[00:00:02]
ALL RIGHT. I HEAR THAT WE'RE READY TO GO.[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
I'M SEVERAL TIME ZONES AWAY AND STILL GETTING MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND.SO APOLOGIES FOR ANY LACK OF ATTENTION.
I SEE NO PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE.
SO PUBLIC REMARKS CHANGES TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[3. CHANGES TO/APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]
I'VE HEARD TWO THINGS.ONE IS THERE MAY BE AN UPDATE UNDER OLD BUSINESS, OTHER FROM GRAHAM INSTITUTE FELLOW OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT AND HOPING TO DISCUSS THAT. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ASK UNDER THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN PRESENTING A DRAFT AND DISCUSSING IT THIS EVENING, OR ARE WE MAYBE MORE INTERESTED IN DRAFTING A TIMELINE AND FIGURING OUT SOME DEADLINES? I THINK THE LATTER. YEAH, NOBODY'S GOT A POWERPOINT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE.
KEEP THAT A GENERAL THING AND THAT MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER.
SO WITH THOSE TWO CHANGES, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED? HEARING NONE, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES. I HAVE BEEN ABSENT ENOUGH THAT I HAVE VERY LITTLE CONTACT WITH ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE MINUTES.IS THERE A PIECE IN THE PACKET THAT REQUIRES DISCUSSION APPROVAL? I THINK WE USUALLY DO.
I AM LIMITED TO THIS DEVICE AT THE MOMENT, SO ATTACHMENTS ARE NOT MY SUIT.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE EXTRA COPIES.
SORRY. THAT SHOULD BE IN MY STAFF UPDATE IF YOU'D LIKE AN ELECTRONIC VERSION IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS YOUR EMAIL. GREAT.
ARE WE PREPARED TO CONSIDER THESE AT THIS TIME? WOULD LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL? YES, I'D LIKE TO. HEARD A SECOND OVER HERE.
BECAUSE I TALKED TO KENDRA THIS AFTERNOON.
BUT THEN IN THE WATER SECTION OF THE CLIMATE PLAN, JACKSON REVIEWED BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THAT MADE IT SOUND LIKE I WROTE THE THING.
SO LET'S JUST SOFTEN THAT TO MAKE IT SOUND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT IS THAT WATER SECTION IS THE PRODUCT OF MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTORS.
WE WERE TAUGHT IN OUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS AREN'T THE TRUE THING.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS FRIENDLY.
YOU TOLD US OUTRIGHT SEVERAL TIMES.
THAT'S NOT A ROBERTS RULE. IT'S NOT A THING THAT WE DO IT.
BUT WAS THERE SOME SPECIFIC LANGUAGE YOU WERE HOPING TO CHANGE THERE, NED? I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST IT WAS CLEAR FROM OUR CONVERSATION THAT SHE WANTED TO BE IT TO BE CLEARER THAT IT WAS THE PRODUCT OF MULTIPLE SOURCES. I CAN TAKE A.
I THINK I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT TO LEROY AND I THINK.
GREAT. ANY OTHER CHANGES? TWO REAL MINOR ONES IN THE BUDGET CONVERSATION PARAGRAPH? THE FIRST LINE THERE, IT SAYS MCCONNELL ASKED IF THERE WERE QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST QUESTION AND ABOUT AN INCH DOWN FROM THERE, IT SAID COLBY ASKED ABOUT WAYS WE MIGHT EXPAND FUNDING I THINK IS WHAT WE WANT THERE.
AND THEN MY COMMENT NOW I DON'T HAVE THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT WAS UNDER, I THINK MY REPORT ON THE HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS AND IT WAS TALKING ABOUT MERIDIAN CARES AS A PARTNER.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT IN THE MEETING.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THAT OR SPOT FOR THAT.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE FINDING A WAY AROUND THAT, LEROY? I CAN TAKE IT OUT.
[00:05:08]
YEAH, WE COULD ADD IT TO TODAY'S MEETING.YEAH, BRACKETED. WHAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT? YEAH. I MEAN, YEAH, I'D SAY IN MY LINE OF WORK, WHICH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, WE PUT IN A BRACKET AND SAY NOTE FROM STAFF OR NOTE FROM, YOU KNOW, WHOMEVER. THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO IT.
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? CHANGES? DELETIONS? HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS AMENDED.
[5. NEW BUSINESS]
NEW BUSINESS I'M AWARE OF NONE.[6. OLD BUSINESS]
OLD BUSINESS TAKES US TO CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.AND THANKS TO MY DISCONNECTION OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, I'M NOT CONFIDENT IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE PLAN HAVE PROGRESSED TO. I'VE CAUGHT CERTAIN EMAILS, BUT NOT AS DILIGENT AS I NORMALLY WOULD BE.
SO THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH CERTAIN SECTIONS COULD JUST GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE IT'S AT AND WHAT WHAT FUTURE MEETING IT MIGHT BE READY FOR DISCUSSION.
SO IF FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THOSE CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE.
I SAW COMMUNICATION FROM COMMISSIONER GRASSESCHI ABOUT THE WATER SECTION AND A DRAFT.
AND SO I THINK OUR CURRENT SORT OF WORKING COPY IS SAM'S, AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND TRY TO INCORPORATE KENDRA'S COMMENTS. HER MAIN FOCUS WAS SHE FELT THAT I HAD MERGED A FEW TOO MANY IDEAS INTO SORT OF LARGER PARAGRAPHS AND THAT THEY STILL NEEDED TO BE INDIVIDUALLY ARTICULATED, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SORT OF EDUCATION SECTION, INCLUDING A SEPARATE HEADER FOR MAKING SIGNAGE VERSUS MAKING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT GET SENT OUT.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE RELATIVELY SMALL FORMATTING ISSUES, BUT THEY ARE ISSUES.
IF IT COMES DOWN TO SORT OF MAKING THE THE ARTICULATING THE GOALS AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I WANT TO GO BACK THROUGH HER POINTS ALONG THOSE LINES.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE CORE CONTENT, THERE WASN'T A LOT A LOT MORE.
THE LAND PRESERVATION PEOPLE APPARENTLY EXPRESSED A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN THAT IT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT DROUGHT ENOUGH SINCE WE HAD THE EARLY PART OF THE SUMMER AND LATE SPRING SORT OF HIGHLIGHTED THAT ASPECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO ADD THERE, BUT IT CERTAINLY MENTIONED BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT THE ADDED ACTIONS WOULD BE.
SO I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
IF ANYBODY HAS A SUGGESTION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PRESENTED? THE CURRENT DRAFT AT OUR NEXT MEETING AND DISCUSSED? MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT IT RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANT.
I MEAN IT'S I DIDN'T MAKE IT AS A PRESENTATION.
BUT YEAH, I PREFER THAT COMMISSIONER GRASSESCHI WAS HERE FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
YEAH, I WOULD TOO, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST KIND OF TRYING TO GET A BEAD.
IS A MONTH FROM NOW A REASONABLE LEAD TIME TO PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE ON TV? ON TV? SURE.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE SO CLOSE THAT WE COULD EVEN DO IT BY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, LEROY? BECAUSE SAM'S ALREADY GONE OVER IT TOO.
WHAT IF YOU GAVE IT BACK TO KENDRA TO INCORPORATE THE THINGS THAT WERE MOST IMPORTANT TO HER? AND THEN, I MEAN, YOU COULD INCORPORATE THESE ONES THAT SHE SUGGESTED THAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD FIT THE BEST AND THEN SEND IT TO HER, AND THEN WE CAN PASS THE BUCK AND ASK HER, I KNOW.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SCHEDULE THAT WHEN SHE CAN PARTICIPATE.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S LET'S PLAN TO DO THAT IN SEPTEMBER.
I'LL NEED TO BE REMINDED, THOUGH.
[00:10:03]
YEAH. AND YEAH, I APOLOGIZE.THE VERSION THAT SAM ORIGINALLY SENT DID NOT, HAD MOST OF THE FOOD SECTION MISSING, SO I ADDED THAT BACK IN WITHOUT HIS EDITS, BUT WITH A FEW TRYING TO FILL A FEW OF THE GAPS THAT YOU HAD ON YOUR LATEST VERSION.
SO THE LATEST ONE IN YOUR, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR EMAIL AND ALSO ON THE ON THE CURRENT CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY WEB PAGE, HAS SAM'S EDITS WITH THE FOOD VERSION IN IT.
OKAY. BUT NOT MUCH OF THE FOOD VERSION IF ANY HAD, IT HAS BEEN, WAS REVIEWED BY SAM.
I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? CORRECT. OKAY. BUT I DID TRY AND FILL THE GAPS THAT YOU HAD LEFT FROM YOUR LATEST.
SO THEN MY OTHER THAN THAT, MY UPDATE ON THE FOOD SECTION IS THAT YOU ALL GAVE ME SOME FEEDBACK AT THE LAST MEETING AND I HAVE NOT FULLY ADDRESSED THAT. SO I, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
I THINK IT'S CLOSE OTHER THAN AND I DON'T NECESSARILY FEEL LIKE I NEED TO PRESENT AGAIN TO THIS GROUP UNLESS THERE ARE SOME REALLY MAJOR CHANGES THAT HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT SOON, CONSIDERING WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.
BUT TWO SUGGESTIONS THAT MAY TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME THAN JUST ME SITTING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER IS RUNNING SOME OF IT BY THE FOLKS WITH MERIDIAN CARES.
SO DEPENDING, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME TURNAROUND TIME AND MAKING THAT CONTACT AND GETTING SOME FEEDBACK ON APPROPRIATE PARTS OF THAT SECTION, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT WOULD BE THE ENTIRETY OF THE SECTION, BUT JUST I MEAN, MAYBE IT WILL SINCE IT'S FAIRLY SHORT, BUT AT LEAST FLAGGING THE PARTS THAT ARE MORE RELEVANT TO THOSE COMMITTEES.
SO GRACIOUS. I'M THE ONE THAT DROPPED THE BALL WITH MERIDIAN CARES.
THAT WAS ME. NO, THAT'S SOUNDS LIKE A SORT OF SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THERE ARE MAYBE SOME COMMENTS AND EDITS THAT STILL NEED TO DIGEST PLUS SOME OUTSIDE FOLKS.
SO IF IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH THAT WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE SHARING THE DRAFTS THAT WE'VE GOT WITH THOSE OTHER CONTACTS, THEN THAT'LL BE MY COMMENTS NATURALLY. YES.
I MEAN, I THINK I WILL MAKE A FEW COMMENTS BEFORE I SHARE IT OUT, BUT I'M READY TO START THE PROCESS OF REACHING OUT AND FIGURING OUT WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THAT REVIEW.
WELL, SOMEBODY WHO JUST ENJOYS EVERY HOUR I SPEND IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER [INAUDIBLE] COMPLETELY.
THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. ANY OTHER SECTIONS THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT I'VE SKIPPED OVER? PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING.
YEAH. COURTNEY THANK YOU, BILL.
HE'S GOT LOTS OF NAMES WHICH WE WANT HIM TO WEAR RIGHT NOW, BUT HE PRESENTED HIS SOLO PLAN FOR FY 24, MOVING THROUGH FY 35, WHICH IS OUR GOAL, THE BOARD'S GOAL FOR ALL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BUILDINGS AND OR CENTERS BE 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY. SO WE HAD A REALLY GREAT PLAN THERE.
I HAVE THE POWERPOINT AND I CAN SHARE IT WITH, BUT IT'S ALSO IN OUR BOARD PACKET ON ONLINE.
THE COMPANY THAT ASSISTED WAS ABSOLUTE SOLAR.
NOT SURE, AND I KNOW HE SAID HE'S TALKED TO MR. SARVER AS WELL, BUT WENT THROUGH AND PUT TOGETHER KIND OF A MATRIX OF THE DIFFERENT SITES THAT ARE FEASIBLE FOR SOLAR.
ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARRAYS, WHETHER IT BE GREEN BELT CAR ROOF AND HOW THAT MIGHT IT WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH SITE, BUT HOW WE COULD LOOK AT THAT AND MAYBE DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FOR THAT PARTICULAR SITE ALSO GAVE US HOW MUCH OF THAT TYPE OF ARRAY, WHICH SOME OF THEM HAD MULTIPLE JUST AS A CHOICE OF ENERGY IT WOULD PRODUCE.
[00:15:08]
IT IS BUDGET SEASON.BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE BOARD, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF TIMING ON WHEN YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ON OUR AGENDA? SO WE THE BOARD WILL HAVE A DRAFT BUDGET AUGUST 25TH.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE SEPTEMBER, I THINK, FOR COMMISSION, RIGHT? SO I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
I'LL THINK ABOUT THAT. DO YOU HAVE IN TALKING WITH DAN TODAY, HE WAS HOPING THAT WE MIGHT GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW, AND I DID INCLUDE THAT IN THE IN MY LATEST EMAIL AS WELL AS IN THE STAFF REPORT.
IF WE WANT TO JUST GIVE A KIND OF A GENERAL.
IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE OUR NEXT SEPTEMBER MEETING, I GUESS.
YEAH. AND I DID PARTICIPATE IN THE BRIEFING, AS DID DAN, YOU KNOW, AND SO IT WAS A GOOD ANALYSIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE AND MAYBE YOU CAN HELP OUT IN WHAT THE BOARD APPROACH MIGHT BE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK IN TERMS OF 100% ON SITE, IT ADDS UP TO LIKE $1.8 MILLION AND LIKE 700KW OF SOLAR, WHICH IS A LOT.
AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ANALYSIS IS HELPFUL, BUT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS GOING TO HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP, RIGHT. WHICH IS WHICH BUILDING TO DO.
AND AND THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS, TOO, FOR THESE BUILDINGS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION THAT SOME MIGHT BE CONSIDERED MORE FAVORABLY THAN OTHERS.
I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.
RIGHT. SO WE CAN'T FUND IT ALL THIS YEAR, OF COURSE.
BUT IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN MAYBE OF, YOU KNOW, THE TIERED APPROACH TO THAT, GIVEN, LIKE YOU SAID, ENERGY USAGE AND OR WHAT'S MORE FEASIBLE, MAYBE IT'S A SMALL ONE AND A BIG ONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT YES, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
THE OTHER THING, TOO, WAS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS ABSOLUTE SOLAR IS OF COURSE, A SOLAR INSTALLER THAT IS IS DOING THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM AND HAS BEEN DOING THE INSTALLATIONS FOR THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ALWAYS THE INTENT WITH THE FIRST PLAN THAT THERE WOULD BE SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRIC SAVINGS, WHICH WOULD HELP US ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF AN ABSOLUTE SOLAR.
LOOKED AT THE BUILDINGS, OF COURSE, THEY WERE LOOKING AT BASICALLY WHAT'S THE MOST RECENT USAGE? AND IF WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOLAR PANELS TO FILL ALL THOSE NEEDS, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? WELL, HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE SOME EFFICIENCY GAINS, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL BE PURCHASING ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND SO THAT USAGE WILL GO UP AND HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT, WHO KNOWS? BUT IT, AGAIN, THE ANALYSIS IS HELPFUL BECAUSE IT GIVES A SENSE OF WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AND WHAT THE ARRAYS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND FOR SOME OF THE BUILDINGS, DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
I ASSUME THAT IT WAS HELPFUL TO THE BOARD, TOO, I WOULD ASSUME THAT JUST TO KIND OF SEE IT LAID OUT.
OH, ABSOLUTELY. WAS ANYBODY CONCERNED ABOUT THE THE OVERALL PRICE TAG OR MAYBE NOBODY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
OKAY. THAT WAS, I WAS WRITING IT DOWN, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
THE ENTIRE BOARD IS IS PRO ENVIRONMENT.
SO YEAH, I THINK THEY'LL LOOK TO US AND LEROY I KNOW HAS HAD MORE CONVERSATIONS TO PROVIDE SOME AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION. AND THEN I KNOW DAN ALSO TALKED ABOUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE WANT TO CONSIDER ONCE WE KIND OF LIKE FINESSE IT TO ADD IT TO THE CSP.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I BROUGHT IT UP HERE.
YEAH, IT DOESN'T REALLY, THAT ANALYSIS WHICH IS JUST DONE RECENTLY.
[00:20:08]
I'D HAVE TO FILL THE NICE CLEAN BULLET POINTS.YES, IT COULD BE HANDLED PRETTY ADEPTLY THAT WAY.
THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND WITH, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED $1.8 MILLION, BUT 30% WOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIRECT PAYMENT NOW PROGRAM FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, JUST LIKE THE 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT.
SO THAT, OF COURSE, IS A SIGNIFICANT HELP TO THINK IN TERMS OF WHATEVER IS DECIDED WHICH.
BUILDINGS WHICH RAISE THE FUNDS WOULD BE PUT IN 30%.
SO I LAY IT OUT THERE WONDERING WHAT THE NEXT STEPS COULD BE.
AND I THINK, LAURIE, YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT THIS THROUGH A LITTLE BIT, BUT HOW CAN I HELP IN MAKING SURE? I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT AND SEE WHERE, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS.
AND ARE WE THINKING LINE ITEMS OR ARE WE IS THAT WHAT WE'RE THINK? IT NEEDS A LITTLE ANALYSIS.
RIGHT. AND KIND OF LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
AND MAYBE THEN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS HERE IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
WE THINK THIS WOULD WORK BEST IN THIS TIERED APPROACH FOR THESE REASONS.
OKAY. THE OTHER OPTION MIGHT BE TO BRING IT UP AT THE ENERGY TEAM MEETING AND THEN DELEGATE THE ENERGY TEAM TO ASSIST WITH THE GOALS OF PRIORITIZING, MAYBE WITH SOME FEEDBACK ON HOW MUCH IS A REASONABLE AMOUNT TO.
TO VOTE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO IF THERE'S A TIMING ISSUE, THAT WOULD BE ONE OPTION.
YEAH. THEN THERE'S A TIMING QUESTION OF WHEN IS THAT TOO LATE FOR THE BOARD TO TAKE ACTION? THE BUDGET IS WILL JUST BE IN DRAFT AUGUST 25TH AND I SHOULD KNOW THE DATE WHEN THE.
I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT WE'LL WANT TO HAVE SOME IDEA.
AT LEAST I'LL WANT TO HAVE SOME IDEA FOR A PLACEHOLDER FOR OUR NEXT MEETING AFTER AUGUST 25TH.
AND I'M SURE NOBODY'S HAD REALLY A CHANCE TO PRETTY MUCH LOOK AT IT.
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS THAT ABSOLUTE HAD DONE.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE ENERGY TEAM HAS HAD TIME TO SEE THAT YET OR NO? OKAY. WELL, LET'S SEE.
REFRESH MY MEMORY. WHO WAS? ROGER WAS AT THE BRIEFING.
RIGHT. AND ROB, OF COURSE, DID IT.
BUT WHO WAS WERE OTHER MEMBERS THERE? I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHO ELSE WAS THERE.
WE HAD WE HAD A FEW MEMBERS OF THE ENERGY TEAM AT THE BRIEFING.
WELL, IT WAS ACTUALLY AN ENERGY TEAM MEETING.
AND THEY ALL GOT, THEY ALL GOT THE BRIEFING, TOO, SO.
I BELIEVE IT'S ALSO TELEVISED.
I DON'T THINK ROB WANTS TO GIVE OUT A LOT OF TRADE SECRETS OR INFORM THE COMPETITION.
BUT WE COULD VIEW THE PRESENTATION.
HIS PRESENTATION ALSO, IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED.
WELL, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE ENERGY TEAM MEMBERS THAT WEREN'T PRESENT FOR THAT BRIEFING, MAYBE YOU COULD NUDGE THEM TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO. I DID.
BUT ANOTHER NUDGE NEVER HURTS.
ANYTHING ELSE ALONG THOSE LINES? I THINK I ADDED AN ITEM TO THE AGENDA THAT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE LAST ITEM, BUT THERE WERE.
I HEARD TWO DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT COMMENTS FROM SAM, AND I WAS KIND OF MY RECOLLECTION IS WORKING HARD.
BUT IF YOU COULD KIND OF FILL ME IN ON THAT WHOLE GIG, THAT'D BE SUPER.
YEAH. SAM JUST GAVE IT HIS ONCE OVER AND TRACKED HIS CHANGES.
[00:25:08]
AND THEN THE DISCUSSION WAS ALSO ABOUT, OKAY, HOW DO WE TAKE HIS DOCUMENT AND SHARE IT IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE FOUR VERSIONS THAT EVERYONE'S EDITING SEPARATELY? SO I THINK JOHN MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THE IDEA OF LIKE, IF ANNA IS GOING TO REVIEW THE FOOD SECTION, SHE'S DOING THE EDITS ON THE FOOD SECTION.NOW, IF NED'S DOING THE WATER SECTION OR KENDRA'S WORKING ON THE WATER SECTION, HE'S DOING THAT.
WE'RE NOT GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING THE SAME EDITS.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH MY NORMAL PRACTICE.
HAVING 30 PEOPLE WORDSMITH IS A BAD IDEA.
AND COMMUNICATION STAFF WHO ARE HELPING OUT TONIGHT IN THE BACK ROOM MIGHT ALSO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT FORMATTING BECAUSE THAT'S IF THEY DO THAT TYPE OF THING FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THEN, SAM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ADDITIONAL OR GRAHAM HAD ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, BUT YOU'VE BEEN DOING SOME REVIEWING AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING OR YOU'VE LEARNED MIGHT BE INTEGRATED IN A WAY THAT'S TIMELY AND USEFUL. YEAH.
SO I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT LIKE WHICH SECTION I WOULD BE MOST OF A BENEFIT TO.
SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY LIKE OUTSTANDING SECTIONS THAT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT, LIKE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ENERGY SECTION IS SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
IF THAT WOULD STILL BE OF INTEREST, I COULD DEFINITELY DO THAT.
OH, ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION SECTION MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT, TOO, IF IF YOU HAVE SOME INTEREST IN THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK SOME FRESH LOOK AT THAT COULD BE HELPFUL.
OKAY. YEAH. AND I ALSO WANTED TO ASK, TOO, FOR THE I THINK I SEE OTHER TAKERS FOR THIS OFFER.
WELL, IT ACTUALLY WAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT QUESTION.
I MEAN, IT IS RELATED TO YOUR OFFER, BUT I CAN CHIME IN IF YOU'RE AFTER.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ASK LIKE ABOUT THE DOCUMENT MOVING FORWARD.
IS, OUR PLAN TO STILL USE THE ONE THAT'S ON GOOGLE DOCS OR IS IT OUR PLAN TO KIND OF BASED UPON WHAT SAM PRESENTED WITH ALL THOSE COMMENTS AND KIND OF GO FROM THERE? OR COULD HIS DOCUMENT BE UPLOADED TO GOOGLE DOCS AND THEN UPLOADED NOW IT IS UPLOADED NOW.
OKAY. THAT'S THE LATEST VERSION ON THAT ON THAT PAGE.
SO I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE START EDITING IT RIGHT AWAY, BUT THAT'S WHY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW IS LIKE, I CAN SEND YOU A COPY IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKEN ON A PARTICULAR SECTION. BUT IF YOU AND ANNA ARE BOTH WORKING ON THE FOOD SECTION, THAT MIGHT COMPLICATE THINGS A LITTLE BIT.
YOU TECHNICALLY YOU CAN, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BECOME A LITTLE MESSY BECAUSE UNLESS I TAKE THAT VERSION EVERY TIME I GO TO HAND OFF ANOTHER VERSION, I JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE THE EDITS.
SO, OKAY, I MIGHT, I MIGHT FEEL MORE SAFER HAVING THIS ONE ON THE ON THE WEB, A PDF THAT'S HARDER TO EDIT AND THEN SEND YOU A MASTER.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
I COULD DO I CONVERT IT TO A PDF AND THEN UPLOAD IT OR I COULD PASS IT ON TO SAM.
BUT IF THAT'S YOUR PREFERRED, THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK AS LONG AS I KNOW THAT SOMEONE ELSE HASN'T DOWNLOADED IT AND IS WORKING ON THEIR OWN EDITS OR I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN I'M ALSO COMFORTABLE WORKING IN GOOGLE IN THE GOOGLE DOC, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT YOUR PREFERRED METHOD.
[00:30:05]
STILL AS A WORD DOCUMENT ON THE GOOGLE PAGE.RIGHT. BUT MAYBE WE COULD DECIDE RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S GOING TO FIRST GO TO YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR HOUR ON THE FOOD SECTION.
MAYBE YOU'RE GOING TO HAND THAT OFF TO NED, WHO WILL GET INCORPORATE KENDRA'S AND THEN HAND IT TO GRAHAM OR COULD COME UP WITH A PLAN RIGHT NOW OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. I MEAN, TO ME IT MAKES MORE SENSE JUST TO EDIT IT STRAIGHT ON THE INTERNET.
SO THEN WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT HAVING DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
BUT YEAH, AND THE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A WORD DOC ON GOOGLE, IT'S STILL ACTS AS IF IT'S A GOOGLE DOC.
AS LONG AS EACH PERSON IS WORKING ON IT.
A SEPARATE SECTION, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE MAIN THING.
SO I WORK IN SHAREPOINT AND NOT GOOGLE DOCS SO MUCH, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A DOCUMENT AND WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE PEOPLE WORKING, YOU CAN SEE WHO'S WORKING IN IT AND EACH PERSON HAS THEIR OWN COLOR. SO AS YOU MAKE AN EDIT, IT SHOWS WHO MADE THAT EDIT.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY ASSIGNED TO GO IN AND APPROVE ALL THOSE EDITS AND THEY DO THEM REGULARLY.
THEN IT BECOMES REGULAR WORDS AGAIN, RIGHT? SO IT DOESN'T GET SO MESSY.
BUT BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE REGULAR IF THAT'S THE CASE.
BUT IT WORKS FOR US IN MY BUSINESS.
INSTEAD OF WITH SHAREPOINT LIKE THE MICROSOFT SUITE, IT'S TRACK CHANGES.
WHEREAS FOR GOOGLE YOU JUST HAVE TO SWITCH ON SUGGESTIONS MODE AND THEN IT WILL HAVE THE SAME THING.
I MEAN I THINK WORKING IN SUGGESTIONS MODE WOULD BE.
GOOD. AND THEN WHOEVER IS THE LEAD OF THE SECTION CAN GO IN AND APPROVE.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. IS EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? SO THEN MY OTHER.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR GRAHAM.
BUT FOR YOU, JUST TO ANSWER, DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO SEPARATE IT INTO SECTIONS NOW OR CAN CAN YOU ASSIGN A SECTION TO ONE APPROVER TO.
CAN YOU? I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASSIGN A SECTION TO ONE APPROVER.
I WOULD. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE CAN ALL EDIT THE DOCUMENT EDITING PRIVILEGE.
SO WE'D ALL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO DO IT.
JUST BE COGNIZANT OF LIKE, YEAH, WHO'S SECTIONS? OKAY, WE CAN TRY THAT WITH THE ONLINE ONE IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY.
AND I'VE GOT A MASTER ONE THAT YEAH, I MEAN.
MAYBE ASSIGN YOU GUYS IS APPROVERS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AS APPROVERS.
OR YOU CAN EVEN HAVE US DEFAULT TO SUGGESTION MODE, TOO, I THINK YOU CAN.
AND THAT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER FOR.
IF YOU CAN DO THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WHEN I'VE DONE THIS ON GOOGLE DRIVE BEFORE, I'VE JUST, I PERIODICALLY DOWNLOAD IT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, I MEAN, YOU CAN GO BACK IN GOOGLE DOCS AND YOU KNOW GO BACK AND EDIT, BUT THAT CAN ALSO BE DIFFICULT IF YOU GET TOO FAR DOWN THE LINE.
SO AS SO LEROY, YOU MIGHT DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT EVERY, YOU KNOW, WEEK OR TWO OR WHEN YOU KNOW THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL EDITS JUST TO HAVE SOME FORM OF ARCHIVE OF IT OR BACKUP.
AND THEN MY NOW MY QUESTION FOR GRAHAM, YOU HAD MENTIONED, I THINK IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, LOOKING AT ALL OF THE SECTIONS AND PROVIDING SOME INPUT ON HAVING AN EQUITY LENS ON THE SECTION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STILL INTERESTS YOU OR? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING.
LIKE OBVIOUSLY IN SUGGESTIONS MODE, LIKE IN THEIR SECTIONS.
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OKAY? I JUST WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THAT WOULD BE FINE FOR ME TO GO AHEAD IN THAT WAY.
I'M RECALLING DISCUSSIONS WE HAD ABOUT EQUITY ISSUES IN THE VARIOUS SECTIONS AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS KIND OF A HIGHER LEVEL ISSUE THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE PERMEATED ALL OF THE SECTIONS OF THE PLAN.
SO WE DISCUSSED A PREAMBLE THAT HAD THAT ETHICAL STATEMENT UP FRONT.
[00:35:04]
QUOTE THEM, MAYBE NOT ENTIRELY, BUT AT LEAST REFERENCE THEM AND POTENTIALLY EVEN CONSIDER A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS PART OF THAT PREAMBLE.AND I'VE HAD VERY, VERY PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH FOLKS AT NOKOMIS CENTER, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM OUT OF I BELIEVE THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT ISSUE PRIOR TO ME BRINGING IT UP.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCORPORATED.
AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TAKE THE LEAD ON ON DOING THAT, THAT'D BE SUPER.
YEAH. I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE WHOLE ISSUE OF MONITORING EVALUATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A SECTION IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN WHICH I DON'T THINK WAS THAT MEANINGFUL OR HELPFUL, BUT I THINK THERE WAS SOME LANGUAGE IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AFTER FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE'VE DONE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS, I BELIEVE, WHICH I THINK HAVE BEEN HELPFUL, TOO.
BUT AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING, GRAHAM, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME INTEREST IN GIVING SOME THOUGHT TO HOW BEST TO THINK OF THAT IN OUR SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE WE GOT A LOT OF RESOURCES TO DO, A LOT OF EVALUATION OR MONITORING.
AND IN THEIR OWN WAY, THEY'RE MARKING PROGRESS AND WHATEVER.
I GUESS THE ISSUE FOR A PLAN LIKE THIS IS HOW DO YOU PULL IT TOGETHER? HOW DO YOU YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING IN THERE.
THEY'LL IDENTIFY LIKE WHICH COMMITTEE OR DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE TASKED WITH THAT SPECIFIC ITEM AND BY WHICH TIMELINE WOULD THEY WANT TO PURSUE AND FINALIZE THAT BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT THING.
SO I COULD DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE TOO DIFFICULT.
OKAY. I DO WANT TO JUST REITERATE AND I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO SOUND NEGATIVE, BUT I DO WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THAT'S ABOUT HOW CHANGES IN THE CLIMATE MODIFY OVERALL POLICIES AND IDEALS THAT THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY HAS ARTICULATED PRETTY WELL IN LOTS OF THE MAIN ARTICULATE, MAIN TOWNSHIPS DEFINING DOCUMENTS.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T.
AND SO I WANT TO BE JUST FOR THAT AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE DEI AS WELL.
AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THOSE THINGS SHOULDN'T BE THOUGHT OF AS WE GO FORWARD.
BUT I WANT TO I JUST WORRY THAT THIS DOCUMENT HAS A SORT OF A NATURAL INCLINATION TO STRETCH OUT, TO TRY TO COVER EVERY SINGLE THING THAT THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY HAS ARTICULATED AS ITS DEFINING IDEALS.
AND I'M LOOKING AT YOU WHILE I SAY THAT, BUT I'M NOT ACCUSING YOU OF IN PARTICULAR DOING IT.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEVEL OF DETAIL IS THE KIND OF PRETTY HEAVY BULLET STRUCTURE WE CURRENTLY HAVE, IS MEANT TO FACILITATE SCANNING, AND THERE'S A FAIR NUMBER OF LINKS IN THERE THAT POINT YOU TO MORE, MORE DETAIL.
AND THE STRATEGIES ARE LARGELY SOMETIMES MEASURABLE.
[00:40:06]
IS SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T SPENT AS MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT AS WE MIGHT.IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT IN THE BUDGET, IT'S GOT TO GO TO SOME DEPARTMENT TO DO.
IT'S NOT TABULAR. AND YOU COULD GO BACK TO 2017 AND DO A PROGRESS AND FORWARD TIME GRAPH.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY, REALLY INFORMATIVE.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ASSIGN TO HIM? GRAHAM HERE. HEARING NONE, MAYBE WE'LL MOVE ON TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[7. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ]
I BELIEVE I WAS HANDED A COPY OF SOMETHING THAT POINTS TO A STAFF REPORT AND I'M SURE THERE WAS A BITLY IN THE PACKET.ANYTHING YOU LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT DOWN THERE? STAFF. YEAH.
CAN WE JUST QUICKLY GO HERE AND THEN HOPEFULLY GET BACK SMOOTHLY? I'LL TRY AND KEEP THIS TO THREE MINUTES.
STAFF UPDATE IS BITLY FORWARD SLASH DON'T YOU DARE HYPHEN LEROY.
ANYWAY. AUGUST INCLUDES THE PACKET, THE LATEST CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, WHICH I'VE JUST GIVEN.
ANNA EDITING PRIVILEGES I NEED TO TYPE IN NED'S.
AND NED EDITING PRIVILEGES AND DIETRICH SCHRAMM.
AND THEN THERE'S THE WHAT COURTNEY MENTIONED A MEMO THAT DAN OPSOMER WROTE TO THE BOARD.
SO THAT'S THAT'S HERE, IF YOU'D LIKE, ACCESS TO ANY OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.
AND THEN JULY, RATHER THAN GIVE A FULL, DETAILED REPORT OF SAM FLECKENSTEIN'S TERM, TWO MONTHS YOU CAN I CREATED A LITTLE WEB PAGE.
AND A LOT OF THIS IS STUFF THAT HE CREATED.
BUT IF YOU'RE ALSO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU CAN ALSO SEE SOME OF THE OTHER EIGHT FELLOWS, INCLUDING GRAHAM GRAHAM DIETRICH'S PRESENTATION AT THESE YOUTUBE LINKS AND SOME OF THE CONTENT THAT SAM CREATED.
I'M HOPING TO INCLUDE ONE PIECE IN THE NEXT GREEN GAZETTE.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER PIECES HERE.
PEOPLE ARE ALL MOVING ALONG, SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS.
THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? WELL, JUST MENTIONED I KIND OF SAW IT THERE WHERE THE ENERGY TEAM HAD TWO MEETINGS LAST MONTH.
ONE HAD TO DO WITH EV CHARGING, WHICH I THINK WENT VERY WELL.
YOU KNOW, TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF CONSUMERS ENERGY WERE TALKING TO THE ENERGY TEAM.
AND DAN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF HAVING SOME EV CHARGERS 4 TO 6 IN THIS AREA WITH THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING AND TWO WOULD BE FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO I THINK THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE CONSUMERS KIND OF NEW PROGRAM, IT REALLY IS TARGETED AT APARTMENTS.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE APARTMENTS WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE, THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD LOCATION FOR A COUPLE OF CHARGERS THAT A RENTERS COULD USE, BUT ALSO THEY COULD BE USED WHEN PEOPLE CAME FOR MEETINGS OR THE FARMERS MARKET OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S CLOSE BY.
[00:45:03]
SO I THINK IT'S WITH THE SUPPORT OF CONSUMERS ENERGY, BOTH TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL, I THINK WE'RE HEADING IN A GOOD DIRECTION. OKAY.WELL, THAT'S ENCOURAGING. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
ANY OTHER LIAISONS? THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT MEET LAST MONTH.
NEXT MONTH IT WILL BE LOOKING AT THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE UPDATED MASTER PLAN.
BUT THAT'S OKAY. ANY OTHER LIAISONS? BOARD LIAISON? COURTNEY, PLEASE. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A PLUG.
IT'S COMING SOON, BUT AUGUST 26TH IS OUR FIRST MERIDIAN PRIDE FROM FOUR TILL 6, 10, SORRY, 4 TO 10 AT MARKET PLACE ON THE GREEN.
SO HOPING EVERYBODY CAN MAKE IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMITTEES, I HAVE A REPORT FROM COMMISSIONER GRASSESCHI.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING WE WERE TO HAVE OUR BUDGETARY ASK FOR 2024 FOR THE AUGUST MEETING.
PLEASE SEE IT IN THE PACKET LAST WEEK AND I TALKED ABOUT THE SUCCESS SO FAR AND THE HOPE FOR 2024.
SHE REPORTS THAT MAILINGS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND ESTIMATES THAT A MINIMUM OF 50 HOUSEHOLDS HAVE REACHED OUT TO HER AFTER RECEIVING THE NOTICE IN THE MAIL, WANTING HELP WITH THEIR WETLANDS AND BUFFERS.
AND WE WILL WORK ON ORDERING SIGNAGE DISCUSSED AT THE JUNE MEETING.
MORE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND SIGNAGE MAY BE DEVELOPED IN 2024.
AND I NOTICED THAT ON THE LAST PAGE OF THIS LITTLE PACKET IS A 2024 WETLAND RELATED BUDGET DRAFT AND IT MAGICALLY ADDS UP TO $10,000, WHICH I THINK IT'S LINE ITEM.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT DRAFT BUDGET? I TAKE IT THIS IS I KNOW THAT THIS RESULT OF CAREFUL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS AND LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT, IT MADE PERFECT SENSE TO ME.
RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? EXCUSE ME, QUICK QUESTION.
CAN CLARIFY WHAT RESIDENTIAL CONSULTING AND SUPPORT IS THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO WHAT PEOPLE CALL EMMA? OH, EMMA, IS THIS.
NO, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HER MORE.
OKAY. IT COULD ALSO BE SOME ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL HELP.
OKAY. AND AND NO RABID RACCOONS, NOTHING.
SO APPRECIATE KENDRA'S AND EMMA'S WORK ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY DOES THAT.
OTHER COMMITTEES, TEAMS, GREEN TEAM? GREEN TEAM CONTINUES TO MEET AND PUT ON DIFFERENT EVENTS.
WE JUST HAD A SECOND GREEN FAIR FOR THE SUMMER THIS PAST SATURDAY.
IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND WE HAD A LOT OF VENDORS THERE AS WELL AS OUR OWN LITTLE BOOTH AND GAVE OUT QUITE A LOT OF INFORMATION AT THAT.
UPCOMING ONES, AUGUST 19TH, I BELIEVE, IS THE NEXT ONE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A RAIN BARREL AND COMPOST BIN SALE GOING ON ONLINE AND PEOPLE CAN PICK THOSE ITEMS UP AT THE AUGUST 19TH EVENT AND THEN THIS FALL IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 23RD IS OUR NEXT ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS A BIG EVENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE IN OCTOBER, WHICH IS KIND OF A COMBINATION OF A TOUR AS
[00:50:07]
WELL AS POTENTIALLY A WINTER COAT DRIVE AT THAT ONE.AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSION? SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR PLACE? WELL, I CAN I HAVE AN UPDATE FROM VAL ON THE FOOD TEAM, ALSO AN UPDATE FROM MYSELF AS WELL.
BUT, ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT I PARTICIPATE IN IS THE STATEWIDE GROUP WITH THE MICHIGAN GOOD FOOD CHARTER, IN PARTICULAR THEIR POLICY COMMITTEE. SO THIS GROUP HAS BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE.
IT'S MOSTLY IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING MOST OF THIS IS STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY RELATED TO FOOD SYSTEMS. SO CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE FOOD WORK OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I CONTINUE TO STAY ATTUNED TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT THAT GROUP IS DOING STATEWIDE AND HAVE AND ALIGNING, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER REASONABLE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WHEN IT MAKES SENSE.
AND THEN AN UPDATE FROM VAL IN TERMS OF THE FOOD COMPOSTING GROUP, UM, THE FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION AT THE MARKET CONTINUES TO INCREASE AS WELL.
AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S THE NEW GLEANING.
WELL, SO THE FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION AT THE MARKET CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
THERE'S ALSO THE GLEANING PROGRAM AT THE FARMER'S MARKET THAT ALSO IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE.
THE NEXT MEETING FOR THIS GROUP IS AUGUST 10TH, I BELIEVE.
AND THEY THE LAKESHORE FOOD RESCUE WILL SPEAK ABOUT THEIR SUCCESSFUL GLEANING PROGRAM IN HOLLAND AND THEY HAVE AN ONLINE APP THAT ASSISTS WITH THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT A NEW COMPOST EATING FOOD COMPOSTING SITE AT THE TRANSFER STATION.
SO THAT'S, I'LL SAY IN VAL AND THE COMPOSTING COORDINATOR FOR EGLE ARE IN COMMUNICATION ABOUT THAT, AS I BELIEVE SHE'S BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH HAMMOND FARMS AS WELL TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT'S A VIABLE WAY FORWARD. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS THE TRANSFER STATION IS A GOOD OPTION AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF MAKING SURE THAT FOOD COMPOSTING, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE, IS DONE WELL AND NOT IN A WAY THAT CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL HARM.
SO THAT'S IN CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.
AND PROFESSOR BIRNBAUM IS ALSO WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE COMPOSTING, PERHAPS AT THE NEXT GREEN FAIR AT THE MARKET ON AUGUST 19TH. SO.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THOSE THOUGHTS.
YOU'RE REMINDING ME THAT WE DID SEE A DRAFT OF AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DONE AS PART OF THE TRI-COUNTY OR REGIONAL ORGANIC WASTE FEASIBILITY STUDY, AND IT WAS VERY NARROWLY FOCUSED ON TWO HYPOTHETICAL CASE STUDIES OF CURBSIDE COLLECTION IN ONE LANSING ZIP CODE AND BASICALLY PROVED THAT IT WOULD NEVER PAY FOR ITSELF.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF DISCOURAGING.
THE SWITCH GROUP THAT WAS WITH THE TRI-COUNTY GROUP.
WELL I HAVE NOT SEEN THE ACTUAL GRANT THAT WAS SUBMITTED ORIGINALLY IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS TRI-COUNTY AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATIONS MAY HAVE SHIFTED OVER TIME TO HOW BIG A VIEWSHED THEY HAD.
OKAY. AND WE'LL KNOW WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED NOBODY SEEMED TO HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
[00:55:04]
I'M JUST CURIOUS, I THINK IF THERE'S ANY INSIGHT.NOT REALLY, BUT I THINK IT'S STILL PRETTY EARLY.
I LAST I KNEW, EGLE HAD NOT CALLED OFFICIALLY CALLED FOR THOSE PLANS TO BE UPDATED.
THAT WILL PROBABLY AGAIN LAST I KNEW HAPPENED THIS FALL SOMETIME.
BUT THE PLANNING PROCESS WILL ACTUALLY TAKE THREE YEARS.
SO IT'S A LONG PROCESS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE OBVIOUSLY WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES AND ACTUALLY THERE ARE INCENTIVES BUILT INTO THE LEGISLATION FOR COUNTIES TO WORK TOGETHER ON THOSE PLANS.
THANK YOU. JUST ONE COMMENT REGARDING BROWNFIELD.
WE WE HAVEN'T MET IN THREE MONTHS.
AND THE LAST THE LAST MEETING WAS ALSO CANCELED.
SO, I MEAN, NO, NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE BROWNFIELD AS FAR AS NEW PROJECTS GO. SO.
ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? I INTERPRET YOUR SILENCE AS A MOTION TO ADJOURN WITHOUT OBJECTION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.