City Properties Plan, Budget Begin Taking Shape

Traverse City commissioners in two separate meetings Monday tackled next steps for several lingering issues: the city’s Con Foster collection and Carnegie Building, a process for disposing of city property and a proposed 2015-16 city budget. Here's a recap of discussions and a look at next steps.

Con Foster, Carnegie, Property Disposal
An ad hoc committee of city commissioners originally tasked with negotiating lease agreements for the city-owned Carnegie Building is now turning its attention to the city’s historic Con Foster collection, as well as a process for disposing of city property.

Commissioners Gary Howe, Ross Richardson and Jeanine Easterday agreed Monday to forward a recommendation to the entire city board to hire Colorado-based firm Bernstein & Associates to ensure the city is in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The firm specializes in assisting municipalities in meeting federal guidelines for returning Native American cultural items to lineal descendants. The Con Foster collection includes an estimated 7,000 Native American pieces and has been rumored at various points in its history to contain human remains, the handling of which must meet specific legal requirements.

The firm has estimated the cost at $2,000-$5,000, though it could cost as much as $10,000 if human remains are found. The firm has also offered to write grant proposals for the city at a cost of $1,800-$2,250 each to help obtain federal NAGPRA funding. Compliance is the first in a series of steps the city is exploring for the long-term management of the 10,000-artifact collection, which could ultimately lead to the deaccessioning of portions of the collection.

The ad hoc committee Monday also discussed potential daily rental rates for rooms within the Carnegie Building – directing staff to come back with a proposal that would include hourly and/or half-day rates.

And, the committee lbegan to look at a process to dispose of city property. Recent debates over possible uses for city property including the Carnegie Building, 517 Wellington Street and the former Traverse City Light & Power coal dock have demonstrated the need for the city to have a proactive, formal policy for the sale or lease of its property, according to commissioners.

“It’d be nice if the commission was less reactive,” says Howe. “Let’s get ahead of things, instead of always just waiting until someone has a great idea…and then we’re struggling if that idea isn’t universally accepted.” Agreed Richardson: “That’s the biggest problem of our position (as commissioners).”

Utilizing legal documents generated in a 2009 city study of best practices for disposal of property, the committee plans to create a draft policy that would consider factors such as whether city property has any restrictions on it (ie, parkland or donated land), desired uses for various city properties, and how to determine a fair market value when selling city land. Easterday noted resident input would also be a crucial component of the process.

“We seem to be lacking the tools right now to engage the public at various levels of a project,” said Easterday. “As we hammer out some of these details…hopefully public participation will be part of that.”

City 2015-16 Budget
City Commissioners took a first look at several key areas of the city’s proposed 2015-16 budget Monday night, including Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P), the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and the city’s Brown Bridge Trust Parks Improvement and water and sewer funds.

While more detailed financial figures are expected to be reviewed at upcoming meetings, highlights of preliminary department reports revealed that TCL&P consumer rates and city water rates are expected to remain the same in 2015-16. TCL&P is planning a rate study for next January, however, and water rates are expected to jump in 2016 due to a high number of scheduled improvement projects, according to City Treasurer Bill Twietmeyer. During a presentation to commissioners, DDA Executive Director Rob Bacigalupi also outlined three key capital improvement projects scheduled for the next year, including $170,000 in Carnegie Building repairs, $272,500 in Cass and Lake streetscape improvements and $150,000 to repair the Eighth Street bridge.

Commissioners also discussed criteria for spending $1.2 million available in the city’s Brown Bridge Trust Parks Improvement fund, focusing on striking a balance between improving small neighborhood parks and funding major projects like Hickory Hills. The board will further review and refine individual department budgets at a May 4 public hearing and May 11 general fund review, with final budget approval tentatively set for May 18.