Feb 11, 2025 Joint Township Boards & Commissions Meeting

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:01:06]

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

THIS IS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S JOINT BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING.

OUR ANNUAL MEETING. IT IS 6:00 HERE ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 2024.

WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR COMING.

WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF BITS OF AGENDA BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, SO BEAR WITH US IF WE WOULD.

OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

IF THOSE WHO ARE ABLE WOULD PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM THREE. THE ROLL CALL WILL DEPUTY CLERK GORDON.

PLEASE CALL THE ROLL SUPERVISOR.

ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM FOUR PRESENTATION.

AND THIS IS A REVIEW OF OUR 2024 GOALS. AND LOOKING AT LOOKING AHEAD TO OUR 2025 GOALS.

AND I'M GOING TO BE GIVING THE PRESENTATION ON THAT THIS EVENING.

AND SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR BEING HERE.

YOU'LL BE HEARING THIS A LOT, I'M SURE, FROM ALL OF US OVER THE COURSE OF THE EVENING.

BUT OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE SO CRITICAL TO OUR THE HARD WORK THAT THE TOWNSHIP DOES.

AND REALLY, YOUR WORK HELPS TO MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER AS WE SORT OF GET THE POLICIES OUT AND OPERATE THE TOWNSHIP FOR THE STAFF AS WELL.

SO WE THANK YOU TREMENDOUSLY FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.

SO WE WANT TO GO OVER OUR 2024 GOALS WITH YOU.

[4.A. Recapping 2024 and Reviewing 2025 Goals]

AND IN 2024 WE SET FIVE GOALS. I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM HERE JUST TO REMIND OURSELVES OF THE HARD WORK THAT WE ALL DID. THE FIRST GOAL ON THE LIST WAS ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY.

THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE BOARD MEETINGS MAY KNOW THAT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH 2023 OUR POLICE FORCE WAS IN DIRE STRAITS FROM A HIRING PERSPECTIVE.

WE HAD, OUT OF A TOTAL POSSIBLE 42 SWORN OFFICERS, WE HAD 31 ON STAFF, AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF PLANNED DEPARTURES AND RETIREMENTS COMING IN 2024. AND SO THE BOARD SET THE GOAL TO ENHANCE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, AND WE DID SO BY APPROVING THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAM FOR OUR POLICE AND FIRE. AND THAT HELPED TO RAISE THE PAY FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS.

AND ALSO MADE AVAILABLE A RECRUITMENT BONUS TO ANY TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEE WHO REFERRED A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE TO OUR POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT THE EFFORTS THERE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

SINCE THAT PROGRAM WAS PUT INTO EFFECT IN DECEMBER OF DECEMBER OF 2023, WE'VE GONE FROM 31 SWORN OFFICERS, AS I MENTIONED, TO 39 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 42. AND SO WE'VE REALLY TURNED AROUND OUR HIRING ISSUES THERE.

[00:05:04]

AND WE'RE HOPING TO BRING THAT UP TO FULLY STAFFED THIS YEAR.

SO A LOT OF GOOD WORK THERE. WE'VE ALSO FILLED OUR FIRE POSITIONS AS WELL.

WE HAD 34 FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON STAFF, AND WE ARE NOW UP TO THE FULL ROSTER OF 36 THAT WE HAVE APPROVED. AND SO FULLY STAFFED IN THAT DEPARTMENT AS WELL.

THE THIRD PART OF THAT PUBLIC SAFETY GOAL WAS TO EXPLORE PUTTING A ENHANCING OUR GENDER EQUITY AT OUR FIRE STATIONS BY PUTTING GENDER NEUTRAL DORM, A DORMITORY ONTO OUR CENTRAL FIRE STATION.

AND THIS PROJECT IS STILL IN THE WORKS. WE DID NOT GET IT DONE IN 2024, BUT WE DID MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD SIGNIFICANTLY.

WE ARE SEEKING FUNDING SOURCES RIGHT NOW. IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE PROJECT.

BUT AN IMPORTANT ONE, AS WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUR NEW FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS WHO ARE WOMEN.

AND DESERVE TO HAVE A DORMITORY THAT MAKES THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE.

JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE. AND SO WE CONTINUED THIS PROJECT INTO 2025.

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME GROUNDBREAKING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO THERE AS WE MOVE TOWARD COMPLETING THAT GOAL.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHY IS PUBLIC GETTING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FULLY STAFFED, IMPORTANT? WELL, CALL VOLUMES FOR BOTH OUR POLICE AND FIRE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN CONTINUING TO INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR, RIGHT. THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF NEED FOR OUR POLICE AND FIRE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD AS A BOARD WHEN WE CONDUCTED OUR PUBLIC LISTENING SESSIONS IN 2024, 2023 AND 2024, I SHOULD SAY THE TOP CONCERN WAS POLICING OUR STREETS.

IT WAS HOT ON EVERYONE'S MIND. AND THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS THAT WE'VE ISSUED.

NOT THAT THAT'S THE END ALL. BE ALL. SINCE THIS PROGRAM HAS GONE INTO EFFECT HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY.

SO OUR POLICE PRESENCE IS BEING FELT ON THE STREETS.

WE'RE HELPING TO KEEP DRIVERS SAFE, KEEP OUR PEDESTRIANS SAFE, KEEP OUR BIKERS SAFE.

AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN EFFECTIVE TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAM GOING ON HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE EFFORTS OF THAT GOAL.

NUMBER 2 IN 2024 WAS OUR COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER GOAL.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE, AS A RESULT OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOND ISSUE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THEY ARE DEMOLISHING AND REBUILDING SEVERAL BUILDINGS WITHIN THE OKEMOS SCHOOL DISTRICT.

ONE OF THOSE CURRENTLY HOUSES OUR SENIOR CENTER, AND SO WE KNOW THAT IN 2027, THE SENIOR CENTER WILL NO LONGER EXIST.

AND SO THE BOARD ADOPTED THIS GOAL TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF BUILDING OR ACQUIRING A SENIOR CENTER.

AND AS WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE COGNIZANT OF OUR TRIENNIAL SURVEY RESULTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL SURVEYS THAT HAVE INDICATED THAT A COMMUNITY CENTER IS ONE OF THE TOP THINGS THAT RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY WANT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE.

AND SO, IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY OF FINDING A NEW HOME FOR OUR SENIOR CENTER, WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF BUILDING A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR ALL RESIDENTS AS WELL.

THERE WAS A TASK FORCE CHAIRED BY TRUSTEE MARNA WILSON THAT MET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR LAST YEAR.

AND IN 2023 AND 2024. AND IDENTIFIED A SITE AT THE OLD YONKERS BUILDING AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

THIS WAS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS. THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT RELATIVELY SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PRESS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

ULTIMATELY, THE BOARD IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR DETERMINED THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD WERE A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WE FELT THE, THE COMMUNITY WAS WILLING TO BEAR. AND SO, AFTER THE RESULTS OF OUR MEETING IN AUGUST WHERE THAT DETERMINATION WAS MADE THE TASK FORCE WAS REFORMED. AND HAS BEEN MEETING SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2024 MONTHLY.

AND WE HAVE A MISSION OF PRESENTING TWO PROPOSALS, ONE THAT IS A SENIOR CENTER ONLY AND ONE THAT IS A SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND SO THE WORK ON OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER GOAL CONTINUES INTO 2025.

BUT IT IS CERTAINLY OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE SO THAT OUR SENIORS DO NOT FIND THEMSELVES WITHOUT A HOME FOR THEIR SENIOR CENTER.

[00:10:09]

AND SO ONE OF THE MOST DIRECT WAYS WE DID THIS WAS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, AFTER HOLDING A HOLDING A NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL LISTENING SESSIONS IN 2023, CONTINUED THAT PROGRAM OF LISTENING SESSIONS IN 2024.

IN 23, WE WENT OUT AND DID THEM AT SIX DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP.

IN 2024, WE CENTRALIZED THEM HERE BECAUSE THIS WAS A BIG ENOUGH SPACE THAT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN JOINING US.

THOSE THREE SESSIONS WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED.

AND WE GOT TO PROVIDE SOME UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT A NUMBER OF OUR ISSUES, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL ROADS, OUR POLICE PROGRAM, AND SO ON. AND WE GOT TO HEAR ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT WE HADN'T HEARD ABOUT, AND FRANKLY, WE NEEDED TO HEAR ABOUT SO THAT WE COULD ADDRESS SOME REAL CITIZEN ISSUES THAT THAT HAD COME UP.

AND SO WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

I THINK THAT IT'S MY OPINION, ANYWAY, THAT THESE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

AND IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM OUR RESIDENTS AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THEM ABOUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN HAVING.

IN ADDITION, WE PRODUCED THE 2024 CITIZEN SURVEY.

PARDON ME THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. AND THAT WENT OUT IN JUNE AND JULY OF 2024.

AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD DATA BACK FROM THAT.

THAT HELPS TO INFORM OUR DIRECTION AND OUR VISION FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

AS WELL AS PRODUCING OUR PRIME MERIDIAN MAGAZINE.

WHICH IS, OF COURSE, OUR ANNUAL MAGAZINE THAT HIGHLIGHTS A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS DO.

PARKS AND REC, CLERK'S OFFICE, TREASURER'S OFFICE.

A LOT OF HOME TV. BASICALLY ALL THE ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT COMING THIS YEAR IN THE TOWNSHIP.

AND SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE, WHO GET EXCITED ABOUT THE PRIME MERIDIAN MAGAZINE KEEP WATCHING.

AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A SHORT PRESENTATION ON IT, AND IT SHOULD BE COMING INTO EVERYONE'S MAILBOXES IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.

SO KEEP AN EYE OUT. I KNOW THAT'S THAT'S A VERY POPULAR PUBLICATION THAT WE DO.

WE ALSO EXPLORED DOING SOME ADDITIONAL CONTENT IN VIDEO FORMAT THROUGH WHAT WAS THE GOOD MORNING MERIDIAN PROGRAM? ULTIMATELY, I THINK WE DECIDED THAT THAT WAS A LOT OF EFFORT FOR VERY LITTLE RETURN.

IT WASN'T PARTICULARLY WELL VIEWED, AT LEAST NOT ON ON YOUTUBE OR SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT TO YOU KNOW, FIND ADDITIONAL WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

AS THIS IS STILL AN IMPORTANT THING WE WANT TO DO.

NUMBER FOUR ON OUR GOALS LIST IS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

SO WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO DO HERE IS BRING IN A NUMBER OF STAFF TRAININGS, AS WELL AS UPDATING OUR PERSONNEL HANDBOOK AND OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS. WE DID HAVE I BELIEVE, AT LEAST ONE TRAINING FOR ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION ISSUES. HERE IN THE FOR OUR TOWNSHIP STAFF.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED AND WELL REGARDED.

AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF UPDATES COMING TO OUR PERSONNEL HANDBOOK.

IN FACT, WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT ON OUR BOARD'S AGENDA IN THE NEXT MONTH AS WELL.

AS THAT EFFORT CONCLUDES WE DID AS A PART OF THAT EFFORT WE APPOINTED A POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTED OF THEN CLERK GUTHRIE TRUSTEE TREZISE AND OUR HR DIRECTOR, ABBY TITOV.

AND THEY PUT IN A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PERSONNEL HANDBOOK WAS UP TO DATE AND REFLECTIVE OF OUR TOWNSHIP OWNERSHIP VALUES. LASTLY, GOAL NUMBER 5 IN 2024 WAS ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND RECREATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH COVERED A LOT OF GROUND AS GOALS GO. BUT WE DID INCLUDE SOME SPECIFICS IN HERE, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF UPDATES ON THOSE SPECIFICS HERE. WE INTENDED TO COMPLETE OUR FIFTH SOLAR ARRAY.

THIS IS AT OUR NORTH FIRE STATION. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DELAYED SLIGHTLY.

[00:15:02]

AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE WERE AWARDED THAT GRANT.

AND SO CONSTRUCTION ON THE SOLAR ARRAY AT THE NORTH FIRE STATION SHOULD BE COMING, I BELIEVE, THIS SPRING OR THIS SUMMER IN THE COMING MONTHS OR SO.

SO WE'LL BE GETTING THAT UP AND RUNNING SHORTLY.

SEEK FUNDING FOR SECOND RECYCLING CENTER. THIS BECAME MUCH MORE CHALLENGING THAN WE HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED SOME OF THE STATE GRANT MONEY THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN AVAILABLE IS BEING DIRECTED ELSEWHERE. AND SO WE ARE CIRCLING THE WAGONS TO.

IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN FUND A SECOND RECYCLING CENTER.

NOT GIVING UP ON THE DREAM. JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT PAID FOR.

COMPLETING PHASE TWO OF OUR MSU TO LAKE LANSING TRAIL, WHICH, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN OUT THERE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. MAYBE NOT WHEN IT'S SO ICY.

BUT NOW YOU CAN GO FROM THE COMMUNITY MUSIC BUILDING ON THE WEST SIDE OF MSU'S CAMPUS ALL THE WAY UP TO GAYLORD C SMITH DRIVE, WHERE OUR SERVICE CENTER IS ON ONE CONTIGUOUS PAVED PATHWAY.

AND IT IS A REAL TREASURE. AND WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS NOT TO JUMP AHEAD HERE, BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING PHASE THREE ARCHITECTED. AND WE HOPE TO HAVE PHASE THREE COMPLETED, WHICH WILL GET US ALL THE ALL THE WAY TO LAKE LANSING PARK IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE. THIS IS A 10 TO 15 YEAR PROJECT THAT WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT HEADWAY ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE'RE VERY THRILLED TO CONTINUE THAT WORK AND THEN DETERMINE THE FUTURE USE OF THE CENTRAL PARK PAVILION.

SO SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE BUILDING DIRECTLY ACROSS HERE WHERE OUR OLD FARMER'S MARKET USED TO BE, THE CENTRAL PARK PAVILION HAS SEEN SOME SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF FORMER DIRECTOR MAISNER AND CURRENT DIRECTOR WISINSKI, AS THEY PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED THOSE UPDATES.

AND NOW WE HAVE DOORS ON THE SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WIND AND THE WEATHER IS NOT AN ISSUE.

IT'S DRAMATICALLY INCREASED THE USABILITY OF THAT BUILDING.

AND ALSO, IT'S GOT A WELL NEEDED FACELIFT AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OVER THERE AGAIN, MAYBE IN SLIGHTLY WARMER TIMES, GO TAKE A VISIT AND AND TAKE A LOOK BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING. SO THAT'S 2024 WHICH WILL BE THE LONGER OF THE TWO I PROMISE BECAUSE WE HAVE THINGS TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT RESULTS.

BUT I WILL QUICKLY GO THROUGH OUR 2025 GOALS.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME, SOME VARIATIONS ON A THEME, SOME VERY SIMILAR IDEAS HERE.

BUT I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE OUR BOARD HAS A CONTINUED AND, AND SIMILAR VISION THAT WE HAD A YEAR AGO.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT'S TOO TERRIBLY SURPRISING.

GOAL NUMBER 1 IN 2025 IS TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR CITIZEN DRIVEN SERVICES.

AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL THERE IS THAT OUR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND TOWNSHIP BOARD PROVIDE EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE TO THE COMMUNITY WHILE ACTIVELY SOLICITING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF EVERYONE INCLUDING THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM.

AND SO YOU ALL HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT AGAIN.

AND IN MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE AMAZING SERVICE TO OUR TOWNSHIP AND ITS RESIDENTS AND ENSURING THAT OUR STAFF.

DOES THE SAME. OUR BOARD MEMBERS DO THE SAME.

EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME TEAM HERE TO. MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE.

AND THAT'S OUR INTENT THERE. SECOND ON THE LIST IS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS HERE.

AND IT IS OUR GOAL NOT ONLY TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE OUR WORK OF WORKING TO BUILD ON OUR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES BY BUILDING MORE SOLAR ARRAYS AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, BUT ALSO TO INCORPORATE GREEN PRACTICES IN THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE UPDATED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING AND MAINTAINING. AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS, WORKING ON PRIORITIZING, ENSURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THOSE PROJECTS.

AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.

ENHANCING REDEVELOPMENT IN KEY AREAS. SO, IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, YOU LIKELY HAVE DRIVEN BY THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS AT SOME POINT. AND IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE ME ANYWAY, YOU LIKELY WILL HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED AT THE PROGRESS THAT

[00:20:07]

WE HAD SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THE DEVELOPER OF THE PARCEL.

AND WE CERTAINLY INTEND TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM TO FIND A WAY TO EITHER MOVE ON FROM THE PROJECT OR MAKE BUILD A PROJECT THAT WE ALL CAN BE PROUD OF.

BUT IT'S NOT SIMPLY THERE. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP THE DOWNTOWN HASLETT AREA, AND WE'RE IN A VERY GOOD SHAPE THERE. WE'VE GOT A PROJECT THAT WE HOPE WILL BE BREAKING GROUND THIS SPRING ON THAT SITE.

I'M SORRY. IT IS JUST AS BAD. YEAH IT'S BEEN, THANK YOU, NO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A BLIGHTED PROPERTY FOR A LONG TIME AND JUST LIMPING ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF BUSINESSES.

BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE EXCITED THAT WE ARE SEEING SOME PROGRESS COMING IN THAT AREA.

AND YOU SHOULD START TO SEE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T NEGLECT CARRIAGE HILLS IN THE NORTHWEST AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE RIGHT KIND OF REDEVELOPMENT AT THE MERIDIAN MALL.

AS EVERYONE KNOWS, MALLS THROUGHOUT AMERICA ARE STRUGGLING.

OURS HAS ACTUALLY DONE BETTER THAN MOST MALLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T IGNORE THE THE EFFECTS THAT THE ECONOMY HAS ON THESE PROPERTIES AND IDENTIFY CREATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR MALL PROPERTY IS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER OF THE TOWNSHIP.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOCUSING OUR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ON THOSE KEY AREAS.

OKEMOS HASLETT CARRIAGE HILLS AND THE MERIDIAN MALL.

SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER. THIS IS GOING TO SOUND VERY FAMILIAR. THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER TASK FORCE IS MEETING CURRENTLY AND WILL BE PRESENTING TWO OPTIONS TO THE TO THE BOARD IN APRIL. ONE THAT'S A SENIOR CENTER ONLY AND ONE THAT'S A SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND OUR GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY FUNDING OR FIND A WAY TO GET THAT PROJECT FUNDED AND BREAK GROUND IN LATE 2025 OR EARLY 2026. LOTS OF WORK YET TO BE DONE IN THAT REGARD, BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL.

AND THEN LASTLY, AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR. IMPROVING CITIZEN OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION.

THIS CONTINUES ON OUR EFFORTS FROM LAST YEAR.

I BELIEVE IT'S THIS BOARD'S HOPE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH AGAIN, WE FOUND VERY HELPFUL.

BUT ALSO REACHING OUT THROUGH OTHER MEANS. AND THAT MIGHT MEAN IF YOU'VE GOT AN HOA, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO HAVE MORE OF A PRESENCE.

TO GET IN FRONT OF YOU THERE. LEARN WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS INTERESTED IN, WHAT YOU COULD, WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED. THAT'S TAILORED TO YOUR AREA.

ADDITIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, COMMUNITY WIDE, MAKING SURE THAT OUR EVENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL.

WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF EXPANDED EVENTS, INCLUDING OUR JUNETEENTH EVENT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

OUR CELEBRATE MERIDIAN EVENT EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS A HUGE EVENT, AND IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.

AND ALSO OUR PRIDE EVENT, WHICH WE'VE HAD NOW FOR TWO YEARS RUNNING.

AND IT'S TURNED INTO A REALLY EXCITING EVENT.

AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ENHANCED COMMUNICATION IS AGAIN, ONE OF OUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES OVER THE NEXT YEAR.

SO LONG WINDED WAY OF SAYING THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE HOPE TO DO OVER THE NEXT YEAR.

AND WE'RE CERTAINLY HOPEFUL THAT FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S OF INTEREST TO YOU.

AND WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO HELP FURTHER THOSE GOALS AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO INTO 2025.

AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

SO ONE MORE PIECE OF HOUSEKEEPING AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE FUN OF THE EVENING, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. SUPPORTED BY CLERK DEMAS.

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

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, SO THE FUN PART OF THE EVENING WHERE WE GET TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THE HARD WORK THAT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT YOU ALL SERVE ON HAVE BEEN UP TO OVER THE LAST YEAR.

SO, IF WE WOULD IF YOU COULD, PLEASE, WHEN WE CALL ON YOU, IF YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM THAT'S PARTLY FOR OUR CAMERA CREW AND ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S A

[00:25:01]

[6A.i. Board of Review-Deb Federau]

WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO YOU JUST WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHAT BOARD OF REVIEW DOES? A LITTLE BIT? SURE. OKAY. SO WE MEET THREE TIMES A YEAR.

IN MARCH YOU'LL GET YOUR NEW ASSESSMENT, PROPOSED ASSESSMENT.

AND IF YOU DISAGREE WITH IT, THEN YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO COME IN AND WE'LL CHAT ABOUT IT.

AND IT'S USUALLY WHEN PROPERTY TAXES GO UP. NOBODY USUALLY COMES IN AND SAYS MINE ARE TOO LOW.

SO, WE HEAR THEM. THEY WE TELL THEM WHAT TO BRING.

THE ASSESSING OFFICE HAS BEEN REALLY PHENOMENAL IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF BEING VERY HELPFUL WHEN THEY CALL TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT, TO TELL THEM WHAT TO BRING AND WHAT INFORMATION THEY NEED, AND WE'LL SIT WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT YOU'LL ALSO GET IN YOUR NEW ASSESSMENT. THEY'VE HAD THEY'VE CREATED A DOCUMENT THAT TELLS YOU WHAT EVERYTHING IS AND WHAT IT MEANS.

AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL LAST YEAR. IT WAS THAT WAS A FANTASTIC THING THAT HAPPENED IN JULY AND DECEMBER.

WE MEET TO CLEAN UP AND CORRECT ALL THE FILES.

WE GATHER ANY MISSING SIGNATURES. WE REVIEW POVERTY APPLICATIONS.

AND THAT WE DO ALL THREE TIMES THAT WE MEET BECAUSE THEY COME IN ALL DURING THE YEAR, AND THEN THERE'S REQUIRED TRAINING EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND EACH I SERVE A TWO YEAR TERM THAT CAN BE RENEWED.

SO THAT'S WHAT BOARD OF REVIEW IS ALL ABOUT. THANK YOU.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW MANY CASES YOU HEAR EVERY YEAR? OH, GOSH, WHEN I STARTED. HOLY COW, YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.

AND WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH TIME. IT WAS JUST OFF THE CHARTS.

AS I'VE BEEN HONORED TO STAY ON THE BOARD, THE APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN LESS AND LESS, LESS AND LESS.

BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD INFORMATION.

I THINK THE ASSESSING DEPARTMENT DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB OF INFORMING AND EDUCATING ALONG THE WAY.

SO, SOME OF THEM JUST DECIDE NOT TO DO ANYTHING.

SO, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY NUMBERS WISE. IT'S LESS.

IT'S LESS. AND SOMETIMES, LIKE LAST YEAR, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE BECAUSE IT WAS A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE.

IT WAS 5%. THAT'S A BIG INCREASE. SO BUT BUT AGAIN, IT WASN'T TERRIFIC.

BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. SO NEXT WE'LL BE MOVING INTO WHAT I CALL THE TIM SCHMITT HOUR.

WE HAD A NUMBER OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHO, FOR VARIOUS SCHEDULING REASONS AND ILLNESSES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE, BUT INSTEAD WE GET WE WILL BE PLANNING DIRECTOR TIM SCHMIDT,

[6A.ii. Planning Commission-Tim Schmitt]

BUT A FEW OF THOSE TOOK UP A LOT MORE TIME THAN OTHERS.

I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT THOSE BRIEFLY. THE TEXT AMENDMENT WAS ACTUALLY A RESULT OF A PROJECT FROM 2023 THAT THEY REVIEWED IN THE VILLAGE AND IN MOKA, UP NORTH OF HASLETT ROAD. NOTICE THE STAFF NOTICE AND THE BOARD NOTICE, DURING THAT REVIEW, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF INCONSISTENCIES IN THE ORDINANCE.

AND SO, THEY THEN TOOK SOME TIME EARLY THIS YEAR TO FIX THAT, CLEAN UP THOSE INCONSISTENCIES FOR THOSE TO THE BOARD, WHICH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, WHICH WERE ULTIMATELY ADOPTED LATE IN THE YEAR.

THE TWO REZONINGS THAT THEY HAD THIS YEAR BOTH MAJOR REZONINGS ONE OF WHICH WAS NOT ONE OF WHICH WAS WITHDRAWN.

IT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR DENIAL. THE APPLICANT ACTUALLY WITHDREW IT AND HAS RESUBMITTED IT.

NOW, THAT WAS FOR THE PROPERTY ON THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE FORMER FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH PROPERTY ON DOBIE ROAD.

SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH. THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND DID MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR DENIAL ON THE APPLICANT, THEN WITHDREW, MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TOOK INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK THAT THEY RECEIVED, AND HAVE RESUBMITTED A CONDITIONAL REZONING APPLICATION THAT IS BEEN RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD,

[00:30:01]

THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN, CONSISTENT WITH THE ZONING. THAT WAS A RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD ONE, BUT IT DOES LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

WE HAVE HAD INITIAL MEETINGS WITH THE DEVELOPER ON THAT, AND BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SEE SOMETHING THIS YEAR ON THAT PROJECT.

IN TERMS OF MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, I THINK EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT THE STARBUCKS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON GRAND RIVER AVENUE. FINALLY, AFTER THE MOST IN A WHILE TOOK SOME TIME AND THEY DID THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID HAVE TO REVIEW PER ORDINANCE ALL OF THE MARIJUANA APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

THEY ARE ON THE LAST ONE AT THIS POINT. THERE WAS SOME CHANGES TO ONE OF THEM THAT HAS TAKEN SOME TIME, AND THEY WILL BE MAKING FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT TO THE BOARD HERE SHORTLY.

LASTLY, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATE HAS OVER THE YEARS TIGHTENED OUR RESTRICTION ON WHAT LOCALS CAN DO ON IS WITH RESPECT TO DAYCARES.

AND THIS CAME UP RECENTLY ON DOWNING STREET, WHERE A NEW DAYCARE WAS PROPOSED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR UP TO 12 CHILDREN.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION ULTIMATELY DID APPROVE THAT. LARGELY BECAUSE THE PROVISIONS UNDER WHICH WE CAN REGULATE THAT USE UNDER STATE LAW ARE VERY LIMITED.

IF IT'S UNDER SEVEN, IF IT'S SIX OR LESS. WE ACTUALLY, UNDER STATE LAW, HAVE NO ABILITY TO REGULATE.

IT IS CONSIDERED A RESIDENTIAL USE OF PROPERTY BY RIGHT.

AND SO THIS ONE, ONCE YOU GO ABOVE SIX TO UP TO 12, THERE ARE SOME LIMITED AREAS UNDER WHICH WE CAN REGULATE IT.

BUT THEY'RE NOT QUITE MINISTERIAL DECISIONS. BUT THEY ARE VERY GETTING VERY CLOSE TO A MINISTERIAL DECISION.

AND SO THAT WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS DISCUSSED HEAVILY BY THE COMMUNITY.

ULTIMATELY WAS APPROVED, THEY ARE OPERATING, THEY HAVE BEEN LICENSED BY THE STATE AND THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE. AND SO THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WHAT I WILL POINT OUT IS ONE THING THAT DOESN'T SHOW UP ON ANY OF THE REPORTS THEY DID, BUT THEY SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME LAST YEAR WORKING ON UPDATES TO THE PARKING ORDINANCE, AND THAT WILL BE COMING TO THE BOARD IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS WELL FOR REVIEW.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE SPLIT THIS INTO TWO PARTS.

THE FIRST PART THAT WILL COME FORWARD IS THE PART THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF SPACES PER USE.

THEY'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REALLY TRYING TO FINE TUNE THAT WHILE NOT THROWING THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER.

RIGHT. BECAUSE THE CHANGE HERE CAN HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE ROAD.

THE SECOND PART OF THAT WHICH WILL COME AFTER THIS FIRST PIECE IS ADOPTED IS THE MORE TECHNICAL SIDE, RIGHT? ANY SPECIFIC CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE MANEUVERING SIZES AND THE DESIGN AND THE LANDSCAPING AND THE THINGS THAT COME ALONG WITH THE NUMBER SIDE.

WE HAVE A DRAFT LIGHTING ORDINANCE FLOATING AROUND FROM AN INTERN THAT PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED THAT FOR US.

WE'LL FINALIZE THAT, BRING IT FORWARD. SO, ALL THE TECHNICAL PIECES WILL COME AFTER THE NUMBERS ARE WORKED OUT.

AND SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THE BOARD SEES IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. AFTER THAT, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL YOU KNOW, WE'LL FIND ANOTHER GOAL OUT OF THE MASTER PLAN AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTING THOSE ITEMS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION? TRUSTEE LENTZ.

NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION AS MUCH AS A COMMENT, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATED THE TIME YOU TOOK TIM TO EXPLAIN THE ROLE OF THE TOWNSHIP VERSUS STATE LAWS, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE DAYCARE THAT WAS APPROVED.

SO, YOU KNOW THAT AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT I CAN LEAN ON YOU ON DEMPSEY AND THE STAFF TO TELL ME WHERE EXACTLY THE TOWNSHIP ROLE BEGINS AND ENDS. SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.

THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT THOSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE TYPES OF USES HERE THAT WE RUN INTO A STATE WALL.

IT'S LARGELY FOR US AS IT IS EVERYBODY. IT'S THE GROUP DAY CARE HOMES.

IT'S THE ADULT DAY CARE HOMES. IT'S STUFF LIKE THAT.

THAT THAT POLICY WAS DECISION WAS MADE ABOUT A DECADE AGO THAT WE'RE GOING TO LARGELY TAKE THAT CONTROL AWAY.

AND SO THERE ARE A FEW MORE THAT WILL POP UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THAT WE'LL BRING UP, BUT LARGELY THOSE ARE THE ONES WE WORRY ABOUT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM NUMBER TWO. SO, THE ZBA HAD A RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD YEAR.

[6A.iii. Zoning Board of Appeals-Tim Schmitt]

ALL BUT THREE. TWO OF TWO WERE DENIED. ONE IS STILL UNDER REVIEW.

I'LL SIMPLY HIGHLIGHT THE, THERE WERE NO MAJOR THERE LIKE, SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THAT THE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT THE ZBA WAS SEEING A LOT OF, AND SO STAFF WORKED WITH THEM AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ADDRESS AN ORDINANCE CHANGE SO THAT THE ZBA WOULDN'T CONTINUALLY SEE THOSE VARIANCES.

THAT WAS NOT THE CASE THIS YEAR. THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THIS YEAR, FROM PROPERTY SIZES TO ONE OF OUR FIRST SIGN REQUESTS UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE TO SOME

[00:35:06]

TO SOME NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES. AND WE ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE, HAD A CUB SCOUT PROJECT OR AN EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT THAT HAD TO GO TO THE ZBA FOR APPROVAL. AND SO, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

THE ONE I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS WE HAVE THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD PREVIOUSLY HAVE REVIEWED AND ADOPTED AN ACCESSORY DWELLING ORDINANCE IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND WE'VE HAD A SLOW UPTAKE, AS WE PREDICTED.

THERE'D BE A COUPLE HERE AND THERE. WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR FIRST ONE THIS YEAR.

IT WAS DENIED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WITHIN THE PROVISIONS THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ESTABLISHED AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION ESTABLISHED.

THEY DID APPEAL THAT TO THE ZBA. AND THE ZBA DENIED IT AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS FUNCTIONALLY JUST A THEY WERE TRYING TO WORK AROUND OUR ORDINANCE TO GET TO ESSENTIALLY A DUPLEX. AND SO, IT WAS AT NIGHT.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE ZBA WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO THE GRAIN RESERVE PROJECT, WE HIGHLIGHTED THIS VERY EARLY ON AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK INTO IT, AND THEY ARE NOW FINALLY LOOKING INTO SOME WETLANDS SETBACK ISSUES THEY HAD WITH RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF THE DECKS. SO RELATIVELY MINOR, THEY'RE EASY FIXES FOR THEM IF THEY WANT TO JUST ROTATE THEM OR TAKE THEM OFF THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. BUT THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROBLEM STILL IN THE ZBA STILL DOES TECHNICALLY HAVE A CASE OPEN.

AND THAT THE GRAND RESERVE, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, IS THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN POWELL ROAD AND CENTRAL PARK, JUST TO THE NORTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE, OR IF YOU'RE A LANDMARK ORIENTED LIKE ME, NORTH OF THE OLD PANERA, NORTH OF THE OLD PANERA, SOUTH OF THE WOODS. YEAH.

SO. YEAH. VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD YEAR FOR BOTH OF THE BOARDS.

GOOD BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS ON ZBA ITEMS? WELL, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVED ON THE ZBA, I APPLAUD YOU FOR THIS IS IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING BOARD AND COMMISSION TO WORK ON. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO I THINK MOST OFTEN HAVE TO SAY NO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

AND THAT'S OFTEN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.

AND IT'S A VERY HARD JOB, BUT OUR ZBA ACQUITS THEMSELVES INCREDIBLY WELL.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE NOT HERE TO HEAR ME SAY ALL OF THAT.

BUT PERHAPS THEY'LL BE LISTENING LATER, AND THEY CERTAINLY DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT AND THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD FOR BEING ABLE TO, DO ALL THEY DO. COMPLETELY AGREE. AND I WOULD I ALWAYS POINT OUT THE ZBA IS, YOU KNOW, THE SORT OF LAST LINE BEFORE IT GOES TO COURT IN MANY CASES.

SO THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THAT SORT OF DAMOCLES HANGING OVER THEIR HEADS.

GOOD. ALL RIGHT. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE BOARD OF BUILDING.

[6A.iv. Building Board of Appeals-Tim Schmitt]

JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU, FOR BACKGROUND PURPOSES, THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS IS HERE TO HEAR APPEALS AGAINST BUILDING CODE OR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE RELATED ITEMS. IT'S EXTREMELY RARE THAT THEY DO ACTUALLY MEET, AND IT'S GENERALLY A VERY TECHNICAL THING.

THE LAST ONE THAT WE HAD WAS TWO YEARS AGO, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS RELATED TO A STAIR TREAD HEIGHTS ON AN EXISTING BUILDING THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO RENOVATE THE SECOND FLOOR OF. THE TREADS DID NOT MEET CODE.

THERE WAS NO REALISTIC WAY TO GET THEM TO MEET CODE, AND SO THEY HAD TO REQUEST A VARIANCE FOR THAT.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT THE BBA GETS INVOLVED WITH.

YOU'LL BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THE BBA MEMBERS ARE GENERALLY REALLY ENGINEER ARCHITECT BUILDER FIELDS.

AND SO WE LUCKILY HAVE THREE VOLUNTEERS RIGHT NOW.

THEY ARE USUALLY VERY HARD TO FILL THAT BOARD, BUT WE HAVE THREE VOLUNTEERS AND THEY ARE PREPARED TO HEAR ANY CASE.

WE HAVE BUT OUR 28 YEAR IN APRIL 28 YEAR BUILDING OFFICIAL JOHN HECKMAN DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF DISSUADING PEOPLE FROM GOING THAT DIRECTION.

FABULOUS BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS? WELL, NO ACTIVITY IS GOOD. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE DIRECTOR CLARK, WHO'S HERE TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

[6A.v. Economic Development Corporation-Amber Clark]

THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION STARTED IN 1981.

IT WAS A RESPONSE FROM A COMMUNITY RELATED TO INGHAM COUNTY THAT WE WANTED TO BE THE INSTIGATORS OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE FOCUSED ON BUSINESS OR DEVELOPMENT, ATTRACTION, RETENTION AND EXPANSION.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE EDC IS, IS HERE FOR. RIGHT, IS TO THEIR MISSION IS TO CREATE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE,

[00:40:07]

SO THEY KIND OF ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY IN THE SANDWICH BETWEEN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPERS A LOT OF TIMES, OR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THE TOWNSHIP, IN A LOT OF CASES, IN GENERAL, THE EDC SUPPORTS A FEW OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS BEING ANYTHING FROM LUNAR NEW YEAR. THEY'VE DONE SUPPORT OF CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, THEY'VE DONE SUPPORTIVE PRIDE, THEY'VE DONE SUPPORT OF JUNETEENTH, MERIDIAN MOTOR FEST AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BRING CROWDS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER.

HOPEFULLY TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MONEY AND MAKE MERIDIAN A VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

OUR FOCUS IS OF THE EDC. THEY ALSO SUPPORT ANY GRANT INITIATIVES FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

SO ANY OF THE GRANTS THAT WE PURSUED FOR VILLAGE OF OKEMOS OR HASLETT OR ANY OF THOSE BETWEEN GETTING PUBLIC SUPPORT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE EDC IS A BIG PART OF.

LAST YEAR, LANSING 501 STARTED THE FIRST LANSING REGIONAL ATTRACTION PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE REGION, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE, AND THEY WENT TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ASKING FOR SUPPORT, AND THE EDC WAS A PART OF THAT. ON LANSING 501 REGIONAL ATTRACTION WEBSITE, WE ARE LISTED MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND WE HAVE BOTH HASLETT AND OKEMOS PROMINENTLY, VIBRANTLY ADVERTISED AS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME LIVE AND DO BUSINESS.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN IS A PART OF THEIR GOALS AS WELL.

SO THEY'VE COMMITTED EFFORTS FOCUSED TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ATTRACTION IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THEY STARTED THEIR FIRST DISCUSSIONS ON A FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, MIMICKING SOME OF THE OTHER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. WE WANT TO PULL OUT THE DISTRICT, AND THE DDA IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE THERE MAY ALREADY BE SUPPORT IN THOSE TIF DISTRICTS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF PROJECT.

BUT AGAIN, HOW DO THEY ACTIVELY INVEST AND REACH OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAKE THIS A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING OUR PROGRAM, OUR GENERAL FUND.

WE RECEIVE $10,000 FROM A BOND FROM THE BERTRAM COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS AN AMOUNT.

AND IT'S NOT FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR ANY LOCAL BUSINESS.

BUT HOW DO WE BUILD THAT SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE IN 2020? THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE EDC WAS GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO LARGE ALLOCATIONS LARGE TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND SO WE DID $5,000 GRANTS OR $3,500 GRANTS DURING COVID.

AND BUSINESSES TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW THAT SUPPORT HELPED THEM OVER THAT HUMP.

WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS OF OTHER PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES OR EQUIPMENT OR PARTICULAR SKILLS OR THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO HELP A BUSINESS MEET OR EXCEL IN WHATEVER INDUSTRY THAT THEY ARE. AND THE EDC IS HOPEFUL TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN IN ANOTHER TOWNSHIP AMENITY.

THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT MARKET PLACE ON THE GREEN.

OBVIOUSLY IT HAS AN ECONOMIC COMPONENT. IT IS A DRIVER AND ATTRACTION FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THE EDC WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF.

AND WE'VE RECENTLY STARTED OUR HEART SAFE COMMUNITY PROGRAM WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE AEDS IN IN SMALL BUSINESSES, EITHER THE BUSINESS DIRECTLY IS GOING TO BUY THE AED, OR THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE FUNDING TO HELP ANOTHER BUSINESS WHO CAN'T AFFORD ONE. SAVE A LIFE. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EDC? A LOT OF REALLY HARD WORK BEING DONE THERE.

WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, THE HEART SAFE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY DISTRIBUTED A NUMBER OF THOSE AEDS, RIGHT? YEAH. WE HAVE A NEW APPLICATION THIS WEEK, SO.

FABULOUS. YEAH. TERRIFIC. WELL. THANK YOU. THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

[6A.vi. Brownfield Redevelopment Authority-Amber Clark]

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS POTENTIALLY REVIEWED EIGHT BROWNFIELDS IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT LOCATIONS THAT WOULD QUALIFY AS A BROWNFIELD SITE. IT JUST MEANS THOSE ARE THE EIGHT LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE AN APPROVED PLAN OR DISCUSSION FOR A PLAN.

WE HAVE FIVE ACTIVE APPROVED PLANS FOR BROWNFIELD RIGHT NOW.

THE FIRST BEING ELEVATION, AND WE HAVE ABOUT $2.2 MILLION LEFT IN THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT PROJECT.

[00:45:01]

FOLLOWING THAT IS THE HASLETT MARATHON AT 1619 HASLETT ROAD.

THAT IS A HAS A REMAINING 278,000 REIMBURSEMENT ON THAT.

IT'S A LONG ONE BECAUSE IT'S A SMALL INCREASE.

SO, WE GIVE OUT ONLY A LITTLE BIT EACH YEAR. THE AMERICAN HOUSE MERIDIAN AT 1673 HASLETT, WHICH IS OUR MIXED USE BOOKEND PROJECT IN HASLETT, HAS ABOUT 1.1 MILLION LEFT TO BE REIMBURSED OVER THE TERM OF THE PLAN.

THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND BROWNFIELD DID APPROVE A STATE AND LOCAL PLAN FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, BUT WITH THE PROJECT IN LIMBO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL PROBABLY GO BACK TO THE BOROUGH AND TERMINATE THAT PLAN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE IT JUST HANGING OUT THERE WITHOUT ANY ACTIVITY.

AND OUR FINAL PLAN IS OUR APPROVED PLAN WITH HASLETT VILLAGE SQUARE.

THAT IS ALSO A STATE AND LOCAL TAX CAPTURE BROWNFIELD PLAN FOR $2.4 MILLION RIGHT NOW.

SO THOSE ARE BROWNFIELD ACTIVE PLANS. SITES ARE GOING GOOD.

IT'S ONE OF MY EASY. THAT'S DEFINITELY LIKE REAL AIR QUOTES REAL EASY DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE BOARDS BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY EASY TO SEE. DOES THIS QUALIFY. IS THIS GOING TO GET BUILT.

IT'S FAIRLY SIMPLE FOR SOME OF THOSE BOARDS. SO, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THE MEMBERS HAVE DONE AND GETTING US ALIGNED AND GETTING REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS HAPPENING. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BRA? YES.

TRUSTEE LENTZ. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I'M CURIOUS, CONSIDERING REDEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THOSE 2025 GOALS.

AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS AN EASY YES OR NO. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY IS A PROJECT IS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BRA, AND THEN THE MECHANISMS START WORKING. BECAUSE YOU SAID THERE'S PLENTY OF PROJECTS THAT AREN'T BEING OR PLENTY OF BROWNFIELDS THAT AREN'T BEING WORKED ON.

SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP TAKES ON, OR IS THAT YOU RECEIVE AN APPLICATION AND THEN YOU WORK FROM THAT THERE? CORRECT. SO, GIVE A LITTLE CLARITY. BECAUSE PEOPLE HEAR, OKAY, WE HAVE FIVE BROWNFIELD PLANS.

THAT MEANS OUT OF ALL THE 18 TO 20,000 PARCELS IN MERIDIAN, THERE'S ONLY FIVE CONTAMINATED SITES.

THAT'S NOT TRUE. I WOULD IMAGINE ALMOST EVERY SITE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS CONTAMINATED, BUT YES, DIRECTLY. THOSE FIVE APPROVED PLANS ARE PLANS WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS COME TO US AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED FOR REIMBURSEMENT OR WITHOUT IT, WE WILL NOT GET A DEVELOPMENT.

AND THE TOWNSHIP AND THE BROWNFIELD HAVE AGREED TO REIMBURSE.

YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT CONTEXT. I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH DIRECTOR CLARK. NEXT UP OUR TREASURER, PHIL DESCHAINE, WILL BE GIVING US A PRESENTATION ON THE PENSION BOARD.

[6A.vii. Pension Board-Phil Deschaine]

AT THE CLOSE OF 2023, THE PENSION FUND MANAGED BY MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WAS FUNDED TO THE TUNE OF $4,261,753.

FOR THAT LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 44 RETIREES RECEIVING 432,000 IN PAYOUTS AND AVERAGE ANNUAL PENSION OF 9800.

THE PENSIONER YEARS RANGE FROM 65 TO 94. 65% OF THE FUNDS ARE $4.2 MILLION INVESTED IN A DIVERSE GROUP OF STOCK FUNDS.

30%, OR 1.3 MILLION, ARE INVESTED IN A DIVERSE GROUP OF BOND FUNDS, AND ABOUT 10% IS KEPT FOR CURRENT CASH YEAR PAYOUTS.

PNC INSTITUTIONAL ASSET MANAGEMENT. THESE PEOPLE MANAGE THESE FUNDS.

THE PENSION FUND IS PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED AND PAYOUTS ARE GIVEN THROUGH THE GRS PENSION MANAGEMENT FIRM BASED IN SOUTHFIELD.

AT OUR LAST MEETING ON MAY 13TH, 2024, GRS REPORTED THAT WE'RE 100% FUNDED IN OUR INTERNAL PENSION FUND.

THERE ARE NO CURRENT EMPLOYEES IN THIS OLD INTERNAL PENSION FUND.

SHORT OF A CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE IN THE STOCK AND BOND MARKET.

AND WATCH YOUR NEWS EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

BUT THAT SHOULD NOT CHANGE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE OPENING ON THE PENSION BOARD.

SO, ANY OF YOU LIKE TO SERVE ON A SECOND BOARD OR COMMISSION? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SIGN UP. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU DO ON YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SOME OF YOU LIKE JOYCE HERE. ONE WASN'T ENOUGH, TWO WASN'T ENOUGH.

JOYCE ACTUALLY SERVED ON THREE DIFFERENT BOARDS OF COMMISSION, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME YOU GIVE.

WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WE DO IN THE BOARD WITHOUT THE LEGWORK AND THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU ALL DO IN YOUR COMMISSIONS.

YOU'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. THE FUNCTION OF TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT.

ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PENSION BOARD? 100% IS EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT. A GREAT NUMBER.

[00:50:03]

YOU MIGHT BE ENROLLED IN THAT AS WELL. AND WITH MARK KIESELBACH, OUR FORMER PLANNING DIRECTOR, RETIREMENT THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO. NO CURRENT EMPLOYEE IS ENROLLED IN THE PENSION OR INTERNAL PENSION FUND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP IS OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

[6A.viii. Downtown Development Authority-Angela Wright]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO, I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A PART OF THIS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I THINK WE'RE MAKING SOME REALLY GREAT STRIDES AND HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS. SO WE HAVE CREATED THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, AND WE'RE ASSISTING IN UP TO 50% OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE PROJECT COSTS.

AND IN 2024, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR FIRST GRANT AT $15,839.

WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING GROWTH TO OUR GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS EXCITING.

WE'VE ADDED ABOUT $2,000 SINCE CREATION BY ADDING A 30 DAY HIGH YIELD CD TO OUR FUNDS.

WE ARE NO LONGER IN DEBT AND HAVE A BALANCE. AS OF DECEMBER 31ST OF 2024 OF $195,049.50. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSION WITH TWO PROPERTY OWNERS TO COMPLETE OUR MATCH ON MAIN, AND THAT'S UP TO $25,000 FOR OUR REIMBURSEMENT GRANT.

WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CURRENT PROPERTY OWNERS REGARDING REDEVELOPMENT.

IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE SUPERVISORS SPEAK ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP ALSO FOCUSING ON REDEVELOPMENT IN THE DDA, AND WE KNOW THAT'S A COMMON GOAL OF ALL OF US, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT MOVE FORWARD.

SO IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE JOINED IN THAT. WE INSTALLED A NEW SIGN COMING DOWN TO THE DDA.

WE KNOW OUR OLD ONE WAS REMOVED A LITTLE WHILE AGO.

THE BOARD WORKED AT A REDESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.

SO NOW YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE ENTERING OUR DDA.

ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? WELL I FOR ONE LOVE THE SIGN COMING IN.

IT'S REALLY. IT WAS A SHAME TO LOSE THE OLD ONE AND NICE, NICE TO SEE IT BEING REPLACED.

AND IT'S NOW, OF COURSE, IN LINE WITH ALL THE OTHER TOWNSHIP SIGNAGE THAT THAT'S BEEN SPROUTING UP AROUND THE COMMUNITY.

AND NICE TO SEE THERE. AND YEAH, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PARCEL UP AND UP AND RUNNING HERE BEFORE WE CAN HELP IT.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND WE'VE GOT BILL MCCONNELL,

[6A.ix. Environmental Commission-Bill McConnell]

THE REGULATORY FUNCTION IS TIED TO OUR WETLAND PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WHICH PROVIDES THE PROVIDES THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ADVISORY ROLE TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ON WETLAND USE PERMIT APPLICATIONS, OF WHICH WE'VE HAD NONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AND I.

OPINIONS ARE DIVIDED ABOUT WHY THAT IS, BUT MY FEELING IS THAT FOLKS WHO WANT TO PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE TOWNSHIP HAVE LEARNED TO JUST FIGURE OUT WHERE THE WETLANDS ARE AND BUILD AROUND THEM.

SO THE BUSINESS OF TRYING TO ENCROACH ON A WETLAND FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF APARTMENT UNITS OR HOUSES AND THEN HAVE TO DO ALL THE MITIGATION.

I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN THE MESSAGE ACROSS THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST STAY OUT.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DELINEATIONS, WETLAND DELINEATIONS DONE, WHICH IS THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO PROVE THAT YOU'RE NOT ENCROACHING.

THEY'VE BEEN DONE. AND THE NO, NO WORK HAS BEEN PROPOSED WITHIN THEM.

SO THAT GIVES US A LOT MORE TIME TO WORK ON OUR POLICY.

GOALS. WE HAVE A A GREEN SPACE PLAN THAT WAS FIRST ADOPTED BACK IN 2004, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TOWNSHIP STAFF TO SEE JUST HOW WELL WE'RE DOING AT IMPLEMENTING THAT. AND MY SENSE FROM A SORT OF CASUAL REVIEW IS THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE PROPOSED IN THAT 2004 PLAN WAS PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS, SO-CALLED PRIORITY CONSERVATION CORRIDORS, AND MOST OF THOSE ARE STILL INTACT, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PROTECTED THROUGH LAND PRESERVATION ACQUISITIONS.

SO THAT'S A POLICY THAT'S WORKING WELL. AND WITH A LITTLE BIT OF REVIEW, WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER THERE'S SOME MORE PARTS THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THAT OR ANYTHING WE WANT TO REINFORCE, OR WHETHER IT'S JUST DOING ITS JOB.

THE SECOND PIECE IS A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THAT WE FIRST ADOPTED BACK THE BOARD ADOPTED BACK IN 2017.

[00:55:05]

COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE LOOKED AT THIS THING AND SAID, THIS IS UNWORKABLE.

IT'S A TERRIBLE DOCUMENT. WE'VE GOT TO GET IT STRAIGHTENED OUT AND HAVE NOW TURNED IT INTO A WONDERFUL SPREADSHEET, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO USE TO TRACK EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. SO THAT'S EXCITING.

THE LAST PIECE ON THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH I THINK PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING WE'RE DOING IN THAT REALM IS THE GREEN GRANTS PROGRAM THAT THE BOARD CREATED FOR US TO ADMINISTER AT ABOUT 20,000 AT $20,000 PER YEAR.

WE'RE SPENDING EVERY DOLLAR OR AT LEAST ALLOCATING EVERY DOLLAR THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT IN ALL SORTS OF FUN PROJECTS.

AND YOU GOT TO REPORT BACK IN JULY ABOUT SOME OF THOSE.

BUT MAYBE FOLKS ARE NOT AWARE A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH NATURALIZATION OF PUBLIC SPACES, BOTH AT LIBRARIES AND AT SCHOOLS. POLLINATOR GARDENS, NATIVE PLANT GARDENS, MYCOLOGY PROGRAMS SOME INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. SO THOSE ARE JUST WONDERFUL.

THEY'RE LITTLE TINY GRANTS, $300, UP TO $4,000.

SO, IT'S NOT BIG MONEY IN A TOWNSHIP KIND OF PERSPECTIVE.

BUT IF YOU'RE A PUBLIC LIBRARY AND YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A NICE PROJECT AND GIVE SOME VOLUNTEERS SOME MATERIALS TO DO SOMETHING, IT KIND OF WORKS, SOME MAGIC. SO A LOT OF WHAT THE COMMISSION DOES ON A SORT OF DAY TO DAY BASIS, AS IT WERE, WE ONLY MEET MONTHLY IS DONE IN TEAMS. SO WE HAVE AN ENERGY TEAM THAT'S REALLY WORKING ON BOTH SOLARIZING THE TOWNSHIP AND SOLARIZING EACH OTHER, OUR OWN HOMES AND BUSINESSES. WE HAVE A GREEN TEAM THAT ORGANIZES OUR RECYCLING EVENTS.

AND THESE ARE, AGAIN, THOSE EXAMPLES OF THE COMMUNITY STEPPING UP AND UNDERTAKING THESE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE A REAL IMPACT, BUT AT VERY LOW COST FOR THE TOWNSHIP. THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ARE NOT ONLY BRINGING THAT ENERGY, BUT ALSO BRINGING US CONNECTIONS IN WAYS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.

I THINK ONE OF THE ORIGINATORS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, DAVE CHAPMAN, MANY, MANY YEARS AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND ALWAYS A VERY STRONG CONNECTION WITH THE EARTH CLUB THERE. NOW WE HAVE NOT ONLY A TEACHER FROM HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL, BUT ALSO A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE FROM HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL, BRINGING US THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.

AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THE COMMISSION CAN'T REALLY TAKE CREDIT FOR IT OTHER THAN THAT.

HARRISON BATTEN IS OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE AND A STUDENT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT HE GAVE A PRESENTATION HERE AT THIS PODIUM LAST WEEK ABOUT A PROGRAM THEY'RE DOING WHERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL ARE GOING OUT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND DOING AFTER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES.

AND IT'S JUST YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES, YOU HEAR THE CONTENT THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND IT'S JUST REALLY HEARTWARMING AND REASSURING IN IT.

THE YOUTH OF THE TOWNSHIP ARE GAINING ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION AND THAT ENTHUSIASM, AND IT WARMS MY HEART.

SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU GOT THEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. MCCONNELL? YES. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, BILL, AS A TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT BOARD FOR RUNNING THESE MEETINGS.

WELL, I KNOW THAT WE ALL WANT TO HAVE A VALUABLE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

AND SHOUT OUT TO LAURA, THE OTHER NEW BOARD MEMBER ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THESE ARE VERY VALUABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANKS. AND IF YOU'VE NOT BEEN OUT TO ONE OF THEIR RECYCLING EVENTS OR THEIR CONSERVATION EVENTS, YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD. IT'S THEY'RE TREMENDOUS AND THEY ARE VERY WELL ATTENDED.

SO THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCES COMMISSION.

[6A.x. Community Resources Commission-Georgia Styka]

I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST JOINED IT, AND THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE THE CHAIR.

DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, I HAVE SEEN MERIDIAN CARES GROW AND EXPAND IN A LOT OF WAYS.

KATIE LOVE, THE SPECIALIST THAT OVERSEES MERIDIAN CARES, HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO MEET THE EVER GROWING NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THIS PAST YEAR, MERIDIAN CARES HELPED 123 FAMILIES.

I'M GOING TO INCLUDE YOU IN THIS. SO. SO I'M NOT INCLUDING YOU.

I'M GOING TO TALK TO THEM. THIS PAST YEAR, MERIDIAN CARES HELPED 123 FAMILIES.

THESE RESIDENTS ARE OF ALL AGES, SOME WITH FAMILIES, SOME ARE INDIVIDUALS.

[01:00:03]

THE $51,088.69 GIVEN. HELP THESE FAMILIES TO PAY THEIR RENT TO AVOID EVICTION, OR PAY THEIR UTILITY BILLS TO AVOID A SHUT OFF. BUT THE MERIDIAN CARES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE REFER TO OURSELVES AS, DOESN'T STOP THERE. MERIDIAN CARES, IN COLLABORATION WITH ROTARY AND KIWANIS, SUPPORTED A BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT FOR OKEMOS AND HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 48 FILLED BACKPACKS WERE DONATED. KATIE WAS IN CONTACT WITH TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOLS AND SECURED HIGHLY REQUESTED SUPPLIES, WHICH WERE THEN GIVEN TO THE SCHOOLS.

IN ADDITION TO $125 GIFT CARDS TO PURCHASE SNACKS FOR THOSE CHILDREN THAT WERE IN NEED.

AS COLD WEATHER APPROACHED, MERIDIAN CARES WORKED WITH OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH TO HOLD A COAT DRIVE.

76 FAMILIES WERE SERVED, RECEIVING 236 COATS AND 76 FAMILIES RECEIVED AN EXCUSE ME! 76 FAMILIES RECEIVED COATS, 30 SNOW PANTS AND 78 PAIRS OF BOOTS.

AND DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, WITH THE HELP OF STUDENTS AND THE GENEROUS DONATION OF SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GROCERY STORES.

MERIDIAN CARES COORDINATED BASKETS OF FOOD TO 285 FAMILIES FOR THANKSGIVING, AND 287 FAMILIES FOR DECEMBER HOLIDAY MEALS. MERIDIAN CARES COORDINATED THE MICHIGAN SPARROW MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC, GOING TO LOCAL APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO ASSIST IN BRINGING FREE HEALTH SERVICES TO LOCAL FAMILIES.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT THIS YEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IT NEXT YEAR.

MERIDIAN CARES ALSO PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS, INCLUDING PROJECT THE PROJECT PACK, SACK OUT SUICIDE, CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT HALLOWEEN EVENT, AND SANTA'S FIRST RESPONDERS WORKING TO MAKE RESIDENTS AWARE OF MERIDIAN CARES.

THAT'S OUR MAJOR GOAL AND HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, IS THAT WE'RE THERE.

WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE AND THAT WE CAN HELP THEM. SO THAT'S OUR OUTREACH EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE. I AM MOST PROUD OF THE EFFORTS OF MERIDIAN CARES TO BRING TOGETHER THE MANY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS IN INGHAM COUNTY. LAST YEAR, WE HOSTED THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CONNECTION.

OVER 40 DIFFERENT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WERE IN ATTENDANCE AND LEARNED OF THE EFFORTS OF THE OTHER GROUPS, 40 ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN INGHAM COUNTY. LOTS OF THEM DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE DOING SIMILAR JOBS THAT THEY WERE DOING EXISTED.

THE GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER, TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

THERE WAS MUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING ANOTHER EVENT LIKE THAT AGAIN IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.

YOU CAN FIND US NOW ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BEFORE, BUT IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND US.

AND WITH THE HELP OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND THE TOWNSHIP, WE'RE NOW REALLY EASY TO FIND.

SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE INDIVIDUALS WOULD SAY, OKAY, BUT I NEED HELP AND WHERE DO I GO AND WHO DO I TALK TO NOW? IT'S REALLY EASY TO DO. SO LOOK US UP. AND IF YOU'RE AWARE OF ANYONE IN NEED, PLEASE REFER THEM TO MERIDIAN CARES.

REFER THEM TO KATIE. KATIE DOESN'T TURN DOWN ANYBODY.

SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL. I HAVE TO APPLAUD FOR HIRING HER FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE SHE IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT THE HARDEST WORKING, MOST SINCERE AND JUST A WONDERFUL PERSON TO WORK WITH AND TO WORK FOR.

I THINK PEOPLE THAT APPROACH HER FIND HER AS A CARING INDIVIDUAL AND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, IF WE CAN'T MEET THEIR NEEDS.

THE OTHER THING SHE DOES IS SHE DIRECTS THEM TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN INGHAM COUNTY AND AT THE STATE THAT CAN HELP THEM TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AS WELL.

SO. SO AGAIN, IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY WHO NEEDS ANY HELP, I THINK IF YOU CALL THE TWO ON ONE NUMBER, YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO COME TO MERIDIAN CARES.

SO THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN CARES.

WITHOUT YOU, OUR JOB WOULD BE VERY MORE DIFFICULT.

WE STILL DO SOME FUNDRAISING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTINUE TO GIVE US MONEY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU,

[01:05:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, YOU CAN CERTAINLY I THINK JUDGE A COMMUNITY BY HOW IT TREATS THE FOLKS WHO ARE MOST IN NEED.

AND CERTAINLY THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF HERE.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. NEXT UP FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, WE HAVE LESLIE CHARLES.

[6A.xi. Communications Commission-Leslie Charles]

LISA WHITING DOBSON IS OUR CHAIR THIS YEAR. I'M THE CO-CHAIR, AND SHE'S ILL TODAY, SO I'M PITCHING IN FOR HER.

WE'RE A SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM, AND WE HAVE TWO OF OUR COMMISSIONERS OVER HERE THAT I'M SITTING NEXT TO AS WELL.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE. WE ARE, WE'VE RECENTLY BROUGHT A NEW MEMBER, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE INSTEAD OF ONE, BECAUSE WE WERE SO SMALL AND WE'RE HOPING FOR 1 OR 2 MORE COMMISSIONERS THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR.

WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO RECRUIT TO BROADEN OUR SCOPE AND SKILL BASE.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOME TV FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE IT CONTINUES OFFERING SOLID PROGRAM DESPITE ITS ANOTHER SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM.

AND I TEND TO THINK OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT, THAT THERE ARE SO MANY EXTENSIONS OF THAT DEPARTMENT THAT TOUCH EVERY, PROBABLY EVERY PHASE OF THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP.

THE CAMERAS OVER HERE, THE SETUP THAT WE HAVE FOR TONIGHT, THANKS TO THEM.

AND I ALMOST SAID WE BECAUSE I SORT OF IDENTIFY RATHER STRONGLY WITH THIS DEPARTMENT.

SO HOM TV IS CONTINUING EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE FEWER INTERNS IN THE PAST THAN IN THE PAST.

WE COULD USE MORE, BUT THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE INTERNS IS THEY ARE NOW BEING PAID.

SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL ASPECT FOR THEM. CONTINUING IN UPDATING EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED IS PART OF THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. AND OF COURSE, I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF RECOGNITION TO SAMANTHA DEAL, WHO IS OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, WHO MAKES MANY THINGS POSSIBLE WHETHER THEY ARE OR NOT, BASICALLY. SO, WORKING IN TANDEM WITH HER FOR THIS YEAR, OUR GOALS AND FOCUS ARE AS FOLLOWS.

REVIEW OUR MISSION AND UPDATE OUR BYLAWS. SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WE WERE ONCE THE CABLE COMMISSION.

SO LIFE HAS CHANGED. THE WORLD KEEPS REVOLVING AND WE TRY TO EVOLVE ALONG WITH IT.

WE WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SMART CITIES AND THE POSSIBILITIES.

I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT LISA HAD BROUGHT UP A FEW MONTHS AGO.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HOW COULD THAT WORK FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, STRIVING FOR UNIVERSAL CONNECTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY? SAMANTHA HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PEG PROJECT, WHICH IS BEAD PROJECT.

EXCUSE ME. LOOKING AT THE LEVEL OF CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR CITIZENS FROM NOT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL SERVED FIND FUNDING SOURCES DUE TO THE DROPS IN PEG AND FRANCHISE FEES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS CHANGED, CERTAINLY WITH THE CHANGE OF THE CABLE WORLD.

CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND SERVE THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WHILE EXPLORING ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE OPTIONS FOR EXPANDING HOME TV PROGRAMING.

MY LAST POINT IS WE SUPPORT AS THE COMMISSION AND PROMOTE HOME TV.

BECAUSE OF LOCAL NEWS, OUTLETS CONTINUE DWINDLING AS ESPECIALLY PRINT SOURCES HAVE BEEN DOING, HOM TV'S PRESENCE WILL BECOME MORE VITAL AND VALUED RESOURCE.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.

NEXT UP IS OUR CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.

[6A.xii. Corridor Improvement Authority-Bruce Peffers]

WE PREFER TO CALL OURSELVES THE CIA. SOUNDS MUCH CLEARER.

EXACTLY. A LITTLE MORE COVERT THAT WAY. YES, BUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THIS FROM OUR MISSION STATEMENT, FOCUSED ON CREATING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT INVIGORATE THE STREETSCAPE AND BUILD PARTNERSHIPS AMONG THE CORRIDOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS.

TO THAT END, LAST YEAR WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH A TIF PROGRAM TO FUND PROJECTS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR, AND WE'RE UP AND RUNNING NOW WITH TAX CAPTURE.

WE HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT, AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IS GOING TO BE FLASHING LIGHTS AT ONE OF

[01:10:08]

AND THEN BEYOND THAT, OUR NEXT PROJECT WILL BE ACQUIRING AN INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ANY REDEVELOPMENT IN THE CORRIDOR.

WE'VE SENT OUT AN RFQ FOR SAID PLAN, AND SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY RESPONSES ON THAT? SO WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO REPOST IT FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.

AND IN ADDITION, WE MAY ALSO SEEK OUT GRANTS THROUGH CATA AND THE NEDC TO GET MATCHING FUNDING FOR INCREASED MOBILITY ALONG THE GRAND RIVER. 20 2025 AND BEYOND.

TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, CERTAINLY THE TIF COMING INTO BEING WILL HELP WITH YOU KNOW, THE OUTLOOK AND THE SCOPE OF WHAT THE CIA IS ABLE TO DO. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.

WE FINALLY HAVE TEETH. YES. THAT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT.

YES. I WAS THE PLANNING COMMISSION LIAISON TO THE CIA.

IN THE DAYS WHEN BASICALLY ALL YOU COULD DO WAS WRITE A LETTER.

AND IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE A CHECK NOW, AND PEOPLE LISTEN A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WELL, THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. NEXT UP IS OUR LOCAL OFFICERS COMPENSATION COMMISSION.

[6A.xiii. Local Officials Compensation Commission-Steve Vagnozzi]

CHAIR VAGNOZZI. GOOD EVENING. EXPLANATION. THE LOCAL OFFICER'S COMPENSATION COMMISSION SETS THE SALARIES FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

AND THAT INCLUDES THE SUPERVISOR, THE CLERK, THE TREASURER, THE TRUSTEES, AND SOMETHING THAT'S SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THE ELECTED PARK COMMISSION MEMBERS.

WE MEET EVERY TWO YEARS AND SET SALARIES AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR PARK COMMISSIONERS FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD.

THIS YEAR WE INCREASED THE SALARIES OF THE SUPERVISOR, CLERK AND TOWNSHIP TREASURER AND TRUSTEES BY ROUGHLY 3%, WITH ANOTHER 3% STARTING JANUARY OF 2026.

ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF, OF, OF THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION IS FINDING COMPARABLES TO BASE OUR DECISIONS UPON.

THE STRUCTURES OF WHAT MIGHT SEEM ON THE SURFACE TO BE COMPARABLE TOWNSHIPS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CLERKS AND PARTICULAR CLERKS AND TREASURES HAVE DIFFERENT SCOPES OF THEIR JOBS FROM TOWNSHIPS TO TOWNSHIPS. SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT.

SO WE ALSO THE PARK COMMISSIONERS ARE PAID A STIPEND FOR EVERY MEETING UP TO 24 MEETINGS PER YEAR.

AND WE INCREASED THEIR REIMBURSEMENT PER MEETING TO $55 FOR 2025 AND $60 FOR 2026. SO IN LOOKING FORWARD, YOU WON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO A REPORT FROM THIS COMMISSION IN A YEAR. BUT WE'LL BE BACK. ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD JUST LIKE THE TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS TO PUT IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR IN THE BACK OF THEIR HEAD.

THE PROCESS AND THE AND THE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS ON IT MAKE FINDING COMPARABLES.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN GO TO A SINGLE DATABASE AND PULL THIS STUFF OUT.

SO WE WERE, I BELIEVE, HANDICAPPED THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF COMPARABLE INFORMATION WE COULD ACQUIRE.

THANK YOU. WE'LL FILE THAT AWAY. THANK YOU. WE DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

AND I'M HAPPY TO SERVE ON ANY COMMITTEES THAT ONLY MEET ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS.

[01:15:02]

OKAY. BUT THANK YOU. ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? CLERK OR DEMAS. I'M GOING TO STOP DOING THAT EVENTUALLY.

JUST THANK YOU FOR THESE UPDATES AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYONE PUTS IN TO THIS COMMISSION.

IT'S NOT EASY, BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT UP IS OUR LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.

[6A.xiv. Land Preservation Advisory Board-Kathy Fay]

WELCOME, KATHY. GOOD EVENING. THE LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2000. FOR THOSE OF YOU THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW THAT OUR ORIGINAL GOAL WAS TO PRESERVE 600 ACRES AS NATURAL AREAS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE 25 PRESERVES REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 960 ACRES. THE LAND PRESERVE PRESERVATION LAND PRESERVE PROGRAM INCLUDES THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS. OUR PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAM AND OUR WETLAND AND WETLAND EDUCATION AND RESTORATION PROGRAM.

IN 2024. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT WE PUT UP A LOT OF NEW SIGNS.

WE HAVE REASSIGNED MANY OF OUR PRESERVES, CORRECTED THE NAMES ON SOME OF THE PRESERVES, ALSO PUT UP SOME REAL SIGNAGE, GIVING SOME PEOPLE SOME GUIDELINES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE PROPERTY LINES ARE AND APPROPRIATE USE OF OUR PRESERVES.

AND ALSO SOME WETLAND EDUCATION SIGNS. ONE OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS YEAR WAS TO ACQUIRE AN EIGHT BY TEN GREENHOUSE AND ALSO AN EIGHT BY 20 STORAGE SHED.

THIS GREENHOUSE IS AT THE SERVICE CENTER, AND IT HELPS US WITH OUR HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS, BECAUSE WE DO MAKE AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE SEEDS FROM OUR WETLANDS AND OUR PRESERVES AND THEN TRY TO REPLANT, GENERATE PLANTS, AND THEN REPLANT THOSE BACK INTO OUR PRESERVES.

IN THE FALL OF 2024, WE CONTRACTED WITH WILD TYPE TO START MANAGING AN ACRE AND A HALF AT DAVIS FOSTER PRESERVE, AND THEY WILL BE REMOVING INVASIVE BLACK LOCUST TREES THAT ARE OUT AT THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY THAT YOU SEE THERE.

WE ALSO DO SURVEYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'VE GOT GROWING IN OUR PRESERVES, AND THAT HELPS US THEN DEVELOP OUR MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR THOSE PRESERVES.

AND WE NOW HAVE THREE PART TIME STAFF WHO HELP WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE PRESERVES.

THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS IS MADE UP OF 348 VOLUNTEERS.

IT WAS LAST YEAR THEY CONTRIBUTED 659 HOURS AT 56 EVENTS.

THE THINGS THEY HELPED DO IS REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES.

THEY HELP PLANT NATIVE PLANTS. THEY ALSO HARVEST SEED, WHICH ARE THEN SORTED AND PACKAGED AND EITHER REPLANTED IN OUR PRESERVES ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S DONE BY EVEN MORE VOLUNTEERS THAN OUR BOARD.

WE HAD A PRESCRIBED BURN IN 2024, AND THAT WAS AT DAVIS FOSTER.

AND THE PRESCRIBED BURNS HELP US ENHANCE THE BIODIVERSITY OF OUR PLANT POPULATIONS IN OUR PRESERVES.

SO THAT'S IT. ANY QUESTIONS? TERRIFIC. BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT IS OUR LAKE LANSING ADVISORY BOARD.

[6A.xv. Lake Lansing Advisory Board-Curt Armbruster]

GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO BE BACK. I'M CHAIR OF THE LAKE LANSING WATERSHED SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE DO LESS THAN OUR TITLE.

YEAH. WE ARE WHAT WE DO IS THERE IS A TAX ASSESSMENT DISTRICT THAT IT WAS ESTABLISHED 20 YEARS AGO. AND IT TAXES THE RESIDENTS ON THE LAKE AND AN AREA ABOUT TWO BLOCKS OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE. AND THE MONIES FROM THAT TAX ASSESSMENT GO TOWARDS MANAGING THE

[01:20:05]

OUR COMMITTEE IS A NINE MAN COMMITTEE. FOUR PEOPLE LIVE ON THE LAKE.

TWO PEOPLE LIVE IN THAT TWO BLOCK AREA AROUND THE LAKE.

AND THEN THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE FROM GOVERNMENT.

PAUL PRATT FROM THE AIM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION.

COLE HAMMON'S, WHO MANAGES THE AM COUNTY PARKS.

AND THEN YOUNES ISHRAIDI, WHO IS THE TOWNSHIP ENGINEER.

AND HE'S THE GUY THAT DOES ALL THE WORK FOR US.

REALLY? WE OUR BUDGET IS $90,000 A YEAR. AND THAT COMES KIND OF IN AN INTERESTING WAY. $10,000 OF IT COMES FROM THE TOWNSHIP.

THANK YOU. AND ANOTHER 10,000 COMES FROM INGHAM COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT, I THINK, OR JUST INGHAM COUNTY.

AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER TWO ASSESSMENTS FOR THE TWO SAILING CLUBS ON THE LAKE OF $750.

SO THAT LEAVES A $68,500, WHICH GETS DIVIDED UP AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT I JUST MENTIONED. THE ROUGHLY 300 PEOPLE ON THE LAKE AND ANOTHER 200 PEOPLE AROUND THE LAKE.

PEOPLE ON THE LAKE PAY A FULL SHARE, AND THE PEOPLE ON THAT TWO BLOCK AREA AROUND THE LAKE PAY HALF A SHARE.

SO, EACH PROPERTY PAYS. I DON'T KNOW, I SHOULD KNOW THE EXACT FIGURE, BUT I DON'T.

IT'S ROUGHLY 170 BUCKS FOR PEOPLE ON THE LAKE, AND HALF OF THAT 85 FOR THE PEOPLE OFF THE LAKE.

SO WITH THE $90,000 WE TRY TO MAINTAIN AND MANAGE THE QUALITY OF THE WATER IN THE LAKE FOR, FOR THE USE OF THE RESIDENTS AND ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE THAT USE THE LAKE FROM, FROM THE OUTSIDE, BOTH IN THE SWIM AREA AND IN THE BOAT LAUNCH.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO ARE OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE FILTERED ALL OF THE INLETS INTO THE LAKE, FILTERED THEM EITHER WITH UM CLOTH FILTERS OR UM CENTRIFUGAL FILTERS WHEN BOTH OF THOSE PRIMARILY TAKE OUT THE SILT. AND THEN THE AREAS THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ARE THE AREAS THAT GET NATURALLY FILTERED.

AND THAT'S THE WATER THAT COMES FROM THE WETLANDS INTO THE LAKE.

AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP MANAGES OR MAINTAINS THOSE FILTERS EVERY YEAR BY REPLACING THE CLOTH FILTER AND KEEPING UP WITH [INAUDIBLE].

WE RECENTLY HAVE CREATED AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WHERE WE SEND OUT NEWSLETTERS TO TWICE A YEAR COVERING VARIOUS ISSUES OF ABOUT LIVING ON THE LAKE AND HELPING MAINTAIN THE WATER QUALITY.

WE WORK WITH COUNTY PARKS TO INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL CLEANING MACHINE AT THE BOAT LAUNCH.

SO PREVIOUS TO THIS, INTERESTINGLY, THE CLEANING MACHINE AT THE BOAT LAUNCH HAS BEEN THERE FOR 20 SOME YEARS, WAS ONLY EASILY USED BY BOATS LEAVING THE LAKE.

THAT DOESN'T HELP THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE BRINGING IT IN.

SO WE INSTALLED A NEW ONE. SO NOW WE HAVE ONE ON THE INPUT SIDE FOR THE BOATS SO THEY CAN CLEAN ON THE WAY IN.

AND THEN THE ONE THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE CAN BE USED FOR BOAT, FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO CLEAN THEIR BOATS ON THE WAY OUT.

PROBABLY OUR MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY THAT WE DO IS WE SURVEY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, WE SURVEY THE LAKE.

EVERY THREE WEEKS. IF THE IF THE LAKE NEEDS CHEMICALLY, IT NEEDS TO BE CHEMICALLY TREATED TO TREAT THE INVASIVE SPECIES.

WE HIRE A COMPANY TO DO THAT AND NOTIFY ALL THE RESIDENTS SO THEY DON'T YOU KNOW, USUALLY, USUALLY THE WATER IS WATERS RESTRICTED USE FOR ONE DAY OR SOMETHING WHEN IT'S CHEMICALLY TREATED.

AND THEN WE ORDERING A HARVESTER TO REMOVE THE BIOMASS, USUALLY LATER IN THE YEAR IF NECESSARY. WE'VE PROMOTED A NATURAL SHORELINE.

TECHNICALLY, A SEAWALL IS BAD FOR A LAKE BECAUSE IT DISTURBS THE BOTTOM.

AND ANIMALS LIKE TURTLES CAN'T GET OVER A SEAWALL AND LEAVE, AND SO THEY CAN'T DO THEIR NATURAL THING.

AND IT'S BETTER FOR THE LAKE IF YOU'VE GOT NATURAL SHORELINES.

IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MOST NOT EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE TO DO IT, BUT WE'VE BEEN PROMOTING DOING SHORELINES,

[01:25:03]

AND THAT DEMONSTRATION AREA IS ON THE CORNER OF SHAW AND SHAW LANE AND LAKE LANSING ROAD, RIGHT BY THE SWIM AREA THERE. THERE'S ALSO A INFORMATIONAL POSTING THERE.

WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.

SO IF YOU GO ON THE TOWNSHIP, UNDERNEATH ONE OF THOSE NICE LITTLE SIGNS IS THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND WE NOT ONLY HAVE OUR STANDARD STUFF LIKE OUR MINUTES AND THE AGENDAS AND ANNUAL REPORTS AND STUFF ON THERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO INFORMATION ABOUT THE DAM, ABOUT THE WATER LEVELS AND THE WATER CHARTS.

AND THEN THERE'S AN AREA THERE MUST BE LIKE 50 OR 60 LINKS, JUST GENERALLY TO LAKE KINDS OF INFORMATION FOR ANY ENVIRONMENTALIST WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO WHERE THEY CAN FIND WHATEVER THEY WANT.

SO OUR WEBSITE HAS BEEN GROWING. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND IT'S HELPFUL IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION IN THAT AREA.

WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED OTHER THAN DOING OUR NORMAL STUFF, WE HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED ANY REALLY NEW PROJECTS FOR THIS YEAR.

WE'RE SEARCHING AROUND AND LOOKING AT TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IN THE FISHING AREA.

I THINK PROBABLY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DO THE BOATING AND THE SKIING AND THE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES LIKE THAT.

FISHING HAS KIND OF GOT LEFT BEHIND OVER THE YEARS WITH OUR COMMITTEE.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT SOME DOING SOMETHING IN THE FISHING AREA, WHETHER IT'S EVEN JUST ESTABLISHING SOME FISH COUNTS.

SO WE KNOW WHAT WHAT THE FISHING SITUATION IS, OR MAYBE DEVELOPING SOME KIND OF AREAS THAT THAT WILL HELP FISH PROPAGATE. SO WE HAVEN'T WE HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED THAT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

BUT TIME WILL TELL. THE GREATEST TRUTH ON THAT.

ANY QUESTIONS? TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS? CLERK DEMAS. YEAH.

I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT YOU MENTIONED FISHING.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD IS DISCUSSING LOOKING AHEAD FOR 2025 THIS YEAR? IS THERE MORE THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT? WHO? I LOST WHAT YOU SAID. FISHING. YEAH. ARE WE. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IT OR WHAT? YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE. THE PLANS AND WHAT WE WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR IS WE'VE HAD ONE PERSON COME IN AND TALK TO TALK TO US AT OUR LAST MEETING AND IN OUR MARCH MEETING WE'VE GOT JOE COMING IN FROM.

HE ALSO LIVES ON THE LAKE AND HE WORKS FOR FISHERIES TO TALK TO US ABOUT SOME PROJECTS THAT MAYBE WE COULD DO.

WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE MAYBE PIKE SPAWNING OVER IN THE CARLTON KIND OF AREA ON THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE.

BUT REALLY, WE HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED ANYTHING. WE'RE JUST KIND OF.

WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF FILTERING ALL THE WATER COMING INTO THE LAKE.

IF YOU CONSIDER THE NATURAL FILTERS ARE DOING THEIR JOB, AND THEN BASICALLY THERE'S A COUPLE PIPES LEFT.

BUT BASICALLY, WE'VE FILTERED ALL THE WATER COMING INTO THE LAKE.

AND SO IT'S WE'RE KIND OF WE'RE KIND OF LIKE AT A DEAD END IN TERMS OF THE PROJECTS WE NORMALLY HAVE BEEN DOING.

AND SO WE'RE STARTING TO REACH OUT A LITTLE BIT.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU AT THIS TIME, IS THE BOARD.

WE HAVEN'T DECIDED ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO DO. EXACTLY, EXCEPT THAT WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING IN THAT AREA.

OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY.

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE HAVE OUR PARKS COMMISSION, AND WE HAVE MARY NADEAU FARRIS HERE TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN UP TO.

[6A.xvi. Park Commission-Mary Nardo Farris]

THE PARK COMMISSION, FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW, IS ELECTED TO FOUR YEAR TERMS. WE JUST HAD ELECTIONS AND ENDED UP WITH A NEW COMMISSIONER LAST YEAR, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION.

COURTNEY WISINSKI IS OUR CURRENT DIRECTOR, AND THIS IS HER FIRST YEAR, AND SHE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND CONTINUING TO STEWARD,

[01:30:02]

MY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE. COMMISSIONER AMANDA LICK IS OUR VICE CHAIR.

AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MARK STEPHENS, MIKE MCDONALD AND OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONERS, EMILY RAMBO. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE HER JOIN US.

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH QUICKLY OUR 2024 EFFORTS AND THEN TOUCH ON OUR 2025 FOCUS JUST FOR THE COMMISSION.

FOR 2024 ARE IN OUR PATH WAYS. THAT MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY IS A SMALL GROUP OF SIX DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS, FULL TIME POSITIONS. THEY ARE HEADED UP BY KATIE ADAMS AND LARRY BOB, WHO IS A LEAD WORKER FOR THAT GROUP.

THEY MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR 30 PARKS, OUR 25 PRESERVES AND 85 MILES OF PATHWAYS.

IN ADDITION TO MAINTAINING AND WORKING ON SOME OF OUR FACILITIES LIKE THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER, THE MERIDIAN. THE HISTORIC VILLAGE AND THE MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.

SO THEY REALLY HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB ON THAT.

THEY ALSO HANDLE MAINTENANCE, REPAIR PROJECTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT MIGHT COME THEIR WAY.

FOR HARRIS NATURE CENTER THAT IS HEADED UP BY KATIE ADAMS ALSO AND ALLISON GOODMAN.

THEY IT'S REALLY A GEM OF OUR SYSTEM AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO AN AWESOME JOB.

LAST YEAR THEY HAD 4500 PARTICIPANTS AND PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO 4500 WALK IN VISITORS THAT THEY HAD AT THEIR FACILITY. AND THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER FOUNDATION.

THAT IS A TREMENDOUS GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT DOES A LOT OF GREAT WORK TO SUPPORT THAT.

EXCUSE ME, THAT FACILITY AND THE STAFF THAT ARE LOCATED THERE.

THE FARMERS MARKET AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN.

TOM KERRY IS OUR MANAGER THERE. HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN TAKING THAT OVER, ENHANCING THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THERE.

IT WAS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR, AND A COUPLE OF THINGS THEY DID WAS DESIGN A NEW MARKET LOGO, AND THEY ALSO HAD DEDICATION OF MURALS THAT WERE PAINTED BY THE PUBLIC OVER A NUMBER OF DAYS, TWO ARE THERE'S FOUR PANELS, TWO ARE PLACED AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN AND TWO ARE AT THE CENTRAL PARK PAVILION, WHICH WAS THE EARLIER PLACE FOR THE FARMERS MARKET.

THEY HAVE HAD A 25% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF VENDORS.

THEY CURRENTLY HAVE 201 UNIQUE VENDORS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING.

AND THEY ALSO HAD A FOOD GLEANING PROGRAM THAT IS UP 24% THIS YEAR, WITH 8,600 POUNDS OF FOOD THAT THEY'VE GIVEN BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS THAT VISIT DONATING AND THEN THE MARKET VENDORS THEMSELVES.

ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAD 33 MUSICIANS, AND THAT'S BEEN A REAL NICE ADDITION.

I THINK FOR MOST PEOPLE, I'M EXCITED. ON WEDNESDAYS AND SOMETIMES SATURDAY, TO SEE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE AND DANCING.

OUR MERIDIAN SENIOR CENTER IS COORDINATED BY SHERRY WISDOM AND THAT CURRENT MEMBERSHIP IS 393.

THEY ARE GOING TO BE DISPLACED AND WILL BE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME AS CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL IS BEING DEMOLISHED.

AND SO THAT'S CURRENTLY WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.

AND THE PARK COMMISSION AND THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, WISINSKI, ARE WORKING WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ON THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND THE SENIOR COMMUNITY TASK FORCE AND WHERE THOSE PLANS WILL CONTINUE TO GO.

NOKOMIS CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER IS ALSO UNDER OUR PURVIEW, UNDER A DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENT.

NOT ONLY IS THAT A HIGHLIGHT TO THE COMMUNITY, IT'S ACTUALLY A REGIONAL CULTURAL GEM.

THIS PAST YEAR, THEY INSTITUTED OR INITIATED A PROGRAM WITH BOTH OKEMOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND GRAND LEDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO TEACH THIRD GRADE CLASSES ON THE HISTORY OF THE ANISHINAABE PEOPLES, THE CULTURE, AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION THERE.

EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM THIS NEXT YEAR FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS, THEIR MEMBERSHIP ALSO DOUBLED LAST YEAR.

SO WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS GOING. OUR RECREATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, AND ALSO SPECIAL EVENTS IS HEADED UP BY MIKE DEVLIN AND NICK NGUYEN, AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE, THEY CAN'T ACCOMMODATE THEM ALL. IN ADDITION, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FIELDS FOR THEM ALL, SO THEY'RE CONSTANTLY JUGGLING THAT, BUT DOING A GREAT JOB AND GETTING GREAT REPORTS BACK.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THEY DID THAT WAS A SPECIAL EVENT WAS THE COMMUNITY, EXCUSE ME, THE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN BLOCK PARTY, AND THAT THEY EXPANDED THIS YEAR TO HAVE A TEEN NIGHT IN ADDITION TO SOME AWESOME FIREWORKS, AND WAS A COMMUNITY WIDE CELEBRATION. PRETTY MUCH EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE TOWNSHIP PARTICIPATED IN THAT.

A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS AND THE GENEROSITY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.

I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T, I KNOW THE BOARD HAS, BUT THIS NEXT YEAR IT'S HELD IN JUNE.

IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE AS A VOLUNTEER, IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY FUN REALLY FUN THING TO DO AND WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE VOLUNTEERS.

[01:35:03]

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TRIED THIS YEAR TO INITIATE A PILOT PROJECT AT SNELL RECREATION CENTER, SNELL TOWER RECREATION CENTER, IT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE.

IT'S A PLACE THAT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND WE HAD THAT STAFF PART TIME AND WAS OPEN ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS FOR OPEN ACTIVITIES. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHETHER WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

THAT WILL DEPEND ON STAFFING AVAILABILITY TO CONTINUE SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.

LET'S SEE THE LAST POSITION UNDER COURTNEY'S UMBRELLA.

THERE IS OUR LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM, AND EMMA CAMPBELL, WHO WORKS WITH THE LAND ADVISORY BOARD.

SO I WON'T REPEAT ANY OF THAT. AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB AND HAS SOME AWESOME, DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS.

AS FAR AS 2025 EFFORTS BY THE COMMISSION. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS CONTINUING TO ENHANCE OUR ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION WITH OUR PROGRAMS, OUR PROJECTS AND OUR FACILITIES, AND THAT'S BEEN AN EFFORT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.

WE ARE STARTING A PILOT PROJECT FOR WHAT WE'RE CALLING COMMISSIONER LIAISONS.

IT'S REALLY TO OPEN COMMUNICATION PATHS SO THAT EACH COMMISSIONER ON THE PARK COMMISSION WILL BE MORE OR LESS ASSIGNED TO A RELATED BOARD OR COMMISSION THAT MAY HAVE SIMILAR INTERESTS, JUST TO HAVE THE COMMISSIONER OF THE BOARD HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY CAN CONTACT, ASIDE FROM COURTNEY, OR IN ADDITION TO COURTNEY, IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IS TO OPEN COMMUNICATION PATHS TO HOPEFULLY NOT ELIMINATE BUT DETER IF THERE'S ANY DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS.

THAT'S ONE THING WE FOUND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN COMMUNICATE, SOMETIMES WE'RE ALL DOING THE SAME THING. AND THEN ALSO TO JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AN OVERSIGHT POSITION AT ALL.

IT'S JUST REALLY TO OPEN COMMUNICATIONS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT.

WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE SENIOR COMMUNITY TASK FORCE CENTER EFFORTS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AS THAT RELATES TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIVISION CLOSELY. DEPARTMENT CLOSELY PROJECTS ARE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

FOR THIS YEAR WILL BE WE'RE LOOKING AT ENGINEERING FOR THE OKEMOS ROAD TRAILHEAD.

THAT'S THE ONE AT 5280 AND THAT WILL BE ENGINEERING FOR THAT.

AND THEN WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR A GRANT, A STATE GRANT TO HELP FUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.

ANOTHER ENGINEERING PROJECT IS FOR A NEW CRICKET FIELD.

WE DO NOT HAVE ONE IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR IT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD TO DO SOME ENGINEERING EXPLORATION AND POSSIBLY SITE PREPARATIONS WITH THAT. WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION FOR A TOWN OR ROAD INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND, SO THAT WOULD BE A BRAND NEW PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE AT THAT LOCATION, IN ADDITION TO A PLAYGROUND AT OTTAWA HILLS.

THAT'S MORE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND. LAST YEAR WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WORK, START WORK ON MARSHALL PARK AND THEIR NEW PLAYGROUND, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS YEAR BY ADDING MORE AMENITIES AT MARSHALL PARK.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE A WALKING PATH, BENCHES AND SHADE STRUCTURES.

THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR WHEN THEY WERE SURVEYED.

SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED IN THAT LOCATION. THE LAST THING WE ARE DOING IS CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, WHICH WOULD BE WILLIAMSTON TOWNSHIP, WILLIAMSTON, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN STATE.

THEY'RE ARTIFICIAL. OKAY. AND BASICALLY CLEARING OUT NAVIGATIONAL ISSUES WITH THE RED CEDAR WATERWAYS.

AND THAT'S AN ONGOING EFFORT. WE'RE WORKING ON SOME OF THAT NOW.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THOSE EFFORTS AMONG THAT GROUP AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? WILL YOU FOLKS ARE TREMENDOUSLY HARD WORKING AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THERE.

LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOD WORK COMING OUT OF THE PARK COMMISSION, TO BE SURE.

THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR LIST. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? WELL. OH, PLEASE. JUST A THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE EFFORTS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO THIS MEETING EVERY YEAR, WE'RE ASTOUNDED BY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.

AND WE'RE JUST SO PLEASED THAT YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH US.

THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE APPRECIATE BOTH THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ALL THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR AND ALL THROUGHOUT THIS COMING YEAR.

AND I ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR COMING TONIGHT TO TELL US ABOUT IT.

TREASURER DESCHAINE ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, THANK YOU.

AND ALSO, WE WANT TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU, NOT JUST ONCE A YEAR.

[01:40:01]

SO BRING YOUR BEST IDEAS TO US AND SHARE THEM WITH US, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER TO MAKE THEM COME TRUE.

BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WORKING FOR THE SAME GOAL OF A BETTER MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SEVEN.

[7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

THE FIRST BEING THE SALE OF THE PARCEL TO ANOTHER DEVELOPER.

THE SECOND BEING TRYING TO REWORK THEIR PROPOSAL INTO SOMETHING THAT THEY BELIEVE WILL BE BOTH MORE IN LINE WITH THE COMMUNITY'S WANTS AND DREAMS, AND ALSO THEIR BOTTOM LINE. AND SO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE PURSUING BOTH OPTIONS AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY DO.

BUT THEY'VE NOT SUBMITTED A NEW PROPOSAL TO US THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH.

I THINK THEY'RE STILL IN THE RETOOLING PHASE OF THE SECOND PATH.

GREAT, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 740.

WITH THAT, THAT BRINGS US TO OUR FINAL AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TREASURER DESCHAINE, DO WE HAVE A SUPPORT? SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 7:41 P.M..

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.