Sep 17, 2024 Township Board

[00:00:24]

[INAUDIBLE].

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

FIRST ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE ABLE.

PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

OKAY. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ROLL CALL.

WILL CLERK GUTHRIE PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

SO WE HAVE SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT.

THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.

TRUSTEE WILSON DID WANT ME TO CONVEY TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC THAT SHE WILL BE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.

SHE IS PART OF A GROUP THAT DOES FUNDRAISING, AND THEY FUNDRAISED THEIR MILLIONTH DOLLAR OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LONG TENURE.

SO THEY'RE HAVING A LITTLE CELEBRATION AND SHE'LL BE JOINING US VERY SHORTLY.

OKAY. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 4, THE PRESENTATIONS.

[4. PRESENTATION]

IT'S THE 2024 MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND PRESENTING TO US THIS EVENING IS EMMA CAMPBELL, THE LAND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR.

WELCOME. HELLO. HI.

GOOD EVENING, TOWNSHIP BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.

OH. DO I CONTROL THIS? DO I PRESS NEXT? HOW DO YOU WANT TO MOVE IT FORWARD? OH THIS THING.

OKAY. THAT WORKS.

I'M NOT SUPER TECH SAVVY.

I AM THE OUTDOORS PERSON FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

SO MY NAME IS EMMA CAMPBELL.

I AM THE STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR FOR THE TOWNSHIP, AND WITHIN THAT JOB ALSO FALLS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGING OUR URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND SO WE ARE HEADING INTO OUR 13TH YEAR AND SO I KNOW SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE NEWER, SO I'M GOING TO JUST TAKE A LITTLE MINUTE TO GO OVER THE PROGRAM WITH THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION.

SO I KIND OF OUTLINED WE STARTED IN 2010 IN RESPONSE TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO DEER CAR COLLISIONS, DAMAGE TO LANDSCAPE AND PRIVATE PROPERTY, ECOLOGICAL DISTURBANCE AND DAMAGE WITHIN OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES.

THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS WHY DEER GET OVERPOPULATED IN URBAN AREAS, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS THAT WE BUILD OUR PROPERTIES HERE AND THEN WE LOSE A LOT OF OUR NATURAL PREDATORS.

SO THERE'S AN OFF BALANCE THAT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT AND THEN THEY ALSO REALLY LOVE TO COME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY LOVE OUR HOSTAS.

SO WE STARTED OUR PROGRAM IN RESPONSE TO THAT.

IT STARTED VERY SMALL WITH JUST 6 OR 7 PROPERTIES OF VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEERS.

[00:05:04]

IT WAS COMPLETELY RAMPANT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

IT WAS VERY DEVASTATING FOR THE WHITE TAILED DEER POPULATION AND WE ACTUALLY HAD THE DNR BROUGHT IN USDA SHARPSHOOTERS.

THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP FUNDED OR PAID FOR.

IT WAS SO BAD THAT THE DNR BROUGHT IN USDA SHARPSHOOTERS AND MANAGED THE HERD THAT WAY.

WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DONATE MEAT WITH CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE.

WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH.

WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD PERSIST IN THE POPULATION.

SO NOW WE KIND OF FAST FORWARD TO 2020, AND THANKS TO THE FUNDING FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, WE WERE REALLY ABLE TO STEP THIS PROGRAM UP TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

WE WERE PROBABLY HARVESTING AROUND 80 DEER A YEAR PRIOR TO 2020, WHICH ISN'T GOING TO MAKE A VERY BIG DENT IN THE POPULATION. SO IN 2020, WE HAD ENOUGH COMPLAINTS.

WE HAD HIGH DEER CAR COLLISIONS, AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FUNDED MORE MONEY TOWARD THAT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE A WALK IN COOLER.

WE WERE ABLE TO START DONATING MEAT AGAIN, AND THAT JUST COMPLETELY CHANGED THE GAME ENTIRELY.

NOW WHEN HUNTERS GO OUT IN OCTOBER, IT'S WARM OUT AND THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM ACROSS THE STATE WITH URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT.

AND DEER MANAGEMENT ALONE IS TRYING TO GET THOSE DEER TO A PLACE AND SO WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED THE POLICE CALL THAT YEAR, WHICH NOW WE HAVE DONE EVERY YEAR SINCE 2020 AND THAT COMES IN AFTER OUR ARCHERY PROGRAM.

SO OUR ARCHERY PROGRAM RUNS AT THE SAME TIME, THE STATE ARCHERY.

PROGRAM DOES SO FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO JANUARY 1ST OF THAT YEAR.

SO WE HAVE OUR ARCHERY PROGRAM AND THEN AFTER THAT THE POLICE CALL IS IMPLEMENTED IN JANUARY AND THAT WAS BROUGHT ABOUT TO REALLY FOCUS ON AREAS OF HIGH.

DEER CAR COLLISIONS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HEAT DENSITY MAPS AND WHERE THOSE.

OCCURRENCES HAPPEN THE MOST AND THEN WHERE THE POLICE ARE ABLE TO GO IN AND BE ABLE TO CALL DEER IN THE SAFEST POSSIBLE WAY FOR EVERYONE.

SO SINCE 2020.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND SO THIS YEAR WE HAVE 67 VOLUNTEER HUNTERS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, LOCAL DENTISTS, TEACHERS, FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS.

SO WE ALSO HAVE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM AND SO THESE ARE ALL YOUR LOCAL FOLKS GOING OUT AND PUTTING IN OVER 3000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK TO COMPLETE ARCHERY AND SO WE HAVE 43 PROPERTIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT AND THEN NOW THIS YEAR, WE HAVE 26 PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE GIVEN US PERMISSION. SO WE ALSO REACH OUT TO HOMEOWNERS AND RESIDENTS AND IF IT'S YOU KNOW, A SAFE SPACE THAT WE CAN EITHER PLACE AN ARCHER OR MAKE IT PART OF THE POLICE CALL. WE INCLUDE THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY IN OUR MANAGEMENT.

WE WORK OFF OF DEER MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE PERMITS AND SO THESE ARE APPROVED BY THE DNR.

WE HAVE A WRAP UP MEETING AT THE END OF EVERY SEASON AND WE GO OVER EVERYTHING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE LOCAL STATE WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS FOR DEER, ELK AND MOOSE AND THEY HELP RECOMMEND AND GUIDE OUR MANAGEMENT NUMBERS.

SO LAST YEAR WE WERE APPROVED FOR 300 DEER TO HARVEST FROM THE TOWNSHIP AND THIS YEAR, ONCE AGAIN, WE WERE APPROVED FOR 300 DEER.

SO BETWEEN OUR ARHERY PROGRAM AND OUR POLICE CALL WE WILL FULFILL THAT NUMBER.

WE ARE REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT METRICS AND FACTORS AT, YOU KNOW, TO HOW SUCCESSFUL WE'RE BEING.

WE DID A PUBLIC SURVEY IN 2021, WHICH WE'D LIKE TO DO ANOTHER ONE COMING UP SOON, AND WE HAD OVER 80% SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT.

MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DOING THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT IT MEANS, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH THAT.

WE'VE HAD OUR CAR.

DEER COLLISIONS IS A NUMBER THAT THE DNR TOLD US.

IF THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD HINGE A LOT OF YOUR MANAGEMENT ON AND SO WE LOOKED AT WHEN WE HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF INCIDENTS, WHICH IS IN 2020 WHEN PEOPLE WERE DRIVING AROUND REALLY AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET OUR DEER CAR COLLISIONS DOWN TO 100.

AND LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 97 AND THAT IS JUST BASED OFF OF STATE POLICE DATA.

WE DO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WANT US TO LOOK MORE INTO INSURANCE COMPANIES, BUT WE'RE REMAINING CONSISTENT IN THE DATA WE USE.

SO WE'VE SEEN A 36% DECREASE SINCE 2011, IN DEER CAR COLLISIONS, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT FOR DEER AND PEOPLE.

[00:10:03]

WE'VE ALSO BEEN REALLY HAPPY THAT WE CAN DONATE VENISON.

SO IN THE PAST WE'VE WORKED WITH MICHIGAN SPORTSMEN AGAINST HUNGER TO DONATE VENISON AND LAST YEAR WE DONATED TO 15 OR 16 LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND OUR STAFF DOES ALL OF THAT.

THE MIKE ELLIS IS OUR DPW STAFF PERSON WHO HAND DELIVERS ALL OF THAT VENISON.

SO LAST YEAR WE DONATED OVER 6,000 POUNDS LOCALLY HERE AND THAT'S HUGE AND THAT'S REALLY AWESOME.

IT'S A VERY LOCAL, SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF PROTEIN THAT WE'RE JUST REALLY THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO DONATE.

SO WE DO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE RECEIVED FEWER COMPLAINTS IN MANY AREAS.

OF COURSE, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE HIGH PRESSURE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE REALLY PACKED IN, AND WE JUST AREN'T ABLE TO GET THERE.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO PUT SAFETY AT THE TOP OF OUR PROGRAM, AND WE'RE NEVER GOING TO.

WE'RE NEVER NOT GOING TO BE SAFE IN ORDER TO GET INTO AREAS TO HARVEST DEER.

WE ARE WORKING WITH MSU AGAIN THIS YEAR.

SO WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE BOARD LAST YEAR.

THAT'S ONE OF YOUR MEMOS THAT YOU HAVE.

WE STARTED A PROJECT, A RESEARCH PROJECT WITH THEM LAST YEAR AND SO THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW TICKS RELATE TO THE WHITETAIL DEER POPULATION, HOW WIDESPREAD IS LYME DISEASE AND ULTIMATELY THEY'RE LOOKING AT CAN THEY POTENTIALLY DOWN THE ROAD ADMINISTER ANTI TICK MEDICATION TO WILDLIFE.

WE ARE NOT PARTAKING IN ANY KIND OF MEDICATION.

YOU KNOW, SENDING OUT INTO THE TOWNSHIP.

WE'RE JUST ALLOWING THEM TO DO THEIR RESEARCH AND SO THEY ARE PUTTING ALFALFA PRODUCT PILES DOWN IN CERTAIN SITES AND THERE IS A PINK BIOMARKER IN THERE THAT'S APPROVED BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND IS NONTOXIC, IS NOT ACTUALLY DIGESTED BY THE DEER.

IT DOESN'T ABSORB INTO THE DEER AT ALL.

IT JUST GIVES THEM AN IDEA OF WHERE THESE DEER GO IN THE TOWNSHIP AFTER THEY EAT THAT.

AFP SO IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

IT'S GREAT FOR US. WE REALLY WANT TO COLLECT AS MUCH DATA AS WE CAN FOR THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE MAKING THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY BACKED MANAGEMENT DECISIONS THAT WE CAN FOR OUR DEER HERD.

THERE IS A VERY FINE LINE.

WE ALWAYS THINK THERE'S SO MANY.

THEY'RE INEXHAUSTIBLE AND THAT'S NOT TRUE.

YOU CAN COLLAPSE THEIR POPULATION AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

WE DO LOVE DEER.

WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ALL OF THEM GO, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE THEIR HERD HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER AND WE WANT TO HELP THE RESIDENTS TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH MSU AGAIN.

WE'RE ALREADY FINDING INTERESTING DATA FROM THEM ON WHERE TICKS ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT CAN CARRY LYME DISEASE, AND WE'RE SEEING INTERESTING INFORMATION ON THE HOME RANGES OF DEER, WHICH I KNOW A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE MAYBE THEY JUST CAMP OUT IN THEIR BACKYARD AND THE TRUTH IS, SOMETIMES THEY DO. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE WORKING WITH THEM AGAIN THIS YEAR AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO DONATE THEIR FIRST DEER THAT THEY HARVEST.

SO THEY HAVE TO DO THAT AND THEN THEY ALL HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN MANDATORY TRAINING AND SAFETY AND PROFICIENCY TESTS BEFORE THE START OF EVERY SINGLE SEASON. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING OUT THERE AS PREPARED AS THEY CAN BE.

THEY HAVE PACKETS WITH TONS OF INFORMATION AND RULES AND PROCEDURES IN THERE FOR THEM.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE FULLY EQUIPPED AND READY TO GO OUT AND PERFORM A REALLY ARDUOUS TASK, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY FOR THEM. HERE'S A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MSU RESEARCH, BUT YOU CAN FIND MORE OF THAT IN YOUR MEMO THERE.

DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. JUST REAL QUICK.

I KNOW YOU SAID THERE'S A CALL OF 300 TO HARVEST.

WHAT IS THE APPROXIMATE DEER POPULATION HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP? YEAH. SO THIS IS A REALLY COMMON QUESTION.

IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO MEASURE EXACTLY HOW MANY DEER ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

WE WOULD REALISTICALLY HAVE TO GO OUT AND CAPTURE EVERY SINGLE DEER AND MARK THEM TO UNDERSTAND FULLY.

WE'VE LOOKED INTO HELICOPTER SURVEYS, AND THE DNR HAS REALLY RECOMMENDED THAT THOSE DO NOT REFLECT THE TRUE DEER HERD.

THEY'RE VERY COSTLY.

SO THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE GIVEN US, THIS TASK TO REALLY GATHER ALL THIS INFORMATION ON WHERE THEY ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP, WHERE THEY'RE ABUNDANT, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE HIGHEST DEER CAR COLLISIONS.

SO THE DNR, THE WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS, AND THEY ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S ABOUT 800 TO 1100 DEER IN OUR TOWNSHIP.

BUT AGAIN, THAT IS NOT A NUMBER THAT ANYONE CAN ASCERTAIN TO A VERY SPECIFIC NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT.

[00:15:05]

WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT A MAINTENANCE LEVEL.

WE'RE SEEING OUR DEER CAR COLLISIONS MEET THAT NUMBER THAT WE'RE GOING FOR.

WHEN WE GET CALLS FROM NEIGHBORHOODS, WE HAVE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE HUNTERS AND SO WE'RE SEEING WHERE THERE'S DEER PRESENT IN HIGH NUMBERS.

WE'RE SEEING WHERE THEY'RE KIND OF WHITTLING OUT.

WE SEE WHERE THERE ARE DEER REALLY TRAVELING THAT OFTEN.

SO THAT'S AN ANSWER THAT'S A LITTLE COMPLEX.

BUT THAT'S ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE TRACKING IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A GOOD MANAGEMENT QUOTA FOR OUR DEER HERD.

BUT 800 TO 1100 IS WHAT THE DNR HAS ESTIMATED TO US HISTORICALLY.

DEER ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT A NUMBER OF 20 DEER PER SQUARE MILE, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT 650IN OUR TOWNSHIP.

CLERK GUTHRIE AND THEN TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO WITH US IN REGARDS TO THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES IS THAT STARTED FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS THEMSELVES OR THE TOWNSHIP OR A PRIVATE GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHERE THE DEER POPULATION IS, AND THEN YOU ASSESS THAT THESE ARE THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT THE TOWNSHIP NEEDS TO GO TO.

HOW IS THAT DECIDED? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

WE DID SEND OUT LETTERS.

WE'LL BE SENDING OUT MORE LETTERS TO CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS THIS YEAR.

SO I THINK TWO YEARS AGO WE SENT OUT LETTERS TO SEE IF PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN HAVING A HUNTER ASSIGNED TO THEIR PROPERTY, AND THAT'S REALLY JUST OPENING THE DOOR.

IT'S NOT AS EASY AS THAT.

IT'S 100% UP TO THE ARCHER OR THE POLICE WHO ARE RUNNING THE CALL, WHICHEVER ONE ENDS UP HUNTING THE PROPERTY.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS UP TO THEM WHETHER THEY CAN DO THAT OR NOT.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO THEY REALLY WANT US THERE, BUT WE JUST CAN'T DO IT.

SO A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, WE'LL MAKE LIKE A FIRST COMMUNICATION THROUGH A LETTER.

I DON'T EVER CALL PEOPLE AND SAY, HEY, YOUR PROPERTY LOOKS GREAT.

BUT OUR HUNTERS ARE TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THEY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS.

A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE ASKED, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS, LIKE THEY'RE IN THE PROGRAM.

THEY ASK THEM TO CHECK OUT THEIR PROPERTY AND THEN IF IT'S ALL GOOD, THEY CAN BE ASSIGNED TO THAT AREA.

I WILL SAY THAT OUR POLICE HAVE DONE A LOT OF LEGWORK IN ACQUIRING SOME OF THOSE PRIVATE PROPERTIES.

SOME OF THEM ARE 5 TO 10 ACRES, SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CALL US HAVE MAYBE LIKE A 0.5 ACRE PARCEL, AND THAT'S DIFFICULT AND THEN IN THAT CASE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOTS OF YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE NEIGHBORS APPROVING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST GO RETRIEVE A DEER ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY AND IT'S NOT RESPECTFUL EITHER.

IT'S ALSO AGAINST THE LAW, EVERYONE.

BUT YEAH. SO YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S THAT INSTANCE, WE REALLY NEED MORE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT, AND SO WE'RE STARTING TO SLOWLY GAIN THAT. BUT AGAIN, IT JUST COMES DOWN TO WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE AND WE UNDERSTAND THE DEER POPULATION CAN BE REALLY BAD FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO WITH THAT.

SO WE ARE TRYING VERY HARD.

I PROMISE.

THANK YOU. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU. THE QUESTION TRUSTEE MCCURTIS ASKED ABOUT POPULATION.

I'VE BEEN ASKING THAT FOR EIGHT YEARS NOW, AND ONE TIME I GOT A FIGURE OF 10,000.

RECENTLY I GOT A FIGURE OF WHO GAVE YOU A FIGURE OF 10,000.

I DON'T REMEMBER. IT WAS A MEETING AROUND EIGHT YEARS, UP TO 10,000.

OKAY. RECENTLY I GOT A FIGURE OF 100 TO 200 DEER PER ACRE IN THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH WOULD PUT THE POPULATION AT 3400 TO ABOUT 7000. IF YOU SPEND ANY TIME IN NEIGHBORHOODS, THE AREAS YOU'RE NOT HUNTING, THAT NUMBER OF 800 TO 1000 WILL NOT SEEM REASONABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE EVERYWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUT CANVASING.

THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I HEARD MANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE DEER HAVING JUST OVERWHELMED THEIR BACKYARDS, THEIR GARDENS AND SO THAT WOULD TELL ME OUR NUMBER IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER WHEN YOU CONSIDER A THIRD OF THE TOWNSHIP IS NOT PART OF OUR IS OUR URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY MATERIAL AREA, WHERE THEY CAN ROAM MORE FREELY THERE AND UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE YOU HAVE OF TRYING TO THIN THE COAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU CAN'T SHOOT THEM, YOU CAN'T USE YOUR NORMAL TECHNIQUES.

BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE AND I THINK THE AREAS YOU'RE LOOKING NOW, PARKS, LAND RESERVES ARE REALLY NOT WHERE THEY'RE HANGING OUT, WHERE THEY'RE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THOSE PEOPLE GATHERED THAT DATA THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO GATHER REALLY SPECIFIC INFORMATION LIKE THAT AND THAT DOES SEEM LIKE A REALLY HIGH NUMBER.

SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THAT DATA WAS ACQUIRED, THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU MENTIONED.

[00:20:03]

WE'RE SEEING THEM IN MUCH HEALTHIER POPULATIONS.

WE'RE STILL SEEING THEM THOUGH IN SOME AREAS IT JUST DEPENDS WHERE IT'S AT.

THERE'S PROPERTIES WHERE WE'LL BACK OFF OF IT FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE WE START TO NOT SEE DEER ANYMORE AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER THEY'RE COMING BACK IN. SO THEY'RE SMART.

THEY ROTATE, THEY CHANGE WHERE THEY'RE AT.

OF COURSE IT IS GOING TO BE HIGHER IN NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THIS CANNOT BE LOOKED AT AS JUST IT'S THE DEER'S PROBLEM.

WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO NATIVE LANDSCAPING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT A DEER'S FAVORITE FOOD OUT IN THEIR YARD, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'M A HUGE GARDENER.

I HAVE A HUGE GARDEN, BUT I ALSO LIVE NEXT TO, YOU KNOW, 300 ACRES MYSELF OF NATURAL AREA AND I HAVE ALL NATIVE PLANTS IN MY YARD AND I FIND THAT I HAVE VERY LITTLE PROBLEMS WITH THE DEER IN MY YARD.

THEY BED IN MY YARD EVERY NIGHT, BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO EAT MY GARDEN AND I HAVE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS WHO SAY, I'VE PUT THIS NATIVE PLANT IN HERE AND IT DIDN'T WORK AND SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S HIGH ENOUGH PRESSURE WHERE IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FENCE AROUND THE STUFF I WANT TO KEEP, AND IT'S NOT THE PRETTIEST.

BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE PEOPLE MOVE HERE BECAUSE OF THE GREEN SPACE, IT'S INCREDIBLE THE AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR DEVELOPMENTS, THEY'RE GOING RIGHT ONTO THE LAND THAT ALL OF THESE ANIMALS HAVE TRAVERSED ACROSS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HANG OUT, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO HANG OUT WHERE THEY HAVE REALLY READILY AVAILABLE FOOD AND WHERE THEY DO FEEL SAFE AND THAT SEEMS TO BE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT NOW AND SO I'VE TALKED TO LOTS OF RESIDENTS.

I'VE HEARD THEIR FRUSTRATIONS.

I, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE I'VE TOLD THEM TO MAKE NOISE MAKERS AND THINGS AND IT DOESN'T WORK AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT RESIDENTS AREN'T DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A PART THAT WE CAN PLAY IN THAT AS WELL AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, NOTHING IS THERE IS A ZERO DISTANCE RULE IN OUR TOWNSHIP FOR ARCHERY.

SO, I MEAN, REALLY, YOU CAN HUNT IN YOUR BACKYARD.

YOU KNOW, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THAT.

THEY HAVE THAT CHOICE, OR THEY CAN TURN TO US TO ASSIGN A HUNTER.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE JUST.

THERE'S TOO MUCH TO LOSE IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG AND SO THERE'S JUST A POINT WHERE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IN SOME OF THESE AREAS? AND WE ARE CERTAINLY ALWAYS TRYING TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.

AND THIS YEAR WE ARE THINKING OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH FOR SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES.

WE USED TO NOT HUNT ANY PRIVATE PROPERTY IN OUR PROGRAM.

SO NOW WE HAVE 26 TO 30 EACH YEAR.

SO I'D SAY THAT WE'RE REALLY WE'RE PROGRESSING.

WE'RE EVOLVING TO GET THERE FOR SURE.

I KNOW THAT ISN'T 100% ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE EVEN LOOKED AT LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT ONE OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETINGS, STERILIZATION WAS BROUGHT UP, AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SAYS THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER OPTIONS AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.

I SERVED ON THE DEER MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE COMMITTEE THIS YEAR FOR THE DNR, FOR THE ENTIRE LOWER PENINSULA AND NOBODY IS DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING AND THEY'RE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THESE PROBLEMS MUCH MORE SO THAN WE ARE.

SO WE DO NEED TO KEEP IN PERSPECTIVE THAT WE'RE DOING A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT TO MANAGE THE DEER HERD, BUT WE DO NEED TO KEEP SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST.

THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS.

JUST A REAL QUICK TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.

I'M SORRY, I JUST WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, ESPECIALLY ON THE BOTH THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES AND THE PARKS, HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE SAFETY? DO YOU GO KNOCKING ON DOORS? YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES TO BOTH PARKS AND THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES.

HOW DO YOU YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING OUT THIS WEEK.

WE DO WE SEND OUT COMMUNICATION IN LETTERS.

WE ALSO DO A PRESS RELEASE.

WE USUALLY DO A FACEBOOK POST OF ME TALKING AND BEING INTERVIEWED.

I MEAN, I'VE ALSO BEEN INTERVIEWED BY NEWS CHANNELS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.

SO WE REALLY COMMUNICATE THROUGH LETTERS, PRESS RELEASES ON OUR WEBSITE TO OUR RESIDENTS AND SO EVERYBODY WHO'S IN A MANAGEMENT AREA OR WHOSE PROPERTY TOUCHES A MANAGEMENT AREA RECEIVES A LETTER NOTIFYING THEM THAT WE HAVE THESE ARCHERS OUT HERE.

WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY POSTED WITH ADVISE SIGNS AT THE ENTRANCE AND THROUGHOUT THE AREA.

BECAUSE OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES DO STAY OPEN AND THAT CAN SOMETIMES MAKE PEOPLE NERVOUS.

[00:25:04]

SO THEY CALL ME AND ASK ME IF ONE OF THE HUNTERS IS OUT AND I LET THEM KNOW.

BUT REALLY, I THINK THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND WE'VE GOTTEN SOME FLACK BEFORE FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY, WHY ISN'T IT ON A LOTTERY? WE HAVE A BIG WAITLIST FOR THE PROGRAM.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THIS.

IT'S A UNIQUE RECREATION OPPORTUNITY AND THE REASON WE DON'T IS BECAUSE THOSE HUNTERS KNOW WHO THE NEIGHBORS ARE.

THEY'VE HAD TO KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR.

THEY'VE HAD YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL THEM, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE A DEER RUN INTO SOMEONE'S YARD, IT'S BEST TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION NOW SO PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

THEY HAVE TO PUT A SIGN UP IN THEIR VEHICLE AS WELL.

WHEN THEY'RE PARKED AT A LOCATION, THEY HAVE AN ID CARD AND EVERYTHING.

SO OUR HUNTERS REALLY KNOW THIS AREA.

THEY'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM A LONG TIME OR ARE RESIDENT.

SO THEY KNOW THE NEIGHBORS AND THEY'RE ESTABLISHING THAT CONNECTION THAT WAY TOO.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT LITTLE WAYS WE GET EVERYONE TO KNOW WHAT WE GO THROUGH AND WHAT SAFETY MEASURES WE TAKE.

THANKS. OKAY.

SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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

CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT AT TONIGHT'S MEETING.

ONE HERE AT THE BEGINNING AND ONE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS OUR AGENDA, OR ANY ITEM NOT ON OUR AGENDA MAY DO SO AT EITHER OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN CARD AND PRESENT THE CARD TO THE BOARD, OR TO A MEMBER OF OUR STAFF WHO ARE SITTING ALONG THE BACK ROW HERE AND PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN, I'LL CALL YOU UP TO THE PODIUM AND THEN LET THE NEXT SPEAKER KNOW AS WELL THAT THEY'RE ON DECK TO SPEAK TO THE TOPICS INDICATED.

WHILE IT'S NOT REQUIRED, IT IS HELPFUL IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEETING MINUTES.

CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME.

TRUSTEE WILL HELP US KEEP TRACK OF THAT AND THERE WILL BE A LIGHT AND BEEP WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DO VALUE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE MEETING FORMAT AND THE RULES, HOWEVER, RESTRICT BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMENTERS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY.

QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY BOARD MEMBERS AT A LATER TIME, OR THEY COULD BE REFERRED TO A MEMBER OF OUR TOWNSHIP STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND OR THE BOARD'S CHAIR.

AGAIN, THAT'S ME AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR TO OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE.

FIRST UP THIS EVENING WE HAVE JANE SOUTHWELL AND THEN PEGGY FRISCH.

YOU ARE ON DECK.

GOOD EVENING, I'M JANE SOUTHWELL.

I'M AT 5355 WILD OAK IN EAST LANSING.

I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE NEGLECTED MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OVER MANY YEARS OF THE RIVERSIDE CEMETERY, AND MANY OF YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE THAT IS.

IT'S AT THE CORNER, OR IT'S AT THE INTERSECTION OF GRAND RIVER AND HAMILTON ROADS AND THIS IS A PIECE OF OUR HISTORY.

ED HODERLEIN, WHO IS A GENTLEMAN THAT SPENT ABOUT A WEEK IN IN 2004, IN SEPTEMBER, GOING THROUGH AND DOCUMENTING NAMES DATES OF ALL THE HEADSTONES, AS MANY OF THEM AS HE COULD.

HE NOTES THAT THE TIME THAT I WALKED THIS CEMETERY, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT HAD BEEN RAPED AND MOWED AND I FIND THAT INFORMATION AS I'VE GONE UP THERE.

PRETTY TRUE.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY, THIS AREA'S FIRST SETTLERS SETTLED HERE IN 1839.

THE EARLIEST BURIAL THERE AT RIVERSIDE IS 1841.

THE EARLIEST BIRTH DATES ON STONES ARE 1783 AND 1797.

SO IT'S REALLY HISTORY.

WELL KNOWN FAMILIES THAT YOU ALL KNOW, IF YOU'VE HEARD THE NAMES OF HAMILTON, GRETNA'S, HULETTS AND MARSH ARE AMONG THE FEW.

AARON JONES IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

HE WAS BORN IN 1841, DIED IN 1908.

HE HAS AN AMERICAN FLAG ON HIS STONE.

HE WAS 20 AT THE START OF THE CIVIL WAR.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, I REALLY FEEL, HAS VIOLATED THE TRUST OF THESE FOLKS WHO BOUGHT THESE LOTS.

THEY ENTRUSTED US WITH PERPETUAL CARE AND IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT THIS WAS PURCHASED 150 PLUS YEARS AGO.

[00:30:09]

POSTING CEMETERY HOURS.

I'D LIKE TO FIND SOME RESOURCES TO HELP CLEAN UP THE CEMETERY GROUNDS.

AS I MET WITH ROB MCKENZIE AND HE SAID HE JUST DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH HELP TO DO THAT.

WE NEED TO CONSULT THE PRESERVATIONISTS TO DO RESTORATION.

I PLAN TO GET MY SOUTHWELL ANCESTORS HEADSTONES REPAIRED, CONSULT WITH MERIDIAN HISTORICAL VILLAGE, AND I TALKED BRIEFLY WITH PATRICK REYNOLDS, WHO WAS GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT I DON'T.

OH, THERE HE IS. OKAY.

I'D NEVER MET HIM FACE TO FACE.

I SPOKE WITH LORETTA STANAWAY, A LEADER IN PRESERVING LANSING CEMETERIES.

MOURNING WITH ME, SHE EMPHASIZED WITH RESEARCH.

WHAT KIND OF STORIES? THAT WE WOULD FIND OUT ABOUT THESE EARLY SETTLERS THAT WERE JUST AMAZE US.

SAMANTHA. THANK YOU.

SHE TOOK PICTURES AND EXPLORED THE CEMETERY WITH ME TODAY AND SHE'S GOING TO BE SHOWING SOME OF THESE.

I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I SPENT MY GIRLHOOD KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE CEMETERY, AND IT'S JUST A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT WE NEED TO PRESERVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL PICTURES IN ADDITION TO THE PDF THAT YOU'VE GOT SHOWING HERE BEFORE WE BEFORE WE GO AWAY TO ANOTHER TOPIC.

SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.

[INAUDIBLE]. THAT'S THE OLD SIGN THAT'S AT THE WRONG END OF THE CEREMONY OF THE CEMETERY.

OLD FENCING.

SOME OF THE STONES THERE WAS A.

THE CEMETERY FLOODED YEARS AGO BEFORE I EVEN MOVED TO OKEMOS AND THEY LOST A LOT OF THE GRAVES.

THAT'S WHY THAT PLAT MARK OR PLAT LOCK IS THE WAY IT IS.

THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILT UP THE RIVERBANK AND IT'S PRESERVED THE REMAINING.

IT'S KIND OF ROUGH FOR ME TO WALK OR ANYBODY.

THE RIVERSIDE IS ONLY FENCED PART WAY.

IT'S KIND OF DANGEROUS.

THAT'S A STEEP DOWN TO THE RIVER.

WE JUST LOST A BEAUTIFUL OAK TREE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP.

BUT THAT WAS 2 OR 3 WEEKS AGO THAT IT WENT DOWN AND THAT'S THE ENTRANCE INTO THE CEMETERY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. PEGGY FRISCH AND THEN ELLEN PORTNOY.

YOU'RE ON DECK. I WANT TO SPEAK AT THE END OF THE MEETING.

AT THE END OF THE MEETING? OKAY. OH.

SURE DOES. THANK YOU.

ELLEN PORTNOY AND THEN STEVE VAGNOZZI.

HELLO. SO I'M ELLEN PORTNOY, AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN TALKING ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER.

I JUST DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, SO I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE THING PREPARED, BUT I DO.

I HAVE BEEN READING, AND I LOOKED IN THE PACKET AND SAW THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT HAVE GONE ON BETWEEN BETWEEN YOU AND BARBARA O'KELLEY, WHO IS ON THE WEST COAST TONIGHT AND COULDN'T BE HERE. AND WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE NEW TASK FORCE? SO OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH A PRETTY DIFFICULT PROCESS THAT WAS VERY UNPOPULAR WITH THE SENIORS, AND THAT LEFT A GOOD AMOUNT OF BAD FEELING IN THAT COMMUNITY AND WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL.

WE KNOW THAT THE SENIOR CENTER HAS TO BE REPLACED, AND ALL OF US WOULD BE MOST, MOST APPRECIATIVE OF A GOOD EFFORT.

THAT IS NOT A ONE SIDED WHERE WE CAN HAVE INPUT FROM EVERYBODY.

SO CURRENTLY IN THE MEMOS IN THE PACKET, THERE IS A PROPOSITION THAT THE NEW TASK FORCE WOULD BE LED BY ONE OF THE MEMBERS.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE TWO PEOPLE THAT HAS WERE STRONG SUPPORTERS OF A PARTICULAR MODEL THAT WE ARE NOT SURE THAT THAT THAT WE WANT AND WE ARE HOPING THAT WE COULD GET AN INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR, NOT ONE THAT'S PRIMARILY FROM US, NOT ONE THAT'S PRIMARILY FROM YOU.

ALL THAT, BUT INDEPENDENT, WHOSE JOB IT IS TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE A PROCESS THAT IS NEUTRAL, THAT IS INCLUSIVE, WHERE PEOPLE END UP FEELING LIKE THEY ARE HEARD FROM BOTH SIDES AND RIGHT NOW, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE PERSON FROM THE SENIOR CENTER, WHICH WAS WHICH IS WHAT I SAW IN THE IN THE NOTES.

[00:35:01]

SO I AM HERE TO STATE THAT OBJECTION TO THE CURRENT WAY THAT THIS NEW TASK FORCE IS BEING SET UP AND TO BE ABLE TO GO FORWARD IN A WAY THAT'S MORE POSITIVE AND HOPEFULLY WILL FIND A GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR THE SENIOR CENTER AND THAT'S REALLY OH, AND I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF.

SO I'M ELLEN PORTNOY AND I'M FROM OKEMOS, RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY FOR TONIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

STEVEN VAGNOZZI.

I'M STEVE VAGNOZZI.

I LIVE IN RIVERWOOD PARK.

I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE TOWNSHIP FOR ABOUT 48 YEARS.

AT VARIOUS PARTS.

I'M SPEAKING ALSO ABOUT THE PROPOSED SENIOR CENTER, RECONSTITUTED TASK FORCE.

TONIGHT I AM SPEAKING FOR BARBARA KELLY, WHO'S UNABLE TO BE HERE AND CONSIDER MY REMARKS A COMBINATION OF THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD. ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT THERE'S A PROPOSED NINE MEMBER TASK FORCE, OF WHICH THERE'S ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SENIOR CENTER.

THE SENIORS FEEL THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD AND STRUCTURING THE COMMITTEE THIS WAY ISN'T GOING TO HELP RESOLVE THAT.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF SENIORS ON ON THIS TASK FORCE.

SECOND WE BELIEVE THAT THE TASK FORCE SHOULD SELECT ITS OWN CHAIR, AS IS FAIRLY TYPICALLY DONE.

WHEN I WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

THE COMMISSION ITSELF SELECTED CHAIRS.

I SERVED FOR ONE OF THE TERMS. OTHER PEOPLE SERVED OTHER YEARS.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE BE VERY SCAN A WIDE NET LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPTIONS, FROM BUILDING FROM SCRATCH OR LOOKING AT AN INVENTORY OF SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE VACANT IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT COULD BE DONE, THAT COULD BE UTILIZED.

THE KEY THING WE HAVE HERE IS THAT WE HAVE THE FOUR YEARS LEFT FOR THE SENIOR CENTER TO BE AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION UNTIL IT'S NO LONGER FEASIBLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER GREEN CARDS FOR THIS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 637.

NEXT UP IS ITEM SIX, OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT.

[6. INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR YOU THIS EVENING.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I HOPE EVERYONE IS WELL AWARE THAT THE MSU LAKE LANSING PHASE TWO OF THE TRAIL IS OPEN.

I SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE CROSSING GRAND RIVER THIS WEEKEND TO GET FROM PHASE ONE TO PHASE TWO.

SO THIS IS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO LONG RANGE PLANNING, AND I NOT TO TOOT PLANNER'S HORNS EVERYWHERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN IDEA THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAD OVER A DECADE AGO AND WE WORKED AT IT, AND WE WORKED AT IT, AND WE WORKED AT IT AND NOW WE ARE ON TO THE LAST PHASE.

THAT DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER CREW IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON DESIGNING, SO HOPEFULLY WE GET UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR NEXT YEAR.

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, I HIGHLY ADVISE YOU TO GO CHECK IT OUT AND THE OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING IS THIS FRIDAY.

ALONG THE SAME VEIN, THE PROJECT, THE 2025 ROAD PROJECTS THAT WE PULLED FORWARD BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH A SUCCESSFUL YEAR ON THE ROAD PROGRAM ARE UNDERWAY NOW AND ARE EXPECTED TO BE DONE BY THE END OF THE MONTH AND SO WE WILL ACTUALLY BE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME WE CAN SAY THAT.

DEPUTY OR DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER AND DIRECTOR CLARK IN MY STEAD HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON PUSHING FORWARD THE HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE PROJECT, AS I HAVEN'T

[00:40:04]

I WANT TO ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE STILL SHOOTING FOR TO GET THAT PROJECT IN THE GROUND THIS YEAR AND WE YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, LIKE WHERE WE'RE AT.

JUST BRIEFLY, WE'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT SERGEANT MCCREADY RETIRED TODAY.

TODAY WAS HIS LAST DAY. HE WAS IN TO PURCHASE HIS BADGE, WHICH APPARENTLY IS THE PROCESS, AS IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO THAT, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT OF MONEY TO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ABSORB WHEN SOMEONE RETIRES AFTER THAT MANY YEARS OF SERVICE, BUT WE WISH HIM ALL THE BEST IN HIS RETIREMENT.

AND FOR JUST A MINUTE THERE, WE WERE ALMOST FULLY STAFFED FOR, LIKE, A COUPLE OF HOURS.

AFTER WE SWORE IN OUR NEW OFFICER WHO WAS SWORN IN TODAY AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU ARE IN VERY CAPABLE HANDS WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THEIR PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST FOR THE YEAR AND I JOINED THEM THIS MORNING AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I SET A VERY LOW BAR FOR THEM ALL TO PASS OVER TOP OF.

BUT I DID PASS, TO BE CLEAR.

IT IS QUITE THE CHALLENGE AND IT WAS IT'S MIND BOGGLING TO SEE THEM PUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF GEAR ON THAT I HAD AND JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH THINGS THAT I WAS REALLY STRUGGLING WITH.

SO EVERYONE IS IN GREAT HANDS WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THEY WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF US IF WE NEED THEM TO.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT? SEEING NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM SEVEN.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TO REPORT.

TRUSTEE. SUNDLAND.

OKAY, SO I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO ATTEND THE CONVENTION 2024 LAST WEEK.

THE CONVENTION GIVES A SPACE TO CONNECT AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND MAYORS AND MANAGERS AND MUNICIPAL ATTORNEYS AND OTHERS, AND WE SHARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE HEADING FOR THE FUTURE AND THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON A MULTIPLE SESSIONS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND HOW WE CAN USE THIS TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR THE GOOD AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THRIVING COMMUNITIES ARE EXPLORING SUCCESS HOLISTICALLY, BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND BEING LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE FOCUS AREAS OF PURSUING A THRIVING COMMUNITY ARE LIFELONG LEARNING, TRUST AND BELONGING, ARTS AND CULTURE, FINANCIAL SECURITY, SUSTAINABILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.

SO IT WAS AN EXCELLENT AN EXCELLENT CONVENTION.

I DID ATTEND A COUNCIL MANAGER RELATIONSHIP WORKSHOP, AND IT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING.

JUST YOU KNOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A VACANCY AS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT STRUCK HOME AND THERE WAS AN EMPHASIS ON PLACE MAKING AND THEN THE CITY OF HOUGHTON WON THE CONTEST FOR THEIR TOWN AND THEIR THRIVING COMMUNITY.

SO ANYWAY, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT CONVENTION AND IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND THAT WAS THE MML CONVENTION.

MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.

FABULOUS. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

GUESS WHAT? IT'S NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY.

I KNOW EVERYBODY IS EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND I AM SURE THAT THE NUMEROUS VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED WERE FROM OUR EFFORTS, AND NOT ANY ANNOUNCEMENT BY TAYLOR SWIFT.

I AM SURE THAT THERE WAS ZERO INFLUENCE ON PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR VOTER REGISTRATIONS.

WE RECEIVED AROUND 150 VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS SINCE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT, SO THAT'S GREAT.

IT'S FANTASTIC. I LOVE IT.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK ON OUR END, A LOT OF DUPLICATES, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

WE GO THROUGH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S PROCESSED AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S A-OKAY TO BE VOTING THIS NOVEMBER. SO IF YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS, YOU CAN GO TO MICHIGAN.GOV SLASH VOTE.

[00:45:04]

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE DIFFICULTIES USING THE ONLINE PORTALS THROUGH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND SO YOU CAN GIVE ME A CALL.

OUR INFORMATION IS ON THE WEBSITE CLERK'S OFFICE AT MERIDIANI US.

WE HAVE 13,000 VOTERS WHO ARE ON OUR PERMANENT MAIL BALLOT LIST.

WE HAVE ALMOST 170 OVERSEAS VOTERS.

CURRENTLY. AROUND 4700 VOTERS ARE ON THE OLD ABSENTEE VOTER LIST THAT WE ARE SENDING PERMANENT MAIL BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO AS WE SPEAK.

WE HAVE AROUND 34,000 REGISTERED VOTERS TO DATE, AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION WE GET ASKED.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE MAILED ON SEPTEMBER 26TH, SO YOU SHOULD RECEIVE IT WITHIN A WEEK.

AFTER THAT. WE GET NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS ABOUT THAT, SO PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD.

WE DO NOT HAVE THEM AT OUR OFFICES YET.

THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DELIVERED AND SO BUT AS SOON AS THEY ARE, WE WILL PREP THEM AND WE WILL GET THEM OUT TO EVERYONE ON THE LIST.

THOSE 13,000 VOTERS CURRENTLY AND ANYONE ELSE IS ADDED AND THAT'S MY REPORT.

AND IT'S EXCITING. IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE CLERK, IT IS.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR.

JUST A REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC THAT SATURDAY IS OUR FALL RECYCLING DAY AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

OUR ANNUAL EVENT MOVED FROM KENOWA OR CHIPPEWA AND HELD IN THE PAST.

IT'S AT THE MALL THIS YEAR.

THEY'LL TAKE ALMOST ALL ELECTRONICS, EVEN INCLUDING TVS AND COMPUTERS, DEHUMIDIFIERS AND OTHER SMALL APPLIANCES LIKE THAT. EVEN REFRIGERATORS, SMALL REFRIGERATORS.

THEY WILL ALSO TAKE CLOTHING, GENTLY USED CLOTHING, PARTICULARLY COATS, AS PART OF THE ANNUAL COAT DRIVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS PARTICIPATING WITH.

SO SATURDAY, 9 TO 1AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER TRUSTEE? YEAH.

I'LL DEFER TO MR. DESCHAINE TO MENTION THE HEROES LUNCHEON LAST WEEK, PUT ON BY THE HASLETT OKEMOS ROTARY CLUB, AND IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. OUR TWO CHIEFS MADE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE VERY WELL WRITTEN AND VERY WELL DELIVERED.

IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A LARGER GROUP THAN YOU WERE EXPECTING AND I HOPE THE FOUNDATION RAISED SOME GOOD MONEY FROM IT.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

ANYONE ELSE? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

YEAH. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.

SO WE HAVE THE ONE DAY DEDICATED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKING IN YOUR STUFF.

SO HOW ARE WE COLLECTING THAT AND HOW DO WE DISPERSE IT? I'M JUST CURIOUS.

SO YOU TALKED ABOUT THE RECYCLING DAY.

YEAH. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE? WE HIRE A COMPANY THAT COMES IN AND TAKES MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT, MOST OF THE ELECTRONICS OFF SITE, AND THEY RECYCLE IT THE BEST THEY CAN AND THEN ANOTHER GROUP WILL BE HANDLING SOME OF THE COATS AND OTHER CLOTHING, GIFTS OR CLOTHING DONATIONS THAT ARE MADE. BUT THERE'S A FIRM THAT WE HIRE.

LEROY HARVEY IS THE BEST PERSON TO ASK THAT QUESTION TO.

LEROY IS OUR LONGTIME ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR.

THIS WILL LIKELY BE HIS LAST RECYCLING DAY AS HE IS SET TO RETIRE SOMETIME IN THE NEXT YEAR.

WE'LL MISS LEROY. HE'S BEEN A REAL INSTITUTION HERE, AND RECYCLING HAS BECOME PART OF THE FABRIC HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, IN LARGE PART DUE TO HIS LEADERSHIP ON THAT OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS.

YEAH. I'M GOING TO MISS THE EVENT.

I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND THAT'S CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAY, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER TIMES THAT WE COULD DONATE.

THE ARTICLES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET, WE DO HAVE OUR RECYCLING CENTER UP OFF OF LAKE DRIVE, AND THEY HAVE OURS POSTED, AND IT'S OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

ANYONE ELSE? I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING I ATTENDED THE DDA MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.

IT'S MY FIRST TIME GETTING TO MEET WITH THEM SINCE BECOMING SUPERVISOR.

THEY ARE WORKING ON SOME SIGNAGE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA IN OKEMOS.

SO THAT SHOULD BE COMING IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.

THIS IS REPLACING THE SIGN THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS REPLACED.

PRETTY COOL DESIGN OPTIONS.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT PROJECT GET ACCOMPLISHED AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL CLEANUP EFFORTS GOING ON WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE MOVED

[00:50:03]

NICE, NICE.

SEEING NO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE AGENDA PASSES.

NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM NINE, OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

THE MINUTES FROM OUR SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024 REGULAR MEETING, THE BILLS, THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT, RESOLUTIONS AND SUPPORT OF NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH AND COMMEMORATING CONSTITUTION WEEK.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING? I MOVE. MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE SECOND.

SECONDED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? I THINK CLERK GUTHRIE DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE ON THERE? WELL, NOT REALLY, BUT I.

SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

NO, I MEAN, I KIND OF ALREADY SAID IT'S AN EXCITING TIME OF YEAR.

IT'S NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY.

IT'S NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH.

WE DO HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE.

WE DID PARTICIPATE IN A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE TODAY.

WE RECEIVED OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND RECEIVED OVER A DOZEN VOTER REGISTRATIONS PRE VOTER PRE-REGISTRATION.

SO THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING.

SO WE JUST CONTINUE TO STEP UP OUR EFFORTS FOR TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND I KNOW OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US ON GETTING SOME INFORMATION OUT AND THEY HAVE A VERY FUNNY REEL THAT CATCHES YOUR ATTENTION ON INSTAGRAM.

SO IF YOU'RE NOT ON INSTAGRAM, YOU SHOULD GO THERE AND SEE WHAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DID AND IT'S PRETTY FANTASTIC.

I THOUGHT RACHEL DID A FANTASTIC JOB.

I STARED AT IT, JUST WAITING TO SEE WHAT.

I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TELL ANYBODY WHAT THEY DID, BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GO SEE WHAT THEY DID AND IT'S PRETTY FANTASTIC.

I LOVED IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.

YOU COULD BE LIKE APPALLED.

BUT IT'S IT GRABS YOUR ATTENTION.

THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND THEN I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S CONSTITUTION WEEK.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE GIVES AN OATH TO WITH OTHERS PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HOLD DEARLY AND THAT WE PRACTICE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO SOMETHING THAT I ENCOURAGE, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE OFTEN GO TO THE CONSTITUTION AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND READ AT IT.

YOU LEARN ABOUT IT IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN PRETTY MUCH THAT'S IT.

SO AND MAYBE YOU TAKE AN OATH TO ABIDE BY IT IN A FUTURE CAREER.

SO I JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA DOES REQUIRE A RECORD ROLL CALL VOTE.

CLERK GUTHRIE WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM TEN.

QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY. WE HAVE NONE.

ITEM 11 IS HEARINGS.

WE HAVE NONE. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA ITEM IS AGENDA ITEM 12 A THE 2025 TOWNSHIP BUDGET AND HERE WE HAVE DIRECTOR WELL, INTERIM MANAGER SCHMIDT,

[12.A. 2025 Township Budget]

I ABOUT THE BUDGET.

YOU KNOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOARD FOR YOUR FAITH IN ME OVER THESE LAST MONTHS, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS.

I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE M TEAM, SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, SPECIAL THANKS TO CAROL HASSEY, WHO ANSWERED A LOT OF SILLY QUESTIONS FROM ME.

THE BUDGET ADOPTION FOR THIS EVENING.

DOES HAVE THE CHANGES MADE THAT WERE REQUESTED BY THE BOARD AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE BRIEFLY.

AND THEN I HAVE ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO ADD.

THE MUNICIPAL BATHROOM RENOVATION WAS REMOVED FROM THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND.

THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND WILL MAKE A $280,000 TRANSFER TO THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM TO CONTINUE THAT INVESTMENT.

THE FIRST PAYMENT OF $537,000 WAS ADDED TO THE PENSION STABILIZATION FUND, SO I'LL MAKE AN ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL PAYMENT.

NEXT YEAR. THE CLERK'S BUDGET FOR 25 WAS UPDATED ON THE ELECTION SIDE TO MATCH THE 2023 BUDGET.

ASSUMING THE POTENTIAL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION NEXT YEAR.

THAT BRINGS OUR BUDGET POTENTIAL BUDGET SURPLUS DOWN TO $40,000 NEXT YEAR.

THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE POLICE RESTRICTED FUND WAS STRUCK.

[00:55:03]

THE CFP WAS THEN MOVED TO FROM 28 TO 27 AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD.

THE TWO ITEMS I WANT TO TOUCH BASE ON A LITTLE MORE BRIEFLY ARE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND AND THE COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND AND I'VE BROUGHT IN THE BIG HITTERS THIS EVENING.

IF WE DO HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK AND HUMAN SERVICES SPECIALIST KATIE LOVE.

SO FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY HAVE ESSENTIALLY BECOME THE FIDUCIARY FOR A NUMBER OF EVENTS OVER THE YEARS AND SO A LOT OF THAT IS IF THEY FUNDRAISE IT, THEY SPEND IT.

IF THEY DON'T FUNDRAISE IT, THEY DON'T SPEND IT AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS WHAT WE'VE USED IN YEARS PAST AS THE ROUGH ESTIMATE AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH JUNETEENTH OR AN EVENT OF THAT NATURE, THE MONEY THAT'S FUNDRAISED IS WHAT ACTUALLY SHOWS UP IN THE BUDGET, AND THEN THE MONEY THAT'S SPENT IS WHAT COMES OUT IN THE END.

THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT SORT OF COME OUT OF THAT EVERY YEAR.

THE CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

DONATION HAS BEEN IN THERE FOR ABOUT A DECADE.

AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD AND THE MONEY THAT THE REVENUE IS FROM BIRCHAM HILLS AND THAT'S LONG STANDING BOND RELATED ISSUANCE THAT THEY PAY US $10,000 ANNUALLY, AND THAT IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THEM.

SO THE EDC WILL REALLY ONLY SPENDS WHAT THEY TAKE IN ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THEY HAVE VERY LIMITED RESOURCES BEYOND THAT AND DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO REALLY SPEND MORE MONEY.

COMMUNITY NEEDS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

COMMUNITY NEEDS WAS RELATIVELY SMALL FUND PRIOR TO COVID AND DURING COVID, THE BOARD MADE A SUBSTANTIAL TRANSFER INTO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND TO START BUILDING UP THE CAPACITY THERE AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THEM SPENDING THAT DOWN, BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO REASON FOR US TO BE SITTING ON A FUND BALANCE THERE IF THE NEED EXISTS AND SO, UNDER HUMAN SERVICES SPECIALIST LOVE, WE'VE BEGUN TO TRANSFER AND BUILD UP THE DONATION SIDE OF THE FUND AND SO THAT WHEN THAT FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN SPENT FROM THE COVID TRANSFER, WE HAVE THE DONATIONS COMING IN TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN WHAT SHE'S BUILT.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT FUND IS IN A BIT OF A TRANSITION.

BUT WE ARE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE HOPE THE DONATIONS CAN SUSTAIN THAT FUND IN THE LONG TERM.

BUT AGAIN, IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THE FUND BALANCE IS DEPLETED FROM THAT COVID TRANSFER AND THE DONATION LEVEL HAS NOT RISEN TO A LEVEL THAT WE'D SEE, WE WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THREE YEARS FROM NOW, AS TO DO WE MAKE A GENERAL FUND TRANSFER OR DO WE PARE BACK THE OUTGOING? AND SO WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH BOTH OF THOSE FUNDS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THEY ARE SIMILAR BUT MOVING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

EDC FUND IS GOING TO BE PRETTY FLAT AND STABLE AS LONG AS THEY DON'T HAVE A MAJOR PROJECT COME IN.

COMMUNITY SERVICES REALLY SHOULD BE SPENDING DOWN THAT FUND BALANCE.

IF THERE'S A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY AND FINDING REPLACEMENT DOLLARS WHERE WE CAN AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT.

THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION LATE TODAY.

ACTUALLY NOT LATE TODAY.

EARLY TODAY, BUT LATE IN THE PROCESS.

WAS ONE CHANGE TO THE FEE STRUCTURE ON PAGE 17 OF THE BUDGET.

THERE IS A LINE ITEM FOR A CEMETERY DEED BUYBACK.

THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ADDED IN 2021, I BELIEVE.

BUT WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE A PROCESS FOR THAT CURRENTLY, NOR DO WE ANTICIPATE ONE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO AT THIS POINT, WE JUST RECOMMEND STRIKING THAT LINE ITEM FROM THE FEE STRUCTURE.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND LIKE I SAID, I DO HAVE MY BRAIN POWER HERE THIS EVENING TO HELP ME OUT AS NECESSARY.

THANK YOU, MR. SCHMIDT.

BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET? BASED ON WHAT THE PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED.

PROCEDURALLY, IF IT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, I WOULD ASK THAT WE MAKE THEM INDIVIDUALLY VIA MOTIONS SO THAT WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF THAT AS WE GO ALONG.

THE MANAGER INTERIM MANAGER HAS PRESENTED US WITH ONE SUCH CHANGE IN REVISION THAT HE'D LIKE TO SEE.

AS STAFF WOULD LIKE TO SEE MADE TO ELIMINATE SOME CONFUSION.

ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IN THAT REGARD? TRUSTEE TREZISE.

YES. I'D MAKE A MOTION TO ADD ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN THE UTILITY COLLECTIONS AREA.

SUPERVISOR FOR UTILITIES.

OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY SUPPORT FOR THAT? TREASURER DESCHAINE.

I WOULD SUPPORT THAT MOTION.

OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? I WOULD SAY THAT OUR COLLECTIONS AND UTILITIES HAS BEEN ROCKY FOR A WHILE.

I THINK EVERYBODY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE HAVE SOME ANTIQUATED EQUIPMENT FROM YEARS PAST THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REPLACE AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS POSITION WOULD ALLOW US TO CATCH UP AND PROBABLY PAY FOR ITSELF WITHIN A YEAR TO

[01:00:08]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THOUGH, IS, AND THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE IN THE MOTION.

DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER? WE DO NOT. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEVELOP IF THE.

OKAY. SO I THINK MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO THE BOARD HERE IS CERTAINLY IF THE DESIRE IS TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET, PLEASE MAKE IT KNOWN NOW.

LET'S PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AND WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO FUND IT AS APPROPRIATE.

WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE, WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD.

IF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED WITH THAT POSTHASTE HERE, WE WILL PUT THIS TOGETHER RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND BRING FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THIS YEAR STILL. ALTERNATIVELY, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THE BOARD IS OKAY WAITING WAITING UNTIL 2025, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT IN THE FIRST QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENT 25. I LEAVE THAT UP TO THE BOARD PERSONALLY.

I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE EXPERTS IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AS TO THE URGENCY AND THE SPEED WITH WHICH YOU WISH TO PROCEED.

STARTING EARLY, WE MAY HAVE THE POSITION IN PLACE EARLY.

BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU AND MR. OPSOMMER TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WANT TO DO HOW YOU WANT TO DO THAT AS THE CURRENT UTILITY BUILDING.

BOSS, I WILL GET RIGHT ON THAT AND WE WILL BRING A PLAN FORWARD TO YOU POSTHASTE IF THIS IS PART OF THE BUDGET.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

TREASURER DESCHAINE TRUSTEE COMMENTS.

WE'LL LEAVE IT TO STAFF TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE SALARY AND HIRING THIS PERSON NOW RATHER THAN LATER.

MAKES SENSE. I THINK IT WILL PAY THE PERSONAL PAY FOR ITSELF WELL, WITHIN A YEA, PROBABLY A FEW MONTHS.

THE TWO OF THE HARDEST JOBS IN THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING ARE THE TWO UTILITY BILLING BOOKKEEPERS.

THEY WORK IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO THE TREASURER'S AREA, AND PEOPLE CALL UP AND THEY'VE GOT QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND AND CAN OFTEN BE ARGUMENTATIVE ABOUT THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION AND IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING JOB AND HAVING A THIRD PERSON HELP THEM WITH THE PHONES AND A THIRD PERSON WHO'S SUPERVISING THE OTHER TWO, COACHING THEM, HELPING THEM, ASSISTING THEM, PROVIDING THEM WITH GOOD INFORMATION WILL BE I THINK, KEY TO KEEPING THE PEOPLE IN PLACE WITH A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THAT DEPARTMENT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND ALSO HELPING TO HANDLE THE DELUGE OF PHONE CALLS THEY GET ALREADY.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME SIGNIFICANT UTILITY BILLING INCREASES IN 2025, AND THE PHONES ARE GOING TO BE LIT UP AGAIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT. SO HAVING THIS PERSON IN PLACE BEFORE THOSE NEW RATES GO INTO EFFECT, I THINK IS PRETTY IMPORTANT.

BUT I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

IT'S A GOOD ADD ON TO THE BUDGET.

I WILL PAY FOR ITSELF.

WE WILL.

I'M SURE WE'LL BE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS FROM THIS PERSON.

I'M SURE YOU'LL GET THE RIGHT PERSON IN PLACE AS WELL.

OKAY. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

SO THE MOTION WAS TO ADD A SUPERVISOR UTILITIES PERSON FOR NEXT YEAR AND THE DISCUSSION, I HEARD TREASURER DESCHAINE SAY RIGHT AWAY. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR WITH MY MINUTES THAT THIS IS A MOTION FOR 2025, THAT THERE'S NOT AN EXPENDITURE THIS YEAR OR THERE IS.

I WANT TO BE CLEAR WITH WHAT THE MOTION IS AND THE SUPPORT BEFORE I.

SO WHAT'S BEFORE US THIS EVENING OF THE 2025 BUDGET? I GUESS WHAT MANAGER SCHMIDT WAS ASKING IS IF THE BOARD WISHES TO MOVE FASTER ON THIS.

WE HAVE OUR 2024 BUDGET, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY PASSED, WHICH WE MAY HAVE TO AMEND UP AND DOWN THE LINE.

ONCE WE HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR WHAT 2025 WILL ACTUALLY BE.

WE'LL HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET AGAIN FOR THAT FOR 2025 BUDGET.

SO FOR THIS MOTION, IT IS ON AMENDING THE 2025 BUDGET TO INCLUDE ANOTHER AUTHORIZED POSITION FOR UTILITY BILLING SUPERVISOR.

THANK YOU. I CAN UNDERSTAND FROM TRUSTEE.

THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU.

DID I CAPTURE THAT CORRECTLY? WE UNDERSTAND. OKAY.

SO I GUESS THE QUESTION.

WELL, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS? ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS ON THAT TOPIC OR THOUGHTS ON THE NON, YOU KNOW, ON THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF STARTING EARLIER AS OPPOSED TO WAITING UNTIL 2025? WELL, I'LL ADD MY THOUGHTS.

WHICH ARE I THINK THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE IS CORRECT, THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO GET EVEN MORE CALLS AFTER A RATE INCREASE

[01:05:01]

IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE Q4 BUDGET.

IF WE HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT, LET'S FIND A WAY TO DO IT.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEE TRUSTEE WILSON.

WELCOME. I'M SORRY I AM LATE.

I WAS AT ANOTHER EVENT.

DID WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CRICKET, THE ALLOCATION FOR THE CRICKET? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET. OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO THEN THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE BUDGET TO ADD ONE AUTHORIZED POSITION, A UTILITY BILLING SUPERVISOR. I DON'T THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL ON AN AMENDMENT.

WE'LL USE IT FOR THE FINAL ONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SO WE HAVE AMENDED THE BUDGET IN ONE WAY.

ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE BUDGET AT THIS TIME OR DISCUSSION? WE HAVE TRUSTEE TREZISE.

I BELIEVE THE SUGGESTION TO REMOVE THE LINE ITEM FOR THE FEES FOR THE BUYBACK OF CEMETERY PLOTS SHOULD ALSO BE A MOTION TO AMEND TO REMOVE THAT LINE ITEM.

ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE THAT MAKING THAT MOTION? OKAY. SECOND.

OKAY. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE AND TRUSTEE MCCURTIS TO STRIKE THE CEMETERY BUYBACK FEE FROM THE 2025 BUDGET. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? NO. IF WE DON'T HAVE IT IN PLACE AND WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT IT, IT SEEMS RATHER DISINGENUOUS TO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE WE CAN'T OPERATE.

IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WANTS TO BE DEVELOPED OR NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE, BUT AT PRESENT, PUTTING A LINE ITEM IN THERE WITH FEES FOR SOMETHING WE CAN'T DELIVER, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A PROBLEM.

TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. NO, I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY, ESPECIALLY IF WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR IT.

TO BE CANDID, IT'LL BE A WASTE OF TIME TO HAVE THIS IN THE BOOKS.

SO. OKAY. OTHER THOUGHTS? SEEING NONE. THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS ON STRIKING THE CEMETERY BUYBACK FEE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.

OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET? THOSE WERE THE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE MENTIONED EARLIER.

TRUSTEE WILSON, YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS I DID IN THAT, DID WE? I DON'T RECALL RECEIVING AN EXPLANATION.

THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME FURTHER REVIEW OF THE FEE THAT PARKS AND REC.

I'M SORRY, OF THE RFP THAT PARKS AND RECREATION WANTS TO GO OUT FOR CRICKET AND THE CRICKET FIELD AND THE AMOUNT.

YEAH. SO MY APOLOGIES.

I THOUGHT THE WAY WE LEFT IT WAS THAT WE WOULD END UP DOING THAT RFP IN THE NEW YEAR AND CIRCLING BACK WITH THE AMOUNT, BECAUSE THIS WAS JUST OUR BEST ESTIMATE BASED ON THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

AND SO THEN WE'D HAVE TO MAKE A GO NO GO IN THE FUTURE BASED ON ONCE WE HAVE MORE DETAIL OF THAT.

OKAY. UNLESS DIRECTOR WISINSKI HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.

YEAH. [INAUDIBLE].

GOOD EVENING.

BOARD. NO.

MANAGER WALSH. THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD IT AS WELL.

SO WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.

OKAY. OH MY GOSH.

I MIGHT NOT BE HERE.

I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING IT UP.

I DID GET A TEXT FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS AT TOWNER THIS WEEKEND, AND THEY WERE PLAYING CRICKET AT TOWNER THIS WEEKEND.

SO THE DEMAND IS CLEARLY THERE.

WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT AND SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY OUR BEST BET IS THAT, CANDIDLY, WE PROBABLY DO IT VERY EARLY IN THE YEAR, GET THE RFP OUT WHILE IT'S STILL NOT CONSTRUCTION SEASON, AND WE'RE ALL CRAZY AND THEN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION AND THE BOARD ONCE WE HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

[INAUDIBLE].

SO MY QUESTION, IS THAT ITEM STILL IN THE BUDGET OR IS THAT DELETED? NO, THAT IS STILL IN THE BUDGET.

IT IS A PARKS MILLAGE.

OKAY. YEAH, BUT IT'S SORT OF A PLACEHOLDER AND LARGE PLACEHOLDER AT THIS POINT.

CORRECT. OKAY.

I'LL ADD TO THAT. ONLY THAT I DID NOTICE THAT THE THERE WAS A STATE APPROPRIATION LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CRICKET FIELD IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY.

[01:10:04]

IF THAT'S IN THE GENERAL STRATEGY OF THE GO FORWARD PLAN HERE.

OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC.

CLERK GUTHRIE, I JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT TRUSTEE WILSON DID ARRIVE AT 7:03PM AND DID PARTICIPATE IN THOSE TWO VOICE VOTES, SO THEY WERE SEVEN ZERO EACH, JUST FOR THE RECORD AND TO HELP OUT OUR MINUTES PERSON WHEN THEY TYPE UP THE MINUTES.

THANKS. MINUTES PERSON. YES.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE TOWNSHIP BUDGET, WE COME FINALLY TO THE ROLL CALL ON THE BUDGET.

CLERK GUTHRIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? I BELIEVE YOU STILL NEED AN ACTION.

I'M SORR MOTION. WELL, I'M SKIPPING AHEAD, AS AMENDED.

YEAH. AS AMENDED.

WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2025 RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED BUDGET.

WITH THE CHANGES DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD AT THE SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING AND THE AMENDMENTS MADE AT THE SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024 MEETING.

SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY A TRUSTEE TREZISE.

NOW ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THE CLERK WILL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S THE FIRST MOTION I'VE MISSED TOTALLY SO.

ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12B, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REVIEW PROCESS.

[12.B. Township Manager Review Process]

THAT INCLUDES ANONYMIZED EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK THAT THE BOARD WOULD RECEIVE PRIOR TO COMPLETING THEIR EVALUATION AND SO IN THE PACKET THIS EVENING ARE TWO ITEMS, THE FIRST BEING THE PROCEDURE DOCUMENT, WHICH IS IN MY LOVELY OUTLINE FORMAT.

I DID INCLUDE UPDATES TO THIS BRIEF WORDING UPDATES TO REFLECT A COUPLE OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE REQUESTED AT OUR LAST MEETING AND SPECIFICALLY THE NOTION THAT IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ROTATE EVERY FOUR YEARS IN EACH BARGAINING UNIT, DEPENDING ON EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND ALSO SPECIFYING THAT IT IS INDEED EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK, NOT EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS. OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER THAT THE BOARD IS THE SOLE ARBITER OF MANAGERIAL REVIEW.

IN ADDITION THE SECOND DETACHMENT IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORM.

THIS IS ONE THAT DIRECTOR TITOV HAS BEEN WORKING ON AND I THANK HER FOR HER DILIGENT WORK IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND GETTING THIS ALL READY, PREPARED FOR US.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NARRATIVE ITEMS THAT WE HAD SPOKEN ABOUT MORE RECENTLY SINCE THIS HAS REACHED THE PACKET. AND SO I AM GOING TO ASK THAT WE DELAY THE APPROVAL OF THE MANAGER REVIEW PROCESS FROM THIS MEETING.

ONE MEETING FURTHER TO ALLOW US TO UPDATE ONE MORE TIME.

THE MANAGER REVIEW FORM THE SAMPLE FORM TO INCLUDE A COUPLE OF NARRATIVE ITEMS THAT WERE LEFT OUT. SO IF IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD TO DO SO, I'D ASK THAT WE TABLE THIS RESOLUTION UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS OCTOBER 3RD, SECOND, FIRST, OCTOBER 1ST.

IT'S OCTOBER 1ST.

YES. IF YOU WOULD NOT, IF YOU WOULD INDULGE US IN HAVING A LITTLE PATIENCE ON THAT ITEM, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

SO THAT IS THE BROAD STROKES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE, PROCEDURE OR THE FORM AS IT IS NOW, THAT WOULD BE FINE TOO.

I THINK IT PROBABLY WOULD BE WISE TO HOLD OFF UNTIL WE SEE IT IN ITS FINAL FORMAT, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

[01:15:02]

DO WE NEED A MOTION TO TABLE OR DO WE JUST NOT ACT ON IT AND IT'S ON THE AGENDA? I THINK PERHAPS IT MIGHT NOT BE THE WORST IDEA TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL.

ALL RIGHT.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

I MOVE TO TABLE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REVIEW PROCESS AND THE MANAGER REVIEW FORM TO THE OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 MEETING. SUPPORT MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE.

ANY DISCUSSION? IT'S NOT DEBATABLE.

I'M SORRY. I'M CATCHING ON.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO TABLE, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE INDULGENCE AND SORRY FOR MAKING YOU READ AN INCOMPLETE FORM IN THIS PACKET.

WE'LL GET IT DIRTY FOR YOU.

NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13 A, WHICH IS THE BOARD RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES UPDATE.

[13.A. Board Policy Update]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION ON IT? SURE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

AT THE APRIL 16TH TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVED A POLICY WORK GROUP THAT INCLUDES TRUSTEE TREZISE, MYSELF, THE CLERK, AND AN HR DIRECTOR T HOFF AND SO WE HAVE MET FREQUENTLY SINCE THAT TIME.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS TO REVIEW THE PERSONNEL POLICY AND THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL AND THE BOARD RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND SO WE FIRST TACKLED THE PERSONNEL POLICY, WHICH I WON'T ELABORATE ON THIS EVENING, AS THAT PERSONNEL POLICY THAT WE REVIEWED IS IN FRONT OF THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS, AND THEY ARE REVIEWING THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH LABOR LAW AND LANGUAGE RELATED TO THAT AND SO THAT WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD ONCE THE ATTORNEYS REVIEWED IT.

SO IN REGARDS TO THE BOARD RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL, WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK THE TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS THAT WERE OUT THERE RELATED TO HOW THE BOARD FUNCTIONS WITH STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER PACKETS, AGENDAS, MINUTES AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE BOARD HAS WITH STAFF AND THE MANAGER TO FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND THE SPECIFIC RELATION OF THE SUPERVISOR IN REGARDS TO THAT, AND THE TREASURER AND THE CLERK IN REGARDS TO BEING DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALSO ELECTED OFFICIALS.

AND SO WE TOOK THE FROM THE RULES AND PROCEDURES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT THAT IS QUITE OLD, AS YOU CAN SEE ON HERE, AND THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL, IT WAS ONLY THOSE SECTIONS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT WE PUT INTO A NEW REFRESHED BOARD RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT.

THE INFORMATION THAT WE LEFT OFF WAS THE END GOAL STATEMENTS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH SEEING IN THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL AS PART OF POLICY GOVERNANCE AND THE DIRECTIVES FOR THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER THAT WE SENT THAT HR HAS IN THEIR POSSESSION TO WORK WITH ON POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN A FUTURE DOCUMENT FOR WHOEVER THE FUTURE TOWNSHIP MANAGER IS AND SO WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED TO HAVE THE DIRECTIVES OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER OUT OF THE BOARD POLICY MANUAL AND INTO AN ACTUAL CONTRACT WITH THE FUTURE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

WE DIDN'T THINK IT REALLY HAD A PLACE IN THE BOARD.

POLICIES, RULES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT.

SO IN THE REFRESHED, REVISED, UPDATED BOARD POLICIES, RULES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT.

THE HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE CHANGED AFTER WE COMBINED THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS TOGETHER. SO WHERE YOU SEE, FOR INSTANCE, ON PAGE 168 OF YOUR PACKET WHERE IT'S HIGHLIGHTED AT THE VERY TOP, WHERE IT HAS THE PREAMBLE AND THE VISION STATEMENT AND THE MISSION STATEMENT, WE, THE OLD VISION STATEMENT AND MISSION STATEMENT WERE STILL IN THE DOCUMENT, NOT THE ADOPTED ONE.

SO WE ADDED THE CURRENT VISION STATEMENT AND MISSION STATEMENT AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS WHERE WE ADDED

[01:20:04]

I DID HAVE THE BOARD POLICY RULES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT.

I STARTED HIGHLIGHTING EVERYTHING IN BLUE THAT WE WERE TRANSFERRING OVER TO THE NEW DOCUMENT, BUT BASICALLY THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE BY THE END OF IT, BECAUSE WE MADE SURE THAT WE WERE INCLUDING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AND TRANSFERRING IT.

SO THAT IS WHAT IS BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING, WE DID ALSO MEET WITH THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER, TIM SCHMITT, FOR HIS FEEDBACK.

WE ALSO MET WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER MICHELLE PRINCE, AND WE MAY HAVE MET WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER STAFF MEMBERS I CAN'T RECALL AND THEN WE MET WITH THE SUPERVISOR AS WELL, AND WE DID REQUEST FEEDBACK.

SO THAT'S THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED.

TAKING A LOOK AT THIS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR IF YOU WANT TO GO PAGE BY PAGE, OR IF PETER IF TRUSTEE TREZISE.

HE WAS AT EACH ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, AND SO WAS HR DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] AND THEY GAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE AND THE UPDATES THAT WERE MADE AND SO IT WASN'T JUST ME.

THEY WERE MASSIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS PROJECT AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING AS WELL TO ADD TO IT OR THEIR PERSPECTIVE.

THANK YOU TRUSTEE TREZISE.

THIS WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE AND ENJOYABLE PROJECT.

THE PERSON THAT CARRIED THE LOAD LOAN FOR MOST OF THE REVISIONS AND PREPARATION AND CONSOLIDATING IS CLERK GUTHRIE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HER WORK ON THIS.

MUCH OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS TO SIMPLIFY SOME LANGUAGE, CLARIFY SOME LANGUAGE.

SO EVEN WHEN IT SHOWS A YELLOW, IT PROBABLY WAS SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESTATE IN A MORE SENSIBLE WAY.

THERE WERE AREAS OF REDUNDANCY THAT WE TOOK OUT.

THERE WERE WHOLE SECTIONS THAT SEEMED TO BE INAPPROPRIATE IN A POLICY MANUAL FOR THE BOARD, BECAUSE IT APPLIED MAINLY TO EMPLOYEES AND THE MANAGER.

SO, I MEAN, IT WAS A LONG, I DON'T WANT TO SAY TEDIOUS BUT DETAIL ORIENTED DISCUSSION AND I DO APPRECIATE THE EXPERTISE AND THE WISDOM OF DIRECTOR TITOV, WHO WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS PROCESS AND I DON'T CLAIM IT'S PERFECT.

I DON'T THINK DIRECTOR.

CLERK GUTHRIE OR ABBY CAN THINKS IT'S PERFECT, BUT IT'S A JUMPING OFF POINT.

AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE AND EXPECT AND HOPE FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE REST OF THE BOARD.

WE THINK THIS IS A WAY TO SIMPLIFY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND TO GUIDE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE BOARD.

BUT IT'S NOT OUR CHOICE.

IT'S ALL OF OUR CHOICES.

SO AS FAR AS REMOVING SOME OF THE END GOALS AND ALL THAT STUFF, THAT WAS IN THE OLD FORMAT THAT WAS BASED ON A DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL PROCESS THAT WAS USED AT THE TIME.

IT'S NOT NECESSARY, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE INAPPROPRIATE TO REVISIT THE GOALS, THE VISION IN A DOCUMENT THAT IS IN 2025 AS OPPOSED TO 2017.

THEY USUALLY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT EVERY THREE OR 4 OR 5 YEARS AND IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE DOING THAT BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE END STATEMENTS CAME FROM ABOUT 22,000 WAS WHEN THAT WAS ADOPTED.

SO THERE'S SOME UPDATING THAT COULD BE DONE THERE, BUT WE FELT THAT WAS A COMMUNITY PROJECT AND A WHOLE BOARD PROJECT, NOT A SUBCOMMITTEE.

SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT WHERE WE GOT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DIRECTOR TITOV, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE?

[01:25:03]

THAT'S SO THANK YOU.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE DOCUMENT BEFORE US? TREASURER DESCHAINE. THANK YOU.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU DID ON THIS.

A LOT OF TIME WENT INTO THIS, AND IT SHOWS.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THIS POLICY UPDATED AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

QUESTION FOR YOU DID UNDER BOARD POLICY AND CODE OF CONDUCT DOESN'T ADDRESS ETHICS IN PARTICULAR.

ARE WE ASSUMING THAT WE HAVE AN OVERALL ETHICS POLICY THAT APPLIES TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF? FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S NO DISCUSSION HERE OF ACCEPTING GIFTS FROM OUTSIDE VENDORS.

SO I WOULD LIKE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

YEAH, PLEASE. SO IN THE PERSONNEL POLICY.

WE DISCUSSED ETHICS AND WE DISCUSSED THE NON-ACCEPTANCE OR ACCEPTANCE OF OF GIFTS AND THE PERSONNEL POLICY IS A DOCUMENT THAT BOARD MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS ALL HAVE TO ADHERE TO.

THE PERSONNEL POLICY AND SO WE THOSE ETHICAL STATEMENTS AND THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS ARE IN THAT PERSONNEL POLICY.

OKAY. IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD TO REFER TO IN THIS DOCUMENT, THAT THE ETHICS STANDARDS OF THE PERSONNEL POLICY FOR THE TOWNSHIP ARE APPLICABLE AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

IT'S NOT REFERENCED AT THIS POINT.

YEAH, IT SHOULD BE REFERENCED.

IT'S A GOOD, GOOD CATCH.

YES. THANK YOU.

THE OTHER THING RIGHT OFF ITEM TWO UNDER BOARD MEMBERS COMMENT.

MEMBERS MUST AVOID CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH RESPECT TO THEIR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.

I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT DIFFERENTLY.

OR SAY MORE THEIR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

IT DOESN'T SAY WHO THE RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR.

THEY MIGHT THINK THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THEMSELVES.

WE CAN'T SAY WHO THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS TO.

THE OTHER EDITS ARE GOOD.

IT'S A CLEANER DOCUMENT NOW.

I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON THINGS.

WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO THIS AND FOR THE REVISED PERSONNEL POLICY IS WE ADD A SIGNATURE PAGE AT THE END.

SO EVERY TIME A BOARD MEMBER BECOMES A BOARD MEMBER, THEY GET A COPY OF THE DOCUMENT, THEY SIGN IT AND IT GOES IN THEIR FILES.

SO WE HAVE PROOF THAT EVERYONE HAS READ IT AND ADHERES TO IT AND SIGNED IT.

I MEAN, THE REASON THIS COMES UP IS I'VE BEEN APPOINTED TO A COUNTY COMMITTEE AND ETHICS RULES WERE THROWN RIGHT AT ME AT THE BEGINNING, AND THEY WANT TO SIGN COPY THAT DOES THE SAME THING. HERE'S OUR RULES.

READ IT AND GIVE US YOUR SIGNED DOCUMENT THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND WE'LL FOLLOW IT.

YEAH. ANY.

OTHER DISCUSSION POINTS.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND.

THE YELLOW SECTIONS ARE GOING TO BE UNDER FURTHER REVIEW.

THOSE ARE WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.

THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE FROM THE TWO PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS.

SO THOSE WERE AREAS THAT WE FOUND THAT WERE EITHER LACKING THAT WASN'T PRESENT.

SO THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGES ARE ITEMS THAT WE ADDED TO FURTHER CLARIFY THE ONES THAT HAVE STRIKE THROUGH IT AND THEN YOU ALSO SEE A HIGHLIGHT WITHOUT A STRIKE ARE CHANGES THAT WE MADE.

I WOULD SUGGEST I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE GET A CLEAN COPY SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THE FINAL DOCUMENT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT'S SO CHALLENGING TO READ THIS WITH COLORS AND STRIKEOUTS AND SO ON.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST IF WE COULD MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'D BE GREAT.

I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE TREZISE THAT THE VISION STATEMENT AND MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH ARE BASICALLY IDENTICAL, NEED TO BE REVIEWED.

ALL YOU'VE ADDED IS SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT SOME SPECIFICS AND A VISION STATEMENT, BUT TO MY MIND, THAT IS NOT WHAT A VISION STATEMENT IS.

THE VISION STATEMENT IS TO GET ENGAGEMENT WITH WHOEVER FALLS UNDER THIS PURVIEW.

THAT THIS IS REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING.

THIS IS THE CONCEPT OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AND I THINK THAT NEEDS SOME WORK.

[01:30:04]

IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW AND IT SAYS MEMBERS MUST HAVE LOYALTY TO THE OWNERS.

I THINK THAT THE TERMINOLOGY FROM ANOTHER, FROM AN EARLIER DOCUMENT AND OWNERS, REFERS TO CITIZENS AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE CHANGED TO THE CITIZENS OR THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

I WOULD ARGUE THE WHOLE STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, BECAUSE IT GOES ON WITH UNCONFLICTED BY LOYALTIES TO STAFF, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND ANY PERSONAL INTEREST AS A CONSUMER. THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.

SO IF WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.

OKAY, PERHAPS THE PEOPLE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.