Feb 05, 2025 Environmental Commission Meeting

[00:00:27]

I DON'T SEE THE LIGHT ON THE CAMERA ON. THAT'S USUALLY MY INDICATOR THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING, BUT THAT ONE DOESN'T HAVE IT. IT USED TO BE THERE WOULD BE LIKE FIVE CAMERAS IN HERE.

IT WAS AN ISSUE LAST NIGHT TOO, WITH THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING.

SO I'LL QUICK PULL UP THE. I JUST GOT THE THUMBS UP FROM LEROY, SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

AND WE ARE. ALL RIGHT AT 7:00 PM. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN FOR FEBRUARY 5TH,

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME PUBLIC REMARKS AT THIS TIME? HEARING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ALONG TO CHANGES AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[3. CHANGES TO/APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

IF WE CAN CIRCLE BACK ON THAT, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SINK INTO MY BRAIN STEM WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT.

AND UNDER THE ENERGY TEAM REPORT I MENTIONED A PROJECT WITH ALDI, WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE THE BIGGEST SOLAR ARRAY IN THE TOWNSHIP AND IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ISSUE THAN THE MOVEMENT IN EAST LANSING TO THINK ABOUT MOVING TOWARDS ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWERS.

SO MAYBE MENTIONED A PHOTOVOLTAIC PROJECT AT ALDI AND EAST LANSING'S CONSIDERATION OF ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWERS. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER CLARIFICATIONS OR CORRECTIONS THEY'D LIKE TO OFFER TO THE MINUTES? WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED, AS AMENDED.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE FAVORITE PART OF THE MEETING.

[Presentation by Harrison Batten: Student Earth Club Report]

PRESENTED BY OUR VERY OWN STUDENT, COMMISSIONER HARRISON BATTEN.

HELLO. SO. AFTER GOING INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND BEING AT HASLETT.

I LEARNED THAT SUSTAINABILITY CLUB, WHICH IS THE MAIN HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUSED AFTER SCHOOL CURRICULAR THING. THEY HAVE AN OFFSHOOT CALLED THE ELEMENTARY CLUBS AT EACH OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

THE EARTH CLUBS AT EACH OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

SO IN HASLETT, THERE'S BOTH RALEIGH AND MURPHY ELEMENTARY.

AND OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO CREATE EARTH CLUBS.

SO THAT'S A PICTURE OF RALEIGH EARTH CLUB. IT WAS STARTED FIRST IN 2022.

BEFORE I WAS THERE AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH LAST YEAR TO GET INTRODUCED TO IT.

AND NOW THIS YEAR, I'M GOING EACH MEETING. NEXT SLIDE IS MURPHY.

THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STARTED THE YEAR AFTER IN 2023.

ANOTHER GREAT GROUP OF KIDS. AND IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN BOTH OF THE SCHOOLS, LIKE EACH OF THE GROUPS ARE ALWAYS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

BUT IT'S A GREAT TIME. AND I ALSO MET THEM LAST YEAR, AND NOW I'M WITH THEM FULL TIME THIS YEAR.

AS I SAID, THEY STARTED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. ANOTHER PICTURE OF US IN ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS. AND THEY KEEP EXPANDING. EVENTUALLY, WHO KNOWS, WE MIGHT GO TO WILKSHIRE, BUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST GOOD TO SEE TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE DISTRICT. AND WE MEET IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, USUALLY DEPENDING ON WHAT ACTIVITY WE'RE DOING.

IF WE NEED MORE SPACE, WE'LL USE A BIGGER AREA SOMETIMES WILL JUST BE IN A TEACHER'S ROOM AND WE'RE ABLE TO VARY WHAT WE DO. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE STRICTLY ON PAPER. IT CAN BE SOMETHING MESSY.

[00:05:04]

AND THE KIDS HAVE MORE FUN. SO EVERY YEAR THERE'S A GROWING NUMBER OF APPLICANTS.

SO AT THE START OF THE YEAR WE'LL GO TO EACH OF THE SCHOOLS OPEN HOUSES, AND WE'LL INTRODUCE THE CLUB.

AND IF PARENTS ARE INTERESTED, THEY CAN FILL OUT A FORM.

AND BECAUSE OF SPACE AND THEN ALSO OUR SCHEDULES, IT'S HARD TO HAVE MORE THAN 25 TO 30 KIDS.

SO WE'LL USUALLY CUT THEM OFF AND RECENTLY, IT'S THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN THAT APPLYING, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE. WE DON'T LIKE TURNING PEOPLE DOWN, BUT IT IS NICE TO SEE THAT IN THE DISTRICT THERE ARE YOUNG KIDS WHO ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THE EARTH. IN EVERY YEAR, THEY SEEM TO ENJOY IT MORE AND MORE.

WE TRY TO MIX UP WHAT WE TEACH ABOUT, SO IT'S NOT REPETITIVE FOR THEM BECAUSE YOU CAN DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES.

IF YOU DO IT IN SECOND GRADE, YOU CAN DO IT THROUGH FIFTH, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY IT.

YEAH. AND IT KEEPS EXPANDING. EACH DAY OR EACH WEEK WE HAVE A MEETING ALTERNATING BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS.

WE HAVE A DIFFERENT ACTIVITY THAT GOES ALONG WITH A CERTAIN TOPIC THAT WE PICK.

SO IT COULD BE RECYCLING VERSUS UPCYCLING, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF PLASTIC OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

AND IT GIVES THE KIDS A HANDS ON AND VISUAL EXPLANATION OF WHAT WE'RE TEACHING THEM.

SO IT'S BOTH EDUCATIONAL AND FUN FOR THEM, WHICH IS A GOOD COMBINATION.

AND WE TRY TO MAKE IT AS CRAFTY AND SIMPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TOO LONG, BUT WE MAKE SURE WE CAN DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAVE.

EACH LESSON AND ACTIVITY RELATES TO THE ENVIRONMENT OR EARTH IN SOME WAY.

LIKE I SAID RECYCLING VERSUS UPCYCLING. WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THE LAYERS OF THE EARTH SOIL LAYERS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS. THE SOIL LAYERS. ONE WE WOULD MAKE PUDDING.

AND SO YOU WOULD HAVE LIKE OREOS AND THEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF PUDDING TO REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT LAYERS.

AND IT'S WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS LIKE GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE FOOD IN THAT CASE. YEAH.

WE HAVE. YEAH. AS I SAID, A PRE-PLANNED LESSON.

SO WE'LL START IN THE SUMMER KIND OF PLANNING OUT WHAT LESSONS WE WANT TO DO.

BECAUSE OUR SCHEDULES, THE STUDENT SCHEDULES ARE SO BUSY, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO INTO THE SUMMER, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO SCHEDULE AND SEE, LIKE, WHAT WOULD THEY WANT TO DO OR WHAT IS MOST INTERESTING.

AND THEN WE CAN REALLY PLAN OUT AND MAKE SOMETHING INTERESTING FOR THEM.

THAT'S DIFFERENT EACH TIME. USUALLY WE'LL DO THE SAME THING FOR MURPHY AND RALEIGH.

SO SAY WE'RE DOING THE SOIL LAYERS, WE'LL DO THOSE AT EACH SCHOOL, AND THEN WE'LL MIX IT UP FOR THE REST OF THE MEETINGS.

STUDENT LEADERS ARE, AS I SAID, CHOSEN THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL'S SUSTAINABILITY CLUB.

SO THE LEADERSHIP THERE, THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE SUSTAINABILITY MEETINGS, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THEN GOING TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND EXPANDING THE YOUNGER STUDENTS LEARNING. SO OUR EXPERIENCE FROM THAT IS HELPFUL.

AND JUST THIS WEEK I PRESENTED AND TALKED ABOUT AT EARTH CLUB ABOUT THE EARTH'S LAYERS, AND WE REPRESENTED IT THROUGH PLATO.

AND THAT WAS A WHOLE LOT OF FUN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PHOTO WE DID A CHALK DAY AT THE VERY END OF THE YEAR, WE DO A TIE DYE DAY WHERE WE GET A SHIRT FOR EACH EARTH CLUB THAT SAYS RALEIGH EARTH CLUB 2023-2024. AND THEN THEY TIE DYE IT, AND THEN THEY CAN DRAW OR USE CHALK AND HAVE ANOTHER FUN ACTIVITY TO GO ALONG. AND THAT'S JUST A FUN WAY TO CAP OFF THE YEAR AND GIVES THEM SOMETHING TO SHOW THEIR PARENTS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT.

AND WE'LL TIE THAT TO A LESSON ON LIKE, DIES OR SOMETHING.

I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT THE MAXIMUM VIEW HERE.

IT'S BIG ENOUGH. WE'RE FINE. HERE IT IS. FULL SCREEN.

[00:10:04]

AND THEN SARAH HIGGINSON, WHO IS AT A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER AT RALYA, IS OUR ADVISOR THERE.

AND THEN CHRISTINE MCGEE, SHE WORKS AT MURPHY, AND THEY'RE BOTH AWESOME ADVISORS.

THEY DON'T LEAD THE MEETINGS. WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT ME AND THE THREE OTHER STUDENT LEADERS LEAD THE MEETINGS AND TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, BUT IT'S YOU DO NEED AN ADULT. AND SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE THEM IN THEIR BACKING.

AND THEY TRY TO HELP AS MUCH AS THEY CAN AND JUST PROVIDE THEIR EXPERTISE.

WE START IN THE WINTER, USUALLY RIGHT BEFORE WINTER BREAK.

AND THEN WE CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR ALTERNATING SCHOOLS.

SO ONE WEEK WILL DO RALYA, THE NEXT WILL DO MURPHY.

WE'VE USUALLY DONE IT ON WEDNESDAYS OR MONDAYS, DEPENDING ON HOW OUR SCHEDULES WORK.

AND IT LASTS TILL ABOUT 345, WHICH IS ABOUT 45 MINUTES FOR THE KIDS.

AND YEAH, WE JUST HAVE FUN. LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SUPER SERIOUS.

WE WANT TO MAKE LEARNING ABOUT THE EARTH AND SUSTAINABILITY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS INTERESTING.

NOT SOMETHING THAT'S SCARY OR UNKNOWN TO THEM.

AND SO THAT IS WHY WE DO THE LESSONS THAT WE DO, BECAUSE IT BRINGS THEM SOMETHING INTERESTING AND SOMETHING MORE FUN AND ENTERTAINING TO DO. GREAT. THANK YOU.

WHAT A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. I'VE GOT SEVERAL QUESTIONS, BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO KICK OFF, PLEASE. SO IS THIS PROGRAM LIKE AFTER SCHOOL OR DURING SCHOOL? YES. SO IT IS AFTER SCHOOL THIS YEAR ON MONDAYS.

SO US HIGH SCHOOLERS WILL DRIVE TO THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

OUR SCHOOL DAY ENDS BEFORE THEIRS. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THERE AND SET UP.

AND THEN ONCE THEIR SCHOOL DAY ENDS, WE'LL START WITH THE CLUB, AND THEN THEIR PARENTS WILL COME PICK THEM UP AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT'S ALL VOLUNTEER TIME FOR THE KIDS THAT THEY CAN ESPECIALLY THE SENIORS. THEY CAN GET A GRADUATION CORD FOR SUSTAINABILITY.

AND SO THEY CAN EARN HOURS FOR VOLUNTEERING AND THINGS LIKE THIS.

YEAH, BUT THERE'S NO NECESSITY TO DO IT. IF YOU'RE IN SUSTAINABILITY, THERE'S YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE TO DO THIS.

AND SO IT'S ALSO GOOD TO SEE THAT OLDER PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN TEACHING YOUNGER GENERATIONS.

AND I THINK AND I THINK THE CORE GROUP HAS ALWAYS REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE YOUNGER KIDS, TOO. WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S TRUE? 100%, YEAH. I INCLUDED LIKE, IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND I MYSELF HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM IT.

THE THERE WAS THREE ORIGINAL MEMBERS WHO I ALL ARE NEW TO VARIOUS DEGREES.

AND THEY GRADUATED LAST YEAR, BUT THEY HAD THE INITIATIVE TO START THIS PROGRAM.

LIKE, IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP BY PETERSON OR ANYTHING, LIKE IT WAS ON THEIR OWN ACCORD.

AND IT'S JUST GROWN SINCE THEN. I SAW A HAND DOWN HERE.

YEAH. YOU SAID THAT MORE APPLICANTS THAN COME IN THAN YOU CAN CURRENTLY ACCEPT.

HOW MANY APPLICANTS DO YOU RECEIVE FOR? SO IT VARIES EACH YEAR? IT STARTED WITH RALYA AND LAST YEAR THERE WAS A STRONG PUSH THERE.

BUT THIS YEAR, MURPHY, WE'VE GOTTEN, I WANT TO SAY 40 LIKE THEY'RE IN.

YOU HAVE THE OPTION FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE MULTIPLE KIDS.

THEY CAN SUBMIT MULTIPLE NAMES. AND SO EVEN IN THOSE 40 APPLICATIONS, THERE'S MULTIPLE CHILDREN.

AND SO IT'S IT BECOMES A REALLY LONG LIST. AND WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE AT MURPHY.

THERE'S JUST OTHER CLASSROOM OPTIONS THAT FIT THE GROUP A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

BUT IT'S THERE'S STILL TOO MANY. LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE OR ENOUGH SPACE TO TEACH THEM ALL AT ONCE.

BUT WE TRY TO GET IN AS MANY AS WE CAN AND WE JUST GO BASED OFF OF WHO APPLIED FIRST TO LAST.

OKAY. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THERE AS FAR AS THE ACTIVITIES? ARE THEY DIFFERENT FOR THE AGE, DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS OR ARE THEY ALL THE SAME? SO WE'LL HAVE SECOND THROUGH FIFTH GRADERS ALL TOGETHER.

WE DON'T SEPARATE THEM BY THOSE FOUR AGE GROUPS, WHICH IS THE SPAN OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

AND WE'LL TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES, OR AT LEAST ADAPTABLE.

SO WE USE THE SAME MATERIALS, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS DEPENDING ON HOW OLD YOU ARE.

[00:15:04]

IT'S EVERYONE CAN DO THE ACTIVITY AS LONG AS THEY'RE INTERESTED AND THEY WANT TO TRY.

YEAH. HOW MANY HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM? SO PREVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN JUST THREE, BUT THIS YEAR IT'S ME AND THREE OTHER PEOPLE.

PHOEBE ELDER, SOPHIA LYNCH AND JULIA HUMMEL ARE THE ARE THE THREE OTHERS.

SOFIA AND JULIA WERE THERE LAST YEAR. THEY HAVE.

THIS IS THEIR SECOND YEAR. AND THEN ME AND PHOEBE.

IT'S OUR FIRST OFFICIAL YEAR. WE PARTICIPATED HERE AND THERE LAST YEAR.

AND. YEAH, AND AS SENIORS GRADUATE, WE'LL BRING IN NEW UNDERCLASSMEN.

SO THEN IT KEEPS GROWING AND THERE'S NEVER A LACK OF I HAVE TO INTERJECT ALSO THAT THE SUSTAINABLE THIS IS JUST A CORE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY CLUB. THIS CLUB IS THERE'S 15, 20, 15 TO 20 STUDENTS AT LEAST IN THE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY CLUB OR.

YEAH. AND THIS IS JUST THE GROUP THAT FACILITATES AND CHOOSES TO DO THIS.

YES. THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH MORE PEOPLE, OLDER KIDS WHO CHOOSE TO DO OTHER ACTIVITIES THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY.

IT'S NOT JUST EARTH CLUB. YES. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT YOU DRAW ON FOR THE LESSONS? DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR KIND OF GO TO LESSON PLANNING STUFF, OR IS IT ALL FROM SCRATCH? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO USUALLY WE'LL KIND OF TAKE WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT IN DIFFERENT CLASSES.

LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE START. THERE'S CURRENTLY AN AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS.

AND SO SOME OF THE LEADERS THERE HAVE TAKEN DIFFERENT LESSONS AND IDEAS FROM THERE AND THEN JUST SIMPLIFIED THEM.

SO CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE MIGHT GO MORE IN DEPTH IN, SAY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

WE'LL SIMPLIFY AND DO A MORE SIMPLE LESSON WITH THAT.

THAT'S USUALLY WHERE WE'LL START. THEN WE WRITE THE LESSONS.

JUST TAKING OUR KNOWLEDGE AND OTHER STUFF THAT WE RESEARCH.

IT'S NEVER SUPER COMPLEX. WE JUST TAKE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT OUR FOUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL OR HOWEVER LONG WE'VE BEEN THERE.

AND THEN THE ACTIVITIES THAT GO ALONG WILL USE LIKE DIFFERENT ONLINE SOURCES, LIKE PINTEREST, LIKE WE'VE LOOKED THERE, THEY HAVE GREAT IDEAS AND JUST GENERAL GOOGLING LIKE, WILL SEARCH FOR WHATEVER FITS OUR PURPOSE IN WHAT WE THINK THE KIDS WILL ENJOY. YEAH, GREAT.

I SEE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MATERIALS THAT ARE USED.

THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE SUPER EXPENSIVE STUFF. BUT YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT SHIRTS AND THINGS.

DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A BUDGET? IS THAT A CONSTRAINT FOR YOU? HOW MUCH IS THIS COSTING AND WHO'S FOOTING THE BILL.

SO IT'S NEVER TOO EXPENSIVE. WE TRY TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN.

WE TRY TO MAKE THE MATERIALS THAT WE USE AS SUSTAINABLE AS WE CAN.

AS THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA IS TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR ENVIRONMENT AND EARTH.

WE WORK WITH THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, MURPHY AND RALYA, AND WE'LL GIVE THEM RECEIPTS FROM WHEN WE PAID FOR THE STUFF, WHETHER THAT BE FROM AMAZON OR MEIJER, AND THEY'LL REIMBURSE WHOEVER PAID FOR IT.

SO IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY. IT GOES THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THEMSELVES, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO FOOT THE BILL. USUALLY IT'S NOT MORE THAN, I DON'T KNOW, $200 A YEAR, WHICH IS A DECENT CHUNK OF MONEY. BUT FOR 25 TO 30 KIDS, THAT'S WE'RE WILLING TO PAY THAT BECAUSE THAT GETS THEM A LESSON.

AND YEAH. GREAT. I THINK WE ALL HEAR ALL THE TIME ABOUT HOW STRETCHED SCHOOLS ARE FOR DOLLARS.

AND IT MAY BE WORTH EXPLORING USING SOME OF OUR TOWNSHIP FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT ONE WHEN NECESSARY OR WHEN POSSIBLE THROUGH A GREEN GRANT, FOR INSTANCE. WHICH I THINK SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE ALREADY BENEFITED FROM, SO THERE'S ALREADY SOME ALREADY SOME EXPERIENCE THERE.

AND BESIDES BEING ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT THE OR UNDERWRITE SOME OF THE COSTLY ACTIVITIES, IT CAN ALSO BE REALLY HELPFUL TO BE INVOLVED NOT JUST IN WRITING LESSON PLANS, BUT ALSO IN WRITING A GRANT PROPOSAL AND ADMINISTERING THAT THAT CAN BE REALLY VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT FOLLOW UP ON.

THE LAST THING I HAD WAS THESE ARE ALL ON SITE AT THE SCHOOLS AT THE MOMENT.

IS THERE THOUGHT CONSIDERATION, POSSIBILITY OF DOING FIELD TRIPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

[00:20:02]

WE TRY TO UTILIZE DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE SCHOOL.

SO SAY RALEIGH WILL GO IN THE COURTYARD, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

THAT'S WHERE WE'LL DO THE TIE DYEING. SOMETIMES WE'LL GO OUT TO THE PLAYGROUND THAT GIVES US MORE SPACE.

WE'LL USE THE ART ROOM OR MRS. HIGGINSON'S CLASSROOM, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE NEED FOR THE LESSON EACH DAY.

CERTAIN ROOMS DON'T HAVE A SMART BOARD, SO THAT LIMITS US SOMETIMES.

BUT WHEN WE DON'T REALLY NEED ONE, WE'LL GO OUTSIDE AND JUST DO WHAT WE WANT.

TO SOME EXTENT BUT YES, WE WOULD OF COURSE LOVE TO EXPAND IT.

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME, BEING ABLE TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR TOWNSHIP AND AREA.

GREAT [INAUDIBLE] THAT COMES IMMEDIATELY TO MY MIND AS SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED THROUGH THE GREEN GRANTS PROGRAM, INCLUDING AT RADMORE MONTESSORI, WHERE THEY HAVE THE NATURE WALK AND ALL THAT STUFF, MAYBE SOME CROSS FERTILIZATION WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

AND THE OTHER IDEA THAT OCCURS TO ME IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.

SO EMMA CAMPBELL IS REGULARLY ORGANIZING GROUPS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING KIDS, TO GO OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES AT THE LAND PRESERVES. AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN TO HARRIS NATURE CENTER, BUT I DO SEE ALL THE PROGRAMING THAT THEY PUT ON AS WELL.

SO BEING ABLE TO COORDINATE AND SHARE RESOURCES AND IDEAS MIGHT BE ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER AS THE PROGRAM EVOLVES.

OF COURSE. YEAH. AND ONCE WE GET MORE SUPPORT, EVEN LIKE AT A BIGGER DISTRICT LEVEL, THAT WOULD OF COURSE BE A GREAT THING TO DO. IT JUST TAKES MORE TIME. SO SCHEDULING THAT.

BUT YEAH. OTHER QUESTIONS. MY FAVORITE PICTURE THAT YOU SHOWED IS I THINK IT WAS MUSHROOM ROCKS.

I LOVE THAT WE'VE DONE PAINTING ROCKS BEFORE, AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF ROCKS.

AND WE TRY TO FIND A LESSON, AS I SAID, THAT GOES INTO WHATEVER WE WANT TO DO.

SOMETIMES LESSON WILL COME FIRST. SOMETIMES IT IS ACTIVITY.

WE'LL SEE A ROCK PAINTING AND WE'LL BE WE'LL DECIDE THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO THAT YEAR.

SO FUN, FUN, FUN. IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS I WILL SIMPLY SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE MEETING ABOUT THE JOINT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETING NEXT WEEK, TUESDAY.

AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THIS STUFF FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

I THINK THEY'LL GET A BIG KICK OUT OF IT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING THIS STUFF WITH US.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR AND TELL US HOW THIS THING IS EVOLVING OR EVERY SEMESTER.

THANK YOU. MOVING ON THEN, TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

[Greenspace Plan]

MY SENSE IS ON THE GREEN SPACE PLAN. WE'RE STILL IN A BIT OF A HOLDING PATTERN WITH, DIRECTOR OPSOMMER BEING ON LEAVE A LITTLE BIT AND STILL WAITING FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF OUR NEW ENGINEER POSITION, WHO WE HOPE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH SOME OF THOSE TASKS.

SO UNLESS SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME OTHER DISCUSSION AROUND THE GREEN SPACE PLAN.

OKAY, WELL LET'S THEN TALK ABOUT CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING.

[Climate Sustainability Planning]

AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE'VE GOT A NEW FORMAT TO LOOK AT THIS THING IN AND TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ORGANIZED.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WALK US THROUGH IT? DO YOU WANT TO GO UP TO THE PODIUM AND DRIVE THE MOUSE? DO YOU WANT TO I MY GUESS IS THAT SO WELL, BASICALLY WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS WE HAVE AN EXCEL WORKBOOK WITH SEVERAL SHEETS, ONE FOR EACH OF THE SECTIONS OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.

AND AS WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, OUR OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THESE AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. SO WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US SOME WORDS ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN TRANSLATING THE WORD DOCUMENT INTO THIS SPREADSHEET? AND YEAH. SO, YEAH, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I JUST TOOK EACH OF THE, THE 6 OR 7, I CAN'T REMEMBER TOPICS OR FOCUS AREAS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. AND THEN MADE A TAB AND THEN I PUT THE OBJECTIVES THAT WERE IN UNDER THAT SECTION AND THEN EACH OF THE STRATEGIES UNDER THOSE OBJECTIVES.

THEN AND THEN I JUST MADE COLUMNS FOR YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO COULD,

[00:25:03]

MAYBE SOME NOTES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY THE TIMELINE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PLAN TO WORK ON THIS.

SO WE CAN START TO PLAN IT OUT. ANY NOTES ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING ON THE STRATEGIES? AND THEN IF WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE WE'VE COMPLETED THAT STRATEGY, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT LIKE A DATE OR ON THERE AND THEN THIS. AND SO THEN THIS WILL HELP US KIND OF BE ABLE TO SEE IT ALL TOGETHER.

BUT ALSO LIKE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN A PARTICULAR TOPIC, YOU CAN GO RIGHT TO THAT.

YOU KNOW THAT SECTION AND SEE ALL THE STRATEGIES AND THAT ARE IN THE PLAN.

AND THEN THIS COULD ALSO BE SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD IF WE COULD IF WE POSTED IT SOMEWHERE WHERE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY COULD SEE IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, I'M INTERESTED IN RECYCLING OR, YOU KNOW, WASTE REDUCTION OR RENEWABLE ENERGY.

THEN THEY COULD SIGN UP ALSO AND FIND WHO TO CONTACT TO IF THEY WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

AND THEN ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME TEAMS ALREADY THAT ADDRESS SOME OF THESE TOPIC AREAS, AND THOSE TEAMS CAN MAYBE ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THE STRATEGIES AND KIND OF SEE WHERE WHAT THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW IT LINES UP WITH WHAT'S IN THE PLAN ALREADY SO.

I THINK THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S ALL I, YOU KNOW, I SO I JUST BROUGHT IT UP.

I MEAN, I THINK IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE WANT TO INCLUDE, BUT I JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF YOU THINK THIS, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING WE WOULD WANT TO USE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE WANT TO TRACK ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATEGIES OR ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS. I DON'T HAVE I DON'T HAVE SUGGESTIONS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR CREATING THIS. THIS ANY WAY OF BETTER TRACKING INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY LONG TERM PLANS LIKE THIS, I THINK DESERVES A AS GOOD OF A RESOURCE AS WE CAN CREATE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT FOOT.

SO KUDOS TO MAKING THIS LEGIBLE. THANKS. IT'S THE PROBABLY SOMETHING FANCIER, BUT THIS IS MY THE EXTENT OF WHAT I CAN REALLY DO IN EXCEL. SO IN TERMS OF A STRATEGY FOR HOW TO GRAPPLE WITH THIS THING, THE WAY FORWARD THAT SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT MIGHT WORK IS TO TRY TO SCHEDULE DISCUSSION OF ONE OF THESE AREAS DURING SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.

SO IF WE HAVE ANOTHER WHAT? TEN MEETINGS THIS YEAR, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO EACH OF THESE AT.

LEAST ONCE, IF NOT TWICE, WITHOUT GETTING TOO BOGGED DOWN.

AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS THAT WE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS GET ONE COMMISSIONER WHO'S WILLING TO BE KIND OF THE LEAD ON EACH OF THESE AREAS, OR MAYBE MORE THAN ONE OF THEM, BECAUSE I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE MORE THAN WE'VE GOT FOLKS WHO CAN DO THAT.

AND THEN FOR THEM TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONNECT WITH THEIR RELEVANT TEAM MEMBERS, WHETHER IT'S THE GREEN TEAM OR THE ENERGY TEAM OR THE FOOD TEAM, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, MAYBE EVEN ENCOURAGE THOSE MEMBERS TO ATTEND THAT MEETING RIGHT.

WE CAN'T HAVE THE ENTIRE GREEN TEAM SHOW UP EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETING WE HAVE, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A COUPLE OF THEM TO COME ALONG.

AND THEY HAVE IN THE PAST, WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THIS PLAN.

SO I THINK WE'LL BE MUCH STRONGER IN ADDRESSING THIS AND MAKING PROGRESS ON AT LEAST ACCOUNTING WHERE WE'RE AT, IF WE HAVE MORE HEADS IN THE IN THE DISCUSSION.

AND BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE. AND BECAUSE HE HAS SO MUCH EXPERTISE AND REGULAR REPORTS TO US.

I'M GOING TO AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, ASK COMMISSIONER SARVER TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTIONS.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, INVITE COMMISSIONER FRAIZER TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THE RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION SECTION. IF YOU'D BE SO KIND. LOOKING FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS THIS EVENING WHO SEE SOMETHING ON THERE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT.

[00:30:10]

AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME NEW MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PLAN THAT YOU GUYS WEREN'T INVOLVED IN DRAFTING, BUT AND IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE STEPPING FORWARD THIS EVENING TO TAKE CHARGE OF ONE, THAT'S FINE.

AND I'M INTERESTED IN ALL OF THEM, BUT I CAN'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF THEM.

AS YOU WERE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, DID YOU FEEL THAT THERE WAS AN AREA THAT YOU FEEL IS PARTICULARLY IN YOUR BAILIWICK? YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

ALL RIGHT. THE HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS IS A VERY SMALL TITLE FOR WHAT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY BIG, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT REDUCED FOOD WASTE, REDUCED FOOD INSECURITY, INCREASED PRODUCTION AND SOURCING, DECREASED ORGANIC WASTE BY COMPOSTING. AND, YOU KNOW, BY TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT KIND OF A SECTION DOESN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE TAKING IT ALL ON. RIGHT. IF SOMEBODY'S PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING, FOR INSTANCE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT IN FOOD INSECURITY.

THEY'RE BUNDLED TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY ALL KIND OF SOMEHOW SOMETIMES INVOLVE FOOD.

THAT'S THE AREA THAT I THINK I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.

OKAY. HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS, EVEN THOUGH YOU JUST GAVE A CAVEAT OF IT BEING VERY LARGE, ALMOST NOTHING.

IT'S A VERY AMBITIOUS PLAN. I'LL GIVE US THAT CREDIT.

YEAH. I'M HAPPY TO FILL IN WHERE NEEDED AS IS THE TRUSTEE ON THE BOARD, BUT SO I'LL SPEAK LAST, IF THAT'S OKAY. UNLESS ANYONE ELSE WAS THERE.

I'M SORRY. WAS THERE ONE THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, OR 2 OR 3? TRANSPORTATION IS SOMETHING I THINK ABOUT FREQUENTLY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, IF THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO LEAD ANYONE IN PARTICULAR OR IF YOU WANT ME TO FILL IN ON A DIFFERENT ONE SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN TAKE TRANSPORTATION, I'M HAPPY TO HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER THE BOARD THINKS IS BEST.

YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. I NOTE THAT SEVERAL OF THE OBJECTIVES IN MANY OF THE SECTIONS ARE INTERNAL LOOKING TOWNSHIP STUFF. SO WE'LL END UP ASSIGNING STAFF TO REPORT TO US, HOW ARE WE DOING ON WHERE ARE WE AT WITH ELECTRIFYING THE VEHICLE FLEET? IS THAT IN A FIVE YEAR PHASE OR A 50 YEAR PHASE? AND, YOU KNOW, HOW FAR ALONG ARE WE. AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO THAT THAN THE REST OF US.

NOTHING ELSE. I KNOW WHO TO EMAIL FOR. YES, MAJORITY OF IT.

AND YOUR EMAIL IS MORE LIKELY TO CATCH AN EYE THAN YOUR AVERAGE CORRESPONDENT.

SO WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE? SO WHICH ONE DID YOU SAY OF THE ENERGY ONES? THERE'S TWO THAT ARE THERE'S ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.

SO YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE THOSE BOTH TO COMMISSIONER SARVER, BUT OKAY.

IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE AGAIN, OBJECTIVE A1 UNDER ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS ALL INWARD LOOKING TOWNSHIP STUFF.

AND JOHN'S GOT HIS FINGERS ON THOSE NUMBERS. AND I THINK PROBABLY WROTE MOST OF THOSE WHEN IT COMES TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, THAT IS THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP OPERATIONS AND REACHING OUT TO AMENITIES FOR PRIVATE, SO I'M SURE HE'D LIKE HELP. BUT HE'S ALSO GOT A VERY STRONG ENERGY TEAM WITH A LOT OF EXPERTISE THAT HELPED DRAFT A LOT OF THESE AND CAN HELP US IN THAT. SO WE'VE GOT TENTATIVELY SARVER ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, LEE ON WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, FRAIZER ON RECYCLING WASTE REDUCTION, PETERSON ON HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS, AND OUR TRUSTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, SWEET. I CAME OFF OF THAT LIST.

YES, SIR. IT'S ONLY A SMALL SUBSECTION AND IT OVERLAPS WITH COMPOSTING, BUT DECREASING ORGANIC WASTE AND ORGANIC WASTE DIVERSION. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ME.

FANTASTIC. TOMORROW I'M GIVING A TOUR TO A BRAND NEW CLASS AT MSU IN THE HOSPITALITY AND BUSINESS SCHOOL.

[00:35:04]

WHEN THEY FIRST REACHED OUT TO US AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER, THEY HAD 23 STUDENTS ENROLLED, AND NOW THEY'VE GOT CLOSE TO 50.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THEM DOWN AND SHOW THEM HOW WE PROCESS FOOD WASTE ON CAMPUS INTO VERMICOMPOST.

AND IF YOU'RE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT OPERATION, I'D BE HAPPY TO.

I'D BE HAPPY TO IF YOU'RE FREE TOMORROW. OH, YEAH.

LET'S TALK, LET'S TALK I CAN GET THAT STARTED.

WELL THAT'S WONDERFUL. IS DOES DO WE HAVE APPETITE TO TRY TO START TO DIG INTO SOME OF THESE THIS EVENING OR I MEAN, WE'RE. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD.

I WOULD SAY I KNOW THE WAY THAT MY BRAIN WORKS IS DEFINITELY NEEDING SOME TIME WITH THESE BEFORE I CAN, BEFORE I CAN SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION FEEL IS A QUICK PLUG FOR WHAT WOULD END UP BEING MY REPORT ANYWAY.

THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TOWNSHIP WAS A PART OF LAST NIGHT'S EXCUSE ME, NOT BUDGET BOARD MEETING. YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, WHICH DOES THERE'S A GOOD SECTION RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AREA, BUT MIGHT HAVE SOME OF THESE NUMBERS HERE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

OKAY. SUPER, SUPER. I WONDER IF IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO DO SOME SORT OF CODING WITHIN THE SHEET FOR EITHER THOSE OBJECTIVES, EXCUSE ME, THAT ARE INTERNAL TOWNSHIP STUFF AND THOSE THAT ARE MORE OUTREACH WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT FOR INTERNAL TOWNSHIP STUFF, WE'RE GOING TO BE RELYING MORE HEAVILY ON TOWNSHIP STAFF, WHEREAS FOR THE EXTERNAL AND OUTREACH, THOSE ARE MORE OUTWARD LOOKING.

AND MAYBE EVEN NOT NECESSARILY THIS EVENING, BUT OFFLINE.

TAKE A STAB AT PUTTING SOME STAFF NAMES ON THERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I FIND THAT NOTHING IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT GETTING SOMEBODY'S INTERESTED IN PUTTING THEIR NAME DOWN AS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING.

THAT IS ONE AREA THAT I AM THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY NEED SOME HELP WITH, JUST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE STAFF VERY WELL.

SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I THOUGHT I WOULD EITHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF I WAS GOING TO WORK ON THAT, IT WOULD NEED SOME HELP, EITHER FROM YOU OR FROM LEROY OR SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND WITH I THINK ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE PARTS OF THIS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE HERE IS THAT AS WE OUTLINE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM TOWNSHIP STAFF, THE NEW TOWNSHIP MANAGER CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO CAN, WHO YOU'RE ASKING TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT WILL HAVE SOME TIME THEN, DON'T, YOU KNOW, TRY TO SCHEDULE THEM IN AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF THEIR ANNUAL WORK PLANS AS WELL, RATHER THAN JUST EXPECTING TOWNSHIP STAFF TO BE READY WHEN WE'RE READY.

YEAH. AND SO IF WE CAN SINCE I DIDN'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THESE, I MIGHT JUST GO THROUGH BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING AND TRY TO PUT THE TOWNSHIP STAFF, WHO I THINK MIGHT BE MOST RELEVANT, AND GET THAT, GET THAT BALL STARTED AND MAYBE SHARE THAT QUIETLY WITH THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AND JUST LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH THIS. AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION, ABOUT WHERE CAN WE SAVE THIS OR STORE THIS SO THAT WE CAN ALL ACCESS IT? I WASN'T SURE YOU SAID SOMETHING LAST TIME ABOUT A GOOGLE DRIVE OR I DON'T KNOW.

YEAH, WE DO HAVE THAT OPTION. AND I WAS ACTUALLY ASKED THE TOWNSHIP I.T.

MANAGER EARLIER TODAY FOR SUGGESTIONS ON THAT REALM.

I'VE BEEN SOMEWHAT CAREFUL IN THE PAST ABOUT POSTING DELIBERATIVE DOCUMENTS ONLINE BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY MAKING TOWNSHIP DECISIONS, ONLINE DISCUSSION CAN EASILY BE CONSIDERED A VIOLATION OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.

I'M LESS CONCERNED IN THIS CASE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS ABOUT NECESSARILY MAKING A DECISION.

AND WHEN WE'RE ANALYZING THESE DATA AND MAKING AN ASK OF THE TOWNSHIP OR OUR RESIDENTS.

WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION HERE IN PUBLIC, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THAT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION DURING COVID ABOUT HOW WE COMPLY WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT WHEN WE'RE VIRTUAL AND IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHO'S THERE AND WHO'S NOT.

[00:40:08]

AND IT WOULD MY QUESTION YOU SAID THAT YOU TALKED WITH STEVEN TODAY.

I WROTE TO HIM AND. OH, OKAY. I KNOW HE'S A SUPER BUSY INDIVIDUAL, SO I'M NOT SURPRISED.

MAYBE YOU HAD SOME DISCUSSION. NO, I WAS GOING TO SAY LAST TIME WE WENT THROUGH THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE OR PARTICULAR PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO SECTIONS LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW.

AND IF THEY STAY TO THEIR SECTION, PEOPLE WERE VERY RESPECTFUL ABOUT THAT.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WORKED PRETTY WELL. THE ONLY POINT I WOULD RAISE IS IF THE TOWNSHIP HAS ANY RULES AGAINST USING GOOGLE DRIVE OR GOOGLE DOC PRODUCTS. I DON'T KNOW AS A STAFF MEMBER IF THAT IS ALLOWED, BUT I KNOW PLENTY OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ON THE STATE LEVEL AND MSU ISN'T. THINK TOO KINDLY ON GOOGLE DOCS FOR SOME MATERIALS, SO I WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD, AS I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WILL IF STEPHEN WILL GIVE THE THUMBS UP TO THAT, BUT I WOULD DEFER TO HIM.

YEAH, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I DO HEAR BACK FROM HIM.

YEAH. MSU HAD THAT THAT ISSUE ORIGINALLY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T WHEN THEY FIRST PURCHASED GOOGLE SERVICES, THEY COULDN'T GET GUARANTEES OF CONFIDENTIALITY FOR RESEARCH DATA AND SUCH.

AND SO. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HEAR BACK FROM STEPHEN.

TAKE COURSE OF ACTION FROM THERE. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, WE CAN JUST MAYBE EMAIL IT.

I THINK WE CAN START WITH DISTRIBUTING A BLANK VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT TO EVERYBODY, AND FOLKS CAN WORK ON THEIR OWN TABS IN THEIR OWN TIME WITHOUT A CONVERSATION AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT IT, AND THEN BRING THOSE DELIBERATIONS BACK.

SO OF THOSE GROUPS, VOLUNTEERS, LEADERS, WOULD ANYBODY BE FEEL LIKE THEY'D BE COMFORTABLE BY THE NEXT MEETING IN MARCH TO LEAD THE OR DO I HAVE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER SARVER FOR THAT AGAIN? I THINK HE'D BE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR MARCH. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T SHOW UP? AND TO BE FAIR, I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO VOLUNTEER FOR A BUNCH OF STUFF TONIGHT.

I HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, JOHN. LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT DAVE OVER HERE.

YEAH, WELL, DAVE WILL GET ROPED INTO TO SOME OF THIS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT CATEGORIES HERE? I THINK THE WHO'S LEADING AND WHO'S PARTICIPATING IS SUPER IMPORTANT.

A TIMELINE CAN BE REAL TRICKY. AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE WANT TO ASK PEOPLE TO CHARACTERIZE THAT.

AN AWFUL LOT OF THESE, LIKE THE NUMBER TWO ON THE SCREEN AT THE MOMENT, CONTINUE TO GROW, YOU KNOW. WELL, IF THAT'S YOUR OBJECTIVE TO CONTINUE TO GROW, IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE COMPLETED.

BUT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, HERE'S A TARGET. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO ACHIEVE.

YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE THINK WE THINK WE MIGHT BE AT THIS POINT NEXT YEAR.

ALSO, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL NOW THAT I SAY THAT TO HAVE A TAB SOMEPLACE THAT SAYS, WHAT'S THE ROADBLOCK? WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE US TO GET THERE? AND A LOT OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE STAFF TIME. A LOT OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE DOLLARS. SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE GRANT PROPOSALS.

AND I THINK WE DON'T I THINK THE FOLKS WHO WORK ON THESE THINGS FOR US KNOW THAT.

AND THEY CAN TELL US THAT. AND SINCE WE DO HAVE RESOURCES FROM THE BOARD FOR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, THAT COLUMN THEN BECOMES, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SPEND MONEY ON THIS YEAR, WHETHER IT'S A CONSULTANT, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING ELSE? WE HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES, BUT WE SO FAR HAVEN'T HAD AN ORGANIZED PROCESS FOR DECIDING WHAT'S OUR ASK THIS YEAR? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY ON? AND IN FACT, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO ASK FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED WITHOUT PRIORITIES.

SO AS WE ADD THAT COLUMN AND AS WE AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT, LET'S, LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET THERE. AND I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES THEMSELVES ARE GREAT,

[00:45:05]

FOR THIS, WE MAY WANT A TAB FOR MORE OF THE OPEN ENDED OBJECTIVES SAYING WHAT WE WANT TO REACH AT SOME POINT.

NOT THAT THEY CANNOT EXPAND BEYOND THAT, BUT HAVING SOME REACHABLE GOAL OR A GOAL THAT WE CAN SEE DEFINITIVELY TO BE ABLE TO TRACK. SOMETIMES WE'LL CALL THOSE BENCHMARKS.

YEAH. WHAT ARE YOU AIMING FOR IN THE NEAR TERM, SHORT LONG TERM.

SO MAYBE IF THAT TIMELINE COLUMN COULD BECOME SOMETHING LIKE BENCHMARKS OR MILESTONES.

AND IF WE HAD A HUMAN RESOURCES. MONETARY RESOURCES OR OTHER RESOURCES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THAT COULD ALSO HELP US IN PLANNING. OKAY, KEN. YEAH. THANKS, KEN.

ALONG THOSE LINES, SOME OF THESE, I THINK, TOO, ARE GOING TO BE ONGOING.

SO I WONDER IF THAT COULD BE MAYBE STUCK UP IN ONE OF THE HEADINGS SOMEWHERE LIKE TIMELINE ONGOING OR COMPLETED AND ONGOING OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

WHAT WAS WHAT IS THE COMPLETED COLUMN? WHAT'S THE HEADING AGAIN ON THE COMPLETED COLUMN? IT'S JUST THAT. COULD THAT BE WHERE YOU? THAT'S WHAT I WAS INITIALLY THINKING.

BUT. YEAH. YEAH. I'M YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS PLAN AND THEN REVISED IT WE DID TRY TO PUSH OURSELVES TO PUT NUMERICAL GOALS, OBJECTIVE GOALS, OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVES INTO THE PLAN.

AND A FEW OF THEM HAVE THEM, BUT ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE THESE ONGOING KIND OF THINGS.

AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY SUSTAINABILITY IS.

YOU CAN ALWAYS BE DOING BETTER. BUT WHAT'S AN ACHIEVABLE TARGET? RIGHT. BUT SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, I GUESS WHAT I'M THINKING ALONG THIS LINE IS IF WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT THIS OBJECTIVE E1.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT RESCUING FOOD FROM GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S A THING THAT IN PLACE IS GREAT.

SO COMPLETED AND IN PLACE, BUT IT'S AN ONGOING THING BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T WANT IT TO END.

CORRECT. RIGHT. SO. AND IN FACT, NOW THAT YOU SAY THAT, I REALIZE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO RECORD A THROUGH D IN A SINGLE CELL. BREAK IT UP INTO. YEAH. WE MIGHT WANT TO BREAK THE SUB OBJECTIVES IF WE COULD.

SO WE CAN TRACK THEM BETTER. I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE MEANT BY THE PROGRESS AND NOTES, BUT THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT TO STUFF INTO ONE. AND IN MY EXPERIENCE I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMEPLACE ELSE WHERE THE NOTES CAN, CAN GO BECAUSE YOU START PUTTING A PARAGRAPH INTO AN EXCEL CELL AND SUDDENLY YOU CAN'T SEE IT ANYMORE. AND IT'S HARD TO GET MUCH DETAIL.

SO, YOU COULD HAVE A, YOU COULD HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT YOU JUST HAVE IT LINKED.

YES. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. TRUST ME, I PUT THIS TOGETHER IN AN HOUR THIS MORNING AT, LIKE, SIX IN THE MORNING. NO, YOU DID A GREAT JOB AT IT.

YEAH, IT'S NOT LIKE I COMPLETELY THOUGHT THIS OUT.

YEAH. NO, BUT THIS IS A FANTASTIC START. THIS IS JUST A WAY FOR US TO KEEP EXPANDING IT.

YEAH, YEAH. NO, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. AND YEAH, I CAN SAY MEASURING, RESCUING FOOD FROM GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS. WE HAVE THOSE DATA. WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE FOOD RESCUE FOLKS ARE COLLECTING.

AND VAL WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.

AND SHE AND GABBY AND THEIR GROUP WOULD, I'M SURE, BE VERY HAPPY TO ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT'S A REASONABLE TARGET AND WHAT ARE THE STUMBLING BLOCKS AND ALL THOSE THINGS. AND IT'D BE GREAT.

I THINK THE MOST ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THEN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF WRIGHT, IS IT 2027, THE PLAN, RIGHT, THAT WE WOULD REVISIT IT, THEN WE CAN KIND OF SEE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW WHICH OBJECTIVES OR STRATEGIES WE'VE ALREADY MADE GOOD PROGRESS ON. AND THEN MAYBE WE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO WE CAN UPDATE THEM.

OR MAYBE WE FEEL LIKE, OKAY, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MOVE ON AND HAVE SOME OTHER OBJECTIVES OR STRATEGIES INSTEAD THEN.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US LIKE BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE AND THEN BE ABLE TO SUMMARIZE THAT EASIER.

YOU KNOW, IN 2027 WHEN WE ASKED THE BOARD TO TRIPLE OUR BUDGET.

SO ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE REVISIONS TO THE STRUCTURE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS EVENING?

[00:50:06]

ALL RIGHT. AND I'M SURE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO TWEAK THIS AS WE GET MORE INTO USING IT.

WE'LL SAY, OH, WE'RE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS END, BUT SINCE IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

WELL, I'M REALLY ENTHUSED. I MEAN, I'M HAPPY THAT WE CAME UP WITH A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I'M HAPPY THAT WE REVISED IT, AND NOW I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT TRACKING OUR PROGRESS ON IT. IN THEORY, THE GREEN SPACE PLAN HAD THAT STRUCTURE BUILT INTO IT.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROGRESS, AND THAT HAPPENED FOR A FEW YEARS.

AND THEN THERE WAS A LOT OF CHANGES WITH STAFF AND OTHER THINGS, AND WE KIND OF FELL OUT OF THAT.

AND WE TOOK A SHOT A FEW YEARS BACK AT TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING AND SAYING, OKAY, WHERE ARE WE AT? BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN NOW WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS WILL EFFECTIVELY ACCOMPLISH THAT IN A SIMILAR FASHION. AND I MIGHT CONSIDER ADOPTING A SIMILAR APPROACH FROM THE GREEN SPACE PLAN TO THIS SO THAT WE HAVE A SIMILAR DOCUMENT THAT TRACKS WHAT HAVE WE DONE, HOW WELL HAS IT WORKED AND WHAT'S STILL LEFT TO BE DONE.

YEAH, AND MAYBE THE TWO SHOULD BE ONE THING. MAYBE THE NEXT TIME AROUND.

THE GREEN SPACE PLAN SHOULD BE PART OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. AND MAYBE THE NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION PLAN SHOULD BE PART OF A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURE SECTION IN HERE.

SO I DO WANT TO COMMENT TO THAT AS I WAS TYPING IN SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES, SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR HARRISON AND STUFF AND CINDY, THAT THERE WERE THERE WERE SOME THAT I THOUGHT, LIKE, THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT SCHOOLS COULD WORK ON OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, A STUDENT GROUP COULD WORK ON TYPE OF THING.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, THERE'S THINGS THAT, YEAH, I DIDN'T PICK A SPECIFIC TOPIC AS MY TENURE HERE IS A LITTLE MORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. BUT LIKE FILLING IN WHEREVER I CAN, CONNECTING IT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND OTHER LOCAL SCHOOLS, I THINK WOULD BE THE WAY I COULD BEST HELP, LIKE SEEING HOW OTHER KIDS CAN PARTICIPATE IN.

WELL, AND AT HASLETT SCHOOLS. HARRISON AND I ARE BOTH PART OF A A GROUP OF JUST ACROSS STAFF, ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENTS WHO ARE WORKING ON SUSTAINABILITY THINGS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IT'S A BRAND NEW PILOT GROUP. WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST MEETING, BUT I WAS THINKING ACTUALLY ABOUT THE THAT [INAUDIBLE] THEY'RE WORKING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AT OUR FIRST MEETING WHEN WE WERE TALKING, JUST THROWING AROUND IDEAS. SO THOSE ARE THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT JUST JUMP OUT AT ME RIGHT AWAY AND THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF ON OUR RADAR AT HASLETT SCHOOLS. SO I COMPLETELY AGREE.

GREAT. FANTASTIC. THAT'S FANTASTIC.

GO, GO, GO. ANYTHING ELSE ON CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING? HEARING NONE, WE'RE ON TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[7. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

SO WHEN I REPORT ON OUR ACTIVITIES OVER THE PAST YEAR, I'M GOING TO BE RELYING HEAVILY ON THAT INFORMATION.

SO WE MIGHT WANT TO SPEND A BIT MORE TIME ON THAT THIS EVENING THAN WE TYPICALLY DO.

OKAY, I'LL TRY AND BE FAIRLY BRIEF, BUT I HAVE CONSOLIDATED A NUMBER OF THE LINKS AND THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT INTO THE INTO THE LATEST STAFF UPDATE, SO APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THIS LINK BITLY FORWARD SLASH UPDATE HYPHEN LEROY.

THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE STAFF UPDATES. AND YOU'LL SEE A DIRECTORY WHICH I'M NOT SURE WHEN IT STARTED. 22, I GUESS.

YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME FUN SURFING THROUGH THIS.

OR NOT. FEBRUARY HAS A FEW LINKS THAT I THOUGHT THE ONES IN BOLD ARE THE ONES THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT BRIEFLY TONIGHT.

[00:55:03]

FOR EXAMPLE SEVERAL OF YOU ARE ON THE GREEN TEAM.

JOHN IS NOT HERE TONIGHT. BUT TOM IS HERE. AND TOM, DO YOU WANT TO JUST MENTION BRIEFLY ABOUT THE THE EVENTS? WELL, SURE I CAN, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY GOT THIS IN THEIR PACKET.

SO WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE EVENT EACH MONTH STARTING THIS MONTH IN FEBRUARY AND GOING THROUGH SEPTEMBER. AND YOU SEE THEM LISTED THERE. MOST OF THE EVENTS ARE GOING TO BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TWO EVENTS THAT WE DO EACH YEAR, THE SPRING RECYCLING DAY, WHICH IS APRIL 26TH, AND THEN THE FALL EVENT, WHICH IS OUR ELECTRONICS RECYCLING DAY, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 20TH. BUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ON THE VARIOUS EVENTS ARE YET TO BE WORKED OUT BY THE GREEN TEAM AND STAFF, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE A TIMELINE IN PLACE FOR THE YEAR'S ACTIVITIES.

SO THANK YOU, TOM. JUST WHILE WE'RE ON THIS PAGE THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SPONSORS FOR THIS YEAR.

WE'VE GOT A FEW THAT ARE LINED UP, BUT WE'RE ONE OF THE THINGS I'M HOPING TO DO IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO IS TO SEND OUT THE INVITATION TO OUR SPONSORS AND SUCH AS SOME OF THESE REGULARS HERE. ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT THESE VARIOUS TEAMS THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE GOOD RESOURCES FOR FILLING IN SOME OF THESE SECTIONS IN THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, BUT ALSO IN IMPLEMENTING THE COOL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO YOU MIGHT FIND SOME PEOPLE THAT YOU WANT TO CONNECT WITH ON THESE STEP UPDATES OR AND THE PIECE THAT UMAN HAS BEEN WORKING ON. THERE'S A LINK TO HARRISON'S TALK HERE.

IT'S A PDF IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

THERE'S A LINK TO THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO EACH OF THESE, BUT I TRY TO MAKE THIS A CHEAT SHEET SO YOU CAN NAVIGATE FAIRLY QUICKLY BETWEEN PROJECTS.

THERE'S ALSO A LINK TO OUR AGENDA AND PACKETS AND MINUTES.

AND THIS IS A REPOSITORY OF AT LEAST A HALF A DECADE OF, OF MINUTES AND PACKETS.

AND YOU FIND A LOT OF STUFF IN THERE IF YOU DIG A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO.

A LINK TO OUR CURRENT COMMISSIONERS. I THOUGHT OF THIS BRIEF, SUMMARY AS ALSO AN ORIENTATION TO OUR NEW STAFF, WHO MIGHT HAVE BE WONDERING WHO ARE THE COMMISSIONERS OR WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, THAT TYPE OF THING? OKAY. SO. THESE ARE SOME OF THE, THE TEAMS AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD THEM MENTIONED ALREADY.

THEY'RE STARTED BY PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU. AND A LOT OF THEM JUST STARTED WITH AN IDEA AND THEY'VE EVOLVED.

DAVE HAS STARTED A COUPLE INITIATIVES AND IS INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL OF THE TEAMS. AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF THE HEART OF WHERE A LOT OF THE, THE ACTION TAKES PLACE IN THESE KIND OF LARGELY SELF-DIRECTED TEAMS. AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU CULTIVATING NEW LEADERS TO STEP UP ON THINGS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.

THERE'S ALSO QUITE A FEW REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THEM AT THE EVENTS COMING UP.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, MID MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL HAS BEEN A GREEN GRANT RECIPIENT.

THEY'VE ALSO DONE EVENTS AND PARTNERED WITH US ON.

AND YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THAT GROUP. YEAH I AM.

DO YOU WANT TO JUST DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM? WELL, SO I RECENTLY JOINED THE BOARD OF MID MACK.

YOU KNOW, THEIR PLANS ARE VERY EDUCATION BASED HOSTING LUNCH AND LEARNS, I KNOW, IS A BIG PRIORITY FOR EACH YEAR.

AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE FOR 2025. SO I DON'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF ALL THE GREEN GRANTS THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED OVER THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

[01:00:01]

SO WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

BUT YEAH, I'M REALLY STILL LEARNING AS MUCH AS AS MUCH AS ANYTHING.

SO LEROY MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE MORE INFO ON THAT THAN I DO.

JUST SORT OF MENTION IT, BECAUSE A LOT OF US ARE CONNECTED TO MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE CONNECTED WITH THEM.

SO I CAN ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF ANOTHER ONE ON THE LIST, I'M ALSO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LIAISON FOR THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.

THAT IS ANOTHER ONE THAT I'VE JUST JOINED. ATTENDED ONE MEETING.

BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, A REGIONAL APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTALISM TO READ THE REPORTS THAT THE TRI-COUNTY PUTS OUT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN FOR SOME OF US ELECTED FOLKS WHO SERVE ON THAT BOARD, THERE ARE PLENTY OF THINGS THAT IF I WERE TO TURN TO AND ASK, I GUARANTEE THERE'S A REPORT ON IT.

I JUST FINISHED THE ONE ON HOUSING LAST NIGHT. IT'S ABOUT 150 PAGES, SO THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH INFO FOR WHAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.

AND YOU KNOW, WE ALL MERIDIAN IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE AT OR BE WHERE IT IS IN RELATION TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.

SO THINKING REGIONALLY, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE THIS BOARD IS DOING.

AND IT'S NOT JUST FOCUS ON OUR OWN LITTLE SIX MILE BY SIX MILE AREA.

I JUST FOUND OUT TODAY THAT TRI COUNTY IS GOING TO BE AT OUR MARCH 15TH EVENT, WITH THEIR ENVIRO SCAPE, SORT OF A HANDS ON ACTIVITY. IT COULD BE A FUN THING TO INVOLVE STUDENTS IN, AND OTHER STUDENT GROUPS ARE GOING TO BE AT THAT ON THE 15TH AS WELL, I BELIEVE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET FROM 10 TO 2.

10 TO 2. THERE IS AN ASTONISHING NUMBER OF GROUPS IN THE TRI- COUNTY AREA.

IN FACT, THERE ARE 100 ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA.

AND ONE OF OUR TRI-COUNTY FOLKS PUT THIS LIST TOGETHER.

AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN GO TO THE LINK HERE.

ONE OF THOSE ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMISSIONS, AS WELL AS THE STUDY GROUPS OR THE VARIOUS OTHER COMMITTEES. AND THERE'S AN APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE HERE.

YOU GUYS ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU FILLED IT OUT.

BUT HERE'S THE LINK IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE WHO YOU SUGGEST THAT MIGHT APPLY FOR THE COMMISSION.

THIS IS ORGANIZED LARGELY IN THE LAST DAY OR SO.

SO IT'S NOT IN A LOGICAL ORDER. BUT I THOUGHT I'D JUST HIT SOME OF THESE HOT ONES FOR YOU TO, TO EXAMINE. LET ME HELP US ZERO IN THEN. THANK YOU.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR US TO REPORT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ON IS OUR USE OF THE GREEN GRANT FUNDS.

SO I'D LIKE TO SPEND SOME TIME LOOKING AT EXACTLY WHAT WE SPENT MONEY ON AND WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN DONE.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK. YEAH, I THINK YOU WENT PAST IT.

IT'S YOUR SECOND, THIRD BULLET. OKAY. THAT'S RIGHT.

THIS PRESENTATION IS A NICE, QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GREEN GRANT PROGRAM.

AND IT'S NOT TOTALLY UP TO DATE, BUT IT IS DOES GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAST FEW YEARS AND HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF IT'S GOT SOME PICTURES AND KIND OF TALKS ABOUT EXAMPLES OF GREEN GRANT PROJECTS.

THE GENERAL TIMELINE. NORMALLY WE LIKE TO SELECT THINGS EARLY IN THE YEAR SO PEOPLE HAVE A HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPLETE THEM.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN COMPLETED YET.

IN FACT, MID-MEAC IS ONE OF THEM. ACTUALLY, MID-MEAC WAS PART OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUND, WHICH WASN'T TECHNICALLY A GREEN GRANT. AS I RECALL.

BUT IT'S ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.

THERE'S A FORM WHICH HAS BEEN SIMPLIFIED THIS WEEK, WHICH HAS, WAS TWO, IT WAS TWO DIFFERENT FORMS NOW IT'S JUST ONE FORM, THREE PAGES, AND IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN FILL OUT ON YOUR OWN.

AND THEN PICTURES OF PAST PROJECTS AROUND THE AREA.

A LOT OF SCHOOLS, A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, HAS A COMMUNITY CHURCH. MONTESSORI WAS MENTIONED.

PINE CREEK CONDO ASSOCIATION REMOVES SOME INVASIVE SPECIES.

[01:05:05]

REAL QUICK. ALL RIGHT. I WILL SAY I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ONE OF THE GOALS FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR 2025 WAS BEING MORE ENGAGED WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANY OF YOU WHO LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS AN ASSOCIATION GROUP TO IF THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS THAT GREEN GRANT MIGHT BE APPLICABLE FOR, YOU SAW A CONDO ASSOCIATION PARTICIPATED.

BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE ALL LIVE HERE. THERE ARE DEFINITELY WAYS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COULD LOOK TO THIS AS A WAY TO BE A PART OF THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, YOU KNOW, IT IS LIKE I SAID, IT IS ONE OF OUR GOALS. SO IT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A SUPPORTED PROJECT IF IT FIT THE CRITERIA.

THANK YOU. THAT'S A SEVEN MINUTE AND 22ND OVERVIEW.

YOU'VE GOT THIS FORM HERE AT THE BIT.LY LINK.

SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS STUFF OR WANT TO RETURN TO IT AT A FUTURE MEETING, LET ME KNOW. BUT THANK YOU.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK IS THAT THE INFORMATION WITH THE PICTURES AND SUCH IS GREAT.

IT IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO REMEMBER AND TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT'S GOING ON THAT NEXT WEEK, WE WON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE A PRESENTATION WITH SLIDES.

THOSE ARE ALL ORAL REPORTS. WHAT WE NEED IS A LIST OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED.

A LIST OF WHICH ARE COMPLETE, AND A WITH A LIST OF WHICH ARE IN PROGRESS, AND A ACCOUNTING OF THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN SPENT IN EACH OF THE YEARS AS UP TO DATE AS YESTERDAY.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. YEAH, I CAN DO MY BEST ON THAT, BUT SOME OF THE IT'S A CHALLENGE TO PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND.

GETTING DAN'S ATTENTION, FRANKLY. AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE STUFF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN POSTED TO A DIFFERENT FUND GETS PUT IN THE SPOT THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT. BUT I CAN COME PRETTY CLOSE. SO.

CAN YOU DO IT BY THE END OF THE WEEK? WHICH WEEK? THIS WEEK? PROBABLY NOT. MEETINGS ON TUESDAY.

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH. OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO LIAISONS.

I'M LOOKING AT THE AGENDA FOR THE LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.

AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE LAST TWO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS THAN I'VE SEEN IN AN AWFULLY LONG TIME.

AND ONE OF THEM ISN'T REALLY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.

IT'S A PROPOSAL FOR A DAYCARE CENTER UP ON TIHART ROAD.

AND RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WELL THAT CHILD CARE OPERATION WITH 14 KIDS IS GOING TO IMPACT, ESPECIALLY TRAFFIC IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, SCHOOL BUSSES AND SUCH.

AND THE OTHER IS, IS QUITE A BIT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED.

AND I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT IN THE LAST UPDATE TO THE TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN, ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WAS MADE TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WAS THE EXPECTATION FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE UNUSED PORTION OF THE FAITH.

LUTHERAN CHURCH PROPERTY ON DOBIE ROAD. MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, A TEN ACRE PARCEL WAS DONATED TO THE CHURCH FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT BUILDING. AND THE BUILDING CURRENTLY OCCUPIES THE USE OF THAT CHURCH CURRENTLY OCCUPIES SOMETHING LIKE SIX OF THOSE ACRES. AND THE NORTHERN 3 OR 4 ACRES ARE CURRENTLY IN REGROWTH WOODLAND.

VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND BECAUSE THEY LIVE NEXT TO A NICE LITTLE GREEN PATCH. THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED IN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AGREED TO REPRESENT THAT PORTION OF THAT PARCEL IN THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN RATHER THAN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IT CURRENTLY IS ZONED OWNED AS MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL, IN KEEPING WITH THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS DIRECTLY TO THE NORTH OF IT AND THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS TO THE NORTHEAST OF IT. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE TOP OF DOBIE ROAD, AS YOU'RE GETTING TO HAMILTON,

[01:10:03]

THERE WILL BE SEVERAL MORE PROCESSES IN TERMS OF INTRODUCTION TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DISCUSSION AND DECISION BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

ALL OF THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF DETAIL ON WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE BUILT THERE, BECAUSE THIS IS A REZONING APPLICATION AND NOT A LAND USE PERMIT.

THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO COME BACK AND ASK THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT THAT WOULD HAVE THE ACTUAL PLANS AND LAYOUTS OF WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO THERE.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PROJECT THAT PLANNING COMMISSION HAS CONSIDERED.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER LIAISON REPORTS? WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ACTIVITIES.

DID ANYTHING FURTHER THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD? OR, YOU KNOW, I PLANNED ON SAYING A FEW THINGS, AND I THINK I SAID THEM OVER THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD AGAIN ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.

AND YEAH, PUTTING A PLUG IN FOR THE NEWEST BOARD.

I JOINED THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING. THEY HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS AS ONE OF THEIR MAIN CONCERNS.

SO YOU CAN LOOK AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WATER TRAIL DEVELOPMENT PLAN YOU KNOW, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

SO THERE'S A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERYTHING THAT COMES NEXT WEEK WITH THE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS COMING TO SEE US ON THE BOARD. BY THE WAY, YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO COME TO THAT EVENING.

THEY'RE ASKING FOR RSVP, JUST SO THEY KNOW HOW MANY OF THE TABLES AND CHAIRS TO SET UP.

THAT'S BASICALLY THE SET THE ROOM UP KIND OF CLASSROOM STYLE WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF TABLES IN EACH BOARD OR COMMISSION HAS ALL OR SOME OF A TABLE, AND YOU BASICALLY JUST GO AROUND THE ROOM AND GET A FEW MINUTES OF PRESENTATION FROM EACH OF THE GROUPS.

LIKE I SAY, NOT A FORMAL PRESENTATION. IF THERE'S I'M HAPPY TO REPORT ON THE COMMISSION'S OVERALL ACTIVITIES.

IF ANY OF YOU WOULD ARE INTERESTED IN ADDING SOME DETAILS IN SECTIONS THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO YOU, LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL COORDINATE. BUT IT'S I ALWAYS FIND THE EVENING, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE QUITE LONG INCREDIBLY INFORMATIVE AND ALSO HEARTWARMING BECAUSE YOU GET TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING.

AND IT'S ALMOST ALL GOOD NEWS, AND IT'S ALMOST ALL ABOUT HOW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE PARTICIPATING IN WHAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE DOING IN ORDER TO MOVE THE COMMUNITY FORWARD. AND IT'S A TIME FOR A LOT OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION.

AND SPEAKING OF THAT, I HAD A CONVERSATION LAST WEEK WITH PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR COURTNEY WISINSKI AND MARY NADEAU, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE LAND PRESERVATION, I'M SORRY, THE PARKS COMMISSION.

PARKS COMMISSION. AND THEY WHILE WE HAVE LIAISONS BETWEEN PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING AND BROWNFIELDS AND OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THE PARKS COMMISSION DOESN'T REALLY HAVE THAT HASN'T ADOPTED THAT LIAISON STRUCTURE.

SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO DO THAT. EITHER HAVING ONE OF OUR MEMBERS TAKING KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND REPORTING REGULARLY, OR ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS COMING HERE OR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL GOT LOTS OF THINGS ON OUR EVENING CALENDARS, SO IT CAN BE A BIG ASK TO GET ON, BUT I THINK THE PARK COMMISSION ONLY MEETS ONCE A MONTH. IT'S NOT LIKE I'M PLANNING OR TOWNSHIP BOARD OR TWICE A MONTH.

IT'S A KIND OF A HUGE COMMITMENT. SO IF ANYBODY HAS INTEREST OR IS WOULD LIKE TO SERVE IN THAT LIAISON POSITION OR HELP US MAKE THAT LIAISON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. DO WE HAVE A CURRENT BROWNFIELD LIAISON?

[01:15:03]

ON THAT NOTE, WE HAD A NICE PRESENTATION FROM AMBER CLARK LAST NIGHT AT THE GREEN TEAM OR GREEN DIALOG.

AND IF YOU LIKE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF BROWNFIELDS, THAT'S A YOU CAN FIND THAT ON THE LINK ON OUR WEBSITE.

SO LAST NIGHT. YEAH. THIS MORNING OR THIS MORNING.

YEAH. IT SEEMED LIKE YESTERDAY. WHAT DID SHE SAY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT VERBATIM, BUT WHAT KIND OF. WHAT WERE THE TALKING POINTS? BASICALLY, TOLD US WHAT A BROWNFIELD IS, HOW SHE WORKS WITH DIFFERENT LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT IN THE STATE.

TALKED ABOUT THE VARIOUS BROWNFIELD PLANS FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE. SHE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

TONS OF QUESTIONS. IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION, BUT YEAH.

AND IT DIDN'T GET BOGGED DOWN IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.

NO, IT WAS TOUCHED UPON, BUT IT DIDN'T GET BOGGED DOWN THERE.

THAT'S FINE. WELL, LET'S MOVE ON THEN, TO TEAMS. OUR ENERGY TEAM IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING? WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GREEN TEAM ANY MORE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO.

NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S REALLY ANYTHING MORE TO ADD.

AND I JUST REMINDED MYSELF. SO I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT FEDERAL APPLICATION AND FOR THE ADOBE ROAD SITE.

AND AFTER THE MEETING I DID ASK THEM IF THEY'VE THOUGHT THROUGH PARTICULARLY WHERE THE DUMPSTER IS GOING TO GO, BECAUSE IF YOU STICK THAT BACK IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.

AND THEIR ANSWER WAS NO. THEY PLAN IT. SO THEY HAVE FOUR BUILDINGS THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING AND THEIR IDEA IS TO PUT THE LANDFILL IN BETWEEN TWO OF THE BUILDINGS. SO IT'S NOT SO FAR THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK SO FAR.

SO IT'S KIND OF A CENTRAL LOCATION. AND I ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT RECYCLING.

AND THEY BELIEVE THAT GRANGER WOULD SERVICE RECYCLING AT THAT SITE AND THAT THEY COULD LOCATE THAT FACILITY IN BETWEEN THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS, BASICALLY OPPOSITE ON THE SITE. AND I DID SOMETHING THAT WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH A LOT IN THE PAST RECYCLING AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, AND IT FEELS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY OF GETTING THAT IN THIS PLAN.

SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT. JOHN SARVER DID WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'RE UP TO 225 SOLAR SYSTEMS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

SO THAT'S OR THAT'S HOW MANY WERE INSTALLED IN 2024.

I'M SORRY. THAT'S HOW MANY WERE INSTALLED. THERE WERE 25 SYSTEMS THAT WERE INSTALLED LAST YEAR.

NOW WE'RE UP TO 182. YEAH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING SO GOOD WHEN WE GET TO THAT SORT OF BENCHMARKING AND PROGRESS THING, BECAUSE THEY'RE CHIPPING AWAY AT IT AND THEY'RE AND THEY'RE GROWING JUST LIKE THE FOOD RESCUE AND THE GLEANING.

THOSE NUMBERS ARE GROWING RAPIDLY. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY NICE WHEN WE START TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE.

I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE RECYCLING. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS TRACK, RIGHT? LIKE HOW MUCH HOW MUCH YOU PEOPLE BRING IN FOR EACH OF THOSE EVENTS THAT YOU RECYCLE, RIGHT.

HAVE YOU GUYS EVER TRIED, LIKE GRAPHING THAT OR LIKE DOING SOME KIND OF A LOOK BACK TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE OVER TIME TO SEE HOW THAT'S INCREASED? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BEEN INCREASING OR NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT I WILL DEFER TO LEROY ON THAT. I DON'T THINK WE'VE TRIED TO TRACK IT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

HAVE WE OR HAVE WE? WE HAVE ABOUT A DECADE'S WORTH OF MATERIAL, BUT WE HAVEN'T GRAPHED IT EACH.

EACH YEAR IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND PUBLICITY LOCATION.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES. BUT WE DID SEE A BIG RISE LAST YEAR IN OUR RECYCLING EVENTS.

I, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY, COULD YOU GO AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE PRIOR YEARS AND PUT IT TOGETHER FOR US? I THINK THAT'LL BE INTERESTING. IT'D BE AN INTERESTING STORY TO TELL. AND THEN ALSO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD.

A GREAT VISUAL. YEAH, A GREAT VISUAL. SEE AND WRITE AND THEN SHOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT THE TOWNSHIP IS DOING AND THEN PROGRESS MADE TOWARD, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S ALL ON THAT LINK I SHARED.

JUST HAVE TO DIG A LITTLE. IT'S AN EXCAVATION AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.

YEAH, YEAH. IF WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, THAT'D BE GREAT TO SHOW THAT. I MEAN, I LOVE, LIKE, WHEN EMMA TALKED ABOUT THE DEER,

[01:20:06]

AND SO IT JUST VISUALLY IT'S A NICE WAY TO TELL THE STORY.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS REALIZE THAT THE STUFF IS STILL EXPANDING BECAUSE WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT AS MUCH.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT LIKE IN THE BACKGROUND.

IT'S STILL GOING ON. YEAH, I THINK BILL HAD SOMETHING.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY LEROY IF YOU SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME THAT I WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT ON MY PHONE WITH YOUR LINK WITH I CAN TAKE A CRACK AT IT. YES. THANK YOU. WRITE THAT DOWN, DAVE.

I JUST TATTOOED IT INTO MY ARM. AWESOME. THANK YOU.

GREEN BURIAL. I DID COMMUNICATE WITH THE CHAIR OF THE GREEN BURIAL COMMITTEE TODAY, AND WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE PROCESS. THEY RECENTLY MET WITH THE SEXTON OF THE WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP GREEN CEMETERY. HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

I BELIEVE THEY'RE IN THEIR FINAL PHASE OF PUTTING TOGETHER A PRESENTATION FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SO I THINK ONCE THEY GET THAT PRESENTATION FINALIZED, THEY WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH PRESUMABLY THE MANAGER'S OFFICE TO SET THAT UP FOR THEM TO PRESENT TO THE TO THE BOARD.

SO I THINK THEY'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE. GREAT.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR REACHING OUT AND BRINGING US THAT.

WE'VE TOUCHED PRETTY MUCH ON GREEN GRANTS. UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ON THAT, LIKE A NEW APPLICATION OR SOMETHING. THERE IS A NEW APPLICATION, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE THAT.

HOPE TO GET THAT ON THE WEB. YOU'LL SEE A LINK TO IT IN YOUR PACKET.

I'M SORRY, YOU'RE GOING TO POST THE APPLICATION ON THE WEB. YES, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE APPLICATION FORM.

I'M TALKING ABOUT AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING.

WE KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT ON THE WEB. WE DO HAVE ONE THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE WEB, AND THAT COMMITTEE WILL MEET TO CONSIDER THAT ONE.

THAT'S TYPICALLY IN MARCH, AFTER WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEM.

WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT ONE. COOL. COOL. ANY OTHER TEAMS THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN? ANYBODY WANT TO FORM A NEW TEAM? BASEBALL TEAM. FOOTBALL TEAM. SOCCER TEAM. PICKLEBALL TEAM.

MOVING ON THEN. WE'VE HEARD FROM HASLETT SCHOOLS.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? NO. EARTH CLUB CHUGGING ALONG STILL.

AS I SAID THE DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM THAT PETERSON MENTIONED BRIEFLY, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING.

IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT NEW ADDITION TO OUR DISTRICT.

IT INCLUDES THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN PRINCIPALS AND DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS IN STUDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF IN THE DISTRICT. AND WE'RE HOPING TO JUST CONNECT ALL OF OUR RESOURCES AND EXPAND LOTS OF THE STUFF THAT'S IN PLACE IN ONE SCHOOL TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM.

WHEN THE FIRST EMAIL WAS SENT OUT TO SEE WHO WANTED TO, THERE WASN'T MUCH RESPONSE.

BUT THEN ONCE WE WENT TO THE MEETING, THE ROOM WAS FILLED.

SO IT'S SEEMING LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF NEW THINGS COMING UP, HOPEFULLY.

AND THE HIGH SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY TEAM, WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH DEWITT.

SUSTAINABILITY. I WAS THERE VERY BRIEFLY, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GOOD NEW CONNECTION FOR US, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL EXPAND FROM THERE. POSSIBLY A COMBINED GRANT, IT EXPANDING OUR INITIATIVES AS THE TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS. GREAT. ANY FURTHER? I THINK I FORWARDED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT PRIOR CONTACTS WITH THE.

YOU DID. WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH THAT YET, BUT THE PLAN IS TO DO THAT.

WE ALSO OUR SUSTAINABILITY CLUB WILL BE PRESENTING TO THE STAFF MEETING THAT OUR SUSTAINABILITY CLUB IS HOPING TO GET A GRANT TO INSTALL RECHARGEABLE BATTERY STATIONS FOR CLASSROOMS LIKE MINE THAT USE LOTS OF CALCULATORS AND LOTS OF BATTERIES, AND DON'T LIKE TO HAVE THOSE BATTERIES THAT AREN'T

[01:25:10]

SO WE ARE GOING TO I HAVE TALKED TO THIS GROUP TO PRESENT TO OUR STAFF ABOUT A SURVEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEND OUT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE USE IN THE BUILDING, SO THAT THEN WE HAVE SOME DATA BEHIND A GRANT TO SUBMIT, HOPEFULLY.

GREAT. AND SOMETHING ELSE JUST POPPED IN MY MIND.

ANOTHER ONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN THE DISTRICT, LED BY BRIDGET BOOTH IS HOPING TO PRESENT ME INCLUDED TO THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION ABOUT WHAT SHE HAS BEEN DOING.

SHE GOT A GRANT A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME AGO TO EXPAND EDUCATIONAL LEARNING ON SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT, AND WILL PRESENT ON THAT AND KIND OF HOW SHE HAS STARTED TO INCLUDE STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SEAL, WHICH IS ONE OF HER MAIN THINGS, STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM, LEADERSHIP, WHICH I HAVE A PART OF. AND THAT SHOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW ON A STATE WIDE SCALE, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING, WHAT KIND OF INTEREST THERE IS QUESTIONS THAT ARISE BEING ABLE TO PRESENT TO A MORE EXPANSIVE GROUP.

AND THAT'S IN MARCH, MARCH, MARCH. ARE YOU PRESENTING THE SEVENTH OR THE EIGHTH? DO YOU KNOW? I WANT TO SAY THE SEVENTH, BUT IT MIGHT BE THE SEVENTH IS FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.

YEAH, IT'S THE SEVENTH. THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? BECAUSE I ATTEND THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE.

THE SEVENTH IS A FRIDAY. THE EIGHTH IS A I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT FEBRUARY ANY.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER REPORTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANYTHING ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? HEARING NONE. LAST CHANCE FOR PUBLIC REMARKS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR COMING ALONG. WE'RE ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.