Mar 04, 2026 Environmental Commission Meeting

[00:00:17]

.DURING. PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD, OUR JOB IS TO LISTEN.

AND IF WE CHOOSE TO RESPOND DURING COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION, WE CAN DO THAT.

BUT YOU DON'T GET INTO ONE-ON-ONE DEBATE. YOU DON'T RESPOND TO QUESTIONS ON PUBLIC COMMENT. THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAS A... JACK, I GOT THE THUMBS UP. .AND. ALL SORTS OF... .IN. CIVIL... THANKS, EVERYBODY. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. SO, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER ]

YEAH, I CAN'T FIND THEIR...

SOMEBODY CHANGED THE WEBSITE.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? YEAH, CHAOS, I KNOW. WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ROLLING OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE. THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. SO WE'LL GET BACK TO STANDARD ORDER OF OPERATIONS NEXT TIME, BUT FOR HERE... I THINK YOU'VE ALL GOT COPIES OF THE PLANS WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TODAY. I DID NOT PRINT OUT COPIES OF THE PACKET BECAUSE IT'S A BIT OF A MONSTER FOR THIS TIME. SO WE'LL JUST FOLLOW THE DIGITAL ONE HERE.

LET'S KEEP IT ON ROLL CALL.

YEAH. SO WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL HERE. WE'LL START WITH OUR VICE CHAIR, BILL MCCONNELL. RIGHT HERE.

PRESENT. OUR CHAIR, YOU? PRESENT. PRESENT. OUR COMMISSIONER IS RICHARD MIKSECEK. PRESENT. PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER LAURA BELIAL.

PRESENT. PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HARRISON BATTEN.

PRESENT. COMMISSIONER TOM FRAZIER. HERE. AND TRUSTEE NICHOLAS LENTZ. HERE.

EXCELLENT. AND I AM STAFF PROJECT ENGINEER JACK HUGHES.

GREAT. THANKS. SO THEN THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA, PRESENTATIONS. BUT WE'RE NOT DOING PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THAT LATER? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. GREAT.

NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS

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

BY REDUCING AND EVENTUALLY ELIMINATING THE USE OF TOXIC SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS FOR TOWNSHIP LAND MANAGEMENT, FOR INVASIVE SPECIES, FIELD TURF MANAGEMENT, ETC.

ALL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEALTHY. PLEASE ADD NON-TOXIC GOATSCAPING SERVICES TO THE TOOLBOX OF STRATEGIES COMBINED WITH MULCHING, NATIVE GROUND COVERS, MANUAL REMOVAL, CONTROLLED BURNS, NATURAL NON-TOXIC BIOHERBICIDES, NATURAL, NON-TOXIC BIOPESTICIDES FOR MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES, FIELD TURF MANAGEMENT, ETC.

PLEASE NOTE THAT EVEN SMALL SPOT TREATMENT APPLICATIONS OF TOXIC SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS SUCH AS GLYPHOSATE, TRICLOPPER, ETC. DISRUPT SOIL MICROBIOMES.

AND CREATE LONG-TERM TOXIC SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS DEPENDENCY.

ADDITIONALLY, PLEASE NOTE, IN A USA TODAY ARTICLE DATED OCTOBER 14, 2025, IT STATES THAT BEAR MONSANTO HAS BEEN ORDERED TO PAY $600 MILLION JUDGMENT IN A LAWSUIT CLAIMING ITS GLYPHOSATE PRODUCT, ROUNDUP HERBICIDE CAUSES CANCER. THUS FAR, BEAR MONSANTO HAS PAID OUT APPROXIMATELY $11 BILLION TO SETTLE NEARLY 100,000 LAWSUITS RELATED TO ITS GLYPHOSATE PRODUCT ROUNDUP, BUT THOUSANDS OF COURT CASES STILL PENDING.

SIGNIFICANT HEALTH CONCERNS ALSO EXIST REGARDING TOXIC SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL TRICLOPPER.

MOREOVER, GOATSCAPING SERVICES ARE COST-EFFECTIVE AND PROVIDE PREDICTABLE CONTRACTS, REDUCE CHEMICAL AND LABOR COSTS, PLUS PROVIDE NATURAL FERTILIZATION, ETC., THAT HELPS RESTORE SOIL HEALTH IN THE LONG TERM.

ADDITIONALLY, NATURAL BIOHERBICIDES AND NATURAL BIOPESTICIDES ARE PROVEN VERY EFFECTIVE WITH REDUCED COSTS OVER THE LONG TERM, SUCH AS PRODUCTS EPA-REGISTERED BIOHERBICIDE CONTACT ORGANICS, NOW FIREHAWK. EPA REGISTERED BIOPESTICIDE, ORANGE GUARD, ETC. TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS BOARD TAKE A FIRST STEP WITH A GOATSCAPING SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM TO HELP MANAGE INVASIVE SPECIES, FIELD SURFACES, ETC., ALONG WITH STARTING THE PROCESS OF USING NATURAL BIOHERBICIDES AND NATURAL BIOPESTICIDES.

ADDITIONALLY, SINCE ON JANUARY 14, 2026, I SHARED THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS. AT THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING, I RESPECTFULLY ALSO ASK THAT THIS BOARD COLLABORATE WITH THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND STAFF. WITH THESE HEALTHY AND LONG-TERM, COST-EFFECTIVE INVENORS, I'M PROVIDING YOU A FOLDER OF .RESOURCES. OF BOTH HEALTH

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. MY NAME IS CARLA CLOSE AND I'M INGHAM COUNTY DEPUTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER APPEARING THIS EVENING ON BEHALF OF DRAIN COMMISSIONER PAT LINDEMAN. WHO UNFORTUNATELY HAD A CONFLICT AND WOULD HAVE DEARLY LOVED TO HAVE BEEN HERE BUT COULD NOT MAKE IT. WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING IN CASE THE COMMISSION HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES THAT THEY'D LIKE TO DISCUSS.

ON YOUR AGENDA ITEM, HOSKINS DRAIN WETLAND USE PERMIT. I'M JOINED THIS EVENING BY OUR PROJECT ENGINEER, ALAN BOYER, WITH PEA GROUP, AND MIKE NURSE, WHO'S WITH STREAMSIDE ECO, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR DELIBERATION TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. SO YOU ALREADY DID BASICALLY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, THEN? RIGHT, THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT THERE. OKAY, SO THEN NEXT ON THE AGENDA, COMMUNICATIONS.

I DIDN'T SEE ANY. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY, RIGHT? NO, NO COMMUNICATIONS. OKAY, GREAT.

[7. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]

ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, I WAS GOING TO BRING UP THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ABOUT REVISITING THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. AND STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF REVISIT THAT PROCESS AGAIN.

AND SHOULD I JUST, I WAS GOING TO JUST BRING IT UP TO THE COMMISSION. DO I DO THAT DURING? YEAH, WE CAN MAYBE DO THAT DURING OUR... ARE THERE MATTERS IN COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? ON THE BOTTOM? OKAY. IS THAT TOO LATE? NO. OKAY. ANY OTHER CHANGES? NO. OKAY. THEN ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. APPROVED. AGENDA APPROVED. NEXT, THEN,

[8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - Jan 7th, 2026 REGULAR MEETING]

WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. WE NOTICE ANY CHANGES OR AMENDMENTS THERE? RICHARD? I SAW NONE. OKAY. EXCELLENT. SO I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 7TH. SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, THEN, OF APPROVING THE MINUTES? SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

[9.A. Wetland Special Use Permit - Hoskins Drain ]

SO THE FIRST NEW BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA IS THE WETLAND SPECIAL USE PERMIT, THE HOSSAM STREAMS. CAN I TAKE CONTROL HERE? YEAH. WHO'S THIS GUY? I FORGOT. GOOD EVENING, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS.

TIM SCHMIDT, COMMUNITY PLANNING DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE TOWNSHIP. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE... GREAT PROJECTS ODDBALL PERMIT THAT, UNDER THE WETLAND ORDINANCE, GOES THROUGH A PRETTY UNIQUE PROCESS. SO THAT IS WHY I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, FINAL APPROVAL OF THIS PERMIT IS ADMINISTRATIVE IN MY HANDS.

AFTER WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON HOW THIS, HOW THIS WORK IS BEING DONE, SO WANTED TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THIS PROJECT. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL AND A PLANNING COMMISSION OR TOWNSHIP BOARD APPROVAL? ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF PROJECTS UNDER THE ORDINANCE THAT GO THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW FOR A WETLAND PERMIT.

SPECIFICALLY, IT IS A WETLAND USE PERMIT THAT IS SUBMITTED FOR ACTIVITIES THAT DO NOT

[00:10:01]

IF MAJOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE LAYOUT OF THE PARK, WE WOULD HAVE TO... HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY DIDN'T NEED IT.

THEY JUST ENHANCED THE WETLANDS AND WE MOVED ON. SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING IS, WE'LL CALL IT A FOUR-PART PROPOSAL FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE FOR WORK ALONG THE HOSKINS DRAIN. SO THIS IS THE ENTIRETY OF THE AREA. I'M GOING TO JUST ORIENT YOU HERE. SO WE'VE GOT BENNETT ROAD TO THE SOUTH. THIS IS THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF HEWLETT AND BENNETT. THIS IS THEIR SCHOOL BUS GARAGE. SO IF YOU HEAD NORTH, YOU'RE INTO CHAMPION WOODS HERE. AND THEN IT HANGS.

YOU GO THROUGH. THERE'S A PIECE IN CHAMPION WOODS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND. AND THEN IT HANGS A HARD LEFT AND HEADS OUT. EVENTUALLY, YOU GET TO HAGENORN ROAD OVER HERE. SO THAT'S THE AREA WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE'VE GOT FOUR AREAS OF.

OF IMPACT. AND I'M GOING TO DO THEM IN IN REVERSE ORDER, BECAUSE I WOULD ARGUE THEIR REVERSE ORDER IS THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THIS, GIVEN THE PROPOSAL. SO AREA D, DOWN ALONG THE SOUTHERN END, IS LARGELY ENCROACHMENT RIGHT HERE AT BENNETT ROAD. THERE'S A NEW PIPE EMERGENCY OVERFLOW SPILLWAY THAT WE GO IN, AND THERE IS AN EXCAVATION OF FIVE, ONE THOUSANDTHS OF AN ACRE. OF WETLAND TO ACTUALLY SET THAT PIPE.

IT'S INTENDED TO BE A NATURAL BOTTOM FOR ANIMAL MOVEMENT. THERE'S ALSO TWO CULVERTS THAT ARE BEING SET, BUT THEY ARE WITHIN UPLAND, SO THEY HAVE NO IMPACT FROM A WETLAND PERSPECTIVE. SO, VERY, VERY SMALL IMPACT ON AREA D.

SO THEN WE MOVE HEAD NORTH, A LITTLE BIT INTO AREA C, WHICH IS INTERESTINGLY, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WORKED ON WHEN I GOT HERE. THIS IS ACTUALLY RUNNING BEHIND PROPERTIES IN CHAMPION WOODS. THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY ACTUALLY ENCROACHED INTO THIS AREA, THE HOMEOWNERS HAD, SUBSTANTIALLY IN THIS AREA. THERE WAS SOME REMEDIATION THAT WAS DONE. BUT IN THE REVIEW OF THAT ENCROACHMENT, I BELIEVE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PIPE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AND SO THIS ENCROACHMENT IS A REPLACEMENT OF THE PIPE WITH FOUR ONE-THOUSANDTHS OF AN ACRE OF WETLAND TO SET THAT CULVERT. AND ABOUT SEVEN CUBIC YARDS, OR FOUR THOUSANDTHS OF AN ACRE OF RIPRAP FOR THE EDGE, FOR THAT THE WATER TO FLOW OUT OF THAT PIPE. AGAIN, THIS AREA IS ALREADY ACTUALLY SOME OF THIS AREA HAS ALREADY BEEN IMPACTED, SO THIS ONE IS A RELATIVELY SMALL CHANGE AS WELL. POPPING UP TO AREA B.

NOW WE'RE THROUGH CHAMPION WOODS, WE'RE AT THE SORT OF THE END OF THE SUBDIVISION. THIS IS THE THIS DRAIN ACTUALLY RUNS RIGHT ALONG THE PROPERTY LINE OF THE TOWNSHIP LAND PRESERVE AND THE SILVER LEAF SUBDIVISION. SO THAT'S TO ORIENT YOU WHERE WE'RE AT HERE. AREA B IS, AGAIN, REMOVAL OF AN EXISTING PIPE, PLACEMENT OF A NEW PIPE, 07,000TH OF AN ACRE OF IMPACT FOR THE RIPRAP AT THE END OF THE PIPE, RIGHT? SO, THREE RELATIVELY SMALL, RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD ONES. AND NOW THE MAIN IMPACT AREA A IS...

THE MOST, THE LARGEST IMPACT BY FAR, AND THE MOST, THE ONE YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE THE MOST QUESTIONS ABOUT. SO I'M GOING TO SCOOT DOWN TO THIS ONE REAL QUICK.

SO THIS IS A CLOSE-UP OF AREA A, AND THE TWO AREAS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THESE HATCHED AREAS.

THIS IS ON THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY. THIS IS ON THE SILVERLEAF PROPERTY.

IT'S JUST UNDER SIX-TENTHS OF AN ACRE OF EXCAVATION. IT'S ACTUALLY NOT FILL, WHICH IS ANOTHER UNIQUE...

PIECE OF THIS WETLAND PERMIT.

IT'S AN EXCAVATION TO CREATE A SERIES OF PONDS ALONG THE HOSKINS RAIN TO ALLOW FOR OVERFLOW

[00:15:03]

BUT ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE WATER OUT OF CHAMPION WOODS QUICKER. IT HAS TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO. THIS IS PART OF WHAT ALLOWS THAT PLACE TO GO. THE INTENTION IS TO.

THESE PONDS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN AN AREA OF A LOWER QUALITY WETLAND THAT IS STILL TO BE REVIEWED BY OUR WETLAND CONSULTANT. WE WANTED TO.

TYPICALLY, WE WOULD WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE A SIGNED WETLAND PERMIT TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THE STATE. WELL, THEY FINALLY GOT THAT, AND SO WE DECIDED TO COME HERE FIRST TO TRY AND GET THE BALL MOVING.

BECAUSE THE TIMING'S JUST BEEN A LITTLE FUNKY WITH THIS, AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE READY TO GO. SO, IN ALL, WE'RE UNDER SIX-TENTHS OF AN ACRE OF IMPACT. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS EXCAVATION, NOT FILL. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY FILLING WELL UNDER A HUNDREDTH OF AN ACRE. OF WETLAND FOR RIPRAP IN TWO LOCATIONS AND IN AREA D IS ACTUALLY JUST THE EDGE OF THE PIPE TOUCHES IT.

SO THAT IS WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY ENCOURAGE THE APPLICANT NOW TO GET MORE DETAIL FOR YOU ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON.

THANKS, TIM. YES, WE WON'T USE THE CLOCK BECAUSE IT'S NOT PUBLIC. OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SCHMIDT. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL RECAP OF THE PROJECT. PERHAPS OUR ENGINEER, MR. BOYER, AND MR. NURSE CAN BRING A FEW MORE DETAILS AND NUANCE ABOUT THE POOLS THAT ARE BEING CREATED.

THEIR ENGINEERING AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, AND ALSO AT BENNETT ROAD, AND AND SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS OF IMPACT, BOTH FROM AN ENGINEERING AND THE ECOLOGICAL. JUST TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON DIRECTOR SCHMITZ, VERY, VERY GOOD EXPLANATION. GO AHEAD. I'M REALLY ECOLOGICAL.

I'LL LET THE ENGINEER HANDLE THE ENGINEERING STUFF.

BUT AS FAR AS THE PONDS GO, THEY'RE REALLY... OUR TWO PURPOSES. AS FAR AS STORAGE GOES, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ALAN, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY PROVIDE MUCH THERE. THE IDEA IN OUR MIND, IF YOU TOOK A LOOK THROUGH THE PACKET, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON HERPS IN THERE. I THINK THREE STUDIES DONE ON THAT, AND THAT CROSSING AT BENNETT ROAD IS GOING TO HELP THEM. BUT THERE'S ALSO YOU A SPECIAL CONCERN. SNAKE AND BLANEY'S TURTLE THREATENED SPECIES THAT IS KNOWN TO OCCUR IN THIS AREA. AND THESE PONDS, FROM AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, ARE SIMPLY, IN MY MIND, AND I BELIEVE TRUE, IMPROVEMENTS. THEY'RE WELL-IN IMPROVEMENTS. TIM HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE'S LOW QUALITY. IT'S ESSENTIALLY A REED CANARY GRASS MONOTYPIC STAND. OVER-EAT CANARY GRASS. AND ANYTHING, MY OPINION IS, ANYTHING YOU CAN DO IN THERE TO DIVERSIFY THE HABITAT IS A POSITIVE. AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE STUFF THAT DAVE MUSTAD THAT WROTE AND STUDIED THIS AREA AND FOUND THE TURTLE, YOU'LL FIND THAT THE PONDS ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE HABITAT. NOW, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO CRAZY.

AND MAKE GREAT HABITAT THROUGH A BUNCH OF THAT AREA, BUT THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO FUND THAT TYPE OF THING.

AND THERE'S ALSO AN ENGINEERING ASPECT I'LL LET ALAN TALK ABOUT. THANKS, MIKE. MY NAME IS ALAN BOYER. I'M WITH PEA GROUP, AND I'M THE CIVIL ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT. THE PORTION OF THE DRAIN THAT YOU SEE IN THAT DRAWING RIGHT THERE, IF YOU CAN ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT, THAT KIND OF HOCKEY-SHAPED PORTION OF THE DRAIN. WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1886, AND SO IT'S QUITE OLD.

AND OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PART OF THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY, MOST OF THAT AREA IS ORGANIC HOUGHTON MUCK SOILS. IT'S VERY, VERY MUCKY, WHICH EXPLAINS, ONE, WHY IT'S A WETLAND. IT'S ALSO BELOW THE FLOODPLAIN ELEVATION OF HERON CREEK, WHICH THE CONFLUENCE IS RIGHT THERE AT THE OUTLET OF THE HOSKINS DRAIN. THESE PONDS DO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF SOME... MITIGATION

[00:20:01]

WE'RE PRETTY PROUD. SO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S GOAL OF NO NET LOSS OF WETLANDS. WETLANDS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF EVERY CONSIDERATION WHEN WE DO A DRAIN PROJECT. FIRST, TO AVOID IMPACTS WHERE POSSIBLE.

SOMETIMES THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE THE VERY PLACE OUR LOW-LYING DRAINS ARE IS ALSO THE LOCATION WHERE MANY WETLANDS ARE. AND THEN WE GO TO MINIMIZE ANY IMPACTS TO ONLY THE UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE WERE ON THIS PROJECT. WE TRIED TO MINIMIZE UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS.

AND WHERE WE HAD TO MAKE AN IMPACT, WE TRIED TO MAKE A POSITIVE OUT OF IT, MAKE IT AN ENHANCEMENT, WHERE POSSIBLE, MAKE IT AN ENHANCEMENT TO THE WETLAND. SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR THE HERPETOFAUNA THAT IS VERY ACTIVE IN THIS AREA. AND I'D LIKE THE ENGINEER AND ALSO THE WELL-IN CONSULTANT TO SPEAK MORE AT A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL. I'M AN AMATEUR WHEN IT COMES TO THESE MATTERS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT. YOU KNOW, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER, WHEN HE LOOKS AT THESE PROJECTS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE GET PETITIONED TO RESOLVE FLOODING PROBLEMS, USUALLY. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO SOLVE FLOODING PROBLEMS. AND WHERE POSSIBLE, WE ALSO TRY TO DO THINGS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AND GOOD FOR THE ECOLOGY OF THE SYSTEM. MINIMIZE OR AVOID IMPACTS ON WETLANDS, WHICH WE ALSO CONSIDER ESSENTIAL NATURAL RESOURCES.

AND SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL AGREE, AFTER YOU'VE REVIEWED THIS CAREFULLY THIS EVENING, THAT WE'VE STRUCK THAT BALANCE WITH THIS PROJECT. THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS... IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PAT LINDEMANN, HE'S THE BIGGEST TREE HUGGER, AND IF HE COULD HUG A WETLAND, HE WOULD.

BUT WHAT HE ALWAYS BELIEVES IS, WHEN HE DOES THESE STUDIES ON HERPETOFAUNA, IN PARTICULAR, AMPHIBIANS, WE LOOK AT THEM AS KIND OF THE CANARY IN THE MINE. AND WE LOOK AT TO SEE AS INDICATOR SPECIES.

WHAT THAT... SYSTEM IS LIKE IN TERMS OF CLEAN WATER, BECAUSE HE VERY MUCH HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR WATER QUALITY AS WELL AS WATER QUANTITY MANAGEMENT.

AND SO WHEN WE DID THE ANALYSIS AND FOUND SOME VERY UNUSUAL, UNCOMMON SPECIES IN THE AREA, ONES THAT WERE MORE SENSITIVE TO CLEAN WATER. WE KNEW WE HAD AN IMPORTANT SYSTEM HERE THAT WE NEEDED TO BE SENSITIVE TO AND TREAD LIGHTLY AS WE GO THROUGH HERE. AND I THINK AND I BELIEVE, AFTER OUR ENGINEER AND CONSULTANT EXPLAINED. SOME OF

[00:25:01]

IMMEDIATELY UNDER BENNETT ROAD ALONG THIS LINE IS AN EXISTING CULVERT THAT DOES EXIST. IT'S UNDERWATER MOST OF THE TIME.

BUT IT DOES EXIST, AND IT CERTAINLY PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR THE LANDS TO THE SOUTH.

HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT THAT THAT CULVERT EVER PLUGGED UP, THERE'S NO OTHER MEANS FOR THE WATER TO GET OUT. AND IF IT DID GET DEEP ENOUGH, IT COULD IMPINGE ON BENNETT ROAD. AND SO, FROM AN ENGINEERING POINT OF VIEW, WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED OF HAVING AN EMERGENCY OVERFLOW.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SECOND PIPE IS TO THE EAST. WOULD BE AN EMERGENCY OVERFLOW, AND IN FACT, THAT'S HOW EAGLE PERMITTED IT. NOW, THE WAY IT'S BEING CONSTRUCTED, THOUGH, IS WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT LIKELY WON'T OVERFLOW MOST OF THE TIME. BUT IT CAN CERTAINLY SERVE AS A PATHWAY TO WILDLIFE AND ALLOW FOR THE PASSAGE OF CRITTERS UNDERNEATH BENNETT ROAD, AS OPPOSED TO OVER TOP BENNETT ROAD, WHICH IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM. IF YOU SPEND ANY TIME OUT THERE, YOU FIND THE ROADSIDE LITTERED WITH THE CARCASSES. SO THAT'S CERTAINLY THE ENGINEERING APPROACH AND WHY WE WERE ABLE TO TRY TO PUT THIS IN HERE. IT DOES HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN IMPACT ON THE WETLAND, ON THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH SIDE, BUT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY DAVID MIFSUD, WE FELT THIS WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ENGINEERING APPROACH THAT MIGHT ANSWER THE WILDLIFE CONCERN.

YEAH, AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, YOU KNOW, THAT PIPE COULD BE DESIGNED ANY WAY WE NEEDED IT TO, AS LONG AS IT FUNCTIONED AS OVERFLOW. WE JUST DESIGNED IT SO WE COULD HAVE ANIMAL MOVEMENT AND DIRECT ANIMALS TO THAT LOCATION. SO, LIKE ALAN SAID, THEY'RE NOT LITTERED ON THE ROAD. YEAH. AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE REPORT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT DAVE HAS DOCUMENTED BLANDING'S TURTLES.

AND BUTLER GARTER SNAKES IN THIS GENERAL WETLAND SYSTEM AREA. AND IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BLANDING'S TURTLES, THE REASON THAT THEIR NUMBERS ARE SO THREATENED IS THEY, FOR MIGRATING GREAT DISTANCES, FOR NESTING AREAS, AND FOR LAYING THEIR EGGS, THE FEMALES CAN GO A MILE, AND YOU CAN'T REALLY GO ANYWHERE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. VERY FAR, WITHOUT HAVING TO CROSS A ROAD. SO THIS WILL GIVE AT LEAST THAT OVERFLOW PIPE, WILL GIVE SOME OF THESE FEMALES HOPEFULLY A SAFER WAY TO GET ACROSS BENNETT ROAD. THEY'RE ALSO ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE.

SO, LIKE CARLA WAS SAYING, THEY'RE A PRETTY GOOD INDICATOR OF WATER. AND AS WE KNOW, THE STATE HAS LOST A LOT OF THEM. QUICK EXAMPLE OF THAT, THE CROSSING'S HERE.

YEAH. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CROSSING IS GOING TO BE UP A LITTLE HIGHER, SO IT WON'T HAVE A WET BOTTOM.

IT'LL HAVE A NATURAL BOTTOM THROUGH IT, WHICH IS WHAT DAVE ASKED FOR. YEAH. YEAH. BUT

[00:30:02]

SHOULD IT GET THAT HIGH, IT'LL GO AND PASS AS AN EQUALIZER TUBE TO GET ON THE NORTH SIDE RATHER THAN FLOOD BENNETT ROAD. ANY ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE FIRST, OR ARE YOU READY TO OPEN UP FOR A QUESTION? I THINK WE SHOULD.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD. NO. UNLESS. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH.

I JUST WANT A QUICK COMMENT. I WAS LOOKING OVER THE REPORT AT THE HRM. SO IT SAYS THAT THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY DOCUMENT BUTLER'S GARTER SNAKE OR BLANDING'S TURTLE DURING THE SURVEYS. IT JUST SAYS THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL.

WELL. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING, HOW MUCH GOT IN THE PACKET, BECAUSE DAVE HAS BEEN OUT THERE MULTIPLE TIMES.

I THINK YOU GOT HIS INITIAL REPORT AND MAYBE A BRIEF FOLLOW-UP, BUT I THINK HE SHARED THAT IN AN EMAIL. ONE OF HIS LAST EMAILS TO US WAS THAT THEY HAD DOCUMENTED A FEMALE, I THINK. BLANDING'S TURTLE. I DON'T REMEMBER THE SEX. YEAH. AND THE BUTLER'S GARTER SNAKE. THEY HAD IDENTIFIED IT WAS HABITAT THAT COULD SUPPORT THOSE POPULATIONS. INITIALLY, THAT'S WHAT HE DID. IDENTIFY THAT AND FOUND QUITE A FEW COMMON SPECIES AS WELL. YEAH, BUT HE DID, ACTUALLY. HIS STAFF HAVE ACTUALLY DOCUMENTED THEM, THE PRESENCE OF THEM, AND I MIGHT ADD JIM HARDING.

THIRTY YEARS AGO, WHEN WE WERE INITIALLY LOOKING AT THE WETLAND INVENTORY. AND HE HAD SHARED WITH ME THAT HE TOO, BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD BE BLANDING TURTLES IN THAT AREA. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DR. HARDING, HE'S.

HE WROTE A TEXT LIKE THIS ON HERPETOFAUNA IN MICHIGAN. THE DEFINITIVE TEXT ON IT, HE'S AT. MSU USED TO BE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BY THE WAY. YEAH, I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU ANSWERED SOME OF MY QUESTIONS. ONE IS PROCEDURAL AND THE OTHER IS MORE TECHNICAL. IF YOU COULD CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INITIAL PETITION. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S PROCEDURE IS THAT IF MY PROPERTY IS FLOODING, I COMPLAIN TO THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER AND I PETITION THE COMMISSIONER TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY DRAIN.

AND IF THE COMMISSIONER DECIDES TO PROCEED WITH THAT, EVERYBODY WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT IMPROVEMENT IS THEN GOING TO BE CHARGED FOR THE COST OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. SO I'M CURIOUS, ON THE PROCEDURAL SIDE, WHO IS THE PETITIONER IN THIS CASE? AND IS THAT HOW THE COST OF THE PROJECT WOULD PROCEED? THE SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT TECHNICAL ALTERNATIVES.

OUR ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT ANY WETLAND IMPACT THAT WE ALLOW HAVE BEEN, THAT THE PROBLEM THAT THE IMPACT IS TRYING TO SOLVE, ALL OTHER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THAT PROBLEM HAVE BEEN EXAMINED AND DETERMINED NOT TO BE FEASIBLE. THAT THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAN THIS.

AND THE THIRD PART OF MY...

BACK UP HERE, UM, I'M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO SEE THE, UH, DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, UH, REALLY DIGGING IN ON THE ISSUE OF WILDLIFE UNDER CROSSINGS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TOWNSHIP GREEN SPACE PLAN HAS CALLED FOR FOR 22 YEARS OR SOMETHING. AND WHEN WE TRY TO GET THE ROAD DEPARTMENT TO DO IT, WE GET NOT ALWAYS AS MUCH COOPERATION AS THIS. SO I'M CURIOUS, SINCE I LAST LOOKED AT IT, WHAT'S THE SORT OF STATE OF THE ART OF HOW YOU BUILD A CULVERT, FLAT BOTTOM, BOTTOM BOX, CHANNEL, FLAT BOTTOM, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT? AND IF YOU COULD, JUST INFORM US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY YOU'VE CHOSEN THE PARTICULAR DESIGN THAT YOU HAVE. OKAY, WELL, LET ME, IF I CAN REMEMBER THOSE. LET ME START WITH THE PROCEDURAL QUESTION.

THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER RECEIVED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2020. A PETITION FROM LANDOWNERS. THE REQUIREMENT FOR DOING ON AN EXISTING ESTABLISHED COUNTY DRAIN IS FIVE OR MORE FREEHOLDERS WITHIN THE DRAIN DISTRICT THAT COULD BE SUBJECT

[00:35:02]

AND WE RECEIVED. THE LANDOWNERS WERE PRIMARILY IN CHAMPION WOODS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PRIMARY FLOODING HAS BEEN OCCURRING. THEY WERE MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH THE THE SWAMP.

BEHIND THE NORTHERN END OF CHAMPION WOODS, THE WATER WAS STANDING THERE LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AND MORE WATER. AND IT USED TO BE MORE EPHEMERAL, AND IT WOULD NOT DRY OUT. AND THEY WERE SEEING THE IMPACT ON THE FOREST AND STARTING TO LOSE TREES, WHICH WERE...

OF VALUE TO THEM AND THEY THEY DIDN'T LIKE THEY WANTED TO DEAL WITH THAT. AS WELL AS THE FLOODING WAS ENCROACHING MORE ON THEIR YARD AREA ADJACENT TO THAT SWAMP. AND NOT, UM, NOT RECEDING AS IT USED TO.

AND SO THEY WERE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE TWO MATTERS AND PETITIONED FOR THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER TO LOOK AT THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, BUT PRIMARILY THAT FLOODING OF THAT WETLAND, WHICH IS WHAT THE ENGINEERS DID. AND I THINK ALAN CAN EXPLAIN BETTER THE WATER CONTROL STRUCTURE IN THAT WETLAND THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED. AND SO THE... THE ISSUE ABOUT THE ROAD COMMISSION AND... YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE ROAD DEPARTMENT. NO, NO, BUT I MEAN, WE DID DISCUSS IT. WE HAD TO GET APPROVAL OF THE ROAD DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO ADD THAT STRUCTURE, THE OVERFLOW STRUCTURE IN THERE. AND THEY HAVE A SPECIAL, WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT, LIGHT SOIL? YEAH, LIGHTWEIGHT BACKDOOR.

LIGHTWEIGHT BACKFILL, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THAT ROAD IS FLOATED THROUGH THERE, BECAUSE THEY TOO HAD A PROBLEM WHEN THEY REDID BENNETT ROAD WITH THE STABILITY OF THE ROAD. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WATER TABLE, THE BAD SOILS, THE WETLAND SOILS IN THAT AREA. AND SO THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.

ALAN AND HIS GROUP HAVE HAD TO HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT THIS OVERFLOW PIPE. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE FOR US. BUT, ALAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU AND MIKE WANT TO ADDRESS THE OTHER ISSUES.

JUST SO WE DON'T LOSE THE THOUGHT.

ABOUT AVOIDING THE IMPACTS.

WELL, I'LL GET TO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PETITIONERS, SHE HAD TALKED ABOUT CONCERN ABOUT THE TREES. THE TREES WERE BEING FLOODED OUT AND DYING.

UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A TYPICAL WET, FORESTED WETLAND. AND EVEN WITH VERNAL POOLS THROUGHOUT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS WHOLE THING STARTED WITH, AT LEAST IN MY MIND. LET'S PUT IT BACK THERE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REDUCE THE HYDROLOGY IN IT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

BUT LET'S PUT IT BACK THERE.

WELL, REALISTICALLY, WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WAS IT WAS TOO LATE. YOU KNOW, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TREES ARE ALREADY DEAD.

WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO ACT WHEN THE PETITION CAME IN TO SAVE THAT SYSTEM.

BUT YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THE AVOIDING, THE IMPACTS AND THE STEPWISE, HOW WE COULD ADDRESS THE FLOODING ISSUES. AND WAS THERE A WAY TO TOTALLY AVOID, OR WAS THE... PURPOSE OF WHAT WE HAD TO DO, NECESSITATING US BEING IN THERE. BECAUSE SOME OF THE RIPRAP THAT HAS THE PERMANENT IMPACT IS TO AVOID EROSION INTO THE WETLANDS TO BECAUSE OF THE FLOW OUT OF THE CULVERTS. AND SO I THINK SOME OF THAT ALMOST NECESSITATED SOME OF THE PERMANENT IMPACTS.

YEAH, THERE, I GUESS. THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES WITH RESPECT TO THAT, AND AND WE DO. IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE PACKET, WE DO HAVE A COMPLETE WRITE-UP ON ALTERNATIVES, AND WE ALSO READDRESS THEM THROUGH COMMENTS THAT WE ADDRESS FROM EGLE THROUGH THEIR PERMIT PROCESS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE

[00:40:01]

HOW CAN WE DO THIS BEST WITHOUT HURTING THE WETLANDS? AM I MISSING ANYTHING? NO, I THINK YOU GOT IT. ALAN, IF YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THE OVERFLOW A LITTLE BIT BETTER, HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK. I MEAN, WITHIN THE SUBMITTED INFORMATION THAT YOU GOT IS NOT ONLY THE... EAGLE PERMIT APPLICATION, WITH THE DISCUSSION ON THE REASONABLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVES. THERE'S ALSO DAVID MIFSUD'S REPORTS ON THE HERDS. AND IF YOU'VE READ ANY OF DAVID'S WORK, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT, AND WE SAW SOME OF IT HERE JUST A COUPLE MINUTES AGO, WHEN JACK HAD IT UP ON THE SCREEN, ABOUT THE UNDERCROSSINGS FOR VARIOUS WILDLIFE.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UNDER BENNETT ROAD, WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH A LOT OF PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS. THE HEIGHT OF THE ROAD, THE HEIGHT OF THE WATER, WHERE THE LIMITS OF THE WETLANDS ARE, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A VARIETY OF UTILITIES IN THE ROAD THAT WE HAVE TO CROSS. WE WERE OUT THERE, IN FACT, TODAY AND AGAIN TOMORROW, POTHOLING THE TOWNSHIP'S WATER MAIN, WHICH IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE THAT IS VERTICALLY IN SPACE, SO THAT WE CAN CROSS IT.

DAVID MIFSUD'S WORK TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW MUCH OF AN OPEN AREA YOU NEED IN A CROSSING, AND WHAT KIND OF SURFACE NEEDS TO BE ON THE BOTTOM. AND THE NEED FOR THERE TO BE DAYLIGHT VISIBLE AT THE OTHER END. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT ABSTRACT IN TERMS OF CONSTRAINTS, BUT GIVES US A PRETTY GOOD GUIDELINE OF WHAT TO SELECT.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET...

AN OPEN ENOUGH AREA THAT THE WILDLIFE CAN SEE, WE WENT AHEAD AND SELECTED A FOUR-FOOT DIAMETER PIPE AND THEN BURIED IT HALFWAY IN THE GROUND, SO IT HAS A FOUR-FOOT WIDE, NATURAL BOTTOM IN IT. AND YET, THE ARCH THEN PROVIDES THE SUPPORT OF THE ROAD OVER THE TOP. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MATTER OF USING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS AVAILABLE TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL FIT WITHIN THE PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'VE GOT. SO THAT'S HOW WE DID IT. COULD I ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION TO THAT? YOU INDICATED THAT THE SOLUTION FOR THE CULVERT FOR AREA D WOULD BE A 48-INCH WIDE CULVERT. YES. BUT DAVID NISSEN'S REPORT ACTUALLY RECOMMENDS DIMENSIONS OF 6.6 FEET OR 80-INCH CULVERT, WITH A VERTICAL HEIGHT OF 3 FEET OR 36 INCHES. SO WHY DID YOU OPT FOR THE SMALLER CULVERT AS OPPOSED TO... WE OPTED FOR THE SMALLER ONE BECAUSE WE COULD MAKE IT FIT IN THE SPACE AND NOT HAVE TO REBUILD. A HALF A MILE OF BENNETT ROAD, ANOTHER THREE FEET HIGHER, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL BEYOND, YOU KNOW, THE PHYSICAL LIMITS OF WHAT THE DRAIN OFFICE DOES ON DRAINAGE PROJECTS. IS...

THE DISTRICT WOULD WANT TO PAY FOR IT. I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF A BALANCE HERE. YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF THE OVERFLOW, AND WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE OVERFLOW, THERE WERE SOME MODIFICATIONS THAT WE COULD DO THAT DID NOT ADD TO THE PROJECT COST THAT COULD EASILY ACCOMMODATE. THEN WE HAD TO TALK THE ROAD DEPARTMENT INTO IT, BECAUSE NORMALLY THEY REQUIRE CULVERTS TO HAVE FOUR FEET.

OF SEPARATION BEFORE THE TOP OF THE CULVERT AND THE BOTTOM OF THE ROAD, AND THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT, PUT THIS PIPE, DEFEATED THE PURPOSE OF IT BEING AN OVERFLOW. IT

[00:45:01]

AND SO WE FINALLY REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM, AND IT WAS A NEGOTIATION AND IT WAS SOME EDUCATION, AND THEN WE FINALLY GOT THERE.

BUT COMING BACK TO THE EXPENSES, ALAN SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER IS ALWAYS MINDFUL THAT SOMEBODY'S GOT TO PAY FOR THESE PROJECTS. AND WHILE IF WE... COULD GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THAT WOULD BE LOVELY.

BUT BOTTOM LINE, IT IS THE LANDOWNERS WITHIN THE 300 ACRES OF THIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT, PLUS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF LANSING. WHO ARE GOING TO RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR THIS? SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT THAT THAT POT IS NOT ENDLESS, THAT THEY.

THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO QUESTION HOW THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT, AND WE WANT TO SPEND IT WISELY. SO I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE BOTH GOALS, KEEPING THE ECOLOGY AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE HERPS IN THE AREA WHILE WE WERE PROVIDING FOR THE FLOOD CONTROL. I THINK WE REACHED THE BALANCE. WE'VE HAD LITERALLY DOZENS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVE. YEAH. ON THIS, HE'S SEEN THESE PLANS. YEAH, HE WOULD PREFER 10 FOOT. I MEAN, THE WIDER, THE BETTER, RIGHT? YEAH.

BUT THIS WILL STILL FUNCTION.

WE'LL STILL PROVIDE THIS.

THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION.

THANK YOU. IT WAS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION TO THE PETITIONER QUESTION THAT CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR MCCONNELL ASKED. I BELIEVE YOU, SAID THE PETITIONER, THE PETITION FIRST CAME THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28, 2020, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. AND YOU'RE STATING THAT THERE WAS ONGOING FLOODING. WHAT'S THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE FLOODING IN THERE? AND, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE SIX YEARS LATER, SO I'M JUST A LITTLE, ALMOST SIX YEARS LATER, AND I'M JUST A LITTLE CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S STILL FLOODING, AND WE GET...

CALLS. RELATIVE IRREGULAR CALLS FROM THE PETITIONERS. YEAH.

WANTING TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

PARTICULARLY MR. MCCURDY, WHO IS VERY FAITHFUL IN CALLING TO LET US KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED.

YEAH. AS MIKE POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING THAT WAS OCCURRING IN THE LOW GROUND BETWEEN CHAMPION WOODS AND SUNDANCE ESTATES WAS THE RESULT OF PLUGGED DRAINAGE SYSTEM DOWNSTREAM. AND THE DURATION OF THAT FLOODING BECAME LONGER AND LONGER AND LONGER, TO THE POINT WHERE THE TREES WERE DYING.

AND CERTAINLY, THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE ORIGINAL PETITIONER'S PETITION.

WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITH THE DRAINAGE STRUCTURE, WHICH I THINK WE'LL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AT, IS NOT ONLY PROVIDE AN OUTLET SO THAT THE WATER GETS AWAY, BUT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE DURATION SUCH THAT THE WATER BUDGET DOESN'T IMPACT THE QUALITY OF THE WETLAND.

AND... BUT ALLOWS THE WATER TO GET AWAY ENOUGH SO THAT THE TREES WON'T CONTINUE DYING.

THAT WE ALLOW THEM SOME BREATHING ROOM, SO TO SPEAK.

WELL PUT. BREATHING ROOM IS WELL PUT. WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE.

THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN A BIT DROUGHTY, AND THAT'S GIVEN US A BIT OF A BREAK, BUT WE REALLY DO NEED TO GET THIS PROJECT IN THIS YEAR BEFORE OUR LUCK RUNS OUT.

YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

MY QUESTION IS KIND OF RELATED, AND SPECIFICALLY ON THE TIMING THAT THE PETITION WAS FIRST INITIATED IN 2020.

WE'RE NOW IN 2026. IS THAT TYPICAL FOR THESE TYPES OF PETITIONS TO TAKE THAT LONG? AND THEN KIND OF AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT? I NOTICED THERE WAS SOME BACK AND FORTH WITH EAGLE AND I WAS WONDERING HOW LONG THAT PART OF THE PROCESS TOOK. AND I GUESS I'LL DO A BILL MCCONNELL. OH MY GOD, YOU'RE REALLY TAXING MY BRAIN AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND YOU MENTIONED THE CITY OF LANSING, SO I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHY THEY WOULD HAVE A PART OF THE COST OF THIS PROJECT.

OKAY, WELL, THERE IS NO TYPICAL DRAIN PROJECT. I'VE HAD THAT QUESTION FROM LEGISLATORS.

[00:50:05]

AND WE, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, WE'RE GOING LIKE, OH, GOOD GRIEF, IS THERE A WAY TO DESIGN THIS PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE? AND WE ALSO THEN HAD TO GO TO EAGLE.

SO THAT WAS, SLOWED US DOWN INITIALLY, BUT I WOULD SAY PROJECTS CAN GO ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS TO SIX YEARS. YOU MIGHT HAVE READ ABOUT THE MONTGOMERY DRAIN PROJECT IN THE NEWS.

THAT ONE, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER FIRST THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS AGO, WHEN HE FIRST BECAME DRAIN COMMISSIONER. IT TOOK HIM ABOUT 15 YEARS TO GET ANYONE TO PETITION, AND THEN IT TOOK ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 5 TO 10 YEARS TO GET THE PROJECT. AND THEN HE NO SOONER GOT IT. OUT TO BED AND READY TO GO. AND THEN COVET HIT AND THE THE NUMBERS WENT THROUGH THE ROOF AGAIN. AND SO EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW IS DEPENDENT ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME AND THE PROJECT.

IF WE HAVE TO GO TO EAGLE, THAT INEVITABLY SLOWS US DOWN. UM, THEY, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW THEY. THEY ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND THINGS DON'T GO THROUGH THERE VERY QUICKLY.

AND MIKE CAN EXPLAIN THAT BETTER, BUT THAT IS A VERY BIG ISSUE FOR US. AND I FORGOT THE LAST QUESTION. THERE REALLY IS NO PERMIT APPLICATION THAT GOES TO EGLE. IT DEPENDS ON THE STAFF PERSON, BUT THERE IS NO PERMIT APPLICATION THAT GOES TO EGLE, WHERE THERE'S NO BACK AND FORTH. IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. THERE'S ALWAYS BACK AND FORTH. THERE'S ALWAYS A CORRECTION RETURN. THERE'S ALWAYS TWO CORRECTION RETURNS.

AND THE ONES THAT WE GOT HERE, SOME OF THEM WERE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, IN MY OPINION. SOME OF THEM WEREN'T. I DISAGREE WITH EAGLE IN TERMS OF THE PONDS, FOR EXAMPLE.

THOSE PONDS ARE AN IMPROVEMENT.

THOSE ARE AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE WETLANDS, AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE WETLANDS. THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE BETTER WETLANDS.

NO, IT'S NOT AS BIG AS WE WOULD LIKE, BUT IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT TO THOSE WETLANDS. SO, EAGLE AGREED WITH THAT, BUT STILL SAID, YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THAT AS A PERMANENT IMPACT. AND I DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

WELL, AND I WILL ADD ONE OTHER INTERESTING TWIST THAT WAS NOT, IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LOCAL WETLAND ORDINANCE.

AT THE STATE NOW, UNDER GUIDANCE, THEY ARE PROMOTING WETLAND BANKING CREDITS. AND SO WHEN, AND YOU MAY HAVE RUN INTO THIS BEFORE, AS THE COMMISSION OR AS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THAT IN THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE, NO NET LOSS HERE, IN KIND, ON SITE. AND MANY OF THESE BANKS ARE IN OTHER COUNTIES, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH KEEPING A NO NET LAWS IN.MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, OR EVEN IN INGHAM COUNTY. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE BECAUSE WE REDUCE THOSE PONDS, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERING THEM PERMANENT IMPACTS TO THE WETLAND AND SUBJECT TO MITIGATION. AND THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER DOES NOT LIKE THE IDEA. CONCEPTUALLY.

OF WHETHER IT'S MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LANDOWNERS AND THE MUNICIPALITY AND THE COUNTY OF INGHAM PAYING TO CREATE WETLANDS SOMEWHERE ELSE IN MICHIGAN, THAT DOES NOT PRESERVE THE RESOURCES HERE IN INGHAM COUNTY OR HERE IN MERIDIAN. SO WE BROUGHT THE PROJECT, WE REDUCED THE PROJECT SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GET INTO PAYING FOR MITIGATION, BANKING CREDITS, AND THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE FUNDING SOURCE FOR PAYING FOR THOSE CREDITS, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO RECEIVE THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT. FOR THE PROJECT, EVENTUALLY. SO WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PONDS AND IMPACT TO BE LESS THAN A THIRD OF AN ACRE. AT EAGLES, YES.

[00:55:01]

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHICH PAYS MONEY, BUILDING WETLANDS SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE, WHICH IS KIND OF BEING PROMOTED AT THE STATE. CLAIRE WATTS, AT THE STATE WAS THE REVIEW PERSON, AND SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL. AND TALKING THROUGH THAT, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE SOME DISAGREEMENTS, WHICH NOW SHE'S VERY BEAUTIFUL.

NO, SHE WAS VERY FORTHRIGHT AND VERY HELPFUL, AND SO WE REDUCED THE IMPACT AND GET UNDER THE ONE-THIRD ACRE THRESHOLD.

WHICH WAS ACTUALLY HER IDEA.

YEAH, BUT WE STILL DIDN'T AGREE THAT THEY WERE PERMANENT IMPACTS, BUT WE'RE THE PERMITTEE. IT'S THEIR OPINION THAT COUNTS.

FUNDAMENTALLY, WE THINK MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S RESOURCES SHOULD STAY IN THE TOWNSHIP.

DRAIN COMMISSION ALWAYS JOKES WITH WETLAND MITIGATION BANKING, BUYING CREDITS FOR A BANK IN JACKSON OR IONIA, OR SOMEPLACE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE? THE FROGS A BUS TICKET? I MEAN, WHAT VALUE IS THAT TO THE HERPETOFAUNA IN THIS DRAINAGE DISTRICT? JUST THE LAST PART OF THAT LONG QUESTION. I FORGOT THE THIRD.

CITY OF LANSING. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I SHOULD TAKE NOTES.

I APOLOGIZE TO MAKING YOU SAY IT TWICE.

SO, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS, THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT BENEFIT WITHIN A DRAINAGE DISTRICT ARE SUBJECT TO AN APPORTIONMENT FOR BENEFIT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

GENERAL WELFARE, THAT SORT OF THING. THE CITY OF LANSING, THROUGH A 425 AGREEMENT, I BELIEVE YEARS AGO, UM, UH, TOOK OVER THAT PORTION, THAT COLLEGE FIELD SOUTH OF BENNETT ROAD, THAT IS TECHNICALLY CITY OF LANSING.

SO THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE BENEFIT OF GETTING THAT WATER OFF OF THAT GOLF COURSE UNDER BENNETT ROAD AND TO THE OUTLET. OKAY, THANK YOU.

I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. SO THE WETLAND THAT THE A, YOU KNOW, AREA A, IT'S ALL REED, CANARY GRASS. I MEAN, THAT IS LIKELY, OR AT LEAST THE DRAIN PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED, BECAUSE OFTEN INVASIVE SPECIES COMES IN, YOU KNOW, AND WE ALTER THE HYDROLOGY OF A WETLAND. SO I'M GUESSING THAT THAT DRAIN, THAT'S THERE. MIGHT HAVE ALTERED THE HYDROLOGY AND PLUS SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT LED TO THE INVASIVE SPECIES COMING INTO THAT. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, LIKE, TYPICALLY, WHEN YOU DIG PONDS IN WETLANDS, THAT WOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE FURTHER ALTERATIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY OF THE WETLAND. SO ARE THESE POOLS, LIKE, JUST REALLY SHALLOW? LIKE, HOW DEEP ARE THESE PONDS AND STUFF, AND WHY WOULD IT NOT, I GUESS, AFFECT THE HYDROLOGY OF THIS WETLAND? WELL, I'LL LET YOU TALK ABOUT THE HYDROLOGY, ALAN, BUT WITH RESPECT TO...

HOW DEEP ARE THEY? MAYBE EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ACTUAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THOSE POOLS. ALAN, ISN'T A BIG PART OF THE HYDROLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AREA COME FROM HERON CREEK? YEAH, I'LL ANSWER THAT. LET ME ANSWER HER QUESTION FIRST. THE CROSS SECTIONS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW FOR POOL ONE AND POOL TWO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIDE OF EACH OF THOSE PROFILES, YOU'LL SEE THAT. THAT GIVES YOU SOME IDEA OF THIS DISTANCE FROM HERE TO HERE BEING FIVE FEET. WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT...

ABOUT TWO FEET OF EXCAVATION IN THE CHANNEL, AND MAYBE THAT MUCH ALONGSIDE, WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL BEING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE CHANNEL. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXCAVATIONS THAT ARE PROBABLY ONLY ON THE NATURE OF ABOUT THIS HIGH THROUGH THAT WETLAND. JACK, IF I CAN ASK, CAN YOU GO TO THE THE MAP? THAT'S THE WHOLE DRAINAGE DISTRICT? IT'S THE FIRST ONE, THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT YOU HAD RIGHT RIGHT THERE. THIS LINE RIGHT HERE, CROSSING BENNETT ROAD, JUST EAST OF HAGEDORN, COMING UP THROUGH HERE, IS HERON CREEK.

AND HERON CREEK IS A RATHER LARGE DRAIN. HOSKINS HAS ITS CONFLUENCE WITH HERON CREEK RIGHT AT THIS POINT. AND IF YOU, AS A TOOL THAT WE TEND TO USE A LOT, GO TO THE FEMA WEBSITE. AND YOU LOOK AT THE FLOODPLAIN THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH HERON CREEK, MOST OF THIS ATLANS THAT ARE UP HERE IN THE CHAMPION WOODS AREA ARE ALL REALLY

[01:00:02]

MOSTLY AFFECTED BY HERON CREEK, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S FLOOD PLAIN, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE DRAINAGE AREA.

IN ADDITION TO THE FACT, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE HISTORICALLY WAS, ORIGINALLY THIS GROUND WAS FARMED. IT PROBABLY SHOULD, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY ORIGINALLY.

AT SOME POINT IN THE 1880S, IT WAS FARMED. AND IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT HISTORICAL PHOTOS, I THINK IT WAS A DAIRY FARM AND THAT AREA WAS PROBABLY USED FOR HAY AND PASTURE. THAT'S WHAT'S NOW REED CANARY GRASS.

IT'S HIGHLY ORGANIC SOIL. IT WOULDN'T SUPPORT A CROP ANNUALLY, AND IT PROBABLY FLOODED OUT MORE OFTEN THAN IT DIDN'T.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT JUST SIMPLY WAS LEFT FALLOW, AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST RESORTED TO WHATEVER.

PROBABLY THE DRAIN CONTRIBUTED TO IT. THE FACT THAT HERON CREEK'S FLOODPLAIN IS ASSOCIATED DID CONTRIBUTE TO IT. THAT'S WHY IT'S ALL REED CANARY GRASS NOW. BUT BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF HERON CREEK, WE'RE NOT CHANGING WHAT HERON CREEK DOES. IT'S LIKELY GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE WHAT IT IS. IF WE CAN IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE THROUGH THE HOSKINS DRAIN AND PROVIDE SOME WILDLIFE HABITAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO. YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT, I'M SURE. THE AGRICULTURE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO TURNING IT INTO RE-CANARY GRASS. THAT OFTEN HAPPENS IN AREAS THAT WETLANDS THAT THEN WERE FARMS. SO, YEAH, I MEAN, EVEN IN WETLANDS, THOUGH, ANY SMALL CHANGES IN THE TOPOGRAPHY CAN AFFECT THE DRAINAGE PATTERNS IN WETLANDS. IT'S AMAZING, JUST EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE, A COUPLE INCHES CAN CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE DRAINAGE. SO, EVEN THOUGH TWO FEET DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, IT CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. TO A WETLAND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND THAT AREA, THEN, FOR SURE. I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION IS, WHAT IF WE CAN, LIKE, WHAT IF WE DON'T? DO THOSE POOLS IN AREA A AND JUST DO THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PASSAGE OF WATER IN THOSE OTHER AREAS? WOULD THAT BE SUFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, OR JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THE DRAIN, HOSKINS DRAIN, IS NORMALLY LIKE... CLEANED OR SOMETHING TO HELP IMPROVE WATER FLOW. I GUESS I'M NOT REALLY SURE THAT I, THAT I LIKE ALL THE REST OF IT. I THINK THAT'S FINE.

AND I, YEAH, I'D CERTAINLY LOVE THE, THE UNDER PASSAGE FOR BENNETT ROAD.

AND THAT'S GREAT. I GUESS I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE ABOUT THE, THE NEED FOR THE POOLS IN AREA A. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT THE POOLS, THE CHANGE OF DRAINAGE IN THE WETLAND? IT'S JUST FURTHER IMPACTING THAT WETLAND.

I MEAN, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS IMPROVE THAT WETLAND, RIGHT? IS WE WANT TO RESTORE HYDROLOGY TO THAT WETLAND AND TRY TO ADDRESS THE REED CANARY GRASS. AND BECAUSE HIGHER QUALITY WETLANDS TEND TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE. SO I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT BY DOING THE POOLS THAT THAT'S FURTHER ALTERING AND IMPACTING THE HYDROLOGY. OF THAT WETLAND, WHICH THEN IS JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO DEGRADE, YOU KNOW, CAUSE IT TO. WELL, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR ALAN FOR A SECOND. WE CAN GET YOU INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. OKAY, UM, AND THESE POOLS AREN'T GOING TO HAVE, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT PERMANENT POOLS OF WATER, IN MY OPINION. I MEAN, SEASONALLY THE WATER RISES AND FALLS, RIGHT? IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE EMPTY, IT'LL BE FULL, THEN IT'LL BE EMPTY. BUT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD AND THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THIS FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, THOSE PONDS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE HYDROLOGY OF THE WELL. MOSTLY BECAUSE ALL THAT WATER COMES FROM HERON CREEK, AND HERON CREEK, ALMOST ALL THE WATER DOES, AND HERON CREEK ISN'T GOING TO STOP DOING THAT. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IF YOU DON'T DO THAT? HOW IS IT JUST DOING THE OTHER THREE AREAS? I THINK THE BIGGEST... NOT.

IN MY OPINION, WE LOSE WHATEVER BENEFIT THEY HAVE FOR THE HERPS. I BELIEVE THERE'S A BENEFIT. IT MAY NOT BE BIG, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GO IN, AND DON'T FORGET THAT THAT NORTHERN PART IS LAND PRESERVATION AT THE TOWNSHIP, RIGHT? YES.

SO WE'RE SAYING WITHIN OUR EASEMENTS, WE'RE RESTRICTED TO THAT. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GO IN AND DO THAT. I'VE HAD PROJECTS LIKE THAT. I'VE DONE PROJECTS WITH YOU LIKE THAT. YEAH.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT AND PAY FOR IT UNDER THE DRAIN CODE. AND

[01:05:02]

BUT ALAN WAS ALREADY THINKING ALONG THESE LINES BECAUSE THERE ARE ENGINEERING REASONS. MAYBE YOU COULD EXPAND A LITTLE ON...

WITHOUT BEING REPETITIOUS ON WHAT YOU HAD SAID EARLY, THERE ARE ENGINEERING REASONS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT FUNCTION.

BECAUSE THAT CHANNEL, WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY DUG BACK IN 1886, AND BY THE WAY, A LITTLE HISTORICAL FACTOID, IN 1886, THERE WAS A TOWNSHIP DRAIN COMMISSIONER.

AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE TOWNSHIP DRAIN COMMISSIONERS. I BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS MALLET AND... MILLET. MILLET, OKAY.

AND HE, IT'S HARD TO READ THE OLD CALLIGRAPHY, THE CURSIVE WRITING.

EVERYTHING IS LONGHAND IN THOSE DAYS, OUR RECORDS FROM 1886 IN OUR OFFICE.

BUT THEY BUILT, THEY DUG THAT CHANNEL FROM HERON CREEK THAT LOOKS LIKE THE HOCKEY STICK THAT THEN GOES OVER TOWARDS CHAMPION WOODS.

THEY BUILT THAT THING AND THEN EXTENDED WITH THE TILE SOUTH TO BENNETT ROAD. I'M NOT SURE IF ALL OF THAT WAS DONE IN THE INITIAL PROJECT, BUT THE INITIAL PROJECT WAS $242. I LOVE WHEN I GO BACK AND LOOK AT THESE THINGS IN A CONTEXT, BECAUSE THAT WAS REAL MONEY IN 1886. YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE TOWNSHIP, BECAUSE WE GOT THESE FROM THE TOWNSHIP RECORDS, THE ORIGINAL EASEMENTS AND THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE DRAIN.

AND THE RECORDS BACK THEN WERE NOT GREAT ON, LIKE ALAN DOES NOW, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT GPS, AND HE'S GOT ALL KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONIC GIZMOS THAT ASSIST HIM. YOU KNOW, SO THEY DIDN'T GIVE EXACT NUMBERS ON DEPTH AND WIDTH AND ALL OF THE PLAN AND PROFILE LIKE WE WOULD HAVE IN A MODERN ENGINEERING. SO HE'S HAD TO EXTRAPOLATE FROM WHERE THE OUTLET IS AT HERON CREEK AND THE UPPER END OF IT IN ORDER TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS, BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY EXEMPTED UNDER STATE LAW. FOR RESTORING TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. WE COULD GO OUT AND RE-DIG THE ORIGINAL CHANNEL, WHICH IS THE HOCKEY STICK CONFIGURATION THAT YOU SAW IN THE EARLIER DRAWING.

IN THAT AREA, A. IF WE DIDN'T DO THE POOLS, THERE WOULDN'T EVEN BE A REASON. TO GO. IT'S THOSE KIND OF ADDED FEATURES THAT PUT US AT EAGLE AND, YOU KNOW, HERE AT THE TOWNSHIP. THEY CAN BE ELIMINATED, BUT THEY DO HAVE ENGINEERING FUNCTION. AND AS IT TURNS OUT, ACCORDING TO DAVE MIFSUD, THEY HAVE THE SIDE BENEFIT OF, HE BELIEVES, BEING GOOD FOR THE OVERALL RESOURCE.

IN THE AREA, BUT ALAN, SPEAK TO THE ENGINEERING REASONING.

SO YOU ARE CORRECT. I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THERE IS A MAN-MADE CHANNEL THROUGH THAT WETLAND IS NOT NATURAL, OKAY? AND IT CERTAINLY HAS AN EFFECT ENVIRONMENTALLY. WHAT WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH IS THE FACT THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A PIECE OF DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IT NEEDS TO BE SOMEHOW MAINTAINED AND PERPETUATED.

BECAUSE IT DOES SERVE AS THE OUTLET. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT IS SIMPLY GOING THROUGH AND TRYING TO RESTORE THE CHANNEL PARTIALLY IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE ORGANIC SOILS.

SIMPLY MEANS THAT ONCE THAT

[01:10:02]

AND SO OUR GOAL WAS TO TRY TO REDUCE FUTURE IMPACTS OF HAVING TO BE OUT THERE MORE FREQUENTLY. WE THOUGHT IF WE COULD TAKE THE LOAD OFF THE SIDE OF THE BANKS.

IN ENGINEERING TERMS, BY REMOVING SOME OF THAT SOIL AND CREATING THE PONDS, THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE CHANNEL FUNCTION FOR LONGER TERM, WITH LESS MAINTENANCE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE BALANCING IN ENGINEERING AND IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE FELT THAT AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH DAVID, WE HAD AN IMPROVED SITUATION FOR THE HERPS, BALANCING WITH, YOU KNOW, LESS OF A MAINTENANCE IMPACT. AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER IMPACT, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE WETLANDS. SO, YOU KNOW... WE ARE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, AND IT'S A BALANCING GAME. AND ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH GOING AND DOING MAINTENANCE AGAIN IS, ONE, YOU KNOW, THE LANDOWNERS, THE TOWNSHIP, AND THE COUNTY MAKE AN INVESTMENT FOR US TO GO THERE AND RE-DIG THIS CHANNEL.

IT HASN'T BEEN DUG EVER. LET'S JUST SAY, EVER. I'VE BEEN WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE FOR 26 YEARS. THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S BEEN THERE FOR 33 EVER, THAT ANY OF US KNOW. IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN OUR TIME AT THE DRAIN OFFICE. AND WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, ONE, THAT INVESTMENT BY HAVING THESE BUFFER AREAS, SO THAT IT'S NOT IMMEDIATE.

AND WE PUT THE BUFFER AREAS ARE AT THE BEND WHERE THINGS, IF... IF THINGS START FALLING APART, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO FALL APART FIRST. AND SO WE PUT THESE POOLS THERE, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, IF WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO MAINTENANCE AGAIN, THE MORE FREQUENTLY WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO MAINTENANCE, EVERY TIME WE BRING HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN THERE, WE COMPACT THE SOILS. EVEN IF WE USE MATS, EVEN IF WE USE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, EVERY TIME WE COME IN THERE, THERE'S AN IMPACT, AND SO IF WE CAN PROLONG THIS MAINTENANCE WORK, WE PROLONG HAVING TO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL IMPACT ON THOSE WETLANDS. PLUS, IF THE MAINTENANCE DOESN'T LAST LONG AND WE HAVE TO COME BACK IN THERE AND DIG IT, THOSE SPOILS RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE TO BE HAULED OUT OF THERE, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO BE ON THIS PROJECT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PERMIT. THAT'S AN ADDED EXPENSE BECAUSE WE CAN'T REALLY DETERMINE EVERYTHING HAS SUBSIDED SO BADLY OUT THERE.

WE CAN'T DETERMINE THE HISTORIC SPOIL PILE SIDE OF THE DRAIN.

SO, AS FAR AS THE LAW IS CONCERNED, WE CAN ONLY REESTABLISH THE HISTORIC DESIGN OF THE DRAIN. WE CAN'T IMPACT ANY NEW IMPACT TO WETLANDS. SO ALL OF THIS MATERIAL THAT WE DIG OUT OF THERE HAS GOT TO BE HAULED OUT OF THERE AND PLACED IN AN UPLAND SITE. THAT ADDS EXPENSE, AND IT WILL FOREVER ADD EXPENSE TO MAINTENANCE, AND THAT CAN EASILY DOUBLE YOUR COST OF MAINTENANCE. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE IMPACT ON THE TAXPAYER. I MEAN, IT'S A BALANCING ACT. WE'RE TRYING TO THREAD THE NEEDLE AND DO THE RIGHT THING, PROTECT THE INVESTMENT. OKAY, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAVE TO, BECAUSE THE DRAIN CURRENTLY IS NOT REALLY A REAL CHANNEL, AND SO YOU HAVE TO DREAD IT TO MAKE IT MORE OF A CHANNEL TO ENHANCE THE FLOW. SO JUST DOING... THE IMPROVEMENT IN B, C, AND D IS NOT SUFFICIENT ON ITS OWN BECAUSE OF THE DRAIN IN A. THAT PART NEEDS TO BE DUG, AND SO THE POOLS ARE THERE TO HELP WITH ENFORCING THE DRAIN PART.

OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S FINE.

YEAH. MY QUESTION WAS, JUST COULD WE DO WITHOUT THAT? BECAUSE I MADE IT SEEM LIKE WE WERE DOING THE POOLS BECAUSE OF THE HERB STUFF, WHICH...

IT'S FINE, BUT IN MY MIND, LIKE, YOU COULD DO OTHER STUFF TO IMPROVE HABITAT FOR HERPS.

AND SO MY CONCERN IS, RIGHT. I WANT SOMETHING MORE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE

[01:15:01]

AND, JACK, IF YOU COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THERE WAS A BOARDWALK THAT WAS JUST CONSTRUCTED IN THIS AREA, CORRECT? CORRECT. SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PERMIT CAME THROUGH AND THE PLANS AND EVERYTHING.

BECAUSE THAT WAS FAIRLY RECENT THAT THAT BOARDWALK WAS CONSTRUCTED AND DID DIP INTO SOME OF THIS WETLAND AREA THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED HERE.

YES. IN FACT, THIS PLAN THAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT HERE SHOWS THE BOARDWALK. SO THIS WAS PART OF THE PERMIT DRAWINGS. AND THAT, YES, RIGHT THERE, ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, THAT IS YOUR BOARDWALK. AND THOSE ARE FROM THE TOWNSHIP PLANS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE OUT HERE WHEN THAT WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED TO MAKE SURE THAT... THERE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ANY CONFLICTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE TOWNSHIP. THE TOWNSHIP WAS GREAT IN DISCUSSING THE COORDINATION OF THESE TWO PUBLIC PROJECTS. I HAVE A QUESTION. OKAY. YOU MADE REFERENCE TO THE FILL THAT WILL BE CREATED BY EXCAVATION OF THE TWO POOLS. THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION. WASN'T CLEAR ON WHERE THAT FILL WILL BE PLACED.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY DETERMINATION OF THAT? WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. IN FACT, I SENT ANOTHER EMAIL TODAY TO MR. BOB SCHROEDER, WHO DEVELOPED THE SILVER LEAF PROJECT RIGHT NEXT DOOR. WE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM AS TO WHETHER HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT FIND IT USEFUL IF WE COULD DELIVER TO HIM SOME ORGANIC SOILS FOR TOPSOIL USE IN THAT PROJECT. AND WE ARE PURSUING THAT, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY CONFIRMATION FROM HIM YET. SO THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL SOLUTION BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR, AND HE WOULD HAVE IT AVAILABLE TO USE. YEAH, REPURPOSING IT SO IT'S IDEAL, RATHER THAN TAKING IT TO A LANDFILL. IT'S OUR GOAL TO MAKE THAT WORK. AND HOPEFULLY THEN HE'LL TRUCK IT.

WE CAN BRING IT TO THE EDGE OF THE WETLAND, AND HE CAN TRUCK IT TO HIS SITE. IT DEFINITELY ISN'T PROPOSED TO GO IN ANY WELL UNDER FLOOD. IT SOUNDS LIKE A REASONABLE SOLUTION.

CAN I ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION? SO IF WE ONLY DO B, C, AND D, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT TO THE REDUCTION OF FLOODING IN THAT AREA? THAT'S IT. B, C, AND D. IF WE ONLY DID B, C, AND D. AND WHAT WOULD BE THE, LET'S MAYBE CLARIFY, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE PONDS, CORRECT? WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE IF YOU DIG THE DRAIN, YOU WANT THE PONDS THERE.

BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DO WITHOUT THE PONDS. THE DRAIN IS BEING DUG. THE DRAIN HAS TO BE DUG OR WE CAN'T RELIEVE THE FLOODING. OH, THE DRAIN HAS TO BE. YES. NO QUESTION. IT HADN'T BEEN DUG IN, PROBABLY SINCE 1886 OR SEVEN, WHEN IT WAS FIRST DUG. OKAY.

OKAY. SO THEN MY QUESTION IS, OH, SO THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE IMPACTING THE OIL ANYWAY, THEN? YES. SO IF YOU DIG THE DRAIN, BUT THEN DON'T DIG THE POND, THEN WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, EXACTLY. WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN, THOUGH? THE CONSEQUENCE, FROM AN ENGINEERING POINT OF VIEW IS, WE'RE AFRAID THAT DOWN AT THAT LOWER END, THE SOILS ARE GOING TO SLOUGH IN AND PLUG THE DRAIN BACK UP AGAIN, WHICH IS GOING TO NECESSITATE GOING IN AND DIGGING IT OUT AGAIN.

BUT CAN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN THERE, LIKE A STRUCTURE OR SOMETHING ALONG THE SIDES TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? WELL, YEAH, WE PROBABLY COULD GO IN THERE AND DO SOMETHING LIKE DRIVING, SHEET PILING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN FACINES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SUPPORT THE BANK. THE PROBLEM IS IT WOULD BE DEEP.

IT PROBABLY WOULD LIKELY HAVE MORE EFFECT ON THE WETLAND, PARTICULARLY DURING CONSTRUCTION. AND IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER PERMITTABLE ACTIVITY FROM EAGLE'S POINT OF VIEW. IT'S NOT LIKELY TO RECEIVE IT. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD RECEIVE A PERMIT FROM EGLE. AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT, EXCEPT IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE IT'S RIGHT UP AGAINST A HOUSE OR THINGS

[01:20:02]

BUT CURRENTLY, THE WAY THE DRAIN IS SET AND THE WAY THE STATUTES ARE, THERE'S NO PERMIT REQUIRED FOR THAT DRAIN EXCAVATION, AND WE HAVE TO DO IT. WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. WE NEED TO RESTORE THE... THE HISTORIC CHANNEL THAT WAS PROVIDED MANY YEARS AGO AS THE OUTLET.

YEAH, THAT PART RIGHT THERE.

YEAH, IF I COULD, JUST KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT REAL QUICK. I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED ABOUT 90% OF THE QUESTION I HAD, BUT JUST HAVING PERSONALLY KIND OF STRUGGLED, WRESTLED WITH THAT, THOSE ORGANIC SOILS, NOT HOUGHTON MUCK, PARTICULARLY, BUT THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH THAT, SOILS' PROPENSITY TO MOVE.

HAVE WE... DO WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S A STRONG AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE KIND OF THINGS, SINCE THE CANARY GRASS IS BEING TAKEN OUT OF THIS AREA, ASSUMING WE'RE REPLACING IT WITH NATIVE SPECIES, NATIVE PLANTINGS IN THERE TO CREATE THIS HABITAT, IS THERE STRONG CONFIDENCE THERE THAT THOSE SPECIES ROOT SYSTEMS WILL STABILIZE THOSE BANKS AND PREVENT THOSE POOLS FROM EVENTUALLY CLOSING BACK UP? WHAT YOU'LL END UP SEEING THERE, IN MY OPINION, IS MORE REED CANARY GRASS.

JUST SPREAD RIGHT BACK DOWN.

YOU KNOW, WITH THE AMOUNT OF REED CANARY GRASS SURROUNDING THIS AREA, IT WOULD BE IMPO- I MEAN, YEAH, WE CAN PLANT PLANTS THERE, WE CAN MONITOR IT, WE CAN FIX IT, AND FIX IT, AND FIX IT, BUT NOT IN PERPETUITY, AND YOU'RE GONNA- THAT STUFF IS JUST GONNA COME IN. IT WOULD- YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THE WHOLE SYSTEM.

AND EVEN THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THE FLOODING FROM HERON CREEK, BRINGING IN SEED SOURCES, IT'S A TOUGH PROJECT. IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE PLANT... SPECIES IN THERE. WE WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE HYDROLOGY OF THE WATERSHED, YOU KNOW, AND THAT MIGHT LIKELY START SOMEWHERE DOWN CLOSE TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER. AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO FLOOD IT FOR MORE LONGER TERM. SO YOU GET DIFFERENT SPECIES IN THERE THAN REED, CANARY GRASS. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUGE KIND OF A PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE KEEPING THE FOOTPRINT RELATIVELY SMALL, AND THE GOOD THING WITH THAT IS WE'RE KEEPING THE FOOTPRINT RELATIVELY SMALL, AND IN ORDER TO DO THE KIND OF THING YOU'RE SUGGESTING, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A REALLY BIG FOOTPRINT, AND WE PROBABLY WOULD NEVER GET A PERMIT TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF WHAT IT IS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, IN DANGER OF... I GUESS MY THOUGHT, AND I GUESS, FORMED AS A QUESTION, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THE TWO POOLS OUT, WOULDN'T YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO EGLE AGAIN TO AMEND THAT PERMIT OR NOT? NO. NO. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S, GENERALLY SPEAKING, JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S PERMITTED. DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU TO DO IT. NOW THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE LOOK WE, IF THEY'RE CONNECTED SOMEHOW? ONE, THIS WAS PERMITTED BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING THIS, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, THEN YEAH, THERE MIGHT BE AN ISSUE THERE.

BUT IN THIS SITUATION, WE DON'T HAVE TO DIG THE PONDS. YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO EAGLE TO GET IN A REVISION. WE PROBABLY WOULD SEND THEM NOTIFICATION, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK TO EAGLE ON THAT.

IF WE WERE GOING TO ADD THE OTHER ONES IN THERE THAT DAVID PREFERRED THAT WE DO, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO EAGLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT SMALLER WOULDN'T BE THE, MAKE THAT NECESSARY.

RIGHT. YEAH, IT'S TOO BAD WE CAN'T DIVERT WATER TO THE RECONNECTED AREAS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO DO IT. WHAT YOU DON'T SEE, WELL, ACTUALLY, CAN I MOVE THIS? I THINK JACK'S GOT IT. JACK'S MOVING.

CAN YOU LOWER THE MAP? THE OTHER LOWERING, THERE YOU GO.

SO RIGHT, YOU PROBABLY DON'T SEE IT, BUT IF ANYBODY EVER GETS BACK TO THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A CULVERT UNDER THE RAILROAD. MADE OUT OF BRICK. IT'S BEEN MADE OUT OF STONE. IT'S MASONRY CUT.

FIELD STONE AND THE ARCH IS PROBABLY 10 FEET HIGH AND YOU CAN PROBABLY DRIVE A VEHICLE THROUGH IT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S GREEN AND PINK AND RED,

[01:25:01]

TO FLOOD ALL OF THAT FLOODPLAIN, TO GET RID OF THE REED CANARY GRASS.

AND, YOU KNOW... THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD GET FLOODED ALONG THE WAY. YEAH.

BUT IF THAT DAM WERE TO BE CREATED, IT COULD END UP UNDERMINING THE RAILROAD TRACKS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET A BUILT-UP LANDSCAPE, THERE'S UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT YOU WOULD DO PURELY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU'VE GOT TO LIVE IN A CONTEXT OF THE BUILT WORLD NOW. MAYBE WE COULD RECRUIT A BEAVER TO COME AND BE RIGHT THERE.

WE'VE GOT THEM ALL OVER THE TOWNSHIP, I CAN TELL YOU. THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THERE. THEY PROBABLY ARE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM IN THIS AREA. WE HAVE LOTS OF EVIDENCE ON THE MUD LAKE OUTLET DRAIN, WHICH COMES BEHIND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL CENTER, THAT MUD LAKE OUTLET DRAIN, THE OPEN CHANNEL THAT GOES THROUGH THE PARK, AND IT GOES EASTWARD BEHIND HAZLITT HIGH SCHOOL TO MUD LAKE ITSELF. BEAVERS LOVE THAT AREA. WE PUT IN A BEAVER POND LEVELER.

IN THE MUD LAKE OUTLET CHANNEL TO SORT OF FOOL THEM, AND THEN TRAPPERS CAME IN AND TRAPPED THE BEAVERS OUT ANYWAY. BUT WE HAD A GOOD SYSTEM WHERE THEY COULD BUILD THEIR DAM TO THEIR LITTLE HEART'S CONTENT, BUT WE HAD A WAY OF GETTING THE WATER. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A FLUME WITH A WATER CONTROL STRUCTURE, SO THE WATER, DESPITE THEIR DAM, WOULD CONTINUE TO GO DOWNSTREAM.

TO KEEP THE WATER LEVELS IN MUD LAKE STABLE, BUT THEN THEY TRAPPED THEM OUT, BUT I THINK THEY'RE BACK BECAUSE WE DID HEAR FROM HAZLITT HIGH SCHOOL RECENTLY THAT THEY'RE BACK FLOODING THEIR RUNNING TRACKS. SO I GUESS WE HAVE TO GO. AND WE KNOW THEY'RE ALL OVER THE RED CEDAR. THEY LIVE IN THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDAR. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE BEHIND TACOMA HILLS AND RIVERWOOD AND ALL THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY'RE HERE. IF I MIGHT, I WONDER IF NOW IS A GOOD MOMENT TO SEE IF THE PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS GOTTEN THE SORT OF INPUT THAT HE WAS HOPING FOR THIS EVENING. CERTAINLY.

EXCELLENT DISCUSSION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION, AS ALWAYS. AND CERTAINLY, UNDER THE ORDINANCE, THERE'S NO NET NEED FOR YOU TO TAKE ANY FORMAL ACTION. WE WILL TAKE ALL THIS FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT. WE'RE MEETING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TOMORROW TO DISCUSS AND THEN I HAVE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING. AND THEN WE WILL TAKE EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT AS WE MAKE A DECISION ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY EDUCATED AND THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I USUALLY LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE WON'T BE OFFENDED IF YOU DON'T STICK AROUND FOR THE LAST HOUR OR SO OF OUR MEETING. NICE OF YOU TO SPEND AN EVENING WITH US.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY. THANK YOU. THEY'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO. I JUST HAD A GOOD LAST

[9.B. Resolution of Support for Meridian Township’s FY27 CDS Grant Application]

[01:30:01]

WE HAD COMPARED THIS TO SOME OTHER SIMILAR PROJECTS THAT HAD RECEIVED FUNDING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, AND IT LOOKED LIKE A GOOD CANDIDATE. THAT PROJECT WAS SELECTED BY THE OFFICE OF SENATOR PETERS AMONGST ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO PROJECTS.

HOWEVER, WHEN IT THEN MOVED TO THE COMMITTEE FOR BEING FULLY FUNDED, IT WAS NOT COMPLETELY SELECTED THERE.

SO THE IDEA HERE IS TO REAPPLY UNDER THAT SAME GRANT APPLICATION. HOWEVER, AS OPPOSED TO SUBMITTING TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS TO THE TWO SEPARATE SENATORS, WE ARE GOING TO SUBMIT THIS ONE PUBLIC SAFETY SOLAR PANEL PROJECT TO BOTH OFFICES OF SENATOR PETERS AND SENATOR SLOTKIN THIS YEAR. SO IT SHOULD BE A LITTLE FAMILIAR. I'LL QUICK JUST ROLL TO OUR CONCEPT PLAN HERE. SO THIS WOULD BE FOR THE CREATION OF SOLAR TILES ON PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF CARPORTS AND EQUIPPING THOSE CARPORTS WITH SOLAR TILES. WE SIZED THIS SYSTEM TO MEET COMPLETELY THE ELECTRICITY NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, AS WELL AS PROBABLY A LITTLE EXCESS IN THERE. SO, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO REACH 100% ECOLOGICAL OR GREEN ENERGY FOR THAT BUILDING. AND CONTINUE TOWARDS THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE THAT WE SET OUT FOR 2035.

TO BE ENTIRELY GREEN ON OUR ENERGY USE. SO WE HAVE A SMALL MOTION HERE TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE, AND THEN WE HAVE THE FULL RESOLUTION HERE TO BE READ OFF IF WE DECIDE TO. SUPPORT THIS AGAIN, WHICH I IMAGINE WE WOULD. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION ON THAT? SO IT SAYS THE TOWNSHIP WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE A 50% LOCAL MATCH? WE BELIEVE SO. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT YET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S THE IDEA.

NICK, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW? IF IT IS ACCEPTED WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT WE PROVIDE HERE, THEN YES. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WOULD LOOK TO BUDGET IN A FUTURE BUDGET CYCLE.

THERE'S NOT MONEY SET ASIDE RIGHT NOW FOR THAT. BUT CONSIDERING THE GOALS IT WOULD HELP ACHIEVE, IT WOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY OF OURS. AND WHILE I'M SPEAKING, I'LL JUST QUICKLY ADD, AS SOMEONE WHO VARIOUS ROLES HAS INTERACTED WITH CONGRESSIONAL BUDGETING, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE ARE SUBMITTING SAME PROPOSALS TO BOTH OF OUR SENATORS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE A FIRST TERM. THE FIRST BUDGET CYCLE SENATOR IN SENATOR SLOTKIN, THEY VERY OFTEN JUST STEAL THE HANDBOOK FROM THE MORE SENIOR SENATOR WHEN DETERMINING THEIR PRIORITIES. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD JOB BY STAFF TO COVER BOTH BASES. AND THAT'S A FUN TIDBIT OF INFORMATION IF YOU'RE EVER IN FRONT OF CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO WE NEED A MOTION TO... SO THEN I'LL MOVE THE RESOLUTION SLIGHTLY AMENDED, STRIKING THE THIRD WHEREAS.

SO, TO CLARIFY, THEN, RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP FISCAL YEAR 2027 CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING GRANT APPLICATION, WHEREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HAS A LONG HISTORY OF STRIVING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND WHEREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP... RESOLVED TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF EXISTING U.S. MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND ADOPTED A CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. AND WHEREAS MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN ESTABLISHED A GOAL FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO OBTAIN 50% OF ELECTRICITY USED FOR THE TOWNSHIP OPERATIONS FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES BY 2025 AND 100% BY 2035. AND WHEREAS TO WORK TOWARDS THIS GOAL, THE TOWNSHIP HAS ESTABLISHED PLANS TO CONSTRUCT GRID INTERCONNECTED SOLAR.

PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS FOR ALL TOWNSHIP FACILITIES.

AND WHEREAS, THE TOWNSHIP HAS ESTABLISHED A PLAN TO CONSTRUCT A 204.22 KILOWATT SYSTEM PRODUCING 244,677 KILOWATT HOURS ANNUALLY TO SUPPLY 100 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY USED FOR THE TOWNSHIP'S PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

THANK YOU. THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN, INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, MOVES TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S FISCAL YEAR 2027.

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED

[01:35:01]

WILL THAT MAKE US INCONSISTENT WITH OTHER TOWNSHIP BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS THAT MIGHT BE TAKING ACTION ON THIS? I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS CLAUSE RIGHT HERE.

RIGHT. PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD.

MAYBE A QUICK COMMENT FOR JUSTIFICATION TO REMOVE THAT. MY READING OF IT IS REDUNDANT WITH THE FIRST. WHEREAS, AND UNDER THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, MENTION OF THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD MAY NOT BE THE MOST PRUDENT THING TO DO.

AND AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BOARD, I CAN SAY THAT WE HAD THAT SAME DISCUSSION AS WELL. SO, UH, WELL, THIS IS WRITTEN HERE AS IT IS IN FRONT OF US. NOW. I KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS PLANNING ON BEING AS TACTFUL AS, UH, WE ARE HERE WHEN THIS COMES BEFORE US. I THINK WE DID THE SAME THING THE FIRST TIME IT CAME AROUND HERE, RIGHT? YEAH, I'M LIKE, RIGHT NOW IT ACTUALLY BRINGS US IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE TOWNSHIP. GOOD QUESTION. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, NONE. OKAY, SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION, SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

[9.C. Marshall Park Bioswale Update ]

WHILE COLUMBIA STREET NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP CONSENSUAL PLANS FOR ADDRESSING THE FLOODING ISSUES PRESENT AT THE PARK, THERE ARE NOW TWO APPROACHES BEING CONSIDERED TO RECTIFY THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE PARK. ONE RETAINS A BALANCE OF PARK AND ECOLOGICAL INCENTIVES, WHILE THE OTHER PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE ECOLOGICAL ASPECT. SO THE FIRST PLAN, SCROLL TO THAT HERE, AND I'LL JUST READ OFF THEIR DESCRIPTOR HERE.

THIS FIRST PLAN CONCEPT UTILIZES ALL PERENNIAL PLANTS.

THE PERENNIALS WOULD BE ESTABLISHED USING SEED AND OR PLUGS. INCLUDING PLUGS PROVIDES A GREATER VARIETY OF SPECIES, WITH QUICKER ESTABLISHMENT THAN SEED ALONE, BUT IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE. THIS GOAL WOULD BE TO CREATE A NATURALIZED WETLAND OF NATIVE SPECIES. IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE OPENNESS AND PLENTY OF HABITAT. THEY'RE REFERENCING THIS OPEN GREEN SPACE HERE TO THE WEST. THE AESTHETIC WILL BE COLORFUL AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR.

THE DORMANT VEGETATION WILL PROVIDE LOTS OF TEXTURAL INTEREST IN THE WINTER. THIS APPROACH IS POPULAR AND AT A GLANCE APPEARS SIMPLE, BUT ESTABLISHMENT FROM SEED TAKES AT LEAST THREE YEARS.

DURING THE FIRST THREE YEARS, THE AREA WILL LOOK VERY WEEDY.

MAINTENANCE IS VERY IMPORTANT AS UNWANTED PLANTS WILL COLONIZE OVER TIME, AND REGULAR MOWING, BURNING, AND SPOT TREATING WILL BE NECESSARY TO FULLY ESTABLISH THIS. THEN THEY HAVE A SECOND CONCEPT PLAN HERE FOR THE MORE NATURALIZED WETLAND. OH, COME HERE. SO THIS APPROACH IS A LITTLE LESS FOCUSED ON THE PARK AND PLAYGROUND ACTIVITIES. THE BIG NOTICEABLE CHANGE IS THE PLANTED WOODLAND OVER TO THE WEST, AS WELL AS THE DENSE TREE AND SHRUB PLANTINGS ALONG THE EMERGENT ZONE IN THE CENTER. THIS CONCEPT SEEKS TO NATURALIZE THE ENTIRE AREA WITH A COMBINATION OF FLOODPLAIN TREES AND WETLAND SHRUBS, WITH A BACKGROUND OF SEEDING OF NATIVE PERENNIALS. ONCE ESTABLISHED, IT WOULD REQUIRE LESS MAINTENANCE AND DELIVER THE GREATEST OVERALL ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT. ONCE ESTABLISHED, WOODY INVASIVES WOULD NEED TO BE CONTROLLED, WHICH IS NOT EXPENSIVE AND CAN BE CONTRACTED OUT OR DONE INTERNALLY. THIS WOULD ALSO ENHANCE THE STORMWATER CAPACITY, AS THE GREATER BIOMASS OF THE TREES THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ENHANCES DEWATERING DURING THE GROWING SEASON.

IN THIS SCENARIO, FOCUS ON THE PERENNIAL VEGETATION WOULD BE DE-EMPHASIZED, WHICH COMES WITH ACCEPTANCE THAT PORTIONS MAY TEND TO EVOLVE INTO, QUOTE, OLD FIELD, QUOTE, OVER TIME, WHICH WOULD BE A COMBINATION OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE SPECIES.

SO TWO SIMILAR APPROACHES HERE.

[01:40:03]

FIRST, BEING SAFETY. THEY DON'T WANT ALL THIS FOLIAGE HERE TO BLOCK VIEW OF THE PARK FROM POLICE, FIRE, AND AMBULANCE. TRAVERSING MARSH ROAD HERE. SO JUST A KIND OF CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY THERE. THEY ARE ALSO KEEN ON THE OPEN SPACE, AS OPPOSED TO THE PLANTED WOODLAND HERE.

SO THEY ARE A HIGHER PREFERENCE FOR THIS OPEN GREEN SPACE HERE FOR RESIDENT ACTIVITIES. AND FINALLY, THEY DON'T WANT TO SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE VIEW OF THE HOMES ON MARSH ROAD THAT FACE THE LAKE. SO SOME OF THE PROPERTIES BACK HERE THAT CURRENTLY MAY HAVE A VIEW OF THE LAKE WOULD LOSE THAT IF ALL OF THIS WAS GOING TO BE. ANY FEEDBACK THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS ON THIS PROJECT AND ITS TWO OPTIONS IS HIGHLY WELCOMED.

IDEALLY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD NOT CONFLICT WITH THE PARK COMMISSION'S FEEDBACK.

ONE POTENTIAL INCLUSION HAS ALREADY BEEN SUGGESTED BY OUR CHAIR TO ACCOUNT FOR ANIMAL MIGRATION TO AND FROM THE NEWLY CREATED HABITATS. THIS WOULD BE ALONG THE UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE DITCH HERE, I'M SORRY, DRAINAGE CHANNEL HERE.

PROPOSING SOME ALTERATIONS TO THAT TO BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO ANIMAL MIGRATION. AND FOR LAST CONSIDERATION, THE LAKE LANSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROJECT AND HAS COMMITTED UP TO $10,000 IN FUNDING FROM THEIR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT. THAT IS FUNDED IN LARGE PART BY PROPERTY OWNERS. THE TOWNSHIP WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE THAT IT BELIEVES IT IS TELLING THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS AROUND THE LAKE WHO SERVE ON THE LOAC WANT TO INVEST THEIR OWN SPECIAL ASSESSMENT REVENUE INTO THIS PROJECT.

THEY ARE WILLING TO PUT THEIR OWN SKIN IN THE GAME, AS IT WERE. SO THAT'S A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE TWO CONCEPTS WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. AND I THINK WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR ANY FEEDBACK OR INCLINATIONS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

ON A, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR DIRECTION WE'D LEAN, OR ANY ASTERISKS OR LITTLE CHANGES WE MIGHT SUGGEST.

WE'LL OPEN IT UP. THESE COMMENTS YEAH, SURE. IT SEEMS LIKE IN OVERALL, THE TRADE-OFF THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THE TWO OPTIONS IS MORE TREES OR MORE MOWING.

AND THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT BALANCE BETWEEN RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION. I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR SOME TIME, TRYING TO GET MORE AND MORE WOODY VEGETATION AROUND OUR RETENTION AND DETENTION AREAS. AND IN MOST OF THOSE CASES, THIS RECREATIONAL TRADE-OFF DOES NOT OCCUR. SO, WHILE I GENERALLY SUPPORT ENHANCING THESE KINDS OF AREAS WITH WOODY VEGETATION TO ENHANCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND REDUCE MOWING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN EXISTING RECREATIONAL AREA, AND I THINK THAT RECREATIONAL VALUE IS IMPORTANT. AND SO I TEND TO PERSONALLY SIDE A BIT WITH THE ALTERNATIVE FAVORED BY THE PARKS COMMISSION. AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE HOMEOWNERS ARE ALSO, THERE'S BUY-IN FROM THAT SIDE AS WELL. THANK YOU. SO

[01:45:04]

RIGHT. I THINK THE CORE OF THE PROJECT IS THESE EMERGENT ZONES THEY'RE PUTTING IN. AND I THINK SINCE BOTH PLANS FEATURE THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FLASH FLOODING ISSUE IS BEING ADDRESSED MOSTLY WITH THOSE. I THINK THERE'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL PERK TO THE NATURALIZED WETLAND, THAT WITH THE ADDITIONAL TRANSPIRATION, THE ADDITIONAL TREES, IT'S JUST A LITTLE LESS KIND OF LOADING IN THAT AREA.

BUT ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE THE FLASH FLOODING CONCERNS WILL BE ADDRESSED EITHER WAY. OKAY.

AND I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING AS COULDN'T WE DO, LIKE A HYBRID, LIKE, DOES IT HAVE TO BE EITHER? OR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING. SO, I MEAN, I WOULD EXPECT THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A TON OF RECREATION AROUND THOSE EMERGING WETLANDS, RIGHT? EXACTLY. PUT MORE SHRUBS AND STUFF THERE. THAT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO REDUCE THE RECREATION, I DON'T THINK. BUT IN THAT OPEN GREEN SPACE, THEN, YEAH, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THAT OPEN MAKES SENSE FROM A RECREATION STANDPOINT.

SURE. WELL, IF THEY'RE TREES, YOU CAN CLIMB. RIGHT, EXACTLY.

OR, YOU KNOW, PUT A LITTLE HAMMOCK AND STUFF.

RIGHT. DEFINITELY TREES AROUND THE PLAYGROUND. I DON'T KNOW WHY. THERE WERE MORE TREES ON THE PLAYGROUND WHEN IT WAS SUPER HOT. AND THEN YOUR SLIDE IS ALL, YOU KNOW, ON THE WAY DOWN. IT WAS FUN.

YEAH, I GUESS I LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVING A SORT OF A HYBRID OF HAVING SOME MORE TREES AND SHRUBS, LIKE AROUND THE EMERGENT WETLANDS.

AND THEN KEEPING, YEAH, KEEPING THE OPEN SPACE MORE OPEN. JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT. SO IF I UNDERSTAND, THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO MITIGATE STORMWATER RUNOFF.

DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT.

IN PARTICULAR, A MERCHANT ZONE CLOSEST TO THE DRAIN OUTLET WILL BE EXCAVATED BELOW GROUND LEVEL TO PERMANENTLY RETAIN WATER AND TO RETAIN STORM WATER AS IT DEVELOPS IN THIS AREA. IS THAT A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING? YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WILL BE BELOW THE EXISTING GRADE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE THE SAME BOTTOM DEPTH.AS IS THE OTHER, THE NEXT UP ZONE, ESSENTIALLY, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ON THE OTHERS ARE PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER, RIGHT? IT LOOKS LIKE THE LOWEST ELEVATION IS A 853 HERE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SURROUNDING ELEVATION IS 856.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT THREE FEET LOWER THAN EXISTING. WE'D HAVE TO PROBABLY CHECK TO SEE IF THAT WOULD PERMANENTLY RETAIN WATER OR NOT. I BELIEVE THEY DID WANT TO CONSIDER IT LIKE AN EMERGENT ZONE THAT WOULD BE SPONGY MOST OF THE TIME. OKAY, SO I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY. WE'RE INVOLVED IN LOOKING AT A PROJECT THAT INVOLVES EXCAVATION TO ESSENTIALLY CREATE A POOL, A RETENTION ONE. CORRECT. AND I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE THE PLANS. I'M LIKE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I THINK. AGREEABLE TO DEFER TO THE CONCERNS OF THE PARK COMMISSION TO NOT OBSTRUCT THE VIEW FROM MARSH ROAD AND MITIGATE ANY SAFETY HAZARDS. THAT WOULD BE CREATED BY A DENSE TREE PLANTING IN THIS AREA. BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE EMERGENT ZONE, PONDS PUTTING IN LOW SHRUBBERY THAT WOULD HELP FUNCTION. IS A TRANS... A TRANSPIRATION MECHANISM TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE WATER THAT ACCUMULATES IN THIS AREA. AND EMMA HAD TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO INCREASE, PLANT MORE NATIVE SHRUBS THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOOD FOR BIRDS, RIGHT? AND SO THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.

THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY COMMENT. I KNOW ONE OF THEM SAID, A MIX OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE, BUT I WOULD STRESS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENVIRONMENTALISTS, AND I WOULD STRESS WE NEED ALL NATIVE SPECIES IN HERE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE DO, RIGHT? WE'RE PROMOTING NATIVES, AND SO I WOULD JUST UNDERSCORE THAT. I MIGHT ALSO COMMENT THAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AN EXCELLENT KIND OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR THE TOWNSHIP

[01:50:03]

[9.D. Commission Roster and Applications to join the Environmental Commission ]

GOTCHA. THANKS FOR CATCHING THAT. YEAH, GOOD CATCH, TOM. OKAY. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT MAYBE TOM AND BILL. SO WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDENT. I ASKED JACK ABOUT THIS, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDENT THAT WAS AN MSU STUDENT THAT WAS ON THE COMMISSION, AND THEN HE LEFT NOT TOO LONG AFTER. WAS IT MEANT TO BE, LIKE THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE TWO STUDENTS THEN ON THE COMMISSION THEN? AND DID IT MATTER IF IT WAS LIKE AN MSU STUDENT AND A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT? I'M THINKING HE WAS A... REGULAR MEMBER, NOT A STUDENT MEMBER. GRAHAM DEDRICK WAS AN MSU STUDENT.

OKAY, BUT HE WAS A REGULAR MEMBER, NOT A STUDENT. CORRECT.

BUT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE TWO? WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH OKEMOS AND HAZLITT. I SEE, OKAY.

FOR THE LONGEST TIME, BECAUSE OF THE EARTH CLUB AND MR. CHAPMAN AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAD A VERY STRONG PRESENCE THERE. NOW WE'VE HAD A VERY NICE PRESENCE FROM HAZLITT HIGH SCHOOL. MY PERSONAL VIEW IS THE MORE, THE MERRIER. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT THAT OTHER STUDENT POSITION WAS. THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE ONE FROM... WHEN I APPLIED, IT WAS SPECIFIED AS A HIGH SCHOOL POSITION. OKAY.

YEAH. OKAY, THANKS. OKAY.

YEAH, SO... SO WE HAVE TWO OPEN... COMMISSIONER REGULAR COMMISSIONER POSITIONS ON ONE STUDENT. OKAY, RIGHT, WHAT IS THIS PROJECT? ENGINEER SLASH ENVIRONMENTAL IS THAT IS THAT YOU? I THINK THAT COULD BE IF I WASN'T STAFFING THIS, THEN THAT COULD BE A NICE SPOT.

IS THAT THE RISK OF WEARING TOO MANY HATS? I SUPPOSE I AM SORT OF DOING THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ROLE, LIKE, ACTUALLY VOTES OR NOT? I HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. I DON'T THINK SO. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. OKAY. I GUESS ONE OTHER COMMENT. WHEN I WAS DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THESE LENGTH OF TERMS YESTERDAY AND TODAY, I ALSO NOTED THAT. THE TOWNSHIP ON ITS WEBSITE LIST ONE OF THE OPEN POSITIONS AS ENDING 12-31-26 AND THE OTHER ONE ENDING 12-31-28. AND SO I THINK, TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE 26TH TERM WAS HELD BY JOHN SARVER. AND, OF COURSE, SEEING STEPPED DOWN AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS FILLING THAT REMAINING TERM OF OFFICE OF ONE YEAR. AND THEN, IN ADDITION, THE 2028 TERM WOULD HAVE BEEN CYNTHIA PETERSON, WHO DECIDED NOT TO BE REAPPOINTED. SO THAT WOULD BE A FULL THREE-YEAR TERM. THE CLARIFICATIONS THERE.

[01:55:09]

WE CAN QUICK KIND OF LOOK OVER THESE. THESE TWO OF THESE WERE SENT IN THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP WEB FORM, AND THE LAST ONE, I THINK WAS HANDWRITTEN. SO WE HAVE ONE HERE FROM BRUCE MORTIMER. I CONTACTED ALL THREE OF THESE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING TONIGHT, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. SO I JUST ENCOURAGED THEM TO WATCH IT OR BRING ANY OTHER COMMENTS TO US AFTERWARDS.

BUT WE HAVE AN APPLICATION HERE FROM A BRUCE MORTIMER WHO IS A VETERINARIAN, DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, VOLUNTEER FROM RADIANT CONSERVATIVE CORPS, MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING OUR PROPERTY WITH NATIVE PLANTS, INVASIVE SPECIES, BIRD AND PLANT SPECIES.

IDENTIFICATION, SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO OUR COMMISSION, SUMMARIZE YOUR REASONS FOR APPLYING TO DO THIS. I'M INTERESTED IN HABITAT PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION. I BELIEVE HABITAT PRESERVATION IS THE KEY TO GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTAINING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, SEMI-RETIRED, WORKS AT EAST LANSING VETERINARY CLINIC, LIVES IN OKEMOS. YEP, PRETTY SIMPLE ONE THERE. WE HAVE A SECOND ONE HERE FROM IKE IOMKE, WHO IS A RESEARCHER AT MSU, I BELIEVE.

YEP. SUMMARIZE YOUR REASONS FOR APPLYING FOR THIS TYPE OF PUBLIC SERVICE. I HAVE MORE THAN 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING AT MSU, TEACHING, RESEARCHING, AND DOING OUTREACH. LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT BOARDS IN THE TOWNSHIP THERE, CONSIDERING THEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL... .HERE? TONIGHT. I THINK THEY, NOPE, THAT'S THE THIRD ONE. OKAY, SO, YEP, PRETTY SIMPLE. RESEARCHER FROM MSU HERE. AGAIN, LIVES, I WOULD IMAGINE, IN THE TOWNSHIP THERE. AND FINALLY, THIS ONE, I BELIEVE, IS OUR STUDENT APPLICATION.

SUMMARIZE YOUR REASONS. I ENJOY BEING A PART OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS. SO MANY AMAZING WAYS TO CONNECT TO THE COMMUNITY, FESTIVAL, FARMERS MARKETS, VILLAGE AND NATURE TRAILS, PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. I ASPIRE TO MAJOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IN COLLEGE. EXPANDING MY KNOWLEDGE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY, LISTENING AND FINDING SOLUTIONS ON THINGS I WANT TO LEARN FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY. IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMISSION. ANY EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, WHICH WILL ASSIST IF APPOINTED.

CURRENTLY TAKING AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND PRE-CALCULUS HONORS. I BELIEVE THIS HELPS WITH THE NECESSARY BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS POSITION.

FURTHERMORE, I'M ALSO PART OF THE MODEL U.N. AND POLICY DEBATE TEAMS, WHICH HELP BOOST PROFESSIONAL SKILLS. I RECENTLY GOT APPOINTED AS AN NOAA AMBASSADOR, WHERE I DO A PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF BODIES OF WATER. I'M ALSO PART OF THE EARTH CLUB AT OKEMOS, WITH 96 VOLUNTEER HOURS AROUND THE COMMUNITY SINCE LAST SUMMER. MY NAME IS SHANUKA ALURU. AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL AND LIVES IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND THEN, I BELIEVE SHE ALSO SUBMITTED A COMPLETE RESUME HERE AS WELL, SOME WATER QUALITY TESTING, SOME SOIL COMPACTION TESTING, STRONG CLUB AND GROUP ORGANIZATIONS HERE, WITH SOME NOTABLE AWARDS THERE.

SO, THREE APPLICATIONS TO JOIN US HERE. THREE SLOTS THAT ARE OPEN. UNLESS WE SEE ANYTHING TERRIBLY OUTSTANDING, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WE WOULD FEEL CONFIDENT EXTENDING THE OFFER TO ALL THREE OF THESE APPLICANTS. BUT IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THE VIDEO, THOSE, YEAH,

[02:00:06]

AM I INCORRECT? IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE LEADING ME SOMEWHERE. I HOPE I'M FOLLOWING. MAYBE I'M OUT OF DATE. MY UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THAT TRADITIONALLY, THE SUPERVISOR HAS RECOMMENDED APPOINTMENTS TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. I'M SORRY, SO THE SUPERVISOR MAY RECEIVE INPUT ON THOSE APPOINTMENTS FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY OTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION GET INVOLVED IN REVIEWING APPLICATIONS AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SUPERVISOR FOR APPOINTMENTS. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE. TO PUBLICLY REVIEW THE QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANTS TO THE COMMISSION. IF WE HAD MORE APPLICATIONS TONIGHT THAN WE HAD OPEN POSITIONS, WE WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY CONDUCTING A JOB SEARCH IN PUBLIC, AND THAT MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THAT WAS, I, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY NEW TO THIS, FAIRLY NEW. YOU KNOW, I CAME WHEN I THINK I CAME AND INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE COMMISSION WHEN I HAD SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO ASKED ME TO DO THAT. AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF THAT'S LIKE THE TYPICAL PROCESS, BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER IF I MISSED THE MEETINGS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. SO I, YEAH, DON'T KNOW ACTUALLY WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR THE COMMISSION. I KNOW THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, WE DO LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY APPLICATIONS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE LIKE.

SELECTED? BECAUSE TYPICALLY, YEAH, WE HAVE OPENINGS AND THEN WE JUST THEY FILL, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD RECOMMENDED THEM OR HOW THAT WHOLE PROCESS WORKS. YEAH, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS. IF SOMEONE APPLIES TO A POSITION, STAFF WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICATION IS FILLED OUT TO THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT, AND THEN IT IS PRESENTED TO THE SUPERVISOR, WHICH IS THEN, AS BILL SAID, MADE A PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO THE SUPERVISOR IS THE ONE WHO TECHNICALLY BRINGS IT BEFORE THE BOARD. OKAY. SO, WHICH IS TO SAY, I BELIEVE, YEAH, I DON'T BELIEVE. THERE ARE ANY COMMISSIONS THAT GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SELECTING FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR, EVEN FOR RECOMMENDATION IN A PUBLIC MANNER. SO IF THERE WERE MORE APPLICANTS THAN WE HAD STATE POSITIONS OPEN, THEN IT WOULD JUST BE THE STAFF THAT WOULD JUST REVIEW AND THEN DECIDE HOW TO... MORE THAN LIKELY, THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION BETWEEN STAFF AND SUPERVISOR, AND THE SUPERVISOR WOULD MAKE THAT ULTIMATE DECISION. OKAY.

OKAY, THEN YEAH, WE CAN NOW PASS THIS ITEM. I GUESS, ON THE OTHER HAND, NOT THAT I DISAGREE WITH THAT PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE HAD NAMES COME BEFORE THIS BODY BEFORE, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM IN VERY GENERAL TERMS, AND THEN I THINK MAYBE THE CHAIR OR STAFF HAS THEN TAKEN THOSE NAMES TO THE SUPERVISOR.

BUT YEAH, I'M OPEN EITHER WAY, BUT I GUESS IT'S KIND OF NICE TO SEE WHO'S APPLYING, JUST TO SEE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS.

BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC DEBATE. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER MISACEK AND I...

WE BOTH CAME, AND WE KIND OF PRESENTED OUR BACKGROUND AND OUR APPLICATION TO THE COMMISSION. BUT THEN, AT THAT POINT, THAT'S WHEN THOSE WERE THEN TAKEN AND BROUGHT BACK. SO THERE WASN'T A VOTE AT THIS OR ANYTHING

[02:05:02]

OKAY. WELL, YEAH, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THEM TO JOIN US TONIGHT, THEN WE CAN PROBABLY MOVE ON.

AND, YEAH, CONSIDER THIS ITEM CLOSED FOR NOW, THEN. AND WE'LL, YEAH, STAFF WILL TAKE THE APPLICATIONS, WE'LL CONTACT THE APPLICANTS AND BRING THAT BACK TO THE COMMISSION. GREAT, THANKS. ALL RIGHT. SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE IN THIS PROCESS. OKAY, NEXT IS, THANKS, YEAH. UNFINISHED BUSINESS. YES. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN THAT CATEGORY? I THINK WE WERE GOING TO PUT IT UNDER OTHER MATTERS AND QUESTION OR COMMENT. RIGHT. DO

[11. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ]

OKAY. THEN REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. SO STAFF? YEAH, OKAY. QUICK REPORT HERE ON OUR GREEN GRANT PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE CONCLUDED THE PROGRAM FOR 2025, AND WE ARE NOW PREPARING TO LAUNCH OUR 2026 PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE OUR APPLICATION AND OUR AGREEMENT PREPARED AND READY. WE HAVE THOSE PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR INCLUSION IN THE NEW WEBSITE WHEN THAT LAUNCHES. SO WE'RE HOPING TO KIND OF START ADVERTISING THAT BEGINNING OF MARCH. LAST YEAR WE HAD PUT THAT OUT, I THINK ABOUT MIDDLE OF MARCH IS WHEN WE STARTED ADVERTISING THAT AND PUTTING THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. SO WE'RE HOPING FOR A LITTLE GREATER WINDOW THIS YEAR, POTENTIALLY RECEIVE MORE APPLICATIONS. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST TO...

DECLINE ANY APPLICATIONS.

WE'VE USUALLY HAD ENOUGH FUNDING TO COVER THEM. SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL AGAIN HERE. IT LOOKS LIKE LAST YEAR WE HAD TAKEN APPLICATIONS AND THEN HAD THOSE DUE AT THE END OF MARCH. AND THEN WE HAD A SMALLER. KIND OF SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEET SEPARATELY TO KIND OF DISCUSS THOSE AND PROPOSE ALTERATIONS TO THOSE. SO I IMAGINE WE WILL DO SIMILARLY THIS YEAR, LAUNCH THEM. BEGINNING OF MARCH HERE. WE'LL SET A DEADLINE FOR END OF MARCH.

WE'LL MEET WITH A SMALLER SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO DISCUSS THOSE APPLICATIONS AND THEN IDEALLY HAVE THEN PRESENTED TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.

ON THE APRIL MEETING WOULD BE A TIMELINE FOR THAT, SO THAT'S, I CAN JUST ADD ONE COMMENT TO THAT. WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW WEBSITE, I ACTUALLY VISITED THE THE GREEN PAGE OF THE WEBSITE. AND NOTICE THAT THE 2026 CYCLE INFORMATION WAS POSTED AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE REQUEST FOR PROMISES IS OUT. I THINK WE NEED TO REVISIT THE COMMITTEE, RIGHT, THE SMALL GROUP, BECAUSE DIDN'T WE? YEAH, IT WAS ME AND JOHN, RIGHT, AND SO SINCE JOHN'S NOT HERE, UM, YEAH. IS THERE, UH, ANY OTHER ANY INTEREST FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN REVIEWING THOSE GREEN GRANTS? THIS YEAR? I MIGHT HAVE TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM THAT COMMITTEE.

ACTUALLY, MY HOA IS INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, SO I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE. ME TOO.

ANYBODY ELSE? I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THE APPLICATION.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US? DO WE NEED TO? OKAY. WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT. DO WE NEED TO HAVE TWO? I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS FOR IT. IF YOU'RE DESPERATE FOR ANOTHER BODY, YOU CAN VOLUNTEER. NOT SO MUCH.

NEED ANOTHER THING TO FIT UP.

WE COULD ALTERNATIVELY CHOOSE TO MEET IN A CLOSED SESSION TO REVIEW THOSE. ESPECIALLY IF THE GROUP IS SMALLER THAN A QUORUM. OKAY. AND THAT CAN FACILITATE MEETINGS SOMETIMES.

IF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN IT ARE HAPPY MAKING TIME OR DOING IT VIRTUALLY, THAT'S FINE.

BUT WE COULD DEDICATE ONE OF OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS TO THAT AND NOT TELEVISE. JUST TO KEEP THAT SIMILAR TO THE WAY LAND PRESERVATION REVIEWS

[02:10:01]

OKAY, GREAT. WELL, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO DO IT, WOULD THAT BE OKAY TO JUST MEET FOR SOME? OR DO YOU GUYS WANT TO DO IT AS A CLOSED SESSION? IF YOU GUYS WOULD BE HERE.

NO, WE WOULDN'T. OH, OKAY.

THAT'S UP TO THE COMMITTEE.

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY? I MEAN, I COULD SUPPORT IT IF IT'S LIKE IN A CLOSED SESSION.

AFTER OUR APRIL OR WHATEVER. I MEAN, I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY APPLICATIONS THERE ARE, I GUESS, AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOU GUYS TO REVIEW? NOT MORE THAN AN HOUR TO GO THROUGH ALL THE APPLICATIONS.

IT WAS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

AND I HAVE A SIMILAR ISSUE TO COMMISSIONER BELIAL, WHERE I... I HAVE LIMITED TIME. I WOULD LOVE TO HELP, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ADDITION OF SCHOOL, THERE'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT I AM NOT AVAILABLE.

RIGHT, RIGHT. SO I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT OTHER, IF WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A FULL AGENDA FOR THE APRIL MEETING, WE COULD DO IT AS A CLOSED SESSION RIGHT THERE. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE GREEN GRID. WHAT'S OUR FUNDING SITUATION AGAIN? CAN YOU REMIND US FOR THE FUNDS FOR THESE? YEAH, SO LAST YEAR WE HAD APPROPRIATED $20,000 FOR THE GREEN GRANT PROGRAM, AND THIS YEAR IT'S $15,000 THAT'S BEING SET ASIDE FOR THAT PROGRAM. I COULDN'T RECALL IF THAT WAS PARTIAL TO THE BIOS WHEEL.

YEAH, SOME OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING WAS UTILIZED FOR THE PIUSVILLE PROJECT THERE. BUT THE GREEN GRAND PROGRAM IS ENTIRELY SEPARATE. IT'S GOT A WHOLE SEPARATE BUCKET. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE OKAY WITH DOING IT AS A CLOSED SESSION ALTOGETHER.

THEN AT THE... APRIL? APRIL MEETING, SURE. LET ME JUST HAVE YOU GUYS STEP OUT THEN. OKAY.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU NEED FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM? NOPE, I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR THAT. OKAY. THEN THE REPORTS FROM THE DIFFERENT LIAISONS, SO TOWNSHIP BOARD? YEAH. SO LAST NIGHT, I... THE TOWNSHIP BOARD HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AUTHENTIC SOCHEMIST PROJECT. IF YOU HAVE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT OFF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THE HOUR AND A HALF LONG DISCUSSION IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS. BUT, UM, SOMEWHAT NOVEL UH APPROACH BEING CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, MOVING FORWARD, WELL, EXCUSE ME. WHAT IS BEING VOTED ON IS CHANGING A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. AND WITHOUT GETTING WAY TOO INTO THE WEEDS, IT INVOLVES BUILDING SOME MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING. BUT THE THING THAT I FIND INTERESTING FOR THIS BOARD IN PARTICULAR, IS THAT JUST ABOUT HALF OF THE LAND OWNED BY THE LANDOWNER, IT WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, THAT IT WOULD BE DEED RESTRICTED, HAVE NO FUTURE BUILDING OF ANY KIND GOING ON IT. YOU KNOW, THIS IS DONE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, SOME OF WHICH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NEIGHBORS IN THE AREA FEEL THAT THEIR GREEN SPACES ARE NOT, OR THE GREEN SPACES THAT THEY LOOK OUT ON IS NOT THEIRS, ARE NOT IMPEDED ON AND THE NUMBER OF WETLANDS IN THAT AREA. SO AGAIN, I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO REACH OUT TO ME IF YOU WANT TO KNOW. FULL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, MR. OUR PLANNING COMMISSION LIAISON CAN FILL YOU IN JUST HOW LONG HE SPENT ON THAT. BEFORE PUNTING TO YOU GUYS. YES, YES. SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE UP FOR ACTION ON OUR NEXT MEETING

[02:15:02]

VOICE YOUR PUBLIC CONCERN OR FEELINGS. THE OTHER AREA THAT I THOUGHT WAS OF NOTE FOR THIS BOARD MEETING IS, OR THIS COMMISSION MEETING, IS WE ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION.

WE DID NOT TAKE UP FOR ACTION, BUT OUR PARKS.

MILLAGE SUNSET AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, WE HAVE FUNDING THROUGH THIS YEAR, OF COURSE, BUT THE AND PLAN THAT WE ALL KIND OF, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, STRAW POLL AGREED ON IS THAT IT WOULD BE MORE THAN LIKELY PUT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT FOR 2026. UH, THE RECONSIDERATION OF THAT MILLAGE, THAT IS THE OLDEST MILLAGE, OUTSIDE OF GENERAL OPERATING KNOWLEDGE, IT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1984.

SO, UM, AND LAST, THE LAST TIME I VOTED ON, I REMEMBER IT WAS A PRETTY OVERWHELMING SUCCESS IN APPROVING IT. WE'RE GOING TO... GET A COUPLE ANSWERS FROM THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER ON, UM, HEADLY UH. REDUCTIONS, WHICH IS A, YOU KNOW, FUN PROPERTY TAX ISSUE THAT HAS TO DO WITH FUNDING THAT'S NOT WORTH GETTING INTO, UM, AND BUT THAT SHOULD BE A PRETTY SMOOTH SAILING. UH, YOU CAN ALL PLAN TO VOTE ON IT IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALSO.

THAT IS. THOSE ARE ENOUGH OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, CONSIDERING THE HOUR THAT WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU, J-LESS. PLANNING COMMISSION.

AT ITS FEBRUARY 23RD MEETING, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARD A REQUEST TO REZONE LAND AT THE FAR EASTERN END OF HANNA BOULEVARD. SO, DRIVE PAST THE MAC AND... GET OUT TO HANNAH LODGES AND JUST KEEP ON GOING UNTIL THE ROAD ENDS.

THAT ROAD WILL CONTINUE TO SOME MORE STUDENT HOUSING IF THIS REZONING IS APPROVED. SINCE THE PROPERTY IS NOT ZONED APPROPRIATELY YET, REZONING HAS TO TAKE PLACE FIRST BEFORE A FORMAL CONCEPT PLAN, AND THE INTENTION IS A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION WOULD BE SUBMITTED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THAT. IT'S EFFECTIVELY THE THIRD PHASE OF THE HANNA FARMS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THE LODGES AND THE LOFTS WERE THE FIRST TWO, AND THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD PHASE.

IF YOU IMAGINE STOPPING THROUGH FARTHER, YOU WILL GET TO THE INDIAN LAKES SUBDIVISION, WHICH WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE FIRST TWO PHASES, AND THERE HAS BEEN INFINITELY MORE CONSULTATION WITH THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION ON PHASE THREE THAN THERE WAS ON PHASES ONE AND TWO. SO THEY'RE BASICALLY COMING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH A UNIFIED PROPOSAL.

OBVIOUSLY, THE HOMEOWNERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME SPECIFIC THINGS WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO DESIGNING THE SITE, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS THE PROPOSAL.

CONDITION ON THE REZONING WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE A 248-FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN THE BACKYARDS OF THE HOMES ON THE WEST SIDE OF INDIAN LAKES AND THE NEW HOUSING. THE NEW HOUSING WOULD BE THREE STORIES CLOSEST TO...

WELL, AT THE WEST END, CLOSEST TO THE EXISTING THREE AND FOUR-STORY STRUCTURES, THERE WOULD BE TWO-STORY TOWNHOMES IN BETWEEN TO PROVIDE A GRADIENT. THOSE 248-FOOT BUFFER WOULD EFFECTIVELY CONSTITUTE A PERMANENT WILDLIFE CORRIDOR IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IN THE AUTHENTICS DEVELOPMENT.

SO, GREEN SPACE PRESERVATION IN BETWEEN EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES AND PROPOSED MULTIFAMILY HOMES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. SO WE MET FEBRUARY 11TH AND A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST. IS THAT THE PHASE, I THINK I MENTIONED EARLIER TOO, IT'S THE PHASE THREE OF THE MSU TO LAKE LANSING TRAIL. IT'S BEING PROPOSED TO CROSS THROUGH THE PIKE CROSSING PRESERVE. SO WE HAD SOME, STAN OPSIMER PRESENTED THE PROJECT AND THE PROPOSAL TO THE BOARD, LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, AND THEN WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION

[02:20:01]

AND THEN WE ALSO REVIEWED THE MERIDIAN. TOWNSHIP LAND PRESERVATION STEWARDSHIP GOALS FOR 2026 SO CONTINUED INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND MONITORING.

THAT IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY LONG-TERM EFFORT AND GOAL FOR THE TOWNSHIP, CONTINUING TO WORK ON DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR TOWNSHIP. PRESERVES AND PARKS. CONTINUE TO DO PRESCRIBED BURNS THIS SPRING AT DAVID FOSTER PRESERVE AND IN THE FALL AT THE RED CEDAR GLEN PRESERVE, LAKE PARK AND LAKE LANSING NORTH PRESERVE, CONTINUING TO INSTALL LAND PRESERVATION BOUNDARY SURVEYS AND REPLACE BOUNDARY SURVEY MARKERS, AND THEN ALSO CONTINUE WITH PLANTING OUR NATIVE PLANT PROGRAM, PLANTING NATIVE MERIDIAN, WORKING WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND HOAS AND PARKS AND PRESERVES TO TRY TO INCREASE OUR NATIVE PLANTS.

AND THEN INSTALLING, CONTINUING TO INSTALL EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE AND PRESERVED SIGNAGE THEN. SO THINGS LIKE SOME OF THE PRESERVES JUST REMINDING PEOPLE ABOUT RED CEDAR GLEN, ABOUT NO BIKES BEING ALLOWED ON THE TRAILS, NATIVE PLANT HABITAT AND SIGNAGE, NO DUMPING SIGNAGE AT PRESERVES, WHICH WE CONSTANTLY STRUGGLE WITH HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE BIG GOALS FOR THE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.

EMMA PRESAD. AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. ABSOLUTELY.

BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT. I GUESS THAT'S ME. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR APPOINTING ME TO THIS BODY IN MY ABSENCE.

BUT I DID INDICATE A WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. THE BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DID HAVE A THREE-MINUTE MEETING IN FEBRUARY. THE ONLY ITEM OF BUSINESS WAS TO ELECT THEIR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION, I GUESS, BECAUSE I WASN'T NOTIFIED OF THAT MEETING, SO I WONDER IF THERE'S A FORMAL PROCESS TO LET THEM KNOW I'VE BEEN...

APPOINTED AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

REPRESENTATIVE AND HOPEFULLY GET PACKETS IN THE FUTURE, BUT MAYBE THAT'S A STAFF QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH, I BELIEVE I HAD SENT THAT OUT TO THE RIGHT PARTIES, BUT I WILL DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE ON THAT LIST.

OKAY, THANK YOU. THEY DO HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK, SO I WILL PLAN TO ATTEND THAT. GREAT THANKS.

PARKS COMMISSION. THANKS, COMMISSIONER. SO TWO MEETINGS SINCE WE LAST MET, JANUARY 13TH AND FEBRUARY 17TH. AT THE JANUARY MEETING, DIRECTOR WYSZYNSKI ANNOUNCED THAT.

PARKS AND RECREATION APPLICATION FOR A DNR NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND GRANT TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE OAK MISS ROAD TRAILHEAD PROJECT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING BY THE LEGISLATURE.

I DON'T KNOW IF... THE LEGISLATURE HAS ACTED ON THAT YET, BUT IT PRESUMABLY IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT PARKS AND REC WILL RECEIVE AN $150,000 GRANT OF STATE FUNDING. AND THEY HAVE A MATCHING COMMITMENT OF $150,000. DIRECTOR WYSZYNSKI IS ALSO SUBMITTING A DALMACH GRANT APPLICATION TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THE TRAILHEAD. SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE WAS A HOUSE THAT WAS ON OGIMUS ROAD, VERY CLOSE TO THE ENTRANCE TO NANCY MOORE PARK, THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE TOWNSHIP.

THE HOUSE WAS LEVELED. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE USED NOW AS A TRAILHEAD THAT WILL CONNECT WITH THE OTHER TRAILS IN THE AREA AND PROVIDE A BIKE STATION AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. CONSULTING FIRM MANICK SMITH WAS CHOSEN TO ASSIST MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IN PREPARING THE FIVE-YEAR MASTER PLAN. THAT'S AN UPDATE FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, AND THE PLAN NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED TO DNR BY FEBRUARY 1ST, 2027. SO THEY'RE GETTING THE INPUT FROM THE CONSULTING FIRM AND THEN.

PARKS AND RECREATION IS ALSO

[02:25:03]

AND THEN DIRECTOR ROSINSKI ALSO REVIEWED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS PLANNED FOR 2026. THEY INCLUDE RESTROOM RENOVATION AND PAVILION RENOVATION AT NANCY MOORE PARK. PLACING DAMAGED WINDSCREEN AT THE FARMER'S MARKET. THERE WAS A HEAVY WINDSTORM, I THINK, THAT DAMAGED THE SCREEN NEXT TO THE STAGE. AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO PLANNING INSTALLATION OF FLOATING DOCK SYSTEMS AT FERGUSON PARK AND HARRIS NATURE CENTER. AND THEN THAT WILL INCLUDE KIOSK SIGNAGE SHOWING A MAP OF THE RED CEDAR WATER TRAIL PROJECT AND A SIGNAGE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE CONSISTENT.

FROM THE TRAILHEAD OF THE PROJECT IN WILLIAMSTON, ALL THE WAY TO MSU CAMPUS. SO THAT SEEMS TO BE A NICE DEVELOPMENT. AND FOLLOWING UP ON THE MARSHALL PARK PROJECT THAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE FEBRUARY 17TH MEETING, SO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ALREADY HEARD.

THAT'S IT. COMPLEX AND RECREATION. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THE TEAMS, ENERGY TEAMS. I GUESS I'LL START WITH THAT. THE ONE THING I THOUGHT WAS OF INTEREST, ONE TOPIC THAT CAME UP AT OUR THANK YOU. A JANUARY MEETING IS A CONCEPT REFERRED TO AS BALCONY SOLAR, PLUG-IN SOLAR. AND THIS IS BEING ENTHUSIASTICALLY ADOPTED IN GERMANY AND A FEW OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WHERE HOMES AND APARTMENTS OFTEN HAVE BALCONIES AND SECOND-STORY PATIOS THAT HAVE SUN EXPOSURE.

AND WHAT RESIDENTS... IN GERMANY, CAN DO, FOR EXAMPLE, IS GO TO THEIR LOCAL GARDEN CENTER OR HARDWARE STORE, BUY A COUPLE OF SOLAR PANELS AND DC TO AC INVERTER THAT THEY PLUG THE PANELS INTO. AND THEN THEY JUST PLUG IT INTO A SOCKET IN THEIR APARTMENT. AND IT ALLOWS THEM ESSENTIALLY TO PARTIALLY OFFSET RESIDENTIAL ENERGY USE. DOESN'T GENERATE ENOUGH ENERGY FOR THEIR ENTIRE NEEDS, BUT ESSENTIALLY, IT'S A PLUG-AND-PLAY SYSTEM THAT CAN CAN WORK. THIS IS NOT PERMISSIBLE IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT FOR THE STATE OF UTAH. THEY PASSED LEGISLATION WHICH EXEMPTS RESIDENTS FROM NET METERING REQUIREMENTS.

SO IN UTAH, YOU CAN DO THE SAME SORT OF THING BY UP TO PANELS, UP TO... 1.2 KILOWATTS OF GENERATING CAPACITY. AND PLUG THAT INTO AN INVERTER AND PLUG IT INTO YOUR OUTLET AND GENERATE SOME OF YOUR OWN ELECTRICITY.

WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE UTILITY AND SETTING UP AN INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT, WHICH IS THE LIMITATION IN OTHER STATES. A FEW OTHER STATES, LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT, ARE CONSIDERING SIMILAR LEGISLATION, SO STAY TUNED. MAYBE IN A FEW YEARS THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS CONCEPT, YOU CAN GOOGLE CESA PLUG-IN SOLAR PDF, AND THERE'S A VERY NICE WHITE PAPER ON THIS TOPIC THAT EXPLAINS HOW IT WORKS. I THINK I WILL HOLD OFF. THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT I CAN WAIT. THANKS. THAT'S REALLY COOL. GREEN TEAM? YEAH, SO THE GREEN TEAM IS MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS. WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE THE OUTLINE FOR OUR EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY STARTED LAST MONTH AND GO THROUGH SEPTEMBER. LAST MONTH WE DID HAVE KIND OF AN EDUCATION TABLE AT THE FARMERS MARKET, TALKING ABOUT FOOD WASTE IN PARTICULAR. THIS MONTH...

WE'RE RESURRECTING THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW FROM 2024, AND IT'S SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 21ST. AND SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GREEN TEAM, AND JACK IN PARTICULAR, HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK TO ORGANIZE THAT. THE EVENT ITSELF IS FROM 1130 TO 1230.

AT THE MALL IN THE CENTER CONCOURSE THERE.

AND IT WAS QUITE SUCCESSFUL TWO YEARS AGO. A LOT OF PEOPLE ATTENDED, A LOT OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED, SO WE HOPE WE'LL HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT AGAIN THIS YEAR. AND WE DO HAVE

[02:30:01]

WITH MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW, BUT THAT TRADITIONALLY IS THE TIME WHEN WE COLLECT METALS AND PAINT AND BIKES AND PAPER TO SHRED, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND THEN WE DO HAVE OTHER EVENTS MONTHLY, MOSTLY IN COORDINATION WITH THE FARMERS MARKET THROUGH SEPTEMBER. ANYTHING TO ADD? OR DO YOU THINK THAT COVERS IT, HARRISON? NO? GREAT, THANK YOU. YEP. IS THERE ANY UPDATE FROM THE GREEN BURIAL TEAM? NO, THERE REALLY ISN'T AN UPDATE THERE. OKAY.

AND THEN HARRISON. OKAY, I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK, BUT LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

SO THE FINAL STRETCH IS FOR GREEN SCHOOL CERTIFICATION.

JUST AFTER SCHOOL TODAY, I MET WITH TWO HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ABOUT FINALIZING THE FORM AND THAT'S BEEN GOING WELL. ALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN OUR DISTRICT SEEM TO BE CHUGGING ALONG AS WELL.

EARTH CLUB AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IS STILL A WHOLE LOT OF FUN. IT'S KIND OF MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WEEK. I AM DOING THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK'S LESSON AND IT'S ON BIOMAGNIFICATION AND MICROPLASTICS. AND I HAVE JUST REALLY ENJOYED, LIKE TEACHING THE KIDS ABOUT IT WHEN IT'S SUCH A KIND OF LOFTY CONCEPT. AND THEY REALLY ENJOY IT AND THEY HAVE FUN AND I WAS ABLE TO TIE IN FOOD, WHICH THEY ALSO REALLY ENJOY.

YEAH, IT'S JUST. IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO FIND WAYS TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE LEARNING ABOUT IN SCHOOL THAT ARE COMPLICATED.

THEY'RE BIG WORDS. BUT YEAH, THAT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN. THE STATEWIDE GROUP THAT I'M A PART OF HAS BEEN LOOKING AT LEGISLATURE, IMPROVING LEGISLATURE, AND MAKING IT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS.

WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE ROGERS, WHO'S FROM THE KALAMAZOO AREA. WE MET WITH HER VIRTUALLY AND LOTS OF WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY. SAY WAS IT'S? IT'S HARD TO PASS ANYTHING, BUT IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR HER PERSPECTIVE. AND SO WE KEEP WORKING ON THAT. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GROW OUR OUTREACH AS WELL SO MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT US. WE DO MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP GROWING THAT. THE MOST EXCITING THING TO ME IS I I HAVE RECENTLY GOTTEN SOME NEW SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES. SO IN APRIL, I'LL BE PRESENTING AT THE MICHIGAN HEALTHY CLIMATE CONFERENCE TO ABOUT 800 PEOPLE. THAT'S A BIG DEAL.

YEAH, ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, AND I GET TO DO THAT WITH MY BEST FRIEND, AND SO THAT'S NICE. WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF SPEAKING THINGS TOGETHER, SO THAT WILL... BE REALLY GOOD.

AND THEN IN MAY, THE SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT, I BELIEVE, IS WHAT IT IS. RUN THROUGH EAGLE I'LL HAVE A SESSION AT AS WELL WITH SOME OTHER PEOPLE FROM CATHOLIC. COOL. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT. MAYBE YOU CAN DO A PRESENTATION SOMETIME TO US ABOUT THE BIOMAGNIFICATION

[12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS ]

GREAT, THANKS. OF COURSE.

AWESOME. OKAY, SO OTHER MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.

WHAT I WANTED TO JUST BRING UP WAS THAT I MET WITH BILL AND JACK, AND WE TALKED ABOUT JUST... WANTING JUST DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR THINGS THAT WE COULD WORK ON FOR THE COMMISSION TO WORK ON, THAT I'D LIKE TO TRY TO WORK ON WITH THE COMMISSION. AND ONE OF THEM WAS REVISITING THAT, THAT SPREADSHEET THAT HAD THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND STUFF FROM THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THAT. IT DOES SAY THE PLAN IS FROM 2022 TO 2027. SO SINCE, YOU KNOW,

[02:35:02]

PRETTY NICELY, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN WE COULD HAVE, LIKE A SIGN, LIKE A MEETING WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW AND MAYBE GET AN UPDATE FROM WHOEVER IS WORKING ON THOSE SET UP OBJECTIVES, WHAT'S BEEN DONE. AND THEN LOOK AT IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE FEEL LIKE COULD USE SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORT, OR, YOU KNOW, FUNDING, TO HELP SUPPORT US TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON THOSE OBJECTIVES. WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TRY TO BUILD THAT INTO, LIKE THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING, THEN. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO START BACK UP AND TRY TO MAYBE TAKE LITTLE CHUNKS AND WORK ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK UP. AND WE'LL TRY TO FIND A PLACE WHERE WE CAN STORE. WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND A PLACE WHERE WE CAN STORE THE DOCUMENT THAT WE COULD THEN HAVE EVERYONE KIND OF LOOK AT? YEAH, I THINK WE'LL FIND A HOME FOR IT ONCE THE NEW WEBSITE'S FULLY KIND OF TOGETHER. WE'LL FIND A HOME FOR IT THERE. AND DID YOU GUYS ALREADY WORK? SOME FOLKS MAYBE WORKED ON THAT ONE OVER THERE. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO MENTION IS. I DID PUT SOME COMMENTS INTO THAT DOCUMENT LAST YEAR, SO I'M HOPING THEY WERE SAVED.

I KNOW, WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS SAVED. YEAH, LOOKING TO CONSOLIDATE ALL THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THAT SPREADSHEET WE'VE GOT AND GET ALL THAT INFO TOGETHER. OKAY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, THEN? YEAH, I GUESS, AND I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE...

RUNNING LATE AND I KNOW I KEEP BRINGING THIS ISSUE UP, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER. AND THIS KIND OF CAME UP AT OUR GREEN TEAM TABLE BACK IN FEBRUARY. BUT ONE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY GRANTS THAT WE DID APPROVE WAS FOR COMPOSTING AT THE FARMER'S MARKET. AND THE KEY THING WITH THAT WAS WAS REALLY TO PROMOTE IT TO TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS.

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S BEEN DONE YET. AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE FARMER'S MARKET AT THIS POINT. SO THEY'RE KIND OF PUSHING THE PAY PLAN SO THAT RESIDENTS... PAY TO DROP OFF THEIR FOOD WASTE AT THE BINS AT THE FARMER'S MARKET. SO AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THIS BODY, WAY BACK IN 2024, AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH $2,500 FOR THIS PURPOSE. I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE US TRY TO PUT TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN.

SEPARATING THEIR FOOD WASTE AND DROPPING IT OFF AT EITHER THE FARMER'S MARKET OR THE RECYCLING FACILITY. OR HAMMOND FARMS ALSO TAKES THAT. AND THERE WAS MONEY APPROVED THAT WOULD PAY FOR THE COLLECTION OF THAT FOOD WASTE. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET MANAGER, THAT COSTS ABOUT $170 A MONTH, OR ABOUT $2,040 A YEAR.

BUT WE COULD PAY FOR THAT OUT OF THAT SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING AND HOPEFULLY WORK WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.

MAYBE JUST SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS PUTTING IT ON THE WEBSITE.

AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT ITS AVAILABILITY AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO INCLUDE, WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE.

BUT I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH STAFF OR SOMEBODY WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF AS WELL.

TO SEE IF WE COULD TRY ONE LAST CRACK AT THIS. REALLY GET RESIDENTS IN THE KNOW ABOUT IT AND ACTUALLY DOING IT.

SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

YEAH, NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD GIVE THAT A TRY. BECAUSE I KNOW I WAS AFTER... I REMEMBER TELLING MY

[02:40:03]

BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE'S NO DATA THAT'S...

SPECIFICALLY COLLECTED ON THAT. MAYBE WE COULD DO A STUDENT PROJECT. SOMEBODY HELP US COLLECT SOME DATA. OK, GREAT, THANKS. SO YEAH, AFTER THAT LAST THING, MEETING ADJOURNED. WE DON'T NEED A MOTION, DO WE? FOR ADJOURNMENT. YOU CAN GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO OBJECT.

NOBODY EVER HAS, IN MY OPINION. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.