Oct 06, 2026 Township Board

[00:01:00]

NOTHING TO SIGN HERE TONIGHT.

OKAY, FINE. THANK YOU. GOOD

[1. CALL MEETING TOORDER]

WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. FIRST ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

FOR ALL 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 ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ROLL CALL.

WILL CLERK DEMAS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? HERE. CLERK DEMAS HERE. TREASURER BURGHARDT? HERE. TRUSTEE LENTZ? HERE.

TRUSTEE SUNDLAND? TRUSTEE TREZISE? HERE. TRUSTEE WILSON? HERE. SIX BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[4. PRESENTATIONS]

THEY GIVE ME A CHEAT SHEET. I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU. GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR AND BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEWEST DESIGNATION AS AN OFFICIAL BIRD CITY OF MICHIGAN.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP NOW JOINS 300 COMMUNITIES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE BIRD CITY PROGRAM. THIS DESIGNATION HIGHLIGHTS THE TOWNSHIP'S COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, PROTECTION OF BIRDS AND THEIR HABITATS, AND ACTIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN BIRD-FRIENDLY PRACTICES.

BEFORE I PASS THE MIC OFF TO LINDA SMITH, THE DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS FOR MICHIGAN AUDUBON, I WANT TO THANK HER FOR BRINGING THIS EFFORT TO OUR ATTENTION. LINDA RECOGNIZED THAT OUR COMMUNITY WORKS HARD TO MANAGE OUR NATURAL AREAS AND THOUGHT WE WOULD BE THE PERFECT FIT FOR THIS ENDEAVOR. THAT WAS QUITE VALIDATING FOR ME AS THE STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WHO WORKS VERY HARD TO CONSERVE AND STEWARD 1700 ACRES OF TOWNSHIP LAND.

REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH OF AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE DRASTIC DECLINE OF BIRD NUMBERS LOCALLY. THAT IS WHY WE ALSO PURSUE NATIVE HABITAT RESTORATION AND SPECIFICALLY BRINGING NATIVE FOOD SOURCES BACK TO OUR LOCAL BIRD FOR OUR LOCAL BIRDS AND INSECTS TO EAT. THIS DESIGNATION HAS ONLY GIVEN US MORE MOTIVATION TO PURSUE THIS IMPORTANT CONSERVATION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR MERIDIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, OUR COMMUNITY TRULY STEPS US UP TO ASSIST US IN THESE EFFORTS. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD, A LOT MORE TO DO, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO STEWARD ON. THAT IS WHY I NOT ONLY WANT TO THANK LINDA OF MICHIGAN AUDUBON, BUT ALSO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO COME OUT ALL YEAR ROUND TO STEWARD OUR NATURAL AREAS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR BIRD CITY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF STAFF, COMMISSIONERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS KATIE ADAMS, JACK HUGHES, CHARLES COATES, NICK SEGERSON, BRUCE PEFFERS, SARAH ALLEN, AND RICHARD MIXACEK. I KNOW I MESSED HER NAME UP. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO RACHEL MICKEY, LUCY BRA, AND BENJAMIN BRASHKO FOR THE VERY HARD WORK THEY SPENT ON OUR APPLICATION FOR THIS DESIGNATION. NOW I PRESENT LINDA SMITH, THE DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS FOR MICHIGAN AUDUBON, WHO WILL PRESENT US WITH THIS VERY EXCITING DESIGNATION AND HONOR.

[00:05:03]

THERE WERE OVER 20 BIRD-FRIENDLY ACTIONS ON YOUR APPLICATION, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL. AND ONE THING THAT MADE YOUR APPLICATION SO STRONG, AS EMMA MENTIONED, IS THE COLLABORATION WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, IT WAS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STAFF, THE LAND STEWARDSHIP OFFICE, PARKS AND REC LAND PRESERVATION, PUBLIC WORKS, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GREEN TEAM, THE TOWNSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE CONSERVATION CORPS, AND THE CAPITAL AREA, AUDUBON SOCIETY THAT ALL CAME TOGETHER AND WORKED ON THE APPLICATION WITH EMMA AS THE LEAD. AND YOU CAN READ ALL THE BIRD-FRIENDLY ACTIONS FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ON YOUR OWN LANDING PAGE.

IT'S, IT'S ON, BIRDCITY.ORG/MICHIGAN, SO THE COMMUNITY CAN, CAN READ ABOUT WHAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS DOING. SO, YEAH, ON BEHALF OF MICHIGAN AUDUBON, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, RECOGNIZE THE TOWNSHIP AS A BIRD CITY COMMUNITY. WE HAVE THIS SIGN HERE THAT YOU CAN PUT UP ANYWHERE YOU WANT. THERE'S ANOTHER SIGN OVER AT HARRIS NATURE CENTER AND THEN WE HAVE THIS CERTIFICATE AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU, CREATE A BIRD TOWNSHIP AT SOME POINT. YEAH.

SINCE IT'S NOT JUST CITIES. I WAS HAPPY I GOT YOUR NAME ON THERE. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS AN INTRODUCTION OF A NEW FIREFIGHTER, AND CHIEF HAMEL IS HERE TO MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION.

CHIEF. I FEEL SHORT.

SUPERVISOR, BOARD, MANAGER, THANK YOU. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO COME BEFORE YOU AND INTRODUCE A NEW EMPLOYEE. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT RESUMES AND EXPERIENCE, AND, WENT WITH OUR INTERVIEWS. SAM SZYPULA. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, I GOT IT DOWN. TOOK ME ABOUT A MONTH. COMES WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. HE'S GOT SOME HISTORY IN THE FIRE SERVICE IN FLORIDA, IN AUBURNDALE AS A FIREFIGHTER, AND THEN HE CAME UP HERE AND WORKED FOR NISA, WHICH IS WILLIAMSTON, AS AN EMT, THEN JOINED DELHI TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A CAREER FIREFIGHTER. HE WAS A PART PAID IN NISA, GOT HIS PARAMEDIC LICENSE, AND SO WITH ABOUT 3 AND A HALF YEARS EXPERIENCE, HE'S KIND OF HAS SOME TIES HERE. HE'S GOT SOME FAMILY MEMBERS THAT LIVE IN THE TOWNSHIP. SO, HE SPENT SOME TIME GROWING UP HERE, AND HE JUST REALLY IS EXCITED ABOUT BEING A PART OF OUR TEAM. ALSO HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THE US ARMY RESERVES, AS A SERGEANT. YES, SIR. YES, SO GOT SOME MILITARY EXPERIENCE, AND THEN HE ALSO IS DOES A LOT OF TECH RESCUE STUFF, SO THE COLLAPSE RESCUE, AS PART OF THE TRYING TO GET ON THE STATE TEAM, AND SO JUST A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.

IN FACT, OUR 2-WEEK ONBOARDING THAT STARTED LAST WEEK, HE FINISHED ACTUALLY TODAY.

IT'S NORMALLY FRIDAY, SO NOW HE'S THIRD RIDING TO GET A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE, SO WHEN HE STARTS HIS 24-HOUR SHIFT, THEN HE DOESN'T HAVE TO THIRD RIDE AS MUCH SO WE CAN SIGN HIM OFF ON HIS, PARAMEDIC SKILLS AND ABILITIES.

SO, WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM, AND YOU KNOW, JUST JOIN A PROFESSIONAL TEAM AND BE A PART OF THE TOWNSHIP. SO, I'LL LET SAM SZYPULA TELL ABOUT HIMSELF A LITTLE BIT.

YEAH, NO, I'M, JUST INCREDIBLY THANKFUL AND FEEL LUCKY TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM AND SUCH AN INCREDIBLE DEPARTMENT AND TOWNSHIP THAT HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO ME OVER THE YEARS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, AND JUST EXCITED TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.

WELL, THANK YOU. YEAH.

WELCOME. WELCOME. WELCOME.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM. WELCOME.

GLAD YOU COULD COME. GREAT TO MEET YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT

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

[00:10:01]

BETH BECHTEL, COME ON UP.

BETH BECHTEL, HASLETT, MICHIGAN. DEAR MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS, FOR SOME TIME I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBERS, COMMISSION MEMBERS, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, AND STAFF EMPLOYEES TO SEEK NATURAL AND HEALTHY HOLISTIC CARE TO MAINTAIN OUR TOWNSHIP PRESERVES, PARKS, ATHLETIC FIELDS, ETC. I'VE COME TO PRIOR BOARD, COMMISSION, AND ADVISORY MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS, ASKING YOU ALL AND SHARING RESOURCES FOR PROTECTING OUR HEALTH TO PLEASE FORGE NEW PATH COMMITMENTS TOWARDS REDUCING AND EVENTUALLY ELIMINATING ALL TOXIC SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL USE FOR THE BENEFIT OF STAFF EMPLOYEES AND RESIDENTS HEALTH.

BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN LISTENING, OPEN TO NATURAL HEALTHY WAYS, AND AN EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TOWARD THIS GOAL. I'M THANKFUL AND FULL OF GRATITUDE THAT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2026 AT 9:30 A.M. MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOWER WOODS PRESERVE, AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOWER WOODS PRESERVE, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CONSERVATION CORPS IS CO-LEADING A GOAT BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT WITH LOCAL OKEMOS-BASED NONPROFIT MIDMICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY, WHO IS BRINGING GOATS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW GOAT BROWSING NATURALLY AND HEALTHILY REDUCES INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. NON-PROFIT WILD ONES RED CEDAR CHAPTER IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE GOAT BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT.

MANAGED, TARGETED GOAT BROWSING IS ONE EFFECTIVE NATURAL STRATEGY TOOL OPTIONS THAT HELPS REDUCE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES SUCH AS ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET, JAPANESE KNOTWEED, KUDZU, BUCKTHORN, POISON IVY, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. GOAT BROWSING KEY MECHANISMS ARE AS FOLLOWS.

NUMBER ONE, SEED CONTROL. GOAT DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SEED GERMINATION OF MANY INVASIVE PLANTS, PREVENTING THEM FROM SPREADING TO NEW AREAS. NUMBER TWO, IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH. AS GOATS BROWSE, THEIR HOOVES LOOSEN AND BREAK UP COMPACTED LAND, WHILE THEIR MANURE PROVIDES NATURAL FERTILIZER FOR NATIVE PLANT RECOVERY.

NUMBER THREE, BIOMASS REDUCTION. GOATS' INTENSIVE BROWSING SIGNIFICANTLY LOWERS THE COVER AND HEIGHT OF INVASIVE SHRUBS, REDUCING COMPETITIVE PRESSURE ON NATIVE PLANTS. AND NUMBER FOUR, COMPLEMENTARY MANAGEMENT.

GOAT BROWSING CAN BE USED WITH MECHANICAL BRUSH CUTTING, MANUAL HAND PULLING, AND/OR CONTROLLED BIRDS.

PLEASE NOTE, I HAVE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP STAFF A LIST OF GOAT SCAPING SERVICES THAT CAN BE USED AS A RESOURCE GOING FORWARD, WHICH INCLUDES REASONABLE GOAT SCAPING SERVICES HERE IN OUR LOCAL AREA. I HOPE THAT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP BOARD AND STAFF EMPLOYEES WILL WELCOME MORE NATURAL GOAT SCAPING SERVICES IN THE FUTURE, AND ADDITIONALLY, I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT ALL NATURAL AND HOLISTIC OPTIONS WILL BE USED TO SAFEGUARD OUR HEALTH AND CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ELIMINATING ALL TOWNSHIP SYNTHETIC TOXIC CHEMICAL USE. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH AT THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOWER WOODS PRESERVE FOR THIS FUN AND EDUCATIONAL GOAT BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 6:12 P.M. ITEM 6

[6. TOWNSHIP MANAGER REPORT]

THE FIRST ONE IS I WANT TO THANK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR HOSTING THEIR ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE THIS PAST SUNDAY AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN, AND THANKS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR JOINING IN AS WELL. IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. ALL THE KIDS AND ADULTS, I THINK, HAD A LOT OF FUN MEETING THE FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, ENJOYING LOTS OF ACTIVITIES, AND THE DONUTS AND CIDER WEREN'T TOO BAD.

EVERYONE APPRECIATED THAT.

ALSO WANT TO SAY THANKS TO JACK HUGHES AND OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING, THE MANY VOLUNTEERS, AS WELL AS THE SPONSORS AND PARTNERS WHO ORGANIZED A VERY SUCCESSFUL ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT. A COUPLE SATURDAYS AGO, ON THE 26TH OF SEPTEMBER, THEY COLLECTED 23,000 POUNDS OF ELECTRONICS, WHICH IS JUST PHENOMENAL.

OVER 300 SMALL APPLIANCES, SO THEY ALSO SAW AN INCREASE.

THEY HAD ABOUT 800 PEOPLE THIS YEAR, AS UP FROM 600 THE YEAR PRIOR. SO, KUDOS TO ALL OF THEM, PUT IN A LOT OF TIME ON THAT EFFORT. AND THEN THE EVENT REMINDERS, OUR LAST LISTENING SESSION FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WILL BE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, SO 3

[00:15:01]

FOR RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT ATTEND, WE DO HAVE AN ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, AND LIKE ALL OF THE PRIOR ONES, WE'LL BE SUMMARIZING THE INFORMATION FROM THAT LISTENING SESSION.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 73 DEGREES TOMORROW. BEAUTIFUL WEATHER HERE WE'RE HAVING. IT'S PERFECT FOR OUTDOOR MUSIC. SO, DUE TO WEATHER CANCELLATIONS OVER THE SUMMER, PARKS AND RECREATION IS EXTENDING THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES OVER THE NEXT 3 WEEKS. SO, THOSE WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS AT 6:30 PM AT MARKETPLACE ON THE GREEN. THE FARMER'S MARKET IS STILL OPEN, OF COURSE, THROUGH OCTOBER FROM 3 TO 7, SO THERE'S SOME OVERLAP. SO, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EXTENDED NICE WEATHER AND, AND SEE SOME ADDITIONAL MUSIC.

AND THAT'S IT FOR ME THIS EVENING, UNLESS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF MANAGER DEMPSEY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS OF ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

I PLAN TO BE THERE, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN OUT WITH EMMA AND THE TEAM. I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE RESULTS. I WOULD ENCOURAGE, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO COME JOIN. I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THIS PROCESS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND EXCITED TO SEE IF IT CAN BE A, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR REPERTOIRE OF WORKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND I ALSO, WANT TO ECHO THE SHOUT OUT AS THE BOARD LIAISON TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ABOUT THE, EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THE BIRD CITY MERIDIAN, APPLICATION. YOU KNOW, RIGHT ON THAT BIRD CITY WEBSITE, IT SAYS IT'S ALL ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T JUST FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRYING TO GET TOGETHER AND SOLVE A PROBLEM. IT'S NOT JUST GOVERNMENT ON HIGH. THERE ARE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS WHO ARE PART OF THAT TEAM. THERE ARE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT TEAM. SO, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WHO AGREED TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY AND, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THE BIRDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH. CLERK DEMAS.

YES, THE CLERK'S OFFICE HELD A REGISTRATION DRIVE AT HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL A FEW WEEKS BACK, ON SEPTEMBER 23RD. ON SUNDAY I ATTENDED THE MERIDIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL, AND I WANT TO GIVE THANKS TO THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN FOR ANOTHER GREAT EVENT. LAST WEEK SOME FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND I TOURED THE NEW CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING. IT LOOKS PHENOMENAL. AND JUST A REMINDER TO VOTERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE, THERE'S STILL TIME TO REQUEST A BALLOT, SO DON'T WAIT AND MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TRUSTEE TREZISE. YES, I AM THE DESIGNEE TO THE INGHAM COUNTY MATERIALS MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, AND I'M HERE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY HAVE PUBLISHED A DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR INGHAM COUNTY. IT'S UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW, AND I JUST FOUND THE WEBSITE. I WILL BE SENDING THAT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND ASK THAT IT BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO PEOPLE WHO WISH TO COMMENT MAY DO SO. IT IS A DRAFT PLAN.

THERE WILL BE CHANGES, I'M SURE, AS A RESULT OF COMMENTS, WHICH ARE OPEN FROM, LET'S SEE, OCTOBER 27TH TO, NO, SEPTEMBER 25TH THROUGH, THIS IS WRONG. I WILL GET THE DATES. IT'S RIGHT HERE. NOVEMBER 24TH. TO NOVEMBER 24TH. I SKIPPED A LINE. YEP. SO, IT'S OPEN FOR ABOUT 50 DAYS, 60 DAYS, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD TO REVIEW IT, MAKE SUGGESTIONS, MAKE COMMENTS, BECAUSE IT WILL COME BACK TO US. THE STATE LAW REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE GOVERNING BODIES IN THIS COUNTY TO APPROVE THE FINAL PLAN, WHICH WILL BE SUBMITTED SOMETIME AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. GREAT, THANK YOU.

WE'LL HAVE A LOOK WHEN THAT LINK GETS SHARED AROUND. IT'S A LONG ONE. STRAP IN. OKAY. ANY OTHER REPORTS? I WILL ALSO ADD MY THANKS TO THE TEAM WORKING ON THE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING DAY. I TOOK PART IN THAT MYSELF, HAD SOME OLD APPLIANCES TO GET RID OF, AND THAT WAS A VERY CONVENIENT THING, ONLY TOOK A FEW MOMENTS, REALLY. I, I EXPECTED IT TO TAKE LONGER, AND THAT WAS REALLY REFRESHING, HOW QUICKLY THEY MOVED PEOPLE THROUGH THE LINE. ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THE FAMILY TO ATTEND THE PARKS

[00:20:01]

HAD A COUPLE OF VENDORS FROM OUR FARMERS MARKET SELLING SNACKS, AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD TIME.

LITTLE CHILLY, BUT THAT'S WHAT LATE SEPTEMBER WILL DO TO YOU AT NIGHT, BUT IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY EXCELLENT EVENT. ALSO, I MAY HAVE SHARED AT A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE OKEMOS SCHOOL DISTRICT, HAS ASKED ME TO BE A PART OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOND STEERING COMMITTEE. I'VE ATTENDED SEVERAL MEETINGS OF THAT, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. VERY EARLY STAGES, NOT A WHOLE LOT TO SHARE YET, BUT THEY'RE HAVING US TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW FACILITIES THAT ARE A PART OF THE CURRENT BOND CAMPAIGN, AND REVIEW SOME OF THE AGING FACILITIES THAT THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FUTURE NEEDS MIGHT BE. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT, NOTHING CONCRETE AT THIS TIME.

BUT AS SOON AS WE KNOW SOMETHING THAT'S REPORTABLE, I'LL LET YOU KNOW. I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR MY REPORT AT THIS MOMENT. SO, SEEING NO

[8. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

[9. CONSENT AGENDA]

GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBER, SUPERVISOR, MANAGER. SO, WE FOLLOWED OUR TYPICAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS, SET UP BY THE TOWNSHIP. WHAT WE, WE DRAFTED AN RFP, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD, AND THEN WE, I'M SORRY, IT WAS NOT. WE APPROVED, WE RECEIVED THE BIDS AND THE RFP WAS ISSUED FOR 2 WEEKS.

SO, WE ISSUED IT ON AUGUST 21ST. BIDS WERE DUE ON OCTOBER 4TH, WHICH IS PRETTY STANDARD FOR PARKS PROJECTS. WE USUALLY DO A 2-WEEK BID PROCESS. WE RECEIVED 1 BID FROM FRONTIER BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND ABATEMENT AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OTHER BIDS OR I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OTHER CALLS. A LOT OF TIMES I'LL GET QUESTIONS WHEN WE PUT OUT REQUESTS FOR, FOR BIDS. SO GIVEN, LOOKING AT THE, THE BID THAT CAME IN THROUGH FRONTIER, A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE CONSIDERED, OF COURSE THESE, THEY ARE A LICENSED BUILDER, THEY'RE A LICENSED LEAD CONTRACTOR. I PERSONALLY HAVE WORKED WITH THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACTOR FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN MY PREVIOUS ROLE AS THE SECTION MANAGER FOR THE LEAD SECTION AT MDHHS, IN WHICH WE REMODELED, IN MY TENURE, 5,000 HOUSES. AND THEN, SO HE'S ONE OF THE, THEY ARE ONE OF THE LEAD CONTRACTORS, THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST, BUT THEY'VE ALSO WORKED ON, THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE. THEY DID SOME RENOVATION OF THE HISTORICAL BARN, AND GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN LEAD WORK, THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN HISTORICAL, BUILDING WORK. SO THEY ARE, THEY HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THAT PROJECT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON TIME, WITHIN BUDGET, GREAT QUALITY. THE FRIENDS OF HISTORIC MERIDIAN WERE VERY, EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THEY ARE ALSO UNDER CONTRACT FOR, SOME REPAIRS TO THE TOLLGATE HOUSE, WHICH HAS A CEDAR SHAKE

[00:25:02]

IF ANYTHING WOULD COME IN DIFFERENT, LIKE WE HAVE WATER DAMAGE THERE, IF SOMETHING COMES UP, WE COULDN'T SEE, IT WOULD BE A CHANGE ORDER AT THAT POINT. OKAY. GOT IT.

THE OTHER LINE THAT I WAS SORT OF SURPRISED AT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A CONTRACTOR, I DON'T PRETEND TO, I DON'T PRETEND TO BE, HOWEVER, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING, WHICH I THINK IS TRULY AN INTERESTING AND GOOD IDEA, IS RUNNING POWER TO THE BALL FIELDS. IS THIS, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO BORE UNDERNEATH THE SITE, THE EXISTING PATHWAY THAT'S THERE? YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY LOW COST TO, TO MANAGE THAT TASK. YEAH, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD QUESTION.

SO, I WANTED TO REACH BACK OUT TO THE CONTRACTOR AND GET SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE BIDS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. I DID NOT HEAR BACK, BUT I CAN SAY IT IS LIKELY A DIRECTIONAL BORE FROM THE EXISTING PAVILION TO THE DUGOUTS. IT'S A LONG WAY, BUT WE'VE ALREADY GOT AN EXISTING PANEL, ELECTRICAL PANEL THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT, SO WE DON'T NEED TO UPGRADE THE PANEL, WHICH CAN BE VERY COSTLY, AS WE KNOW WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET. SO, IT'S REALLY JUST A DIRECTIONAL BORE AND AN OUTLET. WE HAVE THEM IN ALL THE REST OF OUR DUGOUTS, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THEM AT NANCY MOORE. WE ALSO DO A LOT OF EVENTS THAT IN THE WINTER YOU MIGHT SEE ALL THE BLOW UP DURING OUR EVENTS, SO HAVING, WE'VE USED GENERATORS IN THE PAST, SO THIS JUST ADDS TO SOME OF THAT EVENT PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING TOO, SO. IS THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BALL FIELDS THERE THAT WOULD REQUIRE POWER, I GUESS. WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT USED FOR WHEN IT'S NOT FOR INFLATABLES AND WHATNOT FOR EVENTS? SO, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S JUST USED BY THE TEAMS THEMSELVES. I SEE. YEAH, SO WHATEVER THEY MIGHT HAVE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S CELL PHONES.

SURE. BUT FOR PARKS ITSELF, IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ELECTRIC TO THAT PART OF THE, THE, THE PARK ITSELF. GOT IT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I, I JUST HAD THOSE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THAT, COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS SORT OF STUCK OUT AS ODD, BUT I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION. YEAH, APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE, WILL CLERK DEMAS PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? CLERK DEMAS, YES. TREASURER BURGHARDT? YES. YES. TRUSTEE LENTZ? YES.

TRUSTEE TREZISE? YES. TRUSTEE WILSON? YES. SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? YES. MOTION

[10.A. 2027 Budget–Adoption]

SO, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, FOR APPROVAL, IF YOU SO CHOOSE, IS THE 2027 BUDGET. AS, WAS OUTLINED IN THE MEMO BEFORE YOU, A COUPLE THINGS HAD BEEN UPDATED. THE BUDGET RESOLUTION WAS REORGANIZED TO BE A LITTLE BIT CLEARER. WE DO HAVE THE FINAL HEALTHCARE COST INCORPORATED INTO THIS, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT'S A SAVINGS OF THE GENERAL FUND OF JUST OVER 59,000 AND ABOUT 82,000 TOTAL ACROSS ALL FUNDS. AND THEN WE UPDATED THE FEE SCHEDULE PER THE DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING, AND THEN SOME OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES RELATING TO ACCURACY AROUND POSITION TITLES, AND THEN, JUST SOME CLEANUP WORK AS WELL.

SO, WE DID HAVE AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION AND QUESTION AND ANSWER OPPORTUNITY AT YOUR LAST BOARD MEETING.

HOWEVER, MYSELF AND DIRECTOR BLONDIE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO ANSWER ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR WALK THROUGH ANY OF IT, IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO APPROVE IT. I DO APOLOGIZE, THIS WAS ON ME. WE DIDN'T INCLUDE ACTUAL MOTION HERE, BUT THE MOTION WOULD SIMPLY BE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION, THE 2027 BUDGET RESOLUTION, AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE UPDATED BUDGET DOCUMENT.

SO, THAT RESOLUTION IS IN THAT ATTACHMENT AND AVAILABLE. SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CLARIFYING ELEMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU TO, MANAGER DEMPSEY AND DIRECTOR BLONDE FOR INCORPORATING THOSE CHANGES THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING AND FOR INDULGING HOURS OF DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS THE LAST MEETING.

[00:30:02]

IN THAT CASE, THANK YOU AGAIN.

WITH THAT SAID, I, MOVE TO ADOPT THE, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP 2027 BUDGET AS PRESENTED. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? TREZISE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COURT DEMAS. I JUST WANT TO THANK MANAGER DEMPSEY AND DIRECTOR BLONDE FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS BUDGET. I WILL NOTE, YOU KNOW, I, I AM REMISS TO SEE THAT THEIR VOTING EQUIPMENT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT IF NEEDED, IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE STATE FUNDING. SO, WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OTHER COMMENT? YEAH, THIS IS A BUDGET THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I THINK. I THINK WE'VE IN THE PAST SEEN A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PURSUE ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR BASIC FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE WHERE THE RISING PERSONNEL COSTS, ESPECIALLY WITH RELATION TO HEALTHCARE, HAVE LEFT US AT A POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE ON, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES. BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MEET OUR NEEDS.

WE'RE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, CUT THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS, MOST VALUE AND MOST NEED US TO PROVIDE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S OUR HOPE, CERTAINLY, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, THAT THIS WILL BE A SHORT-TERM, YOU KNOW, ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH, AND THAT NEXT YEAR AND THE YEARS TO FOLLOW, WE HAVE, STRONGER BUDGETARY WINS BEHIND US, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE.

BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR STATUTORY DUTIES. THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST RESPONSIBILITIES AS A BOARD, AND I APPRECIATE, THE, THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FROM STAFF, TO PUT TOGETHER A DOCUMENT THAT, REALLY REFLECTS THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THE GOALS THAT, WE'VE LAID FORTH FOR 2027. I LOOK FORWARD TO, SEEING THOSE COME TO FRUITION NEXT YEAR. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN TO MANAGER DEMPSEY, DIRECTOR BLONDE, ALL OF OUR M TEAM STAFF, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. I'LL BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, CLERK DEMAS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? TREASURER BURGHARDT? YES.

TRUSTEE LENTZ? YES. TRUSTEE TREZISE? YES. TRUSTEE WILSON? YES. CLERK DEMAS, YES.

SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON? YES.

MOTION CARRIES 6-0. THANK YOU

[10.B. Waiver for Allowed Work Hours–Hulett Road Paving]

THEY NEED TO DO THE WEARING COURSE. THE ISSUE AT HAND IS THAT, THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WHICH BISECT THE ROAD, OF COURSE, ARE CSX, RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR FLAGGERS ON SITE TO ENSURE PROPER MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITY WITHIN THE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY DURING THAT PAVING.

SO, WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO GET CSX TO GIVE US A FIRM SCHEDULE. THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THE PROCESS HAS BEEN RATHER TIME CONSUMING WITH THEM. WE SEEM TO HAVE AN INCREMENTAL AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS AND ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET THIS RESOLVED.

SO, IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING. WE HAVE MADE EFFORTS TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF OUR PARTNERS AT MDOT AND THE RAIL ASSOCIATION TO HELP MOVE THINGS ALONG. WE THINK WE'RE NOW MAKING PROGRESS THERE. HOWEVER, WHAT IT MAY REQUIRE IS THAT OUR CONTRACTOR MIGHT HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE BIT EXTRA ON THE COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE

[00:35:02]

I'M GIVING FLEXIBILITY HERE.

WE'RE SAYING UP TO 4 DAYS, AGAIN, LIKELY ONLY NEED 1 OR 2 DAYS, AND GOING UP TO 9 P.M., AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY STARTING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AS WELL.

WE DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT WE'LL NEED THAT TIME FRAME, BUT WE WANT TO HAVE IT IN PLACE BECAUSE THE SEASON IS GETTING SHORT HERE, AND THE ASPHALT PLANTS WILL BE WINDING DOWN HERE COME NOVEMBER, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE RESOLVED MUCH SOONER THAN THAT, BUT AGAIN, THIS GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY WE NEED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? TRUSTEE TREZISE. I THOUGHT, DEPUTY, DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER AND MR. DEMPSEY PUT TOGETHER A VERY CLEAR EXPLANATION OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO GET CSX TO WORK WITH US TO FINISH THE LAST ROUGHLY 100 FEET PAVING SO THAT, WE DON'T HAVE A GAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, AND I CERTAINLY, WHILE I'M NOT EXCITED ABOUT EXTENDING THE DAY FOR WORK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, I UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS AND WE NEED TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THE SNOW FLIES. SO, I WOULD MOVE TO WAIVE THE OPERATING HOURS RESTRICTION IN CHAPTER 50-84, PAREN 4, CLOSE PAREN OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ALLOW THE TOWNSHIP'S CONTRACTORS TO WORK OUTSIDE OF 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M., BUT NO EARLIER THAN 6 A.M. AND NO LATER THAN 9 P.M.

FOR NO MORE THAN 4 DAYS FROM OCTOBER 7 TO OCTOBER 30 FOR THE COMPLETION OF. SORRY, NOVEMBER. OCTOBER 7 TO NOVEMBER 30. DID I SAY OCTOBER? YOU DID. NOVEMBER 30 FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE HEWLETT ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT. SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY TRUSTEE TREZISE, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE WILSON.

FURTHER DISCUSSION? CLERK DEMAS. I JUST HAD A LOGISTICAL QUESTION FOR YOU, MANAGER DEMPSEY. SO, THIS MOTION, OBVIOUSLY SINCE IT'S COMING TO THE BOARD, I'M ASSUMING THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT, THIS MOTION, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, WAIVE THESE OPERATING, HOURS WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE ORDINANCE. LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE OR ANYTHING, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

RIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, THEN I WOULD. YEAH. IT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THE TOWNSHIP BOARDS IN THE PAST HAVE DONE THIS FOR OTHER PROJECTS AS NEEDED.

SO, WE TRY TO ONLY DO IT IN THE MOST EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.

I THINK THE LAST TIME, MAYBE THE LAST TIME WE DID IT WAS ON THE OKEMOS ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT. I THINK IT WAS GRAND RIVER. WAS IT GRAND RIVER TOO? GRAND RIVER ROAD. WELL, THERE BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE, A COUPLE OF PROJECTS, NOT OURS. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF OURS, I THINK, THAT WE'VE HAD TO EXTEND THE HOURS FOR.

BUT YEAH, THERE WERE SEVERAL, SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT, THAT HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THEIR SCHEDULE THAT, WE'VE WAIVED THIS FOR TO TRY TO EXPEDITE THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, THEN I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING OR SUPPORTING THIS OPTION.

TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEP. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. MY ONLY QUESTION IS, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOLS KNOW ABOUT THE, POTENTIAL JUST WITH THAT 6 TO 7 AM, I IMAGINE THERE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SOME PARENTS IF THIS DOES COME UP WHERE, YEAH, SO MAKING SURE THEY'RE FULLY AWARE AND MAYBE AN EXCUSED, TARDY WOULDN'T BE THE WORST THING WHEN TALKING ABOUT RAIL, THE LOGISTICS OF RAILROADS.

YEAH, AND TALKING TO DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER TODAY, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT PIECE OF IT IS PROBABLY QUITE LOW.

OKAY. BUT NONETHELESS, WE HAVE BEEN IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON ALL OF OUR ONGOING ROAD PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING. SO, WE WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT AS NEEDED.

YEP. THANK YOU. YEAH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE BEFORE. I THINK THE, THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT THIS IS IN A, A MORE RESIDENTIAL AREA, THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO IT. I'VE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS. THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD, OR IT'S NEARBY TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD ANYWAY, AND SO FOLKS KNOW WHERE I AM, AND THEY'LL SEEK ME OUT. AND, THE, THE SENTIMENT AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I CAN'T CLAIM TO HAVE SPOKEN TO EVERYONE, SEEMS TO BE JUST FINISH IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT REALLY HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE JUNE IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN PLANNED FOR A LOT LONGER THAN THAT.

AND I DO WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT DEPUTY MANAGER OPSOMMER, OUR ENGINEERING TEAM,

[00:40:04]

I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ORGANIZATION AS INTRACTABLE AS THIS, AS THE RAILROADS HAVE BEEN. AND THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING. THEY ARE, THEY ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK WITH, AND CSX HAS THROWN UP A DIFFERENT ROADBLOCK AT SEEMINGLY EVERY TURN, AND IT'S BEEN EXCEEDINGLY FRUSTRATING, AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS DON'T SEE, WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES. THEY SEE A HALF-PAVED ROAD, AND THEY ASSUME THAT WE SIMPLY ARE BEHIND SCHEDULE OURSELVES, OR THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, AT FAULT FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN, WHEN IN FACT, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE CSX RAILROAD FOR ALL OVER A YEAR AND HAVE BEEN WORKING EVEN WITH INCREASING INTENSITY OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PREPARATIONS ARE IN PLACE. AND THAT HAS INCLUDED NOT ONLY OUR STAFF, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF AT MDOT, AT THE STATE, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS, OUR US REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL HAVE BEEN PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE RAILROADS TO TRY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, AND WE HAVE ACCOMMODATED EVERY REQUEST THAT THEY HAVE MADE OVER THE LAST 60 DAYS, WHICH HAVE BORDERED ON EXCESSIVE. WELL, NO, THEY ARE EXCESSIVE, BUT THEY'VE BORDERED ON SILLY, ASKING FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF OUR INSURANCE CERTIFICATE WITH, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THEY ASK FOR A CHANGE, WE PROVIDE IT. THEY ASK FOR A SECOND CHANGE, WE PROVIDE IT. AND IT IS, I HOPE, GOING TO BE COMING TO AN END VERY SOON. YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEMINGLY GETTING SOME PROGRESS AND COMMUNICATION FROM THEM NOW, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

AND SO, IT IS MY, FERVENT HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET MOVING ON THIS RELATIVELY QUICKLY, AND THAT WHEN WE DO START, THE PROCESS WILL BE VERY SPEEDY BECAUSE WE ARE READY TO GO AS SOON AS THEY ARE. AND THE INCREASING OF THE WORK HOURS HERE WILL HELP TO EXPEDITE THAT EVEN FURTHER. SO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT. FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THIS IS A VOICE VOTE FOR A WAIVER OF OUR ORDINANCE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT ITEM ON

[11.A. Lake Lansing Lake Level Control Structure Special Assessment District]

THAT'S A TONGUE TWISTER. LAKE LANSING LAKE LEVEL. AND WE HAVE, YOUNES ISHRAIDI HERE TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

YES. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND TOWNSHIP MANAGER. AGAIN, I'M YOUNES ISHRAIDI, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP ENGINEER. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OPSOMMER ASKED ME TO, COVER FOR HIM TONIGHT TO GO OVER THIS ITEM. AS YOU PROBABLY READ THE MEMO, BASICALLY IT DETAILS THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP RELATED TO THE LAKE LANSING, LET'S JUST CALL IT DAM PROJECT, IT'S A LEVEL CONTROL STRUCTURE.

AND THERE WERE SOME DISCREPANCIES IN THE WAY THE ASSESSMENTS WERE CALCULATED.

BASICALLY, THERE WERE 19 PARCELS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE ASSESSMENT RULE THAT WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, AND THAT WAS FOUND AFTER THE ASSESSMENTS WERE CALCULATED AND PEOPLE STARTED PAYING. SO NOW, WITH THE PROJECT ALREADY STARTING, TO GO BACK AND REDO THE ASSESSMENTS AND RE- CONFIGURE ALL THESE THINGS WOULD HAVE COST A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DELAYS ON THE PROJECT. SO, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS WAS TO COVER THESE COSTS, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN, THE COUNTY ASKED THE TOWNSHIP TO HELP THEM TO COVER THESE COSTS, BY PROVIDING A SHARED, COST.

DAN DETAILED THE WAY, THE TWO WAYS TO DO IT. THE FIRST OPTION WAS A 67%, 33% COST SHARE, AND THE OTHER OPTION IS 75 TO 25. BASICALLY, IF YOU GO, IF YOU GO WITH THE 67% 33% OPTION, TOWNSHIP COSTS WOULD END UP BEING ABOUT 7,000 DOLLARS, AND THE COUNTIES ABOUT 14

[00:45:01]

WE ALSO POINT OUT, OR DAN RATHER POINTED OUT, THAT WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE TO COVER THAT COST, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. THERE THERE WON'T BE ANY NEED FOR ANY BUDGET AMENDMENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU. WE ALREADY HAVE THAT MONEY, AND WE THINK IT CAN BE APPROPRIATED, APPROPRIATED FOR THIS, GOAL HERE. LET'S SEE. THAT'S BASICALLY IT. THAT ASSESSMENT ROLE IS NOT, PERFECT. IT WOULD STILL NEED TO GO BACK TO COURT, TO THE COURT, DISTRICT COURT TO FIX IT, BUT THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD. THE FOCUS WAS TO GET THIS ASSESSMENT OUT AND SO THEY COULD SELL THE BONDS AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND GET THE PROJECT DONE, THIS YEAR.

INCIDENTALLY, THE PROJECT HAS ALREADY STARTED, IF YOU, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN THIS.

SO, I WAS OUT THERE ON THE SITE YESTERDAY, AND I NOTICED THAT THEY, WERE GETTING READY, AND THEY ARE, BY NOW I'M THINKING THEY ALREADY SUNK THE SHEET PILES THAT THEY NEED TO CREATE THE COFFERDAM. SO YEAH, THE WORK IS PROCEEDING, AND THAT'S IN PART ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WANTED TO DO THIS. WE DON'T WANT TO DELAY THIS. ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE WAS A GRANT THAT, THAT THE COUNTY HAD FROM THE STATE TO ASSIST WITH THIS, TO ASSIST WITH THESE COSTS. SO, I GUESS, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, BUT I GUESS TONIGHT IT'S JUST A DISCUSSION. SO, DAN WOULD HAVE, IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, DAN COULD ALSO ADDRESS THEM.

I'M ASSUMING THE NEXT BOARD MEETING FOR, ACTION.

TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE WILSON. YOUNES, DOES IT MATTER THAT IF YOU GO WITH THE 6733 SHARE, THAT IT WOULD STRIP OUT ALL AVAILABLE FUNDS IN THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ACCOUNT? DO YOU TRY TO LEAVE SOME MONEY IN THERE, IS MY QUESTION.

ACTUALLY, IT JUST HAPPENED THAT THIS YEAR WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T, WE HAVE THAT MONEY, AND IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED FROM THAT FUND WOULD BE COVERED, SO IT WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE AT ALL TO USE THAT MONEY. IT COMES OUT OF 2026 BUDGET, RIGHT? YES, THE CURRENT BUDGET.

OKAY. AND I HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIRD TABLE.

THE WHAT, WHICH ONE? THERE'S A THIRD TABLE ON PAGE 2 OF YOUR MEMO. YEAH. OKAY, SO, SO THIS DAN PROVIDED 2 OPTIONS, BUT REALLY THERE'S A THIRD OPTION. OKAY. WHICH BASICALLY TO USE THE RATIO THAT WAS YOU, THAT THE COUNTY PAID OVER FOR THE ENTIRE ASSESSMENT AND OUR RATIO. SO, THEIR RATIO OF THE ENTIRE, ASSESSMENT WAS 0.918% OF ROUGHLY 2 MILLION SOMETHING, $2 MILLION 300,000 AND THAT'S WHAT YOU COME UP WITH, 19. OUR RATIO WOULD HAVE BEEN 0.08%, LESS THAN 1% OF THE 2 MILLION. SO, IF YOU USE THAT FORMULA, IT WOULD BE VERY VAST DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT WE WOULD PAY, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM TO ME FAIR, OR I GUESS, TO SETTLE THE COUNTY WITH THAT MUCH MORE. IT'S NOT REALLY COST SHARING, BASICALLY. RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY.

IS THERE AN OPINION AS TO WHICH DIRECTION, THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING TO GO? IF YOU ASK ME, AND I THINK DAN IS LEANING THAT WAY AS WELL, I WOULD SAY OPTION ONE. OKAY.

AND IF I COULD ADD TO THAT TOO, IF YOU REMEMBER THE HISTORY OF THIS, INITIALLY THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT WAS GOING TO BE A MUCH LARGER OBLIGATION FOR THE TOWNSHIP. YEAH. SO, THE FACT THAT IT SORT OF SHIFTED FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSION TO THE ROAD DEPARTMENT, THEN REALLY SORT OF COUNTY, THE COUNTY CONTROLLER GOT INVOLVED, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT ON WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE THAT THE COUNTY BEAR A LARGER PROPORTION OF THIS, IN PART BECAUSE OF THE METHODOLOGY RIGHT BEHIND ASSESSING THE FRONTAGE AND THE USAGE OF LAKE FRONTAGE VERSUS A LOT OF OUR LAND, WHICH IS NOT ACTIVE RECREATION, RIGHT? WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE EXERCISE, AND THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE.

I THINK WE HAD A GOOD PARTNERSHIP HERE, AND I THINK FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE AND TO YOUNES' POINT THAT OPTION ONE IS PROBABLY PREFERRED, I THINK IT DEMONSTRATES A GOOD PARTNERSHIP HERE BECAUSE WE HAD, IN THE END OF THIS, WE SAVE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS BY WORKING THIS OUT. SO, WE FELT THIS COULD BE A GOOD SORT OF WAY TO EXTEND THAT

[00:50:02]

AND THE FACT WE HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE. OF COURSE, YEAH.

YEAH. TRUSTEE TREZISE. YEAH, AND I WAS OKAY WITH ALL THIS UNTIL I GOT TO THE LAST COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS, AND IT SAYS, I REVIEWED THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT AND ROLE. WE FOUND THAT 204 PARCELS NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DISTRICT. MM-HMM. AND THERE WAS ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT 19. 21 TO ADD. 21 TO ADD.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THOSE 204 PARCELS ARE REMOVED TO THE ASSESSMENTS TO THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS? AND MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THE ONE TO ASK, MAYBE DAN IS, OR MAYBE THE MAN. I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION IS. WELL, YOU'RE GONNA, THIS SAYS WE SHOULD REMOVE 204 PARCELS FROM THE, DISTRICT, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSESSED WITHIN THE DISTRICT? WHERE DOES THAT MONEY COME FROM NOW? DOES IT GET SPREAD AMONGST THE REMAINING YEARS? OKAY. SO THAT, THAT PART OF IT IS THE FUTURE.

IT'S NOT PART OF THIS AT ALL. IT'S NOT COVERING THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS THE DAM.

SO, MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE COST MAINTENANCE MAINLY THAT WILL HAVE TO BE, ASSESSED. THAT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER, BASED ON THAT NEW SAD, RULE THAT WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO DISTRICT COURT. OH, THIS IS A COURT. IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT. THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.

YEAH. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, YOUNES AND DAN STEAD. CURIOUS IF YOU COULD WALK THROUGH HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS THIS DISCREPANCY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, TAKING OFF OF SOME, ADDING ON OF OTHERS IS A FUTURE, ASPECT OF THIS, BUT FOR SAKE OF PROPERTY OWNERS KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE PART OF, WHAT THEY'RE NOT, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS ALMOST A MOVING TARGET, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN YOU WALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS JUST SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND A BIT BETTER? I FEEL FREE TO MAKE, I'LL TRY MY BEST BECAUSE ON THIS, THE WAY THAT WHEN THIS, THIS WHOLE THING STARTED, THE COUNTY DRAIN OFFICE WAS STILL, WHAT WE CALL THE DELEGATED AGENCY THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, TASKED TO US TO, ADMINISTER THIS, THIS, DAM. SO, THEY RELIED ON A VERY OLD ASSESSMENT ROLE FROM, I'M, I'M THINKING HERE, 90S.

MM. AND THAT ONE WAS PRETTY BAD, WAY OFF. IT HAD WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS. SO, IN THE INTEREST OF MAKING THINGS MORE EQUITABLE AND PRECISE, IF YOU WILL, WE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY AND PUTTING TOGETHER A REVISED ASSESSMENT ROLE. AND WHILE WE ALSO, PROVIDED SPREADSHEET, THEY ALSO HIRED THEIR OWN CONSULTANT, THE COUNTY DID.

AND WE TRIED TO, BASICALLY WORK OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.

SO, IN ESSENCE, THERE WERE SOME ERRORS IN THE ORIGINAL ROLE, BUT IT GOT BETTER USING, THE, LET'S JUST SAY THE COMBINED OR REFINED NEW ROLE. IT WASN'T PERFECT BY ANY MEANS. THERE WAS SOME, THE ISSUE WITH THIS THING IS YOU CAN'T REALLY CHANGE THE RULE WITHOUT GOING TO DISTRICT COURT. SO, ONCE WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE PARCELS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THERE THAT SHOULDN'T BE THERE, DIDN'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS, THEY SHOULD NOT BE THERE. SO THOSE WERE ASSIGNED ZERO ASSESSMENTS, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FIX THIS IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, THERE WERE ALSO THESE ONES THAT WE, GOT ASSESSED THAT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. IT WAS DISCOVERED AFTER THE BIDS WERE OUT AND AFTER EVERYTHING WAS ESTABLISHED, AND, WHEN THE PEOPLE GOT STARTED GETTING THE NOTICES, IT WAS WHY AM I BEING ASSESSED, THIS AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE DECIDED NOT TO CHARGE THEM, AND THE COUNTY AND THE TOWNSHIP WILL PICK UP THE SLACK ON THIS, WHICH IS THAT DIFFERENCE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO, WHILE IT WAS

[00:55:01]

THAT'S WHEN WE DISCOVERED IT.

THOSE WERE NOT INCLUDED.

MM-HMM. BUT YOU STILL HAD THOSE 19. RIGHT. YEAH. SO, I GUESS THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THERE IS, AND MAYBE, MANAGER DEMPSEY, THIS WOULD BE FOR YOU. IF, IF WE HAVE MORE UP-TO-DATE, INFORMATION THAN THE COUNTY IS USING, IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO COLLABORATE BEFORE, THE DRAINAGE OFFICE SETS THAT, OR JUST, JUST SO THAT THERE ISN'T THIS ISSUE IN THE FUTURE? AM I NOT UNDERSTANDING WHERE OUR ROLE BEGINS AND ENDS ON THIS? WELL, I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE ISSUES. ONE IS THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY, GOOD DATA IN OUR RECORDS EITHER. SOME OF YOURS SORT OF HAVING TITLE SEARCHES AND ACTUALLY FIGURING OUT WHAT'S CURRENT. I THINK NOW THAT WE HAVE CLEAR DATA, WE CAN NOW PUT THAT INTO OUR BS&A SYSTEM GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? SO THAT HOPEFULLY WILL STAY. I THINK THE ISSUE PROBABLY, AND YOUNES CAN PROBABLY COMMENT ON THIS ONE, YOU USE AN OLDER ROLE, THERE'S SOME PRESUMPTION THAT THAT WORK HAD BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, BUT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DONE.

YEAH, RIGHT? SO. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR VERIFYING THAT. WELL, IF I COULD HOP ON TO THAT TRAIN OF, OF QUESTIONING. I MEAN, TYPICALLY THE TOWNSHIP WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AT ALL IN ANY OF THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? THE ONLY REASON WE WERE IS BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEMATIC ROLE.

YEAH. A PROBLEMATIC ROLE THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED, AND B, A POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS BECAUSE, ABSOLUTELY, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE VOTER ROLE OR THE, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLE WITHOUT HAVING TO ENGAGE A CONTRACTOR WHO ALMOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE CHARGED A TON OF MONEY TO DO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

AND SO, YEAH, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP'S REVIEW, CLEAR UP A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE PROBLEMS. SOME OF THEM SLIPPED THROUGH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS, THESE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE, THESE, YOU KNOW, 21,000 DOLLARS THAT NEEDS TO BE COVERED, IS THAT THIS REPRESENTS THE X PROPERTIES, 19 PROPERTIES, OR WHATEVER IT IS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I WANT TO SECOND THAT POINT. IF, IF WE DID NOT GET INVOLVED, WE, WE WOULD HAVE PAID, LET'S JUST SAY IT, A LOT, LOT MORE THAN WHAT WE END UP PAYING, PAID BECAUSE THE FORMULA THAT WE'RE USING WAS VERY, DISADVANTAGEOUS FOR US.

SO, IT WAS A KEY DECISION THAT WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS, AND I THINK IT WORKED OUT FOR THE BEST. APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. THANK YOU.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I'D BE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. IF NOTHING ELSE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION IS, YOU KNOW, NAME OF THE GAME ON A LOT OF THESE, A LOT OF THIS WORK. SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT, ALL THAT. CLERK DEMAS. SO, ON PAGE 2 OF THE, THE MEMO DETAILS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING A REFUND AS ONE OF OUR PARCELS WAS MISTAKENLY ASSESSED. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 18 PARCELS? DO WE KNOW IF THEY WILL BE RECEIVING REFUNDS? THE 19 PARCELS THAT WERE INCLUDED, AND NOW WE'RE TAKING THEM OUT? YES. YEAH, THEY GET, THEY, THEY'RE GONNA GET REFUNDED.

THAT'S WHY THERE'S A SHORTAGE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, TRYING TO. OKAY. I, I JUST WANTED TO RECEIVE CONFIRMATION THAT THAT'S THE CASE, AND THEN, WERE THE YEAH, YEAH. ASSUMING PROPERTY OWNERS YEAH, THEY WILL GET, THEY WILL, MAYBE THEY ALREADY GOT REFUNDED, I DON'T KNOW. WELL, IT DEPENDS, IT'S CASE BY CASE. SOME OWNERS PAY UPFRONT IN ITS ENTIRETY, SO THEY GET THE FULL REFUND.

SOME MAY HAVE ONLY PAID THE INITIAL, DEPENDING ON THE ASSESSMENT TIMING, SO IT, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE. OKAY, AND THEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED ACCORDINGLY BY, LIKE, THE COUNTY, I WOULD ASSUME.

YEAH. BY THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY NOTICED THEM. THEY DIDN'T PAY US, THEY PAID THE COUNTY. I ASKED JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE, CONCERNED PROPERTY OWNERS THAT I FEEL LIKE DID BRING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION PREVIOUSLY. I JUST, I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT THIS IS GOING BEFORE THE COUNTY, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AS WELL, SO THEY WILL BE DOING THE SAME THING, SO THEY HAVE TO APPROVE IT. OKAY. THAT WAS JUST MY QUESTION. YEAH. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE ACTION THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO TAKE HERE IS US MAKING IT RIGHT FOR THOSE PARCELS THAT SHOULDN'T BE PAYING, THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PAY. IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL, IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OUR SCHEME OF BUDGETING, SMALL AMOUNT, TO HELP TO MAKE IT RIGHT FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PAY FOR THIS ASSESSMENT ANYWAY. I AM OKAY WITH, WITH THE 6733, SHARE WITH

[01:00:02]

THANK YOU. YOU HAVE TO SEE DAN. I WILL SEE DAN BACK NEXT

[11.B. Future Direction of Youth Commission]

DIRECTOR CLARK IS HERE TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS ONE.

DIRECTOR CLARK. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. SO, THE, INAUGURAL SESSION OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION WAS CONDUCTED LAST, BEGINNING LAST SEPTEMBER, SO 2025 TO 2026.

OUR LAST SESSION FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION ENDED MAY 18TH, 2026. MAY 19TH, 2026, WE STARTED SUBMITTING REQUESTS TO BOTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR SUPPORT OF THEIR APPLICATION TO RECEIVE A NEW SESSION OF YOUTH COMMISSION MEMBERS.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE INVITED ANY INAUGURAL MEMBERS TO LET ME KNOW BY, THE END OF JULY OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE REAPPOINTED, TO A POSITION FOR THE FOLLOWING OR UPCOMING SESSION. BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A DISCUSSION OF STAFF HOPING TO GET SOME DIRECTION, REGARDING THE YOUTH COMMISSION BECAUSE IT HAS A SUNSET DATE IN THE ORDINANCE. THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AMENDING THAT ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION.

IN ADDITION, THE YOUTH COMMISSION ARE ASKING FOR SPECIFIC TASKS TO BE ASSIGNED TO THEM SO THEY CAN FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER DIRECTION, BUT THAT THEY ALSO CAN FEEL, MORE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ENDEAVORS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY. SO, IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THERE WAS A, STRONG OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PARTICIPATION ON THE BOARD. WE ONLY HAD 2 HASLETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS, ON THAT BODY AT THE TIME, AND MANY OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, THEIR OKEMOS ACTION, RIGHT? SO, THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH COMING TOGETHER, MAKING A PLAN, HOSTING EVENTS, AND ESSENTIALLY HAVING THE KIND OF THE, THE RUN OF THE, THE SHOW TO BE ABLE TO ENACT, THEIR VISION. HOWEVER, IN THIS CAPACITY AS AN ADVISORY BOARD, THEY WERE MUCH MORE LIMITED.

SOME OF THE MEETINGS FOCUSED ON PARLIAMENTARY AND GOVERNMENT EDUCATION, WHICH WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED BECAUSE BOTH SCHOOLS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT TEACHING GOVERNMENT, AND THEY BOTH HAVE MULTIPLE STUDENT UNION OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES FOR THE STUDENTS TO GET A FAMILIARITY WITH, PARLIAMENTARY SERVICES, AS WELL AS OUR CHAIR, IS THE CHILD OF A PREVIOUS OKEMOS SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT, SO THAT THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT. THEIR DRIVE IS ABOUT TAKING ACTION. SO, WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD THIS EVENING. ONE IS SHOULD THE, DOES THE BOARD WANT TO AUTHORIZE THE CONTINUATION OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION? IT'S OCTOBER, STAFF DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING UP WITH A PLAN WITHOUT KNOWING THE LONGEVITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE YOUTH COMMISSION YEAR DOESN'T FOLLOW OUR JANUARY TO DECEMBER CALENDAR YEAR. IT HAS TO BE A SEPTEMBER TO MAY. AND FROM THIS SUMMER, WE RECOGNIZED WE WERE PRETTY SPOT ON. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET YOUTH ATTENTION AND FAMILIES ATTENTION, SCHOOLS ATTENTION DURING THE SUMMER, AND SO THAT SHOULD BE A BREAK TIME.

FOLLOWED BY WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES WOULD THE YOUTH COMMISSION SERVE TO SERVE THE TOWNSHIP, TO SERVE THE BOARD. THERE ARE SEVERAL MODELS OF YOUTH COMMISSIONS IN, THE STATE, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO DO A CITIZEN ADVISORY OR GOVERNANCE PARLIAMENTARY EDUCATION. I THINK THIS IS MORE, THE DESIRE OF THE YOUTH IS MORE TO BE ABLE TO, POINT TO SOMETHING IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE DONE, AND SOMETHING THAT IS A TASK THAT MAY BE ASSIGNED TO THEM. SO THEN AGAIN, WHAT SPECIFIC TASKS OR OBJECTIVES WOULD BE DELEGATED TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION? SO, I PROVIDED THE RESOLUTION, SOME MINUTES FROM THEIR MEETING. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION, AND LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU. JUST AS A SUPPLEMENT TO DIRECTOR CLARK'S, MEMORANDUM, I'LL ALSO POINT OUT, THAT INITIALLY WE RECEIVED ONLY SOME APPLICATIONS FROM OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FOLKS FOR THIS YEAR'S, YOUTH COMMISSION. THAT APPLICATION WINDOW WAS EXTENDED AND FURTHER ADVERTISED, AND WE DID GET A NUMBER

[01:05:02]

AND I WOULD SAY THAT IN GENERAL, FOR OTHER ITEMS THAT, THIS BOARD AND PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT DATES AND WHATNOT, WE HAVE USED THE SUMMER FOLLOWING THE CURRENT BOARD'S TERM AS OUR GUIDEPOST.

AND SO, IN MY MIND, IF WE ARE GOING TO EXTEND IT, THE BEST TIME THAT I WOULD SUGGEST, WOULD BE, JUNE 30TH, 2029. AS THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD GIVE THE STUDENTS WHO THIS BOARD, APPOINTS, TIME TO FINISH THEIR TERMS, AND THEN IF THE NEXT BOARD, THAT GETS ELECTED IN 2028 WISHES TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE YOUTH COMMISSION, THEY WOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ONCE THEY TAKE OFFICE. SO THAT'S ON THE SUNSET DATE, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST. I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION ON THAT, ON THOSE TOPICS THUS FAR, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT, IF ANY, SPECIFIC DIRECTION, MORE SPECIFIC DIRECTION WE'D LIKE TO GIVE. ANY BOARD MEMBERS WISH TO COMMENT ON THAT? TRUSTEE TREZISE. I'D COMMENT ON THE EXTENSION. I'M FULLY IN FAVOR OF IT. YOUR SUGGESTION OF CHANGING THEIR APPOINTMENT DATES FROM JUNE TO JUNE MAKES, OR FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE MAKES SENSE, AND ALSO THE TERMINATION DATE. I BELIEVE 2020 HINDSIGHT, WHAT IT IS, WE SET THE LIMIT OR THE SUNSET TOO SOON BECAUSE IT, THE FIRST YEAR IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY CAN DO, AND GETTING A SYSTEM TOGETHER.

SO, I THINK THE EXTENSION THROUGH JUNE OF 2029 MAKES EMINENT SENSE. AS FAR AS THEIR DUTIES, THAT GETS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THE SUNSET OR THE EXTENSION? OKAY, SEEMS LIKE THAT'S QUESTION ASKED, ASKED AND ANSWERED THERE.

WITH REGARD TO SOME SPECIFIC ISSUES, I DID GIVE THIS SOME THOUGHT, AS, YOU KNOW, I WAS CONSIDERING THIS AGENDA ITEM, BEFORE THE MEETING TONIGHT. AND I THINK WE'VE GOT AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME FOR, MORE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT, AND INPUT ON SOME OF OUR, EVENTS AND DOCUMENTS THAT WE ARE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF, REVIEWING.

AND I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARKS MASTER PLAN, WE ARE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH. I THINK IT WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO HAVE THEM REVIEW THAT AND OFFER ANY THOUGHTS OR GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THAT. I THINK WE HAVE OUR, TRIANNUAL SURVEY, OUR CITIZEN SURVEY COMING UP IN 2027. HAVING THEM GET INVOLVED EARLIER, IN THAT PROCESS, SEE IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE OUR RESIDENTS TO, TO SEE AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, ON THAT TOPIC AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS ARE ALL TEENS. I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING TO HAVE THEM MORE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING OF OUR CELEBRATE MERIDIAN EVENT, AND SPECIFICALLY OUR TEEN NIGHT, AT THE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN. I THINK THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXISTING EVENTS THAT THEY CAN HAVE MORE OF A, A PRESENCE AT, AND ALSO A HAND IN, IN MAKING SOMETHING THAT'S EXCITING TO THEM AND TO THEIR COHORTS.

AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AT LENGTH, AND I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT,

[01:10:01]

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, WITH THE ROAD DEPARTMENT, AND WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

BUT IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO SCHOOL, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THEM WEIGH IN ON WHAT FUTURE PLANS, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND WHAT WAYS, YOU KNOW, THEIR INPUT CAN HELP TO GUIDE AND SHAPE WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE, WHICH MAY BE THE TOUGHEST TO TACKLE, BUT MAY BE THE MEATIEST TOPIC TO TALK ABOUT, IS E-BIKE SAFETY AND REGULATION. WE'VE BEEN HEARING, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, FROM RESIDENTS, CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE AND PREVALENCE OF, E-BIKES IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THERE'S A SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE WHO RANGE FROM WE LOVE IT, WHO CARES, THESE ARE KIDS GETTING OUTSIDE AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES, TO IT'S A MENACE AND IT'S UNSAFE ON THE ROAD. AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE YOUTH COMMISSION, PERHAPS COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, TO TALK THROUGH WHAT, IF ANY, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS THEY HAVE ON THE POTENTIAL REGULATION OF E-BIKES HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP. SO THOSE WERE FIVE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT.

I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AND COME UP WITH, THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE AS WELL.

TRUSTEE BURGHARDT. YEAH, I KIND OF KEYED IN ON THEIR, ISSUE CONCERNING, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, AND, I WORKED IN THE PAST LIFE, FOR NAMI, THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, MICHIGAN CHAPTER, AND THERE IS, THERE ARE AFFILIATES, LIKE NAMI LANSING THAT PROVIDE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE, ADULTS AND YOUTH WHO ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. SO, I CAN HELP IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN CONNECTING THE YOUTH COMMISSION WITH THOSE RESOURCES, TO BRING MORE FOCUS, ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND MORE, RESOURCES FOR THEM TO ACCESS.

TERRIFIC, THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LENTZ. YEAH, CONSIDERING THEIR MENTION OF EVENTS IN PARTICULAR, I WONDER IF LIKE A MENTAL HEALTH NIGHT OR SOMETHING. I KNOW MSU DOES LIKE THE, I THINK IT'S LIKE THE SCREAM TRADITION WHERE THEY ALL GET TOGETHER AND THEY SCREAM BECAUSE IT'S FINALS NIGHT, MAYBE SOMETHING AROUND ALONG THE SAME THING, LIKE THEY CAN PICK WHAT THAT FORMAT IS.

MAYBE IT'S A QUIET, CHILL, JUST WEEKEND, OR NOT WEEKEND, EVENING, EVENING, AS THEY CHOOSE, OR MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING TO LET OFF SOME STEAM AROUND THAT. I MEAN, I AGREE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE, CONSIDERING WE DID HAVE GUESTS COME IN AND MENTION THAT IN PARTICULAR, AND THAT MIGHT COMBINE THEIR DESIRE FOR AN EVENT OF SOME KIND.

MM-HMM. SO, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OTHERS. I APPRECIATE, ALL, ALL OF YOUR IDEAS, SUPERVISOR. YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING HOW MUCH, WE AS A BOARD SAW A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VIDEOS WE SHOT FOR THE MERIDIAN PARKS, MAYBE ASKING THEM TO HAVE SOME WAY, SOME INVOLVEMENT WITH, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA, FOR THE TOWNSHIP, LIKE, YOU KNOW, 5 SECOND VIDEO OF, OF EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION, OF THEIR FAVORITE THING IN MERIDIAN OR THEIR HOMETOWN, AND I, THEY CAN CHOOSE WHAT THEY THINK MAKES SENSE AS FAR AS THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK, WE BENEFIT FROM THE COMMUNITY HAVING SEEN THOSE VIDEOS AND ENGAGING IN SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE, LIKE, MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOUTH EVEN MORE SO ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO MAYBE THEY COULD HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT THEY ENJOY ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. SO THOSE ARE THE, FEW THAT CAME TO MIND, YEAH, THAT YOU HADN'T MENTIONED ALREADY, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH THE CELEBRATE MERIDIAN. I THINK THAT'S A REAL GOOD IDEA.

TRUSTEE WILSON. WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL ORDINANCE ON THIS AND LOOKED AT SECTION 02, WHICH IS THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION. IT SAYS THE YOUTH COMMISSION WILL ENCOURAGE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, MENTAL HEALTH, COMMUNITY EVENTS, CULTURAL APPRECIATION, DIVERSITY, AND A- ADAPTABILITY OF GOVERNMENT, OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH A YOUNGER PERSPECTIVE.

SO, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, THIS ALL FEELS LIKE ACTION PROJECTS TO ME, WHICH I THINK KIDS REALLY WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN ANYWAY.

[01:15:02]

WHICH I CANNOT GET TO. I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT, THERE ARE OTHER ACTIVITIES.

THEY HAVE AN ACTION CLUB AT BOTH, HASLETT AND OKEMOS.

THEY CALL IT ACTION AT OKEMOS, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY CALL IT AT HASLETT. I THINK HAVING THE MANTLE OF BEING A YOUTH COMMISSION MEMBER CARRIES A LOT OF WEIGHT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF A DOVETAILING BETWEEN THOSE ACTION PROGRAMS AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE STUDENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE YOUTH COMMISSION, BECAUSE I THINK THEY, THEY CAN INFLUENCE AND PERHAPS BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THEIR FELLOW CLASSMATES THAT WANT TO DO ACTION PROJECTS WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE TOWNSHIP TO DO. SO, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF A DOVETAIL WITH WHAT THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY IS, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT SERVICE.

OKAY, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I THOUGHT OF.

CONSERVATION CORPS IS ANOTHER ONE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, WHY NOT BE OUT WITH THE CONSERVATION CORPS, ACTUALLY BEING BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

THERE'S JUST SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS KIND OF SERVICE.

WHY NOT JUST EXPAND IT TO OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY? OKAY.

CLERK DEMAS. I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR CLARK.

SO, I READ IN THE MEMO THAT IT SAID THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS, PROJECT WAS NOT VIABLE, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PROJECT TO, CONTINUE IF, IF IT WOULD BE VIABLE FOR FUTURE COMMISSIONS. YEAH, THE YOUTH COMMISSION SPENT PROBABLY ABOUT 4 MONTHS DISCUSSING THAT, EVERYTHING FROM MATERIALS TO AUTHORIZATION, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT A TOWNSHIP PROPERTY.

MM. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AUTHORITY OVER TO JUST DO WHATEVER. THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO AT THE SITE AS WELL. AND THEN IT'S THEIR VERY ZEALOUS, OPPORTUNITIES RANGE FROM RECYCLED GLASS ART, ITEMS, WHICH WOULD HAVE PROBABLY CAUSED SOME CONCERN FOR SOME OF THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IF THEY WERE INVITING SOME OF THE SMALL YOUTH MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT. SO, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY TO A BODY OF 14- TO 19-YEAR-OLDS THAT YOU KIND OF HAVE A CARTE BLANCHE TO COME UP WITH YOUR DREAM OF WHAT IT IS, AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO DREAM BIG. AND IT INCLUDED FENCING, PERMANENT FENCING, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE A BUDGET FOR, AND AN AUTHORIZATION TO DO. SO THAT'S KIND OF SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE BUMP UP AGAINST. THESE ARE, THESE ARE FANTASTIC IDEAS, BUT THE PARKS MASTER PLAN, THAT WAS FOR REVIEW FOR THEM.

THE PARKS MASTER PLAN DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL THE END SESSION OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION THIS YEAR, AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO WRAP THAT UP RIGHT NOW.

SO, BEFORE THE YOUTH COMMISSION WILL START, THE MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS WILL BE COMPLETED.

COMMUNICATIONS DID COME TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO SPEAK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DOING SOME OF THEIR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA.

AGAIN, THE CAPACITY OF THAT THREE-MEMBER DEPARTMENT AND THEN THE STUDENTS' ABILITY TO BE HERE, DURING THE DAY IN ORDER TO GET THE WORK DONE, WERE CONFLICTING A LITTLE BIT IN- INTO THOSE ITEMS, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATIONS HAS A, A PRETTY STRONG POLICY OF, WHO GETS TO MANAGE WHAT VEHICLES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEY TYPICALLY MANAGE THEM ALL.

SO, IT CAN HAPPEN, A CAMPAIGN, BUT AGAIN, SOME CROSS, KNOWING THAT THIS COMES FROM THE BOARD, IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR STAFF TO APPROACH OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SAY THIS IS A DIRECTION OF THE BOARD THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO WORK ON THAT. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN ME JUST SAYING, HEY, IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY? BUT THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES.

THE TRI-ANNUAL SURVEY IS EVERY 3 YEARS, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM IN 2027, I BELIEVE, BUT THEN THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE 4 MONTHS, ESSENTIALLY, THAT THAT BODY WOULD ONLY HAVE ABOUT 4 OR 5 MONTHS TO WORK ON IT AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE A NEW BODY, WHICH AS LONG AS THE BOARD IS OKAY WITH CADENCES FLOWING THAT WAY, I WOULD BE FINE PRESENTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION.

OKAY. JUST A FEW MORE THOUGHTS.

YEAH, PLEASE. YEAH, SUPERVISOR HENDRICKSON, I REALLY

[01:20:03]

IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE.

WHOOPS. AND THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO IT WOULD HELP.

REPORT SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION IN ONE OF THEIR FIRST YEAH, AS AN ADVISOR. ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. SURE. SO, IF WE HAD SOME IDEAS TO PUT TOGETHER AS AREAS THEY MIGHT FOCUS ON.

ANOTHER ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS, NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER WORK TO THROUGH THE YEAR, AND THEY COULD BE THE LIAISON TO THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY COORDINATOR TO GET VOLUNTEERS FOR VARIOUS THINGS, AND EARN POINTS TOWARD RECEIVING THE, THE FINAL AWARD. SO, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE BOARD TO PRESENT TO THEM. AND I WANT YOU AND OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS, AS WE'RE PUTTING THESE AHEAD TOGETHER, TO LET US KNOW WHAT CAN BE STAFFED, WHAT NEEDS TO BE STAFFED, AND WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS ON OUR EMPLOYEES. BECAUSE YOU GUYS ALL HAVE FIRST TIME, FULL-TIME JOBS, YOU DON'T NEED 2 OR 3 OTHERS. SO, I THINK THAT'S, THAT DOES LIMIT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAY GET CARRIED THROUGH, AND MAY THEY MAY HAVE OPTIONS TOO, BUT IT IS A REAL REALITY WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. YEAH, I THINK I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO APPOINT, THE NON-VOTING LIAISON MEMBER, IF THE STAFF CAN PUT TOGETHER THE MEMO OF WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE, THEN PERHAPS THAT LIAISON CAN OFFER SOME CLEAR DIRECTION AS TO, AS THE DISCUSSION IS ONGOING, AS TO WHAT THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN LOOK AT WITH MOST PRIORITY. I MEAN, SOME THINGS LIKE, OH, WELL, WE KNOW THAT CELEBRATE MERIDIAN, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAMMING HAPPENS AT THIS TIME. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT THAT TIME. THE SURVEY REALLY SHOULD BE TOWARD THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, SEPTEMBER TO JUNE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THAT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BRING SOME OF THAT.

OKAY. OKAY. THAT SAID, ANYONE INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A MEMBER? CLERK DEMAS? I WOULD BE VERY MUCH INTERESTED. I CAN BE THE OLD PERSON ON THE BOARD. BUT I, FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

YES. I'VE ALWAYS, REALLY

[01:25:02]

SURE. THAT SOUNDS GREAT TO ME. THAT'S AN EXCELLENT FIT.

SO, DOES THAT GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION FOR, FOR WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE? YEAH, AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION AMENDING THIS ORDINANCE. WE HAVE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO PUSH THE SUNSET BACK.

YEAH, TO SET THE SUNSET AS STATED.

SO, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY 3 ACTIONS. THE UPDATE OF THE ORDINANCE TO PUSH THE SUNSET BACK, THE APPOINTMENT OF CLERK DEMAS AS THE LIAISON MEMBER TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION, AND. OH BOY.

SO JUST CLARIFICATION OF RULES, ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ALL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION WILL BE SENT TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND TOWNSHIP HR. IT'S NOW GOING TO BE BACKWARDS, RIGHT? SO, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME EDITING THAT THE LIAISON WILL PROBABLY BRING FORWARD TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION, THE TOWNSHIP PRIORITY, AND THEN THE YOUTH COMMISSION CAN COMMENCE FROM THAT. YES.

YEAH. AND THEN THE FOURTH ONE WAS THE APPOINTMENT OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION. I DID SUGGEST A NUMBER OF FOLKS, FOR APPOINTMENT THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

YES. GIVEN THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING.

YES, THIS, THIS IS CLEAR DIRECTION.

OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME, THANK YOU.

[11.C. South Water Tower T-Mobile Lease]

THEY'RE ALSO TAKING A LOOK AT THEM AND FIGURING OUT WHICH LEASE AGREEMENTS THEY MIGHT WANT TO LET EXPIRE, ONCE THEIR TERM IS UP. SO, OUR CURRENT LEASE WITH THEM IS FOR THE ANTENNA THAT THEY HAVE ON THE SOUTH TOWNSHIP, OR SOUTH WATER TOWER, HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS, THEY DID INDICATE THAT THIS IS ONE THAT THEY WOULD LET EXPIRE IF THEY DID NOT, KIND OF RECOGNIZE SOME IMMEDIATE COST SAVINGS.

SO, CURRENTLY THIS, LEASE AGREEMENT, IT WAS ORIGINALLY EXECUTED IN 2009. SINCE THEN, IT'S BEEN RENEWED THREE TIMES, THEY HAVE ONE MORE OPTION TO RENEW IT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 5 YEARS, AND THAT'S IN 2029.

SO, IF THEY DO THAT IN 2029, IT WILL ULTIMATELY EXPIRE IN 2034, UNLESS WE AMEND THE CURRENT, LEASE AGREEMENT. SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS YEAR, 2026, THEY'RE CURRENTLY PAYING US 2,966 DOLLARS AND 81 CENTS PER MONTH, AND OUR CURRENT AGREEMENT INCREASES, THE RENT 4% EACH YEAR. SO, WE ACTUALLY, REACHED OUT TO A THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANT WHO TYPICALLY NEGOTIATES, THESE TYPE OF, AGREEMENTS ON BEHALF OF CELLULAR PROVIDERS, AND THEY LET US KNOW THAT ON AVERAGE, IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RENT IS AROUND 2200 DOLLARS PER MONTH WITH A 2% INFLATIONARY INCREASE. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU, A RULE OF THUMB OF WHAT THE INDUSTRY NORM IS.

SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE WELL ABOVE IT WITH OUR CURRENT, CURRENT AGREEMENT. SO AS FAR AS NEGOTIATIONS, T-MOBILE, THEY INITIALLY PROPOSED TO US THAT, THEY WANTED TO AMEND THE AGREEMENT AND REDUCE THE RENT STARTING NEXT YEAR DOWN TO 2800 DOLLARS PER YEAR.

THEY ALSO WANTED TO REDUCE THE INFLATIONARY INCREASES FROM 4% PER YEAR TO 18% EVERY 5 YEARS. ADDITIONALLY, THEY, WANTED TO OPT IN FOR 5 ADDITIONAL 5-YEAR RENEWAL, PERIODS, AND THEN ONCE THAT'S UP, THEY WANTED 9 ADDITIONAL 1-YEAR LEASE EXTENSIONS IN WHICH THEY WOULD INCREASE, THE RENT 2% EACH YEAR WITH THOSE LEASE EXTENSIONS.

SO, WE WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF NEGOTIATIONS, AND ULTIMATELY, WE ARRIVED TO A COUNTEROFFER, THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY T-MOBILE EXECUTIVES, AND WE EXPECT THEM TO ACCEPT IT. SO THAT COUNTEROFFER IS TO INCREASE THE MONTHLY RENT STARTING NEXT YEAR, 2027, BY 3%, AND DO THAT

[01:30:01]

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THEY DO HAVE A CHANCE TO RENEW IT IN 2029, BUT THEY COULD ALSO, THEY COULD WALK AWAY. SO, WE, WE DO FEEL IT'S A FAVORABLE TIME FOR US TO BE NEGOTIATING THIS AMENDMENT, AND ENTER INTO A, THIS AMENDED AGREEMENT WITH THEM. SO, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN, ANSWER THOSE. OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE WILSON. THIS WAS A SUPER FUN READ. COUNTER AND COUNTER TO COUNTER AND COUNTER TO COUNTER AND COUNTER. SO, WHERE YOU LANDED WAS WITH OUR PROPOSAL. YES. AND YOU SAID THE KEYWORDS TONIGHT THAT YOU BELIEVE THEY WILL ACCEPT.

CORRECT. YOU FEEL QUITE CONFIDENT IN THAT? I MEAN, WE FEEL PRETTY OPTIMISTIC.

THERE'S NEVER 100% CERTAINTY, BUT I THINK IF WE'RE AGREEABLE TO THESE TERMS, THE BOARD WILL MAINTAIN THAT AND THEN BRING IT BACK FOR APPROVAL ONCE THEY'RE LOCKED IN. AND SO, YOU THINK THE, THE COUNTER TO THE COUNTER TO THE COUNTER IS OVER? SO, WE'RE SAFE TO GO AHEAD AND, AND MOVE ON THIS. WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION TONIGHT. NO.

OKAY. YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR ACTION ONCE WE HAVE THE DEFINITIVE.

RIGHT. OKAY. YEP. YEAH, THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK ONCE MORE, ONCE THEY'VE FULLY ACCEPTED.

IT DOES SEEM LIKE A REASONABLE COMPROMISE.

IT DOES. TRUSTEE LENTZ.

THANK YOU. IT'S, I AGREE, FUN READ. MY QUESTION, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE, IS MUCH OF AN OBLIGATION ON THE TOWNSHIP FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN OUTSIDE OF AN AGREEMENT. LIKE, THERE'S NO, WORLD IN WHICH NEGLIGENT NEGLIGENCE ON THE TOWNSHIP'S PART ANYTIME OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS COULD, LEAD TO, AN ISSUE WITH THIS AGREEMENT. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECT? IT'S REALLY JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS SPACE THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY USING, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP, OR? RIGHT. OKAY. YEAH. AS FAR AS NEGLIGENCE, I'D HAVE TO READ THROUGH THE AGREEMENT, MAYBE IT MORE OF A LENS, LOOKING AT THAT, BUT WE CAN, I CAN HAVE, DAN COME BACK NEXT TIME AND KIND OF ADDRESS THAT. OKAY. I COULDN'T IMAGINE ANYTHING.

YEAH. I'M JUST CURIOUS WITH ANY SORT OF CONTRACT WITH THIS LONG OF A TIMELINE.

YEAH, AND THERE'S TYPICALLY STANDARD LANGUAGE AROUND, RIGHT FACILITY BEING DECOMMISSIONED OR OTHER, BOTH ON THEIR END BUT ALSO ON OUR END.

SO, WE CAN VERIFY THAT AS CASE INDICATED. I SEE NO ISSUE WITH THAT. SO, JUST TO CUT THROUGH 90% OF THE, THE MEMO TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THE END OF IT, RIGHT? FROM MY READ, WE'RE GOING FROM A 4% ANNUAL INCREASE TO A 3% ANNUAL INCREASE, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. ONE ADDITIONAL 5-YEAR PERIOD BEYOND WHAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY PROPOSED. OR NO, YEAH, ABOUT EXACTLY THE PERIOD THAT THEY PROPOSED MINUS THE 9 YEARS.

YEAH, YEP. YEAH. EXACTLY. SO, ULTIMATELY, THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'RE GETTING IS A 1% DECREASE, DECREASE AND NOT HAVING TO COME BACK AND RENEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

CORRECT. OKAY. YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S, IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE OF AN ASK, CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE OVER THE TERMS. MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY AGREE TO THIS 5 YEAR, 5 YEAR, 5 YEAR, 5 YEAR, 5 YEAR PLAN, GET THE 1% DECREASE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT AND THEN PART WAYS AT THE END OF YEAR 5 WITHOUT RENEWING, WHICH WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE SUBJECT TO EITHER WAY, BUT MY QUESTION, I GUESS, WOULD BE WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, TENOR OF, I GUESS, ARE THEY PROVIDING ANY CONTEXT TO HOW THEY'RE FEELING ABOUT OUR COUNTER TO THEIR COUNTER TO OUR COUNTER? SO, DIRECTOR OPSOMMER WAS THE ONES DOING THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT WHAT HE TOLD ME WAS THAT THE PERSON WHO IS NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF T-MOBILE, THAT THEY WERE AN EXCELLENT PERSONALITY TO NEGOTIATE WITH,

[01:35:02]

THEY'RE NOW GETTING A DECREASE IN THE ANNUAL INCREASE, BUT NO DECREASE IN THE IMMEDIATE. YEP. SO, I'M NOT, I'M HAPPY WITH THE WAY DAN'S NEGOTIATED IT, RIGHT? THAT SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, STILL A BETTER DEAL FOR US THAN WHAT THEY PROPOSED.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, THEN DECIDING, HEY, THIS ISN'T WORKING FOR US, AND WE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT THIS IS ONE WE'LL WALK AWAY FROM, SO WE'RE WALKING AWAY. SO THAT'S JUST, AND MAYBE I CAN JUST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH DAN OFFLINE, AND I DON'T HAVE TO WASTE ALL OF OUR TIME WITH IT, BUT I JUST WAS INTERESTED IN THE, THE TENOR OF WHAT THE CONVERSATION, HOW THE CONVERSATION FELT. I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IT WAS OVERALL MORE POSITIVE. YEAH.

BUT YEAH, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH PROCEEDING WITH WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED, SINCE THAT'S THE QUESTION, I SUPPOSE, BEFORE US. ANY OTHERS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL SEE YOU IN A BIT. NEXT UP, I GOTTA

[11.D. Tall Grass Ordinance Update]

OH, I'M SORRY, WE'RE DOING UPDATES TO THE WATER TOWER TOO NEXT YEAR, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, PAINTING.

OH, IT'S JUST PAINTING. OKAY.

INSPECTION. GOT IT. VERY GOOD.

OKAY, ITEM 11D, TALL GRASS. WE HAVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, TIM SCHMIDT. TALK TO US ABOUT TALL GRASS, TIM. YOU KNOW, BRIEFLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH FREE TIME, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF HAS BEEN DISCUSSING INTERNALLY, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, RIGHT? WE HAVE, A NEW PROPERTY COMPLIANCE OFFICER THAT'S BEEN WITH US FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. HE'S DOING PHENOMENAL WORK, BUT WE'VE JUST BEEN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, SIGN OF THE TIMES OR WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT GRASS HAS GOTTEN A LOT MORE COMPLICATED IN THE LAST YEAR. A LOT MORE ARGUMENTS AS OPPOSED TO MOWING. WE'VE PROBABLY MOWED, WE, THE, THE TOWNSHIP HAS PROBABLY MOWED AND BUILT BACK MORE THIS YEAR THAN THE PREVIOUS 2 YEARS COMBINED. I HAVEN'T DONE THE FULL MATH. I JUST GOT AUGUST LISTS, AND IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER THAN I EXPECTED, AND A LOT OF THEM WERE FREQUENT FLYERS.

AND SO, WE'VE JUST BEEN DISCUSSING INTERNALLY, LIKE, IS THERE CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE? ARE THERE CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE TO THE ORDINANCE TO TRY AND BE A, MAKE THIS A LITTLE CLEARER ON PEOPLE? AND I JUST, I'M GONNA POP THE SCREEN OVER REAL QUICK AND SHOW YOU JUST A FEW PICTURES. SO, THIS IS, THIS IS AN OLDER PICTURE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, PREVIOUSLY WHEN WE BROUGHT IT UP. YOU'LL NOTE THAT, THIS IS AN AREA, THIS PART OF THE YARD IS FUNCTIONALLY JUST LET GONE FERAL, RIGHT? I'M STANDING ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD HERE. THIS IS, NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THIS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT? THIS IS A PROPERTY, IN HASLET THAT WE'VE GOT, WE GET COMPLAINTS ON CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH THEM, AND AT ONE POINT THIS YEAR THERE WAS A DISCUSSION OF NEEDING TO GET THEIR ATTORNEYS INVOLVED, AND SO WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN A STEP BACK, AND PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT IT'S NOT INTENTIONALLY PLANTED, RIGHT? IT'S JUST THEY LET IT GO, RIGHT? AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS WE WRITE THEM A VIOLATION FOR SORT OF THIS CLEAR VISION TRIANGLE HERE, WHICH DOESN'T REALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT AT LEAST KNOCKS IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? WE WROTE THEM A VIOLATION FOR THE SIDEWALK, I BELIEVE IN 2025, BECAUSE THINGS WERE JUST FALLING ONTO THE SIDEWALK AND IT WAS OBSTRUCTING THE SIDEWALK. AND SO, WE'RE SORT OF NIPPING AROUND THE EDGE OF THE PROBLEM HERE. WE EVEN GOT THE SAME ARGUMENT ON THIS PROPERTY FOR A COUPLE YEARS IN A ROW.

[01:40:02]

BUT THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT IT'S AT LEAST OFF THE SIDEWALK, RIGHT? IT'S ALWAYS SORT OF BEEN A MEADOW TYPE SETUP, AND THEY KEEP IT OFF THE SIDEWALKS, THEY KEEP IT OFF OF THE NEIGHBORING DRIVEWAYS.

AND SO, THE, THIS IS SORT OF, WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH WHAT WE'RE SORT OF INITIALLY PROPOSING AND, AND WOULD LIKE SOME FEEDBACK HERE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FINAL VERSION OF THIS ORDINANCE BY ANY STRETCH. THIS IS JUST SORT OF WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE JUMPING OFF. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RECOMMEND, I THINK, THAT WE SEPARATE THIS INTO DEVELOPED VERSUS UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES, FOR SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT I POINTED OUT, AND INCLUDE A DEFINITION, AND THEN TRY AND ADDRESS, SO THE 75 FEET WOULD STILL BE IN PLAY A ON BOTH, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE WITHIN 75 FEET OF A STRUCTURE, WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT YOU TO MOW.

BUT IF YOU'RE ON AN UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY, SO SORT OF ADDRESSING, ALLOWING THAT OKEMOS ROAD EXCEPTION, IF YOU WILL, LIKE, ALLOW IT TO STAY AS A MEADOW IF IT'S KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN A MEADOW.

THERE'S NO INTENTION TO, LIKE, TEAR OUT A BUNCH OF NATURAL AREAS TO MAKE IT GRASS. BECAUSE I THINK UNDER THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, THERE'S CERTAINLY PLACES WHERE THAT WOULD BE, BUT IF SOMEONE EVER COMPLAINED, RIGHT, WE WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME NOT ENFORCING IT IF SOMEONE REALLY WANTED TO COMPLAIN.

LIKE ALL THE HOUSES ON NEW SALEM, IF THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THOSE LOTS ON OKEMOS ROAD, THEY'RE, WELL, THEY'RE TECHNICALLY IN 75 FEET OF THEIR FENCE, WHICH IS A STRUCTURE UNDER THE ORDINANCE, SO THEY WOULD, IN THEORY, HAVE TO MOW IT. SO, TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS JUST IN GENERAL, GIVE US 3 FEET ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SIDEWALK, RIGHT? MAKE SURE THAT THE SIDEWALK IS CLEAR. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR OPSOMMER AND DIRECTOR WISINSKI ABOUT, I THINK LAST YEAR, ON DOBIE ROAD OF LIKE, OKAY, WE AT LEAST NEED TO SORT OF TRY AND DO OUR BEST SO THAT WE CAN THEN EXTEND THAT OUT TO, BECAUSE IT'S TOUGH IN CERTAIN AREAS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S, THE GRADE IS DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU GOT UP AROUND, THE FARM PROCESS, STANDARD FARM, IT DROPS OFF ON BOTH DIRECTIONS IN CERTAIN SPOTS. THE OTHER THING THIS IS FOR, THOUGH, IS WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, AND THIS DEFINITELY IS LIKELY A SIGN OF THE TIMES, THAT HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS ARE NOT MOWING THEIR COMMON AREAS IN THE SAME WAY THAT MAYBE THEY USED TO. AND WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT QUESTION A LOT OF WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO MOW? AND MANY OF THEM HAVE JUST SORT OF STOPPED. THE MOST, THE MOST, HIGH PROFILE ONE WAS ALONG HASLET ROAD. ONE OF THE HOAS JUST STOPPED MOWING THEIR PROPERTY ALONG HASLET ROAD THIS YEAR, AND WE HAD TO GET INVOLVED THERE. AND SO, WE'RE TRYING TO SORT OF ADDRESS A SERIES OF PROBLEMS, AND WITH THE LAST PIECE THAT WE WOULD SORT OF RECOMMEND HERE IS THE LANGUAGE THAT WE BROUGHT UP A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS SORT OF INTENTIONALLY PLANTED AREA, LIKE NOT JUST CARTE BLANCHE TO LET IT GO FERAL. AND SO, WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS UP AS SORT OF INITIAL FEEDBACK, SEE IF THERE'S ANY APPETITE TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. WE STILL NEED TO HONE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, MOST NOTABLY WITH RESPECT TO OUR NOTICE PROVISIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TO, I NEED TO ASK THE ATTORNEYS DIRECTLY WHETHER WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY POST EVERY SINGLE TIME, OR IF WE CAN, BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN PROPERTIES WE MOW 4 TIMES A YEAR, RIGHT? WE

[01:45:01]

AND SO, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STREAMLINE THAT A LITTLE BIT. SO, THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES WE EXPECT TO 8227, WHICH IS THE, THE SORT OF TECHNICAL PART OF THIS, BUT JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD SORT OF AS AN INITIAL DISCUSSION NOW THAT WE'RE ENDING THE SEASON.

GIVES US A LITTLE TIME TO WORK ON IT OVER THE WINTER BEFORE I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS AGAIN IN APRIL.

WELL, RIVETING AS ALWAYS.

ALWAYS. I MEAN, MAYBE YOU JUST ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE, THE HOMEOWNERS. WE'RE ALREADY, WE'RE ALREADY MOWING IT. WE MIGHT AS WELL GET IT CONTRACTUALLY AND PUT IT UP FRONT. I, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT HAS CROSSED OUR MIND, AND BECAUSE IT WOULD BE LESS ADMINISTRATIVE FOR US.

YEAH. IT WOULD BE. WHAT WE FIND IN MANY OF THESE CASES IS TRACKING DOWN THE OWNER IS VERY DIFFICULT.

YOU DON'T SAY. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM IS, AT LEAST TWO OF THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I KNOW ARE OUT OF COUNTRY AND, ARE FUNCTIONALLY UNREACHABLE.

WHEN YOU ASSESS THEM, DO YOU WHAT BILL DO YOU PUT IT ON? SO, IT EVENTUALLY GOES TO THEIR TAXES, AND WE'RE IN THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

ACTUALLY, I WORK WITH THE TREASURER'S OFFICE TO, MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT GOES ON THE TAXES IN, AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO, OUR CUTOFF IS GENERALLY, THE END OF SEPTEMBER, ALTHOUGH WE KIND OF KEEP AN EYE OUT BECAUSE THE, THE BILLS ON MY DESK ARE THROUGH SEPTEMBER. THEY'RE OUT NOW.

SO, WE TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE WE PUT IT ON THEIR TAXES. SO, SOMETIMES IT, IT'S THROUGH ONLY THROUGH AUGUST, AND WE JUST HOLD THE REST TILL NEXT YEAR.

BUT IT WILL EVENTUALLY GET ON THEIR TAXES. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON, JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, WE WOULD, WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE BEING ABLE TO DO THAT WITH RENTAL FEES AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT DON'T LIKE TO PAY THOSE AS WELL.

BUT THAT'S HOW IT EVENTUALLY, WE EVENTUALLY GET RECOUPED THE MOWING FEE, AND THERE'S TYPICALLY AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE AS WELL FOR THE TIME STAFF WORKS ON THIS. TRUSTEE WILSON. I'M GUESSING BECAUSE YOU CHARGE THEM EVERY TIME, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO POST EVERY TIME. I SUSPECT AS WELL THAT I WOULDN'T BE DOING MY JOB IF I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION. OF COURSE. HOW DO WE, IS THERE A WAY TO DO THIS? AND IT'S REALLY JUST THOSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I JUST END UP TACKING IT ON MY WAY IN. THE POST IS STILL THERE THAT WE PUT UP IN JUNE, I THINK. SURE. AND I AND I UNDERSTAND, LIKE, THINGS HAPPEN, RIGHT? I UNDERSTAND THAT THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE IS BEEN MOVED INTO ASSISTED LIVING AT THIS POINT, BUT SOMEONE'S GOT TO MAINTAIN THE HOUSE, RIGHT? THERE'S, YEAH, I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO CODE ENFORCEMENT HORROR STORIES. TIM, HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO YOU THINK ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THIS? IS IT A TINY FRACTION OF OUR OVERALL PROPERTIES? SO, OH YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S, WE HAVE, WHAT, 18,000 PARCELS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, IT'S A PRETTY SMALL FRACTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY TIME CONSUMING, ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, RIGHT? APRIL, MAY, JUNE. I, I END UP HAVING TO GO OUT FOR A COUPLE HOURS A WEEK TO HELP KEEP UP ON IT BECAUSE WE'LL GET A DOZEN COMPLAINTS EVERY DAY. AND, RIGHT, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER TOO, RIGHT? THE COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS REALLY WET AND PEOPLE DIDN'T, IF YOU DIDN'T MOW IN A SPECIFIC WINDOW, WE GOT A TON OF COMPLAINTS, RIGHT? AND THAT YEAR WE WERE PROBABLY A LITTLE HIGH. THE BILL I HAVE ON MY DESK, RIGHT NOW IS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF SEPTEMBER THERE WE MOWED. I THINK IT'S 16 PROPERTIES THROUGH FROM SEPTEMBER 1 TO SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE THE CUTOFF WAS LIKE 24, WHICH IS A LITTLE HIGH, AUGUST WE HAD LESS THAN THAT, RIGHT? AUGUST IS USUALLY PRETTY LOW. IT'S DRY. SO, IT IS A PRETTY SMALL FRACTION, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SOMEWHAT MORE ANNOYING. EXACTLY. I THINK PART OF OUR, RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE. YES. AND SO, NO MOW MAY, I THINK EAST LANSING IS EITHER CONSIDERING OR IS GOING TO DO IT FOR NEXT YEAR.

THEY GOT RID OF IT LAST YEAR, ACTUALLY. OH, THEY GOT RID OF IT. OKAY. YEAH, NO MOW MAY IS A GREAT MARKETING STUNT BY THE BRITISH HONEY ASSOCIATION. IT IS NOT

[01:50:03]

TRUSTEE LENTZ.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LIKE MOWING MY LAWN. PUT IT OUT THERE. TRUE CONFESSION.

YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE AS IT EXISTS NOW MAKES IT CLEAR WHAT I DO HAVE TO DO, AND I OF COURSE FOLLOW THAT, OR AT LEAST I HOPE I WON'T BE CALLED OUT PUBLICLY FOR NOT, BUT THE, I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE A MORE STREAMLINED PROCESS, AND I ALSO THINK THAT, I AGREE THAT THERE ARE CHANGING TIMES OF WHAT'S EXPECTED WITH POLLINATOR GARDENS. I, MY QUESTION, TIM, IS ARE THERE SECTIONS, OF THE CODE NO- CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATED TO THOSE GARDENS, THAT ARE NOT IN FRONT OF US ON, IN THIS RED LINE COPY THAT MAYBE THAT CONTEXT COULD BE, IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST SHOWN SO, SO THAT I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT I CAN DO WITH MY YARD, FOR INSTANCE, AND ESPECIALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL EDUCATION FOR TOWNSHIP MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES THAT SPECIFICALLY APPLY TO ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO HORTICULTURALLY IN YOUR, IN YOUR YARD. YEAH, AS A GENERAL RULE, WE, WE DON'T GET OUTSIDE OF, LIKE, NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE INTO THE DETAILS OF HORTICULTURAL IMPLEMENTATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY, SHORT OF SAYING YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IF LIKE YOU HAVE GRASS, YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT. AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM, RIGHT, IS THEN WHERE IS THAT LINE, RIGHT, BETWEEN I HAVE A NATURALIZED YARD VERSUS I JUST LET IT GO FERAL AND IT'S A BUNCH OF WEEDS AND, YEAH. EVEN TO THE SAME EXTENT, LIKE WITH THE WETLAND, LIKE YOU. WE OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS WANT TO, WE DON'T MOW WETLANDS, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN WETLANDS, BUT LIKE THERE'S A POINT AT WHICH, RIGHT, IF IT BECOMES JUST REED CANARY GRASS, IT'S NOT A QUALITY WETLAND ANYMORE. MM-HMM. JUST LIKE IF YOU KIND OF JUST LET YOUR YARD GO FERAL, IT'S NOT A QUALITY ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST. NO. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I BRING IT UP IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COME TO OUR MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT PESTICIDE USE IN PARTICULAR, AND, IN LOOKING INTO IT, INSOFAR AS I HAVE, SPEAKING TO BOTH TOWNSHIP STAFF MEMBERS AND SCIENTISTS, WHO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THIS REGULARLY, PRIVATE LAWN, OWNERSHIP AND PESTICIDE USE IS FAR AND AWAY, MORE DANGEROUS THAN ANYTHING THAT POLICIES THAT TOWNSHIP STAFF CAN ENACT ABOUT TOWNSHIP LAND. SO, I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE A DESIRE TO HAVE A MORE NATURAL, APPROACH TO THE GRASS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, PLAY SOCCER ON AND, HAVE IN OUR YARDS. BUT I GUESS I, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE MUCH TO ADD TO THIS IF YOU, IF, IF THERE'S NOT A DESIRE TO IMPLEMENT NATURALIZED LAWN POLICY IN SOME WAY. I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE. MARNA MAYBE DOESN'T THINK SO. IT JUST, IT FEELS SOMEWHAT COERCIVE. I THINK PEOPLE, IN CLAUSE D, IT TALKS ABOUT YOU CAN HAVE TREES, FLOWER GARDENS, MM-HMM.

VEGETATION FOR ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES. YOU WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE LATITUDE SO THEY CAN DO SOMETHING THAT IS NATURAL AND POLLINATING, FOR INSTANCE. IF

[01:55:01]

YEAH, OF COURSE. I GUESS I'M GETTING AT IF ORNAMENTAL INCLUDES THAT NATURALIZED, THEN I, I'M FINE WITH THAT, THE USE OF THAT LANGUAGE. SO. OKAY.

SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S AT LEAST SOME INTEREST IN SEEING US MOVE FORWARD, AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FAIR TO OUR RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE CHOICES, AND ALSO HELPS TO MAKE OUR LIVES A LITTLE EASIER IN THE PATROLLING AND POLICING OF THAT, SEEMS FINE BY ME. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING ON THIS. THE ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE IS WE DON'T FORGET THE SAFETY PIECE. MM-HMM.

FOR LINE OF SIGHT, AND EVEN KEEPING SHRUBS AND TREES OFF THE, THE SIDEWALK AREA AND ALL OF THAT, BECAUSE I DO SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT TREES GROWING OVER THE, THE SIDEWALK, AND YOU'VE GOT A DUCK, ESPECIALLY ON A BIKE.

YEP. OVER A HELMET. NO, WE'VE, AND WE ARE, IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD, RIGHT, THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS, THE SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTION'S RELATIVELY EASY. MM-HMM. IT'S A, IT FALLS UNDER THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, RIGHT? IT'S A 10-DAY NOTICE. THE, THE CLEAR VISION TRIANGLE IS ACTUALLY IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, AND PART OF THE REASON, YOU KNOW, NOT TO GET TOO DEEP IN THE WEEDS, BUT THAT IS A MUCH LONGER PROCESS TO ENFORCE. MM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN NOODLING, OKAY, HOW DO, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS AS WELL, TO BE ABLE TO GET IT ON THE SHORTER TIME FRAME OF A CIVIL INFRACTION AS OPPOSED TO A ZONING VIOLATION? BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE TELLS ME THEY CAN'T SEE AN INTERSECTION, RIGHT, THE IDEA THAT I'M GOING TO GIVE SOMEBODY 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF A LETTER TO THEN FIX THE PROBLEM IS SLIGHTLY ABSURD, RIGHT? IT'S, THAT IS A TRUE SAFETY PROBLEM.

SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE DIAL INTO THIS IS, IS MAKING REFERENCE TO THAT AS A SPECIFIC VIOLATION UNDER THIS TO SPEED IT ALONG. OKAY. I WILL ALSO JUST POINT OUT, INTERESTINGLY, WITH THE GOAT DISCUSSION EARLIER, IN THEORY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT, GOATS PROBABLY WOULDN'T, AREN'T PERMITTED UNDER A CURRENT ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG.

BY THE TIME WE POSTED IT, THEY WOULD NOT GET THROUGH IT IN TIME. SO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. FULLY SUPPORT THE IDEA OF GOATS, IT'S JUST, IT'S A DIFFERENT THING, AND IT DEFINITELY IS NOT ANTICIPATED BY OUR ORDINANCE. YEAH. SO, APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.

WE'LL, WE'LL INCORPORATE AND, AND WORK ON THIS SOME MORE AND BE BACK IN THE FUTURE

[12. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

ALL RIGHT, NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 12, COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? WE'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT AT 7:57 PM. SEEING NO ONE RUSHING TO THE PODIUM, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.

SIR. I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR ANYTHING. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN COME SPEAK FIRST, BUT THEN FILL OUT ONE OF THOSE GREEN CARDS AT THE END, THAT WOULD BE PERFECTLY FINE.

BASICALLY, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE SHORT VERSION OF THE RULES.

IT'S 3 MINUTES. COME ON UP.

YEP. 3 MINUTES, AND IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS, WE'D APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. MY NAME IS DANIEL RYAN. I LIVE AT, 1376 BISCAYNE. I ACTUALLY CAME BY BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING THE LIVE FEED, AND I SAW MY HOUSE AS ONE OF THE HOUSES THAT WAS, INDICATED AS, BEING A NUISANCE FOR THIS, DISCUSSION OF THIS NEW POLICY. I'M, I'M JUST HERE TO, I GUESS, VOICE MY CONCERNS AND MY FRUSTRATION. I FEEL LIKE I WAS NODDING ALONG WITH ALL OF YOU WHEN YOU WERE SAYING THAT POLLINATORS, LACK OF PESTICIDES, NATURALIZING IN AN INTENTIONAL WAY. I AGREE WITH THAT COMPLETELY. HOWEVER, I'VE BEEN CITED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. I THINK THIS YEAR WAS ONLY ONCE, BUT I HAVE, RECEIPTS TO PROVE THAT I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON SEED, SITE PLANS, LANDSCAPING, MULCH. I'M OUT THERE SEVERAL HOURS EVERY DAY DURING THE SUMMER GETTING A TAN, INTENTIONALLY DOING THIS, AND YET I'M STILL UNABLE TO ABIDE BY THE, THE TERMS. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE TERMS, BUT IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO, NOT GET CITATIONS EVERY YEAR. I GUESS THAT'S IT.

I WOULD LIKE TO, I LOVE THE BUTTERFLIES. I LOVE THE BEES.

DOING MY BEST, LIKE I SAID, I'M INTENTIONALLY, I AGREE WHEN, WHEN I READ THIS NEW LANGUAGE, I BELIEVE THAT I AM

[02:00:01]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE, COMPLETE THAT, AND THEN ANY MEMBER OF OUR STAFF CAN TAKE THAT.

THANK YOU. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD

[13. OTHER MATTERS AND BOARD MEMBERCOMMENTS]

SO, KEEP YOUR, KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN, YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THAT.

WE'LL HOPEFULLY TAKE THAT UP IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS HERE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ADJOURNMENT.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE WILSON, SUPPORTED BY TRUSTEE LENTZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE STAND ADJOURNED 08:01 PM.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.