[00:00:03]
IT'S 6:00 PM AND I WOULD WELCOME YOU TO THE NOVEMBER 21ST, 2023 REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MERIDIAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP, PLEASE.
THANK YOU. ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT.
AND SO WE MOVE TO ITEM FIVE, WHERE CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
THERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.CITIZENS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD REGARDING AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, AS WELL AS NEAR THE END OF THE MEETING. CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A 30 SECOND WARNING BEFORE THE THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT HAS EXPIRED.
I HAVE TWO GREEN CARDS AT THIS TIME.
THE FIRST IS FROM SEAN O'BRIEN, BUT I THINK YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME NOW, PLEASE.
UNLESS YOU THERE'S NO PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT I BELIEVE AT THE END OF THE IN THE DISCUSSION PERIOD MR. SCHMIDT WILL ALLOW YOU TO PRESENT THE NEW INFORMATION THAT YOU INTENDED TO PRESENT.
WELL, I'M NOT PRESENTING FOR THE APPLICANT.
SO I'M PRESENTING FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER.
OKAY. NOW, NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT THEN.
AND. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD TONIGHT.
I LIVE AT 16948 PINE HOLLOW DRIVE IN EAST LANSING.
AND AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I REPRESENT THE PROPERTY OWNERS FOR THE VACANT PARCEL UNDER REZONING FOR 5010 PARK LAKE ROAD.
SAM MCCOOL, HIS BROTHER SALIM, AND HIS OTHER BROTHER CHARLIE HAVE OWNED THIS PROPERTY FOR WELL, 1992 AND 1994. THEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND IT'S A UNIQUE PROPERTY.
THEY OWN MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN, AND THEIR INTENTION 30 YEARS AGO PLUS WAS TO BUILD MULTIFAMILY.
IT'S ONE OF THE FEW RD ZONED PROPERTIES IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND.
PART OF IT IS RA, WHICH IS SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY, BUT THE COMBINED PROPERTY OF 36 ACRES WOULD ALLOW A DEVELOPER TO DEVELOP ABOUT 142 DWELLING UNITS IF IT WERE DESIGNED WITH A COMBINATION OF SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY.
BUT SIX YEARS AGO, THEY ASKED ME TO COME MARKET THE PROPERTY.
THEIR INTENTION, THEY'VE AGED LIKE WE ALL HAVE.
THEY FEEL LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A LITTLE LATE TO DEVELOP THIS OURSELVES.
FIND US A DEVELOPER THAT CAN BRING SOMETHING TO THE TOWNSHIP THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH THE SITE.
THERE'S FLOODPLAIN ISSUES, THERE'S WETLANDS AND THERE'S ELEVATION CHANGES ABOUT 30FT THAT GOES FROM PARK LAKE ROAD TO THE RAIL LINE.
[00:05:08]
THEY'VE BEEN IDEAL CITIZENS TO WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSIONS AND DELPHI AND IN DELTA AND DEWITT AND OTHERS.AND SO WITH THIS PROJECT, THEY'RE PLANNING TO ONLY BUILD 106 UNITS AND TO GUARANTEE THEY WON'T GO MORE THAN THAT, WHICH IS LESS THAN THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ALLOWS.
AND THEY CAN ALSO WORK BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE LARGE FOOTPRINTS.
THEY HAVE SMALL FOOTPRINTS THAT LOOK LIKE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER.
THEY CAN BUILD WITHIN THE SETBACKS THAT ARE THAT ARE PART OF THE CHALLENGE OF THIS SITE, AND THE FINGERS THAT ARE CREATED BECAUSE OF THE WETLANDS AND THE FLOODPLAINS. SO IT'S AN IDEAL SITE FOR THEM TO DEVELOP.
WE HOPE THAT YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY AND APPRECIATE HEARING US OUT.
THE SECOND GREEN CARD IS FOR VINCENT LEONI.
YEAH. VINCE LEONI, I LIVE AT 5090 PARK LAKE ROAD.
I THINK THE WAR CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ALREADY VOICED ITS CONCERNS ABOUT THE DENSITY OF THIS PROJECT, AND HOW MUCH TRAFFIC IT WOULD CREATE ON PARK LAKE ROAD, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY FIT WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL INDICATED IT'S LIKE 100 AND SOME APARTMENTS AND MOST OF THE PARK LAKE ROAD COMMUNITY IS SINGLE FAMILY HOME OWNERSHIP.
EVEN THE TWO COMMISSIONERS OUT OF THE NINE THAT VOTED TO LET THIS PROJECT PROCEED RECOGNIZE THAT IT WASN'T REALLY A GOOD FIT FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEY FELT THAT GIVEN THE CURRENT ZONING, IT WAS THE BEST DEAL THAT WE COULD GET.
I SUGGEST YOU CAN GET A BETTER DEAL IF YOU WAIT.
THIS MUCH OF THIS, BECAUSE THE ISSUE ISN'T JUST WHAT THE EXACT ZONING IS OR WHAT THE MASTER PLAN IS, IT'S REALLY WHAT THE LAND AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN HANDLE. AND AS THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL INDICATED, THERE'S A LOT OF WETLANDS OUT THERE AND IT'S ONLY GETTING WETTER BECAUSE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER IMPROVED THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM ON THE WEST SIDE OF PARK LAKE ROAD WHERE THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC FLOODING, IMPROVE THE DRAINS AND THEN ENLARGE THE CULVERT ON THE EAST SIDE OF PARK LAKE ROAD WHERE I LIVE, AND DIRECTED ALL THAT WATER OUR WAY.
BUT THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE IT'S WETLANDS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE KNEW OTHER THAN THE MOSQUITOES, WE DEAL WITH IT.
BUT THAT'S THE ISSUE, IS THAT, THIS LAND CAN'T REALLY HANDLE SUCH DENSITY, WHETHER IT'S THE TRAFFIC OR THE WETLANDS OR THE DRAINAGE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? THEN WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM SIX ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S REPORT.
[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
THANK YOU SUPERVISOR JACKSON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.UPDATE YOU ON A FEW ITEMS THAT ARE GOING ON ON DECEMBER 8TH AT NOON, THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY PHASE ONE WILL OCCUR.
IF YOU DRIVE DOWN HAGEDORN NEAR THE MUSIC BUILDING.
IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE. AND ALSO THE COUNTY PARKS FOR THEIR FUNDING ON THIS PROJECT.
WHEN COMPLETED, YOU'LL HAVE A PATHWAY FROM THE CAMPUS OF MSU ALL THE WAY TO LAKE LANSING.
WE'LL HAVE THAT TO YOU ON DECEMBER 8TH.
WELCOME THE WORK OF DIRECTOR CLARK.
THE FINAL LISTENING SESSION FOR THE BOARD WILL OCCUR ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT ON THE 28TH.
I THINK WE'VE HAD OVER 260 ATTENDEES AT THE FIRST FIVE SESSIONS.
[00:10:04]
YOUR FINAL SESSION WILL OCCUR AT CORNELL SCHOOL, CORNELL ELEMENTARY, 6:00 A WEEK FROM TONIGHT, NOVEMBER 28TH.THE NEXT POLICE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING WILL OCCUR ON NOVEMBER 30TH.
I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE CHIEF GRILLO'S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING AS CHIEF.
CHIEF HAMEL AND I ARE WORKING ON THE ISSUE WITH I BELIEVE DIRECTOR SMITH IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL, WITH THE ISSUE WE'RE HAVING WITH A DORMITORY AT THE FIRE STATION. WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH A LOCAL BUILDER TOMORROW AT 1:00 ON SITE, JUST TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT AND SOME, MAYBE SOME ANTICIPATED COST EVENTUALLY WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.
AND THAT WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION WHEN WE MEET WITH YOU FOR YOUR GOAL SETTING AS TO WHAT WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT IN 2024, AS I SAY, IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE, RIGHT? IT'S A GREAT CHALLENGE. WE'RE HIRING A LOT MORE FEMALE PARAMEDICS, AND I COMPLIMENT CHIEF HAMEL AND HIS LEADERSHIP FOR THAT.
DEER MANAGEMENT IS ON A HIATUS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE FIREARM SEASON, BUT WE'RE AT 103.
WE HAD A REALLY STRONG ARCHERY SEASON IN OCTOBER LEADING UP TO FIREARM.
BEGINNING DECEMBER 1ST, ARCHERY WILL BE BACK IN FULL SWING UNTIL JANUARY 1ST.
PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT RETENTION PROGRAM.
WE WILL BRING THAT TO YOU ON DECEMBER 5TH FOR IT'LL BE ON FOR DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE THE SUPERVISOR WILL PLACE IT, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY MODIFICATIONS TO IT FROM WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD IT.
SO WE BELIEVE DECEMBER 5TH AND 12TH WILL BE THE TWO MEETINGS FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.
I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY WITH CAPTAIN CRANE, WHO STALKED MY OFFICE, TO SAY THAT EVEN THE RUMBLINGS OF THIS POTENTIAL PROGRAM ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME MERIT, AND HE'S STARTING TO SEE SOME DEVELOPMENTS.
SO IT'S REALLY HAVING STARTING TO HAVE A REAL POSITIVE EFFECT FOR US.
OUR NEW ONE OF OUR ONE OF THE TOP THREE GOALS OF THE BOARD IS TO EXPAND COMMUNICATION.
WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH LISTENING SESSIONS.
THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
RACHEL AND SAM AND TANISHA HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF EXPANDING THAT.
WE TOOK ONE MORE STEP FORWARD TODAY WITH OUR FIRST EDITION OF GOOD MORNING MERIDIAN.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM IT, AND I HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THE FLOORING PROJECT THAT THE POLICE STATION IS UNDERWAY.
THE LADDER TRUCK, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH.
WE'RE CLOSELY MONITORING IT TO SEE IF IT'S PERFORMANCE.
KIND OF SWEEP THEM UNDER THE TABLE, THINGS ARE FINE, WE'LL JUST KEEP SENDING THE TRUCK IN.
NO, THE CHIEF AND ACTUALLY OUR ATTORNEY WHO'S HERE, MATT KUSCHEL, HAVE TAKEN A STRONG POSITION AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER, AND I WANT TO CREDIT THEM FOR DEALING WITH THINGS HEAD ON. THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE THROUGH DIRECTOR SMITH'S OFFICE.
YOU'LL BE SEEING THAT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE DRAFT THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU.
NOB HILL, YOU REMEMBER THE FIRE THAT OCCURRED ALMOST A YEAR AGO IN DECEMBER, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TURNED IN THEIR BUILDING PERMIT TO BUILD THE BUILDING.
IT WILL BE, IT WILL NOT BE TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS NOW, IT'LL BE ONE BUILDING CONNECTED ON SITE.
IT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PROJECT AND A SIGNIFICANT BUILDING PERMIT FOR US.
THE TEAM WILL HAVE THEIR ANNUAL EVALUATIONS ON DECEMBER 13TH.
NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, I'VE MADE A DECISION ON THE SELECTION OF A NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.
I WILL BE NOT MAKING ANY FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE WE'VE NOT MADE A WRITTEN OFFER, A FORMAL OFFER, BUT THAT OFFER WILL OCCUR EARLY NEXT WEEK, AND I EXPECT TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT ON DECEMBER 5TH.
BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING.
WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS ON THIS.
DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER HAS BEEN INVOLVED.
I BELIEVE THAT THE ADDITION OF THE WHAT I WANT TO CALL THEM? PYLONS MIGHT BE A GOOD WORD, FOR THE LEFT HAND TURN LANE.
THOSE NEW PYLONS, AND I WANT TO THANK THE COOPERATION WE RECEIVED FROM INGHAM COUNTY ROADS THAT HAS HELPED US, I THINK HAS MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOLS ON KENOWA.
[00:15:07]
AND YOU'LL SEE THE FOURTH QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS COMING TO YOU HERE RELATIVELY SOON.THAT'S MY REPORT ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO BACK AND HAVE A SEAT.
BOARD MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, MR. WALSH. THANK YOU.
ITEM SEVEN ON OUR AGENDA IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
TRUSTEE WILSON.SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD.
AND LAST MONDAY WE HAD THE STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE ROAD COMMISSION, INGHAM COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE SCHOOLS AND OURSELVES THERE TO COME UP WITH SOME FORMALIZED PLANS.
AND WE HAVE EXECUTED OVER THE WEEKEND, WE GOT SOME WORK DONE OVER IN THE CORNELL WOODS AREA.
WE HAVE NEW CURB CUTS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN EVERYBODY COMING OFF THE CORNELL SCHOOL PROPERTY TO GO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND GO UP TO AN INTERSECTION RATHER THAN TRYING TO CROSS IN THE MIDDLE.
SO I'M EXCITED THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEHIND IT.
THE HOMEOWNERS ARE BEHIND IT IN THAT AREA, AND I REALLY THINK WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS BETWEEN THE PYLONS THAT MANAGER WALSH TALKED ABOUT AND OTHER STEPS WE'VE TAKEN TO DO STRIPING AND LIGHTING AND NEW SIGNAGE, I REALLY THINK OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO BE A LOT SAFER, SO I'M PLEASED TO BE PART OF THAT.
THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MR. DESCHAINE. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
LAST TUESDAY, AS THE MANAGER MENTIONED, I PARTICIPATED IN THE FIFTH LISTENING SESSION.
IT WAS ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE TURNOUT BY OUR VERY ENGAGED RESIDENTS.
IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY AS WE AND EVEN STANDING ROOM WAS AT A PREMIUM BY THE END.
I'LL SAY RIGHT NOW, I'M SURPRISED IN THE BOARD, WE NEED TO DO THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
I ATTENDED THE BOARD MEETING LAST WEEK ON THE 15TH WITH DIRECTOR CLARK.
SHE MADE THE REQUEST OF CATA OF THE CATA BOARD FOR THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY TIFF, WHICH CATA NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE IN, AS DOES INGHAM COUNTY, THE TOWNSHIP AND OTHER OTHERS FOR IT TO BE A SUCCESS.
THE BOARD WAS VERY RECEPTIVE TO IT.
THEY ASKED ABOUT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
ROUTE ONE IS THEIR BIGGEST ROUTE AND THEY WANT THAT CORRIDOR TO IMPROVE AS MUCH AS WE DO.
THEY'LL TAKE A FORMAL VOTE NEXT MONTH AT THE DECEMBER MEETING.
I'M CONFIDENT TO APPROVE THE TIFF PROPOSED BY DIRECTOR CLARK.
AND LASTLY, TAX BILLS AND NOTICES ARE GOING OUT NEXT WEEK.
THEY SHOULD ARRIVE IN RESIDENTS MAILBOXES ON FRIDAY, THE FIRST SATURDAY THE SECOND AT THE LATEST.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT BY THE FOLLOWING WEEK, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL.
WE'LL MAIL YOU OUT A DUPLICATE, NO CHARGE.
THE POST OFFICE USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, 99.99% DELIVERED ALL FIRST CLASS MAIL.
AND THAT'S NOT THEIR TOP PRIORITY THESE DAYS.
GETTING YOUR AMAZON PACKAGES MIGHT BE THEIR TOP PRIORITY, BUT FIRST CLASS MAIL ISN'T ALWAYS SO.
THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
TRUSTEE WILSON.SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, PLEASE SAY YES.
AND WE CAN THEN MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
THE CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES TYPICAL COMMUNICATIONS, MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 9TH, 2023 REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING.THE BOARD BILLS AND ITEM NINE D IS MAC LEGENDS INDOOR GOLF LLC AT 1982 WEST GRAND RIVER AVENUE LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION.
DISCUSSION, MR. TREASURER DESCHAINE.
I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
[00:20:02]
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ROLL CALL, WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.TO 0. ITEM TEN IS QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY.
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT.
AND SO WE MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 ACTION ITEMS.
[12.A. Recreational Marihuana Licensing Standards]
ITEM 12 A IS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LICENSING STANDARDS.THIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO US BY COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TIM SCHMIDT.
MR. SCHMIDT. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU GUYS A BRIEF OUTLINE OF WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. KUSHEL, WHO AUTHORED THE MAJORITY OF THIS ALONG WITH HIS FELLOW ATTORNEYS.
SO AT THE OCTOBER 17TH MEETING, YOU MAY RECALL, WE HAD AN INITIAL DISCUSSION ON THE CRITERIA THAT STAFF AND THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAD DEVELOPED FOR REVIEWING THE LICENSES FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
GENERALLY, THE BOARD WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE APPROACH WE HAD TAKEN.
MOST OF THE DISCUSSION WAS AROUND ONE SPECIFIC ITEM, WHICH I WILL PUNT FOR A MINUTE.
SO AFTER THAT MEETING, WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO IS THEN AND BY WE, I MEAN MR. KUSHEL AND HIS STAFF GO THROUGH AND PUT TOGETHER THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE PROCEDURES.
A LOT OF THIS IS KIND OF THE DRY STUFF THAT WE LIVE IN ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, BUT I WANT TO HIT A COUPLE OF HIGH NOTES OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO FUNCTION ONCE THE BOARD DECIDES TO OPEN A WINDOW.
SO ALL OF OUR NOTICES ARE EVERYTHING WE SEND OUT ON THIS IS GOING TO GO THROUGH EMAIL INSTEAD OF POSTAL SERVICE, BOTH FOR REASONS THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE MENTIONED, BUT ALSO WE'RE EXPECTING TO BE IN CLOSER CONTACT WITH THESE APPLICANTS, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A PIECE OF INFORMATION WE NEED.
WE EXPECT TO GET IT IN SHORT ORDER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THROUGH EMAIL.
IT'S VERY EASY PAPER TRAIL AS WELL.
THIS WILL GIVE THEM ENOUGH TIME TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND GET THEIR SUBMITTAL MADE.
THE ITEM I PUNTED ON PREVIOUSLY, WHICH IS THE MAKEUP OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS THAT MR. KUSHEL CAN SPEAK TO, BUT HOW IT'S SET UP RIGHT NOW IN THE DRAFT THAT YOU HAVE, IT'S TWO BOARD MEMBERS, ONE PLANNING COMMISSIONER, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND HIS OR HER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE, AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE. SO THAT'S HOW IT'S CURRENTLY SET UP.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR OPTIONS IN A MINUTE.
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT LEAST TWICE.
ONE OF THOSE WILL BE A PUBLIC MEETING.
ALTHOUGH WE WON'T BE SENDING OUT TRADITIONAL ZONING PUBLIC NOTICES, IT WILL BE A PUBLIC NOTICE.
WE WILL SEND IT OUT TO ALL THE APPLICANTS.
WE WILL MAKE IT AVAILABLE, BUT IT WON'T BE A TRADITIONAL ZONING ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. KUSHEL TO HIT ANY OTHER HIGH NOTES THAT HE WANTS TO DISCUSS AT THIS POINT.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE KEY POINTS THAT FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
AND I DO ALSO WANT TO DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO THE PROPOSED MAKEUP AS AS PRESENTED HERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION, KNOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONGER, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
IT'S ALSO AS WE THEN WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT, WHAT HAVE OTHER COMMUNITIES DO? GRANTED, THEY'RE LARGELY CITIES IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE, BUT WHILE ANN JACKSON, TYPICALLY THEY HAVE EITHER NO ELECTED OFFICIALS OR OR PERHAPS ONE.
SO KIND OF AS PRESENTED HERE, THIS WOULD BE A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THERE'S SOME BENEFITS TO TO KIND OF DIALING THAT BACK.
AND AGAIN, ULTIMATELY, AS DIRECTOR SCHMITT SAID, IT IS STILL THIS BOARD'S DECISION.
[00:25:08]
BECAUSE THEY'RE SIMPLY CONDENSING INFORMATION FOR YOUR REVIEW AND YOUR DECISION.WE HAVE TYPICALLY A TEN DAY NOTICE PERIOD.
THE. AND THEN THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT IS.
SO WE MAY HAVE LET'S SAY TWO OVERLAYS BECAUSE THERE'S FIVE RIGHT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OVERLAYS THAT HAVE MORE THAN ONE THOSE SINGLE APPLICANTS.
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AS DRAFTED, HAS A LITTLE BIT OF DISCRETION.
THEY CAN SEND IT ON TO THE BOARD OR THEY CAN DO SOME REVIEW THEMSELVES.
SORT OF WORK THROUGH THE EASIER WORK WHERE YOU HAVE LESS MOVING PARTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD OPTION FOR THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THIS BOARD MAY WANT TO MAKE IT MANDATORY THAT THEY OFFER A RECOMMENDATION, EVEN ON THOSE ONE ON ONE SITUATIONS, BUT AT LEAST THOSE ARE SLIMMED DOWN, LESS COMPLEX BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS MOVING PARTS.
AND ON THE REVIEW CRITERIA THEMSELVES.
THEY ESSENTIALLY TRACK WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
WE DID STRENGTHEN SOME OF THE EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA AND LOCAL ECONOMIC CRITERIA, WHICH IS ON PAGES FOUR AND FIVE. THAT WAS IN PART AS A RESULT OF A CASE THAT JUST CAME OUT.
SO, AGAIN, WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE USING THAT.
WE DID HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN THE INITIAL PROPOSAL, BUT WE'VE SORT OF COME BACK AND TAILORED THE REVIEW THAT CRITERIA TO KIND OF WHAT THE COURT HAS SEEN BEFORE AND AT RISK OF BELABORING TOO MUCH.
THE ONE PIECE I DO WANT TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT IS THE INITIAL REVIEW OF THE COMMITTEE, KIND OF, OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC EYE.
THAT'S NOT A NON TRANSPARENCY STANDARD.
THESE APPLICATIONS HAVE HUNDREDS OF PAGES.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GET AT LEAST FIVE OF THEM POTENTIALLY SEVEN.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH INTEREST IS OUT THERE, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY APPLICATIONS ARE GOING TO COME IN GETTING THROUGH THAT VOLUME OF MATERIAL, BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS DONE WELL, WHERE THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION, WHAT KIND OF DIALOG BOTH THIS BOARD AND THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WANTS TO HAVE WITH AN APPLICANT.
WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THAT VOLUME OF PAPERWORK EFFICIENTLY.
AND THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DO THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME QUICK MEETINGS TOGETHER OF THE COMMITTEE, WHERE WE CAN SORT THROUGH AND HAMMER OUT THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE APPLICATION, FIGURE OUT WHERE THE PINCH POINTS ARE.
DELIBERATION CAN COME OUT AGAIN, NOT KNOWING HOW MANY APPLICATIONS WE GET, IT'S WE CAN'T SPECULATE.
BUT THE MORE PINCH POINTS THERE ARE THAN I ANTICIPATE THERE BEING MORE MEETINGS.
SO THE STRUCTURE WE HAVE HERE, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT IT COMPLIES WITH OMA.
GIVEN THE CASES THAT HAVE PRECEDED.
THERE'S BEEN THREE CASES SO FAR.
THE COURT OF APPEALS HAS NOT FOUND ANY OMA VIOLATIONS, DESPITE THOSE CLAIMS BEING RATHER COMMON BY THE MARIJUANA BAR AND THE LOSING MARIJUANA APPLICANTS, BASICALLY.
BUT THE COURT HAS AFFIRMED THE MUNICIPALITY STANDARDS.
THEY'VE AFFIRMED STRUCTURES THAT WE'VE LAID OUT HERE.
SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD MIX OF GETTING SOME EFFICIENCY, ESPECIALLY ON THE FRONT END, AND THEN BEING TRANSPARENT AND HAVING THAT DELIBERATION OF BOTH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AS THEY ARRIVE AT A FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
[00:30:02]
AND THEN AS WELL, OF COURSE, THIS BOARD'S ALL OF ITS EFFORTS, AND IT'S ITS ACTUAL DECISION BEING, OF COURSE, MADE IN THE PUBLIC.OKAY. SO THERE'S SEVERAL POINTS THAT WE NEED TO CLARIFY.
AND THE FIRST LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE QUESTION OF HOW THE COMMITTEE IS MADE UP.
THAT IS THE PRIMARY POINT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
OKAY. AND WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS A PROPOSAL WHERE THERE ARE TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS, ONE APPOINTED OFFICIAL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THREE STAFF MEMBERS.
CORRECT. DIRECTORS AT DIRECTOR LEVEL? YES. BOARD MEMBERS.
YOUR THOUGHTS? TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
AND THANK YOU TO THE TWO OF YOU FOR AND YOUR TEAMS FOR PUTTING THESE TOGETHER.
I KNOW WE'VE SPENT A LONG ROAD.
UM, MY QUESTION ABOUT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WELL, TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY IS WHO WOULD, FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, AMBIGUOUS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OR PLANNING COMMISSION WHO WOULD BE DECIDING WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE? I DIDN'T SEE ANY MECHANISM IN THERE TO REFER TO THAT.
THIS BOARD WOULD CHOOSE A PANEL.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION IN THERE ABOUT IF THERE'S TIES AND WHATNOT.
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WE MAY BE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR A SITUATION WHERE THERE WILL BE MANY MORE TIES THAN NECESSARY, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ODD NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR, SORRY, AN EVEN NUMBER OF PEOPLE PROPOSED FOR THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM. IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE COULD PRECLUDE A LOT OF POSSIBLE TIES BY HAVING A FIVE PERSON COMMITTEE OR A SEVEN PERSON COMMITTEE, AS OPPOSED TO SIX.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT FIFTH PERSON WHO WOULD DROP OFF TO BE FIVE OR WHO WE WOULD ADD TO SEVEN.
BEFORE I MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION, IS THIS REVIEW COMMITTEE GOING TO REVIEW ON THE BASIS OF THE TEN POINTS? WILL THE TEN POINTS OF CHARACTERIZATION BE A PART OF THEIR JOB? YES. THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL USE THE SAME CRITERIA THAT THE BOARD WILL USE FOR ITS ULTIMATE DECISION, AND I WOULD ALSO ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WOULD PRESENT IT IN A FORMAT SIMILAR TO WHAT THE BOARD WOULD UTILIZE IN ITS FORMAT, AS WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, USING EXCELLENT STANDARDS. THIS HAD GREAT COMPLIANCE FOR THESE REASONS VERSUS THEY GET TEN OUT OF TEN POINTS.
AND SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE WOULD BE LESS OPPORTUNITY OF THESE TIES TIE VOTES WITH THAT MUCH VARIATION IN THE POSSIBILITY AND THE QUALIFICATIONS.
AND BY THE WAY, AND SO IN THE END THEY WILL SEND ONE SUMMARIZING CHARACTERIZING REPORT TO THE BOARD WHICH, WHICH MEANS A COMPILATION OF ALL OF THESE GRADES FROM THE COMMITTEE PARTICIPANTS.
SO IF YOU HAD TEN APPLICATIONS, YOU'LL GET TEN SUMMARIES, ONE FOR EACH APPLICATION, RIGHT? IF YOU ALSO DESIRED AN OVERARCHING MATRIX, WE COULD MAKE THAT MORE EXPLICIT.
THE. BUT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE, AGAIN, THAT BODY IS JUST MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IF THEY END UP WITH AND IF THERE IS A TIE, THEN THEY'LL JUST BOTH BE EQUALLY RECOMMENDED.
THERE'S NO TENSION FOR THAT BODY TO RESOLVE THE TIE.
[00:35:07]
SO I'M LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THEM REACHING TIES OR TIES COMING TO THIS BODY.I STILL THINK THE THE YEOMAN'S WORK OF DISTILLING DOWN THOSE HUNDREDS OF PAGES TO COMING TO THESE, LET'S SAY TEN APPLICANTS OUT OF 15 REALLY STAND OUT.
WE RECOMMEND ISSUING THESE TO ONE OF ONES WE SEE NO PROBLEMS, AND THEN WE REALLY HIGHLIGHT THESE OTHER APPLICANTS WHO ARE REALLY OUTPERFORMING AND YOU KNOW, PLUS THEN MAYBE YOU'D WANT TO LOOK AT THESE AREAS BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE NOTED WHERE THEY SAW MAYBE WEAKER SPOTS OR STRONGER SPOTS THAT LEND TO AWARDING A PERMIT.
AND THEN THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EFFICIENT BECAUSE YOU CAN LOOK AT 50 PAGES INSTEAD OF 300.
OKAY. I THINK I SAW TRUSTEE WILSON NEXT.
WHAT I'M HEARING PRETTY CLEARLY FROM YOU ATTORNEY IS THAT A SMALLER GROUP IS MORE MANAGEABLE.
SO I THINK I ALSO NOT ONLY IS IT THE TIE ISSUE, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE THE REPRESENTATION ON THE BODY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, I JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
AND SO WE ARE EXECUTING WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED US TO DO.
OKAY. COULD I ASK YOU IF THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF OR NOT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION? I WOULD SAY THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSIONER THERE.
OKAY. MR. DESCHAINE. I LIKE THE IDEA OF A PARED DOWN BODY AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
IN THE SMALLER THE WORKGROUP, THE MORE EFFECTIVE THAT IT CAN BE DONE.
THIS IDEA OF NOT HAVING BOARD MEMBERS AND THERE'S A NEW ONE TO ME.
I MIGHT NEED SOME MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.
I, I SEE TRUSTEE WILSON'S POINT THAT THE BOARD SHOULD HAVE REPRESENTATIVES, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A BOARD DECISION AT THE SAME TIME, BY LEADING BOARD MEMBERS OFF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, ALL SEVEN OF US WILL HAVE THE SAME FRESH PERSPECTIVE WHEN THE RECOMMENDATION COMES BEFORE US.
I'M SENSING THIS IS GOING TO BE MANY HOURS OF WORK.
I MEAN, TENS AND TENS AND TENS OF HOURS OF WORK.
AND I'M NOT SURE WE PAY OUR BOARD MEMBERS ENOUGH TO GIVE UP, OR DO A QUARTER TIME JOB FOR A MONTH OR TWO, WHICH COULD BE EVEN MORE THAN THAT. SO THAT'S MY OPINION ON SLIMMING DOWN THE BOARD, THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I LIKE THE IDEA. DIRECTOR SCHMITT DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH STAFF CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS TO DO THIS JOB PROPERLY RIGHT NOW? YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY.
I THINK HOW I'VE ANTICIPATED REVIEWING THIS IS I THINK WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS SPLIT THE APPLICATIONS BETWEEN MY TWO EXISTING PLANNERS TO REVIEW FOR COMPLETENESS, MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH THE MEDICAL, EVEN JUST IN THE JANUARY SUBMITTAL WINDOW WHERE WE HAD THE FOUR RE SUBMITTALS, EACH TOOK HALF AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING THERE.
I WILL LIKELY SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE AS OPPOSED TO DESIGNATING SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO IT WILL TENS OF HOURS IS PROBABLY RIGHT.
I MEAN IT REALLY AGAIN, DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY ARE GOING TO BE SUBMITTED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE OPEN A WINDOW, WE WON'T KNOW.
NEXT QUESTION IS, IS THERE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT THAT HELPS COMMUNITIES WITH THESE DECISIONS THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT HIRING THAT MIGHT BE THE TIE BREAKER AND A PROXY FOR THE BOARD AND IN SOME WAYS A PAID INDEPENDENT PERSON TO TO DO THIS WORK ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
IS THERE SUCH A SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN THAT YOU KNOW OF? WELL, I'M NOT AWARE OF A SPECIFIC CONSULTANT THAT WOULD WOULD DABBLE IN THIS FIELD.
I MEAN, I THINK IF WE WENT DOWN THAT ROAD, WHAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT IS BRINGING ON A PLANNING CONSULTANT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A CARLYLE WATERMAN OR, YOU KNOW, A LAND PLAN OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE TO SORT OF BE THAT THIRD PARTY.
[00:40:04]
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME CONSULTANTS OUT THERE THAT HAVE DABBLED IN SPECIFIC TO MARIJUANA ISSUES, BUT THEY TEND TO BE MORE ON THE SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY AS OPPOSED TO THE COMMUNITY.YEAH, AND I SECOND THOSE THOUGHTS.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT THAT DOES THAT WORK ON BEHALF OF MUNICIPALITIES.
WE DO IT. OUR FIRM DOES IT FOR OTHER CLIENTS.
NOT SO MUCH MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BUT BREAKING DOWN THE APPLICATIONS, DOING THAT COMPLETENESS REVIEW, LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE WEAK SPOTS ARE, WHERE THERE MIGHT WANT TO PUSH BACK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
SO WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROCESS AND HELPING COMMUNITIES THERE.
AND IT IS ALSO ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, SOME OF THE CASE LAW COMMUNITIES USED ONE OFFICIAL.
AND TOGETHER, THAT GROUP THEN MADE UP A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL.
SO WE DO ANTICIPATE AND PERMIT FOR THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO ASSIST THE COMMITTEE.
RIGHT. SO WE'LL DO OUR INITIAL COMPLETENESS REVIEW.
RIGHT. SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY DO IS THEN IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE APPLICANT, SHIP THEM OVER TO THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR A MORE, DEEPER DIVE. WHAT WEAKNESSES DO YOU GUYS SEE THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF UP FRONT? THEN GOING TO THE COMMITTEE REVIEW WITH SORT OF MY STAFF'S REVIEW, TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S REVIEW, AND NOW LET'S GET INTO THE THE NITTY GRITTY.
SO THAT YOU ARE GETTING AS UNVARNISHED OF A VIEW AS POSSIBLE OF WHAT THEY'VE SUBMITTED TO US.
AND I LIKED WHAT ATTORNEY KUSHEL SAID ABOUT ALLOWING THE STAFF TO SYNTHESIZE AND THEN PRESENT TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE WITHOUT HAVING MAYBE REPRESENTATION FROM THE BOARD AT THAT SPECIFIC, WE'RE ALL GETTING THE SAME INFORMATION.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
LEAVING A PLANNING COMMISSION ON AS A REPRESENTATIVE.
LEAVING THE [INAUDIBLE] SO THREE STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
YEAH. UM, IN TERMS OF HELP IN INTERPRETING THE APPLICATIONS, WE HAVE ALREADY PERMITTED AT LEAST TWO LEVELS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION UM, ACCESS TO THIS PROCESS OR NOT.
IN THEORY BASED ON WHAT'S LAID OUT RIGHT NOW YES.
I JUST WANT TO PULL US BACK A LITTLE BIT TO THE UNDERLYING ROOT OF THIS.
THIS IS JUST RELATING TO THE REVIEW.
A COMPETITIVE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR THE PERMIT FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
THIS THEN WOULD GO IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR WOULD NOT? IT WOULD.
YES. SO THIS ISSUE IS A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL, WHICH THEN OPENS THE DOOR TO THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.
AND THEN THE SITE PLAN WOULD BE OR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND SITE PLAN PROCESS.
THEN THAT WOULD COMPLETE IN THE NORMAL COURSE.
AND THEN ONCE THAT IS ALL DONE AND THEY'RE READY TO OPEN, THE DIRECTOR WOULD ISSUE THE FINAL PERMIT BASICALLY WHEN THEY OPEN THEIR DOORS.
OKAY. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE BOARD HAS INPUT UNDER THIS PROCESS.
[00:45:06]
ASSUME THAT WE ARE NOT ON THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.THE BOARD WOULD HAVE INPUT WHEN THE APPLICATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD BY THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHOMEVER REPRESENTS THEM, AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD ALSO BE THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD WEIGH IN THE TWO MEETINGS, AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD WEIGH IN WITH TWO MEETINGS ON THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
WE'LL BE SEEING THESE PROJECTS A LOT.
MAYBE THE EASIEST WAY IS TO KEEP THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, WHO WOULD WILL OTHERWISE BE SEEING THIS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE FUTURE OFF OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND LET STAFF MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO US ON THAT.
JUST A THOUGHT TO THROW OUT THERE.
IS THAT A MOTION? NOT YET, BUT THANK YOU.
I CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
THAT SEEMS LIKE THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS WAY TO GET THINGS DONE.
FIRST REVIEW BY STAFF, THEN REVIEW BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THEN REVIEW BY THE BOARD.
THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME.
MAKE A MOTION THAT SECTION TWO REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT WE STRIKE FROM SECTION B REVIEW COMMITTEE SHALL BE MADE UP OF, WE STRIKE ONE AND TWO.
THE TWO MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND ONE MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THE MOTION IS TO STRIKE THE TWO BOARD MEMBERS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
CHAIR WILL VOTE YES AND THE MOTION PASSES.
OKAY. UM, WHICH IS THE WAY I THINK THINGS USUALLY HAPPEN AROUND HERE ANYWAY.
GOOD POINT. UM, THE NEXT QUESTION.
THAT I HAVE IN MY MIND HAD TO DO WITH THE HOW A SINGLE APPLICANT IN A SINGLE DISTRICT IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM AN APPLICANT IN A COMPETITIVE DISTRICT.
SO FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, AND I THINK ATTORNEY KUSHEL MAY HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, IT'S REALLY JUST A MATTER OF TAKING CARE OF AN ISSUE IN GETTING IT OFF OUR PLATES.
WE'RE GOING TO SCRUB IT BY THE ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING WE'RE MISSING.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE COMMITTEE GET TOGETHER AND MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE IT ON TO THE BOARD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S A POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO THE OTHER BENEFIT IS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE BOARD WILL NOT GET BOMBARDED WITH THEM ALL AT ONCE THEN.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THE ONLY WAY IT'S TREATED DIFFERENTLY IS THAT WE'RE JUST IF IT'S BY ITSELF, WE'RE JUST GOING TO MOVE IT ALONG AND BE DONE WITH IT AND GET THE PAPERWORK COMPLETED FROM OUR END.
BUT IF YOU MOVE THEM ALONG, THEY DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE REVIEW OF THE TEN CRITERIA, WE'LL STILL REVIEW THEM.
BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO THAT'LL BE THE FIRST ONE WE HANDLE.
RIGHT. WE'LL JUST GET THAT ONE OUT THE DOOR.
OKAY. UM, SO THAT IT DOESN'T YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT HAS FIVE APPLICANTS AND THAT TAKES US 3 OR 4 MEETINGS TO REVIEW, I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO ANYONE, BUT IT AT LEAST GETS ONE OF THEM MOVING ALONG.
OKAY. SO WE CAN NOT CLOG UP ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS WITH THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
OKAY? I APPRECIATE THAT, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
AND YOU'LL FORGIVE ME FOR NOT DIVING THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE APPEAL PROCESS LOOKS LIKE? CERTAINLY. BRIEFLY.
[00:50:05]
TO THE BOARD.IF I SAY I'M FRUSTRATED, I DON'T THINK MY APPLICATION WAS SCORED CORRECTLY.
THERE WAS SOME ASPECT THAT WAS MISREPRESENTED OR WHATEVER I COULD CLAIM THAT APPEAL.
THE MATERIAL, THE SAME MATERIAL THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAD TO MAKE ITS DECISION WOULD THEN GO TO A THIRD PARTY REVIEW INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD BE SELECTED BY THE BOARD.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR BEST PRACTICES, RATHER, THAT WE CAN GIVE IF WE CAN GIVE TO THE BOARD AT THAT TIME, IN TERMS OF SELECTING SOMEONE WHO'S AN INDEPENDENT MINDED INDIVIDUAL WHO CAN THEN TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT EVERYTHING, THEN THEY WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK AN ERROR WAS MADE.
BUT THEN ULTIMATELY IT'S FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO MAKE THAT AGAIN.
THE FINAL CONCLUSION OF, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? ACTUALLY WE SEE WE SEE THAT POINT WE TOTALLY MISSED PAGE TEN OR NO, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR MIND.
IT'S REALLY THE SAME INFORMATION.
YOU DON'T THINK WE CONSIDERED IT, BUT WE DID CONSIDER IT AND AFFIRM YOUR DECISION.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS DOCUMENT, AS AMENDED THIS EVENING, IS THERE A RECOMMENDED DATE FOR WHEN WE WOULD OPEN AN APPLICATION WINDOW? AT THIS TIME, I WILL STICK TO MY SCHEDULE THAT I'VE PUT OUT THERE ALL ALONG.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU OPEN THE WINDOW 1 TO 2 MONTHS FROM NOW, SO THAT THE APPLICANTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE, BECAUSE WE WILL GET APPLICANTS MOST LIKELY THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT MEDICAL APPLICANTS.
ALSO, WE'RE IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON, SO GETTING TRACTION RIGHT NOW, GETTING EVERYTHING IN.
AND IF THERE'S A DEFICIENCY, WE'RE JUST SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE.
SO THERE'S CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO THAT FIRST SECOND TUESDAY IN JANUARY DATE ONE MORE TIME, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY THE EARLIEST I WOULD RECOMMEND IT, BECAUSE IF YOU TOLD ME TO OPEN A WINDOW RIGHT NOW, UM, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST FROM A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE, WE GOT TO GO THROUGH ALL THE FORMS AND CHANGE ALL THE LANGUAGE ON THE FORMS. IT'S NOT RECREATIONAL, NOT MEDICAL, AND THERE'S JUST SOME BACK OF HOUSE STUFF THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE CAN SAY, OKAY, HERE'S YOUR APPLICATION.
AND PRESUMABLY SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, HOPEFULLY UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION FROM WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED IN 2019 AND GET US GOOD INFORMATION NOW.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO A BUNCH OF DEFICIENCIES.
AND THE APPLICATION WINDOW COULD THEORETICALLY BE OPENED AS LONG AS WE SEE FIT.
OKAY WITH THAT THEN MADAM, I APOLOGIZE.
SO. YEAH. SO YOU COULD DO IT FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT.
THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL MAKE A MOTION SO WE CAN AT LEAST GET ROLLING ON THE FULL BODY OF THIS. I WOULD MOVE TO ADOPT THE PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AND THE COMPETITIVE REVIEW PROCESS UNDER CHAPTER 40, AUTHORIZING ADULT USE MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS, AS AMENDED.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINKI FOR THE COMMENTS.
NO, I THINK THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF HARD WORK BY A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD, BUT I THINK WE'RE NEARING THE END.
I REALLY APPRECIATE LISTENING TO THE BOARD.
I KNOW IT'S IT'S TAKEN A WHILE TO GET US HERE.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF ATTORNEY KUSHAL'S INPUT ON THIS AND DIRECTOR SCHMITT.
WE ARE DOING AS TRUSTEE, WILSON SAID.
WE ARE HONORING THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
IT WAS A VERY CLOSE VOTE, BUT THE MAJORITY VOTED TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
SO THE BOARD IN A UNIFIED VOICE DID THAT.
NONETHELESS, THIS IS A NEW INDUSTRY IN MICHIGAN.
THREE THINGS CAN POINT TO THAT RICK JOHNSON, SKYMINT AND THE PRICE OF MARIJUANA.
[00:55:03]
RICK JOHNSON, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE REGULATORY AGENCY, IS GOING TO PRISON FOR FIVE YEARS FOR TAKING BRIBES FROM THE INDUSTRY.THAT HAS A REALLY UGLY START FOR THIS INDUSTRY.
SKYMINT, THE GOOGLE OR AMAZON MINISTRY.
PRICES HAD ALREADY FALLEN BY HALF OR MORE.
AND THEN LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, OHIO APPROVED THEIR OWN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
AND A LOT OF OUR INDUSTRY SALES HERE ARE IN THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE TOWNSHIP.
THE WAY WE USED TO GO TO OHIO FOR FIREWORKS, THEY'VE BEEN COMING TO MICHIGAN TO BUY MARIJUANA.
AND WHEN WE LEGALIZED FIREWORKS, I'M SURE IT REALLY HURT OHIO'S FIREWORKS SALES.
AND THEY'RE LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IS GOING TO HURT OUR SALES, NO DOUBT.
SO THE INDUSTRY FACES FURTHER VOLATILITY.
I DO HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I ABOUT THE PROCESS.
AND PAGE 53 AND 54 YOU LIST THE REVIEW FACTORS, NUMBER THREE BEING WHETHER THE APPLICANT AND THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A COMPETENCY IN BUSINESS OPERATIONS, HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY, VIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF A HISTORY OF COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS, WHETHER THE APPLICANT OR STAKEHOLDERS HAD OR CURRENTLY HOLDS ANY OTHER STATE REGULATED LICENSE, INCLUDING A CRA ISSUED LICENSE OR LIQUOR LICENSE. WHETHER THE APPLICANT AND OR STAKEHOLDERS CURRENTLY OPERATE OR PREVIOUSLY OPERATED ANY OTHER MARIJUANA OR STATE REGULATED BUSINESSES.
REVIEWS AND REFERENCES RELATED TO ANY TO ANY ONGOING BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION ON DOCUMENT OR DOCUMENTATION THAT DEMONSTRATES A GOOD REPUTATION AND GOOD MORAL CHARACTER.
YOU THOUGHT THIS THROUGH AND YOU'VE COVERED A LOT THERE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
A QUESTION FOR YOU DIRECTOR SCHMITT IS HOW DEEP CAN YOU GO WITH YOUR STAFF? I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE COMPANIES OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE EASY TO LOOK UP, BUT INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT HAVE REFORMED IN A NEW COMPANY OR A NEW PARTNERSHIP, HOW DO WE FERRET OUT THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE WHILE THE COMPANIES CHANGE THE INDIVIDUALS, STILL SOMEONE THAT WOULD HAVE WE WOULD HAVE FOUND SOME ISSUES WITH THE THE CRITERIA WE'VE PUT OUT HERE.
OF COURSE, THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE THE ONES LIKE THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE.
IT'S JARS CANNABIS THEY ARE APPLYING AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PEOPLE AND VERY EASY TO LOOK THEM UP.
AND THE CRA COMPLIANCE DATABASE AND FIND OUT IF THEY'VE HAD ANY ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, I GET THE WEEKLY EMAILS FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF PENALTIES AND LICENSE REVOCATIONS, WHICH ARE BECOMING THEY'RE NOT COMMON, BUT THEY HAPPEN MORE THAN I RECALL.
SO IT WON'T BE HARD TO FIND THE NAMES OF THE CORPORATIONS.
I THINK ONCE WE GET INTO THE PEOPLE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR SOME ASSISTANCE.
THAT SAME DEEP DIVE, I THINK WILL BE NECESSARY FOR SEVEN, LOOKING AT THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF THESE COMPANIES, SUFFICIENT FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT AND CARRY OUT THE PROPOSED BUSINESS PLAN AND OPERATIONS, AND IN THEIR BUSINESS PLAN, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO ALSO REQUIRE MAYBE A CPA TYPE DIVE INTO THAT BUSINESS HISTORY.
YEAH, I THINK I THINK THAT ONE'S REALLY GOING TO DEPEND ON HOW MUCH.
HOW MUCH SOMEONE'S KIND OF HANGING THEIR HAT ON.
WE HAVE THIS NEW MODEL OF DOING THINGS.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
I THINK THAT ONE IS I THINK THE MOST INTERESTING ONE TO ME.
MY THIRD CONCERN IS, IS NUMBER TEN, WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS PLANNED COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND ITS RESIDENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PLANNED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES. THAT'S THE PHRASE THAT BOTHERS ME CHARITABLE AND PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITY, COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT OR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE TOWNSHIP.
IT WAS RELIEVED. ANXIETY CALMED THE NERVES.
IT WAS THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE TO A BUSY DAY.
SO WHEN YOU SAY PLANNED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, MY CONCERN IS THAT INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES COME IN AND THEY'VE GOT AN INDUSTRY STUDY COMPARABLE TO THE TOBACCO STUDIES WHEN TOBACCO BEFORE TOBACCO WAS REALLY UNDERSTOOD.
[01:00:04]
AND SO, YEAH, THIS CALMS YOUR NERVES AND RELIEVES THE ANXIETY.AND BUT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NO DATA ON THAT.
I WOULD HOPE THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES WOULD BE LIKE THOSE OF AN ALCOHOL PROVIDER TO SAY, YOU KNOW, DRINK MODERATELY, DRINK AT THE EARLY AGE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER THIRD QUESTION WAS REGARDING THE APPEAL PROCESS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT.
TREASURER DESCHAINE HAS RECITED FOR US MUCH OF THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THIS INDUSTRY IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGE IN PRICES, THE THE FAILED.
AND I THINK BY THE TIME THESE APPLICATIONS COME TO THE BOARD, WE KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS, AND WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND RAISE ISSUES TO TRY TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM ANY DANGERS THAT ARE THERE.
MR. HENDRICKSON, WOULD YOU RECITE THAT MOTION FOR ME, PLEASE? OF COURSE, MADAM SUPERVISOR, I MOVED TO ADOPT THE PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AND COMPETITIVE REVIEW PROCESS UNDER CHAPTER 40, AUTHORIZING ADULT USE MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS, AS AMENDED, AS AMENDED.
AGAIN. AND YOU SUPPORT IT AGAIN.
OKAY, SO WE NEED A VOTE AT THIS POINT.
UM, LET'S LET'S DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
I WONDER IF IT WOULDN'T BE PRUDENT IF WE WOULD LOOK AT OPENING A WINDOW AT THE DATE SPECIFIED.
AND WE'VE HEARD MR. SCHMIDT'S IDEAS ON HOW LONG THAT SHOULD TAKE, AT THE LEAST.
RIGHT. YOU HAVE ANOTHER MOTION TO OFFER AT THIS TIME.
IF IT'S ALLOWABLE, I'D BE HAPPY TO.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, WE'LL SEE.
OKAY. SO I GUESS WITHOUT THE TEXT, I'LL FREESTYLE IT HERE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD SET AN INITIAL APPLICATION WINDOW UNDER THE PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AND COMPETITIVE REVIEW PROCESS AS OF JANUARY OPENING JANUARY 9TH AND CLOSING JANUARY 23RD.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES.
ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE WILSON SECOND THE MOTION.
WE'VE HEARD FROM STAFF THAT THIS IS THE TIME.
THAT WOULD BE THEY'D BE ABLE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS.
AND THIS, TO ME, IS JUST SAVING US, PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT MONTH WHEN WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE'LL BE DEALING WITH.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF EFFICIENCY AT THAT POINT.
TRUSTEE WILSON. I HAVE A BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT SETTING THE DATE AT THIS TIME.
WE HAVE SOME PENT UP DEMAND ISSUES, SUCH AS OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVES AND THE MANAGER'S REVIEW THAT WE NEED TO DO EXPEDITIOUSLY SOMETIME, POTENTIALLY IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
COULD WE I'M THINKING THAT MAYBE WE COULD DEFER THIS.
AND IS IT UP TO US TO SET THE WINDOW? YES, IT IS DEFINITELY UP TO US.
ALL RIGHT. AND TO BE CLEAR, IF I MAY, MADAM SUPERVISOR, THIS IS SIMPLY TO ALLOW THE APPLICATIONS TO COME IN TO THE TOWNSHIP, AFTER WHICH THE STAFF WOULD REVIEW, THE ATTORNEY WOULD REVIEW, THE COMMITTEE WOULD REVIEW, AND THEN WE WOULD SEE IT.
[01:05:03]
TAKE TIME. AND THOSE MEETINGS, AS WE DISCUSSED THIS EVENING, WOULD TAKE A WHILE TO.AGAIN, A BIT OF CONCERN OF DOING IT SO CLOSELY AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, BECAUSE I WOULD PRESUME THAT THE APPLICANTS THEN WOULD BE FORCED TO START WORKING ON THIS DURING THE HOLIDAYS IN ORDER TO MEET THAT WINDOW OF THE NINTH.
BUT I WOULD URGE YOU TO NOTE THAT MANY OF THESE APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS FOR THIS. SO MY GUESS WOULD BE THEY'RE READY.
OKAY. MR. DESCHAINE, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION OF DIRECTOR SCHMITT.
WILL YOU BE READY TO OPEN THE WINDOW ON JANUARY 9TH, OR WOULD YOU PREFER TO HAVE A DATE TO BE DEFINED LATER IN DECEMBER? NO. I MEAN, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING PAPERWORK THAT WE CAN KNOCK OUT NEXT WEEK.
HAVE IT READY TO GO ON THE WEBSITE PROBABLY THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND I HAVE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE, GIVEN THAT WE ARE GOING TO OPEN THE WINDOW.
COVERING THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN JANUARY.
I WOULD RECOMMEND EXTENDING IT TO THE 26TH JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET A SOLID TWO WEEKS IN THERE.
AND I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD STATE, PURSUANT TO THEIR POLICIES, THE TIME AND PLACE THAT THE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE NO LATER THAN 5:00 ON THE 26TH, AND THAT THE APPLICATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWNSHIP CLERK'S OFFICE FOR PROPER ACCEPTANCE AND DATE SAME.
MR. HENDRICKSON, I BELIEVE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A YEAH, I GUESS SO.
UP HERE. WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO AMEND THAT, RIGHT? OKAY, SO CAN I AMEND MY OWN MOTION? I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN. I HAVE COMMENTED.
OKAY. DID WE SAY THE EIGHTH ON MONDAY THE EIGHTH? THE NINTH, TO THE 26.
I MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION THAT THE PERIOD FOR ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS WOULD COMMENCE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH AND END AT 5 P.M.
AND THAT ALL APPLICATIONS WOULD BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
LET'S SEE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO AMEND.
TO AMEND THE ORIGINAL MOTION, SAY YES.
AND SO THE ORIGINAL MOTION NOW IS TO START THE PROCESS.
TO OPEN THE WINDOW ON JANUARY 9TH AND CLOSE THE WINDOW ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 26TH AT 5 P.M.
WITH ALL APPLICATIONS HAVING BEEN SENT TO THE TOWNSHIP CLERK'S OFFICE.
OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES 6 TO 0.
THANK YOU. UM, I THINK WE GOT THAT CLEARED UP.
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. SCHMIDT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
[12.B. Ordinance 2023-07 - Fire Protection and Emergency Services Cost Recovery Update - Introduction]
ORDINANCE 2023-07, FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY SERVICES COST RECOVERY UPDATE, INTRODUCED BY FIRE CHIEF MIKE HAMEL.THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, BOARD.
SO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WE WERE HERE AND THE QUESTION WAS ASKED IN REGARDS TO THE A AND B, WHICH WAS ON THE FORM YOU GOT FOR THIS MEETING IN SECTION 18 IN REGARDS TO HOUSE FIRES AND CAR FIRES.
AND SO A WAS REWRITTEN AND IT'S IN THE NEW LANGUAGE.
B IS WRITTEN IN THE NEW LANGUAGE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WE FORGOT TO PULL HOUSE OUT.
SO I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE ATTORNEY PULL THE HOUSE OUT.
SO THE QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO YOUR THOUGHTS, WERE THERE ANY STILL ANY CONCERNS OR
[01:10:19]
? MR. DESCHAINE.WE'RE BEING CALLED INTO PLACES WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE A CONTRACT FOR AMBULANCE SERVICES.
THEY DO NOT. AND WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROPERLY CHARGE FOR THESE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, ESSENTIALLY FOR FREE, BECAUSE THE PRIVATE COMPANIES HAVE HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS, ARE JUST NOT PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THESE PRIVATE HOMES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE REQUIRING.
YEAH, IT'S MORE THE ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS.
I MEAN, PRIVATE ASSISTED LIVING.
YES. AND THAT AND THAT THAT'S SPELLED OUT IN THE ORDINANCE PRETTY WELL, AS WELL AS OUR FEE SCHEDULE.
THE QUESTIONS, MR. HENDRICKSON. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THIS IS ARE YOU ASKING US NOT TO VOTE ON THIS SO YOU CAN HAVE THE ATTORNEYS UPDATE THE.
SO IT'S BEEN UPDATED. IT HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THEY FORGOT TO TAKE HOUSE OUT.
SO I DO HAVE THE NEW ORDINANCE THAT THEY REWRITTEN REWROTE AFTER OUR LAST MEETING.
SO FIRST TO AMEND IT, THE THE ORDINANCE AND PROPOSAL BEFORE US.
I THINK IT'S ONLY IN. JUST IN THE ONE SPOT.
MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I MOVED TO APPROVE THE UPDATED COST RECOVERY ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 18 OF THE CODE OF CHARTER TOWNSHIP AND MERIDIAN TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF ARTICLE THREE, FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND AUTHORIZE THE CLERK AND SUPERVISOR TO SIGN THE ORDINANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGE.
IN SECTION 1832, SUBSECTION B, STRIKING THE WORD HOUSE AND THE FOLLOWING COMMA FROM THAT SUBSECTION.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.
YES. YES. I APPRECIATE, CHIEF, THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS BACK TO US WITH WITH THE INTENDED CHANGE TO CLARIFY THAT AND AND ALSO THAT YOU HELPED TO ALLAY SOME CONCERNS THAT THIS IS NOT JUST YOUR AVERAGE FIRE THAT'S RESPONDED TO AND THAT OUR RESIDENTS AREN'T BEING CHARGED WHEN THEY GET INTO AN AUTO ACCIDENT.
I TOO FEEL THAT I CAN SUPPORT THIS MOTION, BECAUSE YOU HAVE CLARIFIED THIS IS TO PROTECT THE TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO BILL FOR SERVICES THAT ARE BEING RENDERED.
AND AT THIS TIME, WE'RE NOT RECEIVING THOSE REVENUES.
THANK YOU. MR. DESCHAINE. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO PRAISE YOU AND YOUR YOUR TEAM FOR THE NUMBER OF CALLS YOU'VE DONE.
I KNOW THAT'S DO A LOT OF HUSTLE, A LOT OF GOOD WORK BY YOUR TEAM.
AND IT HELPS COVER THE COSTS FOR ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS AND FOR OUR NEW STRIKER CONTRACT AS WELL.
THANK YOU. GOOD WORK ALL AROUND.
WE'LL TAKE A VOTE AT THIS POINT UNLESS THERE ARE FURTHER QUESTIONS.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE UPDATED COST RECOVERY ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 18 OF THE CODE OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF ARTICLE THREE, FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY SERVICE, AND AUTHORIZE THE CLERK AND SUPERVISOR TO SIGN THE ORDINANCE FOLLOWING THE SPECIFIC CHANGES NOTED BY SPECIFIC CHANGE NOTED BY TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON.
SHALL WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE?
[01:15:12]
MOTION CARRIES 6 TO 0.THANK YOU, THANK YOU CHIEF HAMEL.
APPRECIATE IT. NEXT IS ITEM 12 C, COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS.
[12.C. Community/Senior Center Request for Proposals]
AND TRUSTEE WILSON WILL BRING US UP TO DATE ON THAT ISSUE.YES. THANK YOU. MADAM SUPERVISOR.
AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED AT MULTIPLE MEETINGS, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING WHETHER WE CAN BRING A COMMUNITY CENTER INCORPORATING A SENIOR CENTER TO THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE A TASK FORCE THAT HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE FEBRUARY, MEETING ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS.
WE'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT IS NOW TIME TO BRING IN A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY TO ASSIST US IN LOOKING AT ALL THE ISSUES THAT SURROUND BUILDING SUCH A CENTER, OR REPURPOSING EXISTING BUILDING FOR THIS TO HAVE A CENTER.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST MEETING, AND I'M NOW READY TO BRING YOU A MOTION.
AND THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMUNITY/SENIOR CENTER TASK FORCE TO ENGAGE PROGRESSIVE AE, TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK FOR THE POTENTIAL NEW MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
TRUSTEE WILSON. THIS IS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IN THE PROCESS.
THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY HAS STRENGTHS IN BUILDING MUNICIPAL FACILITIES.
THEY HAVE DONE SENIOR CENTERS, THEY'VE DONE OTHER MUNICIPAL PROJECTS.
AND ALSO WE WERE STRUCK BY THEIR CREATIVITY.
WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT SO FAR WITH THIS PROJECT.
MR. DESCHAINE. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE SENIOR CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER.
THIS TASK FORCE DID NOT MAKE THIS DECISION AS A WHOLE.
IT WAS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF IT THAT SPENT THE TIME NECESSARY TO REVIEW EACH OF THESE APPLICATIONS.
I'M CONFIDENT WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE LARGER TASK FORCE.
WE ARE OPEN TO VARIOUS CONCEPTS, LOCATIONS.
THERE'S ALMOST EVERYTHING BIG IS YET TO BE DECIDED.
THE ONLY THING WE'RE MAKING A DECISION.
BUT IT'S ALL RIGHT NOW GOING TO BE TO THE IT'S WAITING ON THE INPUT FROM OUR CONSULTANTS AND THEN THE PUBLIC WHEN WE PRESENT THESE IDEAS TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY.
BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO GET BEHIND THIS.
AND LIKE THE WORK THAT THE TASK FORCE AND THIS CONSULTANT BRING FORWARD SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.
I APPRECIATE TREASURER DESCHAINE'S COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, THE SENIOR CENTER AS WE KNOW IT TODAY IS SLATED TO BE GONE IN SEVERAL YEARS. I THINK THE FIRST STEP, THE FIRST DECISION THAT THIS GROUP MADE, WAS THAT WE FEEL THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OUR RESIDENTS WITHOUT AN OPTION, AND THAT'S WHY THE TASK FORCE WAS PUT TOGETHER.
AND I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION THIS EVENING TO BRING IN THOSE EXPERTS TO HELP US PUT PEN TO PAPER AND SEE WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT HOLD.
THIS IS A SUBSET OF THE MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE LAST YEAR OF FEDERAL ARP MONEY THAT WE INDICATED WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE USED FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
[01:20:01]
SO THIS IS NOT NEW SPENDING.THIS IS SIMPLY ALLOCATING MONEY THAT WE HAD ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR THIS FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS EVENING.
OKAY. SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER TASK FORCE TO ENGAGE PROGRESSIVE AE TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK FOR THE POTENTIAL NEW MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER.
WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THIS AS WELL.
AT THIS POINT, ITEM 12 D IS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REAPPOINTMENTS TO
[12.D. Board & Commission Reappointments]
THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.AND I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 10 OR 11 OF THEM.
WHAT I'LL DO IS MAKE EACH RECOMMENDATION AND HAVE THE BOARD VOTE ON THE VOICE VOTE.
SO THE FIRST IS TO I MOVE TO REAPPOINT LESLIE CHARLES TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2016.
SUPPORT. UM, MR. DESCHAINE, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS TO MAKE IN THAT REGARD? SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF LESLIE CHARLES TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION THREE YEARS? PLEASE SAY YES.
THE SECOND IS MOVED TO REAPPOINT KATHLEEN LANGHALS TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION FOR A TWO YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2025. SUPPORT.
SHE REALLY SERVES US ABLY AND I'M PLEASED THAT SHE'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
THANK YOU. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO REAPPOINT KATHLEEN LANGHALS TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION FOR TWO YEARS, PLEASE SAY YES.
YES. TWO YEARS? TWO YEARS ENDING 12/31/ 2025.
ALL RIGHT. THIRD IS MOVED TO REAPPOINT BRADLEY BROGDON TO THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ENDING 1231 2026.
YES. BRAD BROGAN IS A RETIRED WATER ENGINEER WHO NOW ADVISES US, PROVIDES HIS PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AS ON THE WATER SEWER AUTHORITY.
IN HIS SPARE TIME, HE ALSO IS THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE MERIDIAN HISTORICAL VILLAGE.
BRAD IS EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE REALLY LUCKY THAT HE'S WILLING TO SERVE FOR ANOTHER THREE YEAR TERM.
OKAY, SO THE MOTION AGAIN IS TO REAPPOINT BRADLEY BROGAN TO THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2026.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
NEXT IS MOVE TO REAPPOINT KIMBERLY THOMPSON TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR A SIX YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2029. SECOND.
SECOND. THE MOTION IS SECONDED BY TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT I SERVE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND KIMBERLY THOMPSON HAS REALLY DONE A GOOD JOB JUST KIND OF JUMPING IN AND, AND HEADING UP THAT THAT COMMISSION.
SO I SUPPORT HER BEING REAPPOINTED.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
[01:25:04]
COMMENTS. SURE.SO HE'S BEEN SUCH AN ADVOCATE.
HE WAS A CHAIR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR, I THINK, MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN ONCE, AND IS, OF COURSE, OUR ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN ENERGY, SPECIFICALLY SOLARIZE MERIDIAN. SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT JOHN IS CONTINUING TO SERVE ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
NEXT IS MOVE TO REAPPOINT STEVE THOMAS, HUMAN LEE, JAMIE HILLER AND KATHLEEN FAY TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM ENDING 1231, 2027.
I WILL SAY STEVE THOMAS IS NOT ONE TO VOLUNTEER AWARDS.
YOU MAN IS INSTRUMENTAL IN IN OUR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
JAMIE IS THE CHAIR CURRENTLY AND HAS A LOT OF PASSION.
AND KATHLEEN BRINGS A LOT OF KATHY BRINGS A LOT TO TO THAT TO THAT TEAM AS WELL.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THEY ARE ALL REAPPOINTED.
THANK YOU. MR. DESHENG. YOU HEARD OUR LISTENING SESSIONS FROM MANY RESIDENTS.
HOW IMPORTANT THEY FEEL THE LAND PRESERVATION EFFORT IS.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO STOP PRESERVING THE LAND OR DOING GOOD STEWARDSHIP FOR THAT LAND.
OTHER COMMENTS. SO THE MOTION IS TO REAPPOINT STEVE THOMAS, YAU-MAN LEE, JAMIE HELLER AND KATHLEEN FAY TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2026.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
NEXT IS MOVE TO REAPPOINT JOYCE VAN COEVERING TO THE LOCAL OFFICIALS COMPENSATION COMMISSION FOR A TWO YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2025. MR. HENDRICKSON. SUPPORT.
YES, I SERVED ON THE LOCC FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT CYCLES, AND I KNOW JOYCE AND SHE BRINGS A VERY THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO HER DELIBERATIONS WITH THAT BODY, WHICH I THINK IS WELCOME.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
YES, YES. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU.
AND MOTION CARRIES SIX TO ZERO.
MOVE TO THE MOTION IS TO REAPPOINT TONYA PRATT AND AND JOYCE VAN COEVERING TO THE PENSION BOARD FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ENDING 12/31/2026. MISTER DESCHAINE.
COMMENTS. NO, THIS ISN'T A TYPO.
JOYCE VAN COEVERING, WHOSE NAME IS TWICE IN A ROW.
SHE MAY EVEN SERVE ON A THIRD COMMISSION.
I BELIEVE TONYA PRATT DOES AS WELL SERVE ON TWO COMMISSIONS.
SHE FOR A LONG TIME SERVED ON THE LOCAL OFFICIALS COMPENSATION BOARD.
IT'S NOT THE MAIN PENSION, THE MERS PENSION, BUT IT'S OUR FORMALLY MANAGED PENSION BOARD.
WE MET THEM THREE WEEKS AGO, AND THEY HAVE A LARGE ENDOWMENT TO MANAGE TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR CURRENT RETIREES ARE PROPERLY PAID. THE PENSION PROMISES, PENSION PAYMENTS WE PROMISED THEM YEARS AGO.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
AND FINALLY, I MOVED TO CONFIRM THE SUPERVISORY REAPPOINTMENT OF PETER TREZISE, BRANDON BROOKS, WILLIAM MCCONNELL AND CHRISTINA SNYDER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A THREE YEAR TERM FOR THREE YEAR TERMS, ENDING 12/31/2026. SUPPORT SUPPORTED.
[01:30:10]
THEM PRETTY WELL.PETER TREZISE, WE SAW AT OUR LAST MEETING ACCEPTING AN AWARD HERE, AND HE BRINGS A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS APPROACH TO ALL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION ISSUES THAT HE SEES.
BILL MCCONNELL, WHO I ALSO SERVED WITH, HE IS VERY WELL KNOWN FOR BOTH BEING A STICKLER FOR THE MINUTES AND ALSO BRINGING AN EYE TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON THAT COMMISSION.
AND WE APPRECIATE HIS INPUT THERE.
AND THEN CHRISTINA SNYDER, WHO I ONLY CROSSED OVER WITH BRIEFLY.
AND WHILE I DON'T KNOW MR. BROOKS WELL, I THINK HE'S THE ONE WHO TOOK MY ROLE ON THAT COMMISSION, AND I'M ASSUMING HE'S GIVING EVERYONE THE SAME HARD TIME THAT I USED TO THINK SO.
SO THE MOTION IS TO CONFIRM THE SUPERVISORY SUPERVISORS REAPPOINTMENT OF PETER TREZISE, BRANDON BROOKS, WILLIAM MCCONNELL AND CHRISTINA SNYDER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THREE YEAR TERMS, ENDING 12/31/ 2026.
YES, YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR VOTES YES.
THANK YOU. WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 12 E, RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY.
[12.E. Resolution in Support of Small Business Saturday]
I THINK THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR CLARK.GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
TONIGHT IN YOUR TOWNSHIP BOARD PACKET, YOU HAVE A LETTER.
SO THIS WILL BE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH OF THIS YEAR.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY IS WHAT COMMUNITIES DO TO ENCOURAGE OUR WONDERFUL RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT OUR ONE OF A KIND SMALL MOM AND POP AND SMALL IS LESS THAN 100 EMPLOYEES AND LESS THAN $1 MILLION IN REVENUE.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL BONUS BUCKS PROGRAM, WHICH ENCOURAGED OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME GIFT CARDS, AND ESSENTIALLY THEY GOT ONE OR MULTIPLE EXTRA GIFT CARDS BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE DURING OUR PROGRAM THIS YEAR, WE PARTICIPATED AND HOSTED AND CELEBRATED OUR FIRST IN A DECADE MERIDIAN AREA BUSINESS EXPOSITION.
SO WE HAVE A RESOLUTION PRESENTED IN FRONT OF YOU FOR JUST TO RECOGNIZE, CELEBRATE, BE PROUD, AND ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE 1800 PLUS BUSINESSES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND TONIGHT WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR SHOP SMALL AND SHOP LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH, 2023.
THANK YOU. I MOVE TO ADOPT THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY .
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WISINSKI.
TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, FURTHER COMMENTS? YEAH. AMBER, DIRECTOR CLARK IS WELL SPOKEN IN THIS MATTER THAT WE JUST NEED TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. THEY'RE THE ROOTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO SUPPORT THE LARGER BUSINESSES, BUT THE SMALL ONES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE JUST FORGING AHEAD AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND COMING OUT WITH NEW IDEAS. AND SO WE WANT TO SUPPORT THEM.
DIRECTOR CLARK, YOU'VE REALLY DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESS.
NOT JUST WITH THE BONUS BUCKS, DO WE CALL THEM? BUT ALSO WITH THE GRANTS DURING THE COVID TIME AND GIVING THOSE SMALL COMPANIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THOSE REALLY, REALLY HARD AND TRAGIC TIMES.
[01:35:05]
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.AND THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN IS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY? IT WILL BE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH.
SO THIS SATURDAY HOPING TO SEE YOU OUT.
MERT'S MEATS. YOU KNOW, DUSTY'S KIND OF A THING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ITEM F, 12F, SET A DATE FOR TOWNSHIP'S ANNUAL GOAL SETTING.
[12.F. Set a Date for Township’s Annual Goal Setting]
MR. WALSH.YES. SO EVERY YEAR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DOES THEIR ANNUAL GOAL SETTING PROCESS.
IT'S NOT ONLY A GOAL SETTING PROCESS, IT'S A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT YEAR AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE GET TOGETHER, WHEN THE BOARD CHOOSES TO DO THAT, WE'LL GO OVER THE 2023 TOP THREE GOALS.
WE'LL GO OVER THE ACTION PLAN A THROUGH I THINK I, GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN ADDITION TO THAT, SET AN ACTION PLAN FOR 2024 AND AN A THROUGH I OR A THROUGH J ACTION PLAN FOR 2024. SO IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE EVENING.
I DID PROVIDE THE TEAM A STARTING POINT, AND THAT'S ALL IT IS A STARTING POINT OF DISCUSSION FOR THE TOP GOALS FOR 2024.
I PROVIDED THAT ON MONDAY TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM JUST TO START TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
SO WE'D HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVIDE.
WE HOPE TO TURN EVERYTHING OVER TO YOU ON DECEMBER 8TH AND THEN FROM THERE TONIGHT, WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TOGETHER AND DO THAT? SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS AHEAD OF YOU.
SO THE ORIGINAL DATE WAS THE EIGHTH AND, BUT THEN I HAD HAD A DISCUSSION WITH I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO SAID IT MAY HAPPEN ON THE 12TH, AT THE SECOND BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WE'VE NEVER DONE IT ON A BOARD MEETING TONIGHT, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD'S GOING TO DO, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO RECEIVE THE INFORMATION ON THE EIGHTH AND HAVE IT ON THE 12TH.
SO I ALERTED THIS TEAM THAT IF THE 12TH IS CHOSEN TONIGHT, THIS IS MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU WANTED PROBABLY, BUT IF YOU DECIDE TO GO ON THE 12TH, LET'S TRY TO HAVE IT DONE BY THE FIFTH. SO YOU'D HAVE A WEEK TO LOOK IT OVER.
SO THE DATE IS MOVING TARGET DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU DO TONIGHT.
BOARD MEMBERS. MR. DESCHAINE. SO WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST AND TYPICALLY EVEN A SATURDAY, I THINK LAST YEAR IT DIDN'T INVOLVE LARRY MERRILL AS A FACILITATOR FOR THIS PROCESS.
OKAY. WE HAVEN'T COMBINED IT WITH A BOARD MEETING.
WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE, MISTER HENDRICKSON.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO SET ASIDE A SPECIFIC TIME FOR THIS AND NOT TAKE IT UP AT A BOARD MEETING, AND I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT SELFISH, TOO, BECAUSE THE ONLY DATE THAT WAS SUGGESTED WAS THE 12TH.
AND I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT BOARD MEETING IF THE PRIOR OBLIGATION, SO I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE COULD FIND A TIME THAT WOULD WORK FOR EVERYONE, THAT WE COULD TAKE THIS UP SEPARATELY.
THE 12TH. NO, A DATE THAT IS NOT CORRECT.
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A DATE? IT'S NOT A BOARD MEETING, RIGHT? YEAH. IF WE NEED A SUGGESTION, I WOULD THROW OUT THE 19TH AS AN OPTION, WHICH IS THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY.
OH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT.
SO I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A MOTION YET UNTIL WE TALK ABOUT IT, I GUESS.
BUT THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
I'M LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT CHRISTMAS WEEK AND MEMBERS MAY BE TRAVELING.
I'LL BE TRAVELING THAT WEEK OF THE 18TH.
I WOULD THROW OUT THURSDAY THE 14TH AS AN OPTION.
[01:40:08]
MR. DESCHAINE. WELL, I HAVE ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT FOR THE 14TH.I WOULD BE WILLING TO MOVE IT.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WE DO IT AS A SEPARATE SESSION AND NOT MOVE INTO CHRISTMAS WEEK, PARTICULARLY AS THIS BOARD HAS MET WEEKLY FOR THREE MONTHS NOW, AND I'D RATHER HAVE TWO MEETINGS IN THAT MID WEEK IN DECEMBER AND HAVE THE REST OF THE YEAR CLEAR FOR FAMILY AND OTHER HOLIDAY EVENTS THAN TO MOVE IT INTO THAT THIRD WEEK IN NOVEMBER.
IS IT AS TRUSTEE HENDERSON IF THAT WORKS FOR HIM, AND TRUSTEE SUNDLAND AS WELL? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND MY BIRTHDAY IS DECEMBER 14TH.
I'M THINKING I MIGHT END UP BEING WITH FAMILY.
WAS THAT A TUESDAY NIGHT? I HAVE THURSDAY.
I HATE TO BE THE STICKY WICKET, BUT.
HOW ABOUT THAT? MONDAY THE 11TH.
THAT POSSIBILITY, TIMING WISE.
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? YES. BOARD MEMBERS.
MONDAY THE 11TH, I CAN MAKE THE 11TH WORK.
OH, IT'S A PLANNING COMMISSION.
CAN WE DO IT AT THE FIRE STATION? YEAH, BUT WE CAN MEET ELSEWHERE.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY WE WOULD JUST.
IF YOU SET YOUR MOTION WHERE THE LOCATION WOULD BE, PROBABLY WE'D HAVE TO SET UP THE FIRE STATION.
SURE. OKAY. LOOKS LIKE MONDAY.
OKAY, I NEED A MOTION, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
I'LL MOVE TO SET A DATE AND TIME OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 11TH.
OH, NO. OH, NO, NO, I JUST HADN'T PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR YET.
SO YOU WON'T MAKE THE MOTION? IS THAT WEDNESDAY? SO HOW ABOUT THE FOLLOWING MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18TH? WHICH CHASED US AWAY FROM CHRISTMAS WEEKEND.
MONDAY, DECEMBER. YOU WANT TO MAKE HIM WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? WELL, CAN WE STOP ALL FIRST? 18TH WORKS FOR ME.
WE SET MONDAY, DECEMBER 18TH AS THE EVENING.
AS THE BOARD GOALS AND OBJECTIVES MEETING.
CAN WE MAKE IT EARLY DATE AND TIME? THE SUGGESTED MOTION IS TO SET A DATE AND TIME.
OKAY, SO I MOVE THAT WE SET MONDAY, DECEMBER 18TH FOR OUR ANNUAL BOARD GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? I LIKE 5 P.M..
5 P.M.. SO THE MOTION IS TO SET THE DATE AND TIME OF DECEMBER 18TH AT 5 P.M.
TO CONDUCT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S ANNUAL GOAL SETTING PROCESS.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.
BEEP. WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 13 ITEMS FOR BOARD DISCUSSION.
UNDER 1313 A IS ORDINANCE 2020 3-06 REZONE 5010 PARKLAKE ROAD AND
[13.A. Ordinance 2023-06 – Rezone 5010 Park Lake Road and Adjacent Vacant Property – RA to RD, with a Conditional Rezoning Agreement]
ADJACENT VACANT PROPERTY R A2RD WITH A CONDITIONAL REZONING AGREEMENT.MR. SCHMIDT WILL LEAD OUR INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WANTED TO START THIS.
THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF THIS EVENING IS FOR REZONING OF 8.72 ACRES OF LAND ON
[01:45:07]
THE EAST SIDE OF PARK LAKE, NORTH OF GRAND RIVER.IT'S A PORTION OF VACANT PROPERTY DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO 5010 PARK LAKE ROAD AND PARK 5010 PARK LAKE ROAD, SO THE VACANT PROPERTY IS SPLIT ZONE CURRENTLY, THE SOUTHERN ROUGHLY HALF IS ZONED MULTIFAMILY AND THE NORTHERN ROUGHLY HALF IS ZONED RA SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO REZONE A PORTION OF THE RA PROPERTY, 2RD, SUBJECT TO A SERIES OF CONDITIONS THAT THEY'VE OFFERED.
SO THIS IS A CONDITIONAL REZONING.
WE CANNOT REQUIRE THINGS, NOR CAN WE ASK THINGS.
THIS IS A VOLUNTARY OFFER OF CONDITIONS FOR THE REZONING TO PROCEED.
THEY'RE OFFERING NINE CONDITIONS.
ONE, IT WOULD LIMIT THE USES TO ATTACH TOWNHOUSE STYLE UNITS AND RELATED ACCESSORY UNITS.
BUILDING HEIGHT WILL BE NO GREATER THAN 16FT.
ONE STORY BUILDING LENGTH SHALL NOT EXCEED 196FT.
MINIMUM FLOOR OF 1200 SQUARE FEET.
THE REZONING IS CONDITIONED UPON REDWOOD, THE APPLICANT ACTUALLY PURCHASING THE PROPERTY.
SO IF THEY DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH THE PURCHASE, THE THE REZONING AUTOMATICALLY REVERTS THE.
THEY ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS ONE, THAT THE DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT EXCEED 106 DWELLING UNITS.
THE GIST OF NUMBER TWO IS THAT THE NORTHERN 14 ACRES THAT RUNS NORTH SOUTH WILL REMAIN UNDEVELOPED.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 25TH.
A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THE MATTER BROUGHT IT BACK ON OCTOBER 23RD.
BUT AND I AM GOING TO QUOTE MYSELF, WE KNOW THIS IS A BORDERLINE CASE.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT'S A CONDITIONAL REZONING.
THIS WOULD BE AN EASY DENIAL FROM STAFF.
BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE PROPOSING TO LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE AND PRESERVE ABOUT 40% OF THE SITE, THE NATURAL AREA, THEY'RE MAKING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO TRY AND MEET THE INTENT OF THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS TO LIMIT THE DENSITY.
SO IT IS VERY MUCH A BORDERLINE CASE FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE.
SO I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE APPLICANT A CHANCE TO PRESENT THEIR INFORMATION IF THE BOARD WOULD ALLOW.
SO, EMILY, I BELIEVE EMILY, IT LITERALLY JUST WENT OUT OF MY HEAD.
SO I'M GOING TO LET EMILY ENGLEHART SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME THIS EVENING.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO THE BOARD.
DO YOU NEED ME TO GIVE MY ADDRESS? YES, PLEASE. OKAY.
3100 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 366, BINGHAM FARMS, MICHIGAN 48025.
OKAY. UM, AS I NOTED, MY NAME IS EMILY ENGELHART, I'M HERE WITH OUR ENGINEER, OUR CIVIL ENGINEER, IAN GRAHAM, WITH COLLIERS ENGINEERING, JUST IN CASE ANYTHING COMES UP.
I WANTED TO INTRODUCE HIM AT THE OUTSET.
UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A BRIEF OPPORTUNITY TO HOPEFULLY BRIEF.
[01:50:01]
AS WELL AS DIRECTLY WITHIN THE ACQUISITIONS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE ARE A UNIQUE DEVELOPER AND WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO AS A COMPANY AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE ON THIS SITE.AS WE'VE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE OUR FOUNDING, WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO PUT A REDWOOD SIGN IN FRONT OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, WHICH WERE NAMED SOMETHING INDIVIDUALLY, BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE GROWN TO EXPECT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF OF HOME, OF RESIDENTS, OF COMMUNITY FROM REDWOOD.
AND WE ARE PROUD TO SHOW WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS START WITH THE SIGN.
UM, SO WHO IS REDWOOD AND WHO ARE OUR RESIDENTS? IS KIND OF THE BIG QUESTION.
WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1991, SO QUITE A WHILE AGO, AND KIND OF WITH THE IDEA OF TO REINVENT WHAT AN APARTMENT CAN LOOK LIKE AND WHO MIGHT WANT TO LIVE THERE.
UM, WE DO ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY.
ALL OF OUR UNITS ARE TWO BEDROOMS, TWO BATHROOMS WITH AN ATTACHED TWO CAR GARAGE, A FULL DRIVEWAY.
SO THEY LOOK AND FEEL A LOT LIKE AN ATTACHED CONDO DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEY ARE FOR RENT PRODUCT.
WE'VE GROWN SINCE 1991 WITH OVER 16,000 UNITS IN OUR PORTFOLIO, SO WE HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND AND WE FOUND THAT THAT IS DUE TO OUR SUCCESS.
WE HAVE REALLY STRONG OVERALL LEASING RATE OF OUR PORTFOLIO, I THINK 98%, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALWAYS FLUCTUATING WITH PEOPLE MOVING IN AND MOVING OUT.
BUT THERE IS A DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT AND WE KIND OF SOUGHT TO FILL IT.
WE OFFER 24 SEVEN PROFESSIONAL ON SITE MANAGEMENT, LEASING OFFICE, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN WHAT'S ALSO UNIQUE IS THAT WE ENTITLE WE BUILD AND WE OWN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WHO ARE OUR RESIDENTS? WE ARE NOT AN AGE RESTRICTED PRODUCT.
WE RENT TO ANYONE WHO QUALIFIES.
BUT WE FIND THAT WITH THE TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATHROOM DESIGN THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE OFTEN EMPTY NESTERS, SENIORS, FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, THE RENTERS BY CHOICE WHEN OF COURSE WE HAVE OTHER TYPES OF RESIDENTS.
WE FIND THAT THIS IS VERY APPEALING TO PROFESSIONALS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING THE FEEL OF A OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, BUT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO LIVE IN ONE FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHETHER THAT BE SNOW BIRDING, WANTING TO DOWNSIZE, HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING FORWARD TO POTENTIALLY WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THESE BUILT IN 2025, 2026.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
SO IT IS A VERY HIGH RENT UNIT EQUIVALENT TO A DECENT MORTGAGE PAYMENT.
AND AND IT'S FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A MAINTENANCE FREE LIFESTYLE.
A LOT OF TIMES OUR RESIDENTS ARE COMING TO US.
SO THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF HOUSING ALREADY.
WE OFFER A PEACE AND QUIET IS KIND OF OUR AMENITY, SO WE REALLY TRY TO CREATE SOLID NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS, INCOME VERIFICATION.
ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS OVER THE AGE OF 18 HAVE TO BE ON THE LEASE LEASE HOLDERS.
SO WE TRY TO PROVIDE PEACE AND QUIET TO.
RESIDENTS. AND THEN JUST A LITTLE INFORMATION.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE. RIGHT AROUND HERE IN LANSING.
IN ALL THE COMMUNITIES WITH DELPHI AND DELTA, WE HAVE SEVERAL VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN, AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. UM, SO TO TO THAT END, ABOUT OUR RESIDENTS, THIS IS JUST SOME GENERAL INFORMATION LOOKING AT OUR 16,000 UNIT PORTFOLIO.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE WE'VE GROWN THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
I LIVE IN MICHIGAN, I WORK IN MICHIGAN.
[01:55:02]
AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THESE 32 NEIGHBORHOODS AND MORE, HOPEFULLY ON THE WAY.AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGHOUT THE BROADER MIDWEST.
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN OUR GROWTH FOCUS INITIALLY.
BUT THE GOAL IS, IS TO CONTINUE GROWTH.
WE LOOK A LOT INTO COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE A GOOD FIT, AND THAT WE WON'T CANNIBALIZE OURSELVES, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF HOUSING ARE ALREADY THERE.
SO HERE'S JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT GO INTO OUR SITE SEARCH BEFORE WE EVER GET TO THIS POINT.
SO WHAT DO WE BUILD? AS I MENTIONED, TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATHROOM ATTACHED TWO CAR GARAGE.
STONE SIDING, SHAKE VAULTED CEILINGS.
WE THINK WE BUILD A VERY NICE EQUIVALENT OF A HOME.
HAS THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
WE TAKE CARE OF THE SNOW, WE TAKE CARE OF THE LANDSCAPING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, YOU'LL NOTE OUR CONDITIONS.
NOTE THAT WE DON'T BUILD A CLUBHOUSE.
THEY'RE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN THE LOCAL GYM, THE LA FITNESS, THE SENIOR CENTER, AND DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THOSE AMENITIES TWICE AND AREN'T LOOKING FOR THOSE FROM REDWOOD. JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF SOME RENDERINGS OF OUR TYPES OF BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS PHOTOGRAPHS OF REAL BUILT ONES.
HERE'S SOME MORE STREET VIEWS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN OUR MAINTENANCE.
WE CHARGE A VERY HEALTHY RENT AND WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.
SO JUST SOME DISCUSSION OF WHAT WE DO.
I KNOW YOU'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY, SO.
UM, I LIKE TO INCLUDE THIS SLIDE.
THIS IS OUR FIRST REDWOOD THAT WE BUILT 1991.
WE PURCHASED A FEW, BUT THIS ONE WAS THE FIRST THAT REDWOOD BUILT.
IT'S IN OHIO, AND WE STILL OWN IT.
WE STILL OPERATE IT. IT'S STILL DOING WELL.
THIS IS JUST SOME INFORMATION ON INTERIORS.
WE HAVE WALK IN CLOSETS, LAUNDRY, HOOKUPS.
SO REALLY YOU'RE NOT SACRIFICING THE FEEL OF A HOME.
JUST SOME PHOTOS OF OUR UNITS AND THE STORAGE, THE GARAGE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
FOR A DOWNSIZE. WE STILL HAVE OPTIONS FOR FOLKS.
SO TO OUR PROPOSAL, AS DIRECTOR SCHMITT HAD MENTIONED, WE ARE SUBMITTING A CONDITIONAL REZONING.
WE TRIED TO CREATE THIS REZONING REQUEST TO BASICALLY PERMIT THAT ONLY A REDWOOD WOULD BE ABLE TO BE BUILT HERE BY LIMITING THE HEIGHT, BY LIMITING, YOU KNOW, WHERE THINGS COULD BE BUILT.
AND THEN JUST THE ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE REZONING PROCESS, WERE IT TO BE APPROVED, WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE APPROVALS PROCESS BEFORE WE WOULD EVER BE PERMITTED TO BUILD THIS.
UM, SO AS DIRECTOR SCHMITT INDICATED, THIS IS OUR PROPOSAL.
I WON'T HASH THROUGH IT AGAIN, BUT I'LL JUST CLIP OUT THE MAIN POINTS.
AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS DIRECTOR SCHMITT INDICATED, WE DIDN'T.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOOK A MOTION BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT THE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS, WHICH WERE TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF UNITS, LIMIT THE DENSITY, THE AREA THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DEVELOPED, AS WELL AS KIND OF LIMITING ANY MAJOR AMENITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE SITE, AS WELL AS TO GO THROUGH SOME SOME OF OUR RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP AT THE PUBLIC HEARING
[02:00:09]
AND QUESTIONS BY THE COMMISSIONER.SO I WAS JUST HOPING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT, HOPEFULLY BRIEFLY HERE.
AND AT THOSE TWO MEETINGS WE HAD NOT WE PERFORMED A TRIP GENERATION REPORT WHICH LOOKED AT THE NEED FOR A TRAFFIC STUDY AND WHAT TRAFFIC REDWOOD WOULD GENERATE, WHICH IS THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXISTING TRAFFIC DATA AVAILABLE.
HOWEVER, AFTER THAT MEETING, DIRECTOR SCHMITT DID REACH OUT AGAIN TO THE AUTHORITIES AS WELL AS MDOT, AND WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FACT THAT MDOT HAS DONE A TRAFFIC STUDY IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, LOOKING AT PARKLAKE ROAD AT GRAND RIVER, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS CHART, THAT TRAFFIC HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN SINCE 2016.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE'S A TRAFFIC PROBLEM, POTENTIALLY IT'S BEEN SINCE 2016.
SO AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS THAT OUR PROPOSAL WOULD BE, OF COURSE AGAINST A NON DEVELOPED PIECE.
IT WOULD BE AN INCREASE BUT AGAINST WHAT IS APPROVED CURRENTLY, HOW IT SITS, WE WOULD BE PROVIDING A NET DECREASE IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ALLOWED BASED ON OUR TRIP GENERATION MEMO.
AND THE OTHER INTERESTING POINT IS, IS IF IT WAS BUILT OUT AS SINGLE FAMILY, WE WOULD STILL BE GENERATING LESS TRAFFIC THAN IF THIS SITE WAS DEVELOPED AS A SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC CONCERN, WE UNDERSTAND, BUT WE FEEL THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING SOME CERTAINTY AS TO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE TRAFFIC.
ANOTHER ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WAS THAT THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE STUDENT HOUSING.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL RENT TO ANYONE WHO QUALIFIES.
WE'RE NOT RESTRICTED, BUT WE DO NOT FIND OURSELVES TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO STUDENTS.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY MARKET TO STUDENTS.
SO WHILE WE MAY HAVE SOME STUDENTS, WE JUST DON'T DO THAT.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE ABOVE, WHICH IS SOME NEW INFORMATION, I LOOKED AT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NEARBY, LARGER UNIVERSITIES IN GENERAL, PROXIMITY AS WELL AS OUR LANSING NEIGHBORHOODS, AND LOOKING AT THE POPULATION OF 18 TO 22 YEAR OLDS WHO RESIDE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL, IT'S ABOUT 4%.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR AVERAGE AGE IS 50.6.
YOU KNOW, WE SELL PEACE AND QUIET.
AND AND I DON'T THINK THAT STUDENT HOUSING IS GOING TO BE A CONCERN HERE.
UM, I WANTED TO PRESENT THIS DATA, WHICH I PROVIDED IN OUR UPDATE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH WE HAD DRAWN OUT POTENTIALLY WHAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED ON THE SITE AS IT'S CURRENTLY ZONED, WHICH INCLUDES SINGLE FAMILY LOTS, AS WELL AS SIX MULTI STORY APARTMENT BUILDINGS WITH A TENNIS COURT AND A CLUBHOUSE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUST TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A WAY FOR THIS PROPERTY TO BE DEVELOPED.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF WETLANDS AND FLOODPLAIN.
WE DID HAVE THE WETLANDS VERIFIED BY THE WETLAND TOWNSHIP.
THE TOWNSHIP'S WETLAND CONSULTANT, AND THIS PLAN WAS DESIGNED WITH THAT IN MIND.
SO THIS IS AN ACHIEVABLE PLAN FOR A DEVELOPER.
AGAIN, REDWOOD DOESN'T DO THIS.
SO WE'RE NOT PROPOSING THIS JUST TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT THIS COULD BE DEVELOPED.
AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT REDWOOD ALTERNATIVE MAY BE PREFERRED.
AND WHAT ACTUALLY DOES SURROUND IT.
[02:05:02]
ON THE EAST, WE HAVE RAILROAD TRACK.WE HAVE A LARGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
THERE IS, OF COURSE, SINGLE FAMILY, ALONG WITH SOME RX MIXED DUPLEX ZONING AND THE EXISTING MULTIPLE FAMILY. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROPERTY PROVIDES A NATURAL TRANSITION FROM THE HEAVIER, INTENSE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS AND THE RAILROAD KIND OF STEPPING DOWN TOWARDS THE SINGLE FAMILY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE 14 ACRE BUFFER AREA.
AND I DO BELIEVE ARCHITECTURALLY AND AT A SCALE THAT THAT THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND THE DENSITY OVERALL IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SEE IN SAPPHIRE AND SOME OF THE SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WHILE IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, BEING A RENTER VERSUS A HOMEOWNER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL RESIDENTIAL USE AT A LOW DENSITY.
SO. UM, WE WENT THROUGH THE 2022 MASTER PLAN UPDATE DRAFT, AS WELL AS THE 2017 MASTER PLAN, AS DIRECTOR SCHMITT HAD INDICATED, TO LOOK AT THE GOALS.
WHILE THERE WAS THAT BORDERLINE DISCUSSION OF OF DO WE FIT? YOU KNOW, OUR OVERALL DENSITY FOR THE SITE IS IN LINE WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
IN BOTH OF THOSE PLANS, HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL USE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO WE WANTED TO GO THROUGH AND PULL OUT KIND OF WHAT WE THINK WE COULD HELP THE TOWNSHIP WITH IN TERMS OF ACHIEVING SOME OF THE GOALS IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY OF HOUSING, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE NEEDS OF OF DIFFERENT RESIDENTS, THE AGING POPULATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER POINT, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT IS THAT REDWOOD HAS FOUND THAT WE PROVIDE HOUSING FILTRATION IN COMMUNITIES WHERE FOLKS AREN'T LEAVING THEIR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.
THERE'S YOUNG FAMILIES WHO CAN'T MOVE IN BECAUSE NO ONE'S LEAVING THE HOUSE.
SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A UNIQUE THING THAT WE DO.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION OF THE USE BEING, YOU KNOW, PRESERVING AREAS THAT HAVE INFILL DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS IN AN URBAN AREA AND WE'RE TRYING TO CLUSTER OUR DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE FEEL THAT IT IS IN LINE WITH A LOT OF WHAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S MASTER PLAN ASKS FOR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD A COUPLE OF TIMES WAS, WELL, WE LIKE THIS, BUT NOT HERE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT IN THE GENERAL AREA OR, YOU KNOW, A MYRIAD OF DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
AND I WENT THROUGH AFTER THAT FIRST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND LOOKED AT THE ZONING MAP, AS WELL AS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, AND IDENTIFIED ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE ZONED R, D, R, D, D, R, C, AND RCC, AND THERE ARE NO CURRENTLY ZONED PROPERTIES THAT ARE OF A SIZE TO DEVELOP A PRODUCT SIMILAR TO THIS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ZONED THAT AREN'T ENCUMBERED BY WETLANDS ALREADY DEVELOPED, OR.
YOU KNOW, UNDEVELOPABLE FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS A LITTLE EXPANDABLE, I MEAN, IT'S NOT 100%, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THIS PROPERTY THAT IS ZONED D.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, A LOT OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE THE SAME.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE? THERE IS ONE PROPERTY THAT'S INDICATED TO BE MULTIPLE FAMILY.
HOWEVER, IT'S A LARGE, I THINK THE FORMER THEATER PIECE, AND CURRENTLY IT'S PRICED AT A POINT WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR DENSITY, WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING, AND THUS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO PUT OUR DEVELOPMENT ON THERE AT THIS TIME.
SO I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT MERIDIAN SINCE I STARTED WORKING WITH REDWOOD.
I KNOW IT'S A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE.
AND WE HAVE TRIED TO FIND A HOME, AND WE FEEL THAT THIS SITE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
[02:10:02]
AND ULTIMATELY, WE THINK WE CAN HELP MEET THE GOALS.WE BELIEVE THAT WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, IT DOES MAKE SENSE WITH THE CONDITIONS AND THAT IT WOULD BE A LOGICAL, BENEFICIAL LAND USE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT MARKET TRENDS, THE DEMOGRAPHICS, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'D CONSIDER OUR PROPOSAL TONIGHT.
I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T TALK TOO FAST.
SO, WHERE WE ARE IS THAT THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION. PLANNING COMMISSION HAS DONE ITS WORK AND MADE WHAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION? UH THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENIAL.
AND IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE BASES FOR THERE? THE MAIN BASIS FOR DENIAL WAS, WAS THAT IT'S NOT A SINGLE FAMILY PRODUCT, WHICH IS WHAT THE MASTER ZONING CALLS FOR THE MASTER.
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP CALLS FOR SINGLE FAMILY AT A DENSITY BETWEEN 0 AND 3 AND A HALF ACRES.
FOR SOME REASON, MY SCREEN JUST FROZE, I APOLOGIZE.
SPECIFICALLY, IT CALLS FOR RESIDENTIAL.
BUT. THAT WAS THE MAIN ARGUMENT, THAT IT'S NOT A SINGLE FAMILY PRODUCT AND THEREFORE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MASTER PLAN. OKAY.
I KNOW THAT THE RESIDENTS IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR ENGAGEMENT, IN THEIR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS TOPIC, AND THAT CAN BE TOUGH.
AND CERTAINLY WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT BEFORE.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, I GUESS LET ME START WITH THIS QUESTION.
GENERALLY, WHEN THESE ZONING REQUESTS COME BEFORE US, WE ARE NOT TO LOOK AT THE EVENTUAL PROPOSAL OF WHAT A CERTAIN DEVELOPER WANTS TO DO WITH A CERTAIN PARCEL.
IS THAT AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT? AS A GENERAL RULE, THAT IS THE CASE, RIGHT? A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE BECAUSE THEY'VE CONDITIONED THE REZONING ON THEM GETTING THE PROPERTY IN THIS CASE OR NOT, IT IS.
THIS IS THE ONE SCENARIO UNDER WHICH YOU CAN HAVE A MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION, BECAUSE THEY HAVE, IN THIS CASE, FAIRLY SPECIFICALLY LIMITED THEMSELVES AS TO WHAT WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN ON THE SITE SHOULD THEY MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU. SO THIS PARCEL CURRENTLY IS SPLIT ZONED.
CORRECT. IT IS PARTLY RA AND PARTLY RD.
DO WE LIKE THAT AS A GENERAL RULE? STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE FUTURE OF THE 2023 MASTER PLAN IS TO ELIMINATE ALL SPLIT ZONE PARCELS.
NO. AND IF THE APPLICANT THIS EVENING HAS PRESENTED A SCENARIO IN WHICH THE PARCEL COULD BE THEORETICALLY BUILT OUT UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATIONS, WOULD YOU SAY HAS THE STAFF REVIEWED THAT AT ALL? I MEAN, WE'VE DONE IT ONCE OVER ON IT.
I CAN'T TELL YOU IT'S EXACTLY GOING TO MEET, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY DIDN'T SHOW YOU SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY. WHAT THEY SHOWED YOU IS A REASONABLE, PROBABLY NOT PAST FIRST LOOK AT WHAT OUR ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW.
OKAY. AND IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION BY THE APPLICANT AND THEN TO US THIS EVENING, THAT UNDER A CURRENT ZONING, MORE UNITS COULD BE BUILT ON THAT PROPERTY THAN COULD BE BUILT IF IT WAS REZONED IN FRONT OF WHICH IS IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT. YES.
I THINK THE DIFFERENCE REALLY IS BECAUSE THEY ARE LIMITING THEMSELVES TO ONE STORY.
[02:15:06]
THEY'RE FUNCTIONALLY CUTTING OFF POTENTIAL INCREASE IN DENSITY, BECAUSE THAT'S REALISTICALLY WHERE YOU WOULD MAKE YOUR DENSITY ON A SITE LIKE THIS AS YOU GO UP 2 OR 3 STORIES. OKAY.AND THEN HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE TRAFFIC INFORMATION THAT THEY PROVIDED IN THE COVER MEMO FOR THIS EVENING'S PACKET? AND DO YOU BELIEVE IT TO BE RELATIVELY ACCURATE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT FOUND ANY OF THEIR TRAFFIC INFORMATION TO BE UNREASONABLE.
I THINK THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE IS THEY HAVE SO MUCH REAL, ACTUAL DATA, WHICH IS NOT USUALLY WHAT WE SEE. THEY'RE ABLE TO TELL YOU, OKAY, WE KNOW THAT.
THEY HAVE DETAILED DEMOGRAPHICS AS TO WHO THEIR RENTERS ARE GOING TO BE, AND THEREFORE HAVE DETAILED INFORMATION BASED OFF THOSE RENTERS THAT THE ADDITIONAL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WE WERE.
GLAD TO FIND WAS THE INFORMATION SHOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, ANECDOTALLY, I LIVE RIGHT THERE AND I DON'T I DIDN'T THINK THE TRAFFIC HAD GONE UP, BUT IT WAS MDOT DATA SHOWING US THE NOTE'S ACTUALLY GONE DOWN.
BUT THEY HAVE THEY REALLY DO HAVE REASONABLE DATA FROM COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES.
I MEAN, THAT'S ACTUAL FACTS ON THE GROUND, RIGHT? AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY EASY TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOOGEYMAN OF A VACANT PARCEL VERSUS A DEVELOPED PARCEL.
BUT WHEN THE REZONING IS HERE BEFORE US, THE QUESTION IS REALLY A DEVELOPED PARCEL UNDER ITS MAX BUILD VERSUS UNDER ITS CURRENT ZONING VERSUS A DEVELOPED PARCEL MAX BUILD UNDER THE CONDITIONAL REZONING.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY SOME OF THE TRAFFIC STUDIES ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T SEEM REAL WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THEM IN THE PREVIOUS WAY, BECAUSE IF THIS WAS BUILT OUT FULLY UNDER ITS CURRENT ZONING, IT WOULD INDEED GENERATE MORE TRAFFIC TRIPS THAN IF IT WAS NOT IF IT WAS REZONED TO BE FULLY D.
IS THAT ACCURATE? CORRECT. AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE THE CONDITION TO JUST BE A LITTLE CLEARER.
THAT'S WHERE THAT TRAFFIC LIMITATION IS ABLE TO COME INTO PLAY.
I'VE BEEN GIVING THIS ISSUE A LOT OF.
I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS, I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT HELPS ME TO AT LEAST CLARIFY WHAT I THINK IS TRUE IS TRUE.
THIS WOULD INDEED HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE DRAIN COMMISSION, THE ROAD, THE ROAD DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE OTHER APPROVAL AGENCIES THAT THEY THAT ANY PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH AS A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
ABSOLUTELY. TO STEAL A TO STEAL A METAPHOR FROM MANAGER WALSH.
WE ARE IN THE DUGOUT STILL REALLY ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
HE IS VERY THOROUGH AND DOES CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THOSE PLANS ARE WELL PUT TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE STORMWATER AND THE RUNOFF. ABSOLUTELY.
AND I CAN SAY THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER, THE THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER WAS ACTUALLY AT THE REZONING MEETING, ONE OF THE ONE OF HIS LIEUTENANTS WAS THERE DISCUSSING THE PROPOSAL, WHICH IS A UNIQUE TWIST.
I HAVE REVIEWED THIS PROPOSAL AS MUCH AS I COULD IN THE TIME GIVEN, AND REVIEWED THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOTH MINUTES AND THEIR REMARKS, AND I THINK THAT I DISAGREE WITH THE DECISION.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION INEVITABLY CAME TO THAT.
THIS SHOULD NOT GO FORWARD, THIS REZONING.
I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY RAISED ARE CONCERNS THAT ARE BETTER APPOINTED TO THE PROCESS AS OPPOSED TO AND TO BE HANDLED BY THE THIRD PARTIES THAT WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THIS THAN IT WOULD DURING THE CONDITIONAL REZONING REQUEST.
[02:20:04]
OPPOSED TO BUILD OUT INTO THE CURRENT ZONING.AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY AIRED IN LOOKING AT THE DENSITY OF THIS PROJECT, BASED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT COULD BE BUILT UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING VERSUS THE CONDITIONAL REZONING.
I THINK ACTUALLY THAT IF THIS WERE TO GO FORWARD, THE CONDITIONAL REZONING, THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE POSSIBLY SAVING THIS PARCEL FROM HAVING EVEN MORE UNITS.
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN RIGHT IN THERE TO THE CONDITIONAL REQUEST.
I ALSO DON'T KNOW THAT THIS DOESN'T MEET THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'VE LOOKED AT THE IMAGERY THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT, AND A LOT OF THAT DOES INDEED LOOK A LOT LIKE THE HOMES THAT ARE IN THIS AREA ALREADY. AND I THINK THAT THIS CONDITIONAL REZONING AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, IF IT WERE TO OCCUR, WOULD MEET A NUMBER OF OUR BOARD PRIORITIES, INCLUDING PROVIDING A WIDE ARRAY, A WIDE SWATH OF HOUSING OPTIONS TO OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ALREADY PASSING NEW ORDINANCES TO ALLOW FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
WHY? BECAUSE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S NOT A GOOD.
THERE AREN'T MANY GOOD OPTIONS WITHIN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO AGE IN PLACE.
AND SO THE OPTION THAT WE PROVIDED WITH ADUS IS TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, BRINGING SOMEONE ON TO A FAMILY PROPERTY OR HAVING ANOTHER UNIT AVAILABLE ON A FAMILY PROPERTY.
I THINK THAT IN THIS CASE, I DO DISAGREE, AND I THINK THAT IN THIS CASE THIS IS NOT A BAD PROPOSAL AND IN FACT WOULD BE A GOOD THING IN MANY WAYS FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO I'M SORRY FOR STANDING ON MY SOAPBOX FOR A WHILE THERE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT EVERYTHING CORRECT WITH WITH DIRECTOR SCHMITT.
STEVE WILSON. TIM, COULD YOU TELL US WHEN THAT TRAFFIC SURVEY WAS DONE BY MDOT IN SEPTEMBER? IT WAS SEPTEMBER, YES. CAN YOU TELL US THE CONDITION OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE AT THAT TIME? IT WAS FULLY OPEN. IT WAS FULLY OPEN AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY.
ALL RIGHT. WHAT I NOTED IN REVIEWING THIS IS THAT BOTH THE MASTER PLAN OF 2017 AND THE MASTER, THE PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR 2023, OR WHATEVER WE WILL DATE IT, HAVE IN IT THAT THIS PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE REZONED.
THAT'S CORRECT, ISN'T IT? I KNOW YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND IT.
NO. IT'S OKAY. SO IT DOESN'T SPEAK.
THE MASTER PLAN DOESN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO REZONING ANY PROPERTY.
OKAY. AND I NOTE IN ONE OF THE MAPS THAT THE APPLICANT PUT UP THAT THAT PROPERTY IS DELINEATED AS WET IF YOU NOTE IT ON THERE.
AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE RECOMMEND THIS EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
INTERESTING. THEY ENDED UP DOING THAT AND THE INFORMATION THAT THEY ARE PRESENTING, THE LIMITATION OF 106 DWELLING UNITS AND THE PROPOSED SORT OF UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING DEVELOPMENT IS BASED ON THAT WETLAND DELINEATION. SO THEY'RE FUNCTIONALLY, EVERYTHING WE'VE SEEN THUS FAR AVOIDS THE WETLANDS IN ITS ENTIRETY.
AND I NOTED THAT THE JOINT COMMISSION WAS REPRESENTED AT THE ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
[02:25:03]
ISSUES. CORRECT.I DON'T RECALL THEM SAYING WE HAVE DRAIN ISSUES.
I RECALL THEM DISCUSSING A 1980S REPORT THAT INDICATED THEY NEEDED TO SOME CONTROL OVER.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND RELOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID.
THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTED IS THAT THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THIS TO THE NORTH, IT'S RA, TO THE WEST IT'S RA, EVEN THE TWO OUT LOTS THAT ARE CUT OUT OF THE PROPOSED REZONING ARE RA.
SO THERE IS A CHARACTER OF THAT AREA THAT IT IS SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
AND THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE AT THIS TIME.
I'M SORRY, MR. DESCHAINE. THANK YOU.
I THANK THE APPLICANT. THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD PROPOSAL FROM REDWOOD.
YOU PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT, AND YOU'VE STUDIED OUR COMMUNITY.
IT SHOWS A REAL COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS PROJECT IS IN THE RIGHT LOCATION.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. WELL, THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER PARCELS THAT ARE WAITING FOR.
WE ARE REDEVELOPING COMMUNITY.
AT THIS POINT. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BIG OPEN SPACES.
THIS IS A TOUGH PARCEL BECAUSE IT IS A SPLIT PARCEL, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE A ZONING DECISION ON A SPLIT PARCEL BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT CONFLICTING ZONING ZONE ZONING ORDINANCES WITHIN THE SAME PARCEL, AND THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THESE CONDITIONAL REZONINGS HAVE SO MANY IF THEN CLAUSES BUILT INTO THEM.
AND SO WE'RE MAKING THIS BIG DECISION UP FRONT.
BUT THERE'S A LOT DOWN THE ROAD WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET.
THE ONLY OWNERSHIP OPTION WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN 2500 SQUARE FOOT IN LARGER HOMES.
AND EVEN AND MOST OF THOSE START AT 400,000.
MANY OF THEM START AT 5 OR 600,000.
CLEARLY THERE'S A MARKET FOR RENTAL HOUSING, BUT THERE'S ALSO A MARKET FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY NEW PROPOSALS FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
DIRECTOR SCHMITT, WHOSE OPINION I RESPECT GREATLY, SAYS IS ON THE BUBBLE.
WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE, BUT TRUSTEE WILSON'S COMMENT THAT IT IS SURROUNDED BY RA DOES APPEAR THAT IT ISN'T A GREAT FIT FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING ALL AROUND IT, SO I'M NOT SURE IT'S A GOOD FIT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE GOT SUCH STRONG, VIRTUALLY UNANIMOUS [INAUDIBLE] COMMUNITY.
AND THAT COMMUNITY KNOWS IT NEEDS TO BE REDEVELOPED.
THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OLDER COMMUNITY AND THEY KNOW THEY NEED NEW NEW HOMES IN THERE.
THEY JUST DIDN'T LIKE THIS TYPE OF A NEW, NEW HOME, THESE TYPES OF NEW HOMES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE, PARTICULARLY, I THINK, BECAUSE THEY ARE THEY ARE RENTAL BASED.
THE FLOODING IS AN ISSUE AS WELL.
I DON'T WANT TO REALLY DISCUSS THE DRAIN, COMMISSIONER.
I DISCUSS HIM ENOUGH AT OTHER MEETINGS.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU. MADAM SUPERVISOR, I'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON YOUR REMARKS TWO WEEKS AGO.
TREASURER DESCHAINE DIRECTOR AMBER CLARKE AND I SAT DOWN AND SAID EXACTLY HOW MANY RENTAL UNITS ARE
[02:30:02]
APPROVED, BUT NOT YET BUILT IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ADDED THEM ALL UP.AND THAT IS A PRETTY ASTONISHING NUMBER IN MY OPINION.
AND ALSO IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE REZONING.
BUT THAT CERTAINLY IS A FACTOR THAT I TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE A CONSENSUS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AT THIS POINT.
SO WE DO HAVE NEW INFORMATION AND DIFFERENT INFORMATION THAN THE PLANNING COMMISSION GOT.
I SUSPECT WE NEED TO SIT ON IT FOR A WHILE.
ABSOLUTELY. AND THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY.
SO THERE'S NO EXPECTATION OF ACTION THIS EVENING.
OKAY. I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I WOULD ASK IS APOLOGIES FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT IF THERE IS ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT.
I KNOW WE DID PROVIDE YOU WITH A FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE PACKET.
THANK YOU. WE WILL MAKE IT SMALLER NEXT TIME AS WE HONE IN ON ON WHERE WE'RE GOING.
BUT IF IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU'RE AWARE OF RIGHT NOW THAT YOU NEED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
IF NOT, YOU ALL KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF ME.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR REINTRODUCING THE PROJECT TO US.
AND NOW WE ALL KNOW THE SAME INFORMATION, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR FOR COMING AND PROVIDING US WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 13 B PAID PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY, MR. WALSH. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
[13.B. Paid Parental Leave Policy]
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY CAME UP APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AGO AT THE BEHEST, I BELIEVE, OF TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND TRUSTEE WILSON.WE WERE ASKED AT THAT TIME TO BRING SOMETHING BACK.
AN ACTIONABLE ITEM BEFORE, I BELIEVE, JANUARY 1ST FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
THE BOARD'S HAD A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT A PARADE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE IS WIDELY ENDORSED BY THE STAFF, AND WE APPRECIATE TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON TRUSTEE WILSON FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THE MERITS OF HOW LONG AND ALL THAT, THAT'S UP TO YOU, THE POLICY MAKERS.
BUT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO MEET THE GOAL OF, I THINK, BEFORE JANUARY 1ST.
WE'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD IF YOU ARE.
AND I KNOW TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON HAS OFFERED A POLICY.
SO AT THIS POINT I WOULD TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
BUT THAT'S THE BACKGROUND FOR THE LAST 60 TO 90 DAYS.
OKAY. MR. HENDERSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRING US MORE UP TO DATE? I WOULD LOVE TO.
AND THANK YOU, MANAGER WALSH FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
SO WE HAD INITIALLY BEEN DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD DO 12 WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, WHETHER THAT WAS FEASIBLE, AND WE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL ABILITY, OPERATIONAL CAPACITY.
AND WE HAVE SINCE DECIDED TO PARE THAT BACK, AT LEAST AT FIRST, TO IDENTIFY, FIRST OF ALL, WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USED, AND SECONDLY, WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE A MORE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OPERATIONS THAN WE ORIGINALLY HAD ANTICIPATED.
AND SO WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PACKET THIS EVENING IS A DRAFT POLICY FOR THE TOWNSHIP FOR SIX WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE TIME, I SAY SIX.
THIS IS WHAT I PUT IN AS MY RECOMMENDATION.
[02:35:01]
HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD START AT FOUR WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, WHICH WOULD STILL PUT US AHEAD OF MANY COMMUNITIES, BOTH IN THE AREA AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE.MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE PUT THIS WHATEVER WE RECOMMEND AS A PILOT PROGRAM, WE ADOPT FOR AT LEAST ONE CALENDAR YEAR, AND THEN PERHAPS AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR, WE CAN DETERMINE THE BENEFIT AND THE OPERATIONAL IMPACT OF THE POLICY, AND MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT EXPANSION IN THE FUTURE.
THIS IS, I THINK, A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE POLICY AS THEY GO.
WHAT IT BASICALLY WOULD REQUIRE IS THAT AN EMPLOYEE BE HERE AND OFF OF PROBATIONARY STATUS.
THEY'D BE A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER RESTRICTIONS THAT I'M SURE EVERYONE REVIEWED IN THE PACKET.
BUT AT THIS TIME, REALLY THE OPERATIVE QUESTION WOULD BE, IS IT FOUR WEEKS OR SIX WEEKS? AND ARE WE ABLE TO DO THIS AS A PILOT PROGRAM STARTING NEXT YEAR? OKAY. UM, HAVE WE ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED THAT WE WILL HAVE A PARENTAL LEAVE PROGRAM? WELL, THAT'S THAT'S THE BIGGEST QUESTION, I SUPPOSE WOULD BE THAT HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE SHAPED, RIGHT.
AND THEN DECIDE FOR HOW LONG? RIGHT. I GUESS I WAS I WAS MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE WERE IN FAVOR OF THAT BECAUSE WE VOTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO HAVE A POLICY.
IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF WHAT POLICY? OKAY. OKAY.
SO WE LOOKED AT, FIRST OF ALL, I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THIS POLICY.
I THINK IT'S SHOWS OUR EMPLOYEES HOW MUCH WE VALUE THEM.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF.
WE CERTAINLY DISCUSSED IT QUITE A BIT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK TO THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF IT AS DOING IT AS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR EITHER FOUR WEEKS OR SIX WEEKS, WE RAN INTO THE REALITY OF WHAT IS HAPPENING BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOWN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF MEMBERS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WE HAVE 31 FULL TIME MEMBERS, WE HAVE 42 BUDGETED.
SO THAT TO ME CREATES A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.
AND THEREFORE, AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE PROCESS AND I'D LOVE TO SEE US DO A PILOT FOR SIX WEEKS, I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT FOUR WEEKS UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHERE WE ARE IN STAFFING AT THIS MOMENT, AND I'M NOT I'M NOT NECESSARILY COMMITTED TO A FULL YEAR. I THINK WE COULD DO PERHAPS SIX MONTHS AND SEE HOW IT GOES AND THEN COME BACK.
AND I DO HOPE THAT IF WE CAN GET TO FULL STAFFING, PARTICULARLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO A POLICY THAT WOULD BE SIX WEEKS IN LENGTH. THANK YOU.
BUT HEARING FROM THE ISSUE IS THAT THE IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE AGE BY DEPARTMENT, I WOULD BET THAT OUR LOWEST AVERAGE AGE, I.E., THE CHILDBEARING YEARS, ARE MOST LIKELY THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE THEY TEND TO HIRE YOUNGER, ACTIVE PEOPLE AND THEY CAN RETIRE SOONER.
SO I TOO WOULD SUPPORT FOUR WEEKS RATHER THAN SIX.
[02:40:07]
IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.AND IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE THE WRONG DECISION AND A RECKLESS DECISION FOR THIS BOARD TO MAKE.
SO FOUR WEEKS IS AS FAR AS I WOULD SUPPORT.
IT'S NOT JUST MATERNAL, IT'S MATERNAL OR PATERNAL LEAVE.
IT'S ALSO ADOPTION OF UP TO A FIVE YEAR OLD.
SO IT'S A VERY GENEROUS PROGRAM.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OR THE COST COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.
PEOPLE WORK HERE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THIS WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE A STRONG, HEALTHY START TO THEIR FAMILIES.
I SUPPORT IT, BUT I ONLY SUPPORT FOUR WEEKS AT THIS TIME AND NOT SIX.
I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE IT A FULL YEAR TO TRY IT OUT.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL KNOW ENOUGH AFTER SIX MONTHS.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU.
OKAY, TRUSTEE WISINSKI THANK YOU.
BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A SMALLER COMMUNITY THAN, SAY, AT A STATE LEVEL.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DO ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STAFF.
SO I AM NOT PARTIAL TO 4 OR 6.
I THINK A PILOT PROGRAM IS FANTASTIC.
IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, 12 WEEKS IS A PRETTY STANDARD PARENTAL LEAVE UNPAID.
OKAY. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YOU HAVE? UM. I'M STILL CURIOUS AS TO WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY IS, AND I'M NOT SURE I'VE HAD IT LAID OUT.
THANK YOU. SO OUR CURRENT POLICY IS IF YOU WANT TO TAKE LEAVE, LET'S SAY THE MOTHER HAS A BIRTH ON TODAY.
SO HER CHOICES WOULD BE THERE'S NO LEAVE PROVIDED TO HER EXCEPT FOR HER ACCUMULATED SICK TIME OR VACATION TIME.
AND WE'VE HAD PEOPLE EXHAUST ALL OF THEIR ACCUMULATED TIME TO BE HOME, TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEWBORN.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SORT OF POLICY WHERE WE PROVIDE SOME TIME THAT'S SEPARATE FROM SICK AND VACATION AND PERSONAL TIME. SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS THAT NEW MOTHER OR THE OR THE FATHER OR THE ADOPTEE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS UNDER THIS NEW POLICY.
SO FOR SOME PEOPLE, IF YOU, MOTHERS CURRENTLY WHO ARE WORKING FOR US, WHO HAVE A CHILD, THEY MAY NOT EVEN HAVE ENOUGH ACCUMULATED TIME TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT 12 WEEKS OF PAY TO STAY HOME.
SO THIS HELPS PROVIDE SOME SORT OF INITIATIVE FOR THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THAT CARE FOR THE NEWBORN. RIGHT NOW, WE OFFER NOTHING EXCEPT FOR ACCUMULATED TIME.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU PROPERLY.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT I AM TOTALLY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOME PAID LEAVE. I LIKE THE IDEA OF A PILOT PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY IN THESE HARD TIMES FOR STAFFING.
AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT WE'RE READY TO HAVE THE ISSUE COME BACK TO US FOR A VOTE.
SORRY, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR A PUBLIC MEETING.
THAT'S OKAY. COME BACK TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WELL, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO. NO, NO, JUST FROM FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I LIKE FOUR WORDS.
[02:45:07]
THE AMOUNT OF STAFF THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DO IT IN EVERYONE.RESPONSIBILITIES ARE COVERED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER HARDSHIP FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND SO WE WOULD BRING THIS BACK ON DECEMBER 5TH AT YOUR NEXT MEETING FOR ACTION.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW EXPECTANT PARENTS AND SPOUSES TO PROPERLY PREPARE FOR JANUARY 1ST.
AND WHAT GOING FORWARD, I KNOW WE HAVE ONE TEAM MEMBER WHOSE WIFE IS EXPECTING ON JANUARY 2ND.
SO IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE THIS WRAPPED UP ON THE FIFTH FOR PLANNING.
ALSO, I THINK I ALSO MADE AN ERROR I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED.
I BELIEVE CLERK GUTHRIE WAS ALSO PART OF BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
AND WE'RE READY TO GO AS A STAFF.
AND YOU WOULD THINK, WELL, POPULAR AMONG THOSE WHO KNOW, IT'S BEEN POPULAR AMONGST THE ENTIRE TEAM, A PEOPLE OF ALL PLACES IN LIFE, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GOING TO REALISTICALLY BE ABLE TO USE THIS.
IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY WIDELY ACCEPTED AND APPRECIATED.
OKAY, THEN WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
OKAY. SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
ITEM 13 C, MARSHALL PARK PLAYGROUND ENHANCEMENTS.
[13.C. Marshall Park Playground Enhancements]
I BELIEVE THE DIRECTOR MAISNER, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, WAS GOING TO PRESENT THIS.ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE HER PLACE? CORRECT. YEAH.
I'LL DO THE BEST I CAN, AND I'LL BE BRIEF.
I BELIEVE THIS CAME FROM THE LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WE HAD UP IN HASLETT.
I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS AT RAHEJA SCHOOL, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR YOUR SECOND ONE.
TRUSTEE, HENDRICKSON AND WILSON CAME FORWARD AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NOTICED ON THE PARK'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR PARKS, THIS WAS LISTED FOR A REPLACEMENT IN 2020, 2026.
AND THAT IS THE IMPROVEMENTS TO MARSHALL PARK, THE EQUIPMENT.
AND SO WITH THAT, THERE'S NO BUDGETED ITEM FOR THIS.
SO WE'RE BACK BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO BRING THIS BACK AND SAY IT'S BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AND WHAT'S YOUR DIRECTION TO STAFF ON THIS? OKAY. TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON, YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO MR. WALSH'S COMMENTS? NO, I THINK THIS IS WELL, I WILL IF YOU GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY.
TO READ INTO IT. I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS, BUT ONE OF THEM IS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY AN AREA OF NEED.
AND THIS WAS ONE THAT WAS MENTIONED AT THAT MEETING THAT I THINK IS A VERY EASY LIFT FOR US.
WE WERE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY TWO YEARS FROM NOW.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE COULDN'T ACCELERATE THAT AND BRING SOMETHING A LITTLE SOONER, BRING RESULTS CONCRETE IN THIS CASE, MAYBE ASPHALT AND SET IN PLACE RESULTS TO THE RESIDENTS WHO HAD REQUESTED THAT THIS BE ADDRESSED.
YES. WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP TO DIRECTOR MAISNER, I SAID THAT SHE SAID TO ME ALL OF THE PROJECTS IN RECENT YEARS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN HASLETT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY SPENT ON TOWNER ROAD AND AND OTHER PROJECTS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO LARGE POPULATIONS THAT MAY NOT HAVE MAY LIVE IN HOUSING THAT ISN'T AS FANCY AS OTHER AREAS OF HASLETT.
AND SO WHAT WE HEARD WITH TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON AND I HEARD WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DISCUSSING THIS WAS, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S ADJACENT, THAT'S SOMEPLACE TO WALK TO, SOMEPLACE THAT'S SAFE, SOMEPLACE WHERE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MY AGE CAN GO SIT ON A BENCH AND WATCH THE KIDS PLAYING IN THE PLAY
[02:50:09]
YARD. SO THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT.THE OTHER ADVANTAGE, WE THINK, IS THAT IT HELPS TO MAKE THAT NORTHERN ENTRANCE ON MARSH ROAD, THAT NORTHERN ENTRANCE TO THE TOWNSHIP, LOOK MORE ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT AREA IS NOT.
MARSHALL PARK IS NOT A GREAT SCENARIO FOR US IN SAYING WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR PRIME COMMUNITY.
SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
AND I KNOW I THINK THERE'S A POT OF MONEY WE CAN USE TO GET IT DONE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WISINSKI THANK YOU SUPERVISOR.
I WOULD JUST I WOULD CONCUR WITH THAT, BUT I JUST CAME FROM THE NORTH SIDE JUST YESTERDAY AS A MATTER OF FACT AND, AND REALLY TOOK A LOOK AT MARSHALL PARK. AND I AGREE WE COULD REALLY MAKE SOME REALLY MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, BUT IT DOES HAVE A POPULATION THERE THAT COULD REALLY BENEFIT.
SO AS WELL AS WE COULD SPRUCE IT UP ON THAT ENTRANCE INTO MERIDIAN FROM THE NORTH, I WOULD AGREE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A CONSENSUS.
CAN WE GET THE BALL ROLLING BY DECEMBER 5TH? I THINK MR. DESCHAINE.
OH, I'M SORRY. MY ONLY COMMENT WAS THAT MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE PARK SYSTEM WAS WALKING AROUND THE LAKE BACK WHEN I LIVED IN HASLETT IN 2014 AND 13, AND I WALK IN MARSHALL PARK, AND I SEE THEN PARKS COMMISSION CHAIR TERRY BANIS THERE ON HER HANDS AND KNEES, PULLING WEEDS AT MARSHALL PARK BECAUSE SHE KNEW IT NEEDED A SPRUCING UP.
NOW, TERRY ALSO WORKED HARD WITH THE THEN PARK COMMISSION TO GET THE CURRENT PARK MILLAGE APPROVED, AND WITHOUT IT, WE WOULD HAVE FAR LESS PARK SYSTEM THAN WE HAVE NOW, BECAUSE WE'VE NEEDED MATCHING MONEY FOR EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE, AND TERRY AND TODD WILSON AND OTHERS GOT THE MARK STEVENS, MIKE MCDONALD, THEY REALLY WORKED HARD TO GET THAT APPROVED IN 2014, AND WE ALL BENEFITED FROM IT BY DOING TERRY THERE.
PULLING WEEDS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHT THAT IS COMMITMENT.
OF COURSE, WE SEE THAT ALL THE TIME IN OUR VOLUNTEERS.
MARSHALL PARK NEEDED SOME IMPROVEMENT AND IT NEEDS IT EVEN MORE SO TODAY.
YES. WE'RE READY FOR DECEMBER 5TH.
UH, WE CAN MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 13 D MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
[13.D. Memorandum of Understanding-Okemos Public Schools]
YES. SO I HAVE NOT BEEN PRIVY TO THIS PROCESS AS MUCH AS I CERTAINLY DIRECTOR MAISNER.SO I'M NOT I'M NOT ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THIS.
THIS EVENING, I JUST FOUND OUT TODAY THAT I WOULD BE AND I HAVE REVIEWED IT.
I HAVE ONE CERTAIN THING THAT STANDS OUT TO ME.
WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TONIGHT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
BUT ONE THING, MADAM SUPERVISOR AND BOARD THAT I WOULD POINT OUT THAT REALLY NEEDS SOME FUTURE DISCUSSION IS ITEM FIVE ON PAGE THREE. AND CHIEF GRILLO AND I HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION THAT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO A SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICER MAY, WHEN APPROPRIATE, MAY BE BETTER LANGUAGE BECAUSE AS OUR NUMBERS DWINDLE.
CHIEF GRILLO IS NOT CERTAIN THAT HE SHALL OR WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING THAT WILL MASSAGE THE LANGUAGE ON THAT.
OKAY, MR. HENDRICKSON. I WILL ONLY QUESTION ON THIS.
BESIDES THAT, YOU BRING THAT UP.
WAS THE FEE SCHEDULE SEEMED LIGHT? BASICALLY, IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, WE DON'T PAY FOR THEM AND THEY DON'T PAY FOR US.
AND SO I WONDERED IF WE WERE MISSING AN ATTACHMENT OR IF THAT WAS REALLY THE INTENT OF THE MOU.
I WILL TELL YOU, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT'S COMING UP, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG MEETING.
[02:55:01]
THE CORNER OF OKEMOS AND QUINOA, WHERE ALL OF FIELDS ARE AT.THOSE ARE ALL WE WERE JUST MADE AWARE OF SIX WEEKS AGO.
YES. AND THAT'S A LOT OF YOUTH ACTIVITY THAT OCCURS THERE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO TEN MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY SIT DOWN WITH OUR NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR AND THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT GOING FORWARD.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT, OKAY.
SO WE'LL EXPECT TO SEE IT AS SOON AS DIRECTOR MAISNER IS READY.
YEAH. AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION FOR YOU, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU LIKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
AND LASTLY, ITEM 13 E, ORDINANCE 2023-08, CV
[13.E. Ordinance 2023-08 – CV, Conservancy District Updates]
CONSERVANCY DISTRICT UPDATES.MADAM SUPERVISOR. I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF.
UM, I WILL BE EXTREMELY BRIEF.
UM, CURRENTLY IN THE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT, TECHNICALLY, DECKS ARE NOT ALLOWED ONE, AND TECHNICALLY, EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO REQUIRES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND IT'S A THREE MONTH PROCESS.
TALKING TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS FIX.
WE ALREADY HAVE AN ALLOWANCE AROUND THE LAKE WHERE IF THERE IS TEN CUBIC YARDS OR LESS OF EROSION, YOU CAN FILL THAT WITHOUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THERE'S AN EXEMPTION ALREADY BUILT IN.
WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES IS TWOFOLD.
ONE, IT ALLOWS DECKS FORMERLY NOW AS A USE.
AND TWO, IT ALLOWS FOR US TO THEN APPROVE THESE MINOR IMPACTS OF UNDER TEN CUBIC YARDS ADMINISTRATIVELY THROUGH THE FLOODPLAIN. ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, THERE WILL STILL BE MITIGATION AS IS REQUIRED FOR ANY IMPACTS TO THE FLOODPLAIN.
THIS JUST TAKES OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS FOR SOME OF THESE VERY SMALL, AND WE GET ONE A YEAR.
AND SO NOW WE'RE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
OKAY. SO IS THIS COMING PARTIALLY FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION? THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED IT AND DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE CHANGE.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.
IS THERE A MAP RELATED TO THE CV DISTRICT? SO THE CV DISTRICT TECHNICALLY COVERS THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP.
OKAY. IT'S WHEREVER BASED OFF OF THE FEMA FLOODPLAIN MAPS.
SO ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE OTHER SORT OF UNDER THE UNDER THE HOOD THINGS THIS DOES IS IT REMOVES THE OLD REFERENCES TO THE FEMA MAPS AND LITERALLY JUST CHANGES THE REFERENCE TO BE WHATEVER THE CURRENT IS, INSTEAD OF WE USED TO HAVE THE ACTUAL FRAMES IN THE ORDINANCE, AND THAT'S NOT IDEAL.
GOT IT. I THOUGHT DISTRICT LED ME ASTRAY, I THINK, IN THE TITLE HERE BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR A DISTRICT MAP, BUT WE ARE THE DISTRICT, ALL OF US, SO THANK YOU. I THINK THIS IS COMMON SENSE.
THERE IS A FLOODWAY THAT GOES THROUGH THE INDIAN HILLS GOLF COURSE.
YES. SO THERE ARE PROPERTIES ALONG THAT NORTH END THAT HAVE APPLIED TO HAVE DECKS BEFORE, AND THEY HAVE BEEN DISALLOWED BECAUSE LITERALLY DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF CERTAIN YEARS, THERE IS THE RIVER IS FLOWING THROUGH THE STREET.
CORRECT? POTENTIALLY, IT'S STILL NOT A GUARANTEE.
OKAY. THERE'S STILL A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN.
I MEAN, YOU STILL HAVE TO GET ARMY CORPS APPROVAL BEFORE YOU EVEN COME TO US.
WE WON'T TAKE YOU. WE'RE NOT TAKING AN APPLICATION.
AND SO YOU GET APPROVAL FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDS, IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE INVOLVED.
SO WE JUST SEND THEM OFF TO THE HIGHER POWERS.
[03:00:06]
USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE DECKS NOT TO GET TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS HERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT PERMITTED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSE, SO IT'S COMPLETELY SEPARATE STRUCTURE.USUALLY THERE IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF IT'S NOT FRAMING, BUT IT'S THE ONLY WORD THAT'S COMING TO MIND RIGHT NOW THAT'S INVOLVED SO THAT IT DOESN'T CAUSE A MAJOR PROBLEM IF THE FLOODWAY VILLAIN GETS IT.
OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
YEAH. MRS. SCHMIDT. HOW? WAS THE LAST TIME OUR FEMA MAPPING WAS UPDATED? WELL, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
OUR ORDNANCE REFERENCE IS 2011.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS REGION I.
I'D LIKE TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THIS REGION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN UPDATED SINCE THEN.
OKAY. I THINK I'VE READ THAT THE REGION IS IN THE PROCESS, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW LONG THAT WILL TAKE OR, YOU KNOW, COST OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT MIGHT BE WORTH CHECKING AS AS WE MAKE THIS CHANGE.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? CONCERNS. THEN DECEMBER 5TH.
WE'LL BE BACK. THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
MEETING. WE'RE NOW AT ITEM 14 OR CATEGORY 14.
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD.SO I DON'T HAVE GREEN CARDS, BUT IF YOU GO FIRST AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU'LL GO SECOND, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
JOSHUA [INAUDIBLE]. NAME 1517 RIVER TERRACE.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK OFFICER GRILLO FOR BEING WILLING TO MEET WITH ME WITH REGARD AND SOME SOCIAL WORKERS WITH EXPERIENCE IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR OFFICER GRILLO'S SUPPORT ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION WITH REGARD TO THE CONDITIONAL REZONING, BECAUSE I WAS ALSO AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, OBVIOUSLY JUST AS A NOT A PARTICIPANT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A CONDITIONAL REZONING, I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO EVALUATE IS THE USE OF THE LAND LIKE THE SPECIFIC WAY THE LAND WILL BE USED? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT IN OUR COMMUNITY? ONE THING THAT I FOUND A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING WITH THE PROPOSAL IS THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY EXPECT THIS TO BE USED BY, YOU KNOW, AGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, EMPTY NESTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND PART OF THE EVIDENCE THAT THEY PRESENTED, WHICH WAS NEW EVIDENCE NOT GIVEN TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WAS WITH REGARD TO WHAT PROPORTION OF 18 TO 22 YEAR OLDS THEY HAVE IN THEIR EXISTING COMMUNITIES NEAR UNIVERSITIES.
HOWEVER, THE CLOSEST DEVELOPMENT TO A UNIVERSITY THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR BIG LIST WAS STILL FOUR MILES AWAY FROM THE UNIVERSITY, WHERE THEY'RE PROPOSING IT'S A LITTLE OVER A MILE AWAY. AND THERE, YOU KNOW, PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR WALSH, SORRY, I'M IN UNIVERSITY MODE.
MANAGER WALSH, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THE EXTENSION TO THE RIVER TRAIL, AND IT'S GOING TO GO RIGHT UP TO THAT CORNER, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PRIME TERRITORY FOR STUDENTS TO WANT TO GO THERE, BECAUSE THEY CAN JUMP ON THEIR BIKE AND GET TO CAMPUS IN FIVE MINUTES.
SO THE PROPOSAL OF SAYING THAT, HEY, THIS LAND USE IS GOING TO BE PRIMARILY FOR AGING EMPTY NESTERS, I THINK THAT'S THAT'S ALMOST SILLY TO ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE ITS USE. THESE ARE YEAR LONG RENTALS.
THESE ARE GOING TO ALMOST CERTAINLY BE OCCUPIED BY STUDENTS AND PROBABLY MEMBERS OF UNIVERSITY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A BAD THING.
BUT OTHERWISE I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
LEONE LEONI AT 5090 PARK LAKE ROAD.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING AGAIN, BUT EVERY TIME THE APPLICANT GETS UP HERE, HE.
THEY TRY TO PRESENT NEW EVIDENCE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DIDN'T SEE.
ONE OF THEM IS THIS MDOT TRAFFIC STUDY.
IT DOESN'T INDICATE WHETHER IT'S THE PEAK HOURS.
BUT AGAIN, THEY THOUGHT, WELL, IT WAS THE BEST THEY COULD DO GIVEN THE CURRENT ZONING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN 40 YEARS, IT'S NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF WETLANDS AND WATER AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER PROBLEMS.
[03:05:01]
THAT'S WHY IT'S NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED.THEIR BIGGEST ARGUMENT IS, WELL, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE 140 UNITS, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S MY WARNING OR THAT'S YOUR WARNING.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO JUST ACCEPT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
NOTHING. IT IS 9:00, ISN'T IT? YES IT IS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SUPPORT.
YES. YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR VOTES YES.
MOTION CARRIES 6 TO 0.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.