[00:00:01]
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
MERIDIAN AND INVITE OUR MULTITUDINOUS PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION THIS EVENING.WE ACTUALLY HAD A TWO DOZEN PEOPLE FOR OUR LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
[3. CHANGES TO/APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
ANYBODY HAVE ANY CHANGES THEY'D LIKE TO SUGGEST FOR THE AGENDA THAT'S ON OUR TABLE? I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE ITEM ABOUT COMMISSIONER REAPPOINTMENTS.NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
NO. WHAT'S THAT? YEAH. REMIND ME.
SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH, THIS IS WORSE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 2ND MEETING DRAFT IN OUR PACKET.
[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ANYBODY LIKE TO SUGGEST ANY CHANGES? AMENDMENTS, DELETIONS, ENHANCEMENTS.I WROTE A DOCUMENT THIS WEEK THAT I BELIEVE GOT ENHANCED.
THEY GOT THEY GOT HUNG UP ON METICULOUS.
NO CHANGES TO THE MINUTES AS CIRCULATED.
THOSE ARE ADOPTED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[5. NEW BUSINESS]
NEW BUSINESS PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ENERGY TEAM.WHAT'S GOING ON? WELL, THE ENERGY TEAM DID DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF WHAT SHOULD THE NEXT SOLAR PROJECT BE AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DAN, HAD SUGGESTED THE NORTH FIRE STATION, WHICH WE WERE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY VISIBLE SITE, ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PUT IN THE ROOF AND ALSO CARPORTS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE ESPECIALLY THE ROOF PORTION VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN I THINK HAVING SOME EXPERIENCE WITH CARPORTS WOULD BE A POSITIVE THING FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND SO I THINK WE WERE VERY, ALL OF US, PRETTY POSITIVE ABOUT DAN'S SUGGESTION OR HIS THINKING.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE NORTH FIRE STATION IS AT HASLETT AND OKEMOS ROADS.
SO GOING NORTH ON OKEMOS, YOU'RE LOOKING LEFT AND YOU CAN SEE THE FACE OF THE BUILDING.
I DON'T RECALL CARPORTS OR THOSE MAYBE BEHIND OR THEY WOULD BE BEHIND.
THE CARPORTS WOULD BE FACING WEST OR EAST TOWARD THE EAST.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN ON THE SOLAR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ENERGY TEAM? HOW DOES THAT MOVE FORWARD? WHAT IS THAT IN THE CURRENT BUDGET? IS THAT SLATED FOR BUDGETING IN SOME CYCLE? WHAT'S THE. YES, IT WOULD BE IT WAS BEING PROPOSED FOR THIS NEXT BUDGET.
OKAY. I'M NOT SURE WHERE IN THE PROCESS IT IS WITH RESPECT TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS COMING YEAR.
BUT SHE DID MENTION HAVE A BULLET POINT OF $90,000 APPROPRIATED TO THE SOLAR PROGRAM.
SO PRESUMABLY THAT'S PART OF THAT OR IS IT A FUTURE? NO, THAT WOULD THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE.
YES, BECAUSE THE ESTIMATE THAT WAS THIS WOULD BE LIKE A 30 KILOWATT SYSTEM IN THE ESTIMATE THAT I SAW PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE WAS, I THINK $85,000.
I MEAN, IF IT'S THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED, RIGHT.
I READ THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
UM, SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THE SOLAR PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS OR OTHER NEW BUSINESS?
[00:05:01]
HEARING CRICKETS WERE MOVED TO OLD BUSINESS.THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
[6. OLD BUSINESS]
I HAVE THIS FRESH, WARM OFF THE PRINTER DOCUMENT HERE.IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DISPLAYED EASILY ON A MONITOR OR IS THAT GOING TO BE A TECHNOLOGICAL? IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO BE THE SECTION WATER SECTION TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE MONITOR? OR WOULD YOU JUST ASSUME IT'S FINE IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT? I MEAN, I CONSIDER IT TO BE AT THIS POINT, I'M DONE WITH IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
I'M CERTAINLY IT'S NOT MY DOCUMENT ALONE.
AND I THINK THAT I YOU KNOW, I SAID THAT LAST TIME, BUT I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.
AND I'VE SORT OF BEEN THE PERSON WHO CARRIED THE GUILT FOR DELAYING IT.
BUT ACTUALLY SHE WAS THE PERSON WHO GOT IT GOING AND SO FORTH.
SO I JUST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, IT'S AS DONE AS I KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
SO IF OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS OR COMMENTS, THAT'S OF COURSE WELCOME.
I WOULD WANT TO ADD THAT SAM LOVELL DID SOME EDITING COMMENTS WHICH I FINALLY INCORPORATED, ACTUALLY PUT AT THE TOP THE HEADER OF THE SECTION ON WATER. I PUT THE MENTION OF ESSENTIALLY ALL THE PEOPLE BY NAME THAT I KNOW WHO PARTICIPATED BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE ANY PIECE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT.
BUT I DIDN'T HAVE PHOTOS TO PUT IN AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE FORMATTING AS WE MOVE ALONG.
IN THIS DRAFT, THE WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 14 AND I SEE ON PAGE 15 OBJECTIVE ONE, SEE A SUGGESTION TO POTENTIALLY INCLUDE A MEASURABLE DELIVERABLE ON THE AMOUNT OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THE TOWNSHIP WILL INSTALL BY A CERTAIN DATE.
RIGHT. THAT WAS ONE THING I LEFT IN BECAUSE THAT WAS A QUESTION ESSENTIALLY.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT AND HOW WOULD SUCH A THING BE MEASURED? YEAH, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME IN THINKING ABOUT HOW THE ENERGY SECTION IS KIND OF STRUCTURED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF A TARGET, I THINK IT'S VERY USEFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES.
MY SENSE AND MAYBE STAFF CAN CHIME IN, IS THAT TOWNSHIP INTERNALLY FUNDED OR INTERNALLY IMPLEMENTED? GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS ARISES FROM TOWNSHIP PROJECTS THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE OR ENTICE PRIVATE INTERESTS TO INSTALL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH OUR ORDINANCES AND OTHER INCENTIVES.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED TO DATE WITH SWALES AT THE FARMERS MARKET AND NATURAL SHORELINE AT LAKE LANSING ARE BASICALLY TOWNSHIP PROPERTIES THAT WERE BEING WORKED ON FOR SOME REASON, AND THESE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ASPECTS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS PARTS OF THOSE BROADER PROJECTS.
AND I'M GETTING A PRAYING FROM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THE SHORELINE DEMONSTRATION CAME IN. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ON THE LAKE LANSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY THE STATE SHORELINE EXPERT.
AND SO I THINK THERE WAS GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT WE SHOULD DO A SOME SORT OF A DEMONSTRATION ON.
SO THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT WAS PLANNED, BUT IT CAME AS PART OF THE VISION OF THE COMMITTEE AND MAYBE PERHAPS THE CONSULTANTS AND THE ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEST OF THAT NATURAL SHORELINE IS ANOTHER BIOSWALE THAT WAS PUT IN AT THE MAYFAIR PARKING LOT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PATHWAY EXTENSION, WHICH CAME ALONG IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S WORK IN ON THAT DRAIN.
SO AND IN THAT, IF THAT'S HOW WE'RE AS A TOWNSHIP INVESTING IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, I FIND IT CHALLENGING TO COME UP WITH A TARGET. WELL, THIS WOULD BE IMPERFECT, BUT I WONDER IF WE SHOULD CONSIDER A NUMBER OF PROJECTS.
IT'S IMPERFECT BECAUSE SOME PROJECTS CAN BE BIG, SOME CAN BE SMALL IN ADDITION TO THE.
[00:10:02]
A LOT OF THE GREEN GRANTS ARE OBVIOUSLY BEING USED FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SO WE'RE KIND OF PROVIDING SOME INCENTIVES TO, YOU KNOW, 3 TO 5 PROJECTS EVERY YEAR AS A MATTER OF JUST DOING OUR GREEN GRANTS.AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF, WITH THEIR OWN PROJECTS, THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THOSE PROBABLY HAPPENING AND MAYBE THERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE CERTAIN PROJECTS.
AND IF WE HAVE A ROLE IN ENCOURAGING THEM, MAYBE TAKE CREDIT FOR THEM TOO, AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S EDUCATION OR SOME SORT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE TOWNSHIP STAFF.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE DIVERSITY OF THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
RIGHT. MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO COUNT THEM.
YEAH. AND BUT I THINK IF WE FOCUSED IN ON NUMBER OF PROJECTS, AT LEAST WOULD GIVE FOLKS AN IDEA THAT, YEAH, IT'S MORE THAN ONE AND LESS THAN 100.
SURE. YEAH. SO THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
THE OTHER THING WE DID A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS NOW IS THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT AND LOOKING AT WHERE WE OUR POLICIES MIGHT BE MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FRIENDLY SO THAT ALL PROJECTS SORT OF LOOK THROUGH THE LENS AND SOME OF IT WAS SIMPLE WORDING CHANGES TO REMOVE BARRIERS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER THAT SHOULD BE? I FORGET IF IT'S EVEN MENTIONED IN HERE, BUT THAT COULD BE A WAY TO FACILITATE THE NUMBERS.
YEAH, NO, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THE DRAFT MASTER PLAN REVISION ABOUT LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT, SO THAT'S ALREADY CALLED OUT IN THE MASTER PLAN DRAFT.
AND SO WE MIGHT WANT TO, AS WE MOVE ALONG WITH THIS DOCUMENT, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FITTING IN AND NOT DUPLICATING OR TALKING AT CROSS PURPOSES WHENEVER THOSE KINDS OF THINGS GET EMBEDDED IN THE MASTER PLAN.
AND IT HAS A LOT MORE LEGAL AUTHORITY THAN THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
SO POINTING TO THAT, I THINK MAY BE A WAY TO TO DO THIS.
SO WE MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER SOME SORT OF A POLICY THAT ENCOURAGES, YOU KNOW, ENTICES WHATEVER, REQUIRES SOME GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS.
WHENEVER THE TOWNSHIP IS UNDERTAKING A PROJECT THAT INVOLVES A CHANGE IN LAND USE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ALREADY KIND OF HAPPENING NATURALLY WITH OUR LAND PRESERVES AND WITH OUR PARKS, AND WE'RE GREENING OUR FIRE STATIONS AT THE TOP.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE DOING A WHOLE LOT WITH THEIR RAINWATER AND STUFF.
SO THOSE ARE OTHER WAYS TO TO APPROACH THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHY I LEFT IT HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE IT MAY BE I MEAN, IT IS BUILT INTO SORT OF POLICIES AND GOALS OF THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF, I MEAN, THAT ARE ALREADY ARTICULATED AND REMEMBERING THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
BUT I MEAN, THE REASON IT'S HERE IS BECAUSE THIS RESILIENCY TO FLOODING AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS A SPECIFIC CATEGORY OF CONCERN WHERE YOU CAN IDENTIFY, AS YOU SAID, SOILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT COULD ASSIST IN HANDLING, YOU KNOW, MORE EXTREME WEATHER THINGS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE BUILT INTO I MEAN, THE IDEAL OF INCLUDING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS IN ANY IN POLICY IN GENERAL IS ALREADY ARTICULATED.
I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S PARTLY WHY I LEFT IT HIGHLIGHTED.
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S WHY I LEFT IT THAT WAY.
OKAY. WELL, I DON'T I'M NOT HEARING A CLEAR SOLUTION TO THAT.
SO I GUESS IT'S TIME BEING WE CAN LEAVE THAT AS AN OPEN QUESTION.
I AM SEEING IN THE THIRD STRATEGY UNDER OBJECTIVE ONE C REVIEW AND UPDATE PLANNING CRITERIA AND POLICIES AS NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE, I GUESS, THAT OTHER CRITERIA OR POLICIES.
[00:15:02]
NOW BACK UP RIGHT THERE.STRATEGY THREE EITHER CRITERIA OR POLICIES WOULD WORK THERE, BUT OF CRITERIA AND POLICIES.
THAT'S FINE. NOW LET'S SEE HOW QUICKLY IT UPDATES. OH, JUST EDIT IT AND.
THANKS. I SEE ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT DOWN IN WETLANDS THAT I GUESS IS QUESTIONING WHETHER THE 2011 IS THE CORRECT DATE OF THE NO NET LOSS POLICY.
I JUST WASN'T SURE ABOUT THE TIMING.
SO MAYBE STAFF COULD PING THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND SEE WHEN THAT ORDINANCE CHANGE WAS MADE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE.
OKAY. I BELIEVE WHEN THE TOWNSHIP I VAGUELY RECOLLECT THAT WHEN THE TOWNSHIP ADOPTED THE WETLAND PROTECTION ORDINANCE THAT WAS IN THE PREAMBLE, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I THINK THAT SITS AS A POLICY.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE PREAMBLE.
SO IF STAFF COULD DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND MAKE SURE WE GET THAT, I GET THAT WRONG.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION UNDER THE FIRST PARAGRAPH.
UNDER MUNICIPAL WATER, AND I WAS READING THIS QUICKLY BEFORE THE MEETING TODAY, AND I SEE WHERE IT SAYS 75,000 RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES, AND THAT SEEMS HIGH TO ME.
I WAS WONDERING IF THAT'S ACCURATE OR MAYBE IF THAT INCLUDES THE CITY OF EAST LANSING SINCE THE WATER SYSTEM IS COMBINED. JUST A QUESTION AND MAYBE SOMETHING TO DOUBLE CHECK.
I THINK THAT IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, THAT NUMBER CAME.
YEAH, IT CAME FROM THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY.
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY SERVE.
YEAH. IT'S A COMBINED SERVICE.
SO THEY WOULD BE PROVIDING THEY WOULD BE PROVIDING WATER TO ALL OF THEM.
RIGHT. BUT IT KIND OF OR AT LEAST THE WAY I READ IT INITIALLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE TOWNSHIP'S 75,000.
I THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED.
WE DON'T HAVE 75,000 RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES IN THE TOWNSHIP.
WHAT DO WE HAVE? OVER 5000? SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ABOUT 50,000 RESIDENTS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE 50,000 RESIDENCES.
THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE 20.
BUT I KNOW THAT THE US CENSUS WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON QUICK FACTS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
AND OUR ASSESSOR'S OFFICE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW MANY PROPERTIES ARE.
SO, YEAH, WE CAN, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT NUMBER CORRECT.
BUT I THINK IF WE GOT THAT 75,000 FROM THE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY JUST STRIKE THE TOWNSHIPS AND WE SHOULD BE GOOD, RIGHT? IT'S A VERY STRICKEN GONE.
IT'S GONE. SAYING IT SHALL BE SO.
DID YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMENT AS WELL? JUST BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER, I SHOULD MENTION NOT AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
I DID ATTEND A LIKE AN OPEN HOUSE FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN THE MONTGOMERY DRAIN THAT DRAINS FRANDOR ACROSS TO THE OLD RED CEDAR GOLF COURSE AND WHICH IS NOW BEING BUILT UP IN THOSE MULTI-STORY APARTMENTS OVER BUSINESSES. IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION ON A VERY SUNNY DAY WITH NO SHADE.
BUT IT'S PRETTY AMAZING THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THERE.
I'VE SEEN THE PONDS THAT ARE BETWEEN MICHIGAN AVE AND THE RIVER BEHIND THOSE NEW BUILDINGS, BUT I HADN'T SEEN THE PONDS THAT WERE BUILT UP EAST OF FRIEND OR THE SLEDDING HILL IS A LOT TALLER NOW BECAUSE THEY DUG A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PONDS THERE AND A SYSTEM OF TRANSFERRING WATER BETWEEN THEM, PUMPING AND FILTERING.
[00:20:02]
AND THE DESIGN OBJECTIVE IS TO REDUCE THE POLLUTANT LOAD COMING THROUGH THAT DRAIN INTO THE RED CEDAR RIVER BY OVER 90%.WOW. AND THE HOPE IS THAT AREA WILL NO LONGER BE CONTRIBUTING STORM SURGE TO THE RIVER, BUT THE WATER THAT FALLS ON THAT AREA WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE ITS WAY TO THE RIVER, BUT NOT AS PART OF A STORM SURGE.
IT WILL FILTER OUT LATER WHEN MOST EVERYPLACE ELSE HAS DRAINED.
I THINK THEY CALL IT THE EDGE LIKE THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A FOUNTAIN.
THAT'LL DO PART OF THE AERATION OF THIS WATER THAT'S COMING OFF OF IT, BEING PUMPED AROUND IT.
SO BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT'S GOING ON AT AROUND LAKE LANSING AND WHAT'S HAPPENED AT WALDEN POND AND SOME OF THE OTHER BIG DRAIN PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE IS ALREADY WELL IN MY VIEW, TAKING A PRETTY INNOVATIVE AND A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO TRY TO MANAGE AS MUCH STORMWATER AS WELL AS POSSIBLE.
SO HAVING SOMETHING IN HERE I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
IT MIGHT READ BETTER IF IT WAS MORE LIKE EXPAND ON SUCCESSFUL.
I DON'T KNOW. BUT THE WAY WE TYPICALLY AS A TOWNSHIP PARTNER WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER, IN MY EXPERIENCE IS A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, COMES TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THEY LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAY, WELL, THERE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, STORMWATER CONSIDERATIONS, SO MAKE SURE THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER SIGNS OFF ON IT WHEN THEY DO, THAT'S KIND OF IT.
UNLESS THERE'S WETLAND IMPACTS THAT REQUIRE A WETLAND USE PERMIT, WHICH WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS.
YEAH. SO JUST A DISCUSSION POINT.
HE'S DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF FOR QUITE A WHILE IN THAT POSITION IN GOOD WAYS.
SURE. AND THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO DO THAT.
AT THE LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I GUESS THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S IN THE BACK OF MY MIND OF SAYING, WELL, LET'S, YOU KNOW, INVITE THEM TO COME AND, YOU KNOW, TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW WE CAN BETTER PARTNER IS KIND OF AN ACTION ITEM THAT I SEE.
SO I GUESS I'M KIND OF TRYING TO JUICE UP THE STRATEGY TO GET THIS ACTION ITEM.
WELL, SHE IS TO BE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO WE HAD DIRECT SORT OF A DIRECT, DIRECT LINE TO THE COMMISSIONER.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY NICE.
YEAH. SO LEFT UP TO ME THAT STRATEGY NUMBER ONE IN PLACE OF PARTNER WITH IT WOULD BE STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP WITH.
SO THAT'S MY $0.02 YOU KNOW THE FRIEND OR THAT SITUATION WAS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR PROBLEM.
ARE WE AWARE OF ANY SIMILAR SORTS OF PROBLEMS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN AREA THAT IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR? YEAH. OH YEAH.
IT'S WHAT WE JUST REBUILT UNDER GRAND RIVER.
OKAY. AND IT'S TWO DIFFERENT DRAINS THAT CONVERGE THERE.
AND THE PROJECT PLAN IS TO CREATE THE NEW OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN.
OKAY. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY PUT IN THAT INTERSECTION, YOU CAN WALK THROUGH THE PIPE.
BUT YEAH, SO IT'S MAJOR INCREASE IN FLOW.
AND THAT'S FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THE MAIN NEXT BIG THING IN THE TOWNSHIP IS THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED.
[00:25:08]
IT'S BASICALLY DRAINING THEM.AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
CN TRACKS. WILL THERE BE, DO YOU KNOW, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE KIND OF PLAN INTO THAT TO KIND OF HELP THE SITUATION? YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE LAST I HEARD THERE WAS A SO THAT.
THE BUDDY'S PIZZA, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER REQUIRED STORMWATER DETENTION AS A CONDITION OF THAT, AND THAT WAS BUILT TO THE WEST OF WHAT BEST BUY AND OVER THERE TOWARDS OKEMOS ROAD.
SO THEY CREATED SOME STORAGE THERE.
AND THEN WHEN M-DOT CAME THROUGH TO MAKE THE CHANGES TO THE ELEVATION OF THE ROADWAY IN FRONT OF THE INTERSECTION AND IN FRONT OF PLAYMAKERS.
THEY ALSO REQUIRE SOME COMPENSATION.
SO THEY WENT OUT BEHIND THE NEW FIRE STATION AND DUG A BIG HOLE.
AND I HEARD THAT THERE WAS AN IDEA TO PUT SOME SOLAR ARRAYS ON THAT HILL BECAUSE IT'S PROMINENT.
OKAY. WELL, AND THAT MIGHT BE A SPOT TO LOOK AT AND SEE IS THERE MORE THAT COULD BE DONE THERE BESIDES THE SOLAR ARRAY OR THE THINGS? ISN'T THERE A BIG CHUNK OF WETLAND NORTH OF GRAND RIVER WHERE THE SIDEWALK WAS COLLAPSING? REMEMBER? YEAH.
LAST TIME THERE WAS A BIG RAIN, I NOTICED THE DRAIN AT THE WEST END OF THAT WETLAND WAS ACTUALLY BUBBLING.
OH, REALLY? AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS I HAVEN'T GOT CONFIRMATION OF THIS, THAT'S A DIRECT CONDUIT OR A CULVERT TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND WHAT IT'S DOING WHEN THE RIVER RISES FAST ENOUGH IS BASICALLY TO ACCEPT SOME STORAGE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE, BECAUSE NOW IT'S CONTAINED.
IT'S GOT A PROPER EMBANKMENT THAT CAN HOLD IT.
RIGHT. AND THEN LET IT BACK INTO THE RIVER WHEN IT A PURPOSEFUL BACKWATER, I THINK, IS WHAT THAT IS.
BUT IT'S ALL WETLAND PLANTS, RIGHT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS ON THE WATER AND WETLANDS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PORTION OF THE PLAN? ARE THERE ANY OTHER PORTIONS OF THE PLAN THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS EVENING? I THINK YOU'VE GIVEN STAFF A COUPLE OF LITTLE TASKS AND SOME ONLINE PICTURE EDITING ALREADY DONE, BUT IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ABOUT CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, THEN ANY OTHER BUSINESS? OLD BUSINESS. HEARING NONE.
GO AHEAD. WHAT RELATED TO THE PLAN? WHAT NOW NEEDS TO BE DONE? OR WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? I LOOKS LIKE WE'RE VERY CLOSE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S AN INTEREST IN HAVING MORE PHOTOS AND MORE.
THERE WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WE.
MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE REVISION OF THE MASTER PLAN IS THAT THE TOWNSHIPS COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS ADOPTED NOT ONLY THE BRANDING THAT YOU SEE AROUND THE ROOM, BUT ALSO SOME BRAND STANDARDS IN TERMS OF CONTENT THAT'S PUT ONLINE.
AND SO THE MASTER PLAN IS NOW BEING NOW SITS IN THE FORM OF A SNACK.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT'S A MAGAZINE FORMAT THAT YOU CAN TAB THROUGH.
SO IT'S VERY INTUITIVE FOR A PHONE OR A KEYBOARDLESS DEVICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I HEARD FROM FOLKS IN OTHER
[00:30:08]
GROUPS LIKE LIBRARIES AND OTHERS THAT'S A PRETTY WELL ADOPTED FORMAT FOR PUBLIC DOCUMENTS FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION.AND I'M RELUCTANT TO DO THAT TOO EARLY BECAUSE ONCE IT GOES INTO THAT FORMAT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN EDIT IT GOES DOWN TO A VERY SMALL NUMBER.
BUT IN TERMS OF SENDING A DOCUMENT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GET A RESPONSE TO THAT THAN TO THIS SORT OF A BULLETED WORD DOCUMENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD MOVE AT SOME POINT.
SO I THINK OUR NEXT TASK MAY BE TO DECIDE WHEN WE'RE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH THE CONTENT THAT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE IT MIGRATED INTO THAT NEW FORMAT.
AND WHAT'S THE TIMELINE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN FACILITATING THAT MIGRATION? MY SENSE IS THAT THERE'S A BIT OF A LEARNING CURVE WITH THE SOFTWARE.
AND THEN ESPECIALLY GETTING A SENSE FROM THEM OF, HOW EDITING WOULD HAPPEN ONCE IT'S MIGRATED.
WOULD ANY OF US HAVE THE ABILITY, IF WE HAD THE SKILL TO GO IN AND DO THAT OR COULD YOU OR BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A LOT AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE OVERWHELMED BY A WHOLE BUNCH OF COPYEDITING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I THINK I WOULD BE MOST COMFORTABLE HAVING A FORMAL MOTION TO BASICALLY MAKE THE PLAN AVAILABLE FOR WIDE PUBLICATION BY THE COMMISSION AT SOME POINT WHEN WE'RE READY FOR THAT.
AND IN WITH RESPECT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
AT WHAT POINT DO THEY APPROVE THE UPDATE, THE PLAN, OR HOW DOES THAT WHOLE THING WORK, WOULD YOU SAY? I BELIEVE LAST TIME IT WAS PROBABLY A FORMAL PRESENTATION TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
SO ON THEIR AGENDA WHEN THEY HAVE TIME AND MAYBE A RESOLUTION IN THEIR PACKET THAT THEY WOULD ADOPT THE REVISED PLAN? YES. YEP.
IT MAKES REFERENCE TO THE TALENT PATHWAY PLAN, AND IT USED TO MAKE REFERENCE TO THE GREEN SPACE PLAN AND THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
AND I CAN CHECK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
WELL, THE TIMING AND THE LANGUAGE, IF THERE'S THAT WHOLE LANGUAGE OF ADOPTING BY REFERENCE, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS WE ASCRIBE TO ALL OF THOSE PRINCIPLES AND IF IT CHANGES, WE'RE STILL ASCRIBED TO HIM, WHICH IS KIND OF HANDY.
AND MY SENSE IS THAT JUST FROM THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD SO FAR THAT THE ENERGY SECTION AND NOW THE WATER SECTION ARE PRETTY WELL DONE IN THE FOOD SECTION, STILL HAS SOME SOME WORK TO DO.
WE DON'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF COPY EDITING DOWN THE ROAD, SO MAYBE CALL THAT OUT SPECIFICALLY ON NEXT AGENDA TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORTATION SECTIONS OF THE DRAFT.
AND NOW ANNA COLBY DID HAVE SOME A ROUND OF EDITS IN THIS LATEST VERSION THAT YOU SEE.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE SHE HAD COMPLETED THEM, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY CHECK WITH HER ON THAT.
[00:35:03]
COOL. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT.ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN? JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF.
WHEN THE TOWNSHIP PREPARES OTHER DOCUMENTS, ARE THERE IS THERE ANY SORT OF BODY OF POLICY ABOUT FORMATTING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT WE'VE SPENT PROBABLY MULTIPLE MILLION DOLLARS ON REBRANDING AND PUTTING SIGNAGE AROUND THE TOWNSHIP AND SO FORTH.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT DOCUMENTS THAT, WELL, MAYBE I WASN'T MAKING MYSELF CLEAR WHEN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ADOPTED A FORMAT FOR DISTRIBUTING DOCUMENTS.
I THINK THAT WAS AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD.
THAT WAS OKAY BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE THERE WAS SOFTWARE PURCHASE AND TRAINING AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS THAT WENT INTO THAT, JUST LIKE THE MONITORS AND THE MICROPHONES. AND YEAH, I THINK THERE BUT CERTAINLY WE SHOULD ALSO IF YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME WE DO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE COMFORTABLE, WE SHOULD PUT COURTNEY ON THE HOT SEAT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT BREAKING THE PROTOCOL.
THE LAST TIME WE TALKED TO YOU, YOU SAID, GIVE US SOMETHING MORE, MORE COMPLETE.
HERE IT IS. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
SO I THINK THAT THE SUPERVISOR WILL BE OPEN TO THAT WHEN THEIR AGENDA ALLOWS.
[7. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.I THINK MOST OF YOU SAW THE LATEST LIST OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS.
I WAS INFORMED THAT AMA IS COMMITTED FOR WORK, SO SHE WANTS TO SCALE BACK FOR THE REST OF HER TERM. I DID RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM TOM AND JOHN ABOUT WANTING TO BE REAPPOINTED AND HE ASSISTED.
NOW I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE GRAHAM, YOU'RE ON A THREE YEAR TERM, CORRECT? I THINK SO. I THINK THE TERM IS LIKE JANUARY 1ST, 2025 OR SOMETHING.
YEAH. SO THAT IS NOT REFLECTED ON THIS LATEST ONE THAT I DISTRIBUTED.
I BELIEVE. SO THAT SHOULD BE 2025.
BUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT THAT WILL BE EXPIRED IN THE END OF THIS YEAR INCLUDE ANNA, KENDRA, NED, YOU DID YOU INDICATE THAT YOU WANTED TO BE REAPPOINTED OR ARE YOU STILL DECIDING? I'M STILL DECIDING.
OKAY, AMELIA, YOU'RE ONE TO CONTINUE.
OKAY, AWESOME. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I'M IN IT FOR LIFE OR TILL DEATH DO US WHATEVER.
MCCONNELL'S GOOD THROUGH 25, SO I GUESS WE JUST NEED TO CHECK WITH ANNA.
HOW DID THE WHOLE 2025 THING HAPPEN? AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU CAN RESIGN ANYTIME YOU WANT, BILL.
ALL RIGHT. OFFICIALLY, WE JUST WANT TO UPDATE THOSE.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, TOM OR JOHN OR ANYBODY? I GUESS I JUST KIND OF HAD A QUESTION.
IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF US ARE EXPIRING AT THE SAME TIME AND USUALLY COMMISSIONS ARE SPACED OUT BETTER. SO YOU DON'T HAVE QUITE THE POTENTIAL TURNOVER THAT WE COULD HAVE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, BUT I JUST KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO WHY SO MANY OF US ARE EXPIRING THIS YEAR. YOU MUST'VE HAD A STRONG RECRUITING CLASS AT SOME POINT.
SORT OF HISTORICAL POINT OF VIEW.
YEAH, I CAN IMAGINE SOME REASONS, BUT I'M SURE THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS THE INFORMATION.
[00:40:04]
SO WE DO HAVE AN OPENING FOR ANOTHER STUDENT ALTERNATE.AND THEN DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO CHECK WITH KENDRA MORE DIRECTLY? I CAN DO THAT, YEAH.
DO YOU WANT TO CHECK WITH ANNA AS WELL, OR DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO CHECK WITH ANNA? YEAH, I CAN REACH OUT TO HER AS WELL.
OKAY. AWESOME. AND THEN THAT'LL BE FLIPPING A COIN.
YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE RETIREMENT THING KEEPS LOOMING, AND IT KEEPS.
IT'S FURTHER AWAY EVERY DAY, AND YET THERE ARE SO MANY ELEMENTS IN THE CONSIDERATION.
THAT WAS THE ONE THING I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS.
AND THEN I WANTED TO THANK NED FOR AGREEING TO LEAD THE BIKE TOUR ON SATURDAY.
THE ECO TOUR IS HAPPENING AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT IN T HE GREEN GAZETTE, THERE COPIES, THERE'S AN AUTO TOUR, AND THEN THERE'S A BIKE TOUR.
BIKE TOURS STARTS AT TEN AND THEN THE AUTO TOUR STARTS AT 11.
THERE ARE MAPS HERE, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A PRESENCE AT THE MARKET FROM NINE TO NOON.
AND ABSOLUTE SOLAR STAFF ARE GOING TO BE THERE.
AND ONE OF OUR GREEN TEAM MEMBERS, SARA ALLEN, IS GOING TO BE THERE.
THAT WAS THE MAIN THING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE.
THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF THAT I'LL THINK OF ONCE YOU'VE MOVED ON.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN SPUR YOU ON.
DO YOU HAVE ANY LIAISON REPORTS DONE? YEAH. THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM IS, I THINK, GOING WELL.
AND SO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE GOING AHEAD WITH BUY WILL GET THE 11% DISCOUNT.
AND THE NEXT AND I THINK THE LAST SESSION FOR THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE OCTOBER 17TH AT 6 P.M. ON ZOOM.
IF I THINK LEROY CORRECT ME IF I'M I GOT THAT RIGHT.
I THINK IT'S OCTOBER 17TH AT 6 P.M.
AND SO WE'VE HAD, I THINK, A PRETTY GOOD YEAR.
YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE SOMEBODY WAS CONTACTED BY A NEWS ORGANIZATION WANTING AN INTERVIEW ABOUT GREEN PROJECTS.
YEAH. I TALKED TO A STUDENT AT MSU, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
IS THAT DESTINED FOR NEWS PIECE OR, I DON'T KNOW, SOME SORT OF DEAL? I'M NOT SURE.
YEAH, IT IS THE 17TH AT 6 P.M..
OKAY. AND IF ANYBODY'S OUT THERE LISTENING OR HOW WOULD THEY FIND OUT INFORMATION? COME TO THE FARMER'S MARKET ON SATURDAY.
I'M HOPING FOR A FLIER FAIRLY SOON.
FROM THE DRAFT FLIER FROM THE ORGANIZERS.
GREEN TEAM HAD ITS ELECTRONIC COLLECTION EVENT BACK ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
PROBABLY MOST OF YOU HAVE HEARD BY NOW IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAD OVER 400 VEHICLES COME THROUGH THAT.
A OVER ONE SEMI TRAILER FULL OF ELECTRONICS WERE COLLECTED.
WE ALSO HAD WE WERE COLLECTING COATS THAT DAY TO GIVE AWAY THIS FOR THIS WINTER SEASON.
BAGS OF COATS WERE COLLECTED THAT DAY AS WELL.
AND THEN WE PARTNERED WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY AND THEY COLLECTED APPLIANCES.
[00:45:01]
I THINK OVER 40 APPLIANCES WERE COLLECTED THAT DAY.WE HAD 60 PLUS VOLUNTEERS, SO WE HAD A GOOD GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
A LOT OF THEM, AGAIN, WERE FROM OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO CAME OUT TO HELP THAT DAY.
EXCUSE ME, LEROY ALREADY MENTIONED OUR SOLAR AND ECO TOURS THIS SATURDAY, AND THE GREEN TEAM WILL BE SET UP AT THE MARKET FROM NINE TO NOON THAT DAY.
AND THEN NOT MUCH IS PLANNED OVER THE WINTER MONTHS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A BIT OF A BREAK, BUT WE'LL GEAR UP AGAIN EARLY NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU. I'M JUST HAVING ALL SORTS OF RANDOM THOUGHTS THIS EVENING.
HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE APPLICATION, THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE DROP OFF CENTER AT THE SERVICE CENTER? WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND, WELL, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS AT A LATER TIME, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS UNDER THE WASTE AND RECYCLING SECTION OF THE SUSTAINED VIABILITY PLANS.
NOT THAT I THINK THE TOWNSHIP IS READY TO GIVE UP ON IT, BUT WE DON'T SEEM TO BE SCORING EXTREMELY WELL WITH THAT GRANT APPLICATION, SO WE MAY WANT TO HAVE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THAT.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF THE KIND OF COST THAT IS BEING ESTIMATED? IS IT A 100,000 OR 1 MILLION? 10 MILLION? 50 MILLION? WHAT SORT OF. AND I HAVE TO DEFER TO LEROY MILLION ROUGHLY.
OKAY. A LOT OF THAT WAS THE SITE RENOVATION AND THE PREPARATION.
BUT I THINK YOUR SUGGESTION FOR HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT NEXT STEPS WOULD BE GOOD.
OKAY. DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHO DID GET FUNDED AND WHAT THE PRIORITIES WERE AS EXPRESSED BY.
WE DIDN'T GET A FULL RUNDOWN ON THAT.
SO THERE WAS SORT OF RECYCLING DESERTS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WERE PROBABLY RECEIVED A HIGHER PRIORITY THIS ROUND AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A RECYCLING DROP OFF AND ARE LOOKING AT KIND OF ADDING ANOTHER DOESN'T NECESSARILY BODE REAL FAVORABLY.
BUT OKAY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT PROPOSAL DID NOT INCLUDE ORGANICS, ANY FORM OF ORGANICS COLLECTION BEYOND PERHAPS A COUPLE OF BINS FROM MIGRAINE MICHIGAN KIND OF DEAL, BUT NOT AN ACTUAL COMPOSTING OPERATION WAS NOT PART OF THAT.
OKAY. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT OUT WE WANT TO LOOK.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE LANDSCAPE OF SOLID WASTE IN MICHIGAN IS DYNAMIC AND THE LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE LANDSCAPE IS DUE TO CHANGE.
SO LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD TO HOW WE CAN BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN ATTRACTING OUTSIDE SUPPORT FOR
[00:50:07]
THE FUTURE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SEEMS LIKE WHAT THE PLANS WOULD BE, RIGHT? AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TOWNSHIP'S NOT INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS, BUT I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING OUT LOUD THAT BEING REALISTIC, IT IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN, AND MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.THERE IS SOME INTEREST FROM THE FOOD TEAM IN LOOKING AT MORE ORGANICS AND WELL, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT IS IF THAT MAKES A MORE APPEALING PROPOSAL TO A BROADER GROUP OF FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING MORE THAN ALUMINUM AND PAPER, THEN MAYBE THAT COULD BE PART OF IT. I KNOW THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THAT APPLICATION SHOULD FOCUS ON A RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING DROP OFF SITE OR THE SPOT BEHIND THE SERVICE CENTER, AND I WASN'T PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
BUT I'M CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING A BIT MORE DISTRIBUTED MAYBE AT OTHER TOWNSHIP LOCATIONS THAT COULD ALSO ACCOMMODATE SMALLER COLLECTION BINS.
I MEAN, WE EMPTY THE TRASH CANS.
COULD WE NOT EMPTY AN ALUMINUM CAN BIN? IT'S A DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT THAT HAS TO GO DOWN AND PICK IT UP AND DUMP IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE SORRY, I'M THINKING OUT OF THE BOX LATE IN THE DAY.
YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THE CONCERN IN THE PAST WITH PARKS HAS BEEN CONTAMINATION, THAT THERE'S NO REAL WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DUMPING JUST GARBAGE IN THERE AS WELL AND THINGS GET CONTAMINATED.
AND PLUS THEY'VE GOT THE EQUIPMENT THERE TO HELP KEEP IT.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD REASONS TO DO THAT.
JUST TRYING TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM GREEN TEAM? NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
ALL RIGHT. GREEN TO BROWN BROWNFIELD'S.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, I WILL BE AWAY FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING.
I HAVE NO NO NEWS ABOUT THAT EITHER YET.
BUT TIM SCHMIDT USUALLY LETS US KNOW A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE IT HAPPENS, SO I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING YET, BUT NO NEWS. BUT JUST TO SORT OF POINT OUT WHAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING, OF COURSE, IF YOU'VE GONE BY WHAT USED TO BE THE OLD L AREA ON ON HASLETT ROAD JUST TO THE WEST OF WHERE MARSH CROSS IS, THEY'VE NOW FENCED OFF THE WHOLE AREA.
SO I ASSUME THIS IS THE NEXT STEP IN DEMO OF THE OLD BUILDINGS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE NEW PROJECT AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE RETIREMENT.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE VILLAGE? I'VE FORGOTTEN I'M LOSING MY MIND ANYWAY.
THE CONSTRUCTION FOR WHAT IS GOING TO BE AT THE WESTERN END IS PRETTY ADVANCED.
I MEAN, IT'S THEY'RE PUTTING FACADES ON AND SO FORTH.
IT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING LIKE BUILDINGS AT THIS POINT.
WERE THERE MANY BROWNFIELD CONCERNS IN THAT CORNER WHERE THERE GAS STATIONS AND SUCH? THERE HAD BEEN, I THINK, A DRY CLEANING DRY CLEANING PLACE AT ONE POINT.
SO THEY HAD TO PUT IN A NOT QUITE AS EXTENSIVE AS WHAT THEY HAD DESIGNED FOR THE OKEMOS TOWN CENTER OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT PROJECT.
BUT THEY NEEDED TO PUT IN SOME KIND OF AIR HANDLING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AIR QUALITY WAS GOOD, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LEFTOVER CONTAMINATION IN THE SOIL. IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO ME AS A CHEMIST, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND I SAY, WELL, EITHER YOU SHOULD DIG IT ALL UP AND GET IT OUT OF THERE AND NOT HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, FANS RUNNING ALL THE TIME THAT CAN THEN EVENTUALLY FAIL AND SO FORTH.
BUT THAT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE MINDED THING TO DO.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION OF WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT IT? IF YOU DIG IT UP AND TAKE IT AWAY, AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO REPLACE IT WITH? SO ALL OF THESE THINGS DO COME DOWN TO DOLLARS AND CENTS, AND THERE ARE METHODS FOR ESSENTIALLY MITIGATING IN PLACE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING. ANY COMMITTEES, CLUBS.
I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EARTH CLUB NOW THAT I'M ON IT IS CONTINUING TO RUN THIS YEAR.
[00:55:04]
THEY REPLACED EMMA WITH I BELIEVE STELLA CHEN AND SARA LEE ARE THE NEW CLUB DIRECTORS.THEY HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH AND THEY'VE JUST STARTED A COMMITTEE.
SO THEY'RE CONTINUING ON WITH PROJECTS FROM LAST YEAR LIKE THE SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING THAT'S GREAT.
THANK YOU. I MENTIONED EARLIER THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD A FAIRLY BIG TURNOUT AT ITS LAST MEETING WITH A PUBLIC HEARING ON AN APPLICATION TO REZONE A COUPLE OF PARCELS TO THE EAST OF PARK LAKE ROAD, NORTH OF GRAND RIVER.
SO IN THAT WEDGE WHERE THE RAILROAD TRACK GOES UP AND PARK LAKE GOES UP, THERE'S SOME UNDEVELOPED PARCELS BACK THERE THAT HAVE A VARIETY OF SINGLE AND MULTIPLE FAMILY ZONING ON THEM.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO CONSOLIDATE THAT FOR A PLAN TO BUILD.
AND THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF CONCERN FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS ABOUT TRAFFIC IMPLICATIONS AND SOME OF THE WETLANDS AND OTHER FEATURES THAT THEY ENJOY THE BUFFER WITH THE RAILROAD TRACK NOISE.
AND THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS ON THE PROPERTY THAT WERE DELINEATED FOR A PRIOR APPLICATION AND THAT WAS PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ZONING APPLICATION.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH EAST OF THAT UP OFF OF BERCHEM, THAT JUST EAST OF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE THAT WINDS AROUND.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY SIMILAR TOPOGRAPHY.
BUT THERE ARE SOME SOME WETLANDS THERE.
SO WE MAY OR MAY NOT HEAR A WETLAND USE PERMIT APPLICATION FROM THAT ONE.
MY SENSE THESE DAYS IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE BUY LAND IN THE TOWNSHIP, THEY GO AND LOOK AT THE WETLAND MAP AND SAY, CAN WE BUILD ANYTHING AROUND THOSE? BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE'VE GOT THE POLICY.
SO BY THE TIME THEY WRITE THEIR APPLICATION, THEY'VE ALREADY STAYED OUT OF THE WETLANDS, STAYED OUT OF THE BUFFERS, AND THE PLANNING STAFF PRETTY MUCH SAY, YOU DON'T WANT TO BUILD IN THERE UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DO A LOT OF EXTRA PAPERWORK.
SO WE ARE THE BUREAUCRATIC BULWARK THAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM EVEN PROPOSING TO BUILD IN.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE DELINEATION PREVIOUS DELINEATION HAPPENED, I CAN'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD IT WAS MARK'S WETLANDS AND IT'S IN THE LAST TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET BECAUSE IF THEY'RE GOING TO I MEAN, THEY JUST RAISED GRAND RIVER AND VARIOUS OTHER I MEAN, THE TOPOGRAPHY HAS CHANGED AROUND THAT AREA SOMEWHAT.
AND YEAH, WHETHER THERE'S FLOODPLAIN IMPACTS TO BE DELINEATED.
SO FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE OTHER COMMITTEES, CLUBS, TRANSPORTATION, THEY HAVE NOT MET RECENTLY AND I COULD WAX FOR AN HOUR ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, BUT I WON'T.
SO IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, PLEASE STEP FORWARD.
YEAH. APPARENTLY DAN WENT FOR A LITTLE BIKE TOUR WITH TIM POTTER AROUND THE TOWNSHIP.
RECENTLY, FOUND OUT THAT DAN WAS A FORMER BMX RACER.
OH, WOW. I DON'T KNOW THE RESULTS OF THAT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS COOL THAT THEY BOTH DAN AND TIM WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SOME OF THE THE INSIGHTS THAT THEY HAD ON THAT LITTLE. I BELIEVE THERE WERE 1 OR 2 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON THAT RIDE.
YEAH. UM, BUT ONE OF THE TOWNSHIP TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION'S GOALS AND NOW IN THE MASTER PLAN IS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING ABOVE HONORABLE MENTION, A BIKE FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY, BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.
[01:00:06]
AND ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO RAISE YOUR PROFILE IS THROUGH SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.AND THERE HAS BEEN A LONG DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND FOLKS AT MSU WHO HELP COMMUNITIES APPLY FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL FUNDING. AND THAT DISCUSSION WAS ALL FOCUSED ON THE SORT OF BENNETT WOODS CHIPPEWA CAMPUSES AND WHAT COULD BE DONE TO MAKE WALKING AND BIKING TO THOSE CAMPUSES SAFER.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT WAS IN A POSITION TO SUPPORT.
SO AS JOHN WAYNE WOULD SAY, THE DISCUSSION JUST KIND OF DRIED UP.
SPECIFICALLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO PUT TRAFFIC ISLANDS IN THE MEDIAN IN THE CENTER, TURN LANE OF BENNETT ROAD TO PROVIDE REFUGE LIKE THE ONES AT MCDONALD'S AND MEYER AND ON GRAND RIVER NOW.
AND THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THE ROAD DEPARTMENT WAS INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING ISLANDS NEXT TO THE SCHOOLS OR AT THE CROSSWALKS TO THE SCHOOLS. THERE'S TWO CROSSING GUARDS AND SUCH, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE VERY MANY STAFF.
AND EVEN WHEN THEY DO, I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A CRASH JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
I HAVEN'T HEARD. IS THE KILLER RIGHT? DO WE KNOW? I JUST HEARD THAT IT HAPPENED HERE.
SO I KNOW THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAS BEEN LOOKING AT.
SO IF FOLKS HAVE THOUGHTS, IDEAS ON THAT, PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING.
SO IT'S AN EVEN LOWER COMMITMENT THAN THIS GROUP.
UNLESS YOU GOT MORE PUBLIC REMARKS, I COULD MAKE SOMETHING UP.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO MOVED. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
I SAID THIS LAST.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.