City Manager Search Process, Deck Design, School Resource Officer on City Agenda

Traverse City commissioners will tackle a packed agenda tonight (Monday) that includes a presentation on the proposed search process for a new city manager, a contract to design a new public mixed-use parking deck recommended by the TC Downtown Development Authority, and a contract to add a school resource officer at TC Central High School. Commissioners will also consider supporting a grant application to include a new stretch of waterside trail from Division Street to Cherry Bend Road as part of the corridor’s reconstruction in 2025 and will consider a resolution banning alcohol at the Men’s Trail and Women’s Trail.

City Manager Search Process
Amy Cell Talent, a consulting firm hired to lead the search process for a new city manager, will give a presentation to commissioners tonight on the proposed job description, interview plan, and timeline for hiring a candidate.

Cell provided a rubric outlining criteria for the position, including municipal knowledge and experience, communication skills, people and project management capabilities, leadership skills, economic and community development experience, and community engagement skills. The ideal candidate will also have personal qualities including integrity, creativity, high emotional intelligence, respectfulness, and open-mindedness. The job description notes that the next city manager will have to address “key issues that are facing the city,” including developing a long-term strategic plan, balancing resident and tourist needs, leading staff succession planning, modernizing city operations, and navigating infrastructure, housing, homelessness, and climate change issues. A bachelor’s degree in public administration or a related field is required, while a master’s degree is preferred. The compensation rate is listed at $150,000-$185,000.

Cell is recommending posting the position this week and accepting applications through August 13. A combination of survey, video, and phone questions will help narrow down the candidate field. Commissioners could review the candidate list in closed session on August 28 – candidates are allowed to remain confidential up until the public interview stage – then hold first-round interviews on September 7. From there, commissioners would decide next steps, including potentially inviting back finalists for additional interviews and/or selecting a hire (in a worst-case scenario, the commission could also extend or restart the search process if commissioners aren’t satisfied with the candidates interviewed).

That timeline could potentially put the city on track to hire a new city manager in September. Nate Geinzer is currently serving as interim manager under a contract good through November 1. The contract can be terminated at any time, but if it’s terminated by the city prior to September 1, the contract “will be paid out through that date at a rate of 32 hours per week,” according to City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht. If a permanent city manager hasn’t been hired by November 1, Geinzer’s agreement will continue on a month-to-month basis.

Deck Design
At least five commissioners will need to vote tonight to approve a nearly $1.6 million contract recommended by the TC Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to design a new mixed-use public parking deck on State Street.

Under the contract, Fishbeck and Cornerstone Architects will provide different options and costs for configuring parking, housing, and retail within the development, generating both schematic and construction designs under a two-phase approach. A critical “pause” will take place between those two phases to allow for two steps to take place: bonding the project and including it in the DDA’s TIF 97 plan, which is planned to be extended next year and renamed the Moving Downtown Forward TIF plan. Both of those steps will require city commission approval and are also subject to potential public referendums. Construction design (the second phase of contract work) will only progress if bonding isn’t subject to a referendum. Schematic design (the first phase of work), which costs $383,570, will be covered by the DDA’s TIF 97 fund and is expected to be complete by November.

School Resource Officer
At least five commissioners must also vote tonight to approve a three-year contract with Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) to place a school resource officer through the Traverse City Police Department at TC Central High School. The contract would run from September 5, 2023 through June 15, 2026. A state grant will cover half of the contract costs.

The contract emphasizes that disciplining students “is a TCAPS responsibility,” adding that the school resource officer “will only be involved in school discipline when it pertains to preventing or responding to an incident that would, if ignored, place students, faculty, and the staff at risk or harm.” Some commissioners had previously raised concerns about disciplinary and other issues with the position, stating their desire for the officer to be in plain clothes rather than full uniform and to be educated about the trauma many students in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community associate with law enforcement.

Also at tonight’s meeting...
> Commissioners will consider approving a resolution of support for a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) application to apply for grant funding from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for a trail project in 2025 as part of the reconstruction of M-72/Grandview Parkway and M-22/Bay Shore Drive between Division Street and Cherry Bend Road. A 12-foot-wide non-motorized trail is proposed to be included on the water side of the corridor along the entire 2.3-mile project stretch, which will be accomplished by shifting the road south. MDOT will provide the local match for the grant if successful and will partner with Elmwood Township as the applicant. The city will be responsible for maintaining the portion of trail within city limits. Work will also include three pedestrian hybrid beacon crossings throughout the corridor, according to the resolution.

> Commissioners will consider banning the possession and consumption of alcohol at The Men's Trail and The Women's Trail in Grand Traverse Commons, Veterans Memorial Park, and Meijer's Silverbrook Acres. Part of the area, often called The Pines, is a frequent camping spot for individuals experiencing homelessness. Traverse City rules already prohibit drinking in many city parks, including in the Jay Smith Walkway, American Legion Park, Clinch Park Beach, F&M Park, Hannah Park, Hickory Hills, Lay Park, Hull Park, and the trail immediately west of Hull Park to the bridge within Hull Park. If approved, signs alerting park users to the ban will be posted at The Men's Trail and The Women's Trail.