[00:01:42] >> EVERYONE'S GOT THE COLOR MEMO, TOO. EVERYONE'S IN RED. [1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER] GOOD EVENING, IT IS 6:00 O'CLOCK AND WE WILL CALL THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER OF TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN TWO QUARTER. THIS IS OUR JANUARY 20, 2026 MEETING. FIRST ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. WILL THOSE WHO ARE PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >> >> THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS A ROLL CALL. WILL CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> HERE. >> CLERK DEMAS, HERE. >> HERE. >> TREASURER BURKHARDT? >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> HERE. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> HERE. >> SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DID GET A MESSAGE FROM TRUSTEE WILSON, SHE WILL HOPEFULLY BE HERE VERY SOON. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE NONE, FOLLOWED BY CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON AGENDA ITEMS, [5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS] WHICH WE'LL BEGIN SHORTLY. I GUESS I'LL START MY OFFICIAL THING HERE. WE HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES AT TONIGHT'S MEETING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR ANY ITEM ON OUR AGENDA OR ANY ITEM NOT ON OUR AGENDA, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING NOW, AS WELL AS NEAR THE END OF THE MEETING. THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN CARD, WHICH ARE LOCATED ON THE TABLE NEAR THE DOOR AND PRESENT THAT CARD TO THE BOARD OR TO 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 FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEETING MINUTES THAT YOU PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THOSE IN THE MINUTES. CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME AND AN AUDIBLE BEEP WILL ALERT YOU WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD VALUE COMMENT AND INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC. THE MEETING FORMAT AND RULES, HOWEVER, DO PROHIBIT BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMENTERS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD AT A LATER TIME OR REFERRED TO A MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD OR THE BOARD'S CHAIR AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR TO OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE. WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF GREEN CARDS THIS EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIRST UP THIS EVENING IS MARILYN JOHNSON, AND THEN ANNE FITZGERALD IS ON DECK. MARILYN. [00:05:01] >> I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO ROUTING A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE IN THE MERIDIAN PARKS AREA ALONG CAN-ADA AND NEWMAN ROADS. I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF DR. SCHUMAN JANG, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, AND A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT WHO LIVES ALONG THE PROPOSED ROUTE AT 4855, BUTTERCUP. SCHUMAN BASES HER OPPOSITION ON A REVIEW OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LIVING CLOSE TO HIGH VOLTAGE LINES. WHILE THE EVIDENCE OF LINKS TO CANCER IS WEAK AND INCONSISTENT, THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE OF A LINK TO CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA, MODERATE EVIDENCE OF LINKS TO NEUROGENERATIVE DISEASES SUCH AS ALZHEIMER'S AND ALS. ALSO EVIDENCE OF CARDIAC AUTONOMIC REGULATION ISSUES, SUCH AS CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS AND IN INTERFERENCE WITH CARDIAC DEVICES, SUCH AS PACEMAKERS AND DEFIBRILLATORS. THERE'S ALSO EVIDENCE OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON FEMALE FERTILITY AND BREAST CANCER, PARTICULARLY IN YOUNGER WOMEN. FOR THIS REASON, EXISTING EXPOSURE LIMITS ADDRESS ACUTE EFFECTS, BUT IGNORE EVIDENCE OF LONG RUN DISEASE RISK. THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS A PRECAUTIONARY PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO SITUATING HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. FOR THIS REASON, SCHUMAN RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO ITC ROUTING A HIGH VOLTAGE LINE ALONG THE MERIDIAN PARKS ROUTE BY CAN-ADA AND NEWMAN ROADS. THIS REQUEST IS FEASIBLE BECAUSE ITC HAS IDENTIFIED OTHER ROUTES THAT DO NOT RESULT IN THE DEGRADATION OF WETLANDS AND HARMFUL RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FITZGERALD, AND THEN HELEN LEBLANK. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ANNE FITZGERALD, AND I LIVE AT 56 NEWMAN ROAD. I'M HERE FOR THE SAME REASON. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL ROUTING OF THE ITC POWER LINE THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THERE ARE ALTERNATE ROUTES FOR THIS, AND WE WOULD ARGUE THAT OUR ROUTE, ALTHOUGH IT'S A STRAIGHT ROUTE, IS NOT THE BEST, BY ANY MEANS. ONE OF THE PROPOSED ITC POWER LINE ROUTES UTILIZES AN EXISTING UTILITY CORRIDOR THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHILE THIS CORRIDOR IS ALREADY EXISTING TODAY, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY NARROWER THAN WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A 345 KILOVOLT TRANSMISSION LINE. EXPANDING THE EASEMENT THAT EXISTS WOULD INTRODUCE NEW AND PERMANENT IMPACTS TO SOME BUILDINGS, RESIDENTIAL BACKYARDS, NEARBY PARKS, AND SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS, INCLUDING WETLANDS. THE EXPANSION, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT WIDENING. THESE TOWERS ARE HUGE. THEY'RE ENORMOUS. SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS EQUIVALENT TO USING AN EXISTING CORRIDOR. THE CURRENT EASEMENT WIDTH WAS NEVER DESIGNED FOR AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF THIS SIZE. I WALK IN TED BLACK WOODS AND LEG PARK ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND I REALLY ENJOY ALL OF THE NATURAL AREAS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARKS THAT WE HAVE. IT'S SO FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE THESE AREAS. WHEN OVER A DOZEN ALTERNATIVE ROUTES EXIST THAT AVOID PARKS AND HOMES, CHOOSING THE ONE THAT MARKEDLY ENLARGES AN EASEMENT THROUGH BELOVED PUBLIC PARKS AND NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS IS A BAD DECISION. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LISA NOACK IS ON DECK. >> I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE PROPOSED ROUTE THE NORTHERNMOST ROUTE, WHICH WOULD SEND THE EASEMENT THROUGH HARRIS NATURE CENTER AND THE TED BLACK WOODS. I HIKE IN BOTH OF THOSE REGULARLY, AND THESE ARE MASSIVE, HUGE POLES, AND I THINK IT WOULD RUIN THE ASTHTICS OF EITHER AREA. I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS ROUTE. THANK YOU. CAN WE GET YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE MINUTE, PLEASE? [00:10:03] >> SURE. 4720 JADE STONE. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. LISA NOACK, AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] IS ON DECK. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS LISA NOACK. I'M AT 155 EAST NEWMAN ROAD. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I WANT TO RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION ROUTES THAT IMPACT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS AND NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE THERE IS ONLY ONE FEASIBLE ROUTE. THE DEVELOPER'S OWN MATERIALS SHOW OVER A DOZEN ROUTE OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION, MANY OF WHICH DO NOT PASS THROUGH PARKS AND ALONGSIDE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. THE ROUTE THROUGH OUR PARKS RELIES ON AN EXISTING EASEMENT, BUT THAT EASEMENT WAS ESTABLISHED FOR A MUCH SMALLER LINE. THE MAPS THAT THEY SHOW SHOW A LINE NEXT TO THE EASEMENT, WHICH MAKES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL EXPANSION OF THE CURRENT EASEMENT. IF IT DOES TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 200 FEET OF AN EASEMENT, THAT'S GOING TO COVER CLEAR CUTTING OVER A MILLION SQUARE FEET OF TREES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. THESE PARKS ARE ALSO USED BY PROGRAMS LIKE THE 906 ADVENTURE CLUB. MY KIDS HAVE MOUNTAIN BIKE THROUGH THERE. I'VE BEEN A COACH OVER THERE. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE PROGRAMS THAT EXISTS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, AND THERE'S A WAITING LIST WITHIN DAYS OF THE REGISTRATION OPENING. I WOULD WONDER, EVEN IF THEY COULD STILL BIKE UNDER THESE LINES, HOW LONG WOULD THAT CONSTRUCTION TAKE AND WOULD IT IMPACT WHAT THESE KIDS ARE ABLE TO DO? WE ALL, I IMAGINE, SHARE THE GOAL OF GETTING KIDS OUTSIDE. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WETLANDS. THERE'S SOME ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE AREA. HAVE THOSE BEEN CONSIDERED, HAS THAT BEEN DONE? I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS VIEW ON THIS ROUTE IS. I REALIZE THAT IT COULD BRING IN ADDITIONAL TAX VALUE FOR YOU, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THE HOMES THAT ARE IN THE AREA ARE GOING TO SUFFER IN THEIR OWN TAXABLE AMOUNT BECAUSE WHEN I'VE TALKED TO RELATORS ABOUT THIS, THEY RECOMMEND NOT LIVING THIS CLOSE TO HIGH VOLTAGE LINES, AND IT'S NOT ONLY JUST AN EYESORE, BUT AS MENTIONED EARLIER A POTENTIAL HEALTH CONCERN. I AM HERE TODAY TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE BOARD CONSIDER TAKING A PROPOSITION THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WOULD OPPOSE THE 345 KILOVOLT PERMISSION LINE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOING THROUGH OUR PARKS AND CLOSE TO HOMES WHEN OTHER FEASIBLE ROUTES AVOID THESE IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITIES. WE NEED TO POSITION THIS EARLY AND CLEARLY TO THE DEVELOPER AND THE UTILITY COMPANY BECAUSE ONCE A PREFERRED ROUTE IS SELECTED, IT BECOMES MUCH HARDER TO CHANGE. I KNOW THAT SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WILL GO A LONG WAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE FUTURE WITH THE MPSC, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM ALL OF US TODAY AND CONSIDER SUPPORTING OPPOSING THE LINE GOING THROUGH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE], AND THEN KENT CASELLA IS ON DECK. >> GOOD EVENING. I'M A [INAUDIBLE] FROM 472 JADESTONE DRIVE. WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING MERIDIAN PARKS SINCE 1976 WHEN WE MOVED INTO THE GREATER LANSING AREA. WE'VE BEEN IN AND OUT OF YOUR PARKS FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEY'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL. THE CLEAR CUT RIGHT OF WAY THAT'S VISUALIZED FOR A LINE THAT STRONG AND THAT POWERFUL COULD MAKE A TERRIFICALLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON FORESTED PARKLAND. YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PARKS IN THE GREATER LANSING AREA THAT ARE CLEAR CUT. THEY'RE GOOD FOR BALL PLAYING, FOR PICNICKING, IF YOU DON'T NEED ANY SHADE, BUT SOMETIMES YOU NEED SOME SHADE AND SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE PARKS, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, WITH THE ADDITIONAL CLEAR CUTTING NEEDED TO GO FROM A SMALLER LINE TO THE ONE BEING PROPOSED, WE HAVE HOMEOWNERS WHO COULD FIND THE CLEAR CUT ENDING AT THEIR BACK DOOR. [LAUGHTER] THEY COULD FIND IT ENDING IN THEIR KITCHEN, [LAUGHTER] AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO THOSE THINGS IN PLANNING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KENT CASELLA, AND THEN TERESA DE LISLE IS ON DECK. >> THANK YOU, MR. SUPERVISOR AND TRUSTEES. KENT CASELLA, 163 WEST NEWMAN ROAD HERE IN OKEMOS. MY FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE ARE GOING TO OFFER SEVERAL REASONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED POWER LINE IN THOSE STRUCTURES. LET ME OFFER JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, [00:15:01] AND I OFFER THAT AS A RETIRED ARMY OFFICER AFTER 20 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. LET ME OFFER ONE A LEADERSHIP. I ASK THE BOARD TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP'S ROLE AT THIS EARLY STAGE AS THIS PROPOSAL FOR THE ROUTING OF THIS HIGH POWERED TRANSMISSION LINE COMES THROUGH. I BELIEVE AS WE LOOK AT THIS, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE LEADERSHIP DETERMINES WHETHER A COMMUNITY SHAPES A PROJECT OR WE SIMPLY HAVE TO ABSORB IT. ONCE THE ROUTE CHOICES BEGIN TO NARROW, LEVERAGE IS LOST AND COMMUNITIES ARE LEFT NEGOTIATING MITIGATION INSTEAD OF THE OUTCOMES. ON THE OTHER HAND, STRONG LEADERSHIP SHOWS UP NOW BY CLEARLY STATING WHAT THIS COMMUNITY WILL AND WILL NOT ACCEPT. THE TOWNSHIP, AND YOU ALL HAVE DONE GREAT WITH THIS ASPECT HAS BEEN INVESTING IN DECADES OF PLANNING, PUBLIC FUNDS, AND TRUST INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, INTO OUR PARKS, AND INTO OUR OPEN SPACES THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED ABOUT HERE. KEEPING ROUTES ON THE TABLE THAT EXPAND RESIDENTIAL EASEMENTS OR CUT THROUGH PUBLIC LAND, WHEN VIABLE ALTERNATIVES APPEAR TO EXIST ALONG HIGHWAYS OR IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS, THAT SENDS A MESSAGE ABOUT HOW THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE VALUED OR DEVALUED. MY REQUEST IS SIMPLE. HELP US HELP YOU SHOW EARLY AND DECISIVE LEADERSHIP. LET'S ENGAGE THE DEVELOPER AND THE PARTNER AGENCIES NOW. CLEARLY ARTICULATE PRIORITIES TO PROTECT COMMUNITY ASSETS AND PUSH TO ELIMINATE AVOIDABLE RESIDENTIAL AND PARK IMPACTS BEFORE THE ROUTE OPTIONS ARE NARROWED. THAT'S HOW COMMUNITIES INFLUENCE PROJECTS RATHER THAN INHERIT THEIR CONSEQUENCES. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR YOUR LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP OF OUR TOWNSHIP. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. TERESA DE LISLE, AND THEN MARK POSTOPER. >> HI. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS TERESA DE LISLE, AND I LIVE AT 4TH FLOOR DOBE ROAD. NOT IN THE DIRECT PATH OF THE PROPOSED LINE, BUT I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PARKS. ME AND A GROUP OF PEOPLE, WE DO THE WORK ON THE PUMP TRACK AT EASTGATE PARK, AND WE WORK TO DEVELOP A SMALL TRAIL AROUND EASTGATE PARK. IN THAT PROCESS, I LEARNED OF MANY PROTECTED SPECIES AS WE TRIED TO FIND THE RIGHT ROUTE AND WORKED WITH THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT WITH THE PARKS AND REC. I HAVE SOME IDEA OF A LOT OF THE SENSITIVE THINGS THAT ARE IN THAT AREA. WE STARTED THE CYCLING PROGRAM SIX YEARS AGO THERE, AND WE GET 75 KIDS OUT THERE EVERY SUMMER. HAVING THAT CONTINUOUS EXPANSE OF PARK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR PROGRAM. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT IS A WELL USED PARK. I SEE PEOPLE OUT THERE HIKING WITH THEIR HORSES, JUST REALLY VALUING THAT OUTSIDE SPACE. I KNOW THAT THE KIDS THAT WE WORK WITH, SOME OF THEM MIGHT NOT EVER GET OUTSIDE, MIGHT NOT EVER GET OFF THE SCREEN AND GET TO BE IN NATURE. IF THERE'S A WAY TO PROTECT THAT AREA, THEN I WOULD HOPE THAT THE TOWNSHIP WOULD BE ON BOARD WITH PUSHING FOR A ROUTE THAT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH SUCH A WONDERFUL ASSET THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. MARK FOLSOFER. THEN ASHLEY LATININ IS ON DECK. >> GOOD EVENING BOARD, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU. LAST WEEK, MARK POLS DOER COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF MERIDIAN 1611 WINONA DRIVE. LAST WEEK, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOME FOLKS AT ITC, AND MUCH LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS HERE, I EXPRESSED A DESIRE THAT THEY LOOK AT THE SOUTHERNMOST PROPOSED ROUTE GOING TO THE SOUTH OF 96 AS THE PREFERRED ROUTE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT FILLED WITH LEG PARK, HARRIS NATURE CENTER, AND ALL THE OTHER PORTIONS THAT WOULD REQUIRE CLEAR CUTTING, IF WE CAN GET THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT CONVEYED TO ITC. I THINK WITH SO MANY FOLKS HERE COMMENTING, TURNING OVER MINUTES OF THIS MEETING TO ITC WILL BE VERY HELPFUL IN THAT. AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE PROPOSED ROUTES ARE WHAT ARE REQUIRED AT THE BEGINNING OF [00:20:05] THIS PROCESS TO PRESENT TO THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. WHAT WE SEE HERE ROUTED THROUGH MERIDIAN IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY. BUT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO BE UNITED AS A COMMUNITY AS TO WHY THIS IS NOT A GOOD FIRST CHOICE IN ORDER TO HELP GUIDE IT ELSEWHERE AND HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT BOTH ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND POTENTIALLY CLEAR CUTTING INTO OUR TOWNSHIP PARKS, [NOISE] WHICH ARE A CROWN JEWEL, I THINK. I JUST HOPE WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER PUSHING ITC AS WELL TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE ROUTES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ASHLEY LATININ. THEN ON DECK IS LINDA DUFFELMIER. >> HI, I'M ASHLEY LATININ. I LIVE AT 65 AGATE WAY IN THE PUBLIC BROOK NEIGHBORHOOD. FIRST, I JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR HOSTING PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND GIVING US A CHANCE TO SPEAK AND TO BRING AWARENESS. SPEAKING OF AWARENESS. I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I'M JUST GOING TO PICK A FEW FROM THE LIST THAT WE PUT TOGETHER AS A GROUP. JUST KICKED THIS OFF IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE'RE HOPING TO GAIN YOUR SUPPORT, SPREADING THE AWARENESS, NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT ALSO JUST TO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID HERE, THERE'S MANY REASONS I COULD GIVE, BUT TO HAVE THIS IMPACT ON OUR PARKS, THE MERIDIAN PARKS, FROM THE 70S, ALL OF THE EFFORTS AND MONEY AND TIME AND BEAUTIFICATION THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO THESE PARKS IN THIS SYSTEM. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SEE ANY PIECE OF IT, TRYING TO BE REMOVED FROM A CORPORATION, TO PUT SOMETHING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY THAT QUITE FRANKLY ISN'T GOING TO EVEN BENEFIT US DIRECTLY IN THE COMMUNITY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS. FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN AND ANSWER AS YOU WISH. I WON'T DIRECT THEM TO ANYONE SPECIFIC. WHEN DID THE BOARD FIRST BECOME AWARE OF THE PROPOSAL OF THE TRANSMISSION LINE ROUTES? >> SORRY. WE CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THE RECORD AND WE MAY REFER THEM FOR FOLLOW UP AFTER THAT. >> PERFECT. WOULD IT BE EASIER TO SEND QUESTIONS? >> THAT WAS GENERALLY EASIER, YES. >> I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. SORRY. >> YOU CAN CERTAINLY ASK THEM HERE, THOUGH. >> I'M SORRY. >> YOU CAN CERTAINLY ASK THEM HERE. >> I'LL JUST LIST A COUPLE, AND THEN IF WE CAN SUBMIT THEM. THE GROUP IS CURIOUS TO KNOW WHEN THE TOWNSHIP BECAME AWARE OF THE PROPOSED LINE. IF ANYTHING'S BEEN PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATED TO ANYONE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE TOWNSHIP, THE BUSINESSES, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHIN THE DIRECT PROPOSED LINE. THEN ALSO, I'LL JUST END WITH WHAT WE'RE CURIOUS WHAT FORMAL POSITION, IF ANY, HAS THE TOWNSHIP TAKEN ON THE PROPOSED ROUTE THROUGH MERIDIAN PARKS. >> IF YOU COULD SEND US THOSE QUESTIONS, OUR EMAILS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE, BUT ALSO, IF ANYTHING, YOU SEND TO BOARD@MERIDIAN.MI.US. THEY'LL ALSO GET PRINTED IN OUR PACKETS AND WE AND OUR STAFF CAN HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE ANSWERS TO WHAT YOU NEED. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. SORRY, LINDA DUFFELMIER, AND THEN MICHELLE BAUMGART IS ON DECK. THEN I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL GREEN CARDS AFTER THAT. IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE FILL OUT A GREEN CARD AT THE TABLE AND TURN THAT IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> MY NAME IS LINDA DUFFELMIER. I LIVE AT 140 GRANITE. I'M IN THE PEBBLEBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE LIVE. I JUST SECOND EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY SAYS, SO I WON'T TAKE UP MORE OF YOUR TIME, PARTICULARLY THE GENTLEMAN IN THE PLAN WHOSE NAME, I DON'T KNOW. WE WANT TO PREEMPT ANY DECISION ABOUT THE ROUTE BY GIVING EVERYBODY AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN ABOUT HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP. [00:25:02] THE ROUTE RIGHT NOW WILL DESTROY THE CONTINUITY OF ALL OF THE GREEN SPACE IN THE TOWNSHIP. I WAS TRYING NOT TO TALK ABOUT BIRDS AND STUFF, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RARE BIRDS THAT HAVE LIKE THE RED SHOULDERED HAWK THAT HAS STARTED NESTING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT HAS THE SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO NEST, AND THIS WILL BE THEIR THIRD YEAR COMING BACK. THE PILATED WOOD PICKERS HAVE SPREAD ALL OVER. THEY USED TO ONLY NEST IN HARRIS NATURE CENTER, BUT THEY'RE EVERYWHERE NOW. ANYWAY, IT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC IN MANY WAYS. THANKS FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T LIVE DIRECTLY IN THE TOWNSHIP. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MICHELLE BAUMGART. >> HELLO. I'M MICHELLE BAUMGART. I LIVE IN PEBBLEBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD AT 31 GATE WAY. I'VE BEEN AN EDUCATOR FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN THE LANSING SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I JUST CAME HERE TO SPEAK EVEN THOUGH THE ROUTE DOESN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT MY HOME, IT DOES IMPACT MY NEIGHBORS AND MY COMMUNITY. AS AN EDUCATOR, ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE IS KIDS ARE ON THEIR SCREENS ALL THE TIME, ALL DAY EVERY DAY. THEY'RE ON HIM AT SCHOOL, THEY'RE ON HIM AT HOME. IT'S HARD TO SEE SOMETIMES KIDS BE OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN I HEAR ABOUT PARKS BEING TAKEN AWAY WHERE THAT'S A PLACE WHERE KIDS CAN GATHER, ESPECIALLY THE 906 ADVENTURE CLUB, I VOLUNTEERED FOR THAT THIS SUMMER FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH MY KIDS, AND SO I COULD HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE, BUT ALSO BE A VOLUNTEER. THERE WAS KIDS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE. I SAW KIDS FROM THE LANSING SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE I WORK COME AND TRY TO PARTICIPATE AND BE A MEMBER OF THAT COMMUNITY TO SEE KIDS LEARN HOW TO RIDE A BIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE I WAS WITH THE LITTLES, THE GROUP 1, WHERE THEY WERE FIVE AND SIX JUST LEARNING HOW TO RIDE A BIKE. TO BE A PART OF THAT, AND THINK ABOUT, LIKE GOING OUT ON THE ROUTE AND HAVING THESE HUGE TOWERS COMING OVER THE KIDS. IT JUST DOESN'T ONE OF THE THINGS AT SCHOOL IS WE WANT KIDS TO FEEL SAFE. FOR ME, THAT WOULDN'T FEEL SAFE. HAVING ALL THESE TOWERING LINES WITH TREES COMING UP, SOMETHING FALLS ON THE LINE, AS THE DOWN POWER LINE. I ALSO THINK THAT IF THERE'S ALTERNATE ROUTES THAT DON'T CLEAR CUT TREES AND RUN THROUGH HOMES, WHY WE WOULDN'T CONSIDER THOSE FIRST? IF IT'S GOING TO RUN ALONG THE HIGHWAY, I'M SURE MONEY HAS SOMETHING AND PROBABLY EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. BUT IF WE COULD AVOID DISRUPTING PARKS AND LIKE THE GENTLEMAN SAID BEFORE, WHAT WE PUT VALUE IN. WE PUT VALUE IN OUR PARKS, WE PUT VALUE IN HIKING AND BEING OUTSIDE NATURE, AND MONEY THAT'S BEEN INVESTED, EVEN THE NEW SIGNS THAT WE HAVE SPRINKLED ALL THROUGH ALL OF THOSE SIGNS WERE UPDATED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THOSE PARKS TO HAVE PEOPLE COME AND BE THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MESSAGE THAT WOULD SEND IF WE SAID, NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO CUT A BUNCH OF THOSE TREES DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR THESE POWER LINES. IF THERE'S ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE ROUTE THAT DOESN'T DO THAT, WHICH THERE IS A PROPOSED ROUTE, I THINK THAT THAT'S THE ONE WE SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HAVE A NEW CARD FROM SONYA. I'M SORRY, I'M A BUNCH OF YOUR LAST NAME. FRITCH. >> HI. MY NAME IS SONYA FRITCH. I LIVE AT 59 EAST NEWMAN ROAD, SO IN THE PEBBLEBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED POWER LINE SHIFT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY NEIGHBORS AND OTHERS HERE WHO HAVE ORGANIZED THIS. I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T COME IN SOONER. I WANTED JUST TO ALSO REITERATE AND SUPPORT FOR WHAT HAS BEEN SAID. I THINK WHAT WE CAN IMAGINE IS IF YOU KNOW LAKE LANSING NORTH, THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT SIZED POWER LINES THAT GO THROUGH THAT LAKE LANSING NORTH PARK. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF AREA AROUND THEM THAT HAS BEEN CUT DOWN. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT THIS WOULD RUN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, WHICH IS WHERE IT FOR ME, IT WOULD ALL OF THE GREENERY AROUND. IT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT JUST THE BEAUTY OF THE AREA, THE PARKS AROUND. IT WOULD ALSO IMPACT OUR PROPERTY VALUES. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH WHEN THESE POWER LINES ARE BUILT THAT DOES IMPACT PROPERTY VALUES DIRECTLY AROUND THEM. THAT IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE A HIGHLY PRIZED NEIGHBORHOOD IN PEBBLEBROOK. WE ARE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND. OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US. IT'S VERY DISTURBING THAT THIS WAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH, THAT THERE WAS AN EASEMENT GRANTED THAT WAS NOT DONE. THERE WAS NO PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE THAT, THAT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMPANY WAS REQUIRED AFTERWARDS TO HAVE THE LISTENING SESSIONS. I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BACKWARDS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, [00:30:02] BUT I FIND WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT THESE CAN BE RUN THROUGH, I THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BURY THEM. THAT SIGNIFICANT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND NOT RUN THEM THROUGH EXISTING VERY ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AREA. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 6:29 PM. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 6, [6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT] THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT, MANAGER DEMPSEY. >> YES. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, AND GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. A FEW ITEMS THIS EVENING >> THE CONTINENTAL AUTHENTICS PROJECT IS AGAIN, NOT ON YOUR AGENDA THIS EVENING, THE THAT BE DELAYED AGAIN. THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON SOME THINGS. POTENTIALLY ON THE FEBRUARY 3RD AGENDA, WE'LL SEE IT THEN. BUT FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE CONTINUING TO TRACK THAT PROJECT, AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK AT THE FRIDAY POSTING OF THE AGENDA PRIOR TO THE TUESDAY BOARD MEETING JUST TO SEE IF IT'S ON THERE. POTENTIALLY FEBRUARY 3RD, BUT NO CLEAR DETERMINATION ON THAT YET. WITH REGARD TO ITC'S PROPOSED PROJECT, THERE ARE LISTENING SESSIONS STARTING NEXT WEEK. THE NOTICE THAT WENT OUT TO RESIDENTS LAST MONTH. WE ALSO RECEIVE THAT STAFF DO PLAN TO STOP IN AND SEE THOSE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE AN OPEN HOUSE FORMAT FROM NOON TO 7:00 PM. AGAIN, ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE AT THE OKA MS EVENT CENTER AT 2187 UNIVERSITY PARK DRIVE. WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO OUT. THE INFORMATION THAT EVERYONE SHARED TONIGHT, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO ATTEND THOSE SESSIONS AND TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK DIRECTLY TO ITC. STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT INFORMATION TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS. FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, THIS IS A VERY PRELIMINARY ROUTING STRUCTURE. WE HAVEN'T HEARD MANY DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THESE LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AS THEY LOOK THROUGH THIS ROUTING PROCESS. TERMS OF THE TOWNSHIPS RESPONSIBILITY DEPENDING ON ANY ROUTE. IF IT COMES THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP, THE REGULATORY PROCESS, IF IT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, COULD BE MINIMAL TO NON EXISTENT, OR IF IT GOES BEYOND THAT, THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL ROLE. BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE SPECIFICS YET. WE'LL CONTINUE TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD, SO ALL OF YOU HAVE THE PROPER INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO CAN TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, EITHER AT THOSE SESSIONS. THEY ALSO HAVE A WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE INFORMATION AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK THROUGH THAT CHANNEL AS WELL. WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT. IN ADDITION TO SHOWING UP AT THOSE SESSIONS IF THEY WANT. ALSO, THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY SESSIONS. THEY DO HAVE SESSIONS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND THEY'RE NOT RESTRICTING WHO CAN ATTEND. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE 140 SOME PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR THE SESSIONS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, SO I EXPECT THEY'LL BE A ROBUST ATTENDANCE AT THOSE. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE COLD WEATHER COMING UP, THE TOWNSHIPS INAUGURAL DASH AND SPLASH EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THIS SUNDAY IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE POSTPONED. DUE TO THE SUB ZERO WIND CHILLS THAT WE EXPECT OVER THE WEEKEND, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY IN HARM'S WAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'LL HAVE TO GET PUSHED OFF. WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT IN FEBRUARY. STAY TUNED AS WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT A NEW DATE FOR THAT. TO THAT END, GIVEN THE TEMPERATURES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING THE LAST FEW DAYS AND CONTINUE TO FACE HERE IN THE UPCOMING WEEK AND PARTICULARLY THIS WEEKEND. JUST A THANKS TO ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, OUR PARK AND REC STAFF, AND ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE WHO ARE OUT IN THE COLD QUITE FREQUENTLY IN A REGULAR BASIS. THANKS TO ALL OF THEM FOR WORKING THROUGH THESE EXTREME TEMPERATURES, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE, ESPECIALLY IN THESE VERY DIFFICULT WEATHER CIRCUMSTANCES. WITH THAT, THAT COMPLETES MY UPDATE, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF MANAGER DEMPSEY. >> SEEING NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ITEM 7 IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. [7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS] ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH REPORTS THIS EVENING? COURT DIMAS. >> LAST WEEK, I ATTENDED THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AND GAVE A REMINDER ABOUT THE FEBRUARY 10, JOINT BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING COMING UP. >> THANK YOU. ALWAYS A GOOD MEETING TO ATTEND. JESSE SUNLAND? >> YES. I ATTENDED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING. UNFORTUNATELY, I FORGOT MY NOTES TONIGHT, BUT ANYWAY, IT WAS A BRIEF MEETING, [00:35:01] AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, SOME FEDERAL GRANT AND STUFF. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT I ATTENDED THE MEETING AND WE LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR AND THOSE GOALS TYPE. TYPE COMMENTS. >> TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> THANK YOU. I ATTENDED THE INGHAM COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE NTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK AND DISCUSS MUCH OF WHAT OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS HAVE HERE, AND VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE COUNTY COMMISSIONER PSFER IN THE ROOM BECAUSE THAT WAS A MAJOR TOPIC OF DISCUSSION, HOW TOWNSHIPS AND COUNTIES CAN WORK TOGETHER ON ISSUES LIKE THESE. WELL, THIS IS CLEAR TO ALL OF US HERE IS WORTH SAYING THAT THE CROSS GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION IS I THINK REALLY KEY TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO SOLVE ISSUES FOR NOT JUST MERIDIAN, BUT ALL THESE COMMUNITIES. I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT THE SESSIONS NEXT WEEK HAVE IN STORE FOR US. >> THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING MR. DEMPSEY. >> EXCUSE ME. >> THAT'S ALL. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> LAST WEDNESDAY, I ATTENDED THE CRC COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION MEETING, WHICH HELPS LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWNSHIP. I'M SO PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE OUT 640 FAMILY MEALS DURING THE HOLIDAYS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY NEEDED THEM. THIS WAS ALL DONE WITH DONATIONS. WE WERE REALLY THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER REPORTS THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE. WE MOVE ON. [8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] AGENDA ITEM 8 IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. WE HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. >> ANY SECOND. >> SUPPORT. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE, ANY DISCUSSION OR AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE, NOT ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT UP THIS EVENING IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. [9. CONSENT AGENDA] WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS IN OUR CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, INCLUDING THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. MINUTES FROM OUR JANUARY 6, REGULAR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING. AT YOUR PLACES, YOU'LL FIND THE MINUTES FROM THE CLOSED SESSION ON JANUARY 6. WE HAVE THE BILLS, A CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE 2026 TIMBER AND ROSELAND WATER MAIN CONTRACT, THE WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP BUILDING SERVICES CONTRACT, A CONTRACT WITH BSNA. A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, THE MILLENNIA TECHNOLOGIES CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR OUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM. THE TREASURER'S QUARTERLY REPORT. APPROVAL OF THE HAZE VILLAGE SQUARE BRANCH OF THE PINE LAKE OUTLET DRAIN LICENSE AGREEMENT? LOTS TO DO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? >> MOVE THE MOTION. >> TREASURER BURKHARDT MOVES THE CONSENT AGENDA. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? TRUSTEE WILSON SUPPORTS THE MOTION. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE, WILL CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> TRUSTEE DIMA. >> YES. >> TREASURER BARD? >> YES. JUSTE LENS? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUN? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. MOTION CARRY 7-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU WOULD, [10. HEARING] PASS YOUR MANILLA FOLDERS DOWN TO CLERK DEMAS, SO WE HAVE COLLECTED ALL OF THOSE. THEN NEXT GOT THEM ALL? >> YES. >> I WAS WINDING IT. >> GOT IT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 10A, A PUBLIC HEARING. WE HAVE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21. WE HAVE DEPUTY MANAGER OSIMER TO GIVE US A BRIEF PREVIEW BEFORE WE ENTER THE PUBLIC HEARING. >> GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, AND BOARD MEMBERS. TONIGHT BEFORE YOU IS THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND THEN ON ACTION, WE HAVE RESOLUTION 5 TO CONCLUDE THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT PROCESS. JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD, WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE FOUR PROCEEDING RESOLUTIONS, INCLUDING ONE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED BACK IN THE EARLY FALL ALL CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE KNOWN. ALL OF THE PROPERTIES, ALL THE ASSESSMENTS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PARCEL HAVE BEEN CALCULATED. THE ROLE IN TOTAL FOR SIDEWALK REPAIRS IN THE PLATS THAT WE INCLUDED FOR 2025 WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE. THE LAST ROLE THAT WE BROUGHT YOU IS AROUND 52,000. THIS ONE IS AROUND 36,000. LARGELY DUE TO THE AGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, IT WAS PREDOMINANTLY NEWER HOUSING STOCK. THAT WAS COMPRISED IN THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT. [00:40:03] OTHER HIGHLIGHTS, JUST AS A REMINDER ON HOW THE PROGRAM OPERATES, THERE IS A 20-DAY WINDOW IN WHICH WE GIVE PROPERTY OWNERS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS THEMSELVES OR HIRE A CONTRACTOR OF THEIR CHOOSING, AND THEY'RE GIVEN A WARNING ABOUT THE 20-DAY PERIOD IN ADVANCE. MOST PROPERTY OWNERS CHOOSE TO ELECT TO HAVE THE TOWNSHIPS CONTRACTOR PERFORM THE REPAIRS. HOW REPAIRS ARE IDENTIFIED, TRIP HAZARDS THAT EXCEED 2 INCHES AND CRACKS THAT EXCEED A QUARTER OR A HALF INCH. I CAN'T RECALL THE PRECISE SPEC ON THE CRACKS. BUT PREDOMINANTLY, IT'S TRIP HAZARDS. ONE COMMON QUESTION THAT WE GET PERTAINS TO THE TREE ROOTS THAT CAUSE MOST OF THE TRIP HAZARDS. WE DO CUT THE TREE ROOTS OUT. AT THAT ELEVATION WHERE THEY'RE CAUSING THE SLABS TO HEAVE. WE'VE PROBABLY HAD ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN QUESTIONS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE ANSWERED EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS SATISFACTORILY. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE ONCE WE GET TO THE ACTION ITEM. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TONIGHT, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM IS OFFICIALLY DEEMED OPEN AT 6:40 P.M. AT THIS TIME, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE COMMENT SPECIFICALLY ON THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21. NOW WOULD BE THE TIME. WE WOULD ASK FOR A GREEN CARD, YES. YOU CAN HAND ONE TO US AFTER THE FACT, IF YOU'D LIKE. PLEASE. SAME RULES AS THE FIRST ONE APPLY. WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES, AND YOUR TIME STARTS NOW. > I DON'T NEED THAT LONG. MY NAME IS FRED PARCELLS. I LIVE AT 602 EMILY LANE. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. THE ORIGINAL LETTER THAT I RECEIVED GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR HOW MUCH OUR ASSESSMENT WOULD BE. WE HAD NO ISSUE WITH THAT NUMBER. WE JUST LET THE TOWNSHIP TAKE CARE OF THE REPAIR. THEN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE GOT THE TOTAL COST AND IT WAS TWICE AS MUCH AS THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE. I'M JUST WONDERING WHY THAT NUMBER WOULD HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR DEPUTY MANAGER MAY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS WITH YOU DIRECTLY. HE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS UP AT THE PODIUM A MOMENT AGO, AND I WOULD REFER YOU TO HIM TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION, BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE WHO WORKS WITH OUR STAFF ON GETTING THOSE CALCULATIONS IN ORDER. >> DAVE, THANK YOU OUT THE GREEN CARD. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THIS TOPIC? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC HEARING IS CONSIDERED CLOSED AT 6:42 P.M. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11A, [11. BOARD ACTION ITEMS] ATRIBUTE TO FORMER SUPERVISOR PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON. THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A HONORARY PROCLAMATION FOR FORMER SUPERVISOR PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON, AS WE ALL KNOW, FORMER SUPERVISOR JACKSON PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER, AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HONOR HER HERE BY PASSING AN HONORARY PROCLAMATION. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE, THERE WILL ALSO BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE IN THIS ROOM FOR FORMER SUPERVISOR JACKSON 4:00 -5:30 HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP HALL ROOM ON THE 26TH, SO ON MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK. RATHER THAN GIVE A LENGTHY MEMO, I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE PROCLAMATION AS WE HAVE IT BEFORE US THIS EVENING. THEN IF WE'D LIKE TO HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ACTION. WHEREAS, DR. PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON WAS BORN ON MAY 6, 1948 IN ROSEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA BEFORE MOVING TO GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT SHARPENED HER SENSE OF JUSTICE AND MOLDED HER INTO A FEARLESS SOCIAL CRUSADER, AND WHEREAS PATRICIA GRADUATED FROM MAHARI MEDICAL COLLEGE WITH A PHD IN PHARMACOLOGY IN 1986, SERVED AS A PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND WAS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. WHEREAS, PATRICIA WAS APPOINTED TO THE TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION IN 2000 AND SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY FOR 16 YEARS, INCLUDING AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR BEFORE BEING ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. PATRICIA ALSO SERVED ON THE TOWNSHIP ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS PRIOR TO AND DURING HER SERVICE ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. WHEREAS PATRICIA WAS ELECTED TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IN 2016, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE BOARD. TRUSTEE JACKSON WAS RE ELECTED IN 2020 AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPOINTED AS TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR BY THE BOARD IN 2022. [00:45:02] WHEREAS PATRICIA WAS RECOGNIZED AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR IN 2015 FOR HER HONORABLE AND DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. WHEREAS PATRICIA WAS ALSO A DEDICATED MEMBER OF THE HAZLETT OKEMOS ROTARY CLUB, AND WHEREAS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DESIRES TO ACKNOWLEDGE PATRICIA FOR HER MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND A LIFE WELL LIVED. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN, INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, WHICH IS TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE, COMMEND, AND HONOR PATRICIA HERRING JACKSON FOR HER INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS BOARD AND TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THIS COMMUNITY. THIS BOARD IS GRATEFUL FOR HER LEGACY OF OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE. WE WILL PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO HER HUSBAND, JULIUS, WHO SURVIVED HER AT THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE ON MONDAY. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? YES. >> WELL, I WAS NOT A LONGTIME ACQUAINTANCE OF OUR FORMER SUPERVISOR. I APPRECIATED THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH HER MANY TIMES ABOUT PARKS IN MY CAPACITY ON THE INGHAM COUNTY PARKS COMMISSION AND WE ALL LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE THAT OR EXCUSE ME, WE ALL LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO IMPART INTO THIS TOWNSHIP, AND I THINK WE'RE BETTER OFF FOR IT, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CELEBRATION OF LIFE ON MONDAY. >> THANK YOU. YES, KEVIN. >> WE JUST MISS HER. SHE WAS A GREAT MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY. WE JUST MISS HER. >> YES. COURTIS. >> I DIDN'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ALONGSIDE HER ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, BUT I KNOW THAT SHE HAS DONE SUCH GREAT WORK FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND TO ME HER MEMORY BE A BLESSING. >> THANK YOU. >> I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE SERVED WITH HER SINCE MY APPOINTMENT IN 2022. KNEW OF HER WORK ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN I JOINED THAT AS WELL. I WAS ALWAYS TAKEN BY HER SHARP INTELLECT, HER WIT, AND HER DRY SENSE OF HUMOR, WHICH WE GOT TO SEE OCCASIONALLY. SHE LEFT LARGE SHOES TO FILL. IT'S SOMETHING I THINK ABOUT A LOT ABOUT HOW CHALLENGING THAT IT IS TO DO WHAT WE DO AND THE GRACE THAT SHE ALWAYS BROUGHT TO THIS POSITION INTO THIS BOARD INTO THIS COMMUNITY. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE BOARD FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. I'M HAPPY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS TO JULIUS ON MONDAY AND CELEBRATE HER AS SHE SHOULD BE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO PASS THE PROCLAMATION AT THIS TIME, TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I MOVED TO PASS AN ADOPTED PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. >> SUPPORT. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE AND SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS ITEM 11B, THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21. DEPUTY MANAGER OSIMER TURN THINGS BACK OVER TO YOU? >> GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, AND BOARD MEMBERS. A COUPLE FINAL ITEMS ON THE ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE ASSESSMENTS WITH THE BOARD'S ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION FIVE, ASSESSMENTS WOULD GO OUT JUNE 1, BE DUE JUNE JULY 1 OF 2026, AND RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPTION TO PAY IT ALL OFF AT ONCE OR PAY OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AT 5% INTEREST. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROPERTY OWNERS JUST ELECT TO PAY IT IN FULL FOR THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM. WITH THAT, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I JUST POINT OUT, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE USED FOR MANY YEARS TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY AND UTILIZATION OF OUR PUBLIC SIDEWALKS. IT ALLOWS FOR CONSTANT UP AND REVIEW. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STEP THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OTHER DISCUSSION? DEPUTY MANAGER OSIMER, WERE YOU ABLE TO ANSWER THAT RESIDENTS QUESTION THAT CAME UP WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT? [00:50:02] >> I DO HAVE A RECORD OF HIS GREEN CARD, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH HIM TOMORROW IN WRITING. IT'S ALL BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE AND SQUARE YARDAGE OF THE REMOVAL AND THE CONCRETE POURING. WE'LL DOUBLE-CHECK IT'S AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET FORMULA, WHAT HE'S LIKELY SEEING FROM THE PUBLIC, THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TO THE SECOND, HIS ASSESSMENT INCREASED. THAT'S LIKELY DUE TO US FINDING ONE OR TWO ADDITIONAL FLAGS OF CONCRETE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE'LL DOUBLE-CHECK THAT TOMORROW. IF ANYTHING NEEDED TO BE RECONCILED, IT'S ALL ARITHMETIC, SO WE COULD DO THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY AFTER THE BOARD HAS ADOPTED THE RULE. \. >> GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING WILLING TO REACH OUT TO HIM AND SOLVE THAT QUESTION FOR HIM. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WE HAVE A MOTION IN OUR PACKET HERE. TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21, RESOLUTION NUMBER FIVE. ADOPTS THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE, DESIGNATES THE PROJECT AS 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21. ADOPTS THE ASSESSMENT ROLE AS THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 21, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE, ADOPTS THE DISTRICT AS THE 2025 ORDER TO MAINTAIN SIDEWALK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT 21, ADOPTS THE AMOUNT OF $35,877.02 AS THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR THE ASSESSMENT ROLE AND ORDERS AND DIRECTS THE ASSESSMENT ROLE TO BE PAID AND COLLECTED. >> MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ, AND IF THERE IS FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION AT HAND. SEEING NONE, CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> TREASURER BURKHARDT? >>YES. >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> CLERK DEMAS? >> YES. >> MOTION CARRY 7-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MANAGER, OPS. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I'LL TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE HERE. I APPRECIATE CERTAINLY, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO STICK AROUND AND HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. CERTAINLY, WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND WHAT WE'RE UP TO. I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THE AGENDA ITEM ON FOR TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE ITC LINES. CERTAINLY, WE HAVE HEARD WHAT YOU'VE SAID, AND WE WILL LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER AND LEARN SOME MORE, AND IT MAY YET APPEAR ON A FUTURE BOARD AGENDA. AS WE COME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND THE IMPLICATIONS THEREOF. AS I SAY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO STICK AROUND. IF YOU WERE WAITING FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THAT OR TAKE IT UP FURTHER, KNOW THAT THAT'S LIKELY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT, BUT I SUSPECT, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND INTEREST IN THIS TOPIC, WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT AT SOME POINT IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU'RE NOT UNNECESSARILY SPENDING YOUR EVENING WITH US. THAT SAID, IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONTINUE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11 C, A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE 2026 REIMAGINING OKEMOS ROAD BUILD GRANT APPLICATION, DEPUTY MANAGER OSIMER. >> GOOD EVENING AGAIN. TONIGHT WE HAVE, I THINK, WHAT WILL BE A FUN TOPIC. IT'S CERTAINLY A SCREENING TOPIC, AND SOME PEOPLE'S PATIENCE ON THIS TOPIC IS WEARING THIN, BUT I THINK THIS TOPIC AND THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU REPRESENT PROGRESS. THAT'S OUR HOPE. AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, BACK IN NOVEMBER, THE DDA CONTRACTED WITH HRC AND AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO IDENTIFY. WE STARTED FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF JUST IDENTIFYING ANY AND ALL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ON OKEMOS ROAD THROUGH THE CORE DOWNTOWN SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER AVENUE. WE STARTED JUST TRYING TO IDENTIFY ANY AND ALL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE, AND PROS AND CONS ANALYSIS OF WHICH GRANTS WOULD BE THE MOST VIABLE. WE SETTLED ON THE BUILD GRANT, WHICH FOCUSES ON BASICALLY THIS EXACT TYPE OF PROJECT. CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO MODERN STANDARDS, OR JUST REPLACED IN KIND, IN ORDER FOR REDEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR. THAT'S LARGELY WHAT HAS STALLED THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS DEVELOPMENT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, IS JUST THE SHEER COST OF THE CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE. THE DEVELOPER WAS MORE OR LESS BEING ASKED TO FINANCE THAT IN WHOLE OR IN PART, AND THEY COULDN'T SECURE ENOUGH FINANCING TO REBUILD ALL THE CIVIL AND CONSTRUCT THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS GRANT. [00:55:02] THE APPLICATION IS DUE IN FEBRUARY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD TONIGHT FOR ACTION. THE BUILD GRANT DOES NOT REQUIRE A LOCAL MATCH. WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PUT UP ANY FUNDS. HOWEVER, WITH ANY GRANT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT, IF IT COMES DOWN TO OUR APPLICATION AND ANOTHER APPLICANT, THAT COULD BE A DECIDING FACTOR. WHAT THE TOWNSHIP STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING MORE OR LESS ALIGNS WITH HOW WE HANDLE COUNTY PRIMARY ROAD PROJECTS, WITH ONE CAVEAT. WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE ESSENTIALLY PAY FOR THE PATHWAY AND PEDESTRIAN-RELATED ITEMS. THE PUSH BUTTONS AT THE SIGNALS, THE PATHWAY CONSTRUCTION RAMPS, AND THEN, SEPARATE FROM THAT, THE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WOULD COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. BASICALLY, WE ADDED UP 100% OF THE COST OF THOSE PAY ITEMS AND SAID, OKAY, THAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE LOCAL MATCH THAT WE WOULD PUT FORWARD. DIVING INTO THE GRANT FINANCES A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, THERE IS A ROBUST METHODOLOGY WHERE YOU EARN POINTS UNDER THE BUILD GRANT BASED ON CERTAIN FACTORS. WHEN WE ADD CAPACITY TO A ROAD, AND THIS GRANT WOULD HELP FUND ADDING THE LEFT TURN LANES TO OKEMOS ROAD AT THE HAMILTON ROAD INTERSECTION, THAT GETS US POINTS. REPLACING A ROAD STRICTLY IN KIND, NO CHANGES TO LANES OR CAPACITIES, OR TURN MOVEMENT AT INTERSECTIONS, WOULD NOT SCORE VERY WELL. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HELPING. I WANT TO BRIEFLY JUST TOUCH ON THE OVERALL PROJECT LIMITS FOR THE BOARD. GIVE ME JUST ONE MOMENT. WHAT WE ARE ESSENTIALLY PROPOSING IN THE GRANT APPLICATION IS THAT WE WOULD RECONSTRUCT OKEMOS ROAD FROM THE NORTH END OF THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT'S BRIDGE PROJECT REPLACEMENT LIMIT IN 2022 TO THE SOUTH END OF MDOT'S RECONSTRUCTION AND RAISING OF THE OKEMOS GRAND RIVER INTERSECTION. WE WOULD ALSO RECONSTRUCT HAMILTON ROAD, MEANING WHEN I SAY RECONSTRUCT, WE WOULD REPLACE ALL CONCRETE AND ASPHALT FULL DEPTH, ALL NEW CURB AND GUTTER THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT LIMITS. THEN, HAMILTON ROAD EAST OF OKEMOS ROAD IS IN FAIRLY GOOD CONDITION. HERE, WE WOULD JUST APPLY NEW PAVEMENT MARKINGS AND RECONFIGURE THE LANES SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE A DOUBLE LEFT-HAND TURN FROM WESTBOUND HAMILTON ONTO SOUTHBOUND OKEMOS. WE GET THAT CONGESTION TODAY, WHERE IT BACKS UP INTO THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT MARSH. THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THAT CONGESTION. THE WAY WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH THAT IS BY ELIMINATING ONE OF THE EASTBOUND LANES ON HAMILTON ROAD. WE HAVE TWO EASTBOUND LANES BETWEEN OKEMOS ROAD AND MORE STREET TODAY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE TRAFFIC TO DEMAND THAT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT REPLACING THE SIGNAL IS REQUIRED TO RECONFIGURE IT, AND THE SIGNAL IS EXPENSIVE. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE WOULD ALSO REPLACE THE SIGNAL, AND THE SIGNAL WOULD THEN BE TIMED WITH ALL THE OTHER SIGNALS FROM JOLLY TO CENTRAL PARK DRIVE. ALL OF THOSE SIGNALS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE 2022, WELL, 2019, I THINK, IN THE CASE OF JOLLY. THEN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CONCEPTUALLY WOULD BE PROBABLY DIAGONAL PARKING TO USE THE EXCESS RIGHT OF WAY ON HAMILTON ROAD, BECAUSE PARKING WAS ONE OF THE OTHER CONSTRAINTS FOR THE DEVELOPER. THEY WERE ALWAYS UNDERPARKED. BY DOING DIAGONAL PARKING ON HAMILTON ROAD, TO USE UP THE REMAINING RIGHT OF WAY, WE COULD ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE PARKING CAPACITY FOR ANY PROSPECTIVE REDEVELOPMENT. THEN LASTLY, WE WOULD ADDRESS THINGS LIKE STREET LIGHT, RESTORATION, ANY UNDERGROUND UTILITIES WITHIN THE PROJECT LIMITS. IF A STORM PIPE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED UNDER THE ROAD, WE WOULD REPLACE THAT WITHIN THE ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY. THAT'S AN OVERALL SCOPE ON THE PROJECT. LET'S TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT COST. THE COST OF THAT IS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED AT AROUND 12.1 MILLION, AND WITH OUR LOCAL MATCH, WE WOULD BE APPLYING FOR 11.7 MILLION. BUT THIS WOULD BE A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION RECONSTRUCTION OF OKEMOS ROAD AND THE HAMILTON ROAD INTERSECTION AND OUR CORE DOWNTOWN IN HOPES OF MAKING THE WEST SIDE, WELL, ACTUALLY, BOTH SIDES VIABLE FOR REDEVELOPMENT ONCE AGAIN, AND THIS IS INTENDED TO BE OUR JUMP START TO REINVIGORATE REDEVELOPMENT INTEREST IN THE DOWNTOWN. FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE BOARD IS THAT WE HAVE POSED THE QUESTION TO THE ROAD DEPARTMENT [01:00:01] AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD PUT UP A LOCAL MATCH. WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER RIGHT NOW. AS YOU KNOW, THEY DO NOT HAVE A PERMANENT DIRECTOR. WE'RE HAVING ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE INTERIM, AND ANY INTERIM IS GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN WHAT THEY COMMIT THEIR SUCCESSOR TO. THAT'S WHERE EVERYTHING STANDS TODAY, BUT STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING COMMITTING A SMALL SHARE OF PATHWAY AND GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO HELP US SECURE THIS GRANT AND FINAL NOTE ON THE FINANCES IN THAT REGARD WOULD BE THAT IF WE SUCCEED, AND WE CONSTRUCT THIS PROJECT, AND WE GET THE SPIN OFF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, WE WOULD THEN HAVE A TAX CAPTURE IN THE DDA FOR THE FIRST TIME. THAT COULD CONCEPTUALLY BE USED. WE CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AT A LATER DATE, BUT IT COULD BE USED TO REIMBURSE THE PATHWAY MILEAGE AND THE GENERAL FUND FOR THESE COSTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT. WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE. >> BOARD MEMBERS. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> CURIOUS AS TO THE TOWNSHIP PORTION OF 373,000. YOU DIDN'T SPLIT THAT BETWEEN THE PATHWAY MILEAGE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AND THE OPTICON IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND. COULD YOU SPLIT THAT FOR US? >> THE OPTICON IS GOING TO BE IN THE RANGE OF 20-22,000; THE BALANCE IS GOING TO BE PATHWAY MILEAGE. >> THAT'S HUGE TO KNOW THAT. THERE'S AN OPTICON SYSTEM THERE NOW. IS IT WORKING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? I MEAN, I COULD STOP BY IT, SO I'M ASSUMING IT WORKS. >> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. I WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT WITH CHIEF HAM AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO KNOW FOR SURE. I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT IT IS INOPERABLE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, IT'S STILL FUNCTIONING, BUT WE HAVE OPTICONS AGING ACROSS THE SYSTEM. WE'VE REPLACED QUITE A FEW IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. WELL, EVERY SIGNAL FROM CENTRAL PARK DRIVE TO JOLLY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAMILTON AND OKEMOS, AND THEN LAKE LANSING AND MARSH, WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR AS WELL. >> I THINK WE SHOULD SEE IF WE HAVE USEFUL LIFE AVAILABLE BEFORE WE SPEND THE MONEY TO UPGRADE TO A NEW SYSTEM. ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE WORKED ON VILLAGE OF OKEMOS FOR TOO MANY YEARS, EIGHT YEARS. ONE OF THE THINGS RELATED TO THAT ARE THE TWO WESTBOUND LINES BEING ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN SOUTH ONTO OKEMOS ROAD. THERE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIGGEST REASON WE HAVE NOT DONE IT, BESIDES THE FUNDING, IS THAT THAT TURN ITSELF IS VERY DANGEROUS, WOULD BE FOR THAT OUTER LANE, THAT THERE ISN'T SUFFICIENT WIDTH. WE'D HAVE TO TAKE A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO PAT SMITH. DO YOU RECALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS? >> TRUSTEE WILSON, ARE YOU REFERRING? LET ME ORIENT THE MAP REAL QUICK. THIS IS NORTH TO THIS. THIS IS HAMILTON. THIS IS THE EAST SIDE OF HAMILTON AT THE INTERSECTION. ARE YOU REFERRING TO A DOUBLE LEFT TURN RIGHT HERE? >> YES. >> ON THE SOUTHBOUND? >> YES. ON THE SOUTHBOUND. >> MY UNDERSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE WIDTH OF THE EXISTING ROAD. THE RADIUSES ON THE CURB LINE HERE WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED JUST SLIGHTLY, BUT IN TERMS OF GUTTER PAN TO GUTTER PAN, ONCE YOU GET OUTSIDE OF THE APPROACH OF THE INTERSECTION, WE HAVE SUFFICIENT WIDTH. IT'S THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE SIGNAL TO RECONFIGURE THE LANES ON HAMILTON BETWEEN OKEMOS AND MORE STREET, BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THAT DOUBLE LEFT-TURN ARROW, SO AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS FULL SIGNAL REPLACEMENT PROJECT. >> I'M JUST CONCERNED BECAUSE I LIVE BY THERE, SO I SEE THE TURN MOVEMENTS ALL THE TIME, AND I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE WAY THE TRAFFIC IS GOING, WITH ONE LANE GOING WESTBOUND AND THEN HEADING SOUTH ON OKEMOS ROAD, OFTEN HAS TROUBLE MAKING THE TURN, ESPECIALLY IF THE WEATHER'S BAD. WHETHER WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO TWO LANES FROM A SAFETY ASPECT, AND MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THAT ENGINEERING AGAIN, TO JUST BE SURE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THAT SAFELY. >> WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AGAIN, AND WE'VE GOT A DOUBLE LEFT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT. THE DOUBLE LEFT ON MOUNT HOPE ON THE NORTHBOUND OKEMOS, RIGHT? >> YEAH, SEEMS MUCH WIDER. >> WE CAN LOOK AT PAVEMENT MARKING ENHANCEMENTS, TOO, BUT TRADITIONALLY, YOU WOULD HAVE PAVEMENT MARKINGS DELINEATING THAT TURN MOVEMENT, JUST LIKE IT IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN. WE'D HAVE A CURVE COMING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT ROUTE AND COURSE AS THEY MAKE THAT DOUBLE LEFT. >> THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, WOULD WE PREEMPT COUNTY IF WE THINK THAT POTENTIALLY, WE MIGHT HAVE COUNTY PARTICIPATION WHEN THE NEW DIRECTOR COMES [01:05:02] ABOARD AND IS LOOKING AT THINGS MAYBE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN IN THE PAST? WOULD WE PREEMPT COUNTY PARTICIPATION IF WE SAID WE WOULD TAKE THE BURDEN OF THE COSTS RELATED TO THE PEDESTRIAN COSTS AND ALSO THE OPTICON? >> STATE THAT FOR ME ONE MORE TIME. >> DO WE PREEMPT COUNTY PARTICIPATION MONETARILY? >> NO. TRADITIONALLY, HOW WE'VE DONE IT WITH THE COUNTY, I'LL USE MOUNT HOPE AS AN EXAMPLE. MOUNT HOPE WAS AN 80/20 GRANT. THIS ONE IS THIS ONE CAN BE 100% GRANT. YOU'RE JUST RUNNING THE RISK THAT YOU MIGHT NOT GET IT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PUTTING UP ANY LOCAL MATCH, BUT ON MOUNT HOPE, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN IT'S AN 80/20% SAFETY GRANT, WE WOULD ONLY PAY 20% OF THE PAY ITEM. FOR ANY PATHWAY REPLACEMENT, RAMPS, OR THE PEDESTRIAN PUSH BUTTONS AT THE INTERSECTIONS, WE WOULD PAY 20% OF EACH PAY ITEM IN THE CONTRACT THAT ACTUALLY IS CONSTRUCTED. HERE, THE DISTINCTION IS THAT WE'RE SAYING WE'LL JUST PAY 100% OF IT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PUT UP A CONSEQUENTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HELP IMPROVE OUR CHANCES OF GETTING THE GRANT. WE WILL LEARN IN JULY, I BELIEVE, IF WE'RE AWARDED THE GRANT. BUT IF WE GET BAD NEWS IN JULY, HYPOTHETICALLY, AND WE HAVEN'T PUT UP A LOCAL MATCH, WE'RE GOING TO BE WONDERING. WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE A DEBRIEF. WE'LL HAVE A DEBRIEFING, BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS WONDERING, ARE THEY BEING ENTIRELY CANDID, ON WHY WE DIDN'T GET IT? THEN WE HAVE TO WAIT A FULL YEAR TO RESTART THE PROCESS. OUR THOUGHT WAS THIS ISN'T A LOT OF MONEY, BECAUSE IF WE CAN REALIZE THE REDEVELOPMENT, THEN WE CAN GET THAT D-DATE CAPTURE, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE ALL THE FUNDS WHOLE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BOTH BLOCKS. WE DON'T NEED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CAPTURE RELATIVE TO THE LOCAL MATCH THAT WE'RE PUTTING UP. BUT OUR EFFORTS MIGHT NOT STOP HERE. WE MIGHT GO AFTER A TAP GRANT, SIMILAR TO THE TAP GRANTS HAVE CHANGED NOW. TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING IS GETTING AN ALLOCATION OF TAP GRANTS. THAT WAS NEVER TRUE. BEFORE, WE HAD TO APPLY TO M DOT AND THE FEDS TO SECURE A TAP GRANT. NOW WE CAN APPLY LOCALLY. THE APPLICATION IS SHORTER AND EASIER, SO WE COULD COME BACK NEXT FALL AND APPLY FOR A TAP GRANT TO TRY TO PAIR WITH THE BUILD GRANT AS WELL. THEN WE COULD PUT THE TOWNSHIP'S LOCAL MATCH INTO OTHER PAY ITEMS WITHIN THE CONTRACT. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, BEYOND JUST THE BUILD GRANT, BUT THIS IS THE BIG. SAFETY GRANTS TOP OUT AT ONE MILLION. THAT'S WHAT WAS USED ON MOUNT HOPE ROAD. IT REALLY HAS VERY LITTLE UTILITY, BECAUSE IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A $12 MILLION PROJECT, IT'S ONLY GOING TO FUND 800,000 OUT OF THE FIRST MILLION. WE'RE KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT WITH A SAFETY GRANT. THIS IS REALLY THE ONLY GRANT THAT IS GOING TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE THE DEVELOPER IS NOT BEING ASKED TO PAY FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OKEMOS ROAD. NOW, GRANTED, WE'RE LOOKING AT OKEMOS ROAD MORE HOLISTICALLY THAN SURE. THE ROAD DEPARTMENT WOULD OTHERWISE ASK THE DEVELOPER TO AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS. WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS ALL THE FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE ON OKEMOS ROAD SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT THE EAST OF OKEMOS ROAD SECTION OF HAMILTON IS IN GOOD CONDITION. I SEEM TO RECALL THAT THE ROAD DEPARTMENT TELL US ON A TUESDAY, PAVED IT ON A WEDNESDAY, WORKED ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THAT INTERSECTION. ARE WE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT? >> TWO DIFFERENT SIDES. THE WEST SIDE IS THE SIDE THAT THE ROAD DEPARTMENT WORKED ON THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. THAT WAS WHAT'S KNOWN AS A 1.5-INCH MILL IN FILL. THE ROAD IS PROBABLY EIGHT TO 10" THICK IN TOTAL DEPTH. THEY MILLED OFF THE TOP INCH AND A HALF OF ASPHALT, AND THEN THEY PAVED AN INCH AND A HALF BACK. >> THEY REPLACED, ROUGHLY 10-14% OF THE TOTAL ROAD THICKNESS. EVERY CRACK THAT'S IN THAT UNDERLYING CONCRETE AND PAVEMENT IS GOING TO REFLECT WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR TO THREE, SO THAT IS A BAND AID. ALSO, THEY'RE PAVING ON THE WEST SIDE WEST [01:10:03] OF OKEMOS ROAD DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY TO LIVERNS. THEY DID DO VERY ROBUST PAVING, I THINK IT WAS IN 2021 FROM GRAND RIVER TO GRAND RIVER, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT HAMILTON INTERSECTING WITH GRAND RIVER AT BOTH ENDS OF IT. BUT THEY STARTED JUST WEST OF LIVERNS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THIS PROJECT TO. GET US JUST WEST OF LIVERNS AROUND THAT CURVE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE PAVEMENT IS IN GOOD CONDITION. YOU CAN SEE POTHOLES, CRACKS, HMA, AND THEN HERE. >> GOT IT. >> APPROXIMATELY, THE PAVEMENT CONDITION IMPROVES. THEIR PAVING THE OTHER YEAR WAS JUST FROM HERE TO SOMEWHERE IN THE ARDMORE INTERSECTION. I CAN'T REMEMBER OF IT. >> GOT IT. >> TERMINATED HERE OR HERE. WHEREAS THIS SIDE HAS, IT'S ABOUT AN EIGHT ON A BASER RATING 1-10, AND WE'RE HITTING THE UPPER ECHELON OF COST THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR. WE DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT AT THE ABSOLUTE PEAK THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT COORDINATION BECAUSE WE'RE AWARE THAT THE DRAIN COMMISSION IS ALSO INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING BETWEEN ESSENTIALLY THE MEYER DRIVEWAY AND ANY PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HAVE THEY BEEN NOTIFIED, ARE THEY CONTRIBUTING TO ANY FUNDING FOR THIS IDEA? CAN WE REPORT THAT TO IMPROVE OUR CHANCES WITH THE BUILD GRANT APPLICATION? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE COUNTY'S PARTICIPATION? >> YES. I'M GOING TO TRY TO USE THE HIGHLIGHT FUNCTION, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE UP ON THE TECHNOLOGY. VERY GOOD QUESTION. WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO. WE'VE INFORMED THEM THAT WE ARE AT LEAST LOOKING AT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAVEN'T GONE BEYOND THAT WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE JUST YET, BUT CONCEPTUALLY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS FROM THE FROM GRAND RIVER AVENUE TO KENT STREET, WHICH WOULD BE THE OVERLAPPING PROJECT LIMITS WITH THE DRAIN PROJECT. I'LL PUT THAT ON A MAP REALLY QUICK. >> THIS IS THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN. >> YEAH. THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN WILL ESSENTIALLY OVERLAP WITH OUR PROJECT FROM UP THERE TO RIGHT HERE, SO THAT'S THE OVERLAPPING PROJECT LIMITS. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS APPLY FOR THE FUNDS TO REPLACE ALL THE CURB AND GUTTER AND ALL THE CONCRETE PAVEMENT IN THOSE PROJECT LIMITS AND THEN WE WILL COORDINATE IT WITH THEIR PROJECT. WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR RUNWAY ON THE BUILD GRANT TO EXPEND THE FUNDS. WE CAN POSTPONE THAT WORK TO A LATER DATE, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN THE HIGHLY TENTATIVE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE. BUT PHASE 2 IS ESSENTIALLY, COORDINATED PAVEMENT RESTORATION WITH THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN PROJECT. >> WE'VE GOTTEN A PIECE OF THE QUESTION. >> THAT'S TAKING THE COST, RIGHT OFF THE TAXPAYERS, THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT. WE'RE TRYING TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS TO TAKE THAT COST OFF THE ASSESSMENT ROLE. >> TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. >> FOR THOSE. >> MY QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE COUNTY GOING TO PONY UP? TO HELP TO MAKE THEIR PROJECT HAPPEN AT A CHEAPER RATE FOR EVERYONE. >> FOR THE DREAM PROJECT? >> YES. >> WE HAVE NOT HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS YET. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE APP IN BY THE 24TH. >> UNDERSTOOD. >> WE STILL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL. >> AS YOU SAY, THE LOCAL MATCHES HELP TO IMPROVE THE STANDING OF THE GRANT AND SO IF THE TIME IS NIGH TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP US TO MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW MOTIVATED THEY ARE TO MAKE THAT PROJECT HAPPEN AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO DEFRAY THE OVERALL COST OF THAT PROJECT WOULD BE ENORMOUS. YEAH, I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE THE WAY THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT UP UNTIL THIS POINT, AND I CAN THINK ABOUT IT SOME MORE, BUT THE CHALLENGE RIGHT IS THAT DRAIN PROJECTS ARE FUNDED BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT. THERE IS NO OTHER SOURCE FUNDING THE PROJECT TRADITIONALLY. OCCASIONALLY, THERE IS A GRANT, RIGHT LIKE THIS. BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A POT OF MONEY. IT WOULD BE MORE WE WOULD HAVE MORE LUCK PROBABLY MEETING WITH THE COUNTY CONTROLLER AND TRYING TO SEE IF THE COUNTY WOULD PUT UP SOME FUNDING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TOWARDS THE PROJECT IN GENERAL ROADS OR [01:15:05] DRAINS BECAUSE THE DRAIN OFFICE DOESN'T HAVE A POT OF FUNDING TO CONTRIBUTE TO A PROJECT. ESSENTIALLY, WE WOULD LET THEM REMOVE THE ROAD, DO THEIR DRAIN WORK AND THEN OUR CONTRACTOR WOULD COME IN AT THE CONCLUSION AND POUR THE NEW ROADWAY IN THE NEW GUTTER FUNDED BY THE GRANT AND THE CONCEPT HERE. IN TERMS OF INTENT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE IT SO THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT DON'T HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE A ROAD THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. >> YEAH. I GUESS MY THOUGHT IS OUR MATCH IS SPECULATIVE IN TERMS OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE WILLING TO COMMIT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T, I'M SURE GOTTEN BIDS AND WHATNOT ON ALL THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO, IF THEY WANT THIS PROJECT TO HAPPEN, TO TEAR OUT THE ROAD AND SO THERE'S AN ESTIMATED COST OF THAT SIMILARLY TO HOW THERE'S AN ESTIMATED COST OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO. IT COSTS THEM NOTHING TO COMMIT TO A MATCH THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF THE PROJECT IF THE GRANT APPLICATION DOESN'T GO THROUGH AND IF IT DOES, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCUR THOSE COSTS ANYWAY. I ASSUME THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP THE MONEY FOR THE LOCAL MATCH AT THE OUTSET. THIS IS PART OF THIS WOULD BE PART OF THEIR PROCESS NO MATTER WHAT. >> YEAH. >> I GUESS MY POINT IS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE DOLLARS. THEY JUST HAVE TO SAY, WHAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO COST X, SO WE COULD COMMIT TO A MATCH OF X IF THIS PROJECT GOES THROUGH BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS DRAIN CONSOLIDATED DRAIN THING ANYWAY. THAT WOULD BE MY QUESTION TO POSED TO THEM. >> LET ME THINK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK YOU. >> YEAH. THEN MY LAST QUESTION, THEN IT'S ALSO DRAIN RELATED WAS PART OF THE ISSUE WITH THE CIVIL COST OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, WAS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO RESTRUCTURE THE DRAINS TO THOSE PARCELS. MY FURTHER CONCERN WOULD BE WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO DO THE DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE TO PREP THOSE PARCELS FOR REDEVELOPMENT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO TEAR UP A FRESHLY BUILT ROAD WHEN A PROJECT COMES IN THERE. >> WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE 12.1 MILLION COST ESTIMATE FOR THIS PROJECT, PAY ITEMS TO CONSTRUCT A DRAIN THAT COULD SERVE AT LEAST THE TWO BLOCKS, IF NOT, ADDITIONAL BLOCKS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN. NOW, HOW THAT ALL TAKES SHAPE AND FORM BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE CONSTRUCT THIS PROJECT, IF WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE GRANT, IS OPEN ENDED. IF WE GET THE GRANT, WE WOULD START ENGAGING WITH THEM. IT COULD BE A TOWNSHIP DRAIN, IT COULD BE A COUNTY DRAIN. IT COULD BE IT COULD TAKE ON VARIOUS SHAPES AND FORMS, BUT THERE ARE PARADIGMS IN THE GRANT APPLICATION SO THAT WE COULD SERVE THOSE TWO BLOCKS WITH A DRAIN SYSTEM THAT IS COMPLIANT WITH EAGLE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SORRY. I'VE BEEN MONOPOLIZING HERE. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS? YES, TRUSTEE LENTZ. >> I APPRECIATE SOME OF THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE MY QUESTIONS AS WELL. WITH THAT SAID, QUESTION I HAVE IS AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE FULL DEPTH OF WHAT A BUILD GRANT ENTAILS. CURIOUS IS IT AN ALL OR NOTHING APPLICATION, SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY WOULD AWARD US ONLY ONE. THANK YOU. THAT'S ENCOURAGING TO HEAR. THE OTHER QUESTION IS WE'VE HAD VERSIONS OF PLANS REGARDING DOWNTOWN OKEMOS IN VARIOUS FORMS OVER THE YEARS AND I'M CURIOUS. WE TALK ABOUT REPAYING THE MILLAGE VIA TAX CAPTURE, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ALL ABOUT 30,000 OF WHAT WE WOULD BE PUTTING FORWARD IS COMING FROM THAT MILLAGE. SHOULD I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECT? >> OUT OF THE 373,000 THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD PUT FORTH AS A LOCAL MATCH ON THIS, 21,000 APPROXIMATELY WOULD BE FOR THE OPTICOM AND THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. THE REMAINING BE 351,000 WOULD COME OUT OF THE PATHWAY MILLAGE, WHICH HAS A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE TO ABSORB IT. >> GOT YOU. MY QUESTION IS, [01:20:02] DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATION AS TO HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO REPAY THAT MILLAGE BASED ON TAX CAPTURE OR IS THAT ENTIRELY BASED ON ASSESSING VALUE OF THAT DEVELOPMENT? >> IT WOULD DEPEND COMPLETELY ON THE ASSESSED VALUE, AND IT WOULD ALSO DEPEND ON WHETHER OR NOT WE EXTEND THE TAX CAPTURE, SO THAT TAX CAPTURE WAS ADOPTED AT THE END OF 2018, SO 2019 WAS YEAR 1, AND IT WAS 20 YEARS, SO THE CLOCK HAS BEEN TICKING. WE'VE EXHAUSTED I THINK SIX YEARS OUT OF THE 20 NOW, SO WE HAVE 14 YEARS LEFT. WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO EACH JURISDICTION, EXTEND THE TIMELINE FOR THE CAPTURE. BUT THE MAIN COMPONENT WOULD ALSO BE THE ASSESSED VALUE OF WHATEVER IS BUILT, POST JANUARY 1, 2019, ESSENTIALLY, IS WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE THE INCREMENTAL TAX CAPTURE. BASED ON THEIR EARLY PLANS, THEIR CAPTURE WAS PROJECTED TO BE AROUND SIX MILLION OVER 20 YEARS. BUT THEN AS THEY PHASED IT BACK, EARLY PLAN WAS TO DO ESSENTIALLY A HORSESHOE, WHERE THERE WOULD BE DEVELOPMENTAL ON OKEMOS HAMILTON, AND ARDMORE, AND IT WAS KIND OF TWO HORSESHOES, RIGHT WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOE ON HAMILTON, AS THEY SCALED IT BACK AND ELIMINATED A WING OR SHORTENED THE WINGS, THE ASSESSED VALUE OR PERSPECTIVE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY DECLINES AND SO THEN THE TAX CAPTURE REVENUE WOULD DECLINE. BUT IT WOULDN'T TAKE MUCH TO DERIVE 400,000 IN TAX CAPTURE. ANY DEVELOPMENT WOULD DO THAT, BUT IT WILL ALSO BECOME A QUESTION OF DO WE USE THAT TO HELP WITH THE LOCAL ROADS? I REFER TO THE LOCAL ROADS TOWARDS THE END OF THE COVER MEMO BECAUSE THOSE WOULD STILL BE OUTSTANDING ITEMS, SO THAT MIGHT BE A COMPONENT. THERE'S GOING TO BE OTHER COSTS. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. DRAINAGE AND PRIMARY ROADS. BUT THERE WILL STILL BE SOME OTHER COSTS THAT WE WOULD WANT THAT CAPTURE FOR IN ALL LIKELIHOOD. >> MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT, WHICH BASED ON WHAT YOU WERE RESPONDING TO THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK ANYWAY DESPITE MAYBE NOT UNDERSTANDING, WOULD I BE CORRECT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS TAX CAPTURE AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED OUR BROWNFIELD TAX CREDIT DO NOT PLAY TOGETHER, MEANING THAT WE COULD NOT IN THE FUTURE, AS A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE BUILDING THEIR USE BROWNFIELD FOR THIS OR IS THAT, GO AHEAD. >> NO, WE CERTAINLY COULD. THERE WAS A BROWNFIELD FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT THAT WAS AMENDED. SEVERAL TIMES AS THE MUPUD APPLICATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS CAME IN AS WELL. CERTAINLY THE DEVELOPER WOULD STILL HAVE A BROWNFIELD SO LONG AS THEY CHOOSE TO APPLY, WHICH I SEE NO REASON WHY THEY WOULDN'T. >> I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS, YOU KNOW, GET REDONE AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO FULLY EXERCISE THAT. THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS IT ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON OUR ACTIONS AS TO IF WE ARE PHASE 1 OR PHASE 2, IF WE ARE AWARDED, OR IS IT EXCUSE ME, CONSTRUCTION PHASE 1 OR PHASE 2 FIVE TIMES OR IS THAT BASED ON THE GRANTORS CRITERIA? >> THIS GETS BACK TO SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON'S QUESTION. PHASE 1 AND PHASE 2 AND THE TENTATIVE, HIGHLY TENTATIVE SCHEDULES YOU SEE THERE GETS BACK TO SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON'S QUESTION ABOUT THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN AND TRYING TO COORDINATE THIS GRANT AND THE WORK UNDER THIS GRANT WITH THAT SEPARATE PROJECT. ESSENTIALLY PHASE 1 THAT YOU SEE ON THE EARLIER TIMELINE WOULD BE EVERYTHING SOUTH OF KENT STREET RIGHT HERE. EVERYTHING SOUTH OF KENT, THE INTERSECTION AND ALL THAT COULD TAKE PLACE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN DESIGN IT AND BID IT AND CONSTRUCT IT. THEN KENT STREET NORTH WOULD HAVE TO BE AND IT MIGHT FALL IN THE SAME YEAR. THAT IS STILL ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THE DRAIN OFFICE IS CONSTRUCTING THE OKEMOS CONSOLIDATED DRAIN IN THE SAME YEAR. BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO COORDINATE EVERYTHING NORTH OF KENT STREET ON OKEMOS ROAD WITH THAT PROJECT. THEY WOULD COME IN, REMOVE THE ROAD, DO THEIR UNDERGROUND UTILITY WORK, THEN WE WOULD COME IN AND BASICALLY POUR A BRAND NEW ROAD OR THE ROAD DEPARTMENT, I SHOULD SAY. OKAY. >> THANK YOU AND FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS A FUN CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT. [LAUGHTER] IT'S FASCINATING. [01:25:01] >> YOU PROMISED FUN. >> YEAH. EXACTLY. THANK YOU, DAN. >> OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. YES, TRUSTEE WILSON. >> IT IS ALLEGED THAT THERE 90-YEAR-OLD PLUS GAS TANKS UNDERNEATH THE INTERSECTION OF HAMILTON AND OKEMOS. HAS THAT BEEN DETERMINED? THAT HAS BEEN THE TALK ALL ALONG AND HAVE YOU FACTORED THAT INTO YOUR COST ANALYSIS? >> I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO HRC AND DETERMINE SPECIFICALLY IF THEY FACTORED THAT IN. I KNOW THEY ARE AWARE OF IT, AND I KNOW THEY ARE AWARE OF THE EXACT LOCATIONS. THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY SELECTED BECAUSE THEY WERE HIRED BY THE DEVELOPER TO DESIGN THIS PROJECT AND THEY DID THE TRAFFIC STUDIES. OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, SO THERE'S NEW STUFF, BUT THEY'RE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT, WHICH IS WHY THEY WERE SELECTED. >> THANK YOU. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> WELL, IT THAT CORNER AT THIS POINT IS EVERYBODY HAS TOLD US FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS IS AN EYESORE. I DON'T SEE IT MOVING UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING CREATIVE TO GET SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES OFF THE DEVELOPER AND INTO THE TOWNSHIP. SEEMS TO ME WHEN THEY WERE TALKING AT ONE POINT ABOUT CONTINUING THEIR PROJECT, THEY WANTED THE TOWNSHIP TO FRONT $12 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO THIS NUMBER IS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WERE ASKING US TO PAY OUT OF OUR BUDGET IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GO FORWARD. I HOPE WE CAN GET THIS GRANT BECAUSE THE INTERSECTION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHETHER THERE'S BUILDING THERE OR NOT, BUT THERE WON'T BE ANY BUILDING THERE UNLESS IT'S REPLACED. I'M GOING TO RELUCTANTLY AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF A LOCAL MATCH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT DOES IMPROVE YOUR ODDS CONSIDERABLY. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT LOCAL MATCH WITHOUT BANKRUPTING THE TOWNSHIP AND SO I WOULD SUPPORT THIS MOTION. >> I WOULD I WOULD ALSO, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST OF COURSE, THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT THAT WE THAT WE HAD CONSIDERED WAS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT IT WOULD HAVE AND CERTAINLY THE REVITALIZATION. BUT THE SECOND MOST EXCITING THING WAS FIXING THIS INTERSECTION AND ADDRESSING WHAT IS A TRAFFIC CATASTROPHE IN THIS TOWNSHIP. I MEAN, THE LACK OF LEFT TURN LANES ONTO HAMILTON AND THE RESULTING HUMAN BEHAVIOR OF ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT ONTO I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME OF THE STREET IS THE SMALL ONE THAT COMES BEFORE STREET. >> CLINTON AND METHODIST. >> IT'S AWFUL. THE RESULTANT IS BACKING TRAFFIC UP ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE ONTO THE MOUNT HOPE INTERSECTION IN MANY CASES. IT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE DONE AT SOME POINT. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO, 373,000 IS A RELATIVELY SMALL INVESTMENT TO MAKE THIS HAPPENED AND SOLVED ONE OF OUR WORST TRAFFIC ISSUES IN THE TOWNSHIP. IT'S NOT A CURE ALL. THIS ISN'T GOING TO FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT A DEVELOPER HAS WITH THE VILLAGE OF OKEMS' PROJECT, AND WE HAVE TO BE UPFRONT ABOUT THAT. THE OTHER OF COURSE, BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM ARE THE POWER LINES, WHICH ARE, OF COURSE, STILL GOING TO BE ON THOSE PARCELS, UNBURIED, UNMOVED, AND WE'LL LIKELY STILL HEAR ABOUT THEM WHENEVER THE DEVELOPER DOES COME BACK TO THE TABLE WITH THEIR NEXT IDEA. BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TRY TO FIND FUNDING FOR. I THINK IT'S WISE OF US TO TRY TO DO SO. ALTHOUGH I WILL DEFINITELY HATE THE ENSUING CONSTRUCTION AND DETOURS TRAFFIC THAT WILL ENSUE BECAUSE I DO USE THAT ROADVERY FR EQUENTLY IN DAY-TO -DAY LIFE. IF I'M LATE TO A BOARD MEETING, WE CAN THANK US FOR THE BUILD APPLICATION. BUT I GUESS, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS THIS EVENING. >> IN THE UTILITY POLLS, WE'RE ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THE TEAM THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS, MANAGER DEMPSEY, DIRECTOR CLARK AND MYSELF HAVE CONTEMPLATED, AND WE'VE MET AND SPOKE TO CONSUMERS. THE INTENTION HERE IS BY WIDENING THE ROAD. THE ROAD WIDENING ON OKEMOS ROAD, DAD, THE LEFT TURN LANES WILL COME EXCLUSIVELY ON THE WEST SIDE. RIGHT WHERE THE UTILITY POLES ARE LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE. [01:30:01] WHEN A ROAD IS WIDE, A PUBLIC ROAD IS WIDEN, CONSUMERS HAS TO MOVE THEIR POLES IF THEY'RE IN CONFLICT WITH THE WIDENING OF THE ROAD AT THEIR COST. CONCEPTUALLY, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS WE MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE A POLL, SO A LITTLE BIT OF CLEANUP, MOVE THEM, TRY TO GET THEM POSITIONED, JUST OFF THE BACK OF CURB AND THE RIGHT LOCATION, WHERE WE WOULD WANT THEM PERMANENTLY RELATIVE TO THE STREET SCAPE. IS IT GOING TO BE THE MOST VISUALLY AESTHETIC AND PLEASING OPTION? NO, BUT IT'S SAVING THE PROJECT SIX TO $8 MILLION ON TOP OF THE 12.1 THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS EVENING, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SIDE STREETS, CLINTON METHODIST ARDMORE. COMPONENT OF THIS, WHEREBY WE CLEAN THAT UP, MOVE THEM AT CONSUMERS ENERGY'S COST AND ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT BY AND LARGE AS WELL. >> WE'RE TALKING MOVEMENT OF A COUPLE OF FEET. BUT NOT SIGNIFICANT. >> HOW ABOUT 11 FEET. WE'RE LOOKING AT WIDENING THE ROAD 11 FEET TO ADD AN 11 FOOT LEFT TURN LANE, ROUGHLY? NO. >> DOES THAT ACTUALLY ENCROACH ON THE PROPERTY OF THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS? >> YES. THE DEVELOPER HAS AGREED TO GIVE UP THE NECESSARY RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH THAT HAS BEEN TRUE. THE DEVELOPER HAS KNOWN THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT AS A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENTS SINCE 2017 WHEN WE WERE DOING, THE INITIAL MEETINGS ON THIS PROJECT. >> GOT IT. >> COOL. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? >> THERE IS A MOTION IN OUR PACKET. WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE ACTION THIS EVENING SO WE CAN COMPLETE THE GRANT APPLICATION IN TIME. DO HAVE MOTION THIS EVENING? TRUSTEE WILSON. >> MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE 2026 REIMAGINING OKEMOS ROAD BUILD GRANT APPLICATION. >> HAS BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON? >> SUPPORT. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? TEMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? >> TRUSTEE LENTZ? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE SAMON? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE TRUSS? >> YES. >> TRUSTEE WILSON? >> YES. >> SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? >> YES. >> TIM, YES. >> TREASURER BURKHARDT? >> YES. >> MOTION CARRIES 7-0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF IF WE CAN TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS. THEN WE'LL BE BACK HERE READY TO GO FOR TALK ABOUT A RECYCLING CENTER. >> AND CHICKENS. >> AND CHICKENS. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL STAND STAND AT RECESS. TO CALL THE CHAIR. WE WILL CALL OURSELVES BACK TO ORDER AT 7:41 P.M, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11 D. RECYCLING CENTER FACILITY. MR. OSIMER WELCOME BACK. >> GOOD EVENING AGAIN. TONIGHT BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE A LAST SECOND AGENDA ITEM THAT WE PUT TOGETHER. AS THE BOARD INQUIRED ABOUT THE DEADLINE FOR THIS UPCOMING EAGLE GRANT. TRADITIONALLY, THIS EAGLE GRANT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY WITH APPS DUE IN APRIL. BUT WHEN WE WENT TO CHECK ON IT, IT IS MOVED UP THIS YEAR. THEY ANNOUNCED IN OCTOBER, AND THEY ARE REQUESTING PROPOSALS BY JANUARY 28. BUT SINCE WE LAST APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT, TWO YEARS AGO, WE'VE DONE MORE DUE DILIGENCE. WE WANTED TO HAVE A MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD ABOUT THE FUTURE OF RECYCLING CENTERS OR A CENTER IN THE TOWNSHIP. WE COULD APPLY BY JANUARY 28 TO CONSTRUCT A NEW RECYCLING CENTER. THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING ONE FOR REASONS THAT I'LL TOUCH ON MOMENTARILY. THIS CENTER WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE TOWNSHIP SERVICE CENTER LOCATED OFF OF GAYLORD C. SMITH COURT NEAR OKEMOS ROAD. YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE PERSPECTIVE CONCEPT PLAN HERE WITH A SMALL DETENTION AREA FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF. THIS WOULD BE A VERY SIMILAR CENTER TO THE CITY OF EAST LANSINGS, WHICH IS ALSO LOCATED AT THEIR PUBLIC WORKS SERVICE CENTER UP ON STATE ROAD. IT WOULD ONLY ACCEPT A SMALL ARRAY OF RECYCLABLES, GLASS, PAPER, CARDBOARD, ET CETERA. THE GRANT IS 80-20. IN ORDER TO APPLY, WE DO HAVE TO COMMIT SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 120 TO 130,000 IN TOWNSHIP GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TOWARDS THE PROJECT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANTS. NOW, TOUCHING ON WHY THIS FACILITY COULD NOT REPLACE THE EXISTING ONE. THE EXISTING RECYCLING CENTER OR TRANSFER STATION ACCEPTS YARD WASTE, MATTRESSES, ANY FURNITURE THAT YOU WOULD DISPOSE OF FROM YOUR HOME, [01:35:03] SOLID WASTE MATERIALS FAR BEYOND WHAT A SMALL RECYCLING CENTER LIKE THIS COULD ACCOMMODATE. THE ONLY WAY THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE THE CURRENT CENTER WOULD BE TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE TYPES OF WASTE WE'RE ACCEPTING IN RECYCLING. THEREFORE, THAT BRINGS US TO OPTION 2, WHICH TOWNSHIP STAFF HAVE DEVELOPED SINCE WE LAST APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT. FINAL NOTE ON OPTION 1, OF COURSE, BY HAVING TWO CENTERS, WE WOULD INCREASE OUR OPERATING COST AND THE ONGOING COST TO THE GENERAL FUND. AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN EXISTING AGING FACILITIES, AND ALSO STRUGGLING WITH MOUNTING HEALTH CARE COSTS AND OTHER PRESSURES THAT ARE CONFRONTING THE GENERAL FUND. OPTION 2. ESSENTIALLY, IF WE TOOK THE AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD COMMIT IN LOCAL MATCH FOR THIS GRANT, AT A MINIMUM, WE COULD PAVE THE EXISTING DRIVE OF THE TRANSFER STATION OR RECYCLING CENTER AND THE BACK LOOP, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE FACILITY. ESSENTIALLY, WE WOULD PERFORM TREATMENTS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO ON THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM, AND WE WOULD BID IT THROUGH THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM TO GET THE BEST PRICING POSSIBLE. WE PRICED THIS OUT LAST FALL JUST TO SEE HOW IT WOULD PERFORM IN TERMS OF THE FISCAL IMPACT. THE OTHER DYNAMIC HERE IS THAT EVERY YEAR WE PAY APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15,000 TO MAINTAIN THE GRAVEL DRIVE, BECAUSE IT'S OPEN YEAR ROUND, WE PLOW IT. STORMWATER RUNOFF AND EROSION, OBVIOUSLY IMPACT THE DRIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE USED TO GET FREQUENT COMPLAINTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UNTIL WE STARTED DEVOTING 10 TO 15,000 ANNUALLY TO MAINTAIN IT AND KEEP IT AT LEAST IN GOOD ENOUGH CONDITION THAT WE DON'T GET CALLS ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST TO PAVE THE DRIVE, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE A AROUND 120,000, RELATIVE TO THE COST THAT WE WOULD PAY TO KEEP MAINTAINING THE GRAVEL DRIVE OVER THE 15 YEAR PAVEMENT LIFE CYCLE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY SAVE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 30,000 TO 100,000 BY PAVING IT. ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IS TAKING THE SAME AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING TRANSFER STATION. IMPROVING MAKING IT A CLEANER, NICER FACILITY. WE WOULD NOT HAVE GRAVEL DUST, LIMESTONE DUST. THAT'S CURRENTLY WHAT WE DO IS WE ADD ADDITIONAL LIMESTONE AND GRADE IT OUT, AND LIMESTONE IS VERY DUSTY, BUT WE WOULD ALSO SAVE COST OVERALL RELATIVE TO MAINTAINING THE GRAVEL DRIVE IN PART DUE TO THE PRICING THAT WE CAN OBTAIN UNDER THE LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM. WE HAVE LOOKED AT. WE LOOKED AT THIS EXISTING EAGLE GRANT MANY YEARS AGO, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING RECYCLING CENTER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE GRANT IS GEARED TOWARDS EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN RECYCLING. EAGLE UNEQUIVOCALLY DOES NOT VIEW MAKING OUR EXISTING FACILITY NICER AS EXPANDING RECYCLING. WE WOULD HAVE TO EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT, THE CAPACITY OF THE CENTER, AND EXPAND WHAT OFFERINGS OR WASTE WE ARE TAKING IN. NONE OF WHICH ARE VIABLE. WE HAVE WETLANDS SURROUNDING THE EXISTING TRANSFER STATION, SO WE CAN'T EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT, AND WE'RE PRETTY MUCH ACCEPTING ALL OF THE SOLID WASTE THAT WE COULD. THE GRANT IS NOT PURSUABLE IN TERMS OF IMPROVING THE EXISTING TRANSFER STATION. BUT TOWNSHIP STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND OPTION 2 BECAUSE IT SAVES THE TOWNSHIP GENERAL FUND MONEY VERSUS CREATING ADDITIONAL LEGACY COST OR ONGOING COSTS TO THE TOWNSHIP GENERAL FUND, LIKE OPTION 1 WOULD. OUR RESIDENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION. THEY ALL KNOW HOW TO FIND IT. IT'S BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS. IT OPERATES AND FUNCTIONS VERY WELL. IT JUST NEEDS SOME TLC. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE. BOARD MEMBERS. TRUSTEE WILSON. >> I'M A REGULAR USER OF THE TRANSFER STATION, AND I SEE THE SAME PEOPLE OUT THERE ALL THE TIME. THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING YARD WASTE. REMOVAL FOR A REASONABLE COST AND PLASTIC CONTAINER RECYCLING, WHICH YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE IS WONDERFUL. I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO TAKE ON THE COST OF A NEW FACILITY WHEN THIS ONE SUITS US SO WELL. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE SHACK LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO [01:40:02] TUMBLE INTO THE CRUSHER AT ANY MOMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM PUT SOME MONEY INTO DOING THAT IMPROVEMENT. I WOULD SAY, AGAIN, YOU'RE RIGHT. EVERYBODY USE THAT CENTER. IT'S VERY BUSY. ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS. IT'S CRAZY OVER THERE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON ON. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME BEST IN THAT AND NOT LOOK AT THE ADDITIONAL COST OF HAVING A SECOND RECYCLING CENTER. >> TREASURER BURKHARDT. >> I WOULD ECHO WHAT TRUSTEE WILSON JUST SAID. I'M ALSO A FREQUENT USER OF THAT TRANSFER STATION. I THINK OPTION 1 WOULD JUST GIVE US MORE OF THE SAME BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE OPTIONS AT MSU RECYCLING. I HAVE GRANGER CURBSIDE RECYCLING. WHAT I USE THE TRANSFER STATION FOR IS THE YARD WASTE AND THE METAL, RECYCLING AND STYROFOAM, WHICH NOBODY ELSE TAKES. I WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT OPTION 2, AND I TO THINK THE SHED IS ABOUT READY TO COLLAPSE. TRUSTEE WOODS. >> TO ADD TO THE ECHO. I FEEL THE SAME WAY. I DON'T WANT TO SEE A STAKE ON ANOTHER BUILDING PROJECT THAT SEEMS UNNECESSARY. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE NEW RECYCLING CENTER DOESN'T REALLY TAKE ANYTHING MORE THAN WE CAN DO IN OUR CURBSIDE RECYCLING. WHICH WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR THROUGH GRANGER OR WHEREVER. I SEE NO REASON TO BUILD ANOTHER RECYCLING CENTER. I DO THINK IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING TRANSFER CENTER ARE DEFINITELY WORTHWHILE. OPTION 2 MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME THAN OPTION 1. >> CHRIS? >> I WOULD AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED BY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HERE, AND IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROTECT OUR GENERAL FUND AS WELL. I GO WITH OPTION 2. >> I WOULD ADD THAT I THINK IF IT WASN'T DUPLICATIVE WITH THE CURBSIDE SERVICE THAT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR OPERATING A CENTRALLY LOCATED FACILITY SO THAT YOUR FOLKS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN DON'T ALL HAVE TO DRIVE UP TO THE LAKE TO GO TO THE RECYCLING CENTER. BUT THIS DOESN'T GET YOU ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN'T PUT AT THE END OF YOUR CURB. THE ADDED ONGOING EXPENSES OF OPERATING A SECONDARY FACILITY. BOTH OF THOSE FACTORS COMBINED LEAD ME LEANING TOWARD OPTION 2, SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUES. THE OTHER THING IS, THIS GRANT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AT LEAST. IT MAY YET BE AROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS MORE. IF WE FIND A WAY TO INCORPORATE, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T DO AT THE CURB AT A MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED FACILITY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND REAPPLY AND APPLY FOR THIS GRANT IN THE FUTURE. THE OTHER THING IS, WE HAVEN'T BEEN PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS GRANT APPLICATION IN THE PAST. MY RECOLLECTION, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WAS THAT THEY HAD TOLD US THAT THIS WAS MEANT FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES, THIS GRANT. IS THAT OR MORE RURAL COMMUNITIES, PERHAPS? >> THE ANSWER IS THAT IT DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING LEVEL, RIGHT, HOW MUCH THE LEGISLATURE IS PUTTING INTO IT. IN 2022, I STARTED IN FEBRUARY AND WE RUSHED TO GET AN APPLICATION IN. IN RUSHING THAT APPLICATION OVER THE COURSE OF TWO MONTHS, WE HAD SOME QUANTITIES INCORRECT ON CONCRETE ASPHALT, WHICH ADDS UP TO BIG DOLLARS PRETTY QUICKLY. WE WERE AWARDED THE GRANT. HOWEVER, IF WE PURSUED IT, IT WAS GOING TO BE MORE OF A 50 50 GRANT BECAUSE OF OUR MISCALCULATIONS AS WE TRIED TO EXPEDITE THE APPLICATION AND THE DESIGN OF THE FACILITY. >> THEN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, THEY REDUCED THE AMOUNT. MORE OR LESS, WHEN WE MET WITH EAGLE TO GO OVER OUR APPLICATION AFTER WE RECEIVED THE DENIAL, THEY MORE OR LESS TOLD US THAT OUR PROBLEM WAS THAT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, THEIR SCORING CRITERIA REALLY ONLY ALLOCATED, AND AWARDED GRANTS TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD NO EXISTING FACILITIES WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS. [01:45:01] WE HAVE TO THE BOARD'S POINT, MSUE SLANSING, AND OUR OWN RECYCLING CENTER IS HURTING US ON THE SCORING. IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH THE LEGISLATURE PUTS INTO IT. >> SURE. JUST FOR CURIOSITY'S SAKE, THE FACILITY THAT WAS PROPOSED IN '22, IS IT ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IN OPTION 1? >> CORRECT. THE ONLY CHANGES THAT WE MADE WAS WORKING WITH GRANER JUST TO ADJUST THE RADIUSES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO EASILY BACK UP TO ALL THE DUMPSTERS, AND THE COMPACT AND EVERYTHING. >> GOT IT. COOL. THANK YOU. >> YOU'RE SEEKING, I ASSUME, BOARD DIRECTION AT THIS POINT, SINCE IT'S A BUDGETARY ITEM FOR '27? >> YEAH. I THINK, I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, BASICALLY A STRAW POLL, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN ME. THE FINAL THING THAT I'LL ADD, BUT MANAGER DEMPSEY, AND I WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. WE'LL HAVE TO WEIGH ALL THE OTHER BUDGETARY PRESSURES RELATIVE TO HOW MUCH FUNDING WE CAN FIND FOR THIS. BUT THIS MIGHT BE A MULTI YEAR PROJECT. MAYBE YEAR 1 IS PAVING, YEAR 2 COULD BE THE OFFICE OR THE STILTED SHED. BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE NEED FOR CONCRETE PADS FOR ALL THE DUMPSTERS AT SOME POINT IF WE TRULY WANT TO CONTAIN DUST. WE'LL KEEP LOOKING AT IT AS JULY APPROACHES, AND WE GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE 2027 BUDGET. >> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12A, WE REVISIT. [12. BOARD DISCUSSION ITEMS] THE CHICKEN ORDINANCE. WE HAVE WITH US THIS EVENING, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, TIM SCHMITT? MR. SCHMITT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT THE BOARD'S BEHEST, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS. JUST BY WAY OF BACKGROUND. WHEN WE REVIEWED THIS LAST YEAR, IT WAS LARGELY WITH RESPECT TO ROOSTERS. WE AMENDED THE ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT ROOSTERS, AND DURING THAT DISCUSSION, IT WAS RAISED BY A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHY CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS, SPECIFICALLY, THE RB DISTRICT DO NOT ALLOW FOR BACKYARD CHICKENS OR RABBITS. I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RABBITS AS WELL BECAUSE OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN COMBINING THE TWO. THAT'S A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY. [LAUGHTER] OUR ZONAL ORDINANCE ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS FOR IT IN ANY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT EXCEPT FOR THE RB, AND THE RX DISTRICT. THE RB IS THE SMALLEST LOTS, GENERALLY TOWER GARDENS, AREA AROUND THE LAKE, LITTLE BIT NEAR THE VILLAGE OF OKEM DOWNTOWN CORE AREA, THINGS LIKE THAT, SMALLER LOTS, YOU'RE TALKING AROUND THE LAKE, I MEAN, 40 FEET WIDE, UP TO 80 FEET WIDE, 70 FEET WIDE IN SOME CASES. THE RX, THERE'S LITERALLY ABOUT 16 PROPERTIES THAT ARE STILL ZONED RX. IT'S ON OUR SHOPPING BLOCK TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET RID OF EVENTUALLY. WE WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE THAT IN THE DISCUSSION, BUT IT REALLY HAS NO TANGIBLE IMPACT ON WHERE WE'RE HEADED HERE. THE QUESTION, REALLY, AT THIS POINT IS WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WANTS THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO TAKE A RUN AT UPDATING THIS. I THINK, STAFF WE'VE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS INTERNALLY, AND OUR APPROACH IS TWOFOLD. IT'S FAIRLY EASY TO EXPAND IT, EITHER BY STRIKING THE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS OR JUST ADDING ONE OF THE TWO THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED. WE HAVE, THOUGH, INTERNALLY TALKED ABOUT UPDATING THE WAY WE DO THE CHICKEN LICENSING IN GENERAL. MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES REQUIRE THAT YOU TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THIS. IT CAN'T HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT. IT CAN BE SOMETHING INTERESTING, AND NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING INTO REQUIRING GOING FORWARD, JUST YOU'VE TALKED TO YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND YOU HAVE THEIR SIGN OFF. OR IN THE CASE OF AN HOA, WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVE HOAS HERE, SO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION SPECIFICALLY WOULD PROHIBIT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO ASK FOR HOA APPROVAL AS WELL, IN MANY CASES, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING UNIQUE TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT, AND SO MANY ACTIVE HOAS HERE. THAT IS UNUSUAL IN MY CAREER TO HAVE THIS MANY ACTIVE HOAS. THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE AT. IT'S REALLY A QUESTION, DOES THE BOARD WANT THE PLANNING COMMISSION REALLY TAKE THIS UP? IT'S NOT A SUPER COMPLICATED QUESTION. IF WE DO IT, IT'S A FAIRLY EASY CHANGE, AND I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO TRY AND TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THE WHOLE THING AND MAKE SURE IT'S FUNCTIONING PROPERLY IN GENERAL. [01:50:01] >> THERE IS A MOTION HERE. IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE SIT ON OR DO IN OUR NEXT MEETING OR? >> ENTIRELY AT THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD. I'VE OFFERED IT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD ONE, BUT THERE IS NO RUSH TO THIS WHATSOEVER. >> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> YEAH. I HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T REMEMBER THE CHICKEN, AND RABBIT ORDINANCE IN GREAT DETAIL, BUT IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OR? >> I KNEW YOU'RE GOING TO ASK ME THAT. LET ME DOUBLE CHECK. I BELIEVE IT'S SIX. BUT A LITTLE BIRDIE WAS TALKING TO ME BEFORE THE MEETING AND SAID FOUR. NOW, I WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK HERE. >> WAS IT A CHICKEN? >> IT WAS NOT A CHICKEN. IT WAS ACTUAL HUMAN BEING. I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT TO MY 8-YEAR-OLD THE OTHER DAY ABOUT A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME, AND SHE DID NOT APPRECIATE MY EXPLANATION. YOU ARE PERMITTED ONE SECTION OFF HERE. THE SECTION, MAXIMUM NUMBER IS FOUR, ACTUALLY. >> I WAS THINKING THAT IF THERE WASN'T A LIMIT, THERE PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE ESPECIALLY FOR THE SMALLER LOCKS. >> OUR ORDINANCE IS IT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY WELL THOUGHT OUT. THE ONE PIECE IT DOESN'T HAVE IS THE NEIGHBOR INPUT, WHICH THAT WAS SURPRISING TO ME THAT WE DIDN'T REQUIRE THAT HERE. >> THE ONLY THING ABOUT NEIGHBOR INPUT IS SOMETIMES IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVED. >> CORRECT. CANDIDLY, THAT WE RAN INTO THIS PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN THE CITY OF IOWA. BUT IT ALSO HELPED US GET IN FRONT OF POTENTIAL CODE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS. IF YOUR NEIGHBOR WAS ALREADY GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, AND THEY SET IT UP FRONT, THEN OKAY. WHEREAS, IF THEY AGREED TO IT AND YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE RULES, AND THEN THEY COMPLAIN, WELL, HEY, THEY TALKED TO YOU, THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE RULES THAT WERE SET OUT, NOW WE'RE OKAY. >> I THINK, IT'S WORTH DISCUSSION ON THAT. I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM HAVING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. >> TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? >> I WOULD JUST ASK THAT OKAY. WE DO KNOW THAT CHICKENS AND RABBITS MULTIPLY. WELL, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT [OVERLAPPING] WELL, THEY COULD BRING. ANYWAY, IF THERE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT IN THE ORDINANCE ABOUT, IF YOU HAVE A RABBIT OR YOU HAVE A CHICKEN, AND THEY REPRODUCE, HOW LONG CAN YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER OF CHICKENS OR RABBITS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THEM? >> ABSOLUTELY LOOK INTO THAT. I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I'M SURE THAT SOME COMMUNITY OUT THERE HAS PROBABLY ADDRESSED THIS. TYPICALLY, USUALLY WHAT WE DO IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT FROM A CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE IS, WE'LL GIVE YOU 30 DAYS, AND THAT'S USUALLY ENOUGH TIME. UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A JERSEY STEER ON YOUR PROPERTY, THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER. >> SOUNDS LIKE A STORY. INTERESTING. >> IT WAS REMOVED LAST WEEKEND. I ACTUALLY DROVE DOWN THE STREET TO WATCH IT. >> HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS AN RB LOT? >> AN RB LOT CAN GET DOWN TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK LOTS HERE. IT'S 8,000 SQUARE FEET. THAT WAS RIGHT. IT'S 8,000 SQUARE FEET TO THE MINIMUM. BUT SAYING THAT, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE WAY THAT BOTH TOWER GARDENS, AND THE AREA AROUND THE LAKE DEVELOPED, THERE ARE SMALLER LOTS. THERE ARE EXISTING NON CONFORMER LOTS ESPECIALLY UP AROUND THE LAKE. YOU HAVE SOME PRETTY TINY LOTS IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THINK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT IS THERE, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE REQUIRE ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT IF IT'S AN EXISTING LOT THAT DOESN'T MEET THE STANDARDS, DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT OR IS THIS GOING TO BE SOLVED BY TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS UP FRONT, AND WE'LL HEAD OFF ANY CONCERNS AT THE PAST THAT WAY. BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT'S STILL FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE IN OUR HEAD BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE RB DISTRICT IN THE TOWNSHIP. >> THESE LOT SIZES ARE SO SMALL, THE NEIGHBORS ARE GOING TO BE ON TOP OF THE CHICKENS. MY CONCERN IS THAT I THINK THESE WERE NOT ADDRESSED BECAUSE THESE LOTS ARE SO TINY. >> WE ASSUME AS MUCH. WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE FILES. WE DON'T FIND A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE REASON I WOULD GIVE YOU IF I WAS BRINGING THIS FORWARD. ONCE YOU JUMP UP TO THE RA DISTRICT, IT'S ON 2,000 SQUARE FEET TO GET TO THE MINIMUM, BUT THAT'S 10,000 SQUARE FEET BASICALLY A QUARTER OF AN ACRE, [01:55:01] THERE'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE THERE. >> EXACTLY. I'D BE DISINCLINED TO ADD THOSE TWO ZONES INTO AN ORDINANCE, SIMPLY BECAUSE I THINK GETTING CONSENSUS FROM THE NEIGHBORS THAT IT'S OKAY TO HAVE CHICKENS, AND THE NEIGHBOR MOVES, AND IT'S NOT OKAY WITH THEM. ARE YOU KEEPING UP YOUR CHICKEN HOUSE, YOUR HEN HOUSE, AND SO ON? I CAN SEE THIS IS MORE PROBLEMATIC TO ADD THESE TWO ZONING CODES IN THAN WE WANT TO ADDRESS. >> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AS WE'LL RECALL, WAS BROUGHT TO US BY A RESIDENT AT ONE OF OUR LISTENING SESSIONS. CAME OUT TO ASK THAT SPECIFICALLY. I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWING IT, LOOKING INTO IT, MODERNIZING THE ORDINANCE, IF NEED BE. THEY HAVE OFFERED THEIR THOUGHTS ON MANY SUCH TOPICS, AND JUST BE THE NEXT ONE. TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. >> JUST ONE OTHER THOUGHT. THERE ARE SOME RABBITS OUT THERE THAT ARE SPECIALLY BRED, AND THEY'RE LIKE PETS. JUST WONDERING IF THAT COMES INTO PLAY AS WELL. >> I THINK, THE INTENTION OF THIS LIKE A PET RABBIT IS GOING TO FALL UNDER A DIFFERENT CATEGORY. >> OKAY. >> THIS IS INTENDED TO BE CLOSER TO AN AGRICULTURAL TYPE KEEPING OF RABBITS WHERE YOU WOULD POTENTIALLY PROCESS THEM AT SOME POINT. >> THANK YOU. >> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY APPETITE TO TAKE UP A MOTION TO REFER THIS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THIS EVENING, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL OUR FEBRUARY 3 MEETING TO DO SO? >> I SEE NO ISSUE WITH TAKING IT FOR A MOTION TONIGHT BECAUSE IT'S AN ORDINANCE REVIEW, WE'RE ABLE TO DO SO, CORRECT? >> LIKELIER THAN NOT, THIS WOULD BE 2-3 MEETINGS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THEN WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR TYPICAL PROCESS OF PUBLIC HEARING, INTRODUCTION, AND ADOPTION FOR WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US IF IT COMES BACK ANY DIFFERENT. THIS IS JUST THE PRELIMINARY. WE AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD TALK ABOUT IT, AND WE'LL SEE SIX MORE TIMES BEFORE IT COMES BACK. >> DO YOU NEED A FORMAL MOTION TO MOVE IT? >> WE DON'T NEED TO. >> NO TO SUSPEND OR ANYTHING, BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE TO REFER IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION VIA MOTION. >> HISTORICALLY, WITH ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT ARE NOT BEING BROUGHT BY STAFF, IT'S BEEN A PLANNING COMMISSION TO DO THIS THROUGH A FORMAL MOTION. >> YEAH. >> ONE OTHER THOUGHT. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THESE LOTS, DO WE WANT TO EXPLORE SOME SETBACK REQUIREMENTS FOR CHICKEN COOPS, AND RATHER WARRANTS? >> IS THAT ALREADY ADDRESSED IN SOME WAY IN THE ORDINANCE? >> THERE IS SOME, BUT NOT A LOT. ALSO ON THE LIST, THERE IS A PROVISION THAT TALKS ABOUT SIDE AND REAR IN A COUPLE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE IT THEN TRIES TO ADDRESS A SECONDARY SCENARIO. WE PROBABLY NEED TO REWORK THAT IN GENERAL. THAT GOES BACK TO US TRYING TO TAKE A HOLISTIC LOOK AT THIS IN GENERAL. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH TAKING IT UP, SO I WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION TO REFER IT. >> TRUSTEE TREZISE. >> I MOVED TO REFER SECTION 86-3688, CLOSE PN RAISING, AND KEEPING OF CHICKENS AND RABBITS AS NON AGRICULTURAL USE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR REVIEW OF EXPANDING THE AREAS IN WHICH BACKYARD CHICKENS, AND RABBITS ARE PERMITTED. >> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >> SECONDED BY CLERK DEMAS. ANY FINAL DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. >> THANKS VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 13 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. [13. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC] WE DO HAVE ONE GREEN CARD THIS EVENING. LISA, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US AT THE PODIUM? SAME RULES APPLY. >> THANK YOU. LISA NOACK 155 EAST NEWMAN. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING TO THE MANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE ITC TRANSMISSION LINES. I HATE TO INFER, BUT I ALMOST FEEL LIKE MAYBE LIKE US, ONLY THREE OR FOUR DAYS AGO, DID WE NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS COMING, AND WHAT THIS WAS? YOU HAVE 180 FOOT TOWER HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP. THAT'S HOW BIG THESE THINGS ARE. THE FIRE RISK IS INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES, THE STATICY CRACKLY NOISE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S WET OUT, CAN BE HEARD. THESE ARE A LOT OF THE CONCERNS. I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT IN YOUR TOWNSHIP, [02:00:03] BUT WE DO PAY THE TAXES FOR THE SCHOOLS, AND WE ARE REALLY PART OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ON THE EDGE. THAT'S WHERE OUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, AND OUR LIVES REALLY ARE RUNNING, PLACES WE EAT, THE PARKS WE VISIT. THIS TOUCHES A BUNCH OF NEIGHBORHOODS, JUST ON THE EDGE. I'LL HAVE TO SAY I KNOCKED ON SOME HOUSES ON THOSE EDGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS COMING, EVEN THOUGH THEIR HOMES WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN 200 FEET OF THE CENTER LINE OF THIS. THERE IS A PERCEPTION THAT THE INFORMATION ISN'T BEING PUT OUT THERE, AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MAYBE COULD BE HELPED OR CHANGED. PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WHAT'S COMING, AND ARE RIGHTFULLY SO PRETTY ANGRY THAT THEY'RE FEEL BROADSIDED BY THIS, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE NOTIFIED PEOPLE ABOUT THE LISTENING SESSIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY FULLY UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE SCOPE OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, AND COMING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY. JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, AND I KNOW THESE LISTENING SESSIONS ARE COMING UP AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT. WE ARE REALLY HOPING THAT THE TOWNSHIP CONSIDERS TAKING A STANCE AGAINST THIS LINE. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO BRING YOU MORE COMMUNITY LETTERS, AND EMAILS AND THINGS TO REVIEW. WE ARE WONDERING, COULD YOU ASK ITC FOR A FORMAL PRESENTATION? I THINK, WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I DON'T KNOW HOW LISTENING SESSIONS WORK. I'M NEW TO ALL THIS. BUT I HAVE THIS FEELING THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO LISTEN TO US. YOU LISTENED TO US AT THESE BOARD MEETINGS, AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO WALK AWAY WITH STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE UNANSWERED. THANK YOU AGAIN. APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DO AND THE TIME YOU SPEND AND APPRECIATE YOU HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSE AT 8:10 P.M. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS OTHER MATTERS, [14. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS] AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. ANY OTHER MATTERS FOR THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE AGENDA ITEM 15 IS ADJOURNMENT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. >> SO MOVE. >> MOVED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. DO WE HAVE A SUPPORT? >> SUPPORT. >> SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT. PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 8:10 P.M. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.