[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER] [00:00:26] OKAY, SO ARE WE GOOD TO GO AT SEVEN? YEAH. OKAY, GREAT. ALL RIGHT, SO 7:00. SO I'D LIKE TO CALL THE JUNE 4TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER. SO FIRST THING ON THE AGENDA. OH, SO CHAIR MCCONNELL IS HAD A CONFLICT, SO HE'S NOT GOING TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. SO HE ASKED IF I COULD CHAIR THE MEETING, AND THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING. SO I GET TO POUND THE TABLE. I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. SO, ANYWAY FIRST THING ON THE AGENDA IS ROLL CALL, RIGHT? SURE. SO, I CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT. ALL RIGHT. I'M A PROJECT ENGINEER. JACK HUGHES WITH THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STAFF. AND I'LL COMMIT A QUICK ROLL CALL HERE. . PERFECT. AND THEN DEPUTY MANAGER DAN OPSOMMER WILL BE BACK. OKAY, GREAT. SO WE IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY PRETTY SHORT MEETING. WE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS PRESENTATION. AND WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THIS EVENING. SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM THEN IS CITIZENS ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION AND SEEING THAT THERE ARE NONE. SO, WE CAN SKIP THAT ONE. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS COMMUNICATIONS, AND THERE IS A COMMUNICATION. [5. COMMUNICATIONS] THERE IS ONE COMMUNICATION. SO I'M JUST GOING TO I THINK WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF GETTING THE PACKET UPLOADED SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT DIGITALLY. BUT IN LIEU OF THAT REAL QUICK I WILL JUST KIND OF READ OFF THIS COMMUNIQUE THAT DAN HAD SENT OFF TO THE COMMISSION. THIS WAS JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WAS ABLE TO GET THE 2025 GREEN COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE APPLICATION SUBMITTED. THIS WAS ON AS WE WERE REMINDED LAST MEETING BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. SO THE TOWNSHIP WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR THAT. MICHIGAN GREEN COMMUNITIES CURRENTLY PLANS TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS BY EARLY JUNE. WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE GOLD BADGE FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, AND THE TOWNSHIP WILL LET THE COMMISSION KNOW WHEN WE RECEIVE THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT LATER IN JUNE. GREAT. THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT FOR COMMUNICATIONS. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? JUST A COMMENT IF I COULD. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO THANK STAFF BECAUSE I HAD BROUGHT THIS UP AT THE END OF THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING, AND THERE WAS ONLY A WEEK UNTIL THE DEADLINE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAFF THAT WAS ABLE TO GET THIS SUBMITTED ON TIME. AND GLAD THAT WE DIDN'T MISS A DEADLINE. AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WILL BE RECEIVING THE GOLD CERTIFICATION, SO THANK YOU. THANKS. ALL AROUND. YEAH. GREAT, THANKS. IT'S EXCITING. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY. SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. [6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] SEEMS LIKE A STRANGE ORDER, BUT SO I GUESS I PROPOSE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY ADDITIONS OR ANYTHING OR CHANGES. YEAH. WE HAVE THREE TYPO CORRECTIONS PROVIDED BY COMMISSIONER FRAIZER THAT WE WILL AMEND THE MINUTES FOR, FOR THE NEXT MEETING THERE. OH, THAT'S THE MINUTES OR THE. OH, I'M SORRY. APPROVING THE AGENDA. I'M SORRY. YEP. I'M AHEAD. NO AGENDA. NO COMMENTS THERE. OKAY. TO VOTE ON THE AGENDA. ARE WE GOOD WITH JUST SAYING WE APPROVE THE AGENDA? CAN'T REMEMBER. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE A MOTION AND THEN A SECOND. OKAY, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. I'LL SECOND. SO ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY, SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. [7. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – May 7, 2025 REGULAR MEETING] THE MAY 7TH. THEN YOU SAID THERE WERE SOME THERE. [00:05:02] WE HAVE SOME CORRECTIONS TO MAKE. OKAY. YEAH. WE WILL HAVE THE AMENDED MINUTES READY FOR INCLUSION IN THE NEXT PACKET. OKAY. ANY OTHER CHANGES OR ANYTHING FOR THE MINUTES? LOOK GOOD TO ME. EXCEPT FOR THE SNEAKING IN OF THE APPROVAL OF THE VICE CHAIR. I WAS THERE. OKAY. SO, WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, THEN. SO, A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THOSE TYPO CORRECTIONS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD USE. SO WHOEVER WANTS TO MAKE THAT, I'LL SUPPORT. I CAN'T MAKE IT. I'M SORRY. I'M A NON-VOTING MEMBER AS THE TRUSTEE SOMEONE ELSE. I MOVE, WE APPROVE THE MINUTES, AS AMENDED, AND I'LL SUPPORT. OKAY. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES WITH THE CORRECTIONS, THEN SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY, GREAT. SO MINUTES APPROVED. CHUGGING RIGHT ALONG. NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS NEW BUSINESS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS IS MY UNDERSTANDING. SO WE CAN MOVE TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS. ALL RIGHT. [9.A. 2025 Green Grant Award Recommendations] ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE ITEM HERE LOOKING TO KIND OF WRAP UP OUR DISCUSSIONS OF THE GREEN GRANTS. LET'S SEE. LOOK AT THAT. WE'VE GOT A PACKET. ALRIGHTY. SO, IN THE PREVIOUS TWO MEETINGS, WE'VE GONE OVER SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR GREEN GRANTS. IT IS. WE HAD A COUPLE LATE TRYING TO SEE IF I CAN ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT HERE. WE HAD A COUPLE LATE APPLICATIONS, ONE FROM THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY, AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER APPLICATION THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO BACK AND GET SOME FURTHER INFORMATION ON FROM THE CORNELL WOODS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. THEY HAD INITIALLY REQUESTED 5 OR 7000 FOR THEIR GREEN GRANT TO CREATE SOME, SOME NATIVE PLANTING AREAS. AS A QUICK REMINDER. HERE'S CORNELL ROAD. THIS GREEN GRANT IS FOCUSED ON THE CREATION OF SOME GREEN SPACE UP IN THIS AREA HERE, THE KIND OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THIS LOT AREA. BACK. SO WE HAD A FEW MORE QUESTIONS FOR THEM BEFORE WE WANTED TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON THEIR AWARD RECOMMENDATION. WE ALSO WANTED TO GET THE COMPLETED APPLICATION FROM THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY. SO PREVIOUSLY THE COMMISSION HAD VOTED IN FAVOR TO APPROVE THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE REQUESTED BY THE GIRL SCOUT TROOP, THE MONTESSORI GRAMMAR SCHOOL, THE PINE CREEK TWO AND HASLETT CONDO ASSOCIATION, AND THE YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LANSING PARKWOOD BRANCH. THE AMOUNTS REQUESTED WERE APPROVED FOR THOSE SO THE TOWNSHIP THEN WANTED TO LOOK INTO THESE OTHER TWO THAT WERE KIND OF LEFTOVERS. WE DID ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THE CORNELL WOODS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TO GO OVER THEIR GRANT. WE HAD A FEW QUESTIONS FOR THEM. THE FIRST QUESTION WE HAD WAS IN REGARD TO THE BIOSWALE THERE CREATING ALONG HERE, WE WERE WONDERING IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN THIS UP TO THE PUBLIC PARTICULARLY THROUGH SOME SCHOOL GROUPS, THROUGH THE CORNELL ELEMENTARY. THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS OKAY WITH THAT. SO THEY'RE FINE THERE. WE WERE ALSO CURIOUS IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OR WILLING TO LET OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IF INTERESTED, USE THE SITE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. THEY ARE ALSO OKAY WITH THAT AND RELATED. WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO PUT UP SOME EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS THE PROJECT AND THE SPECIES IN THE AREA FOR THOSE SCHOOLS. THEY ARE ALSO ON BOARD WITH THAT IDEA. LASTLY, WE WERE WONDERING IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER REDUCING THE SIZE OF THEIR FOOTPRINT IN ORDER TO CREATE KIND OF MORE OF A DRAINAGE RETENTION AREA. THIS WOULD SERVE KIND OF THE TOWNSHIP MORE THAN THEM. THEY WERE NOT AS KEEN ON THAT IDEA, SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO STICK TO THEIR ORIGINAL PLAN FOR JUST NATIVE SPECIES. BUT WE ARE STILL GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECOMMEND THAT WE AWARD THEM THEIR FULL REQUESTED $7,000, AS OPPOSED TO THE FIVE MINIMUM THAT THEY HAD LOOKED FOR. [00:10:06] AND WE THEN RECEIVED THE COMPLETED GRANT FOR FROM OR I'M SORRY, THE COMPLETED APPLICATION FROM THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY. AND THIS APPLICATION IS IN REGARD TO NATIVE PLANTINGS THROUGHOUT MERIDIAN. AND LET ME SEE IF I'VE GOT A COPY OF THAT HERE. SO THIS IS GRANT LOOKING FOR. I THINK IT WAS. YEAH, 2500. INITIALLY THEY HAD REQUESTED 5000. DURING THE DURING THEIR COMPLETED APPLICATION, THEY HAD DROPPED THAT DOWN TO 2500. AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY A CONTINUATION OF EXISTS OF LIKE GRANTS THEY HAVE RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY TO CARRY OUT THESE NATIVE TREE PLANTINGS. SO WE PRESUME THIS PROJECT TO BE IN LINE WITH KIND OF PREVIOUS YEAR PROJECTS. AND SO WE KNOW IT'S IN GOOD HANDS AND WE RECOMMEND THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL PROCEED WITH AWARDING THIS GRANT TO THEM. I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE THE PLANTINGS ARE AND WHAT KIND OF PLANTINGS WE'D BE LOOKING AT. IF NOT, I THINK WE CAN USE KIND OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S GRANTS AS AN EXAMPLE OF KIND OF WHAT THEY DO AND WHERE THEY DO IT. I THINK DAN MIGHT HAVE SOME FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT FOR US. YEAH. AND SO REAL BRIEFLY, I'M GOING TO PASS OUT KIND OF THE FINAL REPORT PACKET THAT THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY PROVIDED. THERE ARE A FEW DISCREPANCIES IN THE FINAL REPORT KIND OF MEMO ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE THAT YOU'LL SEE, THEY DO CITE PLANTING NEARLY 900 TREES. SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION IN HERE CONFLICTS WITH THAT. BUT REGARDLESS, THEY PLANTED SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 600 TO 900 TREES. THE SCREEN GRANT WAS FOR $700. SO THEY HAVE BEEN INVESTING WELL IN EXCESS, JUST IN THE PLANTINGS ALONE, MUCH LESS THE LABOR INVOLVED. SO GIVEN THAT THIS IS A 501(C)(3), YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND GIVEN THE NUMBERS THAT THEY'RE GIVING US, THEY'RE PROBABLY PRODUCING THE GREATEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF ANY OF THE GREEN GRANT RECIPIENTS. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS THIS OUT AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO JACK TO CONTINUE. THANK YOU. SO NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE GREEN GRANTS IN FOR 2025, WE CAN LOOK AT THE TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED VERSUS THE AMOUNT AWARDED. WE HAVE A TABLE HERE WITH SOME OF THOSE FIGURES. WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY'S REQUESTED AMOUNT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 18 K FOR THE GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS. OUT OF OUR BUDGET THERE OF 20 K. SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF LEFT OVER THERE IN ORDER TO, WE'RE ABLE TO FUND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS, ALL OF THEM UP TO THE AMOUNTS REQUESTED. SO CONSIDERING THIS, THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION GO AHEAD AND AWARD UP THE AMOUNTS REQUESTED FOR EACH OF THESE PROJECTS, AND WE WILL SEE THEM THROUGH. SO WE HAVE A MOTION HERE IN BOLD. THAT'S BEEN PREPARED. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I SUPPOSE, DOES THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO GREEN GRANTS? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SURE. SO ONE QUESTION IS AND MAYBE YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT IT LAST, LAST TIME BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT I GUESS FOR THE SPECIES THAT A COUPLE OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES, CAN WE DO YOU KNOW, OR CAN WE ASK THEM TO POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP LIKE EMMA OR, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE SPECIES LIST AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SITE AND THE SOIL AND ALL THAT STUFF SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, HAVE SUCCESSFUL GROWTH. AND YEAH, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. YEAH. I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. YEAH. WHEN WE SEND OUT THEIR AGREEMENTS, WE CAN KIND OF FACILITATE THAT CONNECTION. SURE. WE'LL REPORT THAT. OKAY, GREAT. I MIGHT BE ABLE TO INTERJECT A LITTLE BIT. [00:15:03] WHEN THE SUBCOMMITTEE MET, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN COORDINATION WITH THE TOWNSHIP IN TERMS OF SITING AND SPECIES SELECTION. SO THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE INCLUDED IN THE AWARD NOTICE. OKAY. GREAT. THANKS. AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD WAS SO IF THEIR PLAN IF MID-MICHIGAN IS PLANTING THE TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, DO WE HAVE ANY WAY TO GUARANTEE THAT THOSE TREES ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING TO STAY THERE AND NOT BE CUT DOWN IF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OR IF THEY TRANSFER THEIR PROPERTY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. YOU KNOW JUDY, RIGHT? SO IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT OWNERS, OBVIOUSLY THE CURRENT OWNERS ARE VERY MUCH IN THE SPIRIT OF PARTICIPATION, RIGHT? SO WITH THE CURRENT OWNERS, THAT'S REALLY NOT A RISK THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING. HOWEVER, LAND DOES TRANSACT OVER TIME. AND THERE REALLY WOULDN'T BE A GOOD WAY. I MEAN, CERTAINLY IF THERE WAS A LOT OF IF THERE WERE A LOT OF TREES CUT DOWN, WE WOULD PERHAPS NOTICE THAT. BUT IF YOU'RE JUST REMOVING ONE TREE TEN YEARS FROM NOW, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DETECT, RIGHT? WE ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY LANGUAGE IN THE AGREEMENT FOR CLAW BACK ON THAT. AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE. FORCE. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THE ATTORNEYS ABOUT THAT, BUT MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD BE TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE A CLAW BACK PROVISION. CLAW BACK MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. SO, I THINK THAT'S ONE WHERE WE'RE JUST KIND OF TAKING THE RISK. RIGHT? AND A LOT OF THESE ARE THEY ARE IMMATURE TREES. AND SO SURVIVAL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEER POPULATION, RIGHT, IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE AS WELL. SO THAT'S KIND OF A RISK THAT WE TAKE RIGHT AT THE OUTSET. THAT'S KIND OF WHY I WAS ENCOURAGED JUST TO SEE THE QUANTITY THAT MLC WAS PLANTING, KNOWING THAT THE DEER POPULATION IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT. AND WELL, MS PREDECESSORS AND EMMA MIGHT HAVE WORKED ON THIS AS WELL MORE RECENTLY, BUT I KNOW, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK 5 TO 8 YEARS AGO, WE WERE TRYING TO REFOREST PORTIONS OF THE TOWER GARDEN, THE LAND PRESERVE ADJACENT TO THE TOWER GARDENS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE DEER POPULATION WAS TAKING ITS TOLL ON THE TREES. EVEN WITH THE TUBES, WE WERE LOSING A LOT OF TREES AND WE KIND OF TOOK A STEP BACK AT ONE POINT AND WERE REASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT LOCATION. RIGHT. THE GOOD NEWS IS A LOT OF THESE TREES ARE BEING PLANTED, LIKE IN THE MONTGOMERY DRAIN DISTRICT, FOR INSTANCE, WHICH IS LIKE THE SHAW POTTER STREET NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF HASLETT AND MARSH ROAD. THOSE TREES ARE BEING PLANTED IN A FAIRLY DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE AREN'T THAT MANY DEER. AND THEY'RE BEING PLANTED ON THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE'S PROPERTY. SO, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THOSE TREES AREN'T GOING TO BE CUT DOWN UNLESS THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THE HEALTH OF THE TREE IS AN ISSUE. THE SOME OF THE TREES WERE ALSO PLANTED IN THE WETLAND AT THE CORNELL WOODS PARCEL. THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE OTHER APPLICATION. OKAY. SO I WOULD SAY FOR ALL GREEN GRANTS FROM 2020 TO PRESENT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A RISK THAT WE ARE TAKING IS THAT THE NATIVE PLANTINGS OR ANY OF THIS COULD GO AWAY WITH OR WITHOUT THE TOWNSHIP'S KNOWLEDGE. OKAY. I WAS WONDERING MAYBE IF AT SOME POINT THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF CHECK UP ON HOW THOSE TREES ARE DOING SO THAT NOT FROM THE CUTTING STANDPOINT, BUT JUST FROM THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE BEST PRACTICE STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE LIKE THOSE, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO TO TRY TO INCREASE THE CHANCES OF THOSE TREES YOU KNOW, TO DO BETTER JUST TO EVALUATE IN THE FUTURE FOR THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, IS IT WORTH THE TOWNSHIP DOING IT? YOU KNOW, IF DEER IN CERTAIN AREAS IS SO HIGH AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY GET EATEN ANYWAY, THEN MAYBE WE DIRECT PEOPLE TO NOT PLAN IN THOSE AREAS AND PLAN IN OTHER AREAS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA FOR A DISCUSSION ITEM OR A NEW AGENDA ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING, PERHAPS AS WE TALK ABOUT AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS DOING SITE VISITS FOR OUR FORMAL MEETINGS. RIGHT. LAND PRESERVATION DOES IT ALL THE TIME. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MAYBE IMPLEMENT AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION LEVEL, WHERE WE GO OUT AND WE VISIT A SITE OR TWO. AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS. RIGHT. WE CAN CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS IN THE FIELD. WE WOULDN'T BE CONDUCTING MUCH FORMAL BUSINESS, BUT IT WOULD PREDOMINANTLY BE TO VISIT SOME OF OUR PAST SITES AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT HOW [00:20:03] THINGS ARE PERFORMING AND THE HEALTH OF ANY TREES OR PLANTINGS. IS THE SIGNAGE STILL PRESENT? THOSE KINDS OF THINGS? DO THEY GEOLOCATE THESE TREES WHEN THEY WHEN THEY PLANT THEM? I'M CERTAIN THAT MLK IS NOT GEO LOCATING THE TREES. WE COULD PUT THEM INTO OUR GIS DATABASE, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO GET MORE ACCURATE DATA FROM THE MLC. RIGHT NOW IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP THAT I DISTRIBUTED, IT HAS SOME PIN DROPS ON IT THAT DENOTE WHERE TREES WERE PLANTED. BUT THE QUANTITIES. RIGHT. THERE'S A LOT OF QUANTITY. SO BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO. WE STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT THOUGH EVEN FOR OUR CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, I UNDERSTAND THAT STAFF RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. AND YOU KNOW, GEO LOCATING NEW HYDRANTS AND GATE VALVES FOR THE WATER SYSTEM IS GOING TO TAKE PRECEDENT OVER GEO LOCATING THE GREEN GRANT STUFF. BUT COULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I'VE WORKED ON TREE PLANTING THINGS LIKE IN HAITI AND THROUGH THAT NONPROFIT. WE JUST TOOK OUR PHONES OUT AND DROPPED PINS AS I MEAN, COULD THE GROUP THAT'S PLANTING THEM JUST AT LEAST GET AN ESTIMATE LIKE OF WHERE THEY ARE, HOW MANY TREES THERE ARE? COULD THEY JUST RECORD THAT? I MEAN, I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIP RESOURCES, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY ASK IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT. I DON'T RECALL IF WE HAD ANY OTHERS THAT WERE SPECIFIC TO TREE PLANTING. HISTORICALLY, I THINK IT MIGHT SIMPLY BE THE 2024 MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY, ONE THAT WAS STRICTLY DEVOTED TO TREE PLANTING. SO WE COULD CERTAINLY ASK JARED IF HE'D BE WILLING TO DO THAT. AND IF HE GIVES US THE DATA, WE CAN EASILY IMPORT IT INTO OUR GIS DATABASE PRETTY SEAMLESSLY. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO ARCGIS, BUT IF THEY DID, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD EASILY CREATE A SURVEY ONE, TWO, THREE FORM AND THEN GO OUT THERE AND JUST TAKE A POINT AND THEN MARK DOWN HOW MANY TREES, WHAT TREE SPECIES WOULD BE LIKE A FIVE MINUTE, YOU KNOW, THING. RIGHT, WHICH I COULD HELP CREATE OR SOMEBODY COULD HELP CREATE A FORM OF YEAH, OKAY. WE'LL GO BACK. WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO JARED AND SEE WHAT HIS THOUGHTS ARE. YEAH, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE SITE VISITS. THAT WOULD BE COOL. I LIKE THAT TOO. I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY INFORM US HOW THE IMPACT OF THESE FUNDS ARE BEING USED. AND IF IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT THE STATUS IS SO THAT WE CAN BE BEST INFORMED, OKAY. DO WE NEED TO PIVOT A LITTLE BIT? DO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, REFINE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND TO UNDERSTAND THE LASTING IMPACT? ALSO, WITH RESPECT BACK TO OUR WHOLE PLAN THAT WE'VE BEEN. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ON THE. GRANT REQUEST. I KNOW ORIGINALLY IT WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE FINAL REQUEST. AND I WAS WONDERING HOW IT GOT TO THAT POINT AND KIND OF WHAT WAS MISSING FROM THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL? I'M NOT SURE. I DIDN'T REALLY SEE THEIR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL. IF THEIR LAST YEAR'S PROPOSAL WAS ONLY 700, I GUESS THIS BRINGS US A LITTLE CLOSER TO THAT. ALSO KEEPS US WITHIN THE BUDGET. BUT DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHY THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND OR. I DIDN'T TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT CAME IN ON THE 2024 APPLICATION FORM. THEY SUBMITTED IT. I THINK THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. HARVEY AHEAD OF THE WINDOW OPENING, AND SO THEY SUBMITTED A 2024 FORM FOR 2025. I'VE. SO THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ALL THE DETAILS AND INFORMATION THAT THE OTHER APPLICANTS DID. SO WE MORE OR LESS SET THAT ONE ASIDE, GIVEN THAT IT WAS NOT APPLES TO APPLES WITH ALL THE OTHER APPLICANTS. OKAY. THANKS. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ALSO. I'M SEEING IN HERE. CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE CLARITY? I SEE THE GREEN GRANT FINAL REPORT, AND THEN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TREE ALLOCATION, WHERE IT SAYS THE NEED AT THE BOTTOM. THERE'S A DISCREPANCY HERE. IT SAYS 50 SUGAR MAPLES, 25 WHITE OAK AND 100 RED OAK. WHERE THE NEED PAGE LIKE UNDER THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TREE ALLOCATION SAYS 50. SO I DIDN'T KNOW. THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW IS THE 50 2550 OR THE 5025 100. [00:25:09] YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. AND THEN I HAVE ONE OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTION, TOO. SORRY. SO THIS LETTER IS REFERRING TO THE WORK FROM LAST YEAR'S GREEN GRANT. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. OKAY. AND I THINK SO THE SECOND TO LAST OR THE FIRST SENTENCE IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH, I BELIEVE WHAT JARED IS STATING THERE IS THAT THESE WERE THE FINAL TREES THAT WERE PLANTED UNDER THEIR 2024 GRANT APPLICATION FROM LAST YEAR, BUT WE COULD GET CLARIFICATION FROM HIM ON THAT BECAUSE HE DOES CONCLUDE IT WITH THIS WEEK TO CONCLUDE THE PROJECT. AND THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO US REQUESTING AN UPDATE ON THEIR 2024 GRANT. SO, HE WAS PROVIDING THIS WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO OF US REQUESTING AN UPDATE ON THE 2024 GRANT. SO I THINK THOSE WERE THE FINAL PLANTINGS THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON. OKAY. SO THEY STILL HAVE TO PLANT 5025 25 AND 100. IS THAT WHAT WE ARE? NOT CERTAIN IF THOSE ARE IN THE GROUND OR NOT? BECAUSE THEN ON THE OTHER SHEET, THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TREE ALLOCATION AT THE BOTTOM IT SAYS 5025, 50 NOT IT DOESN'T MATCH THE 100 RED OAK. SO THAT'S WHERE I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. AND IT SAYS THEY'LL DISTRIBUTE TO LANDOWNERS. SO I WONDER IF THEY WILL DISTRIBUTE TO LANDOWNERS HOW WE WOULD TRACK THAT. BECAUSE IF THE LANDOWNER THEN HAS THE, YOU KNOW, CAPACITY TO PLANT WHATEVER THEY WANT, HOW WOULD WE ACTUALLY PIN THAT WITH GIS IF WE WANTED THEM TO DO THAT? SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M GOING. I THINK THAT THESE NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SHEET ARE IN REFERENCE TO THE AVAILABLE VERSUS REQUESTED. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUGAR MAPLE, THERE WERE 75 AVAILABLE, ABOUT 125 REQUESTED, THE DIFFERENCE BEING THE 50 THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM. THAT'S WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE. AND I THINK THIS SHEET, ACCORDING TO MR. OPSOMMER, IS THAT THIS IS WHAT THEY HAD LEFT TO PLANT OF THIS. I THINK THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. THIS IS THERE. THAT'S WHAT. THAT'S THE WAY I READ IT. OKAY. I THINK WE NEED JUST A LITTLE MORE CLARITY, THOUGH. YEAH. IF YOU LOOK, THE NUMBERS PRETTY MUCH MATCH UP. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TREE ALLOCATION TABLE FOR WHITE OAK, THERE WERE 70 REQUESTED. 50 AVAILABLE. JARED WAS 25 DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, BUT I BELIEVE HE MEANS 20 WHITE OAK BECAUSE THAT WOULD MATCH. I MEAN, HE'S VOLUNTEERING HIS TIME, YOU KNOW. UNDERSTAND, PLEASE. THAT HE'S DOING A LOT OF WORK TO VOLUNTEER HIS TIME. SO WE ALSO WANT TO BE COURTEOUS AND SPEAKING TO HIM. BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, WE COULD EVEN ASK MAYBE SOME OF THESE GREEN GRANT RECIPIENTS TO COME AND PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION SO THAT THEY CAN. THERE'S A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES, RIGHT? AND I, IN THE INTEREST OF NOT SENDING HIM A BULLET POINTED LIST TO CLARIFY ALL THE DISCREPANCIES, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS THAT DON'T QUITE COMPUTE WHEN HE'S DOING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF WORK WITH A $700 GRANT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BALANCE THAT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WE DO SEE A LOT OF GOODWILL COMING FROM THE MLC. BUT WE COULD LOOK AT HAVING THEM COME AND SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION AS WELL. THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION. YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT. I MEAN, I LOVE THE IDEA OF TREE PLANTING, YOU KNOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG. I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK. I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THIS WHOLE THING WORKS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH PLANTING ON PRIVATE LAND AND WHERE LIKE WHAT? WHERE ARE WE PICKING THESE AREAS EXACTLY? AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE DOING IT IN PLACES THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, THE MOST, I GUESS. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TELL WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. SO NOT THAT THE CONCEPT AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT HE'S DOING IT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT. WHAT. YEAH. WHAT DO WE GET. LIKE WHAT'S THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY IN TOTAL. AND WHERE ARE THESE TREES ACTUALLY GOING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WHAT WE MIGHT BECAUSE ANYTIME WE'RE DOING A GRANT PROCESS, RIGHT, WE'RE LIMITED TO WHAT PEOPLE BRING TO US. RIGHT. AND THESE ARE HOA'S AND THE YMCA HASLETT BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION, NEARLY 100% OF THE LABOR HOURS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE VOLUNTEER, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME. AND SO WE ARE PRETTY LIMITED. WHEREAS WE COULD TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THIS FUNDING AND IN A BROADER CONTEXT, [00:30:04] WE COULD LOOK AT INVESTING THIS IN TOWNSHIP PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING. WE THERE IS NEVER A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A PROJECT UNDER CONSTRUCTION. FOR INSTANCE, WE JUST GOT BID OR BIDS IN FOR THE BOARDWALK ON US IN FRONT OF THE SCHULTZ VET CLINIC IN BENNETT WOODS ELEMENTARY AND BENNETT ROAD, JUST WEST OF HEWLETT ROAD. WE COULD EASILY, IF WE, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE GREEN GRANT FUNDING TO INVEST IN A PUBLIC PROJECT LIKE THAT. WE CAN DO THINGS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY OR ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PROPERTY AND PUT IT IN AN EASEMENT. WE'RE ALREADY SIGNING EASEMENTS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS PART OF THAT PROJECT FOR THE BOARDWALK, AND THAT'S IF WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO INVEST THESE DOLLARS IN PUBLIC PROJECTS. THAT'S KIND OF THE COURSE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THE INVESTMENT STAYS THERE IN PERPETUITY OR UNTIL THE PLANTINGS REACH THEIR FULL LIFE EXPECTANCY. ANOTHER EXAMPLE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM. WE'RE CONSTANTLY DOING DITCH CLEANOUT, BUT WE COULD DO BIOSWALES AND NATIVE PLANTINGS IN THE BIOSWALES THAT WOULD INCREASE IT WOULD INCREASE THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF THE ROAD PROGRAM, AND IT WOULD DO A LOT FOR TREATMENT OF STORMWATER PRIOR TO DISCHARGE TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER AND OTHER WETLANDS IN THE TOWNSHIP, ET CETERA. WATER, EVEN ON WATER AND SANITARY SEWER PROJECTS, WE'RE ALWAYS HAVING TO RESTORE AT GRADE, RIGHT? SO THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AT GRADE TO ADD AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE COMPONENT TO OUR PROJECTS. THOSE ARE TYPICALLY NOT THINGS THAT WE DO BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED, RIGHT? FOR ROAD FUNDING, WE WOULD BE TAKING RESURFACING OF SOMEONE ELSE'S ROADWAY TO USE THE ROAD MILLAGE DOLLARS IN THAT RESPECT. AND WE ARE ALREADY KIND OF BEHIND IN TERMS OF OUR OBJECTIVE TO RESURFACE ROADS. AND ON THE WATER AND SEWER SIDE, WE ALSO HAVE LIMITED MEANS WITH OUR WATER AND SEWER RATES. RIGHT. BUT WE COULD LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE INVEST THESE FUNDS IN PUBLIC PROJECTS WHERE THERE ARE THOSE PROTECTIONS, WHETHER IT BE VIA A PUBLIC EASEMENT OR PUBLIC LAND OR PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THOUGHT THAT COULD BE A FUTURE DISCUSSION ITEM WHERE WE JUST KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK AND REVISIT, YOU KNOW, THE GREEN GRANT FUNDS, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A GRANT PROGRAM. IT CAN JUST BE. HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENT? AND MAYBE IT'S JUST PARTLY, YOU KNOW, ME BEING FAIRLY IS STILL PRETTY NEW TO THE COMMISSION AND UNDERSTANDING, LIKE THE GREEN GRANT PROGRAM AND THE ORIGIN AND THE INTENT OF THAT PROGRAM COMPARED TO LIKE THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING, WHICH AND THEN WHAT OTHER FUNDING AVAILABLE, FUNDING THERE IS IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE TOWNSHIP FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE KIND OF PROJECTS. AND SO I THINK, I THINK HAVING SOME BACKGROUND WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME, YOU KNOW, BEING STILL FAIRLY NEW TO THE COMMISSION. AND I DO SEE A BENEFIT IN, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO DO THESE KIND OF PROJECTS, I GUESS, ON PRIVATE LAND. SO MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT GREEN GRANTS VERSUS CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I YEAH. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST ME NOT UNDERSTANDING FULLY THESE PROGRAMS AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT TO THINK ABOUT. YEAH. WHAT'S THE INTENT OF THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? AND THEN MAYBE TAKE A STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AND HOW TO GET THERE. AND I MEAN, THE GREEN GRANTS, THE ORIGIN WAS TREASURER DESCHAINE HAD, YOU KNOW, IT ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A TREE PLANTING EXERCISE IN YEAR ONE. THERE WERE ONLY TWO GRANTS. I THINK ONE WAS FOR EITHER. BOTH WERE FOR OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OR ONE WAS FOR OKEMOS AND ONE WAS FOR HASLETT. I THINK IT WAS ONE FOR EACH. TREES WERE PLANTED ON THE CHIPPEWA WOOD SITE, WHICH ACTUALLY THOSE TREES ARE GONE NOW DUE TO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO, TO ALL OF YOUR POINT YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE A LOT OF CARE IN DESIGNING OUR PROJECTS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE THROUGH THAT CARE IN THE SIX MONTHS THAT IT TAKES US TO DESIGN AND BUILD A PROJECT, IT ALLOWS US TIME TO CATCH THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, RIGHT? LIKE, OH, IS OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOING TO RENOVATE THIS POST-WORLD WAR II SCHOOL THAT'S REACHING THE END OF ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY? [00:35:04] AND MIGHT THAT IMPACT THIS? THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE CONTEMPLATED. RIGHT. WHEREAS THIS IS KIND OF REACTIONARY BASED ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE BRING TO US THROUGH THEIR APPLICATIONS. BUT THE ORIGIN WAS REALLY JUST THE TREE PLANTING EXERCISE INITIALLY. AND THEN THROUGH MR. HARVEY'S WORK AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, IT KIND OF EVOLVED INTO A MORE FORMAL GRANT PROGRAM. BUT IT'S REALLY BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE SHIPS KIND OF BEING BUILT AS IT'S SAILED. OKAY. SO MAYBE WE OUGHT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM WHERE WE JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A DETAILED HISTORY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. AND WE HAVE A BROADER DISCUSSION, PERHAPS. WHAT DO FOLKS THINK ABOUT THAT? I THINK HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT GENERAL DISCUSSION IS A GOOD IDEA. AS SOME OF THE COMMISSIONER OR COMMISSIONER LEE'S COMMENTS REMIND ME OF DISCUSSION WE HAD WHEN WE WERE FIRST DOING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GREEN GRANTS FOR THIS YEAR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, AND WE WERE DISCUSSING SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NONPROFITS OR INCLUDE BUSINESSES. AND THE SENSE I HAD AT THAT TIME IS THAT WE SERVE A VALUABLE PURPOSE BY ESSENTIALLY CASTING A BROAD BLANKET AND INCLUDING OR NOT RESTRICTING WHO WOULD RECEIVE THE FUNDS. AND THE LITTLE BIT OF EXPOSURE THAT I'VE HAD SO FAR IS THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY WELL RECEIVED PROGRAM. RECIPIENTS ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE THIS AS A POTENTIAL RESOURCE. AND WORD'S GETTING OUT. IT SEEMS TO BE A PROGRAM THAT OTHER HOAS ARE LOOKING AT. MY OWN HOA IS STARTING TO LOOK AT IT, TOO. AND I CAN SEE A LOT OF VALUE IN MAINTAINING IT THE WAY WE HAVE, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE COMMENT THAT AND THE SUGGESTION THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO INVITE A FEW PRIOR RECIPIENTS TO REPORT ON WHAT THEY'VE DONE. I'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM AT MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY. TELL US ABOUT THEIR WORKS AS AN EXAMPLE. I WONDER IF FOR NEXT CYCLE, LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE GET SOME OF THIS FEEDBACK FROM PRIOR RECIPIENTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE SO MOVE TO APPROVE THESE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN GET IN THAT COURSE OF TIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR WE HAVE THE PRESENTATIONS, WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATUS, AND THEN WE START TO REVISE AND THINK A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY. DO WE WANT TO PIVOT? DO WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CHANGE WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE THEN THAT WOULD GIVE US A LOT OF TIME TO GET FEEDBACK, TO HEAR FROM RECIPIENTS, TO UNDERSTAND MORE. BECAUSE BEING A NEW COMMISSIONER AS WELL, I'M IN THE SAME BOAT YOU ARE IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORICAL VALUE HERE AND THE LONGEVITY OF THE PROJECTS AS WELL. OKAY. SOUNDS LIKE WE WANT TO TRY TO GET SOME REPORTS FROM PAST GRANT RECIPIENTS. YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK INTO MAYBE DOING SOME SITE VISITS IN THE FUTURE FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TOO. AND THEN WE HAVE SOME BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROGRAM. AND BEFORE BEFORE THE NEXT CYCLE NEXT YEAR. AND SEE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS PROGRAM. AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AS WELL. DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? YES I AGREE. OKAY. GREAT. WE NEED TO DECIDE ON THIS MOTION. SO WITH THAT AS BACKGROUND, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE AN INCREASE INTO THE AWARD FOR THE CORNELL ASSOCIATION FROM 5000. 7000 INTO AWARD 2500 TO THE MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECTS. SECONDED. OKAY. OKAY, SO WE JUST VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR LIKE AS A GROUP? OR DO WE NEED TO DO INDIVIDUAL ROLL CALL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I DON'T KNOW FOR THIS ONE IT'S FINE. JUST THERE'S A BIG GROUP, I THINK FOR THIS ONE I THINK IT'S JUST A, ALL OKAY, ALL PASS OR ANY KIND OF THING. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS SO THE MOTION IS JUST FOR THESE TWO THEN. [00:40:01] BECAUSE WE ALREADY VOTED ON THE OTHER ONES. IS THAT CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. SO ALL IN FAVOR THEN OF THE MOTION TO INCREASE FROM 5000 TO 7000 AND 2500 TO MID MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED. ANY ABSTENTIONS. SO THIS PASSES. OKAY. SO THEN [10. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS] SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA THEN ARE REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. SO THE FIRST ONE IS STAFF. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING THIS TIME OVER THE COMMUNICATIONS BIT ABOUT OUR TOWNSHIP DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM THE STAFF AT THIS MEETING. OKAY. SO THEN WE'LL GO TO THE LIAISONS. SO, TOWNSHIP BOARD TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH. SO ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE TUNED IN YESTERDAY, YOU SAW THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD STARTED THE PROCESS OF SETTING OUR 2026 TOWNSHIP GOALS. SO THE CURRENT YEAR'S GOALS ARE POSTED ONLINE. IT DOESN'T INCLUDE AN ENVIRONMENTAL YOU KNOW, BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, GREEN SPACES. IN A MEETING THAT I WAS NOT AT BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF TOWN AT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. THERE WAS A THERE'S A COMPELLING ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT RATHER THAN INCLUDING THAT AS A SPECIFIC GOAL BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A REAL ACTIONABLE ITEM THAT WE CAN CHECK OFF AT SOME POINT OVER THE YEAR THAT WOULD BE MOVED AND ADDED TO A MORE OF A VALUE STATEMENT. THE I SPENT SOME TIME IN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO IT TRYING TO FIND OTHER TOWNSHIP GOALS, AND THERE ARE REMARKABLY FEW IN MICHIGAN THAT HAVE PUBLISHED YEARLY TOWNSHIP GOALS. SO THE BENEFITS OF A VALUE STATEMENT BEING, OF COURSE, THAT AS THIS BODY PORTRAYS ENVIRONMENTALISM AS SOMETHING VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MANY PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. AND WHILE THERE MAY BE CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT CAN MOVE US TOWARDS BEING AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE. LIKE THE GOAL OF COMPLETELY GREEN ENERGY FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BUILDINGS BY 2035, I BELIEVE. DAN, YOU SAID. YEAH. YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ACTIONABLE GOAL AS COMPARED TO JUST SUSTAINED ENVIRONMENTALISM. SO THAT HAS THOSE GOALS HAVE NOT BEEN SET IN ANY WAY. BUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SHARING THAT WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. THAT WAS I WOULD SAY, THE MOST CONCRETE THING TO COME AWAY FROM YESTERDAY. RELATED TO THIS COMMISSION. ONE OF THE OTHER BOARDS I DO SERVE ON IS THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH JUST FINISHED UP THEIR FEASIBILITY STUDY ON A REGIONAL LINE, CALCINER WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT I DID NOT THINK I'D BE SO INTERESTED IN SIX MONTHS AGO, BUT THE ELMS WERE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BENEFITS FROM AND USES THE IDEA BEING THAT THAT FACILITY AND LOOKS LIKE NINE OTHERS WOULD BASICALLY SEND THEIR THE WASTE THAT IS USED TO SOFTEN THE WATER IN THEIR TREATMENT FACILITIES TO THEN BE RE CALCINATED, I BELIEVE, IS THE VERB THAT I HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER BIOLOGISTS THAN MYSELF. THIS HAS THE BENEFITS OF LOWERING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ALL THOSE FACILITIES BY AROUND 16%. THERE IS, OF COURSE, AN UPFRONT COST TO DOING THIS, BUT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, WITHOUT LOOKING INTO THE FUNDING CHANNELS TO PAY FOR THIS, SHOWED THAT ON THE WHOLE, IT WOULD SAVE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY'S MONEY BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE THAT CAN BE MADE FROM SELLING THIS RECYCLED LIME AFTER AFTERWARD. AND THE MONEY SAVED ON NOT HAVING TO DISPOSE OF THE WASTE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HAS INCREASED IN COST YEAR OVER YEAR. AND SOMETHING THAT DAN GAVE ME QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL ON AND SOUNDS LIKE A PROBLEM THAT COULD BECOME AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM IF NOT ADDRESSED IN SOME WAY. [00:45:02] THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, $70 MILLION BOND KIND OF PROJECT. SO BY NO MEANS WERE THERE DECISIONS MADE THAT NIGHT AT THE MEETING. AND THIS WOULD BE SHARED WITH FAR AND WIDE AS ANN ARBOR TO AREAS NEAR GRAND RAPIDS. SO DECISION WOULD NOT BE MADE ANYTIME SOON. BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF ENVIRONMENTALISM, I DID THINK IT WAS INCREDIBLY COMPELLING, AND I'D BE INTERESTED. AND I PLAN ON BEING A PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS THROUGH THAT SEAT ON THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING BOARD. I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT, FOR ANYONE WHO USES NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORT THAT THEY THAT THE TRI-COUNTY ANNUAL REPORT CAME OUT AND THEY NOTED THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY RECOMMENDED BY TRI-COUNTY AND GRANTS APPLIED. FOR NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TRIPLED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. SO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, OF COURSE, WE A LOT OF BIKERS CANOERS FOLKS. SO THAT WAS AN ENCOURAGING THING TO HEAR. OF COURSE, RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T ALWAYS LEAD TO RESULTS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE ENGAGING WITH THOSE SURVEYS ON A REGIONAL LEVEL. SO, I WAS ENCOURAGED BY THAT. AS FAR AS. IS JUST STANDARD TOWNSHIP BOARD BUSINESS JUST TO END. WE DID VOTE TO MAKE APPROVE BALLOT A BALLOT INITIATIVE REGARDING THE SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WILL BE ON THE AUGUST BALLOT THIS YEAR. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING OUT ABOUT THAT INCLUDING A SITE THAT ACTUALLY THAT WAS ALREADY LAUNCHED. THAT IS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. AND I CAN DAN, WOULD YOU MIND SENDING THAT TO EVERYONE OR CALCINER? I WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERENCING THE COMMUNITY CENTER. JUST, YES. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. THE CALCINER STUFF IS INTERESTING THOUGH, SO IF ANYONE REALLY WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT THAT BUT AGAIN, THAT AUGUST BALLOT INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR EVERYONE. I'LL LEAVE THE KEY POINTS OUT, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A SOMEWHAT LONG BOARD PRESENTATION, BUT. ANY QUESTIONS ON BOARD ACTIVITY? QUICK QUESTION ABOUT. AND I'M ALWAYS SEEMS LIKE I SEEM TO ALWAYS GET THE TIMING WRONG. DID THE BUDGET ALREADY GET APPROVED FOR 2026 OR. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO, THE REASON, I GUESS I WAS ASKING WAS THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING. WE, WE TYPICALLY MIGHT PUT IN A REQUEST FOR FUNDING OR SOMETHING. AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THAT HAPPENED. SO NO, THE 2026 BUDGET HAS NOT WE WANTED TO START WITH THE GOALS AND THEN WORK ON THE BUDGET. UP UNTIL NOW, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN SET AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE GOALS. BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH HOW MANY OF YOUR GOALS CAN YOU ACHIEVE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A BUDGET THAT MAYBE DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THAT? SO THEY FLIPPED THE PROCESS THIS YEAR. SO THAT IS STILL GOING TO BE IN THE WORKS. AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT OVER THE SUMMER. I BELIEVE DUE SEPTEMBER. YEAH. THE BUDGET PROCESS IS JUST BEGINNING. AT THE STAFF LEVEL. THE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN LATE AUGUST AND ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER. SO STAFF ARE DIRECTORS ARE JUST BEGINNING WORK ON THE BUDGET. OKAY. SO WE COULD BRING WE WILL LOOK TO BRING A NEW AGENDA ITEM TO YOU IN JULY. OKAY. TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET. AND WE WILL AT SOME POINT HERE WHEN WE ARE PREPARED TO EXPEND MORE OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING. I'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. I CAN'T RECALL IF I ROLLED THE 2024 FUNDING FORWARD IN THE QUARTER ONE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, BUT IF NOT, WE WILL ADDRESS THAT IN THE QUARTER. TWO BUDGET AMENDMENTS. OKAY. AND TO TRUSTEE LENTZ OTHER QUESTION, IF YOU GO TO MERIDIAN.FORWARDCENTER.COM. THAT IS THE. THE URL WILL ELONGATE, BUT YOU JUST NEED TO DO FORWARD SLASH CENTER AND THAT WILL BRING YOU TO THIS PAGE. IT JUST WENT LIVE ABOUT THREE HOURS AGO. AND IT HAS ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND THE NEW FAQ DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, WHICH GOES THROUGH WHAT I WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE ABOUT 90 TO 100% OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE TOP OF MIND. SO PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THAT. WE HAVE FINANCIAL INFORMATION PRESENTED THERE, INCLUDING THE APPROXIMATE COST [00:50:07] BASED ON TAXABLE VALUE OF YOUR HOME, AS WELL AS A WAY TO CALCULATE THE EXACT COST, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR BOTH PROPOSALS CONTAINED THERE AND THE ELECTION INFORMATION, INCLUDING EARLY VOTING, WHICH IS NOW LEGAL IN MICHIGAN DUE TO A RECENT BALLOT PROPOSAL THAT VOTERS APPROVED STATEWIDE. GREAT. YEAH, THAT'LL BE GOOD TO LOOK AT. SOUNDS EXCITING. AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON FOR TOWNSHIP BOARD? OKAY. THANKS. YEP. NEXT UPDATE IS PLANNING COMMISSION. THAT'S CHAIR MCCONNELL USUALLY. RIGHT. SO THAT'LL HAVE TO WAIT. NEXT ONE THEN IS LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. SO THAT'S ME AND I WASN'T. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, SO MAYBE I ALREADY GAVE THIS UPDATE THEN, BUT THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING INCLUDED YOU KNOW, THE SIGNS. AND SO I THINK I MENTIONED THAT LAST TIME THE SIGNS HAVE BEEN PRINTED, THEY WERE READY. NOW THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. SO WE CAN GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. WE CAN DO A SITE VISIT AND ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THESE SIGNS. I THINK THEY'RE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE AT 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT PARKS. AND THEY ALSO HAVE A QR CODE, I BELIEVE, ON THE SIGN THAT TAKES YOU TO THE WETLAND ORDINANCE THEN AS WELL FOR THE TOWNSHIP. I WAS THINKING ABOUT ASKING EMMA, MAYBE TO ALSO COME AND EMMA CAMPBELL TO COME AND MAYBE GIVE A PRESENTATION, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WETLAND EDUCATION EFFORTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN DOING SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED THE FUNDING OF THAT, THAT THOSE EFFORTS. SO THAT MIGHT BE GOOD TO GIVE THE COMMISSION AN UPDATE THERE. SO, WE'LL SEE WHEN SHE CAN DO IT THEN. AND THERE WAS A COUPLE OF BURNS THAT DAVIS FOSTER AND RED CEDAR GLEN AND I THINK THEY, I THINK THEY WENT WELL. SO, THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES I HAVE. NEXT ONE IS THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. YEAH, WE MET ON MAY 8TH. AND THE PRIMARY ITEM FOR DISCUSSION WAS THE TIF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPOSED CHANGES TO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WHICH THE AUTHORITY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH WHAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED. AND THAT NIGHT, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVED THE CHANGES TO THE BROWNFIELD PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THIS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTION. SO THAT'S KIND OF HAS BEEN DONE. THAT WAS A MAJOR TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. OKAY, THANKS. PARKS COMMISSION. THAT WOULD BE ME. I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE PREVIOUS MEETING ON MAY 13TH OF THE PARK COMMISSION. IT STARTED OFF WITH A PRESENTATION FROM SUE AND DAVE PATTON ON THE MERIDIAN CLEANING INITIATIVE. IT WAS SIMILAR TO THE PRESENTATION WE HAD AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT DIFFERENT PARALLEL PROGRAM. AND THEY REPORTED IMPRESSIVE RESULTS FROM THEIR PROGRAM. AND AS WE KNOW, THAT'S A PROGRAM TO COLLECT PRODUCE AND FOOD FROM LOCAL VENDORS. AND ALSO AT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FARMERS MARKET AND DELIVER THEM TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES AND FOOD KITCHENS. AND THEN DIRECTOR OF WISINSKI REPORTED PRESENTED THE MAY STEWARDSHIP CALENDAR AND PARKS AND RECREATION CALENDAR FOR MAY, AND ALSO PROVIDED A PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET UPDATE FOR THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF MONTHS. SHE UPDATED COMMISSIONERS ON THE RED CEDAR MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL WATER TRAIL PROGRAM, WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON THEIR APRIL 29TH MEETING. I THINK THAT LOOKS LIKE A VERY PROMISING PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND ABILITY OF PADDLERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RED CEDAR RIVER FOR PADDLING, SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. AND THOSE WERE THE MAJOR ITEMS, I THINK, OF RELEVANCE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY JUNE 10TH. [00:55:04] NEXT TUESDAY. ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE TEAMS. SO THE ENERGY TEAM. YEAH, A COUPLE ITEMS. ONE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SOLARIZE MEETING BACK IN APRIL, AND OF COURSE IT TAKES A WHILE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT I JUST RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THIS TIME WE'VE HAD 13 CONTRACTS SIGNED FOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS. AND SO ALL THE RESIDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE GROUP, I WILL GET A 13% DISCOUNT ON TOP OF THE 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT. AND THAT'S PRETTY HIGH COMPARED TO OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. SO YOU KNOW, THE MAXIMUM IN THE PROGRAM IS 15%. AND SO GETTING UP TO 13% WAS VERY GRATIFYING. AND SO THAT'S WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS. I ANOTHER MEETING IS PLANNED IN JULY AND THERE'S AN INTEREST IN FOCUSING THEN ON NONPROFITS AND OTHER COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS AS A TARGET AUDIENCE IN ADDITION TO RESIDENTIAL. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ENERGY FAIR AT THE FARMERS MARKET ON SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST. AND SO WE HAD A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ENERGY TEAM TO KIND OF DISCUSS THAT. AND WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE THREE EXHIBITORS THERE. ONE WILL BE THE ENERGY TEAM. WE'LL HAVE A TABLE BE GIVING OUT HANDOUTS ANSWERING QUESTIONS. ABSOLUTE SOLAR, WHO HAS BEEN OUR SOLAR INSTALLER INVOLVED WITH THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM? WE'LL ALSO HAVE A TABLE AND THEY'LL HAVE SOME SOLAR KITS FOR KIDS. THEY'LL ALSO BRING A SOLAR PANEL AND YOU KNOW, BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT EQUIPMENT AND ABOUT THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE CONSUMERS ENERGY COMING TO BRING THEIR F-150 ELECTRIC TRUCK. AND SO THERE'S THEIR THIS IS THEIR EV STAFF. THEY'LL BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CHARGING AND ALSO THE INCENTIVES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE UTILITY FOR CHARGERS. SO THAT'S THEY ARE I THINK VERY INTERESTED IN KIND OF DOING OUTREACH WITH RESPECT TO THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND SPECIFICALLY THE CHARGING. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING, ALTHOUGH THIS HASN'T BEEN CONFIRMED, TO HAVE A GEOTHERMAL INSTALLER AT THE ENERGY FAIR, AND I BELIEVE MICHIGAN INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGHT, WHICH HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF ENERGY WORK IN THE AREA, THEY HAVE A LANSING CHAPTER. I THINK THEY'LL BE. THEY'RE ALSO KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THEIR VARIOUS EFFORTS THAT THE CHURCHES HAVE BEEN DOING IN, IN THE, IN THE LANSING AREA. LET'S SEE. SO THAT'S KIND OF WE'RE WORKING WITH JACK AND THE TOWNSHIP ON PROMOTION. AND I THINK THAT'S IT. YEAH. I HAVE QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS. I LOVE THAT IDEA OF TARGETING NONPROFITS, WORKING WITH THEM. THAT'D BE GREAT. DO YOU THINK THERE'LL BE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM OR. WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WITH NON-PROFITS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS? ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING IS WE KNOW, CRAZY IN WASHINGTON. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A DIRECT PAYMENT OPTION AND SO THE, THE EQUIVALENT OF THE 30% TAX CREDIT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO NONPROFITS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SCHOOLS SINCE THEY DON'T PAY TAXES. AND THAT WAS PART OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. BUT AS I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL KIND OF READ, THERE'S A BILL THAT PASSED THE HOUSE WHICH GUTTED MOST OF THOSE PROVISIONS, BUT IT'S IN THE SENATE AND THE SENATE. THE U.S. SENATE WILL WHO KNOWS? WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? BUT THE YEAH, THE WHEN THAT DIRECT PAYMENT OPTION WAS PUT INTO LAW, FEDERAL LAW, IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH RESPECT TO THE ECONOMICS FOR NONPROFITS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. YEAH. SO STAY TUNED. OKAY. AND WHEN IS THAT MEETING? IN JULY. DO YOU KNOW THE DATE? THE ENERGY FAIR IS GOING TO BE SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST. [01:00:04] SO THE WE'RE GOING TO BE THE ACTUAL FAIR WILL BE FROM 9 TO 1. ON THAT SATURDAY. BUT THE NEXT SOLARIZE MEETING THEN IS I DON'T HAVE A DATE YET FOR THE SOLARIZE MEETING. YEAH, THAT'S STILL BEING PLANNED. YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE TARGETING JULY, AREN'T THEY? YES, IT IS GOING TO BE. THAT'S THE IDEA IS JULY? YEAH. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ENERGY TEAM? GREAT. IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE STUFF YOU GUYS ARE DOING. IMPROVEMENTS. YEAH. GREEN TEAM. YEAH. GREEN TEAM. I THINK COMMISSIONER SARVER JUST KIND OF GAVE THE REPORT FOR THE GREEN TEAM BECAUSE THE GREEN TEAM DOES CONTINUE TO MEET. WE DO ARE CONTINUING TO SCHEDULE MONTHLY EVENTS OVER THE SUMMER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FARMERS MARKET. BUT OUR NEXT EVENT IS ON JUNE 21ST, AND THE ENERGY TEAM IS KIND OF TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT EVENT. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DOING THAT. AND THE MOST RECENT EVENT WAS BACK ON MAY 17TH. PLANT A NATIVE MERIDIAN AND I ACTUALLY WASN'T IN ATTENDANCE. I'M NOT SURE IF A COUPLE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS COULD STATE HOW THAT WENT, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. YEAH. SO I WAS THERE THE, THE WHOLE TIME THAT DAY, AND IT WENT REALLY WELL. IT WAS RAINY AND A LITTLE BIT COLD FOR MAY, BUT IT, IT WAS, I THINK, FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL. WE GOT INTERESTED PEOPLE IN BASICALLY WHAT IT WAS WAS KIND OF ALMOST DEPRESSION, PRESENTATION ON COMPOSTING AND HOW TO PROPERLY GROW A GARDEN. AND SO WE HAD VARIOUS DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TO HELP US PRESENT ON IT AND KIND OF SHARING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CARBON AND NITROGEN. RIGHT. LIKE GETTING THAT RATIO CORRECT IN THE SOIL. AND IT WAS REALLY FASCINATING FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO IS STILL LEARNING ABOUT ALL OF THIS STUFF. AND WE GOT SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE IT OR WANT TO OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. AND THEN THE ACTUAL FARMERS MARKET SEEMED TO GO REALLY WELL. AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS FUN TO BE NEXT TO AND TO ENJOY. RELATED TO THE JUNE 21ST ENERGY FAIR IS IS A GREEN TEAM PLANNING? I KNOW YOU'VE HAD TABLES BEFORE. ARE YOU PLANNING TO HAVE A TABLE THERE, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE ENERGY TEAM TABLE, TOO? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL COME UP TO THE MERIDIAN GREEN MERIDIAN TABLE AND HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING GREEN. AND SO. YEAH, YEAH, WE'RE ACTUALLY THE GREEN TEAM IS ACTUALLY MEETING NEXT NEXT WEEK ON THURSDAY. BUT I SUSPECT WE WILL WANT TO HAVE A PRESENCE THERE WHETHER IT'S A COMBINED TABLE OR SEPARATE TABLE. BUT YEAH, WE WILL CERTAINLY PLAN TO HAVE A PRESENCE THERE AND APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH JACK TO KIND OF MAKE SURE TOM CAREY KNOWS HOW MANY TABLES WE NEED AND THAT SORT OF STUFF. SO AND ONE I GUESS, JUST TO BE SAFE. NEVER CAN HAVE TOO MANY. OKAY. IS RELATED TO ALL THESE EVENTS TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S A TRANSITION GOING ON WITH LEROY LEAVING. THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE SCHEDULE FOR A GREEN FAIR IN THE FUTURE, AND ALSO SOMETHING RELATED TO GREEN COMMUTING AND YEAH, GREEN TEAM GOING TO BE KIND OF LOOKING AT THOSE EVENTS, TOO. YEAH. SO I BELIEVE THOSE WILL STILL CONTINUE. THE GREEN COMMUTING EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 19TH, AND THEN OUR AUGUST EVENT IS THE GREEN FAIR ON AUGUST 16TH. AND JUST LOOKING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, OUR BIG ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 20TH. SO WE HAVE A BUSY SUMMER PLANNED. GREAT. THAT'S AWESOME. THANKS. FOOD AND COMPOSTING TEAM. DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE? I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE. NO. OKAY. GREEN BURIAL TEAM. [01:05:07] YEAH. THERE'S REALLY NO NEWS FROM THE. NO NEW NEWS FROM THE GREEN BURIAL GROUP. I THINK THERE IS STILL PLANNING OR ARE HOPEFUL OF PRESENTING TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN JULY, BUT NOTHING FURTHER ON THAT AT THIS POINT. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN OUR UPDATE FROM HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL. OKAY. SO ARE YOUR HAS BASICALLY OFFICIALLY COME TO AN END. TOMORROW IS OUR LAST DAY. AND SO WE REALLY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN JUNE. AND JUST A FEW THINGS IN MAY HERE AND THERE. I RECENTLY MET ALONG WITH TWO OTHER HASLETT PEOPLE WITH OUR NUTRITION COORDINATOR JAMES DAVIS. HE'S ALSO THE NUTRITION COORDINATOR FOR WILLIAMSTON. AND WE WERE TALKING TO HIM ABOUT FOOD RESCUE. WHILE THEY WERE PRESENTING, I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WE HAVE A LOT OF FOOD WASTE, THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO SUGARCOAT IT. WE JUST DO. AND IT'S KIND OF ONE OF OUR LARGER PROBLEMS THAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH. AND SO WE MET WITH HIM AND I LEARNED THAT WE HAVE GIVEN DONATIONS BEFORE. SO USUALLY BEFORE BREAKS, SUMMER, SPRING BREAK, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WILL GIVE A LARGE DONATION FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. AND WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT DOING MORE, IF THAT'S NECESSARY. AND HE ALLUDED TO THE IDEA THAT DOING OTHER DONATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WOULDN'T BE AS EFFICIENT OR EFFECTIVE AS WE WOULD WANT THEM TO BE. THOUGH WE DO HAVE A QUANTITY OF FOOD WASTE, LOTS OF IT COMES FROM PARTIALLY EATEN FOOD OR THINGS THAT CAN'T BE DONATED. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY LOOK MORE IN THE DIRECTION OF COMPOSTING AND THAT REALM OF THINGS INSTEAD OF FOOD DONATION. THE WHITE MAY NOT BE AS GOOD OF A SOLUTION AS WE WOULD LIKE. IT STILL TRIES TO ELIMINATE AND GIVES BACK SOME OF WHAT WE DO NOT USE, AND IT'S KIND OF THE BEST OF THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT. ME AND THE TWO OTHER PEOPLE, MAYA BEAUREGARD, WHO'S A STUDENT IN MY GRADE, AND THEN BRIDGET BOOTH, WHO I'VE MENTIONED QUITE A LOT, ARE GOING TO RESEARCH AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT OVER THE SUMMER. WHAT ELSE SUSTAINABILITY HAS WRAPPED UP FOR THE YEAR? WE'RE PICKING OUR LEADERSHIP FOR THE FOLLOWING AS TWO PEOPLE ARE GRADUATING. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A STRONGER YEAR. AT LEAST I AM. SOMETIMES PARTICIPATION CAN BE A LITTLE BIT FLAKY. AND THAT THAT KIND OF COMES WITH HIGH SCHOOL. EVERYONE'S VERY BUSY, AND I DON'T SAY THAT WITH ANY DISDAIN. IT'S JUST A FACT OF HOW BUSY HIGH SCHOOL SCHEDULE. OUR LAST PAPER RECYCLING MEETING IS TOMORROW, WHERE WE GO AROUND THE SCHOOL AND COLLECT ALL OF THE PAPER RECYCLING. AND TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, THE QUANTITY GROWS AS TEACHERS GET RID OF ALL OF THEIR OLD TESTS AND THINGS. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A FUN END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION. SO. YEAH. AM I MISSING ANYTHING? I DON'T THINK SO. I DON'T THINK SO. THERE'S NO REAL. YEAH, THERE'S NOT ANY OTHER STUFF. I'M WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE KID WIND TEAM. OKAY, SO THE KID WIND TEAM WENT TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA. AND THEIR END, THEIR END RESULT WAS NOT THAT THEY DIDN'T COME IN LAST. LET'S JUST SAY THAT. BUT JUST MAKING IT TO THE WORLDS WAS A HUGE WAS A HUGE THING. AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I THINK THEY DID VERY WELL ON THE WRITTEN EXAMS AND THE AND THE INSTANT CHALLENGES. BUT THE TURBINE THAT JUST DIDN'T, DIDN'T DO AS WELL AS THEY HAD HOPED IT WOULD. SO AND HOW DO YOU KNOW APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY TEAMS WERE THERE FROM THIS IS A, THERE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED OR. OKAY. YEAH. SO, AND THERE WERE TEAMS FROM JAPAN AND MEXICO. OKAY. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES. BUT SOME OF THOSE TEAMS, THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES HAD BEEN TOGETHER FOR EIGHT YEARS DOING THIS. AND SO, THIS WAS TWO STUDENTS WHO I THREW THEM AT IT LAST, LAST SEPTEMBER. [01:10:07] AND THEY COMPETED AT THE STATES IN FEBRUARY AND WERE INVITED TO THE WORLDS. AND SO JUST GETTING THERE WAS A HUGE THING. SO AND I DON'T KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A TEAM NEXT YEAR? I DON'T KNOW. IT'S SCHEDULING IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT IN OUR SCHOOL, AND SO I'M HOPING WE CAN DO THE KID WIN TEAM OUTSIDE OF THAT. YES. HOPEFULLY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ORGANIZED. THAT'S TRUE. BUT I DID FORGET ONE THING, SO, I ATTENDED A SUMMIT IN MAY ON THE 20TH. I CAN'T THINK OF THE, THE FULL TITLE, BUT KIND OF A CELEBRATION OF THE EARTH, REALLY. JUST AN ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, JUST YOUTH IN GENERAL. AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE IT WAS AT THE MINSKOFF PAVILION, AND IT WAS A PRETTY GREAT LOCATION. WE WERE OUTSIDE FOR PART OF IT, WHICH THE WEATHER WAS NOT AS NICE AS WE WOULD LIKE IT, BUT THAT'S OFTEN THE TENDENCY. AND WE HAD SOME PRESENTATIONS AND THERE WAS A ROOM OF DIFFERENT STATIONS OR BOOTHS LIKE PRESENTING DIFFERENT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS ACROSS MID-MICHIGAN. AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF SCHOOLS ATTENDED ACROSS THE STATE. I PRESENTED WITH THE SAME TWO PEOPLE I JUST MENTIONED, BRIDGET BOOTH AND MAYA BEAUREGARD, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST KIND OF HOW WE HAVE DONE WHAT WE'VE DONE AND KIND OF GETTING TO THE POINT TO WHERE WE'RE AT, LIKE FINDING PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO BE LEADERS AND INTERESTED IN THE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND WANTING TO IMPROVE OUR EARTH. AND IT WAS REALLY JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I MET SOME VERY TALENTED AND AMBITIOUS STUDENTS FROM NOVI WHO I WHO I HAVE SEEN OVER ZOOM BEFORE, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO TALK WITH THEM, AND THEY REINVIGORATED ME FOR NEXT YEAR. AND HOPEFULLY A LOT OF NEW THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING. GREAT. WOW. THAT'S AWESOME. SO, SO EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR YOUTH DOING STUFF FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF. SO OKAY. SO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE HERE FROM PUBLIC. SO OTHER MATTERS AND OTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS. [12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS] YEAH, JUST A QUESTION. I KNOW STAFF REFERRED TO THE JULY MEETING AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING IN JULY. I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE SCHEDULE WAS THIS YEAR, BUT IF WE DID, IT WOULD BE JULY 2ND, VERY CLOSE TO THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY. SO I WONDERED IF THE COMMISSION MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER RESCHEDULING THAT DATE IF WE ARE HAVING A JULY MEETING. WE DO SHOW THAT THE SCHEDULE THAT THE COMMISSION ADOPTED WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY THE NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER MEETING OF 2024 DID INCLUDE A JULY 2ND MEETING. SO IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC NOTICE THAT IS REQUIRED UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WE ARE GOOD TO HAVE A MEETING, BUT WE COULD ALSO CANCEL IF THAT IS THE DESIRE OF THE COMMISSION. I JUST RAISE IT AS A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE I KNOW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TEND TO BE OUT OF TOWN DURING THE WEEK, SO WAY TO START. THIS WOULD MAYBE BE ASKING IF ANYONE KNOWS THEY'RE OUT OF TOWN, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR A QUORUM, I THINK THAT MIGHT ANSWER A QUESTION FOR US OF VOTING MEMBERS, I SHOULD SAY. YEAH, I'M NOT ONE OF THEM. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO IS WHO PLANS TO BE HERE? I WILL DEFINITELY BE IN TOWN FOR SURE. I'M NOT TRAVELING THAT WEEK. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY? YEAH. AND WHAT ELSE WILL BE HERE? WHO WILL NOT BE HERE? I'LL BE HERE. OKAY. I'LL BE HERE. I'M NOT 100% CERTAIN. OKAY. I WOULD NORMALLY NOT BE HERE, BUT IF WE'RE MEETING, I COULD TRY TO MAKE IT BACK. OKAY. OKAY. SO, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CHAIR MCCONNELL, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE AT LEAST MOST OF THE COMMISSION WILL BE HERE. [01:15:04] SO, I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD AND JUST LEAVE IT FOR NOW, THEN. YEAH. I SEE NO REASON TO CANCEL IT ALL TOGETHER. BUT THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. NO OF COURSE. OKAY. AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS THOUGH. NOPE. AND THEN OUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED THEN. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.