Oct 01, 2025 Environmental Commission Meeting

[00:00:34]

YEAH. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. I CAN ALWAYS RELY ON HARRISON [LAUGHTER].

I DO HAVE THE OKAY SO IT IS 7:00. SO I'M GOING TO CALL THE OCTOBER 1ST,

[1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

SO WELCOME, EVERYBODY. CHAIR MCCONNELL UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE HERE THIS EVENING, SO I'M GOING TO BE CHAIRING THE MEETING TONIGHT THEN. SO WE'LL START GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE ROLL CALL.

ALRIGHTY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I AM A TOWNSHIP STAFF LIAISON, JACK HUGHES, PROJECT ENGINEER, AND I'LL GO THROUGH OVER THE ROLL CALL HERE. STARTING WITH OUR CHAIR, BILL MCCONNELL, WHO WE KNOW IS ABSENT.

AND WE HAVE OUR VICE CHAIR, YU MAN LEE. PRESENT.

PRESENT. WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS TOM FRAIZER. HERE.

PRESENT. COMMISSIONER JOHN SARVER. HERE. COMMISSIONER RICHARD MIKSICEK.

PRESENT. AND TRUSTEE NICHOLAS LENTZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER LAURA BELISLE.

PRESENT. AND COMMISSIONER CYNTHIA PETERSON. PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HARRISON BATTEN. PRESENT SO REALLY EXCITE THIS EVENING. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS.

[3.A. Green Grant Program: Montessori Radmoor School ]

HI MY NAME IS DAVIS KOI. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS AT MONTESSORI RADMOOR SCHOOL.

THAT'S CHRISTINE RUSSELL. SHE'S OUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR, AND SHE'S ALSO FILLING IN AS A LOWER OR LOWER ELEMENTARY GUIDE WHILE ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER IS ON MATERNITY LEAVE. WE HAD THE 2024 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT GIVEN TO US.

WE WANTED TO DO FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS ON OUR PROPERTY.

WE WANTED SOME FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL PATHWAY SIGNS, FUNDS FOR SOME NATIVE PLANTS A CNC MACHINE FOR STUDENT MADE PLANT ID SIGNS AND FENCING AND MATERIALS FOR A MYCOLOGY GARDEN OR FUNGUS STUDY GARDEN.

THE FIRST ONE THAT WE DID WERE FOR SIGNAGE. SO JUST A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF OUR SCHOOL.

THIS IS KIND OF HOW WHAT OUR SCHOOL LOOKS LIKE.

WE HAVE A NATURE TRAIL THAT WE THAT ENCIRCLES OUR PROPERTY.

IT'S A WE ARE SITTING ABOUT NINE AND A HALF ACRES ISH, AND WE HAVE 14 SIGNS NOW, 15, THANKS TO THE GRANT THAT ARE SPREAD OUT RANDOMLY, THAT ARE INTERPRETIVE NATURE SIGNS.

AND WE CALL THIS TRAIL THE PATHWAY TO DISCOVERY.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME SOLAR POWERED TRAIL CAMERAS THAT CAPTURE SOME OF THE WILDLIFE THAT ARE ON THAT ARE THAT SHARE OUR CAMPUS, AND IT'S REALLY FUN. SO WE WANTED A FEW MORE SIGNS.

WE WANTED ONE, THE 15TH SIGN TO KIND OF COMPLETE IT.

THERE WAS A BIG GAP IN THE TRAIL, AND WE WANTED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.

ONE OF OUR SIGNS GOT DAMAGED IN A WINDSTORM THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THEN TWO OTHERS JUST NEEDED UPDATING.

THIS IS KIND OF WHAT OUR NATURE TRAIL LOOKS LIKE.

THERE ARE SIGNS ALONG THE WAY. THEY'RE LOW FOR CHILDREN HEIGHT.

I GUESS YOU SHOULD SAY. OUR OBSERVATION DECK IS WHERE OUR BIRD SIGNS ARE AND THAT'S WHERE WE TRY TO DO A LOT OF BIRD OBSERVATIONS.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SIGNS OUT THERE, AND WE AND THE KIDS REALLY LIKE IT.

THERE'S A QR CODE ON EACH SIGN THAT YOU CAN SCAN, AND IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION.

AND WE JUST VIEW IT AS KIND OF A BEGINNING. WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO UPDATE AND MOVE FORWARD.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE CRITTERS ON CAMPUS THAT ARE EATING THE TREES THAT I PLANT [LAUGHTER] THAT HAVE CAPTURED BY OUR WILDLIFE CAMS.

[00:05:06]

THEY'RE ALL GOING IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT. WE ALL WE THINK THIS IS REALLY COOL.

THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

THIS IS A REPTILE SIGN. AND IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND OR LEFT HAND CORNER, THERE'S A PICTURE OF AN EASTERN MILK SNAKE.

I FOUND THIS EASTERN MILK SNAKE REALLY CLOSE TO IT.

AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. WE'RE LIKE, THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S NAME. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GOOGLE IT. AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT IT.

AND THEN IT BIT ME [LAUGHTER]. MAYBE I SHOULDN'T PICK UP SNAKES, I DON'T KNOW [LAUGHTER].

THIS IS THE SIGN WE DESIGNED THAT WE WANTED DON TO ADD TO BE OUR 15TH SIGN.

IT WAS ABOUT DECOMPOSITION. WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO TEACH THE KIDS, BUT IN KIDS SPEAK.

LIKE WHAT THIS IS, WHAT IS IT DOING? AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE AND STUDY.

THIS WAS THE WHEN IT WENT INTO PRODUCTION. THIS IS WHAT THE SIGN LOOKS LIKE.

AND NOW THIS IS WHERE THE SIGN LIVES. AND YOU CAN SEE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL EVERY DAY WITH THEIR PARENTS IN THE IN THEIR TALKING, POINTING. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO GOOD PICTURE OF MAGGOTS THAT YOU CAN FIND.

OKAY, THAT'S NOT COMPLETELY DISGUSTING [LAUGHTER], BUT WE DID OUR BEST.

THIS WAS THE SIGN THAT WAS DAMAGED. THIS WAS OUR PREVIOUS TREE SIGN.

SO WE HAD TO HAVE WE WANTED TO REPLACE THAT, BUT AS WE SAID, OR AS I SAID, THIS IS A BEGINNING.

WE TRIED TO UPDATE IT. WE PUT MORE FACTS ON THERE, MADE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE INTERESTING.

AND SO THAT SIGN GOT REPLACED. THIS IS OUR MYCOLOGY GARDEN SIGN.

IT USED TO. WE UPDATED IT FOR THE NEW MYCOLOGY GARDEN.

ALL THE PICTURES OF MUSHROOMS WERE TAKEN ON OUR CAMPUS.

SO THESE ARE ALL GROWING ON OUR CAMPUS, AND WE THINK THAT'S PRETTY NEAT, TOO [LAUGHTER].

SO THAT SIGN IS BRAND NEW, AND THAT'S WHERE IT LIVES.

AND THAT'S OUR NEW MYCOLOGY GARDEN, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY GROW FUNGUS AND STUDY IT.

AND THEN WE UPDATED OUR WELCOME SIGN TO INCORPORATE THE DECOMPOSITION SIGN AND THE UPDATED MATERIALS.

THIS IS WHAT THE DESIGN LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE WERE PLANNING IT.

THIS IS IN PRODUCTION, AND THIS IS WHERE IT LIVES.

SO THAT'S WHERE OUR NATURE TRAIL BEGINS. AND PARENTS AND STAFF AND KIDS WALK THIS, THIS TRAIL.

AND THEY CAN GO THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS ON CAMPUS.

AND, AND THE SECOND PART WAS FUNDS FOR NATIVE PLANTS.

AS WE WERE DISCUSSING OVER HERE, WE HAVE LOTS OF INVASIVE SPECIES ON OUR CAMPUS THAT ARE JUST TAKING OFF.

BUCKTHORN IS MY NUMBER ONE ENEMY. IT GROWS NOTHING BROWSES IT.

THE DEERS OR THE BIRDS CANNOT PROCESS THE BERRIES.

SO IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THEM AND THEY GERMINATE. NOTHING EATS IT. IT GOES EVERYWHERE. SO WHEN WE REMOVE THESE INVASIVE PLANTS, WE DON'T JUST WANT TO LEAVE A BARE AREA. SO WE TRY TO PLANT SOMETHING THAT'S INTELLIGENT.

AND FOR A SCHOOL. SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR THE WILDLIFE THERE.

LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS OUR REPTILE SIGN. RIGHT BEHIND IT IS A BUSH HONEYSUCKLE PLANT.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NATIVE BUSH HONEYSUCKLE, BUT THAT IS INVASIVE, AND THOSE ARE EVERYWHERE, AND THEY OUTCOMPETE ALL THE UNDERSTORY PLANTS.

SO WE'VE HAD, AS YOU'VE PROBABLY ARE AWARE, MULTIPLE WINDSTORMS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH AND JUST TAKEN OUT MATURE TREES AND CREATED JUST A BARREN AREA.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO REPLANT THOSE AREAS WITH, TREES THAT ARE NATIVE AND BENEFICIAL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BENEFICIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THIS IS A PICTURE OF SOME OF THE ELEMENTARY KIDS HELPING ME PLANT MUSCLE WOOD, WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE UNDERSTORY TREES.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY SUPER HELPFUL [LAUGHTER]. AND THESE ARE ONE OF MY PRIMARY TREES THAT I WILL I'M REPLACING A BUCKTHORN WITH BECAUSE IT CAN GROW IN THE SHADE. IT CAN GROW IN DRY SHADE.

IT'S IT'S JUST AN OVERALL GOOD NATIVE TREE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER TREES THAT WE PLANTED THIS YEAR.

STAGHORN SUMAC, WHICH YOU OFTEN SEE ALONG FREEWAYS IN DITCHES.

MOST PEOPLE CONSIDERED A WEED. IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT TREE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS.

WE PUT IT IN OUR IN OUR NATIVE AGRICULTURE GARDEN, AND IT'S TAKING OFF.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT'LL KILL THAT.

BUT SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TREES. OUR CATALPA TREES ARE DOING GREAT EXCEPT FOR DEER LIKE TO SCRATCH THEIR ANTLERS ON IT.

WHICH, YOU KNOW [LAUGHTER]. WHAT CAN YOU DO? THIS WAS A REALLY FUN THING.

WE WANTED PARENTS AND STAFF AND STUDENTS THAT ARE WALKING THE NATURE DISCOVERY TRAIL PATHWAY TO DISCOVERY TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, TO HAVE ID SIGNS THAT ARE CREATED BY OUR CHILDREN AND RESEARCHED.

[00:10:05]

SO WE ASKED FOR FUNDS FOR A TABLE, JUST A SMALL CNC ROUTER THAT CAN MAKE WOODEN TREE SIGNS.

THE KIDS HAD TO PICK A MATURE TREE, A NATIVE TREE, ALONG THE PATHWAY.

THEY HAD TO LEARN ABOUT IT. THEY HAD TO LEARN THE IDENTIFYING FEATURES OF THE TREE, THE GENUS AND SPECIES, THE FAMILY NAME. THEN THEY HAD TO STAIN.

THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM RIGHT HERE, BUT THEY HAD TO STAIN THE BOARDS. THEY HAD TO COVER IT WITH A SPECIAL STENCIL THAT THE THAT THE ROUTER WOULD GO THROUGH. THEN THEY ENTER THE TREE FACTS INTO A DESIGN PROGRAM, INTO A LAPTOP.

THEN IT'S ETCHED INTO THE SIGN, AND THEN THEY PLACE THE SIGN ON THAT TREE, AND WE EVEN LET THEM PUT THEIR LITTLE NAMES ON IT.

SO THAT'S THEIR TREE NOW. SO THIS IS JUST SOME PHOTOS OF THEM DOING THAT.

THIS IS OUR ONE OF OUR AWESOME KIDS, ELSA. SHE IS PREPARING THESE TO CUT THE ROUTER IN ACTION.

THAT'S HER SIGN. AND THEN THAT'S HER STANDING NEXT TO THE SIGN THAT WAS TAKEN TODAY.

THE FOURTH PART, I'M GOING TO HAVE CHRISTINE COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE MYCOLOGY CURRICULUM, BECAUSE THAT'S WAY BEYOND ME. BUT WHAT WE NEEDED WAS [LAUGHTER] THE BROWSERS ON OUR CAMPUS, THE DEER, THE BUNNIES, THE RACCOONS, ANYTHING ELSE WE'RE EATING ALL OF OUR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GROW, SPECIFICALLY MUSHROOMS, THAT'S OUR BIGGEST COMPETITOR ARE THE BROWSERS.

AND SO WE ASKED FOR SOME FUNDS TO CREATE AN ENCLOSURE TO TRY TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR STUDY AREA FOR THESE FOR FUNGI. SO THAT'LL ADVANCE. OH, OKAY THANK YOU. KIND OF THE FIRST THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS JANE GOODALL DIED TODAY, AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS VERY FITTING THAT WE HAD THIS MEETING TONIGHT.

BECAUSE A HUGE PART OF WHAT MONTESSORI SAID AND ALSO JANE SAID, WAS THAT WE'RE STEWARDS OF THE EARTH AND THAT IT IS THE HUMAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE EARTH. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH ALL OF THESE KIDS, WHICH IS LOVELY. THE MYCOLOGY GARDEN WAS REALLY THE IDEA OF JACKIE ARTUSO, WHO SHOULD BE HERE, AND I'M TALKING IN HER STEAD. SHE'S OUT ON MATERNITY LEAVE.

AND SHE HAS A CERTIFICATE IN MYCOLOGY. I OFTEN WILL TAKE PICTURES ON MY WALKS, AND I WILL SEND THEM TO HER AND I WILL MAKE HER ID THEM.

BUT CHILDREN ARE FASCINATED BY MUSHROOMS AND OTHER FUNGUS.

IF YOU TAKE A CHILD OUT INTO THE WOODS, THEY ARE GOING TO FIND ALL THE SMALL THINGS THAT ARE HIDDEN IN THE GROUND, AND THAT IS WHAT THEY FIND. SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ONE THAT MAYBE HAS A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OVER WHAT THEY'RE TOUCHING AND WHAT [LAUGHTER] THEY'RE GROWING? SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH IF IT'S A POISONOUS MUSHROOM [LAUGHTER] OR NOT.

SO JACKIE WAS PHENOMENAL. WE THE CHILDREN. AND ACTUALLY, THIS WAS WHEN I USED TO TEACH.

THIS IS MY CLASSROOM. THESE ARE FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS.

SO THAT'S OUR UPPER ELEMENTARY. THEY DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSHROOMS. ON SPORES. WHAT ARE SPORES? AND IT'S ALL EMBEDDED IN MONTESSORI EDUCATION FROM PLANT LEAF. WHAT'S A SEED? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A SEED LEAF? WHAT? HOW DO PLANTS GROW? WHY, HOW DO WE WATCH THEM? WHAT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO PRESERVE THEM? WHAT DO WE DO TO SAVE THEM? AND THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED IN BECAUSE THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT.

BECAUSE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ROOTS. HOW DOES HOW DO THEY REPRODUCE? SO WE TOOK THEM ON A JOURNEY OF LOOKING UP, WELL, HOW DO THEY REPRODUCE AND HOW CAN WE GET THEM TO GROW? AND THEY FOUND OUT, WELL, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. BUT JACKIE KNEW HOW.

AND WE TAUGHT THEM HOW TO TAKE. YOU COULD TAKE A LOG AND YOU GET TO DRILL HOLES.

THEY WERE VERY EXCITED BECAUSE THEY GOT THEY GOT TO USE A DRILL [LAUGHTER].

UNDER SUPERVISION I BELIEVE THESE STUDENTS IN THE PICTURE WERE IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE.

I THINK SO AND WE WERE VERY LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME TO GROW.

WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN THE CLASSROOM IS THAT CURIOSITY.

[00:15:02]

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE UP CLOSE. SO WE SHOWED THEM HOW TO LOOK AT THEM UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AND THEY GATHERED LOTS OF DIFFERENT MUSHROOMS. AND THEY LOOKED AT ALL THOSE SPORES. THEY MADE SPORE PRINTS AND LOOKED AT THEM. SO KIND OF THAT IN A NUTSHELL, A REALLY SMALL NUTSHELL IS KIND OF WHAT, LIKE THE BIOLOGY ASPECT OF MYCOLOGY IS ABOUT. OF COURSE, IT'S ALSO A GATEWAY TO CULTURE, DIFFERENT CULTURES, MEDICINAL USES OF PLANTS AND FAIRY STORIES [LAUGHTER]. SO LORE AND SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN TAKE ONE SMALL MUSHROOM AND YOU CAN LOOK AT IT IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE TRY TO DO IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND WE FEEL THAT THE KIDS ARE MUCH MORE EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING WHEN YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO DO, NOT JUST LECTURING THEM IN A CLASSROOM, BUT GETTING THEM OUTSIDE, LETTING THEM USE A POWER DRILL, YOU KNOW, AND SAY, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED TO USE OAK LOGS. OAK LOGS ARE MUCH BETTER FOR THIS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MUSHROOM, AND THEY'LL KNOW THAT FOREVER, YOU KNOW, AND GETTING THEM OUT. AND WE HAD TO ONCE WE BUILT THE FENCE AND DEER STOPPED EATING THE MUSHROOMS, THEY COULD ACTUALLY HARVEST THEM AND, YOU KNOW, WATCH THEM GROW AND JUST BE LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THEY'RE ALREADY THIS BIG. AND IT WAS THAT WAS A REALLY FUN THING.

SO WE TRY TO TAKE THAT SAME APPROACH TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, TO PLANTING TREES TO, YOU KNOW, MAKING ALL THESE SIGNS AND WALK IN THE PATHWAY AND THE CAMERAS AND ALL THIS STUFF.

SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT THANK YOU. THAT IS REALLY, REALLY COOL.

I WAS LIKE, WOW [LAUGHTER]. I WISH ALL THE ALL THE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE THOSE KIND OF EXPERIENCES.

AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HEAR, TO GET TO HEAR SORT OF WHAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP CONTRIBUTE, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THESE GREEN GRANT FUNDS THEN SO YEAH.

SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP NOW FOR ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL MAKE A QUICK COMMENT. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MAKING A SITE VISIT TO THE MONTESSORI TRAIL WALK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO HELP EVALUATE THE APPLICATION THAT YOU PUT IN.

I THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. AND I THINK THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IN THE PROGRAM ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT. SO VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU. WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE FOR ALL OF THE HELP.

THIS IS MATTERED SO MUCH TO US, AND IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO JUST TO JUST KEEP BUILDING LIKE THIS SO.

YEAH THANK YOU JUST CURIOUS AND MAYBE IT'S NOT POSSIBLE AND STUFF THEN, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS OR FOR LIKE WHEN SCHOOL'S NOT IN SESSION THEN OR? ABSOLUTELY. FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ALSO BENEFIT AND SEE SOME OF THESE COOL THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

YES AND WE WILL I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. ESPECIALLY AND IT CAN BE I WOULD SUGGEST BEFORE WINTER [LAUGHTER].

BEFORE THE SNOW FALLS. AND YES AND I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE ALL OF YOU AROUND IT'D BE GREAT. YEP MAYBE WELL, ONE LAST THING, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT TODAY.

WAS WE STARTED AN ADOLESCENT PROGRAM. OH, YEAH.

AND SO THIS, EVEN THIS THIS WHAT YOUR GIFT TO US IS REALLY ENABLING US TO DO ALSO IS TO EXPAND EVEN FURTHER AND MORE IN DEPTH WITH THE CHILDREN WHO ARE GOING INTO SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE.

I WILL NOT GO INTO THE PHILOSOPHY OF ADOLESCENT [LAUGHTER] MONTESSORI, BUT IT IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT IT IS THEY GET TO DO REAL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON THINGS THAT ARE IN NATURE AND IN PART OF OUR WORLD. SO SUCH AS WATER ECOLOGY AND THE POND ECOLOGY.

WE HAVE A GREAT POND, WE HAVE A GREAT VERNAL WE HAVE SOME VERNAL PONDS AND ON OUR PROPERTY.

AND THEY'LL GET TO DO STUDIES ON THAT. THEY CAN DO STUDIES ON NATIVE GARDENING.

THEY CAN DO STUDIES ON JUST ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ON OUR PROPERTY.

THEY ARE GREAT CARETAKERS OF THE GREENHOUSE THAT WE HAVE.

AND THEY HELP, LIKE THE LITTLE TODDLERS, WITH PLANTING AND PULLING WEEDS AND CAN ERADICATE SOME OF,

[00:20:07]

ELSA ACTUALLY WAS IS ONE OF THEM. AND WE JUST STARTED THAT PROGRAM THIS YEAR.

SO WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS. WE'D LIKE HER TO STAY FOREVER.

AND WE WOULD LIKE HER TO STAY FOREVER [LAUGHTER]. THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR YEAH. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

YEAH, THAT'S REALLY AWESOME. OKAY, SO THEN WE HAVE A SECOND PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

[3.B. Bird City Michigan - Capital Area Audubon Society ]

OH, AND SOME MORE PEOPLE, TOO [LAUGHTER]. THANKS. LET'S SEE.

LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT NOTES THANK YOU NICK. OF COURSE. HI EVERYONE MY NAME IS LINDA SMITH.

I WORK FOR MICHIGAN AUDUBON. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS, AND I'M ALSO THE COORDINATOR FOR THE BIRD CITY MICHIGAN PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT.

IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND MICHIGAN AUDUBON IS REALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH CAPITAL AREA AUDUBON SOCIETY IN OUR DESIRE TO SEE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LOOK INTO BECOMING A BIRD CITY MICHIGAN COMMUNITY.

SO THE GOAL OF BIRD CITY MICHIGAN IS TO MAKE OUR ENVIRONMENT SAFER AND MORE WELCOMING FOR BIRDS AND PEOPLE.

AND A BIRD CITY IS A COMMUNITY THAT IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROTECTING BIRDS AND THEIR HABITAT.

AND AN INTERESTED COMMUNITY WOULD SIMPLY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH LIKE MINDED ORGANIZATIONS AND THEN COMPLETE AN APPLICATION OUTLINING YOUR BIRD FRIENDLY PRACTICES.

SO ACTIONS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY TAKING, OR ACTIONS THAT YOU INTEND TO TAKE TO PROTECT BIRDS, MAYBE OVER THE NEXT YEAR. AND THERE'S MANY BENEFITS TO BECOMING A BIRD CITY MICHIGAN COMMUNITY.

JUST SOME OF THOSE ARE INFORMED CITIZENS, ENHANCING COMMUNITY PRIDE AND MEDIA ATTENTION FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS AN EXCEPTIONAL STEWARD OF THE ENVIRONMENT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE MAIN REASON FOR STARTING BIRD CITY MICHIGAN, WOULD BE TO PROTECT THE BIRDS. BIRDS ARE IN SIGNIFICANT DECLINE, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY LOST OVER 3 BILLION BIRDS IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.

SO THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY AND ENVIRONMENT FOR THE AMERICAS.

THEY RUN THE BIRD CITY NETWORK, AND THERE ARE ALREADY 16 BIRD CITY PROGRAMS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

THERE ARE 13 BIRD CITY PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES.

THERE ARE ALSO BIRD CITY PROGRAMS IN BRAZIL, MEXICO, AND COLOMBIA.

AND THEN WITHIN THESE BIRD CITY PROGRAMS, THESE 16 PROGRAMS, THERE ARE ALREADY 200 BIRD CITY COMMUNITIES.

AND THESE CAN BE CITIES, TOWNSHIPS, COUNTIES, AND SOME CAMPUSES AS WELL.

AND THEN THESE 200 BIRD CITIES, TOGETHER, THEY'VE COMPLETED OVER 2600 BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS LAST YEAR.

AND ANYONE CAN GO TO THE BIRDCITY.ORG WEBSITE AND READ EACH OF THESE APPLICATIONS.

AND IT CAN BE REALLY INSPIRING TO READ ABOUT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.

SO BIRD CITY MICHIGAN, LAUNCHED IN JANUARY AND WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR BIRD CITY COMMUNITIES.

WE STARTED WITH THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOMMON IN MARCH, AND THEN STERLING HEIGHTS BECAME A BIRD CITY IN APRIL.

ANN ARBOR BECAME A BIRD CITY COMMUNITY IN APRIL, AND WE LAUNCHED IOSCO COUNTY IN AUGUST.

YOU CAN READ THEIR APPLICATIONS ON BIRD CITY MICHIGAN OR BIRDCITY.ORG/MICHIGAN AND YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THEIR EVENTS AND TOURISM TABS, AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT THEIR BIRD FRIENDLY EVENTS AND PROGRAMS AND THEIR BIRDING HOTSPOTS.

SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS THAT ARE ON THE APPLICATION.

[00:25:01]

I'LL READ THROUGH THESE FEW EXAMPLES, AND YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP YOUR CURRENT PRACTICES ALREADY QUALIFY FOR A LOT OF THE BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS, LIKE YOUR GREEN INITIATIVE OR YOUR WETLAND PROTECTION POLICIES, AND THEN SOME OF THE ACTIONS ON THE APPLICATION CAN BE COMPLETED OR FULFILLED BY YOUR TEAM MEMBERS, LIKE THE CAPITAL AREA AUDUBON SOCIETY, AND EVENTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES. ONE IS A COMMUNITY HAS CREATED OR PLANS TO CREATE A HABITAT MASTER PLAN FOCUSED ON MANAGING NATURAL AREAS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE EDUCATE PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AND THEIR CONTROL.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CHAPTER MIGHT HELP YOU WITH. PROVIDE PROPERTY OWNERS WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROTECT BIRDS FROM WINDOW STRIKES.

ESTABLISH A LIGHTS OUT PROGRAM TO REDUCE COLLISIONS DURING MIGRATION SEASON.

CELEBRATE WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY. DEVELOP A BIRDING CHECKLIST FOR YOUR AREA AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS AND TOURIST OUTLETS.

AND THAT MIGHT GO ON YOUR WEBSITE. ANOTHER EXAMPLE CREATE A COMMUNITY PLAN TO REDUCE ENERGY USE THROUGH BUILDING DESIGN.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT ACTUALLY ALL THE WHOLE LIST OF 95 ACTIONS THERE.

AND THAT'S STAPLED PACKET. SO THIS KIND OF RUNS THROUGH WHAT A COMMUNITY WOULD DO IF YOU WANTED TO BECOME A BIRD CITY. FIRST, AGAIN, YOU FORM A TEAM WITH LIKE MINDED ORGANIZATIONS.

TAKE A LOOK AT THAT APPLICATION, MAYBE MAKE A CHECK MARK ON THE ACTIONS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.

MAYBE ALSO CHECK ACTIONS THAT YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO TO IMPROVE YOUR YOUR BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS.

AND THEN THERE'S THE INTENT TO APPLY FORM THAT YOU SUBMIT.

AND THEN ONE THING WE ASK IS THAT YOU DO A COMMUNITY RESOLUTION, LIKE MAYBE YOUR COMMISSION OR CITY COUNCIL WOULD MAKE A RESOLUTION SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO BECOME A BIRD CITY MICHIGAN PROGRAM. AND THEN THERE'S A $200 APPLICATION FEE.

AND THAT IS USED FOR THE GIANT SIGN, WHICH I LEFT IN MY CAR [LAUGHTER].

BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THIS ROAD SIGN. RIGHT? RIGHT HERE.

SOME COMMUNITIES WANT A REALLY BIG ROAD SIGN.

AS YOU'RE ENTERING THE COMMUNITY, IT CAN GO UP, YOU KNOW, ON THE ON THE ROAD THERE.

OTHER COMMUNITIES WANT SMALLER SIGNS THAT YOU COULD PUT IN DIFFERENT PARKS.

SOME CITIES DID LIKE BANNERS IN CERTAIN PLACES.

SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT YOU'RE A BIRD CITY.

I WANTED TO COVER AGAIN MEDIA ATTENTION BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER BENEFIT.

SO THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOMMON, OUR FIRST BIRD CITY COMMUNITY, THEY RECEIVED A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION.

THEY ACTUALLY WERE RECOGNIZED AS A FINALIST IN THE MICHIGAN MUNICIPALITY LEAGUE'S COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD.

AND THEN BIG RAPIDS. THEY GOT PICKED UP BY A LOCAL NEWSPAPER AT A MEETING JUST LIKE THIS.

I THINK IT WAS THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THEY GOT SOME PRESS COVERAGE AND THEN THE RESULTS, RIGHT, OF MEDIA ATTENTION, ARE TO HELP THE TOWNSHIP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING NATURE.

AND ONCE YOU WOULD BECOME A BIRD CITY MICHIGAN COMMUNITY, THERE'S A DESIGNATED WEBSITE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

YOU CAN LIST YOUR BIRDING HOTSPOTS, YOUR EVENTS AND YOUR PROGRAMS. AND THE IDEA IS THAT IT COULD ATTRACT MORE BIRDERS, MORE NATURE ENTHUSIASTS.

AND AS THEY HANG OUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL SPEND MONEY HERE SO.

YEAH SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WANTED TO COVER IF YOU DID WANT TO EXPLORE BIRD CITY MICHIGAN.

I'M ALWAYS HERE TO HOP ON A ZOOM CALL OR A PHONE CALL, AND WE CAN BRING IN THE CHAPTER AS BIRD AND NATURE EXPERTS.

SO ARE THERE SOME QUESTIONS FOR US? OKAY YEAH. YEAH, I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND WITH RESPECT TO CATS, PETS AND [LAUGHTER] CATS? I THINK A LOT OF US KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A LEADING CAUSE OF BIRD DEATHS.

I CAN I CAN TAKE THAT ONE. OKAY, THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE ACTIONS YEAH.

LINDA MENTIONED THAT THERE'S BEEN A REALLY DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN BIRD POPULATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA.

AND NUMBERS BEHIND HABITAT LOSS IS FERAL CATS.

[00:30:06]

AND I THINK THAT PART OF THIS PROGRAM, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING ON THE WEBSITE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE THAT OWN CATS.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A CAT, BUT YOU GOT TO KEEP THEM INDOORS.

BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, THEY JUST SAY THAT DOMESTIC CATS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING BILLIONS OF BIRDS PER YEAR.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE, BUT BILLIONS OF BIRDS PER YEAR.

SO IT'S LIKE I SAID, RIGHT BEHIND HABITAT LOSS IS PREDATION BY FERAL CATS.

SO JUST NOT NECESSARILY FERAL. YOUR LOVABLE PET CAT.

SO, YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT.

YOU CAN EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, OR MAYBE THROUGH A NEWSLETTER OR A MAGAZINE THAT YOU HAVE.

YEAH YEAH I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP HAS A GREAT WEBSITE, AND WE DO HAVE THAT ONE GREEN AREA.

MAYBE WE COULD HAVE ONE SECTION IN THERE RELATED TO BIRD CITY.

JUST AS FAR AS ONCE WE GET A GROUP TOGETHER AND ACTIVITIES THAT WE COULD, WE COULD WORK ON TOGETHER.

THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HELP THE BIRDS AND WILDLIFE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT STEPS TO TAKE.

AND SO THIS PROGRAM CAN BE HELPFUL. YEAH. SUPPOSEDLY 40% OF AMERICANS CONSIDER THEMSELVES BIRD WATCHERS, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT [LAUGHTER]. BUT MAYBE NOT HARDCORE BIRD WATCHERS, BUT THEY APPRECIATE BIRDS.

AT LEAST THEY NOTICE THEM. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY OBLIVIOUS TO BIRDS [LAUGHTER], BUT YEAH, 40% OF AMERICANS. OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.

THANK YOU, INTERIM CHAIR. I'M CURIOUS, WITH THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SEE HERE LONGER SUMMERS, HOTTER SUMMERS, THINGS LIKE THAT. IF YOU OWN THE BIRDING COMMUNITY, HAVE SEEN INVASIVE MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST WORD FOR IT.

BUT NON-TYPICAL MID-MICHIGAN SPECIES COME INTO PLAY HERE IN A WAY THAT MAYBE FOR BIRDING? AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I GUESS I CAN. MY NAME IS NICK. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF CAPITAL AUDUBON NO, I ASK BECAUSE I TAKE PART SOMETIMES IN NATIVE PLANTINGS AND REMOVAL AND THE AIR CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT. IT CREATES AN OBSTACLE [LAUGHTER] THAT PLANTS DO NOT HAVE.

BUT I WAS CURIOUS. YEAH, DEFINITELY. YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE THE EFFECTS OF BOTH CLIMATE CHANGE AND INVASIVE SPECIES REGULARLY COMING DOWN LESS OFTEN BECAUSE THERE'S IT'S JUST WARMER HERE YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO STAY FARTHER UP. THEY CAN'T THEY CAN'T COME DOWN AND THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP FROM THE SOUTH MORE REGULARLY AS WELL, THINGS LIKE LIMPKIN AND ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY SEEN DOWN IN FLORIDA, THE SOUTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES THEY'VE BOTH BEEN MORE REGULARLY SEEN IN MICHIGAN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND SO WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING THE EFFECTS OF THOSE THINGS IMMEDIATELY TEND TO STAY MORE YEAR ROUND. SO YEAH, CLIMATE CHANGE IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY BIRD NUMBERS ARE DECLINING.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, MAYBE BY PLANTING MORE TREES HAVING A TREE ORDINANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT POSSIBLY WE COULD WORK ON AS FAR AS THIS, THE BIRD CITY CHECKLIST.

THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. THANK YOU WHAT DO YOU ENVISION NEXT STEPS BEING IF WE COLLECTIVELY WOULD WANT TO PURSUE A BIRD CITY DESIGNATION? RIGHT WELL. CREATE AN EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE. HOW CAN THE TOWNSHIP HELP IN THE PROCESS? YEAH, I WOULD SAY TWO, TWO THINGS. WELL, MAYBE THREE THINGS [LAUGHTER].

LOOK AT THAT APPLICATION AGAIN. LOOK AT THE 95 ACTIONS.

SEE IF THERE ARE TEN ACTIONS IN THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING OR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN, PUT INTO PLACE. AND THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN HELP YOU FULFILL THOSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR NATURE CENTER YOUR AUDUBON CHAPTER, OTHER CONSERVATION OR, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS MEET, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU GUYS WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE THAT RESOLUTION.

[00:35:06]

AND YOU CAN BE WAITING FOR THAT RESOLUTION WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR APPLICATION.

SO I THINK ON FIND THE 3 OR 4 LIKE MINDED ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVE A FIRST MEETING, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO JOIN IN ON THAT FIRST MEETING.

IS STILL ARE THERE STILL GREEN DIALOG MEETINGS? I WASN'T SURE IF THOSE ARE STILL HAPPENING. YES SO I COULD HOP ON THE NEXT ONE OF THOSE AND MAYBE TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT AND SEE IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN IN GETTING INVOLVED WITH THAT.

BUT I THINK ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS WE NEED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR BIRD DECLINE IS HABITAT LOSS.

IF WE CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAYBE TAKE OUT SOME OF THEIR GRASS AND PUT IN NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE ATTRACTIVE TO BIRDS AND INSECTS. THAT WOULD BE A HUGE FIRST STEP. SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO EDUCATE OUR POPULATION.

I WAS, AS A FOLLOW UP SORT OF TO THAT. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT SINCE IT'S THE CAPITAL AREA AUDUBON.

YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS THERE LIKE WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO MAYBE WORK TOGETHER WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE CAPITAL AREA? OR DO YOU THINK IT'S MORE, YOU KNOW? YOUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO FOR HASLETT IN OKEMOS.

RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LANSING SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN BIRD CITY.

AND WHEN YOU GET MEDIA ATTENTION, YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW THE BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS ARE HAPPENING HERE.

YOU WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO YOUR PARKS. YEAH EARLY ON IN THE DISCUSSION WITH CAPITAL, LINDA REACHED OUT TO CAPITAL AUDUBON, WHERE A CHAPTER OF MICHIGAN AUDUBON AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ON THE TOP OF OUR LIST OF JUST PLACES THAT WE KNOW ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT ALIGNED RIGHT OUT THE GATE WITH INTERESTS OF CAPITAL AUDUBON AND BECAUSE YOUR MEMBERS LIVE HERE LIKE SO WE HAVE A CONNECTION HERE. YEP, YEP. OKAY YEAH. QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

VERY, VERY INTERESTING. FOR THOSE THAT HAVE ADOPTED BIRD CITY AND BECOME BIRD CITIES DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE QUARTERLY CHECK IN TOGETHER OF THE PEOPLE OF THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN BEST PRACTICES AND KIND OF GLEAN, YOU KNOW, AND SHARE THOSE. YEAH. THERE'S A MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER THAT THE BIRD CITY NETWORK PUTS OUT, AND I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BECOME BIRD, BIRD CITIES.

AND I'M JUST THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOMMON, FOR EXAMPLE, THEIR BIRD CITY TEAM, THEY MEET ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY.

WHAT ELSE THEY CAN DO, AND THAT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT ON THEIR APPLICATION FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND THEY'RE CALLING THEMSELVES A BIRD COMMUNITY NOW THEY'RE REALLY OWNING THIS DESIGNATION.

IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN TO WATCH SO. THANK YOU OH, AND THEN THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY, THEY PUT OUT WEBINARS ALSO EVERY MONTH.

AND SO DOES THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE AMERICAS. THEY'VE DONE WEBINARS ON THE LIGHTS OUT PROGRAM BIRD STRIKES.

AND I ALWAYS SEND OUT THOSE WEBINARS TO OUR BIRD CITY COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

IT'S A GREAT LEARNING. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ACTUALLY INVITE ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO ATTEND THOSE.

ARE THE WEBINARS? I'M SORRY, ARE THE WEBINARS THEN RECORDED THAT YOU CAN WATCH? YEAH, THEY ARE ACTUALLY. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH SO YOU MENTIONED THE APPLICATION FOR NEXT YEAR.

SO ONCE YOU BECOME A BIRD CITY, IS IT A YEARLY REAPPLICATION THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED? IT IS YEP AND YOU CAN UPDATE US ON THE BIRD FRIENDLY ACTIONS THAT YOU STARTED THIS YEAR.

YOU CAN UPDATE US ON THAT NEXT YEAR. OR, YOU KNOW, IF ONE OF YOUR ITEMS IS PULLING INVASIVE SPECIES OUT OF A PARK, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT THAT ON SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS TOO IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, HOLDING THAT EVERY YEAR OR CLEANING UP A WATERWAY.

BUT THE INTENT IS THAT HOPEFULLY THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING NEW, YOU KNOW, 1 OR 2 NEW THINGS ON EACH EACH APPLICATION.

I WAS THINKING OF SOMETHING WHEN YOU WHEN YOU SAID THAT.

I DON'T REMEMBER NOW BUT. I THINK FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THERE, THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF LOW HANGING FRUIT, SO TO SPEAK, HERE THAT THINGS WERE ALREADY DOING.

EMMA CAMPBELL HAS BEEN SO ACTIVE WITH THE REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES FROM OUR NATURAL AREAS.

[00:40:03]

AND BUT I THINK WE SHOULD TRY AND HAVE A COUPLE STRETCH GOALS TO TRY AND ACHIEVE THOSE TO, FOR QUALIFICATION AS A BIRD CITY. SO WE COULD HAVE THE EASY ONES AND MAYBE HAVE SOME HARD ONES TOO.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW, JUST MAYBE ONE OUT OF CURIOSITY.

ARE THERE ANY CONSIDERATIONS FOR BATS IN HERE TOO OR? FOR WHAT? FOR BATS? [LAUGHTER] OR IS THERE ENOUGH OVERLAP OR PROVISIONING FOR BIRDS MAYBE DOES ENOUGH FOR THEM TOO? WE DON'T HAVE THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM. BUT WE, WE DO HAVE, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TREE CITIES, MONARCH CITIES, AND YEAH. I WOULD ALSO COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT BUT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER. YEAH.

LOST AND HAVE BEEN LOST. AND THAT'S NICE FOR THE BATS, YOU KNOW.

SO THERE IS THAT KIND OF OVERLAP IN THOSE THINGS.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY THOUGHT THE COMMUNITY. SO YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANY TIME.

GREAT THANKS. THANK YOU.

I'M JUST WONDERING, DO YOU PLAN TO TALK TO THE PARKS COMMISSION OR MAYBE PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF? I WOULD.

RIGHT YEAH. I MEAN, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, BUT THAT WOULD BE MAYBE PART OF YOUR TEAM.

SO YOUR TEAM MIGHT BE SOMEONE FROM THIS COMMISSION, SOMEONE FROM PARKS AND RECREATION, SOMEONE FROM THE NATURE CENTER, SOMEONE FROM THE CHAPTER THERE YOU'VE GOT YOUR TEAM.

SO, YEAH. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I SERVE AS THE LIAISON TO THE PARK COMMISSION.

SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO REPORT BACK TO THEM AND SEE IF WE CAN ALL RIGHT THANK YOU GREAT THAT WAS AWESOME. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS OR ADDRESSING AGENDA ITEMS

[4.CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS]

DEAR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENSURE HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE DEVELOPED FOR SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY TO PREVENT LOCAL BROWNFIELD TOXIC INDUSTRIAL WASTE, AND TO PROTECT AND SAFEGUARD MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS HEALTH. SOLAR PANELS CAN CONTAIN THE TOXIC HEAVY METALS LEAD, ALUMINUM, TIN, CADMIUM, AND OTHER TOXIC MATERIALS, AND BATTERIES CAN CONTAIN THE TOXIC HEAVY METALS MERCURY, LEAD, CADMIUM, NICKEL, LITHIUM, COBALT, GRAPHITE, ETC. AS A RESULT, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE EPA HAS END OF LIFE SOLAR PANEL REGULATIONS AND MANAGEMENT AND BATTERY DISPOSAL POLICIES AT A LOCAL LEVEL NEARBY SAINT CLAIR COUNTY MICHIGAN HAS HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY POLLUTION AND DECOMMISSIONING.

IT IS IDEAL THAT LOCAL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LEAD OUR STATE AND NATION WITH SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY, HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH IS BOTH EXPECTED AND WELCOMED BY OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.

ADDITIONALLY, IN MAY OF 2025, THE POTATO GROWERS OF MICHIGAN RELEASED A PUBLIC STATEMENT URGING I QUOTE POLICY MAKERS, DEVELOPERS, COMMUNITIES TO PRIORITIZE SOLAR SITING ON ROOFTOPS, END QUOTE.

ALSO, IN THIS PUBLIC STATEMENT, QUOTE, ONE CRITICAL CONCERN RELATES TO FOOD SAFETY.

WHEN SOLAR PANELS AND SYSTEMS ARE EVENTUALLY REMOVED, SMALL FRAGMENTS OF PLASTIC AND METAL MAY MAY REMAIN IN THE SOIL.

AND WE, QUOTE WITH THE VERY SERIOUS CONCERN OF SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES GENERATING THE POLLUTION OF EXCESSIVE INDUSTRIAL TOXIC WASTE THAT CONTAMINATES THROUGH RELEASING THESE TOXIC HEAVY METALS INTO THE SOIL, LAND AND WATERWAYS, QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED ARE AS ASTERISK FOLLOWS.

NUMBER ONE. WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE SOLAR PANELS WILL BE PLACED AND INSTALLED ON BUILDING ROOFTOPS AND OFF OF OUR PRISTINE TOWNSHIP SOIL AND LAND TO MINIMIZE AND ELIMINATE SOIL, LAND, AND WATER POLLUTION AND CONTAMINATION? NUMBER TWO, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PROPERLY TO ENSURE PROPER

[00:45:06]

SPECIFICALLY DETAILING AND INCLUDING THE REMOVAL OF ALL ABOVE AND BELOW SURFACE INFRASTRUCTURES? NUMBER THREE, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PREVENT AND ELIMINATE ALL AUDIO AND VISUAL POLLUTION CREATED BY SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES, AND INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTION? AND NUMBER FOUR, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PROPERLY AND RESPONSIBLY RECYCLE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES AT THE END OF PRODUCT LIFE? AGAIN, PLEASE, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENSURE THESE HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY ARE DEVELOPED TO SAFEGUARD OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS HEALTH.

THANK YOU. AND I HAVE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.

SO CAN I GIVE THOSE TO THE COMMITTEE? YEAH, SURE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH GREAT. SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[6.APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

YEAH ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? NO OKAY SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE AGENDA.

THEN THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 6TH MEETING.

[7.APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES –Aug 6th, 2025 REGULAR MEETING]

OKAY I'LL SECOND. OKAY I MEAN ABOUT THE MINUTES? NOPE NEW BUSINESS. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS.

AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[10. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

OH, YEAH. WELL, IT'S BEEN A MINUTE. WE HAD OUR WE SKIPPED OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AGAIN.

AND ALMOST A FULL HOUSE HERE. WE HAD A RECYCLING EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 20TH THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY OUR GREEN TEAM, AND I HOPE I'M NOT STEPPING ON TOES HERE, BUT I'LL JUST SHARE SOME OF THOSE THE STATS THERE.

SO WE HAD OVER 60 VOLUNTEERS, WHICH WAS ESSENTIAL TO HAVING THINGS RUN SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE EVENT.

IT WAS A NEW LOCATION, SO THINGS WERE KIND OF IN FLUX AS WE KIND OF STARTED UP.

DURING OUR MEETING WITH THE IT DIRECTORS HERE BEFORE ANYONE AND AFTER EVERYONE LEAVES ON THE DOORS [LAUGHTER].

THANKLESS JOB. SO APPRECIATE IT. YEAH. YEAH OUTSIDE OF THOSE WITH THOSE VOLUNTEERS, NEW LOCATION, NEW SETUP, NEW CHALLENGES. WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY MAJOR HITCHES.

WE HAD OVER 600 PARTICIPANTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME THROUGH, NOT JUST FROM HASLETT OKEMOS, BUT FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES AS WELL, WHICH WE CONSIDER A WIN.

AND WE ENDED UP WITH 21,000 POUNDS WORTH OF ASSORTED ELECTRONICS THROUGHOUT THAT.

AND I THINK OUR TOTAL BILL FOR RECYCLING EVERYTHING WAS ABOUT $6,000 OR SO.

AND WE COLLECTED $3.3 THOUSAND IN DONATIONS THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.

SO WE ABOUT HALFWAY OFFSET THE COSTS, WHICH IS, I THINK, BETTER THAN WE'VE EVER DONE.

[00:50:05]

OTHER TOWNSHIP NEWS. OKAY I WAS CURIOUS IF DOING IT IN BULK CREATES A BETTER RATE FOR US IN TERMS OF COST RECYCLE THOSE MATERIALS AS A WAY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE EVEN MORE RATHER THAN DOING IT ON THEIR OWN.

I BELIEVE SO. OKAY. YEAH [LAUGHTER]. OKAY. AND I THINK ON THEIR OWN, WE JUST HAVE THE ONE RECYCLING CENTER.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, BUT IT'S NICE TO JUST HAVE A FOCAL EVENT THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET EVERYBODY TO DOING IT THIS WAY TOO IN BULK. WE CAN OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCOUNT ON LIKE, THE, LIKE THE CONVENTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO RECYCLE THINGS LIKE TVS AND MONITORS.

IF YOU GO TO BEST BUY, THEY'LL CHARGE YOU 30 BUCKS TO TAKE THOSE THINGS, WHEREAS WE CAN ACCEPT A DONATION OF $20 BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT IN MASS.

THANK YOU YEAH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE RECYCLING EVENT I GUESS? I'LL JUST MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I PARTICIPATED AS A CUSTOMER, I GUESS, DROPPING OFF A LOT OF ELECTRONIC STUFF [LAUGHTER] AND WHENEVER I PARTICIPATE IN THESE ACTIVITIES, I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED HOW WELL ORGANIZED IT IS AND HOW SMOOTHLY IT GOES.

SO I THINK THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREEN TEAM MEMBERS AND STAFF BECAUSE I THINK YOU DO A GREAT JOB.

THANKS. TOM AND HARRISON WERE BOTH THERE ALL DAY.

SO YEAH, BIG HUGE THANKS TO THEM [LAUGHTER]. YEAH, I COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE GREEN TEAM [LAUGHTER].

THAT'S GREAT. YEAH OTHER KIND OF MAJOR NEWS. I THINK THE LAST TIME WE HAD GOTTEN TOGETHER, WE HAD RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH RECENTLY, IN AUGUST, WE HAD SAT DOWN WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY TO TALK ABOUT THEIR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM.

SO SOMETHING THE TOWNSHIP WAS CONSIDERING JOINING AS A WAY TO KIND OF SHORTCUT OUR WAY TO THAT 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY GOAL WE HAVE SET FOR 2035.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY OF THE PROGRAM IS CONSUMERS IS LOOKING TO BUILD NEW SOLAR AND WIND FIELDS, MAINLY SOLAR HERE, AND THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY LOOKING FOR SOME BY IN SOME TOWNSHIPS AND CORPORATIONS TO HELP SUBSIDIZE OR OFFSET THOSE COSTS.

SO THEY OFFERED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THIS PROGRAM, WHERE WE WOULD PAY AN ADDITIONAL RATE PER MONTH ON OUR ELECTRICITY FEES FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

AND THOSE COSTS WOULD GO INTO BUILDING THE SOLAR FACILITY AND WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE BUYING WOULD CHANGE OUR ELECTRICITY PURCHASING FROM CONSUMERS TO BE ENTIRELY GREEN PRODUCED AS THE PROGRAM KIND OF SCALED UP.

WE HAD A DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 30TH TO JOIN. THEY'LL BE THIS WAS IT'S A RECURRING PROGRAM, THOUGH. THEY DO THEY ACCEPT NEW ENTRIES EVERY YEAR.

SO WE MISSED WE ELECTED NOT TO JOIN THE PROGRAM THIS TIME.

IT STILL LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN IN THE FUTURE. I THINK WE WERE STILL LOOKING TO DO SCRUTINIZE IT A LITTLE FURTHER BEFORE WE KIND OF MADE THIS DECISION.

THE TOTAL BUY IN WAS SOMETHING LIKE $1.3 MILLION ACROSS THESE THESE 20 YEARS.

SO IT WAS A MAJOR DECISION, AND IT REALLY NEEDED TO BE KIND OF FULLY STUDIED AND FLESHED OUT ON WHAT THE KIND OF WHAT THE LONG TERM WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THAT WERE THESE ENERGY SAVINGS CREDITS THAT CONSUMERS HAD KIND OF PROJECTED FOR US ON WHAT KIND OF KIND OF FINANCIAL RETURNS WE MIGHT SEE ACROSS THE PROGRAM. THESE WOULD BE BASICALLY WHEN CONSUMERS PRODUCES SOLAR POWER.

THEY THEY'RE WORKING WITH MISO, KIND OF THE ENERGY GRID IN MICHIGAN AND THAT MARKET.

AND THEY'D BE THEN CREDITING US BASED ON HOW WELL THAT ENERGY IS ABLE TO BE SOLD IN THROUGHOUT THE MISO RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET IN MICHIGAN.

AND IF THAT WAS GOING WELL, IF THERE WAS HIGH DEMAND FOR THAT, WE'D BE GETTING CREDITS THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY TRY TO OFFSET OUR OUR BUY IN COSTS TO THE PROGRAM. IF ALL GOING WELL, WE WOULD HAVE EVENED OUT MAYBE SEVEN YEARS INTO THE PROGRAM, BASED ON THE FIRST PRESENTATION WE GOT, WE'D BE PAYING INTO IT FOR SEVEN YEARS AND THEN BENEFITING FROM IT FOR THE NEXT 13 YEARS.

HOWEVER, ALL OF THESE PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON THIRD PARTY KIND OF AGGREGATE STUDIES OF THIS MARKET AND BETWEEN CONSUMERS PRESENTATION IN AUGUST AND THEIR PRESENTATION IN SEPTEMBER, THE PROJECTIONS HAD WILDLY CHANGED.

AND INSTEAD OF THE TOWNSHIP PAYING INTO THE PROGRAM FOR SEVEN YEARS AND THEN BENEFITING FOR 13 YEARS, WE WERE NOW PAYING INTO THE PROGRAM FOR 15 YEARS AND ONLY BENEFITING FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

SO CONSIDERING HOW VOLATILE THOSE PROJECTIONS WERE, I THINK WE MADE THE RIGHT CALL IN TAKING SOME MORE TIME TO EVALUATE THIS.

[00:55:06]

I HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT SINCE WE LAST CHATTED [LAUGHTER].

YOU ARE WELCOME TO WATCH THAT BOARD MEETING ON HOME TV, YOUTUBE CHANNEL, BOARD MEMBERS.

WE ALL CAME FORWARD WITH QUESTIONS AND I THINK ECHOED A LOT OF WHAT JACK IS GETTING AT HERE.

AND SO YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT. IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE MIGHT NOT ENTER IT IN THE FUTURE, BUT AS A ANOTHER LIAISON SHIP THAT I'M ON, WHICH IS THE ELMS LAW WAS ALSO APPROACHED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.

AND I KNOW ELMS LAW THAT BOARD HAS DIRECTED STAFF TO SPEAK WITH MICHIGAN STATE, WHO IS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM, WITH CONSUMERS, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DISCERN ABOUT THE CONTRACTS BECAUSE OF EXACTLY WHAT JACK WAS REFERRING TO WITH THE SOMEWHAT WILD CHANGES IN PROJECTIONS AND OFFSETS. SO AGAIN, THAT IS THE SEPTEMBER 2ND BOARD MEETING IS A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HALF HOUR PRESENTATION.

SO FEEL FREE TO WATCH THAT YOUTUBE VIDEO, BUT APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME THE [LAUGHTER] START OF THE RUNWAY THERE.

SURE [LAUGHTER]. YEAH, I CAN LET YOU TAKE IT FROM THERE.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE IN THERE, I GUESS I'LL JUST MENTION. JUST ON THAT TOWNSHIP MEETING, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH SCOTT HENDRICKSON'S ABILITY TO JUST KIND OF READ RIGHT THROUGH THE LINES ON THAT PRESENTATION THERE.

THAT WAS REALLY IMPRESSED ME. YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A POTENTIALLY VERY COOL PROGRAM, BUT I'M GLAD THAT ESPECIALLY WITH DAN'S QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY AND THEN THE REST, THE BOARD BROUGHT FORWARD A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT WE WANT TO RAISE, BECAUSE IN A WAY, THIS WOULD BE ALL OF THESE MUNICIPALITIES BONDING.

THE PROJECT MIGHT BE A WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, WHICH WOULD BENEFIT CONSUMERS.

IT WOULD BENEFIT US AS WELL. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR US.

BUT SO WHY DID THE PROJECTIONS CHANGE SO DRAMATICALLY? BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE GOING TO PAY THE RATING AGENCY KIND OF SET THAT DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT THEY THINK THE LIKE, THE MARKETABILITY, BECAUSE BASICALLY YOU'RE AGREEING TO HELP THEM BUILD THIS GREEN ENERGY.

THAT GREEN ENERGY IS THEN ENTERED INTO THE MARKETPLACE AS ANY OTHER ENERGY.

AND DEPENDING ON WHAT RATE YOU SIGN AND LOCK IN ON, IT MIGHT BE WAY UP HERE OR DOWN HERE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

WE WOULD GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF SAVINGS NO MATTER WHAT, BUT IF YOU CATCH IT ON A DOWNTURN, THAT SAVINGS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, JUST ROUND NUMBERS LIKE $100,000 A YEAR OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CATCH IT ON AN UPTURN, A HIGHER NUMBER. SO DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO? 0R ARE THEIR PROJECTIONS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SURVEYS THAT COME OUT FROM CONSUMERS ENERGY TO CUSTOMERS THAT ASK ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCE FOR GREEN ENERGY AND LIKE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT GREEN ENERGY KIND OF SO THAT HAS TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT DOESN'T AFFECT US.

OKAY A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, WHICH IS RELATIVELY NEW, LIKE THERE ARE ONLY A THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR INTO IT.

SO I EXPECT EACH YEAR IT BECOMES MAYBE LESS LUCRATIVE, BUT ALSO LESS VOLATILE.

I'M NOT. BUT AGAIN, WE AS A BOARD DID NOT WANT TO BE RUSHED INTO SIGNING SOMETHING WITH 2 TO 3 WEEKS NOTICE.

YEAH SO AND MUCH TO THE STAFF'S HAPPINESS I IMAGINE AS WELL [LAUGHTER].

SO YEAH. CYNTHIA ANOTHER NOTE THERE IS I THINK THOSE STUDIES ARE LOOKING AT LIKE JUST KIND OF GREEN ENERGY PRODUCTION KIND OF FORECAST INTO THE, INTO THE NEXT COUPLE DECADES THERE. AND IT'S LIKE ANY SUPPLY AND DEMAND, IF MORE AND MORE PEOPLE START TO EMBRACE SOLAR, THEN SUDDENLY SOLAR CREDITS AREN'T WORTH AS MUCH AND WE'D SEE ACTUALLY PROBABLY LESS RETURN ON THAT.

SO IT'S TRUE IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. IS SOMEONE CHATTING WITH THEM AND WHO'S THE CONTACT THERE? JUST CURIOUS. TOWNSHIP DID ACTUALLY SIT DOWN FOR A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH THEM TO KIND OF DISCUSS KIND OF THEIR KIND OF THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ON IT, BUT KIND OF LIKE HOW I MENTIONED THERE ARE ONLY A FEW YEARS INTO THE PROGRAM CONSUMERS IS.

SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVEN'T BUILT ANY OF THEIR FACILITIES YET.

THEY'RE STILL IN THE RECRUITING PHASE. SO MSU IS A THEY'RE A PART OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THEY DON'T THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DATA YET.

THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY REAL NUMBERS TO SHARE WITH US.

AND IS THAT THEIR ENERGY DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY THAT THEY CHATTED WITH, OR IS THAT MORE THE SUSTAINABILITY AREA?

[01:00:07]

I THINK THE TOWNSHIP WAS INTERESTED IN JUST KIND OF GETTING A THERMOMETER READING ON WHAT THE COMMISSION THINKS ABOUT JUST ALMOST JUST LIKE A, THAT THE IDEA OF A PROJECT LIKE THAT KIND OF JUST WEIGHING OUT, YOU KNOW, IS THE IS THE COMMISSION INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING THAT 100% GOAL? IS THAT THE PRIORITY, OR WOULD THERE BE MORE OF A PRIORITY ON MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CREATING ITS OWN PRODUCTION, BUILDING ITS OWN SOLAR SO THAT WE CAN BOTH PRODUCE OUR OWN ENERGY, GET BETTER RETURNS ON THAT, AND ALSO HAVE A LITTLE, I THINK, A BETTER PR STANCE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S EASIER TO IT'S EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO PAT THEMSELVES AND PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK WHEN THEY DRIVE BY OUR BIG SOLAR TILES OR SEE THEM ON THE ROOFTOPS AND GO, YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S MY TOWNSHIP. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GO GREEN.

LOOK AT US GO. WHEREAS THE CONSUMERS PROGRAM IS MORE ABSTRACT THAN THAT.

IT'S YOU MIGHT SEE A LITTLE SOMETHING ON YOUR ENERGY BILL THAT SAYS THIS.

YOU KNOW, ENERGY CAME FROM A GREEN SOURCE, BUT THAT'S JUST DOESN'T HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF VISCERAL IMPACT THAT BUILDING TILES DOES.

JUST KIND OF WANTED TO POSE THE QUESTION OUT THERE, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE NITTY GRITTY, THE NUMBERS, JUST THE IDEA OF A PROJECT LIKE THIS, IS THIS SOMETHING THE COMMISSION IS KIND OF MORE TOWARDS, OR MAYBE LEANING AWAY FROM. A NOTE THAT I WOULD ADD, IF YOU DON'T MIND, INTERIM CHAIR IS YOU KNOW, THE POINT RAISED BY OUR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS WOULD BE FUNDING A LARGE PART.

THEY DIDN'T THEY DIDN'T REVEAL WHERE THEY WOULD PLAN ON BUILDING THIS. BUT LET'S SAY HARRISON, MICHIGAN, FOR SAKE OF THE CONVERSATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MASSIVE SOLAR ARRAY THAT WOULD JOIN CONSUMERS LARGE PORTFOLIO THAT IS OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. SOME FOLKS MIGHT NOT WANT SOLAR PANELS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO I DID WANT TO POINT THAT OUT AS AN AS AN ALTERNATIVE REASON TO SUPPORT THIS. IF WE DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE, FOR WHATEVER THEIR OWN REASONS, MIGHT BE, NOT WANT TO HAVE SOLAR PANELS IN THEIR COMMUNITY SO.

TRUE THANKFULLY, THE TOWNSHIP HAS NO CURRENT PLANS TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S A GOOD POINT THOUGH SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AND ALSO ADDRESSING THAT CONCERN.

THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY NEEDS NEED TO DECOMMISSION SOLAR PANELS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE TOWNSHIP YET.

SO I DID WANT TO POINT THAT OUT AND ADDRESSING THAT CONCERN THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE A SERVICE THAT WE WOULD PAY FOR IF THAT NEED EVER AROSE SO. [LAUGHTER] DO YOU WANT TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS? I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT. I GUESS YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

MAYBE IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF DIFFICULT TO GET TO 100% WITH JUST THE TOWNSHIP DOING THEIR OWN PROJECTS. BUT CLEARLY, BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT YOU AND NICK HAVE SHARED, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE DO DO THIS IN THE FUTURE, WE GET IN AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IT'S FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP SO.

OKAY THAT I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE ANY DECISION WOULD BE MADE, JUST TO JUST TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT EDUCATION OUT THERE RATHER THAN HAVE IT ON THE HEELS OF SOME DECISION THAT WAS MADE. I AGREE. I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT THAT MESSAGING, YOU KNOW, JUST AS YOU WERE SAYING, TRUSTEE LENTZ THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T NEEDED TO DECOMMISSION ANYTHING OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, TO THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. MY PERSONAL THOUGHT IS, I THINK BECAUSE IT'S SO VOLATILE, WE NEED TO DO OUR HOMEWORK, FOR SURE. I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT TO PUMP THE BRAKES.

WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE. WE NEED TO HEAR FROM OTHER, OTHER GROUPS THAT HAVE WHAT HAVE THEIR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN SO WE CAN MAKE THE BEST INFORMED DECISION. AND I THINK WHAT'S THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO POUR ALL OF OUR MONEY AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, RUSH INTO ANYTHING.

WE REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHETHER WE WOULD BE FULLY AT THE MERCY OF JUMPING INTO THIS AND

[01:05:05]

I THINK ALSO IT'S A REALLY EARLY PROGRAM, SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH IT. YOU KNOW, THE THE ENERGY TEAM HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE CONSUMERS ENERGY PROGRAM.

AND JACK WAS A PARTICIPANT IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

AND THE THE ENERGY TEAM RAISED A NUMBER OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONSUMERS ENERGY PROGRAM, BECAUSE AS A KIND OF IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THIS, BUT BASICALLY, IF YOU HAVE THE MEANS TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM THE FINANCES, THE ECONOMICS ARE MUCH BETTER. BECAUSE CONSUMERS ENERGY HAS STRUCTURED A PROGRAM THAT'S BASICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THEM AND ISN'T NECESSARILY AS ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE CUSTOMERS, AS SOME OF US WOULD LIKE.

BUT ONE OF THE REAL ADVANTAGES WITH THE CONSUMERS ENERGY PROGRAM, IT'S AN EASY THING TO DO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE STAFF PUTS QUITE A BIT OF WORK INTO MANAGING ARRANGING FOR THE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS THAT WE HAVE ON SITE. I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT OF STAFF TIME BECAUSE THE ECONOMICS ARE GOOD.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

BUT YEAH, I COULD SEE WHY A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES WOULD WANT TO GO WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY, BECAUSE BASICALLY IT'S A, IT'S AN EASY WAY TO GET TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S NOT THE BEST WAY, BUT IT'S EASY.

YEAH SO. WELL SAID THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PRIMARILY A FINANCIAL DECISION.

IT WAS KIND OF DESCRIBED AS A BONDING ARRANGEMENT IN ORDER TO FINANCE THE BUILDING OF A SOLAR ARRAY FACILITY THAT, IN THE END, WOULD GENERATE FUNDS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO QUESTIONS THAT POP INTO MY MIND IS, OKAY, WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDS THAT ALLOW US TO BUY INTO THE PROGRAM? DOES IS A MILLAGE NECESSARY FOR THAT? OR WOULD IT COME OUT OF GENERAL FUNDS FROM THE FROM THE TOWNSHIP? SO I THINK ALL THOSE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS A SMART INVESTMENT.

YEAH.

YEAH. I GUESS A LITTLE WHILE AGO NOW, A MONTH AGO THE I CAN'T IMAGINE A MILLAGE WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THIS.

I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDS EQUIVALENT TO IF IT WERE TO BE MILLAGE SIMILAR TO, LIKE, THE LAND PRESERVATION MILLAGE FUND, WHICH IS SO MINUSCULE AS COMPARED TO SO MANY, SO MUCH OF THE REST OF OUR FUNDING.

WITH THAT SAID, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE YOU SAID $1.5 MILLION OVER 20 YEARS WAS KIND OF THE BALLPARK THAT OF COURSE. RIGHT YEAH. I THINK IT WAS 66 GRAND PER YEAR OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

ADDITIONAL TO OUR ALREADY SUBSTANTIAL POWER BILLS.

SO I THINK PERCENTAGE WISE IT MAY NOT BE A LOT, BUT KIND OF TO JOHN'S POINT, KIND OF WHAT THE ENERGY TEAM BROUGHT UP IS, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT IT FINANCIALLY, IT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE TO BUILD AND OPERATE YOUR OWN SOLAR TILES.

THAT AGAIN COMES WITH MAINTENANCE AND OVERHEAD WHEREAS CONSUMERS PROGRAM DOESN'T.

THAT'S THEIR BIG. THEIR BIG POLL. BUT YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.

I JUST WANT TO ADD LIKE I MEAN MY YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE I MEAN MY PREMISE WOULD BE IF THE, IF WE COULD JUST PUT SOLAR ON THE ROOFTOPS OF ALL THESE [LAUGHTER] BIG BUILDINGS AND BUILD THE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE GREAT, I THINK, IF WE COULD HAVE OUR OWN SOLAR.

BUT I'M ALSO OKAY WITH, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE IF WE NEED TO TO SUPPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, SOME TO MEET THOSE GOALS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH BUYING INTO THE CONSUMER PROGRAM.

I THINK IT I THINK PART OF THAT FOR ME TOO, IS, IS THAT SEEING HOW CAN WE HELP MORE RESIDENTS IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY ALSO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OR PARTICIPATE MORE WITH SOLAR.

AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC AND DECISIONS LIKE BUILDING A PACKAGE TOGETHER THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT THE LIKE WOULD FUND THE TOWNSHIPS, YOU KNOW, ENERGY NEEDS.

[01:10:05]

AND THEN I THINK, YEAH ALSO, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SAID, ABOUT CONSIDERING SOME OF THESE OTHER POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH MAINTENANCE AND DISPOSAL AND ALL THAT SO. ONE THING TO CONSIDER ABOUT THE 100% RENEWABLE GOAL TOO, IS THAT YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST LET'S JUST THINK IN TERMS OF, LET'S SAY WITH ON SITE INSTALLATIONS, WE GET TO 70%.

OKAY? YEAH AND IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO GET TO 100%.

BUT WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND THE FACT THAT CONSUMERS ENERGY IS NOW OBLIGATED UNDER STATE LAW THAT THEIR POWER WILL BE 60% RENEWABLE ENERGY. SO IF WE GET TO 70%, THE REMAINDER 30%, IN A REAL SENSE, 60% OF THAT WILL BE RENEWABLE BECAUSE CONSUMERS IS OBLIGATED WHENEVER THEY PROVIDE US POWER, 60% IS GOING TO COME FROM SOLAR OR WIND.

AND SO THAT I THINK, HELPS US GET TO OUR 100% GOAL [LAUGHTER], BECAUSE STATE LAW IS KIND OF PUSHING THE UTILITIES TO KIND OF HELP US.

OKAY THAT. I THINK IT'S 40% SOLAR AND WIND. AND I THINK IT'S 90% RENEWABLES OR CLEAN ENERGY NOT BURNING COAL.

BUT YEAH, THE MORE MUNICIPALITIES CORPORATIONS THEY CAN GET TO BUY INTO THIS PROGRAM, THE QUICKER THEY CAN ACHIEVE THEIR OWN INTERNAL GOALS THAT WAY.

SO SO HAVE WE DONE AN ANALYSIS FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO KNOW CAN WE MEET OR HOW MUCH OF THAT GOAL CAN WE MEET, YOU KNOW, WITH IF THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, JUST DID OUR OWN SOLAR PROGRAM? I MEAN, DO WE DO WE HAVE ANY ANALYSIS THAT SAYS, HOW MUCH CAN WE ACTUALLY GET THERE WITH JUST OUR OWN PROGRAM? I BELIEVE WE CAN COVER ALL OF OUR MAJOR, OUR MAJOR BUILDINGS, PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING, OUR SERVICE CENTER. THE CHALLENGE BECOMES LOOKING AT STREET LIGHTS AND LIFT STATIONS AND ALL THE DECENTRALIZED.

OKAY. POWER DEMANDS THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS TRYING TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.

THAT'S WHERE SOMETHING LIKE BUYING INTO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS ALLOWS US TO KIND OF CLOSE THE REST OF THE GAP I SEE OKAY.

WELL, YEAH. THEN I THINK IT REALLY DOES TIE BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE JUST SAYING. THEN IF WE'RE BUYING IT FROM CONSUMERS [LAUGHTER] AND IF THEY'RE ALREADY BUYING SOME RENEWABLE, MAYBE WE [LAUGHTER]. YEAH. YOU COULD YOU COULD SEE WHY CONSUMERS, THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THIS MANDATE FROM THE STATE, HOW THEY'LL WANT TO HAS BEEN POINTED OUT FINANCE THEIR SOLAR PROJECTS AND IT'S GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS TO, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF GET THIS OPTION TO CITIES, INDIVIDUALS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE GREEN POWER, WE'VE GOT AN EASY WAY FOR YOU TO DO IT. WE'LL JUST INCREASE YOUR BILLS A LITTLE AND YOU'RE KIND OF MAKING A CONTRIBUTION, WHICH IS TRUE. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AGAIN, DEPENDS ON FOR EITHER A HOMEOWNER OR FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

WHAT'S THE BEST CHOICE? RIGHT? THE BEST OPTION.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT THAT REALLY DOES THAT REALLY DOES HELP. OKAY GREAT. SO NEXT WE HAVE THE REPORTS FROM LIAISONS FOR THE DIFFERENT GROUPS.

SO FIRST IS A TOWNSHIP BOARD UPDATE. I WILL TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING AS SHORT AS I CAN CONSIDERING THE LENGTH SINCE THE TIME WE MET.

ON THE AUGUST 19TH BOARD MEETING. I'M ONLY BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE OF THE TALK OF BIRDS.

WE DID PASS A ROOSTER REGULATION. THAT LIMITS ROOSTERS [LAUGHTER] IN THE URBAN URBAN CORE OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

SO IF YOU HAVE ONE, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU KNOW, FINDING A NEW HOME FOR IT [LAUGHTER].

IT WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BECAUSE OF A COUPLE INCITING INCIDENCES.

AND WE ALSO RECEIVED THE FOOD RESCUE LANSING PRESENTATION THAT THIS GROUP HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED.

ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, WE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE CONSUMERS PROGRAM THAT WE THAT WE JUST SPENT SOME TIME ON. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PARKING LOT LANDSCAPING STANDARDS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.

THAT IS A LONG PROCESS OF MAKING OF NOT HAVING SUCH RIGID PARKING LOT STANDARDS IN MERIDIAN

[01:15:04]

IT IS A IMMENSELY BAD FOR RUNOFF AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL.

SO MERIDIAN IS REDUCING THOSE PARKING LOT SIZES NEEDED AND ALSO MAKING IT EASIER FOR NATIVE PLANTS AND FOLIAGE IN GENERAL TO BE PUT IN RAIN GARDENS YOU KNOW, ARE FAIRLY COMMON AND BENEFICIAL.

AND THEN ON THE MOST RECENT MEETING ON THE 16TH, WE HAD A LONG PRESENTATION ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP BUDGET, WHICH THE PLAN IS TO VOTE ON THAT FOR ADOPTION NEXT TUESDAY ON THE SEVENTH.

SO THAT AND THAT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR. THE FIRST HOUR.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WATCHING THAT VIDEO ON HOME TV ON YOUTUBE.

AND OF COURSE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL VIEWING ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE, BUT THE TOWNSHIP, EXCUSE ME DID REDUCE ITS BUDGET SLIGHTLY TRIM SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE NO LONGER NEEDING ACROSS THE BOARD, OUTSIDE SERVICES, MOSTLY.

AND THE ONLY STAFFING POSITIONS THAT WERE RELEASED WERE EITHER RELATED TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WAS RUNNING OUT AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, AS WELL AS, A FORMER LIAISON LEROY.

HIS RETIREMENT BROUGHT ABOUT SOME, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, MOSTLY CONSOLIDATION OF OF DEPARTMENTS, MAKING SURE PEOPLE CAN DO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS. FOR INSTANCE, APARTMENT INSPECTOR VERSUS NON APARTMENT INSPECTOR, THINGS LIKE THAT. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT FROM THAT BUDGET THAT I THINK IS BENEFICIAL, JUST BECAUSE OF THE INTERSECTION OF ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, IS THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO ADOPT A SYSTEM THAT WOULD ALLOW MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS A STRUCTURE IN OUR UTILITY BILLING TO HAVE A KNOW WITHIN 24 HOURS IF SOMEONE HAS A LEAKY PIPE AS COMPARED TO THE CURRENT SYSTEM WHERE WE HAVE TO SEND SOMETHING OUT, LIKE A MOBILE TRANSPONDER WHICH RECEIVES THE INFORMATION, WE WOULD KNOW YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY WEEKS AFTER A LEAK MIGHT START IN A TOILET IN THE BASEMENT OR SOMETHING, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU WOULD HAVE ISSUES THERE. THIS PROGRAM THAT WE ARE HOPING TO SLOWLY BUT SURELY INSTALL ON WATER METERS THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP AGAIN, WOULD ALLOW ALL OF YOU TO KNOW WITHIN 20 OR ALLOW US TO KNOW WITHIN 24 HOURS AND OF COURSE CONTACT YOU ALL IN YOUR HOME.

SO THAT THAT WAS DISCUSSED QUITE A BIT IN THAT PRESENTATION.

AGAIN, IF YOU WANTED TO WATCH THAT OTHER COUPLE THINGS.

THE DEER CALLING PROGRAM STARTS TODAY. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY HAVE SEEN THAT SEEN THAT FULL PRESENTATION.

I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WE DO IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SINCE ITS INCEPTION HAS REDUCED CAR DEER COLLISIONS BY ABOUT 50%. RESULTS IN A LOT OF MEAT BEING DONATED TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND IN GENERAL WORKS TO NOT HAVE AN OVERABUNDANCE OF ANY POPULATION IN THE TOWNSHIP.

SO THAT WILL RUN THROUGH JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR.

AND THEN THE OTHER NOTE I GUESS WE HAD A LISTENING SESSION LAST NIGHT IF ANYONE WAS IN ATTENDANCE.

I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENDANCE. I DID NOT SEE ANY MEMBERS THERE, BUT THERE WERE THERE WAS QUITE A FEW THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE TOWNSHIP HALL.

IT WAS AT THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN HASLETT SO. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, HARRISON, I WANTED TO SAY IN MY CAPACITY ON THE ELMS LAW BOARD, WHICH IS THE EAST LANSING MERIDIAN WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, I WAS TOLD IF YOU KNOW OF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS WHO WANT TO COME TAKE A TOUR, WHICH I DO THROUGH [LAUGHTER] THIS CAPACITY TO PASS THAT ALONG.

SO IF YOU'RE AT ANY POINT INTERESTED YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LOVE TO GIVE A TOUR SOMETIME.

IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING INTERSECTION. MERIDIAN ELMS LAW IS THE ONLY FACILITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE AT ONE POINT BEEN CONSIDERED GROUNDWATER, THEN RECLASSIFIED TO SURFACE WATER BECAUSE OF STRICTER REGULATIONS AROUND WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE, AND THEN THROUGH THEIR OWN ACTIONS, BEING RECLASSIFIED AS GROUNDWATER, WHICH IS A BETTER SYSTEM AND LEADS TO LESS CONTAMINATION.

SO IT IS A WELL THOUGHT OF PROGRAM. SO THAT'S AMAZING YEAH SO I TRY TO KEEP IT AS SHORT AS I COULD [LAUGHTER], BUT THAT'S WHAT I GOT.

[01:20:03]

SO I AND I AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THE GREEN GRANTS AND THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUND.

THOSE FUNDS COME FROM THE TOWNSHIP BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY REQUEST AND GET THAT PUT INTO THE BUDGET RIGHT? EVERY YEAR. SO WE MISS THAT THEN FOR IS THAT CORRECT? NO.

NO SO THE IT IS THERE'S A $5,000 REDUCTION THIS YEAR.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WAS PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED.

BUT THE GREEN GRANTS ARE STILL PLANNING ON BEING IN PLACE FOR NEXT YEAR.

OH OKAY. THE GREEN GRANTS ARE OKAY. YES. BUT JUST.

THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE. I'M APOLOGIES. I'M NO, I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS.

OKAY. YEAH SO. YEAH AND EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I ALWAYS SEEM TO MISS IT.

MAYBE WE CAN NEXT FOR NEXT YEAR, LIKE, TRY TO START TALKING ABOUT IT EARLIER SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE CAN PROPOSE SOME FUNDING. I THINK THERE WAS ALSO SOME TALK ABOUT THERE IS SOME MONEY LEFT OVER POTENTIALLY STILL FROM THE 2024.

YEAH. 2025 FUNDS OR SOMETHING OR FOR THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET TO LOOK INTO THAT.

IF WE CAN FIND OUT IF, IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR NOT.

I GUESS I LOST TRACK OF WHERE BECAUSE THEN WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THAT OTHER PROJECT WITH THE RAIN, THE. THE BIOSWALES RIGHT, SO WAS THAT FROM THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDS THEN? YEAH, WE'D BE LOOKING AT UTILIZING SOME OF THE REMAINING FUNDS FROM THIS YEAR BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S 24 GRAND OR SO IN CARRYOVER.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE WE ACTUALLY MET WITH SPALDING TO DECKER, THE, THE ENGINEERS IN CHARGE OF KIND OF DOING OUR ROAD DESIGN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

AND THEY'D BE LOOKING AT DOING SOME SURVEYS OVER IN THAT COLUMBIA STREET AREA THAT, THAT FLOODS SO ROUTINELY.

AND I THINK SOME OF THAT FUNDING WOULD GO TOWARDS THE TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS AND WATER HYDROLOGY.

WATERSHED ANALYSIS THEY'D BE DOING OVER THERE.

OKAY. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD LOOK INTO THEN POTENTIALLY? YEAH AND SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHETHER WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, FUND ANY PROJECTS WITH THOSE FUNDS THIS COMING YEAR? OKAY GREAT. THANKS. PLANNING COMMISSION THAT NORMALLY WOULD BE CHAIR MCCONNELL, WHO'S NOT HERE [LAUGHTER] UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HERE WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND WANTS TO SHARE ANY UPDATES.

OKAY. THEN LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. SO THAT'S ME THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, WE MET ON AUGUST 13TH AND ALSO ON SEPTEMBER 10TH.

A COUPLE THINGS THAT CAME UP DURING THOSE MEETINGS.

THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THIS GROUP. WE TALKED ABOUT A PRESCRIBED BURN AT LAKE PARK, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE RED CEDAR GLEN PRESERVE. SO THIS IS A PARK AND NOT A PRESERVE.

IT HAS SOME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AREAS THAT HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD, LIKE, NATIVE VEGETATION AND COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM A BURN.

WE HAVE BURNED AT RED CEDAR GLEN PRESERVE BEFORE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE NOT BURNED LAKE PARK.

SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BURN AT RED CEDAR GLEN IS TO MAYBE, LIKE, JUST KIND OF INCLUDE THAT AREA WITHIN LAKE PARK AS WELL.

SO THERE'S BEEN SOME I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT.

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THEY'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT. THE LAST PARKS COMMISSION MEETING. OR THEY'RE GOING TO TALK TO PARKS AND TO GET APPROVAL, BUT ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW TO FUND THE BURN. BECAUSE THE, THE LAND PRESERVATION, YOU KNOW, THE THAT MILLAGE FOR LAND PRESERVATION INCLUDES FUNDS FOR STEWARDSHIP ON LAND PRESERVES, BUT. LITTLE UNCERTAIN ABOUT FUNDING STEWARDSHIP THAT ON PARK LAND. SO WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME COST SHARE POTENTIALLY BETWEEN LAND PRESERVATION AND PARKS. A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT GREEN GRANTS.

COULD WE POTENTIALLY USE GREEN GRANTS AS COST SHARE FOR SOME OF THAT? I THINK THERE'S STILL IN DISCUSSION. BUT ANYWAY, THE THE ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN $5,000 AND $9,000 TOTAL FOR THE BURN.

[01:25:03]

SO JUST BECAUSE YOU ADD, YOU KNOW, LIKE DOUBLE THE ACREAGE DOESN'T MEAN YOU DOUBLE THE COST, YOU KNOW. SO IT'S A, YOU KNOW, PER ACRE. I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE IT MORE ECONOMICAL TO, TO POTENTIALLY DO A BIGGER AREA.

SO I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE GREEN GRANTS [LAUGHTER] THAT COULD BE.

I SAID I WOULD BRING IT UP WITH THE COMMISSION.

IF WE IF WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT AS A POTENTIAL OPTION.

WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NAMING, RENAMING THE CORNELL SWEETWOOD PRESERVE.

THAT'S A NEW PRESERVE OVER BY CORNELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WE RECENTLY, I THINK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, PURCHASED. AND CORNELL SWEETWOOD WAS JUST LIKE, A TEMPORARY NAME.

SO WE'RE COMING UP WITH A PERMANENT NAME FOR THAT.

AND THEN THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT ASKED THE.

CAME TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, ASKED THE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER PURCHASING A PROPERTY THAT THE TOWNSHIP CURRENTLY OWNS BY THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION AND DESIGNATING THAT AS A LAND PRESERVE.

AND THEN EMMA DID EMAIL ME LAST WEEK THAT SHE GOT SOME A BID ESTIMATE FOR MAKING SOME ADDITIONAL WETLAND SIGNS THAT WAS PART OF THAT ORIGINAL PROPOSAL OR PROJECT THAT WAS FUNDED WITH THE 2024 FUNDS THEN.

SO I ASKED HER TO CHECK WITH DAN BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH FUNDS WERE LEFT IN THAT ORIGINAL ALLOCATION THEN.

SO SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL WETLAND SIGNAGE, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT HAVING HER.

I'M GOING TO SEE IF SHE WOULD COME AND DO A PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION AND KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE WETLAND SIGNAGE AND OTHER WETLAND EDUCATION EFFORTS IN, IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING ON. AND THAT'S IT.

NOTHING NEW FROM BROWNFIELD. NOPE. NOTHING FROM BROWNFIELD FOR PARKS SINCE WE LAST MET, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO MEETINGS OF THE PARK COMMISSION, AUGUST 12TH AND SEPTEMBER 9TH.

SO I'LL TRY TO BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE BOTH. AT THE AUGUST 12TH MEETING, A NEW STAFF MEMBER OF THE PARK COMMISSION WAS INTRODUCED.

HIS NAME IS BEN ROSCOE HE'S SERVING AS A TOWNSHIP COORDINATOR FOR THE RED CEDAR WATER TRAILS PROJECT, JUMPING INTO THAT JOB, DOING A AN ENERGETIC JOB ADDED.

AS YOU REMEMBER THE RED CEDAR WATER TRAILS PROJECT IS A COOPERATIVE PROJECT WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE LOOKING TO ADD MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATE MANAGEMENT AND ADD RECREATIONAL VALUE TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER BETWEEN WILLIAMSTON AND THE MSU CAMPUS.

PARK COMMISSION ALSO ADDED ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER, A RECREATIONAL SPECIALIST.

HIS NAME IS ALEX ZEGARZEWSKI. AND HE'S ASSISTING IN THE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS. DIRECTOR WISINSKI REVIEWED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET.

IN PARTICULAR, WHICH PROJECTS ARE SLATED FOR 2025 AND 2026.

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DELIVERED AND I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT THE TOWNER ROAD AND OTTAWA HILLS PARKS WITH ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR THE MARSHALL BALLPARK PLAYGROUND.

THEY'VE ALSO COMPLETED RESTORATION OF THE BASEBALL FIELD AT THE TOWNER ROAD PARK.

PLANNING IS UNDERWAY FOR KAYAK LAUNCHES AT THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER AND AT ORANGE PARK PLANNING THIS YEAR IN 2025.

AND CONSTRUCTION, I UNDERSTAND, WILL BEGIN IN 2026 ON THOSE KAYAK LAUNCHES THOSE TWO SITES.

AT THEIR SEPTEMBER MEETING KATI ADAMS, WHO'S THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PARK AND LAND PRESERVATION, GAVE A REALLY NICE, INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION COVERING PARK OPERATIONS AND THE STAFFING.

HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPRESSIVE WORK THAT THE SIX MEMBER STAFF DOES TO MAINTAIN THE PARKS AND PRESERVES.

IT'S A HUGE JOB WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL ROLES THAT THEY HAVE TO PLAY FOR THAT.

THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WAS MENTIONED. THE ONE THING I'LL ADD TO THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO INCREASE THE CALL FROM 300 TO 350 ANIMALS. AND THAT'S A COMBINATION OF THE BOW HUNTING INITIALLY AND THEN SHARPSHOOTER FROM THE POLICE FORCE TO COMPLETE THE CALL. AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT WAS MENTIONED IS THE POTENTIAL BIOSWALE PROJECT IN MARSHALL PARK

[01:30:01]

AND ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MADE IN AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.

SURE GREAT THANKS. ANY QUESTIONS? JUST ONE RICHARD.

YEAH. THAT 350 NUMBER THAT COMES FROM THE DNR.

CORRECT? THAT'S NOT A? YES. OKAY. IT WAS ESSENTIALLY I THINK, A REQUEST TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TAGS THAT THEY WOULD ISSUE, AND IT HAD TO BE APPROVED BY THE DNR. OKAY, GREAT.

YEAH. SO FOR I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THAT IN A BETTER WAY.

FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T AWARE, THE DNR IS THE ONE WHO SETS THE AMOUNT YES. THANK YOU. NO, THANKS. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED IT.

[LAUGHTER] BETTER APOLOGIES. OKAY. SO UPDATES FROM THE DIFFERENT TEAMS ENERGY TEAM.

YEAH. IN ADDITION TO TALKING ABOUT THE CONSUMERS ENERGY PROGRAM, WE GOT AN UPDATE ABOUT THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM FROM ABSOLUTE SOLAR, WHOSE THE INSTALLED A SOLAR INSTALLER, AND THEY HAD SEVEN CONTRACTS SIGNED, SO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WILL GET A 7% DISCOUNT IN ADDITION TO. THEY'LL STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT, WHICH IS GOING TO EXPIRE FOR RESIDENTIAL AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. AND SO ABSOLUTE SOLAR IS MOVING QUICKLY SO THAT THE INSTALLATIONS CAN BE DONE IN THOSE HOMEOWNERS CAN QUALIFY FOR THE 30% PLUS A 7% DISCOUNT.

AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF PROGRAM SHOULD WE HAVE NEXT YEAR WITH SOLARIZE? YOU KNOW, AND HOW DO YOU KIND OF PROMOTE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR WITHOUT A DECENT FEDERAL TAX CREDIT? BUT THE FEDERAL TAX CREDIT IS STILL GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO COMMERCIAL NONPROFITS, AND SO THAT WILL PROBABLY BE AN EMPHASIS FOR NEXT YEAR.

OKAY YEAH I THINK THE AGAIN, JACK GAVE A PRETTY GOOD OVERVIEW OF OUR ELECTRONICS EVENT BACK ON SEPTEMBER 20TH. THAT'S BEEN OUR KEY FOCUS FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO.

JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO ADD TO THAT. CONSUMERS ENERGY WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT AS WELL.

SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET NUMBERS BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

BUT THEY DID RECYCLE OR TAKE BACK FOR RECYCLING NUMEROUS SMALL APPLIANCES AND DID OFFER CUSTOMERS NEW ENERGY EFFICIENT DEHUMIDIFIERS.

AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM. AND THEN LASTLY, WE ALSO TOOK IN SEVERAL BAGS OF COATS, WINTER COATS AND BOOTS FOR THOSE IN NEED FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK JACK FOR REALLY PITCHING IN THIS TIME.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD LEROY IN THE PAST, AND LEROY HELPED ORGANIZE THIS EVENT AS WELL, AND WAS THERE ALSO.

BUT JACK, I THINK, GOT HIS FEET WET THIS TIME AND REALLY PITCHED IN AND AND DID A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ON SITE WORK. SO I KNOW THE GREEN TEAM APPRECIATES THAT.

THAT REALLY CONCLUDES OUR GREEN TEAM EVENTS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR.

WE DO HOPE TO HAVE A FULL SCHEDULE AGAIN NEXT YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE WORKING WITH JACK AND TO GET MANY OF THOSE EVENTS UNDERWAY. SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S AWESOME. THAT'S SUCH A GREAT EVENT.

CYCLING EVENT. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK. FOOD AND COMPOSTING TEAM.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE. I'M NEVER REALLY SURE WHO IS THE REPRESENTATIVE [LAUGHTER] FOR THAT TEAM.

OKAY. GREEN BURIAL? YEAH GREEN BURIAL TEAM. THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A TIME WHEN ALL OF THEM WERE AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD PRESENT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK.

[01:35:03]

SO THANKS. GREAT, THANKS. HASLETT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL.

HASLETT [LAUGHTER]. WELL, THE YEAR IS NOW FULLY UNDERWAY.

NO BORING REPORTS, YOU KNOW, AS AS WAS DURING THE SUMMER.

AND WE'VE KIND OF STARTED OFF SWINGING. SO EACH OF, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'M IN HAVE BEEN DOING VARIOUS STUFF.

EARTH CLUB, THE ELEMENTARY CLUBS THAT I PRESENTED ABOUT LAST YEAR, WE HAVE STARTED PLANNING AND WE HAVE GOTTEN OUR APPLICATIONS FOR KIDS TO PARTICIPATE THIS YEAR THAT STARTS EARLY DECEMBER.

WE HAVE ALMOST 50 APPLICANTS FOR ONE OF THE SCHOOLS, WHICH IS AMAZING.

WAY MORE THAN WE CAN SUPPORT. BUT IT REALLY IS NICE TO SEE SO MANY KIDS BEING INTERESTED IN IT.

AND LIKE THAT, IT FILLED UP WITHIN MINUTES OF US, LIKE SENDING OUT THE SIGN UP.

IT WAS REALLY AMAZING TO SEE ONE OF THE MORE MAJOR THINGS THAT I'VE DONE IS I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A CLIMATE SUMMIT THROUGH RUN THROUGH MICAN AND EAGLE.

AND THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IT WAS AT THE LANSING CENTER.

THERE WERE VARIOUS PANELS AND SPEAKERS THAT I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO.

AND THEN THERE WAS A KIND OF A FOLLOW UP, A SECONDARY THING TO THAT CALLED CAPITAL DAY THE FOLLOWING DAY.

IT WAS AT THE CAPITOL. AND IT WAS A DAY TO LOBBY PRIMARILY.

SO I GOT THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO STATE REPS AND SENATORS ABOUT KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE IS ON THEIR MIND AND SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT.

AND I WENT WITH A YOUTH GROUP THAT I'M A PART OF FOR THE STATE.

AND SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE REPRESENTATION AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED.

BUT I ALSO PRESENTED WITH A GOOD FRIEND FROM OUR SCHOOL ON THE CAPITOL STEPS, AND I GAVE A WE GAVE A SPEECH JUST KIND OF TELLING OUR STORY TO THE LOBBYISTS WHO WERE THERE LIKE, WHY WE'RE DOING IT, LIKE WHY WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAKING SURE IT'S PROTECTED AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND KIND OF CLIMATE EDUCATION, WHICH IS THE LENS THAT WE COME AT IT WITH. AND SO THAT WAS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY.

SUSTAINABILITY CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE ARE DOING A FUNDRAISER JUST ENDS, I GUESS TOMORROW.

BUT WE FOR HOMECOMING, WHICH IS THIS WEEKEND, WE LET KIDS PURCHASE FLOWERS THROUGHOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN WE PASS THEM OUT.

AND SO GENERALLY, PEOPLE WILL DO IT FOR THEIR DATE OR WHOEVER THEY'RE GOING TO HOMECOMING WITH AND, YOU KNOW, FLOWERS, NATURE. IT'S A IT'S A GOOD CONNECTION, BUT IT'S A GOOD WAY FOR US TO RAISE MONEY.

AND SO WE GO OUT AND BUY FLOWERS AND THEN PASS THEM OUT.

AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD START TO YEAR TO THE YEAR.

AND THAT'S BEEN GOING WELL. WE ALSO HAVE THE THE SCHOOLS, THE, THE OVERALL SCHOOL, THE HASLETT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM THAT'S SCHOOL WIDE WHICH HAS MEMBERS FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, TEACHERS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, THE SUPERINTENDENT, ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT IS USUALLY PART OF IT ALSO.

AND WE'RE THIS YEAR OUR MEETINGS. WE WE LAUNCHED THIS IN FEBRUARY JANUARY OF LAST OF THIS YEAR.

SO LAST YEAR LAST SCHOOL YEAR WE ONLY MET FROM JANUARY THROUGH MAY.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE A FULL YEAR OF MEETINGS. AND LAST YEAR WE MET ALWAYS AT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.

THIS YEAR WE'RE MEETING. EACH MEETING IS AT ONE OF THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS SO THAT WE CAN SEE AS A TEAM WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS.

ONE OF THE GOALS FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS IS TO BECOME THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED GREEN SCHOOLS, AND SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE GREEN SCHOOLS. BUT ONE OF OUR GOALS IS FOR THE ENTIRE THE ENTIRE DISTRICT TO BE GREEN DISTRICT. SO THOSE ARE EXCITING THINGS ALSO. WHAT KIND OF THINGS WOULD QUALIFY LIKE WOULD BE?

[01:40:05]

BUT SO IF SCHOOLS PURCHASE ELECTRIC BUSSES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

BUT I THAT'S A, THAT'S A MAJOR THING. BUT THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THAT CHECK BOXES AND THIS IS A STATEWIDE PROGRAM. AND EAGLE USUALLY HAS A LAST YEAR AT THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.

THEY HAD ONE OF THEIR PRESENTATIONS WHERE AS TEACHERS, YOU COULD GO AND LEARN WHAT ALL OF THOSE CRITERIA ARE, AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY HELP YOU GO THROUGH THE STEPS TO GET YOUR APPLICATION.

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A SIMILAR PROCESS TO THE WHOLE BIRD CITY IN MICHIGAN THING.

BUT IT HAS ITS OWN CRITERIA. SO THAT'S ALSO EXCITING, AS THE IS THAT GROUP THAT'S WORKING ON THE DISTRICT LEVEL. AND IT WAS GREAT LAST YEAR, AND IT JUST SEEMS TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MOMENTUM AS IT DID THEN, WHICH IS ALWAYS A WORRY. AT LEAST I WAS WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSITION FROM SUMMER.

WOULD WE LOSE STEAM? WOULD WE BE LESS INTERESTED IN? WE STILL HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE. AND AS FOR THE GREEN SCHOOLS YEAH.

THERE'S LIKE DIFFERENT LEVELS IN DIFFERENT SUBSETS OF CRITERIA, AND YOU HAVE TO MEET ASPECTS IN EACH.

AND SO IT'S LIKE LIKE TECHNOLOGICAL STUFF AND ELECTRICAL THAT SORT OF THING.

AND THEN THERE'S STUFF WITH RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING AND SO THERE'S THESE DIFFERENT SUBSETS, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT FROM EACH TO GET A CERTAIN LEVEL.

AND SO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BOTH OF OUR ELEMENTARIES, NOT THE LOWEST. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF BOTH OF THEM, BUT AT LEAST ONE OF THEM YES I THINK THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE THE SO SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR BUILDING, THE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE TEACHERS HAS A PROGRAM WITH SOME OF THE STUDENTS WHERE THEY HAVE OLD T-SHIRTS THAT THEY'VE THAT THEY'VE REPURPOSED INTO ERASERS FOR THE WHITEBOARDS.

AND SO THIS GROUP HAS A BIN THAT IS CLEAN CLOTHS.

AND WHEN THEY'RE DIRTY, YOU PUT THEM IN THE DIRTY CLOTH BIN, AND THIS GROUP LAUNDERS THEM AND BRINGS THEM BACK.

SO THAT SAVES A LOT OF, A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

AND, AND IT REPURPOSES SOME COTTON STUFF THAT ENDS UP NOT IN THE, IN THE LANDFILLS.

SO SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THEM COUNTING TOWARD THIS GREEN SCHOOL THING, BUT IT COUNTS. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE ALREADY DOING AND SOME THINGS WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO SO. THAT'S GREAT THAT'S REALLY AWESOME. THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WOULD BE GREAT TO HIGHLIGHT. YOU KNOW, MORE MORE PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER SCHOOLS KNOW ABOUT SO. YEAH THAT'S AWESOME. OKAY. NEXT IS ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC HERE. SO WE CAN SKIP THAT. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS OR?

[12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONERCOMMENTS]

THE MERIDIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL IS THIS WEEKEND AT THE HISTORIC MERIDIAN BETWEEN 10:30 AND 04:00.

DEPENDING ON IF THE TIGERS WIN OR LOSE. TOMORROW, THERE IS A HISTORIC BASEBALL GAME HAPPENING.

SO YOU MIGHT GET TO SEE A BETTER BRAND OF BASEBALL THAN WHAT THEY SHOWED TODAY [LAUGHTER].

BUT IT IS A FUN FESTIVAL, SO I RECOMMEND. GREAT.

THANKS. OKAY ANYTHING ELSE? NOPE. OKAY, SO WE CAN ADJOURN, RIGHT? [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. THANKS, EVERYBODY THE GAVEL [LAUGHTER]. I DON'T KNOW. DO WE KNOW FOR SURE?

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.