Feb 03, 2026 Township Board

[00:00:41]

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IT IS 6:00 AND WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

FIRST ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE, PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA IS ROLL CALL, CLERK DEMAS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. HERE. CLERK DEMAS. HERE.

TREASURER BURGHARDT. HERE. TRUSTEE LENTZ. HERE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND. TRUSTEE TREZISE. HERE. TRUSTEE WILSON.

HERE. SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE NONE.

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

WE HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN TERMINATION, AND THEN ONE AT THE END OF THE MEETING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS OUR AGENDA OR ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA MAY DO SO AT THOSE TIMES.

THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN CARD, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THE TABLE BY THE DOOR, AND PRESENT THAT CARD TO THE BOARD OR 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, IT IS HELPFUL FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEETING MINUTES IF YOU WOULD PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS.

CITIZENS ARE LIMITED [INAUDIBLE] PARDON ME, ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME, AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT AND BEEP WILL ALERT YOU WHEN YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED.

THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD VALUE COMMENT AND INPUT FROM OUR PUBLIC, BUT THE MEETING FORMAT AND RULES DO RESTRICT BOARD MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMENTERS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY.

QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY BOARD MEMBERS AT A LATER TIME, OR MAY BE REFERRED TO A MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP STAFF.

TO FOLLOW UP ON, PLEASE REMEMBER TO 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 SEVERAL GREEN CARDS THIS EVENING.

FIRST UP IS DEE STORY AND THEN ANN FITZGERALD IS ON DECK.

DEE. DEE STORY 1625 LAKE DRIVE. HASLETT, MICHIGAN. I'M A SENIOR, AND I'M A RENTER. APARTMENT LIVING. WHEN I MOVED HERE FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

ONE, THERE WAS A SENIOR CENTER THAT WAS ACTIVE, AND TWO, YOU HAD PARKS AND THE SENIOR CENTER.

IT BROKE MY HEART LAST YEAR OR LAST SEMESTER WHEN PEOPLE STOOD UP AND SAID, WELL, SENIORS, THEY'RE SUCH A SMALL GROUP THAT THEY DON'T REALLY.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON ALL THOSE FEW PEOPLE.

AND THAT WAS JUST DEPRESSING BECAUSE SENIORS THAT PAY TAXES FOREVER.

BUT NOW PARKS. PARKS ARE FOR EVERYBODY. I HAVE NO ONE AT LITTLE LEAGUE AGE.

I HAVE NO ONE AT YOUTH SOCCER AGE. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, I TAKE MY DOG TO THE DOG PARK, AND IT IS JUST AMAZING TO SEE ALL THESE FAMILIES OUT THERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND KIDS. AND WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE PARKS AND TO PUT THOSE MONSTROSITIES UP TO RUIN OUR PARKS. PLEASE, PEOPLE, DON'T DO THIS.

AS A SENIOR, I DID NOT FEEL YOU LISTENED TO SENIORS ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER.

SO PLEASE, IF OTHER PEOPLE IN HERE CONCUR THAT THOSE UTILITY THINGS ARE REALLY BAD IDEA AND I KNOW IT CAN'T BE ANSWERED RIGHT THIS MINUTE, BUT IN THE DECISION MAKING, IS THE TOWNSHIP GETTING PAID FOR THAT LAND THAT THOSE TOWERS ARE GOING TO BE PUT ON? IS THAT A DECIDING FACTOR? AND I COULDN'T MAKE IT TO THE THE INFORMATION MEETING BECAUSE THE ROADS WERE REALLY BAD.

I HAD SIGNED UP, BUT ANYWAY, SO PLEASE DON'T DESTROY OUR PARKS.

[00:05:02]

YOU CHOP DOWN A TREE. BOY, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF THAT'S.

IT'S PROTECTED. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR GREEN SPACES.

PEOPLE LIVE IN HOUSES AND APARTMENTS, AND YOU'RE LOCKED UP ALL WINTER LONG.

AND THEN WE HAVE PARKS. DON'T DESTROY OUR PARKS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH [APPLAUSE]. THANKS.

WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REFRAIN FROM APPLAUSE.

ANNE FITZGERALD AND THEN LAURA SMITH. HELLO. GOOD EVENING.

THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. I'M ANNE FITZGERALD.

I LIVE AT 56 EAST NEWMAN ROAD. IT IS JUST OVER THE BORDER INTO WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

I SEE IF I CAN FIND MY SCRIPT HERE. SPEAKING OF THE PARKS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS ON THOSE.

I WALK IN TED BLACKWOODS OR LEGH PARK ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND I'M SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE BEAUTIFUL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS.

I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPOSED NEW ITC 345 KILOVOLT POWER LINE, WHICH WOULD PASS DIRECTLY BEHIND MY HOME.

ONE OF THE PROPOSED ROUTES FOR THE LINE WOULD UTILIZE AN EXISTING UTILITY CORRIDOR THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, PARALLELING NEWMAN ROAD AND EAST AND WEST NEWMAN ROAD, AND CONTINUING WEST ALONG THERE, CROSSING VAN ATTA, THEN BEARING SOUTH. WHILE A UTILITY CORRIDOR EXISTS TODAY, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY NARROWER THAN REQUIRED FOR A 345 KILOVOLT TRANSMISSION LINE. EXPANDING THE CORRIDOR WOULD INTRODUCE NEW AND PERMANENT IMPACTS TO SOME HOMES.

OUTBUILDINGS. RESIDENTIAL BACKYARDS. SEPTIC FIELDS, NEARBY PARKS AND SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS, INCLUDING WETLANDS AND A STAND OF MATURE OAK TREES THAT IS HOME TO BARRED OWLS AND FOXES RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOME.

THE POTENTIAL POTENTIAL ROUTE THAT FOLLOWS NEWMAN ROAD WOULD IMPACT A DAYCARE CENTER, A HOME FOR NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE.

3 TO 4 WETLANDS. IT WOULD PASS CLOSE TO SAINT MARTHA'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

IT WOULD PASS DIRECTLY THROUGH LEAGUE PARK AND RIGHT OVER THE RED CEDAR RIVER.

SIGNIFICANT WIDENING OF THE CORRIDOR SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS EQUIVALENT TO USING AN EXISTING CORRIDOR.

THE CURRENT WIDTH WAS NEVER DESIGNED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OF THIS SIZE.

WHEN OVER A DOZEN ALTERNATIVE ROUTES EXIST THAT AVOID PARKS AND HOMES, CHOOSING THE ONE THAT MARKEDLY ENLARGES THE CORRIDOR THROUGH BELOVED PUBLIC PARKS AND NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE A POOR DECISION. AND I DO HAVE THE QUESTION FOR THE BOARD.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT, BUT WHETHER MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS A TREE ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE ITC TO SURVEY AND DO AN INVENTORY OF LARGE TREES. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AS I MENTIONED DURING THE BEGINNING, WE'RE UNABLE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO COMMENTS, BUT WE CAN ASK OUR STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON QUESTIONS LIKE THAT AFTER THE FACT.

LAURA SMITH IS NEXT AND THEN ANN BRIGGS IS ON DECK.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LAURA SMITH. I LIVE AT 4809 VAN ATTA ROAD.

MY FAMILY LIVES IN THE AREA DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY ITC'S PROPOSED 300 345 KILOVOLT TRANSMISSION LINE.

WE PURCHASED OUR HOME ON 6.75 ACRES IN 2018 BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTY OF THE LAND.

IT IS OUR PRIVATE OASIS. THE TRUE BEAUTY OF THIS AREA IS THAT WE DON'T JUST SEE WILDLIFE, WE HEAR IT EVERY DAY.

OUR PROPERTY IS HOME TO MANY, MANY ANIMALS. THE PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE UTILITY EASEMENT TO 200FT IS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO OUR PROPERTY. BASED ON THE PROPOSED PLAN, THAT EASEMENT WOULD COME DIRECTLY INTO THE MIDDLE OF OUR HOUSE.

THIS IS NOT A MINOR ADJUSTMENT OR A SIMPLE NEIGHBORLY COMPROMISE.

THIS IS AN ENCROACHMENT THAT WOULD MAKE OUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE UNLIVABLE AND FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGES THE TERMS UNDER WHICH WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.

WE ALREADY LIVE WITH EXISTING LINES AND EASEMENT AND HAVE ACCEPTED THEM.

BUT THE SCALE OF THIS 345 KILOVOLT PROJECT IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

EXPANDING A CORRIDOR THIS SIGNIFICANTLY IS NOT THE SAME AS USING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT REQUIRES TOTAL HABITAT DESTRUCTION, EXTENSIVE TREE REMOVAL THAT SILENCES THE WILDLIFE WE MOVED HERE TO ENJOY, PERMANENT ENCROACHMENT. THIS PROJECT PUSHES INTO BACKYARDS, NEARBY PARKS, AND SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS WORKED HARD TO PROTECT. THESE STRUCTURES WILL PERMANENTLY SCAR THE LANDSCAPE OF THE COMMUNITY MANY OF US INTENTIONALLY CHOSE TO CALL HOME.

I AM ASKING THE TOWNSHIP TO STAND WITH YOUR RESIDENTS AND TAKE AN ACTIVE EARLY ROLE IN THIS PROCESS.

SPECIFICALLY, I ASK THE TOWNSHIP TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ROUTES THAT REQUIRE EXPANDED RESIDENTIAL EASEMENTS,

[00:10:06]

SUPPORT ROUTING OPTIONS THAT AVOID PUBLIC PARKS AND RECREATIONAL LAND.

DEMAND TRANSPARENCY FROM ITC REGARDING HOW PUBLIC INPUT IS ACTUALLY BEING WEIGHTED, AND REMAIN FULLY ENGAGED BEFORE ANY ROUTE IS ADVANCED TO THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING OUR INTERESTS AND FOR YOUR HELP IN PROTECTING OUR HOMES.

THANK YOU. ANN BRIGGS AND THEN LISA NOWAK IS ON DECK.

GOOD EVENING. ANN BRIGGS AT 4855 MERIDIAN ROAD.

I AM THE OWNER OF BRIGGS FAMILY DAYCARE, WHERE I HAVE SEVEN CHILDREN THAT ARE WITH ME EVERY DAY.

THEY'RE ALL UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE AND WE, THE POWER LINES ARE EXISTING.

AGREED. BUT WHEN YOU ADD ON FROM 138, I BELIEVE IT IS TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL 345.

THAT DOES GIVE MY PARENTS PAUSE, MYSELF PAUSE FOR THE HEALTH OF THESE CHILDREN, AND THAT THEIR PLAY YARD OVER WILL OVERLOOK THAT TYPE OF WATTAGE OUT IN OUR BACK YARD. AGREED. WE AS PRESIDENT HOMEOWNERS, MANY OF US WERE GRANDFATHERED IN WHEN WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, BUT TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL WATTAGE TO US, I THINK IS UNFAIR FOR A FOR A PRODUCT THAT EVERYBODY USES.

BUT FOR US TO CARRY AN UNFAIR BURDEN FOR IT WHEN THERE'S OTHER ROUTES THAT TAKE IT THROUGH AREAS THAT ARE NOT HOMES, NOT BUSINESSES, AND NOT WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN IT.

WE ALSO, AS WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, THE PERKS OF THIS TOWNSHIP, ARE A PRIDE POINT FOR EVERY ONE OF US.

MANY OF US SPEND MUCH OF OUR LEISURE TIME WITHIN THEM WITH OUR CHILDREN, OUR PETS, OUR FAMILY.

AND TO HAVE THEM BE DISRUPTED DOES NOT MAKE SENSE WHEN THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT GO INTO FARMLAND, WHICH I KNOW THAT THERE'S CONCERNS WITH, THAT I WORKED IN THAT INDUSTRY. I GREW UP ON A FARM, BUT REROUTING TILE SEEMS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING A HUMAN TOLL, A PROPERTY TOLL, AND THINGS TO THAT EFFECT. SO IN MY OPINION, IF WE CAN FIND OTHER WAYS TO PUSH THIS INTO AREAS THAT DON'T TAKE AWAY HOMES, DON'T TAKE AWAY OUR PARKS, AND DO NOT PUT OUR FAMILIES AND MY CHILDREN AT RISK.

I WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT TO WORK FOR THAT ALTERNATIVE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LISA NOWAK AND THEN GEORGE OWEN IS ON DECK.

HELLO AGAIN. LISA NOWAK, 155 EAST NEWMAN ROAD.

I'M ALSO NOT A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENT, BUT MY LIFE IS HERE.

MY KIDS GO TO SCHOOL HERE. MY KIDS PARTICIPATE IN THE 906 ADVENTURE BIKE CLUB.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE WE WERE HERE AT THE LAST MEETING.

YOU GUYS REALLY LISTENED. I FELT VERY WELL HEARD AND NOW WE'RE HERE TODAY.

IT'S PART OF YOUR AGENDA. I KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER MEETING ON THE 17TH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

SINCE OUR LAST MEETING AND NOW. BUT I'VE LEARNED SOME THINGS, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

I LEARNED AT THE ITC SESSION THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP APPROACHED ITC TO PUT A WALKWAY UNDER THE TRANSMISSION LINES, AND I, QUITE FRANKLY, WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THERE WERE, WERE DISCUSSIONS AND AND PIECES IN PLACE FOR THAT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IT GIVES A BETTER USE TO THE EASEMENT AND THE LAND, BUT IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SUPPORTING THE DESTRUCTION OF A MAJOR PART OF OUR PARKS.

AND, YOU KNOW, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP REALLY HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THEIR PARKS.

AND THE WET, WET, WET, WET WETLANDS. AND TAKES A LOT OF PRIDE IN THIS SYSTEM.

SO MAYBE YOU'VE LEARNED HOW MUCH DESTRUCTION THIS REALLY IS GOING TO BE AND WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO BE AND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO RESIDENTS.

I WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE TWO SESSIONS THAT WERE HELD RIGHT HERE IN OKEMOS WERE NOT ANNOUNCED ON THE WEBSITE THAT YOU HAVE AND MAINTAIN YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE, BUT INSTEAD WERE ANNOUNCED AFTER THEY HAD ENDED, AND THAT WAS A BIT DISAPPOINTING.

I DID CALL TODAY AND ASK FOR THE SESSION OF TODAY'S BOARD MEETING BE ANNOUNCED ON FACEBOOK, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THAT HAPPEN, SO I AM REALLY CURIOUS.

I KNOW SOMEONE ELSE ASKED ABOUT THE TAX REVENUE.

WE DO KNOW THAT THE HOUSE VALUES TEND TO DROP.

I'VE SEEN FIGURES FROM 7% TO 10% ALL THE WAY UP TO 25%.

THERE'S SOME BIG HOMES RIGHT ALONG THE AREA, AND AND VACANT LOTS TEND TO DROP ABOUT 44%.

AND THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION THROUGH AMBER OAKS THAT IS NOT DEVELOPED YET THAT COULD HOUSE SOME REALLY BIG HOMES THAT WOULD BRING IN A LOT MORE TAX REVENUE TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS

[00:15:03]

AND SO I AM ASKING THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DO DEEPER EVALUATION INTO THE IMPACT OF THIS LINE.

AND I'M REALLY HOPING YOU HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO OPPOSE THE LINE.

AND IF YOU DON'T ASK FOR MORE AND GIVE US MORE OF A VOICE AND A CHANCE.

ADVERTISE AT THE FARMERS MARKET. COME TALK TO US.

BE MORE VOCAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA SAYING, WE KNOW THIS IS HERE.

WE WANT YOU TO KNOW IT'S HERE. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

BECAUSE AS I TALK TO PEOPLE DAILY, THEY STILL DON'T KNOW THIS IS COMING.

AND THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GEORGE OWEN AND THEN DEBORAH CHAMBERLAIN IS ON DECK.

AND THAT IS THE LAST CARD I HAVE. IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU COULD TAKE A MOMENT AND FILL OUT THAT GREEN CARD AND TURN IT INTO MEMBER OF OUR STAFF NOW. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. HI. MY NAME IS GEORGE OWEN.

I AM, I LIVE AT, MY WIFE AND I LIVE AT 4403 VAN ATTA ROAD.

WE'VE RAISED OUR KIDS THERE. WE'VE LIVED IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND LIVED AT THAT ADDRESS FOR 26 YEARS.

WE PURCHASED THAT LAND BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTY OF IT AND THE TREES, ESPECIALLY AT THE BACK, WHICH ITC IS PROPOSING TO TAKE OUT 80 TO 90% OF THEM.

SO WHAT LOOKS LIKE FROM OUR BACKYARD LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AN INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR, ALONG WITH THE REST OF ALL THE PEOPLE ALONG VAN ATTA ROAD AND PROBABLY UP IN ON THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL, WHERE THE AS IT GOES NORTH TOWARDS NEWMAN ROAD.

FIRST OFF, I'M VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT.

THEY SAY, OH, WELL, MAYBE WE'LL CO-LOCATE. WE WENT TO THE ITC LISTENING SESSION AND SPENT FOUR HOURS THERE, AND THEY I REALLY FELT LIKE THEY WERE TRYING TO SMOOTH OVER AND MAKE US FEEL LIKE, OH, IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL, BUT WE STILL THINK IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL. WE'RE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE EMF, SPECIFICALLY THE MAGNETIC RADIATION THAT GETS ALL THE WAY TO OUR HOUSE, AND WE CAN SENSE IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE 138 KV LINE THAT'S THERE NOW BEFORE THE 345 KV LINE WILL PUT OUT MORE.

AND EVEN IF THEY DO TRY AND LOCATE ON ADDITIONAL POLES, OR I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN MULTIPLE LINES ON CO-LOCATED POLES, BECAUSE IF THEY EVER HAVE TO CHANGE ANYTHING, THEY HAVE TO SHUT DOWN BOTH OUR THE THE 138 KV LINE AS WELL AS THE 345 KV LINE.

THEY HAVE TO SHUT ALL THAT DOWN. AND THAT'S HARD ON THE SYSTEM.

SO I, I REALLY GOT THE IMPRESSION THEY WANT TO GO WHAT'S EASIEST FOR THEM, WHICH IS A 200 FOOT WIDE VIRGIN PATH THROUGH YOUR TOWNSHIP, OUR TOWNSHIP, THROUGH OUR YARDS, THROUGH YOUR PARKS.

AND IT WILL SEVERELY CHANGE THINGS. I BELIEVE IT WILL SEVERELY, IN MY PARTICULAR CASE AND ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS.

I BELIEVE IT WILL LOWER OUR PROPERTY VALUES AT LEAST BY HALF.

BECAUSE OF THE VALUE OF THE BEAUTY OF THE LAND THAT'S THERE WILL BE GONE, AND THEN NOBODY WILL WANT TO BUY IT, BECAUSE WHO WANTS TO LIVE NEXT TO THAT CLOSE TO POWER LINES? I JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD WORK WITH US AND MAKE IT VERY CLEAR WHAT YOU'RE.

SUPPORTING OR NOT SUPPORTING AND DO ALL THAT WE CAN DO.

WE HAVE APPARENTLY LITTLE OR NO CONTROL. WE HAVE NO VOTE.

WE HAVE NO ANY, NO SAY AT ALL OTHER THAN THEY MIGHT LISTEN TO US.

AND SO WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DEBORAH CHAMBERLAIN AND THEN DAVID. I'M SORRY, I CAN'T.

SHYCOFF? IS ON DECK. SCHWEIKER. OKAY. THANK YOU.

I'M. SORRY. I'M NOT QUITE USED TO THIS DEVICE I HAVE HERE YET. MY NAME IS DEBORAH CHAMBERLAIN.

I LIVE AT 4819 MERIDIAN ROAD. I BELIEVE I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH SOME OR ALL OF YOU THROUGH EMAIL.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN STATED THAT I WILL REITERATE THAT HAVE BEEN VERY ELOQUENTLY STATED.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR 43 YEARS, AND THAT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT.

IT IS A UNIQUE PLACE TO LIVE. IT HAS AFFORDED US A NUMBER OF BENEFITS THAT I THINK IS RARE IN THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THIS TOWNSHIP.

AND THEN 28 YEARS AGO, WHEN WE DECIDED, AFTER MANY YEARS LIVING IN SUBDIVISIONS, THAT MY PASSION AND MY DAUGHTER'S PASSION FOR HORSES SHOULD BE FURTHERED AND WE BEGAN LOOKING FOR ACREAGE PARCELS.

WE HAD A CHOICE OF A NUMBER OF THEM, AND QUITE HONESTLY, PARCELS THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE AFFORDED US REALLY MORE RIDING AREA AND SO FORTH FOR OUR

[00:20:07]

WE DECIDED THAT THIS WAS THE PLACE WE WANTED TO STAY, THAT THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY PLACE THAT MATCHED IT.

I'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TREES. I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.

WE WERE MADE AWARE THAT WE HAVE HERITAGE TREES ON THE PROPERTY, AND MANY OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN THERE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS THAT ARE REGISTERED, THAT CAN BE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND THAT DO HAVE SOME ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO THE FACT THAT THEY CANNOT BE REPLACED.

THEY ARE IRREPLACEABLE. WE HAVE TRIED TO BE PARTICULARLY GOOD STEWARDS OF THOSE TREES, EVEN IF THEY HAD IN SOME TIMES MAYBE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED US FROM DOING SOMETHING ELSE WITH THE PROPERTY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THEY BELONG THERE AND THAT THEY ADD BEAUTY AND OBVIOUSLY HOMES FOR WILDLIFE THAT WE ENJOY AN ABUNDANCE OF. WE ALSO ARE ON A WELL, AS I KNOW, ARE MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS, AND WE ALL CONTINUE TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT CONTAMINATION OF THE PURITY OF THE WATER OF THOSE WELLS, AS ITC PROPOSES THIS INCREDIBLE 200 FOOT EASEMENT THAT WILL REQUIRE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF HERBICIDE.

AND YOU KNOW, AS IS TRUE WITH NOT ONLY THE USE OF HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES, BUT ALSO THE USE OR THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING EMFS, THERE'S CONTROVERSY ABOUT THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S MORE THAN ONE SIDE.

AND I RECENTLY READ SOME WRITINGS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.

I THINK THAT I COPIED ONE QUOTATION FROM THEM WHEN I WROTE TO MR. HENDRICKSON. AS WE CONTINUE TO BE A MORE AND MORE ELECTRIC, SO TO SPEAK, SOCIETY, THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR WAYS.

DOES THAT MEAN I MY TIME IS UP? I'M SORRY. MINIMIZE THAT CLOSING COMMENT WOULD JUST BE SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAVE SAID THIS.

WE HAVE INVESTED A LIFETIME. MANY OF US FINANCIALLY, SPIRITUALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY, THAT WOULD ALL BE TAKEN AWAY. THERE ISN'T ROOM FOR THAT EASEMENT. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GIBBS.

IF YOU WOULD PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR. I DON'T WANT FOLKS OUTSIDE TO THINK THAT WE'RE CLOSING THEM OUT.

THANK YOU. DAVID SCHWEIKER, AND THAT IS THE LAST CARD THAT I HAVE.

ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? NOW WOULD BE YOUR TIME TO FILL OUT THE CARD.

HI. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME. MY NAME IS DAVID SCHWEIKERT.

I LIVE AT 4835 BUTTERCUP LANE. WE MOVED IN RIGHT DURING THE PANDEMIC.

WE PICKED A SPOT THAT HAD NATURAL BEAUTY. WE BACK UP RIGHT NEXT TO TODD BLACK WOODS.

I HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD SON, A SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND MY HOUSE IS 265FT AWAY FROM WHERE THIS PROPOSED LINE IS.

SO I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TELL YOU I AM AGAINST THIS BECAUSE I CHOSE TO RAISE MY FAMILY IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TO ENJOY THE PARKS. MY DAUGHTER PLAYS SOCCER THROUGH THE PARK SYSTEM LIKE WE LOVE BEING HERE.

SHE'S A HASLETT VIKING. SO AGAIN YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO COME, AND THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO RAISE MY FAMILY. AND NOW A POWER LINE IS GOING WITHIN HUNDREDS OF FEET OF MY HOUSE.

AND I WENT TO THE LISTENING SESSION. AND I WILL SAY THERE ARE THINGS THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING AND SAYING THAT ARE NOT TRUE.

THEY TOLD ME FLAT OUT, YOU CANNOT BURY THESE LINES.

YOU 100% CAN BURY THEM. THEY DO IT ALL OVER THE WORLD.

BUT IT COSTS 10 TO 15 TIMES MORE TO BURY THEM.

AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A BETTER WAY. I'M JUST SAYING IT'S ONE THING THEY SAID THEY CANNOT DO THAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN DO.

ANOTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY BLATANTLY TOLD THAT UNLESS YOUR PROPERTY IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THEIR EASEMENT OF 200FT, LIKE THEY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH YOU AND YOU'RE JUST THEIR PROBLEM.

SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. I HOPE YOU CAN RECONSIDER.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT. BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M HERE TO RAISE MY FAMILY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EMILY WEAVER. AND THEN THAT'S ALL THE CARDS WE HAVE.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CALL, PLEASE. HI. MY NAME IS EMILY WEAVER.

248 EAST NEWMAN. I WASN'T PLANNING TO SPEAK, BUT I'M KIND OF GOING TO WING THIS BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED OF SOMETHING NEW THAT HASN'T QUITE

[00:25:07]

BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION BEFORE THEY'RE MAKING THAT DECISION RATHER THAN REACTING.

THIS WOULD DAMAGE MULTIPLE WETLANDS, AND THEIR GOAL WOULD THEN BE TO FIND LOCATIONS TO CREATE NEW WETLANDS RATHER THAN PROTECTING THE ONES THAT EXIST NOW. THIS WOULD DEFINITELY ALTER AND AFFECT WILDLIFE HABITATS DURING FLOW FLOOD LINES. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT COME UP TONIGHT.

AND THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? I HAVE A QUESTION. I'M SORRY. WHEN YOU CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS, DO WE FIND THAT ON YOUR WEBSITE? THEN WHERE DO WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING? IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WE'D ASK THAT YOU RAISE THEM DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, AND OUR STAFF CAN RESPOND TO THAT AT A LATER TIME, OFTEN DURING THE MANAGER SECTION MANAGER REVIEW, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A MORE DILIGENT FOLLOW UP, WE CAN GET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESPOND DIRECTLY TO YOU.

GOING TO ANSWER THOSE? TIM, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET BACK TO THEM ABOUT THAT? YEAH, CERTAINLY. WHEN IT COMES TO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER WAS REGARDING THE TREE ORDINANCE.

AND WE DO HAVE STANDARDS REGARDING TREE REMOVAL.

THERE IS A PERMIT PROCESS THAT'S REQUIRED FOR TREES FOR A CERTAIN SIZE.

SO WE DO HAVE STANDARDS FOR THAT OVERALL. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAD ANY ADDITIONAL THIS EVENING.

BUT TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COMMUNICATE EITHER AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING DEPENDING ON IF THIS TOPIC CARRIES OVER.

WITH ANY OF THOSE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS, WE CAN ALSO PUT SOME COMMUNICATIONS OUT, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE QUESTIONS AND WHERE WE WANT TO DO THAT ON THE WEBSITE.

ONE QUESTION WAS WHAT IS THE BOARD'S STANCE? WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WE'VE GOT A DISCUSSION ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.

WHERE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU.

SEEING NO OTHER FOLKS COMING FORWARD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

PUBLIC COMMENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED AT 6:27 P.M..

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT ]

YES. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. JUST A COUPLE ITEMS. ONE REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WITH THE STRETCH OF COLD WEATHER WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD FAR TOO MANY PIPE BREAKS THAT WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP WITH THE COLD WEATHER.

SO WE JUST REMIND PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY HAVE WATER PIPES, IF THEY HAVE FIRE SUPPRESSION IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE AREAS ARE GETTING HEATED OR THEY HAVE PROPER INSULATION.

BECAUSE WE'RE AGAIN, SEEING A LOT OF BREAKS ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP WITHIN PROPERTIES.

SO HOPEFULLY PEOPLE CAN BE MINDFUL OF THAT. AND KUDOS RELATED TO THAT TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THEY RESPONDED SATURDAY NIGHT LATE WELL INTO SUNDAY MORNING FOR QUITE A FEW HOURS, AND RESPONDING TO A BREAK AT STORY POINT THAT RESULTED IN THE DISPLACEMENT OF A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS, A FAIR NUMBER.

FORTUNATELY, THE STORY POINT MANAGEMENT WAS REALLY ON IT.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB OF RELOCATING THOSE RESIDENTS, EITHER WITHIN OTHER PARTS OF THE FACILITY, WORKING WITH PARTNER FACILITIES, OR FINDING TEMPORARY LODGING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, SO KUDOS TO THEM.

BUT AGAIN PEOPLE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DILIGENT ON THIS ISSUE.

HOPEFULLY WE'LL WE'LL SEE SPRING AT SOME POINT.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW WITH WEATHER TRANSITION TEMPERATURE SWINGS, THAT CAN ALSO CREATE AN INCREASE IN THIS PROBLEM.

SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. AND RELATED AGAIN TO THE WEATHER.

OUR SPLASH AND DASH EVENT, OUR FIRST ANNUAL THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR LAST MONTH, HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND. SO WE HOPE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO PLAN TO ATTEND WILL STILL COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT EVENT.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOARD MEMBERS. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MANAGER DEMPSEY? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON.

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ]

[00:30:03]

THERE'S ONE TONIGHT UNTIL SEVEN, AND THEN THERE ARE TWO MORE AFTER THAT, BUT THE LAST ONE IS IN FOWLERVILLE.

IT'S A VERY I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND TO GET ANSWERS DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE.

SO I APPRECIATED THAT OPPORTUNITY WAS AFFORDED TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENT. ANOTHER WAY THE BOARD CAN RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS IS THROUGH OUR EMAIL.

SO WE HAVE AN EMAIL BOARD PACKET. YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AT IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BOARD PACKET.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND ONE OF US MAY BE ABLE TO RESPOND OR DIRECT IT TO STAFF.

TRUSTEE LENTZ. THANK YOU. JUST TO CLARIFY THERE ARE TWO MORE SESSIONS WHERE MEMBERS OF THE OF THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE COMPLAINTS THAT ARE LODGED DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR FEELINGS ON THIS LINE.

TOMORROW, 12 TO 7 P.M. IT IS AT CONWAY TOWNSHIP HALL.

THAT IS A FOWLERVILLE ADDRESS THAT TRUSTEE WILSON WAS REFERENCING.

AND THEN ALSO THURSDAY THE FIFTH. SO TWO DAYS FROM NOW FROM 5 TO 7 P.M.

AT THE FOWLERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. SO TWO MORE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.

BUT LIKE TRUSTEE WILSON AND SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THAT AND DID LEARN A LOT AND GOT TO VOICE MY PERSONAL CONCERNS AND THOSE CONCERNS OF THIS BODY THAT WE YOU KNOW, LUCKILY GOT THE CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO A VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THIS PROJECT. BUT I'LL SAVE THE REST OF MY COMMENTS FOR OUR DISCUSSION LATER.

TWO OTHER THINGS. EXCUSE ME. THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION EACH YEAR VOTES ON OFFICERS, THAT IS, ON A ROTATING BASIS. INGHAM, EATON, CLINTON COUNTIES AND THEN CITY OF LANSING ALL ROTATE.

COMMISSIONER FOR INGHAM COUNTY IRENE CAHILL WAS APPOINTED PRESIDENT.

VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER.

SHE HAS A SMALL PORTION OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS PART OF HER DISTRICT.

BUT YOU KNOW, THAT BODY IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO EACH MONTH AS A WAY TO HAVE REGIONALITY THIS PROJECT, OF COURSE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT IS A VERY REGIONAL FOCUS.

AND THEN AS A SHOUT OUT TO THURSDAY EVENING MID-MARCH, WHICH IS THE MID MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL IS HOSTING AN EVENT WHERE THEIR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD ON THURSDAY EVENING WILL BE GIVEN TO DAVID CHAPMAN, WHO WAS A SCIENCE TEACHER FOR OKEMOS SCHOOLS, I BELIEVE, UNTIL 2020.

AND FOR HIS LONG SERVICE AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR, I'VE BEEN LONG AFFILIATED WITH THAT GROUP.

THEY HAVE RECEIVED GREEN GRANTS FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FOR EDUCATION.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO ON THEIR WEBSITE TO SEE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING.

IT IS A TICKETED EVENT, OBVIOUSLY GOING TOWARDS THEIR MISSION AND WILL BE HELD.

EXCUSE ME. HELD AT THE BROAD ART MUSEUM ON THURSDAY AT 6:30.

SO TERRIFIC. THANK YOU. YEAH. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WITH THEIR REPORTS? ALONG WITH SEVERAL OF OUR SEVERAL OF US I ATTENDED THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR FORMER SUPERVISOR PAT JACKSON LAST MONDAY, WHO SERVED THIS COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY A QUARTER CENTURY IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES.

IT WAS VERY NICE TO HEAR FROM HER FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, AS WELL AS FORMER BOARD MEMBERS.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE BRIXEY WAS HERE. FORMER TRUSTEE SCALES WAS HERE.

AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A LOVELY OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO CELEBRATE SOMEONE WHO REALLY MADE AN IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT HER YEARS OF SERVICE. AND THEN I AS WELL ATTENDED ONE OF THE ITC LISTENING SESSIONS OVER AT THE OKEMOS EVENT CENTER.

AND WAS ABLE TO BOTH PROVIDE WRITTEN AND VERBAL FEEDBACK TO A NUMBER OF FOLKS THERE AS WELL AS TO OFFER MY PERSONAL OPPOSITION TO THE MERIDIAN AND WILLIAMSTOWN LINE, PROPOSED LINE.

AND IF YOU HAVEN'T YET ATTENDED ONE OF THESE SESSIONS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO TO THE COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS.

THEY HAVE STAFF THERE TO ASSIST YOU. YOU CAN LODGE SPECIFIC COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPECIFIC PROPERTIES.

[00:35:07]

THE LAND THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE HARRIS NATURE CENTER.

SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARCELS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR AS WELL.

BUT I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN ON THE FIRST, IT WAS THE FIRST LISTENING SESSION THAT I ATTENDED AND YOU COULD SORT OF SEE WHERE THE COMPLAINTS AND FEEDBACK HAD BEEN MADE. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVEN ON THAT FIRST DAY, THERE ALREADY WERE QUITE A FEW ON THAT MERIDIAN AND WILLIAMSTOWN AREA. SO I THINK THAT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY CERTAINLY IS MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT THING. AND SO I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT.

ANY OTHER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON. BEFORE WE TAKE UP THE AGENDA, I'M GOING TO SUGGEST, SINCE I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF FOLKS,

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]

IS THAT POSSIBLE? SO THE ITC REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED ARRIVAL AROUND 6:30.

SO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE IN THE ROOM YET. I DON'T SEE THEM.

SO BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THEIR LISTENING SESSION, I SAID THEY'D GET HERE AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS POSSIBLE.

OKAY. WELL, AT THE VERY LEAST, WE SHOULD MOVE IT AHEAD OF THE SWAP A AND B AND 12 SO WE CAN GET TO THAT RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

SO THAT FOLKS DON'T HAVE TO SIT THROUGH ALL OF THE REST OF OUR AGENDA ON THAT.

SO I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE MOTION MAKER, BECAUSE WE FIND OURSELVES NOW FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. SO MOVE ANY CHANGES OR AS IS AS.

EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE CHANGE INDICATED BY THE SUPERVISOR TO MAKE 12 B, 12 A AND 12A AND 12B. THANK YOU. HAVE A SECOND? TREASURER BURGHARDT. I SECOND IT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

I GUESS I SHOULD SAY IT'S A RE-ADOPTION OF THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIPS ASSOCIATION PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE.

DO A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. TRUSTEE WILSON. MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE.

CLERK DEMAS. WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? CLERK DEMAS. YES.

TREASURER BURGHARDT. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON.

YES. MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM TEN. PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN TERMINATION.

[10.A. Village of Okemos Brownfield Plan Termination]

AND WITH US THIS EVENING, WE HAVE DIRECTOR AMBER CLARK, WHO WILL GIVE US A PREFACE TO THIS AGENDA ITEM.

DIRECTOR CLARK, GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING IS TO ALLOW PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE TERMINATION OF THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN.

THE DEVELOPER AND PROPERTY OWNER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS HEARING AND POSSIBILITY.

WE HAVE RECEIVED NO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC OR THE DEVELOPER REGARDING THE SUGGESTED DISCUSSION FOR THE TERMINATION.

AND TONIGHT YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE TERMINATION OF THE PLAN UNDER DISCUSSION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ACTION ITEM, WHICH THE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN TERMINATION.

DOES ANYONE WISH TO SPEAK TO THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN TERMINATION AT THIS TIME? ALL HERE FOR ITC [LAUGHS]. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO ONE RUSHING TO THE PODIUM, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 6:39 P.M..

OKAY. AND WE WILL TAKE THIS AGENDA ITEM UP AS ITEM 12 B AT THE END OF OUR MEETING.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11.A SANCTUARY NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC STREETLIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 430 RESOLUTIONS ONE

[11.A. Sanctuary #2 Public Streetlighting Improvement Special Assessment District #430– Resolution #1 & #2]

MR. OPSOMMER. GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS.

SO TONIGHT BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE RESOLUTIONS ONE AND TWO FOR THE SANCTUARY TWO PLAT, WHICH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OFF OF HEWLETT ROAD.

[00:40:04]

THERE ARE SEVEN PARCELS. WE ARE, ACTUALLY, THE DEVELOPER HAS ALREADY WORKED WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY AND PAID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR STREETLIGHTS.

SO TONIGHT WE ARE INITIATING THE FIVE RESOLUTION PROCESS TO CREATE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT FOR THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND ELECTRICAL SERVICE FOR THOSE STREETLIGHTS.

SO BY ADOPTING THE TWO RESOLUTIONS TONIGHT YOU WILL BE SETTING THE HEARING FOR MARCH 3RD.

WE HAVE NOTICES READY TO GO OUT. AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK WITH RESOLUTION FOR THE NIGHT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN RESOLUTION FIVE AFTER THAT. AND ALL BUT ONE OF THE PARCELS IS OWNED BY THE DEVELOPER PRESENTLY.

SO THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE PROPERTY OWNER WHO WOULD WEIGH IN ON THIS.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS AN ITEM FOR ACTION.

ANY DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? I'LL ASK, IS IT TYPICAL FOR THE PURCHASE TO HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT WITH CONSUMERS PRIOR TO THE INITIATION OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT? IT CAN GO EITHER WAY. SILVERSTONE ESTATES WAS THE SAME WAY.

THE DEVELOPER HAD INITIATED IT AND PAID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION THEMSELVES.

BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, I WOULD SAY THE CONSTRUCTION IS ON THE FIRST YEAR SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.

OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE. IN THIS SITUATION, DOES THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT GO TO REPAY THE CONSTRUCTION THAT THE BUILDERS ALREADY PUT IN THERE, OR WILL IT JUST APPLY TO FUTURE MAINTENANCE AND ELECTRICITY? WE'RE JUST PROVIDING A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND ELECTRICITY.

THE FIRST YEAR IS HIGHER BECAUSE WE'RE FUNDING TWO YEARS.

WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS YEAR'S ELECTRICAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE AND NEXT YEAR'S ON THE DECEMBER SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.

IN ANOTHER SITUATION, THE CONSTRUCTION WOULD ALSO BE PART OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.

YEAH. TYPICALLY THE FIRST YEAR ASSESSMENT IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THE ONGOING ASSESSMENTS THEREAFTER FOR THAT REASON.

THANK YOU. OKAY. OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS.

THEN WE HAVE A MOTION BEFORE US. SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT? TRUSTEE TREZISE. MOVE TO APPROVE THE SANCTUARY NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.

SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER430. RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE, ORDERING PLANS TO BE PREPARED, SHOWING THE STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT, LOCATION AND ESTIMATE OF COST AND RESOLUTION NUMBER TWO, FILING THE PLAN SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENT, LOCATION AND ESTIMATE OF COSTS, WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TENTATIVELY DECLARING INTENTION TO MAINTAIN FOR 46 WATT LED STREETLIGHTS WITH TRADITIONAL FIXTURES WITH CUTOFF AND STANDARD FIBERGLASS POLES, AND DEFRAY THE COST OF MAINTENANCE BY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE SEVEN BENEFITING LOTS AND SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2026.

SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE IN SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

ANY FINAL DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER? SEEING NONE, WE'LL, CLERK DEMAS.

PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. TREASURER BURGHARDT. YES.

TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES. CLERK DEMAS YES.

MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 11 B SIERRA RIDGE NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC STREET LIGHT IMPROVEMENT. SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, DISTRICT NUMBER 431,

[11.B. Sierra Ridge #4 Public Streetlighting Improvement Special Assessment District #431 – Resolution #1 & #2]

OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS. THIS ONE IS VERY SIMILAR TO SANCTUARY TWO, CEDAR RIDGE FOUR IS THE SECOND TO LAST PHASE OF THE SIERRA RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD, 14 PARCELS INSTEAD OF SEVEN, FOUR STREET LIGHTS.

SO THE ASSESSMENTS ARE HALF THAT OF THE PRIOR ONE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWICE AS MANY PARCELS DISTRIBUTING THE COST.

MOST OF THE PARCELS ARE STILL OWNED BY THE DEVELOPER, AND THE DEVELOPER HAS WORKED WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY, JUST LIKE THE PRECEDING SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, TO INSTALL THE STREET LIGHTS.

SO THE SAD IS JUST PROVIDING FOR ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? ARE THESE A MANDATORY DISCLOSURE WHEN SOMEONE PURCHASES THE PROPERTY? YEAH. THEY WOULD THEY TYPICALLY WILL CALL EITHER THE ASSESSING OFFICE OR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE OR IN SOME CASES, PUBLIC WORKS TO GET. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S MANDATORY, BUT ALMOST ALWAYS THEY WILL DO THAT TO FIND OUT WHAT SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS ARE ON THE PROPERTY. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NONE. THERE'S A GOOD MOTION AVAILABLE TO US IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT.

[00:45:05]

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. WE HAVE A SECOND.

I'LL SUPPORT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT IT'S SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.

DISTRICT 430, NOT 431. THAT IS THE LAST ONE. THIS ONE IS 431.

OH, SORRY. YEAH. SO YOU'LL REMOVE THE CAVEAT HOPEFULLY.

I'LL REMOVE THAT AND SUPPORT IT. MOVE BY TRUSTEE TREZISE SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

ANY FINAL DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE CLERK DEMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE LENTZ. YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES. TRUSTEE WILSON.

YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES. CLERK DEMAS.

YES. TREASURER BURGHARDT. YES. MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA ITEM IS ITEM 12.A ITC ONEIDA-SABINE LAKE ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE PROPOSED ROUTES.

[12.B. ITC Oneida-Sabine Lake Electric Transmission Line Proposed Routes]

THANK YOU. SO. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS PROJECT IS OBVIOUSLY DRAWN TREMENDOUS INTEREST BY OUR RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF ADJOINING JURISDICTIONS. WE IN PART BECAUSE OF THAT, BUT IN PART BECAUSE OF THE BOARD'S DESIRE TO TO LEARN MORE, OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE GONE TO THE OPEN SESSIONS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.

WE INVITED ITC THIS EVENING TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT, AND THEN PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTIONS TO THEM HERE THIS EVENING. SO THEY'RE HERE NOW AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR US.

A COUPLE THINGS, THOUGH, TO SORT OF PREFACE THIS OF COURSE, RIGHT OF WAY PROJECTS, AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WE HAVE AS A TOWNSHIP LIMITED REGULATORY, IT'S ALMOST NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY WHEN IT COMES TO THESE PROJECTS.

SO I MENTIONED THE TREE ORDINANCE EARLIER. A SIGNIFICANT CAVEAT TO THAT ORDINANCE IS WE APPLY IT TO RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WHERE APPLICABLE, WHERE WE CAN ENFORCE OUR ORDINANCE. WHEN IT COMES TO UTILITY RIGHT OF WAYS, OUR WETLAND ORDINANCE, OUR TREE ORDINANCE ARE EFFECTIVELY PREEMPTED UNDER STATE STATUTE.

SO THAT GIVES THE UTILITIES THE ABILITY TO CLEAR TREES AND TO DO OTHER THINGS WITHIN THAT RIGHT OF WAY OUTSIDE OF OUR REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

SO DO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THAT QUESTION CAME UP EARLIER MAKING SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT INFORMATION.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR ITC, ITC TO PRESENT AND THEN YOU, AS THE BOARD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CERTAINLY PROVIDE FEEDBACK, NOT JUST VERBAL THIS EVENING, BUT THE BOARD MAY DECIDE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN FEEDBACK AND INPUT, JUST AS ITC IS RECEIVING FROM INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS.

SO WHETHER THAT'S IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION THAT THE BOARD MAY WANT TO ADOPT, WHETHER THAT'S IN THE FORM OF A LETTER, THEY COULD PROVIDE SORT OF ADDITIONAL CONTEXT.

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE THAT WE COULD EXPLORE.

AGAIN, ONCE YOU'VE HAD ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED, YOU'VE HAD THE ABILITY TO DISCUSS, TALK IT THROUGH AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.

BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE BOARD AGAIN, TO SUBMIT THAT COLLECTIVE FEEDBACK, IN ADDITION TO THE INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK THAT AGAIN, A NUMBER OF YOU HAVE INDICATED YOU'VE ALREADY PRESENTED.

SO. SO WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE'S ADDITIONAL CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS FOR US, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE ITC TEAM TO PRESENT.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. AND IS THAT AM I CORRECT THAT THE ROUTING DECISION ULTIMATELY WOULD BE MADE BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION? AT THE END OF THE DAY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MPSC DOES HAVE TO APPROVE THE THE ROUTING AS PROPOSED.

SO ONCE A FINAL ROUTE HAS BEEN DECIDED ON, WE'LL HAVE TO AUTHORIZE THAT AND THE ITC TEAM CAN CORRECT THAT IF THAT'S INCORRECT, BUT THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. SO THANK YOU.

JUST I'LL FOLLOW UP ON ON TRUSTEE TREZISE QUESTION.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, BARRING OUR PERSONAL OPPOSITION OR SUPPORT OF A PROJECT OF, OF THIS NATURE OR OFFICIAL BOARD ACTION

[00:50:02]

AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT A LOT OF THAT GOING BACK TO TREES, WETLANDS IN PARTICULAR, ARE PREEMPTED UNDER STATE STATUTE.

SO, OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE BRING UP OUR PRESENTERS FROM ITC? SEEING NONE. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT AND MAKE SOME COMMENTS.

SO MY NAME IS BEN TERRELL. I'M A REGIONAL MANAGER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS WITH ITC.

AND SO I JUST HAVE 4 OR 5 SLIDES THAT ARE PRETTY BRIEF.

AND THEN I'D LOVE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS TYPE OF DIALOG YOU'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.

SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHO ITC IS.

JUST RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS AREN'T FAMILIAR. ITCIS ONLY A TRANSMISSION COMPANY.

INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION COMPANY. WE PURCHASED DTE AND CONSUMERS TRANSMISSION ASSETS IN THE MID 2000.

SO AROUND 2005, 2006 AND BECAME A COMPANY THAT DID JUST TRANSMISSION.

SO AND THAT'S ALL WE DO TODAY. SO WE DON'T GENERATE POWER.

WE'RE NOT ON ANYBODY'S UTILITY BILL. ALL OUR CHARGES IS TO MOVE POWER AROUND THE GRID.

WE OPERATE THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL GRID IN THE LOWER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN. WE OPERATE IN SEVERAL OTHER MIDWEST STATES AS WELL. BUT THAT'S INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION IS ALL WE DO.

SLIDE, PLEASE. SO SO MORE TO THE POINT AND WHY FOLKS ARE HERE TONIGHT AND INTERESTED IS THE ONEIDA-SABINE LAKE PROJECT.

AND SO I THINK IT'S JUST A HELPFUL FRAME OF REFERENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT IS PART OF A LARGER REGIONAL SET OF PROJECTS PRODUCED BY MISO, SO THE MIDCONTINENT INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR, IT'S AN INITIATIVE TO UPDATE TO MODERNIZE THE MIDWEST GRID.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE. OUR TRANCHE 2.1 IS HOW THEY'VE TERMED IT.

YOU CAN LOOK ALL THAT UP ON THE WEBSITE. THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THAT TRANCHE 2.1 WORK.

IT'S APPROXIMATELY 50 MILE LINE FROM THE ONEIDA SUBSTATION, WHICH ALREADY EXISTS SOUTHWEST OF GRAND LEDGE, OVER TO A NEW SUBSTATION NORTHEAST OF FOWLERVILLE.

AND SO THAT'S A SUBSTATION THAT WILL BE BUILT 345 KV LINE.

SLIDE, PLEASE. AND SO YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THE REASON FOLKS ARE HERE TONIGHT IS THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED A WIDE SWATH OF THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE'RE CALLING COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS JUST CAME FROM ONE THIS EVENING IN WILLIAMSTON, WHERE WE HAD ABOUT 400 PEOPLE WHEN I LEFT ATTEND.

SO VERY WELL ATTENDED. WE'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE GOT.

YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S INVOLVEMENT AND IMPLICATION IN THIS PROJECT, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SORT OF ONE CORRIDOR THAT INVOLVES MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT IS THERE BECAUSE THAT'S AN EXISTING TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR.

SO ITC IS COMPELLED OBLIGATED TO TO ANALYZE EXISTING TRANSMISSION CORRIDORS.

WE HEAR THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT WE NEED TO TO EXAMINE THOSE, TO ANALYZE THOSE.

SO SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROPOSED ROUTES. ALL THESE ROUTES ARE JUST PROPOSED.

THIS IS AT A PRELIMINARY PHASE. SO THESE ARE ALL ROUTING OPTIONS ALL SUBJECT TO BEING MOVED.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE WILL BE ONE LINE CONSTRUCTED FROM THE SUBSTATION TO THE NEW SABINE LAKE SUBSTATION.

BUT AT THIS PHASE, WE JUST WANT TO HEAR COMMUNITY THOUGHTS ON THE PROJECT CONCERNS THEY HAVE.

I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS.

I TRIED TO QUANTIFY SOME OF THAT. WE HAD A LOT OF MERIDIAN FOLKS THERE TODAY TO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW GOING INTO TODAY, WE HAD SPECIFICALLY 75 FOLK FOLKS LOGGED RIGHT INTO COMMENTS INTO OUR GIS.

WE HAD 160 OUR FIRST DAY IN OKEMOS AND 100 THE SECOND DAY.

SO GREAT REPRESENTATION THOSE FOLKS HAVE. OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE HAD FOLKS AT HOLT AND WILLIAMSTON FROM THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL.

SO REALLY GOOD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. I THINK WE'VE WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT EXIST ALONG THAT EXISTING CORRIDOR, SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS TAKING PLACE, AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL. I THINK WE'LL WE'LL INFORM THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND SO I'LL JUST END ON THIS BEFORE I TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.

I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW WE HAVE TWO MORE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS. THOSE ARE ALL ON OUR WEBSITE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN CONWAY TOWNSHIP TOMORROW FROM 12 TO 7, AND THEN FOWLERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL FROM 5 TO 7 ON THURSDAY.

BUT IN ADDITION, FOLKS HAVE A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT THEY CAN GET AHOLD OF US. I BROUGHT A FLIER THAT THAT DETAILS ALL OF THOSE FOR FOLKS,

[00:55:04]

SOME OF THE ROUTES WILL LIKELY DROP OFF. THERE'LL BE LINES MOVED BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD.

WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK MID-SUMMER AND DO THIS ALL AGAIN ACTUALLY.

SO WE'LL WE'LL LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT ARE NO LONGER ON THE ROUTE, THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER ON THE ROUTE.

WE'LL INFORM PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL ON ONE OF THE ROUTE OPTIONS THAT THEY ARE ARE STILL PART OF THAT PROCESS AND INVITE THEM TO ANOTHER SERIES OF MEETINGS.

SO BUT FOR THIS ITERATION, YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF MECHANISMS FOR FOLKS TO WEIGH IN.

THERE'S A GREAT DIGITAL FORUM, AND THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT FOLKS CAN FIND THEIR PARCEL AND MAKE COMMENTS ONLINE. AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME JUST SOME GENERAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PHONE 800 NUMBER, EMAIL, ALL THOSE WEBSITE CONTACT ALL THOSE MECHANISMS. YOU CAN WEIGH IN AND GIVE US YOUR INPUT. SO WE'RE JUST REALLY LOOKING TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE PROJECT. DEFINITELY HAVE HEARD A LOT OF THAT ALREADY. YOU KNOW, I JUST I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE CAME IN WITH GREAT QUESTIONS, SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK. I THINK IT'S IT'S BEEN REALLY WELL RECEIVED.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL STOP AND TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY. MEMBER MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF MR. TERRELL. AND THIS WOULD BE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE.

ANYONE WANT TO KICK US OFF? TRUSTEE. MY GOSH [LAUGHS] SPEAK AT FIRST.

I'M HAPPY TO DO IT. NO. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, BEN.

TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE BOARD MEMBERS THE QUESTIONS WE MIGHT HAVE.

I GUESS I WOULD START OFF BY ASKING, CAN YOU WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS DATE UNTIL WHEN? WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THESE LINES ARE UP AND ACTIVE.

WHAT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT WOULD BE MADE ALONG THE WAY? I UNDERSTAND FROM MANAGER DEMPSEY HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SO MUCH IN OUR PURVIEW AS A TOWNSHIP BOARD TO MAKE ANY OF THOSE DECISIONS. SO I'D BE CURIOUS, AND I'M SURE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT ANY KIND OF DECISION BEYOND THAT SUMMER DEADLINE YOU MENTIONED.

SURE. I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THIS PROCESS REALLY STARTED KIND OF AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL SUMMER OF 2025, WHERE WE KICKED OFF WHAT WE CALL LOCAL LEADER LISTENING SESSIONS. SO WE JUST SHARED, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT OVERVIEW MAP. THIS IS WHAT THE THE POINTS WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A PROJECT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO COME AND THEN JUST SOLICITING SOME INITIAL THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE SHOULD AVOID, THINGS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED, THAT MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ROUTING AND TRANSMISSION LINE.

YOU ACTUALLY SEE SOME OF THOSE REFLECTED. SO WE DID HEAR FROM ANOTHER NUMBER OF LOCAL LEADERS THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT EXISTING RIGHT OF WAYS.

WE SHOULD LOOK AT FREEWAY PARALLELING FREEWAY INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS AS WELL. SO WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.

WHAT FOLKS ARE SEEING IS REALLY AN INITIAL DRAFT, A STARTING POINT OF ROUTE OPTIONS.

SO WE'RE IN SORT OF THE SECOND PHASE OF OUR OUTREACH.

WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE INPUT UNTIL THE 19TH, AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK. WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL THE EVALUATE, ALL THAT INPUT.

RIGHT. WHICH IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT TASK AT THIS POINT.

TAKE ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND THEN THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SET OF, OF ROUTE OPTIONS PRESENTED. RIGHT. AND ONCE AGAIN, WE'LL NOTIFY PEOPLE. WE'VE NOTIFIED PEOPLE WITHIN 1500 FEET OF ANY OF THESE ROUTE OPTIONS.

SO THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE. THAT'S THAT'S FURTHER THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

SO WE'VE TRIED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE NOT ONLY THE IMPACTED LANDOWNER, BUT SURROUNDING PARCELS, PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST OR BE ABLE TO SEE THESE LINES.

SO AT ANY RATE, THAT WILL HAPPEN MID-SUMMER. AND THEN TOWARDS THE FALL, THERE WILL BE A CONSTRUCTION PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE MPSC, AND SOME FORMALIZED ROUTES WILL BE SUBMITTED.

SO THE MPSC HAS AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, HAS A PROCESS THAT TAKES APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR TO TO DO.

AND THEY ULTIMATELY HAVE ALL OF THE AUTHORITY SO THEY CAN APPROVE THE ROUTE SUBMITTED, THEY CAN DENY THE ROUTE OR THEY CAN APPROVE WITH ALTERATIONS.

SO THEY REALLY DO HAVE ALL THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY. THANK YOU.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE THINKING AT LEAST TWO YEARS BEFORE ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION WOULD EVEN BEGIN.

IS THAT A ROUGH BALLPARK OF WHAT I'M HEARING? YEAH, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER THAN TWO YEARS. SO I WOULD SAY 30 TO 31 BEFORE YOU WOULD SEE ANY ACTUAL ON THE GROUND CONSTRUCTION.

SO BY THE TIME MPSC APPROVES THE ROUTE, THEY'LL BE ACQUIRING EASEMENTS.

THERE'LL BE STILL BE MODIFICATIONS GOING ON WITH LANDOWNERS, ALL OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.

SO NOTHING IN THIS WORLD MOVES VERY QUICKLY. AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS THE EARLIEST THAT ANYONE COULD EXPECT CONSTRUCTION TO OCCUR.

THANK YOU. MAY ADD SOME OTHERS, BUT I SAW SOME OTHER HANDS, SO I'LL.

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. TREASURER BURGHARDT. YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. OF ALL THE ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED SO FAR WHICH ONE HAS RECEIVED THE MOST

[01:00:01]

I HONESTLY COULDN'T TELL YOU. WE'VE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE COME THROUGH AND OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE SEGMENTS AND ALL THE PIECES.

WHAT I WOULD JUST SAY IS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SOME, SOME REALLY GREAT INPUT.

SO WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PLANS THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR THEIR PARCELS.

WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT EVEN STRUCTURES THAT ARE HIDDEN IN THE TREES.

WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT COULD BE AN ISSUE.

ALL TYPES OF TYPES OF THINGS OVER THE LAST DAYS.

SO I CAN'T REALLY TELL YOU THAT. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, GREAT REPRESENTATION FROM THE TOWNSHIP FOR SURE.

RIGHT? WE YOU KNOW, WE KNEW WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS DIALOG IN EARNEST WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THAT'S WHY WE SCHEDULED TWO DAYS IN OKEMOS RIGHT TO TO TO THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS AT CENTRAL.

BUT IT'S ALSO KEY THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HERE WERE HEARD.

AND WE EVALUATED THAT THAT SINGULAR OPTION THAT GOES THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP VERY CAREFULLY.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE WILSON. I ATTENDED THE SESSION A WEEK AGO MONDAY, AND I ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT THE GIS MAP WHILE I WAS THERE AND MADE COMMENTS FEEDBACK ON THAT AND ALSO ON THE PAPER DOCUMENT.

IS THERE ANY OTHER ROUTE THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING WHERE YOU HAVE THE DENSITY OF THE SUBDIVISIONS, THE PARKLAND, THE NATURE CENTER. IS THERE ANY OTHER ROUTE THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT WHERE YOU GO THROUGH SO MUCH ALREADY DEVELOPED PROPERTY? I THINK I CAN SAY NO. THAT'S AN EXISTING CORRIDOR, RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONLY STRAIGHT LINE REALLY ON THE MAP. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S AN OLD, VERY OLD EAST WEST EASEMENT. AND SO YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ANALYZING THAT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON, THAT CERTAINLY COMES WITH ITS CHALLENGES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TRYING TO FLESH OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND FULLY MOVING FORWARD.

BECAUSE THE MAP LOOKS SOMEWHAT INNOCUOUS. BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET INTO LOOKING AT IT, ESPECIALLY ON THE GIS SYSTEM, WHERE YOU SEE, YOU CAN DRILL DOWN INTO THE PROPERTIES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LINE STARTING FROM JOLLY ROAD WOULD BIFURCATE.

THE TWO SUBDIVISIONS, EMBER OAKS AND PONDEROSA, THEN COME RIGHT UP INTO OUR PARK AREA AND OUR HARRIS NATURE CENTER, AND THEN GO NORTH INTO THE, EAST NEWMAN MERIDIAN ROAD AREA THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT TODAY.

SO IT CONCERNS ME, AND I HOPE YOU WEIGH CAREFULLY HOW DENSE THIS PROPERTY IS ALREADY IN UTILIZATION INCLUDING PARK LANDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR REAL JEWEL IN THIS COMMUNITY.

THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD IS FOR A 345 LINE. IT REQUIRES 200FT OF RIGHT OF WAY.

AND IS THAT 200FT CLEAR CUT? YES. SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE CLEARED OF TALL GROWING VEGETATION.

SO ALL TREES. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WITH MAINTENANCE? WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR THAT CAREFULLY AND WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK THROUGH AND TRIM AGAIN. SO OKAY 200FT IS A LOT OF SPACE.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE HEARING SO MANY CONCERNS FROM OUR RESIDENTS.

YEAH.

THANK YOU. I JUST WOULD SAY THAT AS YOU AS YOU MENTIONED, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW A CORRIDOR THAT GOES THROUGH THE NATURE CENTER, ALL ALL THOSE THINGS WE'RE AWARE OF. I MEAN, THERE'S CURRENTLY TRANSMISSION LINES GOING THROUGH THERE THAT THE CORRIDOR WOULD HAVE TO BE WIDENED. THE ADDITIONAL LINE COULD BE PLACED ON ON POLES AND SIMILAR LOCATIONS ON THE LINE.

BUT ALL OF YOUR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS ARE DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT THROUGH THE COURSE OF LISTENING SESSIONS.

I THINK THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY, VERY GOOD CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YEAH. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT ITC USES IN MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR A CORRIDOR FOR THIS LINE? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE PSC? YEAH. SO I THINK A BIG FACTOR IS, IS THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON NOW.

WE REALLY WANT TO FIND YOU KNOW, THIS HAS TO HAPPEN.

WE HAVE TO GET THIS DONE. BUT WE WANT TO FIND, AN OPTION THAT WORKS BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

AND SO I THINK THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW IS VERY IMPORTANT.

ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF OUTREACH. YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FIND THE BEST ROUTE, THE ROUTE THAT HAS THE LEAST IMPACT ON ON PEOPLE INVOLVED, ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ON ALL THE FACTORS. IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK, RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST A LITANY OF FACTORS.

BUT IT IS TRYING TO FIND THAT, THAT ROUTE THAT WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S WHY THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IT GETS TO BE COMPLICATED. IT GETS TO BE MESSY. WE NEED THE PUBLIC'S HELP BECAUSE WE'VE LEARNED SO MANY THINGS ALREADY THAT THAT WE PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ON PAPER. AND SO THAT I THINK IS THE KEY PIECE IN ROUTE SELECTION.

I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ABOUT A DOZEN COMMUNITIES, EACH ONE WITH THEIR OWN CONCERNS.

[01:05:04]

AND SO THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES. SOME OF THOSE PLACES WE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WE HEAR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND SO IT JUST IT'S NOT EASY AND IT'S NOT SIMPLE. BUT I THINK THIS TYPE OF DIALOG WITH THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY GOING TO BE WHAT INFORMS THOSE ROOTS.

THANK YOU. SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THE PROPOSED SEGMENT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE IN A NUMBER OF CASES, THE EXISTING 75 FOOT EASEMENT DOES NOT IMPACT STRUCTURES, HOMES, OUTBUILDINGS, WHAT HAVE YOU.

HOWEVER, IT'S CLEAR TO SEE ON THE MAP THAT IN MANY CASES, A 200 FOOT EASEMENT LIKELY WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE HOMEOWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER HAVING TO WORK WITH YOU TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS SHOULD THIS GET SELECTED AS THE ROUTE? YEAH. SHOULD WE GET TO THAT POINT, I THINK WHAT WE'D BE PURSUING WOULD BE A VEGETATIVE EASEMENT IN THOSE PORTIONS, RIGHT? WHERE WE WOULD BE MANAGING TREES. I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN ENVISION WHERE WE'RE HOMES ARE BEING, YOU KNOW, DESTROYED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AT THE INVITATION OF SOME OF YOUR RESIDENTS TO TO WALK SOME OF THIS LINE, I DEFINITELY HAVE A BETTER FEELING FOR THE NATURE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY SHEDS AND OTHER STRUCTURES ARE OUT THERE.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S COME FORWARD.

RIGHT? IT'S JUST THE LEARNING OF OF JUST HOW MUCH HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT ENTAILS.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED THROUGH, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED.

BUT AND WHAT RIGHTS WOULD PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE IF THEY WERE IN STRICT OPPOSITION TO VEGETATIVE EASEMENT, IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO, TO PERMIT THE STRICT MANAGEMENT OF VEGETATION? SO IT'S MUCH LIKE THE TOWNSHIP, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO FOLLOW REGULATORY CRITERIA THAT ENSURE THAT WE MANAGE THE TREES.

WE CAN BE FINED SUBSTANTIALLY FOR NOT MANAGING THE TREES.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE REALITY WITH OUR LINES IS IT'S NOT A COUPLE HOMES LOSE POWER WHEN ONE OF OUR LINES GOES DOWN.

IT'S THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF HOMES LOSE POWER. AND SO WE DO HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT BUT I THINK SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY LITTLE OPTIONS.

THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FIND THE RIGHT ROUTE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN THIS AREA.

YEAH. GIVEN THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, IN SOME CASES, SOME RELATIVELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU MENTIONED WHEN A LINE FAILS, IT AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, WE SEE STANDARD COMMERCIAL TRANSMISSION LINES OR POWER LINES COME DOWN.

AND OF COURSE, THAT'S A DANGER TO THE FOLKS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY.

TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN ONE OF YOUR LINES HAS AN ISSUE.

YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO WHAT I WOULD SORT OF SHARE IS THAT THESE WILL BE, YOU KNOW POLES 120 TO 180FT IN THE AIR.

THEY'RE STEEL POLLS, STEEL MONOPOLES. THEY'LL BE BURIED INTO A CONCRETE CAISSON THAT'LL BE 25 TO 50FT IN THE GROUND.

AND SO THESE ARE NOT POLLS THAT ARE GOING TO BLOW OVER FOR THAT REASON.

RIGHT. BUT I THINK THAT THE DANGER, THE POSSIBILITY FOR FAILURE DOES COME WITH VEGETATION PRIMARILY.

RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN TAKE THESE DOWN IS IF YOU HAVE A SUMMER STORM AND YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE LINES SAGGING, A TREE CAN COME OVER AND POTENTIALLY KNOCK OUT A LINE.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE SO DILIGENT ABOUT VEGETATION, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO THAT CONCERN FROM THAT REGARD.

OKAY. SO YEAH, I HAVE AND I CAME TO THE LISTENING SESSION, AS I MENTIONED LAST MONDAY AND I DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS WITH SEVERAL OF, ESPECIALLY THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARCELS THAT THIS PROPOSED LINE WOULD GO THROUGH.

SPECIFICALLY, IT GOES THROUGH A NUMBER OF OUR PARKS.

RIVERFRONT PARK, LAKE PARK, TED BLACK WOODS BECAUSE I KNOW A NUMBER OF FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED HERE TONIGHT, AS WELL AS THE WESTERNMOST SIDE OF OUR HARRIS NATURE CENTER.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE WIDENING THIS EASEMENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROPOSED WIDENING OF THIS EASEMENT IS IMPACTING OLD GROWTH FOREST IN A NUMBER OF THESE PLACES.

YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAME A LITTLE BIT LATE, SO YOU MISSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THIS.

BUT A NUMBER OF FOLKS BROUGHT UP THE PARKLAND SPECIFICALLY WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE IN OUR ON OUR TRAILS AND WHATNOT.

AND SO WE, WE VALUE THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY VERY HIGHLY.

[01:10:01]

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HEARING FROM OUR RESIDENTS, WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW IT WILL IMPACT THEIR PROPERTY VALUES. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS ALSO IS CONCERNED, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY THE SAME DIRECT STAKEHOLDERS OUTSIDE OF THIS BODY WHO CAN STAND UP AND SAY THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE FOR THESE PARCELS AS WELL. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE WE'VE VOICED THAT TO YOU AS WELL.

AND I THINK AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WOULD DEFINITELY WELCOME ANY FORMALIZED INPUT FROM THE TOWNSHIP. SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE TYPICALLY TALKING ABOUT PLANS YOU HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK PARKS ARE GREAT EXAMPLE. SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY WELCOME ANY KIND OF COLLECTIVE INPUT FROM THE TOWNSHIP AS A, AS AN ENTITY. I THINK YOU'LL GET IT. ANYONE ELSE WITH QUESTIONS? FOLLOWING THE THREAT OF PARKS AND OUR PARKS DIRECTOR SITTING BEHIND.

YOU DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, COURTNEY, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF IT IS KNOWN BY EITHER ITC OR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT HOW MANY ACRES OF PARKLAND THIS WOULD BE POTENTIALLY CLEARCUTTING IF THIS PROPOSED LINE WAS IN PLACE? I KNOW ACREAGE IS ABOUT 200 BY 200FT OR SO. IT EQUALS ONE ACRE, I THINK, IF I REMEMBER MY MATH CORRECTLY.

SO I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S KNOWN. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LENTZ.

I HAVE LOOKED AT THE THE PATHWAY AS WELL AS HOW IT AFFECTS MAY AFFECT THE PARKS.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT EASEMENT, THE EXTENSION OF THE EASEMENT, WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW AT THIS TIME.

ONCE WE GET MORE INPUT, WE CAN CERTAINLY WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK AT HOW THAT MAY IMPACT OUR VEGETATION AND OR RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS AMONG OLD GROWTH FORESTS TO THANK YOU. AND WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE ROLE THAT WE AS A TOWNSHIP HAVE.

I THINK THAT THAT THE CONCERN ABOUT PARK ACREAGE, AS WE, YOU KNOW, PUT ON MOST EVERY PIECE OF LITERATURE I'VE SEEN RELATED TO THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT OUR PARKS AND LAND PRESERVES, THE THOUGHT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT WERE USED FOR LAND PRESERVATION, PARKS FUNDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MILLAGE COMING UP THIS YEAR.

AND THE THOUGHT OF LOSING POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF ACRES TO CLEAR CUTTING FOR THIS PROJECT, I THINK AS WE'VE SEEN FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE WAY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CHOOSE TO SPEND THEIR TIME HERE.

SO YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN AT THIS TIME.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TREZISE, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT THE PARKS, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT THE GIS MAP THAT MANAGER DEMPSEY PUT UP, AND IT DOES APPEAR TO BE GOING THROUGH PEBBLEBROOK SUBDIVISION, SOME SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT ON NEWMAN ROAD AND ALL THE WAY UP VAN ATTA, WHICH HAS HOUSING ON IT.

SO THIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ALL THOSE HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS.

TRUSTEE WILSON. WOULD YOU PLEASE COMMENT ON EFMS AND EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT THAT IS AND WHAT YOUR POSITION ABOUT IT IS? EMFS OR ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES. SO JUST, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT HAS ELECTRICITY FLOWING THROUGH IT IS RELEASING EMF.

YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY POSITION ON IT IS SAFE. I, THESE THESE LINES AT THE BORDER OF THE EASEMENTS, ANY DISTANCE FROM THE ACTUAL LINES THEMSELVES ARE GIVING OFF LESS FREQUENCIES THAN YOUR CELL PHONES, THAN YOUR COMMON DEVICES, THE COMPUTERS IN FRONT OF YOU. BUT WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT DIALOG WITH FOLKS THIS WEEK, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE DEFINITELY CONCERNS.

I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MINIMIZE THOSE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THOSE ARE REAL.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH OVER A LOT OF DECADES ON THE SUBJECT, AND SOME OF IT'S CONTRADICTORY.

AND SO I GUESS WE CAN LEAVE THAT WHERE IT IS.

I MEAN, IT'S BEEN BEEN HIGHLY STUDIED, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, NOT NOT ANYTHING CONCLUSIVE FROM, FROM ANY STANDPOINT. SO. OKAY. AND DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT ONCE THERE IS SOME ELIMINATION OF ROUTES THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE MID-SUMMER, THAT YOU WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE EXISTING ON THE PROPOSED ROUTES THAT YOU INTEND TO GO WITH.

YEAH. SO THERE WILL BE SOME, SOME ROUTES THAT WILL MOVE FURTHER ON IN THE PROCESS AND WE WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OF, OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, JUST LIKE SIMILAR TO THE LISTENING SESSIONS WE JUST HELD TARGETED AT FOLKS THAT ARE STILL IN THE VICINITY OF ONE OF THE ROUTES.

[01:15:03]

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CLERK DEMAS. YOU MENTIONED HOW HELPFUL THESE LISTENING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT. WHAT CHANGES ITC IS CONSIDERING WHEN HEARING OUR NEIGHBORS CONCERNS AND COMMENTS? I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. I JUST I CAN'T ANSWER THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS, GREAT GIS LOGS.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE GONE ON MAP THINGS, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD HUNDREDS OF WRITTEN COMMENTS, EMAILS. I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE TIME TO THOUGHTFULLY GO THROUGH ALL THAT.

I COMMITTED TO PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO, THAT WE WOULD DO THAT.

AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK THROUGH THOSE. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THOSE ON MAPS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PARKS ARE PROTECTED.

AND IT ALSO AFFECTS PROPERTY, OUR OUR NEIGHBORS HOMES.

SO I WANTED TO AT LEAST COMMUNICATE THAT. ABSOLUTELY.

TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH. TURNING TO, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND I IMAGINE YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GO INTO EVERY DETAIL ON THIS THOUGHT PROCESS HERE, BUT YOU KNOW RIGHT ALONG I-96 WAS ONE OF THESE POTENTIAL ROUTES AND, YOU KNOW, SEEMED TO BE AN AREA WHERE THERE'S ALREADY SO MUCH TRAFFIC WITH MDOT BEING INVOLVED.

AND SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL PLACE TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMPARED TO GOING THROUGH PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS.

WHEN I WENT TO THE LISTENING SESSION LAST WEEK, THERE WAS MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, MDOT WOULD NEED TO HAVE A SAY WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RIGHT OF WAY. YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY STORMS THAT WOULD KNOCK OUT POWER AND TREES ALONG MDOT, CAN YOU MAYBE IN A SHORT VERSION AT LEAST EXPLAIN, LIKE WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND WHY THAT MAYBE WOULDN'T BE THE BEST OPTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SO MANY RESIDENTS HAVE SAID TO US IN BOTH EMAILS AND IN PERSON, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T THEY JUST GO ON I-96? AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAY.

SO I WANT TO TURN TO YOU, THE EXPERT. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT ISN'T THE BEST OPTION.

SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT RIGHT OUT FRONT. BUT YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN LOCATING NEXT TO A FREEWAY.

WE'RE NOT PERMITTED TO LOCATE IN THE FREEWAY RIGHT OF WAY AS OF CURRENT.

SO THERE'S SOME CURRENT LEGISLATION IN MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE LOOKING AT THAT AS AN OPTION, BUT AT PRESENT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

BUT YEAH, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN REALLY.

SO, SO IF YOU LOCATE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEN THERE ARE WHICH HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, SOMETIMES SPECIFICALLY WITH MORE HISTORICAL PROJECTS.

THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PIECES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE ARE VERY CLOSE TO A FREEWAY.

BUT IN THIS CASE, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

IT DOES ADJACENT TO THE RIGHT OF WAY. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE LACK OF ANSWER TO MY QUESTION LAST MONDAY.

I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP DURING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.

I WANTED TO JUST HAVE YOU PROVIDE SOME ANSWERS ON.

ONE WAS THAT THERE AT NO POINT YET HAS THERE BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED ROUTES.

DO YOU KNOW IF THAT HAS HAPPENED AT ALL? I MEAN, THEY'LL REVIEW ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.

WE'VE MAPPED WETLANDS AND VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA, BUT THESE AREN'T FINALIZED ROUTES.

THIS IS A STARTING POINT. SO, YEAH, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH DUE DILIGENCE HAPPENS PRIOR TO THE PROPOSED ROUTES AS OPPOSED TO LATER.

YEAH. SO IT'S GOING TO BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA. SO THEY'VE LOOKED AT WETLAND LAYERS. THEY LOOKED AT ENDANGERED SPECIES, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE DON'T KNOW OR WE DON'T KNOW.

RIGHT. AND SO SOME OF THOSE LAYERS ARE NOT ACCURATE.

I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT PAINFULLY TOO WELL.

SO A LOT OF THE MAPS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, TO ANY KIND OF RESOLUTION.

SO, IT IS JUST A STARTING POINT. AND WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED TO FOLKS ABOUT ENDANGERED SPECIES THEY HAVE ON THEIR PARCELS, THE WETLANDS THAT AREN'T MAPPED CORRECTLY. SO THAT'S A LONGER PROCESS.

I MEAN, IT JUST IT'S GOING TO GO DOWN TO GREATER DETAIL BEFORE ANYTHING IS BUILT.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REVIEW ALL OF THOSE.

THEY'LL HAVE WETLAND DELINEATIONS MADE. WE HAVE PLANS IF WE FIND ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIES, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, IT GETS INTO MORE DETAIL AS WE GET CLOSER TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING A PROPOSAL.

BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE STILL LEARNING A LOT.

OKAY. AND THEN ANOTHER RESIDENT BROUGHT UP HERITAGE TREES.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP HAS ITS OWN TREES ORDINANCE, BUT IT GETS PREEMPTED BY STATE LAWS.

MANAGER DEMPSEY POINTED OUT TO US, WHAT DO YOU HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT KIND OF SITUATION WHEN YOU RUN INTO IT? SO I GUESS I'M NOT SURE WHAT A HERITAGE TREE MEANS.

A PROTECTED TREE OF A CERTAIN AGE, A HUNDRED YEARS AND OLDER.

OKAY. I MEAN, WE HAVE LITTLE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY.

SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE MAINTAINED. OKAY. AND I DID WANT TO CLEAR UP A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE ALSO HEARD.

THERE'S NO MONETARY COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND COMING TO THE TOWNSHIP, SO FAR AS I'M AWARE WITH REGARD TO MOVING,

[01:20:08]

AND THERE'S SOMETIME A FORMULA THAT GOES FOR UTILITIES.

THAT ALL COMES BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP. SO I CAN TRY AND GET YOU SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT. IT'S A PRETTY I GUESS MY POINT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ROUTING THROUGH OUR PARCELS. THIS WOULD BE JUST FOR THE ASSETS THAT ARE THERE, NOT FOR THE ACTUAL SITE THERE.

I GUESS I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. YOU'RE NOT PAYING THE TOWNSHIP TO ALLOW TO BE ALLOWED TO COME THROUGH OUR PARKLAND, FOR EXAMPLE? NO. OKAY. AND THEN I DO ALSO WANT TO CLEAR UP AN ITEM ABOUT PATHWAYS AT ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS BROUGHT UP AS WELL. I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON TO ITC, I BELIEVE, BACK IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR. WE HAD AN INTRODUCTORY HELLO, I'M.

I'M BEN. NICE TO MEET YOU. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN ON THE TOWNSHIP'S GOALS FOR A LONG TIME WAS OUR PAST PATHWAY MASTER PLAN. SPECIFICALLY WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT SOME POINT RUNNING A NORTH SOUTH PATHWAY DOWN THE EASTERN THIRD OF OUR OF OUR TOWNSHIP. MUCH OF WHICH OCCURS IN WHAT I BELIEVED AT THAT TIME TO BE THE CONSUMERS RIGHT OF WAY.

WHICH IS PARTLY WHAT WE'RE DESCRIBING HERE. AND SO I THINK IN THAT CALL, I DID MENTION TO YOU THAT WE WERE INTERESTED AT SOME POINT IN HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING A PATHWAY IN THAT RIGHT OF WAY.

THAT WAS BIFURCATED AND SEPARATE FROM ANY DISCUSSION OF THIS PROJECT.

IT WAS MERELY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AN INTEREST IN AT SOME POINT WITH THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S THERE, BUT IS IN NO WAY TIED TO THIS THIS POTENTIALLY PROPOSED ROUTE.

AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE SAID THAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS WHO WERE ASKING ABOUT THE TOWNSHIP'S INTEREST IN THIS AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO THINGS, IN MY MIND AT LEAST, ARE TOTALLY SEPARATE REQUESTS.

YEAH, I'LL CLARIFY ON THAT. I MEAN, THAT WAS YEAH, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION. I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO TO FOLKS, TO COMMUNITIES USING THOSE EASEMENTS. SO WE HAVE FOLKS USING THOSE FOR TRAILS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.

IF THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE CAN DEFINITELY HAVE THAT.

WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. IT'S A LAYERED EASEMENT, RIGHT. SO WE HAVE AN EASEMENT ON TOP OF CONSUMERS EASEMENT. SO YOU NEED BOTH PARTIES, BUT HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IF THERE'S INTEREST THERE. IT'S NOT RELATED TO THIS PROJECT ANY WAY.

BUT AND I JUST WANTED TO BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS STATEMENT THAT THE TOWNSHIP WOULDN'T RECEIVE REVENUE.

SO IF THERE WAS EXPANSION OF THE EASEMENT THERE WOULD BE COMPENSATION FOR EXPANSION OF EASEMENT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SURE. IN THE SAME WAY THAT I'M ASSUMING IF THERE WAS TO A PRIVATE HOMEOWNER, THEY WOULD HAVE SOME AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION AS WELL.

YEP. AND OF COURSE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ECONOMIC IMPACTS BEYOND THAT AS WELL.

BUT THIS IS AN EMINENT DOMAIN TYPE OF PAYMENT I PRESUME.

ULTIMATELY IT CAN BE. SO WE TRY AND NEGOTIATE VOLUNTARY EASEMENTS WHENEVER WE CAN.

BUT YEAH AT THE END OF THE DAY. OKAY. THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS. WELL THANK YOU I THINK WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT TO, TO DISCUSS. IF WE HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE MAY CALL YOU BACK UP, BUT WE'LL WE'LL WILL TAKE A STEP BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION OURSELVES NOW.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO, BOARD MEMBERS WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S A RELATIVELY LIMITED ONE TO WEIGH IN DIRECTLY TO ITC IN A FORMAL WAY, SHOULD WE CHOOSE TO.

THERE ARE PUBLIC COMMENT AND PUBLIC INPUT, PERIOD, IT DOES END ON FEBRUARY 19TH, AS WAS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY BY BEN FROM ITC.

WE HAVE ONE OPPORTUNITY, ONE MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT'S ON OUR SCHEDULE THAT WE COULD TAKE UP A RESOLUTION OR A LETTER OR AUTHORIZE COMMUNICATION OF SOME KIND IN EITHER SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO THIS PROPOSED PATHWAY.

SO I'D LIKE TO JUST SORT OF OPEN UP THE DISCUSSION.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN DOING? IN WHAT DIRECTION AND IN WHAT FORMAT? TRUSTEE LENTZ.

THANK YOU. I AM IN FAVOR OF US COMMUNICATING IN SOME WAY THE BOARD'S FEELINGS.

IT FEELS LIKE MOST OF US, IF NOT ALL OF US UP HERE SHARE THE CONCERNS OF OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS LINE POTENTIALLY GOING THROUGH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR MANAGER DEMPSEY IS, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SENDING A LETTER VERSUS A

[01:25:09]

I WOULD LOVE TO CAPTURE AS MANY OF THOSE AS POSSIBLE, WHILE BEING REASONABLE AND NOT TRYING TO CREATE A RESOLUTION THAT'S SIX PAGES LONG.

AND YOU KNOW, HOW BENEFICIAL WOULD THAT BE? CERTAINLY, THE PRESUMPTION ON A RESOLUTION IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE BRIEF.

YOU'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH A FEW SORT OF BROAD PARAMETERS OF WHY OPPOSITION AND THEN TOUCH ON KEY THEMES.

RIGHT. SO THAT CAN BE VERY SUCCINCT. IT CAN BE VERY CLEAR, THOUGH TOO, A LETTER COULD CERTAINLY INVOLVE MORE NUANCE, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT CONCERN THE TOWNSHIP AND GET INTO MORE DETAIL WHY, IN PARTICULAR, YOU COULD PICK ANY TOPIC, FOR INSTANCE, PARKLAND, SO YOU COULD PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ON WHY THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE AND CONCERNS REGARDING THAT. YOU CAN ALSO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP REGARDING PATHWAYS, FOR INSTANCE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, FOR INSTANCE, THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING PATHWAY, THE THIRD LEG OF THAT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN DESIGN, WE HAVE THE INTENTION TO PUT IN A PATHWAY ALONG EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY, NOT INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED RIGHT OF WAY HERE, BUT A DIFFERENT SEGMENT OF UTILITY RIGHT OF WAY.

SO DISCUSSING ISSUES LIKE THAT AS WELL. SO YOU CAN REALLY COVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK A WIDER RANGE, YOU COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT IN A RESOLUTION WOULD BE QUITE LIKELY.

BUT THAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE, PROVIDING AGAIN, MORE DETAIL, MORE NUANCE TO A LETTER VERSUS A RESOLUTION.

THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. I, I AM INTERESTED IN A LETTER OVER A RESOLUTION, BUT I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO SAY ON THAT, JUST BECAUSE OF THE BREADTH OF WHAT WE CAN DISCUSS.

AND I THINK THE ABILITY TO MAYBE INCLUDE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE AT LENGTH THAT YOU KNOW, ADDING ON TO OUR POINTS, BUT OPEN TO HEARING OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS.

TRUSTEE WILSON, I CONCUR THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO DO THIS IN A LETTER FORMAT.

I DID HEAR OUR ITC REPRESENTATIVE SAY THAT IF YOU COULD GIVE US MORE DETAIL ON PARKS FOR INSTANCE, ATTACHED TO A DOCUMENT. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE IDENTIFY EVERY ONE OF THE POINTS THAT MAKE THIS THE MOST UNLIKELY ROUTE HAVING TO DO WITH POPULATION, ESTABLISHED RESIDENTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS THE RED CEDAR RIVER.

THE PARKS AREA. THE NATURE CENTER. WE HAVE A LOT OF POINTS THAT I THINK WE CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT THIS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO GO.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US DO THAT, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP PUT THAT TOGETHER.

OKAY. TRUSTEE TREZISE. LET ME GO THE OTHER WAY.

I'D RATHER DO IT AS A RESOLUTION WITH REFERENCE TO A LETTER ATTACHED WITH ALL THE DETAIL.

BECAUSE I'D LIKE A BOARD VOTE ON A FORMAL RESOLUTION SUPPORTED BY ATTACHED DOCUMENTATION.

I CONCUR, THAT WAS THAT WAS THE DIRECTION I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST GOING.

I THINK A RESOLUTION COMES WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HEFT AND OFFICIAL AN OFFICIAL VOTE THAT I THINK THIS KIND OF SITUATION MERITS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE OWE IT TO OUR RESIDENTS TO PUT THIS ON THE RECORD.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT WE CAN DO WITH A RESOLUTION AND STILL PROVIDE A LETTER WITH THE DETAIL THAT'S REQUIRED.

OKAY. YEAH. ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? CLERK DEMAS.

I WOULD JUST AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK THAT IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT. AND PROVIDING BOTH OPTIONS IS A BETTER THAN A COMPROMISE.

I THINK IT MATCHES EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED FOR OUR STANCE.

MY CONCERN IS A MATTER OF TIME MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

HOW EFFECTIVE WILL IT BE? I'M STILL IN SUPPORT OF IT.

I JUST WANT TO BRING UP THAT POINT. OKAY. THANK YOU.

YES, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER OPTION. WE ARE MEETING NEXT WEEK ON OUR JOINT COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A COMMITTEE AND AN OFFICIAL MEETING OF THIS BOARD.

WE COULD PUT A RESOLUTION UP NEXT WEEK TO BE FOLLOWED WITH AN ATTACHED LETTER GOING FORWARD.

DOES THAT GIVE THE STAFF ENOUGH TIME TO GENERATE? YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY GENERATE, YOU KNOW, RESOLUTION LETTER TO TO MEET THE DEADLINE BECAUSE I THINK I WOULD HOPE THAT THE MPSC RECEIVING ANY INPUT THAT WHETHER THE INPUT WAS RECEIVED THE DAY OF THE DEADLINE OR THE FIRST DAY IT OPENED,

[01:30:04]

SO THAT RAISES A QUESTION FOR ME. WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE HERE? IS IT ITC WHO'S GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHICH ROUTE IT WILL ULTIMATELY PROCEED WITH, OR IS IT TO THE, OR DO WE COPY THE MP, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION? IT'S BOTH. YOU'RE SUBMITTING, THE ITC IS RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION, BUT ULTIMATELY YOU'RE SUBMITTING IT TO BOTH.

I THINK I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD GO TO THE MPSC PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AT THIS POINT, SINCE THERE'S NOTHING BEFORE THEM TO ADDRESS.

I WOULD SAY WE KEEP IT GOES TO THE ITC AT THIS POINT.

WE WATCH IF THE PROPOSAL GOES FORWARD WITH SOME OF THE STUFF AND ENDS UP GOING TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE ANOTHER RESOLUTION TO GO TO THEM. OKAY.

THAT'S THAT'S MY FEELING, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOT A FILE TO GO WITH THIS.

BUT I DO JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER BASED ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.

WE INTEND TO ISSUE THIS RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE MERIDIAN WILLIAMSTOWN LEG OF THIS PROPOSED ROUTE.

YES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE SAID THAT CLEARLY, BECAUSE I'LL GIVE OUR STAFF APPROPRIATE NOTICE FOR WHAT THEY'RE HOPING, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE. SO DO WE THINK THAT WE WANT TO SEE THIS ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND ADDRESS IT MORE QUICKLY? THAT DOES ALSO GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR ACTION TO BE HEARD BY THE PUBLIC AND POSSIBLY WEIGH IN WITH ITC DIRECTLY.

YES. OKAY. CAN YOU BRING THAT TO US ON THE 10TH.

YEAH. OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. SO THEN JUST TO SUMMARIZE WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR A RESOLUTION FOR A FINAL VOTE IN OPPOSITION TO THE MERIDIAN WILLIAMSTOWN LEG OF THE ITC ONEIDA-SABINE LAKE ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE WITH A LETTER DETAILING IN GREATER DETAIL THE CONCERNS THAT THIS BOARD HAS AS SPECIFIED THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.

AND YEAH, WE'LL SEE THAT ON FEBRUARY 10TH. OKAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL.

NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION IS THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS BROWNFIELD PLAN TERMINATION.

[12.A. Village of Okemos Brownfield Plan Termination]

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS A DISCUSSION ITEM.

I'M GOING TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ITEM, BEFORE YOU IS TO TERMINATE THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PLAN ADOPTED FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS PROJECT.

AS A REMINDER, THE BROWNFIELD PLAN WAS APPROVED IN 2022 AND WAS STRUCTURED, IT IS STRUCTURED AS A LOCAL AND STATE PLAN.

WHILE THE TOWNSHIP APPROVED THE LOCAL PORTION, THE PLAN WAS NOT SUBMITTED TO THE STATE AND IT REQUIRES ACCESS TO SCHOOL EDUCATION TAX CAPTURE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE FULL ESTIMATED NEAR $7 MILLION FOR THE BROWNFIELD PLAN AS APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

THE DEVELOPER NEVER SUBMITTED THAT PLAN TO THE STATE, SO THAT PLAN HAS NEVER RECEIVED THAT STATE APPROVAL.

SO IT ONLY HAS A PARTIAL AND LOCAL ONLY APPROVAL AS STANDARD TODAY.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A MIXED UNIT PLAN, MIXED USE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SITE THAT SUPPORTED THAT THOSE BROWNFIELD ACTIVITIES THAT PUD IS EXPIRED. SO IF THE PROJECT WERE TO AS PROPOSED, MOVE FORWARD, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS ANYWAY. AND WE HAVE THE GREAT EXPERIENCE TO KNOW THAT MORE THAN LIKELY THAT PLAN WOULD HAVE CHANGED OR SHIFTED.

MAYBE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BROWNFIELD PLAN.

AND SO THE BROWNFIELD PLAN AS PROPOSED, PARTIALLY APPROVED, CANNOT SUPPORT THE EXPIRED PUD FOR THE PROJECT AS WELL.

WE'VE RECEIVED COMMUNICATION FROM THE DEVELOPER THAT THE PROJECT IS ON INDEFINITE HOLD.

[01:35:05]

AND UNDER THE ACT, THE COMMUNITY IS ALLOWED TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO TERMINATE A PLAN FOR BROWNFIELD THAT DID NOT SEE SUPPORTING THE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.

YOU HAVE IT ON FOR YOUR EVENING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE WILSON. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED ON THIS RELATED TO THE BROWNFIELD FOR THREE AND A HALF, ALMOST THREE AND A HALF YEARS. THE PROPERTY IS FOR SALE, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT IT'S TIME TO MOVE FOR THE TERMINATION OF THE EXISTING BROWNFIELD PLAN. OKAY. OTHERS. TRUSTEE LENTZ.

I GUESS I'M CURIOUS. YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE DEVELOPER UPON NOTICE THAT THIS WAS MAYBE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HEARD FROM THEM IN ANY SUBSTANTIVE WAY? YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPOKEN WITH THEM ON A VIRTUAL MEETING MAYBE THREE AND A HALF WEEKS AGO.

OKAY. SO WE HAVE CONTINUED COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.

AND INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET IS A COPY OF TWO LETTERS, TWO PRINT LETTERS THAT WE SENT TO THEM.

ALSO EMAILED THEM AND BEEN ON SEVERAL PHONE CALLS WITHIN THE LAST SIX WEEKS.

THEY UNDERSTAND THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT POSITION ON THE TERMINATION AND WHY THE BOARD MAY BE MAKING THIS CONSIDERATION AT THIS TIME.

IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A NO BRAINER DECISION, CONSIDERING THE MANY HURDLES THAT WILL STILL BE IN THE WAY TO TURN THIS INTO A PROJECT THAT WE WANT.

AND SO IT FEELS EASY TO WANT TO SUPPORT THIS, BUT I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR OTHERS.

THIS TO ME FEELS LIKE SORT OF A PRO FORMA DISCUSSION SINCE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE [INAUDIBLE] PROCESS.

THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THEY COME BACK WITH SOME DIFFERENT VERSION OF A PROJECT THAT MAY THAT MAY HAVE DIFFERENT BROWNFIELD SPECIFICATIONS. ANYWAY, HURTS TO DO IT BECAUSE OF COURSE WE WANT TO SEE THIS DONE MORE QUICKLY.

BUT I THINK THIS IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE TO SAY, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TERMINATE THIS AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS ONCE AGAIN ONCE, ONCE THEY COME BACK. SORT OF AN UNRELATED QUESTION SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH THE APPLICANT.

HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO THEM FOR SUPPORT FOR THE BUILD GRANT SINCE THEIR PARCELS WOULD HAVE BENEFIT FROM THAT? THEIR THEIR PARTICIPATION WITH THE BUILD GRANT IS RELATED TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.

SO THEY DO KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER THE BUILD GRANT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE'VE NOT SPECIFICALLY REACHED OUT TO THEM FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION EFFECTS OF THAT INTERSECTION.

YEAH, WE MAY WE MAY WISH TO DO SO AS WE'RE AS WE'RE PREPARING OUR FINAL APPLICATION AND SUPPORT MATERIALS.

CERTAINLY HAVING THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS ON BOARD, I THINK MAY GO A LONG WAY TO SHOWING COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THIS.

BUT YEAH, FOR FOR THE TOPIC AT HAND, CERTAINLY THIS IS, TO ME SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE FORWARD WITH.

ANY OTHERS? YES, TRUSTEE TREZISE. I AGREE. I SEE NO REASON TO CONTINUE WHAT IN EFFECT IS A DEAD BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT PLAN AT THIS POINT, JUST TO HAVE IT ON THE BOOKS.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK, AND WHOEVER DECIDES TO DEVELOP THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK WITH A NEW PLAN.

AND THIS HASN'T EVEN BEEN FULLY SUBMITTED AT THIS POINT.

SO I'D SAY LET'S END IT AND WE'LL START OVER AGAIN IF NECESSARY.

CLERK DEMAS. YEAH, I THINK TERMINATION MAKES THE MOST SENSE.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION. WHAT WOULD THE NEXT STEPS BE AFTER TERMINATION, IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THAT AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS. SURE. IF THIS PLAN IS TERMINATED, THAT'S SIMPLY IT IS.

THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WILL ADOPT A RESOLUTION INDICATING THAT VERY SIMILAR TO ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT HAVING THE PLAN THAT DOES ESSENTIALLY JUST NEGATES THAT PLAN. IT ALLOWS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT TO COME BEFORE THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.

IT ALLOWS FOR THE SAME DEVELOPER, SAME PROPERTY OWNER, EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO PURSUE A BROWNFIELD PLAN.

SO THIS JUST ALLOWS THE TOWNSHIP AND STAFF TO CLEAN UP INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE A PLAN ON THE BOOKS.

MORE THAN LIKELY WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED FOR A PROJECT THAT HAS AN EXPIRED PUD, AND THIS JUST CLEANS THE SLATE ESSENTIALLY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. NOT SEEING ANY OPPOSITION TO THIS, I THINK WE CAN BRING THIS BACK FOR A RESOLUTION TO TERMINATE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13 COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

[13. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ]

[01:40:04]

AND THEN I'LL RUN THROUGH THE FOLKS WHO SUBMITTED CARDS PREVIOUSLY IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO ONE MORE TIME.

FIRST WE HAVE LISA NOWAK AND THEN COMMISSIONER MONICA SCHAFER IS ON DECK.

THANK YOU. I THINK I CAN SPEAK ON EVERYONE OUT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION, THE TIME YOU SPENT TO RESEARCH AND ULTIMATELY THE DECISION YOU'VE COME UP TO.

ONE THING YOU DIDN'T ASK BEN THAT I ASKED WHEN I WENT TO THE IT SESSION, IF YOU WERE IN OUR SHOES AND WANTED THIS ROUTE ELIMINATED, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? AND I GOT SOME GREAT ADVICE, IRONICALLY.

GATHER. DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING. ORGANIZE.

GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

TALK TO YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD HELP SPREAD THAT SURVEY.

GET MORE PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BEING PART OF THE NOISE THAT THEY'RE HEARING ABOUT OUR ROUTE.

YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT THE MPSC VERSUS ITC. EARLIER, I HAVE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF LAWYERS AND REALLY RESEARCHED HOW THIS WENT AND WATCHED THE OLD MPSC CASES. THERE IS NOT AN MPSC CASE RIGHT NOW FOR THIS.

SO YOU ARE RIGHT. ITC SEES THE AUDIENCE, WE WANT THEM TO ELIMINATE OUR ROUTE BEFORE THEY COME OUT WITH NEW ROUTES THIS SUMMER, I KNOW THAT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE WALKWAY. MY SUGGESTION IS KEEP THAT OUT OF YOUR LETTER NOW.

THAT'S PART TWO, RIGHT? IF OUR ROUTE GETS CHOSEN, THEN WE TELL THEM WHAT WE WANT WITH THE ROUTE AND TRY TO ADVOCATE FOR THINGS.

BUT LET'S NOT LOOK LIKE WE HAVE THINGS THAT WE WANT NOW THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE ROUTE.

YOU ASKED ABOUT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND ACREAGE.

I DID MEASURE THIS WITH GOOGLE MAPS 200FT. ASSUMING A NEW 200 FOOT EASEMENT GETS TAKEN UP ALONG THE NORTH SOUTH ROUTE.

IT WAS 1,000,000 SQUARE FOOT OF TREES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS IN ACREAGE.

I WENT WITH SQUARE FEET, BUT THAT WAS THE NUMBER.

AND THEN LASTLY, I THINK THERE WAS ONE MORE. NO, THOSE ARE THE POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE.

SO THANKS AGAIN. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE INGHAM COUNTY COMMISSIONER MONICA SCHAFER.

THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS.

SO OUT OF MY TOWNSHIPS AND STUFF. SO ACTUALLY OUT OF WILLIAMSTOWN TOWN OR OUT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HERE I REPRESENT PRECINCT SIX, SEVEN AND 22. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO, INFORMATION.

AND ALL ALONG I HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE PROPER INFORMATION FOR THE RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROPER PATH, THE PROPER PATH THAT THEY NEED TO DO. AND TONIGHT YOU PRESENTED THAT PATH AND HOPEFULLY THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS ALSO FROM THEIR HOMES AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY NEED TO ADVOCATE, JUST LIKE BEN HAS BEEN UP HERE SAYING ALL ALONG, WE'VE DONE THIS IN LOCKE TOWNSHIP. BEN HAS PRESENTED IN LOCKE TOWNSHIP, HE'S PRESENTED IN LEROY TOWNSHIP AND HE'S PRESENTED IN WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP.

AND BECAUSE OF ALL THAT COMMUNICATION, WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE TONIGHT AT THE WILLIAMSTOWN LISTENING SESSION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR LAST SPEAKER HAD JUST MENTIONED AND SAID.

AND I BELIEVE THAT AS A BOARD, YOU GUYS ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOUR PEOPLE AND YOU'RE GIVING THEM THE PATH FORWARD SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THERE IS GOING TO BE ONE PATH FROM POINT A TO POINT B, BUT IT'S UP TO THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE AND HAVE THEIR VOICES KNOWN.

AND THAT IS WHAT YOU'VE DONE TONIGHT AND YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY. WE'VE GOT SOME CARDS HERE. I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THEM.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO COME SPEAK. JUST SORT OF WAVE ME OFF.

THAT'S FINE. [INAUDIBLE] WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? [INAUDIBLE] FITZGERALD, LAURA SMITH, ANN BRIGGS.

LISA. LISA NOWAK ALREADY GOT YOU. GEORGE OWEN.

OKAY. AND THEN DEBORAH CHAMBERLAIN. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS AND STATING PRETTY CLEARLY THAT YOU'RE VERY MUCH AGAINST THIS, GOING THROUGH THE LITTLE PATH THAT GOES THROUGH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.

SHE SAID 1,000,000FT². THAT'S 23 ACRES, ROUGHLY.

IF IT GOES THROUGH MY BACKYARD AT THE 200, IT'S A ONE AND A HALF ACRES OUT OF MY LOT AND ALL MY NEIGHBORS ALONG VAN ATTA ROAD.

THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. AND SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO.

YEAH. RAISE THE FLAG. INVITE PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTRIBUTE ONLINE.

[01:45:03]

SO THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS ALL I HAD TO SAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH. THANK YOU. DEBORAH CHAMBERLAIN AND THEN DAVID SCHWEIKER.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALSO, BECAUSE BEING ABLE TO BE HERE AND SPEAK TO YOU FACE TO FACE, TO HEAR YOUR DISCUSSION AND YOUR COMMENTARY AND TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEHIND YOUR RESIDENTS AGAIN, MAKES ME PROUD TO BE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. SO I DO THANK YOU.

AND I HAVE SPOKEN TWICE. WELL, MANY TIMES. I WAS AT THE FIRST ITC MEETING FOR THREE HOURS AND THE SECOND ITC MEETING FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS. AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS.

PEOPLE KNOW ME NOW WHEN I WALK IN THE DOOR AND I HAVE HAD ITC PEOPLE TELL ME IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO VOICE OPPOSITION IN SUPPORT OF THEIR RESIDENTS. THAT DOES GET NOTED.

AND SO IT DOES ME GOOD, AND I'M SURE REASSURES MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT WE ARE AVAILING OURSELVES TO EVERY MEANS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL IN ORDER TO TELL THEM THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT PATHWAY.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DAVID. AND THEN EMILY WEAVER.

OH SHE'S GONE. AND THEN ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT A CARD, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME.

DAVID. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. I APPRECIATE YOUR SWIFT ACTION AND REALLY LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, WHEN YOU'RE DONE, FILL OUT A CARD. SO WE HAVE THAT FOR OUR MINUTES.

THANK YOU. AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING US OUT TONIGHT AND FOR BEING IN OUR CORNER, SO TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS PHILIP STEVENS. I LIVE AT 4371 VAN ATTA ROAD.

IF THERE IS A BULL'S EYE IN THIS LINE, MY NEIGHBOR AND I ARE IN IT.

THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE 200FT OFF THE BACK OF OUR PROPERTY.

WE CAN DO THINGS WITH TEN ACRES. PLUS, IF IT'S EIGHT ACRES, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DO.

I'D LIKE IT. I'M NOT A LAWYER ANYMORE. I SURRENDERED MY LICENSE FOUR YEARS AGO.

I'M TOO OLD TO DO IT ANYMORE. ANYWAY, EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLIC ACT 30 OF 1995, AS AMENDED.

I'M URGING YOU TO TASK YOUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU LINE BY LINE AND PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH.

IT LOOKS LIKE TOWNSHIPS HAVE NO SAY IN THIS AND THAT YOU'RE IMPOTENT.

THAT'S NOT SO. THE STATUTE SPECIFICALLY ENCOURAGES GOVERNMENTAL INPUT FOR ANYBODY TOUCHED BY THE POWER LINE AS IT GOES THROUGH.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THIS, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR TAKING THE FOR HAVING THE COURAGE TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO SEND YOU A LETTER. WE'RE GOING TO RESOLVE ABOUT IT.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RESOLUTION ABOUT THIS. FOR EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, GET A COPY OF PUBLIC ACT 30 OF 1995, AS AMENDED. READ IT CAREFULLY. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION FOLKS CAN DO BEFORE THEY PUT A STICK IN THE GROUND. THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING ON YOUR PROPERTY, SURVEYING, DIGGING HOLES, SEEING IF THIS PLACE IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT A POLE OR NOT.

EVEN BEFORE THEY COME THROUGH AND CUT DOWN ALL YOUR TREES.

I GREW UP HERE EXCEPT FOR THE TIME I WAS IN THE ARMY AND STARTED PRACTICE AS A LAWYER IN PONTIAC.

I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE. WE'VE SEEN BRILLIANT TOWNSHIP CHANGE FUNDAMENTALLY AS EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE.

THIS IS A STEP TOO FAR. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT POWER POLES THAT ARE THERE.

NOW, THE POWER LINE THAT'S THERE IS, WHAT, 60FT TALL? THESE ARE AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE BIGGER. ALMOST NO ONE CAN SEE THOSE POLES AS THEY EXIST NOW.

THE POWER LINE THAT'S THERE. NOW, YOU PUT 150 FOOT TALL POLE IN YOUR YARD.

EVERYBODY CAN SEE THAT FROM FROM VAN ATTA ROAD.

[01:50:01]

AND I'M SORRY TO SAY, THIS IS IN THE. NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT.

BUT IT IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE? MA'AM? AND IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE FILL OUT A CARD AFTER YOU'RE DONE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

AND I'M 69 YEARS OLD. AND IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE BEEN A HOMEOWNER, I'VE NEVER BEFORE GOTTEN INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

AND THE PIPELINE PROJECT HAS SUCH A HUGE IMPACT ON THE WAY I LIVE THAT I GOT INVOLVED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HAVE JUST BEEN SO SO IMPRESSED WITH THE RESPONSIVENESS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO THE CONCERNS OF CITIZENS.

I'D LIKE TO. WHEN WE MOVED HERE IN 2000, WE TOLD OUR REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR THINGS WE DIDN'T CARE WHAT THE HOUSE LOOKED LIKE AS LONG AS IT WAS STRUCTURALLY SOUND.

COULD BE OLD OR NEW, TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY.

WE WANTED A HEAVILY WOODED LOT. WE WANTED TO BE IN A SUBDIVISION BECAUSE WE HAD VERY YOUNG KIDS, AND WE WANTED TO BE IN THE OKEMOS SCHOOL DISTRICT.

OUR AGENT TOLD US WE WERE LOOKING FOR A UNICORN.

THERE WAS EXACTLY ONE HOUSE. THE HOUSE WE BOUGHT 25 YEARS AGO.

WE'VE LOVED LIVING IN THE WOODS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE ROUTE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STARTS IN BETWEEN, IT'S REALLY RUNS THROUGH AMBER OAKS, WHICH IS A SUBDIVISION THAT TOUTS ITS 90 ACRE WOOD FEATURE.

THEN RUNS UP THROUGH VAN ATTA ALONG HOUSES. YOU'VE YOU'VE HEARD RICK AND GEORGE TALK ABOUT ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THEIR HOUSES. AND THOSE HOUSES TEND TO BE ON LARGE ACREAGE LOTS, NOT IN A SUBDIVISION.

THEN EVENTUALLY THAT ROUTE TAKES A RIGHT TURN AND HEADS EAST AND RIGHT AS IT CROSSES MERIDIAN IN THAT AREA.

THERE ARE SOME VERY MODESTLY PRICED HOMES. SO THE ONE COMMONALITY THAT THAT ENTIRE ROUTE HAS, WHETHER PEOPLE ARE IN A SUBDIVISION, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THEIR OWN LOT, WHETHER THEY'RE IN $1 MILLION PLUS HOME IN AMBER OAKS OR UP IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS WHERE HOUSES ARE MORE MODEST, THE ONE THING ALL THOSE HOUSES SHARE IN COMMON IS HOMEOWNERS WHO HIGHLY VALUE LIVING IN THE WOODS. AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY A SHAME TO TAKE THAT HOUSING OPTION AWAY FROM THOSE OF US WHO VALUE IT SO HIGHLY.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY CASE, LIKE I BELIEVE GEORGE MENTIONED, I WOULD LOSE AN ACRE AND A HALF OF MY ACRE, HEAVILY WOODED LOT. SO THANKS. THANKS FOR LISTENING.

THANK YOU. CAN WE GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY. PLEASE.

THANK YOU. SMART QUESTIONS. REALLY RESTORING MY SENSE OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY AT WORK.

I TAUGHT FOR 35 YEARS AT JAMES MADISON COLLEGE ABOUT FEDERALISM.

AND THIS IS FEDERALISM AT PLAY. AND THE KEY TO IT IS COMMUNITY.

THIS COMMUNITY HAS MOBILIZED ACROSS TOWNSHIP LINES BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT PRESERVING A PLACE, PLACES AND PEOPLE AND RESIDENTS AND VOTERS AND CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BECOME VERY DEAR TO US.

MY ONLY CONCERN AFTER TONIGHT IS THE PEOPLE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WHO AREN'T AWARE OF THIS.

WE REALLY ARE AWARE IN WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, OUR TOWNSHIP REACHED OUT TO EVERY RESIDENT WHO WAS AFFECTED BY THIS.

ALL OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS.

AND SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING YOUR DECISION AND FINDING THE LANGUAGE TO ENCOURAGE YOUR RESIDENTS, YOUR VOTERS, YOUR COMMUNITY TO READ ABOUT THIS, TO UNDERSTAND IT THEMSELVES, AND TO SEND THEIR LETTERS TO ITC AND NOT JUST RELY ON GOVERNMENT TO DO IT FOR THEM.

THANKS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? OH. I'M SORRY. IF YOU COULD PLEASE FILL OUT A CARD SO WE HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. SEEING NO ONE RAISING THEIR HAND OR RUSHING TO THE PODIUM, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 7:54 P.M.. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 14.

OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. ANY OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS THIS EVENING? YES,

[14. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

[01:55:08]

YES, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH. I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ISSUE ABOUT THE MEETING ON THE 20TH.

SO THINKING ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE SOMETIMES HAVE FOR THAT MEETING IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A REGULAR BOARD OR COMMISSION NIGHT.

WE GET BOARD OR COMMISSION MEMBERS TO PRESENT, OF COURSE.

SO IT'S AN EXTRA NIGHT OUT FOR THEM. JUST THINKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LARGE GROUP HERE THIS EVENING.

I WOULD EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF THEM RETURN, WHICH WE ENCOURAGE.

BUT MIXING SORT OF THOSE TWO MEETING TOPICS TOGETHER COULD BE PROBLEMATIC JUST FROM A TIMEFRAME STANDPOINT.

WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT EITHER THE ORDER OF THAT OR SIMPLY DOING IT ON THE 17TH JUST BECAUSE OF THAT.

AGAIN, THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE WITH 12 PRESENTATIONS.

WELL, ACTUALLY MORE WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL AND MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

SO. UNDERSTOOD. I THINK SINCE WE SORT OF CAME TO A CONCLUSION DURING OUR DISCUSSION, WE PROBABLY SHOULD STICK WITH WHAT WE WHAT WE DECIDED.

I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY ORDER THE AGENDA IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE DON'T IMPACT SOME OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

AND FOLKS HERE, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO THAT MEETING ON THE 10TH, PLEASE KNOW IT IS OUR ANNUAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING WHERE WE HEAR REPORTS FROM ALL OF OUR VARIOUS VOLUNTEER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ON THEIR ACTIVITIES FOR THE LAST YEAR.

SO IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT WE'LL BE TAKING THIS UP TOWARD THE END OF THAT MEETING.

YEAH. AND SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME JOIN US AND LISTEN TO ALL THE VARIOUS AMAZING THINGS THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS DO AROUND OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST YEAR.

YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO. BUT THAT THEY WILL LIKELY BE PROBABLY AN HOUR OR SO AFTER THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETING TIME, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SCHEDULE YOUR LIVES AROUND THAT.

YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBER BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS A CLOSED SESSION.

[15. CLOSED SESSION]

TRUSTEE TREZISE. I MOVE TO ENTER CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO MCL 15.268(H) FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING A CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL OPINION REGARDING THE PENDING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP VERSUS WEST SHORE FIRE INCORPORATED LITIGATION.

PLEASE, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS TO THE HALLWAY.

WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEETING. OKAY.

GO AHEAD. THE WEST SHORE FIRE INCORPORATED LITIGATION WITH THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY.

IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORT. SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON CLERK DEMAS.

WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES.

TRUSTEE WILSON. YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. YES.

CLERK DEMAS. YES. TREASURER BURGHARDT. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ.

YES. MOTION CARRIES SIX ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE ARE IN CLOSED SESSION. WE'D ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CLEAR THE ROOM.

BOARD MEMBERS, LET'S TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO LET THEM DO THAT, AND WE'LL RECONVENE IN A MOMENT.

REOPEN. ENTER. OPEN. REENTER. OPEN SESSION. I'VE BEEN DOING THAT ALL NIGHT AT 8:36 P.M..

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 16, A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 8:36 P.M..

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.