Oct 07, 2026 Environmental Commission Meeting

[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:00:13]

OKAY. OKAY.

OKAY, GREAT. THANKS. WE GOT THE THUMBS UP, SO GO AHEAD AND START.

ALL SET. ALL RIGHT, SO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE OCTOBER 7TH MEETING OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP AND MERIDIAN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. SO FIRST THING IS THE ROLL CALL.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] JACK HUGHES AND I WILL PROCEED WITH OUR ROLL CALL HERE.

SO FIRST WE HAVE OUR CHAIR, YU MAN LEE. HERE.

OUR VICE CHAIR, BILL MCCONNELL, IS ABSENT AND WE WISH HIM THE BEST ON HIS SURGERY RECOVERY.

COMMISSIONER RICHARD MIKSICEK. PRESENT. PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER TOM FRAIZER. HERE. PRESENT. LAURA BELISLE.

PRESENT. IKE IYIOKE. PRESENT. BRUCE MORTIMER, CURRENTLY ABSENT.

COMMISSIONER HARRISON IS ALSO ABSENT AND COMMISSIONER SHANMUKHA.

PRESENT. AND FINALLY, OUR TRUSTEE, NICHOLAS LENTZ.

HERE. PRESENT. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE ALL SET. GREAT.

THANKS. OKAY. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE SHARED GROUNDS COMMUNITY

[3. PRESENTATION]

I WATCH FROM THE AUDIENCE. OH, GREAT. SO YOU'RE ALL SET UP AND THIS GUY WILL GO BACK AND FORTH.

OKAY. SO YOU JUST YEAH, STEP FORWARD AND BACKWARDS.

OKAY, GREAT. AND I GOT THIS THING. YOU GOT AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. I'M GOING TO BE PUTTING THESE ON AND OFF.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR INVITING US.

US OR MYSELF TO SHARE THE RESULTS OF THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GREEN GRANT.

I'M MICHELLE SZIDK, AND TONIGHT I WILL BRIEFLY SHOW WHERE THE PROJECT BEGAN, WHAT THE GRANT MADE POSSIBLE, WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED, AND HOW THE NEW RAISED BEDS ARE ALREADY EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE PHOTOS IN THIS PRESENTATION DOCUMENT THE TRANSFORMATION FROM A WET, UNDEVELOPED AREA INTO AN ORGANIZED AND PRODUCTIVE GROWING SPACE.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE STARTED OUT WITH. AND YEAH, IT WAS WET, UNEVEN GROUND.

IT'S SO. AND WE WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T COMPLETELY CONFIDENT IN THE, THE SOIL QUALITY EITHER.

SO WE WENT WITH RAISED BEDS. AND WE'VE ALSO PUT, GOSH, I WANT TO SAY YARDS AND YARDS OF, OF WOODCHIPS DOWN TO HELP HELP WITH THAT IN AREAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE RAISED BEDS.

AND WE'RE HOPING THAT'S GOING TO IMPROVE THE, THE GROUND QUALITY AS WELL.

AND IT ALSO WILL HELP SOAK UP SOME OF THAT WATER.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT STANDING WATER ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE, THE WOOD CHIPS.

SO LET'S SEE. SO THE, THIS PROJECT HAD A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN AN AUSPICIOUS START, I LIKE TO SAY.

SO WE HAD WE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT, YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE PICTURES WE HAD PROBABLY A DOZEN LOCAL SCOUTS OUT TO HELP US PUT TOGETHER THESE RAISED BEDS WITH THE FENCING AROUND IT.

AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE NEW TO THIS. AND SO THAT WAS A 6 TO 8 P.M.

ON A MONDAY NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY WE GOT A, AN EMAIL AND A CALL, I BELIEVE SAYING THAT, OKAY, ALL THE NEIGHBORS ARE COMPLAINING. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? YOU KNOW, THERE'S PARKING, YOU KNOW, ON THE GRASS AND, AND SO YOU KNOW AND WHAT, WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IS WE HAD DONE A WHOLE DIAGRAM WHERE FOR THEY TO PARK, BUT WHEN THE PARENTS CAME, 2 OR 3 OF THEM PARKED IN WHERE THE DRIVEWAY WOULD BE AND WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO ASK VOLUNTEERS LIKE, YOU GOT TO GO MOVE YOUR CAR.

RIGHT. SO, BUT WE LEARNED. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IN THE SECOND PICTURE, THIS WAS LIKE THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED, WE HAD DELOITTE MAKE AN IMPACT DAY, WHICH WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.

WE HAD, I WANT TO SAY, ABOUT 20 PEOPLE FROM DELOITTE COME OUT AND HELP US PUT THE FENCING UP.

[00:05:01]

AND THEN WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THERE WAS A BIG STORM AND ITC MICHIGAN HAD ACCESS TO OUR PROPERTY WITH THEIR HUGE TRUCK. I GUESS THAT YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THERE.

I DON'T EVEN. THEIR SKID STEER EQUIPMENT UP ON.

SO INSTEAD OF GOING AROUND LIKE ON THE PUBLIC PROPERTY OR ON WHERE THE HIGH POWER LINES ARE, THEY DROVE INTO OUR AREA AND JUST TORE IT ALL UP.

SO, SO WE GOT ANOTHER CALL. SO WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT HAVE WE GOTTEN OURSELVES INTO? BUT I TELL YOU, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL.

NOTHING BUT POSITIVE SINCE THEN. SO BUT WHAT WE LEARNED IS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW MAKE SURE THAT WE YOU KNOW, DOCUMENT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE AREA AND THAT WE DO CLEAN UP BEFORE WE LEAVE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW US. RIGHT.

SO, SO YEAH, AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL. WE'VE HAD SO MUCH APPRECIATION SINCE THEN.

SO THE GREEN GRANT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO COMPLETE TEN RAISED BEDS.

EIGHT BEDS ARE ONE FOOT HIGH. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TWO FOOT HIGH BEDS.

AND THOSE WERE, WE'RE HOPING TO DO A FEW MORE OF THOSE.

AND THEY JUST ENABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY BENDING AND REACHING.

THEY CAN GET. AND SO THE GRANT WAS VERY TANGIBLE.

IT TRANSLATED DIRECTLY INTO LUMBER AND PROJECT MATERIALS THAT BECAME LASTING GARDEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF OUR, OUR GARDEN BEDS DURING WHEN WE CREATED IT.

SO WE WERE WITH THE GRANT FROM BETWEEN THE GRANT WITH MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, WE WE GOT SEVERAL GRANTS.

ANOTHER ONE WAS THE BIG ONE WAS FROM HOME DEPOT, AND THAT ALLOWED US TO BUY ALL THE EQUIPMENT, ALL THE FENCING MATERIALS. SO THAT WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS KIND OF OUR, OUR PROGRESSION HERE WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, PREPARED THE SITE.

WE BUILT AND PLACED THE BEDS. WE FILLED THEM WITH SOIL.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF OUR GRANTS. WE GOT SOME ACTUALLY IT WAS THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP GRANT WHERE WE GOT SOME COMPOST IN.

AND THEN THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GROWING THINGS THERE.

SO AND THEN THIS, THIS WILL JUST BE MULTIPLE.

I MEAN, WE'LL JUST KEEP USING IT. SO THE OTHER THING WE DID IS WE WE WANTED TO TEST OUT SOMETHING CALLED HÜGELKULTUR.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, BEFORE WE EVEN PUT THE BEDS IN, WE DUG DOWN AND THEN YOU PUT WOOD.

AND THEN YOU PUT WOOD CHIPS AND THEN YOU PUT LEAVES AND THEN YOU PUT COMPOST AND AND SO WE'RE TESTING THIS WITH SIX OF THE BEDS.

AND SO WE'LL SEE. IT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE YOU KNOW, AS THAT BURIED WOOD STARTS TO DECOMPOSE, IT ABSORBS AND HOLDS THE MOISTURE. SO IT HELPS WITH THAT.

AND LIKE A SPONGE, IT IT SLOWLY CONTRIBUTES, BREAKS DOWN AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE ORGANIC MATTER.

AND AND IT ALSO AS A SPONGE, IT HOLDS WATER SO YOU HAVE TO WATER LESS.

SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT ENDS UP WORKING.

SO AND THEN SO WE OFFICIALLY HAD TEN OF TEN BY THE END OF THE WE HAD SOMEBODY JOIN A LITTLE BIT LATER.

SO WE HAVE TEN OF TEN BEDS ARE TAKEN AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN 11TH BED BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SPACE FOR IT.

SO WE DO HAVE ALL 11, AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE INTERESTED FOR NEXT YEAR.

SO WE PLAN ON PUTTING IN. WE HAVE, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF ROOM FOR ANOTHER ROW OF 10 OR 11.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING NEXT SUMMER AFTER I REST UP OVER THE WINTER.

AND THEN THIS IS THIS IS SOME OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACTS AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL AND IT'S REALLY MADE IT WORTHWHILE.

SO WE HAVE A FAMILY WITH CHILDREN AND THEY ARE SO EXCITED, LIKE THEY WERE LIKE TO SEE THINGS GROWING AND THIS IS WHERE MY FOOD COMES FROM AND TO BE ABLE TO, TO PULL IT OFF. THAT WAS AMAZING. ANOTHER ONE IS THERE'S A, A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND SHE HAS A, THEY'RE LIVING WITH A, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT IT IS, BUT IT'S A DEGENERATIVE NERVE DISEASE.

AND SO THIS ENABLES THEM TO YOU KNOW, COME IN AND SIT DOWN AND BE ABLE TO WORK IN THERE.

SO THAT'S REALLY NICE. AND THEN ANOTHER GARDENER IT WAS SO SWEET.

SHE, HER DAD, YOU KNOW, SHE CAME IN AND SHE WAS JUST SO APPRECIATIVE BECAUSE HER GRANDFATHER THAT WAS RIGHT, THAT SHE WAS VERY CLOSE TO, WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH TERMINAL CANCER. AND THIS, YOU KNOW,

[00:10:01]

AND THAT'S WHAT IT WAS SHE NEEDED. SHE NEEDED THIS SPACE.

RIGHT? YEAH. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS GREAT. AND SO TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOW, THIS IS GREAT.

SO WE HAVE EVERY WEEKEND WE'RE THERE JUST ABOUT AND VOLUNTEERS TELL US THE SAME THING WHEN THEY'RE THERE.

PEOPLE STOP BY AND IT'S ALWAYS POSITIVE. NOW IT'S, IT'S, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.

IT'S LIKE, OH, I'M SO GLAD THIS PROPERTY WAS JUST KIND OF NOT GREAT TO LOOK AT.

AND AND THIS IS SUCH A POSITIVE ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE RECEIVED SO MANY PEOPLE WHO REACH OUT AND WANT TO VOLUNTEER, EVEN, SO, IT'S BEEN GREAT. SO LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT.

ALL RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT IS IT. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GRANT AND THEN ALSO TO COME BACK AND SHARE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE. AND THIS IS RIGHT ON DERBY ROAD.

SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE DRIVEN BY THAT'S ONE OF OUR SUNFLOWERS THAT WE GREW.

SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE. SO. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR? ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? JUST A QUICK ONE. I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN A GARDENER MYSELF FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

BUT WHEN I, WHEN I MOVED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, I, I DREAMED OF DOING WHAT YOU JUST DID.

YEAH, BUT IT DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT. BUT I'LL STILL TRY AGAIN.

SO SO IS IT OKAY TO KNOW, OVERALL, THE TOTAL TAKE OFF GRANT FROM HOME DEPOT FROM.

UM, OH GOSH. SO I WANT TO SAY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, WE GOT LIKE, WE HAD A, A COMMUNITY GARDEN GROWING GRANT.

I WANT TO SAY THAT WAS LIKE 400. WE PROBABLY GOT THE GARDEN PROJECT WAS ANOTHER 200.

SO THAT WAS, THOSE WERE SMALLER ONES. THEN WE DID THE HOME DEPOT ONE WAS, I WANT TO SAY $5,100.

AND THEN THIS ONE WAS 12. WELL, 25. SO WE GOT THE 1250 AND THAT'S WHY I WAS REMEMBERING.

SO IT WAS 25. SO YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT I WANT TO SAY, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S UNDER 10,000, BUT WE'VE GOT, WE GOT ALL THAT FENCING, WE GOT THE SOIL, WE GOT THE, WE WERE ABLE TO AFFORD THE TOTE TO, YOU KNOW, FILL UP THE WATER. SO WE HAVE WATER.

SO YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN THE BEDS THAT YOU WERE JUST SHOWING US THE ONE FOOT AND TWO FEET AND ALL THAT.

HOW MANY OF THOSE COULD AN INDIVIDUAL GET? YEAH.

SO WE RIGHT NOW IT'S ONE BED PER INDIVIDUAL, BUT THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE FRONT BEDS THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT, WE HAVE SOME SPACE IN TWO THAT WE CAN DO, BUT CERTAINLY IF WE DO NOT FILL UP ALL 11 ADDITIONAL, IT'S GOING TO BE 12 BEDS NEXT SUMMER. THEN PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO TO DO MORE.

AND I THINK I FORGET WHAT WE'RE I THINK WE DO THIS $20, YOU KNOW, SUMMER RENTAL IS WHAT IT IS.

SO YEAH, I COULDN'T REMEMBER IF IT WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH.

YEAH. SO WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY FROM THAT. BUT YEAH.

YEAH. THE ONE I BELONG TO, GARDEN PROJECT, HAVE LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

I STILL GARDEN AT THE GROESBECK NEIGHBORHOOD.

I DO. OH, OKAY. GREAT. BUT THE PLOTS ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT YOU HAVE.

YES, LIKE 12 BY 20 OR SOMETHING. AND YOU CAN GET LIKE TWO PLOTS AND GROW QUITE A BIT OF STUFF, RIGHT? YEAH. WE HAVE THE RENTING TO $30 BECAUSE IT'S BIGGER THAN IT'S BIGGER.

YES. YES. YEP. GOOD JOB. YES. THANK YOU. SO WHAT ELSE? I HAD A QUESTION. DID USING THE HÜGELKULTUR. IS IT WHAT IT'S CALLED? IT'S CALLED HÜGEL, HÜGELKULTUR. I BELIEVE IT'S GERMAN.

IT MEANS HILL. THAT THAT IS REALLY, REALLY COOL.

I NEVER HEARD OF THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S SUPER COOL. I WAS WONDERING IF THAT LIKE IMPACTED YOUR COST.

LIKE, DID YOU USE LIKE RECYCLED MATERIALS OR LIKE THINGS LIKE THAT? LIKE. YEAH. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE, THERE WERE DEAD TREES ON THE PROPERTY.

SO WE STARTED WITH THAT. AND THEN THE WOOD CHIPS WE DID CHIP DROP AND THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

IT'S ARBORISTS WHO ARE IN THE AREA. YOU CAN JUST SAY DROP OFF YOUR WOOD CHIPS TO US.

AND IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE ONCE THEY KNEW WE WERE THERE, THEY KEPT COMING.

AND SO WE HAD YARDS AND YARDS OF. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAD SOME LEAVES AND JUST OTHER COMPOST.

AND THEN WE PUT THE SOIL ON TOP OF IT. SO, SO YEAH, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT AS MUCH COMPOST DOWN RIGHT.

[00:15:01]

AND AS IT BREAKS DOWN, IT'LL BECOME SOIL. YEAH.

THAT'S REALLY COOL. YEAH. SO THIS IS ORGANIC.

YEAH. SO WE USE BASICALLY THREE THINGS. WE USE THE AND WE'RE STILL LEARNING, BUT WE USE THE, THE COVER, THE WHITE, YOU KNOW, FILMY COVER. AND THAT'S GOING TO KEEP OFF THE KEEPS OUT THE THE MOTHS AND THERE ARE CERTAIN, LIKE THE CABBAGES WE HAD TROUBLE WITH. AND SO THAT'S ONE THING WE USE.

THE OTHER ONE WE USE THIS CALLED DIATOMACEOUS EARTH.

AND THAT IS DIATOMS, WHICH I THINK ARE JUST SEA CREATURES THAT ARE REALLY OLD IN THE SHELL.

SO IT'S MECHANICAL IN NATURE. AND THEN NEEM OIL IS THE OTHER ONE WE USE.

I'LL COMMEND YOU ON A VERY INSPIRING PROJECT.

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE HAD GREAT RESULTS THIS YEAR AND I'LL BE FUTURE YEARS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE FOR THE SUBSCRIBERS OF THE OF THE GARDEN. I'LL ADD ONE COMMENT TO THE HÜGELKULTUR IDEA.

YEAH. YOU POINTED OUT THE GREAT BENEFITS OF THAT.

YES. BASED ON SOME UNVETTED YOUTUBE VIDEOS THAT I WATCHED.

WHEN THEY'RE COMBINED WITH RAISED BEDS, YOU HAVE TO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE DECOMPOSITION.

YES. SO BE PREPARED TO ADD ADDITIONAL SOIL. YEP, YEP.

THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID. AND THEY SAID ALSO YOU WANT TO PLANT A LOT OF NITROGEN LOVING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT DECOMPOSES. WHEN IT'S DECOMPOSING, IT SOAKS UP THE NITROGEN.

SO YEAH, YOU'VE ADDED GROUND COMPOST. NOW YOU NEED SOME GREEN.

GREEN. YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. SO WE'RE PLANNING WE HAVE BEANS OR PEAS THAT WE PLANT IN THERE.

YEAH. SO AND THE OTHER THING WE'D LIKE TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO GET WE WANT TO GET WITH THE AREA GARDEN CLUBS TO LIKE RIGHT ALONG THE ROAD THERE BETWEEN WHERE THE BEDS ARE AND THE ROAD OR THE SIDEWALK IS WE WANT TO PLANT FLOWERS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE FIGURE THAT OUT AS WELL.

AND I THINK THAT'LL BE REALLY NICE. GREAT JOB.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. AS FAR AS ASSIGNING THE PLOTS, HOW CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW THAT CAME ABOUT, HOW IT GOT ASSIGNED AND IF THERE'S LIKE AN APPLICATION PROCESS? YES. SO ACTUALLY SOMEBODY, A VOLUNTEER CREATED A SIGN FOR US.

WE HAD A WEBSITE, WE PAID SOMEBODY TO DO A WEBSITE AND, BUT PEOPLE WERE STOPPING BY AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE SIGN, BUT IT SAYS ON IT WHERE YOU GO TO TO GET AN APPLICATION.

THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO DO, AND WE'LL DO THIS THROUGHOUT THE WINTER IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS LIKE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE LIBRARY, DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE WE COULD PUT JUST A FLIER AND SAY, GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND AND GO AHEAD AND SIGN UP FOR A PLOT.

RIGHT. SO THAT'S HOW WE WE'VE GOTTEN OUR, EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN INTERESTED BECAUSE WE WERE SO BUSY GETTING, WE, I THINK WE STARTED, WAS IT JUNE 1ST OR SOMETHING? WE PUT THE WHOLE THING UP IN A MONTH. SO WE WERE JUST LETTING PEOPLE COME TO US.

AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE DONE IT. SO YOU PUT IN YOUR APPLICATION AND IT'S THAT SHARED GROUND COMMUNITY GARDENS.

AND THEN YEAH, SO I THINK WE'RE AT BETWEEN VOLUNTEERS AND, AND JUST APPLICATIONS.

I WANT TO SAY WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT BETWEEN 50 AND 20, AND WE'VE DONE NO ADVERTISING EXCEPT FOR THAT LITTLE SIGN.

SO. I HAVE A QUESTION. SO YEAH, GREAT JOB. I LIVE OFF OF ADOBE.

SO I DRIVE TOBY ALL THE TIME AND I WATCH THE WHOLE THING HAPPEN.

AND I WAS YEAH, I WAS LIKE, OH, AND THEN, BUT I HAD A QUESTION.

SO YEAH, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE IT ALL COME, YOU KNOW, COME, COME INTO FRUITION.

THEN I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT BECAUSE I DID NOT REALIZE I SOMEHOW MISSED MAYBE THE APPLICATION, HOW CLOSE TO THE POWER LINE THE ITC. AND SO HAVE YOU TALKED TO ITC ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE AND HOW? YES. BECAUSE THEY DO. I MEAN, I KNOW IN OTHER PLACES THEY WILL SPRAY IN ORDER TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE VEGETATION SHORT, RIGHT, AND MOW AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO HAVE YOU WORKED OUT WITH THEM THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT? YES.

SO WHAT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE'VE OFFERED TO MAINTAIN THAT AREA, BUT THEY DO JUST LET THAT AREA GROW, RIGHT, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT TO THE NECK.

YOU CAN SEE THERE'S RASPBERRY PLANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, I MEAN JUST RIGHT IN THE AREA, IF YOU NOTICE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WHERE THE ONLY PLACE THEY DON'T REALLY MOW.

RIGHT? IT'S ALL FILLED IN. AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE THE SUBDIVISION BEHIND THERE HAS REQUESTED THEM NOT TO. I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT WE THOUGHT THAT, OKAY, IT MAKES SENSE IF IT BECOMES AN ISSUE WHERE THEY'RE SPRAYING, RIGHT, THAT WE JUST SAY, HEY, WE'LL WE'LL MOW, MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT.

OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING IS, IS, IS YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT PROPERTY LINE GOES TO WHERE THE WHERE THE FENCE POSTS ARE,

[00:20:06]

AND THAT'S KIND OF MORE THEIR RIGHT OF WAY AND WHERE THEY STORE THEIR EQUIPMENT.

OKAY. YEAH. AS LONG AS YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, JUST, IT WAS, I HATE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR THEM TO COME AND THEN, YOU KNOW. YEAH, TEAR IT UP. YES. YEAH, YEAH. SO YEAH, I MEAN, IF THERE'S A HUGE DISASTER, WE REALIZE THAT THERE'S, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND I DON'T SEE IT.

AND WE'RE NOT ENCROACHING ON THEIR PROPERTY AT ALL EITHER.

GREAT. YOU HAVE SPACE TO EXPAND IN CASE APPLICATIONS GROW.

YEAH. SO RIGHT NOW WE DON'T WANT TO CUT DOWN ANY TREES.

RIGHT. SO WE'RE REALLY LIMITED TO TO WHERE WE'RE AT IN THERE.

WE BELIEVE WE CAN GET IN JUST THE FENCED AREA.

WE HAVE PLOTTED IT OUT TO 33 PLOTS RIGHT IN THERE.

RIGHT. AND WE HAVE LIKE TEN. AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THE 11TH IN HERE SOON.

AND THEN EXPANDING BEYOND THAT, WE'D HAVE TO REALLY WATCH AND LOOK AND SEE WHERE WE COULD GET SUNLIGHT.

THERE ARE SOME, SOME THINGS THAT LOVE, YOU KNOW, ARE MORE SHADE LOVING, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THAT IS AN OPTION.

AND YEAH, SO. YEAH, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THAT A COUPLE OF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN NEXT YEAR. I GUESS JUST OVERALL, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THE PARTICIPANTS HAD? AND THEN SECONDLY, DO YOU ANTICIPATE BEING TOTALLY FULL NEXT YEAR? YEAH, I THINK SO, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WHO HAS HAS A PLOT THIS YEAR HAS ASKED FOR A PLOT NEXT YEAR.

AND THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, AND THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR TWO PLOTS, LIKE YOU SAID. SO I'M, I'M, I THINK THAT IF WE PUT IN ANOTHER TEN, I THINK WE'LL HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE FILLED UP EASILY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO PUT THE FLIERS OUT AT THE LIBRARY IN THE VARIOUS PLACES.

SO WE KIND OF ADVERTISE MORE. SO THAT WOULD BE MY, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY GUESS.

BUT EVERYBODY WHO'S DONE IT THIS YEAR HAS ASKED TO DO IT NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE.

YEAH. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. THE FENCE DO ITS JOB? OR DID YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH DEER RABBITS.

WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES. YOU KNOW, BUT WE DID PUT, WE ENDED UP WITH A CAMERA UP BECAUSE WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND SEE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING WAS, IF WE WHAT WE DO IS.

THIS ISN'T OUR FIRST RODEO HERE. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE PUT THE FENCING UP AND THEN WE TAKE CHICKEN WIRE AND IT GOES LIKE THIS.

SO IT GOES TWO FEET UP, TWO FEET OUT AND CURVES AT THE TOP.

SO THEN IF SOMETHING TRIES TO CRAWL UP IT, IT GETS STUCK, RIGHT? OKAY. BUT WE STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF SOMETHING IS GETTING IN.

SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT WE HAVEN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH THINGS BEING EATEN.

SO IF THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE LIKE A PUMPKIN WAS.

THAT PUMPKIN WAS HISTORY. BUT YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

BUT THAT THAT SEEMS TO DO IT. I MEAN, FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IT'S HIGH ENOUGH.

YEAH. GOOD. FOR THE DEER, WHICH EVERYBODY IN MARION TOWNSHIP KNOWS.

THEY'RE A SCOURGE OF SORTS. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THEY DO LOVE TO EAT AND THEY DO LIKE TO HANG OUT ON THAT SPOT, DON'T THEY? THEY DO. AND I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK THEY, THEY FIGURED IT OUT HOW TO GET.

I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THEM GETTING ACROSS THE ROAD THERE BECAUSE THEY DO RUN BACK AND FORTH.

AND I THOUGHT, OH, I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE ANY ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THE FENCE IS THERE NOW, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE THAT I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY.

I HAVEN'T EITHER. YEAH, YEAH. GREAT, GREAT. YEAH.

ANYTHING. NICK. NO. YOU GOOD? WELL THANK YOU.

YEAH. THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. YEAH.

THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR SUCCESS.

YEAH. GREAT. THANKS. YEAH. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO THEN NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

[4. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC]

HI, BETH BECHDOL. HASLETT, MICHIGAN. DEAR. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION 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..

[00:25:02]

I'M THANKFUL AND FULL OF GRATITUDE THAT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2026 AT 9:30 A.M.

AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOWER WARDS PRESERVES AND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP CONSERVATION CORPS IS CO-LEADING A GOAT BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT WITH LOCAL OKEMOS BASED NONPROFIT AND MICHIGAN LAND CONSERVANCY, WHO IS BRINGING GOATS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW GOAT BROWSING NATURALLY AND HEALTHILY REDUCES INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. NONPROFIT WILD ONES RED CEDAR CHAPTER IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE SCOPE BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT.

MANAGE TARGETED GOAT BROWSING IS ONE EFFECTIVE NATURAL STRATEGY TOOL OPTION THAT HELPS REDUCE INVASIVE SPECIES SUCH AS ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET JAPANESE KNOTWEED, TREE OF HEAVEN, KUDZU, BUCKTHORN, POISON IVY, ETC.

WITH MANY OTHER INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. GO BROWSING.

KEY MECHANISMS ARE AS FOLLOWS. NUMBER ONE, SEED CONTROL.

GOATS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SEED GERMINATION OF MANY INVASIVE PLANTS, PREVENTING THEM FROM SPREADING TO NEW AREAS.

NUMBER TWO, IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH. AS GOATS BROWSE THEIR HOOVES, LOOSEN AND BREAK UP COMPACTED LAND, WHILE THEIR MANURE PROVIDES NATURAL FERTILIZER FOR NATURAL 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.

NUMBER FOUR, COMPLEMENTARY MANAGEMENT. GOAT BROWSING CAN BE USED WITH MECHANICAL BRUSH CUTTING, MANUAL HAND PULLING, AND OR CONTROLLED BURNS.

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 MEMBERS, COMMISSION MEMBERS, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF EMPLOYEES WILL WELCOME MORE NATURAL GOAT SCAPING SERVICES IN THE FUTURE. ADDITIONALLY, I'M 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 TALK.

ALL TOWNSHIP SYNTHETIC TOXIC CHEMICAL USE. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH AT MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP TOWER WOODS PRESERVE FOR THIS FUN AND EDUCATIONAL GOAT BROWSING DEMONSTRATION EVENT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

BETH. WHAT TIME DID YOU SAY WHAT TIME? IT'S AT 9:30 A.M..

OH 9:30. OKAY. 9:30. I'M GLAD TO SEE SOME TRACTION THERE.

YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

ALL. OKAY. NEXT COMMUNICATIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS? NO. COMMUNICATIONS. OKAY. AND THEN WE GET TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

OKAY. THAT ONE PROBABLY SHOULD BE APPROVE THE AGENDA.

I'LL SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. LET ME GIVE IT A MINUTE.

DID YOU GET THAT? YES. GOT THAT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S ALL ANY CHANGES OR ANYTHING OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA? NOPE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, SAY AYE.

AYE. OKAY, GREAT. NEXT UP IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2026 REGULAR MEETING.

[7. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – September 2nd, 2026 Regular Meeting]

I THINK THE WORD COMMISSIONER AFTER TRUSTEE LENTZ IT'S PROBABLY A CUT AND PASTE AND MAYBE SHOULD BE DELETED THERE. I SEE. YEP. AN EXTRA COMMISSIONER GHOSTED IN THERE IN THE ABSENCE.

NICE CATCH. ANYTHING ELSE? IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER RECOMMENDED CHANGES, THEN I MOVE TO ADOPT THE MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING. OKAY.

GREAT. SUPPORT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2ND MEETING,

[00:30:01]

NEW BUSINESS. NOTHING FOR NEW BUSINESS. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

AND NOTHING THERE. NOTHING THERE. OKAY. AND THEN WE'RE TO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

[11. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

SO YEAH. SEEMINGLY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO YEAH, JUST HERE TO DO NOT STEAL ALL OF THE GREEN TEAM'S THUNDER. BUT TO REPORT A LITTLE BIT ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR FALL RECYCLING EVENT.

SO A LITTLE WALK THROUGH ON KIND OF HOW THAT WENT.

THIS WAS OUR SECOND YEAR WE'VE HOSTED THAT IN THE MERIDIAN MALL PARKING LOT.

KIND OF THE NORTHEAST SIDE NEXT TO THE CHILI'S AND OLIVE GARDEN AREA.

THIS WAS OUR LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST TIME IN THIS LOCATION.

SO IT WAS A BIT OF A INTERESTING CHALLENGE TRYING TO KIND OF GET THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD WITH IT AND GET THE PROPER MESSAGING AND SIGNAGE IN PLACE TO GET EVERYBODY DIRECTED OVER HERE. AND THEN WE HAD A SIMILAR ISH KIND OF TRAFFIC KIND OF FLOW THROUGH THIS LOT THAT THE MERIDIAN MALL GENEROUSLY PROVIDED FOR US THIS YEAR. WE DID VERY SIMILARLY.

WE WERE IN THE SAME LOCATION. SO THAT'S NICE.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE HERE GOING FORWARD. SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOME REGULARITY THERE.

AND THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TO EXPECT THAT THIS IS WHERE THE FALL RECYCLING EVENTS WILL BE HOSTED.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF A BUSY MAP HERE, BUT JUST A QUICK KIND OF WALK THROUGH. WE HAD EVERYBODY COME IN HERE THROUGH THIS LONGER DRIVE.

IDEALLY, SOME PEOPLE FOUND CREATIVE WAYS IN THROUGH OTHER ENTRANCES.

WE HAD A VOLUNTEER TO ALWAYS ON GUARD TO KIND OF WATCH FOR THAT.

THIS YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WHERE WE SPLIT THINGS UP INTO TWO SEPARATE LINES FOR OUR CONSUMERS APPLIANCES AND OUR REGULAR GENERAL ELECTRONICS COLLECTION.

LAST YEAR WE HAD IT ALL TOGETHER IN ONE LINE, WITH THE ELECTRONICS COLLECTIONS HAPPENING FIRST, AND THEN ALL OF THE CONSUMERS APPLIANCE COLLECTION HAPPENING KIND OF IN SERIES AFTER THAT.

AND WE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WERE JUST THERE FOR CONSUMERS WHO KIND OF BOGGED DOWN THE LINE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTRONICS RECYCLING.

SO THIS YEAR WE OPERATED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN PARALLEL WHERE THE CONSUMERS FOLKS WOULD STICK TO THE LEFT AND KIND OF WORK THEIR WAY UP INTO THIS KIND OF SEPARATE SIDE PARKING LOT AREA THAT WE CORDONED OFF. AND THAT GAVE THEM THE ABILITY TO, IF THEY WERE JUST AT OUR EVENT FOR THE CONSUMERS APPLIANCES, THEY COULD THEN EXIT AND NOT BOG DOWN THE REST OF THE LINE.

OR IF THEY DID HAVE OTHER GENERAL APPLIANCES OR ELECTRONICS TO RECYCLE, THEY COULD THEN LOOP BACK AND REJOIN THE MAIN LINE.

SO ONCE EVERYBODY WAS IN THE MAIN LINE THERE, WE HAD THEM COME AROUND, WE HAD OUR PALLETS HERE, OUR FORKLIFTS AND OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE STATIONED IN THIS CORNER ALONG WITH OUR COKE COLLECTIONS.

THIS IS WHERE WE HAD THE BULK OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, EASILY 20 OF THEM, MOSTLY A COMBINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WHO WERE HELPING TO UNLOAD THE CARS AS THEY CAME THROUGH AND FILL THE PALLETS UP.

WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM OUR GREEN TEAM AND OUR GREEN GAZETTERS, AND OUR ACTION TEAM AT OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL PROVIDED A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS AND A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS. WE HAD OUR.

AT THE VERY END ON THE WAY OUT, WE HAD ONE MORE PERSON SET UP TO KIND OF GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OUT.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY HARRISON. I WAS GOING TO GIVE HIM A CALL OUT IF HE WAS HERE HELPING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WHERE PEOPLE CAN RECYCLE THINGS THAT WE WERE NOT COLLECTING. MOSTLY WE WERE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON INGHAM COUNTY, SOME OF THEIR HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS, AS WELL AS THE RECLAIM BY DESIGN, RADIANT TOWNSHIP RECYCLING CENTER.

AND WE KEPT A CLICKER TALLY OVER HERE TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME THROUGH THE GENERAL ELECTRONICS AREA.

AND THEN WE KEPT A SEPARATE CLICKER OVER HERE, JUST LOOKING AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KIND OF COMING THROUGH THE EVENT IN ITS ENTIRETY.

SO WE DID NOT HAVE A COUNT FOR PEOPLE KIND OF BLEEDING OUT THE BACK, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SUBTRACT AND FIGURE THAT OUT AND WORK WITH CONSUMERS TO SEE KIND OF HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME HERE JUST FOR YOU GUYS. AND OVERALL, WE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS THERE.

ERROR. I'LL SWITCH IT OVER. YEAH. SO I SNUCK THIS INTO THE BACK OF OUR PACKETS HERE.

[00:35:05]

AND THEN I DID A QUICK LITTLE SEND OUT TO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES JUST TO KIND OF LET THEM KNOW WE HAD SOME SUCCESS OUT THERE.

AND JUST TO KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THESE THINGS WE GREW FROM, WE HAD 598 PARTICIPANTS IN 2025, AND WE WERE UP TO 830 SO IN THE, FOR THIS YEAR.

SO WE HAD A RATHER SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OF OVER 200 NEW ATTENDEES.

WE ACTUALLY FILLED UP MORE THAN ONE SEMI TRUCK FULL OF ELECTRONICS LAST YEAR.

WE JUST BARELY FILLED ONE ENTIRE SEMI TRUCK PLUS THREE ITEMS THAT DIDN'T FIT THAT I TOOK IN MY CAR AND WERE ABLE TO BE COMPLETELY DONE.

BUT THIS YEAR WE ENDED UP WITH THREE EXTRA PALLETS, ANOTHER 2,000 POUNDS WORTH OF ELECTRONIC WASTE.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO HAVE A SECOND TRUCK COME IN AND PICK UP THE REST.

SO KIND OF TWO INDICATORS THERE THAT OUR EVENT IS GROWING.

ABOUT A, SOMETHING LIKE A 30% INCREASE ON ATTENDANCE AND SOME RATHER SIGNIFICANT INCREASES ON OUR RECYCLED MATERIALS.

SAME FOR CONSUMERS. THEY ALSO HAD SOMETHING LIKE 200 OR SO ATTENDEES LAST YEAR, AND WE'RE CLOSER TO 300 THIS YEAR.

SO SHOWS THAT OUR EITHER THEIR INCENTIVES WITH REBATES AND THEIR FREE DEHUMIDIFIERS ARE WORKING OR OUR MESSAGING AND OUR MOMENTUM IS GROWING FOR THESE EVENTS. SO JUST A FEW NUMBERS TO SHARE. OVER 23,000 POUNDS OF GENERAL ELECTRONICS WERE RECYCLED OVER JUST ABOUT 300. IT WAS 299. I ROUNDED UP TO 300 SMALL APPLIANCES.

WE'RE TALKING MINI FRIDGES, MINI FREEZERS, DEHUMIDIFIERS AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS WERE RECYCLED BY CONSUMERS.

AND THEN OUR MERIDIAN CARES TEAM WAS ABLE TO COLLECT 18 BAGS OF CLOTHING AND BOOTS AND A LOT OF THOSE WINTER CLOTHING FOR KIND OF GOING INTO THE WINTER SEASON HERE.

AGAIN, WE HAD OVER 200 MORE ATTENDEES TO THIS EVENT AND WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PEOPLE OUT ON THE, ON THE GROUNDS THERE THAT THE NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS WORKING. WE HAD A LOT LESS CONGESTION IN THE MAIN RECYCLING AREA, AND WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE HAPPY, WHO WERE JUST THERE FOR CONSUMERS TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND DO THAT AND GET OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO STICK AROUND TOO MUCH LONGER.

SO OVERALL, I'D SAY A GREAT SUCCESS. THE VOLUNTEERS WERE VERY EFFECTIVE.

THE PARTICIPANTS ALL WERE VERY THUMBS UP, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF OUR EFFORTS.

I THINK I MAYBE ONLY HAD 1 OR 2 SURLY CARS, WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED.

SO YEAH, JUST A QUICK HIGHLIGHT OR KIND OF SHOWCASE A LITTLE BIT, A COMPARISON FROM LAST YEAR WHERE BASICALLY UP ON ALL OF OUR CATEGORIES THEY WEREN'T COUNTING AV DEVICES IN 2025 AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY.

SO THAT'S PART OF WHY THIS MIXED ELECTRONICS BAR IS A LITTLE HIGHER. IT'S PROBABLY A BETTER SLICE OF THAT THAT WERE THESE AV DEVICES.

SO WE'RE GENERALLY UP ON EVERY CATEGORY EXCEPT MIXED.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY PROBABLY BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE CATEGORIES NOW AND OR THEY JUST DID A LITTLE BETTER JOB SORTING THINGS.

SO YEAH LOOKING GREAT THERE. AND THEN AS FAR AS OUR APPLIANCES AND MERIDIAN CARE GO, MERIDIAN'S MERIDIAN CARES GOES, GENERALLY AN INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD HERE TOO.

AGAIN, ALL SET ABOUT 300 APPLIANCES AND ALTOGETHER 18 BAGS OF CLOTHING AND BOOTS.

SO YEAH I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY CURIOUS TO CHECK OUT SOME MORE OF THE PICTURES THERE.

COURTLAND TOOK OVER 100 PICTURES OF THE EVENT, SO IF YOU WERE THERE, YOU'RE PROBABLY REPRESENTED.

SO YEAH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOWCASE THERE FOR ADMISSION.

THIS IS THESE ARE WE DO TWO OF THESE PER YEAR AND WE COLLECT DONATIONS AT THE EVENT AS WELL AS WE GET SPONSORS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. OUR MAJOR SPONSORS THIS YEAR WERE GRANGER WASTE SERVICES AND ABSOLUTE SOLAR.

SO WE GIVE THEM A BIG THANKS FOR MAKING THESE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE ABLE TO DONATE AND HELP KIND OF OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS. THE RECYCLERS WE USE HAD A PRETTY NOTICEABLE RATE HIKE THIS YEAR, SO IT WAS GOOD THAT WE HAD AS MUCH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND WILLINGNESS TO DONATE TO HELP US KEEP THIS EVENT GOING IN THE FUTURE.

SO YEAH, ANY QUESTIONS, ANY THOUGHTS, FEEDBACK FROM TOM PERHAPS ON HOW THINGS WENT? FOR YOU. I HAD A QUESTION JUST ABOUT LIKE, IT'S GREAT TO SEE.

YEAH, THE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATION IN THE INCREASE.

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF LIKE WHAT YOU MENTIONED? MAYBE IT'S MESSAGING, LIKE, DID YOU GUYS DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR? LIKE, CAN WE, CAN WE KIND OF,

[00:40:02]

I THINK, I THINK WE GENERALLY DID A LITTLE BETTER JOB OF ADVERTISING IT.

BUT I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WITHOUT REALLY POKING AROUND.

ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? I HAD JUST ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT SO THE, THE COST.

SO WE PAY FOR THE, THE COST OF THE RECYCLER. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THEN.

YEAH. SO DO WE, DO WE GENERALLY COVER THE COSTS BETWEEN LIKE THE SPONSORSHIP AND THE DONATIONS OR NO WE'RE NOT? LAST YEAR WE COVERED ABOUT 40% OF THE EVENT. THIS YEAR WE COVERED ABOUT 44%.

SO WE DID A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON THAT FRONT. BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER FULLY OFFSET THE COST OF THESE EVENTS.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE EVENT? THIS THIS YEAR, ALL SAID AND DONE, IT WAS CLOSE TO $9,000 WITH ABOUT $4,000 IN DONATIONS. LEADING A TOTAL COST TO BE ABOUT $5,000.

AND WE WERE PRETTY SIMILAR LAST YEAR, WITH THE OVERALL EVENT COSTING ABOUT $8,000 WITH ABOUT $3,000 IN DONATIONS.

SO AGAIN, COST OF THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN ABOUT THE SAME, ABOUT $5,000.

OKAY. ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT. AND THIS ONE DOES CARRY A HEAVIER TOLL THAN THE SPRING RECYCLING EVENT, WHERE A LOT OF THOSE MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING RECYCLED ARE WORTH A LOT MORE INTRINSICALLY.

SO WE DON'T PAY NEARLY AS MUCH FOR RECYCLING THE THE DOCUMENTS, THE SHEET METAL, THE SCRAP METAL, ALL THAT THE ELECTRONICS, ESPECIALLY THE TELEVISIONS.

THOSE SEEM TO JUST BE GOING UP AND UP ON THE RECYCLING COSTS.

AND WE GOT MORE THIS YEAR THAN WE'VE EVER GOTTEN BEFORE.

OKAY. I WONDER IF THERE'S MAYBE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE SPONSORSHIPS AT ALL? THAT WOULD BE A GOOD DIRECTION TO HELP OFFSET THIS.

WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE ON WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR DONATIONS AS WELL.

I THINK SPONSORSHIPS, THOUGH, WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO GO. YEAH. AND, AND I THINK TOO, THAT BEING ABLE TO SHARE OUR SUCCESS LIKE THIS WILL HELP GENERATE AND ATTRACT MORE SPONSORS AND YEARS TO COME. IF WE CAN SHOW THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO GROW AND THAT THERE'S A SERIOUS DEMAND FOR THIS.

YEAH, I THINK OKAY, THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN, YEAH, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR THAT.

AND THEN OKAY. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA THE REPORTS FROM THE LIAISONS.

SO TOWNSHIP BOARD TRUSTEE LENTZ. LET'S.

HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A LOVELY EVENING AFTER A BEAUTIFUL KIND OF SUMMERY DAY.

SO A FEW THINGS. WE HAD OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING LAST EVENING, SO NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I ALWAYS END UP TELLING ONE OF YOU GUYS THE DAY AFTER OR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD TWO WEEKS AFTER SOMETHING HAPPENS HERE.

SO IT'S A NICE, EASY WAY TO REMEMBER FOR YOU GUYS WHAT WE DID LAST NIGHT.

THIS WAS NOT APPROVED LAST NIGHT, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST MEETING SINCE IT HAPPENED.

THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DEER CULLING PROGRAM STARTED ON OCTOBER 1ST.

SO I FOR THIS AREA, AT LEAST RELATIVELY NOVEL APPROACH TO DEAD DEER THAT POPULATE OUR TOWNSHIP. YOU CAN SEE ON THE WEBSITE THE FULL LIST OF PARKS AND OR I SHOULD SAY PUBLIC PUBLICLY OWNED LANDS AND PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS THAT ARCHERS ARE GOING TO BE STATIONED AT BETWEEN OCTOBER 1ST AND JANUARY 1ST.

THEY'RE AUTHORIZED TO TAKE UP TO 300 DEER. LAST YEAR WAS 254.

THAT MEAT IS TESTED AND THEN DONATED TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES.

SO THAT IS A GREAT BENEFIT. AND I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FROM EMMA CAMPBELL'S PRESENTATION ON THIS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT I REMEMBER THE NUMBER BEING ASTOUNDINGLY HIGH WHEN LOOKING AT CAR DEER COLLISIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THIS PROGRAM WAS INSTITUTED. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANY JUSTIFICATION, THERE ARE TRULY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BEING SAVED BY RESIDENTS EVERY YEAR FROM IT.

SO I'M A BIG FAN OF THE PROGRAM. I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT MY FRIEND BETH INVITED YOU TO THE GOAT SCAPING DEMONSTRATION ON OCTOBER 17TH ESPECIALLY AS WE KIND OF WIND DOWN THE GROWING SEASON.

AND THEREFORE THE BUGGY SEASON. I KNOW I'M GOING TO TRY TO VOLUNTEER MORE WITH THE MCC WITH EMMA CAMPBELL'S TEAM.

[00:45:03]

IT'S A FUN WAY TO GET GET INVOLVED IN YOU KNOW, LITERALLY HANDS ON WORK.

SO BUT SPECIFICALLY THAT OCTOBER 17TH ONE, I THINK SHOULD BE VERY COOL.

I APPRECIATE RICHARD BEING IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE PRESENTATION WE RECEIVED FOR BIRD CITY LAST NIGHT.

SO WE OBVIOUSLY AS A GROUP TALKED ABOUT THAT EXTENSIVELY.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BEING A PART OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF THAT.

SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO WATCH THAT PRESENTATION.

I DON'T I THINK IT'LL ONLY BE INFORMATION, YOU ALL KNOW, BASED ON WHAT OUR INTERACTIONS WERE WITH THAT WITH THAT APPLICATION AND THE PROCESS.

AND THEN WE DID APPROVE OUR ANNUAL 20, OR OUR 2027 TOWNSHIP BUDGET LAST NIGHT.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED TO READ THROUGH THE 184 PAGE DOCUMENT.

IT IS NOT AS TERRIBLE TO READ AS PLENTY OF OTHER BUDGETS.

I HAVE READ PRETTY WELL LAID OUT. THERE IS A VERY, I WOULD SAY COMPREHENSIVE, BUT NOT INUNDATED, FILLED WITH NUMBERS INTRODUCTION AND HEADLINE OVERVIEW WHICH INCLUDES TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS IN THAT FIRST 15 TO 16 PAGES.

SO IT TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THERE.

THIS BUDGET DID INCLUDE $20,000 FOR GREEN GRANTS.

SO THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HERE.

SO, AND AN INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. YEAH, IT WAS AN INCREASE, BUT THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING WAS BECAUSE PREVIOUS YEARS THERE WAS THAT HOLDOVER FROM IN SMALL AMOUNTS AND THE ACTUAL USE TOWARDS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE GREEN GRANTS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAD TO DO WITH ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, BUT IT WAS SLIGHTLY OVER THAT 15 SO IT IS 20,000.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO LOOK AT IT AND DOUBLE CHECK MY WORK, BUT I MADE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN MY READING.

AND THEN LASTLY THE TOWNSHIP LAST NIGHT HEARD IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN WATCHING THE YOUTUBE VIDEO OR HOMTV OF THE MEETING, THE LAST THING WE DEALT WITH WAS A TALL GRASS ORDINANCE.

LOOKING INTO THAT. SO YOU KNOW, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRASSES, YOU KNOW, VEGETATION AND ENVIRONMENT.

VERY OBVIOUS. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? A LOT OF TOWNSHIPS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DOING ARE MOVING TO TRY TO HAVE MORE HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO LAWNS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SHUT CASE.

EAST LANSING JUST REVOKED THEIR NO MOW MAY POLICY, WHEREAS ANN ARBOR JUST INSTITUTED THEIRS.

SO I BELIEVE IT'S, THEY NOW ALLOW UP TO A FOOT OF GRASS, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES EITHER WAY.

THE TOWNSHIP BASICALLY, EXCUSE ME, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD BASICALLY GOT A BEAT ON WHAT STAFF WERE THINKING.

WE GAVE SOME DIRECTION OVERALL. I AM PERSONALLY A FAN OF THE IDEA OF NOT HAVING UNNECESSARILY PESTICIDE HEAVY AND LARGE SWATHS OF GRASS, SO THIS WOULD BE MORE THAN LIKELY.

EXAMINING THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS 75FT FROM A STRUCTURE, REQUIRES MOWING AND 75FT FROM A SIDEWALK OR RIGHT OF WAY. SO THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO MANY LAWNS THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO HAVE FESCUE IN THE MIDDLE.

SO THIS GOAL WOULD BE OVER THE NON-GROWING SEASON TO COME UP WITH A POLICY INTERNALLY THAT THE BOARD COULD ADOPT AS A TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE TO BE MORE YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

SO BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A CHANGE IN ORDINANCE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE BOARD AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO ANY AND ALL. WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN, I'LL MAKE SURE TO.

OF COURSE, LET YOU ALL KNOW. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME ATTEND.

READ IT, SHARE YOUR OPINIONS. SO EXCUSE ME. BUT.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN UP TO? YEAH.

$20,000 FOR CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING AND 15,000 FOR GREEN GRANTS.

[00:50:01]

SO IT SHOULD BE. OH, THIS IS NOT MY MOUSE. I'M SORRY.

AM I MOVING AROUND? LET ME DOUBLE CHECK.

SO I AM LOOKING AT PAGE 51 OF THE GENERAL FUND, PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING BUDGET, AND IT INCLUDES $20,000 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS, WHICH THE DESCRIPTION IS INCLUDES GREEN GRANTS.

SO THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. AND WE AS A TOWNSHIP BOARD, WE TALKED ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE 20,000.

SO THAT IS, THAT IS HOW I'M INTERPRETING THAT INFORMATION.

SO THEN DOES THAT, SO THEN DOES NOT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING.

NO, THAT WOULD NOT. THAT IS I THINK YEAH, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE ITEM.

YEAH. SO THAT IS. LET ME FIND THE RIGHT PAGE FOR THAT.

SO THE CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM IS A. LET ME MAKE SURE I'M READING THE RIGHT LINE.

HE HAS A SEPARATE 20,000. OKAY. SO YEAH. APOLOGIES.

THAT IS ON PAGE 141. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

SO THE NUMBERS. GREAT. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, THE, THE TALL GRASS ORDINANCE WHO HOW DID THAT GET INTRODUCED TO THE TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD? DID THAT COME FROM THE STAFF OR DID IT COME FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER OR HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? SO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE DEFINITELY EXPRESSED INTEREST OVER THE YEARS, BUT ALMOST ALL OF THE BUSINESS THAT COMES DIRECTLY BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP BOARD IS STAFF LED. SO THAT WAS OUR DIRECTOR, TIM SCHMIDT, BRINGING IT FORWARD TO US.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT FALLS UNDER HIS PURVIEW IS CODE ENFORCEMENT.

AND SO THAT THAT'S ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE WANT TO BE A GREEN COMMUNITY.

THERE ARE ORDINANCES THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED, CODES THAT WHETHER THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, STRICTLY ENFORCED OR NOT SO STRICTLY ENFORCED, THEY'RE TECHNICALLY ON THE BOOKS. SO THERE ARE, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES WITH YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY ENFORCE ALL THESE CODES? AND IS IT REALLY IN THE DESIRE AND BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWNSHIP TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME, ESPECIALLY IN APRIL AND MAY, ENFORCING THESE CODES THAT A LOT OF US ON THE BOARD AND STAFF AGREE DON'T NECESSARILY REFLECT THE GOALS OF THE COMMUNITY. IN THIS CASE, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A VERY LARGE FRONT YARD, I WOULD LOVE TO NOT HAVE TO MOW, MOW IT, YOU KNOW, AND LET IT HAVE MORE NATURAL WILDFLOWERS AND FEATURES.

SO COMES FROM STAFF. BUT THAT ISN'T TO SAY THAT IF THERE ARE ANY OPINIONS THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WANTS TO SHARE EARLY THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, STAFF LIAISON OR BOARD LIAISON CAN EXPRESS.

SO IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR AREAS THAT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS, I CAN ALSO POINT YOU WHERE IN THE PACKET THAT TOPIC IS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE DIRECT LANGUAGE USED. NO, NO, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S ALSO INTEREST IN, I THINK, SOME GROWING INTEREST IN TRYING TO HAVE MORE NATURAL LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTS AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, GRASS AND MOWED GRASS.

AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT SOMETIMES FIT IN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE AND EVERYTHING.

SO THAT'S I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THOSE BESIDES NOT MOWING, BUT JUST THE RESTORATION.

YEAH, YEAH. SO ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE ASKING, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS KIND OF A TEMPERATURE CHECK WITH DIRECTOR SCHMIDT PRESENTING LAST NIGHT, WHEREAS NOW HE HAS SOME DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD AND, VIDEO TO REFER BACK TO IF HE NEEDS TO.

BUT SPENDING THIS OFF SEASON BASICALLY COMING UP WITH SOME OF THOSE MAYBE SOME OF THE TECHNICAL SIDES OF WHAT YOU KNOW AROUND BOTH ENFORCEMENT AND THEN WHAT COUNTS AS A NATIVE PLANT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE ORDINANCE IS GOING TO NECESSARILY GET INTO THAT. SO I'M MORE IN FAVOR OF A LESS WRITING AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH NATIVE PLANTINGS WITHOUT DEFINITION, STRICT DEFINITIONS.

[00:55:01]

AND DIRECTOR SCHMIDT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT. AND I'LL SAY JUST SO THAT IF ANYONE WANTS TO REWATCH AND FIND IT THEMSELVES OR WRITE IT DOWN HERE.

IT'S PAGE 123 THROUGH 125 OF THE BOARD PACKET LAST NIGHT.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO LOOK THROUGH IT. DIRECTOR SCHMIDT ACKNOWLEDGES, AND IF YOU WATCH THE VIDEO, HE'LL SAY THAT THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A FINAL DRAFT IN ANY WAY, BECAUSE THERE DOES NEED TO BE THOSE TECHNICAL ADDITIONS MADE.

SO BUT SO CHAIRWOMAN LEE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ANY OF YOUR EXPERTISE AROUND NATIVE PLANTINGS AND MAYBE IF YOU KNOW OF ANY SPECIFIC ORDINANCES THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE ADOPTED TO BE MORE PRO NATIVE PLANTINGS, I'M, I'M SURE THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

SO. OKAY. YEAH. WELL, I'M A HERPETOLOGIST, SO I, I DON'T HAVE IT [LAUGHS].

I DON'T HAVE IT READILY, YOU KNOW, ON MY HEAD LIKE TO KNOW THOSE RESOURCES.

YEAH. BUT I MEAN, BUT I MEAN, IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING AROUND PROFESSIONALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S OTHER FOLKS THAT DO IT. AND I'M SURE EMMA, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY HAS.

YEAH. GOOD. I KNOW THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE RELIED ON QUITE A BIT, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT.

YEAH. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE AN INTERESTING OF OTHER COMMUNITIES IF THEY HAVE ORDINANCES ABOUT THAT AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

WHEN I WAS PREPPING FOR THE MEETING, NOT MUCH CAME TO.

NOT MUCH WAS EASY TO FIND WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR AT LEAST MICHIGAN BECAUSE I TRY TO ALWAYS REPLICATE MICHIGAN IF I CAN HELP IT.

BUT I, I'M SURE STAFF AND ALSO AS A CURIOUS BOARD MEMBER, ALL EARS IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD FIND THAT IS WORTH, YOU KNOW, STEAL GOOD IDEAS KIND OF THING. SO OKAY.

BUT I APPRECIATE THE ROBUST. OH, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, THAT WHILE IT'S BOUND TO BE KIND OF A GRAY AREA BETWEEN LAWN AND GARDEN.

I THINK THERE CAN BE A DISTINCTION MADE BETWEEN NATIVE PLANTINGS THAT ARE USED AS PART OF LANDSCAPING.

WHICH WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE, I THINK EXEMPT FROM THE LAWN MAINTENANCE RESTRICTIONS.

EIGHT INCHES OF MOWED GRASS WITHIN STRUCTURES BECAUSE GARDENS TEND TO BE WITHIN 75FT OF HOMES AND STRUCTURES.

BUT THE WORDING USED IS LIKE INTENTIONALLY PLANTED, WHICH LIKE HAS A WHOLE FRAUGHT, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW INTENTIONAL IS SOMETHING IF SOMEONE'S KNOCKING ON MY DOOR AND TELLING ME IT'S WRONG, I'M GOING TO SAY IT'S SO. YEAH. SO AT SOME POINT, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO NEED TO BE SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT CONSTITUTES A LAWN AND CONSTITUTES LANDSCAPE GARDENING THAT INVOLVES PLANTS.

SO YEAH. BUT YEAH, I FIGURED IF THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS, IT WOULD BE YOU. WOULD, I WILL HAPPILY CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU AS I LEARN MORE AND WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PUBLIC ORDINANCE DISCUSSION WHEN THAT TIME ARISES.

OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S EXCITING TO HEAR. I CAN FINALLY CONVINCE MY HUSBAND THEN.

YEAH, YEAH. ANYONE LOOKING TO BUY A LAWN MOWER FOR THE START OF NEXT SEASON I WOULDN'T MIND GETTING RID OF MINE.

ALL RIGHT. YES, COMMISSIONER. YEAH. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, IF I MIGHT.

ONE IS AGAIN ON THE THE GRASS ISSUE AND YOU MENTIONED THAT THE CITY OF EAST LANSING RESCINDED THEIRS. WAS THERE ANY RATIONALE GIVEN AS TO WHY THEY TOOK THAT ACTION? SO I I KNOW THERE WAS. I READ ABOUT IT AND I HAVE SINCE FORGOTTEN WHAT THE ARTICLE INCLUDED, SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT AN ARGUMENT OFTEN MADE AGAINST NO MOW MAY BY ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED INDIVIDUALS IS THAT IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T DO THE EFFECT THAT THE GOAL WAS INTENDED OR THAT THE ACTION WAS INTENDED FOR.

SO LIKE, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, LEAVE YOUR, IF YOU ALLOW DANDELIONS TO GROW IN MAY AND BEES START EATING IT, BUT THEN JUNE 1ST, YOU CUT IT DOWN, THEY WILL STILL LOSE THAT NATIVE HABITAT.

SO I KNOW THAT EAST LANSING HAS MOVED FROM A NO MOW MAY ORDINANCE TO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS EXISTS IN CITY CODE.

I APOLOGIZE, I COULD FIND THAT ARTICLE AND SEND IT TO JACK FOR HIM TO PASS OUT, BUT MORE PERMANENT NATIVE PLANTS LIKE, LIKE WHAT RICHARD WAS MENTIONING WITH THE DESIGNATED INTENTIONALLY PLANTED GARDENS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT IS MY RECOLLECTION OF AN ARTICLE I READ A WHILE AGO, SO I APOLOGIZE.

[01:00:04]

THAT'S RIGHT. AND THE SECOND QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH THE CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY GRANT.

AND I KNOW AT ONE POINT, IN FACT, I THINK MAYBE AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BEING TIED INTO THE WELLHEAD PROTECTION PROGRAM. I'M WONDERING IF IF THAT WAS FINAL LANGUAGE OR IF IT'S IF THE GRANT IS MORE OPEN THAN BEING THAT SPECIFIC. SO I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE A SIMPLE AS A YES OR NO ON THAT. I KNOW AT ONE POINT I WAS SPEAKING WITH MANAGER DEMPSEY ABOUT ABOUT USING SOME OF THOSE GRANTS FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

BUT THAT WAS WHEN THE BUDGET WAS STILL PRETTY EMBRYONIC.

SO AND I DID NOT FOLLOW UP ON WHERE THAT WENT WITH THAT SAID, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A POLICY DECISION RATHER THAN A BUDGET DECISION. IT WOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO CHANGE THAT CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM TO BE WELLHEAD FOCUSED.

BUT AS OF NOW, THERE'S NO DIRECTIVE FROM THE BOARD TO DO THAT.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE WELLHEADS. BUT YOU KNOW, I, I MADE SURE TO PASS ALONG ALL THE INFORMATION, NOT ALL BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT, BUT A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT LAUREN FROM TRI-COUNTY PRESENTED TO THIS GROUP A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.

SO IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE STAFF KNOWS ABOUT IT.

SO I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION THOUGH, TOM, AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

SURE. YEAH. I'D BE CURIOUS TOO. YEAH YEAH YEAH.

ANYTHING ELSE? GREAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. PLANNING COMMISSION. DID DID BILL SEND YOU ANYTHING? I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM BILL. OKAY, SO WE'LL SKIP THAT ONE.

ALL RIGHT. LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. WE DID MEET IN SEPTEMBER.

WE MAINLY WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM STARTING WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INNER URBAN WETLAND PRESERVE AND THE SEWER PATHWAY.

AND I THINK EMMA WENT OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, THIS SITE.

DID SHE GO WITH YOU? I CAN'T, I'M NOT SURE, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT JUST TO SEE LIKE WHERE TO PUT THE PATH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PATH FOR THE FOR THE, FOR THE VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND SERVICE AND STUFF.

YEAH. AND SO I THINK SHE HAS SOME, A BETTER IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OPTIONS AND STUFF.

AND AND THEN WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED LAST TIME ABOUT POTENTIAL FOR THIS COMMISSION TO DO SITE VISITS.

AND I HAVE TO, I'M NOT FULLY SURE HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK BECAUSE I NEED TO TALK TO MAYBE COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL ABOUT HOW IT WORKED IN THE PAST OR MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU DO YOU KNOW IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW TOM, ABOUT HOW THOSE SITE VISITS BETWEEN BECAUSE THE SITE VISITS, WHEN WE DO LIKE FOR A POTENTIAL, LIKE TO EVALUATE A POTENTIAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION, THOSE ARE CLOSED SESSIONS. AND SO I DON'T KNOW, LIKE IF THEY WERE MORE LIKE WHEN WE DO SITE VISITS, IT'S, IT'S LIKE AFTER THE FACT, YOU KNOW, TO VISIT SITES OR IF IT WAS REALLY THAT PRE, YOU KNOW, CLOSED SESSION KIND OF EVALUATION VISITS. SO YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WE'VE DONE A WHOLE LOT OF THEM SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION.

BUT PROBABLY BILL WOULD BE A BETTER PERSON TO CHECK ON THAT.

OKAY. SO I JUST NEED TO FIND OUT. YEAH. LIKE IF THAT'S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE.

AND HOW WOULD WE DO THAT IF IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE A CLOSED SESSION THING.

SO YEAH. AND THEN THAT WAS, I THINK THAT WAS REALLY IT.

THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER. I JUST GOT THE DATE WRONG BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. IT SAYS OCTOBER 27TH.

OH NO, THAT'S THAT'S NOT IT. THE NEXT MEETING IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, BUT WE WILL BE MEETING AT I THINK WE'RE MOVING IT TO MEET AT. OH. NEWTON. NEWTON PARK NEXT MEETING.

SO OCTOBER 14TH. YEP. THAT'S IT. BROWNFIELD

[01:05:09]

THERE WOUND UP NOT BEING A QUORUM FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, SO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN.

IN SEPTEMBER, I DID REPORT LAST TIME ON APPROVING A BROWNFIELD PLAN FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH EAST CORNER IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.

WE ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET TOMORROW, AND WE'RE ON THE AGENDA IS TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS A MORE DETAILED DOCUMENT THAN THE PLAN FOR THAT SAME REDEVELOPMENT, SO SHOULD KNOW MORE TOMORROW AND HOW THAT GOES.

BUT THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT. OKAY, GREAT.

THANKS. PARKS COMMISSION. PARKS COMMISSION. SO THEIR LAST MEETING WAS ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.

I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING IN PERSON.

HOWEVER, I DID REVIEW THE PACKET FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THERE THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

ONE IS THAT THERE WAS A SUMMARY OF THE FIVE YEAR PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN INCLUDED IN THE PACKET. AND THAT SHOWED BROAD SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING EXISTING PARK SYSTEM.

SO THIS IS INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC INTO STRENGTHENING THE TRAILS AND WALKING CONNECTIONS.

CONTINUING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PROPERTIES INCLUDES BROAD SUPPORT FOR INVASIVE SPECIES AND WILDLIFE HABITAT, SO THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS THOSE GOALS. SURVEY RESPONDENTS GENERALLY VALUE THE VARIETY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE TYPES OF ASSETS. AND AT THE SAME TIME IDENTIFIED SOME RECURRING NEEDS RELATED TO AGING. PARKING SPACES AND PRESERVE FACILITIES, TRAIL SYSTEM DISCREPANCIES, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS TO WHAT THEY THINK THE PARK SYSTEM A PARK SYSTEM ACTUALLY DOES AND THINKS IS OUT THERE.

THERE ARE ALSO SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IPPORTUNITIES FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CENTER. AND THE FACT THAT THE TOWNSHIP DOESN'T HAVE AN AQUATIC CENTER [INAUDIBLE] WITHIN THE SURVEY RESPONSES. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE DEER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM HAS SUPPORT [INAUDIBLE] APPROVAL [INAUDIBLE] IS DISAPPOINTED THAT DEER [INAUDIBLE] SEPTEMBER. IMPORTANT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES[INAUDIBLE] THIS REPORT FROM CONSULTANT [INAUDIBLE] FOR EACH ONE OF. [INAUDIBLE] INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS. [INAUDIBLE] SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.

PRACTICES AND PARKS AND RESERVES. THESE ARE ALL.

[INAUDIBLE] CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. PROMOTING.

RECYCLING FACILITIES. [INAUDIBLE] INCREASING TENSIONS BETWEEN PARTIES, [INAUDIBLE] IMPLEMENT

[01:10:06]

HOPING FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. EXCELLENT.

COOL. GREAT. THANKS. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL GOOD? GREAT. SO THE NEXT ON TO THE TEAMS, TEAM REPORTS.

ENERGY TEAM. I CAN REPORT ON THE ENERGY TEAM ZOOM MEETING, WHICH TOOK PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH.

THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST THERE.

ONE IS THAT MARSHALL CLABO, WHO REPRESENTS GREAT LAKES RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION, PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT DRAFT LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED TO REVIEW THE INTENSITY AND WAS INTRODUCED TO THE ENERGY COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

IT HAS NOT BEEN PASSED OUT OF TIME, SO IT'S STILL SITTING IN COMMITTEE.

OF COURSE, BUT THAT DRAFT PROPOSAL, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED BY DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE IN THE PROPOSED REMOVING THE 10% CAP ON SOLAR ENERGY GENERATION AND RESTORING THAT ACROSS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.

EVEN IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS TO KIND OF MORE OF THIS TYPE OF LEGISLATION IS PRINCIPLES TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN.

THIS REFERS TO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLAR ENERGY SCORE.

ROOFTOPS, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS, OFTEN REPRESENT IDEAL SETTINGS FOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS BECAUSE A LARGE SOLAR EXPOSURE AND CONNECTIONS WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURES WITHIN BUILDINGS [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU THINK ABOUT SCHOOL SYSTEMS. [INAUDIBLE] RETURN TO AN ENERGY SOURCE FOR SCHOOLS, BUT BY REMOVING [INAUDIBLE] IT SPECIFICALLY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WHAT THAT MEANS IS FOR FAMILIES, THEY WOULD LIKE [INAUDIBLE] POTENTIAL NEW SOURCES AND WHO CAN [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S THE IDEAL PROPOSAL [INAUDIBLE] ENERGY TEAM MEETING. [INAUDIBLE] SO I THINK SOME OF THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS ESSENTIALLY DECIDED TO CANCEL ITS [INAUDIBLE]

[01:15:12]

[INAUDIBLE] THIS IS THE FIRST.

COMPUTER SYSTEM WELL [INAUDIBLE] AND SUBSTANTIALLY LESS OTHER SYSTEMS. POINT THAT OUT IS SOMETHING PROBABLY HERE. I THINK IT'S VERY INTERESTING NEW TECHNOLOGY. BUT [INAUDIBLE] VERY INTERESTING. I'LL JUST ADD A QUICK NOTE THERE.

THE WELLCONNECT. I'VE KIND OF BROUGHT THAT UP TOO WITH A COUPLE OTHER TOWN TOWNSHIP STAFF.

AND WE DO PLAN TO BRING THAT TO THE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD AT SOME OF THEIR NEXT MEETINGS.

JUST TO, AGAIN, TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF KIND OF THE DEVELOPING MOMENTUM ON THIS AND ENSURE THAT WE KIND OF HAVE A HAND ON THE WHEEL IF THIS STARTS TO REALLY TAKE ROOT, IT IS A FASCINATING IDEA. I'LL AGREE. I'LL JUST I'LL NOTE THAT AS A PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY IT'S YOU GET INTO SOME INTERESTING WATER WHEN YOU START TO CROSS CONNECT THAT WITH OTHER UTILITIES IN YOUR HOUSE.

SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME VERY CLEAR GUIDANCE.

AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, CLOSED LOOP, YOU KNOW, STRICTLY IT NEEDS, WE NEED TO KIND OF SUSS THIS OUT ENTIRELY BEFORE IT KIND OF JUST GETS AHEAD OF US. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO.

AND THEN I'M CURIOUS TO SEE KIND OF WHERE IT GOES.

AND I CAN SHARE THAT THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A MAJOR WATER PLANT THAT IS CURRENTLY DOING THIS.

WATER PLANTS, TYPICALLY, IF THEIR SURFACE WATER OR GROUNDWATER, THEY HAVE VERY DEEP INTAKES.

THE WATER PLANT I WORKED AT PULLED FROM LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATER COMING IN WAS GENERALLY PRETTY STABLE IN THE WINTER.

IT COULD GO DOWN TO MAYBE 46 DEGREES OR SO, WHICH IS STILL WARMER THAN FREEZING AND IS STILL WARMER THAN THE REST OF THE BUILDING.

CONVERSELY, IN THE SUMMER, THE WATER WOULD COME IN AROUND MAYBE 76 DEGREES OR SO, AND WHICH IS AGAIN, STILL COOLER THAN WHAT TEMPERATURE CAN BE IN AUGUST.

SO THIS WATER PLANT STARTED DOING THIS VERY SIMILAR IDEA, TAKING THEIR INTAKE WATER AND USING IT WITH THEIR HVAC SYSTEM TO MODULATE IN THEIR BUILDING. AND THE ADVANTAGE THEY HAVE AS A WATER TREATMENT FACILITY IS THEY CAN TAKE ALL OF THAT WATER AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE TREATMENT TRAIN, AND THEY CAN ENSURE THAT WHATEVER WATER WENT THROUGH THEIR GEOTHERMAL PROCESSING, WE'LL CALL IT WAS RETREATED TO ENSURE THERE WAS SIMPLY NO CHANCE OF ANY CONTAMINATION OF ANY SORT.

SOME OF THESE DEVICES DO REQUIRE ADDITIVES IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE HARD WATER THAT CAN CAUSE SCALING ON YOUR APPLIANCES.

SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT MIXED IN WITH YOUR DRINKING WATER THAT WILL JUST BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO.

THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT THERE. SURE. OKAY, GREAT.

GREEN TEAM. YEAH. NOT A LOT TO ADD TO JACK'S REPORT ABOUT THE RECYCLING EVENT.

THAT'S BEEN THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE GREEN TEAM THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, IS TO GET READY FOR THAT.

AND I CONCUR, IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT AND GLAD TO SEE INCREASED PARTICIPATION FROM CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP. SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CONTINUE.

THE GREEN TEAM IS MEETING TOMORROW. WE MEET THE SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH AT 4 P.M.

AT SCHULER'S CAFE, AND PRIMARILY WILL BE KIND OF DEBRIEFING ABOUT THE RECYCLING EVENT.

WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT CAN WE IMPROVE TYPE THINGS.

AND THEN MOST LIKELY START PLANNING FOR 2027 EVENTS.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ABOUT IT. YEAH. JUST ANOTHER BIG THANKS TO HARRISON AND TOM FOR THEIR SUPPORT DURING

[01:20:05]

NO. NO. YEAH. WE'RE. OKAY. AND HIGH SCHOOL. OKEMOS.

HIGH SCHOOL, THERE'S BEEN LIKE A LOT OF LIKE CHANGE IN SOME, GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN WITH LIKE ALL THE EARTH CLUBS THAT HAPPENED. LIKE WE HAVE NOW A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB CALLED SEAL THAT ORIGINALLY STARTED IN HASLETT BUT ALSO LIKE MADE ITS WAY TO OKEMOS AS WELL.

AND THAT CLUB HAS STARTED AND THEY HAVE BEEN PLANNING ON DOING COMMUNITY EVENTS AND WORKING ON LIKE BETTERING THE SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL.

AND EARTH CLUB FINALLY FOUND A ADVISOR AND THEY WILL BE STARTING THEIR EVENTS LIKE THE DREAM PROJECT AND LIKE SOME OTHER STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN THIS YEAR LIKE LIKE, THIS TIME WE DID LIKE RESOLUTIONS, LIKE RESOLUTIONS FOR LIKE SUSTAINABILITY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND THERE'S MORE EVENTS TO COME IN THE FUTURE.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ACTION AND NHS FROM OKEMOS AND HASLETT HAVE VOLUNTEERED AT THE MERIDIAN RECYCLING PROGRAM, WHICH WAS NICE. REALLY, REALLY.

NICE. ANOTHER THING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS IS THAT AND PART OF THIS, LIKE ME AND SOME OTHER OKEMOS AND HASLETT KIDS ARE FROM THIS PROGRAM CALLED MILES, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE STATE.

AND BASICALLY WE'RE TRYING TO LIKE PUSH LEGISLATION FOR LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUMS ISH. SO LIKE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FORWARD LIKE CURRICULUMS AND SOME TEACHERS FROM CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL HAVE LIKE AGREED. SOME SCIENCE TEACHERS HAVE AGREED TO LIKE ADD SOME LIKE PILOT CURRICULUM LIKE LESSONS INSIDE OF THEIR LESSON PLANS THAT LIKE RELATE TO THEIR STANDARDS AND TO ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AS WELL.

AND SO LIKE, SO WE CAN GET DATA AND WE CAN LIKE PUSH FORWARD THE LEGISLATION.

THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S GOING TO BE TWO CLUBS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WILL DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY.

OH, OKAY. WOW. THAT'S AWESOME. OKAY. TWO CLUBS HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MISSION OR FOCUS OR EMPHASIS. I SAY SO I BELIEVE THAT EARTH CLUB IS MORE OF A LIKE VOLUNTEER BASED, COMMUNITY BASED. SO FAR, WHAT I'VE SEEN SINCE BOTH OF THE CLUBS ONLY HAD ONE MEETING SO FAR.

I'D SAY CLUB IS MORE VOLUNTEERING AND OUTREACH COMMUNITY WIDE AND [INAUDIBLE] HAS PROBABLY THIS LIKE INNER SCHOOL IMPACT.

SO LIKE I WANT TO, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING LIKE THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN BOTH THE CLUBS IN THE FUTURE.

BUT FOR NOW, THIS IS WHAT MY LIKE VISION IS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO BOTH OF THE FIRST CLUBS MEETINGS, BUT I THINK THERE'S JUST MORE TO COME AND MORE TO LEARN OR LIKE MORE LIKE I'LL BE AT THE MEETINGS AND I'LL LIKE LEARN MORE ABOUT BOTH OF THE CLUBS SO I CAN GIVE YOU LIKE A BETTER PICTURE OF THEIR VALUES.

OKAY, GREAT. I THINK I LIKE THAT IDEA OF HAVING ONE BE MORE LIKE INNER, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL FOCUSED AND THEN BEING ABLE TO BE MAYBE MORE COMMUNITY FOCUSED. YOU TALK MUCH WITH HASLETT AND LIKE HARRISON AND LIKE THE THE, YOU KNOW, THE EARTH CLUB THERE. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND.

YEAH. GREAT THINGS TOGETHER. YEAH. I, I PERSONALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO START DOING MORE.

I UNFORTUNATELY AM NOT PART OF THE BOARDS OF ANY OF THESE TWO CLUBS, BUT I DO MORE OF LIKE THE OUTREACH AND LIKE TO TELL YOU GUYS AND ALL OF THAT.

AND MAYBE ONCE HARRISON, I'M NOT SURE WHY HE'S ABSENT, BUT LIKE ONCE HE'S MAYBE IF HE'S HERE TOMORROW FOR THE GREEN

[01:25:05]

YEAH, MAYBE DOING SOME COLLABORATION. YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT.

DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE COMPETITION BETWEEN HASLETT AND OKEMOS? LIKE RECYCLING? YOU CAN RECYCLE MORE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR THAT UPDATE. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT.

OKAY. ANY OTHER OTHER COMMENTS OR OTHER THINGS THAT COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP?

[12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS]

THERE WERE TWO EVENTS HELD THIS LAST WEEK TO COMMEMORATE THE EVENT.

THERE WAS A RIBBON CUTTING AND ALSO A NATURE CENTER ON SATURDAY.

IT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIVE PLANT SALE AND SOME CITY ON THIS SIDE. AND THEN THE SECOND SIGN I BELIEVE IS GOING TO BE THE SERVICE CENTER.

BUT THAT RIBBON CUTTING AND PHOTOGRAPH OCCURRED AFTER THE TRUSTEE, DURING THE TRUSTEES MEETING ON TUESDAY.

OKAY, SO WE ARE OFFICIAL. WEBSITE IS UP. GREAT.

ENJOY. THANKS. YEAH. YEAH. I CAN MENTION THAT MICHELLE LEFT US SOME OF THE HARVEST FROM THEIR SHARED GROUNDS COMMUNITY GARDEN OVER THERE ON THE TABLE.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP YOURSELF ON THE WAY OUT. FEEL FREE.

GREAT. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IF THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS HAPPENING, THAT MEANS WE CAN EXPECT TWICE AS MANY VOLUNTEERS AT OUR EVENTS [LAUGHS].

I HAD A QUESTION WHEN YOU MENTIONED OR SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE. YEAH, I THINK YOU MENTIONED RECLAIMED BY DESIGN.

DID YOU DID YOU EVER RESOLVE. DID WE EVER RESOLVE THE, THE, THE SIGN? AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT PAVING THEIR THEIR LOT.

RIGHT NOW IT'S A GRAVEL DRIVE AND IT'S AND I KIND OF JUST A GRAVEL LOT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO PAVE THEIR ENTIRE STRIP IN THERE.

AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THEY MAY END UP KIND OF REARRANGING KIND OF WHERE SOME OF THEIR COLLECTION AREAS ARE.

AND ONCE THAT'S KIND OF SETTLED, THAT'S WHEN WE PLAN TO INSTALL ALL BRAND NEW SIGNAGE THROUGH THERE.

SO I'M WORKING WITH TREVOR ON THAT. OKAY, AWESOME.

THAT'S GREAT. THE LAST TIME I WAS AT RECLAIM BY DESIGN, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION NOT WITH TREVOR, BUT WITH THE HIS EMPLOYEE WHO HELPS WHEN TREVOR'S NOT WORKING THERE.

AND HE POINTED OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS RELATED TO SIGNAGE THAT I THOUGHT WERE RELEVANT.

ONE THING MIGHT BE SIGNAGE DEVOTED TO KIND OF SAFETY ISSUES.

AND THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW WITHIN, WITHIN THAT FACILITY.

SOME PEOPLE ON THE WRONG WAY, WHICH CREATES ISSUES NEAR THE COMPOSTING AREA.

SO SOMETHING THAT CLARIFIED THE TRAFFIC FLOW.

AND THEN HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE SIGNAGE ON THE VARIOUS RECYCLING SECTIONS COULD BE COLOR CODED WITH A MASTER SIGN AT THE BEGINNING, SO PEOPLE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO WITHIN THE PAPER TO DROP OFF OR METAL OR GLASS OR WHATEVER. SO THOSE WERE THE SUGGESTIONS I HEARD.

SOLID. YEAH. THANKS FOR SHARING THOSE. GREAT.

OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING? ALL RIGHT.

SO I THINK WE CAN ADJOURN AND PLAN ON WHEN IS OUR NEXT MEETING DATE.

IT WOULD BE NOVEMBER. NOVEMBER 4TH. FOURTH. OKAY.

FOURTH. I DO WANT TO DO A QUICK CHECK IN. PROBABLY NOVEMBER 5TH.

NOVEMBER 4TH. ELECTION DAY. OR IS IT? OH, MAYBE.

MAYBE. I THINK IT'S ELECTION DAY. YEAH. SORRY.

OKAY. THE TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING WILL BE ON THE.

OKAY. OH, OKAY. I'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM EVERYTHING THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

YEAH. DO WE DO A QUICK CHECK IN? SINCE WE MOVED THE MEETING UP TO 6:30, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT.

IS THAT WORKING FOR EVERYBODY? I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND, SO.

BUT I JUST WANT TO DO A QUICK CHECK IN HERE. IS THAT IS THAT OKAY? YEAH. IT'S THUMBS UP FOR ME. AND IF ALL GOES WELL I'M GOING TO TRY TO PUSH IT TO SIX NEXT YEAR.

[01:30:03]

ALL RIGHT. WELL. MEETING'S ADJOURNED THEN. THANK YOU. THANKS, EVERYBODY. HAVE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.