Monthly Archive

An update for the shortened holiday week.  Monday night we’re talking about snowplowing our streets and sidewalks, and about the proposal for a single hauler solid waste system in the city.  Tuesday night the Recreational Authority is talking about the South Campus Entrance to the Grand Traverse Commons, and specifically about the need for the pedestrian-bike connection to Silver Lake Road that was called for in the design plan.

Snow

This time of year the Department of Public Services works mightily to clear our streets and sidewalks.  The snows always prompt a good discussion, in particular about the clearing of sidewalks and trails and what we can do to ensure we remain a walkable community in the winter.  Issues that come to the fore each winter include wheelchair mobility and walkable routes to our in-town schools. 

We will be discussing this program Monday night – both for public education and for suggestions on improvement.  Here is an outline of the city’s snowplowing strategy, which I cribbed from a memo last year by DPS director Bob Cole:

In response to a snow event, our first priority is to clear the streets, then the sidewalks, then the trails.  (Street plowing has its own set of priorities, beginning with State Trunklines through major streets then to emergency routes then local streets and finally alleys.)  If all required equipment and personnel are available, we can take care of the streets and sidewalks at the same time.  Day shift Streets employees are generally called in to begin working at 5 AM in response to a snow event. 

Assuming that we have enough people available, we can send out 10 plow route operators and 3 sidewalk blowers.  But this year we only have 11 day shift employees – so we have pulled one of the afternoon shift employees onto days; done without the yard man; and ‘borrowed’ employees from the Water/Sewer Maintenance Division to help run the sidewalk blowers.  If we don’t have enough employees available to fill all the plow trucks and snow blowers, priority goes to the plow trucks.  In response to a weekend or holiday snow event, we call employees in for overtime to plow the major street routes, but not the sidewalks.  On a day that is not a snow event day, all of the day shift employees work from 8-5, including the sidewalk blower operators. 

On a snow event day, assuming we can send out three sidewalk blowers, here is generally the pattern.  One departs the DPS building for the east side of town by way of Boardman and Front Street to clear the routes near the high school and college along Eastern before proceeding to his Boardman neighborhood routes.  Another operator heads west along Eighth Street to Central Grade School, then down to 13^th and 14^th around the Montessori and Trinity Schools, then up Elmwood to Willow Hill before commencing west-side neighborhood routes.  A third blower heads down Rose to Traverse Heights, then Downtown, then to Union and Cass before completing his Central neighborhood routes.  If only one or two blowers can get out, they will split the schools up so that the areas immediately around the schools get covered first. 

 We have over 70 miles of sidewalks to clear, plus the TART and other trails.  The sidewalk blowers don’t move as fast as plow trucks, so it takes three days to finish all of the routes.  As you have heard me say before, if we have snow events day after day, then the sidewalk blowers basically have to restart the 3-day route every day in order to make sure that the priority routes immediately around the schools are cleared.  This can mean that during extended periods of daily snowfall, some sidewalks may not get cleared for several days. 

Once the snow event has ceased and priority street and sidewalk routes have been cleared, we stop paying overtime and have our folks work normal shifts.  For example, this past Tuesday, which was the second workday after a weekend snow event, our sidewalk blowers went out to continue working on their routes at 8 AM, even though some sidewalks had not been cleared.  I prefer not to pay overtime to clean only non-priority sidewalks – just like I prefer not to pay overtime to clean only non-priority streets.

So far I have written a lot about how we staff sidewalk blowing operations, but I should also mention the equipment that we use.  Streets Division has three Holder tractors equipped with snow blowers for clearing sidewalks.  These Holder tractors are used because they have narrow wheelbases and can fit on a standard-width sidewalk.  The blowers that are mounted on the tractors are equipped with shoes and rubber cutting edges to prevent steel to concrete contact and also to hold the blowers about 1-2 inches above the surface so that they don’t ram into broken or raised sidewalk edges.  Obviously these tractors are subject to maintenance issues.  I don’t think a day goes by that one of the blowers doesn’t get plugged by a newspaper, dog chain, football, or wet snow – and they shear a good quantity of pins, throw drive chains, and so forth.  If a tractor goes down with a serious problem, we can experience delays due to lack of parts availability – they are manufactured in Europe. 

Other equipment has been used by the City in the past.  I’m sure some folks still remember that the sidewalks used to be plowed by a horse – and then by a Jeep.  Some communities use blades instead of blowers – usually where snowfalls are less (blades are only good until the snow next to the walk gets too high).  We experimented with salting and sanding the walks – got lots of complaints that the salt killed the grass and the sand got tracked into houses. 

Nothing about our procedures or techniques for cleaning sidewalks is cut in stone.  We can do anything that we are asked, provided that adequate resources are made available.

I will add that there a few instances last winter of DPS making adjustments in response to specific concerns – clearing the Wadsworth sidewalk more quickly in response to comments from parents with kids at Central grade school and the Glen Loomis Montessori.  As noted, they can do more with more resources, which is a priority discussion for city residents to have with the CC. 

It is also vital to point out that each resident and business is required by ordinance to shovel their own sidewalk.  The blowers can take off much of the snow mass, but do not clear down to pavement.  I find this takes an extra 10 minutes after I’ve done the other areas at my house.  The GT County Commission on Aging also includes snow removal for seniors on a sliding fee scale, based on income.  More info at http://www.co.grand-traverse.mi.us/departments/Commission_on_Aging/services.htm. 

 Trash

The city is looking at collectively bidding residential trash pickup and recycling service to a single hauler.  The reasons to do this are to reduce costs, improve services, and/or get some of the trucks off the alleys.  A concept briefing on the issue was on this site back in May:  http://planfortc.com/2010/05/31/talking-trash-and-a-note-about-the-blue-wall-june-1/

The bids are in, and the time to make a decision is nearing.  A summary can be found at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/agendas/Packet20101220.pdf starting at page 64 of the pdf. 

In short, there were three bidders.  Their monthly bids for the large carts currently offered plus weekly recycyling and monthly pickup of bulk items are American Waste $11, Waste Management $10.54, and Allied Waste offers the lowest price at $10.40.  For a smaller cart plus weekly recycling and bulk pickup, Waste Management offers the best price at $9.59 per month, and the same is true for budget bag plus recycling at $3.60 per bag.  American Waste is the highest cost but offers the unique single stream waste processing – more so if their new facility at the old Tower Automotive facility in Garfield Township comes through. 

These prices are better than the prices most individuals pay in the city, which are $13, $20, and $21 per month, depending on the provider.  On the other hand, 8% of TC customers are part of collective arrangements in Central, Old Town or Slab Town neighborhoods that have a 2011 price from Waste Management of $10.30.  These arrangements are paid one year up front and do not include bulk items, but they also do not include possible fuel cost adders which the city bids all do.  The city bids have set price escalators of 2.5 and 3%, depending on bidder, while it is unknown what the neighborhood agreements may look like after 2011.

Niche services, like higher end recycling and yard pickup, will not be eliminated.  Existing residential contracts will be honored until they are complete.  Commercial solid waste arrangements will not change. 

Monday night will not be the end of the discussion but it will be an important discussion.  Please let us hear your opinion. 

South Campus

The South Campus entrance is meant to connect Silver Lake road, and Garfield Township generally, to the barns, the Grand Traverse Commons, and the Munson hospital campus.  It was meant to be a traffic calmed, non-cut-through road with “strong provisions for pedestrian and non-motorized access.”  The design plan is at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/recauthority/southcampusentrance.pdf.  It includes paths separated from the roadway on both sides of the street. 

Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, the design produced by city staff included no paths to Silver Lake road.  Rather, the one path that was included in the staff plan ended well short of Silver Lake because of wetlands.  Part of the roadway runs through the same wetlands. 

At its November meeting, the Rec Authority declined to release its $132,000 in funds for the project until staff could “provide options that fully accommodate bicycle and pedestrian access.”  City staff has since produced an exorbitantly expensive boardwalk design, with no plan to pay for it and no timetable in which it will be built. 

The Rec Authority will be meeting again Tuesday night at 7 pm in the city building to discuss the issue again.  The Rec Authority packet is at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/recauthority/Packet20101221.pdf.  More details and a call to action are at http://mywheelsareturning.com/2010/12/16/the-south-campus-entrance-that-thinks-it-can-thinks-it-can/. 

My hope is the Rec Authority will reject the staff recommendation and hold its ground.  Pedestrian and bike access was integral to the whole concept of South Campus, not an add-on that may or may not ever be built.  The board asked for options to make this happen and has not been given any viable options.  If cost is the impediment, then a least-cost option needs to be formulated.  Then the public bodies can determine what can be funded, and how.

This is the key connection between the Commons and Copper Ridge, schools, the future Buffalo Ridge trail, Meijer, the YMCA, and the subdivisions off Silver Lake and Barnes roads.  It’s way too important to blow off, or to accept another list of excuses.  We’ve been here before, it’s time to learn from our mistakes and do it right this time.

   The volunteer Citizens Operational and Financial Analysis Committee, or COFAC, spent a year and a half studying ways to improve Traverse City.  While COFAC is mainly associated with recommendations for cost reduction, the group also studied economic development in TC.  Their report is here:

  http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/COFAC/. 

  The economic development group looked both at the Downtown Development Authority and at economic development in the city generally.  COFAC’s economic recommendations start with a refreshingly simple strategy:  “Build on our strengths, and eliminate our weaknesses.” 

COFAC identified our strengths as primarily quality of life-related – TC is a good place to have your business because it is a good place to live.  The TC Chamber identifies several other business assets the city has in a recruitment page on their website:

• Two business and industrial parks
• High-tech commercial properties available just minutes from the beach
• Low-interest financing available through the Grand Traverse County EDC Revolving Loan Fund
• Approved Brownfield redevelopment sites located in the City
• Available commercial and retail properties at the historic Grand Traverse Commons – a virtually tax-free location for your business or residence
• Cherry Capital Airport

So the city is not without strengths, both in quality of life and in traditional business features.  As for weaknesses, COFAC identified some impediments to business growth, such as taxes and regulation, and some assets that are underutilized, such as the DDA and the city’s “brand.”  Two of their recommendations I was most taken with are:

Focus on economic development city-wide.  Downtown has received almost all of the city’s economic development attention the past couple decades.  That made sense in light of the difficulties downtown experienced with the opening of malls south of town, and in light of downtown’s unique role in Traverse City tourism. 

However, COFAC recognized there is a whole city out there that needs attention too. One of the primary recommendations was to create a community development office to focus on citywide economic development and to coordinate city requirements such as zoning and the availability of incentives like TIF and tax abatements. 

The city has taken a partial step in this direction with the dividing of Bryan Crough’s job into part DDA director and part Community Development Director.  TC’s economic development success the past couple years has primarily occurred in the industrial park through tax abatements, in the GT Commons through the renaissance zone, and downtown with TIF. 

COFAC recognized that further focus in places like 8th St, Garfield, and elsewhere could have both an economic benefit as well as being a morale boost to residents who see the city focusing more attention on areas near their neighborhoods:  

In addition to the potential tax dollars saved by this restructuring, the committee feels that the entire community will be served by and economic development effort aimed at all properties and activities within the city limits, and the citizens will be energized by such an effort.

Re-purpose the DDA.  COFAC opinions on the DDA were all over the map. 

There were several suggestions for common-sense reform, such as contracting out the auto parking system, getting out of the business of being a commercial landlord, and creating a year round farmers market.  There were recommendations about re-structuring the DDA or its director’s position or contracting those duties out, and there were strong dissents on those recommendations.  Fundamentally, COFAC thought the DDA should focus on economic development as its core mission.

One thought that did not originate with COFAC but which they might endorse:  Expand the DDA’s purview by delegating city-wide economic development to them as well. 

It could be called the community development board as well as the DDA and each member could serve joint appointments.  The community development office already is funded half with DDA funds and half with city general fund, why couldn’t the DDA spend half its time on downtown and the other half on development city-wide? 

If some of the DDA’s responsibilities were streamlined as COFAC recommends (contracting out the parking system, letting DTCA handle its own marketing, putting parks and rec in charge of the farmers market), it would have more time to spend on what it is best at, on what no one else is as good as the DDA is.

example of a neckdown - Cambridge, MA

The city’s been working on a traffic calming program.  The program was introduced here: http://planfortc.com/2010/08/29/calming-traffic-in-the-neighborhoods-august-30/.

Recently Central Neighborhood got together with comments on traffic calming.  I thought they were insightful and ought to be shared.  What do you think of these ideas?  What other ideas should we be including?

Central Neighborhood Association Traffic Calming Recommendations

 At the November Association meeting on 11/8/10, the membership met to discuss the traffic calming draft proposal and to come to consensus on the CNA’s top five recommendations to the city.

 Foremost, the membership voted to voice their support for the continued research into and potential development of Roundabouts on the Division Street corridor.

 The following are the top five priorities identified by neighborhood residents:

1. If possible, any potential solutions to be implemented on a temporary/trial basis before expensive changes are installed.  This may involve the use of orange street cones to delineate any traffic calming techniques by marking out the area affected.  For instance, orange cones and temporary, moveable signage would be used to block off sections of the street to demonstrate a lateral shift or curb bulbout on a sequence of residential streets to determine their effectiveness.  Or, perhaps a portable, flat-top speed hump could be tried in some areas?
2. Utilization of Bulbouts.  Development of corner bulbouts when ADA sidewalk to street ramps are rebuilt is desired and should be considered in neighborhoods, not just downtown.
3. Installation of stop signs at every intersection.  This was not thoroughly recorded as to whether it meant 4-way stop signs at all neighborhood intersections but there was much deliberation regarding the stop sign pattern in our neighborhood and how it can confuse residents as well as visitors.
4. Extension of hours for street parking, perhaps in conjunction with neighborhood parking permits.  Numerous residents have small lots with little or no parking on their lot, except for the front lawn.  There is a concern about the visual impact of such parking and a need for street parking for these residents should be met.
5. Parking on both sides of 7th Street.

 Additional ideas formulated at the meeting:

1. Alternate sides of street for parking.*  This would allow for on-street parking but prevent people just leaving their vehicle in the same location for an extended period of time.  This would also allow for on-street parking in the winter, where one side of the street would be plowed thoroughly every day when there was snow.  It would reduce the amount of runs the road department would have to make, thus helping stretch the budget for snow removal.  Effectively, we would narrow our residential streets to a friendlier, more human scale that would slow traffic down.
2. Convert 1-way to 2-way streets*.
3. Flat-top speed humps (wider, lower slung version of speed bumps)
4. Traffic cameras.  Use traffic cameras to issue citations to drivers who fail to stop.  This is of particular concern around the schools in Central neighborhood where many young students are present.
5. Signs announcing presence of traffic cameras.  Use of signs as a deterrent.

 *= No consensus was reached on these two issues, and the association would recommend further meetings or development sessions should they come up for consideration.  

 With many other neighborhoods providing input on this subject, consideration should be given to developing an adhoc committee with 1 or 2 representatives from each neighborhood to discuss and exchange ideas.  Since it is unlikely that a project will be completed this winter, have the representatives meet on 3 separate occasions to refine the concepts and develop a set of recommendations based on the acceptability, funding (or lack thereof) potential of various alternatives, and the possibility of completion.  Following that, the committee could make a public hearing presentation to the City Commission.

The master plan says most people think of Traverse City as a city of neighborhoods.  Some of these are recognized formal neighborhoods – like Central or Boardman.  Others are less formally designated but still neighborhoods – the Carver Street area, the “little bohemia” neighborhood northeast of Division and Front, the Hills.  Others are condominium associations or buildings – Midtown, Riverview Terrace, Lake Ridge, Rivers Edge. 

There are 8 formal neighborhood associations in TC. http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/city-manager/neighborhood-association  Neighborhood groups – be it formal associations or informal groupings – are the most authentic grassroots political organizations in Traverse City. They represent in every case groups of volunteers gathering together based on geographic connection to collectively advocate for their shared interest. 

The Great Lakes Fishery Trust has just awarded $1 million to Traverse City to remove Brown Bridge Dam on the Boardman River.  This grant, together with the $900,000 grant obtained by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and several smaller grants obtained by local non-profits, should be enough to remove Brown Bridge and restore 1.5 miles of stream.  

This is the first of three dams that will be removed on the Boardman River, resulting eventually in over three miles of stream restoration. 

Thanks to the project implementation team for their excellent work on this project, and to Grand Traverse County for collaborating with us.  More info can be obtained from Todd Kalish of the MI Department of Natural Resources and Environment, who is also chair of the implementation team, kalisht@michigan.gov. 

The Boardman River includes 160 miles of river and tributary stream, including 36 river miles of designated blue ribbon trout stream.

Last night city planner Russ Soyring, along Becky Ewing of Rotary Charities and Kathy Huschke of the Oleson Foundation and myself, went to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund meeting to make the final pitch for the city’s bayfront project.  This morning the Trust Fund approved a $450,000 grant to Traverse City for phase 1 of the bayfront revitilization. 

Along with a DDA match of $450,000, this $900,000 project will fund the children’s natural play area, splash pad, universal access to the boat ramp and the beach, kayak and canoe launch, widening of the TART trail, and other user friendly features.  We are also working on funding for the restroom/changing house in that location.  As long as the Legislature approves all MNRTF pass through funding in January (this happens every year), we hope to get work going on this project next year.  We are also busy seeking other sources of funds, and hope to have more news on that soon too. 

Thanks for this effort go especially to the volunteer bayfront steering group of the TC parks and recreation commission and the liaisons from other boards – Nate Elkins, the chair, Mike Jackson, Jennifer Jaffe, and Jim Carruthers.  Thanks also to city staff team led by Russ Soyring for excellent work on the proposal, and to our legislative representatives for their support.  Thanks also to the MNRTF board and in particular TC area resident and board member Keith Charters.  Look for more good news on the project in the months to come.