Apr 05, 2023 Environmental Commission Meeting

WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

[00:00:02]

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME FACILITATING AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING.

SO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YOU KNOW, IF I DO ANYTHING OUT OF ORDER, DON'T HESITATE TO GIVE ME A HEADS UP AND, YOU KNOW, SET ME BACK ON TRACK.

SO WITH THAT, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS PUBLIC REMARKS.

I DON'T SEE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HERE, SO I GUESS WE CAN JUST MOVE ON FROM THAT AND GO TO CHANGES TO OR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO? WELL, ANY CHANGES FIRST, I GUESS? THERE'S A COUPLE OF PLACES WHERE MCCONNELL GOT AN EXTRA 'L', YOU KNOW, DETAILS, BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT.

FOR THE MEETING MINUTES? YEAH. WE'RE STILL ON THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

SECOND. SECOND. OKAY, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

WE HAVE ONE.

OH, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY, EVERYONE THAT APPROVES THE AGENDA.

AYE.

OKAY, THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALL RIGHT, SO THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

SO WE HAVE SOME FEEDBACK OF OF MCCONNELL WITH BEING MISSPELLED A FEW TIMES.

I SEE ONE HERE WITH THREE L'S.

THERE'S 2 WITH 3 L'S AND THERE'S A FRAIZER THAT'S SPELLED WRONG, TOO.

OKAY, WELL, DIDN'T NOTICE THAT.

HE'S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS.

ANY OTHER REQUESTED CHANGES TO THE MINUTES? NO? DO I HAVE--SO MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES WITH THE SUGGESTED CORRECTIONS.

OKAY, SECOND. OKAY, AND THEN IS THIS ONE WE ALL VOTE ON AS WELL? OKAY, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

DO WE ALL SAY I OR DOES EVERYONE APPROVE THE MINUTES? OKAY, ALL RIGHT, UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

SO THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.

OUR FIRST ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS IS THE GREEN GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO THERE IS A MEMO IN OUR PACKET THERE.

LEROY, THANK YOU FOR, FOR PUTTING THAT IN THE PACKET, AND--DOES ANYBODY NEED A PACKET? YES, PLEASE.

OKAY, WE'RE GRABBING ANOTHER PACKET THERE.

WHO SHALL I TURN THIS OVER TO FROM THE GREEN GRANT COMMITTEE? OKAY, [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, CHAIR.

REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE MORE AND MORE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BECOMING MUCH MORE AWARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THEREFORE GREEN GRANTS

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

SO WE INITIALLY RECEIVED FIVE.

I'M SORRY, FOUR GRANT PROPOSALS UP FRONT AND THEN JUST RECEIVED WITHIN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO, MAYBE TWO ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS.

[3. CHANGES TO/APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

THEY ARE LOOKING TO ADD TO THAT THIS YEAR WITH ADDITIONAL TREE PLANTINGS AND A FEW OTHER THINGS.

CORNELL WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A NEW TYPE OF ORGANIZATION THAT'S APPLIED, IS LOOKING TO PLANT NATIVE TREES IN THE COMMON SPACE

[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[00:05:02]

EVERGREEN VET, WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF HAS OCCUPIED THE OLD RESALE SHOP NORTH ON MARSH ROAD.

I'M SORRY, SOUTH ON MARSH ROAD FROM GRAND RIVER NEAR MEIJER.

SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO PLANT NATIVE PLANTINGS AND/OR SOMEWHAT OF A RAIN GARDEN OR SOME, YOU KNOW, WATER ABSORBING MATERIALS BETWEEN IN THE IT WOULD I THINK IT WOULD BE MAYBE YEAH OR IN THE EASEMENT BETWEEN MARSH ROAD AND THEIR PROPERTY AND THEN OKEMOS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS LOOKING TO PLANT NATIVE SPECIES WITHIN

[5.A. Green Grant Recommendations (Memo)]

THOSE WERE THE FOUR ORIGINAL APPLICANTS AND THEN WE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED ONE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, BUT WE HAVE SOME LOCAL REPRESENTATION HERE AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT TO DO A BOOK PUBLISHING FOR MUD LAKE, WHICH USED TO BE OWNED BY HASLETT SCHOOLS TO DO SOME PUBLISHING, BUT THEN ALSO DISTRIBUTING TO OUR LOCAL LIBRARIES AS WELL, AND THEN LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, IS THE MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB IS LOOKING TO MATCH SOME THEIR GRANT FUNDS WITH.

IT WOULD BE PLANTINGS AND OR GARDENS WITHIN BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS HASLETT AND OKEMOS.

SO WITH THAT, ALL OF THAT INTEREST, WE HAVE A BUDGET OF $10,000, BUT THE ASK WITH ALL FIVE ORGANIZATIONS IS ASKING FOR NEARLY $15,000. SO WE HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE THERE.

WE CAN ALWAYS PARTIALLY FUND THESE PROJECTS OR WE COULD POTENTIALLY THINK ABOUT ASKING FOR AN AMENDMENT TO OUR BUDGET AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND AN ADDITIONAL $5,000 TO BE ABLE TO FUND ALL OF THEM FULLY.

SO WE'RE KIND OF THERE LOOKING AT THE COMMISSION FOR THOUGHTS OR IDEAS OR PREFERENCE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION, TOO, THAT REALLY ALL THE PROPOSALS HAD GOOD EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSALS WERE EVALUATED BASED ON CLARITY OF THE PROPOSAL, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND EDUCATIONAL VALUE, AND OF COURSE, AN IMPORTANT REASON WE DO THESE IS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND VALUE AND PARTICULARLY CORNELL WOODS, OKEMOS PRESBYTERIAN AND RADMOOR MONTESSORI I THINK HAD VERY STRONG EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I THINK DIFFERENTIATED THEM FROM THE OTHERS AND I BELIEVE, COURTNEY, YOU'VE KIND OF INDICATED THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO EXPLORE WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WHETHER ADDITIONAL FUNDING MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.

I AM WILLING, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THE COMMISSION WOULD PREFER TO GO.

YEAH, AND SO THAT WAS A QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSION, RIGHT, WHETHER YOU SHOULD PURSUE THAT, AND THEN I THINK, TOO, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE EARLIER YOU GET STARTED WITH THESE PROJECTS, THE BETTER.

WE'RE IN APRIL NOW AND THESE ARE SMALL PROJECTS, BUT STILL THE SOONER WE CAN KIND OF GET THEM GOING, THE BETTER, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST AND CAN MAKE A MOTION TO THIS EFFECT THAT WE ACTUALLY APPROVE THE FIRST THREE, BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS FOR THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, CORNELL WOODS, OKEMOS PRESBYTERIAN AND RADMOOR MONTESSORI SHOULD BE FUNDED AT THOSE LEVELS FOR SURE.

I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF OUR TOP RECOMMENDATION.

SO THAT'S 3000, 2000, 3000.

SO THAT WOULD BE $8,000 AND THEN MAYBE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE OTHER PROPOSALS.

[00:10:02]

SO ARE YOU SUGGESTING YOU'RE SUGGESTING JUST THE FIRST THREE? NO, I'M FINE WITH THE FIRST FOUR.

YEAH, I STAND CORRECTED.

OKAY, WHAT WAS THE FOURTH ONE'S ASK? 1000. THAT WAS EVERGREEN.

IT GETS US TO NINE. YEAH, THAT'S MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB IN SCHOOLS IS THE FOURTH.

ACTUALLY, THE FOURTH WAS EVERGREEN CLINIC, AND THEY WERE REQUESTING.

THIS SAYS HOLDING ON EVERGREEN VET CLINIC ON THE MEMO.

YEAH, ISN'T THERE STILL A PROBLEM WITH EVERGREEN THAT THEY DIDN'T PROVIDE A BUDGET? THEY DID NOT PROVIDE A BUDGET.

SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE ASKING FOR.

CORRECT. WE ALSO DON'T HAVE A FIRM COMMITMENT FROM THE SCHOOLS TO WORK WITH THE GARDEN CLUB YET.

SO WE POTENTIALLY COULD HOLD ON THAT IF WE WANTED TO AND JUST SEE WHAT KIND OF PROPOSALS COME IN THROUGH THE GARDEN CLUB.

SO I'M JUST THROWING OUT POSSIBILITIES.

SO GO BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL OF THE FIRST THREE, KNOWING THAT WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME ON 2 OR 3 OF THESE OTHERS.

THE ONE THAT'S NOT MENTIONED IN THIS MEMO IS THE MUD LAKE PROPOSAL OF 1500, WHICH WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER. THAT CAME IN AFTER THIS MEMO WAS WRITTEN.

SO IF I COULD.

SO THE MUD LAKE PROPOSAL, WAS THAT AFTER A SET DEADLINE OR IS THERE A SET DEADLINE? WE WERE LATE IN GETTING THE WORD OUT, SO WE DID NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC SET DEADLINE.

OKAY, SO TECHNICALLY IT'S STILL OPEN, BUT IN THE WE WERE HOPING FOR A LETTER BY MARCH 15TH.

THE PRESS WENT OUT IN EARLY MARCH.

SO SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS DIDN'T COME IN UNTIL AFTER THE MARCH 15TH.

SO AND THEN IF I COULD, ONE MORE ON THE MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB.

SO THE WAY I UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD NEED THE MATCHING GRANT FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ORDER TO FUND THAT PROJECT APPROPRIATELY OR TO WHAT WHAT THEY HAD PROPOSED WAS $500 PER SCHOOL MATCHED TO $500 OR $1000 OF OUR SO THAT THEY EACH SCHOOL COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE $1,000 TO WORK WITH.

SO WE KIND OF DOUBLE OUR MONEY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF WHETHER THERE ARE ANY SCHOOLS THAT ARE INTERESTED YET.

SO BUT THE MONEY IS COMING FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR IT'S COMING FROM THE GARDEN.

IS THAT WHAT YOU UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE? YES. OKAY, THANK YOU.

LASTLY, I GUESS I WOULD JUST ASK THE COMMITTEE OF HAVE HAVE YOU NOT REVIEWED THE MUD LAKE PROJECT YET OR SCORED IT OR IF YOU HAVE, WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT PROJECT? I THINK THERE WAS GENERAL SENTIMENT OF SUPPORT.

PEOPLE HAVE READ IT, BUT WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL SCORING.

WE DID FEEL THERE WAS A VERY HIGH VALUE.

I INTENDED TO BRING COPIES TONIGHT, BUT I LEFT THEM UP ON MY DESK AND I CAN GO GRAB THOSE DURING INTERMISSION BUT THERE WAS PART OF IT SUPPORTED PURCHASE OF COPYRIGHT FOR USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEN PURCHASE OF COPIES OF THE BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO THERE WAS A FAIRLY LARGE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT TO THIS AND HAD WE SCORED IT, I'M SURE IT WOULD HAVE SCORED RIGHT UP THERE, AND WHAT WAS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THAT ONE? THAT WAS $1,500, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE WAS ADDING $500 OF THEIR FUNDS AS WELL.

OKAY, SO THE COMMENT THAT IT USED TO BELONG TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO WHO DOES IT BELONG TO NOW? I THINK IT'S STILL THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IS IT? PRETTY SURE.

YEAH, I'M PRETTY SURE IT IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT DEVELOPABLE SPACE.

SO I SORT OF WAS JUST WONDERING IF IT HAD CHANGED HANDS, AND IF SO, WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE? IT'S MORE OF THE STORY OF THE ENTIRE REGION, AND YEAH, THE PROPOSAL IS JUST REALLY INFORMATIVE.

I THINK YOU'LL ALL ENJOY JUST READING IT AND THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK AS WELL, IT'S INCLUDED IN THAT; JUST A PRETTY EXCITING PROJECT.

[00:15:11]

SO ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE VET CLINIC IS SO A VET CLINIC AT LEAST SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A REGULAR OLD BUSINESS, AND DOES A GRANT PROGRAM LIKE THIS, IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE FUNDING WHAT AMOUNTS TO A PRIVATE BUSINESS? I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT.

I'M ASKING IS THAT SOMETHING WHERE PUBLIC FUNDS LOGICALLY WOULD BE ALLOCATED? SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE DIALOG OR IF WE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY FORMAL CONSTRAINTS WRITTEN IN THE DEFINITION OF THE GRANT PROGRAM.

IT'S BEEN KEPT OPEN ENDED.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LEROY HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB ON IS HE'S MADE THE APPLICATION PROCESS EASY, BUT GETTING CRITICAL INFORMATION TO FOR US TO MAKE A DECISION, BUT AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A REVIEWER, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF FAVORED THE SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AS OPPOSED TO PRIVATE BUSINESSES, BUT I GUESS THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE SOLICITATION.

I THOUGHT IT WAS ACTUALLY LAST YEAR.

I THOUGHT WHEN WE WROTE IT UP THAT WE KIND OF WROTE THAT WE WERE GOING TO PUT PRIORITY TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, LIKE TO SCHOOLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

WHEN WE PUT THE GREEN GRANT APPLICATION OUT.

I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE WELL, FOR SURE AND I GUESS ONLY LEROY CAN ANSWER THIS.

THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL VALUE BEING VERY IMPORTANT, AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WORKING WITH A SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT GIVES YOU A DEFINITE EDGE, BUT LEROY, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE SOLICITATION TO KIND OF I MEAN, BUSINESSES ARE ELIGIBLE.

YEAH. IS THERE ANYTHING, KENDRA ASKED, IS THERE ANYTHING TO INDICATE IN THE SOLICITATION THIS YEAR THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR PUBLIC AGENCIES GET A PREFERENCE? I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE DID MENTION THAT I BELIEVE SO THAT SCHOOLS AND WOULD RECEIVE A PRIORITY.

OKAY, YOU'RE CORRECT. THAT'S IN THERE, AND THEN COMMISSIONER GRASSESCHI, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT? I DO. OKAY.

NUMBER ONE, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE INTEREST THIS YEAR.

THAT'S VERY EXCITING. I COULDN'T WORK ON THE GREEN GRANT COMMITTEE THIS YEAR, SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND THE ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR ABOUT OR ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IS LAST YEAR I THINK WE RAN INTO A PICKLE KIND OF TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T FINISH PROJECTS UP IN TIME.

SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE REALLY CLEAR THAT THEY NEED TO BE DONE BY A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME TO GET THE FULL FUNDING AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE WANT TO PUT THAT TIMELINE LIKE, SAY SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER-ISH OR LIKE MID DECEMBER-ISH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THAT FUNDING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR PEOPLE TO GET CHECKS BACK TO THEM OR WHATEVER, HOW THE TOWNSHIP NEEDS TO PAY THINGS OUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT DATE DOES PROJECTS HAVE TO BE DONE BY SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE FUNDING? BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD DOLLARS LEFT OVER LAST YEAR, DIDN'T WE? YEAH, AND SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE STILL IN LIMBO, BUT I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM MAKING A BUDGET AMENDMENT SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A HARD, FAST THING BUT I DO LOVE YOUR IDEA OF JUST REINFORCING THAT WE HAVE THIS GOAL OF COMPLETION BY THIS DATE.

I THINK AT LEAST THE MUD LAKE PROJECT, THOUGH, IS GOING TO SPILL INTO NEXT YEAR FOR FINAL PRINTING SO BOOKS WON'T BE DISTRIBUTED.

SO DO WE WANT TO WAIT, PAY THEM AFTER THE BOOKS ARE DISTRIBUTED OR TRY AND WRAP IT UP? AND THE PREFERENCE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WAIT TILL THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED FOR THE FINAL PAYMENT.

SO I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE A LITTLE BIT FLEXIBLE BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES, I LIKE THE IDEA OF STRENGTHENING THAT.

WELL, I THINK IT'S JUST HELPFUL TO HAVE A GUIDELINE, RIGHT? LIKE, YOU KNOW HOW I MEAN, AT LEAST IT'S HELPFUL FOR ME TO HAVE A DEADLINE.

LIKE I NEED TO HAVE CERTAIN THING DONE BY A CERTAIN TIME OR GENERAL TIMELINE OR IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IT'S EASY TO LET THAT THING SLIDE OR WHATEVER BECAUSE YOU HAVE 150 THINGS TO GET DONE, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT IT'S EASY TO LET GO OF THOSE THINGS LIKE, OH YEAH, AND THEN YOU FORGET LIKE, OH SHOOT, I DIDN'T GET THAT DONE IN TIME OR WHATEVER KIND OF THING.

SO YEAH, TO GET THE FUNDING, YOU KNOW.

SO AND WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO DO THIS, AND PARTICULARLY SINCE A LOT OF THESE LOOK LIKE THEY'RE RELATED TO DOING NATIVE PLANTINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IT SEEMS

[00:20:07]

THOSE ARE MY CURRENT COMMENTS, BUT I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF WHATEVER, AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO EXPAND THE FUNDING, I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC. YEAH, I ALSO AM IN SUPPORT OF EXPANDING THE FUNDING IF POSSIBLE.

I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO I'M FEELING A LITTLE BIT CONFLICTED BECAUSE I ALSO THINK WITH SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, AS WAS MENTIONED, YOU WANT TO GET STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE WORTHY PROPOSALS THAT CAME IN LATER THAT MAYBE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OR WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE EXTRA FUNDS OR NOT? WELL, I WONDER IF WE COULD JUST SAY WE MOVED TO FUND THE FIRST THREE, RIGHT? AND THEN IF WE GET EXTRA FUNDING, THEN WE DO THE OTHER ONES.

HOW DOES THAT SOUND? DOES THAT SOUND DECENT? WELL, WE STILL HAVE AN EXTRA $2,000 TO DOLE OUT, AND IT COULD BE BASED ON FURTHER CONVERSATION, AND, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE POTENTIALLY COULD MAKE THAT EXECUTIVE DECISION IF YOU ALLOWED THEM TO DO THAT.

THE MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB.

IT'S FOR FUNDING AT TWO SCHOOLS, BUT THE SCHOOLS HAVEN'T BEEN DECIDED YET.

IS IT POSSIBLE JUST TO FUND ONE OF THEM AND CUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IN HALF? ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.

I CERTAINLY THINK THAT'S AN OPTION.

WE TRY TO BE EQUITABLE BETWEEN THE TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, [INAUDIBLE] GIVE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.

GOOD IDEA. YES.

GOING TO THE SAME CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SCHOOLS.

HAVE THE SCHOOLS INDICATED ANY SORT OF INTEREST? I KNOW THAT LIKE HAVE THEY BEEN CONSULTED BY ANYONE ON THE TEAM AT ALL IN TERMS OF THEIR INTEREST? I ASSUME LIKE MAYBE AN INITIAL LOOK, BUT HAS THERE BEEN CONTINUED FEEDBACK FROM THE GARDEN PROJECT OR THE GARDEN CLUBS? I THINK THEY HAVE SOME SCHOOLS IN MIND, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW FAR ALONG.

GOTCHA. OKAY, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THIS ONE PERSON FROM BENNETT WOODS.

I FORGET HER NAME, BUT THEY WERE HOPING TO PUT IN A POLLINATOR GARDEN WITH THE HELP OF THE HIGH SCHOOL'S EARTH CLUB.

SO IT'D BE LIKE THE HIGH SCHOOL EARTH CLUB WORKS WITH THE ELEMENTARY KIDS TO PUT IN THIS GARDEN AND KIND OF HAVE THIS SPACE WHERE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THE POLLINATORS.

SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, DO WE KNOW IF THAT IS PART OF THIS OR IS THAT LIKE THEIR OWN BUDGET THEY'RE GOING TO FUNDRAISE FOR OR.

I THINK THE GARDEN CLUBS WOULD BE LOOKING FOR THAT EXACT TYPE OF PROJECT.

OKAY. THAT MIGHT BE WORTH REACHING OUT TO THEM AS WELL.

OKAY. OKAY, SO IT SEEMS LIKE A COUPLE OF THESE WE KIND OF NEED MORE INFORMATION ON, AS YOU INDICATED, ONE, NONE OF US HAVE REALLY HAD TIME TO READ.

SO MAYBE, AS JOHN SUGGESTED, WE GO WITH THE TOP THREE, AND I THINK KENDRA WAS SECONDING THAT AS WELL, AND MAYBE I'M "THIRD-ING" IT, [CHUCKLING] IF YOU WILL, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THE LOGICAL THING TO DO AT THIS POINT IS SO WE CAN GET SOME OF THEM STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THEN EITHER GIVE THE COMMITTEE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE FROM THERE OR PERHAPS THE COMMISSION CAN MAKE FURTHER DECISIONS AT THE MAY MEETING.

OKAY, IS THAT--IF YOU DON'T MIND.

YES, TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE HAD A VERY STRONG PROPOSAL AND THEIR PROPOSAL WAS FOR 1500.

WE HAVE 2000 STILL NOT ALLOCATED.

SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.

WE WANTED TO FUND FOR AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING ONCE WE GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE OTHERS.

I'M IN SUPPORT OF THAT.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PATH FORWARD.

I'D AGREE WITH THAT TOO.

OKAY,SO I MADE HAVE SPOKEN OUT OF TURN.

WE WOULD ALSO HAVE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FUND ONE OF THE SCHOOL MATCHING GRANTS AND THEN END UP WITH 10,000 AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'D GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT.

JUST THROWING OUT A DISCUSSION HERE.

SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME INTEREST IN FUNDING THE FIRST THREE AND REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND THEN REVIEWING CONTINUING TO REVIEW

[00:25:05]

IS THERE AN OFFICIAL MOTION OF THAT SORT OR.

WELL, I THINK COURTNEY ADDED ON THE ARE YOU ADDING ON THE.

IT WAS A QUESTION. IT WAS A QUESTION.

OH, YEAH. WELL, YEAH, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT PART.

WAS THAT A QUESTION ABOUT GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO CONSIDER THAT OR WAS THERE IF WE ARE.

I'M SORRY. NO, GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY. IF WE THE FIRST THREE THAT WERE I THINK WERE ALL GOT A CONSENSUS.

WE STILL HAVE $2,000 FROM OUR EXISTING BUDGET.

OKAY, STANDING ALONE.

SO THERE'S THEN THE THREE ADDITIONAL.

SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE, THE GARDEN CLUB AND EVERGREEN VET.

SO DO WE WANT TO USE ANY OF THAT 2000 TO FUND ANY OR A PORTION OF ANY OF THOSE OTHER THREE AND/OR DO WE WANT TO HOLD THAT BACK AND WAIT FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND THEN DISTRIBUTE ACCORDINGLY? IT'S THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, IS THAT THE SAME AS THE MUD LAKE? OKAY, OKAY, THANKS.

I WOULD SAY THAT IT LOOKS BETTER IF WE UTILIZE THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF $10,000 BEFORE ASKING FOR MORE FUNDING, AND I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS AND GET PROJECTS ROLLING.

DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ABOUT FUNDING THE FIRST THREE AND THE MUD LAKE? THANK YOU. I'M TRYING TO READ THIS.

SO IS THAT WHAT THE CONSENSUS IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING? MUD LAKE AND THEN THE OTHER 500 FOR ONE OF THE GARDEN CLUBS, SCHOOL ORIENTED PROJECTS.

LIKE IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE ONE SCHOOL FOR 500 AND THEN THERE WAS A MATCHING GRANT FROM THE SCHOOL INSTEAD, AND THEN THAT WOULD LEAD US TO THE TOTAL 10,000.

THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH.

1500 PLUS THE 500 WOULD BE WOULD GET US RIGHT TO 10,000.

I TEND TO THINK THAT THE SCHOOL WITH THAT PART WITH SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A PROJECT YET I THINK THAT ONE'S TRICKIER FOR THE 500 FOR THE SCHOOL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL IDENTIFIED PROJECT.

RIGHT. OR A TIMELINE.

CORRECT.

IF WE DID IT THIS WAY, WE WOULD HAVE 500 LEFT AND THEN COULD POTENTIALLY THEN ASK MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB AND EVERGREEN VET TO GIVE US MORE INFORMATION AND THEN WE COULD ASK FOR MORE FUNDING.

DOES THAT SOUND FAIR? CAN SOMEONE MAKE THAT INTO THAT A MOTION OF MINE? [CHUCKLING] IS THAT EMOTION? ALL RIGHT, HOW ABOUT. GO AHEAD.

YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

I GUESS I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IN VOTING FOR SOMETHING I HAVEN'T REALLY READ YET.

CAN ONE OF YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN THE MUD LAKE PROJECT A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IF WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT THAT TONIGHT? YEAH, IT'S IN THE HANDOUT THERE, BUT BASICALLY THEY'RE LOOKING AT I THINK THE BUDGET INCLUDES COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ON HALF A DOZEN PHOTOS AND THEN PURCHASE OF ABOUT 35 COPIES OF THE BOOK, WHICH ARE 20 BUCKS A PIECE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR USE IN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL LIBRARY.

THE MUD LAKE STORY IS SOMETHING THAT WEAVES TOGETHER THE HISTORY OF THE LAKE LANSING MUD LAKE AREA BACK TO THE 1800S, TIES IN SORT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND KIND OF YOUTH.

IT'S A YOUTH ORIENTED, HIGH SCHOOL ORIENTED STORYTELLING.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF PERSONAL STORIES, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THIS COULD BE APPLIED TO ANY COMMUNITY WITH A RURAL KIND OF A STRONG RURAL COMPONENT, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IN SORT OF SHAPING WETLAND PRESERVATION HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, ALSO NATURE APPRECIATION AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

THAT'S JUST MY INTERPRETATION.

SAM LOVELL, WHO'S ATTENDED SOME OF OUR GREEN DIALOGS, IS THE AUTHOR OF THAT, AND HE GREW UP IN HASLETT.

OKAY AND ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FELT STRONGLY THAT IT WAS A GOOD PROJECT? I'LL LET YOU GUYS SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.

THEY'VE RECENTLY I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE 13 PAGE PROPOSAL, BUT IT'S PRETTY ENGAGING.

[00:30:06]

ONE OF THE REASONS BEING THAT CERTAINLY IT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO OKEMOS SCHOOLS TOO, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A LOCAL STORY, BUT IT'S VERY RELEVANT TO HASLETT SCHOOLS, AND THERE ALREADY IS SOME KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GOING ON WITH HASLETT SCHOOLS IN THAT MUD LAKE AREA, AND SO THIS WOULD JUST ENHANCE IT, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THE BOOK APPROACHED, MAKING IT ENGAGING AND EDUCATIONAL AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE LEROY SAID, STORIES, YOU KNOW, THAT STUDENTS COULD RELATE TO IN THE BOOK, DEALING WITH ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT.

SO YEAH, I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE PROPOSAL.

ALL THE PROPOSALS WERE GOOD, BUT I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING AHEAD WITH THAT ONE.

YOU REMIND ME THAT BRIDGET BOOTH HAS BEEN A KEY.

SHE'S A FORMER GRANT RECIPIENT, BUT A SCIENCE TEACHER AT HASLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE SHE CONSULTED WITH SAM IN SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BOOK AND PLANS TO USE IT AND PROMOTE IT AS PART OF THE CURRICULUM AS WELL.

OKAY, THANKS.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION A MOTION? ANYONE. I CAN MAKE A MOTION IF THAT'S ALLOWED.

[CHUCKLING] I WILL MOVE TO FUND FOUR GREEN GRANT APPLICANTS, INCLUDING RODMOOR MONTESSORI SCHOOL, CORNELL WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, OKEMOS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE AT FULL PROPOSAL TOTALING $9,500.

SECOND PARTIAL FUNDING OF RADMOOR, I BELIEVE PARTIAL.

[INAUDIBLE] FUNDING [INAUDIBLE].

OKAY, RADMOOR WAS 5000.

WE WERE RECOMMENDED 3000.

OH THREE IS WHAT'S IN THERE NOW.

OKAY, YEAH. OKAY, YOU'RE CLOSE.

OKAY, I MOVE TO FUND FOUR APPLICANTS. SHOULD WE PUT THE EXACT NUMBER IN THERE? FOR RADMOOR MONTESSORI SCHOOL PARTIAL FUNDING FOR $3,000.

CORNELL WOODS.

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FULL FUNDING AT $3,000.

OKEMOS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FULL FUNDING AT $2,000, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE FULL FUNDING AT $1,500.

TOTALING $9,500.

I SECOND THAT. OKAY, AND ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT.

AYE.

ANYONE OPPOSED.

OKAY, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO ASK LEROY A QUESTION TO KIND OF CLARIFY WHERE WE ARE, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW SOME ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS TO TAKE TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO SEE IF ADDITIONAL FUNDING MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EVERGREEN VET CLINIC, POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB.

AND I GUESS THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT ARE NOT BEING FUNDED.

RIGHT, BUT IT WOULD SEEM TO MAYBE BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO NO LONGER ACCEPT ANY APPLICATIONS, AND THIS IS KIND OF A QUESTION FOR YOU, LEROY, BECAUSE YOU'VE KEPT IT PRETTY OPEN ENDED, BUT MAYBE AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE SHOULD.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, THAT MAKES THAT MAKES SENSE.

WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE APPLICANTS FOR THE COMING YEAR AND WE ALWAYS LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, BUT AS FAR AS SPECIFIC FOR THE 2023 PROGRAM, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

YEAH, I WAS JUST THINKING IN TERMS OF FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR.

I HEAR YOU.

OKAY, JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

YEAH, GLAD YOU ASKED.

OKAY, AND THEN OTHER ITEMS OF NEXT STEP.

LEROY, YOU WILL BE FOLLOWING UP FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM MERIDIAN GARDEN CLUB AND EVERGREEN VET CLINIC.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, I'LL TRY AND PREPARE A SUMMARY AND GET BACK.

WITH ALL THE PROPOSALS AND THEN TRUSTEE WISINSKI, WILL YOU BE FOLLOWING UP ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR WE'RE WANTING TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER

[00:35:09]

OKAY, AND I'M WONDERING IF LEROY IDEA IF WHEN WE WHEN WE PROPOSE THE ASK FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET, IF WE DON'T DO A PRESENTATION OF THE EXISTING APPLICANTS, SHOW THEM WHAT WE ARE FUNDING AND THEN SHOW THEM, HERE'S WHY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO FUND.

IF SOMEBODY WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT, I CAN CERTAINLY DRAFT THE MEMO.

PROBABLY NOT YOUR BEST PRESENTER.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TO SHOWCASE.

DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO--I MEAN, YOU I'M WONDERING IF IT MAKES SENSE TO SHOWCASE SOME OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, AND I'M WILLING TO DO THAT.

IF SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO DO IT, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE RATHER DO THAT? [INAUDIBLE] WE CAN HAVE A STUDENT BACKUP.

DEPENDS ON THE TIMELINE.

THIS MONTH IS LIKE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND THINGS FINISHING UP, BUT, LEROY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED HELP.

LIKE, IF I CAN BE PLUGGED INTO IT SOMEHOW AND HELP OUT.

LIKE I'D BE HAPPY TO WHERE I'M ABLE.

APPRECIATE IT. GREAT. I CAN GIVE.

I'M SORRY. OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO GET ON AN AGENDA.

RIGHT, AND I THINK I THINK THAT WAS OUR LAST ONE IN APRIL, WHICH ISN'T A GREAT IDEA.

I'M SORRY.

WHILE SHE'S PULLING THAT UP, MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT BILL WAS FEELING ILL TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU, ANNA, FOR MENTIONING THAT.

SO WE WON'T NECESSARILY PUT THIS IN THE MINUTES BECAUSE I'LL DOUBLE CHECK, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MAY 2ND IS OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.

SO THAT MEANS WE'D HAVE TO HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS WITH THE SUPERVISOR ABOUT PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA AND THEN DRAFTING THE MEMO, WHICH SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM IF THAT'S NOT UNTIL MAY 2ND.

OKAY. JUST TO GIVE A TIMELINE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO ASSIST.

OKAY, ALL RIGHT, OKAY, WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS, AND THAT IS THE NOMINEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD.

SO THAT WAS ALSO IN THE PACKET, AND FORGIVE ME, I AM NOT UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE ARE AT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD.

SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR SOMEONE TO TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR PROCESS AND OUR TIMELINE I FOR THESE AWARDS.

WELL, THIS HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR A FEW YEARS, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A LITTLE CATALYST FOR US TO TALK ABOUT IT.

OKAY, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE BETTER INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY THAN I DO BECAUSE THIS STARTED WAY BEFORE MY TIME, BUT I THINK TRADITIONALLY MAKE THEIR WORDS AROUND EARTH DAY.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANT TO DO A FULL PROMOTION OF THE PROGRAM.

IT WOULD BE UP TO YOU IF WE WANTED TO GEAR IT UP THIS YEAR, OR WE COULD JUST MAKE MAKE AN AWARD AND THAT WOULD DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO THE AWARDS, BUT I'M JUMPING THE GUN HERE.

THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF AWARDS OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES, I THINK DECADE AND A HALF.

IT USED TO BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SOLICIT NOMINATIONS FROM WHOEVER HAD A THOUGHT.

ANYBODY, AND THEN LOOK OVER THE SUGGESTIONS.

USUALLY THE NUMBER OF IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE GRANT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF NOMINEES WAS EASILY A SMALL ENOUGH NUMBER THAT WE WOULD SIMPLY GIVE EVERYBODY AN AWARD FOR, AND IT WAS A BIG VARIETY OF CATEGORIES OF RECOGNITION, EVERYTHING FROM PEOPLE WHO HELPED REALLY SPARK THE RECYCLING PROGRAM TO RED CEDAR SPIRITS, WHO, YOU KNOW, REACTIVATED A BROWNFIELD BUILDING AND THEY'RE MAKING BIO BASED PRODUCTS.

ET CETERA. ET CETERA. I MEAN, A VERY DIVERSE COLLECTION OF CATEGORIES OF PERFORMANCE WAS BEING RECOGNIZED IN THIS, YOU

[00:40:10]

IT WAS NICE. SO THEN THERE WAS AN EVENT AS WELL OF SOME SORT.

ONE OF THE MEETINGS, I MEAN, OUR APRIL MEETING AS LEROY SAID, AROUND EARTH DAY, WE WOULD HAVE THE MEETING THAT WAS CLOSEST TO THAT WOULD BE THE TIME WHEN WE WOULD INVITE THOSE PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM THEIR AWARDS AND SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

I DON'T KNOW STEVE THOMAS MYSELF, BUT EMMA'S NOMINATION IS A PERFECT ILLUSTRATION OF THE CATEGORY OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD NATURALLY FALL INTO THIS. I KNOW STEVE THOMAS.

I CAN SPEAK TO HIM.

[5.B. Nominee for Environmental Stewardship Award]

I MEAN, SHE DESCRIBES HIS CONTRIBUTIONS HUGELY, BUT YEAH TELL US MORE.

YEAH SO STEVE HE SERVES ON LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND HE IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EMMA'S RIGHT HAND PERSON.

AS FAR AS THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS GOES, HE ATTENDS ALL THE STEWARDSHIP SATURDAY EVENTS.

HE'S AN ECOLOGIST AND HE EDUCATES EVERYONE ON THE ECOLOGY OF OF THE TOWNSHIP.

HE WAS AT THE CONTROLLED BURN AT DAVIS FOSTER AND PROBABLY AT RED CEDAR GLEN AS WELL.

I WAS AT THE DAVIS FOSTER BURN AND SAW HIM THERE.

I'VE LEARNED A WEALTH OF THINGS FROM HIM AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE.

HE IS JUST SO KNOWLEDGEABLE AND SO DEDICATED, AND, YOU KNOW, HE COLLECTS SEEDS, AND WE'VE BEEN USING THAT PART OF OUR PLANT NATIVE MERIDIAN PROGRAM AS WELL. I GONE OUT SEED COLLECTING WITH HIM, WHICH WAS KIND OF FUN.

SO HE'S JUST SUPER DEDICATED AND HE IS VERY WELL DESERVING OF THIS RECOGNITION.

WHAT IS HIS SORT OF PROFESSIONAL? HE'S AN ECOLOGIST, BUT IN THE UNIVERSITY OR IN [INAUDIBLE].

HE WORKS FOR A PRIVATE COMPANY AND HE TRAVELS THE STATE AS A CONSULTANT, ESSENTIALLY.

SO IT CONFUSES ME BECAUSE THERE WAS MIKE THOMAS, WHO WAS BASICALLY THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE LAND PRESERVATION EVALUATION DOCUMENTATION.

HE WAS IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF WHEN THE WHOLE LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM CAME INTO EXISTENCE, AND HE WAS ACTUALLY ACTIVELY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION UNTIL 2014 , AND SO I GET CONFUSED.

MAYBE THEY'RE RELATED OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW [COUGHING] EXCUSE ME, BUT YEAH, SOUNDS GREAT TO ME, AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH EMMA'S WRITE UP, AND SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, I GUESS, ACCEPT THE NOMINATION AND MAKE AN AWARD TO TO STEVE THOMAS, BUT ALSO AND THIS WOULDN'T BE PART OF THE MOTION, I'D SUGGEST THAT MAYBE IN I THINK DOING THIS SORT OF AWARD IN APRIL SEEMS APPROPRIATE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS , AND I'D LIKE MAYBE FOR US TO PLAN AND MAYBE DECEMBER OR JANUARY, MAYBE JANUARY TO ACTUALLY DO A SOLICITATION FOR THESE SORTS OF NOMINATIONS, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE PRETTY EASY FOR US TO PUT IT INTO THE HE TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO 1000 OR 2000 PEOPLE AND JUST AS A LITTLE BLURB AND SAY WE'RE ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARDS BECAUSE FOR THIS YEAR THIS MAY BE AS SUFFICIENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE IN APRIL ALREADY, BUT IN THE FUTURE I THINK WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THIS SORT OF THING, BUT MY MOTION IS JUST TO MAKE AN AWARD TO MAKE AN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD FOR STEVE THOMAS FOR THE REASONS IN EMMA'S NOMINATION.

LEROY GOT ONE.

WHEN DID YOU GET YOURS? THIS IS NOT DISCUSSION.

[CHUCKLING]. WHO SECONDED THAT? [INAUDIBLE] OKAY, ANYWAY.

SO TELL ME ABOUT PROCESS FOR ALL OF EVERYTHING THAT'S SECONDED.

DO WE ALL VOTE? YES IS IT? THANK YOU FOR.

THANKS FOR MAKING SURE I'M UP TO SPEED.

OKAY, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED.

SEEING NO ONE.

[00:45:01]

IT'S BEEN SO LONG. OKAY, DIG THAT UP.

YEAH, IT WAS A PAPER CERTIFICATE WITH A BUNCH OF WHEREASES, YOU KNOW, SAYING WHEREAS THIS PERSON HAS MADE THESE CONTRIBUTIONS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WE, AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, HEREBY RECOGNIZE THEM.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OKAY, AND SHALL WE INVITE HIM TO OUR NEXT MEETING TO GIVE THAT AWARD? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. OKAY.

SENSIBLE, YEAH. OKAY, AND LEROY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU CAN LOOK INTO WHAT THAT PIECE OF PAPER LOOKS LIKE , AND THEN IS ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO INVITE STEVE TO THE NEXT MEETING? OKAY, THANK YOU, KENDRA.

OKAY, THAT SOUNDS GOOD, AND THEN I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU, LEROY IS, IS THERE A CALENDAR OR I'M JUST WONDERING HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE THE MAKING SURE WE GET THE WORD OUT IN JANUARY.

DO WE HAVE SOME FORM OF LIKE A ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CALENDAR WE COULD PUT THAT ON OR.

YEAH, I CAN WORK ON GETTING IT ON THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CALENDAR.

OKAY, WONDERFUL.

ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD? ALL RIGHT, ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT? YES. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF LUCA WISINSKI, WHO IS NOT HERE.

HE IS CLOSELY APPROACHING GRADUATION AND IS LEAVING DIRECTLY AFTER GRADUATION TO GO TO ALASKA. SO I'VE ASKED THAT HE PUT IN HIS RESIGNATION SO THAT WE HAVE THAT POSITION OPEN AND WE CAN.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A FULL STUDENT REPRESENTATION. SO THAT'S FANTASTIC, BUT I JUST WANTED THE COMMISSION TO KNOW THAT'S WHY HE'S ABSENT TWO TIMES IN A ROW, BUT I'VE ASKED HIM TO PUT AN OFFICIAL RESIGNATION, AND DOES THAT GO TO THE CLERK? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? I CAN FIND OUT.

ANYONE KNOW WHERE THAT RESIGNATION GOES? [INAUDIBLE] GOOD QUESTION.

MIDDLE SEASON, MAYBE [INAUDIBLE] I CAN FIND OUT.

I THINK JUST IN THE MINUTES IS FINE, BUT FOR A STUDENT POSITION IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND THEN WE JUST IF WE WANT TO PROMOTE AN OPENING, WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH THE CLERK. OKAY, AND THEN WOULD WE LIKE TO I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

I KNOW WE'RE WE LIKE HAVING ALTERNATES.

WOULD WE LIKE TO I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

WE TALK. ONCE WE GET THE RESIGNATION, WE TALK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO PROMOTE AN OPEN POSITION.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO NEW BUSINESS? ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS? OKAY, HEARING NOTHING ON OLD BUSINESS.

SO WE HAVE THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN DRAFT.

I'D SAY FOR MYSELF, FOR THE FOOD SECTION OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO GET WE WERE AT SOME POINT ON THE AGENDA TO TALK TO KIND OF RE PRESENT THAT AND GET FURTHER FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL.

I THINK WE'D LIKE TO BE BACK ON THE AGENDA AT SOME POINT TO GET HERE SOON TO GET SOME FURTHER FEEDBACK AND WRAP UP OUR SECTION OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.

[MUMBLING] YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION IF I COULD, MADAM CHAIR.

SO REMEMBERING BACK TO THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING, I THINK YOU HAD INDICATED IN DISCUSSION THAT THERE WAS SOME REWRITES THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE THAT MAYBE YOU WERE WORKING ON AND MAYBE IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SEE THE NEW DRAFT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY MEET TO TALK ABOUT IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

YES. I MEAN, I THINK THAT I MEAN, I BELIEVE THAT WAS DONE AND SHARED AT SOME POINT IN ADVANCE OF A MEETING, AND THEN I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY.

I THINK MAYBE I WAS ABSENT AT THE MEETING OR I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHY THAT WAS.

[00:50:04]

THERE SHOULD BE, I GUESS.

I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT IN A FEW MONTHS NOW, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A FULL DRAFT OF THE FOOD SECTION READY, READY TO BE DISCUSSED AT SOME POINT

[5.C. Other]

MAYBE I'M CONFUSED.

I KNEW THERE HAD BEEN A REDRAFT DONE A FEW MONTHS BACK, BUT, AND MAYBE I'M REMEMBERING THIS WRONG, BUT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FOOD GROUP WORDING LAST MONTH AT THIS MEETING, AND I THOUGHT YOU HAD INDICATED FURTHER WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE IN SOME OF THE WORDING, BUT MAYBE I'M OFF BASE ON THAT.

NO, I THINK WE WERE JUST AT A SPOT TO GET SOME FURTHER FEEDBACK FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO TO WRAP IT UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT'S BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ON THIS AGENDA.

I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S THE BEST USE OF TODAY'S TIME, GIVEN THAT FOLKS HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK OVER IT BEFORE THIS MEETING.

SO PERHAPS THAT COULD BE ON AN AGENDA, AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

ARE THERE OTHER GROUPS THAT WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER FEEDBACK? I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WHO ELSE MAY BE ON THE AGENDA OR WHAT OTHER KIND OF WHERE OTHER GROUPS ARE AT WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WATER.

I HAVEN'T I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THE LATEST EDITS VERY CLOSELY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I CAN TAKE THE LATEST EDITS TO OTHER GROUPS, THE FOLKS THAT WOULD WANT

[6.A. Climate Sustainability Plan]

SO I NEED TO TALK TO CERTAIN [INAUDIBLE] AND THE WETLAND TEAM AND WHICH IS NOT MEETING UNTIL THE END OF MAY.

SO, SO I'M TRYING TO SORT THAT PART OUT SO WE WON'T BE READY FOR NEXT MONTH.

OKAY, I THINK FOR TRANSPORTATION, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE WERE JUST WAITING HOPEFULLY FOR SOME COMMENTS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

DO YOU KNOW LEROY IF THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS OR NOT? IT WAS BROUGHT UP. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE WERE ANY SIGNIFICANT COMMENTS, BUT I CAN RECHECK WITH BRIAN [INAUDIBLE] ON THAT WHO'S THE REP.

OKAY, GOOD. YEAH, WHY DON'T YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE MAYBE WE'RE IN A POSITION TO FINALIZE THAT SECTION TO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTION.

WE JUST HAVE SOME UPDATING OF DATA TO DO AND A FEW EDITS, AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DONE WITH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY ONE, TOO AND JUST BRIEFLY, I GUESS, ON THE WASTE AND RECYCLING SECTION, I THINK WE'RE RELATIVELY CLOSE IN THAT SECTION.

THERE'S I THINK WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME MORE UP TO DATE STATISTICS TO INCLUDE IN THERE, AND THEN I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AT PAST MEETINGS HERE ABOUT CONSIDERING WHETHER WE WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING IN ABOUT SINGLE HAULER FOR THE TOWNSHIP, AND I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF A DICEY ISSUE, SO I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FURTHER WITH THAT, BUT THAT MAY BE ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING AT THIS POINT.

WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING IS MOVING FORWARD AND THE HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA TO HAVE YOUR ALL EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK ON THAT DRAFT AND ANYTHING ELSE WE'D LIKE TO COVER IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN? COMING BACK TO THE WATER ITEM, SO KENDRA AND I NEED TO TALK MORE TOO, BUT I TRIED TO STREAMLINE IT, BUT IT NEEDS FURTHER SORT OF REFINEMENT TO ADHERE A LITTLE MORE TO THE SORT OF FORMAT STYLISTIC SETUP OF OTHER REPORTS.

BUT I THINK THAT THE THEMES ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL ENOUGH ARTICULATED, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE SORT OF RESTRUCTURED TO, TO FIT IN, AND I THINK AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO SORT OF LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS AND SEE HOW THEY FIT TOGETHER AND BECAUSE THEY'RE SORT OF PRETTY DIVERSE STYLISTIC

[00:55:08]

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

YES, AND COMMISSIONER DIEDRICH.

YEAH I HAVE AN EVALUATION OF ALL LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION PLANS IN MICHIGAN THAT I'M JUST WRAPPING UP RIGHT NOW, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO.

IT WOULD BE HUGELY HELPFUL.

EVERYONE ELSE ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I'M LOOKING AT A COLLECTION OF OUTCOME CRITERIA LIKE BACKED UP BY CLIMATE SCIENCE.

SO LOOKING AT LIKE WATER QUALITY, SOLID WASTE, TRANSPORTATION, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOO, AND I HAVE A CODING SYSTEM WHERE I'M RANKING ALL OF THOSE MUNICIPAL PLANS AND I CAN DEMONSTRATE WHERE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S PLAN KIND OF STACKS UP IN THE RANGE OF PLANS IN MICHIGAN, IF THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST LOOKING AT THOSE OUTCOME CRITERIA. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST, BUT I SHOULD HAVE MY REPORT FINALIZED BY THE NEXT MEETING.

SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT OUT AND SHARE IT.

THAT'D BE GREAT. YEAH. YEAH.

I WONDER IF I MEAN, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SHARING IT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TALKING US THROUGH IT SOMEWHAT AT THE NEXT MEETING? I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING.

OKAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT.

OKAY, YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO.

ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA ITEM.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COMPLICATED IS THAT SOME DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES HAVE HUGELY VARIABLE SORT OF INTRINSIC COMMITMENTS TO OR ARTICULATIONS OF THEIR POLICIES AND PLANS AND SO FORTH, AND SO BECAUSE THIS DOCUMENT HAS A FOCUS ON SORT OF HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS MODIFYING, NOT JUST IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT SORT OF ARTICULATING THE WHOLE THING FROM THE GROUND UP.

IT'S HOW THINGS ARE CHANGING BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S IN PLACE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO RE-ARTICULATE YOU KNOW WHAT AMOUNTS TO MOUNTAINS OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT EVERY KIND OF MANAGEMENT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, AND SO IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO RESTATE STUFF THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE VERSUS WHAT WHAT ADDITIONAL SORT OF FEATURES WOULD BE ADDED OR AT LEAST CONSIDERATIONS AS A FUNCTION OF ACKNOWLEDGING CLIMATE CHANGE. OKAY, ANY OTHER ANYTHING ELSE TO COVER IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN DRAFTS? HEARING, HEARING NOTHING.

I CAN MOVE ON TO OTHER.

I HAD A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS BASED ON OUR LAST MEETING, BUT BEFORE I GET TO THAT, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR OLD BUSINESS? OKAY, I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY MOVEMENT.

I KNOW IN THE IN THE LAST MEETING THERE WERE THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INTERN OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER INTERN REQUEST OF SOME SORT.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION OR COMMUNICATION ABOUT ABOUT THAT.

THERE WAS A LETTER DRAFTED THAT BILL SIGNED SENT TO THE SUPERVISOR, JACKSON AND MANAGER WALSH AND I.

DID PEOPLE SEE THAT DRAFT THAT.

OKAY, NOT HEARD BACK FROM THAT.

OKAY, SO I THINK THERE YOU KNOW I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE.

THIS INTERN PROBABLY HAS THEIR HANDS FAIRLY FULL, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW SUCCESSFUL WE MIGHT BE IN CAPTURING A PORTION OF THEIR TIME, BUT YEAH, OPEN TO SUGGESTION.

WELL, FRANK SOUNDED SUSCEPTIBLE.

SUSCEPTIBLE, I'D SAY.

RECEPTIVE TO ALLOCATING, YOU KNOW, A REASONABLE CHUNK OF THAT PERSON'S WORK TO BUT WAS HOPING FOR SORT OF A WELL DEFINED PROJECT AS OPPOSED TO SORT OF JUST HELPING OUT.

THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION.

YEAH. SO THAT MIGHT BE AN EXCUSE IF WE HAVE A SPECIFIC ROLE OR A SPECIFIC PROJECT, THAT MIGHT BE A NATURAL FOLLOW UP IF THE COMMITTEE HAS A

[01:00:04]

RIGHT. WELL, I THINK THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS THAT BILL MCCONNELL MADE AT THE LAST MEETING AS FAR AS DATA COLLECTION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF MAYBE HELPING FINALIZE OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AS WELL, BUT I THINK IF WE WENT BACK TO THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING, SOME OF THAT WOULD BE IN THERE.

YES, I SEE IN THE MINUTES, SARVER SUGGESTED USING THE NEW INTERN TO GATHER STATISTICS, INFORMATION ON TOWNSHIP SYSTEMS, CONCILIATORY ROLE, AND THEN I TALKED ABOUT POSSIBILITIES FOR THE INTERN TO LOOK INTO GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.

OKAY, ANYTHING TO ADD TO YOUR SUGGESTION? I THINK THERE WAS A GENERAL SENSE FROM STAFF.

I HEARD SORT OF SECONDHAND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE ASKING FOR A LOT MORE THAN THE INTERN POTENTIALLY COULD OFFER.

OKAY. THAT WASN'T A DIRECT COMMUNICATION, BUT JUST I THINK IF WE GO BACK WITH SOME MORE SPECIFIC MAYBE SCALED DOWN REQUESTS THAT MIGHT BE MORE BETTER RECEIVED UNLESS PEOPLE HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS.

I DON'T TYPICALLY TALK TO THE MANAGER OR THE SUPERVISOR SUPER REGULARLY.

I DON'T KNOW IF SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BRING UP IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO BRING IT UP.

YES. COURTNEY, GO AHEAD.

MAYBE LIKE ACTING AS A LIKE IN A FACILITATOR KIND OF ROLE, LIKE COMMUNICATING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE OPERATION.

LIKE I KNOW WE WERE MENTIONING LIKE TRANSPORTATION, LIKE SORT OF LIKE A LIAISON ALMOST POSITION, LIKE BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WHAT THIS INTERNS OFFICE IS DOING THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO US. LIKE EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THAT MIGHT KIND OF HELP THE GEARS RUN.

I DON'T KNOW. I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THAT POSITION TO BE ABLE TO BECAUSE HE'S WORKING IN THE SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE, CORRECT? I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHO HE'S REPORTING TO.

OKAY, THEN POSSIBLY ACTING AS A LIAISON.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AS SPECIFIC AS WE WOULD WANT TO CURATE THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE THAT IS KIND OF ALSO OPEN ENDED.

SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT YEAH, I THINK MAYBE GOING BACK WITH LIKE A SMALL SPECIFIC TASK MIGHT HELP IT HAPPEN.

I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SPECIFIC TASK IS.

I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION. IS IT A SPECIFIC TASK OR A SPECIFIC PROJECT? RIGHT, AND SO MY HESITATION OF FLESHING THAT OUT AS A FOLLOW UP IS WE DON'T SEEM LIKE WE HAVE ACTUALLY THAT MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THIS INTERN MAY.

LIKE IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A POSSIBILITY, BUT IS IT ACTUALLY A POSSIBILITY? AND IF SO, COULD THEY PROVIDE SOME STRUCTURE AROUND WHAT WHAT TYPE OF LIKE HOW WE COULD BEST UTILIZE AN INTERN VERSUS US? I WORRY THAT WE WILL SPEND TIME TRYING TO FLESH SOMETHING OUT THAT'S JUST TOTALLY OUT OF THE REALM OF WHAT THE INTERN IS WILLING OR CAPABLE OR ABLE TO DO.

SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO IS THE INTERN AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND WHAT THEY.

YEAH. CHAIR, I CAN I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I MISSED THAT MEETING.

OKAY, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M WILLING TO REACH OUT TO BOTH SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND MANAGER WALSH AND SEE, IS THAT A PROPOSAL THAT THEY PRESENTED AT THAT MEETING THAT THEY ATTENDED? I BELIEVE SO I BELIEVE THAT THEY I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT WAS A PROPOSAL NECESSARILY, RATHER A MENTION OF THEM HAVING AN INTERN THAT MAY BE ABLE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

OKAY. THAT'S MY MEMORY.

OKAY, SEE NODDING THERE.

IN THE MINUTES IT SAYS WALSH ADDED THAT A SUMMER INTERN WAS JUST HIRED THAT COULD TAKE ON A PROJECT LIKE WORKING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

SO IT DOESN'T GIVE US ANY DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE PERSON'S INTERESTS OR SKILL SET IS, BUT HAVE YOU HAVE YOU MET THE PERSON, EITHER ONE OF YOU? ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS.

OKAY, SO YOU CAN'T GIVE US THE A DETAILED RUNDOWN.

OKAY, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, I KNOW WE HAD A REQUEST TO SHARE OUR MEETING MINUTES WITH SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

IS ARE WE STARTING TO DO THAT? OKAY, I SEE LEROY NODDING.

[01:05:03]

ANY OTHERS? I JUST HAD A THOUGHT THE OTHER DAY, WHICH IS DANGEROUS.

IT'S COVID MIND.

YOU KNOW, IT RANDOMLY ASSOCIATES THINGS.

I WAS JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE A LITTLE BIT AND FOOD USE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND ESPECIALLY THE MUD LAKE THING GOT ME THINKING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE NOKOMIS EDUCATION CENTER, NATIVE AMERICAN, FOR HELPING PEOPLE BECOME AWARE OF SORT OF THE HISTORY OF THE AREA IN TERMS OF NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS AND SO FORTH AND IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, THAT AS A RESOURCE AND AS A SORT OF REFERENCE POINT HAS NEVER COME UP , AND IT STRIKES ME THAT ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO FUND SOMETHING LIKE THE MUD LAKE HISTORY STORY, WE MIGHT WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO BROADEN OUR OUR RESOURCE BASE AND ALSO OUR OUTREACH, GIVEN THAT FACILITY IS RIGHT HERE? I DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSELY IS THE OKEMOS LEARNING CENTER SORT OF TIED IN WITH THE TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS? DO YOU GUYS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? THERE IS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW ABOUT RELOCATING OR REBUILDING OKEMOS CENTER.

THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT YES, I DON'T THINK IT WAS REBUILDING, BUT SOME MODIFICATION OF SOME SORT, BUT BUT YES, THERE IS INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND OKEMOS.

YES. WELL, YEAH, NOT JUST THAT, BUT I MEAN THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE AND EVERYTHING.

I MEAN, THESE ARE RESOURCES THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE INTEGRATION OF THE CHANGE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AS A FUNCTION OF HUMAN OCCUPANCY, AND ALSO NOW WE'RE MODIFYING THE CLIMATE ITSELF.

IT WOULDN'T I THINK IT WOULDN'T BE STUPID TO AT LEAST ASK WHETHER THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN TIE IN WITH THOSE RESOURCES.

JUST A SPITBALLING QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I THINK I MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, NOT AT THIS MEETING, BUT MAYBE IN A WETLAND MEETING OR SOMETHING.

MAYBE LAST YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.

YEAH, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THAT, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN THAT.

SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

MAYBE GET A PRESENTATION FROM THEM SOMEHOW.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TIE IN, WHAT WOULD BE THE WAY TO DO IT.

THEY HAVE COME TO THE BOARD SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

SO PRESENTING OR ASKING OR MAKING SOME REQUESTS.

SO I FEEL LIKE, YEAH, TO ASK THEM TO COME AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, HOW MAYBE WE COULD PARTNER WITH THEM.

I THINK THAT'D BE FANTASTIC AND I THINK THEY'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO TALK ABOUT GREEN GRANTS GOING FORWARD.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST MEETING WAS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, BETTER COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP, THE TOWNSHIP SORT OF SELF-AWARENESS, AND I THINK IT IS ENHANCED BY THE FACT LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA, ETCETERA.

I MEAN, WE ARE I DO THINK THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS BECOMING MORE INFORMED ABOUT ITSELF, SO TO SPEAK, AND THIS COULD BE A PART OF THAT , THAT WE CAN HELP FACILITATE.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

IS THAT OUTREACH THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO TAKE ON OR IS THERE? I'D BE INTERESTED IN JUST TALKING TO THEM, BUT BUT KENDRA, IF YOU ACTUALLY KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF IT, YEAH, WELL, THE PERSON I KNOW MOVED AWAY, BUT I CAN TALK TO HER AND ASK TO GET CONNECTED.

YEAH, LET'S. LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT.

SURE. OKAY, GREAT.

ALL RIGHT, I BELIEVE WE ARE ON TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

LET'S SEE.

I GUESS I CAN START HERE WITH THE GOOD FOOD TO SMART COMPOSTING UPDATE.

I'M NOT.

VAL SENT A NICE EMAIL.

I KNOW THIS WAS IN THE PACKET.

EVERYONE GOT IT. SO I'M NOT GOING TO REREAD ALL OF THIS, AND I KNOW THERE'S ALSO STAFF UPDATES.

SO, BUT I WILL HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS GLEANING AT THE TOWNSHIP FARMERS MARKET WILL BE STARTING ON MAY 13TH FOR THE SATURDAY MARKET AND JUNE 7TH FOR THE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MARKET.

IT WILL BE A LOT LIKE LAST YEAR'S EFFORTS OF GETTING DONATED OR FOOD THAT IS NOT SOLD.

[01:10:03]

IN ADDITION, THIS YEAR, VISITORS WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE MONEY OR FOOD OR BAKED GOODS TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE FOOD FROM THE GLEANING PROJECT.

THE NEXT APRIL MEETING FOR THE GROUP IS TOMORROW, THURSDAY THE SIXTH.

I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT TIME THAT IS AT IS PROBABLY ON MY CALENDAR HERE.

IT'S NOON. NOON.

OKAY, NOON, AND THEN THE ONE AFTER THAT IS MAY 5TH.

LET'S SEE, THE ONE TOMORROW WE'LL HAVE THE GREATER LANSING LAND BANK DISCUSSING COMMUNITY GARDENS AND COMPOSTING.

POTENTIALLY WE'LL HAVE THE EAST SIDE COMPOSTING GROUP THERE AS WELL.

THERE THERE'S ALSO BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITY WITH THE GROUP, BUT I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT ALL OF THIS, SO I'LL LET YOU ALL READ THE EMAIL UNLESS ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO, TO HIGHLIGHT ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THE GROUP.

MAYBE JUST ONE OTHER THING.

I THINK VAL HAS BEEN WORKING ON SETTING UP A TOUR OF THE MSU DIGESTER AND IT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S LOOKING AT TWO POSSIBLE DATES FOR THAT EITHER MAY 8TH OR THE 18TH, AND AS OF YESTERDAY, I BELIEVE THE FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON MAY 8TH.

SO HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THAT FACILITY AND GET MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT ALL THEY DO THERE.

OKAY, YES.

[INAUDIBLE] I'M READY TO MOVE ON UNLESS THERE'S OTHER FOOD ITEMS. OKAY, GREAT.

I'LL TALK FIRST ABOUT THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM.

SO THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM MET YESTERDAY, APRIL 4TH, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME EVENTS FIRST AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE AN ASK.

SO A WETLAND WALK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SCHEDULED TODAY BUT HAD TO BE CANCELED BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

SO THE WETLAND WALK IS NEXT.

I THINK IT'S TUESDAY, THE APRIL 11TH.

AT 5:30 ON APRIL 18TH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONSERVATION CONVERSATION ON WETLAND CONSERVATION AT THE MICHIGAN NATURE ASSOCIATION IN OKEMOS AND SO PAIGE [INAUDIBLE] KIND OF FACILITATED THAT PART OF OUR WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM.

[7. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

SO I'M EXCITED THAT'S GOING TO YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEING MARKETED THROUGH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.

SO I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SO MORE, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS GETTING OUT TO A LARGER COMMUNITY.

THE HARRIS NATIVE PLANT SALE IS ON MAY 6TH.

THE WILD ONES NATIVE PLANT SALE IS ON MAY 13TH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AT THE FARMERS MARKET.

THE NATIVE PLANT GUIDE IS NOW ON THE WETLANDS PAGE UNDER SMART LANDSCAPING.

IT'S ON [INAUDIBLE].

SO THAT I THINK IT'S 50 OR 60 PAGES.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO AND LOOK AT THAT, AND IT NOT ONLY HAS THE PLANTS, BUT IT HAS SAMPLE PLANS FOR ALL KINDS OF YARDS, AND PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE GETTING ALL OF THIS RAIN.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO CONSIDER WAYS THAT USING SOME NATIVE PLANTS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH FLOODING, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF LOOKED AT THIS WHOLE BUILD BACK THE BUFFER AND GETTING THESE SAMPLE NATIVE PLANT PLANS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, EASY WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE THINGS IN THEIR YARDS AND KIND OF A WIN WIN, GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS OR BUSINESS AND THEN TAPPING INTO THESE NATIVE PLANT SALES ALSO, THERE'S ALSO WE DID A BUNCH OF NATIVE SEED COLLECTION, AS I SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT WITH STEVE THOMAS, AND SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SEEDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GIVEN OUT OR FOR SALE, I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE AT THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER PLANT SALE.

SO THOSE ARE LIKE LOCAL SEEDS THAT WE PICKED HERE.

SO THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL GENOME WILL BE PASSED ON.

SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.

SO THOSE ARE THE EVENTS.

SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THEN THE.

ALL RIGHT, SO THEN WE'RE GOING TO HERE'S THE ASK.

SO LAST YEAR WE SENT OUT IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR THIS, YOU KNOW, THE SIMPLE DO'S AND SIMPLE DON'TS RELATED TO THE WETLAND ORDINANCE FOR FOLKS IN OCTOBER IS GREAT FOR LIKE THE NO DUMPING KIND OF ENDS OF THINGS

[01:15:04]

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW WITH VERNAL POOLS AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS.

SO WE'RE WONDERING IF THIS CAN GO BACK OUT.

I KNOW THAT WE HAD REQUESTED THAT THIS GO OUT WITH A TAX ASSESSMENT, WITH THIS LITTLE BLURB THAT DIDN'T GO OUT WITH THE TAX ASSESSMENT, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE WETLAND MAPS AND THE WETLAND ORDINANCE AND PER CODE, I THINK IT'S IN THE CODE.

LET'S SEE, ACTUALLY, I HAVE THE CODE NUMBER HERE 22-121, THIS ONE HAD BEEN GOING OUT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH THE TAX ASSESSMENT. IT SAYS THAT IT NEEDS TO GO OUT ANNUALLY, AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR, WHY THIS DIDN'T GO OUT.

I KNOW THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE LEGAL LANGUAGE AND IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.

HOWEVER, WE HAD HOPED THAT HAVING THIS GO ALONG WITH IT WOULD HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT.

SO I'M WONDERING IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW WE CAN GET THIS INFORMATION OUT HERE.

NOW, THE WETLAND TEAM MET YESTERDAY AND WOULD REALLY LIKE THIS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ANYONE CAN YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION? I'M GOING TO LOOK OVER THAT WAY. YEAH.

MY UNDERSTANDING FROM TALKING WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS THAT THERE WERE MORE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE KIND OF CRYPTIC LANGUAGE IN THAT, AND I THINK THAT WAS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM AS WELL, THAT WE NEED SOMETHING MORE, BUT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S STILL REQUIRED TO DO SO.

I THINK THAT OFFICE IS STILL UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S NOT NO LONGER REQUIRED.

THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW USEFUL IT WAS AND THE TIMING OF IT TO GO OUT WITH THE ASSESSMENT AS WELL.

SO I THINK THEY'RE OPEN TO DOING THINGS IN THE FUTURE, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE OF A GENERAL INTEREST IN KEEPING INFORMATIONAL PIECES MORE RELEVANT TO THE BROAD POPULATION.

I THINK THE ASSESSMENT GOES OUT TO 14,000 PROPERTY OWNERS, AND THAT WETLAND PIECE ONLY APPLIES TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE.

SO BUT I THINK WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT IT SAYS ALL LET'S SEE, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS REQUIRED TO NOTIFY EACH RECORDED OWNER OF A PROPERTY ON THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS AN ORDINANCE REGULATING WETLANDS AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AMENDMENTS TO THE WETLAND INVENTORY MAP.

IT SAYS THAT PART UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PART 303 OF ACT 451 OF THE PUBLIC ACTS OF 1994 AS AMENDED.

AS AMENDED, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS REQUIRED TO NOTIFY EACH RECORD OWNER OF PROPERTY THAT THE ON THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL.

SO THAT'S THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S EVERYBODY AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CHANGED OR NOT.

I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE LATEST.

SO HAS THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BEEN UPDATED? I'M NOT SURE THEY'RE UNDER UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS NO LONGER APPLICABLE.

I HAVEN'T DONE THE LEGAL RESEARCH ON IT MYSELF.

OKAY, WELL, THERE WAS A RESEARCH ON HOW MANY WETLAND PARCELS THERE ARE.

I THINK THERE'S LIKE 2500 RECENTLY THAT WE'RE HOPING TO MAIL TO.

SO I THINK THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO THE MAILING.

OKAY, SO HOW DO WE GET THE MAILING TO HAPPEN? LIKE WHAT'S THE SOONEST? BECAUSE WHAT WE HEARD ON THIS WAS THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH NOTICE FOR THIS TO GO WITH THIS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LIKE WE ASKED IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR AND THEN AGAIN IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

HOW CAN WE GET THIS OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO PEOPLE AND WHAT'S THE SOONEST WE CAN GET IT OUT? MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM WAS GOING TO COME UP WITH A BUDGET.

HOW HOW DO WE WANT TO SPEND THIS $10,000? AND SO PART OF THAT IS LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE MAILING COST AND WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR GETTING THE WORD OUT.

I KNOW THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO THAT, BUT I THOUGHT THE BUDGET WAS GOING TO COME FROM THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO SORT OF DISCUSS THAT.

MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM WAS ALLOTTED $10,000 AND THAT PART OF THAT WHAT WE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, THE MAILING, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH ASSESSING SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE MAILING, THE POSTAGE ON IT, THAT WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PRINTING OF THIS AND THEN WHATEVER WAS LEFT OVER, WE WERE LOOKING TOWARDS SIGNAGE.

SO THE DESIRE IS TO GET THIS OUT AND THEN WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER TO WORK TOWARDS SIGNAGE, AND THAT IS.

I WOULD CONCUR WITH WITH LEROY THAT I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN TASKED THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM HAS BEEN TASKED WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET, SO NOT JUST $10,000.

[01:20:05]

SO I THINK WE COULD DO THAT RELATIVELY EASY, GIVE THAT PROPOSAL MAYBE TO LEROY OR I CAN HELP GET IT TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. IF THAT'S DAN'S OFFICE.

REMEMBER OUR ASSESSOR'S BRAND NEW TO.

SO HER OFFICE IS BRAND NEW SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT, BUT I THINK IF WE HAVE A PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEN A PROPOSED ASK WITH THE TIMELINE, I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE OUR BEST BET. OKAY, AND I GOT TO SAY, NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN TOLD TO US AT THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM LIKE WE WERE PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED TO HAVE OUT.

I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME COMMUNICATION, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REVISIT IT FOR SURE.

OKAY, SO I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE THEN, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MEETING UNTIL THE END OF MAY AND WE WANT TO GET THIS MAILING TO GO OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

SO BECAUSE WE WERE EXPECTING IT TO GO OUT IN FEBRUARY, SO WE HAVE SOME PRETTY HARD FIGURES ON WHAT THE MAILING.

WE HAVE APPROXIMATE COST THAT WAS IN THE SHEET THAT I DISTRIBUTED TO THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM RECENTLY.

SO I THINK THAT CAN PROBABLY BE HANDLED FAIRLY QUICKLY.

DAN'S ABOUT READY TO GO ON VACATION, SO I THINK HE HAD BEEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMMUNICATED WITH, BUT HE WILL BE AROUND TOMORROW, SO I CAN PROBABLY GET THE BALL ROLLING ON THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM, CORRECT? YES, IT IS.

YEP, IT IS. OKAY, GREAT.

SO I'M HEARING THAT YOU WILL ASK FOR MAKE THE REQUEST THAT THIS MAILING HAPPEN AND FIND OUT WHAT THE COST IS.

THE LAST MAILING THAT WE DID, WE HAD A COVER LETTER AND THE BROCHURE.

IF ALL WE'RE DOING IS MAILING THIS, IT MIGHT SAVE SOME MONEY TOO.

SO WE JUST HAVE TO HONE IN ON WHAT THE FINAL COST IS GOING TO BE.

PROBABLY HAVE TO GET 2 OR 3 BIDS AND THEN CAN PROBABLY GO FORWARD.

OKAY, AND THEN DO YOU HAVE A 2 OR 3 BIDS? WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT? THEN IT COULD PROBABLY HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH, I WOULD SAY.

OKAY, SO WE'RE TALKING MAYBE MAY BEFORE IT WOULD GET DONE THEN.

THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE RELATIVELY SAFE.

OKAY, IF YOU COULD ASK FOR THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, AND THEN GET BACK.

THAT WOULD BE, AND THEN I THINK IN GENERAL, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE VERY CLEAR CRITERIA ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR MAILINGS TO GO OUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WAYS WE CAN ASK FOR THAT TO, TO HAPPEN.

SO TO HAVE SOME CLARITY ABOUT THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.

VERY CLEAR POLICY WOULD BE HELPFUL ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES, WHAT THE TIMELINE WOULD BE ON THAT.

SO FOR FUTURE MAILINGS, EVERY PERSON WOULD KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE.

SO, OKAY, GREAT.

THANK YOU ON THAT ONE, AND THEN I CAN LET SOMEONE ELSE SPEAK, BUT I HAVE AN UPDATE ON LAND PRESERVATION TOO.

[MUMBLING] OKAY, SO AND I'LL ASK ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON SIGNS FOR THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM TOO AS WELL.

OKAY, SO LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD WILL WE'RE GOING TO BE SENDING A PROPERTY FOR CONSIDERATION TO THE FOR PURCHASE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION VERY SOON.

WE HAD AN INFORMAL TALK ABOUT GREEN BURIALS ARE IN SUPPORT OF IT, BUT NOT IN THE LAND PRESERVES.

WE HAD CONTROLLED BURNS AT DAVIS FOSTER AND RED CEDAR GLEN AND THEN VERNAL POOL PATROL IS HAPPENING ON THREE DATES IN APRIL, MAY AND JULY , AND THOSE ARE ALL THE UPDATES.

OKAY, THANK YOU, AND THEN DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE OKEMOS EARTH CLUB? YEAH. SO WE HAD THE POLLINATOR GARDEN THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

SO WE'RE IN THE WORKS OF HOPEFULLY GETTING THAT TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE SUMMER/FALL.

AND THEN ALL OF OUR RECYCLING BINS WERE THROWN OUT DUE TO LIKE MICE GETTING INTO THEM.

SO THE SCHOOL BOUGHT US NEW RECYCLING BINS.

SO WE HAVE SIX NEW RECYCLING BINS THAT ARE SUPER NICE, PRETTY BIG.

SO THAT'S BEEN GREAT.

WE'RE GOING TO START TAKING CARE OF THOSE NOW THAT SPRING BREAK IS OVER AND THEN WE ARE TRYING TO HAVE A PLANT SALE AND A BAKE SALE TO FUNDRAISE FOR THE CLUB JUST TO KEEP THE GREENHOUSE ALIVE AND ALSO JUST HELP IT TO CONTINUE TO GROW.

[01:25:04]

YES. TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

I HAVE TWO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

FIRST ONE IS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR VERY FIRST PRIDE CELEBRATION THIS YEAR, AUGUST 26TH.

SO ANY PARTICIPATION THAT WE CAN GET IS VERY EXCITING.

IT'S BRAND NEW. WE HAVE A PLANNING COMMITTEE, ASSISTANT PLANNER SHORKEY IS HEADING UP AND HE'S OUR PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR THAT, BUT ANY IDEAS IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO A FESTIVAL OR AN EVENT THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS REALLY GREAT AND THAT GIVEN THAT WE'RE A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY AND THIS IS YOUR NUMBER ONE, JUST, YOU KNOW, IT COULD EVEN BE SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL.

SO I INVITE EVERYBODY AUGUST 26TH.

IT SHOULD BE FUN. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DOG PARADE.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOOD TRUCKS, MULTIPLE VENDORS, MULTIPLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, SOME REALLY COOL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS.

SO MAKE THAT PLUG FOR THE DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION TEAM AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE TWO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HEADING UP HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENT AS RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HAD SPECIFICALLY AROUND FIREARMS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT HAS EXPANDED FROM THERE.

THEY'RE CALLING IT MERIDIAN CARES ABOUT YOU, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE MULTIPLE VENDORS THERE THAT CAN ASSIST WITH VACCINATIONS AND OR GUN AND TRIGGER LOCKS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE THERE.

THEY'VE GOT I WISH I KNEW MORE, BUT I'M NOT ON THAT PLANNING COMMITTEE, BUT THERE'S VARIOUS VENDORS AND OR PARTICIPANTS THAT WILL BE THERE.

THAT IS MAY 10TH AT THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN 5 TO 8, I BELIEVE, AND I THINK KENDRA, DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THAT MAY 10TH IS ALSO ONE OF THE NATIVE PLANT AT THE MARKETPLACE SO WE CAN SPEND ALL DAY THERE? YES.

13TH.

OH, I'M SORRY. OKAY, I THOUGHT YOU SAID EIGHTH AND I THOUGHT IT WAS 10TH.

SO THOSE ARE THE TWO UPDATES I THINK ARE PERTINENT TO THIS GROUP.

WONDERFUL. THANK YOU.

YES. YEAH, A COUPLE ITEMS FROM THE ENERGY TEAM.

WE DID HAVE A, I THINK A PRETTY GOOD DISCUSSION AT OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND WHEN I SAY FOR THE COMMUNITY, I'M REFERENCING. THE FACT APARTMENT BUILDINGS OR SHOPPING AREAS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FAST CHARGERS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED ALONG THE INTERSTATES. THERE'S WHAT'S CALLED DESTINATION CHARGING, WHICH IS BEING FACILITATED BY CONSUMERS ENERGY FOR LIKE HOTELS, AND THEN MOST PEOPLE WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE JUST CHARGING AT HOME.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.