[00:00:12] HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM FOUR. [4. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS] CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE WE DO WELCOME PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE GREEN SLIPS OF PAPER BY THE DOOR. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT. IF YOU COULD PLEASE FILL ONE OF THOSE OUT, YOU CAN HAND THAT TO ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS AND THEY'LL MAKE SURE TO GET THAT TO US. PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. AND WE'D ASK FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MINUTES, IF YOU COULD PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD OR THE CHAIR AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE. THE BOARD RULES DO RESTRICT US FROM REPLYING DIRECTLY OR ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS DIRECTLY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE MAY REACH THEM, REACH BACK ABOUT THEM IN A LATER TIME, OR ASK A MEMBER OF OUR STAFF TO FOLLOW UP. WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF GREEN CARDS THIS EVENING. FIRST UP IS BETH BECHTEL AND THEN CHRIS CLARK IS ON DECK. SPECIFICALLY, THE FIRST SENTENCE I QUOTE. AT THE MAY 8TH TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD VOTED 5 TO 2 TO PUT PROPOSALS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER BOND AND OPERATING MILLAGE ON THE AUGUST 2025 BALLOT. END QUOTE. THIS SENTENCE IS NOT FACTUAL. THE BOARD VOTED FOUR THREE ON THE CONSTRUCTION BOND TAX PROPOSAL AND FIVE TWO ON THE OPERATING MILLAGE TAX PROPOSAL. IT IS REQUIRED BY MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE, MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT, SECTION 57, ALONG WITH THE 1988 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NUMBER 6531, THAT INFORMATION REGARDING BALLOT PROPOSALS BY A PUBLIC BODY, SUCH AS TOWNSHIPS BE FACTUAL, OBJECTIVE AND FAIR. ADDITIONALLY, I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TONIGHT'S AGENDA ITEM 9. B, WHERE THERE IS A STAFF REQUEST FOR UTILIZING $28,000 OF TOWNSHIP FUNDS FOR NEW DRAWING RENDERINGS, ETC. FOR OPTION FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER AT 39,593FT². AFTER THE BOARD VOTED ON MAY 8TH AND THE ELECTION BALLOT LANGUAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED ANY EXPENDITURE OF TOWNSHIP FUNDS FOR DRAWING RENDERINGS, ETC. FOR THE 5 OPTION PRESENTED SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT PRIOR TO THE MAY 8TH BOARD VOTE THAT MOVED THE TWO TAX PROPOSALS, BOND AND MILLAGE, TO THE ELECTION BALLOT, SPENDING THESE $28,000 TOWNSHIP FUNDS NOW, FOR THE OUTSIDE COMPANY TO PROVIDE DRAWINGS, DRAWING RENDERINGS, ETC. CAN DEFINITELY GIVE THE PERCEPTION OF ADVOCATING OR PROMOTING IN FAVOR OF A SPECIFIC ELECTION VOTE OUTCOME REGARDING THE COMMUNITY CENTER TAX PROPOSALS. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS TO ENSURE FACTUAL, OBJECTIVE AND FAIR INFORMATION REGARDING THESE TWO COMMUNITY CENTER TAX PROPOSALS, BOND AND MILLAGE, AND TO PLEASE NOT USE TOWNSHIP FUNDS TOWARDS THESE ELECTION BALLOT QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CHRIS CLARK AND THEN ROD MCNEIL. CHRIS CLARK 4538 SENECA DRIVE. SPEAKING REGARDING THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING TO SUSPEND YOUR OWN RULES AND AUTHORIZE $28,000 OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR NEW VISUAL RENDERINGS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER BALLOT INITIATIVE. MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT, SECTION 57 ALLOWS PUBLIC BODIES, SUCH AS A TOWNSHIP, TO SHARE FACTUAL INFORMATION REGARDING BALLOT PROPOSALS. MATERIALS TYPICALLY ALLOWED ARE LIMITED TO PRECISE LANGUAGE OF THE MILLAGE AND BASIC FACTS REGARDING THAT LANGUAGE. NEW ARTISTIC VISUAL RENDERINGS OF A PROPOSED CENTER COULD BE VIEWED AS A PROMOTIONAL MESSAGE RATHER THAN A FACTUAL STATEMENT. THE USE OF PUBLIC TAXPAYER FUNDS AFTER THE BOARD HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE BALLOT AND MILLAGE LANGUAGE COULD BE CONSTRUCTED AS THE TOWNSHIP ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION AND SWAY THE RESULTS OF AN ELECTION IN VIOLATION OF THE MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT. AT THIS STAGE IN THE PROCESS, IT WOULD BE A VISUAL MEANT ONLY TO SELL THE PUBLIC ON A MILLAGE INCREASE. I HOPE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS REVIEWED THIS MATTER WITH LEGAL COUNSEL BEFORE APPROVING A LARGE EXPENDITURE OF TAXPAYER MONEY, [00:05:02] THE PURPOSE OF WHICH MAY BE AN ATTEMPT TO SWAY PUBLIC OPINION TOWARD A MILLAGE INCREASE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS ALREADY WIDELY DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER, WHICH IS NOT FACTUAL OR ACCURATE. IN A MASS EMAIL LAST WEEK. THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN. QUOTE. AT THE MAY 8TH MEETING, THE BOARD VOTED 5 TO 2 TO PUT PROPOSALS PLURAL FOR A COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER BOND AND OPERATING MILLAGE ON THE AUGUST 2025 BALLOT. END QUOTE. THIS WASN'T TRUTHFUL. IN REALITY, THE CONSTRUCTION BOND PROPOSAL WAS APPROVED 4 TO 3, NOT 5 TO 2. DETAILS MATTER. WHY NOT JUST BE TRANSPARENT AND TRUTHFUL? I DON'T GET IT. EITHER IT WAS STAFF ERROR, OR IT WAS THE TOWNSHIP'S INTENT TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF A BALLOT PROPOSAL BY MAKING IT SEEM LIKE IT HAD MORE SUPPORT THAN IT ACTUALLY DID. IN THIS CASE, I HOPE IT WAS A STAFF ERROR THAT WILL BE CORRECTED AND NOT THE ALTERNATIVE AND DONE BY DESIGN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ROB MCNEIL. AND THAT IS THE LAST GREEN CARD WE HAVE. ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD? PLEASE FILL OUT A GREEN CARD AND TURN THEM IN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR A FEW MINUTES HERE. I'M WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION. WE ARE GOING TO BE UPDATING OUR CHAPTER TWO OF OUR SANITARY CODE HOPEFULLY THIS CALENDAR YEAR. PART OF THAT PROCESS INVOLVES PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION TO INFORM EVERYBODY OF WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE AND WHAT THE CHANGES MIGHT BE. IN SUMMARY. SO THE CURRENT CODE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS DRAFTED AND APPROVED IN 1979. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT WITH SEPTIC INSTALLATIONS AND DESIGNS AND SO FORTH SINCE THEN. IT'S ALSO CAUSING SOME ISSUES FOR US WITH STATE ACCREDITATION, WHICH COULD ULTIMATELY AFFECT OUR FUNDING. AND YOU WOULD BASICALLY NEED TO UPDATE OUR CODE TO REFLECT CURRENT INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARDS. A FEW OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES INVOLVED SAFETY HATCHES AND SECONDARY CONTAINMENT, SO YOU CAN'T FALL INTO A SEPTIC TANK ACCESS RISERS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIG UP THE SEPTIC TANKS. THE RISERS ACTUALLY COME UP TO GRADE AND HAVE A SCREW ON CAP AND A MINIMUM OF 1500 GALLON SEPTIC TANK FOR 1 TO 3 BEDROOM HOMES, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE INSTALLING NOW ALREADY, WE JUST WANT THE CODE TO REFLECT WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING. WE WILL BE CERTIFYING UNDER THE NEW PROPOSED CODE CERTIFYING CONTRACTOR, SYSTEM DESIGNERS AND MAINTENANCE PROVIDERS. CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT HAVE A MECHANISM TO CERTIFY THEM. SO IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY OUT THERE DOING POOR QUALITY WORK, WE DON'T HAVE A MEANS TO DECERTIFY THEM. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WE CAN DO TO STOP SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT IS NOT FOLLOWING THE CODE OR DOING BAD WORK. WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THEY'LL HAVE TO ATTEND AN ANNUAL MEETING AND PAY A SMALL FEE TO BE CERTIFIED IN OUR COUNTY. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE UPDATING REQUIREMENTS OF SYNTHETIC MATERIALS USED. HISTORICALLY, THEY COULD USE STRAW TO COVER THE GRASS OR TO THE STONE IN THE SYSTEM. STRAW DEGRADES OVER TIME AND IT CAN CLOG UP THE SYSTEM. SO WE'RE USING SYNTHETIC MATERIAL FOR THAT. SOME DIFFERENT SITE SUITABILITY THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING INTO, SOIL MUST CONFORM TO CONVENTIONAL STANDARDS TO ALLOW 36IN OF ISOLATION DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE PIPE AND THE LIMITING LAYER, WHICH IS THE SEASONAL HIGH WATER TABLE. SO ESSENTIALLY YOU WANT, AT LEAST THREE FEET OF DRY SOILS TO TREAT THAT EFFLUENT BEFORE IT GETS INTO THE GROUNDWATER. SO WE'RE IMPROVING OUR STANDARDS THERE A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'RE UPDATING THE MINIMUM ABSORPTION AREAS TO REALLY CONFORM WITH MORE MODERN STANDARDS AND MORE BEST PRACTICES FOR CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS. REQUIRING SCHEDULE 40 PVC, WHICH IS A MUCH STURDIER PIPE SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET BROKEN, WHICH CONNECTS YOUR HOUSE TO THE SEPTIC TANK. WE DON'T HAVE ANY LANGUAGE FOR DEEP CUT SYSTEMS WHICH IS A WHERE IF YOU HAVE SOME DRY SAND DEEPER DOWN, WE CAN CUT DEEP TRENCHES TO ALLOW FOR THE EFFLUENT TO GET DOWN TO DIFFERENT LAYERS. AND THAT'S PROBABLY MY TIMER. RIGHT? THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MOST OF IT. SO YEAH. THANK YOU. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN. PROBABLY WANT TO CONNECT YOU WITH MANAGER DEMPSEY OR OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU MIGHT NEED FROM US. YEP. AND WE DID MEET WITH A FEW OF YOUR STAFF. IT'S BEEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO OR WHATEVER, AND WE WILL. AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME MEET WITH THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION AT SOME POINT, [00:10:04] AND WE CAN PRESENT TO ALL OF THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS. SO IF YOU COULD ASSIST ME WITH GETTING ON THAT AGENDA AT SOME POINT, THAT'D BE GREAT. OKAY. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 6:13 P.M. [5. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT] NEXT UP IS AGENDA ITEM FIVE, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT. MANAGER DEMPSEY. YEAH, JUST A COUPLE ITEMS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST ONE IS A REMINDER THAT A WEEK FROM TONIGHT, RIGHT HERE AT TOWNSHIP HALL PAVILION, WILL HAVE A LISTENING SESSION FOR RESIDENTS FROM 6 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M.. THERE'S INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE. WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ATTEND, IF PEOPLE CANNOT ATTEND WE HAVE A FORM ONLINE THAT THEY CAN FILL OUT AND SUBMIT COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. AND WE'LL BE OBVIOUSLY COMPILING QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR PEOPLE ON THAT. AND WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BIGGER THINGS HAPPENING IN THE TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF THE ROAD PROJECT. CERTAINLY INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER MILLAGES AS WELL. SO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ATTEND THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE SWIFT RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT. WELL, ACTUALLY TWO INCIDENTS LAST WEEK, OF COURSE. THERE'S THE SWATTING, THE FALSE CALL IN AT OKEMOS PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL ON THURSDAY. BUT THEN THE SHOOTING INCIDENT. INCIDENT AT MERIDIAN MALL OUT IN THE PARKING LOT ON FRIDAY. THEY WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND THE SUSPECT, AND THAT PERSON HAS NOW BEEN ARRAIGNED. SO GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS ON THAT. BUT AGAIN, APPRECIATE ALL THEIR EFFORT AND THE WORK THAT THEY DID ON FRIDAY. YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT SITUATION TO RESPOND TO, BUT THEY HANDLED IT VERY WELL. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. ANY BOARD MEMBERS WISHING TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE MANAGER? YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE. I DON'T WANT TO ASK A QUESTION. I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE THANKS TO THE POLICE, IN MY DAY INTERIM JOB WITH THE OAKLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS I HAVE HEARD NOTHING BUT THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE RESPONSE OF YOUR MEN AND WOMEN. SO THANK YOU AND HOPE WE DON'T SEE YOU THERE AGAIN. RIGHT? YEAH. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? I WILL IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE PUBLIC OR THE PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE THAT WENT OUT IN THE NEWSLETTER. AND IF A FACTUAL ERROR WAS MADE THAT WE DO A CORRECTION OF SOME KIND. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I CAN ASSERT WITH ASSURANCE RIGHT NOW THAT THAT WAS NOT DONE ON PURPOSE, THAT WAS CERTAINLY DONE IN ERROR, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO CORRECT IT AND WE APPRECIATE THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF IT SO WE CAN GET IT FIXED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ITEM SIX. [6. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS] BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. ANY MEMBERS WITH ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TO REPORT? TRUSTEE WILSON. WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL CELEBRATION AT GLENDALE CEMETERY ON MEMORIAL DAY, AND I WANT TO THANK CLERK DEMAS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN OVER 100 PEOPLE THERE, SO THAT WAS GREAT. AND THEN LAST SATURDAY WE HAD A REALLY FUN EVENT, AND THAT WAS OUR PRIDE EVENT OVER AT THE MARKETPLACE. AND WE HAD A LOT OF BEER THAT WE SERVED, AND IT WAS A VERY COLORFUL CROWD. AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY MAKES THIS A GREAT COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THE ATTENDANCE WAS ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE, SO I WAS HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH. IN FRONT OF BOARD MEMBERS, I PUT THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH I SERVE ON THROUGH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO LOOK AT IT. THEY I THINK THEY DO A GREAT JOB DESIGNING SOMETHING THAT COULD VERY EASILY JUST BE TABLES AND GRAPHS AND NOT VERY COMPELLING INFORMATION. AT OUR LAST MEETING AS I ALLUDED TO IN OUR PLANNING CONVERSATION, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE LINE RETAIL CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY. I HOPE I GOT IT RIGHT THAT TIME. I KNOW THAT MANAGER DEMPSEY, AS WELL AS DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER, HEAR DETAILS ABOUT THIS, AND WHILE THERE IS NO PLAN REGARDING THE FINANCES MOVING FORWARD YOU KNOW, TO GIVE YOU A LONG AND SHORT OF IT, IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A REGIONAL DECREASE IN A CARBON FOOTPRINT BY FROM 89 MILLION CUBIC POUNDS, I BELIEVE, OR EXCUSE ME, 89 MILLION POUNDS OF CARBON TO 75 MILLION. SO IT'S PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. THAT IS, OF COURSE, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS YOU KNOW, IT WOULD PROVIDE A REVENUE STREAM POTENTIALLY FOR COMMUNITIES TO SELL SOME OF THE EXTRA LINE PRODUCE, [00:15:06] WHICH INVOLVES CHEMISTRY THAT I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO SPEAK ON. BUT IT WAS A ENGAGING DISCUSSION, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THAT MEANS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND WHERE THAT LIES IN OUR REGION. SO YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO HAVE ATTENDED THAT. ALSO AS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO VOLUNTEERED AT THE PRIDE EVENT, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FACES. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT REALLY SPEAKS TO HOW GREAT OF A COMMUNITY WE ARE THAT WE SAW SO MANY STAFF THERE VOLUNTEER VOLUNTARILY, NOT JUST AS VOLUNTEERS, BUT AS ATTENDEES. THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO, YOU KNOW, DID NOT NEED TO BE THERE, BUT VERY MUCH CHOSE TO. AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO HERE. SO IT WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE. ANY OTHERS? YES. YES. MAY 21ST, I ATTENDED THE MEETING. WE HAD ONE ISSUE ON THE AGENDA THAT HAD TO DO WITH PLAYMAKERS. THEY'RE TAKING DOWN THE GROCERY CART LADY TO REBUILD. I KNEW. [LAUGHTER] I KNEW I'D GET THAT OUT OF YOU. YEAH, THAT IS SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 60 YEARS OLD. IT'S WELL BEYOND ITS USEFUL LIFE. THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IT DOWN, TOTALLY REWIRE WITH LEDS, FINISH IT, WHATEVER, WORK ON THE TOWER SO THE GROCERY LADY WILL BE WALKING AGAIN SOON, BUT IT'S SOMETIME OVER THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL. THEY FOUND A COMPANY THAT DOES SPECIALIZE IN RESTORING ANTIQUE OR OLD SIGNS, SO IT WAS SO COOL. IT WAS NOT HARD TO APPROVE. YES. I LIKE KATHY'S IDEA OF GIVING HER A WALKER. NOW THAT'S FUN. I SUGGESTED THEY REPLACE HER HIGH HEELS WITH RUNNING SHOES. THERE YOU GO. YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S EVEN BETTER. ALL RIGHT, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. SO I TOO ATTENDED THE PRIDE EVENT. A ROUSING SUCCESS. IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ENJOYING THEMSELVES. IT'S A FAMILY EVENT I BROUGHT MY FAMILY THERE. REALLY FUN TIME. AND YEAH, DEFINITELY EVEN BETTER ATTENDED THAN OUR PREVIOUS EVENTS. I THINK GETTING US CLOSER TO PRIDE MONTH HAS HELPED THAT A LOT. AND YEAH, IT WAS REALLY GREAT. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE RESIDENT COMMENTED THAT THE PRIDE EVENT, THIS PARTICULAR EVENT IS WHAT MADE THEM FEEL WELCOME IN THE COMMUNITY. IT'S WHAT MADE THEM FEEL THAT THIS WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE PROUD TO LIVE IN. AND I THINK THAT THAT REALLY SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE EVENTS. IN ADDITION YESTERDAY MORNING, GOSH, IT FEELS LIKE SO LONG AGO I ATTENDED THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING. IN ADDITION TO THEIR NORMAL BUSINESS THEY HAVE MOVED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF APPOINTING A TASK FORCE, AND THE IDEA OF THE TASK FORCE IS TO COME UP WITH A PROSPECTUS FOR DEVELOPERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO COME IN AND DEVELOP THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PARCELS. AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED THE APPOINTMENT OF A TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBER ON THIS TASK FORCE. THEIR GOAL IS TO FORMALLY APPOINT FOLKS IN JULY AT THEIR NEXT MEETING IN JULY AND TO HAVE THEIR TASK FORCE RUN THROUGH JUNE OF NEXT YEAR. AND SO IT WOULD BE BASICALLY A YEAR'S COMMITMENT, PROBABLY ONCE A MONTH, MEETINGS, COUPLE HOURS TO DO THAT. AND SO IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO ARE INTERESTED WE, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL. AND WE CAN GET THAT ONTO THE AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE READY WHEN THEY APPOINT AT THEIR JULY MEETING. AND, YOU KNOW, TOPICS COVERED IN THIS WILL NOT ONLY BE, YOU KNOW, THE THE STATE OF THE PARCELS IN THE HISTORY, BUT ALSO THE ONGOING AND KNOWN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO MAKE A PROJECT THERE SUCCESSFUL, INCLUDING THE POWER LINES, THE ROADS AND THE DRAINS, THE DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE. SO A LOT TO COVER IN THAT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS ONE OF OUR PARCELS, TWO OF OUR PARCELS THAT WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT. AND NOW WE'RE SORT OF PUTTING TO PAPER A PLAN IN PLACE TO GET IN PLACE TO IMPROVE THOSE AREAS. SO INTERESTING WORK HAPPENING ON THE DDA. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALL, FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T JOINING US ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, [00:20:08] TOOK PLACE HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP HALL ROOM. ALL OF US WHO ARE NOW HERE WERE PRESENT FOR A DISCUSSION FOR OUR 2026 GOALS WHICH WAS PRODUCTIVE. I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD, INTERESTING THINGS DOWN AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PROCESS AT OUR NEXT MEETING. [7. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM SEVEN, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE W ILSON. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. [8. CONSENT AGENDA] WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. THE MINUTES FROM OUR MAY 20TH, 2025 REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING. THE BILLS, THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY'S ANNUAL REPORT, TWO RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF JUNETEENTH AND FLAG DAY, A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE HSA CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING, AN APPOINTMENT TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR AN ALTERNATE, A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TO THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIPS ASSOCIATION. AND A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FEE SCHEDULE, WHICH IS A BRANCH OFF OF OUR DISCUSSION, ADOPTING THE HOUSING TIF. THIS PUTS IT IN OUR FEE SCHEDULE AS WELL. DO A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE, WILL DEPUTY CLERK GORDON PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES. MOTION CARRIES 5 TO 0. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [9.A. Ordinance 2025-04-Parking Ordinance Updates-Introduction] NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 9.A ORDINANCE 2025-04 PARKING ORDINANCE UPDATES-INTRODUCTION. AND WITH NO BREAK BEFORE HIM, WE WELCOME MR. SCHMITT HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS. GOT ON EARLY ENOUGH THIS TIME. SO THIS IS FORMAL INTRODUCTION OF THE TEXT AMENDMENT THAT WOULD UPDATE THE PARKING STANDARDS AND THE ORDINANCE WE DISCUSSED THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING AND THERE WERE NO MAJOR CONCERNS. THE MAIN DISCUSSION POINT REALLY WAS REGARDING MERIDIAN MALL. AND WITHOUT GETTING TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS HERE, THE ORDINANCE WOULD CERTAINLY ALLOW FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY MOVING FORWARD. IF YOU GET INTO THE HISTORY OF THE MALL OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS BUILT PRIOR TO MODERN ZONING STANDARDS. SO AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, THE STANDARD WAS ABOUT 1 TO 3, 200FT². WE DON'T HAVE GREAT RECORDS 70 YEARS AGO, SO APOLOGIES FOR THAT. BUT AND THE MALL WAS CERTAINLY OVER PARKED WHEN IT WAS BUILT. RIGHT? IT WAS FAR BEYOND THAT. IN 73, WE ADOPTED THE CURRENT BASE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH ESTABLISHED A TIERED SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. OBVIOUSLY, THIS ONE BEING OF THE LARGEST MAGNITUDE, THEY WERE OF THE STANDARD OF 1 TO 200 AT THAT TIME. AND AGAIN, THIS IS PRE THIS PREDATES THE YONKERS WING BEING ADDED. SO YOU NEED TO THINK THERE'S ABOUT 150,000 LESS SQUARE FEET BACK THEN. AND SO THEN WE ADOPTED A COMMERCIAL PUD ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWED FURTHER FLEXIBILITY WHEN THEY CAME IN TO REQUEST THE YONKERS ADDITION. THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE STAND NOW. AND SO THEIR CURRENT RATIO IS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF SPACES PER THOUSAND LEASABLE. THAT'S ALSO NOT PART OF THE ORDINANCE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE UNDER THE PUD AS WELL. AND THEY ALSO HAD A VARIANCE BEFORE THAT TO DROP THEM DOWN TO 4.7. SO UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE I THINK THEY ARE CLEARLY OVER PARKED. NOW, THIS WILL CLEARLY PROVIDE THEM FURTHER FLEXIBILITY GOING FORWARD BECAUSE NATURALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING THERE, SOME AMOUNT OF PARKING NEEDS TO COME OUT. I MEAN, WE EVEN IN THE MINUTES OF THE VARIANCE BACK IN 2000, PRIOR TO 2013, VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY NOTED THAT THERE'S PARKING ON THE SITE THAT'S RARELY USED. RIGHT? SO THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I THINK STAFF IS RECOGNIZED FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS NOW. AND THIS IS A GOOD STEP TOWARDS ALLOWING THAT FLEXIBILITY IN THE FUTURE. AND SO WE MADE NO FURTHER CHANGES TO THIS ORDINANCE. WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING IT FORWARD AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR INTRODUCTION AT THIS TIME. AND IF SO DIRECTED, WE WILL HAVE IT PUBLISHED FOR THE BOARD TO ACT ON AT A FUTURE MEETING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME. OBVIOUSLY WE SAW THIS ONCE BEFORE. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT BRIEF OVERVIEW. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT AT THE LAST MEETING I DID WATCH [00:25:01] ON SCREEN, BUT YOU KNOW, I WASN'T ABLE TO ASK SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS. WITH THAT SAID I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR THE COMMISSION, PLANNING COMMISSION BRINGING THIS FORWARD HAVING IT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM. I'M IN GENERAL IN FAVOR OF REDUCING PARKING LOT SIZES WHERE AVAILABLE. ESPECIALLY AS SOMEONE WHO USED TO LIVE RIGHT BY MERIDIAN MALL AND SAW ALL THAT EMPTY SPACE, BUT CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR THAT BROUGHT THIS ON. SO IT'S REALLY A SERIES OF THINGS TRUSTEE LENTZ, EVER SINCE I STARTED IN 2021, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO UPDATE THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH LARGELY HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1973. THIS PUTS US AT ABOUT 3/8 OF THE WAY THROUGH. TWO. IT WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT ONE OF THE NEXT BIG THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED, AND CERTAINLY MEETS A COUPLE OF GOALS OF THE MASTER PLAN. I THINK THREE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT ONE POINT, I THINK IN 2023, WE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION, DO WE EVEN NEED PARKING STANDARDS ANYMORE? BECAUSE THAT'S BECOMING A THING. YOU KNOW, MOST PARKING, MOST DEVELOPERS, MOST BUILDERS AREN'T BUILDING MORE PARKING THAN THEY NEED. RIGHT. PARKING COSTS MONEY. IN FACT, IT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH LAND, BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR DRAINAGE AS WELL. AND TREATMENT AND WITH THE STANDARDS OF THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, IT ADDS UP QUICKLY. PARKING DOESN'T PAY TAXES, PARKING DOESN'T BRING IN RENT. IT'S JUST AN AMENITY TO THE BUILDING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY CAREER, I EVER BUILD MORE PARKING THAN THEY NEEDED PER CODE. IT WAS TRADER JOE'S. THEY KNEW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY NEEDED, AND THEY WERE VERY RIGHT AS HOW MUCH THEY NEEDED. AND SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A BROADER PLAN. THIS IS KIND OF THE PLANNING MOVEMENT, RIGHT. AND ONE OF THE PLANNING MOVEMENTS RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MOST PLACES ARE LIKE US, THEY HAVE STANDARDS FROM THE 60S AND 70S, 80S THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT TIME NOW. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ADAPT TO THE TIMES AND PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR REDEVELOPMENT. THE BIG THING FOR US, CANDIDLY, WAS AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION KIND OF NOTED EARLY WAS ANYTIME WE WOULD HAVE A MULTIFAMILY PROJECT, THERE'D JUST BE THIS HUGE EXTRA AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT HAD TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR PER OUR ORDINANCE. AND IT ALL RARELY GETS USED. AND SO YOU HAVE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHERE THERE ARE LARGE LOTS THAT ARE NEVER USED. AND THAT'S, I THINK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STARTED THE CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. I YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION, OTHERWISE I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MOVING YOU KNOW, I MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE INTRODUCTION TAX AMENDMENT 2025-04 TO AMEND THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN AT SECTION 86-755 TO UPDATE THE PARKING STANDARDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP. SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE LINCOLN, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. WILSON. WELL, THANK YOU FOR FOR GOING AND GETTING THE NUMBERS FOR THE MALL, I APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW THAT WAS MY CURIOSITY. THAT PROMPTED PROBABLY A DEEPER DIVE THAN YOU WANTED TO GIVE AT THAT MOMENT. I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT DOES AFFORD THE MALL AN OPPORTUNITY IF THEY EVER WANTED TO GO ADD SOME GREEN SPACE BACK. I'M SURE THAT YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY DURING OUR VALUES HERE, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HEARTILY WELCOME FROM THEM. I'M SURE THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER WOULD, TOO. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY A MORE COMPLICATED THING THAN SIMPLY WANTING IT IN TERMS OF ALL THEIR LEASES. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ARE GOOD IDEAS. CERTAINLY, WE HAVE SEEN THIS BE A BARRIER FOR SOME REDEVELOPMENTS IN THE PAST, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS WHO WAS COMING IN DRAMATICALLY UNDER THE PARKING THAT THEY NEEDED THE FIRST TIME AROUND WHEN THEY WHEN THEY FIRST APPLIED. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL PARCELS THERE IF THEY WANT TO PUT SOME HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL, THEY NEEDED A LOT OF PARKING. AND SO I THINK THIS, I GUESS, PUN INTENDED, PAVES THE WAY FOR FOR SOME ADDITIONAL REDEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES BY REDUCING THOSE REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE REDEVELOPERS. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS THIS EVENING. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE AS THIS IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. WILL DEPUTY CLERK GORDON PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR. HENDRICKSON. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES. [00:30:02] MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 9. B PROGRESSIVE COMPANIES DESIGN SERVICES CONTRACT. [9.B. Progressive Companies Design Services Contract] FOR THIS WE HAVE MANAGER DEMPSEY. YES. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW THE BOARD VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TWO PROPOSALS AT THE AUGUST 5TH SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE BOND AND FOR OPERATING MILLAGE FOR PROPOSED COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER. THAT PROPOSAL, AS YOU KNOW AS WELL, WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE TASK FORCE AND THAT IT WAS A REDUCED CENTER . AS SUCH OF COURSE, THE SPACE ALLOCATION AND THE LAYOUT HAS TO CHANGE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF IS, OF COURSE, HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED? WE AREN'T GOING TO HAVE AN EXACT ANSWER, THAT WON'T BE POSSIBLE AT THIS STAGE, BUT WE CAN UPDATE THE CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT AND PLANS FOR THE PROJECT TO AT LEAST PROVIDE SOME ILLUSTRATION TO PEOPLE, TO VOTERS, RIGHT, OUR RESIDENTS. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS DECISION ON WHAT THIS POTENTIALLY WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, PROGRESSIVE PRESENTED THIS CONTRACT. WE ESSENTIALLY EXHAUSTED OUR PRIOR CONTRACT WITH THEM. SO WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ADDITIONAL WORK, WE'D HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL CONTRACT. SO FROM STAFF'S STANDPOINT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING IT FORWARD. OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE IT'S A NEW CONTRACT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT I THINK VOTERS ARE GOING TO BE EXPECTING TO SEE BEFORE THEY MAKE A DECISION ON A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FOR THE TOWNSHIP. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU NOW. OBVIOUSLY, OUR TIMELINE IS DIFFICULT HERE. WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SOME MORE TIME TO DO ALL OF THIS. BUT GIVEN THE AUGUST ELECTION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS GOING OUT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. IT DOES PINCH OUR OVERALL TIMELINE. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEING PRESENTED FOR ACTION AND NOT HAVING BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE THAT. SO BUT AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE, THAT'S WHY IT'S HERE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING. OKAY. SO BECAUSE IT IS ON FOR ACTION ON OUR FIRST WE WOULD NEED TO SUSPEND OUR RULES IF WE WANTED TO TAKE THIS UP. AND FRANKLY, EVEN TO GO FORWARD ON IT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR RULES? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ANY DISCUSSION? NO. SUSPENSION. THERE'S NO DISCUSSION. PARDON ME. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUSPENDING OUR RULES TO TAKE UP ITEM 9.B THIS EVENING? PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, NOW ON TO THE MAIN TOPIC. DISCUSSION ON THE DESIGN CONTRACT. BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? TRUSTEE WILSON. I THINK ANY TIME THAT WE PUT A POTENTIAL TAX INCREASE BEFORE THE PUBLIC, THEY NEED TO BE WELL INFORMED. SO BY HAVING THIS UPDATE TO SHOW CONCEPTUALLY WHAT THIS FACILITY WOULD LOOK LIKE AND ANSWER INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY CAN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT IN MULTIPLE FORMATS. WE'LL PUBLISH IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND SO ON, AND WE'LL PUT THE DRAWINGS UP IN PUBLIC SPACES ALSO, I BELIEVE. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY AND TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY SHORT TAIL TO PREPARE FOR THIS ELECTION. SO THIS IS NOT AN ADVOCACY PROGRAM. THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL PIECE. AN INFORMATIONAL PIECE THAT'S I THINK, IS ESSENTIAL FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ON THE AUGUST BALLOT. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT FOR THIS REASON. OKAY. TRUSTEE LENTZ. QUESTION FOR MANAGER DEMPSEY. AND YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WOULD THIS BE A COST THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S $28,000 IS NOT A LOT BY TOWNSHIP STANDARDS, BUT IT IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK. YOU KNOW, THE MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE VOTE THAT TOOK PLACE ON MAY 8TH WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE IT WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND THE MILLAGE IN FRONT OF US WITH YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT IS APPROVED OR NOW LET'S SAY IT IS APPROVED, DESIGN KIND OF STARTS FROM THERE IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY. YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM MANY MEMBERS OF THE SENIOR CENTER THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WERE LISTENED TO AROUND THAT DESIGN. AND SO I GUESS I'M CURIOUS HOW RIGID IS THE BODY OF WORK THAT YOU THINK IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED AT THE END OF THESE CONCEPTUAL [00:35:07] DRAWINGS? IS IT GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE YOU KNOW YES OR NO? AND THEN ONCE THAT IS IN PLACE, THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE BUILT OR YOU KNOW, IS THERE GOING TO BE SOME MORE LEEWAY, AND IF SO, WOULD THAT ACCRUE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES FOR FUTURE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT MIGHT CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THAT INPUT? I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE ELEMENTS TO THAT QUESTION. I MEAN, THE FIRST IS THAT THE TASK FORCE REALLY WORKED PRETTY DILIGENTLY TO COME UP WITH A FAIRLY SOLID CONCEPTUAL PLAN, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF USES AND LAYOUT. RIGHT? SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT CHANGING SUBSTANTIALLY. OBVIOUSLY, INSTEAD OF TWO GYMS, WE HAVE ONE, ETC. THOSE REVISIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED, BUT LARGELY WE'LL CARRY THAT PIECE OF IT FORWARD. IN TERMS OF JUST THE BUILDING OF THAT SIZE AND SCOPE, MASSINGS AND SOME RENDERINGS GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR GENERALLY WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE LIKE. WILL THERE BE SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE TO ADJUST THAT? ABSOLUTELY. THESE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUAL AS BEST AS WE CAN MAKE THEM CONCEPTUAL YET GIVE PEOPLE AN UNDERSTANDING. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T DECIDE THE FINAL DESIGN UNTIL WE HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THERE WILL BE FLEXIBILITY THERE. WILL THERE BE AN ABILITY TO TOTALLY RETHINK IT IN THE WAY IT'S ALREADY? NO. I MEAN, THERE'S GOING TO BE LIMITATIONS BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TIME LIMITATIONS BECAUSE OF THE STATE GRANT FUNDING AND BEING ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THAT $5 MILLION AS WELL. SO IT'S ALL A DELICATE BALANCE, BUT I THINK ONE THAT YES, HAS SOME FLEXIBILITY, BUT IT'S LIMITED. OKAY. THAT ADDRESSES MY CONCERN. I THINK THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, OF COURSE, BEING WE'VE ALL SEEN RENDERINGS OF HIGH-FALUTIN BALLPARKS AND THINGS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY COME TO PASS. LCA BEING AN EXAMPLE. THERE'S A BIG PIZZA MASCOT ON THE ROOF OF IT. WHERE MAYBE THERE WASN'T BEFORE, SO I'M NOT INTERESTED IN PROPOSING SOMETHING TO THE VOTERS AND THEN HAVING A TON OF CHANGES AVAILABLE AFTER THAT VOTE. BECAUSE OF COURSE, VOTERS WOULD THEN FEEL THAT THEY WERE BEING LIED TO. WITH WHAT THEY VOTED ON. BUT YOU KNOW, I. IF WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SPENDING THESE DOLLARS, I THINK IT WOULD BE OF COURSE PERTINENT TO LISTEN TO WHAT VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THOSE, DESIGNS COME OUT AS AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. YEAH, I THINK THE THERE WILL BE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURAL PLANS THAT COME AFTER THIS. RIGHT. THERE IS ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, DESIGN WORK THAT HAPPENS. I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS BEING ABLE TO PRESENT A PICTURE OF WHAT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED, RIGHT? WE HAVE PICTURES OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN APPROVED IF WE HAD GONE WITH THE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE. BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DIAGRAM AND VISUALS OF WHAT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED. AND SO FROM A FROM A FACTUAL STANDPOINT, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW TO RESIDENTS BEFORE IT'S PUT BEFORE THEM ON THE BALLOT WHAT IT IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY VOTING ON. AND YES, THERE IS THE PLAN. RIGHT. THE PLAN THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT THAT SORT OF IDENTIFIES THE ROOMS AND THE SQUARE FOOTAGES AND WHATNOT. AND THERE WILL BE LIKELY SOME SMALL TWEAKS AS THE ENGINEERS GET IN THERE AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DO THEIR THING IN CAD. BUT FROM A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE A VISUAL OF WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THINGS TO TWEAK ALONG THE WAY, I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU GO FOR THAT COMMUNITY INPUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEING INCORPORATED. IF APPROPRIATE. YEAH. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. SO WHAT YOU'RE, PROPOSING IS WE NEED SOME BETTER DRAWINGS FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION. AND THEN BUT YOU'RE NOT DIVING DEEP INTO THE WEEDS YET, BECAUSE UNTIL IT'S APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC, WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, IN-DEPTH DRAWINGS. BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC. SO AND I'M GUESSING THAT WHATEVER THESE COSTS ARE REASONABLE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S REASONABLE. I KNOW WE ALREADY INVESTED $30,000 IN THIS PROJECT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TOTAL COST IS NOW. AND NOW WE'RE INVESTING ANOTHER 30,000. SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING IF JUST WONDERING, BALLPARK YOU KNOW, WE PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS ALREADY. [00:40:05] SO JUST WONDERING WHETHER EVERYTHING IS REALLY BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS IS A BALLOT PROPOSAL. SO IF IT GETS APPROVED, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD. AND IF IT DOESN'T GET APPROVED, THEN IT'S JUST GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. SO I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE COSTS. AND IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR TIM DEMPSEY BECAUSE HE KNOWS MORE, HE'S HAD MORE EXPERIENCE ACROSS COMMUNITIES AS TO WHAT THIS SHOULD COST. YEAH. TIM YOU WANT TO TALK TO THE. YEAH. SO CERTAINLY FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU GET INTO A MAJOR PROJECT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO TALK 10 TO 15% OF TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS. SO WE'RE LIKE IF THE VOTERS APPROVE THIS OF THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED THE DESIGN CONTRACT WILL BE POTENTIALLY INTO THE SEVEN FIGURES WHEN YOU GET INTO ALL OF THE DESIGN. AND BY THAT I MEAN ALL OF IT, RIGHT. SO NOT JUST THE ARCHITECTURAL BUT, YOU KNOW, THE HVAC ENGINEERS, THE PLUMBING. RIGHT. ALL THOSE SYSTEMS AND THE EXTENSIVE PLANS. THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR EXPENSE. SO AS A PERCENTAGE OF THAT OVERALL COST, THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE SMALL. OKAY. IN TERMS OF SORT OF THAT UPFRONT NUMBER, SURE. IT CAN SEEM, YOU KNOW, A LOT. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, I EQUATE IT TO IF A DEVELOPER COMES FORWARD WITH A PROPOSED PROJECT. RIGHT. THE TOWNSHIP WANTS TO SEE GENERALLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW IT'S LAID OUT IN ORDER TO APPROVE IT. THIS IS REALLY THE SAME THING, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVING IT, WE'RE ASKING THE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS TO DO THE SAME. SO TO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE IN OTHER FORUMS WHERE WE HAVE OTHER TYPES OF PLANS THAT GO FORWARD FOR APPROVAL. SO AND I THINK THAT COST THAT DEVELOPERS PUT IN TO PROJECTS UPFRONT, THIS IS CERTAINLY IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'D SEE FOR ANY OTHER. AND IN RECOGNIZING THIS IS A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGE BUILDING TOO, IT'S NOT A SMALL BUILDING. THANK YOU. SURE. THAT'S A, TO TRUSTEE LENTZ POINT. IF SOME CORPORATION WANTS TO SPONSOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS, WE'LL HAPPILY PUT THEM ON THE ROOF TO ACCEPT THEIR MONEY. I'M KIDING. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT AND THEY HAVE AN HOURLY RATE FOR SOME OF THEIR PROFESSIONALS, AND THEN THEY HAVE A $28,000 TOTAL. IS THIS AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO? IS IT?. IT'LL BE A NOT TO EXCEED. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND SO THEY WILL BE PROVIDING ITS DETAILED RECORDS AS TO WHAT THEY DID. YEAH. OKAY. YES. THAT MAKES ME FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE. OKAY. TRUSTEE LENTZ. I WOULD SAY MY ANY CONCERNS I MAY HAVE HAD, I FEEL COMPELLED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN. AND I AGREE THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE DISINGENUOUS TO PUT SOMETHING BEFORE THE VOTERS WITHOUT A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY WOULD BE VOTING ON, SO I'D BE INCLINED TO SUPPORT. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH PROGRESSIVE COMPANIES FOR DESIGN WORK ON THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER. SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ IS SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WILL DEPUTY CLERK GORDON, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT UP IS ITEM 9,C ORDINANCE 2025-05, A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH THE [9.C. Ordinance 2025-05 – Franchise Agreement with the Lansing Board of Water and Light – Introduction] LANSING BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT. WE HAVE DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT. YES. GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS. SO BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING IS THE INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE 2025-05, WHICH IS AN UPDATED FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH THE BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT. GIVE ME JUST A MINUTE TO FINALLY GET DOWN TO THE COVER MEMORANDUM. ALL RIGHT. SO IF APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND ULTIMATELY ACCEPTED BY THE BWL, THIS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WOULD REPLACE THE EXISTING 1988 FRANCHISE AGREEMENT. THE EXISTING ONE DID EXPIRE IN 2021, BUT IS STILL IN EFFECT UNTIL A NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT IS EXECUTED. THE BWL TERRITORY DOES THE AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THE TOWNSHIP THAT'S COVERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH THE BWL REPRESENTS ABOUT 7, JUST OVER 7% OF THE TOWNSHIP. IT'S THE WESTERNMOST PORTION. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE TOWNSHIP IS COVERED UNDER THE EXISTING FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY. [00:45:07] AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS DELVE INTO KIND OF A MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE REDLINE VERSION IN YOUR PACKET, IF YOU WISH TO. BROAD OVERVIEW. BUT JUST TO NOTE FOR THE BOARD THIS WOULD RUN FOR 30 YEARS AND WE HAVE WORKED CAREFULLY WITH THE OUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT CONFORMS WITH THE RECENT RULING IN THE MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT CASE. HEOS VERSUS EAST LANSING. AND OUR REQUEST OF THE BOARD THIS EVENING WOULD BE TO SUSPEND YOUR RULES AND ADOPT THE ORDINANCE ON INTRODUCTION SO THAT AT YOUR JUNE 17TH MEETING, WE CAN BRING THIS BACK FOR FINAL ADOPTION. IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE THAT WE CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHRIS PATTERSON. AND CHRIS WILL JUST HIT ON SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RED LINE VERSION. AND THEN WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE. YES. THANK YOU DAN. CHRIS PATTERSON TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY. NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY THIS EVENING. THIS IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING PROJECT THAT'S BEEN COMING TOGETHER OVER SOME TIME. SO WHEN THE FRANCHISE THAT WAS IN PLACE WAS EXPIRING IN 2021, WE ACTUALLY WERE WORKING WITH STAFF AT THE TIME TO SORT OF ANTICIPATE THE RENEWAL AND SOME REVISIONS TO THE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE QUITE A FEW RED LINES. AND THEN YOU KIND OF HAVE TO WONDER, IT'S 2025 SO WHAT HAPPENED OVER THAT FOUR YEARS RELATED TO THIS ORDINANCE? WE GOT IN THE PROCESS OF SORT OF A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH ACTUALLY TOWNSHIP STAFF THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE AGREEMENT THAT WE DID ADDRESS. ONE THING THAT WAS GOING ON POST 21 THAT REALLY STARTED TO HAVE US LOOK AT THE USE OF THE TOWNSHIP'S RIGHTS OF WAY RELATES TO THE WAY THAT SOME OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS INSTALLED. SO I THINK OFTEN WHEN YOU SEE THE WAY THAT THE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM GOES THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP, YOU MIGHT BE DRIVING THROUGH AND NOT REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE ARE INTERACTIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS AS WELL AS TOWNSHIP STAFF RELATED TO THE PLACEMENT OF THAT. SO A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES THAT SORT OF REALLY HIGHLIGHTED SOME THINGS THAT WE HAD WORKED WITH DAN ON FOCUSING ON INCLUDED HOW SOME GUIDE WIRES WERE BEING PLACED OFF OF THE POLES. SO THEY HAVE SOME INDUSTRY STANDARDS TO SAY INSTEAD OF REPLACING A SPECIFIC POLE, WE'LL DO SOME SPECIFIC TYPE OF GUIDE WIRE OR POLE LOCATION FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THE TOWNSHIP'S PERSPECTIVE, NOT TOTALLY APPRECIATING THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, PARTICULARLY BICYCLISTS. AND SO WE DID RUN INTO SOME INSTANCES OF THAT WHERE WE HAD TO REQUEST REPLACEMENT OR MOVEMENT OR RE SORT OF SECURING OF OUR POLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. YOU'LL SEE THOSE CHANGES ARE REALLY TAKING PLACE IN SECTION THREE, WHERE WE WANTED TO HONE IN ON THE TOWNSHIP'S RESPONSIBILITY, THAT EVEN IF YOU DO HAVE A PUBLIC UTILITY OPERATING WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS OF WAY, WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO CERTAINLY THOSE WHO WOULD BE RESIDENTS, THOSE WHO ARE COMING AND USING OUR TRAIL SYSTEMS TO ENSURE PROPER SAFETY AND USE. THE OTHER SORT OF ONE THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WAS PLACED IS NOT ONLY REALLY THE SAFETY PIECE, BUT ALSO THE COORDINATION. SO I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATES, BUT I THINK MAYBE IT WAS EVEN BEFORE 21, THERE WAS SORT OF SOME EXTENSIVE TREE TRIMMING THAT WAS GOING ON. POSSIBLY IT WAS IN 20, IT MIGHT HAVE EVEN BEEN IN 22, AND THERE WASN'T GOOD COORDINATION WITH THE UTILITY RELATED TO JUST SORT OF NOTICE. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF RESPONSES FROM NEIGHBORS. SO YOU'LL SEE IN THAT SECTION THREE, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL NOTICE PIECES AND SOME COORDINATION WITH THE TOWNSHIP TO REALLY WORK THAT PIECE OUT. THAT'S REALLY KIND OF MEMORIALIZING WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING BACK WHEN THAT ORIGINAL NOTICE HAPPENED. WE SORT OF PUT SOME NOTICES, LEAFLETS, DOOR TO DOOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE TOWNSHIP WAS AT WITH TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE TREES, BUT UNDERSTANDING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE UTILITY CAN STILL SERVE ELECTRIC TO THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT 7.1% TERRITORY. THE OTHER PIECE IS PIECES. OBVIOUSLY THEN THE RELOCATION OF ITEMS RELATED TO OUR ASSETS. SO IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHTS OF WAY ARE GETTING BUSIER AND BUSIER. I'M SURE YOU SEE LOTS OF ACTIONS GOING RELATED TO FIBER. FIBER CAN HAVE IMPACTS ON THE UTILITIES WE HAVE. AND SO WHEN THEY'RE IN THERE DOING CONSTRUCTION OR EVEN WHEN WE'RE PLACING NEW PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THE TRAILS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS SUPPORTED AND BUILT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DESIGNS STILL ALLOW FOR WHATEVER INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE, CAN SAFELY BE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THEM. SO WE DID MODIFY THOSE PROVISIONS TO REALLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AS WELL. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE REALLY GETS TO SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE IN SECTION NINE THAT RELATES TO THE FRANCHISE FEE. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE, DAN CALCULATING TIME OUT OF MANAGER'S OFFICE AND LEGAL AS IT RELATES TO A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, HAVING FRANCHISES AND HAVING THE ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. SO WE REALLY WANT TO SORT OF CALCULATIONS AND COST ALLOCATION TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT A REVENUE RAISING FRANCHISE FEE. THIS IS REALLY DESIGNED TO HIT AT WHAT EXACTLY ARE THOSE COSTS OF SERVICE OR COSTS THAT WE'RE INCURRING AS WE SORT OF MONITOR THE USE OF OUR RIGHTS AWAY THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS UTILITY, THAT BEING BWL. SO IT GOT PRETTY GRANULAR IN JUST LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFIC SERVICE TERRITORY AREA AND ALLOCATING WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE FOR PURPOSES OF [00:50:04] ALLOWING THEM TO SERVE THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE IN THE TOWNSHIP. A COUPLE PIECES AS IT RELATES TO REALLY THE SORT OF MECHANICS OF THE PROCESS THAT LIE AHEAD AND THEN I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO WHAT'S CURRENTLY PRESENT IS A RESOLUTION FOR PURPOSES OF AN INITIAL INTRODUCTION. SO ADOPTION OF THAT COMPLETES THE FIRST PART OF THE PROCESS. WE THEN HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO POST AND OR PUBLISH SO THAT INDIVIDUALS KNOW WHERE A COPY OF THE TEXT IS AVAILABLE AND WHEN EXACTLY WE WOULD GET IT TO A SUBSEQUENT MEETING FOR FINAL ADOPTION. THERE'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A PIN IN THAT, AS DAN WAS INDICATING, WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH BWL COUNCIL, SO WE DO NEED SOME FINAL CONFIRMATION ON A COUPLE CHANGES THAT ARE PRESENTED IN THIS DRAFT SO THAT WHEN WE BRING IT BACK FOR FINAL ADOPTION, WE KNOW WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO SEEK ANY ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS. SO ONCE WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A POSTING AND A FINAL MEETING, WE ARE TRYING TO HIT THE TARGET DATE THAT DAN IDENTIFIED AS THE ESTIMATE FOR THAT FINAL ADOPTION. AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S ALSO A RESOLUTION THAT WILL COME WITH THAT FINAL ADOPTION THAT WILL INDICATE THE CONFIRMATION OF ESTABLISHING THE 5% FRANCHISE FEE. YOU'LL SEE IN SECTION NINE THAT CURRENTLY IT INDICATES A BLANK SPOT AS TO THE AMOUNT. THAT'S BECAUSE IN THE DRAFT, WE WERE WORKING OUT THE DETAILS OF WHAT THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES WERE, BUT THAT WILL COME IN THE RESOLUTION. THAT RESOLUTION WOULD THEN GO ALSO IN THIS ORDINANCE IN THE FINAL PACKAGE THAT WOULD THEN BE PROVIDED TO BWL. THEN THEY SIGN AND ACKNOWLEDGE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS AND THAT WOULD COMPLETE NOT ONLY OUR SUBSTANTIVE OBLIGATIONS OF RENEWING THIS, BUT ALSO THEN THAT'S WHAT THE PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT LIE AHEAD. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AS TO THE SUBSTANCE OR THE PIECES THAT ARE IN THE FRANCHISE. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE DO HAVE TO SUSPEND OUR RULES TO CONSIDER THIS EVENING. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SUSPEND OUR RULES? SO MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE? DO WE HAVE A SUPPORT SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUSPENSION OF THE RULES, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. WE HAVE SUSPENDED OUR RULES NOW. DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC. BOARD MEMBERS. TRUSTEE WILSON. SO THIS IS A PROCEDURAL QUESTION. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THE SUSPENSION OF RULES. THAT IS, FOR THE INITIAL ADOPTION TONIGHT SO THAT IT WILL HAVE FINAL ADOPTION ON THE 17TH. MY UNDERSTANDING IS SIMPLY THAT THE BOARD'S INTERPRETATION OF ITS RULES IS THAT IF IT HASN'T BEEN ON YOUR AGENDA BEFORE, EVEN IF IT'S UNDER ACTION, YOU TAKE THE OFFICIAL ACT OF SUSPENDING YOUR RULES JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T APPEARED FORMALLY ON YOUR AGENDA BEFORE. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE AS A DISCUSSION ITEM B PRIOR TO THIS. CORRECT? OKAY. YEAH. YOU HAVE NOT HAD THIS ON YOUR AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY. DO WE HAVE A TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE QUESTION HERE? TO AN EXTENT, YES. WE'RE TRYING TO BUTTON THIS UP OBVIOUSLY WITH THE FRANCHISE EXPIRING IN 2021 AND IT BEING 2025 NOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF BUTTON THIS UP AND GET THE NEW FRANCHISE EXECUTED AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. BUT THERE STILL ARE CHALLENGES, RIGHT? SO THIS THERE'S A SCENARIO WHERE THIS DOESN'T COME BACK TO YOU UNTIL JULY AS WELL. YES, BECAUSE I'M HEARING THAT WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES OR NEGOTIATIONS TO DO WITH BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT. IS THAT ACCURATE? YES. JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL TO THAT, WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH BWL GENERAL COUNSEL. WE DID HAVE SENT THE DRAFT. WE'VE SENT MULTIPLE VERSIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND TALKING ABOUT THE DRAFT THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU. WE DID DISCUSS THAT ON THE PHONE AS IT RELATES TO THE LANGUAGE, AND THERE WAS CONFIRMATION BY PHONE, BUT OBVIOUSLY A RESERVATION THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A LAWYER, YOU WANT TO SEE THE WRITTEN TEXT ON PAPER. SO WE MADE THOSE CHANGES, WE SENT IT TO THEM, AND IT'S ON THEIR LIST TO SORT OF TAKE A LOOK AT. SO WE HAVE A FOLLOW UP WITH THEM TO JUST CONFIRM THAT SORT OF WHAT WE HEARD ORALLY AND WHAT WE DISCUSSED ON THE PHONE WILL BE COMFORTABLE. SO I THINK WE'RE PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT IT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL WORD FROM THEM. AND WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO DO FINAL ADOPTION UNTIL WE HAVE THAT. SO YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS AGREEMENT IS GOING TO UNDERGO ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES. IS THAT ACCURATE? CORRECT? I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO UNDERGO ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES. WE HAVE AGREEMENT ON EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THERE WAS ONE SENTENCE FOR WHICH WE WERE DISCUSSING WITH COUNSEL, AND WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP TO SORT OF RESOLVE THAT. WE REMOVED THE SENTENCE RELATED TO LANGUAGE THAT'S IN PARAGRAPH NINE. WE'RE WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THAT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU. OKAY. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ. QUESTION FOR YOU AND MAYBE APOLOGIES IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING BECAUSE OF THE 2021 VERSUS 2025 TIMELINE, BUT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I BELIEVE THERE IS A MISTAKE ON PAGE FIVE IN WHERE IT SHOULD SAY I. ANGELA DEMAS CLARK OF CHARTER TOWNSHIP, MERIDIAN. IT WAS DEBORAH GUTHRIE ADDED IN AND AM I MISUNDERSTANDING THAT BECAUSE IT WAS 21 OR? NO. SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S MAYBE SHOWING UP IN THE CLEAN COPY, THE RED LINES DO HAVE THE CHANGES, [00:55:04] SO. NO, YOU CHANGED IT IN ONE SPOT BUT NOT THE OTHER. OH, OKAY. YOU CAUGHT IT ON THE SIGNATURE LINE, BUT NOT ON THE CERTIFICATION PARAGRAPH ABOVE IT. CORRECT? YEAH. IN THAT RED LINE THAT WOULD BE REFLECTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, I THINK I KNOW THE CLERK. YEAH, YEAH. THANK YOU. I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT TOO. ISN'T THE BIGGER TIMELINE CONCERN THE SUPREME COURT CASE AND THE NEED TO PUT A NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR, YOU KNOW, KEEPING OURSELVES PROTECTED? SO I DON'T KNOW THAT PARTICULARLY THE SUPREME COURT CASE DIDN'T OBVIOUSLY INVOLVE US THAT INVOLVED EAST LANSING. THEIR FACTS ARE SORT OF DISTINCT FROM OURS AS IT RELATES TO ONE, THE AMOUNT OF TERRITORY WITHIN THE JURISDICTION THAT'S SERVED BY BWL COMPARED TO US. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE REVENUE THAT THEY WERE RAISING, WHICH THEY SORT OF IS A PART OF THEIR FACTUAL RECORD WHEN THEY PUT THEIR FRANCHISE IN PLACE, IS VERY DISTINCT FROM SORT OF THE REASON THAT THIS TOWNSHIP HAS HAD A FRANCHISE FEE AND HOW THEY'VE SORT OF ALLOCATED THOSE EXPENSES. ONE OF REALLY THE REASON THAT THE FOUR YEAR PIECE GOES INTO PLAY IS, AS WE WERE DOING PRETTY EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS WITH BWL TO CHANGE THE PROVISIONS, PARTICULARLY SECTION THREE, AND WE WERE ALREADY WORKING ON MODIFICATIONS TO SECTION NINE, WHICH IS THAT FRANCHISE FEE, DELTA TOWNSHIP AND EAST LANSING WERE THEN SUED SOMEWHERE IN THAT PROCESS. DELTA OBVIOUSLY SETTLED THEIR PIECE, AND THEN EAST LANSING AS IT WAS GOING, WE SORT OF WERE WAITING THE PROCESS OUT TO SEE. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THERE'S A TIME REQUIREMENT NOW THAT DECISION HAS BEEN REACHED. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE STATE, AND WE DON'T THINK THAT IMPACTS THE PRIOR FRANCHISE. THAT'S CURRENTLY THE FALLBACK. THE BIGGER THING IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR FOUR YEARS. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STAFF INPUT ON RUNNING ALL THOSE CALCULATIONS FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE SIDE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO JUST BRING IT TO A CLOSE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK MAYBE MORE SO FROM BWL PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE WHEN THAT DECISION WAS REACHED, THEY DID PROVIDE NOTICE TO ALL OF THEIR JURISDICTIONS WHO WERE COLLECTING A FRANCHISE FEE, THAT THEY WANTED CONFIRMATION FROM THE TOWNSHIPS, THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THE FEE THAT WAS BEING COLLECTED WAS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR COST OR THE EXPENSES THAT THEY WERE INCURRED. WE HAD TO RESPOND TO THAT, AND WE RESPONDED THAT WE BELIEVED IT DID. AND THESE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS FURTHER COMPORT WITH THAT LETTER. SO THAT IS SORT OF THE TIMING INTEREST WE HAVE RESPONDED TO THEM. THEY OTHERWISE INDICATED AN INTEREST TO STOP COLLECTING THE FEE UNTIL ALL JURISDICTIONS RESPONDED. AND THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT MUNICIPAL JURISDICTIONS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THAT RULING. WE'RE PROBABLY SHORT OF THE LEAST IMPACTED JUST DUE TO TERRITORY. HOW WE'VE SORT OF APPLIED THAT SORT OF FRANCHISE FEE. BUT I THINK THAT ALSO IS PART OF THE TIMING COMPONENT AND THAT THE RESPONSE THAT WE PROVIDED, AND I THINK BWL HAS WITH BEING INVOLVED MORE DIRECTLY WITH EAST LANSING'S CASE, SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE CONCLUSIONS THAT ARE IN THAT SUPREME COURT DECISION. YOU KNOW, FRANCHISE FEES AND THE, WHETHER THEIR TAXES OR WHETHER THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FEES HAS KIND OF BEEN DECIDED IN CASES FOR MANY DECADES. AND THAT DECISION HAS SOME INTERESTING SENTENCES AND STATEMENTS IN IT. THAT LEAVES OPEN SOME CONCLUSIONS FOR THEM AS TO HOW TO PROCEED ON THESE ISSUES. SO THEY, I THINK, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO INTERESTED THAN US, WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF BRING SOME FINALITY TO SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THANK YOU. AND JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, HOW MUCH IN REVENUE IS GENERATED BY THIS FRANCHISE FEE? I SHOULD HAVE PULLED THAT NUMBER TODAY. IT'S IN THE $400,000 RANGE. I WANT TO SAY AROUND 450. I'LL HAVE TO CONSULT OUR RECORDS. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MEETING WITH THAT. YEAH. AND THEN IT'S QUARTERLY PAYMENTS. ALSO CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS CHANGE WILL HAVE ON THAT NUMBER. SPECIFICALLY SECTION NINE, THE ONLY IMPACT ON OUR FINANCES WOULD BE THE INCREASES IN ELECTRICAL RATES, BECAUSE IT'S 5% OF THE GROSS SALES FOR THE BWL. SO AS THEIR RATES GO UP, OUR FRANCHISE FEE REVENUE WOULD GO UP WITH IT. AND THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT WE DID ALSO MODIFY COMPARED TO PREVIOUS PRIOR VERSIONS, AND IN THE 1988 VERSION, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A FLAT FEE APPLICATION OF THAT PERCENTAGE. THERE WAS NO ADJUSTMENT THE WAY THAT SECTION NINE IS MODIFIED, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'VE DONE SORT OF A COST ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE HOW THESE ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTS ARE BEING INVOLVED IN THAT UTILITY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, IT CAN NOW BE ADJUSTED BY RESOLUTION TO REALLY REFLECT THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. SO THE PRIOR SORT OF 1988, YOU ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE, IT RUNS FOR 30 YEARS. IT HAS 5%, AS DAN NOTED, IF THAT REVENUE IS GOING UP, IT CAN ADJUST THAT 5%. IF THAT 5% AT ANY POINT IN TIME WOULD GET OVER AND ABOVE THE CURRENT EXPENSES, THEN WE COULD BUY RESOLUTION WITHOUT RENEGOTIATING ANYTHING, AMEND THAT SORT OF PERCENTAGE DOWN SO THAT THE TOTAL REVENUE RAISE IS STILL RIGHT ON PAR WITH THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES THAT YOU'RE INCURRING. THEN THE WAY THAT PARAGRAPH NINE IS NOW SET UP, IT'S LIKE A UNILATERAL ABILITY FOR US TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF THAT NEW PERCENTAGE TO BWL, AND IT'LL KIND OF SELF EXECUTE WITHOUT SORT OF ADDITIONAL NEGOTIATION OF THE FRANCHISE ITSELF. [01:00:01] SO IT ALLOWS ADJUSTMENT FOR YOU TO ENSURE THAT THAT NUMBER IS STAYING IN CHECK WITH WHAT THE COSTS ARE THAT YOU'RE INCURRING THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE 30 YEARS, BECAUSE YOU COULD IMAGINE SOME OF THE INTERESTING MATH THAT YOU COULD GET INTO TO TRY TO SORT OF APPLY SOME INFLATIONARY FACTORS OUT THAT FAR. SO IT JUST GIVES US BETTER CERTAINTY IN MAKING SURE THAT THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF IS IN CHECK WITH OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OTHER DISCUSSION. YES. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR PUBLIC WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR MEETINGS AND ESPECIALLY WITH THINGS RELATED TO YOU KNOW, SUSPENSION OF RULES. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHO DO LIVE IN THIS SERVICE AREA, THEY SHOULDN'T EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFERENCES IN HOW THEY GO ABOUT USING ELECTRIC AND WATER. IT'S JUST A FORMALITY BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP AND THE BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT. CORRECT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. CORRECT. OKAY. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. I, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF ANY OF US HAVE AN EMAIL AT ANY POINT ASKING, YOU KNOW WHAT, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. OTHER DISCUSSION OR A MOTION TO BE MADE. AND WE DO NOT NEED TO MAKE ANY, YOU CAN FIX THE RED LINED CLERK NAME WITHOUT US MAKING ANY CHANGES IN THE MOTION. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. IMPORTANTLY, TOO, FOR PURPOSES OF IT BEING A INTRODUCTION ONLY, OF COURSE, IF YOU ADOPT THE RESOLUTION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CURRENT DRAFT, BUT ANY SORT OF TYPO WE CAN FIX WITHOUT REMOVING THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE SUBSTANTIVE CONTENT REMAINS THE SAME. SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK TO A SUBSEQUENT MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. SO IF THERE ARE ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THAT BWL TERRITORY THAT ARE AWARE OF IT, THAT THEY RECEIVE THE POSTING, THEY WILL HAVE TIME TO SORT OF OBVIOUSLY BRING THOSE ITEMS TO THIS BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025-05, AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH THE LANSING BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT INTO THE TOWNSHIP CODE OF ORDINANCES. SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, DEPUTY CLERK GORDON. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. GENTLEMEN. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 10.A TOWNSHIP BOARD LIAISON TO THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. [10.A. Township Board Liaison to the East Lansing-Meridian Water & Sewer Authority Board of Trustees] DEPUTY MANAGER, OPSOMMER, WE COME BACK TO YOU. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS. SO JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THIS ITEM. FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, I HAVEN'T TRACED IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE YEAR IN WHICH EAST LANSING STARTED DOING THIS. BUT FOR AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH ELMWSA ARE AWARE, THE EAST LANSING CITY COUNCIL HAS ALWAYS HAD A LIAISON TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SO THIS IS NOT A VOTING MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THIS IS A COUNCILMEMBER THAT COMES, OBSERVES, TAKES NOTES, AND THEN REPORTS BACK, SIMILAR TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION LIAISON OR OTHER LIAISON POSITIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS WHERE YOU'RE NOT A VOTING MEMBER OF THAT BODY. SO ONE CONCEPT THAT I CAME UP WITH, AS WE DISCUSSED OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW WE ADDRESS THAT, AND ALSO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND THE SUBSEQUENT DEBT OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO START PAYING ON. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THE BOARD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTEGRATED INTO THE AND FOR THE PUBLIC AT HOME, ELMWSA IS THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY? SO IT IS OUR WATER PLANT THAT IS JOINTLY OWNED WITH THE CITY OF EAST LANSING. THIS IS YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU WERE TO SPEAK TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER EITHER THE CURRENT OR THE PREVIOUS ONE FROM THE CITY OF EAST LANSING, I THINK THEY WOULD CONCUR THAT THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING LOCAL BOARD IN THAT THERE'S A LOT OF EXPERTISE ON THE BOARD. IT'S MOSTLY THE TRUSTEES THEMSELVES ARE MOSTLY RETIRED PROFESSIONALS WHO WORKED IN WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, WASTEWATER RECOVERY FACILITIES, ETCETERA. SO THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE INDUSTRY. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO GLEAN MORE INSIGHTS INTO THE INNER WORKINGS OF ELMWSA. AND SO THAT IS KIND OF THE BACKDROP AND THE HISTORY OF HOW AND WHY THIS CAME BEFORE THE BOARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE US THIS EVENING IS JUST FOR DISCUSSION. TO OPEN. I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR. IF THERE'S ANY VOLUNTEERS FROM THE BOARD WHO WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT THE TOWNSHIP AS A LIAISON TO ELMWSA ON THEIR BOARD. TRUSTEE LENTZ? YEAH, I WOULD BE INTERESTED. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ILLUMINATING TOUR THAT DAN GAVE ME WHILE ON [01:05:10] MY DAY IN MERIDIAN. AND CONSIDERING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THAT AND THE TRI-COUNTY, WHICH OF COURSE DEALS WITH WATER AND SEWER AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT. I THINK THIS IS A NATURAL FIT FOR ME. I KNOW THAT TRUSTEE TREZISE HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST. IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH ME TAKING THIS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT. NO, I WAS I WAS INTERESTED I STILL AM INTERESTED IN IT. BUT REALISTICALLY AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE A BURDEN. SO I UNDERSTAND. WELL, I YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO BE THE BOARD LIAISON IN THAT SENSE. AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT A SUBJECT THAT MAYBE A YEAR AGO WAS NOT VERY HIGH ON MY RADAR. SO I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT BEHIND THIS. MR. OPSOMMER. FABULOUS. ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS OR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO THROW THEIR HAT IN THE RING? THEN WE'LL SEE THIS BACK ON CONSENT FOR OUR NEXT MEETING. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FINALLY ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 10.B TO COMCAST LOCAL FRANCHISE RENEWAL. [10.B. Comcast Local Franchise Agreement Renewal] AND FOR THIS WE HAVE MANAGER DEMPSEY AND MANAGER DIEHL. YEAH. THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD THAN THE BOARD OF WATER AND LIGHT FRANCHISE AGREEMENT. THIS IS A TEN YEAR AGREEMENT COMING UP BECAUSE OUR PRIOR TEN YEAR AGREEMENT IS EXPIRING. THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE ACTUALLY PRECISELY THE SAME, REALLY AS THE PRIOR AGREEMENT. WE HAD OUR LEGAL COUNSEL REVIEW IT, THOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MET ALL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS, WHICH IT DOES. IT IS A 5% FRANCHISE FEE. WE'RE ABLE TO USE THE REVENUE FROM THAT FEE FOR GENERAL TOWNSHIP ACTIVITIES. AND THEN THERE'S A 2% FEE, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION FEE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OR THAT WE UTILIZE FOR AGAIN, SUPPORTING PUBLIC ACCESS ON THAT. SO THE FEES ARE YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH THEIR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES. WE, OF COURSE, HAVE SEEN THOSE FEES DECLINE OVER TIME AS CABLE HAS SORT OF DECLINED AS FAR AS THE SUBSCRIPTION USER. BUT THEN EXCUSE ME, THE I MEANT 1%, NOT 2% EARLIER. ON THE PAT FEE. WE ATTEMPTED, I BELIEVE, BACK TEN YEARS AGO DOING SOME HISTORY. SAM DID SOME GREAT SLEUTHING AND PULLED OUT RECORDS WHERE WE HAD EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS TO TRY TO GET THAT RAISED TO NO AVAIL. IT WAS DIFFICULT. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LEVERAGE. AND THE OTHER POSITION THAT WE'RE IN AT THIS POINT IS WE'RE NOT REALLY DOING ADDITIONAL WORK IN OUR PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAMING. OR THAT WOULD REQUIRE REALLY JUSTIFY INCREASING THAT FEE. SO IN THIS CURRENT AGREEMENT, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT THE FEES REMAIN THE SAME. WE ESSENTIALLY RENEW IT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE REVENUE FROM, FROM BOTH SOURCES. SO AND AGAIN, JUST DISCUSSION ONLY THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE WILSON. THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND I KNOW WE UTILIZE THOSE PAT FEES ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT. OKAY. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. THAT SOUNDS LIKE NEGOTIATING WITH COMCAST AS ANY NORMAL CONSUMER WOULD TELL YOU, IS USUALLY A PRETTY USELESS ENDEAVOR. BUT I SUSPECT IT'S NOT TOO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM FROM THE TOWNSHIP'S PERSPECTIVE, DESPITE OUR SIZE. BUT IT IS REVENUE WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE. WE WANT TO FUND OUR CABLE ACCESS. OUR RESIDENTS CERTAINLY VALUE IT. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS WELL. TRUSTEE TREZISE, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK A QUESTION. YOU MAKE REFERENCE TO THE AT&T FRANCHISE FEE, BUT THAT'S NOT BEFORE US AT THIS POINT. I SEE IT ISN'T EXPIRING THIS YEAR. SO I JUST WAS SURPRISED TO SEE BOTH OF THEM IN ONE PARAGRAPH. ACTUALLY. ONE SENTENCE. OKAY. SO IS THAT SOMETHING WE WOULD EXPECT FROM A DIFFERENT ONE DOWN THE LINE OR. YEAH. WELL YEAH THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE. YEAH. FROM THIS. YEP. COOL. THANK YOU. 28. OH OKAY. YEAH. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE'LL SEE THIS BACK NEXT TIME. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. SAME RULES APPLY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TURN TO THE GREEN CARD. AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME. SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 7:13 P.M.. NEXT UP IS ITEM 12. [12. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS] OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. ANY OTHER MATTERS ON BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS? JUST DO A QUICK PLUG. WE'VE GOT OUR JUNETEENTH EVENT COMING UP ON THE 20TH AT THE MARKETPLACE [01:10:04] ON THE GREEN SO MAKE SURE TO COME OUT THAT EVENING. IT SHOULD BE A GOOD EVENT WITH A LOT OF GOOD LIVE MUSIC AND OTHER THINGS COMING UP THERE. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT EVENT. WE DO HAVE A MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE TO PLAN THEIR LIVES OUT A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF TIME. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT HEADS UP NOW. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 13, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 7:14 P.M.. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.