[0:05] This is the investment.
[0:10] Welcome to the Charter Township
[0:11] of Comstock board meeting Monday, September 21st, 2026.
[0:16] This meeting is now called to order.
[0:18] May we please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance,
[0:25] Pledge of Allegiance to the flag
[0:27] of the United States of America
[0:29] and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
[0:33] under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
[0:43] Clerk Lawrence be looking for any changes
[0:47] or approval for the agenda.
[0:50] Yeah, we need to make a few changes to the agenda tonight.
[0:54] So if you can bear with me, I think I have the changes for
[1:00] everyone and I'm gonna try to summarize.
[1:03] First and foremost, we need to move the minutes
[1:08] out of the consent agenda.
[1:09] There's some errors that had to be corrected, so I'd like
[1:12] to move those to the first item under clerk.
[1:17] Following that item, I would also like to add under clerk
[1:22] proposal to discontinue granicus
[1:26] discussion and possible action.
[1:31] We need to move bills payable July 23rd to September 18th
[1:36] to the consent agenda under treasurer.
[1:42] We need to add forensic audit RFPs after the millage rate
[1:49] and under supervisor
[1:52] as the first item at mdo presentation.
[1:59] I'd be looking for a motion
[2:01] to amend the agenda as presented.
[2:06] Move to amend the agenda as presented.
[2:09] Support Motion made by,
[2:12] We need to motion for as amended or as presented.
[2:17] So if we do it as presented, yeah
[2:20] As amended.
[2:22] As amended motion made by Trustee Van Bruin
[2:27] supported by Treasurer Bloomfield.
[2:28] Correct. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed?
[2:33] Motion passes. Moving along to public comment
[2:37] on agenda items only a citizen may state their name
[2:41] and address and may speak only one time
[2:43] for no more than three minutes.
[2:45] This time may not be given to another citizen
[2:48] to extend their time, the person speaking as the floor
[2:51] and no other citizen shall speak during someone else's time.
[2:54] During this time you'll be making statements
[2:56] to the board without discussion from board members.
[2:59] But you're welcome to make an
[3:00] appointment with the supervisor.
[3:02] Discuss your comments. Further contact information
[3:04] is located by the door.
[3:06] Please keep comments, clean and respectful.
[3:09] I thought you guys changed that agenda stuff last time.
[3:19] As far as this equipment for the fire department, is that
[3:22] for the, can we please keep ments down please?
[3:28] Will that be for like the battery plant
[3:30] for the emergency equipment?
[3:36] Yeah, I know they're not going to answer my question.
[3:38] They haven't answered so far
[3:41] On then Tammy, I'm going to, in California,
[3:45] this Plager plant has blown up five times.
[3:49] We've helped you guys out quite a bit on this board,
[3:53] not the new board, the old board.
[3:58] We gotta fight this thing.
[4:01] If you guys notice in the packets that I handed out to you,
[4:03] how many schools were closed because of this in California.
[4:12] These people, do you care about us
[4:16] is what we wanna know.
[4:18] Do you care what happens to our children in those schools?
[4:21] Do you care about the air quality?
[4:25] If you care about all that stuff,
[4:26] then help us fight this battery plant.
[4:28] It's just a money making machine is all it is.
[4:31] If you guys would look at things that we have looked up
[4:36] that we have looked at, consider that
[4:39] you guys aren't gonna get all this money out of them.
[4:42] They're already being sued three times
[4:44] their assets are frozen.
[4:46] Look at up please.
[4:51] I have nothing against this new board.
[4:53] Like I said, some of you I don't know,
[4:56] but we have helped out Sandy getting out
[4:59] her mess a couple times.
[5:00] We have helped out Ben.
[5:02] Now please help your residents
[5:07] help us go Lansing or something with this.
[5:11] I know somebody right now that's looking for an attorney
[5:14] to put a hold on this
[5:18] and if that's the way that we have to go with this,
[5:21] this battery plant is nothing compared to our children.
[5:25] You know how many children have left the elementary school
[5:28] and went to Galesburg because of this?
[5:31] You could have a lot more STEM's gonna be empty
[5:35] by the time they start putting this up.
[5:39] We are sick and tired of this battery stuff.
[5:42] If you want it, put it over there in industrial park
[5:45] where it's supposed to be, not
[5:49] by the residential area.
[5:51] They changed the zoning and everything for this.
[5:54] I know they bought the golf course that don't matter to us.
[5:59] To us, our our lives, our children's lives, our
[6:03] grandchildren's lives.
[6:06] This is our future that we are talking about.
[6:09] This ain't only gonna harm humans,
[6:10] it's gonna harm our animals that buzzing constantly.
[6:15] Thank you. Thank you ma'am.
[6:24] Anything else?
[6:31] Karen? Height in response to Tammy's thing
[6:36] and all the comments that have been going on on Facebook
[6:40] about our township accepting this.
[6:43] We don't accept it but it's inevitable.
[6:48] The previous board that worked on it
[6:50] and took it out of the moratorium allowed that company
[6:55] to start the paperwork with the state.
[6:58] Once it has started with the state,
[7:01] there's nothing we can do about it.
[7:03] It's gonna happen whether we want it or not.
[7:06] People need to quit ******** about it
[7:08] and ******** at everybody about it
[7:09] because it's gonna happen even though we don't want it.
[7:13] If you want it to stop then go after your governor.
[7:17] She's the one that signed the orders for the
[7:20] renewable energy and the PA 32 33.
[7:24] Not this board, not this township, not this county.
[7:28] It was done at the state level.
[7:30] What has happened here in this township
[7:33] by taking it outta the moratorium early
[7:36] and letting it go,
[7:37] letting the companies fill out their paperwork
[7:40] and start the process.
[7:42] That was the other board that was not this board
[7:45] and it's now out of our hands
[7:48] and we can try to fight it as much as we want now,
[7:50] but it's not gonna happen.
[7:52] And people need to understand that It wasn't Ben,
[7:57] it wasn't Sandy, it wasn't Jerry.
[8:00] It was the previous board, the previous superintendent
[8:05] that all worked on this behind our backs
[8:08] and allowed it to happen and now we're stuck with it.
[8:11] So we're gonna have to do the best we can.
[8:14] We do have a good fire department
[8:16] and God forbid that anything happens to our township,
[8:22] but it's gonna happen.
[8:25] That's the progress the way the United States is going.
[8:28] I hate it. Everybody else hates it
[8:30] but there's nothing we can do about it.
[8:31] And to get up here and keep begging you guys
[8:33] to do something when there's really nothing you can do,
[8:37] but make the best of what we have by
[8:39] what the new ordinance did.
[8:41] That's all I got to say on it. Thanks.
[8:43] Thank you ma'am. I live close enough for Virginia
[8:47] to hear we understand here.
[8:50] My name is Mary Beth Wood.
[8:51] I live at, I have lived at 8 2 2 9 Palm Meadow Trail
[8:55] for the past 13 and a half years.
[8:58] I've attended the past two meetings of the planning board
[9:02] and there's been a plethora of promises
[9:04] and PowerPoint presentations made by the representatives of
[9:09] the Swan, Cigna and the Copenhagen people.
[9:14] They state that they will re-gift approximately a hundred
[9:17] acres to the township for open space and
[9:20] or recreational usage.
[9:22] Nobody in their right mind wants to hang out next to a bus.
[9:27] I live nine tenths of a mile away and that's too close.
[9:31] Also promised a sound wall will be built,
[9:33] which may possibly lower noise levels by five to 10 decibels
[9:38] and have the added bonus of being an even bigger eyesore
[9:42] than the best itself.
[9:45] Also discussed we're funding the training costs
[9:50] and newer upgraded equipment for our fire department.
[9:53] And let's not forget the literal millions of dollars
[9:57] Comstock will receive planning board member Amber Lawrence
[10:02] repeatedly told the applicants representatives
[10:05] that the community does not want this to happen.
[10:10] But like you said, it's, it's a dumb deal and we the voters
[10:15] and taxpayers are powerless.
[10:20] Three minutes is not enough time
[10:21] to discuss the ramifications this project will have
[10:25] on our wildlife and our groundwater.
[10:28] Are they gonna pay for city water
[10:30] to be installed for everybody?
[10:33] 'cause our wells are gonna be contaminated.
[10:38] I would like to see the applicant's project timeline
[10:42] for when they hope to break ground
[10:44] so I can put my beautiful home in Fond Meadows on the market
[10:49] and GTFO before construction starts
[10:53] and property values plummet because they will.
[10:57] And and one last thing in regards to the millions of dollars
[11:01] that they are going to give Comstack Township,
[11:04] when you make a deal with the devil,
[11:06] he does not come out the loser.
[11:09] Thank you.
[11:11] Thank you ma'am. Thank you.
[11:16] Hi everyone. I just wanna say how happy I am
[11:19] to see this new board.
[11:21] My name is Jessica Veter. A lot of you know where I live.
[11:25] I've been coming to these meetings
[11:27] and Planning Commission meetings for over a year now.
[11:30] I am a relatively new Michigander
[11:32] and member of our community.
[11:33] I'm from New York originally
[11:35] and it has been a wild year. Super crazy
[11:39] If we can stop the conversations in the crowd,
[11:42] it goes a long way when someone's at the
[11:43] podium and they have the floor.
[11:45] It's just the respectful thing to do. Thank you very much.
[11:48] Thanks Ben. I'll yell next time. Don't worry.
[11:51] I am so proud
[11:54] and looking forward to what all
[11:56] of you are gonna be able to do for us.
[11:58] And I just wanted to start there with the best.
[12:02] I have been watching a long time.
[12:06] I watched the Planning Commission last year try
[12:09] to keep the moratorium going and then fail.
[12:13] I watched the previous members of the board
[12:16] who are no longer here, literally tried
[12:19] to put us into the ground because they wanted this so badly
[12:22] because obviously they're getting something from it.
[12:24] We'll figure that out in the forensics. I'm not so worried.
[12:27] Obviously, you know, courts do a a really good job
[12:31] of figuring out people and and where that's gonna come from.
[12:34] I do however, think that it's very important for us to still
[12:37] stand hard, say what we believe
[12:39] and say, we do not want this here.
[12:41] We don't think that they're doing enough.
[12:42] We want, if it's gonna happen, we want more, we want more,
[12:46] we want more, we want more.
[12:47] Remember everybody, it's up to us to be able to fight.
[12:50] We can do that at any time.
[12:51] Just because something is already on its way
[12:54] because of some horrible people that have left us in a very,
[12:56] very, very bad situation doesn't mean that some
[13:00] of these people can't help us fix that.
[13:02] And hopefully we can come to something that makes everybody
[13:05] as comfortable as they can be with what's going on.
[13:09] I do wanna talk a little bit about
[13:13] myself and the best.
[13:15] I think that I might be the only person that has ever
[13:18] survived a national disaster in this country of
[13:21] that magnitude where things are burning.
[13:24] I'm, I'm talking about nine 11.
[13:26] I am a huge proponent for fire and police.
[13:29] I absolutely love you with every fiber of my body.
[13:33] You saved many, many of my family members that day.
[13:36] However, in this town I have watched for a year
[13:41] things be very uneven and I would like to come do tours
[13:44] and talk more with all the fire department
[13:46] 'cause it makes me very uncomfortable.
[13:47] The amount of money that is being given
[13:50] to you while the rest of our town is just crumbling,
[13:56] it's really uncomfortable.
[13:57] It feels uncomfortable
[13:58] because of somebody with a particular last name that used
[14:01] to sit in the clerk's office.
[14:04] I'll say it right now, it feels like depo baby situation.
[14:07] I don't know if you guys know what that means,
[14:08] but it's, if you're related to somebody, things tend
[14:12] to go their way and that's how it looks from the outside.
[14:15] I'd love to find more information. Thank you ma'am.
[14:17] Thank you very much.
[14:21] There Any further comments? Alright,
[14:29] Sorry Ben, I know you wanted to move this along.
[14:32] John Dickman, township president.
[14:35] In regards to the best, personally,
[14:39] I worked in a similar technology for the last 10 years.
[14:42] I was gainfully employed.
[14:45] Now that being said, yes,
[14:48] this technology does need to be re be respected,
[14:53] but to the point that was brought up about Los Isley,
[14:58] most whatever it is, California going up in flames.
[15:03] The batteries that plant used are two generations older than
[15:06] the ones that CIP proposes to use
[15:10] in the plant on North 30th Street.
[15:14] And what that means is these batteries are safer.
[15:18] They're also tested by the National fire protection.
[15:21] They're also tested at the National Hurricane Center.
[15:25] On top of that, there is another more advanced
[15:28] and safer technology that's getting ready to hit the market.
[15:32] Now in a smaller scale,
[15:35] Toyota is actually making the sodium batteries available in
[15:40] the Asian markets for 600,000 units
[15:43] that they're gonna distribute.
[15:45] That being said, I talked with one of the gentlemen from CIP
[15:49] and I asked him, should new battery technology come along
[15:54] while this plant is in operation?
[15:56] And he cut me off right there
[15:57] and he said, yeah, we're we're absolutely open
[16:02] to taking a look at that technology.
[16:05] Now that being said, I'm gonna go back to the beginning
[16:09] of this public act.
[16:11] 2 33 was passed by a democratic house, a democratic senate,
[16:16] and signed by a Democratic governor
[16:18] that her hand had her hands in a Democratic president's
[16:21] pocket and it was for green dollars.
[16:25] That's the whole reason that that was done.
[16:27] That's the whole reason
[16:29] that the state legislature took the ability for us to rezone
[16:34] and control plants like this
[16:38] because they knew that the townships were gonna stand up
[16:41] to these when last October came rolling around
[16:47] and the zoning was finally coming down to being completed.
[16:52] Attorney Thal actually said that Copenhagen had been,
[16:56] had been following parallel channels, one with us
[17:00] and one with the state.
[17:02] And it's my opinion that the only reason
[17:04] that they stayed talking to us was
[17:07] because the previous board had lifted the police powers
[17:10] of the ordinance, left the moratorium
[17:14] for the zoning in place.
[17:17] I think without that I think that plant would be up
[17:20] and running and 350 feet from that school right now today.
[17:25] So thank you very much.
[17:27] Thank you sir. If there's no further comment,
[17:32] we'll be moving along to announcements for department's,
[17:34] boards and commissions.
[17:37] Mr. Auer or commissioner,
[17:44] Good evening.
[17:45] Larry Auer.
[17:46] I'm your liaison commissioner
[17:48] with the Road Commission Kalamazoo County.
[17:51] Due to some personal reasons I haven't been
[17:53] around too much at your meetings.
[17:55] I'm been other places, but not in front of you.
[17:59] I know your board's turned over some
[18:00] so I thought it'd be important to get here.
[18:02] Introduced myself, road commission wise,
[18:06] construction's done well this year.
[18:09] Starting to wind down doesn't mean it's complete service.
[18:12] Requests are getting handled more timely funding.
[18:18] We adopted a budget
[18:19] for this current construc this current year similar
[18:22] to the prior year.
[18:23] Dollars are flowing slightly above that.
[18:26] We're not seeing the, I'll call it pie in the sky numbers we
[18:29] heard of earlier, you know, roughly a year ago.
[18:34] We are hearing some neighborhood road dollars are gonna
[18:36] start coming in, I don't know the month,
[18:41] I'll say a month or two out and more to follow.
[18:45] So we'll be talking with you about those subjects.
[18:49] Public service is really the realm we're
[18:51] in as a road commission.
[18:53] Part of that is our safe streets for all trying to do stuff
[18:57] that's good for the public doesn't mean we all agree.
[19:00] So more to come on that.
[19:03] But we have a full slate of work to do
[19:06] and we appreciate working with your township.
[19:08] So open to questions or comments.
[19:10] I do have to leave early tonight.
[19:12] I don't like to leave before your meeting's over,
[19:14] but I got a second meeting at seven so, and call me anytime.
[19:18] You don't have to limit questions to now. So
[19:22] Any board questions, it's Good to see you Larry.
[19:25] Okay, thank you very much.
[19:26] I'll, I'll be around a little while yet. I duck out.
[19:29] Okay, commissioner, excuse me.
[19:36] I'm John Gisler. I'm the county commissioner for five
[19:38] of the 15 rural townships in the county.
[19:42] Comstock's by far the biggest.
[19:44] I have a total of 15, excuse me, 14 precincts in my district
[19:48] and you guys are seven of them.
[19:50] So the other four amount
[19:52] to essentially the same as you have.
[19:54] I put some documents in front of you figuring
[19:58] I think I distributed these before,
[20:01] but if not, I wanted this new board to have a chance to see
[20:04] what kind of things they can expect coming from
[20:06] the county through me.
[20:08] And the first one is the
[20:14] Taxable value spreadsheet that was put together
[20:18] by our equalization department.
[20:20] It shows how trends for taxation
[20:25] taxable values have changed over the last nine years.
[20:29] All these are based on things ending in each year,
[20:33] 2025 being the most current.
[20:36] And they distribute these
[20:37] and make 'em available to us in May.
[20:40] So it seems, you know, behind the eight ball or kinda late,
[20:44] but that's the way it's always been done.
[20:46] They need to get their assessments
[20:49] and equalization factors coordinated
[20:52] and it takes 'em till the month of May to get that done.
[20:55] So I encourage everybody take a peek at it.
[20:58] It'll let you know where Comstock stands with respect
[21:01] to other taxing jurisdictions.
[21:07] I also left on each of your desks a senior expo announcement
[21:12] dealing with the senior expo at the
[21:15] expo center on October 6th.
[21:18] And it'll run from nine to three.
[21:21] I try to make an appearance there just
[21:23] to see what's going on.
[21:24] And this year it looks like it's gonna be bigger than ever.
[21:27] They have already 150 plus
[21:32] not vendors, but shall we say suppliers
[21:34] of services to seniors.
[21:36] And it's, it may be bigger than that now,
[21:39] but last time I heard was a week ago
[21:42] and they said the count is now at 1 52 I think.
[21:45] So you might want to make sure that all
[21:49] of your senior citizens at least are aware of this.
[21:51] They don't have to go. It's not mandatory by any measure.
[21:54] You don't make out like a bandit,
[21:56] but there's probably gonna be a lot of freebies, you know,
[21:58] key chains and stuff like that if you got people
[22:01] that like that kind of thing.
[22:04] I also left for you a housing department annual report,
[22:09] which again, I think was issued in May of this year.
[22:14] And it shows what's being spent in the way of that.
[22:18] I think last year the millage housing millage generated
[22:22] $9.2 million and this will explain how that was spent.
[22:31] One last thing or no, it's not. The last thing.
[22:33] One quick thing is the airport did reopen on the
[22:37] 19th to commercial traffic.
[22:40] So all the commercial airlines are now moving in
[22:43] and out of Kalamazoo just as they have in the past.
[22:46] And that also means
[22:48] that the runway extension going south on the main runway
[22:52] has been completed and it's an extra 500 feet
[22:57] that will now allow not so much newer planes to come in,
[23:01] although you never know what Boeing
[23:02] and McDonald Douglas May have in mind In terms
[23:05] of new planes, it's mainly
[23:07] to provide a little bit more safety
[23:09] when planes come in on slippery runways because of ice
[23:13] or water, this will give them an extra 500 feet
[23:18] to be able to stop before they get to the end of the runway
[23:21] and go across Kilgore Road if they're headed north.
[23:24] And the last thing is something that I'm referring to
[23:29] as a pot pouch.
[23:31] It's a lockable pouch.
[23:33] Heavy duty got two keys inside and the health
[23:38] and community services department has these in their lobby
[23:42] at their security desk.
[23:43] And all you have to do is walk in and ask for one.
[23:47] It's to keep pot away from kids and from animals.
[23:52] And I will leave this with you, Ben, not
[23:55] because I figure you need it more,
[23:57] but I only got one for each township
[24:00] Treasure.
[24:01] Bloomfield wants it for money, she said. There
[24:03] You go.
[24:05] Any comm? Any questions for commissioner?
[24:10] Thank you Commissioner. Appreciate
[24:11] It.
[24:12] They're probably useful for other things too.
[24:13] I haven't figured out exactly what I'm gonna use mine for,
[24:15] but you know, maybe I'll just have to start smoking pot
[24:21] For you.
[24:23] Oh, that's great. Thank you very much Commissioner.
[24:27] Give you a medical conversation. All we're moving along.
[24:30] Looking for approval of the consent agenda as amended.
[24:40] I make a motion to approve
[24:44] the consent agenda as amended
[24:46] Support motion made by Treasurer Bloomfield,
[24:49] supported by Trustee Amos.
[24:50] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[24:56] Moving through presentations through business and into fire
[25:00] and rescue request a purchase station alerting equipment
[25:03] for new fire station nine three.
[25:08] Alright, good evening.
[25:09] I wanna take time to welcome the new trustees.
[25:12] Looking forward to working with each of you.
[25:14] Keep our township moving forward.
[25:17] Fire department's always
[25:18] and me in particular, always available to answer questions
[25:22] and this opportunity is out to the public as well.
[25:25] We do want to ensure that we get
[25:27] the correct information out.
[25:28] It's very tough sometimes to chase a Facebook comment
[25:31] to get the facts out, but we're always available a phone
[25:34] call, email stop in.
[25:36] I'm happy to help clarify things.
[25:39] Additionally, I'm always excited to have an opportunity
[25:42] to boast about the great work that our men and women do each
[25:45] and every day for this community.
[25:47] So if someone wants to stop in
[25:48] and talk, they're probably gonna hear a little bit about all
[25:50] the good stuff going on as well For the business.
[25:54] Tonight we are requesting
[25:56] to purchase station alert
[25:58] equipment for the new fire station.
[25:59] Nine three. The total is $147,000,
[26:04] a hundred forty seven, eight hundred ninety $4 and 46 cents.
[26:08] This is included in the budget for the new station.
[26:10] So this is nothing new and it's an owner provided list.
[26:13] So this is something that we would
[26:14] provide not the contractor.
[26:16] There is a 6% cost increase
[26:18] effective at the end of this week.
[26:20] So I wanted to get moving on it
[26:21] 'cause that would save us over $8,800.
[26:26] This technology is currently in all three
[26:29] of our fire stations.
[26:30] We are gonna move what we can from our current station
[26:32] to the new station, but we have some gaps to fill.
[26:36] Additionally, there's no other quotes available
[26:38] for this equipment at Sole source.
[26:39] This is it. This is what dispatch use it
[26:42] to send it out out to the departments.
[26:44] So we really don't have another option to do
[26:46] unless we wanna pay more for a dispatch server
[26:49] that's not in place for different technology.
[26:51] So it would not be recommended to go elsewhere.
[26:55] This technology is what alerts the station for the calls.
[26:58] So it turns on the alarms
[26:59] and turns on the lights and the stations.
[27:03] It's very more health conscious, heart healthy compared to
[27:06] what we used to have when I started the department
[27:09] and basically alert throughout the station.
[27:11] So any call that came through dispatch
[27:13] and was sent to that station,
[27:14] it would alert, it would alert the station.
[27:20] So we are looking for a approval to move forward
[27:24] with this request this evening.
[27:27] Happy to answer any questions,
[27:29] Any board questions Mr. Hart?
[27:33] Yeah. What system are we using now at the other stations?
[27:36] This is called the US Digital Design Phoenix G two system.
[27:42] And we're, we're using it,
[27:45] many departments in the county rely on their pagers only,
[27:48] but since we're a staff station, other staff stations
[27:50] that use this as Kalamazoo Public Safety,
[27:53] Portage Public Safety Fire Division, and Kalamazoo Township.
[28:00] Trustee Amos, any questions? No Clerk. Lawrence? None.
[28:05] Treasurer Bloomfield? No.
[28:07] Other than I know you have the money to pay for it.
[28:09] We do. Trustee Paver?
[28:13] No, I, I mean it's already,
[28:14] we already have the funds for it.
[28:16] It makes sense for us to, to do that.
[28:18] If we're concerned with the best, then these are things
[28:21] that need to be done and assured
[28:23] and if we wanna save money, then
[28:25] saving us 6% makes a lot of sense.
[28:27] So I don't have a lot. Trustee Van Bergen agreed.
[28:30] No questions? I have no questions.
[28:32] If there are no questions, be looking for a motion.
[28:39] Also move. So we'll wanna just,
[28:44] we'll wanna be a little bit more descriptive
[28:46] and so we'll be looking for a motion first and then,
[28:50] and then we'll look for a second.
[28:52] So somebody would make
[28:54] The motion to approve the purchase
[28:57] of the station or earn any equipment
[29:00] Looking for support.
[29:02] Second. Motion made by Trustee Hart, supported
[29:05] by Trustee Paver.
[29:07] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Opposed?
[29:13] So we have six. Yay. One nay. Motion passes. Thank you.
[29:17] Thank you Chief. Moving along, Doug. Clerk Lawrence.
[29:25] Thank you. So first up we have the minutes
[29:29] for the August 19th, 2026 meeting.
[29:33] I had to pull these from the consent agenda
[29:35] because there were several errors
[29:37] that were in the original draft.
[29:39] So I wanna apologize to everyone for submitting some minutes
[29:44] that had some errors in them.
[29:47] The content was all accurate,
[29:50] the changes were formatting based.
[29:52] There was some duplication of motions and so on in there.
[29:56] And I will explain on the next agenda item how
[30:00] and why that happened.
[30:01] But I needed to pull these minutes out
[30:04] and see if we could get approval for them separately
[30:07] because they are slightly different than the
[30:09] draft that was published.
[30:12] Any questions for Clerk Lawrence?
[30:15] If not, I'd be looking for a motion
[30:17] to approve the amended minutes.
[30:21] I make a motion to approve the amended minutes
[30:24] support motion made by Treasurer Bloomfield, supported
[30:28] by Trustee Van Bergen.
[30:29] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[30:35] All right, so moving along to Granicus, which
[30:40] is a new software to me, quite frankly,
[30:44] it's pretty cumbersome.
[30:46] So it's what we use in the township
[30:48] for our agendas and our minutes.
[30:50] And at first glance it seems pretty simple,
[30:53] but once you get in it's, it's pretty over-engineered
[30:57] and it's partly what led to some
[30:59] of the errors in the templating.
[31:02] It has templates that are very difficult to edit,
[31:05] which make it incredibly time consuming.
[31:07] And just to give you an example of the edit,
[31:09] they're still printing with supervisor Randy
[31:12] Thompson's name on them.
[31:14] And my understanding is that kind of the, the way through
[31:19] that in the past was just to simply print them, edit it,
[31:24] re-upload it as a PDF,
[31:26] because other folks couldn't figure out how
[31:28] to change the template either.
[31:29] So when I did a little bit of digging, I found
[31:34] that this software, we were under a contract
[31:39] quite a bit ago and the contract started at about
[31:43] $7,800 a year.
[31:45] Thank you. And it has since gone up, you know,
[31:50] consecutively each year.
[31:52] So $7,800 in 2023 $8,200 in
[31:56] 2024, $9,000 in 2025.
[32:00] These are annual costs and $10,000 in 2026.
[32:04] Our contract ended in April of 25
[32:10] and I can do minutes faster and cheaper using A PDF.
[32:14] So my proposal is to get rid of granicus
[32:17] and save the township 10
[32:19] or $11,000 at the rate it's going up,
[32:21] it'll cost us 11 next year.
[32:25] Any questions for Clerk Lawrence?
[32:31] Is there a competitor to Gran Granicus
[32:35] that you would be interested in?
[32:37] Quite frankly, I think once one,
[32:40] I've already created A-A-P-D-F template
[32:43] and that's pretty simple to work with.
[32:46] And with the new website changes
[32:49] that were approved in the last meeting, we'll be able
[32:52] to drag, drag and drop the, the file right on.
[32:56] So it, it's far simpler
[32:59] and I think we just don't need to over-engineer it.
[33:02] So I think she said the competitor is Clerk Lawrence.
[33:06] So is there any further board questions?
[33:10] I don't, I just wanna make sure there is,
[33:12] we're not under contract with them,
[33:13] so there'd be no cancellation.
[33:16] Correct. So the last email I received was
[33:21] that our contract ended April
[33:25] of 2025.
[33:27] And you know, at this rate I'm really just saying like,
[33:30] let's not renew it
[33:33] and we can even, if I will confirm,
[33:35] if we can get a prorated refund, I'm happy to get a refund.
[33:38] But at any rate, I'd like us to not continue
[33:41] to spend money on it
[33:42] and we can learn in the meantime
[33:46] to simplify our lives.
[33:52] Any further questions for Clerk Lawrence?
[33:54] If not, I'd be looking for a motion
[33:58] Move to discontinue using software
[34:01] and not renewing our prescription subscription
[34:04] Support motion made by Trustee Van Bruen, supported
[34:08] by Trustee Hart.
[34:10] Any board discussion? Trustee Van Bruen? Anything? No.
[34:15] Trustee Paver, no Treasurer Bloomfield?
[34:18] No, but thanks for doing that.
[34:20] This the second set that you did is awesome.
[34:23] It's so easy to read.
[34:25] It's, it's a nice presentation and format.
[34:27] Anything further? Clerk Lawrence?
[34:29] No, I'm excited to save $10,000.
[34:32] Trustee Amos? No, no, I'm good. Trustee Hart?
[34:35] Nothing further. And I can echo
[34:38] that every time I've logged into Granicus, I found a new way
[34:41] to log in and there's like a front page, a back page,
[34:45] multiple ways to upload.
[34:48] I did post a meeting kind
[34:50] of in a scramble when we weren't able
[34:51] to quorum and, and do that.
[34:53] And I believe life could be much simpler.
[34:56] So definitely in support.
[34:57] So we have a motion, we have support. All in favor say aye.
[35:02] Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[35:06] Great, thank you. So next up is citizen comment
[35:10] and an answer to the comment that came up
[35:13] during the first citizen comment tonight.
[35:15] We had not corrected this, but plan to tonight.
[35:19] So I'd like to have some discussion.
[35:21] And my recommendation is that we adjust citizen comment
[35:25] to include both agenda
[35:28] and non-ag agenda items at both the first
[35:30] and second comment positions
[35:34] and kind of my reasoning and thoughts behind it.
[35:36] Although, you know, I'm sure many of us would agree,
[35:41] I think that a ci a citizen shouldn't have to sit
[35:44] and wait through the entire meeting to be able
[35:47] to let us know something that is on their mind
[35:50] or that we need to address.
[35:51] And I think it's a, it's
[35:56] intentionally or unintentionally trying to quiet voices
[35:59] that maybe we, of things we don't wanna hear
[36:02] by making it more difficult for somebody
[36:04] to have to be able to speak up.
[36:05] And I'd like to ease that burden
[36:06] and allow our citizens to speak to us
[36:09] whenever they so choose.
[36:10] So that's my thoughts.
[36:13] Any board questions? If not, I'd be looking for a motion.
[36:18] I move that we change the citizen's comment to
[36:22] include both agenda
[36:23] and non agenda items
[36:25] for the first public comment at board meetings,
[36:28] Support motion made by Treasurer Bloomfield,
[36:31] supported by Trustee Amos.
[36:32] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[36:38] Okay, the next one is election commission
[36:42] Trustee appointments.
[36:44] So the election commission in a charter comms in a charter
[36:47] township is the clerk
[36:49] and two trustees in a non-charter township.
[36:52] It is the clerk, supervisor and treasurer.
[36:56] So because it is two trustees and
[36:58] because we have had a switch of the board
[37:00] and we have an election coming up, I need a couple
[37:04] of trustees who are interested in
[37:06] participating in the election commission.
[37:07] And I would tell you first and foremost, one
[37:10] of the requirements
[37:11] of it is there is a public accuracy test on our equipment
[37:15] that will be done on October 8th at noon.
[37:18] And so I will need those trustees to be available
[37:21] and present during that.
[37:22] So there's some times that you'll need to be present for,
[37:27] but you know, wanted to bring it to the board for one.
[37:31] If anyone is particularly interested in the trustees,
[37:34] I'd like to hear from you.
[37:35] And two, would like to get those appointments made tonight
[37:39] so that we can continue carrying forward
[37:41] with election responsibilities.
[37:43] Christy Hart? Yes, I I could be available for that duty.
[37:48] Trustee Amos? No, I'm fine.
[37:54] Trustee Favor? I'm sorry, I was reading. Yeah, yeah.
[37:59] What are the times that need to be available again?
[38:03] The eighth is the first and foremost one.
[38:06] There will be some others around election time
[38:09] where you'll have to be present as well as helping
[38:12] to select our, our chair and so on and so forth.
[38:15] So there's a couple other responsibilities involved,
[38:19] but I need, I need two trustees with me to Okay.
[38:22] To serve with the pleasure of the people.
[38:24] So if you need me then you need me.
[38:26] So, and Trustee Van Bruen. Thank you gentlemen.
[38:32] So it sounds like Trustee Paver
[38:35] and Trustee Hart are up for the responsibilities.
[38:39] So I would, I guess I need to make a motion correct.
[38:46] So I move that Trustee Hart
[38:49] and Trustee Paver fulfill the roles
[38:52] of the Trustee appointments on the election commission
[38:56] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported
[38:59] by Trustee Van Bruen.
[39:01] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[39:05] That was a quick support.
[39:08] I see how it goes. Alright,
[39:11] next up is the Homecoming parade permit
[39:15] for October 2nd.
[39:16] So Comstock High School would like
[39:19] to have their homecoming parade.
[39:21] The parade will step off from the Family worship center on
[39:24] East H, turn on to North 26th Street
[39:27] and finish at Comstock High School.
[39:30] It's parade time would be from four 30 to six 30.
[39:34] Rep estimated participants is 150
[39:37] and it's required that we,
[39:40] that we approve that at the board.
[39:42] So that's what I'm bringing to you for
[39:44] Any questions for Clerk Lawrence?
[39:48] If not, I'd be looking for a motion.
[39:51] I make a motion that we accept the Homecoming parade permit
[39:54] for ten two and 26
[39:57] Support Motion made by Trustee Amos.
[40:00] Supported by Clerk Lawrence. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
[40:03] Opposed? Motion passes.
[40:07] Alright, next up is our Insurance Renewal plan.
[40:11] Review discussion and action.
[40:14] And so I would like
[40:17] to bring everybody along on this journey.
[40:20] So every year the township board has to review benefits
[40:24] and make a decision on the renewal of the benefits
[40:29] that are afforded to township employees.
[40:32] There's several plans that were quoted out for us,
[40:36] and I'll tell you the first route.
[40:37] There was one that seemed really good
[40:42] and it seemed like we were gonna save a lot of money
[40:44] and we did a lot of due diligence,
[40:45] including calling providers
[40:47] and they've never heard of the plan before.
[40:50] So I think it's a waste of township resources to pay
[40:54] for a plan that is not going to take care of its people.
[40:58] So we have in front of us a few different plans here
[41:04] and you know, pricing down of the renewal
[41:08] of the current plan, which
[41:11] of course like everything in the world
[41:12] these days is going up.
[41:14] So $72,000 of increased cost.
[41:17] There is, that's an HMO plan.
[41:21] There is, that includes an HSA,
[41:24] there is a PPO plan that does not include an HSA,
[41:28] that's $167,000 increased.
[41:33] There is another
[41:39] HMO that's $145,000 increase
[41:43] with a lower HSA
[41:45] and then there is a PPO with an HSA
[41:48] that's $114,000 increase.
[41:50] So bringing these to the board for discussion,
[41:55] I think that I would just say
[42:00] that I think that when we,
[42:05] When you work for an employer and you have medical care
[42:08] and you set that up
[42:09] and you get all of your doctors established
[42:11] and you're rocking and rolling continuously, changing
[42:14] that plan is not always ideal.
[42:18] And so my thought is renewal of the current plan.
[42:23] One of the other things we explored was if we wanted
[42:25] to offer additional plans that they would be,
[42:29] the increased cost would be at the cost of the,
[42:34] at the cost of the subscribers.
[42:35] So for example, if the township offers plan A
[42:39] and the Diff, you wanted to upgrade care to plan B
[42:42] and the cost difference was $200 a month,
[42:46] an employee could opt to do that at their cost.
[42:49] So that's, that's one thought that's out there,
[42:53] but would just open it up
[42:54] for discussion questions, thoughts.
[42:56] But Ben and I sat through a lot of conversations with
[43:01] our insurance rep and went back
[43:02] to the drawing board at least three times on this to get
[43:05] to this, these plans.
[43:08] And I can say that we did due diligence,
[43:10] obviously there was a chance for some savings.
[43:12] And when you call through a hefty list of individuals
[43:15] that are named providers,
[43:17] but they don't know what the plan is, you realize
[43:20] that you might be saving money for a reason.
[43:22] And what would that do to our staff?
[43:25] And we looked at it from a standpoint of us of where are,
[43:29] is the staff happy with?
[43:31] And the general consensus was that a majority
[43:34] of the staff was happy with the current plan that we have.
[43:36] That is an H-S-A-H-M-O plan.
[43:39] And then the other option
[43:40] that we looked into was the PPO plan and Clerk Lawrence
[43:45] and I penciled out that perhaps if we went to a PPO plan
[43:49] for, we forego the HSA,
[43:52] that the PPO plan could potentially actually be a savings.
[43:57] But however, some employees may per may
[44:03] prefer to have an HSA.
[44:06] So I think that Clerk Lawrence said there's,
[44:09] there could be a caveat to how we, we would,
[44:12] if we would wanna step, have two plans
[44:14] to give our employees options, we would need
[44:18] to make our board motion to where if,
[44:21] if one employee doesn't enroll in that plan, then by default
[44:25] that plan's not available.
[44:28] There's the option of the H-S-A-H-M-O renewal
[44:32] at an increased cost.
[44:35] And then there's the option of the PPO, there's the option
[44:38] of the PPO but without an HSA,
[44:42] or perhaps this could be a question for clerk clearance is,
[44:46] would you be able to do the, the PPO with an HSA
[44:51] but they pay the difference.
[44:56] There is, yeah, there is a PPO with an HSA,
[44:59] there was also an option if you did the PPO without the HSA,
[45:04] that you could do a flexible spending account that the
[45:09] employee could put money into if they would like to.
[45:11] So it's an, if you did the, the PPO without the HSA,
[45:16] the employees could put money into
[45:18] a flexible spending account.
[45:19] They have different rules than HSAs,
[45:22] but there's a few different puzzle pieces here
[45:25] that we could go with.
[45:28] And again, the recommend my thought, my, my thought was
[45:32] to say, okay, here's a base plan
[45:34] and then if there is a premium cost above
[45:36] what the base plan is that that would, that would be,
[45:39] you know, handled by the associate
[45:41] And the base plan being the plan that they're,
[45:43] that we're currently using.
[45:45] That's what I think. Yes.
[45:49] Trustee Hart, any input, insight, thoughts?
[45:53] I do. Trustee Paver
[45:55] and myself met with the fire department today,
[45:59] I believe all available on duty personnel.
[46:02] They were overwhelmingly in support of
[46:07] the current healthcare plan
[46:10] and from their point of view would very much so care
[46:13] to continue as is
[46:17] Trustee Amos.
[46:18] Any Insight Treasurer Bloomfield,
[46:25] This is a little bit ahead of the game,
[46:27] but we also met with Chief Bow Champ today
[46:32] and went over budgets.
[46:34] And since they are not
[46:39] raising any of their millages for the next year,
[46:43] and they are going to,
[46:44] with their budget help absorb the cost,
[46:47] I don't see a problem going with the renewal.
[46:52] Thank you. Treasurer Bloomfield, Trustee Paver.
[46:54] I would have to echo what Treasurer Bloomfield said.
[46:58] I mean, if like Treasurer Hart said that we went and,
[47:02] and spoke with them and met with them
[47:05] and they're all pretty happy with,
[47:07] with where we're at right now.
[47:08] So that makes the most sense to me.
[47:10] We're going to, you know, this is something that I think
[47:15] is really, it's gonna make a difference in their
[47:19] lives as much as it is in our lives.
[47:22] And these are the people that will be coming
[47:25] and we want these people
[47:26] to be in their best shape when they come and save us.
[47:31] You know, knock on
[47:32] what just hopefully it's not fake wood, you know?
[47:36] And so to me it, it makes the most sense for us to continue
[47:39] with the, the program.
[47:41] They're not raising any millages.
[47:43] And so it, it's a, it's a no brainer to me on this one.
[47:48] I think that we continue forward,
[47:50] these people are gonna be more integral
[47:52] and important than ever as we move forward.
[47:55] And so it, it, it's up to us to make sure that, you know,
[47:59] we take care of them as much as we, they take care of us.
[48:01] So that's it. Thank you. Trustee Paver. Trustee Van Bruen.
[48:06] Yeah, I, I agree with all the settlements up here.
[48:09] I would be interested in knowing if we could do a step up
[48:11] plan for somebody if they had different interests in it
[48:13] and what that would look like.
[48:15] And, 'cause I know personally throughout my career there
[48:18] have been options and different points in my life
[48:20] where I go, okay, now I wanna step up to this
[48:22] or you know, I don't really care
[48:24] for an H-M-O-P-P-O works better for me at this time.
[48:27] So I would be interested in in that discussion on
[48:29] and see if it's a possibility to do something like that for,
[48:31] And as long as it's the same
[48:33] provider, it is a possibility.
[48:34] We just have to have one employee enroll in that program.
[48:37] And then another caveat that we'll get into as we rolled out
[48:42] employee navigator, which has been something
[48:44] that our insurance has been able to offer us,
[48:46] but we, the township hasn't been utilizing yet.
[48:49] It'll allow for open enrollment electronically
[48:52] and then it'll create an account for the employees
[48:54] to make changes they need to change up address.
[48:57] If they wanna change a little bit of things,
[48:59] it'll give them some ownership to be able
[49:01] to get into that pro program.
[49:04] And then as later items in the agenda we'll talk
[49:07] about some integration.
[49:08] And so if we were able to have different plans
[49:12] we could keep our ducks in a row by that software being able
[49:15] to kinda lead the way.
[49:17] So Clerk Lawrence, what do you think?
[49:22] As far as, yeah, I know we did one.
[49:25] One thing would be is with that the calculation with the HSA
[49:30] and then the, the difference of the plan.
[49:32] I don't know how we would wanna do that.
[49:34] If we would wanna keep an HSA with the HMO
[49:39] keep an HSA with a PPO and then they pay the difference.
[49:44] Does that, that seems like a win-win that they would be able
[49:48] to have the ability, or was it a trade off?
[49:50] You would get one or the other from foregoing the HSA,
[50:00] We do have a PPO with an HSA option listed on here.
[50:05] It just has a higher deductible.
[50:08] So you could look at that option
[50:11] or you, which is the,
[50:13] the one on your far right of the column.
[50:16] So that's the simply blue H-S-A-P-P-O Gold option three.
[50:23] You could look at that one.
[50:25] Or you could look at the PPO with the lower deductible,
[50:29] which is option four, which is right next to the renewal.
[50:32] So you could go, that one just doesn't include the HSA,
[50:36] so you certainly could add an HSA, that's
[50:39] however we would want to do that, to have
[50:42] multiple plan options just requires that, like I,
[50:47] like you said, somebody has to be, someone has to elect
[50:50] to be in it, otherwise we no longer
[50:54] have that plan as an option.
[50:55] So
[50:58] Question, so you could offer all of them
[51:02] with a difference in cost,
[51:03] but somebody would have to enroll on them.
[51:05] Correct. And I don't know whether we CI guess
[51:10] what I didn't get clear from Tom
[51:12] or Jack is do we have
[51:16] to have a guaranteed enrollment in one
[51:18] before we say we're offering it to everyone?
[51:20] Or if nobody enrolls that plan just drops off
[51:23] and then it's not eligible for like a new hire
[51:27] or a new newly eligible person. I think
[51:30] That's my, my thoughts were just
[51:32] to be overly clear in a board motion, just
[51:35] that way we wouldn't have to revisit it.
[51:36] It is just like, it's like a no brainer.
[51:39] But then we actually talked about it
[51:40] and said it in our motion.
[51:42] But I would like to bring the fire chief up if you could
[51:44] talk to us
[51:50] Chief, if you could enlighten us on, on
[51:53] what you're thinking, what, what staff's thinking,
[51:55] what's worked, kinda where we're coming from.
[51:58] I think that that would help catch everybody up to speed.
[52:01] Yeah, for sure. And appreciate the trustees coming out
[52:04] today to talk to our available staff short notice.
[52:07] So they got a perspective of what's going on.
[52:10] We do have 20 out of, out of all the people, we do have 20
[52:15] eligible people.
[52:16] So the bulk of it is on,
[52:18] on the fire department funded through the fire department.
[52:23] And I, and I owed this to Treasurer Bloomfield,
[52:25] but not counting pennies.
[52:27] And I know they count, but I came up with, we,
[52:30] we intentionally saved self regulated
[52:33] and saved over a hundred thousand dollars this year through
[52:35] how we staff with chief officers
[52:37] overtime for the traffic unit.
[52:41] And additional responses are handled by on-duty staff only.
[52:44] So we're not paying off-duty personnel to go to
[52:47] and a highway safety traffic grant that was due
[52:52] to expire in October and it's been renewed for another year.
[52:55] So it, it was an easy math then you have to get down to the,
[52:58] the nickels and dimes even to come up with that number.
[53:01] So that would pay for any of those differences.
[53:05] And we do have, our staff did take township wide, just
[53:10] to note some concessions going in this year we did have
[53:13] a PPO plan, which which seemed to be favorable with an HSA,
[53:18] but it went up even as of three years ago, up 23%.
[53:22] So we knew township, Paul knew that we had
[53:25] to get something still manageable but on a lower scale.
[53:28] So that concession was made as well.
[53:30] And I didn't include that dollar mark in here of
[53:33] what our staff had taken.
[53:35] So I think having that consistency,
[53:36] what I'm hearing is keeping it the way it is,
[53:39] they just took a pretty big move to go from a PPO
[53:43] to a managed healthcare plan and HMO
[53:45] and they just kind of sell the dust on that.
[53:47] So I think to change up costs are gonna go up,
[53:51] but we took some concessions internally,
[53:53] so we're gonna absorb most of that.
[53:55] I do wanna make a point though, is that, you know,
[53:59] firefighters, we do, we do screen 'em every year we bring in
[54:02] a, a physician's assistant in a, in a,
[54:06] in a bus essentially to screen 'em.
[54:08] And we have to do this. And this is the difference in our,
[54:10] our job and compared to the general public.
[54:12] So some stats firefighters have a 9% higher risk
[54:15] of being diagnosed with cancer
[54:16] and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer
[54:19] than the general population.
[54:21] Testicular cancer is 2.02 times the risk
[54:24] of the regular population.
[54:27] Multiple myeloma 1.53 times greater risk
[54:30] skin cancer 1.3 times mag melanoma,
[54:35] 1.3 times brain cancer, 1.31 times
[54:41] prostate cancer, 1.28 times colon cancer, 1.21 times
[54:44] and leukemia 1.14 times.
[54:47] So we,
[54:50] our motto at the fire department is taking care of those who depend on us.
[54:52] And I think in this topic it is
[54:54] not just the fire department employees,
[54:56] but the employees that work for the township.
[55:01] So I I believe that we should be taking care of them.
[55:04] There is a lot of plan options
[55:06] and there's plan options that are more platinum edition
[55:10] and I think the concessions are made
[55:11] to have a very modest plan.
[55:13] Everybody's comfortable
[55:14] and based on the concessions we did, we'd be happy
[55:17] to support continuing on as is.
[55:19] If we could get some options into it too,
[55:22] I'd be i'd we'd be happy to entertain that as well.
[55:27] Additionally, while I'm up here,
[55:30] if you do look at a firefighter's job description,
[55:32] if it is quite a bit different than many
[55:36] of the job descriptions that you find in other places
[55:40] of employment in the township, the things that we require
[55:43] of our staff is a lot different.
[55:45] So I, I think that having healthcare that's taking care
[55:49] of our folks and keeping the the way it is,
[55:53] including opting out of the 80 20 would be the best,
[55:56] make the most sense for our personnel.
[55:59] Can I say Trustee paver? Yeah.
[56:02] And to just continue on what he said too is that something
[56:06] that maybe some people aren't necessarily aware of is
[56:08] that our de fire department also is responsible
[56:11] for six miles of 94, the Amtrak, the DAM and hazmat
[56:16] and now along with the best.
[56:18] And so to me again, it's if, if they are happy with
[56:23] what it is that they're being
[56:24] provided right now, I think that like
[56:28] Trustee, what's your long name?
[56:30] Van? Van Ruben Van. Yeah, yeah, what he said.
[56:33] And like he said, we can look at some, some opportunities
[56:37] to, to provide better services.
[56:39] He's got a long name and so yeah, I I think
[56:44] that if they're happy with it, I'm happy with it
[56:48] and it it, it's just gonna get,
[56:51] it's just gonna get more difficult.
[56:52] So I think that I
[56:57] Agree supervisor.
[56:58] I do got a note on the next topic if it's okay if I share
[57:01] that now or do you want me to wait till the,
[57:03] What do you think?
[57:04] I I mean you're at the, at the podium. Let us have it.
[57:07] Okay, so we, we understand, I think there's a majority
[57:09] of understanding of the compensation policy in the township.
[57:13] So I did some rough numbers. If we had our employees opt
[57:16] out, so pay 20% of their healthcare,
[57:21] it would actually, for the fire department, not including
[57:25] overtime, we would pay $25,000 more
[57:28] because their compensation policy
[57:31] as a package should make them whole.
[57:33] So theoretically their, their hourly rate goes up
[57:37] theoretically what's paid in FICA
[57:40] and retirement go up as well.
[57:42] So the optic is, yeah, they now pay 20%,
[57:45] but if they're making more for their hourly rate,
[57:47] we're actually gonna pay them as a, as a unit
[57:51] $25,000 more.
[57:53] And I didn't even factor in overtime.
[57:56] So you can amplify that number.
[57:58] So I, I think the thought of, hey, you gotta pay for 20%
[58:02] of your healthcare based on our compensation policy
[58:05] somewhere that should be made up.
[58:07] And if it is, I think the optic is, is that we're,
[58:10] they're paying it, but actually we're paying more
[58:15] to opt out if we stay true to our compensation policy,
[58:17] which I think that we, that we should.
[58:19] So again, not including overtime
[58:22] and overtime is managed in the fire
[58:24] department, but it's inevitable.
[58:26] So that compounds all those factors into it.
[58:28] So I just wanted to, while I was here, touch on that topic
[58:32] And he's referring to the compensation policy
[58:34] inside of the employee handbook.
[58:37] Any questions for the fire chief Trustee Van Bruen?
[58:40] Any questions? No questions. Trustee Paver?
[58:44] No questions. Treasurer Bloomfield,
[58:47] I have no questions but I do wanna say you are correct in
[58:50] saying that when we can expense rather than pay FICA
[58:54] and all the payroll taxes, were further ahead.
[58:58] Yeah, it tends to count
[58:59] To, to stay right where we're at.
[59:00] Hold on actually, what was the highway safety grant total?
[59:04] That was the current one is 32,000
[59:09] and the next year's is 24,032.
[59:12] Clerk Lawrence, any questions
[59:14] Or excuse me, I'm sorry.
[59:15] It was up to a hundred, a hundred thousand dollars this
[59:17] year, but we couldn't expense any more than that.
[59:19] So we're gonna be right in the $34,000 range. Okay,
[59:22] Thank you.
[59:27] I guess my, it what I'm hearing is, you know,
[59:32] renew the current plan.
[59:33] I don't know if it, I don't know if it's worth adding
[59:37] options or not.
[59:38] I don't know. I didn't get a good sense
[59:40] of chief.
[59:44] Do you, I mean, did you feel like people would be interested
[59:47] in, in an upgrade option at their expense
[59:51] to pay the difference or do you think it's better
[59:53] to just stick where we're at?
[59:55] Like what are you thinking? Well,
[59:56] I think the hard work went in and,
[59:58] and it was addressed when we were looking at the other plan.
[1:00:01] So a lot of elbow grease went into that
[1:00:03] and found a lot of the same answers that, whoa,
[1:00:06] I got, I got not covered.
[1:00:08] I gotta drive a, a long ways to get covered those options.
[1:00:11] So wasn't as big of a, a push to add for the options.
[1:00:16] I got a little sprinkling to be nice to have options,
[1:00:19] but overwhelmingly just continuing what we have was
[1:00:22] what was the feedback I received?
[1:00:26] And my thoughts are is if we do the renewal baseline,
[1:00:31] that that seems like, you know, solid plan
[1:00:34] and then we give the options.
[1:00:36] Especially I just see in the second one where, where this,
[1:00:40] this HSA, you know, on the renewal it says HSA
[1:00:45] and I think the second one that we were looking at
[1:00:47] with the PPO, I don't believe that has an HSA in it.
[1:00:50] Correct. This
[1:00:51] One does.
[1:00:52] And so this one does not.
[1:00:54] Although you would look at these numbers
[1:00:56] and you would see a bigger increase,
[1:00:58] the back end would be the HSA contribution.
[1:01:02] And so giving them the option, if we penciled
[1:01:06] that out correctly, obviously, you know,
[1:01:09] we wouldn't wanna go with that option in, in its entirety
[1:01:14] because then we would, you know, miss the plan.
[1:01:17] But I just think it wouldn't hurt in order to be able
[1:01:20] to give that option because the cost is a wash,
[1:01:23] but then it gives them the choice.
[1:01:26] We have employee navigator to take care of the work
[1:01:28] and open enrollment and then it's up to them
[1:01:31] and their, their, you know, their needs
[1:01:33] for their family in order
[1:01:34] to give them an option to make a decision.
[1:01:36] So I would be in favor of putting it on the table
[1:01:39] with a motion that just articulates
[1:01:43] that if no one enrolls in the plan, then
[1:01:45] by default it's one plan.
[1:01:46] And attorney thal, if, if you have any ideas
[1:01:50] or advice on, on a motion for that, on
[1:01:53] how we would go about it.
[1:01:56] So essentially if we offered multiple plans
[1:01:59] and one per, like if nobody, nobody enrolled it,
[1:02:04] It's not, that's just gonna be whatever the planned terms
[1:02:06] are, are gonna be the planned term.
[1:02:07] So for a motion, really you would wanna be making a motion
[1:02:11] to renew the, the current plan
[1:02:15] and allow for, allow for selection
[1:02:19] of additional choices at the employee's expense.
[1:02:23] Expense and
[1:02:24] however that plan allows them to make those choices,
[1:02:27] they would be able to do that whether it does or not, right?
[1:02:30] 'cause there's some limitations probably within the
[1:02:32] documentation of what they can do, what they can't do.
[1:02:34] So if it does allow them to do it, they could do that.
[1:02:40] I move that we renew the current healthcare plan
[1:02:46] with options for
[1:02:50] additional plans at the employee expense
[1:02:54] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported
[1:02:58] by Trustee Paver.
[1:03:00] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[1:03:04] Thank you Chief.
[1:03:12] Moving along to PA 1 52 opt out.
[1:03:15] Okay, so this is the part that has to do
[1:03:18] with the 80 20 and the opt out.
[1:03:21] So we need to have some discussion about that.
[1:03:23] And I think we all just heard that there is something
[1:03:26] to be said for keeping their compensation package whole.
[1:03:31] I will tell you as a, I think that this,
[1:03:35] this got a lot of controversy last year when this came up
[1:03:39] and I think, you know, my opinion is that
[1:03:43] impact every one of us goes to the grocery store
[1:03:45] and sees cost rising.
[1:03:46] Every one of us goes to the gas pump and sees cost rising.
[1:03:51] And so I do believe that there is funds that we can find
[1:03:54] and save in our township just like getting rid
[1:03:57] of over complicated software,
[1:04:00] but I don't think that it should be
[1:04:01] at the employee's expense.
[1:04:02] So my personal opinion is that we should opt out of PA 1 52.
[1:04:08] Thank you Clerk Lawrence? I I echo the same thing.
[1:04:11] I I can't wait to find ways to save money,
[1:04:13] but I don't think at it should be at our employee's expense.
[1:04:18] Trustee Van Bruen,
[1:04:20] No comments on that Trustee Paver?
[1:04:23] No, I would echo the same thing. You know, there again,
[1:04:34] no, I agree.
[1:04:35] I think that we're in the business of keeping
[1:04:38] these first responders and as we continue
[1:04:41] and move forward with the best, they, you know,
[1:04:44] these people will become more integral to taking care
[1:04:47] of the community and we should take care
[1:04:50] of the people that take care of us.
[1:04:52] So thank you Trustee Paver, Treasurer Bloomfield?
[1:04:54] No comment. Trustee Amos.
[1:04:58] So just opt out, opting out.
[1:05:01] Is this just for the fire department or is for,
[1:05:03] or is this for the entire township?
[1:05:05] It's for the township.
[1:05:11] I understand that sometimes there is
[1:05:13] exception to the rule.
[1:05:14] And I suppose for the fire department, I would, I,
[1:05:17] I guess there could be an exception to let them opt out.
[1:05:21] As far as the rest of the township, I'm against it.
[1:05:23] I believe that our government came up with a rule that
[1:05:27] and said, said that we have to, all employees have
[1:05:31] to pay 20% of their insurance.
[1:05:32] And then they came up
[1:05:34] and said, well, government employees don't have to far,
[1:05:36] they can opt out of it.
[1:05:37] And I, I disagree with that.
[1:05:39] Thank you Trustee Amos. Trustee Hart.
[1:05:42] No further comment. I'd be looking for a motion.
[1:05:49] Make a motion to opt out a 1 52
[1:05:53] motion made by Trustee Paver,
[1:05:55] All support Supported by Trustee Hart.
[1:05:59] Any board discussion?
[1:06:02] If there's no board discussion, all in favor say aye. Aye.
[1:06:05] Aye. Aye. Opposed?
[1:06:07] Aye. Opposed? Six yays. One nay. Motion passes.
[1:06:13] Moving along to Clerk Lawrence
[1:06:14] for elections consultant request.
[1:06:18] Okay, this is a little bit of,
[1:06:21] I'm gonna eat a little bit of humble pie here.
[1:06:23] So at 30 days in there is a steep
[1:06:29] learning curve
[1:06:30] and there is no pun intended,
[1:06:32] I've been drinking from a fire hose for the last 30 days.
[1:06:35] So we've got a federal election right around the corner
[1:06:39] and I am asking permission from the board to
[1:06:44] get some help with that from a consultant who has a lot
[1:06:47] of experience running elections
[1:06:50] and has been a clerk in the past, a county clerk.
[1:06:55] And I just think that, you know, I can read
[1:06:58] and learn as much as possible
[1:06:59] and I can invite in all of the help
[1:07:01] of everyone who's been doing this
[1:07:03] and I certainly am doing so,
[1:07:05] but there is just some very specific items
[1:07:08] that can't be overlooked and can't be done incorrectly.
[1:07:11] And I, I don't wanna put the township at risk of liability.
[1:07:15] So asking for permission to have someone come in
[1:07:19] and help us get through the preliminary, the setup part
[1:07:21] of this so that the election in November can run smoothly.
[1:07:26] Thank you. Clerk Lawrence. Trustee Hart,
[1:07:30] The election law is extremely complicated and complex
[1:07:35] and we have one day to get it correct.
[1:07:39] I realize early voting, but all votes
[1:07:41] are tabulated on one day.
[1:07:42] It has to be correct that day.
[1:07:45] It's an absolute huge responsibility
[1:07:51] and it has to be done right.
[1:07:53] Being brand new to it, as Amber is
[1:07:58] struggling to catch up on it, I know that she is on it.
[1:08:01] However, I would fully support an expert
[1:08:04] to help her out on that.
[1:08:06] Thank you Trustee Hart.
[1:08:07] Trustee Amos, any comments, questions? Treasurer Bloomfield?
[1:08:11] I just have one. Is there a fee for this?
[1:08:13] And if so, what is it?
[1:08:16] Yeah, the consultant's hourly rate is $30 an hour.
[1:08:20] That's quite cheap. Okay. Yeah. Thank
[1:08:23] You.
[1:08:24] And attorney t Thal. As far as like, when, when we spoke,
[1:08:27] if you could just enlighten the board on, you know,
[1:08:30] on on the opposite end of, of doing this. Yeah.
[1:08:33] Again, as indicated, election law is extremely complex.
[1:08:36] There's no, it's not reasonable
[1:08:38] to expect somebody 30 days in to know how to
[1:08:43] properly perform the election.
[1:08:44] You, you know, Amber will do the best job humanly possible,
[1:08:48] but it's so complicated that it, you really do need
[1:08:51] to have some assistance in doing that.
[1:08:54] And you know, the, the issue of
[1:08:58] if something happens is just tremendous.
[1:09:00] So what normally would happen is if there's an error,
[1:09:03] you're gonna get sued.
[1:09:04] That's just the world we live in.
[1:09:06] Any errors are picked up and somebody's gonna sue you on it.
[1:09:09] You're gonna have a federal lawsuit, election lawsuit,
[1:09:11] which is extremely expensive and costly
[1:09:14] and it can put you under a court order
[1:09:17] for years and years to come.
[1:09:18] So you really want to, at all costs, avoid
[1:09:21] that $30 an hour is certainly a deal to not
[1:09:26] face those type of issues.
[1:09:27] And would we just approve the hourly rate
[1:09:30] and whatever's
[1:09:30] necessary? How would you recommend the motion?
[1:09:33] I would recommend that, because it's hard to say
[1:09:35] what is gonna be necessary,
[1:09:36] but the clerk can be the steward of that and,
[1:09:40] and work with the specialist
[1:09:42] to make sure the election comes off and,
[1:09:44] and learn as much as she can.
[1:09:46] And I've, I can say
[1:09:47] that I've seen the other municipalities stop into the
[1:09:49] building and help us and, and that's awesome.
[1:09:52] But they also have a job to do.
[1:09:53] And so a consultant dedicated
[1:09:55] to addressing those missing gaps.
[1:09:58] I, I'd totally be all in favor of that. Trustee paver?
[1:10:01] Nope, I have no, no comment. Trustee Van Bruen? Well
[1:10:05] 30 $30 an hour is a lot cheaper than an
[1:10:07] attorney first of all.
[1:10:09] That's every one I've ever met.
[1:10:11] And do we have a consultant in mind for this?
[1:10:14] Yeah, overwhelmingly the recommendation has been Tim Snow.
[1:10:18] Okay. And I know Tim very well
[1:10:19] and he would do excellent job
[1:10:21] for us from protecting us. So,
[1:10:22] And that's his rate.
[1:10:23] So that's specifically quoting
[1:10:25] His Yeah, he's worth way more than that.
[1:10:27] So
[1:10:29] Any further questions?
[1:10:31] If there are no further board
[1:10:32] questions, I'd be looking for a motion.
[1:10:34] I make a motion to approve hiring election consultant at
[1:10:38] $30 per hour for
[1:10:41] Motion made by Treasurer Bloomfield, supported
[1:10:44] by Trustee Amos.
[1:10:46] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[1:10:50] Moving along to Treasurer Bloomfield.
[1:10:53] This is something we don't like to talk about is
[1:10:57] our millage rates, but so far
[1:11:01] it looks pretty good.
[1:11:05] We are not raising any millages.
[1:11:10] And the good news is the library has decided on their own to
[1:11:16] cut their one millage.
[1:11:18] So we do not need a truth and taxation hearing
[1:11:21] because we fall below what we are asking for.
[1:11:24] And the total, I just had it here, the total
[1:11:26] that we're asking for is 5.3734
[1:11:30] mils right here
[1:11:36] On that paper right there.
[1:11:40] So the operating millage
[1:11:43] for the township is 4.8427.
[1:11:47] The library, the one that they're lowering was
[1:11:50] 0.05, excuse me, 0.5048.
[1:11:55] And that one they lowered to 0.3065.
[1:12:01] The other library millage that they have is 0.9685.
[1:12:05] That one is not changing.
[1:12:07] Our road millage is unchanged also at
[1:12:11] 2.9760
[1:12:13] and our senior millage, which this is the millage
[1:12:16] that goes directly to our community center locally.
[1:12:21] Okay. I think that's typed wrong.
[1:12:22] We'll have to make that right. Our senior
[1:12:25] millage is one mill.
[1:12:27] I do wanna say though that it is my understanding that
[1:12:32] the school is coming for another millage.
[1:12:36] And so we will also have on the ballot for you in November
[1:12:42] the police millage
[1:12:43] because we did not have enough,
[1:12:45] we had enough last year to carry over.
[1:12:48] We've used that money for extra police coverage
[1:12:52] that we have, but we don't have enough carry over left
[1:12:55] for the following year.
[1:12:57] So that will be up to you voters to decide if you want
[1:12:59] to have an additional deputies like we usually do.
[1:13:05] And Supervisor Martin just found a mistake on
[1:13:09] the resolution here. So
[1:13:12] You look at this back page
[1:13:15] and then you just kind of go across on that one one
[1:13:19] for one we have a plethora
[1:13:20] of extra paperwork on our da so forgive us.
[1:13:27] It says 2.97.
[1:13:33] This is the maximum. Yeah.
[1:13:36] And the, and the, the on the page, the second page on the L
[1:13:42] 40 29, that is the, that's the L 40 29
[1:13:46] that's due soon. It's
[1:13:48] Due tomorrow.
[1:13:49] Yep. Actually. So we do need to accomplish this tonight.
[1:13:51] And so if you kinda look at the resolution
[1:13:53] that's prepared in addition to this,
[1:13:56] I think you could cross reference that I believe
[1:13:58] that the resolution resolution is correct
[1:14:01] and the other cover page had the maximum.
[1:14:04] So just a lot of information all at once.
[1:14:07] So I think if you were to remove the cover page on this,
[1:14:11] that would help us see, see through it a little bit better.
[1:14:13] Yeah.
[1:14:17] So the resolution is correct. Yes.
[1:14:19] As is the second page for the roads
[1:14:23] And then attorney thaw as far as the resolution to,
[1:14:28] to just make one resolution totaling it,
[1:14:31] would we just read the specific operating numbers?
[1:14:36] Yeah, you could go off that
[1:14:38] or it's gonna be what is in your
[1:14:41] item 11 on your L 40 29 is are your milit rates
[1:14:45] that you're authorizing.
[1:14:46] So you have maybe a maximum author.
[1:14:49] So when you said charter operating
[1:14:52] and Sandy originally said at 4.827 maximum,
[1:14:56] that's your maximum Maximum operating maximum.
[1:14:58] Yeah. Right. You're actually only proposing
[1:15:00] to levy 1.8484.
[1:15:04] So you're gonna levy much less than your
[1:15:07] maximum authorized levy.
[1:15:09] But those in category 11, box 11 on here. Yep.
[1:15:14] That's what you're authorizing those militates,
[1:15:17] if you wanted to just read them through,
[1:15:19] you could do that. Yeah.
[1:15:20] And and then essentially would you be looking for a motion
[1:15:23] and then you read 'em through for the L 40 29?
[1:15:26] Yeah, because that's what you have to have authorization
[1:15:28] to submit it, complete the L 49 40 29
[1:15:31] and submit it to the county equalization.
[1:15:34] Yep. So there's no increase in millage.
[1:15:36] In fact with the library's edition it's just a,
[1:15:39] a slight decrease in millage.
[1:15:42] Okay. So we're just gonna make a motion
[1:15:46] To Yeah.
[1:15:49] Any any board questions at all
[1:15:51] Resolution?
[1:15:52] I would just add that the goal, I think, you know,
[1:15:54] and this is really for community to hear, like the goal is
[1:15:58] to further lower this millage.
[1:16:00] Yes. Let's, but I think that there is, there is funding
[1:16:05] that is quote unquote potentially coming in
[1:16:10] and we need that in hand to be able to know exactly
[1:16:13] how much we can lower the millage before we just lower it.
[1:16:16] And so we don't wanna shoot ourselves in the foot
[1:16:18] and lower it and then have something change.
[1:16:21] Our circumstances change.
[1:16:24] So for next year we're, we're kind of, we're really thrilled
[1:16:28] that the library was able to, to give us a lower rate
[1:16:32] because everyone's gonna see a little bit of an impact
[1:16:35] and then the goal is to see a more significant impact
[1:16:37] to the following year.
[1:16:38] For sure. So, you know, I just wanna share to the residents
[1:16:42] that our commitment is to try to lower your tax burden.
[1:16:46] Yeah. And since when did the government ever lower taxes?
[1:16:50] And we are actively working hard to try to do that,
[1:16:53] but it's just, it's not gonna be an overnight thing.
[1:16:55] We, we, we,
[1:17:00] we've gotta work diligently to be able to do that.
[1:17:04] So any further questions?
[1:17:07] I'll make a motion, I'll make an attempt at it.
[1:17:11] So I move to approve the 2026 L
[1:17:15] 40 29 with the millage rates as followed
[1:17:20] charter operating at 1.8484
[1:17:24] library extra voted at 0.3065
[1:17:31] second library line, extra voted 0.9685
[1:17:36] roads at 1.2500
[1:17:39] and senior at 1.0000
[1:17:46] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence supported
[1:17:49] by Trustee Paver. I
[1:17:51] Would just make one comment.
[1:17:53] Yeah. Roll call vote
[1:17:54] and it is with those numbers are in that resolution
[1:17:57] so you're actually gonna adopt
[1:17:58] that resolution with the numbers.
[1:18:00] Okay. It should we amend that motion slightly?
[1:18:02] I think it's fine. Okay. So Clerk Lawrence
[1:18:05] be looking for a roll call vote.
[1:18:08] Trustee Van Bruen. Yay.
[1:18:12] Yes. Trustee Paver. Yes. Treasurer Bloomfield. Yes.
[1:18:16] Supervisor Martin. Yes. Clerk Lawrence. Yes. Trustee Amos?
[1:18:20] Yes. Trustee Hart. Yes.
[1:18:23] And I have a question, did you have a
[1:18:26] resolution number for that?
[1:18:28] We were discussing that in
[1:18:31] You can assign after, it'll be whatever the, okay.
[1:18:33] The next resolution number is in order.
[1:18:36] So we'll just have to figure that out.
[1:18:38] I think it's 5 73 but I wanna confirm that.
[1:18:41] Alright, thank you. Motion passes.
[1:18:44] Moving along to Treasury Bloomfield for forensic audit
[1:18:47] and RFP.
[1:18:49] Alright. I contacted a couple companies
[1:18:53] and basically got an education
[1:18:59] and when I sat down the second time with Clerk Lawrence
[1:19:04] and Supervisor Martin were both on the interviews
[1:19:08] with these two companies.
[1:19:09] They're both comparable when it comes to the pricing
[1:19:13] and what they can do for us and how long it will take.
[1:19:18] And so I will let Ben
[1:19:22] and Amber take it from here since they were
[1:19:24] also in the interview with me.
[1:19:26] Clerk Lawrence. Sure.
[1:19:29] So I would say, you know, both were, were good interviews
[1:19:34] and obviously well qualified candidates.
[1:19:41] I I think that the first,
[1:19:46] the first was Plant and Moran
[1:19:50] and just some comments I would say from the RFP is they
[1:19:54] require a little bit more to start.
[1:19:56] So they're asking for $10,000
[1:19:58] to start again.
[1:20:02] Comparable total cost.
[1:20:04] There's, their scope was slightly higher.
[1:20:09] I really, I really liked the second company that we spoke to
[1:20:15] re Reman, I don't know how to pronounce that.
[1:20:18] I really liked them. The individual specifically Chuck Story
[1:20:23] has a lot of experience.
[1:20:24] He was formerly with the bureau, which I liked
[1:20:29] and they have a lower ticket to entry at $7,000 to start.
[1:20:34] So I, I think we wouldn't go wrong
[1:20:37] with either should we choose to pursue this,
[1:20:40] but those would be, that would be my thoughts
[1:20:45] As a majority of a new board in the direction of
[1:20:49] where we just came from.
[1:20:51] This could be something that could be of a due diligence
[1:20:55] to just take a look at things
[1:20:56] and make sure that everything is up to snuff and,
[1:20:59] and that we're moving forward
[1:21:01] and nothing is lingering behind us that would set us up
[1:21:05] to need to go backwards.
[1:21:07] So just be a good due diligence to take a look at things.
[1:21:11] And so I was impressed with both companies
[1:21:14] and it's a, it's a lot to think about.
[1:21:20] So I would just open this up to board discussion.
[1:21:25] I think the one question
[1:21:26] that still plagues me is the ROI on it, right?
[1:21:29] And so I think that's something we just have
[1:21:31] to be really real about is if we're gonna spend $60,000
[1:21:35] and you know, figure out
[1:21:39] whatever we might figure out, like we just have to decide is
[1:21:42] that $60,000 worth it to us?
[1:21:44] And I think that's the question, but for us, as we
[1:21:47] and I, I don't have the answer,
[1:21:50] but I think that, you know, that's,
[1:21:52] that's what we need to consider.
[1:21:56] But transparently like we may find
[1:22:00] more than $60,000 too.
[1:22:02] So something else to consider.
[1:22:07] Attorney Thaw, do you have any, any advice for the board,
[1:22:10] any words, any input?
[1:22:13] No, it's really up to the board as to whether you think
[1:22:16] that's important and it's important enough
[1:22:19] to expend those sums of funds.
[1:22:22] 'cause it isn't cheap to do a forensic audit
[1:22:24] but you know,
[1:22:25] it gives you at least a starting point with a new board.
[1:22:29] So there could be good reason to do that.
[1:22:33] Trustee Van Bergen, do you have any comments, questions,
[1:22:36] concerns, anything to enlighten us?
[1:22:38] No, I mean there's a lot of money to consider doing.
[1:22:41] I think transparency's due to the township,
[1:22:45] to everyone and I agree.
[1:22:47] I think it's a good way to start out with a,
[1:22:49] with the fresh people we have.
[1:22:51] I just think it's, it is a big investment to take under.
[1:22:56] I understand we may find some things and some money,
[1:22:58] but that's not a guarantee either.
[1:23:02] But it's, it's definitely a big investment.
[1:23:05] I think we gotta take serious and think if we
[1:23:08] wanna forego that.
[1:23:10] Thank you Trustee Van Bruen. Trustee paver.
[1:23:15] I would probably echo similar.
[1:23:19] What clerk Lauren said is that, you know,
[1:23:23] it's a lot of money and there are no assurances
[1:23:28] besides death and taxes.
[1:23:30] And so, you know, let's say that we find something
[1:23:35] and then what is it that we do with it after that?
[1:23:37] Well we have to pursue legal action
[1:23:39] and then that also is going to cost money.
[1:23:43] And then so how much money are we actually going to obtain
[1:23:46] from other parties, individuals or,
[1:23:50] or these things of, of this nature?
[1:23:52] And then we're gonna have to make the decision of whether
[1:23:54] or not that we go after every single one.
[1:23:56] And to me, I understand that people have a lot of concerns
[1:24:01] of of whether or not you know what was going on.
[1:24:05] Was there something to be concerned about? We don't know.
[1:24:09] And yes, we could find out.
[1:24:11] We could find out, okay, so there was X amount of money
[1:24:13] that was misappropriated, great, now it's going
[1:24:16] to cost us another $60,000 to go
[1:24:19] after said parties to obtain this money
[1:24:21] and that money is not guaranteed
[1:24:23] and it will be over why period.
[1:24:26] And so we will have spent a disproportionate amount of time
[1:24:30] and money on potentially a wild goose chase.
[1:24:33] We don't know that there could be something there.
[1:24:36] And I'm not saying that it's not worthwhile to do.
[1:24:38] What I'm looking at from our perspective is
[1:24:43] we are coming in as a new board, we have two years
[1:24:47] to make the most impact for the community
[1:24:52] in hopes that they will give us the
[1:24:56] opportunity to serve them again.
[1:24:59] And so to me it's is it pertinent for us
[1:25:03] to do this right now and to spend our time, energy,
[1:25:05] and resources on it, understanding
[1:25:08] that this is the starting amount,
[1:25:10] the 60 is the starting amount and then there may be more
[1:25:14] because it's not gonna be free to go after anybody.
[1:25:17] And so I want to know what was going on
[1:25:22] and I would love to know all the nuances
[1:25:25] of every single thing.
[1:25:27] But at this time with the amount of time that we have left,
[1:25:31] is this where we want to spend our energy and resources?
[1:25:35] I vehemently agreed that we should find something out,
[1:25:39] but at what cost and what is the ROI on it?
[1:25:43] What is the cost benefit
[1:25:46] of doing this versus spending our time
[1:25:47] and energy somewhere else?
[1:25:49] Where could this $60,000 go that would potentially impact
[1:25:55] somebody else or some, some something else in the community
[1:25:57] that the community would see?
[1:25:59] Yes, we find something out
[1:26:00] and these people did something wrong
[1:26:02] and now we have to take them to court
[1:26:03] because it's not gonna be guaranteed.
[1:26:05] And so please no comments.
[1:26:12] I'm not necessarily sure
[1:26:14] that this is something while I personally agree
[1:26:17] and I echo the sentiment of of the community, I would love
[1:26:20] to know but at the same time this is quite a bit of money
[1:26:25] and this will only be the start.
[1:26:28] Thank you Trustee Paver Treasurer Bloomfield.
[1:26:33] Well I am for this. The residents want it.
[1:26:37] I remember this audience being almost completely full the
[1:26:41] night I announced I was going to ask for this.
[1:26:45] So I would like to see us move forward.
[1:26:48] There needs to be peace of mind
[1:26:51] and I'll put it bluntly,
[1:26:53] I don't want something coming up and biting me in the butt.
[1:26:58] Well said Treasure Bloomfield. Thank
[1:27:00] You Clerk Lawrence.
[1:27:01] And well actually you, you let it rip once already.
[1:27:04] Trustee Amos,
[1:27:07] I support this.
[1:27:10] I believe the people have the right to know what went on
[1:27:13] and there's a lot of questions in everybody's mind exactly
[1:27:16] what went on.
[1:27:17] And so I believe it is their right.
[1:27:20] I believe we should seek justice if something didn't
[1:27:23] is was done.
[1:27:26] And so I support it. Totally.
[1:27:29] Thank you Trustee Amos. Trustee Hart,
[1:27:33] I have read both forensic
[1:27:36] examination quotes rather thoroughly, I believe.
[1:27:38] And I do have two questions
[1:27:41] and may be directed to Mr th
[1:27:44] under the Raymond proposal.
[1:27:47] They have, which appears to be a little more descriptive
[1:27:50] by the way, in what they're going to, what they would do.
[1:27:53] They do have a provision
[1:27:55] that says they would interview township personnel.
[1:27:59] Does that or would that,
[1:28:00] or could that include former personnel?
[1:28:05] It certainly could include former personnel,
[1:28:07] but we don't have the ability to require that.
[1:28:10] So it would have to be voluntary by those personnel.
[1:28:13] They could certainly reach out to former employees to talk
[1:28:15] with them, but there's no obligation of those former,
[1:28:18] former employees to talk with the, with the auditor.
[1:28:22] All right, question number two.
[1:28:24] If in the long run former personnel were found to be liable
[1:28:31] is, and those were in financial terms,
[1:28:36] is there insurance or bond money available?
[1:28:41] So there could be the That's a good question
[1:28:43] because there could be bond money available if they breach
[1:28:46] their bond and their fiduciary duty to go
[1:28:48] after a bond in support if there's missing funds.
[1:28:53] Also if there's theft, you know,
[1:28:55] that can be o obviously a criminal matter
[1:28:58] that can be referred to the prosecutor.
[1:29:00] But yeah, I, I kinda like the idea of if there is an issue
[1:29:04] that you'd look back at the bond.
[1:29:06] At least they all should, you know,
[1:29:09] the treasurer's office as a bond.
[1:29:12] But you know, as long
[1:29:13] as they were bonded you could look at that.
[1:29:16] Okay, that's all the questions I have. Thank you.
[1:29:19] Thank you Trustee Hart. Clerk Lawrence.
[1:29:23] Yeah, I think I just wanted to add that I think
[1:29:28] that sometimes
[1:29:32] transparency and perception are both really important
[1:29:36] and so if at the end of the day this is also
[1:29:40] what allows the township to move forward, I think
[1:29:43] that there is ROI in that
[1:29:45] and it doesn't always equate to dollar
[1:29:47] and cents, sometimes it equates to unity and,
[1:29:50] and being able to get ourselves
[1:29:53] moving in the right direction.
[1:29:55] So just as I'm sitting here contemplating ROI,
[1:29:58] that was something that came to mind
[1:29:59] and I think I wanted to share.
[1:30:01] Thank you Clerk Lawrence.
[1:30:03] My thoughts are, I understand
[1:30:05] where Trustee Pavers coming from.
[1:30:07] I understand where Treasurer Bloomfield's coming from.
[1:30:10] I'm so grateful to be able to have a board up here
[1:30:11] to be able to have a good discussion with.
[1:30:14] I think there's benefits in both
[1:30:15] and I think that there's obviously if you look at spending
[1:30:18] money, you know, it's obviously it,
[1:30:21] it's like you're spending money.
[1:30:23] So I would say even if there weren't anything to be found
[1:30:26] of wrongdoing, but there could be something to be found of
[1:30:29] how we could do things better.
[1:30:32] I believe that, you know, typically you, you do pay
[1:30:35] for some extent of an education
[1:30:37] and so the expense that would go towards this,
[1:30:40] even if there was no said wrongdoing or
[1:30:43] or anything, what could we gain to make us better?
[1:30:47] So this is a tough one, it's a tough one.
[1:30:52] Would we, would there be a cap?
[1:30:54] So we, if we, if it's the range
[1:30:56] and we get to the 57, what happens when we get to the 57
[1:31:01] or the 60 if we choose the other ones,
[1:31:05] My understanding an attorney Thul, you can correct us,
[1:31:07] but we could say not to exceed X number
[1:31:10] and then if it were to hit X number
[1:31:13] and we thought there was more to do that would require us
[1:31:16] to come back together to have
[1:31:18] that discussion on why there would be more
[1:31:20] so we could, is that correct?
[1:31:22] That's yeah, that's correct.
[1:31:24] Yeah. So then I would feel more comfortable is
[1:31:26] that if we cap it and that if anything ex exceeds that
[1:31:30] or if they say well we can go ahead
[1:31:32] and try to do X, Y, z, it's going to cost this amount, then
[1:31:37] it has to come back to us and we have
[1:31:39] to make the dec this decision again so
[1:31:41] that it just doesn't run wild
[1:31:42] and all of a sudden we've spent twice this amount
[1:31:48] Trustee Van Bergen.
[1:31:51] So when would you make a decision on
[1:31:53] I agree with, with Trustee Aven
[1:31:55] and we'd be making a decision on which
[1:31:58] of the two companies we'd, we'd be using right
[1:32:01] as the, as the forensic.
[1:32:02] Okay. I know 'em both very well.
[1:32:05] I do prefer leaning towards Raymond more.
[1:32:09] I think they're very knowledgeable in this
[1:32:11] and I think they handle it very professionally for us and,
[1:32:15] and use our money in the right direction.
[1:32:19] I do agree a hundred percent transparency is needed
[1:32:23] and I think overwhelmingly the community has asked for it.
[1:32:28] I think when I chose to do this, I wanted to make sure
[1:32:31] that we weren't just making the decision for a few
[1:32:34] but for everyone, and I think this is a good decision
[1:32:36] for everyone is where I stand on it.
[1:32:39] So I'm, I'm for it and would go along with with using that,
[1:32:43] but I do like the cap limit on it
[1:32:45] and then we can revisit it based on
[1:32:47] what comes, comes around.
[1:32:51] Any further comments? Trustee Paver?
[1:32:57] No, I think that that there's, if there's a cap
[1:33:02] and that we understand that we can, if there's a bond
[1:33:06] or amounts that we can go after, then
[1:33:07] that is obviously more beneficial to us than trying
[1:33:09] to squeeze blood from a stone.
[1:33:12] And so if that's something that, you know,
[1:33:15] that's a possibility that we set a cap
[1:33:17] to it, then yeah.
[1:33:22] Oh yeah and then we would go out ba so we,
[1:33:25] we just need something that's either this,
[1:33:27] I mean this is just a quote so we'd have to put a cap on it
[1:33:32] and then whatever comes within the cap,
[1:33:33] whether they finished it or not.
[1:33:36] Thank you Trustee Paver, Treasurer,
[1:33:38] Bloomfield, anything further
[1:33:42] Between the two companies?
[1:33:43] I did like Ram better.
[1:33:45] I liked the fact that he was a an FBI agent
[1:33:50] and he has had experience with a lot of
[1:33:55] what we're asking them to do
[1:33:58] and I did visit with him probably 45 minutes
[1:34:01] before either one of you had ever joined our interview.
[1:34:05] So I felt comfortable with him
[1:34:07] and also with his assistant that Christie that we talked to,
[1:34:11] she asked a lot of really good questions that helped us
[1:34:17] move forward with this.
[1:34:19] So no, that's all I have. Thank you
[1:34:22] Clerk Lawrence?
[1:34:24] Yeah, I just wanted to add to speaking of Christie, so
[1:34:27] Raymond has kind of a two-pronged approach, right?
[1:34:31] So you have Chuck
[1:34:34] who does the investigation side
[1:34:36] and then Christy who does risk advisory.
[1:34:38] And so she also looks at how we can prevent risk
[1:34:44] where we might have, you know, loose ends
[1:34:47] that we can tighten up.
[1:34:48] So I do think there's some value too.
[1:34:51] I, my recommendation would be that, that this is who we go,
[1:34:55] you know, we choose this one
[1:34:57] because I liked that piece of it too.
[1:34:58] Like there's a, there's an opportunity for us to get better
[1:35:01] and tighter with some of the things
[1:35:03] and they will provide kind of both sides of
[1:35:05] that, that approach.
[1:35:07] So I thought that was valuable.
[1:35:09] Thank you. Clerk Florence. Trustee Amos,
[1:35:12] I have no comment on this. Thank you
[1:35:14] Trustee Hart.
[1:35:16] No further comment.
[1:35:22] If there are no further comments
[1:35:24] or questions, I would echo
[1:35:27] that we do have a board meeting October 5th if someone
[1:35:32] wants to wait, if someone wants to make a motion,
[1:35:35] we could see where this goes.
[1:35:38] I'd like to make a motion. I move that we
[1:35:42] pursue the forensic audit with Raymond
[1:35:46] and not to exceed
[1:35:48] $57,000 in cost support
[1:35:53] Motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported by Trustee Paver.
[1:35:57] Any board discussion? Trustee Hart? Done. Trustee Amos?
[1:36:04] None except I, I believe that we need, need,
[1:36:11] have the confidence of, of the residents
[1:36:14] and I think that's the only way we can do this is
[1:36:17] to go ahead with this.
[1:36:18] So I approve it. Thank you.
[1:36:20] Thank you Trustee Amos. Clerk Lawrence.
[1:36:24] I've said Treasurer Bloomfield, no comment.
[1:36:25] Thank you Trustee Paver? No comment.
[1:36:27] Trustee Van Bruen, no comment.
[1:36:30] I think that this could just help us move
[1:36:35] forward one way or another.
[1:36:36] Just move forward and
[1:36:38] and if there's nothing to be found then it's done
[1:36:40] and over with and, and the rear rear view mirror
[1:36:42] is smaller than the front window.
[1:36:43] And, and let's, let's move forward.
[1:36:45] So we have a
[1:36:48] motion support roll call vote.
[1:36:52] Trustee Hart? Yes. Trustee Amos? Yes. Clerk Lawrence? Yes.
[1:36:56] Supervisor Martin? Yes. Treasurer Bloomfield? Yes.
[1:37:00] Trustee Paver? Yes. Trustee Van Bruen? Yes. Seven Yes.
[1:37:05] Zero. No.
[1:37:08] Moving along to supervisor we have the mdot proposal
[1:37:12] if you guys would like to take the podium
[1:37:18] and I'll let you get us started.
[1:37:20] You can start us right from scratch. Okay
[1:37:21] Sure.
[1:37:22] My name is Ben Nun, I'm the operations engineer with
[1:37:26] M Kalama tsc.
[1:37:27] I oversee traffic operations, safety, utility permit
[1:37:32] and maintenance in Kalamazoo County and Cas County.
[1:37:36] Thanks for having us today here.
[1:37:40] We were just like meeting with Supervisor Martin today
[1:37:43] and like found out like you have the board meeting today
[1:37:46] and like it's just happening all like real quick
[1:37:49] but I appreciate the opportunity.
[1:37:52] So I was just talking to Supervisor Martin today about
[1:37:56] like some of the improvements that we have planned
[1:37:59] for Gall Road.
[1:38:00] As we know like it's a busy retail corridor.
[1:38:02] We have some operations issues,
[1:38:05] some safety issues there as well.
[1:38:07] And what is kind of like in our plan
[1:38:09] to do some improvements there, we are trying to kind
[1:38:13] of expand the intersection like improved caps city at the
[1:38:17] intersection of Sprinkle and Gall Road.
[1:38:19] We are trying to align the gall run drive, Meyer drive
[1:38:23] that approach like we, it's kind
[1:38:25] of like not really aligned well the left turns are not
[1:38:28] really operating very well.
[1:38:30] 26th Street and Gal Road,
[1:38:32] that intersection also we know there are some delays
[1:38:35] and safety concern a traffic light would
[1:38:38] be beneficial there.
[1:38:39] So all these three different things
[1:38:41] that we are talking about like more operational improvements
[1:38:45] and some safety improvements that we have planned for,
[1:38:47] we do not have it set date when we would be able to do it.
[1:38:51] It ties to the money and other things to like
[1:38:56] how can we come up with a plan and everything
[1:38:58] and we don't know the what timeline yet
[1:39:01] but at least like to let you know
[1:39:02] that like it's in our error
[1:39:03] and we are pursuing the money actively.
[1:39:08] So other than that,
[1:39:11] like there are some other things like we talked about like
[1:39:13] all these are more for motorized vehicles
[1:39:15] but what about the non-motorized traffic?
[1:39:17] What about the pedestrian? What about the bicyclist?
[1:39:19] Right, so there are like three different
[1:39:22] segments that we looked into.
[1:39:24] There are possible improvements that we can do.
[1:39:30] The inter quarter can benefit from having a sidewalk
[1:39:35] on Gold Road on the south side from Sprinkled
[1:39:38] road between sixth Street.
[1:39:40] We have the sidewalk on the north side
[1:39:41] but nothing on the south side.
[1:39:42] But we know there are a lot of businesses,
[1:39:44] restaurants they can benefit from
[1:39:46] that the pedestrians can benefit from that.
[1:39:49] We have multiple bus stops there
[1:39:53] and you know like those bus riders,
[1:39:55] they can really be benefited from that as well.
[1:39:59] So that is the one part we looked into particularly
[1:40:01] for Sidewalk again on Gold Road South side from sprinkle
[1:40:06] to 26th Street, the another segment that we looked into is
[1:40:11] Gold Road again on the south side from sprinkle to the West
[1:40:16] Sunnyside drive.
[1:40:18] That part like we looked into for more
[1:40:20] for non-motor risk pathway
[1:40:22] and the reason is being we are seeing like seven
[1:40:26] bicycle related crashes
[1:40:28] and one of those were like federal crashes
[1:40:30] to severe injury crashes in the last five years.
[1:40:33] This is a five lanes roadway with 55 mile, 50 mile
[1:40:38] speed limit 50 mile per hour.
[1:40:40] So when we have that motorized
[1:40:42] and non-motorized traffic running
[1:40:45] in the same system is like always dangerous
[1:40:47] and we're looking into your master plan as well.
[1:40:50] And it also calls for separation where possible
[1:40:53] to have the non-motor resin motorized like if we can.
[1:40:57] So that part also we're looking at for
[1:40:59] and if we want to expand it farther
[1:41:01] and want like a larger bigger connectivity,
[1:41:04] it can go farther to the west to big speed drive in
[1:41:09] that portion we are not seeing a whole lot of crashes.
[1:41:11] But again the same the dynamic, right?
[1:41:15] Like we have the higher speed limit, a lot of traffic volume
[1:41:19] but not really a quite a separation from
[1:41:21] non-motorized and motorized traffic.
[1:41:23] So when we are looking for this like again I don't want
[1:41:27] to just keep bringing it up like we're just like more at
[1:41:30] this level, it's a concept plan.
[1:41:32] We can go after the money
[1:41:34] and if we have the money then like we can like really come
[1:41:37] up with the timeline and the better plan.
[1:41:39] Right now this is just like concept
[1:41:42] and the reason that I'm bringing it up here now
[1:41:45] for all the other intersection improvements
[1:41:47] that I talked about, this is like M Road within our right
[1:41:50] of way we're gonna build, we're gonna maintain
[1:41:53] and like we're just letting you know
[1:41:55] and I think like it's good for the community
[1:41:57] but like there is not really much for us to ask for
[1:42:02] but if we do anything non-motorized,
[1:42:04] like whether it's a sidewalk or the non-motorized path,
[1:42:07] we can build it.
[1:42:08] So there would not be any upfront investment for you
[1:42:10] because there would not be any capital like investment from
[1:42:14] you that would be coming from the
[1:42:15] state or the federal grant.
[1:42:17] But once we build it,
[1:42:19] the maintenance will be the responsibility of the community.
[1:42:22] Whether it's the K township
[1:42:23] or the party goes to city of Kalamazoo
[1:42:25] or the Kalamazoo Charter Township, wherever it is,
[1:42:28] the maintenance is going to be the responsibility
[1:42:31] of the local communities.
[1:42:32] So we want to be upfront about it
[1:42:34] and see like if you are willing to
[1:42:39] really move forward with that
[1:42:41] because I do not want to chase the money and then find it
[1:42:45] and then later like see like the maintenance like part like
[1:42:47] you are not either willing or able to do it.
[1:42:50] So we don't want to do that.
[1:42:52] So we need the confidence
[1:42:54] and the buy-in from the local communities
[1:42:56] before we try to do that.
[1:42:57] And it's kinda like one of our criteria
[1:42:59] once we are really submitting our proposal, we want to say
[1:43:02] that like at least like we have the
[1:43:04] commitment from the local communities.
[1:43:05] So in a nutshell this is like where we are at.
[1:43:08] Like we want to know that like you see the value in it
[1:43:13] and you have the commitment
[1:43:15] and like right now we are not looking
[1:43:16] for any legal com commitments or anything.
[1:43:18] I mean once you get to the point like definitely there would
[1:43:20] be some legal agreement that you would be maintaining that
[1:43:23] and it's like very standard.
[1:43:24] We work with all the communities for that like
[1:43:27] for sidewalk and non-motorized pathway.
[1:43:29] But definitely we can, if there is any question
[1:43:32] or concerns like we can figure this out as we go.
[1:43:35] I'm very confident that that should go pretty smoothly
[1:43:37] with a standard procedure.
[1:43:39] But yeah first of all to chase that money
[1:43:42] for your community, for our community, I wanna know
[1:43:45] that like at least like you have buy-in
[1:43:48] and like you're seeing the value in it.
[1:43:50] So
[1:43:51] Yeah, and so how we got to this point is I had reached out
[1:43:55] actually when I was campaigning to the Mdot team
[1:43:57] to talk about Gall Road.
[1:43:59] We are talking tonight about taxes
[1:44:01] and there's the expenditures and there's the revenues
[1:44:05] and as the world's costs are increasing and,
[1:44:07] and we're maintaining, you know just trying to stay afloat
[1:44:11] with Millages that stay the same
[1:44:13] as the world's costs are increasing.
[1:44:15] One way to get past that would be to accelerate revenues
[1:44:19] and Gall road's a great place to do
[1:44:21] that per our master plan.
[1:44:23] We wouldn't be encroaching on the rural character,
[1:44:25] the community, there's a lot of development potential
[1:44:28] but there's also a lot of traffic speed, traffic concern,
[1:44:31] traffic safety and how do we put the ME pedal
[1:44:33] to the metal on Gall Road and really hammer down
[1:44:36] and do some development.
[1:44:37] So that's where we started with this conversation.
[1:44:40] Then we got into a traffic impact study
[1:44:43] and where that traffic impact study is happening.
[1:44:45] We talked about better ways with Comstock Township,
[1:44:49] how we can communicate
[1:44:50] with MDOT when we're doing proposals such
[1:44:52] as we identified some gaps with Chick-fil-A
[1:44:56] and seven Brew coffee
[1:44:57] where there could have been a little bit more synergy.
[1:44:59] And so now working with the planning
[1:45:01] and zoning director Clerk Lawrence on the Planning
[1:45:05] Commission, that's already gonna be in the standards
[1:45:09] of the inner working of continuity between making sure
[1:45:12] that everybody's aligned with, with what's going on.
[1:45:15] So today when we talked we talked about the standards
[1:45:19] of some of the things that they're already doing,
[1:45:22] but in addition, this proposal for us tonight would be
[1:45:26] to show our interest to get the bicycle lanes off of, off
[1:45:31] of the main road into its own separate lane
[1:45:34] or potentially a sidewalk.
[1:45:36] And that does align with
[1:45:37] what we have set forth in the master plan.
[1:45:40] So if anybody has any questions for Brandon, Trustee Hart?
[1:45:46] None at this time. Trustee MS
[1:45:50] Does this apply to the,
[1:45:54] the right hand turn on sprinkle?
[1:45:58] Does what apply? I'm not sure the question, sorry.
[1:46:01] This discussion. Oh yeah, well I've talked about it
[1:46:05] and I've asked about it
[1:46:06] before that I, I personally believe when you're traveling
[1:46:10] I think north on Sprinkle Road
[1:46:12] and you come to Gull Road that I would like to see
[1:46:15] the right hand turn red stop that
[1:46:19] because then it would break up the traffic a little more.
[1:46:22] I mean try to make a left hand turn out
[1:46:23] of out of McDonald's.
[1:46:24] Yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah.
[1:46:27] So we are looking into different access management as well.
[1:46:31] So when I'm saying access management, like we're trying
[1:46:33] to see how can we have less driveways
[1:46:37] and have like lesser access points
[1:46:39] because the more the access point,
[1:46:40] the more conflicts, right?
[1:46:42] So it's not just only for the McDonalds like
[1:46:44] for other businesses as well.
[1:46:45] It's a little bit difficult to do business already
[1:46:48] who are enjoying their own driveways.
[1:46:50] They're not willing to give up, right?
[1:46:51] But we are looking at it as a whole
[1:46:53] and we have a road project coming in 2029 so
[1:46:58] probably there will be some opportunities at that time.
[1:47:00] Like right now I just cannot like really say like
[1:47:03] what are those possibilities are?
[1:47:05] This is like more like as the time comes in, like we have
[1:47:09] to have those conversations and see like where does it go
[1:47:11] and it can get legal and all this kinda stuff.
[1:47:14] And like, not that we don't have the experience of doing it,
[1:47:16] it's just a rigorous pro process.
[1:47:19] Like we did that in West Maine.
[1:47:20] Like as you see, like we kind of really try to get rid
[1:47:23] of a lot of driveways or try to make it like more
[1:47:26] consolidated so like multiple business can use like
[1:47:29] one driveways.
[1:47:30] But right now again, like we have some ideas
[1:47:34] but nothing concrete
[1:47:36] And tonight would be talking about if we were to add
[1:47:39] that secondary non-motorized path or a and
[1:47:42] or a sidewalk that then we would have to show the interest
[1:47:46] of the commitment, then we would need to figure out how
[1:47:49] to maintain them so they would do the capital
[1:47:51] expenditure of getting it going.
[1:47:54] Possibly I could twist Brandon's arm on some sort
[1:47:56] of maintenance but we would likely have
[1:47:58] to maintain them from a, from a snow removal. Yeah.
[1:48:01] Yeah. And and this is competitive so like we're going like
[1:48:05] we are proposing something for this community again,
[1:48:07] like some of the people are competing
[1:48:09] for their communities, right?
[1:48:10] So when we're doing it, that's why like your buyin
[1:48:12] so important because if we don't have
[1:48:14] that like we're already losing it.
[1:48:16] So other communities, if they are have like full buy-in,
[1:48:18] they can sell it better
[1:48:20] to wherever the money is coming from, right?
[1:48:22] So that's like all we are trying to do here
[1:48:24] to see like if there is any confidence
[1:48:27] from the local communities. For us Clerk
[1:48:29] Lawrence, I would be fully in favor of this.
[1:48:33] I think that we, you know, again, we have best,
[1:48:35] we potentially have funding coming in.
[1:48:38] We've heard from the residents
[1:48:39] that they're not excited about the a hundred acres
[1:48:43] being given back to the township for green space.
[1:48:46] But this does follow into our master plan of providing ease
[1:48:49] of transportation, walkability, et cetera.
[1:48:52] And I think this is a way, I think there might be a way
[1:48:55] to utilize some of those funds if it comes down
[1:48:58] to maintaining, you know, maintaining this
[1:49:00] that residents have a benefit.
[1:49:02] If it requires us to have, you know,
[1:49:04] have our maintenance folks out there snowplowing a,
[1:49:07] a walkway in the wintertime,
[1:49:10] that's probably a really great use of some of those funds
[1:49:12] and it, it will make things safer for our community.
[1:49:16] It will make things
[1:49:17] and it potentially will help development in that area
[1:49:20] because as a business, you know, having the ability
[1:49:23] for people to safely move
[1:49:24] and walk from business to business, we,
[1:49:27] we can potentially accelerate growth.
[1:49:29] So I think it's, it's a win-win.
[1:49:31] We also talked about, you know,
[1:49:33] our last meeting we had Chief Deputy Bishop
[1:49:36] and I asked the question about how many
[1:49:38] of our calls were to Gall Road.
[1:49:41] So we're also talking about police coverage in our community
[1:49:45] and a large portion of our police
[1:49:48] and public safety needs hit those main access points.
[1:49:51] And so if we can make them safer potentially we lessen the
[1:49:55] burden of that police work there,
[1:49:57] which will then infuse it back into our communities as well.
[1:50:01] So I see this as a huge win.
[1:50:04] Thank you Clerk Lawrence. Trustee Van Bruen. Yeah.
[1:50:07] Would so would this be,
[1:50:08] and I hear a couple things is would it be like a lane
[1:50:11] reassignment or would it like they
[1:50:14] did downtown with a bike lane?
[1:50:16] I'm not about that. So that, that that's
[1:50:18] what we're trying to not do here.
[1:50:20] We're trying to get bicycle outta the road.
[1:50:23] I figured they were going to eat me up for bringing
[1:50:24] that. So, so,
[1:50:26] So it's possible a, a road widening project to put a lane
[1:50:30] or the sidewalk is
[1:50:32] What you're Saying?
[1:50:33] It's sidewalk and the non-motorized pathway.
[1:50:35] Sidewalk again between the sprinkle and 26th Street. Okay.
[1:50:37] And the non-motorized pathway is, I just wanted to be clear
[1:50:40] to the west of the sprinkle.
[1:50:41] Okay there might be some road widening at the intersection
[1:50:45] of Sprinkle and Gold Road
[1:50:48] as you probably already have experienced, like
[1:50:50] how difficult it is to make the left turn the
[1:50:52] westbound to southbound.
[1:50:54] So going to the east
[1:50:56] and then making the left turn to sprinkle is difficult.
[1:50:59] So we are trying to see like if we can have dual left lane
[1:51:03] there and again like these are all like modeled
[1:51:07] and studied like we don't have any money now.
[1:51:09] We are trying, we're trying to chase for it
[1:51:12] and trying to find this money to make that happen.
[1:51:14] Yeah. But yeah, other than that like no,
[1:51:16] no other road expansion. Okay.
[1:51:18] And currently the bike lane is in the, in the road lane.
[1:51:22] In the lane. It's in the road, yes.
[1:51:23] And it's 55 50 miles per hour and this is totally unsafe
[1:51:27] and that's what we're seeing like seven bicycle
[1:51:29] crashes in five years
[1:51:31] And one was fatal.
[1:51:32] I'm hearing a lot of of people from Pavilion come
[1:51:35] to me right now in Comstock about Kilgore Road by Pavilion
[1:51:40] where the bus stops in the middle of Kilgore Road
[1:51:43] to let all the kids out.
[1:51:45] Anytime we can get children bicyclers,
[1:51:48] anybody off the road is safe for everybody.
[1:51:51] So yeah, I'm a hundred percent supporting this. Thank
[1:51:53] You.
[1:51:54] Trustee paver, is that
[1:51:57] what the map's for or what do you got that's,
[1:51:58] We don't have it some. Yeah I think we have some.
[1:52:01] Yeah. Can we bring that up? Yes.
[1:52:07] Again, these are very preliminary as I mentioned,
[1:52:09] just concept at this point it's gonna show
[1:52:14] where we are kind of like
[1:52:16] Propos in and you're suggesting this here
[1:52:20] or this is when this is already,
[1:52:23] this is already, this is already current
[1:52:24] yours. You're all on
[1:52:25] This side.
[1:52:26] These are all like yeah we are proposing
[1:52:27] like what, where it can go.
[1:52:29] Yes. And so, and just to confirm
[1:52:34] that the sidewalks are not actually maintained
[1:52:36] by the township.
[1:52:37] The sidewalks are maintained by the
[1:52:38] businesses that they sit in front of.
[1:52:43] So the sidewalks
[1:52:44] Would be our initial responsibility.
[1:52:46] But there are ordinances
[1:52:48] that different municipalities put in place
[1:52:50] to make the sidewalks the
[1:52:51] responsibility of the property owner. Okay.
[1:52:53] So yeah, like in Portage,
[1:52:55] in AMO I believe recently just did that. Yes.
[1:52:58] So it is something that can be done. Yes.
[1:52:59] Okay. Potential can be done for Visa one as well.
[1:53:02] Sure, sure, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[1:53:04] We get a lot of interest in that I'm sure. Okay.
[1:53:08] So I just wanted to see where it is.
[1:53:09] You had this nice thing here so I wanted to see it.
[1:53:12] And then on this side as well.
[1:53:14] Yeah, this side as well. So actually this is like both are
[1:53:16] showing on the south side,
[1:53:17] these are like two different segments.
[1:53:19] So one is from sprinkle two all the way to Sunnyside Drive
[1:53:23] and then rest is from Sunnyside Drive to big speed.
[1:53:26] Yeah. And we are showing in two different segments just
[1:53:29] because the speed drops after Sunnyside Drive
[1:53:32] and also we are seeing less bicycle crashes there.
[1:53:35] Yes. Again, if there is not enough appetite, maybe we go
[1:53:39] with only one or maybe we get the money
[1:53:41] to do only one segment at this point and get the money
[1:53:44] and do the rest later.
[1:53:46] Okay. We're kind of trying
[1:53:47] to prioritize, you know. Sure. Just
[1:53:48] Based on is there two, can we, is there a way
[1:53:50] for us to get this and then
[1:53:52] We, we can stand, we can definitely send you the PD
[1:53:54] That would be great asked. Thank
[1:53:55] You.
[1:53:56] Yep. Okay.
[1:53:58] Anything further Trustee behavior? Nope.
[1:54:00] Treasurer Bloomfield?
[1:54:03] Yeah, I, I, I'm excited for this And
[1:54:08] also I just wanna say if Ben just met
[1:54:10] with you this afternoon, which I know he
[1:54:11] did 'cause he's always very busy.
[1:54:13] It is very impressive that you are here tonight. Yeah. Yeah.
[1:54:16] I just wanna say thank you and kudos to the three of you.
[1:54:19] I'm just very impressed with absolutely what you've done.
[1:54:23] Yep. Absolutely. We are trying to build that relationship
[1:54:25] and see like if there is any gaps, like if we can bridge
[1:54:28] that gap so like, you know, we can work together and we're
[1:54:31] Ready.
[1:54:32] Thank you. Yep. I appreciate the time.
[1:54:35] I appreciate the opportunity.
[1:54:37] I look forward to developing Gall Road
[1:54:38] and obviously making it safer
[1:54:41] and I'm in full support of supporting our master plan.
[1:54:44] Any further board discussion? Trustee Amos?
[1:54:48] I would just like to make a comment for. Yep.
[1:54:51] For those who do not know,
[1:54:53] the state police sets the speed limit
[1:54:56] and you don't wanna ask about the speed limit.
[1:54:58] We did years ago and they did a study
[1:55:01] and they have this thing called 80 percentile
[1:55:04] and 80% of the people were doing over the speed limit.
[1:55:07] So they raised the speed limit when
[1:55:09] we really wanted to lower.
[1:55:10] So don't complain about speed limit.
[1:55:12] Thank you Trustee. A Mrs. Trustee Hart,
[1:55:14] Am I allowed to ask a question?
[1:55:16] Yes sir. For the M-M-D-O-T expert other than Gulf Road
[1:55:20] within in the township?
[1:55:22] Yeah, Sure, sure. Yeah.
[1:55:24] Are you aware of, are there any plans, studies or
[1:55:28] otherwise regarding 35th Street
[1:55:31] overpass at 94?
[1:55:36] Do you have anything Here?
[1:55:37] Yes, we actually, I, hi everyone, I'm, I'm traffic and
[1:55:42] Safety in here. So I come
[1:55:44] To the podium.
[1:55:45] Will you take the podium for us?
[1:55:48] It's recorded so this way public
[1:55:50] watching from home can hear.
[1:55:52] I'm just shorter that, so yeah,
[1:55:55] I received some complaint on, on that
[1:55:58] and we looked into that corridor
[1:56:02] and I'm, we are aware of that as the safety issue
[1:56:05] and like, so yeah, the delays,
[1:56:08] and this is in our, this is something
[1:56:10] that we are gonna investigate further.
[1:56:13] We are planning to do an operation study for that segment
[1:56:16] as well to see if there is something that can be done.
[1:56:21] But as Badden mentioned, these corridors
[1:56:26] or segments, these are the locations that based on the
[1:56:29] public feedback or crash or
[1:56:33] or safety issues because we are checking into crashes
[1:56:36] as well where we do have severe crashes
[1:56:39] and based on that, these locations will be selected
[1:56:42] and also delays and then it'll be submitted
[1:56:46] for fundings and stuff.
[1:56:47] So that's these segments for the,
[1:56:51] for like sidewalk
[1:56:52] and also bike path has been also selected based on the
[1:56:56] safety issues that we have observed.
[1:56:59] And it is more than like $2 million
[1:57:03] that we are going to propose for these segments
[1:57:06] to see if there is, if we can get that project
[1:57:11] to just do this improvement.
[1:57:12] But that is also something that we, it is in our list. Yeah.
[1:57:16] To just see if there is any improvement that can
[1:57:18] Be done there as well.
[1:57:19] Is that your concern? Is more about the delay there at the
[1:57:22] interchange or is there any specific concern?
[1:57:26] Well, I don't have official records,
[1:57:31] but that is an extremely hazardous intersection.
[1:57:35] There's north and southbound traffic. Yeah.
[1:57:37] There are exit and entry ramps both ways.
[1:57:41] Sight lines are not very good
[1:57:43] and with the added residential units in the area,
[1:57:47] it is very, very crowded. Yeah.
[1:57:49] Yeah. So it's congested for sure.
[1:57:53] Yeah we have, we're we're gonna look into it
[1:57:55] because that's what like we were talking about.
[1:57:57] Yeah. Like to, like what may we have
[1:57:59] to do like hire consultants
[1:58:01] and do the study like what we did for Gold Road
[1:58:04] or we might do it in house.
[1:58:06] It'll take a little bit of like time
[1:58:08] and effort for us to do it.
[1:58:12] A tricky key to actually do anything of those interchanges.
[1:58:15] Like I know like these are done like, like probably 50,
[1:58:17] 60 years ago and the traffic has changed.
[1:58:19] Yeah. Like significantly. But again, like any, any time
[1:58:23] to do any changes with the freeway interchange,
[1:58:25] like these are like a really big investment.
[1:58:27] Yeah. And a lot of time, like the template money
[1:58:30] that we have, like from year to year, these are like,
[1:58:33] it's not gonna cover any of this.
[1:58:35] So we have to find a different source.
[1:58:38] But again, even before that, like we need to find out
[1:58:40] what would be the right fix for that interchange.
[1:58:43] And we are on it, we are, we are aware of it
[1:58:46] and we're gonna look into it.
[1:58:48] That's probably gonna happen next year sometime,
[1:58:50] like when we'll be able to do the study again
[1:58:53] to do the study to find out what's wrong
[1:58:55] and what the possible solution is. Yeah.
[1:58:57] The problem is that the construction
[1:58:59] but the, the ramps are not aligned so that's tricky
[1:59:02] to turn left and yeah, we are aware of that issue as well.
[1:59:05] As Benon said, it's on in our list to look Yeah.
[1:59:09] Study further. But,
[1:59:11] So on this wood, if we don't have any further questions
[1:59:14] we'd be looking for
[1:59:16] and if you guys would support this, be looking for a motion
[1:59:21] to support the MO proposal for Gall road, would
[1:59:25] that be specific enough or is there a study?
[1:59:28] I would say it like for any non-motorized improvements,
[1:59:30] if we install, like are you agree to maintain it like
[1:59:35] when, if and when it is installed
[1:59:38] And this is kind of the informal stage of Yes absolutely.
[1:59:42] Teeing you up to, to go further. Correct.
[1:59:44] And then there would be a proposal
[1:59:45] and some formality, some linear length.
[1:59:47] Yes. And then some time to explore cost
[1:59:50] and see perhaps Yeah.
[1:59:52] Where our equipment, what we have right. In order to do it.
[1:59:54] So this would just get them started.
[1:59:56] So I'd be looking for a motion
[1:59:58] to support the MO proposal for non-motorized.
[2:00:02] I will make that motion to support that the
[2:00:06] MDOT study
[2:00:08] Support.
[2:00:09] Do we need to specify though in the motion that we would
[2:00:14] I think like if you can just specify
[2:00:15] that like you are in support of the maintenance again,
[2:00:18] like if and when it is installed.
[2:00:21] Yeah. That way like that's like all we kinda need.
[2:00:24] There's no question to kinda go and submit our proposal.
[2:00:27] Yes.
[2:00:28] Alright. I will amend the motion then that we
[2:00:31] support the study of non-motorized conditions.
[2:00:35] Not the study at this point.
[2:00:36] Like we are kind of down in the study, we just like trying
[2:00:39] to find the fund to really install it,
[2:00:41] The maintenance of It.
[2:00:43] Okay. How that we support the study of the maintenance Yes.
[2:00:47] Of those no throwaways,
[2:00:48] but how do we know what our, the cap's gonna be on this
[2:00:51] Thing so that we're just teeing him up to get started.
[2:00:54] Right. And then more formality
[2:00:56] before we make a solid legal binding commitment.
[2:00:58] This is a non-binding commitment. Absolutely. Tonight.
[2:01:01] Absolutely. It's just to gauge interest
[2:01:03] to get started. Yes. So
[2:01:04] That's what I want.
[2:01:05] There'll be a contract when, like when it formally
[2:01:08] comes forward, there'll be a contract for you to sign
[2:01:12] for maintenance of the non-motorized pathway. Correct?
[2:01:16] Yes. I make a motion support.
[2:01:19] I think you already have one. Is that motion satisfactory?
[2:01:23] Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
[2:01:24] Like if I can get a copy of these like,
[2:01:26] and like we're gonna just attach it to our proposal.
[2:01:29] I'm a little unclear what the motion is. Yeah, exactly.
[2:01:31] Lets, let's try
[2:01:33] to clear up a little and I have to put that in minutes.
[2:01:34] It's, it's not necessarily a study.
[2:01:37] I would be looking for the MDOT proposal on gall road
[2:01:40] for the non-motorized lanes and with a, with a maintenance
[2:01:44] And support of the maintenance agreement. Yep.
[2:01:46] Or supportive. If you wanna try that one, Trustee Hart.
[2:01:49] Alright, my amended motion will be
[2:01:52] for the MDOT coach me along here.
[2:01:57] Proposal. Proposal for the maintenance
[2:02:00] of the new thorough affairs on gall road, on
[2:02:02] Non-motorized pathway, On non-motorized
[2:02:05] Of non-motorized thorough affairs on gall road
[2:02:08] Support Motion made by Trustee Hart.
[2:02:10] Supported by Clerk Lawrence. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
[2:02:15] Opposed? Motion passes.
[2:02:16] Thank you guys very much for your time.
[2:02:18] Look forward to working with ya. I appreci. Thank you.
[2:02:19] Thank you. Okay, we're moving along
[2:02:21] to Planning Commission appointment in the packet.
[2:02:24] I have the application for Mary McDermot.
[2:02:27] We have one seat available on the Planning Commission.
[2:02:30] The Planning Commission is a board of seven
[2:02:33] Mary and her career.
[2:02:36] She doesn't align with what everybody else is doing,
[2:02:38] so she brings a different perspective to the board.
[2:02:42] There was the battery energy storage proposal
[2:02:44] that was in front of the township board and,
[2:02:47] and right at that time
[2:02:48] where we were gonna appoint a new person,
[2:02:50] I just thought it would be appropriate to wait for
[2:02:52] that project to pass.
[2:02:54] Now we are on to working on moratorium for data centers,
[2:02:58] moratorium for solar,
[2:02:59] other developments and things like that.
[2:03:01] And I think that Mary would bring a great,
[2:03:05] great experience to the Planning Commission.
[2:03:07] So is there any board questions?
[2:03:12] If there are no questions, I'd be looking for a motion.
[2:03:16] I'm gonna make a comment and then
[2:03:17] I'll make a motion for you.
[2:03:19] We also had the opportunity to interview Mary
[2:03:22] for the Trustee positions as well.
[2:03:24] So just got, I got a little bit of exposure
[2:03:28] and we had a lot of good commentary.
[2:03:30] I think she was on, you know, a lot of shortlists for,
[2:03:34] for Trustee spots too.
[2:03:36] So I would welcome her to
[2:03:40] helping with township leadership.
[2:03:42] So all of that said, I move that we accept the
[2:03:47] Planning Commission appointment of Mary McDermot
[2:03:50] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported
[2:03:53] by Trustee Amos.
[2:03:55] Any board discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye.
[2:03:59] Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Congratulations Mary.
[2:04:03] Look forward to working with ya. Moving along to the city
[2:04:08] of Kalamazoo public services properties, forest
[2:04:10] and deer management discussion and possible action.
[2:04:13] Jean, thank you for sitting with us through this meeting.
[2:04:15] Appreciate you coming this evening. Well,
[2:04:17] Thank you for putting us on your agenda.
[2:04:19] I appreciate it. Director Baker could not make it.
[2:04:22] He did wanna be here, so we apologize for that.
[2:04:26] I'm here asking on behalf of the city of Kalamazoo public
[2:04:31] Services department to go ahead with our deer
[2:04:34] and forest management plan that we presented the last
[2:04:40] board meeting and we prevented or we
[2:04:44] provided the q and a that you were asking for.
[2:04:48] I consolidated all the questions that we have been receiving
[2:04:52] and I think I covered anything that came to us.
[2:04:56] So at this point,
[2:04:59] Yeah, and, and just to bring the board up to speed,
[2:05:02] when I was approached on this topic being that, oh,
[2:05:05] about a year and a half ago
[2:05:06] or so, we had some topics of PFAS and some water studies
[2:05:09] and some samples in that, in, in the, I would say the kinda
[2:05:16] north area of 30th Street near some greenhouses.
[2:05:21] There I was, I was brought forward this proposal
[2:05:25] of forestry management
[2:05:27] and I thought it would just be a good insight
[2:05:29] to the community, bring it forth
[2:05:30] to the board in case anybody was asking, you know,
[2:05:33] if there's logging equipment,
[2:05:34] if there's trucks, what's going on?
[2:05:35] Are we drilling new wells? Are we building new houses?
[2:05:38] What's going on? So I wanted them to bring it forward more
[2:05:42] for the actual physical labor
[2:05:45] and the work that would be done.
[2:05:46] But to my surprise, more
[2:05:49] of the concern was for the deer hunting.
[2:05:52] And I understand that if you do clear some canopies
[2:05:56] for new growth of saplings, if you have deer after 'em
[2:05:59] and there's a, a high population
[2:06:02] of deer in the area supported by the DNR,
[2:06:05] basically they would allow public safety.
[2:06:07] And I did get some, quite a few phone calls from the
[2:06:09] Sheriff's Department of Interest to be able to hunt there.
[2:06:13] It wouldn't be open reigns for anybody
[2:06:15] to be able to hunt there.
[2:06:17] They would have an assigned tree stand.
[2:06:18] They would work with Gene
[2:06:20] and Director Baker to be assigned a hunting spot
[2:06:24] and a permit, if you will.
[2:06:26] And if you are not in line and you are not vetted
[2:06:30] or validated, you'll have to answer to the DNR.
[2:06:32] And so I would say if this is something
[2:06:35] that the DNR supports,
[2:06:37] I personally have no problem with that.
[2:06:38] I understand that if, if you want new growth on trees,
[2:06:42] like you've gotta do something to manage.
[2:06:45] I also friends with the farmer
[2:06:48] and he didn't chew my head off about this idea.
[2:06:51] So I think he, I would've heard about it if so. So
[2:06:58] Any questions?
[2:06:59] I would like to mention one more thing because
[2:07:00] of the public comments that we got
[2:07:02] and the safety issues with the hunting,
[2:07:07] where there are public walking trails,
[2:07:10] we have excluded the walking trails completely from
[2:07:12] the deer management area.
[2:07:14] So there there'll be no conflict there.
[2:07:16] But we will be posting, if you don't mind me showing you,
[2:07:19] these are some of our draft hunting type signs.
[2:07:23] And it says that walkers should stay on the hiking trails.
[2:07:27] There's QR code out there.
[2:07:29] You can always find out where you are and how to get back.
[2:07:32] There should be no real reason for anyone
[2:07:34] to stay off the hiking trails.
[2:07:35] And then the deer hunters themselves will have to go to,
[2:07:39] through the pre mandatory kind of a little class
[2:07:43] and vetting that we put on that, make sure
[2:07:45] that they know all of our rules.
[2:07:47] So basically it's a, a regular deer hunt,
[2:07:49] like on any non-city property, but we have extra regulations
[2:07:54] and we're extra cautious about that.
[2:07:56] And to be clear, this is not township owned property.
[2:07:59] This property is located within township property within
[2:08:02] Comstock Township,
[2:08:03] but owned by the city of Kalamazoo. Are there any questions?
[2:08:08] No, but I, Trustee Amos
[2:08:12] There, there are other places that they do this there
[2:08:16] where there are walking trails and they allow hunting
[2:08:19] and it has worked very well.
[2:08:21] You haven't heard of anybody getting shot
[2:08:23] or anything within the last few years?
[2:08:25] I know people who have done this.
[2:08:27] My neighbor down the street, he,
[2:08:28] he hunts the, some of the property.
[2:08:31] And this goes on, has went on
[2:08:33] for quite a while and it's been safe.
[2:08:35] No one has been hurt that I have ever
[2:08:36] Heard of Trustee Hart, do we know where the city
[2:08:40] of Kalamazoo stands on this Jean?
[2:08:44] You wanna, would you enlighten Trustee Hart?
[2:08:46] Where do you, where's your stance? Well,
[2:08:48] I'm not gonna be able to
[2:08:50] explain this the way Director Baker could,
[2:08:52] but all of this is tied
[2:08:54] to the Comstock Well head protection
[2:08:57] program and the ordinance.
[2:08:59] And that is in line with the city also has the same type of
[2:09:05] of ordinance and it protects the well fields.
[2:09:08] And of course, this is a active,
[2:09:10] well field pumping active well field.
[2:09:13] So, and then higher than that is more of a, the,
[2:09:17] the U-P-C-U-P-S, I'm sorry, UPC, sorry,
[2:09:20] UPCI
[2:09:22] Don't attend them very often, so kind of confusing for me.
[2:09:26] But they oversee higher than just the city
[2:09:29] of Kalamazoo or Comstock.
[2:09:31] So they're all the jurisdictions that are tied
[2:09:34] to the city's drinking water supply.
[2:09:37] And through that, this all fits in
[2:09:39] with our wellhead protection plan.
[2:09:42] We have a plan, you guys have, we are under your
[2:09:45] Comstock Township ordinance.
[2:09:48] So improving the property, again, we are going through the
[2:09:53] Forest Michigan Faucet program, which is housed by the DNR.
[2:09:57] And that is a whole series of ways
[2:10:01] of improving the property.
[2:10:04] The trees with deep root systems, the wetlands
[2:10:07] with deep root systems, all of those lead
[2:10:09] to better water quality.
[2:10:11] So it's a whole program and they fully support
[2:10:13] us on what we've been doing.
[2:10:15] Like I said before, we started it
[2:10:17] before it was even a program by the state,
[2:10:19] and it was just basic common sense of what we need to do
[2:10:22] to improve our large tracks of land.
[2:10:24] They've really been just neglected for a very long time
[2:10:28] and it's very obvious.
[2:10:31] Thank you. Any further questions?
[2:10:34] No. So does Kalamazoo need to ascent to this also,
[2:10:39] in addition to Comstock?
[2:10:41] The, the plans were approved
[2:10:44] by the former city manager or mayor?
[2:10:47] No manager, sorry. So that's as far as we have to do
[2:10:51] because this is outside of the city of Kalamazoo.
[2:10:53] Okay. It's not tied to the urban Deer Management plan. So
[2:10:56] Already approved.
[2:10:58] Yes. Claire Florence? No questions.
[2:11:03] Treasurer Bloomfield? I have nothing. Trustee Paver?
[2:11:07] No comment. Trustee Van Bru Again,
[2:11:09] Only thing I wanna say is was, you know,
[2:11:11] looking at this map, and I do know that area
[2:11:13] and deer are prevalent back there,
[2:11:15] and I know there is a concern about hunting
[2:11:17] and safety and I understand that.
[2:11:18] And what I'll say is,
[2:11:20] at least the way they're vetting this, we know who's in that woods.
[2:11:24] I mean, that's one thing to consider too.
[2:11:25] 'cause I'm sure I own property in our own woods
[2:11:29] and I've kicked people off my land more times than not.
[2:11:31] But at least this way, you know who's back there and,
[2:11:34] and who's, who's back there doing it.
[2:11:36] So that's all I have to say.
[2:11:37] I appreciate the good due diligence.
[2:11:39] If there are no further board questions, I'd be looking
[2:11:42] for a motion to support this project.
[2:11:47] Move to support the city
[2:11:49] of Kalamas Public Services Properties,
[2:11:51] forest and Deer Management
[2:11:53] Support Motion made by Trustee Van Bruen,
[2:11:57] supported by Trustee Paver.
[2:11:58] All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion Passes.
[2:12:01] Thank you very much for your time and,
[2:12:03] and commitment to putting that stuff together for us. Thank
[2:12:07] You very much. You
[2:12:08] Are waiting all this long.
[2:12:11] Moving along to Employee Navigator integration.
[2:12:15] I was just, you know, kind of going through things, talking
[2:12:19] with our representative for our healthcare plan,
[2:12:22] onboarding new employees and, and working with employees.
[2:12:25] I noticed that we were just straight on paperwork.
[2:12:28] And so when open enrollment comes around it's paperwork
[2:12:31] and who has it and when it's time for renewals,
[2:12:34] where's our employee census?
[2:12:36] And then as well as the data that goes behind
[2:12:38] that employee census.
[2:12:39] It's, it's not only just the age of the employees,
[2:12:42] but it's the age of the individuals that are encompassed
[2:12:45] of the families and then the plans.
[2:12:48] So this employee navigator brings forth a lot of data
[2:12:51] and metrics, not only for us if we so choose
[2:12:54] to use them, but for our provider.
[2:12:56] And it makes it a little bit,
[2:12:59] a little bit more streamlined for changes.
[2:13:02] And what I would like to propose to the board is
[2:13:04] that we support the Employee Navigator
[2:13:07] integration in the packet.
[2:13:10] I have the cost, it is 65 cents per employee per month.
[2:13:15] The date quoted is
[2:13:17] 1349.4.
[2:13:21] And with, with integration of the Health Savings Plan
[2:13:25] and payroll, this will be able to streamline processes
[2:13:28] and also take the human element out of
[2:13:31] mis clicking anything.
[2:13:32] And as well as if we embark on the journey
[2:13:34] where we have employees enroll in multiple plans,
[2:13:37] it would be able to sync right up with payroll.
[2:13:40] And for 65 cents per employee per month,
[2:13:43] I would be in support of this.
[2:13:46] Any board questions? No. I would just say that I, I agree.
[2:13:50] This is just a continuation of us. Yes.
[2:13:54] Improving efficiency and saving costs
[2:13:56] and something that this is going to do is going
[2:13:59] to save on personnel cost
[2:14:00] of not having to touch this so many times.
[2:14:02] And so I'm in favor of it. Trustee Van Bruen.
[2:14:07] Yeah. Is there an annual increase
[2:14:09] and do we know how much their maximum
[2:14:11] annual increase can be on the Deuce?
[2:14:12] Yeah, I mean, I didn't see one in there.
[2:14:14] That's the only reason I ask
[2:14:16] This is with Mercantile.
[2:14:18] So a banking institution that works with the Isol platform
[2:14:23] and then Employee Navigator is just something
[2:14:26] that we can utilize with our, our benefits.
[2:14:30] And so we haven't, they haven't proposed anything.
[2:14:34] I don't know exactly where they're heading with it,
[2:14:36] but we can choose
[2:14:38] because it's per month,
[2:14:40] we can choose at some point if it becomes not cost,
[2:14:44] you know, if it's cost prohibitive, we can not do it.
[2:14:47] So it'd be any increase would be coming
[2:14:49] through our current plans with Mercantile Bank
[2:14:51] and the, the system we're using outside for the healthcare.
[2:14:55] And yeah, we have Employee
[2:14:56] navigator with healthcare, right?
[2:14:57] Yes. And then we have Isol for, for payroll.
[2:15:01] And this would integrate. It. Integrate. Perfect.
[2:15:03] Okay. Treasurer Bloomfield, how long is the contract?
[2:15:07] This is month to month. Yeah, month to month. Very good.
[2:15:10] I'm good. Thank you. Clerk Lawrence?
[2:15:12] Yeah, just also I solved our, our payroll
[2:15:15] platform is also through Mercantile.
[2:15:17] So this, to be honest, removing some of the,
[2:15:20] the potential hell, the potential human element of
[2:15:25] mis clicking or misal, I think is a huge advantage to
[2:15:31] making our payroll process simpler.
[2:15:34] And I am, I really like the ability for us
[2:15:38] to offer the benefit package options
[2:15:42] and this makes that much smoother.
[2:15:43] Otherwise we're gonna complicate that.
[2:15:45] And we're gonna spend far more than 65 cents per employee
[2:15:51] trying to, to deposit money in four different places
[2:15:56] to make sure everyone's taken care of.
[2:15:58] Thank you. Clerk Lawrence. Trustee Amos.
[2:16:01] I would support this. I think it's a good plan.
[2:16:03] Trustee Hart.
[2:16:06] I would support it also. And no further comment.
[2:16:08] Thank you. I'd be looking for an motion for
[2:16:13] the township to have the Employee navigator
[2:16:15] integration with IOL Isol.
[2:16:19] I move that we approve the use
[2:16:23] of employee navigator integration.
[2:16:25] I think it's the orange package through isol
[2:16:30] Support Motion made by Clerk Lawrence,
[2:16:32] supported by Trustee Hart.
[2:16:34] All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?
[2:16:36] Motion passes moving along to Tustin's revised parking lot.
[2:16:40] Full repair, full quote and discussion and possible action.
[2:16:45] So in the packet we have the,
[2:16:52] The quote, this is one of the things that was on my desk
[2:16:57] as to the township made some changes
[2:16:59] and the maintenance, the maintenance manager
[2:17:03] of the township properties, we got together,
[2:17:05] we talked about it and we looked at different
[2:17:08] parts of the parking lot.
[2:17:09] So we intercepted something else
[2:17:12] that was already in the works.
[2:17:14] And so we got a second proposal
[2:17:16] and a proposal to just do the full parking lot.
[2:17:19] But what we didn't realize was that we just needed
[2:17:22] to understand where everybody was coming from.
[2:17:25] So we did a site walk through them,
[2:17:26] we clarified some questions for some drains
[2:17:29] and bringing forth to you would be a comprehensive
[2:17:33] altogether proposal of what it would cost in order
[2:17:36] to maintain the parking lot.
[2:17:38] $19,630.
[2:17:40] We have some drains that are
[2:17:43] from our maintenance snowplow division.
[2:17:46] That's rough on the snowplow, rough on the trucks.
[2:17:49] Also, we have some pretty big gaps out there in Washouts.
[2:17:53] I did get a quote for a brand new driveway, it'd be $60,000.
[2:17:57] So it'd be up to this board on
[2:17:58] how we would wanna move forward.
[2:18:00] But as of right now, the way things stand, I would recommend
[2:18:04] that we do the maintenance program,
[2:18:06] but I'm certainly not, you know, I I I would look
[2:18:11] to the board on their direction on whether
[2:18:13] or not we would wanna embark years later on a new driveway.
[2:18:18] But the concern is the, you know, in
[2:18:21] between the driveway's gonna get worse.
[2:18:23] And so that, that is my concern.
[2:18:26] Ultimately, I would love to save up
[2:18:28] for a new driveway entirely,
[2:18:30] but it's in pretty rough shape as it stands.
[2:18:33] And it's just at that, at that crest of like,
[2:18:36] if we don't repair it now, there's no going back.
[2:18:39] Trustee Hart,
[2:18:42] In your discussions with parking lot experts,
[2:18:46] how long could we expect this repair to last?
[2:18:50] Today we were talking and we,
[2:18:53] we could at least expect a good five to seven years from it.
[2:19:04] Anybody have an estimate in five or seven years?
[2:19:08] How much would a new lot cost?
[2:19:12] Probably a whole lot more than 60 K
[2:19:14] I'm sure it would be.
[2:19:16] Should we garner an estimate on that before we move forward?
[2:19:20] We, we did get a new quote
[2:19:21] for a brand new driveway from Jay Allen.
[2:19:24] It's $60,000.
[2:19:26] Yeah, I meant in the famous five or seven years.
[2:19:30] I gotcha. Well, it'd be in the rated
[2:19:32] of diesel fuel close to seven.
[2:19:33] I I can imagine Clerk Lawrence.
[2:19:37] I was just gonna say I, I don't know
[2:19:39] that they're gonna give us that,
[2:19:40] but I could assume that, you know,
[2:19:42] it's gonna go up quite significantly.
[2:19:44] So. But I, I know where your head's at
[2:19:48] 'cause I'm thinking the same thing.
[2:19:49] Right? Do you spend a third of it now to, in five
[2:19:53] to seven years potentially have, have it fail
[2:19:56] and either spend another third
[2:19:57] or do you just bite the bullet, get it fixed,
[2:20:01] and move on with life?
[2:20:02] And so I,
[2:20:05] I don't wanna sit up here and spend a whole bunch of money.
[2:20:07] We just told residents we're gonna try to lower,
[2:20:09] lower millage rates,
[2:20:10] but I think it's also about spending money smartly.
[2:20:13] And if we spend $20,000 now,
[2:20:18] gosh that feels,
[2:20:20] I don't know, that's a little painful.
[2:20:23] My wife uses the quote, buy once, cry once.
[2:20:27] And I I will, I'll just be honest with you,
[2:20:29] it is like there's some, there's some cracks out there that,
[2:20:32] you know, potential legal liability that
[2:20:34] that's a concern as well.
[2:20:37] I would not be opposed of tabling this.
[2:20:41] I don't think we have much time.
[2:20:43] If we wanna get it on the, on the agenda
[2:20:45] for the next board meeting, I think that would probably be
[2:20:47] with their year ending, we could have a discussion on some
[2:20:51] of this other stuff that could tee up to this
[2:20:54] and we could make the decision at the next board meeting on
[2:20:56] how we would wanna move forward.
[2:20:58] Unless there's just a consensus now
[2:21:00] that we would wanna do a repair Treasure Bloomfield,
[2:21:05] I would be for tabling this and bringing it back.
[2:21:08] I, with the businesses we've had, I've had enough experience
[2:21:12] with this and I would never have seen
[2:21:17] where a crack
[2:21:19] and seal coat is gonna last five to seven years.
[2:21:23] For me, it's every two years if I'm lucky.
[2:21:27] So I, yeah, I'd be for doing it right the first time
[2:21:32] and that would be spending the money,
[2:21:33] but I'd like to see another bid from them
[2:21:36] and from the other gentleman that quoted it.
[2:21:39] Yeah, I I never received that one back.
[2:21:41] So you didn't, Okay.
[2:21:43] And this was something that was on the desk.
[2:21:45] This is how this got queued up for, for me was it was one
[2:21:49] of the more, the recent pile of, of things on there.
[2:21:52] So Trustee paver,
[2:21:55] I would just say it would probably behoove us
[2:21:57] to make a decision sooner rather than later, regardless
[2:21:59] of whatever it is that we do so
[2:22:00] that we can get on the docket
[2:22:01] because at some point they won't be able to come and seal
[2:22:04] or do any work and that we are running out
[2:22:07] of, you know, daylight.
[2:22:08] So literally, so Trustee Van Bruen.
[2:22:13] Yeah, we usually have till about Thanksgiving,
[2:22:15] they shut the plants down for asphalt.
[2:22:18] So, and I, and I did walk part of it today.
[2:22:22] This is the industry I came from.
[2:22:24] So I'm kind of curious on a couple other things
[2:22:26] that are quote, anyways, it's not gonna get cheaper.
[2:22:30] I mean, we're getting to the point now
[2:22:31] where Asal is almost the same price as concrete
[2:22:34] and you can almost concrete that drive
[2:22:37] and have it for the rest of the time.
[2:22:39] This township buildings here for roughly the same price too.
[2:22:43] So I'd be interested in getting some quotes from,
[2:22:47] I understand the one from Jay Allen.
[2:22:48] There's several other people we can probably reach out
[2:22:52] to too, but yeah, I don't, I don't like this idea
[2:22:57] after looking through this more thoroughly
[2:22:59] and treasurer Bloomfield's Commons is very accurate.
[2:23:04] You're not gonna have it. And we should have talked
[2:23:06] to the MOC guys while they're here
[2:23:07] and maybe got a little assistance from them or the,
[2:23:10] or Larry from the county.
[2:23:12] Maybe they could have thrown some asphalt our way.
[2:23:14] So I think we table it.
[2:23:16] Thank you. Do we need to Trustee Amos microphone?
[2:23:24] Will the fixing of the sewer pipe out there affect this?
[2:23:28] We're gonna talk about that next. Okay.
[2:23:30] But, but no on this part. Okay.
[2:23:33] I have some experience with dealing with Tustin's.
[2:23:37] I was the facilities manager at Interal
[2:23:40] and I don't believe a seal coat will work.
[2:23:42] I don't think it's gonna last that long.
[2:23:45] It breaks up and falls apart in my opinion.
[2:23:48] And some of those cracks to be fair,
[2:23:50] because we probably slipped past
[2:23:51] that maintenance part a little bit with,
[2:23:53] it's like we're right at the very tail end
[2:23:55] of being able to do it.
[2:23:57] So I totally support tabling this discussion.
[2:24:00] And, and I would, I'll get more quotes.
[2:24:03] Do we need a motion to table this? You should do a motion
[2:24:09] Move to Pable discussion on parking lot repair
[2:24:14] or replacement to the next meeting.
[2:24:16] Support Motion made by Trustee Van Bruen,
[2:24:19] supported by Trustee Paver.
[2:24:20] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[2:24:24] Moving along to the PUD ordinance number 5 71 Second
[2:24:29] reading Clerk Lawrence.
[2:24:32] So just to bring everyone up to speed, who
[2:24:36] hasn't been around for this?
[2:24:38] This is actually a long time overdue.
[2:24:41] This moved through the Planning Commission several months
[2:24:44] ago and somehow fell through the cracks in getting adopted
[2:24:48] or brought to the township board.
[2:24:51] Essentially the Planning Commission was looking for ways to
[2:24:56] help developers increase development in our community,
[2:25:00] make it a little bit more desirable to develop here
[2:25:03] and still maintain some,
[2:25:04] some regulations and some oversight.
[2:25:06] So what this PUD ordinance, I, I'll tell you the process,
[2:25:09] we kind of looked at an ordinance that came out
[2:25:13] of South Haven and they've been very successful with it.
[2:25:17] And we found that it was a pretty good ordinance
[2:25:21] and it still gives oversight to the Planning Commission
[2:25:24] to ensure that developments are in alignment
[2:25:28] with our master plan and in alignment with where
[2:25:31] and what we would want to see.
[2:25:34] But it gives some flexibility to hopefully encourage
[2:25:39] developers in our area.
[2:25:40] So overall it was really well received
[2:25:43] by the Planning Commission.
[2:25:44] I think it was passed unanimously there.
[2:25:47] It's been read once here.
[2:25:49] It was scheduled for the second reading on the meeting
[2:25:53] that didn't happen due to failure to be able to quorum.
[2:25:56] So we're bringing it back forth today
[2:25:58] for the second reading.
[2:26:00] Thank you Clerk Lawrence. Any questions?
[2:26:02] Trustee Van Bruen? No, none. Clerk Trustee Paver?
[2:26:06] No comment. Treasurer Bloomfield,
[2:26:07] any comments from the PC angle?
[2:26:12] Yeah, I was involved with helping do this ordinance
[2:26:16] and it should have been done long
[2:26:20] before we passed the R one C.
[2:26:23] I think the previous
[2:26:26] Planning Commission really missed the boat on that,
[2:26:28] so I was excited to be part of this and move it forward.
[2:26:32] So yeah, this is a good thing for our township.
[2:26:35] Thank you. Treasurer Bloomfield. Trustee Amos.
[2:26:39] I agree that it's a, it should be done.
[2:26:44] Trustee Hart. No comment. Thank you.
[2:26:47] I watched the Planning Commission work on this
[2:26:49] and it was, it was great.
[2:26:50] It was great to see that they were excited
[2:26:52] to work on something like this
[2:26:53] and put a little spin on creativity.
[2:26:56] We did pass it at the township board for the first reading,
[2:26:59] and I'm in full support for second reading,
[2:27:01] so I would be looking for a motion for the PUD ordinance.
[2:27:04] Number 5 71.
[2:27:12] I move that we accept PUD ordinance
[2:27:15] 5 71 for the second reading
[2:27:17] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported by
[2:27:21] Trustee Van Bruen.
[2:27:23] Roll call vote
[2:27:26] Supervisor Martin?
[2:27:28] Yes. Treasurer Bloomfield? Yes. Trustee Paver? Yes.
[2:27:31] Trustee Van Bruen. Yes. Clerk Lawrence. Yes.
[2:27:34] Trustee Amos. Yes. Trustee Hart? Yes.
[2:27:38] Motion passes moving along
[2:27:40] to trespassing ordinance number 5 72.
[2:27:43] So months ago and
[2:27:46] and beyond that we developed a,
[2:27:48] a homeless committee at the direction
[2:27:50] of our ordinance officer that had made indication
[2:27:54] that the township was not able to trespass individuals
[2:27:59] on public land.
[2:28:01] Basically, if somebody were, let's use an example,
[2:28:04] somebody were at the park with a machete
[2:28:06] perhaps having an issue.
[2:28:10] Pretty much it was, it was a homeless committee,
[2:28:16] but the trespassing ordinance is not just limited to that.
[2:28:19] But what brought it up was the, the legal liability
[2:28:24] of an individual having belongings
[2:28:27] and then somebody just taking their belongings.
[2:28:29] You can't do that, you have to put a notice on there.
[2:28:31] The conversation of homeless encampments came about
[2:28:34] and that, you know, throughout the county, it,
[2:28:36] it's a topic of concern.
[2:28:39] So what we did was we developed a homeless committee
[2:28:41] and we wanted to put some sort of provisions
[2:28:45] because at the time, most of the problem
[2:28:48] that the ordinance officer was experiencing a gap in
[2:28:52] communication with the sheriff's department was if somebody
[2:28:54] was unhoused and they were at the park
[2:28:57] and they were doing something they were not supposed to do,
[2:29:01] they would be asked to leave.
[2:29:04] The sheriff's department wasn't really recognizing
[2:29:06] where the ordinance officer was coming from at the time.
[2:29:09] So we developed a committee,
[2:29:11] and the committee was to have some rules
[2:29:13] and some accountability, some mechanisms for enforcement,
[2:29:16] for the ordinances, for the police in order
[2:29:20] to recognize our ordinances.
[2:29:22] But then at the other end of it, to develop some solutions
[2:29:25] to provide a Rolodex
[2:29:27] to the ordinance officer in the instance
[2:29:29] that he tells somebody, you know, Hey, you can't be here.
[2:29:32] You know, if if you don't,
[2:29:34] if you don't leave, you need to go.
[2:29:36] If you don't leave and you refuse to leave,
[2:29:38] you could be trespassed.
[2:29:39] And so what Attorney Thaw had recommended in order
[2:29:41] for the ordinance to have a mechanism for enforcement,
[2:29:46] instead of giving 'em a a CA civil infraction
[2:29:49] and a ticket that they would likely crumble up
[2:29:52] and throw in the dumpster, perhaps not pay, would be,
[2:29:55] it would be a misdemeanor violation.
[2:29:57] Obviously the township doesn't wanna go
[2:30:00] around dishing out misdemeanor penalties,
[2:30:02] but it was just on the back end
[2:30:04] of there are some enforcement mechanisms in the ordinance
[2:30:08] and by an overwhelming support of the majority of
[2:30:13] of the committee, they're bringing forth a recommendation to
[2:30:17] for approval to the township board.
[2:30:19] And I'll let Attorney thaw talk about the trespass from both
[2:30:22] private and public land in just this ordinance
[2:30:25] from a legal standpoint.
[2:30:27] Yeah. So when we looked at this issue,
[2:30:29] the township really did not have a
[2:30:31] general trespass ordinance.
[2:30:32] You had a, a old trespass ordinance
[2:30:34] that only addressed if you trespass in a vehicle.
[2:30:37] That's it. So you did not have any local option.
[2:30:41] There's state law on it,
[2:30:42] but you had to have nothing for your ordinance enforcement
[2:30:45] officer to enforce or nothing locally, you know, to
[2:30:49] guide the sheriff's department or, or,
[2:30:51] or police in enforcement.
[2:30:53] So what I tried to do is develop some general
[2:30:58] prohibition on trespassing,
[2:30:59] some general provisions that you should have.
[2:31:02] And then also a prohibition on camping,
[2:31:04] on township property.
[2:31:05] So like you could have in the park
[2:31:07] or along the river bed, you know,
[2:31:10] somebody could be out there and this
[2:31:13] new ordinance would allow you to go out there
[2:31:15] and you know, you're always gonna wanna, first,
[2:31:19] you're not just gonna walk up and arrest people.
[2:31:21] You're gonna, you're gonna approach them, tell them
[2:31:24] what the law is on it,
[2:31:25] and if they need help, they're, they're supposed to try
[2:31:28] to get you to wherever, you know,
[2:31:30] whatever help they can provide for you, they can,
[2:31:33] they would ask you to leave
[2:31:34] and not be camping on that property.
[2:31:36] And ultimately if you refuse to do that,
[2:31:39] then they would have the authority to arrest you
[2:31:42] as a misdemeanor violation.
[2:31:44] And, and as Supervisor Martin indicated,
[2:31:48] it's really important to have that final authority.
[2:31:51] It's not that you're just gonna go around arresting people,
[2:31:55] but if all it is is municipal civil infraction,
[2:31:58] you have no ability to actually move the
[2:32:00] person from where they're at.
[2:32:01] They can just take a fine
[2:32:02] and you could write 'em another ticket
[2:32:04] and another ticket, another ticket.
[2:32:05] But they don't have to actually abide by anything.
[2:32:09] And so the,
[2:32:10] the misdemeanor violation authority gives you the authority,
[2:32:14] gives the police authority, the ordinance officer authority
[2:32:17] to actually implement
[2:32:19] and make sure that, that they are trespassing,
[2:32:22] that they do leave where they're being trespassed from.
[2:32:26] Thank you attorney Paul. And it does, and I would just,
[2:32:28] and it does require that they be trespassed.
[2:32:30] First you have to indicate that you know, you're trespassing
[2:32:34] before they're not just gonna walk up and,
[2:32:36] and arrest you for being on the property.
[2:32:39] And then as far as like an internal policy
[2:32:41] for our ordinance officer
[2:32:42] and for our sheriff's department, we can set forth a a,
[2:32:47] we can run it by the committee.
[2:32:48] The township board would ultimately have the final say in,
[2:32:52] in conduct of how we would treat and approach people.
[2:32:57] And, and can you speak to that?
[2:32:58] Yeah. So, sure. So this is part of the part of it.
[2:33:01] So this is up for first reading tonight.
[2:33:03] When you come back for your next meeting, I'll try
[2:33:05] to have a policy also.
[2:33:06] So when it comes up for adoption
[2:33:08] and for a new board members, you have to,
[2:33:11] unless it's an emergency, you have have
[2:33:13] to have two readings, what ordinance to adopt it.
[2:33:17] So you have first read
[2:33:18] and then the, the second is where you adopt the ordinance.
[2:33:21] So unless it's an emergency, you have to do it that way.
[2:33:24] So when this comes back, if you approve it
[2:33:26] for first read tonight, it'll come back
[2:33:28] to your next meeting for adoption.
[2:33:30] And then at that meeting, I would have some policy,
[2:33:33] I would've a policy available for you to review also with
[2:33:36] how our ordinance enforcement officer would interact with
[2:33:40] people who are trespassing.
[2:33:42] And then also, you know, it would help guide the
[2:33:47] sheriff's department when they're enforcing.
[2:33:50] And I would review that document both
[2:33:52] with the ordinance officer and the sheriff's department
[2:33:54] and just have an understanding this is the
[2:33:56] way that we approach things.
[2:33:58] We don't wanna escalate it to the furthest extent just
[2:34:00] because we can, we wanna work with people in order
[2:34:03] to move things along
[2:34:04] And get 'em help if they need help.
[2:34:06] Yeah. And point them in a direction for resources
[2:34:10] and Yeah.
[2:34:12] By a majority of the homeless committee is making
[2:34:14] recommendation for approval.
[2:34:15] If there are no further questions or any questions,
[2:34:18] I do have one for attorney hall.
[2:34:21] Under the camping definition, in the event
[2:34:24] of a natural disaster, a tornado or
[2:34:27] otherwise, people may be forced to camp on their property
[2:34:32] in that, how would that be handled?
[2:34:35] So, and or do we need additional wording regarding that?
[2:34:38] So the camping provision is for,
[2:34:42] it would be on public property, so not their own property.
[2:34:45] Only if it is on public property
[2:34:48] and it, we can designate, you know, when I,
[2:34:51] I think it even has a, a provision in here
[2:34:56] that talks about that emergency.
[2:34:59] So the prohibition does not apply to emergency situations
[2:35:02] as determined by law enforcement
[2:35:03] or other authorized township personnel.
[2:35:05] So you could allow actually, if the emergency occurred,
[2:35:09] you could allow for Okay.
[2:35:12] Camping on township property if need be.
[2:35:17] Any further questions? It does.
[2:35:20] Trustee Amos? No. Clerk Lawrence
[2:35:23] None.
[2:35:24] Treasurer Bloomfield? No. Trustee Paver? No.
[2:35:27] And we wouldn't necessarily have to designate
[2:35:29] that specifically that we allow.
[2:35:30] It just, we just wouldn't enforce it at
[2:35:32] that time. If there was an
[2:35:34] Emergency.
[2:35:35] If there's an emergency, it probably would be the, we would,
[2:35:39] We'd say there's an emergency.
[2:35:40] The township would probably
[2:35:41] announce that there's an emergency. I mean, and
[2:35:43] That's ENT Staff level and maybe even offer up
[2:35:45] township property if people need it. If people needed
[2:35:48] It.
[2:35:49] Okay. Trustee Van Bruen.
[2:35:50] So does this cover like protesting
[2:35:54] sit-ins, anything like that too? I
[2:35:56] Mean the, well just outta curiosity,
[2:35:58] the First Amendment issues are a lot different, you know?
[2:36:00] Sure. And so that requires a whole nother level of analysis.
[2:36:04] This is more, you know, a trespass, general trespassing.
[2:36:09] Yeah. Like, I'm gonna sleep overnight on this property.
[2:36:11] Yeah, correct. Rather than, there's a lot
[2:36:14] that goes into a consideration
[2:36:15] of whether people can actually go on a property
[2:36:18] and protest if it's a traditional public
[2:36:20] forum and things of that sort. Yeah.
[2:36:22] Just wanted to make sure that was covered. Cool. Thank
[2:36:24] You.
[2:36:25] And the committee, we had differencing
[2:36:26] of a difference in opinions and so we went back and forth.
[2:36:29] So I just wanna thank the
[2:36:30] committee for the time that they spent.
[2:36:32] We had many meetings trying to work on this.
[2:36:34] I mean, it's a, it's a, it's a sensitive topic
[2:36:37] and it's a real world issue that's out there.
[2:36:39] And I think we, this is an example of coming together
[2:36:42] with difference in opinions
[2:36:44] and putting something forward
[2:36:46] that can help accommodate the township.
[2:36:49] There are no further questions. I'd be looking for a motion.
[2:36:52] I'll make a motion to receive the first reading
[2:36:54] for trespassing ordinance 5 7 2
[2:36:57] Support Motion made by Trustee Paver,
[2:37:00] supported by Treasurer Bloomfield.
[2:37:01] Roll call vote.
[2:37:05] Trustee Hart? Yes.
[2:37:08] Supervisor Martin. Yes.
[2:37:10] Trustee Van Bruen. Yes.
[2:37:13] Treasurer Bloomfield? Yes. Trustee Paver?
[2:37:15] Yes. Trustee Amos. Yes. Clerk Lawrence. Yes.
[2:37:20] Motion passes. Thank you Attorney
[2:37:22] Thaul for the help on this.
[2:37:24] Moving along to the Eagle Grant Award attended use,
[2:37:27] discussion and action.
[2:37:29] Trustee Paver.
[2:37:34] I think that this is something that aligns with, you know,
[2:37:38] the general consensus, you know,
[2:37:40] people having the concerns about the best.
[2:37:42] And I think that part of this grant
[2:37:46] and us being receiving the grant
[2:37:48] and then being able to, to, to have the discussion.
[2:37:50] I think that the community,
[2:37:53] I can see the community's concern
[2:37:55] and I've seen the community's concern online.
[2:37:58] And I as a person have been involved
[2:38:02] for over 15 months.
[2:38:04] Not just here in Comstock, but all over the county.
[2:38:07] I have gone to Pavilion, I've gone to tmo, I've gone
[2:38:11] to Brady, I've gone to Portage.
[2:38:14] I have literally been everywhere helping organize people
[2:38:18] and educating people and under
[2:38:19] and helping people understand not only just the
[2:38:24] harm or potential harm
[2:38:26] because there's always harm with any industry,
[2:38:30] but that these things, whether we necessarily like them
[2:38:34] or not, much of this has been taken out of our control.
[2:38:37] And so the decisions that were made with this happened long
[2:38:41] before now e even 15 months ago, which is initially
[2:38:44] what brought me even to Comstock.
[2:38:47] I was begging people to come and, and come and show up.
[2:38:51] There were meetings where there was only four of us,
[2:38:54] there were meetings about data centers
[2:38:57] where there was only four of us here.
[2:38:59] And fortunately that Comstock Township
[2:39:04] should be thankful that
[2:39:06] there are probably all four people in the entire county have
[2:39:09] that have been so vigilant.
[2:39:11] One of 'em is Robin, one of 'em is Supervisor Martin,
[2:39:14] the other one is myself, the other one is Bill Farmer
[2:39:17] and the other one is Kaitlyn, forgive me,
[2:39:19] she's probably watching, I forgot her last name.
[2:39:21] I, and then Katie Schneider out in TMO
[2:39:24] where they have another best and,
[2:39:26] and so, you know, I want to take this time
[2:39:30] to assure the community
[2:39:31] that this is not something that we take lightly.
[2:39:33] And in fact, I had a rather long diatribe,
[2:39:36] it was only three minutes because I was on the other side
[2:39:38] of this that I have a lot of concerns.
[2:39:41] And a lot of my concerns were
[2:39:44] how are we going to respond to this?
[2:39:45] There was an incident even in Decatur on the Decatur exit
[2:39:49] where there's a FedEx truck and had lithium ion batteries
[2:39:51] and they had to let it go.
[2:39:53] And I read that
[2:39:55] and I thought, what those people are sitting out there
[2:39:59] with the toxic fumes.
[2:40:01] What that tells me is, is that those, regardless
[2:40:04] of whether we agree with the technology
[2:40:06] or not, it is something that we have to be prepared for
[2:40:08] because it is not something
[2:40:09] that even the states are necessarily being decided.
[2:40:12] It is getting pushed from the federal government.
[2:40:15] The president is initiating an AI task force.
[2:40:18] And so this is something that is a part, a large part
[2:40:23] of the GDP of the country.
[2:40:24] And it is not something that will slow down.
[2:40:26] But what we can do and what Supervisor, Supervisor Martin
[2:40:30] has done for the community, I don't think that a lot
[2:40:33] of people ha are aware that he set up the moratorium,
[2:40:38] that he set up the police protection.
[2:40:40] A lot of that was done with the assistance
[2:40:41] of former attorney Kaufman
[2:40:45] and attorney THS firm.
[2:40:49] We are, and,
[2:40:50] and everyone should be very grateful
[2:40:53] that we have such knowledgeable
[2:40:56] and experienced individuals that are able to assist us
[2:41:01] in helping us protect the community.
[2:41:03] And regardless of whether or not that we like this
[2:41:06] Supervisor Martin did
[2:41:09] and got the community a deal and,
[2:41:12] and got us a a, a very large amount of concessions that and,
[2:41:16] and attorney tha can hopefully explain some more
[2:41:21] that not very many communities have received.
[2:41:24] Many communities would love to have received The concessions
[2:41:26] that we have received, many of the decisions, again,
[2:41:30] were made prior to now.
[2:41:31] This has been something that if John Hawley was here,
[2:41:34] he would sit here and tell you that this started
[2:41:37] a long time ago when consumers built
[2:41:41] that station right across from him.
[2:41:43] And so this has been in the works for a very long time.
[2:41:48] And, and whether
[2:41:49] or not, again, this is not something that we take lightly.
[2:41:52] This is not something that, you know,
[2:41:55] necessarily all of us agree in.
[2:41:57] And a lot of us,
[2:42:00] and this is why we have such strong support
[2:42:03] for the first responders,
[2:42:05] because these are the people that we need to be there.
[2:42:08] They need to be trained, they need to be heavily educated.
[2:42:10] We want them to be able
[2:42:12] to put on N95 masks on small children
[2:42:15] because this is what will, will be required
[2:42:17] if such an event, knock on the wood.
[2:42:20] It does not happen. But we have to be prepared for it.
[2:42:24] And so, you know, this is something that it, it,
[2:42:28] it's not something that we can stop the Planning Commission.
[2:42:30] You know, I see the comments online
[2:42:31] of people saying these things.
[2:42:33] It it's the Planning Commission
[2:42:35] because of the type of business that it is.
[2:42:37] It is, it, it's a valid business.
[2:42:39] And so the Planning Commission cannot just go ahead
[2:42:42] and say, we don't want this
[2:42:44] because the Planning Commission cannot just decide.
[2:42:47] The township cannot decide that we don't just want business.
[2:42:49] We have to allow the business,
[2:42:51] otherwise the township can be sued
[2:42:52] and it becomes such far more headache than just trying
[2:42:56] to say that we don't want it.
[2:42:58] And then everybody would be upset that we now have,
[2:43:01] you know, a lawsuit that we wouldn't be able to fight it.
[2:43:05] And, and that's the reality of it.
[2:43:07] And so, you know, I want to take this time
[2:43:11] to assure the community that we are doing as much
[2:43:13] as we possibly can, that there are decisions
[2:43:16] that have made prior to this.
[2:43:18] We don't, I think it's, it's, it's a poor use of our time to
[2:43:22] commiserate on what people did prior to us.
[2:43:24] We have to deal with the future. We have to deal
[2:43:25] with how we are going to move forward.
[2:43:27] We have to deal with how we would protect the citizens,
[2:43:29] not just the current ones, but the future ones as well.
[2:43:32] And that goes along with us
[2:43:36] now moving forward and, and attempting to be good neighbors
[2:43:39] and making the best of a situation
[2:43:42] because it it, it's not gonna behoove either of us to sit
[2:43:45] and and try to, to fight it.
[2:43:47] There's nothing else really at this point that we can do.
[2:43:50] We have done, I would say again, far more than
[2:43:55] what any other community has gotten.
[2:43:58] Now the data center is something totally different.
[2:44:01] We have a lot more tool sets that we can utilize than
[2:44:04] what we can with the best right now.
[2:44:07] And so that's why I would encourage all months ago,
[2:44:11] gave a presentation on data centers.
[2:44:13] I would continue to encourage everybody
[2:44:15] to educate themselves
[2:44:17] and to continue to come up and speak your mind.
[2:44:20] That is why we changed the, the citizen's reading
[2:44:22] because whether we agree with the, what the words come out
[2:44:26] of people's mouth or the delivery
[2:44:28] that is not up to us to side.
[2:44:29] Not everybody is articulate, but people have concerns.
[2:44:33] Those concerns are valid.
[2:44:34] And as our job as servants,
[2:44:37] we're here to serve and we're here to listen.
[2:44:40] And so if, if Attorney Thal can can speak
[2:44:43] to a little bit about the concessions that we received,
[2:44:46] I I think it would help out the community's understanding.
[2:44:50] Well thanks John and those are
[2:44:52] really good comments that you made.
[2:44:54] And with regard to the best proposal
[2:44:59] and public act 2 33, the developer could go to the state,
[2:45:04] they could have gone to the state anytime if you devote,
[2:45:06] even if you put it in a moratorium, they can go
[2:45:08] to the state, they can go to the state of Michigan
[2:45:12] and the standards in front
[2:45:14] of the state are extremely flimsy and weak.
[2:45:17] And so the standards
[2:45:18] that there's Planning Commission worked on,
[2:45:20] put in much more stringent standards in the state
[2:45:22] of Michigan have that if they went to the state,
[2:45:26] they would only have to comply with these very,
[2:45:28] very limited standards that are in the state statute.
[2:45:31] Your Planning Commission worked really hard
[2:45:33] for well over a year on language to
[2:45:36] better protect the township.
[2:45:38] Far better than the state.
[2:45:40] State law protects the township,
[2:45:42] including pushing the property back.
[2:45:44] One of the big concessions was
[2:45:45] to push it away from the school.
[2:45:47] They wanted to put it on the property,
[2:45:49] neighboring the school, the Planning Commission came up
[2:45:52] with a sensitive area restriction
[2:45:54] and they had to push it 2000 feet away from any sensitive
[2:45:57] area under the ordinance from
[2:45:59] The original 500.
[2:46:00] Yeah, I mean, which Is what it was gonna be. It went
[2:46:02] Well and under the state law it can be 300, which is
[2:46:04] Even Yeah, yeah.
[2:46:05] So we, we went from 500 feet to 2000 feet all by
[2:46:09] getting the moratorium committee and the police protection.
[2:46:12] And so while it took long that's a huge,
[2:46:16] That's a huge change.
[2:46:17] Well and then also things like sound from the state law,
[2:46:20] it's the sound levels are measured from the building,
[2:46:23] the the neighboring property owner.
[2:46:25] So you take a house that's nearby, you would,
[2:46:27] they would be able to be loud to a certain degree to the
[2:46:32] property owner's home, not to the property
[2:46:34] Line.
[2:46:35] So forget your backyard, right? Yeah, exactly.
[2:46:37] 'cause your backyard is in that noise barrier.
[2:46:38] So we were very, you know, we took that into consideration
[2:46:42] and we forced the sound levels to be at the property line.
[2:46:45] We felt that's the appropriate, you don't have the,
[2:46:48] Can you please stop talking like it's so rude.
[2:46:51] We're up here handling township business
[2:46:54] and you're just back there talking.
[2:46:56] It is rude. That's beyond rude. It's beyond rude.
[2:47:00] It's nothing but lie. You said that stop.
[2:47:02] You can leave now if you'd like. I'll thank
[2:47:06] You.
[2:47:07] And what I did say is they could go to the state,
[2:47:09] so I mean it's an option under act 2 33 at all times they
[2:47:12] even indicated that they would do a,
[2:47:14] everybody else in there, they would do a, they would do a,
[2:47:18] a track to the state.
[2:47:19] They did not apply to the state.
[2:47:21] I've never said that they did,
[2:47:22] but it's an option under the state law.
[2:47:24] If we were too stringent on our
[2:47:26] restrictions, they could go to the state.
[2:47:28] So the point of the workable ordinance that we did was
[2:47:31] to push them absolutely as far as we could push them
[2:47:35] before they would go just to the state.
[2:47:37] You know, so that's really what we did with all
[2:47:38] of our restrictions there.
[2:47:40] Well more as far more restricted than the state
[2:47:43] law allows for.
[2:47:45] And so it was to push them forward.
[2:47:47] And then there were financial considerations
[2:47:49] that we also got
[2:47:50] that you would not get if they went to the state.
[2:47:52] So if we forced them to state this renewable ready grant,
[2:47:55] we would not receive the renewable ready grant, which is up
[2:47:58] to $2 million.
[2:48:01] You it, you still have to apply for it.
[2:48:02] It's still, it's a grant but there is money available there.
[2:48:06] Plus then there was a negotiated community host agreement
[2:48:10] that far exceeded what you could get under state law.
[2:48:13] So this is gonna under state law, you got one payment
[2:48:17] at one point in time when they
[2:48:18] finish construction and that's it.
[2:48:20] This provides for annual payments that are far in excess of
[2:48:23] what you would've gotten from the one time community host
[2:48:27] agreement through the state of Michigan.
[2:48:28] I think what does it equate to Ben over
[2:48:32] that 20 years is like clerk
[2:48:34] Warrants?
[2:48:35] Well it's a little over $6 million total with 2 million
[2:48:40] of IT eligible for being front loaded.
[2:48:43] And then with the,
[2:48:45] because it's under two separate hookups,
[2:48:50] it's actually 4 million that's gonna be eligible potentially
[2:48:53] for front
[2:48:54] Load up front.
[2:48:55] And if you went to the state, it'd be two thou there,
[2:48:58] a single payment of $2,000 a megawatt.
[2:49:00] We, we also, so you would've gotten, instead of six, oh
[2:49:03] You know, 6.5 million,
[2:49:04] 6.5 million, you would've gotten 800,000.
[2:49:08] We also wouldn't be eligible
[2:49:09] for the $2 million Eagle grant.
[2:49:11] Right. If they went to the state.
[2:49:12] So the reason the Eagle Grant eligibility exists is
[2:49:15] because we worked
[2:49:17] with them versus sending them to the state.
[2:49:19] Right. And I I think that there may be a clarifying point on
[2:49:24] a little bit of that outrage of did they go to the state?
[2:49:27] They did, correct me if I'm wrong, Supervisor Martin
[2:49:29] and Attorney Thal submit a letter to you
[2:49:33] that indicated the start of that process. Yeah,
[2:49:36] That's correct. It got FOIA
[2:49:37] And I did have the meeting to meet,
[2:49:40] because that's the first selection in the state site
[2:49:43] selection is they send a letter.
[2:49:46] I have x amount of time to reply.
[2:49:48] I replied, I met with them, they let me know.
[2:49:53] So basically if you wanna reverse engineer it, you go
[2:49:55] to Miso and you look for the interconnection to the grid.
[2:49:58] So no matter where we wanted to put it in the township,
[2:50:00] really the key was where their interconnection point was.
[2:50:05] So for people who are looking at renewable projects
[2:50:07] and they wanna see where the next project is,
[2:50:09] just reverse engineer it, go find the miso grid application.
[2:50:13] And that was likely done, it was like earlier than 2022.
[2:50:17] 2020 maybe. So it takes a long time.
[2:50:20] So they had an interconnection point
[2:50:22] and no matter where we were trying to point it
[2:50:25] to go maybe farther away from this
[2:50:27] or that really the ultimate destination was already
[2:50:30] something that they knew about.
[2:50:32] And I believe with a miso interconnection agreement, the,
[2:50:35] the municipality may, you know, they're not privy to that,
[2:50:40] but obviously the infrastructure of where
[2:50:42] that substation goes.
[2:50:43] And so, you know, once that substation was there, there was,
[2:50:47] you know, the wheels on the bus were going long
[2:50:48] before what met the eye.
[2:50:51] And I, I would just say, you know, I've seen a lot
[2:50:52] of ordinances, a lot of projects,
[2:50:56] and this Comstock Township has the,
[2:51:00] the most stringent provisions that I've seen.
[2:51:03] And you got the best benefits
[2:51:05] that I've seen anybody get so far.
[2:51:07] I as far as a Planning Commission, a moratorium committee,
[2:51:10] joint Planning, Commission meeting speakers,
[2:51:13] I think we led the way and we heard
[2:51:14] that from the University of Michigan.
[2:51:16] We've heard it from Eagle.
[2:51:17] People are taking notes from Comstock Township.
[2:51:19] We, we did stand up.
[2:51:21] But what people have to really realize is that the,
[2:51:24] the state law overrides a local body of government.
[2:51:27] So we could have pushed 'em to a certain point.
[2:51:29] It could have been egg on the face 300 feet next
[2:51:32] to the school, 800,000.
[2:51:35] And within that mix up we,
[2:51:36] we did the absolute best that we can.
[2:51:39] And then the zoning enabling act would be when the township
[2:51:42] has an ordinance, the Planning Commission shall, shall
[2:51:47] approve the site plan if it meets reasonable meet
[2:51:50] criteria, standards and criteria.
[2:51:51] And they did just that.
[2:51:53] They took the ordinance that we had,
[2:51:56] they reverse engineered it, they found a parcel,
[2:51:59] they kept it within, you know, a
[2:52:01] to them a feasible economic impact to be able to hook up
[2:52:05] to the grid where they had the connection agreement.
[2:52:08] And you know, at that point, you know, and, and
[2:52:11] and people would say, well what law binds that?
[2:52:14] And that would be for the Planning Commission.
[2:52:16] Would that be the planning enabling act?
[2:52:18] The zoning zoning, the zoning
[2:52:19] act, yeah. Zoning act able to prove
[2:52:20] Site planning and then case law to
[2:52:22] beyond, beyond that. Right.
[2:52:23] And so they have a site plan,
[2:52:25] then they will have a actual decommissioning agreement
[2:52:27] that they sign with the township.
[2:52:30] They'll have the bond that they post with the township,
[2:52:33] they will have a development agreement with the township.
[2:52:35] So the township can hold their feet
[2:52:37] to the fire on all the things
[2:52:38] that they said they were gonna do.
[2:52:40] Plus there will be a agreement regarding the, well a memo
[2:52:45] of understanding regarding the open space.
[2:52:47] So that gives you, it'll give you around a year
[2:52:49] to figure out as a board whether you want it,
[2:52:52] whether you don't want it and what you might use that for.
[2:52:55] And we did tour the battery energy storage and cold water.
[2:52:58] And when you pulled up you, you couldn't hear it,
[2:53:01] you could start to listen for it and then you could hear it.
[2:53:04] But once you walked farther down the driveway,
[2:53:06] I mean it wasn't near as we went there
[2:53:08] and in person and and seen it.
[2:53:11] And so I think we had better setbacks,
[2:53:13] we had better decommissioning.
[2:53:15] We ended up with a 40 acre development with a hundred acres
[2:53:19] of land to do something positive and productive with.
[2:53:23] Can I make a comment about that land? Yeah.
[2:53:25] So I want, there's been a lot of comments about the land
[2:53:28] as well and wanting a hundred acres not
[2:53:30] wanting the a hundred acres.
[2:53:32] Who wants to hang out near the best.
[2:53:34] All of the things, I want everyone to understand that part
[2:53:38] of the reason that we specified what we did about
[2:53:43] that a hundred acres was
[2:53:45] to prevent further development on that space.
[2:53:49] So imagine you all can, can connect the dots
[2:53:52] of all the things that you might want to put next to a best
[2:53:57] and all of the things that we didn't want next to a best.
[2:54:01] So rather we'd like to preserve the green open space,
[2:54:04] which is how it's mapped on our future land use
[2:54:07] as open space and recreation area.
[2:54:10] We wanted to preserve that character
[2:54:12] and not have it turn into, you know, let's say things
[2:54:17] that we're seeing in neighboring communities.
[2:54:20] So that tees us up to the Eagle Renewable Energy grant.
[2:54:25] And as I started working through that
[2:54:27] because the Planning Commission did approve the site plan
[2:54:31] and the special exemption use on the Eagle website,
[2:54:34] it says intended use
[2:54:37] and I, that's not just a decision for me to make, it's us,
[2:54:40] US as now this is not concrete, it's just in order
[2:54:44] to engage in the grant.
[2:54:46] So one part of it would be is that instead of me just,
[2:54:49] you know, wing in an intended use, I would like
[2:54:52] to have a board discussion of what we would like to do with
[2:54:55] that intended $2 million grant.
[2:54:57] And then lo and behold there was lots of logins
[2:55:00] and two factor authentication for different numbers
[2:55:03] and accesses of things that I needed
[2:55:05] to get in order to apply for the grant.
[2:55:07] And I was able to regain access to the login credentials
[2:55:11] of everything that I needed.
[2:55:12] And now we are ready to apply for the grant,
[2:55:15] but I thought it would be good due diligence
[2:55:17] for our record as well.
[2:55:18] When we do supply for the grant, apply for the grant,
[2:55:22] we would just be beyond formal
[2:55:24] of at least having a discussion of what we would like to see
[2:55:28] that $2 million go towards.
[2:55:30] So I'll get started. Just
[2:55:33] Can I say something?
[2:55:34] Yeah, Sorry.
[2:55:37] I'd just like to say that I totally agree with
[2:55:42] what Trustee Paver said
[2:55:44] and what Supervisor Martin said you have.
[2:55:48] You have no idea how much time
[2:55:53] Supervisor Martin put in to do this.
[2:55:56] And he drove this bus and he drove it as hard as he could
[2:56:00] and me and Sandy Bloomfield backed him all the way.
[2:56:02] And we fought and we fought to stop this and we couldn't.
[2:56:07] If you wanna blame somebody, blame your governor, blame,
[2:56:10] blame, blame your government,
[2:56:12] you know, they made this happen.
[2:56:13] We didn't have a choice because it was all,
[2:56:16] it was a done deal.
[2:56:18] And so I just wanted you to understand
[2:56:20] that that's the way it is.
[2:56:22] Thank you Trustee Amos. So these are just ideas.
[2:56:26] This would allow us to have some, just some,
[2:56:28] some content on the application.
[2:56:32] We have the 100 acres of land for community space.
[2:56:37] We would, we have a letter of understanding with a developer
[2:56:41] that we would solicit some feedback from the community
[2:56:44] and at some time maybe we could do town halls,
[2:56:47] we could garner feedback.
[2:56:48] But 100 acres, whether it's developed with picnic tables
[2:56:52] and maybe a space for food trucks to come, maybe have music,
[2:56:56] have have different things, have a community picnic area,
[2:57:00] whatever we would do on that land, we might need
[2:57:03] to put, put some money towards.
[2:57:05] So that is one idea to allocate some
[2:57:08] of the funds towards the community space.
[2:57:12] The transfer station, when I
[2:57:15] first received all the full duties
[2:57:17] of the township supervisor,
[2:57:19] I got my first letter was you guys are getting ready
[2:57:21] to get a ticket from Eagle
[2:57:23] because you're out of compliance at the transfer station.
[2:57:25] And I said, well how can I help
[2:57:26] work and straighten it back up?
[2:57:28] We had a license at the transfer station
[2:57:32] that allowed yard waste to only be dropped off
[2:57:35] but it needed to be immediately loaded
[2:57:37] and transported out of there.
[2:57:39] So we were able to get a compost license
[2:57:41] and what the eagle regulations like to see as, they like
[2:57:45] to see the compost wind road.
[2:57:47] So when residents come in they swing wide with a trailer
[2:57:50] and you have random globs of stuff everywhere.
[2:57:54] And if you can imagine by the end of the month, by the end
[2:57:57] of two months it can look not very orderly in a hurry.
[2:58:02] We also offer at the transfer station
[2:58:05] when we have storms in our community,
[2:58:07] we offer free brush drop off.
[2:58:09] We do charge for brush
[2:58:11] but at times of storms to work with the community,
[2:58:13] the the transfer station can get engulfed with brush
[2:58:17] and what happens is it encroaches into the parking lot
[2:58:20] and the environmental regulations,
[2:58:22] they don't like to see that.
[2:58:24] They also don't like to see the brush piled very tall
[2:58:27] because if somebody,
[2:58:28] although you can't smoke on township property,
[2:58:30] if somebody does happen to flick a cigarette out
[2:58:33] and all that brush is piled up sky high,
[2:58:36] it's gonna go up in flames pretty quick.
[2:58:38] So we don't really have any equipment at the transfer
[2:58:41] station to make the transfer station orderly.
[2:58:44] So my idea, and these are all ideas
[2:58:47] and nothing is solidified, it's just something
[2:58:49] to at least show documentation
[2:58:51] that the board began discussions is
[2:58:53] that we would get a skid steer for the transfer station
[2:58:57] with some attachments.
[2:58:58] I know that I was able to receive donated equipment,
[2:59:02] donated diesel fuel
[2:59:04] and I looked at the quote of the work that was done before
[2:59:07] and I was told by longtime township staff it was $55,000
[2:59:11] and I was able to do it in a week in the equipment.
[2:59:15] But obviously you're not gonna get free rented, you know,
[2:59:18] free donated equipment all the time.
[2:59:20] So the transfer station I've seen $3,600 bills,
[2:59:24] I've seen big bills from cleaning up, keeping it orderly
[2:59:27] every time I went to work there.
[2:59:30] Even if it was closed I couldn't open the gate without
[2:59:33] someone wanting to get in to drop off cardboard garbage.
[2:59:36] So I think what we have is a hidden gem
[2:59:38] that is not fully being utilized at the transfer station.
[2:59:42] And another thing that I get phone calls on all the time,
[2:59:45] it's kinda like a can kicker, you'll get a senior
[2:59:48] that calls you and a utility company maybe had done some
[2:59:52] tree work and Clerk Lawrence tried to rope me in
[2:59:56] to go pick up logs on the side of the road
[2:59:57] and it would, it would be a great thing to do but,
[3:00:00] and we'd have to talk to attorney thaw about that
[3:00:02] to be fair I was gonna do it with you.
[3:00:05] So you know you get a senior that has tree work
[3:00:07] or something cleared from the road right away
[3:00:10] and they leave the logs in their yard,
[3:00:13] we don't have the means to be able to just go pick
[3:00:16] that up in a truck
[3:00:17] and a trailer to be able to go offer an additional service
[3:00:20] to whether it would be, you know,
[3:00:22] we gotta be careful spreading ourself too thin.
[3:00:24] So I'm just starting with an idea here
[3:00:26] and obviously we'd have to run it by attorney thaw
[3:00:28] with the legal liability.
[3:00:30] But if there was a senior on a limited income that had brush
[3:00:34] branches logs bigger than that, they could move.
[3:00:37] We could use the attachment on the skid steer to pick it up,
[3:00:40] load it into a dump trailer
[3:00:42] and utilize our facility to be able to do that.
[3:00:44] Tonight we talked about maintenance
[3:00:47] for a path on gall road maintenance would likely come in
[3:00:50] when it's time to snowplow there's not a lot of activity.
[3:00:54] So the skidsteer could be, you know, some, some set
[3:00:57] of asset utilization to be able able to use that.
[3:01:00] I think first impressions, you know,
[3:01:02] if you're a new community member you buy your pass
[3:01:04] to the transfer station and you pull up
[3:01:06] and it looks like, you know, pretty rough.
[3:01:09] I think we could make it a little bit orderly.
[3:01:11] And then, you know there was that kind of conversation
[3:01:15] where if you did have a skid steer, you know
[3:01:17] how could you have the means of mobilizing it
[3:01:19] around whether you had put the skid steer in
[3:01:21] the back of a dump trailer.
[3:01:23] So then when you get the skid steer there,
[3:01:24] then you can take the skid steer,
[3:01:26] use the dump trailer and do that.
[3:01:29] And then we will talk about
[3:01:30] the transfer station a little bit further.
[3:01:33] I see stuff. And then the other just more general thing is
[3:01:37] we'd have to talk to attorney thaw about that is
[3:01:39] how do you put that money into circulation
[3:01:41] and help lower millages.
[3:01:43] Another complex part of this would be,
[3:01:46] we're talking about later in this conversation
[3:01:48] and I wouldn't be opposed if we table it
[3:01:50] for the sewer connection,
[3:01:52] but the parking lot perception would be if we used the grant
[3:01:56] money to work on township hall parking lot
[3:02:00] or the broken sewer connection, how would that be perceived?
[3:02:03] Well township hall is where township business is conducted
[3:02:07] and if we have ruts that are six
[3:02:08] to eight inches deep out in the parking lot
[3:02:10] and you know a driveway
[3:02:12] that's not plowed and things like that.
[3:02:13] So could you possibly utilize
[3:02:16] and write on the grant it says repairs for township halls,
[3:02:18] people build parks with grant money,
[3:02:20] they build township buildings.
[3:02:23] Would we want to use that Any part of that grant money
[3:02:28] to work on maybe redoing and getting a brand new driveway
[3:02:33] and possibly fixing the sewer connection
[3:02:35] and then perhaps with attorney thought's, guidance,
[3:02:38] could we put some of that money into investment
[3:02:41] to let it grow some interest?
[3:02:43] So kind of diversify that portfolio.
[3:02:46] These are all ideas and I think it's just
[3:02:48] important to start there.
[3:02:50] But I would like to fill out the grant application if we're
[3:02:53] so entitled to it and, and get moving on it.
[3:02:55] So if anybody else wants to throw in some ideas,
[3:02:59] I will fill 'em all out on the form and,
[3:03:01] and then obviously we'll have a shakedown from there
[3:03:03] and get some community engagement further with town halls
[3:03:07] and really figure out where is it that we're going
[3:03:09] to utilize $2 million
[3:03:12] to make the greatest impact to the community.
[3:03:15] And you know, part of the reasons I mentioned the transfer
[3:03:17] station is that as resident Comstock Township,
[3:03:19] everybody has access to be able to use that.
[3:03:22] One thing that we wanna do for all of us,
[3:03:24] I would hope we wanna be better neighbors,
[3:03:25] we wanna clean up our properties, we want the township
[3:03:28] to be clean, to be safe, to be presentable.
[3:03:31] And so at what point can we utilize that transfer station
[3:03:35] to help the blight in the community to clean it up,
[3:03:38] to make it a place that we're all proud
[3:03:40] to live. Trustee Hart?
[3:03:43] Yes. In the grant award,
[3:03:47] are we required to list what we're gonna use it for
[3:03:51] and are we restricted to that?
[3:03:53] It's just an intended use to just show good due diligence
[3:03:56] that we began the discussions of how to use the money,
[3:03:59] but we are not at this point limited to it.
[3:04:03] Trustee Amos?
[3:04:04] I'm good. Clerk Lawrence?
[3:04:08] I'm okay right now. Treasurer Bloomfield.
[3:04:11] I would like to see our disaster sirens
[3:04:14] on top of the list.
[3:04:15] Yes, it is something
[3:04:17] that our residents have been begging for.
[3:04:20] Yep. And I think we're one of the few municipalities
[3:04:24] around that do not have them,
[3:04:27] That would leave us with about approximately, you know,
[3:04:30] if you were being way too conservative, $1.6 million left.
[3:04:35] So thank you. Treasurer Bloomfield, Trustee Paver.
[3:04:39] I would like to see either this time or,
[3:04:42] or for the next time that we allow the community to come
[3:04:45] or submit their ideas,
[3:04:47] we can put up some form on the website
[3:04:49] and say, you know, submit your ideas so
[3:04:52] that we've at least taken their, you know,
[3:04:55] comments into account and then as well
[3:04:57] as maybe giving them chance to speak here.
[3:05:00] And then obviously we only have to show
[3:05:02] that we have an intended use
[3:05:04] and we can get down to specifics later.
[3:05:07] But I think it would also, you know, it's just another way
[3:05:10] to show that, you know, this is money, this is money
[3:05:14] for the community and so we should, you know,
[3:05:16] allow their involvement as soon as we can.
[3:05:18] You bet. Trustee Van Bruen,
[3:05:21] I agree with you as well.
[3:05:23] Trustee P what else I'll say is, you know,
[3:05:26] we gotta make sure any money we receive, we use it to
[3:05:29] prevent from spending more money.
[3:05:31] So I understand equipment's great,
[3:05:33] but let's make sure we keep it in the right areas
[3:05:36] and we maintain it properly so
[3:05:37] that we're not spending more on what we're doing
[3:05:40] and that we're investing in.
[3:05:42] So, yeah, but I, all great ideas
[3:05:44] and Trustee Heart basically asked the question I had
[3:05:48] on it too, so that's
[3:05:49] All.
[3:05:50] Thank you. Treasurer Bloomfield,
[3:05:51] I just wanna say with the vacant land, I would like
[3:05:55] to have a discussion about the possibility of keeping that
[3:06:00] if we possibly could a golf course,
[3:06:03] but the township not running it,
[3:06:05] but leasing it out to someone who would,
[3:06:09] we are not in the business of running a golf course,
[3:06:13] nor do I wanna be,
[3:06:14] but my concern is I do not wanna see
[3:06:17] that a hundred acres turn into a burden for our taxpayers
[3:06:21] or for our parks department.
[3:06:25] Thank you. Treasurer Bloomfield, clerk Lawrence.
[3:06:28] Yeah, I think the intention fully is
[3:06:31] to engage the community in what we need to do.
[3:06:33] We have to put something on this grant
[3:06:35] and the grant is time sensitive.
[3:06:37] It doesn't have, we're not committed to whatever it is,
[3:06:41] it's just some brainstorming ideas on it.
[3:06:45] But, you know, Ben
[3:06:46] and I have already been kind of trying to figure out
[3:06:49] how we can get some town halls and things like that going.
[3:06:52] So I think, you know, just to reiterate,
[3:06:56] I absolutely wanna see the community benefit from it.
[3:06:59] I love the siren idea
[3:07:01] and I'm fully in favor of impacting, whether it's
[3:07:05] through this or through taxable income from this project
[3:07:08] impacting milit rates.
[3:07:10] 'cause that's a way to touch every single
[3:07:11] citizen in our community.
[3:07:13] Thank you Clerk Lawrence. Trustee Amos?
[3:07:18] I agree. I would like to see it used
[3:07:20] for the emergency sirens
[3:07:22] and anything that benefits the township.
[3:07:24] I would be agreeable to that.
[3:07:26] Thank you Trustee Hart. No further comment.
[3:07:32] So Attorney Thal, I know
[3:07:34] that maybe most municipalities may not make a motion
[3:07:37] or have board authorization to apply for the grant,
[3:07:40] but being that we, it is a time sensitive grant,
[3:07:43] there's limited funds available,
[3:07:45] although right now they're, they're pretty stocked up.
[3:07:46] We just, we don't wanna let the opportunity slip away.
[3:07:50] Would you recommend that the board authorize me to apply
[3:07:53] for the Eagle Grant or what would you recommend? No, I
[3:07:56] Think that would be an appropriate motion to apply
[3:07:58] for the Eagle Grant and consider the, the projects
[3:08:02] that you've, you've addressed.
[3:08:04] Thank you. Trustee Van Bruen.
[3:08:07] If we could all go through with just one idea of something
[3:08:11] that you would like to see.
[3:08:12] This is just an intended use, it's not solidified.
[3:08:16] Further on down the road,
[3:08:17] things would get a little bit more formal,
[3:08:19] but there is a provision on there.
[3:08:22] It's on the first line of it.
[3:08:23] It's, it's whatever the, it's pr it's pretty broad.
[3:08:26] The grant is pretty broad.
[3:08:28] It says a line like whatever the township deems necessary,
[3:08:32] but it is to go towards community benefits.
[3:08:35] I would like to apply for the grant.
[3:08:37] I would just like to have some content to put in it.
[3:08:39] Do you have one idea to add to the table
[3:08:41] that I could fill out?
[3:08:42] Well, I think it'd be pretty, pretty broad from me.
[3:08:44] It'd have to, it, it would deal
[3:08:46] around safety for the community.
[3:08:49] I'm Sandy, treasure Bloomfield mentioned the sirens,
[3:08:53] but it'd be, it'd be in regards to safety
[3:08:55] for the community, for everyone.
[3:08:57] Just because of the impact from what we're hearing
[3:09:01] from our constituents
[3:09:02] and the people in the township that, you know,
[3:09:04] it'd be concerning to me.
[3:09:05] So it'd be safety related.
[3:09:07] What that means is I
[3:09:08] don't, I don't know exactly what it means.
[3:09:10] If it means working,
[3:09:11] find out if the fire department needs more things,
[3:09:14] if it works out in our public area, anything like that.
[3:09:17] But it'd have to be community
[3:09:19] oriented and it'd have to be smart.
[3:09:20] I don't want to cost us in the long run.
[3:09:24] I do like your ideas with the transfer station,
[3:09:27] but it, again, I wanna be, I wanna watch
[3:09:29] what we spend our money on and, and, and be good
[3:09:32] and be diligent about it too.
[3:09:35] But I do like treasures Bloomfield idea the most about that
[3:09:39] and, and with the sirens. Thank you of
[3:09:42] Thank you very much.
[3:09:43] Trustee Paver.
[3:09:47] I don't have anything specific at this time and the,
[3:09:52] because this is, it's such a contentious thing that I,
[3:09:59] you know, I, I understand.
[3:10:00] We just wanna put something down so
[3:10:02] that we can initiate the process, but
[3:10:07] Hold down, You know, we have a lot of,
[3:10:12] of community needs
[3:10:13] and there's a lot of opportunities
[3:10:16] where the funds could be spent in,
[3:10:22] I dunno, I don't have, I don't have a specific at this time.
[3:10:24] That's fine. Thank you. Treasure Bloomfield anymore ideas,
[3:10:30] Sirens, preferably ones that can speak to us.
[3:10:33] Thank you Clerk Lawrence, anything spitball?
[3:10:36] Just to get this started and then we'll have some more town
[3:10:39] halls and really start the engagement process
[3:10:41] after this, so, so we can get this grant.
[3:10:44] I'm trying to think of a, a Broadway to, to language it,
[3:10:48] but I would say maybe necessary
[3:10:53] maintenance throughout the township might be broad enough
[3:10:56] because I think that that would allow us the avenue
[3:10:59] to still, you know, at the end
[3:11:01] of the day when there is necessary maintenance
[3:11:03] that comes out of the taxpayer dollar.
[3:11:05] And so if this offsets that,
[3:11:07] then it ultimately is gonna help us manage
[3:11:09] that taxpayer dollar.
[3:11:11] So I would try to take a broad approach.
[3:11:13] Thank you Trustee. A s got anything for us?
[3:11:18] The sirens would be on the top of my list
[3:11:20] and seeing how we can't get the road commission
[3:11:23] to repaint Comstock Avenue.
[3:11:25] Maybe put some sidewalks in.
[3:11:28] Thank you Trustee Amos. Trustee Hart.
[3:11:31] Well trust treasurer.
[3:11:33] Bloomfield's idea on a golf course could
[3:11:39] greatly change public perception as it is right now.
[3:11:43] The public perception is we're gonna lose the golf course
[3:11:46] and have the best center.
[3:11:48] Well, if the grant comes through, we would have the
[3:11:52] best development, but $6 million and the golf course back
[3:11:58] Four.
[3:12:00] Thank you. I'd be looking for a motion.
[3:12:04] I move that we authorize Supervisor Martin
[3:12:08] to pursue the application for the EGLE grant
[3:12:13] with the intended use
[3:12:18] box filled with the ideas we shared today.
[3:12:21] Support motion made by Clerk Lawrence, supported
[3:12:24] by Treasurer Bloomfield.
[3:12:25] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[3:12:30] Moving along to transfer station discussion.
[3:12:33] So days per week I would just like to solicit feedback
[3:12:37] and I would like to encourage the board in the community,
[3:12:40] the community's engagement, public comment, emails,
[3:12:43] visit township hall.
[3:12:45] Do we wanna see the transfer station open any more than
[3:12:48] it is currently?
[3:12:50] It's open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
[3:12:53] One thing that we really wanna do is we wanna clean
[3:12:55] Comstock Township up.
[3:12:57] We are known for a blighted community
[3:12:59] and so we want to clean that up.
[3:13:01] We wanna make it, we wanna make it easier for people
[3:13:05] to clean their properties up.
[3:13:06] I know that money is always, you know, a topic in, in
[3:13:09] that discussion one way or or another.
[3:13:13] We don't wanna do ordinance enforcement
[3:13:15] and have to give somebody a ticket
[3:13:17] and have to take 'em to court in order
[3:13:19] to clean their properties up.
[3:13:20] We wanna work together,
[3:13:22] we wanna provide public land which transfer stations owned
[3:13:25] by the township and we wanna be able to unlock the potential
[3:13:30] of a transfer station.
[3:13:31] Treasure Bloomfield told me in our,
[3:13:33] in our hometown are close by of all the neat things
[3:13:36] that they do to help the community clean up, lighted areas,
[3:13:40] yard waste brush, things like that.
[3:13:42] So I just want the board to just look around the community,
[3:13:46] keep your ears peeled, think about some ideas and whether
[3:13:49] or not we would wanna see the transfer station open
[3:13:53] any more than it is now.
[3:13:54] It's currently open 11 to six on Tuesday
[3:13:57] and Thursday and Saturday.
[3:13:59] Nine to four. One of the ideas
[3:14:01] that I had was possibly Tuesday, Thursday,
[3:14:04] Friday and Saturday.
[3:14:05] And that would help residents have the ability
[3:14:07] to get up there with work hours, things like that.
[3:14:10] Obviously we would wanna discuss the winter hours as well.
[3:14:14] Currently the transfer station in the winter is
[3:14:17] open Thursday and Saturday.
[3:14:19] One of the things that we did talk about
[3:14:21] with the transfer station is the ability to charge
[3:14:26] landscapers to dump their leaves
[3:14:28] because now we do have the compost license,
[3:14:31] we can turn leaves into dirt
[3:14:34] and then that could help subsidize, if you will,
[3:14:37] a little bit of operations at the transfer station.
[3:14:40] And obviously there would be down the road, you know,
[3:14:44] brush is big, it's bulky
[3:14:46] eventually maybe there's a chipper in the works
[3:14:49] or, or something like that.
[3:14:50] And then if you were to take that big bulky brush,
[3:14:54] turn it into wood chips,
[3:14:55] community members could have offerings for wood chips.
[3:14:58] But then the wood chips could also be composted
[3:15:01] with the leaves potentially later sold as dirt.
[3:15:04] So that is along the lines of just dreaming
[3:15:07] and figuring out, like Joe said, you know,
[3:15:09] how do you not go broke, do it and spend money
[3:15:11] and actually, you know, either break even from it
[3:15:14] and, and kind of move forward.
[3:15:15] But then asset utilize the skid steer
[3:15:18] that might clean up the yard waste
[3:15:20] to maybe snowplow the driveway
[3:15:22] to keep it safe at the transfer station.
[3:15:24] When a resident comes to put their cardboard in the bin,
[3:15:27] they don't slip and fall.
[3:15:28] So just the idea was just
[3:15:30] to kinda solicit community feedback on the transfer station
[3:15:33] and whether or not they would like
[3:15:34] to see it any further open hours.
[3:15:36] Trustee Van Bruen, do you have anything to add?
[3:15:40] No, I just, you you hit it on the nose.
[3:15:41] Let's, we gotta watch cost and everything we do with it,
[3:15:44] but I agree with you if they, if we can offset it
[3:15:46] with some type of income
[3:15:48] and I think you, you probably could then it'd be beneficial.
[3:15:52] Would you, would it be possible if we had like a wood
[3:15:55] chipper and we chipped some of the branches there?
[3:15:57] Is there any possibility of selling wood chips out there?
[3:16:01] Yeah, you bet. And I also thought about,
[3:16:03] I mean obviously we'd wanna think about it
[3:16:04] and this is way more complex than just, you know,
[3:16:06] we're just starting ideas, is that potentially,
[3:16:09] if it's a commercial chipper, you could possibly rent it out
[3:16:12] to other municipalities.
[3:16:13] In the instance it would, most people don't fathom
[3:16:18] the, the fire chief gave us the support of
[3:16:20] of getting some stuff cleaned up up there.
[3:16:22] You would not fathom how fast
[3:16:24] that place folds up with brush.
[3:16:26] The community really utilizes it and brush is heavy
[3:16:29] and it takes up a lot of space in a hurry.
[3:16:32] And so what's happened historically is excavators have dug
[3:16:38] basins and they've burned the brush
[3:16:40] but it's came at big dollars.
[3:16:42] So how do you turn that storm waste that that debris
[3:16:45] that's in people's yards, like, you know, how do you work
[3:16:48] to get that cleaned up?
[3:16:49] So those are all ideas that we could talk about for sure.
[3:16:52] And kinda solicit feedback from the community on
[3:16:54] that Trustee paver?
[3:16:58] Yeah, I would say for sure looking into how we can utilize
[3:17:01] that composting
[3:17:04] and allowing for other contractors to dump leaves.
[3:17:08] Comstock is very large as we know and we have a lot of trees
[3:17:12] and many of 'em take 'em to other municipalities
[3:17:14] who will accept them and they
[3:17:17] drop 'em off in, in other areas.
[3:17:18] And so if we can allow an avenue where they can afford it
[3:17:22] and it's a win-win for everybody, then
[3:17:26] it allows us to, to keep it open.
[3:17:28] And I mean what's the real cost of the transfer station
[3:17:30] being open an extra day in relation
[3:17:34] to the actual benefit that it provides.
[3:17:36] So thank you Treasurer Bloomfield.
[3:17:42] When I've campaigned this township, you see a lot of brush
[3:17:46] and a lot of trees in a lot of people's yards everywhere.
[3:17:49] It doesn't matter what neighborhood you're in.
[3:17:52] So I've always been one that would love to push that idea
[3:17:57] then that would take a lot of discussion.
[3:18:00] I would even be okay with us hiring a couple tree services
[3:18:04] to just go through the township like we do with our
[3:18:08] trash pickup, which is ongoing right now where we did that.
[3:18:12] But I think we need to utilize that transfer station.
[3:18:15] We own it. I think it's ridiculous for us
[3:18:19] to keep paying someone to go up there
[3:18:22] and move the brush around when we have help that can do it.
[3:18:25] We just need to invest in the equipment
[3:18:28] and a place to store it.
[3:18:29] So it's kept.
[3:18:32] Thank you. Treasurer, Bloomfield, clerk Lawrence?
[3:18:38] Not a ton of thoughts. I mean I think
[3:18:40] that I'd like to hear from the community.
[3:18:41] I saw a lot of nods that there was some interest,
[3:18:44] but I think I would, you know, defer to listening
[3:18:48] to perspective on if we need it and how we could utilize it.
[3:18:52] I'm all in favor of utilizing our
[3:18:54] assets. Just would like to listen.
[3:18:57] Thank you Trustee Amos,
[3:19:01] I have a question.
[3:19:02] Came to me, you being a farmer, how much land do you
[3:19:07] think that the transfer station actually takes up?
[3:19:13] As far as what we're utilizing? Yes.
[3:19:15] There's a lot more utilization to be had up there.
[3:19:18] We could really, like, there's a lot of unlocked potential.
[3:19:21] Obviously we're not gonna get four of us together,
[3:19:23] but if a couple of us at different times wanna go up there,
[3:19:26] I'm glad to, you know, give board members the tour of it.
[3:19:29] I I'm just saying that I, I think the transfer takes up,
[3:19:33] transfer takes up about four or five acres, wouldn't you?
[3:19:36] Would you say that was a good estimate of,
[3:19:38] Of space being utilized up there? Yes.
[3:19:40] Mm, maybe not that much.
[3:19:44] Yeah, probably, probably four acres of actually Okay.
[3:19:48] Peer utilized space up there.
[3:19:50] So the reason for the question is that you're taking up,
[3:19:53] you're using four acres when you really have, what, 55?
[3:19:57] Yeah, there's some 50 plus acres up there.
[3:19:59] So maybe what we,
[3:20:01] we should be really looking at is could we move the transfer
[3:20:05] station someplace else so that we could utilize
[3:20:07] that 55 acres for a housing development for instance.
[3:20:11] Yeah, just a thought.
[3:20:15] I I, no one's ever asked me that Jerry,
[3:20:18] so I'll have to sleep on that one.
[3:20:19] Get back to you. You know,
[3:20:21] and obviously we'd leave it up to this board,
[3:20:22] but I think that transfer station's been there
[3:20:25] for a very long time
[3:20:26] and excavators back in the day used to do things
[3:20:29] that are done a lot differently.
[3:20:30] So you'll never know what you may find, knock on this table
[3:20:33] that there's nothing you know up there.
[3:20:35] But you know, the opportunity cost, right?
[3:20:38] If you, if you put it into development then where, where,
[3:20:41] where are we gonna go in order to be able
[3:20:43] to provide those services to the residents.
[3:20:46] So, and, and,
[3:20:47] and it is set up there with a, you know, some
[3:20:50] of the equipment that's needed.
[3:20:52] So Yeah. But I appreciate your thought. Just a thought.
[3:20:54] Thank you Trustee Hart heart.
[3:20:58] I think it's pretty clear the need for
[3:21:01] transfer station is gonna increase.
[3:21:04] I'm pretty sure if we had an arborist
[3:21:06] or a tree expert here, he would tell us that
[3:21:09] as time goes on, trees age,
[3:21:12] other conditions cause weakening of them,
[3:21:15] we're probably gonna need more room
[3:21:19] and support of this type of
[3:21:24] debris in the future.
[3:21:25] It's almost certainly gonna go up.
[3:21:27] Thank you. Recently in the past
[3:21:30] six months we've had two excavation companies so gracious
[3:21:35] to go up there and donate work.
[3:21:37] It's just how long are people you gonna expect that?
[3:21:40] And then sometimes when it's a donation you get what you pay
[3:21:43] for 'cause it's on their time.
[3:21:44] So yeah, just want the community to be aware.
[3:21:48] We're looking for feedback on the transfer station.
[3:21:52] Any further questions?
[3:21:54] I just wanna make a comment.
[3:21:56] We heard from the city today about
[3:22:01] the trails and them working to
[3:22:05] grow trees hardwoods out there.
[3:22:08] And I've always wondered why with us owning this 55 acres,
[3:22:11] we've never harvested any trees off of that
[3:22:15] and put that money to good use so that we would have
[3:22:19] new growth out there.
[3:22:22] It's just the thought.
[3:22:24] You wanna go over there and look for some money. Yeah.
[3:22:26] All right. I do. Moving along
[3:22:29] to the Civic Assure agreement, Chris, if you'd like
[3:22:33] to take the podium, if you
[3:22:38] wanna just start us from scratch.
[3:22:40] Sure. Chris from Melich with Civic Assure.
[3:22:43] So Civic Assure is a platform primarily designed
[3:22:47] for ordinance enforcement, zoning administration,
[3:22:50] and properties and GIS management.
[3:22:53] So I had the opportunity to work with Tom over the last,
[3:22:56] I think maybe two and a half, three weeks just
[3:22:58] to kinda look at his workflow
[3:23:00] and all the disparate paper processes that exist within that
[3:23:05] and give him a trial run on Civic Assure.
[3:23:08] So increase his efficiency, be able
[3:23:10] to keep track of everything.
[3:23:12] He was also able to sit down with Supervisor Martin
[3:23:15] and he has complete visibility of all that workflow as well.
[3:23:19] So that's the ordinance side of things kind
[3:23:21] of increased Tom's ability
[3:23:22] to manage his workload as one person.
[3:23:25] And then on the zoning side, the ability
[3:23:27] for the Zoning Administrator
[3:23:28] to keep track of their work as well.
[3:23:30] Special use permits, applications, agendas,
[3:23:34] that ability is in there as well.
[3:23:36] So before you is kind of that agreement
[3:23:39] and I'm available for any questions
[3:23:42] In one thing.
[3:23:43] In the software, it's a a web-based program
[3:23:47] and it has the GIS mapping integrated specifically
[3:23:51] to Comstock Township, the ordinance officer.
[3:23:54] We have transcribed our voicemails into transcription
[3:23:58] so it can create a case number.
[3:24:01] The case number is then documented
[3:24:03] and then through the entire ordinance process,
[3:24:07] part of the process at some point,
[3:24:10] although we would hope that it doesn't get there,
[3:24:12] inevitably at times it does, it would reach our attorney.
[3:24:15] This would be able to allow us
[3:24:17] to streamline the information with cost.
[3:24:20] Currently, well prior to exploring this,
[3:24:23] there was Excel spreadsheets, there's photos,
[3:24:25] there's Word documents,
[3:24:27] there's multiple places for information.
[3:24:29] And one thing that the ordinance officer
[3:24:32] and I working with Attorney Falls firm had discovered
[3:24:36] that we were, as Comstock Township was not doing much on the
[3:24:40] cost recovery side of things.
[3:24:42] So if there were a property that was in violation
[3:24:46] of multiple vehicles and they needed to get towed
[3:24:48] or there was dumpsters
[3:24:50] and talking with the last ordinance officer, some
[3:24:53] of these properties would take 20, $30,000
[3:24:56] of township resources in order to clean them up.
[3:24:59] And we weren't doing our due diligence as a municipality
[3:25:02] to get that money back somehow.
[3:25:05] So this software not only streamlines everything,
[3:25:08] puts it together, but is able to track a case by case basis
[3:25:13] and able to ensure either compliance or cost recovery.
[3:25:17] It's got a dashboard and it's, it's, it helps planning
[3:25:21] and zoning also identify with the,
[3:25:24] the ordinance officer when planning
[3:25:26] and zoning gets a complaint, the planning
[3:25:28] and zoning can input a complaint into the ordinance
[3:25:32] officer's database and then he can take it from there.
[3:25:36] It's, it's pretty impressive. Any questions for Chris?
[3:25:41] Trustee Paver, thank you for staying so late.
[3:25:45] Appreciate you. Yeah, you're welcome.
[3:25:47] No, I, I mean I, I went over it and saw it in use
[3:25:51] and this is something that to me, I was surprised
[3:25:55] that we didn't have because it's, the benefits to it are
[3:26:00] so obvious and it will allow the entire department
[3:26:03] to actually start cost recovery
[3:26:07] from which my understanding is, is
[3:26:09] that none occur right now.
[3:26:11] And so over a very short period of time,
[3:26:16] we will be able to recover even the base cost,
[3:26:18] which is already extremely low for the amount of value
[3:26:21] that it provides, considering that this is going to save
[3:26:26] several personnel hours and hours of time.
[3:26:29] And then again, that doesn't even include the
[3:26:31] cost recovery from it.
[3:26:33] So I'm in full support of efficiency
[3:26:36] and this is going to increase everybody's efficiency.
[3:26:40] So thank you. Thank you Trustee Paver. Trustee Van Bruen.
[3:26:44] Yeah, I, I agree.
[3:26:45] It's, I was shocked when I looked at it more than we didn't
[3:26:49] already have something like this in place
[3:26:51] because we we're not linked together very well.
[3:26:55] And I think it's, it's a must have.
[3:26:59] We talked about a lot about efficiency in night
[3:27:01] and a couple of things we're implementing it.
[3:27:05] I just wonder if there's thought in the future.
[3:27:06] 'cause this will streamline things about the, the amount
[3:27:11] of employees we have and,
[3:27:12] and if that, if we're using that efficiency
[3:27:14] and we have the right number in stock, and if we do
[3:27:18] and we, we still need that, where can we branch with 'em
[3:27:21] to help make other areas more efficient too and,
[3:27:24] and bring, take off some pressure.
[3:27:25] So I I agree a hundred percent this is needed.
[3:27:28] I think it, it will help and it'll pay for itself instantly.
[3:27:33] And recently we did have a board approval
[3:27:36] to hire a second ordinance officer
[3:27:38] and the idea right now is to integrate this software
[3:27:41] and allow him to make the most maximum of his use of time
[3:27:45] to be able to maybe do the job right now as,
[3:27:48] as a standalone ordinance officer.
[3:27:51] So that's all I have. Thank you Treasurer Bloomfield,
[3:27:56] I happen to step into the office the day you were in there
[3:27:58] with Tom, the ordinance officer
[3:28:00] and I was very impressed with this Compliments to you.
[3:28:03] Thank you. And thank you for staying.
[3:28:06] I am really sorry that we didn't put you further up on the
[3:28:08] list that you had to sit here all night.
[3:28:10] No, it's fine. Thank you. Clerk Lawrence?
[3:28:14] Yeah, I think first of all, cost recovery is gonna pay
[3:28:18] for this in no time.
[3:28:22] It's gonna also help us manage escrow accounts
[3:28:24] in the zoning department.
[3:28:26] So when big projects come in,
[3:28:28] they often give us escrow accounts that basically pay
[3:28:31] for some of the, the costs associated
[3:28:34] with bringing those developments in.
[3:28:36] Now that is very difficult and tedious to keep record of
[3:28:40] and this will streamline that process.
[3:28:43] So I think we'll have just better accounting overall.
[3:28:46] And I would just share that I've had the opportunity to talk
[3:28:49] to Chris quite a bit and he's, he's a pretty smart guy.
[3:28:53] And if there are things that we think that we need,
[3:28:56] the beauty of this is that he built it.
[3:28:58] And so if we need to tweak it, if we need to do something
[3:29:03] that makes it more effective for our township,
[3:29:07] he has the ability to change that and do that.
[3:29:09] And we won't have minutes printing with
[3:29:14] names from past supervisors.
[3:29:17] So I'll leave it at that.
[3:29:19] Thank you. Clerk Lawrence. Trustee Amos.
[3:29:23] Well sometimes you have to spend money to save money
[3:29:26] and I think this is one of those cases, so I'm, I'm,
[3:29:29] I'm supportive of it.
[3:29:30] Thank you Trustee Amos. Trustee Hart,
[3:29:33] It appears that many different offices would use
[3:29:35] this software, is that correct?
[3:29:37] Yeah, it will help bring some continuity
[3:29:39] between departments. Okay.
[3:29:42] And at this time, are we considering the core package
[3:29:45] and the three available options
[3:29:47] At this time?
[3:29:49] My recommendation
[3:29:50] and I believe Chris's recommendation to us would be Chris,
[3:29:53] if you'd like to speak to that.
[3:29:55] I, I would go with just the core package to start.
[3:29:58] You've got two new people in those roles
[3:30:00] and they're pretty heavy hitting roles, so, so get that in
[3:30:04] and rolling and we can revisit the
[3:30:06] additional modules in the future.
[3:30:09] You have some outside integrations right now
[3:30:13] or some other departments that have their own software.
[3:30:16] So if, if it ever comes into house,
[3:30:18] we can have future discussions to expand it.
[3:30:23] Clerk Lawrence? Yeah,
[3:30:24] I was just gonna say the other thing that we talked about
[3:30:26] with this is the zoning
[3:30:31] and ordinance enforcement is often some
[3:30:33] of the heaviest foyate areas as well.
[3:30:35] And so I think we're gonna be able to reduce resident costs
[3:30:39] to FOIA with software that's more easily accessible.
[3:30:44] So a lot of the cost that goes into when somebody FOIAs
[3:30:47] documents is how those documents get obtained, whether
[3:30:51] that requires it support, whether
[3:30:53] that requires attorney support, et cetera.
[3:30:56] And you know, I I would like to lower that barrier
[3:31:00] to entry for information.
[3:31:02] So if we can make things cheaper for information
[3:31:06] to be more easily available, I think that
[3:31:09] that's our responsibility
[3:31:11] and I believe this would also help us with that.
[3:31:15] Any further board comments, questions?
[3:31:19] Yeah. So the total annual under the car package would be
[3:31:23] 48 90, is that correct?
[3:31:24] 48 90 equates to about 72 and a half cents a parcel a
[3:31:28] Year. Yeah, that, yeah. Alright.
[3:31:29] Yep. And then there's the integration fee is the $1,500
[3:31:33] One time.
[3:31:34] Yep. So I, I've already started working with Tom on some
[3:31:37] of it, made some improvements for him that he wanted
[3:31:39] to see immediately and then we've gotta build out some
[3:31:43] ordinances behind it
[3:31:45] and he'll be able to generate his letters, his notices
[3:31:49] with quick efficiency once that's done
[3:31:51] Pending a motion at this time.
[3:31:53] Yeah, templates and letters and,
[3:31:55] and it will be really helpful.
[3:31:56] And, and one last thing that I'd like to leave the board
[3:31:59] with is that when we're working with residents, the goal is
[3:32:03] to have multiple means of communication
[3:32:05] and be able to document that
[3:32:06] and then be able to work with them.
[3:32:08] So send them a letter
[3:32:09] and then be able to send them an extension
[3:32:12] and then show workability like, hey look, this is the thing,
[3:32:15] this is the ordinance.
[3:32:16] How can we work with you to achieve a goal
[3:32:18] and then work together and have the software track it.
[3:32:21] Okay. I, I think it's pretty clear. Clear.
[3:32:22] I'd like to make a motion that we proceed
[3:32:24] with the Civic Assure Agreement
[3:32:26] Support board.
[3:32:28] Oops. Motion made by Trustee Hart.
[3:32:31] Supported by Clerk Lawrence.
[3:32:35] All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[3:32:40] All right. And then the last thing on my list is the sewer
[3:32:43] connection At Township Hall.
[3:32:44] We, when the township purchased this property, it was owned
[3:32:49] by somebody else with a restaurant in conjunction
[3:32:52] to perhaps this was a banquet hall
[3:32:57] and there is an easement for the sewer.
[3:33:00] It has been confirmed by the township engineer
[3:33:03] that there is a negative grade on the sewer line.
[3:33:07] So it's got negative pitch in a spot
[3:33:10] towards the Speedway gas station.
[3:33:12] What happens when stuff mixes from Township Hall in,
[3:33:16] in the adjacent parcel is
[3:33:18] that the township hall bathrooms back up
[3:33:20] right through the floor drain.
[3:33:22] And so right now we have a maintenance
[3:33:25] program with Clean Earth.
[3:33:27] I was told previously that we had a maintenance agreement
[3:33:32] with the other parcel as well as ability for like,
[3:33:36] not only maintenance but repair.
[3:33:39] The other individual was outta the country.
[3:33:40] So I wasn't able to speak with him.
[3:33:41] Finally, when I did talk to him,
[3:33:43] township Hall was bought as is.
[3:33:45] There's no maintenance program, there's no agreement.
[3:33:48] There is just a quote that was on the desk, kind
[3:33:52] of similar to the driveway.
[3:33:54] There was a quote for the sewer repair.
[3:33:56] At that time it was $13,000. It was from last fall.
[3:34:00] Right now it is in the $15,000 range.
[3:34:04] And I would not be opposed, this is kind of similar
[3:34:07] to the driveway we're running out of time.
[3:34:10] The maintenance program with Clean Earth, it's
[3:34:14] whenever it needs to happen, sometimes quarterly,
[3:34:17] sometimes maybe a little bit, you know, semi-annually
[3:34:22] that cost to repair and
[3:34:24] or that cost to maintain
[3:34:26] that sewer connection is less than it would be to repair it.
[3:34:31] But the problem is, is that there's a negative grade
[3:34:34] and the, and the pipes are, are kind of kinked up.
[3:34:37] And we live in Michigan.
[3:34:39] So if we decide to not repair that line out of the sake
[3:34:44] of saving money when it breaks
[3:34:45] and township hall isn't open with bathrooms for staff
[3:34:49] or a public meeting, I just wanted to bring this forward
[3:34:52] to the board transparently that there has not been,
[3:34:56] there is no agreement with the adjacent property owner
[3:35:00] as the way that the concessions were made when the
[3:35:02] township purchased the building.
[3:35:04] There is a, a repair eaves met, I did just
[3:35:08] for good due diligence, look into our own line.
[3:35:11] And that is beyond the cost of this, you're talking 70
[3:35:14] to a hundred thousand dollars.
[3:35:16] So, you know, outta the sake of just, you know,
[3:35:19] getting our own line to spend more money,
[3:35:21] we could repair this one for $15,410
[3:35:26] and be a whole lot better off than we would be
[3:35:30] to put a new line in.
[3:35:32] We can roll the dice and just keep spending money
[3:35:34] with Clean Earth and Roto-Rooter.
[3:35:36] We have to jet the line,
[3:35:38] but then if it backs up in the bathroom, we have
[3:35:40] to have Roto-Rooter.
[3:35:41] And probably within less than a week
[3:35:43] of having my supervisor duties that happened,
[3:35:46] it came up from the bathroom floor
[3:35:48] and it was like, okay,
[3:35:50] so I just wanna put this in the board's hands that
[3:35:53] at some point if it does decide to break in the middle
[3:35:56] of winter, if we don't address it, it was board decision.
[3:36:01] Although I would love to save money
[3:36:03] and not fix it, it's just inevitable.
[3:36:04] We live in Michigan. But the, the quote comes from Valima
[3:36:08] and then we worked with Prine
[3:36:09] and New h our township engineer to confirm
[3:36:12] that the line's broken.
[3:36:13] Once again, this could be something
[3:36:15] that the grant money goes towards.
[3:36:17] We know that we have a confirmed
[3:36:20] negative grade in a sewer line in in the township hall.
[3:36:23] It is north of the parking lot that needs to be repaired.
[3:36:28] So however we would wanna go about that if we wanna table it
[3:36:31] for the next board meeting for discussion.
[3:36:33] But we are likely running outta numbers on this
[3:36:37] 'cause likely the price is gonna go up.
[3:36:39] I can imagine if it's an emergency repair
[3:36:41] probably be maybe four times more.
[3:36:44] So I'll start with you Joe, on, on what you think.
[3:36:47] What was the clean earth repair cost?
[3:36:51] It's about a thousand dollars for jetting
[3:36:53] and it was about $500 for 15.
[3:36:56] Yep. Please no comment sir.
[3:37:02] Yeah, I mean if it's, if
[3:37:04] that's a fact that's going the wrong way.
[3:37:05] My dad was a pipe fitter for 40 years
[3:37:07] and you know, he will use to say
[3:37:08] certain stuff doesn't run a pill.
[3:37:10] So I mean, to me you keep pushing, pushing,
[3:37:14] kicking the can down the road.
[3:37:15] It's gonna keep costing you over and over
[3:37:17] and things don't get better
[3:37:19] before they get worse in this sort of situation.
[3:37:22] So I would be more supportive
[3:37:25] of getting it fixed than I would be repairing it
[3:37:28] or doing maintenance on it over and over and over.
[3:37:31] Okay. If it's gonna fix the issue and,
[3:37:34] and get the grade going down
[3:37:36] In, in confirmation from the engineer was
[3:37:38] to fix the grade properly
[3:37:39] and the pitch of the pipe to the sewer connection
[3:37:42] and then we wouldn't need the clean earth.
[3:37:43] So there is the, you know, the short term you can save money
[3:37:47] and not repair it, but it's the,
[3:37:49] but if when it breaks Trustee pay,
[3:37:54] is this something too that should be taken into account when
[3:37:57] and if we're gonna do the driveway, like does,
[3:37:59] does this need to predate the driveway
[3:38:01] so it's northbound Sure.
[3:38:04] Past the dots in the parking lot of what township owns
[3:38:08] and there is concessions with Nicos
[3:38:10] because we have a legal easement for repair.
[3:38:13] It's in their parking lot.
[3:38:15] But the problem is, is that the way
[3:38:18] that the township hall sits
[3:38:19] and the way it happens is when they're a problem
[3:38:22] they don't experience it.
[3:38:24] We do. Sure. I'm saying
[3:38:25] that when we are gonna work on the driveway, correct?
[3:38:27] Yep. We have to tear the driveway up. Yep.
[3:38:28] That was thought about. That's, this is kinda can be,
[3:38:31] it's a separate part of the driveway where our easement is
[3:38:34] to our pipe, to our connection.
[3:38:36] But not in our parking lot that we're gonna be repairing.
[3:38:38] But it is a good idea, you know, obviously.
[3:38:40] Okay, so they could be done separately then? They could.
[3:38:43] Okay. Yeah. All right.
[3:38:45] Yeah, I mean that's my only concern was
[3:38:48] that is this something that could be done
[3:38:49] at a different time or not?
[3:38:51] Obviously this is something that we should take care
[3:38:53] of sooner rather than later.
[3:38:56] That's all I have right now. Thank you.
[3:38:58] Treasure Bloomfield, tell us about those restaurants
[3:39:00] and pipes and things.
[3:39:02] You know, I'm
[3:39:03] Just wondering if I should abstain sitting over here.
[3:39:07] We need the toilet to flush Sandy.
[3:39:09] I'm sitting here looking at the bid date
[3:39:11] and it's 10 31 25 trick or treat.
[3:39:15] So they did revisit that this fall.
[3:39:18] Okay, so, so my next question that that's why I, I believe
[3:39:22] that the quote changed in numbers
[3:39:23] but they probably didn't change the date.
[3:39:25] Okay. I could get up, you know, confirm one more time.
[3:39:28] So my next question is,
[3:39:30] if we're talking about maybe the possibility
[3:39:33] of redoing the whole parking lot, I would say that I would
[3:39:38] maybe revisit this bid
[3:39:40] and whoever does our parking lot does this all at the same
[3:39:43] time because there would be a cost savings there,
[3:39:48] But this isn't, I know it isn't our parking lot,
[3:39:50] but I'm saying instead of having the person
[3:39:53] who does their asphalt for this come out,
[3:39:55] we have the same person come out and do it all.
[3:39:59] Yeah, I just think the only thing about it is,
[3:40:01] is probably being a sewer line
[3:40:02] that's probably got a trench box
[3:40:03] and it's probably like that kind of excavator might not,
[3:40:06] we could look into it certainly.
[3:40:07] Right? But it's an idea. Treasurer Clerk Lawrence.
[3:40:14] I think that my experience with plumbing is
[3:40:18] that it's never not, it's never gotten better
[3:40:21] without repair.
[3:40:23] And I hate plumbing. So I, I would
[3:40:28] think that it needs to get fixed.
[3:40:30] Like I think that costs of things are only increasing
[3:40:34] and it's gonna cost us more.
[3:40:37] I would rather not have the bathrooms back up with sewage.
[3:40:42] I just think that's a disservice to everyone.
[3:40:44] And we'd have a problem if
[3:40:46] we couldn't have a public meeting.
[3:40:48] And in the time that it did back up, it was on a day
[3:40:51] of a public meeting, we only had T minus not too long.
[3:40:54] And then we had our staff in, in the bathroom.
[3:40:57] So Trustee Amos just
[3:40:58] Fix it.
[3:41:01] Trustee art With
[3:41:06] Michigan's freeze thaw cycle.
[3:41:09] Do we have any con do we need to have any concern
[3:41:12] with a freeze, a break
[3:41:14] and now raw sewage making its way to the Kalamazoo River?
[3:41:18] Indeed we do. And that's why I wanted
[3:41:20] to bring this forward because it, you know, it's not up
[3:41:22] to me if or when it breaks.
[3:41:24] It's kinda like I know that it's negative grade
[3:41:27] and I know we live in Michigan
[3:41:29] and you know, that's where we're at.
[3:41:31] So, good point. I I I didn't think about the proximity
[3:41:34] to raw sewage to the river, but you make a very good point.
[3:41:38] Clerk Lawrence.
[3:41:40] Yeah, I would like to see us fix it,
[3:41:43] but I do like the idea of trying a bid with,
[3:41:47] if we're gonna do the driveway,
[3:41:48] like what would that look like?
[3:41:50] So I don't know if we wanna make a motion.
[3:41:53] I don't know how we wanna go about that.
[3:41:54] And maybe it's not a motion for tonight,
[3:41:57] but I think it probably needs to get fixed.
[3:41:59] We did just engage in a, a, a sewer agreement
[3:42:04] with a local business
[3:42:05] and this contractor actively is working
[3:42:08] with the local business under our agreement
[3:42:10] that Attorney Thaw provided.
[3:42:11] So our engineer has direct contact actively with them.
[3:42:16] So I have a point of contact that can get right to him.
[3:42:18] So if we would wanna make a broad motion,
[3:42:20] if we wanna wait till October 5th, you know, it's, it's up
[3:42:25] to you guys on how, I don't know if there's a way
[3:42:27] to do a phased motion attorney
[3:42:29] thal, would there be any way to,
[3:42:30] I'll make a motion.
[3:42:32] I move that we continue with the repair if and when needed
[3:42:37] and that we table any other work until October 5th.
[3:42:46] He got me on that one, Kurt.
[3:42:49] So anybody picking up what he's laying down?
[3:42:57] Yeah, I He's just saying that don't, not gonna do anything.
[3:43:01] Just table it. October 5th
[3:43:03] Well table it but also give approval to you
[3:43:06] to be make a repair if it happens tomorrow. Yeah.
[3:43:09] Oh I see what you're saying. I gotcha. So yeah. Okay.
[3:43:14] Motion made by Trustee Hart. Supported by Trustee Paver.
[3:43:19] All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes.
[3:43:26] All right, that's it on my part.
[3:43:29] Thanks for bearing with me guys.
[3:43:31] Our next meeting is scheduled October 5th, so we won't have
[3:43:34] so much time in between a board meeting.
[3:43:36] So thank you very much for your patience.
[3:43:38] Moving along to finance, we have reports.
[3:43:40] We have cash summary by fund July, 2026, cash summary
[3:43:45] by bank account July, 2026, fire Department, August, 2026,
[3:43:50] incident report, informational and future action items.
[3:43:53] We have FOIA request.
[3:43:54] We're moving along to public comments on agenda
[3:43:57] and non agenda items.
[3:43:59] A citizen may state their name and address
[3:44:00] and may speak going one time no more than three minutes.
[3:44:03] This time may not be given
[3:44:04] to another citizen to extend their time.
[3:44:06] The person speaking has the floor.
[3:44:09] No citizen shall speak during someone else's time.
[3:44:12] During this time you'll be making statements
[3:44:14] to the board without discussion from board members.
[3:44:16] But you're welcome to make an appointment
[3:44:18] with the supervisor to discuss your comments.
[3:44:19] Further contact information is located by the door.
[3:44:22] Please keep comments, clean and respectful.
[3:44:29] I guess I, I guess I should have read the agenda a little
[3:44:31] better because I should have would've liked
[3:44:34] to have talked about this before you actually voted on
[3:44:36] accepting the insurance renewal.
[3:44:40] Yes, I think we need to protect our firefighters
[3:44:43] because they protect us.
[3:44:46] However, I would like to see,
[3:44:50] and I don't know if this is even feasible,
[3:44:52] the fire department to get their a hundred percent coverage
[3:44:57] possibly for the full-time 80 20 for part-time,
[3:45:03] which would give them incentive to want to go full-time.
[3:45:07] But also for our non Comstock employees
[3:45:13] have it being 80 20.
[3:45:15] Most businesses nowadays are 80 20. Very few.
[3:45:19] Do you find that they're a hundred percent,
[3:45:24] like I said, I think the fire department,
[3:45:26] because they do, he gave statistics on their increased
[3:45:31] chances of cancer and different types of things.
[3:45:34] The a hundred percent is a warranted thing
[3:45:38] for the fire department, not necessarily for
[3:45:42] the non firefighter employees.
[3:45:47] That's what I got. Thank you ma'am.
[3:45:54] Let me put all my garbage down here. Okay.
[3:45:56] You already know who I am except he doesn't.
[3:45:59] I'm Jeannie Kissinger. I live on 3 22 Lawndale.
[3:46:03] Okay, do not forget Mary Guus is
[3:46:08] leaving at the end of this month.
[3:46:10] She's been a very big part of Comstock Township
[3:46:13] and she's retiring and I truthfully don't know
[3:46:18] how we're gonna replace her
[3:46:20] and the memory center is up for lease
[3:46:24] because it was not bringing in enough capital to stay open.
[3:46:30] The other thing, when you were talking about things
[3:46:35] to be done in the community, we have a lot of people
[3:46:39] that cannot afford new roofs,
[3:46:44] siding on their houses or even to have 'em painted.
[3:46:48] And we're talking my aging over
[3:46:54] like down on celery and that area.
[3:46:58] There are a lot of people down there
[3:47:00] that can't afford to fix their houses.
[3:47:04] It would be great to see if you could take somebody like
[3:47:07] say, okay, I'm just gonna use this.
[3:47:11] Take somebody outta the jail
[3:47:14] and make them a team and put 'em to work.
[3:47:17] Come stock my, pay 'em a little bit under the table.
[3:47:20] But that's there. No, just listen you, you're giving me
[3:47:24] that look there just a little bit like a couple bucks
[3:47:29] or something to do this as community service
[3:47:34] because people can't do it.
[3:47:36] I mean you look at Reggie and you see him
[3:47:39] and you think, oh yeah, he's a strapping guy.
[3:47:42] Okay, Reggie's got a back that's sitting tilted right now
[3:47:45] that we don't know how much longer it's gonna go.
[3:47:48] Plus he only has one kidney
[3:47:50] so he can't do everything he used to do.
[3:47:54] And so when you look at us, you're thinking, oh God,
[3:47:56] yeah they can still do everything.
[3:47:59] I just had my angels here, do my sugar.
[3:48:02] 'cause my sugar's starting to fall
[3:48:04] 'cause it's 10 o'clock, I'm borderline.
[3:48:06] And you know, it's like that you're looking at people
[3:48:10] but you're not looking into the people.
[3:48:14] You really need
[3:48:15] to kinda broaden your horizons just a little bit.
[3:48:19] I mean, I can talk to most of you one-on-one,
[3:48:23] that one I've known since he's been this high.
[3:48:27] But yeah, you just need to broaden your horizons
[3:48:30] and listen just a little bit more
[3:48:32] because there's so much that's needed out there.
[3:48:37] That's all I've got to say. And I'm going home. Thank you.
[3:48:41] Welcome. Feel
[3:48:42] Better demon.
[3:48:44] Goodbye. Hi sweetheart. Thank you. You're welcome.
[3:48:47] Thank you. Hi, my name is Jessica Better.
[3:48:52] I'm a CommSec resident.
[3:48:54] I have been coming to these meetings
[3:48:56] and to the meetings of the planning
[3:48:57] and zoning board for over a year.
[3:49:01] I'm, like I said, a, a newer member of cons.
[3:49:06] This is the best meeting I have ever been to.
[3:49:10] So I just wanna really give kudos to every single one
[3:49:13] of you Amber.
[3:49:15] The difference between you
[3:49:16] and our prior clerk is literally crazy.
[3:49:18] You. The way that you ask questions, look at people, speak
[3:49:22] to people, really are delving into this
[3:49:26] and showing how much you are outwardly to us
[3:49:31] during meetings is just a shining difference.
[3:49:34] No offense to the former, I just didn't see that there.
[3:49:38] John, I I have been able to work with you on this side
[3:49:43] so much and I'm so proud of you
[3:49:45] and all of the amazing things that you said tonight.
[3:49:49] Seriously, I could not be more happy
[3:49:51] with the board that we have right now.
[3:49:53] I'm really looking forward to speaking with some
[3:49:55] of the board members that I don't know
[3:49:56] and continuing to work with the ones that I do.
[3:50:00] I did want to mention a little bit about what the
[3:50:04] fire chief was talking about with the insurance
[3:50:06] because that is a very, very huge deal coming from
[3:50:10] where I come from and in the situation I was talking about
[3:50:13] earlier, it it,
[3:50:14] the first responders are absolutely the first people
[3:50:16] that are going to be ill.
[3:50:18] They are going to get cancer.
[3:50:19] They are going to get many other things from lots
[3:50:22] of contaminants that you don't even realize.
[3:50:24] My father was a cleanup worker.
[3:50:26] He's a lo a local three electrician
[3:50:28] who cleaned up building five
[3:50:29] after he has had prostate cancer re syndrome right now he
[3:50:33] has PHI fasciitis, which is the hardening of the muscles.
[3:50:37] And this is just from working in
[3:50:38] that area around those things.
[3:50:40] And these men clean up for them every day.
[3:50:42] So I do agree with Karen.
[3:50:44] I think that we should be giving them a hundred percent
[3:50:47] and I want to thank them very much
[3:50:50] for all of their hard work, I hope.
[3:50:51] And nothing that I said earlier was distasteful towards 'em
[3:50:55] 'cause it has nothing to do with them whatsoever.
[3:50:57] It all has to do with me not knowing a lot about our taxes
[3:51:02] and why they are split up the way they are considering.
[3:51:04] Again, I'm newer to the area. So I am very, very interested.
[3:51:08] I have a great working relationship
[3:51:09] with the firefighters on 26th Street.
[3:51:11] Love them very much. I officer, I also love Officer Kyle
[3:51:16] and I want more officers in our area.
[3:51:20] I literally got locked out of my house last week
[3:51:23] and was waving people down on East H Avenue.
[3:51:25] He just so happened to be driving by
[3:51:28] and helped me call my husband to come home
[3:51:30] and get me into the house where my
[3:51:31] 2-year-old was in the crib.
[3:51:33] So more of police officers, you know, would be great.
[3:51:37] And I am definitely interested in looking into the tax
[3:51:40] situation, but I'm so, so, so looking forward
[3:51:42] to working with all of you.
[3:51:44] And I just think that you're all doing a great job so far.
[3:51:46] So kudos to you and looking forward to a better 2026.
[3:51:51] 2027. Thank you. Okay,
[3:52:01] Good evening.
[3:52:02] Tim Kearney, 94 11 Miller Drive. Welcome to you.
[3:52:06] New board members. Glad to have you on board.
[3:52:13] Just a couple things.
[3:52:18] I hope that you're open minded and one minded
[3:52:22] and we don't join a group again, we've seen too much
[3:52:28] of the group aspects being teams.
[3:52:34] I appreciate your comment about let the public talk about
[3:52:37] some of these ideas for the money.
[3:52:39] There's a lot of concepts.
[3:52:41] I'm, I'm a, I've been telling everybody knows
[3:52:43] I'm a licensed engineer.
[3:52:45] I work for MSU, we've got a 5 0 1 C3 that we're working on,
[3:52:50] which I,
[3:52:54] I I believe it's required to get three quotes
[3:52:59] on items, especially dealing with governmental
[3:53:02] or especially with MSU on what, on projects
[3:53:06] that you're doing to compromise
[3:53:09] and have apples to apple comparisons.
[3:53:12] So it just seems to me, I'm gonna speak directly
[3:53:15] to the supervisor at this time that you're doing
[3:53:21] probably more than you should.
[3:53:23] And you should allow others of your teammates
[3:53:26] to assist you in your duties.
[3:53:29] I'd like you to remember that you work for us
[3:53:32] and it feels a little bit, we, we, I'm sure you're aware
[3:53:36] that some litigation is coming towards you
[3:53:41] for some fast movement when I just wanted to talk to you.
[3:53:45] And I'll also mention to this board
[3:53:47] that some future litigation might come forward again
[3:53:51] because I just tried to get ahold of the executive board
[3:53:55] of the DDA to have some clarification as so
[3:53:59] that the board has been
[3:54:02] illegal at this time.
[3:54:05] And that's also from the direct supervision
[3:54:10] of the supervisor who appointed that board.
[3:54:13] And my goal is not to bring litigation,
[3:54:15] but I have deep pockets and I will,
[3:54:18] and when I find wrong, I will take it to the, to the extent,
[3:54:23] Ben, I've tried to work with you.
[3:54:24] I voted for you. Please
[3:54:29] sit back and let people help you.
[3:54:31] And tr it sounds to me that
[3:54:32] through this whole meeting about yourself and your goals
[3:54:35] and your dreams, we watched this entire year,
[3:54:38] money fly out of our pockets.
[3:54:40] Going to paying to the superintendents, going to pay
[3:54:44] for your pay raise, going to pay
[3:54:46] for the fire department's needs, going to pay for you guys
[3:54:49] to go look at all the best stuff.
[3:54:51] That's all we see.
[3:54:53] The perception is we're paying you guys all of our money
[3:54:56] to go through and see all this stuff and pay it out.
[3:54:59] We're not seeing the perception
[3:55:01] that you care and work for us.
[3:55:03] Thank you sir.
[3:55:10] What a marathon. Dean Rockwell 81 78 FA Middle Trail.
[3:55:14] Couple notes real quick from the county supervisor meetings.
[3:55:20] I did pick up a handful
[3:55:21] of printed foldable county roadmaps last week.
[3:55:25] For those of you who still want 'em
[3:55:27] or use 'em, the clerks have 'em behind the desks.
[3:55:32] Consumers Energy wanted to remind Comstock residents
[3:55:35] that if they're an active customer,
[3:55:37] they can request a free energy assessment with a technician.
[3:55:41] Takes about 90 minutes in your home
[3:55:43] to propose energy saving methods in your home.
[3:55:47] Assess energy is issues
[3:55:49] and usage for your residents to curb costs,
[3:55:52] which we've talked a lot about tonight.
[3:55:54] Some people talked about, you know, home repairs.
[3:55:56] So I just wanna remind all the residents
[3:55:58] and those that are, will watch it later on that today.
[3:56:01] Kalamazoo County opened applications today
[3:56:04] for the 10.5 million housing millage homes for all.
[3:56:08] There's six different categories, you know, from development
[3:56:12] to owner occupied rehabilitation.
[3:56:15] So I'd encourage anybody,
[3:56:18] the portal is open from today all the way till October 23rd
[3:56:21] at 5:00 PM where applications,
[3:56:24] and this is grants so it doesn't have to be a match,
[3:56:26] but there's six different categories
[3:56:27] and if that, whether you're a developer
[3:56:29] or just an owner occupied residents,
[3:56:32] I would look at the Kalamazoo County portal
[3:56:34] and use those resources.
[3:56:36] 'cause it can work towards help you
[3:56:39] to remain safely in your home for critical repairs.
[3:56:45] Directly after this, I'm gonna forward an email, all
[3:56:47] of you there, the CEO
[3:56:49] of Discover Kalamazoo sent an email to Ben
[3:56:52] and I about some kayaking trips that have to do
[3:56:55] with the Kalamazoo River.
[3:56:56] But it was just to Ben and I.
[3:56:58] So I will forward it all to you,
[3:57:00] the board members afterwards, as they have a couple dates
[3:57:03] that they would like to invite you all as
[3:57:05] township board members.
[3:57:07] But you can look at it and decide if you want.
[3:57:10] That's everything. Just as far as deputy supervisor,
[3:57:13] just on the personal note, just like some
[3:57:15] of my neighbors on Fawn Meadow, obviously we,
[3:57:18] the close proximity, you know,
[3:57:20] to the best I understand it is what it is.
[3:57:22] But for those of us that live there, yes, my home value,
[3:57:26] the day after the Planning Commission vote,
[3:57:29] my home value went down $13,000
[3:57:33] in eight hours after that vote.
[3:57:35] Or 3% of my property value overnight.
[3:57:38] So yes, I understand township's gonna get money,
[3:57:40] but for many of us that live that close to it,
[3:57:43] it still is gonna have a personal impact,
[3:57:45] you know, to us regardless.
[3:57:46] But just like others have said,
[3:57:48] and you captured well that voted along party lines,
[3:57:52] 56 Democrats voted in Lansing to do that.
[3:57:55] 52 Republicans voted against that
[3:57:58] because not that me, even
[3:58:01] as a Republican don't support green New deals.
[3:58:05] But I do like townships
[3:58:06] to retain control, which we don't have. Thanks a lot.
[3:58:09] Thank you sir. Any further public comment.
[3:58:19] John Dickman, township president.
[3:58:22] After, right
[3:58:24] after I made my remarks earlier, I realized that I,
[3:58:28] they may have been disparaging to a certain political party.
[3:58:32] That was not my intent.
[3:58:34] My intent was to point out
[3:58:37] that PA 2 33 was basically RAM rotted through.
[3:58:41] There wasn't anything anybody else could do about it.
[3:58:43] There was a grand scheme behind it.
[3:58:46] And I could even back those comments up
[3:58:50] because a gal I went to high school
[3:58:53] with is a township clerk in Kent County
[3:58:57] and they're having the same issues that we are.
[3:59:00] They're, everybody is just dumping the stuff on 'em
[3:59:04] and there's not a lot they can do with it.
[3:59:06] And back to what Ben had brought up,
[3:59:12] yeah, they're looking at the example
[3:59:14] that Comstock Township set
[3:59:16] and I think we can be proud of that.
[3:59:19] Number two is, I wanna say
[3:59:21] that this is probably the best board meeting
[3:59:24] that I have sat through.
[3:59:26] It's refreshing to see everybody asking questions,
[3:59:30] working together, swapping ideas.
[3:59:34] It's frankly, it was impressive.
[3:59:38] My last comment, the whole reason I came down here this
[3:59:42] evening to begin with the hunt at McLendon Nature Trails.
[3:59:47] A lot of people don't agree with hunting.
[3:59:49] A lot of people don't agree with the use of
[3:59:54] sportsmen versus a wildlife management company
[3:59:58] to do something like this.
[4:00:00] They want the, they like wildlife management companies
[4:00:04] because they're insured their bond and blah, blah, blah.
[4:00:08] That's fine. It really doesn't matter who or what does that.
[4:00:13] But Ben, again, I know the same, I know the farmer,
[4:00:17] I'm a little more intimate with him than you are,
[4:00:20] and his crop losses are just ridiculous.
[4:00:25] And in the time
[4:00:26] that I've spent back in there helping him out,
[4:00:29] the browse line is seven feet in the air.
[4:00:32] That's where the deer go up to eat branches
[4:00:38] and leaves and stuff like that off during the wintertime,
[4:00:42] a deer's digestive system adapts to summer and winter diets.
[4:00:47] And when you're browsing seven feet in the air,
[4:00:49] there ain't no way that forest is ever
[4:00:51] gonna regenerate itself.
[4:00:53] And a forest that doesn't regenerate itself,
[4:00:56] doesn't protect the watershed.
[4:00:58] And if it doesn't protect the watershed,
[4:01:00] it doesn't protect the wellheads,
[4:01:02] which don't protect the water supply.
[4:01:05] Which in that area where I actually happen to live,
[4:01:09] the water supply is iffy at best
[4:01:11] because that's the PFAS zone of interest.
[4:01:15] So yeah, let 'em have at it. Thanks.
[4:01:18] Thank you, sir. Any further?
[4:01:20] Citizen comment, if not be moving along
[4:01:25] to members' comments.
[4:01:26] Trustee Hart.
[4:01:31] Trustee Hart, do you have any comments for us?
[4:01:34] Nothing further, thank you Trustee
[4:01:36] Amos. Well,
[4:01:40] There was a comment, I'm sorry.
[4:01:41] Thank you. There was a comment about the,
[4:01:44] the best system and about money.
[4:01:46] This, when we fought the best system,
[4:01:49] it was never about money.
[4:01:51] It was about what was good for the township.
[4:01:53] And I just want you to totally understand that.
[4:01:55] And some of us went to the meeting and went to cold water
[4:01:58] and everything and we didn't get paid for it.
[4:02:01] We, we did this for the township and not for us.
[4:02:04] We fought it as much as we could.
[4:02:05] The second thing is about the deer.
[4:02:07] The deer have to be controlled
[4:02:09] and either you either have people hunt them or just go out
[4:02:12] and shoot 'em or something because
[4:02:14] they need to be controlled.
[4:02:15] I live over here on the creek in Mary Brook
[4:02:17] and they eat everything.
[4:02:19] We, we can't hardly have a garden in our backyard
[4:02:21] because the deer, we can't get rid of them.
[4:02:24] Thank you. Trustee Amos. Clerk Lawrence.
[4:02:28] Yeah, I was gonna thank you Trustee Emos.
[4:02:30] I was gonna say the same about going to see the best,
[4:02:32] and I appreciate the commentary
[4:02:34] because it gives us an opportunity to provide explanation.
[4:02:38] So when we all went, I drove my own vehicle,
[4:02:42] we didn't take a township vehicle
[4:02:44] and there was no payment for that time.
[4:02:47] I also wanted to bring up the, the comment about quotes.
[4:02:50] Totally agree with you. Would love to see three quotes.
[4:02:52] And that's why on our next meeting you're probably gonna see
[4:02:55] an RFP policy come out
[4:02:57] because I believe the board attempted that
[4:02:59] and didn't, didn't get it through.
[4:03:01] And so, you know,
[4:03:02] we think we absolutely should be taking quotes and
[4:03:05] and making the best decisions there.
[4:03:07] So wanted to share that, those couple of notes.
[4:03:10] And I think that's it. I think it was a full night.
[4:03:14] Thank you Clerk Lawrence, Treasurer Bloomfield.
[4:03:17] I thought you were gonna go to Joe next. Sorry again.
[4:03:22] Yes, we all drove our vehicles down there to cold water.
[4:03:25] Actually, my husband and I went first
[4:03:27] and when we came back, I told the Planning Commission
[4:03:30] and the board members, I said, Hey, you need to go see this.
[4:03:33] So you know what we're talking about with the residents.
[4:03:37] We did our due diligence with the battery energy
[4:03:41] and Supervisor Martin, you did do a lot of work on that,
[4:03:44] putting the committees together along
[4:03:46] with our attorney firm.
[4:03:48] And you did a good job for us,
[4:03:49] even though none of us want it.
[4:03:51] I mean, I think out of all these residents,
[4:03:55] 99.9 of us do not want it.
[4:03:58] So all I have to say to that is watch who you vote for,
[4:04:01] you know, find out what they want, what they stand for.
[4:04:04] If it's what you believe in, vote for 'em.
[4:04:07] The other thing is curbside pickup has started,
[4:04:11] I haven't seen a lot out, so I feel sorry
[4:04:16] for college hunks with all the rain we've had with
[4:04:18] what is out there, I sure hope they have a lot
[4:04:20] of strong backs to help lift that wet lugs out there.
[4:04:23] So that's all I have. Thank you. Thanks,
[4:04:25] Treasurer Bloomfield, Trustee Paver.
[4:04:29] I would like to thank everybody for
[4:04:32] staying this entire time.
[4:04:33] If you didn't make it the whole time, that's okay.
[4:04:36] And appreciate everybody's comments.
[4:04:39] That's a part of us
[4:04:41] bringing back the citizen's comment in the beginning,
[4:04:44] unfiltered, regardless of whether we like the comments
[4:04:47] or not, there are things that we have to hear.
[4:04:51] And I think a lot of what we were doing today
[4:04:56] is we're trying to bring more transparency to the community.
[4:05:00] It's a slow and steady process.
[4:05:04] And I would ask the community
[4:05:09] to give us some grace as we continue to navigate
[4:05:13] what has been given to us.
[4:05:15] It has not been easy since, you know,
[4:05:19] things changed over
[4:05:21] and everybody has kind of been learning on the fly.
[4:05:25] And Grace goes a long way with,
[4:05:30] you know, allowing and affording people to make mistakes.
[4:05:34] And you know, we're always gonna try to be better.
[4:05:37] And I think that everybody here, they're here
[4:05:41] because, well, you know, I'm not gonna speak
[4:05:43] for everybody else, but I would, I would wager
[4:05:47] that The reason why a lot of us are here is
[4:05:48] because we have a servant's mindset
[4:05:50] and that we want to be here
[4:05:53] and that we're willing to be here all the way to as.
[4:05:56] As long as that is, as it takes.
[4:05:59] And if there are people that feel
[4:06:00] that they are not being heard or listened to
[4:06:03] because I agree that there is a difference,
[4:06:07] then please tell us.
[4:06:09] And again, we're not gonna always like the things
[4:06:11] that you have to say or in the manner in which
[4:06:14] that you say them, but please still come up and say them
[4:06:17] and know that if you can't reach one person
[4:06:21] that you know there are several of us here,
[4:06:24] always willing to meet with people.
[4:06:28] I may have to move some schedules around,
[4:06:30] but just know that we are here,
[4:06:34] we do care about people.
[4:06:36] Maybe we need to do a better job
[4:06:37] of communicating that we care.
[4:06:39] And that's something for us to take a look at
[4:06:41] and look at ourselves and just know that
[4:06:47] we appreciate the opportunity to serve everybody.
[4:06:51] And thanks again for everybody for staying late. Thank you.
[4:06:54] Thank you. Trustee Paver. Trustee Van Bruen,
[4:06:57] Just same amount.
[4:06:58] Settlement. Thank you for all coming out tonight
[4:07:00] and it's late and have a safe drive home. That's all I
[4:07:03] Have.
[4:07:04] Thank you. Thank you to the board for a long meeting,
[4:07:06] so next time maybe we won't have such long meeting.
[4:07:09] We had a lot of business to catch up on.
[4:07:11] And welcome to the board.
[4:07:13] I look forward to working with everybody.
[4:07:14] Thank you very much. This meeting is adjourned.
[4:07:20] Oh.