Sep 05, 2023 Township Board

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:02:43]

. GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2023, REGULAR MEETING OF THE CHARTER OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN.

PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] . THANK YOU.

ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS ROLL CALL .

ALL HERE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ITEM FOUR IS A PRESENTATION ON THE 2024 TOWNSHIP BUDGET

[4. PRESENTATION]

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO MAKE MY 11TH BUDGET PRESENTATION, AND I'M PROUD TO DO SO.

BEFORE I DO SO, THOUGH, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED, VERY INVOLVED WITH THIS PROCESS.

THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT.

THERE'S NO ONE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BUDGET.

AND FIRST, BERNIE, BLONDIE.

SHE'S BEEN THE SERVED AS INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, SINCE DIRECTOR GARBER LEFT US AND HAS JUST DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB. I CAN'T SPEAK ENOUGH ABOUT THE QUARTERBACK THAT SHE WAS OR IS HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO A SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, SHE CAN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING.

BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DANTE AYENI, WHO'S BEEN WITH US A MONTH NOW SINCE, I THINK, AUGUST 7TH, AND HAS DONE A NICE JOB FOR US.

PROOFING, LOOKING AT MODIFYING, OFFERING SUGGESTIONS FOR HIS VAST EXPERIENCE.

[00:05:05]

THIS WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HER.

SHE TAKES THE WORK THAT BERNIE AND DANTE AND I PUT TOGETHER AND COMPILES IT INTO THE BUDGET, DOES SEAMLESSLY AND HAS DONE SO FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.

SHE'S ALSO A GREAT PROOFREADER, AND THEN SHE'S ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING US PUT TOGETHER THE POWERPOINT, AND SHE TAKES JUST GREAT PRIDE IN HER WORK. AND CAROL HASSEY, OUR HUMAN RELATIONS, OUR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER.

SHE DOES A GREAT SERVICE TO BERNIE BY PROVIDING ALL OF THE SALARY INFORMATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAKES UP A LARGE PART OF OUR BUDGET.

SO I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP, ALL THE DIRECTORS, AND FOR ALL THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS.

I SEE ONLY ONE STUDENT PARDON ME .

IT'S ABOUT $60 MILLION TOTAL FOR THE ENTIRE BUDGET THAT COVERS A TO Z AND THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LOT ON THIS EVENING, WAS 27.7.

NOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT NUMBER'S BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE WE PUT IN FOR A EGLE GRANT FOR THE RECYCLING CENTER, WHICH WE DID NOT RECEIVE.

SO THAT'S A DEDUCTION OF 600,000 IN EXPENSE, BUT ALSO A DEDUCTION OF 480,000 IN REVENUE.

STEPHEN, WOULD YOU HAND THESE OUT? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, REALLY THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENSE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT $120,000 LESS THAN WHAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU IN THIS DOCUMENT AS WE GO FORWARD THIS EVENING.

BUT I'M PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT THE EXPENSES, THE REVENUE OUTPACES THE EXPENSES.

WE'RE NOT SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.

AND THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO START THE EVENING.

I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT OUR INVESTMENTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS MADE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO, BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GO, YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS SEEN OVER THE LAST 5 TO 10 YEARS.

AND WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT ALL OF THESE IS THEY HAVE A COMMON DENOMINATOR, AND THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT COMMON DENOMINATOR.

THEY WERE ALL PAID IN CASH.

THERE'S NO DEBT TAKING OUT EXCEPT FOR THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, WERE THREE YEARS AHEAD IN PAYING THAT OFF.

AND WE COULD PAY IT OFF IN 25 INSTEAD OF 28.

THE MARKETPLACE WAS ABOUT A $4 MILLION DEVELOPMENT, 2 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, 2 MILLION FROM THE PARKS FUND.

THE FIRE STATION WAS WE MOVED IN IN THE BEGINNING OF 16 AND WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY THAT IT TOOK TO GET INTO THAT BUILDING, THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING REDO.

WE WE OPENED LAST WEEK ABOUT A $900,000 PROJECT WITH CASH.

JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS PROJECT.

AND I COMPLIMENT DIRECTOR MASSEY AND DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER AND DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] TEAM.

THEY PUT A GREAT EFFORT INTO THIS PROJECT.

AND OF COURSE, THEN THERE'S THE TOWN OF ROAD PARK, A $2 MILLION PARK DEVELOPMENT WITH PARK FUNDS UP IN THE HASLETT AREA.

GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

WE'VE PURCHASED FIVE AMBULANCES.

WE'RE NOW PURCHASING OUR SECOND FIRE ENGINE.

NO THIRD FIRE ENGINE.

WE GOT 1 IN 14, THE LADDER TRUCK, AND NOW THIS ONE.

SO THREE TRUCKS IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD APPROVED THE ELECTRIC CARTS AND OUR SIREN PROGRAM, WHICH WE YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAD FOUR SIRENS IN 2013.

WE PUT NUMBER FOUR IN IT WATCH PARK IN 2013.

WE HAD A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT THE BOARD'S BEFORE YOU AND THIS BOARD HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THIS EMERGENCY WARNING SIREN.

WE HAVE, I THINK, FOUR TO GO TO GET TO WHERE WE COVER THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP.

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE'RE GETTING OUR NUMBERS BACK UP AND THE POLICE AND PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTERS BEFORE YOU IN THIS BUDGET TONIGHT TAKES US A BIG LEAP FORWARD.

[00:10:03]

AND I BELIEVE OUR FIRE MARSHAL NOAH, IS HERE.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT GETS US BACK TO OUR 2009-10 NUMBER OF HAVING 36 PARAMEDICS.

WE WERE DOWN TO 30.

SO WE'VE MADE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS.

AND OF COURSE, WE'VE ADDED TWO POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS AS WELL.

THE NATURE CENTER HAS SEEN GREAT IMPROVEMENTS.

HOPEFULLY YOU NOTICE THE ECLIPSE IN THE MIDDLE ECLIPSE WAS RESCUED FROM EATON RAPIDS AND IS A BIG PART OF OUR NATURE CENTER AND OF COURSE, THE PAVILION AND RESTROOMS AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AT THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER.

THIS IS PROBABLY, IF YOU WANT TO SUMMARIZE THE SUCCESS OF OUR TEAM IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, IT'S REALLY THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE. SHOW ME ONE OTHER COMMUNITY IN MICHIGAN, JUST ONE, NOT TWO, BUT JUST SHOW ME ONE THAT IS CUT ONE THIRD OF THEIR LEGACY DEBT.

IN THE LAST DECADE, MOST COMMUNITIES LEGACY DEBT HAS GROWN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

WE CAME INTO A $42 MILLION DEBT.

NOW THAT IS THREE POTS.

THAT'S THE MERS PENSION FUND, THE TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND AND THE RETIREE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.

ALL THREE COMBINED $42 MILLION IN DEBT.

WE ARE NOW DOWN $17 MILLION IN DEBT.

OUR DEBT LOAD HAS DECREASED FROM 42 TO 25.

DOLLARS. AND ALTHOUGH $25 MILLION MIGHT SEEM LIKE A STAGGERING NUMBER, WE WERE WELL ON OUR WAY TO HITTING $50 MILLION IF WE DIDN'T TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

BUT WE'VE DONE THAT.

BUT WE'VE ALSO DONE THE KEY THING IS WE'VE DONE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'VE REDUCED OUR DEBT BY $17 MILLION.

IT'S NOT LIKE WE STOPPED GROWING THE TOWNSHIP.

AND HERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THE LOCKER ROOMS AND OF COURSE, THE ACCREDITED AGENCY.

AND BACK THEN, CAPTAIN GRILLO LED OUR ACCREDITATION EFFORTS.

AND THERE'S OTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS BUDGET FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS, THE NEW WATER TOWER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THE STRUGGLES WE'VE HAD WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT WE'VE DONE $23 MILLION IN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER AND SEWER, $20 MILLION IN ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

THE NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, THIS IS ABOUT A $650,000 PROJECT THAT WAS PAID THROUGH BY THE PATHWAY FUND AND WAS ERECTED ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO.

THE OKEMOS ROAD BOARDWALK PROJECT, A $907,000 PROJECT THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO AND WAS PAID FOR MOSTLY BY THE PARKS VILLAGE THAT WE SENT ON TO THE COUNTY.

THEY PAID FOR MOST OF THIS PROJECT.

WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM AND GIVE A CREDIT TO THE TEAM, THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS BRIDGE, ONE THING YOU DON'T KNOW OR WON'T NOTICE IS THE GENTLEMEN WHO ARE STANDING ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, NIALL NUNN AND JANICE SHRADY AND JAY GRAHAM.

OF COURSE, JAY RETIRED.

BUT ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS THIS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED IN-HOUSE.

ALL THE WORK WAS DONE BY THOSE GENTLEMEN IN HOUSE.

AND WE CAN'T FORGET THE GREAT WORK THAT NIGEL AND JANICE AND JAY PUT INTO THAT PROJECT.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE UP THERE CUTTING THE RIBBON.

THE HVAC SYSTEM WE REPLACED IN 2020.

THAT WAS $2.2 MILLION IN CASH.

SO WE NOW HAVE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WE'VE PUT $3.2 MILLION INTO THIS BUILDING.

REMEMBER, WE CAME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE AT THIS BUILDING.

AND WE LOOKED AT MAYBE MOVING OVER TO THE MALL SITE.

THAT IDEA WENT OVER LIKE, WELL, LET'S JUST SAY I NEEDED FOUR VOTES AND I GOT ZERO.

SO I DIDN'T GO OVER SO WELL.

BUT HERE WE ARE, WE'RE IN THIS BUILDING AND IT'S WORKED OUT WELL.

AND OF COURSE, WE'RE JUST BACK IN.

THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR FACILITIES.

WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS BUDGET, ONE THING THAT MAY NOT STAND OUT TO YOU IS THAT WHEN WE COME THE FUNDS FOR THE CABLE SYSTEM COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USED TO ALL GO IN A SEPARATE FUND AWAY FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

AND ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, WE COMBINED EVERYTHING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.

BUT WE LEFT A FUND BALANCE IN THE CABLE FUND AND IT STILL HAS APPROXIMATELY 130 TO $150,000 IN IT.

THAT'S NOT PART OF ALL THESE BUDGET NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE AND THAT FUND.

I KNOW THAT SAM HAS SOME IDEAS.

WE WERE JUST TALKING TODAY ABOUT AN IMPROVEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE IN OUR SYSTEM.

SO THE FUNDING IS THERE STILL TO IMPROVE OUR SYSTEM EVEN MORE.

AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE PUT $1 MILLION OF ARPA MONEY INTO OUR IT SYSTEM OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS AND THAT EFFORT HAS LED TO A

[00:15:09]

THE BOARD HAS DONE GREAT PROGRESS WITH PUTTING IN SOLAR ARRAYS.

AS YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE WAS OUT HERE AT THE CORNER.

AND BY THE WAY, THE LANDSCAPING IS REALLY COME IN.

I MR. PERRY, WHO FORMER ASSISTANT MANAGER PERRY WHO DID THAT WORK.

HE WAS IN TOWN LAST WEEK FOR A RETIREMENT PARTY FOR CHIEF PLAGA AND I HAD HIM STOP OVER AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPING THAT HE PLANNED AND PUT IN.

I MEAN, IT REALLY TURNED OUT WELL, BUT WE'VE GOT SOLAR AT THE SOUTH FIRE STATION, THE SERVICE CENTER NOW, THE MUNICIPAL OR THE POLICE STATION OVER HERE.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S PLANNED IN THIS BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.

GO BACK TO THE 2023 ACTION PLAN.

THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD ADOPTED IN LATE 2022.

THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD WANTED TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED IN 2023 AND THE THINGS THAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON.

THE BUDGET GOALS FOR 24 ARE REALLY DERIVED FROM THE PLANS FOR 2023 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ADDING THE TWO NEW PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTERS, LOCAL ROADS AND REDUCE LEGACY DEBT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO 2024.

AND WE THINK OUR BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU HIGHLIGHTS THAT? SO THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS I KNOW WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN ELIMINATING OUR PENSION DEBT.

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT OUR PENSION FUND WAS 54% TEN YEARS AGO, FUNDED OUR BIG PLAN.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD SO MUCH DEBT.

IN FACT, WE WERE BELOW THE 60% THRESHOLD AND WERE NEEDING TO REPORT TO THE STATE BECAUSE WE WERE A COMMUNITY IN TROUBLE BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW THE 60% FUNDING MARK.

SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR PERCENTAGE FUNDING NOW, AND THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT WE DON'T MAKE UP, THE ACTUARIAL DETERMINE THESE NUMBERS BASED ON AN ACTUARIAL STUDY THAT WE RECEIVE EVERY YEAR.

AND THIS IS OUR PENSION FUND.

THIS IS THE BIG ONE. REMEMBER, I TALKED ABOUT THE THREE FUNDS TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND, NOT IN HERE.

LEGACY DEBT FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE, NOT IN HERE.

THIS IS ALL MERS, WHICH IS OUR BY FAR OUR LARGEST FUND THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GONE UP FROM THE MID 50S NOW OR 74% FUNDED.

WE'RE RIGHT AT THE STATE AVERAGE AND WE'VE REALLY MADE STRIDES IN IS FUNDING OUR POLICE AND FIRE PENSION.

THAT EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO HAS REALLY INCREASED OUR POSITION IN THOSE TWO AREAS.

HERE'S THE OTHER THING.

BACK IN 2017, WE MODIFIED OUR PENSION PLAN.

WE WENT TO A HYBRID SYSTEM WHERE WE PROVIDED WE LOWERED THE MULTIPLIER FROM, IN SOME CASES, 2.5, 2.75 DOWN TO 1.75, AND ALSO GAVE A 10% DEFINED CONTRIBUTION, A HYBRID PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED INTERNALLY.

HOW IS THAT WORKED FOR US? WELL, YOU CAN SEE IN SIX YEARS, IT'S WORKING REALLY WELL.

WE'RE 118% FUNDED IN ONE AND ALMOST 90% FUNDED IN THE OTHER TWO.

SO OVER THE FIRST SIX YEARS OF THIS PLAN, THE RESULTS HAVE PROVEN TO BE REALLY A GREAT MOVE FOR THE TOWNSHIP FINANCIALLY.

AND IT'S NOT BEEN ANY KIND OF BARRIER TO OUR RETENTION OR ATTRACTING ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES OUR.

THANKS TO CHIEF HAMEL AND HIS TEAM AND HIS WORK.

WE ARE FULLY STAFFED IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, FULLY STAFFED.

AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IT'S TOUGH TO GET A PARAMEDIC TODAY.

THE NUMBERS OF PARAMEDIC GRADUATES IS REALLY DWINDLING.

AND WE'RE AT 100% STAFFED IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUARIAL PLAN, IT TELLS YOU EVERY YEAR HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO CONTRIBUTE TO GET TO 100% FUNDING IN TEN YEARS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUARIAL PLAN, IT TELLS YOU WE ONLY NEED TO PUT IN $287,435 A MONTH.

THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO PUT IN.

BUT IF YOU WANT TO PAY IT OFF IN TEN YEARS, 391,964 A MONTH.

BUT THAT 391 964 AND 287 ARE BASED ON A 7% RATE OF RETURN.

AND THE BOARD A FEW YEARS AGO ADOPTED A 5% RATE OF RETURN.

SO WHAT ARE WE PUTTING IN IN THIS PLAN? IN THIS BUDGET? $483,319 A MONTH.

WE ARE SURPASSING WHAT THEY SAY.

PUT IN THIS MUCH AND YOU'LL PAY IT OFF IN TEN YEARS.

WELL, WE'RE DOING THAT PLUS $100,000 A MONTH IN CASH.

[00:20:05]

SO IN 2023, WE WERE REQUIRED TO PUT IN 260, 261,000 A MONTH.

WE ACTUALLY PUT IN 444,000 A MONTH.

SO WE PUT IN 5.3 MILLION INSTEAD OF 3.1 MILLION.

WE PUT IN 2.2 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WAS REQUIRED THIS YEAR.

WE'RE REQUIRED. THERE'S THAT 287 NUMBER AGAIN THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO PUT IN ON THE ARC, THE ACTUAL ACTUAL REQUIRED CONTRIBUTION.

ACTUALLY, WHAT ARE WE PUTTING IN FOR 83 A MONTH? SO WE'RE REQUIRED TO PUT IN 3.4 MILLION OR 3.5 ROUGHLY, AND WE'RE PUTTING IN 5.8.

SO WE'RE PUTTING IN 2.3 MILLION MORE INTO THE PENSION FUND THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED BY THE ACTUAL REPORT.

FIND ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT'S DOING THAT PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS FOR 2024 AND THIS TRIES TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU.

THE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE.

REMEMBER THE PROMISE WE MADE BACK IN 2017 WHEN WE DID THE POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE WAS THAT WE WOULD PUT AN ADDITIONAL 750 IN EACH OF THOSE FUNDS.

WELL, THERE'S THE 750 IN EACH OF THE FUNDS, THE REQUIRED CONTRIBUTION BY MERS AT 3.5 MILLION.

SO OUR TOTAL REQUIRED PROMISED CONTRIBUTION IS 4.9 MILLION 4.95.

THE REQUIRED ANNUAL PAYMENT FOR 100% FUNDING, ACCORDING TO MERS, IS 4.7.

AND WHAT ARE WE PUTTING IN? WE'RE PUTTING IN 5.8.

WE'RE PUTTING IN A MILLION.

ONE MORE.

MERS SAYS IF YOU DO THIS, YOU'LL PAY IT OFF IN TEN YEARS.

WELL, WE'RE DOING THAT, PLUS PUTTING IN 1,000,001.

THE REAL STORY ON OUR PROGRESS.

NOW THIS BEFORE YOU ARE THE OTHER TWO PARTS OF THE STOOL.

NOW WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM MERCE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RETIREE HEALTH CARE FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND THE TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT JUST TEN YEARS AGO WE HAD $5 MILLION IN DEBT AND RETIREE HEALTH CARE AND $2 MILLION IN THE TOWNSHIP PENSION PLAN.

THEY WERE 54 AND 68% FUNDED TEN YEARS AGO.

WHAT'S OUR DEBT TODAY? IT'S NOT 7 MILLION.

IT'S 361,000.

NOW THAT IS AN ATTEST TO THE WORK OF THIS TOWNSHIP OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.

I'M TALKING EVERYONE, EVERYONE WHO WAS ELECTED TO THIS BOARD AND EVERYONE WHO SERVED THIS TOWNSHIP.

IT'S BEEN A GREAT TEAM EFFORT.

THIS SLIDE SAYS IT ALL.

WE'VE GONE FROM 7 MILLION IN DEBT DOWN TO 361,000.

OUR TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND, WHICH WAS 68% FUNDED, IS NOW 110% FUNDED.

AND OUR RETIREE HEALTH CARE IS NOT 54% FUNDED.

IT'S 96% FUNDED.

OVERALL, THE TOWNSHIP IN THE LAST 1011 YEARS HAS REDUCED $17 BILLION IN DEBT.

WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? WELL, IT MATTERS A LOT.

IT MATTERS BECAUSE ONE OF THE TRUSTEES ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HOW ARE WE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND STILL PAY OFF OUR DEBT? IT'S BECAUSE WE WERE VERY DISCIPLINED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS CHART RIGHT HERE.

JUST BACK IN 2020, NOT THAT LONG AGO, OUR PAYMENT WAS 660,000 FOR THESE TWO LEGS OF THE STOOL, NOT INCLUDING MERS.

THIS IS JUST RETIREE HEALTH CARE AND THE TOWNSHIP PENSION FUND.

WE'RE DOWN TO 186,000.

SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT 660 AND YOU EXTRAPOLATE IT OVER EVERY YEAR, IF WE WERE STILL PAYING THAT.

THAT'S $3.5 MILLION.

AND OUR PAYMENTS, IF YOU ADD UP ALL THOSE PAYMENTS, IS ABOUT 800,000.

THAT'S HOW THIS TOWNSHIP HAS MOVED FORWARD JUST IN THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS BY GETTING THIS $17 MILLION OF DEBT DOWN.

AND IF YOU GO IF YOU ROLL THE TAPE BACK TEN YEARS AGO AND WHAT WE SAID IS IF WE CAN GET IN A POSITION WHERE WE PAID OUR DEBT DOWN, IMAGINE HOW WE'LL FREE UP AND BE ABLE TO DO THINGS WELL. NOW, THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.

YOU HAVE A LIST OF SO MANY PROJECTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS PLANNING TO DO, BUT YET THERE'S ROOM FOR MORE.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S THE PAYDOWN OF THE DEBT, FREEING UP ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.

THE 1.25 MILLION.

YOU WOULDN'T FIND THAT IN THE BUDGET IF YOU LOOKED FOR IT.

IT'S BEEN IN THE BUDGET FOR YEARS.

IT'S STILL THERE. IT'S BEEN IN FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.

WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT OUT BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN APPROPRIATED BY THE BOARD.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A PROJECT TO APPROPRIATE IT FOR, BUT IT'S STILL THERE AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY IT'S STILL THERE.

[00:25:05]

WE'RE STILL HOPING FOR DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.

WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPERS ON THE OTHER DAY, I THINK DIRECTOR CLARK AND DIRECTOR SCHMIDT, IT'S THE BEST TEAM IN THE STATE TO PUT FORWARD.

IF THEY CAN'T GET THIS PROJECT DONE WITH THE DEVELOPERS, THEN NOBODY CAN.

SO WE'VE GOT THE BEST TEAM WE CAN AND WE'LL JUST KEEP PUSHING AT IT.

THE THING TO REMEMBER IS WHENEVER I TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THEY HAVE MILLIONS INVESTED IN THIS SITE.

WE DON'T, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO TEAM PLAY ALONG WITH THE TEAM AND TRY TO GET THINGS DONE.

HASLETT IS REALLY COMING ALONG NICELY.

AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO THE WORK OF TIM AND AMBER.

WE WERE AT THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR A LONG TIME AND WE WEREN'T MAKING PROGRESS.

SOME OF THE MEETINGS WERE VERY DIFFICULT THAT WE WERE IN, BUT THEY ESPECIALLY THE WORK OF AMBER CLARK UP HERE, I MEAN, IT JUST SHOWS RIGHT HERE.

IN FACT, I BELIEVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO DID A NICE VIDEO IN FRONT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

THIS IS REALLY IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWNSHIP, MY OPINION, THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THE IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT PLACE FOR IT.

DEI, WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN THE DEI AREA.

I THINK MY BY FAR MY FAVORITE.

THESE PHOTOS COME COURTESY OF BRIAN SHORKEY.

AND THE PICTURE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS MY FAVORITE PICTURE IN THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION.

THAT REALLY SAYS A LOT.

IT REALLY DOES. IT'S A VERY MEANINGFUL PICTURE, AND I WANT TO THANK TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON FOR HIS WORK AS A JUDGE AT THIS EVENT AND EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED, DIRECTOR TEHOFF AND ORDERING THESE T SHIRTS THAT WERE THERE, BUT A SIGNIFICANT EVENT FOR US.

AND WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO IN THE AREA AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE COMING MONTHS.

OTHER THINGS WE'VE DONE AS WE'VE UPGRADED OUR ROADS AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE CONTINUE TO ESCALATE OUR FUNDING, 5.3 MILLION PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR. NOW, THAT'S NOT JUST ROADS, THAT'S ENGINEERING COST AND A LOT OF INTERNAL COSTS AS WELL.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S EXACTLY GOING INTO THE ROADS, IT'S A 4.25 BILLION INTO THE LOCAL ROADS.

NOW, THAT IS A HARD COST.

THAT TAKES AWAY ENGINEERING COSTS, LOCAL ROADS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE DOING GREAT WORK.

I THINK THE MOST DIFFICULT ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT JOBS THAT ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO SHOW UP WITH SOMEONE WITH A GUN.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO SHOW UP TO SOMEBODY WHO'S HAVING A CARDIAC ARREST, WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN EITHER CASE.

BUT MANAGING OUR LOCAL ROADS IS REALLY TOUGH, TOO.

I MEAN, YOU JUST YOU JUST GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THE PROCESS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT HITTING THE NUMBERS.

WE'RE DOING WELL.

WE'RE NOT QUITE HITTING THE NUMBERS WE'D HOPED TO.

BUT A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE ESCALATING COSTS THAT WE FACED IN THE LAST 24 MONTHS IN THE ASPHALT COST.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU DRIVE AROUND THE TOWNSHIP, THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS.

BUT IF YOU DRIVE AROUND THE TOWNSHIP, YOU SEE A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THIS AREA.

AND I WANT TO COMPLIMENT DAN OPSOMMER FOR HIS WORK AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM, NIALL AND JANICE AND EVERYBODY ON THE ROAD PROJECT AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING. THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED TO DATE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S STILL $18,000 THAT'S UNAPPROPRIATED.

THIS BUDGET INCLUDES OUR WORK IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

WE HAD FOUR AREAS.

WE HAD GREEN GRANTS, SOLAR ELECTRIC MOWER AND THE RECYCLING CENTER, AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO THREE.

BUT THIS BUDGET DOES INCLUDE $100,000 FOR SOLAR.

I THINK THE MOWER IS 60,000, IF I RECALL, 30,000 FROM PARKS AND 30,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

AND WE HAVE $20,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR GREEN GRANTS, WHICH IS DOUBLING WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.

THERE MAY BE ROOM TO CERTAINLY DO MORE IN THIS AREA BECAUSE THIS IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PAGE, THIS IS A VERY LOOK AT THE BOARD'S OBJECTIVES.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE CAN DO IN THIS AREA.

AGAIN, TWO MORE TWO ADDITIONAL PARAMEDICS.

SO WE'VE INCREASED OUR NUMBERS SINCE 2017 FROM 69 FULL TIME PARAMEDIC AND POLICE OFFICERS FROM 69 TO 77, A 13% INCREASE.

AND OUR PUBLIC.

IF THIS BUDGET THAT'S DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASES FOR OUR STAFFING AT THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, OUR TAX BASE, A

[00:30:06]

AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOL RENOVATION AND YOU THINK, WELL, THERE'S A LOT TO THAT.

IN FACT, THE REVENUE OFF OF THAT MIGHT EXCEED THE REVENUE OF ALL THE REST OF THESE, BECAUSE REMEMBER, WE ARE NOW DOING THE INSPECTIONS ON THE ON THE OKEMOS SCHOOLS PROJECT, WHICH WILL BRING IN SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A HALF A MILLION AND $800,000 TO THE TOWNSHIP OVER TIME, OVER THE NEXT 5 TO 7 YEARS. THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.

OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR TAX BASE HAS GROWN TO $2.14 MILLION IN 2023.

BY COMPARISON, HERE'S OUR POPULATION BASE IN JUST SOME OTHER NUMBERS OF TAX BASE THAT WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE CONTINUE TO REALLY OUTPACE THE REGION.

THE ONLY THE ONLY HIGHER TAX BASE IS LANSING AT 2.6.

BUT AGAIN, THEIR POPULATION IS 112,000.

SO WE ARE REALLY A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE REGIONAL TAX BASE COMES FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

IN FACT, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WE WERE ABOUT 4 OR 4 OR $450 MILLION LESS THAN MIDLAND JUST FOUR YEARS AGO.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE NOW, WE'VE CLOSED WITHIN 90, 90 SOME MILLION DOLLARS OF MIDLAND.

SO WE'VE CLOSED THE GAP THERE.

CENSUS PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY.

WHY DOES IT MATTER? WELL, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND AND WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THAT WE WERE THE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE FASTEST, IF NOT THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITY AROUND. BUT IT WASN'T OUT OF CONTROL GROWTH 1% PER YEAR, SLOW CONTROLLED GROWTH.

BUT IT'S STILL POSITIVE.

AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THIS.

GROWTH THIS 11%.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, IT MEANS A LOT BECAUSE STATE REVENUE SHARING IS PARTIALLY BASED ON YOUR POPULATION GROWTH.

RIGHT. IT'S ALSO ON YOUR POPULATION DECLINE.

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE BROUGHT IN IN 2020, 2021.

LOOK WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING FOR 23, 24, $900,000 MORE THAN WHAT WE RECEIVED JUST THREE YEARS AGO.

SO IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, AT A MINIMUM, WE'LL BRING IN ALMOST $10 MILLION MORE IN STATE REVENUE SHARING THAN WE WOULD HAVE WITHOUT POPULATION GROWTH. SO IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.

YOUR POPULATION GROWTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN A COMMUNITY.

NOW, I'M NOT SAYING WE WANT TO BECOME A COMMUNITY OF 70,000, BUT SLOW, STEADY GROWTH PAYS OFF.

PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS.

NEW SIGNAGE HAS BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED BY OUR COMMUNITY.

THE NATURE CENTER IMPROVEMENTS AND THE CENTRAL PARK PAVILION UPGRADES THAT ARE PLANNED.

WE HAVE, I THINK, $400,000 SET ASIDE IN THE 2024 BUDGET FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PAVILION.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR 41 SWORN OFFICERS, THREE NEW POLICE CARS, NEW IPADS, FLASHLIGHTS.

THE IPADS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL.

THERE ARE ABOUT $45,000.

AND THAT AND THOSE DOLLARS WILL COME FROM THE FORFEITURE FUND, WHICH IS THE SAME PLACE THAT WE PURCHASED THE K-9.

AND WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT K-9 HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.

FIRE DEPARTMENT INCREASE OF 30, UP TO 36 FIREFIGHTERS IN THIS BUDGET, OUR NEW ENGINE OF 589.

KEEP IN MIND, THE ENTIRE 589 IS NOT IN THIS BUDGET.

350,000 ROUGHLY, IS IN THIS BUDGET.

WE PAID 200 IN, I THINK 25 OR $250,000 DOWN LAST YEAR FROM A STATE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.

AND THEN THE 14TH EMERGENCY SIREN.

AND I THINK WE'RE FOUR SHORT OF COMPLETING THAT PROJECT MOTOR POOL.

AND KEEP IN MIND, THE MOTOR POOL IS FUNDED.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND AND ALL THE FUNDS, THERE'S AN EQUIPMENT RENTAL CHARGE.

THAT EQUIPMENT RENTAL CHARGE GOES TO THE MOTOR POOL.

AND THEN DAN AND HIS TEAM PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF EQUIPMENT.

I DID HAVE SOME ENTERTAINMENT PLANNED FOR TONIGHT, BUT THE FIRE MARSHAL, I SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO HIM EARLIER IN THE DAY BECAUSE HE DROVE HIS OWN CAR.

BUT WE REALLY COULD HAVE HAD SOME ENTERTAINMENT IF WE OPENED THE DOOR AND HAD HIM START UP HIS 20 YEAR OLD TRUCK THAT HE DRIVES BECAUSE YOU CAN HEAR IT FOR A HALF A MILE AWAY.

IT'S ENTERTAINMENT FOR MOST OF US WHEN HE COMES TO A MEETING.

BUT THERE IS A REPLACEMENT FOR TAVIS'S VEHICLE, THE PUMPER, THE POLICE CARS, ENGINEERING AND THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS

[00:35:08]

AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT STILL LEAVES US WITH A VERY COMFORTABLE $604,000 FUND BALANCE.

THE FUND BALANCE TEN YEARS AGO WAS $75,000 IN THE MOTOR POOL.

OTHER ENHANCEMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED IN THIS BUDGET WOULD BE THE CEILING REPLACEMENTS IN THE TOWN HALL ROOM, SOME CABINETRY WORK UPSTAIRS, SOME SIGNAGE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LOCKER ROOMS REALLY NEED TO BE PAINTED.

I THINK THAT'S A $14,000 EXPENDITURE.

ANYTIME YOU WANT TO VISIT THOSE, JUST LET INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO KNOW AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE GRAY PAINT, WE HAVE BLACK PAINT, WE HAVE WHITE PAINT, AND WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING ON THE WALLS THERE BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S BEEN MOVED AROUND.

IT'S VERY HODGEPODGE.

AND I WAS ASKED LAST WEEK BY A TRUSTEE, WASN'T THIS DONE BY 242? AND SO 242 PAINTED THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE DONATE EVERYTHING TO PAINT THE SECOND FLOOR AND THEY BOUGHT THEY REPLACED THE REFRIGERATOR.

AND THERE FOR US, THE FIRST FLOOR ACTUALLY WAS PAINTED BY A GROUP OF VOLUNTEER OFFICERS THREE YEARS AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.

BUT THE LOCKER ROOMS WERE NOT.

SO THE WHOLE FACILITIES REPAINTED EXCEPT FOR THE LOCKER ROOM AREAS.

SO I WANTED TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO YOU.

BUT KUDOS TO OUR OFFICERS WHO DONATED THEIR OWN TIME.

THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT FORMER CHIEF PLAGA PUT TOGETHER AND SOME NEW INTERNAL SIGNAGE AT THE SERVICE CENTER WATER AND SEWER FUND, AVAILABLE CASH AT EACH UPCOMING PROJECTS.

AND THERE'S A BIG PROJECT IN HERE AND ONE THAT'S FINALLY GOING TO GET OFF THE GROUND.

I WON'T GO INTO THE DELAYS FOR IT MAY COME UP AT A LATER TIME IF NEED BE, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT HOW THIS PROJECT WAS GOING TO GO FORWARD OVER THE LAST YEAR.

BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT 400M THAT ARE INOPERABLE RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE 14,000M AND ABOUT 400 OF THEM HAVE REACHED THEIR LIFE CAPACITY OF 20 YEARS AND HAVE STOPPED WORKING.

SO THIS PROJECT REALLY NEEDS TO GET OFF THE GROUND AND MANAGER OPSOMMER HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS PROJECT FOR THE PAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS AND I'M GLAD TO SEE IT IN THE BUDGET.

AND WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE METER SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE METERS HERE IN THE NEXT 60, 60 DAYS TO GET IN ORDER THIS WEEK FOR NEXT.

GREAT. AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT SOON AND GET THEM.

WE'LL BE HIRING A COMPANY TO INSTALL THOSE METERS FOR US SO WE CAN DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

HERE'S AN INTERESTING CHART ON ON WATER RATES FOR YOU.

AND WE TRY TO PROVIDE THIS EVERY YEAR TO THE BOARD.

AND IT SHOWS, OF COURSE, THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS COMPARED TO ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS HERE, HAS EXTREMELY LOW WATER RATES.

I JUST WANT TO GO BACK BECAUSE IT'S WORTH NOTING, 2017, MOST OF YOU WERE ON THE BOARD AT THAT TIME AND WE MADE PROMISES OF 41 OFFICERS.

WE MADE PROMISES FOR 32 FIREFIGHTERS.

WE MADE PROMISES TO COMMIT A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS TO POLICE AND FIRE PENSION TO SET $250,000 A YEAR FOR THE LADDER TRUCK.

ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN WE'VE MET ALL THOSE PROMISES IN MOST AREAS HAVE EXCEEDED THOSE PROMISES.

IN 2019, WE SAID WE'D COMMIT 100% OF THE LOCAL MILLAGE TO FIX ROADS, NO ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

WE'VE DONE THAT FUNDING TO PRESERVE OUR HIGH QUALITY ROADS, TO MAINTAIN HIGHER RATINGS.

WE WOULD TAKE OVER CONTROL OF OUR LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, ADMINISTER IT AWAY FROM INGHAM COUNTY.

WE'VE DONE THAT EVERY YEAR AND WE PROVIDE STAFF ON SITE TO INSPECT THE LOCAL PROGRAM STAFFING CHANGES.

WE LOOK, WE'RE ANTICIPATING GOING FROM 163 TO 165.

THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ARE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND AS YOU CAN LOOK, IF YOU GO BACK TO 2020, SO IN FOUR YEARS, WE'LL HAVE INCREASED STAFFING BY ONE POSITION.

OUR STAFFING HAS BEEN PRETTY FLAT OVER THE LAST 5 TO 7 YEARS.

CHALLENGES. WE HAVE CHALLENGES.

OUR PENSION DEBT IS JUST UNDER $24 MILLION.

THE REST OF OUR DEBT, SMALLER DEBT IS IN RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

AND REMEMBER, OUR DEBT IS LESS THAN $25 MILLION NOW AND IT WAS 42 ALMOST 43 MILLION.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PENSION DEBT IS 13.

POLICE DEPARTMENT DEBT IS SEVEN.

THE ONGOING CHALLENGE OF RECRUITING POLICE OFFICERS AND PARAMEDICS.

[00:40:02]

SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF COST ON THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.

AGAIN, IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

RECRUITING AND RETAINING TALENT.

WE'RE DOING EXTREMELY WELL.

WE'VE HAD VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT IN THE LAST YEAR IN OUR EMPLOYEE COUNT AND OUR RETENTION HAS BEEN VERY, VERY STRONG.

AND THE PEOPLE WE HAVE ADDED KATIE LOVE COMES TO MIND AND THE MERIDIAN CARES AND THERE'S OTHERS.

WE'VE REALLY, REALLY HIRED SOME GREAT PEOPLE.

OUR TEAM IS VERY STRONG AND WE OFFER THEM SOME OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES, SUCH AS THE FLEX TIME AND THE CASUAL WEAR AND AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON OF WHAT WE TRY TO PROVIDE TO OUR TEAM.

WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT EXTENDING OUR FLEX TIME OVER THE WINTER.

NOTHING'S BEEN MORE IMPORTANT IN MY MIND AND LISTENING TO OUR TEAM TO WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND THAT IS TO ALLOW FOR THAT EXTRA FLEX TIME IN THE WINTER SO THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF SUNLIGHT EITHER IN THE MORNING OR IN THE LATE AFTERNOON.

THAT'S BEEN A HUGE HIT.

AND PROBABLY WHY WE ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE LITTLE TURNOVER ON OUR TEAM.

OKAY. SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS.

SO THIS IS THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WE PLAN TO DO IN THIS BUDGET.

OF COURSE, THAT'S SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE BOARD AND I'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT REALLY QUICK.

THE THE HOLSTERS AND WEAPONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, 25,000, THE FLASHLIGHT FOR EACH OFFICER AT 5 TO 80 AND MACHINES AT FOR THE NEW WARNING SIREN AT 40.

THE FUNDING OF THE PRIMER READING MAGAZINE 13 PURCHASE OF A NEW MOWER 30.

KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S ONLY HALF OF IT.

THE OTHER HALF IS COMING OUT OF THE PARKS BUDGET.

GREEN GRANTS AT 20,000.

IT'S JUST THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW GENERATOR, JUST THE INSTALLATION, A STAGGERING 115,000 INSTALLATION OF A SOLAR PROJECT.

95 INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES 150.

THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.

4.8. NEW PARK SIGNS 92.

CENTRAL PARK RENOVATION.

THAT'S THE PAVILION AT 400.

INDIVIDUAL IPADS FOR EACH OFFICER.

42. REPLACEMENT OF THE COUNTY NORTH LIFT STATION 3 MILLION AND YEAR ONE OF THE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT, 825,000. POLICE INTERCEPTORS 165 COMMUNITY GARDENS, MEALS ON WHEELS.

THE COMMUNITY BAND.

THE MAYOR'S CONTRIBUTION OF 5.8.

A SECURITY CAGE TO PROTECT THE STORAGE OF BALLOTS AT 10,000.

DEI TRAINING AT 30.

LAKE LANSING CLEANUP.

OUR MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.

TWO NEW PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTERS.

A NEW FIRE TRUCK, A TEEN WELLNESS PROGRAM, MAJOR CEILING IMPROVEMENTS AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING CELEBRATE MERIDIAN FIREWORKS, HOMTV PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, MUNICIPAL CABINETS, NEW TOOL KIT AND REQUIRED EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE CONTRIBUTION.

A MOTION. IT'S THE LONG LIST OF WHAT WE PLAN TO DO FOR 2024 AND WHAT DOES THAT DO TO OUR FUND BALANCE? SO THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE INTERESTING.

WE WOULD BE AT 14, JUST OVER $14 MILLION, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THERE'S THINGS YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER.

AND THAT IS THE 1.25 MILLION THAT I MENTIONED A WHILE AGO FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND.

IT'S NOT BUDGETED ANYMORE, BUT IT'S IN HERE.

SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND TO TAKE THAT OFF THE TOP AND I BREAK IT DOWN.

I THINK, YEAH, I BREAK IT DOWN HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS BETTER THAN TALKING ABOUT IT.

SO WHERE IS THE 14.1 MILLION AT? IT'S THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND AT 1.25, THE GENERAL FUND, 7.5 MILLION.

THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD SET IT AT LAST YEAR.

THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AT 3.248, WHICH AGAIN, THAT NUMBER COULD COULD INCREASE BY $120,000 BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA FUNDS FROM THE RECYCLING CENTER AND OUR PENSION STABILIZATION FUND THAT WAS AT 2 MILLION IS NOW AT 2.122. AND THAT'S BASED ON INTEREST ONLY.

SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, WE'VE PAID $2 MILLION MORE TO MERS.

WE REDUCED OUR DEBT BY 17 MILLION.

WE'VE INCREASED OUR PENSION STABILIZATION FUND, OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND.

WE JUST SPENT 1,000,003 OF IT.

AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE DID IT BY FIXING THIS BUILDING AND DOING A BUNCH OF IMPROVEMENTS OVER HERE AT THE POLICE STATION BUILDING.

BUT IF YOU PUT THE 120,000 BACK IN THERE, WE'RE ALMOST BACK TO WHOLE AGAIN.

WE'RE ALMOST REPLENISH THAT FUND.

AND OF COURSE, WE DIDN'T TOUCH THE GENERAL FUND AND WE SET ASIDE THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND SUMMARY, STRONG FINANCIAL OUTLOOK, STRONG POPULATION GROWTH.

[00:45:05]

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT TO YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION.

AND AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, MADAM SUPERVISOR, I'D BE OUR TEAM WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE UNDER DISCUSSION.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

THANK YOU. WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM FIVE CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY GREEN CARDS TONIGHT.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT THIS TIME SEEING NONE.

THEN WE MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT.

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

RIGHT. I NEED STEVEN'S HELP FOR THAT.

SO THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO A LITTLE BEFORE 6:00.

THIS IS RENO.

AND RENO WILL BE JOINING US SOON.

AND OFFICER TREVINO WILL BE HEADING TO A THREE WEEK ACADEMY TRAINING.

TRAINING? YEAH.

SO WHEN THEY COME BACK, IT WILL BE OFFICER TREVINO AND RENO AND TWO INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO'S CREDIT.

THEY SENT US THIS PICTURE OF THIS DOG, RENO.

AND WE WERE ALL EXCITED.

THIS IS ALL WHAT HE TOLD ME.

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT I THOUGHT IT'S A FASCINATING STORY.

WE REALLY LIKED THE DOG.

WE LOVE THE NAME.

AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, NOPE, CAN'T HAVE RENO.

AND THEY GAVE US A MAILE MELOY.

AND WE HAD ONE OF THOSE BEFORE, ABOUT 8 OR 10 YEARS AGO.

AND IT WASN'T A GOOD FIT FOR US.

AND SO HE SAID, NO, WE WANT RENO.

SO HE CAME BACK AND JUST BEFORE 6:00 AND SAID, WE GET RENO.

SO I WANTED TO SEE AND WELCOME RENO, AND I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE A VISIT HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO TO VISIT WITH THE BOARD VERY QUICKLY.

I KNOW I'VE TAKEN UP SOME TIME TONIGHT, BUT I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON A FEW THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE BRUSH CLEANUP IS UNDERWAY.

DAY ONE, MR. OPSOMMER WENT OUT AND TOOK SOME PHOTOS OF THAT THAT I FORWARDED ON TO YOU.

I WANT TO POINT OUT DENISE GREEN.

DENISE GREEN'S BEEN WITH US FOR 43 YEARS AND SAT RIGHT HERE FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS SERVING THE PUBLIC RIGHT UP FRONT.

AND I JUST WANT TO WE ACKNOWLEDGED HER WITH A LITTLE GET TOGETHER ON FRIDAY, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER 43 YEARS.

WE'RE MEETING WITH OKEMOS SCHOOLS TOMORROW AND SUPERINTENDENT HOOD TO TALK ABOUT FIELD USE AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. WE'VE HAD TO RESCHEDULE IT THREE TIMES NOW.

FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE BOY SCOUTS BREAKFAST IS THIS SATURDAY AT THE 242 FROM 8 TO 11.

THE PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH LOTS OF STUFF GOING ON.

AND WE JUST WANT TO TAKE A PAUSE.

AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO START THE PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH.

I'M SAYING THE 1ST OF OCTOBER, MAYBE SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER, WE'LL GET THAT PROCESS UNDERWAY.

THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO GET THE NEW DIRECTOR HERE AND EARLY TO MID DECEMBER TO HAVE SOME TIME WITH DIRECTOR MAISNER BEFORE SHE DEPARTS.

SHE HAS A LOT OF HISTORY TO THIS TOWNSHIP AND WE WANT TO GET AS MUCH OF THAT AS WE CAN.

THE ROTARY HERO LUNCH TREASURER DESCHAINE IS HEADING THAT UP.

THAT'S AT THE MARKETPLACE TUESDAY, A WEEK FROM TODAY.

COME AND SUPPORT ROTARY.

THE ROTARY REALLY SUPPORTS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF ROTARY AT THE TABLE 1130 TO 130 NEXT TUESDAY AT THE MARKETPLACE.

OUR FIRST LISTENING SESSION IS A WEEK FROM TONIGHT.

AND WE'VE SENT LETTERS OUT AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF TO TRY TO RECRUIT.

I KNOW THAT SAM'S DOING SOME FACEBOOK MESSAGING ON THAT.

SO NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT AT 6:00 AT BENNETT WOODS.

AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE RENOVATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE.

AND I WANT TO THANK BRIAN SHORKEY AND THE TEAM.

I KNOW A LOT OF US WERE INVOLVED, BUT THERE WAS A LEADER TO THAT.

AND BRIAN SHAWKEY IN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF ORGANIZING AND LEADING, AND BOY, HE CAN REALLY PUT ON AN EVENT.

SO THANK YOU TO BRIAN.

THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

[00:50:02]

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS.

SUMMER TAXES ARE DUE ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, WHICH IS NEXT THURSDAY.

YOU CAN DROP OFF YOUR CHECK OR PAYMENT IN A DROP BOX, BRING IT TO THE COUNTER, OPEN 8 TO 5 MONDAY TO FRIDAY WITH MAIL SERVICE BEING A BIT IFFY THESE DAYS, MEANING IT WASN'T ISN'T AS RELIABLE AS IT WAS EVEN FIVE YEARS AGO.

I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYBODY MAILING THEIR TAX BILL IN AFTER THURSDAY BECAUSE POSTMARKS AREN'T ADEQUATE.

YOU'VE GOT TO WE'VE GOT TO RECEIVE IT BY THE 14TH.

SO WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DROP IT BY THAT.

YOU CAN DROP IT IN THE SECURE DROP BOX ANY TIME, NIGHT OR DAY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, GIVE MY OFFICE A CALL AT 8534144.

AND AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN PAY ONLINE.

NO ADDITIONAL COST IF YOU PAY WITH YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT.

I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT TOMORROW AT OUR CHANEL TOWER RECREATION CENTER, WE ARE HOLDING A WORKSHOP ON HOW TO APPLY FOR MY HALF.

MY HALF IS THE ADMINISTERED HELP FOR PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED BECAUSE OF COVID, WHICH MEANS EVERYBODY.

AND SO THERE ARE SOME INCOME LIMITS, BUT THEIR GENEROUS INCOME LIMITS, THEY CAN HELP WITH MORTGAGES.

THEY CAN HELP WITH TAX PAYMENTS.

IT'S REALLY MEANT FOR HOMEOWNERS AND NOT RENTERS.

IT'S MEANT TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES IF THEY'RE STRUGGLING AFTER COVID.

SO IT'S GOING TO RUN FROM 2 TO 4.

THE INGHAM COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE STAFF IS COMING UP.

MSU EXTENSION SERVICE WILL HAVE PEOPLE ON HAND.

IF YOU BE THERE, THERE'S ALSO SOME FOOD.

YOU CAN COME IN AND YOU CAN MAKE THE APPLICATION RIGHT THERE AND GET IT SUBMITTED TO [INAUDIBLE] IN TIME BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS THE CUT OFF, MY HALF HAS NOT BEEN RENEWED. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR MY HALF IT'S TIME TO DO IT IS NOW.

IT'S A FAIRLY GENEROUS PROGRAM.

IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED SOME HELP.

SO TOMORROW, 2 TO 4 AT SNOW RECREATION CENTER, WHICH IS AT 6146, PORTER AVENUE, JUST NORTH OF LAKE LANSING ROAD, HAD HANDS OFF TO NICK, AND THE PARK STAFF HAVE REALLY BROUGHT CHANEL TOWER BACK TO LIFE.

THEIR PROGRAMING THERE.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THERE, A LOT OF ENERGY THERE AND THAT'S A PART OF A TOWNSHIP.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FACILITIES AND SO IT'S EXCITING.

EMMA AND YOUR STAFF ARE BRINGING THAT BACK TO FOR US.

THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU. OKAY. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEE WILSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

THE TASK FORCE FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER CONTINUES TO MEET EVERY OTHER TUESDAY.

AND SINCE I'VE LAST SEEN YOU, WE HAVE HAD BOND COUNSEL COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT OPTIONS ON BONDING.

AND ALSO LAST WEEK WE HAD A CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT OFFERS A FULL SPECTRUM OF SERVICES FROM INITIAL PLANNING TO CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION.

COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE DETAILS RELATED TO THAT.

I'LL HAVE A FULL REPORT FOR YOU IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I THINK OUR SESSION NEXT WEEK WILL BE TAKING ALL THOSE PIECES AND SEEING WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND WHAT A PROPOSED PLAN MIGHT LOOK LIKE, AND ALSO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE INTERIM.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

I KNOW ELSE CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

JUST REAL QUICK, IT'S NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH.

AND WHILE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DOESN'T HAVE ANY ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE.

AND OUR TEAM WILL BE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS.

AND WE WERE THERE A FEW YEARS AGO AND I WAS VERY LONELY.

NOT MANY PEOPLE STOPPED BY, SO PLEASE COME BY AND SEE US.

WE'LL HAVE SOME ITEMS ON THE TABLE AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND WE'RE PRETTY EASY TO CHAT WITH AND THERE'S FANTASTIC MUSIC GOING ON AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO UPDATE YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION AND COME AND SEE US AND ASK US ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT PROPOSAL TWO AND HOW THAT WILL AFFECT THINGS NEXT YEAR.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THEN WE MOVE TO ITEM EIGHT.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

MR. DESCHAINE. I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

SUPPORT. SECOND.

MR. DESCHAINE.

YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS TO MAKE? I HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS THAN THAT.

OKAY. NO SUPERVISOR.

OKAY. THE MOTION IS APPROVAL TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS SUPERVISOR.

YES. I'M SORRY, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA TO ADD AN ITEM BETWEEN ITEM 15 AND 16, WHICH IS A CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS A PERSONNEL MATTER COVERED UNDER MCL 15.268.

SECTION ONE A SUPPORT.

[00:55:07]

IT IS REGARDING A PERSONNEL MATTER AS IS DESCRIBED IN THE MCI CITED.

OKAY. AND THE SECONDER.

NO FURTHER COMMENTS.

YES. NO. NO FURTHER COMMENTS.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE? NO? DO ONE TO BE SAFE.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA FOR A CLOSED SESSION BETWEEN ITEMS 15 AND 16 ON OUR AGENDA.

. THAT IS 7 TO 1.

IT PASSES 6 TO 1.

APOLOGIES. AND NOW, WE GO BACK TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED? NO. THEN THE CHAIR VOTES YES.

THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.

WE NOW COME TO ITEM NINE, THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

THE RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH, A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CONSTITUTION WEEK, THE DISTRIBUTION OF OR I PRESUME, BOARD APPROVAL FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2023 MASTER PLAN FOR OUTSIDE AGENCY COMMENT PURSUANT TO PUBLIC ACT 33 OF 2008.

ITEM 9.G IS A REQUEST TO PURCHASE MERS GENERIC CREDITED SERVICE AND WE WILL ASSUME THAT ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE READ WHAT THAT IS AND UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND ITEM H IS PRESCRIBED BURN AT LAKE LANSING PARK NORTH.

THIS IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LANSING PARK SYSTEM AND THE MERIDIAN.

I WROTE IT DOWN, UM, LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.

SO, MR. DESCHAINE? I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

SUPPORT.

MR. CHEN. YEAH.

I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CREDIT CARD BILLS ON THIS MONTH'S BILL.

MORE THAN WE USUALLY SEE, AND A BUNCH OF THEM HAVE MY NAME AND MYERS ON THEM.

I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THIS.

THIS IS WE WITH KATIE LOVES HELP.

WE AND IN THE SUPPORT OF THE HASLETT KIWANIS CLUB THAT CONTRIBUTE $250 TO $2500.

WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 245 BACKPACKS TO STUDENTS IN THE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

AND ALL THOSE MYERS CHARGES ARE KATIE GETTING THE MOST AMAZING DEALS? I THINK WE BUDGETED 190 BACKPACKS AND SHE STRETCHED IT OUT TO 245 REALLY GOOD SHOPPING.

AND MEYER GIVEN US SOME OUTSTANDING PRICES.

ON ANOTHER MATTER, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE MANAGER.

ON PAGE 32, THERE IS A TD CONEY CHARGE AND A QUALITY DAIRY CHARGE.

I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR THE BREAKFAST FOR RETIRED CHIEF POLICE CHIEF AND AN HONOR TO DENISE FOR HER 33 YEARS OF SERVICE.

IS THAT WHAT THOSE TWO EXPENSES WERE FOR? YES, 43 YEARS FOR DENISE GREEN AND SHE IS RETIREMENT BREAKFAST AT TD BUT YOU SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE.

THE TOWNSHIPS, NOT THEREON THE TOWNSHIP BILL, BUT WE HAVE A DONOR THAT PAID FOR BOTH OF THOSE.

THOSE ARE NOT TOWNSHIP FUNDS COMING OUT.

SOMEONE PAID FOR THOSE PRIVATELY.

JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS. COMMENTS I HAVE ON THE AGENDA.

ANY OTHERS? THEN I BELIEVE WE NEED A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[01:00:05]

THANK YOU. ITEM TEN ON OUR AGENDA IS QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY OF WHICH WE HAVE NONE.

AT 11 IS A PUBLIC HEARING.

[11.A. 2024 Township Budget Hearing]

UM, MR. WALSH, WILL YOU OPEN THIS HEARING? ONCE I OPEN THE HEARING.

SO I WILL OPEN THE HEARING, I BELIEVE, AT SEVEN, 7 P.M.

MR. WALSH? I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO OFFER.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

I PRESUME YOU WANT TO TAKE THOSE UNDER BUDGET DISCUSSION.

SO I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO OFFER.

I THINK I'VE SAID ENOUGH.

OKAY. SO SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE 2024 BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT OCCURRED EARLIER.

IS THIS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I'M NOT HERE. BUT I JUST WANT.

FROM WHAT I SAW FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, MR. WALSH, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO COME TO MY TOWNSHIP.

SO THAT'S IT? THANK YOU. WE'LL ACCEPT THAT COMMENT AS WELL.

IF YOU WILL. GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

BENJAMIN JOEL 2859.

COURT [INAUDICLE] FOR YOU.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE ON THE PRESENTATION OR THE ON THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, WE'LL HAVE DONUTS FOR HIM NEXT WEEK.

IN THIS TOWNSHIP.

ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CLOSE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.

THANK YOU, MR. WALSH.

AT 702.

WE NOW MOVE TO ACTION ITEMS.

[12.A. Special Use Permit #23-011-Haslett Gallery-2119A Haslett Road-Medical Marihuana Provisioning Center]

NUMBER 23-011 HASLETT GALLERY 2119A HASLETT ROAD MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER.

MR. SCHMIDT, DIRECTOR SCHMITT.

MADAM SUPERVISOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS IS A FOLLOW ON TO THE CONVERSATION.

AT THE LAST MEETING WITH RESPECT TO ONE OF OUR FOUR POTENTIAL LICENSEES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

HASLETT GALLERY IS LOCATED AT 2119A HASLETT ROAD.

THIS IS THE FACILITY THAT IS LOCATED IN THE SMALL SHOPPING CENTER, FORMERLY 7-ELEVEN.

THEY PREVIOUSLY GOT APPROVAL IN MARCH OF 2020, STARTING CONSTRUCTION.

THIS ONE ACTUALLY GOT SOMEWHAT FAR ALONG.

BUT THEN DUE TO THE SITUATION WE FOUND OURSELVES IN WITH THE PANDEMIC DID NOT CONTINUE AND HAVE COME BACK WITH AGAIN AN IDENTICAL APPLICATION TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS IN APRIL AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL AT THEIR MAY 8TH MEETING.

AND WE DO HAVE THE SIGNED RESOLUTION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FOR THAT.

WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS A RESOLUTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST.

STAFF AT THIS POINT HAS IDENTIFIED NO MAJOR CONCERNS, GIVEN THAT IT'S AN IDENTICAL PROPOSAL TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED AND WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND THE APPLICANT'S ATTORNEY IS HERE THIS EVENING.

IF YOU DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT THIS TIME.

OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI? SUPERVISOR JACKSON, MAY I MAKE THE MOTION? YOU MAY. MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUEST 23-011.

A REQUEST FROM HASLETT GALLERY, INC.

TO ESTABLISH A MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER AT 2119A HASLETT ROAD.

SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI AND TRUSTEE WILSON.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI? NOT TOO MUCH TO SAY.

AS MENTIONED IN DIRECTOR SCHMIDTT'S RESOLUTION AT THIS IS NO CHANGE, THAT THIS IS JUST FOLLOWING PROCEDURE SO EXACT SAME AS OUR MEDICAL.

TRUSTEE WILSON? ANY? I WOULD JUST ADD THAT FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION, THAT THIS IS A MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITY, NOT A RECREATIONAL FACILITY.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

ANYONE ELSE? MR..

DESCHAINE. I KNOW THIS PLAZA BECAUSE YOU LIVE CLOSE BY.

THIS IS NOT THE OLD 7-ELEVEN, BUT NEXT TO THE OLD 7-ELEVEN.

[01:05:03]

HOW MANY SQUARE FEET WITH THIS OPERATION BE? APPROXIMATELY. OH, YEAH.

THIS ONE'S LIKE 1500.

I THINK IT'S 1550.

1510. HOW WOULD THAT COMPARE WITH THE SKY MINT FACILITY IN EAST LANSING UP ON NORTH ABBOT? IT'S SMALLER THAN THAT.

1500 SQUARE FEET IS LIKE AN AVERAGE SUBWAY.

REALLY? IT'S KIND OF THAT STANDARD LONG, SKINNY SUBURBAN STRIP MALL SPACE.

IT WOULD BE I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT SKYMINT I'VE BEEN IN IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG IT IS.

I'D BE WILLING TO BET IT'S UNDER HALF OF, IF NOT CLOSE TO A THIRD OF THE SIZE OF THAT FACILITY.

OKAY. THAT'S MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU. OTHER BUILDINGS.

THEN WE HAVE A OH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

IT'S NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS.

IS YOUR STAFF PREPARED TO BRING BACK THE LAST ISSUE WE HAVE BEFORE THE BOARD FOR MARIJUANA PERMISSION FOR FOR RECREATIONAL? YES, WE ARE HAPPY TO BRING THAT FORWARD WHENEVER SUPERVISOR I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU AT NMT NEXT WEEK.

OKAY? OKAY.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

LET'S SEE. I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

I'M SORRY, MR. ASK THAT QUESTION.

I FORGOT THE SECOND HALF OF THAT.

IF THEY DECIDED TO EXPAND THIS STORE IN NEXT, MORE SPACE BECAME AVAILABLE.

DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PERMITTING PROCESS AGAIN? HOW WOULD A STORE LIKE THAT EXPAND OR SHRINK IF THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A SMALLER LOCATION IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, TAKE UP LESS SPACE? SO IT'S KIND OF A TWO PART QUESTION.

SO IF THEY ARE NOT OPEN YET AND THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THEIR FOOTPRINT, THEY WOULD FUNCTIONALLY GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE.

IF THEY'RE OPEN, UNDER THE ORDINANCE THAT WE RECENTLY AMENDED, THERE IS A PROVISION TO AMEND THE PREMISES AFTER THE LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED.

IT WOULD STILL COME BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

THE LEVEL OF APPROVAL, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BE ANOTHER SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR WHETHER IT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ACTUAL LICENSE AT THAT POINT. IT WOULD EITHER WAY, WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL WORK ON THEIR PART.

BUT ONCE THEY'RE ACTUALLY OPEN, IT IS NOT AS EXTENSIVE.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER REQUESTS 23-011.

A REQUEST FROM HASLETT GALLERY, INC.

TO ESTABLISH A MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER AT 2119A HASLETT ROAD.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. YES.

OPPOSED? NO.

THE CHAIR VOTES. YES.

THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.

THANK YOU. AND ITEM 12.B IS NEXT ON OUR AGENDA.

[12.B. Chief of Police Appointment]

MR. WALSH WILL TALK TO US ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW POLICE CHIEF.

YEAH, IT IS A BIG NIGHT FOR US, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.

I'M ACTUALLY PROUD TO BE HERE.

BUT BEFORE I GET INTO AN INTRODUCTION OF WHAT WE HOPE IS OUR NEW CHIEF, WE HAD A THREE INTERVIEW PROCESS, THREE STEP INTERVIEW PROCESS.

THE FIRST TWO WERE SOLO WITH ME WITH INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO.

BUT THE THIRD ONE WAS REALLY AN IMPORTANT ONE, AND THAT WAS A COMMITTEE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER TO SIT DOWN AND MEET.

AND OUT OF THAT COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE CHOSE DIRECTOR CLARK TO MAKE THE REPORT TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR CLARK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT POINT.

OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

VERY EXCITED.

THIS IS A FIRST FOR ME.

SO COUNTING THIS, IT'S GOING DOWN IN MY JOURNAL TONIGHT THERE, RICK.

ON AUGUST 28TH, CHIEF HAMEL, DIRECTOR GEBES, TRUSTEE WISINSKI, SERGEANT ED BESSON, MANAGER, WALSH SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND MYSELF ALL MET AT CENTRAL FIRE STATION FOR AN HOUR TO INTERVIEW CURRENT INTERIM CHIEF RICK GRILLO.

[01:10:08]

WE HAD 16 QUESTIONS AND AGREED ON A ROTATING BASIS TO ASK ONE QUESTION PER PERSON.

ONCE THE QUESTION WAS DIRECTED TO INTERIM CHIEF RICK GRILLO, WE WERE ALLOWED TO THEN ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IF WE WANTED CLARIFICATION ON ANYTHING THAT HE SAID. RICK WAS PREPARED SUCCINCTLY FOR AN ANSWER FOR EVERY QUESTION WE ASKED.

IT DIDN'T MATTER WHO WAS ASKING.

IT WAS HONEST.

AND HE SPOKE TO HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, AND HIS EXCELLENT ABILITY TO WORK IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS. HE CHOKED.

HE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HE BELIEVES WILL BE A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR A CHIEF AT THIS TIME FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

BUT HIS YEARS OF SERVING ALREADY IN THAT CAPACITY, HE SAID THAT HE STATES HE STATED HE LOOKS FOR THREE THINGS, WHICH I WAS REALLY BLOWN AWAY BY COMMITMENT, COMPASSION AND CHARACTER.

AND HE USES THOSE THREE TO DETERMINE IF A IF A CANDIDATE WILL BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE FORCE HERE.

AND HE SHOWED THAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF MAKING THOSE RIGHT DECISIONS AND TOUGH DECISIONS BY HAVING A RECRUIT THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIT WITH THE FORCE FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SAFETY.

THE FIELD ITSELF IS SUBDUED IN ATTRACTIVENESS DUE TO ECONOMICS, POLITICS, AVAILABILITY OF OFFICERS AND TRAINING AND THE OVERALL BRAND OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AS WE ALL KNOW THAT THE ANSWERS FROM INTERIM CHIEF WERE BEYOND REASSURING OF THE NECESSARY ELEMENTS OF CHIEF SHOULD HAVE.

AND HE ADDRESSED WITH CARE WHAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO MITIGATE STRESSORS AND SUPPORT AN EXCELLENT TEAM OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH WE HAVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, IS FOR THOSE REASONS THAT THE EIGHT OF US HAVE A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION AS AN INTERVIEW COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT RICK GRILLO AS THE CHIEF AND FULL TIME POSITION CHIEF FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE WISINSKI THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION TO OFFICIALLY NAME RICK GRILLO AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE CHIEF, EFFECTIVE 8 A.M.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2023.

SUPPORT ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

PLEASE SAY YES.

MAY I SAY SOMETHING FIRST? YES, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CLARKE.

I THOUGHT THE TWO WAS REALLY WELL DONE.

THE TWO WORDS THAT JUST STOOD OUT TO ME BEYOND REASSURING.

THAT'S WHAT I JUST HEARD.

AND BOY, DO I FEEL THAT WAY.

SO WHEN I FIRST MET WITH CHIEF PLAGA, WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT, WHICH IS ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO NOW, THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO ME IS, IF YOU CAN GET CAPTAIN GRILLO OR CAPTAIN CRANE, YOU'LL BE IN GOOD HANDS.

DON'T KNOW IF EITHER ONE WILL BE INTERESTED OR NOT, BUT YOU'LL BE IN REALLY GREAT HANDS.

AND THOSE ARE WORDS SPOKEN FROM SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, PUT IN A 25 YEARS OF REALLY DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP THROUGH SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD, BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW CHIEF GRILLO AT THE TIME.

REALLY, REALLY WELL.

WE SAT DOWN. WE DISCUSSED IT.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR TIHOFF AND MY ASSISTANT MICHELLE PRINCE, FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON THIS PROCESS.

IT WAS A COMPLICATED PROCESS, WHICH I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO TONIGHT BECAUSE THE RESULTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PROCESS HERE.

AND WE GOT IT RIGHT AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF CURVE BALLS AND WE ALL STUCK TOGETHER AND WORKED THROUGH IT THE WHOLE WAY.

YOU KNOW, RICK'S FROM GRAND HAVEN.

HIS FATHER WAS A LONG TIME RESPECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF GRAND HAVEN.

AND MUSKEGON COUNTY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MEET HIM AT ONE TIME.

RICK LIVES IN THE TOWNSHIP, HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.

HE'S JUST A VERY CALM, EMPATHETIC, KIND PERSON, THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU WANT ON YOUR TEAM, BUT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY.

I NOTICED JUST TODAY IN HIS RESPONSE TO A CITIZEN, WHICH I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SHARE WITH YOU, BUT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU LATER.

WHEN I READ THAT, I THOUGHT, WOW, HOW DID WE GET THIS RIGHT? WE GOT THIS RIGHT.

AND I AM VERY, VERY PROUD TO RECOMMEND RICK GRILLO TO SERVE AS OUR NEXT POLICE CHIEF.

AND HE BRINGS ALL AND PLUS MORE.

AND HE'S BEYOND REASSURING THAT WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

SO THANK YOU.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE SOME WORDS YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER.

NO, THANK YOU.

EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD ON THE INTERVIEW PANEL FOR, I GUESS, ALL THE KIND WORDS.

MANAGER WALSH, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE HERE 20 YEARS AGO.

[01:15:01]

I PLANNED ON MOVING BACK AFTER THREE YEARS.

I CAME HERE CHASING A GIRL.

AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER AFTER SPENDING TIME HERE, WE FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS COMMUNITY AND WITH THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS POSITION IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM THE OFFICERS, MY ENTIRE STAFF FROM CAPTAIN CRANE, THE SERGEANTS, THE OFFICERS, THE CADETS, MY RECORD STAFF, EVERYBODY.

IF I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY WERE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING ME, I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED THIS.

SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM THE THE KUDOS AND THE PROPS AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, TRUSTEE WISINSKI THANK YOU.

I DID NOT GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE.

DIRECTOR. CLARK SAID IT BEST, BUT IN ADDITION TO I'M GOING TO CALL IT THE C THREE NOW, THE COMMITMENT, COMPASSION AND CHARACTER.

I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.

NOW, CHIEF GRILLO'S COMMUNICATION WAS IMPECCABLE AT THE INTERVIEW, BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT YOUR COMMITMENT YOU'VE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES, WAS TO YOUR COMMUNITY. SO NOT ONLY YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT YOUR STAFF.

SO I THINK THAT'S NOTABLE.

IT WAS CLEAR YOU'RE VERY SELF AWARE AND PATIENT AND EMPATHETIC, LIKE THE MANAGER SAYS YOU SHOWED YOU EXHIBITED THAT YOU'RE A SOLUTION ORIENTED PERSON AND THAT YOU'RE NOT AFRAID TO DELEGATE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT IN IN CERTAIN POSITIONS.

SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU.

I WAS HONORED TO BE ON THE PANEL, AND I'M VERY EXCITED THAT YOU'VE ACCEPTED.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND THE SECOND THERE WAS A TRUSTEE WILSON AND I'LL BE RIGHT THERE.

DID YOU HAVE A FURTHER COMMENT? I WAS JUST TELLING YOU AND MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, AND THANK YOU, CURRENTLY INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO, FOR COMING BEFORE US AND TO THE PANEL FOR RECOMMENDING AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE.

WHILE I DIDN'T SERVE ON THE PANEL MYSELF, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WHEN THE CHIEF ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO CAPTAIN GRILLO AS AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE FOR BOTH THE INTERIM JOB AND HOPEFULLY FOR THE POLICE CHIEF POSITION WHEN IT WAS FINALLY AWARDED.

I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M VERY PLEASED ABOUT, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT FROM THE PANEL, IS SOMETHING THAT TRUSTEE WISINSKI POINTED OUT, WHICH WAS AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY PUBLIC ROLE.

AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY, SUCCINCTLY IS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DEAL WITH CRISIS.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT I FOUND TO BE REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT CAPTAIN GRILLO'S, INTERIM CHIEF GRILLO'S [INAUDIBLE], WAS THE ENTHUSIASM AND THE FEELING OF INFECTIOUS JOY THAT YOU DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN.

AND I FIND TO BE AN EXCELLENT QUALITY IN A LEADER.

SO I'M PLEASED TO SUPPORT THE MOTION THAT WAS BROUGHT HERE AND THE APPOINTMENT THAT WILL FOLLOW.

THANK YOU, SIR. CLERK GUTHRIE? THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT SINCE DAY ONE, WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR TO TODAY, YOU'VE ALWAYS TREATED ME AND EVERYONE THAT I KNOW YOU'VE INTERACTED WITH IN THE SAME EXACT KIND OF MANNER.

FAIR, COMPASSIONATE, EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY'S TALKED ABOUT.

AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU.

IT DIDN'T MATTER IF I WAS A LOWLY PRODUCTION MANAGER MAKING 20 GRAND A YEAR BACK IN 2003, OR IF I WAS A DIRECTOR, WE ALWAYS HAD THE SAME RAPPORT WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT.

AND YOU'VE ALWAYS TREATED CITIZENS IN THAT SAME WARM, WELCOMING WAY, YET BEING ABLE TO BE FIRM IN YOUR POSITION.

AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THIS NEW CAPACITY AND WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. MR. DESCHAINE, I TOO WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUR APPOINTMENT.

AND I MUST SAY THAT APART FROM HIRING THE MANAGER, HIRING THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE FIRE CHIEF ARE BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO AS A BOARD.

AND THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS, AS YOU KNOW, NOTHING SHORT OF EXCELLENCE FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE.

AND WE GET IT UNDER CHIEF PLAGA.

WE DIDN'T HEAR COMPLAINTS.

WE ALL THE OFFICERS LIKE YOU, INCLUDING YOURSELF, WENT OUT AND DID THEIR JOB EVERY DAY WITH AN EXCELLENT PROFESSIONALISM.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTED AND GOT FROM YOU.

AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF AS OUR FIRE WITH OUR FIRE.

[01:20:02]

WE DON'T HEAR THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK THAT WE SHOULD, BUT WE SURE WOULD HEAR IT IF IT WASN'T EXCELLENT.

IF IT WAS ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT, WE WOULD ALL BE HEARING IT EVERY DAY.

AND WE DON'T. WE HAVEN'T SO FAR AND I'M SURE WE WON'T.

THAT'S SERVICE EXCELLENCE.

YOU, YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT YOU ARE NOW HEADING HAS MAINTAINED WILL CONTINUE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, SIR. I WON'T LET YOU DOWN.

THE BOARD MEMBERS.

THEN THE MOTION BEFORE US IS TO ACCEPT THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION TO OFFICIALLY NAME RICK GRILLO AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE CHIEF, EFFECTIVE AT 8 A.M.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 6TH,2023.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED? NO. AND CHAIR VOTES.

YES. CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YOU HAVE TO ASK MR. WALSH ABOUT THAT.

I'LL MAKE A NOTE. WE NOW COME TO ITEM 13 BOARD DISCUSSION ITEM AND BOARD DISCUSSION.

[13.A. 2024 Township Budget]

AND AT THIS POINT, I THINK THE BOARD IS PROBABLY PREPARED TO RAISE CONCERNS, ASK QUESTIONS, AND OFFER SUGGESTIONS.

LET'S START WITH TRUSTEE WILSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MAY HAVE TO ASK AGAIN FOR YOUR INDULGENCE ON SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT THINGS THAT COME TO MIND.

WE DID SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME RESEARCHING THIS BUDGET.

WE HAD A MEETING WITH MANAGER WALSH JUST LAST WEDNESDAY TO TALK ABOUT SOME DETAILS IN HERE.

AND OVERALL, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE BUDGET.

I DO SEE THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE SPECIFICALLY THAT I THINK EXCUSE ME, TWO SPECIFICALLY THAT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT REALLOCATING.

THE FIRST IS THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO PROCEED WITH THE RECYCLING CENTER BEHIND THE SERVICE CENTER.

THIS FREES UP APPROXIMATELY $120,000.

AND I WOULD PUT BEFORE YOU THAT GIVEN THE RECENT TORNADO ACTIVITY IN OUR AREA, I THINK IT'S TIME TO COMPLETE THE TORNADO WARNING SIRENS.

AND WE HAVE ONE PARTICULAR AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP IN THE NORTHEAST NORTHWEST CORNER THAT NEEDS THAT KIND OF COVERAGE.

AND FIRE CHIEF HAMEL HAS BROUGHT TO US THE FACT THAT THE FOUR ADDITIONAL SIRENS THAT WILL COMPLETE THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP MAP COVERAGE HAPPENS TO BE 120,000.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND REALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS.

AND THE SECOND THING THAT REALLY POPPED UP FOR ME IS CEILING REPAIRS IN THIS MUNICIPAL BUILDING.

THERE'S $330,000 IN THE BUDGET TO DO THOSE CEILING REHABILITATION.

AND I CAN SEE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE BUILDING THAT THE CEILING DOESN'T LOOK GREAT.

BUT I WOULD CONTEND THAT WE DID SPEND A SMALL FORTUNE DOING THE RENOVATIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING.

AND I THINK FOR NOW WE SHOULD SET ASIDE DOING ANY ADDITIONAL RENOVATIONS WITHIN THIS BUILDING AND INSTEAD UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS FOR PERHAPS ANOTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.

SO I WOULD I WOULD SUGGEST AT THIS TIME THAT WE TOOK TAKE A LOOK AT TAKING THAT 330,000 AND PUTTING IT INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET.

THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.

THANK YOU. OKAY. SO SPECIFICALLY, YOU HAD A SUGGESTION ABOUT SIRENS, CORRECT? 120,000 THAT IS CURRENTLY ALLOCATED FOR THE RECYCLING CENTER THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE GRANT TO A COMPANY THAT WE REPURPOSED THAT TO DO THE FOUR FINAL TORNADO SIRENS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND THE SECOND HAD TO DO WITH THE CEILING TILES.

CORRECT. 330,000.

[01:25:01]

AND I'D RATHER SEE THAT MOVE TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND.

OKAY. CAN CAN WE STOP AT THIS POINT AND GET A READ A SHOW OF HANDS ON THOSE TWO IDEAS, IF ANYONE IS IN PARTICULAR SUPPORT OF THAT OR NOT? OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON IT, IF I MAY.

OKAY. WE'LL HEAR THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN REGARDS TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CEILING TILES.

BUT FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH AND DEPUTY MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER FOR AND STEPHEN GIBBS, EVERYONE, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK.

WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO THIS PLACE, IT WAS A DUMP.

CENTRAL FIRE STATION WAS A DUMP.

THERE ARE SO MANY AREAS THAT WERE JUST DUMPY AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD TO BE A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEE. I'M PROUD TO BE ELECTED AS CLERK.

IT'S HARD WHEN I HAVE ALL THESE ELECTION WORKERS COMING IN IN THE BACK ROOM AND WE HAD THE HODGEPODGE MADE UP FURNITURE SITUATION THAT WE HAD.

AND SO I COMMEND YOU AND DAN FOR FIXING UP THIS PLACE.

YOU FEEL MUCH PROUDER AS AN EMPLOYEE TO SERVICE RESIDENTS WHEN YOU HAVE WORKING COMPONENTS AND YOU HAVE THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.

ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAD IN THE BACK ROOM WHERE WE HAVE SEVERAL EMPLOYEES ASSISTING WITH THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND THE PROCESSING OF THOSE BALLOTS ARE THE CEILING TILES BECAUSE THEY WERE FALLING ON THEIR HEADS.

THEY WERE FALLING ON CECILIA KRAMER'S HEAD.

THEY WERE FALLING ON GEORGIA STYKA'S HEAD.

PARTS OF IT WERE FALLING DOWN.

AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORST OF IT IN OUR BACK AREA.

I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER AREAS IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE WORSE CEILING TILES THAN WE DO IN THE BACK RECORDS ROOM, AND SEVERAL TIMES ELECTION WORKERS WOULD COME INTO MY OFFICE AND SAY, DEBORAH, YOU'VE GOT TO FIX THESE CEILING TILES, YOU HAVE TO FIX THESE CEILING TILES.

AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP WHEREVER IT IS IN THE BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE CEILING TILES IN THE BUDGET AND HAVE THEM REPLACED BECAUSE I KNOW LET'S GET THIS DONE.

LET'S FINISH THIS PROJECT UP.

WE'VE GONE THIS FAR AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME BREAK ROOM WORK TO BE DONE AND A FEW OTHER THINGS TO BE DONE.

IT LOOKS FANTASTIC.

WE'RE FEELING REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT AND I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH FINISHING UP THE CEILING TILES THAT THAT DESPERATELY NEED TO GET DONE.

THAT'S MY COMMENT ABOUT THE CEILING TILES.

AND THEN IN REGARD TO THE RECYCLING CENTER, I DON'T.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE SUGGESTION ABOUT THE SIRENS.

TRUSTEE WILSON I THINK IT'S HIGHLY IMPORTANT TO GET IT DONE.

I COULD HEAR THEM LOUD AND CLEAR WHEN WE WHEN THEY WENT OFF AND I SAID TO MY HUSBAND, THESE, THESE JUST DO NOT GO OFF AT THIS TIME LIKE SOMETHING SERIOUS IS HAPPENING.

SO WE TURNED ON THE NEWS AND I WOULD HATE TO NOT HAVE RESIDENTS IN THE OTHER AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP NOT HEAR THOSE SIRENS.

SO I THINK IT'S WE SHOULD GET THAT DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ABSOLUTELY. 100% AGREE.

IF THERE WERE MONEY TO FIX THE RECYCLING CENTER AND EVERYTHING OVER THERE, I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

BUT MANAGER WALSH KNOWS I'M A SPENDER, SO I WANT ALL THIS STUFF TO BE DONE.

WE NEED TO SERVICE OUR RESIDENTS BETTER.

THAT'S MY COMMENT. THANK YOU.

OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT SUBJECT? OH, I'M SORRY. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I THINK THE TORNADO SIREN IDEA IS A GOOD ONE, A GREAT ONE.

I THINK IT'S TIMELY AS WELL.

AND THE THE GOOD FORTUNE THAT IT HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME MONETARY VALUE AS THE RECYCLING CENTER APPROPRIATION MAKES IT FEEL ALMOST LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO BE.

I WOULD SUGGEST ONE BRIEF CHANGE TO THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT IT, THOUGH IT'S NOT THAT WE WON'T HAVE EVER A RECYCLING CENTER BEHIND THE SERVICE CENTER IS THAT WE DIDN'T GET THE GRANT THIS YEAR AND THAT WE HOPE THAT THAT MIGHT COME AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT BUDGET, A DIFFERENT BUDGET YEAR, A DIFFERENT BUDGET, NOT THE CEILINGS.

I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE WILSON.

IT FEELS LIKE A LARGE APPROPRIATION TO BE PUT INTO THIS BUILDING.

ON TOP OF THAT, WE JUST PUT INTO THIS BUILDING THIS YEAR, MAYBE THERE'S SOME SMALLER AMOUNT THAT COULD BE SPENT

[01:30:04]

AND I'M SURE MANAGER OPSOMMER COULD OR DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER COULD TRIAGE THOSE FOR US IF NEEDED TO FIND A SMALLER AMOUNT.

I'M CONCERNED THAT 300,000 330,000 IS A LOT TO BE THROWING AT THE CEILING.

AFTER WE JUST COMPLETED THE HVAC A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE JUST SPENT $1 MILLION ON NEW RENOVATIONS TO THE OFFICE SPACE AND THE BUILDING AND THERE WAS IT UPGRADES IN THIS ROOM AS WELL THAT WERE DONE.

IT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO THROW INTO THIS BUILDING.

AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WHAT WE'VE PUT IN HAS BEEN NECESSARY.

BUT AS I LOOK FORWARD AT, YOU KNOW, IS $330,000, ANOTHER $330,000 THE RIGHT MOVE TO MAKE FOR NEXT YEAR? I'M NOT SURE.

AGAIN, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T DO IT IN THE FUTURE.

I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M I JUST WENT THROUGH A RENOVATION AT MY OFFICE NOT LONG AGO AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TO BE BACK AT MY DESK UNDISTURBED.

AND THERE MIGHT. BE SOMETHING TO LETTING THE EMPLOYEES HAVE A MOMENT TO BE IN THEIR SPACE WITHOUT YET ANOTHER DISRUPTION COMING IN AND CHANGING ALL THE CEILINGS.

SO I THINK THERE'S A MIDDLE GROUND TO BE FOUND BETWEEN WHERE TRUSTEE WILSON IS AND WHERE CLERK GUTHRIE IS THAT WE ADDRESS THE MAJOR EMERGENCY ISSUES WHERE TILES ARE LITERALLY FALLING OUT OF THE SKY.

BUT WHERE WE DON'T SPEND, YOU KNOW, $330,000 FOR IT.

TRUSTEE WISINSKI? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

100% AGREE WITH THE SIRENS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TRUSTEE WILSON, THAT WAS VERY PROACTIVE WITH RESPECT TO THE CEILING TILE IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING.

I ALSO WORRY ABOUT THE DISRUPTION TO THE STAFF THAT HAS JUST COME BACK.

AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE REMOVING AND REPLACING CEILING TILE CAN BE REALLY MESSY.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF FIBERS.

THE FIBERS COULD BE DANGEROUS OR NOT DANGEROUS, BUT THEY WILL BE EVERYWHERE.

YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT ELSE IS PROBABLY UP IN THE CEILING THAT YOU CANNOT SEE ON THE SIDE OF THE CEILING TILE.

SO I WOULD I WOULD ENTERTAIN TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON'S IDEA OF MAYBE BECAUSE THERE'S PLACES THAT WE DON'T SEE WHEN WE COME INTO THIS OFFICE.

SO IF THERE IS SOME THAT NEED SOME REPAIR THAT WE CERTAINLY ALLOCATE SOME FUNDING FOR REPAIR BUT NOT FULL REPLACEMENT.

MR. DESCHAINE? I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ON THIS.

I DO LIKE THE TRIAGE IDEA RATHER THAN DOING NOTHING.

BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER WHO PUT THIS NUMBER TOGETHER.

CAN YOU TELL US WHY THIS PRICE TAG IS SO HIGH? SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE REAL QUICK.

IT'S NOT STRICTLY CEILING TILES.

IT WOULD BE REPLACING ALL THE LIGHT FIXTURES THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AS WELL.

SO THE CEILING TILES, I FORGET WHICH IT WAS, BUT ROUGHLY LIGHT FIXTURES WE BUDGETED AT 150 OR 180 AND THE CEILING TILES AND THE CEILING GRID WAS THE OPPOSITE.

ONE THING THAT THE BOARD MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, WE DID A ENERGY EFFICIENCY STUDY THROUGH MSU, WHICH WAS FREE.

WE ACTUALLY CONDUCTED THAT THIS YEAR AND OUR BUILDING IS OVER LIT.

SO WE'RE WE'RE SPENDING ON ENERGY COSTS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED BECAUSE WE HAVE TOO MANY LIGHT FIXTURES FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WE HAVE IN THE BUILDING.

THE ONLY OTHER CONSIDERATION THAT I WOULD GIVE TO THE BOARD IS FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, REGARDLESS OF WHICH PROJECT WE PROCEED WITH, IT IS HELPFUL IF WE DO INCREMENTAL WORK EVERY YEAR RATHER THAN HAVING YEARS WHERE WE DO MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WORK.

SO MY FIRST 18 MONTHS, JUST MY HEAD SPINS EVERY DAY BECAUSE THE ENTIRE OR THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IT SEEMS LIKE, EVERY DAY. SO WE COULD BRING BACK OTHER PROJECTS, WE COULD BRING BACK BATHROOM REMODELS.

WE HAVE FOUR BATHROOMS IN THIS BUILDING, SO FIRE COULD USE SOME WORK.

WE COULD BRING BACK OTHER PROJECTS IF THE BOARD WANTS TO CONSIDER THAT.

OUR THOUGHT WAS TO TRY TO GET THIS BUILDING DONE SO THAT THE EMPLOYEES WOULDN'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ENDURE CONSTRUCTION OVER THE COURSE OF A DECADE.

BUT RATHER THAN RATHER THAN HAVING CONSTRUCTION OVER THE COURSE OF A DECADE, FIXING UP THE BUILDING, TRY TO KIND OF CONSOLIDATE IT TO SEVERAL YEARS IN TERMS OF THE HOW IT WOULD GO FOR THE EMPLOYEES, WE WOULD DO ALL THE WORK AT NIGHT.

THE CONTRACTORS ALREADY AGREED TO DO WORK AT NIGHT.

SO WE KNOW WE CAN FIND CONTRACTORS THAT WOULD DO THAT.

I'M HOPING THE BUDGET ESTIMATE THAT'S IN THE BUDGET IS CONSERVATIVELY HIGH BASED ON THE PRICING THAT WE GOT.

SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD COME IN UNDER THAT, BUT I KNOW WE COULD DO BATHROOMS FOR LESS, SO WE COULD CERTAINLY BRING BACK OTHER PROJECTS IF THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SEE. BUT THERE IS AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY DYNAMIC TO THIS.

[01:35:01]

THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE ERECTED WALLS.

THAT'S THE ORIGINAL CEILING GRID.

THAT'S FROM 71.

AND WE'VE ERECTED WALLS OVER THE YEARS.

SO WE HAVE HALLWAYS WHERE THE LIGHT FIXTURES ARE STAGGERED.

THEY'RE PARTIALLY IN A ROOM AND THEY'RE PARTIALLY IN THE HALLWAY.

SO IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE RELIGHTING OF THE BUILDING TO THAT'S WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT.

BUT HAPPY TO BRING BACK MORE INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE.

BUT FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND INCREMENTALLY BUT CONSERVATIVELY EACH YEAR SO THAT WE HAVE MANAGEABLE WORKLOAD YEAR TO YEAR.

DO YOU PUT A NUMBER ON THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE NEW LIGHTING? I MIGHT BE ABLE TO IF I GO BACK TO THAT STUDY AND SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GAVE US A NUMBER ON IF WE DID RETROFIT AND RIGHTSIZE THE LIGHTING, I COULD SEE IF THEY GAVE US A NUMBER.

I CAN TRY TO GET THAT FOR YOUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.

JUST FOR CONTEXT, THE CEILING GRID IN HERE IS BRAND NEW.

SO WHEN WE DID THE CARPET AND THE WALL PAINTING AND THE WALL REPAIRS IN THIS ROOM, WE DID ALSO DO THE CEILING GRID.

THAT'S KIND OF THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IN THE REST OF THE BUILDING IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE THAT WE DID IN THIS ROOM.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE, EVERYTHING'S UNIFORM, THE LIGHT FIXTURES, EVERYTHING LOOKS UNIFORM AND LOOKS LIKE IT WAS PURPOSEFULLY INSTALLED.

IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME ELSEWHERE.

THANKS, STEPHEN.

OKAY. HAVING HEARD THAT COMMENT, I LIKE TRUSTEE WILSON'S IDEA OF NOT SPENDING THE MONEY NOW AND BEING OPEN TO STAFF SUGGESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR TO DRAW DOWN ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN AND OTHER EQUALLY NECESSARY, EVEN MORE NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS THAT RECOMMENDED LIKE THE KITCHEN'S FIRE STATION OR EVEN OTHER PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT REALLY DO NEED SOME ATTENTION.

AND I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE HENDERSON.

WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS BUILDING, AND IT'S LOOKING GREAT RIGHT NOW.

IT'S NOT 100% DONE, BUT I THINK IF WE WE ARE NOT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CEILING FILES FALL IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THANKFULLY.

MAYBE WE CAN GET THAT PROBLEM BACK IN THE RECORDS AREA FIXED RIGHT AWAY.

WE DON'T WANT A HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK, BUT I LIKE THE IDEA OF HOLDING ON TO THIS AND SPENDING INCREMENTALLY AND MORE PURPOSEFULLY THAN MAKING THIS BIG BUDGET DECISION AND THEN PUSHING ALL THIS MONEY OUT ON PROJECTS THAT WE'RE NOT TOTALLY CERTAIN OF.

AND YOU CAN TELL BY THE MIXED USE THE BOARD.

THE BOARD ISN'T 100% ON THIS IDEA YET EITHER.

THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE WILSON I HAVE ONE MORE ITEM THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BODY.

LET'S FINISH THIS FIRST AND THEN COME BACK.

THAT'D BE FINE. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON ON THIS ISSUE? TRUSTEE I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE SIRENS BECAUSE THURSDAY NIGHT I WAS OUT AND ABOUT AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD SIRENS. SO THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

AND DUE TO ALL THE CLIMATE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN ENCOUNTERING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I MEAN, I THINK THERE WERE SEVEN TORNADOES THAT TOUCHED DOWN.

I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS PROBABLY BETWEEN WILLIAMSTON AND WEBBERVILLE.

SO BUT STILL, THERE WAS A LOT OF DAMAGE HERE AND CERTAINLY PEOPLE NEEDED TO TAKE COVER.

AND YEAH, I'M NOT SURE I HEARD SIRENS THAT NIGHT.

BUT ANYWAY, SO I REALLY TOTALLY SUPPORT THE SIRENS AND I JUST DON'T HAVE THEM AS FAR AS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CEILING TILES. I GUESS I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT TILES NEED TO BE FIXED.

SO AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THESE.

THE CONFERENCE ROOM HERE DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, SO MAYBE AN INCREMENTAL IS A GOOD IDEA.

MR. WALSH? YEAH.

SO, JUST MY VIEW IS, LET'S REALLY FOCUS IN ON THE AREA THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND LET'S GET IT FIXED AND HONE IN ON THAT AREA.

I REALLY AGREE.

JUST LISTENING TO OUR TEAM MEMBERS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE BACK IN THE BUILDING.

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OF.

GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TEARING THIS PLACE UP IN 2020 WITH THE HVAC AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE PROJECT AS FAR AS STAFFING WISE AND STUFF.

AND NOW THIS PROJECT AND YEAH, WE'VE PUT 2.2 AND HVAC A MILLION IN THIS PROJECT AND THEN WE PUT A MILLION IN THE IT JUST IN THE LAST 36 MONTHS.

SO BUT I DO WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IMMEDIATELY WITH CLERK GUTHRIE ABOUT HOW WE FIX THAT AREA AND MAYBE WE CAN BRING SOMEBODY IN TO DO THAT.

[01:40:05]

CLERK GUTHRIE? YES.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE.

I THINK THE ENTIRE BUILDING NEEDS TO HAVE THE CEILINGS REPLACED.

IT'S DISGUSTING.

I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST THE RECORDS AREA.

I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST THAT.

AND I DON'T THINK $300,000 IS THAT MUCH, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE LIGHTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED OUT AND SAVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

AND I APPRECIATE DEPUTY OPSOMMER FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.

AND I ALSO AGREE WITH THE INCREMENTAL.

I LIKED HIS COMMENT THAT HE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE INCREMENTAL CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE.

AND UNTIL MANAGER WALSH WALKED IN THE DOOR OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE AND THINGS HAD BEEN PUT OFF.

BUT YES, IT IS AN INCONVENIENCE.

YES, SURE IT IS.

BUT I WOULDN'T WANT CEILINGS.

IN THOSE CONDITIONS AT MY HOUSE FALLING ON ME.

AND I DID HAVE THAT HAPPEN.

AND A DEAD MOUSE COME COME OUT OF MY HOUSE.

I DON'T WANT THAT HAPPENING TO OUR STAFF.

IT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE.

WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND YOU TAKE PRIDE IN THE BUILDING THAT YOU'RE WORKING IN.

AND AND I KNOW MANAGER WALSH TAKES PRIDE IN OUR BUILDING CONDITIONS AND A LOT OF MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT ON IT.

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE AND THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE DONE.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR MANAGER WALSH.

IF MONEY ISN'T IF THE $330,000 ISN'T SPENT ON CEILINGS, WHERE DOES IT GO? WHAT? WHAT, DO WE NOT HAVE THE MONEY OR IS IT JUST AN INCONVENIENCE FOR STAFF? IS THIS A BUDGETING ISSUE OR IS THIS AN INCONVENIENCE FOR STAFF ISSUE? WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE WE DEBATING HERE? MY OPINION, IT'S A BOARD PRIORITY ISSUE.

IT'S REALLY WHAT THE BOARD WANTS TO SPEND THE MONEY ON.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU DO EVERY YEAR IS SET YOUR PRIORITIES AND SET IT IN THE BUDGET.

AND SO WE'RE OPEN TO WHATEVER DIRECTION THE BOARD WANTS TO GO ON THE PROJECT.

WHERE DOES IT GO? IT GOES INTO THE CAPITAL PROJECT FUND.

IT CAN BE REASSIGNED.

YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT COME BACK IN FIVE WEEKS AND SAY, LET'S DO THE BATHROOMS AND HERE'S THE COST OF THE BATHROOMS. IT MIGHT BE 250,000 TO DO ALL THE BATHROOMS, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A BETTER USE BECAUSE THE BATHROOMS ARE IN.

YOU KNOW, I GO BACK TO 2014.

YOU REMEMBER THE CONDITION OF CENTRAL FIRE STATION.

I MEAN, CENTRAL FIRE STATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED YEARS BEFORE THAT.

I CAN'T BELIEVE OUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS HAD TO WORK IN THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE MADE WHOLESALE CHANGES IN HOW WE DO THINGS IN THE TOWNSHIP AND OUR INVESTMENTS.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT'S A BOARD PRIORITY.

HOWEVER, YOU SET THE POLICY, AND WE'RE HERE TO CARRY OUT THE POLICY OF HOW YOU WANT TO SPEND THE FUNDS.

SO IF IT GOES INTO I'M SORRY, REAL QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

IF IT GOES INTO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, THEN WHO DECIDES HOW THAT MONEY IS SPENT? AND IS IT THE BOARD WILL DECIDE AT THAT TIME WE WOULD COME BACK? WELL, YOU MAY DECIDE SOMETHING ELSE.

YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND TONIGHT.

FOUR OF YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO.

I DON'T KNOW. BUT IF IT DOESN'T GET ALLOCATED OR APPROPRIATED TONIGHT, WE WOULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT MIGHT BE MADE INTO THE BUILDING OR OTHER THINGS.

MAYBE WE DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING, BUT WE WOULD COME BACK OR IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DRIVEN BY THE STAFF.

THE PRIORITY CAN BE DRIVEN BY THE BOARD ON WHAT YOU DO.

YOU MIGHT HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR THAT AND WE'LL WHATEVER THE BOARD WANTS TO DO, BUT I WILL ASSURE YOU OF ONE THING WE ARE IN.

IF YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE I SAY TONIGHT OTHER THAN WALKING IN RENO, WE ARE IN GREAT FINANCIAL SHAPE, OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL SHAPE, AND THAT'S A TRIBUTE TO EVERYONE.

AND BEYOND IN THIS ROOM, I WOULD REAL QUICK, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESULTS FROM THE MSU STUDY. IF OPSOMMER COULD FIND THOSE AND SHARE THAT.

SHARE THAT WITH US.

THANK YOU. OKAY. TRUSTEE WISINSKI? I THINK. NOT YOUR HAND? NOPE? OKAY.

THEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THAT.

I HAVE ONE MORE SUGGESTION, AND THIS IS RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND.

AS YOU KNOW, I'M THE LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION AND WE HAVE ONE THREE QUARTER TIME POSITION.

I BELIEVE IT'S THREE QUARTER TIME THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A SPECIALIST IN THAT POSITION WHO IS A REMARKABLE INDIVIDUAL.

AND PHIL SPOKE TO THIS EARLIER.

SHE IS SO SAVVY ABOUT HOW TO CAREFULLY SPEND THE TOWNSHIP FUNDS TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED AND WHO ARE PARTICULARLY WHO ARE LOW INCOME.

[01:45:08]

SHE'S DOING VERY INNOVATIVE PROJECTS.

AND SO ON PAGE ONE, 72 OF THE BUDGET, IT SHOWS THAT IN 2022 WE SPENT $30,000 AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE 50,000 ALLOCATED FOR 2023.

AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THIS SPECIFICALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

BUT THERE IS A CALL HERE FOR THE BUDGET TO ONLY BE 30,000 FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.

AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH TO RAISE THAT THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY UP TO 40,000.

KATIE LOVE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ABLE TO CAREFULLY UTILIZE RESOURCES BUT ALSO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT COSTS A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

AND SHE IS JUST A VERY WISE STEWARD OF THOSE FUNDS.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER GO TO $40,000.

WOULD YOU TELL US AGAIN WHERE THAT.

IS ON PAGE 172 OF THE BUDGET REPORT.

SO IT'S ALMOST AT THE END.

OKAY. 172 AND IT'S LINE ITEM EMERGENCY FUND.

OKAY. SPENT 30,000 IN 2022, WE INCREASED THE BUDGET TO 50,000 FOR 2023.

I'M NOT EXACTLY CERTAIN WHERE WE ARE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S DROPPED BACK TO 30,000.

AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE COULD DO A LOT MORE IF WE HAD $40,000 IN THAT FUND.

IF I MAY? YEAH.

THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, TRUSTEE WILSON.

I DO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MS. LOVE ABOUT THIS CONCEPT AND WHERE WE WERE IN THIS BUDGET, AND WE'RE AT ABOUT 28,000 THIS YEAR.

SO SHE'S VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE 50.

AND I TALKED TO HER ABOUT MOVING IT FROM 30 TO 40 AND SHE WAS VERY PLEASED.

SO SHE'S REALLY THANKFUL THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN.

CLERK GUTHRIE. MAY I ASK TRUSTEE WILSON A QUESTION? SURE. WHEN YOU STARTED, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO RECOMMEND HER TO BE FULL TIME INSTEAD OF THREE QUARTERS TIME.

OKAY. NOT IN CHARGE OF PERSONNEL.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

YEAH. SO, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW HER POSITION.

IT USED TO BE FULL TIME AND WENT DOWN TO THREE QUARTER TIME, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF GAUGE THAT THAT YOU HAD WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THAT IT TAKES TO DO THAT POSITION.

AND I THINK I KNOW YOU WORK CLOSELY.

I DO. I THINK THAT THIS SPECIALIST IS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT SHE'S ALLOCATED AND SHE IS HEAVILY UTILIZING THE MEMBERS OF THE CRC. SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU WENT TO CULVER'S LAST MONDAY NIGHT, SHE HAD THAT WHOLE GANG THERE IN APRONS WITH THEIR VOLUNTEER BADGES HANDING OUT FOOD.

SO SHE'S BUILDING A REAL ACTIVE TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE AND THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OTHER DIRECTORS PRIOR TO THIS THAT I WORKED WITH.

SO I'M JUST SO PLEASED THAT SHE'S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN GET A LOT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK.

AND SHE'S DOING PROGRAMS LIKE A MEDICAL CLINIC AT GRANGE ACRES.

SHE'S GOT I THINK SHE'S GOT THE BOOKMOBILE GOING OVER THERE.

SHE'S DOING SOME FOOD THINGS THERE, STILL FUNDRAISING.

SHE'S GETTING OUT AT THE FARMER'S MARKET TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THE SERVICES.

SO IT'S GONE WELL BEYOND RENT AND UTILITY PAYMENTS.

AND I'M THRILLED TO SEE THAT.

I THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO CLARIFY THAT ALL OF THESE COMMISSION MEMBERS WERE IN APRONS FOR A FUNDRAISING EFFORT.

THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE GEORGIA WALKED UP WITH AN APRON WITH OUR FOOD AND MY WIFE SAID, GEORGIA, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU STARTED WORKING AT CULVER'S. IT WAS PRICELESS.

THE LOOK ON HER FACE WAS REALLY SOMETHING.

MR. DESCHAINE? SINCE WE'RE HAVING A GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BUDGET, I DO WANT TO BROADEN A LITTLE BIT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A 13% INCREASE IN STAFFING FOR POLICE AND FIRE IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, AND THAT IS STILL WHERE WE PUT OUR TOP PRIORITY.

THE SERVICE THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND LIVELIHOOD OF OUR RESIDENTS.

AND ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT WITH THESE FUNDING POSITIONS WE'VE REACHED AN OPTIMAL LEVEL OF STAFFING? I'M NOT AN EXPERT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BE.

TRUTHFULLY, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION I WOULD WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH NOW CHIEF GRILLO AND CHIEF HAMEL AND HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM, THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAMS, AND GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THAT.

I DO KNOW THAT SINCE THE DAY I CAME HERE, EVERYONE'S TALKED ABOUT GETTING US BACK.

[01:50:05]

SOMEHOW WE GOT TO BACK TO 36.

AND I'M THINKING WE'RE AT 30. HOW IN THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO GET TO 36? AND IT'S YEAH, I FEEL I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT NUMBER.

BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, I THINK THE NUMBER OF PARAMEDICS, FIREFIGHTERS WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW POLICE.

I THINK WHEN WE GET TO 41, WE WILL PROBABLY BE COMFORTABLE.

BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT ENOUGH OF AN EXPERT ON THAT TO GIVE YOU A GOOD ANSWER.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE FIRE POLICE WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL.

WHO MIGHT HAVE A BETTER ANSWER? YEAH, WE'RE STRUGGLING IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT JUST TO FIND QUALIFIED APPLICANTS AND THEN KEEPING THE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS THAT WE HAVE FOUND, GETTING THEM THROUGH TRAINING.

SO IT'S A STRUGGLE AND WE'RE CONTINUALLY WORKING ON IT AND GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION TOMORROW WITH MY COMMAND STAFF ABOUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS.

BECAUSE WHEN WE HIRE SOMEBODY, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SEND THROUGH THE POLICE ACADEMY, IT'S A GOOD YEAR BEFORE WE ACTUALLY CAN USE THEM AS A SOLO PERFORMING OFFICER.

SO, IF I LOSE 1 OR 2 IN FIELD TRAINING, IT SETS US BACK QUITE A WAYS.

AND I KNOW IT'S THE SAME FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY FIND SOMEBODY WHO'S WHO'S QUALIFIED.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON, I GUESS, OUR SOLUTIONS FOR THAT.

I THINK TODAY AT 36, SWORN IS MY NUMBER.

SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GET OUR WAY UP, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WHENEVER WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HR, I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A BIGGER THAN POLICE AND FIRE. AND WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IN OUR HR EFFORTS.

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR RETENTION RIGHT NOW AND ATTRACTION OF EMPLOYEES, WE ARE FAR BETTER OFF TODAY THAN WE WERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

AND THAT GOES TO OUR DIRECTOR, CHIEF AND OUR TEAMS WHO ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF RETAINING PEOPLE AND THAT'S A KEY.

BUT WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EFFORT.

FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION IS ONCE WE HAVE ACHIEVED THAT GOAL FOR THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS VALUE THE HIGHEST, I THINK WE THEN IN FUTURE BUDGET NEED TO LOOK AT SECONDARY AND THIRD LEVEL DEPARTMENTS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ALSO VALUE.

PUBLIC WORKS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO OUR EMPLOYEES WATER AND SEWER SERVICES AND HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PROBLEMS THERE.

WE HAVE THE LOWEST RATES IN THE REGION.

MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO BE AS LOW AS THEY ARE IF IT MEANS WE CAN PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE.

I SEE IN MY DEPARTMENT THE TWO UTILITY BILLING PEOPLE, TWO WOMEN WHO WORK VERY, VERY HARD AND THEY'RE TAKING DIFFICULT PHONE CALLS ALL DAY.

WE'VE HAD TWO PEOPLE THERE FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, AND YET OUR NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS HAS INCREASED PROBABLY BY 15 OR 20% OVER THAT TIME.

SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE LOOK AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AT THE OPTIMAL LEVELS, OR ARE WE ASKING TOO MUCH OF CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO ARE WITH ENOUGH STRESS WILL EVENTUALLY SAY, I LOVE WORKING IN MARION TOWNSHIP, BUT I CAN'T TAKE THIS STRESS ALL BY MYSELF ALL DAY.

YEAH, AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT.

AND IT'S BEEN ONE THING AT A TIME TO TRY TO GET US TO OUR FIRST OF ALL, IT'S EMBRACING THE WHOLE TEAM AND THEN IT'S FIXING POLICE AND FIRE AND THEN IT'S FIXING BIG PICTURE. AND YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF UTILITY BILLING AND WE NEED TO DO WE NEED TO DO MORE.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT JOBS WE HAVE IN THE TOWNSHIP AND THE UTILITY WORKERS OUT THERE IN THE FIELD.

I MEAN, THEY'RE OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT REPLACING A BROKEN WATER MAIN THERE.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EXTRA PEOPLE IN THE IN THE FIELD STAFF EITHER.

SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING OUT THERE BECAUSE WE PROVIDE THE BEST WATER IN THE REGION AND VERY DEPENDABLE SERVICE AND AT VERY GOOD RATES.

AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER.

SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE.

AND WE HAVE ADDED ONE JUST WE HAVE ADDED ONE PERSON TO THAT DEPARTMENT IN THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS.

PLUS, WE MADE A BIG EFFORT TO MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR LEADS.

REMEMBER A YEAR AGO OR SO, 6, 18 MONTHS AGO.

SO WE'RE DOING THINGS AS I DON'T WANT TO SAY AS BEST WE CAN, BUT YEAH.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT.

TREASURER, WE NEED TO LOOK GLOBALLY AT EVERYTHING AND YEAH, AUTOMATION CAN HELP TO THE MANAGER.

OPSOMMER BROUGHT THIS IDEA OF ROBO CALLING.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE GOT THAT IDEA FROM, BUT HE BROUGHT IT TO THE UTILITY BILLING AND IT USED TO BE THAT THEY WOULD SPEND TWO DAYS A WEEK, A MONTH EACH.

SO ESSENTIALLY FOUR DAYS CALLING THE PEOPLE ON OUR SHUT OFF LIST, SAYING, PLEASE COME IN AND PAY YOUR BILL.

OTHERWISE, ON FRIDAY, WE'RE GOING TO SHUT YOUR SERVICE OFF BECAUSE YOU DON'T SHUT SOMEONE'S SERVICE OFF UNLESS WE GIVE THEM LOTS AND LOTS OF NOTICE.

IT'S A VERY LABOR INTENSIVE IDEA.

DAN BROUGHT IN THE IDEA OF USING ROBO CALLS TO THOSE PEOPLE, AND THEY GOT GOOD RESPONSE FROM THOSE ROBO CALLS AND THEY FREED UP ESSENTIALLY FOUR DAYS OF WORK FOR THEM TO DO OTHER, MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.

SO AUTOMATION CAN HELP.

AND DIRECTOR HAS BEEN GREAT AND BRINGING US GIVING US THE BEST TOOLS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.

BUT AUTOMATION ITSELF CAN ONLY GO SO FAR AS WELL.

YEAH. AND HE'S BEEN ON, ON, ON THE, ON THE BIG PROJECT WHICH IS THE, WHICH IS REPLACING THE WATER METERS.

[01:55:07]

GREAT. THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO ADD A COMMENT TO THE PERSONNEL IN POLICE AND FIRE.

I LEARNED PROBABLY FROM MY PLANNING COMMISSION DAYS THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE NUMBER OF NUMBER OF FIREMEN, FIREFIGHTERS OR POLICEMEN PER POPULATION.

AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN GROWING VERY SLOWLY, ALSO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO JUST GET BACK TO A STANDARD THAT WE WE WERE SATISFYING WHEN WE WERE MUCH LESS THAN 41,000 PEOPLE.

SO IT'S ANOTHER WAY OF GAUGING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE ACTUALLY PROVIDING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB THE WAY WE WANTED TO? YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE.

WE JUST GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE LOOK AT NATIONAL STANDARDS BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE NATIONAL STANDARDS ARE BASED ON CITIES WHERE TEN STOREY BUILDINGS AND HUGE DOWNTOWNS AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING. AND IT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET AS I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I NEVER THOUGHT.

TAVIS, WE'D BE BACK TO 30.

I DIDN'T THINK WE'D SEE 36.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WE'RE INCHING OUR WAY BACK.

THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE.

I WOULD CONCUR WITH THAT, BUT I LIKE TO STOP, PAUSE AND CELEBRATE MILESTONES.

AND THIS IS ONE TONIGHT.

GOOD. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND ONE OF THEM RELATES TO SOMETHING THAT THE MANAGER JUST BROUGHT UP, WHICH I WILL GET BACK TO, BUT I HAVEN'T HADN'T TAKEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO PUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE BUDGET TOGETHER.

AND THIS IS A LOT OF WORK YOU CAN TELL.

AND I THINK THAT THE FOLKS, THE DEPARTMENTS WHO PUT IT TOGETHER HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF MAINTAINING FRUGALITY WHILE ALSO SPENDING IN AREAS OF NEED.

AND SO I THINK THAT STARTS AT THE TOP WITH MANAGER WALSH AND FILTERS DOWN TO THE WHOLE TEAM THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THANK YOU. YEAH, IT'S A REAL TEAM EFFORT.

PROUD OF THE TEAM I HAVE TO GET TO WORK WITH.

THANK YOU. SO THE QUESTION I HAD RELATED TO THIS WATER METER PROJECT, AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HEARD IT CORRECTLY.

IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE 400M, RIGHT? I BELIEVE SO. 400M.

IT'S 400M THAT WE ARE NOT GETTING READS ON RIGHT NOW.

IT'S A 366M THAT WE CAN'T GET A READ ON.

OKAY. HOWEVER, METERS HAVE A 20 YEAR LIFE EXPECTANCY AND THERE'S ABOUT 9000M IN OUR SYSTEM.

THAT WILL BE THE METER.

THE BATTERY LIFE WILL BE EXPIRING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

OKAY. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS REPLACING 9000 OUT OF 15,000.

IT'S IT'S ESSENTIALLY 60% OF OUR METERS ON THE DOT.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT, IS BECAUSE THE NUMBERS DIDN'T LINE UP FOR 400M AND 800,000.

THAT SEEMED LIKE A PREPOSTEROUS AMOUNT.

THE 400M, THOUGH, CAUSE A LOT OF CONSTERNATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY ESTIMATE THEIR BILL.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF HANDWORK THAT GOES IN.

SO IT BECOMES LABOR INTENSIVE.

SO, TO TREASURER DESCHAINE'S POINT ABOUT STAFF HOURS THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED BY OTHER MEASURES, WELL, THEY'RE BEING OFFSET BY OTHER MEASURES.

SO I WILL SAY THAT DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY REPLACING 60,000 BECAUSE IN APPROXIMATELY 2015 WHEN HE CAME IN, THERE WAS A HUGE UPTICK IN THE REPLACEMENT OF OUR METERS.

SO WE HAVE 40% OF OUR METERS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT 40% REPLACED IN THAT 2015 TO 2021 TIME FRAME THAT DEPUTY MANAGER PERRY WAS HERE.

YEAH, I THINK MINE ALSO MINE IN MY HOUSE REACHED ITS END OF LIFE IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

AND ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP TEAM CAME OUT AND AND TOOK CARE OF THAT AND VERY PLEASED TO HAVE GOTTEN THAT DONE.

SO I THANK YOU.

THAT WAS THAT'S IMPORTANT.

WAS THERE CONSIDERATION GIVEN IF I MAY, JUST ONE THING ABOUT THAT, WE'RE BEHIND ON THE WATER METER REPLACEMENT.

BUT AS TREASURER DESCHAINE KNOWS, WE'VE HAD A DEBATE STIRRING IN THIS BUILDING FOR MONTHS ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.

AND SUFFICE TO SAY, I WON'T GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS, BUT I'M REALLY PLEASED WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.

IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD AND TREASURER DESCHAINE WAS INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF THOSE MEETINGS.

THANK YOU. DO WE EXPECT THAT THE 6000M THAT ARE BEING REPLACED AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE OR HAVE ALREADY REACHED THEIR END OF LIFE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

[02:00:03]

WE'LL REPLACE THEM OVER THE COURSE OF APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF TO FOUR AND A HALF YEARS LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

BECAUSE YOU HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS.

IT'LL REALLY DEPEND ON THE STRAGGLERS.

I DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT PROBABLY IT'LL DEPEND ON SO MANY MOVING TARGETS.

WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH GETTING METERS.

SO I HAVE 1000M.

WE JUST GOT A THOUSAND IN MARCH.

WE HAVE ANOTHER THOUSAND ARRIVING THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK.

BUT THEN NOW WE'RE GOING TO SIGN THIS CONTRACT FOR THE 9000M.

AND SO I HAVE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF QUANTITIES WE'LL GET.

AND THAT'S GOING TO DICTATE HOW QUICKLY WE CAN MOVE.

BUT GENERALLY, IT'S GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A THREE YEAR AND A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM.

BUT EACH YEAR WE'LL PAY WE'LL BE PAYING LESS BECAUSE WE'LL BE PUTTING FEWER METERS IN AS TIME GOES ON.

WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT 200 OR SO CUSTOMERS THAT REALLY ARE JUST NOT ACQUIESCING AND SCHEDULING THE APPOINTMENT.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S REALLY GOING TO LINGER IN YEARS FOUR AND FIVE.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE MAYBE 4000 NEXT YEAR.

IF WE CAN GET THE SUPPLY, THEN MAYBE 3000 AND THEN THE FINAL 2 OR 3 YEARS ARE GOING TO BE JUST THAT FINAL TEN, 15% OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A HOLD OF AND SCHEDULE.

THANK YOU. SO THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF VERY, VERY SMALL THINGS I WAS HOPING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CODIFIED IN THE BUDGET, AND THAT INCLUDES A COUPLE OF EVENTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS PUT ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT I THINK WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED.

AND THAT'S THE JUNETEENTH EVENT AS WELL AS THE PRIDE EVENT THERE IN THE BUDGET HERE, THERE'S $1,300 FOR THE MERIDIAN CARES HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPO.

I THINK A SIMILAR APPROPRIATION FOR THE PRIDE EVENT IN THE JUNETEENTH EVENT WOULD BE IN ORDER TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE EVENTS.

I THINK THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL.

I THINK THAT THEY CAN GROW AND AS THEY GROW, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO A SEED MONEY TO HELP THAT HAPPEN.

THANK YOU. AND THAT POINT'S WELL TAKEN.

I BELIEVE I MAY BE MISTAKEN, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAD FUNDING EXCEEDING 15 HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE FREEDOM FEST AND DIRECTOR CLARK'S WORK ON THAT. ACTUALLY, INSTEAD OF COMPETING, IT'S A COMMUNITY PLANNING.

OKAY. OH, I MUST HAVE JUST MISSED IT IN A DIFFERENT BUDGET THEN.

OKAY. SORRY. THERE WAS THERE WAS A SECTION FOR THE PRIDE EVENT AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I MUST HAVE MISSED.

IT'S IT'S 190 PAGES.

I DON'T PROFESS TO HAVE MEMORIZED IT ALL.

SO ARE YOU ALL SET THEN? ARE YOU ALL SET? OKAY.

OKAY. FOR THE PRIDE, WE'LL PUT THAT IN $1,500.

DO YOU WANT TO KEEP JUST REAL QUICK, IF I MAY, DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE 1500 IN IN CASE WE DO HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPO OR OR DO YOU WANT TO SWITCH THAT 1500 OVER? I THINK THAT IS A CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE.

I THINK IT WAS A PARTICULARLY TIMELY EVENT GIVEN THE SHOOTINGS AND THE SWATTING AND SO ON.

AND MAYBE WE WANT TO GIVE THAT A REST FOR A YEAR OR TWO AND MAKE IT AND PUT OUR EFFORTS MORE INTO THE OTHER PROJECTS.

CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, JUNETEENTH, THE PRIDE EVENT, AND AND FOCUS REALLY ON THOSE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS I WOULD ALLOCATE.

I WOULD ADVOCATE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO REPEAT IT.

THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPO AGAIN.

SO, THANK YOU.

SO SWITCH THE 1500.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO OVER THE PRIDE.

YEAH. OKAY. BOTH GREAT EVENTS, BOTH GREAT EVENTS.

BUT IT IS IT IS TRUSTEE WILSON'S BABY AT THE END OF THE DAY AND IF SHE IF SHE WANTS TO TAKE A YEAR, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY NOT.

THEY WERE GREAT EVENTS ALL SUMMER.

WE DID? YEAH.

REALLY AMAZING. YEAH.

I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I'M GOING TO GUESS WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO COME BACK TO MAYBE ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN A HOLD OF DIRECTOR MAISNER.

YOU NOT THERE IS IN THE FUTURE CIP $185,000 FOR THE SNELL TOWER RECREATION CENTER.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PAGE WE ARE ON? PAGE 44 040 AND IT'S LISTED IN, I THINK, THE FUTURE YEARS SECTION.

SO THE CRYSTAL BALL PART OF THE BUDGET.

AND I AM WONDERING WHAT THAT'S ABOUT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MADE SOME GREAT PROGRESS RECENTLY IN GETTING THAT FACILITY UP AND RUNNING AGAIN.

REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THAT.

DIRECTOR SCHMITT ACTUALLY PUT THE CIP TOGETHER WITH INPUT FROM EVERYONE, SO MAYBE 4040 AND THEY'RE NOW TABBED.

YEAH. SO IT'S GOT ITS OWN LITTLE SECTION HERE.

SNELL TOWER RECREATION CENTER, EMINENTLY LOCATION.

[02:05:06]

TOWNER WALSH FERGUSON MOWER FEELS THE TIME WHILE YOU FIND IT.

I JUST. WHY AM I NOT SEEING THIS? SO I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO LUANNE DIRECTLY, BUT HAVING WALKED THROUGH THE FACILITY, I CAN IMAGINE WHAT THAT LINE ITEM IS FOR.

SO OBVIOUSLY WITH THE CIP, WE'RE FORECASTING FUTURE PROJECTS MANY YEARS FROM NOW AND WE'RE TRYING TO PROJECT WHAT INFLATION IS GOING TO BE.

BUT IF YOU WERE TO WALK THROUGH THAT FACILITY, EVERY INCH OF THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR REALLY NEEDS TO BE TOUCHED IN SOME WAY.

THE IS IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE.

SO TLC IS GREATLY NEEDED.

SO THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL.

AND GENERALLY THAT'S THE ANSWER.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THIS OUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR, HOPEFULLY WITH THE HELP OF DIRECTOR MASSEY.

WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF IDEAS OF THINGS TO ADD TO THIS, ONE OF WHICH BEING DESCRIPTION OF ROUGHLY WHAT THIS IS.

AND SO, THAT IS UP GENERAL UPGRADES TO THE FACILITY THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING.

AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS FOR FOR ANYTHING THAT'S MORE THAN LIKE THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO PUT A MARKER OUT THERE THAT THIS IS THE ROUGH ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE KNOW, THE ROUGH SCALE OF THE PROJECT.

AND SO THAT'S GENERAL RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING.

BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.

THAT NUMBER I WOULD NOT THAT MY PAYCHECK ON THAT NUMBER BUT IT IS SIMPLY TO TO SHOW THE SCALE OF WHAT WE EXPECT THAT RENOVATION TO LOOK LIKE.

OKAY. SO THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.

AND I GUESS JUST AS A GENERAL QUESTION FOR SOMETHING THAT FALLS OUTSIDE OF WHAT IS LISTED HERE IN THE CURRENT CIP FOR THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, IF THE BOARD WERE TO SAY THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO, CAN WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE SORT OF THING THAT WE COULD MOVE ON IF WE WANTED TO? ABSOLUTELY. SO THE IDEA OF THE CIP, THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS EXPLAINED THE CIP IS THE CIP IS JUST TAKE A STEP BACK, MASTER PLAN, BIG PICTURE VIEW OF THE COMMUNITY AND HOW WE WANT TO DEVELOP.

MASTER PLAN FOLDS INTO THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THE INFLAMMATION IMPLEMENTATION TOOL THERE.

THE NEXT STEP DOWN IS THE CIP, BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY GETTING INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS.

AND IN SOME COMMUNITIES IT GETS INTO ESPECIALLY GROWING FAST GROWING COMMUNITIES.

IT GETS INTO CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROADS, CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SEWERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO THE CIP THEN BECOMES THE PLANNING TOOL FOR THE SPECIFIC PAYMENTS OF PROJECTS.

AND TO YOUR POINT, THOUGH, THE ONE I WOULD POINT OUT IS ACTUALLY ON PAGE 46, THE TORNADO SIRENS.

WE HAVE THE TORNADO SIRENS UNDER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUILT OUT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

IF THE BOARD CHOOSES TO DO THAT THIS YEAR, WHAT WE'LL DO ON THE BACK END IS THERE'LL BE A CHANGE THAT YOU'LL SEE IN NEXT YEAR'S PLAN, BECAUSE WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL THEN WE'RE GOING TO PROJECT OUT THE REPLACEMENT CYCLE OF THOSE FOR FUTURE YEARS.

AND SO INSTEAD OF HAVING 35, 35, 35, 35 FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, THERE'S GOING TO BE NOTHING AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET A FUTURE YEAR AND IT'S GOING TO SAY $40,000 AND THERE'LL BE A NOTE TIMES 16 BASED ON A REPLACEMENT CYCLE OF 25 YEARS OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER TURNS OUT TO BE.

SO ABSOLUTELY, THIS IS REALLY INTENDED TO START GIVING US A VIEW AHEAD TO THE EXTENT WE CAN ON WHAT THINGS ARE COMING SO THAT WE CAN, AS PART OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND OTHER BUDGETING MEASURES, PLAN FOR THOSE.

THANK YOU. SO THE REASON I BRING IT UP IS I TOO HAD THE THE CEILINGS BUDGET ITEM CIRCLED ON MY ON MY END HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT WHAT WAYS COULD THAT MONEY BE RE APPROPRIATED THAT WOULD BE IN WHAT WAS MY VIEW SPENDING LESS ON THE TOWNSHIP STAFF AND THE TOWNSHIP BUILDINGS THAT BENEFIT OUR STAFF AND EMPLOYEES AND COULD BE SPENT MORE INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS.

THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT I HAD CIRCLED ON HERE THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FACILITY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE ARE

[02:10:08]

WE'VE ALREADY REVITALIZED IT PARTIALLY.

WE'VE ALREADY MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS.

MAYBE WE DOUBLE DOWN AND SAY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO BRING A BIG CHANGE TO THAT AREA.

I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS THE END ALL, BE ALL.

I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.

BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS I THINK WOULD BE A WORTHY.

USE OF SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE MAYBE COULD HAVE PUT TOWARD THE MUNICIPAL CEILING PROJECT.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO MENTION ONE MORE THING BEFORE I CALL MYSELF DONE HERE, WHICH IS I WANT TO APPLAUD THE THE PLAN TO INCLUDE ONE OF THE SOLAR PROJECTS THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BOARD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WITH THE SOLAR STUDY THAT DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER PUT TOGETHER.

AND I'D LIKE TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT WE HAVE DONE SOME SOLAR AND WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN PERHAPS WITHOUT RECORDING IT, BENEFIT FROM HAVING DONE SO.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE AND I'LL LET MANAGER WALSH AND DIRECTOR TELL ME HOW IT COULD BE DONE PEGGING THE UTILITY COSTS AT OUR CURRENT RATE IN TOTALITY FOR THE TOWNSHIP AT THE 2023 LEVEL.

AND THEN AS THESE SOLAR PROJECTS COME ONLINE, WHATEVER THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN OUR RATE THAT WE SPEND TODAY AND THE RATE THAT WE SPEND, WHICH WE HOPE TO BE LOWER NEXT YEAR AND PUT THAT INTO A DEDICATED FUND FOR USE ON FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS. SO MAYBE THAT'S THE NEXT SOLAR PROJECT.

MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FUNDING FOR THE GREEN GRANTS CAN COME OUT OF THERE.

THERE ARE OTHER THERE ARE MANY IDEAS THAT WE COULD PUT THAT TOWARD, BUT I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE COULD PUT THAT DEDICATED MONEY ASIDE AND SAY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE SAVINGS THAT WE GET FROM GOING SOLAR AS A TOWNSHIP CAN BE USED FOR FUTURE GREEN PROJECTS.

HOW DO WE GET THAT DONE? CAN WE GET IT DONE? SURE. YEAH, WE ARE HERE TO IMPLEMENT THE BOARD'S POLICIES.

AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THE SNEL, I HAVE MY LOCAL HISTORIAN AND THE WAITING IN THE WINGS.

HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE SNEL.

30 YEARS OF HISTORY HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP.

YES. IMPECCABLE YEARS, I MIGHT SAY.

YEAH, WHATEVER.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO IMPLEMENT YOUR GOALS AND YOUR POLICIES AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

SO WE HAVE.

WE HAVE TIME. WE HAVE TIME.

THIS DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE DONE BY THE BUDGET ADOPTION IN TWO WEEKS.

WE JUST NEED TO LISTEN TO YOU, HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND THEN USE OUR CREATIVITY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CREATIVE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.

I'M LOOKING TO MY LEFT HERE AND SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT WHATEVER GOALS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WANTS TO TRY TO ACHIEVE.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM TRUSTEE WISINSKI.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES.

A LOT OF THINGS ARE CHECKED OFF MY LIST.

SO I DO HAVE LET'S SEE, TWO MORE IDEAS.

AND ONE QUESTION THAT I'M NOT SURE CAN BE ANSWERED TODAY.

WE'LL START, BY THE WAY, IF I MAY.

JUST REAL QUICK. ONE THING. I THOUGHT OF SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING, AND I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I DON'T WANT TO FORGET THE SNEL PROJECT, THE PAVILION PROJECT, THE SENIOR PROJECT COMMUNITY CENTER.

IT'S ALL BEING PUT IN A WORKLOAD FOR OUR NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.

I MEAN, OUR NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR IS GOING TO HAVE HE OR SHE OR THEY THEIR HANDS FULL WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP.

WE HAVE A GREAT VISION, THOUGH.

IT'S EXCITING. RIGHT? I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD.

NO, VERY GOOD POINT. THANK YOU, MANAGER.

SO I WAS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND I'M SURE I'VE SAID TO MY BOARD MEMBERS IN THE PAST WELL, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ADDING TO OUR GREEN GRANTS PROGRAM BECAUSE WE HAD MORE APPLICATIONS THAN WE HAD FUNDING FOR.

AND SO, IT'S CERTAINLY CATCHING ON.

AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE TYPE OF PROJECTS HAS CERTAINLY GROWN, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

FLOWER GARDENS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT WE'RE FUNDING A GENTLEMAN TO PUBLISH HIS BOOK ON THE LAKE LANSING MARSH.

THERE'S ANOTHER NAME FOR IT.

I'M NOT SURE. MAYBE DIRECTOR GIBBS KNOWS, BUT IT'S BEHIND THE HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL.

[02:15:07]

MUD LAKE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MUCH. SO VERY DIVERSE.

AND SO THE ATTENTION HAS GROWN.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

WE DOUBLED THAT. I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CAN SPEND THAT.

IN THE PAST, WE HAD HAD WHAT WE CALLED A WETLAND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN THAT I NOTICED WAS NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET, BUT IN TALKING.

KINTA ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEMBERS AND THERE IS ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN FUNDING, SOME ADDITIONAL TYPES OF PROJECTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ENERGY TEAM OR OUR FOOD CLEANING TEAM.

AND SO MY PROPOSAL AND OR CONVERSATION FOR THE BOARD IS CAN WE ADD A LINE ITEM THAT'S LIKE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN PROGRAMING.

SO IT GIVES THE COMMISSION THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE HOW THEY WANT TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDS.

AND MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 30,000 THAT COULD STILL SUSTAIN THE WETLAND EDUCATION PROGRAM, BUT ALSO MAYBE SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE COMMISSION THINKS ARE VALUABLE.

CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN PROGRAMING OR PROGRAMING PLANNING OR PROGRAMING.

SO THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN IS A PART OF THE MASTER PLAN.

SO YEAH, JUST LEAVING THAT OPEN IN A SENSE, THAT WAS ONE.

THE OTHER ONE IS WITH RESPECT TO THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT AND JUST WANTED TO I KNOW THAT'S IN THE BUDGET, I KNOW THERE'S, I'M HOPING THERE'S ACTION BEHIND THAT, BUT WANTED TO OFFER THAT.

AND WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR PARK COMMISSIONERS, PARK COMMISSIONER LIK, SHE ALSO HAD SOME INFORMATION WITH SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA THAT I CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION TO, BUT ALSO TO LET US KNOW THAT I THINK IT'S 130,000 MDH MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PROVIDES FREE NARCAN.

SO YOU JUST APPLY FOR IT AND YOU CAN RECEIVE IT.

GIVEN THAT THERE WILL OF COURSE BE A COST FOR IMPLEMENTATION OR IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO WITH THAT.

SO NOT REALLY A CHANGE TO THE BUDGET PER SE, BUT JUST OFFERING SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, IF I MAY.

YEAH, I DID.

I KNOW IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY, SO YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT I DID SEND OUT AN EMAIL ACTUALLY, THAT CHIEF GRILLO HAD PUT TOGETHER ABOUT SOME OF THE AND I LEARNED TODAY THAT THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN DO THAT'S PRETTY INEXPENSIVE WITH OPIOID MONEY THAT PROVIDES SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICERS CARRY ON THEMSELVES.

A LITTLE NARCAN THING THAT BECAUSE IF THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY FENTANYL OR ANYTHING AND THEY'RE, BUT THEY PERFORM THEIR JOBS, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE IT RIGHT ON THEM AT ALL TIMES.

SO THERE'S SOME IDEAS OUT THERE FOR THE OPIOID.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME IDEAS THAT COME FORWARD.

THERE'S I THINK THE CHIEF IS TALKING TO THE SHERIFF ABOUT THE NARCAN VENDING MACHINES AS WELL.

SO WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION FROM YOU.

BUT CERTAINLY IF THE BOARD HAS SOME IDEAS FOR THAT FUNDING, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

FANTASTIC. I DID SEE AT THE VERY END OF THE DAY, DIDN'T GET TO THOROUGHLY.

IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY.

THANK YOU. THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, AND I'M NOT SURE CHIEF IS NOT HERE, BUT I'M WONDERING IF OUR FIRE MARSHAL COULD HELP ON PAGE 36.

LET'S MAKE SURE I HAVE THAT RIGHT.

WE HAVE A NEW BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR NEW BUDGET LINE ITEMS, BUT ONE OF THEM IS HOSPITAL WALL TIME AFTER 30 MINUTES.

AND MY QUESTION WAS, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN ANSWER IT TODAY.

AND THE POINT IS, IS THAT WE GO TO THE PATIENT OR THE HOSPITAL OR OR WHO PAYS THAT PARTICULAR FEE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

THE WALL TIME IS SPARROW OR MCLAREN.

THE HOSPITAL. YOU CAN COME UP HERE.

YEAH. SORRY.

I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF LAST WEEK ABOUT.

OKAY, GO AHEAD.

HERE'S THE EXPERT. EXPERT? YEAH. OKAY.

THAT LINE ITEM WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY TO THE MEDICAL FACILITY.

OKAY. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS WAIT TIMES FOR PATIENT TURNOVERS THAT ARE TAKING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME.

I SHOULDN'T SAY ENORMOUS IN COMPARISON TO OTHER PLACES IN THE NATION.

IT'S NOT. BUT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE INCREASE IN WAIT TIME FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TURN OVER PATIENTS IN THE ERS.

AND SO THAT WALL TIME, AS WE CALL IT, THAT WOULD BE SENT TO THE MEDICAL FACILITIES.

THANK YOU. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE PATIENT SO THAT THE PATIENT.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT IS.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SUPERVISOR.

[02:20:01]

SUPERVISOR THERE WAS ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WHOLE, THE ENTIRE BOARD GOT THE FOLLOW UP AND THAT IS ON THE MEDICAL, THE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES THAT WE SHOW UP AND WE CHARGE THAT IS CHARGED TO THE FACILITY AS WELL.

THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'S THE LIFT ASSIST AT $400.

OKAY. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

SO, A MOTOR POOL.

THERE'S A OVER $1 MILLION SPENT IN THE MOTOR POOL.

AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE LIST THE VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE AND DENOTE WHERE WE'RE REPLACING VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE.

BUT IN SOME INSTANCES, THERE ARE THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THIS IS A REPLACEMENT.

AND MY QUESTION IS, ARE THESE NEW VEHICLES AND ARE WE EXPANDING THE MOTOR POOL WE HAVE NOW? THESE ARE ALL REPLACEMENTS.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY THE TOOL KIT.

I DON'T KNOW IF I THINK THAT'S A REPLACEMENT.

I'M AND I'M MOSTLY INTERESTED IN THE PICKUP TRUCKS.

SO YEAH, EVERYTHING IS A REPLACEMENT IN KIND FOR A, LIKE, VEHICLE.

OKAY. SO THE ONLY ADDITION THAT WE DID WAS LAST YEAR DUE TO ASSESSING HAVING A MORE ROBUST INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WE DIDN'T GET RID OF SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE INTERCEPTORS THAT HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED FROM POLICE INTERCEPTORS TO PUBLIC WORKS VEHICLES.

BUT WE DID AUCTION OFF THE OLD FIRE ENGINE OR THE OLD LADDER TRUCK AND ONE OTHER PIECE OF FIRE APPARATUS LAST YEAR, BUT WE KEPT SOME OF THE SMALL INTERCEPTORS JUST DUE TO GROWTH IN SOME OF OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS AND PLANNING AND ASSESSING THE BIG IMPACT HAS BEEN THE COST.

MY DEAL BASICALLY DOESN'T EXIST.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PRICES, THOSE ARE BASICALLY WHAT YOU WOULD PAY TO DRIVE A CAR OFF A LOT.

TWO YEARS AGO AND 20 ACTUALLY LAST YEAR WE PAID 28,000 FOR AN 5048 50,000.

NOW MY DEAL BECAUSE OF THE CHIP SHORTAGE AND SUPPLY CHAIN.

MY DEAL BASICALLY DOESN'T EXIST.

THE MY DEAL PRICE IS MAYBE A COUPLE THOUSAND OFF MSRP.

SO WE'RE GETTING SAME RATE THAT PEOPLE WOULD DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT.

OKAY. A DIFFERENT KIND OF QUESTION.

DON'T LEAVE. SO THERE IN PARTICULAR IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE TO MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT VEHICLES, THE EV.

I AM ONLY CONCERNED THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF A PLAN TO TO TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHARGES, SO IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO BUY THEM NOW.

BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IF THERE'S A PHILOSOPHY OR A PLAN IN THE TOWNSHIP.

SO THE BOARD DID ADOPT AS PART OF THE TOWNSHIP'S 2023 GOALS, YOU ADOPTED A GOAL OF CREATING A DESIGN FOR EV CHARGERS IN THIS COMPLEX.

SO WE'RE DOING THAT WORK RIGHT NOW.

WE SIGNED A CONTRACT RECENTLY WITH BERGMAN, WHICH WAS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FIRM.

THEY WERE JUST BOUGHT OUT BY A DIFFERENT FIRM, SO THEIR NAME CHANGED ALREADY.

SO, WE'RE IN WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING IT FOR THIS COMPLEX.

IT WOULD BE TWO STAFF CHARGERS AT THE SOUTH END, TWO IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY CARPORTS, AND THEN TWO IN THE PUBLIC PARKING CLOSE TO THE BUILDING HERE IN THE MAIN PARKING LOT.

SO, AND THEN IN TERMS OF VEHICLES, THE VEHICLE THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT AS OUR FIRST EV WOULD BE A NON PURSUIT POLICE VEHICLE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO NOW CHIEF GRILLO ABOUT BUT HAD SPOKEN TO THEN CHIEF PLAGA ABOUT, THERE ARE NOT THERE ARE NO PURSUIT RATED EV VEHICLES TODAY.

SO, IN TERMS OF THE INTERCEPTORS THAT THE OFFICERS DRIVE DAY TO DAY, NONE OF THOSE CAN REALLY BE REPLACED WITH AN EV.

TODAY THERE IS THE ESCAPE.

WE DIDN'T REPLACE THE ESCAPE BECAUSE WHEN WE REALLY SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AT THE VEHICLES THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE, THERE WERE JUST GREATER NEEDS IN THAT ESCAPE IS A NON PURSUIT VEHICLE. IT DOESN'T GET A LOT OF MILES.

SO, WE PUSH THAT OFF AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR, POSSIBLY TWO YEARS.

SO, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST VEHICLE THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT PILOTING AN EV.

ALL THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT PLANNING ALL THE A LOT OF THE VEHICLES THAT OUR STAFF USE, BUILDING, PLANNING, ETCETERA, THEY'RE ALL JUST DOWNGRADES FROM THE POLICE INTERCEPTORS.

SO REALLY THE POLICE FORCE HAS TO BE WORKED OVER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DOWNGRADE PURSUIT VEHICLES THAT ARE EVS TO US.

OKAY. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE THAT YOU THAT YOU SHOW US.

AND THE PLAN.

I THINK THERE'S GREAT PLANNING AND I APPRECIATE SEEING IT.

SO ANYONE ELSE?

[02:25:01]

MR. WALSH, MAY I JUST GO OVER RIGHT NOW WHAT I HAVE, MAKE SURE IT'S ALIGNED WITH THE BOARD'S.

SO THE SIREN PROJECT IS GOING TO GO FORWARD AT 120,000 FOR NEXT YEAR.

THE CEILING PROJECT AS OFF FOR NOW.

BUT TO COME BACK WITH SOME POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CEILING WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

FUND INCREASE TO $40,000.

THE PRIDE EVENT AT 1500, BUT TAKE OFF THE 1500 FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN PROGRAMING PLAN AT $30,000. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE SO FAR IN THE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED ANYTHING.

NO ONE HEARD ANYTHING THEY MISSED.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, BUT I WOULD LIKE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY SPEND THAT, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BECOME A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL TO THE BOARD. BEFORE THAT WAS IT'S A NEW IDEA AND I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING ONE, BUT I THINK EXPENDITURE OF THAT SIZE, THE BOARD REALLY SHOULD SEE IT IN ITS SPECIFICS BEFORE WE JUST SAY, HERE'S $30,000.

I THINK WE HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THE EXPENSE OF THAT LARGE AND IN DETAIL.

BUT I LIKE THE CONCEPT AND I'M GLAD IT CAME FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

THE CURRENT $20,000 IN ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS, I THINK WAS THE PROGRAM WE STARTED 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, WHICH WAS THE TREE GRANT THAT'S NOW GROWN MUCH BROADER THAN THE TREE GRANT AND TOUCHES A LOT MORE ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW THAT'S GROWN.

AND IT $20,000, THAT'S VERY WELL SPENT.

AND SO I SUPPORT THE IDEA.

IT JUST TAKES ME BACK TO A CONVERSATION WITH BERNIE AND OUR GROUP IF YOU NEED A LITTLE HUMOR.

SO I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO GET WE'RE GOING TO GET TRUSTEE WISINSKI THIS YEAR BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE TAKE IN THE GREEN GRANT, SHE, SHE, SHE GETS TO DOUBLE IT.

SO THIS YEAR WE'RE JUST GOING TO DOUBLE IT, MAKE SURE SHE'LL BE SATISFIED.

THERE WON'T BE ANY REQUESTS.

SO. OH, WELL, GOOD JOB.

OKAY. WHAT MEMBERS HAVE WE COVERED? ALL OUR CONCERNS.

INTEREST IN CHANGE. DO YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED? YEAH. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, IF THE BOARD COULD THINK ABOUT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE DON'T NEED TO FINALIZE IT IN TWO WEEKS.

IT CAN BE. IT CAN BE AMENDED.

AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A MOVING DOCKET.

IT CAN BE AMENDED AT ANY TIME.

ANY BOARD MEMBER CAN BRING UP A PROJECT NON-PERSONNEL AT ANY TIME AND TAKE IT TO THE BOARD.

YEAH, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IN TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, WELL, THAT'S IT.

WE'RE DONE. SO IF THERE'S A PROJECT, YOU KNOW, I HEARD DISCUSSION ABOUT LET'S TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT SNELL IS THERE A BIG PROJECT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S A PRIORITY TO THE BOARD THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE.

JUST WHAT IS THE PRIORITY OF THE BOARD AND WHERE DO THEY WANT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THAT? SO, BECAUSE WE ARE NOW THE WAY IT SHAPES UP RIGHT NOW, AFTER WE TAKE CARE OF ALL OUR OBLIGATIONS, WE ADD TWO FIREFIGHTERS, WE BUY ALL THIS EQUIPMENT, AND WE DO THIS LONG LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.

OUR FUNDING LEVEL IS HIGHER THAN WHAT IT WAS A YEAR AGO.

SO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE WOW FACTOR, AS THEY USED TO SAY AT WHIRLPOOL.

WHAT'S THE WOW FACTOR? RIGHT. ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO TAKE, THE WHIRLPOOL HAD TO HAVE THE WOW FACTOR AS FAR AS ASKING THEM FOR FUNDING.

SO I WOULD ASK YOU TONIGHT TO CONSIDER IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT'S A WOW FACTOR TO YOU THAT COULD CHANGE THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT, HOW TO FUND IT, BECAUSE THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO DO SOMETHING BROADER THAN WHAT WE HAVE.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A LOT IN THIS BUDGET, THERE'S ROOM FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE, I HAVEN'T HEARD IT MENTIONED HERE TONIGHT THAT THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE STARTED OUT WITH A BALANCED BUDGET BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE KINDS OF CHANGES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR TONIGHT WILL CHANGE THAT VERY MUCH.

IT WON'T. IN FACT, IT'LL INCREASE THE THE REVENUE RATIO OVER THE EXPENDITURES SIGNIFICANTLY.

YEAH. SO, CONGRATULATIONS.

THEN WE CAN CLOSE DOWN THIS DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT AND WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION OR OUR NEXT MEETING.

EXCUSE ME. YEAH. WE'LL MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WERE DISCUSSED TONIGHT.

WE'LL IMPLEMENT THOSE INTO THE BUDGET.

AND I JUST WANT TO CLOSE BY THANKING YOU.

[02:30:02]

IT'S AN HONOR TO DELIVER THE 11TH BUDGET SINCE I'VE BECAME TOWNSHIP MANAGER HERE.

AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WORK OF OUR TEAM, BUT ESPECIALLY BERNIE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS BACK ON JULY 1ST, THE DAY AFTER OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, FORMER FINANCE DIRECTOR, LEFT, I WAS OF THE OPINION WE NEEDED TO HIRE AND BRING SOMEBODY IN, PAY THEM TO OVERSEE THE BUDGET.

IT WAS. AN IMPORTANT OF A PROJECT.

AND YOU KNOW, BERNIE, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BERNIE BECOMING OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

IT WASN'T THE RIGHT TIME FOR HER, BUT IT JUST GOES TO SHOW I WAS HEADING IN ONE DIRECTION.

AND BY LISTENING TO HER AND LISTENING TO OTHERS, IT WAS GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY.

AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.

SHE DID PHENOMENAL WORK.

AND I'M I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR HER WORK OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

OKAY, NOW WE COME TO COMMENTS.

ITEM 14 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT THIS TIME.

SEEING NONE, WE MOVE TO ITEM 15.

OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.

AND THEN I THINK WHAT BECOMES ITEM 16 IS A

[Additional Item]

THERE HAS TO BE A MOTION AND A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE TO ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR CONSIDERATION OF A PERSONNEL MATTER UNDER MCL 15.268, SECTION ONE, A SUPPORT.

YOU HAVE COMMENTS TO MAKE.

OTHER COMMENTS TO MAKE? NOT AT THIS TIME.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? LET'S BE A ROLL CALL. ROLL CALL.

OKAY, MR. SPURLOCK.

I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK.

DIDN'T WE ALREADY DO THIS? I BEG YOUR PARDON? WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW FOR GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION.

LET'S START WITH SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.