Traverse City commissioners agreed to add several new staff positions and raise water and sewer rates in the coming year as part of a 2019-20 budget approved Monday. The board also agreed to fund a study to determine whether the Traverse City Fire Department should expand its services to become the primary provider of ambulance transportation in city limits.

The city’s charter required commissioners to approve a budget by Monday, a deadline they met as they unanimously signed off on the proposed general fund budget of just over $18 million. Included in the budget is funding to add one more full-time city firefighter, a new community police officer dedicated exclusively to downtown Traverse City – a cost that will be split between the city and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) – and $100,000 to be spent on staffing as well as plantings and maintenance for the city’s tree program. An approved DDA budget also adds a new chief operations officer (COO) position to the downtown organization, an individual envisioned to be second-in-command to DDA CEO Jean Derenzy. Parking staffing will also increase as part of the DDA’s budget, and the DDA will take over administering the city’s Arts Commission, eliminating a contracted director position.

As commissioners expressed their support for boosting staffing to city emergency services, Commissioner Brian McGillivary indicated he wanted to discuss in the future dedicating more resources to enforcing traffic violations in the city. “It seems to be getting worse every year,” he said. “I know part of it is there’s more people up here, more population, but I just want that supported going forward.” Options could include hiring more police officers or working with county or state law enforcement agencies on increased patrols, he said, with other commissioners agreeing to discuss the issue at a future meeting.

City resident water and sewer rates will also increase starting in July as part of the approved budget. The increase equates to $1 on the base rate for water and $2 on the base rate for sewer. According to City Treasurer Bill Twietmeyer’s estimates, the increase means the average residential customer using 1,200 cubic feet of water would see their monthly water charge increase from $24.80 to $26.40, while sewer charges would increase from $67.60 to $70.80. Though acknowledging increased rates often generate complaints from residents, commissioners defended the necessity of raising funds to maintain the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

“Municipalities, cities, states across the country get pilloried either for not investing in infrastructure or investing too much in infrastructure,” said Commissioner Tim Werner. “I think we’re doing a great job.” City Manager Marty Colburn explained that water and sewer funds help pay for “equipment that wears out” after pumping over a billion gallons per year to both city and surrounding township residents. “We’re about to do a five-year water reliability study in this budget, and also a deep-dive study into the wastewater treatment plant,” he added. “These are tens of millions of dollars in facilities, and it does require us to be able to invest into it and to protect it to provide safe drinking water on a daily basis.”

Commissioners Monday also voted 6-1 to hire consulting firm TriData LLC for $32,300 to study the feasibility of expanding city fire department services to include Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance service and emergency transportation. North Flight has served as the primary provider of ALS ambulance service for Traverse City since 2002, with the city fire department becoming outfitted in 2008 to serve as a secondary transport option. The department handled 52 patient transportation cases in 2017, and has expressed interest for “many years” in becoming the primary provider of ALS ambulance services within the city, according to city documents.

Commissioner Richard Lewis was the sole ‘no’ vote against the contract, even as he lauded TriData LLC’s proposal to the city. “I don’t think this is something we need to be into, and I’m not ready to spend $32,000 to (study) that,” he said. But Lewis continued that if other commissioners supported moving ahead with a feasibility study, he was “very impressed” with TriData LLC and believed they would have the process “well covered.” Commissioner Amy Shamroe noted the study will be funded out of the fire department’s budget and that department staff were the ones who initiated the request. “This is the fire department’s issue that they’ve raised...and I approve this to see where it goes,” she said. TriData LLC is expected to analyze whether it is “fiscally and operationally feasible” for the TC Fire Department to provide first-response ambulance service and will deliver its findings to the city within four months.

Also at Monday’s meeting….
> Lewis announced he would not seek reelection for city commission this fall. Lewis is one of four commissioners – including Mayor Jim Carruthers, Shamroe, and Commissioner Roger Putman – who have seats up for grabs in the November election. “I have made the determination that I will not seek reelection,” Lewis said. “I appreciate the four years…I’ll have been able to have been here, plus 17 years I got to serve as city manager. But I think it’s time for somebody else younger than me with different ideas to start taking over.” Lewis encouraged new candidates to file to run for city commission by the city’s July 23 filing deadline.

>  Commissioners went into closed session to discuss “trial and settlement strategy” regarding a lawsuit filed against the city by developer Tom McIntyre over Proposal 3, the city charter amendment requiring a public vote on buildings over 60 feet tall. McIntyre is seeking to have Proposal 3 declared illegal by the court system. The city has hired outside legal counsel to handle the case. Commissioners did not take any formal action following their closed session Monday, with the case now scheduled to go to a hearing in Thirteenth Circuit Court at the end of June following court-ordered mediation.