AS THEY CAN GET THE GRADE AND IT'S NOT KNOW, THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH SNOWFALL, WE SHOULD BE GOOD FOR NEXT WEEK.

RIGHT NOW, THE FORECAST SHOWS MOSTLY CLOUDY, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF SUN COMING THROUGH AND NO CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION.

SO REALLY LIKE A WEATHER MAP I CHANGED.

YEAH, I'M REFERRING TO MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY WOULD BE THE START OF POURING THE APPROACHES OF OKEMOS NEXT WEEK.

SO. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS A MOTION TO APPROVE A REAUTHORIZATION OF A WAIVER.

AND WE CAN TAKE A VOICE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO REAUTHORIZE THIS WAIVER, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSE NO.

THE CHAIR VOTES YES AND THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU, MR. OPSOMMER.

THANK YOU. WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 13 FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS.

[13.A. Ordinance 2022-16 – Sign Ordinance Update]

SIGN ORDINANCE UPDATE, MR.

[01:50:02]

OKAY, I'M SORRY.

PLEASE. PLEASE. MR. WALSH. THANK YOU FOR THE ALLOWANCE.

I JUST WANTED TO, AS SOMEONE, AS A STAFF WHO GETS TO DISCUSS THE BIRD PROJECT WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTS, I JUST WANT TO THANK TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON FOR BRINGING THIS UP.

ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MOVE THIS ALONG IN THE FAVOR OF OUR RESIDENTS AND GETTING THE BRIDGE ACCOMPLISHED.

AND WE'LL BE GOING WITH A PRESS RELEASE ON THIS TOMORROW FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM TO GET OUT BECAUSE THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW WHETHER THEY WORK ON EVENINGS OR SUNDAYS ISN'T THE POINT. THE POINT IS THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS TAKEN THIS ACTION AND I THANK TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON FOR THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH.

MR. SCHMIDT.

WELL, I WAS HOPING MANAGER WALSH WAS GOING TO HANDLE THE SIDEWALK.

HE TOLD YOU UP FRONT HE WASN'T GOING TO.

SO THIS IS THE ONE OF THE LARGEST ORDINANCE UPDATES YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE IN A LONG TIME.

THIS IS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE SIGN ORDINANCE.

IT'S MOST COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE SINCE THE READ VERSUS GILBERT SUPREME COURT CASE WAS SET DOWN BY THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, WHICH FUNCTIONALLY OUTLAWED CONTENT BASED REGULATIONS.

IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR THE LEGAL COMMUNITY, THE PLANNING COMMUNITY, TO GET TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT EXACTLY MEANS.

BUT LARGELY, IF YOU HAVE TO READ THE SIGN TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO REGULATE THE SIGN, IT'S PROBABLY NOT A LEGAL REGULATION.

AND SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS ORDINANCE ARE MODIFICATIONS TO ELIMINATE THE CONTENT BASED REGULATIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY IN OUR ORDINANCE.

SO THAT'S THE BIG PICTURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF CHANGES, AND I'M JUST GOING TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THINGS.

I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO A WHOLE LOT OF DETAIL.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

BUT WE'VE OVERHAULED THE DEFINITIONS IN THE ORDINANCE TO FURTHER CLARIFY SPECIFIC TERMS OF ART OR SPECIFIC THINGS WITHIN THE ORDINANCE THAT WE KNOW NEED TO BE DEFINED.

WE HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY UPDATED THE PURPOSE SECTION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY LEFT TO THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY BECAUSE AS A PLANNER YOU EITHER LOVE OR HATE PURPOSES, I DON'T PARTICULARLY CARE FOR THEM.

SO THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS UPDATED THAT FOR US TO MAKE FUNCTIONALLY, WHAT THAT DOES IS IT HELPS TO IF WE WERE EVER TO BE CHALLENGED ON THIS IN COURT, SHOW WHAT OUR INTENT WAS AND HOW WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO TO MAKE IT MORE LEGAL FOR US IN THE FUTURE.

THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WHAT I'D LIKE TO CALL CLARIFICATION AND CONSOLIDATION THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE.

SO IF YOU GO THROUGH SOME OF THE OLD SECTIONS, YOU'LL NOTE IN MANY PLACES IT MAKES REFERENCE TO SECTION SEVEN OF THE SIGN ORDINANCE.

BUT THAT SENTENCE WAS WRITTEN ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS DEPENDING ON WHICH SECTION YOU WERE IN.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE CLARIFIED THAT SECTION EIGHT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

PREVIOUSLY, WE'RE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO IS EVERY SECTION SAYING SIGNS SHALL BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN ARTICLE SEVEN OF THIS CHAPTER. ANY OTHER LANGUAGE IS SUPERFLUOUS, AND IT WAS DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHICH SECTION YOU WERE IN.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.

I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THESE TWO REAL QUICK AND COME BACK TO THEM.

WE HAVE UPDATED THE REGULATIONS FOR FLAGS, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS THE MOST COMPLICATED PART IN THE END.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MYSELF, THE PLANNING COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEE ALL STRUGGLED WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT.

SO WE TURNED THAT OVER TO THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS TO GIVE US REASONABLE LANGUAGE.

THE TEMPORARY SIGNS SECTION IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHANGE HERE.

THESE ARE THIS IS FUNCTIONALLY WHAT THE READ VERSUS GILBERT CASE STARTED OUT OF, WHICH WAS A TEMPORARY SIGN THAT WAS PLACED BY A CHURCH AT THE TIME ILLEGALLY.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO HERE IS WE'VE ESTABLISHED TWO CATEGORIES OF TEMPORARY SIGNS BASED ON ADDITIONAL COURT CASES THAT CAME TO THE SUPREME COURT. SO WE HAVE AN OFF PREMISE SIGN OR AN ON PREMISE SIGN.

THE ON PREMISE SIGNS ARE THINGS LIKE FOR SALE OR FOR LEASE GRAND OPENING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON, SOMETHING THAT'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THE SITE, BECAUSE YOU ARE DOING THAT AS AN ADDITION TO THE SIGN THAT'S PERMITTED FOR THAT SITE TO BEGIN WITH.

THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE.

THE OFF PREMISE SIGNS ARE TOTALLY NOT POLITICAL SIGNS BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL TO CALL THEM POLITICAL SIGNS.

BUT IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT DO NOT SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE PROPERTY.

SAVE THE WHALES IS THE EXAMPLE EVERY PLANNER USE.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO SAVE THE WHALES, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY NO WHALES IN MY FRONT YARD IF I PUT A SIGN OUT THERE.

AND SO THAT SECTION IS REALLY TRYING TO REGULATE ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE GET INTO WITH SIGNAGE IN A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY, THAT

[01:55:08]

THIS IS IT'S A LOT OF PLACES HAVE VETTED LANGUAGE ALONG THIS LINES.

OUR ATTORNEYS ARE PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.

THE WE ADDED PROVISION AT THE VERY END THAT IS NEW ENTITLED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAIVERS.

SO IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SUCH AS GRAND RIVER AVENUE, WE WILL LIKELY IN THE FUTURE BE ASKING THE BOARD TO WAIVE TEMPORARY SIGN PROVISIONS TO ALLOW FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY.

FUNCTIONALLY, THIS SUMMER WHEN THAT HAPPENED, IT WAS A FUNCTION OF US ENFORCING DIFFERENTLY WITH THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION. WE TRY TO PROVIDE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF GRACE OVER THE SUMMER.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS FUNCTIONALLY CODIFIED OUR ACTIVITIES FROM THE SUMMER AND ALLOW THE BOARD TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.

SO THE TWO THERE'S TWO CHANGES I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTUAL LIKE CHANGES TO WHAT PEOPLE NORMALLY THINK OF IN THE SIGN ORDINANCE, SIZE, HEIGHT, LOCATION.

SO THE TWO REAL ONLY CHANGES TO THE SIZE HEIGHT LOCATION QUESTION IS IN THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICT, WE DID INCREASE THE SIZE OF A SIGN THAT IS A GROUND SIGN THAT IS PERMITTED FREESTANDING I'M SORRY.

FREESTANDING THE SIGN IS PERMITTED FROM 20 TO 30 FEET ON THE WALL SIDE SIGN AND 25 TO 32 ON THE FREESTANDING SIDE.

THOSE ARE THOSE WERE SMALL NUMBERS TO BEGIN WITH.

THEY'RE ALSO UNUSUAL NUMBERS IN THAT FREESTANDING SIGN IS GENERALLY A FACTOR OF A SHEET OF PLYWOOD.

IT'S JUST HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS GONE AND 25 SQUARE FEET IS JUST A WEIRD NUMBER.

HOWEVER, IN THE FLIP SIDE, WE IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION AGREED TO REDUCE THIS HEIGHT FROM 16 FEET, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED DOWN TO SIX, WHICH IS FRANKLY WHAT WE SEE IS A SIX FOOT TALL MONUMENT SIGN.

IT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO IN AN OFFICE PARK.

SO WE THINK THAT'S RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, STAFF RECOMMENDED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE A CHANGE IN THE AREA OF SIGNAGE FOR FREE STANDING SIGNS TO 38 SQUARE FEET.

RIGHT NOW, THE ORDINANCE HAS A SLIDING SCALE, DEPENDING ON HOW BIG YOUR BUILDING IS.

IS, WHICH ALSO DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH HOW BIG YOUR BUILDING IS, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING WAS BUILT BECAUSE YOUR PREDATE THE ORDINANCE, YOU HAVE A LARGE SIGN.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE KIND OF TOSSED ALL THAT AND SAID, LOOK, WE'RE JUST GOING TO THE MIDDLE NUMBER.

IT'S 38 SQUARE FEET.

THAT WAS THE THAT'S SORT OF THE AVERAGE NUMBER FOR MOST LARGE SIZE BUILDINGS.

AND THAT CAN BE THE STANDARD.

NOW GOING FORWARD, IT MAKES IT VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER MINOR CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE, DIRECTIONAL SIGNS, WINDOW SIGNAGE DRIVE THROUGH.

HOW WE HANDLE THESE TYPES OF THINGS.

I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THEM IN ANY DETAIL.

WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, THOUGH, IS THAT THIS WILL TOUCH EVERY REGULATION THAT WE HAVE ON SIGNAGE.

AND I WILL ALSO I'M GOING TO PUT THIS OUT THERE NOW AND HOPE IT DOESN'T COME TRUE.

BUT I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU WE WILL BE BACK WITH A CHANGE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE ON AN ORDINANCE THIS BIG.

WHEN YOU MAKE THIS MANY CHANGES, INEVITABLY THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T WORK.

WE KNOW THIS GOING IN.

WE'RE PREPARED FOR IT.

I'VE ALREADY TOLD MY STAFF AS WE.

IF THIS GOES FORWARD, AS WE IMPLEMENT IT, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOTING IF WE HAVE PROBLEMS AND WE'LL DO A LITTLE CLEANUP IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NEEDED.

MOST COMMUNITIES NEED TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE FINALLY THERE.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. THANKS, TIM.

YOU'RE RIGHT. THIS IS THIS IS A BIG, BIG ORDINANCE CHANGE.

HAVING BEEN IN THE ZBA FOR THREE YEARS AND A LOT OF SIGN CASES COMING FOR THE ZBA, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US SPEND MORE TIME WITH THIS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US SPEND AT LEAST AN HOUR OF THE IN-SERVICE TYPE MEETING WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND GO THROUGH THIS SECTION BY SECTION AND IF POSSIBLE, BRING US SOME, SOME GRAPHICS, SOME VISUALS SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE OLD SIGN WAS, WHAT THE NEW SIGN IS.

WE'RE GOING TO BREAK THIS DOWN BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE TOWNSHIP IN WAYS THAT MANY OTHER ORDINANCE HAVEN'T.

NOW, IF WE NEED TO DO A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE WHOLE SOME MEETING BEFORE WE TAKE THIS ON OR WE KEEP OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS TO A MINIMUM FOR THAT AGENDA, BUT GIVE OURSELVES A FULL HOUR TO TAKE THIS OUT SECTION BY SECTION SO WE CAN REALLY VISUALLY SEE IT AND AND FUNDAMENTALLY UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOOK TO DO IT.

I THINK THIS MORE NEEDS TO AS WELL.

SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD INTRODUCTION TO IT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SPEND US TO SPEND SOME MORE BOARD TIME BEFORE WE THIS COMES BACK FOR ACTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE, I CONCUR.

THIS IS A LARGE DOCUMENT AND A HUGE CHANGE.

AND I KNOW THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WERE SPENT ON CREATING THE SIGN ORDINANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS HUGE.

[02:00:08]

I FEEL AS A BOARD MEMBER MAKING A DECISION ON THIS IN REGARD TO SIGNAGE.

AND I KNOW HOW TOUCHY THIS AREA CAN BE THAT I FEEL I NEED MORE TIME TO REVIEW THESE MATERIALS AND DIGEST THEM. AND I WOULD.

I'M GLAD THAT YOU SUGGESTED THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE DO HAVE ONE HOUR WITH YOUR STAFF EXPLAINING IT, BECAUSE IT IS VERY DAUNTING.

THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING AT EVERY DAY AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS A BOARD MEMBER IN MAKING A DECISION TO HAVE MORE OF YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR STAFF'S EXPERTISE AND LOOKING AT THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ON IT.

JUST UNDERSTANDING IT BETTER.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

RECENTLY HAD A COMMUNICATION FROM SOMEONE WHO TURNED OUT NOT TO BE A RESIDENT, BUT WHO WAS IMPACTED BY AN ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD.

CORRECT. IS THAT LOCATED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? IT IS NOT. IS IN EAST LANSING.

THAT WAS A SITUATION THAT MADE ME REALLY THINK ABOUT THE SIGN ORDINANCE.

AND ARE WE CREATING ANY KIND OF A SITUATION WHERE A RESIDENT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY AN OFF PREMISE? A SIGN LITERALLY CHANGING THE WAY THEY LIVE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF THAT MULTI CHANGING, VERY BRIGHT SIGN.

SO CONVENIENTLY, I WORKED ON THAT ORDINANCE WHEN I WAS IN EAST LANSING AS WELL, AND WE SUGGESTED AS A STAFF AT THE TIME THAT THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE ORDINANCE AND THIS MIGHT HAPPEN.

AND IT TURNS OUT WE WERE RIGHT.

THAT WAS A LAWSUIT THAT ADAMS, ADAMS AND EAST LANSING HAVE LONG HAD A CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIP, AND THAT WAS A HOLE IN THE ORDINANCE, BASICALLY BECAUSE SAGINAW HIGHWAY IS CONSIDERED A DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT THAT POINT, IT WAS PERMITTED THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN.

SO, NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

OUR OUR ADVERTISING STRUCTURE SECTION IS MUCH DIFFERENT.

AND IT ALSO RELIES PRETTY SPECIFICALLY ON THE HIGHWAY.

BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING I CAN BRING UP WITH THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY JUST TO CONFIRM THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER CONCERNS WITH THAT.

OR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THAT COULD HAPPEN.

I GUESS THAT'S WHY THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE STUDY ON THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE.

TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU.

SO I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF BEING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

I AM HAPPY TO HAVE MOVED ON BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE STARTED MEETING FOR THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE CHANGE.

I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK AND EFFORT HAD TO GO INTO IT.

AND SO THANK YOU.

IF YOU'RE OUT THERE LISTENING AT HOME AT HOMTV, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THAT ON.

AND THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT FOR LEADING THAT EFFORT FROM THE STAFF PERSPECTIVE.

OBVIOUSLY, AN ORDINANCE THIS COMPLEX AND THIS VOLUMINOUS IS NO EASY TASK TO UPDATE, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE.

THE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID THAT IT HAS TO BE DONE.

AND SO HERE WE ARE.

I ALSO APPRECIATE THE TREASURER'S COMMENTS ABOUT GETTING US SOME EXTRA TIME TO SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH THIS.

FLYSPECK IT A LITTLE MORE SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE WE'RE ASKING OF THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP TO BRING FORWARD SOME OF THOSE NITPICKY ISSUES THAT MAY CAUSE US PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE ADDRESSED THAT.

ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE FROM MY INITIAL REVIEW OF THIS THAT PERHAPS YOU CAN ANSWER NOW OR AT WHATEVER FUTURE DISCUSSION WE HAVE, IS THIS SORT OF ORDINANCE CHANGE WHILE GOING INTO EFFECT RIGHT AWAY WILL LIKELY TAKE A LONG TIME TO SEE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH RIGHT.

IF A TENANT CHANGES IN A BUILDING, IN A COMMERCIAL BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SIGN AT ITS CURRENT SIZE, IF THEY USE THE SAME I DON'T KNOW THE TERM THE SAME BOX, BASICALLY THEY CAN CONTINUE WITH THAT UNTIL THEY NEED TO CHANGE TO REPLACE IT, CAN THEY NOT? ABSOLUTELY. AND TO BE HONEST, MOST PLACES WHEN THEY'RE JUST CHANGING TENANT ARE NOT GOING TO DO A COMPLETE SIGN OVERHAUL IN A ON AN OFFICE PERSPECTIVE.

TYPICALLY WHERE YOU SEE THIS AS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, THE COMMERCIAL TENANTS ALL HAVE THEIR OWN SPEC OF HOW THEY PUT A SIGN UP AND SOME ARE CHANNEL LETTERED AND SOME ARE

[02:05:03]

AND SO ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, YOU'LL DEFINITELY SEE IT ROLL OUT.

BUT THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, WE'RE NOT REALLY MAKING ANY FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO.

SO IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THERE'LL BE MUCH OF A VISIBLE CHANGE THERE.

REALLY, IT'S IT'S A LONG PLAY AND IT'S MORE A FUNCTION OF CHANGING THE WAY WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THE REGULATIONS.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY I NOTICED THAT YOU INCLUDED A CONSIDERABLE SECTION ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THE TRANSITION LONG TERM IN THE TOWNSHIP, HOW WE WILL UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS WE WILL INSIST THAT A OWNER WOULD MAKE CHANGES TO THESE PARTICULAR STANDARDS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I ALSO HEARD THAT YOU DIDN'T REALLY MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES TO CHANGE.

WHAT YOU MADE A CHANGE IN WAS HOW WE REFERRED TO THE SIDES AND IT WAS MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE ZONING TYPE THAN IT WAS THE USE TYPE.

THAT'S FAIR. THAT'S FAIR. THAT'S A FAIR ANALYSIS.

YES. YES. OKAY.

ANOTHER THING IS AND THEN THESE SMALL CHANGES AND SIZES YOU ARE EXPLAINING AS WHAT'S MORE COMMON THAN WHAT WAS THE LIMITS OR STANDARDS SET IN THE ORDINANCE? CORRECT. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH 20? WAS THE 25 SQUARE FEET FOR A FLAG MAXIMUM FOR A FLAT? I THINK IT'S 25 FOR 24 MAYBE OR 25.

AND THE REASON I ASKED WAS BECAUSE IN ALL MY YEARS IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THIS WAS A BIGGIE AND A BIG DISCUSSION WE HAD MANY YEARS AGO ABOUT HOW LARGE WE WERE GOING TO ALLOW FLAGS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING, SO MANY OF US DID STUDIES ON THE AVAILABLE SIZES AND WHY AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.

I JUST WONDER WHY YOU SETTLED ON 25 AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

I AM GOING TO HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

YEAH, I THINK THE STANDARD, IT'S A IT'S A MAXIMUM SIZE.

YOU SEE THE 24, 25 SQUARE SQUARE FEET, 24, 24.

BUT I WAS JUST INTERESTED IN HOW THE THE 20/4 FROM THE EXISTING ORDINANCE.

OH, IS THAT. YES, IT'S 60.

THE CURRENT ORDINANCE DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN A UNITED STATES FLAG AND ANY OTHER FLAG, WHICH.

RIGHT. PROBABLY NOT LEGAL.

THAT'S A THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.

YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO GET DEFERENCE TO THE US FLAG, BUT WHEN IT'S THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE.

SO THE 24 IS ACTUALLY IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE.

YEAH. OKAY.

I JUST I APOLOGIZE. IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO FIND THE SECTION.

SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE BOARD IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT OUR APPROVAL OFF AND EVEN CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

AND SO MAYBE WE, WE CAN WORK WITH MANAGEMENT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WILL DO THAT BEFORE A BOARD MEETING. AFTER A BOARD MEETING IS A POSSIBILITY OR A SPECIAL WORK SESSION KIND OF THING TO TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE FULLY.

ABSOLUTELY. HAPPY TO SET THAT UP.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

FIGHTING B IS REDEVELOPMENT READY COMMUNITIES RECERTIFICATION UPDATE IS

[13.B. Redevelopment Ready Communities Recertification Update]

OK AMBER, AH DIRECTOR CLARK.

OKAY. I LIKE BEING ON TIME.

AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE AGENDA ITEMS AND MEMOS THAT WE SENT THE YEAR BEFORE, IT WAS JANUARY 25TH, 2022.

OH GOOD. WE FIRST PRESENTED WHERE WE WERE WITH RRC.

SO AT THAT POINT WE'D HAD OUR FIRST INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH MEDC SPECIALISTS AND WE HAD ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS THE CHANGES AND WHAT WERE THE WHAT WAS THE EXPECTATION OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR RECERTIFICATION.

WE BROUGHT IT TO THE BOARD.

THE BOARD GAVE US KIND OF THE THUMBS UP OF, YES, LET'S GO THROUGH THE THE INNER WORKINGS ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR RECERTIFICATION AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE

[02:10:09]

AND SO REDEVELOPMENT OF MANY OF OUR SITES IS A PLAUSIBLE SITUATION AND THE COST OF REDEVELOPMENT IS HIGH.

AND SO WE USUALLY LIKE TO USE THOSE INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE A DEVELOPER TO FOCUS ON DILAPIDATED COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUR PICOS.

WE'RE TRYING TO CAPITALIZE OFF OF WHAT MEDC CAN PROVIDE AFTER A YEAR OF OF WORK, WHICH I HAVE INCLUDED STATUS OF THE BRIEF AND ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT WE NEEDED TO UPDATE A LOT OF REDS, A LOT OF LETTERS, BUT MUCH OF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVE.

AND SO THERE IS A FEW THINGS THAT DIRECTOR SCHMITT BROUGHT TO YOU AS ORDINANCE CHANGES.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, BUT SURE, THIS LOOKS GREAT.

IT'S A PART OF THE BEST PRACTICES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT MOST OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE ARE DOING COMPETITIVELY.

BUT WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING COMPETITIVELY TO ATTRACT QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.

SO IF YOU NEED AND YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ANY OF THE PARTICULARS LISTED IN THE BRIEF THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOME OF THE MAJOR STICKING POINTS. SO THEY'RE KIND OF SEPARATE YOUR RECERTIFICATION INTO TWO CATEGORIES CERTIFIED LEVEL AND ESSENTIALS.

ESSENTIALS ARE YOUR REGULAR ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, ANNUAL REPORTS, MINUTES FROM THE JOINT MEETINGS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

WE UPLOAD THIS ONTO THE TRELLO BOARD.

IT'S A IT'S A WEBSITE THAT MEDC HAS ACCESS TO TO ALLOW THEM TO SEE THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT, BUT ALSO FOR US TO ACTUALLY UPLOAD THE DOCUMENTS. SO WE HAVE TO PHYSICALLY UPLOAD OR LINK THE ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENT.

SO THESE HAVE TO BE LIVING ARTICLES FROM THE TOWNSHIP.

THE TWO ITEMS THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO THE BOARD TONIGHT ARE ITEMS THAT WE CANNOT, BETWEEN TIM AND MYSELF, CANNOT MAKE THE BEST RECOMMENDATION AND MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT YOUR DIRECTION. THE FIRST IS QUALIFICATION.

I THINK 2.7 IS ESSENTIALLY HOUSING DIVERSITY, THEIR CERTIFIED REQUIREMENT LEVEL.

SO IN ORDER FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO RECEIVE A CERTIFIED STATUS FOR THIS PARTICULAR, WE, MEDC WOULD LIKE TO SEE THREE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES BY RIGHT IN EVERY ZONING DISTRICT.

AND SO THAT'S THAT'S A BIG CONVERSATION I DID.

TRY TO DROP THAT BOMB A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE IT'S A VERY LARGE CHANGE.

IF I WERE TO GIVE THIS SOME LAYMAN'S SPEAK, I WOULD SAY TO ALLOW MULTIFAMILY IN AREAS WITHOUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH SPECIAL REVIEW.

WE DO NOT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS AT THIS TIME.

TONIGHT, THE CONVERSATION FROM DIRECTOR SCHMITT AND I ARE WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD EVEN ENTERTAIN IT, BECAUSE IF IT'S A HARD STOP, THEN WE KNOW AND WE CAN STOP GOING AFTER THE CERTIFIED LEVEL FOR RC.

AND WE CAN LET THEM.

WE CAN LET MEDC KNOW.

THEY HAVE SAID THAT THIS IS A HARD REQUIREMENT.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TELL US HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO SAY THAT WE DO NEED TO MEET IT IN ORDER TO GET CERTIFIED.

IF WE ARE NOT CERTIFIED, WE FALL INTO AN INACTIVE STATUS THAT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON US FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE WRAP GRANT, WHERE MONEY KIND OF JUST TRICKLES DOWN INTO A FUND. SURPRISINGLY, THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS, THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY GOING TO GO TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE RRC CERTIFIED.

THOSE WILL BE AN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT, BROWNFIELD AND SOME OF THE OTHER INCENTIVES, THEY HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM AND SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR ANY COMMUNITY IN THE STATE TO GO TO EDC. BUT THOSE HIGH RANKING LARGE POTS OF OF INCENTIVE DOLLARS, THEY ARE CONNECTING SPECIFICALLY TO CERTIFIED LEVEL.

THE SECOND IS ORGANIZATION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WHICH I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THAT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT THAT PROCESS IS AND THEN TO UTILIZE THEIR BEST DIRECTIONS BY JUST COMBINING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION ONLINE.

A LOT OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY PERSON IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO BEING APPOINTED TO A BOARD. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BOARDS? WHAT IS THE GENERAL REQUIREMENT AS A BOARD MEMBER? NOT TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN ZBA BOARD MEMBER, DDA BOARD MEMBER.

BUT IF YOU ARE A COMMISSIONER OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION? ATTENDANCE, BYLAWS, TRAINING AND ETC..

SO AS THE MEMO SAYS, WE'RE 61% ALIGNED WITH THE ESSENTIALS.

SOME OF THAT INCLUDES MASTER PLAN AND REPORTS AND THOSE THINGS.

[02:15:02]

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRELLO BOARD, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE OUT, WE'RE MISSING.

BUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET.

WE HAVEN'T HAVE A JOINT MEETING. IT'S JANUARY 1ST.

SO THOSE THINGS WILL TRICKLE IN ONCE WE HAVE THOSE MEETINGS.

THERE'S TWO MOTIONS WITHIN THE MEMO TONIGHT.

THE FIRST ABOUT THE HOUSING DIVERSITY ALIGNMENT AND THE SECOND ABOUT BOARD ORIENTATION.

BOARD MEMBERS.

MAYBE THE FIRST QUESTION IS.

ARE WE READY TO MAKE A DECISION ON EITHER NUMBER TWO, HOUSING DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT, AND OR NUMBER FOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS, OR DO WE NEED MORE TIME? MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU MADAM SUPERVISOR. SO I THINK LET'S START WITH ONE OF THE EASIER ONES.

I THINK THE BOARD ORIENTATION ALIGNMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE DECIDE ON THE OTHER THING IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO, RIGHT? WE SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SERVE, HOW PEOPLE COME TO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE SHOULD OFFER THEM TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS.

AND ALL OF THIS THAT'S PART OF PUBLIC SERVICE IS KNOWING HOW TO SERVE.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD PROMOTE.

I'LL STOP THERE FOR NOW. OKAY.

TREASURER DESCHAINE.

WE ARE LUCKY IN THAT WE HAVE A FORMER MEDC STAFF PERSON ON THE BOARD, WHICH I'M GOING TO TURN TO WITH THIS QUESTION.

IS THIS HOUSING DIVERSITY A WAY TO, IF YOU WILL, SEPARATE THOSE WHO ARE? IS IT REALLY INTENDED TO PUSH TOWNSHIPS AND OTHER AREAS THAT DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE HOUSING DIVERSITY COMPARED TO AN URBAN AREA? IS IT A WAY TO SEPARATE US FROM THE REST OF THE GROUP? THAT WOULD BE MY QUESTION.

HONESTLY, I'VE BEEN RETIRED FOR SEVEN YEARS AND THAT WAS NEVER A COMPONENT OF THE ORIGINAL RRC THAT WE DEVELOPED IN MY TENURE AT THE MEDC.

AND REMEMBER, I WAS THE AUDITOR.

I WAS NOT THE POLICYMAKING PERSON.

SO I THESE TWO ASPECTS GO HAND IN HAND, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH BOTH THE BOARD ORIENTATION AND WITH THIS COMPONENT, THE HOUSING COMPONENT.

AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL STUDY IN ORDER TO SAY WHETHER WE WANT A USE BY RIGHT WITHOUT HAVING ALL OF THE STRUCTURE OF SPECIAL USE PERMITS AND PIKAS AND ALL THE OTHER TOOLS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

THAT'S ESSENTIALLY RIGHT.

THAT IS IT. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I THINK THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS RELATIVELY EASILY, AS ALLUDED TO BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S INTERNAL.

I BELIEVE THE MATERIAL IS THERE.

I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF STAFF GETTING TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND PUTTING THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE BECAUSE IT ALREADY EXISTS.

IT'S JUST LET'S GET IT ON THERE AND SHARE IT WITH THE PUBLIC.

SO I THINK I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BOARD DECISION.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CLERK'S DEPARTMENT WITH RECORDS AND COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE CAN ALL WORK INTERNALLY ON THAT AND GET IT DONE.

HOUSING, DIVERSITY.

CAN YOU CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HOUSING DIVERSITY WOULD LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY WAS NO SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

AND WHAT SO IF THERE'S NO SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE THEN? WELL, AND I'M GOING TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES.

WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU YET.

WE HAVE NOT GONE DOWN THAT LANE BECAUSE IF IT'S A HARD STOP FOR YOU AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE ENTERTAINING RANDOM IDEAS OF WHERE IT COULD WORK. I'M NOT ASKING WHERE IT COULD WORK.

I'M ASKING WHAT IS WHAT IS HOUSING DIVERSITY? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THAT WOULD MEAN ALLOWING ANYTHING FROM A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, DUPLEX TRIPLEX MULTIPLEX IS ALLOWING ALL TYPES OF HOUSING ACROSS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND SO THERE WOULD BE, AGAIN, WITHOUT A RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST THINK OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA.

[02:20:02]

IN ANY RESIDENTIALLY ZONED AREA, IT COULD BE THAT WAY.

HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE TOWNSHIP ARE THERE TO BE DEVELOPED WHERE THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL? DO WE? THAT'S A HARD QUESTION.

WELL, SO ARE YOU ASKING HOW MANY UNDEVELOPED PARCELS WE HAVE THAT COULD BE IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE? THE YEAH.

AND REDEVELOPMENT.

I ALSO I MEAN, I THINK PART OF THIS GOES TO I MEAN, BACK TO THE TREASURER'S QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARILY INTENDED TO BRING US ALONG OR SEPARATE US OR ANYTHING BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CERTIFIED ARE CITIES AND WE'RE AN OUTLIER IN THAT WE'RE A TOWNSHIP.

SO I THINK WHAT IT'S TRYING TO DO IS THE ENTIRETY OF THE RRC PROGRAM IS REALLY TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY AND CONSISTENCY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WITH THE IDEA THAT THAT POTENTIALLY HAS THE EFFECT OF BRINGING DOWN THE COST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

THEY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO MORE UP FRONT FROM THIS THIS HOUSING QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I WOULD GIVE YOU IS IS ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, SOMETHING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.

IT'S REALLY NEVER GONE ANYWHERE.

IT'S COME UP AGAIN. IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE MASTER PLAN THIS TIME TO LOOK INTO IT.

IT'S A QUESTION WE GET REGULARLY.

IT'S A QUESTION THAT WE HAVE, MY PREDECESSOR PREVIOUSLY FOUND A COUPLE OF WORKAROUNDS TO PSEUDO ALLOW IT, BUT NOT REALLY.

THE ORDINANCE TECHNICALLY SORT OF ALLOWS IT RIGHT NOW IN THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE SERVANT'S QUARTERS OF ALL THINGS.

SO IT DOESN'T IT SAYS IT SAYS HOME IT'S FUNCTIONALLY IT'S SOMEONE WHO IS SERVING THE MAIN HOUSEHOLD.

I MEAN THAT'S WHAT IT GOES BACK TO.

SO YOU KNOW ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS BY RIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD VERY EASILY GET US TO ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

THE REST OF THAT LOOKS LIKE I DON'T KNOW YET.

I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE TO DIVE INTO IT YET.

AM I HEARING YOU SAY THAT THE BOARD COULD DEFINE WHAT THOSE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPOLOGIES COULD BE, THOSE THREE DIVERSE THE BOARD COULD DEFINE IT? I THINK WE WOULD HAVE SOME OPTIONS OF HOW TO DO IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.

IF WE'RE WILLING TO GO FORWARD.

WE NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CHANGES POTENTIALLY AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED.

I THINK I SAW TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON [INAUDIBLE] SO DOES IT HAVE TO BE THE SAME THREE TYPOLOGIES FOR ALL OF THE ZONING DISTRICTS OR CAN YOU SPECIFY PER ZONING DISTRICT WHICH THREE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH? I DON'T KNOW. I'M ASKING FROM.

YEAH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MEDC IS NOT DOES NOT TRY TO TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW TO MEET THEIR CERTIFIED LEVEL OF EXPECTATIONS.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY WE TRY TO MEET THEM, WE DO AN UPDATE AND THEN THEY SAY YES, THIS MEETS REQUIREMENT OR NOT.

SO MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WORKS, THAT FITS THE BOARD, BUT DOES MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CERTIFIED LEVEL, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNICALLY FULFILLING THEIR REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MIGHT BE THE BEST WAY OF FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENTS IN THIS CASE.

RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE TREPIDATION THAT I FELT ABOUT THIS IN THE EARLY MOMENTS OF THE DISCUSSION WAS, WOW, WE'VE GOT A RURAL THIRD OF THE TOWNSHIP ON THE EASTERN SIDE THAT IS NOT GOING TO LIKE THE IDEA OF A 50 UNIT DEVELOPMENT BY RIGHT POPPING UP NEXT DOOR.

AND SO AND ALSO THERE ARE SOME REAL CHALLENGES.

WE DON'T HAVE MANY INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN THE TOWNSHIP, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME REAL CHALLENGES WITH THE IDEA OF ALLOWING A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE POPPING UP ON DON AVENUE NEXT TO SOME PRETTY INDUSTRIAL STUFF.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA FOR US TO SAY TO STAFF, GO AHEAD, TRY IT.

RIGHT. I THINK THAT THEY'VE NOT MET US TONIGHT.

RIGHT. THEY HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT OUR HARD LINE KNOWS IN THAT REGARD.

I THINK THEIR STAFF IS VERY CAPABLE OF DOING THAT.

[02:25:02]

I THINK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT MEDC PROVIDES, THAT DOESN'T FORCE US TO RADICALLY ALTER THE WAY PEOPLE ARE HOUSED IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THAT WOULD BE, I THINK THE IF WE CAN THREAD THAT NEEDLE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD HOPE FOR.

TRUSTEE WILSON, AND TO BUILD ON THAT IDEA BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO, IS CAN WE ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER OVER AT MEDC? WE HAVE A CAT TEAM. WE HAVE LIKE THREE PEOPLE.

YES. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, YES, WE'VE BEEN ASSIGNED SEVERAL PEOPLE BECAUSE THIS IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THERE MIGHT BE MULTIPLE INTERPRETATIONS OF THIS.

AND I WONDER WHETHER WE CAN GET BETTER DIRECTION FROM THE MEDC AS TO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OR THE VARIETIES OF THINGS THEY'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED.

I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SEE IF MAYBE THAT'S A WAY THAT WE COULD WORK IT OUT HERE.

JUST A SUGGESTION.

THANK YOU. JUST THIS SUNDAY.

I'M JUST THINKING LIKE WE HAVE PICTURES, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS OF KIND OF MORE URBAN DEVELOPMENT THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAN TRYING TO BLEED INTO THE SUBURBAN AREAS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANT TO MAKE IT AN ACROSS THE BOARD DECISION.

THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS ABLE TO DO THIS.

I THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO LIMIT IT.

THAT'S MY FEELING ON IT.

I WOULD ADD THAT I THINK TRUSTEE SUNDLAND HAS ACTUALLY HIT ON AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AN INTERPRETATION OF THREE THINGS THAT'S SCARY ABOUT THIS.

THE FIRST IS THREE IS THREE DIVERSE HOUSING TOPOLOGIES.

A CAN'T BE TWO.

THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT COME TO ME.

THE SECOND ONE IS BY RIGHT.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR DESIGN TO REMOVE COMMUNITY INPUT.

AND THE PLACEMENT.

AND THAT THAT BOTHERS ME.

MM HMM. MM HMM. AND THEN IF YOU IF YOU PUT SOMETHING OUT LIKE THIS BY RIGHT, THAT MEANS YOU SAY YOU SEE A PIECE OF LAND. YOU DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO PUT ON IT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT ITS ZONING IS AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT IS.

SO I'M NOT SAYING I CAN'T COME TO THIS.

I'M SAYING THAT I, I NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL HOW OUR ORDINANCES, WHICH APPARENTLY OUR ORDINANCES AND OUR MASTER PLAN ARE THE ONLY THING, ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY INPUT, ENGAGEMENT, PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCESS THAT WOULD BE LEFT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS DIVERSITY OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING IN ALL OF THE ZONING CATEGORIES WE HAVE.

AND I JUST YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING I'LL NEVER DO IT, BUT I, I NEED TO SEE HOW IT ACTUALLY CAN BE DONE. YEP.

AGREED. THAT IS WHY WE BROUGHT IT TONIGHT.

WOULD YOU ALLOW US TO DIVE INTO SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND BRING YOU SOME THINGS THAT ARE SUITABLE? I WILL NOTE THAT THE DIRECTION THAT THEY GIVE US ABOUT THE HOUSING DIVERSITIES.

IT'S A LITTLE. IT CAN BE CONSIDERED SLIM, I GUESS.

I JUST LOST IT. THERE IT IS.

I THINK WE CAN GET THERE.

I UNDERSTAND WHERE THE.

I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS FLOATING AROUND.

GIVEN WHAT THE FEEDBACK.

[02:30:04]

AND I THINK THERE'S ONE OTHER ONE THAT WILL REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.

WE'LL GIVE TWO OPTIONS FOR THOSE.

AND I THINK WE CAN DO THIS IN PROCESS.

YEAH, IT SAYS THAT THE TOWNSHIP COULD PERMIT THESE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPOLOGIES NEAR THEIR AREAS OF CONCENTRATED DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT VIBRANT, WHICH IN OUR CASE IS THE PICAS..

NOT TELLING US HOW RIGHT.

YOU'RE JUST SAYING WE DO NEED TO HAVE IT.

AND IF WE WANT TO HAVE IT, WE'LL COME BACK.

BUT IN THAT RESPECT, PERMIT IN EVERY ZONING DISTRICT THAT THAT'S WHY I'M.

YOU KNOW. CAN WE PICK PUDS ONLY ARE, YOU KNOW, URBANIZED AREAS ONLY OR YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE LIMITS.

RIGHT. WELL, I MEAN, EVEN THERE'LL BE ADDITIONAL REGULATION WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

SO, I MEAN, CERTAIN LOT SIZES ARE NOT GOING TO WORK.

AND I DON'T I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO TEAR DOWN A SUBDIVISION AND THEN PUT UP A BUNCH OF DUPLEXES.

IS THAT USUALLY. WELL, WE DON'T KNOW.

WE DON'T KNOW. IT'S NOT USUALLY THE CASE.

I DO THINK THAT THEY'RE HOPING THAT WE FOCUS THESE THREE TYPES IN CONCENTRATED AREAS WHERE MOST LIKELY WE WOULD SEE DENSITY OF PEOPLE ANYWAY.

OKAY. WELL, I THINK TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

[INAUDIBLE] CORRECT? THAT EXISTS FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MORE BROADLY PLANNED.

IT'S A VERY BIG THING IN THE SOUTH WHEN THEY HAVE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ACRE DEVELOPMENTS, THEY PROVIDE FUNCTIONALLY A PATTERN BOOK FOR HOW A NEW BUILDER WOULD COME IN AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO MEET THESE STANDARDS.

WE. ON A MORE LOCAL LEVEL DID ONE AND HOWL FOR A LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NINETY'S WHERE THE ORIGINAL BUILDER WAS GONE BUT FUTURE BUILDERS THIS IS THE BOOK OF FUNCTIONALLY THE DESIGN THEY HAD TO FOLLOW SO THOSE THOSE THINGS TYPES OF THINGS EXIST ONCE YOU GET INTO ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW STANDARDS.

ANYWAY.

MR. DESCHAINE.

IT WOULD BE ALSO BENEFICIAL TO SEE WHAT OUR TANGIBLE BENEFITS WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM THE MEDC HAS BEEN.

I KNOW WE'VE COME CLOSE AND THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS TRIED REALLY HARD AND SAID NO TO IT.

THEY REALLY GAVE US WHAT, 40,000 FOR A LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT? BUT FOR MY TAKE ON THIS, MEDC IS A GREAT PROMISE THAT WE'VE.

HOPED WOULD TURN OUT. WE'D HOPE THEY'D BE THERE FOR THE VILLAGE OF.

BUT I DON'T KNOW A LOT OF MATERIALIZED FOR IT AND SO I'M THAT MUCH MORE RELUCTANT TO TURN OUR ZONING ORDINANCES ON THEIR HEAD FOR A PROMISE OF SOME MONEY DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN FOUR YEARS OR FIVE YEARS.

AND THERE'S NOT A REAL STRONG CASE TO BE MADE.

IT'S LIKELY TO COME IN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS BASED ON THEIR GRANT CHOICES IN THE PAST.

SO IF YOU BRING THAT TO US, WHAT THEY'VE DONE, WHAT WE'VE EARNED FROM THEM SO FAR, AND WHAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE COMING.

THAT WOULD BE PART OF MY CONSIDERATION AS WELL.

SURE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

AND WHEN I WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AND I AND I READ THREE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPOLOGIES, I THINK ABOUT THE BOARD'S DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST REGARDING LOW INCOME HOUSING, MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING.

SO THAT'S WHERE MY MIND WANDERS.

AND THEN WHEN I READ HOUSING TYPOLOGIES IN ANY ZONING DISTRICT, WHAT DOES IN ANY ZONING DISTRICT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN ONE? DOES THAT MEAN ONE OF THEM? DOES THAT MEAN A TYPE? DOES THAT MEAN ALL OF THEM WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION? WHAT? DIVERSE HOUSING TYPOLOGIES IN ANY ZONING DISTRICT MEANS? ACCORDING TO THE MEDC.

ACCORDING TO MEDC, JUST READING OUR ORDINANCES, WE DO NOT HAVE A ZONING DISTRICT THAT ALLOWS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING.

SO LIKE IF YOU'RE IN A SINGLE FAMILY, THAT'S IT.

IF IT'S DUPLEX, THAT'S IT.

WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY IS THERE'S NO WHERE IN OUR ZONING MAP OR IN OUR ORDINANCE WHERE A DEVELOPER WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PRESENT A DUPLEX ON A PROPERTY THAT WE'VE ALREADY ZONED IT THAT WAY.

SO IT COULD MEAN ONE AREA IN THE TOWNSHIP.

MAYBE THAT'S FINE.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED.

YEAH. OH, ACTUALLY, IT DOESN'T MEAN ALL AREAS IN THE TOWNSHIP HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED BUT WITH THIS OPTION.

I DON'T THINK IT MEANS THAT ALL AREAS THAT A TOWNSHIP NEED TO BE DEVELOPED.

OKAY. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY.

WHERE WOULD, WHERE WE WOULD ALLOW HOUSING.

SO I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO INDUSTRIAL, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE IT.

BUT SOMETIMES WE DO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT MIXED USE ON COMMERCIAL, SO THAT MIGHT BE A ZONING.

[02:35:07]

HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS CHANGED? I ASK BECAUSE WE GOT CERTIFIED ORIGINALLY AND I WASN'T HERE AT THAT TIME.

HOW DID WE MEET THIS THE LAST TIME? THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

IN THE REPORT AND IN THE BRIEF, WHICH I DID COPY THE LAST TIME WHEN I WHEN I PRESENTED THIS A YEAR AGO.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF I COMPLETELY COPIED IT IN, BUT IT DOES SAY UNFORTUNATELY, THE TOWNSHIP DOES NOT CURRENTLY MEET THE ZONING STANDARDS AND THAT THEY LET US KNOW KIND OF ON THE SIDE.

IT WAS OVERLOOKED. AND SO WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THE STATUS HAD THEY SAW THAT.

I WILL SAY THAT THE PROGRAM HAS CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY.

THIS IS FUNCTIONALLY THEY'RE 2.0.

THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO TALK ABOUT 3.0, SO THREE YEARS TO FIVE YEARS CIRCULATING WITH THE MASTER PLAN.

I THINK THEY MADE SOME OPENINGS MORE FOR ALLOWANCES THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RRC.

AND THEN THEY STARTED SLAPPING ON THE THE RRC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BIG STICKERS AND THE BIG GRANTS.

ONE QUICK THING.

DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE ON THIS? DO YOU HAVE A DROP DEAD DATE ON IT? YES, WE DO NEED TO.

IT'S AS NEARING NOVEMBER.

SO JUST ABOUT NOVEMBER WHEN WE DO OUR JOINT MEETING, FINALIZE OUR LAST ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR, WE WOULD NEED TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION CERTIFYING US INTO THEIR PROGRAM.

AND IF WE DON'T, WE'RE JUST INACTIVE AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HOLD IT.

WE WERE THE FIRST TOWNSHIP IN THE STATE TO GET CERTIFIED, AND WE INTEND TO DO OUR DARNDEST TO STAY THAT WAY.

OKAY. DO WE KNOW HOW MANY TOWNSHIPS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED SINCE WE WERE CERTIFIED? THERE AREN'T MANY, BUT I CAN GET YOU A NUMBER.

IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? SO WHERE WE ARE? SO YOU'RE ASKING US, ARE WE INTERESTED IN PURSUING PARTICULARLY NUMBER ONE, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR, AT LEAST TO A STUDY POINT.

BOARD, WHAT I THINK I'VE HEARD IS WE'RE PROBABLY ALREADY WELL ALONG WELL ALONG IN DEALING WITH NUMBER FOUR ANYWAY.

AND SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS WITH CONTINUING TO DO THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? AND YOUR CONCLUSIONS ABOUT NUMBER TWO, THE HOUSING DIVERSITY ISSUE.

YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND THE POSSIBILITIES.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

WE ARE AT ITEM 14.

WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.

SO. SECOND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM 15 OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBERCOMMENTS]

THANK YOU. TWO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT.

ONE IS ANYBODY IS LISTENING.

THERE'S AN OPEN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE SO YOU CAN WORK WITH US.

WE'RE A FABULOUS GROUP OF PEOPLE.

SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN APPLYING, THAT INFORMATION IS ONLINE IN THE AIR SECTION OF THE WEBSITE.

AND THEN THERE IS A CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION.

THAT IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 29TH, THAT STARTS AT 1 P.M.

AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

CENTER COURT CENTER.

CLARK CENTER COURT AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN THAT CELEBRATION.

ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? THEN. I BEG YOUR PARDON.

MR. WALSH, THANK YOU.

JUST A REAL QUICK.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG EVENING.

MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS YOU JUST DEALT WITH TWO REALLY DIFFICULT ISSUES.

ONE IS A SIGN ORDINANCE, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT.

AND THEN THE OTHER ISSUE ABOUT TURNING YOUR ZONING UPSIDE DOWN.

MY SUGGESTION ON THOSE TWO WOULD BE WOULD BE TO HAVE A STUDY SESSION AND JUST THOSE TWO ISSUES AND COME IN AND DISCUSS THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.

AS YOU KNOW, AS YOU'VE SAID, THEY HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT, REMEMBER THAT THERE IS KIND OF A DEADLINE ON THE POLICY

[02:40:05]

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED NO.

WE ARE OUT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.