Traverse City commissioners voted Monday to approve a contract with Walton Contracting for just under $185,000 for improvements to the Hannah Park overlook at the southwest corner of the Union Street bridge. Commissioners previously voted on the contract at their August 19 meeting but failed to get the five votes necessary to approve it. Commissioners Mitch Treadwell and Tim Werner were absent from that meeting, while Commissioner Jackie Anderson opposed the project since she felt it should be entirely funded by tax increment financing (TIF). The project is being funded by a combination of the DDA’s Old Town TIF ($105,000), the Brown Bridge Trust $12,000, and the capital improvement fund ($68,000).

Since the motion was destined to fail without Anderson’s support, Mayor Amy Shamroe had also voted ‘no’ on the contract to trigger a city procedural rule allowing her to bring it back for reconsideration. In addition to new stairs and planned aesthetic improvements, the overlook’s foundation is damaged and unstable and needs to be repaired. City Engineer Anne Pagano cautioned in a memo that the overlook is a “safety concern for our community” and said a fence that had been installed to keep people off the overlook was vandalized and removed. “It has since been replaced but is an example of the potential safety issues that we are concerned about,” she wrote, adding that staff have received several calls and emails from “concerned residents about this overlook.” Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve the project Monday, with Anderson opposed.

Commissioners also voted Monday to approve a 10-year lease extension with the nonprofit Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden to continue using city-owned property next to the Traverse Area District Library on Woodmere Avenue. The agreement will extend through September 2037. City Clerk Benjamin Marentette said that the lease renewal request was “brought forth three years prior to the agreement’s expiration to better position the garden to seek grants and funds because they can convey to prospective funders that they are where they are for a longer term,” He noted that “the city has enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden and has received only inspirational and positive stories from many as a result of their presence.”

Finally, commissioners Monday authorized spending $56,844 to purchase two fully electric motorcycles and $198,108 to purchase four new Ford Hybrid Interceptors for the Traverse City Police Department. The purchases are part of the city’s effort to work toward its “goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 one step at a time,” according to City Director of Public Services Frank Dituri. He notes the city is “in the preliminary stages of planning for the installation of charging stations and transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs). By investing in hybrid technology now, we can take advantage of significantly reduced fuel consumption, lower operational costs, and a smaller environmental footprint, while preparing for a future shift towards EVs.”