[00:01:40] >> [MUSIC] [BACKGROUND]. >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. [1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER] IT IS 6:00. WE WILL CALL THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN TO ORDER. FIRST, ON OUR AGENDA, THIS EVENING IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. WILL THOSE WHO ARE ABLE, PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >> >> BEFORE WE BEGIN THIS EVENING, WE'LL ASK THAT WE ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO SEND GOOD THOUGHTS TO TREASURER LINDA BURGHARDT AS SHE RECOVERS FROM AN UNEXPECTED SURGICAL PROCEDURE. WE WISH HER THE BEST, AND CERTAINLY WE HOPE HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY AND WE'LL BE SEEING HER SOON. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 3. ROLL CALL. WILL CLERK EUNICE PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> SUPERIOR HENDRICKSON? [NOISE]. >> HERE. >> CLERK DEMAS? HERE. TREASURER BURGHARDT? TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> HERE. >> SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING. [4.A. Volunteers of the Year-Missy and Dave Foran] THE FIRST ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS OF THE THE YEAR. WE HAVE DIRECTOR COURTNEY WISINSKI HERE TO INTRODUCE US TO OUR VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR, MISSY AND DAVE FORAN. DIRECTOR WISINSKI? >> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. I'D LIKE TO INVITE MISSY AND DAVE AND TOM CAREY, OUR MARKET MANAGER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND. MEL'S OUR NEW MARKET ASSISTANT, TOO. DAVE AND MISSY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. JUST FEW WORDS. FIRST OFF, TOM CAREY, MARKET MANAGER, WHO MAKES HER HAPPEN EVERY WEDNESDAY, EVERY SATURDAY. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S FOR SURE. NOT WITHOUT HOPE. TOM AND I WANTED TO NOMINATE MISSY AND DAVE FORAN FOR VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR FOR 2025. THEY'VE BEEN MOST DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS TO THE MERIDIAN FARMERS' MARKET THAT WE COULD EVER HOPE FOR. THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THE OPERATIONS OF THE MARKET MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT. I CAN ATTEST TO THAT, AND I'LL TELL A STORY. [LAUGHTER] STARTING IN OCTOBER OF 2020, THE FORANS HAVE WORKED ALMOST EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND AT THE MARKET. HAS BEEN OPEN YEAR ROUND, RAIN OR SNOW, WARM OR COLD, TOTALING CLOSE TO 180 DAYS OF VOLUNTEERING AT THE MARKET ALONE. SURE, THEY DO OTHER THINGS, TOO. IN ADDITION, THEY'VE MANAGED THE MARKET ON ONE WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY PER YEAR SO THAT OUR WONDERFUL MARKET MANAGER CAN HAVE A VACATION WITH HIS SON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. I PERSONALLY GOT TO HANG OUT WITH MISSY AND DAVE WHEN TOM GOT TO GO ON HIS ANNUAL VACATION. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY REALLY TO STEP IN, SO I SAID I WOULD DO IT, AND TOM GOT A WEIRD LOOK ON HIS FACE. [LAUGHTER] HE WAS HAPPY, [00:05:01] BUT I THINK HE MAY HAVE TALKED TO OUR VOLUNTEERS A LITTLE BIT AND SAID, REALLY, KEEP AN EYE ON HER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T JUST SHOW UP ON SATURDAY, THEY SHOWED UP ON WEDNESDAY, THAT WEEK, AS WELL. BUT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE I HAD A SIX PAGE INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR EACH DAY THAT I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE. BUT MISSY AND DAVE KNEW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT, SO IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL. JUST VERY DEDICATED, VERY PATIENT WITH THE CUSTOMERS, THE VENDORS THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING SOMETIMES, BUT THEN ALSO JUST POSITIVE AND REALLY EFFICIENT IN RUNNING THAT BUSINESS. THERE'S A LOTS OF DETAILS TO THE MARKET, ESPECIALLY IN THE OFFICE. I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR BOTH OF YOU. I DON'T KNOW, TOM, IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT WE WROTE THIS TOGETHER. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME, YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE MARKET. IT'S BEEN GREAT HAVING YOU. THANKS SO MUCH. >> YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. [APPLAUSE] >> WE DO HAVE A CERTIFICATE HERE, CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION OF MISSY AND DAVE FORAN. WE USUALLY HAVE TWO VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS EVERY YEAR, BUT IT HAPPENED THAT YOU TWO WERE ONE AND ONE. MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WISHES TO RECOGNIZE YOUR SERVICE AS AN EXCEPTIONAL VOLUNTEER AT OUR VOLUNTEERS AT OUR MERIDIAN FARMERS MARKET. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FIVE YEARS OF DEDICATION TO THE RESIDENTS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION, OUR COMMUNITY REMAIN A PRIME PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. HERE'S THE ARTS. YOU ALSO ARE NOW ON THE VOLUNTEER OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LEADERSHIP RECIPIENTS, 2025, MISSY AND DAVE. IT'S OUT FRONT. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. [NOISE] THEN ON BEHALF OF PARKS & REC, IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT IF WE DIDN'T HAND OUT, SOME SWAG A LITTLE MUCH. WE HAVE TWO PARKS & REC. SWEATSHIRTS HERE FOR YOU AS WELL. >> THANKS SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. YES. >> THANK YOU. >> IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, BOTH. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. OUR COMMUNITY RELIES ON A NUMBER OF VERY INCREDIBLY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS TO CONTINUE ON IN SO MANY WAYS. EVERY YEAR, WE'RE SO THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO HONOR TWO OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK WITH THE FARMERS MARKET, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT THIS EVENING IS ITEM 4B. [4.B. Pancake Breakfast Check Presentation ] WE HAVE COMMUNICATION MANAGER, SAM DIEHL, SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE WITH A PRESENTATION OF A COUPLE OF CHECKS FROM AN EVENT RECENTLY. >> YOU GUYS COME UP, SCOUTS, CHUCK. WE GOT A BIG POSSE UP HERE TONIGHT. >> SCOUTS UP FRONT. >>MY NAME IS SAMANTHA DIEHL, THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE TOWNSHIP. TODAY, I'M HERE TO PRESENT TWO CHECKS, ONE TO THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION, AND THEN ONE FOR THE MERIDIAN SCOUTS CAMPERSHIP AND SCHOLARSHIP FUND. THIS DONATION COMES FROM MONEY WE RAISED DURING OUR EIGHTH ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST, WHICH IS BACK IN SEPTEMBER. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, THIS WAS FIRST STARTED IN 2017 AS PART OF THE TOWNSHIPS 175TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THAT THEY DID THROUGHOUT ALL OF 2017. THIS EVENT IS FUNDED THROUGH SPONSORSHIP. THEN AFTER COVERING THE COST OF SUPPLIES, WE THEN DONATE THE PROCEEDS EARNED TO THE MDA AND THE SCOUTS. TO TALK ABOUT THAT SCOUT FUND AND WHAT IT DOES FOR THE SCOUTS, I HAVE TED FARRIS. >> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, SAM. WE'VE BEEN HAVING FUN DOING THIS SINCE 2017. WE GOT HOOKED UP WITH THE TOWNSHIP WHEN I SENT AN EMAIL TRYING TO GET SOME HELP TO ADVERTISE OUR ROUND UPS WHERE WE TRY TO RECRUIT NEW KIDS IN THE SCOUTING. THE REPLY WAS, "WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN HELPING US WITH SOME OF OUR ANNIVERSARY STUFF FOR THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY?" ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES WAS WORKING WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND A PANCAKE BREAKFAST SO WE SAID, YES. I DID, ACTUALLY. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHY I'M STILL STANDING HERE. WHAT WE DO WITH THE FUNDS IS EVERY YEAR, WE GIVE OUT CAMPERSHIP AND SCHOLARSHIPS, AND THE CAMPERSHIPS ARE PARTIAL PAYMENT TO HELP SCOUTS GO TO SUMMER CAMP OR FOR CUB SCOUTS TO GO TO DAY CAMP OR TO GO TO PHILMONT SCOUT RANCH. [00:10:02] THE SCHOLARSHIP IS DESIGNATED FOR THE NATIONAL YOUTH LEADER TRAINING, WHICH IS A PART OF SCOUTING. HOW MANY IN HERE HAVE BEEN IN SCOUTS? ANYBODY TAKEN WOOD BADGE? I TOOK WOOD BADGE IN 2001. AS A FACULTY MEMBER OF MICHIGAN STATE, THIS WAS FAR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER LEADERSHIP COURSE I EVER TOOK. PART OF OUR INTEREST IS TO GET MORE OF OUR YOUTH TO GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL YOUTH LEADER TRAINING, WHICH IS A WEEK LONG SUMMER CAMP MIMICKED AFTER THE WOOD BADGE. THEY'RE LEARNING LEADERSHIP, THEY'RE PLAYING GAMES TO INSTILL SKILLS AND SO FORTH. BY THE TIME THEY GET THROUGH THE WEEK, THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW TO RUN A TROOP, HOW TO PLAN A YEAR'S EVENTS, HOW TO WORK WITH A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO FIND OUT WHO HAS WHAT TALENTS AND HOW THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT SCOUTING, ONE OF THE THINGS, THAT I USE AS SUMMARIZING IS WHEN WE LOOK AT KIDS, THEY WANT THREE THINGS. THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE SOME SENSE OF CONTROL, AND THEY WANT TO HAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, SOME SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THINK ABOUT THAT AND THINK ABOUT WHERE THEY CAN PICK THESE THINGS UP. SCOUTING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPS WITH THAT. WHILE DOING THAT, IT BUILDS SELF RELIANCE. THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO SCOUTING, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING SCOUTING HAS BEEN DOING FOR OVER 100 YEARS. WE LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SUMMER CAMP. IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO SUMMER CAMP, YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DID BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THOSE UNIQUE YOUTH EXPERIENCES. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE TRY TO PUT SOME OF OUR MONEY TOWARDS THAT AS WELL. CHUCK, ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT MDA? >> CAN YOU COME UP HERE SO THE VIEWERS CAN HEAR YOU? >> YES. I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING. >> IT'S NOT THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT BANK. >> YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION. IT'S THE CHOSEN CHARITY FOR THE IFF. IT GOES TOWARDS RESEARCH AND TO HELP OUT FAMILIES AND THOSE THAT SUFFER FROM ALS OR LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE. YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE IT FROM THE FILL THE BOOT CAMPAIGN THAT FIRE DEPARTMENTS USUALLY DO. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT MDA IS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I'M GOING TO SEE YOU. FIRST, WE HAVE THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION CHECK, WHICH I'M GOING TO AWARD HERE, $250. [APPLAUSE] THEN FOR THE SCOUTS, WE HAVE IN THE AMOUNT OF $1544.26. THERE YOU GO. [APPLAUSE] WE'LL TAKE THE PHOTO OUT THERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL? >> NO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS A GREAT EVENT. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO IT, KEEP AN EYE OUT NEXT SEPTEMBER. IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TO OUR SCOUTS AND TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL, AND EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS. YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ONE. >> NO, I DON'T. [BACKGROUND] >> NEXT ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS ITEM 4C, [4.C. Introduction of New Police Officer-Jordan Tuttle ] THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW POLICE OFFICER. WE HAVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, MR. CRANE. WELCOME. >> GOOD EVENING. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING TONIGHT? I HOPE WELL. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME HERE AND THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE TO INTRODUCE JORDAN TO YOU TODAY. AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO FILL OUR RANKS AND GET AS MANY OFFICERS AS WE CAN. ONE THING THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE IS WE'VE NEVER DROPPED OUR STANDARDS AT ALL. IN FACT, OUR STANDARDS HAVE GONE UP QUITE A BIT. I'VE TALKED TO JORDAN NOW FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS HIRING PROCESS, AND EVEN BEFORE HE OFFICIALLY JOINED THE HIRING PROCESS. JORDAN HAS BEEN A POLICE OFFICER IN MICHIGAN FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS. HE COMES TO US FROM THE FLINT AREA. HE HAS A PLETHORA OF TRAINING, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. HE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT JUST LIKES TO TRAIN AND TRAIN SO THAT HE'S THE BEST WHEN HE CAN DO IT. JORDAN'S REALLY GOOD AT TALKING TO PEOPLE. HE'S BEEN SHOWING US THAT THIS WEEK SO FAR. IT'S JUST A PLEASURE TO FIND SOMEBODY LIKE JORDAN THAT WE WANTED TO WORK FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. WE WANTED HIM TO WORK WITH US AS MUCH AS HE WANTED TO WORK HERE. [00:15:02] THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS, I THINK WE WERE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT HE WAS LOOKING AT IN THE LANSING AREA. WE WELCOME JORDAN TUTTLE, TO OUR ORGANIZATION AS OUR NEWEST POLICE OFFICER. I INTRODUCE HIM TO YOU NOW. PLEASE. [APPLAUSE]. >> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. >> THANK YOU. >> HE SPEAKS A LOT. [LAUGHTER] >> HE DIDN'T ADD THAT YOU WERE FINE. >> CONGRATULATIONS. >> WELCOME. >> THANKS. >> WELCOME ABOARD. >> THANK YOU. >> NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 5. [5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS ] CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TO TONIGHT'S MEETING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS OUR AGENDA OR ANY ITEM NOT ON OUR AGENDA. HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING NOW, AS WELL AS AT THE END OF THE MEETING. THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN CARD LOCATED ON THE TABLE INTO THE DOOR AND PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OR A MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP STAFF. WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN, I'LL CALL YOU UP TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK TO THE TOPICS INDICATED. WHILE IT'S NOT REQUIRED, WE DO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEETING MINUTES AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS. CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WILL KEEP TRACK AT THE TIME AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT AND AUDIBLE BEEP. WE'LL ALERT YOU WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD VALUE COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM OUR PUBLIC. MEETING FORMAT AND RULES, HOWEVER, DO RESTRICT BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMENTERS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY BOARD MEMBERS AT A LATER TIME OR REFER IT TO A MEMBER OF THE STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD OR THE BOARD'S CHAIR AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE. WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE SEVERAL GREEN CARDS THIS EVENING. IF IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENTS AND HAVE NOT YET, PLEASE FILL OUT A GREEN CARD AND RETURN IT TO US AS SOON AS YOU CAN. FIRST UP THIS EVENING IS DAVID CLOCK, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA CLOCK. >> THANKS. >> HEATHER. THANK YOU FOR LET ME SPEAK, DAVE CLOCK 4538 SENECA. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, FEDERAL HOLDINGS, NUMBER 25 20. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BASICALLY, IF THERE'S A WAY TO RESEND THAT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, JUST TO ADDRESS THE NUMBER OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE IN THE PACKET THAT THE COMMISSION REVIEWED AND IS IN YOUR PACKET. IT SAYS IN THERE THAT THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED TO BE HARMONIOUS AND APPROPRIATE IN APPEARANCE WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. WE SAID THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES, WE DON'T THINK IT IS. THE PROJECT WILL NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE ECONOMIC WELFARE OF THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. WE THINK THAT'S FALSE. AGAIN, A HOUSE FOR SALE ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY. WAS NOT GET ANY OFFERS. I TOOK THE HOME OFF THE MARKET. IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY IN A NEGATIVE WAY. THEN, AGAIN, THE WATER ISSUES, THE TOWNSHIP ENGINEER HAD MENTIONED ABOUT BACK FILLING THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS GOING TO RAISE THAT AND CREATE BASICALLY A FLOODING EFFECT WHERE WATER CAN'T DRAIN OFF OUR PROPERTY AND THE WATER THERE WILL DRAIN ONTO OUR PROPERTY. WE HAVEN'T HAD WATER ISSUES SINCE WE MOVED THERE 25 YEARS AGO, AND WE JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING RELATED TO WATER ISSUES IN OUR BACKYARDS. JUST RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT TAKE THOSE ITEMS INTO CONSIDERATION, MAYBE SEND IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR MORE WORK, MORE RESEARCH, AND THROUGH THAT WHOLE ANALYSIS PROCESS. THANKS FOR THE TIME. >> THANK YOU. CHRISTINA CLOCK AND THEN BETH BECHTL. >> CHRISTINA CLOCK, IN OPPOSITION OF SUP 25 20. THIS ALL, THIS DEVELOPMENT ALL STEMS FROM THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE OF 2023, WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH THE MICHIGAN PLANNING ENABLING ACT AND THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE OF BOTH THE MICHIGAN AND US CONSTITUTIONS. SPECIFICALLY, THE NOTICE PROCEDURES APPLIED TO IMPACTED PROPERTIES WAS UNEQUAL. DEPRIVING LAND OWNERS OF A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. WHEN DUE PROCESS IS VIOLATED, AS WAS CLEARLY THE CASE HERE, THE MASTER PLAN MUST GO BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR AMENDMENT, AND ALL ZONING ARISING FROM IT CONSIDERED PROCEDURALLY INVALID. IF THE BOARD CHOOSES TO APPROVE AN SUP, WHICH STEMS FROM A MASTER PLAN THAT DENIES CITIZENS EQUAL PROTECTION AND ACCESS, [00:20:03] IT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS A VIOLATION OF THE BOARD MEMBERS FIDUCIARY DUTIES UNDER THE LAW. BEYOND THIS ARGUMENT, SECTION 86126 OF THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE REQUIRES AN SUP BE COMPLIANT WITH THE STANDARDS THAT ARE LISTED, WHICH THIS SUP IS NOT, SPECIFICALLY NUMBERS THREE THROUGH EIGHT. HOMES DIRECTLY TO THE EAST AND WEST OF THIS PROPERTY ARE TWO-STOREY BUILDINGS. MULTI FAMILY HOUSING BORDERING THE NORTH IS ONLY TWO STOREYS. THIS PROPOSAL CONTAINS THREE-STOREY BUILDINGS. TREE APARTMENTS ARE NORTHEAST OF THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, DO NOT BORDER THIS PROPERTY AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IRRELEVANT TO THIS PROPOSAL. FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NEIGHBORS HAVE CONSISTENTLY WARNED MARIAN TOWNSHIP AND THE TRUSTEES ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRAINAGE ISSUES SHOULD THIS PROPERTY BE DEVELOPED AS DENSELY AS PROPOSED. NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL EXCESSIVELY IMPACT NEIGHBORS TO THE EAST AND WEST FROM DUMPSTERS TO ROAD LIGHTS DIRECTLY IN WINDOWS. THE DEVELOPER RECENTLY SAID LIGHTS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE BAG BUFFER IS HEAVILY WOODED. HOWEVER, IN HIS REZONING APPLICATION, THIS VERY SAME AREA WAS DESCRIBED AS MOSTLY SCRUB, WHICH IS IT. IT IS DISHEARTENING TO HAVE NO ONE QUESTION THE MULTIPLE INCONSISTENCIES AND INACCURACIES PROVIDED REGARDING THIS PROPERTY AND BY THIS DEVELOPER. AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE ON 78 OF 24, THE DEVELOPER WROTE A LETTER TO THE TOWNSHIP STATING, WE AGREE TO ADD TREES AND FENCING ALONG THE BACK PROPERTY LINE OF THE NEIGHBORS IN THE REAR. HE ALSO PROMISED THAT NONE OF THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE MORE THAN THREE STORIES. WHY IS NONE OF THIS BEING QUESTIONED? THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT HAS ALREADY NEGATIVELY IMPACTED SURROUNDING PROPERTY VALUES AND THE ABILITY TO SELL BORDERING HOMES. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS NOT ADEQUATELY SERVED BY DRAINAGE, SEWER OR ROADS. IT WILL REQUIRE MULTIPLE EASEMENTS TO BUILD NEW DRAINAGE LINES, SEWER LINES, AND DRIVEWAYS. THE NEW DRAINAGE AND SEWER LINES WILL REQUIRE FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF FORESTED LAND AND NEIGHBORHOODS BEYOND THE INITIAL 4.2 ACRES THAT WERE REZONED. THIS AREA CONTAINS TREES, WHICH ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND WILL RESULT IN FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL HABITAT AND NATURAL RESOURCES. >> THANK YOU. BETH BECHTL AND ROBERT MATCO IS ON DECK. >> TO HAZLETT, MICHIGAN. I PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC COMMENTS AT LAST MONTH'S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MONTHLY MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2025. DEAR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT 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 AND TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS HEALTH FROM TOXIC HEAVY METALS AND OTHER TOXIC MATERIALS. SOLAR PANELS CONTAIN THE TOXIC HEAVY METALS LEAD, ALUMINUM TIN, CADMIUM, AND OTHER TOXIC MATERIALS. BATTERIES CONTAIN THE TOXIC HEAVY METALS, MERCURY LEAD, CADMIUM, NICHOL LITHIUM, COBALT, GARPIT, ET CETERA. AS A RESULT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE EPA HAS END OF LIFE SOLAR PANELS REGULATIONS AND MANAGEMENT AND BATTERY DISPOSAL POLICIES. AT A LOCAL LEVEL NEARBY ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MICHIGAN, HAS HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY POLLUTION AND DECOMMISSIONING. ADDITIONALLY, IN MAY 2025, THE POTATO GROWERS OF MICHIGAN RELEASED A PUBLIC STATEMENT URGING, QUOTE, POLICYMAKERS, DEVELOPERS, AND COMMUNITIES TO PRIORITIZE SOLAR SITING ON ROOFTOPS, ALSO, IN THIS PUBLIC STATEMENT, ONE CRITICAL CONCERN RELATES TO FOOD SAFETY. WHEN SOLAR PANELS AND SYSTEMS ARE EVENTUALLY REMOVED, SMALL FRAGMENTS OF PLASTIC AND METAL REMAIN IN THE SOIL, 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, THE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED AS FOLLOWS. NUMBER ONE, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS 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 2, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS POLICIES AND PROCEDURE TO ENSURE PROPER DECOMMISSIONING OF SOLAR PANELS AND OR BATTERIES TO RETURN OUR LAND AND OUR PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP TO THEIR USEFUL AND NATURAL CONDITION PRIOR TO WHAT EXISTED BEFORE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTION, SPECIFICALLY DETAILING AND INCLUDING THE REMOVAL OF ALL ABOVE AND BELOW SURFACES INFRASTRUCTURE. NUMBER 3, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PREVENT AND ELIMINATE ALL AUDIO AND VISUAL POLLUTION CREATED BY SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTION. NUMBER 4, WHAT ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PROPERLY AND RESPONSIBLY RECYCLE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES AT THE END OF PRODUCT LIFE? [00:25:01] IT IS IDEAL THAT LOCAL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LEADER, STATE AND NATION WITH SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY ENERGY HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH IS BOTH EXPECTED AND WELCOMED BY BY OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. AGAIN, PLEASE, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENSURE THESE HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES ARE DEVELOPED TO SAFEGUARD OUR TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS HEALTH. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ROBERT MATCO AND THEN JOSH NAM, YOU'RE ON DECK. >> GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS ROBERT MATCO, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING AND IN SUPPORT OF THE PETO HOMES PROJECT. SPECIFICALLY, I PERFORMED THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS AGAIN, JUST BRIEFLY GO OVER AND QUICKLY SUMMARIZE THE TRAFFIC THAT WE ANALYZED AND THE IMPACT THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE. I'D LIKE TO, I GUESS, MAKE A POINT THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TRIP GENERATION WISE IS A TOTAL OF SIX TRIPS INBOUND IN AN AM PEAK HOUR. WE'RE LOOKING AT 18 OUTBOUND TRIPS DURING THE AM PEAK HOUR. IN THE PM PEAK HOUR, WE'RE LOOKING AT 15 INBOUND TRIPS AND A TOTAL OF EIGHT OUTBOUND TRIPS THAT'S DURING THE PM PEAK HOUR. TO PUT THAT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT ONE TRIP EVERY 10 MINUTES IN THE AM PEAK HOUR FOR INBOUND TRAFFIC. FOR OUTBOUND TRAFFIC, WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE EXITING TRIP EVERY 3.3 MINUTES. DURING THE PM PEAK HOUR, AGAIN, THAT EQUATES TO ONE TRIP EVERY FOUR MINUTES FOR INBOUND TRAFFIC, AND AGAIN, OUTBOUND TRAFFIC, WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE TRIP EVERY 7.5 MINUTES. IN A SCHEME OF THINGS, I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, STAND HERE AND TELL YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT DOBE ROAD IS, YOU KNOW, A LEVEL SERVICE AND WHATNOT, BUT WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IS THE IMPACT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT IS MINIMAL. IT IS NOT GOING TO GENERATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRIPS. WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC AND WHATNOT COULD BE THAT JUST ONE TRIP MIGHT BE TOO MUCH FOR SOME OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS. BUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS JUST PUT THAT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS. AGAIN, THE ANALYSIS WE PERFORMED FOLLOWED LOCAL AND NATIONAL STATE GUIDELINES. THIS ANALYSIS WOULD BE DONE NOT ONLY HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, BUT ALSO IF THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REQUIRED AN ANALYSIS. THIS SIMILAR TYPE OF ANALYSIS WOULD BE DONE FOR THEM AS WELL. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, MY EXPERTISE, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO RELAY THE IMPORTANT POINT THAT AGAIN, THE TRAFFIC THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL GENERATE IS MINIMAL IN NATURE. AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JOSH NAM, AND THEN BRADLEY SHAW IS ON DECK. >> JOSH NAM, 15 17 RIVER TERRACE DRIVE. I WANTED TO SPEAK ACTUALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE SUP 2025, THE FEDERAL HOLDINGS ONE. I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND, YOU KNOW, I SAW THE HOURS OF TESTIMONY BY NEIGHBORS AS WELL AS BY OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, AND I SAW ALL OF THE DELIBERATION THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE THERE, AND OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE I WAS JUST WATCHING. I JUST WANT TO, SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED HOW MUCH TIME THOUGHT AND EFFORT WENT INTO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, INCLUDING THE ULTIMATE DECISION TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD ADOPT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I ALSO WAS HERE FOR THE PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING WHERE THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND WITH THE MANY TESTIMONIES FROM THE NEIGHBORS, AND I FEEL THAT WITH ALL THAT WAS DISCUSSED, I FEEL THAT IT STILL, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE SOME ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES ON LIKE THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW THAT LAND OWNERS BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY HIGH DENSITY HOUSING, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK MERTON TOWNSHIP REALLY DESPERATELY NEEDS NOW MORE THAN EVER GIVEN, INCREASING COSTS OF RENT AND HOME-OWNERSHIP. I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF NEW DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASING THE DENSITY OF OUR EXISTING HOUSING PROPERTY. JUST SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, BUT REGARDLESS OF YOUR DECISION, I APPRECIATE ALL THE DELIBERATION YOU GUYS HAVE MADE ON THE NATURE OF THIS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. BRADLEY SHAW, AND THEN JERRY FED, YOU'RE ON DECK. >> THANK YOU, BRAD SHAW, 40 504 DOBE ROAD, REGARDING THE 25 20 SUP. [00:30:01] WE HAVE A PLAN HERE FOR A NEW CHURCH ROAD DEFINED AS A PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ZONED RD, WHERE THE DEVELOPER CLAIMS THE SAME ACREAGE AS PART OF A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT. NO CLEVER WORD PLAY OR OVERT DECEPTION FREES THE TOWNSHIP FROM THIS UPWARD MESS. THE STAFF REPORT CORRECTLY INCLUDES THE NEW CHURCH DRIVEWAY. YET THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT CONTAINS NO MENTION OF A CHURCH OR CHURCH DRIVEWAY. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT ORDINANCE WOULD BE USED BY ME LAST MONTH, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS DONE WAS YOU REMOVED ALL REFERENCE TO ANY ORDINANCE IN THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU. NO IMPROVEMENT OF INFORMATION, JUST A JUMP UNDER THE DESK. WHAT ABOUT ORDINANCES 58, 35, 38 AND 51? HAS STAFF REVIEWED THOSE ORDINANCES RELATIVE TO THIS PROJECT? THANK YOU FOR CORRECTING THE MASTER PLAN ISSUE. CURRENT RESOLUTION INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT COMPLIES WITH THE MASTER PLAN. YOU HAD TO TAKE THAT OUT BECAUSE IT'S NO LONGER TRUE. THANK YOU. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR. BUT IT'S NOT COMPLIANT. YOU ALSO STRUCK IN THIS MOST RECENT RESOLUTION, DEVELOPMENT CONFORMS TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE MARCH 2025 REZONING. YOU HAD TO STRIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO WHAT BUILDABLE ACREAGE YOU HAVE. THE DEVELOPER HAS PERMANENTLY RELINQUISHED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO THE ACREAGE UNDER THE CHURCH DRIVEWAY. YOU DON'T KNOW THE FRONTAGE. YOU DON'T KNOW THE ACREAGE. YOU CAN'T EVEN STATE THAT THIS IS COMPLIANT WITH YOUR ZONING. >> THE TIMELINE, YOUR REZONING AMENDMENT SAYS THAT THE ZONING WILL GO BACK TO RAA ON APRIL 2027. YOU CANNOT, IN THIS SUP, GIVE RIGHTS BEYOND THAT DATE WITHOUT BEING CLEAR THAT THIS REZONING MAY BE RESCINDED BY APRIL 2027. YOU MENTIONED A 35 FOOT HEIGHT LIMITATION ON THE BUILDINGS AS IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THE DEVELOPER HAS GIVEN YOU NO ELEVATIONS, NO CONTOURS OF ANY KIND IN THIS SITE MAP. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT 35 FOOT STARTS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HIGH THAT GETS UP ON THE PROPERTY, BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER HAS NOT PROVIDED YOU WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DO A REASONABLE JOB OF ASSESSING THIS PROJECT. THE PROPERTY DOES SLOPE FROM 886 FEET TO 873 FEET FROM DOBE ROAD ON BACK. DON'T WAIT TO GO DOWN DON'T PUT ALL THE PRESSURE ON THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER. YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT TO DO A BETTER JOB AND MAKE THE DEVELOPER COME BACK TO YOU WITH INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A REASONABLE DECISION ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> JERRY FIDO, AND THEN BRETT STOCK MILL. STOCK HILL IS UP NEXT. THEN THAT WOULD BE OUR LAST GREEN CARD IF ANYONE ELSE IN THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. PLEASE COMPLETE A GREEN CARD AT THIS. >> GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JERRY FIDO. WE'RE THE APPLICANT FOR THE SUP ON DOBE ROAD. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR SOME TIME, AS YOU KNOW. I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE EXPECTED TO HAVE THIS PROJECT BUILT BY APRIL OF 2027, WHICH MEANS THAT WE REALLY BETTER GET MOVING ON THE PROJECT. WHAT WE HAD DONE WAS, WE BROUGHT BACK OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND OUR ACTUAL CIVIL ENGINEER. WHO WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WATER AND WATER ISSUES AND HIS DEALINGS WITH THE DRAIN DEPARTMENT AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER. WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECORDED AN EASEMENT FOR THIS PROPERTY THAT GOES ALONG THE CHURCH PROPERTY TO THE BACK OF A DOBE END STREET THAT THE NAME OF IT USE ME, YOU GUYS? MIGHT KNOW THE NAME OF THAT. STREET, ONADA, THANK YOU. THAT COMES UP AND DEAD ENDS INTO THE CHURCH PROPERTY. WE'VE HAD BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH YANIS ABOUT UTILITIES RUNNING BACK THERE. WE DO HAVE OUR STORM WATER GOING BACK THERE, WHICH BRETT STOCKHILL MIGHT SPEAK MORE ABOUT. WE ALSO HAVE POSSIBLY THE SANITARY SEWER, AND POSSIBLY THE WATER LINE. [00:35:01] WE HAVE TO WORKING THROUGH ISSUES OUT ON DOBE ROAD ON EXACTLY WHERE THE WATER TAP IS AND WHERE THE SANITARY SEWER TAP IS. BUT THAT'S STILL IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE BRETT HAS BEEN WAITING TO START WORKING ON THE ACTUAL ENGINEER DRAWINGS. HE'S WAITING TO FIND OUT HOW THIS MEETING TURNS OUT. THEN WE WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT STEP. BUT JUST AS A REMINDER FROM HISTORICALLY, WE STARTED OUT WITH A 64 UNIT PROJECT ON THE FOUR ACRES, WHICH FIT INSIDE THE ZONING REQUIREMENT. IT'S BEEN REDUCED TO 32 UNITS. AND IT'S BEEN PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY TO THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, MEANING THE DOBE ROAD SIDE OF THE PROPERTY SO THAT THE CLOSEST UNIT IS OVER 100 FEET FROM ANY OF THE BACK YARD OF THE RESIDENTS ON SENECA. AND I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT YOU FOLKS WOULD APPROVE THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND GET US MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BRETT STOCKHILL? >> YES, I'M BRETT STOCKHILL, AND IN DISCLOSURE, I AM THE ENGINEER FOR THE PROJECT. I'D REALLY JUST ADDRESS FOUR ITEMS THAT I REALLY HAVE HEARD TODAY. YES, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE CLEARING ON THE PROJECT BECAUSE IT IS A VACANT PARCEL. NOBODY WANTS A DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR BACK YARD, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO BUY A VACANT PARCEL TO PRESERVE IT. WE'RE INTO A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO BOTH BRING IN NEW UNITS AND IN FOR A FOR A VACANCY STARVED COMMUNITY. WITH THAT, UTILITIES ARE READILY ACCESSIBLE. WATER IS BOTH WATER AND SEWER ARE BOTH ACCESSIBLE OFF DOBE ROAD AND OFF OF ONADA AND SENECA. THERE'S OPTIONS AVAILABLE DEPENDING ON WHAT YANIS DETERMINES INTO FULL ENGINEERING PLANS. THE OTHER IS I HEARD LIGHTING. THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LIGHTING ORDINANCE IS VERY STRICT AS DOWNWARD LIGHTING. THERE IS NOT A LIGHTING ISSUE AS FAR AS BLEEDING ONTO OTHER PROPERTIES. THERE ARE NOT STREET LIGHTS GOING DOWN THE MAIN CORRIDOR. THAT IS JUST A NON ISSUE. THE LAST ISSUE WOULD BE STORMWATER. YES, IT'S CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTY COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION. THEY HAVE A VERY STRICT ORDINANCE OF A 10TH OF A CUBIC FOOT PER SECOND, WHICH IS A TEASPOON AS RUNS OFF NOW, UNDEVELOPED. THEY DON'T WANT THEIR SYSTEM OVERLOADED. THEY CONTROL THIS VERY STRICTLY. OUR STORM WATER WOULD BE GOING TO SENECA THROUGH A EASEMENT. THERE IS A COUNTY DRAIN RIGHT AT THE BACK CORNER OF THE ONADA VACANT RIGHT AWAY AND THE CHURCH PARCEL THAT WE CAN TIE INTO. WE'LL HAVE A DETENTION POND ON SITE IN MORE TOWARDS THE DOBE ROAD, JUST BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION DIFFERENCES. WE'LL HAVE ALL OVER DETENTION TOWARDS DOBE ROAD IN THE FRONTAGE AND SIDE OF THE PROPERTY THAT WOULD THEN BE CONTROLLED, RESTRICTED, AND THE OUTLET EXTREMELY RESTRICTED GOING TOWARDS THE ONADA, WHICH WOULD BE I THINK IT IS THE ONADA DRAINAGE DISTRICT. BUT ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTY. AND SO STORMWATER RUNOFF IS NOT AN ISSUE. EVERYBODY LOVES TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. IT'S DONE EVERY DAY. EVERY ONE OF YOUR DEVELOPMENTS HAS IT, AND IT WORKS WONDERFUL. THAT'S THE SYSTEM. IF ANYBODY HAD ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN FEEL FREE TO CALL ME. I CAN DISCUSS IT. BUT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, EVERYTHING IS IN CONTROL, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT'S DONE EVERY DAY, AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONFLICTS. I WILL YIELD THE TIME. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SAYING NONE PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 6:38 P.M. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA. [6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT ] I ITEM SIX, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT MANAGER DEMPSEY. >> THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. THE FIRST COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO TOUCH ON ARE JUST REMINDERS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE FIRST ONE BEING OUR LAST LISTENING SESSION, THE BOARD'S LAST LISTENING SESSION FOR 2025 IS COMING UP NEXT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13. IT'S AT 6:00 P.M. AT 242 COMMUNITY CENTER AT 26 30 BENNETT ROAD. [00:40:05] WE ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT. I HAD A CHANCE TO COME. THEY CAN CERTAINLY COME AGAIN. FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE OTHER TWO, WE'D LOVE TO SEE OUR RESIDENTS THERE. >> THERE'S ALSO AN ONLINE FORM. IF PEOPLE CAN'T MAKE IT, THEY CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS THROUGH THAT AS WELL ON THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE. ANOTHER ONE IS JUST SORT OF AN ALERT OR WARNING TO RESIDENTS. WE HAVE HAD SOME SCAMMERS WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MIMIC TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS THROUGH E MAIL, SO TRYING TO SOLICIT THEM, THROUGH WHAT ARE BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED PHISHING ATTEMPTS. WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS WHERE PEOPLE TRY TO GET PAYMENTS MADE TO THEM. AGAIN, PEOPLE POSING AS TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS. IF PEOPLE GET AN E MAIL THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, PLEASE CALL THE TOWNSHIP OFFICES AND TALK TO SOMEBODY BEFORE YOU EVER TRY TO SUBMIT A PAYMENT THAT YOU'RE UNSURE ABOUT OR UNFAMILIAR WITH. WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO JUST BE DILIGENT BECAUSE AGAIN, THE SCAMMERS ARE GETTING MORE SOPHISTICATED ALL THE TIME. THEN A COUPLE OF RECOGNITIONS I WANT TO MAKE WITH RESPECT TO STAFF. AS WE'RE SORT OF WINDING DOWN THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON OUT IN THE TOWNSHIP, OUR ENGINEERING TEAM HAS RESPONDED TO MANY, MANY CALLS THIS SUMMER. OFTENTIMES WE GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS WHO ARE DEALING WITH SOME UTILITIES THAT WE DON'T CONTROL, IN PARTICULAR, OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES. THINK OF YOUR COMCAST, YOUR AT&TS, YOUR METRO NETS. WHEN THEY'RE INSTALLING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, A LOT OF TIMES, WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES AND ISSUES WITH RESTORATION. OUR TEAM LED BY NEST SHADY AND THEN DENISE GREEN, WHO'S OUR ADMIN ASSISTANT, WHO GETS A LOT OF THESE CALLS. THEY WORK WITH THE REST OF OUR PROJECT ENGINEERS AND PROJECT TECHNICIANS WHO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DO A LOT OF WORK TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES AND TO GET PEOPLE'S YARDS BACK IN SHAPE AND TO ADDRESS THEM. WE HAD A NUMBER JUST THIS WEEK. JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THAT THEY'VE MADE THIS CONSTRUCTION SEASON. CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR LAST EVENING. WE HAD A PRETTY TRAGIC HOUSE FIRE. NO INJURIES, BUT A SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY LAST NIGHT. AROUND 4:00 A.M. CALL. OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ON SITE. ADDRESSED THAT. AGAIN, NOBODY WAS INJURED. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT, BUT SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO A FAMILY IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANKS TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR THEIR SWIFT ACTION AND STEPPING IN LAST EVENING TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. THAT'S IT FOR ME THIS EVENING.THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF MANAGER DEMPSEY? THANK YOU. >> I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MANAGER DEMPSEY FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE SCAM E MAILS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND. I KNOW MY NAME WAS USED THROUGHOUT THAT SCAM, AND I'M NOT HERE TO ASK ANYONE FOR MONEY THAT IS NOT MY DEPARTMENT. PLEASE JUST BE AWARE OF THAT AND OUR E MAIL ADDRESS. IT WILL BE AT MEDIAN US. JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE INDICATORS JUST TO MAKE SURE. JUST THANK YOU. WHAT ELSE? >> SEEING NOW, WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF [7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ] ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS AND BOARD MEMBERS WITH REPORTS THIS EVENING. TRUSTEE ZEELAND. >> NICE. I ATTENDED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING THIS MORNING. IT WAS VERY EARLY. ANYWAY. WE VOTED ON IT. EVERYBODY CONTINUES TO WANT TO HAVE THE 730 MEETING BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GET TO WORK. ANYWAY, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS WE HAD OUR FIRST APPLICATION FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT. WHAT IS THE NAME OF FACADE IMPROVEMENT REIMBURSEMENT? YES. WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WE'RE HOPING THAT SPURS ON ACTIVITY TO DO FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS A GOOD PROGRAM. THE REIMBURSEMENT WAS $6,500 FOR THIS BUILDER, AND IT WAS HALF THE PRICE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NORMALLY PAID. THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM. ALSO TALKED ABOUT OUR EDC CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR. WE SET DATES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT, NO, THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT. WE TALKED ABOUT A NEW CONNECTOR TO, NO, WE TALKED ABOUT A MEETING THAT'S GOING ON NOVEMBER 20, FROM 5:00 TO 7:00 P.M. IT'S THE GRAND RIVER CONNECTOR PROGRAM. [00:45:03] ANYWAY, AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. A THE BAR MEMBERS C TEAMS. >> JUST AN UPDATE. TUESDAY WAS ELECTION DAY FOR MANY AREAS ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY. WHILE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DID NOT HAVE A NOVEMBER ELECTION THIS YEAR, I DO WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR HELPING TO INFORM VOTERS OF THIS INFORMATION AND ASSISTING WITH VOTER QUESTIONS. ALSO, MY NEXT DEMOCRACY CLASS IS ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT 6:00 P.M. THAT WILL BE LOCATED AT THE OAKS LIBRARY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> THANK YOU. LAST NIGHT WAS THE MARDIAN TOWNSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING, WHICH I'M A LIAISON OF, DISCUSSED CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUND PROPOSALS, WHICH AS SOME ON THE BOARD MIGHT REMEMBER, CAME ABOUT FROM TREE PLANTINGS EARLY ON. THERE'S ABOUT 21,000 TO BE SPENT ON VARIOUS PROJECTS. THAT BOARD IS CONSIDERING A NUMBER NUMBER OF OPTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD. I THINK THERE'S A REAL CHANCE FOR SOME EXCITING WAY FINDING AND EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE AROUND THE TOWNSHIP. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JOHN SARVER. THERE WAS A RESOLUTION MADE LAST NIGHT, BUT HE RETIRED FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AFTER 11 YEARS ON THAT BOARD. AS WE ALL KNOW, THOSE CITIZEN COMMISSIONS REALLY DO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT MAKE THIS COMMUNITY A GOOD PLACE, AND 11 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THAT BOARD. HE WILL BE MISSED. THEN, LASTLY, TO PARROT MANAGER DEMPSEY. I JUST BY HAPPENSTANCE, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE AROUND AFTER A CRASH LAST NIGHT ON 78, AND I GOT A HAND IT TO OUR POLICE AND FIRE, WHO ARE EXCUSE ME, VERY QUICK IN RESPONDING AND HELPED A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE IN A VERY BAD WAY. THANK YOU TO OUR EMERGENCY SERVICE STAFF. >> THANK YOU. I'LL ADD TO WHAT TRUSTEE LYNN SAID. WE ALSO HAD A MEMBER OF OUR PLANNING COMMISSION RESIGN BILL PROBLEM? NO, I'M SORRY. BILL FOWLER IS HIS NAME. PARDON ME. I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE BLANKS WHEN YOU GET IN FRONT OF YOUR HEAD. I BRING IT UP TO MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE AREAS OF INTEREST IN OUR TOWNSHIP. AS WE HEARD ABOUT A COUPLE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS EARLIER, WE DO RELY VERY HEAVILY ON THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS WELL. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A MEMBER OF ONE OF OUR APPOINTED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. YOU CAN FIND THE APPLICATION ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS MERIDIAN.S. TAKE A LOOK THERE. WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE EXCITED, INTERESTED FOLKS SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO DO JUST THAT. I'LL CONTINUE ON WITH MY UPDATE, MINE IS RELATIVELY MINIMAL. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY WITH ALONG WITH MY FAMILY TO ATTEND THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SPECTACULAR ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, WHICH WAS PUT ON BY OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IT WAS A DELIGHT. THERE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES PRESENT TO TAKE PART IN THE FESTIVITIES. THE GRINCH DID HIS BEST OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND STEAL HALLOWEEN FROM EVERYONE. DON'T ASK ME WHY, BUT IT'S A RECURRING THEME. THERE WAS A PERFORMANCE FROM SCHOOL OF ROCK, WHICH IS ALWAYS ALWAYS EXCITING AND FUN TO HEAR SOME VERY TALENTED YOUTH WHO ARE OUT, SHARING THEIR MUSIC WITH THE WORLD. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND THAT LAST THURSDAY. WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH THE ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE? WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. [8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ] DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. >> SUPPORT. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD, THERE WAS A MEMORANDUM AT OUR PLACES THIS EVENING THAT THE STAFF HAS ASKED US TO ADD. IT IS TIMELY TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA AS ITEM 9J, WHICH IS THE PLACEMENT OF DELINQUENT SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, UTILITIES, AND FALSE ALARMS UNPAID LOT MOWING, CODE VIOLATIONS, AND MISCELLANEOUS FEES ON THE WINTER TAX ROLE FOR 2025. WE'D ASK THAT THE MOTION MAKER CONSIDER FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ADD ITEM 9J TO THE AGENDA. [00:50:09] TRUSTEE WILSON, WOULD YOU CONSIDER THAT FRIENDLY? >> YES, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> EXCELLENT. WE'LL ADD THAT. OFFICIALLY, THIS WILL BE A MOTION TO ADD MOTION TO PASS THE AGENDA AS AMENDED, THEN. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA AS AMENDED, PLEASE SAY AYE. [OVERLAPPING] >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE'D ASK THAT WE ADD THIS TO THE PACKET FOR POSTERITY SO THAT THIS IS THERE WHEN PEOPLE GO BACK TO REVIEW IT IN THE FUTURE. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 9, [9. CONSENT AGENDA ] THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'M SORRY. WE'VE GOT NUMBER OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. I SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THE BLANK. I ALWAYS DO. INCLUDED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. WE HAVE OUR MEETING MINUTES. WE HAVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR OCTOBER 21ST MEETING. WE ALSO HAVE AT YOUR PLACES, BOARD MEMBERS, THE CLOSED SESSION MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR OCTOBER 21ST CLOSED SESSION. IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THOSE IN YOUR MANILLA FOLDERS. WE ALSO HAVE THE BILLS. WE HAVE A MEETING CALENDAR FOR 2026. WE HAVE THE TREASURER'S QUARTERLY REPORT FOR LAST QUARTER. WE HAVE THREE CONTRACT RENEWALS WITH BRIGHT LINE IT, AND ONE WITH THE GO2 TECHNOLOGIES USA CONTRACT, AS WELL AS THE ITEM THAT WE JUST ADDED, THE DELINQUENT ASSESSMENTS, UTILITIES, ETC. DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING OR DEMAS. >> MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT'S PRESENTED. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY CLERK DEMAS. >> SUPPORT. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING? CIGNA DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> CLERK DEMAS, YES. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> MOTION CARRIES 6-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU COULD PLEASE TURN YOUR MANILLA FOLDERS INTO CLERK DEMAS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. WE GOT HIM. >> PERFECT. LOOK AT THAT. >> AHEAD OF THE GAME ALREADY. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 10A, [10.A. Special Use Permit #25-21 – St. Martha’s Parish and School – 1100 West Grand River – Addition to a building over 25,000 feet ] SPECIAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 2521, ST. MARTHA PARISH AND SCHOOL, 01,100 WEST GRAND RIVER TO CONSTRUCT IN ADDITION TO A BUILDING OVER 25,000 SQUARE FEET. WE HAVE FOR THIS THIS EVENING, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MR. SCHMIDT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE BOARD HAS REVIEWED THIS IS A REQUEST FROM ST. MARTHA'S PARISH AND SCHOOL TO ADD ONTO THE EXISTING BUILDING AT 1,100 WEST GRAND RIVER AVENUE, ROUGHLY IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING. YOU CAN SEE ON THE INSET MAP OR ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING AWAY FROM GRAND RIVER. LARGELY SCREENED FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW. THIS WILL BE ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM LAB STORAGE SPACE FOR THE SCHOOL ITSELF. PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS AT THEIR SEPTEMBER 22 MEETING AND RECEIVED, HAD NO MAJOR COMMENT OR PUBLIC INPUT, AND ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL THROUGH OCTOBER 13 MEETING AND AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE BOARD REVIEWED THIS AT THEIR OCTOBER 21 MEETING. THERE WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD. STAFF HAS PROVIDED THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT CRITERIA IN YOUR PACKET THIS EVENING, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO UTILIZE THOSE CRITERIA IN YOUR DISCUSSION AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, AND HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH A RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION AND A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AS PRESENTED. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION OR MOTIONS TO BE MADE AT THIS TIME ON SPECIAL PERMIT NUMBER 25 21, TRUSTEE WILSON. I WILL MAKE A MOTION, WHICH WE CAN DISCUSS. MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT 25-21, A REQUEST FROM ST. MARTHA'S PARISH AND SCHOOL TO EXPAND THE EXISTING BUILDING THAT IS GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET BY 11,000 SQUARE FEET TO ACCOMMODATE AN EXPANSION TO THE SCHOOL. THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1,100 WEST GRAND RIVER, PARCEL ID NUMBER 33-02-02-23-476-001, AND IT ZONED R, RURAL RESIDENTIAL. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. DOES IT HAVE A SUPPORT? >> I SUPPORT. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC, TRUSTEE WILSON. THIS SCENE THERE IS SUFFICIENT PROPERTY FOR THIS ADDITION. IT'S NOT GOING TO IMPINGE ON ANY ADJACENT PROPERTIES. [00:55:01] IT'S APPROPRIATE UNDER THE USE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S RURAL RESIDENTIAL, THIS IS A PERMITTED USE OF A CHURCH AND A SCHOOL. I SAW NOTHING THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC WITH THIS APPLICATION, AND THEREFORE, I WILL SUPPORT IT. >> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING TRUSTEE WILSON SAID. THIS LOOKS LIKE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION. IT'S COUCHED BEHIND THE EXISTING BUILDING THERE, WILL NOT EVEN BE AN EYESORE FROM GRANER RAVEN AND ALLOWS THEM TO USE YOU APPROPRIATELY FOR EDUCATION AND CHURCHES. >> THANK YOU. OTHER DISCUSSION? CLERK DEMAS. >> AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT WOULD HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON NEIGHBORING AREAS. ALSO, THAT'S WHAT TRUSTEE WILSON MENTIONED, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE CRITERIA PRESENTED. I THINK THAT THIS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE SCHOOL WITH MORE SPACE FOR LEARNING, SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS. >> THANK YOU. >> I AGREE. I THINK THAT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING USE AND WE KNOW THAT IT IS, OF COURSE, SERVED ALREADY BY THE UTILITIES AND WHATNOT, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ISSUES WITH THAT. WE KNOW THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING AREA. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT AND WE NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES THAT I CAN SEE WITH ANY OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE USE TO IDENTIFY, WHETHER OR NOT THIS MEETS OUR REVIEW STANDARDS. FOR THOSE REASONS, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS THIS EVENING. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION. THIS MATTER HAS BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION THAT'S IN OUR PACKET, APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT 2521. CLERK DEMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> CLERK DEMAS? YES. MOTION CARRIES 6-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR AN HOUR. I'D ASKED THAT WE TAKE A BRIEF FIVE MINUTE RECESS BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTION. WE'LL SEE YOU IN FIVE MINUTES. >> SAID MINUTES. IT'S BEEN SEVEN. WE BRING OURSELVES BACK TO ORDER AT 7:02. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS SPECIAL USE PERMIT 2520 PULTE BUILDERS, [10.B. Special Use Permit #25-20 – Fedewa Holdings – 4601 Dobie Road – Construct a series of buildings larger than 25,000 feet ] 40601 DOBE ROAD, TO CONSTRUCT A GROUP OF BUILDINGS LARGER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET. BEFORE US, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TIM SCHMIDT. MR. SCHMIDT SIR. >> THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU, AS MENTIONED, IS FROM PULTE HOLDINGS, TO CONSTRUCT FOUR BUILDINGS, TOTALING GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET ON THE PROPERTY AT 40601 DOBE ROAD. THIS IS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH PROPERTY PREVIOUSLY HAS BEEN SOLD AT THIS POINT. THEY WOULD BE BUILDING THIS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THE CONDITIONAL REZONING THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD, INCREASING THE REAR SETBACK ON THE WESTERN PROPERTY LINE FROM 40 FEET TO 100 FEET AND RESTRICTING THE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE TO NO MORE THAN FOUR BUILDINGS WITH EIGHT UNITS. IN EACH BUILDING. THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING AND HAS HAD A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THIS PROJECT. THEIR PUBLIC HEARING WAS ON THE SEPTEMBER 22ND, AND THEY ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL TO THE BOARD ON OCTOBER 13. THE TOWNSHIP BOARD THEN DISCUSSED THIS ON OCTOBER 21ST AND HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS. I'M JUST GOING TO BRIEFLY FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE OF THEM THAT WERE OUTSTANDING. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MASTER PLAN. WE FOLLOWED THE PROPER NOTICE PROCEDURES OF THE MASTER PLAN, THE COMMENT THAT WE PROVIDED SPECIFIC NOTICE. OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL REALM WAS NOT RELATED TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. IT WAS AN OBVIOUS SCRIVENERS ERROR ON THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY MAP THAT SPLIT TWO PROPERTIES IN HALF. AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S REQUEST, WE REACHED OUT TO THE SPECIFIC PROPERTY OWNERS AND ASKED THEM, DO THEY WANT TO BE IN OR OUT? IT HAS NO BEARING ON ANYTHING, BUT WE JUST WANT TO CLEAN UP THE MAP. THAT WAS THE NOTICE THAT WE PROVIDED. THERE WAS NOTHING RELATED TO THE FUTURE AND USE MAP. BUT TO FOLLOW UP ON THE BOARD'S COMMENTS FROM THE LAST MEETING, I WANT TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE THAT'S COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES. IF YOU LOOK IN THE AREA, THERE'S A NUMBER OF HEIGHTS OF BUILDINGS FROM IN BOTH ARROW TREE AND IN THE CHIEF OAKLAND CIRCLE AREA. YOU SEE WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL GARDEN APARTMENT, WHICH IS HALF STORY BELOW, HALF STORY ABOVE GRADE, AND THEN TWO STORIES ABOVE, IN MOST CASES. YOU SEE SEVERAL TWO STORY BUILDINGS, [01:00:01] AND YOU SEE BUILDINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE THREE STORIES. STAFF HAS REVIEWED THIS, AND THE BOARD CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD THIS EVENING, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED TWO CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE HEIGHT, WHICH I'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE. SECONDLY, AND I KNOW THE APPLICANT'S TRAFFIC ENGINEER WAS HERE AND DISCUSSED THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY, BUT AT THE SUPERVISORS REQUEST, WE DID LOOK AT THE ZERO BASED ASSUMPTION OF COMPARING PROPOSE TO NOTHING, WHICH IS, AGAIN, I WOULD REITERATE NOT TO OUR NORMAL COURSE OF ACTION BECAUSE THEN TRAFFIC BECOMES THE CUDGEL TO DENY EVERYTHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS AN INCREASE OVER ZERO. BUT FOR COMPARISON'S SAKE, THE PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 33 CARS IN THE MORNING AND 34 IN THE AFTERNOON. ROUGHLY ONE PER UNIT, WHICH IS ROUGHLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE FOR RESIDENTIAL TYPE DEVELOPMENT. SOMEONE LEAVES IN THE MORNING FOR WORK, SOMEONE COMES ON THE EVENING FOR WORK. THAT'S WOULD NOT CHANGE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AT THAT POINT. AGAIN, THIS STUDY DOESN'T GET INTO THE BROADER TRAFFIC NETWORK, AS WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING OF WHETHER OR NOT DOBIE AND HAMILTON, DOBIE GREEN RIVER, THINGS OF THAT NATURE COME INTO PLAY. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY THE ROAD DEPARTMENT LOOKS AT DOWN THE ROAD ONCE WE GET THE SITE PLAN, BUT THAT IS NOT THE DISCUSSION WE'RE AT. AGAIN, AND ADDITIONALLY, THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE WILL BE INVOLVED ONCE WE GET THE SITE PLAN REVIEW. THIS IS THE PREVIOUS STEP TO WHERE THE DETAILED ENGINEERING GETS DONE AND GETS REVIEWED BY ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT. AGAIN, PROVIDED ALL OF THE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THAT AS YOU'RE DELIBERATING OVER THIS PROCESS, GIVEN THAT THERE WAS NO DIRECT DIRECTION PROVIDED TO STAFF. WE'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH BOTH A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND A MOTION TO DENY AND A RESOLUTION TO DENY. BRIEFLY ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT SEVERAL OF THE CONDITIONS. IN BOTH CASES, WE WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO INCLUDE THEIR REASONS FOR DECISION ON THE RECORD, BUT SPECIFIC TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE ALL THE CONDITIONS THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE ARE THERE THE PLANS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, ANY FUTURE CHANGES REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT, ALL THE CONDITIONS OF THE REZONING ARE STILL IN PLACE, THE TIME FRAME, ETC. THE THREE THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT ARE THAT NO CONSTRUCTION ON THE SITE, AGAIN, SHALL BEGIN UNTIL APPROVALS OF THE DRAIN COMISER AND THE ROAD DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN GRANTED, JUST TO REITERATE THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. ALL BUILDINGS ON THE SITE SHALL BE NO MORE THAN 2.5 STORES OR LESS, AND ALL BUILDINGS ON THE SITE SHALL BE 35 FEET TALL OR LESS. THE ORDINANCE STATES NO BUILDINGS SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED GREATER THAN TWO AND HALF STORIES OR 35 FEET. IT'S VERY CLEAR. TO REITERATE, THREE STORY BUILDING WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED ON THE SITE, AND THAT IS WELL WITHIN THE BOARD'S RIGHT TO REITERATE, GIVEN THAT IT IS IN THE ORDINANCE, AND AS PART OF A, BULK HEIGHT AREA REVIEW OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. WE'RE HAPPY TO DISCUSS ANY OF THESE FURTHER. AS YOU REVIEW BOTH RESOLUTIONS, AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO UTILIZE THE CONDITION THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT STANDARDS ON PAGE 173 AND 174 TO YOUR PACKET IN YOUR REVIEW. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COURT MEMBERS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 35 FEET. THERE WAS A QUESTION HOW IT GETS MEASURED. THAT IS SPECIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE. ABSOLUTELY, SO IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO A WHIM. IT IS CLEARLY SPELLED OUT AS TO HOW YOU MEASURE AND WHAT CONSTITUTES 35 FEET? >> CORRECT. >> CORRECT. THIS SUP IS FOR THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BUILDINGS. IT IS NOT A SITE PLAN APPROVAL. IT IS NOT APPROVAL TO GO WITH WHAT THEY HAVE THERE. THAT IS SUBJECT TO ENGINEERING, APPROVAL FROM THE PLAN OR THE STAFF HERE AS WELL AS THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER, THE THE ROAD COMMISSION, ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN GETTING APPROVAL BEFORE THEY COULD PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND. >> NOT TO MENTION THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AS WELL? >> I MEANT YOUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT. >> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> THIS PARCEL IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MASTER PLAN. AGAIN, THE MASTER PLAN DESIGNATES THE MAJORITY OF THE PARCEL AS MULTIFAMILY, AND THE REMAINDER IS INSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE NO ONE KNEW WHERE THAT LINE WAS GOING TO BE. [01:05:03] IT WAS ROUGHLY THE NORTHERN THIRD WAS MODIFIED TO BE MULTIFAMILY. THAT WAS CLEARLY THE INTENT IS TO ALLOW MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON THE VACANT NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FAYUM PROPERTY. >> THE DRIVEWAY TO THE CHURCH IS GOING TO BE MOVED BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THIS PARCEL AT THIS TIME, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. STAFF HAS TOSSED THIS AROUND INTERNALLY AT A MINIMUM, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A SITE PLAN AMENDMENT TO THE CHURCH, BECAUSE AGAIN, ROAD DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THIS. WE DO NOT BELIEVE IT WILL REQUIRE A SUP AMENDMENT TO THE CHURCH, BUT EVEN IF IT DID, THAT'S A MINOR AMENDMENT OR THE CODE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D HANDLE ADMINISTRATIVELY. >> BOTH PARTIES HAVE AGREED THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DONE AS PART OF THIS ARRANGEMENT. >> PART OF THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN. GOOD. >> THANK YOU. [OVERLAPPING]. >> ANOTHER QUESTION THAT MARTIN JUST REMINDED ME OF. WHY IS THIS DRIVEWAY CHARACTERIZED AS A PUBLIC ROAD? >> IT IS NOT. >> I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE STATEMENT THAT THE GENTLEMAN MADE THAT. IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A PRIVATE DRIVE. >> IT'S IT'S AN ACCESS DRIVE TO A PARKING LOT ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY. >> THIS ON CHURCH PROPERTY OR IS IT GOING TO BE ON THE PARCEL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? >> THE NEW DRIVE. >> THE NEW DRIVE. >> IT WILL BE MOSTLY ON THE PULTE PROPERTY, BUT IT THEN CURVES ONTO THE CHURCH PROPERTY AS YOU GET TO THE SOUTH. >> DOES THAT IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF UNITS THAT THEY CAN BUILD ON THAT BY REMOVING IT FROM BUILD HOLE AREA FROM SQUARE FOOTAGE? >> NO. THE NUMBER OF UNITS ON THIS PROPERTY WAS SET BY THE CONDITIONAL REZONING. BECAUSE OF THE WAY THIS WAS APPROVED FROM A REZONING PERSPECTIVE, THAT DICTATES THE NUMBER OF UNITS BY ITSELF. CERTAINLY, IF WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITHOUT THAT WE WOULD IT WOULD BE A MUCH DIFFERENT CONVERSATION IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A YIELD PLAN AND TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THEY COULD BUILD, AND HOW DOES THAT PLAY IN. BUT GIVEN THAT THE SITE HAS A SPECIFIC CONDITION THAT LIMITS THE NUMBER OF UNITS, THE DRIVEWAY HAS NO BEARING ON THE DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. >> AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD JUST LIKE A BIT MORE UNDERSTANDING OF THE REVIEW CRITERIA, HOW WE DETERMINE WHETHER SOMETHING MEETS OUR CRITERIA OR IT DOESN'T, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER A PROJECT WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE ECONOMIC WELFARE OF SURROUNDING AREAS, THE PROPERTIES OR THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS ADVERSELY AFFECT OR BE HAZARDOUS TO EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD USES. >> THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF A SPECIAL USE FIRM. THESE ARE DISCRETIONARY TYPE STANDARDS THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER MAY WEIGH ONE VERSUS ANOTHER AS BEING MORE IMPORTANT OR LESS IMPORTANT. TYPICALLY FOCUSING ON THOSE TWO. TYPICALLY WHEN SOMETHING IS HAZARDOUS, YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT LIKE AN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS OR A RESTAURANT THAT'S GOING TO PUT OFF A BARBECUE PLACES OFTEN HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A STANDARD LIKE THAT. I HAD ONE IN A PREVIOUS JOB, WHERE JUST THE SMOKE VERY MUCH WAS JUST HEADING TOWARDS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, AND IT BECAME A PROBLEM. FOR SOMEONE TO BE HAZARDOUS, THERE NEEDS TO BE REALLY A TANGIBLE ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH IT THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD CREATE. SIMILAR THING, WHEN YOU GET INTO THE DE DETRIMENT TO THE ECONOMIC WELFARE. HOW WOULD A PROJECT LIKE THIS NEGATIVELY IMPACT FINANCIALLY A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. I CAN SAY AS A GENERAL RULE, ALMOST NO PROJECT THAT WE WOULD SEE IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS IS GOING TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT US AS A WHOLE BECAUSE YOU'RE ADDING TAXABLE VALUE AT MODERN CONSTRUCTION RATES AT CURRENT TAX VALUES. BROADLY IN MICHIGAN, CONSTRUCTION BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY FINANCIALLY, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME REASON WHY AFTER WE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL SETBACK AND LIMITED THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, ETC, THAT THIS WOULD BE HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. AT THIS TIME, STAFF HASN'T IDENTIFIED ANY, BUT CERTAINLY IF THE BOARD IDENTIFIES A CONCERN, SOMETHING WE COULD REVIEW. >> WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU EXPLAINING THAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I AM NEW TO THIS PROCESS, BUT WE HAVE HAD SPECIAL USE PERMITS COME TO THE BOARD. [01:10:03] IT'S NICE TO REVIEW THIS CRITERIA. I DO WANT TO CONSIDER OUR RESIDENTS CONCERNS. I WANTED TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUILDING HEIGHTS. YOU MENTIONED EARLIER HOW YOUR STAFF LOOKED INTO WHETHER THIS WOULD FOLLOW THE ORDINANCE, I BELIEVE. I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND. IF THIS IS THREE STORIES, WOULD THAT FOLLOW OUR ORDINANCE OR NOT? >> IT WOULD NOT. THE CURRENT STANDARDS ARE TWO-AND-A-HALF STORIES AND 35 FEET. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT SHOULD THE BOARD CHOOSE TO APPROVE THIS THIS EVENING, YOU MAKE IT EXPLICIT AS PART OF THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL. THAT IS A CONDITION THAT IS WELL WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW UNDER A BULK AREA REVIEW OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. >> HAVE WE HEARD ANY UPDATES ABOUT THE DUMPSTER RELOCATION? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME. >> WE HAVE NOT. THAT'S A DETAIL THAT WE'LL GET INTO A SITE PLAN. IT WILL NOT BE IN THE LOCATION THAT I CAN COMMIT TO THAT. >> HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSION REGARDING DRAINAGE CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS? >> WE HAVE NOT NOR WOULD I EXPECT, NO. >> THEN LASTLY ABOUT TRAFFIC. MAYBE THIS IS MORE TOWARDS BOARD NUMBERS HERE. WHILE THIS INCREASE MAY NOT BE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO OUTRIGHT DENY THE PERMIT. I THINK THAT IT SHOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFETY RISK BECAUSE WITH INCREASE OF TRAFFIC, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WE ALSO SEE INCREASES OF SAFETY RISK WITH CARS, VEHICLES SPEEDING. I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROCESS HAS LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST WITH CONSIDERING TRAFFIC AND WHETHER YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS WOULD CONTINUE WITH THIS PROJECT. >> WELL, I CAN TRY TO OFFER SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW WE'VE CONSIDERED THIS IN THE PAST, AND OTHERS ARE WELCOME TO JOIN INTO. TYPICALLY ANY ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CAN LEAD TO SOME INCREASE AND IN CONCERN OVER SAFETY. YOU KNOW, GENERALLY, WE LOOK AT HOW THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE ADDED TO THE LOAD OF THE ROADS WILL IMPACT THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SERVICE OF THOSE ROADS AS WE ARE CONSIDERING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THAT'S WHAT THE TRAFFIC STUDIES BRING TO THE TABLE. THEY TELL US WHETHER OR NOT AN INTERSECTION BECOMES UNTENABLE OR UNSAFE AS A PART OF THAT. THAT'S USUALLY HOW WE CONSIDER IT. I BELIEVE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FROM A TRAFFIC STUDY PERSPECTIVE, DR SCHMIDT? >> YES. AS LONG AS THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER DOESN'T YELL AT ME FOR MANGLING THIS. AS A GENERAL RULE, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IS HOW EFFICIENTLY THE INTERSECTION IS FUNCTIONING GIVEN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE TRAVELING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. YOU OBVIOUSLY WANT TO BE AN A, B OR C, YOU WANT TO PASS AS OPPOSED TO A DNF, WHERE YOU FAIL. IT'S SAME TYPE OF STRUCTURE WE'RE USED TO DEALING WITH HAVING GONE TO SCHOOL FOR YEARS. GENERALLY, WHEN YOU GET TO A DELAY POINT THAT IS HIGHER THAN A THRESHOLD, IT DROPS A LEVEL OF SERVICE. IF YOU ADD ENOUGH CARS, INEVITABLY YOUR INTERSECTIONS WILL DROP FROM AN A TO B TO A C TO D TO AN F. F IS YOU'RE WAITING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, MULTIPLE LIGHT CYCLES, YOU AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE TURNS, THINGS LIKE THAT. GENERALLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN THE TOWNSHIP. OUR INTERSECTIONS FUNCTION PRETTY WELL ON NORMAL DUE COURSE. OBVIOUSLY I WOULD POINT OUT [INAUDIBLE] AND HAMILTON BEING THE ONE THAT OBVIOUSLY NEEDS SOME WORK BECAUSE THE OTHER DAY I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'M STILL IN THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC'S BACKED UP. BUT THAT'S THE BACKUP THAT YOU WOULD SEE AT A LOWER LEVEL OF SERVICE. >> IT DOESN'T REALLY REFLECT THE SAFETY ASPECT SO MUCH. IT'S LITERALLY JUST TIME AND EFFICIENCY. >> LITERALLY SERVICE IS GENERALLY TIME EFFICIENCY. >> SURE. THAT'S MORE OR LESS HOW WE'VE CONSIDERED IT IN THE PAST [01:15:03] IS HOW MANY ADDITIONAL CARS DO WE PUT INTO IT AND HOW DOES THAT TAX THE ROADS AROUND IT? >> I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A FULL TRAFFIC STUDY. IF WE WERE, IT WOULD BE AFTER THE BOARD TAKES ACTION. I SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INTERSECTION TRAFFIC THERE, SO I WANTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW WE LOOK INTO THAT WITH SPECIAL USE PERMITS. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> TRUSTEE SUMMER. >> I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD SINCE 2016. I SEE ISSUES COME AND GO, AND THIS ISSUE DID COME UP IN THE PAST. BUT THE BUILDER WANTED TO PUT MANY NEW BUILDINGS OR MANY NEW HOMES ON THAT SITE. WE DENIED IT IN THE PAST. NOW, IT APPEARS ONLY EIGHT UNITS, 16 UNITS IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN WHAT THEY WERE PROPOSING PER BUILDING. THIRTY-TWO IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN WHAT THE PROPOSAL WAS. MANY YEARS AGO. I WOULD BE WILLING TO APPROVE THIS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS. >> THANK YOU. CHRISTY WOODS? >> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BUILDING PROJECT BEFORE AND CONSIDERING THE QUESTIONS THAT DIRECTOR SCHMIDT HAS ANSWERED PREVIOUSLY, THE FACT THAT IT IS MASTER PLAN COMPLIANT. I AM INCLINED TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT, CONSIDERING THE CONCESSIONS THAT THE BUILDER HAS MADE ALONG THE LINES OF THAT INCREASED SETBACK SO THAT NEIGHBORS CAN FEEL THAT THEY STILL HAVE THE BACK YARD THAT THEY'RE HOPING TO HAVE WITH THAT SAID, WHEN OUR MASTER PLAN COMES UP NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNICATION WITH AREAS SURROUNDING POTENTIAL CHANGE DO FEEL AS HOLISTICALLY INCLUDED AS POSSIBLE. I'M NOT NECESSARILY PRESCRIBING ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER ON THAT, BUT I THINK THIS COULD ALLEVIATE A LOT OF NEIGHBORS WHO FEEL THAT THINGS ARE SPRUNG UPON THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF, SO. BUT THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THIS PROJECT ISN'T WELL THOUGHT OUT, FOLLOWS THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY, AS YOU WILL, OF PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE. AS A RESULT, I'M INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING IT. >> JUSTICE TRUSS. >> DIRECTOR SCHMIDT'S SUGGESTION, WE GO THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA. I JUST READ DOWN NUMBER 1 IS IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER, WHICH IS A ZONING CHAPTER. I BELIEVE IT FALLS WITHIN THAT. IT'S CONSISTENT WITH ETHICAL LAND USE POLICIES CONTAINED IN THE TOWNSHIPS COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S A MASTER PLAN. AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT IS MET. DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAINED, SO AS TO BE HARMONIOUS AND APPROPRIATE INTERPEARANCE WITH THE EXISTING AND ATTENDANT CHARACTER IN THE GENERAL VICINITY. WELL, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY. THE DEVELOPER DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUILD AND TO UTILIZE HIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE ZONING LAW. HIS WILLINGNESS TO INCREASE SETBACKS. WE'VE GOT THE HEIGHT LIMITED BY ORDINANCE, AND HE WILL BE WORKING WITH DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT STAFF TO MAKE SURE THIS IS AS HARMONIOUS AS POSSIBLE. BUT WE CANNOT REQUIRE A LANDOWNER TO GIVE UP HIS OR HER RIGHTS TO DEVELOP PROPERTY WITHIN THE ACCORDANCE OF THE ZONING LAW. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING IN THIS THAT COULD BE BE HAZARDOUS TO EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS. THAT'S NUMBER 4. NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THE ECONOMIC WELFARE OF SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. THE SETBACKS, WITH THE LIGHT CONTROL, WITH THE WATER CONTROL? I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES. PROJECT IS ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC FACILITIES. WE'VE GOT WATER AND SEWER THERE. IT'S A MATTER OF FINDING A WAY TO HOOK UP AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE ADEQUATE, AND THAT WILL BE WITH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER. [01:20:08] I THINK THAT WILL BE MET IF IT GOES FORWARD BECAUSE THEY NEED ALL THOSE APPROVALS BEFORE THEY CAN DO SO. IT'S ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC SANITATION FACILITIES. AGAIN, THAT'S WITH THE UTILITIES. DOES NOT INVOLVE USES, ACTIVITIES, OR PROCESSES, MATERIALS, AND EQUIPMENT, CONDITION OR OPERATIONS THAT WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO ANY PERSON PROPERTY OR GENERAL WELFARE. BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE TRAFFIC NOISE, SMOKE, FUMES. BASED ON THE TRAFFIC REPORT, WHICH AS IS NORMALLY GENERATED COUNTS THE NUMBER OF INCREASED TRAFFIC FOR DEVELOPING THIS SITE UNDER THIS ZONING AS OPPOSED TO WHAT COULD BE DONE ON THE FORMER ZONING AND SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS IN THERE. WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENCES, AND THAT SEEMS INSIGNIFICANT TO ME. IT WILL BE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY A SUBSTANTIAL ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL RESOURCES. >> WILL NOT. >> IT WILL NOT. THIS IS A RELATIVELY SMALL PIECE OF SCRUB GROWTH. >> THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING TREES IN THERE AND IT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE TOWNSHIP NATURAL RESOURCES. I THINK JUST A QUICK RECITATION AND THAT'S MY THINKING, NOT THE WHOLE BOARDS. I BELIEVE THOSE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL ADD A FEW THOUGHTS AS WELL. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THE TRAFFIC RELATED QUESTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAD FOLLOWED TYPICAL PROCEDURE IN PROVIDING THE NUMBERS AS THEY HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED, BUT IT IS, I THINK, INTERESTING TO JUST BE AWARE OF WHAT THEY SHOW, EVEN IF WE DON'T GO OVER THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME, AS WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT TRAFFIC FROM THE NEIGHBORS AND HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT PREVIOUSLY ON DOBE ROAD, AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO JUST THINK ABOUT IT, CONSIDER IT AND HAVE IT BE PUT OUT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. THE ONE THING I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON ADDITIONAL TO THAT ALSO IS THE SCREENING. WE HAD HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS CONCERN ABOUT THE SCREENING TO THE WEST OF THE DRIVEWAY. WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GOTTEN CONCESSIONS FROM THE DEVELOPER ON THE SETBACKS FROM THE BUILDINGS. HOWEVER LIKELIER THAN NOT SITE PLAN REVIEW WILL MOVE THE DUMPSTER TO THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY. I'M JUST SPECULATING, BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY WHERE THEY FALL. CERTAINLY WE HAVE THE TURNAROUND AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY AS WELL. I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS IF THAT OCCURS IN SITE PLAN OR IF THIS IS SOMETHING THE BOARD NEEDS TO PUT MORE OF A REQUIREMENT AROUND ADDITIONAL SCREENING FOR THE BACK, ESPECIALLY FOR LIGHT POLLUTION. >> THE BOARD WELL WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS TO CREATE A CONDITION IF YOU BELIEVE IT RELATES TO SOME ISSUE OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. TO START WITH, CERTAINLY DOABLE. HISTORICALLY, WHAT MARINE TOWNSHIP HAS OFTEN DONE IN SOMETHING I SEE PRETTY REGULARLY IS IN THE FILES IS THAT DURING THE CYCLIN REVIEW, THE FINAL SCREENING OF INSERT THING HERE IT'S TYPICALLY A PARKING LOT, BUT SCREENING IS SUBJECT TO THE DETERMINATION OF THE DIRECTOR ONCE WE ARE IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM THAT YEP, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, IT'S WELL SCREENED. I THINK TO THE BOARD'S POINT, IF THERE IS AN INTEREST IN MAKING THAT A FRONT CENTER ISSUE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE A CONDITION ALONG THE LINES OF ADEQUATE SCREENING SHALL BE PROVIDED ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREA TO ENSURE NO LIGHT POLLUTION TRAVELS OFF SITE OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE I'M BLANKING AT THE VERY END. I APOLOGIZE. BUT CERTAINLY WELL WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS TO CONSIDER A CONDITION THERE. >> I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE UNDERSTAND THE INTENT HERE, AND I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT WE WILL WAIT TO [01:25:02] SEE A ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION IS MOVING ALONG SO THAT WE KNOW THE EXTENT OF WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING TO STAY, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS. WE NEED TO SUPPLEMENT HERE HERE AND HERE. AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO DO IT RIGHT NOW ON THE PLAN WHEN WE STILL HAVE ALTHOUGH WE HAVE GRADES, WE DON'T HAVE FULL GRADING YET. I DON'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF WHAT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. I THINK HISTORICALLY WHY THEY PROBABLY LEFT IT TO ONE OF THE LAST THINGS IN THE SITE PLAN INTERVIEW BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO SEE WHERE THAT EDGE WAS GOING TO END UP, DID THEY NEED TO GO ANOTHER FIVE FEET OR? WERE THEY ABLE TO SAVE IT AND WE COULD SAVE ADDITIONAL NATURAL FEATURES? >> THANK YOU. HAVING PREVIOUSLY LIVED ON A CURVE IN A ROAD, I CAN TELL YOU THE HEAD LIGHTS, YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO NOT NOTICE THEM, AND THEN YOU SEE EVERY CAR THAT GOES BY. I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ENSURING THAT WE FIND A WAY TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THE LIGHT POLLUTION COMING FROM VEHICLES DRIVING DOWN THAT ONE DRIVEWAY WOULD BE A HELPFUL ADDITION, WHETHER IT'S BY ADDITION TO THE CONDITIONS OR A BOARD DIRECTIVE THAT YOU'VE COME AWAY FROM THIS MEETING WITH, THAT'S A PART OF THAT, YOUR CONSIDERATION. TRUSTEE WILSON? >> I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ADD IT AS AN ADDITIONAL CONDITION TO THE LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED. >> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY ISSUE WITH ADDING THAT AS A CONDITION? SHE'S SHAKING HEADS. WELL, WE WE'LL GET TO THAT WHEN WE MAKE THE MOTION HERE AT SOME POINT. I APPRECIATE TRUSTEE TREZISE'S FORMER PLANNING COMMISSIONER HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT AND ALSO A FORMER ZBA MEMBER WHO'S WELL FAMILIAR WITH GOING MEMBERS. THAT'S RIGHT. WHO'S GOING THROUGH THE CRITERIA ONE BY ONE THAT'S ALWAYS A HELPFUL THING. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'LL CALL OUT SPECIFICALLY AFTER HE WENT THROUGH RELATIVELY COMPREHENSIVELY. THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, CONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE LAND USE POLICIES, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. I WAS ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT VOTED ON THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WHEN WE PASSED IT MOST RECENTLY. CERTAINLY IT WAS MY INTENT THAT THIS BE INCLUDED IN THAT AS MULTIFAMILY. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I THINK AS HAVING BEEN A PART OF THAT PROCESS, THIS WAS CERTAINLY THE INTENT. I THINK IN ADDITION CONSIDERING THE NEIGHBORING USES AND THE NEIGHBORING HARMONIOUS NATURE OF THE AREA. WE HAVE DIRECTLY TO THE NORTH, THE CHIEF CIRCLE APARTMENTS TO THE NORTHEAST OR THE ARROW TREE APARTMENTS. THESE ARE BOTH MULTI FAMILY USES THAT EXIST CURRENTLY. WE UNDERSTAND CERTAINLY THAT THERE'S INSTITUTIONAL TO THE SOUTH AND AN RA TO THE EAST AND WEST. BUT I THINK THIS IS LIKELY GOING TO BE THE LAST FURTHEST SOUTH MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT THAT WE SEE IN THIS AREA, LIKELIER THAN NOT, BARRING SOME MASSIVE CHANGE. IT IS NOT SO FAR OFFSET THAT I WOULDN'T CONSIDER THE CONTIGUOUS AREA TO THE NORTH UNHARMONIOUS. FOR ME, THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE SMALL EXTENSION OF MULTIFAMILY DIRECTLY SOUTH OF EXISTING MULTIFAMILY. IN TERMS OF HAZARDOUSNESS, IT'S NOT HAZARDOUS IN THE WAY THAT THE INTENT OF THAT SECTION IS MEANT TO CONSIDER. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT EXCESSIVE POLLUTION. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DRY CLEANER RUNOFF THAT'S GOING TO POLLUTE THE WATERSHED. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SMOG OR SMOKE OR BEHAVIORS FOR OTHER USES THAT ARE MORE STRICTLY HAZARDOUS TO FOLKS HEALTH. IT IS ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC FACILITIES. WE HAVE UTILITIES IN THIS AREA. THIS IS LARGELY, I THINK, MEANT TO THINK ABOUT CONSIDER AREAS OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICES BOUNDARY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE WATER AND SEWER. THIS CERTAINLY IS ADEQUATELY SERVED THERE. I THINK THERE ARE REASONS WHY IT DOES MEET THE REST OF THE CRITERIA AS WELL THAT TRUSTEE TREZISE ALSO MENTIONED. I'LL ALSO STATE THAT THIS IS NOT WHERE THE PROCESS NECESSARILY ENDS. THIS IS WHERE THE BOARD WEIGHS IN ON THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN FRONT OF US. THERE IS A LENGTHY PROCESS OF SITE PLAN REVIEW THAT GOES ON AT [01:30:05] THE STAFF LEVEL THAT WILL CONTINUE ON AND CONTINUE FORWARD IF WE APPROVE THIS THIS EVENING. THERE ARE FURTHER APPROVALS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO RECEIVE THROUGH THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT, WITH RESPECT TO THE DRIVEWAY, WITH RESPECT TO THE NEW CURB CUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDED ON THIS PROPERTY. THEY MAY REQUEST FURTHER LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS OR TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDIES DOWN THE LINE AS WELL IF THEY DEEM THAT THIS PROJECT WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT IT BEYOND THE TYPICAL AMOUNT. AND THEN FINALLY, IT WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE IS VERY DILIGENT IN MAKING SURE THAT WHEN PROPERTIES ARE DEVELOPED, THEY ARE DEVELOPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY CAPTURE THE WATER. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE DEVELOPER IS WELL AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE DETENTION AREAS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THEIR RUDIMENTARY DIAGRAMS THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED. BUT ALSO, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE WATER QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. IT'S ALREADY BEEN A MULTI YEAR PROCESS, BUT I THINK THAT MR. FRIDAWARE AND HIS TEAM ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER COULD MAKE IT EVEN FURTHER MULTI YEAR PROCESS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD HERE. THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE A SITUATION WHERE THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER WILL SCRUTINIZE THIS EXTENSIVELY. BASED ON THE EXISTING DETENTION THAT WAS ALREADY INDICATED AND THE EXPECTED INVOLVEMENT OF THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, I SUSPECT THAT THE WATER WILL BE WELL CONTAINED IN THIS PROJECT. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH CONSIDERING THIS SITE FOR APPROVAL, AND I'LL BE VOTING TO SUPPORT IT THIS EVENING AS WELL. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? COURT DIMAS. >> I WANT TO FIRST SAY THAT I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS' PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR INPUT. MY CONCERNS, WHICH I SHARE WITH RESIDENTS HERE MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SUPPORT THIS SUP. I REMAIN TO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE PRODUCTION OF TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A FULL TRAFFIC STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE INTERSECTIONS. I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE LEVELS AND HOW MUCH ENFORCEMENT WILL BE NEEDED AS A RESULT OF THIS. BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT, I WOULD NOT DESCRIBE THIS PROJECT AS BEING DESIGNED AS HARMONIOUS, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVES HERE. HOWEVER, I DISAGREE BASED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED. I HAD CONCERNS AND VOTED AGAINST THE REZONING BACK IN MARCH, AND MY CONCERNS REMAIN RELATIVELY THE SAME. THIS ALL MAKES ME INCLINED TO VOTE NO. BUT I DO WELCOME CONDITIONS TO BE IN PLACE REGARDING THE BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH THE AMOUNT OF STORIES BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR ORDINANCES. >> THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? OR MOTION TO BE MADE? TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I MOVED TO APPROVE AND TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT 25-20, THE REQUEST FROM FRIGIDAIRE HOLDINGS TO CONSTRUCT FOUR BUILDINGS AT 244601, DOBIE ROAD, PARCEL ID NUMBER 33020222454003 NORTH OF FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. APPROVAL IS GRANTED IN GENERAL, ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN AS PREPARED BY BRS ENGINEERING, AS RECEIVED BY THE TOWNSHIP ON AUGUST 22, 2025. ANY FUTURE CHANGES TO THE SUP WILL REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT TO SUP 2520. ALL CONDITIONS FOR REZONING NUMBER 25 001 SHALL CONTINUE TO APPLY. I THINK IT'S 25-101 SUP NUMBER 2020 WILL BECOME VOID IF CONSTRUCTION RELATED TO THE SUP HAS NOT COMMENCED WITHIN 24 MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE SUP. [01:35:03] OR IF ALL CONSTRUCTION RELATED TO THE SUP IS NOT COMPLETED WITHIN 36 MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE SUP UNLESS AN EXTENSION IS GRANTED. NO MORE THAN 32 DWELLING UNITS SHALL BE PERMITTED ON THE PROPERTY. A 100 FOOT BUILDING SETBACK IS REQUIRED ALONG THE WESTERN PROPERTY LINE OF THE PARCEL, AS WELL AS ADEQUATE SCREENING AS DETERMINED BY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND THE DIRECTOR OF UNION CLANY. [OVERLAPPING] ALL BUILDINGS ON SITE SHALL BE 2.5 STORIES OR LESS. ALL BUILDINGS ON THE SITE SHALL BE 35 FEET TALL. NO CONSTRUCTION ON SITE SHALL BEGIN UNTIL ALL APPROVALS OF THE IN COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSION AND THE IN COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN GRANTED. >> SUPPORT. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME, TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> DO WE NEED TO ADD THAT OTHER CONDITION [OVERLAPPING] >> IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF WAS IN THE [OVERLAPPING] >> AFTER THE SIDE BACK, I SAID AND SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE SCREENING. >> GREAT. >> THANK YOU. >> THAT WAS A 2.5 MINUTES [INAUDIBLE] >> THANK YOU. I WAS TRYING TO [OVERLAPPING] >> ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WILL CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL IT ROLL. >> TRUSTEE SUMMON? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> CLERK DEMAS? NO. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> YES. >> MOTION CARRIES BY ONE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU TOO. >> NEXT ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS ITEM 10C. [10.C. 3rd Quarter Budget Amendments ] THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THIS WE HAVE MANAGER DEMPSEY. GIVE THEM A MOMENT TO WALK OVER TO THE PODIUM AND THEN [OVERLAPPING] >> THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS. NO, I AM NOT, BERNADET LANDY, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT I'M GOING TO SUB IN AT LEAST THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR UNTIL SHE RETURNS IN EARLY JANUARY. BEFORE YOU, THIS EVENING IS THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGET AMENDMENT. WORKING WITH STAFF ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS, OBVIOUSLY. ALL OF THE DETAILED NUMBERS ARE IN HERE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE KEY ITEMS, BUT I'LL HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS AND THEN CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS FROM ALL OF YOU. ON THE GENERAL FUND, NOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS AN IMPROVEMENT OF $266,000 TO THE GOOD FOR THE GENERAL FUND. THAT WOULD BE A NET RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER OF JUST UNDER $67,000. INCREASING THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE. WE'VE BENEFITED FROM INCREASED BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, AGAIN HIGHER THAN BUDGETED. WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN OUR 425 AGREEMENT FROM THE CITY OF LANSING. THIS IS FOR THE COLLEGE FIELDS DEVELOPMENT. BECAUSE THOSE PARCELS ARE NOT IN OUR ASSESSING DATABASE, THEY'RE WITH THE CITY OF LANSING. WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW AS WELL AS WE WOULD WITH OUR OWN EXACTLY WHERE THOSE ARE TRENDING. THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IS THOSE WE'RE TRENDING UP, SO WE SEE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THERE. THERE'S A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN HERE IN TERMS OF EXPENSES FOR THE GENERAL FUND. I NOTED THAT CLERK'S OFFICE IS REDUCING BUDGETED OVERTIME BECAUSE OF HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO MANAGE THE ELECTION MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MOVING SOME THINGS AROUND TO THE ELECTIONS FUND. THERE'S ALSO SOME INCREASES OVERTIME IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT SUBSEQUENT REDUCTIONS IN SALARY STAFF LINE ITEMS. THEN WE HAVE COST RECOVERY EXPENDITURES PROPOSED BOTH FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL FORMS PER OUR GUIDELINES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET AS WELL. AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE A NET INCREASE TO THE GENERAL FUND, LEAVING US WITH ABOUT JUST UNDER SIX MONTHS OF EXPENDITURES IN OUR FUND BALANCE. MOVING ON FROM THERE, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, OR CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS AND ENTERPRISE FUNDS. GOOD NEWS THERE AS WELL. WE'RE SEEING INCREASED REVENUES OVER PROJECTIONS, AND MOST OF OUR EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS ARE JUST THAT. WE DO HAVE SOME LINE ITEM SHIFTS THAT WE'RE DOING BASED ON SOME HIGHER EXPENSES IN CERTAIN AREAS AND LOWER EXPENSES IN OTHERS. BUT OVERALL, WE ARE SEEING IMPROVEMENTS TO MOST OF THOSE FUND BALANCES. I THINK THERE WAS ONE EXCEPTION TO THAT IN THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, AND THAT WAS UNDER THE LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS, WHICH WILL HAVE A SMALL DECREASE, BUT AGAIN, DOES HAVE A POSITIVE FUND BALANCE OVERALL. WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE FUND BALANCES IN THE NEGATIVE. THERE IS A MOTION HERE THIS EVENING TO APPROVE IT. LIKE OUR OTHER BUDGET AMENDMENTS. THIS ALWAYS COMES TO YOU ON YOUR ACTION AGENDA, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE SPECIFICS, [01:40:03] THE DETAILS, OF COURSE, FOLLOW ON THE FOLLOWING SPREADSHEETS FOR EACH OF THE LINE ITEMS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS FOR MANAGER DEMPSEY. >> TRUSTEE, LENTZ. >> THANK YOU. MR. DEMPSEY, IN REGARDS TO THE 425 AGREEMENT, BEING A NEW BOARD MEMBER, I'M CURIOUS. SHOULD WE EXPECT CHANGES TO THE FUND BALANCE RELATED TO THE COLLEGE FIELDS PROPERTY EACH YEAR, OR IS THAT AS IT COME SITUATION? I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT WORKS WITH OUR BUDGETING AND WITH THAT AGREEMENT IN. >> GENERALLY, WHAT WE DO IS WE TEND TO BUDGET THAT LINE ITEM FAIRLY CONSERVATIVELY. AGAIN, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE PARCEL RECORDS, AND WE'RE NOT AS CLEAR ON WHAT TRANSACTIONS ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL INCREASE REVENUE THERE IS THE SAME FOR OUR TAX BASE, AND THAT'S WHEN A PROPERTY IS SOLD AND IT GETS UNCAPPED, SO THAT'S AN ISSUE. WE DON'T, AGAIN, TRACK THAT AS CLOSELY BECAUSE IT'S THE CITY OF LANSING DOING THAT ASSESSING. WE TEND TO BUDGET CONSERVATIVELY ON THAT. WE'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SEE THAT POSITIVE THAN WE WOULD TO SEE A DECLINE OR A NEGATIVE. >> I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. WITH THIS BEING A FULL 50 YEAR AGREEMENT, IF I UNDERSTAND, CORRECT, ABOUT HOW MANY YEARS ARE LEFT ON IT? IS IT UPWARDS OF 30? >> THIRTY FIVE I THINK. >> TWENTY FIVE, I THINK. >> OKAY. >> YEAH. >> SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> IT WAS 1999, THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED INTO, SO WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT AGREEMENT. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT THAT IS A FASCINATING PART OF MICHIGAN LAW, SO I APPRECIATE YOU ILLUMINATING WHAT WE CAN EXPECT YEAR OVER YEAR AS FAR AS CHANGES TO FUND BALANCE. THANK YOU. >> TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT TOPIC, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR DIRECTOR WINSTEAD TO INTERFACE WITH HER COUNTERPART OVER IN THE CITY OF LANSING AND GET MORE ACCURATE NUMBERS FOR WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT SO THAT WE CAN MORE ADEQUATELY BUDGET THIS APPROPRIATELY? >> THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT DOING. WE HAVE IN THE PAST, REQUESTED SNAPSHOTS TO JUST LOOK AT OVERALL TAXABLE VALUE, BECAUSE PART OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, TOO, IS, BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT LIVE THERE AT TIMES. THEY SOMETIMES ARE SURPRISED AT HOW HIGH THEIR TAXES ARE, AND CERTAINLY IT'S HIGHER AS A MILLAGE RATE GOES COMPARED TO WHAT WE APPLY, BECAUSE THE CITY OF LANSING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, MORE THAN DOUBLE MILLAGE RATE THAN THE TOWNSHIP. WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE THAT DATA, AGAIN, SNAPSHOTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CITY IS GENERATING VERSUS WHAT WE GENERATE. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE WITH THEM ON TO HONE IN AND GET THAT. >> THANK YOU. >> SURE. >> I ALSO ADD THAT WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN OUR FUND BALANCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER AS WE ADJUSTED TO A COUPLE OF OTHER BUDGETARY ITEMS AT THAT TIME, AND WE'VE ESSENTIALLY COME OUT IN THE WASH WITH THIS UPDATE. THEREFORE, ADDING TO OUR FUND BALANCE AGAIN, AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND OUR STAFF FOR BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, BEING FRUGAL WITH THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. THIS IS A HEALTHY RAINY DAY FUND. SHOULD THINGS GO SIDEWAYS AND WE TAKE OUR ROLE IN THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AS OUR FIDUCIARIES OF THE TOWNSHIP TAX DOLLARS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I THINK OUR CONTINUING TO GROW THE FUND BALANCE YEAR OVER YEAR HAS BEEN A REFLECTION OF THAT EFFORT. THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR THEIR PART IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE VERY THRIFTY WITH THE TOWNSHIPS DOLLARS AND BEING ABLE TO SHOW AN INCREASE IN OUR FUND BALANCE. >> ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? IF NOT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION IN OUR PACKET IF SOMEONE WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE IT. >> DO WE HAVE TO WAIVE? >> NOT FOR THIS. NO. THERE ARE ONLY CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE TO WAIVE IT FOR, AND THIS IS NOT ONE. >> OKAY. >> TRUSTEE WILSON. >> MOVE TO APPROVE THE THIRD QUARTER 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENTS WITH AN INCREASE IN BUDGETED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $266,209, WHICH PROJECTS AN INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE OF $66,902, [01:45:05] BASED ON 2024 RESULTS. THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF DECEMBER 31 AT DECEMBER 31ST, 2025 WILL BE $12,720,162. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. >> SECOND. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LANCE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NON WILL CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. >> YES. >> CLERK DEMAS. YES. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> YES. >> MOTION CARRIES 60. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT IN OUR AGENDA ITEM 10D. [10.D. Public Act 152 Annual Healthcare Exemption Option ] PUBLIC ACT 152 ANNUAL HEALTHCARE EXEMPTION OPTION, MANAGER DEMPSEY. >> YES. AS WE HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED REGARDING THE BUDGET, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON OUR HEALTH CARE PLAN RENEWALS FOR NEXT YEAR. AS I HAD SHARED PREVIOUSLY, WE'RE SEEING SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THOSE RATES. FOR 2026, WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN A PLAN THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN IMMEDIATE PREMIUM CO SHARE FOR EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE ELIMINATED IN THE 26 BUDGET ANY HSA CONTRIBUTION FROM THE EMPLOYER, SO THE TOWNSHIP WILL NOT BE CONTRIBUTING TO HSA ACCOUNTS, WHICH EMPLOYEES HAVE USED TO OFFSET, WE HAVE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN. THAT IS GOING AWAY, SO THAT BENEFIT IS, BUT WE THOUGHT RATHER THAN GIVE A DOUBLE WHAMMY, AS I MENTIONED, DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, WE WANTED TO PROCEED WITH THE PLAN FOR 26 THAT DIDN'T HAVE CO SHARE PREMIUMS. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO EXEMPT OURSELVES FROM THE PUBLIC ACT, 152, WHICH PROVIDES PROVISIONS FOR EITHER FALLING UNDER A HARD CAP SCENARIO OR DOING THE 80/20 CO SHARE OPTION. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE OTHER CO SHARE RATIOS AS WELL. WE ARE RECOMMENDING GOING THROUGH THE EXEMPTION OPTION PROCEDURE HERE WHERE THE BOARD WOULD ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION TO ALLOW US TO RENEW, AGAIN, ABOVE THE HARD CAPS. AS I MENTIONED DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, WE WILL HAVE TO, I THINK, IN 2026, REALLY CLOSELY ANALYZE THE POTENTIAL FOR CO-SHARES GOING FORWARD. HOPEFULLY, NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LESSER PERCENTAGE INCREASE. MAYBE NOT A DOUBLE DIGIT. MAYBE WE CAN KEEP IT INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS. WE'LL SEE. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO AS WELL IS CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AS AN ORGANIZATION AT OUR WELLNESS PLANS, THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO HELP ENSURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES REMAIN HEALTHY, HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COST IN WORKING, CREATIVELY TO AGAIN, TRY TO MINIMIZE THE EXPENSES HERE. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE SUBJECT TO THE LARGER MARKET CONDITIONS. WE'RE ALSO SUBJECT TO SOME OF OUR OWN PLAN USE IN TERMS OF HAVING HIGH USE IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT DO DRIVE UP OUR COST. BUT WITH THAT, AGAIN, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE EXEMPTION RESOLUTION TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR HEALTH CARE PLAN FOR 2026. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME. TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> I'M JUST LIKE TO SAY, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO OFFER A HEALTH PLAN THAT WORKS FOR TOWNSHIP STAFF. AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE REALITY OF WHAT WE NEED TO SHOP FOR THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IS NOT AN EASY PILL TO SWALLOW, BUT OFFERING A WORSE VERSION OF HEALTHCARE TO STAFF LEADS TO LOWER PRODUCTIVITY AND JUST IN GENERAL, A POPULATION THAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND GETTING ALL THE SERVICES THEY NEED. I COMMEND THE EFFORT TO TRY TO FIND SOMETHING IN BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE SITUATION. I SHARE THE HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR, THOSE PREMIUMS WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS HIGH, AND THIS DECISION WON'T BE AS DIFFICULT FOR US WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HARD CAPS. EXCUSE ME. >> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> WE'RE A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP TO BUY INSURANCE. THAT POINT AND THEY'RE ALL RETRORATED, SO IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH IN THE WAY OF A SERIOUS HEALTH EVENT WITH ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO AFFECT OUR RATE. THEY'RE GOING TO FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN BASED ON USAGE TO AN EXTENT. THIS YEAR WAS SURPRISED, SHALL WE SAY? THAT FIGURE RATE INCREASE I'VE NEVER SEEN, [01:50:04] BUT WE DO HAVE TO INSURE OUR EMPLOYEES KEEP THEM WORKING FOR US, IF NOTHING ELSE, SO I WILL SUPPORT THIS MOTION EASILY. >> OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? >> THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY GENEROUS TO OUR STAFF OVER THE YEARS IN OFFERING THE HEALTH CARE OPTIONS THAT WE DO. WE ARE BEING HIT GOUGED REALLY BY AN INDUSTRY THAT GOUGES TOO MANY PEOPLE. WE ARE, I THINK, VERY LUCKY IN THIS ORGANIZATION TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD. WE CAN ABSORB A WHAT 23% IT? >> YEAH. IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY NET OUT NOW AROUND. THE INITIAL WAS 26. WE GOT IT DOWN INTO THE 23.5-24 RANGE. >> TWENTY THREE, 24% INCREASE. >> IF YOU WERE TO HAND THAT TO A FAMILY TO A SMALL BUSINESS IN THIS AREA, IT COULD BE CRIPPLING. I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY, THIS INCREASE THAT WE ARE FACING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE FACING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. I'M THANKFUL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE AT REALLY NO COST TO OUR EMPLOYEES, ESSENTIALLY, BY ACTION HERE. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE TRUSTEE TREZISE IS RIGHT. WE ARE A SMALL GROUP FROM A HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE. BUT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE, AND WE LOOKED AT JOINING THE POOL OF A LARGER GROUP SETTING WITH THE HOPES OF GETTING REDUCED INCREASES AND REDUCED RATES, AND WE FOUND EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE THAT THERE WAS ALMOST NO IMPACT TO THE ACTUAL HEALTHCARE COST INCREASE. FROM AN INSURANCE STANDPOINT, I'M NO EXPERT. I DON'T WORK FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, BUT YOU'D THINK THAT YOU SPREAD THE RISK ACROSS A MUCH LARGER POPULATION, AND A COST WILL EVENTUALLY PER UNIT COME DOWN. THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT IS TELLING ME IS INDICATIVE TO ME THAT THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY LYING TO US IN THE PREMISE OF HOW INSURANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDED. IT'S REALLY ABHORRENT THAT THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CONSUMERS IN THAT WAY. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT. WE'RE HERE TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE CONTINUE TO EXEMPT OURSELVES FROM THIS SECTION IN ORDER TO OFFER THIS KIND OF HEALTH INSURANCE TO OUR PEOPLE. I THINK IT'S AN EASY YES FROM ME. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE OVER THE COMING YEAR OR TWO, AS WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL SEE INCREASES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS WELL. AS WE ENTER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WE'LL SEE EVEN MORE. BUT FOR NOW, I'M PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER TO OUR EMPLOYEES, AND WE'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RESOLUTION THIS EVENING. WITH THAT SAID, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO MAKE THIS EVENING? CLERK DEMAS. >> MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE ANNUAL EXEMPTION OPTION SECTION 8 AS SET FORTH IN 2011 PUBLIC ACT 152, THE PUBLICLY FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION ACT. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY CLERK DEMAS? >> SUPPORTED. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WILL CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> DO WE HAVE TO MOVE TO SUSPENDER RULES? >> I DON'T THINK THIS IS ONE THAT REQUIRES A SUSPENSION EITHER. >> TRUSTEE WILSON. >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> CLERK DEMAS, YES. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> YES. >> MOTION CARRIES 6-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11A, [11.A. Township Manager Review Process ] THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REVIEW PROCESS. BOARD MEMBERS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU ALL FOR GETTING ME YOUR REVIEWS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PUBLISHED AND SENT OUT. I MAY COME BACK TO YOU IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS [01:55:01] HERE IF WE NEED TO CONSIDER A SLIGHT AMENDMENT TO OUR PROCESS, BECAUSE IF THIS MEETING WERE EVER HELD ON THE FIRST TUESDAY, THERE WOULD BE ALMOST NO TIME TO ACTUALLY GET THAT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WRITTEN. BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ON THURSDAY, HERE WE ARE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING, AND I'VE PAIRED DOWN THE MINUTES [NOISE] SUBSTANTIALLY AND WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH WHAT WE'VE PRESENTED HERE. OUR POLICY MANDATES THAT WE GO TO OUR EMPLOYEES OR RANDOM SAMPLING AND COLLECT THEIR REVIEWS OF THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER. WE THEN PROVIDED THOSE TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION, AS WELL AS THEIR REVIEWS TO INCLUDE FOR MANAGER DEMPSEY, ALSO. MY ROLE IN THIS PROCESS IS TO COLLECT THOSE REVIEWS, COMPILE THEM UNALTERED, AND DRAFT AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, WHICH I PRESENT HERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> I WILL POINT OUT THAT I RECEIVED REVIEWS FROM ALL SIX OF US THAT ARE HERE AT THE DAIS THIS AFTERNOON THIS EVENING. TREASURER BURGHARDT, UNFORTUNATELY, HAD HER PROCEDURE PRIOR TO BEING ABLE TO FILL THAT OUT. ALTHOUGH HAVING BEEN SO RECENTLY APPOINTED, WOULDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH MANAGER DEMPSEY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A FULL REVIEW. BUT CERTAINLY NEXT YEAR, SHE'LL I'M CERTAIN WEIGH IN MORE THOROUGHLY. AS I HAD POINTED OUT, WE RECEIVED REVIEWS FROM TWO OF OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL, WHICH WE'VE PROVIDED TO YOU. I HAVE CREATED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, WHICH YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR PACKET. I WILL FURTHER CONDENSE THIS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT WORD BY WORD. BUT ESSENTIALLY, THE CONSISTENT THEME OF THE REVIEW OF MANAGER DEMPSEY'S PERFORMANCE IS THAT HE HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO OUR TOWNSHIP TO HELLAM TOWNSHIP ON OUR BEHALF. WE'VE GONE THROUGH A RATHER TRANSITIONARY PERIOD OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS BEING ELECTED AND APPOINTED AND A COUPLE OF RETIREMENTS AS WELL. I THINK ONE OF THE THROUGH LINES OF MANAGER DEMPSEY'S PERFORMANCE IS THAT HE EXHIBITS A CALM AND DELIBERATIVE APPROACH TO THE MATTERS THAT THE BOARD CONSIDERS AND MATTERS THAT STAFF BRING TO HIM. IN ANY TRANSITION, IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE TO COME IN AND UNDERSTAND THE ORGANIZATION AND CREATE QUICK AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE STAFF. I THINK IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR STAFF, BUILDING A QUICK RAPPORT WITH THEM. AS A PART OF THIS, THERE WAS SOME CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE OFFERED. I ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY SURROUNDING BEING A MORE VOCAL PARTICIPANT AT BOARD MEETINGS IN TERMS OF ADDING TO THE MANAGER'S REPORT. BUT ALSO, WHEN QUESTIONS ARE ASKED IN AN AREA OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, OF WHICH HE HAS MANY, THAT WE MAY WISH TO HEAR FROM HIM A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL. BUT OVERALL, THE PERFORMANCES WERE VERY HIGH, AS YOU'LL NOTE IN THE INCLUDED MATERIALS. I HOPE THAT I HAVE CAPTURED OUR OVERALL SENTIMENT BY INDICATING THAT WE OFFER AN EXEMPLARY EXEMPLARY REVIEW OF MANAGER TIM DEMPSEY'S PERFORMANCE OVER THE COURSE OF 2025, AND LOOK FORWARD TO AS MANY SUCCESSES NEXT YEAR. THIS IS ON FOR DISCUSSION THIS EVENING. IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WISH TO ADD OR AMEND TO THE SUMMARY DESCRIPTION THAT I'VE PROVIDED IN THE PACKET OR ADD ANY COMMENTS. THIS WOULD BE THE TIME AND THEN WE WILL VOTE TO OFFICIALLY ADOPT THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AT OUR NEXT MEETING. WITH THAT SAID, BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU WISH TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? ANY CHANGES, ADDITIONS OR SUBTRACTIONS OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OR REVIEW? SEEING SOME SHAKING HEADS. NO DISCUSSION TO ADD IT TO THE I TRUSTEES. >> THANK YOU FOR THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. YOU HAD, AS YOU SAID, LITTLE TIME TO DO IT BECAUSE WE ALL TOOK ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME YOU GAVE US IN ORDER TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AND IT'S A GOOD THING YOU REMINDED ME. >> YEAH. I WAS OUT TRICK OR TREATING WHEN THAT TEXT LIKE, UH OH, WE'RE COMING UP ON THE DEADLINE. THAT'S RIGHT. >> NO. BUT IT'S A NICE JOB SUMMARIZING WHAT WE ALL SAID AS WELL AS WHAT OUR TWO EMPLOYEES THAT CHOSE TO RESPOND SAID. I THINK IT'S IT'S CLEAR THAT WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF [02:00:04] RESPECT AND APPRECIATION FOR MR. DEMPSEY'S WORK FOR US AND WITH US. I THINK JUST AN ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE EVALUATION. >> BOARD MEMBERS, CLERK DEMAS. >> I JUST WANT TO ADD ON TO THANK YOU SUPERVISOR HENDERSON FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS PROCESS. I ACTUALLY MET WITH HR DIRECTOR TITO TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS A BIT MORE, AND I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WAS PUT INTO IT. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE SELECTION OF THE RANDOMIZATION ELEMENT, I GUESS OF SENDING THE EVALUATION TO STAFF. I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE THAT TO INCORPORATE MORE STAFF OPINION, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WITH STAFF AND OUR DEPARTMENTS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR MORE FROM THEM AS WELL, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT CAN BE LIMITED. I DID WANT TO BRING UP THAT POSSIBILITY, BUT I THINK THAT THIS PROCESS HAS DONE VERY WELL, AND I APPRECIATE HEARING BOARD INPUT AS WELL WITH THIS. >> YEAH. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE DATE THAT THAT WE HAD DETERMINED LAST YEAR TO WORK BACKWARD FROM IS THE SECOND MEETING IN NOVEMBER WHERE WE WOULD APPROVE THE REVIEW. THE REASON BEING IS THAT WE WANT THE CURRENT BOARD TO COMPLETE THOSE REVIEWS AND NOT PUT THAT ONTO A NEW BOARD, SHOULD THEY BE ELECTED. WE WORKED BACKWARD. WE HAD TO APPROVE IT AT THE SECOND MEETING IN NOVEMBER, DISCUSS IT AT THE FIRST MEETING IN NOVEMBER. WE WORKED BACKWARD FROM THERE. I THINK HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS NOW, I THINK I WOULD TRY TO MOVE THE COUPLE OF THE DEADLINES BACK A COUPLE OF DAYS. YOU KNOW, WE GAVE OUR STAFF ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF OF TIME TO FILL OUT THEIR REVIEWS. I THINK A LITTLE MORE TIME FOR THEM WOULD BE HELPFUL. I THINK WE COULD WE AS A BOARD, I THINK, CAN PROVIDE OUR FEEDBACK IN A SHORTER TIME PERIOD. I THINK MOVING A COUPLE OF THOSE DATE WINDOWS MAY MAKE IT POSSIBLE. IN TERMS OF THE RANDOMIZATION, THE WAY IT WORKED WAS DIRECTOR TITO ASSIGNED EVERY EMPLOYEE IN EACH GROUP, A NUMBER. THOSE GROUPS ARE ENUMERATED IN THE POLICY. SHE ESSENTIALLY SAID, PICK TWO NUMBERS 1-13. I PICKED FOUR AND NINE, AND EMPLOYEES FOUR AND NINE, WHO I DIDN'T KNOW, WERE SENT THE REVIEW FORM TO COMPLETE. I AGREE FULLY THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE PARTICIPATION IN THE FUTURE. SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I UNDERSTAND WE GOT FROM A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO DID NOT TURN IN REVIEWS WAS THAT THEY DID NOT FEEL THAT THEY HAD ENOUGH EXPOSURE TO MANAGER DEMPSEY WORKING WITH HIM DIRECTLY TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE REVIEW. I DON'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARILY A LACK OF INTEREST. I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY MOTIVATED FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND BY FAIRNESS AND THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO OFFER A REVIEW, NOT HAVING ACTUALLY HAD THOSE INTERACTIONS. BUT I EXPECT THAT AS TIME GOES BY THAT HE'LL CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH MORE AND MORE FOLKS IN THE ORGANIZATION, AND THAT WE'LL SEE MORE STAFF INVOLVEMENT ONCE THEY GOT A LITTLE MORE EXPOSURE. >> YEAH. DIRECTOR TITO ALSO REPEATED THOSE SENTIMENTS AS WELL, SO THAT MAKES SENSE. I THINK I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR STAFF ARE VERY BUSY. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME IN HERE. WE TAKE A LOT OF PHONE CALLS AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF EMAILS WE HAVE. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT ELEMENT. MAYBE IT'S JUST FROM A CLERK PERSPECTIVE, BUT I ALWAYS LIKE INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE, MAKING SURE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE HAVE THAT OPTION. HOWEVER, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE LIMITS TO THAT. I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN IMPROVE ON THAT, BUT SO FAR, I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PROCESS. I'VE ALSO BEEN IMPRESSED BY OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER, MANAGER DEMPSEY WITH HIS PROFESSIONALISM AS I REFLECTED IN MY REVIEW. >> WONDERFUL. >> YES, TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE]. >> ONE OTHER PIECE THAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY AREN'T AWARE OF, WAS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE USED THIS PROCESS? >> YES. >> THERE'S GOING TO BE WRINKLES IN IT, BUT IT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME WE'VE MADE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO GO TO RANDOMLY SELECTED EMPLOYEES TO GET THEIR OPINIONS. EVALUATING SOMEONE IS NOT EASY IF YOU DO IT HONESTLY. I APPRECIATE THEM SAYING OR IMPLYING [02:05:04] THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH INTERACTION THEY COULD FAIRLY DO SO. I THINK THAT SHOWS THE MATURITY AND AND HONESTY THAT WE SHOULD PLOD. NO. I THINK AS IT GETS MORE CUSTOMARY WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROCESS, WE WOULD LIKELY GET MORE RESPONSE. YEAH. >> MORE TIME. >> IT WANT MORE TIME, MAYBE. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL SEE THIS BACK ON OUR AGENDA FOR ACTION AT OUR NEXT MEETING, LESS MANAGER DEMPSEY, YOU WANTED TO WEIGH IN AT ALL. >> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO IT. I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. BOTH POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE. CERTAINLY TAKE IT TO HEART FOR SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. CERTAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO STAFF, THIS RINGS TRUE, NOT JUST IN MY DIRECT REPORTS, BUT ALL STAFF. I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO OFFER THEM. BUT CERTAINLY, IT IS A CASE WHERE IT DOES TAKE TIME. YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ORGANIZATION, WITH 170 SOME FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, SO YOU KNOW, AND I'VE BEEN HERE LESS THAN A YEAR, OVER TIME, WE'LL GET TO KNOW MORE AND MORE OF THEM AND THEY'LL GET TO KNOW ME. HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE THAT PARTICIPATION JUMP UP. AGAIN, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT. APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT BRINGS US TO OUR SECOND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC REMARKS. [12. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ] I SEE SOME GREEN CARDS HEADING MY WAY. THANK YOU. SAME RULES AS THE FIRST TIME APPLY. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES. FIRST UP WE'LL HAVE CHRIS CLARK AND THEN DAVID HAVE YOU DESK. >> CHRIS CLARK, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THIS BOARD BEING ELECTED OFFICIALS. I BELIEVE THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL THE RESIDENTS THEY SERVE, NOT JUST THE ONES THEY MIGHT BE FRIENDS WITH OR WORK WITH. DURING THIS PROCESS, THE BOARD SEEMINGLY IGNORED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS AND HUNDREDS OF SIGNATURES OF RESIDENTS OPPOSED TO THE DENSITY OF THE FEDEWA DEVELOPMENT. WE SEEM TO BE DISREGARDED BY THE TOWNSHIP AND THIS BOARD IN FAVOR OF THE TWO PARTIES WHO STOOD TO GAIN FINANCIALLY FROM THIS PROJECT, THE DEVELOPER AND THE CHURCH. JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE SAME 32 UNIT DEVELOPMENT WAS DENIED BY THE BOARD IN 2019. THE DEVELOPER DID NOT REDUCE IT FROM PRIOR BOARD REQUESTS. I LOOKED AT SOME ELECTION DATA THE OTHER DAY. MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000 REGISTERED VOTERS, GIVE OR TAKE. OF THE FOUR ELECTED TRUSTEES, EACH OF YOU RECEIVED ABOUT 17,000 VOTES, AGAIN, GIVE OR TAKE. THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY VOTES THAT ACTUALLY SEPARATED YOU FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T ELECTED TO THE BOARD. RESIDENTS USUALLY REMEMBER HOW YOU VOTED ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO THEM. IN THE EVENT THEY DON'T, OR THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAPPENINGS, I'M GOING TO DO MY PART FROM NOW UNTIL 2028 TO HELP THEM REMEMBER HOW YOU VOTED. THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP DESERVE TO KNOW WHICH OF YOU VOTED FOR HIGHER TAXES. WHICH OF YOU VOTED FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, WHICH OF YOU VOTED TO DEVELOP EXPENSIVE RENTAL PROPERTIES, INSTEAD OF AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WHICH OF YOU VOTED FOR INCREASED TRAFFIC, ETC. I BELIEVE PEOPLE DESERVE LEADERS WHO ACT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL THE RESIDENTS THEY WERE ELECTED TO SERVE. I WILL DO MY BEST IN THE COMING YEARS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND VOTERS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECISIONS THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND BOARD ARE MAKING. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE GALVANIZED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AT LEAST THE NEXT ELECTION. THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> THANK YOU. DAVID CLARK. >> I'LL BE BRIEF. ON ITEM THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTINUOUSLY IGNORED, AGAIN, IS GOES BACK TO THIS DEVELOPMENT AND THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON SENECA, SEEMED TO BE IGNORED. IT'S A NARROW STREET, DOES NOT HAVE SIDEWALKS, AND AGAIN, IT'S THE LOWEST PART ON SENECA, HENCE THE WATER ISSUES. THAT SEEMS TO BE IGNORED. ANOTHER ITEM IS INCREMENTALLY ADDING MULTIPLE FAMILY UNITS IN AN AREA THAT CAN'T HANDLE THE TRAFFIC. WE BROUGHT UP CONCERNS BEFORE ABOUT THE CORNER OF DOBE AND HAMILTON. THERE'S NO RIGHT TURN LANES ON THAT CORNER IT'S ALREADY BACKED UP NOW. [02:10:01] THERE'S SO MANY AREAS OF FAILURE ALONG THIS PROCESS. I'LL COME BACK WITH MORE ORGANIZED COMMENTS AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING. IT'S CLEAR THE PLANNING COMMISSION, TOWNSHIP BOARD, AND THE PLANNERS DON'T HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS AT LEAST ON SENECA AND THE FOREFRONT. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME. GREEN SLIDE. CAN YOU PASS YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE? YEAH. DAVID PITA, 278, HASLETT ROAD, HAZLETT MICHIGAN BOARD AND I GUESS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF NEIGHBORS THAT HAD REACHED OUT ON THIS ISSUE. AI DO FEEL THAT IT IS GOOD FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, AND I KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOMEBODY BUILDING IN YOUR BACK YARD, YOU'RE GOING TO OPPOSE THAT. BUT LOOKING AT IT FROM THE BIGGER PICTURE, I THINK THAT WE'RE BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. WE DO HAVE RENTALS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY THAT COME TO OUR RENTALS AND THEN END UP EVENTUALLY LIVING HERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. I THINK THAT HAVING MORE OF THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN A BIGGER SENSE BRINGS A MORE DIVERSE COMMUNITY TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. I DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DECISION TODAY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 8:16 P.M. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. ANY OTHER MATTERS THIS EVENING BEFORE THE BOARD? SING NONE. ITEM 14, IT IS FOR ADJOURNMENT, TO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. >> MOVED. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 8:16 P.M. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.