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1000 ‎Rochester Hills Dr‎

Rochester Hills‎, ‎MI ‎

48309‎

(‎248‎) ‎656‎-‎4600‎

Home Page‎: ‎

www‎.‎rochesterhills‎.‎org‎

Rochester Hills

Minutes - Final

Green Space Advisory Board

Chairperson Gerald Carvey‎, ‎Vice Chairperson Tim Gauthier‎

Members‎: ‎Thomas Dohr‎, ‎Richard Graham‎, ‎Jayson Graves‎, ‎Lynn Loebs‎,‎

Dahlvin Peterson‎, ‎Samantha Phillips‎, ‎Beth Tilove‎

Council Member Adam Kochenderfer‎

Youth Representatives‎: ‎Shreya Reddy‎, ‎Alexis Smith‎, ‎Taylor Thorpe‎

7:00 PM

1000 Rochester Hills Drive

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

CALL TO ORDER

Chairperson Carvey called the Green Space Advisory Board meeting to order ‎

at ‎7‎:‎00 ‎p‎.‎m‎.‎

ROLL CALL

Gerald Carvey‎, ‎Thomas Dohr‎, ‎Tim Gauthier‎, ‎Richard Graham‎, ‎Lynn Loebs‎, ‎

Dahlvin Peterson and Samantha Phillips‎

Present

7 -

Jayson Graves and Beth Tilove

Absent

2 -

Non‎-‎Voting Members Present‎: ‎Mike Hartner‎, ‎Adam Kochenderfer‎, ‎and Roger ‎

Moore‎

Non‎-‎Voting Members Absent‎: ‎Pranita Balusu‎, ‎Kurt Dawson‎, ‎Alexis Smith and ‎

Michelle Thorpe‎

Others Present‎: ‎Keith Sawdon‎, ‎Finance Director‎

Committee Members Graves and Tilove provided previous notice they would be ‎

unable to attend and asked to be excused‎.‎

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

2013-0297

Regular Meeting ‎- ‎July ‎23‎, ‎2013‎

07-23-13 GSAB Draft minutes.pdf

Resolution.pdf

Attachments‎:‎

A motion was made by Peterson‎, ‎seconded by Graham‎, ‎that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Carvey, Dohr, Gauthier, Graham, Loebs, Peterson and Phillips

7 -

Absent

Graves and Tilove

2 -

Resolved‎ that the Green Space Advisory Board hereby approves the Minutes of ‎

the Regular Meeting of July ‎23‎, ‎2013‎, ‎as presented‎.‎

2013-0307

Special Meeting ‎- ‎August ‎14‎, ‎2013‎

08-14-13 GSAB draft minutes-special meeting.pdf

Resolution.pdf

Attachments‎:‎

A motion was made by Graham‎, ‎seconded by Loebs‎, ‎that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Carvey, Dohr, Gauthier, Graham, Loebs, Peterson and Phillips

7 -

Absent

Graves and Tilove

2 -

Resolved‎ that the Green Space Advisory Board hereby approves the Minutes of ‎

the Special Meeting of August ‎14‎, ‎2013 ‎as presented‎.‎

2013-0308

Special Meeting ‎- ‎August ‎19‎, ‎2013‎

08-19-13 GSAB draft minutes-special meeting.pdf

Resolution.pdf

Attachments‎:‎

A motion was made by Peterson‎, ‎seconded by Graham‎, ‎that this matter be ‎

Approved‎. ‎The motion carried by the following vote‎:‎

Aye

Carvey, Dohr, Gauthier, Graham, Loebs, Peterson and Phillips

7 -

Absent

Graves and Tilove

2 -

Resolved‎ that the Green Space Advisory Board hereby approve the Minutes of ‎

the Special Meeting of August ‎19‎, ‎2013 ‎as presented‎.‎

COMMUNICATIONS

Perpetual Care Trust Fund‎

Chairperson Carvey introduced Mr‎. ‎Keith Sawdon‎, ‎the city‎'‎s Finance Director‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Sawdon explained the concept of establishing a perpetual care trust fund for ‎

green space and natural features‎. ‎The trust fund would be similar the city ‎

cemetery perpetual care trust fund‎. ‎The idea would be to utilize the earnings ‎

without using the principal for a stewardship program and future green space ‎

acquisitions‎. ‎

The creation of a trust fund would have to be approved by City Council and ‎

created under section ‎115 ‎of the IRS code‎. ‎With a section ‎115 ‎trust‎, ‎earnings ‎

would be free from federal taxes‎. ‎The State of Michigan has a very tight law ‎

when it comes to investing public funds‎. ‎If the trust qualified‎, ‎the trust fund ‎

could be invested in long‎-‎term investments along with other long‎-‎term qualified ‎

investments to maximize earning capacity and obtain lower management fees‎. ‎

A trust fund board consisting of three members‎, ‎one of which could be a GSAB ‎

member‎, ‎would be created to monitor and manage the assets of the trust‎. ‎

Bylaws‎, ‎investment policies and procedures could also be created‎. ‎GSAB ‎

could make annual recommendations of funds needed for stewardship and‎/‎or ‎

green space acquisitions to City Council during the budget process‎.‎

If a portion of the principal were needed and used from the trust‎, ‎it may be ‎

replaced into the trust over time by creating a plan to direct part of the earnings ‎

to replenish the principal over an established number of years‎. ‎

A perpetual care trust fund would be a flexible mechanism to protect the green ‎

space millage generated funds and provide a stream of income to always take ‎

care of open space property in addition to acquisitions‎. ‎

The Board thanked Mr‎. ‎Sawdon for his presentation‎.‎

*******************************************‎

Mr‎. ‎Mike Hartner‎, ‎Director of Parks ‎& ‎Forestry‎, ‎reported that Mr‎. ‎Leo Oriet‎, ‎

former youth representative to GSAB has volunteered as an intern to help ‎

GSAB with the ballot question and possibly other projects as his time permits‎.‎

PUBLIC COMMENT

Chairperson Carvey acknowledged Ms‎. ‎Sandy Niks‎, ‎resident‎, ‎was present‎. ‎

The Board expressed appreciation for her supportive comments at last week‎'‎s ‎

City Council meeting‎.‎

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

2008-0130

GSAB Administrative ‎& ‎Strategic Sub‎-‎Committee‎

Revisions to GSAB bylaws‎

Chairperson Carvey reported that the sub‎-‎committee will be updating the GSAB ‎

bylaws to reflect the revised scope recently approved by City Council‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Hartner noted that a draft will be presented for GSAB‎'‎s review at the November ‎

meeting‎. ‎He stated that the bylaws would also be reviewed by the City Clerk ‎

and presented to City Council for approval‎.‎

Discussed

2008-0131

GSAB Communication‎, ‎Promotion ‎& ‎Education Sub‎-‎Committee‎

Campaign plan for November ‎2013 ‎Green Space revised use ballot ‎

question‎

Mr‎. ‎Hartner provided information from the new Clerk‎, ‎Tina Barton‎, ‎regarding a ‎

committee to support a yes vote for the November ‎5‎th ballot question regarding ‎

the revised uses of the Green Space Millage‎. ‎Campaign finance laws cap ‎

expenses at ‎$‎500 ‎before requiring to file as a committee‎. ‎As a board‎, ‎GSAB‎, ‎is ‎

not allowed to promote a yes or no vote‎, ‎but could educate residents on the ‎

ballot question‎. ‎However‎, ‎it is acceptable if a board member speaks as an ‎

individual resident‎, ‎but not as a representative of GSAB‎. ‎GSAB would not be ‎

allowed to meet as a sub‎-‎committee at City Hall to promote the ballot question‎. ‎

There are free social mediums such as Twitter‎, ‎Facebook and Punchbowl which ‎

are popular communication tools in addition to the traditional yard sign ‎

campaign which requires money‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Hartner also reported that Mayor Barnett will make a request to City Council ‎

for ‎$‎12‎,‎500 ‎to fund an educational flyer regarding the ballot question which will ‎

be mailed to registered voters to explain the ballot question‎. ‎The educational ‎

tool has been successful with prior millage questions‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Hartner will assist the ‎

Mayor‎'‎s office with letters to the editors‎. ‎Board members could also promote ‎

the ballot question as individual residents‎.‎

Discussed

2008-0132

GSAB Property Nominations ‎& ‎Acquisitions Sub‎-‎Committee‎

No report at this time‎.‎

Discussed

2008-0133

GSAB Stewardship ‎& ‎Advocacy Sub‎-‎Committee‎

No report at this time‎.‎

Discussed

2012-0443

Discuss Stewardship Management Plan‎

1‎.) ‎Define property inventory‎: (‎Members Carvey‎, ‎Gauthier‎, ‎Hartner‎, ‎

Moore‎, ‎Balusu‎)‎

Chairperson Carvey noted this has been completed‎. ‎No further discussion is ‎

required at this time‎.‎

2‎.) ‎Define stewardship for Rochester Hills and develop a mission ‎

statement and vision statement‎: (‎Members Tilove‎, ‎Graves‎, ‎Peterson‎, ‎

Dohr‎)‎

It was suggested that this sub‎-‎committee could start working on a business ‎

plan‎. ‎Member Peterson will contact Ms‎. ‎Melinda Hill for her input‎. ‎A new youth ‎

representative will be asked to serve‎, ‎since Michelle Thorpe has graduated‎.‎

3‎.) ‎Research what other communities have done regarding stewardship ‎

and how to measure results‎: (‎Members Loebs‎, ‎Phillips‎, ‎Graham‎, ‎Smith‎)‎

Member Loebs noted this has been completed‎. ‎No further discussion is ‎

required at this time‎.‎

Discussed

NEW BUSINESS

Member Loebs suggested hosting a discovery hike event on the Clinton River ‎

Trail this fall to educate the voters before the November election‎. ‎Member ‎

Graham volunteered to chair the event‎. ‎It was suggested to keep it simple with ‎

an information tent and forgo a raffle‎.‎

A consensus for a tentative date was Saturday‎, ‎October ‎19‎, ‎2013‎, ‎from ‎10 ‎am ‎

to noon or ‎1 ‎p‎.‎m‎. ‎along the Clinton River Trail by the Harding Road green space ‎

parcel as in the past‎. ‎Discussion will continue at the September GSAB ‎

meeting‎.‎

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

None at this time‎.‎

NEXT MEETING DATE

- ‎Tuesday‎, ‎September ‎24‎, ‎2013 ‎- ‎7‎:‎00 ‎p‎.‎m‎.‎

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to discuss‎, ‎Chairperson Carvey adjourned the ‎

meeting at ‎7‎:‎57 ‎p‎.‎m‎.‎

Minutes prepared by Denise Mertz‎.‎

Minutes were approved as presented at the September ‎24‎, ‎2013 ‎Regular Green ‎

Space Advisory Board Meeting‎.‎

______________________________‎

Gerald Carvey‎, ‎Chairperson ‎