Oct 15, 2024 Township Board

[00:00:32]

[INAUDIBLE].

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

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

PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.

ALLEGIANCE].

NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE ROLL CALL.

WILL CLERK GUTHRIE PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.

THANK YOU. CLERK GUTHRIE.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 4.

PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE NONE.

ITEM NUMBER 5 IS CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS THIS TIME.

ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? SEEING NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 06:01PM.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM SIX, INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT AND FOR THAT, WE'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER TIM SCHMITT.

[6. INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

I WAS GATHERING MY THOUGHTS BRIEFLY.

I YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON STAFF WHO WAS ABLE TO FILL IN WHILE I TOOK MY SEVEN YEAR OLD TO DISNEY AND RODE OUT THE HURRICANE.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

DISNEY MEMORIES WERE MADE.

I WILL BE RELATIVELY BRIEF THIS EVENING.

I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE OFFICIALLY RECEIVED BUILDING PERMITS FOR THE DEMOLITION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE FORMER BANK OF AMERICA SITE THAT'S DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO TRADER JOE'S.

WE DO NOT HAVE A TENANT OFFICIALLY FOR THAT, BUT I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY IT IS A WELL-KNOWN COFFEE SHOP.

THAT WILL HAVE A DRIVE THROUGH.

THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, AS WE MENTIONED, IS WRAPPING UP.

THERE'S STILL SOME RESTORATION AND MANHOLE COVER ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.

SO IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, PLEASE REACH OUT.

BUT WE ARE WRAPPING UP THAT WORK HERE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE AND LASTLY, I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT [INAUDIBLE].

IT IS OFFICIAL NOW THAT WE DO HAVE AS FULL AS POSSIBLE AS A AS FULL AS POSSIBLE OF EMERGENCY SIREN COVERAGE.

THEY ARE ALL OFFICIALLY HOOKED UP AND IN THE SYSTEM HAVE BEEN SILENT, TESTED AND WILL BE PART OF NEXT MONTH'S ACTUAL TEST AND SO WE WILL GET COMMUNICATIONS OUT ABOUT THAT.

BUT WE HAVE FINALLY GOT THAT LONG STANDING TOWNSHIP BOARD GOAL IMPLEMENTED, AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT CONSUMERS ENERGY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE FINALLY FIRED UP AND ATTACHED TO THE SYSTEM.

AND LASTLY, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE FIRST ROUND OF DEI TRAINING OCCURRED TODAY.

THERE'LL BE A COUPLE MORE ROUNDS FOR STAFF AND EVERYONE.

PART OF IT IS GOING THROUGH AN ANALYSIS ON THE DISK SYSTEM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERYONE TRYING TO GUESS WHERE I FALL ON THAT, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD I AM UNIQUE ON THAT SCALE.

SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING ONE.

BUT I WILL NOT STEAL ANY OF THE CLARK'S THUNDER ABOUT THE ELECTION HERE AND THERE'S A LOT I'M TRYING TO GET CAUGHT UP ON.

[00:05:01]

BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR INDULGENCE AND LETTING ME STEP AWAY FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.

THANK YOU. MANAGER SCHMIDT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MANAGER SCHMIDT? I ACTUALLY DO HAVE ONE BEFORE YOU GET TOO FAR HERE.

FIRST TIME I WALK AWAY AND THERE'S A QUESTION.

SORRY. YOU'RE OKAY.

THE WELL-KNOWN COFFEE CHAIN THAT'S LOOKING TO LOCATE AT THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING.

YES. THEIR DRIVE THROUGH FALLS UNDER THE SAME REQUIREMENTS AS ANY OTHER DRIVE THROUGH THAT WOULD COME BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP.

NO. CORRECT AND THAT IS.

THAT STOPS THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

DOES THAT MAKE IT UP TO US? THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE SITE PLAN HAS BEEN APPROVED AT THIS POINT AND THEY ARE IN FOR A BUILDING PERMIT.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO ON TO BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

TODAY I ATTENDED THE SECOND MEETING OF THE INGHAM COUNTY MATERIAL MATERIALS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN REQUIRED OF INGHAM COUNTY BY THE STATE EAGLE.

ESSENTIALLY, MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE NOT UPDATED THEIR RECYCLING PLAN IN 25 YEARS.

THIS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WILL DO THAT FOR INGHAM COUNTY.

WE'VE GOT THREE YEARS TO DO IT AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I GOT ELECTED CHAIR.

SECOND THING THIS WEEK IS THE MCAT TRAINING, WHICH IS THE LEVEL ONE ASSESSOR TRAINING THAT MY DEPUTY AND I ARE GOING THROUGH.

NOT THAT WE TEND TO BE MOVING OUR DESKS UPSTAIRS TO THE ASSESSING OFFICE, BUT WE GET ASKED A LOT OF ASSESSING QUESTIONS, AND LEVEL ONE JUST ALLOWS YOU TO DO ONE THING.

ANSWER QUESTIONS. IT'S BEEN VERY USEFUL.

PUT ON BY ELLEN FOX, THE INGHAM COUNTY TREASURER FOR TREASURERS, AND BEEN VERY USEFUL INFORMATION.

I HAVE A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AND RESPECT FOR THE GREAT WORK DONE BY OUR ASSESSING TEAM.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU.

FABULOUS. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

TRUSTEE WILSON.

I ATTENDED THE CRC MEETING LAST WEEK, AND THEY HAVE SOME BIG PLANS FOR HOLIDAY BASKETS FOR OUR LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOWNSHIP. SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEY'VE BEEN GATHERING DONATIONS AND THEY HAVE APPROXIMATELY $8,000, WHICH IS REALLY GOING TO HELP GET THAT OFF THE GROUND. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU. JUST REAL QUICK, I WILL REPORT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED ALMOST 41% OF THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS BACK THAT WE HAVE ISSUED. SO THANK YOU.

FEW VOTERS TRYING TO.

WE'RE WORKING FAST AND FURIOUS IN THE BACK, SO.

BUT KEEP THEM COMING IN BECAUSE WE'D RATHER HAVE THEM COME IN NOW THAN ALL ON ELECTION DAY.

THAT WOULD BE A LOT.

SO WE APPRECIATE PEOPLE GETTING THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN.

JUST A REMINDER, THERE ARE FOUR ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN THE TOWNSHIP, ONE AT THE OKEMOS LIBRARY, ONE AT THE HASLETT LIBRARY AND TWO AT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING, ONE OUTSIDE AND ONE INSIDE AND THEN A QUICK REMINDER TO PLEASE SIGN UP ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE TO MICHIGAN.GOV SLASH VOTE FOR E NOTIFICATIONS FOR YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT.

IT'LL TELL YOU IF YOUR BALLOT WAS NOT DELIVERED, IF IT WAS RETURNED, IF IT WAS RECEIVED, IT WILL TELL YOU YOUR APPLICATION STATUS AND SO I JUST HIGHLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT AND THEN YOU WILL GET NOTIFICATIONS, SUPER EXCITED.

YOU GOT THE NOTIFICATION THAT WE RECEIVED YOUR BALLOT AND THOSE ARE JUST MY TWO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. YEAH.

I ATTENDED THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL LAST WEEKEND.

IT WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL DAY.

IT'S A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND ALL THE BUILDINGS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF FUN TO SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS WANDERING AROUND THE HERITAGE VILLAGE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE GROUP PUTTING IT ON.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? SO ON THE SIXTH SUNDAY, THE SIXTH, I ATTENDED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S OPEN HOUSE AT CENTRAL FIRE STATION WITH MY FAMILY AND SIMPLY WANTED TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO CHIEF HAMEL AND ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO PUT ON AN EXCELLENT EVENT.

KIDS LEARNED A LOT, AND AT LEAST 50% OF MY KIDS HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY WANT TO BE A FIREFIGHTER WHEN THEY GROW UP.

SO, YOU KNOW, BE LOOKING FOR THAT APPLICATION IN APPROXIMATELY 15 YEARS AND THEN ON THE SEVENTH, I ATTENDED THE DDA MEETING, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY FAILED TO ACHIEVE A QUORUM.

HOWEVER, THERE WAS A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION WITH NO DECISIONS MADE ABOUT A COUPLE OF ITEMS RELATING TO OUR DOWNTOWN IN DOWNTOWN

[00:10:01]

SOME FACADE IMPROVEMENTS COMING AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A TENANT.

SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING COMING IN THERE.

SO WE WILL SEE AS HOW THINGS PROGRESS AS WE GO FORWARD FROM THAT.

ANY OTHER BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS OR REPORTS? I THINK WE GOT EVERYONE.

BUT THEN NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM EIGHT, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

THE AGENDA IS SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE.

ANY COMMENTS OR CHANGES ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.

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

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

A LOT OF NONCONTROVERSIAL ITEMS. THEY INCLUDE OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD.

THE MINUTES FROM OUR OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 REGULAR MEETING, THE BILLS, THE 2025 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE RESOLUTION AND I'LL DRAW ATTENTION TO A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THAT IN A MOMENT.

THE AUTHORIZATION FOR A COUPLE OF CHANGES REGARDING OUR CONSUMERS ENERGY LIGHTING CONTRACTS AND A COUPLE OF STREET LIGHTS THERE.

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FAMILY COURT AWARENESS MONTH, AN MOU THAT WE SAW AT OUR LAST MEETING, THIS ONE WE DIDN'T SEE, BUT THE MOU BETWEEN US AND INGHAM COUNTY FOR THE NORTH LIFT STATION REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

AN AMENDMENT TO THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER CONTRACT, WHICH WE DID SEE AT OUR LAST MEETING.

AN APPOINTMENT AND A REAPPOINTMENT TO THE AUTHORITY.

A CONCURRENCE TO THE COMMUNICATION COMMISSION'S DECISION TO TELEVISE THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER TASK FORCE MEETINGS, AND A COUPLE OF COMMUNICATION COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS.

SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I WILL JUST POINT OUT REGARDING OUR MEETING SCHEDULE, IT DOES FOLLOW OUR TYPICAL SCHEDULE OF FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS IN 2025, WITH THREE EXCEPTIONS ONE IN MAY, ONE IN AUGUST, ONE IN NOVEMBER.

THESE ARE MOVED IN CASE THERE ARE ANY BALLOT INITIATIVES PLACED ON THE BALLOT FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND ANY OF THOSE THREE ELECTIONS TO THE THURSDAY INSTEAD OF THE TUESDAY.

IN THOSE GIVEN WEEKS, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS ROOM FOR AN EARLY VOTING SITE.

TREASURER DESCHAINE I MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORT, SECONDED BY TRUSTEE SUNDLAND.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? TRUSTEE WILSON.

ITEM E. I JUST WANT TO INQUIRE AS TO WHETHER THE SCHOOL IS SHARING THE COST OF PUTTING IN THAT LIGHT AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.

TIM, DO YOU KNOW? THIS IS AT LUPINE DRIVE ON HULETT.

YEP. CORRECT.

OH. THIS ONE. OKAY.

SORRY, I WAS JUST GETTING UP TO SPEED HERE.

I DO NOT HAVE DETAILS ON COST SHARING THERE.

I DO NOT BELIEVE SO, BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION.

I'D APPRECIATE IT.

ABSOLUTELY. GREAT. THANK YOU.

OKAY. TRUSTEE TREZISE.

I WOULD POINT OUT THE AMENDMENT TO THE INTERIM TOWNSHIP MANAGER CONTRACTS IN THERE INCLUDE.

INCLUDES THE NOVEMBER 11TH DATE AS A TERMINATION OPTION OR AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT.

IT DID NOT GET EXCISED OUT OF THAT.

IT DIDN'T? WHICH WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE AMENDMENT.

YES. THAT'S.

INTERESTING, MARY.

THE SUMMARY OF IT SAYS IT WOULD, BUT IT DID NOT.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE WRONG ATTACHMENT.

YEAH. IT LOOKS LIKE THE CONTRACT THAT WAS ATTACHED IS THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT.

OKAY. I BELIEVE THE AMENDED VERSION OF THIS CONTRACT WAS CORRECT IN OUR OCTOBER 1ST PACKET.

WITH CONCURRENCE FROM THE MOTION MAKER AND SECONDER, WE'LL USE THE DRAFT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE OCTOBER 1ST PACKET.

I SEE SOME NODDING HEADS.

YES. YEAH.

CAN WE CAN? TRUSTEE.

DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A PAGE NUMBER? I'M TRYING TO FIND IT HERE.

BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT WE INCLUDE IN THE PACKET, I BELIEVE, IS THE TWO PAGE RESOLUTION FROM THE ATTORNEYS.

NO, THE CONTRACT.OH, NO, IT IS THE RESOLUTION.

YOU'RE RIGHT. SO THE RESOLUTION IN THE WHEREAS IS SHOWING WHAT THE CURRENT CONTRACT READS AND THEN THE THEREFORE STRIKES SECTION THREE B. SO THIS IS ACCURATE.

[00:15:03]

INTERIM MANAGER CONTRACT AS PRESENTED AND THE CONTRACT PRESENTED INCLUDES ITEM.

RIGHT. BUT THIS IS THE RESOLUTION TO CHANGE IT AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT I THINK IS THE WHEREAS.

NO I'M LOOKING AT THE MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED THE ONLY.

OKAY. LET ME SEE WHERE I WAS.

OKAY. BUT IT'S PAGE 59.

GOTCHA. I'M SORRY.

I WAS READING THAT AS A CONTRACT.

MY MISTAKE.

I SAW THAT DATE IN THERE, AND I KNEW THAT WE HAD SEEN THE CORRECT, AND I WAS JUST CONFUSED BY THAT.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE THEN.

ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE. WE'LL CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE.

CLERK GUTHRIE.

. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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

WE HAVE NONE. ITEM 11 HEARINGS.

WE HAVE NONE. WHICH BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 12 A.

[12.A. Township Manager Search Process-Set a Date for Candidate Interviews & Reception]

THAT'S FUN. SO THOSE OF US WHO WERE HERE FOR OUR LAST DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC.

WE PUNTED ON THE DECISION ON WHEN TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE INTERVIEWS, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THE POSTING OUT AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO FLOW DOWN LIKE THAT.

SO WHAT WE PROPOSED THIS EVENING IS TO SET A DATE OF TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD STARTING AT 01:30PM TO SCHEDULE PUBLIC INTERVIEWS FOR THE FINAL TOWNSHIP MANAGER CANDIDATES AND THEN AT 5:00 THAT SAME DAY TO HAVE A PUBLIC RECEPTION THAT THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO COME TO DO A MEET AND GREET WITH THE FINAL CANDIDATES.

BACKING UP FROM THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.

THE WINDOW FOR APPLICATION WILL CLOSE ON OCTOBER 30TH.

AMY. CELL TALENT, WHO IS OUR CONTRACT, CONTRACTOR FOR YOU KNOW, WINNOWING THOSE MANY CANDIDATES DOWN TO A PERFECT FEW.

WE'LL BE WORKING BETWEEN WHEN THE APPLICATIONS COME IN AND NOVEMBER 5TH.

IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S IN THE PACKET BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT SHE ORIGINALLY PRESENTED.

WE WILL HAVE A CLOSED SESSION ON STANDBY.

I BELIEVE IT IS NOVEMBER 26TH.

TO SELECT THE FINALISTS.

THIS GIVES THE NEW BOARD A MOMENT TO CONSIDER THE APPLICATIONS AND SELECT THE FINALISTS.

SINCE THEY'LL BE WORKING WITH THIS MANAGER FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, FOLLOWED BY THE INTERVIEWS ON DECEMBER 3RD.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THAT DATE.

WE ALSO HAVE A BOARD MEETING DECEMBER 3RD, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A NICE LONG AFTERNOON TOGETHER.

FROM 1:30 TILL WHENEVER WE'RE DONE.

SO THAT IS WHY WE BRING THIS BEFORE US.

AS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE SEEING THIS PARTICULAR MOTION WILL ASK TO SUSPEND OUR RULES SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS MATTER UP.

TRUSTEE TREZISE.

I MOVE TO SUSPEND OUR RULES TO TAKE UP THE MATTER OF SETTING THE DATE FOR SCHEDULED PUBLIC INTERVIEWS FOR TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

SUPPORT. MOVE BY TRUSTEE TREZISE SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE MOTION CARRIES.

NOW WE HAVE THE ACTUAL MOTION AT HAND AS SOMEONE WILLING TO MAKE THAT MOTION.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. I MOVE TO SET A DATE OF TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 2024, STARTING AT 1:30PM TO SCHEDULE PUBLIC INTERVIEWS FOR THE FINAL TOWNSHIP MANAGER CANDIDATES AND A PUBLIC RECEPTION FOR THE CANDIDATES FROM 5PM TO 6PM.

SUPPORT. MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE.

SUPPORTED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AS MOTIONS GO.

ALL RIGHT. CLERK GUTHRIE.

THANK YOU. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

WHAT IF THERE ARE NO FINALISTS? LET'S JUST SAY OUT OF THE BLUE, THERE'S NO ONE WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD ON THE 12TH.

INSTEAD OF DETERMINING FINALISTS.

THE BOARD WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE NEED TO EXTEND THE I MEAN, WHAT IF AN EXTENSION OF DEADLINE IS NEEDED? WHAT WOULD THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD BE FOR STAFF IN THAT?

[00:20:03]

ONE WOULD THINK SO.

IN THE UNLIKELY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THERE ARE NO CANDIDATES WE DO MEET ON NOVEMBER 12TH.

BUT AT THAT TIME, WE COULD CHOOSE TO REOPEN THE JOB POSTING AND HAVE IT REMAIN OPEN AND WE ARE, OF COURSE, AT OUR LEISURE TO, YOU KNOW, CANCEL A MEETING THAT WE'VE SCHEDULED.

SO PRESUMABLY WE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION ON NOVEMBER 12TH.

BUT HOPEFULLY THAT'S A VERY UNLIKELY CIRCUMSTANCE.

RIGHT AND IT PROBABLY IS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WORTH HAVING A DISCUSSION OR AT LEAST BRING IT UP.

WHAT WOULD THE BOARD DO.

OKAY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE? I DON'T THINK THIS ONE REQUIRES A ROLL CALL VOTE.

SO WE'LL SIMPLY SAY ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND THE MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS AGENDA ITEM 13, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 2418.

[13.A. Special Use Permit #24-18 – Okemos Gateway LLC – 1614 West Grand River Avenue Recreational Marijuana Retailer]

THANK YOU. SO THIS IS THE WE'VE SEEN THIS A FEW TIMES IN VARIOUS FORMS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS IS ONE OF OUR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LICENSEES AT 1614 WEST GRAND RIVER.

THIS PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY VACANT.

IT'S ABOUT 2.4 ACRES IN SIZE JUST TO THE EAST OF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE AND SO IT'S CURRENTLY ZONED C-2. IT IS LOCATED IN THE MARIJUANA OVERLAY DISTRICT, BOTH IN THE ORIGINAL DISTRICT FOR MEDICAL AND IN THE CURRENT DISTRICT FOR RECREATIONAL.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE APPLICANTS THAT RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR MEDICAL LICENSE.

THEY DID MAINTAIN THEIR LICENSE INACTIVE STATUS, BUT DID NOT START CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.

THEY DID THEN APPLY FOR A RECREATIONAL LICENSE AND THE BOARD, AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION BETWEEN THIS AND ANOTHER APPLICANT IN THE ZONE, CHOSE THIS APPLICANT TO PROCEED TO SPECIAL USE PERMIT REVIEW.

AFTER THAT ACTION WAS TAKEN TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL LICENSE ON JULY 23RD, THEY HAD 60 DAYS TO SUBMIT FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

THEY DID SUBMIT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, RECEIVED NO PUBLIC INPUT, AND DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL AT THEIR SEPTEMBER 23RD MEETING FOR UNANIMOUS APPROVAL.

THIS IS FUNCTIONALLY THE SAME PLAN THAT WE HAVE APPROVED PREVIOUSLY TWICE FOR MEDICAL.

IT IS A STANDALONE BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY.

ULTIMATELY, THE DEVELOPER DOES HAVE FURTHER PLANS FOR THE OTHER PORTIONS OF THE PROPERTY, BUT THOSE ARE NOT UNDER REVIEW AT THIS TIME.

WHAT IS UNDER REVIEW IS SIMPLY THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITY, WHICH WHEN I SAY IT'S GOTTEN BAD, IT'S LOCATED HERE ON THE PROPERTY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROPERTY GOES BACK TO THE NORTH, A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE OFF OF GRAND RIVER.

THIS WOULD BE BUILDING UP CLOSE TO THE ROAD, WITH THE PARKING NEEDED FOR THIS FACILITY AND POTENTIAL ACCESS FOR THE FUTURE TO CONNECT UP TO THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.

TO TRY AND LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CURB CUTS THAT ARE PROVIDED ON THE PROPERTY OR PROVIDED IN THIS STRETCH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE.

SO BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE THIS EVENING AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS FOR DISCUSSION.

TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.

YES. SO READING IT, I KEEP SEEING MEDICAL, RECREATIONAL, MEDICAL, RECREATIONAL AND I KNOW WE, YOU KNOW, PASSED IT TWO OTHER TIMES.

CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY? BECAUSE YOU JUST SAID RECREATIONAL AND I ALSO SAW MEDICAL, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAD A HISTORY OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RECREATIONAL AS WELL.

IS THIS GOING TO BE A RECREATIONAL FACILITY JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.

THIS THE REQUEST THIS EVENING IS FOR A RECREATIONAL FACILITY.

THEY HAVE MAINTAINED THE LOCAL APPROVALS FOR MEDICAL, BUT THEY HAVE NOT INDICATED WHETHER THEY WILL CONTINUE WITH THE MEDICAL LICENSING ONCE IT PROCEEDS.

FUNCTIONALLY, IT'S THE LICENSING ASIDE, EVERYTHING ELSE BETWEEN THE TWO APPLICATIONS HAS BEEN EXACTLY THE SAME, FROM MEDICAL TO RECREATIONAL.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. SINCE WE APPROVED BOTH MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL FOR THIS ZONE, COULD ANOTHER APPLICANT APPLY FOR A MEDICAL ONLY LICENSE FOR THIS ZONE? SO AS OF NOW THEY HAVE BOTH OF THOSE LICENSES CONDITIONALLY.

SO IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THEY GAVE UP THEIR MEDICAL LICENSE, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO OPEN A WINDOW TO

[00:25:05]

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

HOW LONG DO THEY HAVE TO ACT ON THIS BEFORE THIS CONDITIONAL PERMIT EXPIRES? THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, SIR.

THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE WAS TWO YEARS.

I BELIEVE WE LEFT THAT AT THE SAME TIME.

BUT IF YOU GIVE ME ABOUT 30S HERE, I WILL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT.

RIGHT HERE. OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS.

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

BECAUSE THEY HAD 60 DAYS TO START OR 60 DAYS TO GET THE APPLICATION IN.

CONDITIONAL PERMIT HOLDER. THEY HAVE 18 MONTHS.

THE BOARD CAN EXTEND IT FOR SIX MONTHS.

THAT'S THE TWO YEARS. SO IT'S AT MAXIMUM TWO YEARS TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS AND BASED ON YOUR PLANNING AND COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE.

WHAT DO YOU ESTIMATE THIS BUILDING WILL COST FOR THEM TO BUILD NEW? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE.

YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY CAME IN AT, YOU KNOW, 700 BUCKS A SQUARE FOOT, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AT 2.8 MILLION AT THAT POINT, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY BETWEEN 2 AND 3 MILLION IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LAND.

IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS ALL IN THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HIGH.

I MEAN, IT IS IT'S A BOX.

IT'S A SAFE BOX, BUT IT'S A BOX AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE PAVING IS NOT MUCH.

THERE'S NOT A TON OF GRADING.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SITE WORK MIGHT COME IN A LITTLE LOW.

THE BUILDING MIGHT COME IN A LITTLE HIGH.

SO I WOULD SAY BETWEEN 2 AND 3 IS A GOOD ESTIMATE.

THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. I'VE GOT ONE ON THE SCP APPLICATION.

THEY INDICATE 53 PARKING SPACES IN THE APPLICATION, BUT ON THE SITE DIAGRAMS THAT WERE PROVIDED, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THERE'S ONLY 20 THAT ARE SHOWN.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DISCREPANCY THERE? I BELIEVE THERE. YEAH.

SO AT ONE POINT, THEY DID SHOW US THE BUILDING TO THE NORTH THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS WHERE THE 53 CAME FROM.

BUT THAT WILL HAVE THEM CORRECT THAT AS AN EXCELLENT CATCH.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE WILSON.

I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PARCEL, BECAUSE IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT BRIAN SHORKEY PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, HE INDICATES THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE PARCEL IS THE 2.4 ACRES.

BUT I SEE IN THE APPLICATION FROM THE COMPANY, THEY ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS PARCEL THREE, INDICATING THAT THERE ARE FOUR PARCELS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DEVELOP ON THIS PROPERTY.

THEY HAVE THREE PARCELS RIGHT NOW.

SO I JUST PULLED UP THE GIS.

THIS IS ONE.

PARCEL TWO, PARCEL THREE.

ALL RIGHT AND THAT PARCEL THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BUILD ON IS 2.4 ACRES [INAUDIBLE].

DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.

GIVE ME JUST A SECOND TO CONFIRM THAT.

I BELIEVE IT IS.

IT'S PRETTY DEEP IN THE WELL, BUT IN THE EXPLANATION FROM PLANNER SHORKEY, IT SHOWS THE ENTIRE FRONT.

THE SOUTHERN HALF IS THE 2.4 ACRES, SO I WAS CONFUSED.

I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO FLIP THERE.

THIS PROPERTY IS 2.401 ACRES.

OKAY, SO THEY'RE PLANNING THREE USES AND I READ SOMEWHERE IN THE APPLICATION THAT THEY ARE PLANNING TWO USES FOR THIS PARCEL.

SO I THINK ORIGINALLY THIS WAS ONE PARCEL AND THEN THIS WAS ONE PARCEL.

THEY CANDIDLY, THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T FULLY CUT AND PASTE OUT THEIR MEDICAL INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY DO PLAN ANOTHER USE FOR THIS PARCEL.

AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANT, I THINK.

I BELIEVE THAT IS PROBABLY STILL THEIR PLAN.

SO THAT'S STILL IN PLAY.

THEY HAVE NOT SUBMITTED ANYTHING FORMALLY, BUT THAT IS WHAT THEY'VE INDICATED ALL ALONG.

YES. OKAY.

I HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THE BUILDING ITSELF, BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO INTERJECT WHILE I FIND IT, GO RIGHT AHEAD.

CLERK GUTHRIE. THANK YOU.

I TOO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IN THE APPLICATION.

I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE IN LETTER G IT SAYS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EXISTING STRUCTURES.

[00:30:02]

IT SHOWS THERE'S A BUILDING TO BE REMOVED.

SO IT DID. IS THERE AN EXISTING STRUCTURE ON THIS PARCEL OR NOT? BECAUSE I'M CONFUSED.

YEAH. SO THIS IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE PARCEL.

OKAY. THAT HOUSE I BELIEVE IS STILL THERE.

YES. OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE THEIR APPLICATION TO BE ACCURATE.

THAT SHOWS IF THERE'S AN EXISTING STRUCTURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY PUT THAT ON THERE AND THAT THEY FILL OUT THESE QUESTIONS AND THEN FOR THE LETTER J IT SAYS EXISTING OPEN SPACE RESIDENTIAL LAWN IS 2.28 AND COMMERCIAL LAWN IS 1.60 AND THE ACREAGE OF ALL PARCELS IN THE PROJECT IS 2.40.

ARE THOSE ACCURATE? THEY FLIP THE NUMBERS. IT'S 2.04.

OKAY, SO IT'S A HARD TIME TO MAKE SOME UPDATES TO THEIR APPLICATION.

YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ACCURATE APPLICATION THAT WE CAN DISCUSS INSTEAD OF.

I FEEL LIKE THEY HURRIEDLY PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE.

BECAUSE I'M NOT EVEN A MATHEMATICIAN AND I CAN FIGURE IT OUT BY, LIKE, A QUICK GLANCE THAT SOMETHING'S WRONG ON THIS THING.

THOSE ARE MY QUICK QUESTIONS THAT I HAD THAT I THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED ON THIS APPLICATION.

I THINK THERE WERE SOME OTHERS, BUT THOSE WERE THE MOST GLARING.

OKAY. TRUSTEE. MCCURTIS.

JUST A COMMENT.

IT'S NOT EVEN A QUESTION, IF I MAY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A BIT RUSHED ONLY BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF GRAMMATICAL AND JUST ERRORS IN THERE, THAT APPLICATION, TO ME IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS HURRIED.

TO GET IT IN THERE.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE JUST ADDRESSING THE CASTLE AND ALL THAT BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, I JUST WANTED TO SAY YES, I HAVE THAT SAME FEELING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

TREASURER DESCHAINE. WITH ALL THESE CORRECTIONS, I WOULD SUGGEST BRINGING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AGAIN AND THEN TAKE ACTION THE FOLLOWING MEETING.

ASSUMING THEY GET THIS ALL RIGHT AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.

OTHERWISE, WE'RE KIND OF REWARDING A SLOPPY APPLICATION BY SAYING, OH, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.

IT DOESN'T SLOW YOU DOWN. THE APPLICANT SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS RIGHT BEFORE IT CAME BEFORE THE BOARD.

CLERK GUTHRIE THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

[INAUDIBLE]. I MY OTHER QUESTION, IF EMPLOYEES WILL WORK ON THE SITE, STATE THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME AND PART TIME EMPLOYEES WORKING PER SHIFT AND HOURS OF OPERATION.

THE ANSWER IS IT IS EXPECTED THAT THERE WILL BE THREE EMPLOYEES ON SITE.

ZERO RESPONSE ABOUT SHIFTS.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING PER SHIFT? IF THEY ARE FULL TIME AND OR PART TIME, AND HOW MANY PER SHIFT? AND THEN FOR HOURS OF OPERATION IT SAYS 8 TO 7.

WHEN? MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

MONDAY. TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY.

MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

SATURDAY. SUNDAY ONLY.

LIKE. TO ME, THAT IS SLOPPY WITH THE CAPITAL LOSS.

THEY DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER THE QUESTION.

I WOULD LIKE THOSE ANSWERED AS WELL.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE WILSON WAS PRETTY STRICT ABOUT OUR HOURS OF OPERATION AND THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED.

I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.

I'M SO SORRY. MY ANNOTATIONS ALL DISAPPEARED.

SO THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT OUTSIDE SALES AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MANAGER OR THE OWNER, THAT THERE IT IMPLIED THERE COULD BE OUTSIDE SALES AND I'M LOOKING FOR THAT SECTION OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING IS THE WAY I WOULD INTERPRET IT AND OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED.

NO, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE, EVERYTHING WILL BE IN ANY CURBSIDE OR DELIVERY ASSISTANT.

JUST THE BOARD ESTABLISHED A PROCESS, OKAY, THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH IF THEY ARE DOING ANY CURBSIDE TYPE SALES.

ALL RIGHT AND TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE NOT COME FORWARD WITH THAT.

THEY HAVE NOT REQUESTED IT AT THIS TIME.

WE JUST ACTUALLY GOT THE REQUEST FROM THE FACILITY ON AT JOLLY ROAD.

RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT.

REQUEST FOR WHAT? FOR CURBSIDE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW.

[00:35:02]

THEY STAYED IN HERE THAT THEY WILL MITIGATE THE ODOR AND THEY'LL HAVE AN INCIDENT REPORT AND SOMEONE WILL LOOK INTO IT.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IS IN OUR ORDINANCE.

OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THERE WILL BE NO EXTERNAL ODOR.

CORRECT. SO ARE THEY CLEAR ON THAT? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THEIR APPLICATION IN MORE DETAIL.

WE REVIEWED THIS WHEN THE LICENSE CAME THROUGH, AND WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY PROVIDED WITH THE LICENSING.

THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THEY JUST REFERENCED BACK TO THAT OR AND I'M TRYING TO GO THROUGH A PRETTY ELABORATE EXPLANATION, BUT AT NO POINT IT JUST SAYS, WELL, IF WE GET NOTICED, WE'LL TRY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

WE'LL CREATE AN INCIDENT REPORT.

THERE'S PAGES AND PAGES OF INFORMATION ABOUT ODOR MANAGEMENT PLAN.

IT'S ON THERE. THEIR PAGE 20 AND THEN CONTINUES.

IT'S QUITE ELABORATE, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY THAT THEY ARE GOING TO FOLLOW OUR ORDINANCE, WHICH IS NO ODOR OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

YEAH. I THINK THAT THEIR ODOR MITIGATION PLAN STARTS ON PAGE 133 OF THE PACKET.

YES AND THEY PROVIDE A LOT OF DETAIL AND YES, THEY WILL HAVE TO MEET THAT.

I MEAN, THIS PLAN WILL MEET THAT.

THERE'S NOTHING'S GETTING OUT OF THIS BUILDING.

OKAY. THAT'S [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? YEAH. I THINK THAT OVERALL, THE APPLICATION PORTION PART ONE OF THE APPLICATION CERTAINLY COULD USE SOME RETOOLING AND SOME MORE SPECIFIC SPECIFICITY ADDRESSING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE HEARD HERE THIS EVENING.

I DON'T MIND BRINGING IT BACK UP.

WE'RE IN NO RUSH.

A MEETING LATER TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE DEFICIENCIES IN THE APPLICATION.

YOU KNOW, I THINK AS IT COMES BEFORE US, WE'RE MEANT TO REVIEW THE APPLICATION AS PRESENTED.

YES. WE'RE ALSO MEANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE SUP STANDARDS AND EVALUATE WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US BASED ON THAT AND EVEN WITHOUT HAVING THE COMPLETED CORRECTED APPLICATION YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS PACKET ITEM, IT WAS MOSTLY RELATED TO HOW DOES IT FIT INTO THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO EVALUATE.

I SAW NO MAJOR ISSUES.

IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE.

IT'S FOLLOWING OUR LAND USE POLICIES AND IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE.

YOU KNOW, ALL THE OTHER CRITERIA.

IT'S SERVED BY PUBLIC FACILITIES, SANITATION FACILITIES, SEWAGE DISPOSAL, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT AND SO OVERALL, I THINK THE BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE ODOR AND THE, YOU KNOW, WHATNOT AND TRAFFIC IMPACT.

ALTHOUGH ON GRAND RIVER, IT'S HARD TO IMPACT.

IT'S HARD TO MOVE THE NEEDLE A WHOLE LOT.

FOR ANY ONE BUSINESS.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HAVING TAKEN A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL SUP OR STANDARDS THAT WERE MEANT TO EVALUATE ON, I SEE NO MAJOR ISSUES WITH THIS, BUT I AGREE THAT THERE ARE SOME DEFICIENCIES IN THE OVERALL APPLICATION, THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THEM GET RIGHT BEFORE WE BEFORE WE SAY YES TO ANYONE ON THIS.

I THINK THAT'S JUST SORT OF A CARTE BLANCHE TO ANYONE WHO'S LOOKING TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS YOU GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE APPLICATION.

YOU GOT TO GET IT RIGHT.

TRUSTEE WILSON, SINCE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING THREE SEPARATE PARCELS AND THREE DIFFERENT USES ON THIS PROPERTY.

WILL THERE BE ONE COMMON CURB CUT SO WE DON'T HAVE THREE CURB CUTS ON TWO GRAND RIVER? YEAH. SO AT MOST YOU WOULD HAVE TWO BECAUSE THE THIRD PROPERTY DOESN'T HAVE FRONTAGE ON GRAND RIVER.

IT HAS FRONTAGE ON CENTRAL PARK DRIVE.

SO YEAH LET ME.

SO AGAIN THIS PARCEL DOESN'T.

THIS PARCEL IS FRONTING BACK HERE.

SO I SUSPECT YOU'LL END UP WITH TWO BECAUSE THEIR ARGUMENT IS GOING TO BE THERE WAS ALWAYS TWO BEFORE, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL TAKE TO MDOT.

BUT THIS IS ONE AREA BECAUSE GIVEN THAT IT'S A STATE TRUNKLINE, THAT WE WILL ABSOLUTELY DEFER AND BE OVERRULED BY MDOT.

SO BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD TO BRING THIS BACK FOR DISCUSSION AT OUR NEXT MEETING? I SEE SOME NODDING HEADS.

WE HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION FROM THE APPLICANT THAT ADDRESSES THESE ITEMS. YEAH AND I'M SURE THAT MANAGER SCHMIDT HAS WILL BE WILL BE TYPING AN EMAIL TO THAT EFFECT.

IF HE'S NOT ALREADY. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SENT.

FABULOUS. WE ARE NOT ON ANY TICKING CLOCK.

[00:40:01]

CORRECT. FABULOUS.

THEN I THINK. LET'S SEE THIS BACK FOR DISCUSSION AGAIN.

WHEN IS OUR NEXT MEETING? ONE MONTH. I BELIEVE IT'S THE 12TH.

HOW ABOUT THAT? THAT'S RIGHT.

I GOT A NICE LONG BREAK IN BETWEEN.

ALL RIGHT, SO THEN WE'LL SEE THIS BACK FOR DISCUSSION ON NOVEMBER 12TH.

NEXT ITEM UP FOR DISCUSSION IS AGENDA ITEM 13 B, WHICH IS PA 152 HEALTH CARE COSTS.

[13.B. PA 152 Health Care Costs]

LET ME TEE THIS UP.

THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT NUMBER.

THAT'S MUCH BETTER AND SO THE BOARD HAS OVER THE YEARS HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS JUST IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

SO PA 152. LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE CAN PAY AS AN ORGANIZATION TOWARDS MEDICAL BENEFITS.

IT'S THE ACT THAT CREATED SORT OF THE HARD CAP AND SO FOR YEARS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF WE'VE BEEN UNDER THE HARD CAP AND WE THINK MAYBE THIS IS THE LAST YEAR, BUT WE'VE MADE IT AGAIN AND SO WE'RE GOING TO WE CAME TO THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY AND ASKED TO REALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE WERE UNDER THE HARD CAP TOWARDS THE HSA PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES, VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

ON AVERAGE, OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, IT'S BEEN ABOUT $2,080 FOR A FAMILY.

BUT THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE CAP AND SO THIS YEAR, DUE IN NO SMALL PART TO THE FACT THAT THE CAPITAL INCREASED BY 2/10 OF A PERCENT.

WE ARE NOW OVER THE HARD CAP, AND WE MENTIONED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND GALLAGHER DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF TRYING TO GET US WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE.

BUT GIVEN THAT HARD CAP WE HAD, WE HAD NO CHANCE.

CANDIDLY, THIS YEAR WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT AND SO HERE WE ARE WITH A CONVERSATION BACK WITH A CONVERSATION THE BOARD HASN'T HAD SINCE 2012 ABOUT POTENTIALLY OPTING OUT AND SO THIS IS WHERE I TURN IT OVER TO THE PROFESSIONALS AFTER I LAY OUT SORT OF THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO CONVERSE ABOUT THIS EVENING.

FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE MAIN QUESTION OPTING OUT OF PA 152.

THIS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $134,000 COST TOWARDS CURRENT EMPLOYEES.

STAFF WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND WE DO THIS.

TO NOT LOSE TRACTION ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE RECENTLY WITH EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT.

WE IT WOULD BE A HIT TO EMPLOYEES GOING FORWARD NEXT YEAR IF WE PASS THOSE COSTS ON.

THE SECOND QUESTION IS A LITTLE BIGGER PICTURE WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WISHES TO DIRECT STAFF TO CREATE A TO DEVELOP A FUNDING PLAN FOR AN HSA AND THAT IS BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY WE USED THAT GAP BETWEEN OUR ACTUAL HEALTH CARE NUMBER CAME BACK AT AND THE HARD CAP.

THAT GAP DOESN'T EXIST NOW.

SO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND RE BUDGET FOR THE HSA IF THE BOARD'S DESIRES TO DO SO AGAIN.

THAT IS AN EXCELLENT BENEFIT TO EMPLOYEES AND STAFF WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A CRACK AT THAT.

BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD BEFORE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON IT, BECAUSE IT WILL END UP BEING A FIRST QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND SO WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY FRIENDS AT FRIENDS GALLAGHER AND MY DIRECTOR OF HR TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE NUMBERS YOU SEE BEFORE YOU GO. YES. JUST TO CLARIFY, OPTING OUT MEANS THE TOWNSHIP COVERS THE GAP.

OPTING OUT MEANS THE TOWNSHIP COVERS THE GAP.

FAILING TO OPT OUT MEANS THAT IT GETS PASSED ALONG TO THE EMPLOYEES.

CORRECT AND WE NEED TO ESTABLISH.

WE WOULD THEN NEED TO ESTABLISH HOW THAT'S GETTING PASSED ALONG.

BECAUSE NOT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS, BUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO TO AN 80 OVER 20, WHICH WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO DO.

SO AT THIS TIME. THAT'S A HUGE JUMP TOWARDS EMPLOYEES AND WOULD FUNCTIONALLY WIPE OUT A LOT OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND SO IT'S THE $134,000 IS STILL A JUMP.

IT'S JUST A LESSER JUMP.

BUT YES, IF WE STAY IN THAT CLASS WE PASS ALONG.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE IN THAT GAP WOULD BE ABOUT $800 EMPLOYEE PER EMPLOYEE, WHICH YOU'VE CALCULATED.

I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT. THAT GAP, $134,000 WOULD BE ABOUT $800 PER EMPLOYEE.

THAT IS IT? ROUGHLY, YES.

OBVIOUSLY IT DEPENDS ON SINGLE AND FAMILY AND.

BUT YET ROUGHLY.

YES. OKAY. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR AND BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH US AS WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON SOMETHING SO NEW.

[00:45:03]

SO WE HAVE GALLAGHER WITH US.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE.

WELL, WE'VE GOT KATHY BURNS HERE IN THE FLESH.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND WE HAVE DJ, MCALOON AND I BELIEVE HE IS ON CALL ON ZOOM.

YES. OKAY.

YEAH. FANTASTIC.

SO BASICALLY, AND I KNOW KATHY IS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT AND CAN ARTICULATE THE 152 LIKE THE BACK OF HER HAND.

BUT REALLY, WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT WE HAVE THIS AMOUNT.

WE HAVE THIS $3,748 THAT WE ARE OVER.

GALLAGHER IS EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, AND THEY HAVE, AS THEY DO EVERY YEAR.

WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THEY PUT FORWARD OUR OPTIONS.

SO THEY HAD EXPLAINED THAT, I THINK, TO TREASURER DESCHAINE QUESTION WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO NOT THE 8020, BUT IF WE WERE TO TAKE THAT AMOUNT AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING, WHAT THE PREMIUMS WOULD BE WE'D BE LOOKING AT 1660 FOR A SINGLE AND THIS IS BASED ON 26 PAYS, SO IT'S PER PAY PERIOD AND 39, 85 FOR EMPLOYEE PLUS 1 OR 4981 FOR FULL FAMILY.

SO IF WE WERE GOING BACK WITH WHAT MANAGER SCHMIDT SAID THAT 133 748 IF WE WERE ABLE IF THE BOARD WERE APPROVING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ABSORB THAT COST AND THERE WOULD BE NO PREMIUM FOR EMPLOYEES.

KATHY CAN EXPLAIN IT BETTER, BUT THERE IS THIS POTENTIAL NEXT YEAR THAT WE COULD COME UNDER THE HARD CAP JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE CALCULATIONS ARE FALLING.

BUT IF I MAY, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE KATHY TAKE IT.

THANK YOU. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.

AS BOTH ABBY AND TIM ALLUDED TO, PA 152 IS A STATE LAW THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2012.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING NEW.

MUNICIPALITIES AND AS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED TO LOOK AT THIS EVERY YEAR.

MUNICIPALITIES, AS STATED EARLIER, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO OPT OUT.

SO BASICALLY WITHIN SIGHT OF THE PA 152 ACT, THERE'S THREE OPTIONS.

YOU CAN EITHER FOLLOW IT DEFAULTS TO THE HARD CAP.

SO BY FOLLOWING THE HARD CAP, THE CALCULATIONS ARE BASED ON YOUR MEDICAL RENEWAL AND THE MEDICAL COSTS OF THE MEDICAL PLAN FOR THE FULL CALENDAR YEAR, BASED ON THE UPCOMING PLAN YEAR IN FRONT OF US.

THEN WITH THE UNFORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE UNFORTUNATE SMALL INCREASE, CREASE 2/10 OF A PERCENTAGE FOR 2025.

USING THAT CALCULATION, THAT PUTS US OVER THE HARD CAP FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER HERE AT MERIDIAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP.

NOW YOU'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THAT OPTION TO OPT OUT IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO.

THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE THE 80/20 SPLIT, WHICH IS NOT FAVORABLE EITHER.

IT'S MUCH HIGHER COST TO THE EMPLOYEES FROM WHAT ABBY HAD JUST MENTIONED.

SO THOSE WOULD BE EVEN HIGHER THAN THE HARD CAP.

SO EVERY YEAR IT HAS TO BE A BOARD ACTION.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE 80/20 OR OPT OUT.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING, TO HAVE BOARD DISCUSSION AND DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD OPT OUT.

AGAIN, THE HARD CAP, WE WOULD BE OVER $134,000, WHICH AGAIN WOULD INDEED HAVE TO BE PASSED ON TO THE EMPLOYEES HERE.

OUR GOAL AS YOUR CONSULTANT AND YOUR BROKER ALWAYS IS TO LOOK OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL BUDGET HERE TO THE TOWNSHIP.

SO I'M OPENED ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE? IT'S YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS A MUNICIPALITY, YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION OF OPTING OUT.

TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL.

SO IF THE LEGISLATURE SET THE HARD CAP AT 0.2%.

RIGHT. YEAH. SO IF IT WAS HIGHER OR HIGHER, INCREASE SET THEN LIKE LET'S SAY IF IT WAS 4.1 LIKE IT WAS LAST YEAR, THEN WHAT ADVANTAGE WOULD WE HAVE.

I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP IT ALL.

THAT'S ALL. WRAP IT AROUND MY HEAD.

WHAT ADVANTAGE WOULD WE HAVE IF THAT WAS THE CASE? IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, OBVIOUSLY, THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS COST TO THE EMPLOYEES.

SO BUT BECAUSE IT'S SO LOW, IT PUSHED ALL OF THAT HARD CAP OVER BACK TO THE EMPLOYEE SIDE OF THE THE LEDGER, IF YOU WILL.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT STATE DOLLARS WOULD HAVE COVERED IT OR IT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US AS A MUNICIPALITY TO COVER IT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN TERMS OF.

THE MUNICIPALITY WOULD HAVE COVERED MORE.

YES. OKAY.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT.

THANK YOU. TREASURER DESCHAINE.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BY THE WAY.

WHY WAS IT SO LOW THIS YEAR? I MEAN, 5% OF WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR.

ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY SAID IT SO LOW? DIDI, DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN ON THAT ONE? I KNOW YOU'RE FOLLOWING THAT LEGISLATION AND SOME OF THE OTHER UPCOMING MOVEMENTS TO THAT ASPECT.

[00:50:18]

YEAH. HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S MUTED.

[INAUDIBLE] . WELL, IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION.

YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS.THIS FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT WOULD BE I FORGOT MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

WHERE I SENSE FROM THE EARLIER DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY OPTED IN EACH YEAR AND TO OPT OUT AS A TEMPORARY THING WE DO FOR THIS YEAR ONLY.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE LOSE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE NEXT YEAR.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

WE LOOK AT THIS EVERY YEAR.

WE DO THE CALCULATIONS BASED ON HOW THE RENEWAL COMES IN AND WHERE THE NUMBERS FALL WITHIN THE RENEWAL AND THEN WE DO LOOK AT THIS EVERY YEAR AND AS WE SAID EVERY YEAR PRIOR UP UNTIL NOW, WE'VE BEEN UNDERNEATH THAT HARD CAP.

SO BUT YES, YOU WOULD DEFAULT TO THE HARD CAP, IF NO CHANGES WERE MADE FOR 2026.

OKAY AND THEN REGARDING THE BUDGET, WE BUDGETED, AS IF KNOWING THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS SMALLER PERCENT THAN 4%.

IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, I GUESS, YEAH, WE BUDGETED FOR IT EVERY YEAR.

WE DO? YES. WE HAVE ALWAYS BUDGETED FOR THE HARD CAP.

YEAH AND SO IN THE YEARS WHERE WE'VE COME IN UNDER, THAT'S WHEN WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD EVERY OCTOBER WITH THE CONVERSATION OF BECAUSE WE BUDGETED FOR IT AND WE'RE UNDER THIS AMOUNT CAN GO TOWARDS AN HSA BOARD.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT? THIS YEAR IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN BECAUSE WE'RE OVER THE HARD CAP.

WE BUDGETED FOR THE HARD CAP BOARD.

NOW THAT WE'RE OVER, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? OKAY, SO IF WE COVER THE EXPENSE, ADDITIONAL EXPENSE OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE 134,000 AND AN HSA.

THAT HAS GOT TO BE NEW MONEY.

THAT'S NOT PART OF THE CURRENT EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE BENEFIT.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

THANK YOU. YEAH AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE HSA FUNDING FROM THE EMPLOYER SIDE IS NOT TIED OR LINKED OR CONNECTED WITH PA 152 ACT AT ALL.

THAT'S TOTALLY AN EMPLOYER OPTION REGARDLESS OF YOUR INDUSTRY.

OKAY. I'M SORRY. KATHY, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? HEY, DJ, SORRY, I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON.

UNMUTE ON MY END. JUST TO BACK PEDAL FOR A SECOND.

TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THE CAPS ARE BASED ON A FORMULA AND THEY'RE BASED ON THE MEDICAL COMPONENT OF CPI.

SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PARAMETERS WITHIN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY THAT THIS IS CALCULATED ON.

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY TRACKED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

EVERY MONTH THERE'S A FIGURE THAT THIS IS DERIVED FROM.

ON AVERAGE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF PA 152 INCREASES HAVE BEEN IN THE 2 TO 3% RANGE.

THIS YEAR IS THE ANOMALY OUTLIER.

IT'S THE LOWEST SINCE THE INCEPTION INCEPTION OF THE ACT.

AND CONVERSELY, IT'S COMING AT THE SECOND END OF THE HIGHEST END, WHERE WE HAD 4.1% LAST YEAR.

SO NEW TERRITORY FOR ALL GROUPS.

AS YOU GUYS HAVE SAID, AS A TOWNSHIP, YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF BEING ABLE TO OPT OUT PUBLIC ACT 152 WAS GEARED TOWARDS THE K THROUGH 12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, PRIMARILY.

AT FIRST THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT LUXURY.

90% OF THEM DEFAULT TO THE HARD CAP IN ITSELF.

BUT TOWNSHIPS, CITIES, GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES, YOU GUYS HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLING.

BUT RIGHT NOW THIS IS THE LOWEST INCREASE THAT IT'S EVER HAD SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE ACT.

NOW THERE'S A LOT OF LOBBYING BEING TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW IN LAME DUCK AND WITH THE NEA AND THE UNIONS AND BEING IN AN ELECTION YEAR, A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING PROPOSED. NOTHING IS CONCRETE OR FINAL AT THIS POINT WHATSOEVER, BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE SOMETHING CHANGING WITH THIS ACT COME THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025, AT WHICH TIME MORE THAN LIKELY ANY CHANGES WOULD TAKE PLACE ON YOUR NEXT RENEWAL CYCLE AND SINCE YOU GUYS ARE A11 CALENDAR RENEWAL, IT WOULD TAKE PLACE ONE 126. BUT AS YOUR CONSULTANTS, WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT DURING OUR PLANNING PROCESS, ALERT YOU OF ANY CHANGES, ANYTHING GOING ON WITH LOBBYISTS AND AGAIN, AN ELECTION YEAR.

IT'S ALL UP FOR DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW UNTIL SOMETHING IS FINALIZED, BUT WE WOULD HELP YOU NAVIGATE THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET, LOOKING AT HOW YOUR MEDICAL PLANS ARE TRENDING AND WHAT THOSE INCREASING COSTS ARE LOOKING LIKE, AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU WITH A BIG BEST RECOMMENDATION AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AN EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION WISE, BUDGET WISE, BECAUSE THE BIG THING THAT THIS COMES INTO PLAY WITH IS ATTRACTING AND RETAINING

[00:55:05]

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU SHOW WELL SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY AND ATTRACT ANY NEW STAFFING THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO FILL POSITIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT AND ONE LAST QUESTION, SUPERVISOR.

I AM IMPACTED BY BOTH OF THESE PERSONALLY, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE PROPER FOR ME TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS DISCUSSION.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? BOARD MEMBER. I HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THAT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SEEING NONE.

SO ORDERED. SO WE ARE $134,000 UNDER. OVER.

CAN YOU TELL ME HISTORICALLY WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UNDER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? WE DO HAVE THOSE HISTORICAL.

I DID NOT BRING THOSE HISTORICALS WITH ME.

I CAN SEND THOSE AS A FOLLOW UP TOMORROW MORNING, IF YOU'D LIKE.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

UNLESS WE CAN FIND IT SOMEWHERE ELSE [INAUDIBLE].

NO, THOSE AREN'T THE TOTALS.

SO THAT SHEET THERE REPRESENTS JUST HISTORICAL OF WHERE THE PA 152, WHERE THE INDEX FELL OVER THE YEARS.

SO WE COULD KIND OF SEE THE FLUCTUATION LIKE D.J.

WAS MENTIONING EARLIER.

RIGHT. THE REASON I ASK IS THIS IS A TWO PRONGED QUESTION, RIGHT? IT'S WHAT DO WE DO WITH PA 152 OPT OUT OR NOT? AND THEN PART TWO IS WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE HSA CONTRIBUTION? RIGHT AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION WITHOUT HAVING THE HISTORICAL DATA TO SHOW THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HSAS OVER THE LAST X YEARS.

THE HISTORICAL AND THE HSA WE DO HAVE WITH US TONIGHT.

BUT AS FAR AS WHERE YOU FELL UNDERNEATH THAT HARD CAP, IF I COULD CIRCLE BACK TOMORROW MORNING ON THAT PART I CAN HAVE FOR YOU.

WELL, I GUESS AND WE DID DO A SET ASIDE.

YOU MAY RECALL IN THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS WE SET ASIDE, I THINK, WAS IT 30,000? YEAH. SO WE TOOK THE REST OF IT AND DISTRIBUTED THAT INTO HSA AND THEN HAD IT SET ASIDE.

WELL, THEN PERHAPS I ASKED THE QUESTION THE WRONG WAY.

WHAT HAVE WE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HSA OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? GOT IT. IS THERE A WAY TO GET THAT UP ON THE SCREENS SOMEHOW.

IS THERE A WAY WE LOST? WE GAINED SO MUCH TECHNOLOGY AND LOST OUR PROJECTOR TECHNOLOGY.

I'M SORRY. THE PROJECTOR.

I DO LOVE THE PROJECTOR.

I CAN SCAN IT REALLY QUICKLY TOO.

IT'S OKAY IF YOU PLUG INTO YOUR LAPTOP.

THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY. OKAY.

HOW MANY YEARS ON HISTORICAL WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR THE PA 152 CALCULATIONS? FIVE. I'M SORRY.

HOW MANY? FIVE.

THAT'S A RELATIVELY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.

[INAUDIBLE]. HOLD THAT THOUGHT.

I'M GOING TO GO SCAN THIS TO [INAUDIBLE] . THAT ACTUALLY WORKED REALLY EASILY.

[INAUDIBLE]. OTHER POINT THERE IS FOR DOCUMENT CAMERA THAT WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT.

WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT BUYING ONE OF THOSE AT SOME POINT.

DIRECTOR SCHMITT IS GOING TO SCAN THIS TO ME BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HARD COPIES ALL DAY.

SO IT'S GOING TO POP UP RIGHT THERE ANY SECOND NOW.

LIKE MAGIC. RIGHT? [INAUDIBLE].

I KNOW. SO I GUESS FOR THE SAKE OF THE WHY, IT'S TO GET A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IF WE CHOOSE TO OPT OUT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCRETE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO REALLOCATE OUT OF OUR BUDGET OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER GENERAL FUND.

BUT THEN IF THE BOARD WISHES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME KIND OF HSA CONTRIBUTION, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT AMOUNT THAT IS AND THAT'S THE THING THAT STAFF IS GOING TO NEED SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT HOW THAT'S GOING TO FUNCTION? I KNOW IN THE PAST WE HAVE MADE THAT CONTRIBUTION VERY EARLY IN THE YEAR.

IT IS AS GALLAGHER HAS EXPLAINED TO US, THAT IS LESS THAN IDEAL FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS AND SO I CAN TELL YOU OFF THE BAT, STAFF IS GOING TO RECOMMEND GOING BACK TO AT LEAST A BIENNIAL STARTING LATER IN THE YEAR, SO THAT WE ARE NOT FRONT LOADING A LOT OF OUR COSTS HELPS WITH THE BUDGET.

YEAH AND FUNCTIONALLY IT WAS YEAH, THAT'S HOW IT GETS DISTRIBUTED THAT'S I'M SURE SOMETHING THAT YOU AND DIRECTOR TEED OFF CAN WORK OUT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF THE HOW MUCH? RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE CERTAINLY WEIGHING IN ON.

[01:00:04]

THAT IS THE HISTORIC HAC DEPOSITS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE BOARD.

WELL, SO.

CONSISTENTLY WE WEREN'T JUST UNDER, WE WERE WAY UNDER VERY MUCH SO.

YEAH. NO, WE WERE AN ANOMALY IN MANY WAYS.

SO CAN YOU TELL ME? IS IT PER CAPITA? HOW ARE THE SO.

WE HAVE A TOTAL AMOUNT OF HEALTH CARE COST.

RIGHT. IS THAT DETERMINED PER EMPLOYEE AND AMORTIZED UP OR HOW DOES THAT HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THE HARD CAP.

HOW DO WE GET TO THAT NUMBER.

YEAH. SO THE CALCULATIONS ARE BASED ON YOUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT AND WHERE EVERYBODY IS AT AND IF THEY'RE IN A SINGLE OR TWO PERSON OR FAMILY TIER.

SO THEN WE JUST FLUSH IT THROUGH THAT.

WE JUST KIND OF ESTIMATE THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE FOR THOSE LEVELS.

THERE WON'T BE ANY SHIFT IN, YOU KNOW, FAMILY OR SINGLE TWO PERSON AND USE THOSE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FROM 24 AND FORWARD THEM INTO 25, SO WE CAN GET AN ALLOCATION OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

SO THEN, IS IT THAT OUR HEALTH CARE PLAN HAS SIMPLY BEEN CHEAPER THAN WHAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH CARE PLAN FOR THE MUNICIPALITY HAS IS? VERY MUCH SO RENEWALS ACROSS THE BOARD THIS YEAR WERE ATROCIOUS.

I THINK THIS LITERALLY I'VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

THIS IS PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF THE WORST, HARDEST YEARS ON RENEWALS THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE BOARD AND OUR WHOLE BLOCK OF BUSINESS.

SO THE AVERAGE RENEWAL CAME IN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 15 AND I THINK MY HIGHEST WAS 32%.

SO I THINK MERIDIAN FELL IN RIGHT ABOUT 22% RENEWAL.

SO OUR COSTS, OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS WENT UP BY 22% SIGNIFICANTLY.

SO THIS THE DECISION PROCESS HERE.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE EMPLOYEES NOW THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.

THIS IS PURELY BASED ON WHAT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER YOU KNOW, CHARGES US VERSUS WHAT THE STATE HAS SAID.

THAT'S IT.

RIGHT AND THEN THAT WITH THAT SET OF THAT, YOU KNOW, 2% OR, YOU KNOW, 2/10 OF A PERCENTAGE INCREASE, THAT DOES NOT HELP BECAUSE IT ONLY GIVES YOU KNOW, JUST THAT LITTLE BIT THAT WE COULD EXPAND ON.

SO WE'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS, OBVIOUSLY, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, VERY CLOSELY EVERY YEAR AND WE WERE JUST ASTONISHED THAT EVERY YEAR UP UNTIL NOW YOU HAVE BEEN UNDER THE HARD CAP.

LAST YEAR WAS A SUBSTANTIAL.

SURE. SO OUR ACTUAL COSTS FOR THE SINGLE TWO PERSON AND FAMILY ARE WHAT FOR 2025.

[INAUDIBLE] THE REASON I ASK IS, YOU KNOW, DJ'S TELLING US THAT PERHAPS THERE WILL BE SOME ACTION FOR, YOU KNOW, A LATE STAGE LAME DUCK INCREASE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS AN AVID WATCHER OF WHAT IT IS THE LEGISLATURE IS DOING, OR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT TRY TO LOBBY OUR LEGISLATORS TO TRY TO ACT ON THIS, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR, TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE COULD FALL UNDER THAT CAP AGAIN.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES.

SO RIGHT NOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

THE EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY ARE NOT PAYING ANYTHING TOWARDS THE COST OF HEALTH CARE.

CURRENTLY. RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT. WAS THAT YOUR QUESTION? HOW MUCH ARE THEY PAYING NOW OR WHAT YOUR PREMIUMS ARE? WHAT IS OUR COST OF SINGLE TWO PERSON AND FAMILY FOR 2025? YEAH, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THOSE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY.

[INAUDIBLE]. I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE IT'S NOT IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE.

[INAUDIBLE]. WHAT'S THAT? THE 22% MAY NOT BE SPREAD EQUALLY OVER THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

THAT'S TRUE. [INAUDIBLE].

PERHAPS THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN GET BACK TO US ON THEN.

SINCE WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL NUMBERS ANYWAY.

BUT YEAH, THAT'S ALSO VERY I MEAN, THE PA 152 QUESTION FEELS PRETTY CUT AND DRY.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

RIGHT. IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO UNDULY BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE LEGISLATURE REALLY SCREWING UP AND NOT GIVING MUNICIPALITIES WHAT THEY NEED.

THE HSA CONVERSATION IS MUCH TRICKIER FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS AN ELECTIVE BENEFIT THAT WE HAVE DONE AND EVERY YEAR THAT I HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD AND WE HAVE DONE THIS, IT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERY MUNICIPALITY DOES.

[01:05:04]

BUT THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY THE REALITY THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN AND NOW THAT I SEE THE HISTORICAL NUMBERS, IT'S EVEN MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE THE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET US TO A SIMILAR OR COMPARABLE BENEFIT IS MUCH LARGER THAN EVEN THE COST OF COVERING THIS PA 152 OPT OUT.

SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT AT THE MOMENT.

I THINK HAVING SOME, YOU KNOW, CLARITY ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR COSTS ARE AND HOW CLOSE TO THE CAP, YOU KNOW, IN THE INDIVIDUAL WE ARE WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE WE CAN SORT OF DO SOME SPECULATING ON WHAT THE LEGISLATURE MIGHT DO FOR NEXT YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, IS THIS A ONE TIME THING? IS THIS A PRECEDENCE THAT WE'RE TRYING, THAT WE'RE SETTING? YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FROM A DOLLARS AND CENTS THING? BUDGETARILY. TRUSTEE DIDN'T YOU TELL US EARLY ON IN THIS DISCUSSION HOW MUCH THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SINGLE, TWO PERSON AND FAMILY? YES.

UNDER THE NEW RATES.

SO IF WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AND ADD THEM TO THE CAP, THAT'S OUR ANNUAL COST.

MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF PAYS.

BECAUSE THOSE WERE PER PAY. RIGHT.

THAT WAS PER PAY. IT WASN'T $800 PER PAY WAS IT? NO. SO YOU SAID $800.

I THINK SOMETHING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A SINGLE FAMILY, THAT'S AN ANNUAL PAYMENT.

TREASURER DESCHAINE MENTIONED THAT, I THINK.

YEAH. SO THE CONTRIBUTION FOR A FAMILY, IF YOU WERE TO FOLLOW THE HARD CAP AND NOT OPT OUT, IT WOULD BE 49/81 PER PAY.

SO WHICH IS ABOUT $600 A YEAR.

YEAH. NO.

49, 81 PER PAY.

YEAH. 49/81.

I'M SORRY. IT'S. WELL, THERE SHOULD BE THREE NUMBERS, RIGHT? IT SHOULD BE SINGLE.

TWO PERSON FAMILY.

CORRECT. A FAMILY IS 49, 81 PER PAY.

OKAY. SO FAMILY GETS WHAT? ROUGHLY 600 PER ANNUM.

YEAH. OKAY.

NO, IT'D BE 1200 BECAUSE IT'S 26.

PAGE 26..

YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU.

YEAH. MATH.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? I HAVE TO SAY, I'M STILL CONFUSED.

THIS IS TOTALLY OUT OF MY WHEELHOUSE.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU GOT TO $1,200 PER PAY? THAT WOULD BE THE $1,200 PER YEAR.

SORRY. PER YEAR. $49 A PAY PERIOD.

I GOT IT, AND THAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVING THE EMPLOYEES.

THAT'S A DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE FAMILY CAP AND OUR PREMIUM RATE, THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE TO, THE EMPLOYEE PAYS, THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE TO. IF WE HAD 81 PER PAY.

HARD CAP IS X, SO OUR COSTS ARE X PLUS 49 PER PAY.

OKAY. SO THIS WOULD BE IF WE DID NOT OPT DID NOT OPT OUT.

RIGHT OKAY I'M GETTING KNOCKED UP.

HE'S STRAIGHT I THINK THE 134,000 OVER CAP.

IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO OPT OUT, WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT.

THAT IS ADDITIONAL THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY.

AM I UNDERSTANDING IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO OPT OUT, IT GETS PASSED ALONG TO THE EMPLOYEES? NO, THE 134,000.

IF WE CHOOSE TO OPT OUT, WE WILL HAVE TO FIND IN OUR BUDGET.

WE'LL FIND THAT MONEY. OKAY.

SO THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL COST.

YES AND ADDED TO OUR BUDGET.

BUT I'M HEARING BUT THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S NO HSA MONEY TO DISTRIBUTE, CORRECT? THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITION TO CORRECT.

THAT WOULD BE A SECOND BOARD ACTION ON.

DO YOU WANT TO FUND ANY OF IT OR PORTION OF IT, OR SAME AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN OR NOTHING, RIGHT AND SO THESE ARE THE TWO SEPARATE, RIGHT.

THESE ARE THE HISTORICAL AMOUNTS FOR THAT.

YEAH ANDSO THIS IS FOR THE YEAR.

YES. THE TOTALS ARE THERE.

ALL RIGHT. HOLY SMOKES.

HALF $1 MILLION HERE.

WE'RE NOT QUITE.

WELL, IT'S A CHUNK OF CHANGE ON A BUDGET.

OUR BUDGET WAS TIGHT TO BEGIN WITH.

THANK YOU. I THINK I HAVE IT.

TRUSTEE TREZISE, YOU DID SAY YOU HAD BEEN HOLDING SOME OF THIS BACK? YES. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU.

YEAH. ON AVERAGE, I THINK THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS, WE HELD BACK 30,000.

SO YOU MAY HAVE 180,000 OR 90,000 OR 100,000 OR WHATEVER THAT HAD BEEN HELD BACK AND NOT USED FOR HSA.

IT DIDN'T STAY.

IT GOT EATEN. OKAY.

BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY, IT HAS BEEN USED.

[01:10:04]

YOU'VE HEARD A FAIR AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION.

HOW DO YOU HOPE TO GO AHEAD? WELL, I BELIEVE IT'S THE TOWNSHIP'S POSITION, AND IT'S OUR HOPE.

BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH GALLAGHER ON THAT THE BOARD MIGHT CONSIDER A WILLINGNESS TO EXEMPT FROM PA 152 FOR 2025 AND ABSORB THE PREMIUM SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PREMIUMS TO THE EMPLOYEES OR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE.

SURE. SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WE PASS A RESOLUTION OPTING OUT OF PA 152 BOARD MEMBERS.

DO YOU SEE ANY DO YOU HAVE ANY DISAGREEMENT WITH THAT COURSE OF ACTION? AND I PRESUME THAT WOULD COME WITH A AND ALSO MAKE BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS TO PROCESS SAME.

WE WILL.

SO THE BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS WON'T COME UNTIL THE FIRST QUARTER.

WE WILL BRING A PLAN FOR WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

YEAH. YOU'LL LOOK AT IT AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.

EXACTLY. TRUSTEE WILSON, ONE QUESTION.

SO THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE TO THE EMPLOYEES IF WE PAY THIS ADDITIONAL 134,000 TO BRING US WITHIN THE CAP AGAIN.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

SO NOTHING CHANGES FROM 24 TO 25 FOR THE EMPLOYEES.

THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU AND THEN WE WOULD REVISIT TO NEXT YEAR.

WE COULD EVEN COME UNDER THE HARD CAP NEXT YEAR.

AND AS CATHY SAID YEAH 26 THAT WE CAN REVIEW IT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND DECIDE IF WE'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE PAY BECAUSE WE COULD COME UNDER IN THE FUTURE.

TRUSTEE BUT AS YOU HAD SAID, SUPERVISOR, THAT DOESN'T COVER THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE HSA.

CORRECT. THIS ONLY COVERS OUR INSURED EMPLOYEES IF WE PAY THE 132, WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION AS TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO TREAT THOSE IN OUR NHA'S.

WELL, THE HSA IS JUST A COMPONENT OF OUR HEALTH CARE PLAN.

CORRECT. THIS IS JUST AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION INTO THE HSA, AND THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE.

SO THOSE WHO CARRY OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, TOWNSHIP INSURANCE RECEIVE THE HSA.

OH, OKAY. SO THAT SET.

SO I'M SORRY I'M THINKING OF MORE QUESTIONS THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT IT.

THAT'S OKAY. YEAH.

THIS IS GOOD DIALOG. IT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

RIGHT? SO THE QUESTION OF OPT OUT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CONTRIBUTION THAT AN EMPLOYEE MAKES TOWARD THEIR HEALTH CARE COSTS.

IS THAT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT? WELL, THEY'LL STILL HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, CLAIMS AND CO-PAYS, DEDUCTIBLES.

LET ME REPHRASE. SO RIGHT NOW, OUR EMPLOYEES PAY.

WHAT? TOWARD THEIR PREMIUMS OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECK.

ZERO. THAT'S INCREDIBLY RARE, RIGHT? LET'S JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

VERY FORTUNATE AND GRATEFUL AND IF THEIR CONTRIBUTION PERCENTAGE WERE TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT WOULD, BUT IF IT WERE TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME, WOULD THAT IMPACT AT ALL OUR HITTING THE HARD CAP, OR IS IT JUST BASED ON WHAT THE TOTAL COST IS? SO THE HARD CAP, AGAIN, IS JUST BASED ON YOUR TOTAL COST FOR THE MEDICAL PLAN FOR THAT NEW PLAN YEAR.

SO YOU HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS? YOU'VE GOT YOUR LIMITATION.

ONCE YOU DO ALL YOUR CALCULATIONS, YOU'VE GOT THAT HARD CAP AMOUNT THAT YOU CANNOT GO OVER.

SO IF YOU GO OVER THAT AMOUNT, YOU'RE OUT OF COMPLIANCE.

SO I DON'T KNOW AM I ANSWERING THAT CORRECTLY.

RIGHT. MY QUESTION IS IT'S THAT'S IT'S JUST COSTS VERSUS HARD CAP AMOUNT.

THAT'S ALL THAT'S ALL THAT GETS COMPARED WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER WE'VE GONE OVER THE HARD CAP, CORRECT TOTAL COSTS FOR EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE PAYMENTS TOWARD HEALTH INSURANCE AND HARD CAP.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DO WITH THE CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT TO WHAT THE MEMBERS ARE PAYING.

IT'S JUST THE TOTAL COST OF THE MEDICAL PLAN ITSELF, RIGHT? SO IF OUR SO IF THE TOWNSHIP AS AN ENTITY, AS AN EMPLOYER WAS PAYING LESS, THAT AND THE EMPLOYEES WERE PAYING A PORTION OF THAT HAS NO IMPACT ON WHETHER WE EXCEED OUR CAP OR NOT.

BUT LET ME CLARIFY ONE THING, BECAUSE ANY FUNDING TO THE HSA COUNTS TOWARDS THE HARD CAP.

SO ON THAT SCREEN THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT THAT SHOWS THE ANNUAL AND THE MONTHLY CAP FIGURES SAY YOU'RE BELOW THE HARD CAP TODAY ON A SINGLE RATE BY, YOU KNOW, $10. IF YOU AS AN ORGANIZATION DECIDE TO FUND THE HSA MORE THAN THAT, $10.

TECHNICALLY, YOU'RE OVER THE HARD CAP AT THAT POINT, AND THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR THE PENALTIES THAT COME WITH THAT.

SO ANY FUNDING DOES COUNT TOWARDS THOSE HARD CAP FIGURES.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DISCUSSION OF OPTING OUT OR NOT.

THEY DO GO HAND IN HAND A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU'RE COMBINING EVERYTHING.

IF YOU OPT OUT OF PA 152 COMPLETELY, THEN YOU'RE AT THE SOLE DISCRETION.

[01:15:03]

IF YOU DO NOT OPT OUT AND YOU DEFAULT TO THE HARD CAP NOW, TRULY, THIS IS YOUR MAXIMUM CEILING IN PLACE THAT THE TOWNSHIP CAN CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING OVER THAT EXCEEDS THAT.

OKAY. SO TO RECAP PLEASE.

WELL, SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH FROM THE, YOU KNOW, NODDING HEADS A MOMENT AGO THAT THE BOARD IS AMENABLE TO OPTING OUT OF 152 SO AS NOT TO DISPROPORTIONATELY DISADVANTAGE OUR EMPLOYEES AND PUSH THE COST OF THIS ON TO THEM.

THE QUESTION OF HSA CONTRIBUTIONS IS GOING TO BE A SECOND AND MUCH MORE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION, AND ONE THAT WE MAY WANT TO HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BUDGETARY IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE.

ALSO, WHAT'S REQUIRED OF US, YOU KNOW, BY OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THERE'S A LOT AT PLAY IN THAT DECISION MAKING POWER NOW THAT SOMETHING IS NOT NEARLY AS EASY AS IT USED TO BE TO MAKE HAPPEN.

RIGHT AND IT'S ABOUT A YEAR BY YEAR, AND I'M SORRY.

GO AHEAD. NO. GO AHEAD.

FINISH. WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE CONTRACTS SIMPLY SAY THAT WE IF WE HAVE THE FUNDS BASICALLY WE WOULD PUT TOWARDS AN HSA.

SO IN THIS CASE IF WE'RE OVER THE HARD CAP WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS.

SO WHATEVER THE BOARD DECIDES TO DO AND IF THEY'RE OPEN TO IT AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE'RE SHARING HERE, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD COST IN ORDER TO DISTRIBUTE AN HSA AMOUNT.

GOT IT. OKAY.

TRUSTEE WILSON. WHAT I JUST HEARD DJ SAY IS, IF WE DECIDE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE HSAS WILL BE OVER THE CAP.

IF WE PARTICIPATED WITH THE PA 150, IF WE OPT OUT, IT'S A DIFFERENT BALLGAME.

YEAH. OKAY. SO IF WE OPT OUT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ISSUE TO DEAL WITH.

CORRECT. OKAY. GOTCHA. YEAH.

THERE'S NO STATE LAW OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING OR HAVE TO COMPLY WITH AT THAT POINT.

THANK YOU. YES.

OKAY. GREAT QUESTION.

TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. I'M SORRY I'VE BEEN INTERRUPTED BY YOU TRYING TO SAY STUFF.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE RECOGNIZED.

JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THE SIMPLICITY OF IT.

BECAUSE THIS IS HOW I KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN.

WE HAVE TWO FIRES GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

ONE IS DEALING WITH THE COST OF JUST THE MEDICAL HEALTH CARE.

YES AND WHETHER WE WANT TO OPT OUT OR CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE.

WE OPT OUT.

THEN WE CAN COVER THE COST FOR EMPLOYEES INSTEAD OF PASSING IT ON.

CORRECT. RIGHT.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST ISSUE.

TAKE CARE OF THE EMPLOYEES AND IN TERMS OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH CARE, THEY WON'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING IF WE CHOOSE TO OPT OUT.

RIGHT. THEN THE SO WE DO THAT, THEN THE NEXT FIRE IS OKAY.

WE HAD THE CHERRY ON TOP ALL THESE YEARS WITH THIS EXTRA EXTRA MONEY FOR HSA.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW.

SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO GRAPPLE WITH THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO FIND THAT IN THE BUDGET.

THAT'S FOR ANOTHER CONVERSATION.

BUT THAT'S THE TWO SCENARIOS THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST RIGHT NOW.

CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT.

YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE.

YEAH AND IN THAT $49 IS THE MONEY.

IF WE DON'T DO IT, THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY THAT PER PAYCHECK.

PER FAMILY PER.

RIGHT. YES. RIGHT.

EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE TO PAY THAT FOR WHATEVER THE BREAKDOWN IS.

FAMILY OR. YEAH.

OKAY. YES. PER PAY PERIOD.

GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? OH, WELL, I WAS HOPING IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

SO WITH THE INFORMATION, WITH THE HSAS THAT HAVE BEEN PAID OUT HISTORICALLY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL DEPOSITS, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA AND WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION AS URGENTLY AS THE PA 152.

WE'VE GOT THE HEALTH CARE COALITION.

WE'LL SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE UNION MEMBERS AND THE NONUNION MEMBERS, AS WE DO EVERY YEAR AFTER WE WORK WITH GALLAGHER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE TALK IT THROUGH.

BUT THE HSA, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THAT TOTAL DEPOSITS LINE, THERE IS A LOT OF FLUCTUATION EVEN GOING BACK TO JUST 2020 OR 2017, WHICH WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.

SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER TIME.

SO THAT WAY YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

YEAH. I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S WORTH LOOKING AT SOME YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES OVER THE HARD CAP, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.

RIGHT. THERE ARE BENEFITS TO HAVING THAT MONEY IN AN HSA

[01:20:09]

ABSOLUTELY AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING NOT FOR TODAY, BUT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TIME WE ENTER INTO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS, WE SHOULD LOOK AT BECAUSE IT'S BETTER FOR, YOU KNOW, TAX ADVANTAGE FOR EVERYONE IN THAT CASE.

BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOT AGREEMENT FROM THE BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN OPT OUT OF PA 152, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A HARDER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR THE HSA CONTRIBUTION LATER IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, AND SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU.

SO THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS AT GALLAGHER FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.

THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY.

CAN SOMEONE LET TREASURER DESCHAINE KNOW THAT WE'RE MOVING ON HERE.

THANK YOU, STEPHEN, FOR MAKING THE REMOTE HAPPEN POSSIBLE.

SORRY. WE HAD LOTS OF QUESTIONS.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13 C.

[13.C. Memorandum of Understanding with Ingham County for Fire Emergency Boat Launch]

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

GOOD EVENING.

MR. SUPERVISOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

BEFORE YOU IS A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN POTENTIAL MEMO BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY PARKS, I BELIEVE, OR JUST WILL SAY INGHAM COUNTY AND REALLY, WHAT THIS BOILS DOWN TO GIVE IT THE MOST SIMPLEST TERMS, IS THERE ARE TIMES DUE TO OUR OPERATIONAL STAFFING LEVELS THAT WHEN A WATER RESCUE EMERGENCY COMES IN IT MAY PROVE DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE THAT EXTRA BODY TO GET TO THE BOAT AND BE ABLE TO RELOCATE THAT BOAT TO WHERE THE WATER EMERGENCY IS AND GIVEN, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, FROM A COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION STANDPOINT, WHERE IS A WATER EMERGENCY GOING TO HAPPEN IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP? IT'S GOING TO BE 99% OF THE TIME ON LAKE LANSING.

NOT TO SAY THEY DON'T HAPPEN IN OTHER PLACES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, IN PROBABLY THE 24 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, I CAN COUNT HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE ON ONE HAND.

SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS, IS WE WANT TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY TO ALLOW US TO RELOCATE OUR RESCUE BOAT TO LAKE LANSING, PARK SOUTH AND KEEP IT MOORED THERE DURING PARK SEASON, WHICH I BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE IT EXACTLY, BUT I'M ASSUMING IT'S APRIL TO OCTOBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOARD.

ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE TREZISE.

IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT DEAL FOR US AND FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S A NO COST AGREEMENT AND WE'VE GOT 24 HOUR ACCESS TO THE BOAT AS NECESSARY ON THE LAKE.

I SEE NO REASON NOT TO APPROVE THIS.

ANY. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

DON'T YOU MAKE A MOVE. THAT'S FOR DISCUSSION, NOT FOR ACTION.

I SEE NO ISSUE WITH THIS EITHER.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH INGHAM COUNTY AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS IN LAKE LANSING AND I THINK THIS MOU YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTS THE SPIRIT OF THAT

[01:25:01]

AS WITH ANYTHING, ANY LEGAL AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN WORKED ON BY OUR LAWYERS, IT APPEARS TO BE FOUR PAGES LONGER THAN I THINK IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE.

BUT, HEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THEY GET PAID BY THE HOUR.

SEEING NO OTHER DISAGREEMENT THAT I CAN SEE WE'LL BRING THIS BACK FOR CONSENT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

NEXT UP IS ITEM 13 D OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.

[13.D. Opioid Settlement Funds]

I DIDN'T FIND ANY MONEY, SUPERVISOR.

THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT BEGAN IN 2023 AND I'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH MY POWERPOINT HERE TO KIND OF DISCUSS EXACTLY WHERE THESE FUNDS CAME FROM, HOW MUCH WE CAN EXPECT IN THE FUTURE, AND WHAT THEY CAN BE USED FOR.

SO OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS, THIS IS A ESSENTIALLY A LARGE POOL OF MONEY THAT CAME FROM A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT BEGAN IN 2021.

WELL, WAS INITIALLY SETTLEMENTS WERE MADE IN 2021 FROM THREE VERY LARGE PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTORS.

IN 2022, SETTLEMENTS WERE REACHED WITH THREE ADDITIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTORS AND IT PROVIDES $26 BILLION TO VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NATIONWIDE.

THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WILL RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY $1.6 BILLION TO BE DISTRIBUTED OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

SO WHAT HOW HAVE OPIOIDS IMPACTED MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN 2023? THERE WERE 33 REPORTED OPIOID OVERDOSES IN OUR TOWNSHIP.

AS OF OCTOBER 1ST THIS YEAR, WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER 22 OPIOID OVERDOSES IN OUR TOWNSHIP.

THIS IS KIND OF A HIDDEN THING.

PEOPLE DON'T SEE THIS.

PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT THIS. BUT IT DOES HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT DOES AFFECT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO AS OF TODAY, WE'VE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY $70,000 OF THE $258,000 THAT'S GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS, UP TO 2038.

SO FAR, WE'VE PURCHASED ONE THING WITH THIS MONEY THAT WAS OUR NARCAN POUCHES THAT ARE CARRIED ON OUR EXTERNAL VEST CARRIERS SO THAT MY OFFICERS CAN BE PROTECTED IF THEY EVER ARE EXPOSED TO AN OPIOID, AND THEY IF THEY FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THAT, THEY CAN GIVE THEMSELVES A DOSE AND SAVE THEMSELVES.

BUT THESE FUNDS ARE RESTRICTED AS THEY SHOULD BE.

THEY CAN BE SPENT UNDER THE THREE FOLLOWING THINGS ADDRESSING THE MISUSE OF OPIOID PRODUCTS.

I CALL THAT EDUCATION, TREATMENT AND MITIGATION OF OPIOID USE AND RELATED DISORDERS, TREATMENT AND MITIGATION OF OTHER ALLEGED EFFECTS OF THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC. I CALL THAT EQUIPMENT.

I'LL TALK ABOUT TREATMENT FIRST, BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRICKY ONE.

GIVEN THAT WE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE $258,000, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, DON'T GET ME WRONG.

BUT IF YOU PORTION THAT OUT OVER 15 YEARS, IT AVERAGES ABOUT $17,000.

IT'S VERY TRICKY FOR US TO COME UP WITH A TREATMENT PROGRAM AND HIRE SOMEBODY TO RUN A TREATMENT PROGRAM, AS DESCRIBED IN SOME OF THE LITERATURE THAT I HAVE ON THAT BUDGET, IT REALLY ISN'T FEASIBLE.

SO I FOCUS MORE ON THE EDUCATION AND THE EQUIPMENT SIDE OF THIS.

SO JUST TO REITERATE, EQUIPMENT FOR EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES IN THE PUBLIC AND EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYEES IN THE PUBLIC.

SO I'LL TALK ABOUT TREATMENT FIRST.

SOME OF THE OR I'M SORRY, I'LL TALK ABOUT EQUIPMENT FIRST.

SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS ARE HANDHELD NARCOTIC IDENTIFIERS.

TRUNARC IS WHAT THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS CALLED AND IT'S REALLY VERY STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT.

ESSENTIALLY, THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS THAT HANDHELD DEVICE RIGHT THERE SHOOTS AN INFRARED LASER, AND IT CAN SHOOT IT THROUGH PACKAGING SO IT WILL GO THROUGH PLASTIC.

SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN A PILL BOTTLE, WE HAVE SOMETHING IN A BAGGIE.

WE HAVE LET'S SAY A LETTER COMES INTO THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAS A POWDER ON IT IN OUR MAILROOM, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

I CAN USE THIS DEVICE AND WE CAN.

IT IS IT'S LIKE 99% ACCURATE.

IN FACT, ITS ACCURACY HAS HELD UP IN COURT.

AS FAR AS HOW EFFECTIVE THIS IS, AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF A GAME CHANGER, A LIFE CHANGE, A LIFE SAVER FOR US, BECAUSE MY OFFICERS NO LONGER HAVE TO OPEN UP PACKAGING AND EXPOSE THEMSELVES, POTENTIALLY TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS HAS FENTANYL IN IT OR ANY OTHER OPIOID.

THEY CAN SHOOT IT RIGHT THROUGH THE PACKAGE.

NOW, THIS IS NOT A CHEAP PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

THESE ARE GENERALLY ABOUT $30,000, BUT THEY HAVE THESE THAT WILL ALSO HAVE DUAL PURPOSE.

THEY CAN IDENTIFY EXPLOSIVES AS WELL.

SO REALLY NEAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE UNDER UNDER THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND.

[01:30:07]

AND YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE THERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF HERE OF WHAT THIS DOES.

YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE THIS COMPLETELY, AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT OURS WOULD KIND OF LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE THE COMPANY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO MAKE A MOCK UP FOR US OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC AND WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO DO THAT, RIGHT? WE HAVE A WEBSITE, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

WE HAVE RAVE, WHICH IS FANTASTIC, BUT THEY ALL HAVE THEIR LIMITATIONS.

THIS IS JUST ANOTHER GOOD WAY FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC.

IF YOU SEE THE BIG WHITE BOX [INAUDIBLE] THAT WERE SENT OUT BY THE TRENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE MAY SUBSCRIBE TO RAVE, AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE'RE ONLY SENDING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION TO THEM THROUGH THAT, RIGHT? THIS IS MORE GENERAL COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.

AND THE WAY THAT THIS KIND OF TIES INTO OPIOIDS IS, AND THIS IS BEING USED BY OTHER AGENCIES WITH THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND.

WE PUT A BUTTON ON THERE AND I WOULD WORK WITH MY FRIEND PHIL PAVONA, WHO IS OUR LOCAL CHAPTER PRESIDENT FOR.

USED TO BE FAMILIES AGAINST NARCOTICS.

IT'S FACE ADDICTION NOW AND HE WOULD HELP ME COME UP WITH EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE COULD PUSH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH A BUTTON ON HERE THAT ESSENTIALLY WOULD SAY OPIOID INFORMATION OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, AND WE COULD CONNECT PEOPLE WITH THE RESOURCES THEY WOULD NEED IF THEY KNEW SOMEBODY WHO WAS STRUGGLING OR IF THEY NEEDED ANY OTHER INFORMATION. BUT THE BENEFIT TO THE TOWNSHIP ALONG WITH THAT IS WE CAN REACH OUT AND TOUCH PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT EASIER WITH MAYBE NOT EMERGENCY INFORMATION. MORE INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FIREWORKS ARE TONIGHT, RIGHT? OR THERE'S A WEATHER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WEATHER COMING IN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

HERE'S KIND OF WHAT OURS WOULD LOOK LIKE.

I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF SMALL.

BUT WE COULD HAVE A GENERAL SITE THAT SHOWS THAT WOULD HAVE BUTTONS ON IT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, PARKS DEPARTMENT AND JUST AGAIN, A GOOD WAY FOR US TO, TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM INFORMATION.

AGAIN, THIS IS JUST WHAT OUR WHAT OUR POTENTIAL HOMEPAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE ON THIS GOV APP EQUIPMENT.

THIS IS SOMETHING I'M GOING TO ALLOW CHIEF HAMEL TO SPEAK ON.

HE HAS AN INITIATIVE ON HEART SAFETY.

HEART SAFE COMMUNITY, I THINK IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.

AND HE'S GOING TO SPEAK ON THAT LATER, BUT STRIKER HAS LITERATURE THAT THAT SAYS THAT THIS CAN BE USED FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS THAT THEY PROVIDE.

SO GETTING MORE AEDS IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THOSE AEDS PROVIDING NARCAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE CAN USE THIS MONEY FOR TRAINING AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE TEACHING DARE AND ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.

IT COSTS ABOUT $6,000 FOR ME TO SEND A OFFICER THROUGH THE TRAINING THAT COULD BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.

OUR YOUTH CITIZEN'S ACADEMY, WHERE WE'RE BRINGING THE KIDS IN, AS WELL AS THE ADULT CITIZENS ACADEMY.

WE WOULD HAVE PRESENTATIONS DURING OUR ACADEMIES ON OPIOIDS.

AND LASTLY, OUTREACH, AND YOU'LL SEE A MOCK UP OF A POP UP TENT, ESSENTIALLY JUST ANY WAY THAT WE COULD GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.

AGAIN, WORKING WITH FAMILIES, I'M SORRY, A FACE ADDICTION NOW IN COMING UP WITH LITERATURE THAT WE COULD PRINT AND THEN HAVING THINGS LIKE THESE POP UP TENTS THAT WE COULD PUT OUT AT CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, OR OUR MENTAL HEALTH DAYS AT THE FARMERS MARKET, OR EVEN AT THE FARMERS MARKET, AND BRING PEOPLE TO US SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL THINGS THAT WE NEED.

SO I GUESS AS I COME TO YOU TODAY, I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THIS AND PRESENT IT TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE PROGRAM AND THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY ON.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YES, SIR. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES. TRUSTEE WILSON, HAVE YOU DECIDED ON A PRIORITY LIST OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO GIVEN ANTICIPATION OF GETTING MONEY IN 2025? YES. SO WE CURRENTLY WE ALREADY HAVE $70,000.

SO WE CAN WE HAVE THIS MONEY NOW.

I WOULD PUT THE HANDHELD NARCOTIC IDENTIFIER AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST.

I ALSO THINK THAT THE APPLICATION WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC, THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

SO AS I THINK ABOUT PRIORITIZING THINGS, THAT'S WHERE I WOULD PUT THAT.

BUT I WOULD ALSO WORK WITH CHIEF HAMEL BECAUSE HE'S ALSO A PART OF THIS AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, PART OF THE REASON WE'RE HERE TONIGHT IS TO JUST START THIS

[01:35:04]

WE WANTED TO START THIS CONVERSATION NOW, AND I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THE POUCHES, THAT WE AUTHORIZED A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR TO USE A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY FOR THE POUCHES.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF ANTICIPATE THIS GOING IN MANY WAYS.

BUT WE WANTED TO START THAT CONVERSATION NOW TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD DOESN'T HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES OR OTHER THINGS THEY'VE HEARD OF.

GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO MULL IT OVER A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WE WOULD THEN COME BACK WITH SORT OF AN INITIAL ROUND OF USES FOR THE FUNDS.

TRUSTEE. YEAH.

I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE GOV APP.

IS THAT IN AN ENROLLMENT OR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE SIMILAR TO RAVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD DOWNLOAD THE APP? YEAH. SO AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC GOES, YEP.

IT'S A FREE APP TO THE PUBLIC.

SO THEY WOULD JUST GO ON AND I MEAN IF YOU WERE TO PUT LIKE THE TRENTON POLICE APP ON YOUR PHONE, YOU COULD SEE EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS.

THAT'S THE ONE I USE KIND OF AS A MODEL.

THIS PLAINFIELD ONE IS FANTASTIC AS WELL, BUT THERE'S NO COST TO THEM AND THEN THEY OPT IN ON WHATEVER TYPE OF NOTIFICATIONS THEY WANT.

SO WE CONTROL ALL OF THE BACK END THINGS.

SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO WELL, THERE'S A PUBLICATION ISSUE THERE, AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO GET PEOPLE TO SIGN UP SIMILAR TO RAVE.

SO YES, SIR.

IT WOULD A PROCESS THAT WOULD GROW OVER TIME, ROLL OUT OVER TIME.

YES, SIR. OKAY.

HAVE YOU ASKED THE COMMS DEPARTMENT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THIS APP? HAVE THEY EVALUATED IT AT ALL? YEAH, I DID. I ACTUALLY SO SAM DEAL AND I WENT THROUGH A PRESENTATION WITH THE GOV APP, A VIRTUAL ONE AND SHE LIKES IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YOU. SHE LIKES IT.

SHE'S SUPPORTIVE OF IT.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE WEBSITE IS REALLY WHAT SHE CONTROLS RIGHT NOW, AND SHE CAN SEE WHERE THIS WOULD ALSO BE BENEFICIAL.

SURE. BEYOND JUST EMAIL.

RIGHT. WHICH IS KIND OF HOW WE COMMUNICATE.

A LOT OF TIMES, PARKS DEPARTMENT, THERE'S A BASEBALL GAME THAT'S CANCELED OR WHATEVER.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T CHECK THEIR EMAILS, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT PUSH NOTIFICATION AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GET IT THAT SUBSCRIBES.

THANK YOU. TREASURER DESCHAINE IS IT AD SUPPORTED OR IS IT A SUBSCRIPTION COST? WE PAY TO KEEP THE APP UP.

WE PAY AND I CAN GIVE YOU APPROXIMATE COST IF YOU'D LIKE.

YES. SO INITIALLY IT'S $20,000 TO START AND IT'S APPROXIMATELY $5,000 A YEAR AFTER THAT.

TRUSTEE MCCURTIS. I'M SORRY.

WERE YOU FINISHED? I'M DONE. YES. OKAY.

THAT 5000 A YEAR, THOUGH, THAT WILL COME OUT OF THIS FUND AS WELL? THAT'S CORRECT. IF THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE DECIDED TO GO WITH.

YES, SIR. YEAH. OKAY.

CLERK GUTHRIE. DOES THIS REPLACE RAVE OR IS IT A SUPPLEMENTAL? THIS IS SUPPLEMENTAL. THIS DOES SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN RAVE.

RAVE IS FOR THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION.

THIS WOULD BE AGAIN FOR HEY, THE YOU KNOW, THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE BASEBALL GAME HAS BEEN CANCELED, RIGHT? OR I'M SENDING OUT SOMETHING THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, OUR HALLOWEEN OPEN HOUSE IS NEXT SATURDAY.

THOSE TYPES OF NOTIFICATIONS.

SO RAVE DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THOSE CAPABILITIES AT ALL.

THERE'S NOT A COMMUNITY COMPONENT IN RAVE.

BECAUSE THERE WAS IN THE OTHER SYSTEM, THERE WAS A COMMUNITY COMPONENT, WHICH IS WHY I'M ASKING.

YEAH. NOT NECESSARILY.

NO. OKAY AND THEN FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WITH THE SYSTEM THAT THEY USE, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO PUSH NOTIFICATIONS THROUGH THAT SYSTEM.

AND I KNOW THE TOWNSHIP IS EMAIL SOCIAL MEDIA BASED.

SO EVERYTHING'S TIED IN THE BACK END.

AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATIONS WOULD GO THROUGH THERE IF THAT'S PUSHED, BUT NOT ON A PHONE.

SO WHO SO, WHO WOULD BE DOING THIS WORK? I WOULD WORK. I WOULD WORK WITH SAM ON THIS BECAUSE SHE WOULD BE OUR RESIDENT EXPERT ON THIS TYPE OF THING WITH HER EXPERIENCE WITH OUR WEBSITE.

OKAY AND THEN I WOULD ASSUME THAT SHE WOULD WORK WITH EACH DIRECTOR TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION WE WANTED TO PUT ON OUR VARIOUS PAGES.

SO WOULD YOU WANT PEOPLE TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS THROUGH THE GOV APP OR ALL TOWNSHIP TYPES OF NOTIFICATIONS THROUGH THE GOV APP? OR YOU'RE JUST HERE FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION REPRESENTATION FOR THE GOV APP? NO, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I JUST SEE A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP TO BE ABLE TO PUT OUT INFORMATION THIS WAY.

I WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO GET EMERGENCY INFORMATION ANY POSSIBLE WAY THAT THEY CAN.

OKAY. OKAY.

[01:40:03]

YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT THAT CONCLUDES OUR DISCUSSION.

ITEMS. WE HAVE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, AND WE DO HAVE ONE GREEN CARD FROM JOSH NAM.

[14. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

HELLO, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JOSH NAM.

I LIVE AT 1517 RIVER TERRACE.

JUST A REAL QUICK COMMENT.

I WANT TO AGAIN EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE COMPLETION OF PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO OF THE MSU TO STILL CALLED LAKE LANSING.

AND I JUST HAD A SMALL REQUEST.

IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD SOME SIGNAGE, ESPECIALLY VISIBLE FROM THE STREETS, INDICATING WHERE THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT POINTS TO THE TRAIL ARE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU KIND OF HAVE TO KNOW WHERE IT IS.

AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THERE WAS SIGNAGE INDICATING WHERE THOSE WERE SO THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE HEAVILY USED, AND IT WOULD ALSO MAKE IT, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT SAFER SO THAT CARS WOULD HAVE SOME EXPECTATION OF, OH YEAH, THIS IS A COMMON PASSAGEWAY THAT PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS WILL BE USING.

SO THAT'S JUST A SMALL SUGGESTION THERE, AND IT MAY ALREADY BE IN THE WORKS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS, BUT THEY'RE NOT UP YET AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM THERE.

THAT'S ALL FOR ME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.

ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AT THIS TIME?

[15. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

I DID SEE SOME POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ASKING FOR THAT SIMILAR THING, AND I HAVE REACHED OUT TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS IN BOTH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT MIGHT TAKE.

SO GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 16, ADJOURNMENT.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

SECOND. SECONDED BY TRUSTEE MCCURTIS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 7:41PM.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.