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[CHATTER] YU MAN LEE: SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
TO ORDER OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF MERIDIAN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON NOVEMBER 4, 2026.IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY THIS EVENING AFTER IT WAS A LATE NIGHT FOR SOME OF US LAST NIGHT.
SO WE'LL START WITH A ROLL CALL.
I AM STAFF PROJECT ENGINEER JACK HUGHES, AND I WILL PROCEED WITH OUR ROLL CALL HERE, STARTING WITH OUR CHAIR, YU MAN LEE.
OUR VICE CHAIR, BILL MCCONNELL.
OUR COMMISSIONERS, RICHARD MIKSICEK.
HARRISON BATTEN: PRESENT JACK HUGHES: PRESENT.
SHE DID MENTION THAT SHE'S FEELING ILL AS WELL.
AND THEN OUR TRUSTEE, NICKOLAS LENTZ.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: DID WE FORGET ONE? TOM FRAZIER: FORGOT ONE.
JACK HUGHES: OH, I'M SO SORRY.
AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, OUR COMMISSIONER, BRUCE MORTIMER.
[CHATTER] [LAUGHTER] YU MAN LEE: GREAT.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD SO MANY.
OK, SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, PRESENTATION.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HERE.
[5.COMMUNICATIONS ]
ANY COMMUNICATIONS? JACK HUGHES: JUST I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT OUR CHAIR PROVIDED A KIND OF A BACKGROUND PACKET ON DATA CENTERS THAT I SENT OUT EARLIER TODAY.WAS WORTH A NICE LITTLE REVIEW OF THAT BEFORE WE LAUNCH INTO OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT DATA CENTERS AS ITEM 9B THERE.
BUT THAT WAS OUR ONLY RELEVANT COMMUNICATION.
[6.APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.CAN I GET A MOTION TO-- TOM FRAZIER: ALSO MOVE, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I'LL SECOND THAT.
ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS OR ANYTHING? NOPE? OK.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, SAY AYE.
JACK HUGHES: MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER 7, 2026 REGULAR MEETING.
[7.APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – October 7th, 2026 Regular Meeting]
ANY COMMENTS OR CHANGES? YOU GOOD? TOM FRAZIER: I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 7 MEETING.RICHARD MIKSICEK: I'LL SECOND THAT.
BUT I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION UNDER TEAMS AND OTHER.
DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER-- IS THERE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES UNDER THE TEAMS REPORTS OR NOT? JACK HUGHES: GENERALLY, I WOULD INCLUDE THEM.
THIS TIME, THEY GOT A LITTLE CLIPPED JUST FOR A LACK OF TIME.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO I WONDER IF WE SHOULD POSSIBLY TABLE THAT SO THAT COULD BE ADDED, IF THAT'S IMPORTANT.
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TABLE APPROVAL UNTIL NEXT MEETING.YU MAN LEE: BECAUSE YOU HAVE, I THINK-- YOU HAVE NOTES.
JACK HUGHES: SOME MINUTES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE EMBELLISHED IN THERE OR SUMMARIZED.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I JUST THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE AN OMISSION.
JACK HUGHES: GOTCHA RICHARD MIKSICEK: I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER COMMISSIONERS FEEL ABOUT THAT, THOUGH.
JACK HUGHES: YEAH, WE CAN LOOK AT REVISING THOSE TO FLESH THEM OUT A LITTLE BIT FOR THE APPROVED VERSION.
YU MAN LEE: DO YOU NEED FOLKS TO SEND YOU SOME OF THEIR NOTES OR WHAT THEY SAID FOR THE REPORT? JACK HUGHES: NO, I CAN FILL THAT OUT A LITTLE MORE.
SO WE WILL TABLE THEN APPROVING THE MINUTES UNTIL-- JACK HUGHES: OUR DECEMBER MEETING.
YU MAN LEE: DECEMBER MEETING, OK.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, CITIZENS ADDRESS AGENDA ITEMS AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENT, ANY CITIZENS PRESENTS.
SO MOVING ON THEN TO NEW BUSINESS.
[9. A. Wetland Use Permit # 26-02 - Costigan Drain Petition Project ]
FIRST ON THE AGENDA THEN IS THE WETLAND USE PERMIT FOR THE CORSICAN DRAIN PETITION PROJECT.WE HAVE DIRECTOR SCHMITT HERE.
TIM SCHMITT: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
SO LET ME BRIEFLY PULL UP WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE-- LET ME POP DOWN HERE.
JACK HUGHES: I'VE GOT THE PAGE NUMBERS FOR EACH OF THOSE.
TIM SCHMITT: SO BRIEFLY, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THIS IS M-78 THAT SORT OF CUTS THROUGH LEFT TO RIGHT.
THIS IS NEWTON ROAD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
SIERRA RIDGE SUBDIVISION WOULD BE RIGHT HERE OFF THE PAGE.
THIS IS THE OLD DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER.
DRAIN COMES DOWN ULTIMATELY UNDER M-78 AND THEN ONTO THIS SERIES OF PROPERTIES ON THE WEST SIDE OF NEWTON ROAD THERE.
SOME OF IT'S OWNED BY THE I COMPANY, SOME OF IT'S OWNED BY THE [INAUDIBLE] PROPERTIES.
SO IT'S A NUMBER OF OWNERSHIP, BUT THE DRAIN HAS EXISTED FOR SOME TIME AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST.
AND SO THE DOTTED LINE YOU SEE, THE DOTTED BLUE LINE YOU SEE IS THE FAILED PORTION OF THE DRAIN.
SO SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF IT HAS FAILED AT THIS POINT.
AND SO TO ACTUALLY GET THIS TO WORK PROPERLY, THEY ARE PROPOSING TO REPLACE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, AS IT HEADS SOUTH HERE, WE GET A BIG WETLAND.
AND SO THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY FIVE AREAS OF IMPACTS THAT EAGLE HAS ALREADY APPROVED.
IN TOTAL, WE'RE UNDER A TENTH OF AN ACRE HERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 0.09 ACRES OF PERMANENT IMPACT AND AN ADDITIONAL 0.03 ACRES OF TEMPORARY IMPACT.
SPECIFICALLY, THE IMPACTS ARE-- LET ME FLIP BACK TO THE RIGHT PAGE HERE SO I CAN-- SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A MANHOLE RIGHT HERE.
THAT'S RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE WETLAND THAT GETS REPLACED.
AND THEN THERE'S A SPREADER THAT I BELIEVE IS-- IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT'S RIGHT HERE BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE IT TRANSITIONS TO OVERLAND.
THAT JUST ALLOWS THE WATER TO COME OUT OF THE PIPE AND SPREAD AS NORMAL INTO THE WETLAND.
AND SO, FUNCTIONALLY, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO IMPACTS OF ANY IMPORT.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'LL BE TEMPORARY IMPACTS AS THEY DIG UP EVERYTHING AND THEN RESTORE IT, BUT IT'LL ALL BE RESTORED AT THE END.
SO REALLY, IN THE END, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS JUST THAT 9/100 OF AN ACRE OF WETLAND IMPACT THAT EAGLE HAS APPROVED AT THIS POINT THROUGHOUT THE FIVE AREAS OF IMPACT.
AND AGAIN, THE FIVE AREAS BEING WHERE IT COMES IN, WHERE IT CROSSES HERE, WHERE IT COMES BACK IN, AND THEN WHERE IT EXITS.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT DRAIN COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR SOME TIME, AND THIS IS HOPEFULLY ONE OF THE LAST STAGES TO GET THIS MOVING FORWARD.
AS PART OF THE-- JUST BY WAY OF BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF PROCESS, THIS IS A WETLAND PERMIT THAT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED BECAUSE IT'S NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FOR A BUILDING OR A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE CODE FOR PUBLIC RELATED PROJECTS
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THAT DON'T OTHERWISE REQUIRE THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL.THE APPROVAL IS LEFT WITH THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, FOLLOWING A REVIEW BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND THEN FOLLOWING A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND SO ONCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DISCUSSES AND MAKES A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS, STAFF WILL SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN WE WILL MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON THE ISSUANCE OF THIS PERMIT.
I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE IMPACT, EAGLE HAS NOT REQUIRED MITIGATION, NOR WOULD WE GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE IMPACT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? TOM FRAZIER: CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE THE CONCEPT OF A SPREADER? IT'S KIND OF A NEW CONCEPT FOR ME.
YOU PROBABLY JUST DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.
GENERALLY, WHEN YOU ARE DAYLIGHTING A PIPE, SO IT'S COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, SORT OF USUALLY ON THE SIDE.
IT'S A LOT OF TIMES ON THE SIDE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A ROAD WHERE IF THE GRADE CHANGES AND DROPS OFF, IT CAN BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
MOST COMMONLY, IT'S GOING TO BE A SERIES OF RIPRAP, LARGER STONES THAT DISSIPATE THE ENERGY OF THE WATER SO IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE PIPE AND JUST GRIND STRAIGHT THROUGH AND CREATE A CHANNEL.
IT DISSIPATES THE WATER, ENERGY, AND WHERE THE WATER GOES.
SO IN THIS CASE, YOU'RE GOING TO DISSIPATE IT OUT OF THIS PIPE, TECHNICALLY BOTH OF THESE PIPES, AND THEN IT'S GOING TO FOLLOW THE EXISTING-- THAT IS CHANNELIZED NOW ALREADY.
SO IT'LL DISSIPATE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO UNDERMINE THE PIPE OR DEEPEN THE CHANNEL.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
IT'S MORE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE PROJECT.
THE PERMIT APPLICATION REFERS TO A PETITION THAT WAS FILED BY A GROUP OF LANDOWNERS THAT INITIATED THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S EVALUATION OF THIS.
IS THERE ANY INFORMATION ON WHO THOSE LANDOWNERS WERE THAT INITIATED THE REQUEST? TIM SCHMITT: MY UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS THE OWNER TO THE NORTH ON THE NORTH SIDE OF M-78.
BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THAT'S HOW DRAIN COMMISSION PROJECTS START.
SOMEONE WITH A DRAINAGE ISSUE-- AND I TAKE THAT BACK.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS A SERIES OF PROPERTY OWNERS, ACTUALLY A LONG M-78 HERE.
IT WAS THIS PROPERTY, THIS PROPERTY, THIS PROPERTY.
AND I BELIEVE THE CHURCH WAS INVOLVED AS WELL.
I REMEMBER SEEING IT NOW THAT YOU SAY THAT.
BUT GENERALLY, THAT'S HOW THE PROJECT STARTS WITH THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER IS THROUGH A PETITION BY MULTIPLE-- THERE HAVE BEEN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER PETITIONS THAT APPLIED TO, TECHNICALLY, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM.
THEY THEN HAVE TO PETITION THE DISTRICT, OR CREATE THE DISTRICT IN SOME CASES, GO TO THE BOARD.
THE BOARD APPROVES THE CREATION AND THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH DESIGN.
ULTIMATELY THEN, ONCE COSTS ARE ESTABLISHED, THEY THEN START TO APPORTION THE COSTS.
AND THEN THERE'S A FURTHER APPROVAL PROCESS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION CAN ACTUALLY START.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO THAT SUGGESTS TO ME AT LEAST THAT THERE WAS A HISTORY OF STORMWATER RUNOFF OR FLOODING ISSUES THAT JUSTIFIED THE UPGRADE TO THE DRAIN SYSTEM IN THIS AREA, THE COST TO DRAIN AND THE TILES? TIM SCHMITT: CERTAINLY THAT THAT'S WHY THEY ARE PURSUING THE PROJECT, YES.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: AND DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT EXIST IN THIS AREA? TIM SCHMITT: YES.
I MEAN, THE CHURCH REALLY DOES HAVE AN OUTLET FOR DRAINAGE.
SO I MEAN, EVENTUALLY THAT HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE.
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THIS DRAIN UNDER M-78 IS AT BEST IMPASSABLE, PERHAPS COLLAPSED.
AND THEN AS YOU HEAD SOUTH, NONE OF THIS IS REALLY FUNCTIONING AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
AND SO PART OF THAT THEN GETS INTO-- THIS ALSO DOES TAKE THE DRAINAGE FROM SIERRA RIDGE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S ALREADY NOT FUNCTIONING, AND NOW YOU HAVE A SUBDIVISION COMING INTO IT-- PART OF THIS IS ALSO TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF A POTENTIAL FUTURE PROBLEM AS SIERRA RIDGE CONTINUES TO DEVELOP THAT THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH IF THESE PIPES ARE FAILED, IT'S GOING TO BACK UP WORSE.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: YOU'RE RIGHT.
THE DRAIN OUTLET THAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE NEWTON ROAD
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AND CONNECTS WITH COSTIGAN DRAIN, IS THAT FUNCTIONAL? OR DOES THAT NEED TO BE UPGRADED? TIM SCHMITT: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE? RICHARD MIKSICEK: YES.TIM SCHMITT: MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ONE IS IN WORKABLE SHAPE.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO THE WATER FLOW TENDS TO BE TO THAT.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, EVERYTHING COMES TO THAT.
AND THEN IT HEADS BACK TO THE WEST AND KEEPS GOING SOUTH.
AND THEN AT THE NORTH END, THERE'S DISCUSSION OF AN EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEM NORTH OF OLD BUSINESS 60-- TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, THAT'S THIS PIECE, I BELIEVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: WHAT IS THE DIRECTION OF WATER FLOW IN THAT AREA? YOU REFERRED TO AN OUTLET.
TIM SCHMITT: THIS IS ALL COMING DOWN THIS WAY.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: IT'S COMING DOWN.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO EVEN THE RETENTION POND SOUTH OF THE COMMUNITY CHURCH, DOES THAT FLOW INTO-- YES.
THERE'S A RETENTION POND-- TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, IN THEORY, THAT WOULD COME DOWN.
THIS IS HOW YOU GET THAT POND TO PROPERLY DRAIN-- RICHARD MIKSICEK: AND CURRENTLY, THAT WATER ISN'T DRAINING? TIM SCHMITT: MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT JUST SITS THERE.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THE CURRENT PROBLEM IS AND WHAT IS BEING FIXED AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT ISN'T UPGRADED AND FIXED AT THIS POINT.
SO PRESUMABLY, THERE WOULD BE CONTINUED FLOODING PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA? TIM SCHMITT: IT WOULD PRESUMABLY GET WORSE, ESPECIALLY IF ANY DEVELOPMENT COMES, WHICH IS PROBABLY INEVITABLE TO THE DRIVE-IN SITE.
I MEAN, IT'S A SITE WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY.
IT'S ZONED HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL.
TIM SCHMITT: I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THAT PROPERTY DEVELOPS.
AND THAT PROPERTY ALONE IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
THEY CAN SOLVE IT FOR THIS STRETCH, BUT THEN THEY'RE TAKING WATER IN WITHOUT ANY WAY TO GET IT OUT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
YEAH, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE IS TO PREVENT FURTHER CHANNELIZATION AND FURTHER UNDERMINING OF PIPES.
AND THIS IS USUALLY WHERE YOU SEE HIM IS ON THE BACK SIDE OF A SLOPE, IF YOU WILL.
YU MAN LEE: I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT-- THE SPREADER I KNOW IS A GOOD IDEA.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF WE KNOW OR IF THERE WAS CONSIDERATION FOR EXTREME STORM EVENTS, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS WORK THAT WE'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT FUTURE WITH CHANGING CLIMATE AND STUFF THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR-- BECAUSE I THINK IT MENTIONED A 10 YEAR, I THINK, SOMETHING ABOUT-- TIM SCHMITT: I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THEIR STANDARD DESIGN PRACTICE.
SO IT'S NOT RIGHT TO HERE'S THE BALANCE OF HOW BIG DO YOU DESIGN FOR VERSUS HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND, AND WHERE IS THAT BALANCE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE ALL TRYING TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE HERE.
AND SO I THINK PART OF WHAT THIS DOES THOUGH, IS, CANDIDLY, BY FIXING WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN CONNECTING INTO THE NATURAL AREA THAT WOULD NATURALLY ACT AS THAT SORT OF AREA WHERE THE WATER WOULD GO TO, YOU'RE PROVIDING SOME OF THAT ADDITIONAL OVERFLOW WRIT LARGE BY RECONNECTING THE WETLAND INTO THE OVERALL HYDRAULIC SYSTEM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IT'S FUNCTIONALLY ACTING AS A TUB BECAUSE THERE'S EVERYTHING'S BROKEN COMING TO IT.
AND THAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS JUST BECAUSE TYPICALLY, THE WETLANDS KIND OF NATURALLY HELP WITH REDUCING FLOODING BY HOLDING ALL THE WATER AND EVERYTHING.
SO USUALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESTORING WETLANDS SO THAT THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES, WE WOULD WANT TO RESTORE THE HYDROLOGY AND REMOVE TILES OR BREAK TILES.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW CAN WE HELP THE WETLAND ACTUALLY RESTORE THAT ABILITY TO DO WHAT IT NATURALLY WANTS TO TRY TO DO,
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AND WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DIDN'T DO THIS, I GUESS.AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF FLOOD.
I'M JUST LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE ARE WE WORKING AT ODDS AND MAKING MORE COST AND WORK FOR US AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO HELP THE WETLAND RESTORE THE FUNCTION ITSELF.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE HERE IS JUST THE WETLAND ITSELF, WITHOUT THE PIPE WORK, IS GOING TO GET OVERWHELMED BY JUST DUMPING ALL THE WATER INTO IT DIRECTLY.
AT LEAST THIS WAY, YOU'RE ABLE TO CONTROL THE OUTLET BECAUSE WE CONTROL THE DISCHARGE RATE OUT OF THE END OF THE PIPE INTO THE SPREADER.
SO YOU'RE ABLE TO AT LEAST CONTROL HOW INUNDATED THEY THEORETICALLY COULD GET AND ALLOW THEM TO FUNCTION MORE NORMALLY.
I THINK BIGGER PICTURE, THERE'S CERTAINLY A SCENARIO UNDER WHICH IF, FOR SOME REASON, WE WERE TO NOT AUTHORIZE THIS, THEY WOULD JUST MOVE THE SPREADER BACK 30 FEET, MOVE A COUPLE OTHER PIPES, AND JUST NOT HAVE ANY PERMANENT IMPACTS.
IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE RE-ENGINEERING THE WHOLE THING, BUT IT'S DOABLE.
SO I THINK GIVEN THAT IT'S SUCH A SMALL IMPACT, THAT'S KIND OF WHY THEY PURSUED THIS MODEL BECAUSE IT'S MADE IT EASIER FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED INTERNALLY IS THAT THE CONTROL, THE DISCHARGE IS THE KEY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST, HERE IS 100,000 GALLONS OF WATER, WETLAND, DEAL WITH IT.
IT'S GOING TO BE LIMITED BECAUSE THEY NEED AN EASEMENT FROM US.
AND SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIMIT THE DISCHARGE RATE.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, IN THE FUTURE, AS MORE DEVELOPMENT GOES IN THIS AREA, IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO POTENTIALLY TRY TO RESTORE OR CREATE MORE WETLANDS TO ENHANCE THE NATURAL CAPACITY OF THE WETLANDS TO BE ABLE TO HELP REDUCE THE FLOODING IN THIS AREA, BECAUSE WITH INCREASING STORM EVENTS AND PRECIPITATION EVENTS AND ALL THAT, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE CONSTANTLY PLAYING CATCH UP FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT AND HAVING TO POTENTIALLY INVEST MORE MONEY, RIGHT? SO IF WE CAN DO SOME RESTORATION AND MAYBE CREATE SOME MORE WETLANDS IN THIS AREA SO THAT MIGHT HELP.
TIM SCHMITT: A LOT OF WHAT WE DO NOWADAYS IS PAYING FOR THE SINS OF THE PAST.
I JUST LIKE, IT WAS IN THE '20S.
THEY DID THIS BECAUSE BACK THEN, THEY DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WETLANDS DO.
AND NOW WE'RE JUST PERPETUATING, WORKING AGAINST IT, YEAH.
LAURA BELISLE: I HAVE A QUESTION.
WONDERING-- AND I AGREE WITH YOU, CHAIR, WITH YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE THE VALUE OF WETLANDS ARE SO CRITICAL.
THEY DO SUCH IMPORTANT WORK FOR OUR LAND EVERYWHERE.
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A SURVEY DONE ON ANY-- I SEE ONE SPECIES MENTIONED HERE, BUT ANY FLORA AND FAUNA, IF THAT WAS DONE IN THIS AREA TO KNOW WHAT COULD BE DISRUPTED OTHER THAN-- I THINK UNDER IMPACT 04, IT'S LISTED HERE.
IF THERE'S A SURVEY DONE OR ANYTHING THAT COULD BE SHARED WITH US TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER FAUNA THAT WOULD BE DISRUPTED OR ANY OTHER FLORA IN THAT AREA.
I MEAN, THEY'VE DONE WHAT'S REQUIRED OF THEM FOR SUBMISSION UNDER BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS UNDER NREPA.
I WOULD GIVE THE COMMISSIONER ALL THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD.
THEY ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT STUFF.
AND THEY USUALLY HAVE EXPERTS ON SITE.
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THEY HAVE, ON OTHER PROJECTS, I WILL SAY, TO HELP RELOCATE AND ADDRESS CONCERNS LIKE THAT.I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE IN THIS CASE BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF THIS WETLAND IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER WETLANDS, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY WELL AWARE OF IT AND DO TRY AND LIMIT THAT IMPACT AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC WAS CALLED OUT FOR THIS SITE IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL HABITAT OR CREATURE.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I DIDN'T SEE THAT THERE WAS ANY SURVEY OF OTHER FAUNA INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY.
WAS THAT NOT REQUIRED OR-- TIM SCHMITT: THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD REQUIRE.
THEY DID REVIEW FISH AND WILDLIFE FOR ENDANGERED CRITICAL SPECIES, MIGRATORY BIRDS AS WELL, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
BUT THEY DIDN'T DO NOR WERE THEY REQUIRED TO GET IN THERE AND DO A FORMAL ON THE GROUND SURVEY OF WHAT'S THERE.
MICHAEL NURSE IS A PRETTY SOLID HERPETOLOGIST GUY, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
AND HE IS PART OF THIS APPLICATION.
SO THEY DO GOOD WORK, I WILL SAY.
YU MAN LEE: USUALLY, WHEN A PROJECT GETS PROPOSED, THEY CAN GO TO MICHIGAN NATURAL FEATURES INVENTORY AND DO A REVIEW TO SEE A SCREENING IF THERE'S ANY RARE SPECIES FOUND NEAR THE AREA.
AND IF THERE ARE, THEN THEY COULD POTENTIALLY DO A SURVEY TO SEE IF THAT'S THERE, OR CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT TO MINIMIZE ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO IT.
SO EITHER I'M NOT SURE IF THEY DID DO THAT OR IF THEY DID IT, IF NOTHING CAME UP DURING THAT SCREENING, THEN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO SURVEY.
TOM FRAZIER: I GUESS JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT CONCEPT.
SO DO WE KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD DO AN ON SITE SURVEY VERSUS WHEN IT'S NOT NECESSARY? OBVIOUSLY, FOR THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT WASN'T NECESSARY.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE CRITERIA IS FOR DETERMINING THAT.
TIM SCHMITT: CANDIDLY, WE'D BE FOLLOWING THE STATE'S LEAD ON THAT.
SO I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO YOU'RE SAYING, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE NOT FINDING BLANDING'S TURTLES IN AND GENERALLY IN THAT AREA, THEN THEY DON'T NEED TO LOOK? YU MAN LEE: CORRECT.
THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO [INAUDIBLE].
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I DO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
IS THIS PROJECT BEING INITIATED AT THIS POINT IN ANTICIPATION OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL OCCUR EITHER IN THE M-78 PARCEL NORTH OF OLD 69 OR IN THE I PARCEL IN THE WORK PROJECT AREA? TIM SCHMITT: NO, I MEAN, IT'S ENTIRELY AS A RESULT OF THE PETITION PROCESS.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THE PETITIONERS DON'T HAVE A PROJECT COMING.
BUT THIS PETITION IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
I MEAN, YOU MAY RECALL THAT PRIOR TO COVID, MENARDS WAS LOOKING AT THE DRIVE-IN SITE.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINE, BUT I'M GUESSING RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME WAS WHEN THE PETITION WAS ORIGINALLY FILED BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DRAINAGE AND HAD TO GET THE BALL ROLLING.
YU MAN LEE: IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING TO ME BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS RESPONDING TO THINGS AFTER THE FACT OR, LIKE YOU SAID, PAYING FOR PAST SINS AND STUFF.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T GET AHEAD.
WE CAN'T GET AHEAD OR WE CAN'T TRY TO DO WHAT WE THINK MIGHT BE MORE PROACTIVE OR LONGER TERM, MORE COST EFFECTIVE POTENTIALLY IN THE LONG RUN SOLUTION BECAUSE WE'RE JUST ALWAYS CHASING
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WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.AND THEN, YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THINGS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SURVEY IF THERE'S RARE SPECIES POTENTIALLY THERE.
AND SO, YEAH, IT'S THE BEING PROACTIVE VERSUS JUST DOING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A WAY TO FORCE THE ISSUE.
TIM SCHMITT: WE'D NEED A LOT OF MONEY AS A TOWNSHIP.
AND WE'VE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON PRESERVATION ELSEWHERE.
I MEAN, HOW BIG IS THESE WETLANDS COMBINED? THEY LOOK PRETTY BIG.
TIM SCHMITT: OH, THE WHOLE COMPLEX? YU MAN LEE: YEAH.
TIM SCHMITT: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN PULL THAT UP REAL QUICK.
YU MAN LEE: BECAUSE I KNOW IT SAYS WET MEADOW IS DOMINATED BY REED CANARY GRASS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE DRAINAGE TILES AFFECTING THE HYDROLOGY.
AND IT HISTORICALLY PROBABLY WANTED TO BE WETTER.
IT WANTED TO BE AN IN EMERGENT MARSH MAYBE OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP, YEAH.
[LAUGHTER] SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY LIKE, OH, COULD WE MAKE IT BETTER SOMEHOW.
BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO, YEAH, ENCOURAGE THAT.
NO, I MEAN, LUCKILY, THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT HERE.
I'M TRYING TO PULL UP THE SIZE ON THIS, AT LEAST BALLPARK IT.
YU MAN LEE: YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE REMOVING ANY TREES FOR INDIANA BAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MASSASAUGA THERE.
THERE COULD BE MONARCH BUTTERFLY, BUT THAT'S ONLY PROPOSED.
SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY LISTED YET.
BUT YEAH, I WOULD VENTURE PROBABLY BLANDING'S TURTLES IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE-- BRUCE MORTIMER: IT LOOKS LIKE THE RIGHT HABITAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM IN THE TOWNSHIP-- TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, I MEAN COMBINED BETWEEN THE RESERVE PROPERTY AND THE IDE PROPERTY TO THE SOUTH, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT CLOSE TO A 30 ACRE WETLAND COMPLEX.
BUT 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 27-- YEAH, PROBABLY AROUND 30 ACRES TOTAL BETWEEN THE FIVE OR SIX PROPERTIES THERE.
BRUCE MORTIMER: AND IS THERE A TIME OF YEAR THAT TYPICALLY THE WORK WOULD BE DONE? DO THEY TRY TO DO IT AT A CERTAIN TIME OR IT'S JUST WHEN THEY-- TIM SCHMITT: I MEAN, I'M SURE THAT THEY HAVE PREFERENCES.
I MEAN, PART OF THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S PROCESS.
THE DRAIN COMMISSION PROCESS IS LENGTHY.
SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THAT.
THERE'S LIMITATIONS ON WHEN THEY CAN TAKE TREES DOWN RELATED TO THE INDIANA BAT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO TRY AND WORK AND-- THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO WORK IN THE DRIEST SEASON POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVEN IN TEMPORARY IMPACTS IN THE WETLANDS, THE DRIER IT IS, THE BETTER.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT EASIER TO WORK IN IT.
BUT THEY DO PROJECTS YEAR ROUND.
SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF WHEN THEY GET THROUGH THERE, DESIGN AND FUNDING, AND WHERE IT SLOTS WITH CONTRACTORS.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR-- RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO OUR ROLE HERE IS TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSAL.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S ALREADY RECEIVED ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: OH, IT HAS NOT.
TIM SCHMITT: THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS THE SECOND STEP.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WOULD BE THE SECOND STEP.
YOU'RE ASKED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN I HAVE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND THEN A DECISION WILL BE MADE.
TOM FRAZIER: SO IS THE MOTION IN ORDER THEN FOR A RECOMMENDATION? I GUESS I WILL SO MOVE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVES THE WETLAND PLAN AS PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT.
YU MAN LEE: DOES THAT SUPPORT THAT? DOES THAT WORK?
[00:35:03]
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I WILL JUST EXPRESS SOME FRUSTRATION THAT RESTORING THIS AREA AS A WETLAND WAS NOT CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE, GIVEN THAT IT'S SOMEWHAT AT THE HEADWATERS OF THE COSTIGAN DRAIN.AND THERE'S NO DISCUSSION OF THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.
THAT SAID, THE MINIMAL PERMANENT IMPACT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CONCERN.
BUT IT JUST KIND OF GOES BACK TO COMMISSIONER LEE'S COMMENT THAT WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN BETTER SOLUTIONS TO THIS LOOKING AT THE OWNERSHIP, A LARGE PART OF THE IDE PROPERTY IS ALREADY AN EMERGENT OR EXTANT WETLAND.
PART OF THE PROJECT AREA IS A MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PRESERVE.
THE DEVELOPED STRUCTURES THAT EXIST HERE EXIST ALONG THE PERIPHERY IN RELATIVE HIGH LAND.
SO I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE NECESSARILY THREATENED BY THE WETLAND ACTING AS A WETLAND.
SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO APPROVING THIS PROJECT.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS SOME FRUSTRATION THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD FUNCTION AS A PERFECTLY GOOD WETLAND.
YU MAN LEE: I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS A PRESERVE.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, THE PRESERVE IS IN THE MIDDLE.
YU MAN LEE: WHICH PRESERVE IS THAT? FORESTBURGH.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, IT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE FRESNO LANE EXISTS NOW.
AND CERTAINLY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP MAY WANT TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK FROM THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY ONLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITHIN THEIR EASEMENT.
AND SO FURTHER RESTORATION WAS REALLY NEVER AN OPTION FOR THEM.
THEY WERE NEVER GOING TO GET THE EASEMENT TO DO THAT WORK, EITHER FROM THE IDE'S OR FROM US CANDIDLY.
AND SO, REALLY, IT'S A MATTER OF US THAN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH LAND PRESS OF MAYBE THIS BECOMES SOMETHING THAT LAND PRESS LOOKS INTO IN THE FUTURE WITH SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE WETLANDS ON THEM EXISTING.
YU MAN LEE: YEAH, SO DOES THIS HAVE TO BE APPROVED OR GO THROUGH THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD THEN? TIM SCHMITT: IT DOES NOT.
IT'S WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE WETLAND ORDINANCE.
TIM SCHMITT: I TAKE THAT BACK.
THERE IS, I THINK, ONE PIECE THAT MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO THEM IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE STATUS OF THE EASEMENT FOR THE ACTUAL PIPE, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THING THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THEM.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? [CHATTER] DO WE JUST DO ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, OR WE HAVE TO DO ROLL CALL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR THIS-- DO YOU NEED THAT? TIM SCHMITT: DO NOT NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION THEN, SAY AYE.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OPPOSE? RICHARD MIKSICEK: I'LL SAY NAY GIVEN THE FRUSTRATIONS I'VE OFTEN EXPRESSED.
WELL, THAT IS 3 AND 3, ISN'T IT, BECAUSE HARRISON CAN'T VOTE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT HAPPENS? TIM SCHMITT: NO RECOMMENDATION IS PUT FORWARD AND-- YU MAN LEE: OH, OK.
SO WE WILL TAKE EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WILL YOU STILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING THEN? TIM SCHMITT: YEP, STAFF STILL HAS TO-- UNDER THE ORDINANCE, WE STILL HAVE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL GET THAT SCHEDULED.
[9.B. Ordinance 2026-14 – Data Center and Battery Energy Storage Systems Regulations – Referred to the Environmental Commission by the Township Board for Review and Comments ]
NEXT THEN ON THE AGENDA IS THE ORDINANCE FOR THE DATA CENTER.TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, SO THIS IS AT THE REQUEST OF THE TOWN OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
THIS MATTER WAS REFERRED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR REVIEW.
[00:40:01]
LET ME START BY SAYING THERE IS NO APPLICATION, THERE'S BEEN NO CONVERSATION ABOUT AN APPLICATION, THERE'S NO NDA, THERE'S NOTHING.THIS IS THE TOWNSHIP BOARD DIRECTING STAFF TO BE PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM.
AND SO THE BOARD ESTABLISHED A MORATORIUM EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR ANY APPLICATION FOR A DATA CENTER, A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY THAT ALLOWED THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S TIME TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE, WHICH IS WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD REVIEWED IT AT THEIR LAST MEETING, I BELIEVE, AND REFERRED THE MATTER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AND INPUT PRIOR TO THE END OF THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THE TIMING IS SUCH THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXTENDED THE MORATORIUM ONCE.
WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE MORATORIUM EXPIRES A SECOND TIME.
SO THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU WOULD LIMIT DATA SET-- IT TAKES A UNIQUE APPROACH IN THAT WE'RE TRYING NOT TO PROHIBIT WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULDN'T CONSIDER A DATA CENTER, BUT A DEDICATED SPACE FOR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT IN A BUILDING.
THAT TECHNICALLY WOULD FALL UNDER THE DEFINITION OF A DATA CENTER.
OUR ROOM UPSTAIRS, OUR SERVER ROOM, TECHNICALLY DATA CENTER, MOST OFFICE BUILDINGS TECHNICALLY HAVE A DATA CENTER IN THEM.
DELTA DENTAL HAS A DATA CENTER.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS HERE ARE THE LARGE SCALE ONES THAT CONCERN AND THAT ARE THE BIG PROBLEMS AT THIS POINT.
AND SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED ESSENTIALLY A TWO PART TEST BASED ON THE SIZE.
AN ACCESSORY DATA CENTER, 50 SQUARE FEET, UP TO 2% OF THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BUILDING.
LARGE ROOM, BUT NOTHING MAJOR.
DATA CENTER IS GENERALLY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED.
BY AND LARGE, DATA CENTERS WOULD BE PERMITTED SOLELY IN THE IDE DISTRICT AT THIS POINT.
ACCESSORY DATA CENTERS, SO SMALL ADD-ONS, RIGHT NOW ARE PROPOSED TO BE PERMITTED IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT OR IN THE C-3, WHICH IS OUR MOST INTENSE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CAUSING PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
PLANNING COMMISSION IS ALSO DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO ADD THE PO OR THE RP DISTRICTS, THE OFFICE DISTRICTS, TO THE ACCESSORY ALLOWANCE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE WE MIGHT SEE A SMALL MEDIUM SERVER ROOM TYPE FACILITY.
BUT SOMETHING LIKE LIQUID WEB STARTED, I BELIEVE, IN DELHI TOWNSHIP, THAT WOULD BE A FULL ON DATA CENTER.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE LIMITED TO INDUSTRIAL ONLY.
SO THE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHES THIS TWO PART APPROACH TO REGULATION AND CREATES ITS OWN SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO FOR APPROVAL.
IT HAS ITS OWN SET OF APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, ITS OWN SET OF REVIEW STANDARDS, ITS OWN PROCESS.
IT REQUIRES DECOMMISSIONING PLAN FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT GOES AWAY.
AND IT HAS ITS OWN SET OF STANDARDS THAT WE REVIEW BY IN ADDITION TO THE STANDARD SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE FACILITIES WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE AN ACCESSORY USE TO THIS.
THIS IS HOW DO THEY KEEP THEIR POWER ON AT ALL TIMES.
STANDARDS FOR NOISE, STANDARDS FOR VIBRATION, STANDARDS FOR LIGHTING, STANDARDS FOR WATER USAGE, STANDARDS FOR COMPLAINT RESOLUTIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS PROCESS.
SO THIS IS INTENDED TO BE AN ALL ENCOMPASSING ORDINANCE.
WITH ALL THAT SAID, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THE TOWNSHIP HAS VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ZONED PROPERTIES.
AND WHEN I SAY LIMITED, IT'S UNDER 10.
REALISTICALLY, IT'S UNDER FIVE IF YOU TAKE OUT CONSUMER'S ENERGY AND CSX RAILROAD, WHICH ARE TECHNICALLY VACANT, BUT ARE NOT BUILDABLE.
THREE OF THEM ARE ON TOWN OR ROAD JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM TOWN ROAD PARK.
THAT SORT OF TRIANGLE OF AREA IS ZONED INDUSTRIAL.
IT'S GOT THE AUTO SHOP TRIPS THAT MOVED IN.
IT'S GOT A COUPLE OTHER SMALL SORT OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TYPE BUSINESSES THERE.
DAWN AVENUE REALISTICALLY DOESN'T HAVE SPACE.
ALTHOUGH THE NOW VACANT BUILDING ON DAWN AVENUE COULD IN THEORY
[00:45:10]
BECOME ONE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS TRYING TO MEET THIS ORDINANCE.SO I SAY THAT ONLY IN THAT THIS IS NOT A REALISTIC USE THAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING IN THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE THESE TYPES OF USES ARE CHASING CHEAP LAND FAR AWAY FROM CENTERS OF POPULATION GENERALLY THAT ARE LARGE CONTIGUOUS INDUSTRIAL ZONE PROPERTIES.
AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT HERE.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD PUT IN PLACE GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS FOR SHOULD SOMEONE EVER COME ALONG, HOW THEY WOULD ADDRESS IT.
SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF I CAN NOW.
BUT WHAT WE DID WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS WE JUST SORT OF LET EVERYBODY ABSORB IT, ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT WE CAN HANDLE THIS HOWEVER THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WOULD LIKE.
YU MAN LEE: NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD, YEAH, ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND THEN ABSORB IT AND THEN, YEAH, FOLLOW UP NEXT MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO QUICK PUT JUST COMMENT THAT I THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY WELL DONE.
YOU GUYS REALLY WAS VERY THOROUGH IN COVERING EVERYTHING.
AND I WAS LOOKING AT THAT LITTLE RESOURCE AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, THEY COVERED ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO COVER.
SO I REALLY JUST WAS LOOKING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PART ON PAGE 4 AND JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT, IF WE WOULD THIS ADDRESS IT OR HOW COULD WE TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT I'LL LET OTHER FOLKS ASK QUESTIONS FIRST, AND THEN I CAN JUMP IN LATER.
TIM SCHMITT: I MEAN, I WILL SAY WITH RESPECT TO THAT, JUST WHILE PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT IT, THAT PROVISION, CANDIDLY, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN GIVES THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR A WIDE LATITUDE FOR ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AN APPLICATION LIKE THIS.
IF THAT WAS ELSEWHERE IN THE ORDINANCE, I WOULD PROBABLY BE ASKING THEM TO TIGHTEN THAT LANGUAGE UP FOR ME SO IT'S CLEAR.
BUT GIVEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE AND GIVEN THIS IS THE BIG NEW SCARY THING ON THE BLOCK, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A WIDE SWATH REQUEST ABILITY IS HELPFUL.
YU MAN LEE: YEAH, NO, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: TO THAT POINT, UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, THE EXAMPLES INCLUDED REFER ONLY TO WATER-- WATER QUALITY, WATER SUPPLY, POTENTIAL GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, AND TO AVOID IMPACTS TO WATER SOURCES.
BUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IS BROADER THAN THAT SHOULD THERE BE EXPLICIT MENTION OF OTHER TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AIR QUALITY, NOISE, OR THOSE ARE ADDRESSED ELSEWHERE IN THE DOCUMENT TO THAT POINT.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS BESIDES WATER.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S REFERENCE OBVIOUSLY TO THEM THROUGHOUT.
AND I THINK THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE BE MORE EXPLICIT AT THIS POINT.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE BACK TO THE ATTORNEYS AND HAVE THAT QUESTION, IF JACK CAN PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR ME TO FOLLOW UP ON.
[00:50:20]
JACK HUGHES: THESE SECTIONS THAT ARE SLIGHTLY AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER, BUT ULTIMATELY, I DO LIKE HOW COMPREHENSIVE IT SEEMS TO BE.I TOO THINK THIS IS VERY WELL WRITTEN.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ITS PASSAGE.
THE DEFINITION OF AN ACCESSORY DATA CENTER TALKS ABOUT 50 SQUARE FEET, WHICH SEEMS PRETTY SMALL TO ME.
I GUESS I WONDER, NUMBER ONE, HOW THAT NUMBER WAS ARRIVED AT.
AND THEN, NUMBER TWO, IF WE HAVE AN IDEA HOW MANY OF THESE ACTUALLY EXIST IN THE TOWNSHIP AT THIS POINT.
TIM SCHMITT: NO CLUE ON HOW MANY EXIST.
CANDIDLY, I MEAN, I THINK TWO IN THIS BUILDING.
SO ONCE YOU START GETTING INTO THIS WHOLE IDEA OF THE SERVER CLOSET FALLING UNDER THIS DEFINITION.
I WOULD BET YOU, ALMOST EVERY OFFICE BUILDING HAS ONE.
50 SQUARE FEET, WE HAD TO FIND A BASEMENT NUMBER.
AND I WON'T SPEAK TO THE ATTORNEY'S THOUGHT PROCESS HERE, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY NORMAL SIZED CLOSET KIND OF THING.
SO IF I WENT UPSTAIRS AND MEASURED ONE OF OURS, IT'S PROBABLY CLOSE TO THAT.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE A LITTLE BIGGER, ACTUALLY.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE THEY CAME FROM IS WHAT'S REASONABLE NUMBER FOR A SMALL OFFICE SPACE TO HAVE AND STILL BE KOSHER UNDER THIS.
TOM FRAZIER: AND MAYBE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION THEN-- WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO POSSIBLY GRANDFATHERING IN EXISTING ACCESSORY DATA CENTERS? TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, SO IN THEORY, AUTOMATICALLY ONCE YOU ADOPT AN ORDINANCE, IT BECOMES A NONCONFORMITY UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THE PROBLEM IS CREATING BROAD NONCONFORMITIES CAUSES THEM ISSUES IN THE FUTURE FOR CHANGING THINGS.
AND SO THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TRY AND AVOID CAUSING ISSUES IN THE FUTURE FOR THESE SMALL TYPES OF FACILITIES THAT ALREADY EXIST.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE SHOOTING FOR HERE IS TO CREATE A PATH FOR THEM TO JUST BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND NOT CAUSE AN ISSUE IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY WILL INSTANTLY BECOME NONCONFORMING ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
SO FIRST, LET ME SAY I APPLAUD THE DOCUMENT.
I THINK IT IS A VERY STRONG DOCUMENT.
I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO ITS ADOPTION BY THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT MY QUESTION IS A FOLLOW UP TO-- AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'VE GIVEN THOUGHT TO DEFINING AN ACCESSORY DATA CENTER SO THAT WE AVOID SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED.
BUT TO THAT POINT, THE DEFINITION UNDER F, DATA CENTER, SHOULD THERE BE SOME SORT OF A MINIMUM SIZE OR EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION SO THAT WHEN THERE IS REFERENCE TO THE TERM DATA CENTER LATER IN THE DOCUMENT, IT CLEARLY REFERS TO A DATA CENTER OF A CERTAIN SIZE OR TYPE? TIM SCHMITT: SO I THINK THE KEY IS THAT DATA CENTER IS INTENDED TO BE ALL ENCOMPASSING FOR EVERYTHING.
THAT'S NOT AN ACCESSORY DATA CENTER.
SO IN THIS CASE, IS MORE THAN 50 SQUARE FEET AND IS MORE THAN 2% OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO MY QUESTION THEN IS SHOULD THAT BE SPECIFIED? TIM SCHMITT: I COULD BRING IT UP WITH THEM.
I THINK FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE THAT'S HOW WE STRUCTURE THINGS USUALLY IS THAT ONCE YOU'RE BEYOND X, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO Y KIND OF THING.
BUT WE CAN BRING THAT UP WITH THE ATTORNEYS AND SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE.
BECAUSE IT'D BE A SIMPLE CHANGE.
I MEAN, IT'S A RELATIVELY EASY.
YU MAN LEE: I WAS ACTUALLY WONDERING IF WE WANT TO HAVE A MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SIZE.
[00:55:06]
IS THERE A CONCERN ABOUT SOMETHING BEING REALLY BIG? I MEAN, GRANTED, MAYBE LIMITED BY THE SITE, OUR AVAILABILITY.TIM SCHMITT: I THINK THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T GO DOWN THAT ROAD IS JUST CANDIDLY, THERE'S SO FEW SITES THAT IT WASN'T A CONCERN.
ANOTHER QUESTION ON PAGE 4 OF THE DOCUMENT.
IT TALKS ABOUT AGENCY CONSULTATION AND CONSULTING WITH A DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GREAT LAKES, AND ENERGY.
ALSO MENTIONS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE FOR THAT.
I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY IT'S SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THE DEPARTMENT OF AG AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE CONNECTION THERE? TIM SCHMITT: SO I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE WHERE POTENTIAL REGULATIONS ARE GOING TO COME IN THE FUTURE.
THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATION THAT AG AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE A DEPARTMENT THAT ENDS UPREGULATING SOME OF THESE, GIVEN THAT MOST OF THEM ARE ENDING UP IN MORE RURAL AREAS.
FROM A STATE LEVEL, I ANTICIPATE IT PROBABLY FALLING UNDER JUST [INAUDIBLE] OVERALL UMBRELLA, BUT WE'RE NOT SURE.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HEDGE OUR BETS AS TO WHAT AGENCIES MIGHT BE INVOLVED.
ULTIMATELY, I THINK BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WHEREVER IT LANDS, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
IF THE STATE DECIDES TO PUT IT UNDER CORRECTIONS, THEY'RE GOING TO CORRECTIONS AND TALKING TO CORRECTIONS ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T THINK AG AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IS PROBABLY THE ANSWER FOR US.
BUT IN THE EVENT THAT'S WHERE THEY PARK IT, THAT'S WHERE THEY PARK IT.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
WELL, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH.
LAURA BELISLE: JUST TO UNDERSCORE COMMISSIONER MIKSICEK'S SUGGESTION, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE TO DEFINE OUT THE DATA CENTER TO PUT THAT FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, FOR EVERYBODY, THAT MORE THAN 50 SQUARE FEET OVEREXCEEDS THE 2% OF THE FLOOR AREA OF THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE.
I THINK IT WOULD JUST TIE IT UP NICELY.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SOME OF THAT GUIDANCE FROM MICHIGAN STATE HAD A LITTLE BIT THERE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DRAW FROM TO HELP DELINEATE THAT.
THEY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A QUALIFIED DATA CENTER AND AN ENTERPRISE DATA CENTER, THE ENTERPRISE ONES BEING THE MASSIVE PROBLEMATIC ONES THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE OF NOW.
SO THERE MAY BE A WAY WE CAN DRAW IN SOME MORE OF THIS TECHNICAL LANGUAGE FROM THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS HERE.
LAURA BELISLE: I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, SINCE THIS IS BEING DRAFTED.
AND I DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS AND BEING PROACTIVE WITH KNOWING THIS IS A HUGE TREND THAT'S HAPPENING.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: YES, STAFF MEMBER HUGHES DREW ATTENTION TO 12E, THE LIGHTING AFTER HOURS.
AND AS I READ THIS, I WAS ASKING MYSELF, DON'T DATA CENTERS OPERATE 24/7, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK? WHAT IS THE CLOSING TIME FOR DATA CENTER? WHAT IS AFTER HOURS FOR DATA CENTER? SO IF WE ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING PROVISIONS THAT ADDRESS LIGHTING OF AN EVENING HOUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WOULD IT BE BETTER PERHAPS TO SPECIFY THE HOURS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RATHER THAN TO LEAVE IT INDEFINITE OR UNCERTAIN BY REFERRING TO AFTER HOURS? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT AFTER HOURS MEANS.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE SECOND PART OF THE CLAUSE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT WHERE THERE'S REDUCED BUT CONTINUED ON SITE ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, THEY REQUIRE SITE WIDE ILLUMINATION, THE USE OF DIMMING CIRCUITRY TO LOWER ILLUMINATION LEVELS BY AT LEAST 50% AFTER 10:00 PM SHALL BE PERMITTED.
YEAH, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BROKEN THIS OUT IN THREE PARTS ACTUALLY, BUT THEY WERE ALREADY THREE SUBSECTIONS DOWN.
SO THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE A FOURTH.
YEAH, WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT THAT.
JACK HUGHES: THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY THERE, RICHARD, WHEN I READ THAT WAS THEY RUN 24 HOURS.
SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DISTINCTION THERE.
IN THE BEGINNING, I BELIEVE THEY DO DELINEATE WHAT THE WORKDAY
[01:00:05]
AND WHAT THE NIGHT TIME IS IN THAT FIRST PAGE OF DEFINITIONS.SO WE JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S STILL RELEVANT FOR A FACILITY THAT OPERATES 24 HOURS.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: A VERY MINOR POINT.
IT'S PROBABLY A TYPO OR A CORRECTION THAT'S UNDER 17, WASTE ON PAGE 9.
SENTENCES APPLICANTS SHALL IDENTIFY ANY SOLID WASTE OR HAZARDOUS WASTE BY A PROJECT AND HOW SUCH WASTE WILL BE MANAGED.
DO WE MEAN WASTE GENERATED BY A PROJECT OR WASTE PRODUCED BY A PROJECT? WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY MEAN THERE? TIM SCHMITT: OH, YEAH.
THERE MISSING WORD THERE, HUH? YEAH, THAT IS A GOOD CATCH.
GIVEN ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THIS, I'M SURPRISED WE HAVEN'T NOTICED THAT ONE.
YEAH, THERE'S A WORD MISSING THERE.
YU MAN LEE: QUESTIONS COMMENTS.
TOM FRAZIER: I GUESS ONE OTHER.
GOING BACK ON PAGE 4, RIGHT UNDER ITEM NUMBER 5 UNDER-- WE TALKED ABOUT AGENCY CONSULTATION PREVIOUSLY.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER 5 SPECIFIES STORM WATER AND THE ROLE OF THE INGHAM COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER.
WOULDN'T THAT ALSO BE ADDRESSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, GREAT LAKES AND ENERGY? I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S POSSIBLE DUPLICATION THERE.
TIM SCHMITT: EAGLE WOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL DRAINAGE IN THIS CASE, UNLESS THERE IS A DIRECT DISCHARGE TO THE RED CEDAR.
AND EVEN THEN, THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER HAS THE FIRST CRACK AT THAT NUT BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL-- THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET THERE.
SO LET ME WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
BUT I THINK THE DRAIN COMMISSIONER IS PROBABLY ALL WE NEED THERE.
BUT LET US FOLLOW UP ON THAT ONE TOO.
YU MAN LEE: SO FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON PAGE 4-- AND THESE ARE JUST THINGS I JUST HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT OR WAS WONDERING, DOES THE ORDINANCE CAPTURE IT IN SOME WAY.
IT DOESN'T MENTION ABOUT MAKING SURE THE DATA CENTERS DON'T IMPACT OR IS THERE ANY KIND OF BUFFER BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION OF A DATA CENTER AND A SENSITIVE HABITAT OR AREA.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE INDUSTRIAL SITES ARE, BUT I KNOW THAT WAS MENTIONED, I THINK, IN THAT RESOURCE DOCUMENT ABOUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT IMPACTING OR THAT THERE'S SOME BUFFER BETWEEN THE DATA CENTER AND ANY KIND OF SENSITIVE HABITATS.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO UPDATING THAT LANGUAGE.
YU MAN LEE: AND I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS COULD BE IMPACTS TO WILDLIFE.
AND, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE LIGHTING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE AS A BIRD CITY, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO NIGHTTIME LIGHTING IN BEING A BIRD CITY.
AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DATA, I THINK, IMPACTS TO WILDLIFE, BUT SAME FOR SOUND.
SO JUST THINGS TO THINK ABOUT OR SOMEHOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO MENTION THAT IN THIS, INCLUDES IMPACTS TO OR SOMETHING.
BRUCE MORTIMER: I WONDER, AS FAR AS MOST OF THE-- I MEAN, LIGHTING CAN CERTAINLY AFFECT BIRD MOVEMENT AT ANY TIME.
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT DURING MIGRATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF WAY TO-- OR IF THAT'S EVEN PLAUSIBLE OF REDUCING IMPACTS, REDUCING CONFUSION ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK MIGRATION MONTHS.
[01:05:01]
TIM SCHMITT: ABSOLUTELY.YU MAN LEE: AND THEN THE LAST THING WAS JUST ON WATER USE.
IT JUST SAYS, TO MINIMIZE IMPACT, BUT HOW DO WE DEFINE WHAT MINIMIZE-- TIM SCHMITT: I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FLEXIBLE PHRASES THAT WE ARE PROVIDED TO REVIEW THIS.
YU MAN LEE: AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER LANGUAGE OUT THERE OR CONSIDERATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY OTHER FOLKS ABOUT WHAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE WATER USAGE OR I JUST DON'T KNOW, HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO SET A LIMIT OR-- TIM SCHMITT: NO, I MEAN, I THINK THE INTENTION IS NOT TO, SO THAT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, SHOULD THIS EVER COME UP, REVIEW IT IN DEPTH.
JACK HUGHES: I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS WATER FEASIBILITY STUDY SECTION KIND OF DELINEATES THERE, ENSURING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE NO ADVERSE IMPACTS TO THE GROUNDWATER TABLE, THE SURFACE WATER THAT'S BEING UTILIZED.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT WE HAVE READY ACCESS TO A ZONING MAP OF THE TOWNSHIP THAT SHOWS WHERE THE I ZONE PARCELS ARE SO WE CAN GET A BETTER SENSE FOR WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH? TIM SCHMITT: LET ME SEE IF I CAN-- UN MEMENTO.
WHAT WE PROVIDED THE BOARD WITH EARLIER THIS YEAR IS THIS, JUST TO GIVE YOU A VISUALIZATION.
THIS IS OKEMOS ROAD RAILROAD TRACKS.
THIS IS THE LARGEST INDUSTRIALLY ZONE PROPERTY IN THE TOWNSHIP.
THIS IS THE OLD RAILROAD BUILDINGS ARE NOW USED FOR STORAGE CONTRACTORS YARD TYPE FACILITY.
THE SECOND ONE, THIS IS TOWN ROAD.
AGAIN, MERIDIAN COMPANY'S HERE, TRIPP'S AUTO IS HERE, OVERHEAD DOOR, A COUPLE OTHER SMALLER FACILITIES.
THE ONLY VACANT LAND IS THIS RIGHT HERE.
IT'S, I THINK, A TOTAL OF THREE ACRES, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
AND THEN LASTLY IS DAWN AVENUE, WHICH, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS COMPLETELY BUILT UPON AT THIS POINT.
THIS IS THE HUNTSMAN BUILDING.
BUT HAVING TOURED IT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THAT'S NOT A BUILDING FOR A DATA CENTER.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE THE ONLY THREE AREAS IN THE TOWNSHIP THAT ARE ZONED OR MASTER PLANNED FOR INDUSTRIAL.
THERE'S NO OTHER FACILITIES IN OTHER PLACES ANTICIPATE IT.
YU MAN LEE: COULD SOMEBODY OFFER THAT OTHER SECOND AREA? I MEAN, COULD SOMEBODY OFFER TO PURCHASE SOME OF THOSE OTHER BUSINESSES AND-- TIM SCHMITT: SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S CANDIDLY, PROBABLY
[01:10:01]
THE ONLY REASON WE'RE DOING THIS EXERCISE IS TO INVENT SOMETHING.BUT AGAIN, IF SOMEONE HAS THAT KIND OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE BUYING FIVE EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALL PROFITABLE, THEY'RE GOING TO FIND A MUCH CHEAPER FACILITY JUST UP THE ROAD IN BATH TOWNSHIP.
I MEAN, THEN YOU'RE GETTING INTO THE ECONOMICS OF THESE AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
I LIKE THAT THE ORDINANCE MENTIONS ABOUT GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AND GROUNDWATER SUPPLY OR USE OF GROUNDWATER AND WASTEWATER DISCHARGE.
LAURA BELISLE: I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IS AIR EMISSIONS ADDRESSED IN HERE SOMEWHERE, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE INCLUDED UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AS WELL? TIM SCHMITT: YEAH.
SO AS A GENERAL RULE, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A ABILITY TO REGULATE AIR EMISSIONS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO ADD SOME SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ABOUT THAT.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? RICHARD MIKSICEK: I'LL ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION.
IT PROBABLY IS MOOT POINT, BUT BETTER ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS CAN EXIST SEPARATE FROM A DATA CENTER PER SE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ARRAYS OF STORAGE BATTERIES THAT ARE INSTALLED IN AN AREA.
SO WOULD A FREESTANDING BESS BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE? TIM SCHMITT: I THINK THE ORDINANCE AS IT STANDS DOES NOT ANTICIPATE ALLOWING THAT.
BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT, IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO SO, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD.
BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO DESIRE TO DO THAT.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SO BY THAT ANSWER, DO I UNDERSTAND THAT BESS'S WOULD NOT BE REGULATED UNDER THE ORDINANCE? TIM SCHMITT: NO, THEY WOULD ONLY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DATA CENTER.
THEY'RE NOT A PERMITTED USE OTHERWISE.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: AND WHAT IF A DEVELOPER WANTED TO BUILD A FREESTANDING BESS? TIM SCHMITT: THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT BECAUSE WE CAN'T GRANT A USE VARIANCE.
AND IT'S NOT A USE THAT'S CURRENTLY PERMITTED.
YU MAN LEE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO YOU WERE SAYING WE WOULD BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT IT SOME MORE.
TIM SCHMITT: YEAH, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH SOME ANSWERS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN WE WOULD ASK AT YOUR NEXT MEETING THAT YOU FORMULATE A RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD SO WE CAN HAVE THIS BACK TO THEM BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: SHOULD THAT THEN BE ADDED AS AN ACTION ITEM TO NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA OR IS IT-- TIM SCHMITT: IT WILL BE AN ACTION ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA, YES.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LISTED THERE FOR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
AND THEN SO REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS,
[11. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
STARTING WITH STAFF.JACK HUGHES: AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY STAFF REPORTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
YU MAN LEE: YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIP TO JAPAN? [LAUGHS] JACK HUGHES: I HAVE MANY, MANY OFF THE BOOKS STORIES TO TELL, BUT NOTHING FOR THE COMMISSION RIGHT NOW.
NICKOLAS LENTZ: THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST SAY, I HOPE EVERYONE WHO IS OF AGE
[01:15:03]
GOT THE CHANCE TO VOTE YESTERDAY, PARTICIPATE-- YEAH-- PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ALL HAVE.AND WITH THAT SAID, I'LL START OUT BY POINTING OUT THAT OUR MERIDIAN POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE, AS WELL AS OUR PARKS MILLAGE BOTH PASSED, I WOULD SAY QUITE RESOUNDINGLY.
POLICE AND FIRE AT 79% AGAIN, I HOPE YOU ALL VOTED AND THEREFORE READ THE MILLAGE.
BUT JUST TO REITERATE, THE PARKS IS 0.667 MILLS.
THAT IS OUR OLDEST MILLAGE OUTSIDE OF THE FOUNDING CHARTER MILLAGE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE '80S.
AND THEN OUR POLICE AND FIRE MILLAGE IS 1.483 MILLS.
BOTH OF THOSE ARE FOR 10 YEARS.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT-- AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PASSED, SO YOU WON'T REMEMBER THIS 10 YEARS FROM NOW IF IT COMES UP AGAIN.
BUT POLICE AND FIRE, I THOUGHT, WAS A REALLY INTERESTING ADVANTAGE THAT WE CAN HAVE IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AS A MILLAGE, BECAUSE WITH THE ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS NOW ABLE TO, EXCUSE ME, HAVE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT INCREASES OUR ISO RATING IS A TERM THAT IS USED BY HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES.
AND THEREFORE, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP HOME OWNERS CAN ENJOY ABOUT A 20% REDUCTION IN THEIR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE FIRE STAFF, BETTER EQUIPMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO FOR THE AVERAGE MERIDIAN HOMEOWNER, BASED ON THE RATES OF YOUR HOME INSURANCE COSTS, IT IS ALMOST A PERFECTLY EVEN WASH AS COMPARED TO IF IT DID NOT PASS, YOUR HOME INSURANCE RATES WOULD GO UP.
AND OF COURSE, THAT DOESN'T EVEN GET INTO THE GREAT EFFECTS IT HAS ON OUR PENSION LIABILITY FUNDING, WHICH IS A HISTORICAL ISSUE FOR MOST MUNICIPALITIES.
MERIDIAN IS WELL ON OUR WAY TO BEING AT 100% FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND THIS MILLAGE, ASSUMING THAT THE MARKETS GO THE WAY THAT WE WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD, WILL BE AT 100% FUNDING BY THE END OF THIS MILLAGE.
AND THAT WAS BIG FOR ALL OF US ON THE BOARD WHO REALLY WANTED TO SEE THESE GO THROUGH.
AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THEM.
WITH THAT SAID, IT WASN'T A TERRIBLY BUSY MONTH SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU LAST AT THE BOARD LEVEL.
I DO WANT TO SAY, I APPRECIATE HOW MANY QUESTIONS WERE RAISED TONIGHT REGARDING THE DATA CENTER ORDINANCE THAT WE SENT TO BOTH YOU AND PLANNING.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS CAME BEFORE ALL OF YOU ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU DID RAISE THAT COME FROM A LOT OF YOUR BACKGROUNDS ON THE SCIENCE SIDE OF THINGS.
SO I CAN TELL YOU, I WROTE DOWN A NUMBER OF NOTES AND LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING THE AUDIO, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO VIDEO OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING FROM LAST WEEK.
SO I KNOW THEY HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO FIND THAT AS WELL.
IT'S ON BOTH YOUTUBE AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE UNDER THE HOME TV TAB.
AND THEN I WANT TO THANK A COUPLE MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR JOINING ME AT THE GOAT SCAPING DEMONSTRATION.
RICHARD AND LAURA, THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING COLLABORATION THAT THE TOWNSHIP WAS LUCKY TO SEE.
I COLLECTED A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT JUST HOW MANY GOATS WE WOULD NEED TO MAYBE PERFECTLY MANAGE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP'S PROTECTED LANDS.
AND WHILE I DON'T NECESSARILY PLAN ON TURNING INTO A SHEPHERD WITH 5,000 GOATS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, IT WAS VERY COOL TO SEE THAT AS MAYBE A POTENTIAL TOOL TO USE IN THE PLETHORA OF OPTIONS THAT ARE VERY QUALIFIED STAFF CAN USE TO PROTECT OUR-- EXCUSE ME, SORRY-- PROTECT OUR WETLANDS, PROTECT OR HELP AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES.
SO THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING THERE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT ISN'T TERRIBLY RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTALISM, BUT I DID WANT TO POINT IT OUT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ASK IN OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING TOMORROW THAT THERE BE SOME COMMUNICATION AROUND IT.
WE ARE PLANNING ON MOVING FORWARD WITH A DYNAMIC SPEED
[01:20:01]
DISPLAY, OR A PLAN TO PUT UP PERMANENT DYNAMIC SPEED DISPLAYS ON SIX ROADS AROUND MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY SEEN A LOT OF SPEEDING.I WANT TO POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF IT.
THE TIED TO ENVIRONMENTALISM IS THAT THEY ARE ALL SOLAR POWERED.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A GOOD THING.
BUT THE GOAL-- AND I WOULD ASK ALL OF YOU AS GOOD STEWARDS OF MERIDIAN TOWNSHIPS IMAGE AND WELL-BEING HERE, THAT IF YOU DO HAVE NEIGHBORS OR FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN THE TOWNSHIP ASKING ABOUT IT, EXPLAIN THAT THESE CAME AFTER CAREFUL DELIBERATION WITH THE OBJECT OF SAFETY.
THESE ARE NOT LIKE THE FLOCK CAMERAS THAT, SIMILAR TO THE DATA CENTERS, HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION.
THEY SIMPLY CAN DETECT A MOVING OBJECT AND THE TIME THAT THAT OBJECT WAS MOVING AT, LET'S SAY, 12 MILES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THOSE COMING UP ON THE NORTH END OF MARSH ROAD, THE WEST END OF LAKE LANSING, JUST SOUTH OF THE LAKE ON HAZLET ROAD, NORTH PART OF CORNELL, JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN OKEMOS, AND THEN NORTH OF THE ROUNDABOUT ON HULETT.
SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, HOPEFULLY, WE CAN USE TO ENACT SAFETY BECAUSE WE DO OCCASIONALLY SEE ACCIDENTS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO-- AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY INVOLVE CHILDREN AROUND SCHOOLS IN THAT AREA, IT'S NEVER A FUN TEXT TO RECEIVE FROM THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT THAT I PRESENTED.
YU MAN LEE: SO DO THE DYNAMIC SPEED, THEY JUST REGISTER AND TELL YOU WHAT SPEED YOU'RE TRAVELING? THEY'RE NOT LIKE-- NICKOLAS LENTZ: SO THEY DISPLAY TO YOU.
AND THEN THERE'S A CATALOGS IT.
AND THEN THE MERIDIAN PD WILL RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO LIKE I SAID, EAST LAKE LANSING I KNOW BECAUSE IT WAS OUR EXAMPLE REPORT HERE.
AVERAGE SPEED IS UP TO 12 MILES AN HOUR FASTER THAN THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT.
SOME PEOPLE IN THE TOP 10 PERCENTILE ARE GOING 20 MILES AN HOUR FASTER.
SO IT'S ANOTHER TOOL THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN USE TO MAYBE POST AN OFFICER THERE DURING THAT RUSH WHEN SCHOOL IS GETTING OUT FROM THE EAST LANSING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIGHT THERE ON EAST LAKE LANSING.
SO NO FOR EXAMPLE, BUT IT DOES NOT CAPTURE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE DRIVER.
LAURA BELISLE: THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
DOES IT ISSUE TICKETS BY ITSELF? NICKOLAS LENTZ: NO, NO.
LAURA BELISLE: THIS IS JUST TO MONITOR-- THE THOUGHT IS, LIKE IT SAYS, YOUR SPEED SLOW DOWN TO REALLY REMIND PEOPLE, HEY, YOU'RE GOING WAY TOO FAST IN THIS ZONE AND JUST-- NICKOLAS LENTZ: YEAH, YOU'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THEM BEFORE, THOSE SPEED LIMITS THAT BLINK AT YOU.
AND THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, IF YOU ARE GOING TOO FAST, IT'LL TELL YOU TO SLOW DOWN.
BUT WE MADE SURE I REVIEWED THE INGHAM COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT'S CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY THAT BUILDS THEM.
APOLOGIES, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME RIGHT NOW.
BUT NO CAMERAS, ONLY SENSORS THAT DETECT SPEED AND THE INTERNAL CLOCK FOR THE TIME.
SO-- LAURA BELISLE: THANK YOU.
YU MAN LEE: I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT 20% REDUCTION IN HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HOMEOWNERS WOULD HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY? DOES THAT AUTOMATICALLY HAPPEN OR-- NICKOLAS LENTZ: IT AUTOMATICALLY HAPPENS.
SO THE RATING IS-- LET ME PULL IT UP-- ISO, WHICH IS INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE, WHICH IS THE MOST INDUSTRY KIND OF NAME I CAN THINK OF.
BUT IT'S A 1 TO 10 CLASS SCALE, 1 BEING THE CREME DE LA CREME, UP TO 30% REDUCTION IN HOME INSURANCE, 9 OR 10, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SURCHARGES BECAUSE OF A FIRE STARTS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE OKLAHOMA, NO ONE'S GOING TO PUT IT OUT.
SO THE HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE HIGHER.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP IS AT A 3, WHICH IS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT SCORE.
ONLY ABOUT 7% OF AMERICA IS AT A THREE OR BETTER.
SO IT IS A MAJOR BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEREFORE, OUR HOME INSURANCE RATES ARE LOWER.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN, OF COURSE, BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THE EMS CALLS OUTSIDE OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY.
[01:25:01]
OBVIOUSLY EMERGENCY.YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND A LINK.
IT'S VERY INDUSTRY FOCUSED INFORMATION.
I ONLY WENT INTO THE WEEDS OF IT BECAUSE I SAW A MENTION OF IT, THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING.
YU MAN LEE: THAT IS REALLY INTERESTING.
JUST THIS IS SUCH INTERESTING NEWS.
ONLY 7% IN THE NATION, YOU SAID? NICKOLAS LENTZ: YEAH, ACCORDING TO, YEAH, THIS SITE THAT IS FOR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE PROVIDERS.
LAURA BELISLE: THIS WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT TIDBIT OF INFORMATION FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO KNOW, HEY, YOU VOTED, AND THIS TRANSLATES TO THIS FOR YOU.
JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, HOW DOES THAT REFLECT FOR THEM.
COULD BE SOME REALLY GREAT COMMUNICATION MESSAGING.
I KNOW THAT, ON THE TOWNSHIP BOARD, WE'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT HOW TO MAYBE COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS MORE ABOUT THE ASSETS THAT WE ALL ARE ALREADY RECEIVING.
WITH THE PARKS MILLAGE, NO ONE IS MORE THAN A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE FROM A PARK IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP.
THAT IS NOTABLE BENEFIT THAT COMES FROM THIS COMMUNITY.
HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IS ANOTHER ONE.
YEAH, SO IT'S NOT PART OF OUR BUDGET FOR 2027 TO LOOK INTO ANY SORT OF CAMPAIGN AROUND THAT.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH TOWNSHIP STAFF.
LAURA BELISLE: BUT I JUST WONDER IF IT COULD BE JUST SOMETHING THAT FLASHES IN WHAT SCROLL ON THE WEBSITE EVEN LIKE THANK YOU, DID YOU KNOW THESE TWO ARE OUTCOMES OF YOUR VOTE, JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO LET PEOPLE, IN THIS HOME SCREEN.
I'M JUST THINKING SOMETHING EASY, NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE TO NECESSARILY DO A BIG CAMPAIGN OR A LOT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW INVOLVED THAT WOULD BE, BUT JUST SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE TO SEE HERE THAT, IF THEY COME TO THE LANDING PAGE, THANK YOU, DID YOU KNOW-- JUST THOSE TWO TIDBITS OF INFORMATION.
OR MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.
NICKOLAS LENTZ: YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT THOUGHT.
IT IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE THINGS ON MY LIST OF-- IT'S ALMOST LIKE, YOU BEAT A DRUM.
YOU BEAT YOUR OWN DRUM FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE EVERY DAY.
SO-- IKE IYIOKE: I THINK IT'S VERY-- JUST TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S NOT TYPICAL THAT PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM INSURANCE.
WE'RE ALWAYS PAYING, PAYING, PAYING.
BUT IF YOU CAN LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, OH, SOMETHING IS GOING BACK IN YOUR POCKET AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE MILLAGE THAT YOU JUST EXPLAINED.
LAST TIME I GOT SOMETHING BACK FROM H&R WITH AAA LATE '90S DUE TO MY DRIVING RECORD, WHICH I NEVER IMAGINED WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, I GOT SOME MONEY BACK.
AND EVER SINCE, I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED, NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE GETTING SOMETHING BACK FROM-- I MEAN, GETTING SOME KIND OF IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR INSURANCE THAT YOU PAY.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA THAT I THINK SHE'S SUGGESTING.
YEAH, GLAD EVERYONE HAD SOME QUESTIONS, BOTH FOR THE DATA CENTERS AND FOR ME HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING ON THIS.
AS A REMINDER, OUR TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING IS TOMORROW.
BUT BECAUSE OF ELECTION DAY, IT'S TOMORROW.
SO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO TUNE IN OR, OF COURSE, BE HERE, 6:00 PM.
YEAH, I WAS BUMMED THAT I MISSED THE GOATSCAPING.
I WATCHED A LITTLE VIDEO, THOUGH.
I DID SEE A LITTLE VIDEO OF THEM MUNCHING AWAY.
NICKOLAS LENTZ: IT WAS VERY COOL.
AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO BROUGHT THE GOATS, I KNOW HE'S PLANNING ON HAVING A BUSINESS AROUND AT SOME POINT FOR MAYBE PERSONAL OR PURCHASING FOR YOUR PROPERTY TO HAVE THEM OUT FOR A WEEK OR SOMETHING.
YU MAN LEE: OH, HE IS NOT A BUSINESS NOW? HE'S NOT? NICKOLAS LENTZ: NO, IT IS NOT YET.
BUT SOON I BELIEVE IS THE IDEA.
YU MAN LEE: COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL'S NOT HERE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATE.
LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD-- I UNFORTUNATELY WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE THE OCTOBER MEETING OF THE LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.
[01:30:05]
I BELIEVE THEY DID A SITE VISIT.SO I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY HAD AN ACTUAL MEETING ANYWAY OTHER THAN THE SITE VISIT.
BUT WE WILL BE MEETING NOVEMBER.
TYPICALLY, WE WOULD MEET NEXT WEDNESDAY.
BUT BECAUSE NEXT WEDNESDAY IS VETERANS DAY, AND SO THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP OFFICES ARE CLOSED.
SO WE WILL BE MEETING NOVEMBER 18 THEN INSTEAD.
TOM FRAZIER: YEAH, THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DID MEET ON OCTOBER 8.
AND I THINK I GAVE YOU A PRECURSOR OF THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, WHAT WE ANTICIPATED FOR THE AGENDA.
AND THAT WAS TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THE AGREEMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BROWNFIELD SITE AT THE NORTH-EAST CORNER OF OKEMOS AND HAMILTON IN DOWNTOWN OKEMOS.
AND THE AUTHORITY DOES PUT IN SOME FUNDS TOWARDS THE TOWNSHIP'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS.
SO SOME FUNDING WAS APPROVED FOR THAT.
AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE AGENDA.
WE ARE PLANNING TO MEET AGAIN THIS MONTH.
IT MEETS THE SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH.
SO NEXT THURSDAY THE 12, I BELIEVE THAT IS OUR NEXT MEETING.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: PARKS COMMISSION, YES.
AND THERE WERE A COUPLE ITEMS, I THINK, RELEVANT TO INTEREST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
ONE IS THAT DIRECTOR WODZINSKI CIRCULATED A MEMO DESCRIBING THE MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN PROGRAM FOR 2026.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY REGARDED AS A KIND OF UNUSUAL AND VERY SUCCESSFUL URBAN MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR DEER OVERPOPULATION IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
ACTUALLY, LOOK AT US AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THAT SORT OF THING.
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE 16TH YEAR OF THE PROGRAM.
THE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR 2026 INCLUDES HARVEST OF 200 ANTLERLESS WHITETAIL DEER.
AND IT WAS A PLAN THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE DNR AND APPROVED FOR 2026.
IT'S GOING TO OPERATE WITH ISSUANCE OF DEER MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE PERMITS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE VOLUNTEER HUNTERS THEN TO HUNT DEER.
SO WE HAVE 63 RESIDENTS WHO ARE REGISTERED AS VOLUNTEER ARCHERS.
THIS IS AN ARCHERY ONLY PROGRAM.
EACH HAS TO PASS A BACKGROUND CHECK AND COMPLETE MANDATORY TRAINING AND PROFICIENCY TESTING IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM AND TO RECEIVE THESE HUNTING PERMITS.
HUNTING WILL OCCUR ON 43 TOWNSHIP PROPERTIES AND 27 PRIVATE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP THAT HAVE GRANTED UNDER ACCESS DURING ARCHERY SEASON FOR DEER.
AND VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO DONATE THE FIRST DEER THAT THEY HARVEST, WHICH IS THEN TESTED FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, PROCESSED, AND THEN THE MEAT IS DONATED TO THE LOCAL FOOD BANK.
SO IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IN PAST YEARS, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD PROTEIN TO FOOD BANKS.
THE POLICE SHARPSHOOTER IS ONE THING THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF.
THE SHARPSHOOTER CALL IS BEING PAUSED FOR 2026 AND ALLOWING THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO REASSESS HOW THAT PORTION OF THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OPERATES.
AND THEN THE OTHER MAJOR TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION AT THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING IS THE FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SO THEIR COMMISSION MEETING PACKET INCLUDED A DRAFT VERSION OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, WHICH WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE HOFMEISTER GROUP.
[01:35:04]
AND THE PARK COMMISSION MEMBERS WILL THEN BE REVIEWING THAT AND PROVIDING DIRECTOR RADZINSKI WITH FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS ON FINALIZING THAT DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN.THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK ON THAT, WHICH WILL THEN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FINALIZED MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO AS AN ACTION ITEM AT THE MEETING, THE COMMISSIONERS MODIFIED AND APPROVED A MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT THAT'S GOING TO ACCOMPANY THE MASTER PLAN.
AND THEN THEY ALSO NARROWED DOWN THE GOALS THAT WERE ESSENTIALLY RAISED AS PRIORITIES FOR PARK MANAGEMENT FROM THE PARK SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
SO THEY'VE NARROWED THIS DOWN TO FIVE GOALS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE PRIORITIES OF THE PARK COMMISSION AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR AND STAFF.
SO THESE FIVE GOALS, IN A KIND OF HIGH LEVEL SENSE, WERE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, TO EXPAND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY OF THE TOWNSHIP'S PARKS AND RESERVES, TO PROMOTE STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES WITHIN THEIR MANAGEMENT DUTIES, AND THEN TO PRIORITIZE PARK FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND EACH OF THESE GOALS IS ACCOMPANIED BY THREE TO FIVE SPECIFIC LISTS OF OBJECTIVES THAT ADDRESS THOSE GOALS, AS WELL AS A FIVE YEAR MEASURE WHICH THEY WILL BE USING TO ASSESS PROGRESS TOWARDS REACHING THOSE MANAGEMENT GOALS.
SO THAT ESSENTIALLY SETS THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE FIVE YEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THEY'LL BE FINALIZING THAT IN THE NEXT MEETINGS, INCORPORATING THE COMMENT AND FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE.
SO THAT WAS IT FOR THE LAST MEETING.
AND THEIR NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, NEXT WEEK.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? YU MAN LEE: SO IS THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, THE IDEA IS TO HAVE IT FINALIZED BY-- RICHARD MIKSICEK: IT HAS TO BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE BEGINNING 2027 FOR THAT YEAR IN THE SUBSEQUENT FOUR YEARS.
YU MAN LEE: HAVE THEY GOTTEN A LOT OF COMMENTS, DO YOU KNOW? RICHARD MIKSICEK: THERE WAS ACTUALLY A VERY EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK, BOTH IN THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT THEY HELD AS WELL AS THE ONLINE SURVEY THAT PEOPLE COULD SUBMIT SUGGESTIONS THAT WAS ASSEMBLED INTO A LARGE PACKET THAT IS AVAILABLE, I THINK, IN THE SEPTEMBER MEETING PACKET.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT SOME OF THAT PUBLIC FEEDBACK LOOKED LIKE, CHECK THE SEPTEMBER MEETING PACKET FOR THE PARKS COMMISSION.
THE DRAFT VERSION OF THE FIVE YEAR MASTER PLAN IS AVAILABLE IN THEIR OCTOBER MEETING PACKAGE, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A LOOK AT THAT.
THANKS NEXT, WE HAVE THE UPDATE FROM THE TEAMS. SO ENERGY TEAM.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: YES, I'LL REPORT ON THE ENERGY TEAM.
WE MEET MONTHLY AT A ZOOM MEETING.
IT'S USUALLY THE THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
AND THE LAST MEETING WAS OCTOBER 15.
I HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT THE SOLARIZE PROGRAM, THE LAST SOLARIZE EVENT WAS HELD ON AUGUST 20.
IT USUALLY TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR THE RESULTS OF SOLARIZE EVENTS TO CONGEAL, BUT AT THE OCTOBER 15 MEETING, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AUGUST EVENT, WHICH WAS HELD AT THE RED CEDAR DISTILLERY, DREW 40 PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTENDED THAT EVENT.
AND ABSOLUTE SOLAR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE COMPANIES THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT SOLAR INSTALLATION OPTIONS, PROVIDED 15 QUOTES THAT RESULTED FROM THE 40 ATTENDEES.
AND THOSE HAVE SO FAR GENERATED TWO RESIDENTIAL
[01:40:04]
AND TWO COMMERCIAL SOLAR PROJECT CONTRACTS AND ONE CONTRACT PENDING WITH OKEMOS COMMUNITY CHURCH.SO THIS LEVEL OF ACTIVITY IS A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN WHAT THEY'VE SEEN IN PREVIOUS SOLARIZE EVENTS.
THIS COULD IN PART BE DUE TO THE DISCONTINUATION OF FEDERAL ENERGY TAX CREDITS FOR RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATIONS.
BUT THERE IS STILL INTEREST IN THIS AND THERE ARE STILL GOOD REASONS, EVEN FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, TO CONSIDER SOLARIZATION PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFITS THAT IT REAPS IN TERMS OF REDUCING MONTHLY ENERGY COSTS.
THERE'S ALSO STILL FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH A NUMBER OF SOURCES LIKE ACCESS MICHIGAN SOLAR AND MICHIGAN SOLAR FOR ALL, WHICH CAN HELP DEFRAY THE COSTS FOR SOLAR PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS.
SO THERE ARE STILL OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
SO THE NEXT ENERGY TEAM MEETING WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 19, AND THAT WILL BE A ZOOM CALL.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN LISTENING IN ON THAT, I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE MEETING LINK.
ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? OK, GREEN TEAM.
TOM FRAZIER: YEAH, THE GREEN TEAM MET LAST MONTH.
THE PRIMARY THING ON THE AGENDA WAS TO PUT TOGETHER A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR 2027, WHICH WE DID DO.
WE WILL LIKELY START EVENTS IN FEBRUARY, HOPEFULLY WITH OF THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW THAT WE HELD THIS CURRENT YEAR.
AND YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
ANOTHER MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK, NEXT THURSDAY, 4 O'CLOCK AT SCHULLER'S BOOKS CAFE, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THAT.
YU MAN LEE: HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL.
I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND LAST MEETING.
SO I GOT A DECENT AMOUNT OF UPDATES.
THE SCHOOL YEAR IS NOW IN FULL SWING.
SO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS ARE MEETING AND I'M GETTING BUSIER, WHICH IS ALWAYS FUN.
OUR SEAL TEAM, OUR STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS BEEN MEETING.
OKEMOS, RECENTLY ADOPTED A CHAPTER.
AND SO SHANMUKHA HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THEM OVER THERE.
AND WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON DEVELOPING A STRONG GROUP OF PEOPLE AT HASLETT FOR A WHILE IT'S BEEN A PRETTY LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND JUST FINDING A TIME WHERE ALL OF US CAN MEET IS ALWAYS A STRUGGLE.
SO WE'VE REGIMENTED EVERYTHING AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD YEAR.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE MORE VOLUNTEER BASED ONE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF OUTREACH AS WELL, GETTING NEW MEMBERS AND JUST PLANNING FOR THE YEAR AS WELL.
OUR DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM-- SO THAT'S THE STAFF AND STUDENTS ALL TOGETHER-- WE'RE WORKING A LOT ON OUR COURTYARDS.
TEACHERS AT HASLETT JUST HAD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THIS MONDAY.
AND THE DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY TEAM HAD A SESSION WHERE WE TALKED THROUGH HOW TEACHERS CAN BETTER USE OUTDOOR SPACES AS CLASSROOMS AND HOW WE CAN WORK AROUND OR WITH THE CURRICULUM THAT TEACHERS HAVE TO FOLLOW AND HOW SUBJECTS THAT AREN'T SCIENCE RELATED CAN USE THOSE SPACES, WHAT TEACHERS MIGHT NEED TO USE THOSE SPACES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO THAT'S LOOKING VERY HOPEFUL.
LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE, THE HIGH SCHOOL COURTYARD IS NOT THAT USABLE RIGHT NOW.
[01:45:01]
WE'RE GETTING THERE.BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT WORK WITH THAT AS WELL, TRYING TO MAKE IT A PLACE WHERE THERE'S PLACES TO SIT AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS COVERED IN LEAVES AND SUCH.
MOST EXCITING THING-- EARTH CLUB STARTS THIS MONTH, WHICH IS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE.
THAT'S WHERE WE GO TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND TEACH LESSONS ABOUT THE EARTH, PROVIDE ACTIVITIES, JUST HAVE A LOT OF FUN.
BOTH SCHOOLS HAVE THE FULL NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
AND THAT'S EVERY OTHER MONDAY.
OR WE ALTERNATE SCHOOLS EVERY OTHER MONDAY.
YEAH, AND THEN JUST GENERAL GRADUATION PREP.
AS ME AND LOTS OF MY FRIENDS ARE GRADUATING THIS YEAR, WE'RE KIND OF SETTING UP ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITHOUT US BECAUSE A BIG PART OF SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS A MAIN FOCUS AT HASLETT IS MAKING PRACTICES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND AREN'T JUST DEPENDENT ON ONE PERSON.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: I HAVE A QUESTION.
WHEN DOES THE EARTH CLUB TAKE PLACE? WHAT TIME DURING THE DAY? HARRISON BATTEN: RIGHT.
SO THE HIGH SCHOOL, OUR DAY ENDS AT ABOUT 2:30, 2:28.
AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DAY ENDS AT 3:00, 3:05.
SO WE DRIVE OVER TO THE SCHOOLS AND WE MEET AFTER SCHOOL THERE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
RICHARD MIKSICEK: AND PARTICIPANTS FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY CAN ATTEND IF THEY WANT TO? HOW LARGE ARE THE TURNOUTS? HARRISON BATTEN: SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN.
SO WE HAVE A PROCESS OF REGISTRATION WHERE WE SEE WHAT FAMILIES ARE INTERESTED.
WE GET A WHOLE LIST OF EMAILS OF FAMILIES THAT MAY WANT TO JOIN.
AND THEN AT ONE SPECIFIED TIME, WE RELEASE MORE INFORMATION SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SIGN UP.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE, IN CASE SOMEONE CAN'T COME TO A RALYA MURPHY, OPEN HOUSE, WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S A DESIGNATED TIME, SO EVERYONE HAS A FAIR CHANCE, AND WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN JOIN US.
WE ONLY HAVE SUCH BIG SPACES AND SO MANY PEOPLE TO WORK WITH THE KIDS THAT WE ONLY ALLOW 25 GENERALLY.
AND SO THOSE FILL UP VERY QUICKLY.
AND THEN WE ALWAYS HAVE A WAITING LIST FOR IF PEOPLE CAN ONLY DO IT FOR PART OF THE YEAR IS GENERALLY WHAT WE DO.
YU MAN LEE: I CAN'T REMEMBER, HAS HASLETT APPLIED FOR ONE OF THE GREEN GRANTS? I WAS SEEING ABOUT THE COURTYARD AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT-- - BRIDGET BOOTH A DECENT WHILE AGO NOW, BUT WITHIN REASON, BEFORE I WAS INVOLVED I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, DID.
SHE'S A EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER, AND SHE GOT A GRANT TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT NO, I HAVEN'T BEEN A PART OF ANY-- WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, AT LEAST AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT WITH RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES, ME AND CYNTHIA PETERSON.
OUR SPRING BREAK LINES UP RIGHT WHEN IT'S SUBMISSION TIME.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE ARE A LITTLE READY TO TAKE A BREAK AND FORGET ABOUT IT OR DON'T GET TO IT.
JACK HUGHES: YEAH, JUST ONE MORE THING TO THROW IN THERE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
SHANMUKHA PROVIDED AN UPDATE FROM OKEMOS AS WELL, AND JUST WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT, AS HARRISON MENTIONED, THE EARTH CLUBS ARE NOW ACTIVE AND THE STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM LEADERSHIP TEAM, THE SEAL GROUPS ARE ACTIVE AND DOING PROJECTS AROUND THE SCHOOL.
THE EXAMPLE SHE MENTIONED WAS THE SCHOOL GARDENS OR THE COURTYARDS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON.
AND SHE ALSO NOTED THAT CHIPPEWA MIDDLE SCHOOL'S EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE CLASSES NOW HAVE A PILOT ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM GOING ON THANKS TO THE MICHIGAN YOUTH LEADERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
HARRISON BATTEN: WHICH, TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT FOR THAT, THAT'S A STATEWIDE GROUP OF YOUTH THROUGHOUT EVERY DISTRICT.
SO NOT ACTUALLY EVERY, BUT AS MANY DISTRICTS AS WE CAN GET OF JUST ENVIRONMENTALLY MINDED STEWARDS TO WORK ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE WORKED ON POLICY BILLS LIKE IN THE STATE SENATE, ALL SORTS OF STUFF.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE TWO, HASLETT AND OKEMOS,
[01:50:02]
HAVING NOW WITH SIMILAR PROGRAMS-- HARRISON BATTEN: AND WE'RE ABLE TO, NOW THAT I KNOW SHANMUKHA AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE AT OKEMOS BETTER, IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH.LAURA BELISLE: HARRISON, I'M WONDERING-- QUESTION FOR YOU.
HAVE YOU SHARED HOW YOU SET UP EARTH CLUB WITH OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL, SEE IF THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR? HARRISON BATTEN: WE HAVE NOT, BUT I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO.
LAURA BELISLE: I THINK IT'D BE REALLY COOL.
HARRISON BATTEN: IT'S REALLY AN AMAZING PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TWO ADVISORS, I GUESS, THAT ARE TEACHERS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S COPACETIC AND WE'RE REMEMBER BEING SAFE, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST ME AND THREE OTHER STUDENT LEADERS THAT DO EVERYTHING.
WE PLAN UNIQUE LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY WEEK.
AND YEAH, IT'S REALLY A LOT OF FUN.
AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD EASILY BE REPLICATED.
I PROBABLY WILL PRESENT AGAIN AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AS IT WILL BE MY LAST.
SO I WANT TO PRESENT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY.
LAURA BELISLE: IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL IF OKEMOS COULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO GET YOUNG KIDS INVOLVED.
HARRISON BATTEN: I COMPLETELY AGREE.
LAURA BELISLE: --JUST LIKE YOU DO BECAUSE PEER TO PEER, HIGH SCHOOLERS HAVE A SPECIAL WAY WITH ELEMENTARY KIDS.
AND IT JUST REALLY THOSE CONNECTIONS AND IT REALLY TEACHES THEM AT SUCH A MALLEABLE AGE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND GET SOME REALLY EXCITED AND ENERGIZED.
SO I KNOW YOU'RE ALREADY BUSY.
BUT IF THERE'S A WAY THAT THE TWO OF YOU, BEING ON THE COMMISSION HERE COULD OR JUST SHARE SOMETHING IF THAT'S ALLOWABLE, I MEAN, IT WOULD JUST BE-- HARRISON BATTEN: NO, OF COURSE.
LAURA BELISLE: --YOU COULD DO SOMETHING TO-- HARRISON BATTEN: 100% AGREE.
YU MAN LEE: AWESOME THANK YOU.
[12. OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS]
OTHER MATTERS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.BRUCE MORTIMER: JUST SINCE THIS IS I THINK, ONLY MY THIRD OR FOURTH MEETING, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THE VOTE ENDS IN A TIE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS FAR AS WHEN-- BECAUSE ARE THERE CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT IT GOES TO ANOTHER VOTE OR IS IT JUST THAT'S WHAT IT IS AND-- YU MAN LEE: WE HAVEN'T REALLY VOTED ON TOO MANY THINGS HERE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THIS CASE, IT JUST MEANS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DOESN'T PROVIDE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT THEY'LL STILL BE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IT'S THE STAFF, THE TOWNSHIP STAFF THAT MAKES THE FINAL DECISION.
NICKOLAS LENTZ: I CAN MAKE A COMMENT.
SO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD WHERE THEY ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE TOWNSHIP, WE TASKED COMMISSIONS WITH CERTAIN DUTIES TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ASK QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT COME UP TO US, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP.
SO A TIE MEANS THAT YOU ARE MAKING NO RECOMMENDATION.
YOU'LL SEE IT FROM TIME TO TIME AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH SEES A LOT OF ZONING QUESTIONS.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO US IN OUR BOARD PACKET, IT WILL INDICATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DID NOT MAKE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING ACTION TO BE TAKEN.
BUT WE APPRECIATE THE GOOD CONVERSATION.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN NO RECOMMENDATION IS MADE, WE'LL WATCH THIS VIDEO TO DETERMINE ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO YOUR THOUGHTFUL REMARKS.
YU MAN LEE: YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE EITHER WITH VOTES ON THE COMMISSION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD TOO MANY OF THEM VOTING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND THE AGENDA.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE SECOND WETLAND USE PERMIT-- RICHARD MIKSICEK: FOR THIS YEAR, YES.
YU MAN LEE: --THAT I'VE VOTED ON.
ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE TAKING TIME AND AGAIN THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD TONIGHT.
I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY BIG DISCUSSION ITEMS THEN.
BUT I THINK, YEAH, I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
THANKS, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.