County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Human County Board of Commissioners meeting for May 13, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Please stand for the pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Roll call, please. Russo Mley here. Wolson here. Here. Spencer here.

Approval of the agenda. Before we approve the agenda, we do need to add our equalization director Jamie Howerman. Um, under new business regarding the county's 4029. So move, Madam Chair, with with amendment. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Got to give me a minute. Sorry. Mley, yes. Wolson, yes. Spencer, yes. Yes. Motion carried.

Approval of the consent agenda. The items within are the meeting minutes from April 22nd, 2026 board meeting and the April 22nd uh 2026 budget and finance meeting committee of the whole class A's in the amount of 1,351,232.33 and claims and accounts in the amount of $658,568.98. We have correspondences A through G letters regarding H Hotton Lake, a letter from Alyssa Slatkins office, letter regarding Higgins Lake, meeting minutes from the RTA and proposed bylaws from Richfield Township. Um the administrator controller report and the clerk register of deeds report and the animal control stats and shelter stats for April 2026. So move, Madam Chair.

Second. Roll call, please. Milburn, yes. Orley, yes. Spencer, yes. Wilson, yes.

Public comment on agenda items only. Do we have any public comment on agenda items? Visitors, we have the student EDC scholarship presentation. So I will introduce one by one.

Thank you for uh having us and uh for uh allowing the economic development board, the economic development operation committee uh to uh to extend invitations to the young people in the community uh to learn a little bit about econom economic development and what it is. Uh since my education career uh concluded, I spent a lot of time doing economic development right here in the village and we're very proud of a lot of the things we've been able to accomplish right here in the village and uh at the county level. We were able to accomplish a lot of things with that board as well. One of the things a lot of the things uh that we did and addressed and attempted to uh work through uh are are boring sorts of things. One of the things that we decided to take on this year or this past year was to uh do a program. We called it initially our student internship program. Uh it started off as uh students from the local high schools attending uh these municipal-based meetings. Uh as you commissioners know, rarely do you get a teenager in the audience and every now and then when they are in the audience, they're there because their civics teacher is giving them extra credit. Uh so uh to be able to uh show high school students some of them that will stick around, some of them that will move on and possibly never come back to Ross Common County. Uh but uh we wanted to show them, you know, the inner workings of what people do behind the scenes and uh so we started this internship program and the uh scholarship that goes along with it. We appreciate this board uh providing that opportunity for these students. Uh, as Brenda said, we left it to the school administrators. We wanted

to do one student from each high school in the county. So, one from Charlton Common and uh we left it to their administrators to uh and teachers to choose those students. So, if we could have those three students come on up and just stand off to the side here. Look at that. They're right in height order. I like that. Dylan uh Chahowski on the left is from Charlton Hston Academy and uh he is going to be attending Northern Michigan University uh and uh studying criminal justice and he is here with his mother Angela Dave Angela and uh if if you can't tell by his size he's quite the basketball player team captain for Charlton Aston. Yeah. Okay. Are you gonna play any basketball at Northern?

And uh I'm gonna go around the guy in the middle there for for a quick second. On the right is Abby uh Boselle and she's from Holton Lake High School. Uh and she's here with her mother Holly in the back there. Uh Abby plans to attend Sagenov Valley and study nursing. Uh and in the middle is Jack Ericson. He's from Rock Ross Common High School. I know at one time you had some plans to attend George Washington University. Is that still on? Okay. And what are you going to study at George Washington?

International relations. And so, uh, we're very proud of what, uh, despite the the program being abbreviated, uh, we had to, you know, stop about mid year. Uh, they did have a good experience. We learned some things from the students. Uh, they had the ability to give input. We did put them into committees albeit for a short time and uh so they they saw the inner workings of uh how uh we were attempting to get at some of the solutions uh for economic development in the county. So, I'm going to just briefly put them on the spot and if anybody I I won't make anyone, but if anybody could step up and just say was there anything that you

anything that you got out of these did you learn some anything comments at all? Just short like under 20 seconds. Um, I learned that there's a lot of people in the community who take their free time to volunteer throughout the community in the inner workings with everything going on. And there's a lot of people that do that.

I learned there's a um a lot of time to do things and it takes a lot of people and man manower to do a lot. It's a lot more behind the scenes than I initially thought with the township. Thank you. You want to add?

I'd like to add that um Jim and several of our board members were really instrumental in kicking off this program and although like we said it had to end earlier than anticipated, they did put a lot of work and forethought into this. And so in the short time that the students were attending our meetings and I know Abby participated in our marketing committee meetings, it was great to have them their their ideas, you know, their comments. Um and then um as we had to shift gears, we asked them to to do those reports, you know, in lie of attending the remaining meetings for the year. And I know that I had passed those over to Jod and hopefully she had shared those with the board. Okay. W

with that they're going to receive a $500 scholarship each presented by chairperson sensor. Oh, you're going to do a quick picture. I was going to say, do we want pictures and Oh, yeah. Moms, would you like to join and have a picture separate with them?

Yeah. Out of the way.

Yep. I don't picture Don't want to get it. totally fair. Yeah,

I will see you at the

Okay, so unfinished business strategic plan action update. Um, so at our last meeting, everybody was asked to bring one to two topics that they would like to be their focus for the upcoming year. From my understanding, this really wasn't talked about as far as I know Commissioner Mley kind of led some stuff off. She had brought a couple things, I guess. I'm not sure as far as Commissioner Wolfson or Commissioner Milbourne where your guys's thought process is. So to try to kind of put the strategic plan

in order in order to bed, however you want to say it for the next few meetings. I thought about what each of the commissioners have kind of talked about they would like their focus to be. Um, so Commissioner Wolson, you've been working with materials management and I know that there are several deadlines with that program and there's a lot of uncertainty with the state. I know that the townships have entrusted us with this program and therefore I would like you to kind of make sure that that is your focus if you're okay with that and to make sure that the we have the best plan possible for our county. Are you okay with that?

Sure. Commissioner Milbour, you've been focused on the 250th anniversary, and I would like that to continue to be your main focus and to be able to do the best presentation possible. Are you okay with that? I am.

Commissioner Mley, um, you focus on budget items along with a possible, you've talked about a budget road show at some point. If you're okay with that, I would like you to continue on with those things. Talk with Jody, discuss budget future presentations and how you would see things rolling out. And then also in the fall, um maybe how the department heads in their budget presentations will go with the board. Are you okay with that? And for myself, um, I know I've talked a lot about in prior meetings about water resource divisions and things of that nature with our lakes. And I will focus on trying to develop a water resource division through the drain commissioner's office pulling in soil erosion, the drain commissioner, and lake level control structure authority. If everyone is okay with that, Okay,

Madam Chair. Yes. Um, Commissioner Milbour and I have been working on the Oakri program. We've developed something and we'd like to continue with that part, too. Okay. We will make a presentation at the next meeting, okay? How we think we should move forward with it. And then we'll see if we're going to continue with that program or not at that time, I guess. Okay. Sounds good. Thank you. Does anybody have anything else regarding the strategic plan that you guys would like to talk about at this time?

Okay. Next, we have the airport for unit TH hanger project and our airport manager is here to give us an update. Good morning.

A little review here. Um, thanks for having me. First of all, we'll we'll just kind of breeze through the the couple pieces of paper you have there. Um, if you look at the the first sheet in front of you, exhibit one, this sheet has to do with the taxi lane project design and construction. Um, included in this uh exhibit is not only the design for the taxi the new taxi lane but also the design for the fourunit tea hanger. Okay, so it was the design for the tea hanger project was rolled into this one. And if you look at there at the top the highlighted areas there at the top you can see the design cost and for the taxi lane and the the four unit tea hanger there. Okay, if you go down to the next highlighted area, that's the total project budget, $264,610. And if you go to the next line, you can see how the funding breaks out. 95% federal, 5% state, and 0% local match. Okay. So, this is for the design of the taxi lane, the design of the four unit T hanger and the construction of the taxi lane. Okay. Now along with that anytime we do a federal project um there are sponsor certifications that have to be filled out and signed by

a chair whoever the chairperson is in this case um chairperson sensor. Okay. And she she completed the sponsor certifications for the taxi lane construction. the next and what the sponsor certifications are. It's um making sure that we the county are the drug-free workplace. There are no conflicts of interest. She has to answer a bunch of questions and then sign and return those to M. Aeronautics. Okay. The next step would be the sponsor contract. It is a contract between the county and MDOT. So it's a 90 in this case it's a 92page document and that's where this exhibit one comes from. Okay, the breakdown and the funding. Okay. So once um the sponsor contract comes to me, I send it off to you all chairperson censor and then the resolution has to take place allowing chairperson censor to sign MDOT documents on the behalf of Ross Common County and then you all will move to either accept or reject protect the sponsor contract. Okay, so a motion would have to take place. This is standard procedure for any federal project we do on the airport. Okay, so that all this for the taxi lane has already taken place. So thank you. The taxi lane is in. It's done. Um and so now let's move on to the

next project. Let's see the four unit T hanger. that this particular project is going to be broken out into two concepts, two twounit tea hanger concepts. Okay. But the reason it's being broken out in two different concept is because of the funding structures we utilized. Um, I funding, also called bill funding, was an infrastructure law that went into place um by Congress. And we have exhausted every penny of IIG and bill money that was that we could utilize for the airport. We've used every penny. There is no more. Okay. But in order to get the four unit PE hanger constructed, we had to dip into our AIP money and our what we would call is our non-primary entitlement money that we we get each year from from the FAA. If you have questions, please stop me because I'm going to keep going. Okay. So if you look at the second page, this breaks out the construction of the 4unit tea hanger. Okay. So if you look at that first highlighted line there, that is construction of a two two of the four units. Okay, you see the federal share, the state share and the local share zero.

The second line is the site preparation. The site preparation is not for the construction of the building, but it is for the aprons that connect the buildings to the current taxi lane. It's it's the asphalt and the preparation for the HMA. They call it HMA hot mix asphalt. Okay. You see the federal breakdown, the state portion and the local portion, zero. The second unit, the the highlighted there in the green, this is where we had to actually make this what we what I would define as a standard federal, state, and local project where the local has a share. Okay, if you look at the breakdown there, the federal, the state, and the local. So that's 5% which is standard for a at this time for a federal, state, and local project. So that our share is $7,355.92 which is in the airport budget for this year. Okay, it we we we built that into the budget, right? So that that's that's that's how it's a little different this time around because My goal as airport manager is to utilize every bit of money that we have available, especially money that does not require a local match. We have done that. Okay. Moving forward, I don't know, you know, I I think we're

going to kind of go back into the old way of doing things, and that's federal, state, and local. when we do a federal project on our airport. Now, the important thing about the tea hangers, it is not I've been airport manager 19 years and it's not often in fact this is the first time in my 19 years that we have done a project that is revenue generating. All the projects are great for the airport as far as infrastructure, but this one is a revenue generating project. The FAA would rather not support revenue generating projects on your airport and that they that you they want you to be a thriving financially stable entity. Okay. So, this is a this is a huge deal here. Very big deal. Now, it's only four units, but there's a proposed another six to be added on for a total of 10 T hangers, which we need. Okay. And then there there's another concept that we're Keith and I are working on for privately built, privately owned air um box hangers to be built in the same area on the airport. Any questions on that? I just need a couple more things to talk about.

Madam Chair, yes. Um, am I reading this correctly on second page? Local funds would be $7,355. That would come out of our general fund. Is that correct? That is correct. It comes out of the airport budget. Second page would be local funds over 105,000. Second page. Third page. I mean, third page. Okay. I'm going to get to that yet.

Well, I So, let me um So, the first project, the T-Harger project, the 7,35592 is included in the 2026 allocation. So, the board already approved that. So, it is not an additional general fund contribution. It is already included in the total allocation that was in the approved budget. Um he's going to get to the third page. Yes, I am. But it's cut off. It's cut off on ours. So just so this is over the course of

this that third page I'm going to touch on. Okay, you stay with me. We're we're just talking about the fourunit tea hanger right now. And our share for that is 77,355.92 for a 4unit tea hanger building with with the aprons. Okay, I'm I'm going to get to your I'm going to answer your question here in a second. Any other questions, Madam Chair? Yes. If we're done, are you on this on this first two pages? Are you good or do you have another question there? Where I ask? Yeah, you're good. I'm going to talk about the future,

right? Okay. So, on that first page, it shows the construction part of that tea hanger total was 345 34,500. Can you help me understand where that is on the second page? Okay. This is still construction of tea hanger and those numbers the first page only represents the the taxi lane. Well, you the second one you said does have construction of tea hanger. The second page is that's a separate No, this is the next project.

The design That's what that 30 the design for the construction. Yes, this is the actual construction. Okay, I I guess I should preface that's okay. You know, by saying when when we when we do a project on the airport, I understood. I got it now. Okay. Project is a separate the the design is a separate project than the construction. It used to be they all lumped it all into one. Well, they FAA changed pretty normal. I just wanted to make sure I understood. I didn't hear it correct. Yeah. that 34,000 is the design and that's our this is all done and gone. This is kind and you can see there was zero local share for the design. Okay. Okay.

And you answered my other question is just that that 7,000 is not additional from what we had originally agreed to when this came forward. It's already going to come out of your airport budget. So that that's correct. And and I would also add with that seven $7,300 and change. Okay. The the winning bid for the tea hanger construction actually came in lower than our engineers estimate. If you recall, I I put a number in there of 8,000. Mhm.

As an estimate. Well, now it's it's still kind of an estimate. It's not hard numbers, but it's pretty close. Okay. because the the the low bid came in lower than our engineers estimate that we're we're saving some money there. Thank you.

It's a revenue generating project. It's huge. If I had a crystal ball, I' I'd like to know when our other six are going to get built. I don't know. Okay, page three. Thanks for giving me all the time, by the way. This is good. This is great. Okay, this is our um ACIP, airport capital improvement plan. FAA likes to use acronyms, ACIP. So, we already talked about the tea hangers. So I want to discuss now moving into the future in 20 28 I I I know it got cut off there actually it's 2027 next year is the design project for the above ground fuel farm $50,000 for the design. That's an estimate. This is a standard federal, state, and local project unless we get funding from elsewhere. So, our county share for the design of the above ground fuel farm is $2,500. Okay. So that's that's next year and so it 2028 is the actual construction of the above ground fuel farm. Okay, you all

understand we we we have an underground fuel farm a fuel tank underground. It's it's getting to be like 25 and to 30 years old. It is a good tank. It is We have tank monitoring system VA route. Okay. So if there is a problem with it, I'll know. But underground storage is terrible. It costs money to maintain. It costs money to inspect. I've been wanting to get rid of this underground fuel farm for 19 years. It's finally coming. and I'll celebrate that day when it gets here. Okay. So, that comes in 2029. I said 2029. It is 2028 actually. So the total cost for that, the estimated cost is $680,000 of which our share is 865.

Why are we not equal to the state on this one? Okay. So, we we can The reason is is because we're we're rolling over our 150,000 of NPE entitlement money. We don't have enough. Now, if we want to push this off another year to 2029, then we will have additional NPEs and the entitlement money, that's just what it's called, to help offset our share. So Rex or Commissioner Wilson that that answer your question of the bottom line there for the next the the other project in 2029 is obstruction removal for runway 36. It's too far out into the future right now. I'm just going to say that. But this is just uh this is five years of our 10-year plan. And that's what really the FAA focuses on are the five years. Okay. We're going to have our the the only other additional thing I'm adding into the this five-year plan in 2027 is paint marking. Paint marking the airport. All of the paints that are on the hard surfaces, they they are still in pretty good condition, but they need to get repainted. And so we're going to build that into

our ACIP for 2027. I don't know what the number is yet. Our engineer is working on it. So any questions, Madam Chair? Yes. Um, at one point, I think if I remember right, the county fronted $15,000 or so. Has that money or when will that money come back to the I am working on that. I am working on that. We we I think we paid 15,000 for a design project. So I think it was a design of the taxi lady, I think.

Mhm. Yeah. Okay. So I'm working on that. I'm a hawk and I'm going to I've been with my project manager at M DOT. It's a trouble. We'll say that has that project been completed? It's probably not even closed out yet. Okay.

And so, and I'm going to kind of piggyback off you and and cut in from a monetary monitoring standpoint. I have seen it take up to two and a half years to be reimbursed for this. And I know we did discuss this at the time that we knew that when we expended the money, it could be 2027 before we see the actual reimbursement. Um we saw that especially with a lot of the COVID projects um that were allocated to the airport that it they close out the projects but it takes them a year and a half at the state to close out the project and until they say it's closed we don't get our money so we always get our money but yeah I appreciate the question okay

and and it frustrates no one more than it does me because

as long as we don't have to put a postit on your forehead about it you It's always there somewhere in the gray matter up here somewhere. Okay. But I appreciate that question. Now along with that, you know, we did the the airport terminal apron three years ago. Now that project is still not closed out there. There's a lot of moving pieces. FAA, MD dot, local, our engineers have submitted all of the required documents to MDOT and FAA to close that project out. It is still not closed out three years later. So,

Madam Chair, yes. I think maybe to kind of wrap this piece up, I think it's been pretty known that that is the situation we will be in regardless if it's airport, anything you're doing state and federal, our controller will prepare that we won't get that money. So, I don't think that's unusual. I think it is indicative of us thinking three and four and five years out on a budget to say we're not getting that this year. Let's not plan on it. If it comes, great, but chances are we won't. So, I think that that is something we just know and we just budget for. Th this is the frustration

for me because it's a frustration but at the expense of leveraging 95% of federal and state money at a 5% match. I would just say as we go forward, we know we'll work on that from a budgetary perspective, but also for you as you put together your annual operating budget that if you know that's money is not coming in. Yes. And you've got projects that are going to need more local match, we may not be able to do that. I understand.

And we have to juggle how are we going to manage and it saying you wouldn't. I'm just saying it's on both sides that we continue to look at that. And we just know those are the facts. We have to work with them. We have to budget with those two.

Just two more things. This is back up to the the T- hanger, the four-unit T- hanger construction. There will be two separate sponsor contracts for that. Okay. I'm waiting for those. The project is supposed to happen sometime in September or sooner if possible. So, as soon as I get the sponsor contracts in in hand, I will forward those along to Chair Spencer for the resolution and for the motions for both of those. And then she will electronically sign and return those to MDOT where director Brian Buds will sign his section and they will be executed. I do appreciate a five to 10 year plan. I know that is required but that you have to do but I still think that that is very helpful when we see things come before us. So I do appreciate that and I appreciate that there will be some potential revenue coming in because I know revenue coming into that airport's difficult and we can't continue to fund all of it. We know I will be on record. We know that it'll never be a money maker. That's not our intent. But we do need to try to help. we can strive to

do help with that and I I I thank you for trying to get those accomplished. Okay. And so the the the 5year 10 and 10ear plan, I mean this is only what it is as a plan, right?

It doesn't mean any of this is going to happen. We're trying to make it happen. Okay. The last thing I'm going to talk about is our annual pancake breakfast flyin June 7th. Put it on your calendars. June 7th, 7 to 11. Uh, great breakfast. The weather's good. We have lots of planes fly in. It It's put on by our local Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 1580. And the event is to support our scholarships that we give out to any graduating high school student that is pursuing any career in aviation. We we we try to give away $500. $500 doesn't go a long way today, but it every little bit helps. And we've been fairly successful in giving away our our scholarship in these last years. So that's what the event helps support and you coming out, you support it. So I thank you. It's

all I got unless there's questions. I'm good. Thank you. Thank you. Look for the sponsor contracts. They're coming.

New business, our equalization director, Jamie Howerman. Thank you. Me. Good morning, honorable members of the board of commission for Roscommen County. As you know, I am Jamie Howerman, your equalization director. I appreciate your agenda accommodation today. Um, as you know, the time frames for data in and out of my office are very tight. Um, coupled with some unexpected software issues. Um, so we were unable to know whether or not this report would get to your agenda for this meeting. As such, it wasn't part of your agenda meeting. to set the agenda originally. So, thank you for that. In front of you today is the state tax commission form L4029. It is the summer tax levy for 2026 for Roscommen County. This is very much a statement of transparency. I'll go through the document with you. there's not a lot of line items to it. Um, however, first thing that I would like you to note is the taxable value at the top right of the form is not the same number that you vetted during your April session for the equalization report. The reason for that is because not all taxable value dollars

get collected in tax revenue. Some of the items that do not get collected include ren zones, which we do not have any, senior pilt housing, which we do have some, and disabled veterans exemptions. Um, as such, this is about $23 million less in dollar value than you saw in your reporting um in April. To go along the column lines, you'll see that the only item on this reporting asking for tax collection is your general fund millage. It was originally put in place in November of 1978 at 4.6 mills. since 1978, that same year, when Richard Hedley created the Headley amendment to roll back the millage rate so that taxpayer dollars were not collected that were not authorized by voters. In this situation, including this year, again with high inflation, you saw yet another roll back fraction, meaning that as we discussed in April, the dollars um anticipated would not be available. As such, they are not. You'll see that your millage rate in column number nine, 3.3407, is the maximum that you are legally allowed to levy. In working with your county controller and your budget you've already established, it is my recommendation that 3.3407 be the amount that you do choose to levy. And that is placed in column number 10.

During this meeting and in the next two weeks before you vote, you as a board have the ability to change that number to anything lesser. um you do not have the ability to change it to anything greater. That said, it is my absolute recommendation it not be changed at all. This form was compiled under the provisions of Michigan compiled law 211.24E which is truth in taxation. MCL 211.34 which is truth in county equalization and truth in assessing Michigan compiled law 211.34D which is Tedley and MCL 211.37 which is a portionment. Do you have any questions for me about the reporting? So in April I also reported to you about the uncertainty of the consumer price index and how that number um was moving in my projection. It's a 24month rolling projection as we talked about. Um there are still five months left to go in that projection. You may recall a month ago um me telling you that um I would not be surprised if we were um well over 3% for our inflation rate multiplier for 2027. I track that for you monthly. Um I can tell you that um between uh a month ago when I sat here and now the numbers came out um were shockingly large um increase. I I expected that. Um and that's every time you go to the gas pump and you see those high prices at the gas pump, it's directly related to the price of consumer goods because price of

consumer goods is so heavily weighted on the delivery of those products. Um which is why the gas price is so important. And so when you see those large gas prices, you can almost guarantee a large increase in that inflation rate multiplier. and then that um consumer index that creates that change in taxable value for the following year. That said, with the five months left in the cycle, um yesterday uh was the release of that last one. We're sitting solidly at a 3% increase. Um as you saw, we saw a 3.3% increase last year. I believe you're going to see something in the neighborhood of 3.5% uh this coming year. Uh I I say that with some caution as it's so uncertain um as to how that's going to fluctuate in the next couple of months. I'd say if you see high gas prices at the pump, you're going to see a 3 and a half% approximate increase. Um those are numbers that are solid and should be used for jurisdictions and our comm communities for budgeting purposes for 2027. Any other questions for me at this time?

Any questions? You answered everything before I got to it. Thank you. That said, I respectfully request that the following motions be adopted at your May 27th regular board meeting. A motion to levy the adorum tax rate for Roscommen County for 2026 for the general fund millillage at 3.347 and to authorize your chairperson Darlene Sensor and your county clerk Michelle Stevenson to sign the official form L4029. Madam Chair,

yes. I support moving this to the next meeting to the next level. I would second that. Thank you. Great comment. Jamie's daughter was honored at the last week's township meeting with the flag and a relative tribute from Ken Bordon for her service into the Air Force. So, thank you. She was and thank you. Um, I will say that I I absolutely um when your airport manager suggested that we write down the uh pancake fundraiser on June 7th, I did do that and I plan to attend. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Jamie.

We have motions and resolutions whenever our clerk is ready. Motion number one, move to support the resolution recognizing National Safe Voting Week May 16th through May 22nd, 2026 as presented to the Roscom County Board of Commissioners by DE by division 26 of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. So move, Madam Chair. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Marley, yes. Spencer, yes. Yes. Milbour, yes.

Motion carried. Uh motion number two, move to appoint James Alfontaine to the Rosscom County Central Dispatch 911 Authority Board as citizen at large for a three-year term beginning May 13, 2026 through December 31st, 2028. So move. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Spencer, yes. Wolson, yes. Mley, yes. Milbour, yes. Motion carried. Committee reports. Commissioner Moley.

All right. Um, after our April 22nd meeting, um, both Commissioner Milbour and I attend the Central Michigan District Health Department, there was a piece of information that was shared by the medical director that I thought the public would be interested in hearing. Um, there is a product out there calledratom. It is a tropical plant from South Asia. It's used in teas normally, but now it's being sold like colorful product to really entice younger people like whether it's energy drink powders, little things that can go in vaping or whatever. And apparently it's supposedly to do some general pain relief, mood enhancement, energy enhancement, kind of like the energy drinks. And that's kind of the way they're marketed. And so it really appeals to a younger market. It's in the party stores. It's in convenience stores. And at low doses, it's like a stimulant, but they said a little bit higher dosage can actually act like an opioid. And there's no you don't have to show ID to buy it. There's no age limit. And there's no there's no nothing that monitors it like other things. And so they're just saying pass this along to people in your community because they might want to keep an eye on if you notice that the kids are using something like that. Um, there was a lot from Steve Hall, the health officer. Um, so there's some accessibility rules when it comes to websites. I think we've all heard that even on our end. Some of that timeline's been pushed back, which is helpful. Gives us a little bit more time to meet up with all those ADA requirements and everything they're asking. Um there is a discussion from local health departments to on their authority to approve you know non-residential water supply systems and so there was some information I think commissioner Milbour's going to have them maybe come ask because if counties are going to have to approve it then I we thought it'd be helpful that they come and

present to us what they're proposing to keep their local authority. They did their annual report and things like that. Um, on April 27th, I took advantage of Senator Slackkins does a webinar for any local and county officials on cyber security. Apparently, there's two new AI groups. Um, one is kind of like ChatG 2.0 or something. There's a Microsoft version that a lot of people are trying to use on their on their platform, whether your computer or whatever. It didn't get rolled out like normal. And they're finding that these two groups are seeing a tremendous amount of loopholes for people to have cyber security and um the one the ransomware and stuff. We're going to take all your data from your county or whatever until you pay us kind of thing. So all she could recommend is that the state does give some if you need help, they'll send a volunteer to your building and go, "Hey, we'll see what we can do to help you." Um, the feds do have grant money if you find that there is some problems within our security systems, but there is no money necessarily. There's no, they're just giving you tools. To her, this was the biggest thing that our federal government should be working on. That was her highest priority. So, she wanted to let people know that she wishes that was a higher priority. Um, 27th through the 29th of April, I attended the MAC legislative conference, which I'll be giving you guys an update on. Um, Higgins Township moved their meeting. So, I had two of those on the same night. Um, I I want to thank our controller on May 8th. She spent some time helping me with a garish resident with some drain concerns and issues and where do they go from here? So, that information was really helpful. Thanks. Higgins Township as well as the village. their biggest conversations were around the brownfield project and people now showing up with concerns even though

it's been out there for almost two years of conversation, community feedback and everything. So that was the biggest thing there. Uh Piggins Township did not vote at that meeting. They said they had just got the information which if I understand from Marcy and Ron Alden that was they had that information earlier but they just got it. So, they did not vote that night to approve it. We're hoping that that'll happen if we have to have a public hearing on time. Harris Township, the Higgins Lake Foundation did a great presentation on the Be Well Wise. It is a free water testing program that they're offering uh June 1st through September 30th. It's only for Garish Township, Lion Township, and Beaver Creek. didn't apply to everybody in the county, but it was um they asked for people to continue to spread the word that people can utilize that and they'd get the information on exactly how to do it properly. So, that's all I got. Okay,

Commissioner Melbourne, Mr. Kels with Kim Pancake Breakfast. I think I've done like 20 of those. It's a good time. Nothing more to report in the airport. I think Eric did a great job and we're moving forward on the 250th. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay. I had a Michigan county's worker compensation meeting on April 8th. Materials were given on battery safety and lithium ion fire prevention. They gave the full year 2025 update where they processed 4,669 bills for a total of 4,597,279. After bill re review reductions from the managed ability, it reduced that by three thou or 3,448,324. So the fund only actually paid out $1,148,955 for 75% savings. Um, the department head meeting was cancelled due to an electric electric outage in this side of the building on April 17th. I was not able to attend the Hotton Lake improvement board meeting on April 23rd. Michigan Works meeting was cancelled on April 24th. I did have a substance use disorder meeting on May 4th. Overall for for Roscommen County, um our admissions are down about 35% since October of 2025 because that's when their fiscal year starts. Outpatient still makes up the bulk of treatment at 51% with residential at 31%. Alcohol is the highest um at 56% followed by methamphetamine at 19%, other opioids at 12% and heroin at 7%. Catholic Human Services is our biggest provider in Roscommen County at 30.88% of who they see, followed by Beaver Creek at 14.71%. The biggest makeup as far as ages go of

those 68 cases is age group 26 through 39 which make up approximately 41%. Next um is a tied with the age groups basically 40 through 64 making up 27%. Um I did attend the Denton Township meeting on May 6. They did a wonderful presentation for the members of the fire department and auxiliary. Also had the Higgins Lake Advisory Committee meeting on May 5th. Good conversation took place and we will talk about that a little later in the lake meeting and I had the airport and we just had that update. So that's what I had.

Commissioner Wolson.

Yes, I attended the St. Helen Lake Association on Saturday, May 2nd. Um, it was a nice meeting. They mainly presented all the activities they're going to sponsor this summer. I met with the engineers from the firm of Matrix and Justin to go over boiler replacement for this building. I contacted Luke from Spicers about putting a center gate design of the St. Helen Dam of having a center flop gate and the other two being boards openings to help reduce the cost of it but also keep it in mind ease of maintaining level. I attended the Higgins Lake Advisory Committee. I talked to Supervisor Hill from Gary's Township yesterday on the Pine Bluffs drain issue. and I think he knows what direction to go now. Um I also attended the Denton Township meeting. That's was enough for me. Okay. Do we have any public comment? Come on up.

Morning. I'm Nancy Lamb. I'm with the Higgins Lake Foundation. Um, Kim, thank you for or Commissioner Mley, thank you for um bringing up the Be Well Wise program. I'm really here for a little public service announcement. We are going to be offering a free um drinking water program or wellwater testing program. It will be run June 1st through September 30th. And the whole program is all about community well-being and about the water quality in Higgins Lake. There's a few details. It's really a hassle-free simple program, but I would welcome an opportunity to come and share it during one of your agenda.

Okay. Well, that's it. Okay. Thank you. Any other public comment? Come on up. Um Tom has some information. Can we Thank you.

Um I'm here today with Tom. He will introduce himself and Casey Perry Ellis is some moral support today for us. And my name is Rebecca Sova and I am with Common Roots. It's a local nonpartisan group uh focused on voter education and engagement and common roots organized in January due to a concern about political discord in our government in the nation and in our community. And we're here today to introduce you to the United We Stand survey. It's an opinion survey. It's a collaborative effort between the Roscommen County Democratic Party and Common Roots. The Roscommon County Republican Party was invited to the collaboration, but sadly they declined. The purpose of the survey is to learn what issues matter most to the people in our community. Um, we partnered with the Democratic Party on this survey because we agree that finding common ground is really essential. It's a necessary step to help bridge the divide that seems to be growing among Americans and preventing meaningful policy from from a government where each party sees the other side as the enemy. So our hunch is that we have more in common than we think. And regardless of political party, we believe that most of us want the same things from government. And through the survey, we hope to give people in the community a voice to express their concerns and that we can share the the data results with our elected officials. And I'm going to hand it over to Tom. And I'm Tom Quinn. I live in Prudenville. Uh I've been there for about 19 years. In fact, uh a couple of comments about the survey. It is anonymous. The document you receive highlights that it is. We made an effort to make it nonpartisan. It is again a collaboration between

organizations here. Uh it is a strategic goal of the Roscom County Democratic Party that we look for common ground, things that we can all agree upon and I know discussing it with numbers of people here here in our county that there are lots of things we can agree upon. Example, Commissioner Morley mentioned something about cy cyber security. That is a huge issue particularly amongst our more elderly population of people. We need to work on those things. And as they say in in politics, we need to walk across the aisle to accomplish things for our county. Now, the survey will run all through the month of June. During the month of July, we will give us time to tabulate the results. By the way, there are some open-ended questions on that that we hope that you can share your opinions on, your your own opinions if you would please. Um, it's um it's all digital. You can use also a QR code if you'd like to. You can also go to our local media, newspapers, and so forth and find out more information about that. In August, after the primaries, we hope to present this information to our candidates for office. And again with a strong message to them, ladies and gentlemen, candidates, we expect you to be working on things that are important to us and there are lots of things that are important to us. Um, I think that's pretty much it. The data reveal, we will have a data reveal, we call it a party, a meeting would maybe be more appropriate, but a data reveal party in which we will present the information. What have been the results? You are invited. Again, we encourage everyone to participate in the survey. The more people we get, the more reliable it is. We're interested in statistical reliabilities.

Um, and again, we are going to present that to the candidates that that are appointed or nominated for positions through the primary system. Um, I'm going to look back on it. Um, what did I miss? Well, um we actually the survey launched uh May 7th, so it is open now and we are encouraging all members of the community regardless of political inclination to participate in the survey. As Tom mentioned, it's anonymous. We're not gathering any um personal identifying information. Um, and we are presenting to you today because we wanted you to be aware and we'll be sharing the data with you and we hope that you yourselves will take the survey and that you will help uh encourage the rest of the community to participate as well. And I have information that we handed out to commissioners for the rest of the people here if you're interested in receiving that. Oh,

okay. Thank you. And thank you very much for your time, Vic. Thank you. Any other public comment? Come on up.

Good morning. My name is uh Jason Hillier. I'm actually the uh new Rascom village president. So nice to meet with you guys. uh step in today to introduce a couple people. Uh number one, right next to me is uh Caitlyn Tyler. She is also our new um economic development director. So um kind of start at the same time. So looking to uh keep the community and and the village moving in in the positive direction that it's been and then uh like to introduce just a couple others that will actually speak in regards to uh the Redstone the the project that's here uh that's up and a little bit about the tiff process and things like that for approvals for the meeting. So in that regards, we have back here and I'll let them come up here in a second. Uh after us is is Jared and David. They're both from the Redstone project and they will be present a little bit information regarding uh as we spoke uh in regards to that development and some of the funding in in the TIF process. So looking for that approval and I'll set these over here. If anybody doesn't have copies of like the site plan and stuff like that, then these will be available. Okay.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. any other public comment. Okay, board comment. You looked at me, so I I think I'm good for now. We've got two other meetings where there'll be some conversations, so I'm good. Mr. Mil kickoff kicks off at 10 o'clock from Glenn's parking lot. I guess it's family fair now in Lake. That's all I got. Thank you. Okay, Commissioner Wolfson.

Yes. I'd just like to say the other day when I went to Lake City, come back across the Moskegan River, which is downstream from Reedsburg, it's flooded way up into the woods, higher than I've ever seen. So, be aware the lake levels are still high and the river is just beyond its banks. Madam Chair, I'm I'm sorry. Do you mind if I add one other thing because I think it might be appropriate at this time?

Sure. It was brought up at the garish meeting last night that they one they wanted to find out do we have a drain commissioner at this point in the interim and the second question is or suggestion is that whomever gets appointed that they would maybe take an inventory of all of what's been going on in our county with the drains and if there's things that need maybe it's just the event maybe there's some things that haven't had repairs that they would do an inventory for our county to to see. So, I told them I'd pass that on.

Okay. With no further board comment, this meeting is adjourned and our next meeting will start at 10:20. Ross Common County Board of Commissioners work session for May 13, 2026 at 10:20 a.m. First, we have the Roscommen OV ordinance update discussion of the whole Commissioner Wolson. Would you like to start this? Start by introducing Chief Sho.

Yes. I'm gonna interview or introduce our chief from Richville Township. Um he's brought to our attention that our OV ordinance is way outdated and it doesn't address issues we're having today. He's supplied us with things that he thinks would help us with getting these things under control um and making changes to our ordinance. So I'm going to let him take it from here. Um,

thanks for taking the time to hear me this morning. Um, the ordinance, we all support the ordinance. Um, you if you've been through say Helen in a weekend, it's it's there's a lot of them out there. I just think, um, we've learned a lot of lessons throughout the years. I believe 2009 it was adopted. We've just learned a lot since 2009 and I think we can make it better. Um, I read 59 ordinances throughout the state of Michigan. um pulled a lot of stuff out of each one of those um to to try making ours the best in the state of Michigan I guess to fit us. Um we can start out with do you guys have a copy of the ordinance? So on section one um subsection G there

um take out or vehicle and keep the RV. also add to the end ORV does not include vehicles uh designed and manufactured for roadway travel or vehicles being actively used for farming. Um that is out of a a different ordinance. However, um we have seen several people use this in an attempt to circumvent the motor vehicle code and not pay for insurance and not pay for registrations. It happened even two weeks ago. We had um a Suburban, believe it or not, that was riding on the side of the road that said it was a quote unquote trail rig and that they didn't they had OV stickers on and didn't need to be on the road. So, I just think if we put it in here, I understand common sense says that's not the fact, but I think in here just makes it better if it's in the ordinance. Okay. Um section one subsection H uh definition should include all seasonal roads, gravel roads, and forest roads. I believe this adds some clarity. Uh I am aware the MCL is cited uh in the ordinance and I believe it's a good idea. However, when looking for ease of compliance, I like the short and easy read of it to just put it in there instead of we can leave the MCL in there, but when people are just reading it, want to read it quick and be able to go out on the trails, they're not going to MCL's too and and referencing it. So, I think if we just add that in there, it' be easier to read. Um let's go. section one subsection and P um this is a complete addition to the definitions and uh we believe the shoulder and ditch slope need to be added as they will be mentioned later in the or the amended ordinance that we're presenting I guess um so we need those definitions um section two ad no RV may be operated on the pave shoulder or on the right of way as long as not to impede with the flow of traffic. Um, I believe this will help with clarity as well as there's

been a lot of talk about ORVs are able to be ridden on the pavement or if they have to the dirt part of the shoulder. Um, our township in general and much of Roscom County is made up of sandy soil and dust becomes a real issue in the weekends on the shoulder. So, we've always pushed um to tell people to kind of get on the pavement when they can on the shoulder and then if it impedes traffic, there's traffic to then veer off, but it helps keep our shoulders not getting tore up so bad. As well as with the dust issue, that is a a huge issue. I don't get out to the rest of the county, but I know Richfield has a lot of the soil and stuff and it gets be real dusty. Um, so then we can skip to section seven. Um, well, this is going to be the tough one here. Um, we want to set a curfew from uh 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Ogam has already done that in 2022. They have amended theirs to 5:00 a.m. to to um 11:00 p.m. OMA has done it. Um, we've seen a large amount of OV alcohol related incidents after 11 p.m. as well as felony fleeing elude cases in the late night morning hours. We have um had a lot of citizens voice their displeasure with uh to us with hearing loud Orvs at all hours of the evening and early morning hours. Um we also reached out to the DNR um asking for assistance with the OV scramble area and the local DNR asking for a curfew to be placed on the scramble area in the near future. uh due to the seriousness of the complaints and safety concerns, it's very hard for emergency vehicles to get back there for one and that's becoming an issue late night hours. Um I know we're not addressing that, but if people can't come out of there after 11, maybe they'll leave there earlier and that's going to a lot of your alcohol related and your fights and your stuff that we're having big problems out there help out with that. Um the local DNR has

submitted that already in the state of Michigan to try and get a a curfew. It's just going to take a little while for it to happen, but last I talked to them, they felt pretty positive that it there's a good chance it does happen. So, um, now on section I there in seven, um, while displaying a, uh, securely attached white headlight and red lighted tail light at all hours beginning January uh, of 2010. Why we believe that to be important is, believe it or not, we've seen it where people tape duct tape um flashlights to the front and back. Well, for one, uh white light to the rear is dangerous because we don't know which way it's going. But they will duct tape them or tape lights to them just to please the ordinance. And it does please ordinance. Ordinance says you got to have lights on the front and rear. It doesn't say anything about it being red. Doesn't say anything about it being um securely fastened. It just says basically got to have a light to the front and rear. So just think it adds ease of clarity of what we're looking for. I think when You guys probably weren't on the board, but when you guys were on the board, that's what you guys pictured when that was wrote is for them to actually have securely mounted lights and stuff, but people are using flashlights on back and front. Um, we added, and I talked about the MCL codes in the last one. Uh, we added the the lighting MCL codes to that. Um, they're lengthy. However, we're running into problems. If you guys drove around at night, you'll see they're running the the light bars and stuff that are blinding people. MCL code states that's that's illegal on the roadway for motor vehicles. It also says it's illegal to even ride a motor vehicle on the roadway. So they can fight both ways that when do I have to abide by the motor vehicle code and when do I not. So I think if we clearly state you have to abide by the motor vehicle code will take out that gray area of that. Um uh it also is going to address the flashing lights. Um there's been a past where I've come into town from the expressway area um seen flashing blue lights and thought there was a traffic

stop ahead of me and come up to it and it was an OV with flashing um whip lights, blue whip lights, believe it or not. So I think um if we add those MCL's with the lighting, we can have some we can stand on those a little bit. And it's a safety concern. Um, so on the helmet one, it's real quick, but uh on Jay, which talks about wearing a helmet, we would like to see added properly adjusted and fastened helmet. Um, I know these things sound common sense to all of us. However, people wear their helmet without the strap on it or with it sitting on top of their head and say they have a helmet on. This would just I think clear it up and say a lot of the ordinance in the state of Michigan have actually put uh properly adjusted and fastened helmet in their ordinance as well. Um, in L in L, the ORV shall be licensed by the Michigan uh Department of Natural Resources and ORV license sticker shall be permanently attached and visibly uh displayed in a manner prescribed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in accordance with state law. Um, I think maybe I'm the only one, but I thought that that was already in the ordinance. So, we had been making traffic stops reference and not having RV stickers on the roadway. However, it's not an ordinance. It does not state that you have to have an RV sticker on to ride in the roadway. But I think that needs to be added. I I know that I think when that was uh adopted, they thought that that it should be in there and I don't know why it never got in there, but it needs to be in there. Um section 8 I believe having a section

directly outline RV may not be operated will help with clarity uh in the ordinance as a whole and make the reading make it um make the reading it and understanding it easier. So, a lot of them in the state of Michigan, like I said, did 59 of them. A a lot of them added that quick blurp of what you can't do because like we just said, we got to catch attention quick. If we make this a 30 page, 40 page, you're not they're not reading it. They're not. So, right there is a paragraph of what you can't do and it's a quick easy read of don't do this. I think it just is easier. Um, Crawford has made a really nice appendex on which roads are closed on the back of their ordinance. Um, I think we need to to list some of our roads, too. I don't think it's fair. Um, I'll give you a um example in our area. It's East West Branch Road. You can call it East West Branch Road or Old 55. It is not M55. M55 gets on 227 gets off of the 215 if you're going south. However, that is still paid for to maintain through the road commission by the state of Michigan. So, you cannot ride an OV on that road. Now, um, with that said, I don't know that it's fair to the people that they should know that because it's very hard to know who pays to maintain the roadway. We used to use the M rule back in the day. You say if it's an M road. Well, Mro, that's not true. So, um, North Sound Road is actually M76. And so, it gets kind of, um, crazy on that. So, we did a quick blurp as you see in the ordinance about, um, the roads that would be closed. We can do an appendix on the back of it if there's any other roads that we can closed. It does say in the ordinance that any municipality can close any other roads at any time they wanted to as well.

Section 15. After speaking with Commissioner uh Wolson as well, uh I do believe that we should uh probably replace the shell to a may and the signage. And if there's areas that we see there's issues with, maybe we can work with the road commission on getting some of them signs. Okam County does have the signs that say when you get into them that it's the speed limit and the ordinance number or I just got some highlights. So, OGA ordinance um which is our board in our township um it is they've 22 to be 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Uh they do have the um display uh white headlight and rail red tailway at all hours and their speed limit is 25 right now. So, it was 20 prior to the 2022 and then they've raised it 25. I think that's to kind of fit in with ours so that kind of um fits together. Uh Crawford's highlight they have a very nice road appendix. We talked about that. Um they have a nice uh layout about how um um a manner which does not interfere with traffic on the roadway. They're at 25 mph similar to ours. Uh Gladwin's 25 miles an hour and they just have the display the headlight taillight like we currently have right now. Any questions for us?

Go ahead, Madam Chair.

Yes. Well, first off, I really like the blend that you're presenting that kind of shows the rules, tries to make it somewhat consistent because I do believe it is difficult. I mean, it it is your responsibility to know all those, but it is hard, especially if you're traveling across through some townships that you're like, well, I thought it was that and it wasn't. So, I I applaud that. I really do. Um, a couple questions as I walked through it real quick. Um, just to make sure I'm clear. So it's J it's about they can also have a comparable OV safety certificate issued under an authority other at another state or province.

Correct. Are those as strict or I mean that's an RV safety thing. So we have a lot of Canadians that have they have an RV uh safety course similar to ours. I don't I don't know the structure of it, but they have a certificate that states they've passed their RV safety course for those. You guys believe that? I don't know it, but that is still sufficient to say we should allow it or should you have one from the place that you're playing in? I don't know. I I think in Canada they accept ours. Okay.

So, it's kind of like an agreement, you know. We just I'm just interested if I came from Canada and I thought that that rule was fine and I'm safety certified but are safety certified says no to that then are they good to still be unsafe? I'm it was just a question. I'm not I don't know the answer to that but it might be something to think about as we go through. Um can you kind of give me an idea of that hierarchy? I I do agree that there's county rules, there's township rules. Where's the are any of them opposing one another? Like county says this and

right now county is the only RV ordinance in the in Ros Common County. Okay. Now, there is several other counties that have uh townships that made their own ordinances. Um however, at this time, I don't believe any other township has a OV ordinance. Okay. They can have it where they close down certain roads, but that still functions under this one. Under this. Okay, that helps. Perfect. And I can speak for Richfield. There may be some other one. I I talked to G. I don't think Garish has it. And

there aren't and I remember when this came out, I wasn't here. I was actually at Garish at the time when this came out. Um the general thought process was the county would keep a broad ordinance and then each township has the ability to narrow down and restrict streets usages and times that. Um, so like they can be stricter then but in each township. So the general idea from the county at that time was that the ordinance would be an umbrella ordinance and then each township could have responsibility for making more specific changes as that has gone by. Give some local control for what's more appropriate for that township. Okay.

Um just a clarification on section seven it says a person not less than 12 but on the next page section nine a child less than 16. 12's was and I want to say snowmobile safety. I'm sorry. OV safety with direct supervision of it. 16 has to do with the driver's license and the driving. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, at 12, if you have have a um the ORV safety certificate and you're within visual of a parent or guardian, so like if you are riding right single file rate with them, you could do it at 12. Okay. All right.

Which has been scary the whole time to me too. We haven't had much incidents with it, but I don't know that if they're in front of you, do they understand the stop signs and the stuff like that. So, I mean, it is covered in the I've been part of a few of the RV safety um classes and stuff and it is covered pretty well in there, but we said we haven't had issues with it.

My last question, it happens for me for whether it's this or anything else. It's about enforcement. I think this is much clearer which I think helps people tremendously when they need to know and it allows you guys as officers to say it's really clear here right instead of that's how I interpret it by adding this are you guys able to enforce more and better or is the enforcement piece still a struggle

enforcement struggle just because of manpower obviously we understand and I mean we live in northern Michigan so our population goes from 2,000 in the summer the 10,000 in the on a Saturday on July 4th. So, it's it's difficult to to get that. Um, we've hired we've we've bought a handheld radar to help with enforcement because our radars lock onto the biggest thing as it drives down the road for obvious reasons. So, with a handheld, we're able to be in a little better spot, but we only have one of them because of budget restrictions. But, um, so we have a handheld radar that's for RV enforcement. We've also our committee through fundraising has purchased a um speed trailer that we put out throughout the township, move it around all the time, but it says big sign on top or speed on 25 and then it flashes your speed. Uh that was bought through fundraisers through um our committee. Um so we're trying to enforce them. We pay a part-time um guy in the summer to work weekends to strictly work on OV enforcement on the roadway. there was there's still a lot of work to be done. It's just it's tough because our regular complaint load goes up at the same time that our the ORV complaint load goes up. So, it's tough. Um but we last year there was 98 um ordinance for only tickets, not ones that led to maybe a drunk driving or led to other crimes, but ordinance 4, which just this ordinance violations, there was 98 of them last year. Wrote in the summer and so in our township wrote 95 of them, just so you know. Well, I mean, it's a it's a it's popular down there. I mean, if you drive through there on Saturday, you'll see what I'm saying.

It doesn't make it harder. It's because it's not changing and adding more rules. It just gives you more clarity. It might not make it harder for Richfield, but here's what I want you to say, Sheriff.

Okay. So, um, Richfield obviously is the most inundated with all of this. Um, and I just want to give you a little bit of background on actually the OV ordinance and the procedures that you as a county board have to follow. Um, but obviously you have Richfield Township um, by far just by and I knew those stats because I asked Danielle last year when we were looking at like revenue that that stream that goes to the townships for those. Um, there's not a lot of ORV tickets in general that are written. Um, Richfield has 97% of them. Um, because you by far have the problem. I live in Garish Township. I will tell you where I live, there are 5-year-olds, 12 year olds. By the time somebody can get out there to find them, when you call, um, and I'm looking because Greg, you live right around the corner from me and I know you see them, too. By the time you call somebody, the kids are gone. The adults are gone. They, you know, so you can't find them. So, so it is definitely an issue. Um, Garish has their own police department that's a, you know, their own township police department that's able to do that. Um, Denton has their own, but the rest of those count, the rest of our townships do not. Um, the village does not. So, that all falls on the sheriff's office as well to do that. Um, we retain a minimum of the county ordinance funding that comes through like it's $2 per and then the rest goes directly back to um goes directly back to the township for their portion of that. So it certainly would not subset um monetarily wise. So that's another area that would need to be looked at as well and that's going to be bringing in your district court um to make sure that we're following laws with that. But your your general ordinance um and it's by statute. It's in the statute. So essentially um a county board of commissioners may adopt an ordinance authorizing the operation of OVs on one or more county roads located within the county. Um, so your ordinance, not less than 45 days before a public hearing on the ordinance, which

all ordinances require a public hearing, whether you're making an amendment or a new, um, the county clerk shall send notice of the public hearing by certified mail to the county road commission, to the legislative body of each township and municipality located within the county, to the state transportation department if a road intersects a highway, and if state forest land is located within the county, to the department obviously. So my thought process is that being said, um I think that Chief Sho has really given a huge start to the board for this that it might benefit you guys to tackle this in a committee. you're going to need to invite all those players to the board before you even rewrite your ordinance because otherwise you're going to send a copy of the ordinance out for 45 days and you're going to have a bunch of people with a bunch of opinions um and have to start all over again. So that that would be my recommendation to you guys is is that you get that going and obviously it's it's May. So, you know, sooner rather than later, summer will

Well, next year I'll come around. I mean, oh yeah, exactly. I mean, but that's the sooner you get it started. um you know so using like Commissioner Wolfson obviously who represents that and I mean I'm throwing you under the bus but I would hazard to guess that Gearish is another area that has become overpop populated with OVs and I know that Higgins had has a lot of the through traffic that comes in for gas and things like that as well. So just my thought does too. We have those trails that are just endless back there when they come behind Walmart and that riding down the sidewalks and stuff right now, which So, I mean, when I'm over there, I see them riding on the sidewalk, but

yeah, they go through the subdivision that I live in and they're going 50 55 miles an hour through the subdivision because it's just a long straightaway

and and I know the curfew is going to be because most of it's just verbiage clarity and stuff like that. Uh, but right now it's open all hours of the night. Um, I can reach out to them and see why they decide to go with a curfew. I think I can figure out why, but um and we can pull a lot of stats with um with dispatch. I think they're still here, you know, with um the stuff that happens after the hours, but we're seeing a lot of like the stats of the tickets don't reflect our night ones because Harley and them are getting RV tickets. They're all getting either their drunk driving, they're fleeing ludes. We have an officer right now on the overall board it's called. Um, believe it or not, and I know Commissioner Wolson, we talked about that too, and he didn't realize it, and I didn't either, is that you have to register your boat to be on the water, right? And you have big MC numbers on it. You have to register your um snowmobile in order to ride on the uh trails, and you have a big snowmobile number. But OVs, for some reason, you don't have to register at all. So the fleeing eludes are, you know, I'll make it up, but I'm gonna get we at least do one in a month in the summertime hours because you're looking for a black side by side because there's no plates on them or no registration or anything. So it's like even if you see them three minutes later, you don't know if that's the one or not when there's 110 of them in town. So it's becoming especially in the nighttime hours and the the dangers. We wrecked we total a patrol car last year on a fleeing elude on a a side by side and and it was an accident happened right on the roadway type thing. So

yeah it's just getting a little Yes. Thank you chief for cleaning this up. I was one of the guys in 09 who jed this up originally. Oh my god that long. Full disclosure after 23 years in the Marine Corps I don't I don't do or anymore. No is the only thing that I see being really tough is Is it possible to make that a state law? Obviously, the answer would probably not, but it would be nice to see that a state law because I could see people going from county to county with different I would hazard that that would never be a state law for several reasons. You're probably right.

But I what I'm suggesting is that that's got to be tough. I know it's got to be tough on 11 to 5 because I can see people leaving a bar or getting up early. Good luck. I appreciate your time in it until put this together. There has been several fatalss in the last years too at them hours of the evening 11 o'clock. I'm not sure they'll go relate. I'm not going to stay on that, but I do know that there's fatalss with high speed related and dark. Yep. Thank you. You had one two years ago right down the road for me. Right. Stay necessarily, but it kind of goes back to our controllers conversation about getting some people together. Mhm.

Could this be a presentation to the RTA? I mean, if each township has say in it about their people, it might not be a bad start to say, what is your feedback on this before we have a public hearing? I'm just trying to pick one group that already gets together that might fulfill that. There might be others, I don't know. But it's a start. Madam Chair, yes,

I see a real need to update our ordinance. And I think we should take all necessary steps to move in that direction. I also see in what's presented in section 7 I and H need some clarity on that and once that's done then I think we need to move forward on getting this accomplish getting point of other people. Is that what you're saying? clean this up and then get well INH is kind of needs cleaning up the language

about lights. I mean, am I not correct? Not all all RVs have lights. So that that is in the state model um RV ordinance that as of 2010, they have to have lights on the front and back. Whether or not they come with them or not, they got to figure it out. There is obviously avenues to purchase lights to mount on everything. It's kind of like a boat where you got to put the battery operated ones on the front and back.

They they do have a the state model or the ordinance, which you could tell it's a state model because I said I wrote 50 read 59 of them. And a lot of them are the exact same ones. So, it's a state model, but the state model says you have to have a light on the front and back of every or all hours of the day as well. Okay. And then I do want to quick I brought this to the township meeting, our township meeting, and they've all um with unanimous support from the board. And thank you. Thank you. I know you guys have your chief's meeting, have your law enforcement meetings monthly. Is this anything that's been discussed there by kind of your group because that might be really helpful in getting everybody? We can work on that. We've discussed the annoyances with it. Okay. You want to say it out loud, but you

That's okay. I can say it. You don't have to. haven't discussed that in the um the bowl or I call it the bowl free area scrambler that's been a topic for um many months um because of the large amount of people and the large amount of alcohol consumption and fighting and um complaints in general going on out there. Okay. And injuries. Yeah, that would probably be a good place to get input as well before you because they're not going to necessarily some of those people aren't going to be at the at the table um in other places because you're DNR and that show up. So, DNR has already been aware of this. I did Oh, I'm sure they'd love it. They were they supported it. I just talked to Ryan Olson yesterday about it. Thanks, Chief. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yes. Could I suggest our administrator furnish us kind of an outline of the procedure we need to do? since she's familiar with the state statutes. I would love to. Not that she needed anything else to do, but this one's easy. And then we can move forward in that direction. I realize this is not going to be an immediate thing, but hopefully by the end of summer we can have things changed. Okay, I agree. Thank you.

Thank you. uh to Brownfield tax incremental financing. Our treasurer Marcy Dankert. I figure I will start. I have a whole bunch of support people behind me that can answer specific questions. Um I'm here on behalf of the Roscom County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. We have passed uh resolution to adopt a uh 381 plan, I do believe it's called, and for the Redstone Group for Creekide Meadows, um which is a housing development right here in the village of Ross Common. and we are asking the board of commissioners to authorize the holding of a public hearing um on May 27th and to pass a resolution also in support of that um work plan. Um and that work plan will specifically capture um tax dollars to reimburse the developer for infrastructure costs associated with this project. And I know that we have had the village here prior um and they have presented the entire project to the board of commissioners. Um we are now in the phase where we're ready to move forward and um put that plan into action so that they can actually capture those tax dollars. And what that will do is um at the time of the development the taxable value from today which in this case is zero dollars because it is a village owned piece of property. So they're currently untaxed. So the base taxable value starts at

zero. Any new development that is added and taxable value is added to that, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority will capture those tax dollars. And then as the developer submits invoices and um approved expenses for that infrastructure, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority would then reimburse them for that. And I do believe you all got a copy of the work plan as presented by the developer and also a cover letter from the Brownfields consultant M. Mlullen kind of outlining the the process and why this is so important. Um it is a plan that is going to be captured that revenue that tax revenue will be captured for right now it's proposed at 22 years and so for the next 22 years then that taxable capture would go back to the brownfield redevelopment which in return holds those funds for reimbursement to the developer. So, it's not that the taxing entities paid the developer directly. That all funnels through the brownfield redevelopment authority to process those. Um, couple of things. We are unable to or the developer is unable to capture any of the taxes on any debt millage. So, I do know that the Ross Common Area Public Schools and Kirtland Community College both have debt millages. Those are unable to be captured. and also the township's fire EMS special assessment is unable to be captured. So those dollars that that development creates will still go directly to those entities during that time period. Um so at this point what our ask is of the board of commissioners is that we can

schedule a public hearing prior to your board meeting on May 27th. So, at the very beginning of your board meeting, it would be to hold a public hearing to authorize, you know, to review this plan. Um, and then at that same meeting for the commissioners to pass a resolution for those dollars to be captured by the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. And I think it's important for you to know too that that piece of property is currently in the downtown development district. So even if this development went through without the brownfield tiff that the DDA would be capturing those dollars anyway. It's just refunding that from the DDA to the brownfield. Um, the DDA does also have to adopt a interlocal agreement where they agree to bypass that capture and allow the brownfield to capture those dollars. And that meeting will be Monday morning with the DDA. Um, the village has already passed their resolution to allow for the capture of their millages and Higgins Township. We're hoping hoping to schedule a special meeting um Monday also for them to hopefully adopt. They had some additional questions that needed to be addressed and answered and they wanted more time to review the plan. Um so with that I know I have um Dave Stevens who is the developer for Redstone and we have Gerald Jared who is his consultant on the brownfield side of things and the tiff capture and they can answer specific questions that the board may have in regards to the plan. Any board members have have those? Treasury excellent cover letter all my questions.

Thank you. Thank you. Madam Chair, yes, I do have some questions. Okay. Um I realize the scope of what we're being asked is different than what I'm going to bring forth, but that's okay. When the property was transferred, was there any guarantee that phase two and three is going to happen? Would be in a purchase? I mean, is there something in the in the agreement this the sale that

it's actually two and and that would have to be according to what plans were presented. Correct. Okay.

Any other questions? I don't necessarily have a question. And I I wanted to comment because there were some things that have come up at the village. Do first off, are they committed to having a special meeting yet? No, not to my knowledge. They have not committed to that special meeting at Higgins Township. So my question really is if we're going to post and put out May 27th for our public hearing, which we need to do, and we still don't have responses, what happens? Thank you. I'll defer to the experts.

Yeah. Good good morning, commissioners. Uh, as as Mercy said, my name is Jared Loots. I I drafted this plan. We work on uh these these housing tip projects across the state. So, um, great question. This is, you know, the local piece of this is really a four-legged stool. um the village, the township, the county brownfield redevelopment authority and the county commission all have to approve and incur uh for this to be adopted. The last step in that process is obviously the public hearing and the vote by by county commission. Um, so you can notice that meeting and hold that public hearing prior, but that final vote on, uh, up or down would need to happen prior to uh, concurrence. So, we've met with the township, Higgins Township. Uh, we've had, you know, a housing tiff kind of 101 presentation with them to address some questions and concerns. Uh, so we're hoping that still gets scheduled here for the 27th.

That was my hope as well. I'm just trying to think if we're going to post it. I want that helps is if we can still have a public hearing and then we can't vote until we get the approval. We can still follow that timeline, right? Then so if we can post that public hearing to be held on the 27th and if we cannot get that special meeting scheduled with Higgins Township prior to that public hearing and have them pass that resolution then the commission just cannot vote on that until they can still hold the public hearing. Correct. Okay. Just not you're only waiting on DDA which is Monday and then the village who's already heard this as well who just chose not to make a decision.

Township. Correct. Township. Okay. And I think the 22 years I think there were some people who just thought that was well I'm not going to be around then I don't care if there's money. Well, you know my stake on that is it doesn't matter if we're sitting here 22 years from now or not. It is about making decisions as legislators what's going to happen in a decade and not put this county in places in a position that are poor because we just only thought today. Um I I think we've seen a lot of that happen in a lot of big decisions in this county that we're continuing to fight daytoday. So 22 years as a developer I think is pretty kind because it could be 30 or more in a lot of big developments like that. So I thought that was a pretty nice and could be less if by chance the Misha grant it might be a little bit less but being conservative it could be 22 years before this gets recouped. But what will that do for our kids and grandkids and other people that we're trying to get to come and have jobs here? I just I just wanted to share that I think that that was pretty on par.

Yeah. If if I may, Commissioner Mley, uh thank you. The um as you mentioned that that state grant, you know, my job here is to kind of show you the worst case scenario. Um you know, we don't want to put an expectation out there that uh is going to be worse than what reality is going to look like. So there's a lot of variables here. One of them is that state grant. That state grant is included in this plan. Uh if that happens, then that's not going to be reimbured and we shave about 3 to four years off that uh brownfield plan. Also in here are very conservative inflation estimates. Taxes are going to go up over time. Statewide average for that about 2.8%. Uh you know, these projections are off modeled off of 2%. So to the extent taxes uh go up over that 20-year period, we continue to shave uh some years off of capture. So, what you've presented with today is kind of the worst case scenario. Uh and we're pretty confident that some things will line up to shorten that duration.

Madam Chair, yes. Does this agreement follow the property or the owner? Because ownership can change on that

it's a question. uh what a brownfield plan is authorizing is tax increment financing capture on the property. So the legal description of that 39 acres uh and that stays now um you know kind of the I talked about a four-legged stool. It's really a five-legged stool. The other piece is that reimbursement agreement and that's going to be the actual contract between Redstone uh and the county brownfield redevelopment authority and that'll specify whether they can or cannot or what provisions there are uh you know if another developer wanted to come in and and finish the project uh or you know if if it was sold, can you assign that tax increment financing? Can you not? Does the brownfield plan get abolished? All that will be spelled out in that contract. But from a legal standpoint, yes, that is uh uh possible.

Any other questions? I suggest we move this to the next level at next meeting. Okay. All right. And with that, I am good to have our consultant go ahead with the proper notification on that public hearing with your consensus that it will go to the next level. I'm good with that. Okay. They put it in the paper. Sure. Okay. Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Okay. Three. Heating boilers and domestic water heater system building and grounds committee.

Good morning, commissioners. Thank you. Uh I'm Justin Man. I am the director of maintenance and grounds here. um hired in. I was aware or made aware of aging equipment that we have in the county area boiler rooms. Um after being presented with it and meeting with our trained tech service and trained technology who services our boiler systems, they made me aware of how aging our equipment is and how unbared time we have been with it. Um with the support of uh controller Jody or Schultz and Commissioner Wolson, we move forward and we hired or were working with Matrix Consulting Engineers. They came highly recommended from train with this consultant company. We felt very comfortable in the fact that they supply us with options. They gave us estimates and then moving forward with them if we so choose to they support us in selecting contractors and oversee the project as a whole. So as you see they supplied us with four different options. Um reading through this options A and B did not work for us because it did not address the um domestic hot water issue that we are facing right now especially to the jail section of our building. um C felt it wasn't as economical for us. So we modified in our meeting with matrix option D. So this addresses the boiler situation and the domestic hot water. So they

B or D

D. Yep. So in this option they are going to remove all three boilers that are currently in the boiler room. They'll also be removing the fourth boiler that's in there that is designated just to the hot water system. They are going to be replacing it with three new boilers that will all be interlink together to help supply the demand of the hot water. Um they're going to be replacing the storage tanks for more storage um for the demand especially in the jail area. Um we did as requested by the engineers uh we did some water testing as far as the water hardness here. Um they suggested that we use a water softener system as the water enters into the boiler to be much cleaner for longevity of the equipment. Um we are going to also add a few things. I mean the pumps are going to be replaced. Um they are also going to be putting in new uh mixing valves in bringing everything up to date. Um, as you can see on page, I believe it is eight is their estimated breakdown cost. And after we had met with them, we kind of discussed the fact that obviously when it goes out to bid, how close these estimates were. in their history, they've been within 10% of this estimated cost with their contractors that they suggest. Um, it was suggested that maybe we send a special invitation out to six local or northern Michigan companies to give them

a chance. Um, and then send a um statewide out um just being that timing wise. Um we are hoping to get this project done and you know underway and done by October when it comes to eating season. Um so we are at the point now where construction drawings need to be drawn up and then project sent out to bid.

Any other questions, comments, concerns? So, I'm going to chime in as the financial wheel of our committee. Um, and then Commissioner Wolfson can do all that technical stuff that they talked about with the company and my eyes glared over. So, as you know, we started several years ago an actual capital improvement fund um with the goal of actually having savings for these types of things. Um we are sitting today knowing knowing that this is the most important capital improvement project that we have um for our county building. We have 633,000 28623 available in our capital improvement fund. Um obviously we anticipate a fund balance um of above 18% for the close of 2025 which would provide us with enough cash to take this project on um and actually have it happen this year. So then we can actually start to see some improvements not only in our heating and cooling but in our overall expenses as related to heating and cooling and hot water. So there is a um comment that was already made for me. Tyler, our auditor, started Monday and in his review of the trial balance, his two comments were, "Wow, the indigent defense commission attorneys really made a lot more money this year, and wow, you're spending a lot more on repairs and maintenance for your boilers and heat than I remember from the last two years." So, just kind of my sidebar for that as well. Madam chair, since we're on financial, can I ask a follow question before we get too technical because you'll lose me on that too. Um, so we have about over

633,000 in our current capital improvement fund. Yes. If our fund balance after this audit and everything's balanced is above that 15, we will 18, we'll have an additional amount on top of that. That is correct. Okay. Um because the policy that you have into place is that that money would go to first would go to right but so it would be more yes potentially to cover the whole 722. It should cover the whole 722 take that back down to a zero capital you know improvement part but it would take care of all of it without coming out of general fund

separate. Did I got that right? Okay that's all I needed. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I'd like to point out the cost is going to exceed this 722 because there's also the controls that tell the boilers what to do have to be updated so forth and that's through a different company and and administrator and I have talked about that and she's confident we the money is going to be there for that. council. If you look on option D on that page eight, U, Commissioner Wolson, there is a budget of $40,000 in controls. Yep.

So, and you talk to our control company and they can do what we need. So, there is a budget in their pricing or their estimate for the control aspect of it. All right. Now, to talk to about technical stuff on it. Can I be clear because I might have lost that. So what you're talking about are the controls is already covered in the 722 not extra. They No, it's they put a a line item in there for that for that. That's what I saw. Okay. So we're not there may be some additional cost. Yes, there will be some unforeseen because we're dealing with old um plumbing was one of the big concerns. Yes.

But they're estimating 40 for that. It might be more. Could be. They're they're hoping to be within 10% one way or the other because they have a 15% contingency already built in and if they're close to a 10 normally there's a chance we may not have to have extra because they built in some contingency, right? Is that right? Okay. Yes. In my head to make me happy with everything that I listen to the things that we have gone through over the years knowing and seeing some of the piping that's come out of this building with corrosion etc. built up. To me, if I have $800,000 in set aside for this project, it will not be an issue to finish it completely. So, good. Thank you.

Yes. We've been talking about this for a couple three years now. It needs to be done. I appreciate the technical talk. Bottom line is we need it's like a bad tire in a car. just involve need the best plan you can move forward in my opinion. Okay. We could talk technical stuff all day but the bottom line we still need madam chair go up nothing new there make the best push thing and put get all right

so my comment is is anytime you update and you get new obviously it becomes more energy efficient than what we have. So you're going to start saving or should start saving on gas and all of those types of things as well. So over the years gas bills and stuff hopefully will go down because we're updating

Madam Chairy there. Um, in that respect, the gas savings will come in the boilers are going to run less hours per day to supplier demands.

Um, right now and for a couple years now, I believe one boiler was taken off in line inadvertently, but it was done. So, we've been operating on two boilers to heat the building and one boiler for the hot domestic hot water. Those two boilers, your BTU output is 1,600. The water heater is 650,000 BTU output. That comes up to 2,250,000 BTUs is what we've been supplying for our needs. now and there are days when the building is struggles to get to temperature with the new boilers, three of them at 95% efficiency versus 80% going to supply the hot water needs and the building needs you come up with 2,850,000 BTUs. So what we've been using now with one boiler offline, three new boilers exceeds the BTUs by about 600,000. So that should on them cold days help keep the building and then other than that it'll be a surplus and your controls will fire whatever is necessary to operate at that date. Um, plus we are putting in storage tanks for the hot water and are they going to still have it so any one of the boilers can operate the hot water?

Correct. So even if so if one goes down another one can be put online to supply the domestic hot water needs. Um, so it looks like three boilers at a million BTU will each will do what we need to do. I agree with that. All righty. Thank you very much.

I just want to remind you too that currently the tax fund that interest that that money earns every month is being put into um and that has been done since prior to retire. So that is still being done last month. That will build that capital back up. I'll ask you more. Madam Chair, I have one more question for Justin. Is this going to be so you can monitor what's happening remotely? Yes.

Okay. Yep. I have access um through train technologies. I have access through my cell phone or iPad so I can remote in anytime I need to. The other uh program that is on um is Tri Cities. We are going to try to eliminate the Tri Cities aspects and go to the train technologies. So we're using one controller system and not two. and and that control on the wall now which we've been trying to band-aid and retrofit parts for quite a while is going to be gone and something new is going to be in its place. Correct. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. Thank you.

I think this is administrative decision. I think this is administrative decision. What are we talking about? Whether the board has to do moving forward. So I would say that we don't approve money yet because we've got to get those bids. Okay. So once we have that bid um those bid openings will come forward and you are going to have to approve that bid for that amount. Yes. Move forward with the project.

So then you just get those bids going. So MAC legislative conference update. Commissioner Kim Moley for each of this one. I'm just grateful that I get a chance to attend that. The legislative conference of that is probably at least of the two I've been to since I've been on this board is my favorite because it is truly legislative and it's budget and there's so many moving parts that affect us as a county uh as we go forward. So, they don't have the powerpoints up on the MAC website yet. So, um you know, when you've got something in your packet for me to refer to, I'll let you know. I'll kind of do a brief as brief as I can be overview of each of the key sessions that I thought really have thought for us as we go forward especially when we think about budgeting. Um the very first presentation was really around the state budget overview of what's going on. As you know the governor's already put her per budget in. House put theirs in. Senate put theirs in finally. It was still in the works at this conference but that's been put in. So now they go into their um their debate. They bring all the key back together and see where they're going to negotiate on those as a whole, the governor, the house, and the senate. Um there is very likely going to be a reduction in revenue. The House has been pretty committed to not jumping that

budget. Um the Senate still wants more um in the budget, but as you if you followed it, it seems like our state budget jumps about 20 million or more every year. So, um they're trying to keep that off the tax of the people. So, um county revenue sharing is one of the MAC priorities. Looks like the House is asking for 19.5 increase. The Senate wants it flat. sharing. They're really looking at the prosecutor pay to increase prosecutor pay because there's such a big discrepancy between the prosecutors versus public defenders pay. That's been a big piece of that. The housing package is another huge piece for both the House and the Senate Senate. um which would include debates on zoning mandates um which might increase the density in an area which also increases infrastructure use when you have more people in a smaller space. Um there might be some incentives to work on the zoning development from the state um for counties and things like that but that's still not decided. transportation funds, uh, public act 216 passed, you know, so the marijuana money has to go back to local and the payments are still kind of slow. Kind of like we talked about in some other things, getting money back doesn't happen immediately, but um, they say it's going to be less than what they projected it to be, but it still hasn't come in. A lot of it still in litigation. So, there's actually a dams package, House Bill 5485. Um I think Representative Shudy out of Midland put that together. It's based on a safety unit task force that would have private and publiclyowned um groups um because they said all the

structures are crumbling in the state. About 61 are county owned and are in critical condition which would take at least a billion dollars to replace according to their estimates. There's a septic code bill that is still being worked on. They're hearing that that will not make this election cycle to go on a ballot, but you know, working with the state and stuff, you never know. But they don't think that that's going to hit. There was a big session on managing workforce. And so the very first thing in your packet, if you're following through there, is a grid that they gave us. It's kind of like a survey. If I can summarize this piece easily without talking too much about it, it's we do a lot on risk mitigation when it comes to safety. But what do we do as an organization or a county mitigating the risk of our employees? They asked around the room, how many of us could tell what the succession plan is for your top two people in your county? Nobody raised their hand. There were over a hundred people that work in counties in that meeting. So their conversation was really about you must be prepared. You need to know the key players that run. There should not be things that only one person can do. If a cyber security issue happened, do you know what you're doing? How do would we email? How would we communicate? And so they really relate MI risk mitigation to how you do that within your own culture and the people that you hire. Is the culture a place where people go, I get it and I believe it and I'm here to follow through with that culture. So, I gave you each a copy of the survey that they gave us to fill out. I could not answer any of them. So, if somebody knows answers to it, be

helpful. It might be a good exercise for us to do if we're doing some strategic planning work, but um that self assessment is in there. There was a big big presentation from the Michigan Public Service Commission, which um as many people know if you talk townships and local, not a lot of people love that commission because they like to take control over the local authority. So they walk through everything they have done for years, the control that they have had for years to try to level set that. Um they talked about what why are costs of energy so high, the cost of goods, tariffs, but the biggest piece is the aging grid was their take. Um but they believe they have kept Michigan at 5% below the rate of inflation. I don't know if that's true or false, but that's what they presented to people. Um big presentation around property tax. um they don't believe that's going to hit the ballot this year either, but it will at some point with all these other legislative packages that go along with appropriations. Um how do you replace it? And I think a big question for anyone addressing that is not, hey, would you love to not pay property tax? Well, of course that answer for any of us would be yes. What do you want to give up? Because if this goes to legislation, it is just to get it passed on a ballot and allow our legislators to create how they replace the money. As we know, that's probably a challenge. That's my personal opinion. I would much rather that be done on a local level than get it passed and just let whatever legislators are in Lancing make that decision for us. So, um, more to be said on that. The House Physical Agency presented uh a piece and I gave you a little copy of this comes from the House Physical Agency group. This was last year's budget. Um I can go

through more detail on how to review those. Some are they have to be used in a certain way and some go through general fund, but basically um there's going to be quite a bit of a change when it comes to Medicaid and SNAP. Um a lot of that comes from federal money too and how that passes down. There is a provider tax on hospitals when it comes to Medicaid and they get that money back by doing better Medicaid reimbursement. Um, but there are a lot of error rates in how that happens. And so I think from a state perspective, they're trying to clean that up so that they can better appropriate where that money goes. Um, they might find money from a state budget to keep Medicare whole. They may put that back on the hospitals and say you got to come up with a way to do that. That has not been decided yet. Presentation from two pollsters. Um it was comical as well, but they really talked about what happened in the two-state convention. They talked about the polls that are showing in the governor race. Just gave people an idea of where things are polling. the the real key the themes that came out of the entire conference was really the concerns around property tax, economic development, school funding was a big topic, revenue sharing both for counties and the townships. Um, and they've not seen any drain code proposals yet from a state even though that's been worked on. There was a big presentation on the opioid settlement piece. So, um, warning that the the money that comes from the year-to-year settlements, the more they do those, that money of the settlements reduces. So, don't go spend all your money now because you're going to need money in the future as you work around your programs. Um they are working on there's new reporting mechanisms from both a state and a local

level so that they can this portal that they're creating will say you can go compare your county to another county. You can communicate with them. You can see what the trends are. So apparently that's why this reporting is being put in place uh for them to do that. Some of the biggest things that they're being used for in that money is housing. Uh that was I think last year was about 2.5 million of the opening money across the all of our counties. Um harm reduction to that that was about 1.5 million. Recovery work is a little over five million and then treatment options was 5 million because there's very specific things you can use that money for that you have to report on. So, I thought it was interesting that overall in these settlements, there has been about $163 million received and only 23 million right now has been spent including all counties. So, they're like, just keep that in mind. You know, watch how you spend it because eventually it will slow down and there won't be as much coming through. I gave you copies in your packet of each of the MAC 2026 priority briefs as well as the county budget brief that they did, septic code, housing, property tax, court funding, state budget, road funding, and revenue sharing trust fund. So, it's just a one-page summary that's easy when you just love to have more to read about. Um, and I think that's it.

Any questions regarding that? Thank you. Thanks. With nothing further on the work session, this meeting will be adjourned and our next one will start at 11:45. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty andice.

Roll call, please. Spencer here. Here. Russo. Mley here. Milbourne here. Approval of the agenda. Madam chair. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. Yes. Wolson. Yes. Milbour. Yes. Spencer. Yes. Carried.

Public comment on agenda items only. Is there any public comment for agenda items? Um, Holton Lake delegated authority update. Um, Commissioner Wilson and I have a meeting set up with Pine and Newuhoff for H Hotton Lake regarding the design prior to them applying for the permit. um that'll take place um I believe it's on Friday is what's on the calendar. Um I started keeping the gate logs on all three of the structures. I do believe that that's important. Um those started as of May 1st after our delegated or after our lake manager had resigned. Um and I will make sure to email all of you. Um I can do it on a weekly or a monthly basis, whatever you guys prefer. Quickly, Madam Chair, if you if you could do that, be so kind.

Okay. Um, we did get an email from the DNR um regarding their measurements and they use Hi-Fi for their measuring and um they had stated that they were off after Chase had caught something um from an email that they had originally um sent. Chase actually had sent someone out to take photos and some emails were exchanged back and forth and basically they had Yep. a meeting with Rex and then they had somebody come down and do a

they sent a survey crew out because they realized Chase was correct in what he was saying. And so they sent a survey crew out. So they had a a mark of what where their their level should be and they were going to look into that further and then get back with us. But what they discovered is where they've been maintaining the level has not been correct. And also it was pointed out to them that they're reading their level and the 88 datam and our level is computed at the 29 data. So um there was some heated discussion. I agreed to meet with them not between me and them but I agreed to meet with them as long as everybody came with an open mind. And then that's when it was discovered that they had to review what they were doing and they would get back with us.

Madam Chair, yes. Was there any indication of how quickly they would get back together with us? No, they sent the survey crew out last week, I believe.

Okay. Um, I don't know just what all he thought he was going to compile from that, but it's going to give him a field reference point. I mean, you know, we our experience with Hi-Fi was you have to realize something's a little wonky with it and make a field operation to determine whether it's accurate or not. They weren't aware of that. And then they they also said that their sensor was tampered with a few months ago. You've noticed vandalized. They said

they did say that they have no intention of um putting any of the stop logs in at this time. So they're going to leave the stop logs out at this time. My guess is they need to look at downstream flooding, too, because like I said, when I went over the Moskegan River, it was way way up in the woods, beyond what I've ever seen. So, it's it's beyond its river channel now. Would it be inappropriate to if we haven't heard in a couple weeks to reach out and say, "Where's your update?" just to kind of keep us on their radar. Mhm.

I don't know how long it would take for them to after they've been here to go do what they need to do. If it if they said it's going to take a month, then I wouldn't follow up in two weeks. But we can we can keep in touch with them. I just think that might help them not fall off and not do it when we need to. So, yeah. Yep. We'll follow up with them. Um, anything else for Holton Lake? Um, at what point do we want to discuss public um access? No.

Okay. When Commissioner Sensor and I made a trip to the H Hotton Lake Dam and the water was really high, it came into mind that it was in a real dangerous situation for anybody on that structure playing around. Also, it came to light there had been people on that structure measuring down and so forth. And now it came to our attention safety is an issue on these and Commissioner Sensson and I believe even though we talked about having public access on these with the engineers I think we need to rethink that and not offer public access on either that or St. Helen Dam and we need to decide that today because

or at least have a consensus let them know is I don't disagree because if they're up there trying to measure we have measurements we have USGS that gives us measurements. Is there any other reason somebody would be on there other than if they want to tamper with something or if they're just wanting to look? So, at the Holton Lake structure, there's a lot of fishing that goes on. They fish off of it. Okay. Oh. However, that being said, with the type of gates that they're talking about using fishing line getting cost in getting caught in those is going to be potentially costly

for hydraulically or hydraulics. Understood. Oh, but it and I did ask how many structures that Prime and New Hop work on where they are open to the public. His answer is none. Okay. I think Mark has a question. Yes. I don't disagree, but the kicker is that they've been open for years for people to fish. We would need proper signage and would have to some kind of enforcement because if somebody does cross the boundary, what happens to them if they get caught so to speak

because the kicker is if we if people have been fishing off that structure for what 75 80 years. So, I would I would I would not sure what to do in this in this case because in 75 years of fishing and I let's say I head down to the dam every day to go fishing and all of a sudden one day I can't then I then I cross the barrier and then I get arrested by the police. Well, in that respect throwing situation out there in that respect during construction there's going to be no public access. So, they're going to have a whole season of no fishing there. those people. I'm talking about now though, Rex. Pardon? Talking about now though. Well, we're talking about when it comes to the new structure.

Okay. Doing it when the new structure changes of now. It is for this new structure and then going forward. Correct. And we would have to gate off the structure and put signage there. Yeah, I understand that. But yeah, would have to have a signage that would be appropriate for all the dams. It should every dam should be marked exactly the same. Correct. Um And if I'm not mistaken, does Higgins Higgins doesn't have public? Does it? Higgins doesn't have public access because you can't get to it without trespassing on somebody else's property. That's what I thought. The best way. Um, now are there people that are able to get to it?

Absolutely. So, the only public access is is via water. Okay. So, how how do we move forward in talking to the engineers on this? I would support no public access once they start construction and moving forward as long as people have enough knowledge. You know, it's got to be I think from a safety perspective, we own that property or that structure. I think it's only important that we protect the people. So, from a safety perspective, as Kim pointed out, that's important. Okay. Thank you. Um, Lake St. Helen, Commissioner Wolson.

Um, the water levels coming down, which is good. Finally, um, I contacted the engineering firm about the gates on that lake. The advisory committee was unwilling to spend over $50,000 to have hydraulic gates on that set like Holton Lake's going to have. And there's three bays. So I suggested to the engineering firm a flop gate in the center bay like we have now. And that would be the main gate used to regulate the lake level most times of the year. And it's a simple process simpler than lifting boards. The other two would be boards that are lifted up by crank for the year times of high water. um that would reduce keep cost down but help in ease of maintenance. So I sent that word out to the engineers because they're getting close to to finaling that project and they were having a hard time finding someone to make hydraulic flop gates for that structure also. So

So hydraulic gates and because I'm not the engineer person and flop gates they're the same. Yeah. And and in this case it would be manual flap gates manual versus but a flap gate's a flap gate. It's just do you crank it open or do you push a button hydraulic operator? Holton Lake's going to be hydraulics but they're bigger gates too. You know that's it on St. Helen.

Okay. So, next then we have Higgins Lake update. Um, I had a meeting with James Tiffany. Um, I guess let me first back up. So, we had an advisory meeting um with the Higgins Lake Advisory Committee on May 5th. There was a lot of good conversation that did take place. Um, however, one of the things that we talked about is Prine and New Hoff will no longer work on Higgins Lake. They have stepped down. So, um, Chase had reached out to Wade Trim and OMH, I think it was, and a couple others to see if they were interested. Wade Trim and OMH said no, they weren't um, interested in it. And when I then I had a meeting with James Tiffany, James Tiffany and basically said that we could meet via Zoom and I could supply him with different information and then he would basically write something up and give it back to the board and his recommendations based on what he knows about the structure. Um,

madam chair

just he is from Ma he has a engineering construction company out of Matton. He is experienced also in water resources. I gave him anything that I had about the structure any modifications which I don't have anything on that. um all the current permits that were given um and just done and also the um lowflow data that Eagle just put out. I believe it was in October and th that lowflow data is what is being used also for Lake St. Helen and H Hotton Lake. Each of the lakes have their own data that Eagle has put out. Yes.

And I point out this is the company that does our every three-year inspections on all our dams. So that's why he's familiar with the dams. Yep. Why did I clarify on that too? Because if I understand the inspections correctly, I I hear some confusion. So those inspections are not to say that it is functional to keep a lake level. It is to say nothing in it is totally falling apart. it it it is able to be there whether or not it maintains a legal level. It's a safety inspection. A safety inspection. Okay. I just wanted to make sure I understood that.

Um Tiffany did ask what I felt was the most important thing on for the structure, what it was like the board's objective. And I told them from my perspective that I believe the board wanted to come as close as possible to maintaining the legal levels summer and winter. That's what we've been assigned to do. So a structure that can get us to the best of our abilities to those and be able to maintain those. So um as far as the advisory um meeting that took place um again there was a lot of good information that came out of it. A lot of good discussion I believe came out of it. Um we focused kind of Mr. Carrie actually laid out how the permitting process is done because one of the questions from my perspective that people were asking is they wanted Eagle to commit to what is it that they want and Mr. Kerry kind of laid it out and said that's not really how this works. Basically, you find the engineer and what you want to have accomplished. The engineer will work with apply for a permit, work with Eagle, and Eagle through that permitting process will then tell the engineer what they're going to require. In a lot of cases, there's a pre-me, but the specifics, they're not going to line out ahead of time. They're going to do that through the permitting process. Is that how you took that?

Correct.

Okay. Um, we also talked about the low flow. Um, the low flow for Higgins Lake that was put out by Eagle. Um, the discharge information was for the 14 cubic feet per second. So when we had that meeting with Eagle earlier before the advisory committee, one of the questions was asked, you know, we we see that you want 50 cubic feet per second out of the structure. However, nowhere have we really been able to find that on any of the permitting stuff that is available to us online. would they be willing to during certain times of the year reduce that? They were open to the possibility of the 14 cubic feet for certain parts of the year, but not during spawning season. During spawning season, they would require a lot more flow. However, before they would even entertain that thought, there has to be some type, I'm going to call it a study that would show how that's going to affect downstream, the river, the lake, and those types of things. And so basically it would almost be a parallel type thing to where no matter which way the board chooses to go that information would be good if because the restrictor plate still gets keep brought up brought up brought up. That would be good for that information but it would also be good if the board chose to go for a new structure based on recommendations and stuff. it could be also used for that.

So, it's almost a type of study that is useful no matter which way we go. Is it just one type of study that would do itself? It's kind of what it sounded like. Yeah. Um, Mr. Canales kind of spoke about that a little bit. um they would dictate what they want and probably most likely it's going to be if you reduce flow downstream, how's it going to affect aquatic downstream?

Now the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association, Fred Swinart, has been keeping track of flows downstream for quite some time. That information, even though it's not done by an engineer, is still valuable information. And I think if that was studied by an engineer, it would show that if we go to the new system, it's not going to be any different than what's been happening in the past anyway. Because I I think from what I've seen of it, during most the time in the summer, there's not 50 CFS going down that river. it's in the 14 range. So, um definitely an engineer needs to look at that study and see if if if when he goes for a permit that that information is answers their questions. Um there was also another um question that was asked that day about if the current structure only put out or 14 cubic feet per second, how basically that would look. Um I'm trying to find it. I have it somewhere in all my paperwork here. Um, so Pine and Newu-Hoff did do something up and I believe it was Mr. Rickettts that had asked that question prior to even the advisory ma meeting and so Pine and New Hoff did develop something that shows a graph that basically shows so I can get anybody that graph. I just can't find it in my paperwork right at the moment. Oh, and I think that's the biggest thing is

even if I mean our job as the board in my opinion is to find a solution to the best way to manage that lake to be at legal level for the summer and the winter to the best of our abilities. And in turn, you're going to have an operations manual to go with it. And that's going to be based on engineering and their recommendations and what can be accomplished. None of us here are engineers, so we have to go in their their recommendations. That's my thoughts on that. Anything else, Commissioner Wilson? No.

Okay. Any questions and comments? I can wait till board comments. You can answer. I think I'd like to hear because I'm sure noticing the body language over here that we'll have some comments. I think I'll save mine until Okay. All right. Um unfinished business. There's nothing listed. New business. Russ County Lake Manager. Commissioner Wolson, do you want to start with that?

Sure. Um as you're all aware, we no longer have a lake manager. Commissioner Sensor and I talked, we thought we should put it out for bids like we did last time and depending on what we get for response on that. We may want to go with that direction or by that time we will have a new drain commissioner and talk with them and see if they want to take on those duties or not. Um, but in the meantime, I think we should put it out for bids and see where we stand in that respect.

This is here. I'll pass these out. This is kind of a couple things have changed from when it out before, but this would be a more current version of what we would be looking for. you guys have that and then we're open to any thoughts or ideas on that. So, Madam Chair, so Rex, you you're suggesting to be incremental in our search. Would you say that again? I

incremental. In other words, do one step at a time instead of try to do two things at once. Just put it out for a bit and just go with that. Okay. This would be a new I would say a job description for a lake manager. Yeah. Whether it's under a drain commissioner or not, this would be what would be needed for that position. Yeah. And and this is like this is what we're going to ask for in bidding.

And that may have to change. I mean, you know, depend on what what's available out there and stuff, but this is a starting point. Would you would you clarify for the audience and the rest of the board? My understanding is by going up for bid, you're looking at a contractor to perform the service. Correct. Correct. This this would be a contractor, not an employee. No. And I believe even if we went through the drain commissioner's office, would we not have to contract with him? So if you give the con if you give the drain commissioner the responsibilities, that responsibility is the drain commissioner. So he would be able to or she would be able to make that decision of how this happens at that point in time whether it's contracted or

correct. Yep. I have got the expertise or whatever. Yes. Yep. Sure. Yes. I appreciate the work you've done in this. Would it be would it be wise at this time for us to consider uh the the cost of of the of the position? Other words, I don't see any cost for the person's wage. Well, I think we're kind of putting it out for bids at this point. Just wondering if we should throw a cost out there because the bottom line Okay, Jody saying no. I'll go with that. They're the ones that going to tell us what they can perform at what price. I'll go with that. You've answered my question. Thank you. Anything else on that?

Anything specific? I have I don't have the old one. This is a little different. Any key things that are that we've added from here that are a little different or I can go back. I think we took away I think we took away things that were no longer pertinent. Yeah. Okay. I think we took like two or three things off of that from the last time we went out. Okay. Um I think we did change reporting to the board of commissioners and keeping logs. Yeah, I think we did. Yeah, we added that

area because it seemed like there was some deficiencies in that. Yeah. Responsible for keeping records and sending them to the lake level committee on a weekly basis versus waiting and waiting and waiting and not receiving them. Getting an update and if they're not able to be here in person like at a lake level meeting that they need to give a written report. Madam chair. Yes. Do we need a consensus by the board to go ahead and I think so. Good. Thanks, Rex. I'll support it. Yeah, let's get it going. Get it rolling. Can't go with that one for too long.

Okay, I'm good.

Motions, resolutions. There are none. So, we are at public comment. Do we have any public comment? Come on up. Good afternoon. A Bisby from Old Lake Denton Township. As I recall back in the hearing time frame with Judge Bennett at the manual, we're looking to have opportunities for banking free board. Nothing in that hearing was brought up about the channel downstream from the dam. Now all the blame for all the issues seems to be the downstream between the water retention and Reedsburg. In 2010, Spicer's engineering identified that as well as designs for a new dam that downstream was a major issue to remove water. That was 16 years ago. Army Corps engineers also brought that up as a major issue for controlling the lake level. Now being it is such an extreme issue and the controlling of the lake, I would have thought that would have been part of the discussion in the plans at the time of the hearing. But Judge Bennett did give you people two years to prove yourself out. Unfortunately, the first year your grade is a F minus. Damage everywhere on that lake. Seaw walls are washed out. People's crawl spaces and homes are flooded. And you went into ice out over legal summer level, which is insane.

I feel bad for the people. I didn't have any damage, but we did spend a lot of money, time, and effort to prevent that damage. We built up temporary water breaks all along our seaw walls to prevent the water from coming in and destroying our properties. We spend a lot of time and money every day moving pumps having to pump out ours and our neighbors yards and everything to keep their houses from getting flooded. And this is not something you can take very lightly. I think people are going to remember this. Like I said, this first year out of the two-year trial got a F minus. And I'm sorry to say that because there was a lot of people hoping that this whole ordeal was going to save the day. And we know that we had a lot of snow 151%. You don't go into your ice out in your spring thaw being over legal summer level because you know history shows that 10 to 11 in is your normal ice out lake level increase just on its own and normal not at 151% snowfall and we had the rain. So this idea that you can see into the future and react ahead of time using this manual is a fallacy and you've proven it to be true to be a fallacy and that's sad because that's not what you presented to the public and to the judge. Well, I said my peace. I pray for the people with the damage and I hope that some resolution can come to prevent

it in the future. Right now with this group, I don't see it because you got a high water mentality. Thank you.

Any other public comment? Man up Craig Conman Hot Lake. I don't know if I can follow that. Dave, you did a fine job. I just uh again uh widespread flooding around H Hotton Lake. at it. I don't know if any of this uh commission has drove around the lake to see the uh extensive sandbagging uh the pumping. Uh I would suspect that a third to a half of the homes on H Hotton Lake have uh standing water in their crawl spaces. Uh my home and our family cabin, we have standing water. I I haven't started pumping it out yet because uh the lake level is here and uh my crawl space is here. Uh I would suspect my crawl space right now is pretty much at or a few inches below the lake level of H Hotton Lake. Uh again, uh at least a third of the homes on H Hotton Lake probably have standing water in their crawl spaces. And I I'm kind of surprised. I thought for sure there'd be some folks from H Hotton Lake here. Uh all the flooding that's going on uh on the news. I think it was last night. I watched a clip of it. I wrote something down here. I probably won't be able to find it though. So, uh, anyway, there was a thing on TV 9 and 10 where the, uh, uh, county emergency managers were, uh, addressing FEMA. Uh,

they had a list of, uh, flood damage and, uh, FEMA was touring the neighborhoods looking for, uh, looking at the damage. I don't know if we have a a list yet or not for Ross Common County. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other public comment? Board comment. Commissioner Mley. Well, I will agree that our major directive is to maintain that legal level. That's been a directive for a long time. Not just this group, but the boards before us. We've had people say that it was perfect before this, never had a problem, which is not true. So it is our main focus. I believe it is our responsibility to make the decision. We have committees to help us with how that decision is executed. It's not their job to make that call. That's what we right now as delegated authority are. So, I truly believe that it should never ever be a board of commissioners role to manage a dam structure. We talked about it earlier on that if we make decisions based upon what we are facing right now, as soon as I'm done in two and a half years and there's a new group 10 years from now, 20 years from now, what decisions have we made that impact us in the long run? I don't believe having a board of commissioners as delegated authority is a sustainable solution. Period. There's no plan that there will always be a board of commissioners who is a

drain expert. It just won't happen. Um so when I think about in my mind what three big options we have before us. One is we give it back to the DNR. It's not our place anymore. It's not our job. We could sell it. And I'm not talking about for a profit. There's a lot of things you can do. you can deed it over because we seem to have some perfect experts in this room that might own it. Take responsibility and buy it. There are pros and cons to that. Um, and there's probably questions that I have documented that we don't know for sure. It is doable from what I have been told. That is not out of the realm in our permission to do. um we could proceed with either fixing or new a structure. And I'm I I'm really talking more for Higgins Lake. Let me clarify because the sustainability of it going for any lake is the same statement. But these three options to me are really specific to Higgins because seems to be the only lake we continue to have as much lawsuits about. The other groups have been working a lot better together. So in that case, sell it, give it back, create a water resource department, which I think has been one of our priorities in the future, that that might fall underneath a drain commissioner role. Um, and that that group, even though it is still county related, that's a little bit, not sure I'm 100% there, but at least that that is being managed by people who have the expertise. um or you proceed and you just move forward. I don't particularly in my personal opinion of like that option because it down the road will continue

to be anybody sitting in this seat and this will continue for decades again. It is our decision. It is our time to make a decision. One option needs to be voted on and agreed to and move forward. none of them anybody's going to like it. It there's just not that. That's what we are tasked to do. I would propose that we look at these three options. We understand the answers to the questions that we need to know about those three options and by that first meeting in June of lake level stuff. We vote on a decision and we move on. This is consuming almost 75% of our days. and we are not able to work on anything else. It's been kicked down the road forever because people really don't want it to be solved. They only want their option to be the answer. It's our job. Like it or not, we need to make a decision. And I'm happy to pick out what are the things we need to know in each of those or if there's one that we as a board say, "Nope, don't want that at all." I'm okay with that, too. Those are the only three things that I could come up with that might give us some direction to go forward. That's my take.

Commissioner Milbour, I can't beat that. I'm sure you could. No, no, I can't. That's That was an excellent report. Thank you.

Um I do have a couple things that I wanted to bring up. Um, one was, um, Mr. Carterman has asked us a few times to look at this flood plane information that he's given. So I did and I actually used the engineer to help coordinate a conversation with Eagle and I will actually read the actual email which states the the findings basically. So, it starts off with the engineering talking to Matt from Eagle and it says, "Sorry to bother you with this right now since you're coming off vacation. We have a resident on H Hotton Lake who continuously makes public comment about the flood elevation on the lake." He requested a flood level for the lake from Eagle, which is zone A, and Sue Conradson provided one to him. He likes to criticize the engineering firm for not recognizing this flood level as FEMA's. This is Eagle's response. In areas where FEMA has not published a flood plane elevation, Eagle can provide an estimated for insurance and regulatory purposes only. These estimates are based on the best available information that Eagle has. In short, it's not a true FEMA elevation flood plane, but it is one that EGO created for regulatory and insurance purposes.

So, is that insurance purposes to help people when they need to do flood insurance? Yes. To help. Okay. Yep. That's kind of where that eagle requirement is.

Yep. So that's that was that on that. Um as far as the levels on H Hotton Lake to answer some questions, yes, I have driven around. I actually have family that live on the canals. I have great friends that live on the canals and I have family that live on the lake. So yes, I see what they are going through. Um most of you know that I work at the funeral home and the funeral home is up on a hill in Prudenville. It is on the south side of M55 and the basement there was flooded and we have two subp pumps. The subp pumps did not fail. They never overflowed, but it's because the water table is higher than the footings. I contact I asked multiple masons contractors why this would happen. They all came back with the same thing. The water table is higher than your footings and there's nothing you're going to do to stop it. West Common County is not the only one experiencing flooding. If we were, then I would say we are 100% need to re-examine how we manage each of those structures. But at this point, that's not how we managed them isn't the full cause of why they're having the flooding. It was in my opinion, it's still we had all the gates, for instance, on H Hotton Lake open in January. every gate. If all the gates are open, you can't force water out. So, it only leaves as fast as it leaves. We had this winter rain that Commissioner Wolson believes saturated the ground, refro anticipated in the month of April and the end of March. So

that's what I wanted to bring up on that. Um that's all I have

actually no it's not sorry one more thing. Sorry one more thing. So based on um the commissioner Morley's comment regarding the water resource division um I had spoken with Jody our controller about the drain code and how we could go about possibly putting together a water resource department. Step one basically was allowing the drain commissioner has to allow for the name to be changed of the drain instead of the drain commissioner office. So, um I'm trying to think of let's see so to rename the drain commissioner office to the office of water resources commissioner before Chase had left he did sign and agree to that. So that is the first step and I do have a copy of that for anybody that needs one. So that first step is underway.

Madam chair. Yes.

Stealing my time. I'd like to expand on that. Okay. This is only a name change at this point. Yes. Only a name change of the office. I think we have to approve that prior to the new drain commissioner being appointed. or else we can't do that without his approval. So if we're going to do that, we need to do this at our next meeting.

And by changing the name in the future, it allows us to work with a new drain commissioner and put more duties in that office. They're going to ask a question. Mhm.

Part of my comments were somewhat of a solution for Higgins Lake, but if I understand this new division, it is beneficial as a county, even if I took that decision off the plate that this department could be much more effective and have that expertise to do certain things around water management, period, whether or not it's a dam. It's good there, but it's could also be good as a solution to say people who don't have expertise should not be making decisions on this. Is that do I understand that? Also, it allows us in the future to put soil erosion under that department. It's not just about lake manager.

So, if we make a decision to change the name, then that says we are going to try to do these other things under it and not just a new name with the same responsibilities. Correct. Okay. It's the first step forward, right? Absolutely. It's the first step in the process.

So, I'm going to push the envelope as I probably shouldn't, but I will. If I are those three options that I presented, is this the one that we believe as a board is our best next step for our dam structure and stuff for the county? This is not necessarily related to how we operate the structures. I understand that this is if we change the name of the department then it gives us the option in the future of what we can put under that department. So I'm asking is that a support for that? That that's what I really want to know. I understand

if you want to put lake manager under that department would be the first step of getting there. Yes. Okay. Is that something I would have that we would have support for? It's not just my answer. I'm just throwing it out. I would have support for that. But I've said that ever since I realized that we could do a water resource division if we could figure it all out. Yes. I'd love it if the DNR took it over. They won't. There's no way we're going to be able to sell it because nobody's got that kind of money. I think the only viable option that we have and I appreciate appreciate the options. The only option that I see that's going to beable is a water resource manager.

Yeah, I'm not saying I I think that's and this is why we're supposed to debate this in public. These are not sidebar conversations.

I agree the chances of the DNR wanting it. Oh, they'll take it, but they're going to take it out. They don't want anything to do with it. There are options. We might have some people who have expertise who say I will own it completely. I don't know that because I haven't brought them up and ask. But if that's not the option and it completely comes off our county plate, I believe a water resource division is probably one of the best solutions we can bring to the table. With that, if we bring the lake manager underneath it, we need a very strong plan because that won't happen in two weeks. We will need a strong plan to the community on how we are going to handle those lakes in the interim without I mean we've just spent time and money and resources. The groups are asking for more money from people to solve it. It's just gone on too long.

And it's just more time and money out the door for no result. Creating a new department like this really has nothing to do with what we're going to do with Higgins Lake or any other lake. That decision is made in the future if we put water manager and delegated authority underneath that. This is strictly change the name so that if it's beneficial to create a department that handles all these things, we can do so. This is just the first step to changing the name of that office in order to be able to do any of the future things that we have possibly talked about. If the board chooses to go in that direction in the interm, the board is still going to be the delegated authority until basically that division can be fully designed and up and running.

Do we have any inclination how long that would take? Depends on how we can put funding together for it. No, I'm sorry. Did somebody have an answer to that? No. Go ahead. We have to you know whatever we decide to throw in that department we have to make sure funding follows it some way.

So as we prepare for 27 budget right that would be something we would need to have but in that plan okay let me I'll try to make it a little simpler. I'm okay with the change and I think the decision is definitely something positive for this county. I would like time and effort when we talked about priorities for our strategic plan. I don't want to tackle anything that comes before us unless it's statutoily needed until this is worked out. Make a parking lot list of all the requests that come before us that are not solving this solution. This is critical

and we just say sorry we can't get to it right now. We are part-time and the answers to this need to be done quickly. So, if we're putting together a 2026 or 27 budget, we know exactly what we need. We don't have a lot of time to kick this down the road. So, I'm willing to I think this is a really good step and it is the first step we have to do, but I would propose we all spend our days and our energies on getting these answers and getting it facilitated. Take action, move it on, and get an idea of when we can make it happen. that that is really where I'm at.

So, do we move this forward to the next meeting and approve changing the name? I would and then I can come up with an outline of the steps that would need to be taken um in order for the department to be up and operational and how to move forward. I can put together an outline for that. Got it. Good. Any other board comment from you? My turn for board comment. Yes. Um, as you mentioned, by mid January, all gates on H Hotton Lake were open.

We did not purposely go into ice out higher than supposed to be. We had all the gates open and we could not avoid it. Mother nature determined what happened. I'd just like to make that comment. With no further board comment, this meeting would be adjourned. All in favor say I. I. Recap.