[00:00:12]
YOU'RE SUCH A REGULAR, YOU SHOULD HAVE A SEAT.
OR WE SHOULD HAVE A SEAT WITH YOU OR SOMETHING.
I'M ASSUMING FOR? OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT BEING THE CASE, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OF [INAUDIBLE]
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
TOWNSHIP OF JANUARY 8TH, 2025.[2. PUBLIC REMARKS]
US. I UNDERSTAND, MR. BATTEN, YOU'RE PREPARED TO SHARE.NAME AND ADDRESS, IF YOU'D REMIND US.
PLEASE AND THANK YOU FOR COMING.
DAVID BATTEN, 1064 WOODSIDE DRIVE IN HASLETT.
WHAT'S UP? WELL, JUST A FEW THINGS BEFORE WE FIND THE GROWING SEASON UPON US, AND IT WILL COME.
WE STARTED AND IT WAS JUST A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT GOT TOGETHER.
WISHING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND WE GATHERED TWO AND A HALF TONS OF FOOD THAT SUMMER.
WHAT WAS SIGNIFICANT, OF COURSE, WAS THAT IT WAS ALL FROM THE VENDORS.
THAT WAS THE PROCESS THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME.
AT THE END OF THE MARKET DAY, THEY WOULD DONATE WHAT THEY WISHED TO DO, AND WE ENDED UP WITH THAT TOTAL THE SECOND YEAR DECIDED TO GET SOME HELP IN TERMS OF ORGANIZING AND [INAUDIBLE] JOINED ME.
BUT THERE WERE PROBABLY 30, 35 VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT AND IN 2023, WE DECIDED TO TRY TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SHOPPERS AT THE MARKET IN THIS DONATION GATHERING PROCESS.
SO IN 2023, WE INCREASED TO THREE AND A HALF TONS OF FOOD.
THE VENDORS AGAIN STOOD RIGHT IN THERE AND PROVIDED THREE TONS, BUT THE SHOPPERS CONTRIBUTED 850 POUNDS THAT YEAR.
AND THEN LAST YEAR DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GET HELP.
BUT IN 2024, LAST YEAR, WE INCREASED THE EFFORT, THANKS PARTLY TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR A GRANT TO AGAIN TRY TO INCREASE INTEREST WITHIN THE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SHOPPERS AT THE MARKET TO PARTICIPATE.
IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE SUMMER.
WE ENDED UP WITH FOUR AND A HALF TONS.
THE VENDORS HUNG IN THERE WITH THREE AND A HALF, BUT SHOPPERS WERE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE EVEN MORE.
THEY INCREASED FROM 800 TO 1300 POUNDS AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS AND INCLUDE MORE PEOPLE IN THE EFFORT AND WE BELIEVE THE GRANT PROVIDED BY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCREASED SHOPPER DONATIONS.
SO WE ALSO NOTICED DURING THIS TIME THAT LAST YEAR, AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHOPPERS WHO WERE ARE ASKING ABOUT DONATING FOOD FROM THEIR PERSONAL GARDEN.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T REALLY ARRANGED OR SET UP FOR ANY TYPE OF PROCESS LIKE THAT.
BUT IT DID LEAD US TO BEGIN INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY AND BENEFITS OF SUCH A PROGRAM FOR ALL GARDENERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE EXPECT TO REACH A DECISION SHORTLY AND HOPEFULLY ANOTHER EXPERIMENT WILL TURN OUT TO BE PROFITABLE FOR THOSE IN NEED OF FOOD AND REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WASTE, THAT FOOD WASTE THAT GOES INTO OUR LANDFILLS.
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAD TO SAY TONIGHT.
WOW. THAT'S JUST MAGICAL STUFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT WITH US AND THANK YOU FOR THESE EFFORTS.
GOOD ON YOU FOR LEADING THAT TEAM.
[3. CHANGES TO/APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
MOVING ON TO CONSIDERATION OF OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SUGGEST ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA AS CIRCULATED?
[00:05:04]
I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT ONE ITEM OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS, WE CAN CALL IT SINCE WE HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL ADOPT THIS AGENDA AS AMENDED.
[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOVING ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK TYPOS THAT I CAUGHT JUST BEFORE WE STARTED, AND THE LIST OF THOSE PRESENT IN THE MIDDLE, WE MIDDLE WE HAVE TOP FRAIZER, ONE OF MY FAVORITE FRAIZER THE VERY TOP OF THE FRAIZER I UNDERSTAND.
THEN AT THE TOP OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
PARAGRAPH BEGINNING WITH MY NAME.
MOST OF THE TOWNSHIP HAD BEEN CULTIVATED UNTIL THE 1950S.
IT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY THERE AND SOMEHOW THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP ADJOURNED AT 08:03PM. ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS, DELETIONS, SUBTRACTIONS FROM THE MINUTES? YEAH, PLEASE. HELLO? HI. I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE FOR MY TARDINESS.
THE SNOW RESULTED IN A BIT LATER THAN I WANTED.
NICHOLAS LENS. GOOD TO MEET YOU ALL.
MY NAME IS SPELLED INCORRECTLY ON THE NEW APPOINTMENTS.
CURRENTLY DROPPED IN S SO GOOD OF THE FOOTER.
GOOD. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
AND PLEASE AT ANY POINT IN THE MEETING, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOME WORDS OF INTRODUCTION, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO OR HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED IN THE PAST TO HAVE TRUSTEE TREZISE TO JOIN OUR MEETINGS AND REALLY BENEFITED FROM HIS, HIS PERSPECTIVE.
SO THESE KINDS OF LIAISONS, I THINK ARE SUPER IMPORTANT AND THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS EXISTED.
IT'S BEEN SINCE MY TIME HERE THAT WE STARTED TO DO MORE OF THAT CROSS-POLLINATION.
IT'S GOOD TO MEET ALL OF YOU WHO I HAVEN'T MET BEFORE.
IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A DRINKING BY A FIRE HOSE KIND OF JOB OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, AS I'M LITERALLY LATE TO THIS ONE AND GETTING UP TO SPEED ON EVERYTHING, BUT YOU KNOW, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BOARD ON THIS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO YOU KNOW, PULL ME ASIDE IF NEED BE OR ANYTHING TO VOICE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO WITH THE BOARD.
BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANYTHING FORWARD.
SUPER. JUST A LITTLE HEADS UP LATER ON, UNDER BOARD LIAISON REPORTS.
I TRIED TO WATCH THE BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND I GOT AS FAR AS THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THEN I TUNED IN FOR THE LAST PART OF THE LIQUOR LICENSE, AND THEN I LOST ALL CONNECTIONS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT WITH GOALS.
I'M NOT GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE LATER ON WE CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THAT.
YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO PULL THAT UP AS WE ADOPTED IT.
SUPER. WELL, WE'VE JUST NOW I THINK WE SAID WITHOUT OBJECTION, THOSE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED, AS AMENDED, WITH THAT LAST CORRECTION.
[New Appointments]
YEAH. NOW THAT WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, MAYBE WE SHOULD DO THE SAME.REAL QUICK. SO I'M BILL MCCONNELL, RETIRED PROFESSOR FROM MSU, WORKING THERE PART TIME.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR AGES, AND I ALSO SIT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I'M LAURA BELISLE. THIS IS MY FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING HERE.
I WORK FOR THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE, MPH, WHICH IS REALLY A CONSULTANT FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND I'VE GOSH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
JUST REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT.
MY BACKGROUND IS IN BIOLOGY AND ALL SORTS OF INITIATIVES WITH WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE. GREAT.
[00:10:04]
RECRUITED BY LEROY TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ENERGY TEAM, WHICH I CONTINUE TO DO.AND THEN ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER, AND HERE I AM ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
I WAS INTRODUCED THIS SUMMER FROM COMMISSIONER PETERSON, AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE WORKING.
THIS IS THIS WILL BE MY FIRST FULL YEAR.
I HAVE BEEN A PART OF VARIOUS CLUBS AND OTHER THINGS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL TO TRY AND IMPROVE OUR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S MOSTLY MY BACKGROUND IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL REALM.
I HAVE BEEN ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
NOW. THIS WILL BE FINISHING OR STARTING MY SECOND YEAR.
I JUST FINISHED A YEAR AND I AM, I WORK FOR MSU.
I'M A CONSERVATION SCIENTIST AS WELL.
SO MY BACKGROUND IS IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND INFORMATION.
SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN WETLANDS AND LAND CONSERVATION.
AND SO I SIT ON THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND I'M THE LIAISON THEN FOR THE COMMISSION AND THEN I ALSO HOPING TO KICK START THE WETLAND EDUCATION TEAM. SO I ALSO HELP ON THAT TEAM AS WELL.
I AM A CHEMISTRY TEACHER AT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVE A DEGREE FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND I AM THE FACULTY ADVISOR FOR OUR SUSTAINABILITY CLUB, WHICH HARRISON KIND OF REFERENCED THERE.
AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE I THINK MY FIRST MEETING WAS SEPTEMBER.
SO I'M, I STILL FEEL VERY NEW.
I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL FIGURING IT ALL OUT, TOO.
[Greenspace Plan]
THE GREEN SPACE PLAN.WE DID DEVOTE QUITE A BIT OF OUR LAST MEETING TO THAT DISCUSSION, AND I WANTED TO ADD THAT AFTER OUR ADJOURNMENT, I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC SORT OF GIS OVERLAYS THAT WE ENVISION, HELPING US TO ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE PROTECTED, GOT PURCHASED BY THE LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THERE THEY SEEM TO BE VERY DOABLE AND THE HOPE IS WHEN THEY BRING THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER ON BOARD, THEY'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BANDWIDTH WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP. FOR THAT KIND OF A PROSPECTIVE PROJECT THAT I GUESS IT'S ACTUALLY RETROSPECTIVE, BUT AND I DON'T HAVE A TIMETABLE ON THAT.
[Additional Item]
LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE LOOKED AT IT TOGETHER.WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN 2022, 23.
WORKING ON IT. BUT A LOT OF SEVERAL OF US WERE NOT PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND ONE WAY TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND OUR INTERESTS AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT WHAT SORTS OF THINGS WE MIGHT WANT TO TACKLE THIS YEAR WOULD BE TO GO THROUGH THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S AN ITEM THAT GETS ANY CHAMPIONS.
IT'S FAIRLY LENGTHY, BUT IT'S NOW IN A FAIRLY CONVENIENT FORMAT.
BUT BEFORE WE LOOK AT WHAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT IF THERE WERE GOALS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD YESTERDAY EVENING THAT ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD PARTICIPATE IN ADDRESSING WITH THE BOARD WE'D LOVE TO KNOW THAT I KNOW I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.
IF I SPELL IT RIGHT, THAT'S MY FAULT FOR TRYING TO LOOK AT TOWNSHIP PACKETS ON MY PHONE.
PAGE 104. DIDN'T YOU? [INAUDIBLE]. THE LIQUOR LICENSE WAS KIND OF A LOT OF PAGES.
[00:15:03]
THERE WAS A LOT OF PAGES IN THAT THING, AND AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THE BOARD WASN'T SUPER SUPPORTIVE OF THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION.YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT WE TOOK ACTION ON.
YEAH. BUT THERE'S ONE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO VET EVERYONE.
I'M HAPPY TO READ OFF THESE FIVE GOALS, IF THAT'S THE FORMAT THAT YOU WANT ME TO GO WITH.
TELL OUR STORY BETTER BY ENHANCING COMMUNICATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS COUNTYWIDE OR, I'M SORRY, COMMUNITY WIDE AND MAJOR EVENTS AND ANY OTHER MECHANISM TO BETTER ENGAGE OUR DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY.
YOU PROVIDE EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WHILE ACTIVELY SOLICITING COLLABORATION FROM CITIZENS, VOLUNTEER BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AUTHORITY AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO STRENGTHEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STAFF, BOARD, COMMUNITY AND REGION.
SO THAT OF COURSE, AS YOU ALL SO THANK YOU.
IMPLEMENT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND SUSTAINABLE AND SUSTAINABLE POLICIES FOR BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS, WHILE INVESTING IN REPLACEMENT OF AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP.
YEAH. ENHANCE OUR STANDING AS A PRIME LOCATION TO DEVELOP, OWN AND OPERATE A BUSINESS WITH A FOCUS ON REDEVELOPMENT OF OUR PRIMARY COMMERCIAL AREAS DOWNTOWN OKEMOS, DOWNTOWN HASLETT, CARRIAGE HILLS, AND THE MERIDIAN MALL.
FOLLOWING THE COMMUNITY SLASH SENIOR CENTER TASK FORCE.
EXCUSE ME. RECOMMENDATION IN SPRING 2025.
CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FACILITY STARTING IN LATE 2025 OR EARLY 2026.
THOSE ALL SOUND LIKE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS.
I SEE EASILY TWO AREAS OF MAJOR CROSSOVER.
CERTAINLY THAT THIRD ONE IMPLEMENT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
WE DO HAVE IN OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN SOME SUGGESTION THAT WE WOULD HELP LOOK AT TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE INCENTIVES FOR LOW IMPACT DESIGN AND THAT IS ALSO IN THE MASTER PLAN. SO THAT'S REALLY IN SOME WAYS A A PLANNING COMMISSION TASK.
BUT ANY WAY THAT WE CAN BE HELPFUL IN THAT.
YEAH. AND THE OTHER THE FIRST ONE YOU MENTIONED TELL OUR STORY BETTER WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AMONG THE GROUPS AND I ALSO SAW SOME THINGS GOING THROUGH THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THAT WERE ABOUT THAT, SUCH AS TARGETING WETLAND EDUCATION EFFORTS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION LEVEL, RATHER THAN TRYING TO HIT EVERYBODY THROUGH A TOWNSHIP WEBSITE OR A MAILING OR WHATEVER.
YEAH. AND I THINK EXPANDING THAT WAS REALLY THE MAIN GOAL.
WELL, THE TOWNSHIP I THINK DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THE LISTENING SESSIONS.
PLENTY OF FOLKS CANNOT ATTEND THOSE BASED ON THE HOURS PROVIDED AND I KNOW ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, I TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE THAT SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T FEEL AS MUCH COMMUNICATION WITH THE TOWNSHIP AS THEY WOULD LIKE.
SO REALLY JUST GIVING PEOPLE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND ENGAGING WITH, LIKE YOU SAID, HOMEOWNERS.
I GUESS IN A SENSE, THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM IS SOMETHING SIMILAR BECAUSE IT'S ADDRESSING PEOPLE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHO MIGHT WANT TO COME AND HEAR ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCE. SO YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH YOUR VOLUNTEERS ARE LIVE, CORRECT? YES. AND REMIND US ABOUT HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN DONE.
OH, BOY. WE'RE GOING INTO OUR I GUESS OUR FOURTH YEAR AND YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY STARTED OUR EFFORTS WITH GO SOLAR, WHICH IS MORE JUST STRICTLY AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND USED A VARIETY OF CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
[00:20:02]
MEETING WHERE A HOMEOWNER ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT HIS OR HER EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR, AND THEN THE SOLAR INSTALLER THAT'S BEEN WORKING WITH THAT HOMEOWNER OFFERS A DISCOUNT TO THE PARTICIPANTS.WHOEVER DECIDES TO PROCEED UP TO 15% AND SO IT'S BOTH A EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND A GROUP BY PROGRAM AND YEAH, IT'S BEEN, I THINK, QUITE SUCCESSFUL AND BILL, YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT IT'S REALLY A LOT OF IT IS NEIGHBORHOOD BASED.
WOULD IT BE USEFUL TO HAVE A GLANCE AT THE PLAN AT THIS POINT? YEAH, THAT'D BE GOOD. YEAH.
YOU WANT TO IF YOU'VE GOT A MOUSE, IF YOU CAN OPEN IT YOU CAN GIVE ME CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSE.
YEAH. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BEST FORMAT IS GOING TO BE.
I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT FAIRLY SOON.
I NOTICED THERE'S A SMALL VERSION AND THEN A BIG VERSION, AND NEITHER OF THEM IS VERY USER FRIENDLY, AT LEAST ON THE SCREEN. OH, WE GOT A SLOW MOUSE HERE.
IT MAKES A COOL NOISE WHEN IT TURNS PAGES TO.
WHEN WE UPDATED, WE ADDED A LOT MORE OF THE DATA.
THAT IS KIND OF IN THE INTRODUCTORY PARTS OF THE PLAN AND WE BEGIN WITH OUR ENERGY COST SAVING REDUCTIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP OFFICES, OPPORTUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE ENERGY SAVINGS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS AND STAFF ABOUT ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IS GOING ON IN PART THROUGH THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT REALLY THAT LEGIBLE, IS IT? THE PDF MIGHT BE. YOU MIGHT ZOOM IN A LITTLE WHILE.
YEAH, YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
CAN YOU OPEN THE OTHER ONE? YEAH.
IS THAT IT? OR IS THAT WHERE YOU WERE? THAT'S WHERE IT IS. YEAH.
OKAY. AT LEAST THIS IS ZOOMABLE.
SO MUCH OF THE PLAN IS INTERNAL LOOKING.
LOOKING AT TOWNSHIP OPERATIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE THEM MORE SUSTAINABLE.
THIS IS COST SAVINGS AND CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION IN TOWNSHIP FACILITIES.
AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE ENERGY SAVINGS.
AND I WOULD POINT OUT THAT SOME OF THESE ARE BASICALLY IN PROCESS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION LEVEL.
CODE HASN'T CHANGED, BUT THAT'S AN ACTIVE ANALYSIS.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS DOING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOWNSHIP STAFF AND RESIDENTS.
[00:25:14]
SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE SORT OF STUFF THAT THE SOLARIZE AND OTHER THINGS ARE ALREADY WORKING ON.ALL OF OUR FANCY SOLAR INSTALLATIONS.
WE COULD GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF TRYING TO AFFECT TOWNSHIP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE AROUND RENEWABLE ENERGY.
SOME OF THAT, AGAIN, IS ALREADY BEING WORKED ON WITH BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND IT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGY AND OTHER PRACTICES THAT CAN BE AN AMENITY IN ORDER TO GET A VARIANCE IN TERMS OF DENSITY OR HEIGHT OR OTHER RESTRICTIONS. TOWNSHIP FACILITIES AGAIN AND THAT STUFF IS JUST KIND OF MARCHING ALONG.
YEAH. THE TOWNSHIP HAS AN ACTIVE PLAN.
IN PLACE TO CONTINUE INSTALLING.
IS THAT AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT, JOHN? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH.
WE'VE MADE VERY GOOD PROGRESS SINCE THE PLAN WAS FIRST APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
SO IT'S ADDING UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
MANY OF THESE STRATEGIES WHILE SOME ARE LOOKING AT TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES, OTHERS ARE LOOKING AT OTHER PROGRAMS, THIS ONE IS LOOKING AT GRANT FUNDING AND I KNOW THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY THOSE THINGS OUT THER AND THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN SPECTACULARLY SUCCESSFUL IN GAINING REVENUE FROM GRANTS.
WE HAVEN'T ENGAGED IN THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
BUT IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO TAKE THE CHARGE AND TAKE THE LEAD AND DO THAT? THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN.
AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY PLANNING COMMISSION TYPE INCENTIVE TO DEVELOPERS TO USE RENEWABLE ENERGY.
BUT IF THERE'S FOLKS WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP THE PLANNING COMMISSION LEARN MORE ABOUT AND STAFF LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES LOOK LIKE IN OTHER PLACES SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER THEM HERE.
THOSE WOULD BE GREAT AND THERE'S EDUCATE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION ABOUT SOLAR POWER AND ENCOURAGE LESS RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT INHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS. I IF I RECALL, RIGHT, THAT'S THERE BECAUSE THERE ARE PARTS OF THE TOWNSHIP WHERE THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON THEM.
IS THAT CORRECT? DO WE KNOW OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO RESTRICT? PHOTOVOLTAIC. WELL, THE YOU KNOW, A STATE LAW WAS PASSED THAT PREVENTS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS FROM RESTRICTING SOLAR AND OTHER ENERGY SAVINGS MEASURES.
YES, BUT EVEN SO, THERE'S A STATE LAW THAT DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE ARE NECESSARILY AWARE OF IT AND SO WE HAVEN'T DONE A LOT OF EDUCATION IN THAT AREA.
WE I DID A BRIEF PRESENTATION AT THE GREEN DIALOG JUST TO KIND OF MAKE THOSE FOLKS KIND OF AWARE OF IT TO START GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT AND YEAH.
SO I GUESS WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF TO CONTINUE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN'T RESTRICT SOLAR AND OTHER SORTS OF ENERGY SAVING DEVICES ANYMORE.
THAT'S GREAT AND SO WE CAN'T QUITE CROSS IT OFF THE LIST BECAUSE THERE'S STILL SOME EDUCATION TO DO.
IT'S YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE I SAID, TO KIND OF GET THE WORD OUT TO FOLKS.
IT'S PROBABLY LIKE THE WETLANDS THING.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REMIND FOLKS EVERY NOW AND THEN THAT THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT'S A QUICK FLYBY OF THE ENERGY SECTION OF THE PLAN.
THE NEXT SECTION IS WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:30:02]
IN THIS SECTION ON WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'LL SEE SOME OF THAT LOW IMPACT DESIGN STUFF.I WAS TALKING ABOUT STORMWATER DROUGHT.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THIS IS EFFECTIVELY IN THE MASTER PLAN.
SO THAT IS A DIRECTIVE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO BE DOING WITH THE BOARD'S SUPPORT.
THIS IS PART AND PARCEL OF THAT, I BELIEVE AND THEN WE GET TO WETLANDS AND THIS IS ABOUT STRENGTHENING POLICIES.
SO AGAIN, TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES COMPILE AN UPDATED INVENTORY OF ASSESSMENT TOWNSHIPS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED COMMISSIONER DIRECTOR OPSOMER TO LOOK AT.
ANSWER THAT QUESTION. LET'S GET TOGETHER OUR INFORMATION ON WETLAND QUALITY THAT'S COME FROM WETLAND DELINEATIONS AND COMPILE IT SO THAT RATHER THAN HAVING THIS SORT OF RELATIVELY CRUDE MAP THAT CAME FROM AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTED AT THOSE SITES ACCESSIBLE AND USEFUL FOR ANALYSIS. THIS ONE IS LAND PRESERVES.
AND TO THE DEGREE THAT THE LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM IS ABLE TO CONTINUE ACQUIRING PROPERTY, PROBABLY LARGELY THROUGH DONATION AT THIS POINT.
I GUESS THAT WOULD BE COULD PRIORITIZE WETLANDS BUFFER EXPANSIONS.
THERE'S ANOTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MOW LESS OF THE LAWN, LET THE BACK END GO.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC SIGNAGE OF WETLANDS.
THE PLEASE DON'T ENCROACH ON SIGNS THAT WE ASK THE NEW DEVELOPERS TO INSTALL.
AND A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN DONE, FOR INSTANCE, HERE AT CENTRAL PARK.
THERE'S INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE ON THE BOARDWALKS AND THINGS.
SO I FEEL LIKE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS REALLY AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE STUFF AT THE LAND PRESERVES ALSO HAS SOME EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE COULDN'T BE MORE.
DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T BE UPDATED.
AND I DID GET AN UPDATE FROM EMMA CAMPBELL THAT SHE'S ORDERED AND MADE FIVE EDUCATIONAL SIGNS, AND THEY SHOULD BE COMING IN JANUARY, AND THEY ACTUALLY LIKE FOR WE BUDGETED I THINK, 3 TO 5 SIGNS FOR 3000 TO 6000.
AND WE GOT FIVE SIGNS FOR LESS THAN 3000.
SO THAT WILL BE. YEAH. SO WE'LL HAVE FIVE MORE SIGNS THEN.
SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON THIS AND THAT'S EFFECTIVELY FEELS LIKE IT'S KIND OF BECOMING A SORT OF A LINE ITEM IN OUR THE FUNDING THAT THE BOARD PROVIDES US.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXPECT TO INCREASE THAT OVER, TO MAINTAIN THAT PRACTICE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON WETLANDS THAT YOU WANTED TO DWELL ON? YOU KNOW, I KNOW, MUNICIPAL WATER WELLHEAD PROTECTION.
YEAH. AND I THINK IN TERMS OF WATER AND SEWER TREATMENT, THIS WAS MAINLY EDUCATIONAL.
WE HAVE A PERMIT TO DO THAT UNDER BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MINIMIZING WATER USAGE FOR LAWN WATERING AT THE TOWNSHIP FACILITIES.
WATER FIXTURES AND PRACTICES THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE KIND OF FUN.
I DON'T THINK THAT MUCH EFFORT HAS BEEN PUT INTO.
[00:35:10]
BUILDING AUDITS GOING OFF OF THE 2025 GOALS.THE, YOU KNOW, THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN MERIDIAN IS IN NEED OF SOME WORK.
SO I KNOW THAT IS A PRIORITY OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD BECAUSE WE ARE I THINK IT WAS A MEETING LAST SEPTEMBER BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD.
THEY HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
I CAN'T SPEAK EXACTLY TO WHAT THOSE ARE BECAUSE I WASN'T A PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO MOVING ON TO RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION.
THIS IS REALLY, I THINK, IN MY MIND ANYWAY, KIND OF, WELL THE GREEN TEAM AND ROY'S KIND OF BAILIWICK OF RECYCLING. AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOODS COLLABORATE WITH TO INCREASE RECYCLING AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS KIND OF HAPPENS AT TOWNSHIP STAFF AND TOWNSHIP BOARD LEVEL.
SO THE REGIONAL RECYCLING COORDINATING COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE TREASURER DESCHAINE SITS ON THE REGIONAL RECYCLING COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME COOPERATION WITH GRANGER ON THIS ITEM HERE, WHICH WAS A PROPOSAL NOW SUBMITTED FOR THE SECOND TIME TO THIRD TIME.
THIRD TIME. FOR RECYCLING DROP OFF FACILITY AT THE SERVICE CENTER.
THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE THE MSU DROP OFF.
BASICALLY DUMPSTERS ARRAYED FOR JUST RECYCLING THOSE SAME SORTS OF MATERIALS.
AND WE DID FUND ALSO SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO SIGNAGE AT THE RECLAIMED BY DESIGN FACILITY WAS A GREEN GRANT HELP PEOPLE GET IN AND OUT OF THE SITE PROPERLY.
THAT AGE OLD BUGBEAR, HOW DO YOU GET RECYCLING IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING THAT WASN'T BUILT FOR IT? YEAH. WELL, WE'LL COUNT ON THE GREEN TEAM TO LEAD US INTO THAT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A REPEAT OF THE ONE ABOVE AND WE DID AGAIN THROUGH TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATE IN THAT MATERIALS MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH HAPPENED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL COMPOSTING RECLAMATION TO FOOD, LUMBER, FOOD, COOKING OIL, ETC., AT THE MERIDIAN RECYCLING CENTER.
THERE'S CURRENTLY ORGANICS COLLECTION, BOTH AT RECLAIMED BY DESIGN AND THE FARMERS MARKET.
SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO BRING THEIR COMPOST BUCKET, THEY CAN LUMBER FOOD.
COOKING OIL IS A DIFFERENT LUMBER AND COOKING OIL ARE DIFFERENT.
INGHAM COUNTY HAZARDOUS WASTE.
I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE RECYCLING, ESPECIALLY FOOD WASTE AND STUFF.
THAT IS ONE THING AS FAR AS AT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL, THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY CLUB HAS TRIED TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO, AND HOW TO ACCOMMODATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT OUR CAFETERIA.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, SOME OF MY STUDENTS DID A AN ANALYSIS.
THEY COLLECTED DATA IN THE CAFETERIA TO FIND IF THEY WEIGHED THINGS EVERY DAY.
YEAH. AND THEY TOOK A THEY THEN THEY TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD MANAGE THAT, BUT IT WAS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE FOR THE SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND SO I LIKE SEEING THIS IDEA ON HERE OF PARTNERING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE SCHOOLS.
IF THIS, I THINK HASLETT SCHOOL WOULD I THINK WE WOULD GET KIDS INVOLVED IN HELPING TO.
COMPOST OUR CAFETERIA WASTE IF IT WASN'T.
[00:40:04]
I MEAN SCHOOLS AS WE KNOW ARE ON LIMITED BUDGETS AND TO FIND MONEY TO DO THAT IS REALLY A DIFFICULT THING.BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR YOU KNOW, I THINK SCHOOLS WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN KIND OF DEVELOPING SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I DO IN MY DAY JOB AND I CAN GIVE YOU 2 OR 3 OPTIONS FOR HOW TO GET THAT DONE.
FOLKS WHO SERVICE THE FARMERS MARKET AND THE RECYCLING CENTER COULD ALSO SERVICE THE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S A CURB CART THAT YOU FILL AND THEY TAKE IT WHEN IT'S FULL.
THERE'S A FEE BECAUSE THEY HAUL IT TO DIAMOND DALE.
OKAY. BUT TECHNICALLY THE SCHOOL IS NOT ALLOWED TO LANDFILL FOOD, SO GOT TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO ONSITE OPTIONS AND WE CAN.
YEAH. ABOUT THAT AND TO ADD TO THAT FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BRIDGET BOOTH, WHO IS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WHO I'VE WORKED WITH SINCE I HAD HER IN EIGHTH GRADE.
HER CLUB OR ONE OF THE CLUBS SHE LEADS IS REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON FOOD WASTE THIS YEAR.
THEY'RE. RESEARCHING THEIR OWN CAFETERIA AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND TRYING TO DO EXACTLY THAT AND COMING UP WITH OPTIONS.
THEY'VE THOUGHT ABOUT COMPOSTING OR LIKE, CHANGING THE PLATES.
LIKE, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T USE REUSABLE ONES.
WE JUST USE STYROFOAM PLATES, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS NOT VERY SUSTAINABLE AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THEIR CURRENT OBJECTIVE RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND SO EXPANDING THAT PAST THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD, OF COURSE, BE GREAT . YEAH. WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
MSU HAS A COMPOST EDUCATOR THAT THEY HIRED RECENTLY, A STATEWIDE COMPOST OUTREACH.
SO THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THIS TO OKEMOS.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU BOTH ARE ON HASLETT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS TOWNSHIP WIDE.
WE EVEN GET ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INVOLVED WHEN YOU GET YOUNGER CHILDREN INVOLVED.
ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S PASSION AND THAT JUST GROWS PUBLIC SERVANTS AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST START WITH OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND TALK TO THEM.
GREAT. I KNOW THAT OUR FORMER COMMISSIONER LAFFERTY, I KNOW HAS REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL SCHOOLS DURING AND AS WELL, GABBY MEYER, WHO'S KIND OF LEADING THE THE FOOD GLEANING OUTSIDE THE MARKET.
BUT ALSO, I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT.
SO I'D BE HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO HER AND GET HER RECOLLECTIONS ON WHO SHE'S TALKED TO AND WHAT KIND OF I CAN TELL YOU NOT TO NOT THROW A HUGE WET BLANKET ON.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY THORNY OBSTACLES IN THE PROCESS.
THAT'S EASY. BUT TRYING TO GET UNEATEN FOOD OFF THE PLATE IN A WAY THAT'S CLEAN ENOUGH TO BE USEFUL IS HARD. YEAH.
SO ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF RECYCLING.
THINKING ABOUT COMPOST AGAIN? I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I JUST I THINK IT'S A PERHAPS A LOW HANGING FRUIT, MAYBE RATHER THAN, LIKE, YOU SAID, SOMETHING THAT'S UNEATEN AND RECLAIM THAT BACK.
I GUESS IT IT HITS, YOU KNOW, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
[00:45:06]
PERHAPS A COMPOST STRUCTURE BE BUILT IN THAT? BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A BRAND NEW SCHOOL, COULD BE A PILOT TO SEE IF THAT COULD WORK THERE? I DON'T KNOW. I'M JUST BRAINSTORMING, BUT ALSO DREAMING AND THINKING THAT THIS COULD BE A REALLY NICE OPPORTUNITY.YEAH AND SOME OF THE FOLKS I CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH VOLUME YOU NEED TO BE PROCESSING BEFORE YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A CONCRETE PAD, HOW BIG THAT PAD CAN BE, WHERE IT CAN DRAIN, AND ALL THOSE VERY TECHNICAL DETAILS TO, BUT ALSO GRANT PROGRAMS FOR DOING STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S A PROBLEM AT HASLETT IS WHERE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE COMPOSTING, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE. LIKE THE SCHOOLS WERE NOT BUILT TO HAVE A SPOT FOR TRASH AND RECYCLING AND COMPOST AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT RECEPTACLES, WHICH ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT IT MEANS THAT THERE HAS TO BE A BIGGER CHANGE THAN JUST PUTTING A COMPOST BIN OUT THERE, BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE AREN'T TRAINED TO DEAL WITH IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD ANY SCHOOLS AS CUSTOMERS WITH THE COMPOST BINS AT THE FARMER'S MARKET.
SO WE KNOW WHAT SCHOOLS HAVE GOTTEN COMPOST EQUIPMENT.
WE'VE WORKED WITH A COUPLE SCHOOLS ON PROMOTING COMPOST.
PROBABLY GET A BETTER COUNT OF HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE DOING RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING OCCURS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORMS. YEP.
BE THAT LEAF PILE OR A SWING SET.
SO IT'S NOT SUPER INVENTORIED YET, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT THING TO HAVE STUDENTS INVENTORYING, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY LAWN CLIPPINGS DO YOU GENERATE? WHAT SORT OF LEAF PILE DO YOU HAVE OUT THERE? AND YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD YOU MIX THAT IN WITH SOME FOOD AND GET GOOD COMPOST OUT OF IT? WITHOUT CREATING A STAFFING REQUIREMENT AT THE SCHOOL? THERE'S ALSO A TON OF HEALTH CODE STUFF THAT GOES ON IF YOU'RE ANYWHERE NEAR A SCHOOL KITCHEN.
I WOULD ALSO BE REMISS TO NOT POINT OUT THAT THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN CODE MIGHT NOT ALLOW SOME.
THINGS TO BE PUT OUT TO PASTURE THAT COULD AFFECT THE WATERWAYS AND DRAINS.
SO. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE OF MSU'S VERMICOMPOST OPERATION.
THEY HAVE TO BE VERY, CAREFUL OF ANY LEACHING THAT OCCURS FROM THAT SITE.
YEAH. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO TOSS IN THERE? YES. JUST QUICKLY PLEASE.
WHOLE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD A FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM.
THEY WERE BENEFITED BY HAVING THE DELPHI TOWNSHIP COMPOSTER AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
BUT IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL WIDE, THAT IS A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY OPERATED.
BUT THE GOOD FOOD TO START COMPOSTING GROUP HAS DONE A LOT OF GROUNDWORK ON THAT TOPIC, AND SO WE COULD DO A LOT BETTER THERE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE RECYCLING DROP OFF FACILITY PROPOSALS HAVE NOT INCLUDED AN ORGANIC COMPOSTING OPERATION, BUT THAT EFFECTIVELY THAT'S BEING DONE AT RECLAIMED BY DESIGN BECAUSE THEY ACCEPT YARD WASTE AND THEY'RE GRINDING.
SO IN ONE ASPECT THEY ARE COMPOSTING.
THEY'RE DOING ONE PORTION OF THE THERE'S AT LEAST A COUPLE ANGLES.
YEAH. WELL, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT INTEREST IN THAT ISSUE.
IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
AND I'M HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER I CAN TO SPUR PROGRESS ON THAT.
THE LAST SECTION THAT WAS ADDED IN THE LAST REVISION IS HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS. AND SO THIS OBJECTIVE ONE REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND FOOD INSECURITY.
I THINK IN VAL'S LAST EMAIL, SHE MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL DOZEN VOLUNTEERS IN THE TOWNSHIP WHO ARE DRIVING PRODUCE, MAINLY FROM GROCERIES TO FOOD PANTRIES.
[00:50:01]
THEY HAVE AN APP THAT ALLOWS THEM TO SCHEDULE THE PICKUPS AND THE DELIVERIES, AND THE GROCERY STORES ARE PRETTY REGULAR.YOU KNOW, THEY BUY THEIR PRODUCE ON A CERTAIN DAY WHEN THE NEW LOAD'S COMING IN, THE OLD THE LOAD GOES OUT THE BACK DOOR AND SAME WITH BAKERY PRODUCTS AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF STAPLE.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WHEN THEY INCUR COSTS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONSIDER HELPING THEM FUND THOSE EFFORTS. RESCUING FOOD FROM GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS.
AND I BELIEVE THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
I KNOW THEY HAVE THE ABILITY THROUGH THAT APP TO COLLECT THE METRICS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IT DOES FOR THEM.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT GOT MOVED, WHERE TO WHEN AND ON WHAT DAY.
AND MAYBE AT SOME POINT WE'LL INVITE THEM TO COME AND GIVE US AN UPDATE.
SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW THAT'S WORKING.
WORKING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO CONDUCT 1 OR 2 DAY CAFETERIA FOOD WASTE AUDITS.
FOOD WASTE AUDITS ARE GREAT, DEPENDING ON THE AGE OF THE KIDS.
WELL, WHEN I HAD IT WAS THE YEAR THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY CLUB STARTED, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE INTERESTS IN THE KIDS, AND THEY JUST CREATED THEIR OWN VERSION, AND IT WAS VERY CRUDE, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO COLLECT THEIR DATA.
YEAH. WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE AT MSU WHO HELP STUDENT PROJECTS WITH FOOD WASTE AUDITS.
SO IF ANYBODY'S LOOKING FOR HELP ON HOW TO DO THAT IN A SAFE AND RELIABLE WAY, WE CAN DO THAT.
ABSOLUTELY. SUPPORT A PANTRY PROGRAM AT THE MARKET.
I THINK WE JUST HEARD THAT THAT WAS JUST DONE, THAT THE FOOD PANTRY.
WELL, THE RECIPIENT AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES CAME TO THE MARKET TO INTERACT.
SO THEY'VE TO PURCHASE MARKET PRODUCTS.
AND SO THAT'S CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND THEN I REMEMBER HERE IN THIS INCREASED PRODUCTION AND SOURCING OF LOCALLY PRIMARY SCHOOL GARDEN I'M NOT I CAN'T THINK OFFHAND OF WHAT THE BARRIERS TO THE USE OF THE FARMERS MARKET MIGHT BE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S MEANT TO BE FINANCIAL OR LOGISTICAL.
I GUESS IT'S MORE A FINANCIAL HOMEBOUND COMMUNITY AND BUS SERVICE NEAR THE FARMERS MARKET.
FARM TO SCHOOL AND SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAMS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
WE'VE SUPPORTED SOME BUTTERFLY GARDENS.
YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M HOPING WILL HAPPEN.
CONSIDER A PILOT RESIDENTIAL ORGANIC WASTE PICKUP WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.
WELL, THERE'S ONE OPERATING IN LANSING.
I GUESS THEY'RE NOW EXPANDING INTO EAST LANSING AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO TAKE THAT ON AS THEIR MISSION IN LIFE, I THINK THE GUY IN EAST LANSING I SAW WAS TELLING HIM FIVE GALLON BUCKETS WITH A BICYCLE, AND THAT LOOKED LIKE A HARD WAY TO MAKE A LIVING TO ME, BECAUSE SOME OF EAST LANSING IS KIND OF BUMPY.
BUT, FEASIBLE FEASIBILITY OF AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
AGAIN, THIS IS SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THE FOOD COMPOSTING GROUP IS WORKING ON.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER VERY PLANNING COMMISSION TYPE DEAL.
SO THE LAST SECTION HERE IS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH IT IN DETAIL BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS REALLY SORT OF OPERATIONAL.
[00:55:02]
THE FLEET OF THE TOWNSHIP AND THINGS, WHICH IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS.BUT THERE IS ONE ITEM THAT'S IN THE MASTER PLAN AND IT HAS TO DO WITH IMPROVING EXCUSE ME, OUR BIKE FRIENDLY, UNIVERSITY BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY STATUS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY AT BRONZE AND SENIOR PLANNER SHORKEY BELIEVES THAT IF WE SIMPLY ADOPTED A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, OUR CURRENT TOWNSHIP PATHWAY PLAN IS A MAP.
WHICH IS A GREAT TOOL FOR DECIDING ON EXPENDITURES OF MILLAGE.
BUT WITHOUT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IT'S JUST A MAP AND SORRY, I'M GOING TO GET A DRINK OF WATER.
OH, THAT'S ANOTHER THING LIKE, OH WAIT, I DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF THIS.
OH YEAH. THAT'S WHY I DON'T FORGET MY OWN.
BUT IF OTHER FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT TOPIC.
SO WE'D HOPE TO FARM THAT ITEM OUT AND LUCKILY IT STILL EXISTS IN OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
TYPICALLY THAT INVOLVES SOME FORM OF PUBLIC INPUT.
THEY HIRED A CONSULTANT WHO CAME AND LOOKED AT THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSULTED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT CONSTRAINTS THAT THEY FELT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.
BICYCLING COMMUNITY. PEDESTRIAN COMMUNITY.
ADA COMMUNITY TRANSIT AND ALL THOSE FOLKS THEY CAN ALSO BE DONE INTERNALLY.
IT CAN BE DONE THROUGH PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT DURING THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT, THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT ON WHETHER THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA OR NOT AND IT DIDN'T GET FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO WE KNOW WHAT OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS DON'T WANT IN TRANSPORTATION CHANGE.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ADDRESS IN THIS COMING YEAR IF WE SO CHOOSE.
SO I'M GOING TO SHUT UP NOW, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE OR AT LEAST GO OVER HERE AND START OUR IDENTIFIED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THINGS THAT SEEM TO HAVE CAUGHT SOME INTEREST.
WELL, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THE BEST WAY TO A NEXT STEP, MAYBE JUST FROM THE MINUTES OF THIS MEETING WE CAN MULL OVER WHO'S EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN WHAT AND HOW TO MAKE NEXT STEPS.
CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF THE COMPOSTING STUFF, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN IF THERE IF WE WANTED TO, WE COULD CREATE A STUDY GROUP, JUST A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC, WHO CAN MEET OUTSIDE OF THIS TIME OR MEET DURING THIS TIME.
IN THE PAST, WE HAVE DONE RATHER THAN THE TELEVISED MEETING.
WE'VE DONE WORK SESSIONS WHERE WE JUST PUT THE TABLES DOWN THERE AND DON'T BOTHER THE TV PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL PUBLIC NOTICE AND ANYBODY CAN COME ALONG, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT FORM OF INTERACTION.
[01:00:01]
PRESENTATION ON EARTH CLUB, WHICH ARE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY CLUBS, BASICALLY AND THAT WILL JUST BE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE CLUB IS AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING, ETC.AND YES, SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE COMING SOON.
YES. YAY! ALL RIGHT. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
YES. SO THIS WAS SUPER HELPFUL TO GO THROUGH THE PLAN AND TALK ABOUT LIKE, OH YEAH, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS ON THIS AND YOU KNOW WHO'S DOING WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, WHO'S GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS. IS SOMEONE TRACKING PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE, YOU KNOW, ON THESE, YOU KNOW, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO? AND I WAS JUST EVEN THINKING LIKE MAYBE IT'D BE HELPFUL.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO LIKE, HAVE LIKE TO TAKE THESE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND PUT IT INTO LIKE AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET OR SOMETHING AND SAY, LIKE PLANNING COMMISSION IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN SO AND SO IS INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THIS AND, OR THIS HAS BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THEN COME 20, 27 WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PLAN AND THEN UPDATE IT, OR BEFORE THEN WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, WHICH ONES HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO HELP FACILITATE SOME COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION.
SO THAT AND MAYBE WE CAN EVEN POST, YOU KNOW, ONLINE OR SOMETHING.
SO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING.
THEY CAN SEE, OH, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS OBJECTIVE I'M INTERESTED IN AND I CAN CONTACT THIS PERSON OR OH, NO ONE IS WORKING ON THIS AND, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOLS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS. SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF SOMEONE'S ALREADY DOING THAT OR, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING THROUGH AND HIGHLIGHTING, YOU KNOW, GREEN.
SO I'M NATURALLY INCLINED TO THAT SAME THING BECAUSE IT'S A LONG.
I'VE NOT SEEN IT IN A SPREADSHEET FORMAT, BUT IT WOULD LEND ITSELF.
IT'S IN A WORD DOCUMENT, SO IT'S NOT HARD TO.
YEAH. JUST PULL OUT THOSE BULLETS AND STICK THEM INTO A SPREADSHEET AND.
RIGHT. I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A GANTT CHART AND SHOW US THE MILESTONES, I DON'T GO THAT FAR.
RIGHT? AND I SKIPPED OVER THOSE DESCRIPTIONS, BUT EACH OF THE SECTIONS HAS A PREAMBLE.
THAT TALKS ABOUT PAST EFFORTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND SO AS WE DELVE INTO A LITTLE.
PLANNING COMMISSION, SOME WILL BE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND I PERSONALLY WOULD FIND THAT USEFUL.
I DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND LIKE YOU.
YOU DO LIKE, OH, SO AND SO IS ALREADY WORKING ON THIS OR.
THIS IS PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, BUT I COULD JUST SEND IT AROUND AND MAYBE EVERYONE CAN.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO IT.
I'M HAPPY TO UPDATE THE STATUS.
AS I KNOW FOR THE WHOLE THING, AND OTHER FOLKS ARE WELCOME TO DO THE SAME, THING.
I WAS THINKING ALMOST SOMETHING SIMILAR, LIKE WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE SHEET.
SOMETHING THAT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WAS LIKE JUST COMMUNICATION ON ALL OF THESE THINGS AND LIKE IN THIS, IN OUR SCHOOLS, THAT'S SOMETIMES A PROBLEM. LIKE THERE'S A DISCREPANCY WHEN GOING FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND TRANSITIONING BETWEEN BUILDINGS AND THEN NOT HAVING REALLY A CENTRAL CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION ON THIS KIND OF STUFF AND I THINK INSTEAD OF JUST WATCHING THESE MEETINGS AND THINGS, HAVING SOMETHING LIKE, THAT'S LESS BACKGROUND AND MORE JUST CONCISE INFORMATION WOULD BE GREAT FOR BOTH US AND THEN EVEN THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AGREED OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES FROM EACH OF THESE SECTIONS WOULD BE, I THINK, ALSO REALLY USEFUL FOR US ALL, ESPECIALLY THE NEW FOLKS, AND FOR CONTINUITY ON THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEEN DONE AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND THINGS, LIKE YOU SAID, IN PROCESS AND ALSO WHO'S THE CHAMPION OR CONTACT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A FABULOUS RESOURCE, BECAUSE THEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MIGHT BE PERHAPS EVEN INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR COMMISSION COULD SAY, WELL, WHAT DO THEY DO? AND WHAT DID THEY OH, THEY DID ALL THESE THINGS.
YEAH, I LIKE GROUPING THOSE LIKE ITEMS. IF THERE'S 13 COMMUNICATIONS THINGS WE WANT TO DO, THEN LET'S MAKE SURE WE DO THOSE IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.
YEAH. I JUST MOSTLY AS A QUESTION FOR OUR STAFF CONTACT MR.
[01:05:05]
HARVEY. BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION LIVES ON A STAFF BASIS RATHER THAN ALL OF US AS VOLUNTEERS.HOW MUCH STAFF TIME DO YOU IMAGINE IT WOULD TAKE, LIKE IN COLLABORATION WITH WHOEVER CREATES THIS LIVING DOCUMENT? I DON'T WANT TO PUT UNDUE BURDEN ON STAFF TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NOT BE.
IT MIGHT GROW INTO SOMETHING BEYOND WHAT THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF THE REPORT WOULD BE.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT QUESTION.
I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH HELP THE VARIOUS TEAMS. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T SEE IS THE, TEAMS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH EACH OF THESE PROJECTS, LIKE THE WETLANDS TEAM OR THE GREEN TEAM OR THE ENERGY TEAM, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER RESOURCES THAT AREN'T HERE THAT COULD COULD ASSIST WITH THAT PROJECT.
BUT I WOULDN'T SAY MORE THAN ABOUT 40, 300 HOURS.
NO. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE, DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF IF BILL HAS 30% OF THE INFORMATION AND YOU HAVE 30.
AND THEN THE OTHERS CAN BE DISCERNED FROM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T TURN INTO A FULL TIME.
I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT INTO A SPREADSHEET.
RIGHT ON. SO LET'S THEN CONTINUE WITH LIAISONS TEAMS AND SUCH.
[7. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
STARTING WITH STAFF. WELL, THANKS.SO EXCITED TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM.
THERE'S JUST A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER SORT OF A CALENDAR OF EVENTS, AND ONE OF MY MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES IS WORKING WITH THESE TEAMS TO KIND OF MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR VARIOUS WAYS THAT THEY ARE CHOOSING TO DO PROJECTS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE GREEN TEAM MEETS TOMORROW.
THIS SCHEDULE WILL NOT BE PRINTED.
THIS IS JUST A DRAFT. IT WON'T SHOW UP LIKE THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S THE THE RECYCLING DAYS A FOOD RELATED INITIATIVE OR A GREEN COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME EDUCATIONAL OR COMMUNICATION MATERIALS THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED AND HOW WOULD IT BE DISTRIBUTED? I'M WORKING. THIS IS PART OF A MAGAZINE THAT COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IS HELPING TO PUT TOGETHER.
I'VE BEEN WORKING MOSTLY WITH LIKE THE GREEN TEAM ON THE GREEN EVENTS.
I'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH THE GREEN GRANT PROJECT.
SCHOOLS CLUBS, NONPROFITS, EVEN FOR PROFIT GROUPS CAN APPLY FOR GRANTS TO DO THINGS, WHETHER IT'S A FOOD COMPOSTING RECEPTACLE OR A. SOMETHING CREATIVE AS LONG AS IT RELATES TO ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES.
DO YOU WANT TO MENTION THIS? GLEAN AND GROW? I'M NOT SURE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS ALREADY PRINTED UP.
WELL, IT'S SIMPLY WHAT I REFERRED TO BEFORE.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
[01:10:05]
SO PART OF OUR EFFORT IS TO JUST HELP SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S AGENDA.A LITTLE NAME CHANGE, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
YES. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAD RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE COMING TO THE GLEANING TABLE LAST YEAR AT THE MARKET WANTING TO DONATE FROM THEIR OWN GARDEN AND SO THAT'S WHAT INITIATED THIS IDEA.
OKAY AND SO FROM THIS, WE'LL JUST PROVIDE WE'RE WORKING ON A WAY, FEASIBLY, TO HAVE ANYBODY WITH A GARDEN IN ANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES WHO WOULD, IF THEY HAVE EXCESS OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLANT AN EXTRA ROW THAT THEY THEN WOULD DONATE, THAT THERE WOULD BE A WAY FOR THEM TO BRING IT TO THE MARKET, AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE AGENCIES THAT WE SERVE.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY THE IDEA.
ALRIGHT. JUST ONE OTHER FOOD RELATED ITEM, KENDRA SCHNEIDER, A LOCAL RESIDENT.
MAYBE YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK SHE'S.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO ON IT? I THINK SHE JUST GOT THE GRANT, AND SHE'S HOPING TO USE IT TO SUPPORT RECYCLING, CONVENIENT RECYCLING FACILITIES AT THE MARKET.
YOU HAVE, LIKE, IF YOU'VE GOT ANY MORE INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SEND ME, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
YEAH, I GUESS THEY'RE JUST DEVELOPING THE PACKET ON IT.
SUPER. ANYWAY, THAT'S A QUICK SNAPSHOT.
IF YOU IF I MENTIONED ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UPDATING OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN MIGHT BE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
YOU'RE DOING A DOUBLE HEADER TONIGHT.
WHAT'S GOING ON? I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO UPDATE, BECAUSE.
YEAH, I WAS BY THE TIME I LEFT, WE JUST VOTED ON THE NEW CALENDAR AND THE NEW OFFICERS, AND THEN.
THEN. SO BUT IT DID BRING UP IT IS A PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE GREEN SPACE PLAN.
SO I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THE THE LAND PRESERVATION TEAM IS INTERESTED IN DOING IS LOOKING AT OUR ACQUISITION PART, OUR CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING AND, YOU KNOW, APPROVING PARCELS THAT WE WANT TO RECOMMEND TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR PURCHASING AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF TIES INTO THE GREEN SPACE PLAN, RIGHT? THINGS THAT MEAT PARCELS THAT MIGHT MEET MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES AND SO AND IF THERE'S OTHER TOOLS BESIDES JUST ACQUIRING AS A PRESERVE.
SO THINGS LIKE EASEMENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH. ALREADY STARTING WITH SOME INTEREST IN SOME PROPERTIES.
I KIND OF GLOSSED OVER THE LANGUAGE IN OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN ABOUT PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS IS ONE OF THOSE APPROACHES THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AS MENTIONED IN THERE. SO THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES.
IS THAT STILL IN USE? YES AND THAT IS.
WELL, YES, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT TO UPDATE IT.
HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THAT TOOL.
OKAY AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANY THE PLANNING COMMISSION DIDN'T DIDN'T MEET OVER THE HOLIDAYS, SO NOTHING TO REPORT THERE.
HOW ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD? ANYTHING BESIDES THE GOALS THAT ADOPTED THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO THE COMMISSION THIS EVENING? AND BY THE WAY, THANKS FOR ADOPTING THE CONSENT AGENDA AND GETTING OUR NEW MEMBERS HERE ON THE BOOKS.
[INAUDIBLE]. I WOULDN'T THERE AREN'T TOO MANY THINGS FROM THE BOARD MEETINGS.
THE TWO SINCE YOUR LAST MEETING THAT COME TO MIND, I HAVE PLENTY OF THOUGHTS THAT I WANT TO RAISE AND TALKING TO TOWNSHIP STAFF AFTER HEARING THE WORKINGS OF WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY.
[01:15:10]
THIS. I WANT TO CONTINUE THIS GOOD SERVICE ON THIS BOARD.I BELIEVE LANGUAGE IS BEEN SOLIDIFIED IF YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING ALL THE TOWNSHIP GOSSIP.
THE BOARD SELECTED A FELLOW NAMED TIM DEMPSEY WHO YOU MAY HAVE HEARD FROM HIS TIME AS DIRECTOR OF PLANNING IN EAST LANSING DURING SOME OF THEIR BIGGER PROJECTS.
HE'S SINCE BEEN IN THE CONSULTING PRIVATE SECTOR FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND IS NOW COMING BACK TO THE AREA TO BE OUR NEW TOWNSHIP MANAGER, WHICH I SELFISHLY AM VERY HAPPY THAT WE GET TO RETAIN OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, WHO WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FINALISTS FOR THE POSITION, BUT HAVING BOTH TIM SCHMIDT AND TIM DEMPSEY HERE, AS WELL AS A NEW PLANNER AT MSU, ALL OF WHOM I THINK KNOW EACH OTHER PRETTY WELL, I THINK BODES WELL FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT FOR JUST A MOMENT.
TIM DEMPSEY SHOULD BE STARTING BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SO I DON'T KNOW HIS PLANS FOR MEETING WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO INTERACTS WITH MERIDIAN, BUT I'M SURE IF YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, YOU CAN TALK TO HIM A BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE OUT OF THIS.
YEAH. MOVING ON TO TEAMS. ENERGY. WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING MORE FOR US? YEAH, WE DID MEET IN DECEMBER AT SCHULER'S CAFE.
SO IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD HAD AN IN-PERSON MEETING FOR A WHILE.
THE PURPOSE WAS TO BRAINSTORM YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES FOR 2025.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE COULD IMPROVE SOLARIZE, YOU KNOW, WE'D WANT TO DO IT AGAIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WILLIAMSTON TOWNSHIP, EAST LANSING, LANSING AND ABSOLUTE SOLAR AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN THE GREEN FAIR IN JUNE 21ST.
FOR EXAMPLE ENCOURAGE SOME EV OWNERS TO BE THERE TO KIND OF DO A SHOW AND TELL AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
HAVE SOME ELECTRIC YARD EQUIPMENT TO DISPLAY AND, YOU KNOW, TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC YARD EQUIPMENT. WE TALKED ALSO ABOUT MAYBE DOING SOME WORKSHOPS ON ZOOM.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE ABOUT EV OWNERSHIP.
ONE MAYBE AGAIN ABOUT ELECTRIC YARD EQUIPMENT.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTANTS AND THE CITY OF EAST LANSING AND THE CITY OF LANSING.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT GETTING THE FINAL FEASIBILITY STUDY.
VERY QUICKLY. I SAW A DRAFT RECENTLY AND SO THE ENERGY TEAM WILL KIND OF DIGEST THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY AND COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ABOUT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE CAN DO WITH RESPECT TO A COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT. AND WHEN I SAY COMMUNITY SOLAR WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS A CENTRAL ARRAY THAT DIFFERENT RESIDENTS CAN LEASE OR BUY A PANEL AND GET SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION, A BILL CREDIT OR SOME OTHER SORT OF FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR THE ENERGY THAT THEIR PANEL AND THE THE VALUE OF THE ENERGY THEIR PANEL GENERATES. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE SORTS OF THINGS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
WOW. I'M ALWAYS YOU GUYS KEEP MARCHING FORWARD.
I JUST READ THAT EAST LANSING IS CONSIDERING AN ORDINANCE CHANGE.
THEY'VE GOT SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK.
OUR FRIEND CLIFF FALLS IS OVER THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ONE.
[01:20:01]
IT'S GOING TO BE A SORT OF A THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF A PHASE IN THING LIKE ANN ARBOR DID, WHERE YOU'VE GOT FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, START WITH THE COMMERCIAL OPERATORS AND WORK YOUR WAY TO THE INDIVIDUALS.SO IS THIS A LEAF BLOWERS? YEAH. RIGHT.
YEAH. PARTICULARLY THE LEAF BLOWERS.
RIGHT AND ALSO, I WAS READING SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT SOLAR IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND I SAW SOMETHING ABOUT ALDI, WHICH DIDN'T RING ANY BELLS.
THE ABSOLUTE HAD DONE A PROJECT OR IS DOING A PROJECT WITH ALDI.
THE BIGGEST ARRAY IN THE TOWNSHIP IS ON TOP OF TARGET.
SO FAR. BUT I'M SURE WE'LL GET A BETTER ONE COMING UP VERY SOON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE ENERGY TEAM? GREEN, DO WE HAVE A DO WE NEED TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE ON GREEN TEAM? IN TOM'S TOP'S ABSENCE? YES. SINCE THE MEETING IS TOMORROW AT 4:00 AT CHAPEL CAFE, WHICH SERVES GREAT COFFEE, BY THE WAY, DAVE WILL BE THERE AND I'LL BE THERE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE GREEN TEAM.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE GREEN TEAM, YOU CAN START YOUR OWN GROUP, TOO.
WELL, WE EXPECT AN ITEMIZED, PRIORITIZED LIST OF GOALS FOR 2025 AT THE END OF THAT MEETING.
PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK WITH THAT.
GREEN BURIAL. WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION OF THAT AT OUR LAST MEETING AND GOT SOME FACTOIDS FROM DIRECTOR OPSOMER ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH, HOW CHALLENGING IT WILL BE FINANCIALLY TO SET ASIDE A PORTION OF A TOWNSHIP CEMETERY FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT IT'S CURRENTLY DOING.
SO I HOPE THE GREEN BURIAL GROUP CAN DIGEST THAT AND CONTINUE TO PLOW FORWARD.
I SEE THIS DRAFT INCLUDES A PROMO FOR THE GREEN GRANTS TO.
YEAH, THERE'S BEEN MONEY SET ASIDE AGAIN TO.
I THINK IT'S $20,000 FOR GREEN GRANTS.
THERE'S ALSO A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUND FOR ADDITIONAL GRANTS THAT ARE MAYBE SPECIFIED BY STAFF OR OTHER PROJECTS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY FIT INTO THE GREEN GRANT STRUCTURE.
I KNOW DIRECTOR OPSOMER IS GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR SOME IDEAS OF HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY, WHICH WASN'T FULLY SPENT LAST YEAR, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS FURTHER IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT. THAT TAKES US TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
OKAY. SO THE EARTH CLUBS, WE JUST WE HAD OUR WINTER BREAK, AND SO WE HADN'T BEEN MEETING JUST TWO DAYS AGO, WE HAD ONE AT RALEIGH, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
IT WENT REALLY WELL. IT'S ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN.
THIS WEEK'S, I GUESS, THEME OR PROJECT WAS TO REPLICATE THOSE SOIL LAYERS AND SO WE USED THINGS LIKE OREOS AND DIFFERENT PUDDINGS AND STUFF TO REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT LAYERS.
AND THAT MAKES IT SO THEY'RE YOUNGER KIDS AND SO THEY'RE INTERESTED IN OBVIOUSLY GETTING SOMETHING SWEET AT THE END AND ALSO THEY GET TO LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THEY NORMALLY WOULDN'T IN CLASS AND IT WENT REALLY WELL.
SHORTLY AFTER OUR LAST MEETING A GROUP OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, MET WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENT ONCE AGAIN.
KIND OF TO REITERATE SOME OF THE STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE START OF THE YEAR.
MOSTLY REGARDING A DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM.
WE WANT TO GET A GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, ALL OF THE LEVELS STAFF WISE AT LEAST.
SO WE CAN HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION AND SO WHEN SOME OF US DO AN INITIATIVE OR PROJECT, WE CAN EXPAND IT EASIER AND IT'S NOT CENTRALIZED TO ONE SCHOOL.
AND THAT WOULD BETTER THE COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT IN GENERAL.
AND THEN WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WASTE AGAIN, LOTS OF THE SIMILAR THINGS.
IS CERTIFICATION THAT SCHOOLS CAN GET IF THEY REACH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
[01:25:08]
ACTIVITIES THAT THEY'VE COMPLETED.IT'S THROUGH MICHIGAN ON A HIGHER LEVEL.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND THAT TO MORE SCHOOLS.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS THIS CERTIFICATION, AND WE WANT OUR WHOLE DISTRICT TO BE A GREEN SCHOOL.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER THING THAT THE DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM WOULD TRY TO EXPAND.
YEAH. AND WE'VE HAD OUR BIWEEKLY MEETINGS FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
THOSE HAVE GONE WELL. WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE PARTICIPATION FROM OTHER STUDENTS.
WOW. AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, BLOWN AWAY.
DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM, I LOVE THAT.
AND GREEN DISTRICT CERTIFICATION.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT EAGLE MIGHT DO.
HOLD ON. ANY QUESTIONS? HIGH SCHOOL RELATED.
DURING. NOT ANOTHER CHANCE FOR PUBLIC REMARKS HAD ANY COMMISSION MEMBER COMMENTS? CLOSING THOUGHTS? WE WOULD LIKE TO GET HOME.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ALONG, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.