[00:00:22]
ARE THESE ALL, ARE WE EXPECTING OTHER MEMBERS? WOULD IT HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUE IF RATHER THAN VOTING YAY OR NAY, WE VOTED PRESENT OR ABSTAIN? NOT FOR DECISIONS OF THAT KIND, NOT FOR MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHICH PROJECTS ARE FUNDED.
I MEAN, YOU CAN VOTE TO APPROVE THEM AND THEN JUST IN THE BOARD PACKET WOULD BE A NOTE SAYING WHAT THE VOTE WAS IN THIS CASE.
IF THERE'S ONLY THREE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION VOTING IN FAVOR, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A LEGALLY BINDING VOTE.
IT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD.
I DIDN'T COME ACROSS A RESOLUTION.
AND OKAY SO THESE ARE WORDED AS MOVED TO APPROVE.
I DID GET THE THUMBS UP TO THAT.
LET'S CALL THE MEETING WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION.
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
SO CALLING THE APRIL 1ST MEETING OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP AND MERIDIAN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEET REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER.SO FIRST IS WE'RE GOING TO DO ROLL CALL.
I'M JACK HUGHES, OUR PROJECT ENGINEER.
I'LL CALL THE ROLL FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION HERE.
STARTING WITH OUR CHAIR, YU MAN LEE.
OUR VICE CHAIR, BILL MCCONNELL.
COMMISSIONERS RICHARD MIKSICEK.
SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY TONIGHT.
NEXT THING, CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY HERE, SO WE CAN MOVE ON.
[5. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]
IT SEEMS KIND OF WEIRD TO HAVE THOSE TWO THINGS.TOGETHER BACK TO BACK LIKE THAT ON THE AGENDA BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS RIGHT FROM THE PUBLIC UM COMMUNICATIONS DO WE HAVE
[6. COMMUNICATIONS]
ANY UPDATED COMMUNICATIONS OTHER THAN TWO ADDITIONAL GREEN GRANTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED THAT ARE NOW INCLUDED IN THE UPDATED PACKETS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY OKAY GREAT AND UH THEN NEXT WE HAVE[7. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA OF THE APRIL 1ST MEETING AS CIRCULATED.ANY CHANGES OR COMMENTS TO THE AGENDA? OH, THE MUSIC IS STILL PLAYING.
WHAT HAPPENED? I THINK THAT'S DAN CALLING IN.
ALL RIGHT, SO HEARING NONE, THEN WE CAN APPROVE THE AGENDA.
[8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – March 4th, 2026 REGULAR MEETING]
NEXT THING IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 4TH MEETING.[00:05:02]
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CHANGES OR COMMENTS FOR THE MINUTES? YEAH, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF SMALL ONES.ONE, I WAS PRESENT FOR THAT MEETING AND WASN'T LISTED AS BEING PRESENT.
AND THEN UNDER LIAISONS, UNDER VICE CHAIR MCCONNELL'S REPORT, THERE'S A REFERENCE TO...
AND HANNAH IS SPELLED INCORRECTLY.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER HANNAHS IN THAT PARAGRAPH THAT ALSO NEED THAT MINOR CHANGE.
WE CAN MOVE TO APPROVE THOSE AS AMENDED.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR MARCH 4TH. SECOND.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY JUST VOTE ON IT THEN.
[9.A. Green Grant Program 2026]
NOW WE'RE TO THE NEW BUSINESS OF THE GREEN GRANTS.YEAH, SO I JUST REAL QUICK CALLED THE DAN JUST A QUICK CHECK ON THIS.
YES, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, THE GREEN GRANTS AREN'T TIED LEGALLY TO THIS COMMISSION.
SO THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE MAKING AS A COMMISSION.
STAFF WILL GO AHEAD AND EXECUTE, YOU KNOW, FUNDING THE ACTUAL APPLICATIONS THAT WE KIND OF RECOMMEND OR WE APPROVE OF.
BUT WE DON'T NEED AN OFFICIAL QUORUM SUPPORTED MOTION TO APPROVE OR RESOLVE ON THESE.
THE LANGUAGE IS LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TREAT THIS AS A RECOMMENDATION, ESSENTIALLY.
AND, YEAH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, TWO OF OUR COMMISSIONERS HAVE A SLIGHT CONFLICT OF INTEREST REGARDING THIS, SO WE WILL JUST BE LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM OUR CHAIR AND FROM LAURA BELISLE AND FROM TOM FRAZIER ON THESE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST KIND OF GO OVER THE SIX APPLICATIONS WE HAVE, KIND OF JUST A BRIEF STROLL THROUGH THEM.
I'VE GOT A FEW DIFFERENT, I'VE GOT FOUR DIFFERENT KIND OF FUNDING PACKAGES THAT I'VE COME UP WITH AS A WAY TO KIND OF ADDRESS THEM.
AND AFTER WE KIND OF GO OVER THEM, MAYBE DO A LITTLE FEEDBACK ON THEM, I'D ESSENTIALLY LIKE TO JUST KIND OF BRING THAT TO A VOTE OR CREATE LIKE A SMALL MATRIX OF OUR FOUR OPTIONS, OUR THREE COMMISSIONERS, KIND OF RANK THEM, YOU KNOW, RANKED CHOICE ALMOST AND JUST KIND OF SEE WHAT LOOKS APPARENT.
YEAH, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE HAD A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THIS.
THIS YEAR WE'RE KIND OF DOING IT AS A WHOLE COMMISSION, SO WE ARE GOING TO BE LEARNING AS WE GO HERE.
SO I HAVE ALL SIX OF THOSE APPLICATIONS ON THE TABLES IN FRONT OF YOU THERE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
JUST GOING TO START WITH THE TOP ONE THERE FROM THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND THIS GREEN GRUNT IS, I'M JUST GOING TO DO A QUICK SUMMARY OF THIS.
THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION HABITAT.
THIS PROJECT INCLUDES HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS AT TWO HIGHEST VISIBILITY SITES WITHIN ITS 50 ACRE NATURAL AREA.
LET'S SCROLL DOWN TO A PICTURE THEY'VE GOT OF THIS.
SO THIS IS KIND OF THE OVERALL AREA LOOKING DOWN AT THIS, IT'S KIND OF GROUP ASSOCIATIONS AND THE WILDWOOD LAKES AREA HERE.
SO THIS IS ADDRESSING A WELL-LIVED CORRIDOR IN WESTERN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CONNECTING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PRESERVES YOU CAN SEE HERE.
THE PROJECT IS GEARED AROUND REMOVING INVASIVE AND NUISANCE SPECIES AND THE GOAL IS TO REPLACE THEM WITH NATIVE PLANTS TO INCREASE BIODIVERSITY AND RESTORE SOME OF THE NATURAL HABITAT IN THIS AREA.
AREA ONE, KIND OF NOTED HERE AT THE SOUTHWEST ALONG WILD BASIN LAKE, SUFFERS FROM SEASONAL FLOODING AND HAS DEVELOPED A MONOCULTURE WILLOW THICKET IN THAT AREA THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO RECTIFY.
AND THEN AREA TWO OVER HERE TO THE SOUTHEAST.
IS A SUNNY LAKESIDE EMBANKMENT DOMINATED BY NON-NATIVE VETCH, AUTUMN OLIVE, AND BUCKTHORN.
THE IDEA IS TO REMOVE THOSE AND DO NATIVE PLANTINGS TO SUPPORT POLLINATORS, INSECTS, BIRDS, AMPHIBIANS, AND SMALL BIRDS.
[00:10:02]
WILDLIFE WHILE SERVING AS RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF THIS AREA.SO WE'VE HAD A FEW PROJECTS LIKE THIS BEFORE.
JUST DO ANOTHER KIND OF QUICK LOOK.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT.
ALL OF THESE GREEN GRANTS WE LOOK FOR THEM TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN SO WE LOOK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORTING CONNECTION THERE, A HUGE PART OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN IS THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES AND THE PROMOTION OF NATIVE SPECIES.
SO THIS LEANS HEAVILY INTO THAT ASPECT OF THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE WORKED WITH THE TOWNSHIP BEFORE ON SOME OF THIS.
THEY HAVE A WELL-BUDGETED, WELL-INDEXED.
PROPOSAL HERE WITH SOME OPTION FOR SCALABILITY.
SO THE FULL AMOUNT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS $3,700.
THIS WOULD FOCUS ON BOTH OF THOSE AREAS THAT WE KIND OF BRIEFLY TOUCHED ON.
IF THEY ONLY ARE A LOT OF THE MINIMUM AMOUNT, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO JUST FOCUS ON THAT AREA ONE TO THE SOUTHWEST THERE.
THAT'S LIKE THE SEASONAL FLOODING AREA.
BUT WITH BOTH, OR WITH A FULL AWARD, THEY'D BE ABLE TO ADDRESS BOTH OF THOSE AREAS.
KIND OF LOOKED AT THE MAP THERE.
HERE'S JUST ANOTHER KIND OF DEPICTION OF THIS, THE WAY THESE SYSTEMS KIND OF RELATE TO EACH OTHER.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THIS KIND OF PROJECT IDEA HERE.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT WENT INTO THIS PROPOSAL AND THE AMOUNT OF DOCUMENTATION ON THIS ONE.
I CAN TELL THAT A LOT OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THIS AND A LOT OF PREPARATION AND RESEARCH WENT INTO PREPARING THIS PROPOSAL.
ALL THE AREAS ARE EXTENSIVELY DOCUMENTED THAT THEY PLAN TO ADDRESS USING THE GRANT AND ALL OF THE SPECIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BOTH NATIVE AND INVASIVE.
AND AGAIN, VERY WELL-BUDGETED, WELL-ITEMIZED REQUEST HERE.
I BELIEVE THIS IS THE STRONGEST APPLICATION THAT WE RECEIVED.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE MOST WELL-DOCUMENTED, THE MOST WELL-RESEARCHED, AND THE BEST PUT TOGETHER.
I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO NOTE THAT IT HAS A VERY STRONG CONTRIBUTION IN KIND, SO THIS IS AN ASPECT OF THE GRANTS THAT WE ASK APPLICANTS TO TRY TO DEFINE.
THE IDEA BEING IF THE TOWNSHIP IS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT GO INTO THESE PROJECTS, WE'D BE LOOKING FOR THE COMMUNITIES OR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THESE PROJECTS TO THEN COME UP WITH THEIR OWN VOLUNTEER MAN HOURS OR THEIR OWN RESOURCES TO HELP SUPPORT THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THIS GRANT DID A, OR THIS APPLICANT DID A GREAT JOB IN THIS.
THEY DOCUMENT THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT 100 MAN HOURS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR BEING PROVIDED.
AND THEY ESTIMATE ANOTHER 100 OR SO MORE HOURS OF VOLUNTEER MAN-HOUR MAN LABOR BEING APPLIED TO THIS, AND WOMEN.
SO YEAH, VERY STRONG APPLICATION, VERY WELL RESEARCHED, AND VERY WELL SUPPORTED WITH VOLUNTEER SUPPORT.
THE NEXT ONE WE'VE GOT IS FROM THE HAZLITT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO READ A QUICK OVERVIEW ON THIS.
THIS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE THE PROPERTY'S EXTERIOR LANDSCAPING BY CREATING A POLLINATOR GARDEN AROUND THE BUSINESS SIGN AND INSTALLING NATIVE PLANTS, SHRUBS, AND FLOWERS ALONG THE BUILDING.
THE PLANTINGS WILL ATTRACT POLLINATORS, SUCH AS BUTTERFLIES AND HUMMINGBIRDS, WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS. ADDITIONAL GARDEN AREAS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO PLAYGROUNDS AND ALONG FENCES, ALLOWING CHILDREN TO HELP GROW FOOD FOR SEASONAL FARM-TO-TABLE MENUS.
THIS IS BEING BROUGHT TO US BY THE HAZELDEN CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
THE IDEA ESSENTIALLY IS TO INSTALL OR REPLACE SOME OF THE GARDENS THEY HAVE WITH MORE DIVERSE, BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE GARDENS WITH POLLINATORS.
SO IN SOME OF THE AREAS HERE THEY'VE GOT OUTLINED, THIS IS AROUND THE SIGN, OUT FRONT BY THE SIDEWALK THERE.
AROUND THE BUILDING HERE, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING TO INSTALL NEW POLLINATOR GARDENS.
[00:15:02]
LOOKING TO INSTALL FOOD GARDENS.THIS WOULD BE, IF THEY ONLY GET THEIR MINIMUM FUNDING, THEY WOULD JUST FOCUS ON THE PLANTINGS OUT IN FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING AND IN FRONT OF THEIR SIGN.
IF THEY ARE ALLOTTED THE FULL AMOUNT THEY HAVE REQUESTED, THEN THEY WOULD LOOK AT ALSO DOING THE FOOD GARDENS IN THE BACK.
THIS IDEA HERE WOULD BE TEACHING KIDS HOW TO GROW ACTUAL REAL FOOD IN THEIR GARDENS THEY CAN USE.
SO KIND OF BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS, AGAIN BOTH INTO POLLINATION AND NATIVE PLANTINGS AND THEN ALSO INTO FOOD PRODUCTION, BOTH OF WHICH TIE INTO THE CLAM SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, PARTICULARLY MORE COMMUNITY EDUCATION ASPECTS OF THE PLAN.
OBVIOUSLY THE NATIVE PLANTINGS ARE CERTAINLY IN LINE BUT IT HAS A BIGGER FOCUS ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
WHICH IS A BIG COMPONENT OF OUR PLAN THERE.
THEY DO NOT DESCRIBE WHAT THEIR KIND OF VOLUNTEER OR IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT WOULD BE, AND THEY DON'T REALLY BREAK DOWN EXACTLY KIND OF HOW THEY WOULD ALLOT THEIR REQUESTED FUNDING TOWARDS THESE GARDENS AND TOWARDS THESE SPACES.
SO I FEEL LIKE THIS APPLICATION...
IS DEFINITELY IN THE SPIRIT OF THE PROGRAM, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S AS WELL DOCUMENTED AS IT COULD BE.
OUR THIRD APPLICATION IS FROM THE PINE CREEK II CONDO ASSOCIATION OF HAZLITT.
WHICH I'VE ACTUALLY GOT IN THE WRONG ORDER, SO I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THAT REAL QUICK.
I'M GOING TO OPEN THESE SEPARATELY HERE.
OKAY, SO OUR THIRD ONE IS FROM THE PARKWOOD YMCA.
WE MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS APPLICANT AS HAVING RECEIVED FUNDING IN PREVIOUS YEARS FOR PROJECTS AT THEIR SITE.
THE IDEA THIS YEAR IS SIMILAR TO THEIR PROJECT LAST YEAR IN CREATING OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL SPACE.
THIS WAS THE FOCUS OF THEIR PROJECT LAST YEAR.
IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THESE AREAS.
SO THEY HAVE FIVE SPACES IN MIND THAT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THIS.
THE IDEA BEING TO PROMOTE ALL THE YMCA ATTENDEES TO SPEND TIME OUTSIDE, HAVING A MORE IMMERSIVE...
EXPERIENCE WITH NATURE WHILE THEY'RE TAKING THEIR CLASSES OR DOING SOME OF THE SUMMER EVENTS OUT THERE.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING FIVE OF THESE AREAS.
SO IF THEIR PROJECT IS FULLY FUNDED, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO ALL FIVE.
IF THE PROJECT IS FUNDED MINIMALLY, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO ONE OF THESE.
SO IN THE BUDGET THAT THEY PROPOSE HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE GOT ABOUT, SAY, $820 PER.
SO TO ME IT MAKES SENSE TO AWARD THIS GRANT IN MULTIPLES OF THIS AMOUNT.
THE OTHER GRANTS HAVE A LITTLE MORE SCALABILITY IN THEIR MINIMUM VERSUS THEIR MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.
FOR THIS GRANT, TO ME, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO EITHER AWARD THIS IN ITS FULL AMOUNT OR AS A MULTIPLE OF $820 OR SO.
THAT'LL COME BACK LATER INTO THE KIND OF THE FUNDING OPTIONS THERE.
JUST TO KIND OF EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ON KIND OF WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
I DON'T THINK I MISSED ANYTHING THERE.
OUR FOURTH APPLICANT IS THE PINE CREEK 2 CONDO ASSOCIATION OF HAZLET.
SO A REAL QUICK BREAKDOWN ON THIS ONE.
THIS PROJECT WILL COMPLETE THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE TREES, PRIMARILY BUCKTHORN, FROM WOODED AREAS BEHIND SEVERAL CONDO UNITS.
HERE'S A MAP OF THAT, TO RESTORE THE FOREST HEALTH.
IT WILL ALSO BEGIN REHABILITATING A LARGE NEGLECTED NATURAL AREA BY REMOVING INVASIVE PLANTS, IMPROVING SOIL, AND ESTABLISHING A NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN.
THE LONG-TERM EFFORT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN PHASES, WITH GRANT FUNDS SUPPORTING INITIAL CLEANUP.
INVASIVE PLANT DISPOSAL AND THE PURCHASE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND SHRUBS TO PROMOTE HABITAT RESTORATION AND BIODIVERSITY.
SO THESE WERE, THIS APPLICANT HAS BEEN AWARDED GRANTS IN PREVIOUS YEARS TO ADDRESS KIND OF SIMILAR ISSUES OVER ON THE SITE.
[00:20:01]
LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THOSE EFFORTS, ALL VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, AND VERY MUCH IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR PROGRAM HERE.I WILL SAY THAT THIS ONE DOES NOT PROVIDE AS MUCH OF A BREAKDOWN IN ITEMIZATION ON THEIR COSTS.
HOWEVER, THIS APPLICATION IS THE SMALLEST AMOUNT REQUESTED BY FAR, AND THEY DO BREAK DOWN THE BASIC FINANCIALS HERE A LITTLE BIT.
SO NOT A FULLY ITEMIZED LIST THERE, BUT THEY DO DESCRIBE HOW THEY WILL BE ALLOCATING THEIR FUNDING.
OUR FIFTH APPLICATION IS FROM THE TACOMA HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
SCROLL DOWN TO THEIR DEMO HERE AND A QUICK DESCRIPTION.
THIS PROJECT WILL BEGIN RESTORING NATIVE VEGETATION ALONG THE BANKS OF THE TACOMA HILLS STORMWATER POND BY PLANTING MICHIGAN NATIVE TREES AS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE BROADER RESTORATION PLAN.
THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO STABILIZE THE POND BANKS, REDUCE RUNOFF AND FLOODING, IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, AND ENHANCE WILDLIFE HABITAT WHILE INCREASING TREE CANOPY TO PROVIDE SHADE, REDUCE HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS, AND LOWER COOLING COSTS FOR NEARBY HOMES.
USING NATIVE SPECIES SUITED TO RIPARIAN ENVIRONMENTS.
SUPPORTS LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE, FUTURE PHASES PLANNED TO ADD ADDITIONAL VEGETATION, HABITAT FEATURES, AND EVEN TRAILS.
THIS PROJECT IS ALSO SCALABLE, LIKE THE REST.
THEY PROVIDE A DECENT BREAKDOWN HERE OF KIND OF THE FULL SCOPE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PROJECT.
AND IF IT'S FUNDED COMPLETELY, THEY'D BE LOOKING TO DO THIS ENTIRE SET OF PLANTINGS.
FUNDED MINIMALLY, THEY WOULD JUST START AT A SMALLER COLLECTION OF PLANTINGS.
THEY SAID THEY WOULD JUST DO LESS TREES TO START WITH AND THEN START TO BUILD THOSE OUT IN FUTURE YEARS.
AGAIN, THIS IS A GRANT THAT FOCUSES A LOT ON ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP, ON REPLACING INVASIVE SPECIES WITH NATIVE SPECIES, AND KIND OF STABILIZING AND ENHANCING THE APPEAL OF AN AREA VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH OUR...
CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN AND IN LINE WITH OTHER GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
AND OUR FINAL, OUR SIXTH APPLICATION IS FROM THE SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS, AND IT'S FOR THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY GARDENS.
SCROLL DOWN TO A PICTURE THEY'VE GOT OF KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE ENVISIONING HERE.
THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE GARDENING SPACE FOR ALL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS, ENSURING BROAD ACCESS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY GARDENING.
BUILDING ON EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP FROM THE SUCCESSFUL BRIARWOOD COMMUNITY GARDEN, THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATES STRONG CAPACITY FOR VOLUNTEER COORDINATION, INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE, AND LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP.
PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WILL CREATE A DURABLE, LOW-MAINTENANCE GARDEN THAT CAN IMMEDIATELY SERVE RESIDENTS CURRENTLY ON WAIT LISTS OR EXCLUDED FROM THE CURRENTLY EXISTING OPTIONS.
SO LOOKING TO EXPAND COMMUNITY GARDENING, COMMUNITY EDUCATION IS A BIG FACTOR THAT THEY HAVE THEIR COSTS WELL BROKEN DOWN INTO BOTH A FULL SCOPE OR A MINIMUM AMOUNT.
THEY'RE ALSO PROVIDING A STRONG AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER SUPPORT AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE IN A SENSE OF VALUE, IN A SENSE OF...
HOW MUCH IMPACT PER DOLLAR ARE WE GETTING WHEN WE'RE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, THESE GREEN GRANT, THIS FUNDING? AND WE LIKE TO SEE PROJECTS THAT HAVE A LOT OF IMPACT OR, YOU KNOW, A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF IMPACT FOR THE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING SPENT.
AND ANY PROJECT THAT HAS A STRONG VOLUNTEER BASE OR A STRONG IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION IS A GREAT, I THINK, EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WANT TO BE PRIORITIZING THIS FUNDING.
SO, AGAIN, THIS APPLICATION, VERY STRONG.
SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS HAVE A PARTICULARLY ONES LOOKING AT DOING NATIVE PLANTINGS ARE LOOKING TO START SOONER RATHER THAN LATER WHICH IS WHY WE WERE HOPING TO DO A RECOMMENDATION TODAY AT THE END OF THIS MEETING SO THAT WE CAN START TO FUND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HERE THIS MONTH AND GET THEM OFF THE GROUND.
THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT THAT'S LOOKING TO GET STARTED ON PROCURING SEEDS AND PLANTINGS RIGHT OUT OF THE GATES HERE.
SO THAT'S A HERE'S AN OVERVIEW
[00:25:01]
ON THE SIX GRANTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.HERE'S A QUICK TABLE LOOKING OVERALL EVERYTHING THAT'S COME IN.
SO AGAIN, OUR WILDWOOD LAKES, LOOKING FOR $3,700, MINIMAL $2,000.
THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, LOOKING FOR PLANT GARDENS AND FOOD PRODUCTION GARDENS, APPLYING FOR $4,500.
THE PARKWOOD BRANCH YMCA LOOKING TO FURTHER IMPROVE THEIR OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS. AGAIN, THIS IS THE COST OF ONE OF THOSE OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS ESSENTIALLY AND THIS WOULD BE MULTIPLIED UP TO FIVE OR THE FULL AMOUNT THEY'RE LOOKING TO BUILD ON SITE THERE.
PINE CREEK 2 CONDO ASSOCIATION IS LOOKING TO CONTINUE REMOVING EVASIVE SPECIES AND APPLYING FOR $800 IN FUNDING.
TACOMA HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS LOOKING TO DO TREE PLANTINGS AND POND ENHANCEMENTS.
THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR $3,500 WITH A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF $2,000.
AND THE SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS IS LOOKING TO DO RAISED BED GARDENS AND POTENTIALLY A PATHWAY.
THEY'VE APPLIED FOR $3,800 AND MINIMALLY REQUEST $2,500.
SO THIS YEAR THE GREEN GRANT PROGRAM HAS $15,000 IN FUNDING TO AWARD TO THIS.
SO LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO FULL AWARDS TO ALL OF OUR GRANTS.
THIS YEAR WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT, SO WE WILL HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE JUDICIOUS IN THIS.
WE DO HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OF THE GRANTS IN THEIR MINIMAL LEVELS, WITH ABOUT 4,500 REMAINING.
THE TOWNSHIP STAFF IS LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON HOW TO BEST ALLOCATE THAT REMAINING $4,500 THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH ALL THIS SO I'VE PREPARED FOUR OPTIONS ON HOW TO HOW TO SPEND THAT AND I'LL KIND OF WALK THROUGH THESE A LITTLE BIT HERE SO THE FIRST FUNDING OPTION IS WHAT I'M CALLING THE THE CLEANEST THE SIMPLEST OPTION IT FULLY FUNDS THE WILDWOOD LAKES GREEN GRANT AND IT FULLY FUNDS THE PINE CREEK II CONDO ASSOCIATION GRANT AS WELL AS THE TACOMA HILLS AND THE SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS GRANTS.
SO FOUR GRANTS BEING FULLY FUNDED, TWO GRANTS BEING MINIMALLY FUNDED.
THAT BEING PARKWOOD YMCA AND THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
RATIONALE THERE SIMPLY BEING WE HAD SUPPORTED PARKWOOD IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND RATIONALE ON THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER BEING THE LACK OF FULL DOCUMENTATION ON WHAT THE FULL ALLOTMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AS WELL AS I GUESS I CONSIDER THIS ONE TO BE A BIT DISPROPORTIONATE IN THE OVERALL SCOPE IT'S HAVING ON THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
LOOKING AT THE FULL TABLE UP HERE, IT'S THE GRANT THAT IS...
CURRENTLY REQUESTING THE MOST AND I WOULD SAY LIKELY HAS ONE OF THE SMALLER IMPACTS ON THE OVERALL MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COMPARED TO SOME OF THE REST OF THESE SO I KEPT THAT ONE TYPICALLY IN THE IN THE MINIMAL MINIMALLY REQUESTED FUNDS KIND OF BRACKET THERE JUST TO BE TRYING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AND AS GOOD A STEWARD AS POSSIBLE WITH THESE, YOU KNOW PUBLIC FUNDS HERE.
FUNDING OPTION NUMBER TWO IS A WHAT I'D CALL THE MOST EQUAL OF THE OPTIONS.
IT FULLY FUNDS THE PINE CREEK TWO CONDO ASSOCIATION ONE.
THIS ONE'S FULLY FUNDED IN EVERY OPTION JUST BECAUSE OF HOW SMALL IT IS.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE TO EASILY INCLUDE THAT ONE.
OPTION TWO THEN JUST SPLITS UP THE REMAINING FUNDS ACROSS ALL GRANTS.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS PROBABLY THE THE WEAKEST OR THE WORST OPTION OUT OF THE COLLECTION, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS SETS A VERY GOOD PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE YEARS.
I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE NUMEROUS APPLICANTS OF LOWER QUALITY, WHEREAS WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ALMOST COMPETITION OF HIGH-QUALITY GRANTS THAT HAVE VERY WELL-DEVELOPED PROPOSALS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE THAT AS OPPOSED TO A KIND OF MORE RUBBER-STAMP APPROACH.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST INCLUDE IT AS THE MOST EQUAL OPTION OUT THERE.
FUNDING OPTION THREE IS IN THAT LINE OF ESSENTIALLY IT'S LOOKING AT A MORE KIND OF EQUAL SPREAD
[00:30:03]
WITH A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT ON THE PARKWOOD YMCA APPLICATION.AND THE REASON THIS IS UP TO $2,750 IS THIS IS LOOKING TO BE ONE OF THOSE MULTIPLES OF $900 ESSENTIALLY.
SO THEY'VE GOT THEIR REQUESTED, THEIR MINIMUM AMOUNT, $918.
THAT'S INCLUDING SOME OF THE HARDWARE THEY WOULD NEED TO RENT IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE POSTS FOR THEIR CLASSROOM.
THE ACTUAL AMOUNT FOR THE MATERIAL COST FOR THE CLASSROOM IS...
SO I ROUNDED THAT TO ABOUT NINE AND MULTIPLIED THAT BY THREE, ESSENTIALLY AS A WAY FOR THE PARKWOOD YMCA TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, BUT IN A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT MAKES SENSE TO THEM.
IF THIS WAS $2840, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT PUTS THEM IN KIND OF AN ODD SPOT WHERE THEY CAN BUILD THREE AND A HALF OF THEIR CLASSROOMS. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE RATIONALE ON WHY THIS FIGURE IS HERE.
AND THEN IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S SIMILAR TO THIS OPTION NUMBER TWO.
IT JUST TAKES THE REMAINING FUNDING, THE REMAINING $4,500 OR SO OF FUNDING, AND TRIES TO SPREAD THAT AMONGST THE OTHER GRANTS EQUALLY.
SO TACOMA AND THE SHARED GARDENS AND THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, ALL BEING NOT MINIMALLY FUNDED, NOT MAXIMALLY FUNDED, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THEN FINALLY, OPTION FOUR, I WOULD CALL THIS THE MOST VALUE OUT OF ALL THE OPTIONS.
THIS ONE FULLY FUNDS THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION APPLICATION, WHICH I FEEL IS THE STRONGEST AND MOST DEVELOPED.
IT ALSO INCLUDES THAT SENSIBLE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR THE PARKWOOD GRANT, FULLY FUNDS THE PINE CREEK TO CONDO ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN IT DOES ESSENTIALLY AN EQUAL AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED TO TACOMA HILLS AND THE SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS.
AGAIN, TRYING TO SUPPORT THOSE AS WELL AS THE PARKWOOD YMCA.
I'M IN THIS OPTION FOUR, I'M KIND OF CONSIDERING THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION GRANT TO BE THE STRONGEST OF THE GROUP.
I'M CONSIDERING THE TACOMA HILLS SHARED GROUNDS COMMUNITY GARDENS AND THE PARKWOOD YMCA TO BE ABOUT MEDIUM STRENGTH, AS WELL AS THE PINE CREEK CREEK TWO CONDO ASSOCIATION, AND THEN THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
KIND OF BRINGING UP THE TAIL THERE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE RATIONALE ON KIND OF THESE FOUR DIFFERENT PACKAGES HERE.
WE'RE NOT LOCKED INTO ANY OF THESE.
IF WE'D LIKE TO KIND OF FURTHER EXPLORE SOME OF THE OPTIONS, WE CERTAINLY CAN.
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN BE SOMETHING THAT WE MARINATE ON AND HOLD THIS LIKE A SPECIAL SESSION TO ADDRESS OR.
WE CAN CIRCLE BACK TO KIND OF LOOK AT SOME MORE OPTIONS IF WE'D LIKE.
SO THIS IS WHAT'S READY FOR TONIGHT.
IF WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT SOME MORE, THAT'S CERTAINLY AN OPTION.
SO QUICK, YEAH, JUST BASIC KIND OF DESCRIPTORS THERE.
OPTION ONE BEING VERY SIMPLE AND CLEAN.
OPTION THREE BEING MOSTLY EQUAL, BUT SOME GRANTS MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.
THE MOST VALUE, I WOULD SAY, THE MOST AMOUNT OF IMPACT PER GREEN GRANT DOLLAR, WHILE BEING FAIR TO THE REST OF THE APPLICANTS.
SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY KIND OF THE OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
IF WE'D LIKE, WE CAN CERTAINLY DIVE IN A LITTLE FURTHER ON ANY ONE OF THESE GRANTS AND KIND OF GO OVER THEM IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
I'D KIND OF JUST, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO JUST KIND OF OPEN THINGS UP FOR DISCUSSION HERE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY NOW THAT THE MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED TO ORDER BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT REFUSAL OF VOTING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT, I THINK NOW WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WHO ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THAT VOTE TO SAY SO.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I'M NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE I AM A MEMBER OF THE TACOMA HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION BOARD.
AND I'M ALSO NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF WILDWOOD LAKES AND I HAD SOME INPUT INTO THE WRITING OF THE GRANT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CAPTURED.
COULD WE TALK THROUGH EACH OF THE GRANT PROPOSALS? ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I APPRECIATE, YEAH, THE SUMMARY AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN YOU PRESENTING SOME OF THESE OPTIONS.
SO, BUT I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL.
[00:35:02]
TO KIND OF WALK, KIND OF TALK THROUGH, JUST KIND OF REVIEW AND THEN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT.BECAUSE I THINK LAST YEAR EVEN WE HAD SOME WHERE WE MADE DECISIONS ON SOME OF THEM AND THEN WE KIND OF HELD OFF ON A FEW AND WANTED SOME MORE INFORMATION AND THEN CAME BACK AND THEN VOTED ON.
SO WE MAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE MAY BE SOME WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO GO BACK AND GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, RIGHT.
WE CAN CERTAINLY, WE CAN APPROVE THE ONES THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH TONIGHT AND THEN WE CAN, YEAH WE CAN REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. CIRCLE BACK ON SOME OF THE OTHER ONES. OKAY.
SO, FIRST ONE IS WILDWOOD LAKES AND I, YEAH. I AGREE. I THINK THERE'S A REALLY GOOD APPLICATION. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEY HAVE WORKED WITH. THE TOWNSHIP YOU KNOW AND CAMPBELL TO DEVELOP THIS LAND MANAGEMENT REPORT AND THEN FOLLOWING UP, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT REPORT. SO, AND I REALLY LIKE THAT THEY HAVE A REALLY DETAILED BUDGET, YOU KNOW SO, THE PROJECT IN GENERAL TO ME SOUNDS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD. SO, I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD LIKE TO FUND IT IN WHOLE YEAH I CERTAINLY AGREE.
LAURA, TOM, ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE? NOTHING REALLY TO ADD OTHER THAN I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND JACK'S COMMENTS.
I THINK THIS IS A VERY STRONG PROPOSAL, VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER, AND SEEMS TO PROVIDE A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THAT AREA.
BUT ONE COMMENT I DID HAVE, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE AREAS ARE HOAS, SO AREN'T NECESSARILY, I'M NOT, THERE'S SEVERAL ACTUALLY I'LL USE THE SAME COMMENT WITH, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE EXACT AREA OR HAVEN'T SEEN IT, AND I'M JUST WONDERING, I KNOW THIS WAS A QUESTION WE HAD LAST YEAR IN ONE OF OUR GREEN GRANTS IS, IS IT ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY? COULD OTHER PEOPLE COME OUT AND LEARN AND OBSERVE AND SEE THIS? SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE WE HAD MENTIONED THAT KIND OF A COMMENT FOR ONE OF THE SCHOOLS LAST YEAR.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY BE...
ARE THEY ALLOWED TO GO ENJOY THESE AREAS AS WELL? RIGHT.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THIS AND ALL THE RESEARCH AND DETAIL INCLUDED.
ONE THING I WAS WONDERING ABOUT IS IF WE COULD, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE MARINIAN TOWNSHIP, THE CCTV, OR OTHER FOLKS THAT DO LEGAL STORIES THAT CAN DO VIDEOS OR STORIES ABOUT.
THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY? AM I JUST DREAMING THIS? YEAH.
I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD SEE IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO DO SOME STORIES ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, ON THE GREEN GRANTS ESPECIALLY, ONES THAT ARE PRETTY WELL DEVELOPED AND ONES THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL AND STUFF TOO.
DO YOU KNOW, JACK? I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH LOOKING INTO.
THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO HIGHLIGHT THESE AND TO ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHER NONPROFITS AND AREAS AND HOAS, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN USED WITH THESE GREAT FUNDS, AND YOU CAN DO THAT TOO AND INVITE THEM.
I LOVE THAT IDEA, THE OUTREACH COMPONENT.
IF WE COULD GET, IT'S HOME TV, RIGHT? IT'S HOME TV, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, PLAN THAT FOR LIKE NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, CALL UP ON SOME OF THESE, SEE THE SUCCESSES.
YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE THEY DO KIND OF MENTION, JUST TO YOUR KIND OF COMMENT THERE, LAURA, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THEY INTEND TO PROVIDE SOME SIGNAGE ON SITE, AND THEY DO INTEND TO TRY TO PROMOTE THIS, AT LEAST KIND OF LOCALLY.
BUT, YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY SIMPLE KIND OF QUESTION WE COULD ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THIS? YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT THEY HAVE THIS 50 ACRE NATURAL AREA.
CAN WE DO A FIGHT WITH IT? WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT.
[00:40:01]
YEAH, TRYING TO DO...YEAH, WE SHOULD GO AND SEE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SCHEDULE A LITTLE TOUR AND THEN DO A BUNCH OF SITE VISITS FOR THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED AND AFTER THEY'RE FINISHED AND STUFF.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ONE? I THINK WE'RE...
YEAH, I THINK IT'S THUMBS UP ON THAT ONE.
SO THE NEXT ONE THEN IS THE HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THEY WANT TO DO A POLLINATOR GARDEN.
I WAS WONDERING, THOUGH, IF IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION, LIKE MORE OF A BUDGET, DETAILED BUDGET, AND THEN MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THE PLANS THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING, I GUESS.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK, I GUESS I'M OF THE MIND THAT THESE ARE PUBLIC FUNDS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE, YEAH, WE'RE USING THEM, YOU KNOW.
FOR THE BEST PROJECTS AND WE WANT TO FUND, YOU KNOW, GOOD GRANT APPLICATIONS.
YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF JUST SAYING LET'S DIVIDE UP ALL THE FUNDS EQUALLY ON PROJECTS AND STUFF.
DO YOU GUYS, YEAH, ANY THOUGHTS ON IT? WELL, THE ONE THING I DID LIKE ABOUT THIS ONE IS THAT, REACHING KIDS AT A YOUNG AGE POTENTIALLY, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD POSITIVE FROM THIS APPLICATION.
I THINK ANY TIME YOU CAN INSTILL CHILDREN WITH EDUCATION AND WHERE FOOD COMES FROM AND ALSO JUST ABOUT THE EARTH AND NATURE AND GET THEM OUTSIDE, IT'S...
THE ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IS HOW ARE THEY PLANNING TO UPKEEP IT? HOW ARE THEY SURE THAT THEIR GROUNDS CREWS AREN'T GOING TO, YOU KNOW, MOW OVER IT? OR BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY BEDS IN THESE AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD PROTECT THAT.
ALSO, IT LOOKS TO BE ON THE PLAYGROUND AND, YOU KNOW, SAME THING GOES FOR...
CHILDREN ARE CURIOUS, PULLING UP THINGS OR, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT THE VALUE IS THERE AND THAT IT REALLY WILL BE SEEN THROUGH AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT REALLY WILL BE SUSTAINED.
SO THAT WAS MY BIG QUESTION IS HOW YOU PLAN TO UPKEEP.
AND ALSO MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT...
YOU KNOW, IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THAT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR CENTER? WHO WOULD DO THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I THINK IT HAS REAL POTENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I DO THINK THOSE DETAILS ARE KEY TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF IT.
SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK WE COULD TABLE THIS ONE AND ASK THEM FOR A FEW MORE DETAILS ON WHAT THEIR MAINTENANCE PLAN IS FOR UPKEEP, WHAT THEIR GROUNDSKEEPING SITUATION LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN IF THEY COULD ITEMIZE ANY MORE OF THEIR BUDGET FOR US TO GIVE US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
SO, YOU KNOW THAT ONE? HOLD ON THIS WAY.
UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT ONE? I DO.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE FUNDED THEM IN THE PAST, AND IN THE PAST WE'VE ALSO...
MULTIPLE YEAR FUNDED OTHER GREEN GRANTS TO THE SAME INSTITUTIONS OR NON-PROFITS.
SO KNOWING WE DO HAVE A COMPETITIVE AND WE CAN'T AWARD ALL, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE DON'T FULLY FUND THIS ONE.
AGAIN, SIMILAR TO THE OTHER APPLICATION, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC.
ANYTIME YOU CAN HAVE A DESIGNATED SPACE AND CREATE A WELCOMING SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO GET OUTSIDE AND TO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS AND LEARN AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, I'M NOT
[00:45:01]
SURE, KNOWING THAT WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED, HAPPY TO SEE THE SUCCESS, THE PICTURES, ALL THOSE THINGS, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO MANY OF THESE STATIONS, PERHAPS A COUPLE OR A FEW.I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY WE'VE FUNDED IN THE PAST BY CHANCE? I KNOW WE FUNDED AT LEAST ONE LAST YEAR, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS MORE THAN ONE.
I THOUGHT WE HAD FUNDED AT LEAST ONE.
I REMEMBER THE PICTURES SHOWING WITH THE CANOPY AND THE BLUE.
I'D HAVE TO CHECK INTO THE HISTORY TO SEE IF WE DID ANYTHING FOR THEM IN 2024 EARLIER.
I AGREE THAT I THINK, I MEAN I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS SOMETHING WE WOULD SUPPORT, BUT GIVEN THAT THIS YEAR WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS THAT KIND OF EXCEED THE AVAILABLE FUNDING AND WE HAVE FUNDED THEM BEFORE, MAYBE WE DON'T LIKE FULLY FUND THE REQUESTS AND WE CAN ALWAYS APPLY AGAIN.
THE NICE THING ABOUT A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS IT'S VERY, THEY CAN DO THIS THIS YEAR, THEY CAN DO A FEW NEXT YEAR, AND IT'S VERY GROWABLE, SCALABLE.
OKAY, SO LET'S SAY WE'RE OKAY FOR THEIR MINIMUM, WE THINK, AT LEAST.
YEAH, I MEAN, I'M OKAY WITH, YEAH, DEFINITELY A MINIMUM.
WE CAN EVEN MAYBE DO MORE AFTER WE SEE WHAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS UP.
WE CAN SEE WHAT EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS LIKE AND KIND OF USE OUR REMAINDER ON.
THE MINIMUM IS THE 918, CORRECT? RIGHT.
THE NEXT MINIMUM WOULD BE ONE STATION.
THE NEXT MINIMUM WOULD BE LIKE 1,800, I WOULD SAY.
SO IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE EITHER 900 OR 1,800 OR 02,700.
WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THOSE EACH LOOK LIKE.
OKAY, NEXT ON IS THE PINE CREEK CONDO.
YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A PRETTY SMALL AMOUNT.
AND, YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING HARD AND CONTINUING PROGRESS.
THIS IS ONE WHERE WE HAVE FUNDED BEFORE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A LITTLE LESS THIS YEAR TO KIND OF FINISH THEIR EFFORTS.
I THINK THIS ONE'S KIND OF A NO-BRAINER.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR VERY LITTLE.
THEY'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD IMPACT THEY'RE DOING HERE.
LAURA, TOM, DO YOU AGREE? YEAH, SAME COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WOULD MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BE, YOU KNOW, ALLOWED TO COME AND ENJOY THAT SPACE AS WELL? SURE.
DO YOU KNOW LAST YEAR, I MEAN LIKE THE LAST TIME WE FUNDED THEM, LIKE THEY DID IT, THEY DID ALL THE WORK, AND DO WE EVER GET ANY LIKE REPORT OR PHOTOS OR ANYTHING? WE ASK FOR, YEAH, A REPORT AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND SOME PHOTOS, AND THOSE ARE WHAT WE TRY TO HAVE THEM COME IN AND PRESENT ON.
SOMETIMES WE GET THAT, SOMETIMES WE DON'T.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A WHILE ON THIS TO...
YOU KNOW, THEY SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING, SO.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A VERY SMALL AMOUNT, SO.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK, MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
OKAY, TACOMA HILLS, RIGHT? IS THAT THE NEXT ONE? YEAH.
MAYBE I'M NOT READING THIS MAP.
I'M NOT SURE I'M READING THE MAP CORRECTLY.
IS IT? THAT THESE BLUE DOTS ARE THE TREES THAT THEY'RE PLANTING? YES, THOSE ARE THE PLANTINGS, BLACK WILLOW, PEACH LEAF WILLOW, COTTONWOOD.
THEY'VE GOT A COUPLE TREES NOTED THERE.
ALL THE BLUE DOTS ARE THE NEW TREES GOING IN.
OKAY, ALL THE BLUE DOTS ARE WHERE THE TREE'S GROWING.
OKAY, I DIDN'T SEE THE ONES UP THERE.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S A GOOD CHUNK.
[00:50:01]
I MEAN, I GUESS...I WAS GOING TO SAY IT DOESN'T HAVE A DETAILED BUDGET, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S JUST THE CONTRACTOR AND THEN IT'S ALL THESE TREES.
IS THAT WHAT, HOW MANY TREES? YEAH, SO THEY BASICALLY STATED THAT IF THEY GOT THEIR FULL AMOUNT, THEY'D BE LOOKING TO COVER BASICALLY EVERYTHING WE SEE IN THIS PLAN.
IF THEY GOT THEIR MINIMUM AMOUNT, THEY'D BE REDUCING, SAY, THE NUMBER OF BLUE.
BITS WE'RE SEEING THERE, THE NUMBER OF TREE PLANTINGS, I UNDERSTAND THIS ONE, IT'S ALL THIS LANDSCAPING COMPANY THEY'D BE WORKING WITH.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS ASSOCIATION INTENDS TO VOLUNTEER TO GO OUT THERE AND DO THE PLANTINGS.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ALL THROUGH A BUSINESS THAT WOULD BE DOING THAT.
SO I THINK THEY WOULD JUST KIND OF WORK WITH THEM TO KIND OF SCALE THIS DOWN TO WHEREVER THE FUNDING LEVEL WAS.
WE COULD ASK THEM TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A BREAKDOWN AVAILABLE FROM THE COMPANY THEY'RE LOOKING TO USE.
OR HOW MANY TREES ARE WE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE I CAN'T TELL.
YEAH, WHAT ARE WE FUNDING? I WAS KIND OF WONDERING THE SIZE OF THE TREES TOO, BECAUSE THEY, AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY'RE LOOKING AT HIRING THIS DONE.
DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A LOT OF IN-KIND EFFORTS HERE.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF THE SIZE OF THE TREES, IF SOME OF THEM WERE SMALLER, IF THOSE COULD BE PLANTED BY VOLUNTEERS AS OPPOSED TO ALL OF IT BEING DONE BY THE LANDSCAPE COMPANY.
AND SOMETHING ELSE I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, YOUNG TREES MIGHT NOT THRIVE AS WELL, AND DEER AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
MAYBE REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TREES LIKE A PILOT FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND SEE HOW THOSE TAKE, AND THEN COULD BE A SUBSEQUENT GRANT ONCE THOSE TAKE AND SHOW THAT THEY CAN THRIVE AND THINGS.
I THINK A BREAKDOWN OF THE COST FOR THE TREES AND THE NUMBER WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE COULD MAYBE MAKE...
RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT PILOT AMOUNT IN THERE AND AGAIN MY SAME COMMENT I'M GOING TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, MY APOLOGIES, BUT AGAIN IS THIS AN AREA THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TO AND ENJOY? I'M JUST AGAIN NOT HIGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA.
BECAUSE IT YOU KNOW THE SPIRIT OF ALL OF THESE GRANTS REALLY ESSENTIALLY ARE YOU KNOW THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST A CLOSED OFF AREA.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE FULFILL THAT AND THAT PEOPLE AND OUR COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO LEARN, TO SEE, TO UNDERSTAND THE SUCCESS OF THIS AND HOW THIS HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT, A POSITIVE ONE.
I THINK, YEAH, I THINK HAVING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, RIGHT, ABOUT THE TREES AND WHAT THEY'RE PLANTING.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF LIKE, JUST TO GET SOME IDEA OF WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL FOR MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL, THE PROJECT.
I MEAN, THERE IS A BENEFIT TO TREES IN GENERAL THAT, TO THE OVERALL COMMUNITY, SO I THINK, BUT YEAH, KNOWING IF, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M ASSUMING ANYBODY CAN GO IN AND SEE THE AREA, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
DO YOU KNOW? ARE YOU FAMILIAR? DO YOU KNOW? I'VE SEEN SOME WITH SIGNS OF SAYING SPECIFICALLY INTENDED FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I CANNOT SPEAK TO EXACTLY THIS SITUATION HERE.
THAT'S A FAIR FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM FOR.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL PROBABLY GET MORE INFORMATION.
WE'LL GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ONE, YEP.
AND THEN THE SHARED, SO THE LAST ONE IS THE SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS.
TOM, DID YOU HAVE ANY NOTES ON THE TACOMA HILLS ONE? OH.
DID YOU HAVE ANY? YEAH, DID YOU HAVE ANY NOTES OR THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE? OH, NOTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I ALREADY INDICATED.
LAST ONE, THE COMMUNITY GARDENS ONE.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS SITE.
I WAS LIKE, WHERE IS THIS SITE? I LOVE THE IDEA OF A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
[00:55:01]
I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE...COULD IT BE BIGGER? HOW DOES IT WORK? HOW WILL PEOPLE KNOW? LET'S SEE, I THINK THEY'VE GOT THEIR...
THEY TALKED ABOUT ANOTHER COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT THEY HAVE AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKED.
LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE GOT A WEBSITE AND SOME SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH THEY PLAN TO DO.
LOOKS LIKE THEY WANT TO PARTNER WITH GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK AND THEN DO SOME FLYER DISTRIBUTION.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE PLANNING TO PROMOTE THIS, ADVOCATE THIS.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN PULL THIS UP HERE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE SOUTHEAST PART OF TOWN THERE.
YEAH, NOT AN AREA THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN.
I HAVE A COMMENT AND I'M TRYING TO STAY OUT OF MOST OF THESE.
I'M JUST LEANING ON MY EXPERIENCE WORKING AT THE FOOD BANK.
THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK, THEY REFERENCE WANTING TO WORK WITH THE FOOD BANK'S GARDEN PROJECT.
DOES THAT MEAN IT IS GOING TO BECOME A PART OF THEIR GARDEN PROJECT NETWORK? BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS FOR A LOT OF CONTINUED SUPPORT VIA SEEDS, TOOL RENTALS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND ALSO JUST THE GARDEN PROJECT OVERSEES OVER 90 GARDENS, I BELIEVE, ALMOST ALL OF THEM IN INGHAM COUNTY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME NOT SUPER CLOSE.
THE CLOSEST ONE IS ON OPEN MISS ROAD.
SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN.
I JUST WANT TO, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP THING.
ECONOMICS OF SCALE, OF WORKING WITH THE FOOD BANK, IF POSSIBLE, SHOULD BE EXPLORED MORE FULLY.
YEAH, AND IF THEY'VE EVEN MADE CONTACT WITH THEM, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, SO WE KNOW THAT THEY REALLY HAVE ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP AND ARE ENGAGED WITH THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT ALL WORKS.
BECAUSE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS, LIKE THEY SAY, PERSONAL, APPROXIMATE GARDEN LOCATION, NOTHING IS THERE YET. SO THIS IS STARTING FROM ABSOLUTE SCRATCH, RIGHT? THAT'S, YEAH, KIND OF WHAT I...
IT LOOKS TO BE IN AN AREA NEAR RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR UTILITIES.
SO, YEAH, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANYTHING.
I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, JUST LOOKING THAT IT'S BRAND NEW.
THE LOCATION, DEER-PROOF, LIKE THEY SAID, RAISED GARDENS, BUT...
AND I THINK IT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A FENCE, BUT HOW HIGH IS THAT FENCE? AND, YOU KNOW, DEER AND ANIMALS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND IRRIGATION AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ALL THOSE LOGISTICS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF COMMUNITY GARDENS.
I THINK WE MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE DETAIL HERE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS IS A BRAND NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN.
I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA.
WONDERING HOW FOLKS WOULD GET INVOLVED IF THEY WANTED TO.
I'M NOT SURE I SAW THAT EITHER.
IT SAYS IMMEDIATELY BEGIN SERVING RESIDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY ON WAIT LISTS OR OTHERWISE EXCLUDE FROM EXISTING GARDEN OPPORTUNITIES.
HOW ARE THEY IDENTIFYING THOSE INDIVIDUALS? YEAH, WE COULD SEE KIND OF WHAT THAT LIST LOOKS LIKE.
IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING, PLEASE, LIKE, LET ME KNOW.
[01:00:03]
I GUESS I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCEPT OF THAT, LIKE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE SPACE IN THEIR BACKYARDS WHO STILL WANT TO HAVE A GARDEN, RENT OUT SPACE, OR JOIN A COMMUNITY GARDEN.I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW IMPLEMENTED THE ONES IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ARE, BUT IF THERE IS A WAIT LIST, I COULD SEE THAT TRYING TO LIGHTEN THAT LOAD THERE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT WE'D PROBABLY WANT TO CHECK WITH THEM ON WHAT DOES THAT LIST LOOK LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNITY LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED NEED FOR THIS PROJECT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN FOR THE SPIRIT OF IT, WE LIKE THE IDEA OF IT, BUT WE WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THERE'S A DEFINITE POPULATION THAT'S GOING TO UTILIZE THIS.
AND IT'S A SETUP FOR SUCCESS, RIGHT? DID IT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IRRIGATION IN HERE? I'M NOT SURE.
THEY MENTION THE HARDWARE FOR THE BEDS, THE TOPSOIL, THE COMPOST.
I THINK THEY TALKED ABOUT WATERING DURING THE COURSE OF THE PLANTING SEASON, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS CHOMPING ON THE BIT TO GET THEIR SUPPLIES TOGETHER.
YEAH, WE CAN TRY TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THESE BEDS, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE WELL PROTECTED FROM DEER AND FROM OTHER ANIMAL ACTIVITY.
I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, IF THEY MAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL RAISED GARDEN AND SHARED GARDENS AND EVERYTHING, AND THERE'S NOT A WATER.
HOOKUP NEARBY, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CART WATER IN AND OUT, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, THAT'S A REAL NEED FOR THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING BRAND NEW.
WE WANT IT TO SUCCEED, RIGHT? YEAH, WE'D WANT TO CHECK TO SEE THAT THERE'S AVAILABLE WATER AT THAT LOCATION.
I THINK THAT'S VERY REASONABLE.
A FURTHER QUESTION I HAVE AND APOLOGIES I DON'T HAVE THIS ONE PRINTED OUT IN FRONT OF ME BUT IS THERE INDICATION AS TO HOW MANY OR HOW LARGE AND HOW MANY PLOTS I KNOW IT THEY'RE RAISED BUT HOW MANY PLOTS ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? IT JUST SAYS 12 BY 20 RAISED BEDS.
SO IT DOESN'T INDICATE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN USE EACH OF THESE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER QUESTION I WOULD ASK.
LEANING ON MY TIME AT THE FOOD BANK, THE COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT THE FOOD BANK OFFERS, ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE 10 BY 10, ALLOWING FOR PLENTY OF GROWTH, ENOUGH GROWTH TO WHERE IT CAN ACTUALLY OFFSET SOME OF THE ACCESS TO VEGETABLES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
NOT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T ON A THREE FOOT BY THREE FOOT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WON'T CREATE AS MUCH FOOD.
YEAH, SOUNDS LIKE, YEAH, WE LIKE THE SPIRIT OF THIS ONE, BUT WE WANT TO SEE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON IT.
WELL, THE ONLY THING IS THEY WANT TO BEGIN IN APRIL 2026, SO.
YEAH, THEY'VE GOT A TIGHT ONE HERE.
BUT WE COULD, ESSENTIALLY, WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT FOR TONIGHT.
AND FOR EVERYONE WHO'S LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON IT, I'LL CONTACT THEM TOMORROW AND SAY, HERE'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
PLEASE GIVE US AN ANSWER WITHIN A WEEK.
WITH ALL OUR INFORMATION TOGETHER, I COULD GET THIS INFORMATION BACK TO US.
WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT ALL AGAIN.
AND I WOULD THINK EVEN JUST OVER EMAIL, WE COULD PROBABLY DECIDE ON THE COURSE WE'D LIKE TO TAKE.
SINCE WE DON'T NEED A FORMAL RESOLUTION OR MOTION FOR THIS, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, JUST A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE EC IS HELPING STEER THE STAFF TOWARDS HERE.
SO FOR THEM, IT WOULDN'T BE THIS FIRST WEEK.
THEY HAVE IT, BUT IT MIGHT BE A WEEK LATER.
[01:05:01]
MADAM CHAIR, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON TIMING BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETS NEXT WEEK.WOULD THIS BE POTENTIALLY ON THEIR AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK OR NOT? NO.
THESE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED AND APPROVED, SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO DISTRIBUTE THEM.
WE DON'T NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANYTHING HERE.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT THIS ONE.
SORRY, I'M FULL OF QUESTIONS TODAY.
WHO OWNS THIS LAND WHERE THEY WANT TO CONSTRUCT THIS? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S AT THEIR...
I KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING.
IT SAYS AT SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS.
IS IT THEIR OFFICE? MADAM CHAIR, IT APPEARS THAT SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS IS A 501C3 THAT, WHO HAS THEIR ADDRESS LISTED AT THAT LOCATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR FACILITIES OVERVIEWS IN THOSE KIND OF 501C3 FILINGS, SO THAT MEANS LITTLE, BUT THEY DO HAVE A WEBSITE THAT I LOOKED UP WHILE YOU ALL WERE DISCUSSING THE OTHERS.
AND THAT IS THE ADDRESS LISTED.
SO I CANNOT SAY WHO THE PLOT IS ACTUALLY IN OWNERSHIP OF ON THE DEED, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AS WELL VIA TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, I MEAN, YEAH, WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM, BUT IF WE GET THE INFORMATION AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOOD WITH, IN GENERAL, SUPPORT OF THE FUNDING AND THE FULL AMOUNT, OR WHAT WOULD WE, YOU KNOW? YEAH, MADAM CHAIR, I WONDER IF AN OPTION MIGHT BE WE APPROVE FUNDING CONTINGENT UPON...
STAFF GETTING ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS RAISED TONIGHT YEAH ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH THE FULL AMOUNT THEN ARE YOU THINKING WELL PERSONALLY I KIND OF LIKE FUNDING OPTION NUMBER FOUR UM BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE TO THAT POINT YET MAKING A MOTION OR APPROVING SOMETHING OFFICIALLY.
WE WERE WE WE SUPPORT THE IDEA OF FUNDING THAT ONE IN FULL.
YEAH, THAT'S 3,700 THE PINE CREEK ONE.
WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT FUNDING THAT ONE IN FULL SO THE SHARED GROUNDS THAT IS THAT THEIR 2750 IS THAT THEIR LOW END OR THAT? LOW IS 25 OKAY AND THEN HASLETT. HASLETT WE DON'T KNOW YET UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION.
I GUESS WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THAT ONE'S GOING TO GO.
AND THEN PARKWOOD, THAT WOULD BE FOR THREE.
IS THAT WHAT THAT WOULD BE? 2750 WOULD BE.
YEAH, THAT ONE'S A LITTLE SCALABLE, BUT WE'D BE LOOKING AT EITHER THE 900 THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OR MAYBE 1800, MAYBE 27.
SO WE COULD KIND OF LOOK AT THAT ONE LAST.
WITH WHATEVER FUNDING WE'VE GOT LEFT, WE COULD LOOK AT THAT ONE FOR...
WHICH ONE? THE HADLOW ONE? OH, PARKWOOD.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE CAN SCALE THAT ONE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE LIKE THAT ONE, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY SCALABLE, AND THERE'S NO TIME CRUNCH ON THAT ONE.
AND THE TACOMA HILLS, WE'D JUST BE LOOKING FOR SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE TREE PLANTINGS, KIND OF WHAT THEIR FULL ITEMIZED BUDGET WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN IF THEY'VE GOT KIND OF ANY...
VOLUNTEERS AVAILABLE WHO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT PROJECT AND THEN LIKE ALL THE HOA ONES WE'D BE LOOKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON IF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ABLE
[01:10:01]
TO ENJOY THAT SPACE AS WELL.SO IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE THE UM THE SHARE GROUND IF IT WAS 20 2500 AS A MINIMUM IT WOULD ALLOW THE RAISED GARDEN BED WITH REDUCED PATHWAY IMPROVEMENTS SO SEEMS...
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PATHWAYS ARE LIKE, SO NO.
I THINK THE PATHWAY THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE IS THIS BIT HERE THEY'D BE ADDING, SOMETHING TO CONNECT IT TO THE ROAD OR THE SIDEWALK.
...AMBITION ON PUTTING OUT THERE.
YEAH, AND I THINK WE LIKE THAT ONE, BUT WE'D JUST LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO I THINK WE'RE AT LEAST NOW LOOKING AT FULLY FUNDING TWO OF THEM, THE WILDWOOD LAKES.
AND THE PINE CREEK 2, AND THEN LOOKING AT PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE REMAINING FOUR, CONTINGENT ON SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THERE.
I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO, YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD SEE THE, LIKE FOR THE HASLETT, JUST SEE THE BREAKDOWN FOR THE OTHER ONES.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE NEXT.
ARE ANY OF THESE OTHER ONES TIME-SENSITIVE? OR DO YOU WANT TO DO THE REST BY EMAIL? YEAH, I GUESS WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN RECOMMEND FULL FUNDING OF THE TWO THAT WE ARE IN FAVOR OF.
DO LIKE TBD TO BE DETERMINED ON FUNDING THE OTHER FOUR.
I CAN LOOK AT GETTING SOME MORE INFORMATION THIS WEEK.
AND THEN EARLY NEXT WEEK WE CAN LOOK AT ALL THAT INFORMATION AND KIND OF DECIDE ON THOSE.
IS THAT OKAY TO DO BY EMAIL? I THINK SO, YEAH.
I MEAN, FROM THE RULES OF WHATEVER.
ONCE THE BOARD PASSES THE BUDGET.
IT BECOMES A DISCRETION BETWEEN THE STAFF AND THE COMMISSION.
SO IF THAT IS THE POSITION THAT YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON AS THE THREE VOTING MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT REFUSED YOURSELF, I BELIEVE THAT SHOULDN'T BE ANY...
I WOULD MAYBE ASK DAN THAT QUESTION IF YOU CAN.
I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO IT WOULD BE RIGHT NOW TO FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE WHILE WE'RE LIVE AND IN SESSION.
THAT WOULD JUST BE OUR CHAIR AND OUR TWO COMMISSIONERS.
IF WE CAN OFFICIALLY FORM THAT SUBCOMMITTEE RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS.
AND THEN WE CAN ACT ON THIS IN OUR OWN ACCORD AND SEPARATELY.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE VERY FAR OFF ON...
NO, I THINK THAT HOA IS THE THING THAT I REALLY LIKE, OR THAT THEY'RE ALL ACTIVE, LIKE REMOVING INVASIVES, PUTTING NATIVES IN, AND I THINK THAT MAKES THOSE REALLY STRONG.
SO I DON'T THINK TACOMA HILLS IS TOO FAR OFF.
I THINK WE COULD MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND IN OPTION FOUR, ROUGHLY, BASED ON THE ANSWERS WE GET.
FROM HASLETT CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, FROM THE OTHERS, BUT I THINK TACOMA HEALTH DOES HAVE A GOOD APPLICATION.
I THINK THE SHARED GROUNDS COMMUNITY GARDENS, WE JUST NEED MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINED AGAIN.
BUT I THINK DEPENDING ON THOSE ANSWERS, THEN WE COULD PERHAPS SHIFT FUNDS FROM THAT OPTION FOR PARKWOOD INTO OTHERS.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE OUR ANSWER.
ARE YOU GUYS OKAY IF WE DO IT BY EMAIL, WE GET THE INFORMATION, AND THEN MAKE THE FINAL? IS THAT YOUR FINAL SUGGESTION, OR WERE YOU SUGGESTING THE FOUR OF US GET TOGETHER AFTER YOU'VE GOTTEN? THE INFORMATION? YEAH, I WOULD SUGGEST WE FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE, AND THEN WE CAN EITHER MEET ON TEAMS OR DISCUSS
[01:15:01]
OVER EMAIL NEXT WEEK AND COME TO A FINAL DECISION ON THIS.SO IS IT APPROPRIATE TO OPT FOR A MOTION TO FUND THE TWO THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? I THINK THAT'S PRETTY SAFE.
I'LL AGREE ON THOSE TWO AT LEAST.
SO THERE'S, AND THEN DO WE NEED A MOTION, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE THAT SUBCOMMITTEE OFFICIALLY? I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE PUBLIC MEETING, AS LONG AS IT'S, YOU KNOW, BEING DISCUSSED AND DECIDED ON HERE, I THINK THAT COVERS IT.
I THINK LAST TIME WE FORMED OUR COMMITTEE.
IT WASN'T EVEN AT THE MEETING.
IT WAS THROUGH EMAILS AND THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS.
YOU CAN EITHER DO IT WITH TEAMS OR BY EMAIL WITH THE THREE OF US.
AND THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH APPROVING THE TWO TONIGHT.
I SHOULD SAY, AS LONG AS THE...
IF THE RESOLUTION FROM THAT SUBCOMMITTEE IS MADE PUBLIC VIA THIS COMMISSION, THEN YOU SHOULD BE FINE.
I THINK IT WOULD STILL JUST BE A RECOMMENDATION TO STAFF.
YEAH, SO I'M SAYING WHATEVER THAT RECOMMENDATION IS, BECAUSE IT'S STILL A BUDGETARY ISSUE, THAT WOULD BE SENT TO YOU AS STAFF, I BELIEVE.
WOULD WE MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION PUBLIC THEN? YEAH, JUST AFTER, WHEN YOUR WORK IS FINISHED.
HOW WOULD WE MAKE IT PUBLIC? OH, I'M SORRY.
SO AFTER WHATEVER CONVERSATION IS ENTAILED, A SINGLE DOCUMENT ENTAILING WHAT THAT RECOMMENDATION IS BASED ON THREE OF YOUR DECISION-MAKING SO THAT THAT BECOMES PUBLIC FOR EVERYONE WHO IS NOT PART OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE CAN PROBABLY READ OFF JUST THE LANGUAGE FOR WILDWOOD LAKES HUMBOLDT ASSOCIATION.
WE'LL PUT THAT DOWN, REDUCE THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
OKAY, SO WE CAN AT LEAST WE CAN DO THIS TONIGHT THEN AND GET THESE TWO BALLS ROLLING AND THEN WE CAN MEET TO DISCUSS THE REST I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE AWARDS OF 3700 FOR THE WILDWOOD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND 800 FOR THE PINE CREEK 2 CONDO ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN PRESENT, DO WE WANT TO DO A VOTE FOR THAT? THERE WERE QUEUES, THOUGH, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T, YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR GREEN GRANT SECTION THERE.
THANK YOU, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, FOR THE INPUT ON THAT.
AND WE WILL RECONVENE WITH A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION TO DECIDE ON THE REMAINING FOUR GRANTS.
AND I EXPECT TO GET THAT OUT NEXT WEEK, I WOULD SAY.
AND THEN UNFINISHED BUSINESS, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING UNDER THERE.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU SAID THERE WERE TWO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS UNDER HERE OR NOT, BUT WE HAVE
[01:20:01]
TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE JOINING, OR THREE THAT ARE JOINING.THEY'RE JOINING NEXT MEETING? YES, THEY'LL BE OFFICIALLY APPOINTED TO THE BOARD AT THE TOWNSHIP MEETING ON THE 7TH.
THEY WILL BE HERE JOINING US IN OFFICIAL CAPACITY IN OUR MAY MEETING.
[11. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
OKAY, SO NEXT IS REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR STAFF.AND I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
OKAY, TOWNSHIP LIAISON, SO TOWNSHIP BOARD.
SO AS MENTIONED, OUR CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES, NEXT WEEK INCLUDES THOSE TWO APPOINTMENTS.
SO ASSUMING NO ONE PULLS IT OFF FOR ANY REASON, WE SHOULD BE A GO ON THAT.
ALSO ON THAT CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE BIRD CITY OF MICHIGAN INITIATIVE THAT THIS COMMISSION WORKED ON.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE UPDATED ON THAT.
SO KUDOS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE FORMATION OF THAT.
THE TOWNSHIP OFFICE IS CLOSED FROM 12 TO 5 THIS FRIDAY FOR GOOD FRIDAY, MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS IN CASE YOU WERE COMING IN FOR ANY ELECTION-RELATED BUSINESS, BECAUSE THERE IS EARLY VOTING BEING SET UP FOR MAY 5TH ELECTION.
ALSO, FIVE MINUTES AFTER OUR MEETING STARTED, ARTEMIS II SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED, SENDING AMERICAN SITH MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1972.
SEEMINGLY WELL AS SOMEONE WHO IS NOT AN ASTROPHYSICIST.
MORE RELATED TO THE WORK THAT THIS BOARD ENTAILS, THOUGH, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE BOARD SUBMITTED A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE TRI-COUNTY FOR THE MIDDLE GRAND WATER TRAIL DESIGNATION BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
THERE IS A, IN ADDITION TO THAT, BECAUSE WATER TRAILS HAVE BECOME SUCH A HOT TOPIC OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, THERE IS A RED CEDAR REGATTA ON MAY 16TH.
FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, IT SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN.
THE INFORMATION IS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.
IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE THE REZONING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON THE PROJECT.
...RELATED TO AUTHENTIC OKAMISS.
ONE OF THE, AND THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP HERE IS BECAUSE MERIDIAN WILL SOON BE THE OWNERS OF 15 ACRES OF CONSERVATION EASEMENT LAND, WHICH IS RELATIVELY, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, I DON'T THINK ANY OF IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, BUT IS SOMEWHAT COMMON FOR CITIES AND MORE COMPLEX ZONING.
MUNICIPALITIES THAN OURS SO THAT WILL MEAN THAT IN ADDITION TO THE NEW HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT THERE ARE 15 ACRES THAT ONCE THAT CONSERVATION AGREEMENT GOES INTO PLACE CANNOT BE TOUCHED BY TOWNSHIP OR BUILDING OF BUILDERS OUTSIDE OF IN THE NORMAL PROCESSES OF SETTING UP THEIR NEW BUILDINGS AND THEN ALSO I'M SORRY I'M JUMPING ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE MY NOTES ARE KIND OF OVER THE PLACE, I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU, SIR.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE VERNAL PONDS WALK IS STILL TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY? IF SO, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAVE A VERNAL PONDS WALK.
BUT IF NOT, I KNOW IT WAS ALREADY MOVED ONCE.
DIDN'T IT ALREADY HAPPEN? IT WAS...
SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN, BUT THEN I GOT AN EMAIL FROM EMMA SAYING THAT IT WAS RESCHEDULED.
THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS THAT MARCH 21ST, PUBLIC VERNAL POND WALK WAS CANCELED AND RESCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT'S STILL ON.
AND THEN THE VERNAL POND TRAINING PROGRAM HAPPENED ON MARCH 28TH.
OH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT WAS OKAY.
THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
THERE WERE AT LEAST 18 PEOPLE OR SO.
SO AS FAR AS I KNOW IT'S STILL ON THE FERNAL POND WALK IS STILL ON FOR THIS SATURDAY.
THERE IS AN EVENT DESCRIPTION FOR INVASIVE MUSTARD POLE AT THAI HEART PRESERVE APRIL 4TH FROM 930 TO 12.
LOTS OF CHANCES TO PARTICIPATE.
SO I GUESS THAT'S TO BE ANNOUNCED THEN.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF I READ EMMA'S EMAIL CORRECTLY, STEWARDSHIP SATURDAY IS 9.30 TO 12, AND THEN THE RENTAL POND WALK IS 2.30 TO 4, I THINK.
[01:25:02]
SATURDAY.WHERE'S THE RENTAL POND WALK GOING TO BE? I BELIEVE IT'S OVER IN NANCY MOORE PARK.
THAT'S WHERE THE TRAINING WAS.
THAT'S WHERE IT WAS SCHEDULED.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THIS MEETING IS PROMPTING ME TO SEND AN EMAIL TO EMMA, THOUGH, AND SHE SIGNED UP FOR MCC EMAILS.
I'M SURE SHE'LL SEND US ALL SOMETHING SOON.
BECAUSE THE TRAINING, THEY FOUND FAIRY SHRIMP, I THINK.
IT WAS VERY COLD THAT DAY, SO THERE WERE NO FROGS CALLING.
(INAUDIBLE) ANY QUESTIONS? I DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
OH, SO THE CONSERVATION, DID YOU SAY THAT THE TOWNSHIP WILL HOLD THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT THEN? YEAH, SO BECAUSE THIS IS A NON-TYPICAL ZONING REQUEST THAT WAS MOVED FORWARD, IT IS PART OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT BOTH THE LANDOWNER AND THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH ARE THE TWO PARTIES INVOLVED, WILL TAKE FORWARD TO A JUDGE.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS UPON THAT AGREEMENT IS THAT THAT CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS IN PLACE.
I KNOW BILL KNOWS IT WELL FROM BEING ON ZONING, BUT IT WILL BE IN PLACE, ASSUMING THE POWERS THAT BE APPROVE THAT SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
BUT IT WILL BE HELD BY THE TOWNSHIP, THOUGH, RIGHT? THE EASEMENT.
YES, IT WILL EXIST ON THAT LAND.
RIGHT, IT WILL EXIST ON THAT LAND IN PERPETUITY.
IT WILL STILL BE OWNED BY, IT'S LIKE A DEED RESTRICTION.
SO IT WILL STILL BE OWNED BY THE LANDOWNER, BUT IT WILL, YOU KNOW, WITH VERY CLEAR INDICATIONS AS TO WHERE YOU CAN AND CANNOT DEVELOP ANYTHING.
NO, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT BECAUSE WE HAD, I THINK, FOR THE...
THE GREEN SPACE PLAN, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING IT IN THAT SMALL GROUP THAT WE DID LAST YEAR, I THINK, OR TWO YEARS AGO, WAS THE USE OF THAT TOOL TO PROTECT MORE GREEN SPACE IS BEING ABLE TO PROMOTE THE USE OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP, BUT I WASN'T SURE IF THE TOWNSHIP CAN DO THAT, CAN HOLD EASEMENTS, OR HOW MANY EASEMENTS, OR HOW THAT WHOLE PROCESS WOULD WORK.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE TOWNSHIP CAN HOLD THESE MINUTES THEN, SO...
RIGHT, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS FALLS UNDER THE PROCESS THAT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE INTRODUCED BECAUSE THIS IS AN AGREEMENT BEFORE...
JUDGE WHO HAD RULED ON, YOU KNOW, A ZONING ISSUE.
AND BILL, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF YOU FEEL THAT I'M MISREPRESENTING.
SO IF THERE IS A DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT, ONCE THE DUST HAS SETTLED ON THIS AND ANYONE WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS WORK, THE TOWNSHIP WILL BE PREPARED TO SPEAK ON IT.
AS OF NOW, THOUGH, I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS ALL THE NECESSARY INK DRIED, SPECIFICALLY FROM ANY SORT OF MAGISTRATE WHO HAS A SIGN-OFF ON IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DAN, FOR TRUSTEE LUTZ? NOPE.
I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO AVOID SPEAKING OUT OF TURN, BUT THE ONLY OTHER EXAMPLE I'M FAMILIAR WITH IN THE TOWNSHIP OF A CONSERVATION TYPE SETUP WAS THE SANDER FARM, WHICH FOR MANY YEARS WAS OWNED BY THE SANDER FAMILY.
AND IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME A ROLLING EASEMENT, WHICH DEFERRED PROPERTY TAXES.
SO IT WAS A NON-DEVELOPMENT TYPE AGREEMENT.
AND THAT EVENTUALLY THE FAMILY CAME TO DONATE THAT PROPERTY TO THE LAND PRESERVE.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHERS, BUT I KIND OF GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MODELS FOR THIS.
AND TRUSTEE LENZ IS BEING CAREFUL BECAUSE IF WE SPEAK OUT OF TURN, WE COULD JEOPARDIZE THAT LEGAL AGREEMENT.
ANYWAY, PLANNING COMMISSION HAS BEEN HOLDING REALLY SOME THRILLING DISCUSSIONS
[01:30:02]
ABOUT OUR PARKING ORDINANCE.AND SCRATCHING OUR HEADS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY IN THE WORLD ANYBODY WOULD CREATE RULES REQUIRING MINIMUM PARKING.
BECAUSE IF ONE OF YOUR GOALS IS TO REDUCE IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, FORCING PEOPLE TO BUILD MORE PARKING THAN THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE SEEMS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
BUT ONE CAN IMAGINE IN A CASE WHERE PARKING IS SHAREABLE.
THAT ONE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD NOT WANT TO BE PROVIDING ALL THE PARKING FOR AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER.
AND THERE ARE SOME CASES LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN KIND OF A STRIP MALL SITUATION.
BUT WE DON'T SEEM TO BE GETTING APPLICATIONS TO BUILD A LOT OF STRIP MALLS.
SO WE'RE KIND OF KICKING AROUND THIS IDEA OF MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM.
AND WE DO HAVE MAXIMUMS IN OUR CODE.
AND WE GET REQUESTS VERY OCCASIONALLY FOR VARIANCES TO THOSE MAXIMUMS. TRADER JOE'S BEING THE EASY EXAMPLE.
AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO NEED MORE PARKING THAN YOUR TYPICAL GROCERY STORE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO DARN GOT SO MANY CUSTOMERS.
SO, YEAH, IF YOU'VE GOT NOTHING BETTER TO DO ON A MONDAY EVENING, COME AND LISTEN TO US TALK ABOUT SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PARKING SPACE.
THERE WAS SOMETHING SLIGHTLY MORE INTERESTING IN THE LAST MEETING AS WELL.
THERE'S A NON-CONFORMING USE DOWN ON JOLLY ROAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO REZONE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET IT FIXED UP.
BUT THE ONLY OTHER PIECE THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO FOLKS IS THE CORRIDOR.
WE WERE JOINED AT OUR LAST MEETING BY OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, AND SHE WAS RELAYING TO US THAT THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH YOU MAY NOT BE TOO FAMILIAR WITH, IT'S A TOWNSHIP.
AUTHORITY WHOSE MANDATE IS TO ENVISION AND ENACT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE GRAND RIVER CORRIDOR THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THEY'RE MADE UP OF BUSINESS PEOPLE AND HOMEOWNERS AND A VARIETY OF OTHER REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THEY NOTICE THAT THE CITY OF EAST LANSING HAS RECENTLY UPDATED THEIR ORDINANCES TO INCENTIVIZE OR AT LEAST ALLOW THE USE OF MASS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MSU'S STEM BUILDING, THAT'S THE BIGGEST MASS TIMBER BUILDING IN THE STATE.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY IS BUILDING A RESIDENCE HALL USING MASS TIMBER TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY IS ASKING THE PLANNING COMMISSION IF IT'S INTERESTED IN TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THAT.
THE EASIEST WAY FOR US TO DO THAT IS TO ADD IT TO A LIST OF AMENITIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VARIANCES.
SO IF YOU DO SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL ON YOUR...
PROPERTY THAT ENHANCES THE COMMUNITY RESTRICTIONS ON HEIGHT OR DENSITY OR OTHER THINGS CAN BE RELAXED AS PART OF THE NATURAL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
A LITTLE HARDER TO DO WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THAT PROCESS BUT THAT COULD BE OF INTEREST.
LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, WE MET MARCH 11TH.
AND THE MAIN TOPIC, MAIN DISCUSSION ITEM AT THAT MEETING WAS THE PIKE CROSSING PRESERVE THAT I MENTIONED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
IT'S A TRAIL THE TOWNSHIP'S INTERESTED IN TRYING TO CONNECT MSU TO LAKE LANSING.
A TRAIL THAT CONNECTS THAT AND IT WOULD BE PHASE THREE OF THAT PROJECT AND BE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND FOR BICYCLISTS.
AND SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME, WE HAD SOME MORE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE, I MEAN YEAH, THE ORDINANCE FOR THE THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD DOESN'T TYPICALLY INCLUDE TRAILS.
YOU KNOW CONSTRUCTION OF TRAILS ARE ESPECIALLY ALLOW FOR BIKE USE THEN.
SO WE DID GO OUT AND VISIT, DID A SITE VISIT, AND WHAT WE RECOMMENDED OR ASKED WAS IF THEY COULD MOVE THE TRAIL TO RUN CLOSER TO THE RAILROAD TRACK THAT'S ALREADY THERE INSTEAD OF RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE PRESERVE ONE SO THERE WAS LESS YOU KNOW FRAGMENTATION OF THE PRESERVE.
[01:35:01]
STAFF BROUGHT BACK TO THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AT THAT LAST MEETING, THAT WAS THE PROPOSAL TO MOVE THE TRAIL CLOSER TO THE EDGE AND ALSO AVOID SOME OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES THAT ARE ON THAT PROPERTY.BUT I THINK WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT, TOO, IS THAT THERE'S A PROPERTY THAT WAS DONATED TO THE TOWN.
THE TOWNSHIP, I THINK, THAT WE WERE INTERESTED IN MAYBE SEEING IF WE COULD SWAP BETWEEN THAT OTHER SITE THAT IS ACTUALLY CONNECTED TO A PRESERVE.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY THE PRESERVE THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK.
THE WHOLE THING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK BUTTS UP TO THE THE HOUSE OF GREAT CULTURES PROJECT? YEAH.
SOUTHERN MERIDIAN? YEAH, WHAT IS THAT? PRESERVE.
YEAH, THE HOSKINS WAS A DRAIN, BUT THE PRESERVE THAT'S RIGHT.
AND SO THE OTHER PIECE THAT WAS DONATED, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THAT.
SO ONE IDEA WAS IF WE SWAP, THEN THIS PROPERTY WOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE A TRAILS.
PROPERTY THEN, BUT WE DIDN'T, WE HAVEN'T REALLY DECIDED IF THAT WOULD WORK OR NOT.
BUT THERE IS INTEREST IN, BECAUSE THERE'S THE MASTER PLAN FOR TRAILS AND PATHWAYS, THERE'S ACTUALLY A COUPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED THAT WOULD GO THROUGH PRESERVES, AND WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, AS OVER TIME WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND PROPERTIES THAT WERE PURCHASED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, DIDN'T REALLY REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PRESERVES HAVE.
TRAILS AND PATHWAYS THAT WERE PROPOSED FOR THEM.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S INTEREST IN MAYBE FORMING LIKE A LITTLE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WOULD HAVE SOME MEMBERS FROM THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, SOME MEMBERS FROM THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, I THINK, AND THEN SOME STAFF TO KIND OF JUST TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE BROADER VISION FOR TRAILS AND PATHWAYS AND LAND PRESERVES IN THE TOWNSHIP.
SO THAT WE DON'T KEEP RUNNING INTO THIS.
SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO POTENTIALLY YOU KNOW UM DECIDE WHAT TO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO ON A PROPERTY BY PROPERTY UM LEVEL SO ANYWAY I THINK THAT WAS SORT OF THE BIG THE BIG DISCUSSION UM THAT WE'RE HOPING TO FOLLOW UP ON OKAY NEXT UM BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT YEAH SO UM YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ONLY MEETS AS NEEDED AND SO THEY WOUND UP NOT HAVING A MEETING LAST MONTH.
AND I DID FIND OUT THROUGH TALKING WITH STAFF THAT AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION LIAISON...
TO THAT AUTHORITY, I STILL NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
SO I BELIEVE I'M ON YOUR AGENDA NEXT TUESDAY AS WELL.
AND THEN ONCE I'M FORMALLY APPROVED, ASSUMING THAT TAKES PLACE, I WILL BE AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE AUTHORITY.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, NO REPORT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET.
FOR THE PARKS COMMISSION, MOST OF THE DISCUSSION AT THEIR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS ON MARCH 10TH, WAS RELATED TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE PARKS FOR 2026 AND ALSO THE UPCOMING PARKS MILLAGE RENEWAL.
SO RELATED TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, THE PLANS TO INSTALL RIVER LANDINGS ON THE RED CEDAR.
AT HARRIS NATURE CENTER IN FERGUSON PARK, OR AT LEAST AS OF MARCH 10TH, UNDER REVIEW BY EGLE, ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE TO REPAIR THE SUNSCREEN THAT PROTECTS THE STAGE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET PAVILION.
IT WAS DAMAGED BY HIGH WINDS DURING ONE OF THE EVENTS LAST SUMMER.
DIRECTOR WAZINSKI ALSO REPORTED THAT THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS AT THE MARKET PAVILION ARE KIND OF TAPPED OUT.
AND PART OF THAT IS A SUCCESS STORY WITH THE FARMERS MARKET.
THERE'S SO MANY VENDORS, VENDORS WHO INSTALL WARMING STOVES, REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT IS CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS BEING TRIPPED DURING MARKET EVENTS.
AND THE LIMITATION THERE IS THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONDUITS THAT PROVIDE THE OUTLETS AT THE MARKET ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CONCRETE PLATFORM ON WHICH THE MARKET...
[01:40:01]
...SITS AND THEY CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ANY ADDITIONAL WIRING OR LARGER WIRING, SO THERE'S NO SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM.IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT IN THE FUTURE.
THERE'S ALSO A CONTRACT OUT ON BID TO REMODEL A PAVILION AND RESTROOMS LOCATED IN NANCY MOORE PARK.
ESTIMATES ARE THAT THAT WILL COST ABOUT $150,000, AND THAT'S MONEY THAT'S...
CURRENTLY IN CUMBERLAND, THIS YEAR'S PARKS BUDGET.
AND THEN PLANS ARE PROGRESSING FOR INSTALLATION OF A WIND AND RAIN SHELTER AT THE SMALL DOG PARK, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE ANSEYMOUR PARK, AND THAT'S EXPECTED TO COST IN THE VICINITY OF $20,000.
THEY'VE LOOKED AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT PLANS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT RELATIVELY MINIMAL, BUT TO SATISFY THE REQUESTS.
FROM USERS OF THE DOG PARK FOR WIND AND RAIN SHELTER AND IN CLEMENT WEATHER.
AND THEN WORK IS CONTINUING TOWARDS PREPARATION OF THE UPDATED FIVE-YEAR MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
FOCUS IS CURRENTLY ON PREPARING A SURVEY TO COLLECT INPUT FROM RESIDENTS ON THE PARK SYSTEM WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE INCORPORATED FOR FUTURE.
AND THAT MASTER PLAN IS DUE AT MICHIGAN DNR BY FEBRUARY 1ST, 2027.
SO THEY'VE GOT A NICE WINDOW TO WORK WITH.
AND THEN, AS I THINK WE'VE HEARD, THE MILLAGE RENEWAL FOR THE MERIDIAN PARK SYSTEM WILL BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE POLICE AND THE FIRE WILL ALSO BE ON, MILLAGE WILL ALSO BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO STRATEGICALLY...
MAKE PLANS FOR THAT, DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT MILLAGE BALLOT AND TRYING TO AVOID COMPETITION WITH THE INGHAM COUNTY MILLAGE, WHICH WILL BE ON THE AUGUST BALLOTS.
SO THEY'RE NOT COMPETING HEAD-TO-HEAD FOR VOTER APPROVAL.
AND THEN THE NEXT PARK COMMISSION MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 14TH.
TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, OR IN TWO WEEKS.
THAT'S IT FROM THE PARK COMMISSION.
HOW WILL THE SURVEY, WILL THAT BE LIKE A MAIL SURVEY? I THINK THEY'RE PLANNING A COMBINATION SURVEY, MAIL-IN QUESTIONNAIRES AND ALSO AN ONLINE PORTAL FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO USE WHATEVER VEHICLES THEY CAN TO GET APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.
I HAVEN'T HEARD DETAILS EXACTLY ON HOW THEY'RE GOING ABOUT THAT, BUT MENTION OF THE TWO MECHANISMS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, SO THEN, THANKS.
SO, TEAMS, ENERGY TEAMS. AND I WILL START WITH THAT.
FOR ENERGY TEAMS, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM JACK HUGHES REGARDING DOWNSHIP SOLARIZATION PLANS.
IN PARTICULAR, SUBMISSION OF THE CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING PROGRAM APPLICATION IS GOING FORWARD, WE HOPE.
BOTH OFFICES OF BOTH SENATORS.
AND THEN PLANS ARE ALSO BEING FINALIZED FOR INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS AT THE NORTH FIRE STATION.
SO I ASSUME THAT'S PROGRESSING NICELY.
AND THEN THE TEAM ALSO BRIEFLY DISCUSSED WHAT OPTIONS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO CLOSE THE GAP ON REACHING THE TOWNSHIP'S GOAL FOR 100% GREEN ENERGY DEPENDENCE BY 2035.
THIS IS A FAIRLY COMPLEX CHALLENGE GIVEN THE DISTRIBUTED NATURE OF SOME TYPES OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.
THINK PUMP STATIONS, RESTROOM FACILITIES AND PARKS, STREET LIGHTING, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY USE.
SO HOW CAN THAT ENERGY DEMAND BE SOMEHOW INCORPORATED INTO GREEN ENERGY GENERATION? AND ONE POSSIBILITY FOR THAT WOULD BE TO PARTICIPATE IN A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT KNOWN AS A PPA.
SO THE TOWNSHIP STAFF, I THINK, IS LOOKING AT VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR THAT, EITHER A PPA IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY OR WITH SOME OTHER THIRD-PARTY ENERGY GENERATION FACILITY.
[01:45:01]
SO A PPA BASICALLY IS A ZERO DOLLAR DOWN MODEL THAT REMOVES UPFRONT COSTS FOR MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ENERGY GENERATION FACILITIES THAT WOULD PROVIDE LONG-TERM PRICE STABILITY FOR PURCHASING ENERGY FROM THAT PARTNER.NOTHING IS ON THE HORIZON NOW AS I UNDERSTAND, BUT THIS IS ONE MODEL THAT'S BEEN CONSIDERED GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT I CAN REPORT FROM THE ENERGY TEAM, LAST MEETING I MENTIONED THE PLUG-IN SOLAR, BALCONY SOLAR OPTION.
THERE ACTUALLY HAS BEEN SOME MOVEMENT ON THAT IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
REPRESENTATIVE WILL SNYDER FROM MUSKEGON INTRODUCED BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION IN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE.
ON MARCH 18TH, IT WOULD ALLOW ELECTRICAL CONSUMERS TO INSTALL SMALL RESIDENTIAL PLUG-IN SOLAR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE BURDENSOME REQUIREMENTS OF INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENTS WITH THEIR ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLIERS.
THIS BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED I THINK IS LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SPONSORS IN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE THAT FORWARD BUT THE LEGISLATION IS SIMILAR TO CURRENT LEGISLATION THAT EXISTS IN THE STATE OF UTAH WITH A FEW MINOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'VE LEARNED SINCE THE LEGISLATION IN UTAH WAS PASSED AND THEN UNDER THE PROPOSED MICHIGAN LEGISLATION USERS RESIDENTIAL USERS WOULD BE PERMITTED TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS WITH THE GENERATION CAPACITY UP TO 1,200 WATTS 1.2 KILOWATTS, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 20% OF THE USAGE OF A TYPICAL SMALL HOUSEHOLD.
SO IT PARTIALLY OFFSET ENERGY GENERATION NEEDS, BUT NOT FULLY MEET THEIR NEEDS.
SO THEY WOULD STILL BE BUYING ELECTRICITY FROM THEIR POWER PROVIDER.
I THINK I'LL ADD TO THAT MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
LAST YEAR, MY WIFE AND I INSTALLED ROOFTOP SOLAR IN OUR HOUSE, AND WE HAVE 12 PANELS WITH A GENERATION CAPACITY OF 4.5 KILOWATTS, SO THAT WOULD BE 4,500 KILOWATTS.
THAT COMPARES TO THE 1,200 KILOWATTS THAT WOULD BE PERMITTED BY THE PLUG-IN.
SOLAR LEGISLATION UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE AND AS AN EXAMPLE OUR SYSTEM YESTERDAY, GENERATED 15 KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY.
WE COMPARED TO OUR CONSUMPTION OF 9 KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY.
SO OUR SYSTEM, THE 4.5 KILOWATT SYSTEM, GENERATED AN EXCESS CAPACITY OF 6 KILOWATT HOURS, WHICH WENT BACK TO THE GRID AND IS HELPING TO HELP SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO A 1.2 KILOWATT PLUG-IN SYSTEM ISN'T DESIGNED TO MEET FULL POWER NEEDS OR GENERATE EXCESS CAPACITY THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE GRID.
IN FACT, WITHOUT THE INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENTS, THERE'S NO ARRANGEMENT ACTUALLY TO SELL ENERGY BACK TO THE GRID FROM A PLUG-IN SOLAR SYSTEM SIMILAR TO ROOFTOP SOLAR.
CHANGE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE COMING TO RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS STATEWIDE.
AND THAT'S IT FROM THE ENERGY TEAM.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON APRIL 16TH. THANKS.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TO CLOSE THE GAP TO GET TO 100%.
WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY.
DO WE KNOW? JACK'S GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
YEAH, WITH THE PROJECTS WE HAVE IN MIND, WE'D BE GETTING TO SOMETHING LIKE 80% OF THE TOTAL DOWN-SIP ENERGY USE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE QUESTION COMES IN OF LIKE, WE CAN POWER OUR MAJOR BUILDINGS, OUR FIRE STATIONS, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDINGS, BUT THEN HOW DO WE POWER, AS RICHARD MENTIONED, STREETLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THAT'S WHERE CONSUMERS HAS THAT OPTION TO WHERE THEY'LL BUILD A GIANT FACILITY SOMEWHERE AND SELL US THE POWER.
AND WE CAN SAY IT'S GREEN AND RENEWABLE, OR WE CAN BUILD THAT POWER OURSELVES, OR THIS THIRD OPTION THAT'S PRESENTING ITSELF ARE THESE PPAS.
[01:50:02]
BUILD THE EQUIPMENT, WE WOULD ENTER AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO WHERE WE WOULD PURCHASE THAT ENERGY FROM THEM.IT WOULD BE GREEN THE SAME WAY IT WOULD BE THROUGH CONSUMERS.
THE ADVANTAGE TO THIS IS THESE SYSTEMS WOULD BE LOCAL, WOULD BE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WOULD BE MORE VISIBLE THAN ANYTHING CONSUMERS WOULD BE BUILDING.
AND THERE ARE OPTIONS LIKE RENT-TO-OWN STYLE OPTIONS TO WHERE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP COULD EVENTUALLY OWN THESE PANELS IN THIS GENERATION.
SO IT DEFINITELY HAS SOME INTERESTING PROSPECTS THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
YEAH, GREEN TEAM, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL, SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW BACK ON MARCH 21ST. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JACK, WHO DID YEOMAN'S WORK AND PUTTING THAT TOGETHER, ALONG WITH...
BRUCE PFEIFFER AND SARAH ALLEN FROM THE GREEN TEAM.
AND I WANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS FROM OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL WHO SERVED AS THE MAJORITY OF THE MODELS FOR THE SHOW. I THINK WE HAD AROUND 20 OR SO OUTFITS THAT WERE MODELED. SO, AGAIN, ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN PLAN THIS AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. THE NEXT EVENT WE HAVE COMING UP IS OUR SPRING RECYCLING DAY. THAT IS ON APRIL 25TH AND WE'LL BE IN THE MALL PARKING LOT NEAR THE FARMER'S MARKET AREA.
AND WE'LL BE COLLECTING SIMILAR ITEMS FROM PAST YEARS SUCH AS METALS, PAINT. I HAVE DOCUMENTS SHREDDING. WE'LL BE WORKING WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY AGAIN AND I BELIEVE WE'RE ALSO COLLECTING CARDBOARD THIS YEAR AS WELL AS EGG CARTONS AGAIN. SO JUST A CAUTION I GUESS TO THE PUBLIC, THIS IS NOT AN ELECTRONIC RECYCLING EVENT.
BUT AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT FOR THE SPRING EVENT FOR THOSE ITEMS MENTIONED. AND I THINK THAT'S IT. JACK, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YEAH, OTHER THAN JUST TO SAY WE'RE ALSO ACCEPTING BIKES. YES. WE HAVE OUR VOLUNTEER LINK OPEN FOR THAT. IT'S ACCESSIBLE ON THE TOWNSHIP CALENDAR IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED. THAT'S WHERE THE VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS ARE. OKAY, GREAT. I WAS GOING TO SAY YOU WERE THANKING JACK FOR BEING A MODEL. THAT HE DIDN'T DO. MAYBE NEXT TIME.
MAYBE NEXT TIME. YEAH, THAT'S REALLY COOL. I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO GO SOMETIME. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED IT AGAIN. OKAY, GREEN BURIAL TEAM, IS THERE ANY UPDATES? NOT REALLY ANY UPDATES OTHER THAN I KNOW THE COMMITTEE IS DOING WORK TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, AND THEY ARE PRESENT QUITE OFTEN AT THE FARMER'S MARKET AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS. ANY KNOWN MATERIALS BUT NOTHING OFFICIAL AS FAR AS A TOWNSHIP LEVEL ACTIVITY. SO I CAN'T REMEMBER DID THEY ALREADY PRESENT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD RIGHT? THEY DID YEAH UM I BELIEVE THEY'RE YEAH I DON'T REALLY WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM BUT I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS RAISED AND SO I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF IN A PAUSED MOMENT. REASSESSED AND SEE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE TYPE OF THING. OKAY. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. HOW'S LITTLE COAST HIGH SCHOOL? HARRISON'S NOT HERE, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? OKAY.
AND THEN ADJOURN. GREAT. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.