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UNAPPROVED
WEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
September 16, 2011
9:30 a.m.
1.
Call to Order.
D. Disselkoen, WMRPC
Vice-Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
2.
Roll Call:
Lynn Anderson – City of Big Rapids
Mark Sweppenheiser – City of Big Rapids
Ruth Kelly – City of Grand Rapids
Paul Bullock, Treasurer – Mecosta County
John Johansen – Montcalm County
Tom Lindeman – Montcalm County
Mark Knudsen – Ottawa County
Donald Disselkoen, Vice-Chair – Ottawa County
Doug Zylstra – Ottawa County
Tim Cochran – City of Wyoming
Sam Bolt – City of Wyoming
Roger Belknap – City of Cedar Springs
Philip Jones – Keene Township
Jeanne Vandersloot – Keene Township
Gregg Yeomans – At large
Howard Hansen – At large
Staff:
David Bee – Director
Elizabeth Van Doorne – Planner
Nancy Murphy – Administrative Assistant
Guests:
Valerie Byrnes – Barry County Chamber of Commerce and
Economic Development Alliance
Jim Byrum – Michigan Agri-Business Association
3.
Public Comments
None.
4.
Approval of Minutes
A MOTION WAS MADE BY
J. Johansen to approve the minutes for
the June 17, 2011, Commission meeting as presented.
SUPPORTED BY T. Lindeman.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
D. Bee said that there were two additions to the agenda:
Proposed Letter of Support
Policy
Revised Resolution for MDOT
grant
5. General
Business
a. Guest Speaker
– Valerie Byrnes, President – Barry County Chamber of Commerce and Economic
Development Alliance
D. Bee introduced Ms. Byrnes, who is here to discuss what’s
going on in Barry County. She has
been with the Barry County Chamber of Commerce for the past five years.
Before that, she was in Newaygo County.
And before that, she worked with the Right Place program when their
offices were here in this building.
D. Bee said that her presentation will be less of a speech than a question and
answer session.
Ms. Byrnes said that if you look on the map of Region 8 on
the wall, Barry County would fit in on the bottom to the right of Allegan
County. She has been working on
economic development. Barry County
has a strategic relationship with MEDC (Michigan Economic Development
Corporation). The County would have
more leverage with business growth if they were aligned with an active region.
Barry had the option to go south with Kalamazoo or north with us.
They have had relationships with The Right Place, Inc. and with Lakeshore
Advantage. There are thirteen
counties in MEDC’s Economic Development Districts; it is not a formal
organization.
Barry County is currently a member of Region 3, which
includes four other counties – Kalamazoo, Calhoun, St. Joseph, and Branch.
Their CEDS (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy) has been
non-existent for 15 years, and Region 3 is not recognized by EDA (Economic
Development Administration). EDA
recommended a new association – either with the WMRPC or with a different form
of Region 3.
Ms. Byrnes said that she has worked with Region 8 and with
Dave Bee for many years. She looked
at our CEDS document and likes it – it is a fair and objective way to present
projects within the region. They
want to start the formal process to become a part of the WMRPC.
The County supports the change, as does the County Alliance Board.
Although there is no formal document yet, the key players are on the
ground, so they are not looking for work from us.
Her question to us is are we willing to consider accepting Barry County
as a member? She is not sure about
the steps in the process.
D. Bee said that the last regional realignment took place in
1990. At that time, Newaygo, Mason,
and Lake Counties joined Region 14 and Ottawa County joined Region 8.
So, counties do change to a different region, but it does not happen
often. He continued that we have
worked with Barry County in the past, including on the tourism study.
The county is similar to other counties in our region, especially
Montcalm County, with a lot of lakes.
And it would make our regional map more symmetrical.
P. Bullock asked what would the drawbacks be?
D. Bee replied that there aren’t many.
It would require some time and effort on our part to move the process
forward. We would have to involve
both the State of Michigan and EDA.
A
MOTION WAS MADE BY P.
Bullock for the WMRPC to work toward what would be needed to formally amend
Region 8’s boundaries to include Barry County.
SUPPORTED BY H. Hansen.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
Ms. Byrnes said that the County had not yet formally
separated from Region 3. They wanted
to be sure that Region 8 would accept them before they severed their ties with
their current region. T. Lindeman
asked if Region 3 would oppose the change?
Ms. Byrnes responded that maybe a bit.
She said that they won’t fight it, but it would not create any goodwill.
D. Bee said that we will have to get letters from each of our
counties that state their approval of adding Barry County to our region.
T. Cochran asked if we should draft a resolution for their consideration,
and D. Bee said “yes”. He said there
will be a step-by-step process that could be complete by the December Commission
meeting.
D. Bee said that Region 3 has not been active and they did
lose their EDA designation, which is one of the key reasons for regions.
T. Lindeman asked if we should request a few representatives from Barry
County during the interim. D. Bee
said that it would be good to start a dialogue with the Barry County
Commissioners. G. Yeomans asked if
Barry County can be included in the CEDS process next year, and D. Bee replied
that yes, he will work Barry into that process.
We will also have to educate their communities about EDA involvement,
like we did with communities in Ottawa County after the County recently became
eligible for EDA funding.
b.
Guest Speaker – Jim Byrum – Michigan Agri-Business Association:
The Future of Agriculture in Michigan
Mr. Byrum said in jest, that his organization represents
everyone except farmers. There are a
lot of farmers represented by the organization.
With a wide portfolio that includes genetics, feed, and fuel, there is a
large range in the size of companies.
Farming operations are affected by legislation and regulations at both
the State and Federal level. The
biggest influence is at the Federal level, especially with Senator Debbie
Stabenow as Chair of the Agriculture Committee.
Agriculture is not what it used to be, with dramatic yields
now possible. Farmers can grow corn
45 days later in the season.
Agriculture has the most growth of any sector in Michigan’s economy.
Now it is very technology intense.
Big rigs in the fields are driven automatically using GPS.
There has been considerable integration in the industry.
The top five agricultural commodities are dairy products, corn, soybeans,
greenhouse/nursery, and cattle and calves.
The five sectors are concentrated and overlap.
It’s easy to get decisions because there are so few major players.
China and India are still developing societies.
When a society advances to having more middle-class citizens, then they
consume more protein and less starch.
There are both opportunities and challenges.
A regional approach is good.
There are interesting benefits in Michigan.
While Iowa and Illinois grow mostly soybeans and corn, in Michigan, fruit
is a major commodity. We also have
expertise in Michigan related to market development and access.
There has been interest in a green initiative in
agri-business. Although the people
involved with farming are not the most liberal in business, they are interested
in and influenced by consumer demand and customers prefer green businesses.
Walmart recently announced plans to reduce its carbon footprint and they
drive other companies.
Food safety is a top concern in Michigan, more so than in
Iowa and Illinois.
Logistics adds greatly to Michigan’s value.
We can get products to the east coast faster and cheaper than states to
the west of us can. We also have
sandy soils and water, which are good for russet potatoes.
Coopersville has a new milk processing plant.
There is increased demand for liquid milk and there will be more cows
coming into the state. Although
California and Arizona have a lot of cows, they don’t have Michigan’s geographic
advantage. There will be more dairy
operations due to the availability of water, the extent of local feed
processing, our geography, and other factors.
In the past, manure was just waste and a problem, but now it is a
resource since the price of nitrogen went up.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch is selling fertilizer as a revenue stream.
Farmers need manure for soil conservation.
Southwest Michigan is known for its seed corn producers, with
its access to water, production capacity, and other resources.
Farm operations will move farther north in the future, including corn and
soybeans. One of the fastest growing
states for corn production is North Dakota.
Yoplait and Deans, located in Reed City, buy a lot of milk; there will be
more dairy farms to meet that demand.
Needed infrastructure includes rail, roads and bridges,
broadband, and skilled workers. We
are short of people, many who believe there are quality of life issues in rural
areas. But the image of farm workers
is outdated – it is much more high tech now than in the past.
Agri-business operators today need good managers and pay good salaries;
the managers don’t necessarily need to have a farm background.
There is still a need for entry level positions, but there are also many
high skill, high wage people working in farming today.
Farm products grown on the west coast cost too much to ship
east. Our location makes it less
expensive. We need pork processing
plants here in the state. We send
pigs to Iowa and Illinois for processing.
If we did it here, that would create the need for more local corn and
also create jobs. We also need
increased beef production. The beef
industry in western states has had problems, like the drought and fires in
Texas. It’s all about logistics and
infrastructure.
There’s been a huge change within the past decade.
High fuel prices are our friend and have enabled us to become more
competitive. We grow more than we
consume, so we can export more.
Products travel in containers, either by land or sea, to Halifax (in Nova
Scotia) or Montreal. The land bridge
in Europe goes straight to China.
It’s faster to go east to China from here.
$200 million in infrastructure improvements are needed.
The growth trend won’t slow down.
Farmers and agri-businesses have cash.
We are looking at more potatoes, which is a growth industry.
Opportunities are endless.
Two regions in the state – West Michigan and the Saginaw/Bay City area have
particularly strong potential. An
important fact is that we will be growing more stuff farther north.
The egg production in the state is going crazy.
McDonald’s uses local eggs for their Egg McMuffins, and advertise that on
local billboards. Many of their eggs
come from Herbruck’s.
How can legislators help?
Answer: do no harm.
Regulations can hurt.
J. Johansen asked about the bridge (the proposed new bridge
between Detroit and Windsor). Mr.
Byrum said that Detroit is one of the key international links in the country.
We need a second span because the one and only current bridge is
vulnerable to accident. The current
bridge is unique for a primary international crossing because it is owned by a
private company. Public ownership
makes sense – it is one of the best things that a government does.
With the current arrangement, traffic movement is very slow.
It takes an hour to get out of Windsor, with 17 traffic lights along the
route. Port Huron is too far away to
be a good crossing option; it is not part of a direct transit route.
It is important for us to invest in the future.
P. Bullock said that the TV ads about the bridge are funded by the
company that owns the current bridge, so are based on self-interest.
Mr. Byrum agreed to e-mail information about the bridge issue to D. Bee,
who will forward it on to the Commission.
T. Cochran asked what we can do to bring new food processors
here? Mr. Byrum responded that there
is always talk about processing when we do a lot now, although there is always
some potential for more. A better
option is distribution centers, like a partnership with Walmart to accomplish
that objective. We need
international markets because they offer more year round demand.
Partnerships are more important.
The cost of market entry for a new brand is prohibitive.
Michigan is less than one day away from half the population in the
country.
G. Yeomans asked if entities at the regional level can help
agriculture or just stand back and let go – what can we do to help?
Mr. Byrum said they’re looking for opportunities and friends.
Most of the farming operations he’s mentioned are family-owned, with the
second generation running the farms.
It’s important to find the players and talk to them individually.
P. Bullock added that it’s also a good idea to recruit them to serve on
boards, to bring their knowledge to the table.
They’re interested in participating in the public process – in part as a
public service, but also for the chance to influence and become informed.
Mr. Byrum concluded by saying that he’s always said that the
best thing for farmland preservation is $7.00 corn.
And now corn is $8.00.
c. Administrative
Matters
Financial Statement
The Financial Statement was included in the meeting packet
and covers the Fiscal Year 2011 through July 2011.
D. Bee briefly reviewed the Financial Statement.
He said that we are getting towards the end of our Fiscal Year.
We actually have two fiscal years, one with MDOT and one with EDA.
Revenues and Expenses are close.
We are near the end of our MDOT grants.
For the MDOT Planning grant we will spend 100 percent.
The total Asset Management allocation is harder to spend.
Reserve funds are about the same.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY
G. Yeomans to accept and place on file the Financial Statement for the period of
October 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011.
SUPPORTED BY M. Knudsen.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Proposed FY 2012 Budget
D. Bee reviewed the proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2012,
effective October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012.
The proposed budget was reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee
at their August 19, 2011 meeting. He
said that the budget looks good, with projected revenues up.
Revenues
Dues are about the same.
If Kent County were to become a member, that would lower the total dues.
But it’s better to have complete membership, with all counties having
access to EDA.
MDOT SPR: At the
last MAR (Michigan Association of Regions) meeting, MDOT announced that each
region would be receiving an additional $20,000 starting with the next fiscal
year. The new funds will be used for
public participation activities, and work with non-attainment counties (related
to air quality), and the Rural Task Force.
They later said that the amount could be $19,000.
Asset Management:
The amount will be the same for this coming fiscal year.
It has been the same amount since the program began.
It’s a great resource and a good program for us to work with.
Recreation Plans:
There has been interest by one community so far.
Land Use Plans:
We will be working on several plans during the next few years.
Expenditures
Salaries and Wages:
Will be the same as this year because once again there will be no staff
salary increases.
Fringe Benefits:
Insurance and other expenses are expected to be up a bit.
Professional Services:
Primarily accounting services, which are lower than they have been in the
past.
Contractual Services:
Involves reimbursements to local communities for their Asset Management
work.
Audit: The
accounting firm lowered their fees for the next three-year period.
They value us as a customer and because they are accustomed to us, their
costs are lower.
Office Costs:
This category includes rent. We
might relocate to a different office space next year, so increased this amount.
Travel/Meetings:
We increased this amount to cover possible additional travel due to both the new
MDOT work as well as the land use plans.
Professional Development:
This includes attendance at conferences and MAR membership.
Printing: This
expense is anticipated to increase because of the complete CEDS report next year
and also the master plans.
Special Events:
This category usually just covers expenses for the December meeting.
But this year the Executive Committee approved our sponsorship of an
event at the MAP (Michigan Association of Planning) Conference in October – $420
will pay for a trolley ride through Grand Rapids to highlight local success
stories.
D. Bee added that
although our budget is up, it’s not enough to hire an additional person.
A
MOTION WAS MADE BY H.
Hansen to approve the WMRPC Budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012, October 1, 2011
through September 30, 2012.
SUPPORTED BY G. Yeomans.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Approval of Interim 2011 CEDS
D. Bee said that there has been one new project since we
printed the draft report. The City
of Grand Rapids added a new focus to the urban market project.
Before, the market itself was included on the project list.
Now they are looking at the infrastructure around the market site.
But the whole project is still not piquing EDA’s interest as much as
Grand Rapids would like.
After the Commission approves the CEDS, we will make copies
of the report and send them to members as well as to USDA and other funders.
A
MOTION WAS MADE BY J.
Johansen to approve the “2011 Interim Report to the 2010-2012 Comprehensive
Economic Development Strategy” as amended, for submission to the Economic
Development Administration.
SUPPORTED BY T. Lindeman.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
Nominating Committee for 2012 WMRPC
Officers
Each year at this time, the WMRPC selects a Nominating
Committee to nominate members for the following year’s officers – Chair,
Vice-Chair, and Treasurer. The Chair
later appoints additional Executive Committee members.
D. Bee said that Charles Mulholland will be stepping down as
Commission Chair. He wants to open a
slot to carry leadership forward in the coming years.
Charles will continue to serve on the Commission as an at-large member,
and he will also continue his association with MAR, for which he is the current
President. Charles has been the
Chair since 1991, and a member of WMRPC since the 1980’s.
Recognition for his many years of service will be included at the
December meeting.
So, this year the Nominating Committee might be just a bit
more difficult than usual, although it should still be an easy job.
In the past, the Committee has had three people, but is not limited to
that number. Howard Hansen said that
he would be willing to serve on the Committee.
D. Bee said that he will send an e-mail to Commission members to request
more volunteers. Or, if anyone is
interested – either in being on the Nominating Committee, or serving as an
officer – please let him know.
Letter of Support for Lakeshore
Advantage
and
Letter of Support Policy
Randy Thelen with Lakeshore Advantage had asked for a support
letter for a grant application. At
that time, Mr. Thelen needed the letter the following day, which was right
before a holiday. D. Bee said that
he is usually fine with writing a support letter if the project is one he is
familiar with and one he knows will benefit the community.
However, if he doesn’t know enough about the project and if local support
is not apparent, then he will pass it on.
At the time of the original request, he did send a letter, but it was not
warmly supportive.
He discussed that letter and the broader issue of support
letters with the Executive Committee at their last meeting.
The Committee recommended that the Commission adopt a formal policy for
support letters. D. Bee drafted a
support letter policy and that policy has been reviewed by the Executive
Committee. Also, a draft letter to
Lakeshore Advantage was included with the meeting packet.
D. Bee distributed copies of the draft Policy for Providing
Letters of Support. He said there
should be one change to the text, in the first paragraph:
Instead of referring to the “seven counties” served, it should read
something like “areas served”. That
change would accommodate future changes to the Commission, such as the addition
of Barry County. P. Bullock
suggested that the Purpose paragraph be changed to read “. . . the Director to
provide letters of support for projects within member communities of the area
served by the WMRPC . . . “
T. Lindeman asked if five days was an adequate length of time
to process a request for a support letter, and said that we might want to allow
more time for the Director to respond in case he is on vacation or otherwise
busy. It was suggested that ten days
might be more appropriate. But D.
Bee said that he thought that five days would be sufficient, so it was decided
not to change that.
A
MOTION WAS MADE BY P.
Bullock to approve the WMRPC Policy for Providing Letters of Support.
SUPPORTED BY H. Hansen.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Revised MDOT Resolution
The annual resolution for MDOT funding was approved by the
Commission at its June 2011 meeting.
But we need a revised resolution that includes the additional grant funds for up
to $20,000. Also, in the past the
Chair has been the designated signer for the MDOT contract.
Other regions enable their Director to sign the contract instead.
The new resolution incorporates those two changes.
A
MOTION WAS MADE BY J.
Johansen to adopt the resolution to authorize the FY 2012 grant application to
the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), for funds to be used for
regional transportation planning in Region 8; and to authorize its Director to
sign a contractual agreement with MDOT for this Program.
SUPPORTED BY T. Lindeman.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
d. Round Table /
Regional Issues
D. Bee said that we had received three written reports from
Commission members. Two were
included with the meeting packet – from Don Disselkoen in Ottawa County and
Brenda Cowling-Cronk with the City of Ionia.
A third, from Roger Belknap in Cedar Springs, was e-mailed to members
prior to the meeting. D. Bee had
already received one response to the Cedar Springs report.
Tom Lindeman – Montcalm County.
Budgets are the County’s biggest issue.
It’s never fun and hasn’t ended.
The County’s total budget is $1.4 million.
The Mid-Michigan Health Department had issues with the care and the
quality of care in Montcalm County, which was one of the three lowest ranked for
quality of care.
John Johansen – Montcalm County.
Agriculture is important in the state and today’s speaker gave a good
presentation. The Montcalm Alliance
has been in effect since 1997. The
Alliance is sponsored by private entities.
Recently they have been working to restructure the group.
Mark Knudsen – Ottawa County.
He distributed copies of a “dashboard” the County
had prepared to match the State’s efforts.
The County dashboard had been requested by the County Board and
Administrator. One dashboard
presents data for local government and shows Ottawa’s progress in areas, and
shows if trends are up or down. The
second dashboard compares the County’s data with the State of Michigan.
His department has had calls from other counties who are
interested in replicating the process for their communities.
The dashboard information is also available on their website.
He said that there would also be links to information and data sources
for use by other communities. If
other areas develop their own dashboards, comparative reports would be possible.
The Governor said that the State will complete their health dashboard
soon; when that is available, Ottawa County will replicate that also.
Ruth Kelly – City of Grand Rapids.
The City is seeing development along corridors that include Michigan and
Wealthy Streets. Infrastructure
continues to be challenging. She
commented about the bridge and Canadian investment.
The most frequent complaint from residents is about the condition of the
roads. The local community has a lot
of support and philanthropy. The
City’s focus in on customer service.
Mark Sweppenheiser – City of Big Rapids.
The City conducted a walkability audit in the past.
Now they are involved with MDOT’s “Training Wheels” program, related to
bicycling options. They need a
non-motorized transportation plan.
Lynn Anderson – City of Big Rapids.
Enrollment at Ferris State University is up.
She participated in the Training Wheels program and found it very
exciting. Their Treasurer stepped
down. John Logie, former Grand
Rapids Mayor who was involved with historic preservation in that city, is
advising Big Rapids in their interest in establishing an historic district.
Sam Bolt – City of Wyoming.
Work tearing down the old GM plant on 36th Street will be done by the end
of December. The Right Place is
working with the City to rebrand that site and there is interest in new uses for
the location.
Howard Hansen – At large.
He works in the private sector, in property development, which continues
to experience an interesting climate.
His company has a successful project in Muskegon, along with rental
property. The same problems continue
– with no financing available, no development can happen, which means there will
be no new jobs.
Paul Bullock – Mecosta County.
Off-road vehicles will be permitted to use non-state roads.
Experience has shown that where they are allowed, safety rates are
not
adversely affected. The important
thing is to establish the necessary standards, like maximum speeds of 25 mph,
helmet and eye protection use, muffler installation, and similar requirements.
There is a line drawn by the State, north of which counties may allow
off-road vehicles. That tier of
counties extends from Oceana to Isabella to Mecosta Counties.
Philip Jones – Keene Township.
During the past two years, there has been a slight increase in revenue
sharing. Four municipalities joined
together to establish an alliance to provide fire protection.
Jeanne Vandersloot – Keene Township.
There is not much going on.
Zoning permits are up, except recently.
The annual Fallasburg Festival in nearby Lowell will take place this
coming weekend. It is a fun event
with art, how-to demonstrations, music, and raffles.
Roger Belknap – City of Cedar Springs.
He e-mailed his update. The
big thing in Cedar Springs is the upcoming Red Flannel Festival on October 1st.
The City triples its population that weekend.
Doug Zylstra – Ottawa County.
The City of Holland will begin consideration of the Community Energy Plan
(CEP) relating to the long-term energy future of Holland.
Gregg Yeomans – At large.
Bertha Brock Park in Ionia has a festival this weekend.
He is watching his township (Easton Township) where the Census triggered
their eligibility to become a charter township.
He doesn’t know if there’s local interest in that change.
e. Staff Updates
D. Bee distributed his Staff Update (copy attached).
The Update includes information in the categories of Economic
Development, Transportation Planning, Member Projects/Initiatives, and Other.
D. Bee briefly reviewed the bulleted report.
Items not on the written report included:
The Village of Lake Odessa is working with Region 8 and EDA on a project.
Ionia County’s Interim Director seems open to membership.
Ottawa County has one potential EDA project percolating.
Work on the proposed master plan update for Big Rapids Township will
primarily involve an update of the Census data.
Mecosta Township has a new plan but they don’t know the next step; he
will talk to them about it.
MAP’s Law Committee’s proposed legislation is about 60 pages
in draft form. He will e-mail links
and more information to Commission members.
Some regions are not comfortable with the proposals, which are an attempt
to update three pieces of legislation enabling regions and the Metro Council.
A related update nine years ago addressed enabling legislation for
counties, cities, villages, and townships.
MAP’s proposal includes several new provisions, including regional
boundaries set by the Governor, taxing authority, and intense planning efforts
for everything from infrastructure needs to parks.
Charles Mulholland has been involved with the process.
Regions were not brought into the process until the 13th draft.
There are comfort level issues related to
the process and the outcome.
He distributed copies of a draft letter to Andrea Brown,
MAP’s Executive Director. He said
that he had not mailed it yet. Some
of the other regional directors agreed that the comments in the letter are
warranted.
P. Bullock commented that the proposed letter of support
policy gives the Director the authority to approve a project, but not to
disapprove one.
D. Disselkoen asked if D. Bee could send a copy of the
legislation to the Commission. M.
Knudsen asked if D. Bee needs the support of the Commission.
D. Bee said he will forward all the information for interested people.
He added that he tried to be diplomatic in the letter, but feels that the
comments and issues raised need to be said.
6.
Unscheduled Business
The next WMRPC meeting will be December 9th at the Loon’s
next. The CEDS Committee is also
invited to attend that meeting.
7.
Adjournment
A MOTION WAS MADE By
T. Lindeman to adjourn.
SUPPORTED BY R. Kelly.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
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