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>> TAKE YOUR TIME. [LAUGHTER] [NOISE]
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 21, 2023 REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.
PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
WE'LL QUICKLY HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> A ROLL CALL I'M SORRY. [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU. TONIGHT WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS,
[4. PRESENTATION]
THE FIRST IS FROM MR. BRAD BROGREN REPRESENTING THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN.MR. BROGREN, WOULD YOU COME TO THE PODIUM? [NOISE]
>> THANK YOU MADAM SUPERVISOR, IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO THAT TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS AS YOURSELF AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS VISIONED SAVING SOME HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THIS BEAUTIFUL TOWNSHIP.
THE FIRST BUILDING TO MOVE OVER WAS THE BRANDENBURGER FARMHOUSE LOCATED WHERE THE PILGRIM HOUSE BARN IS NOW THE FARMSTEAD, FOLLOWED BY THE TOLL GATE HOUSE AND THEN REMAINING SEVEN BUILDINGS WE HAVE EIGHT HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE VILLAGE.
IN 1991, THE EYE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY DONATED THE ANDREW FAMILY BARN WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS MARSH ROAD, THE SILOS STILL SITS THERE ON THE FARMSTEAD, AND IT WAS MOVED IN ITS ENTIRETY, PUT ON A NEW FOUNDATION AND THE HISTORIC VILLAGE.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT THAT WORKED WITH THE TOWNSHIP 50 YEARS AGO DEVISED THE FIRST PLAN FOR CENTRAL PARK TO INCLUDE THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
A YEAR LATER, THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN WERE INCORPORATED TO OPERATE THE HISTORIC VILLAGE.
I SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT APPLICATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY A MEMBER IN OUR GROUP, I KNOW A FEW OF YOU ARE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
I PUT ON AN APPLICATION FOR BARN A YEAR TO THE MICHIGAN BARN PRESERVATION NETWORK EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR REALIZING THE BARN ITSELF IS BY NO MEANS UNIQUE.
THERE'S PLENTY OF BARNS AROUND THAT ARE PROBABLY IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THAT ONE.
BUT WHAT IS UNIQUE IS HOW THE COMMUNITY IS USING THE STRUCTURE AND THE VILLAGE ITSELF.
PRE-PANDEMIC, WE WERE BRINGING CLOSE TO 3000 SCHOOLCHILDREN A YEAR THROUGH THE VILLAGE SITTLEORENED PIONEER LIVING SKILLS.
IN THE BARN THEY WOULD RUN THE SHELL CORN ON SMALL GRINDER TO MAKE CORN MEAL.
IT'S AMAZING [LAUGHTER] HOW KIDS LOVED DOING MANUAL LABOR IN A BARN [LAUGHTER].
MANY OF THEM HAD NOT BEEN IN A BARN BEFORE AND TO SEE THE TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION, THE MORISON TENDON JOINS PUT TOGETHER WITH WOODEN PEGS, IT'S TRULY AMAZING.
NOTIFICATION WE RECEIVED THE AWARD CAME THROUGH ME AND I CONTACTED NEW ANNE AT THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENTS, SHE WAS AWARE OF THE APPLICATION AND SHE OFFERED TO COME TO ALL THE AWARDS LUNCHEON,
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WHICH IS THE KELLOGG CENTER, COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.HOWEVER, DUE TO THE WEATHER, THERE'S QUITE A SNOW STORM THE NIGHT BEFORE, THERE WAS A HOME BASKETBALL GAME THAT MADE PARKING MISERABLE, SHE DECLINED THE INVITATION TO GET OVER THEIR.
ACTUALLY, DEBORAH GATHRIE WAS IN THE AUDIENCE AND LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT DEBORAH BELONGS IN THE MICHIGAN BARN PRESERVATION NETWORK.
I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD COME FORWARD WITH ME TO RECEIVE THE AWARD BECAUSE SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT [LAUGHTER] WE WEREN'T GETTING IT.
IN FACT, THE AWARD WAS GIVEN TO THE TOWNSHIP, AND IT SAYS MICHIGAN BARN PRESERVATION NETWORK, BY THE YEAR 2023, NON-PROFIT ADAPTIVE USE, THIS IS THE CATEGORY THAT WAS PUT FORTH TO THIS.
MERIDIAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP, THE UNRAVELED BARN.
I'M HOPING THE TOWNSHIP HAS A PLACE, PERHAPS IN THE TOWN HALL ROOM HERE WHERE THEY COULD DISPLAY THIS.
WE HAVE A LARGER SIGN THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT OUT ON THE BARN ITSELF, AND WHAT THE PUBLIC KNOW OF THE STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE AND THE USE FOR IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THAT BARN AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I SUBMITTED DID NOT DEPICT THE SCRIPT BOARDS THAT ARE ROTTING, THE HOLES ON THE SIGNING, THE LOOSE BOARDS, HOLES ON THE ROOF.
IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD FROM A DISTANCE AND AS SUCH, WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF WORK DONE AND LUWEN REALIZED THAT ALSO, AND THEY SEND OUT BIDS FOR A HISTORIC ARCHITECT TO COME THROUGH AND EVALUATE ALL EIGHT OF OUR HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHERE THE BOARD IS OF THAT, THEIR REPORT JUST CAME OUT AND IT SHOWS A LOT OF WORK HAS TO BE DONE.
SOME VERY HIGH PRIORITY ISSUES ROOFS IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU LOOK OVER THE BRANDENBURGER FARMHOUSE NOW, THAT'S A SECOND BUILDING, NEXT TO THE BARN YOU'LL NOTICE TILES ON THE ROOF.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE HAD TO PUT TILES ON THAT ROOF, WE DID IT LAST YEAR AND REPLACED A PORTION OF THE ROOF.
NOW THE WHOLE ROOF HAS TO BE REPLACED AND IT'S DOWFLE WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE CEDAR SHAKES, WHICH RUN NOW, THE ARCHITECT IS RECOMMENDING SIMPLE ASPHALTS SEAGULES, MAYBE WE CAN GO WITH SOMETHING METAL, THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN BUT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THAT.
I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD BE MADE AWARE OF THESE NEEDS I MET WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION LAST WEEK, PRESENTED THIS AWARD ALSO AND THEY'RE AWARE OF THESE NEEDS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WALKING ON THE NEAR FUTURE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF DIRECTION TO MAKE THESE CORRECTIONS.
ALONG WITH THE BUILDING, THE ROOF AT THE BAR AND THE GREENBERGER FARMHOUSE WE MAY OURSELVES OFTEN IS THE ROOF REPLACEMENTS, THAT'S WHERE THE ADDITION WAS PUT ON FOR OUR OFFICE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T RE-ROOF THE ORIGINAL PART OF THE HOUSE AND THAT'S IN DIRE NEED OF THAT WORK.
WITH THAT, I LIKE TO PRESENT THIS AWARD TO SUPERVISOR JACKSON.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I HOPE YOU'LL SHARE OUR CONGRATULATIONS WITH FRIENDS OF HIS STORY WE READ IN AS WELL, AND THANKS.
OUR NEXT PRESENTATION WILL BE LED BY POLICE CHIEF PLAGA.
>> SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE DIRECTOR OF MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE, BOB STEVENSON AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RON WILES. BOB.
TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR, TRUSTEES, TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS, AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
MY NAME IS BOB STEVENSON, CURRENTLY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE.
IN MY PRIOR CAREER, I SPENT 37 YEARS IN THE SEAL [INAUDIBLE] AND SEVEN AS CHIEF AND THEN 11 YEARS AGO, TOOK OVER IN THIS POSITION.
I'M HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING THE MICHIGAN LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION AS WE AWARD CERTIFICATE OF RE-ACCREDITATION TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT.
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BUT IT WAS REALLY THREE YEARS AGO THAT I WAS HERE WHEN YOU ATTEND YOUR ORIGINAL ACCREDITATION.THE ACCOMPLISHMENT IS NO LESS IMPRESSIVE TODAY AND MAYBE MORE SO THAN IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.
I WOULD AGAIN POINT OUT THAT IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THERE'S SOME 600 POLICE AGENCIES.
OF THOSE 600 POLICE AGENCIES, JUST LESS THAN 400 ARE MUNICIPAL AGENCIES.
ANOTHER 83 ARE COUNTY AND THEN THE REST ARE COLLEGES AND HOSPITALS AND TRIBAL AGENCIES.
BUT OUT OF ALL THE AGENCIES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE 17TH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO ATTAIN RE-ACCREDITATION.
PUT THAT ON ANOTHER FLAVOR IF YOU WILL, YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE WHATEVER 96 PERCENT OF THE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAVE NOT DONE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE'VE HAD SOME HIGH-PROFILE INCIDENTS FROM VERY BAD CONDUCT.
HIGH BASED CRIMINALS REST IN BLUE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FALLOUT FROM THAT AND PART OF THE FALLOUT WAS A CALL FOR A LOT OF SO-CALLED POLICE REFORM.
I WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE POLICE REFORMS THAT ARE CALLED FOR THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE OF THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
THEY WERE WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEFORE IT WAS CALLED FOR.
THEY DID IT NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD TO, THEY DID IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO EXCEL AND TO STAY RIGHT AT THE TOP.
IT'S A TREMENDOUS PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE, I'M PROUD OF THIS AGENCY.
I USE THEM AS A MANTLE TO SHOW OTHER AGENCIES WHAT CAN BE DONE AROUND THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
WITH THAT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR, RON WILES, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ALSO WITH THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS. RON.
>> THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AND CERTAINLY MY PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AND CELEBRATE YOUR EXCEPTIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOUR ACCREDITATION IS A JOURNEY, IT IS NOT A DESTINATION.
THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU'RE AN ACCREDITED POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THREE YEARS AGO, YOUR AGENCY MADE A PROMISE.
THEY MADE A PROMISE TO THEIR DEPARTMENT MEMBERS AND THEY MADE A PROMISE TO THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT THEY KEPT THAT PROMISE.
THREE YEARS LATER, THEY KEPT THAT PROMISE.
LET ME RUN YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS.
IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WERE IN SEARCH OF THEIR ORIGINAL ACCREDITATION, THEY WENT THROUGH SEVERAL STEPS.
THEY WENT THROUGH TWO YEARS OF A SELF-ANALYSIS PERIOD WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING AT THEIR CURRENT WRITTEN DIRECTIVES, MADE SURE THEY COMPLIED WITH OUR 108 BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS.
THEY HAD PEOPLE COME INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND LOOK AT THAT STANDARDS AND MARK ASSESSMENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
WE SEND THEM A TEAM OF ASSESSORS FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA TO TAKE A FINAL LOOK AT THEIR STANDARDS, TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE COMPLIANT WITH THE WRITTEN DIRECTORS OF THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SAY 108 STANDARDS, WHICH SOUNDS A BIG NUMBER BY ITSELF.
BUT INSIDE THOSE 108 STANDARDS, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER BULLET POINTS.
REALLY THEY'RE DOING OVER 800 TASKS TO TRY TO ACHIEVE ACCREDITATION.
ULTIMATELY THAT ENDED WITH THEM GOING BEFORE THE EMILIA COMMISSION AND GETTING HONORED WITH THEIR INITIAL ACCREDITATION.
BUT THERE ARE TWO-YEAR PERIOD TO DO THAT AS I MENTIONED.
WHEN YOU'RE DOING RE-ACCREDITATION, YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THAT EVERY YEAR FOR THREE STRAIGHT YEARS.
AT THE END OF THAT THREE-YEAR PERIOD, AGAIN, SENDING A TEAM OF OUTSIDE ASSESSORS TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THOSE WRITTEN DIRECTIVES AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE STANDARDS OF OUR PROGRAM.
I'M VERY PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE CERTAINLY COMPLIANT WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD, THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SHOULD VERY PROUD AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE VERY PROUD FOR WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED.
AS DIRECTOR STEPHENSON SAID, ONLY 20 AGENCIES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND THEY WERE NUMBER 17 TO DO IT.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEPHENSON FOR THE PRESENTATION.
>> THANKS RON. CHIEF, [INAUDIBLE].
TO ALL WHO SEE THE CERTIFICATE, KNOW THAT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT, HAVING VOLUNTARILY COMPLIED WITH THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE MICHIGAN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCREDITATION COMMISSION, DEEMED ESSENTIAL FOR THE DELIVERY OF PROFESSIONAL POLICE SERVICES AND THE PROTECTION OF THEIR COMMUNITY, HAS HEREBY AWARDED THE CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION EFFECT OF THE FIRST DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR 2023 FOR A TEAM OF THREE YEARS.
>> I LOVE TO STAND UP HERE AND TELL YOU THAT I DID IT ALL ON MY OWN.
CAPTAIN [INAUDIBLE], OUR ACCREDITATION MANAGER, SERGEANT KURT SQUARES,
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HIS ASSISTANT ACCREDITATION MANAGER, OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT ON EVERY SHIFT, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE STANDARDS SET FORTH BY THE COMMISSION AND WE'RE MEETING WHAT WE NEED TO MEET TO BECOME ACCREDITED AGENCY.I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOTH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR COMING TONIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY MORE TO BE AWARDED OUR ACCREDITATION AT THE WINTER CONFERENCE IN GRAND RAPIDS.
BUT THAT WAS ALSO THE SAME DAY AS THE INCIDENT AT [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL.
AS I TURNED AROUND, I CALLED THE DIRECTOR AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THEY WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO COME TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND PRESENT THIS AWARD, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD OF IT, BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ACHIEVED IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR COMING TONIGHT.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE PRESENTATION BY CHIEF HAMEL.
CHIEF PLUGGER. AND THIS IS A PRESENTATION BOARD HAS ASKED FOR IN RESPONSE TO MANY RESIDENTS IN OUR TOWNSHIP WHO HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS INFORMATION AND ARE ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO TELL US.
WELL, RAILWAY INSTANCE ARE ON THE FRONT OF EVERYBODY'S MIND AFTER THE INCIDENT IN OHIO.
I'M GOING TO START THIS DISCUSSION OR THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE REALISTICALLY LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS A INTEGRAL PART, BUT IT IS NOT THE MOST TECHNICAL PART OF A RESPONSE.
AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE.
I WANT TO REITERATE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ANYBODY CAN DO IS GO OUT AND SIGN UP FOR THE INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE ALERT SYSTEM THAT HITS YOUR CELL PHONES, YOUR TEXT MESSAGES, YOUR EMAILS, SO THAT IF THERE IS AN INCIDENT AND WE NEED TO EVACUATE FOLKS, BUT THAT'S HOW WE CAN GET A HOLD OF YOU AND BE CERTAIN TO GET A HOLD OF YOU.
THAT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NUMBER 1 PRIORITY IS TO MAKE THE SCENE SAFE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY WORK INSIDE THAT ZONE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT EVACUATIONS OF AREAS DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF INCIDENT IT IS.
IF IT'S A MINOR INCIDENT, IT MAY NOT REQUIRE AN EVACUATION, JUST NOTIFICATION.
AS THE FIRE CHIEF WE'LL GET INTO, IT COULD TAKE A LARGE-SCALE EVACUATION DEPENDENT ON THE SITUATION AND HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THAT DONE BY NOTIFYING RESIDENTS EITHER USING THE ALERT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, ALSO GOING DOOR TO DOOR.
BUT WE HAVE THOSE PLANS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT QUICK AND EFFECTIVE NOTIFICATION BECAUSE GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THE AFFECTED AREA, IT'S GOING TO BE OUR NUMBER 1 PRIORITY.
ONCE US, AS LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS COMPLETED THAT EVACUATION, WERE THEN GO INTO A DEFENSIVE MODE WHERE WE DO SEE IN SECURITY, WE'RE GOING TO SET UP PERIMETERS.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK OUR NEIGHBORS FOR ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES WILL BE OVERWHELMED BY A LARGE-SCALE INCIDENT TO TRY AND CONTROL ACCESS TO A SITUATION.
CURIOUS PEOPLE, MEDIA, OTHERS WILL TRY TO GET INTO SEE WHAT THEY CAN SEE.
WELL, IT'S AN UNSAFE SITUATION.
WHAT WE'LL BE USING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT SAME SECURE AND WE'RE TALKING IT COULD BE A RADIUS OF A MILE AND A HALF.
A VERY BIG TASK, BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE WITH OUR NEIGHBORING AGENCIES TO CONDUCT THAT.
WHERE THE REAL HEAVY LIFT COMES IN IS WHERE I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY FRIEND, THE FIRE CHIEF, AND LET HIM EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY THEY CALL US BLUE CANARIES.
THAT'S A GOOD ONE. BLUE CANARY, MADAM SUPERVISOR AND BOARD IS WE CALL THAT TOPOLOGY.
WHEN WE GO TO HAZMAT INCIDENT AND WE SEE A CAT LAYING THERE, WE KNOW THEY WERE TOO CLOSE AND THEY GOT SOMETHING THEY SHOULD HAVE AND THEY PASSED OUT. BUT WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
WE'VE COME ALONG WAY IN THE LAST 30 YEARS IN REGARDS TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE.
IT'S A IMPORTANT THING ESPECIALLY BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TWO RAILROAD TRACKS THAT RUN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AND TO DIVIDE US IN THREE OF THEM, WHICH I'M GOING TO COVER.
REALLY EVERY SITUATION IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME RAILROAD HISTORY I WANT TO GO OVER.
WE HAVE AN IDEA HOW SAVE RAILROADS REALLY ARE, HOW SAFE ARE THE TRAINS? IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FIRST SLIDE, YOU SEE THERE'S A LOT TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, A LOT OF TRAINING COMES INTO IT.
WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE METRO AREA.
IT'S OUR METRO HAZMAT TEAM, WHICH WE DO A LOT OF TRAINING IN REGARDS TO WEARING A LEVEL A SUIT, PLUGGING AND PATCHING.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE LEFT SLIDE WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY COVERING A WHOLE IN A TANK.
NOW FIRE CONDITIONS, NOT A HARD THING.
PALESTINE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AT FIRE CONDITIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO RELATE IT TO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
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THERE'S AVERAGE OF THREE RAIL CAR ACCIDENTS IN UNITED STATES A DAY ABOUT 1,100 ANNUALLY.THAT'S NOT VERY MANY PRETTY GOOD ODDS.
IT'S ABOUT 99.9 PERCENT OF THE CARGO THAT'S BEING TRANSPORTED BY TRAIN GETS TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
IT'S THAT 0.1 PERCENT LIKE A PALESTINE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF IN REGARDS TO WHERE THEY'VE COME IN THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S BEEN A 44% DECREASE SINCE 2000 AND DERAILMENT.
LOT OF TECHNOLOGY IT'S LIKE AIRLINES.
THEY STARTED REALLY CHECKING THEIR ENGINES A LITTLE CLOSER FROM BACK IN THE '60S AND '70S WHEN WE HAD A LOT MORE CRASHES.
A LOT MORE REQUIREMENTS THERE.
YOU GO BACK TO 1978, THERE ARE 8,000 ARRAY DERAILMENT BUT WHAT'S A DERAILMENT? THE CAR GETS OVER THE TRACKS, THE TRAIN HITS HIM THAT'S A DERAILMENT, A SUICIDE THAT'S A DERAILMENT.
THOSE ARE ALL CONSIDERED DERAILMENTS, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A WHEEL OFF THE TRACKS.
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON THOUGH, YOU CAN SEE HALF OF THE ACCIDENTS OCCUR IN UNPROTECTED CROSSINGS.
THOSE ARE A LOT OF RURAL AREAS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE LIGHTS AND GATES.
SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S ONLY 209,000 RAILROAD CROSSINGS IN THE UNITED STATES SEEMS A LITTLE LOW STATISTICS AS BOUND.
THERE'S ABOUT 600 RURAL ROADS COMPANIES.
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRODUCT BEING TRANSPORTED AS WELL AS PASSENGERS.
SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS, SPEEDY TRAINS, WE SEE THOSE IN A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES, OR PASSENGER TRAINS THAT ACCELERATE AROUND CORNERS TOO FAST.
WE'VE SEEN THOSE IN THE NEWS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
HUMAN ERROR TRAIN TRACKS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY CRACKED OR BROKEN DEBRIS ON THE TRACKS CAN CAUSE THE DERAILMENT, JUST A NUMBER OF THINGS.
WE KNOW HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP WE HAVE TWO WHERE THE CM THAT'S OUR NORTH TRACK AND THEN WE HAVE CSX, WHICH IS OUR SOUTHERN TRACK.
THAT'S REALLY THAT'S NEAR OUR SERVICE CENTER AND GOES THROUGH EAST LANSING AND THAT WHOLE AREA ACTUALLY THEY BOTH DO.
THE STATISTICS I PUT ON THIS ARE WRONG.
THE CN IS ACTUALLY 15 A DAY, ROUGHLY WE GOT THAT CONFIRMED TODAY WITH TWO PASSENGER TRAINS A DAY.
THE OTHER ONE IS 5-6 TRAINS A DAY.
IT'S STILL A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRAINS THAT WE HAVE DAILY GOING THROUGH OUR TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE ALL PRODUCT FROM GREEN TO CARS TO WOOD, TO CHEMICALS.
IF YOU GO BACK TO PALESTINE, PALESTINE ONLY HAD 11 CARS THAT HAD CHEMICALS OUT OF THAT WHOLE TRAIN, MOSTLY VEGETABLE OIL, CARGO OF SOME SORT THE LIST GOES ON AND VEGETABLES.
TRAINS ARE NOT PREDOMINANTLY MADE UP OF CHEMICAL CARS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND WHAT THE EFFECT CAN BE.
WE CAN LOOK AT EITHER LIQUIDS OR COMPRESSED GAS.
AGAIN, THESE CAN BE UNDER PRESSURE OR NON PRESSURIZED, BUT UNDER FIRE CONDITIONS THEY BECOME PRESSURIZED AND I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
GENERALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS A PLACARDING SYSTEM ONE OF THEM THAT'S USED NOT JUST IN TRAINS BUT ON BARRELS, ON TRUCKS THAT ARE DRIVING THROUGH COMMUNITIES.
WE USE THESE A LOT TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE SUBSTANCE WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THE OTHER THING THAT TRAINS HAVE, YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE IT HAS ACTUALLY A NAME, A CHEMICAL ON IT.
THESE ARE THE THREE WAYS WE CAN ACTUALLY TRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE CHEMICAL IS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS.
AGAIN, DEPENDING ON THE CHEMICAL, IT COULD BE IF WE DO HAVE A FIRE HAZARD, COULD IT BE EXPLOSIVE OR COULD IT BE JUST A FIRE AND WHAT CAUSES THAT? THERE'S DIFFERENT TANKERS AND THE ONE ON THE TOP LEFT YOU CAN SEE THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A PRESSURIZED TANK CAR.
YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE IT HAS THE AREA OF CONFINEMENT ON TOP WITH THE RAILS AND THEN THERE'S A TOP OVER TOP OF THE FILLING MECHANISMS AND THE GAUGES AND STUFF LIKE THAT BUT YOU CAN ALSO HAVE NON PRESSURIZED IT LOOKS SIMILAR.
IN SOME OF IT IS THE SHAPE OF THE CAR TO A FLAT END GENERALLY IS NOT PRESSURIZED AROUND AS IS AND THEN THE MIDDLE IS LIKE A GRAIN OR IT COULD BE SOME TYPE OF OTHER LIQUID THAT'S NONCOMBUSTIBLE OR NON-EXCLUSIVE AND HAZARDOUS THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU GET CURVES THAT JUST CARRY COAL.
CEMENT. THERE'S JUST A WHOLE LIST OF WHAT THESE TRAINS CARRY THE BOX CARS IN THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHAT CAUSES A FIRE, WHAT CAUSES AN EXPLOSION, WHAT CAUSES A TOXIC EXPOSURE FROM A TRAIN EVENT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT PALESTINE, THEY HAD A SPILL THAT HAD SOME TYPE OF SPARK IGNITION SOURCE,
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WHETHER IT WAS FROM THE ISSUE WITH THE TRAIN WHERE THEY HAD THE BREAKING MECHANISMS THE BEARINGS THAT WERE OVERHEATED.THEY HAVE NOT DETERMINED THAT THAT WAS ACTUALLY TRUE CAUSES OF DERAILMENT, BUT THAT WAS KNOWN AS JUST PRIOR TO THE DERAILMENT.
IT WAS A FIRST NOTIFICATION BUT IT WASN'T A NOTIFICATION ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM STOP.
SO WHEN A TRAIN DERAILS LIKE THAT AND YOU HAVE A CHEMICAL THAT SPILLS THAT CAN BE IGNITED BY SOME TYPE OF SPARK OR WHAT CAUSES AN EXPLOSION DOWN THE WAY IS IF WE HAVE A FIRE LIKE PALESTINE AND YOU HAVE THESE TANKS ARE BECOMING SUPER HEATED WITHIN, IT'S LIKE A POT ON YOUR STOVE.
IF YOU PUT A TOP ON AND ITS BOILING IT JITTERS BECAUSE ALL THAT PRESSURE BUILDING UP FROM THE GAS ESCAPING FROM THE LIQUID, THE VAPOR.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THESE TANK CARS IS THEY FILL UP TO A POINT WHERE THAT PRESSURE IS SO BAD, IT BLOWS UP.
IT'S CALLED A BLEVE, BOILING LIQUID EVAPORATION EXPLOSION.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF IT'S NOT THE LIQUID ALREADY VENTING, WE WOULD ACTUALLY TRY TO GET BIG WATER MONITORS AND COOLANT TO TRY TO KEEP IT FROM EXPLODING.
WHAT THEY DID IN PALESTINE WITH SOME OF THE TANKS THAT WEREN'T UNDER FIRE CONDITION, IS THEY RELEASED THE PRODUCT BY SOMEHOW EITHER A VALVE OR THEY CUT A HOLE IN IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH AND THEY PUT THEM INTO A DIKED AREA AND THEN THEY TRIED TO GET IT OUT OF THERE BECAUSE THEY WERE WORRIED THAT IT MIGHT HEAT UP AND EXPLODE.
SO THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAT WILL COME OUT ON THAT.
REMEMBER, THE BIGGEST THING IS THE TOXIC EXPOSURE DEPENDING ON THE CHEMICAL. LET'S SAY CHLORINE.
IF YOU HAVE A CHLORINE TANK, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PLUME IN THE AIR.
IT'S GOING TO BE A VISIBLE PLUME AND THAT'S NOT GOOD.
THAT CAUSES A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, IT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS TO RESIDENTS.
IT COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS TO US.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE BASED ON WIND CONDITIONS, HOT OR COLD OUT.
WE ALWAYS ENTER UPHILL, WHEN AN UPSTREAM FROM AN EVENT TO PROTECT US.
AND AGAIN, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION, WE MAY HAVE TO BE BACK 2000, 3000 FEET.
AND THEN IT DEPENDING ON AGAIN, IS IT ATTACHES ENVIRONMENT, IS IT EXPLOSIVE ENVIRONMENT ON HOW FAR WE WOULD POTENTIALLY EVACUATED [NOISE].
SO WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF DO WE SHELTER IN PLACE? DO WE EVACUATE? AND AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
THEY HAD TO IN PALESTINE BECAUSE THEY HAD A LOT OF FIRE, THEY HAD A LOT OF SMOKE AND A LOT OF CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN THE AIR.
IF WE JUST HAVE A SMALL LEAK HERE.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO PLUG AND PATCH IT DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CHEMICAL IS.
WHERE WE WOULD MAYBE VACATE THE CLOSEST AREA JUST BECAUSE IF THE CHEMICAL LEAK GETS WORSE OR IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR FAR CONDITIONS, WE WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THAT SOONER THAN LATER.
BUT THOSE ARE THE IDEAL ONES, WHERE THOSE ARE EASY.
WE'VE HAD THOSE. THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON.
WE'VE HAD TURNED AROUND AND LANSING IN EARLY 90S WHERE IT WAS PRESSURIZED TANKER WENT ON ITS SIDE. NO BIG DEAL.
JUST CLOSE THE TRACKS FOR THREE DAYS BECAUSE WE HAD TO WAIT FOR A BIG CRANE TO MOVE IT.
IT'S WHEN YOU HAVE A PALESTINE WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON.
AND OUR NUMBER 1 CHOICE AT THAT TIME IS PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.
IF WE HAD TO EVACUATE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
NORTH AND SOUTH FIRE STATION WOULDN'T BE HERE, POLICE STATION WOULDN'T BE HERE.
BIG CHANGE IN THE WAY WE OPERATE FOR A FEW DAYS.
PLUS ALL THE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE.
SO EVERY SITUATION WILL BE DIFFERENT AND BRING A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO MANAGE IT.
WHAT'S LEAKING? IS THERE A RISK TO FIRE? AND THEN WHAT'S THE EXPOSURE FROM THE CHEMICALS AND CAN WE STOP THE RELEASE WHETHER IT'S A VALVE OR IS IT A HOLE IN IT? AND WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT CAN PLUG-IN PATCH OR EVEN COVER BALANCE TO STOP THEM FROM LEAKING.
NOTIFICATION. I DIDN'T KNOW LEAVE THIS OUT BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT AND IF YOU PLUG IN HERE IT REALLY WELL.
WE ARE THE TOP AND THE COUNTY FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON EVERY BRIDGE.
PRIOR TO THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, WE HAD ABOUT 8,000 AND I THINK WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 10,000.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE DONE REALLY WELL, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE RESIDENTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO GET ON IT.
SO IF WE HAD TO NOTIFY PEOPLE, WE WOULD SEND OUT AN HAVE A BRIDGE.
WE WOULD ALSO TALK TO OUR DISPATCH WHO WOULD SEND OUT SOME INFORMATION.
WE'D HIT THE NEWS MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS WOULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
WE'D GET WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, EVEN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND WE WOULD GO DOOR-TO-DOOR LIKE CHIEF PLAGA SAID, AND IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS FEAT TO HEALTH SAFETY FIRST.
[00:30:03]
HOW ARE WE GOING TO EVACUATE AND HOW RAPIDLY? AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT DIRECTION KNOWING WHERE A WAVE FROM WHERE THE PRODUCT IS GOING [NOISE].THIS IS JUST A MAP OF THE EVACUATION ZONE IF WE HAD TO DO ONE.
AGAIN, IT'S BASED ON THE SITUATION, BUT IT SHOWS AND THIS IS WHERE THE TRACKS COME TO NEAR AGADEZ.
THEY'RE SOMEWHAT CLOSE TOGETHER BETWEEN TOMORROW AND HOPE AND COMPASS.
AND AGAIN, HOW WE DETERMINE EVACUATION IS NUMBER 1, WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE CHEMICAL.
SO I TOLD YOU THAT WE CAN LOOK AT A PLAQUE CARD.
IS THERE NAME ON THE TANK CAR OR IS THERE A NUMBER AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE BOOK.
WE CARRY THEM IN OUR GLOVE BOXES.
POLICE CARRY THEM IN THEIR GLOVE BOXES.
AND IT'S A QUICK THERE'S 3 SECTIONS, ONE'S BASED ON THOSE THREE CRITERIA GAVE YOU A NUMBER CHEMICAL.
AND THEN WE GO TO THE BACK WHERE IT TELLS US TO GO AND IT TELLS US THE INITIAL EVACUATION ZONE BASED ON FIRE CONDITIONS ARE NOT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE IN THE BEGINNING WOULD BASE IT ON.
AFTER THAT, WE BASE IT ON POTENTIALLY AIR MONITORING.
WE WOULD HAVE LOTS OF MUTUAL AID FOR THAT.
TO GO NEIGHBORHOOD THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF AREAS WE THINK IT'S GOING AND SEE ACTUALLY HOW FAR IT'S EXTENDED.
WE CAN BE IN EAST LANSING IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE PALESTINE WHERE THE WIND IS BLOWING IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO IT COULD GET WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER REGARDS TO EVACUATION AREAS.
AGAIN, AT SOME WEATHER BASED COLD DAYS ARE GREAT.
PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT A IGNITION SOURCE AT A GAS STATION.
I DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT IN THE WINTER.
IT TAKES A LOT MORE HEAT THAN THAT TO IGNITE A GAS PUMP OR GAS IN GENERAL.
SO THAT'S HOW WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE INCIDENT, THOSE AIR MONITORING AND WHAT'S AT THE EVENT ACTUALLY DOING.
[NOISE] REMOTELY THIS RESPONSE AS CHEAP WINE, HE SAID IT WOULD START WITH THE TWO OF US.
WE WOULD COME UP WITH A PLAN, AND IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE SITUATION IF WE HAD TO START EVACUATING RAPIDLY AND GET THAT NOTIFICATION OUT THE BEST WE CAN.
BUT WE WOULD ALSO CALL IT OUR RESOURCES RIGHT AWAY AND WHILE WE WOULD CALL FOR THE METRO HAZMAT TEAM.
ONCE WE GOT THERE, IF WE KNEW WAS A BIG ENOUGH EVENT, WE CAN REACH OUT TO OUR STATEWIDE RESOURCE, WHICH IS ABOUT 65 COUNTIES AROUND WHAT WE CALL MICHIGAN NEIGHBORS IT'S MUTUAL AID BOX ALARM SYSTEM.
WE ALL MOST FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN MICHIGAN OR CONTRACT WITH THEM.
WE MAKE A PHONE CALL TO THE RED CENTER, WHICH IS AN ANN ARBOR THROUGH HVA AND WE SAY, I NEED A TASK FORCE OF THREE DIFFERENT HAZMAT TEAMS AND THEY GET UP TO US, MIGHT TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO, BUT THE RESOURCES ARE THERE.
WE WOULD ALSO NOTIFY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN THROUGH THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE BECAUSE POTENTIALLY THERE ARE STATE AND FEDERAL RESOURCES THAT THEY COULD BRING IN FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
THE TRAIN COMPANIES WOULD BE COMING, THEY HAVE TEAMS FOR THIS.
THEY WOULD BE THE NOT THE AUTHORITY BUT THE PEOPLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.
ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN ALSO DETERMINE A CHEMICAL IN A VEHICLE I WANTED TO STEP BACK TO THIS BECAUSE I FORGOT IS WE HAVE AN APP ON OUR PHONE OR BATTALION CHIEF HAS WHERE I COULD PULL UP A TRAIN GOING THROUGH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BREAK NOW AND TELL YOU WHAT'S IN EVERY CAR.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S LONG WAY WITH THE RAIL INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS EVEN THE SHIPPING PAPERS THAT THE ENGINEER WOULD HAVE THAT WE WOULD TRY TO GET TO DEPENDING ON IF THEY'RE GOOD OR NOT.
THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO GET WHAT'S ON THAT TRAIN.
I MEAN, LITERALLY WE WOULD CALL EVERYBODY HONESTLY, EVERY FEDERAL RESOURCE, EVERY STATE RESOURCE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN A SIMILAR WAY AS OHIO, JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND WE WOULD HAVE TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IF WE HAD AN OHIO HERE, IT'D BE A MESS, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.
THAT'S HUGE, IT WAS A BIG INCIDENT.
MINOR INCIDENTS ARE NOT AS HARD, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERTAKING AS YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAPER AND WHETHER THEY MADE MISTAKES, THEY'RE NOT I DON'T KNOW BUT IT WOULD BE A MESS, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.
HOW DO WE PREVENT ACCIDENTS? THIS IS MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
DON'T RAISE TRACKS, I BELIEVE LONG BEFORE I WAS HERE, KEN OR CHIEF, YOU ARE PROBABLY HERE WHEN THE KIDS RAISE THE GATES AND ON HANGAR DOOR AND WE'RE KILLING.
PEOPLE DO THAT. MAKE SURE YOU STOP AT A TRACK BEFORE YOU CROSS THINGS LIKE THAT.
DON'T TRY TO BE TO TRAIN AND TO GET OUT OF THAT IT'S MORE WORLD BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CROSSINGS HERE.
DURING CONSTRUCTION TIMES YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE GET STUCK ON THE TRACKS.
DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC TIMES ON OKEMOS ROAD, PEOPLE ARE ON THE TRACK BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC,
[00:35:02]
ESPECIALLY DOWN BY DELTA DENTAL, THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC.IT STANDS OUT THERE THAT WE WANT TO BE AWARE OF STOPPED THE TRACKS DON'T STOP ON THE TRACKS.
THAT CURRENT FRONT OF YOU MAY NOT BE MOVING, SO THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO TRY TO PROTECT OURSELVES, DON'T PUT THINGS ON THE TRACK, DON'T TRY TO DESTROY IT AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE.
>>THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? CLERK GUTHRIE.
>> YES MA'AM [INAUDIBLE] IS JUST SOMETHING THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT'S CURRENTLY TRAIN FOR US AS PART OF THE TRAINING?
>> YEAH, WE HAVE, I THINK A HANDFUL OF HAZMAT TECHNICIAN, SO THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TRAINING AWARENESS, OPERATIONS AND TECHNICIAN.
WE HAVE EVERYBODY'S OPERATIONS AT OUR DEPARTMENT AWARENESS AND OPERATIONS.
WHAT AN OPERATIONS PERSON CAN DO IS REALLY DEFENSIVE, WHICH WOULD BE SMALL LEAKS WE CAN DIKE AND BLOCKED FROM GOING INTO THE DRAINS ARE INTO RIVERS.
FOR SOMETHING REALLY BIG WITH HAZMAT TECHS WHO WERE THE LEVEL A SUITS LIKE IN THE FIRST SLIDE.
WE ONLY HAD ABOUT A HANDFUL, BUT IN THE METRO AREA WE'VE GOT ABOUT 40 PEOPLE TRAIN AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME PEOPLE TRAINED IN THE CHEMISTRY LEVEL WHERE WE ACTUALLY TAKE A PRODUCT AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT IT IS OR WHAT FAMILY AND SOON TO SEE HOW BAD IT IS.
>> ONE OTHER QUESTION BUT IT'S FOR ASSISTANT TOWNSHIP DEPUTY TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
[LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE]. LAST YEAR, THE BOARD APPROVED SOME SAFETY CROSSINGS AT SOME OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS, IS THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET OR NOT, IF WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PORTION.
>> WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING AT THAT TIME WAS THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONE AND THEN WE RAN INTO THE ISSUE WHERE INITIALLY GOING INTO THAT, WE HAD OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL TECHNOLOGY WHICH WAS INSTALLED ON THE CN RAILROAD LINE BUT NOT THE ESX LINE.
THAT'S A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT SO THE FEDERAL RULES AND LAWS CHANGED AND REQUIRED POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL TO BE INSTALLED.
THAT DID OCCUR ON THE CN LINE, BUT WE DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME, WAS THAT THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CIRCUITS THAT CAN BE INSTALLED AT A CROSSING AND IT CAN STILL BE DEEMED PTC COMPLIANT OR POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL COMPLIANT.
TWO OF OUR THREE DO NOT HAVE THAT SPECIFIC CIRCUITRY THAT WE NEED FOR THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONE, [NOISE] BUT THAT'S THE BROADER PICTURE BUT TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SAFETY AT THE CROSSINGS, WHEN WE WERE EXPLORING DOING A RAILROAD QUIET ZONE, WE WERE GOING TO INSTALL THE Z GATES SO IT MAKES PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS STOP AND BE MORE ALERT WHEN THEY CROSS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THOSE HORNS GROWING OFF.
WE HAVE PUT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON THE Z GATES BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE THE NEED IF WE'RE NOT IMPLEMENTING THE QUIET ZONE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY YOU SEE THOSE ON CAMPUS, IF YOU'RE COMING TO AND FROM THE COMMUTER LOT ON A TAILGATE SATURDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU SEE THE Z GATES AND THE APPROACHES TO BOTH SIDES OF THE RAILROAD CROSSING.
IT MAKES YOU DO A LITTLE CAROUSEL, GETS YOU TO PICK YOUR EYES UP AT THE AND LOOK AT THE RAILROAD CROSSING.
CAMPUS DID HAVE ONE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE WAS WEARING HEADPHONES AND WALKED INTO AN ONCOMING TRAIN.
A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE TO WHAT A RAILROAD QUIET ZONE WOULD PRESENT BUT THEY'RE THE HORN WAS BLARING, BUT THEY HAD HEADPHONES ON.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WE'RE CROSSING THIS TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN THAT REGARD, BUT THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, CERTAINLY THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY WOULD SAY THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO GET OFF FIRST THE Z GATES, THAT WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE ONE DOWNSIDE OR CON TO DOING THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONE WAS THE IMPACT ON BICYCLISTS FOR THE CROSSING.
>>WHEN YOU SAY CONS AND PROS, THE Z GATES WEREN'T PART OF THE 2024 BUDGETS?
>>THEY ARE IN THE BUDGET BUT WE'RE GOING TO PUT A PAUSE ON ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THOSE BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONE WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE CIRCUITRY ISSUE, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE COSTLY.
MY RECOLLECTION WAS WHEN WE PUT THAT BEFORE THE BOARD IN DECEMBER FOR THE ARP DISCRETION, IT WAS ABOUT 500 TO 700,000 TOTAL TO DO TWO CROSSINGS.
>> WHAT ABOUT CIRCUITRY? NOT THE Z GATES.
>> CORRECT. THE Z GATES WERE ROUGHLY ABOUT 40 TO 50,000 FOR JUST THE THREE CROSSINGS AT ACTUALLY THAT WAS ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE THE EAST SIDE OF HAGER ON ROAD AND WE STILL PROBABLY WILL IMPLEMENT Z GATES
[00:40:04]
ON THE EAST SIDE OF AGADEZ AND ROAD BECAUSE CAMPUS AND THE CITY OF EAST LANSING IMPLEMENTED IT ON THE WEST SIDE OF HANGING ON THE ROAD.WE PROUDLY JUST TO MAKE THAT PASSING UNIFORM ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF HOW GODARD.
>> THANK YOU FOR REFRESHING MY MEMORY. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU CHIEF, I HAVE A MOTION ABOUT THE RELEVANCE AND THEY ARE RELATIVELY RARE.
I THINK MANY PEOPLE COULD CERTAINLY IS DURING THE PROCESS, WHICH IS TO RUN THESE TRENDS THAT ARE LONGER AND LONGER, SOMETIMES A KILOMETER, UP TO 8 KM LONG.
THESE TRENDS WILL GO AND THAT'S WHAT LIKE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE ON THE ENTIRE TRAIN.
AND THESE PALESTINE OF COURSE IT OVERHEATED WHEEL THAT THERE SENSOR DIDN'T CATCH, SO IT'S THE TREND I THINK WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE RAILROADS RUNNING THESE VERY LONG TRAINS WITH ALMOST NO PEOPLE ON BOARD.
IF THE SENSORS ARE BAD, THERE'S NO ONE THERE TO CHECK THEIR POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD.
PAY ME MAYBE THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT TO THE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS.
>> ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU GENTLE MEN VERY MUCH.
>>WE MOVE ON TO ITEM 5 ON OUR AGENDA.
THIS IS ONE POINT IN OUR AGENDA WHERE CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. WE ASK THAT IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND THE ASSEMBLY AT THIS POINT OR THE ITEM 14 ON OUR AGENDA IS THAT YOU FILL OUT ONE OF THE GREEN CARDS ABOUT ON THE BEST PRESENT AND IN THE DOOR.
I WILL CALL YOU TO THROW YOUR COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT THIS POINT? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 6 ON OUR AGENDA,
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
WHICH IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT, AND MR. WALSH'S ABSENCE, I BELIEVE ASSISTANT MANAGER OPSOMMER WILL DO THAT.>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERVISOR JACKSON.
THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH IS AWAY ON VACATION, HE SENDS HIS REGARDS THIS EVENING.
I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF UPDATES ON PROJECTS, MUCH OF WHICH I TOUCHED ON OVER THE WEEKEND WITH YOU.
BUT IT IS A SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK AND WE WILL BE INSTALLING, AS WE HAVE BEEN ONE SIREN PER YEAR.
WE WILL BE INSTALLING ANOTHER SIREN AND THEN ADD A ROW JUST SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE, SOMETIME OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
WE WILL HAVE THREE SIRENS TO GO AND THEN WE WILL HAVE FULL COVERAGE OF THE TOWNSHIP'S GEOGRAPHIC LIMITS, SO THREE MORE YEARS AND WE SHOULD BE DONE WITH THIS PROGRAM WHICH COMMENCED WHEN MANAGER WALSH ARRIVED.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY. WE DID HAVE A RELATIVELY CALM ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
WE THANK OUR RESIDENTS FOR CELEBRATING RESPONSIBLY AND RESPECTIVELY.
CHIP AND FOG ROAD TREATMENT RESPONSE AND THE UPCOMING COMMUNITY MEETING.
I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLEX SUBJECT MATTER, BUT WE DID HAVE A LITTLE UNDER EIGHT MILES OF ROADS THAT WERE TREATED WITH WHAT'S KNOWN AS A CHIP AND FOG TREATMENT.
THIS IS NOT AN ASPHALT PRODUCT THAT GOES ON THE ROAD.
THIS IS AN ASPHALT EMULSION THAT IS SPREAD OVER THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD AND THEN A STONE, WHICH IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY CHIP, IS SPREAD ONTO THE SURFACE AND IT EMBEDS IN THAT EMULSION.
IT'S A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT THAT WE USE ON ROADS THAT ARE IN GOOD CONDITION, THAT EXCELLENT CONDITION.
IT EXTENDS THE LIFE OF THE ROAD.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME DRAWBACKS.
THESE WERE ROADS THAT WERE SELECTED IN THE 2021 AND THE 2022 WHIPPOORWILL PROGRAM.
THE CONSTRUCTION OCCURRED IN THE 2022 CALENDAR YEAR.
WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE CONS TO THIS TREATMENT WITH THE SNOW PLOWS, WE'VE HAD A MILD WINTER, SO WE'VE HAD VERY FEW INSTANCES WHERE THE PILES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ON THE ROAD, BUT A LOT OF STONE HAS COME LOOSE.
WE COMMENCED OUR FIRST ROUND OF STREET SWEEPING, OLD ENGLISH ESTATES IS DONE AND WE WILL KEEP SWEEPING THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND WHEN WE HAVE WEATHER THAT ALLOWS FOR IT UNTIL WE COMPLETE ALL EIGHT MILES OF ROADS.
WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THURSDAY, APRIL 6TH, IN THIS ROOM AT 6:00 PM.
APPROXIMATELY 1,660 HOMEOWNERS OR PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WE HAVE ON OR NEARBY THE ROADS THAT WERE TREATED RECEIVED THAT MAILING AND WERE INVITED AND WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITE AS WELL.
WE ARE DISCUSSING OPTIONS INTERNALLY AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE COULD DO WITH POSSIBLE OVERLAYS AND WE'LL BE HAVING MORE DISCUSSIONS AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO LISTEN AND TAKE
[00:45:03]
THAT LISTENING SESSION BACK AND FINISH EXPLORING THOSE OPTIONS AND DECIDE WHICH COURSE WE WILL TAKE THIS YEAR.BUT WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO CORRECT THAT AND THE DECISION WAS ALSO MADE MANY MONTHS AGO TO NO LONGER PURSUE THAT TREATMENT IN THE FUTURE.
THAT WAS A DECISION THAT WAS MADE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT MUCH PART OF REVIEW.
ANOTHER DIFFICULT SUBJECT SO STATE LAW AND THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
VOTERS APPROVED PROPOSAL A IN 1994.
THEY APPROVED PROPOSAL A FOR A VERY SPECIFIC REASON AND THAT REASON IS THAT TAX BILL VALUES AND PROPERTY TAXES WERE INCREASING AT VERY ASTRONOMICAL RATES.
TODAY IF WE DID NOT HAVE PROPOSAL A, WE SAW A HOUSING MARKET GET VERY HOT IN 2022 AND PROPERTY TAXES PRIOR TO PROPOSAL A PASSING IN 1994 WOULD HAVE INCREASED PROPORTIONATE TO THE MARKET VALUE OF HOMES, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN STAGGERING.
WITH PROPOSAL A RECAP IT AT THE RATE OF INFLATION.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF PROPOSAL A, THE STATE SET THE INFLATIONARY RATE AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL MAX OF 5%.
THEREFORE, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER WE HAVE RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING 5% INCREASES IN THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, NOT INCLUDING ANY MERGE INCREASES THAT COULD HAVE COME FROM REGIONAL ENTITIES.
THE TOWNSHIP DID NOT HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE INCREASES FROM '22-'23, BUT THE ASSESSING TEAM, ASSESSOR WINSTON AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE VERY BUSY DURING THE MARCH BOARD OF REVIEW.
MUCH BUSIER THAN USUAL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EXPERIENCING THE NORMAL 1-2% INFLATIONARY RATE THAT THE STATE SETS.
WE'VE NEVER EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE 5%.
BUT PRIOR TO PROPOSAL A PASSING IN 1994, THIS WAS FAIRLY COMMON AND THAT WAS THE FRUSTRATION THAT LED TO THIS.
JUNETEENTH EVENTS. WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING JUNETEENTH EVENTS THAT DIRECTOR CLARK HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR MANY MONTHS LATER THIS WEEK, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION UP ON THE WEBSITE JUST YET BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE 3-4 DIFFERENT NIGHTS OF EVENTS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A MOVIE NIGHT IN THE PARK IN LAKE LANSING SOUTH, AND MANY OTHER DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTAKE IN.
THE TOWNSHIP WELCOME AND WAYFINDING SIGN PROJECT.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR FIRST SIGN WAS FINALLY INSTALLED AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN AND WE HAD OUR FIRST MESSAGE UP ON THE LED BOARD FOR THE MARKET ON SATURDAY.
MANY MORE SIGNS LIKE THIS WILL BE GOING UP, TWO HERE IN THE COMPLEX, ONE WITH AN LED BOARD, ONE WITHOUT AN LED BOARD.
THEN WE WILL HAVE THE FOUR WELCOME SIGNS INTO THE ENTRANCES OF OUR COMMUNITY GOING UP VERY SOON AS WELL.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE REMAINING SIGNS GO UP IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE 2023 MUNICIPAL BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT, WE ACTUALLY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION ON THE LOBBY OF THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE WE EITHER COMPLETED THAT WORK TODAY OR ARE VERY CLOSE, AT LEAST ON THE WALL REPAIRS, CEILING REPAIRS, AND THE PAINTING.
FLOORING WILL COME IN IN A FEW WEEKS AND WE WILL WRAP UP THE SERVICE CENTER LOBBY WITH THE FLOORING.
ACTUALLY I SHOULD PAUSE FOR A MINUTE.
WE WILL ALSO BE REDOING THE FRONT COUNTER AS WELL.
WE DO NOT HAVE A TIMELINE IN THE FRONT COUNTER WORK, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE WALLS AND FLOORING IN HERE IN SEVERAL WEEKS ONCE THE FLOORING COMES UP.
[NOISE] BUT THE MAIN PORTION OF THE PROJECT AND THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT THAT RESIDENTS WILL CARE ABOUT, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WHETHER YOU LIVE IN A MULTI-FAMILY UNIT, A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME, OR YOU OWN A BUSINESS IN THE TOWNSHIP, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL RECEIVE A MAILING.
WE'RE HOPING THAT IT WILL ARRIVE BY APRIL 10TH AS OUR ESTIMATED TIMELINE.
WE'RE FINALIZING THAT DRAFT AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO SEND THAT TO PRINT IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
THAT'S GOING TO OVER 13,500 PROPERTIES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND IT WILL INFORM ALL THE COMMUNITY AND WHERE THEY WILL FIND SERVICES.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, NEARLY ALL OF THE TOWNSHIP SERVICES THAT PEOPLE NEED FOR WALK-IN SERVICE BOARD IN THE TOWNSHIP HALL ROOM HERE, BEGINNING APRIL 24TH WHEN WE MOVE OUT OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING.
WE WILL HAVE A BUILDING AND PLANNING, PUBLIC WORKS, ASSESSING, UTILITY BILLING AND THE TREASURER'S OFFICE HERE IN THIS ROOM.
THE LOAN EXCEPTION WOULD REALLY BE THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE WILL BE IN A TEMPORARY OFFICE BASED ON BENNETT ROAD ADDRESS OF WHICH WILL BE PROVIDED IN THAT MAILING, BUT IT'S 2630 BENNETT ROAD, IT'S ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF HEWLETT AND BENNETT TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
THEN FINALLY, JUST A REMINDER THAT PARKS WILL NOT BE IMPACTED.
YOU CAN STILL VISIT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AT THE SERVICE CENTER AND THAT WILL BE DETAILED IN THE LETTER AS WELL.
THEN I'M GOING TO PASS OVER THE CPF APPLICATIONS BECAUSE WE WILL TOUCH ON THAT LATER THIS EVENING.
[00:50:01]
THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT.WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL SEE SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC RETURNING TO THE BRIDGE SOMETIME TOMORROW THROUGH FRIDAY.
WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT BY THE END OF THE WEEK, THE BRIDGE WILL BE REOPENED, AND WE WILL HAVE COMMUNICATIONS GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS SOON AS WE'RE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT THE TRAFFIC CONTROLS AND ALL THE REMAINING WORK HAVE OCCURRED AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC IS OPEN.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT COMING TO A CLOSE.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE A [NOISE] [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE 2024 LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
THIS IS DESIGN ENGINEERING, SURVEYING, AND INSPECTIONS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE BIDDED OUT OUR DESIGN ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION SERVICES FOR THE WORK OR ROAD PROGRAM.
BIDS ARE DUE IN ON THURSDAY, MARCH 30TH, AT WHICH POINT WE WILL BEGIN REVIEWING.
THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT A SPECIAL REMINDER FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT THE FLASHLIGHT EASTER EGG HUNT WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON APRIL 8TH AT NANCY MOORPARK.
WE ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO PARTAKE IN THAT SPECIAL EVENT AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU MADAM SUPERVISOR.
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE CHIP AND FOG TREATMENTS AND THE 2021 AND 2022 ROADS THAT WERE IMPACTED, DO WE EXPECT THAT THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE 2023 LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM?
>> NO. WE ALREADY SWITCHED, THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT.
>> I'M SORRY. WILL THAT IMPACT WHAT WE CAN DO DURING THE 2023 LRP?
>> WE ARE STILL CRUNCHING NUMBERS, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF WE WERE TO DO A THIN OVERLAY OF ASPHALT WHICH IT GETS COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE THINNER YOU GROW, THEN YOU HAVE TO GET INTO SPECIAL MIXES OF ASPHALT, AND THEN YOU GET INTO MORE COST [NOISE] PER TON.
IT'S A DELICATE BALANCING ACT.
WE ALSO HAVE CURB AND GUTTER ROADS, THE DITCH ROADS ARE EASY BECAUSE WE CAN FEATHER THAT DRIVEWAY APPROACH OR ANY DRIVES OFF OF THAT ROAD VERY EASILY ON A DITCH ROAD.
IT GETS DIFFICULT WITH THE CURB AND GUTTER ROADS.
IT'S A BALANCING ACT IN TERMS OF DEPTH OF THE ASPHALT THAT YOU CAN GO WITH AS IT RELATES TO THOSE DRIVEWAY APPROACHES.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, A SOLUTION TO THIS IS GOING TO FALL IN THE $400,000-$1 MILLION RANGE FOR OVERLAYS DEPENDING ON THE DEPTH THAT WE GO WITH, THE MIX THAT WE GO WITH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE SOME MORE CONCRETE NUMBERS, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE THURSDAY APRIL 6TH, THE COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOLD AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE INPUT AND THEN TAKE THAT BACK AND RE-EVALUATE OUR SOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON PAPER AND LOOK AT THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET.
THE ONE THING THAT I WILL STATE IS WE ARE A VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY, AND THIS WAS STATED IN THE LETTER THAT WENT OUT THAT YOU HAVE ALL READ.
THESE ARE WORDS THAT ARE IN GOOD CONDITION AND THE CHIP AND FOG TREATMENT STILL DID HAVE POSITIVE BENEFIT BECAUSE REALLY WHAT DESTROYS A ROAD IS WATER AND SUNLIGHT.
THE GRAND CANYON WAS CARVED BY NOTHING MORE THAN GRAVITY AND WATER.
WATER IS EXTREMELY DESTRUCTIVE.
WE HAVE PROTECTED THAT UNDERLYING ASPHALT FROM THE UV LIGHT AND WATER, WHICH IS GOING TO GIVE IT THAT ROAD NOW ACTUALLY HAS A STABLE BASE.
ALL THE OTHER ROADS IN THE TOWNSHIP WHEN WE TAKE CORE SAMPLES, WE FIND 2-2.5 INCHES OF ASPHALT.
THERE WAS A LACK OF INSPECTION ON THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROADS.
I THINK WHEN MANY OF OUR SUBDIVISIONS WERE BUILT PREDOMINANTLY IN THE '60S, '70S, AND '80S, THERE WAS A LACK OF INSPECTION OCCURRING AT THE ROAD DEPARTMENT.
WHEN WE RECONSTRUCT THESE ROADS, WE'RE HAVING TO GO DOWN TO EARTH ON THE RECONSTRUCTION PORTION AND WE DO A GRADE INSPECTION BEFORE THEY START PAVING.
WE KNOW THE DEPTH FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CURB AND GUTTER PAN TO THE EARTH THERE.
WE'RE INSPECTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FOUR INCHES OF ASPHALT, [NOISE] BUT WE'RE ALSO EXPECTING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ROAD BUILDERS ARE NOT TRYING TO SELL US EXCESSIVE ASPHALT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO STRETCH THOSE LANE MILES SO IT'S A BALANCING ACT.
WE HAVE RIGOROUS CONTROLS ON THAT BUT THE ROAD THAT'S THERE, IF WE DO A THIN OVERLAY, THEY WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD ROAD PRODUCT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BASICALLY THAT OLD ROAD THAT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION JUST ACTING AS THE FOUNDATION.
ALL THE OTHER ROADS IN THE TOWNSHIP HAD NO FOUNDATION.
THE TWO-AND-A-HALF INCHES OF ASPHALT WHEN REALLY THE BARE MINIMUM SHOULD BE FOUR, OPTIMUM WOULD BE SIX.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? [NOISE] [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[00:55:01]
>> ITEM 7 ON OUR AGENDA IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. TREASURER DESCHAINE.>> THANK YOU. OTHER QUIET WEEK DID HAVE A ZBA ME SPEAK AT A BOARD MEETING.
I WANT TO USE MY MOMENT JUST TO THANK BRAD ROGAN AND ALL THE FRIENDS OF STROKE MERIDIAN.
IT'S FROM THE VIEW [INAUDIBLE] IS ONE OF THE MOST SHINING EXAMPLES OF HOW OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS COME TOGETHER, DONATE INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY TO ENHANCE THE TOWNSHIP.
YOU HAVE STAFF OVER THERE AND THEY'RE NOT TOWNSHIP STAFF.
THEY'RE HIRED BY THE FRIENDS AND FOUNDATION AND JUST MAKES A REAL IMPACT.
HERE 3,000 SCHOOLCHILDREN WENT THROUGH THERE [NOISE] PRE-COVID.
IT'S A GOOD TESTAMENT TO THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK YOU DO TO ENHANCE MERIDIAN FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS AND YOU MAKE US A TRULY PRIME COMMUNITY.
>> ALL BOARD MEMBERS. CLERK GUTHRIE.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I TOO WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR SUBMITTING THE HONOR BARN FOR BARN THE YEAR AWARD AND FOR ASKING ME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP.
I REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY.
LIKE I SAID AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, EACH OF US PROBABLY HAS IF WE THINK ABOUT A STORY FROM OUR ANCESTORS OR SOMEONE IN OUR FAMILY THAT GOES BACK TO A BARN IN OUR HISTORY.
LIKE I SAID AT THE CONFERENCE, MY FAMILY MOVED OVER FROM SWEDEN WHEN THEY HAD A FAILED FARM IN SWEDEN AND THE STORY GOES ON AND ON.
I LOVE BARNS, WHICH IS WHY I'M A MEMBER.
I'M SUPER APPRECIATIVE OF THIS BARN BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE MICHIGAN BARN PRESERVATION NETWORK.
I GOT MARRIED AT THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE.
I THINK I'VE PROBABLY SAID THAT 1,000 TIMES.
I HAVE A DEEP LOVE FOR THE VILLAGE.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND ALL THE WORK THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> THANK YOU. LAST WEEK I ATTENDED MY SECOND YEAR OF THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS INSTITUTE.
LAST WEEK WAS MY SECOND YEAR, AND SO NEXT YEAR WILL BE MY THIRD YEAR.
THERE WERE SOME GOOD ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES DURING LAST WEEK'S INSTITUTE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FIRST YEAR.
I REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TOO.
WE HAD TO FIGHT FOR A BUDGET AND STATE OUR CASE FOR THINGS AND WORK TOGETHER IN COMMUNICATIONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT WAS REALLY GOOD ENGAGING OPPORTUNITY, SO TIME WELL SPENT.
I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ROSTER, HOW MANY DEPUTY CLERKS AND ASSISTANTS TO CLERKS WERE THERE.
THERE WERE VERY FEW CLERKS IN THE ROOM ACTUALLY.
I WAS PROBABLY ONE OF A DOZEN.
THERE WAS 100 PEOPLE THERE AND MOST OF THEM WERE STUCK WITH ME, SO I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY AND BEING ABLE TO BE THERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION MEETING ON MARCH 8TH.
WE HAVE SOME CHANGES COMING TO THAT GROUP AND TO OUR HUMAN SERVICES AREA.
WE ALSO HAD A TASK FORCE FOR THE SENIOR CITIZEN GROUP MET AND WE ARE BEGINNING TO FORMULATE THE ACTIVITIES.
EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW YOU START A PROJECT LIKE THIS, MUCH OF IT IS CONCEPTUAL AT THIS POINT, BUT WE WILL BE VOTING LATER ON THE CPS FUNDING REQUESTS THAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO CONGRESSWOMAN ELISSA SLOTKIN'S OFFICE.
THAT'S PART OF OUR PLANNING BECAUSE FUNDING IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THERE.
THEN TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND I BROUGHT A CONCEPT TO YOU TWO WEEKS AGO ABOUT HAVING A GUN SAFETY PROGRAM HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
WE BRAINSTORMED THAT AND IT IS DEVELOPED INTO A SPECIAL EVENT.
WE MET AGAIN YESTERDAY, WE'RE MEETING EVERY WEEK.
WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IS HAVE A EXPO CALLED MERIDIAN CARES ABOUT YOU HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPO.
IT WILL INCORPORATE ALL THE SAFETY ISSUES AND
[01:00:03]
HOW FORMULATED TO BE MORE OF WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR FAMILY TO FEEL SAFE, WHAT ARE YOUR RESOURCES.GUN SAFETY WILL BE ONE PORTION OF THAT, BUT WE ARE A VAST AND HAVE ALSO RECEIVED RESPONSES THAT HAD BEEN CONFIRMED AS TO WHO'S GOING TO BE THERE AND THERE WILL BE ABOUT 16 BOOZE AT THIS EXPO, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON MAY 10TH, THAT IS A WEDNESDAY IN THE EVENING FROM 5:00 -8:00 PM OVER AT THE MARKETPLACE AT THE GREEN.
WE ARE GOING TO OFFER ALL THESE AGENCIES, MERIDIAN POLICE WILL HAVE A TABLE, MERIDIAN FIRE, MERIDIAN CARES, THE INGHAM COUNTY, MANY COUNTY OFFICES OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS COMING.
IN FACT, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR COMING TO DO A KEYNOTE TALK AT THIS EXPO.
WE HAVE INGHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMING, MSU DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT HAS MORPHED INTO THIS WONDERFUL COLLABORATIVE EVENT THAT WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT.
THE ADVERTISING IS GOING TO BE KEY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
IN CONVERSATIONS WITH MANAGER WALSH, SHE SAID, LET'S OFFER FREE FOOD.
WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A BIG DROP.
[LAUGHTER] PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS EVENT.
YOU'LL START TO SEE THE ADVERTISING COMING OUT NEXT WEEK ON IT.
I'M REALLY THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO BRING THESE RESOURCES TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
>> THANK YOU, TRUSTEE WILSON FOR LAYING OUT THE HARD WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT INTO THAT EVENT.
I'LL ALSO NOTE, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, THAT THIS IS AN EVENT THAT WE ARE DOING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALCHEMIST PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE HAZARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THEY'VE BEEN TERRIFIC PARTNERS ON GETTING THE INITIAL PLANNING STAGES UP AND RUNNING.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO GET THE WORD OUT THROUGH THEIR MEANS AS WELL TO THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
I AM ALSO VERY EXCITED FOR WHERE THIS EVENT IS GOING AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TERRIFIC TURNOUT.
>> THANK YOU. ALICE. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
JUST ONE ACTUALLY, OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION WORK GROUP IS FOCUSING, WE MENTIONED THIS LAST MEETING, BUT FOCUSING ON OUR FIRST PRIDE CELEBRATION HERE IN MERIDIAN, AUGUST 26TH OF THE SUMMER.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED A PROJECT MANAGER THAT WOULD BE MR. SHARKEY THAT WORKS IN IN OUR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH DEVELOPING OUTREACH FOR OUR BUSINESSES AS WELL AS OTHER VOLUNTEERS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED, AS WELL AS PARTICIPANTS.
MOVING FORWARD ON THAT, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
IF I MISSED ANYTHING, SUPERVISOR JACKSON, SHE'LL PICK THAT UP.
OTHER THAN THAT, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND I DID ATTEND A VERY SMALL LOCAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE ON VENIEDA IN THAIHEART WAY.
[NOISE] THERE WAS A BAG PIPER THERE THAT PLAYED THE ENTIRE TIME.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SAFE.
IT WAS REALLY EXCITING AND IT THE FIRST ANNUAL, I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE ANNUAL. THAT'S MY REPORT.
>> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? I WOULD ONLY ADD THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, I ATTENDED THE CIA, WHICH IS, I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT STANDS FOR,.
>> CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT, WE HAD A MEETING LAST THURSDAY.
THEY WERE FIRST-TIME ARMED WITH THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A TIP FOR IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE GENERALLY CONDITIONS ALONG MICHIGAN AVENUE CORRIDOR.
I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE MOLDERS AT THAT MEETING FOR THIS NEW CAPACITY.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. MR. DESCHAINE.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
>> I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
>> SUPPORT BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
[01:05:03]
IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN, PLEASE SAY YES.>> OPPOSE NO. CHAIR VOTES YES AND I PRESUME THE MOTION PASSED.
[LAUGHTER] ITEM 9 IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
TONIGHT THE CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES COMMUNICATIONS MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 7 REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING AND THE [INAUDIBLE].>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND I WILL ASK FOR ONE AMENDMENT TO OUR MINUTES FROM MARCH 7TH.
ON PAGE 7 UNDER ITEM C, WE WERE DISCUSSING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LOCAL OFFICERS COMPENSATION COMMISSION, AND I HAD ASKED THAT THE MEETING MINUTES BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND IT READS AT THE MOMENT POSTED IN THE NEO SMART BUILDINGS VESTIBULE, WHICH DON'T NEED SMART ABOUT THE WEBSITE, WHICH THANKFULLY THEY ARE NOW.
THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR TEO FOR MAKING SURE THAT GOT DONE.
I MOVE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THAT ONE AMENDMENT TO THE MINUTES.
>> I SUPPORT. SO THURSTON SHOULD THEN.
>> THANK YOU. I WOULD ATTUNE THESE QUESTIONS TO THE ATTORNEY, WE HAVE NONE TONIGHT.
WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 12, OUR ACTION ITEMS.
[12.A. Okemos Schools Delegation of Authority for Building Permitting and Inspections]
THE FIRST ACTION ITEM FOR TONIGHT HAS TO DO WITH OKEMOS SCHOOL DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY FOR BUILDING PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS.DIRECTOR SMITH [OVERLAPPING] WILL EXPLAIN ALL OF THAT TO US FOR CONSIDERATION.
>> I'M MUCH MORE [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
THE REQUEST FOR YOU THIS EVENING, YOU DISCUSSED AT THE MARCH 7TH MEETING.
THIS IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO HANDLE [NOISE] THE BUILDING PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WORK THAT WILL BE DONE UNDER THE OKEMOS SCHOOLS BOARD, THOSE RECENTLY PASSED.
TYPICALLY, SCHOOLS GO THROUGH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, DEPARTMENT OF BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION CODES.
THERE IS A PROVISION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO REQUEST DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IF THERE'S A LOCAL AUTHORITY THAT CAN HANDLE IT.
IN THIS CASE, WE ARE QUALIFIED TO DO IT.
WE ESTIMATE THAT IT WILL BRING IN APPROXIMATELY $788,000 IN BUILDING PERMANENT REVENUE OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO SIX YEARS IF WE DO, IT'S ZERO IF WE DON'T DO IT.
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN HANDLE THIS WITHIN OUR EXISTING WORKLOAD.
STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT WHEN HE GETS BACK FROM VACATION.
>> THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I HAVE MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO SIGN AND SUBMIT THE REQUEST OF THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS FOR DELEGATION OF SCHOOL PLAN REVIEW IN INSPECTION AUTHORITY FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL DISTRICT TO THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP FROM MERIDIAN BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
>> SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.
>> SURE. AS WE DISCUSSED LAST MEETING, IT JUST SEEMS WE HAVE THE CAPACITY, IT MAKES SENSE FINANCIALLY.
ALSO, I THINK THAT IT WOULD INCREASE THE EFFICACY BASED ON THE RESPONSE TIME.
IT WOULDN'T PUT ON HOLD AT THE STATE LEVEL.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO GET INSPECTORS OUT THERE.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THE CAPACITY, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> CLERK GUTHRIE, ANY COMMENT?
>> NO FURTHER COMMENTS. I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE WISINSKI'S REVIEW.
>> I THINK I WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT INVOLVES THE STATE GIVING YOU A BRILLIANT TOWNSHIP AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT.
>> WHAT IT IS IS THAT FUNCTIONALLY REQUESTING A WAIVER IS WHAT THE BOARD HAS DONE.
WE'RE REQUESTING LAUREN, LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION DELEGATES THE AUTHORITY FOR PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION TO US FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
[01:10:01]
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE TOWNSHIP JOINTLY MAKES THE REQUEST.>> THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? THEN, MS. SUNDLAND MASTER, WE HAVE A MOTION.
>> THANK YOU. ITEM 12B HAS TO DO WITH THE RESOLUTION IN
[Items 12.B. & 12.C.]
SUPPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2024 CPF APPLICATION FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS. MR. OPSOMMER.>> YES. GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I'LL BE BRIEF AND I'LL ALSO SPEAK TO YOUR UPCOMING 12C AS WELL.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS APPLICATION IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FROM REPS HOPKIN AND HER TEAM.
BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE CPF PROGRAM, THIS IS YEAR 3 OF THE CPF PROGRAM.
IT'S REALLY IN ITS INFANCY AS FAR AS A GRANT PROGRAM GOES.
IT IS VERY UNIQUE AS FAR AS GRANT APPLICATION PROGRAMS GO.
THE NATURAL RESOURCE TRUST FUND IS VERY RIGID, THEIR SCORING AND VERY RIGID CRITERIA THAT ARE FOLLOWED.
THIS IS MUCH MORE COMMUNITY-BASED.
ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS WITH THIS APPLICATION IS THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE BEHIND YOUR PROJECTS.
WE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME INVESTING IN THAT.
ONE WAS THE ONE-PAGER INITIAL APPLICATION.
REPS HOPKIN'S TEAM SELECTED 20 APPLICATIONS TO MOVE ON TO THE FINAL APPLICATION AROUND, WE HAVE TWO OF THOSE.
WE HAD 10 PERCENT OF THE FINEST APPLICATIONS, 15 WILL BE AWARDED.
DUE TO THE VERY TIGHT TURNAROUND FOR THIS GRANT PROGRAM, WE DID NOT LEARN UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING THAT BOTH OF OURS HAD ACTUALLY PASSED THE INITIAL ROUND.
WE HAVE LESS THAN A WEEK TO PREPARE FOR THE NOON SUBMISSION TODAY.
BUT HER STAFF DID SAY THAT THE BOARD, SINCE YOU HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION, THEY WOULD ACCEPT THESE SIGN RESOLUTIONS TOMORROW.
I WILL LOOK TO WORK WITH CLERK GUTHRIE AFTER YOU APPROVE THESE IN SUPPORT OF BOTH OF OUR APPLICATIONS, ONE FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS AND ONE FOR THE SENIOR IN COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE WILL TRANSMIT THOSE OVER ALONG WITH OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
OF COURSE, THE BOARD HAS ACCESS TO THOSE FOUR APPLICATIONS.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE GOOD WORK THAT'S GONE ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
DIRECTOR CLARK PUT A TON OF WORK INTO HERS, AND WE'VE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT MANY MONTHS AGO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE APPROACHING THIS IN A MUCH MORE DILIGENT MANNER.
THE SAME WOULD APPLY TO THE STATE'S PROGRAM, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE CPF PROGRAM AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
IT'S MORE ABOUT HONORING THE SUPPORT OF YOUR STATE LAWMAKERS.
BUT WE DO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF ALL THREE OF OUR STATE LAWMAKERS.
WE'RE PURSUING FUNDING AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS APPLICATION IS REALLY OUR TOP PRIORITY WITH THE CPS PROGRAM.
WE FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THE POSITION WE'RE IN HAVING TWO APPLICATIONS AMONGST THE FINALIST GROUP. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
>> I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 CPF APPLICATION FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT.
>> SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE. MR. DESCHAINE.
>> THIS IS GREAT NEWS. I APPRECIATE THE EXCELLENT STAFF WORK TO GET THIS IN TO TURN AROUND.
IT'S VERY GOOD AS THEY WERE ONE OF THE 15 OR 20 FINALISTS THAT ARE ON THE SHORTLIST FOR THIS.
IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE KNEW MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IF THEY'VE BEEN WILLING TO MEET WITH US ON MARCH 1ST.
I'M TALKING ABOUT FUNDING HERE, BUT WHAT IS THAT GAP PLANNING? LOTS OF QUESTIONS HERE. MAYBE THIS IS THE HAIL MARY PASS.
THIS PROJECT NEEDS TO BE SAVED, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THEY CERTAINLY CAN'T HURT SOMEBODY.
I KNOW IT TOOK A LOT OF STAFF TIME TO GET THIS TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> I ECHO THE TREASURER'S COMMENTS AND HAVE PASSED BY THE BOARD TONIGHT.
I WILL GET THOSE TO SANCKEN STAFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SIGNED.
RESOLUTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WELL, I'M SORRY. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I APPRECIATE THE STAFF'S WORK AS WELL IN GETTING BOTH THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF US, AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS TO REPRESENTATIVE SLACKEN'S OFFICE.
IT CAN'T BE SAID THAT THIS COMMUNITY HASN'T DONE EVERYTHING, HAS ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT IT CAN TO SEE THAT THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT IS SUCCESSFUL.
THIS BEING JUST THE LATEST OF MYRIAD OF THINGS
[01:15:01]
THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS DONE TO TRY TO MAKE THIS DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN.IT'S CERTAINLY IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST TO SEE IT GO FORWARD.
IT'S OUR HOPE THAT SHOULD THIS CPF APPLICATION BE APPROVED AND THE FUNDING BE PROVIDED, THAT THIS IS, AS THE TREASURER POINTED OUT, THE GAP THAT NEEDS FILLING TO GET THIS PROJECT OFF THE GROUND.
>> OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? WE CAN PASS THIS RESOLUTION BY VOICE VOTE.
ON FAVOR OF RESOLUTION IN SAFEGUARDING THE APPLICATION FROM THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, PLEASE SAY YES.
>> THOSE NO? CHAIR VOTES, YES.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2024 CPF APPLICATION FOR THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.
>> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON. TRUSTEE WILSON.
>> WELL, AS CHAIR OF THE TASK FORCE THAT IS DOING THE PRELIMINARY WORK ON THIS SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER, I'M REALLY THRILLED THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS APPLICATION ON.
I'M GOING TO HOPE WE'RE GOING TO GET BOTH OF THEM [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITY OF VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE JUMPED UP FOR A LONG TIME.
IS TO HAVE A CENTER CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT IS AVAILABLE TO OUR SENIORS AND ALSO TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, ALL RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE GREAT DREAMS OF WHAT WE CAN BRING TO FRUITION, AND CERTAINLY GETTING THIS AWARD WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO GIVING US THE SEED MONEY TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND.
>> YES. THANK YOU. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ON ONE OF OUR TOP THREE GOALS FOR THIS YEAR, IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THIS APPLICATION, AS WELL AS THE STATE APPLICATION, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHER OPTIONS ARE BEING DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS COME TO BE, AND OUR DREAMS CAN BE AS BIG AS OUR POCKETBOOK IS IN THIS CASE.
SOME HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING MORE OF WHAT OUR RESIDENTS WANT POSSIBLE.
>> ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? THEN THE RESOLUTION IS THE SUPPORT OF CPF APPLICATION FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.
ON FAVOR THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
>> THOSE NO? YES, MOTION PASSES.
THANK YOU. MR OPSOMMER. ON OUR AGENDA IS DISCUSSION ITEM WE HAVE THREE TONIGHT, THE FIRST TWO BE PRESENTED TO US BY FINANCE DIRECTOR AMANDA GARBER.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. I'M SORRY.
[13.A. Purchasing Policy Update]
IT IS THE PURCHASING POLICY UPDATE. MISS GARBER.>> THANK YOU. TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCIES RELATED TO THE APPROVAL AND PAYMENT OF SMALL PURCHASES LESS THAN A $1,000, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD ADOPT AN UPDATED PURCHASING POLICY.
UPDATED POLICY WILL ASSIST THE TOWNSHIP STAFF IN APPROVING AND PROCESSING PAYMENTS FOR THESE SMALL PURCHASES THAT ARE LESS THAN A $1,000 IN A MORE EFFICIENT MANNER.
CURRENTLY, THE PURCHASES THAT ARE LESS THAN A $1,000 HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PURCHASE ORDER PROCESS SUCH AS THE LARGER ONES DO.
BASED ON FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS WORKING ON GOING THROUGH A PAPERLESS ACCOUNTS PAYABLE PROCESS, WE BELIEVE THAT THE [NOISE] APPROVAL AND PAYMENT PROCESS FOR THESE SMALLER PURCHASES COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO UPDATE THOSE POLICY, TO PUT IT MORE IN LINE WITH LIKE OUR CREDIT CARD POLICY, WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE ITEMS LESS THAN A $1,000 A CREDIT CARD.
THIS WAY YOU CAN JUST PURCHASE ITEMS LESS THAN A $1,000 AND SEND AN INVOICE THROUGH THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE PROCESS.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR
[01:20:03]
COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE POLICY? TRUSTEE WISINSKI.>> THANK YOU, MA'AM SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GARBER.
IN REVEALING, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THIS IS CERTAINLY MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS.
PURCHASE ORDERS CAN BE CUMBERSOME.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR PROPOSAL TAKES AWAY ONE PIECE WHICH WOULD BE AN APPROVAL PRIOR TO PURCHASE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AND HOW YOU FEEL THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION?
>> YES. WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IF SOMEBODY IS AN AUTHORIZED USER OF A CREDIT CARD, THEY COULD JUST GO OUT AND PURCHASE THOSE ITEMS WITH A CREDIT CARD.
IF THEY CHOSE NOT TO DO THAT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME AND ASK FOR PRIOR APPROVAL THROUGH LOOKUP ORDER AND THEN GO AND PURCHASE THOSE ITEMS AND BRINGING THE INVOICE BACK TO GO THROUGH THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE PROCESS.
THE FACT THAT THEY CAN DO THAT RIGHT NOW USING A CREDIT CARD, IT MAKES US MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ELIMINATING THAT.
>> BECAUSE I BELIEVE I REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO BE APPROVED TO HAVE A CREDIT CARD.
>> WOULD BE A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE YOU'D HAVE TO BE APPROVED TO MAKE PURCHASES PRIOR TO PURCHASE, OR WOULD THIS WOULD BE ALLOWABLE TO ANY STAFF?
>> THIS WILL BE ALLOWABLE TO ANY STAFF.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM, SUPERVISOR.
AS I RECALL LAST YEAR YOU REDUCED THE NUMBER OF CREDIT CARDS THAT WERE ISSUED AND PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
ALSO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LIMITS, DON'T THEY?
>> YEAH. IT'S GENERALLY BASED ON THE POSITION THAT THE EMPLOYEE HOLDS.
>> THAT GIVES YOU SOME SAFEGUARDS AS TO WHAT SOMEONE COULD DO WITH THE USE THAT CREDIT CARD PLUS YOUR MONTHLY RECONCILIATIONS. THANK YOU.
>> YEAH. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE INTERESTS IN CUTTING DOWN ON THE BUREAUCRACY INVOLVED IN MAKING A PURCHASE.
THIS POLICY CHANGE GAVE ME SOME PAUSE BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS ANYONE WITH A P CARD COULD GO ABOUT THIS PROCESS AS WE'RE REDESIGNING IT.
BUT TO TRUSTEE WISINSKI'S POINT, WE'RE NOW EXPANDING THE UNIVERSE OF PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE THESE PURCHASES WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION TO ANYONE, AND THAT HAS ME A BIT CONCERNED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME APPROVAL PROCESS FOR PURCHASE BEFORE THE PURCHASE IS MADE, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 DIFFERENT STEPS.
OR RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE PURCHASES UNDER THIS POLICY TO A SMALLER SUBSET OF PEOPLE, DEPARTMENT HEADS OR SUPERVISORS OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
IT'S A SYSTEM THAT IS BASED ON TRUST CERTAINLY.
BUT PART OF OUR ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE POLICIES THAT DO NOT FACILITATE BAD BEHAVIOR AND COMING WITH APPROVAL PROCESS AFTER THE FACT, WHEN SOMETHING IS DELIVERED IN AN INVOICE IS RECEIVED MAYBE TOO LATE IN SOME CASES.
I'D BE A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOME EITHER RESTRICTIVE GROUP TO WHO CAN MAKE A PURCHASE OR APPROVE A PROCESS FOR A PURCHASE BEFOREHAND, EVEN IF IT'S LESS CUMBERSOME THAN GOING THROUGH THE SUPERVISOR, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE DIRECTOR.
BUT IF WE ARE RESTRICTING, WHY NOT GIVE EVERYONE A P CARD IF THIS IS WHAT THE POLICY IS GOING TO BE? HERE IF WE'RE SAYING THAT ANYONE CAN MAKE A PURCHASE UP TO A $1,000, WHY WOULDN'T EVERY EMPLOYEE HAVE A P CARD? THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
I'D ASK THAT WE BE A LITTLE MORE DELIBERATIVE IN TERMS OF THAT APPROVAL PROCESS BEFOREHAND OR THE GROUP THAT'S INVOLVED IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE PURCHASES.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM, SUPERVISOR.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR GARBER FOR YOUR WORK ON THE PURCHASING ORDER PROCESS THAT STAFF CURRENTLY HAS TO UNDERGO IS CUMBERSOME.
THERE'S A LOT OF EXTRA STEPS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY.
STAFF HAS TO SIGN [NOISE] THE PERSONNEL POLICY AGREEMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW
[01:25:03]
THE POLICIES OF THE TOWNSHIP INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL POLICIES.I KNOW FROM STAFFING [NOISE] PERSPECTIVE, AS DIRECTOR OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE, HOW MUCH MORE TIME IT TAKES FOR ALL THESE ITEMS THAT WE'RE PURCHASING, AND IT IS NOT AN EFFICIENT USE OF OUR STAFF TIME.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE ITEMS TO DO ELECTIONS AND WE KNOW WE HAVE TO PURCHASE THESE ITEMS. THE BOARD HAS APPROVED STAFF TO PURCHASE THESE ITEMS IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
THERE'S REVISED SIGNED A USE AGREEMENT FOR THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE USING OUR CREDIT CARD, THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE FOLLOWING THE THE FINANCE PROCEDURES, THERE'S NO NEED TO CREATE EXTRA STOPS ON THE BACKEND OF STAFF AND MORE BURDENS ON STAFF TO HAVE TO CONDUCT WORK, GET WORK DONE, SERVICE THE PUBLIC THAN WHAT IS ALREADY THERE.
I AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS COULD DO A ROLE HERE, APPRECIATE CUTTING DOWN ON THE BUREAUCRACY THAT TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON MENTIONED IN GETTING THINGS DONE IN A MORE EFFICIENT MANNER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER.
>> [INAUDIBLE] ITERATE THE CLERKS COMMENTS I APPRECIATE THIS MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS.
I'M ASSUMING YOU DIDN'T MAKE THIS POLICY UP OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.
DID YOU SEE IT IN OTHER ORGANIZATION SHOULD WORK FOR, SEE IT AS AN AUDITOR.
WHAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS CHANGE? [NOISE]
>> A LOT OF IT'S BEEN FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED SINCE I'VE ARRIVED HERE.
IN PREVIOUS POSITIONS I'VE HELD IN AS AN AUDITOR, THERE ARE A LOT OF ENTITIES OUT THERE THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE A PURCHASE ORDER SYSTEM LIKE WE HAVE HERE.
IN MY PREVIOUS COMMUNITY, WE REALLY ONLY HAD THEM IF A VENDOR REQUESTED IT OR IF IT WAS A LARGER PURCHASE, NOT FOR THESE REALLY SMALL ITEMS.
>> I APPRECIATE TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON'S CONCERNED ABOUT ANY EMPLOYEE MAKING ANY PURCHASE AT THE SAME TIME.
I WOULD SAY THAT ANY EMPLOYEE HERE IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT AN EMPLOYEE WOULD MAKE A RANDOM UNAUTHORIZED PURCHASES WITHOUT SPEAKING WITH THEIR MANAGER FOR OUR FACE REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT IN TERMS OF THE TERMINATION OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT IF IT WERE THAT EGREGIOUS OF AN ACTION, SO THOSE CONTROLS ALREADY EXIST WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S REALLY THE ONLY DEPARTMENT HEADS THEY'RE DOING ANY SIGNIFICANT PURCHASING.
THESE TWO AUTHORIZED THAT BEFORE HE THEN GOES FORWARD, SO I THINK WE DO HAVE CONTROLS IN PLACE AND RAISING THIS LIMIT TO A $1,000 MAKES GOOD SENSE TO ME. THANK YOU FOR THE POLICY.
THANK YOU, SITTING THERE TO PRESENT.
[NOISE] I WOULD GO BACK TO TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON'S POINT, AND TREASURER YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING TO THAT, THAT SPOKE TO ME.
I'M THINKING LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE A MANAGER.
MANAGER WALSH, HAVE TO APPROVE ALL OF THESE LITTLE PURCHASES THAT COULDN'T BE CUMBERSOME TO HE'S BUSY DIRECTOR GARBER.
IF WE WERE TO PUT IN PLACE JUST ONE LEVEL OF PRE-APPROVAL, COULD THAT COME FROM THEIR PARTICULAR MANAGER? THEN WE CAN PUT THE ON THAT MANAGER KNOWING THAT, THAT PERSON WENT TO THE MANAGER FIRST, THAT'S BEEN APPROVED AS AN APPROVED PURCHASE.
NOT TO SAY THAT, I DON'T TRUST STAFF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT QUITE HONESTLY, IT TAKES A LITTLE LIABILITY OFF THAT STAFF AS WELL.
YOU AS A MANAGER, COULD PRE-APPROVED THE PURCHASE, AND THEN WILL GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE FIVE-STEP.
I WOULD SUPPORT A VERY BASIC PRE-APPROVAL PROCESS AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU MA'AM SUPERVISORS.
IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS STILL AN APPROVAL PROCESS.
NUMBER 4 IN THE SECOND PART SAYS THE INVOICE GOES THROUGH THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE APPROVAL PROCESS.
SUPERVISOR, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE DIRECTOR.
THERE'S STILL AN APPROVAL PROCESS, PEOPLE AREN'T JUST REALLY NEARLY, GOING AND PURCHASING, IS THAT CORRECT? [OVERLAPPING] NO, I'M SORRY. [OVERLAPPING] UNDERSTANDING OR-
>> THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ACROSS THIS IS USUALLY AFTER THE FACT ONCE YOU HAVE AN INVOICE AND THE ITEMS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED.
[01:30:06]
>> PEOPLE AREN'T JUST WILLY-NILLY.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, PEOPLE AREN'T WILLY-NILLY PURCHASING THINGS.
THEY'RE GETTING DIRECTION FROM THEIR DIRECTOR, OR FROM THEIR MANAGER, OR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVES THE BUDGET.
WE GO BY THAT [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE MAKE.
>> [NOISE] MS. GARBER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREDIT CARD [NOISE] PURCHASES FOR ITEMS LESS THAN $1,000 OR INVERSED ITEMS. AN EMPLOYEE MAKING A PURCHASE OF LESS THAN $1,000 CAN EITHER PAY FOR IT BY CREDIT CARD, OR THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE REQUESTING AN INVOICE TO MAKE THAT PURCHASE, WHICH ACTUALLY INVOLVES SOME PRE-APPROVAL BEFORE THE INVOICE IS PROVIDED; IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THE OPTION FOR AN AMOUNT LESS THAN $1,000 IS THE PURCHASER'S CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO USE A CREDIT CARD OR DOES HE REQUEST AN INVOICE AND THEN PURCHASING THE ITEM? [NOISE]
>> A COUPLE OF OTHER POINTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS, I BELIEVE IT WAS AT OUR LAST MEETING YOU PROVIDED US WITH AN AUDIT OF CREDIT CARD PURCHASES.
WERE THESE STANDARDS IN PLACE WHEN THOSE PURCHASES WERE MADE AND THEN AUDITED?
>> THE NEW UPDATED CREDIT CARD POLICY WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER, I THINK IT WAS NOVEMBER 1ST.
WE DID AN AUDIT OF THE NOVEMBER AND [NOISE] DECEMBER TRANSACTIONS WITH THE CREDIT CARDS.
>> IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU FOUND NO ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM, AND THAT WAS ONLY ONE SUGGESTION OF CHANGING HOW THE ACCOUNTING WAS DONE, IN THAT CASE, PARTICULARLY IN THE MOTOR POOL; IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YEAH. BASED ON THE TRANSACTIONS THAT WERE TESTED, WE ONLY SELECTED CERTAIN NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS.
WE FOUND THAT THEY WERE ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR POLICY.
[NOISE] DURING THE INTERVIEWS THAT TOOK PLACE, THERE WAS ONE RECOMMENDATION WITH MOTOR POOL, LIKE SMALL EQUIPMENT, POTENTIALLY HAVING AN INVENTORY LIST OF THOSE ITEMS.
>> IN THE CASE FOR PURCHASES LESS THAN $1,000 OR LESS, IN YOUR PRIOR AUDIT, DID YOU TAKE FROM THAT THE IDEA THAT THIS SYSTEM WORKS VERY WELL FOR YOUR INTENDED PURPOSES OF IMPROVING THE COMPLIANCE AND THE EFFICIENCY GOALS?
>> I GUESS I WAS JUST LOOKING AT CONSISTENCY ACROSS OUR POLICIES, BECAUSE WITH THE CREDIT CARD POLICY WE HAVE THE ABILITY UNDER, I BELIEVE, THE WORDING AND IT WORKS [NOISE] EMERGENCY PURCHASES UNDER $1,000.
THUS, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT WITH OUR CREDIT CARD POLICY.
>> ON THAT POINT, I AM IN FAVOR OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH IT, CONSIDERING THE PROCESSES YOU GO THROUGH TO PERMIT CREDIT CARD PURCHASES BY AN EMPLOYEE FOR LESS THAN $1,000.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS DOCUMENT ALSO TALKS ABOUT HOW WE DO PURCHASES FOR $5,000 OR GREATER [NOISE] AND WHAT IS IT? $25,000 [BACKGROUND] ETC.
I FIND NO DIFFICULTY WITH THE PLANS YOU HAVE PUT OUT.
I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT PARTICULARLY WITH THE CREDIT CARD PURCHASES WE GET IN OUR BOARD PACKET EVERY MONTH,
[01:35:01]
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OVERSIGHT OF HOW THAT SYSTEM IS WORKING.UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS I AM IN COMPLETE SUPPORT OF WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE AS A CHANGE IN POLICY.
OTHER COMMENTS? MR. HENDRICKSON?
>> I'M NOT TRYING TO BEAT ON THIS TOO MUCH BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT WHAT IT IS I'M ASKING FOR IS NOT AN HONORERS REQUEST.
ALL I'M SAYING IS ON THIS NEW PROCEDURE, STEP ZERO IS, RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM YOUR SUPERVISOR OR DEPARTMENT HEAD TO MAKE A PURCHASE.
I THINK THAT'S TYPICAL ACT OF YOUR DAY JOB IS MAKING SURE THAT WHAT IT IS YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS DONE.
LET'S JUST TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE,SOMETHING INCREDIBLY SIMPLE.
YOU HAVE A STAFF MEETING. YOU DECIDE WE WANT TO GET ZACK A BIRTHDAY CAKE.
BUT IT'S UNCLEAR WHO IT IS THAT PURCHASES THE BIRTHDAY CAKE.
I CAN GO OUT IN PAUL BAKING CAKES AND SAY, "WE WANT A CAKE FOR TOMORROW FOR ZACK.
INVOICE ME AT THE TOWNSHIP." [INAUDIBLE] CAN DO IT.
BUT IN THE SAME MEETING, MONAH TAKES THAT IT'S HER RESPONSIBILITY TO GO OUT AND DO THAT AND SHE DOES IT.
RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT TWO CAKES COMING AND THE ONLY TIME THIS IS GOING TO GET CAUGHT IS, NUMBER 1, WHEN THE BOTH CAKES ARRIVE FOR ZACK'S BIRTHDAY AND WE OVER INDULGE [LAUGHTER] AND NUMBER 2, IN THE FIVE-STEP APPROVAL PROCESS TO PAY THE INVOICE, AT WHICH POINT IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
IT SEEMS TO ME A RELATIVELY SIMPLE THING WOULD BE FOR ME TO SAY, HEY, SUPERVISOR JACKSON, WE HAVE THIS MEETING AM I AUTHORIZED TO GO BUY THE CAKE? AND YOU CAN TELL ME, NO, MONAH HAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF IT.
I FEEL IT'S NOT TOO UNREASONABLE TO ASK THAT WE GET ONE-STEP APPROVAL PRIOR TO A PURCHASE WHICH MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO CLAW BACK AFTER THE FACT WITH A FIVE-STEP APPROVAL PROCESS ON THE INVOICE SIDE.
>> YOU MAKE AN EXCELLENT POINT, TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
I THINK IT'S ALREADY BAKED INTO THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
FIRST OF ALL, FOR YOUR EXAMPLE, BOTH MONAH AND THE OTHER CAKE ORDER WOULD BE OUT OF LINE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T PURCHASE GIFTS FOR HIM.
[LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING] LET'S ASSUME IT'S NOT A GIFT FOR EMPLOYEE.
[NOISE] I THINK THE PROCESS THAT I THINK DIRECTOR GUTHRIE IS PROPOSING IS THAT, NO EMPLOYEE WOULD DO THIS WITHOUT HAVING THEIR MANAGER'S APPROVAL.
IF YOU WANT MADE MORE EXPLICITLY, I'M SURE WE COULD ADD THAT.
BUT IT'S BAKED INTO THE PROCESS NOW, EMPLOYEES DO NOT WALK AROUND MAKING PURCHASES WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THEIR MANAGERS.
IN THIS BUILDING, AND I DOUBT THEY DO AT YOUR WORKPLACE OR MOST WORKPLACES. IT JUST ISN'T ALLOWED.
>> TRUSTEE MR. OPSOMMER, YOU HAVE A COMMENT TO ADD?
>> YEAH. JUST FROM MY DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE, WHERE I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT, WE WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS USE THE CREDIT CARD STILL.
HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME BOUNDARIES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE OLD SCHOOL AND THEY DON'T USE CREDIT CARDS VERY OFTEN AND THEY'RE JUST TRADITIONAL.
ANYTIME WE HAVE A VENDOR LIKE THAT, WE HAVE A PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT VENDOR, IT'S USUALLY SOMEONE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IF THEY'RE INVOICING US, THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING WITH A CREDIT CARD FOR A PURCHASE OF THIS VALUE.
[NOISE] IT'S TYPICALLY GOING TO BE A PART SUPPLIER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR WATER AND SEWERAGE, TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
THESE ARE GOING TO BE FAIRLY RARE IN THAT INSTANCE ALONE.
BUT TO TRUSTEE DESCHAINE'S POINT, EVERY DIRECTOR IS GETTING INPUT OR IS SIGNING OFF ON THE PURCHASE BEFORE THEIR STAFF IS MAKING IT.
I'LL LEAVE YOU ALL TO THAT DISCUSSION ON THAT DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S PUT INTO THIS.
BUT [NOISE] THE VENDORS THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY UTILIZE THIS FOR WOULD BE PRETTY SELECT.
BOTH VENDORS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO CREDIT CARDS AND THAT'S USUALLY GOING TO BE THE PROCESS.
>> [INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEE WILSON?
>> DIRECTOR GARBER, ARE YOU THE SOLE ARBITER OF THIS POLICY? DID YOU WRITE IT AND IT'S ONLY YOUR WORK OR WERE THERE OTHERS INVOLVED IN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS POLICY?
>> THIS POLICY [NOISE] ALREADY EXISTED, [LAUGHTER] AND I MADE SOME CHANGES TO IT WITH OTHERS INPUT.
>> THERE WERE OTHERS IN YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT HAD INPUT INTO THIS?
>> IT WAS MOSTLY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
[01:40:02]
THERE WAS DISCUSSION AT OUR [NOISE] DIRECTORS MEETINGS ABOUT IT.>> BUT THAT'S THE POINT I WANTED TO GET TO THAT.
DIRECTOR GARBER IS NOT THE DECISION-MAKER ON THIS, THAT THERE'S BEEN INPUT FROM OTHER MANAGEMENT STAFF.
I GET A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT US WADING INTO OPERATIONS.
BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW BEST AND YOUR TEAM KNOWS BEST HOW THE FUNCTIONALITY OF YOUR POLICIES ARE.
BUT I DON'T WANT US TO GET INTO TELLING YOU HOW TO OPERATE AND HOW TO DO YOUR JOB.
THAT'S MY CONCERN AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD SUPPORT THIS CHANGE.
>> OTHER COMMENTS? [NOISE] ONE MORE THING, I APPRECIATE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN HOW YOU HANDLE SURPLUS SUPPLIES AND HOW DO YOU GET RID OF STUFF THAT YOU CAN'T USE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN IT WRITTEN DOWN IN TOWNSHIP BEFORE AND I APPRECIATE SEEING IT.
[LAUGHTER] AND HOPEFULLY, VERY EASY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO FREE UP SPACE AND THE LIKE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
[NOISE] ANY COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
THIS WILL COME BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL.
>> I'M READY TO MAKE A DECISION AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT ITEM.
[INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] THE NEXT ITEM IS THE TB TRAVEL POLICY UPDATE. MRS. GUTHRIE
[13.B. Travel Policy Update]
>> THIS ONE CAME TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE WE HAVE EXPLICITLY STATED IN OUR TRAVEL POLICY OUR MEAL REIMBURSEMENT RATES, WHICH DON'T MATCH WITH OUR CURRENT PRACTICE.
THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR UPDATING THIS POLICY.
SINCE WE'RE UPDATING THAT PORTION, I JUST READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE POLICY AND MADE A FEW OTHER CHANGES THAT INCLUDE THE ELIMINATION OF CASH ADVANCES FOR TRAVEL PURPOSES, CLARIFYING THE MEAL REIMBURSEMENT RATES BECAUSE I'VE RECEIVED MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ON IF IT'S A PER DIEM RATE OR IF IT'S PER MEAL.
CLARIFICATION OF RECEIPT DOCUMENTATION THAT'S TO BE PROVIDED TO THE TOWNSHIP, INCLUDING MAPS OF TRAVEL ROUTES AND DOCUMENTATION OF CONFERENCES WITH MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST AND THE ELIMINATION OF PETTY CASH REIMBURSEMENTS FOR MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENTS UNDER $30.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GUTHRIE.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT VERY THOROUGHLY.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ON PAGE 89, UNDER OFFICIALS BUSINESS, IT SAYS THAT THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR SHALL APPROVE THE REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES FOR TOWNSHIP BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
DOES THAT HAPPEN NOW? I FIND THAT THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR, NOT JUST ON YOU MAAM, [LAUGHTER] SUPERVISOR, BUT I FIND IT ODD THAT, IF YOU'RE IN CONFRONTATION WITH THE SUPERVISOR, THE SUPERVISOR IS GOING TO BE LIKE, "I AIN'T APPROVING YOU," AND A THING [LAUGHTER] I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT SENTENCE.
MAYBE IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HAVEN'T NOTICED IT, BUT I DON'T RECALL A TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR APPROVING REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES FURTHER A BOARD ON COMMISSION MEMBERS.
>> COULD ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE TO ME BECAUSE WE ARE A SELF-CONTAINED BOARD.
WE HAVE A SUPERVISOR AND IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE SUPERVISOR TO APPROVE OUR EXPENSES THAN THE MANAGER, WHO ACTUALLY WORKS FOR US.
THEREFORE, IT'S NOT GOING TO NOT BE THE BEST ARBITRATOR OF AN EXPENSE.
THE SUPERVISOR, IS ONE THAT THE BOARD, IF YOU WILL, REPORTS TO OUR ELECTED LEADER.
>> IS THAT HOW IT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW?
>> I CAN ONLY SAY I'VE NEVER DONE IT.
>> YEAH, I BELIEVE THE ONES I'VE SEEN IT'S THE MANAGER APPROVING THEM.
I RECENTLY DID A CONFERENCE LAST WEEK AND I HAD TO GET PRE-APPROVAL FROM THE DEPARTMENT MANAGER AND OTHER CONFERENCES MICHELLE WORKS ON WITH THE BOARD.
THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER LOOKS AT THOSE CONFERENCES AND WORKS DOWN THOSE WITH HER.
[01:45:02]
THERE IN THE BUDGET THAT THE BOARD APPROVES IT IN ADVANCE.I FOUND THAT CURIOUS AND I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BETTER REFLECT WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING.
IF WE DO WANT THE SUPERVISOR TO DO THAT, THEN WE SHOULD BE HAVING THE SUPERVISOR DO IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
>> THE POLICY IS PROPOSING THAT WE COUNTIFY IT TO THE SUPERVISOR, DOES IT?
>> NOW, THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?
>> I DON'T. IF THIS IS ALREADY HERE [OVERLAPPING]
I'M SAYING IF THERE'S NO CHANGE, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE YOU SIGN OFF ON THOSE REIMBURSE THOSE EXPENSES FOR [LAUGHTER]BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS.
THE REIMBURSABLE MEAL EXPENSES, WHICH PAGE IS THAT ON? IT'S ON PAGE 90.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU CHANGING THIS.
THESE ARE VERY OLD NUMBERS, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
I'M WONDERING, WHEN WE DO THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE, WE FOLLOW THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE AND WE ADOPT THAT EVERY YEAR.
I'M WONDERING WHY WE DON'T DO THAT WITH MEAL REIMBURSEMENTS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO REVISIT THIS DOCUMENT EVERY TIME.
BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE STANDARD RATE FOR MEAL REIMBURSEMENTS, IT'S $59 FOR THE DAY, NOT $51.
IT'S $13 FOR BREAKFAST, $15 FOR LUNCH, $26 FOR DINNER.
IF YOU GO ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE STATE, IT VARIES.
BUT IF YOU DO THE STANDARD RATE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPLIES, THOSE ARE THE RATES THAT ARE THERE.
I RECENTLY WAS IN MOUNT PLEASANT, I HAD A SIMPLE SALAD FOR LUNCH AND IT WAS $16.
I CAN'T EVEN GIVE A TIP TO SOMEBODY.
[LAUGHTER] I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE THE TOWNSHIP'S NUMBERS WERE LOW FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING CONFERENCES WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO PURCHASE THEIR OWN MEALS.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOT HAVE TO REVISIT THIS ALL THE TIME.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP UP WITH THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES, SEND MY COMMENTS I GUESS TO THE BOARD WERE MAYBE LOOK AT.
IF WE'RE DOING THAT WITH MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT, WHY NOT DO THAT WITH MEAL REIMBURSEMENT OR THE MAXIMUM PER DIEM, WHICH IS $59 RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF $51? THOSE WERE ALL OF MY COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THIS POLICY AND I APPRECIATED ALL OF THE OTHER CHANGES THAT YOU MADE AND I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THOSE.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE CHANGES IN BOTH DOCUMENTS REFLECTING DEI STANDARDS.
>> MS. GUTHRIE, IS THERE A REASON WHY ONE SET OF STANDARDS IS USED FOR MILEAGE AND ANOTHER SET OF STANDARDS IS THE SOURCE OF THE STANDARDS FOR MEALS?
I HAD THE SAME QUESTION BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER HAVE GENERAL VERBIAGE IN HERE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO UPDATE IT EVERY TIME THERE'S A CHANGE. I'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK OVER TIME AND THE WAY OUR ECONOMY IS RUNNING, IT'S GOING TO FLUCTUATE QUITE A BIT.
I THINK IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO MAKE IT SIMPLE AND FOLLOW THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
I WILL MAKE A NOTE THOUGH, BASED ON FEDERAL GUIDELINES, DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE DIFFERENT RATES, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY LAID OUT UNDER THE GSA FOR YOU AND OUR STAFF.
>> IS THERE ALSO A STATE BASE STAND THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE FEDERAL?
>> BUT IT APPLIES ONLY TO STATE EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE.
[01:50:03]
>> THE GSA APPLIES AT NATIONWIDE AND THEY DEAL A RATE FOR EACH STATE.
SOME OF THE STATES THEY STOP WHICH CITY IT IS, AND THEN THEY DO A STANDARD RATE FOR THE STATE.
>> OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I GUESS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT EVALUATE THAT MEAL STANDARD AND AN AGREEMENT AMONG THE BOARD [LAUGHTER] AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO HAVE THEIR EXPENSES SUPERVISED BY THE SUPERVISOR, AS IS IN OUR CURRENT POLICY.
>> DIRECTORS SCHMIDT, HE WON'T EVEN WAKE.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO WALK FOR A MOMENT.
>> WE'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
>> NO, I JUST HAVE TO STRETCH [INAUDIBLE].
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM SUCCESSOR.
[13.C. Ordinance 2022-16 – Sign Ordinance Update]
[01:59:02]
[LAUGHTER]>> JUST BEGINNING TO START ITEM 13C WITH MR. SCHMIDT.
WE'RE ON ORDINANCE 2022-16, A SIGN ORDINANCE. MR. SCHMIDT.
>> THANK YOU, MA'AM SUPERVISOR.
TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY CUSHER AND I ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO GO INTO AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU'D LIKE ON THE SIGN ORDINANCE.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IF IT PLEASES THE BOARD, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER A HIGH LEVEL, HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS RATHER THAN GO SECTION BY SECTION.
BECAUSE I WILL START BY SAYING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE CHANGES, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE CHANGES FALL INTO ONE OF TWO CATEGORIES.
ONE, THEY'RE THE CHANGES TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO CONTENT, WHICH IS WHAT IS PREDICATING THIS WHOLE UPDATE.
WE CAN'T SPECIFICALLY REGULATE A SIGN THAT
[02:00:02]
IS TALKING ABOUT A RESTAURANT IN AN OFFICE RESTAURANT WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HAVE IN OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.SO IT IS EITHER THAT CHANGE OR DOES IT CHANGE TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE THE ORDINANCE? PREVIOUSLY, SIGN REGULATIONS WERE FOUND IN ABOUT NINE DIFFERENT SPOTS.THIS ORDINANCE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S STILL THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE.
MOST OF THE CHANGES FALL INTO THOSE TWO CATEGORIES.
THERE ARE NOT MANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THE ACTUAL FUNCTION OF THE ORDINANCE, BUT I WANT TO GO THROUGH A FEW OF THEM BRIEFLY.
MOST OF THE BEGINNING IS THE CHANGES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
WE HAD A BUNCH OF DEFINITIONS BECAUSE WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO ADD THOSE DEFINITIONS, AND TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY CUSHER READILY BEEFED UP OUR PURPOSE SECTION TO MAKE THE ORDINANCE MORE DEFENSIBLE.
THE FIRST REAL MAJOR CHANGE THAT I WANT TO DISCUSS IS SECTION 16 OF THE ORDINANCES, THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS THAT ACTUALLY HAS A PHYSICAL CHANGE.
ONE, THE SIZE OF A FREESTANDING SIGN GOES THROUGH 25-32, 32 IS WHAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AS THE STANDARD THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE, SO A FREESTANDING SIGN, 32 SQ FT. YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH COUNT ON THAT THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE.
THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS OUT OF LINE TWENTY FIVE IS A WEIRD NUMBER ANYWAY FROM A SIGN PERSPECTIVE, SO 32 STANDARD NOW THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE.
WALL SIGN GOES FROM 20-30 SQ FT. WE HAVE ANOTHER OFFICE REQUEST THIS MONTH, THE ZBA REQUESTING A LARGER SIGN THAT IS PERMITTED.
THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON REQUEST THAT WE GET.
THIS ONE NOT ADDRESS ALL OF THEM BECAUSE MOST OF THE VARIANCES, WE GET A PRETTY LARGE REQUEST.
BUT THIS IS PROVIDING A LITTLE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY.
IN DOING SO, WE'RE ALSO ALLOWING MULTI-TENANT BUILDINGS TO HAVE SIGNS FOR EACH TENANT.
AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, MANY OF THE BUILDINGS DO THAT ALREADY.
THEY JUST WORK AROUND IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THIS JUST CLARIFIES HOW YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A MULTI-TENANT BUILDING.
THERE ARE NOW STANDARDS IN PLACE FOR THAT.
THE NEXT THING IS UNDER SECTION 17 WHICH GETS INTO THE COMMERCIAL.
FUNCTIONALLY, TWO CHANGES HERE.
THE FIRST ONE REALLY REVOLVES AROUND THE IDEA OF HAVING, IF YOU HAVE FRONTAGE ONTO A STREET, YOU CAN PUT A SIGN THERE.
THE GREAT EXAMPLE I WILL GIVE YOU IS THE INTERSECTION OF GRAND RIVER AND OKEMOS ROAD.
THERE ARE FOUR CORNERS. ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS DOES NOT HAVE SIGNS ON THE SIDEWALLS.
ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS GOT VARIANCES FOR THE WALLS AND THE SIDEWALL AND THE FOURTH HAS ACTUALLY A LARGER SIGN THAT WILL BE PERMITTED BUT DIDN'T NEED TO GET A VARIANCE FOR THE OTHER SIDE.
FOUR CORNERS, FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS OF HANDLING.
THIS MAKES IT VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IF YOU HAVE FRONTAGE, YOU CAN HAVE A WALL SIGN.
THE EXAMPLE ON THAT INTERSECTION, THE PERSON THAT BENEFITS ON THAT INTERSECTION KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CAKES.
THEY WILL NOW BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A SIGN IF THIS GOES THROUGH ON THE OKEMOS ROAD SIGN, CONSISTENT WITH THE THREE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT HAVE SIGNS ON THE SIDES.
BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT FRONTAGE.
THE OTHER CHANGE IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT IS THE SIZE OF THE FREESTANDING SIGN.
AGAIN, THIS DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS A SLIDING SCALE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING, EITHER 28, 38, OR 43 SQ FT.
THIS IS, AT BEST, UNWIELDY AND AT WORST, TREATS DIFFERENT BUILDINGS DIFFERENTLY AND SO WE RECOMMEND JUST GOING STRAIGHT TO 38 SQ FT.
IF YOU WANT A COMPARISON FOR THAT, THAT IS ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF THE NEW OVAL THAT'S INSTALLED ON THE TOWNSHIP SIGNS.
PUT A BOX AROUND THAT., IT'S RIGHT ABOUT 38 SQ FT, GIVE OR TAKE DEPENDING ON HOW YOU MEASURE IT.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT BRIEFLY, ALTHOUGH IT'S REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE CURRENTLY HANDLE IT, WE DO HAVE DRIVE-THRU SIGNAGE.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SECTION BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ADVERTISING SIGN, THAT'S MORE OF A FUNCTION SIGN OF HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE SITE WORK.
THAT IS ONLY A FEW THINGS WHERE WE GOT A SPECIFIC SET OF GUIDELINES FOR IT.
[NOISE] WE'RE GOING TO FLIP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT HERE [NOISE] AND I'LL GO TO TEMPORARY SIGNS BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE.
I WILL LET MR. CUSHER DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WHEN YOU HAVE THE INEVITABLE QUESTION, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO IS WE HAVE SPLIT IT BETWEEN OFF-PREMISE AND ON-PREMISES SIGN.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS GET TO REGULATIONS WITHOUT SAYING WHAT YOU'RE REGULATING.
[02:05:01]
THAT'S VERY HARD TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE FOR SALE SIGNS AND POLITICAL SIGNS AND GRAND OPENING SIGNS.THAT'S WHAT THIS SECTION IS TRYING TO GET TO.
WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS.
WE THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION HERE.
[NOISE] IT PUTS LIMITATIONS IN PLACE, BUT NONE THAT ARE SO BURDENSOME THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS OUT, PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO DO WHAT THEY DO, BUT THERE WILL BE NOW A LANE FOR SOME BUSINESS TO PUT UP A TEMPORARY SIGN LEGALLY.
THERE WILL BE A LANE FOR PEOPLE TO PUT UP POLITICAL SIGNS LEGALLY IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THEN THE LAST CHANGE THAT I REALLY WANTED, NO I HAD TWO, I'M SORRY.
I WANT TO POINT OUT SECTION 23, THAT IS ACTUALLY NOT NEW.
THAT EXISTS IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS NOW, IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE ANY STANDARDS REALLY FOR REVIEW.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ACTUALLY PROVIDED STANDARDS FOR THIS REQUEST NOW.
PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS UP TO THE WHIMS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH IS, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME GUARDRAILS TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS SECTION 26, WHICH IS BRAND-NEW.
IT ALLOWS THE BOARD TO GRANT WHAT IS FUNCTIONALLY A WAIVER OF SOME OF THE SIGN REQUIREMENTS DURING MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
WHEN GRAND RIVER WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UPFRONT SAY, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY SIGNAGE FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS.
FUNCTIONALLY, RIGHT NOW, WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'S REALLY A DISCRETIONARY PROSECUTION ISSUE IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE ADDRESS THE SIGNAGE ISSUES ALONG GRAND RIVER, WHICH WE TRIED TO BE AS FLEXIBLE AS WE COULD BE LAST YEAR AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE FLEXIBLE WHILST UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THIS WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE BOARD HAS THE ABILITY TO TELL US, HEY, GIVE ME AN ADDITIONAL 48 SQUARED FEET WHILE IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHATEVER THAT ENDS UP BEING ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
AGAIN, THREE SUBSTANTIVE SIZE CHANGES.
THE TWO IN THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE AND THE ONE IN THE COMMERCIAL.
THE ONE IN THE COMMERCIAL IS REALLY JUST CONSOLIDATION TO MAKE EVERYONE'S LIFE EASIER.
BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS FURTHER ANY OF THE CHANGES OR ANY OF THE OTHER CHANGES.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO DO SO WHILE I HAVE THE BRAINS BEHIND THIS OPERATION STANDING NEXT TO ME.
>> OKAY. DOES ANYONE LIKE TO START US OFF?
>> I START BY SAYING, THANK YOU.
I KNOW THIS WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY I MET YOU, "I GOT TO WORK ON SIGNS, " AND THAT WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
>> I'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST 24 MONTHS OR 48 BECAUSE I DID IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THAT.
ALSO, BEING A MEMBER OF THE ZBA FOR THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A LITTLE BIT, MANY OF OUR VARIANCES OR WAIVER PROPOSALS WERE IN RESPECT WITH SIGNS.
IN SOME CASES, YOU COULD SEE WHERE IT WAS VERY CUMBERSOME BUT ALSO NOT TERRIBLY LOGICAL.
I FEEL LIKE YOU'VE ADDRESSED A LOT OF THE LOGIC THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT AS A ZBA MEMBER.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE BOARD ALLOWING TEMPORARY SIGNS, THE NEW EDITION.
I SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW THIS, BUT HOW DO YOU SEE THAT WORKING? WOULD SOMEBODY COME TO YOUR OFFICE, DR. SCHMIDT, PROPOSE? HOW WOULD THAT WORK? HOW WOULD THE BOARD SEE THAT?
>> I THINK WHAT WE WOULD DO IS THIS WILL BE A PROACTIVE THING FROM STAFF WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR CLARK.
WE'VE DEFINED IT AS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OR MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT THAT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON FIVE OR MORE BUSINESSES.
IT IS SOMETHING BIG ENOUGH THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO NOTICE.
WE WOULD THEN COME TO THE BOARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF, WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS, WE WOULD RECOMMEND DOING THIS FOUR MONTHS THAT THEY BE PERMITTED X.
THE EXAMPLE WITH THE SUMMER, IF YOU'VE LOOKED AROUND GRAND RIVER WHILE IT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT BUSINESSES WERE TRYING TO GET THEIR SIGNAGE OUT THERE.
I THINK WHAT WE WILL TRY TO DO IS STANDARDIZE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
OBVIOUSLY, MAKE IT SO THAT THEY'RE NOT BLOCKING THE ROAD, THEY'RE NOT BLOCKING VISIBILITY, THEY'RE NOT BLOCKING SIDEWALKS, THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT STILL TRY AND GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL VISIBILITY.
TRY DOING A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
>> SO COME TO YOUR OFFICE PRIOR TO COMING TO US.
>> WE HAVE, JUST TO REITERATE WHAT YOU FIRST SAID,
[02:10:03]
WE HAVE NO CONTROLS FOR CONTENT, IS THAT CORRECT?>> WE HAVE DONE OUR LEVEL BEST TO REMOVE CONTENT-BASED REGULATIONS.
HAVE WE EVER ALLOWED NEON, AND I SEE A LITTLE LONG LOCATION HERE WHICH SAYS NANA IS NOT PERMITTED ON PAGE 103, SECTION 17.
>> HIS WHATSOEVER. C1, C2, C3.
>> I BELIEVE THAT GOT MOVED. LET ME DOUBLE-CHECK.
IT'S BEEN A STRIKE OUT UNDER THE PURPOSE.
IT GOT MOVED TO, SWIPE TWO COPIES OF THIS CODE.
IT'S PAGE 103 OR 13, PAGE 13, YEAR DOCUMENT.
>> CORRECT. SOMEBODY ELSE CAN ASK A QUESTION WHILE I TAKE SOME.
>> CLEARED. HE DOESN'T HAVE THE WHOLE PACKET.
>> IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
>> PAGE 13. STRIKEOUTS SECTION SAYS NEON SIGNS SHALL BE PERMITTED, BUT IT IS STRUCK.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT ALL THE ILLUMINATION STANDARDS HAVE GONE TO SECTION 22.
THAT IS NOW SUBJECT TO THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR FOR ANY ILLUMINATION, BE IT NEON SPOTLIGHTING, ETC.
RETAINING THE STANDARDS OF NOT HAVING FLASHING, REMOVING ILLUMINATION.
>> AND ALSO NOT [OVERLAPPING].
>> FOR SHIELDING SOURCE OF LIGHT AND BEING VISIBLE FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, BUT NEON WOULD STILL MEET THE STANDARDS AND THE ILLUMINATION, IT WOULD STILL BE PERMITTED.
>> THE QUESTION IS, CAN THEY SHOW US THAT IT MEETS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE STICKY WICKED. YEAH.
>> LET ME ELECTRONIC SIGN CHANGE OUR ORDINANCE.
IT READS ONLY ONE CHANGE EVERY 24 HOURS.
THAT CAN'T BE A SCROLLING MESSAGE EITHER.
IT'S A FIXED MESSAGE THAT CAN'T BE CONTINUOUS, LIKE A LIST OF THINGS FOR SALE THAT ARE SCROLLING THROUGH.
IT'S GOING TO BE ONE MESSAGE, STAYS PUT FOR 24 HOURS. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THE CURRENT WALGREENS ELECTRONIC SIGN WOULD BE NOT APPROVED TODAY UNDER THIS ORDINANCE.
>> WOULDN'T BE APPROVED FOR OTHER REASONS, ACTUALLY, BUT YES.
>> THIS IS MEANT TO MAKE IT LESS OF A SAFETY HAZARD OR A MOTORIST TRYING TO READ THIS SCROLL YOUR MESSAGE WHILE THEY'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE.
>> THAT IS THE IMPETUS BEHIND LIMITING THE CHANGE.
>> NEXT SECTION GETTING MURALS, THAT WE HAVE OUR MURAL ON A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CAN COVER THE ENTIRE SIDE WALL OF A PROPERTY.
>> JUST A SECOND BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IS THE EXACT LANGUAGE.
IT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO FIND THIS RIGHT-CLICK SPIRAL EFFECTS.
>> YEAH, THAT IS THE EXACT LANGUAGE THAT WE JUST GAVE IT ITS OWN SECTION.
THERE WERE 100% OR THEIR SIGNAGE MAYBE ILLUMINATED YET.
WHAT THEY CALL A MURAL COULDN'T BE A CIGARETTE AD.
BUT WE CAN'T SAY WHAT WE THINK IS A MURAL, AND IT'S NOT A MURAL.
>> NO BECAUSE IF YOU GO BACK TO THE DEFINITIONS, THE DEFINITIONS PROHIBIT THE USE OF [OVERLAPPING].
>> ADVERTISING TOOLS LIKE LOGOS [OVERLAPPING] IN A MURAL.
>> DOESN'T IT SEEM TO STRIKE AT THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE CHANGING THIS,
[02:15:03]
WE'RE TRYING TO REGULATE WHAT IS CONTENT.MY CONCERN IS WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WHAT A MURAL IS, BUT MY IDEA OF A MURAL MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT CAN BE CRYSTALS. YOU HAVE A MURAL.
>> THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN GET INTO A LITTLE MORE REGULATION AND THE DISTINCTION ISN'T CONTENT.
THE DISTINCTION IS COMMERCIAL, NON-COMMERCIAL.
THERE IS A CERTAIN TYPE OF CONTENT BASE THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING, AM I JUST PROVIDING A BEAUTIFUL SCENERY OR AM I ADVERTISING SOMETHING? THERE'S SOME JUDGMENT OF WHAT THE MURAL IS TRYING TO SAY.
IN A SENSE THAT'S CONTENT-BASED.
THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT THE SUPREME COURT RULINGS THAT BROUGHT US TO HEAR TODAY IS THAT CONTENT MERELY HAVING TO READ THE SIGN, IS THAT GOING TO BE AN INVALID REGULATION? THAT WAS SOME OF THE INITIAL THINKING THAN THE LATER DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S ANOTHER CASE OUT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT SAID NO, THIS SHORTHAND RULE OF IF YOU READ IT, THEN IT'S CONTENT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO READ IT THAT STRICTLY.
IT DOES OPEN UP AVENUE TO SAY I CAN LOOK AT THE MURAL TO JUDGE WHETHER IT'S A MOSAIC OR A PICTURE OR A SCENE, OR WHETHER IT'S A CIGARETTE AD OR AN AD FOR SOME COMMERCIAL PURPOSE WITHOUT GETTING INTO A STRICT SCRUTINY CONTENT-BASED DECISION.
>> REGARDING VITAL SIGNS WERE MAINTAINED.
THE ONE SQUARE FOOT PERCENTAGE FOR ONE FOOT OF FRONTAGE, WHO'S CURRENTLY IN THE ORDINANCE, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> TENANTS IN THE BUILDING, THE SAME THING WOULD APPLY.
THEY'VE GOT 40 FEET OF FRONTAGE, DIDN'T GET A 40 SQUARE FOOT SIGN IF THERE ARE FOUR TENANTS, THEY EACH GET 10 FEET AT THE SQUARE FOOT OR ARE THEY GETTING 10. [OVERLAPPING]
>> BASED ON YOUR FRONTAGE? IF YOU HAVE A 40 LINEAL FOOT BUILDING AND IT'S GOT 10, 10, 10.
IF I HAVE 30 AND YOU HAVE 10, I GET MORE THAN YOU BECAUSE I HAVE MORE SPACE.
>> WHAT IF IT'S AN OFFICE BUILDING WILL SAY, AND IT HAS FOUR TENANTS AND THEY ALL HAVE A COMMON INTERESTS AND YOU CAN'T TELL WHO GETS WHAT FROM THE GROUP.
>> THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHOW US THAT THAT TENANT HAS FRONTAGE IN THAT DIRECTION.
IF I LEASED THE BACK PART OF THE OFFICE, I DON'T GET A SIGN ON THE FRONT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY FRONTAGE.
I AM ON THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
>> WHERE IF YOU'VE GOT FRONTAGE ON LEVEL 1 AND MORE FRONTAGE ON LEVEL 2, WHICH OF THE TWO TENANTS WOULD GET THE SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR THAT SIGN? OR DOES IT DOUBLE THE AMOUNT SIGNS THEY GOTTEN MULTI-STORY BUILDING.
>> THE MAXIMUM OF 30 SQUARE FEET [OVERLAPPING] AND SQUARE FEET, YOU STILL CAN ONLY HAVE THAT.
THAT SAME WOULD APPLY FOR A FREESTANDING SIGN AS WELL.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET 42 SQUARE FEET. THERE'S FOUR TENANTS.
THEY WOULDN'T GET DIVIDED UP 42 SQUARE FEET UP BY THE FOUR OF THEM.
>> THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
>> THE FORMER SAVE THE WHALES SIGN RESTRICTIONS, THOSE FALL UNDER OFF-PREMISES TEMPORARY SIGNS, DO THEY NOT?
>> CORRECT. THE WHALES ARE NOT AT MY HOUSE, SO I KNOW THE SOUND OFF PREMISE SIGN.
>> OKAY. CAN YOU JUST WALK ME TO THE MAXIMUM DISPLAY TIME FOR A TEMPORARY SIGN IS 60 DAYS.
IF I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH SIGN AND I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN UP FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS, WHAT DO I DO AS A CITIZEN?
THEN FORTUNATELY, WE NEED TO AT THAT POINT BE AWARE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AWARE OF IT.
THAT'S WHEN WE WILL START THE CLOCK.
BASICALLY, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, IT IS TO BE CLEAR, NOT AN EASY PROVISION TO ENFORCE.
BUT IT'S WHAT IS PROBABLY AVAILABLE TO US.
WE ORIGINALLY BANTERED ABOUT THE IDEA OF PERMITTING TEMPORARY SIGNS, WHILE I APPRECIATE IT, [LAUGHTER] IT'S SOLVED WITH THE BACK-END COMPONENT PROBLEM GOTTEN SUBSTANTIALLY BIGGER FOR STAFF, ESPECIALLY COME ELECTION TIME.
WE FLIPPED IT BACK TO MAKING AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AS OPPOSED TO UPFRONT PERMITTING ISSUE.
[02:20:04]
YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE AND THIS IS THE LESSER OF TWO.>> I THINK WE'LL SEE MORE OF THE LEGISLATION GOES, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE OUR PRIMARY ELECTIONS GET MOVED FROM AUGUST TO JUNE.
PRESUMABLY, A CANDIDATE WHO WANTS THEIR SIGNS TO BE LEGALLY VIABLE IS GOING TO HAND THEM OUT IN FEBRUARY WITHIN PROVISO TO PUT THEM UP IN LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL, SO THEY HAVE 60 DAYS WITHIN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO BE UP.
THAT SAME CANDIDATE, SHOULD THEY WIN, IS LIKELY NOT GOING TO INSTRUCT THEIR SUPPORTERS TO TAKE THEIR SIGNS DOWN COME MID-JUNE AND WAITS TO PUT THEM BACK UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE VERY LIKELY POSSIBILITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE POLITICAL SIGNS, EVEN THOUGH WE CALL THEM OFF-PREMISES TEMPORARY SIGNS, THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP FOR THE BETTER PART OF NINE MONTHS.
>> THAT IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.
I THINK THAT EVERY COMMUNITY STRUGGLES WITH IN THE STATE IF THE PRIMARY ELECTION DATE MOVES AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO RE-LOOK AT THIS.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID TO THE BOARD WHEN I BROUGHT THIS WORD IS EXPECT US TO BE BACK WITH CHANGES WITHIN A YEAR BECAUSE ON AN ORDINANCE THIS LARGE, [NOISE] SOMETHING IS NOT GOING TO WORK RIGHT IT'S INEVITABLE.
I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET IF THE PRIMARY DATE CHANGES, THIS IS THE THING WE BRING BACK TO CHANGE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RETHINK IT.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ALONE THOUGH IN THAT PROBLEM [LAUGHTER] [NOISE]
>> ALSO, ON A COMPLETELY SEPARATE MATTER.
TEMPORARY SIGNAGE FOR FARM STANDS, WHICH IS SECTION 19.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT AS SIGN IS A FARM STAND SIGN?
>> THAT IS A LANGUAGE FROM EXISTING AGRICULTURAL ORDINANCE AND I WANT TO SAY THAT COMES FROM STATE LAW.
>> THERE'S A TAMPON FARM STANDS.
THAT WOULD BE ONE THING WE WOULD LOOK AT.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, IT WOULD BE THERE WOULD BE A FARM STAND WHICH WOULD BE SELLING YOUR APPLES OR SOMETHING.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE EASIEST NEXUS TO TELL YOU WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING'S A FARM STAND.
WHICH AGAIN GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MURAL.
YES, I'M READING AND INTERPRETING THE OVERALL CONTEXT OF THE SIGN, BUT I'M NOT READING IT FOR ITS CONTENT, I'M READING IT FOR ITS CONTEXT.
IS IT NEXT TO A FARM STAND, IS AN ON-PREMISES OR OFF-PREMISE? IT'S GOING TO BE THAT INTERPRETIVE WORK.
BUT IF THERE'S MORE WORK NEEDED THERE OR IF WE THINK WE NEED MORE DEFINITIONS TO FLESH THAT OUT, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO TO [NOISE] PLACES IN STATE LAW AND THE GAPS TO HELP BEEF THAT UP.
>> TO THAT POINT, OFTENTIMES WHEN WE HAVE A GRAY AREA, WE DID HAVE ONE INSTANCE WHERE A RESIDENT WAS, THEY TOOK PLYWOOD AND THEY MADE A RECTANGLE.
THEN THEY STATED [NOISE] OTHERWISE ATTACHED TO THE AMERICAN FLAG AND ACTUAL FLAG TO IT.
THEY TURN THE FLAG AND DO A BILLBOARD.
THE OWNER OF THIS STRUCTURE STATED IT'S A FLAG.
WELL, ACCORDING TO THE SIGN ORDINANCE, IT WAS A SIGN OR A BILLBOARD OR HOWEVER WE WANTED TO INTERPRET IT.
BUT OFTENTIMES WHAT WE FIND IT'S ACTUALLY A NEIGHBORLY DISPUTE THAT WAS OBSTRUCTING SOMETHING.
MY RECOLLECTION THAT WERE FUZZY ON WHAT IT WAS OBSTRUCTING OR WHAT IT WAS ATTEMPTING TO, I THINK IT WAS A MESSAGE DIRECTED AT A NEIGHBOR.
OFTENTIMES, WHEN WE GET INTO THESE ISSUES WHERE SOMEONE'S TAKING CERTAIN LIBERTIES IN TRYING TO FIT INTO THE ORDINANCE AND STRANGE WAYS, IT'S REALLY A NEIGHBORLY DISPUTE.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND JUST LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND HOW NEIGHBORS ARE BEHAVING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND SOME OF THE INTENTIONS.
THEN WE USUALLY FIND A PATH FORWARD.
JUST AS A BROADER CONCEPT HERE, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE NEIGHBORLY DISPUTES AND THAT'S HOW A LOT OF THIS COMES ABOUT.
OR IN THE CASE OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES, OFTENTIMES IT'S POLITICAL CANDIDATES REPORTING ON OTHER POLITICAL CANDIDATES.
[LAUGHTER] OFTENTIMES, IT'S THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ISSUE.
ARE YOU IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OR ARE YOU NOT? HISTORICALLY, ONCE WE START GETTING TO 2-4 POLITICAL CANDIDATES COMPLAINING, WE GO CLEAN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
[02:25:02]
EVERYBODY GETS CLEANED UP EQUALLY.TO A DEGREE THERE BECOMES JUST A COMMON SENSE ELEMENT AND THEN THERE'S THE NEIGHBORLY DISPUTE BUCKETS.
JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT, THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AND DELIBERATIONS INTERNALLY ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE THESE IN THE MOST FAIR AND PRACTICAL MANNER.
>> STAY AWAY FROM THE SIDE. [LAUGHTER]
>> [NOISE] WE BELIEVE IN SOME INSTANCES.
THEY'RE REALLY BIG [NOISE] MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
WE BELIEVE SCIENCE IS REAL, WE BELIEVE BLACK LIVES MATTER, WE BELIEVE WE'RE KIND TO ALL.
THEY'RE REALLY POPULAR EMORY AND TOUCH IT AND THEY REALLY REFLECT THE VALUES OF THAT HOMEOWNER [NOISE] HATE FOR THAT SIGN AND THEY PUT IT IN A PROMINENT PLACE IN THE YARD.
ARE THEY NOW GOING TO BE ILLEGAL ONCE THEY ARE UP THE 61ST DAY? THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU SEPARATE THAT FROM SOMEONE HANGING AN AMERICAN FLAG FROM THEIR FARMS FROM OTHER HOMES?
>> IT'S INTERESTING YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE'S ONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I DRIVE PAST ALMOST EVERY DAY AND THAT'S PART OF MY THINKING IN TRYING TO GET TO THIS.
[BACKGROUND] THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIT OF A LEARNING CURVE WITH THIS TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS A LARGE ISSUE.
SOMETIMES THESE SMALLER ISSUES GET CAUGHT UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD POINT OUT IS THAT THAT VERY CLEARLY CAN BE INTERPRETED AS AN ON-PREMISE SON.
BECAUSE YOU ARE SPEAKING TO THE BELIEFS OF THE PERSON, NOT OF THE WHALES.
UNDER THE ON-PREMISE PROVISION, WE DID INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO ALLOW THE SIGNS TO BE UP LONGER THAN 60 DAYS.
THERE IS THE PROVISION THAT ALLOWS THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS A LOT OF THAT FOR SOME OF THE SIGNS LIKE THAT, WHICH ARE FUNCTIONALLY A STATEMENT OF BELIEF OF THE PERSON THERE.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT FOR OTHER TYPES OF SIGNS, I'M CERTAIN OF IT.
I HAVE ALREADY HAVING A COUPLE IN MIND.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT AS WE GO BECAUSE THIS IS A COMPLICATED BIG THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IN BLACK AND WHITE ON PAPER.
>> LET'S START WITH RESIDENTIAL FLAGS.
NO FLAG POLE SHALL BE INSTALLED WITHOUT OBTAINING A BUILDING PERMIT?
>> FUNCTIONALLY, IF YOU'RE PUTTING SOMETHING INTO THE GROUND WITH CONCRETE, WE REALLY WANT A BUILDING PERMIT ON THAT.
THAT'S A STANDARD, WE TELL PEOPLE EVEN A TEMPORARY SHED, IF IT'S UNDER 200 SQUARE FEET DOESN'T REQUIRE A PERMIT.
WITH THE CAVEAT IS IF YOU'RE CEMENTING IT INTO THE GROUND, YOU REALLY NEED TO GET A PERMIT.
IF YOU'RE CEMENTING SOMETHING INTO THE GROUND, DO YOU NEED TO GET A PERMIT.
>> A FLAGPOLE FROM A PORCH POST IS IRRELEVANT.
>> I NEED TO SAY THAT I FIND IT A LITTLE IRONIC THAT IN ZONING, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM USE-BASED ZONE, BUT IN SIGNS, TO GET AWAY FROM CONTENT WE'RE RELYING ON USE-BASED CATEGORIZATION.
[LAUGHTER] BUT YOU APPRECIATE, I'M SURE, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS BUSINESS WITH NO FRONTAGE ON THE STREET, BUT THEY FACE THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.
SOMEPLACE IN HERE WE SAY NO SIGNS ON THE REAR OF THE BUILDING AND IN COMMERCIAL SPACES.
[02:30:04]
MULTI-TENANT BUILDING GET NO SIGNS FOR THEIR REAR FACING, ESPECIALLY THAT REAR IS NOT ON THE STREET, OR CAN BE ON THE STREET, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS ON THE STREET.>> CORRECT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FRONTAGE, I MEAN.
BECAUSE YOU'D BE TAKING UP SOMEONE ELSE'S SPACE TO INSTALL A SIGN.
I CAN'T ASSIGN THE REAR TENANT THE SPACE FOR A FRONT TENANT, BECAUSE ON THE FRONT TENANT HAS GOT TO GIVE UP SPACE.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE PROVISIONS FOR BOTH WALL SIGNS AND FREESTANDING SIGNS.
IF A TENANT CAN'T GET A WALL SIGN, THERE IS STILL A FREESTANDING SIGN AVAILABLE TO THEM AND WE ALLOW LANDLORDS TO WORK THAT OUT.
>> I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT ABOUT IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS THAT YOU OWN BOTH THE FRONT ENTRANCE AND THE BACK ENTRANCE, CAN YOU HAVE A SIGN?
>> A REAR SIGN IN A CASE LIKE THAT, THAT'S LIKELY MORE OF A DIRECTIONAL SIGN THAN ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY HAVE A DELIVERIES ONLY SIGN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT I CAN THINK OF IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE BOTH A FRONT'S AND A REAR ENTRANCE.
WATERSHED OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
>> I'M JUST THINKING OF FRONT DOOR AND THAT'S NOT BROUGHT IT.
>> WELL, WE MAY RUN INTO IT IS WHEN OUR DOWNTOWN PROJECTS START TO HAPPEN AND YOU START TO HAVE SOME OF THAT DEPTH OF BUSINESS.
WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THAT ISSUE BECAUSE THAT MIGHT BE A SCENARIO WHERE I'M THINKING MYSELF AND AS OF A VILLAGE, YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN THE FRONT AND YOU HAVE THE PARKING IN THE REAR AS PART OF THE BOARD'S DESIGN, YOU MAY HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THEY NEED TO HAVE A SIGN ON THE REAR TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE ARE AT.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE MAY HAVE TO RE-LOOK AT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THEY WANTED SIGNS IN THE REAR AS WELL.
>> YEAH. THEY GOT A FEW VARIANCES, IF I RECALL, AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE WEIRD CONFIGURATION IN THE PARKING LOT.
THEY HAVE SIGNS ON BOTH SIDES, WERE MADE AN EXCEPTION FOR.
THEY GOT THEIR SIGNS APPROVED FROM THE DISTRICT.
>> TYPICALLY, THIS WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION WHEN WE HAVE A DOUBLE FACING BUILDING LIKE SYRUP'S.
>> YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET AN A CREW TOO.
THERE'S SOMEWHERE IN THERE THAT YOU CAN GET THAT APPROVED.
>> THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT GOING FORWARD.
WE START TO SEE MORE OF THESE.
IT'S SOMETHING I'M GENUINELY OF THE OPINION THAT THE ZBA SHOULD ONLY MEET IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF WE START TO SEE MULTIPLE THINGS, WE NEED TO DISCUSS CHANGING THE ORDINANCE.
>> I'M DYING TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
THE LADY WITH THE CROSSING CAR IF IT WERE WALKING.
>> THAT IS A NON-CONFORMING SIGN THAT LONG PREDATES HER MOVEMENTS.
>> SHE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE. [LAUGHTER].
>> SHE'S WALKING. SHE'S POPULAR.
>> THE BOARD HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE THAT.
>> THAT IS A SIGN THAT IS NON-CONFORMING.
AS LONG AS IT IS NOT DAMAGED MORE THAN 50% OF ITS VALUE OR THAT THE OWNER MAKES CHANGES TO IT BEYOND 50%, THEN THEY CAN CONTINUE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS WITHOUT ALL THE WAGE.
CAN YOU GUESS HOW MANY PAGES THIS WILL BE REDUCED TO FROM 24?
>> YOU'LL BE STRESSED, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH LESS.
[LAUGHTER] IT ONLY GOES DOWN TO 16.
>> IT ONLY GOES DOWN TO 16, I BELIEVE.
>> REALLY? I'M SORRY, DEBORAH.
>> I GOT TO CUT YOU. [LAUGHTER]
>> THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND A FEW QUESTIONS.
FIRST, SECTION 7, PAGE 100, WHICH IS PAGE 4 FOR YOU.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING OUT THE NO EXTERIOR WALL SIGNS OR FREESTANDING SIGNS INSIDE RESEARCH PARK DISTRICT.
[02:35:04]
I APPRECIATE THAT BEING TAKEN OUT.I CAN'T COMPREHEND WHY IT WASN'T THERE, SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SECTION 11.
I THINK THE PURPOSE IS CLEARLY DEFINED.
I APPRECIATE THE CLEAR DEFINITION THAT'S BEING DESCRIBED IN THEIR.
PAGE 103, WHICH IS PAGE 7 FOR YOU, SECTION 12, ITEM 7. WHAT'S MY QUESTION?
>> WHEN THE BUSINESS LEAVES, WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TAKING DOWN THE SIGN? I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS SECTION IS REFERRING TO OR IT'S NOT REFERRING TO, I COULDN'T FIND IT THERE.
>> THIS IS ACTUALLY REFERRING TO WHEN THE NEXT BUSINESS COMES IN.
>> NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BUSINESS LEAVES? IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR SIGN TO BE TAKEN DOWN OR DOES THAT SIGN JUST STAY UP UNTIL SOMEBODY COMES IN? I COULDN'T FIND IT BEING ADDRESSED ANYWHERE.
I ONLY FOUND THIS BEING ADDRESSED.
I'M NOT COMING UP WITH THIS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE IN MY PREVIOUS JOB, WE HAD THIS PROVISION THAT WAS VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
WE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT THE SIGN IS REMOVED WITH THE BUSINESS BECAUSE THE SIGN IS TECHNICALLY STILL LEGAL AND BY REMOVING IT BASED ON THE BUSINESS, YOU ARE REMOVING IT BASED ON THE CONTENT OF THE SIGN.
THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT THEY REMOVE THE PANEL SHOULD THE BUSINESS LEAVE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PROPOSED LANGUAGE WHEN A TELECOMMUNICATION PROVIDER ABANDONS A POLL, THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE POLL OUT.
THERE'S REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO TAKE THEIR EQUIPMENT.
I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENT, WHEN A BUSINESS LEAVES, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A SIGN UP THERE FOR 30 MONTHS SAYING THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HERE WHEN REALLY THEY'RE NOT.
>> THIS IS A NON-CONFORMING SIGNS.
>> THIS IS A NON-CONFORMING. IT'S ABANDONED.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PROPOSED LANGUAGE, WHETHER IT GETS ADOPTED OR NOT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> I'LL PROBABLY LOOK INTO THAT.
>> BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, CAN I ASK A QUICKER VIEW AT SECTION 5, ON THE 12 ADDRESS CLERK GUTHRIE'S QUESTION.
>> RIGHT. BECAUSE IT'S SECTION 12 IS ONLY ON NON-CONFORMING SIGNS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T NON-CONFORMING SIGN THAT, THEN THE IT BECOMES ABANDONED, THEN WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THEM REMOVE IT BECAUSE IT'S A NON-CONFORMING.
>> PLAYMAKERS GOES OUT, THEY GOT 90 DAYS TO TAKE THE GROCERY CART LAID DOWN.
>> I THINK YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON HERE.
ONE, I THINK YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT HOW MANY SIGNS OF THAT ERA THAT STILL EXIST ARE NON-CONFORMING FIRST OFF.
WHICH TWO THEN GETS INTO PROSECUTORIAL DISCUSSION HERE AND US WORKING WITH THE OWNERS.
THE POINT OF THAT SECTION AND WE ADD INTO THIS A LOT IN MY PREVIOUS JOB OF WHAT IS ABANDONMENT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW US THAT THERE IS NO INTENT TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT SIGN FOR A FUTURE USER.
IT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC 90 DAYS, IT'S DOWN.
THEY HAVE TO SHOW ABANDONMENT AND WE HAVE TO PROVE ABANDONMENT FOR THAT PROVISION TO THEN BE TRIGGERED.
>> ISN'T THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY? THAT PARTICULAR SIGN BELONGS TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, NOT TO THE TENANT IN THE BUILDING.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ABANDONMENT OF THE SIGN AND DISCONTINUATION OF THE BUSINESS.
>> TO BE FRANK WHAT I WOULD SUSPECT WOULD HAPPEN IN THAT CASE IS IF PLAYMAKERS WERE TO EVER GO AWAY THAT BUILDING OWNER WOULD IMMEDIATELY
[02:40:01]
SWAP THAT PANEL OUT WITH A FOR LEASE AND HIS PHONE NUMBER ON IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF CASES TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO USE THE SIGN.>> THE SIGN DOESN'T REFER TO PLAYMAKERS ANYWAY?
>> OH, YOU SHOULD GO ON. I INTERRUPTED YOU.
>> I THINK I WAS GOING TO PAGE 108, SECTION 16, JUST PAGE 12 FOR YOU.
WHY INCREASE THE SIZE? I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH MY NEW GLASSES, SEEING EVERYTHING.
I'M A LITTLE SLOW IN ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
WHY INCREASE THE SIZE FROM 20-30 SQUARE FEET IN ITEM 1B, AND FROM 25 FEET TO 32 FEET IN ITEM 2B?
>> FOR 1B WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE VARIANCES THAT WE MOST COMMONLY SEE AND SO THAT THERE IS A BAND OF VARIANCES THAT, THAT WOULD COVER THAT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO COVER ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THERE'S ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SIGN THIS BIG AND WE'RE STILL DOWN HERE.
THAT'S COVERING A CERTAIN BAND OF VARIANCES AND TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT INCREMENTALLY [OVERLAPPING]
>> WITHOUT MAKING A SUBSTANCE HUGE CHANGE.
THE CHANGE IN 2B IS READY FOR CONSISTENCY SAKE.
THIS IS THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT DIDN'T ALLOW 32 SQUARE FEET FOR A FREESTANDING SIGN AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THAT A FAIRLY CONSISTENT STANDARD THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE THROUGHOUT DISTRICTS.
>> BASICALLY THAT STANDARDIZES THAT ONE, YEAH.
>> OKAY. ALSO IN ITEM 2C YOU WENT FROM 16 FEET TO 6 FEET.
>> OFFICE TENANTS DO NOT PUT UP 16 FOOT TALL SIGNS.
OFFICE TENANTS PUT UP SIX-FOOT TALL, NICE LOW SIGNS THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE.
I THINK THIS WAS JUST A HOLDOVER FROM WHEN THIS ORDINANCE WAS ORIGINALLY DRAWN BEFORE.
>> THEN I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS MY ONLY TWO OTHER COMMENTS WERE I APPRECIATE SECTION 26 WITH THE CONSTRUCTION WAIVERS.
I ALSO APPRECIATE SECTION 20, FOR TEMPORARY SIGNS CLEANING THAT UP.
TRYING TO EXPLAIN THOSE DURING ELECTION SEASON AND WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR POLITICAL SIGNS IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WAS VERY TIME-CONSUMING.
I HAD TO WRITE OUT THIS HUGE THING AND SEND IT TO TONS OF PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT WITH 60 DAYS, 15 DAYS, 60 DAYS.
IT'S GOING TO BE SIGN CRAZY NEXT YEAR.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE ATTORNEY'S TIME AND FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I KNOW THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THOSE AS WELL.
>> OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS MR. DESCHAINE.
>> ONE QUESTION ABOUT HOME-BASED BUSINESSES.
HOME-BASED BUSINESSES HAD THEIR OWN ORDINANCE.
HOME-BASED BUSINESS SHOULD NOT BE INVISIBLE BUSINESS? A SIGN WOULDN'T BE PERMITTED.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S ADDRESSED ANYWHERE IN HERE AS WELL.
>> THEY ARE PERMITTED. A SIGN IT'S 2 SQUARE FEET, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE STANDARD CURRENTLY IN THE ORDINANCE.
[NOISE] YEAH, HOME OCCUPATIONS CURRENTLY ALLOWS ONE NON ILLUMINATED SIGN, NOT TO EXCEED 2 SQUARE FEET.
>> THAT'S WHERE IT'S PROPOSED TO BE IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE.
>> THE NEW ONE IS IN SECTION 2, [NOISE] WHICH IS GOING TO BE AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING SECTIONS.
IT'S RIGHT ON THE FIRST TO SECOND PAGE, THE CLEAN VERSION.
>> THEN THE OLD LANGUAGE IS IN SECTION 15, IT'S STRUCK OUT.
>> I'M SORRY, ONE FINAL QUESTION.
I HAD THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FLAGS.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING FOR GARDEN FLAGS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT GARDEN FLAGS WITH THOSE.
IS THERE A SEPARATION BETWEEN THAT AND FLAGS.
>> GARDEN FLAGS THEY CHANGE A LOT AND SO WE CAN'T GET EVERYTHING.
IF SOMEONE OUT THERE GOES CRAZY ON GARDEN FLAGS WE WILL BE BACK WITH SOME REGULATIONS BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE YOUR FEEDBACK [LAUGHTER] THE GARDEN FLAGS.
>> GOLDEN STATUES DON'T FORGET THOSE.
>> YOU'D HAVE A SQUARE FOOTAGE BANKS ON THE APP.
>> WE'RE ALREADY HAVING FUN THINKING ABOUT
[02:45:03]
IT [LAUGHTER] SO IF IT'S AN ISSUE [OVERLAPPING].>> AT LEAST I GOT YOU BOTH QUIET AFTER A SIGN DISCUSSION.
>> MIND THE LEGAL BILLS, CLERK GUTHRIE.
>> IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'RE READY FOR A CLEAN COPY.
IN CONSIDERATION OF A CLEAN COPY.
>> WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN WORK ON THAT ONE COMMENT FROM CLERK GUTHRIE ON THE REMOVAL OF SIGNS WHEN BUSINESS LEAVE AND PROVIDE THAT IN THE NEXT PACKET ALONG WITH THE CLEAN COPY.
>> WHAT WE'RE CALLING A SIGN IN THIS CASE IS NOT THE STRUCTURE, THAT STRUCTURE FOR US TO FACES, BUT THE PHASES.
>> TYPICALLY WHEN WE MEASURE THE SIZE OF THE SIGN, THE EASIEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS WE PUT A BOX, THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE BOX AROUND ALL WORDS AND GRAPHICS.
WHICH IS WHY OUR SIGN MAY MEASURE, IN THEORY, 28 SQ FT BUT TO MEASURE IT UNDER THE WAY WE DO THINGS IS WE PUT A BOX SO IT'S BIGGER.
WHICH IS WHY YOU TYPICALLY ALWAYS SEE SQUARE RECTANGULAR SIDES.
>> OKAY. [NOISE] I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY.
>> I'D NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD DO THIS.
[LAUGHTER] I THINK IT'S PREFERABLY DONE IN ALL OF HOW YOU DO IT JUST LOOKING AT IT STARTING FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH THIS IS THE FUN PROJECT TO WORK ON.
>> WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GENTLEMEN.
WE HAVE COME TO ITEM 14 ON OUR AGENDA, COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC STILL HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AT THIS POINT.
SEEING THAT OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS IS ITEMS 15.
THEN WE STAND ADJOURNED OR DO I NEED A MOTION? I NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION MADE BY MR. DESCHAINE AND TRUSTEE WISINSKI, PLEASE SAY YES.
>> WE ARE OUT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.