Traverse City commissioners will revisit Eighth Street lane configurations and a $1 million offer from Rotary Charities to purchase the former Traverse City Light & Power coal dock at their 7pm meeting tonight (Monday) at the Governmental Center.

Both proposals hit a road block at the commisson's October 19 meeting, when the absence of two commissioners caused each motion to fall short of the the five affirmative votes needed to pass. Tonight, the full board will once again consider authorizing a service order with PK Contracting to repaint Eighth Street in the experimenal three-lane configuration for another year, adding crosswalk markings at Franklin Street and Boardman Avenue and increasing the turning capactities at the intersections of Boardman and Woodmere avenues. The $30,000 work order would also include recessing the lines in the concrete section of the corridor to better hold the paint, which disappeared last winter due to plow blades scraping against the markings.

After commissioners raised several questions about Rotary Charities' purchase offer for the former coal dock at the October 19 meeting, Rotary submitted more details for tonight's meeting on proposed deed restrictions for the property. The organization said it would keep the north half of the dock "available and readily accessible" as a deepwater port, commiting to "not add buildings or landscape features" that would interfere with offloading goods by boat at the site. Rotary also elaborated on planned public access for the property, saying "as a matter of general practice, the dock parcel will be open dawn to dusk from spring until fall." The organization will develop an "operational plan for the dock as partner programming for the site is developed," with officials noting in a memo to commissioners that "Rotary is not spending one million dollars to purchase the former coal dock properties to keep them under lock and key."

Commissioners tonight will also consider adopting a new policy for disposing of city property. Among other guidelines, the policy states that "any property deemed surplus shall be offered for disposal (sale, lease or other arrangement) for fair value utilizing the public bid process." The new policy appears on tonight's agenda before the commission's consideration of Rotary's offer; therefore, if approved, commissioners will have to decide whether the required public bidding process in that policy applies to the former coal dock property, or only to future city property disposals going forward.

With the city election Tuesday, tonight will be the last meeting of this particular group of city commissioners. Other items on tonight's meeting agenda include: city staff recommendations on vendor contracts for Clinch Park and Hickory Hills Ski Area: a resolution recognizing the rights of people experiencing homelessness; and approval of a Public Art Master Plan.