Feb 20, 2024 Township Board

[*This meeting was joined in progress*]

[00:00:27]

.

THANK YOU. ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL.

CLERK GUTHRIE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT TONIGHT.

THANK YOU.

ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.

THANK YOU. ITEM FOUR IS PRESENTATIONS.

[4. PRESENTATION]

THE FIRST IS A TRIBUTE TO FORMER POLICE CHIEF DAVE HALL.

AND I BELIEVE CHIEF GRILLO IS OUR PRESENTER TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM.

SO TONIGHT, VERY SPECIAL NIGHT.

FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS IS HERE WITH JUDGE ALLEN AND PHIL PAVONA TO PRESENT A PLAQUE IN MEMORY OF CHIEF HALL.

CHIEF HALL WAS AN ENORMOUS SUPPORTER OF FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS.

AND I'M GOING TO LET PHIL EXPLAIN WHAT FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS DOES, BUT SHE FOLLOWS MY MENTOR, MY CHIEF, FOR 14 YEARS, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIS FAMILY WHO'S ALSO HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING CHIEF HALL.

AND WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM HERE TONIGHT.

SO COME ON UP, PLEASE.

HI, THE CHIEF SAID.

I'M PHIL PAVONA AND FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS BECAME AN ENTITY IN 2013.

WE LOST A SON TO AN OPIATE OVERDOSE IN 2011.

HE WAS 25 YEARS OLD.

AND TYPICAL OF MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES.

HE GRADUATED FROM OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AS AN HONOR STUDENT.

WENT TO COLLEGE FOR A FEW YEARS.

BETWEEN HIS SECOND AND THIRD YEAR OF COLLEGE.

MET THE WRONG PEOPLE, PARTIED WITH THE WRONG PILLS, AND ULTIMATELY BECAME AN ADDICT.

AND WE STRUGGLED WITH HIS ADDICTION AT THAT TIME FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, AND THEN ULTIMATELY LOST HIM TO AN OVERDOSE WHEN HE WAS 25.

AND AT THAT TIME, AS A GRIEVING FATHER, I CERTAINLY WANTED HIS DEATH TO AMOUNT TO SOMETHING.

AND AS A DAD, I WAS FAIRLY FRUSTRATED WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

IT WAS A PRETTY FRACTURED SYSTEM.

AND SO, AT THAT TIME, I MET A FEW PEOPLE IN LOOKING TO DO SOME THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY BECAME THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS OF US CREATING WHAT IS FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS.

I'M HERE WITH JUDGE ALLEN AND JOE LOWE, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS, ALONG WITH DAVE HALL.

NOW, I DIDN'T KNOW JUDGE ALLEN OR JOE LOWE OR DAVE HALL BEFORE WE LOST OUR SON.

AND SO, IN GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ASKING THEM FOR HELP AND SUPPORT, ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS SAID, WHAT DO YOU NEED US TO DO? AND SO, THEY JUMPED RIGHT ON BOARD.

AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TO HAVE AN IMPACT WITH FAMILIES.

AND THESE KIDS OFTEN STRUGGLE IN THE COURT SYSTEM, AND POLICE ARE OFTEN THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE WHO MEET THESE KIDS AND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S SHOPLIFTING TO FEED THEIR HABIT OR WHATEVER.

AND SO, WHEN I APPROACHED DAVE RIGHT OFF THE BAT DAVE SAID HE WANTED TO HELP, AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT HE WAS ONE OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS.

WE APPRECIATE HIS FAMILY GIVING HIM UP.

EVERY TUESDAY, THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING, WE HAVE A FAMILY FORUM, AND FOR A YEAR WE MET ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS IN PLANNING HOW WE WERE GOING TO INSTITUTE OUR CHAPTER.

AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE, BUT I WANT TO GIVE THE PLAQUE TO JUDGE ALLEN TO ACTUALLY READ AND THEN GIVE IT TO THE FAMILY SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE A PEEK AT IT AS WELL. AND THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE BACK AT THE PRECINCT HUNG IN THE PRECINCT AREA.

SO GO AHEAD, JUDGE. OKAY.

EXCUSE ME, MR. RAMONA? PAVONA.

YES. PAVONA, COULD YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS? SURE. AGAIN, MY NAME IS PHIL PAVONA, AND I LIVE AT 1398 REEF COURT HERE IN OKEMOS.

AND WE WANTED THE CHAPTER TO BE IN OKEMOS CHAPTER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STIGMA ATTACHED TO ADDICTION.

AND SO, WE LOOK, YOU NAME AN ENTITY.

I'VE GOT ONE OF THEIR KIDS, WHETHER THEY'RE UNEMPLOYED DOCTORS, MINISTERS, LAWYERS, WHATEVER.

I MEAN, IT'S AN EPIDEMIC OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

[00:05:01]

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NAME OKEMOS INGHAM CHAPTER REMAINED AS PART OF THAT.

SO AGAIN, I WE'VE BEEN HERE IN OKEMOS SINCE WE BUILT OUR HOME IN 1986.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

SO, I AM JUDGE DONALD ALLEN OF THE 55TH DISTRICT COURT, WHERE I HAVE THE PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE AS SERVING CHIEF JUDGE THERE, AS WELL AS I PRESIDE OVER WHAT'S CALLED SOBRIETY COURT.

AND SO, I MET DAVE HALL, CHIEF HALL, AS A FUNCTION OF WHAT WE DID AS FOUNDERS OF FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS. WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST OCTOBER.

AND SO, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE LOST SOMEBODY, WE LOST A GIANT, WE LOST SOMEBODY WHO WAS NOT SOMEBODY THAT ACTUALLY WAS REALLY ENSCONCED IN THIS WHOLE SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUE.

I REMEMBER HE WAS A WILLING AND ABLE STUDENT.

HE WANTED TO LEARN. HE WANTED TO KNOW THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS TOTALLY CONTRARY TO WHAT HE HAD LEARNED AS A POLICE OFFICER COMING UP THROUGH THE RANKS.

BUT HE SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, AND HE WANTED TO AND STARTED TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT.

AND SO NOT ONLY WAS HE WILLING TO LEND HIS NAME, WHICH WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE REASONS THAT MR. PAVONA JUST TALKED ABOUT, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SORT OF LEGITIMACY IN THE COMMUNITY, SUCH THAT PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY SEE THE EFFICACY OF WHAT IT WAS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO CREATE.

YOU HAD TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.

SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY THAT ABOUT JUDGES.

NOT TOO OFTEN, BUT SOMETIMES.

BUT HAVING A POLICE CHIEF WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

AND WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT.

DRUG USE. THE FIRST THING THEY THINK ABOUT IS CRIME.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED WITH DRUGS.

AND THAT'S A STEREOTYPE.

IT'S TRUE, LIKE MOST STEREOTYPES HAVE SOME TRUTH TO THEM.

BUT HE WAS THE PERSON WHO GAVE CREDIBILITY TO THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T JUST LOOKING TO TRY AND LOCK PEOPLE UP.

WE WERE LOOKING TO TRY AND BE A SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY TO HELP FAMILIES THAT WERE STRUGGLING.

AND SO, WE CAME UP WITH THIS LITTLE DITTY HERE, THIS, THIS AWARD, THANKS TO THE CHIEF.

AND IT WANTS TO BASICALLY THANK HIM.

SO, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS PRESENT THIS TO HIS WIFE.

WE AT OKEMOS INGHAM COUNTY FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS RECOGNIZE CHIEF DAVE HALL FOR HIS DEVOTED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND APPRECIATE THE VOLUNTARY SERVICE AND SUPPORT HE GAVE TO HELPING TO ESTABLISH AND PROMOTE OUR ORGANIZATION.

BECAUSE OF HIS EFFORTS, WE CONTINUE TO IMPACT LIVES ONE DAY AND ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.

AND SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GIVE A ROUND.

SO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY THE WORDS.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING.

HE WOULD BE PLEASED, BUT HE WOULD FEEL THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARY.

HE NEVER LIKED ANYTHING TO BE BROUGHT TO HIS, YOU KNOW, GLORY OR PRAISE.

AND BUT IT IS REALLY AN HONOR.

AND I KNOW THOSE TUESDAYS, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE, AND IT WAS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR HIM TO BE INVOLVED IN, AS THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR HIM.

SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE YES, WE APPRECIATE IT.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, WHICH AGAIN, IS SO IMPORTANT.

WE WANT PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE LIKE THIS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO RUN TOWARDS THE COURTS AND THE POLICE INSTEAD OF AWAY FROM THEM.

AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN DOING THAT, IT TAKES A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS THE DEMEANOR TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEMSELVES IN A WAY THAT ISN'T IN A FEARFUL WAY. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT IT IS THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE HAVE DONE FOR US.

I INTERACTED WITH A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE HAD SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU.

AND WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH. JOE, DID YOU WANT TO SAY JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU.

MY NAME IS JOE LOWE.

I CAME HERE FROM.

CALIFORNIA 14 YEARS AGO AND ON A GRANT, WE HAD A GRANT FROM A TRI-CITY ORGANIZATION THAT WANTED US TO TRY AN EXPERIMENT WITH

[00:10:07]

AND WHAT IT WAS IS THAT TO HAVE PEOPLE IN ADDICTION ONCE THEY'VE GONE INTO RECOVERY TO HELP OTHER RECOVERIES.

I WAS IN A PROGRAM LIKE THAT SIMILAR IN CALIFORNIA, AND THE RETENTION RATE WAS BEYOND ANYTHING EVER ON RECORD.

WE HAD PEOPLE INVOLVED FOR 25 YEARS HELPING OTHER RECOVERIES.

SO, WE BROUGHT THIS HERE TO THE LANSING AREA.

AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE THEY USED TO GET DISCHARGED FROM A HOSPITAL OR DISCHARGE FROM A PROGRAM, AND THAT WAS IT.

AND THE PARENTS WERE GOING CRAZY.

THEY WERE SPENDING THEIR FORTUNES, AS ANYBODY HERE KNOWS, TRYING TO GET THEIR CHILDREN HEALTHY.

BUT THERE WAS NO ONE TO HELP THE CHILD.

THERE WAS NO ONE TO TELL THEM WHERE THE RESOURCES WERE.

AND SO WE DECIDED TO WRITE A LARGER GRANT.

MID-STATE HEALTH NETWORK, WHICH IS A TYPE OF MICHIGAN, TOOK A GAMBLE ON THIS PROGRAM.

AND SO WE STARTED TRAINING PEOPLE.

PHIL WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE THAT WE TRAINED AS A CERTIFIED RECOVERY COACH.

JUDGE HAD WRITTEN A PAPER ON A SIMILAR PROGRAM THAT I READ.

AND WHEN HE WAS THE DRUG CZAR IN MICHIGAN, AND WE COMBINED WHAT I LEARNED FROM CALIFORNIA, PLUS THE RESOURCES HE HAD FOUND AND PHIL'S DIRE NEED TO GET HEALTHY HIMSELF WITH THE AND GET OVER THE LOSS OF HIS SON AND HELPING OTHER FAMILIES.

WAS IT? WE HAVE TRAINED OVER 1300 RECOVERY.

THE ADDRESS IS HOW BIG IT'S GOTTEN.

I FOUND OUT ABOUT FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS THE SAME DAY THE JUDGE DID.

WE ATTENDED A STATE CONFERENCE AT ITS SAME CLASS, AND WE SAID WE COULD DO THIS.

WE DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER.

OKAY, WHAT HAPPENS IS WHAT HAPPENS IS WE'RE NOW IN THE HOSPITALS, WE'RE IN THE HOSPITALS, WE'RE IN THE JAILS.

WE'RE ON THE STREETS.

WE'RE IN THE OFFICES, WE'RE IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.

SO, THIS IS WHERE THIS HAS GOTTEN IF YOU KNOW A CHILD AND A FAMILY NEEDS HELP, CALL FILL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

EXCUSE ME. ONE LAST THING.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE.

OF CHIEF HALL'S FAMILY HERE TODAY.

COULD WE RECOGNIZE.

YES. WOULD YOU STAND? WOULD YOU STAND? I'M MATT HALL.

I'M JESSICA.

WE JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HONORING YOUR DAD.

YES. THANK YOU.

AND MY WIFE SAID, GO TO THE TOWNSHIP OFFICES AND HANG IN A PLACE OF DISTINCTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS.

NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 4.B, WHICH IS ALSO ABOUT GOOD NEWS.

CHIEF HAMEL WILL TELL US ABOUT A LIFESAVING WORK.

MADAM SUPERVISOR BOARD, THANK YOU.

I'M ONLY GOING TO BE A BRIEF PART OF THIS, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF PINNELL.

HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHO WE'RE CELEBRATING HERE TODAY.

BUT GO BACK TO MY EARLY CAREER IN 1992 AND CPR.

WE WERE PUSHING REALLY HARD OUT TO THE LAY PEOPLE.

ALL OF YOU SITTING HERE, WE ALREADY HAD IT RIGHT.

BUT WE REALIZED BACK THEN THROUGH AMERICAN HEART RED CROSS, THAT THE MORE PEOPLE THAT KNEW CPR, THE BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVAL.

AND THEN ALONG CAME LATER.

QUITE A FEW YEARS LATER CAME AEDS.

SO, WHERE WE WERE THEN AND WHERE WE ARE NOW, PRETTY AMAZING BECAUSE WHEN YOU CAN USE AN AED PRIOR TO THE PARAMEDICS' ARRIVAL GIVES SOMEONE A REALLY MUCH HIGHER CHANCE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S STILL A LOW CHANCE, A MUCH HIGHER CHANCE OF SURVIVAL, STILL ABOUT A 10% SURVIVAL.

IT GOES UP A LITTLE BIT WITH AN AED.

SO, WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION WE HAD AND SOME HEROIC ACTS THAT WERE DONE.

AND THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS SAVED IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.

BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE A PART OF THAT WE CALL THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL ARE HERE.

AND CHIEF PINNELL IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

SO, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF PINNELL.

YES. I WAS GIVEN A SPEECH BY THE CHIEF.

YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DID IT RIGHT? SO, SAY YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME.

LEO. LEO. OKAY.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE. RIGHT.

MRS. LEO. EVERYDAY HEROES WALK AMONG US UNNOTICED BY THOSE AROUND THEM.

UNTIL A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE THEIR ACTIONS SAVE A LIFE.

DUE TO YOUR QUICK RESPONSE AND YOUR SWIFT ACTION, AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE WAS SAVED ON JANUARY 27TH, 2024, AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

[00:15:01]

YOUR QUICK ACTIONS IN RETRIEVING AN AED, ATTACHING IT TO THE PATIENT, AND DELIVERING A SHOCK WHEN PROMPTED SURELY CONTRIBUTED TO PATIENT'S POSITIVE OUTCOME OF THIS. EXCUSE ME.

OF THIS MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING A HERO ON THIS DAY.

SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID WE IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ATTEND ONE OF MY TRAININGS, YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST STEP IN SURVIVAL IS GETTING THE AED ON AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

350,000 CARDIAC EVENTS HAPPEN OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL, AND ONLY ABOUT 2% OF THEM GET AN AED WHEN THEY SUFFER THOSE EVENTS.

SO LUCKILY YOU WERE THERE FOR THAT 2% FOR HIM AND YOUR SHOCK MADE IT QUITE A DIFFERENCE.

OUR CREWS WERE ABLE TO GET THERE AND RENDER ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT UNTIL WE GOT TO THE HOSPITAL.

WAS TAKEN CARE OF BY DEFENDANT CARE.

BUT IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN THE BACK HELPING WITH CPR, I THINK THINGS WOULD HAVE TURNED OUT MUCH DIFFERENTLY.

SO, WE'RE HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU.

YOUR FAMILY SHOULD BE SUPER PROUD OF YOU FOR BEING A HERO ON THAT DAY.

I KNOW WE THROW THAT WORD AROUND A LOT, BUT IT ACTUALLY WAS QUITE APPLICABLE IN THE SITUATION.

SO, WE HAVE SOME AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES WE'RE GOING TO HAND OUT.

SO, BRANDON, IF YOU CAN COME UP, PLEASE.

AND THEN WE'LL DO THE FIRST PART OF IT.

SO, FOR BRANDY ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2024, AT 10:47 HOURS, BERGEN COUNTY RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF A CARDIAC ARREST AT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU ACTED TO ASSIST THE VICTIM BY SETTING UP THE AID ATTACHED TO THE PATIENT AND WHEN PROMPTED, USING AID TO DELIVER A SHOCK.

YOUR ACTIONS AND COMBINATION IN COMBINATION WITH CPR ALLOWED THE PATIENT TO ACHIEVE RETURN OF SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED.

YOUR QUICK THINKING AND WILLINGNESS TO GET INVOLVED TO AID SOMEONE IN SEVERE MEDICAL DISTRESS HELPED MAINTAIN A CRITICAL LINK IN THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL, RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.

BECAUSE YOU, THE VICTIM, IS ALIVE TODAY.

SO, EVERYBODY CAN SEE. YOUR FAMILY'S TRYING TO TAKE PICTURES.

YOU GOT TO INTRODUCE. YOU GOT TO KNOW.

YOU GOT TO TURN AROUND SO THEY CAN SEE YOU.

YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR FAMILY.

SO, I'M HERE FOR MY FAMILY.

SO, MY MOM AND MY GRANDMA AND MY TWO KIDS SHOULD BE SUPER PROUD OF.

MOM. DID.

AWESOME. YES.

AND AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THIS, MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN GO OUT AND CHECK OUT THE AMBULANCE AND ENGINE THERE.

SO, MEGAN AND THEN COLE OUR TWO OFFICERS RENDERED CPR BEFORE OUR PARAMEDICS ARRIVED.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO JOIN IN AND ASSIST IN HELPING.

SAME AS FIRST.

SO, MEGAN AND MAGGIE, ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2024, AT 10:47 HOURS, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF CARDIAC ARREST AT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL. AS THE MEMBER OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU ACTED TO ASSIST THE VICTIM BY PERFORMING CPR, WHICH, ALONG WITH THE USE OF AED, ALLOWED THE PATIENT TO ACHIEVE RETURN OF SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED.

YOUR QUICK RESPONSE AND ACTIONS THAT DAY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SURVIVAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO YOUR PROFESSION.

AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS IN OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE A PART OF THIS ARE ALSO GOING TO BE RECOGNIZED.

SO ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO I THINK, OR A YEAR AGO WE GOT THESE CHALLENGE COINS.

AND THERE'S ONE THAT IS A RESPONDER WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING THEM.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SURVIVOR COIN.

SO, IF SOMEONE SURVIVES.

SO, IF WE CAN MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SURVIVOR, WE'LL GIVE THEM ONE.

BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS SOME DON'T WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED, SOME DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED.

WE HAVE HAD SOME COME TO THE STATION, WHICH IS AWESOME WHEN WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A GOOD OUTCOME.

SO, WE JUST WANT TO DO THIS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, OFFICER. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. SO, COMMITTEE MEMBER LIEUTENANT WEBER, CAPTAIN

[00:20:07]

THESE FIREFIGHTERS WERE OUR PARAMEDICS WERE THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO RENDER AID TO OUR PATIENT AND PROVIDE HIM LIFE SUPPORT UNTIL HE GOT TO THE HOSPITAL AND DEFINITIVE CARE.

SO, WE HAVE FIREFIGHTER CUMMINS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

FIREFIGHTER ARNETT, WE HAVE CAPTAIN DIAZ AND LIEUTENANT WEBER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THESE DON'T SAY ALL THE STUFF.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

BEFORE YOU ALL LEAVE.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU.

IT'S GOING TO BE SHORT. SURE.

OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS.

[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]

OH YES. PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.

GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.

YEAH. HELLO.

DR. WANDA ISSA.

I'M HERE WITH CITIZENS FOR LOCAL CHOICE AND.

I GUESS I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES, RIGHT? SO, I'M GOING TO BE QUICK.

SO, IN NOVEMBER OF 2023, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT STRIPS AWAY LOCAL CONTROL OF RENEWABLE INDUSTRY ENERGY.

AND I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT.

AND SO, I'M HERE BECAUSE WE'RE CITIZENS FOR LOCAL CHOICE IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT AROSE FROM THAT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS THAT HAVE PRODUCED ORDINANCES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGIES.

I, FOR ONE, AM FROM WHEATFIELD TOWNSHIP, AND WE HAVE JUST WE HAD SIGNED OURS, WHICH WAS VERY GOOD, YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE OTHER FIVE TOWNSHIPS IN SOUTHEAST INGHAM COUNTY HAD ALSO PRODUCED AMENDMENTS TO THEIR ORDINANCES, BUT THAT AND THEY SPENT $70,000 ON LAWYER FEES.

PLANNERS DID A MASTER PLAN.

BUT ALL THAT WILL BE THROWN OUT BECAUSE THE STATE LAW.

WILL HAVE CONTROL OVER THE ZONING AND LOCATION OF INDUSTRIAL RENEWABLE ENERGIES.

NOT THAT WE'RE AGAINST IT, THOUGH.

WE'RE NOT AGAINST WIND AND SOLAR, BUT WE WANT.

WE AS CITIZENS, I APPRECIATE HOW I CAME FROM CHICAGO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW YOU HAVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HERE THAT DECIDES ZONING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO, THIS THREE-MEMBER GROUP THAT'S NOT ELECTED, JUST COMMISSIONED BY GOVERNOR WHITMORE.

AND ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY WORKS USED TO WORK FOR APEX WIND ENERGY.

AND SO THEY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD DETERMINE IN EACH TOWNSHIP WHERE THE RENEWABLES WOULD GO BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WANTING A LEASE WITH A PARTICULAR COMPANY.

AS A PHYSICIAN, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT, ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN DISTANCE AWAY FROM A WIND TURBINE ALSO FOR SAFETY, BECAUSE THE TURBINE, THE WIND AND ICE THROW AND INFRASOUND, WHICH AFFECTS THE INNER EAR WHICH AFFECTS OUR NEUROLOGICAL ISSUES SUCH AS MOTION SICKNESS, WALKING AND MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS.

SO AND SO IT JUST HAS TO BE APPROPRIATELY PLACED WITHOUT JUST INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS.

IT HAS TO BE PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS AND SAFETY STANDARDS.

[00:25:02]

THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME THAT DID OPPOSE.

AND BUT MAYBE THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THAT AREA.

SO, THE MYTH IS THIS PROPOSAL WOULD HINDER PROGRESS TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE FOR MICHIGAN.

ACTUALLY, MICHIGAN IS IN THE TOP THREE STATES WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT WIND, WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY. SO, WE'VE PRODUCED QUITE A BIT EVEN WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

THIS GROUP IS AGAINST LOCAL LAND UTILITY PROJECTS BECAUSE WE'RE ANTI-GREEN.

WRONG. WE ARE NOT ANTI-GREEN.

IN FACT, IT IS BIPARTISAN AND IT'S REALLY JUST WANTING TO RESTORE LOCAL CONTROL BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES.

SO, NOW TO DO THIS PETITION FOR BALLOT FOR THE REFERENDUM VOTE THAT WOULD BE IN THIS COMING NOVEMBER, WE HAVE TO GET OVER 360,000 SIGNATURES, BUT WE WANT 500 BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S THROWN OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET A PAGE IS WRONG. SO ANYWAY, WE'RE HERE TO ASK YOU IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP US.

WE'RE IN CHARGE OF INGHAM COUNTY, WHICH IS ONE TENTH OF THE MICHIGAN'S POPULATION, WHICH IS KIND OF A LOT.

AND SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT WOULD ALSO BE WILLING TO SPREAD PETITIONS AND WE HAVE THEM HERE AND ALSO MY HUSBAND, WHO IS HERE ALSO WILL BE OUTSIDE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GO OUT AFTER THE MEETING AND SIGN A PETITION.

SO. WE'LL LEAVE.

WE'LL LEAVE YOU INFORMATION AS WELL.

OKAY. AND BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WOULD YOU REPEAT AGAIN YOUR NAME? MY NAME IS WANDA ISSA.

I LIVE ON 1289 BEACH ROAD, WHEATFIELD TOWNSHIP.

I HAVE 80 ACRES AND I LOVE IT HERE AND I LOVE BEING IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL HERE.

BUT IT'S WE WERE APPROACHED BY APEX WIND INDUSTRY, AND THEY WANTED TO PUT THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE NEAR SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW IT.

IT JUST NEEDS TO BE APPROPRIATELY LOCATED AND FOLLOW THE MASTER PLAN OF EVERY LOCAL TOWNSHIP.

AND, YOU KNOW, BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE IT AFFECTS A GENERATION OR TWO AFTERWARDS.

SO, IT'S A BIG THING.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

WE MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM SIX.

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR AND BOARD.

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.

JUST A FEW THINGS TO UPDATE YOU ON.

ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE BOARD WAS TO EXPAND OUR COMMUNICATION.

AND SO, WITH THAT CAME OUR GOOD MORNING MERIDIAN SHOW.

AND WE'RE CURRENTLY RECORDING OUR THIRD EDITION OF THAT.

THAT'LL BE OUT IN THE NEXT WEEK.

WE HAVE A MEETING THIS WEEK.

AS YOU KNOW, FIRE STAFFING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE'VE DONE GREAT WORK IN THE LAST FEW YEARS TO GET FROM 30 TO 36.

THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE HAVE.

IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE LAST DECADE, AND WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THE UNION STAFFING THIS WEEK ON THAT.

WE CONTINUE TO DO WELL.

IN THE POLICE RECRUITING AREA.

WE CONTINUE TO GET GOOD UPDATES.

OUR NUMBERS NOW WITH PEOPLE THAT WE, OUR OFFICERS, THAT WE HAVE IN THE ACADEMY AND PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE APPROACHING THE MID TO POTENTIALLY IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL IN THE NEXT 60 TO 90 DAYS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MID TO UPPER 30S.

SO, WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.

WE'RE NOT MAKING GREAT PROGRESS WITH THE LADDER TRUCK.

WE CONTINUE TO HAVE MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE TRUCK.

WE WILL BE BEFORE YOU IF THINGS DON'T TURN QUICKLY.

WE'LL BE BEFORE YOU ON MARCH 5TH WITH A LEGAL OPINION AND ASKING TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TALK ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS.

WITH THAT, WE MENTIONED THE BAG AND TAG PROGRAM WITH GRANGER THAT THINGS SEEM TO BE OFF KILTER.

WE HAD A FEW RESIDENTS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE TAGS.

WE DID CONTACT GRANGER, THE OWNER, KEITH GRANGER.

HE WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING AND MADE SURE THAT THE BAG HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR.

THE BAG TAG PROGRAM THROUGH GRANGER IS STILL AVAILABLE.

JUST THERE WERE SOME ISSUES INTERNALLY FOR THEM.

I WANT TO THANK TRAINING OFFICER PINNELL, WHO WAS BEFORE YOU HERE EARLIER, AND LIEUTENANT WEBER.

THE TWO OF THEM PROVIDED AED TRAINING TO OUR STAFF OVER THE PAST WEEK, AND IT WAS INVALUABLE TRAINING.

[00:30:01]

YOU CAN LOOK FOR THE AUDIT TO BEGIN IN APRIL.

EMMA CAMPBELL IS TO BE RECOGNIZED IN OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.

SHE WAS JUST SELECTED BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO SERVE ON THE MICHIGAN DEER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

THE PRIME MERIDIAN MAGAZINE THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.

IS OUT INTO PRINT, AND YOU SHOULD RECEIVE IT.

ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD RECEIVE IT AT THEIR HOMES IN THE NEXT 8 TO 10 DAYS.

WE CONTINUE OUR WORK WITH DIRECTOR CLARK AND JUNETEENTH CELEBRATE MERIDIAN AS THE PLANNING IS WELL UNDERWAY.

BORDER REVIEW IS COMING UP IN MID-MARCH.

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT WANTS TO TALK TO THE ASSESSING DEPARTMENT AND GETTING BACK TO THE DORM PROJECT, WHICH YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT.

BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE TOOK BIDS FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL WORK.

WE RECEIVED THREE BIDS, NOT SURE WHO THEY'RE FROM.

I WON'T BE INVOLVED IN THAT, BUT THE TEAM THAT WILL BE REVIEWING THAT WILL BE STARTING THAT ON FRIDAY AND WE'LL START THAT PLAN OR THAT PROCESS.

SO THAT'S MY REPORT THIS EVENING UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. MEMBERS.

QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ITEM SEVEN. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

THE TASK FORCE ON THE COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER MET TODAY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND WE WORKED ON SOME BRAINSTORMING ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE AT THE CENTER.

AND SO, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WORK CONTINUES.

I ALSO HAVE SOME SAD NEWS.

BAGPIPER TERRY CARROLL DIED THIS MORNING.

AND ALL OF YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN AN INSTITUTION IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR PROBABLY 70 YEARS, HE'S BEEN PLAYING THE BAGPIPES FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, WEDDINGS, FUNERALS.

HE JUST PLAYED THE MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION AT GLENDALE CEMETERY JUST IN MAY.

WE SAW HIM. SO, I'M VERY SORRY TO REPORT THAT HE WAS REALLY AN IMPORTANT PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MR. DESCHAINE. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. JUST A REMINDER THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T PAID YOUR TAXES YET, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A LATE NOTICE FROM THE TOWNSHIP TREASURER AND THE DROP-DEAD DATE, IF YOU WILL, FOR TAXES IS THE 29TH OF FEBRUARY, A WEEK FROM THURSDAY.

AFTER THAT, THEY HAVE TO BE PAID AT THE COUNTY TREASURER'S DESK IN MASON, AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 5% PENALTY ADDED ON TO THAT, SO PLEASE TRY.

IF YOU HAVEN'T PAID YOUR TAXES YET, PLEASE TRY AND GET TO MY OFFICE THIS WEEK OR EARLY NEXT WEEK.

THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD THAT I DID ATTEND THE CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION LAST WEEK.

IT WAS A VERY NICE, FUN FILLED EVENT.

AND A LOT OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES CAME AND PARTICIPATED.

AND SO, I ENCOURAGE YOU, NEXT YEAR, WHEN THE NEW YEAR COMES, AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE COMING SPRING COMES THAT YOU JOIN THE LANSING AREA CHINESE COMMUNITY AND CELEBRATING THAT EVENT.

AND IN ADDITION, I NEED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS WEEK, I THINK ON WEDNESDAY, TREASURER DESCHAINE AND I JOINED THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE AND AT THE LANSING CENTER FOR A ANNUAL CONFERENCE THEY HAD AND TO RECEIVE THE 2024 ISA GOLD LEAF LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION AWARD FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR OUR PROVISION OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO TREE PLANTING OR TREE PLANTING PROJECT, PART OF THE GREEN GRANTS PROGRAM THAT OCCURRED ON OKEMOS ROAD MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE.

AND THAT WAS A VERY WE HAVE A VERY NICE PLAQUE TO ADD TO THE PLAQUE.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS EARNED AND GARNERED FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND THERE SHOULD BE MORE ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE YEAR. ANYONE ELSE? MR. ZEISS? YES. I WILL TAKE THE BURDEN OFF CLERK GUTHRIE, WHO'S BUSILY TAKING NOTES TO POINT OUT THAT EARLY VOTING STARTED THIS PAST WEEKEND AND GOES THROUGH SUNDAY.

MONDAY THEY ARE GOING TO BEGIN PROCESSING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ABSENTEE VOTES.

AND I THINK YOU CAN PICK UP ABSENTEE BALLOTS THROUGH 5:00 MONDAY, 4:00 MONDAY.

[00:35:04]

UNLIKE PAST YEARS, IF YOU HAVE FILLED OUT AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AND WANT TO ACTUALLY RUN THAT BALLOT THROUGH THE MACHINE AND HAVE IT TABULATED BY YOURSELF, THAT IS PROVIDED FOR YOU, COME TO THE TOWN OR TOWN TOWNSHIP OFFICES WHERE THE EARLY VOTING IS, AND YOU CAN RUN YOUR OWN ABSENTEE VOTE THROUGH THE MACHINE, AND IT WILL BE COUNTED THEN.

SO, DID I MISS ANYTHING? CLERK GUTHRIE. NO. I THANK YOU AND YOUR WIFE, SHERRY, FOR ALL THE MANY HOURS THAT YOU PUT IN FOR DOING ELECTION WORK.

I THINK WE HAD 170 EARLY, EARLY VOTERS.

AS OF TODAY, FROM SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TODAY, TODAY WE HAD OVER 50.

SO, I THINK WE HAD AROUND 170.

WE'VE RECEIVED 65% OF THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS BACK.

SO, THERE'S ANOTHER 35% OUT THERE FLOATING.

SO PLEASE GET THOSE BACK IN.

NO, I THINK YOU COVERED IT VERY WELL.

THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THE STATISTICS SHOWED THAT WE WERE THE FIFTH LARGEST ABSENTEE VOTER ON SATURDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF ABSENTEE VOTER IN THE STATE.

WELL, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY.

WELL, IT'S BUSY VOTERS.

IT'S BEEN. IT'S BEEN GOOD.

YEAH. OKAY. I WOULD JUST ADD THAT EARLY VOTING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT IN THE FIRE STATION. AND TO REMIND VIEWERS OF THE TAPE OF THIS MEETING THAT THERE IS AMPLE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT EARLY VOTING, ABSENTEE VOTING IN THE COMMUNICATIONS ATTACHED TO THE PACKET FOR THIS MEETING.

AND SO, YOU'RE STILL UNSURE ABOUT HOW ALL OF THAT OCCURS? LOOK TO THAT COMMUNICATIONS IN IN THIS MEETING'S PACKET TO FIND THAT.

AND WE HAVE AN ACTUAL THE END OF THE ELECTION PERIOD IS FOR THIS FIRST ELECTION.

MICHIGAN'S PRIMARIES ARE TO TUESDAY.

THE 27TH IS ELECTION DAY.

POLLS OPEN AT SEVEN AND CLOSE AT EIGHT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

YES. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? THEN WE MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SUPPORT. APPROVED BY MR. TREZISE. SUPPORTED BY.

TRUSTEE. WILSON.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, PLEASE SAY YES.

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

YES. AND ITEM NINE IS THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH CONTAINS TYPICAL COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING ALL OF THAT

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 6TH, 2024, REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING, BILLS AND DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT, MOSTLY VEHICLES.

IF THERE IS MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED THIS EVENING.

SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

MR. CHAIR. YES.

I NOTICED IN READING THE MINUTES THAT IT SAYS DEPUTY CLERK GORDON TOOK THE ROLL AND WHATEVER ROLL CALLS WERE DONE.

ACTUALLY, SHE WASN'T HERE AT THE LAST MEETING.

IT WAS CLERK GUTHRIE THAT HAD TO TAKE THAT ROLE AS SHE'S DOING TONIGHT.

OH, YES.

DRAFT IS STILL SITTING ON MY DESK, SO WE SHOULD NOTE THAT CHANGE I CAN MAKE IN THE.

OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? THEN WE NEED A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

OKAY.

MOTION CARRIES.

OKAY. SEVEN ZERO.

AND NOW TO THE ACTION ITEMS.

[12.A. Ordinance 2024-02 – Rezone 5681 Shaw Street from PO, Professional and Office, to RC, Multiple-Family Residential-Introduction]

THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION WHICH MEANS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE AND MR.

[00:40:03]

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE AT THE LAST MEETING.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR THE REZONING OF ONE PARCEL AT 5681 SHAW STREET.

AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, THAT IS THE PROPERTY JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON SHAW STREET.

IT ABUTS UP AGAINST A PORTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS DRAIN PROJECT.

IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST, ON THE EAST, TO THE EAST, ACROSS THE STREET ARE SEVERAL HOUSES.

THE ENTIRETY OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS PARCEL AND ONE OTHER PARCEL HAS FRONTAGE ON HASLETT ROAD ARE ZONED RN, WHICH IS VILLAGE OF NIMOCA.

IT'S A SPECIALIZED ZONING DISTRICT WAS ESTABLISHED ESSENTIALLY FOR THIS AREA A LONG TIME AGO.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS REQUEST AT THE MEETING IN DECEMBER, HELD A PUBLIC HEARING, HAD NO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST TO REZONE THE PROPERTY TO RC MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

AT THEIR MEETING IN JANUARY.

THE BOARD DISCUSSED THIS AT THEIR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 6TH.

AND THE SAME QUESTION CAME UP WITH BOTH MEETINGS.

YOU KNOW, WHY NOT? RN STAFF HAS GONE THROUGH THIS AND FUNCTIONALLY THE DIFFERENCE IS PROCESS WISE.

THE RN IS A SLIGHTLY MORE ONEROUS PROCESS THAN THE RC TO GET TO WHAT THE APPLICANT IS GOING FOR IN THIS CASE BOTH WOULD GET TO THAT OUTCOME IN THE END, WHICH IS TO REDEVELOP THE SITE INTO A FOUR-UNIT MULTIFAMILY BUILDING.

SO, WITH THAT STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.

PLEASE NOTE, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING YOUR RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE, WE DO NEED YOU TO POINT OUT WHETHER WE'RE PROPOSING TO REZONE THIS TO RC MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OR RN DIVISION MIXED RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

THE ENTIRETY OF THE MOTION, RESOLUTION AND ORDINANCE IS SET UP NEEDING THAT DECISION TO BE MADE TONIGHT.

IF THAT DECISION IS MADE, WE WILL THEN INTRODUCE IT AND PUBLISH IT, OR WE WILL PUBLISH IT AS REQUIRED BY THE INTRODUCTION PRIOR TO FINAL DECISION BEING MADE AT THE NEXT MEETING.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.

MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

AND THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR SCHMITT FOR BRINGING THIS BACK BEFORE US.

IT WAS, I THINK, ME, THAT BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION ABOUT RN VERSUS RC.

AND SO, I THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT AND PROVIDING THAT BOTH OPTIONS TO US THIS EVENING.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONLY DIFFERENCE HERE REALLY IS THE PROCESS THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

BUT IT IS A BIGGER PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUE FOR ME BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO REZONE THIS PROPERTY RC INSTEAD OF RN, WE WOULD BE CREATING A SPOT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN RN ZONE.

AND I DIDN'T DO A FULL REVIEW OF THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWNSHIP, BUT I DID SEE IN THE MAP THAT WAS PROVIDED THAT RC IS NOWHERE IN THE AREA THAT I COULD FIND.

MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RN ZONING.

IT'S A SLIGHTLY LONGER PROCESS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVEN'T CREATED AN ISSUE OF SPOT ZONING IN THE HASLETT THAT WE MAY HAVE TO CORRECT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

SO, DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION? I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION.

SURE. I'LL MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR INTRODUCTION ORDINANCE 2020 402, AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE THE PROPERTY AT 5681 SHORE STREET, PARCEL ID NUMBER 3302 02 1042 8007.

FROM PO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE TO RN VILLAGE OF NIMOCA.

MIXED RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

FURTHER DISCUSSION.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE JUST SAID.

THANK YOU, MR. WILSON. I CONCUR.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I CONCUR WITH TRUSTEE HENDERSON.

WE DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE SPOT ZONING IN AN AREA.

SO, OUR END ZONING BRINGS IT IN CONFORMANCE TO THAT ENTIRE AREA.

THAT'S THE REASON I SUPPORT IT, MR. DESCHAINE. QUESTION FOR DOCTOR SCHMIDT.

WHAT IS THE INTENDED PURPOSE? IF THE REZONING IS APPROVED, THEY WILL RENOVATE THE BUILDING INTO A FOUR-UNIT MULTIFAMILY BUILDING.

THANK YOU, MR. TREZISE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS WILL, IF THEY WISH TO GO FOR THE VARIANCE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK FOR ESSENTIALLY TWO MEETINGS AS A PUBLIC MEETING OR A PUBLIC HEARING AND A FINAL MOTION.

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

BUT JUST MY QUESTION IS, IT WOULD NOT COME BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR APPROVAL WITH ANOTHER PUBLIC OR PUBLIC MEETING AND

[00:45:01]

THIS BOARD WOULD NOT SEE IT AGAIN.

ADDITIONALLY, I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.

THE ORDINANCE IS YOU WILL BE SEEING AMENDMENTS TO THIS ORDINANCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE AS WE'VE LOOKED INTO IT IN SOME DETAIL, WE ARE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR THAT IT EVEN GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THERE IS A PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED IN THIS ORDINANCE THAT IS UNIQUE IN THE TOWNSHIP ZONING ORDINANCE, AND WE ARE STILL DETERMINING WHAT THAT MEANS.

IT WILL TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME.

I CAN SAY THAT, BUT IT MAY BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE PUBLIC HEARING IS THE EASIEST WAY TO PUT IT.

BUT YES, WE WILL ALSO BE UPDATING THIS ORDINANCE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

ANYTHING ELSE. SO, THE MOTION MADE IS TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING FOR INTRODUCTION ORDINANCE 2020 4-02, AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE THE PROPERTY AT 5681 CHARLES STREET FROM PO PROFESSIONAL OFFICE TO RN VILLAGE OF NIMOCA.

MIXED RESIDENTIAL.

I BELIEVE AS A ZONING AMENDMENT, THIS REQUIRES A ROLL CALL VOTE.

. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 12 B.

[12.B. Ronald J. Styka Memorial Pathway]

STYKA MEMORIAL PATHWAY.

MR. WALSH WILL INTRODUCE THIS TO US TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

AS TWO WEEKS AGO, I WAS BEFORE YOU INTRODUCED THIS IDEA THAT CAME UP OF HONORING, MEMORIALIZING MEMORY OF RON STYKA.

AND JUST AGAIN, TO HIGHLIGHT RON'S 30 SOME YEAR CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, STARTING OUT IN 1990 AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE OKEMOS BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND SERVED A NUMBER OF YEARS AS PRESIDENT, SERVED WITH TRUSTEE TREZISE ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND THEN IN 2012 RAN FOR TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE, AND IN 2016 AND 2020 RAN A SUPERVISOR AND WAS ELECTED.

RON NEVER LOST AN ELECTION, AND IN FACT, IN HIS LAST THREE ELECTIONS, HE NEVER LOST ONE OF THE PRECINCTS IN THE TOWNSHIP TO HIS OPPONENTS.

SO, RON'S I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT RON HAS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THAT.

BUT YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH RON, AND I THINK MOST OF THE COMMUNITY IS FAMILIAR WITH RON.

RON PASSED ON FEBRUARY 15TH OF TWO YEARS AGO IN 2022.

BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AS RON WAS REALLY PROUD OF THE PATHWAY THAT WAS CREATED.

WHEN THE OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL WAS, WAS BUILT SOME YEARS AGO.

AND THAT PATHWAY CONNECTS A FEW DIFFERENT AREAS.

ONE IS ON OKEMOS ROAD BY NOB HILL APARTMENTS; THE OTHER IS OFF OF SUN WIND WHICH IS A SUBDIVISION OFF OF BENNETT AND THEN AGAIN UP ON HEWLETT ROAD.

ALMOST. REALLY CLOSE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL COMES OUT RIGHT AT THE OKEMOS PRESERVE DEVELOPMENT, THE OKEMOS PRESERVE, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE THE SITE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL SOME YEARS AGO.

SO, THE IDEA BEFORE YOU LAST MEETING AND TONIGHT IS TO TALK ABOUT DO WE WANT DOES THE BOARD, ARE THEY INTERESTED IN MEMORIALIZING RON'S MEMORY BY NAMING THIS PATHWAY AT ALL THREE POINTS IN HIS NAME.

AND WHEN IT CAME UP AT THE LAST MEETING THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE VERBIAGE, AND IT DIDN'T QUITE MAYBE MEASURE UP OR HIT THE POINT THAT THE BOARD WAS PLEASED WITH.

AND SO, WE SAID WE'D COME BACK WITH SOME DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, SAME CONCEPT, SAME THREE SIGNS, BUT JUST THE VERBIAGE IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP.

SO YOU HAVE THREE PROPOSALS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.

ONE, TWO AND THREE.

AND WITHOUT FURTHER COMMENT, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND SEE.

DOES ONE OF THE THREE THAT WE PRESENTED ONE WAS THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT WAS BEFORE YOU AT THE LAST MEETING THAT GOT MODIFIED. ONE WAS PRESENTED BY A BOARD MEMBER, BUT THEN ALSO MODIFIED SLIGHTLY AND ONE WAS PRESENTED BY STAFF.

SO OFF AND THEN THAT WAS MODIFIED BY ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO SAID RIGHTFULLY SO.

WE HAD OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD IN FRONT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

[00:50:01]

SO THOSE ARE THE THREE BEFORE YOU.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF ONE OF THOSE, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TONIGHT WITH THE SIGNS AND ALL THAT.

AND IN MAY OR JUNE, HAVE SOME SORT OF EVENT THAT WE WORK OUT WITH THE FAMILY WHEN MOST OF THEM WILL BE IN TOWN.

TWO OF THE TWO OF RON AND GEORGE'S SONS ARE LOCAL.

ONE HAPPENS TO BE IN NEW YORK, AND ONE HAPPENS TO BE UP IN ITHACA, MICHIGAN.

SO, WE WOULD WORK IT OUT TO HAVE SOME EVENT MEMORIALIZING WITH A RIBBON CUTTING AND ALL OF THAT.

SO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

OKAY, SO, BOARD MEMBERS THERE IS NO WAY TO PUT THIS MAP UP ON THE SCREENS.

THERE IS.

I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED EARLIER.

THAT'S OKAY. WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT, MR. DESCHAINE, MAYBE WE SHOULD DISCUSS WHICH OF THE THREE ALTERNATIVES WE LIKE.

AND I DON'T MIND GOING FIRST.

I LIKE NUMBER TWO JUST BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO READ THIS.

AND I THINK THE SHORTER THE MESSAGE, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS TO BE READ.

ALL THREE OF THEM ARE FINE MESSAGES.

I THINK THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO READ SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TERSER.

IN LANGUAGE.

THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS ON THE OTHER THREE CHOICES.

SO THAT'S ONE VOTE FOR DESIGN NUMBER TWO.

MR. DESCHAINE. YES, I THINK I SAW YOUR YES.

I LIKE NUMBER TWO ALSO, BUT I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONS AND NUMBER THREE.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT DOES MAKE IT A LONGER AND LESS LIKELY TO BE FULLY READ SIGNED.

SO, I WOULD ALSO GO WITH NUMBER TWO.

OKAY. I SAW MR. HENDRICKSON'S HAND.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I LIKE NUMBER TWO, ALTHOUGH I DO PREFER NUMBER THREE, I THINK.

I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO STOP AND READ IT ARE GOING TO READ IT.

AND WE MIGHT AS WELL SAY WHAT WE WANT TO SAY.

AND IF PEOPLE STOP AFTER THE SECOND SENTENCE, THEY GET BASICALLY WHAT NUMBER TWO SAYS ANYWAY.

SO AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT BEING CHARGED BY THE LETTER, I THINK NUMBER THREE IS FINE FOR ME.

OKAY. GOOD.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, MA'AM.

SUPERVISOR, I AGREE, I LIKE NUMBER THREE.

I PREFER NUMBER THREE.

I'VE WALKED MANY TRAILS ACROSS THE STATE AND OTHER STATES, AND I STOP AND READ ALMOST EVERY SIGN.

AND I LIKE TO READ ABOUT THE AREA, AND I LIKE TO READ ABOUT WHY THINGS WERE NAMED, CERTAIN WAYS.

AND I LIKE TO READ THE WHY BEHIND THINGS, AND IT JUST ADDS TO THE ENJOYMENT OF WHEN I'M HIKING TRAILS.

AND SO, I REALLY LIKE THE ADDITIONAL VERBIAGE IN HERE ABOUT HIS UNPARALLELED COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP THAT STANDS OUT TO ME THE MOST.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD ENJOY READING.

AS SOMEONE WHO WALKS TRAILS AND HIKES TRAILS.

AND SO, I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON THAT BEING A READER, YOU'RE GOING TO READ IT.

YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE GOING TO WALK BY AND THERE'S NO HARM IN ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL VERBIAGE.

OKAY. CHELSEA WILSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I TOO AGREE WITH ALTERNATIVE NUMBER THREE BECAUSE IT TELLS THE STORY.

SO THAT'S A RATIONALE AS TO WHY THAT SIGN IS THERE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

OH, I JUST HAVE A PREFERENCE.

IT'S A WONDERFUL THING THAT WE'RE DOING.

AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF NUMBER THREE, TOO.

OKAY. SO, AT THIS POINT WE HAVE A MAJORITY PREFERENCE FOR NUMBER THREE, AND THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT POINT.

WHAT WE NEED NOW IS FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE THE MOTION.

MR. PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO FORMALLY APPROVE RECOGNIZING THE EXISTING PATHWAY BORDERED BY SUN WIND DRIVE, KNOB HILL APARTMENTS AND HEWLETT ROAD AS THE RONALD J. STYKA MEMORIAL PATHWAY WITH THE LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEMORIAL SHALL INCLUDE OPTION THREE THAT WAS PRESENTED TONIGHT.

OKAY. SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON ON.

[00:55:01]

YES. OPPOSED.

NO. CHAIR.

VOTES. YES.

THANK YOU, MR. WALSH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM 12.C TOWNSHIP BOARD LIAISON APPOINTMENTS.

[12.C. Township Board Liaison AppointmentsD.Board of Review Appointment]

THAT'S FINE.

SO, AS WE STATED AT OUR LAST MEETING, THERE ARE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP OF ON WHICH MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SERVE AS LIAISONS.

AND SINCE TRUSTEE WISINSKI RESIGNED FROM OUR BOARD IN DECEMBER, WE HAVE VACANCIES.

TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO I GUESS, PROPOSE APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSE VACANCIES.

THEY ARE. SO, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MARNA WILSON AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND THE PENSION BOARD FOR TERMS ENDING DECEMBER.

ON NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024, COURT SUPPORTED BY MR. DESCHAINE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR.

VOTES. YES. NEXT IS I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF PETER TREZISE AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A TERM FOR TERMS ENDING NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024. SUPPORT.

SUPPORTED BY MR. HENDRICKSON. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED? NO. AND THE CHAIR VOTES? YES. BEFORE WE LEAVE A COMMENT, I WILL BE RESIGNING FROM THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.

I AM CURRENTLY IN THAT POSITION.

THE MOTION DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR.

OKAY. AND SO, YOU TAKING CARE OF THAT? NOT YET, BUT I WILL. OKAY.

THEY'VE ALREADY. DON'T SMILE TOO MUCH.

I'M SURE OUR CLERK WILL NOT ALLOW A NEW PERSON TO ASSUME THAT UNTIL YOU DO.

AND LASTLY, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF PHIL DESCHAINE AS BOARD LIAISON TO THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD FOR A TERM ENDING NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? NO, MA'AM. OH, WELL, I'VE GOT YOUR HANDS UP.

BUT ANYWAY, ANY COMMENTS? ANY FURTHER COMMENTS THEN? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO SELECT PHIL DESCHAINE TO THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES, YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR WALSH.

YES. THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW APPOINTMENTS.

THE BOARD OF REVIEW HAD A VACANCY FOR AN ALTERNATE WITH THE TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, DUE TO THE RESIGNATION OF MR. BRANDON BROOKS WAS IN THAT POSITION.

I AM RECOMMENDING NATHAN EIDE TO SERVE THE TERM EXPIRING ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.

SO, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF NATHAN EIDE AS AN ALTERNATE TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW FOR A TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.

SUPPORT. MR. TREZISE SUPPORTS THE MOTION.

ANY COMMENTS? YEAH, I READ THE APPLICATION IN THE BACKGROUND, AND THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS AN EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN PROPERTY EVALUATION.

AND MORTGAGES AND ALL THAT.

AND I THINK YOU'LL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THIS BOARD.

OKAY. OTHER COMMENTS I THINK IT SHOULD BE NOTED, TOO, THAT THE BOARD OF REVIEW IS ABOUT TO START THEIR WORK FOR THIS YEAR, AND THERE IS SOME TRAINING INVOLVED, AND THIS PARTICULAR APPOINTMENT NEEDS TO BE MADE QUICKLY, IF WE CAN.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF NATHAN AS AN ALTERNATE TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW FOR A TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR.

VOTES YES, AND WE MOVE ON.

[01:00:08]

[12.E. Resolution to Support Incentives for Municipal Employees to work Elections]

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT PROPOSAL 20 2-2 HAS CREATED A LOT.

A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, A LOT MORE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK ON THE BACK END OF WHAT IS REQUIRED OF CLERKS AND CLERK'S OFFICES.

AND THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.

IF YOU LOOK AT NINE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING ALONE, WHERE YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO WORK CONSECUTIVE NINE DAYS, INCLUDING STAFF TO HAVE A LONG, UP TO 12-HOUR DAY EVERY DAY FOR NINE HOURS.

TO OVERSEE EARLY VOTING, OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO GO IN AND SET UP EQUIPMENT, MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD IN THIS ROOM.

BEFORE ANYBODY ARRIVES, TEST IT, MAKE SURE IT'S RUNNING AND OPERATIONAL.

SO IF YOU'VE EVER WORKED A POLLING LOCATION BEFORE, YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO GO IN THERE AS A CHAIR AND A CO-CHAIR.

YOU NEED TO SET UP WELL IN ADVANCE, TEST EVERYTHING, BE READY BEFORE THE POLLS OPEN.

AND YOU'RE THERE UNTIL THE POLLS CLOSE.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS OF DEFICIENCIES THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR OFFICE IS FINDING PEOPLE TO COME IN TO BE ON TO SERVE ON THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM.

SO, MOST PEOPLE WILL WANT TO DO A HALF DAY OR FULL DAY AT A POLLING LOCATION.

THEY'LL DO SOME DAYS FOR EARLY VOTING, BUT THEY MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO NINE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING WORKING THAT.

AND SO, MANAGER WALSH AND ME AND TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON, CERTAINLY WITH HIS EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ISSUES THAT FACE CLERK'S OFFICES IN GETTING ELECTION WORKERS, AND IT'S NO DIFFERENT HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ACROSS THE STATE.

AND THE BIGGER THE MORE REQUIREMENTS YOU HAVE, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT YOU NEED.

AND SO, ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD WAS INCLUDING EMPLOYEES AND TRYING TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS, AND WE HAVE HAD SOME IN THE PAST WHO HAVE WANTED TO BE PART OF THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM.

SO, THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM IS AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE ON ELECTION NIGHT, THE CHAIRS AND THE CO-CHAIRS, THEY NEED TO BRING ALL OF THEIR STUFF BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP HALL, AND THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM RECEIVES, THAT CHECKS EVERYTHING OFF, MAKES EVERYTHING, MAKES SURE THAT EVERYTHING BALANCES.

AND THEN WE CAN SEND THAT FORWARD TO THE COUNTY CLERK.

AND IT CAN BE A MUCH LONGER EVENING.

AS TRUSTEE KNOWS, HE'S WORKED ON OUR ELECTIONS TEAM AND BEEN A CHAIR BEFORE, AND IT'S A VERY LONG DAY AND EVENING. AND SO, I APPROACHED MANAGER WALSH AND ASKED HIM IF WE COULD WORK TOGETHER ON CREATING AN INCENTIVE.

MUCH LIKE THE BOARD HAS TRIED TO INCLUDE EMPLOYEES ON INCENTIVES BEFORE WITH OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO CREATE A CAMARADERIE AND FOR STAFF TO, TO ENCOURAGE STAFF TO WANT TO WORK ON ELECTION NIGHT.

AND SO I THINK IT WAS MANAGER WALSH THAT CAME UP WITH THE, WITH THE IDEA OF OF HAVING A FREE DAY OFF. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT GOING INTO DETAIL ABOUT INCENTIVES AND WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE, WHAT THAT COST WOULDN'T BE.

AND THE RESPONSE THAT WE'VE HAD FROM, FROM STAFF SO FAR ASKING IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO BE PART OF AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO WORK ON ELECTION NIGHT.

MR.. THANK YOU.

YEAH. SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, I THINK ON FRIDAY FRIDAY MORNING, AND WE PUT OUT A CALL TO OUR TEAM MEMBERS. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS THAT WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE WORK EIGHT HOURS A DAY IN THE DAY.

[01:05:02]

IT GETS TO BE VERY COSTLY.

SO I LOOKED AT THIS REAL QUICKLY ON FRIDAY MORNING AND SAID, WHAT COULD WE DO AS A LOW COST INCENTIVE TO GET SOME OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO WORK? SO WE HAD 12 SIGN UP WITHIN, I THINK, THREE HOURS.

AND ACTUALLY, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, 11 OF THOSE ARE GOING TO FLEX THEIR SCHEDULE.

THEY'RE GOING TO WORK FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON TILL 11 OR 12 WHENEVER THIS CLOSES.

AND THEN THEY'LL DO THAT AND THEY'LL GET THEIR REGULAR TIME.

SO IT WON'T COST US ANYTHING, AND THEN THEY'LL GET A DAY OFF CERTIFICATE TO BE USED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

AT ONE DAY, ONE PERSON SHOWS OVERTIME.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

IT WAS RATHER QUICK AND IT WORKED PRETTY WELL.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY MORE DETAILS THAN THAT.

JESSE HENDRICKSON THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I THINK THE CLERK LAID OUT THE NEED PRETTY WELL.

WE IN MY DAY JOB.

OF COURSE. AS YOU KNOW, I WORK IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, AND I'VE SEEN WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, BOTH IN INGHAM COUNTY AND IN SURROUNDING AREAS, HAVE DONE AND AN ATTEMPT TO SHORE UP THEIR ELECTION WORKERS.

AND IN SEVERAL CASES, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN SIMILAR INCENTIVES TO COME WORK FOR AND WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON ELECTION DAY IN THIS CAPACITY.

YOU KNOW, PROPOSAL 2022, PROPOSAL TWO OF 2022 HAS DONE EXCELLENT THINGS FOR VOTER ACCESS AND OPTIONS TO TURN IN THEIR BALLOTS.

IT DOES VERY LITTLE TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, NINE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING REQUIRED FOR EVERY STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTION AND THE STAFFING NEEDS THAT COME ALONG WITH THOSE AND SO MANY ELECTION WORKERS THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY SIGNED UP FOR ONE DAY FOR, YOU KNOW, TO WORK AT THE POLLING LOCATION MAY NOT BE WILLING TO WORK NINE DAYS, OR IF YOU CAN SQUEEZE THOSE FOLKS TO COME AND WORK FOR THE NINE DAYS, THEY MAY NOT BE WILLING TO COME.

ALSO, WORK ON ELECTION DAY, AND THEN ALSO WORK LATE INTO THE EVENING AT THE RECEIVING BOARD.

AND SO WE HAVE TO, AS CLERKS, RELY ON ADDITIONAL METHODS TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME AND PITCH IN.

AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A TEAM THAT IS SO WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THEM IN SOME WAY FOR THAT.

AND IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH MANAGER WALSH HAS ADMINISTRATIVELY ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH, WITH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH CLERK GUTHRIE.

A GOOD WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS HANDLED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LABOR CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE BOUND BY.

BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A POLICY MAKING BOARD TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS NOT MERELY GOING TO BE A ONE TIME PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES A ONE TIME SOLUTION.

AND SO I THINK BY PASSING THIS RESOLUTION, WE'RE ASKING THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING ON PAPER GOING FORWARD SO THAT THIS KIND OF OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE FOR OUR STAFF, FOR THE MANY ELECTIONS WHERE THIS WILL BECOME NECESSARY DOWN THE ROAD.

THAT'S WHY I JOINED ON IN SUPPORT OF THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT FINDING GOOD, QUALIFIED PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO AND WILLING TO STAY UP LATE INTO THE NIGHT WHILE THE PRECINCTS COME IN IS DIFFICULT, AND FINDING A WAY TO GET THOSE TEAM MEMBERS COMPENSATED IN SOME WAY IS IMPORTANT. CLERK GUTHRIE THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I DO ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE WORKED FOR OTHER CLERK'S OFFICES BECAUSE THEY GET PAID MORE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, TRADITIONALLY, TRADITIONALLY PAID OUR STAFF, THE RATE THAT THE, THE NORMAL LIKE ELECTION HOUR RATE SO THEY COULD GO TO CITY OF LANSING AND MAKE 2 OR 3 TIMES AS MUCH OR IN SOME OTHER COMMUNITY TO SERVE ON THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM.

AND SO THIS WAS ONE OF THE WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT, AS WELL AS TO KEEP MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES NOT JUMPING SHIP TO CITY OF LANSING.

AND MAYBE I COULD STEAL A FEW EMPLOYEES BACK, I DON'T KNOW.

CAN I ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION? SO EACH ELECTION YOU NEED HOW MANY PEOPLE TO SERVE THIS FUNCTION FOR RECEIVING FOR THE RECEIVING

[01:10:06]

AND THERE'S A SPECIFIC RECEIVING BOARD TEAM FOR EARLY VOTING ALONE.

OKAY. AND IS THERE A SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR THAT? YES. AND SO WE HAVE TRAINING FOR EVERY FOR CHAIRS, CO-CHAIRS, E-POLL BOOK RECEIVING BOARD, AV COUNTING BOARD.

WE HAVE TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS FOR ELECTIONS.

SO IS THE TRAINING INCLUDED IN THIS ACCOMMODATION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE? MEANING I'M SORRY, IS THAT AFTER AFTER YOUR WORK DAY THAT YOU GO TO THE TRAINING? NO, WE ACTUALLY CONDUCTED TRAINING TODAY DURING THE LUNCH HOUR.

OH, OKAY.

I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.

OH, SO YOU NEED THESE.

YOU NEED THESE 18 PEOPLE FOR AN.

I'M SORRY. YOU NEED THESE 16 PEOPLE.

YES. FOR NINE DAYS.

THIS. SO THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM IS ON ELECTION NIGHT ONLY.

OH, OKAY. IT'S ON ELECTION NIGHT ONLY.

AND SO THEY COME IN AT 730, WE SWEAR THEM IN, AND WE THEY COME IN AND WE SWEAR THEM IN.

AND THEN WHEN THE POLLING LOCATION CLOSES, WE CHANGE THE ROOM AROUND, AND THEY HELP US CHANGE THE ROOM AROUND SO WE CAN BE GO FROM A POLLING LOCATION TO RECEIVING BOARD TEAM. SO WITH FOUR ELECTIONS IN THIS YEAR FOR MERIDIAN, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THIS IS THREE ELECTIONS.

YEP. OKAY. SO WE NEED THIS RECEIVING BOARD THREE TIMES.

YES. DURING THE DURING THE YEAR.

YES, MA'AM. IN SPITE OF THE EARLY VOTING AND ALL THAT.

JUST THREE TIMES.

YES. OKAY.

TRUSTEE WILSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I'M HAVING I UNDERSTAND YOUR DILEMMA, BUT I'M HAVING A TOUGH TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY THIS IS BEFORE THIS BODY.

BECAUSE THIS, TO ME, IS A SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY, NOT WITH A POLICY. AND MY OTHER CONCERN ABOUT IT IS IT'S SO BROADLY WRITTEN THAT VIRTUALLY ANYTHING COULD BE DONE WITH THE BOARD'S ACQUIESCENCE TO THAT.

IF YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO STAFF THE RECEIVING BOARD, THEN I THINK THIS RESOLUTION SHOULD READ FOR THE PURPOSES OF STAFFING THE RECEIVING BOARD, WHICH IS A NARROW CONSTRUCT, BUT IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE CHANGE THIS, NOT TO MAKE IT SO BROAD, BECAUSE ANYONE COULD INTERPRET THIS TO BE ANYTHING.

I MEAN, IT COULD BE PAY RAISES, IT COULD BE SOME KIND OF OTHER INCENTIVES.

IT COULD BE IT COULD BE TIME OFF, WHICH MAKES SENSE.

COMPENSATORY TIME OFF.

SO I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING THIS KIND OF LANGUAGE BEFORE US.

I JUST THINK IT'S TOO BROAD.

SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE LIMITING IT TO THE RECEIVING BOARD.

THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

WE HAVE ASKED STAFF TO SERVE IN OTHER CAPACITIES IN THE PAST AS WELL.

ON THE COUNTING BOARD, THE PRE-PROCESSING TEAM LAST YEAR, MANAGER WALSH DRUMMED UP A NUMBER OF.

WAS IT LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO? I THINK IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.

RIGHT. MANAGER WALSH DRUMMED UP A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS FOR ME LAST MINUTE WHO CAME IN TO DO PRE-PROCESSING.

AND IT WAS IT'S THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WHERE WE'RE ASKING EMPLOYEES TO HELP OUT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

AND IF YOU HAVE LAST MINUTE PEOPLE DROP OUT YOU KNOW, MANAGER WALSH SERVE HAS SERVED IN SEVERAL CAPACITIES ON ELECTION DAY AND BEFORE ELECTION DAY, HELPING OUT OUR OFFICE.

SO I DIDN'T WANT TO LIMIT TO LIMIT IT TO THE RECEIVING BOARD TEAM.

AND I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE IN HERE WHAT, GIVING DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER OF HOW HE FELT TO BEST INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYEES.

IT WAS MORE SO LOOKING FOR BOARD SUPPORT, NOT JUST DOING SOMETHING ON OUR OWN, BUT LOOKING FOR BOARD SUPPORT AND AND TOWNSHIP STAFF BEING INCENTIVIZED TO HELP WORK OUT ON ELECTIONS.

BUT LET ME ASK ONE BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT.

SO IS THIS. THIS IS NOT TO APPLY JUST TO CLERK OFFICE EMPLOYEES, ANY EMPLOYEES IN THE TOWNSHIP WHO ARE WILLING TO DO

[01:15:01]

TRUSTEE. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR OTHER PURPOSES IN THE PAST, RIGHT? YES. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY.

SO I THINK YOU'RE PROVING MY POINT THAT WHY CAN THIS NOT BE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY? I DO NOT THINK THIS REQUIRES A POLICY THAT THE BOARD IS SUPPORTIVE OF.

I THINK WE RELY ON OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO USE THE BEST RESOURCES WHEREVER THEY'RE NEEDED.

AND I THINK IN THIS CASE, HE'S ALREADY DONE THAT FOR THE RECEIVING BOARD.

AND THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE, BUT I REALLY DO NOT FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE VOTING ON IT.

I THINK IT JUST CAN BE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

SO THE VOTE IS WOULD BE TO FOR EMPLOYEES WHO HELP OUT AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE AN INCENTIVE FOR HELPING OUT AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE DURING ELECTIONS, AND THAT IT WOULD GIVE THE MANAGER THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE WORKED ON AN INCENTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES.

THEY'VE NEVER BEEN GIVEN AN INCENTIVE BEFORE, AND SO IT WAS LOOKING FOR BOARD SUPPORT TO SAY, YES, WE AGREE THAT THE MANAGER SHOULD I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A POLICY AS POLICY PROVIDE INCENTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES TO HELP OUT ON ELECTION DAY OR PRE-PROCESSING.

THAT'S THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT, IS THAT IT CREATES A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD TO INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYEES MOVING FORWARD, NOT JUST THIS ONE TIME THING.

MR.. MR..

THANK YOU. REGARDLESS OF HOW THIS IS PUT TOGETHER ON A PARTICULAR, IT IS RESTRICTED TO ELECTIONS BOTH PROCESSING DAILY THE BOARD AND IT WILL COST MONEY.

THE IDEA IS TO COST AS LITTLE MONEY AS POSSIBLE AND PROVIDE THE INCENTIVE.

SO I THINK THE FACT THAT IT DOES HAVE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS DOES MAKE IT WISE TO APPROVE AND GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IMPLICATIONS.

MR. DUCHAMP. I THINK THIS REALLY I'M AGREEING WITH TRUSTEE WILSON.

THIS. I LIKE THE CONCEPT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT ONE. AND THE FACULTY, WE'VE GOT SO MANY EMPLOYEES WILLING TO TRADE TIME FOR TIME OFF RATHER THAN GETTING OVERTIME.

BUT WE ARE A CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BOARD.

WE HIRE A MANAGER AND WE JUDGE THAT MANAGER ON HIS PERFORMANCE.

SO THAT AND THE MORE WE DO THINGS LIKE THIS, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT LOTS MORE QUESTIONS LIKE THIS.

IF WE START START ON THE SLIPPERY PATH.

SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THE MANAGER CAN COULD HANDLE WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE MANAGER.

DO YOU THINK YOU NEED A BOARD RESOLUTION TO TAKE THIS ACTION? I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BECAUSE I'VE TAKEN IT IN THE PAST AND WE'VE OFFERED INCENTIVES IN OTHER WAYS, AND WE DO THINGS FIDUCIARY THAT I JUST CAN'T COME TO THE BOARD EVERY TIME I DO SOMETHING.

FOR THE STAFF. AND IF I GET OUT OF LINE WITH THAT, OR IF I DO SOMETHING THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE, THEN I ANSWER TO THE BOARD ON THAT.

BUT I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE FROM THE BOARD THAT THE BOARD SUPPORTS THIS AND CAN ACT WITHOUT A RESOLUTION BEING PASSED? I BELIEVE THAT THE BOARD HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED MANAGEMENT AND TREATING EMPLOYEES EXTREMELY WELL.

I DO BELIEVE THAT WHETHER YOU DO THIS TONIGHT OR NOT, THAT'S UP TO YOU.

WITH OR WITHOUT IT.

BUT WE ACTED PRETTY QUICKLY ON FRIDAY, AND I SAY WE BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.

I JUST HAPPEN TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL.

I THINK ONE ONE QUESTION WOULD BE, HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN INSTANCE WHERE YOU NEEDED THE CAPACITY OR ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF CONDITIONS, AND YOU FELT YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT BECAUSE THE BOARD HAD NOT SIGNED OFF ON IT? ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IF YOU GO BACK AND WATCH THE MEETING OF 2013 AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE SALARY AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU HEARD THE STORY BEFORE, BUT THIS IS WHERE I TAKE MY AUTHORITY FROM.

AND THIS WAS THE 2013 BOARD, AND I NOTICED THAT MARK KIESELBACH AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THE MEETING IF YOU PREFER, BUT HE WAS MAKING $10,000 LESS THAN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN HERE A LOT LESS TIME.

[01:20:04]

AND I MADE THE NOT COMPLAINT, BUT I MADE THE POINT AT A BOARD MEETING, I SAID, HOW CAN THIS BE? HOW CAN THIS PERSON BE MAKING 10,000 LESS? AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS? AND ONE OF THE TRUSTEES PIPED UP VERY QUICKLY TRUSTEE SCALES AND SAID, WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THIS UP TO THE BOARD? YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

I SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE RIGHT.

AND FROM THAT POINT FORWARD WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING SALARIES, WHEN IT COMES TO ADJUSTING SALARIES, WHEN IT COMES TO DOING INCENTIVES WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.

WE'RE DEALING WITH A LANSING LUGNUTS TRIP THIS SUMMER RIGHT NOW.

ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS? ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? AND THIS, THIS COST, THIS, THIS COST THAT IT'S NOT COMING TO THE BOARD.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO DECIDE THAT AMONG THE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND MOVE FORWARD.

BUT I'M CLEARLY AT THE BEHEST OF THE BOARD ON THIS ISSUE.

HOWEVER YOU I'M GOING TO WORK WITH THE CLERK TO MAKE SURE THAT HER ELECTIONS CAN BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.

AND WHATEVER I NEED TO DO TO DO THAT WITHIN REASON.

AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID WITHIN REASON ON ANY TIME I'VE LOOKED AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE PAST, AND I WILL IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.

OTHER COMMENTS.

MR. TREZISE, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO SAY NO? I DON'T THINK WE DO. YOU DO NOT.

THEN I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE AGENDA AND ALLOW ADMINISTRATION TO OPERATE AS IT HAS WITH THE AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES OR NOT AS NECESSARY.

I SUPPORT THAT. IS THAT A MOTION? YES IT IS, I SUPPORT THAT.

CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? I'M SORRY, NO I DON'T.

OKAY. THE MOTION IS TO REMOVE THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA AND ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO FORWARD AS THEY DEEM FIT.

OKAY. TRUSTEE.

WILSON. YOU AGREE? I CONCUR. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WILSON. YOU SUPPORTED IT.

TRUSTEE WILSON I DID, YEAH.

SO THE MOTION IS TO REMOVE THIS ITEM FROM OUR AGENDA AND ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT TO, WELL THE ADMINISTRATION TO PROCEED AS IS AS THEY FEEL APPROPRIATE.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS.

LET'S DO THIS. ROLL CALL.

ROLL CALL OKAY.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. YES.

TRUSTEE. HENDRICKSON. YES.

TRUSTEE. SUNDLAND. YES.

TRUSTEE. TREZISE.

YES. TRUSTEE. WILSON.

YES. SUPERVISOR.

JACKSON. YES.

CLERK GUTHRIE. VOTES. NO.

OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A FURTHER COMMENT.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INCENTIVES IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD THAT THIS BOARD HAS APPROVED FOR POLICE, FOR FIRE.

WE'VE HAD SALARIES THAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED FOR POLICE, FOR FIRE, FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES.

SO I FIND IT HIGHLY IRONIC THAT THIS BOARD WILL NOT CONSIDER AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP OUT ON ELECTION DAY.

AND I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THAT THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING WHERE INCENTIVES ARE PRESENTED IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR OTHER THINGS THAT THEY DO, BECAUSE THIS BOARD HAS APPROVED PLENTY OF INCENTIVES.

THANK YOU. MR. DESCHAINE, I THINK THE CLERK IS TAKING THIS VOTE THE WRONG WAY.

WE FULLY SUPPORT THE INCENTIVES.

OH, I GET IT. I LET ME FINISH.

WE FULLY SUPPORT THE INCENTIVES OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

YOU'RE DOING IMPORTANT WORK THERE.

WHAT WE ARE SAYING IN THIS VOTE IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE HANDLED BY THE MANAGER, AND THIS BOARD DOES NOT WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF DAY TO DAY DECISIONS LIKE THESE INCENTIVES. THEN NONE SHOULD COME BEFORE THE BOARD AGAIN.

KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? THAT'S. THANK YOU.

NOT AN ABSOLUTE QUESTION, BUT REGARDING THIS MATTER IN PARTICULAR, THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT THE MANAGER CAN HANDLE IT WITHOUT A BOARD VOTE.

OTHER BOARD COMMENTS. THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.

ITEM 13 IS BOARD DISCUSSION ITEMS A IS 13, A IS ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS.

[13.A. Assistance to Firefighters Regional Grant Memorandum of Understanding]

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

CHIEF HAMMOND. MADAM SUPERVISOR BOARD.

THANK YOU. SO ANNUALLY I RATE THE AFG GRANT.

IT'S CALLED ASSISTANCE FIREFIGHTER.

I'LL REFER TO IT AS A AFG.

[01:25:01]

WITHIN THAT GRANT, I ALSO WROTE FOR A NEW CASCADE FILL STATION.

THIS IS A REALLY HEAVY BIG UNIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATION HERE, THEY'RE ROUGHLY.

WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THE COST IS A LITTLE OVER 60,000.

AND THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE REMOVAL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

WHEN FEMA PUTS OUT LISTS OF WHAT YOU CAN WRITE FOR, THEY PUT PRIORITIES ON IT.

SO A HIGH PRIORITY MEDIUM AND LOW, THEY NEVER FUND THE MEDIUM AND LOW.

SO THERE'S TWO OPTIONS.

WHEN YOU DO A GRANT YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN GRANT WITHIN WHICH WE'RE DOING ONE OF THOSE THIS YEAR ALSO.

AND IF I GET THAT I'LL BRING THAT TO THE BOARD.

OR YOU CAN DO A REGIONAL GRANT.

AND WHEN YOU DO A REGIONAL GRANT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN MOU DONE.

AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT SIGN ON THAT THEY'LL THEY'LL SUPPORT THE PROJECT.

THE REASON WE'RE DOING A REGIONAL GRANT FOR THE CASCADE SYSTEM IS BECAUSE IF IT'S IF I WRITE IT MYSELF, LIKE I DID WITH THE SBA GRANT, IT GOT PULLED OUT OF IT LAST YEAR BECAUSE IT'S A MEDIUM PRIORITY.

IF I DO IT AS A REGIONAL, GRANTS A HIGHER PRIORITY.

SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE GRANT.

IF WE DO THAT.

SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS AN MOU THAT WAS WRITTEN WITH EAST LANSING NISA, WHICH IS WILLIAMSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DELHI FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY WILL SUPPORT THIS.

WE STILL WOULD BE STUCK WITH THE NOT QUITE 10%, BUT 10% MATCH THE WAY FEMA DOES THAT.

IT'S ACTUALLY LESS THAN 10%.

THEIR CALCULATOR IS DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S A GOOD THING.

SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU FOR TO IS TO APPROVE THIS MOU SO I CAN GET IT SIGNED BY THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND IT HAS TO BE UPLOADED WHEN I FINALIZE THE GRANT BY THE 8TH OF MARCH.

SO I SUBMIT IT WITH THE GRANT TO FEMA.

OKAY. JUSTIN WILSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO SUBMIT AN ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS REGIONAL GRANT APPLICATION FOR A CASCADE SCBA FILL STATION AND COMPRESSOR, AND AUTHORIZED THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AND FIRE CHIEF TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT.

THEY SUPPORT MR. DESCHAINE. I SUPPORT IT, BUT I THINK FIRST WE SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I THINK WE FIRST NEED A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM THAT IS ON OUR DISCUSSION AGENDA. RIGHT. I MOVE THAT WE SUSPEND THE RULES AND TAKE ACTION ON ITEM 13 B.

I'M SORRY. 13 A SUPPORT.

MOVED AND SUPPORTED TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND FURTHER THE DISCUSSION.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR VOTES.

YES. NOW YOU HAVE A SECOND MOTION.

YOU WANT TO REMAKE YOUR MOTION? I CAN'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY.

THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR.

AND. PHIL, ARE YOU SECONDING IT? I'M SECONDED. OKAY, HERE WE GO.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THAT MOTION? TRUSTEE WILSON AS SPONSORING THE MOTION.

I WILL JUST SAY I LOVE REGIONAL COOPERATION, I REALLY DO.

I LIKE TO SEE A SPLIT OUR COSTS AND BE REALLY EFFICIENT IN THAT PROCESS.

SO I'M 100% IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

THANK YOU, I WOULD.

MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

ARE WE SPLITTING OUR COSTS? RIGHT. THERE'S NO COST ON THE PARTNERS, SO THIS IS A FORMALITY.

I CAN'T WRITE THE GRANT IF I DON'T GET THEM TO BUY INTO IT.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE HOUSED HERE.

THEY'LL USE IT OCCASIONALLY, BUT RARELY.

TWO OF THEM HAVE A MOBILE UNIT OR A PORTABLE THAT THEY HAVE IN A TRAILER.

THEY TAKE TO FIRES.

ONE DOES NOT HAVE ONE.

SO THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THEY COULD USE IT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO USE IT.

IT'S JUST A FORMALITY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THE GRANT AND GET THAT HIGHER PRIORITY.

I SEE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME. AND AS I READ THE MEMORANDUM, WHEN THEY USE IT, THEY DON'T THEY DON'T PAY FOR IT.

NO, NO, UNLESS IT WAS A REALLY BIG NEED.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, BUT WE SHOULD WE SHOULD ALL UNDERSTAND THAT.

YEAH. AND THE PROBLEM WITH OURS IS 25 YEARS OLD.

IT'S STILL WORKS.

IT'S HAVING ITS QUIRKS HERE AND THERE.

IT'S COSTING US A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR WITH PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, LITTLE BREAKAGES HERE AND THERE.

SO THIS WOULD BE MY THIRD TRY TO GET THE GRANT.

THE FIRST TWO WERE NOT REGIONAL, SO WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE THIS YEAR.

STRATEGIES. OTHER COMMENTS QUESTIONS.

SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO SUBMIT AN ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS, REGIONAL GRANT APPLICATION FOR A CASCADE SCBA FILL STATION

[01:30:02]

LET'S HAVE A LOOK OVER.

TRUSTEE. HENDRICKSON. YES.

TRUSTEE. SUMMERLIN. YES.

TRUSTEE. YES.

TRUSTEE. WILSON. YES.

SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. CLERK GUTHRIE.

YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

YES. IT IS.

ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? IT IS DONE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.

13 B IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 24-002 OKEMOS GATEWAY LLC

[13.B. Special Use Permit – 24-002 – Okemos Gateway LLC, 1614 and 1622 W Grand River Avenue –Building greater than 25,000 square feet]

MR. SCHMIDT.

THANK YOU. MADAM SUPERVISOR, SO THE REQUESTED FOR ANY THIS EVENING IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CLIMATE CONTROLLED SELF-STORAGE FACILITY AT IT KIND OF COVERS THREE PROPERTIES.

IT'S 16, 12, 16, 14, AND THEN A VACANT PROPERTY.

I APOLOGIZE, I JUST LOST MY PLACE.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS MATTER PREVIOUSLY AND DID RECOMMEND SO THEY.

1622. I'M SORRY, NOT 1612 THE PLANNING COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED THIS MATTER AT THEIR LAST TWO MEETINGS AND MADE TWO MOTIONS, ONE TO APPROVE THE USE OF THE FACILITY AS A SELF, AS A CLIMATE CONTROLLED SELF STORAGE FACILITY AND ONE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO THE BOARD FOR A BUILDING GREATER THAN 25,000FT².

THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS AT THEIR JANUARY 22ND MEETING AND THEN FOLLOWED UP AT THEIR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 12TH.

AND SO THE WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS THE REQUEST FOR A BUILDING GREATER THAN 25,000FT², ROUGHLY, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THE SO THIS BUILDING, THIS MAP IS ORIENTED WITH GRAND RIVER AVENUE ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN.

THE BUILDING AT THE THE SMALL BUILDING ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SITE IS A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY.

THE APPLICANT WILL BE PROCEEDING WITH THAT AFTER DECISIONS ARE MADE ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

THEY HAVE APPLIED AND THE LICENSING PROCEDURE FOR THAT.

THE SMALL BUILDING ALONG GRAND RIVER AVENUE TO THE NORTH IS TO BE DETERMINED.

DRIVE THROUGH TYPE USE HAS NOT BEEN PROPOSED FORMALLY AT THIS POINT.

THE BUILDING IN QUESTION THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS A LARGE ORANGE RECTANGLE TO THE REAR.

IT'S A THREE STORY, 127,500 TOTAL SQUARE FEET.

SO ROUGHLY 40,000 SQUARE FOOT FLOOR PLATE.

AND TO THE NORTH OF THAT IS A DETENTION BASIN.

NOW, LET ME SEE IF I CAN ACTUALLY PULL UP.

CANNOT LET'S DO IT THIS WAY.

SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT HERE MY GOSH, MY APOLOGIES.

THIS IS A TOUCHIER THAN I EXPECTED.

IT'S THIS VACANT PROPERTY RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS THE FORMER PANERA BREAD SITE.

CENTRAL PARK, GRAND RIVER AVENUE, SPARROW REGIONAL STORMWATER DETENTION BASIN.

AND THIS IS THE SITE OF THE GRAIN RESERVE PROPERTY.

THEY ALSO OWN THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE THAT FRONTS ON ON THE CENTRAL PARK DRIVE.

BUT AT THIS TIME, THAT IS NOT A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.

THE BUILDING WOULD BE LOCATED RIGHT IN HERE, SNUGGLED BACK IN THE BACK OF THE SITE.

NOT AT DOMINO'S PIZZA.

BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE.

THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE MATTER FURTHER.

BUT AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE THE THE USE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID APPROVE THE USE.

WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING IS THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING.

AND THE PROPOSED SIZE OF THE BUILDING IS IS 127,500FT², TWO STORIES.

SO FOOTPRINT OF ABOUT 40,000FT², ROUGHLY HALF OF MAIER FOR PURPOSES BALLPARK PURPOSES.

OKAY. MR. DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU. WHAT IS THE BUILDING PICTURED ON PAGE 86 OF THE PACKET? DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT THE DESCRIPTION.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE BUILDING HERE, CORRECT? CORRECT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ONE BUILDING BEING PROPOSED AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. THE BUILDING ON PAGE 86 LOOKS LIKE ABOUT A 20,000 SQUARE FOOT OR 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.

JUST A SECOND. SO THEY'VE THEY'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH THE ELEVATIONS FOR THE.

EXCUSE ME BUILDING ON PAGE 86 IS THE ELEVATION FOR THE MARIJUANA DISPENSARY.

[01:35:05]

OH, AND THIS JUST CRASHED.

ARE THE I SEE THAT NOW.

I CONFUSE ME THAT THAT WAS THERE.

JUST PAGE 87.

I'M ON THE BOARD FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN LARGELY SUPPORTIVE OF ALMOST EVERY REASONABLE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR US BECAUSE WE NEEDED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWNSHIP. I DON'T LIKE THIS PROPOSAL.

I THINK THESE STORAGE FACILITIES ARE A BLIGHT.

WE'VE GOT ONE TO THE NORTH.

WE'VE GOT ONE TO THE SOUTH.

THEY'RE THE NEW TREND.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BUILD STORAGE FACILITIES BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE STUFF THEY WANT TO STORE.

BUT IT'S A SINGLE PURPOSE BUILDING, KIND OF LIKE THE MALL THAT ONCE THIS FAD PASSES AND PEOPLE REALIZE IT'S THREE STAINING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH TO STORE THEIR JUNK ISN'T A GOOD IDEA. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS HUGE BEHEMOTH OF A BUILDING WITH ONE PURPOSE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD LAND USE TO PUT THIS RIGHT OFF OUR MAIN CORRIDOR.

I THINK ALLOWING THESE ENCOURAGES THIS KIND OF FAD BUILDING AND WITH ALL RESPECT TO THE DEVELOPERS, SO I KNOW PUT A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY INTO IT.

I DON'T THINK THESE REALLY ADD TO THE TOWNSHIP.

I'M NOT REAL AS THIS BOARD KNOWS, I'M NOT A BIG FAVOR OF WHAT'S GOING TO GO IN FRONT OF IT EITHER.

BUT THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING, THIS CONCEPT, I JUST I DON'T LIKE IT.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY'LL DO WELL FOR A FEW YEARS, MAYBE INDEFINITELY, BUT IT'S JUST STORAGE.

AND THESE BUILDINGS, THIS IS A HUGE BUILDING.

THIS IS ALMOST ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE YONKERS BUILDING WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE ALL BEEN INSIDE THAT, LOOKING AT POSSIBLE UNION CENTER.

THAT'S A LOT OF SPACE THERE.

IT'S GOING TO STAND OUT FROM GRAND RIVER.

IT'S GOING TO BE VERY VISIBLE.

AND IT JUST IT'S THE THING THAT PEOPLE MOVE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO AVOID, WHICH IS KIND OF THE FRANCHISE LOOK THAT YOU GET IN MUCH OF THE UTERINE AREA.

YOU GET ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LANSING REGION.

AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS AVOIDED THAT KIND OF FRANCHISEE LOOK TO IT.

AND I THINK THIS IS JUST GOING TO MAKE US LOOK LIKE IT'S EVERY OTHER CORRIDOR WITH THE SAME KIND OF FAD DEVELOPMENT.

AND I'M JUST NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.

IT'S IT'S NOT WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THAT'S MY INITIAL TAKE ON THIS QUESTION.

THIS IS BASICALLY TWO STORIES.

THREE STORIES, THREE STORIES.

IS THE USE AT ALL IN FRONT OF US AT THIS TIME? THE USE IS NOT IN FRONT OF YOU.

IT'S THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING.

IS THE BUILDING OKAY? BOARD MEMBERS, MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I SHARE SOME OF TREASURER DESCHAINE TREPIDATION ON THE SIZE OF THIS BUILDING.

AND SPECIFICALLY, MY CONCERN IS WITH RELATION TO THE GRAND RESERVE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A THREE STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY BACK UP ON A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I WELL, EVENTUALLY, I MEAN, I DIRECTOR SCHMITT I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT PROPERTY TO THE NORTH OF THAT? I CAN'T RECALL IF WE PASSED IT.

IF WE APPROVED, THEY WE HAD SOMETHING IN FRONT OF US AT ONE TIME, AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT EVER.

I BELIEVE I SAW CLOSE TO FINAL DOCUMENTS LAST WEEK.

THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO STARTING CONSTRUCTION.

THEY'RE APPROACHING THE FINISH LINE. OKAY, YEAH.

SO THAT PROPERTY WILL BE RESIDENTIAL.

AND IT WILL BE BUILT OUT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS MY CONCERN WOULD BE PUTTING A BUILDING THIS MASSIVE DIRECTLY NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO WE CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, DEBATE WHETHER OR NOT SELF STORAGE IS AN APPROPRIATE USE WITHOUT ANY AUTHORITY TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT OR CAN VOTE ON IT.

BUT I DO THINK THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING IN THIS CASE IS ALSO VERY TROUBLING TO ME.

AS WE PUT IT NEXT TO THE ADJACENT USES.

SO I'M GOING TO RESERVE, YOU KNOW, FINAL JUDGMENT ON IT UNTIL I'VE AND HEAR, YOU KNOW, OTHER FEEDBACK FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

BUT THAT'S MY INITIAL CONCERN.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

JUST TO WILSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND I'LL ADD ONE MORE THAT I DON'T THINK THIS KIND OF STRUCTURE BELONGS IN OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS CORRIDOR, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP INTO A WELCOMING KIND OF AREA WITH MULTIPLE USES.

[01:40:06]

IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE GIGANTIC AND IT IS GOING TO DOMINATE THE LANDSCAPE ALL AROUND THAT AREA.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE.

HMM'HMM. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID APPROVE THIS.

THEY DID. AND WHAT WAS THEIR RATIONALE FOR APPROVING IT? THEY RECOGNIZED THEIR COMMENTS LARGELY CIRCLED AROUND THE FACT THAT IT'S A USE THAT IS NECESSARY IN A COMMUNITY, WHETHER WE LOVE IT OR HATE IT. AND THAT IT WAS SORT OF TUCKED BACK A LITTLE BIT OFF OF THE BEATEN PATH, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE VISIBLE.

THEY, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, HAD A LOT MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE OTHER ITEM THAT WAS ON THEIR AGENDA, THE DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANT NEXT TO THE TRADER JOE'S.

VERY INTERESTING. THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE TOWNSHIP AS BIG AS THIS? BESIDES THE MALL? DON'T COUNT THEM ALL.

YEAH. I MEAN, CERTAINLY THERE ARE BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW.

SO A COUPLE OF THINGS.

JUST BASED ON PURE SQUARE FOOTAGES, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF BUILDINGS THAT WOULD BE LARGER THAN THIS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IN TERMS OF HEIGHT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT A DIFFERENT STORY.

THERE ARE THERE ARE NOT MANY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT WOULD BE OF THIS HEIGHT.

AND SO IT'S A BIT OF A GIVE AND TAKE.

THE FLOOR PLATE, 40,000FT² IS NOT THAT OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

IT'S MORE THE HEIGHT. THAT'S THE THING HERE.

OKAY, MR. HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR. TO THAT END, WE HAVE I'LL PUT YOU FURTHER ON THE SPOT.

I GUESS THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS NEXT TO OTHER ZONING CATEGORIES.

DOES THIS MEET ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS? RESIDENTIAL, SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTIAL.

SO THE IT HAS TO DO WITH PROXIMITY TO THE THE ONLY ISSUE WE'VE IDENTIFIED AT THIS POINT IS THE SETBACK REQUIREMENT.

AND THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH THE APPLICANT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES AND DO NOT HAVE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE MAIN ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED WITH THE APPLICANT PREVIOUSLY.

WAS THE SETBACK FROM THE ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL.

OKAY. YEAH.

I MEAN, EVEN A TWO STORY BUILDING, TO BE QUITE HONEST, OF THAT SIZE AND MAGNITUDE BUTTING UP AGAINST A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, A RESIDENTIALLY ZONED PROPERTY IS CONCERNING TO ME.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE SECOND STORY OF THEIR HOME AND LOOKING OUT AT A, YOU KNOW, A HUGE WAREHOUSE, ESSENTIALLY.

SO I CONTINUE TO HAVE TREPIDATION.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY UNITS? STORAGE UNITS? 977.

HOW MANY? WOW.

THANK YOU. GIVING THE MY COMPUTER ONCE AGAIN.

977. 977.

I MEAN, IT IS A LARGE NUMBER OF.

I MEAN, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HAVING STUFFED YOUR STUFF IN ONE OF THESE BEFORE.

I MEAN, GENERALLY, THEY'RE RELATIVELY THE STANDARD SIZE IS A PRETTY SMALL SPACE, AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE UNUSED SPACE WITHIN A BUILDING LIKE THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE ABLE TO PUT THEM UP AGAINST EACH OTHER.

IT'S NOT A FULLY DEMISED WALL BETWEEN THE TWO.

I MEAN, IT'S ESSENTIALLY A LAYER OF SHEETROCK BETWEEN UNITS.

SO IT'S A IT'S AN EFFICIENT LAYOUT OF A BUILDING.

SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHEN YOU THERE'S SOME RESOURCES THAT TELL YOU HOW MANY SQUARE FOOTAGE IS OF A PARTICULAR USE, MAKES SENSE, OR REPRESENT BEST PRACTICES AT A CERTAIN PROPOSITION LEVEL.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE A MARKET STUDY OF SOME NATURE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S TYPICALLY REQUIRED WITH ANY ZONING RELATED ITEM.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT I GET THIS CALL ON A REGULAR BASIS ABOUT SELF STORAGE FACILITIES.

[01:45:05]

YES. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT LET'S SAY RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF TYPICAL SELF STORAGE USES IN A COMMUNITY THE SIZE OF 43 44,000 PEOPLE IS 977.

SO WE I DON'T HAVE A MARKET STUDY TO TALK TO THE UPTAKE, I'M SURE THE APPLICANT HAS LOOKED INTO THAT.

BUT AGAIN, WITH WITH ONE OF THESE HAVING JUST OPENED TO THE NORTH OF US, ONE OF US EXISTING JUST TO THE SOUTH OF US ONE OF US, JUST ONE JUST TO THE WEST OF US IN EAST LANSING. I MEAN, THIS IS IT'S CLEAR THAT PEOPLE LIKE THIS AND THERE'S.

YEAH, THERE'S ONE A LITTLE FURTHER OUT IN WILLIAMSTON.

IT'S CLEAR THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO STORE THEIR STUFF SOMEWHERE.

SO THEY KEEP POPPING UP.

OKAY. I MEAN, I TOOK ANOTHER CALL ABOUT ONE TODAY.

BUT THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS REALLY THE SIZE.

YEAH. YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A PLACE TO SIT.

WE DON'T WE DON'T WANT ANY STORAGE UNITS.

I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST THE USE.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION OF THE SIZE AND MASSING AS IT RELATES TO THE PROPERTY AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. AS TRUSTEE HENDERSON NOTED WITH THE RESIDENTIAL BACKING UP TO IT.

OKAY. ARE WE WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR, HOW WILL ACCESS BE GRANTED TO THE UPPER FLOORS? I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THE APPLICANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW OPERATIONS WOULD WORK.

TYPICALLY, THESE FACILITIES HAVE SIGNIFICANT LIGHTING FOR SECURITY REASONS, INCLUDING ALONG ALL AREAS OF THE BUILDING.

CORRECT. SO THAT AGAIN, ADJACENT AND ABUTTING RESIDENTIAL.

THAT'S A CONCERN.

AND THEN THE HOURS OF OPERATION, SOME OF THESE UNITS ARE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY OR LATE INTO THE EVENING, 1011 AT NIGHT.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME CRITICAL QUESTIONS WE ALSO NEED TO ANSWER.

OKAY. SO REALLY, IT'S LIKE A ENCLOSED GARAGE, CORRECT? OKAY. THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU. MA'AM. SUPERVISOR.

CAN IT? IF IF IT WERE SMALLER SIZE.

HOW MUCH? HOW MUCH IS THE WETLAND AFFECTED? IF THIS I'M I'M MORE CONCERNED.

I'M. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROXIMITY TO THE NEIGHBORS.

OF COURSE.

AND TRUSTEE WILSON'S COMMENTS REGARDING ACCESS AND LIGHTING AND NOISE POLLUTION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT THERE.

I THOUGHT THIS BOARD WAS.

IN FAVOR OF INFILL.

OVER. SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

SO WHEN I READ ABOUT THE WETLAND ISSUES AND JUST CONCERNED ABOUT HOW LARGE THIS BUILDING IS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE WETLANDS, I MY APOLOGIES.

I DIDN'T NOT ANTICIPATE THAT QUESTION.

THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE WETLAND ON THIS PROPERTY ARE ON THE REAR PIECE THAT I MENTIONED.

THEY AREN'T DEVELOPING AT THIS TIME.

DIDN'T WE HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN WITH WETLANDS WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS BUILT? YEAH. SO WHEN WE DID, YEAH.

GRAND RESERVE CERTAINLY HAD A NUMBER OF, OF WETLAND IMPACTS THAT THEY LARGELY AVOIDED.

HAPPY TO TO FOLLOW UP ON THE SPECIFICS OF THOSE.

BUT AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THE WETLANDS ARE ON THE NEIGHBORING THE PROPERTY THAT'S NOT BEING DEVELOPED AT THIS TIME.

SO IF WE HAD APPROVED THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE HAD THAT DEVELOPMENT AND WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT WETLANDS WITH THIS, AND NOW YOU HAVE THIS BUILDING COMING IN AND THERE'S POSSIBLE WETLAND ISSUES WITH THIS, ISN'T THAT ALL COMBINED TO MASSIVE WETLAND ISSUES, THESE TWO DEVELOPMENTS? WELL, I THINK CERTAINLY THE GRAND RESERVE PROPERTY HAD LITTLE TO NO IMPACT, AND THIS PROPERTY HAS LITTLE TO NO IMPACT.

AND I'LL CONFIRM THAT THERE IS NONE.

I BELIEVE THERE IS NONE BECAUSE IT'S ALL IN THE ADJACENT PROPERTY.

AND SO I WOULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT OUR WETLAND ORDINANCES ARE WORKING PRETTY WELL IF THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY PROHIBITING PEOPLE FROM EVEN ATTEMPTING TO, TO DO ANY FILL.

WHERE DOES THE ALL THE WATER GO? THE RUNOFF WATER GO WHEN YOU BUILD THIS GIGANTIC BUILDING.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT NOT ONLY THE BUILDING, YOU'VE GOT ALL THE CONCRETE AND YOU'VE GOT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL THAT CONCRETE.

NO, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

THAT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT QUESTION, BECAUSE WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO USE WETLANDS AS DETENTION.

[01:50:02]

AND SO IN THIS CASE THEY WILL THEY ARE SHOWING A BASIN TO THE NORTH OF THE BUILDING.

AND THEY WILL HAVE TO GET THOSE CALCULATIONS APPROVED BY THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE PROPERLY RETAINING ON SITE AND THEN DISCHARGING AT AN APPROPRIATE RATE TO NOT IMPACT THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.

SO IF IT GOES TO THE NORTH, WHERE DOES IT GO IF IT DISCHARGES? SO I BELIEVE THERE IS A DRAIN OUTLET.

BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT DETAIL IN THIS PACKET.

THAT'S THE TRAIN THAT'S COMING.

IS THAT THE TRAIN THAT WAS GETTING REPLACED AS PART OF THE OKEMOS? IS IT OKEMOS STATION? THE. THE CONSOLIDATED.

CONSOLIDATED, YEAH.

YEP. HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

THAT'S TYPICALLY NOT SOMETHING WE GET INTO UNTIL SITE PLAN.

BUT WE CAN WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.

YEAH. I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE DRAIN CAPACITY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WAS A DRAIN CAPACITY ISSUE RIGHT THERE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE WETLAND IMPACT, WHERE THE RUNOFF IS GOING, THE IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND AND ANYTHING ABOUT THAT DRAIN. HOW DOES THE HEIGHT OF THE THREE STORIES 50 FOOT VARIANCE AFFECT THE WATER AND RUNOFF ISSUES VERSUS LESS THAN 25,000FT, OR 25,000FT? BUT THERE'S NO THERE'S NO REAL CHANGE.

I MEAN, THE RUNOFF IS SOMETHING THAT WE ADDRESS DURING EVERY SITE PLAN PROCESS.

THEY THERE IS A SET OF STANDARDS THAT THE JURY COMMISSIONER HAS PUBLISHED, AND THEY HAVE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS.

IT'S A THERE'S REALLY NOT A WHOLE LOT OF LEEWAY THERE.

OKAY. SO TRUSTEE WILSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

SO I'M READING IN THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE STORAGE BUILDING HAS A REQUIRED SETBACK FROM A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF 200FT.

CORRECT. BUT THIS PROPOSED STORAGE FACILITY MEETS MOST OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, BUT WILL REQUIRE A 50 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE RESIDENTIAL SETBACK.

CORRECT. SO IT PUTS IT EVEN CLOSER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

CORRECT. THAT IS THE ITEM I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED THAT WITH THEM AND AS SOMETHING THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND SO THEY WILL NEED TO GET A VARIANCE IN THE END.

MR. HENDRICKSON THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, JUST FOR THE RECORD, OUR ROLE IN THIS.

RIGHT. IF THE BOARD DECIDES THAT IT'S NEXT MEETING OR WHENEVER THIS COMES UP FOR ACTION THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT WISH TO GRANT THE APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A BUILDING OVER 25,000.

THE APPLICANT IS WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS THEN TO BUILD A BUILDING UP TO 24,999FT².

THEY'RE NOT, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER BUILDINGS PROPOSED FOR THIS SITE.

AND SO THERE WILL NEED TO BE A CONVERSATION AS TO THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THOSE OTHER BUILDINGS BEFORE.

OKAY. SO THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM ABSOLUTELY THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.

OKAY. THOSE IT'S ALL OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY THAT THE COMPLEX BASICALLY.

RIGHT. SO BEYOND THAT WE CAN'T DISCUSS THE USE OR YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT SHOULDN'T IMPACT OUR DECISION MAKING, THE USE OF THE BUILDING NECESSARILY CORRECT.

AND WE CAN'T GET INTO WHETHER OR NOT IT, THEY WOULD NEED A VARIANCE BECAUSE THAT'S A SITE PLAN THING AND A ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS THING, NOT A TOWNSHIP BOARD. WHEN DECIDING AN SUP THING, THE THE BOARD WOULD NEED TO THE CONVERSATION AROUND THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DIRECTLY TIED BACK TO THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING.

UNDERSTOOD. SAY IT AGAIN.

I'M SORRY. THE CONVERSATION AROUND A VARIANCE ISSUE, IF IT'S BEING USED IN THIS DISCUSSION, WOULD NEED TO BE TIED BACK DIRECTLY TO THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING DISCUSSION. SO IN THE END, THE NEXUS POINT HERE IS THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY. APPARENTLY WE HAVE QUESTIONS.

WE'LL WAIT TILL YOU BRING OUR ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS AND THEN DECIDE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.

YEP. SO WE HAVE A COUPLE FOLLOW UPS THAT WE'LL WE'LL GATHER UP THAT INFORMATION.

WE'LL BE BACK FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WHEN I SEE THEM ON THE OTHER DOCUMENT OR IS THAT NOT NOT AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. NO, BUT THERE ARE PUBLIC REMARKS.

YOU CAN MAKE THOSE REMARKS IN A FEW MINUTES WHEN WE GET TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

THANK YOU. AND YOU HAVE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT.

OKAY. ITEM.

13 B SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

20 4CC.

OH, I'M SORRY.

DON'T MAKE DON'T MAKE US DO THAT ONE.

[01:55:02]

MOVING ON. 13 C A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S STATE BUDGET

[13.C. Resolution in Support of Meridian Township’s State Budget Request for Fiscal Year 24-25]

WELCOME, MR. OPSOMMER, PROPERTY MANAGER.

MR. OPSOMMER. GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

SO BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE TOWNSHIP'S STATE BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425.

THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDATION, I BELIEVE, JUST CAME OUT, AND THE LEGISLATURE WILL START DELIBERATING ON THE 24, 25 BUDGET.

TYPICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO AIM TO ADOPT THAT BUDGET IN JUNE.

LAST YEAR, WE CAME TO OUR STATE LAWMAKERS WITH A REQUEST FOR 5 MILLION FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.

PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT AMOUNT THAT WE CAME AND REQUESTED FOR WAS THE $9 BILLION SURPLUS WHICH WAS LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING, INCLUDING THE ARPA FUNDING.

THAT SURPLUS HAS NOW BEEN EXHAUSTED.

SO WE HAVE KIND OF CALIBRATED OUR REQUEST BACK DOWN.

AND JUST FOR CONTEXT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FISCAL YEAR 2122 BUDGET.

WE SECURED 225,000 TO HELP PURCHASE ONE OF THE NEW PUMPER TRUCKS.

WE PURCHASED TWO OVER RECENT MEMORY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ADDITION TO THE LADDER TRUCK.

SO WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN SMALLER REQUESTS IN MORE TRADITIONAL YEARS.

ONE OF THE OTHER COMPLICATING FACTORS IS WE DO HAVE A SPLIT HOUSE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO LAWMAKERS OR TWO DISTRICTS THAT ARE VACANT AWAITING SPECIAL ELECTIONS.

AND THAT'S GOING TO COMPLICATE OUR REQUEST AS WELL.

SO WE REQUESTED UP TO 750,000.

WE'VE MADE IT CLEAR TO THE LAWMAKERS THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT ANY AMOUNT AS IT WOULD HELP THE TOWNSHIPS FUNDING AND BUDGETING FOR THIS PROJECT.

AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL JUST NOTE FOR YOU ALL THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO JUST KNOWING, KNOWING THAT THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL GRANT.

WE ARE APPEALING TO OUR LAWMAKERS.

AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO ONE MAKE OUR PROJECT STAND OUT AMONGST OTHER LOCAL UNITS OR NONPROFITS THAT MAY BE REQUESTING MONEY.

AND THEN SECONDARILY, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO HELP OUR LAWMAKERS STRUCTURE THEIR TALKING POINTS TO GET OUR PROJECT IN THE BUDGET AMONGST ALL THE OTHER LAWMAKER PRIORITIES. SO WE HAVE STRUCTURED THIS AROUND DIE.

IT IS A DIE PROJECT.

WE'RE BUILDING A GENDER NEUTRAL DORM OR A MODERN DORMITORY FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT.

HISTORICALLY, ALL STATIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TWO SHARED DORMITORIES ONE FOR MALE AND ONE FOR FEMALE.

SO I DO THINK THE NATURE OF OUR PROJECT IS GOING TO HELP US STAND OUT.

BUT BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE REQUEST.

CLERK GUTHRIE. SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED A RESOLUTION THIS YEAR, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO PRESENT IT TO YOU THIS EVENING.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS, MR. HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I'LL MOVE THAT. WE SUSPEND OUR RULES TO CONSIDER ITEM 13 C THIS EVENING.

SUPPORT. MOTION IS TO SUSPEND OUR RULES TO CONSIDER THIS ITEM.

ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES, YES. OPPOSED? NO. CHAIR.

VOTES. YES.

MR. HENDRICKSON, THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

STATE BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425.

SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY KURT BETHANY.

COMMENTS. FURTHER COMMENTS.

YES. THANK YOU, MADAM SUPERVISOR.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.

A SHOW OF SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY MAKING A REQUEST.

AND I THINK THAT THE NOTION TO MAKE OUR ASK OF THE STATE A LITTLE SMALLER AND TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR THAT REQUEST ARE BOTH GOOD ITEMS. I WOULD HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS, ARE WE HEDGING OUR BETS BY ADDING THIS A SIMILAR REQUEST INTO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FUNDING REQUESTS THAT ARE BEING MADE OF OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE.

SO THE CURRENT THOUGHT FOR THE REQUEST THAT WE WILL MAKE OF BOTH US SENATORS AND CONGRESSWOMAN SLATKIN'S OFFICE WAS TO TRY TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER, RECOGNIZING THAT GAP.

I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CONGRESSWOMAN STAFF LAST WEEK.

THEY'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR IF THE WE CALL THAT THE THEY CALL IT THE CPF.

RIGHT. IF THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE BECAUSE THEY RECENTLY HAD A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP, NOT A CHANGE IN CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, BUT THEY HAD A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP.

AND SO THEY ARE KIND OF WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THAT PORTENDS FOR THE PROGRAM.

[02:00:02]

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE US SENATORS ARE NOT CHANGING THEIRS.

SO WE COULD PERHAPS LOOK AT MAYBE WE MAKE A SMALLER REQUEST TO HEDGE OUR BETS TO ONE OF THE US SENATORS, AND THEN WITH THE OTHER US SENATOR AND CONGRESSWOMAN SLOTKIN, MAYBE WE GO FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.

IF YOU WANTED, I COULD BRING, YOU KNOW, I COULD TALK TO MANAGER WALSH AND PERHAPS WE COULD BRING SOMETHING BACK TO YOUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.

THANK YOU. I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE STRATEGY ABOUT THAT.

I KNOW THAT THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTERS GOT A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL GAP THAT WE'LL HAVE TO MEET.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT SAYING YES TO A SMALL THING LIKE THIS ALLOWS THEM TO SAY NO TO A BIG THING LIKE THAT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE CONSIDERING THAT.

YEAH. AND I DID ASK, SINCE THE CPF FUNDING LAST YEAR GOT WHITTLED DOWN WHEN THE BUDGET BILL FINALLY GOT ADOPTED TOWARDS THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT IN APRIL, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE GOOD NEWS, RIGHT? IT'S APRIL OR MAY EVERY YEAR.

THEY TELL YOU YOU'RE GETTING ALL THE FUNDING.

I DID ASK IF LAST YEAR WAS ABNORMAL IN THAT THE GRANTS GOT WATERED DOWN AND THEY SAID IT WAS, AND IT WAS THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP BECAUSE WE HAD THE 22 ELECTION, THINGS CHANGED. THE CHANGE IN CONTROL TO REPUBLICAN MAJORITY DID IMPACT DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER REQUESTS.

THAT'S MORE OR LESS WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT OUR EXPECTATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD WITH ALL THREE OF THOSE FEDERAL REQUESTS THAT WE CAN MAKE.

AND IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR, THE WAY THAT WE GOT 5 MILLION.

TECHNICALLY, WHEN YOU TALK TO THE LAWMAKERS REP RITCHIE AND REP KOENIG EACH SECURED 2 MILLION.

REP SENATOR SINGH SECURED 1 MILLION.

THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE 5 MILLION.

IT'S A LOT OF JUST KIND OF HORSE TRADING, AND THEY EACH KIND OF END UP WITH A BUDGET, AND THEN WE'RE JUST TRYING TO WEDGE INTO THEIR BUDGET.

AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW THE SAUSAGE WAS MADE A YEAR AGO THIS YEAR FOR THIS REQUEST, I WOULD KIND OF SPECULATE.

I THINK A GOOD TARGET FOR US IS 200 FROM EACH REP AND 100 FROM THE STATE SENATOR, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE STATE SENATOR HAS SUCH A BROAD GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO KIND OF SATISFY WITH THEIR BUDGET PRIORITIES.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT'S KIND OF A BALLPARK.

BUT YEAH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

MAYBE BRING SOMETHING BACK NEXT MEETING AND BRAINSTORM ON THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY ONLY LOOKING AT THREE SMALLER AMOUNTS.

THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE.

A MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STATE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL. VOTE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES.

TRUSTEE. YES.

TRUSTEE. WILSON. YES.

SUPERVISOR JACKSON.

YES. CLERK GUTHRIE.

YES. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

YES. AND TRUSTEE.

HENDERSON. YES.

MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

COME NOW TO ITEM 14 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

THE FIRST IS FROM MISTER ALCOHOL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

HELLO, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS AMAR ALKHAFAJI.

I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OKEMOS GATEWAY LLC.

I AM THE APPLICANT APPLYING FOR THE SELF-STORAGE FACILITY.

MY ADDRESS IS 29580 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN.

I'M HERE WITH MY BUSINESS PARTNER, STEVEN BACALL AND WE ARE THE APPLICANTS HERE.

WE WENT IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TWICE BEFORE DISCUSSING THIS, AND THEY BROUGHT UP MANY OF THE CONCERNS THAT THIS BOARD IS DISCUSSING TODAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WISH I HAD MORE THAN THREE MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS THOSE CONCERNS, A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS WERE UNDERSTOOD WERE WERE UNDERSTOOD TO WHY IT IS NEEDED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF SELF STORAGE.

I'LL BRING UP A FEW THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THE CONCERNS HERE.

NUMBER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, DOES THIS AREA NEED A SELF STORAGE FACILITY.

WE HAVE DONE A COMPREHENSIVE MARKET MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY, AND IT SHOWS THAT THIS AREA IS IN DIRE NEED OF STORAGE.

THIS FACILITY IS ACTUALLY NOT LARGE ENOUGH IN TERMS OF THE STORAGE NUMBERS NEEDED FOR MURDERING TOWNSHIP.

AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT SELF STORAGE STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY A THIRD PARTY.

IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY, THIS IS THE TYPICAL SIZE OF A SELF STORAGE FACILITY THAT'S BUILT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE HIRED AN ARCHITECT OUT OF NEW YORK CITY THAT SPECIALIZES IN THESE TYPES OF BUILDINGS.

ALL ACROSS. HE DOES ALL THE SELF STORAGE FACILITY, ABOUT 80% OF THE SELF STORAGE FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.

THIS IS THE TYPICAL SIZE.

IT'S NOT A LARGE SIZE.

IT'S A IT'S THE NORMAL SIZE OF A SELF STORAGE FACILITY GOING IN TERMS OF THE SETBACK HERE IF WE WERE TO BUILD A GYM ON THIS PROPERTY, THE SETBACK

[02:05:01]

WE'LL DO A PHOTOMETRIC PLAN, FOLLOW THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE IN TERMS OF LIGHT POLLUTION.

MAKE SURE ALL THE LIGHTS ARE DOWN DOWN.

SPOUTING DOWN SO THAT NO LIGHT IS PENETRATING INTO THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING REQUIRES A 200 FOOT SETBACK.

IT'S DOUBLE THE REQUIREMENT OF A ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL USE.

SO WE ARE PROPOSING JUST A 50.

WE STARTED WITH 100.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND REALLY TRIED TO GET IT BACK.

WE PUSHED ANOTHER 50FT.

THERE ARE SOME EASEMENTS ON THIS PROPERTY THAT KIND OF HINDER WHERE THE BUILDINGS CAN BE BUILT.

AND THIS IS THE PERFECT SIZE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION, WORKING WITH CARLA KLAUS AT THE DRAIN COMMISSION.

SHE IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROPERTY.

SHE'S WELL AWARE THEY'RE DOING THEIR DRAINAGE CALCULATIONS, WORKING WITH OUR ENGINEERS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO RUNOFF OR ANYTHING HAPPENING ON THIS.

ALL THE WATER WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINED THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY.

IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY ON THIS PROPERTY, YOU HAVE GARAGE DOORS THAT WILL OPEN ON THE SIDES, NOT FACING THE RESIDENTIAL.

THESE ARE ON THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING, SO NO IMPACT TO THE RESIDENTIAL AREA.

THE CARS PULL IN, GARAGE DOOR CLOSES, THEN THE MOVING STARTS.

THERE'S FREIGHT ELEVATORS IN THE BUILDING THAT WILL LIFT PEOPLE UP THEIR STUFF UP TO THE FLOORS TO ALLOW THEM TO STORE IT IN A SAFE, SECURE ENVIRONMENT.

THE BUILDING IS SECURED, SAFE.

WE WILL FOLLOW THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE IN TERMS OF HOURS OF OPERATION.

SO WHATEVER THE TOWNSHIP WOULD LIKE US TO DO ON THAT FRONT, WE ARE WILLING TO WORK.

WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION SEEMED, FROM MY INTERPRETATION OF IT, EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT, SAW THAT IT IS IN NEED AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO BUILD IN THIS COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT OUR FIRST TIME DOING THIS.

WE'VE DONE IT IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES.

I'M SORRY, I'M THE TIME KEEPER.

OH I APOLOGIZE.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AT ANY FURTHER TIME, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BY AND MEET WITH ANYONE AS LONG AS IT'S NOT VIOLATING ANY SORT OF PUBLIC MEETING ACT.

BUT WE'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK AND ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.

THANK YOU. THE SECOND GREEN CARD IS FROM JOSH NAHUM.

HI, JOSH. NAHUM 1517 RIVER TERRACE.

I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT A FEW DIFFERENT ISSUES.

FIRST OF WHICH WAS TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

I'M AN ELECTION INSPECTOR FOR EAST LANSING, AND I'VE DEFINITELY SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH RECEIVING BOARDS LATE AT NIGHT.

AND I AM ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY EMPOWERING THE TOWN MANAGER, EITHER BY, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALLY OR IMPLICITLY TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL THOSE REALLY NECESSARY ROLES.

AND THEY MAKE MY LIFE A LOT EASIER WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPER BUSY, BUT THEY ALWAYS ARE.

SECOND THING I KNOW THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T CHOOSE ME, I THINK YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO CHOOSE SOME PEOPLE, LESS THE LESS PLANNING COMMISSION.

THEY ASKED, LIKE, WHAT IS QUORUM FOR THIS MEETING? BECAUSE THERE'S AT LEAST TWO VACANCIES CURRENTLY, AND I'D HATE FOR THEM TO BE LESS PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE AT A PARTICULAR SESSION.

AND THIRD I'M ALSO I'M GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO CHIEF GRILLO SHORTLY TO TRY TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT IF SOCIAL WORKERS COULD HELP WITH SOME OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S STAFFING NEEDS.

WE HAD A REALLY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.

AND I'M HOPING TO HELP ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION AND COMMUNICATION WITH NEIGHBORING POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MAKING USE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKER OR SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS SOCIAL SOCIAL WORKERS.

EXCUSE ME? SOCIAL WORKERS TO HELP FULFILL, LIKE RESPONDING TO PARTICULAR CALLS OR, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, MOVING SOME OF THE MORE CHALLENGING WORK OR WORK THAT'S MORE SPECIALIZED TO STAFF THAT MAY BE BETTER ABLE TO HANDLE THAT AND REDUCE SOME OF THE DEMAND ON OUR UNIFORMED, YOU KNOW, ARMED POLICE OFFICERS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

AND I'VE BEEN HAVING A WHOLE LOT OF FUN ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS WITH MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, MARGARET.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? LET'S SEE. SO WE MOVE TO ITEM 15, OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.

[15.OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SUPPORT. SUPPORT. SUPPORT.

ALL FAVOR THE MOTION. PLEASE SAY YES.

YES. OPPOSED? NO.

CHAIR. VOTES. YES.

GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.