Supervisor Scott Hendrickson on the Issues
Promoting Smart Growth, Investment, and Development
Meridian Township is a Redevelopment Ready Community, and it is vital to our Township’s economic success that we promote smart development and redevelopment in our commercial hubs. In my first two years on the Township Board, I am very pleased to have been a part of ushering forward redevelopment projects in Downtown Haslett and Okemos, as well as along the Grand River corridor.
My philosophy has been to bring a critical lens to development projects, as it is our role to safeguard our Township by ensuring that these projects are in the best interests of nearby residents and the larger community. Development doesn’t have to be inevitable, so the questions we must ask as leaders is how we can get the most benefit to the residents of Meridian Township and how can we best protect what makes this township so great.
Meridian Township’s proximity to a world class university and the highly skilled graduates that it produces makes us an ideal place for businesses to locate. It is critical that we market ourselves and foster a streamlined process for these businesses to work with our government to come here.
In 2021, while I sat on the ZBA, I voted for Trader Joes to obtain the variance they needed to locate in Meridian Township. This spring/summer, they will complete their construction and open their doors, their first location in mid Michigan.
Preserving our Natural Beauty
Meridian Township is committed to land preservation and stewardship of our natural areas and I share in that commitment. Our community is also home to over 5,000 acres of wetlands whose impacts are felt by our residents each and every day. As such, we must be careful to balance thoughtful development with the conservationist beliefs of our residents and take proactive steps to mitigate the impact that the development will have on nearby residents.
While on the Board, I voted to expand the holdings of our land preserve, adding several parcels on Okemos Road, Cornell Road, and others. These new additions will help keep the natural character of our Township pure and will be available for our residents to enjoy for years to come.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Meridian is a Prime Community because of our diverse population. Meridian Township can and should be a leader among our peers in infusing better Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices among our Township’s employees, including our Public Safety staff. Having trained on Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace and Inclusive and Ethical Leadership myself, I know what it means to be an active ally and I bring that mindset to every decision that the Township Board makes.
I am pleased to say that the 2024 Budget and Goals includes funding for training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as the continuation of the Township’s Pride event, which held its inaugural celebration last summer to great success.
In 2023, I drafted a Paid Parental Leave policy for our Township employees to allow parents of new children and new adoptive parents time to bond with their little ones. This policy went into effect in 2024 and has been a resounding success.
Going Green!
Leaders at every level must acknowledge that humans have had a significant impact on our environment throughout our history. We must take steps to minimize that impact or we face environmental calamity. At the Township level, we can show our commitment to this cause by setting ambitious goals related to our carbon footprint. Specifically, we must move our Township government away from the fuels of the past and commit to powering our facilities and our vehicles with renewable energy.
Over the last several years, the Township Budget and strategic vision supports these goals by funding key solar projects and planning for the future. In 2024, the North Fire Station in Haslett will see the installation of a solar array that will totally power that facility. The Township has commissioned a plan to ensure that we meet our 2035 goal of taking all Township facilities to 100% renewable energy.
I believe it is also time to prepare ourselves for the transition to electric vehicles, and have pushed for the Township to provide charging stations at our Township Hall and begin to transition our fleet of Township vehicles to electric.
Expanding Broadband Coverage
The American Rescue Plan funds that were provided to municipal governments affords us the opportunity to modernize and improve our existing broadband service to Meridian Township residents. Throughout the pandemic, it has become clear that remote work and the need for reliable high-speed internet are not going away. It is imperative that we take this opportunity to invest in our community and work with other governmental entities and cable providers to expand and improve our internet infrastructure, which will pay dividends for years to come.
While Meridian Township has always been ahead of the curve on these issues, there are some residents who do not have reliable internet and we must ensure that we make that available equally to everyone that wants it.
Improving our Roads and Infrastructure
The voters supported a critical initiative to improve our roads throughout the Township, as they were in dire need of preventative maintenance and, in some cases, reconstruction. After four full years, the improvements can already be felt in numerous areas and it is critical that this progress continue.
We must also invest in long term projects that facilitate improvement of our current roads and bridges that are aging and need updating and replacement. In 2022-23, the Township saw significant improvement to the Okemos Road Bridge and Grand River Avenue, securing the safety of our primary roads for decades to come.
When the Local Road Program was passed in 2019, the average rating of our roads was a 4 out of 10, meaning that our AVERAGE road was in substandard condition. We have already improved that to nearly 6, and we have a goal of getting that average rating to an 8 out of 10 over the next few years.
Building on our Friendly Community
Meridian Township is full of wonderful people who enjoy the services we provide and our friends and neighbors who live here with us. We must continue to invest in community spaces that enable the residents to spend time together and foster that sense of fellowship. Projects like the Marketplace on the Green and improvements to community spaces on Township grounds and parks help to provide places for our residents to gather and enjoy what our community has to offer.
The Township is currently exploring the creation of a new Senior and Community Center, which would serve as another gathering place for our residents, and would allow for increased programming, facility space, and meeting rooms. With the Okemos School reconstruction coming in the next several years, the current Senior Center is scheduled for demolition. The Township plan would allow the our residents to continue to have an operational Senior Center in perpetuity.
Affordable and Middle Housing
Meridian Township has long been a sought-after place to live for the Greater Lansing area. For several years running, both Haslett and Okemos have been rated in the Top 10 Best Places to Live in Michigan. However, living in our community has not been a possibility for everyone. The housing stock in Meridian Township skews upscale and there is a gap in available housing for lower- and middle-income residents.
We must invest in these types of housing to ensure that we are a welcoming place to live for all who wish to live there. We can and should incentivize and encourage development projects that take advantage of state-offered credits for low and middle-income housing.
One such development the I supported was Woodward Way, on Sirhal Dr. opened last year and is a thriving place for its residents to live and serves as an example for how these projects can succeed in Meridian Township moving forward.
Investing in Public Safety
Meridian Township’s Police and Fire personnel are among the best in the State. Our Police Department was the first in our region to receive accreditation and the Fire Department is right behind.
In addition to providing incredible emergent services, our public safety staff routinely conducts wellness checks, non-emergency calls, and participates in community outreach in our local neighborhoods. These heroes deserve our support and our praise for the work they do to keep us safe and to make our community a better place. I bring this commitment to each and every board meeting.
Staffing in Police Departments is challenging, and ensuring adequate staffing is crucial to successfully keeping our streets safe. As such, the Board passed the Recruitment and Retention plan in 2023, that has already paid dividends in driving interest in joining and staying in the Meridian Police Department.
Expanding our Parks and Trails
Meridian residents value being able to enjoy the outdoors with their family and the Township’s commitment to providing the highest quality experience reflects that. Recent expansions of the parks system like the several dog parks that were added in the last several years reflect the Parks and Recreation Department’s attentiveness to the residents.
The voters have also made a deliberate decision to support the creation and improvement of our long range trails plan, to extend and expand upon the interurban pathway system, connecting Meridian residents to the Greater Lansing pathway system.
Phase I of the MSU to Lake Lansing pathway opened in December of 2023 and Phase II is slated for construction throughout the summer, ready to open in the fall. This marks a huge milestone in regional connectivity that I am proud to support. In addition, our Pathway Master Plan includes work on an “Eastern Third” trail that will eventually connect Meridian’s rural areas with the rest of the community and beyond, increasing our walkability and bikeability.
Our residents in Haslett spoke up and requested a new playground at Marshall Park on Marsh Road at a Listening Session in 2023. With my urging, the Board took up this project and new equipment will be installed in the summer of 2024.
“Governing, like all things, is more effective when we all work together and I know just how important it is to be able to work together with City and Township officials in my State House district. Scott Hendrickson is a friend and ally in advocating for Meridian Township and I always know that we can work together to get things done to support the Township's goals.”
— State Representative Julie Brixie