[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
          [00:00:53]
          2025, REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD DO STAFF WANT TO DO A ROLL CALL. 
          HAVE YOU GUYS GOT A ROSTER AND RUN US THROUGH? PLEASE. 
          YEAH. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. WE'LL START WITH THE ROLL CALL HERE AS B ILL INTRODUCED. 
          SO I'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE LIST. START WITH COMMISSIONER BATTEN HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER BESILE HERE. COMMISSIONER FRAIZER HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER LEE, I THINK HE'S ABSENT ACTUALLY,
SHE NOTIFIED US OF HER ABSENCE THIS EVENING. 
          GOT IT. COMMISSIONER SARVER HERE. COMMISSIONER MIKSICEK. 
          DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? YES. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER PETERSON HERE. 
          AND THEN CHAIR BILL MCCONNELL PRESENT. AND THEN OUR TRUSTEE LENZ. 
          OKAY. AND THEN FOR STAFF, WE HAVE DAN OPSOMMER AND MYSELF JACK HUGHES. 
          AND AN INCOGNITO STAFF MEMBER. WE WON'T INTRODUCE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA. 
          [3.A. Food Rescue US-Lansing Communities ]
IT'S OUR PLEASURE TONIGHT TO HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM FOOD RESCUE US LANSING COMMUNITIES. 
          AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATIONS PRECEDE OUR FORMAL AGENDA JUST SO THAT THEY CAN BE UP
AT THE TOP OF THE RECORDING AND GET US OFF TO A NICE START. VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME FORMER COMMISSIONER VAL LAFFERTY,
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER, AND GABI MAYER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. 
          WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION. YES. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME AND PRESENT
TO YOU. 
          SO, GABI AND I, JUST TO STEP BACK, YOU KNOW,
WE ALL A BUNCH OF US STARTED TO WORK ON FOOD WASTE OR ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT IN DIFFERENT FORMATS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. IT DID RESULT IN THE THE MARKET,
WHICH IS A WONDERFUL THING. 
          AND GABI AND I DID THE FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION AND BUILT THAT UP AT THE MARKET. 
          WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT NOW, BUT WE PUT OUR ATTENTION SOLELY ON THIS FOOD RESCUE AND
WE'VE GOT ABILITY TO USE A FREE APP BECAUSE WE AFFILIATED WITH A NATIONAL NONPROFIT, AND WE WANTED TO RESCUE FOOD YEAR ROUND,
NOT JUST DURING MARKET PERIODS RECOGNIZING THE NEED AND SO FORTH. 
          SO FOOD RESCUE US IS A IS A MODEL FOR PERISHABLE FOODS. 
          AND YOU'VE PROBABLY ALWAYS HEARD THAT THERE'S SO MUCH WASTE BECAUSE THE LOGISTICS ARE SO
DIFFICULT FOR PERISHABLE FOODS AND THIS KIND OF ANSWERS THAT. 
          SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS ON HUNGER. I MEAN,
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DWELL ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF HUNGER, A LOT OF FOOD INSECURITY. AND IT'S IT'S GROWING. 
          IT'S NOT STOPPING. ACTUALLY, WHEN FOOD BANKS STARTED 30 OR 40 YEARS AGO,
THEIR MISSION WAS TO END HUNGER. 
          SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. 
          AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FOOD WASTE IS IS STILL PREDOMINANT. 
          IT'S TRUE THAT THEY'RE MAKING A LOT OF HEADWAY IN TERMS OF GROCERY STORES I UNDERSTAND,
BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WASTE AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOOD COMMERCIAL FOOD PROVIDERS. SO THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. 
          SO I WOULD, I HOPE TO I HEARD YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY WHAT YOU WANTED TO PASS ON AND THEN
DO IT AND THEN SAY IT AGAIN. 
          SO THIS IS IT. JUST JUST THE AWARENESS OF THAT YOU NEED THE LOGISTICS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO
TO, TO AVOID WASTE. AND AND THERE'S MORE AND MORE OF OUR AGENCIES THAT WANT BETTER FOOD FOR
THEIR, THEIR CLIENTS OR THEIR GUESTS BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF SHELF STABLE STUFF OR
PROCESSED FOOD, AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED THE FRESH FOOD,
IT'S MORE NUTRITIOUS. 
          [00:05:01]
SO IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S SAYING THAT. AND SO WE NEED WE WE HOPE ONE OUTCOME IS THE
MORE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT US THAT YOU'LL PASS IT ON AND PERHAPS THAT WILL HELP US GET MORE FOOD DONORS FOR US,
WHICH WE WHICH WE NEED. 
          SO YOU'RE ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH US AND WELL,
I DON'T KNOW, FORMALLY, BUT IT'S PRETTY LOOSE. 
          THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITH EAGLE NEXT CYCLE TO PUT PUT AN APPLICATION IN. 
          AND WE WERE ACCEPTED. WE JUST FOUND OUT WE WERE ACCEPTED INTO THAT AND PART OF THE MISSION
ON THAT, IS THAT TO WORK TOGETHER AS COMMUNITIES TO JUST BUILD UP AWARENESS OF IT. 
          AND WHAT WE THINK WE'VE DEVELOPED IS SOMETHING THAT'S SO STABLE AND RELIABLE THAT REALLY
IT SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT AS INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE FRONT END OF YOUR MATERIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
          WE'LL SHOW YOU SOME SOME SLIDES ON HERE. SO THAT'S IT. 
          IT'S THE REDUCER AND THE IN THAT PLAN. AND WHAT WE ALL WANT IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND A
HEALTHY REGENERATIVE FOOD SYSTEM. 
          RIGHT? THAT'S THAT'S THE GOAL. DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN HOW WE WORK? SURE. SO HOW WE WORK IS WE FIND FOOD DONORS. WE GO TO GROCERY STORES. 
          WE HAVE A COUPLE OF RESTAURANTS THAT WILL GIVE US FOOD. 
          THE BEAUTY OF OUR SYSTEM IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS,
PRIVATE VOLUNTEERS. 
          THEY COME WITH THEIR OWN CARS, THEY GO TO THE FOOD DONORS,
THEY PICK UP THE FOOD, AND THEY TAKE IT IMMEDIATELY TO A RECEIVING AGENCY THAT VAL AND I IDENTIFY, OR PEOPLE TELL US WHERE THEY ARE RECEIVING AGENCIES AND THE RECEIVING AGENCIES
THERE ARE FOOD KITCHENS, THERE ARE SOUP KITCHENS, THERE ARE FOOD BANKS. 
          THERE ARE HOMELESS SHELTERS. WHEREVER PEOPLE SAY THEY NEED FOOD. 
          AND IF THEY ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, WE DON'T GIVE FOOD TO INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE THINK IS SO BEAUTIFUL IS THAT THE VOLUNTEER WILL SHOW UP AT 9:00 AT TARGET. 
          THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE FOOD. 
          WE NEVER KNOW WHAT FOOD WILL GET, BUT THEY LOAD IT INTO THEIR CAR,
AND USUALLY WITHIN AN HOUR IT'S AT THE RECEIVING AGENCY AND OFTEN WITHIN ANOTHER HOUR IT'S ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED. SO THERE IS NO STORAGE NEEDED. 
          WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A COOLER SYSTEM. NONE OF THAT IS NEEDED. 
          SO IT'S VERY IMMEDIATE. IT'S VERY SATISFYING FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. 
          AND IT HELPS TO GET THE PERISHABLES FROM THE GROCERY STORES DIRECTLY TO THE RECEIVING
AGENCIES. 
          AND THERE IS A LOT OF NEED FOR FRESH PRODUCE,
DAIRY SUCH THINGS. 
          THIS IS A COUPLE OF PICTURES. JUST WE HAVE A LOT OF RESCUERS THAT GO WITH THEIR MOM OR
THEIR HUSBAND OR THEIR GRANDSON OR FRIENDS OR DO IT THEMSELVES. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S I GUESS THE THING IS THAT PEOPLE REALLY
FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS. 
          THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING. AND SO THIS WOULD BE A TYPICAL RESCUE. 
          AND THIS IS OUR FRIEND DAVE AT SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY KITCHEN HAPPENS TO BE A COMMUNITY
KITCHEN, WHICH HAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN A FOOD PANTRY DOES AND DIFFERENT FROM SHELTER
FACILITIES, WHICH IS ANOTHER CATEGORY THAT WE SERVE. SO THIS APP THAT WE HAVE WE PLUG IN ALL THE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT DOOR TO GO TO, WHAT TIME AND WHERE YOU GO, WHAT THE PERSON'S NAME IS,
ALL THAT SORT OF THING. 
          AND SO VOLUNTEERS HAVE THE APP ON THEIR SMARTPHONE,
AND IF THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TIME ON WEDNESDAY AND THERE'S A WEDNESDAY, YOU KNOW, RESCUE AVAILABLE, THEY'LL CLICK IT AND CLAIM IT. AND THEN THEY GET ALL THE
INFORMATION WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO. AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT, THEY CLOSE IT OUT BY SAYING HOW MANY POUNDS? IT'S AN ESTIMATE OF THEY THEY RESCUED WHAT? THERE'S SOME CATEGORIES LIKE WE TRY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PRODUCE. 
          THE PERISHABLES OF COURSE ARE PRODUCE DAIRY BAKED GOODS AND MEATS. 
          AND THEY CAN BE FRESH OR FROZEN. AND WHEN WE TAKE ON NEW RECEIVING AGENCIES,
WE FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE OPEN AND HOW MUCH COOLING FACILITIES THEY HAVE AND HOW MUCH
FREEZING FACILITIES HAVE. 
          SO THAT ALL GOES INTO HOW WE MATCH IT. AND REALLY,
I THINK THE TRANSIT TIME IS MORE LIKE 20 MINUTES, REALLY. I MEAN, IT COULD TAKE AN HOUR TO ONCE IT'S THE THE STORE LIKE TARGET ROLLS IT OUT
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE SEPARATE IT AND THAT SORT OF THING. BUT SO IT'S IT'S PRETTY IMMEDIATE. 
          SO YOU WANT TO TELL ABOUT OUR CURRENT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 110 VOLUNTEERS WE ACTUALLY
HAD TO STOP IT FOR A WHILE BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO WANTED TO DO ACTUAL RESCUES, BUT WE NEED MORE FOOD. AND SO THE MORE FOOD WE HAVE,
THE MORE OUR MORE VOLUNTEERS CAN RUN THE ONES. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT 41 REGISTERED FOOD DONORS. NOT ALL OF THEM GIVE US A LOT OF FOOD. 
          SO SOME ARE JUST OUR STAR DONORS AND OTHERS YOU KNOW,
WE GET LIKE FROM A RESTAURANT WHO WILL GET SOME FROZEN RICE AND FROZEN MASHED 
          [00:10:04]
POTATOES, BUT ALL OF THIS WE'LL STILL TAKE. WE NEVER SAY NO. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE ABOUT 36 RECEIVING AGENCIES. 
          AND AGAIN, WE ARE CONSTANTLY ASKED OR TOLD ABOUT GROUPS THAT GIVE OUT FOOD. 
          AND CAN WE PLEASE GIVE THEM MORE? OR OUR RECEIVING AGENCIES SAY,
HEY, WE WANT MORE, WE WANT MORE, WE WANT MORE. HOW THAT IS. SO IN THE LAST ONE AND A HALF YEARS,
YOU CAN SEE THIS FOR YOURSELF. 
          WE HAVE HAD 1800 RESCUES DELIVERIES, 300,000 POUNDS OF FOOD RESCUED,
WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN AWAY IF WE WEREN'T THERE. 
          THE CARBON DIOXIDE OFFSET IS HUMONGOUS AND WE'RE SAVING A LOT OF GALLONS OF WATER,
WHICH, YEAH, THE APP TAKES KEEPS ALL THESE STATISTICS. 
          SO A LOT OF PLACES WANT, YOU KNOW, MEASUREMENTS. 
          AND SO IT'S YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT BY ASKING IT. 
          SO ONE THING I DON'T KNOW IF IF YOU READ THE ARTICLE IN WASHINGTON POST LAST YEAR,
BUT IT TALKED ABOUT THESE STATES THAT TRIED TO BAN FOOD WASTE. 
          AND REALLY NONE OF THEM WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL OVER THE YEARS. 
          THERE'S SEVERAL THAT HAVE HAVE PASSED LAWS TO DO THAT. 
          SCIENCE MAGAZINE, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW DID DID THE RESEARCH IN WASHINGTON POST WROTE THE
ARTICLE ON IT, AND THEY STUDIED THE FIVE STATES THAT HAD BANS FOR THE LONGEST TIME,
AND ONLY ONE MARGINALLY MADE THEIR GOALS. 
          AND THAT WAS BECAUSE IN THAT MIX, TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO,
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO RETAIN THE FOOD SCRAPS AND COMPOST THEM OR HOPEFULLY SOURCE REDUCE ON THE FRONT END AND NOT WASTE STUFF, BUT GIVE IT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE HUNGRY. 
          BUT OF THE FIVE, ONLY ONE WAS MARGINALLY SUCCESSFUL,
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAPPENED TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM WHERE THEY HAD MORE LANDFILLS. 
          SO SO THE POINT HERE IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THIS WHOLE THING
OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T WORK. 
          IF RESTAURANTS ARE TOLD NOT TO DO IT, IT'S LIKE,
WELL, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS THEN, YOU KNOW? SO IT HAS TO HAVE THE WHOLE THING. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE THE
FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN BE A DURABLE SYSTEM, USING VOLUNTEERS TO WHATEVER EXTENT OURS IS ALL
VOLUNTEER OUR SITE. 
          THERE ARE OTHER SITES THAT USE THE THERE ARE ALSO OTHER APPS OUT THERE TOO. 
          OTHERS OTHER APPS OR OTHER SITES WHERE WHERE MAYBE THE SITE DIRECTORS TAKE A STIPEND AND
THEY HAVE TO DO FUNDRAISING AND THE WHOLE THING. 
          BUT WE WE HAVE SO MANY QUALITY VOLUNTEERS I MEAN,
IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND REALLY. 
          THEY'RE SO CAPABLE. THEY'RE SO INTERESTED AND FOCUSED ON IT. 
          THEY SEEM TO GET SO MUCH OUT OF IT THAT I THINK,
YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO OFTEN PEOPLE ARE JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SORT OF ORGANIZE THEM OR CONNECT THE DOTS SO THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, DO THEIR THING AND TRY TO HELP. 
          SO, I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS A CRAZY THING THAT I PUT TOGETHER. 
          SO THIS LAST YEAR, EPA AND FDA AND USDA ALL GOT TOGETHER AND SAID,
YOU KNOW, THE OLD PYRAMID IS OUT, BUT THE NEW ONE IS HERE. THIS JUST HAS EPA ON IT. 
          BUT FIRST STEP ON HAVING A, YOU KNOW, A HEALTHY SYSTEM OR ON THE FOOD WASTE SCALE,
IF YOU WILL, IS NOT TO WASTE TO BEGIN WITH WE ALL KNOW THAT,
YOU KNOW, TO SOURCE REDUCE. 
          SO AND THEN AND, AND SO ON THE STATE LEVEL, THE MATERIAL MANAGEMENT PLANS,
THIS IS FROM A STATE SITE. 
          YOU KNOW, THE FIRST STEP IS TO REDUCE. SO SO TAKE THOSE ARE VOLUNTEERS WITH THEIR HANDS UP
AND WITH THE HEARTS. 
          THERE'S JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO THIS. 
          AND AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE PROVED IN THE YEAR AND A HALF,
WE'VE NEVER MISSED A RESCUE ALL THOSE RESCUES THAT WE'VE DONE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE RESCUES FROM THE LARGER STORES LIKE TRADER JOE'S. 
          AND WE DO WHOLE FOODS AND ALL OF THE, THE TARGET MARKETS,
THERE'S FOUR OF THEM AND THEY, THEY THEY'RE SO GENEROUS. 
          WE HAVE RESTAURANTS AND BAKERIES AND A LOT OF ONE OFFS. 
          AND THEN ALDI'S HAS STARTED TO WORK WITH US. THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO,
THEY'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK, I GUESS. BUT BUT HERE I AM ADVERTISING. I THINK THIS WOULD BE CUT FROM THE TABLE. 
          THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL. YEAH, IT'S WELL, THEY'RE ASKED,
LIKE TODAY WE RESCUED 185 GALLONS OF MILK THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK WAS ASKED IF THEY WANTED IT. BUT IT WAS KIND OF THROUGH THE BACK DOOR,
AND AND THEY WERE READY TO THROW IT AWAY. 
          BUT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PESTERING SO LONG, SAYS,
OKAY, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENED. 
          WE ASKED PEOPLE IF THEY WANT IT, THEY DON'T WANT IT. WE HAVE TO THROW IT AWAY. WE FEEL
REALLY BAD ABOUT IT. 
          SO MARSHALL, THE VOLUNTEERS AND IT WAS LIKE FIVE CARLOADS PICKED IT UP THAT AND A
TRUCKLOAD OF POTATOES, LIKE 20 POUND BAGS. THE WHOLE BACK OF THE TRUCK WAS FULL. 
          AND IT WAS NO PROBLEM. I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE SO THAT THE AGENCIES THAT GOT IT WERE JUST
REALLY HAPPY TO, 
          [00:15:06]
TO GET IT. SO ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW. SO I'M THINKING OF IT,
AS INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, MAKES A HAPPY COMMUNITY, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          AND, AND IT'S EASY ON THE BUDGET. IT'S I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYBODY CAN PUT TOGETHER AN
ALL VOLUNTEER, YOU KNOW, OR THAT IT LASTS FOREVER, BUT YOU KNOW,
WE REALLY SHOULD BE USED. 
          THIS IS JUST A QUICK SHOT OF, OF SOME OF THE AGENCIES THAT WE SERVE. 
          AND YOU I'M SURE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM. THERE'S SEVERAL IN YOUR TOWNSHIP,
BY THE WAY. 
          OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCHES THE FOOD BANK IS A HUGE ONE. 
          WE WORK A LITTLE BIT WITH HASLETT FOOD PANTRY. 
          I'M SORRY, THE FOOD PANTRY. WE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL DONORS. 
          I'M TRYING TO THINK. I'M SURE THERE'S THERE'S MORE THEY'RE NOT COMING TO MIND HERE. 
          SO SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THE TAKEAWAYS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WE WONDER IF THE TOWNSHIP,
FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD THINK OF US AS A PARTNER. I DON'T KNOW WE WE HAVE GOALS THAT ARE ALIGNED. 
          AND WE'VE ALSO ASKED THIS, THE EAST LANSING AND LANSING,
WE'RE DOING THE SAME WITH THEM. 
          THEY, WE KNOW, ALL THE PLAYERS THERE. RIGHT. LORI WELCH AND AND CLIFF WELLS AND THEY ALL
WANT THIS. 
          SO IT'S IT'S KIND OF I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IT'S MORE OF OF A LOOK. 
          I GUESS IT'S MORE JUST SHOWING THAT THERE'S UNITY AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL JUST BUILD A
MESSAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE JUST EACH DO A LITTLE BIT, WE CAN WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          AND YEAH. AND I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FOOD WASTE. 
          WE ALL WANT THE FOOD TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. 
          I THINK THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. IT'S JUST ABOUT OVERCOMING BUREAUCRACY IN TERMS
OF THE STATES AND THE TOWNSHIPS AND WHATNOT. AND THEN ALSO AT THE GROCERY STORES,
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CAN BE INFLUENCED, BUT IT'S NOT THAT EASY. THERE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE AND I'LL FINISH WITH THIS THE DOLLAR TREE
STORES IN TOWN, THEY THROW ALL THEIR FOOD AWAY THAT THEY CAN'T SELL. 
          AND I CONTACTED THEIR SUSTAINABILITY EMAIL AND YOU NEVER HEAR ANYTHING BACK. 
          AND THEN AND THE MANAGERS SAY TO US, WE HAVE THIS FOOD WASTE. 
          WE WANT TO GIVE IT TO YOU. I'LL GET BACK TO YOU NEXT WEEK. 
          AND WHEN YOU GO BACK TO SAY SORRY, I'M NOT ALLOWED. 
          SO THEY ALL THROW IT AWAY. WELL, I THINK WE'LL GET THERE. 
          I MEAN, THE STORES LIKE WHOLE FOODS AND TRADER JOE'S THEY'RE LIKE,
ALL ABOUT IT. 
          I MEAN, THEY KNOW. I MEAN, THEY JUST WANT TO DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS . 
          AND OTHER STORES THEY'RE STILL CONCERNED. THEY SAY THINGS LIKE,
YEAH, BUT I MIGHT GET SUED IF I GIVE AWAY FOOD. 
          WELL, THERE'S A LAW THAT WAS REVAMPED AGAIN JUST LAST YEAR TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE
PROTECTIVE. 
          THERE'S YOU'RE INDEMNIFIED ON A FEDERAL LEVEL,
IT'S A FEDERAL LAW THAT IF YOU'RE GIVING FOOD IN GOOD FAITH, YOU THINK IT'S GOOD AND YOU GIVE IT TO THE NEXT PERSON,
THEY GIVE IT TO THE NEXT. IT GOES TO AN AGENCY, THEN YOU'RE PROTECTED. I MEAN, YOU JUST. AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS SO YOU DON'T WASTE. 
          RIGHT. SO PEOPLE DON'T DON'T, YOU KNOW, AREN'T FEARFUL OF THAT. 
          SO I THINK A LOT OF IT IS JUST WE'RE ALL LEARNING AND STORES ARE ALL DIFFERENT AT
DIFFERENT STAGES, JUST LIKE PEOPLE ARE. AND SO ANYWAY, YOUR SUPPORT WOULD BE VERY WARMLY WELCOMED. 
          YES. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. YEAH. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? I'VE GOT A LITTLE LIST I CAN KICK OFF WITH,
BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS GOT SOME OTHER ONES, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION OF THE LIST OF STORES YOU DIDN'T MENTION MYERS. 
          YEAH, I KNOW WE WANTED. WE WANT TO. I MEAN, THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD,
AND AND THEY JUST TOLD US THEY CAN'T. 
          THEY, THEIR THEIR MANAGEMENT IS TELLING THEM THEY CAN ONLY WORK WITH THE GREATER LANSING
FOOD BANK. 
          SO. SO THEY THE LARGE THE LARGE KROGER'S, THEY'RE ALL THESE ARE LONG TERM CORPORATE
RELATIONSHIPS. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW. AND BASICALLY WHAT REALLY WHAT THE PERISHABLES ARE,
ARE BITS COMPARED TO BECAUSE THEY DO THEY DO WONDERFUL WORK THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THEY MOVE SO MUCH FOOD. BUT IT'S LARGELY SHELF STABLE FOOD. 
          AND IT'S ALSO THEY DELIVERED ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH,
I THINK, TO THE AGENCIES AND WHERE WE GO, IT DEPENDS ON THE AGENCY, BUT SOME OF THEM WERE AT FOUR TIMES A WEEK,
YOU KNOW, BRINGING THEM STUFF. 
          IT'S CARLOADS FULL, NOT TRUCKS AND PALLETS FULL SO IT'S A LOT SMALLER. 
          BUT THAT MEANS THEY CAN USE IT RIGHT AWAY TOO OR THEY HAVE COOLING FACILITIES FOR IT. 
          SO UNFORTUNATELY NOT. BUT THE TARGET, THE TARGET STORE IS SO GENEROUS TO US. 
          AND I THINK MEYER DOES A GOOD JOB IN REDUCING THEIR FOOD WASTE HOWEVER THEY DO IT. 
          [00:20:01]
THE PROBLEM WE SEE IS IF THERE ARE LONG TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LANSING FOOD BANK AND
THE FOOD BANK WE THINK IS NOT ON TOP OF THINGS LIKE THEY USED TO BE. 
          MAYBE THAT IS UNFAIR, BUT WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS
TO GO TO EVERY LITTLE PICKUP. 
          SO VERY OFTEN WE GET A PHONE CALL FROM A GROCERY STORE AND THEY SAY,
WELL, THE FOOD BANK DIDN'T COME TODAY. 
          CAN YOU COME AND PICK IT UP? BUT WHEN WE GO TO THE FOOD BANK AND SAY,
WHY DON'T YOU WORK WITH US AND LET US KNOW WHICH OF THESE RESCUES ARE JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR YOU IT'S NOT WORTH SENDING A DRIVER. 
          THEY ALSO THEY DON'T TAKE EGGS, FRESH PRODUCE DAIRY FROM ALDI. 
          BUT ALDI IS EXCLUSIVELY WORKING WITH THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK. 
          SO EVERY DAY A CARTLOAD OF GROCERIES IS THROWN AWAY BECAUSE THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK
WON'T TAKE IT. 
          AND WHEN WE SAY TO THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK,
WHY DON'T YOU WORK WITH US? WE'LL TAKE THE STUFF THAT YOU DON'T WANT. 
          THEY STALL. THEY DON'T TALK TO US. WE HAVE TRIED VERY HARD. 
          IT'S. I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE. 
          I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THEY'RE. THEY'RE. THERE'S BUDGETARY PROBLEMS. I MEAN, THEY HAVE A MUCH MORE COMPLICATED LIFE THAN WE DO THERE'S NO QUESTION. 
          BUT WE KNOW A LOT OF THEIR PROBLEMS, BUT THEY DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. 
          THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER MISSED A RESCUE. AND WE'RE LIKE,
THAT'S NOT TRUE. 
          SO JUST A LITTLE CONTEXT THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK IS A FEEDING AMERICA UNDER FEEDING
AMERICA. 
          AND OUR STATE EVERYWHERE IS DIVIDED UP BY, YOU KNOW,
THE FARM BILL IS CONNECTED TO THAT, ALL THE SURPLUS PRODUCTS AND SO FORTH. 
          SO SOMEBODY DIVIDED UP THE WHOLE UNITED STATES INTO FOOD BANKS. 
          IN MICHIGAN THERE'S SEVEN THEY'RE UNDER THE FEEDING AMERICA WOULD BE THE UMBRELLA,
AND IT'S GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK HERE, BUT IT'S CALLED HARVEST OR WHATEVER. I MEAN,
THERE'S NAMES FOR ALL THE OTHER ONES. 
          AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. ONE MIGHT BE ONE COUNTY,
ONE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, 15 COUNTIES, I THINK. 
          SO IT'S REALLY BIG. AND GREATER LANSING, FOOD BANK HAS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEIR COUNTIES
ARE ALL STACKED RIGHT UP AND DOWN. 
          IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN SPREAD OUT IN A CIRCLE AND MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE ECONOMICAL. 
          BUT ANYWAY, I IT'S JUST A LITTLE DIFFICULT. YEAH. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. 
          REALLY EXCITING WORK TO SEE SO MUCH DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS. 
          THAT'S A PASSION OF MINE. SO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          AND AMAZING NUMBERS. REALLY, THE METRICS SPEAK VOLUMES. 
          A FEW QUESTIONS, KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OVER HERE,
THIS QUESTION HAVE YOU, DO YOU, HAVE YOU PARTNERED WITH SUPERSTORES LIKE COSTCO, SAM'S CLUB? YEAH WE DO. THEY'RE PART OF THE YOU KNOW,
I THINK IT'S LEGACY STUFF. 
          I MEAN, IT'S IT'S WAY AT A CORPORATE LEVEL, WAY HIGHER THAN WE CAN REACH THAT THESE
AGREEMENTS ARE MADE LONG AGO. 
          AND AND WHAT I'M WONDERING BECAUSE I'M HEARING SOME OF YOUR BARRIERS. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH MATERIAL THAT YOU COULD GIVE THEM THAT'S VETTED, THAT HAS THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES IN THERE, THE LAWS,
THINGS THAT BECAUSE THEY MIGHT SAY, OH, WELL, WE HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT, YOU KNOW,
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE THAT MATERIAL. 
          YEAH, WE WE DO FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPEN AND RECEPTIVE TO IT. 
          YEAH, WE WE CAN SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION. BUT I THINK WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE,
WHEN THEY ASK THEIR MANAGER THAT ASK THEIR MANAGER, WE'RE YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE WAY THAT I DON'T KNOW. 
          YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH TAX CONSEQUENCES TOO,
BECAUSE THERE IS A BENEFIT FOR FOR GIVING AWAY FOOD. 
          BUT WE ALSO KEEP TRACK OF METRICS. SO YOU KNOW,
WE WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO TO DO THAT. 
          IT'S JUST I GUESS WHERE WE'RE GOING AT, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF FOOD,
BUT IT'S A PERISHABLE FOOD THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED QUICKLY. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COEXIST. YOU KNOW,
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THEY DO A WHOLE LOT MORE AND THEY DO SUCH GOOD, YOU KNOW, AND DEDICATED PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S IT. AND I TALKED TO THE PEOPLE AT COSTCO AGAIN. 
          GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK IS THEIR FIRST THING. I'VE ALSO THOUGHT IF THEY WOULD AGREE TO
WORK WITH US, I DON'T THINK WE COULD HANDLE IT BECAUSE IF THEY HAVE,
LET'S SAY, A REJECT OF A TRUCKLOAD OF WATERMELONS. 
          I MEAN, I MEAN, HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS ARE WE GOING TO SEND,
RIGHT? SO WE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN HANDLE. 
          AND I THINK I THINK COSTCO WOULD PRETTY SOON OVERWHELM US. 
          AND I THINK OVERALL, WHEN WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORES,
THERE IS A VERY GOOD SENSE OF NOT TO THROW FOOD JUST IN THE TRASH. 
          I MEAN, MANY OF THEM HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE THEY AT LEAST PUT THINGS FOR COMPOSTING. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY WORK WITH [INAUDIBLE] YES, THERE IS STILL WASTE. 
          [00:25:01]
BUT OVERALL IT IS PRETTY REASSURING THAT THEY ALL TRY. 
          IT'S JUST SOMETIMES, LIKE THE SMALLER ONES, LIKE THE ALDI. 
          WE WOULD LOVE TO GET TO ALDI'S BECAUSE WE HAVE FOUR ALDI STORES IN THE GREATER LANSING
AREA, AND AND THE MANAGERS ALL WANT TO GIVE IT TO US AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO,
BUT WE KEEP YOU KNOW, POKING THEM. EVENTUALLY WE'LL GET THEM. YEAH,
I THINK WE COULD SCALE UP QUICKER, MAYBE, [INAUDIBLE] WE GOT A TRUCKLOAD OF SOMETHING, I THINK I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE THERE. BUT WE ALSO THERE'S ALSO NOW A FOOD RESCUE
SITE AND A NEW ONE THAT AFFILIATED IN TRAVERSE CITY. 
          IT'S, IT'S FOOD RESCUE OF NORTHERN WHATEVER. THEY,
HOWEVER, ARE BUYING THE SOFTWARE. 
          SO THEY'RE ALREADY A NONPROFIT AND THEY'RE SUPPLEMENTING. 
          AND HE'S THE ONE THAT CALLS THAT STUFF THE BITS BECAUSE THEY,
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ALL THE AGRICULTURE UP THERE. 
          SO THEY HAVE TRUCKLOADS OF STUFF THAT THEY GET THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB. 
          BUT A LOT OF THE PERISHABLES, THE DAIRY AND THE MEATS AND STUFF,
THE SMALLER AMOUNTS, YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE HIGH VALUE YOU KNOW, HE WANTS TO ADD A VOLUNTEER OPERATION THAT WILL SUPPLEMENT
THAT. 
          GRAND RAPIDS IS DOING THAT OR HOLLAND IS DOING IT'S CALLED FOOD FOOD RESCUE HERO. 
          THAT'S A DIFFERENT APP. IT'S IT'S SIMILAR BUT BUT DIFFERENT I DON'T KNOW. 
          AND THEN WE DO ALSO HAVE DETROIT THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR SIX YEARS,
DETROIT FOOD RESCUE THAT COVERS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. 
          AND THEY THEY THEY JUST IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT PICTURE. 
          AND IN DETROIT THEY HAVE SUCH HUGE VOLUMES OF FOOD AND AND SO MUCH NEED. 
          SO ANYWAY, IT'S IT'S INTERESTING. AND THERE'S MORE COALITIONS HAPPENING. 
          IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC AREA OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE STATE THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN FOOD RESCUE,
BANDING, BANDING TOGETHER TO SHARE INFORMATION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATION MAYBE NOT FULLY
RIGHT NOW, BUT ON THE CUSP OF IT SO SO. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING TO PRESENT TO US. 
          IT'S GREAT WORK. I MIGHT LEAVE YOU WITH JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. 
          ONE IS ON THE PINCH POINT OF DONORS BEING CONCERNED ABOUT SUIT. 
          I WONDER IF THERE'S A ROLE FOR OUR COUNTY HEALTH INSPECTORS TO TAKE ON A BIT MORE OF AN
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ROLE THAN SIMPLY THE INSPECTIONS. I MEAN, THEY KEEP US SAFE BY MAKING SURE THAT THE
RESTAURANTS AND THE GROCERY STORES ARE HANDLING OUR FOOD SAFELY. 
          THEY'RE THE ONES WHO PRESUMABLY WOULD BE THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW SHOULD SOMEONE EVENTUALLY
GET ILL. 
          IF THEY CAN PLAY A ROLE IN REASSURING THE POTENTIAL DONORS THAT THAT'S NOT A VALID RISK,
THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO TO GO. 
          AND I CAN ALSO IMAGINE APPROACHING POTENTIALLY HOME TV TO SEE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN
PRODUCING A SEGMENT. 
          IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND THINGS,
BUT A SHORT VIDEO AND INTERVIEWS CAN BE EVEN MORE IMPACTFUL IN IN GETTING PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AND CHANGING THE CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          AND WE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. KEEP SPREADING THE WORD. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU NOT MENTIONING THE BUREAUCRACY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY,
WHICH I'M DEEPLY ENMESHED IN ALL OF THAT. 
          ITEM FOUR ON OUR AGENDA IS CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC I BELIEVE I SEE TWO STAFF MEMBERS IN ORDER TO VOLUNTEER. 
          SO IF THERE ARE NO CITIZENS WISHING TO MAKE PUBLIC REMARKS COMMUNICATIONS,
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS THIS EVENING. SO WE'LL MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. 
          [6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, ADDITIONS,
DELETIONS, CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA AS CIRCULATED? GOING ONCE. YES, SIR. JUST HAD A QUESTION. I KNOW LAST TIME WE WENT THROUGH THE GREEN
GRANTS, AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING,
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO CONSIDER THOSE AT THIS MEETING. 
          I THINK I JUST HEARD A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD AN ITEM NINE B ON GREEN GRANTS. 
          IS THAT? SURE. AND IF I COULD ALSO ADD UNDER TEN B LIAISONS A TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE. 
          SO IF I MIGHT, MR. CHAIR, I WAS PLANNING ON COVERING THE GREEN GRANTS UNDER THE TOWNSHIP
STAFF REPORT, IF YOU'D LIKE, THIS EVENING. THE GREEN GRANT COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING WITH THE [INAUDIBLE]
HOA TODAY. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE YOU ON THAT. AND THEN LAST THURSDAY SHORTLY BEFORE WE PUBLISHED
YOUR PACKET, WE HAD A LATE APPLICATION THAT PUTS US OVER THE $20,000,
BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO TOUCH ON THAT IN GREATER DETAIL UNDER THE TOWNSHIP STAFF REPORT. 
          OR IF YOU WISH TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM, WE CAN COVER IT UNDER THAT ITEM,
UNDER THE AGENDA AS WELL. 
          ALL RIGHT. UNDER TEN A THEN THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY AMENDMENTS EXCEPT JUST MAKING
SURE THAT WE GET TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE UNDER THE. 
          [00:30:03]
AND CAN I RAISE ONE OTHER ISSUE? I THINK WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME ABOUT ELECTING A
CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR. WE DID, WE DID, WE DID. AND YEAH,
WE CAN WE CAN SLIP THAT UNDER WHAT UNFINISHED BUSINESS. YOU'RE JUST DETERMINED TO GET AN ITEM NINE B ON OUR AGENDA
THIS EVENING. 
          I THINK I JUST DID. YEAH, I THINK YOU JUST DID. 
          ANY OTHER CHANGES, SUGGESTIONS OR OBJECTIONS TO THOSE CHANGES? HEARING NONE. THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED, AS AMENDED WITHOUT OBJECTION. 
          MOVING TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. ANY. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TYPOS FOUND IN
THE MINUTES. 
          [7. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – APRIL 2, 2025 REGULAR MEETING]
HAVE THOSE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO STAFF? YES. COULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY TELL US WHAT ITEM
WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS? YEAH. TWO TRANSCRIPTION ERRORS WERE FOUND THAT WERE CORRECTED. 
          MINOR TYPOS. MINOR TYPOS. YEP, THE NAME OF THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND THE NAME OF THE YMCA. 
          SUPER. ANY FURTHER CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED, AS AMENDED. 
          AND THAT TAKES US THEN TO NEW BUSINESS WETLAND USE PERMIT 25-01. 
          [8.A. Wetland Use Permit # 25-01]
WOW, THIS IS EXCITING. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE SAW ONE OF THESE. 
          PLEASE, STAFF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. AND PLEASE REMIND US OF YOUR NAME AND YOUR ROLE IN THE TOWNSHIP. 
          YEAH, MY NAME IS CAYCEE HART. I WORK IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AT THE TOWNSHIP. 
          SO, JACK, IF YOU CAN GO TO PAGE 53, THAT SHOULD BE OUR OVERALL SITE PLAN. 
          OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO GO OVER OUR PROPOSED SANCTUARY PATHWAY PROJECT. 
          SO WE ARE PROPOSING A SEVEN FOOT WIDE CONCRETE PATHWAY. 
          IT'S GOING TO BE OFF ROAD. SO IT'S GOING THROUGH AN UNDEVELOPED AREA AND IT'S GOING TO BE
NON-MOTORIZED. 
          SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WALKING AND BIKING WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE ON THE PATHWAY. 
          TO THE NORTH, WE'VE GOT THE OKEMOS RESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE IS THE SANCTUARY SUBDIVISION. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF PROVIDING A DIRECT LINKAGE BETWEEN THOSE TWO SUBDIVISIONS. 
          ON THE SOUTH SIDE, IT CONNECTS RIGHT INTO THE ROBBINS WAY CUL DE SAC. 
          THERE'S AN EXISTING PATHWAY NETWORK LOCATED ON THAT CUL DE SAC SO WE'LL BE TYING INTO
THERE. 
          AND THEN IT RUNS NORTH IT DOES CROSS OVER THE SMITH CONSOLIDATED DRAIN AND CONTINUES
NORTH. 
          AND ON THAT NORTH SOUTH LEG THERE IS ALL LOCATED ON MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS PARCEL. 
          SO THEN AFTER WE GET PAST THE NORTH SOUTH LEG,
IT TURNS TO THE WEST AND NORTHEAST AND IT EVENTUALLY TIES INTO THE EXISTING OKEMOS [INAUDIBLE] TRAIL. SO AGAIN, IT'S PROVIDING A GREAT LINKAGE TO OUR EXISTING PATHWAY
NETWORKS. 
          HOWEVER, WITH THIS PROJECT WE DO HAVE SOME WETLAND IMPACTS. 
          SO JACK, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO PAGE 66 OF THE PACKET,
WE ARE GOING TO IMPACT 0.03 ACRES OF WETLANDS AND MAYBE YOU CAN ZOOM INTO THAT AREA. 
          YEAH. SO ON THIS EXHIBIT IN RED THAT DELINEATES THE AREA THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED
IMPACTING. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS IS RIGHT AT WHERE WE'RE CROSSING THE SMITH CONSOLIDATED DRAIN. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE GOING TO BE FILLING IN THE WETLAND. WE'RE GOING TO BE
CONSTRUCTING A 36 INCH CONCRETE CULVERT THAT WILL CONVEY THE WATER UNDERNEATH THE PATHWAY AND KEEP THE EXISTING DRAINAGE PATTERN OF THE DRAIN. 
          IN ORDER TO MEET THE TOWNSHIP'S, YOU KNOW, MITIGATION ORDINANCES,
WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING UP FOR THIS LOSS IN ANOTHER PATHWAYS WETLAND MITIGATION AREA. SO IF JACK,
IF YOU WANT TO FLIP TO THE NEXT SHEET. 
          SO THIS IS A PREVIOUS PATHWAY PROJECT THAT WE DID. 
          IT'S THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PHASE TWO PORTION OF THAT PATHWAY. 
          THE BLUE IS JUST, YOU KNOW, A GENERAL DEPICTION OF WHERE THAT PATHWAY WAS CONSTRUCTED. 
          AND THEN I'VE GOT A CALL OUT OF WHERE WE PERFORMED PREVIOUS WETLAND MITIGATION. 
          AND THEN IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SHEET, THIS IS JUST A ZOOMED IN VERSION OF THE PLAN
VIEW OF THE WETLAND MITIGATION. 
          SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE DASH THAT'S AN EXISTING WETLAND AND WE
EXCAVATED SOME UPLAND AREA, 
          [00:35:07]
WHICH IS THE BLUE HATCH. SO WE EXPANDED THAT WETLAND BY 0.14 ACRES,
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING UP FOR THE WETLAND IMPACTS ON THE SANCTUARY PATHWAY. SO I THINK WITH THAT OVERVIEW,
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO TIM AND HE'LL GIVE HIS INPUT ON THE PROJECT. 
          GOOD EVENING. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME,
MY NAME IS TIM SCHMITT. I'M THE CURRENTLY THE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE TOWNSHIP. AND SO WETLAND USE PERMITS COME THROUGH MY DEPARTMENT. 
          THIS ONE IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO SORT OF WALK YOU
THROUGH IT. 
          TYPICALLY PROCESS WOULD BE COME TO US, WE VERIFY GOES TO OUR WETLAND CONSULTANT FIRST AND
FOREMOST FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE DELINEATION THAT WE AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. AND THEN IT WOULD COME TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL
COMMISSION FOR RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          THIS ACTUALLY FALLS UNDER AN EXCEPTION IN THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A
FORMAL SITE PLAN. 
          BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS. 
          BUT MOST NOTABLY, THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO WEIGH IN IF
IT'S NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD OTHERWISE WEIGH IN ON. SO, BECAUSE THIS IS ITS OWN STANDALONE PROJECT THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE GO TO THE
PLANNING COMMISSION, IT GOES THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS. AND SO IT COMES TO ME WE AGAIN VERIFY IT WITH
OUR CONSULTANTS, WHICH IS RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD. AND THEN COME TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR
THEIR FEEDBACK. 
          AND I HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING, AS WE DO WITH WE USED TO DO WITH SITE PLANS AFTER THE
PLANNING COMMISSION HAD HELD THEIR PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WOULD THEN SEND IT TO EAGLE. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN TO EAGLE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO
MAKE SURE, RIGHT, THAT THE STATE WAS GOING TO SIGN OFF BEFORE WE WENT ANY FURTHER. AND SO WE ALREADY
HAVE EAGLE SIGN OFF IN THE PACKET. 
          EAGLE FOR A PROJECT OF THIS NATURE WOULD NOT REQUIRE MITIGATION,
BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR ORDINANCE DOES. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED HAD DISCUSSED WITH CAYCEE PREVIOUSLY IF SHE COULD GO THROUGH
SORT OF HOW WE MITIGATED ON THIS SITE. 
          AND SO WE'VE CERTAINLY MET OUR MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS. 
          JUST BRIEFLY, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS ESSENTIALLY THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO IMPACTS THAT WE
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HERE ON THIS PROJECT. 
          ONE, YOU HAVE THE IMPACT, THE ACTUAL FILL IMPACT,
WHICH IS 0.03 ACRES WHICH IS VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT. 
          AND THEN THERE'S ALSO FOR THE SHOULDER OF THE PATHWAY,
THERE'S AN IMPACT OF 129YD³. 
          SO THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT, IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE,
WE HAVE MITIGATED MORE THAN WE ARE IMPACTING FOR THIS PROJECT. 
          SO STAFF HAS REVIEWED IT AT THIS POINT, HAVE RAISED NO MAJOR CONCERNS. 
          OUR CONSULTANTS DID REVIEW IT AND, YOU KNOW,
IN TALKING TO THEM, THEY'RE THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO CROSS IT SOMEWHERE. AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU TO CROSS IT IF
YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS PATH. WE CERTAINLY. 
          AND TO CAYCEE'S CREDIT, WE'RE ABLE TO AVOID ANY WETLANDS ON THE CONSUMERS ENERGY SITE,
WHICH IS WHERE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ORIGINALLY, THAT'S WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE THE PROBLEM WAS GOING TO BE WAS THE CONSUMERS ENERGY
WETLAND. LUCKILY, CAYCEE WAS ABLE TO LARGELY GET AROUND THAT. 
          AND SO FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE YOU KNOW, IT DOES MEET THE 11 CRITERIA IN OUR ORDINANCE TO
GRANT A PERMIT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THE ISSUANCE OF IT SUBJECT TO THE OBVIOUSLY THE
MITIGATION WHICH WE'VE DISCUSSED. 
          SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PERMITTING. 
          AND I KNOW CAYCEE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DESIGN,
IF YOU HAVE ANY. IF I COULD TAKE YOU BACK ONE STEP HIGHER, SINCE WE HAVE SEVERAL NEW COMMISSIONERS WITH US WHO HAVEN'T SEEN WETLAND USE PERMITS
PREVIOUSLY. 
          IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US THE KIND OF CHAPTER AND VERSE ON WHAT THE STATE REGULATES AND
HOW THE TOWNSHIP REGULATES BEYOND THE STATE. 
          SO THE STATE CAN REGULATE ANYTHING TWO ACRES AND GREATER,
OR IF IT'S WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF A WATER FEATURE. 
          NOW THAT SOMETIMES CHANGES, WHETHER IT'S A LAKE OR A STREAM OR A DRAIN. 
          BUT THE GENERAL RULE IS IF YOU'RE WITHIN 500FT OF A WATER FEATURE,
YOU PROBABLY REGULATED BY THE STATE. 
          I HAVE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE IF IT'S ACTUALLY TRULY A MAN MADE DRAIN,
IT'S NOT AS STRICTLY ENFORCED BECAUSE IT'S TECHNICALLY NAVIGABLE WATERS. 
          AND THERE WAS A SUPREME COURT CASE LAST YEAR THAT DISCUSSED WHAT THE ACTUAL DEFINITION OF
NAVIGABLE WATERS IS. 
          SO THERE IS SOME THERE IS SOME CHANGE HAPPENING IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT THE GENERAL RULE IS IF YOU'RE WITHIN 500FT OF A WATER BODY OR YOU'RE OVER TWO ACRES,
YOU'RE REGULATED BY THE STATE. 
          GENERALLY, WE REGULATE ANYTHING, ANY WETLAND OF ANY SIZE. 
          NOW, A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS TO THAT AS WELL,
OBVIOUSLY. 
          CERTAINLY THERE HAVE BEEN SITUATIONS AND WE WILL PROBABLY RUN INTO ONE THIS THIS COMING
YEAR GIVEN SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH DEVELOPERS THAT YOU KNOW, 
          [00:40:05]
WETLAND IS OF SUCH POOR QUALITY OR CLEARLY MAN MADE THAT IT'S DEEMED TO BE NON-ESSENTIAL. 
          THAT WOULD BE ONE SITUATION WHERE IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE MITIGATION. 
          TO GET A NON-ESSENTIAL. DETERMINATION HAS TO GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF STEPS. 
          AND SO NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, IT NEVER, I WOULD SAY 99 TIMES OUT OF 100 IT DOESN'T COME
INTO PLAY. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN I'VE RAN INTO TWO OF THEM IN MY CAREER. 
          YOU KNOW, OLD FARMER'S FIELD WHERE HE DUG A HOLE AT SOME POINT AND IT FILLED IN WITH
CATTAILS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'S DRAINING LIKE THIS 50 SQUARE
FOOT AREA BASICALLY TO THIS ONE SPOT. 
          RIGHT? IT'S STUFF LIKE THAT. AS A GENERAL RULE,
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE AROUND HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF WETLANDS IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND SO AS A GENERAL RULE, ANY WETLAND YOU TOUCH IS GOING TO REQUIRE A WETLAND
USE PERMIT, AND OUR POLICY IS MITIGATION AT A NO NET LOSS BASICALLY. 
          SO WE'RE ONE AND A HALF MINIMUM ONE AND A HALF TO ONE MITIGATION IS OUR GENERAL STANDARD. 
          AGAIN, ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS TO THOSE RULES. BUT THAT'S THAT'S SORT OF THE BASIC PROCESS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE AND WE'RE SOMEWHAT UNIQUE IN THE STATE COUNTRY WITH THIS SETBACKS FROM
WETLANDS AND WATER FEATURES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT IS CONSIDERED A ZONING ITEM, NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ITEM. 
          THIS IS THE WETLAND USE ORDINANCE IS SEPARATE FROM THE ZONING ORDINANCE. 
          AND IT'S LARGELY DUE TO APPEALS, RIGHT. APPEALS FOR NON ZONING RELATED ITEMS ARE TYPICALLY
GOING TO GO TO THE BOARD AND THEN THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
          APPEALS FOR ZONING RELATED ITEMS UNDER STATE LAW GO TO THE ZBA FIRST AND THEN THE CIRCUIT
COURT. 
          SO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DOESN'T GET INVOLVED IN THOSE CASES. SO THAT'S ALSO FLOATING AROUND
OUT THERE, FOR WETLANDS AS WELL. BUT YOU'LL YOU GUYS WON'T EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. THAT'S THAT'S
ON ME, MY STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SARVER. I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, TIM YOU REFERENCED THE KIND OF,
I'LL CALL IT A WETLAND CREDIT FROM THE THE PATHWAY. 
          DO WE HAVE A LOT OF WETLAND CREDITS THAT ARE KIND OF AVAILABLE TO US IN THE FUTURE? WE DON'T. IN FACT, I PROBABLY DEFER TO TO CAYCEE HERE A LITTLE BIT. 
          MY I THINK WE KIND OF KNEW THIS WAS COMING, THAT WE WOULD NEED SOME SPACE,
AND THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PLAN AHEAD. 
          THERE'S NOT A LOT, RIGHT? IT'S .1.03. SO 0.04. 
          HOW MUCH HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN TOTAL? 0.14 ACRES. 
          SO RIGHT, YOU'RE UNDER A 10TH OF AN ACRE OF IMPACT YOU WOULD BE PERMITTED. 
          SO IT'S IT'S LITTLE STUFF LIKE THIS THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE IF WE EVER HIT SOMETHING WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO A QUARTER OF AN ACRE WETLAND IMPACT FOR A FOR A PROJECT,
RIGHT? IF THERE WAS ANOTHER OKEMOS ROAD PATHWAY BRIDGE,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND A SPOT BECAUSE WE WE DON'T HAVE STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          OKAY. THANKS. YEAH. COULD YOU REMIND US OF THE SCOPE OF THIS? IS THIS JUST THE PURE CONNECTION OF THESE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS? YEAH, THIS IS PART OF THE PATHWAY MASTER PLAN TO CONNECT UP TO THE HEART. 
          THE HEART THE HEART TRAIL. THE ONE THAT GOES EAST WEST. 
          AND IT'S NOW THE SECOND MEMORIAL TRAIL. THE BUT THIS DRAIN OBVIOUSLY IS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT PREVENTED THAT FOR A LONG TIME. 
          AND SO NOW THAT WE GOT TO THE SANCTUARY SUBDIVISION IS FINALLY FINISHING WITH THEIR LAST
SEVEN LOTS. 
          THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY, REALLY, BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF IT. 
          WE OWN THE CONNECTION TO THE NORTH, ABLE TO WORK WITH CONSUMERS TO MAKE THE LAST THE LAST
PIECE OF IT WORK. 
          SO IT JUST EVERYTHING KIND OF FELL FELL TOGETHER AT THIS ON THIS ONE. 
          SO THIS IS CONNECTIVITY. SO TO HAVE IT BE MORE MOBILE AROUND FOR. 
          YEAH, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL NOW IF YOU'RE IN ONE OF THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DRAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT ON THE ROAD. AND HAVE YOU TALKED TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE IF THERE'S A NEED,
IF THAT WOULD BE UTILIZED IF THIS IS BUILT? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU FROM A FROM A RUN CLUB PERSPECTIVE,
WE'D USE IT BECAUSE WE WE END UP ON ROBBINS WAY OCCASIONALLY. 
          IT'S I'M ALWAYS SURPRISED WHEN I'M OUT ON THE TRAIL SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP JUST
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT RANDOMLY, LIKE, WE'LL GO AND PARK AT ELEVATION, AND YOU JUST SORT OF RUN WHEREVER YOU CAN,
AND YOU EVENTUALLY GET UP ON THE TRAIL. 
          GETTING DOWN INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALWAYS,
ALWAYS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE. SO THIS IS CERTAINLY PROMOTING A LOT OF THE GOALS OF THE MASTER PLAN AND THE PATHWAY MASTER PLAN AS WELL TO,
YOU KNOW, STITCH US TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. 
          AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS OTHER THAN THIS PATH STRAIGHT THROUGH? NO. UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP THAT JACK PULLED UP HERE,
THE THE LONG, SKINNY PIECE WHERE THE THE NORTH SOUTH RED IS, THAT'S WE OWN THAT. AND SO REALISTICALLY, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GETTING NORTH. 
          [00:45:04]
THE, THE LARGE RECTANGULAR BLOCK IN THE MIDDLE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS A ROAD IN IT
ACTUALLY DOES HAVE A ROAD IN IT NOW, AND THAT'S ALL PLATTED LOTS. OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A GIANT WETLAND FURTHER TO THE WEST THERE. 
          AND THEN FURTHER TO THE EAST IS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. 
          SO THIS THIS IS OUR SHOT TO GET NORTH, BASICALLY. 
          AND HOW DID WE COME TO OWN THAT LITTLE SLIVER? OH, THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE ANSWER TOO. OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. IT'S JUST NOT IT'S NOT CRUCIAL. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE MITIGATION. 
          MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS PREFERABLE TO MITIGATE IN THE SAME WATERSHED. 
          AND I'M NOT CLEAR IF THESE IF THAT CRITERION HAS BEEN MET IN THIS CASE. 
          YEAH. I, I AM NOT CLEAR AS WELL. SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP. 
          BUT AS TIM MENTIONED, THIS IS OUR ONLY POCKET OF WETLAND THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR
MITIGATION. 
          SO OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, FINDING ANOTHER TRACT OF LAND AND DEVELOPING THAT INTO WETLAND
MITIGATION, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANOTHER AREA TO MITIGATE. BUT I CAN CHECK ON THE WATERSHED. 
          OKAY. AND FROM MY READING OF THE OF YOUR YOUR PLANS,
REALLY TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT ON WETLANDS IS THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE CULVERT AND THE AREAS,
IT'S SORT OF THE BANKS OF THE OF THE DITCH? YES. OF THE COUNTY. COUNTY DITCH. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO CROSS A COUNTY DRAIN,
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AN IMPACT IN THOSE SPOTS AT A MINIMUM. 
          AND I ASSUME THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE GETS REELED INTO THIS AT SOME POINT BECAUSE
SOMEBODY IS DOING WORK IN THEIR DRAIN. 
          YEAH, WE'VE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS WITH THEM,
SO WE HAVE THE PERMIT AND AGREEMENTS IN PLACE WITH THEM AS WELL. 
          SO THAT PUTS US AS POTENTIALLY THE LAST STICK IN THE MUD. 
          SEE WHAT I DID THERE? THAT'S WHAT I DID THERE. 
          YEAH. THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE PATHWAY MASTER PLAN. IT WOULD BE HANDY TO HAVE THAT IN
FUTURE STAFF REPORTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT BEAUTIFUL LITTLE RED SQUIGGLY LINE THAT THE GIS DREW IN FOR THAT LITTLE SPOT. AND ALSO MAYBE A REFERENCE TO THE GREEN SPACE PLAN,
WHICH WE TYPICALLY HAVE IN DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS, TO SEE HOW THAT WAS SHOWN THERE. I DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK THAT UP SINCE IT'S A
DRAIN. 
          I PRESUME IT SHOWS AS ONE OF OUR PRIORITY CONSERVATION CORRIDORS. 
          AND IT'S ALSO ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT POINTED OUT IN THE STAFF REPORT SO THAT WE CAN
KEEP TRACK OF THAT. AND ALSO JUST TO REMIND US THAT WE HAVE A GREEN SPACE PLAN AND WHAT IT SAYS AND WHAT
IT DOES. 
          MIC] SO IT'S FAIR TO ASK QUESTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO SPEND ALL DAY ON THE WEBSITE TO FIND STUFF ON THE WEBSITE,
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN THEIR DEPARTMENT. 
          SO THERE YOU ARE. THIS SQUIGGLE RIGHT HERE ACTUALLY. 
          IT'S JUST SUCH AN ARTFUL SQUIGGLE. IF A DOCTOR PUT IN STITCHES LIKE THAT,
YOU'D SUE THEM. 
          I'M GIVING YOU A HARD TIME. AGAIN, IF, SINCE FOLKS ARE NOT PERHAPS ALL OF US FAMILIAR WITH THIS MAP, IF YOU COULD JUST WALK THROUGH GENERALLY THE SYMBOLOGY STUFF
THAT'S HERE AND RED STUFF THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE HERE. 
          SO AS TIM POINTED OUT, THIS IS THE CONNECTION POINT THAT WE'RE ALREADY THAT WE'RE
PROPOSING. 
          CURRENTLY THE CONNECTION TO THE OKEMOS PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALREADY THERE. 
          SO THAT ALLEYWAY THAT YOU SEE, THE OKEMOS PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALREADY CONNECTED
THERE. 
          SO THIS IS CONNECTING THE SANCTUARY. BUT BIG PICTURE WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS TRAIL AND WHEN I
SAY BIG PICTURE, I MEAN WE'RE TALKING DECADES OF PLANNING, RIGHT? BUT CONCEPTUALLY, WHAT TOWNSHIP STAFF HAVE COME UP WITH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS OR SO IS
A WAY TO LOOP THE LANSING RIVER TRAIL, THE MSU RIVER TRAIL, AND THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING TRAIL BACK TO DUNCAN
AND JOLLEY AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE LANSING RIVER TRAIL, AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. 
          THIS IS GREEN ROAD RIGHT HERE. THIS IS HASLETT ROAD. 
          THIS IS A RIGHT HERE, THIS RED LINE THAT GOES SOUTH. 
          THIS IS WHERE IT WOULD CROSS GREEN RIVER. THIS IS A CONSUMER'S ENERGY RIGHT OF WAY. 
          SAME AS THE INTERURBAN. THE INTERURBAN WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE CONSUMER'S ENERGY RIGHT OF
WAY USING THE SAME TYPE OF LEASE AGREEMENT. 
          [00:50:07]
AND THAT RIGHT OF WAY IS CONTIGUOUS. IT RUNS ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO LAKE PARK. 
          AND THEN WE WOULD KIND OF WE WOULD SOMEHOW HAVE TO CROSS THE RIVER SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT A
BRIDGE, AND THEN WE WOULD BE TAKING THE CONSUMER'S ENERGY RIGHT OF WAY WEST,
WHERE WE WOULD GET TO OKEMOS ROAD RIGHT HERE. 
          SO THE PORTION OF THE HARTRICK OKEMOS TRAIL OR THE RONALD J. 
          STYKA TRAIL, WHICH IS RUNNING RIGHT HERE, IS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED. 
          THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE WEST LEG. ONCE YOU GET TO MSU CAMPUS HERE. 
          APPROXIMATELY RIGHT HERE. THE CONSUMERS ENERGY RIGHT OF WAY CONTINUES. 
          IT RUNS THROUGH THE SOUTHERN, UNDEVELOPED PORTION OF CAMPUS AND INTO THE CITY OF LANSING. 
          AND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY CREATE A HUGE LOOP OUT OF THE RIVER TRAILS WITH THIS CONSUMERS
ENERGY RIGHT OF WAY. 
          SO THERE'S THAT LARGER FEATURE. SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SOUTH THAT HASN'T CONNECTED TO
THIS WHAT WILL BE A REGIONAL TRAIL. 
          AND IN SOME RESPECTS IT ALREADY IS A REGIONAL TRAIL. 
          THE VERY THE SECOND GRANT THAT INGHAM COUNTY TRAILS AND PARKS MILLAGE GAVE OUT PAID FOR
THE OVERLAY PAVING THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS TRAIL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO CONNECT THE SANCTUARY NEIGHBORHOOD TO. 
          SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY WELL-RECEIVED PROJECT TODAY. 
          AND SOME TIME FROM NOW, WHEN THIS BECOMES A MORE ROBUST REGIONAL TRAIL,
IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WEREN'T CONNECTED TO IT,
THEY WOULD BE KIND OF BEATING DOWN OUR DOOR TO GET CONNECTED TO IT AT THAT POINT. 
          BUT THIS IS ONE OF OUR MOST SCENIC TRAILS TOO. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ON IT, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. 
          IT'S JUST A VERY PLEASANT WALK THROUGH NATURE WITH A LOT OF HABITAT. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SOUTH,
JUST LIKE THE OKEMOS PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH CURRENTLY ENJOYS. 
          SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF A BIGGER, MORE HOLISTIC PICTURE OF THE CONNECTIVITY AND WHAT THIS
SMALL LINKAGE WILL KIND OF YIELD IN TIME. 
          THANK YOU. FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. WELL,
IF SOMEBODY HAS THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF THEM, THEY'LL NOTICE IN THE STAFF REPORT A DRAFT MOTION USUALLY
IN BOLD, THAT CAN BE OFFERED TO STATE THE COMMISSION'S DESIRES. 
          PAGE 1616. COOL. AND I WOULD NOTE, WHILE WE'RE GETTING THAT UP, THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH WETLAND USE PERMITS,
THERE ARE USUALLY ONLY VERY MINOR, IF ANY, DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN DELINEATION DONE BY THE APPLICANT AND THE DELINEATION VERIFIED BY
OUR WETLAND CONSULTANT AND MAYBE OCCASIONALLY A COUPLE OF SPECIES THAT THE CONSULTANT SPOTS THAT THE APPLICANT'S
CONSULTANT DIDN'T SEE. 
          BUT THEN GENERALLY THEY TEND TO BE VERY, VERY COMMON. 
          AND I WILL ONLY ADD THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT COME FORWARD,
THE ONES THAT WE DEAL WITH ADMINISTRATIVELY. 
          THERE TEND TO BE A LOT MORE OF THOSE DISAGREEMENTS BECAUSE THE HOMEOWNERS TRY TO HAVE
THEIR CONSULTANTS CUT IT BACK AS MUCH AS THEY CAN SO THEY CAN BUILD A BIGGER BACKYARD PATIO AND DECK. AND OUR CONSULTANTS CORRECT THEM AS WE GO ALONG. 
          BUT THOSE ARE ALL BEHIND THE SCENES, SO PAY ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. 
          YES. YES. WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO OFFER THE MOTION THAT'S IN THE PACKET? SURE I WILL. DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? YES,
PLEASE. 
          SURE. I MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE WETLAND USE PERMIT NUMBER 25,
DASH ZERO ONE TO FILL 0.03 ACRES AND AN ADDITIONAL 129YD³ OF REGULATED WETLAND TO CONSTRUCT A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE PATHWAY BETWEEN ROBBINS
WAY AND ELDERBERRY DRIVE AS PART OF THE SANCTUARY TWO SUBDIVISIONS. DEVELOPMENT. I'LL SUPPORT. MOTION. 
          MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PETERSON. SUPPORT BY COMMISSIONER MICEK. 
          ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE COMMISSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION,
PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. 
          THANK YOU, STAFF, FOR THE THOROUGH REPORT. LOVELY PROJECT. 
          ALWAYS NICE TO SEE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM EXPANDING. 
          IT IS A BIG HIT. IT GETS A LOT OF USE AND. IT'S THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO BE GOING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRPERSON. MOVING ON,
THEN, TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS, PART A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. 
          [9.A. 2024 Climate Sustainability Funds]
WE ALSO HAVE A STAFF REPORT. ALRIGHTY. THANKS FOR 
          [00:55:08]
THE INTRODUCTION THERE, CHAIR MCCONNELL. I'M GOING TO FLY TO THE END OF OUR PACKET HERE. 
          I'M BASICALLY HERE TO KIND OF BRING THE TOWNSHIP PROPOSAL FOR SOME OF THE USAGE OF THE
CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS BACK TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD TOUCHED ON LAST MEETING. 
          THE COMMISSION HAD SOUGHT A FEW EXTRA DETAILS ON THIS THAT WE CAN NOW PROVIDE AND POSSIBLY
MOVE FORWARD WITH. 
          SO JUST A QUICK RECAP. THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ALLOCATED 30 GRAND WORTH OF FUNDING TO PURSUE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS THAT ARE TIED TO THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. 
          THAT PLAN HAS A FEW GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN THERE,
AND THE TOWNSHIP IS PROPOSING THE USE OF SOME OF THIS FUNDING TO CREATE SOME BIOSWALES ALONGSIDE. THIS MARSHALL PARK HERE THE TOWNSHIP IS ALREADY PLANNING TO RESTORE
AND RESURFACE SOME OF THESE ROADS OVER HERE, AND THE STANDARD OPTION WOULD BE TO CREATE
DITCHES ALONG HERE TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THE FLOODING. 
          BUT WITH THE ADDITION OR THE USE OF SOME OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS,
THE TOWNSHIP CAN, INSTEAD OF DOING DITCHES, CAN DO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE. 
          ECO FRIENDLY OR ECO CONSCIOUS HERE. THESE BIOSWALES ARE ESSENTIALLY JUST,
YOU KNOW, ENHANCED DITCHES, BUT WITH NATIVE PLANTINGS. THEY OFFER NATIVE HABITATS,
THEY OFFER BETTER DRAINAGE THAN TRADITIONAL DITCHES WOULD OFFER, AND THEY'RE ALSO PROVIDE A LITTLE LESS MAINTENANCE AND WATERING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED
COMPARED TO LIKE MAINTAINING TURF GRASS. 
          THIS COULD GO FORWARD WITH OR WITHOUT THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING,
BUT WITH THE FUNDING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE BIOSWALES. AND IF THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED,
WE, THE TOWNSHIP WOULD THEN BE BRINGING ON THE ENGINEERING FIRM, SPAULDING DECKER, WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH LOOK AT THIS. 
          BUT OUT OF THAT OUT OF THAT 30 GRAND THAT WAS ALLOCATED IT WAS BROUGHT OR IT WAS IT WAS
REMINDED TO US THAT SOME OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN USED OR ALLOCATED. ABOUT $2,200 WAS USED FOR THE GLEANING PROJECT AT THE
FARMERS MARKET. 
          TO ACQUIRE A FEW SUPPLIES REQUIRED FOR THAT,
AS WELL AS 2800 WAS USED FOR SOME WETLAND EDUCATION SIGNAGE. 
          THERE IS SOME FURTHER SIGNAGE THAT HAS TO GO UP YET,
AND THE TOWNSHIP IS STILL LOOKING TO GET AN EXACT FIGURE ON WHAT THAT WOULD COST. 
          WE'RE ESTIMATING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1000 AND $2000 THERE. 
          SO THIS BRINGS OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THE 30,000 TO $5362 SO FAR. 
          THAT LEAVES US $24,637 AND ANOTHER TWO K OR SO FOR THAT LAST SIGN AND THAT AMOUNT OF
FUNDING, THAT 22 GRAND OR SO, THE TOWNSHIP IS LOOKING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO PROVIDE
SOME IDEAS OR SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW WE COULD USE SOME OF THAT FUNDING. THE TOWNSHIP IS OFFERING THIS BIOSWALE PROJECT AS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT
COULD BE DONE NOW, OR COULD JUST BE AN IDEA OF A WAY TO USE SOME OF THIS FUNDING. 
          COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY, CHAIR MCCONNELL MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ENSURE THAT
ANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. 
          SO I TOOK A LITTLE PERUSAL IN THERE, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE VERY FIRST OBJECTIVE OF THEIR
WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PORTION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN HAS AN OBJECTIVE THAT IS VERY WORDY. 
          SO BEAR WITH ME. IT'S TO INCREASE RESILIENCY TOWARDS EXTREMES OF WEATHER BY CONTINUING TO
UPGRADE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE STORMWATER RUNOFF AND FLOOD VULNERABILITY, WHILE RETAINING ENOUGH SURFACE WATER TO MITIGATE DROUGHT
DAMAGE. 
          THIS IS ONE THAT IS A MOUTHFUL. THAT IS. WHO WROTE THIS PLAN? NO. SO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, BOILING THAT DOWN IS IT'S LOOKING AT,
YOU KNOW, WAYS TO ESSENTIALLY MITIGATE FLOOD DAMAGE AND AND PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT. 
          THIS OBJECTIVE EVEN SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS BIOSWALES AS AN EXAMPLE OF,
YOU KNOW, HOW THIS YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE. SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A VERY DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE FIRST
OBJECTIVE OF THEIR FIRST SECTION OF THE WATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PORTION. 
          THERE IS A FOURTH GOAL IN THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN TO PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF
WATER CONSERVATION. 
          [01:00:01]
THIS IS A BIT OF A STRETCH, BUT BIOSWALES BY NATURE REQUIRE LESS MAINTENANCE AND WATERING
THAN REGULAR GRASS, SO I FEEL LIKE THERE COULD BE A CONNECTION THERE TOO AS WELL THAT THESE DO. 
          THIS DOES TECHNICALLY CONSERVE WATER TREATED WATER,
SPECIFICALLY WATER THAT ACTUALLY COSTS MONEY TO PRODUCE AND AND PUMP TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES. 
          SO I THINK THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF CONSERVANCY THERE TO LOOK AT. 
          SO FOR THOSE TWO, THE TOWNSHIP FEELS LIKE THIS PROJECT WOULD BE A APPROPRIATE USE OF THIS
FUNDING AND ALSO A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS FUNDING, AS IT WOULD SEVERELY IT WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE SOME SEVERE FLOODING ISSUES IN
THE AREA. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION THERE,
TOO, DAN? YEAH, I'LL JUST GET ONE MORE OVERVIEW. 
          SURE. AND JUST TO GIVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ON THIS
PROJECT, WITH IT BEING AN EXISTING DRAIN, WE HAVE EXISTING STORM DRAINS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LAKE
IN COLUMBIA STREET INTERSECTION THERE. 
          OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE'RE OUTLETTING WATER TO LAKE LANSING,
WE WANT TO TREAT THAT WATER. 
          AND NATURAL FILTRATION, SUCH AS BIOSWALE IS THE OPTIMAL APPROACH FOR TREATING THAT
STORMWATER BEFORE IT IS DISCHARGED TO THE LAKE. 
          ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF CONTEXT FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE,
LAKE LANSING DOES NOT HAVE NATURAL STREAMS. THERE'S NO STREAM BRINGING WATER IN, AND THERE'S NO STREAM TAKING WATER OUT. 
          THERE'S JUST A MAN MADE DAM ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LAKE,
ROUGHLY JUST NORTH OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, ACTUALLY. AND THAT CONTROLS THE LAKE LEVEL. SO LAKE LANSING IS MORE OR LESS A LARGE
BATHTUB THAT FILLS UP THROUGH PRECIPITATION. 
          AND THEN IT REACHES THE LEVEL OF THE DAM AND IT OUTLETS TO THE PINE LAKE OUTLET. 
          WHEN YOU SEE OKEMOS ROAD FLOODING, FOR INSTANCE,
BY OUR NEW BOARDWALK JUST NORTH OF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, THAT IS STORMWATER RUNOFF FROM IN AND AROUND THE LAKE AREA THAT WAS OUT FLOODED OVER THE
DAM. 
          SO KNOWING THAT, RIGHT, THERE'S NOT A STREAM TO BRING FRESHWATER IN AND TO TAKE WATER OUT. 
          WATER QUALITY IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO THE OTHER DYNAMIC OF THIS PROJECT THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT
BE OF INTEREST TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS THE PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY IN CONCERT WITH THE PARK COMMISSION AND THEIR ROLE AS IT RELATES TO MARSHALL
PARK, BUT ALSO THE LAKE LANSING ADVISORY BOARD OR LAKE LANSING ADVISORY COMMISSION,
WHICH OVERSEES THE LAKE, AND THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT THAT THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTERS FOR MAINTAINING THE
WATER QUALITY OF THE LAKE. 
          SO I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT IN THAT SENSE, IT COULD BE A GOOD PROJECT THAT WOULD KIND OF ALLOW
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO BRING THREE BODIES TOGETHER TO WORK IN CONCERT ON GOALS THAT ARE IN THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. 
          SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE BIG PICTURE THOUGHT PROCESS. 
          ON WHY WE THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE A PROJECT THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU ALL. 
          AND WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          JUST ONE MORE NOTE REAL QUICK IN THERE. JUST A QUICK TOUCH BACK ON SOME OF THE FUNDING HAS
ALREADY BEEN USED. 
          THE SINCE THE LAST MEETING IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE WAS A COMPOSTING
INITIATIVE THAT WAS STARTED THAT WAS SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN ORDER TO KEEP ITS MOMENTUM AND KEEP ITS GROWTH. THE TOWNSHIP HAS PURCHASED TWO COMPOST BAG DISPENSERS TO AID
IN THAT, AND WILL HOPEFULLY HELP ADDRESS THAT KIND OF GROWTH THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO HAVE OUT
THERE. 
          YEAH. AND THE OTHER NOTE THAT I WOULD HAVE ON THE COMPOSTING. 
          SO WE DO HAVE BAGS AVAILABLE AT BOTH SITES. AT THE FARMER'S MARKET,
FOR INSTANCE, THOUGH, IT'S JUST A CARDBOARD BOX OF COMPOSTABLE BAGS SITTING NEXT TO THE CURB CARTS. 
          SO WE DO HAVE BAG DISPENSERS. IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE MISSING THE ROD THAT THE BAG ROLLS GO
ON, SO WE DO NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE VENDOR TO RECONCILE THAT. 
          BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THE BAGS UP ON THE WALL OR ON A FREESTANDING MOUNT SO THAT THEY'RE
MORE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. 
          BUT THERE WERE BAGS ON SITE WHEN WE VISITED THE APRIL 3RD,
THE DAY AFTER THE PREVIOUS MEETING. 
          ALL OF THE SERVICES AT THIS POINT ARE ALREADY BEING COVERED UNDER THE PARK MILLAGE. 
          SO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS PAYING FOR THE PARKS MILLAGE FOR OUR VENDOR THAT COMES AND
EMPTIES THE COMPOST BINS AND ALSO RESTOCKING THE BAGS. 
          SO THAT IS ALREADY KIND OF A COST THAT HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED OFF OF THE CLIMATE
SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS. 
          THE FINAL PURCHASE WAS THE BAG DISPENSERS, WHICH WE JUST NEED TO RECONCILE SOME COMPONENTS
AND PARTS WITH OUR VENDOR ON. 
          THANK YOU. QUESTION. YEAH. IF I COULD JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON ON WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING
ABOUT. 
          I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GETTING THE DISPENSERS. 
          I THINK THAT WILL BE A GREAT HELP. ONE OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF OF WHAT THIS BODY WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT LAST YEAR WAS ACTUAL PROMOTION OF THE FOOD COMPOST. 
          [01:05:07]
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE NECESSARILY ADDRESSED THAT YET. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF PERHAPS THE PERHAPS A COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT COULD BE OF ASSISTANCE
WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT WOULD BE IF THAT IS SUCCESSFUL,
IT'S LIKELY THAT WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL PICKUPS OF THE THE. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S 64 GALLON OR 96 GALLON CONTAINERS
AT THE TWO FACILITIES. AND WOULD THE PARKS DEPARTMENT PAY FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT MIGHT
BE INCURRED FOR ADDITIONAL PICKUPS? YEAH. IF WE DO EXPERIENCE THE BINS FILLING UP,
WE CAN INCREASE THE FREQUENCY. 
          WE'RE OFTEN DOING THAT WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, TRASH AND RECYCLING SERVICES AS WELL. 
          SO WE'RE ALWAYS FLEXIBLE IN THAT REGARD. AND THE PARK MILLAGE CAN CERTAINLY FUND ANY
ADDITIONAL SERVICE THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE. 
          IF IT DOES GET POPULAR AND WE CAN MEET WITH WE CAN MEET AND CONVERSE WITH OUR
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME COMMUNICATIONS. 
          I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE. 
          THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME, BUT IF NOT, WE CAN START WORKING WITH THEM ON DEVELOPING SOME
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUT THAT IN A FUTURE PACKET. 
          THAT'D BE GREAT. AND I KNOW WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE HERE TODAY IN THE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WERE
VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PROPOSAL. SO I'M SURE THEY WOULD APPRECIATE THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL. 
          YEAH. CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? IT'S IT'S NOT DIRECTLY TIED TO THIS PROPOSAL,
BUT THE THE OTHER PROPOSAL THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE GREEN TEAM AND THAT WAS FOR THE SIGNAGE AT
THE RECYCLING CENTER. 
          AND I KNOW YOU MADE A COMMENT THAT MAYBE THAT COULD BE REQUIRED THE VENDOR TO DO THAT. BUT JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY UPDATE ON THAT ISSUE. 
          YEAH, I DID NOT FIND A MOMENT TO DELVE INTO IT. 
          I HAVE FAINT RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT THE CONTRACT PRESCRIBES,
BECAUSE WE DID HAVE TO ADDRESS MATTRESS, YOU KNOW, THE CONTAINERS THAT WERE BEING USED FOR MATTRESSES. 
          AND AT THAT TIME, WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A 5050 COST SHARE BETWEEN THE VENDOR THAT
OPERATES IT AND THE TOWNSHIP. 
          SO BUT I DO NEED TO CHECK BACK AND SEE WHAT EXACTLY IS DETAILED IN THAT REGARD AND WHAT
EXISTING SIGNAGE WE ALREADY HAVE ON SITE. 
          YEAH, THE SIGNAGE ON SITE IS PRETTY MINIMAL. THAT'S WHY THE GREEN TEAM WAS SUGGESTING WE
REALLY NEED MORE SIGNAGE TO BETTER. WELL, TO MAKE MORE CLEAR TO RESIDENTS WHAT GOES WHERE TO TRY TO AVOID
CONTAMINATION ISSUES. AND I THINK THE TOTAL COST WAS ONLY LIKE $635 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT THE TIME. 
          OF COURSE, THIS HAS BEEN ABOUT A YEAR NOW, BUT I GUESS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU FIND,
I WOULD AND I, I LIKE THIS MARSHALL PARK PROPOSAL, BUT I DO FEEL THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE TWO
PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THROUGH WITH SINCE THEY WERE SUPPORTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD LAST YEAR. 
          SO IF WE COULD, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SIGNAGE FOR THE RECYCLING CENTER,
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE STILL. 
          AND, COMMISSIONER FRAIZER, DO YOU REMEMBER HOW THE $600 FIGURE WAS ARRIVED AT? WAS THAT A QUOTE FROM A VENDOR? IT WAS A QUOTE. 
          IT WAS A QUOTE THAT TREVOR HAD OBTAINED AT THE TIME,
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FOR TEN SIGNS, THREE FOOT BY TWO FOOT. LIKE WIRE POSTER STAKES THAT COULD BE PLACED IN FRONT OF EACH RECYCLING BIN,
DESCRIBING TO RESIDENTS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO, WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO, WHAT'S ACCEPTED, WHAT'S NOT ACCEPTED TYPE OF THING. 
          OKAY, SO MORE OR LESS LIKE CORRUGATED PLASTIC TYPE YARD SIGNS WITH THE H WITH THE H WIRES. 
          THAT RIGHT? YEP. OKAY. I DO WONDER ABOUT THAT WITH IT BEING A GRAVEL SITE. 
          AND IT'S GOING TO BE IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO GET H WIRES IN,
BUT WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT TOO. 
          [01:10:02]
BUT THAT'S JUST MY INITIAL GUT REACTION IS H WIRES MIGHT NOT WORK VERY WELL WITH ALL THE
LIMESTONE AND GRAVEL ON SITE, BUT OKAY. YEAH, THAT IS MY BAD. I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT ITEM,
SO WE COVERED THE OTHER ITEMS IN THERE. 
          YEAH, WE WILL WORK ON THAT AND BRING YOU BACK A REPORT AT THE JUNE MEETING. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY GOING STRONG. 
          I LIKE IT. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE TRACK OF STUFF. 
          OTHER COMMENTS. QUESTIONS? I'M WONDERING THE THE AREA WITHIN THE YELLOW LINES. 
          WOULD THAT BE ALL BIOSWALE OR HOW MUCH OF IT WOULD BE BIOSWALE? AND IF IT'S NOT BIOSWALE, WHAT'S THE REST OF IT LOOK LIKE WITHIN? HOW DID YOU DETERMINE THAT? YELLOW LINES. SO THAT WAS A LINE THAT I JUST PUT ON PAPER TO
KIND OF DELINEATE THE LOW LYING AREA IN THAT SOUTHEAST CORNER THAT WOULDN'T REQUIRE TREE REMOVALS. 
          RIGHT? SO JUST TRYING TO WORK AROUND EXISTING TREES. 
          NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF STORAGE THAT WE NEED,
THOUGH WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STORE THAT AMOUNT OF WATER. 
          IN A SWALE THERE ON THE MARSHALL PARK SITE. SO ALL THE MORE REASON WE HAVE TO TREAT WATER
QUICKLY. 
          AND WE HAVE TO OUTLET AND DISCHARGE IT TO THE LAKE. 
          RIGHT. BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY STORE A PORTION OF THAT WATER. 
          BUT THAT WOULD ALL BE DURING THE DESIGN PHASE,
WHERE WE WOULD KIND OF REFINE EXACTLY WHAT THE FOOTPRINT OF THE SWALE IS. 
          IS THERE A BUFFER ZONE WITH OTHER PLANTINGS? THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD PROBABLY DO SOME FUN
MEETINGS WHERE WE BRING THE ENGINEERS IN. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE IN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETINGS AND THE
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CAN GIVE INPUT ON SPECIES, GO THROUGH THE DESIGN AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE FINER DETAILS. 
          BUT THAT WAS JUST A ROUGH FOOTPRINT OF WHERE THE SWALE MIGHT BE LOCATED. 
          WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE SIZE OF IT. 
          AND AGAIN, JUST FOR POINT OF REFERENCE, THIS IS I FORGET THE ADDRESS,
BUT THIS IS LAKE STREET RIGHT HERE. 
          COLUMBIA IS BETWEEN THIS KIRBY CART AND THESE BOLLARDS UNDERWATER. 
          RIGHT. THERE'S THE FRONT STEP OF THIS HOME ON COLUMBIA. 
          SO THE WATER IS UP AGAINST THEIR FOUNDATION. THEIR THEIR FRONT STEP IS UNDERWATER. 
          JUST TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT ON THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS,
THIS IS PROBABLY THE WORST DRAINAGE AREA IN THE TOWNSHIP. 
          OKAY, THANKS. SO IS A RELATIVELY NEW MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION. 
          I'M WONDERING IF THE TOWNSHIP HAS INSTALLED BIOSWALES ELSEWHERE WITHIN TOWNSHIP PROPERTY. 
          OF A COMPARABLE SIZE, NOT OF A COMPARABLE SIZE. 
          BUT WE DID DO A I BELIEVE IT WAS A SWALE AND NOT A WETLAND. 
          AND I'LL SEE IF JACK OR CAYCEE REMEMBER. BUT WE DID ONE OVER ON SHORE STREET ADJACENT TO
THE LAKE, AND THAT WAS MORE OF A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT,
SO SMALLER IN SCALE. 
          AND I BELIEVE IT WAS A BIOSWALE IT WAS JUST BEFORE MY TIME. 
          BUT IF MY MEMORY SERVES, IT WAS A BIOSWALE. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MITIGATING
WETLAND OVER THERE. 
          OF THIS SIZE. NO WE HAVEN'T. BUT TYPICALLY WE DON'T GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF DRAINAGE. 
          BUT NOW THROUGH THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM AND ALSO WITH IT BEING OUR PARK THAT GETS FLOODED
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THIS AREA. 
          SO THEN ONE ARGUMENT IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT,
IT WOULD BE A GOOD DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT A BIOSWALE CAN ACCOMPLISH. 
          YEAH, I THINK THE LACK, YOU KNOW, THE LAKE LANSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD REALLY HOLD
THIS UP, AS YOU KNOW, THE STANDARD BEARER FOR DRAINAGE AROUND THE LAKE. 
          THE PROBLEM IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THE LAKE IS THAT YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE ACREAGE, RIGHT. YOU NEED SPACE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS AREA. 
          NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE SPACE, THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY OWNS IT. 
          AND THERE WOULD BE OTHER LOW IMPACT DESIGN COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT. 
          WE WOULD KIND OF HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ZERO IN ON THE BIOSWALE,
BUT WE WOULD ALSO LOOK TO DIVERT STORMWATER WHEREVER POSSIBLE. 
          THERE'S ALLEYS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH OUR ENGINEERING FIRM TO
DETERMINE WHO OWNS THOSE. 
          BUT WE CAN USE THOSE ALLEYS THAT ARE ON THE LAKEFRONT SIDE OF COLUMBIA TO CONSTRUCT SWALES
AND TRY TO INTERCEPT THAT WATER AND OUTLET IT TO THE LAKE BEFORE IT GETS TO THIS LOW LYING AREA AT COLUMBIA AND LAKE,
FOR INSTANCE. 
          SO PART OF THE PROJECT WILL ALSO BE TRYING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF STORAGE WE NEED IN THIS
AREA. 
          YEAH. FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE GEOGRAPHY OF LAKE LANSING,
SHORE STREET IS ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER, AND THAT WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD GOT NEW ROADS AND NEW DRAINS. 
          SO THE PROJECT THAT THE TOWNSHIP DID IS JUST WHERE LAKE LANSING MEETS SHORE. 
          [01:15:07]
THAT PARKING LOT FOR THE RESTAURANTS THERE. AND THEN ALSO IN THE LAKE LANSING PARK SOUTH
PARKING LOT. THERE WAS ALSO A RAIN GARDEN INSTALLED AS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. 
          SO THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD KIND OF PIECE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GOING INTO THE WEST
SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LAKE LANSING. 
          DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? YEAH. I THINK ACTUALLY,
THIS IS I THINK THAT'S OUR DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OR THAT'S THE COUNTY'S. WELL, ALSO TO THE LEFT OF THE PATHWAY,
THERE WAS A PIECE DONE THERE AS WELL. 
          AND I DON'T THINK IT'S SHOWING VERY WELL ON THIS PICTURE,
BUT ON THE WEST SIDE OF SHORE STREET, I THINK SOME OF THAT WAS ALSO CHANGED. SO FURTHER COMMENTS,
THOUGHTS OR STAFF ARE NOT ASKING FOR A DECISION THIS EVENING. 
          MORE GUIDANCE. AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS A GENERAL LEVEL OF SUPPORT,
WITH SOME CAUTION ABOUT RESERVING SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED. RECOMMENDED FROM THE AVAILABLE FUNDS. 
          IS THAT A FAIR SUMMARY? GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DETAILED PRESENTATION. 
          I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I HOPE TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION. 
          SO I THINK YOU HAVE THE COMMISSION'S BLESSING TO AUTHORIZATION TO PLAN IS WHAT WE CALL IT. 
          AT MSU, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND SOME MONEY DEVELOPING A PLAN THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET
COSTS ON. 
          AND NINE B. NINE B CHAIRMAN ELECT YOU AS WAS CHAIR. OKAY, WELL, WE CAN DO THAT. 
          YEAH. I'M VERY HAPPY TO HOLD ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR. 
          ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR VICE CHAIR ISN'T HERE AND CAN'T DEFEND HERSELF. BUT I WOULD HOPE AND
WHILE I'M HAPPY SITTING IN THIS CHAIR, I WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY PLEASED IF SOMEBODY ELSE WERE INTERESTED IN STEPPING UP AND
TAKING HOLD OF THE GAVEL. 
          SO I'M GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS. 
          I'M GOING TO NOMINATE BILL. OKAY. THAT'S ONE NOMINATION. 
          I'LL SECOND IT. OH DEAR OH DEAR. PLEASE. ANY FURTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY. WELL IN THAT CASE, I'M GOING TO NOMINATE OUR CURRENT VICE CHAIR TO SERVE IN THAT
ROLE, JUST TO PUNISH HER FOR NOT COMING. NO. WOULD ANYBODY ELSE BE INTERESTED IN SERVING AS VICE
CHAIR? ALL RIGHT THEN. I HEAR ONE NOMINATION FOR CHAIR,
ONE NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR. 
          AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CONSIDER THOSE AS A SLATE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF ELECTING THOSE OFFICIALS, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US HONEST ON THAT. 
          MR. FRAIZER, MOVING ON TO STAFF UPDATE ON CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN EXPENDITURES. 
          [10. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THAT TOPIC ALREADY. 
          BUT THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER ITEM UNDER STAFF UPDATE THAT WE WERE GOING TO COVER. YEAH,
THAT WAS A THAT ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REDACTED. 
          THAT WAS KIND OF A HOLDOVER FROM THE APRIL 2ND AGENDA. 
          YEAH. APOLOGIES. LAST WEEK WAS VERY BUSY WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD'S EFFORTS TO CONSIDER A
MILLAGE FOR THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER OR A SENIOR CENTER. SO WE WERE WORKING AT RAPID PACE TO FINISH UP ALL THE
PACKETS ON FRIDAY. 
          SO FOR THE GREEN GRANT UPDATE LAST THURSDAY,
WE DID GET AN APPLICATION FROM THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY. 
          IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE 2024 MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY APPLICATION PERTAINING TO TREE
PLANTING ON JUDY LIND'S PROPERTY ON PIPER ROAD. 
          WE HAVE REQUESTED A WRITTEN UPDATE AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN PERFORMED TO
DATE UNDER THE 2024 GRANT, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE RECEIVED THEIR APPLICATION AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE GREEN
GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE REVIEW IT AND CONSIDER IT. 
          SO I'LL BE SCHEDULING ANOTHER MEETING OF THE GREEN GRANT COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN
RECONVENE AND DISCUSS THAT LATE APPLICATION. 
          AND THEN ALSO WE MET WITH THE CORNELL WOODS HOA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TODAY IN THE FIELD
ON THE SITE THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. 
          [01:20:04]
THEY ACCEPTED ALL. THEY RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE OR YES TO ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS
PERTAINING TO THE SCHOOL AND TO THE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE. THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO DO A BIOSWALE. 
          AND WE WERE OUT THERE TODAY AFTER THE RAIN EVENT YESTERDAY. 
          IT WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT YESTERDAY,
BUT IT DID GIVE AN INDICATION AS TO WHERE STORMWATER MIGHT POND. 
          THERE WASN'T ANY, YOU KNOW, PONDING STORMWATER ON SITE THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY. 
          THE CONCURRENCE SEEMED TO BE THAT FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WE WOULD REVISIT THEIR
APPLICATION WHEN WE CAN RECONVENE AND MEET AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE AWARD ADDITIONAL FUNDING BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DID APPROVE THEM FOR THEIR
MINIMUM REQUEST OF 5000 AND THEIR MAXIMUM, THEIR OFFICIAL REQUEST WAS 7000. WE ALSO DISCUSSED,
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE INITIAL 5000, THAT THEY WOULD SCALE THEIR NATIVE PLANTING GARDEN RELATIVE TO THE COST OF THE
SIGNAGE. 
          RIGHT? SO IF THEY NEED TO ADD A SIGN AND THAT SIGN IS $600,
THEY'LL KIND OF SCALE THE NATIVE PLANTING GARDEN BACK EQUIVALENT TO THAT $600. 
          SO THEY'LL WORK WITH THEIR CONTRACTOR IN THAT REGARD. 
          THEY ARE PROPOSING GO BACK TO. GOOGLE AERIAL IMAGERY. 
          SO THEY ARE PROPOSING TO DO IT ROUGHLY. WELL,
I'LL KIND OF DRAW AN OUTLINE. 
          THEY ARE PROPOSING THE NATIVE PLANTING GARDEN WOULD RUN ROUGHLY IN THIS AREA HERE. 
          WHICH PROBABLY IS ABOUT A QUARTER ACRE. I HAVEN'T OUTLINED IT IN GIS TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT
ACREAGE THAT WOULD COMPRISE, BUT THAT'S WHERE THEY PLANTED. IF YOU'LL RECALL,
THEY HAD A GREEN GRANT TO DO SOME TREE PLANTING. 
          THEY PLANTED FOUR TREES IN THIS AREA. SO THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO THE NATIVE PLANTING
GARDEN AROUND THE FOUR TREES THAT THEY PLANTED IN THIS AREA. 
          THAT SAME GREEN GRANT HAD TWO ADDITIONAL TREES THAT WERE PLANTED RIGHT AT THE HATCH AND
GOLDEN WOOD DRIVE INTERSECTION. SO OVER IN THIS AREA, I BELIEVE EITHER THIS AREA OR THIS AREA NEAR THE
REGIONAL DETENTION BASIN, THAT'S ACTUALLY A PUBLIC STORM DRAIN RIGHT THERE. 
          IT'S INTERESTING IN THAT IMAGE OF THAT POND,
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE PROBLEM IN THE POND THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS. 
          YOU CAN SEE THE FOUNTAIN AND YOU CAN SEE THE ALGAE GROWING ON THE SURFACE. 
          AND THAT WAS PART OF THEIR INITIAL GREEN GRANT APPLICATION,
WAS TO TRY TO FIX THE QUALITY OF THAT OF THAT POND. 
          YEAH. THE ONE THING THAT WE REQUESTED THAT THEY CHANGE ON THEIR PLAN, THERE IS A CULVERT THAT CROSSES UNDER THE TOWNSHIP PATHWAY. 
          SO THE TOWNSHIP PATHWAY IS RUNNING RIGHT HERE. 
          YOU CAN'T SEE IT DUE TO THE TREE CANOPY HERE,
BUT THERE IS A CULVERT THAT PASSES UNDERNEATH IT WHICH OUTLETS WATER TO THE WETLANDS. 
          SO WE ASK THAT THEY NOT PLANT MULCH WITHIN A TEN FOOT RADIUS OF THAT CULVERT SO THAT WE
DON'T GET MULCH WASHING INTO THE WETLAND. 
          SO THAT WAS MORE OR LESS THE RECAP OF OUR MEETING WITH THE CORNELL WOODS HOA HOMEOWNERS. 
          SO NOW WE'RE PREPARED TO RECONVENE AND DISCUSS THE ADDITIONAL 2000 AND FUNDING THAT THEY
REQUESTED FOR BUSTED FOR 2025. 
          AND OUR FINAL BELATED APPLICANT THAT CAME IN LAST THURSDAY. 
          AND THE COMMITTEE CAN MEET VIRTUALLY. YOU DON'T NEED PHYSICAL PRESENCE. 
          SO. YEAH. CORRECT. WE COULD DO A ZOOM MEETING,
AND OUR PLAN WILL BE TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO AWARD THE FINAL FUNDING AT THE JUNE MEETING. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. 
          THANKS FOR GETTING THAT DONE BEFORE TONIGHT. THAT WITH ALL THE RAIN AND SUCH. 
          COULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT EASY TO COORDINATE. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS. 
          WE'LL LOOK FOR THIS HOPEFULLY AT OUR. OR WE'LL LOOK FOR A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE
COMMITTEE AT OUR NEXT MEETING. 
          THANK YOU. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE UNDER 9A9B LIAISONS,
THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          ACTUALLY, LET'S START WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. LET'S START THERE. YEAH,
PLEASE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. APOLOGIES, EVERYONE. YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO TRY TO TAX US MORE FOR A BUNCH OF
SENIORS. 
          I'M NOT SENIOR. I'M SORRY. NO. YOU'RE FINE. APOLOGIES FOR MISSING OUR LAST MEETING. 
          I WAS AT THE MICHIGAN TOWN TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. 
          [01:25:01]
LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TOWNSHIP GOVERNANCE, BUT OBVIOUSLY DON'T LIKE TO MISS MEETINGS WHEN
YOU CAN HELP IT. 
          WITH THAT SAID THE AN INTERESTING POINT OF NO. 
          AND IN THE SPIRIT OF HARRISON, OUR STUDENT COMMISSIONER THE TOWNSHIP ANNOUNCED VIA PRESS
RELEASE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE FACEBOOK POST A COUPLE DAYS AGO,
WE ARE LAUNCHING A YOUTH COMMISSION FOR THE TOWNSHIP. 
          I THINK THIS YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED IT AT LENGTH IN THE BOARD. 
          AND WHILE IT IS A, INTENDED FOR 14 TO 19 YEAR OLDS. 
          CURRENT STUDENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP WHO WANT TO MAKE THEIR OPINIONS KNOWN ABOUT WHAT IS GOING
ON, LOCAL GOINGS ON. I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO KNOWS OF ANY INDUSTRIOUS YOUNG
STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR THE UPCOMING EXCUSE ME. APPLY. IT DOES RUN ON A SCHOOL YEAR BASIS,
SO YOU CAN LOOK FOR THAT ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. WITH THAT SAID, ANOTHER MEETING THAT THE MOST RECENT BOARD MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 15TH, WE DID HAVE QUITE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF A BALLOT LANGUAGE GOING ON RELATED TO A SENIOR OR SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER. 
          ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN THAT? I DEFINITELY DO NOT HAVE THE LIBERTY TO SPEAK AT THE
LENGTH THAT WOULD NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT. 
          I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THE HOME TV RECORDING OF THAT FOR THE APRIL 15TH
MEETING, OR THE APRIL 3RD, WHEN IT WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM. 
          THERE WAS, OF COURSE, A SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER TASK FORCE THAT HAD CONVERSATIONS OVER
SEVEN MONTHS. 
          YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO WATCH THOSE VERY IN-DEPTH MEETINGS. 
          BUT ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN HAVING THEIR OPINION ON THE SUBJECT SHARED WITH THE BOARD
AND THE PUBLIC, WE ARE HAVING OUR CHANGED TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING TOMORROW RATHER THAN YESTERDAY. 
          NORMALLY WE MEET ON THE TUESDAY, BUT WE'RE MEETING TOMORROW INSTEAD. 
          SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US. AS I'M SURE A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL BE. 
          SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO. DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. 
          I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO IF YOU HAD ANY INTEREST IN SEEING WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE
JOINT MEETING BETWEEN JOINT GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSIONS THAT MET LAST WEEK. 
          I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK IN SEE THE VIDEO SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER
CLEANUP, I THINK IS AN INTERESTING PROJECT. I BEFORE SERVING ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD,
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE INGHAM COUNTY PARKS COMMISSION WHERE WE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO,
YOU KNOW, THIS GOVERNMENTAL THIS GOVERNMENT'S CREDIT ACTING AS A FIDUCIARY FOR A PROJECT THAT IS NOT JUST IN MERIDIAN
TOWNSHIP AND DOES BENEFIT THE REGION AS A WHOLE IS I THINK IS FANTASTIC. SO I AM GOING TO BE ASKING DIRECTOR WISINSKI OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT
FOR HER PRESENTATION THAT SHE GAVE IN A DIGITAL FORMAT, AND I CAN SHARE IT WITH THIS GROUP AS WELL. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS A AS AS A KAYAKER MYSELF,
I KNOW THAT THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THAT WATERWAY AND SEE IT BE AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. 
          SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT'S NAVIGABLE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,
MAYBE WHAT ISN'T NAVIGABLE. 
          YEAH. AT TIMES, IF ANYONE HAS EVER DRAGGED A KAYAK OUT OF A RIVER I,
YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S NOT A LOT OF FUN WHEN IT'S BECAUSE OF OBSTRUCTIONS. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR TOWNSHIP BOARD LIAISON? HEARING NONE. MOVING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THE APRIL 28TH MEETING OF THE PLANNING
COMMISSION WE CONSIDERED A REVISED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE CAR WASH PROPOSED FOR THE OLD OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE SITE
ON MARSH ROAD. 
          THERE WAS SOME OBJECTION TO HAVING A BUSINESS THAT CHARACTERIZES ITSELF AS A PASSERBY STOP
TO GET THEIR CAR WASHED WHEN 
          [01:30:02]
THEY'RE GOING SOMEPLACE, AS OPPOSED TO A DESTINATION SUCH AS A RESTAURANT OR A RETAIL
STORE. 
          BUT IN THE END THE COMMISSION APPROVED THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT. 
          AND THERE WAS A MAJOR SOURCE OF SUPPORT WAS THE FACT THAT THE PARKING LOT THAT IS
CURRENTLY TO THE EAST OF THAT SITE WOULD BE REMOVED AND REPLACED AS GREEN SPACE. 
          SO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WOULD INCREASE GREEN SPACE ON THOSE LOTS,
RATHER THAN DECREASE VERY MUCH IN IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR OVERALL TOWNSHIP GOAL OF OF REDUCING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. 
          THE OTHER MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT THAT MEETING WAS A PROPOSED REVISION OF OUR PARKING
ORDINANCE, WHICH AIMS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AT BOTH REDUCING THE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS,
WHICH WE'VE ALREADY DONE. 
          SO NOT FORCING PEOPLE TO BUILD MORE PARKING THAN THEY THINK THEY NEED,
BUT ALSO WHEN PEOPLE DO BUILD PARKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET LANDSCAPING IN THE PARKING, THAT CAN PROVIDE SOME WATER RETENTION, SOME HEAT REDUCTION BENEFITS AS WELL. 
          SO AGAIN, THOSE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH OUR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AND ASPECTS IN OUR, IN OUR MASTER PLAN. MOVING FROM THERE TO LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. 
          SINCE COMMISSIONER LEE IS NOT WITH US, WE'LL SAVE THAT FOR NEXT TIME AROUND. 
          BROWNFIELD FIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. I FEEL LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH ACTIVITY. 
          YEAH, WE ARE GOING TO BE MEETING TOMORROW MORNING AND THERE'LL BE CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT THAT. 
          MR.. AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM. I JUST SAW A MEMO ABOUT YOU KNOW,
KIND OF DETAILING SPECIFICS ON HOW THAT WOULD BE HANDLED. SO I THINK TOMORROW MORNING THAT WILL BE A MAJOR TOPIC OF
DISCUSSION. 
          AND THAT GROUP MEETS LIKE, BRIGHT AND EARLY 9:00. 
          WELL, THAT'S NOT TOO BAD. THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S DOABLE FOR SOME OF US. 
          QUESTIONS ON BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT. PARKS COMMISSION WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
ON IN PARKS COMMISSION THESE DAYS? SO THEIR LAST MEETING WAS ON APRIL 8TH. AND AFTER BRIEFLY REVIEWING THE CALENDAR OF
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE NATURE CENTER HIGHLIGHTING UPCOMING ACTIVITIES. THE DISCUSSION TURNED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION FIVE
YEAR PLAN AND STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR MILLAGE RENEWAL, WHICH TENTATIVELY WILL BE ON THE BALLOT FOR AUGUST 2026. 
          THEY'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO PLAN FOR THAT. 
          AND ONE SUGGESTION THAT CAME UP DURING THEIR DISCUSSION WAS CREATING AN ADVOCACY GROUP
SOMETHING LIKE FRIENDS OF THE MILLAGE THAT WOULD HELP TO. DEVELOP LITERATURE AND SUPPORT OF THEIR
PRIORITIES. 
          DIRECTOR WISINSKI ALSO REVIEWED THE PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGETS FOR THE MARCH,
THE MONTHS OF MARCH AND APRIL 2025. 
          THEY REACHED CONSENSUS ON APPROVING THE UPDATED HISTORIC VILLAGE MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING AND
LEASE RENEWAL FOR THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN. 
          IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DETAILS, THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR MEETING PACKAGE
FOR THE APRIL 8TH MEETING. 
          DIRECTOR WISINSKI ALSO MENTIONED THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE RECENTLY DISCUSSED AT THIS
MEETING FOR THE BIOSWALE AT THE CORNER OF SOUTHEAST CORNER OF MARSHALL PARK TO ADDRESS THE RECURRING FLOODING
ISSUES. 
          SO THAT IS ON THEIR TABLE FOR ATTENTION IN THEIR AWAITING A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THEIR APPROVAL OF THE
PROJECT, WHICH WE JUST DID AND OR AT LEAST TO EXPLORE THE THE COSTS AND DETAILS INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT. AND THEN THOSE WERE THE MAJOR ITEMS OF DISCUSSION AT. 
          THEIR NEXT MEETING IS ON TUESDAY, MAY 13TH AT 430. 
          SO THAT WILL BE NEXT TUESDAY. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS ON PARK COMMISSION GOINGS ON. 
          HEARING NONE. ENERGY TEAM. YEAH. ABOUT A MONTH AGO,
WE HAD OUR SOLARIZE MEETING, AND AND I THINK A PRETTY GOOD GROUP TURNOUT ABOUT 30 OR SO. AND ABOUT HALF OF THOSE REQUESTED A SPECIFIC ONSITE PROPOSAL. 
          AND SO THOSE HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, AND NOW WE'RE AT THIS STAGE WHERE THEY HAVE TO DECIDE
WHETHER THEY WANT 
          [01:35:09]
TO PROCEED. SO THE DEADLINE FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVE THE ONSITE PROPOSALS IS THE 14TH. 
          AND SO NEXT MEETING, I'LL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY OUT OF THE DOZEN OR
15 HAVE ACTUALLY MOVED ON TO GET SOLAR INSTALLATIONS, BUT SO FAR IT'S GOING PRETTY WELL. 
          GREAT QUESTIONS. GREEN TEAM, GREEN TEAM. WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL SPRING RECYCLING EVENT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. 
          AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A FEW STATISTICS, WE HAD 57 VOLUNTEERS. 
          TWO OF THEM ARE OFF TO MY RIGHT HERE. WE HAD 495 VEHICLES COME THROUGH AND WE COLLECTED 8,775 POUNDS OF PAINT. CONSUMERS ENERGY COLLECTED 144 APPLIANCES WITH COOLANT. WE HAD 13 GAYLORDS OF DOCUMENTS FOR SHREDDING THAT WERE COLLECTED. APPROXIMATELY 50 BICYCLES WERE COLLECTED IN 30YD³ OF HEAVY METAL. ITEMS WERE ALSO COLLECTED, AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF EGG CARTONS FOR REUSE, PRIMARILY BY TITUS FARMS. SO VERY SUCCESSFUL. 
          PERHAPS THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE PRESENT CAN ADD SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS. 
          BUT ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT JUST REAL QUICKLY,
THE THE GREEN TEAM IS MEETING TOMORROW AFTERNOON AT 4:00, AND OUR NEXT EVENT COMES UP ON MAY 17TH. 
          THAT'S FOCUSES ON PLANNING A NATIVE MERIDIAN. 
          AND THE THEMES FOR THAT IS THE MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS WILL HAVE INFO ON NATIVE SEEDS
AND PLANTS. 
          AND JOHN, I THINK IT'S BURNBAUM IS HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT WILL BE DOING A COMPOSTING
DEMONSTRATION THAT THAT DAY AS WELL. SO IF YOU WANTED TO ADD. WELL, I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ADD THAT IN THE HALLWAY
IN SCHOOL, ONE OF THE TEACHERS STOPPED ME AND SAID, I SAW YOU AT THE RECYCLING DAY. 
          AND SHE THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD GONE. 
          SHE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. SHE SAID SHE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE HOW WELL IT WAS
ORGANIZED. 
          AND SHE WAS REALLY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO RECYCLE HER THINGS. 
          SO I THINK MAYBE THAT INDICATED TO ME THAT WE NEED TO,
AT LEAST AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE ADVERTISE A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN THESE THINGS. 
          HERE? YEAH. YEAH. BECAUSE WE WE HAD SEVERAL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS IN ADDITION TO HARRISON. 
          THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK. WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME PARTICIPATION. WE ALWAYS
WANT MORE. 
          OF COURSE, THE MORE VOLUNTEERS, THE BETTER. BUT IT WAS PROM DAY,
SO, YEAH, THERE WERE SOME OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SO THEY CAME IN THEIR TUXEDOS AND. IT'S A FORMAL RECYCLING OF THAT. 
          YEAH, WE COULD ADVERTISE IT THAT WAY NEXT TIME,
IF THAT HAPPENS. 
          GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE ON GREEN TEAM? FOOD AND COMPOSTING. 
          WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT FOOD AND COMPOSTING THIS EVENING. 
          ANYBODY HAVE ANY FURTHER THOUGHTS TO ADD IN THAT AREA? OFTENTIMES DAVE BATTON COMES AND GIVES US A LITTLE UPDATE AND SO ON. 
          SO AND GREEN BURIAL. GREEN BURIAL. I DID SPEAK WITH THE CHAIR OF THE GREEN BURIAL
COMMITTEE. 
          NOT TOO LONG AGO. THEY ARE NOW FOCUSED ON TRYING TO GET BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN JULY. 
          AND I ASKED, WELL, WHY SO FAR FROM YOU KNOW NOW? AND THAT'S WHEN THEY CAN GET ALL THREE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS TOGETHER IN THE THREE OF
THEM TOGETHER. 
          WANT TO PRESENT SOME INFORMATION TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. 
          BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER PURSUING THE. 
          GRANT THAT WAS DISCUSSED LAST YEAR. SO THAT POTENTIALLY FREES UP MONEY FOR THE 
          [01:40:05]
THE BIOSWALE PROJECT THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER. 
          GREAT HIGH SCHOOL. YES. OUR APRIL, I FEEL LIKE HAS BEEN PRETTY,
PRETTY BUSY. 
          PACKED WITH SOME STUFF. EARTH MONTH AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW. 
          AND SO I KNOW, AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THERE WERE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT THAT WENT ON. 
          IT'S MORE DIFFICULT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE CLASS SETUP AND THINGS,
BUT WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO OUR BEST. 
          THE RECYCLING EVENT, WE HAD HIGH SCHOOLERS PARTICIPATE IN THAT. 
          WE HAD A DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM MEETING ON THE 16TH. 
          AND THAT WENT REALLY WELL. WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF FORMULATE A,
A MISSION STATEMENT, A VISION STATEMENT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CENTERED FOCUS AS A GROUP. BUT THE MORE WE TALK,
THE MORE WE BOND AS A GROUP, AND WE'RE REALLY SEEMING TO GET SOMEWHERE AND ARE ALL PASSIONATE, SEEMINGLY, AND ARE ARE GETTING TO THE POINT TO WHERE WE ARE ALL
KIND OF ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD. 
          WE KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER ARE DOING AND WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. 
          WHAT AM I FORGETTING? SUSTAINABILITY CLUB TOURED THE RECYCLING CENTER. 
          THE SUSTAINABILITY CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL TOWARD THE RECYCLING CENTER. 
          SO THE SURPLUS STORE THERE, BURMA POST, VARIOUS OTHER AREAS,
AND WE WERE ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND SEE THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GIVE US A LOT OF INSPIRATION FOR OUR OWN SCHOOL. 
          WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COMPOST SET UP AT SOME POINT. 
          THAT'S KIND OF A DREAM GOAL OF MINE. HOWEVER EASY OR DIFFICULT THAT IS. 
          YEAH. WONDERFUL. WONDERFUL QUESTIONS. WELL, I WOULD ADD ALSO THAT WITH THE DISTRICT
SUSTAINABILITY GROUP, WE ARE THERE'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE,
SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS HAVE ARE GREEN MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND THEY'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING THAT DISTRICT WIDE SO THAT WE CAN BE A GREEN DISTRICT ACCORDING
TO THE, THE THAT CATEGORY. AND THERE WAS OH, YOU GUYS ARE ALSO ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE KEY CLUB
ON THE, ON THE UPDATING THE. YES. ANOTHER THING SO KEY CLUB,
WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER VOLUNTEERING ORGANIZATION CONNECTED WITH KIWANIS, GOT A GRANT TO IMPROVE OUR HIGH SCHOOL COURTYARD,
WHICH HAS CONTINUED TO BE A DIFFICULTY FOR US TO MAINTAIN. TO SAY THE LEAST. WE HAVE TRIED TO IMPROVE IT BEFORE WHEN I WAS IN
MIDDLE SCHOOL. 
          SOMEONE PASSIONATE ALWAYS TRIES TO DO IT ONE YEAR,
AND THEN IT'S KIND OF A DAUNTING TASK AND THEY KIND OF STEP AWAY. 
          SO WE HAD A MEETING ON THAT, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY STARTED CLEANING UP SOME OF THE STUFF. 
          WE'RE AT THE STAGE RIGHT NOW, SO NOTHING TOO EXCITING. 
          AND SOMETHING ELSE I REMEMBERED EARTH CLUB, THE SMALL KIDS GROUP AT THE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS. 
          WE DID TIE DYE. AND SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY FUN. 
          WE'RE WRAPPING UP THE YEAR. JUST GOT OUR PICNICS LEFT WITH THE GROUP. 
          BUT THAT'S GOING REALLY WELL. AND THEY KEEP EXPRESSING HOW MUCH FUN THEY'RE HAVING,
AND IT SEEMS TO BE KEEPING ITS MOMENTUM, WHICH IS ALWAYS NICE. FANTASTIC. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? LOOK OTHER MATTERS. COMMISSIONER. COMMENTS. BILL. 
          [12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONERCOMMENTS]
APOLOGIES. I DID WANT TO POINT OUT AND THANK YOU TO DAN FOR POINTING OUT THAT THE
PRESENTATION I WAS REFERENCING SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE RED CEDAR. 
          CLEANUP IS AVAILABLE ON THE PACKET THAT IT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. 
          SO I WILL NOT BE SENDING THAT TO YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME TO LOOK FOR YOURSELF FIRST,
TEN PAGES OF THE AGENDA AND PACKET FROM THE 29TH OF APRIL. GREAT. THANKS. YEAH. THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR. AND I GUESS THIS IS A COMMENT OR MAYBE A QUESTION FOR STAFF,
BUT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS 
          [01:45:01]
PARTICIPATED IN THE MICHIGAN GREEN COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS,
AND I'M NOT SURE GIVING THE TRANSITION WITH STAFF ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IF THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE YET THIS YEAR. BUT I BELIEVE THE DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING. 
          I THINK IT'S MAY 15TH. SO IF THE TOWNSHIP DOES WANT TO TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR,
WHICH I HOPE THEY WILL THAT NEEDS TO GET IN PRETTY SOON. THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THAT. 
          I SAW AN EMAIL ABOUT IT FROM LEROY. YEAH. YEAH. 
          ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? I GUESS I'M READY FOR A MOTION TO GO HOME. 
          SO MOVED. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING ALONG TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.