May 21, 2024 Township Board

[00:00:37]

IT

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

FIRST UP ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US.

THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL.

THE CLERK WILL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

HERE. HERE.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. HERE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

HERE. TRUSTEE TREZISE.

HERE. AND TRUSTEE WILSON.

HERE. ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.

THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS AGENDA ITEM 4, PRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE NONE.

NUMBER FIVE IS CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS.

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

THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS OR NON AGENDA ITEMS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS NEAR THE END OF THE MEETING.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, PLEASE COMPLETE A GREEN FORM WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THE TABLE OVER THERE AND BRING IT UP TO US, OR HAND IT OFF TO ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF WHO BRING IT UP TO US.

CITIZENS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES, AND A TIMEKEEPER WILL COMMUNICATE VIA THE LIGHTS AND SOUNDS AT THE PODIUM TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS NEARING ITS CONCLUSION.

THE BOARD VALUES PUBLIC COMMENT AND INPUT.

THIS FORMAT, THOUGH, RESTRICTS BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH SPEAKERS OR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS.

QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED LATER BY STAFF OR BY THE BOARD LATER IN THEIR AGENDA.

PLEASE ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR TO OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE.

AND WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE ONE GREEN CARD AT THE MOMENT.

I SEE SOME OTHER FOLKS GETTING READY.

EMILY STIVERS, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE JOIN US AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

THANK YOU. MY NAME IS EMILY STIVERS.

MY ADDRESS IS 1010 CLIFFDALE DRIVE, HASLETT, MICHIGAN, 48840.

I WANT TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR HUTCHINSON AND OUR DISTINGUISHED BOARD.

I'M RUNNING TO BE YOUR NEXT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CLERK.

I WANT TO START BY THANKING CLERK GUTHRIE FOR HER YEARS OF SERVICE.

WHEN SHE TOOK OFFICE, SOME OF THE COMPUTERS IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE WERE NOT EVEN CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.

SHE HAD TO BUILD PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FROM SCRATCH AND HAS CULTIVATED AND RETAINED AN AMAZING STAFF.

WITH CLERK GUTHRIE'S LEADERSHIP, THIS TEAM HAS MADE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP A STATEWIDE LEADER IN VOTER PARTICIPATION.

I'M RUNNING TO SUCCEED HER BECAUSE I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE WORK SHE HAS DONE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE HER PROJECTS CONTINUE AND GROW FOR THE BENEFIT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, ITS RESIDENTS, AND OUR OVERALL ELECTION INTEGRITY.

WE NEED A QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED LEADER IN THE ROLE OF CLERK.

WITH HELP FROM CLERK GUTHRIE AND MY MENTOR, EAST LANSING CLERK MARIE WICKS, I WILL BE READY ON DAY ONE TO MANAGE THE OFFICE, RETAIN OUR AMAZING STAFF, DEFEND OUR ELECTIONS, AND FURTHER EXPAND VOTER PARTICIPATION.

[00:05:06]

AND THERE I WAS A LEADER IN DISPERSING NEARLY $70 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLANS FUNDS EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY AND EQUITABLY.

MY SIX YEARS OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE PREPARE ME WELL TO SERVE AS PART OF THIS BODY AND MY 22 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE MANAGING PROJECTS, PROGRAMS AND PERSONNEL PREPARE ME UNIQUELY FOR THE ROLE OF CLERK.

IN BOTH ROLES, I AM COMMITTED TO INCREASING TRANSPARENCY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.

I HOLD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC POLICY.

I GRADUATED PHI BETA KAPPA WITH HONORS FROM MSU'S JAMES MADISON COLLEGE.

GO GREEN. I VOLUNTEERED AND VOTED IN EVERY MAJOR ELECTION SINCE 2000.

I'VE LIVED IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND COUNTRIES AND STUDIED THEIR GOVERNMENTS, AND I'M ALSO A MOM WITH TWO BOYS IN OUR HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND WE DO HAVE A GIRL ON THE WAY IN LATE SEPTEMBER.

MY FAMILY COULD HAVE SETTLED ANYWHERE IN THE GREATER LANSING REGION, BUT WE CHOSE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BECAUSE WE LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.

WE LOVE THE PARKS AND TRAILS, WE LOVE THE SCHOOLS, AND WE LOVE THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT.

I'M EAGER TO RESUME MY CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKING IT AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, PARTICULARLY REGARDING MANAGING THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING AMICABLY AND PROFESSIONALLY WITH ALL OF YOU.

I HOPE YOU'LL CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE, EMILY STIVERS.COM, AND LOOK ME UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON MY CAMPAIGN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU.

CLARA REGAL AND THEN DAVID PAWSAT, YOU'RE ON DECK.

OKAY. MY NAME IS CLARA REGAL.

DOCTOR CLARA REGAL.

I LIVE AT 3712 AUTUMN WOOD LANE HERE IN OKEMOS.

AND I ALSO PRACTICE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AREA.

I AM HERE TO ADDRESS THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT 24009, WHICH PROPOSES A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY AT THE CORNER OF OKEMOS AND JOLLY.

THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WEBSITE STATES THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS A PRIME COMMUNITY, A PLACE TO RAISE FAMILIES WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE PROTECTION OF OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND WHOSE MISSION STATEMENT INCLUDES A SAFE AND WELCOMING PRIME COMMUNITY.

HOW DOES THE PLACEMENT OF A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY AT THE CORNER OF THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MEET THAT MISSION STATEMENT? I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT DOES NOT.

NO ONE WANTS A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY IN THEIR BACKYARD, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT MARIJUANA'S LEGALITY.

HOWEVER, I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY AND WELLNESS OF OUR CHILDREN IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH VISIBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY.

IT DOES MEET THE MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM THE SCHOOLS, HOWEVER.

THERE ARE 4 TO 5 SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE A STRAIGHT SHOT FROM THE OKEMOS JOLLY INTERSECTION.

BUSSES AND PARENTS TAKE THEIR CHILDREN THERE AT LEAST TWICE A DAY THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION TO AND FROM SCHOOL, NOT INCLUDING RECREATIONAL OR AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED WITH THIS VISION.

THAT COMMERCIAL PARK, WHICH INCLUDED THE 7-ELEVEN AND THE BIG B'S, WAS A FAMILY FRIENDLY AREA WHERE KIDS COULD RIDE THEIR BIKES TO THE 7-ELEVEN AND GET A SLURPEE. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COULD STOP BEFORE SCHOOL OR AFTER TO GET THEIR JAVA FIXES.

NOW, PARENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADDED TRAFFIC AND POTENTIALLY THE AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS IN THAT AREA.

ACCESSIBILITY, IT'S AN EASY ON AND OFF OFF THE HIGHWAY.

SOMEONE WHO IS COMING OUT TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE OR TO FILL THEIR GAS TANK MAY GO OVER AND GET THEIR MARIJUANA AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INVESTITURE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE KIDS THAT MIGHT BE WAITING AROUND THE PARKING LOT TO ASK, HEY, WOULD YOU MIND? AND OF COURSE THEY DON'T BECAUSE WE KNOW IT WORKS WITH ALCOHOL.

WHY NOT WITH MARIJUANA? AND LASTLY IS OUR AVAILABILITY.

WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM, OKEMOS AND HASLETT, UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN MICHIGAN, BUT WE DO HAVE A DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROBLEM AND WE DON'T NEED TO HIDE IT. WE NEED TO FACE IT, AND THIS IS GOING TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE STUDENTS.

SANDS LLC IS FROM BIRMINGHAM.

THEY HAVE NO INVESTITURE IN THIS COMMUNITY OTHER THAN SEEING US AS A CASH COW.

[00:10:02]

AND THE LAST REQUEST IS TO POSTPONE THE VOTE UNTIL THE FALL, UNTIL ALL OF US ARE HERE FROM OUR VACATIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

DAVID PAWSAT. IT'S SOME LITERATURE.

SO EDUCATE ME A LITTLE MORE ON THE DANGERS OF THE MUCH COMING OUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MY NAME IS DOCTOR DAVID PAWSAT.

I LIVE AT 3712 AUTUMN WOOD LANE.

AND WHAT HAS CLARA SAID? YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE RAISED IT'S A FAMILY COMMUNITY.

IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT'S EDUCATION ORIENTED AND CLARA READ THE MISSION STATEMENT.

BUT HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE POISON THIS IS AND WHAT'S COMING OUT.

THERE WAS I LISTEN TO A LECTURE BY A VERY PROMINENT PSYCHIATRIST IN AT BEAUMONT HOSPITAL IN DETROIT, AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS LECTURE, HE'S TALKING ABOUT ACCESS TO HEALTH. HE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS LECTURE AND HE LOOKED UP.

HE STOPPED, AND HE JUST SIMPLY SAID, I HAVE TO MAKE A CONFESSION.

HE SAID, ONE OF THE GREATEST MISTAKES I MADE IN MY CAREER JUST HAPPENED A YEAR AGO, HE SAID.

I VOTED FOR THE MARIJUANA BILL.

HE SAYS YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM PSYCHOSIS AND MENTAL ILLNESS BECAUSE OF THIS POISON.

THIS THING IS A AND I PARAPHRASE HIM, OF COURSE, THIS THING IS FAT SOLUBLE.

IT'S DIFFERENT THAN ALCOHOL.

ALCOHOL GOES INTO YOUR SYSTEM AND THEN IT GOES RIGHT BACK OUT BECAUSE IT'S WATER SOLUBLE.

IT DOESN'T GET INTO YOUR TISSUES.

MARIJUANA, THIS THC, IT IS FAT SOLUBLE.

IT SEEPS INTO YOUR TISSUES AND YOU'LL LOOK AS YOU LOOK AT THIS LITERATURE, IT IS DESTROYING THE MEMORY SYSTEMS OF OUR BRAINS, OF THOSE USING IT.

IF THERE ARE GOING TO BE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CHRONIC DEMENTIA, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TRIPLE THE SIZE OF OUR MEMORY CARE SYSTEM CENTER OVER AT INGHAM COUNTY.

BECAUSE THIS STUFF IS SUCH A BAD POISON, YOU'RE NOT HEARING IT AS MUCH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A GUY LIKE ME, I DON'T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN FINANCIALLY FOR THIS.

I JUST WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO BE SAFE.

THIS IS A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY.

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IMPAIRED COMING IN HERE.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE AT HOME, SOME 21 YEAR OLD PARTYING WITH HIS BUDDIES, AND THEY'RE GOING TO WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A HIGH.

THEY'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT SUPER DANGEROUS INTERSECTION.

AND I GUARANTEE YOU THERE'S GOING TO BE A FATALITY, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THIS.

IF THIS DECISION GOES THROUGH.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD LITTER OUR CITY, OUR TOWNSHIP WITH FIVE POT SHOPS.

I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.

HOW DOES THAT GO WITH OUR MISSION AS A COMMUNITY? IT'S DIFFERENT THAN ALCOHOL.

THE LITERATURE IS COMING OUT.

IT'S MASSIVELY COMING OUT.

I GAVE YOU TWO SETS OF LITERATURE THERE.

ONE IS FROM THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND HOW IT SHRINKS THE BRAIN'S MEMORY CENTER.

AND THE OTHER ONE IS FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, WHICH SHOWS THERE'S AN INCREASE IN STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS HAPPENING FROM THIS STUFF.

THIS HAS NO PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE NOT MADE THIS WAY.

WE'RE MADE HERE FOR FAMILY.

WE'RE MADE HERE FOR EDUCATION.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I REALLY, WHEN YOU'RE LAYING IN BED TONIGHT AND YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND YOU'RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS THE SUMMER GOES ON, I WANT YOU TO LAY THERE IN BED AND SAY, IF I VOTE YES FOR THIS, HOW MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE GOING TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THIS? ONE LAST THING AND THEN I'LL TAKE MY TIME.

YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE OPPOSITE FROM THE OTHER SIDE, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A FINANCIAL INTEREST I DON'T.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, OH, IT'S YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO PROOF AND ALL THIS.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF LOBBYING MONEY TO DO CERTAIN TYPES OF RESEARCH.

BUT IF YOU DIG DEEPLY AND YOU REALLY SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT THIS STUFF IS A POISON AND IT'S FAT SOLUBLE.

IT SOAKS IN YOUR BRAIN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? YOU CAN GIVE US A GREEN CARD AFTERWARD.

THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU.

LET ME GET BECAUSE I WROTE IT DOWN BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BE NERVOUS AND I WANTED TO BE PREPARED, SO I WROTE IT DOWN.

CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? MY NAME IS DEBORAH DANTES AND I LIVE AT 3590 BREEZY POINT DRIVE BEHIND HIAWATHA.

SO MY NAME IS DEBORAH DANTES, AND I AM HERE WRITING TO YOU IN MY CAPACITY AS A CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER WITH A PRIVATE PRACTICE LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF OKEMOS AND JOLLY, JUST BEHIND THE 7-ELEVEN.

AS SOMEONE WHO PRIMARILY SERVES ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN, I FEEL COMPELLED TO ADDRESS A GROWING CONCERN THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR

[00:15:02]

IN MY PRACTICE, I ENCOUNTER A MYRIAD OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, INCLUDING DEPRESSION, INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES.

AMONG THESE CHALLENGES, THERE IS A PREVAILING DESIRE FOR QUICK FIXES, A SENTIMENT THAT I BELIEVE IS EXACERBATED BY SOCIETAL FACTORS, INCLUDING THE PROXIMITY OF MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

IT IS WITH GREAT CONCERN THAT I OBSERVE THE INCREASING NORMALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DISPENSARIES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HIGH SCHOOLS.

WHILE SOME MAY ARGUE FOR THE MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF MARIJUANA, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO RECOGNIZE THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS IT CAN HAVE ON THE DEVELOPING BRAINS OF YOUNG ADULTS.

NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF MARIJUANA USE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION, MEMORY, AND MENTAL HEALTH, PARTICULARLY IN ADOLESCENCE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG AND ON DRUG ABUSE AND IDA REPORTS THAT MARIJUANA USE DURING OTHER LESSONS CAN LEAD TO A RANGE OF NEGATIVE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING IMPAIRED LEARNING AND MEMORY, DECREASED IQ, AND INCREASED RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND SCHIZOPHRENIA AND ANXIETY.

MOREOVER, THE MERE EXPOSURE TO MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES NEAR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO OUR YOUTH.

INSTEAD OF PROMOTING HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS AND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS, IT REINFORCES THE NOTION OF SEEKING QUICK FIXES AND ESCAPING FROM REALITY.

A CONCERNING THAT A CONCERNING TREND THAT UNDERMINES THE IMPORTANCE OF RESILIENCE AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

AS A CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER DEDICATED TO THE WELL-BEING OF ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN, I STRONGLY URGE FOR GREATER CONSIDERATION OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AND ITS PROXIMITY TO EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.

WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE HEALTH AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF OUR YOUTH BY FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTS THAT PROMOTE RESILIENCE, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING.

I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER, AND I WELCOME ANY OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE ON INITIATIVES AIMED AT SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR YOUTH.

TOGETHER, I THINK WE CAN CREATE A SAFER AND MORE CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR GROWTH AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE FILL OUT THE GREEN CARD AND HAND IT TO ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF IN THE BACK, WE'D APPRECIATE THAT.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, PLEASE? IF WE COULD HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

[INAUDIBLE] THE NAME IS JEFF COLTON.

I LIVE AT 1316 LEEWARD DRIVE IN OKEMOS.

I DIDN'T WRITE A SPEECH QUITE AS ELOQUENT AS THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE THE BOARD WITH WITH A COUPLE THOUGHTS.

I WORK RIGHT NEXT TO DEBBIE AS A FINANCIAL ADVISOR.

THERE'S AN OFFICE PARK THERE JUST SOUTH OF JOLLEY ROAD, JUST OUTSIDE YOUR JURISDICTION, IF YOU WILL.

BUT ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THERE'S PROBABLY 8 OR 9 OF US FINANCIAL ADVISORS THAT WORK IN THE OFFICE PARK.

AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE'RE REGULATED AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL BY WHAT YOU WORK FOR, WHAT'S CALLED A BROKER DEALER.

THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AS YOU KNOW, IS CONSIDERED A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.

THERE IS A PLAN, OF COURSE, TO CHANGE HOW THE DRUG IS CLASSIFIED TO A LESS STRICT LEVEL, I UNDERSTAND.

HOWEVER, THE CHALLENGE BECOMES, FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE LICENSED AND REGULATED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THEY WILL NOT LET US BE WITHIN X DISTANCE OF WHAT THEY CONSIDER A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.

REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL ON THE PROS OR CONS OF MARIJUANA.

SO THE RULES FOR EVERY BROKER DEALER ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT THERE'S A REASONABLE CHANCE THAT HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE UP SHOP AND MOVE. THEY SIMPLY WILL NOT LET US BE THAT CLOSE TO A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY.

IT'S INCOMPATIBLE WITH THEIR THOUGHTS, THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.

SO I JUST HOPE THE BOARD TAKES THAT INTO ACCOUNT.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK OF, OF COURSE, RIGHT.

[00:20:04]

THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TIMER IS, BUT I'M ALMOST DONE.

YOU HAVE A MINUTE.

OKAY. GO AHEAD.

I WAS NEW CAR SHOPPING TWO WEEKS AGO AND I DROVE DOWN JOLLY TOWARDS PENNSYLVANIA AND TURNED TO LEFT.

MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF CAR DEALERS THERE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BUT WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS RIGHT ON THAT CORNER IS A BUSINESS CALLED HOMEGROWN CANNABIS.

OKAY. AND ON A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY AFTERNOON, STANDING OUTSIDE THE DOOR WITH TWO LARGE GENTLEMEN, EACH WITH A HANDGUN AND A SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE. PERFECTLY LEGAL OF COURSE.

THEIR SECURITY FOR THE DISPENSARY RIGHT.

BUT I HOPE THE BOARD WOULD STOP AND THINK THAT ON THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS THERE WHETHER WE WANT PEOPLE WITH SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS STANDING OUTSIDE THE DOOR WHEN YOUR TEENAGER GOES IN FOR A QUICK SLURPEE OR NOT.

OKAY. I'M NOT SURE IT'S A GREAT LOOK FOR US.

I HOPE YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. AND IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE ALSO.

YEAH, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO SOMEONE BACK IN THE BACK.

THAT'D BE GREAT. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 6:20.

I WILL JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO POINT OUT THE SPECIAL USE PERMITS THAT SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ALL BEEN HERE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING.

THAT I BELIEVE IS IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND THAT WILL GO THROUGH THEM FIRST, A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE IT MAKES IT TO THIS BODY, ASSUMING THAT THEY THEY'LL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.

SO I WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT TO COME BEFORE US UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER WOULD BE MY GUESS.

SO. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.

YES. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

AND FOR MISS DANTES, DANTES, IF YOU WANTED YOUR FULL COMMENTS, PART OF THE RECORD.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE LEAVE IT WITH THE STAFF IN THE BACK, AND JUST TO LET THE OTHER GENTLEMAN KNOW THAT THE MATERIALS HE DROPPED OFF WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE.

NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM SIX, THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT.

[6. INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

SO FIRST, I WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE CLOSED ON MEMORIAL DAY.

AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CLERK TO DISCUSS OUR MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE EVENT AT GLENDALE CEMETERY.

FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S 2024 LISTENING SESSIONS, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF HOSTING LISTENING SESSIONS.

THOSE MAILERS WILL BE GOING OUT TO ABOUT 13,200 PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY AT THE PRINTER, AND THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS WILL BE HELD 6 TO 7:30 P.M.

FOR EACH EVENT IN THIS ROOM RIGHT HERE, 5151 MARSH ROAD.

ON TUESDAY, JUNE 11TH, TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH AND THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH.

I WOULD ALSO JUST REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT WE DO HAVE A TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE VACANCY, AND APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TOMORROW, MAY 22ND, BY 4 P.M.

TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE AND YOU CAN CHECK OUR WEBSITE DOWN IN THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE HOMEPAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.

ALSO WANT TO GIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO DIRECTOR CLARK AND HER TEAM.

WE JUST CUT THE RIBBON TODAY ON THE AMERICAN HOUSE DEVELOPMENT.

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT AND 4 OR 5 DECADES IN HASLETT.

RIGHT. IN WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY THINK OF AS DOWNTOWN HASLETT, AND THEN ALSO AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO THE BOARD THAT DIRECTOR CLARK AND I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN DISCUSSIONS ON SOME NEXT STEPS FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT.

OKAY. MOVING ON, I WOULD NOTE FOR THE BOARD THAT MARSHALL PARK, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE TURF TO COME IN, BUT WE DO HOPE TO ANNOUNCE A RIBBON CUTTING VERY SOON FOR THE NEW PLAY STRUCTURE AT MARSHALL PARK.

AND THEN THE PARKS TEAM IS HARD AT WORK AS WE HAVE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN COMING UP.

SO WE'VE GOT TEEN NIGHT ON JUNE 28TH, AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR MAIN EVENT ON JUNE 29TH.

TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE RIGHT BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY, BUT NOT CONFLICTING WITH IT.

A COUPLE OF OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATES.

PHASE TWO OF THE MSU LAKE LANSING TRAIL.

WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OVER THERE.

WE JUST TOOK SOME MEASUREMENTS AND WE STILL HAVE MORE EXCAVATION WORK TO OCCUR FOR THE COMPENSATING CUTS THAT ARE TECHNICALLY FOR PHASE ONE, BUT ARE PART OF THE PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION.

[00:25:01]

SO WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT A RIBBON CUTTING IN AUGUST AT THIS TIME, BUT WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AND WE'LL UPDATE THE COMMUNITY ONCE WE CONFER A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH OUR CONTRACTOR ON THAT PROJECT.

LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.

WE KICKED OFF CONSTRUCTION IN LATE MARCH WITH THE CONCRETE WORK.

WE HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE WORK IN SUNDANCE, HERON CREEK, OKEMOS SQUARE.

WE ARE CURRENTLY FINISHING UP TOWER GARDENS, LYNDON, TIMBERLANE AND THE WARD CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE EAST PORTION OF RIVERWOOD IN OKEMOS. I WOULD SAY ON THE 2024 PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 35% COMPLETE.

AND THEN WE WILL BE GETTING THE ROADS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LAKE LANSING, PERRY, MULLINS, RANDALL, EAST AND WEST, REYNOLDS AND QUAIL.

NOW THAT THE SEWER REHAB PROJECT HAS BEEN SEWER REPLACEMENT PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, WE ANTICIPATE THAT CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON JUNE 3RD.

NOTICES SHOULD BE GOING OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS TOMORROW OR THE FOLLOWING DAY.

AND THEN, AS YOU ALL KNOW FROM STEPPING INTO THE BUILDING, OUR INTERIOR SIGNAGE UPDATES HAVE BEGUN STARTING IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, BUT WE WILL ALSO BE DOING SIGNAGE UPDATES IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AND IN THE SERVICE CENTER.

SO THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR MASSEY FOR HER HARD WORK ON THAT PROJECT.

AND THEN TWO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, THE BOARD WILL SEE THE AUDIT PRESENTATION ON YOUR JUNE 18TH AGENDA.

AND THEN LAST I WOULD JUST GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT WE WILL BE WE'VE TENTATIVELY SET A DATE FOR THE RONALD J.

STYKA MEMORIAL PATHWAY DEDICATION.

SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT 1:00 PM ON JUNE 28TH.

WE WILL LOOK TO MAKE THAT MORE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT HERE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? TREASURER DESCHAINE. DAN, YOU'RE LIKELY TO KNOW THIS AS WELL AS ANYONE IN THE BUILDING.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S GOING ON IN GRAND RIVER AND OKEMOS ROAD.

THEY'RE FEELING LIKE, HEY, WE DID THIS TWO YEARS AGO, AND NOW THEY'RE BACK CUTTING THE CONCRETE OPEN AGAIN.

DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? YEAH. SO THAT'S WARRANTY WORK BECAUSE THE CONTRACT IS NOT OFFICIALLY BEEN CLOSED OUT.

THE CONTRACT WILL BE CLOSED OUT AS SOON AS THAT WORK IS COMPLETED.

SO THAT'S CONCRETE JOINT REPAIRS THAT WERE ARE BEING DONE BY THE CONTRACTOR AT THEIR COST TO CORRECT VARIOUS ISSUES.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY ALSO BROUGHT IN SOME MORE FILL MATERIAL.

THAT WAS A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE DRAIN OFFICE AND THE TOWNSHIP.

THE DRAIN OFFICE PURCHASED A PROPERTY THAT IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE WETLAND ACROSS FROM PLAYMAKERS.

THE DRAIN OFFICE WANTED TO SEE BASICALLY A LEVEL OF GRASS SHELF EXTEND FURTHER OFF THE PATHWAY.

AND THEN MDOT ALSO INSTALLED SOME PLANTINGS RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THAT SHELF TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PATHWAY THERE.

AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ROADS, OKEMOS ROAD BETWEEN INTERURBAN AND HASLETT ROAD, THAT IS THE OKEMOS DRAIN WORK.

IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT'S THE RAW WATER MAIN PROJECT FOR ELLSWORTH.

OKAY. I JUST GOT AN UPDATE FROM THE ENGINEERING FIRM THAT'S WORKING FOR ELLSWORTH ON THAT PROJECT.

WE WILL PROBABLY BE ANNOUNCING SOMETHING TOMORROW, BUT IT SHOULD BE PAVED.

JUST SOUTH OF THE HASLETT ROAD INTERSECTION.

HERE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, AT WHICH POINT WE WILL REOPEN OKEMOS ROAD UP TO HASLETT ROAD IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.

BUT THEN AFTER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE JUST YET, BUT SOMETIME SHORTLY AFTER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WE WILL BE CLOSING THAT INTERSECTION IN FULL.

RIGHT NOW. I BELIEVE WE WILL BE CLOSING IT AFTER JUNE 6TH.

THAT IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THAT WOULD IMPACT MANY OF THEIR BUS ROUTES.

AND THE ROAD DEPARTMENT HAS ENCOURAGED THROUGH THEIR PERMIT, THE CONTRACTOR TO FINISH THAT WORK WITHIN TWO WEEKS.

BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE 2 TO 3 AND A HALF WEEKS FOR THE INTERSECTION AND THE TIE IN.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE LOOPING OUR RAW WATER MAIN SO THAT WE HAVE A REDUNDANCY IN THE SYSTEM IN CASE WE DO HAVE A BREAK IN THE RAW WATER MAIN.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL WELL CAPACITY THROUGH THAT PROJECT.

THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE WILSON, MANAGER OPSOMMER.

DO WE HAVE AN ETA ON THE CONSTRUCTION ON GRAND RIVER BY MDOT? I HAVE NOT GOTTEN AN UPDATE SINCE THEY STARTED, BUT ORIGINALLY THE ESTIMATE WAS THREE WEEKS.

IT DOES SEEM LIKE THEY'RE PROGRESSING BECAUSE THEY'RE CLEARLY DONE WITH THE OUTER LANES EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND.

THEY'RE IN THE INNER LANES NOW.

SO I'LL CHECK IN WITH WSP, THEIR CONSULTANT, TO SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT.

IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE GENERALLY STICKING CLOSE TO THE THREE WEEK SCHEDULE.

I THINK ALL THE WORK ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PATHWAY THERE ACROSS FROM PLAYMAKERS IS COMPLETED.

[00:30:03]

YEAH. I'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE OUT PRIOR TO THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

AND WE'LL CERTAINLY BE GETTING AN UPDATE OUT REGARDING ELLSWORTH'S PROJECT ON OKEMOS ROAD TOMORROW.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU.

I ALMOST SAID MADAM SUPERVISOR.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR.

COULD YOU OR DIRECTOR CLARKE GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS? WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE OLD VARIANCES ON GRAND RIVER AND HAMILTON AND AN UPDATE ON TRADER JOE'S.

I WILL DEFER TO DIRECTOR CLARK ON NITTY GRITTY DETAILS ON THOSE.

I START WITH VILLAGE.

SURE. YOU WANT TO COME UP AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.

NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

NO. I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT.

GOOD TO KNOW. OKAY, GREAT.

CAN WE OPEN THE DOOR, STEPHEN, WHILE WE'RE STARTING TO ROAST IN HERE? THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

SO, I MEAN, I'M PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO GIVE YOU SOME BAD NEWS.

I'M A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT MANAGER OPSOMMER SAID THAT THERE WAS AN UPDATE ABOUT VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH AT THIS TIME, BUT YOU DID HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OTHER PROJECTS.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING IN, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS RIGHT NOW? THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.

OH, HAMILTON ROAD.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. CONSUMERS ENERGY IS DOING A GAS UPDATE OKAY.

ALONG HAMILTON RESIDENTIAL GAS UPDATE.

OKAY. GOT IT. YEAH.

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THING THIS MORNING.

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THEY'LL BE WORKING ON THAT I DON'T I CAN CHECK I DID NOT RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM THEIR FROM CONSUMERS ENERGY ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.

OKAY. IT'S ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THEY LET US KNOW THAT THEY WERE DOING A GAS UPDATE.

THERE WERE THREE RESIDENTS ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT HAD AN UPDATED LINE, AND I THINK THEY RECOGNIZED THE AGE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA AND KIND OF PUT IT ON THEIR PROJECTS.

AND THEN I NOTICED SOME WORK BEING DONE AT BARYAMES, THE OLD BARYAMES, AT HAMILTON, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE GRAND RIVER AND HAMILTON MERGED TOGETHER, RIGHT THERE IN THE LITTLE TRIANGLE AREA.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING THERE.

IF YOU CAN DISCLOSE WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE, IF ANYTHING, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THAT TO BE A COFFEE STORE OR A COFFEE RETAIL SHOP FOR THE COMMUNITY.

CORRECT? OH, THAT'D BE COOL.

AND THEN ANY UPDATE ON TRADER JOE'S AS FAR AS OPENING? NO. NOPE.

NOTHING YET. OKAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SEEING NONE.

WE'LL MOVE ON. THANK YOU.

SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

I WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT AND I DID THIS AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING AS WELL.

THAT MEMORIAL DAY OBVIOUSLY IS ON MONDAY.

AND EACH YEAR THE TOWNSHIP CLERK WORKS WITH THE MERIDIAN COMMUNITY BAND AND WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO PUT TOGETHER THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE.

SO THAT IS AT 11 A.M.

AT GLENDALE CEMETERY.

AND US NAVY VETERAN JOY RIMPAU WILL BE OUR SPEAKER AND SAINT LUKE LUTHERAN SENIOR PASTOR TREVOR SUTTON WILL BE SPEAKING AS WELL.

AND THEN THE SCOUT TROOPS AND THE CUB SCOUTS WILL BE PRESENTING THE COLORS.

SO THAT'S ALWAYS MY FAVORITE PART.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A BAGPIPER, BUT I FORGOT TO BRING THAT NAME, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

THE OTHER THING MANAGER OPSOMMER MENTIONED THE THE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAIL TO LAKE LANSING.

AND I DID NOTICE THAT ELLISON BREWERY WAS PROMOTING IT AS A WAY TO GET TO THEIR BREWERY.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY AWESOME ON FACEBOOK, YOU KNOW, COME AND BIKE OR WALK OR WHATEVER.

SO THEY'VE BEEN PROMOTING THAT AS A WAY TO GET TO THEIR.

ESTABLISHMENTS. THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS ESCAPED THE MAY ELECTION AUDIT, SO I'M HAPPY FOR THAT.

SO WE CAN BOX UP EVERYTHING THAT WAS RELATED TO THE MAY ELECTION AUDIT.

WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO BECAUSE WE GAVE OUR VOTERS TO EAST LANSING.

BUT ANYTHING WE NEED TO RETAIN FOR RECORDS OR WHATEVER, WE CAN SEAL ALL OF THAT UP AND THEN ATTENDED THE AMERICAN HOUSE RIBBON CUTTING TODAY.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S A GORGEOUS BUILDING.

THEY OFFER AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITIES.

[00:35:01]

AND IT I FEEL LIKE I LEAD A PRETTY BORING LIFE EVERY TIME I SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXCITEMENT GOING ON.

AND IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, THEY'RE SUPER OPEN TO THE PUBLIC COMING IN AND DROPPING IN AT ANY TIME TO HAVE A LOOK AT THEIR BUILDING AND WHAT THEY'RE ALL ABOUT, AND THEY'RE JUST SUPER FRIENDLY PEOPLE OVER THERE AND RAN INTO HOME TV ALUM MEMBER MARCUS MARTIN. WE GO WAY, WAY, WAY BACK.

AND SO HE'S DOING REAL GOOD IN LANSING AND HELPING ENTREPRENEURS, ENTREPRENEURS IN THE LANSING AREA.

SO AND THEN JUST SHOUT OUT TO MELISSA AND WHOEVER ELSE IS PART OF GETTING THE INTERNAL SCIENCE HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THEY LOOK GREAT.

I THINK OUR VOTERS AND EVERYONE PAYING TAXES, THEY'LL BE HAPPY.

THEY CAN EASILY SEE SEE OUR SIGNS MUCH BETTER THAN THEY COULD BEFORE AND MAKE IT TO OUR LITTLE CORNERS OF THE WORLD HERE ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING.

AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU. MAY 15TH WAS THE CATA BOARD MEETING, AND CATA RIDERSHIP IS UP 20% YEAR TO YEAR TO DATE FROM A YEAR AGO. SO PEOPLE ARE USING CATA AGAIN INCLUDING MERIDIAN READY RIDE IS UP 22%.

SO YOU KNOW THE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT MERIDIAN READY RIDE IS IT USED TO BE JUST FOR SENIORS OR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH THOUGHT THEY NEEDED ASSISTANCE, DIDN'T NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR RIDE BECAUSE READY RIDE HELPS THAT.

BUT MORE AND MORE PARENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP ARE USING IT FOR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. SAINT MARTHA'S PARENTS ARE USING IT TO, IN SOME CASES, TO GET THEIR CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

SO IT'S REALLY BECOME USED BY SENIORS SOME DISABLED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES IN THE TOWNSHIP.

SO THAT'S EXCITING.

CATA USUALLY REPORTS TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, BUT SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND THAT COMMISSION MAY END UP NOT MEETING FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

I'VE INVITED THEM TO COME TO OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING AND GIVE US A RIDERSHIP UPDATE AND A CATA UPDATE.

SO ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS PARATRANSIT, EXCUSE ME, IS MICRO TRANSIT, WHICH ALLOWS SOMEONE TO GET TAKE A CAB BUS, FIXED LINE BUS TO A CERTAIN LOCATION AND THEN GET A CAR, ESSENTIALLY AN UBER TYPE CAR TO ANOTHER LOCATION.

SO IT REALLY GIVES THE BEST OF BOTH THE THE SPEED OF A FIXED LINE TRANSIT.

YET THAT LAST MILE OR TWO WILL BE PROVIDED AS WELL.

SO THEY'VE GOT A GRANT FOR DOING THAT AND THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT ROLLING IT OUT.

AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MAY BE THE FIRST PLACE THEY TRY IT AT.

ALSO WANT TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENT? IT'S A GREAT EVENT. YOU DO A WONDERFUL JOB PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ATTENDING THIS YEAR.

AND FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT FLAGS OF MERIDIAN, THIS IS YOUR FIRST WEEKEND TO GET YOUR FLAGS OVER MERIDIAN.

IF YOU WANT A FLAG, GO TO THE KIWANIS CLUB OF HASLETT OKEMOS, AND THEY HAVE A SIGN UP SHEET THERE.

ABOUT A THOUSAND HOMES AND BUSINESSES GET A FLAG EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S MY REPORT.

THANK YOU TREASURER DESCHAINE ANYONE ELSE? TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE TASK FORCE ON THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER HAD A MEETING OVER AT THE SENIOR CENTER TO HEAR THEIR INPUT AND TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT THEY BROUGHT FORWARD.

AND THEN THIS WEEK, TODAY, WE HAD A MEETING WITH OUR OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, REVIEWED THOSE REQUESTS FOR CHANGES, AND THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE THOSE BACK UNDER ADVISEMENT AND BRING US A REDEVELOPED PLAN THAT WILL INCORPORATE A NUMBER OF THOSE IDEAS THAT WE HEARD AT THE SENIOR CENTER.

SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST REPORT THAT.

I GOT TO ATTEND A BLOCK PARTY OVER AT BENNETT WOODS ELEMENTARY THAT THEY PUT ON EACH YEAR.

KIDS HAD A TERRIFIC TIME GETTING TO, YOU KNOW, ENJOY THE FOOD TRUCKS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS.

YOU KNOW, TAKE PART IN SOME ACTIVITIES WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.

IT'S A REALLY GOOD TIME.

I HAVE BEGUN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING HOW WE GO ABOUT APPOINTING MEMBERS TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

AS I GET SORT OF UP TO SPEED ON MY NEW ROLE HERE.

AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DIVING INTO THAT.

AND I'M ALSO ENGAGING THE HR DIRECTOR AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON WAYS TO UPDATE THE WAY THIS BOARD WILL CONDUCT ITS MANAGERIAL REVIEWS ANNUALLY.

I HOPE TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOU IN A PROBABLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE OURSELVES SOME TIME AND GRACE TO DO THAT AND DO IT RIGHT.

[00:40:02]

WE SEE SOME PROPOSED THOUGHTS ON THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO.

NEXT UP WE HAVE.

OH. OH, TRUSTEE TREZISE.

JUST YOU JUST REMINDED ME.

CLERK GUTHRIE AND I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE HR DIRECTOR TO GO OVER THE EXISTING EMPLOYEE MANUAL AND IDENTIFY AREAS THAT MAY REQUIRE ADJUSTMENT, CHANGE, MODIFICATION, OR SIMPLIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION.

WE'RE ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH.

MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT ON GOING THROUGH IT.

JUST THE THREE OF US.

WE ANTICIPATE CALLING IN REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR EMPLOYEE STAFF.

EITHER VOLUNTEERS, APPOINTMENTS FROM VARIOUS BARGAINING UNITS AND FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHO WE WOULD GET TO COME IN AND HAVE THEM GIVE US THEIR OPINIONS ON THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CHANGED THERE.

NOW, MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE PART OF A BARGAINING UNIT, SO THEIR CONTRACTS WILL TAKE.

PRECEDENCE OVER THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE MANUAL WHERE THEY CONFLICT.

BUT THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THEM TO BRING THEM IN ALIGNMENT.

SO WE'RE KEEPING THAT ON THE BACK OF OUR MINDS, AS WELL AS LOOKING INTO THE GOVERNANCE AND POLICIES THAT APPLY TO THIS BOARD.

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE TOWNSHIP, TO THE MANAGER TO EACH OTHER AND HOW WE DO BUSINESS.

SO IT'S A PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.

BUT WE HAVE BEEN MAKING PROGRESS AND IT'S BEEN VERY COLLABORATIVE AND POSITIVE.

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING FORWARD ON THAT.

FABULOUS. THANK YOU.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE AGENDA THIS EVENING? TRUSTEE WILSON. MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.

SECOND, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

ANY COMMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE AGENDA PASSES.

NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM NINE, WHICH IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

OUR MINUTES FROM OUR MAY 9TH REGULAR MEETING, THE BILLS, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION APPOINTMENT A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN, THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT UPDATING THE DESIGNATION OF SIGNERS FOR THE MSHDA CHILL GRANT.

DUE TO STAFFING CHANGES AND THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT.

ANY MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? TRUSTEE WILSON MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA REPORT SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

ANY COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? TREASURER DESCHAINE NONE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND YOU HAD A COMMENT? YEAH. I'M JUST VERY PLEASED THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION APPOINTMENT, I MEAN.

OH MY GOODNESS.

HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE AT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.

AND I THOUGHT, OH MY GOODNESS, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT IS BEING APPOINTED THAT IS LIKE REALLY HIGH UP.

AND HE'S HE'S SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON HE'S AN OKEMOS RESIDENT.

AND IT JUST I'M JUST SO HAPPY.

I'M JUST SURPRISED THAT THAT IT'S JUST SO COOL.

THANK YOU. YEAH. WE HAVE A LOT OF EXCELLENT FOLKS WHO LIVE HERE AND A LOT OF TALENT TO TO PULL FROM.

I ALSO SERVE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, SO I'M EXCITED.

FABULOUS. TRUSTEE TREZISE.

AND I'D LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE CLERK FOR INCLUDING ALL OF THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE GET FROM VARIOUS SOURCES IN OUR MEETING PACKETS SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE THERE, THEY HAVE BEEN READ AND THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO THE REST OF THE PUBLIC, NOT JUST THE BOARD.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, THE CONSENT AGENDA DOES REQUIRE A ROLL CALL.

VOTE CLERK GUTHRIE.

WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM TEN QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY.

WE HAVE NONE. ITEM AGENDA ITEM 11 HEARINGS.

WE HAVE NONE.

AND SO WE MOVE ON THEN TO AGENDA ITEM 12 A TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.

[12.A. Township Trustee Appointment Review Committee]

SO AS WE ALL DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAVE OPENED UP FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC

[00:45:03]

ONE OF THE STEPS THAT WAS PART OF THE APPROVED PROCESS WAS THE APPOINTMENT OF A SUBCOMMITTEE TO REVIEW APPLICATIONS AND WINNOW IT DOWN TO THE LUCKY CHOSEN FEW.

AND SO AT THIS POINT GIVEN THAT THE APPLICATION WINDOW WILL BE CLOSING SHORTLY AND THE MEETING OF THAT GROUP WILL BE BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, WE NEED TO APPOINT THREE OF US TO SIT AS A SUBCOMMITTEE ON REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS.

SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO SIT AS A MEMBER OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE. TRUSTEE WILSON.

OR YOU JUST VOLUNTEERING.

VOLUNTEERING. CLERK GUTHRIE.

I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER.

TO VOLUNTEER. WE GOT TO GO FOR FIRST.

HANDS UP. WELL.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND, YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER AS WELL? YES. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? ANY OTHER VOLUNTEERS AT THIS TIME? I THINK THAT IS AN AUSPICIOUS PANEL.

WITH THAT SAID CAN WE GET A MOTION, PLEASE? THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PACKET FOR THAT AGENDA ITEM, TRUSTEE TREZISE.

I MOVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ADOPTS THE PROCESS FOR APPOINTING A NEW TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE, INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT OF KATHLEEN SUNDLAND, CLERK GUTHRIE AND MARA WILSON, TRUSTEE WILSON AS THE APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE AND ADOPTS THE APPLICATION FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE. OKAY.

THANK YOU. MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE.

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND THAT MOTION. SECONDED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE TREZISE. NO, NONE.

TRUSTEE WILSON, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL SERVE FOR A LIMITED TERM, THAT THAT TERM WILL BEGIN UPON THEIR APPOINTMENT, POTENTIALLY ON JUNE 18TH, AND WILL RUN UNTIL NOVEMBER 20TH.

THEY WILL NOT BE APPLYING TO BE ON THE BOARD PERMANENTLY BECAUSE THE WINDOW HAS CLOSED FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE AUGUST 6TH PRIMARY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO MAKE A COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE.

THEN IT IS TIME TO VOTE ON THE APPOINTMENTS AS PRESENTED OF TRUSTEE WILSON CLERK GUTHRIE AND TRUSTEE SUNDLAND FOR THE APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE AND ADOPT THE APPLICATION FOR THE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT UP IS AN APPOINTMENT TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

[12.B. Election Commission Appointment]

CLERK GUTHRIE HAS BROUGHT THIS MATTER FORWARD TO THE BOARD.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE IT? SURE. THE ELECTION COMMISSION FOR CHARTER TOWNSHIPS IS MADE UP OF TWO TRUSTEES AND THE CLERK.

AND WITH TRUSTEE HENDRICKSON MOVING TO THE SUPERVISOR POSITION, THAT MAKES HIM INELIGIBLE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THE ELECTION COMMISSION ANY LONGER. AND SO THE BOARD HAS BEFORE IT A MOTION TO APPOINT A NEW TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

CURRENTLY TRUSTEE SUNDLAND AND MYSELF, OF COURSE SIT ON THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

AND SO THAT IS WHAT IS BEFORE US TONIGHT.

I DO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO I THINK SHOULD.

OKAY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH THIS PERSON, BUT I THINK BUT I THINK TRUSTEE TREZISE WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE TO BE ON THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

HE HAS SERVED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAPACITIES AS A CHAIR AT ONE OF OUR POLLING LOCATIONS.

HE'S WORKED WITH OUR TEAM IN THE BACK TO PROCESS ABSENTEE BALLOTS, AND HE HAS OTHER EXPERIENCE IN REGARDS TO ELECTION RELATED ITEMS. AND SO I THINK HE WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE.

AND WE WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER.

SO I THINK HE WOULD BE A GOOD ADDITION TO THE A GOOD ADDITION TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION WITH TRUSTEE SUNDLAND AND MYSELF.

TRUSTEE TREZISE WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY? I WOULD, ALL RIGHT. GREAT.

I SUPPORT THAT MOTION.

WE DID, I THINK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ACTUALLY A MOTION MADE, BUT WE'LL I'LL MAKE IT.

WE'LL MAKE IT HERE. MOVE TO APPOINT TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE TREZISE TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ELECTION COMMISSION.

I SECOND THAT MOVED BY CLERK GUTHRIE SECONDED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

[00:50:02]

I WILL COMMENT THAT I AM SAD TO LEAVE THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

IT IS AN AREA OF GREAT INTEREST FOR ME AND I ONLY GOT TO SERVE IN ONE MEETING IN MY CAPACITY ON THE ELECTION COMMISSION.

BUT I WISH TRUSTEE TREZISE AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.

WELL, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THEY'LL BE NO GREAT LOSS OF KNOWLEDGE.

YEAH. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT FOR ME TO TO TO TRANSITION TO YOU.

WE CLARIFIED SOME PRECINCT BOUNDARIES.

GOOD. THAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING.

THOSE THREE HOUSES WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE, AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

WE WROTE A RESOLUTION ON THE FLY.

IT WAS FUN. IT WAS EXCITING.

ACTIVE WORK. THAT'S RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

THE MOTION BEFORE US IS TO APPOINT TRUSTEE TREZISE TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ELECTION COMMISSION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE MOTION CARRIES.

CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS.

WELCOME ABOARD. THANK YOU.

I'M SAYING THANK YOU TO HIM. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12 C, THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER CONTRACT.

[12.C. Interim Township Manager Contract]

AS THE BOARD KNOWS, ON APRIL 21ST, WE APPROVED APPOINTING TIMOTHY SCHMIDT AS OUR INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

WE HAVE A WE HAD A GOOD FAITH UNDERSTANDING THAT REQUIRED FOLLOW UP IN THE FORM OF PHYSICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR THE CONTRACT.

THAT AGREEMENT IS IN THE PACKET HERE BEFORE US TODAY.

SUBSTANTIVELY, IT CONTAINS FIVE PROVISIONS.

ONE IS A TEMPORARY INCREASE IN HIS SALARY TO THE LEVEL THAT THE OUTGOING MANAGER WAS BEING COMPENSATED AT.

THERE'S AN ADDITION OF 40 HOURS OF ADDITIONAL VACATION TIME.

ADDED TO HIS LEAVE BANK.

HE WILL FOREGO HIS CURRENT PHONE STIPEND THAT HE RECEIVES AND AND RECEIVE A TOWNSHIP CELL PHONE FOR OFFICIAL BUSINESS.

HE'LL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO HIS PREVIOUS POSITION AT THE PREVIOUS SALARY AT THE END OF THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, AND HE'LL HAVE SIX MONTHS OF FOR CAUSE EMPLOYMENT STATUS FOLLOWING HIS TENURE AS INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER IF HE RETURNS TO HIS PREVIOUS POSITION AND THE VARIOUS FOR CAUSE REASONS ARE SPELLED OUT IN THE CONTRACT WHICH WAS PROVIDED IN THE PACKET PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.

ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE AGREEMENT WILL BE RETROACTIVE TO THE DATE THAT HE WAS APPOINTED APRIL 21ST.

THROUGH THE POINT IN TIME WHERE THE BOARD SELECTS A PERMANENT TOWNSHIP MANAGER OR EITHER PARTY TERMINATES THE AGREEMENT, OR NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

IF FOR SOME REASON WE HAVE NOT YET SELECTED A TOWNSHIP MANAGER BY NOVEMBER 21ST, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND RENEGOTIATE AN EXTENSION OF SOME KIND.

MR. SCHMIDT IS NOT HERE, AS WE CAN SEE IN PERSON.

HOWEVER, HE HAS ASSURED US THAT HE IS IN SUPPORT OF THIS AGREEMENT, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SIGN IT WHEN HE RETURNS.

SO WITH THAT, I LEAVE TO YOU A MOTION FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD ANYONE WISH TO MAKE IT.

TRUSTEE WILSON. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT EFFECTIVE APRIL 21ST, 2024 WITH TIMOTHY R SCHMIDT, AND DIRECT THE CLERK AND SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP.

YOU HAVE A MOTION. DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

ANY COMMENTS? YES, THAT I THINK THIS IS A FAIR AGREEMENT.

IT HAS UNDERGONE THE SCRUTINY OF OUR ATTORNEYS.

MR. SCHMIDT HAS SERVED ABLY IN THIS SHORT WINDOW SO FAR, AND VERY PLEASED TO BE WORKING WITH THEM.

AND I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. I CONCUR, WHILE THE SALARY IS HIGHER THAN PERHAPS A NEW MANAGER WITHOUT MANAGER EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AT THE SAME TIME, MR. SCHMIDT IS ACTUALLY WEARING TWO HATS.

HE'S ALSO WORKING UPSTAIRS TO KEEP THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE GOING, SO I'M SURE HE'S WORKING VERY LONG HOURS AND THIS PAY THEREFORE SEEMS EQUITABLE.

THANK ANYONE ELSE.

SEEING NONE, THE MOTION BEFORE US IS TO APPROVE THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, AND TO DIRECT THE CLERK AND SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12 D, THE WHITE HILLS LAKE SOUTH NUMBER ONE.

[12.D. Whitehills Lakes South #1 – Streetlight SAD Resolution 1 & 2 (Hearing for June 18, 2024)]

WE HAVE EVENING AGAIN.

SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

[00:55:01]

THERE'S REALLY THERE'S FIVE RESOLUTIONS, BUT THERE'S REALLY THREE STEPS.

STEP ONE IS RESOLUTIONS ONE AND TWO.

IT'S REALLY DISSEMINATING NOTICING THE RESIDENTS ON THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AND WE WILL REPLICATE THAT WITH RESOLUTIONS THREE AND FOUR.

SO TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS TWO NOTICES THAT GO OUT INFORMING THEM OF THEIR PROPOSED OR DRAFT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.

AND THEN ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION FIVE AT THE END WILL BE THE THIRD AND FINAL STEP, AT WHICH POINT THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND WE WILL GO FORWARD WITH ASSESSING THE PROPERTIES.

THIS PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR THE STREET LIGHTS INSOMUCH AS THE COSTS ARE NOT LIKELY TO SHIFT OVER TIME UNLESS THE RESIDENTS ELECT TO PICK A DIFFERENT POLE, DIFFERENT WHITEHEAD CHANGE THE ESTHETICS OF THE FIXTURES THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO PUT IN.

SO YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PACKET VERY CLOSELY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S TWO VERY DIFFERENT COSTS PER STREETLIGHT IN THIS.

AND THAT KIND OF EXEMPLIFIES THE RANGE OF COSTS THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN INCUR DEPENDING ON WHAT THEIR ESTHETIC NEEDS ARE.

SO THIS ONE IS FOR WHITE HILLS LAKE SOUTH NUMBER ONE.

THIS WOULD BE FOR LED LIGHTS INSTALLED ON SOUTHRIDGE DRIVE.

THE RESIDENTS DID REQUEST THIS FROM THE TOWNSHIP.

AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, IN SOME INSTANCES, WE WOULD EVEN GET A DEVELOPER WHO PROPOSES THIS BEFORE HOMES ARE SOLD.

SO THERE'S USUALLY JUST TWO TIMELINES IN WHICH THEY OCCUR.

THIS WOULD BE THE FORMER.

THE RESIDENTS ALREADY OWN ALL THE HOMES AND THE PROPERTIES, AND THEY ARE REQUESTING IT BECAUSE THEY SEE IT ELSEWHERE IN WHITE HILLS LAKES.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE.

BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE TREZISE.

DIRECTOR OPSOMMER, THERE'S NO OPT OUT TO THIS PLAN.

DO ALL THE RESIDENTS HAVE TO AGREE TO THIS? STRAIGHT TO THE STREETLIGHT ASSESSMENT? WE USUALLY REQUIRE OVER 50% SUPPORT.

OKAY. AND WHAT IN THIS CASE HAPPENED? DO YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE BUT I BELIEVE THEY'RE UNANIMOUSLY IN SUPPORT.

OH, GOOD.

BUT I CAN CONFER ON THAT AND MAKE CERTAIN.

THANK YOU, TRUSTEE TREZISE.

YEAH. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD IS THESE WILL BE INSTALLED BY CONSUMERS AND THEY WILL MAINTAIN THEM LIKE OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

CORRECT. WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH CONSUMERS THAT GOVERNS WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.

THE TOWNSHIP THE TOWNSHIP'S ROLE IS THE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.

AND THEN ALSO WE PAY THE UTILITY BILLS, SO WE PAY THE UTILITY BILLS AND THEN THE RESIDENTS REIMBURSE US THROUGH THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS.

EACH I BELIEVE THESE ARE ACTUALLY ON THE WINTER ASSESSMENT ROLL.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER TREASURER DESCHAINE.

ARE THESE NEW POLES AND FIXTURES, THEY'RE GOING UP REPLACING EXISTING ONES OR ARE THERE NO LIGHTS THERE NOW? BRAND NEW STREETLIGHT DISTRICT FROM SCRATCH, SO NO EXISTING LIGHTS.

HOWEVER THERE ARE LIGHTS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY BUT DIFFERENT DISTRICT.

OKAY. CLERK GUTHRIE.

ARE THESE IN UNIFORMITY WITH THE ONES THAT ARE IN PROXIMITY, OR ANY OF THE OTHER ONES IN THE TOWNSHIP? IS THERE ANY KIND OF UNIFORMITY, OR IS IT WHATEVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS? IT'S KIND OF WHATEVER THEY WANT, BUT THEY TYPICALLY WILL KIND OF GO IN UNIFORMITY.

AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS ARE.

RIGHT. SO THIS WAS KIND OF A SMALLER PHASE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PACKET ITEM IN YOUR THIS ITEM IN YOUR BOARD PACKET WHEN WE DEVELOP IN REALLY SMALL INCREMENTAL PHASES, YOU'RE GOING TO TEND TO GET SMALLER STREET LIGHT DISTRICTS VERSUS WHEN WE BUILD OUT, YOU KNOW, 200 HOMES AT ONCE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET MORE UNIFORMITY.

SO THERE'S PROBABLY SEVERAL DIFFERENT STREET LIGHT HEADS THROUGHOUT WHITE HILLS LAKES AT THIS POINT AND THERE'S DIFFERENT ESTHETICS BETWEEN THESE TWO, BUT FENWICK COURT, THE LATTER AGENDA ITEM THAT WE'LL GET TO NEXT IS NOT LOCATED NEAR SOUTH RIDGE.

I WAS SURPRISED TO NOT SEE A PICTURE OF THE LIGHT.

SO, DOESN'T MATTER.

WE HAVE THOSE AND WE COULD BRING THOSE BACK AT THE JUNE 18TH PUBLIC HEARING.

OKAY. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.

AND THEN I HAVE TWO OTHER QUESTIONS AND I MAY NOT BE SAYING IT CORRECT, SO PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

ARE THESE STREET LIGHTS? ARE THEY DOWN STREET LIGHTS? WHERE THE THE WHERE THE LIGHT ONLY GOES DOWN? AND ARE THEY THE KIND OF LIGHTS THAT DON'T SPREAD LIGHT POLLUTION? CORRECT. THEY ARE ALL DOWN LIGHTS.

[01:00:01]

SILVERSTONE OFF POWELL ROAD.

JUST HAD A STREET LIGHT DISTRICT INSTALLED.

THAT WOULD BE A GOOD ONE.

THE SOUTH END OF TACOMA BOULEVARD HAS ONE OF THE OLDER STREETLIGHT DISTRICTS.

SOUTH END OF TACOMA HILLS HAS ONE OF THE OLDER STREETLIGHT DISTRICTS IN TOWN, FOR INSTANCE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE WHITE HILLS LAKE SOUTH, NUMBER ONE PUBLIC STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 428, RESOLUTION.

NUMBER ONE, ORDERING PLANS TO BE PREPARED, SHOWING THE STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, LOCATION AND ESTIMATE OF COST AND RESOLUTION.

NUMBER TWO, FOLLOWING FILING THE PLAN SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENT LOCATION, ESTIMATED COST WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TENTATIVELY DECLARING THE INTENTION TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN FOUR LED WHITE BULBS TRADITIONAL WITH CUT OFF STREET LIGHTS AND DEFRAY THE COST OF INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE BY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE 13 BENEFITING LOTS AND SETTING A SPECIAL HEARING FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH, 2024.

SUPPORT. MOVE BY TREASURER DESCHAINE, SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

TREASURER DESCHAINE, ANY COMMENTS? NONE. CLERK GUTHRIE.

NONE. I WILL SOME DISSONANCE HIT MY EAR ON THE MOTION.

YOU HAD SAID THE JUNE 18TH PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THE MOTION WAS FOR JUNE 4TH.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WHICH IT ACTUALLY IS JUNE 18TH.

COULD YOU REREAD THE MOTION TREASURER DESCHAINE, PLEASE? I SURE CAN. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE WHITE HILLS LAKE SOUTH NUMBER ONE, PUBLIC STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, DISTRICT NUMBER 428, RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE, ORDERING PLANS TO BE PREPARED, SHOWING THE STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, LOCATION, ESTIMATE OF COST AND RESOLUTION NUMBER TWO, FOLLOWING THE PLAN SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENT LOCATIONS AND ESTIMATE OF COST, WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TENTATIVELY DECLARING INTENTION TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN THE FOUR LED WHITE WALL TRADITIONAL WIDTH, CUT OFF STREET LIGHTS AND DEFRAY THE COST OF INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE BY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE 13 BENEFITING LOTS AND SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2024, SUPPORT.

ALL RIGHT. MOVED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE, SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

ALL RIGHT. ANY COMMENTS NOW.

SEEING NONE THIS I MIGHT REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.

SO LET'S ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.

CLERK GUTHRIE. CLERK GUTHRIE VOTES YES.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. YES.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

YES. MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.

THANK YOU CLERK GUTHRIE.

ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS..

MR. SUPERVISOR. YES.

JUST TO MAKE SURE, SINCE THE DATE IN THE MOTION INITIALLY WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE DATE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN THE RESOLUTION IS FINALLY PREPARED AND I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO READ IT CAREFULLY, MAKE SURE THE DATES COMPLIED.

WE'LL MAKE THE CORRECTIONS. THANK YOU.

IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S JUNE 18TH IN THE RESOLUTION.

SO JUST IT WAS LITERALLY THE LAST JUNE 4TH REFERENCE THAT WE DID NOT UPDATE.

YOUR NEXT MOTION IS PERFECT AND READY FOR YOU.

IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING.

IT IS OKAY. NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM 12 E THE WHITE HILLS LAKES SUBDIVISION NUMBER SEVEN.

[12.E. Whitehills Lakes Subdivision #7 – Streetlight SAD Resolution 1 & 2 (Hearing for June 18, 2024)]

RESOLUTION ONE AND TWO.

AND WE'LL TURN THINGS BACK OVER TO INTERIM OR ACTING TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

ALL THE INTERIM ACTING TITLES, DAN OPSOMMER.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS.

SO SAME THING HERE.

WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE THREE STEP FIVE RESOLUTION PROCESS, STARTING WITH RESOLUTIONS ONE AND TWO.

WE WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 18TH.

THESE RESIDENTS ON FENWICK COURT DID PICK A FANCIER STREETLIGHT HEAD AND POLE COMBINATION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE TOTALS. BUT THESE WOULD BE INSTALLED ON FENWICK COURT.

TWO LED LIGHTS IN TOTAL.

AND I BELIEVE THERE'S SIX PROPERTIES ON FENWICK COURT.

SO THAT IS THE SITE PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED STREETLIGHT ADDITIONS ON FENWICK COURT.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, THIS WAS A REQUEST OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS ON FENWICK COURT TO ESTABLISH A STREETLIGHT DISTRICT.

OKAY, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? VERY SIMILAR TO THE LAST ONE.

TRUSTEE WILSON, MY COMMENT IS HERE.

WE HAVE PRECISION OF WHITE BULB ACORN FIXTURES WITH CUT OFF AND BLACK FLUTED POLES.

SO THERE'S NO QUESTION OF WHAT'S GOING TO GET INSTALLED.

I'M READY TO MAKE THE MOTIONS.

OKAY. THIS IS A LONG ONE.

MOVE TO APPROVE THE WHITE HILLS LAKES NUMBER SEVEN PUBLIC STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, DISTRICT NUMBER 429, RESOLUTION ONE ORDERING PLANS TO BE PREPARED, SHOWING THE STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, LOCATION AND ESTIMATE OF COST AND

[01:05:08]

WHITE BULB, ACORN FIXTURES WITH CUT OFF AND BLACK FLUTED POLES, AND DEFRAY THE COST OF INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE BY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE SIX BENEFITING LOTS AND SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2024.

TRUSTEE GEORGE.

MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE TREZISE. I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.

I THINK IT'S THE SAME PRESENTATION WE HAD.

THE PROPERTY OWNERS WANT IT, AND SO I THINK IT'S A WAY TO GO.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.

THIS WILL BE A ROLL CALL VOTE.

CLERK GUTHRIE WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13 A.

[13.A. Township Manager Search Process]

AND INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT HAS LET US KNOW THAT AN ACTING MANAGER OPSOMMER WILL BE GIVING THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING ON THE SEARCH PROCESS. SO WE HAND THINGS BACK OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

SO INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT DRAFTED THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS TIMELINE.

THERE'S REALLY TWO THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOOKING FOR FROM YOU THIS EVENING.

FIRST IS THE GO AHEAD.

IF THAT'S WHAT IF THAT'S YOUR DESIRE TO PUT OUT AN RFP TO OBTAIN THE SERVICES FROM A SEARCH FIRM, WE WOULD NEED TO GET THAT BALL ROLLING, LIKE IMMEDIATELY JUST TO ADHERE TO THE ROUGH TIMELINE IN THIS MEMO.

THE SECOND ITEM IS JUST GENERAL FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, ANY THOUGHTS OR IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THE PROCESS THAT WE COULD THEN WEAVE INTO IT? SO ITEM NUMBER ONE IS THE BIGGEST, JUST WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD LIKE AN RFP TO GO OUT TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM VARIOUS SEARCH FIRMS THAT WOULD LIKELY PUT US IN A POSITION TO WHERE WE COULD BRING THOSE PROPOSALS TO YOU AT YOUR SECOND MEETING IN JULY, AND YOU COULD MAKE A DECISION AT THAT TIME ON WHICH FIRM TO PROCEED WITH. AND THEN EXTENDING OUT FROM THAT JULY TIMELINE.

ACTUALLY, WHAT I'LL DO IS IF YOU IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN JUST PAUSE THERE AND WE COULD HAVE THE BOARD DISCUSS THE FIRST OF THE TWO IF YOU'D LIKE, AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO EARLY AUGUST TO LATE 2024 SURE.

SO THE QUESTION THEN WOULD BE DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH AN RFP FOR THE FIRM THAT WILL CONDUCT THE SEARCH FOR OUR NEXT MANAGER? SO BOARD MEMBERS, ANY COMMENTS? TRUSTEE TREZISE I THINK THAT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

THIS IS A SEARCH THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE NATIONWIDE.

WE NEED A QUALIFIED FIRM THAT CAN WORK WITH US AND WITH STAFF AS NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE'RE SEEKING IN THIS POSITION. HOPEFULLY A FIRM THAT HAS EXPERIENCE IN FILLING THIS TYPE OF POSITION.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.

WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE, AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE IT INTERNALLY TO WORK AT THIS LEVEL AND DO THE REST OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. SO I STRONGLY SUPPORT SEEKING A PROFESSIONAL SEARCH FIRM.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. TRUSTEE WILSON I SPOKE WITH INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT ABOUT A TIMELINE FOR DOING THIS, AND HE INDICATED THE TIMELINE IS MUCH LONGER THAN I EXPECTED TO DO THE DUE DILIGENCE, HIRE THE FIRM, DO THE DUE DILIGENCE, BRING US GREAT CANDIDATES FROM WHICH WE CAN CHOOSE.

SO I THINK THIS IS GIVEN THE SKILL SET THAT THIS COMPANY WOULD HAVE AND EXPERIENCE, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SEVERAL FIRMS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT. IT'S TIME TO GET ROLLING ON THIS TO GET IT DONE.

THANK YOU. TREASURER DESCHAINE I CONCUR.

WE NEED TO HIRE A FIRM TO DO THIS.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POSITION.

I'VE ALWAYS STATED THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THIS BOARD DOES IS HIRE A MANAGER.

AND SO OUR NEXT MANAGER IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

THE WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THOUGH, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HIRE THIS FIRM IN JULY ACCORDING TO THIS PLAN, EARLY JULY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL EARLY AUGUST TO BEGIN THE

[01:10:05]

I DON'T SEE WHY WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO STAKE A MONTH BEFORE WE ONCE WE HIRE THE FIRM TO GET THEM BUSY LOOKING FOR A CANDIDATE.

SO THE PROPOSALS, WE WOULD GET THE RFP OUT AND HOPEFULLY BY MID JUNE WITH PROPOSALS DUE IN EARLY JULY, BUT LIKELY AFTER YOUR FIRST MEETING IN JULY.

SO WE WOULD BRING THE PROPOSALS TO YOU, YOUR SECOND MEETING IN JULY.

IT'S REALLY THE TIMING YOU WANT TO GIVE.

I MEAN, TYPICALLY YOU WANT TO GIVE 3 TO 4 WEEKS MINIMUM.

ESPECIALLY PROPOSALS LIKE THIS WHERE IT'S NOT A CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL.

THIS IS REALLY A PREPARED RESPONSE PROPOSAL.

SO THEY ARE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL THAT'S QUITE LENGTHY IN WORD COUNT VERSUS LIKE A CONSTRUCTION BID WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A11 PAGE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR BID BOND, YOU'VE GOT YOUR BID TAB, YOU'RE DONE.

THIS IS MORE OF A LENGTHY PROPOSAL THAT YOU'LL GET AND THEN HAVE TO REVIEW.

SO IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO GIVE THE FIRMS 3 TO 4 WEEKS TO RESPOND.

I GET THAT, I JUST DON'T THINK WE NEED ONCE WE HIRE THAT FIRM, WAIT UNTIL IN AUGUST.

WE NEED TO EMPOWER THEM TO GET THE SEARCH UNDERWAY.

YEAH, WE COULD LOOK AT THAT SECOND MEETING IN JULY.

GETTING A SCHEDULE ON THE BOOKS FOR THE BOARD TO MEET WITH THE FIRM IN LATE JULY AND START THE PROCESS.

YOU COULD TRY TRUSTEE TREZISE.

YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS TYPE OF PROCESS A NUMBER OF TIMES SEARCHING FOR SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, AND THIS IS A AN AMBITIOUS TIMELINE. IT USUALLY TAKES LONGER THAN THIS.

THE RESPONSE TO AN RFP CAN OFTEN TAKE A MONTH, DEPENDING ON THE DETAIL YOU ASK FROM THEM AND THEIR EXPERTISE AND ALL THAT.

SO I THINK THIS IS A REALISTIC BUT AMBITIOUS TIMELINE.

AND I STILL THINK WE SHOULD GO FORWARD WITH IT.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

AT WHAT POINT? MAYBE THIS IS LATER ON.

I'M TRYING TO FIND IT. I THOUGHT I SAW IT EARLIER WHEN I WAS READING THE PACKET.

AT WHAT POINT DO WE RECEIVE INPUT FROM STAFF ABOUT THE TYPE OF MANAGER THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN PLACE? I KNOW IT SAYS PUBLIC INPUT.

IS THERE INTERNAL INPUT FOR THE NEXT TOWNSHIP MANAGER THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LEAD THIS TOWNSHIP, AS WELL AS EXTERNAL INPUT? IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE WHEN INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT RETURNS FROM VACATION.

THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HE WROTE INTO THE INITIAL DRAFT, AND I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO MODIFY IT ALL TOO MUCH.

I ADDED A COUPLE OF THINGS, JUST NARRATIVE THINGS FOR THE BOARD JUST TO BE AWARE OF, SUCH AS SOME OF THE CONFIDENTIALITY FOR FURTHER ON IN THE PROCESS WHEN PEOPLE ARE APPLYING.

RIGHT. BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION THAT CAN BE HAD AND SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS NOW IN INTERIM, MANAGER SCHMIDT RETURNS.

BUT THIS IS REALLY JUST TO BE A VERY ROUGH FRAMEWORK.

OKAY. AND MY OTHER QUESTION IS BUT FIRST, JUST JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS WHEN INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT COMES BACK, THAT WOULD BE A CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH THEM REGARDING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INPUT.

AND AT WHAT POINT THAT WOULD BE IN THIS PROCESS.

YEAH. I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE BOARD TO START THINKING ABOUT IDEAS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO YOU KNOW, YOU CAN START TO GATHER IDEAS THAT YOU CAN THEN GIVE TO THE SEARCH FIRM. RIGHT. WE WON'T HAVE A SEARCH FIRM UNDER CONTRACT UNTIL LATE JULY AT THE EARLIEST.

BUT IN THE INTERIM PERIOD, YOU CAN START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT COMPONENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A SEARCH PROCESS.

COMPILE THOSE IDEAS SO THAT THEY'RE READY WHEN THE FIRM DOES START.

AND YOU CAN EASILY DISSEMINATE AND SHARE THAT WITH THE FIRM.

OKAY. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WAS IN REGARDS TO THE MANAGER'S CONTRACT, THERE WERE.

PRESUMABLY HOLES OR ISSUES FOUND IN THE CONTRACT, OR MAYBE THINGS THAT THE BOARD DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE IN THERE.

OR MAYBE THEY WANT TO ADD OTHER THINGS IN THERE.

AT WHAT POINT IN THIS PROCESS, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY WHO'S APPLYING WOULD LOOK AT THE FORMER CONTRACT AND SAY, OH, LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS I GET, OR OH, LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT THIS, I'M GOING TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB.

AT WHAT POINT DOES THE BOARD LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS? SO THE SEARCH FIRM AND ANYONE WHO'S APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION HAS AN ACCURATE IDEA OF WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE AND THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT.

I SUSPECT THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WOULD LIKELY HAPPEN UNDER THIS MEMO.

[01:15:08]

IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SETTING UP THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, WE'RE GATHERING PUBLIC INPUT, WHAT HAVE YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO AT LEAST ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE BELIEVE THE COMPENSATION WILL BE BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO POST THE SEARCH TERM.

WE'LL HAVE TO POST SOMETHING WITH REGARD TO THAT.

AND THEN IF YOU LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON IN THE LATE OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER THERE ARE, THERE'S IN THAT MEMO, THERE'S CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS OCCUR TOWARD THE END.

YEAH, AND I AGREE, I THINK, YOU KNOW.

SO THIS BOARD WOULD BE MEETING TO DISCUSS THAT PRIOR TO AUGUST LIKE YEAR OR WHENEVER THE THIS THIS GOES OUT, THIS RFP GOES OUT. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WHAT I'M HEARING LATE JULY OR LATE JULY TO LATE AUGUST WOULD BE A TIME FRAME FOR US TO HAVE A FEW DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHAT WE WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE QUALIFICATIONS AND THE SALARY AND WHATNOT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE SEARCH FIRM IS GOING TO ALSO GIVE US SOME INPUT AS TO WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE MARKET RATE WOULD BE FOR A COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONCE WE GET THEM ENGAGED, WHOEVER IT MIGHT BE, IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THEM PROVIDE US WITH SOME OF THAT INPUT SO THAT THAT'LL KICK START THE DISCUSSION.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU. AND THEN TO THE POINT OF RFP OR NO RFP.

YES, RFP, THIS IS THIS IS THE EASY QUESTION, RIGHT.

LET'S LET'S, YOU KNOW, PUT IT OUT TO BID SO THAT WE GET THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST DOING THIS SEARCH FOR US.

TRUSTEE I WOULD SAY THAT IN THIS PROCESS, NORMALLY THE POSTING DOES NOT GIVE INTIMATE DETAILS AS TO THE CONTRACT THAT'S COMING.

IT SAYS WAGE.

IT SAYS THE ASSURANCES MAY SAY LIFE INSURANCE AND IT MAY DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT FINANCIAL.

BUT THE DETAILS IN A CONTRACT OF HIRE IS MUCH DEEPER AND WOULD BE PART OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND BOARD INPUT AS TO WHAT WE COULD OFFER IN THOSE AREAS.

AND THAT PROBABLY WOULD OCCUR SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.

AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO MAKING A DECISION AND GOING FORWARD TO THE NEGOTIATE.

YEAH. CLERK GUTHRIE.

ONE MORE COMMENT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THE FORMER CONTRACT IS MADE PUBLIC, I DO WORRY THAT PEOPLE WHO APPLY WILL PRESUME THAT THIS IS THE EXACT SAME CONTRACT, IF NOT VERY SIMILAR TO SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD GET IF THEY WERE TO APPLY FOR THIS.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD LOOK AT THE CONTRACT EARLIER THAN LATER, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SPECULATE. THEY WILL LOOK AT THE NEWS THAT WAS OUT THERE.

THEY WILL LOOK AT THE CONTRACT ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.

THEY WILL MAKE ASSUMPTIONS AND PRESUMPTIONS.

THE STAFF WILL INTERNALLY ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS WILL, THE PUBLIC WILL, AND THEN EVERYBODY WILL TALK AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.

AND THEN PEOPLE WILL BE THINKING, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR WAY BEFORE AN RFP EVEN GETS OUT THERE.

SO JUST SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT AS A BOARD THAT THAT THAT IS OUT THERE.

AND PEOPLE MAY LOOK AT THAT.

WELL, HERE WE ARE ON THE RECORD, RIGHT? I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT HAS HAPPENED, A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TOWNSHIP MANAGER CONTRACT WAS WRITTEN.

I THINK IT'S IT DESERVES TO BE UPDATED AND IT DESERVES TO BE RUN THROUGH TOWNSHIP COUNCIL AND SCRUTINIZED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

SO FROM MY PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I CAN'T IMAGINE US MOVING FORWARD WITH THE SAME CONTRACT THAT WE HAD BEFORE.

AND I, YOU KNOW, FOR THE RECORD, I EXPECT THAT THE CONTRACT WILL CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM WHAT WAS PUT IN PLACE, WHAT, TEN YEARS AGO, 11, 12 YEARS AGO? I, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY THINK ABOUT HOW THAT MATERIAL MATERIALLY MIGHT CHANGE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, BUT I THINK SUFFICIENT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT WHAT ARE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD GOING TO THINK ABOUT IT? I THINK WE CAN TELL THEM UNEQUIVOCALLY AT LEAST I CAN SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY I WILL SUPPORT MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THAT CONTRACT.

OKAY. YES.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

SO I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOME GENERAL DIRECTION ON RFP OR NO RFP.

WHAT OTHER WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DID YOU NEED US TO WEIGH IN ON AT THIS MOMENT? ARE WE? THE BOARD KIND OF DELVED INTO OTHER ITEMS, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD YOU KNOW, THE BOARD WOULD CONVENE WITH THE SEARCH FIRM LATE JULY OR PERHAPS MAY TO AUGUST AT THE EARLY.

THAT'D BE LIKE ON THE EARLY SIDE OF THINGS TO DEVELOP THE SEARCH PROCESS.

AND SEPTEMBER WOULD BE THE POSTING WOULD GO LIVE AND YOU WOULD BEGIN COLLECTING APPLICATIONS.

[01:20:03]

AND STATE LAW COMES INTO PLAY HERE AS A LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT WHERE THERE'S CONFIDENTIALITY.

BUT EVEN EVEN WHEN STATE LAW DOESN'T COME INTO PLAY, IT'S COMMON FOR EXECUTIVE SEARCHES TO HAVE CONFIDENTIALITY UNTIL YOU GET DOWN TO THE FINAL 2 TO 3 APPLICANTS WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE TYPICALLY ATTEMPTING TO GET THE BEST APPLICANT POOL POSSIBLE.

SO SEPTEMBER WOULD BE THE POSTING GOING LIVE.

BEST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE LATE AUGUST FOR THE POSTING GOING LIVE.

THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF NARRATIVE THAT I ADDED, JUST TO UNDERSTAND THAT MOST EXECUTIVE SEARCHES DO HAVE CONFIDENTIALITY.

UNTIL THAT FINAL 2 TO 3 INTERVIEW PROCESS EARLY OCTOBER.

THE APPLICANTS OR THE APPLICATIONS WOULD BE PRESENTED TO YOU.

AND THEY WOULD ANONYMIZE THEM SO THAT YOU WOULD REVIEW THEM ALL WITHOUT ANY YOU KNOW, WITH FAIR IMPARTIALITY TO EVERY APPLICATION BEFORE YOU. AND THEN YOU WOULD CHOOSE TYPICALLY 2 TO 3 TO INTERVIEW.

AND THAT INTERVIEW PROCESS CAN TAKE ON MANY FORMS. IT COULD BE MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS.

SOMETIMES THERE'S PRIVATE INTERVIEWS AND THEN PUBLIC INTERVIEWS.

YOU MIGHT HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND THEN ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC INTERVIEW.

AND AS INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT PUT IN THERE, YOU CAN DO KIND OF A TOWN HALL STYLE, WHERE EVEN MAYBE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT CAN BE USED, BUT THE SEARCH FIRM, JUST LIKE THE CONTRACTS, THE SEARCH FIRM COULD GIVE YOU 100 DIFFERENT CONTRACTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND THEY CAN ALSO PROBABLY GIVE YOU ABOUT THREE DOZEN DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT HAVE BEEN USED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS FOR A SEARCH OF JUST EXACTLY THIS NATURE. TRUSTEE WILSON FOR THE EARLY OCTOBER SECTION ABOUT HAVING A OPEN HOUSE OR TOWN HALL THAT THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO.

WE DID THIS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT PROMOTING CHIEF PLAZA TO POLICE CHIEF, AND I WILL TELL YOU, THIS WAS I CAME AS A PUBLIC CITIZEN AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO KNOW.

AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR IN THAT ROOM WHO WAS AHEAD OF THE GAME.

SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US USE THIS KIND OF A METHODOLOGY AND OFFER TO THE PUBLIC TO COME AND MEET THE FINALISTS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I'LL CONCUR WITH WITH THAT AS WELL.

I THINK THAT HAVING SOME KIND OF A MEETING SINCE THIS IS SUCH A PUBLIC FACING ROLE.

YES. PUTTING THIS, YOU KNOW, PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC AND SEEING HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, INTERACT WITH FOLKS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA.

I'LL ALSO AGREE WITH CLERK GUTHRIE POINT THAT SHE MADE A MOMENT AGO ABOUT STAFF INPUT.

I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST INVOLVING STAFF IN THE AUGUST TIME FRAME, AS WE'RE SORT OF GATHERING OUR SIGHTS AROUND WHO OUR IDEAL CANDIDATES WOULD BE FOR THE SEARCH FIRM BEFORE THEY GO OUT AND AND COLLECT APPLICATIONS.

I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THEM TO PUT TOGETHER A SURVEY OR HAVE A MEETING WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS FROM STAFF IN THAT AUGUST TIME FRAME TO GATHER STAFF INPUT AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING OUR INPUT IN OUR MEETINGS.

THE PUBLIC CERTAINLY IS WELCOME TO PROVIDE INPUT THROUGH WHATEVER CHANNELS THEY FEEL APPROPRIATE.

AND I THINK STAFF DOES NEED A VOICE IN THAT AS WELL.

OTHERWISE, I AGREE IT'S AN AMBITIOUS TIMELINE.

I THINK LIKELIER THAN NOT.

WE'LL SEE. MY GUESS, MY GUESS IS WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

NOT PERHAPS NOT EARLY NOVEMBER, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHOOT FOR THE MOON.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM 13B, THE MSHDA HOUSING TIF INITIATIVES AND POLICY CHANGES.

[13.B. MSHDA Affordable Housing TIF]

ONE SINGULAR BREATH.

WELL, MOUTHFUL.

THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THE OBJECTIVE TONIGHT IS DISCUSSION.

I HAVE TWO ITEMS BEFORE US.

IT'S REALLY JUST DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.

THERE IS A BIT OF A MOTION IN THIS.

AND THAT WAS TAKEN TO THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY.

[01:25:01]

SO WE HAVE A BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

BROWNFIELD ESSENTIALLY MEANS CONTAMINATED, BLIGHTED, OBSOLETE OR HISTORIC PROPERTIES.

IT'S AN INCENTIVE, A TRUE INCENTIVE, MEANING THE DEVELOPMENT TYPICALLY DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

APPROVING A REIMBURSEMENT.

I LIKE TO STRESS THAT THAT WHICH IS THE DEVELOPER WILL PAY FOR THE CLEANUP.

AND THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT, IT IS REIMBURSED BACK TO THE DEVELOPER.

THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN THE THING GENERALLY IN THE TOWNSHIP, WHEN WE HAVE A BROWNFIELD PLAN, WE HAVE SEVERAL BROWNFIELD PROJECTS.

THE AMERICAN HOUSE MERIDIAN SITE IS A BROWNFIELD SITE OR WAS PREVIOUSLY A BROWNFIELD SITE COMPLETELY CLEANED UP.

SO THAT'S ONE PROJECT WE CAN SAY YAY! EXACTLY. THIS INCENTIVE WORKS.

LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER 2023, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN MADE SOME CHANGES, MADE SOME ALLOWANCE CHANGES, SOME ELIGIBILITY CHANGES TO THE STATE BROWNFIELD ACT.

IT'S NOW PUBLIC ACT 90 OF 2023.

AND IT HAS CHANGED THE DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PROPERTY TO INCLUDE HOUSING PROPERTY.

THIS MEANS THAT NOW A PROJECT THAT INCLUDES A HOUSING COMPONENT COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR BROWNFIELD.

AND WE'LL STOP RIGHT THERE, A HOUSING COMPONENT.

THIS IS NOT ONLY MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.

AS FAR AS MR. IS CONCERNED.

THIS COULD BE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.

SO THIS COVERS HOUSING COMPONENTS OF PROJECTS.

A DEVELOPER WOULD APPROACH THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT, LIKE WE CONTINUE TO DO NOW, GET AN APPROVED BROWNFIELD PLAN.

AND THE ELIGIBILITY COSTS COULD INCLUDE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PORTION.

PREVIOUSLY, THE ELIGIBILITIES WERE FOCUSED ON REMOVAL OF THE CONTAMINATION, YOU KNOW, ASBESTOS, CLEANING UP A SITE, GEO TILES, VAPOR MITIGATION SYSTEMS, EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD DO TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM WHATEVER CONTAMINATION WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY.

BUT THIS NEW STATE ALLOWANCE WILL INCLUDE ELIGIBLE UNITS IN THE REIMBURSEMENT.

THAT IS HUGE.

IT'S HUGE.

IT'S HUGE. SO THEN OF COURSE YOU'RE LIKE, WELL THANK YOU STATE YOU'RE OPENING UP THE DOOR.

DEAR STATE, DO YOU HAVE SOME PARAMETERS FOR HOW LONG A COMMUNITY SHOULD ALLOW SUCH A REIMBURSEMENT? DO YOU HAVE A STANDARD FOR THE NUMBER OF UNITS, SIZE OF UNITS, COST OF UNITS? NO, NO, THAT'S ALL FOR THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT TO DETERMINE.

SO THE MORE THAT I'VE DUG INTO THIS, THE MORE THAT I'M LIKE, THIS IS A WONDERFUL TOOL.

BUT AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY BE ALIGNED ON WHAT IS OUR DEFINITION, BECAUSE IT'S UP TO US TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT IS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS OUT THERE.

AND SO I THINK I'M JUST GOING TO START WITH THE GENERAL.

HOW DOES THIS WORK? THE DEVELOPER AGAIN, WILL COME TO STAFF WILL COME TO THE LOCAL BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY AND SAY, HERE'S OUR REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS LET'S USE A TWO BEDROOM UNIT.

A TWO BEDROOM UNIT.

FAIR MARKET IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS ABOUT $1,000.

SO GENERALLY FOR KIND OF COST EFFECTIVE, TWO BEDROOM, ONE AND A HALF RENTAL IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS ABOUT $1,000.

THAT'S MULTIFAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY STARTS AT 1600 AND GOES UP.

AND THESE ARE JUST AGAIN, WE'VE GOT SOME WHITE PAPERS ON SOME HOUSING UNITS, STUDIES THAT WE'VE DONE FOR LOCAL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FAIR MARKET RENTS.

THE DEVELOPER WILL THEN HAVE THEIR UNIT RENT, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR RENT COST AND THE FAIR MARKET COST WOULD BE THE COST REDUCTION CALCULATION.

THAT SOUNDS GENERALLY LIKE THAT'S SUITABLE, RIGHT? A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT WOULD TYPICALLY GO FOR $1,000.

MAYBE THE DEVELOPER WOULD OFFER IT AT 750 AND WE WOULD TAKE THAT REDUCTION, THAT 150 REDUCTION RIGHT PER UNIT PER MONTH.

THAT WOULD BE THE EXTRAPOLATED COST.

TELL ME IF I'M CONFUSING ANYONE.

OKAY. GREAT NEWS, AND MORE TERRIFYING NEWS IS THAT MSHDA HAS SOME CAP RENTS.

THEY HAVE, THEY'VE DECIDED THESE CAP RENTS, FOR INSTANCE, FOR A STUDIO BEDROOM OR STUDIO APARTMENT, WHICH IS ANYWHERE 650FT² OR LESS.

THEIR CAP RENT IS $2,120 A MONTH.

THERE'S NO STUDIO APARTMENT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THAT'S $2,000 A MONTH.

BUT EVERY DEVELOPER WILL APPROACH US SAYING, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU 30 STUDIO APARTMENTS AT AFFORDABLE.

WELL, THAT LOOKS GREAT ON PAPER, BUT IF YOU DON'T DIG INTO IT, HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIT IN THE STUDIO APARTMENT?

[01:30:03]

THEY ARE OFFERING ABOUT 20% OF THEIR UNITS AS AFFORDABLE RATES.

THAT'S ABOUT 60 UNITS.

48 OF THOSE UNITS ARE A ONE BEDROOM OR A STUDIO.

11 OF THOSE UNITS ARE TWO BEDROOMS OR THREE BEDROOM PLUS.

SO IF WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUR BREAD AND BUTTER, WHICH IS FAMILIES, I PERSONALLY CONSIDER AND WOULD RECOMMEND THE BOARD SETTING SOME STANDARDS ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS BY SIZE OR TYPE.

SO MAYBE IN OUR POLICY WE HAVE PARAMETERS THAT SAY WE'RE ONLY GOING TO SUPPORT X PERCENT OF STUDIO OR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MAYBE THE BOARD DOESN'T SUPPORT STUDIO AND SINGLE BEDROOMS AT ALL.

SO AGAIN, IT'S SO WIDE AND SO BIG FOR HOW WE USE THIS INCENTIVE TO SUPPORT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

BUT THE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU ARE IS WHAT IS AFFORDABILITY? WHO ARE WE MARKETING IT TO? WHAT ARE THE UNITS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE AFFORDABLE? HOW MANY AND FOR HOW LONG? IT'S A BIG QUESTION. IT'S A BIG QUESTION.

I AM HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

TRUSTEE WILSON. FROM MY BROWNFIELD EXPERIENCE AT THE MEDC, BECAUSE I AUDITED THE PROGRAM AS A TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.

I LEARNED THAT BROWNFIELDS ARE BELOW THE GROUND.

THEY WILL ONLY GIVE YOU MONEY TO MITIGATE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDERGROUND, LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE DRY CLEANERS AT VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.

SO THIS NOW IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE THAT THEY WILL ALLOW, OR WE WILL ALLOW A BROWNFIELD TIF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING FOR BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT'S BUILT.

CORRECT. AS LONG AS IT'S A HOUSING COMPONENT, AN AFFORDABLE COMPONENT THAT WE'VE AGREED TO.

SO THE HOUSING COMPONENT, DOES THAT MEAN IT'S A COMPONENT OF SOMETHING ELSE? IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE.

SO ARE YOU ASKING DOES IT HAVE TO BE A MIXED USE PRODUCT.

NO. IT DOES SOMETHING ON THAT ORDER.

IT DOES NOT. IT DOES NOT.

SO CONCEIVABLY THE PROJECT LIKE MARSH, THE MARSH ROAD PROJECT AT MARSH AND HASLETT.

CORRECT. THEY HAVEN'T BUILT ANYTHING YET.

SO THEY COULD APPLY FOR THIS TIF FOR THEIR VERTICAL BUILD.

CORRECT? WOW.

IN THEORY, SO COULD DTN FOR NEWTON POINT.

THAT IS AMAZING, ISN'T IT? YEAH, I'M BLOWN.

THAT'S A WORD I WOULD USE. AMAZING.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING. YEAH.

YES. CORRECT. I THINK IT REALLY COMPLICATES OUR HOUSING PICTURE BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD SOME RULES AROUND THIS.

NOW HOUSING IN THE TOWNSHIP, I BELIEVE IT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE.

ONE UNIT CANNOT CONTAIN MORE THAN TWO UNRELATED PERSONS.

RIGHT. DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW IF THAT'S ACCURATE? THAT IS CORRECT. SO WE CAN GET AROUND THE ENTIRE FAMILY IN A STUDIO? WELL, THEY'RE ALL RELATED.

THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY TRICKY.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT TOOL THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE ONE OF OUR BIG PROBLEMS, WHICH IS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THERE'S A NEED FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING, IS A NEED FOR MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING IN THE TOWNSHIP RIGHT NOW.

AND THE NEW BUILDS THAT ARE BEING DONE UP AT COPPER CREEK OR WHITEHILLS LAKES, THESE ARE NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THESE ARE NOT MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING.

THEY ARE HIGH INCOME HOUSING IN MCMANSIONS, IF YOU WILL.

AND THAT'S BEEN A NATIONWIDE TREND SINCE 2010, THAT WHEN THE HOUSING MARKET CAME TO ALMOST COMPLETE STOP BETWEEN 2000 AND 8, NINE AND TEN, WHEN THEY GOT RESTARTED AFTER THE MORTGAGE CRISIS, THEY STARTED BUILDING AGAIN.

BUT THEY ONLY STARTED BUILDING THE HIGH MARGIN LARGE HOMES THAT WE SEE IN SOME OF OUR BEST NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THE MIDDLE HOUSING MARKET HAS BEEN LEFT REALLY UNDEVELOPED.

SO I THINK IF WE CAN USE THIS AS A TOOL TO TO SPUR THAT DEVELOPMENT WITH REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING PLOTS IN THE TOWNSHIP, IT COULD BE AN EXCITING TOOL. AND I THINK LOOK FORWARD TO YOU COMING BACK TO US WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW WE MIGHT ACHIEVE THAT.

THAT WOULD BE MY GOAL FOR THIS, MR. TIF, IS TO FOCUS ON OUR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM ISSUE.

MR. USED A TERM OF WORKER READY, WHICH WAS, I THINK, BETWEEN 80 AND 100% OF THE MEDIAN INCOME AS HOUSING, AS A HOUSING TARGET.

IS THAT BEEN USED AT ALL IN REGARDS TO THIS PROGRAM? THEY ARE NOT SETTING STANDARDS FOR THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT OF WHAT THE AFFORDABILITY RATE NEEDS TO BE.

[01:35:04]

IT JUST MAKES SENSE, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY UNLESS THE BOARD FELT LIKE.

YOU WANTED TO HELP OUT SOMEONE MORE THAN LIKELY TO FIT INTO THAT STUDIO MARKET, WHETHER THAT IS A SINGLE PERSON GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL.

MY MY HOPE IS TO BRING BACK THE BOARD SOME SUGGESTIONS WITH SOME INCOME, GENERAL INCOMES THAT WE WOULD UNDERSTAND, LIKE A NURSING TECHNICIAN.

RIGHT. AN IT ASSOCIATE, A RECENT GRADUATE ENGINEER FROM MICHIGAN STATE.

HOW WOULD THAT PERSON BE ABLE TO AFFORD, YOU KNOW, OFF OF A SALARY OF $50,000 A YEAR? WHERE WOULD THEY LIVE AND HOW WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS UNIT? I THINK THOSE ARE SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.

SO I THINK I THINK IF WE WERE ADDRESSING HOUSING, WE ALL KNOW WE ALL NEED SHELTER, AND SO AT THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY, THE DISCUSSION WITH WITH THEIR BOARD MEMBERS WAS WHAT MARKET ARE WE ADDRESSING? IF WE'RE ADDRESSING FAMILY MARKETS WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE MORE TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS.

IF WE ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON 55 PLUS, THAT MIGHT BE A ONE BEDROOM OR A STUDIO.

I THINK PARAMETERS BASED OFF PROXIMITY AND LOCATION, FOCUSING ON [INAUDIBLE] REDEVELOPMENT IN THE AREAS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED AS LOCATIONS FOR INFILL MAKE SENSE? MY OTHER SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO FOCUS ON THE MSHDA TIF RIGHT NOW WITH JUST MULTIFAMILY, BECAUSE THE PARAMETERS ARE VERY WIDE, THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS THAT IT HAS TO BE MULTIFAMILY ONLY.

THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS IT HAS TO BE SINGLE FAMILY ONLY.

WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TO USE THEIR CAP RENTS, WHICH MADE ME FEEL REALLY GOOD, AND THAT SAID TO ME THAT A DEVELOPER MIGHT THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET 15 MILLION OUT OF THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPARING MSHDA CAP RENTS.

BUT I ASKED AND THEY SAID NO, THEY CREATED THOSE CAP RENTS FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES, RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE GENERAL MARKET IS FOR RENT IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SINCE WE KIND OF HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON IT, WE'VE ADDRESSING HOUSING.

WE HAD A HOUSING STUDY.

WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE FOR FAIR MARKET RENTS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL STUDIES.

HUD, ALICE, ALL SEVERAL REPORTS THAT ARE DEFINED FOR THE LANSING, EAST LANSING MSA, WHERE WE LIVE, THAT WE CAN USE THOSE RATES TO DETERMINE WHAT IS REALLY FAIR.

AND I THINK THAT WE CAN GET TO A POINT WHERE WE AGREE TO AN INCENTIVE THAT SUPPORTS THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, CREATES AFFORDABILITY AND UNITS, BUT ISN'T JUST HANDING OUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO A DEVELOPER BECAUSE THEY PUT IN 1440 STUDIO APARTMENTS.

THINKING OF THE HASLETT MARSH DEVELOPMENT, WE KNOW THAT THAT DEVELOPMENT HAS A PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IS HOPING TO SEE MORE FAMILIES, MORE ACTIVATION AT THE CORNER.

THAT'S THOSE ARE BIG PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

HOW DO WE BALANCE THE NUMBER OF UNITS FOR THE TYPES OF MARKET THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT IN THAT AREA, MAYBE ON A DIFFERENT PROJECT? LIKE IF YOU WERE TO SUPPORT A DTN FOR RENT GRAND RESERVE PRODUCT LIKE THAT, MAYBE THERE'S A DIFFERENT COMPONENT, MAYBE THERE'S A DIFFERENT MIXTURE OF HOUSING UNITS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

AFFORDABLE. MAYBE YOU DON'T AGREE THAT EVERY SINGLE DEVELOPMENT HAS TO HAVE 20% AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THIS MAKEUP.

MAYBE YOU CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH DEVELOPMENT TO HAVE KIND OF ITS OWN A LA CARTE VERSION.

AND I THINK THAT IT CAN BE DONE WITH SOME SIMPLE MATH AND THE STANDARDS OF THE BOARD SAYING WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT, FOR INSTANCE.

50% AMI AND UNDER SINGLE FAMILY OR DUPLEX DEVELOPMENTS 50% AMI UP TO 120.

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF STANDARDS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO END UP SETTING.

AND I MY SUGGESTION AND RECOMMENDATION IS TO START WITH MULTIFAMILY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE A GOOD BREAD AND BUTTER WITH DEVELOPERS LIKE MAYBERRY AND DTN BRINGING SINGLE FAMILY PRODUCT TO US WITHOUT ASKING FOR SUPPORT AND GAP FINANCING.

IT'S THE MULTIFAMILY PRODUCT THAT SEEMS TO KIND OF HAVE SOME ISSUE, ESPECIALLY THE MIXED USE.

THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IS WHERE TO START.

TRUSTEE WILSON. SO A TIF IS NORMALLY 15 TO 20 YEARS ON AVERAGE.

[01:40:01]

I BELIEVE IT'S A 20 YEAR.

THE DDA? I KNOW THERE IS A BROWNFIELD THAT..

THEY HAVE THEY HALFWAY, SO THEY DID.

THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS HAS A TOWNSHIP ONLY LOCAL APPROVED PLAN.

THEY HAVE NOT GONE TO THE STATE FOR THEIR PLAN.

BUT IT'S 20 YEARS.

OKAY, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF ALL THE FOIBLES INVOLVED WITH A LONG TERM TIF OF THIS ORDER AND MAINTAINING THAT RENT TO TRUE MARKET VALUE DIFFERENCE.

THAT WAS A CONVERSATION MANAGER SCHMIDT AND I HAD BECAUSE.

OKAY, SO SAY I'M A LOVELY FAMILY MOVING IN, AND IT'S YEAR NINE OR YEAR 19 OF THE TIF, AND IT'S UP. DOES THE NEXT YEAR MEAN I HAVE TO PAY FULL MARKET RENT FOR A UNIT THAT WAS REASONABLE WAS $1,000 A MONTH.

NOW IT'S GOING TO BE 2200 BUCKS A MONTH.

I GOT TO MOVE ALREADY.

WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT CREATING STANDARDS THAT THE DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE AFFORDABILITY LONGER THAN THE LIFE OF THE REIMBURSEMENT, SO IT ALREADY SEEMS TO BE A STANDARD WE WANT TO AGREE TO.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A STANDARD WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH.

IS IT FIVE, IS IT SEVEN OR DO WE MAKE THE DURATION BASED OFF THE PROJECT ITSELF? AND ONE MORE QUESTION.

AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO TEAR IT TO INFLATION PRESUMABLY.

PRESUMABLY WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR THE CAP RENTS WILL CHANGE.

AND SO I DO THINK ANNUALLY WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE RATES.

MAYBE WE DON'T CHANGE THEM.

BUT I THINK AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE RATES AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING A DEVELOPER TO MEET IS NECESSARY.

THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

CLERK GUTHRIE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? HOW TO ANSWER A QUESTION, DO YOU MEAN BY UNITS? THERE ARE SO GRANGE ACRES IS ONE, BUT THAT'S AGE RESTRICTED.

THERE ARE A FEW.

THE MOST RECENT IS WODA-COOPER.

THAT'S FULL. THAT'S 49 UNITS.

IT'S NOT VERY WE DON'T GET A LOT OF UNITS.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WE REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH.

WE HAVE, I THINK TWO PILOTS I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER PILOT IS BESIDES WODA-COOPER.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE OR ATTAINABLE, RESTRICTED BY A PILOT, OR RESTRICTED THROUGH SUPPORT FROM HUD OR SOME OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGENCY.

SO, AM I HEARING YOU CORRECTLY IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE FOR THAT? IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? YES. BOARD. SO CHOSE.

IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? CORRECT.

IF THE BOARD CHOOSES TO DO THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING A MECHANISM, TIF MECHANISM WITH MSHDA.

THE DEVELOPER WILL BE REIMBURSED OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE OF THE AGREEMENT BASED OFF OF THE AFFORDABILITY THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED.

SO AGAIN, IF THE UNIT INITIALLY FOR FAIR MARKET WAS 1000, WELL, IF THE UNIT THE DEVELOPER WANTED TO CHARGE $2,000 FOR THE UNIT AND FAIR MARKET IS 1000, AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, I PROMISE TO KEEP THIS UNIT AT $1,000 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS.

WE WOULD THAT DIFFERENCE THAT $1,000 A MONTH DIFFERENCE PER UNIT, WE AND THE STATE WOULD REIMBURSE THEM BACK.

IS THIS IS THE PRICE MODEL FOR THE PERSON WHO'S QUALIFYING TO BE IN THIS? MSHDA IN THIS IN THE UNIT.

YEAH. IN THIS PROGRAM, IS IT BASED OFF OF THEIR INCOME OR IS IT BASED OFF OF THIS PROGRAM? IT WOULD BE BASED OFF THEIR INCOME.

SO WE WILL HAVE TO SET UP AGREEMENT, MUCH LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH CHILL, TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY INCOME VERIFICATION COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND EITHER THE DEVELOPER CAN HIRE THE THIRD PARTY AND WE CAN CONFIRM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE USING SEN-AIR OR SOME OTHER GOOD COMPANY THAT WE CAN RECOGNIZE OR WE CAN. SO IF THEIR INCOME WERE TO INCREASE.

HOW WOULD THAT? I'M TRYING TO THINK LIKE, SO WHEN I WAS SINGLE MOM, TWO KIDS, I MADE SEVEN GRAND A YEAR, AND THEN I GOT HIRED BY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AT 23 GRAND A YEAR, I WAS RICH AND I LOST MY MSHDA HOUSING, SO I WAS PAYING 100, I DON'T KNOW, $117 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT A MONTH FOR A THREE BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE RIGHT.

NOW, I HAD TO PAY FULL MARKET VALUE.

IS THAT SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE OR WOULD YOU LIKE? I CHOSE TO MOVE TO BUY A HOUSE THAT WAS LIKE, NOPE, CAN'T DO THIS.

BOUGHT A HOUSE INSTEAD.

IT WAS LESS MONEY THAN PAYING RENT.

YEAH. IS THAT'S SIMILAR HOW THIS WOULD WORK?

[01:45:03]

OKAY, SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS LIKE AN EXPIRATION IN THE SENSE THAT THEY NEED TO CONTINUE TO SHOW THEIR INCOME ON AN ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL BASIS.

IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE MANAGED BY DHHS OR ANY HUMAN SERVICES.

THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE TOWNSHIP WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND THE AFFORDABILITY IS MEETING OUR STANDARD.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AND REQUIREMENT ON US.

THE TENANT IN THE UNIT REALLY SHOULDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING.

AND THEY BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, I WOULD THINK OUR POLICIES WOULD SAY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE RENT, RIGHT.

SO IF THEY BUILD THE DEVELOPMENT AND I AM THE TENANT, I MOVE IN, I'M GUARANTEED TO WHATEVER YEAR OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WOULD SAY.

SO IF IT'S 2055, WHEN THE PROJECT WHEN THAT UNIT IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE AN AFFORDABLE UNIT, I, AS THE RESIDENT, WOULD HAVE ALREADY KNOWN THAT MY HOPE IS THAT THE BOARD WOULD AGAIN AGREE TO A REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT THAT'S SHORTER THAN THE TERM OF THE AFFORDABLE AGREEMENT.

RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO REIMBURSE YOU FOR 15 YEARS, BUT YOU HAVE TO HOLD THIS AFFORDABILITY FOR 25 OR WHATEVER THE TERMS ARE GOING TO BE.

YES. OUR OBJECTIVE IS THAT WE'RE NOT PUSHING FAMILIES OUT INTO THE COLD ONCE THE REIMBURSEMENT IS ENDED.

CORRECT. THAT'S A CHALLENGE.

AND SO IF I'M IF MY OTHER QUESTION IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES.

LIKE IF I SEE C D E ON PAGE 88 WHEN I READ THIS, I'M THINKING OF YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE ACQUISITION COSTS FOR BLIGHTED OR OBSOLETE RENTAL UNITS, LIKE, MAYBE THE TRAILER PARK.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES OVER THERE.

SOMETHING COULD BE DONE THERE WITH THIS MONEY.

OR MAYBE IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS, ABOVE THE KARATE STUDIO.

THEY HAVE APARTMENTS FOR RENT UP THERE.

MAYBE THEY COULD.

COULD THEY APPLY FOR SOMETHING TO TO CHANGE THOSE APARTMENT UNITS OUT? AND THEY COULD. YEAH.

AS LONG AS THE PROJECT HAS A HOUSING COMPONENT, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE A BROWNFIELD CONTAMINATION COMPONENT ANYMORE.

FOR THE MSHDA TIF, MEDC AND EAGLE ARE THE SAME.

SO I KNOW YOUR CONFUSED LOOKS.

MEDC AND EAGLE EVERYTHING IS THE SAME.

SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CONTAMINATED PROPERTY.

IT HAS TO MEET THOSE.

YOU DO THIS. YES, BUT FOR MSHDA FOR ACCESS TO THE MICHIGAN HOUSING STATE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TIF, WHICH I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN MEDC'S MONEY.

I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION.

NO ONE ANSWERS. BUT THEIR FUND, THEY WILL APPROVE SUPPORTING VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OF A HOUSING COMPONENT.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE CONTAMINATION.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BLIGHTED.

IT HAS TO BE REDEVELOPMENT AND APPROVED AT AN AFFORDABLE ATTAINABLE.

SO THE THE CRUX IS THE AFFORDABLE ATTAINABLE NOT THE CONTAMINATION.

SO IF I WERE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE APARTMENTS ABOVE THE KARATE STUDIO, AND I KNOW THIS IS FRESH AND NEW, AND YOU'VE ASKED TO STATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY, COULD THE OWNER OF THAT BUILDING, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, APPLY FOR AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE APARTMENTS ABOVE? THAT ALSO SOMEHOW AFFECTS THE IMPROVEMENT BELOW, BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR THE APARTMENTS ABOVE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS.

SO I THINK, LIKE IF SOMEBODY THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY, IF THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO REDEVELOP THAT SITE, THEY COULD USE THE MSHDA BROWNFIELD TIF TO SUPPORT IT AS LONG AS THEY HAD A HOUSING COMPONENT.

SO AS LONG AS THEY WERE KEEPING THE APARTMENTS ABOVE.

YES. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THIS IS WIDE OPEN.

WIDE OPEN. TRUSTEE TREZISE.

THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A RENT CONTROL SITUATION FOR A PERIOD OF YEARS, BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO MAY QUALIFY AS LOW OR MODERATE INCOME TO MOVE IN OVER THE COURSE OF 25 YEARS MIGHT NO LONGER QUALIFY.

SO WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS TO NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE JUST PAYING UNITS AND INCREASING THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE SITE OVERALL.

INITIALLY. INITIALLY.

BUT IT DOESN'T DO A LONG TERM CHANGE NECESSARILY.

CORRECT. BECAUSE UNLESS THE BOARD SAID IN PERPETUITY.

RIGHT. UNLESS YOU SAID THE AFFORDABILITY WAS FOREVER.

THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO PARAMETERS TO MONITOR.

IT COULD BE AFFORDABLE FOREVER.

[01:50:01]

RIGHT. AND THERE ARE NO PARAMETERS IN THIS ABOUT QUALIFICATION OF THE TENANTS.

OKAY. THIS IS ABOUT THE INCENTIVE TO GET THE DEVELOPMENT BUILD AND TO ADD UNITS.

SO I THINK WE ALL, AS A STATE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE HOUSING CRISIS.

WE DON'T HAVE UNITS, WE DON'T HAVE NEW UNITS.

I BELIEVE THE STATE THOUGHT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO DO IT, AND IT DEFINITELY OPENS THE DOOR TO IT, BUT IT DEFINITELY OPENS THE DOOR TO SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME SERIOUS PARAMETERS AND BOUNDARIES.

AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THOSE BOUNDARIES HAVE TO BE ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWNSHIP AND THE TIF APPLIES ONLY TO THE REDUCED.

APARTMENTS PORTION PORTION.

SO IF WITH THE CLERK'S SUGGESTION THAT THERE WAS A REMODEL OF A BUILDING DOWNTOWN WHICH INCLUDED THE FIRST FLOOR, WHICH IS COMMERCIAL, AND THE SECOND FLOOR, WHICH IS APARTMENT, WHICH SELL MARKET AT REASONABLE PRICES, WHATEVER THAT IS.

DOES THE TIF APPLY TO THE ENTIRE BUILDING OR JUST TO THOSE APARTMENTS? SAY IT'S 50% OF THE BUILDING, YOU GIVE THEM 50% OF THE TIF.

BECAUSE THE PERSON ON THE FIRST FLOOR IS SEEING NO BENEFIT OF MODERATE INCOME.

ABSOLUTELY. THE WAY IT WORKS IS THE DEVELOPER WILL SUBMIT THE PROFORMA SHOWING THE RENT LOSS CALCULATION FOR ALL OF THE UNITS.

IT IS ONE REIMBURSEMENT, SO I COULD SEE IT SUPPORTING THE FIRST FLOOR CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER OR NOT WHETHER OR NOT THAT TENANT INITIALLY WANTED THAT TO HAPPEN AT ALL.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION.

IT IS TO HELP THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT.

IT'S A GAP FINANCING FOR HOUSING.

BUT THE WHOLE PROJECT WOULD BE APPROVED FOR IT.

WHETHER THE FIRST FLOOR WAS RENTED, WHETHER THE FIRST RATE OR NOT.

IT'S NOT HOUSING.

THAT'S NOT AN OBSTACLE OR EVEN A CONSIDERATION NECESSARILY.

SO YES, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A WIDE OPEN.

IT'S VERY, VERY OPEN.

IT'S VERY OPEN PROBLEMS. I'M SORRY. I'VE BEEN SITTING ON A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS HERE FOR A MINUTE.

IT'S NOT REALLY A BROWNFIELD.

I MEAN, IT IS INSOFAR AS IT'S REDEVELOPMENT.

IT'S NOT REALLY A TIF BECAUSE TIF IS TAX CAPTURE.

AND THIS ISN'T TAX CAPTURE.

IT'S. YEAH.

WHAT IS IT? IT'S TAX CAPTURE.

IT'S YOUR BROWNFIELD.

IT'S A DIFFERENT. IT WILL BE APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP'S BROWNFIELD.

THE AMOUNT IS NOT IS NOT DEFINED BY THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY VALUE CHANGE OVER TIME.

IT'S DEFINED BY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKET RENT AND WHAT THEY'RE CHARGING.

CORRECT. SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL PROPERTY VALUES.

CORRECT. SO WHERE DOES THE FUNDING COME FROM? FROM THE TOWNSHIP'S BROWNFIELD AND FROM MSHDA'S BROWNFIELD.

SO THAT'S THE THING RIGHT, BECAUSE TAX CAP AT LEAST THE NOTION OF TIF IS COMPLICATED ENOUGH.

YEAH. WITHOUT LAYERING IN THAT THE BENEFIT DERIVED IN TERMS OF PROPERTY VALUE, AT LEAST IN A REGULAR TIF, IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO WHAT'S BEING CAPTURED BY THE, YOU KNOW, THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE DEVELOPER.

NOW, WE'RE SAYING THAT THE PROPERTY, THE DELTA BETWEEN THE PROPERTY TAX VALUE MAY IN FACT NOT EVEN COVER THE DIFFERENCE IN COST THAT THEY'RE SETTING UP BETWEEN WHAT THEY COULD CHARGE UNDER THE CAPS THAT WE INSTALL AND WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CHARGING FOR THE UNIT.

CORRECT. THAT IS NOT THE CALCULATION.

THE CALCULATION IS A RENT LOSS.

THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE.

YEAH. THAT'S WHAT THE DEVELOPERS WILL TAKE TO MSHDA THAT IS A PART OF THE PROCESS THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY LOCAL WILL APPROVE THAT LARGE NUMBER, THAT REIMBURSEMENT NUMBER BASED OFF BASED OFF THE RENT LOSS OF EACH UNIT.

SO WE'RE WADING INTO A VERY INTERESTING TERRITORY BECAUSE THE TIF IS SAFE, RIGHT? THE TIF REIMBURSEMENTS COME BASED ON ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, DOLLARS RECEIVED BY THE TOWNSHIP THAT WE HAND BACK OUT.

THIS POTENTIALLY PUTS US ON THE HOOK FOR AN, WELL, WE'LL JUST SAY AN INCALCULABLE AMOUNT.

AND SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH WHAT, WITH KNOWING VERY WELL WHAT THESE MARKET RATES WOULD BE HERE, WHAT THE ACTUAL VALUE INCREASE TO THE PROPERTY WOULD BE, SINCE THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS STILL COMING FROM.

AND THEN ALSO WHAT THE DEVELOPER IS AGREEING TO CHARGE BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITY FOR ABUSE IS ASTOUNDING.

[01:55:04]

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO VERY CAREFULLY BALANCE THE DESIRE FOR REDEVELOPMENT USING THESE BROWNFIELD, THIS BROWNFIELD TIF.

AND I REALLY I HESITATE TO EVEN CALL IT A BROWNFIELD TIF BECAUSE THAT IS NOT DEFINITION.

IT MAY BE WHAT THEY CALL IT, IT MAY BE WHAT THEY CALL IT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS RIGHT THERE.

THEY'RE USED, THEY'RE MISUSING LANGUAGE HERE AND WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO REDEFINE WHAT IS AFFORDABLE INTO SOMETHING THAT IT'S NOT.

RIGHT. BECAUSE WHERE WE SET THAT CAP AND HOW THEY MANAGE THEIR, THEIR ACTUAL RENT.

AND THAT, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S THAT'S A HUGE RISK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT.

I WOULD ALSO SAY JUST I THINK BECAUSE I THINK BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY MYSELF, MANAGER SCHMIDT, SEE THIS HUGE BITE AND HAVE SOME CAUSE FOR CONCERN. BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY, LET'S JUST GO BACK TO WHAT WE KNOW AS AN INCENTIVE.

AND INCENTIVE IS. BUT FOR WE WON'T GET THE PROJECT WITHOUT WE DO SEE FOR RENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS COMING TO THE COMING TO THE TOWNSHIP FINANCED WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT.

SO YOU CAN SAY NO, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE PROPOSALS AND THE AGREEMENTS IS THE DEVELOPER CAN PITCH.

THIS IS OUR AFFORDABILITY.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.

IF IT DOESN'T MEET WHAT WE BELIEVE IS OUR STANDARD, WE FEEL LIKE THE RISK IS TOO HIGH.

IT'S NO RIGHT. BUT WE'RE ALSO WE'RE WE'RE YOU'RE ASKING US TO DEVELOP THOSE STANDARDS IN ADVANCE IN A WAY BY CREATING THE PARAMETERS OF THIS.

AND, YOU KNOW, OUR ORDINANCE, THE BULK OF OUR ORDINANCE HASN'T CHANGED SINCE THE 1970S.

NOW WE WANT TO BE MORE NIMBLE THAN THAT MOVING FORWARD.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE SAW A PERIOD OF GREAT INFLATION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.

IT COULD HAPPEN IN REVERSE.

WE DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN THE HOUSING STOCK AND THE PRICES.

AND, YOU KNOW, WAY THAT THOSE THINGS FLUCTUATE.

AND, YOU KNOW, TO CHANGE THE PARAMETERS WOULD ONLY WOULD ALSO ONLY AFFECT, I ASSUME, PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING, NOT PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED UNDER PREVIOUS STANDARDS AND WHICH ONLY UNDER, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE 20 YEAR PROJECTS THAT ONLY MAKES THE RISK EVEN THAT MUCH MORE BROAD.

SO. BIFURCATE THIS AND THEN SAY, LET'S GO BACK TO THERE'S THE KNOW. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DEVELOPER SIDE, NOT AT ALL ABOUT THE RENTER SIDE.

THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.

THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.

OKAY. OKAY.

RIGHT. IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.

IT COULD BE THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE IT FOR MULTIFAMILY.

MAYBE YOU LIKE IT ONLY FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.

THAT'S ANOTHER. THAT'S ANOTHER FIELD.

I KNOW I'VE BEEN VERY LIKE, OH, I CAN'T IMAGINE TELLING MAYBERRY.

I CAN'T IMAGINE, I CAN'T IMAGINE IT.

I JUST BUT MAYBE IT'S A THING.

MAYBE IN TWO YEARS I WILL BE TELLING MAYBERRY YEARS OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND IT'S. I FORGIVE ME, I'M GOING TO STRIP THIS DOWN TO THE ABSOLUTE BASELINE HERE.

RIGHT. THIS IS ONLY FOR RENTALS, I PRESUME.

NO, NO, IT'S FOR ANYTHING.

IT'S FOR A HOUSING COMPONENT.

IT CAN BE DUPLEXES, IT CAN BE SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

IT CAN BE. HOW DOES IT HOW DOES IT WORK FOR AN FOR A HOME, AN OWNED HOME? THEN HOW DO HOW DOES MECHANICALLY.

BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR HAS BEEN RENT CONTROL RELATED.

HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR AN, A HOME THAT'S OWNED BY BY? I WILL TELL YOU MSHDA HAS SOME.

DETAILS. I DON'T REALLY TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF, AND SO I'VE ONLY REALLY FOCUSED ON THE RENT LOSS CALCULATION AND A PRO FORMA FOR MULTIFAMILY.

THEY TELL US THE ALLOWANCE FOR SINGLE FAMILY, BUT THEY DO HAVE A MATHEMATICAL CALCULATION FOR A SINGLE FAMILY, AND ESSENTIALLY HOW THE DEVELOPER WILL SHOW WHAT LOSS THEY HAVE FOR THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE HOUSE.

[02:00:02]

I DON'T KNOW THE BOARD'S COMFORT LEVEL IN THAT.

SO WHOA. YEAH.

IT ALSO ASSUMES THAT IT'S A DEVELOPER WHO'S DOING IT RIGHT.

IF SCOTT HENDRICKSON WANTS TO DEMOLISH HIS HOUSE AND REBUILD IT, ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT I CAN APPLY TO THE TOWNSHIP FOR A VERY GOOD QUESTION, A BROWNFIELD, A BROWNFIELD TIF UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I'M GOING TO KEEP COSTS UNDER CONTROL, RIGHT? I MEAN, OR A PROPERTY ON WHICH ONE OR MORE UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING ARE PROPOSED TO BE CONSTRUCTED, REHABILITATED, OR OTHERWISE DESIGNED TO BE USED AS A DWELLING? PAGE 87.

ONE OR MORE UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING PROPOSED TO BE CONSTRUCTED OR REHABILITATED AND LOCATED IN MIXED USE.

SO THEY ARE SPECIFIC TO SAYING, YEAH, OR I ASSUME MAYBE WE'RE THE LEADERS ON THIS, IN WHICH CASE BRAVO TO US.

BUT PUBLIC ACT 90 OF 2023, DID THAT JUST GO INTO EFFECT IN WHAT, FEBRUARY.

CORRECT THIS YEAR? JANUARY.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS TWO MONTHS IN.

CORRECT? I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO FIND OUT WHAT OUR COMPATRIOTS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS REGARD BECAUSE.

I SUSPECT THAT THE RISKINESS OF DOING THIS IS GIVING OTHERS A LOT OF PAUSE AS WELL.

AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN BITE SMALL LIKE YOU SAY, AND ADDRESS THIS IN A PIECEMEAL OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME FASHION.

BUT I AM THIS IS LEAVING ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.

I HAVE HEARD THAT MR. DOES HAVE SOME POTENTIAL PROJECTS IN THE HOPPER COMING TO THEM FOR A REQUEST FOR TIF.

AND YES, YOUR TWO BIGGEST MIXED USE PROJECTS ARE LOOKING AT THIS FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORT IT IS A WHOLE NOTHER ISSUE.

I'VE EVEN TOLD THE DEVELOPERS, I DON'T KNOW IF THE NUMBER YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH FOR YOUR RENT LOSS CALCULATION IS GOING TO MEET YOUR NEED.

SO IF WE DECIDE OUR PARAMETERS ARE VERY FOCUSED AND THEIR RENT LOSS CALCULATION COMES OUT TO BE 3 MILLION, YOU KNOW, ONLY WE'LL ONLY APPROVE $3 MILLION FOR 25 YEARS.

THAT MAY NOT HELP THEM.

I DON'T I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'VE CONSIDERED THAT THEY.

I THINK DEVELOPERS SAW MSHDA CONTROL RENTS AND SAW THESE HUGE NUMBERS AND ARE WANT TO GO AFTER IT, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THAT COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE TO MEET THOSE CONTROL RENTS.

YEAH. DOES MSHDA TAKE OUR NUMBERS FOR THEIR APPLICATIONS.

OR THEY WILL USE THEIR CONTROL RENTS FOR THEIR NUMBERS.

SO THEY MAY GET THE MSHDA PIECE.

THEY MAY GET THE MSHDA PIECE AND THE TOWNSHIP PIECE MIGHT BE SMALL.

CORRECT. AND THE TOWNSHIP MAY SAY NO.

CORRECT. IF THE TOWNSHIP SAYS NO, IT DOES NOT WORK.

SO IF THE LOCAL BRA DOES NOT APPROVE, IT WILL NOT GO THROUGH.

OH, AND THOSE BRAS, THEY DO EVENTUALLY COME TO US, RIGHT? OR THEY DON'T? NO.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN THE 1 OR 2 BEFORE.

I DON'T THINK SO. AH YOU BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY PLANS I DO NOT BELIEVE ARE 100% APPROVED BY YOU.

BRA ASKED FOR US TO BRING THIS CONVERSATION TO YOU BECAUSE THIS IS A MAJOR POLICY CHANGE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT AFFORDABILITY OR ATTAINABILITY OF HOUSING THAT YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN.

SURE. WELL, AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST TO CLARIFY.

IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ATTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S THAT WE JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRETY OF THE COMMUNITY'S TAX DOLLARS ARE POTENTIALLY AT RISK.

AND WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE RISKINESS OF HOW WE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH THE GOAL OF BRINGING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING TO THE TOWNSHIP. AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

BUT I'VE BEEN TALKING FOR A WHILE.

TREASURER DESCHAINE HAS BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY.

I AM NO TAX EXPERT, I JUST COLLECT TAXES.

BUT MY UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TIF AND A TYPICAL TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING THAT THE EDA IS GOING TO GET, THEY HAD TO GO TO CATA, THEY HAD TO GO TO CATA.

THEY HAD TO GO TO THE COUNTY, TO THE TOWNSHIP AND ASK THAT WE, THOSE TAX AUTHORITIES FOREGO THAT INCREASE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

THE TIF IS DIFFERENT.

YOU DON'T GO BACK TO THOSE SAME AGENCIES.

IT'S THE STATE EDUCATION TAX THAT IS BEING FORFEITED AND THAT'S WHERE THE STATE INVOLVEMENT IS.

OKAY. SO THERE'S NO WE DON'T GO TO ALL THESE MUNICIPALITIES.

IT'S THE STATE EDUCATION TAX THAT IS FUNDING THIS.

I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS THIS CONCEPT OF LOCAL.

RISKINESS. WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE RULES, BUT THERE ARE NO TOWNSHIP DOLLARS AT RISK IN APPROVING A TIF BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GUARANTEEING ANYTHING.

IT'S THE STATE THAT'S SETTING OUT THESE DOLLARS HERE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOREGO OVER THE 20 YEAR PERIOD.

THAT'S NOT THE WAY A UNIT OF GOVERNMENT HAS TO APPROVE THE REIMBURSEMENT.

[02:05:03]

SO LOOK AT IT AS TWO, TWO BROWNFIELD BUCKETS, ONE FROM THE TOWNSHIP, ONE FROM THE STATE, LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH EAGLE OR MEDC.

FOR NOW, IT'S MSHDA'S ARM OF IT.

SO TO CLARIFY, IT IS INDEED TOWNSHIP TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE TOWNSHIP PAID BACK TO THE DEVELOPER AS A PART OF THIS.

CORRECT. MY MAIN POINT IS WE NEED TO WORKSHOP THIS.

WE NEED TO BRING IN SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THIS WHOLE PROGRAM, SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY DONE IT AND TALK AND HAVE A WORKING SESSION.

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ANYONE DO IT.

THEY JUST APPROVE THIS LAW IN JANUARY.

THERE ARE NO COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE AN APPROVED PLAN.

THERE'S NO APPROVED PLANS WITH MSHDA RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. WELL, UNTIL THERE ARE UNTIL WE HAVE SOME PARAMETERS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD RISK INTO THIS AREA AND CREATE A PROGRAM WITHOUT SOME PARAMETERS IN PLACE. THANK YOU.

HI, MATT.

HOW FORTUNATE THAT OUR ATTORNEY HAPPENS TO BE IN THE ROOM.

I HAVE THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO SEARCH YOUR ORDINANCES AS WELL AS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WHILE I'M LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION.

SO THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY ADOPTED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, DOES OUTLINE ITS APPROVAL OF PLANS.

AND IT IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY.

AND THEN THE BROWNFIELD PLAN COMES TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN IS APPROVED OR NOT APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

SO THE PLAN ITSELF DOES COME BEFORE THE BOARD.

THERE'S SOME OTHER PIECES, LIKE A WORK PLAN THAT WOULDN'T COME UP, BUT THE BROWNFIELD PLAN ITSELF WOULD.

SO ALL THESE ISSUES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU WOULD SEE THOSE DIRECTLY AND THEN TREASURER DESCHAINE TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE CAPTURE.

BROWNFIELD IS A BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER TIFS.

AND I THINK ONE OF THOSE DISTINGUISHING PIECES IS HOW AND WHETHER THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS.

BROWNFIELDS HAVE A BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO CAPTURE, REGARDLESS OF INPUT FROM THOSE TAXING JURISDICTIONS.

SCHOOL TAXES ARE ALWAYS A DIFFERENT BALL OF WAX, SO I WON'T PRETEND TO KNOW THE ANSWER WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP.

AND THEN, AS AMBER HAS WELL STATED, ALL OF THIS IS VERY MUCH IN FLUX.

SO EVEN TO THAT POINT, WHETHER THERE COULD BE A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE FOR THIS NEW PIECE DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL BROWNFIELDS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KIND OF WAIT AND SEE.

SO I'LL JUST PUT A LITTLE ASTERISK BY THAT.

SOME OF THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY MEMBERS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE A SEPARATE MSHDA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TIF POLICY.

SO IF JOE SCHMO WANTS TO COME TO US WITH A TRADITIONAL BROWNFIELD REQUEST FOR THE SUNOCO GAS STATION UPDATE, THAT WOULD GO THROUGH JUST LIKE NORMAL, EVERYTHING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

WE'VE ALWAYS SEEN A BROWNFIELD PLAN, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE STRONGER PARAMETERS, BOUNDARIES ON THE MSHDA HOUSING TIF AND ACCESS TO THAT PROGRAM.

AND I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.

YEAH. TRUSTEE WILSON, THIS IS A TOOL, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE TO BE THE FIRST ONE OUT OF THE GATE TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROCESS.

AND THIS USE OF THIS MR. BROWNFIELD. TIF, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE MOVE VERY CAUTIOUSLY AND SEE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING AS BEING ON THE FOREFRONT OF UTILIZING THIS TOOL.

I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER, SAY, THE NEXT YEAR TO MAKE SURE.

AS SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON SAID, WE ARE NOT PUTTING OURSELVES IN A TAXPAYER HOLE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY BACK MORE AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REIMBURSE MORE THAN WE EVER CONCEIVED OF.

I THINK THIS IS PROBLEMATIC ON MANY, MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN PRACTICE ELSEWHERE BEFORE WE TAKE THE RUN AT IT. AND THAT IS MY AT THE END OF MY COMMENTS.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON SO I'M GOING TO USE AN EXAMPLE.

IF I HEARD SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON CORRECTLY, HE HAD STATED MAYBE PIECEMEAL OR LOOK AT A LITTLE SECTION HERE AND THEN BUILD OUT FROM THERE AND THEN JUST HEARING OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD WORK IF WE WERE TO TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE THE TRAILER PARK THAT WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH BEING UP TO CODE.

IF WE WERE ACCORDING TO THIS MEMO WHAT I'M READING IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE COULD BE PLACED ELSEWHERE UNDER THIS PLAN, IN THIS BLIGHTED AREA COULD BE FIXED UP, AND MONIES COULD BE USED FROM THIS TO FIX UP THIS

[02:10:03]

THEY COULD HAVE THE SAME RENT THAT THEY HAVE TODAY, AND THERE'D BE SOME KIND OF PLAN IN PLACE TO ASSURE THAT THEY HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND NOW THEY'RE LIVING IN IN A HOME THAT HAS ELECTRICAL CODES UP TO STANDARDS, THAT HAVE A REAL DOOR, THAT HAS STAIRWAYS UP TO STANDARDS.

FIRE CODES ARE UP TO STANDARDS.

ALL THOSE. AM I HEARING THAT CORRECTLY? BUT THAT'S A SCENARIO THAT COULD HAPPEN.

CORRECT. IF THE IF THE PROPERTY OWNER OF THAT SITE WANTED TO DO A PROJECT LIKE THAT, THAT IS A SCENARIO THAT COULD HAPPEN.

AND THE BOARD COULD SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN AREA LIKE THIS APPLY FOR APPLY FOR THIS MONEY OR HOWEVER IT IS APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THESE KINDS OF PLACES IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST CARTE BLANCHE, ALL MIXED USE HOUSING, WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP NOW.

THE BOARD.

VRA BOARD AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD COULD SET THE STANDARDS VERY SPECIFICALLY.

LOCATION. DISTRICT.

REGION. STREET, WHATEVER YOU WANTED TO, THIS THIS IS IT IS A POLICY YOU COULD CREATE COMPLETELY.

AND THE POLICY WOULD ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY TO BE CHANGED ANNUALLY FOR RATES, LOCATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

CORRECT? WELL, I THINK IN THAT SORT OF SCENARIO, I THINK THIS SORT OF PLAN IS VERY EXCITING IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.

IT'S A VERY GOOD TOOL, I THINK, DONE WELL.

I. I JUST WANT TO.

I THINK WHEN I SAID PIECEMEAL, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT LIKE, LOCATIONALLY PIECEMEAL.

I WAS TALKING ABOUT AS IT RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC HOUSING TYPES OR THAT KIND OF THING.

I MEAN. WE HAVE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IN A SITUATION LIKE WHAT WAS DESCRIBED, I MEAN, THAT HAS REAL IMPACTS ON CURRENT RESIDENTS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS TAKE TIME TO REPAIR.

AND IF THEY CAN'T BE DONE WHILE THEY'RE IN PLACE NOW WE'RE ACTIVELY DISPLACING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES.

AND SO, YOU KNOW HOW ALL OF THAT GETS DONE? THAT'S I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA TO PUT A PIN IN THIS FOR SIX MONTHS, 12 MONTHS, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

TO SEE HOW THE IMPACT OF THIS SHAKES OUT, OR AT LEAST HOW OTHERS ARE IMPLEMENTING IT, BECAUSE WE WON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS LONG TERM ON THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ANYWAY FOR.

FIVE, TEN, 15 YEARS.

BUT AT LEAST WE'LL GET A SENSE, YOU KNOW, OF HOW OTHERS ARE CALCULATING THE LONG TERM RISK.

AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, INCORPORATE WHAT WE WHAT WE DEEM TO BE THE BEST PARTS OF IT.

TO ENSURE THAT OUR TAXPAYERS ARE WELL PROTECTED.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION IS LET'S, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS LAW IS.

TWO MONTHS OLD.

THREE MONTHS? TWO AND A HALF MONTHS OLD.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH HOLDING OFF.

FOR WHAT, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, IS A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

TO SEE WHAT SHAKES OUT OF THIS STATEWIDE.

I THINK THERE'S ALSO THE CHANCE THAT MSHDA MAY COME OUT WITH MORE INFORMATION.

THAT'S ALSO TRUE.

CLARIFICATION IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING YET EITHER.

RIGHT. I'M SURE BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW PIECE OF WORK FOR THEM.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL KNOW HOW THIS SHAKES OUT FOR, LIKE YOU SAID, 5 TO 8 YEARS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT IT, AS DESCRIBED HERE, WILL ACTUALLY PROVIDE MODERATE OR LOW INCOME HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED MODERATE OR LOW INCOME HOUSING, BECAUSE THERE'S NO QUALIFICATION FOR THAT.

THIS IS JUST SAYING I'M GOING TO REDUCE THE RENT SO I CAN GET THIS MONEY BACK FROM THE TOWNSHIP AND THE STATE WITHOUT GUARANTEEING ACCESS TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY NEED THIS TYPE OF HOUSING.

AND IT STAYS THAT WAY FOR 20 YEARS, REGARDLESS OF THE INCOME OF THE PERSON THAT'S LIVING THERE.

YEAH. I MEAN, REALLY, YOU'RE BENEFITING THE FIRST MOVERS, RIGHT? IF I SAW, YOU KNOW, A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT THAT WAS THAT MET THE QUALIFICATIONS AND WAS CONTROLLING RENT IN THAT WAY, AND I DECIDED THAT THAT'S WHERE I WANTED TO LIVE,

[02:15:06]

BUT I WENT IN THERE AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE RENTER SAID, YEAH, YOU'RE GREAT, COME ON IN.

I MEAN, I'M A PRETTY DESIRABLE TENANT.

THERE'D BE NOTHING STOPPING ME IN THAT CASE FROM TAKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT MUCH MORE THAN I DO.

WE WOULD HAVE INCOME VERIFICATION.

BUT YEAH, FOR THE FIRST, FOR THE FIRST, FIRST FOR THE FIRST TENANT, OR IF AGAIN.

SO IF TENANT A LEFT AFTER TEN YEARS AND WE STILL GOT 20 YEARS LEFT, TENANT B'S GOT TEN YEARS.

BUT WHAT IS TENANT C DO OR WHAT IS TENANT B DO AT THE END OF 20 YEARS THAT IS YES EXACTLY.

AND YOU'RE NOT CHECKING FROM YEAR ONE TO YEAR TEN NECESSARILY.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO AN ANNUAL REVIEW BECAUSE UNLESS WE MADE IT UNLESS WE MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT, YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE TO EXPEL PEOPLE.

MAYBE IF THEIR INCOME EXCEEDS WHATEVER LIMIT IS THEY LOSE THE BENEFIT.

CORRECT. THE CONTRACTOR, THE DEVELOPER, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT IT'S THE IT'S THE DEVELOPER THAT LOSES IN THAT CASE, BASED ON THE TENANT WHO'S EXCEPT THE DEVELOPER CAN THEN CHARGE THE TENANT FULL RENT ONCE HE OR SHE LOSES THE SUPPLEMENT.

UNLESS WE VERIFY.

UNLESS WE VERIFY.

YEAH. SO IT'S A LOT UP TO THE LOCALS.

YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK. WE DID TELL ANY DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE ASKED ABOUT IT.

THIS IS A LOT OF WORK.

THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

IT'S NOT TOLD THEM, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO TURN OVER TOMORROW.

AND I'VE EVEN TOLD THEM PRIVATELY.

I'M NOT SURE IT'S GOING TO FILL THE GAP NECESSARILY.

I THINK IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE FINANCES COME OUT.

BUT YES, I HAVE HAD SOME CAUSE FOR CONCERN IS WHAT IS OUR AFFORDABILITY? WHAT IS OUR MARKET AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND I, I CAN'T MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.

IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A BOARD DECISION.

ANY CLERK GUTHRIE.

SO EVEN IF THE BOARD MAKES ZERO DECISION AND WANTS TO PUT A PIN IN, IT HOLDS OFF ON THIS.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE'RE AFRAID WHATEVER IT IS, A DEVELOPER COULD STILL SAY, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO APPLY FOR THIS.

WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A PORTION OF THIS.

WE WANT THAT AS PART OF OUR PLAN.

CAN THEY DO THAT OR DOES THE TOWNSHIP HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE? WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.

OKAY, SO YOU WOULD JUST TELL THEM TOWNSHIP HAS DECIDED TO PUT A PIN IN IT.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE.

SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR PLAN, CORRECT? I WOULD SAY THAT RIGHT NOW OUR BROWNFIELD ONLY HAS POLICIES THAT APPROVE ELIGIBILITY BASED OFF CONTAMINATION BLIGHT OBSOLETE.

ALL OF THE WE HAVE NOT MADE UPDATES TO INCLUDE ACT 90 OR MADE A SEPARATE POLICY.

YEAH OKAY OKAY.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

WOW. THAT'S THAT'S MORE THAN I EXPECTED FROM A THREE PAGE MEMO.

I'M LIKE A THREE PAGE MEMO.

DANG. OKAY, SECOND ONE IS TWO PAGES.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, SEVERAL PAGES.

[13.C. Draft Liquor License Ordinance]

THANK YOU, BY THE WAY, FOR THE DRAFT LIQUOR LICENSE ORDINANCE.

AND DIRECTOR CLARK, WHO IS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

I GOT IT IN ONE BREATH, WAS HERE TO PRESENT TO US ON THIS.

NICE JOB. THANK YOU.

OKAY, SO, AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE MISTER KUSCHEL HERE.

I GOT TO BOTHER HIM PROBABLY SINCE OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR WHEN I STARTED SEEING OUR LICENSES GO OUT THE WINDOW.

I APPRECIATE THE MORATORIUM.

I THINK SOME BOARD MEMBERS WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED AND MAYBE CONFUSED AS TO WHY WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO TAKE A PAUSE.

EVEN IN THAT TIME. I HAVE TWO LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATIONS FOR APPLICANT FOR LIQUOR LICENSES.

I'M NOT EVEN SURE WE HAVE.

SO WE HAVE WE HAVE A MORATORIUM RIGHT NOW.

IT IS UP IN TWO DAYS ON THE 23RD.

THAT IS THE FULL 180 DAYS WE'VE WORKED ON AN ORDINANCE.

MATT ACTUALLY HAS WORKED ON AN ORDINANCE, AND IT'S BRILLIANT.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

OUR LAST ORDINANCE, IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GANDER IN THE TOWNSHIP CODE, IT'S VERY SMALL.

IT'S VERY SHORT AND DOESN'T HAVE A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT INCLUDED WITH THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MLCC DOES.

SOME OF THOSE RECENT CHANGES BEING THE TRANSFERS.

SO AS LONG AS A LICENSE ISSUED IN INGHAM COUNTY STAYS IN INGHAM COUNTY, EVEN IF IT'S MOVING, SAY, FROM ONE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT TO THE OTHER, BATH TO MID MERIDIAN, MERIDIAN TO EAST LANSING, LANSING TO EAST LANSING, VICE VERSA, WHATEVER THAT COUNTS, THAT QUOTA NUMBER WILL NOT BE REESTABLISHED TO THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT.

THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT DOES NOT GET A SAY ON WHETHER OR NOT IT TRANSFERS, AND IT DOES TRANSFER INTO THE NEXT COMMUNITY IF THEY ACCEPT.

THERE ARE SOME ALSO PARAMETERS ON HOW WE ACCEPT TRANSFERS.

[02:20:03]

AND I THINK ONE, BECAUSE WE REVIEW THE TRANSFERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE TO REVIEW AND STILL BECAUSE POLICE AND FIRE MAY BE CALLED TO THOSE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS ONCE THEY COME TO THE COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD HAVE A FEE AND WE SHOULD HAVE A PROCESS TO BRING IN NEW TRANSFERS, AS WELL AS DEFINING SOME PARAMETERS AROUND PRIORITIZING WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE LICENSES.

MY SUGGESTION RECOMMENDATION IS TO PROMOTE AREAS WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE HAVEN'T, WHERE WE DON'T SEE LICENSES, OR THERE IS NOT A LICENSE, OR IT'S A PICO OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S INCENTIVIZED IN OUR MASTER PLAN, I'M KIND OF TURNING THE LIQUOR LICENSE INTO AN INCENTIVE ONE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ASSET TO THE TOWNSHIP UNLESS IT'S REALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUSINESS.

SO I SEE IT THAT WAY.

BUT IT IS AN ASSET BECAUSE ONCE IT'S GIVEN TO THE LICENSE HOLDER, THEY CAN PUT A PRICE ON THAT AND THEY DO PUT A PRICE ON IT.

I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT AN SDD IN INGHAM COUNTY GOES FOR $300,000, AND A CLASSY IS $20,000.

AT THE STATE, IT'S $60,000 ON THE MARKET.

THIS IS A VALUABLE LICENSE THAT WE'RE GIVING TO PEOPLE FOR $200.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A OF AN ISSUE THERE.

I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO CHARGE AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE BUSINESS.

BUT WHEN WHEN THE TOWNSHIP HAS AN ASSET, YOU TYPICALLY SELL IT FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH TO THE TOWNSHIP AND TO ALSO INCENTIVIZE OR TO TELL THAT PERSON, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS LICENSE, THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS THING.

WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE COME UP TALKING ABOUT OTHER LICENSE TYPES THAT WE ISSUE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THESE THIS IS SEVERAL ALCOHOLIC ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN MERIDIAN.

AND I FELT LIKE OUR PROCESS WAS A LITTLE LIGHT.

SO THIS DRAFT THAT WE HAVE IS FOR YOU.

YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.

MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME DIFFERENT PARAMETERS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE INCLUDED.

WE DID ALSO TALK ABOUT THE STATE LAW FOR THE 55% OF ALL RETAIL LIQUOR LICENSE FEES.

THEY DO COME INTO TREASURY.

THOSE FEES ARE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THE ENFORCEMENT OF OUR ORDINANCE.

SO WHEN POLICE RIGHT HELPS TO STAFF POLICE, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO PAY THEM FOR THEIR TIME FOR GOING INTO ESTABLISHMENTS TO CHECK TO SEE IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION, IF THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAFE BY HAVING THAT LIQUOR LICENSE.

EACH LICENSE HOLDER HAS AN ANNUAL RENEWAL.

APRIL 30TH IS THE END OF THEIR LICENSE WITH THE STATE, AND MAY 1ST IS THE BEGINNING.

SO EVERY LICENSE HOLDER IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GOES THROUGH THIS RENEWAL EVERY YEAR.

AND THAT IS ALSO A RENEWAL THAT YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP.

YOU MAY CONSIDER AS A FEE OR A PROCESS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP UPDATED WITH WHICH BUSINESSES ARE DOING WHAT AND WHAT LICENSES ARE ACTIVE.

I INCLUDED ALL OF THE LICENSES IN THERE AND THE LICENSE FEES FOR THE $32,000 THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE, AND I AM OPEN TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS. IF I CAN STEAL THE FLOOR JUST A LITTLE BIT TO KIND OF GIVE A BIT MORE CONTEXT ON THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.

IT AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, AMBER'S PRESENTATION, AND WHEN THE TOWNSHIP CONSIDERS ITS APPLICATIONS AND AS SHE MENTIONED, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE REQUIRED IN TERMS OF AN APPLICATION AND WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING.

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED OF TOWNSHIP STAFF, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS, ETC..

SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, INFORMING A POTENTIALLY HIGHER FEE.

AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS WELL, THAT THAT FEE CAN ALSO BE SET BY RESOLUTION SO THAT IT HAS SOME FLEXIBILITY.

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, WHICH IS WHY YOU DON'T SEE AN ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT HERE.

AND THEN TO HER POINT IN HOW THIS IS AN ASSET TO THE TOWNSHIP IS HOW IT INTEGRATES INTO THE TOWNSHIP AS A WHOLE.

AND THEN SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT CRITERIA IN THE APPLICATION THAT THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER WHEN APPROVING A LICENSE.

RIGHT. WHAT IS THE DEVELOPMENT THAT THE APPLICANT IS BRINGING FORWARD, WHETHER THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW BUILDING, WHETHER THEY'RE REHABBING OR GOING INTO A VACANT SPACE, BRINGING SOME VITALITY TO AN AREA, AS SHE MENTIONED, WHETHER IT'S AN AREA THAT ALREADY HAS SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECES ALREADY IN PLACE THAT WE'RE WORKING TO REDEVELOP, AND THAT THIS LICENSE THEN WILL SUPPORT THAT.

AS MENTIONED IN THE IN THE PACKET MEMO, IT CAN BE YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST PIECES THAT A BUSINESS OWNER MIGHT WANT TO GET.

SO THEY KNOW THEY'VE SECURED A LICENSE THAT THEN CAN JUSTIFY THEIR FURTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUTTING THAT MONEY IN PLAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT PIECE DOWN, MAYBE THEY STILL HAVE TO GO GET THEIR SUP.

BUT WITH THE LIQUOR LICENSE IN PLACE, IT'S THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A CLEARER PATH TO THOSE NEXT PIECES.

[02:25:03]

AND THEN ALSO STRONG PIECES ON WHO WE WOULDN'T APPROVE AN APPLICATION FOR OR WHO MIGHT GET SOMETHING REVOKED.

RIGHT. IF YOU'RE HAVING PROBLEMS AT THE LOCATION, IF THERE'S OTHER VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW BY THOSE OWNERS, BY THOSE MEMBERS THAT CAN JUSTIFY REVOCATION OF A PERMIT OR IF IT'S IN IF IT'S JUST CONDITIONAL STATUS, THEN POTENTIALLY IT WOULDN'T EVEN ISSUE.

SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD AS WELL.

AND ALSO TO THE RENEWAL PIECE, HAVING THAT FINGER ON THE PULSE TO KNOW HOW THE EXISTING LICENSES ARE DOING IN THE TOWNSHIP AND KEEPING AN EYE ON THOSE PIECES. WE DO INCLUDE TRANSFERS.

THAT IS, AS SHE MENTIONED, A BIT TOUGHER BECAUSE THERE'S LESS CONTROL FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE.

ONCE IT'S ONCE THE LICENSE ISSUES FROM THE STATE, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT ISSUE IT.

WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.

THAT'S HOW THIS SCHEME IS SET UP.

SO WE HAVE LESS CONTROL ONCE THAT LICENSE IS OUT THERE.

BUT YET THERE ARE STILL COSTS.

AND I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT'S COMING IN AND WE ARE ALREADY DOING THAT TO SOME EXTENT.

WE DO HAVE, AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SECTION SIX, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND PAGE SEVEN.

THE PROHIBITION ON PROFITEERING, ONE ISSUE OF SEMANTICS.

THE CURRENT DRAFT SAYS CLASS C, BUT IT REALLY SHOULD SAY ON PREMISE, WHICH IS THE DEFINED TERM FOR JUST THE BROADER GROUP OF LICENSES.

BUT THIS IS ALSO YOU'LL REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN ADOPTING THE MARIJUANA ORDINANCE, AND WE BROUGHT IN A SIMILAR CRITERIA, RELYING ON THE LIQUOR CONTROL CODE AS, AS PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT.

WHERE ONE OF OUR NEWLY ISSUED LICENSES, WHICH IS WHAT WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT HERE, COULDN'T BE TRANSFERRED OUT WITHIN THREE YEARS UNLESS THERE'S SOME GOOD REASON FOR THAT.

AND IT LAYS OUT SOME, SOME CRITERIA.

SO. AND WHAT I WOULD HIGHLIGHT THERE IS IN THE MARIJUANA CONTEXT, WE JUST HAD A BROAD STATEMENT OF UNUSUAL HARDSHIP AND DIDN'T REALLY GIVE ANY GUIDEPOSTS TO THAT THIS ORDINANCE.

IT DOES INCORPORATE SOME GUIDEPOSTS.

WHICH I BELIEVE COME FROM SOME OTHER ORDINANCES FROM AROUND THE STATE.

SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, QUESTION WHETHER YOU LIKE ONE VERSUS THE OTHER, POTENTIALLY TRY AND DO BOTH.

RIGHT. HAVE A GENERAL STATEMENT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO POTENTIALLY THESE IDEAS.

SO HIGHLIGHT THAT.

I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ALL I HAVE.

OKAY. OH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION FROM STAFF AS WELL ON CHANGES IN PLANS AND DRAWINGS.

AND SO JUST WE ARE LOOKING AT TWEAKING THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICATION PROCESS MAKES SENSE, SO THAT IF THE LICENSE IS RECOMMENDED FOR ISSUANCE AND THEN THEY'RE GOING IN TO GET EITHER A SITE PLAN OR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME BACK AND REVISIT THE LIQUOR LICENSE JUST BECAUSE THE SITE PLAN CHANGES. THAT CAN BE A SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.

BUT THEN THERE IS STILL A FINAL ISSUANCE.

FROM THE TOWNSHIP IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

ONCE EVERYTHING IS READY AND THEY'RE READY TO OPEN, THAT'S WHEN THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION GOES TO THE STATE.

AND THE STATE WOULD FINALLY ISSUE THAT THE STATE LICENSE.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS ON FOR DISCUSSION.

THE MORATORIUM THAT WE PUT IN PLACE ENDS IN TWO DAYS.

ARE WE CONCERNED AT ALL THAT, THAT THIS NOT HAVING BEEN IMPLEMENTED WILL OPEN US UP FOR A SLEW OF.

APPLICATIONS ON THE THIRD DAY? NO. I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY REASONABLE FOR AMBER TO REPLY TO AN INTERESTED APPLICANT TO SAY YES, THE MORATORIUM, YOU KNOW, REACHED ITS TERMINATION.

BUT WE'VE ALSO JUST INTRODUCED A DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON ANY APPLICATIONS UNTIL WE HAVE THAT FINAL ORDINANCE IN PLACE.

AND WE'RE LEGALLY SOUND IN NOT ALLOWING THEM TO APPLY.

I BELIEVE SO.

I DON'T SEE A STRONG ARGUMENT.

FROM AN APPLICANT.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO ARGUE SOME SORT OF SHALL ISSUE AND ASK FOR AND MOVE FOR A MANDAMUS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME DISCRETION.

IT'S NOT REALLY A SHALL ISSUE PIECE, AS EVIDENCED BY THE THE CRITERIA WE HAVE HERE.

TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD EXTEND THE MORATORIUM FOR ANOTHER 30 OR 60 DAYS.

[02:30:04]

SO NOT EVEN SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTH MORATORIUMS ARE ARE PRETTY STANDARD.

WOULD HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT EXTENDING THAT IF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.

JUST TO GIVE AMBER THAT ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, BACKSTOP TO SAY, NOT ONLY DID WE INTRODUCE IT AND WE'RE CONSIDERING IT, BUT IN FACT, THE MORATORIUM WAS EXTENDED.

THE APPLICATIONS HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR.

I'VE LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE IN A MORATORIUM.

I DID TELL THEM THAT THEY CAN PRESENT THEIR APPLICATIONS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHARGE THEM THE FEE FOR THE APPLICATION.

SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE NOT UNDER REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION.

THEY'RE IN THE HOPPER AND AND ARE WAITING TO BE REVIEWED AS THEY COME ONCE.

WE HAVE DEFINED WHAT OUR ORDINANCE IS AND PROCESSES, AND THE APPLICANTS APPLICATIONS CAN BE REVIEWED.

I WOULD LET THEM KNOW, HEY, YOUR APPLICATION IS SUBMIT YOUR PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND WE WOULD WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

IT DID LEAD ME TO A QUESTION THAT WHAT IF I RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, SIX MORE APPLICATIONS? DO I REVIEW THEM ALL IN THE ORDER THAT THEY RECEIVED? BECAUSE THAT IS TYPICALLY OUR PROCESS RIGHT NOW IS AS APPLICATIONS COME IN, WE REVIEW THEM AND THEY ARE APPROVED.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE BOARD HAD ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAPPENS.

I DO HAVE TWO APPLICATIONS NOW.

THEY ARE FOR TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF LICENSES LICENSE REQUESTS.

SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS ON THAT.

OKAY. OR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

TRUSTEE WILSON. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS LOOKING AT YOUR DOCUMENT THAT'S MARKED 13 C.

SO THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE DISCUSSION.

YOU INDICATE THAT ON PREMISES LIQUOR LICENSE THERE ARE ONLY THREE AVAILABLE CORRECT.

YES. THAT IS WHAT THE WEBSITE SAYS.

YES. OKAY.

AND I HAVE I HAVE A LITTLE CAUSE OF CONCERN SOMETIMES WITH THE NUMBERS ON MLCC BECAUSE IT'S HUMAN DEPENDENT.

SO SOMEONE HAS TO GO BACK ON AND MAKE SURE THAT THE UPDATE AND HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON.

WE HAVE DEFINITELY TWO.

OKAY. YOU HAD FOUR.

YOU ISSUED 2 OR 3 AND THEN 24 OFF PREMISES, THAT'S PACKAGE RIGHT? CORRECT. OKAY. SO WHEN WE SET THE ORDER, THE MORATORIUM FOUR MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS ONE PARTY THAT CONTACTED US.

I BELIEVE IT WAS THE HUSBAND AND WIFE OPERATION.

MAYBE IT WAS THE GOLF SIMULATOR.

THEY ARE. THEY'RE NEW, THEY'RE COMING TO THE COMMUNITY SOON.

OKAY, SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT APPLICATION THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE? WHEN WE PUT THE MORATORIUM ON, WE TOLD THEM WE WERE ON A MORATORIUM, THAT WE ARE NOT REVIEWING APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSE FOR ANY NEW LIQUOR LICENSES RIGHT NOW, ARE THEY NUMBER ONE? NO. I LET THEM KNOW THAT IF THEY WERE LOOKING TO GET A LICENSE ISSUED FROM THE STATE THAT THEY COULD TRANSFER A LICENSE, THEY COULD BUY A LICENSE OFF THE MARKET, AND THAT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP WOULD BOARD, WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE.

THEY ELECTED TO DO SO, AND THEY BOUGHT A LICENSE FROM A CURRENT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HOLDER, AND THEY'RE TRANSFERRING THAT LICENSE TO THAT UNIT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THE SORT OF CONSISTENT WITH THAT APPROACH WHEN THE ORDINANCE COMES INTO PLACE AND THERE'S APPLICATIONS I THINK WE DO HAVE THE, THE DISCRETION.

IT'S NOT A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.

WHETHER I THINK IT WILL BE ALL APPLICATIONS CONSIDERED TOGETHER.

RIGHT. THEY'LL PROBABLY WANT TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR APPLICATIONS GIVEN THE NEW CRITERIA AS WELL.

SO WE MIGHT SEE SOME FLEX AND CHANGE FROM THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES AS THEY CONSIDER WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THE NEW CRITERIA.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THOSE APPLICATIONS AGAINST THAT CRITERIA.

IT IS A COMPETITIVE REVIEW IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE CRITERIA THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE TOWNSHIP.

AND UNLESS THE APPLICATION IS GOING TO SUFFICIENTLY MEET THOSE CRITERIA AND ADVANCE THE OVERALL GOALS OF THE TOWNSHIP, THEN WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A LICENSE.

BUT IT'S NOT A COMPETITIVE REVIEW IN THE MARIJUANA SENSE WHERE I'M TAKING THESE TWO APPLICATIONS THAT ARE IN, AND I'M KIND OF RANKING THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER TO SEE WHO WAS BETTER. SO IT'S YES, BUT NO.

AT THE SAME TIME, IT COULD BE TWO DIFFERENT LICENSE TYPES.

THE OTHER THING TOO, ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE.

SO WE SAW A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT SAID WE NEED THIS LICENSE.

WE HAVE TO HAVE IT.

WE WERE ON A PAUSE.

THEY WENT AND BOUGHT ONE.

IT'S PERFECTLY PLAUSIBLE FOR THE BOARD TO SAY NO, EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER APPLICANT, BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T MEET YOUR THE CRITERIA OR IT'S NOT IN THE

[02:35:06]

IT'S YOUR IT'S A STATE ASSET, BUT IT'S YOUR ASSET.

CLERK GUTHRIE THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

I COMMEND YOU AND APPLAUD YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AS I COMMEND YOU.

AND I WILL. LOOK AT MY HAT.

SORRY, AMBER. I DIDN'T MEAN TO.

I JUST GAVE HIM SOME THOUGHTS.

YEAH. THANK YOU. SO, AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND POLICE AND FIRE TO REVIEW THESE LIQUOR LICENSES, THERE WERE SEVERAL HOLES AND QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD BECAUSE WE HAD NO DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD AND BY MEANS OF AN ORDINANCE.

AND SO I THINK SOME OF THE HOLES AND THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD ARE ANSWERED IN WHAT WAS WRITTEN, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE TRANSFER, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT TRANSFER IN OUR TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE.

SO WE WERE ON THE PHONE.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS? I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR ORDINANCE.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THESE THINGS.

AND SO I FEEL FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO REVIEWS THESE WITH YOU THAT THAT WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD BEFORE.

I ALSO WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE WERE TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM UNTIL AFTER THE NEXT MEETING. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S.

A WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE A RESOLUTION FOR A FEE SCHEDULE SEPARATE FROM THIS, ALSO PRESENTED IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AT THE NEXT MEETING. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RESOLUTION OF FEES AT THE NEXT MEETING.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM TONIGHT IF WE IF WE COULD.

THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST NOTE ON THE POTENTIAL MORATORIUM EXTENSION, YOU'D WANT AT LEAST TWO MEETINGS BECAUSE YOU HAVE AT LEAST INTRODUCTION AND ADOPTION, CORRECT? YES. DEPENDING ON IF YOU DO ANOTHER NIGHT OF DISCUSSION.

RIGHT. TRUSTEE TREZISE I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO WAIVE OUR BYLAWS SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM AT THIS MEETING.

OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR BYLAWS TO CONSIDER SUSPEND OUR RULES, RATHER ITS RULES TO CONSIDER THE EXTENSION OF A MORATORIUM THIS EVENING.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR RULES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. OUR RULES ARE SUSPENDED THIS EVENING TO CONSIDER A MORATORIUM.

TRUSTEE TREZISE AND I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MORATORIUM ON ISSUING OF LIQUOR LICENSES WITHIN MARINE TOWNSHIP FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS FROM THE EXPIRATION OF THE 120 DAY MORATORIUM, WHICH IS TOMORROW OR THE NEXT DAY.

SUPPORT MOVE BY TRUSTEE TREZISE.

SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MORATORIUM ITSELF? MORATORIUM EXTENSION, I SHOULD SAY.

DO WE NEED 60 DAYS? WE CAN ALWAYS END THE MORATORIUM EARLY PRIOR TO THAT IF WE'RE READY TO GO, BUT I DON'T WANT TO EXTEND IT HERE AND EXTEND IT AGAIN. SO WE NEED AT LEAST TWO MEETINGS TO PUBLISH AND APPROVE THE ORDINANCE.

I THINK 60 DAYS IS ADEQUATE.

JUST CONFIRMING WITH OUR LAWYER, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE TO BOARD ACTION FORMALLY BY RESOLUTION CHANGE THAT.

BUT THAT'S OKAY. WE'LL DEFINITELY WE WOULD HAVE THAT PREPARED FOR THE NIGHT.

YEAH. THAT THE BOARD WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE EXTENSION OF THE MORATORIUM? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE MOTION CARRIES.

OKAY, SO WITH THAT SET ASIDE, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE MORATORIUM FOR 60 DAYS.

THANK YOU. I HAD A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON THE ORDINANCE PRESENTED AS WELL.

I AGREE WITH CLERK GUTHRIE THAT HAVING THE FEE SCHEDULE OR PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE IN FRONT OF US WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

IN ADDITION IN ON PAGE THREE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, THIS IS SECTION FOUR, SUBSECTION D AND REALLY IT'S FOR SEVERAL SUBSECTIONS IN THIS AREA THERE.

AND THIS MAY BE BY DESIGN, BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE NO TIME FRAME UPON WHICH THE STAFF REVIEW OCCURS.

AND THE BOARD CONSIDERS THE APPLICATION FOR LIQUOR LICENSES.

IS THAT BY DESIGN OR DOES THAT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER ADDING?

[02:40:07]

THE THERE IS A BUILT IN REASONABLENESS STANDARD THAT'S GOING TO APPLY IF AN APPLICANT BELIEVES THE TOWNSHIP IS DRAGGING ITS FEET. THE BENEFIT TO NOT HAVING A HARD DATE IS IF YOU HAVE A COMPLEX APPLICATION OR THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, YOU THEN HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS AND GET THE ROBUST DATA YOU MIGHT NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION OR HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF THE APPLICANT WANTS TO SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION, ETC..

SO THAT IS THE THINKING THERE.

THE ONLY THE ONE TIME FRAME THAT IS THAT WOULD BE IMPOSED IS IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE RENEWAL SIDE OF IT TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE WAS ANY CONTRARY RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TOWNSHIP THAT WE SUBMIT THAT WITHIN THE TIME FRAMES NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION, BUT FOR A NEW ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE? NO, TAKE THE TIME NEEDED TO ADEQUATELY EVALUATE IT.

OKAY. YEAH.

IF THE BOARD WANTED TO TO BE A OR YOU WERE OPPOSED TO A TRANSFER.

THERE IS A LIMITED TIME THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SEND TO MLCC SAYING, THESE ARE THE REASONS WHY WE'RE OPPOSED AND WE AND THEY WILL PROBABLY ONLY PAY ATTENTION AS LONG AS IT IS IN OPPOSITION TO ZONING OUR POLICY.

WE HAVE TO KIND OF DATED BACK TO SOME LAW OR REASON WHY WE WERE OPPOSED TO THIS FACILITY.

WE'D HAVE TO DO THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER.

OTHERWISE THE LICENSE WILL BE ISSUED.

YEAH. PERSONALLY, I DON'T MIND HOLDING OUR FEET TO THE FIRE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT.

BECAUSE IT GIVES THE APPLICANTS SOME REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF HOW LONG THE PROCESS MIGHT TAKE.

NOW I UNDERSTAND WE DON'T WANT TO HAMSTRING OURSELVES TOO MUCH.

BUT IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE SOMEHOW, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.

AND THEN FURTHER ON IN UNDER SUBSECTION G TWO, A YOU'VE MADE REFERENCE TO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THEIR REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION MATERIAL.

PREVIOUSLY IN THE SUBSECTION D WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU HAD ALSO ALLOWED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS REQUIRED BY THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

AND I THINK FOR CONSISTENCY'S SAKE, WE PROBABLY SHOULD INCLUDE THAT IN THIS AREA AS WELL.

SO THAT IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS A PART OF THE DISCUSSION, THAT WE SEE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

WHEN IT COMES BEFORE THE BOARD AND ITS REVIEW CRITERIA AS WELL.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEP.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT WAS A LOT MORE WORDS THAN PROBABLY WAS NECESSARY TO EXPRESS THAT THOUGHT, BUT I GET TOLD I DO THAT A LOT.

NEXT QUESTION WAS IN SECTION SEVEN.

OBJECTIONS TO RENEWAL OR REQUEST FOR REVOCATION, SUBSECTION C.

HERE WE INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT OF A HEARING OFFICER WITH VERY LITTLE INFORMATION AS TO WHO THAT PERSON IS, HOW THAT PERSON IS APPOINTED.

SO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE HEARING OFFICER? SO AGAIN, BRINGING IN THE PROCEDURES FROM THE MARIJUANA CONTEXT.

AND YES, THERE IS SOME.

AMBIGUITY, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, OR LACK OF CLARITY.

BECAUSE THE HEARING OFFICER WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

SO NOT AT LEAST IN THE ORDINANCE CONTEMPLATED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON X WE DID THINK ABOUT THIS AND SOME OF THE ONE OF THE OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT THAT I'VE KICKED AROUND MY OFFICE WAS IDENTIFYING WHO COULD NOT BE THE HEARING OFFICER. SO, LIKE, IT CAN'T BE AMBER.

IT CAN'T BE THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

IT CAN'T BE US OR A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.

RIGHT. THE BOARD IS THE HEARING OFFICER.

WELL, YEAH, IT MUST BE IF WE DELEGATE TO ONE PERSON, THOUGH.

RIGHT. SO, YEAH. AND THE STRUCTURE THERE AGAIN IS SIMILAR TO, AGAIN, THE MARIJUANA SITUATION WHERE THE HEARING OFFICER, YOU KNOW, DOES THE WORK, HOLDS A HEARING, GETS YOU A RECOMMENDATION, BUT THE FINAL DECISION IS STILL IN THE BOARD'S HANDS, SO.

RIGHT. NO BOARD MEMBER WOULD BE WOULD BE THE HEARING OFFICER, BECAUSE THEN YOU'D BE REVIEWING YOUR OWN WORK, BUT YOU COULD APPOINT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN INDIVIDUAL ON THE

[02:45:03]

YEAH. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M PARTICULARLY COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF A HEARING OFFICER.

AND THE REASON WHY IS IT'S A LOT OF YES, THE BOARD WOULD CERTAINLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THE FINAL DECISION MAKING. HOWEVER, I WORRY THAT EVERYTHING BEING FILTERED THROUGH ONE PERSON'S LENS DOESN'T GIVE THE BOARD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION THAT COMES WITH THE HEARING, THE QUESTIONS, ETC..

AND THAT'S THE THE POSSIBILITY FOR MISUSE OR IN THAT POSITION MAY BE REAL.

AND SO MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO STRIKE ALL REFERENCES TO THE HEARING OFFICER AND TO ALLOW THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TO HANDLE THOSE HEARINGS AND REVIEWS.

WE'RE CERTAINLY CAPABLE OF DOING THAT.

SO THOSE WERE MY THOUGHTS UPON REVIEW.

I AM ABOUT ONE OF SEVEN SIX RIGHT NOW.

ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? TRUSTEE TREZISE. I AM NOT AFRAID OF A HEARING OFFICER, FRANKLY, AND I AND I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN THIS.

HOW LONG, HOW INVOLVED A HEARING WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD.

THEY TALK ABOUT WITNESSES.

THEY TALK ABOUT PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE IN THE APPLICATION OR THE OR THE TERMINATION.

I JUST THINK IT'S IT'S IT'S BITING OFF A BIG APPLE AT TIMES.

THIS IS A SERIOUS ASSET TO THE APPLICANT.

AND IF WE TOOK THE POSITION OF RECOMMENDING.

TERMINATION OR CANCELLATION OR NON-RENEWAL OF A LICENSE.

YOU CAN ALMOST BE CERTAIN THERE WOULD BE AN APPEAL AND IT WOULD BE QUITE INVOLVED.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THAT AS A BOARD.

CERTAINLY NOT IN A REGULAR MEETING.

BECAUSE IT'S LIKELY TO TAKE HOURS, NOT MINUTES.

SO I WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM DELEGATING IT TO A HEARING OFFICER.

IF WE WISHED TO IDENTIFY THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A HEARING OFFICER THAT WE WOULD USE.

THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE, BUT I'M AFRAID THAT A HEARING IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD WOULD BE A LONG, DRAWN OUT AFFAIR, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE QUALIFIED TO HEAR.

AT THIS POINT, A REVOCATION OF A LICENSE ALSO REDUCES THE QUOTA.

IT'S A TIDBIT I LEARNED FROM LIQUOR LICENSE SCHOOL.

IT REDUCES THE QUOTA.

SO? SO I GUESS LIKE IF WE HAD 35 ACTIVE LICENSES AND YOU REVOKED LICENSE HOLDER NUMBER 35, YOU ONLY HAVE 34.

YOU DON'T GET 35 AGAIN.

SO REVOKING A LICENSE IS SERIOUS.

IT'S SERIOUS.

TELLING MLCC NON-RENEWAL IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

OKAY. YEAH.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE TRESIZE THAT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF SEPARATION.

THE HEARING OFFICER WOULD PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A SEPARATION BETWEEN US AND THE APPLICANT.

I'M JUST THINKING THAT THAT WOULD BE BENEFIT.

I AGREE AS WELL WITH TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC? CLEAR AS MUD. YES.

THERE'S MUD. WE WILL HAVE THE SLURRY READY FOR YOU AT YOUR NEXT MEETING TO CONSIDER FOR INTRODUCTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 14 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

I THINK WE HAVE NOTHING BUT ATTORNEYS IN OUR PUBLIC.

ANY ATTORNEYS WISHING TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? I'M SURE WE'LL BE HEARING FROM YOU SHORTLY.

ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT 848.

LASTLY OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.

[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

[02:50:10]

I PURPOSEFULLY DIDN'T INCLUDE MYSELF ON THE AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND I TRUST FULLY THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL MAKE A DECISION THAT SUITS THE BOARD FULLY.

MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE WOULD BE NOT TO INTERVIEW ANY CANDIDATES FOR THE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE OFFICE.

IT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT THE VOTERS WILL CERTAINLY BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR SAY AT THE BALLOT BOX THIS AUGUST.

AND I THINK THAT THE I THINK IT WOULD BE A BETTER LOOK TO OUR RESIDENTS, A BETTER REFLECTION TO OUR RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER ONLY THOSE APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING FOR THE POSITION.

SO THAT IS MY COMMENT ON THAT.

TAKE THAT. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, YOU THAT YOU ARE THE PANEL.

YOU THREE. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE DO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION ON THE AGENDA.

FOR ANY PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE HANGING OUT IN THE IN THE HALLWAY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON OUR AGENDA AFTER CLOSED SESSION, BUT FOR ADJOURNMENT.

AND WITH THAT, WILL LEAVE IT TO THE BOARD TO MAKE A MOTION TO ENTER CLOSED SESSION.

[16. CLOSED SESSION-Regarding the lawsuit of The Charter Township of Meridian v West Shore Fire, Inc., E-One, Inc., and REV Group, Inc. now pending in the Ingham County Circuit Court as Case No: 24-0178-CB, I move to go into closed session to consult with the Township’s attorney regarding trial and settlement strategy in connection with said pending litigation since an open meeting would have a detrimental financial impact on the litigation position of the Township.]

YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT AFTER THE MOTION.

THAT'S FINE. OKAY, I MOVE, I MOVE, WE GO INTO CLOSED SESSION REGARDING LAWSUIT OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN VERSUS WEST SHORE FIRE INC ONE INC BY REV GROUP, NOW PENDING IN INGHAM COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.

COURT AS CASE NUMBER 20 4-0178 CB.

I MOVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY REGARDING THE TRIAL AND SETTLEMENT STRATEGY IN CONNECTION WITH SAID PENDING LITIGATION, SINCE THE OPENING MEETING WOULD HAVE A DETRIMENTAL FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE LITIGATION POSITION OF THE TOWNSHIP.

SUPPORT MOVE BY TREASURER DESCHAINE, SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? SEEING NONE.

THIS IS A ROLL CALL. VOTE CLERK GUTHRIE.

WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

CARRIES SIX ZERO. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE.

ANYONE WHO IS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS LAWSUIT, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CLEAR THE ROOM.

BOARD MEMBERS, LET'S TAKE FIVE MINUTES AND WE'LL BE BACK AT 8:56.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.