[1. CALL MEETING TOORDER]
[00:02:17]
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IF EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE WOULD RISE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM THREE, A ROLL CALL.
WOULD THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? SIX BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
KATHY SUNDLAND, TRUSTEE IS ABSENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CLERK GUTHRIE.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM FOUR, A INTRODUCTION OF A NEW POLICE OFFICER, MR.
[4. PRESENTATION]
JAMES SPENCER, AND FOR THIS, WE HAVE CHIEF RICK GRILLO HERE TO GIVE US AN INTRODUCTION.I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU OUR NEWEST OFFICER, JAMES SPENCER.
JAMES IS FROM VIRGINIA ORIGINALLY.
HE WENT INTO THE MARINE CORPS STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE SERVED FOR FIVE YEARS, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW HIS DEDICATION TO SERVICE NOT ONLY TO THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY. AFTER HE COMPLETED HIS TOUR OF DUTY WITH THE MARINE CORPS.
HE WENT TO MICHIGAN STATE TO STUDY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AND WHILE HE WAS AT MICHIGAN STATE, HE JOINED THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHERE HE WAS PROMPTLY DEPLOYED TO SYRIA, WHERE HE COMPLETED A NINE MONTH TOUR THERE BEFORE HE CAME BACK TO MICHIGAN, AND JAMES IS ONE OF THE SUCCESS STORIES FROM OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION PROGRAM, BECAUSE WHILE HE WAS IN THE MARINE CORPS, HE BECAME FRIENDS WITH CHRIS LOFTON, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR SERGEANTS, CHRIS LOFTON'S SON I'M SORRY, SON-IN-LAW, AND THROUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP HE WAS REFERRED TO US, AND AGAIN, A SUCCESS STORY BECAUSE OF OUR RECRUITING RETENTION PROGRAM.
SO BEFORE HE BEGAN HIS EMPLOYMENT AS A POLICE OFFICER, WE BROUGHT HIM INTO OUR RECORDS DEPARTMENT FOR A FEW MONTHS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH US AND WE WERE COMFORTABLE WITH HIM. EVERYTHING WENT REALLY WELL, SO WE SENT HIM TO THE POLICE ACADEMY ON A STATE GRANT, WHERE HE EXCELLED AT THE POLICE ACADEMY, THE WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE POLICE ACADEMY. HE WAS NAMED A SQUAD LEADER THERE.
HE HAS THREE YOUNG STEPCHILDREN.
WHAT ARE THE AGES? FIVE, FOUR AND TWO.
[00:05:04]
THREE DOGS. ALL RIGHT. HE LIVES IN HOWELL WITH HIS FAMILY.GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THERE WAS NO OTHER PLACE I'D RATHER SERVE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S MY HONOR AND MY PRIVILEGE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. WELCOME.
NICE TO MEET YOU. THANK YOU. WELCOME ABOARD.
GOOD TO SEE YOU. JAMES, WELCOME TO THE TEAM.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK, JAMES.
YES, SIR. YOU HAVE A GREAT NAME, TOO.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT UP IS ITEM FOUR B FOR PRESENTATION, THE 2024 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS AND WITH US THIS EVENING WE HAVE WILLIAM SAINTAMOUR OF COBALT COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK HERE TO GIVE US AN INTRODUCTION.
THIS IS THE 2024 COMMUNITY SURVEY CONDUCTED BY COBALT COMMUNITY RESEARCH OUT OF CHARLOTTE.
THIS IS MR. WILLIAM SAINTAMOUR.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF COBALT COMMUNITY RESEARCH BECAUSE IT IS A NONPROFIT.
SO HE WILL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE COMPANY ITSELF, BUT ALSO PROVIDE THE GENERAL OVERVIEW OF HOW TO READ THE SURVEY, AND THEN WE SELECTED WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE HIGH NOTES OF THE SURVEY IN COMPARISON TO 2021, AND HE'LL GO OVER THAT AS THE PRESENTATION.
WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD MEMBERS TO HOLD ON TO THEIR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE DISCUSSION PORTION.
SO THEN HE CAN ELOQUENTLY AND EFFICIENTLY TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS THROUGH THE SURVEY.
HE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK THROUGH THAT THROUGH THE FULL PRESENTATION.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, DIRECTOR SAINTAMOUR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, BOARD, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE RESULTS WITH YOU AND TO WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP.
BEAR WITH ME JUST A SECOND WHILE I GET THE SLIDESHOW ROLLING.
SO SOME INFORMATION ON COBALT.
WE WORK ALL OVER A LOT OF WORK IN WASHINGTON STATE.
A LOT OF WORK REALLY SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE MIDWEST.
ALSO, ONE IS JUST TAKING TIME TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND SO ON, IS REALLY JUST AN EXCELLENT ACTIVITY FOR MAKING SURE THAT YOU STAY ALIGNED WITH WHAT ARE THE VALUES, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES AS THINGS SHIFT AS THE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT SHIFTS AS WELL? PERCEPTIONS, THEY DO IMPACT BEHAVIORS.
SO THOSE OUTCOMES INCLUDE THINGS LIKE PEOPLE REMAINING IN THE COMMUNITY, RECOMMENDING TO OTHERS, ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES TO SHOW UP IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND THE MODEL THAT WE USE, WHILE IT DOES LOOK AT LOOK AT SATISFACTION, IT'S ALSO TIED INTO THOSE PARTICULAR OUTCOMES, AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE THE ACTUAL DRIVERS OF THOSE OUTCOMES? SATISFACTION IS GREAT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT FLUFFY.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MODEL IS A BIT MORE ACTIONABLE.
CHATTING WITH YOU OUT ON THE IN THE COMMUNITY IS ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT.
ENGAGEMENT SUPPORTS DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT YOU MIGHT BE MAKING.
THIS DATA IS A NICE WAY OF KIND OF PUTTING THAT IN CONTEXT.
IT COULD BE THAT THEY'RE RIGHT ON WITH THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT COULD BE THAT MAYBE THE CONCERN IS MORE SPECIFIC TO THEM.
SO THIS INFORMATION IS REALLY USEFUL FOR THAT.
SO FOR THIS PARTICULAR STUDY, WHAT WERE THE GOALS? FIRST, WE WANTED TO SUPPORT THE VARIOUS DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING AS FAR AS BUDGET AND POLICY.
WE ALSO WANTED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT YOUR 2021 RESULTS AND SEE HOW YOUR PERFORMANCE HAS GONE UP OR GONE DOWN RELEVANT TO THAT, BECAUSE THE WORLD IS A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE TODAY THAN IT WAS BACK IN 2021.
WE WANT TO LOOK TO SEE IF THE SERVICE EXPERIENCES ARE ACCURATE.
[00:10:04]
SO YOU THINK YOU'RE DELIVERING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SERVICE? ARE YOU ACTUALLY DELIVERING THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE IN THE EYES OF THE RESIDENTS? AND THEN ULTIMATELY LOOK TO SEE WHICH ASPECTS OF THAT COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE HAVE THE STRONGEST IMPACT ON THOSE OUTCOME BEHAVIORS THAT I TALKED ABOUT, PEOPLE REMAINING IN THE COMMUNITY, RECOMMENDING TO OTHERS, AND SO ON.SO LET ME GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE, AND THEN WE CAN GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
FIRST OF ALL, YOUR SCORES DID REALLY WELL.
YOU HAVE A SCORE OF 78, AND THAT'S NOT A PERCENTAGE LIKE A SCHOOL GRADE.
THIS IS MORE LIKE A TEMPERATURE KIND OF THING, AND A 78 IS A VERY STRONG SCORE.
IT'S WELL ABOVE THE BENCHMARKS, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SCORES BACK IN 2021, COMPARED TO THE SCORES IN 2024, YOU STAYED REALLY ABOUT THE SAME. STATISTICALLY, YOU'RE RIGHT IN THE SAME SPOT WHILE THE BENCHMARKS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO THAT SPEAKS WELL FOR THE STABILITY AND THE CONTINUITY THAT THE TOWNSHIP OFFERS.
I SEE IN THIS PARTICULAR VERSION SOME OF THESE THINGS SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DRIVERS OF 2024 COMPARED TO THE DRIVERS OF 2021, LOOKING AT THE TOP FIVE, THE THINGS THAT WERE THE BIGGEST DRIVERS THIS YEAR.
TOWNSHIP SERVICES WAS STILL THERE, BUT COMMUNITY IMAGE WAS MORE OF A DRIVER.
PUBLIC WORKS, POLICE SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT MEANS THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST THE MOST STRONGLY CONNECTED WITH OVERALL SATISFACTION.
WHAT TO IMPROVE. SO THEY'D LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE COMMENTS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES.
BETTER ROADS, WHICH IS IN EVERY COMMUNITY THAT I'VE EVER SURVEYED, EVER ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
COMMUNITY CENTER CAME UP A LOT, AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF MENTIONS AROUND A POOL.
LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL EVENTS, WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE MORE? YOU KNOW, MUSIC WAS A BIG THEME IN THE COMMENTS, AND THAT'S IN GENERAL MORE DIVERSITY.
THEY ALSO WANT TO SEE MORE DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF DINING ESTABLISHMENTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO SEE A LOT OF INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS AND THE DESIRE FOR THOSE INDEPENDENT SHOPS, ALL OF THAT TENDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS PRETTY COMMON RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS SERVICES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE ONLINE PERMIT SUBMISSION, RENTAL INSPECTIONS, CODE ENHANCEMENT CAME UP MOST OFTEN.
GENERALLY PEOPLE PREFER TO DO THOSE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS ONLINE INSTEAD OF IN PERSON, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE MORE AND MORE AS THE GENERATION STARTS TO EVOLVE, AND THE MILLENNIALS AND THE GEN Z TAKES A LARGER AND LARGER ROLE IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES.
LOOKING AT ZONING FOR THE MERIDIAN MALL, AND WHAT KIND OF USES WOULD PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE PUBLIC FACILITIES, RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES, RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND ALSO RECREATION, WHICH DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THIS, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT CAME UP.
WHAT WOULD MAKE THE TOWNSHIP A BETTER PLACE FOR BUSINESS? AGAIN, THE DOWNTOWN CAME UP AGAIN, AND ALSO ACCESS AND PARKING CAME UP AND THEN AGAIN LOWER TAXES, WHICH AGAIN, EVERY COMMUNITY I'VE EVER SURVEYED ANYWHERE.
THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING [CHUCKLING].
LOOKING AT POTENTIAL AMENITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ENHANCED OR ADDED IN THE FUTURE.
SO MORE GREEN SPACES AND TRAILS.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER CAME UP, AS WELL AS COMMENTS AROUND THE POOL, IMPROVED ACCESS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE ELEMENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY CENTER, OVER 70% BELIEVE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL AND THEY WOULD USE IT, AND ABOUT 50% ARE WILLING TO CLOSE A FUNDING GAP WITH A MILLAGE IF THE NEED IS THERE, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO CLOSE IT WITH OTHER FUNDING.
SO THOSE ARE THE THAT'S THE SUMMARY.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT MORE DETAIL IN YOUR PACKET.
THIS WAS A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 2000 VOTERS.
IT'S BASED ON ATMOSPHERIC NOISE AS OPPOSED TO A NUMBER GENERATOR KIND OF THING.
WE DID TWO MAILINGS BACK IN JULY AND AUGUST.
PEOPLE COULD RESPOND EITHER BY PAPER AND SEND IN A POSTAGE RESPONSE OR THEY COULD RESPOND ONLINE.
SO WE HEARD BACK FROM 392 RESIDENTS, WHICH IS EXCELLENT.
IS THAT A GOOD RESPONSE? AND FOR A NATIONAL SAMPLE TO GET PLUS OR -5% REPRESENTING ALL 330 MILLION OF US, YOU NEED ABOUT 387
[00:15:02]
RESPONSES TO HAVE THAT PARTICULAR MARGIN OF ERROR.SO STATISTICALLY YOU'RE IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT.
THEIR RESPONSES WERE KEPT SEPARATE FROM THE RANDOM SAMPLE, BECAUSE THE RANDOM SAMPLE IS DESIGNED TO BE A MIRROR OF OVERALL EXPERIENCE, BUT WE DO HAVE A LINE IN THE CROSSTABS REPORT THAT YOU HAVE THAT DETAILS WHAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE SAMPLE AND WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR THOUGHTS ARE AND FOR THE MOST PART, I TRACKED PRETTY CLOSELY WITH THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES THAT YOU HAVE IN THE PACKET ARE THESE CROSS TABS, AND THIS IS JUST A LITTLE TINY PIECE, AND IT IS DESIGNED SCIENTIFICALLY TO BE UNREADABLE ON YOUR SCREENS.
I'M ALWAYS PROUD THAT WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DONE THAT MET THAT GOAL.
YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE HAVE YOUR 2021 AND YOUR 2024 RESULTS, THE WEIGHTED RESULTS IN THE TOP TWO LINES, AND THEN AFTER THAT, EACH INDIVIDUAL ROW IS A SEPARATE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND THE REASON THAT WE DO THAT IS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL RESULTS, SOMETIMES IF YOU HAVE A SMALLER GROUP, A SMALLER DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP IN THE COMMUNITY, THEIR RESULTS GET COMPLETELY WASHED OUT AND YOU DON'T SEE WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE IN THE OVERALL.
SO WE LIKE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF DETAIL SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE VOICES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL GROUP.
THE OTHER THING THIS LETS YOU DO IS IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE SHADING AND IF IT'S CONSISTENTLY BLUE OR CONSISTENTLY RED, THAT MEANS REGARDLESS OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP, PEOPLE REALLY HAVE ABOUT THE SAME EXPERIENCE.
IT'S VERY CONSISTENT REGARDLESS OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP, AND IF YOU GET A BIT MORE CHECK RING, KIND OF THIS MIX OF THE BLUE AND THE RED, THAT MEANS THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE BASED ON WHICH PARTICULAR GROUP FOLKS CAME FROM, AND GENERALLY BLUE SCORES ARE HIGHER, RED SCORES ARE LOWER.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOOD OR BAD.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE QUESTION WAS.
IF WE'RE ASKING HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THE WEBSITE AS A PERCENTAGE.
NOT SURE THAT'S GOOD OR BAD, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXPERIENCE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF THING.
SO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IT DOES VARY BASED ON WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IT WAS.
SO WE USED A SIX POINT SCALE, AND THIS YEAR YOU HAD A 4.8 AND YOU HAD A 4.9 IN 2021, WHICH STATISTICALLY IS THE SAME.
ON A SIX POINT SCALE, YOU WANT TO SEE A DIFFERENCE OF MORE THAN 0.3 TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.
SO REALLY IT'S A WASH, AND WHEN WE CONVERT IT OVER INTO THE AMERICAN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INDEX SCALE, WHICH IS A MUCH BROADER KIND OF INDEX THAT COMES OUT TO A 78, WHICH IS THE SAME NUMBER THAT IT WAS BACK IN 2021.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NATIONAL ACSI, YOU CAN SEE IT WAS A 64 THIS YEAR AND IT WAS A 67 IN 21.
YOU CAN SEE VERY SIMILAR KIND OF PATTERNS.
SO THE TAKEAWAY WITH THIS SLIDE IS THAT, YOU KNOW YOU'VE HELD THE LINE IN VERY INTERESTING TIMES.
SO IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE A TON OF BUBBLE CHARTS.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE PERCEIVED PERFORMANCE.
SO YOUR SCORES YOUR EXPERIENCE SCORES ON 1 TO 6, AND THOSE ARE THE VERTICAL PLACEMENT OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, AND THEN THE IMPACT IS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OVERALL SATISFACTION. SO THE THINGS THAT ARE MORE TIGHTLY CORRELATED THAT ARE MORE OF A DRIVER ARE OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
SO ESSENTIALLY THINGS THAT ARE STRATEGIC, THEY HAVE A LOT OF JUICE TO THEM, A LOT OF IMPACT, AND THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL OR IN THE TOP QUADRANT HERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF THE STRATEGIC WEAKNESSES ARE DOWN HERE IN THE LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT AND IT IS A LITTLE BIT RELATIVE.
IF YOU'RE BELOW THE LINE, IT'S KIND OF ERODING YOUR OVERALL SATISFACTION OF ALL OF THOSE OUTCOMES.
THE FURTHER DOWN IT IS, THE MORE IT'S ERODING IT.
SO THIS FIRST CHART GIVES YOU THE FULL RANGE OF FROM 1 TO 6, FULL RANGE OF 0 TO 1.
IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT. YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING CLUMPS UP REALLY UP HERE AT THE TOP.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO READ, AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE DROP IT DOWN, WE CHANGE THE SCALE, WE CHANGE THE CROSSHAIRS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GROUP, AND WHAT THESE LINES SHOW IS YOUR CHANGE FROM 2021 TO 2022.
[00:20:02]
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE FIRE AND MEDICAL, THE TAG THE LABEL IS SITTING ON THE 2024 EXPERIENCE.SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO INCREASE THE PERFORMANCE THERE TO DRIVE SATISFACTION IN THOSE OUTCOMES, BUT GENERALLY IT WENT IN THAT DIRECTION AND YOU CAN SEE MOST OF YOUR STUFF ACTUALLY DID GO UP AND OFF TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS, THE ECONOMY HAS GOTTEN A BIT SOFTER FROM 2021.
PEOPLE ARE FEELING KIND OF THE ARPA MONEY IS DRYING UP AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT DROP DOWN.
WE ALSO SAW A LITTLE BIT OF A DIP FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS THAT WERE PART OF THE SURVEY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS LIKE TO CAUTION WITH OPEN ENDED COMMENTS IS THAT AS YOU'RE READING THROUGH THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME THEME COME UP THREE OR 4 OR 5 TIMES, OR SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING THAT JUST KIND OF GRIPPED YOU.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THREE OR 4 OR 5 TIMES IS OUT OF A RESPONSE OF 400 PEOPLE.
SO WHILE IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT KIND OF GRIPS YOUR BRAIN, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT FOR THE STATS, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T OVERPOWER THE STATS.
THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE VERY HIGH SCORES AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE DRIVERS ARE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ULTIMATELY SHOULD CONTROL THE KIND OF DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING, AND THIS IS JUST PUTTING KIND OF FROSTING ON THE CAKE OR MEAT ON THE BONES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE RESPONDED THE WAY THEY DID.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED IS, WHICH SPECIFIC BARRIERS KEEP YOU FROM PARTICIPATING MORE IN THE AREAS ABOVE? SO LOOKING AT CERTAIN ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY OR REMAINING FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, AND SO THE WORDS THAT ARE THE LARGEST ARE THE ONES THAT CAME UP MOST OFTEN IN THE COMMENTS, AND THEN WE PULLED THOSE OUT TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE THEMES.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN WITH A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES AS PEOPLE ARE FULLY BACK TO WORK, FULLY BACK TO TWO JOBS AND CHASING KIDS ALL OVER THE PLACE, THE SPARE TIME IS DIMINISHED QUITE A BIT.
AGE AND NUMBER OF RESIDENTS JUST SAYING THAT THEY'RE ELDERLY, SO THEY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING AROUND.
WHAT ARE THE TOP IMPROVEMENTS THE TOWNSHIP SHOULD PRIORITIZE AND SEE? DOWNTOWN ROADS AND COMMUNITY ARE THE BIG THREE.
SO DOWNTOWN AGAIN IT'S THAT IDEA OF HAVING A DOWNTOWN CENTER, THAT SENSE OF PLACE THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF? THEY WANT TO SEE MORE RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, MARKETS, ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF, ROADS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR YOU GUYS, AND THEY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THE EXPANDED BIKE LANES AND MORE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY AS YOU'RE MIXING THE BIKES AND THE TRAFFIC TOGETHER COMMUNITY.
THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN.
WITH ALL OF THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE DUG INTO AND THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT CULTURAL EVENTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE SUMMARY.
LAW ENFORCEMENT I MENTIONED THAT WE DID SEE THOSE.
SOME OF THOSE SCORES DIP A LITTLE BIT.
KEEP IN MIND THAT POINT THREE IS KIND OF THE THRESHOLD FOR BEING SIGNIFICANT.
THESE DON'T QUITE CROSS THAT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
THE TRANSPARENCY HAS GONE UP FROM THE LAST SCORE, BUT SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS THAT COULD BE INCREASED ENFORCEMENT GOING ON, MORE TICKETS, PEOPLE ARE JUST OUT IN THE COMMUNITY MORE OFTEN, AND SO THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THINGS TO GO SIDEWAYS FOR THEM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING JUST TO THINK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO WHILE THE SCORE'S DIPPED A LITTLE BIT, THEY'RE NOT THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING ISSUES FROM A SATISFACTION AND AN OUTCOME STANDPOINT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TRANSPARENCY, AS I MENTIONED, WE SAW THAT SCORE IS ONE THAT'S GOING UP AND IT'S RIGHT ON THE LINE.
WE SAW SOME GAINS THERE, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE LINES OF STREET SURFACE MAINTENANCE.
SO THAT'S NICE TO SEE THAT THE EFFORTS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AND ARE PAYING OFF.
THE OTHER THINGS ARE KIND OF OPTIMIZED, EVEN STREET SURFACE MAINTENANCE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS YOUR LOWEST SCORE, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY THE DRIVER FOR THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. LOOKING AT COMMUNITY AND AMENITIES TO ADD OR ENHANCE IN THE FUTURE.
[00:25:05]
SO THE BIG THINGS THERE YOU CAN SEE THE WALKING AND BIKING TRAILS, SIDEWALKS, INDOOR RECREATIONAL SPACE.THOSE ARE REALLY THE BIG THREE.
LOOKING AT ZONING USES FOR THE MERIDIAN MALL.
WHAT ARE THE TOP AREAS THERE? SEE THE RECREATIONAL SPORTING USES, PUBLIC FACILITIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AND BREWERY.
WE CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 70% SAID YES AND FEWER THAN 30% SAID NO.
WOULD YOU USE THE FACILITY AND YOU CAN SEE A SIMILAR KIND OF THING.
70% SAID YES, UNDER 30% SAID NO, AND THEN WHAT FEATURES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? YOU CAN SEE THOSE LISTED OUT.
THE BIGGEST ONES ARE THE LOW IMPACT WORKOUT AREA, THE COURTS, AND THE DEDICATED SENIOR CITIZEN AREA, AND ANOTHER WORD CLOUD. THIS IS THE OTHER.
YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER DOWN HERE, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY MENTIONED.
THERE ARE A FEW FOLKS THAT WANTED TO KEEP THEM AS SEPARATE PLACES FOR THE SENIORS AND FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS JUST DIVING INTO THAT VERY SMALL OTHER CATEGORY. WOULD YOU SUPPORT A LOCAL MILLAGE TO FILL THE GAP IN FINANCING WAS A MUCH LONGER QUESTION, BUT YOU HAVE 50% SAYING YES AND ABOUT 43% SAYING NO.
THE DIFFERENCE ARE FOLKS WHO DIDN'T RESPOND OR JUST NEEDED MORE INFORMATION.
WE'LL SAVE OUR QUESTIONS FOR OUR DISCUSSION, WHICH IS COMING UP LATER IN ITEM 13.
NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM FIVE CITIZEN'S ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS.
[5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]
THERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC REMARKS THIS EVENING.NOW AND AT THE END OF THE MEETING, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, WE'D ASK THAT YOU PLEASE FILL OUT ONE OF THESE GREEN CARDS, AND PLEASE REMEMBER THAT PUBLIC REMARKS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL, AND WE ASK THAT YOU ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND TO THE BOARD OR BOARD CHAIR, NOT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER.
AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE JUST ONE GREEN CARD, AND THAT'S FROM BARBARA OKELLY.
THANK YOU, BOARD. MAINLY I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE KIND OF A SUMMARY OF THE EMAIL THAT I HOPE YOU RECEIVED THIS AFTERNOON. I'M SORRY IT WAS LATE, I DIDN'T REALIZE.
I MEAN, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN FROM WATCHING THE VIDEO OF TUESDAY'S MEETING THAT THE COMMUNITY SURVEY WOULD BE ADDRESSED TONIGHT, AND SO YOUR EMAIL IS A LITTLE GARBLED IN PLACES, TOO.
I'M BARBARA OKELLY, AND I LIVE AT 2576 WOODHILL DRIVE.
AS YOU KNOW, I'M ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CURRENT MERIDIAN SENIOR CENTER, AND WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IS THAT MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND INCLUDES CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN SURVEY RESEARCH.
I HAVE DONE THEM AND INTERPRETED THEM AND SO FORTH.
SO I WANT TO WAIVE KIND OF A YELLOW FLAG ABOUT INTERPRETING THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY FOR THE PURPOSES OF UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR, AT ONE OF THE FIRST LISTENING SESSIONS, THE SURVEY CAME UP AND FORMER TOWNSHIP MANAGER FRANK WALSH EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE NOT SEEKING A HIGH RETURN RATE ON THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS LIKE ME THAT COME AND ASK YOU FOR THINGS AND FEEDBACK THINGS, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OF US, AND THE RESULTS THAT YOU GOT, I THINK
[00:30:06]
MEET THAT GOAL ADMIRABLY, AND THE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE IS FINE FOR COMPARING THE 21 RESULTS, WHICH I THINK WERE CONDUCTED IN ABOUT THE SAME METHODOLOGY AND THE 24 RESULTS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THINGS LIKE SORRY, TIM, BUT ON BUILDING INSPECTION VIRTUALLY EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP RATED THAT SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN, THAN OTHER RESPONSES ON THE SURVEY. ANOTHER CROSSTAB RESULT THAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS GENERALLY GET VERY HIGH REMARK FEEDBACK ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT THE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLD CATEGORY HAD I'M SORRY, IT WAS 18 TO 24 YEAR-OLDS RESULTS.I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, BUT I URGE YOU NOT TO CONSIDER THIS SURVEY AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF US ACTIVISTS.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 6:30 P.M..
[6. INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]
GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.I HAD A FEW THINGS IN THE GARAGE MY WIFE WANTED ME TO GET RID OF.
HADN'T BEEN TO THIS EVENT BEFORE, AND SO I PULLED UP AND I SAW A LOT OF CARS GOING IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, AND I KIND OF JUST HAD TO FIND SOMEONE THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. CAN YOU POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT A BUNCH OF WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS.
VERY SHORT. I MEAN, VERY LONG LINE THAT WENT VERY QUICKLY AND WAS IN AND OUT.
GOT RID OF TWO OLD ROOMBAS, A LAPTOP AND SOME PHONES.
OUR ROAD PAVING IS DONE FOR THE YEAR.
WE HAVE OFFICIALLY FINISHED ALL OF THE PAVING WE'RE GOING TO DO.
IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
WE ARE NOW PAVING THREE PARKING LOTS FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
JUST BECAUSE THE PRICING IS EXCELLENT, AND IT WAS WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ONGOING THING THAT WE LOOK AT EVERY YEAR NOW IS WHERE DO WE NEED TO MAKE PARKS IMPROVEMENTS? IF WE STILL HAVE GOOD PRICING AND THE CONTRACTOR IS WILLING TO HOLD THAT? THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL IS THIS SATURDAY FROM 10 TO 4 AT THE HISTORIC VILLAGE HERE AT TOWN HALL.
COME ON DOWN AND ENJOY IT. IT'LL BE A GOOD TIME, AND THEN ON SUNDAYS, THE FIRE OPEN HOUSE.
THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION FROM 10 TO 2.
TWO LAST THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT.
THE. YOU KNOW, I'M SURE EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS THIS, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T POINT OUT THAT THE MSU LAKE LANSING SECOND PHASE OF THE TRAIL IS OPEN FROM GRAND RIVER UP TO THE SERVICE CENTER ON OKEMOS ROAD.
MY RUNNING GROUP USED IT MONDAY NIGHT.
IT'S A GREAT, GREAT ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT HOUSING, IMPROVING LOCAL LIVABILITY.
HOMEOWNER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO SEND OUT A MAILING ON THIS.
SO IF YOU GET SOMETHING IN THE MAIL AND HAVE INTEREST IN POTENTIAL LOW INTEREST OR GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME, IF YOU'RE IN ONE OF THE TARGETED NEIGHBORHOODS, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL OR CHECK IT OUT ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE ARE INCOME QUALIFICATIONS, BUT WE CAN WALK YOU THROUGH ALL THIS.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
BOARD MEMBERS, REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE.
TREASURER DESCHAINE. I WAS GONE FOR A WEEK OF THE TIME SINCE WE LAST MET, BUT I DID WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT I'VE BEEN ELECTED TO THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I BELIEVE I'M THE FIRST ELECTED OFFICIAL TO DO THAT.
[00:35:07]
AS YOU ALL KNOW, MOST TOWNSHIPS IN MICHIGAN ARE SMALL TOWNSHIPS AND THERE ARE LARGER GROUP WHICH ARE THE CHARTER TOWNSHIPS, WHICH WE ARE, AND WE'RE IN THE TOP 15 OF TOWNSHIPS IN THE STATE.SO I THINK THEY NEED MORE OF A LARGE TOWNSHIP PERSPECTIVE.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY FOR I THINK 40 YEARS.
PARTICIPATED IN IT, AND I WANT TO SAY IT WAS AMAZING BECAUSE OUR POLICE OFFICERS WERE THERE.
OUR FIREFIGHTERS WERE THERE PROVIDING ANY NECESSARY FIRST AID, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAD DOZENS AND DOZENS OF HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO WERE THERE HELPING OUT WITH RACE DIRECTION FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THEY STAYED ON COURSE, GIVING OUT WATER HELPING ORGANIZE THIS BIG EVENT WITH A THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS.
SO IT WAS REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THAT.
WHEN I WAS IN UTAH, THEY PRIDE THEMSELVES AS BEING THE NUMBER ONE STATE IN THE NATION FOR VOLUNTEERISM, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. ONE STATE HAS TO BE IT.
I MEAN, YOU SEE THAT IN ALL KINDS OF EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE.
WE'LL SEE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS AT THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL.
RIGHT. ALL OF US COMBINED DON'T MATCH HER NUMBERS OF VOLUNTEERISM.
GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS COMMUNITY IS VIBRANT AND STRONG BECAUSE WE GIVE OF OURSELVES, AND WE GIVE SO MUCH OF OURSELVES AND OUR TIME AND OUR TALENT, AND IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A MEASUREMENT OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER TIME.
I'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE HOW WE MEASURE UP.
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THE MTA COULD START COLLECTING HERE, WHICH COMMUNITIES HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS, BUT WE SURELY ARE TOWARD THE TOP OF THAT LIST BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
CLERK GUTHRIE. I THINK TRUSTEE WILSON COULD PUSH US OVER THE EDGE ON THOSE NUMBERS FOR CERTAIN.
YOU COULD WIN VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR EVERY YEAR, I'M SURE.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE GET IS IF WE HAVE THE KNEW I VOTED STICKERS FROM THE STATE COMPETITION, SO WE DO NOT, BUT THE STATE HAS 2 MILLION OF THESE STICKERS AND THEY WILL BE SENDING THEM TO MUNICIPALITIES, SO WE'RE JUST WAITING TO RECEIVE THEM.
SO HAVE NO FEAR, IT'S COMING TO US.
ANOTHER QUESTION WE GET VERY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION EVERY SINGLE ELECTION.
HAS IT ARRIVED AT THE TOWNSHIP? HAVE YOU SENT IT TO ME? HAS IT BEEN TABULATED? HAS IT BEEN LIKE ALL THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? SO NEW FOR VOTERS AND ABSENTEE VOTERS? IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN GO TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WEBSITE, AND WHEN YOU BRING IT UP, IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER, THERE'S AN ABSENTEE VOTER NOTIFICATION SIGN UP LINK, AND SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOAD THAT PAGE, GO TO THAT LINK, SIGN UP.
I RAN THROUGH IT WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HERE.
THEY SIGNED UP. THEY WERE EXCITED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE SUPER EASY TO EXPLAIN TO EVERYONE, SO THEY WILL BE LETTING VOTERS KNOW THAT THEY CAN SIGN UP AND THEY CAN RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOT.
SO THAT'S NEW AS WELL, AND THAT WEBSITE IS OH, I'M SORRY, IT IS MICHIGAN.GOV SLASH VOTE PLEASE.
YES IT IS. I JUST LOOKED AT IT AFTER I SAID IT.
SHOUT OUT TO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ALSO TO INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER TIM SCHMITT AND DEPUTY MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER FOR WORKING ON ELECTION SECURITY NEEDS FOR OUR VOTERS AND OUR CLERK'S OFFICE. THEY CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AND THEY HAVE PLANS LEADING INTO THE FUTURE FOR IT.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
[00:40:01]
ALSO, I ATTENDED THE FRIENDS OF OKEMOS LIBRARY MEETING LAST WEEK, AND THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF INTERESTING EVENTS COMING UP.GUARDIANS OF MICHIGAN PRESENTATION ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, AND A MUD LAKE THAT IF YOU KNOW ABOUT MUD LAKE AND HASLETT, THEY HAVE A MUD LAKE HASLETT PRESENTATION ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16TH.
THESE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING AT THE OKEMOS LIBRARY, AND YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THEM THROUGH CATTLE, AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST I ATTENDED THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING LAST WEEK.
IT WAS MY FIRST TIME IN ATTENDANCE AND THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND A LOT TO LEARN, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FROM THAT WAS THAT THIS WAS A VERY WELCOMING GROUP.
I KNEW HALF THE PEOPLE, SO THAT WAS GREAT.
SO I FELT LIKE I FIT RIGHT IN, BUT ALSO THEY DISCUSSED THE MOVING MID-MICHIGAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT'S A 25 OUTLOOK OF TRANSPORTATION NEEDS IN THE REGION, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE DOING SOME PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL OUTREACHES, AND THEY WILL BE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET ON OCTOBER 2ND.
SO IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED, YOU CAN STOP BY THEIR BOOTH AND THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF SUPER.
DID I SAY THE WRONG DAY? YES. OCTOBER 5TH.
TOMORROW. TOMORROW, AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF FUN STUFF.
LIKE A BIKE SEAT COVER AND THIS REALLY COOL MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR PAPER CLIPS THAT'S IN THE SHAPE OF A SAFETY CONE AND THEY JUST HAVE ALL KINDS. I HAVE IT IN MY PURSE, ACTUALLY, I COULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED, BUT YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO GO TO THE BOOTH AND SEE FOR YOURSELF, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
WE MAILED OUT OVER 13,000 BALLOTS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAIL THEM OUT AS PEOPLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. I WILL MENTION LET'S SEE, I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THE SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
GOT TO GO TO THE OKEMOS HOMECOMING PARADE, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME.
GOT TO HAVE THE LITTLE ONE WALK IN THE PARADE THIS YEAR.
HE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SAVED SOME CANDY FOR DAD AND BROTHER AT THE END, WHICH WE APPRECIATED.
ON TUESDAY THE 24TH, WE HELD OUR INAUGURAL REDEDICATION FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER TASK FORCE RECONSTITUTED, WHICH A NUMBER OF FOLKS WERE IN ATTENDANCE FOR.
SO THANK YOU TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO CAME OUT FOR THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME GOOD WORK OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO.
LET'S SEE. HAD A PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, AND THERE WAS SOME ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NEW THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE AREA, WAYS THAT THE TOWNSHIP AND THE UNIVERSITY CAN SEEK TO BECOME BETTER PARTNERS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS HERE. SO WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEW THINGS COMING, WHICH WILL, OF COURSE, BRING FORWARD AS THEY GERMINATE A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND POKED MY HEAD IN JUST FOR A MOMENT.
AT THE VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EVENT THAT OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PUT ON, AND.
WOW, TREASURER DESCHAINE IS RIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT VOLUNTEERS, AND THE BANQUET, WHICH IS A GREAT NAME FOR IT, IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE THIS YEAR, AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THEM, AND WE APPRECIATE OUR PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF WHO HELPED TO COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITIES AND MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM EIGHT, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? TRUSTEE WILSON.ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA, SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AGENDA PASSES.
NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM NINE, OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. CONSENT AGENDA]
WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD MINUTES FROM OUR SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024 REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING.THE BILLS AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANNUAL TRADITIONS.
SETTING HOURS FOR TRICK OR TREATING, WHICH THIS YEAR ARE FROM, I BELIEVE, 6 TO 8.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING? TRUSTEE WILSON, MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE.
ANY COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. WE DO NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
CLERK GUTHRIE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
[00:45:08]
MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.OKAY. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM TEN.
QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY. WE HAVE NONE.
[12.A. ARPA Funding Reallocation]
TIM SCHMITT. THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.WE'RE SORT OF BRINGING FORWARD THE LAST PLAN BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION AND ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP IN THE INTERIM TO ALLOCATE THE REMAINING ARPA DOLLARS, AND SO WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE AT THIS POINT IS INVESTING $262,850 INTO THE WATER MAIN PROJECT FOR CHILI'S AND OLIVE GARDEN.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING WATER MAIN BECAUSE IT'S FAILED A LOT RECENTLY.
WE SHUT THEM DOWN FUNCTIONALLY, AND SO THAT'S PART ONE.
PART TWO, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER ALLOCATION, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS MAKING A GENERAL FUND, REDUCING THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER TO THE LOCAL ROADS BY THE AMOUNT REMAINING IN THE ALLOCATION TO THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH IS $124,493.49. SO THAT MONEY WOULD THEN BE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, AND THE ARPA ALLOCATION DOLLARS WOULD THEN GO TO THE LAST TRANCHE, WHICH IS EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD JUST GO TO THE NEXT 2025 LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
THE NUMBERS, APPROXIMATELY $226,000, WOULD GET US TO ABOUT ANOTHER HALF MILE, A LITTLE OVER A HALF MILE OF ROAD THAT WE CAN PAVE NEXT YEAR. FURTHER STRETCHING OUR DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN LIMITED THROUGH THE INCREASES OF INFLATION THAT WE'VE SEEN RECENTLY.
SO THIS IS TRYING TO COVER THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
SORRY, WE HAVE HAD THIS ON OUR AGENDA BEFORE, SO WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR RULES.
SO WE DO NOT NEED TO SUSPEND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION OR MOTIONS ON THIS MATTER AT THIS TIME? TREASURER DESCHAINE, THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION AND HELPING US TO FINALLY RESOLVE OUR ARPA FUNDS AND GET THEM SPENT AND STAY IN COMPLIANCE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION TO I MOVE TO RE-APPROPRIATE THE TOWNSHIP REMAINING ARPA ASSETS AND ALL ADDITIONAL INTEREST REVENUE THAT IS GENERATED AS FOLLOWS WITH ANY UNSPENT FUNDS AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 BEING APPROPRIATED TO THE 2025 LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY CLERK GUTHRIE TREASURER DESCHAINE.
AGAIN, THIS SEEMS TO BE A GOOD USE OF WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP THE FUNDING THERE TO CONTINUE OUR DEVELOPMENT OF THE SENIOR CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT.
PARTICULARLY AS WE'RE ASKING THEM TO COME UP WITH NOT JUST ONE BUT TWO PROPOSALS NOW, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE WE DON'T IGNORE THE ROADS, AND AS WE HEARD FROM THE SURVEY, BOTH BOTH THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR VOTERS.
CLERK GUTHRIE. PRUDENT USE OF FUNDS.
I MEAN, IF WE COLLAPSE FROM UNDERNEATH, WE'RE GOING TO BUCKLE UP ABOVE.
SO THIS IS A GOOD USE OF TOWNSHIP DOLLARS.
THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS MR. SCHMITT ALSO MENTIONED THE $262,000 FOR REPLACING THE WATER MAIN.
DOES THAT HAVE TO BE IN THIS MOTION AS WELL? SO THE ACTUAL ALLOCATIONS ARE ON THE NEXT PAGE.
SO THAT CHART IS FUNCTIONALLY WHAT THE ALLOCATIONS WILL NOW BE.
SO THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT WHICH IS THE LAST LINE IN GREEN.
OKAY. SO THE MOTION SHOULD ACTUALLY BE TO ADOPT THE EXPENDITURES ON PAGE TWO OF THE PRESENTATION.
TO INCLUDE ALL OF THAT IT SAYS AS FOLLOWS I THINK THAT'S MORE OR LESS WHAT WE WERE.
OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT?
[00:50:03]
OKAY. OKAY.TRUSTEE WILSON. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THE MANAGER WHERE WE SAW NOT FULL UTILIZATION OF FUNDS THAT WE ALLOCATED.
WERE WE ABLE TO BRING THOSE COSTS IN FOR A LOWER AMOUNT, OR DID SOME OF THESE PROJECTS JUST NOT HAPPEN? SO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ITEM, WHICH IS THE BULK, THAT $86,400 IS OUR MATCH FOR THE CHILL.
SO THAT CAME IN EXACTLY WHERE WE ANTICIPATED IT.
SO DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER MIGHT GET A FEW MORE DOLLARS FOR THE ROADS OUT OF US, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ITEM CAME IN LOW AS WELL. THAT WAS A PREVIOUS WE SHIFTED THOSE DOLLARS AROUND PREVIOUSLY, BUT THAT ALSO CAME IN LOW.
THE HISTORIC VILLAGE, THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO GET EVERYTHING UNDER CONTRACT, BUT THEY EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO EXPEND ALL THOSE FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE WORK ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HISTORIC VILLAGE.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. I'LL ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD ABOUT RECENTLY DURING OUR BUDGETARY DISCUSSION WAS THE NEED FOR YOU KNOW, LOTS OF UPCOMING PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED THROUGH OUR WATER AND SEWER FUND, AND IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE ARPA MONEY, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MONEY THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ANYWAY WITH A FAILING WATER MAIN, WE MIGHT AS WELL USE THIS MECHANISM AND ALLOW OURSELVES OUT OF THE WATER FUND TO TACKLE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS NEXT YEAR HERE WITH THE WATER FUND MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN SPENT ON THIS.
ABSOLUTELY. SO VERY PLEASED TO HAVE TO BE HAVE THIS BE THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
TREASURER DESCHAINE TO THAT END.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL RATE INCREASE FOR WATER NEXT YEAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM IT, AND IT HELPS THAT WE ARE TAKING FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN OUR HIGH QUALITY WATER SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE PUSHING WE'RE INVESTING MONIES.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE RATES FROM NOT GOING EVEN HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE ALREADY FOR 2025.
CLERK GUTHRIE WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.
THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12 B, THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
[12.B. 3rd Quarter Budget Amendments]
WE HAVE DIRECTOR IANNI HERE FROM OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO TALK.COULD YOU ASK THEM TO RUN THE COMPUTER SO WE CAN GET.
IF YOU WOULD PLEASE BRING THAT PRESENTATION BACK UP.
DIRECTOR IANNI IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE MANAGER SCHMITT WILL GET OUR PROJECTOR UP AND RUNNING AGAIN HERE WHILE WE DO THAT.
DANTE. MR. SUPERVISOR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, BASICALLY, I PULLED TOGETHER A SET OF THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS BASED ON SOME THINGS WE DIDN'T EXPECT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
YEAH. WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, BUT IT'S ABOUT 950,000.
THE WAY WE HANDLE THAT IS TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND INTO THE MOTOR POOL TO COVER THAT PURCHASE, AND THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BORROW ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY AND INCUR INTEREST COSTS, BUT IT DOES CREATE A BUDGET VARIANCE OF ABOUT 950,000, WHICH IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS QUARTER'S BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER OVERAGES IN A FEW AREAS.
YOU KNOW, MOST OF THEM ARE RELATIVELY MINOR.
THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR PERSONNEL IN SOME AREAS.
SOME ADDITIONAL BILLS THAT WE GOT FOR FOR OUR DRAINS.
I THINK OUR SECOND QUARTER AMENDMENTS.
[00:55:06]
FOR THE GENERAL FUND.ONE ITEM THAT HAS BEEN POSITIVE ACROSS ALL OF OUR FUNDS, OUR INTEREST RATES ARE STILL HIGH.
SO YOU WILL HAVE A POSITIVE VARIANCE ON INTEREST IN ALMOST EVERY FUND THAT'S COME OUT OF BUDGET.
YOU WILL NOTICE ALSO THAT I DID REALLOCATE THE ARPA DOLLARS BASED ON THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
SO THAT'S ON THE PAGE HEADED BY REVOLVING ENERGY FUND.
SOME OF THE OTHER VARIANCES, THERE WERE A FEW OVERAGES AND SOME OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AND DEBT SERVICE FUNDS HAVE BEEN COMING AHEAD OF AHEAD OF EXPECTATIONS. ENTERPRISE FUNDS SOME OF THE EXPENDITURES WERE A LITTLE HIGH, BUT SOME OF THAT'S BEEN OFFSET WITH INTEREST AND SOME OTHER PLUSES TO REVENUE. I DID HAVE ONE CHANGE FROM THE MOTION THAT I PREPARED FOR YOU BASED ON THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.
I DO HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION FOR YOU AS WELL.
MAKING THAT CHANGE, AND IT WILL HELP TO OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS FROM THE FIRE TRUCK THAT CAME UP IN THIS SET OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND WE'RE STILL COMMITTED TO KEEPING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE VOTERS FOR THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE ARE BACKFILLING THAT WITH ARPA DOLLARS THAT ARE KIND OF ONE TIME MONIES THAT NEED TO BE SPENT.
OKAY. QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR IANNI.
SO THE 950,000 FOR THE FIRE TRUCK, WILL THAT BE RESTRICTED WITHIN THE MOTOR POOL? SO THAT WILL BE THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSFER OF THOSE FUNDS? YEAH, I JUST NOTED THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR IN THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO I DID PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE.
IT WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE MOTOR POOL, AND THEY CAN'T SPEND IT FOR OTHER THINGS.
YOU'RE WELCOME. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS.
WELL, WE KNEW THAT ONE WAS COMING.
YEAH, THAT'S CERTAINLY THE LARGEST OF THE OF THE CHANGES HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE SAW SOME ADDITIONAL OVERAGES, BUT NOTHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A HUGE RED FLAG TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE BUDGET.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW IS GOING ON.
SO THANK YOU FOR FOR PREPARING THIS.
IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH YOU'VE GOT SOME CHANGES YOU'D LIKE US TO MAKE TO THE MOTION.
CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THOSE, PLEASE? YES. THE MOTION TO BE MOVED TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED 2024 THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS WITH A DECREASE IN BUDGETED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $866,968. WHICH PROJECTS THE USE OF FUND BALANCE OF $1,588,365, BASED ON 2024 RESULTS.
THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 WILL BE $10,764,000.
$10,764,158, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A REDUCTION OF $124,494 IN TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM.
ALL RIGHT. I'M SURE EVERYONE WAS FURIOUSLY WRITING DOWN ALL THOSE NUMBERS.
DO YOU HAVE THAT WRITTEN? YEAH, I GOT IT WRITTEN DOWN.
[CHUCKLING] I WAS GOING TO SAY I CAN REPEAT THEM OR.
WE PLAY MAD LIBS WITH THE NUMBERS HERE.
TREASURER DESCHAINE WHAT ARE THE TERMS OF THE PAYMENT ON THE FIRE TRUCK? ARE THEY REQUIRING MOST OF THIS PAYMENT NOW OR UPON DELIVERY? MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S DUE ON DELIVERY.
WE'RE TAKING DELIVERY IN DECEMBER, SO WE'LL NEED THOSE FUNDS THEN, BUT BY REDUCING SOME OF THE TRANSFER MONEY WE'D BE MAKING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM, THAT WILL COVER PART OF THAT OVERAGE.
SO THAT WILL KIND OF REDUCE WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING TO SPEND BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE CAN HOLD ON TO IT FOR ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF MONTHS THEN.
YEAH. I'M EXPECTING WE WON'T NEED IT TILL LATER IN THE YEAR.
PROBABLY MORE TOWARDS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER.
SO HE WANTED TO PAY IT IN CASH UP FRONT.
IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT, BUT MILLION DOLLARS GENERATES AT TODAY'S RATES $60,000 IN
[01:00:02]
A YEAR IN INTEREST, AND THAT'S $5000 A MONTH.SO WE'LL HOLD ONTO ALMOST $15,000 BY PAYING TWO AND A HALF MONTHS FROM NOW.
A MOTION FOR THE BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS.
TRUSTEE TREZISE. SEE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT YOUR SCRATCHINGS HERE.
[CHUCKLING] MOVE TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED 2024 THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS WITH 866,968.
EXCUSE ME. WITH AN DECREASE IN BUDGETED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $866,968, WHICH PROJECTS A USE OF FUND BALANCE OF $1,588,365, BASED ON 2024 RESULTS.
THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 WILL BE $10,764,158, INCLUDING A REDUCTION OF $124,494, IN TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE LOCAL ROADS PROGRAM SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION IS TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES TO THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
THIS DOES HAVE A FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE TOWNSHIP.
IF THE CLERK WILL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
[12.C. Resolution to Authorize Issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, Series 2024]
WE HAVE DEPUTY TOWNSHIP MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER.MR. OPSOMMER. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
SO WHEN WE FIRST PASSED THE NEW LOCAL ROAD MILLAGE IN AUGUST OF 2019, OUR PLAN WAS TO BOND IN THREE PHASES, THE FIRST FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, THE SECOND FOR THE FOLLOWING THREE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, AND LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE AT, ESSENTIALLY WE ARE LIKELY BONDING FOR 26-27 AND A PARTIAL YEAR, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, TO WHAT A FULL YEAR LOOKS LIKE IN 2028.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE BONDING FOR THE FULL REMAINING AMOUNT THAT WE MAY ISSUE BONDS FOR.
SO THAT WOULD BE $10,239,532, BRINGING US TO OUR TOTAL OF $35.2 MILLION THAT WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO BOND FOR. SO, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, THE PROGRAM DEPENDS ON THE YEAR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES, BUT WE'VE BEEN ANYWHERE FROM $3.5 MILLION TO $4.5 MILLION IN SPENDING EACH YEAR.
SO WE WILL PROBABLY EXHAUST THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS BY THE END OF THE 2027 CONSTRUCTION YEAR, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO SPEND A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THESE FINAL BONDS BY THE END OF 2027, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO OBLIGATE 5% WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, WHICH WE WILL HAVE OBLIGATED IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY WHEN WE SIGN THE FIRST CONTRACTS.
SO MORE OR LESS, WE ARE LOOKING AT BONDING FOR THE 26-27 AND A PARTIAL 2028 CONSTRUCTION YEAR, WHICH WILL CONCLUDE THE FIRST TEN YEAR ROAD MILLAGE.
SO 2028 REVENUE WILL PAY THE BONDS DOWN, AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO HAVE THE MILLAGE RATE THAT FINAL YEAR JUST BELOW ONE MILL IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY PROJECT.
THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY DEPEND ON THE TAX BASE AND HOW THE TAX BASE GROWS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THAT IS MORE OR LESS WHAT IS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, WE HAVE A TARGET FOR ISSUING THE BONDS.
WE HAVE OUR UPCOMING RATING CALL WITH S&P AND ALSO SOME PREPARATION CALLS WITH OUR COUNCIL, BOND COUNCIL AND FCI, THE FIRM THAT ALWAYS HELPS US WITH OUR BONDING.
MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE THIS EVENING.
ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE IT BEFORE US, SO WE WILL ASK TO SUSPEND OUR RULES TO TAKE THIS UP THIS EVENING, AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO THE DISCUSSION.
[01:05:06]
UNLIMITED TAX BONDS.SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUSPENSION OF THE RULES, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. OUR RULES ARE SUSPENDED.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER BEFORE US? TRUSTEE TREZISE.
OUR COMMUNITY COMMITTED FOR THIS SEVEN YEARS AGO, SIX YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS JUST TO CARRY OUT THE CONTINUED ROAD PROGRAM THAT WE'VE CONTINUED TO FUND THROUGH THIS, AS WELL AS GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS, AND I SEE NO REASON THAT WE SHOULDN'T GO FORWARD WITH IT AND CONTINUE THE PROGRAM GOING TO THE EXTENT WE CAN.
OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? TREASURER DESCHAINE. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE MILLAGE DROPPING BY HALF A MILL LAST YEAR IS DUE TO OUR INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, WHICH ARE COLLECTING MORE REVENUE THAN ADDITIONAL.
IT WAS ANTICIPATED WHEN THE BONDS WHEN THE MILLAGE WAS FIRST PASSED.
CORRECT. SO WE HAVE NOT REDUCED THE MILLAGE RATE YET.
WE STILL ARE LEVYING THE FULL 1.9429 MILLS.
I BELIEVE IT IS. IF I DOUBLE CHECK THE MILLAGE LANGUAGE.
YEAH WE'VE LEVIED THE FULL MILLAGE RATE EACH YEAR, BUT THE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO LEVY THIS MILLAGE, WHICH WILL BE THE WHEN THE 2027 TAX BILLS GO OUT, WE CURRENTLY PROJECT THAT WE WILL BE JUST UNDER ONE MILL.
OKAY. SO WE'LL ROUGHLY HAVE TO LEVY SLIGHTLY OVER HALF THE FULLY AUTHORIZED MILLAGE RATE TO FINISH OFF PAYING DOWN THE BONDS WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
AT THIS POINT, WE'LL ALSO BE PROBABLY HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RENEW THIS BECAUSE IT IS A DEBT MILLAGE, SO WE CAN'T RENEW IT, BUT WE COULD PASS A MILLAGE AND PROPOSE A MILLAGE TO THE VOTERS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT WOULD HAVE A VERY COMPARABLE MILLAGE RATE, FOR INSTANCE, AND BASED ON THE GREAT RESULTS WE'RE GETTING AND THE FEEDBACK THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SEEING THE IMPROVED ROADS, RECOGNIZE THAT I THINK WE CAN MAKE A GOOD CASE FOR THEM IN THREE YEARS TO ISSUE ANOTHER TEN YEARS OF BONDS, BUT THIS IS THE SAME MATH THIS LAST YEAR BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF.
OUR HOUSING VALUES HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE WHAT THE BOND PROJECT EXPECTED AND MOST COMMUNITIES WOULD HAVE OCCURRED, AND SO THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS THAT WE CAN SCALE BACK THESE VILLAGES AT THE END OR IN THE FIRE STATION DEBT ELIMINATE A COUPLE OF YEARS OF THAT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR A MOTION? TRUSTEE WILSON.
MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION UNLIMITED TAX BONDS.
COMMA SERIES 24, COMMA, IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,239,532. SUPPORT.
SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? WELL, I WILL SIMPLY SAY THAT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A PRO FORMA ACTIVITY BY US TO, YOU KNOW, FULFILL THE WILL OF THE VOTERS WHEN THEY PASSED THE BOND ISSUE SOME YEARS AGO AND I WILL CHALLENGE MR. SAINTAMOUR IN THE AUDIENCE THAT IN THREE YEARS OR SIX YEARS, WE WANT TO BE THE FIRST COMMUNITY WHERE ROADS DO NOT COME UP ON THE LIST OF THINGS [CHUCKLING] AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL FULFILL THAT.
IS THAT A CHALLENGE FOR HIM OR DAN? [CHUCKLING] THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR DAN, BUT WE WILL SEE IF MR. SAINTAMOUR CAN HELP US TO.
I'VE GOT A DESK UPSTAIRS; YOU CAN JOIN US.
[LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION, AND THIS DOES REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
CLERK GUTHRIE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12 D, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION DISSOLUTION.
[12.D. Transportation Commission Dissolution]
WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING, AND HERE AGAIN IS MR. SCHMITT. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD TO THIS ITEM.THIS IS WE DID RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF THIS, AND IT WAS ESSENTIALLY CREATED AS A AD HOC COMMITTEE.
THERE IS NO STATUTORY GUIDANCE.
THERE IS NO ORDINANCE GUIDANCE HERE.
SO THIS IS SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD CAN CHOOSE TO DISSOLVE AND AT ANY POINT CAN EASILY RECONSTITUTE EITHER A STANDING OR A SUBCOMMITTEE OR AN AD HOC, HOWEVER WE WANT TO DO IT GOING FORWARD IF ISSUES ARISE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
[01:10:10]
AND THEN IT WENT ON TO BECOME THE REDI-RIDE--OH, IT BECAME THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND ADDRESSED MORE THAN REDI-RIDE, BUT IT'S REMARKABLE BRINGING THIS UP TONIGHT, DISSOLVING IT BECAUSE ONE OF THE HIGHEST SCORES IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY WAS FOR THE REDI-RIDE.SO OUR RESIDENTS ARE USING IT MORE.
THEY RECOGNIZE IT, THEY APPRECIATE IT, AND THEY REALLY VALUE IT.
SO THE COMMITTEE REALLY DID ITS WORK EXTREMELY WELL.
THEY CREATED A VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH CATA.
CATA IN TURN HAD A NEW DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WHO IN TURN WERE VERY RESPONSIVE.
THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IN SEATTLE WORKED VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, I'VE ASKED THE CATA DIRECTOR TO SPEAK BEFORE THE ENTIRE BOARD IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AND GIVE US THE UPDATE THAT THEY NORMALLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, BUT I THINK WE CAN RESOLVE THIS WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS DONE, AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, DIRECTOR SCHMITT IS WE CAN RECONSTITUTE IF NECESSARY, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH CATA, IT MIGHT BE NECESSARY SOME YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT IN THE CURRENT SITUATION, THERE'S NO NEED FOR THE COMMITTEE TO AT LEAST TO ADDRESS THE CATA REDI-RIDE ISSUES.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. I HAVE A CERTAIN AFFINITY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION BECAUSE I WAS I SERVED ON IT.
YES, AND WE DID IT WAS ACTUALLY FUN TO SERVE ON IT BECAUSE I HAD FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF SEEING HOW THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE CROSSWALK AND THE SHOOT, NOW, I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF THE THINGS THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHERE WHEN PEOPLE CROSS THE STREET, THEY CAN STOP AND SAFETY ISLANDS.
SPEAKING OF CATA, GOING FROM MEIJER OVER ACROSS THE STREET TO THE CATA STATION, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME IT WAS IT WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION AND ALL THAT.
TRANSPORTATION IS MORE THAN JUST MOBILITY.
IT'S ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAFE WHEN THEY ARE, AND BEING THAT THIS IS A WALKABLE COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER LIGHTING AND ALL THOSE THINGS AS WELL. SO ANYWAY I HATE TO SEE IT GO, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY IT NEEDS TO GO, AND BUT I'M GLAD THAT IT DID SERVE ITS PURPOSE, AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALL RIGHT, SO I GUESS I'VE BEEN ASKED TO MAKE A MOTION HERE.
SURE. I MOVE TO FORMALLY DISSOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
NO TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND THANK ALL CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS FOR THEIR SERVICE.
SUPPORT. MOVED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION DISSOLUTION? WE'LL SIMPLY IT'S IN THE MOTION, BUT WE WILL ONCE AGAIN ADD OUR THANKS TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR SERVICE, AND IF THEY FEEL A BURNING HOLE IN THEIR LIVES BY NOT BEING ABLE TO SERVE ON TOWNSHIP BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OPENINGS AVAILABLE ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ACROSS MANY OTHER AREAS, SO PLEASE CONSIDER CONTINUING YOUR SERVICE IN ANOTHER WAY.
WITH THAT, WE DO NOT NEED A ROLL CALL FOR THIS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12 E FOR POLICE CONTRACT WITH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
[12.E. Police Department Contract with Michigan State University]
ARE WE GETTING CHIEF GRILLO OR ARE WE BACK WITH MR. SCHMITT? I'M GOING TO STICK WITH THIS ONE.I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM WILLIAMSTON TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS IS THE EASIER ONE, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS, AND MICHIGAN STATE GENERALLY AGREED WITH WHAT OUR ATTORNEYS PROPOSE IN FRONT OF THEM. SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS FUNCTIONALLY THE SAME THING THAT YOU HAD LAST TIME.
CORRECT. I WOULD ACTUALLY DEFER TO CHIEF GRILLO ON THAT ITEM.
WELL, THIS IS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT WOULD BE MOSTLY FOR FOOTBALL GAMES IN THE EVENT THAT SOME OTHER BIG EVENT CAME UP THEN IT DOES LEAVE US SOME LEEWAY TO HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE CHARGE FOR THAT.
[01:15:01]
TRUSTEE WILSON.MOTION TO APPROVE THE MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES BETWEEN MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS, AND AUTHORIZE THE SUPERVISOR TO SIGN THE CONTRACT.
SUPPORT. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, IF WE WOULDN'T MIND TAKING A VERY BRIEF RECESS JUST FOR A MINUTE OR TWO.
THANK YOU. BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS, I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
WE'LL STAND ADJOURNED. STAND AT RECESS RATHER AT THE CALL OF THE CHAIR AT 7:14.
ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER AT 7:21.
[12.F. Township Manager Search Process]
EVENING.WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DATES IN A SCHEDULE, A TIMELINE RATHER TO LOOK AT AND CONSIDER, AS WELL AS THE JOB POSTING.
MEMBERS YOU DID HAVE POSTING AT YOUR PLACE.
SO PLEASE BE AWARE OF THAT, AND WITH US THIS EVENING WE HAVE BARBIE SIEGERS? SIEGERS. SIEGERS, THANK YOU.
FROM AMY CELL TALENT, WHO IS HERE TO GIVE US A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON WHAT THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER.
YEAH, WELL, I AM IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.
GOOD EVENING, AND JUST WANTED TO REALLY GATHER YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
I KNOW WE NEED TO CONFIRM COMPENSATION RANGES.
WE NEED TO CONFIRM INTERVIEW DATES.
DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH, LIKE, OUR WHOLE PROCESS? DO YOU WANT TO JUST GO THROUGH THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND START TALKING AND MAKING SOME EDITS? I THINK, LET'S START WITH THE SCHEDULE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE.
SO THE CURRENT SCHEDULE WE HAVE AND THESE ARE TENTATIVE DATES AND IT'S DEPENDENT ON WHEN THE POSTING ACTUALLY GOES LIVE AND WE POST IT. SO SUPPOSING WE POST THIS TOMORROW, IT WOULD GO LIVE.
WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THOSE OPEN FOR 30 DAYS, ROUGHLY A MONTH.
IT WOULD CLOSE END OF OCTOBER.
SO OCTOBER 30TH WE WOULD THEN HAVE ALL THE CANDIDATE INFORMATION TO YOU ON NOVEMBER THE 5TH.
OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS IS EXTREMELY THOROUGH WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY SUBMIT THEIR RESUME.
WE HAVE WRITTEN SURVEYS THAT WE SEND TO THOSE TO HELP US FURTHER SCREEN DOWN.
WE HAVE VIDEO INTERVIEWS THAT APPLICANTS WILL GO THROUGH.
WE DO BACKGROUND CHECKS? WE DO IN-DEPTH CYBER REVIEWS.
SO THE PROCESS IS EXTREMELY THOROUGH.
WE'D LIKE TO SUBMIT, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF RESUMES THAT WE RECEIVE, WE'D LIKE TO SUBMIT BETWEEN 7 AND 9 RESUMES OR APPLICANTS TO YOU.
SOMETIMES THAT CAN GO AS HIGH AS TEN IF WE HAVE A REALLY LARGE RESPONSE, BUT I WOULD SAY 7 TO 8 IS THE AVERAGE, AND NOVEMBER THE 12TH, YOU WILL REVIEW CANDIDATES DURING A CLOSED SESSION, AND THEN YOU WILL DETERMINE WHO YOU WANT TO BRING BACK TO INTERVIEW.
YOU CAN BRING BACK THREE PEOPLE.
FOUR PEOPLE, FIVE PEOPLE. IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU BASED ON THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY THAT WE SUBMIT.
THIS IS FIRST ROUND INTERVIEWS.
WE'RE NOW INTO NOVEMBER 21ST, 22ND OR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER THE 2ND.
I WOULD SAY THE SOONER SOONER IS ALWAYS BETTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF SEARCHES GOING ON.
THERE'S A LOT OF USUALLY PEOPLE ARE INTERVIEWING FOR MULTIPLE POSITIONS, AND IN THE PAST WE HAVE LOST REALLY GOOD CANDIDATES TO OTHER COMMUNITIES JUST BASED ON INTERVIEW LIKE TIMELINE AND DATES.
SO I WOULD URGE THE EARLIER INTERVIEW DATE IF IT WORKS FOR EVERYONE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS THAT, AND THEN WE WOULD PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE INTERVIEWS TO YOU, AND I GUESS THAT DATE IS TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE DATE THAT WE DECIDE TO INTERVIEW, AND
[01:20:06]
THEN COUNCIL DETERMINED NEXT STEPS.OKAY. SO I THINK HAVING HEARD THE SORT OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE SCHEDULE, LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE CONSIDER WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US IN TERMS OF THE POSTING, AND WE'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO IT AND SEE HOW WE'RE FEELING ABOUT THE SCHEDULE ONCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ACTUAL POSTING ITSELF.
SO YOU WANT TO WALK US THROUGH WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE? YEAH. SO I DID GO AHEAD AND PASS AROUND.
THE NEW I SAY PACKET, THE NEW POSTING, JUST BASED ON SOME FEEDBACK, AND TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE TOWNSHIP A LITTLE MORE, WE ADDED SOME MORE, I GUESS OOMPH TO THE ABOUT SECTION.
SO WE ALWAYS BEGIN A POSTING WITH A SECTION ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP HIGHLIGHTING THE STRENGTHS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, FOUR PARAGRAPHS THERE.
TOWNSHIP ASSETS AND STRENGTHS.
THIS IS WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT YOUR PARKS.
ADDITIONALLY, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND THEN THERE'S SIX OR SO, SEVEN BULLET POINTS I CAN'T COUNT.
WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, FEEDBACK ON HOW SOMETHING IS WORDED, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT, IS TO REALLY JUST NAIL DOWN THOSE NUANCES WITH WORDS AND, AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THIS TO READ THE NEXT SECTION.
NEXT SECTION IS THE ABOUT THE ROLE.
SO THAT GOES INTO YOU'RE SEEKING THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
THOSE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES AND TRAITS THAT ARE IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTING THE KEY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THEN THERE ARE BULLET POINTS BASED ON JOB DESCRIPTION THERE, AND THEN WE ALWAYS INCLUDE A SECTION, KEY CHALLENGES AND ISSUES, AND THOSE ARE JUST THOSE ISSUES THAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT.
THE ABOUT YOU SECTION, WE LIKE TO KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET.
WE LIKE TO REALLY TRY TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND TRY TO ATTRACT AS MANY APPLICANTS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE THAT APPLY THAT ARE UNDERQUALIFIED.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE A TON OF INFORMATION.
THIS IS MORE SORT OF A MARKETING POST.
IT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO APPLY.
DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK THROUGH SORT OF THE MAIN SECTIONS AND GATHER FEEDBACK, MAKE ANY EDITS IF NECESSARY? YEAH, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE, BUT WE CAN TALK THROUGH SOME, YOU KNOW, GENERAL IDEAS AND EDITS IF THERE ARE ANY.
TREASURER DESCHAINE. I SAW YOUR HAND A MOMENT AGO.
SURE. I APPRECIATE THIS POSTING.
I DO HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS AND SEE IF THE BOARD AGREES WITH ME ON THESE OR NOT.
THE SECOND BULLET IS A FINANCIALLY STRONG COMMUNITY THAT HAS HAD 11% GROWTH ACCORDING TO 22 CENSUS.
I THINK WE NEED TWO STATEMENTS THERE.
CAN I BACK UP? WHICH BULLET POINT ARE WE ON? THE SECOND BULLET POINT ON PAGE TWO.
PAGE TWO? ON PAGE TWO? YEP. THANK YOU. THAT SECOND BULLET.
IS THAT ACCURATE? THE SECOND SENTENCE WOULD BE IS A DYNAMIC COMMUNITY THAT HAS HAD 11% GROWTH, POPULATION GROWTH, POPULATION GROWTH, 20 CENSUS.
SO BOTH OUR POPULATION IS INCREASING, IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE SHRINKING AND OUR TAXABLE VALUE IS INCREASING, AND WE'RE ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THOSE ARE MY TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BULLETS.
THEN MOVING ON TO ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
[01:25:04]
I SUGGEST A COMMA THERE AND MANAGE THE STAFF AND MANAGE.I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MANAGER OF.
HE NEEDS TO COLLABORATE WITH US.
SO AND THEN THE LAST TWO SUGGESTED CHANGES UNDER KEY RESPONSIBILITIES WHERE YOU SAY OVERSEES THE DAILY OPERATION, I THINK SUPERVISES THE DAILY OPERATIONS IS A LITTLE BIT STRONGER.
OKAY. SO INSTEAD OF OVERSEES WE WANT TO PUT SUPERVISES MY SUGGESTION, AND THEN THE THIRD BULLET RATHER THAN SAYING SUPERVISES I WOULD SAY MANAGES NON-ELECTED TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH TOWNSHIP HEADS.
THE REST OF THE DESCRIPTION IS FINE, BUT THAT FIRST THAT FIRST VERB I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
OKAY. I MEAN, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER OVERSEES THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS, CORRECT? HE MANAGES THE DATA, HE LEADS THE STAFF.
SO I WOULD, INSTEAD OF THE WORD MANAGE.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT TREASURER DESCHAINE, BUT INSTEAD OF MANAGE THE STAFF, MAYBE LEADING THE STAFF, BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED A LEADER TO COME IN HERE AND MANAGE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND LEAD THE STAFF WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION INSTEAD OF THE WORD MANAGE TWICE.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING MANAGING TWICE.
I'M SUGGESTING WE USE IT IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH BECAUSE HE IS MANAGING IT.
OF COURSE IN THAT PROCESS IS ALSO A LEADER.
OKAY. WE WANT SOMEONE WHO'S ACTUALLY SUPERVISING OPERATIONS OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, LOOKING AT THE WORK BEING DONE AND OFFERING INSIGHT AND TAKING FEEDBACK AND SO FORTH AS A SUPERVISOR OF IT.
JUST AS OUR SUPERVISOR MANAGES THIS BOARD, HE IS SUPERVISING THE OPERATIONS OF THE TOWNSHIP.
OKAY. THOSE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS.
CLERK GUTHRIE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
I FEEL AS IF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER POSTING.
I FEEL AS IF THIS FIRST PAGE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FLIER SHOWCASING THE COMMUNITY, LIKE A ONE PAGE FLIER, AND I FEEL LIKE THE POSTING FOR THE MANAGER IS GETTING BURIED IN THIS, AND I FEEL AS IF WE HAVE THIS ONE PAGE FLIER OR DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAS MANY REDUNDANCIES AND HAS.
THESE BULLET POINTS GO ON TO THE SECOND PAGE.
I THINK WE'RE LOSING THE VERY ESSENCE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POSTING OF THE POSITION.
BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER, I FEEL LIKE THAT SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE IT, I FELL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A ONE PAGE FLIER IN FRONT AND THEN YOU HAVE THE ROLE OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER IS THE NEXT PAGE, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE NEXT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO LEAD MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP INTO THE FUTURE TO BE A SUSTAINABLE PRIME COMMUNITY.
PERIOD, END OF STORY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, AND SO I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THIS BECAUSE I FEEL WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I AM LOST AND I FEEL LIKE I WANT TO START OVER BECAUSE I'M LOSING THE IMPORTANCE OF MEETING THE NEXT LEADER FOR THIS TOWNSHIP, FOR THIS TEAM, FOR THIS TOWNSHIP BOARD, AND I DON'T FEEL AS IF I READ IT IN THIS DOCUMENT.
SO MY APOLOGIES, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF EDITS ON HERE.
SO I HAVE A HARD TIME DURING A BOARD MEETING BEING ABLE TO SAY, WELL, WE NEED TO START THIS AND WE NEED TO START THAT BECAUSE I HAVE SENTENCES OF REDUNDANCIES THAT ARE STRICKEN.
I HAVE CONTRADICTIONS THAT ARE STRICKEN.
FOR INSTANCE, IN THE VERY FIRST SENTENCE, IT SAYS WE HAVE HASLETT AND OKEMOS AND THEN IT SAYS, WELL, WE ALSO HAVE HASLETT, WE HAVE HASLETT AND OKEMOS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE EAST LANSING AND WILLIAMSTON. IT'S A COMPLETE CONTRADICTION BECAUSE IN THE FIRST SENTENCE WE ONLY SAID HASLETT AND OKEMOS, AND THEN WE ADDED EAST LANSING AND WILLIAMSTON IN THE LAST SENTENCE IN THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH, AND SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRADICTIONS IN HERE, REDUNDANCIES, AND WE COULD PAIR THIS FIRST PAGE DOWN A LOT TO
[01:30:09]
SAY THIS IS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND THEN THE SECOND PAGE STARTS WITH WE NEED A THE NEXT TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO LEAD US INTO THE FUTURE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED, AND THIS IS WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S LOST IN THIS DOCUMENT.WE HAVE A BROCHURE WE SENT OVER.
WE USED. YEAH, AND THE WORDING ON IT HAS TO CHANGE BASED ON OTHER EDITS AND SORT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND THE BRANDING, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EVEN MEET THE BRAND STANDARDS. SURE.
IT TOTALLY DESTROYED THE SWOOSH.
IT DESTROYED A LOT OF THE BRAND STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT ARE ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE THAT WERE CHANGED, AND SO I SAW THE BROCHURE, AND IT DOES NEED A LOT OF WORK AS WELL.
SURE, WE CAN DO THAT BEFORE IT DOES.
NOW, STEPPING OUTSIDE OF THE ESTHETIC, I AGREE THAT THERE'S A LOT IN HERE THAT I FELT.
I AGREE THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THIS A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, CERTAINLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, A POSITION POSTING OF THIS TYPE, AND PERHAPS AN INTRODUCTION TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THIS WAY IS MORE OR LESS ON PAR WITH WHAT YOU DO FOR EVERYONE ELSE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS READS TO ME IS AS YOU KNOW, BASED MOSTLY ON THE INTERVIEWS THAT WERE COMPLETED WITH AMY CELL TALENT BETWEEN THEM AND THE BOARD AND SOME KEY MEMBERS OF STAFF WHO WEIGHED IN AS WELL, AND , YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMENTS WERE BUILT UPON THAT FOUNDATION, RIGHT? WE WERE ADDING TO SOMETHING THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
ADDING, YOU KNOW, THIS STUFF THAT'S NOT FOUND IN A JOB DESCRIPTION, IF YOU WILL, AND, YOU KNOW, DID YOU INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS DOCUMENT IN A WAY THAT I'M NOT SEEING IT YET.
WE DID SO WHEN WE DID THE INTAKE INTERVIEWS WITH WITH ALL OF YOU AND THEN THE DIRECTORS AND KEY STAFF MEMBERS, WE DEVELOPED THE RUBRIC WHICH YOU'LL FIND ON THIS WAS ALSO SENT, I DON'T THINK I SENT IT TONIGHT, BUT WE HAVE THE RUBRIC OF THE CRITERIA THAT SO MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS, PROJECT YOU KNOW QUALITIES.
WE PUT ALL THAT IN A RUBRIC INTO MUST HAVES AND IDEALS BASED ON THAT IS HOW WE CREATE THE JOB DESCRIPTION, AND THE JOB DESCRIPTION IS MORE MARKETING FOCUSED THAN A YOU WALK INTO, YOU KNOW, YOUR FIRST DAY, HERE'S YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, HERE'S YOUR DUTIES.
SO WE TRY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT AND THEN LIKE A MARKETING JOB POSTING, AND WE DID INCORPORATE JUST LIKE THE DUTIES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS THAT REALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP, AND THIS IS I MEAN, THIS IS THE FORMAT THAT WE REALLY HAVE DONE FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS.
WE'RE DEFINITELY WILLING TO DO IT HOW YOU WANT IT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO REWORD THIS RE-SORT OF ORGANIZE IT.
IT'S I MEAN WE ARE RECRUITING FOR YOU GUYS.
SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE HAS EXPERIENCE WITH MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT.
I AM LOOKING FOR THAT IN HERE BECAUSE AS WELL AS A MARKETING DOCUMENT, IT'S ALSO A DOCUMENT THAT PEOPLE WILL READ TO SELF-SELECT INTO APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR TIME THAT YOU ARE WASTING AT THAT POINT BY NOT INCLUDING THAT IN HERE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BUNCH, YOU MIGHT GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING FOR THEIR FIRST TOWNSHIP MANAGER JOB AND MAYBE IT IS EASY TO JUST SAY NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, A TOWNSHIP OF OUR SIZE, OF OUR CALIBER, IT MAYBE IS IMPLIED THAT WE WANT SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD SAY IT RIGHT.
[01:35:05]
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE STATED SOMEWHERE ON ALL OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO SEE RELATING TO HOW WE ARE RECRUITING FOR THIS POSITION.NOW I'VE GOT I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT SOME OF THE SMALLER TWEAKS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME WAS CHIEF GRILLO, PERHAPS YOU CAN NOD OR NOT. WAS IT THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE THAT OFFERED THE ACCREDITATION? YES. IT WAS.
THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS.
YEAH, I THINK I'VE ONLY EVER HEARD OF IT AS THE ASSOCIATION.
SO THAT HAD ME STYMIED, BUT ALSO CONSTRUCTING A SOLAR ARRAY.
WE'RE CONSTRUCTING LOTS OF SOLAR ARRAYS.
WE'RE INTENDING TO WHAT THE FOLLOWING CLAUSE SAYS REPLACE ALL TOWNSHIP POWER, AND THAT COMES WITH QUITE A FEW, NOT JUST ONE, BUT IT JUST IT FELT TO ME LIKE A LOT OF THIS WAS PULLED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SOURCES, WHICH I GET IT IS AN EASY WAY TO GO ABOUT GETTING THE JOB DONE, BUT IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION WAS PUT INTO THIS, INTO MAKING TAILORING THIS TO BE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SPECIFIC AND THAT TO ME, GAVE ME A LOT OF PAUSE.
WE ARE HAPPY TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND WRITE THIS AS YOU WANT WRITTEN.
I MEAN, IF WE'VE MISSED THINGS LIKE, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.
WE'RE HERE TO, WE ARE HERE TO COLLABORATE AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK TONIGHT AND TO MAKE THESE CHANGES.
TRUSTEE TREZISE? I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SEARCHES LIKE THIS SEVERAL TIMES, NOT FOR MUNICIPAL POSITIONS, BUT AS WITH SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENTS AND IT IS CUSTOMARY TO HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING B ECAUSE PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SELLING THE TOWNSHIP TO THE APPLICANTS, BUT I AGREE, THERE'S STUFF LEFT OUT OF HERE LIKE WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING AS FAR AS QUALIFICATIONS.
NOW, YOU DID PREPARE OR I DO HAVE A COPY OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER'S JOB DESCRIPTION THAT HAS MUCH OF THAT INFORMATION, AND MY QUESTION WAS, WAS THAT PART OF THIS PROCESS OR WAS IT GOING TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS SO THAT APPLICANTS KNOW WHAT AT LEAST THE MINIMUMS ARE TO QUALIFY? YEAH. GREAT QUESTION, AND LIKE I SAID, WE WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO AS FAR AS PUTTING THAT IN THERE.
WE TYPICALLY DO NOT PUT IN A POSTING THE NUMBER OF YEARS EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BE INCLUSIVE AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE HAS NINE AND A HALF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANT TEN, THAT PERSON MAY NOT APPLY AND YOU MAY LOSE OUT ON A REALLY GOOD, YOU KNOW, APPLICANT.
WE REALLY HAVE FINESSED SORT OF LIKE OUR SCREENING PROCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN VERY QUICKLY POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE IF SOMEONE IS BRAND NEW IN THEIR POSITION, WE CAN RECOGNIZE IF SOMEONE IS, YOU KNOW, BEEN IN THE POSITION 15 PLUS YEARS.
IF YOU WANT IT STATED IN THEIR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IS SOMEWHAT VAGUE, BUT STILL GIVES THEM AN IDEA THAT IF YOU'RE JUST OUT OF SCHOOL WITH YOUR MASTER'S IN MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS OR WHATEVER, YOU PROBABLY ARE GOING TO QUALIFY OR BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION TO COME IN AT THE TOP OF THIS ORGANIZATION. SO SOME MASSAGING THERE.
THE OTHER THING THAT HIT ME RIGHT OFF THE BEGINNING IS ACTUALLY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DOESN'T HAVE ANY SMALL PART OF EAST LANSING OR WILLIAMSTON BECAUSE THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LEGAL ENTITY.
WE HAVE PORTIONS OF THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE PORTIONS OF THEIR MAILING ADDRESSES, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE PORTIONS OF EAST LANSING OR WILLIAMSTON, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF CONFUSING TO ME, AND IT'S MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT I DO AGREE THERE SHOULD BE A DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
OUR ASSETS. WHY YOU'D WANT TO COME HERE, AS WELL AS A BETTER DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN CANDIDATES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AND NOT NECESSARILY DOWN TO THE GRANULAR LEVEL, BUT AT LEAST GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T AN ENTRY LEVEL POSITION.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT IT'S POORLY WRITTEN.
[01:40:06]
IT'S REDUNDANT.WHERE YOU SAY AT THE END OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, A SMALL PART OF EAST LANSING AND WILLIAMSTON COLLECTIVELY CONTRIBUTE, AND THEN THE VERY NEXT SENTENCE IS A SMALL PORTION OF EAST LANSING AND WILLIAMSTON ARE ALSO WITHIN, YOU KNOW, IT JUST IS NOT, I AM NOT SURE HOW TO CHARACTERIZE IT, BUT THE WRITING IS NOT PARTICULARLY PROFESSIONAL.
A DESTINATION FOR RAISING FAMILIES SINCE BEFORE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, WHICH CENTURY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1842, AND WE'VE BEEN RAISING FAMILIES HERE SINCE 1842, AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING, BUT MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE HERE IS THAT TOWNSHIP ASSETS AND STRENGTHS, YOU FOCUS ENTIRELY ON THE PARKS AREA, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY IS ALL THE MEAT. THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO THAT WE HAVE A GOOD TAX STRUCTURE, THAT WE HAVE A HIGH VALUE TAX STRUCTURE, THAT WE, OUR 22%, I MEAN, THAT SHOULD BE NEAR THE TOP.
TO ME, THE PARKS ARE GREAT, BUT THEY ARE A MINIMAL PART OF WHAT GOES ON HERE.
SO HONESTLY, I WOULD REWRITE IT AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
SO I'M HEARING YOU SAY, IF SOMEBODY IS NINE AND A HALF, THEY WON'T APPLY.
SO MAYBE NOT TEN YEARS, BUT SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT.
TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT, BUT THE BIGGEST THING THAT STUCK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. I WOULDN'T SAY THE BIGGEST, BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, OR AT LEAST CONFUSED ME, WAS THE ABOUT YOU.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THAT PARAGRAPH IS IN THERE.
THAT TO ME, SHOULDN'T EVEN BE THERE.
YOU ARE A SEASONED THE WAY THAT IT IS WRITTEN, IT JUST SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN THAT WAY.
I HAVE BEEN ON A LOT OF INTERVIEW PANELS AND STUFF, AND WHEN WE HAVE DESCRIPTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, APPLICATIONS AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING THAT ABOUT YOUTH, IT JUST DOES NOT BELONG.
I DON'T KNOW WHY PUBLIC HEALTH IS THERE, BUT THAT'S THAT PARAGRAPH RIGHT THERE.
I MEAN, IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING EVERYONE ELSE SAID, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THE ABOUT YOU.
THAT DOESN'T REALLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST CATEGORIZED IN THAT WAY.
SOME OF THE CONTENT SHOULD BE PLACED IN ANOTHER, ANOTHER WAY.
SO ANYWAY, I LOOK AT THAT AS WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS THESE QUALITIES.
THE WAY IT IS WORDED IS WEIRD.
RIGHT, THE CONTENT IS FINE; I'M TALKING ABOUT THE WAY THAT IT'S CHARACTERIZED AND WRITTEN.
THESE ARE ALL GREAT COMMENTS, AND I AGREE WITH THEM, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE REDUNDANCY PART.
IN THE ABOUT YOU, SECOND SENTENCE BEGINS WITH, YOU DELIGHT AND THIS IS A BIG JOB.
IT'S NOT A DELIGHTFUL JOB, OKAY? [CHUCKLING] YES, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
WE PAY A GOOD SALARY, BUT WE DON'T EXPECT [INAUDIBLE] THE MANAGER.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THEM REALLY BUSY.
COULD I SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE HAVE A BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE? TRUSTEES WILSON AND TREZISE COME TO MIND TO REWRITE THEM AND CLERK GUTHRIE TO REWRITE THIS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND WE CAN'T HAVE THE WHOLE BOARD CONCUR UPON IT, COLLABORATE ON IT, BUT THEN GET SOMETHING TO YOU BECAUSE ACTUALLY, AT THIS POINT, WE DO NOT, I DO NOT THINK THE BOARD TRUSTS YOU TO REWRITE IT.
OKAY. BECAUSE THIS FIRST DRAFT IS THAT CHALLENGING FOR US.
WE WOULD DRAFT THIS DOCUMENT AND THEN POSSIBLY THE BOARD, I THINK WE COULD I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE REALITY OF THIS, BUT COULD WE ENABLE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE TO APPROVE A JOB DESCRIPTION SO WE COULD GET THIS THING POSTED BEFORE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING?
[01:45:03]
I THINK IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT, WE COULD PROBABLY VOTE TONIGHT TO APPROVE THE SEARCH PROCESS, TIMELINE, AND JOB POSTING WITH UPDATED CHANGES FROM A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOARD.BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT SUGGESTION? I THINK WE COULD REWRITE IT.
WE COULD WRITE IT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR HR DIRECTOR.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING TO DO IS WRITE IT MORE TO WHAT WE THINK IT SHOULD BE, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE WANT INPUT FROM FROM YOUR COMPANY.
SO YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AT.
THAT POINT WE NEED TO GET IT DONE QUICKLY THOUGH.
YEAH. WE'D HAVE TO GET IT DONE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THIS IS NOT GOING LIVE TOMORROW.
RIGHT? THAT MUCH I CAN TELL YOU WITH PRETTY MUCH 100% CERTAINTY BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THIS EVENING, AND WE DON'T MEET AGAIN UNTIL THE 15TH OF OCTOBER, AND THAT'S TOO LATE, PROBABLY TO GET THINGS GOING IN A TIMELY WAY, AND IF OUR GOAL IS TO GET THIS POSITION FOR 30 DAYS, JANUARY 1ST BECAUSE WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, AND SO I THINK THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE PRESENTS A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND HERE.
TRUSTEE I WOULD NOT BE HANDCUFFED BY THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE.
I WOULD RATHER DO IT RIGHT THAN QUICKLY, AND IF IT HAS TO GO TO THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY, I MEAN, IT'S WE CAN ADJUST THAT, BUT I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE TURNED AROUND AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
SURE, BUT BUT I DON'T SEE THE URGENCY OF HAVING IT DONE PRIOR TO OUR NEXT MEETING, NECESSARILY.
TRUSTEE WILSON. I DO, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAPPEN DURING HOLIDAYS, SO I THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO STICK TO OUR ORIGINAL SCHEDULE, AND I THINK WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND WITH SPEED, ACCURACY AND THE PROPER KIND OF LOOK TO WHAT WE WANT THIS JOB DESCRIPTION TO BE.
CLERK GUTHRIE. I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE WILSON WILLING TO SERVE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
I CAN SEE WHERE PORTIONS OF THE WEBSITE WERE COPIED AND PASTED, WHICH IS WHY SOME OF THESE REDUNDANCIES ARE IN HERE AND WHY IT'S A LITTLE BIT JUST DISJOINTED, SO I UNDERSTAND. I'VE LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
I CAN WORK WITH THE TEAM ON IT.
THIS IS THE MANAGER THAT WE WANT.
THIS DESCRIBES IT PERFECTLY, AND I THINK I COULD ASSIST WITH THAT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SERVE ON A SUBCOMMITTEE TO DO THAT.
IT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION IF WE'RE GOING TO PUT SUCH A GROUP TOGETHER THAT WE INCLUDE OUR HR DIRECTOR AND IF SHE'S AVAILABLE, AND ALSO OUR COMMUNICATIONS STAFF WHO ARE ALSO WORKING IN THIS AREA AND WILL HELP KEEP US ON TRACK FROM A CONTENT AND GUIDELINES STANDPOINT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
DIRECTOR TITHOFF, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH THAT? YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I KNOW AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE, BUT OH, YOU'RE TOTALLY FINE. YOU HAVE CLERK GUTHRIE HAS, AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE PAST, CONSIDERED WHETHER OR NOT TO APPLY FOR THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER POSITION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE YOU ON THE COMMITTEE WRITING THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
[CHUCKLING] I'M NOT INTENDING ON APPLYING.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT BEFORE, SO I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WAS THE CASE.
THANK YOU. SO WITHOUT GOING INTO SOMETHING SO FORMAL, IS IT THE WILL OF THE BOARD TO PUT TOGETHER A SUBCOMMITTEE CONSISTING OF THE PEOPLE WE'VE DESCRIBED THIS EVENING? YES. EVERYONE IS WILLING TO DO THAT WHO HAS BEEN MENTIONED? THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. YES, I'M WILLING TO DO IT.
YES. OKAY, AND SO IF I COULD ASK THAT WE MAKE A MOTION HERE, IT WOULD BE TO
[01:50:06]
APPROVE THE MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS TIMELINE AND THE JOB POSTING, AS AMENDED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOARD, AND WE WILL ALLOW THAT TO THAT PROCESS TO OCCUR OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND HOPEFULLY GET THIS OUT WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS TIMELINE IN THE JOB POSTING, AS AMENDED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE CREATED BY THE BOARD, NOT AS PRESENTED, BUT BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE A SUPPORT FOR THAT MOTION? SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.
WE ARE NOT MEETING ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, WHICH IS THE DAY DESIGNATED TO PRESENT CANDIDATES.
WHAT IS THE METHODOLOGY YOU'RE GOING TO USE TO PRESENT THOSE CANDIDATES? YEAH, IT WILL BE ALL ELECTRONIC.
SO WE WILL WE WILL SEND IT ELECTRONICALLY.
IT'S BASICALLY A GIANT SPREADSHEET WITH LINKS TO ALL THE CANDIDATE INFORMATION.
OKAY, SO THAT'S NOT AN INTERVIEW PROCESS PER SE.
IT'S REVIEWING WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE BACKGROUND.
RIGHT. WE PROVIDE ALL THE CANDIDATE INFORMATION TO YOU LATER.
YEAH. OKAY. FILTERING RIGHT? FILTERED DOWN. YES.
SO IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, 7 TO 8, SORT OF THE SWEET SPOT.
IT CAN GO AS HIGH AS TEN, AND WE'VE HAD COMMUNITIES WHERE WE'VE PRESENTED 10 OR 11.
ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THAT MOTION THAT'S IN FRONT OF US THIS EVENING.
THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
NOW, YOU HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS I THINK, THAT YOU WANTED TO TOUCH ON BEFORE WHILE WE HAD YOU HERE WITH US? YEAH. COMPENSATION RANGE.
THAT'S SOMETHING. IF WE COULD.
IF YOU DECIDE TO ADD IN MASTER'S DEGREE OR 10 TO 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
AS YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS, YOU'LL DEFINITELY WANT TO BE AT THAT HIGHER END.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
OKEMOS SCHOOLS JUST GAVE JOHN HOOD A CONTRACT RENEWAL OF $240,000, WHICH SEEMS THEY SEEMED HIGH, BUT I THINK MANY COMMUNITIES OUR SIZE WOULD EXPECT TO PAY.
I THINK 175 TO 225 FOR THIS TO GET THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.
TOO HIGH. WELL, THE ISSUE IS WE ARE GOING TO ASK A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE TO LEAVE A COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE IN TO COME LEAD OUR COMMUNITY AND RELOCATE THEIR FAMILY AND MAKE THIS BIG MOVE.
I THINK A FINANCIAL HIGHER SALARY RANGE IS MORE LIKELY TO APPEAL THEM.
I DON'T THINK 150 TO 175 IS NEARLY ENOUGH.
OKAY. TRUSTEE WILSON, OUR FORMER TOWNSHIP MANAGER, WAS MAKING 160.
160? SO I THINK, AM I CORRECT, ABBY? YES. THANK YOU.
SO I THINK THAT WAS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, MORE THAN 17 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THERE WAS A PRIOR JOB BEFORE SAINT JOE'S.
SO I THINK THAT RANGE IS TOO HIGH IN MY ESTIMATION.
CLERK GUTHRIE? THE FORMER TOWNSHIP MANAGER, ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF INCENTIVES.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD FOR, YOU KNOW, PENSION PAYING FOR HIS WIFE'S HEALTH INSURANCE PAYING FOR PREMIUMS, I MEAN, PAYING FOR EXTRA VACATION DAYS.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT NOT HAVING PENSIONS, LIKE THE FORMER TOWNSHIP MANAGER HAD NOT PAYING FOR SPOUSE'S HEALTH INSURANCE, NOT GIVING, I THINK HE RECEIVED $10,000 A YEAR FOR HIS HSA AND EMPLOYEES RECEIVED $2000.
SO IF THOSE THINGS I THINK IT BALANCES OUT TO THE NUMBER THAT TREASURER DESCHAINE IS TALKING ABOUT.
TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. SO WITH THAT, IF TO GO WITH THAT LOGIC, THEN IF WE DO THE HIGHER RANGE 175 TO 220/225, DOES THAT MEAN NO INCENTIVES? WE WOULD POST POSITION WITHOUT THOSE INCENTIVES.
[01:55:03]
RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE TRADITIONALLY WE'VE HAD THE MANAGER WAS MAKING 160, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THERE WAS A STEPPED SCALE TO GET HIM TO THAT POINT, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D WANT TO CONSIDER AS WELL, RIGHT? DO WE WANT TO BRING SOMEONE IN AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND ADDRESS THEIR CONTRACT YEAR TO YEAR? AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO 170 TO 225, YOU KNOW, IF WE HIRE SOMEONE AT 225, IS THERE ANY ROOM TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE OR ARE WE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF AT THAT PEAK.YEAH. GO AHEAD. THAT WAS THE NEXT POINT I WAS GOING TO MAKE, BECAUSE IF YOU GO UP TO THE HIGHEST POINT, YOU KNOW, SALARY RANGE OR WHATEVER, THEN WHERE DO YOU MOVE TO? NO WIGGLE ROOM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO, IS IF THERE ARE NO IN A POSITION LIKE THIS, IF THERE ARE NO INCENTIVES, SOMETIMES INCENTIVES INCENTIVIZES AND ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO APPLY.
LIKE, OH, OKAY, THERE'S INCENTIVES, BUT I MEAN SOMETIMES, I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT PREMIUMS AND YOU THINK ABOUT HSA, YOU GET TEN GRAND. I'M JUST NAMING THE PAST.
YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS IT CAN BE ATTRACTIVE FOR, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OF PEOPLE.
SO I MEAN, THERE'S SOME GIVE AND TAKE THERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THOSE THINGS OUT THERE.
YEAH. TRUSTEE SEEMS TO ME THAT AT THIS POINT WE'RE TALKING A SALARY RANGE AND A BENEFIT RANGE, AND SOME OF THOSE COULD BE NEGOTIABLE, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 160 TO 180 OR 185 FOR A SALARY, AND INDICATING THAT IT INCLUDES MEDICAL BENEFITS OR MEDICAL COVERAGE AS PART OF THE PACKAGE OR 401K OR SOMETHING LIKE 403B, WHATEVER IS AVAILABLE, BUT RATHER THAN ESTABLISHING THE SALARY AT A HIGH END AND THEN GETTING WHAT I NEED, THIS I NEED THAT, I NEED WHATEVER ON A FRINGE BENEFIT PACKAGE.
I THINK IT'S JUST MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO NEGOTIATE.
TREASURER DESCHAINE I THINK ANNOUNCING A SALARY RANGE MIGHT BE PREMATURE.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT INITIAL SALARY OR HER INITIAL SALARY IS GOING TO BE, AND BUT I STILL LIKE TO SEE IT TO GO UP TO 200,000 FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE WITH THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS BUT I THINK WE SHOULD LIMIT IT TO JUST THE STARTING SALARY BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT RANGE IS GOING TO BE.
YOU KNOW THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES OF OUR SIZE AROUND THE STATE THAT HAVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS AND SIMILAR POOLS OF INDIVIDUALS WORKING FOR THEM, AND YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION, DON'T YOU, BARBIE? WE DO. WE'VE RUN I GUESS REPORTS TO SEE WHAT THE RANGES ARE WITHIN THOSE.
YEAH. SO, AND WHEN I SPOKE TO AMY AGAIN DURING MY INTERVIEW, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THIS TOPIC AND SHE KNOWS THE NUMBERS AND SHE SAID THOSE WERE IN THE RANGE, MEANING THAT I SPOKE TO HER ABOUT WHAT MR. WALSH WAS MAKING AND WHAT WENT BEHIND THAT.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE AND SO ON HE HAD? SO RATHER THAN SHOOTING IN THE DARK, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE GET THE NUMBERS FROM AMY CELL TALENT SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES ARE PAYING FOR INDIVIDUALS AT DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE RATES, EXPERIENCE OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THEIR EDUCATION LEVEL AND SO ON. SO WE HAVE SOMETHING MATERIAL AND CONCRETE WE CAN REFER TO.
YEAH, WE CAN OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE.
YEAH. OKAY, AND THEN, YES, THAT HAS TO BE DECIDED BEFORE THE POSTING GOES UP.
CORRECT. SO I'M THINKING THAT PERHAPS THE SUBCOMMITTEE COULD OBTAIN THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE REST OF THE BOARD AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION AT THE SAME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE OF A RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT.
SO I THINK IF WE CAN COME TO A CONSENSUS THIS EVENING IN THE PUBLIC MEETING, THAT WAY WE WON'T HAVE.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT THE 150 TO 170 IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE PROVIDED INITIALLY.
[02:00:04]
POOL. YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S MY OPINION THAT I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY GO FROM ABOUT 160 TO ABOUT 190 OR 195, AND THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, AS A STARTING SALARY, THAT WOULD BE FINE.THAT WOULD COVER A WIDER RANGE OF, OF EXPERTISE, AND THEN WE CAN NEGOTIATE FROM THERE, AND WE'VE NOT SHOWN OUR HAND THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BE WILLING TO GO UP 225 ONE DAY, BUT THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER.
I CAN LIVE WITH THAT. I CAN LIVE WITH IT.
GOOD. PERFECT. ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEEDED FROM US? SO AS FAR AS THE DATES WHEN YOU REWRITE, YOU'LL REDO DATES AS WELL.
DO WE WANT TO PUSH THEM BACK A WEEK? PUSH THEM BACK TWO WEEKS.
I'D STILL LIKE IT IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO HAVE OUR INITIAL OUR FINAL DISCUSSION ON THE 12TH.
OKAY, SO THE MOTION, BARBIE, IS TO APPROVE THE MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS, TIMELINE AND JOB POSTING, AS AMENDED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOARD.
OKAY, SO THAT COULD BE A SLIGHT VARIATION OF THE TIMELINE AS WELL, RIGHT? SO YEAH, MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET AS CLOSE TO THIS AS POSSIBLE, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'VE GOT A MEETING ON THE 12TH AND I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT ANOTHER MEETING WE MIGHT BE BACK TO BACK IN NOVEMBER.
WELL, THE FIFTH IS ELECTION DAY AND THEN THE 12TH AND THE 26TH.
EVEN IF WE HAVE ONLY A FEW DAYS TO REVIEW THAT THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU SEND ALONG.
TRUSTEE WILSON. YOU SAID THAT YOU WANT TO POST, IT'S YOUR PREFERENCE TO POST FOR 30 DAYS.
WELL, IN THIS CASE, IT MIGHT BE 24 DAYS.
IT'S STILL A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO POST AND WE HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE.
SO YOU CAN ALWAYS EXTEND IT, TOO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
NEXT UP AGENDA ITEM 12 G THE USBGN PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF LAKE LANSING, AND
[12.G. USBGN Proposal to Change the Name of Lake Lansing to Pine Lake]
I BELIEVE WE HAVE DEPUTY MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER TO TELL US ALL ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN LAKE HENDRICKSON.[LAUGHTER] DON'T MIND CHANGING THAT ONE.
MR. OPSOMMER. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.
SO AGAIN, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, IS THE PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF LAKE LANSING BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL NAME OF PINE LAKE, WHICH WAS CHANGED IN 1930 BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD AT THE AUGUST 20TH MEETING.
WE DID SOLICIT INPUT FROM THE LAKE LANSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A TOWNSHIP BODY WHICH VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD REJECT THE PROPOSAL, AND THEN WE ALSO JUST RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM THE LAKE LANSING PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
THEY CHOSE TO VOTE TO NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL.
REASON BEING THAT THEY STUDIED THE PROPOSAL AND SURMISED THAT IT LIKELY WAS A STUDENT WHO HAD BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, SO THEY INTENTIONALLY DIDN'T WANT TO REJECT IT OUTRIGHT, BUT THEY CHOSE NOT TO SUPPORT IT BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE LLPOA BOARD.
SO BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, I HAVE RECOMMENDED A MOTION TO REJECT THE PROPOSAL, AND, OF COURSE, THE INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HAS ALREADY VOTED TO REJECT, LARGELY DUE TO THE COST THAT THE COUNTY WOULD INCUR, BUT AGAIN, THE TOWNSHIP DOESN'T FORESEE THAT IT WOULD INCUR ANY SUBSTANTIVE COST SHOULD THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER.
BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF LAKE LANSING TO PINE LAKE.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? TRUSTEE WILSON. NOPE.
WELL, I APPLAUD A CITIZEN WANTING TO MAKE A CHANGE AND THEIR WORLD.
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO BRING THIS MATTER FORWARD.
I AGREE THAT IT'S NOT RIPE FOR FOR CHANGE AT THIS TIME.
LAKE LANSING IS UNIQUE AND HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY NOW FOR 90 YEARS, ALMOST, AND SO I'LL BE
[02:05:06]
SUPPORTING THE MOTION TO REJECT THE CHANGE OF THE NAME.WITH THAT SAID, THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU ALL. NEXT UP, AGENDA ITEM 13A THE COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS, AND
[13.A. Community Survey Results]
FOR THIS WE HAVE DIRECTOR CLARK.I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR 152.
SORRY, WE FINALLY MADE IT HERE.
OKAY, SO WE'VE HAD THE PRESENTATION.
HE'S HUNG IN WITH US THIS EVENING.
I IMAGINE YOU HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE THE 392 RESPONSES PLUS THE ADDITIONAL 70 RESPONSES ONLINE, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE, AND I THINK I FORGOT TO PUT IT IN THE MEMO, THAT WE HAD AT LEAST NINE, MAYBE TEN RESIDENTS USE THE VISUAL ACUITY USE FOR THE SURVEY.
SO EITHER THEY RECEIVED THE SURVEY AS THE RANDOM SAMPLE, AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ASSISTANCE TO GO ONLINE AND TO USE THAT FEATURE, AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF RESIDENTS TO USE THAT SERVICE THIS TIME AROUND.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WASN'T NEW NECESSARILY TO COBALT OR ANYTHING WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THE LEVEL OF RESPONSE WAS, YEAH.
SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT EXISTED IN 2021, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS THREE YEARS LATER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A COMPONENT, AND I ALSO THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING CONSIDERING THAT THE SURVEY RESPONSES, SOME OF THEM ARE REFLECTING THAT THERE ARE SOME ABILITY ACCESSIBILITY THINGS THAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO TO MAKE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE ENJOYABLE.
BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
TREASURER DESCHAINE. THANK YOU.
THE TREND LINES ARE REALLY FASCINATING TO ME.
I THINK THAT'S ON OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES PAGE 13 OF YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU MADE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
THE TWO THAT ARE DOWN ARE THE ECONOMY OVERALL, AND THAT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, WE'VE JUST COME THROUGH COVID AND PEOPLE HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED, PARTICULARLY THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE FIRST OF THE THREE YEARS, AND OUR POLICE, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I MEAN, THIS IS NO INSULT TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY'VE SIMPLY BEEN UNDERSTAFFED.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THE STAFF TO RUN TRAFFIC PATROLS.
WE'RE UP TO THAT LEVEL NOW THAT WILL QUICKLY TURN ITSELF AROUND.
I'M VERY CONFIDENT, BUT WE'VE REALLY STRUGGLED TO REMAIN FULL STAFFING.
THAT'S WHY WE APPROVED THAT VERY STRONG INCENTIVE PACKAGE TO RETAIN AND HIRE MORE.
THE OTHER THE OTHER TRENDS ARE VERY GOOD PUBLIC WORKS UP.
PARKS AND RECREATION REMAINS HIGH.
SO I THINK THE TREND LINES ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
ON THE NEXT ONE, THE WORD CLOUD.
WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME IS THAT THIS TIME, AGE AND BUSY SEEM TO CONTRADICT EACH OTHER MORE.
THE SECOND BULLET SAYS MOST RESIDENTS WHO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ARE ELDERLY AND HAVE TROUBLE GETTING AROUND, AND YET, THE FIRST ONE IS TIME RESIDENTS REPORTED THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPARE FREE TIME.
MOST RETIRED PEOPLE DO HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF SPARE TIME, AND THEY'RE NOT QUITE AS BUSY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT CONTRADICTION OF THOSE? SURE. A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS THESE AREN'T NECESSARILY STATISTICAL, SO THESE ARE JUST THE OPENING COMMENTS, AND SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT COME UP MOST OFTEN, AND YOU HAVE DIFFERENT COHORTS OF FOLKS WITHIN THE RESPONSE POPULATION.
SO YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE OLDER AND RETIRED, AND YOU HAVE A SEPARATE POPULATION OF FOLKS WHO ARE GOING CRAZY RIGHT NOW WITH THE NUMBER OF THINGS ON THEIR PLATE. SO THIS IS REFLECTING BOTH OF THOSE POPULATIONS TO GENERALLY PUT MEAT ON THE BONES.
AS FAR AS WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOUR RESIDENTS ARE FACING? OKAY. THE TOP THEMES DOWNTOWN ROADS AND COMMUNITY.
[02:10:04]
RIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS TO GET IT RIGHT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY ON THE MIND OF RESIDENTS, AND THEY DON'T LIKE THE CONDITION IT'S IN NOW, AND ROADS, WE ARE MAKING REAL PROGRESS THERE AND COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT, TOO.THIS IS A COMMUNITY FOCUSED COMMUNITY I MENTIONED EARLIER THE VOLUNTEERISM.
TO THAT END, WHEN WE GOT TO THIS, THE QUESTION ON THE SURVEY, THERE'S A VERY STRONG MAJORITY IN FAVOR OF A COMMUNITY CENTER, SENIOR CENTER, BUT THEN WE GOT TO THE QUESTION OF PAYING FOR IT, AND WE ASKED NOT TO PAY FOR THE WHOLE THING, BUT JUST TO PAY FOR GAP FUNDING ONLY.
THIS IS THE LAST PAGE 26 OF THE SURVEY.
ONLY HALF SUPPORTED GAP FUNDING AND 43% DIDN'T SUPPORT IT, AND THEY ALSO WANT A SWIMMING POOL ON TOP OF THAT, WHICH WOULD REALLY JUMP THE PRICE UP.
WE KNOW THAT $15 MILLION OR MORE FOR THAT.
WE ALL HAVE THAT WAY. WE WANT NICE THINGS.
WE WANT THE LATEST AND GREATEST, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO PAY FOR IT.
IS THAT A TYPICAL SURVEY WHERE PEOPLE ASK FOR GREAT SERVICES BUT DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THEM? IT IS ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING AND NOT PAY A THING FOR IT.
THAT'S THE ULTIMATE EXTENSION OF IT.
I THINK THAT THE KEY THING IS THAT YOU DO HAVE YOU ARE HITTING THE 50% THRESHOLD.
KEEP IN MIND THIS IS PLUS OR -5%.
SO YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A GRAY AREA THERE.
I THINK A LOT OF IT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PACKAGING TO BARBARA'S POINT FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO USE IT THE MOST? YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS AND THE FOLLOW UP STUDIES TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CONFIGURATION? BECAUSE IT'S STILL PRETTY HYPOTHETICAL AS FAR AS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND SCOTT HELPING THE COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER PLANNING, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT DOING SOME ADDITIONAL DIGGING DOWN, BE IT A NEEDS ANALYSIS OR SOMETHING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE EXACT DATA ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS.
IF IT CAN BE DONE IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TRUSTEE WILSON ON PAGE 14 WHERE YOU DISCUSS BARRIERS.
THE AGE THING REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME.
MOST RESIDENTS WHO COMPLETED THE SURVEY ARE ELDERLY AND HAVE TROUBLE GETTING AROUND.
HENCE THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PIECE BEING ON THE LOW END OF SATISFACTION.
SO IS THERE A WAY? DID YOU WEIGHT FOR--W-E-I-G-H-T--DID YOU WEIGHT FOR NOT SO MANY ANSWERS OR FOR HAVING A PERSPECTIVE FROM YOUNGER POPULATIONS.
YES, YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENCES.
SO THE WEIGHTING WAS DONE BY ETHNICITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID IN 2021.
WE DIDN'T CHANGE THAT METHODOLOGY BECAUSE WE WANTED YOU TO HAVE THE APPLES TO APPLES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CHANGES OCCURRED, BUT IN THE CROSSTABS, THE ABILITY TO GO DOWN THAT COLUMN AND SEE BY BY COHORT WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE? I THINK THAT'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION AS FAR AS WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF SO COULD YOU SAY WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT WERE MOST CONCERNING TO OR LET'S DO THIS QUESTION ABOUT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE OTHER COHORTS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I WONDER IF IT SKEWS OUR RESULTS.
IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT RESULTS.
SO FROM A SKEWING STANDPOINT, THIS IS THE FRAME THAT WE USE TO DRAW THE RANDOM SAMPLES VOTERS, AND THE RESPONSE RATE TENDS TO MIRROR VOTER POPULATION OR VOTER PARTICIPATION AS WELL.
SO IT DOES TEND TO BE A LITTLE OLDER, A LITTLE MORE AFFLUENT AND SO ON.
SO YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THAT VOICE COMING OUT MORE CLEARLY, BUT IN THE COMMENTS FOR THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, WE CAN GO THROUGH AND WE CAN APPLY A FILTER THAT SAYS, GIVE ME EVERYONE WHO'S YOUNGER THAN 50 AND WHAT DID THEY SAY? WE CAN CERTAINLY DO.
I JUST I DON'T WANT TO MAKE MORE WORK, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION WAS.
ARE WE MEETING THE NEEDS OF EVERY AGE BAND OF THIS COMMUNITY, OR DO THE YOUNGER POPULATIONS HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THEY WANT? IF YOU LOOK AT AND IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE SUMMARY PRESENTATION, BUT IN THE LARGER PACKET, IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE OF THE TOWNSHIP, YOU'LL SEE THAT MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG ADULTS TENDED TO BE LOWER.
SO THAT'S ONE THAT I WOULD PROBABLY PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION TO.
[02:15:03]
BROADLY ASKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? YOU CAN BE MUCH MORE SPECIFIC AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IN OUR SURVEY, IT SAID THAT THE A GREAT PLACE FOR YOUNG ADULTS WAS IT WAS A LOWER SCORE THAN WE'D LIKE TO SEE.WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN PUT IN PLACE? THEN YOU'LL GET SOME REALLY SPECIFIC KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THE PLANNING PROCESS.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR THAT.
YEAH, I THINK I AGREE THAT THE WEIGHTING OF THIS, WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE TO WEIGHT IT BY HOW YOU'VE DONE IT, YOU LOSE.
YOU LOSE SOMETHING, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ONE CATEGORY HERE, RIGHT? I PICKED ONE AT RANDOM.
ALL RIGHT. THE 2024 OVERALL AVERAGE OR WHATEVER.
THE FINAL NUMBER WAS 3.6 OUT OF WHATEVER YOUR SCALE WAS 6 POINTS.
SEVEN, SIX? SIX POINTS, OUT OF SIX.
IN THE CROSSTABS, 18 TO 24 WAS 2.8.
ALL OF THESE, EVERY CATEGORY UP TO AGE 64 IS BELOW THAT AVERAGE, AND THEN 65 OR OVER, 3.9.
SO THAT TELLS ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE WAY OVER SAMPLED IN THIS IN TERMS OF THEIR WEIGHT COMPARATIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO TOOK THIS SURVEY.
SO THAT'S ONE REASON THAT WE HAVE THE CROSSTAB WITH THE BREAKDOWN.
BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU WERE TO WAIT THEM OUT, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T CHANGE THAT NUMBER A WHOLE LOT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CROSS AND YOU CAN SEE THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE OF EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL COHORTS, IT'S A DIFFERENT PICTURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH A GROUP THAT MAYBE IT WAS A SMALL COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO ARE NATIVE AMERICANS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND LET'S SAY YOU WERE UNDERREPORTED IN THE RESPONSE WITH THE NUMBER OF NATIVE AMERICANS, EVEN IF YOU COMPLETELY BALANCED IT OUT.
SO HAVING THE BREAKDOWN BY COHORT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL QUESTION DOES ALLOW YOU AND STAFF TO KIND OF DIG INTO THAT QUESTION AND SAY, OKAY, IS THIS APPLICABLE FOR EVERYBODY AND THEN YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, FOR THIS GROUP, YEAH, AFFORDABILITY ISN'T A PROBLEM, BUT THEN YOU CAN PEEL BACK AND SEE FOR THOSE OTHER GROUPS WHERE IT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM AND DIG INTO MORE READILY.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN PARTICULAR BEING A GOOD EXAMPLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IS BECAUSE MOST OF YOUR RESPONDENTS HAVE A HOUSE THAT IS NOT AS MUCH OF A DRIVER AS OTHER ISSUES COMPARED TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A HOUSE.
SO TYPICALLY THAT CONCERN ON AFFORDABILITY IS NOT SO MUCH MY AFFORDABILITY TO BUY A HOUSE.
IT'S THE AFFORDABILITY OF MY KIDS TO BUY A HOUSE IN THE SAME COMMUNITY.
SO WHILE IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT THING, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A DRIVER OF COMMUNITY SATISFACTION AND THOSE OTHER OUTCOME THINGS, BUT THERE'S SOME NUANCE THERE THAT YOU'LL WANT TO THINK THROUGH. THANK YOU.
TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. A FEW THINGS THAT STICK OUT, LIKE ON PAGE 15.
MOST RESIDENTS WHO COMPLETED THE SURVEY ARE ELDERLY AND HAVE TROUBLE GETTING AROUND.
THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THE TOWNSHIP, TOO.
I'M TALKING LIKE ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT WHAT TYPE OF CONCERTED EFFORT? COULD YOU MAKE OR IS IS MADE IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THEY TALKED ABOUT WEIGHT, MAKING SURE THAT WE GET MORE OF THE YOUNGER FOLK? YEAH. IN THIS SURVEY, BECAUSE I THINK HOW MANY? 390 TO 352, 92 PEOPLE PLUS THE VOLUNTEER.
HOW DO WE ATTRACT MORE YOUNGER PEOPLE TO TAKE THE SURVEY, AND WE HAVE SUCH A DIVERSE POPULATION IN TERMS OF ETHNIC.
WE HAVE ASIAN, WE HAVE INDIAN, WE HAVE AFRICAN AMERICAN, WE HAVE HISPANIC, WE HAVE.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS REPRESENTED IN HERE, TOO.
HOW DO WE ATTRACT THOSE ETHNIC GROUPS AS WELL? SURE. TO GIVE US A GOOD COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT AT THE TOWNSHIP.
PART OF IT TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE NEXT TIME FORWARD WOULD BE, IS THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST THE APPROPRIATE LIST TO DRAW FROM? SO THAT'S ONE PIECE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT VOTER REGISTRATION, YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY FILTERING DOWN TO A SMALLER SUBSET OF THE COMMUNITY, AND PROBABLY EXCLUDING YOUNGER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE FROM, FROM DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE ONE THING TO CONSIDER.
[02:20:02]
THE OTHER THING IS WE COULD MOVE TO A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING.THAT WOULD INCREASE THE OVERALL COST OF THE SURVEY, BECAUSE YOU'D BE SENDING OUT MORE SURVEYS INITIALLY AND TRYING TO OVERWEIGHT THE SEND SIDE OF IT TO GET MORE RESPONSE OUT OF THOSE GROUPS SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY.
ANOTHER WAY WOULD BE INCLUDING SOME MODALITIES MORE OF AN ADVERTISING APPROACH WHERE YOU CAN TARGET FOLKS USING SOCIAL MEDIA, FOR EXAMPLE, OR TEXTING OR SOME OF THESE OTHER KIND OF MODALITIES THAT ARE MORE USED BY PARTICULARLY YOUNGER RESIDENTS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT METHODOLOGICAL THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S STILL LIKELY GOING TO BE UNDERREPRESENTED BECAUSE WE SEE THIS IN ALL SURVEYS, NOT JUST MY SURVEYS, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE DONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE CENSUS, THAT TYPICALLY THE YOUNGER AND THE MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCES ARE, ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO GET AN EQUAL RESPONSE TO, AND THE SURVEYS TEND TO SKEW TO THOSE WHO ARE OLDER, MORE AFFLUENT, MORE WHITE ON DOWN THE LINE, IF I MAY JUST CONTINUE, AND THIS IS I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TO YOU OR TO THE BOARD, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE JUST AS A TOWNSHIP, WE HAVE TO MAKE MORE OF A CONCERTED EFFORT TO MAKE SURE ALL THESE VOICES ARE HEARD, SO THAT WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR RESIDENTS WANT, WHAT THEY NEED.
I KNOW COURTNEY LAST BOARD MEETING TALKED ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE HEAVILY INDIAN POPULATION REALLY LOVE CRICKET AND, LIKE, HOW I'M NOT ASKING YOU RHETORICAL QUESTION.
HOW DID YOU FIND THAT OUT? I MEAN, THERE IS A WAY THAT WE GOT THEIR VOICES RIGHT.
SO THERE HAS TO BE A WAY THAT WE GET ALL VOICES IN HERE SO THAT WE CAN SEE GET A GOOD COMPREHENSIVE BECAUSE I SAW SOMEONE PUT IN HERE FOR FESTIVAL AND MUSIC.
ON THE PAGE THAT I'M ON HERE NOW, THEY TALKED ABOUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DIVERSITY.
THAT'S LIKE THE ONLY THING I SAW ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THERE.
YEAH, THAT'S ALL OF MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. IF I COULD JUST ADD A LITTLE.
MANY FAMILIES THROUGH THE SUMMER ARE NOT HOME OR ARE VERY EAGER TO NOT BE TIED DOWN TO HOME.
SO I THINK THAT'S A BIG THING TO THINK OF IN THE 2021 SURVEY, WHICH MAYBE TRUSTEE MCCURTIS BECAUSE OF YOUR RECENT APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD, THERE ARE SEVERAL QUESTIONS IN 2021 THAT DIVE INTO DIVERSITY OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
SO WE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE AND WHAT IS THE SECONDARY OR PRIMARY LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN YOUR HOME, AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A HIGH PROPENSITY OF ASIAN POPULATIONS, SPOKEN LANGUAGES AT HOME.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE INDIAN CAME OUT, AND THAT'S WHERE THAI AND OTHER THINGS CAME OUT.
SO 2021, I THINK THE BOARD'S FOCUS ON SEVERAL QUESTIONS WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE POINTED IN THAT DIRECTION, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CROSS TABS FOR 21, MAYBE YOU USE THAT AS A REFERENCE IN COMPARING THE SURVEY WAS SENT OUT AT A DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU USE THE SAME VOTER REGISTRATION LIST, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, I THINK, FAIRLY ACCURATE AS FAR AS HOW A GOOD REFLECTION OF THE POPULATION IN GENERAL AND OF COURSE, IN THE CROSSTABS, YOU DO SEE THAT THERE ARE YOUNGER RESPONDENTS, JUST NOT AS MANY, AND AGAIN, MANY OF THEM PROBABLY WEREN'T HOME THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND PHASE, WHICH I THINK WE DID THIS TIME IN 24 A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN WHAT WE DID IN 21.
SO I THINK SOMEBODY GOT INTO THE MAIL AND THEIR PARENTS WERE LIKE, YES, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD RESPOND, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT BUT AGAIN, I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE IMPACTED MAYBE SOME OF THE RESPONSES THIS TIME, BUT I WOULD SAY GO BACK TO THE 21 SURVEY, BECAUSE IT DOES SPEAK A LOT OF DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPERIENCES, AND IT DOES TALK ABOUT AND THERE ARE A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR HOME AND WHAT IS YOUR HOME STRUCTURE LOOK LIKE THIS TIME AND THIS SURVEY DIFFERENT CLIMATE, DIFFERENT BOARD, DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.
SO WE'VE CHANGED THE QUESTIONS.
WE TRIED TO KEEP THE 20 TO 25 QUESTIONS OF TOWNSHIP SERVICES THE SAME, SO THAT WE CAN JUDGE OUR INCREASE OR DECREASE IN ANY OF THOSE CATEGORIES BUT SOME OF THESE OTHER QUESTIONS THEY ARE MORE OF A REFLECTION OF KIND OF THE BOARD AND THE CLIMATE AND THE THINGS THAT ARE PRIORITY OF THE COMMUNITY.
[02:25:10]
CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.I DON'T RECALL THE BOARD NOT WANTING TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT WERE IN 21 THIS YEAR.
I REMEMBER WANTING TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE SENIOR CENTER, BUT I THOUGHT THE BOARD ALSO STATED THAT WE WANTED SIMILAR QUESTIONS, NOT LIKE A WHOLE CHUNK OF DIVERSITY QUESTIONS TAKEN OUT.
SO MY SUGGESTION TO FUTURE BOARD IS TO TRY TO BE AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO HAVE THESE THESE SURVEYS AND DO COMPARISONS AND LOOK BACK AT YEARS WITHOUT SOME OF THESE SIMILAR QUESTIONS THAT ARE IN THERE, AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THAT ALSO, AND I THINK DIRECTOR CLARK, I THINK YOU SAID THAT IT HELPED PULL THEM IN WHEN WE HAD THOSE QUESTIONS IN THERE, IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, INCREASED ENGAGEMENT ON A REGULAR BASIS BASIS THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY HAVE ENGAGEMENT ON A SURVEY AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK NOT JUST ASKING EVERY THREE YEARS.
HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW? BUT ACTUALLY MORE ENGAGEMENT.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON PAGE 19.
I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED ON THAT PAGE BECAUSE THERE ARE IT SAYS THERE'S TWO TRANSPARENCIES AND SHARING INFORMATION GRAPHS ON THAT PAGE, BUT ONE IS LOWER THAN THE OTHER.
IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SECTION.
PAGE 17 OF THE SURVEY PRESENTATION.
YES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO TRANSPARENCIES AND SHARING INFORMATION, WHAT THAT MEANS? THE FIRST TWO ARE HIGHER AND THE SECOND TWO ARE LOWER AND FLIPPED.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'LL FIND OUT.
OKAY. I'M GUESSING ONE OF THOSE IS MISLABELED, BUT I'LL.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO THE ONE ON THE LEFT, I SUSPECT, IS SUPPOSED TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE ENFORCEMENT BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE SURVEY.
SO THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS TRANSPARENCY AND SHARING INFORMATION.
THE SECOND ONE AND THE THIRD ONE IN IS ACTUALLY MEANT TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE ENFORCEMENT.
SO THE ONE ON THE END IS THAT THE END IS TRANSPARENCY.
OKAY. WE CAN GET THAT FIXED FOR YOU.
IT COULD BE FIXED IN A NEW PRESENTATION FOR THE RECORD, DIRECTOR CLARK, FOR THE PACKET.
THANK YOU. IT'S ALSO MISLABELED IN THE CROSSTABS.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
MY READ OF IT IS JUST BASED ON THE ORDER OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE ACTUAL SURVEY.
THAT WOULD BE A CORRECT SUMMATION.
OTHER THOUGHTS OR DISCUSSION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING AND FOR PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION TO US.
CERTAINLY A LOT TO CHEW ON WITH THESE NUMBERS, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
OKAY, AND SO I MIGHT SUGGEST WE LOOK AT THIS AGAIN IN 26 AND MAYBE MAKE IT A TWO YEAR SURVEY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SURVEY RESULTS, IT IS DEFINITELY SKEWED TOWARDS A MUCH OLDER POPULATION THAN THE TOWNSHIP IS AS A WHOLE, AND WE REALLY NEED TO BE HEARING MORE FROM THE FAMILIES, AND WHEN WE SEND IT OUT, IT COULD BE ANOTHER FACTOR WITH IT.
[02:30:01]
REPRESENTATIVE OF NOT ONLY DIVERSITY, BUT I'M NOT TALKING JUST ETHNIC DIVERSITY.I'M TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY IN AGE AND FAMILY STRUCTURE AND ALL THAT THINGS TOO.
SO MAYBE THAT IS AN OPTION AS WELL.
[13.B. Williamstown Township Police Agreement]
[LAUGHTER] PERFECT.OKAY. SO SINCE 2011, WE HAVE PROVIDED POLICE SERVICES THROUGH A CONTRACT TO WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, AND EVERY THREE YEARS, WE GO THROUGH A RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT.
AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
A FEW CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTS THAT WE HAD.
IN ABOUT 2023, WHEN STAFFING LEVELS STARTED TO DROP WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD NOT PROVIDE 80 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THEM EVERY WEEK, AS WE HAD FOR THE PREVIOUS 12 YEARS, AND CHIEF PLAGA DISCUSSED IT WITH THE SUPERVISOR, AND WE DOCKED OUR HOURS DOWN TO 40 HOURS PER WEEK.
SO ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD IS WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE SUPERVISOR, AND SHE ASKED TO BRING THOSE HOURS BACK UP, AND WE CAME TO A COMPROMISE OF 60 HOURS PER WEEK, CONTINGENT ON OUR STAFFING LEVELS.
SO THE THRESHOLD AND I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS AT FOOTBALL GAME LAST NIGHT AND I'M LOSING MY VOICE.
THE NUMBER THAT WE CAME UP WITH WAS 37 SOLO PERFORMING OFFICERS.
SO 37 SEEMED TO BE A FAIR NUMBER WHEN I LOOKED AT MY STAFFING LEVELS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE SERVICE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND STILL GIVE THEM THE HOURS. HOWEVER, IF WE EVER GO BELOW THAT NUMBER, WE WILL ONLY PROVIDE 40 HOURS OF PATROL TO THEM.
THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER ONE OF THE CHANGES.
THE OTHER BIG CHANGE IS THE AMOUNT IN THE INCREASE IN HOW MUCH THEY'RE GOING TO FUND THIS.
THANKS TO THE BOARD, LAST YEAR WITH THE RECRUITING AND RETENTION PROGRAM, WE RECEIVED A 13% INCREASE IN OUR PAY FOR OUR OFFICERS.
HOWEVER, WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP ONLY INCREASED BY 3%.
SO WE DISCUSSED THAT, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS FAIR TO INCREASE INITIALLY IN 25 TO GET CAUGHT UP 13% FOLLOWED BY TWO 3% INCREASES IN IN PAYMENT AND FUTURE YEARS.
SO THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE PROPOSED TO THEM.
IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. YES, SIR.
OKAY, AND THEN THE NON PATROL HOURS ARE WHERE THEY ASK US FOR SOME SPECIAL EVENT OR SOME SPECIAL.
SO THAT WOULD BE WE ASSIGN OFFICERS OUT THERE.
TRUSTEE WILSON, HOW MANY SOLO SWORN OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? TODAY, I BELIEVE IT'S 34 TODAY.
34. I HAVE THREE THAT ARE GOING TO GET OFF OF TRAINING HERE RELATIVELY SOON.
THANK YOU. ABOUT HOW MANY CALLS FOR SERVICE DO YOU GET IN THOSE NON PATROL TIMES IF YOU HAD TO PUT A NUMBER TO IT? THAT WOULD BE A HARD ONE FOR ME TO I GUESS I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I CAN GET IT FOR YOU SIR.
[02:35:01]
I ALSO THINK IT HELPS IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THE GUARDRAILS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS COVERED, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY TRUST YOU TO KNOW WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO SO, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO SEE THAT NUMBER UP OVER 37 PRETTY SOON.IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE INCLUDING VEHICLE COSTS AND OTHER OVERHEAD FOR WILLIAMSTON THAT WE DON'T NEED TO INCUR WHEN WE'RE DOING MSU EVENTS? I'D SAY THAT'S ACCURATE.
IT'S MUCH MORE LABOR INTENSIVE.
WHEREAS WHEN I SEND PEOPLE OUT TO MSU, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY AREN'T WRITING ANY REPORTS.
THEY'RE DOING THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC DIRECTION, CROWD CONTROL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO. I GUESS I'VE NEVER THOUGHT TO ASK, IS THIS THEY DON'T HAVE ANY POLICE OF THEIR OWN.
IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT'S ACCURATE.
YES, SIR. OKAY, SO WE ARE THEIR TOTAL COVERAGE.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DECIDED ONE DAY WE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE? SO THEN THEY'D HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.
YEP. I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE CONTRACT AS IT'S PRESENTED.
SO LONG AS WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP IS WILLING TO MEET OUR REQUESTS FOR THE COST.
THIS WAS JUST UP FOR DISCUSSION.
[13.C. Amendment to Interim Township Manager Contract]
SO THE MEMO LAYS OUT MORE OR LESS WHY WE'RE HERE ON THIS TOPIC.THE INTERIM MANAGER CONTRACT THAT WE SET UP WITH INTERIM MANAGER SCHMITT BACK IN MAY RECOGNIZED THREE POSSIBLE END ENDS FOR THAT CONTRACT.
WHETHER WE US HIRING A NEW FULL TIME MANAGER TERMINATION BY EITHER OF THE PARTIES.
THAT'S US OR MANAGER SCHMITT, OR NOVEMBER 21ST, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
SEEING AS THOUGH THIS PROCESS BY THE SCHEDULE WE APPROVED THIS EVENING IS LIKELY TO RUN BEYOND THE 21ST OF NOVEMBER, WE SAW FIT TO BRING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD BASICALLY DO NOTHING BUT STRIKE NOVEMBER 21ST, SO THAT WE ARE NOT RESTRICTED BY DATE WITH THIS CONTRACT.
WE'VE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH INTERIM MANAGER SCHMITT, WHO SEEMS MORE OR LESS OKAY WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT BEING ALTERED IN THIS WAY, AND OUR ATTORNEYS DID DRAFT THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE IT HAS WELL, IT'S VERY CLEARLY WRITTEN BY LAWYERS.
[LAUGHTER] BUT I WOULD GIVE IT TO YOU THIS EVENING FOR DISCUSSION, AND IF YOU'RE AMENABLE TO IT, WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR APPROVAL AT OUR NEXT MEETING. TRUSTEE TREZISE.
ANYONE ELSE? DISCUSSION ON THIS? IT MAKES SENSE.
I TRY TO MAKE THE ONES I BRING EASY.
CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE PLACE TO ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSION FOR POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR DIRECTOR SCHMITT? I MEAN, HE'S DOING TWO JOBS RIGHT NOW FOR TRYING TO JUGGLE THESE TWO JOBS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A DISCUSSION THE SUPERVISOR AND THE INTERIM MANAGER AND THE HR DIRECTORS HAD, BUT I'M JUST THE STRETCHING OF SOMEONE'S TIME, AND IN THAT MANNER, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S.
YEAH. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN ANY FORMALIZED CONVERSATION WITH INTERIM MANAGER SCHMITT, THOUGH WE DO MEET RELATIVELY FREQUENTLY, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT IF THERE WAS ADDITIONAL NEED REQUIRED, THAT WOULD HAVE COME UP AT SOME POINT ALONG THE WAY.
[02:40:06]
SUMMER. YOU KNOW, I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT EVERY DIRECTOR, ALMOST EVERY DIRECTOR ON ALMOST EVERY DAY ASKED ME WHAT THEY CAN TAKE OFF MY PLATE, AND I TRY TO OFFLOAD WHERE I CAN.THE FOCUS OF MY TIME, OR MOST RECENTLY, HAS BEEN ON MY THIRD HAT AS THE UTILITY BILLING SUPERVISOR.
SO WE'RE GETTING THAT BACK ON TRACK AND IMPLEMENTING THE BOARD'S PREVIOUS DIRECTION ON THAT, AND ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE ARE THERE IS A THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT? THEN WE'LL SEE IT BACK.
WE'LL SEE IT BACK FOR A MAYBE ON CONSENT NEXT TIME, IF THE LAWYERS WILL APPROVE US DOING THAT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ITS CONTRACT.
[13.D. Memorandum of Understanding with Okemos Public Schools for Meridian Senior Center]
MR. SCHMITT. SO THIS HAS BEEN ON MY TO DO LIST FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE SUMMER, AND WE FINALLY GOT THERE.DURING THE DISCUSSIONS IN THE ORIGINAL SENIOR CENTER, TASK FORCE, SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER, TASK FORCE DISCUSSIONS DIRECTOR MAISNER AT THE TIME INDICATED THAT THE AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN CODIFIED, AND THEN DIRECTOR WISINSKI CAME ON BOARD. WE DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH AND TO OUR AT THIS POINT, NEITHER DIRECTOR WISINSKI OR DIRECTOR MAISNER OR MYSELF OR EVEN DIRECTOR TITHOF WHO REACHED OUT TO HR AT OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN COME UP WITH ANYTHING THAT IS EVER CODIFIED THIS RELATIONSHIP.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD TIMELINE OF IT.
WE KNOW WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THAT WAS 2011, WHICH IS WHERE THE BULK OF THE TEXT IN FRONT OF YOU COMES THE BASIC TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT COME FROM, BUT IT WAS NEVER ACTUALLY PUT INTO PLACE, AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE MONEY STARTED GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER BECAUSE WE ADOPTED THE COMMUNITY SERVICES MILLAGE, WHICH A PORTION OF WHICH GOES TO FUND THIS, AND THAT REALLY HAS JUST BEEN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.
IT IS MY INTENTION NOT TO CHANGE ANYTHING SIMPLY TO GET THIS INTO A DOCUMENT, SO THAT IF I GET HIT BY A BUS TOMORROW, EVERYONE HAS ALL THE SAME INFORMATION AS I DO.
AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 4 YEARS, RIGHT NOW, IT'S SET UP SO THAT NOT KNOWING THE END DATE OF CHIPPEWA, BUT IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 2 AND 4 YEARS FROM NOW THAT OPS WOULD STILL HOUSE IT.
THE SENIOR CENTER EMPLOYEES WOULD STILL BE OPS EMPLOYEES AS THEY ARE NOW, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THE SALARIES OF THE COORDINATOR AND ASSISTANT ALONG WITH THE CAPITAL NEEDS FUND. THIS IS A ROUGH DRAFT.
WE GOT IT OVER TO SUPERINTENDENT HOOD.
EARLIER THIS WEEK TO BEGIN THIS DISCUSSION.
WE WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY MAJOR CONCERNS AT THIS POINT.
THE GOAL BEING THAT SUPERINTENDENT HOOD WILL TAKE IT TO HIS BOARD, MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO MAJOR CONCERNS, AND THEN WE CAN LET THE ATTORNEYS HASH IT OUT, BRING THE FINAL DOCUMENTS BACK FOR ADOPTION.
SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND DIRECTOR WISINSKI IS HERE AS WELL.
I ASKED HER TO JOIN US BECAUSE SHE IS MUCH MORE IN TUNE WITH THE OPERATIONS OVER THERE THAN I AM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION? CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THESE POSITIONS WITH THE SENIOR CENTER? WHEN WAS THE FIRST.
LET ME BACK UP. WHEN WAS THE MILLAGE APPROVED? THE SENIOR CENTER. THE SENIOR MILLAGE.
SO A PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY MILLAGE WAS SET ASIDE FOR SENIORS, FOR SENIOR CENTER OR FOR SENIORS TO RUN SENIOR PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE GOING TO PULL IT UP, BUT I CAN AD LIB.
THE MILLAGE COVERS THE SALARIES FOR ONE AND A HALF EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS FRINGE, AND THE ORIGINAL MILLAGE WAS ONLY FOR PROGRAMS. IS THAT CORRECT? WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
IT STARTED GROWING AS THE MILLAGE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND SO WHEN THAT MILLAGE WAS RENEWED, WHICH I WANT TO SAY WAS 2012, THAT CONTRIBUTION GREW AT THAT POINT, AND THAT'S WHEN 2011 WAS WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY STARTED TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THIS MOU IN PLACE, BECAUSE THE
[02:45:07]
NUMBERS WERE GOING FOR A COUPLE THOUSAND A YEAR TO POTENTIALLY SIX FIGURES, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.OKAY. FOR WHATEVER REASON, I HAVE THE STRUCTURE THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER AND IT NEVER WENT ANYWHERE.
IT WAS NEVER BROUGHT BACK UP FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO THE MILLAGE THAT WAS RENEWED, DID IT SAY IN THE MILLAGE FOR ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY, OR DID IT SAY STAFF OR DID IT SAY SENIOR PROGRAMS? I CAN ANSWER THAT. I'VE GOT IT PULLED UP.
THANK YOU. WE RENEWED IT IN AUGUST OF 2022 AND IT SAID BE USED FOR SENIOR CITIZEN PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP AND THE BALANCE TO BE USED FOR SENIOR CENTER, RECREATION AND HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT IT DOESN'T SAY SENIOR CENTER STAFF.
IT DOESN'T SAY ONE AND A HALF STAFF.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING, WE DON'T HAVE AN OBLIGATION FOR STAFF.
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION FOR PROGRAMS. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY HAS TO RUN IT, BUT.
WHEN WE STARTED WITH HALF A PERSON IN THE BEGINNING RUNNING PROGRAMS, THAT BECAME A FULL PERSON.
NOW YOU HAVE A PERSON AND A HALF, AND WE'RE SOON TO NOT HAVE A BUILDING.
SO I'M HAVING I DON'T KNOW IF I'M JUST MAKING A POINT THAT I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WANTING TO DEDICATE TO ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE FOR PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY AS THE PROGRAMS THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR HAVE DECLINED OVER THE YEARS, AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY PROGRAMS BEING PROVIDED AS WE USED TO, BUT WE HAVE MORE STAFF.
IS THAT ACCURATE? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PROGRAMING THAT HAPPENS AT THE SENIOR CENTER.
IS IT THE SENIORS PARTICIPATION HAS DECREASED.
SENIOR PARTICIPATION HAS DECREASED.
MUCH OF THAT DUE TO COVID AND IT'S BEGINNING TO INCREASE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN AUGUST IT INCREASED 22 MORE MEMBERS.
SO HOW MANY MEMBERS DO WE HAVE? THERE'S CLOSE TO 300 ACTIVE, 300 MEMBERS ACTIVE.
WHAT WAS IT PRE-COVID? IT WAS, I BELIEVE SHERRY HAD MENTIONED CLOSER TO 400, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE.
500? YEAH, 520 IS THE NUMBER I HEARD BEFORE COVID HIT.
OKAY, AND SO IT'S BACK UP TO 300.
SO AND THIS IS THE SENIOR THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE RUN FOR SENIORS, THE QUALIFICATION AGE IS 55 AND UP. CORRECT? CORRECT. SEEMS LIKE A LARGE POPULATION ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP FOR VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING.
SO I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH WANTING TO HAVE A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING FOR ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT FOR THE ACTUAL PEOPLE.
THIS IS JUST TO CODIFY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE TOWNSHIP, AND THAT WE WILL BE PROVIDING THEM WITH THESE FUNDS FOR THE SENIOR CENTER OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMING, AND.
OKAY. SO ALL SENIOR CENTER EMPLOYEES.
SO HOW MANY SENIOR CENTER EMPLOYEES ARE THAT.
SO IS THERE IS THERE A MAX IN THIS? DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE WE'RE SAYING IN YOUR MEMO, YOU SAY ALL SENIOR CENTER EMPLOYEES.
SO THERE IS NO THE MAX IS THE FUNDING.
IT IS $150,000 PLUS $15,000 OF CAPITAL POTENTIAL.
[02:50:03]
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE HERE.THE MOU THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE SENIOR CENTER ARE OPS EMPLOYEES? YES. WE ARE PAYING $140,000 PLUS $15,000 OF OPERATING COSTS IN 2025.
NO. 140, 145, 150 OVER THE NEXT FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN, AND SO IF THEY WANT IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTED TO GO OUT AND HIRE FOUR MORE PEOPLE TO GO WORK AT THE SENIOR CENTER, THEY COULD DO THAT, BUT WE'RE PAYING FOR $140,000 OF IT.
AND THE POINT IS, THEY'RE ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND WE'RE PAYING FOR THE COST OF WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE COSTS OF THE DIRECTOR, THE COORDINATOR AND THE ASSISTANT.
THAT'S ACCURATE. OKAY. I SEE NONE.
I WAS READING THE MILLAGE LANGUAGE, SO I DIDN'T CATCH THE QUESTION MARK AT THE END OF THAT.
SOMETIMES THE QUESTION MARK IS IMPLIED.
AND I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT WHEN THIS WAS RENEWED AND, YOU KNOW, IN 20 WHEN THE BOARD APPROVED THIS TO GO ON THE BALLOT IN 2022, THE REVENUE BREAKDOWN WAS 57% GOES TO THE SENIOR CENTER, 27% GOES TO PARKS AND RECREATION, AND 16% GOES TO HUMAN SERVICES. THAT'S HOW THE MILLAGE BREAKDOWN WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? 57% OF THE MILLAGE REVENUE WOULD GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER.
27% WOULD GO TO PARKS AND RECREATION AND 16% WOULD GO TO HUMAN SERVICES, WHICH IS NOW THROUGH HUMAN OR HR HUMAN RESOURCES.
OKAY. OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS? TREASURER DESCHAINE. REAL QUICKLY, PART OF THE REASON YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED MORE PROGRAMING BEFORE WAS OKEMOS AND HASLETT HAD COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. YEAH. AND THEY DID A LOT OF ADULT PROGRAMING FOR DECADES.
NOW THEIR COMMUNITY EDUCATION IS ONE THING.
SAME WITH HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL HASLETT SCHOOLS IT'S ALL CHILD CARE.
THEY'RE NOT DOING THOSE OUTREACH THAT THEY USED TO DO FOR ADULTS, AND THESE TRAVEL PROGRAMS AND ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMING THAT'S JUST GONE AWAY BECAUSE SCHOOLS HAVE HAD TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS AS WELL.
AND WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THE PARENTS NEED IS CHILD CARE.
IT'S A SEVERE SHORTAGE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, IN EVERY COMMUNITY.
SO THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER THE NEEDS ARE, BUT IT'S LEFT THIS BIG OPENING FOR OTHER PROGRAMING THAT THE SENIOR CENTER IS TRYING TO MEET, AND HOPEFULLY AS IT GROWS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET MORE. AND THAT, AND TO THAT POINT, THE RETIREMENT OF THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION DIRECTOR WAS, FROM LU, FROM DIRECTOR MAISNER PERSPECTIVE, WHAT PROMPTED SORT OF THIS INITIAL DISCUSSION TO CREATE THIS MOU BECAUSE THAT WAS GOING AWAY, AND SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROGRAM THIS AND STUFF, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT JUST NEVER LAUNCHED.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THIS DRAFT OF MOU THAT'S BEFORE US THIS EVENING.
HAS THIS BEEN BEFORE OUR ATTORNEYS? HAS NOT BEEN ANYWHERE. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO MAJOR CONCERNS.
RIGHT. BEFORE WE SEND IT OFF TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THE ATTORNEY.
RIGHT. YES. SO MY CONCERN IS BASED ON THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN THE MILLAGE, IS IT A GENERALLY ACCEPTED PRINCIPLE THAT PAYING FOR SALARIES EQUALS PAYING FOR PROGRAMS? RIGHT TO CLERK GUTHRIE'S POINT.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO THIS AND BY CONTRACT NOW, IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE'RE SAYING THIS GOES TOWARD SALARIES, THIS GOES TOWARD PEOPLE, AND I WOULDN'T WANT US TO.
I WONDER IF, PERHAPS WHEN THE INITIAL MILLAGE LANGUAGE PASSED, THEY DIDN'T FIND THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT PROGRAMS DOES NOT EQUAL SALARIES AND THEREFORE HAD, YOU KNOW, HAD ISSUES WITH WHAT THEY COULD ALLOW, WHAT THEY COULD SPEND THE MONEY ON CONTRACTUALLY.
SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD ASK THE ATTORNEYS TO PEEK AT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH CODIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP.
I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING.
IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING TO FIND THESE THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN WRITING, AND WE WANT TO CLEAN THEM UP, BUT LET'S FIND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T ACCIDENTALLY HAMSTRING OURSELVES BY DOING SOMETHING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE DUBIOUSLY LEGAL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.
[02:55:02]
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MAYBE THE TREASURER KNOWS THIS ALREADY.YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD WITH NUMBERS.
WHAT IS 50% OF THE MILLAGE? YOU SAID 50% OF THE MILLAGE IS FOR SENIORS.
57% OF THE MILLAGE IS FOR SENIORS.
WHAT AMOUNT IS THAT EVERY YEAR? WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT INFORMATION.
I HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET. I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT AT MY FINGERTIPS.
BUT WHAT'S THE MILLAGE RATE 1.57 OR 0.157? THE ORIGINAL MILLAGE WAS 0.1483, BUT THAT'S BEEN ROLLED BACK AT LEAST TWICE.
OKAY, LET'S ROUND IT OFF AT .14.
THAT WOULD GENERATE ABOUT $288,000 A YEAR IN REVENUE.
283,921 [INAUDIBLE] 2022 AS IT WAS CALCULATED WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
AND 57% OF THAT WOULD BE $161,000.
[LAUGHTER] SO ALMOST 100% OF THE OF THIS 50% FOR SENIORS IS FOR PERSONNEL COSTS AND NOTHING FOR PROGRAMING.
NO, THE PERSONNEL CREATES THE PROGRAM.
RIGHT, AND OPERATE THE PROGRAMING.
RIGHT? YEAH, BUT I'M NOT A LAWYER.
YES, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
SO I THINK THAT HAVING THAT INFORMATION ON HAND WOULD BE HELPFUL IN HELPING US CLARIFY THAT ISSUE.
I CAN ADD TO THAT CLERK GUTHRIE THAT OUR PROGRAM COORDINATOR PROVIDES MONTHLY PROGRAMING STATISTICS, SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AS WELL AND HOW THOSE MIGHT RELATE.
SO THOSE ARE WELL DOCUMENTED EACH MONTH TOO.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 14 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
BARBARA O'KELLY, COME ON UP.WELL, THEN I WON'T. I WANT TO CONCLUDE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND I'M PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL TO PHIL FOR SUGGESTING A FORMAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
HIS COMPANY DOES THOSE ALSO, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF AUTHORIZATION, IF AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED FROM THE BOARD FOR THAT STUDY TO BE DONE, BUT I THINK THE SOONER WE COULD GET THAT GOING, THE BETTER.
AND THEN RESPONDING TO TRUSTEE WILSON'S COMMENT, IT SEEMS TO ME AND SOME OF THE OTHER DISCUSSION THAT WOULD BE AN IDEAL TIME TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF TRIAL WITH A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING AND MAKING SURE WE REALLY GET RESPONSES FROM ALL OF THE SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT INVOLVES GETTING A MUCH HIGHER RESPONSE RATE.
THE OTHER THING IS I ALSO TALKED TO THE GENTLEMAN ABOUT THAT.
IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THOSE IN EXCEL IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT YOU COULD MANIPULATE, AND THEN WE COULD PULL OUT ALL AND PUT IN ONE PLACE ALL THE RESPONSES FROM THE 50 TO 60 AND 60 AND OVER POPULATION.
WE COULD PULL OUT THE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS, WE COULD PULL OUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESPONSES AND SEE HOW THEY ARE ON EACH OF THOSE AND FIND OUT, GET A REAL DIFFERENT PICTURE OF WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD AND I'M PRETTY GOOD AT MANIPULATING EXCEL.
[03:00:02]
I'D BE GOOD TO DO IT CERTAINLY FOR THE SENIOR PIECE, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO REALLY EXTEND THE BENEFIT OF THE SURVEY THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PAID FOR, AND IF I HAVE ANY TIME, I'LL SAY THAT, AND THE MEETING LAST TUESDAY MICHELLE STEED MADE A REQUEST FOR THESE REPORTS ON THE MEMBERSHIP AND THE ACTIVITIES AND HOW WHO PARTICIPATES, AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING THAT, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS GIVEN US A CHARGE, BUT BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE, AND SHERRY IS GOING BACK, AND ALSO I SUGGESTED WE PROVIDE THE 2019 FIGURES BEFORE COVID, BEFORE WE HAD MEETING ROOMS TAKEN AWAY.SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 9:06.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
TREASURER DESCHAINE. REAL QUICKLY.WE MENTIONED CATA EARLIER WE DO HAVE AN OPENING.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OPENING FOR THE ON THE CATA BOARD, AND WE'VE GOT SOME APPLICANTS CURRENTLY THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR IN THE PAST, BUT THOSE APPLICATIONS HAVE.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THOSE RENEWED.
SO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THE CATA BOARD.
PLEASE SUBMIT A NEW APPLICATION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND MENTION THE CATA BOARD IN THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
SEEING NONE, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ADJOURNMENT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.
SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 9:07 P.M..
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.