[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER ]
          [00:02:06]
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. IT IS 6 O'CLOCK ON MARCH 17TH, 2026. 
          HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY, EVERYONE. THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN. WE WILL CALL OURSELVES TO ORDER. FIRST ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. WILL THOSE WHO ARE ABLE PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL. 
          WILL CLERK DEMAS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? HERE. CLERK DEMAS? HERE. TREASURER BURKHART? HERE. TRUSTEE LENTZ? HERE. TRUSTEE SUNLAND? HERE. TRUSTEE TRACE? HERE. 
          TRUSTEE WILSON? HERE. HEAVEN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT 
          [4. PRESENTATIONS ]
ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM FOUR, PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING. 
          FIRST UP IS THE UPDATES TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP WEBSITE, AND WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATION MANAGERS MAY HAVE TO DEAL HERE TO TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. I'M JUST GOING TO PLUG IN MY COMPUTER REAL QUICK. 
          ALRIGHTY. BEFORE I START, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE PEYTON SKIVER, OUR MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST. 
          JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF REAL QUICK. HI, I'M PEYTON. 
          YEAH, AS SHE SAID, I'M THE NEW MARKETING AND PR SPECIALIST. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS. I STARTED IN SEPTEMBER. I GRADUATED FROM MICHIGAN STATE WITH A DEGREE IN JOURNALISM IN LAST MAY. AND YEAH, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH THE WEBSITE. WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. HI, I'M SAMANTHA DIEHL, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW. 
          SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WEBSITE REDESIGN. SO WHY DO A REDESIGN? SO, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REDESIGN YOUR WEBSITE EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO MODERNIZE IT AND MAKE IT MORE USER-FRIENDLY. 
          SO OUR LAST REDESIGN WAS IN 2021. ALL THAT WORK WAS DONE IN 2020 AND IT WENT LIVE IN 2021. SO IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THEN WITH THIS NEW LAUNCH. SO, SOME OTHER REASONS WHY YOU MAY WANT TO UNDERGO A REDESIGN IS TO PROVIDE AN ENHANCED MOBILE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS WE GOT BACK FROM THE OLD WEBSITE IS IT WASN'T THE MOST MOBILE FRIENDLY. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING WE KEPT IN MIND. TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES AND WE WANT TO KEEP UP WITH IT. SO OUR NEW SITE HAS FEATURES. OUR OLD SITE DIDN'T. 
          [00:05:01]
AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO MEET WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES, WHICH ARE A SET OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS THAT ENSURE DIGITAL CONTENT IS ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. SO THE PROJECT TIMELINE. WE STARTED IN APRIL 2025. WE POSTED THE RFP. THE RFP CLOSED IN MAY 20, ON MAY 23RD, 2025. AND THEN WE SPENT ALL OF JUNE GOING OVER THOSE PROPOSALS. WE RECEIVED 37 TOTAL PROPOSALS FROM DIFFERENT VENDORS, WHICH WAS QUITE A LOT OF TURNOUT. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. AND THEN IN JULY, WE AWARDED THE CONTRACT TO GOVSTACK BY GHD DIGITAL AND THAT IS A DIFFERENT PROVIDER THAN WHO WE USED TO HAVE. WE USED TO HAVE GRANICUS AND I'LL GET INTO WHY WE DIDN'T RENEW WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT LATER ON. SO WHEN AWARDING THE VENDORS, WE CREATED A RATING SYSTEM AND SCORED EACH VENDOR BASED ON OUR DIFFERENT POINTS. AND THE TWO VENDORS THAT CAME OUT WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE TIED WAS GRANICUS AND GOVSTACK. AND THEN AUGUST, WE DID THE TREEJACK SURVEY AND THE CITIZEN SURVEY. 
          SO THE TREEJACK SURVEY WAS THAT SURVEY THAT ASKS YOU TO FIND DIFFERENT INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE. AND IT TRACKS THE PATH YOU TOOK THERE TO GET THERE. AND THEY USE INPUT FROM THAT TO DECIDE HOW TO SET UP THE FUTURE SITE MAP. 
          AND THEN THE CITIZEN SURVEY WAS AN OVERALL SURVEY. JUST ASKING PEOPLE WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT THE WEBSITE, WHAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE, STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THEN, IN SEPTEMBER, WE FINALIZED OUR NEW SITE MAP AND PREPARED FOR DATA MIGRATION. OCTOBER THROUGH FEBRUARY WAS THAT BIG BULK OF DATA MIGRATION, SO THAT'S TRANSFERRING OVER WEB PAGES, DOCUMENTS, PHOTOS, CALENDAR EVENTS, DOING URL REDIRECTS, AND THEN MARCH 3RD, TWO WEEKS AGO, OUR NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED. SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT GOVSTACK, THE AWARDED VENDOR. 
          SO, THEY HAVE 26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CREATING MUNICIPAL WEBSITES, AND THEY HAVE OVER 700 PUBLIC SECTOR CLIENTS. 
          SOME OF THE ONES LISTED ARE SOME OF THEIR CLIENTS, ALLENDALE, NEW JERSEY, CITY OF ANN ARBOR, CITY OF DRAPER, CITY OF LEMON GROVE, VILLAGE OF UNION GROVE. THOSE LAST THREE ALL WON AWARDS FOR THEIR WEBSITE. SO I ALSO WANT TO ENTER SOME AWARDS TO SEE IF WE CAN WIN FOR OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. ALL RIGHT, SO SOME OF THE REDESIGNED STATS. WE MIGRATED OVER 165 WEB PAGES, OVER 6,000 DOCUMENTS, AND DID 07,400 URL REDIRECTS. SO FOR THE DOCUMENTS, THAT WAS THE LONGEST PROCESS. 
          THAT TOOK WEEKS OF WORK. SO JUST BOARDS AND COMMISSION DOCUMENTS ALONE TOOK OVER THREE WEEKS OF US WORKING ON THAT. SO YOU HAD TO DOWNLOAD IT FROM THE OLD WEBSITE, UPLOAD IT TO THE NEW WEBSITE, SET UP THE URL REDIRECT, AND THEN ADD IT TO THE PAGE YOU NEED. SO ONCE YOU GET A GOOD FLOW GOING, IT MOVES QUICK, BUT IT IS A LOT OF DOCUMENTS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THOSE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. PROJECT COST. 
          SO THE TOTAL PROJECT COST WAS $48,730, AND I HAD A GOAL OF $50,000 TO STAY UNDER THAT, AND SO IT WAS UNDER BUDGET. SO FOR THE PRICING BREAKDOWN, THE $37,500 NUMBER THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE IS THE ONE-TIME IMPLEMENTATION COST. SO FOR THE NEW CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, DATA MIGRATION, SITE MAP CREATION, SURVEYS, TECH SUPPORT, AND THEN OUR ANNUAL SUPPORT COST THAT WE'LL PAY GOING FORWARD IS $11,200. 
          WHICH IS THE SAME AS WE WERE PAYING WITH OUR OLD WEBSITE PROVIDER, GRANICUS. SO ONE OF THE REASONS WE WENT WITH A NEW WEBSITE PROVIDER IS BECAUSE OF PRICING. OUR CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH GRANICUS WAS GOING TO JUST BE ELIMINATED BECAUSE IT'S OLD. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO UPGRADE TO THE NEW SYSTEM. 
          THEIR NEW SYSTEM WOULD HAVE COST $29,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT WE'RE PAYING NOW. SO IT JUST COULDN'T REALLY JUSTIFY THAT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER FOR MANY YEARS. I'M EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW ONE. SO NEXT STEPS, WE HAVE TO DEVELOP STAFF TRAINING TO TEACH EMPLOYEES HOW TO USE THE WEBSITE, RESOLVING BROKEN LINKS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU LIKE, LOOK UP PAST GREEN MERIDIAN EVENTS, IT'S GONNA PULL UP PAST EVENTS FROM THE OLD WEBSITE. 
          AND WE DIDN'T CARRY THOSE ALL OVER. SO AS THOSE EVENTS POP UP AND WE GET BROKEN LINK REPORTS, WE JUST REDIRECT THEM TO THE NEW LOCATION ON THE SITE. SO THAT'LL BE AN ONGOING PROCESS. AND THEN, IF ANYONE FINDS A BROKEN LINK OR HAS ANY ISSUES, PLEASE JUST EMAIL WEBMASTER AT MERIDIAN.MI.US. IF YOU GO TO THE TOP PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE, THERE WILL BE A GREEN BAR THAT HAS THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU CAN CLICK ON. 
          WEBSITE IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE 
          [00:10:01]
IMPROVEMENTS AS WE GET FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND STAFF MEMBERS. IF THEY FIND SOMETHING HARD TO FIND. IF THEY FEEL LIKE SOMETHING SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE, WE CAN EASILY DO THAT. 
          AND THEN WE'RE ALSO THIS YEAR LOOKING AT SOFTWARE THAT REMEDIATES PDFS TO MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE. 
          SO BEFORE I CLOSE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT AND OUR OTHER PROJECTS. 
          THE PRIMORDIAL MAGAZINE, WHICH IS COMING UP, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO INVEST. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD BACK FROM THE PUBLIC, LIKE, WHY ARE WE SPENDING $50,000 ON A REDESIGN? I WOULD ARGUE THAT A WEBSITE IS INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IT'S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          YOU NEED A GOOD SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL MY CO-WORKERS, THE BOARD, EVERYONE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT DURING THIS. 
          AND THAT'S IT. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS TO MANAGE YOUR DEAL? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS. 
          ALMOST A YEAR NOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT. I THINK WHEN FOLKS, IF FOLKS HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE NEW WEBSITE, WHEN THEY DO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED, AND ESPECIALLY ON MOBILE, WHICH, OF COURSE, IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ACCESS THE WEBSITE THESE DAYS. CERTAINLY A MUCH MORE FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DILIGENCE IN GETTING THIS DONE, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AND GETTING SOME FEEDBACK AND CONTINUING TO HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 4B, THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT. MANAGER DEMPSEY IS HERE, SO TAKE US THROUGH OUR REPORT. SURE. GOOD EVENING. AND I WANT TO SORT OF SEGUE THAT PRESENTATION WITH A THANKS TO SAM AND HER TEAM FOR PUTTING THE WEBSITE TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF BACKGROUND WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR WEBSITE BECAUSE OF THE THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS. LITERALLY THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS INFORMATION, A LOT OF WHICH GOES BACK A DECADE OR MORE. SO THERE'S JUST A TON OF INFORMATION ON THERE, AND IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT TO GET THAT ORGANIZED AND PUT IT TOGETHER. SO APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT AND WILLINGNESS TO DO THAT. AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT THEME TO THANK THEM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID ON OUR NEW ANNUAL REPORT. SO THIS IS A FORMAT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THAT WE WANTED TO LOOK AT UPDATING TO PROVIDE A FRESH LOOK, IN PART BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE TODAY. 
          WITH SO MUCH INFORMATION GETTING OUT THERE AND ENSURING THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S PERTINENT, BUT THEN ALSO IS IN A READABLE FORMAT. I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IS THAT MEDIA IS SO FRAGMENTED TODAY, ATTENTION SPANS HAVE SHORTENED, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO REALLY MAKE OUR INFORMATION, A LITTLE CATCHIER, A LITTLE SNAPPIER, IS HELPFUL. SO KUDOS TO SAM AND PEYTON FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DID ON THIS REPORT, AS WELL AS ALL THE STAFF WHO PUT THE INFORMATION TOGETHER. SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, AGAIN, WAS SUMMARIZE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO WALK THROUGH EVERY DEPARTMENT. I'D ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE IN OUR AUDIENCE AND THOSE LISTENING AT HOME TO GO ONLINE TOMORROW AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THIS. 
          BUT ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE DO IS WE COVER. THANK YOU. EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF THE KEY THINGS THAT THEY ACHIEVED IN 2025. AND SET THAT OFF WITH OUR GOALS THAT THE BOARD ESTABLISHED FOR THE YEAR. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS. AND TO THE POINT ABOUT SAM'S INVESTMENT IN THE WEBSITE, THAT ALIGNS WITH THE IMPROVED CITIZEN COMMUNICATION GOAL THAT THE BOARD HAS HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, ENSURING, AGAIN, THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS. 
          AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION METHODS TO BE EFFECTIVE WITH OUR RESIDENTS. SO THAT IS VERY MUCH, I THINK, CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE BOARD HAS WANTED TO SEE. BUT THE REPORT, AS YOU GO THROUGH IT, WE TRIED TO ADD SOME GRAPHICS THIS YEAR, AGAIN, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE READABLE. WE INCLUDED A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA AND STATISTICS HERE. BUT AS WE GO THROUGH IT AND PEOPLE WANT TO LOOK AT IT, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR DIG INTO MORE DETAIL. 
          FOR INSTANCE, ACCOUNTING AND BUDGETING, YOU KNOW, WE SUMMARIZE THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE FOR 25, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION. SO WE HAVE OUR CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS 100-SOME PAGES OF DETAILED FINANCIALS. 
          OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL BUDGET. ALL OF THESE ARE ONLINE AS WELL. 
          SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE THAT NEXT DEEP DIVE, THEY CAN DO THAT WITH THE OTHER REPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO DO WITH THIS, TOO, IS THE HYPERLINK. A LOT OF THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THOSE REPORTS. SO EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS AGAIN HIGHLIGHTED KEY STATS, KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE DOING THAT. SO WE'RE EXCITED. 
          [00:15:01]
TO PRESENT THIS AND TO OFFER IT NOT JUST TO THE BOARD, OF COURSE, BUT AGAIN, TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WHO WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AND TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR TOWNSHIP DOES. AND YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS MANY TIMES. AND JUST TO SORT OF FINISH. MY BRIEF OVERVIEW. HERE IS THAT WHILE THE TOWNSHIP HAS SOME TREMENDOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE DO, SOME OF WHICH ARE WELL KNOWN. 
          I'LL TALK IN A FEW MINUTES ABOUT OUR DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, BUT REALLY, WHAT I THINK IS MOST IMPRESSIVE ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION IS THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK THAT GETS ACCOMPLISHED BY OUR 170 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME REGULAR EMPLOYEES. THAT COME HERE EACH DAY, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, TO DO THE WORK OF THE TOWNSHIP, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING OUR RESIDENTS ACROSS THE BOARD IN ALL THE THINGS WE DO AND ALL THE THINGS WE OFFER. I THINK THE REPORT TRIES, IN SOME SMALL WAY, TO CAPTURE THEIR DEDICATION AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO FOR US. SO WITH THAT, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TAKE ANY FEEDBACK THAT ANY OF YOU MIGHT HAVE. 
          LIKE I SAID, THE PLAN WOULD BE TO GET THIS POSTED ONLINE ON THE WEBSITE AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS. 
          THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF MANAGER DEMPSEY ON THE ANNUAL REPORT? JUSTICE REZISE. NOT A QUESTION. 
          I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE WORK DONE ON THE VERY READABLE, MOST ANNUAL DOCUMENT. AND THE LINKS IN THERE SHOW BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE WANT AS THEY NEED. JUST A WONDERFUL EFFORT, AND I LIKE IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. I'LL JUST ADD A COMMENT THAT. THIS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR A PHYSICAL COPY IF RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT IN PERSON. GREAT. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT IS A VERY THOROUGH REPORT. YOU KNOW, IN 22 PAGES, THERE IS A TON OF INFORMATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT. THIS REPORT REPRESENTS A LOT OF HARD WORK, NOT ONLY IN THE GENERATION OF THE REPORT, BUT IN ALL OF THE UNDERLYING ACTIVITIES. 
          THAT THE TOWNSHIP DOES, THE STAFF DOES, THAT YOU DO. I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE. 
          THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A HEALTHY, STRONG COMMUNITY. AND I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FIVE GOALS THAT WE HAD PUT OUT IN FRONT OF US, THIS, I THINK, IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN MAKING THIS REPORT AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT. WHAT THEIR TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT IS UP TO. 
          AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF PROVIDING A SUPERIOR SERVICE TO THE TOWNSHIP. MAKING THEM AWARE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING AND PUTTING IT IN AN ACCESSIBLE WAY. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT AND FOR ALL OF THE UNDERLYING WORK THAT WENT INTO BOTH THE REPORT AND THE LAST YEAR. THANK YOU. AND I SHOULD ADD ONE OTHER THING. IT ALSO MEETS OUR REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE MICHIGAN CHARTER TOWNSHIP ACT 2.0. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING, TOO. WE CHECK THE LEGAL BOX. NOT JUST FOR FUN. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 5, 
          [5. CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS ]
CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NOT AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES. 
          IN FACT, THERE ARE THREE TONIGHT TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, THE PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS OUR AGENDA OR ANY ITEM NOT ON OUR AGENDA, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. NOW. 
          DURING OUR PUBLIC HEARING, SPECIFICALLY RELATING TO THE MI NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM CDBG APPLICATION AND THEN AT THE END OF THE MEETING. 
          THOSE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE A GREEN CARD, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THE TABLE BY THE DOOR, AND PRESENT THAT CARD TO A BOARD MEMBER OR MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP STAFF. WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN, I'LL CALL YOU UP TO THE PODIUM AND TO SPEAK THE TOPICS INDICATED. 
          WHILE IT'S NOT REQUIRED, IT IS HELPFUL FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEETING MINUTES. IF YOU PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS, CITIZENS ARE REQUIRED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME, AND AN AUDIBLE BEEP WILL ALERT YOU WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD VALUE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THE MEETING FORMAT AND RULES, HOWEVER, DO RESTRICT US FROM ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMENTERS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY BOARD MEMBERS AT A LATER TIME OR REFERRED TO A MEMBER OF THE TOWNSHIP STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON. PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND OR THE BOARD'S CHAIR, AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR TO OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE. 
          WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS THIS EVENING. 
          FIRST UP IS JOSH NAHUM. AND 
          [00:20:02]
ON DECK, WE HAVE PAULETTE GRACE. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOSH NAHUM, 1517, RIVER TERRACE, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN. I WANTED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 9H, SPECIFICALLY THE MIDDLE GRAND RIVER WATER TRAIL STATE DESIGNATION SUPPORT. I THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME... 
          RESOLUTION, AND I HOPE THAT IT STAYS IN THE CONSENT AGENDA AND YOU GUYS APPROVE IT AS SUCH. I KAYAK ON THE RED CEDAR RIVER IN THE SUMMER, LIKE ONCE A WEEK AT LEAST. MY PROPERTY ISN'T QUITE ON THE RED CEDAR, BUT IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO CARRY A KAYAK THERE. I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE INAUGURAL RED CEDAR RIVER REGATTA THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN MAY. 
          AND I THINK EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE THE BEAUTY AND USE OF OUR WATERWAYS ENRICHES THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE IN IT. I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THAT. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PAULETTE GRACE, AND THEN ON DECK IS ERIC HAHN. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PAULETTE GRACE. I LIVE AT 4824 NASSAU STREET IN CPE, AND I'M HERE ONCE AGAIN TO EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO THE AUTHENTICS PROJECT. 
          BASED ON MY OBSERVATION OF MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS, THE FOLLOWING FACTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT ARE STILL TRUE. THE BOARD HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT EXCEEDS THE CURRENT DENSITY ALLOWANCE FOR THIS PROPERTY. THE BOARD HAS RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROJECT IS LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC ISSUES, RAISING LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT PEDESTRIAN AND RESIDENT SAFETY. VALID DATA PROVIDED TO THE BOARD INDICATES THAT THERE IS NO HOUSING SHORTAGE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. EXISTING DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THE CPE NEIGHBORHOOD MAY BE EXACERBATED BY THIS DEVELOPMENT, AND THE BOARD IS AWARE THAT THE FULL IMPACT REMAINS UNDETERMINED. 
          THE BOARD IS CERTAINLY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT A MAJORITY OF CPE RESIDENTS OPPOSE THIS PROJECT, AS EVIDENCED BY A SIGNED PETITION, PUBLIC COMMENTS AT MEETINGS, AND NUMEROUS EMAILS. 
          CONSIDERING THESE FACTS, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND WHY DISCUSSION ON THIS PROJECT CONTINUES. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CASE CAN BE MADE IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT. THE ONLY APPARENT JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROJECT IS THE LANDOWNER'S DESIRE TO SELL THE LAND. AND IT APPEARS THAT CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE IS BEING PLACED ON THE BOARD BY THE LANDOWNER AND THE DEVELOPER. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP THAT MAKE MUCH MORE SENSE FOR THIS TYPE OF HOUSING. AS YOU DELIBERATE APPROVAL OF THIS PROJECT, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO REFLECT ON WHOM THIS DECISION ULTIMATELY SERVES. PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LARGE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE ACTIVELY VOICED THEIR VALID CONCERNS THROUGH PETITIONS AND LETTERS, AS WELL AS THE TAX CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE CPE RESIDENTS. 
          ABOVE ALL, PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR DUTY TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF ALL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CITIZENS. YOUR VOTE ON THIS PROJECT WILL SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE REGARDING WHOSE INTERESTS ARE BEING PRIORITIZED. IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT YOU DID SO IN OPPOSITION TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP AND IN THE FACE OF THE FACTS THAT INDICATE THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE REJECTED. THANK YOU. ERIC HAHN AND THEN VINCENT TIMONICA IS ON DECK. GOOD EVENING, BOARD ERIC HAHN, W134 NORTH 8675 EXECUTIVE PARKWAY IN MENOMINEE FALLS, WISCONSIN. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION AGAIN. THIS EVENING. I'M HERE REPRESENTING CONTINENTAL PROPERTIES FOR THE ANTICIPATED ACTION, WITH RESOLUTIONS A, B AND C ON THE AUTHENTIC CENTRAL PARK PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU. WE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS IN RESPONSE TO THE BOARD'S COMMENTS AND PROVIDED THAT IN THE PACKET. I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS DURING THAT ITEM IF YOU WISH. I'M HERE DURING THIS PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE PROVIDED A COUPLE TWEAKS TO THREE OF THE CONDITIONS BASED ON OUR REVIEW AFTER THE STAFF REPORT CAME OUT. THE FIRST ONE IS CONDITION 11 REGARDING STUDIES AND REPORTS. WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF PROVIDING. THE COST TO PREPARE ADDITIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS TO THE ROAD DEPARTMENT AND DRAIN COMMISSION. TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY PROVIDE A WRITTEN NOTICE THAT AN UNANTICIPATED IMPACT EXISTS AND THAT THE IMPACT IS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PROJECT. SHOULD WE BUILD IT, WE'D LIKE TO SET A CLEAR OBJECTIVE COST CAP ON THAT, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK 
          [00:25:01]
ABOUT THAT DURING THAT AGENDA ITEM. 
          SIMILARLY, WITH THE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS, WE'D WANT THAT TO BE OBJECTIVELY TIED TO CLEAR, OBJECTIVE TRAFFIC DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ITSELF, PROPORTIONALITY, AND A DEFINED FINANCIAL LIMIT. 
          IN THIS CASE, WE TALKED ABOUT STOP SIGNS. WE'VE EVALUATED WHAT THE POTENTIAL COST COULD BE TO CONTRIBUTE, AND SO WE'D LIKE TO ESTIMATE WHAT THAT COULD BE AND CAP THAT AMOUNT. SO HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT FURTHER. THE LAST ITEM IS CONDITION 19 WITH SITE LIGHTING. THE LANGUAGE COULD BE INTERPRETED TO IMPOSE OVERLY RESTRICTIVE REQUIREMENTS. IT STATES VISIBLE, MEANING THAT IF YOU COULD SEE A LIGHT FROM A DISTANCE VERSUS SHIELDED FIXTURES, WE THINK THAT'S A LITTLE TOO SUBJECTIVE. BECAUSE IT'S LIKELY PEOPLE COULD SEE LIGHT FROM FAR AWAY, EVEN THOUGH NO FOOT CANDLES EXIST AT THE PROPERTY LINE. SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS MORE IN TERMS OF... HOW WE'D LIKE TO TWEAK THOSE TO BE MORE OBJECTIVE AND FACT-BASED, RATHER THAN SUBJECTIVE. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VINCENT, DEMONICA, AND THEN MARK KLAUS. VINCENT DEMONICA, CENTRAL PARK ESTATES. NOW THAT, IT SEEMS, THE BOARD IS UNFORTUNATELY MOVING FORWARD TOWARD PASSAGE OF THE MISGUIDED, AUTHENTIC HOKUMUS PROJECT. IN OPPOSITION TO ALL THE MERIDIAN RESIDENTS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR OPINION, BY PETITION AND EMAIL. THE MOST APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TO PASS THE PROPOSAL ALONG TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE BASIS THAT THERE IS NEW INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMISSION. WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE PREVIOUSLY. THE CHOICE BETWEEN TWO NEW SITE PLANS. 
          ALSO, THE COMMISSION COULD NOT VOTE DECISIVELY IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE THEY WERE MAKING THEY WERE MISSING ONE MEMBER. NOW, THEY CAN OFFER A CONSENSUS OPINION AND PROVIDE EXPERT INSIGHT FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION. 
          IN THE PROCESS, THE REMAINING BUGS IN THE SITE PLAN CAN BE WORKED OUT. THESE ARE RELATIVELY SMALL ITEMS COMPARED TO THE HURDLES CROSSED THUS FAR IN THE PROCESS. AND RECENT WEEK HAS SHOWN PROGRESS CAN BE MADE TOWARD PROVIDING A MORE SATISFACTORY PRODUCT FOR THE CITIZENS. HERE'S A LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT. MOVING BUILDING FOUR FROM CENTRAL PARK TO THE NORTH PARCEL WILL HELP WITH THE DRAINAGE AND TRAFFIC IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF CENTRAL PARK ESTATES. CPE, REDUCE NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION AND ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT MASTER PLAN FOR ZONING AS IT RELATES TO CPE. CONTINENTAL SHOULD WELCOME THE IDEA, BECAUSE, AS A REP MENTIONED IN THE AUGUST 25 OPEN HOUSE, FOUNDATION FIRST FLOORS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD THAN UPPER FLOORS. SO TOWNSHIP SHOULD ACCEPT THE 31026 SITE PLAN BECAUSE FOR SIX MONTHS THE THREE-STORY BUILDINGS WERE THE NORTH PARCEL SITE PLANS WITHOUT COMPLAINT. THE TALLER BUILDINGS WOULD NOT BE AN EYESORE BECAUSE THEY COULD BE SCREENED FROM SITE OF THE CPE RESIDENTS BY DENSELY FORESTED WETLANDS. 
          AND FOR THE WALMART SIDE, THE TOPS OF BUILDINGS. WE'LL BE BELOW THE FOREST UPPER CANOPY AND THEREFORE NOT BE AT HIGH SITE. THIS IS ALL TOWARD A WAY OF SAYING THAT BUILDING 4 COULD BE MOVED OVER THERE. THE PET PARK OF BARKING DOGS IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO CPE AND WILL DISTURB OUR PEACE. CONTINENTAL SHOULD LOOK AT MOVING IT FURTHER BACK, PERHAPS TO THE WEST END OF THE SOUTH PARCEL. THIS COULD AVOID CALLS TO AUTHORITIES OVER VIOLATIONS OF NOISE ORDINANCES. THE DETENTION PONDS ARE TOO NEAR TO CPE HOMES. WHAT ASSURANCE CAN BE MADE THAT THEY WON'T FLOOD OR LEACH INTO THE RESIDENTIAL YARDS AND BASEMENTS? WITH BUILDING 4 REMOVED, THEY COULD BE MOVED FURTHER BACK. THE SMALL DETENTION POND LOOKS LIKE A BREEDING GROUND FOR MOSQUITOES. MOREOVER, THEIR PROXIMITY REPRESENTS A THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. THE FARTHER FROM US THESE UNNATURAL AND UNSIGHTLY REPLACEMENTS FOR NATURAL DRAINAGE ARE, THE BETTER OUR CHILD'S SAFETY, AESTHETICS, AND REDUCTION OF WATER DAMAGE THREAT. DON'T ACT HASTILY. FINISH THE JOB RIGHT WITH THESE TOUCHES AS PROFESSIONALS DO, WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK, AND SEND IT ALONG TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MARK KLAUS AND DIANA CAVALIER IS ON DECK. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MARK KLAUS, HERE ON BEHALF OF IVE LAND HOLDINGS. GOOD EVENING. WE APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED DIALOGUE THAT WE STARTED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. WE'RE ANXIOUS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT. ERIC POINTED OUT EARLIER YOU DO HAVE TWO SITE PLANS IN YOUR PACKAGE THIS EVENING. 
          ONE IS THE 240 UNIT DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU SAW DURING THE MEETING PREVIOUSLY AND AFTER HEARING THE CONCERNS ABOUT ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS. 
          THERE WAS A NEW DESIGN, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS IN THE CENTER SECTION AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS AND THE HEIGHTS OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE NORTHERNMOST PIECE. I THINK BOTH OF THOSE MEET THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HAD AND WE'LL DEAL WITH THE ZONING MATTERS IN THAT WAY. THE ITEMS THAT ERIC ALSO MENTIONED, ITEMS 11 AND 12, ON BOTH OF THE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS OR RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU, NUMBER 11 AND 12, WERE NOT REALLY SUBJECT OF THE... WE HAD, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FURTHER DIALOGUE ON THOSE AND HOPE TO COME TO A REASONABLE RESOLUTION WITH THOSE TWO ITEMS. SO THAT 
          [00:30:02]
WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. 
          THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE AS THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNERS AND CONTINENTAL WOULD HAVE AS THE FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS, ARE COSTS THAT ARE NOT KNOWN OR REQUESTS THAT ARE NOT CLEAR TODAY. THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE BOTH THE ROAD COMMISSION, DRAIN COMMISSION AND FROM THE TOWNSHIP IF THERE ARE CONCERNS WITH THE PROJECT. THAT'S BEFORE YOU NOW. THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED DURING THE SITE PLAN REVIEW, THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED DURING THE DRAIN COMMISSIONERS REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT AND ITS CONSTRUCTION DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. AS WELL AS WITH THE ROAD COMMISSION WITH ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES THAT NEED TO HAPPEN WITH THE ROADS ADJACENT TO THE SITE DURING THAT PROCESS. AS OPPOSED TO FIVE YEARS FROM NOW. SO AGAIN, WE ARE HERE TONIGHT, WE'RE READY TO TALK, COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AND MOVE THIS FORWARD. APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO IT, THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAD. I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED COMMERCIAL ALONG THE FRONT, MULTIFAMILY, ADJACENT TO CENTRAL PARK. IT WILL BE DEVELOPED IN ONE FASHION OR ANOTHER, AND I THINK THE TWO PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING ARE MUCH IMPROVED AND ARE CERTAINLY A BENEFIT TO ALL OF THOSE IN THE TOWNSHIP. THERE ARE CERTAINLY A FEW HERE THIS EVENING THAT HAVE VOICED THEIR OPPOSITION TO IT, BUT THEY CERTAINLY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU. 
          DIANA CAVALIER AND THEN RAY GASSER IS ON DECK. HI, MY NAME IS DIANA CAVALIER. I RESIDE AT 1508 BELVEDERE. I AM SPEAKING IN OBJECTION TO THE AUTHENTIC OKEMOS PROJECT. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT IT IS TOO MANY PEOPLE CONCENTRATED IN A VERY SMALL AREA. THIS IS GOING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC, INCREASE FRUSTRATION. 
          WITH RESIDENTS TRAVELING THROUGH THAT AREA AND ALSO COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO INCREASED ACCIDENTS. THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY HAS HAD DRAINAGE ISSUES AND SO THIS MAY EXACERBATE IT BY ADDING POTENTIALLY THREE TO FOUR HUNDRED MORE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA. AND FINALLY, I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY MORE APARTMENTS IN THE AREA. WE HAVE THE OKEMOS PRESERVE, WHICH IS TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS. AND THEN THERE'S A NEW PROJECT IN HAZLITT, ON THE CORNER OF HAZLITT ROAD AND MARSH, THAT IS ALSO GOING TO BE ADDING MORE APARTMENTS. 
          SO I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD IN SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE STARTER HOUSES IN THE AREA, NOT NECESSARILY APARTMENTS. SO I THINK MAYBE IF THAT COULD BE THE PROJECT IN THE AREA, THAT WOULD BE. BE FEWER PEOPLE AND MAKE MORE SENSE THAN PUTTING MORE APARTMENTS UP IN THE TOWNSHIP. RAY GASSER, AND THAT'S THE LAST GREEN CARD I HAVE THIS EVENING. IF ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO SPEAK, A PUBLIC COMMENT, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO GET YOUR GREEN CARDS IN. 
          RAY GASSER, 4849, NASSAU STREET. SO I SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL AS IT IS RIGHT NOW. SIMPLY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, SEEMS... SOMEWHAT NEGLIGENT. 
          AND TO SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, IT WOULD TAKE FIVE YEARS TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS RATIONAL. WITH CPE, I THINK THERE IS A MIDDLE GROUND. 
          THERE IS A WAY. TO ME, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AT THIS MEETING, BUFFER ZONES, CERTAIN HEIGHTS TO THE BUILDINGS, CERTAIN DENSITY TO THE BUILDINGS. I'M PREFERRED I WOULD PREFER US TO REALLY TALK ABOUT SINGLE DWELLING HOMES RATHER THAN APARTMENTS. BUT FOR WHAT IT IS, I DON'T SEE A REAL ENGAGEMENT BY THE DEVELOPER WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS. I'M LOOKING FOR SOME RATIONAL THOUGHT. I DO APPRECIATE THE CLERK WHO VISITED MY HOME THE OTHER DAY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK. 
          THAT'S... THAT'S ALL I'VE LOOKED FOR. SO I APPRECIATE SCOTT'S, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON'S COMMENTS AT A MEETING IN DECEMBER. 
          IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIND A RATIONAL SPACE BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORS AND THIS POTENTIAL NEW DEVELOPMENT. AND FINALLY, I'LL JUST PUT THIS OUT THERE THAT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS, AND ALL THE THINGS AROUND THE WATER AND IS CONCERNING TO ME. BUT I ALSO JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE LOOKING DEVELOPMENT. 
          [00:35:02]
FOR OKEMOS. I MEAN, THIS IS PRETTY POOR QUALITY. 
          AND FOR SOMEONE THAT WORKS WITH DEVELOPING HOUSING ON MICHIGAN STATE'S CAMPUS, I PERSONALLY JUST THINK THAT THIS. WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AT 633 P.M. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA 
          [6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT ]
THIS EVENING IS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGEMENT REPORT. MANAGER DEPSIE. YEAH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS THIS EVENING. ONE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ABOUT THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIPS ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE DAY. TODAY, I LEARNED SOME INTERESTING THINGS. LOCAL PREEMPTION IS A BIG THEME RIGHT NOW AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE. 
          THERE'S A NUMBER OF BILLS, NINE EXACTLY, DEALING WITH LOCAL ZONING ISSUES, WHERE THE STATE IS REALLY TRYING TO PULL LOCAL CONTROL FROM MUNICIPALITIES, SO THERE'S SOME CONCERNS THERE. I'VE OBVIOUSLY PROVIDED SOME COMMUNICATIONS. I THINK WE'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THOSE IN THE COMING WEEKS. BUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE VERY PLEASED WITH WHEN IT COMES TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DO PROVIDE SOME. 
          POLICE SERVICES TO THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH THEY VERY MUCH APPRECIATE. BUT THEN THEY ALSO SPOKE VERY HIGHLY OF OUR DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 
          THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN. SO THEY'VE SPENT SOME TIME WITH EMMA CAMPBELL, WHO OVERSEES THAT PROGRAM FOR US, AND SPOKE VERY HIGHLY OF US. 
          AND THE DNR TOLD THEM THAT WE ARE THE MODEL PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT THING FOR THEM TO SHARE WITH US. I'M PLEASED WITH THAT. AND THEN ONE OTHER ITEM. THIS WEEKEND, WE DO HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP. SPEECH. 
          THE NIGHTTIME EASTER EGG HUNT. 
          SO THAT WILL BE SATURDAY COMING UP AT 6.30 P.M. AND WE HOPE THAT RESIDENTS CAN JOIN IN THE FUN. IT WAS THE FIRST EVENT I ACTUALLY GOT TO TAKE PART OF LAST YEAR WHEN I STARTED. 
          SO A GREAT EVENT. THAT'S AT NANCY MOORE PARK ON SATURDAY EVENING. SO MORE INFORMATION ONLINE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OF MANAGER DEMPSEY? I'LL SEE YOU THERE ON SATURDAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, 
          [7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ]
NEXT UP IS BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. ANY BOARD MEMBERS WITH REPORTS THIS EVENING? CLERK DAVIS. LAST WEEK, I ATTENDED THE MAMC, WHICH IS THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS. I ATTENDED THEIR INSTITUTE. THIS WAS MY SECOND YEAR OF THEIR THREE-YEAR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. SO I LEARNED A LOT, AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD TRAINING. 
          PERFECT. TRUSTEE WENTZ? YEAH, IN THE INTEREST OF ADDING TO THE LOAD OF REPORTS THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS PUTTING OUT, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE MCC REPORT FOR 2025. AND THE CAMPBELL'S TEAM PUT TOGETHER A THOUGHTFULLY ARTICULATED DOCUMENT, 18 PAGES. THE THING I REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT 622 HOURS OF WORK WAS DONE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PARKS AND LAND PRESERVES. THAT MEANS EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, AND NATIVE PLANTINGS, AND I THINK THAT IS INCREDIBLY COMMENDABLE, CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CARE ABOUT PROTECTING. IT DOES TAKE WORK BY US, AND SO, FOR ANYONE INTERESTED, YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEWLY DESIGNED MERIDIAN WEBSITE, AND UNDER THAT MCC PAGE, THAT REPORT IS AVAILABLE. AND A FASCINATING READ FOR... THE VARIETY OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE REGION. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TRUSTEE SUTLAND. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THAT I ATTENDED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING ON MARCH 5TH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT OVER MINUTES. WE GAVE A CHECK TO THE GREATER LANSING CHINESE ASSOCIATION AS A THANK YOU, A $1,500 CHECK. WE WENT OVER, YOU KNOW, SIGNERS OF THE EDC AND GOALS AND VISION AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO, YEAH, THANK YOU. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE WILSON. I ATTENDED THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION CRC LAST WEEK, AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO EXCELLENT WORK TO HELP OUR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND ALSO RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN CRISIS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT PAY THEIR RENT. OR THEIR UTILITIES, SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO TRY AND GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. IT'S A ONE-TIME OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS. 
          IT'S ONCE A YEAR, 
          [00:40:01]
SO WE'RE SPREADING THAT. 
          GOODWILL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ONE MORE COMMENT TO PIGGYBACK ON MR. DEMPSEY'S REPORT THE BIG THEME IN THE MML, MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND THE MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION WAS PARTNERSHIP, NOT PREEMPTION. SO THAT WAS HUGE THINGS IN BOTH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND I THINK WE WANT TO DO THAT. CERTAINLY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHTY. SEEING NO OTHER REPORTS, WE'LL MOVE ON 
          [8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]
TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA THIS EVENING? TRUSTEE WILSON? MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. DO WE HAVE A SUPPORT? SUPPORTED BY TREASURER BURGHARDT. ANY COMMENTS ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          [9. CONSENT AGENDA ]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM NINE, OUR CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, MINUTES FROM OUR REGULAR MEETING ON MARCH 3RD, THE BILLS, THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT, A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A CDS GRANT APPLICATION, 2026 LOCAL ROAD PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH THE ROAD DEPARTMENT, AN AUDIT PREPARATION CONTRACT WITH MAYNARD COSTERIAN, A LETTER OF SUPPORT. AND RESOLUTION FOR THE TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE MIDDLE GRAND RIVER WATER TRAIL STATE DESIGNATION. 
          OUR ANNUAL PRIDE LIQUOR LICENSE FOR OUR PRIDE EVENT, UH, THE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN LIQUOR LICENSE FOR UH, SEPARATE MERIDIAN EVENT AND U.H. PLATFORM AGREEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH INSTITUTES, SMALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT, UH. WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. TRUSTEE JOSE MOVE. WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. 
          IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TRESLAI. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? TRUSTEE LENTZ, SECONDS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. CLERK DEMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? CLERK DEMAS, YES. 
          TREASURER BURKHART, YES. 
          TRUSTEE LENTZ, YES. TRUSTEE SUMLIN, YES. TRUSTEE TRESLAI, YES. TRUSTEE WILSON, YES. 
          SUPERVISOR HENDERSON, YES. 
          MOTION CARRIES 7-0. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT UP 
          [10.A. MI Neighborhood Program CDBG Application ]
ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 10, PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING. 
          THIS IS FOR THE MICHIGAN NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM CDBG APPLICATION AT 4690 ELK, MISS ROAD. AND WE HAVE DIRECTOR CLARK HERE TO GIVE US A BRIEF INTRODUCTION. DIRECTOR CLARK. 
          GOOD EVENING. AT LAST, THE MARCH 3RD BOARD MEETING. WE WERE PREPARING TO HOLD THIS PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT FOR THE MICHIGAN STATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION, FULL MOUTH, 4690 FOR 4696 OAKNESS ROAD. THIS EVENING, WE HAVE THE DEVELOPER, VISTA FLEX LLC, AND THEIR CONSULTANTS REVITALIZED TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD AN OVERALL VISION FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE PROJECT SITE. AND FORMALLY REQUEST THE TOWNSHIP'S PARTICIPATION IN APPLYING FOR THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT APPLICATION. AS BACKGROUND, THIS IS A COMBINATION GRANT. 
          IT USES STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGH CDBG, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. AND TYPICALLY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS ARE HELD FOR ENTITLEMENT. COMMUNITIES, WHICH ARE CLASSIFIED AS COMMUNITIES AT 50,000, WHICH IS A LITTLE SHY, OR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE STANDARD LEVELS OF RESIDENTS AT OR BELOW FEDERAL POVERTY LEVELS. 
          THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM, ADMINISTERED THROUGH MSHDA, ALLOWS FOR NON-ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITIES LIKE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, TO ACCESS THESE FUNDS FOR THEIR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. BY EXPANDING THIS TO COMMUNITIES LIKE OURSELVES, ESPECIALLY IF THE PROJECT IS IN A DOWNTOWN, WHICH THE PROJECT IS IDENTIFIED IN THAT AREA. ELIGIBLE HOUSING UNITS MUST SUPPORT HOUSING HOUSEHOLD INCOMES AT OR BELOW 80% AMI. AND TONIGHT, THE DEVELOPER WILL... GO THROUGH THEIR PRESENTATION OF THE FULL REHABILITATION. 
          AND LATER ON, THE BOARD WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE DEVELOPER AND MYSELF ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE APPLICATION. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE'LL HEAR FROM THE DEVELOPER AT OUR DISCUSSION ITEM. IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? CORRECT. THEY'LL ACTUALLY DO A PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW, AND THEN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REHABILITATION OR THE APPLICATION, WE HAVE THAT ON FOR DISCUSSION. OKAY. VERY GOOD. WE'LL BRING UP THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM. WE'VE GOT REESE AND SHARLA FROM REVITALIZE. AND ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROPERTY OWNER, MR. SRINI KANDULA, WHO'S ALSO A DDA MEMBER, HERE TO... WALK US 
          [00:45:02]
THROUGH THE PROJECT. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR LETTING US DISCUSS THE OKEMOS FOUR CORNERS PROJECT, AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT. AGAIN, MY NAME IS RHYS BURTON, 509 SOUTH MCROBERTS, MASON. I'M REPRESENTING OUR CLIENT HERE, SRI. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR CASE HERE. WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS THE FOUR CORNERS PROJECT, OKEMOS DOWNTOWN. AGAIN, THIS IS A PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN UNDERPERFORMING, UNDERUTILIZED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND WHEN WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY, OUR VISION WAS TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY TO MAKE IT MORE VIBRANT. SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN USE BOTH THE COMMERCIAL AS WELL AS THE RESIDENTIAL ASPECTS OF THE PROPERTY. SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH REVITALIZE, CHRIS AND TEAM, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN A VERY SHORT SPAN OF TIME. 
          THANK YOU. AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, THIS IS THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF OKEMOS AND HAMILTON ROAD. 
          SO THIS IS NOT WHAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY REFERRED TO AS THE FOUR CORNERS. IT'S FOUR CORNERS, RIGHT? THERE'S FOUR SIDES TO IT. BUT FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME WHO MAY BE WATCHING AND LISTENING, THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS WAS SPECIFICALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF OKEMOS ROAD. THIS IS ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THAT. YEAH. OKAY. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT COULD BE CONFUSING. WE ALSO HAVE OUR... 
          OTHER MEMBER OF THE REVITALIZED TEAM, CHARLOTTE HORTON. CHARLOTTE HORTON WITH REVITALIZED, 705 SOUTH LANSING STREET, MASON. 
          SO I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO WALK YOU GUYS THROUGH THE PROJECT. TRY NOT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME TONIGHT. SO THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF, AS WE DISCUSSED HERE, 4690 OAK MISS ROAD, IS ACTUALLY THREE SEPARATE BUILDINGS. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE APPROXIMATE AERIAL. 
          DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARIES. THE OVERALL GOAL IS A HOLISTIC REHAB OF ALL THREE PROPERTIES AT THIS SITE. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THEY WERE ACQUIRED A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO FROM THE DEVELOPER. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROPERTY. SO BREAKING THEM DOWN BUILDING BY BUILDING. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A VISUAL, SO WE HAVE SOME BEFORE. AND THEN, I GUESS, RENDERING AFTERS OF WHAT WE EXPECT THE PROPERTY TO LOOK LIKE ONCE WE SECURE ALL THE FUNDING NEEDED FOR IT. SO THIS IS THE 4688 TO 4692 PROPERTY. 
          FROM A TOP-DOWN VIEW, THIS IS PROBABLY A LITTLE HARD TO SEE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE SEATING, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL SPACES LISTED HERE. OF WHICH A FEW ARE CURRENTLY BEING LEASED OUT. THE GOAL IS TO DO REHAB WITHIN EACH COMMERCIAL SPACE. 
          THIS WOULD INCLUDE UPGRADING THE STOREFRONT, DOING ANY ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION, AS WELL AS UPGRADES TO ANY SPECIFIC CODE-RELATED ITEMS TO THOSE SPECIFIC SPACES, AND TO ALSO ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL CLIENTS TO... 
          PARTICIPATE IN THE LEASING OF THE BUILDING. YOU ALSO NOTICE THAT SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS ONE BUILDING, WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF APARTMENTS UP ABOVE. THESE ARE OUT OF DATE, WOULD BE CONSIDERED UNLIVABLE TO TODAY'S STANDARDS. AND SO THE GOAL IS THROUGH THIS FIRST PHASE TO FIND FUNDING AND APPLY FOR FUNDING THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE RESIDENTIAL PIECE AS WELL. OUR SECOND BUILDING HERE, 21 28 HAMILTON ROAD, FORMERLY THE KARATE STUDIO, AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN, IS ALSO OUR SECOND BUILDING. 
          AND AGAIN, HAVE SOME PHOTOS PRIOR AND THEN SOME RENDERINGS OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR IT TO LOOK LIKE AFTERWARD. AGAIN, A TOP-DOWN VIEW. 
          ON THE LEFT THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE THE COMMERCIAL SPACE. AND AGAIN, WITH... 
          WITH ALL OF THESE COMMERCIAL SPACES, WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH POTENTIAL TENANTS ON WORKING THEM INTO THIS PHASED APPROACH OF THE REDEVELOPMENT. SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE ANY DESIGNS THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED WITH THEIR BUSINESS. THIS BUILDING IS ALSO THE MOST RESIDENTIALLY DENSE PROPERTY. 
          YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE FIVE APARTMENTS ABOVE THIS BUILDING. THE CURRENT DESIGN. HAS MOST OF THESE UNITS BETWEEN 500 TO 800 SQUARE FEET APIECE, SO A COUPLE OF ONE BEDROOMS AND TWO BEDROOMS. AND THEN OUR LAST 
          [00:50:01]
DEVELOPMENT HERE, AGAIN, SOME... BEFORE PHOTOS AND SOME AFTER RENDERINGS AT 2108 AND 2114 HAMILTON ROAD. AGAIN, TOP-DOWN VIEW. THIS IS FOUR COMMERCIAL SPACES. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE BROKEN OUT ROUGHLY AROUND 2,200 SQUARE FEET APIECE. SO, FROM A PROJECT TIMELINE AND LOOKING AT KEY MILESTONES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PHASES, SO THE PROJECT PLANNING AND APPLYING FOR FUNDING. SO CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A HOLISTIC VIEW OF WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THE RENDERINGS AND THE BASIC FLOOR PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MSHDA. CDBG, OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, APPLICATION FOR THE HOUSING PORTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN WHAT... WE CALL YOUR 120 DAY WINDOW WITH MSHDA, WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH YOURSELVES TO GO THROUGH THIS PUBLIC HEARING. 
          AS WELL AS AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPLICATION WITH MSHDA. ALONGSIDE THAT, THE DEVELOPER HAS DONE A LOT OF TEAM BUILDING AND PROJECT PLANNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. THAT INCLUDES BUILDING OUT ARCHITECTURE, GOING THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING. 
          INVESTIGATION, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH OUR GROUP TO IDENTIFY ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT COULD BENEFIT THE PROJECT. NOW, MOVING THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF FUNDING STAGE, IT'S A NATURAL FIRST STEP TO TRY TO RE-ENGAGE. THE SPACES THAT ARE NOT BEING USED IN THE HOUSING UNITS ABOVE THE TWO BUILDINGS MENTIONED BEFORE. 
          THEY ARE CURRENTLY VACANT, THEY ARE NOT UP TO CODE. AND THE IDEA BEHIND APPLYING FOR THIS FUNDING WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME HOUSING DENSITY IN THIS SPACE, BUT ALSO REMOVING BLIGHT FROM AN AREA THAT SEES QUITE A, QUITE A BIT OF TRAFFIC. SOME OTHER SOURCES THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THAT POTENTIALLY MIGHT SEE SOME INTEREST IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S JUST NOT AT THIS STAGE. WOULD INCLUDE ALSO ENGAGING MISHTA FURTHER HOUSING TIFF, WHICH IS ALSO INCORPORATED WITH AREA MEDIAN INCOME RESTRICTION FOR THE BUILDING OF HOUSING. 
          AND ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER PARTNERS LIKE THE MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND SOME OF THEIR TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE FOR SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL BUILD OUT, MOVING THROUGH THE NEXT STAGES. AND WHAT SORT OF INVOLVEMENT WOULD INCLUDE THE TOWNSHIP, ASSUMING WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPLICATION, THE TOWNSHIP WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF AN RFP, POTENTIALLY FOR A THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR. TO HELP THEM WITH THE SETTING UP OF PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAM. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THAT HAS TO BE COMPLETED, AND ALSO THERE WILL BE A PHASE OF RECRUITING CONTRACTORS BECAUSE THE PROJECT DOES HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVELY BID. 
          COMMENCING THROUGH CONSTRUCTION, WE CURRENTLY ALREADY HAVE ESTIMATES FOR BOTH THE COMMERCIAL AND THE RESIDENTIAL BUILD-OUT. WE'RE LOOKING AT A TIMELINE OF AROUND 10 TO 14 MONTHS, SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT COMBINING OF FUNDING SOURCES. BUT AT THIS TIME, WITH THE RESIDENTIAL BUILD-OUT, WE'RE SEEING THAT ON THE LOWER END OF THAT TIMELINE. AND THEN, LASTLY, MOVING THROUGH CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, ONCE WE DO, MOVE THROUGH THE GRANT APPLICATION, THE BID OUT OF THE PROJECT, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION. HOPE BY THE END OF THAT, WE'D HAVE SEVEN UNITS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE OF WORKING CLASS INCOME. SO UP TO THIS POINT, LOOKING AT PROJECT PARTNERS, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH... 
          MYRIAD OF PEOPLE, OURSELVES, TRITERRA, THE MEDC, MISTA, OUR ARCHITECT GROUP, DRIVEN DESIGN, COMMERCIAL BANK, AS WELL AS THE TOWNSHIP ITSELF. 
          THIS IS REALLY A TEAM BUILDING PROJECT. THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER AND TAKING THEIR EXPERTISE TO THE TABLE. WE'RE REALLY PROUD THAT WE'VE MADE IT THIS FAR AND HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HAVE YOUR BLESSING FOR THAT APPLICATION. SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE PROJECT IS, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS JUST ITS ALIGNMENT WITH THE GOALS, WITH THE TOWNSHIP. SO OBVIOUSLY, THE EXPANSION IS TO APPLY AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING FOR LOW- AND HIGH-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. THIS IS IN DIRECT ALIGNMENT 
          [00:55:01]
WITH THAT. THE UTILIZATION OF MSHA'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY WILL HAVE AT LEAST, IF NOT MORE, THEN 51% OF THE UNITS BEING CREATED. 
          TO BE AT 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, AND OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN MORE OF THE 70% AREA MEDIAN INCOME RATES. 
          SUBJECT TO OTHER FUNDING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT APPLYING FOR, IT WOULD ALSO BE UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THINGS LIKE HOUSING TIP. 
          THAT ALSO HAS AREA MEDIAN INCOME RATES, AS WELL AS OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE YET TO FORMALLY APPLY FOR. 
          REHABILITATING AGING HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES TO PREVENT FURTHER BLIGHT AND LOSS OF AFFORDABLE UNITS. YOU GUYS SAW THE BEFORE PHOTOS. THIS PROPERTY IS IN NEED OF SOME LOVE AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO OUR BEST TO BRING IT BACK TO THE NATURE IT DESERVES. 
          LASTLY, REVITALIZING KEY MIXED-USE DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RESIDENT ACCESS TO SERVICES. 
          JUST SPEAKING ANECDOTALLY, FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH PROJECTS ACROSS THE STATE, TYPICALLY, THESE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS PROMOTE A LOT OF CIRCULAR FLOW WITHIN THE DOWNTOWNS OF DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES. 
          HAVING RESIDENTS THAT ARE THERE AND AVAILABLE TO WALK DOWN AND VISIT THE BUSINESSES IN THE FIRST FLOOR IS CERTAINLY AN ECONOMIC MULTIPLIER, NOT ONLY FOR THOSE BUSINESSES, BUT FOR THE AREA IN GENERAL. I CAN SINGLE-HANDEDLY ATTEST LIVING IN MASON IN A DOWNTOWN BUILDING, AND MAN, WAS IT GREAT TO BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN AND... GO TO THE BARBERSHOP AND GO TO THE ICE CREAM SHOP AND GO TO THE RESTAURANTS. LIVING AS A RESIDENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AND HAVING THAT AVAILABLE IS, IS IMPORTANT. KIND OF HARD TO SEE HERE. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE ROUGH ESTIMATION PHASE, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER, FIRST CONTRACTING ON GETTING THE PRICING SET FOR THE PROJECT. AS IT SITS HOLISTICALLY AGAIN, CURRENTLY, WE'VE ONLY LOOKED AT THE FIRST PHASE OF THE HOUSING PORTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AS A FORMAL APPLICATION. EVERYTHING UP INTO THIS POINT HAS BEEN PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH FOLKS AT THE MEDC, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER FUNDS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. AND THOSE ITEMS ALSO CARRY DOWN INTO THE PROJECT SOURCES. 
          SOMETHING I WANT TO MAKE SURE I EMPHASIZE IS THIS PROJECT IN NO PART WOULD BE HAPPENING UNLESS YOU HAD SERIOUS INVESTMENT FROM OUR DEVELOPERS HERE. THEY CERTAINLY LOVE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND OKEMOS, AND THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTED QUITE A BIT INTO THIS PROPERTY AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA. THEIR HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING THIS DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN. CURRENTLY ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS APPLICATION. THEY LOOK TO INVEST MORE AND MORE INTO THIS PROPERTY AND OTHERS IN FUTURE. SO I GUESS IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING YOU HAVE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA SAVE OUR QUESTIONS FOR THE DISCUSSION ITEM THAT COMES LATER ON OUR AGENDA. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, APPRECIATE IT. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK TO THE PRESENTATION YOU JUST SAW ON THE PROJECT HERE, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME. SAME RULES APPLY AS THEY DID FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN AT 6.56 P.M. I SEE NO ONE RUSHING INTO THE MICROPHONE. SO, CONSIDER. THE PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED AT 6.57 P.M. NEXT UP IS 
          [11.A. Authenix-Proposed Settlement Agreement Modification ]
ITEM 11A, AUTHENTICS PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT MODIFICATION. WE HAVE DIRECTOR SCHMIDT HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST SHARING WITH DIRECTOR CLARK THE APPLICATION. 
          PAST EXPERIENCE. SO THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. THIS IS ONCE AGAIN DISCUSSION ON THE CENTRAL PARK, PROPERTY OWNED BY THE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, PROPOSED TO BE DEVELOPED BY CONTINENTAL PROPERTIES. 
          LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF CENTRAL PARK DRIVE BETWEEN ESSENTIALLY TIMES SQUARE AND THE WILLOWS OF OKEMOS, ADJACENT TO CENTRAL PARK ESTATES IN THE EAST. 
          WE'VE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND I WON'T BELABOR THE POINTS WITH YOU THAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, ONLY TO GET YOU UP TO SPEED ON THE CURRENT STATUS. AND SO, TO START OFF, I DO NEED TO POINT OUT TWO TYPOS IN YOUR RESOLUTIONS. I APOLOGIZE. WE HAD ENOUGH PEOPLE LOOKING AT THEM, 
          [01:00:02]
BUT A COUPLE SLIPPED THROUGH. 
          CONDITION 12 ON OPTION A. 
          ACTUALLY BOTH A AND B CONDITION 12 REFERENCES BEING IN COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION THAT IS ACTUALLY NOW THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT. AND THAT WAS A ONE THAT SLIPPED THROUGH. I'M GUESSING THAT'S AN AUTOCORRECT INSERT THAT WE'VE USED IN THE PAST, AND THEN CONDITION SEVEN IN OPTION B. HAS THE PARCEL NUMBER SWITCHED? THE LARGER NUMBER 156 SWELLING UNITS WOULD BE ON THE 15400 PARCEL AND THE SMALLER 96 DWELLING UNITS WOULD BE ON THE 22-202. APOLOGIES FOR THAT. WE'VE LOOKED AT THESE TOO MANY TIMES AT THIS POINT. SO WHERE WE STAND THIS EVENING IS. 
          AFTER THE LAST MEETING, THE APPLICANT ONCE AGAIN TOOK THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND BOARD COMMENTS AND HAS PROPOSED A FURTHER CHANGE. 
          FOR THE BOARD'S DISCUSSION. 
          THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE AN OPTION A AND AN OPTION B. A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE PAST COUPLE MEETINGS HAS BEEN AROUND WHAT WE'LL CALL BUILDING 4 FROM THE FEBRUARY DRAWING, AND THAT IS WHAT IS ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. 
          BUILDING 4 IS THE BUILDING THAT'S CLOSEST TO CENTRAL PARK ESTATE. IT'S STILL 200 FEET AWAY, BUT THAT IS THE BUILDING THAT EVERYONE SEEMED TO WANT IT TO MOVE, AND SO WHAT THE APPLICANT HAS DONE AT THIS POINT IS TO, BUT NOT TO REMOVE THAT BUILDING ESSENTIALLY. AND THEIR PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO TAKE THE UNITS THAT WERE WITHIN THAT BUILDING AND REDISTRIBUTE THEM TO BUILDING SEVEN AND EIGHT TO THE NORTH, AND THEN ADDING AN ADDITIONAL 12 UNITS TO BUILDING NINE. SO YOU'D BRING THE TOTAL PROJECT DENSITY 252 UNITS. THREE, TWO, THREE, THREE STORY BUILDINGS ON THE NORTHERN PARCEL ALONG TWO, TWO STORY BUILDINGS, AND THEN THE REMAINING FOUR BUILDINGS ON THE MIDDLE PARCEL WOULD ONLY BE TWO STORIES STILL. YOU STILL RETAIN THE 200-FOOT SETBACK. 
          IN THAT CASE, YOUR CLOSEST STRUCTURE ACTUALLY THEN BECOMES A GARAGE AS OPPOSED TO THE ACTUAL BUILDING. ONE MORE. SO IN THIS CASE, YEP, IN THIS CASE, YOUR 200-FOOT SETBACK IS ACTUALLY TO THIS GARAGE NOW, RATHER THAN TO A BUILDING THAT WAS HERE PREVIOUSLY. THE OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION EASEMENT CALCULATIONS ARE ROUGHLY EQUAL IN EITHER SCENARIO. 
          ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE TWEAKING ON THE EDGES HERE, LIKE I'VE TALKED ABOUT. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO FINALIZE THAT UNTIL WE HAVE FINAL GRADING, BUT THEY ARE ROUGHLY EQUAL IN EITHER SCENARIO. SLIGHTLY INCREASED WITH THE 252 UNITS, BUT WE'RE TALKING SQUARE FEET, NOT ACRES AT THIS POINT. THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT MOVING BUILDING FOUR TO THE SOUTHERN PARCEL. AND BOTH THE APPLICANT AND THE STAFF LOOKED INTO THIS TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S FEASIBLE. ANYTHING'S DOABLE. I'LL START BY SAYING THAT. 
          BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING BECAUSE IT IS NOT A VERY VIABLE OPTION FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE ESSENTIALLY, ESSENTIALLY, YOU'RE GOING TO BOOKEND THE STREET AT THAT POINT. SO, FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE. 
          STAFF INITIALLY TAKES PAUSE WITH IT, NO MATTER WHAT. 
          BUT ONE OF TWO THINGS WOULD ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO HAPPEN IS YOU'D EITHER HAVE TO ENCROACH INTO THE WETLAND, WHICH IS AN EGLE-REGULATED WETLAND, AND SO WE DO HAVE SOME CONCERN OF BRINGING INTO AN OUTSIDE THIRD-PARTY REVIEW HERE WHEN THERE IS ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THE EGLE DOES LOOK AT IN THEIR REVIEW. OR, TO GET OUT OF THE ACTUAL WETLAND ENCROACHMENT, YOU'D HAVE TO PUSH THE BUILDING PRETTY CLOSE TO CENTRAL PARK DRIVE, WHICH WOULD BE... IT WOULD KIND OF STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB ALONG THAT STRETCH. SO IT'S REALLY NOT A GOOD OPTION. NOT EVEN GETTING INTO THE CURB CUT SITUATION, YOU'D, EITHER, YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY NEED A CURB CUT ON BOTH CENTRAL PARK AND ON THE SIDE. STREET, ALTHOUGH ALTERNATIVELY, YOU COULD PROBABLY GET AWAY WITH ONE OR THE OTHER, THE ISSUE BEING, I'M NOT PERSONALLY OR PROFESSIONALLY, FOR THAT MATTER, CONVINCED THAT THE ROAD DEPARTMENT WOULD APPROVE ANOTHER CURB CUT. ESPECIALLY ONE THAT'S CLOSER TO NEWMAN. 
          AND THEN PUTTING THE APARTMENT TRAFFIC ON TO COLUMBUS IS SOMETHING WE'VE TRIED TO AVOID ALL ALONG. SO, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, MOVING THE BUILDING TO THE SOUTH REALLY DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE A VERY GOOD OPTION FOR US. MOVING FORWARD, AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU THE OPTIONS YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING ARE IF BUILDING FOR IS STILL PRIORITY TO ELIMINATE. MOVING THOSE UNITS TO THE NORTH AND ADDING 12 ADDITIONAL UNITS TO MAKE THE PROJECT FINANCIALLY VIABLE IS 
          [01:05:01]
SORT OF THE BEST CASE OPTION HERE. 
          ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THAT, THOUGH, AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO POINT OUT. AND ALL ALONG EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO REDUCE THE ZONING OR LOOK AT THE PARCEL SEPARATELY. AND THIS ACTUALLY, THIS SCENARIO, WOULD ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. SO ESSENTIALLY, WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE IS THE NORTHERN PARCEL WOULD STILL BE UNDER THE RC ZONING. THE MIDDLE PARCEL COULD THEN JUST STAY UNDER THE RD, THE CURRENT BACK HALF OF ITS RD. THEIR FRONT HALF WOULD THEN BE REZONED BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF UNITS ON THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE RD THRESHOLD, UNDER THE ORDINANCE. IT KIND OF LEAVES THE SOUTHERN PARCEL AS AN ISLAND. STAFF WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND GETTING RID OF THE CS ZONING ON IT AND JUST REZONING ITS RD TO BE CONSISTENT. IT'S GOING TO HAVE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON IT ANYWAY, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DEVELOPED. I'M REALLY SETTING THAT UP TO TRY AND EVENTUALLY GET RID OF THE CS COMPLETELY AND THROW THAT PIECE OF PAPER AWAY. 
          BUT CANDIDLY, THE SOUTHERN PARCEL COULD BE ZONED, ANYTHING THAT'S REASONABLY CONSISTENT FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE. 
          TWO OTHER THINGS I WANT TO TOUCH ON BEFORE GETTING INTO THE DISCUSSION OF THE RESOLUTION. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT, AND I MENTIONED THIS ALREADY, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT AND THE OPEN SPACE AND THE SETBACKS. 
          AND JUST TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, THE PROPOSAL IS EVERYTHING IS SET BACK 200 FEET FROM ANY SURROUNDING RESIDENTIALLY DEVELOPED PROPERTY. THERE'S GOING TO BE A 200 FOOT BUFFER, NO MATTER WHAT. THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THAT CONSERVATION EASEMENT, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A VERY GOOD ESTIMATION, WE WILL NOT KNOW THAT EXACT NUMBER UNTIL I HAVE FINAL GRADING, RIGHT? IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE A MOUNTAIN OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE TO CUT DOWN. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE THE FINAL GRADES, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT. IT'S 3.2 ACRES IN THE NORTHERN WEST PART THAT WASN'T TOUCHED, VERSUS 3.1 ACRES. THIS IS A VERY GOOD APPROXIMATION OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE. SO, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, PRIOR TO... CONSTRUCTION GETTING UNDERWAY, WE WILL HAVE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OVER THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT TO BE GRADED SO THAT THEY ARE SET ASIDE COMPLETELY. AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE NON-BUILDABLE AREA WILL BE LEFT IN GREEN SPACE AND LANDSCAPED PER THE CODE. LASTLY, JUST TO TOUCH ON, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THIS GO FORWARD FROM HERE, TALK ABOUT SORT OF NEXT STEPS, OUTSIDE AGENCY REVIEW. SO, AGAIN. INGRAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT AND THE INGRAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE GET INVOLVED AT THE SITE PLAN LEVEL. THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY GET INVOLVED WITH THIS REVIEW. THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE REVIEW FROM BOTH PARTIES, I EXPECT, SHOULD WE GET TO THE POINT OF HAVING FULLY ENGINEERED PLANS. 
          THE PLANS WE HAVE AT THIS POINT ARE JUST CONCEPTS, AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION THERE FOR THEM TO REVIEW. SO, SORT OF HOW I ANTICIPATE THIS GOING IS, YOU KNOW, THE DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD WILL BE WORKED THROUGH BY THE DEVELOPER. AND AS PART OF THAT, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY NEED TO HAVE THE ATTORNEYS DRAFT UP THE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE TO FILE WITH THE COURTS TO AMEND THE JUDGMENT. SHOULD THE BOARD CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD. THEY WILL THEN NEED TO SUBMIT FOR FORMAL SITE PLAN REVIEW. 
          THAT IS THE DETAILED REVIEW THAT WE DO INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY, WITH ALL AGENCIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE INVOLVED. 
          AT THAT POINT, WE WILL KNOW SIZE OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, EXACT LOCATION OF EVERYTHING, EVERY PIPE. EVERY CURB CUT WILL KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIMITED IN TERMS OF FULL-TIME ACCESS VERSUS NON-FULL-TIME ACCESS ON THE VARIOUS CURB CUTS. 
          WE'LL HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, AND THAT'S WHEN WE GET THE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING'S PROTECTED. AND THEN CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN ON A BUILDING-BY-BUILDING BASIS, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE SITE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AS PART OF THE DUE DILIGENCE IS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN... WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS ALL ALONG, IS THAT SOME TREE REMOVAL AND MINIMAL LAND CLEARING NEEDS TO OCCUR. 
          SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT... 
          CLEAR CUTTING THE SITE. THAT'S NOT PERMITTED UNDER OUR ORDINANCE. I'VE MADE THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO THEM AND TO ANYONE THAT CALLS. I GET THAT QUESTION ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          THAT IS NOT A PERMITTED SCENARIO. WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IS LIMITED REMOVALS TO GET IN, FINISH THEIR DUE DILIGENCE ON SOILS SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY BUILDING ON. 
          AND SO, ANY REMOVALS THAT OCCUR PRIOR TO BUILDING PERMITS BEING ISSUED WILL BE LIMITED IN SCOPE UNDER THE CODE. THERE IS A PROVISION THAT ALLOWS, THIS IS ENTIRELY DELEGATED TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, AS TO IF IT MEETS A CERTAIN SET OF CRITERIA IN THE ORDINANCE, OF WHICH FULL-SCALE CLEARING 
          [01:10:02]
DOES NOT QUALIFY, LIMITED CLEARING FOR DETERMINATION ON SOIL TYPES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. TO FINISH DUE DILIGENCE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT QUALIFIES UNDER THE FINANCIAL USE OF THE LAND. SO, ASSUMING THEY MEET THOSE STANDARDS IN THE CODE, THEY WILL BE PERMITTED TO PROCEED WITH LIMITED LAND CLEARING. I HESITATE TO EVEN SAY LAND CLEARING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WHAT SOMEONE TRADITIONALLY THINKS OF AS LAND CLEARING, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT. 
          THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. 
          IT'S OFTENTIMES THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO COME IN AND PUNCH SOME HOLES IN THE GROUND TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON. 
          IT'S JUST A LITTLE MORE HIGH PROFILE IN THIS CASE. GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE SITUATION AND THE PREVIOUS ISSUES WE HAD ALONG, I BELIEVE, COLUMBUS FOR THIS PROBLEM. AND SO THAT LEADS US TO WHAT STAFF'S PROVIDING YOU BACK AT THIS EVENING. AND TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY KUSHEL IS HERE THIS EVENING. HE ASSISTED STAFF IN DRAFTING THE THREE RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING. 
          RESOLUTION A, OBVIOUSLY SUBJECT TO THE COUPLE OF TYPOS THAT I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING. RESOLUTION A WOULD BE THE RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL TO CHANGE THE ZONING THROUGH A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE SITE TO RC ZONING, LIMITED TO 240 DWELLING UNITS. RESOLUTION B WOULD REMOVE BUILDING 4. AND THANK YOU. REZONE THE NORTHERN PARCEL TO RC, THE MIDDLE AND SOUTHERN PARCEL TO RD, AND LIMIT THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT TO 252 DWELLING UNITS. AND RESOLUTION C WOULD OPT NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY CHANGES TO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND DENY THE REQUEST TO AMEND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. MOST OF THE CONDITIONS BETWEEN A AND B ARE SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS ANY SPECIFICS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE. I WOULD NOTE THAT BOTH OF THEM LIMIT THE DENSITY OF THE CENTER UNIT, EITHER TO 120 UNITS IN OPTION A OR TO 96 UNITS IN OPTION B. SO IF WE'RE KEEPING BUILDING FOUR VERSUS GETTING RID OF BUILDING FOUR. 
          SETBACK IS STILL 200 FEET. 
          LIMITATION ON TWO-STORY BUILDINGS. 
          THERE'S THREE STORY BUILDINGS ARE ONLY PERMITTED ON THE NORTHERN PARCEL AND ONLY UNDER OPTION B. AND THE MAJORITY OF THE REST OF IT IS FAIRLY CONSISTENT. SO I WON'T LABOR THE POINT ABSENT ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE. AS I MENTIONED, TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY KUSHAL IS HERE THIS EVENING. I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND THE DEVELOPER IS AS WELL, SO I'M GONNA STOP TALKING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, WE FIND OURSELVES WITH THREE OPTIONS IN FRONT OF US THIS EVENING. THIS AFTER EXTENSIVE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ACROSS A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, AND THIS BOARD AT A NUMBER OF MEETINGS. I'LL OPEN THINGS UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME FOR DIRECTOR SCHMIDT OR THE APPLICANTS. IF YOU WANT TO START US OFF. 
          TRUSTEE WILSON. I MAY NEED ANOTHER ROUND AFTER THIS. 
          THANK YOU FOR FIXING UNDER OPTION B, WHICH I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS. THANK YOU FOR FIXING NUMBER SEVEN. THEN YOU DISCUSSED IN HERE, I MAY HAVE TO FIND IT. JUST ONE SECOND. YOU SAID THAT ALL... 
          CONSTRUCTION IS OUTSIDE OF THE 200-FOOT CONSERVATION AREA, CORRECT? SO THERE'S A 200-FOOT BUILDING SETBACK, NO MATTER WHAT? AND THAT INCLUDES THE GARAGES? EVERYTHING. THERE'S NO ACTUAL... INSTRUCTION OF A STRUCTURE WITHIN THAT 200 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF ANY RESIDENTIALLY DEVELOPED PROPERTY IN CENTRAL PARK ESTATES. 
          BUT I BELIEVE IT READS IN HERE FROM DWELLING UNIT. CAN YOU CITE THAT? I'M LOOKING FOR IT RIGHT NOW. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS HIGHLIGHTED. LET SOMEBODY ELSE GO AND THEN I'LL COME BACK. IT'S NUMBER 15. 
          NUMBER 15 IN OPTION B IS A MINIMUM OF 200 FOOT BUILDING SETBACK. SO IT'S ANY BUILDING. 
          SO IS A GARAGE, THAT BG IS A BUILDING? THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED. A BUILDING IS A BUILDING. ANYTHING THAT PUTS A FOOTING IN THE GROUND IS A BUILDING FOR UNDER THE ZONING CODE. 
          OKAY, BUT IT DOES SAY DWELLING UNIT, DOESN'T IT? YES, THAT'S THE END 
          [01:15:02]
OF THAT SENTENCE. SO CAN WE TAKE THE DWELLING PIECE OUT OF IT? BECAUSE THE GARAGE ISN'T A DWELLING UNIT. IT'S THE END OF THAT PARAGRAPH. YES, CERTAINLY. YES, I THINK THAT WE CAN STRIKE WITH DWELLING UNITS. CORRECT. 
          SO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS JUST A CONCEPT PLAN. 
          SO WE HAVE A SPECIAL USE PERMITTING PROCESS. I'M SORRY. 
          WE HAVE A SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS. ARE WE GOING TO ALSO DO A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WITH THIS? SO THIS IS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED TO ACT AS THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I WILL DEFER TO TACH AND PATERNITY KUSHAL FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION OF THAT. BUT THE FINDINGS THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE RESOLUTION AND THE LANGUAGE IN SUBSECTION, I THINK WE JUST SET IT UP SO THAT THE FINDINGS WOULD ACT AS THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. CAN WE GET A CLARIFICATION ON THAT, PLEASE? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO WAIVE AND CREATE A PRECEDENT FOR NOT HAVING SITE PLAN REVIEW. TO BE CLEAR, SITE PLAN REVIEW IS NOT BEING WAIVED. 
          SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I'M SORRY, SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. 25,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE WILSON. AS TIM MENTIONED, YES, THIS WOULD SATISFY THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT COMPONENT. SO, NO. THERE WOULD NOT BE FUTURE SPECIAL USE PERMIT ANALYSIS. THERE WOULD STILL BE THE SPECIFIC SITE PLAN WITH THE ENGINEERED PLANS AND THE OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENT REVIEWS. AND THEN IN THE PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS FOR APPROVAL, THERE ARE SOME FINDINGS OF FACT, AND THOSE MIRROR AND KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT THE SUP PIECES WOULD BE. SO THAT'S, AGAIN, KIND OF PUTTING IT ON RECORD. THANK YOU. ALLOWING THIS BOARD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE CONCLUSIONS. 
          THAT FROM A SPECIAL USE PERSPECTIVE, THE KIND OF BROAD OVERVIEW, WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD SATISFY THAT. SO THAT WE KNOW. THEN THE NEXT STEP IS SPECIFIC SITE PLAN REVIEW. OKAY, SO WE'RE NOT CREATING PRECEDENT TO WAIVE SPECIAL USE PERMIT BECAUSE IT'S INCORPORATED INTO THE SITE PLAN REVIEW. IS THAT ACCURATE? IT IS ACCURATE THAT YOU ARE NOT CREATING A PRECEDENT OF WAIVING SPECIAL USE PERMIT REVIEW. GREAT, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          DIRECTOR SCHMIDT, COULD YOU TELL US, THERE'S BEEN SOME RELOCATION, NOT ONLY OF BUILDING 4 IN THE CENTER PARCEL, BUT WHERE'S THE DOG PARK NOW? I SEE IT EAST OF BUILDING 8. GET TO THE RIGHT PAGE HERE. SO I ASSUME WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT OPTION B. OPTION B. 
          YEAH, SO THE DOG PARK IS, THERE ARE, I BELIEVE, TWO TECHNICALLY ON THE SITE. 
          IF I REMEMBER, WE'RE SUB-8, CORRECT? SO THERE IS A DOG PARK LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF THE GARAGE, 8G, AND TO THE, THERE IS A DOG PARK LOCATED ESSENTIALLY WHERE BUILDING B WAS BEFORE, OR BUILDING 4 WAS BEFORE, IN THAT OPEN SPACE. 
          TO THE EAST OF BUILDING THREE, AND THERE IS ONE ON THE NORTHERN PARCEL, AND IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME A SECOND TO GET THERE. I SEE THE NORTHERN PARCEL IS MARKED 15. IT'S MARKED 8 ON THE CENTRAL PARCEL. IT'S MARKED 8 ON THE CENTRAL PARCEL AND 15 ON THE NORTHERN PARCEL. 
          CORRECT. IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THAT DOG PARK FROM THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE PROPERTY? I THINK. I WOULD DEFER TO THE APPLICANT, BUT I THINK, GIVEN, CANDIDLY, I THINK IT PROBABLY JUST GOES AWAY. THE BOARD DOESN'T WANT IT THERE. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF... TRYING TO RESPECT THE WETLANDS. 
          CONSIDERING THE, SORRY, I'M GOING TO JUMP IN. NO, JUMP IN. CONSIDERING THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT'S PROPOSED THAT GOES WHAT APPEARS TO RIGHT UP TO THAT PARKING LOT, THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PUT, YOU KNOW, TO CLEAR IT FOR A PET PLAYGROUND ANYWAY, RIGHT? NO, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT YOU SEE IS SORT OF THE 8 IS NEBULOUS RIGHT NOW. 
          THE 8 IS JUST KIND OF FLOATING. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT AREA, YOU SEE THE AREA WHERE IT JOGS AWAY FROM. AG KIND OF ON A STRAIGHT LINE. THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO FUNCTIONALLY. LET ME SWITCH PAGES. 
          ON THE NORTHERN END OF THAT PARCEL, OR AG, ON THE... YOU'RE REALLY TALKING, RIGHT, IT'S GOING TO GO RIGHT IN HERE IF IT'S GOING 
          [01:20:03]
TO GO ANYWHERE. THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE, THOUGH. YOU ARE CORRECT. SO I THINK IF THERE'S A CONCERN WITH IT, THE BOARD EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS WITH THAT NOW, IT PROBABLY JUST GOES AWAY. 
          OKAY, AND THEN CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS MINIMAL LAND CLEARING AND THE TESTING OF THE SOILS? I UNDERSTAND THAT NO TREES CAN BE CUT AFTER MARCH 31ST FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. 
          SO, OKAY, SO WE'RE GETTING INTO THE INDIA AND ABAT REGULATIONS NOW, AND I APOLOGIZE, I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON THAT. THERE ARE TREE CLEARING RESTRICTIONS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. 
          BETWEEN APRIL AND SEPTEMBER. 
          WITH RESPECT TO ENDANGERED SPECIES, ESSENTIALLY THE INDIANA BAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT REGULATE, THAT IS CERTAINLY REGULATED AT A LEVEL ABOVE US. AND SO IF WE ARE WITHIN THE RESTRICTED SEASON, THEN I BELIEVE FISH AND WILDLIFE GETS INVOLVED ON A FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT... IS RELATED TO THE LAND CLEARING PROVISIONS UNDER CHAPTER 22, YEP, ARTICLE 5 OF CHAPTER 22, WHICH SETS FORWARD A SERIES OF REGULATIONS FOR HOW WE ADDRESS LAND CLEARING. IN NATASHA, RIGHT? IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2002. I'M GUESSING AFTER SOMEONE CLEARED A BUNCH OF LAND, THEY SHOULDN'T. I HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED OUT THE PROJECT, BUT I HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IT WAS. UNDER THAT, THERE ARE A SERIES OF EXEMPTIONS, RIGHT? HAZARDOUS TREES, ACTIONS MADE IN A DISASTER RELATED TO AGRICULTURE. 
          BUT THERE IS ALSO, IF IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE ECONOMIC USE OF THE PARCEL, MINIMAL IMPACT. IT'S DEPENDENT ON THE CLEARING, RIGHT? BASICALLY, THE PREPARATION, LIMITED PREPARATION FOR DEVELOPMENT. THEY CAN'T COME IN AND DO WHOLESALE CLEARING BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MEET THOSE SUBSTANDARDS. I'VE HAD THAT QUESTION COME UP MULTIPLE TIMES. AND I HAVE MULTIPLE EMAIL THREADS WITH ANGRY DEVELOPERS THAT IT DOESN'T MEET THE CODE. YOU CANNOT SHOW ME THAT THERE IS NOT A PRUDENT AND FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED TO CLEAR THE WHOLE LOT NOW. 
          YOU WANT TO CLEAR IT. 
          IN THIS CASE, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS THEY NEED TO BASICALLY GET A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT INTO CERTAIN AREAS OF THE SITE, AND THE LEAST IMPACTFUL WAY TO DO IT WILL BE TO CLEAR. 
          ESSENTIALLY A STRIP TO GET TO THAT SPOT, AND THEN IF THERE'S A TREE ALONG THAT STRIP, THAT TREE WILL HAVE TO COME OUT. AND SO THAT'S UNDER OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          REGULATIONS. WITH RESPECT TO THE INDIANA BAT, I DEFINITELY HAVE TO DEFER TO HIGHER POWERS THAN ME. SO WE HAVE 14 DAYS, IS THAT ACCURATE? IN WHICH THAT CLEARING OF TREES, SPECIFICALLY TREES, CAN HAPPEN? CORRECT. 
          UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER. 
          THE APRIL 1 STANDARDS COME INTO PLAY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE'S A... PROVISION BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, WHETHER IT CHANGES. I WILL BE HONEST, THIS IS AN AREA I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT. OKAY. THIS PROCEDURE IS CALLED GEOTECH? YEAH, WE REFER TO IT AS GEOTECH. IT'S GEOTECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE BUILDING ON. CAN WE PUT A CONDITION IN THAT WE WILL ONLY ALLOW CLEARING TO THE LEVEL OF NEED RELATED TO GEOTECH? UNTIL WHEN? UNTIL THE APPROVAL PROCESS IS DONE. I KNOW THEY HAVE TO GET IN AND DO FOOTINGS AND SO ON, AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT. 
          BUT THEY WON'T BE ACTUALLY DOING FOOTINGS? NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THEY HAVE TO EVALUATE THE PROPERTY. 
          CORRECT. ISN'T THAT STANDARD, ANYWAY, IN ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD COME BEFORE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THAT THEY WOULD? THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET AGENCY APPROVAL BEFORE THEY CAN START DOING THINGS LIKE THAT? CORRECT. I THINK IF THERE IS A CONCERN THAT WE ARE... IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC DESIRE TO LIMIT THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR IN THIS REGARD, THEN THE BOARD CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. THE ORDINANCE IS PRETTY SPECIFIC, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING BEYOND THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM. 
          SO WE COULD REFER TO THAT ORDINANCE IN THE CONDITION? CERTAINLY, AND WE HAVE REFERRED TO IT IN CONDITION NUMBER 24, I BELIEVE IN BOTH RESOLUTIONS. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE INDULGENCE OF THE BOARD. YEP, ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THANK YOU, SIR. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WENTZ. THANK YOU. MR. SCHMIDT, YOU HAD TALKED 
          [01:25:01]
ABOUT FINAL GRADING. IS THAT FINAL GRADING FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENGINEERS WHEN DETERMINING THAT CONSERVATION EASEMENT SPACE, OR WHO DOES THAT FINAL GRADING? AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THAT INFORMATION... 
          YOU KNOW, STUDIES COME FROM. 
          SO I'M CURIOUS. YEAH. SO THE WAY THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS WORKS IS, YOU KNOW, CANDIDLY, THE PLAN WE HAVE IN THE PACKET IS THE ONLY PLAN WE HAVE, RIGHT? RIGHT. THERE'S, YOU CAN'T BUILD OFF OF THAT. 
          SO WHAT THEY'LL NEED TO DO NOW IS THEY'LL NEED TO DO A FULL ENGINEERING DESIGN THAT WILL THEN BE SUBMITTED TO US. 
          AND WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE FOUR IN-HOUSE AGENCIES THAT REVIEW IT AND TWO OUT-HOUSING. OUT OF THE TWO OUT AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF OUR PROGRAM, MY APOLOGIES. 
          UM, THAT REVIEW THIS, SO OBVIOUSLY IN COUNTY DRAINING, COUNTY ROADS WE'LL REVIEW, BUT INTERNALLY, BUILDING, PLANNING, BUILDING, FIRE AND ENGINEERING ALL REVIEW THE PLAN. SO THEY DESIGN IT BASED OFF OF OUR CURRENT ENGINEERING STANDARD, SO WE ESSENTIALLY TELL THEM YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD IT LIKE THIS. SO WE'RE THE. WHERE THE RUB COMES IN SOMETIMES IS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY, WE HAVE TO WORK THAT OUT. AND SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THEY WILL PROVIDE US WITH A CONCEPT. 
          WE'LL REVIEW IT AND WE'LL SAY, NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. OR THAT NEEDS TO GET TIGHTENED UP. OR YOUR SEWER IS TOO SHALLOW HERE, SO YOU NEED TO MOVE THAT, AND THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THIS, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH THAT HAPPENS TYPICALLY IN ANY SITE PLAN. THEY PROPOSE, WE REVIEW IT AGAINST OUR STANDARDS, WE GO BACK AND FORTH. 
          EVENTUALLY, WE GET TO A POINT OF SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOOD, RIGHT? THAT'S AS TIGHT AS IT'S GOING TO GET. YOUR SEWER DESIGN MEETS OUR STANDARD, YOUR WATER DESIGN MEETS. WE SUBMIT WATER AND SEWER OFF TO EGLE FOR REVIEW AND FINAL APPROVAL IF NECESSARY, AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          OKAY. AND THEN WE FIELD VERIFY EVERYTHING AS IT'S GOING, RIGHT? WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE FIELD THAT ARE MONITORING, INSPECTION IN BOTH. 
          FROM ENGINEERING AND FROM THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE IT'S BEING BUILT ACCORDING TO PLAN. GOTCHA. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS PRETTY COMMON PRACTICE. THE ONLY REASON WHY IT'S NOTABLE IS BECAUSE OF THIS, AS ALREADY COMMENTED ON, SOMEWHAT NOVEL CONSERVATION EASEMENT, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY COMES UP FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, IT'S CERTAINLY EARLY TO BE TALKING ABOUT A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, RIGHT? USUALLY, I'D BE ABLE TO TELL YOU IT'S EXACTLY 4.3 ACRES. IN THIS CASE, I CAN ONLY TELL YOU, IT'S APPROXIMATELY THIS. 
          THEY'VE NOT, THE DRAWING THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED IS REASONABLE, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT LIKE OVERESTIMATING OR UNDERESTIMATING. IT'S A REASONABLE ESTIMATE OF WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND. 
          THAT CLEARS UP MY QUESTION. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? KIRK DEMAS. I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, SO. LAST TIME, I BELIEVE I FOCUSED ON THE WETLANDS, SO I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK ON THAT. I SEE HERE, NUMBER 20, IT SAYS NO. ESSENTIAL WETLANDS ON THE SITE SHALL BE IMPACTED BY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. SO THAT MEANS THAT WETLANDS ARE STILL IMPACTED, EVEN IF THEY'RE LABELED AS NON-ESSENTIAL. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. 
          FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I'VE BECOME AWARE THAT WETLANDS, THE CATEGORIZATION IS HIGH RISK, MEDIUM RISK, AND LOW RISK. SO I'M CONFUSED BY LABELING WETLANDS AS NON-ESSENTIAL WHEN THERE CAN STILL BE BENEFITS TO THE WETLANDS. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH HIGH-RISK, MEDIUM-RISK, LOW-RISK WETLANDS. OUR ORDINANCE CATEGORIZES THEM IN TWO WAYS. IT'S EITHER GREATER THAN TWO ACRES AND THEREFORE REGULATED BY EGLE AS WELL, OR IT'S UNDER TWO ACRES BUT OVER A HALF AN ACRE. AND IT'S REGULATED BY US. ONCE YOU GET TO... WETLANDS UNDER THAT SIZE, AND I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS PREVIOUSLY, THERE'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT WE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING WITH THEM. THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, BUT WE ARE BEING UP FRONT IN THAT. THEY ARE PROPOSING TO IMPACT THREE OF THE NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS, NON-REGULATED WETLANDS ON THE SITE. MY POINT BEING, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE LESS PROTECTIONS WITH THE LOWER RISK WETLANDS, BUT TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WETLANDS STILL PROVIDE A BENEFIT TO THE AREA, AND THAT BENEFIT IS NOW BEING TAKEN AWAY. BECAUSE WE ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE WETLANDS. CERTAINLY, THAT'S A FAIR STATEMENT 
          [01:30:01]
TO MAKE. AND TO THE CLERK'S EARLIER QUESTION ON THE PHRASING NON-ESSENTIAL, THAT'S REALLY, YOU CAN BLAME THE LAWYERS FOR THAT ONE. THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO NREPA AND HOW THEY CLASSIFY AND DEFINE WETLANDS, AND THAT'S WHERE KIND OF THAT NON-ESSENTIAL TAG IS COMING FROM. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. 
          THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WENTZ? THANK YOU. I WILL SAY, I THINK, I'LL START IT A DIFFERENT WAY. I APPRECIATED SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON LAST MEETING WHEN YOU ASKED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON THE POTENTIAL FOR MOVING. 
          BUILDING 4, YOU KNOW, I FEEL SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER REGARDING WHY SOUTH OF COLUMBUS IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION FOR THIS. AND FROM AT LEAST MY EMAIL, I SEE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS LISTING THAT THEY PREFER THIS OPTION B WITH THE HIGHER DENSITY. AND THEN MORE NORTHERN PORTION. I THINK THIS ALSO SATISFIES ONE OF THE STICKY WICKETS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST MONTH. 
          WITH THE KIND OF CLEAN ZONING, WITH RD VERSUS RC BEING ABLE TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO PORTIONS. 
          AND AS A RESULT, I THINK THIS PROJECT OVERALL HAS MET A LOT OF THE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT I HAD. AND I AM. I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR FROM ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS IF THERE ARE EXISTING ISSUES. I KNOW THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, AND I COMMEND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR OPINIONS. 
          BOTH FOR THE MORE ORIGINAL PLANS AND THOSE THAT REACH OUT TO US SINCE OUR LAST MEETING WITH THEIR OPINIONS ON THIS REVISED PLAN. SO WITH THAT, I'M. I GUESS I WANTED TO MAKE MY FEELINGS KNOWN AND HEAR MORE FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER AREAS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO RESOLVE. 
          BECAUSE, EXCUSE ME, I DO APPRECIATE THE POINT RAISED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. 
          BECAUSE I THINK THIS REALLY IS THE ONE TIME WHERE WE CAN REALLY INFLUENCE SOME OF THESE ZONING DECISIONS IN A WAY THAT NORMALLY WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO. BECAUSE OF... 
          OUR CHARTER, SO. OKAY, THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? OH, TRUSTEE TREZISE. YEAH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, MR. LENTZ. I'M LOOKING AT THE THREE PROPOSALS. I DON'T BELIEVE OPTION THREE IS REALISTIC. 
          PERSONALLY, I DON'T BELIEVE HAVING A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEXT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE CENTRAL PARK ESTATES MAKES ANY SENSE. I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE DISRUPTIVE TO THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND THE POTENTIAL OF MORE LIGHTS, LARGER PARKING LOTS, WHATEVER. AND I DON'T THINK WE'D GET... THESE TYPES OF RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE AGREED TO AS PART OF THESE PROPOSALS. AND OF THE ONE AND TWO, OR A AND B, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS BY THE APPLICANTS TO MOVE BUILDING FOUR, WHICH WAS THE CLOSEST DWELLING FACILITY NEAR TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I THINK MOVING THAT THERE WILL ALSO IMPROVE SOME OF THE DRAINAGE ISSUES. I THINK MOVING TO THE NORTHERN. AND MORE VISUALLY PROTECTED AREA TO THREE STORIES, WHICH WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PLANS, MAKES SOME SENSE. AND I THINK IT PROVIDES AN AWFUL LOT OF PROTECTION TO THE HOUSING IN THE AREA AND IS A REASONABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS SPACE. I ALSO THINK BY ADDING A THIRD STORY ON TOP OF THE NORTHERN PROPERTY, YOU'RE REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT IN IMPERVIOUS SERVICE. BY NOT HAVING ANOTHER BUILDING SITTING THERE, AND SO THE DRAINAGE WOULD BE THAT WAY OVERALL. SO I BELIEVE OPTION B IS APPROPRIATE 
          [01:35:03]
FOR THIS PROPERTY. OTHER COMMENTS? CORRECTED. SO I BELIEVE THE QUESTION POSED TO THE BOARD MEMBERS IS, ARE THERE STILL CONCERNS? AND YES, I THINK THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS. I THINK RESIDENTS STILL SHARE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD FROM DAY ONE WITH THESE TWO PROJECTS, PROPOSED PROJECTS, OR SITE PLANS, I SHOULD SAY. I WENT DOOR-TO-DOOR AND IN THE CPE NEIGHBORHOOD TO LISTEN TO RESIDENTS THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS. AND A LOT OF WHAT RESIDENTS SHARED ARE SIMILAR CONCERNS THAT I HAVE TRIED MY BEST TO EXPRESS ON THIS BOARD. AND I'LL SHARE THEM ONCE AGAIN, BUT A QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO POSE IS HOW WOULD THIS PROJECT BENEFIT THE TOWNSHIP IN RELATION TO TRAFFIC, NOISE POLLUTION, DRAINAGE, HOUSING, AFFORDABILITY, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. AND ADDITIONAL CONCERNS I MAY HAVE NOT MENTIONED, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE TOWNSHIP WOULD BENEFIT. IF THESE CONCERNS ARE NOT AN ISSUE ANYMORE, BECAUSE I DO NOT SEE HOW THESE PLANS ARE COMPROMISED. WE HAD A COUNTER PROPOSAL OF, I BELIEVE, 208 UNITS, AND IT REMAINS TO BE 240 OR MORE, SO PLEASE. LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF THESE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THIS NEW SITE PLAN, A OR B. JUDGE BURKHARDT? YES. 
          BETWEEN THE LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL PARK ESTATES. I WENT THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN. I WENT THROUGH THE MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS. I DROVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL PARK ESTATES FOR COMMUNICATING ALL THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS. 
          IN ADDITION TO CLERK DEMAS' ISSUES, I WANTED TO MENTION THE ISSUE OF BRINGING UP THE NEED FOR HOUSING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, AND IF SO, WHAT KIND OF HOUSING, THE DENSITY OF THE HOUSING. 
          DURING THE MASTER PLAN, I WENT THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN AND THE LAND USE PLAN TO GET A SENSE FOR WHAT THE TOWNSHIP ENVISIONED OVERALL FOR HOUSING AND FOR COMMERCIAL AND FOR NATURAL AREAS. DEVELOPMENT OR PROTECTION OF THOSE AREAS. 
          LET'S SEE, I NOTICED THAT, I THINK IN THE MASTER PLAN, IT SAID. THE IDEA BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENT IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS STRATEGIC GROWTH WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION. AND THERE IS EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR WHATEVER DEVELOPMENTS ARE DECIDED. I'M GUESSING THAT ZONING, THE ZONING BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAVEN'T WEIGHED IN ON THIS ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE OR NOT, BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL PARK ESTATES ON THE LATEST PROPOSALS, PROPOSALS A AND B, DEFINITELY NC. AND, YOU KNOW, GET A FEELING FOR WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THIS IS WHAT THEY CAN LIVE WITH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE SUGGESTIONS, AND THEY HAD EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS AND WELL- RESEARCHED SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING A NUMBER OF ISSUES. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN ON THESE PROPOSALS. SO I HAVEN'T WEIGHED IN YET, BUT I'LL OFFER A FEW THOUGHTS. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I DO WANT TO THANK OUR RESIDENTS FOR BEING VERY INVOLVED. 
          IN THE ENTIRETY OF THIS PROCESS. I THINK NO MATTER HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, THE PROPOSALS IN FRONT OF US TODAY LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE PROPOSALS THAT CAME BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION EARLIER LAST YEAR. 
          [01:40:05]
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE PROUD OF IN TERMS OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE. 
          AND A LOT OF THOSE CHANGES CAME AT... 
          THE BOARD'S URGING, BUT ALSO WERE FROM SUGGESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEY WERE GOOD ONES. AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF THOSE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED. I PREFER, OF THE TWO, I PREFER PROPOSAL B. WHEN WE LOOK AT PROPOSAL B, WE ARE ABLE TO RESTRICT THE ZONING IN BOTH THE CENTRAL AND THE SOUTHERN PARCELS TO RD. WHICH IS IN MANY OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP, A TRANSITIONAL ZONING BETWEEN SINGLE FAMILY AND HIGHER DENSITY USES, AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL USES. 
          LOOK AT NAMOKA TRAIL, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT IS THE SAME SORT OF TRANSITIONAL ZONING AS UP THERE. 
          UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING, AS IT IS TODAY, IF THE DEVELOPERS WERE TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND BUILD TODAY, THEY COULD BUILD 98 UNITS. IN THE CENTRAL PARCEL OF RESIDENTIAL, OR I GUESS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PARCEL, THAT BOTH EMPTY ONTO BELVEDERE AVENUE. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN CONSIDERING THE MASSIVE COMMERCIAL, I THINK IT'S NEARLY 250,000 SQUARE FEET, DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL THAT IS POSSIBLE UNDER TODAY'S ZONING ACROSS BOTH THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PARCELS. AND SO... MAYBE IT WAS 150, IT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA. IT WAS A LOT, THOUGH. AND, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC, AS IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP QUITE A BIT, IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, QUITE SIGNIFICANT. AND UNLIKE PROPOSALS A OR B THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US TODAY, WE'VE PUT OUT TRAFFIC DIRECTLY ONTO BELLEVEDERE. AND COLUMBUS. AND SO THAT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE DRIVING TO THEIR HOMES, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION. OVERALL, THE PROPERTY SIZE IN THIS, ON THESE THREE PARCELS, AS IS POINTED OUT IN OUR PACKET, IS JUST OVER 30 ACRES. THIS, THE EITHER PROPOSAL, A OR B, IS ABLE TO CONSERVE 50%, HALF, A FULL HALF OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL AREA. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S TO BE COMMENDED. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO CAP THE DENSITY AT EIGHT UNITS PER ACRE ON THE CENTRAL PARCEL. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN WE STARTED THIS, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS GOING TO BE POSSIBLE. AND IT TOOK, YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE DEVELOPERS AND THE SUPPORT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. WE HAVE A TWO-STORY HEIGHT LIMIT ON THE CENTRAL PARCEL AND A COUPLE OF THREE-STORY BUILDINGS, WHICH EVEN THIS PROPOSAL'S MOST STRIDENT DETRACTORS WILL TELL YOU, IS A BETTER SITUATION. 
          BECAUSE IT'S SCREENED BY THE DENSE FOLIAGE BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PARK ESTATES AND THAT NORTHERN PARCEL. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR RESTRICTIONS ON LIGHT, ON NOISE, ETC., AND PRESERVE THE DENSE TREE COVERAGE IN THE BUFFER AREAS. 
          THERE'S A LOT TO LIKE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO AFFECT AND CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS. 
          WITH ANY PROPOSAL, THERE'S GOING TO BE QUESTIONS ABOUT DRAINAGE, THERE'S GOING TO BE QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAFFIC. WE KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THIS A LOT OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS HERE. ANYONE WHO'S DEALT WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE WILL KNOW THAT THEY ARE VERY PARTICULAR. ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE WATER IS TAKEN CARE OF, WATER IS MANAGED. YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES. ON CERTAIN THINGS AND CERTAIN COSTS. AND CERTAINLY, I'M SURE THAT IF EITHER PLAN WAS FORWARDED, DEVELOPERS WILL HAVE FAIR AMOUNTS OF REMEDIATION TO DO. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN QUESTION THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PROPERLY HANDLING THE WATER THAT'S CREATED ON THIS SITE. 
          AND THEN THE ROAD DEPARTMENT, THEY WILL WEIGH IN, TOO. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT CENTRAL PARK ESTATES. 
          CENTRAL PARK DRIVE. RATHER, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT TIMES SQUARE. THEY'RE GOING TO BE IDENTIFYING THESE CURB CUTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT PUTTING OUT TOO MUCH TRAFFIC IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE ONTO THOSE TWO STREETS. AND WE HAVE BUILT IN SPECIFIC PROVISIONS 
          [01:45:03]
INTO THIS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT DOWN THE ROAD, AS TIME GOES BY, THE IMPACT THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT ON CENTRAL PARK HAS ON THE TRAFFIC THERE. AND, IF NECESSARY, ASK THE DEVELOPER THEMSELVES TO COVER THE COST OF ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE ROAD DEPARTMENT YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THAT'S PROBABLY UNPRECEDENTED, RIGHT? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T RECALL EVER HAVING SEEN ON A PROJECT. THIS IS A FULL 60 UNITS LESS THAN THE PROPOSAL THAT CAME TO US BACK IN SEPTEMBER. I WENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          ALL RIGHT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEM, TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PLAN B. AND I THINK THAT IS A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT ON WHAT WE SAW PREVIOUSLY. 
          IT'S IN LINE WITH WITH WHAT A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE REQUESTED MOVING BUILDING BUILDING FOUR. AND IT IS PUTTING THE BULK OF THE TRAFFIC ONTO TIMES SQUARE DRIVE, FROM. ESPECIALLY FROM THAT NORTHERN PARCEL, WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF THE UNITS ARE IN THIS PROJECT. SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS HAD EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN OUR LAST MEETING AND SENDING THIS BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND THEY DID HOLD A MEETING ON MARCH 9TH. I WATCHED THAT MEETING. I REVIEWED THAT MEETING. 
          DIRECTOR SCHMIDT, DURING THEIR UPDATE, DID TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT BEING SENT BACK. AND THEY WERE VERY CLEAR IN THEIR RESPONSE. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IT. YOU KNOW, THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN SEEING THIS COMING BACK TO THEM. THEY AGREED WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE BOARD'S HANDS AT THIS POINT. THAT SAID, THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOOK IT UP LAST TIME. THEY WERE ABSENT A MEMBER. THEY WERE VACANT A MEMBER. AND THAT VACANCY WAS THEN FILLED BY COMMISSIONER NAHUM, WHO IS BOTH HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND ALSO SENT US AN EMAIL, WHICH YOU SAW IN OUR PACKETS. THIS EVENING. 
          AND SO HE WAS ABLE TO OFFER HIS THOUGHTS AS WELL ON THE MOST RECENT AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSAL. SO OVERALL, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO REMAIN IN OPPOSITION TO THIS OR MAYBE ANY DEVELOPMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CHALLENGE. 
          BUT I THINK THAT THE LEVEL OF OPPOSITION THAT I HAVE SEEN ANYWAY OVER THE LAST WEEK, AS WE'VE SORT OF WALKED THROUGH AND TEASED OUT. WHERE WE ARE IN THESE PROPOSALS TODAY HAS SHOWN ME THAT FOLKS SEEM TO BE ANYWAY FAR CLOSER TO THIS PROPOSAL THAN THEY WERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WITH THE PREVIOUS ITERATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN. YOU KNOW, WITH ANY COMPROMISE, NO ONE'S GOING TO LEAVE PERFECTLY HAPPY. BUT I THINK WE HAVE A RELATIVELY WORKABLE PLAN HERE WITH OPTION B.I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. 
          OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? TRUSTEE LOHAN? I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HIGHLIGHTED THERE, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST TO BEAT THE DRAMA I'VE BEEN BEATING, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, THERE WE HAVE... SEEN AS WITH EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE OF IT. IT IS SET UP AND DOWN BY HOUSING AUTHORITIES, WHO SPEND DAY IN, DAY OUT FOCUSING ON THIS. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, AS FAR AS APARTMENTS IN THIS AREA, SPECIFICALLY, I CALLED CENTRAL PARK APARTMENTS, NAMOKI TRAIL, AND ARROWTREE APARTMENTS, AND AS FAR AS TWO-BEDROOM, TWO-BATH, OR GREATER APARTMENTS, WHICH THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON. 
          THERE'S ONLY 14 UNITS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT FOR A GROUP THAT IS INTENDED TO BE ONE OF THE, OR, EXCUSE ME, FOR A GROUP WHICH IT SEEMS TO BE TARGETING AROUND. YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING GROUPS IN THIS AREA IN TERMS OF NEED OF HOUSING. THIS HELPS BRING NEW STUDENTS INTO OUR SCHOOLS. 
          ENVIRONMENTAL, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS INCREDIBLY MINIMIZED BECAUSE OF THAT 15 ACRES OF 
          [01:50:01]
CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED. AND I THINK OVERALL, THIS DOES FIT WITH THE CHARACTER OF THIS STREET. I UNDERSTAND THAT RESIDENTS OF CPE FEEL THAT IT NEEDS TO MATCH MORE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          BUT WE ARE NOW TALKING 200 FEET OF FOREST BETWEEN THEM. AND IT IS ON CENTRAL PARK, WHICH IS A ROAD THAT HAS. COLES, IT HAS A BANK RIGHT THERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT WHERE RESIDENTS WILL BE CLOSER TO AN MSUFCU BRANCH THAN TO THESE RESIDENTS. AND I THINK, AS A RESULT, THIS DOES FIT THE CHARACTER OF THE ROAD BEING DEVELOPED THERE AND THE BENEFITS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY. AS FAR AS AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, A BUS LINE THAT ALREADY RUNS THROUGH THERE. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT I FEEL IS AS GOOD AS WE CAN HOPE FOR, CONSIDERING WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTIONS OF THIS BOARD. 
          WE CANNOT PERSONALLY BUILD SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING. ALL WE CAN DO HERE IS APPROVE ZONING AND, IN THIS CASE, HAVE MUCH MORE OF OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT ZONING THAN ANY OTHER VERSION OF THE ZONING. CONVERSATION. 
          AS A RESULT, I ALSO WILL BE SUPPORTING PLAN B ON THIS. OTHER COMMENTS, OTHER QUESTIONS, OR ACTION TO BE HAD? I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION. I'M SO SORRY. I'VE LOST IN MY NOTES. CAN YOU... 
          PULL UP THE RESOLUTION FOR OPTION B AND I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION. OPTION B STARTS ON PAGE 155. THANK YOU. AND I WAS GOING TO ASK TIM, CONSIDERING THE LENGTH OF THIS, AM I READING THE ENTIRETY OF THIS ACTION HERE? MR. KUSHEL. SO I THINK YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH. A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION OPTION B, AMENDING THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, PROBABLY SUBJECT TO THE LANGUAGE ON PAGE 157, OUTLINING THE ZONING DESIGNATIONS. CONDITIONS AND FINDINGS FACT. HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO IT? THAT WOULD WORK. YOU COULD ALSO HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT OPTION B RESOLUTION S AT FOURTH IN THE PACKET, OR ADD THAT ASSET FORTH IN THE PACKET. LANGUAGE CONSISTENT WITH CHANGES MADE VERBALLY. IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DID MAKE THE ONE AMENDMENT, AT LEAST WITH BULLET 7, WHICH IS A CRITICAL BULLET, THAT THOSE PROPERTY ADDRESSES... ARE CHANGED FOR THE PARCEL NUMBERS. PARCEL NUMBERS. WE'VE GOT THE FLIP PARCEL NUMBERS IN ITEM 7. 
          WE'VE GOT CHANGES FROM COMMISSION TO DEPARTMENT IN ITEM 12 AND IN SUB 15, RESTRICTING STRIKING WITH DWELLING UNITS. 15 IS DWELLING UNITS. THANK YOU. SUB 15 WITH DWELLING UNITS. 
          STRIKING. THANK YOU. SHOULDN'T WE JUST DO A MOTION TO AMEND? WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD, YEAH. 
          THAT WOULD BE THE CLEANEST WAY TO DO IT. SO THAT IT'S CLEAR IN BOARD ACTION. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO GET BOGGED DOWN IN AS DISCUSSED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE ANSWER? WE'LL AMEND THE MOTION, AMEND THE RESOLUTION VIA MOTION. ROGER THAT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO I'M MAKING A MOTION TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION, IS THAT WHAT I'M, AND THEN AM I READING OUT THE... PROCEDURALLY, WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD MAKE THE MOTION ON THE RESOLUTION THAT'S IN THE PACKET. WE WOULD THEN MAKE A SUBSIDIARY MOTION TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED. ARE HOPING TO SEE, VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT, AND THEN VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED IF EVERYTHING PASSES. OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          IN THAT CASE, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT OPTION B. OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. NO. I'M SORRY. DO YOU WANT US TO CHANGE SEATS, SCOTT? NO. IT'S HARD TO KEEP EVERYONE'S NAME STRAIGHT. I KNOW IT IS. I THOUGHT YOU WERE SITTING IN THE BIG CHAIR. 
          TRUSTEE LENTZ. THEN MOVED BY 
          [01:55:01]
TRUSTEE LENTZ. DOES IT HAVE A SUPPORT? I'LL SUPPORT. 
          SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE. I SUPPORT. THANK YOU. SO THERE'S A MOTION BEFORE US FOR THE RESOLUTION AS IT WAS PRESENTED. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TEXT AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO MAKE TO THE CONDITIONS THEY SET FORTH IN THE RESOLUTION. DO WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WISHES TO... 
          DISCUSS OR MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION. 
          WELL, LET ME START, TRUSTEE WILSON, AND SEE IF I CAN CAPTURE IT. SO, UM, ITEM SEVEN WOULD BE AMENDED, YOU MOVE THAT, I MOVE, THAT BULLET SEVEN IS AMENDED SO THAT THE PARCEL NUMBERS ARE EXCHANGED BECAUSE THEY ARE CURRENTLY INACCURATE ON MOTION. UM, I WOULD ALSO MOVE. LET ME FIND IT HERE. 
          CONDITION 12. THANK YOU, GLAD YOU GOT BETTER HIGHLIGHTING THAN I DO. UH, ON UM CONDITION 12. NO, IT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK IT'S 12. 
          IT'S REPLACING ROAD COMMISSION WITH ROAD DEPARTMENT. OH YES, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. AND THE ONE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS ITEM 15. ALL RIGHTY. AND I WOULD ALSO MOVE THAT, UM, THE PHRASE WITH DWELLING IS REMOVED SO THAT THAT STATEMENT WOULD READ EXTERIOR WALL OF ANY BUILDING UNIT. IS THAT THE WAY WE WANT IT? WE HAD SAID, STRIKING WITH DWELLING UNITS WITH DWELLING UNIT. OKAY, I WILL AMEND TO REMOVE WITH DWELLING UNIT. THIS IS DONE WITH THE CONCEPT PLAN. 
          TRUSTEE WILSON, DO YOU INTEND TO MOVE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT MOTION? I DIDN'T HAVE ANY WRITTEN DOWN, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY. I BELIEVE THAT CAPTURES THE ESSENCE. DID I MISS SOMETHING? OKAY, SO, TO REITERATE, AS WE OUGHT TO DO HERE, TRUSTEE WILSON IS MOVING TO AMEND RESOLUTION B TO UPDATE CONDITION 7. TO FLIP THE PARCEL NUMBERS SO THAT 96 DWELLING UNITS ARE ON PARCEL 330202-22202001 AND 156 DWELLING UNITS ARE PERMITTED ON PARCEL 3302021540031. CORRECT. IN CONDITION 12, STRIKING THE WORD COMMISSION AND REPLACING WITH DEPARTMENT. AND IN CONDITION 15, STRIKING THE WORDS, WITH DWELLING UNITS AS IT RELATES TO THE BUILDING SETBACK. YES. 
          THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SUPPORT. 
          SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. 
          ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO AMEND? OKAY. SO, FOR MINUTE PURPOSES, WE'RE GOING WITH THE REITERATION OF HOW THE MOTION WAS MADE, CORRECT? BECAUSE I HAVE TO DOCUMENT ALL OF WHAT WAS... SAID EXACTLY AS HOW IT WAS SAID. SO IT WAS MOVED BY LENTZ, SUPPORTED BY TREZISE, FOR THE RESOLUTION. 
          SUBSEQUENT MOTION MOVED TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION WITH THOSE THREE... AS SAID, YOUR REITERATION. RIGHT, WITH THOSE THREE... CHANGES, AND THAT WAS MOVED BY WILSON, SUPPORTED BY LANCE. OKAY, SO ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT SEEING NONE? CLERK DIMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION? TREASURER BURKHART, TO JUST AMEND THE RESOLUTION. 
          YES. TRUSTEE LANCE? YES. 
          TRUSTEE SUNLAND? YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE? YES. TRUSTEE WILSON? YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? YES. CLERK DEMAS? YES. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. NOW, THEN, THERE IS A MOTION BEFORE US ON THE AMENDED RESOLUTION. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? OPTION B. 
          RIGHT. THE MOTION BEFORE US IS OPTION B WITH THREE AMENDMENTS, AS WAS RECENTLY PASSED. 
          AGAIN, I'LL CALL FOR ANY DISCUSSION IF THERE IS ANY. 
          SEEING NONE, WILL CLERK DEMAS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TRUSTEE LENTZ? YES. TRUSTEE SUMLIN? YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE? YES. 
          TRUSTEE WILSON? YES. 
          SUPERVISOR HENNIGSON? YES. 
          CLERK DEMAS, NO. TREASURER BURKHART? NO. MOTION CARRIES 5-0, OR 5-2. SORRY. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES OUR ACTION ITEMS THIS EVENING. IT IS 8 O'CLOCK. 
          WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR TWO HOURS. WE'LL TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS AND WE'LL STAND AT EASE AT THE CALL 
          [12.A. CDBG Authorizing Resolution Form 2-A MI Neighborhood Grant ]
OF THE CHAIR. CALL OURSELVES 
          [02:00:02]
BACK TO ORDER AT 8.05 P.M. 
          NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12A, THE CDBG AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION FORM 2A, MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT. DIRECTOR CLARK, YOU ARE STILL WITH US. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT. 
          THANK YOU. TAKE US BACK HERE. 
          I'LL JUST GO RIGHT BACK TO... 
          SO, GOOD EVENING. AS LISTED IN THE MEMO, TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION ITEM IS THE CDBG AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION FORM 2A FOR THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT APPLICATION. SO, THE TOWNSHIP RECEIVED A PROPOSAL... 
          FOR THE REHABILITATION OF 4690 AND 4696 OAKMAS. IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED TO STAFF, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND. 
          THE PROPERTY OWNERS, REPRESENTED BY VISTA LUX LLC, BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN ENGAGING WITH TOWNSHIP AND THE STAFF. 
          THEY JOINED THE DDA. THEY BEGAN SITTING AS A MEMBER OF THE DDA, NOT ONLY TO ELEVATE THE DDA, HAVE A QUORUM, BUT ALSO TO BECOME REALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY. SO THESE RECENTLY PURCHASED PROPERTIES CONSIST OF TWO MIXED-USE BUILDINGS. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS APPLICATION IS FOR THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM THAT IS ADMINISTERED BY MICHIGAN STATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. THE FUNDS COME FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, VERY SIMILARLY STRUCTURED TO THE CHILL GRANT THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS WITH MISTA, RIGHT? IT'S CDBG DOLLARS. MISTA'S AWARDING THEM FUNDING TO THE TOWNSHIP. 
          WE ADMINISTER AND MANAGE THAT PROGRAM LOCALLY. AND THIS REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE TOWNSHIP TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, JUST SPECIFICALLY. AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR TO THE EXACT LANGUAGE PRESENTED TO THIS BOARD FOR THE CHILD GRANT. THE PROJECT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC TO THE TWO MIXED-USE BUILDINGS THAN THE CHILD GRANT COULD PROVIDE IN A CONCEPT PLAN. THE CHILD GRANT. IS SUPPORTIVE REHABILITATION HOUSING SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT APPLICATION DOES ALLOW FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. 
          THE PARTICULAR ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY THIS APPLICATION WOULD SUPPORT IS THE UNOCCUPIED RENTAL HOUSING PROGRAM. SO THERE'S MULTIPLE LEVELS WITHIN THIS. MY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT. AND THE ONE WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS THE UNOCCUPIED RENTAL HOUSING, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE SEVEN UNITS CONSIST OF. IN DECEMBER, MSHDA APPROVED OUR LETTER OF INTEREST. WE SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTEREST ON BEHALF OF THE PROPERTIES 4690 AND 4696 OAK MISS. SO THE ENTIRE REHABILITATION WAS PROVIDED FOR THE PUBLIC TODAY TO GIVE THE FULL VISION OF WHAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE, ALSO TO ANSWER SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS. THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED. 
          THE APPLICATION PRESENTED FOR TONIGHT IS JUST FOR 4690 AND 4696. OAK MISS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE TWO MIXED-USE BUILDINGS WITH THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS. THE INVITATION FROM MSHDA THROUGH THEIR DESIGNATION... 
          THE TOWNSHIP TO COMPLETE A FULL APPLICATION VERIFYING OUR ABILITY TO ADMINISTER A FEDERAL GRANT. 
          THEY'VE ALLOCATED $700,000 FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND DIRECT FUNDING TO THE DEVELOPER. AND IF AWARDED, THE TOWNSHIP WOULD MANAGE AND ADMINISTER THE FUNDS. IT'S SEVEN UNITS. IT'S BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS. THE COMPLETE REHABILITATION, AS YOU SAW, WOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN 14 TO 24 MONTHS. 
          WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP, SO THERE'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL DOLING OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS OF US HAVING TO MANAGE THAT GRANT. MSHDA WILL PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE DOLLARS DIRECTLY TO THE TOWNSHIP TO ASSIST IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THAT, SO THAT'S EVEN MORE WONDERFUL. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT CHANGE THAN THE CHILL GRANT. THEY DID ASK FOR A MATCH IN THAT CONSIDERATION. 
          IN THIS PROGRAM, THERE IS NOT A MATCH REQUIREMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION. 
          MSHDA WILL PROVIDE THAT TO THE ORGANIZATION. NOW, WE HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD PROCURE A THIRD-PARTY ORGANIZATION. TO MANAGE THE INCOME VERIFICATION PORTIONS OF THIS. BUT AGAIN, IT'S SEVEN UNITS, AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMMISSION, ALREADY MANAGES CERTAIN INCOME VERIFICATION ANNUALLY FOR RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. TALKING WITH THE MANAGER OF THAT PROGRAM, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DO INCOME VERIFICATION FOR SEVEN HOUSEHOLDS. THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T COME UP ANNUALLY. SO THE APPLICATION IS SPECIFIC TO... BASICALLY, VERIFYING OUR CAPACITY TO MANAGE THE GRANT. WE HAVE A PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN THAT YOU'VE RECENTLY UPDATED. 
          [02:05:02]
YOU'LL REMEMBER LAST YEAR YOU HAVE A FINE, WONDERFUL. 
          PROCUREMENT POLICY THAT WE WON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO USE SINCE WE ARE GOING TO BE THE ADMINISTERS OF THE GRANT, BUT IF THERE WERE PROCUREMENT ELEMENTS, THAT WE WOULD ABIDE BY THOSE. 
          STAFF IS EXPERIENCED IN CERTIFYING INCOME, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED, AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCE ADMINISTERING FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS. THE PROPOSAL TONIGHT IS TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION BY APRIL 23RD. AND IN ORDER TO DO SO, BESIDES HOLDING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MEETING SOME ADDITIONAL OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE APPLICATION, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO AUTHORIZE A RESOLUTION. 
          FORM 2A DESIGNATING TOWNSHIP STAFF TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION, THE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR AS THE AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUAL TO SUBMIT TO THE APPLICATION AND ANY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS. 
          DESIGNATING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AS THE PERSON TO SUBMIT PAYMENT REQUESTS REGARDING THE GRANT, EXECUTE THE GRANT AND OTHER CONTRACTS WITH CONTRACTORS, AND AUTHORIZING DIRECTOR CLARK TO MANAGE THE REVIEW AND REPORTING OF THOSE PAYMENTS. 
          DESIGNATE THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AS THE CERTIFYING OFFICER FOR THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, WHICH HE'S ALREADY DESIGNATED FOR CHIL AS WELL. AND I HAVE. 
          WE'RE UNDER DISCUSSION, SO I DID CREATE THE RESOLUTION THAT IDENTIFIES THAT AND PROVIDED A MOTION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION. 
          THE DEVELOPERS ARE STILL HERE. 
          WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS APPLICATION SPECIFICALLY, OR ANY VISIONS OF THE REHABILITATION FOR THE RESIDENTIAL UNIT AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE TREZISE? YES. I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION EARLIER FROM THE DEVELOPERS. 
          THAT GOES WELL BEYOND THIS GRANT APPLICATION. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HOW THIS WOULD FIT IN, PARTICULARLY WITH THE UPGRADE, THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE BUSINESS LEVELS OF THESE STORES. HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT, OR WOULD IT IMPACT CURRENT TENANTS THERE WHILE THIS CONSTRUCTION IS BEING DONE TO REHAB THE APARTMENTS? IS IT ALL GOING TO BE DONE AT ONCE, SO ONCE THE APARTMENTS ARE DONE, THE BUILDING WILL ALSO BE DONE, OR WHAT IS YOUR PLAN ON THAT? YOU CAN COME ON UP. SO THE UNOCCUPIED RENTAL, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BEGIN ON THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS AS FAR AS THE APPLICATION. IT'S A REQUIREMENT. THE CURRENT TENANTS, THEY WOULD DEFINITELY BE NOTIFIED. WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENGAGEMENT PLAN WOULD THEN BE ADHERED TO. AND THE CURRENT TENANTS, COMMERCIAL, I BELIEVE THEY ARE STAYING AND EXISTING. WE TRY TO MITIGATE ANY DISRUPTION TO THEM FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. 
          BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THINGS. SO I'VE BEEN PRESENTING THIS, THE RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION AS PHASE ONE. WELL, YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE BASED ON THIS GRANT. CORRECT. THEY COULD DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME IF THEY WERE READY TO DO THAT, POTENTIALLY. NO, THE GRANT WILL NOT ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE AT ALL. SO THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY GET TO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FOR THE SEVEN UNITS BEFORE THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. 
          CORRECT. ANY ACTION TO TAKE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT PIECE. WE ARE STILL IN ACTIVE CONVERSATION WITH. MSHDA ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC PIECE. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE LIMITATION OF THE GRANT, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DAVIS-BACON WAGES OR PREVAILING WAGE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEDERAL FUNDS, ANY COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAPPEN WITH THOSE DOLLARS BEING USED AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGER THAT. MSHDA HAS SET UP THE PROGRAM, AT LEAST IN THIS ROUND, FOR THEM TO NOT ENTERTAIN DAVIS-BACON OR PREVAILING WAGE ON THESE PROJECTS. THAT'S STILL AN OPEN CONVERSATION AS WE START TO TARGET THE FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMERCIAL BUILD-OUT. 
          THEY ARE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THAT IDEA, EVEN WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS GRANT IN THIS ROUND. 
          SO THERE'S STILL POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE, BUT CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A PHASED APPROACH, BASED ON POLICY. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS TO REHAB THESE UNITS. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT REASONABLY PRICED RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN THE TOWNSHIP SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD BEFORE. THIS DOESN'T MAKE A HUGE DENT INTO IT, BUT IT STARTS DOWN THAT PROCESS, AND SO I HOPE THIS GOES THROUGH WELL. TRUSTEE LYNCH. 
          YEAH. I APPRECIATE THE LEAD-IN, DIRECTOR CLARK, IN THIS. AS WITH WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TIFF, I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, SO I APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE AHEAD OF TIME. YOU HAD MENTIONED A NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
          [02:10:02]
REMEDIATION AS A PART OF THIS PROJECT. IS THAT SOMETHING WE EXPECT OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION FOR THIS PROJECT, OR IS THAT JUST BECAUSE OLD BUILDING STANDARDS? WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT UP TO CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD CODE. 
          JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, IS THERE SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW THAT ISN'T, OR THAT WE KNOW THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY A PART OF THIS? SO JUST CLARIFICATION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS, BASICALLY A FINDING OF, A STATISTICAL NON-FINDING OF WHAT YOU DID WITH THE CHILL GRANT. SO THIS IS, YOU TECHNICALLY PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THAT COVERS. THIS, SINCE YOUR LAST ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, COVERED THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UPDATE IT FOR THIS APPLICATION. SO THIS IS NOT LIKE PHASE 1 OR PHASE 2 BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION. THIS IS NOT WHAT THAT IS. THIS IS DETERMINING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES DO NOT HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. AND THEY HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BASICALLY IDENTIFY OR NOT IDENTIFY. AND YOU HAVE DONE THAT, AGAIN. TOWNSHIP WIDE WHEN YOU ADOPTED THE CHIL AND PRESENTED WITH A CHIL APPLICATION. SO WE WILL JUST MAKE SURE TO UPDATE THAT SINCE IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND PRESENT THAT IN OUR APPLICATION. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. AND WE DID MENTION HOUSING TIF. WE ARE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE DEVELOPER ABOUT A PROPOSED BROWNFIELD PLAN, BUT I CANNOT ANSWER ANY SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE JUST BEGUN THE REVIEW. IT IS NOT. EVEN BEFORE THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY. SO I DO NOT HAVE ANSWERS FOR THAT AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. 
          ANOTHER QUESTION. IT LOOKS LIKE THESE IN THE PRESENTATION OFFERED EARLIER, IT LOOKS LIKE THESE APARTMENTS ARE RATHER SMALL, AVERAGING UNDER 600 SQUARE FEET PER UNIT. I KNOW THAT, I SHOULD SAY, I KNOW. 
          ACCORDING TO ZILLOW, THE AVERAGE ONE BEDROOM IN MICHIGAN IS 700 SQUARE FEET OR HIGHER. AND SO I'M CURIOUS, DR. CLARK, IS THERE ANY SIZE LIMITATIONS THAT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WANTS US TO AIM FOR WITH PROJECTS LIKE THIS? DOES THIS FALL WITHIN THAT? I HAVE NEVER LIVED IN A SPACE THAT SMALL BEFORE, BUT I'VE BEEN IN A SHARED UNIT WITH THIS. SMALL SPACE AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS. QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTION. SURE. THE STANDARDS OF LIKE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE APARTMENT UNITS ARE NOT A CONSIDERATION FOR MSHDA. LIKE TO MAKE POINT THERE. THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT AT 450 SQUARE FEET PER UNIT, WHICH IS EVEN SMALLER AT YOUR POINT. WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO MAKE USE OF THE UNITS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY THERE, WHILE ALSO MAXIMIZING THE AWKWARD SPACE PREVENTED, WITHOUT INCREASING THE COST OF THE DEVELOPMENT SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          WE RECOGNIZE THE UNITS ARE SMALLER. AND JUST TO ADD SOME CONTEXT FROM OUR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR A LOT OF THESE DOWNTOWN PROPERTIES TO HAVE UNITS IN THAT 6 TO 800 RANGE. JUST OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I DID NOT KNOW IT IS NOT ON THE APPLICATION. WHAT I DID WANT TO NOTE IS BUILDING THIS IS ONE. YEAH. OKAY. SO THE BUILDING WITH THE OAK MISS BARBERSHOP, IT CURRENTLY HAS ONE UPPER FLOOR RESIDENTIAL UNIT. THE REHABILITATION WE'LL TRANSPOSE, AND SO IT'LL HAVE TWO. SO INSTEAD OF HAVING THE ONE ABOVE, IT'LL HAVE TWO. AND THESE FIVE UNITS GET, THEY'RE ACTUALLY SIX RIGHT NOW, WILL GET RECONFIGURED TO ACTUALLY BE LARGER. SO THAT WAS GOING TO BE. MY POINT IS, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE STANDARDS, BUT THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION NOW ON THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE HAS SIX APARTMENT UNITS. SO THEY ARE SMALLER AND A LITTLE BIT LESS EFFICIENT IN USE. AND THIS PROPOSAL IS REMOVING ONE OF THOSE UNITS, NOT AN ENTIRETY, JUST PUTTING IT ON TOP OF THE OTHER BUILDING IN THE BACK AND MAKING LARGER SPACE FOR FIVE UNITS ON ONE BUILDING. IS THE GOAL TO HAVE AS MANY UNITS AS POSSIBLE AS COMPARED TO MAYBE LIKE A VARIETY OF SIZES? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE THOSE NUMBERS WERE ARRIVED AT. IS IT BECAUSE OF THE PIPING IN THE BUILDINGS THAT NEED RENOVATING? AND YOU CAN, THEREFORE YOU HAVE TO PUT THEM HERE AS COMPARED TO HERE? THESE ARE SOME OF THE ALREADY EXISTING BUILDINGS. SO 
          [02:15:01]
WE CALL THIS NON-CONFORMING UPSTAIRS, RIGHT? THESE WERE ALREADY EXISTING. TO MEET THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY JUST REHABILITATING EXISTING UNITS. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S THE POINT THAT WAS REALLY STICKING FOR ME. I MAY HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, BUT I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ASK IT, SO I'LL CEDE TO THE GROUP. SO. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU A SPECIFIC QUESTION BECAUSE YOU SAID NOT TO ASK YOU A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT HOUSING TIF. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT HOUSING TIF. 
          IN GENERAL, HOW DOES A HOUSING TIF INTERACT WITH THE DDA AND THEIR TAX CAPTURE? OH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. WE'VE HAD, IN THEORY, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, ABOUT IT COULD BE DIFFERENT WAYS. YOU COULD APPLY THE BROWNFIELDS TO SPECIFICALLY JUST THE LAND. 
          AND THEN THE DDA, MUCH LIKE WE DID IN HAZLITT, THE DDA'S TIF WOULD THEN APPLY TO JUST THE VALUE OF THE BUILDINGS INCREASE. YOU COULD HAVE THE LOCAL UNITS HAVE A SHARED AGREEMENT WHERE ONE IS PASSING THE TIF ON TO THE OTHER IF THE OTHER WERE TO APPROVE. THOSE ARE TWO SCENARIOS I CAN THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT COULD WORK. I GUESS MY CONCERN WOULD BE NOT WANTING TO HAMSTRING THE DDA FINANCIALLY BY PULLING OUT. 
          THESE PARCELS AND CAPTURING IT EXTERNALLY FOR THE BROWNFIELD AND HOUSING TIF, AND THEREBY THEM LOSING OUT ON THE VALUE OF THEIR DDA PLAN. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, I THINK MODELING IT MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT OF A BETTER CONVERSATION, A LITTLE BIT MORE DIGESTIBLE WITH THE ASSESSOR. BECAUSE THERE COULD BE THE DDA MAY SEE AGAIN, RIGHT, THIS COULD BE SEVEN FAMILIES, THE DDA MAY SEE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING UPDATED UNITS AND GIVING UP THE COST OF SOME OF THEIR TIF. THAT COULD BE THEIR COST BENEFIT. SURE. 
          OKAY. FOR THE DEVELOPER, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE SHOWN IN THE BROADER PRESENTATION AT THE PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING WAS ESSENTIALLY THE VISION OF RENOVATING THE COMMERCIAL ON THE FIRST FLOOR. RENOVATING THE RESIDENTIAL ON THE SECOND FLOOR. I WAS RATHER SURPRISED AT THE LIMITATION OF THAT SCOPE. I UNDERSTAND THAT FOR THE REHABILITATION MONEY THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO ONLY SHOW, THE REHABILITATION. IF YOU FOLLOWED, YOU SIT ON THE DDA, RIGHT? YOU'RE AWARE OF... THE DESIRED, WHAT WE HOPED TO SEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. AND IT WAS ALWAYS MY, YOU KNOW, I BECAME NOT A DEVELOPER, RIGHT? I CAN'T MAKE THINGS HAPPEN WITH THE SNAP OF A FINGER. BUT IT WAS ALWAYS MY IMPRESSION THAT AT SOME POINT, THAT EASTERN BLOCK WOULD ALSO BE RENOVATED IN MORE OF A ROBUST WAY. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR FUTURE, WHAT YOUR FUTURE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE? OR IS THIS JUST. RENOVATE WHAT WE HAVE THERE AND MAKE IT VIABLE AGAIN. YES, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. SO, CONSIDERING THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN THE... AREA IN THAT PARTICULAR CORNER. SO THIS IS A PHASED APPROACH, AS PHASE ONE, WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE HOUSING BECAUSE WE HAVE THE IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO USE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. AND WE ARE ACTUALLY INVESTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDS FROM OUR RESOURCES, EITHER FROM A LOAN OR OUR OWN FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT. AND THEN, AS PART OF PHASE TWO, WHETHER SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIMING. SO IF YOU CAN HAVE THE TIMING PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT ALONG WITH THE FIRST FLOOR COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENT, IDEALLY, WE WOULD WANT TO TAKE THAT APPROACH BECAUSE EVERYTHING CAN BE COMPLETED WITHIN 12 TO 14 MONTHS TIME FRAME. SO THAT'S OUR GOAL. SO JUST TO CLARIFY ON YOUR QUESTION, SO THERE IS CERTAIN VACANT LAND AT THE BACK OF THIS PROPERTY? SO, IN FUTURE, PROVIDED THE TOWNSHIP IS IN ALIGNMENT OR AGREEMENT, WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND MIXED-USE BUILDING OVER THERE. OKAY, BUT NOT VERTICAL FROM THE CURRENT BUILDINGS. 
          CORRECT. SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE VERTICAL FROM THE CURRENT BUILDING IS IT WOULD REQUIRE COMPLETE DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS. SO IT CAN POTENTIALLY BE MODELED SOME OF THAT. IT IS KIND OF, IT REQUIRES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTMENTS FROM US. SO IT BECOMES MORE OF A VIABILITY, SO WE DO NOT WANT TO GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE THE PROJECT AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY WILL COME 
          [02:20:01]
INTO... AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GET YOU TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE FOR US, YOU'RE ASKING US NOW FOR THIS ONE THING, AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PATH AHEAD LOOKS LIKE. 
          AS CLEAR AS WE CAN SEE IT. 
          JUST SO THAT I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, WE ALL HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HOPE TO GO WITH IT. I DO THINK IT'S RELEVANT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS OUR CORE DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT. IT'S BEEN IN OUR TOP GOALS SINCE I GOT HERE TO SEE THIS AREA REDEVELOPED. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, SO SO. 
          WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OUR THE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS WHERE WE WANT TO EXPLORE THE OPTION OF BUILDING VERTICALLY, ESPECIALLY THE HOUSING PART OF THE PROJECT. SO AS A PHASED APPROACH, ONCE WE HAVE THESE UNITS, AND THE BUILDING NUMBER ONE WHERE WE HAD THE BARBER SHOP, SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ADDITIONAL UNITS ON TOP AND THEN MAYBE EVEN GROW VERTICALLY, BUILD ADDITIONAL UNITS ON TOP. SO SOME OF IT AGAIN HAS TO BE GOING THROUGH THE ENGINEERING EVALUATION, MAKING SURE THE STRUCTURE UNDER NEED CAN SUPPORT THOSE NUMBER OF UNITS AND THE VERTICAL BUILD OUT. SO YOU ARE CONSIDERING DOING THAT AT SOME POINT? IDEALLY, YES, IDEALLY, THAT WILL BE OUR FUTURE VISION IF WE CAN EXECUTE BASED ON THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES. 
          INSTEAD OF GIVING AUTHORIZING US FOR THAT, YEAH. WE SEE SOME POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ON THE SITE. SO THE PROPERTY, IT'S FIVE PARCELS, BUT THIS IS ITS OWN AND PRIVATELY OWNED. 
          AND JUST KIND OF LOOKING AND TAKING SOME NOTES FROM OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DRAIN OFFICE ABOUT JUST THIS AREA. I COULD SEE THIS GREEN SPACE BEING SOMETHING THEY WOULD DESIRE TO SEE REMAIN. YOU DON'T SAY. 
          WHICH THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS WE TALK ABOUT FUTURE FULL REDEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF BACK TO SOME OF THE HURDLES THAT WE EXPERIENCED ACROSS. RIGHT, RIGHT. WELL, AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT GOING VERTICAL ON THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT, RIGHT, IS BECAUSE DIRECTOR CLARK IS RIGHT. THE DRAIN COMMISSION IS GOING TO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER, THERE. AND WHEN I SAY SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS, I MEAN, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, PROBABLY. I'LL LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR INDULGING ME WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD BE AT SOME POINT. BUT OVERALL, YOU KNOW, YOU ASK HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THIS. THIS IS FINE. I MEAN, WE'RE REHABBING HOUSING UNITS. 
          WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT WE NEED MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA, AND THIS IS A SMALL MEASURE THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. I SEE NOTHING OBJECTIONABLE ABOUT THIS, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME IN THE MISH TO PORTAL THAN I WANT. TO. I FEEL THAT. YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, NO, THIS IS FINE. I THINK I BOUGHT TRUSTEE LENTZ ENOUGH TIME TO FORMULATE A QUESTION. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK YOU RAISED A POINT THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE I DID NOT, I DID NOT THINK OF THOSE ISSUES, SO. THE QUESTION IS REALLY, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THE ANSWER IS ANYTHING OTHER THAN NO. BUT WITH OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS, BECAUSE IT'S OUR NAME ON THE APPLICATION FOR THE CDBG, DOES IT NEGATE ANY PROCESS THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY OVERSEE AS A TOWNSHIP FOR ANY SORT OF BUILDING PROJECT? OKAY, I DIDN'T THINK SO. GENERALLY, THE STANDARDS, AS THE SUPERVISOR NOTED, THE STANDARDS ARE HIGHER THAN GENERALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE DO A GREAT JOB. AGAIN, NOTHING ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, AND THAT HAPPENS, AS WE KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVELY, THROUGH A BUILDING DEPARTMENT. 
          THEY'VE ACTUALLY SAT DOWN AND HAD A PRE-PLANNED PLAN WITH BUILDING TEAM TWO, SO WE'RE VERY ALIGNED WITH THE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHAT COULD BE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT 10 TO 12 MONTHS ON THE SITE. AND THE ONLY OTHER THING, WHICH AGAIN, I ASSUME IS GOING TO BE A NO, BUT I WILL ASK, IF THERE IS ANY ISSUE ALONG THE WAY WITH RENOVATIONS, BECAUSE WE, AGAIN, HAVE OUR... 
          SUPERVISOR'S SIGNATURE ON IT, IS THERE ANY ISSUES THAT COULD ARISE FOR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IF 
          [02:25:01]
THE BUILDING PROJECT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, FALLS THROUGH? AND THIS, IN THIS GRANT FUND, IS NOW SITTING WITH US AND WITH NO PROJECT IN SIGHT? SO WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE SOME AMENDMENTS AGAIN. 
          THAT'S WHY THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT THE SUPERVISOR MAKING SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS. 
          IT'S THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENT FOR THIS AS WELL, JUST LIKE WITH CHIL. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROGRESS OF THIS REHABILITATION. AND IF WE RUN INTO AN ISSUE LIKE THAT, WE WOULD BE BACK BEFORE THE BOARD TO CLARIFY WHATEVER ISSUES WE NEED TO WITH THE APPLICATION. WE, AS STAFF, ALONG WITH THE SUPERVISOR, WILL MAKE SURE TO MANAGE THE TOWNSHIP'S POTENTIAL LIABILITY FOR SUCH THINGS. I WANT TO ADD THE CLARIFICATION TO ANY COST OVERRUNS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE AT THE COST OF THE DEVELOPER. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY, THROUGH A FORMAL BID PROCESS, WE WOULD LOOK TO SECURE A NOT-TO-EXCEED CONTRACT WITH A VERIFIED CONTRACTOR. SO MOST OF THAT LIABILITY ACTUALLY LIES WITH THE DEVELOPER THEMSELVES. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT CLARIFIES MY REMAINING QUESTIONS. OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? TRUSTEE WILSON. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT THAT THIS PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE TONIGHT WOULD. I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO HAVE SEEN IT IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE COULD FORMULATE OUR QUESTIONS A LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO IF THERE WERE REFINEMENTS TO IT IN THE FUTURE, COULD WE SEE THOSE IN THIS VISUAL? AND ALSO THE FACTS AND FIX ABOUT WHAT, WHERE THE PROJECT IS GOING OVERALL, THAT IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO SEE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HOW GOES THE HUNT FOR COMMERCIAL TENANTS? SORRY? HOW GOES THE HUNT FOR COMMERCIAL TENANTS? IT'S GOING WELL, ACTUALLY. SO WE ARE HOLDING OFF BECAUSE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PROJECT FOR HOUSING. SO WE HAVE MANY POTENTIAL TENANTS THAT WANT TO MOVE INTO THE SPACE. SO AS SOON AS THE HOUSING IS DONE, AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENTS ALSO, WE HAVE POTENTIAL TENANTS LINED UP, ACTUALLY. SO YOUR HOPE IS TO WAIT UNTIL, AFTER ALL, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENTIRETY OF WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT IS DONE BEFORE YOU MOVE COMMERCIAL TENANTS IN? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON. SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS, AS PART OF PHASE 1 AND PHASE 2 ENVIRONMENTAL, WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS SOME MITIGATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THOSE BUILDINGS. IT IS ASBESTOS MITIGATION THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED. SO WE DON'T WANT TO RISK BRINGING ANY NEW TENANTS WHILE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE REHAB PROCESS. GOT IT. THANK YOU. SO, BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN APPROVE THIS AT OUR NEXT MEETING? WE'LL HAVE A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE? I SEE NODDING HEADS. 
          [12.B. Joint Local Government/Schools Meeting Topics ]
WE'LL SEE YOU BACK NEXT TIME. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. 
          FINALLY, ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENT SCHOOL MEETING TOPICS. AND FOR THIS, MANAGER DEMPSEY WILL LEAD US OFF. YEAH, SO VERY BRIEFLY HERE, AS YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF NEXT MONTH, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL MEETING WITH. OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOLS. 
          AND JUST LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, I WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT TOPICS ALL OF YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE FOR DISCUSSION. WITH THEM, OBVIOUSLY, WE GET UPDATES FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS, WHO BRING UP TOPICS AS WELL. 
          IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WE WANTED TO ESTABLISH, TO PUT ON THAT AGENDA AHEAD OF TIME, I'D LOVE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AROUND THAT AND SEE WHAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO, BOARD MEMBERS, IN THE PACKET WERE LINKS TO THE LAST SEVERAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FOR THE BOARD. SORRY, NOT BOARD MEETINGS. THE JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MEETING, WHICH IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE IT TO THOSE IN THE PAST, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO GET A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR PARTNERS IN VARIOUS LOCAL BODIES. IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT TOPICS WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING, WE ALSO OPEN THIS UP TO OTHERS WHO ARE ATTENDING FROM OTHER GOVERNMENTAL UNITS TO PROVIDE INPUT AS WELL. BUT IT'S NICE IF WE HAVE A COUPLE OF AGENDA ITEMS TO TALK ABOUT. ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO KICK US OFF WITH? KIRK DIMAS. YEAH, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ADD AGAIN THE AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING AS ONE OF THE TOPICS. I ALSO THINK THAT BRINGING BACK AI AS A TOPIC, LIKE THE IMPACT OF IT, I KNOW THAT THERE PROBABLY HAS BEEN SOME CHALLENGES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL WITH REGULATION AND PROBABLY AT OUR LEVEL AS WELL. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING SUBJECT TO DISCUSS ONCE AGAIN, PERHAPS GOING INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT LITERACY RATES. I KNOW THAT 
          [02:30:02]
THAT WAS BROUGHT UP RECENTLY AT THE STATE OF THE STATE. AND THEN SUPPORTING TEACHERS AND EDUCATION. AS YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO, OKINAWA'S TEACHERS WERE ON THE PICKET LINE, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO DISCUSS, IF POSSIBLE, SUPPORTING OVERALL. OKAY, SO TYPICALLY, WHEN WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET OR IMPART, NECESSARILY. I GUESS I THINK THE FIRST TWO ARE RELATIVELY CLEAR CUT, RIGHT, LIKE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF HOW WE CAN. WHAT TECHNIQUES ARE WORKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WORKFORCE HOUSING AND OTHER UNITS, AND CERTAINLY, HOW CAN WE BEST UTILIZE AND REGULATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HERE AS A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT. GREAT TOPICS. I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC YOU'RE HOPING TO, INFORMATION YOU'RE HOPING TO GET OR IMPART ON LITERACY RATES AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS? JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE STAFF IS GOING TO HELP TO PREPARE SOME MATERIALS, RIGHT? JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO POINT THEM IN A CLEAR DIRECTION. YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT INFORMATION COULD HOPEFULLY BE IMPARTED ONTO US SO WE CAN LEARN MORE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO PREPARE. I JUST KNOW THAT IT'S A SUBJECT THAT I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY CARE ABOUT. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES HERE. 
          BUT IF IT ISN'T A SUBJECT TO DISCUSS, THAT'S OKAY, TOO. I MEAN, I THINK IT CERTAINLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOOD NEWS. IF OKEMOS AND HAZLITT ARE DOING WELL, YES. 
          THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT MAY BE A SUBJECT THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BRING UP TO US. BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE THE INFORMATION TO DISCUSS RATHER THAN US TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND, IN EFFECT, REQUEST THEM TO REQUIRE FOR US. WE'RE LOOKING AT ITEMS. FROM A TOWNSHIP STANDPOINT. I AGREE SOME OF THOSE OTHER ISSUES COULD BE ON THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT FOR US TO BRING THEM UP. 
          YEAH, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MANAGER DEMPSEY, WHEN COMMUNICATING THE INVITATION AND ALL THAT, MIGHT HAVE A SORT OF A BACK-CHANNEL CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS ABOUT HOPING JUST TO HEAR SOME NEWS ABOUT THOSE TOPICS. THAT MIGHT BE. THAT WAY, WE'RE NOT OFFICIALLY PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA. YES. IT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT UP, SO ON AND SO FORTH. I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY. THE OTHER THING THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THIS, AND IT IS A TOWNSHIP ISSUE, IS THE EFFORTS FOR REMOVING LOCAL CONTROL THAT THE STATE'S COMING UP WITH, I THINK. 
          SCHOOLS MAY NOT KNOW THAT. AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT THEM. 
          AND IT'S NOT JUST GOING. THE MORE THE STATE GETS INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S EITHER GOOD OR BAD, DEPENDING ON YOUR OUTLOOK. 
          BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY COME AGAINST OTHERS. UNLESS THERE'S SOME OTHER MECHANISM THAT WE USE FOR THIS, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A MAP THAT WE COULD PRODUCE. THAT WOULD SHOW ALL THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BRING THESE STUDENTS TO THOSE TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN IDENTIFYING AT WHAT STAGE THEY ARE. GRAND RESERVE IS ALREADY IN PLACE. 
          AND I KNOW THEIR CHILDREN, I SAW THE BUS OVER THERE THE OTHER DAY, I KNOW THEIR CHILDREN ALREADY ATTENDED. 
          BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES AND PROJECTS COMING FORWARD IN THE LAST YEAR SINCE WE MET WITH THEM. SO IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BRING AWARENESS TO THEM OF THIS PROJECT, BUT THAT IT'S ONLY IN DISCUSSION PHASE OR THINGS LIKE PLAN PHASE. AND WHERE WE ARE IN VILLAGE OF HAZLET AND SO ON. I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM SHARE THAT INFORMATION. I'D GO A STEP FURTHER AND SAY THAT'S A MAP I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ON A ROLLING BASIS. I WOULD, TOO. IT SORT OF TAKES WHAT DIRECTOR CLARK IS PUTTING IN THAT SPREADSHEET AND PROVIDES A MUCH CLEARER VISION OF IT IN A DIGESTIBLE GRAPHIC FORMAT. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'D BE REALLY COOL. ONE THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT, AND HAVE BEEN, THIS IS MY BULLY PULPIT FOR A WHILE NOW, IS REGIONAL TRAILS AND PATHWAYS. I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST TALK ABOUT THAT IF THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM MSU OR 
          [02:35:02]
EAST LANSING AND LANSING, SORT OF DOING THE 10-YEAR PLAN OF CONNECTING ACROSS THE SOUTH END OF THE TOWNSHIP OVER TOWARD THE RIVER TRAIL, HOPEFULLY. IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO, THERE'S, I THINK, THREE UNITS OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE PASS THROUGH IN ORDER TO DO SO. AND SO GETTING THEIR BUY-IN NOW IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT GRANT FUNDING THAT WE APPLY FOR THROUGH THE COUNTY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          SO HOPEFULLY LOOKING AT THAT. 
          IT MIGHT ALSO BE, WELL, I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND. TRUSTEE SUNDLUND? I HAVE TWO DOCUMENTS THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THE MTA TODAY. AND ONE OF THEM IS PARTNERSHIP, NOT PREEMPTION, PROTECTING LOCAL DECISION-MAKING WHILE SUPPORTING ATTAINABLE HOUSING. 
          AND THIS IS ALSO COMMUNITY DECISION-MAKING, KEEPING THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THESE. SURE. MAYBE WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE PACKET. CAN YOU GET THOSE TO TIM TO MAKE SOME COPIES AND SCAN THEM FOR THE PACKET? NOT BY THE SECOND, NECESSARILY, BUT THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL AND SURE. 
          SURE. YEAH, HOW ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTER AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? HOW ARE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS DEALING WITH THOSE ISSUES? WHAT DO THEY NEED FROM THE LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS? I VAGUELY REMEMBER SOMEBODY GIVING A PRESENTATION TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT I BELONGED TO. 
          ABOUT EXACTLY THESE ISSUES AND ABOUT SUICIDE RISKS IN SCHOOLS. AND THEY CAN PROBABLY GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT PERSON TO AT LEAST BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THE PROJECT THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON CONCERNING THIS. GREAT. 
          THAT'D BE HELPFUL, YEAH. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD EXPAND THAT TO, JUST LIKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING, BECAUSE THERE'S ALSO BOMB THREATS? THAT ALSO ARE PREVALENT. I REMEMBER DURING MY TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE GOT A LOT OF FALSE THREATS, AND IT TAKES A TOLL ON EVERYONE. ABSOLUTELY. 
          YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE IS ACTIVELY IN COMMUNICATION WITH CHIEF GRILLO ALREADY, BUT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE AWARENESS HERE ON THE BOARD LEVEL AND WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS FROM OTHER... YEAH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE TOPICS I THINK WE CAN TALK ABOUT AT SOMEWHAT OF A GENERAL LEVEL, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT LEVEL OF DETAIL, RIGHT, BECAUSE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND THE RISK FACTOR AND EXPOSURE. SO I'LL TALK TO THE CHIEFS AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO HANDLE THAT. I THINK WE'RE ALREADY WELL, I ALSO SEE MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO JUST DO A PRESENTATION ON WHAT MIGHT BE COMING IN THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR. SO THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AT LEAST ARE AWARE OF WHAT INTERRUPTIONS THEY MAY SEE. 
          TO BUS ROUTES AND THAT KIND OF THING. AND THEN I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY ALREADY HIT THE RED CEDAR CLEANUP. WE'VE HANDLED THAT. YEAH, IT JUST CONTINUES. YEAH, THAT'S HOW IT'S GOING, YEAH. AS A SIDE NOTE, IF SOMEONE, COURTNEY OR WHOEVER IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, CAN SHARE WITH ME THE DETAILS ON THE REGATTA, I'M VERY INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY IN A GOOD SPACE THERE, YES. 
          MAY I ASK WHEN THIS MEETING IS GOING TO HAPPEN? APRIL 28TH. 
          APRIL 28TH, OF COURSE IT IS. 
          IT'S A TUESDAY. WELL, YOU KNOW. 
          OR IT'S TUESDAY. I'LL BE AT A CONFERENCE. OH, BY THE WAY. YEAH. OKAY. THIS MIGHT BE REALLY INTERESTING. 
          IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT AFTER READING THE PACKET, I'D BE HAPPY TO ASK THEM ON OUR BEHALF. OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WELL, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY EXTENSIVE... IT'S PRETTY ROBUST, I THINK. YEAH, THAT'S VERY ROBUST. THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. BECAUSE WE DO TRY TO GIVE AIRTIME TO EVERYBODY WITH THEIR PARTICULAR ITEMS, TOO. MAYBE WE'LL, IF IN THE CREATION OF THE AGENDA, WE CAN INTERSPERSE OTHERS' TOPICS OF INTEREST SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST US. TALKING FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. WE MAY ALSO HAVE TO PAIR THEM BACK, DEPENDING ON... YEAH, YEAH. 
          WE'LL HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS AND THEN I'LL BRING BACK A 
          [02:40:01]
TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR EVERYBODY. SOUNDS GOOD, YEAH. QUICK QUESTION. IT'S ABOUT OUR RECORDS. DID WE HAVE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOLS MEETING IN 2024? AND THEN, IN 2023, DID... SO THE 24, THE MINUTES WERE NOT ONLINE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS JUST A MISSING ITEM FROM THE MINUTES OR... I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION WITH THE INTERIM MANAGER IF YOU DECIDED NOT TO. I DON'T THINK WE HAD IT. YOU DON'T THINK SO? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK WE MISSED A YEAR. I'LL LOOK IN MY RECORDS TO SEE IF WE HAVE IT. AND THEN FOR 2023, DID WE HAVE LIKE DISCUSSION TOPICS THAT WERE LISTED SOMEWHERE? I DON'T THINK WE DID. I THINK WE'VE EVOLVED THAT AGENDA OVER TIME. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. I THINK IT WAS JUST... WE CAME WITH TOPICS, BUT THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY IN THE AGENDA, IT WAS JUST SORT OF THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. 
          YEAH, IT WAS. THIS IS TO BE CLEAR. FOR FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T YET BEEN TO ONE OF THESE, THIS IS GENERALLY A PRETTY LOW KEY MEETING. WE ALL, WE SET UP THE TABLES DOWN IN FRONT AND HAVE MORE OF AN OPEN DISCUSSION. UM, I THINK INSOFAR AS WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DO SOME THINGS, WE DO, LIKE THE TRADITIONAL CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL AND ALL THAT. BUT BEYOND THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ME NECESSARILY CALLING ON PEOPLE. WE SORT OF ENGAGE IN A MUCH MORE FRIENDLY AND OPEN DISCUSSION WITH OUR PARTNERS. 
          WE MIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER. NOT THE RIGHT TIME? I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE MORE WORTHWHILE TO HAVE THAT AS A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION WITH THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT. 
          YEAH, BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE. AND THEY'RE ALL AWARE OF IT. NO, NO. THEY WANT TO HAVE IT IN JULY. THE INTERIM WILL BE. THEY'RE HAVING THE INTERVIEWS TONIGHT. YEAH. 
          YEAH. DEFINITELY WORTH HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, TO BE SURE. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE RIGHT VENUE FOR IT. OKAY. I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME DIRECTION, UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. WE FIND OURSELVES 
          [14. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS ]
AT ITEM 13, COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE COMMENTS THIS EVENING? I SEE LOTS OF SHAKING HEADS. ANY OTHER MATTERS FROM BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON. SUPPORT. VOTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT, PLEASE SAY, AYE. AYE. 
          OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.