Grand Traverse County and Traverse City commissioners could soon form a joint ad hoc committee to determine a path forward for building a new Senior Center, a project now estimated at $7.5 million that could be funded through a millage, capital campaign, and/or private donations. Traverse City Mayor Richard Lewis spoke to county commissioners during public comment at their Wednesday meeting, asking them to put the committee on an upcoming agenda so the group could determine a recommended course of action by May. Commissioners Wednesday also heard presentations from Housing North about increasing housing and the county clerk’s office about new software upgrades in the vital records and elections divisions.

Senior Center
Traverse City commissioners agreed Monday to establish a joint ad hoc committee with Grand Traverse County to identify a path for pursuing a new Senior Center building on East Front Street. Mayor Richard Lewis and Commissioner Ashlea Walter will serve on that committee, with Lewis delivering both a written and verbal invitation to county commissioners Wednesday to have two of their members also serve on the ad hoc. The proposed committee is expected to be on the county commission’s next agenda for further discussion and possible action, according to County Administrator Nate Alger.

According to City Manager Marty Colburn, the cost to build a new Senior Center (pictured, rendering) – which is owned by the city but operated by the county for senior programming – has increased since the last estimate of $5.584 million was obtained in February 2020. Due to rising construction costs, the city now estimates the project will cost $7.5 million. While the county has agreed to pay for a consultant to help facilitate a capital campaign, Colburn notes going that route could take “several years” given the project’s price tag. In a memo to commissioners, Colburn outlined several other funding options, including putting a millage proposal on either this fall’s ballot or the November 2024 ballot, when the current countywide millage for senior services expires. The city could also bond the project upfront and be reimbursed from a millage if one was approved by voters.

City commissioners previously supported putting a millage request to voters for a Senior Center rebuild, but county commissioners declined to put it on the ballot, saying they didn’t believe taxpayers should foot the bill to rebuild a city-owned facility and expressing concerns that the county didn’t have a long-term lease agreement for the building. Because the Senior Center is on city parkland, entering a long-term agreement – considered a form of property transfer or divestment – would require the approval of city voters. City commissioners were willing to put a long-term lease agreement along with a millage on the ballot, but could not reach an agreement with county leaders by the 2020 ballot deadline. County commissioners, meanwhile, expressed support for using private fundraising to pay for reconstruction instead.

In a letter to county commissioners Wednesday, Lewis asked them to reconsider. “It is our hope that the Grand Traverse County board of commissioners might support and proceed with placing language on the November 2022 ballot that would incorporate a multi-year millage levy to fund construction of the Senior Center facilities…this would be the most expedient and efficient means of providing adequate and safe space for senior service operations, and the city commission respectfully requests that you consider this opportunity to allow the public to make the final decision,” he wrote, adding that support from a capital campaign or bonding could be part of the millage equation. Lewis said that the city’s goal was to get a recommendation from the ad hoc by the end of May, noting that “time is of the essence if we are to meet the timeline to place the question of a millage for a Senior Center on the ballot for the November election, if that is the path chosen..."

Housing
Yarrow Brown of Housing North gave county commissioners an overview of her organization’s work – trying to make northern Michigan a “place where families of all income levels can find homes that are safe and affordable” – and shared options being explored in other communities that could bring more diversified housing to Grand Traverse County. A market analysis has identified the region needs 15,000 more units by 2024 to meet the need for housing, with the bulk in Grand Traverse County, Brown said. The need is greatest for rental units and for housing for individuals making under $40,000 annually. “In general, anybody shouldn’t be paying more than 30 percent of their income to live,” she said. “In our community most people pay 50 percent to live and drive to work, so we are way above that threshold.”

Brown shared several examples of programs in other nearby communities, including Charlevoix, where only 38 percent of residents live year-round. Brown said Charlevoix is trying to get that figure up to at least 50 percent and introduced a voluntary deed restriction program where homeowners agree that their residence will only be inhabited by year-round residents. Some property owners agree to the deed restriction in exchange for cash, while others donate the value of the deed restriction. Once recorded, the deed restriction stays with the property, assuring long-term resident housing. Housing North also has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program in Charlevoix County that Brown said she hopes to eventually bring to Grand Traverse County. “We do feel this is kind of the low-hanging fruit to help meet our housing needs and allow some quicker ways to get housing on the ground,” she said. 

County Clerk Software Upgrades
Software upgrades at the county clerk’s office mean several public services are now available online, creating less lobby traffic at the Governmental Center, staff said Wednesday. Marriage licenses, concealed pistol licenses, and dog licenses can now be applied for online, with notary bond service applications and business alias services soon to follow (some processes still require a visit to the Governmental Center to complete, like fingerprinting for CPLs).

Chief Deputy County Clerk Samuel Gedman told commissioners the county is also updating its election reporting software this year to let the public see real-time results with better graphics on the county’s website than the current PDF text reports. That will be helpful for residents and media, Gedman said, because it’s anticipated that election results will take longer to come in across Michigan this year. Clerks are no longer allowed to transmit unofficial election results from polling stations to the clerk’s office using cellular modems but must instead wait for them to be physically delivered by flash drive (modems will be removed from all machines this year). County Clerk Bonnie Scheele noted there are significant security protocols in place for collecting and delivering the results, including both Republicans and Democrats supervising the process, confirmation of electronic tabulations via paper ballots, and multiple layers of audits. “There is a huge chain of custody,” Scheele said. Staff said they were ramping up community education and transparency efforts this year to make it clear to residents how election security protocols work and ensure there is faith in the integrity of elections.