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What’s Your Advocacy Pleasure? Streets, Parks, Tunnels…Trash? We Have It All This Week
UPDATE 1:45pm 1-18: Links to the Parks and Recreation Special Meeting are below.
NOTE: What follows is a short-list of things on the current agenda of the City. Yes, I said the short-list. I’d love to comment any or all of them, but I simply don’t have it in me this morning. Obviously, the comment section is open for your views and I’ll get to making my own comments when able. See you at one of these meetings?
So, you say you want to be more involved? Engaged? Where would you like to begin? This isn’t actually the piece on the subject of advocacy that I’ve wanted to write; that’s still in the works. In the meantime, there’s no reason to wait.
You Could Start Tonight
The city commission is considering many items of interest. Of course, all the information you need is buried in the 167-page packet. Here are a few of the noteworthy that could use your input and/or support (on scribed, go to bottom, type in page numbers to quickly access. Highlighted titles link to latest MyWHaT post on the subject.):
- City Waste Hauler Ordinance (1 or many?)(pg-92).
- South Campus Entrance (paying for complete transportation or not?) (pg-118).
- West Boardman Lake Development District Community Input Process (Is it a road, street or some other project?) (pg-123).
What's inline for West Boardman Lake area?
- A Division Street Steering Committee (remember that project?) (pg-141).
In addition, they also have a TC Light & Power joint session prior to the regular meeting (pg-8). The latter starts at 6-pm and the former at 7-PM on the 2nd floor of the Governmental Center. (Some of the consent items are interesting as well, but…too little ____, too much ____ .)
And, Tomorrow Night?
Mayor Chris Bzdok informed us on Plan for TC that the Downtown Development Authority will be holding a meeting to bust out prioritization of downtown projects. The DDA captures and spends a lot of money that impacts public space, within its borders as well as impacts outside of its borders. Traditionally the DDA board has been narrowly focused on serving downtown businesses (arguably, that was necessary as in the early 90′s downtown needed help) and now, with a healthy downtown, there is an opportunity for it to broaden its perspective and consider its community wide influence. We can help nudge them in that direction.
Their meeting starts at 5:30pm on Wednesday night in the training room on the 2nd floor of the governmental center. According to the Mayor, projects to be discussed,”include the bayfront, Pine St pedestrian bridge over the Boardman River, alley streetscaping in the 300 block of E. Front St, downtown and bayfront restrooms and welcome centers, and the proposed tunnel next to the Hotel Indigo.”
The DDA’s packet is much more manageable.
Not To Be Outdone
The commission I serve on, Parks and Recreation (can I get a whoop, whoop?) is having a similar prioritization meeting this Friday. Our task is developing a strategy to prioritize implementing the Bay Front Plan. Unfortunately, I have no packet or information to share. It’s at 11:30 this Friday somewhere in the Governmental Center. The agenda and the Bay Front Plan & Costs are now posted on Scribd. The final plan is also online, as well below.
The Next Observational Walk
I’ve been critical of the proposed Boardman Lake Avenue project, while at the same time being sympathetic to the concerns of residents in Old Towne. It’s been on the list anyway, but now is the perfect time for the next MyWHaT observational walk. Next Thursday, January 27th at 4:30-pm, a group of us will meet at Cass St. and 8th to walk the length of Cass St. to 14th and then return north on Union St. The purpose of the walk is to walk along the streets to experience the place at the human scale and notice how it serves people. It’s not required, but you can RSVP online. You do not have to participate in the entire walk. Plug in where you can.
What else is going on?
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Comments: we welcome your comments, please don’t be shy. The more questions, perspectives and general participation we have here the better. What’s on your mind?
Women’s Independence, Or Simply Brunch
Video Tuesday
Excerpt from the film Victorian Cycles-Wheels of Change, by Jim Kellett via Bike Shop Girl.
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That was then, this is now. And now, in Chicago, thanks in part to Dottie at Let’s Go Ride A Bike, there’s the growing Women-Who-Bike Brunch movement. Nothing fancy. There’s no fireworks. There’s no critical mass. It’s women on bicycles riding to brunch (and maybe happy hour). Liberated now, from the car.
We need more of this. Simple rides around a city. Eating food. Drinking mimosas. Gathering.
MyWHaT will gladly promote an all women Traverse City version of Women-Who-Bike Brunch. If there is a group of you out there, please, by all means, let me know. If you start you’re own BLOG to write about it, also let us know.
The Latest Women-Who-Bike Brunch (images by Dottie–Thanks, ding-a-ling!)
In addition to Let’s Go Ride A Bike, the latest brunch was also represented by the writers from Ding Ding Let’s Ride, This Little Bike of Mine, Bike Fancy, Two Pitties in the City, Po Campo, and Chicargo Bike.
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Comments: we welcome your comments, please don’t be shy. The more questions, perspectives and general participation we have here the better. What’s on your mind?
