Archive
Local election: What do you look for in a candidate?
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Election Year
Who’s voting? Who’s not?
2013 is an election year in the City of Traverse City. It’s an off-year, so low voter turnout is expected. As we highlighted previously, that presents an opportunity to demographics that don’t normally turn-out the vote, but with a bit of a bump can really impact the election.
This year, the 7 person City Commission could theoretically see a new majority of newly elected as three City Commissioner seats, as well as the mayoral seat, are open.
The commissioners whose terms are up are Mary Ann Moore, Mike Gillman, and Jody Bergman. The former two have expressed that they won’t be running and the latter is a probable to run as an incumbent. Like wise, the current mayor, Michael Estes, is expected to seek re-election.
It’s early, our minds are likely on how to take advantage of warming temps and longer daylight hours rather than fall elections. Still, as engaged citizens I’m curious what type of candidate you’re looking for or looking to avoid.
Previous help wanted ad
What do you look for in a candidate?
What values, traits, experiences, skills, knowledge, personalities, walk-scores….do you look for in candidates for City Commission (or other local seats)?
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I invite you to take moment and to leave a comment with your answer. For today’s post, comments will be published below in the comments field. As always, the comment policy is in effect.
I request that comments refrain from mentioning any individuals specifically. Comments with names will be approved with the name removed. There’s plenty of time to discuss the who later, but for now let’s focus on what you, the informed, engaged, and considerate voters, look for in local representation.
If you’re interested in running, here’s the simplified process for either Mayor or City Commissioner:
- Pick up nominating packets from the City Clerk’s Office at Governmental Center.
- Complete nominating petitions with ___ signatures.
- Complete other documentation.
- Turn in all forms by August 13, 2013 at 4-PM.
- Knock on a lot of doors.
- If you win, you start on November 11th.
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What values, traits, experiences, skills, knowledge, personalities, walk-scores…do you look for in candidates for City Commission?
Related (tangentially, generational differences) articles:
- Millennial medium chill: What the screwed generation can teach us about happiness (Grist)
- How Generation X is Shaping Government (Governing)
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of writers previously published here or any of the organizations, committees, commissions or other affiliation the authors may belong to, unless so stated.
GT County Parks and Recreation Department wants your input
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Engage and Represent: County Parks
The Grand Traverse County Parks & Recreation Department is seeking input and comment on the current draft of the 2013-2018 Grand Traverse County Community Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Greenways Plan. The plan is available to view online at www.grandtraverse.org/parks or viewable in the Scribd document below.
Although the budget and inventory sections are interesting, the sections of public interest really begin on page 48 where the planning effort and previous public comment are described. This is followed by the Goals and Objectives of the 2013-2018 GT County Recreational Plan on page 63 and then specific site plans for the Civic Center.
The overarching goals are (specific objectives listed in the document):
- Facilities: Improve Parks and Recreation opportunities within Grand Traverse County
- Programs: Develop more robust recreational programming
- Funding/Revenues: Strengthen financial sustainability of Parks and Recreation
- Partnerships: Increase coordination of programs and services
- Information distribution/Marketing: Increase community awareness of and appreciation for the recreational opportunities in Grand Traverse County
Public comment can be directed to Director Jason Jones at jjones@grandtraverse.org, or 231-922-4511, or Erith Welch at ewelch@grandtraverse.org, or 231-922-4816. The plan will be open for public comment until Noon on Thursday, February 21.
I haven’t had a chance to review it fully, but I’d really like to see a half-acre to an acre set aside for Traverse City’s second off-leash socializing dog park in the Civic Center…if anyone cares to mention it, the beagles would appreciate it. 
What do you see that you like in the plan?
Hard copies of the above plan are available to view at the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Office, at 1213 W. Civic Center Dr., Traverse City, MI 49686, and at the Grand Traverse County Clerk’s Office, on the first floor of the Government Center at 400 Boardman Ave., Traverse City, MI 49684.
The plan will be open for public comment until Noon on Thursday, February 21. A public hearing will be held on the same day, at 6:00 p.m. at the regularly scheduled Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in the Commission Chambers (2nd floor) of the Government Center at 400 Boardman Ave., Traverse City, MI 49684._
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Food truck inspired government
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Engage & Outreach
Boston’s Mobile City Hall Truck appears to be a roving box of engagement, service, and creativity. It’s an example of the direction government needs to head: reaching out to residents, instead of being satisfied with minimum standards of outreach.
Launched in 2012, the food truck inspired government office on wheels offers a chance for residents to pay parking tickets, get library cards, pet licences, and register to vote without slogging down to City Hall. It is also used for events and a means to meet residents where they are to collect their questions, concerns, and opinions.
Certainly, not for every city, but the willingness to try something new, have fun with it, and error on the side of outreach is exemplary. Cheers Boston!
If you could get a taco with it, it’d be perfect. What do you think?
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Reminder: Did you get a chance to look at the plan?
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Engage & Represent: A few meetings of interest for complete streets
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Announcements
A few public meetings coming up this week and in the near future for those interested in complete streets and quality of life issues in Traverse City and the surrounding townships.
Complete Streets
The first opportunity is tonight at the Joint Board and Planning Commission of East Bay Township (6pm). They will be hearing a presentation encouraging adoption of a Complete Streets Resolution. You can read a draft of the resolution to be presented at the Grand Vision website (Connected).
The meeting begins at 6pm and messages of support are encouraged. A reminder, Complete Streets is a policy initiative to promote planning and implementation of street and network designs to serve all users. There are over 60 resolutions in Michigan with an additional 20 ordinances (MI-CompleteStreets).
There is a 2nd opportunity to provide your input on a similar resolution consideration at the Planning Commission for Long Lake Township meeting on January 22nd.
Traverse City’s Corridors Master Plan
In the city proper, this Wednesday night (7pm) is the final roll-out of the year-long planning process dubbed the Corridors Master Plan (City). The plan will be presented by the consultants from Houseal Lavigne Associates to the Traverse City Planning Commission, followed by discussion and public comment. Public understanding of, and feedback on, this plan is critical in determining how the city uses the plan moving forward.
What in this plan reflects your values? What doesn’t?
Are there clear goals in the plan?
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As a planning commissioner, I do have concerns about many of the recommendations. As I’ve written before, I don’t see much in the way of innovation in the plan. I don’t see how 14-foot travel lanes and 12-foot turning lanes that run along entire corridors increases the safety, comfort and appeal of any mode of transportation other than driving. That said, I’m withholding my full comments until the designers of the plan have an opportunity to present it and I have a better understanding of the intended use of the plan.
A little bit of history
This plan developed through a competitively awarded federal interagency Sustainable Communities Challenge Planning Grant Program (GTCounty). The initiative focuses on 6 livability principles (SC): transportation choices; equitable, affordable housing; economic competitiveness; support of existing communities; coordinating and leveraging federal policies and investment; valuing communities and neighborhoods.
The City of Traverse City was given $100k of the $395,000 award to focus on revitalization of Garfield Ave., 8th St., 14th St., East Front, and West Front St. The rest of the grant went to the NWMCOG for a housing inventory study ($50k), the County Planning and Development Department for master plan work ($50k), and to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in a matching grant ($195k)
After you have a chance to peruse the plan, if you have any initial comments, I encourage you to share them here, in an email to the planning commission, or at the meeting Wednesday night at 7pm at the Governmental Center.
Engage & Represent
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly, and informed discussion in the comments section below.
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What’s the use of a blog about about public spaces?
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The coming of December marks 3 years of almost daily, at one point twice daily, blog posts here on MyWHaT. The effort has been an attempt to weave seemingly random items of interest into a semi-coherent collection of intentional ideas for our public spaces. Mostly locally focused, but not always.
At times, MyWHaT posts have been introspective or reflective, other times exploratory, introductory, matter-of-fact, wistful, or, perhaps for some, forward thinking. Sometimes freaky or tricky. Often posts have been upbeat, positive, funny, or arousing; more often, they have been a bit cranky (see also, here, here, here, here, here and, certainly, here…) and sometimes poignant and sharp, perhaps a bit academic or pedantic. Mostly, the goal was to be encouraging, if not useful. 
It is actually fun, interesting, and empowering. Many mornings I wake up without a clue as to what I will write about. The next thing I know, I’m typing. And, despite the vulnerability that washes over me when I put a strong view out-there, I’m eventually able to use that energy to build confidence.
I’m not confident that I have all the right answers, in fact I’m fully aware that I can be wrong; often, I am. Still, there’s confidence knowing that you can be wrong and learn from that point. Engaged readers, both those who comment and those who introduce themselves on the streets, are critical to that learning aspect.
For the rest of December I’ll be taking a step back from the blog. I’m less certain than ever of the blog’s future and need some time away from a daily blog to reflect on that. As well, I need to access my new postion on the city’s planning commission and explore how I can play a role in a more open public process in that position. It may indeed be by maintaining MyWHaT, another blog, a combination, or through an entire other means. I do know that open government is one of my priorities.
I may chime in during this month (it is hard not to) and from day to day I will post from the archive a “sticky” to the front page. Otherwise, catch me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or on the street; I love hearing from you.
Parting question: How has a specific MyWHaT post, or type of post, been useful for you and/or your community?
Answer here or send a message.
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The author can be reached at the ”send a message” page.
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Parking begets development continued…
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Love this quote
“No one’s walking four blocks to park; this isn’t New York City.”
~ Developer, on the need for more parking in Traverse City
I think we can all agree, Traverse City is not New York City. I’m not sure we all can agree that, given the right urban design, that people won’t walk 4 blocks. With the right design and policies, they might even walk more.
Regardless, the West End Car-Strorage Facility received more Record Eagle attention this morning. The locations under consideration for purchase were revealed (Numbers added):
The DDA has identified six potential sites: (1) the west and (2) east side of Pine Street at Front Street; (3) a city-owned parking lot on State Street behind the post office; (4) mostly vacant land on State Street east of Pine Street; (5) a lot between the north bank of the Boardman River and Garland Street, and (6) land behind the Bay Area Transfer Station on Hall Street.
See any that you like?
Again, just because I’d prefer we spend $8-$10 million dollars creating a leading edge network of complete streets, doesn’t mean I don’t support a parking deck. They can make sense. Still, as an advocate for a more balanced development approach, it’s depressing year after year to hear the City explain that we can’t afford $20k or $40k to connect a neighborhood sidewalk and then turn-around and explain how we can’t afford not to spend $8m storing cars.
If your city "can't" afford sidewalks, bike facilities or traffic calming, then they can't afford new streets or parking decks. #NewRule?
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MyWHaT/G. Howe (@glhjr) November 29, 2012_
What do you need to see?
A few things I’d like to see as part of any parking deck proposal, depending on location:
- Revenue sharing with the neighborhoods for traffic calming and complete street projects.
- A ground level, accessed from the street, public toilet.
- Semi-heated bicycle parking facility.
- ????
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Parking begets development mantra alive & well in #TCMI
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Parking, parking, parking…
Before Thanksgiving the Record Eagle editorialized, “TC must invest in parking“, perhaps forgetting the two large decks, numerous surface parking spots, and below market rates at the meters already represent a good chunk of investment.
According to the editorial, the Downtown Development Authority is looking to use the whole curve” running from Front St., along Pine St. to State St. on the downtown’s west side. The plan is to purchase the property turn it into surface parking, and trust the development will come, which, according to plans will lead to a parking deck and riches for everyone.
There may indeed be a need for a parking deck, if it is done well with an eye towards more than simply storing automobiles, but I have yet to see the need for expanded parking presented as a fact. I also haven’t seen any systematic vision to mitigate the increased car traffic such a product would produce.
More, like the Record Eagle editorial, parking problems and subsequent solutions are presented as a divine understanding: parking begets development.
In their words (RE):
The lack of reliable, long-term parking options has been a block to development in the area for years, but any deal must work for both the city and a developer. Clearly, if the city wants to boost its property tax base on the west side, it must be prepared to make a substantial investment in parking…
But not investing can’t be an option. The city needs new west-side development, and west-side development needs parking; further delays don’t make sense.
Clearly, the writers at the Record Eagle don’t walk their own neighborhood much. Have they visited Lot O behind the post office? It’s empty. On street parking on Pine and State sits empty. There is under utilized parking spaces across the city. Not to mention, what are we doing to create incentives and options to reach downtown by other means? It still costs more to ride BATA to downtown than it does to park for 2 hours. This is all part of the same conversation.
The problem isn’t parking, the problem is development models and financing schemes that require parking to be over-built and a political class that doesn’t push back on that point nearly enough. At this point, I’m still not seeing a public discussion that doesn’t dice-up city issues, avoiding the impacts beyond the direct footprint of a project.
As stated, a deck can make sense. They free up space for other developments, both private and public. They tighten up blocks which improve walkability. If priced correctly, they could provide funds to mitigate traffic impacts in the neighborhoods. But they work against communities if they are just being built to satisfy status-quo, subsidize perceived needs of private development, and increase motorized traffic. We need to be careful, as the old adage says:
“You don’t attract what you want; you attract what you are.”
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And, elsewhere:_
If you think parking & weather are your main issues, you’re community needs help.”
~ Fred Kent, Northwest Michigan Placemaking Summit
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NOTE: The author sits on the TC Planning Commission and has participated in the downtown Parking & Access Committee, the latter of which agreed that the City explore the option to buy land for a possible parking deck in a 4-1 vote back in October.
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Walking somewhere shouldn’t be life threatening
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Walk it, audit it
A few weeks ago, I received a message from a MyWHaT reader drawing attention to part of the community often forgotten about.
Here’s an issue I’ve been noticing for a while now. I think it really needs some attention and thought maybe you could shed some light on this problem area: Lafranier Road. Every time I drive on it [...] I see someone walking or attempting to ride a bike between South Airport and the neighborhoods on top of the hill. The narrow road is in terrible shape and has no shoulders, and the unpaved shoulders are very sandy and rough. The people in those lower-income neighborhoods clearly are struggling for transportation options, and it appears that many have no choice but to walk or bike. The improvement needed is probably less than a mile– just about the distance to the brand-spankin’ new beautiful County building.
What can we do to get this on the upcoming Project List at the County?
Go where? Bottom of Lafranier.
Indeed. What can be done?
Currently, Lefranier Road is not on the County Road Commission‘s project list, but discussions have taken place about minor improvements focused on the road surface and moving cars. There has been a little discussion about making it a complete street that connects the residents to the services, businesses, and neighbors in this corridor by other means than cars, but so far it hasn’t been made a priority.
As briefly mentioned yesterday, today at 11am there is a walking audit of the corridor called together under the auspices of the Connected Communities | Complete Streets network of the Grand Vision. No matter when the Road Commission aims on improving the corridor, today’s walking audit will provide another level of information and may help shift priorities to make it a complete project that serves more people. As the message states, the road itself is in terrible shape. If the county plans to improve it, they need to take a complete approach.
We’ve all seen the scene out there and along Lefranier and South Airport. Many of us probably echo the sentiments sent in from another reader who couldn’t make today’s walking audit, but wanted to share with me her observation:
There are times I walk down LaFranier, or Garfield, or the other side of South Airport and I just get so fucking mad watching people walk on barely existent paths on the side of the road, or, in the winter, walking or biking in the road because the (goat) paths are covered in snow. Seriously mad. Last winter, I saw an old man with a cane in the middle of the road because there was no sidewalk and the snow was too high.
People have places to be…Lefranier, Garfield, South Airport…are reminders that we need to design for people to be there.
Filed under #DangerousbyDesign
NOTE: The walking audit of Lafranier Road is from 11am to 12pm. If you’d like to participate the group is meeting in the parking lot of the County Office Building (2650 Lafranier) just before 11am. If you can’t make it, use the following walking audit checklist to conduct your own audit sometime. If you send your observations to me, I promise to get them into the right hands.
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Make yourself useful on your daily walk
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Smart Phone At the Ready
If you walk a lot, the good, bad, and ugly is always right there in front of you. With Walkscore’s new app, you can start logging it for the world to see.
For the last month, this has been one of my most used apps. The major change from the previous versions is that now you can upload images and add comments tagged to specific locations. Basically, conducting a walking audit of the community when the need, desire, or compulsion strikes. For some of us, that can be quite often.
As a newly appointed planning commissioner, having more feet and eyes on the street is an additional and useful means to check that current and future projects, priorities, budgets, and policies are serving the community well. I’d love to see more people in the community with access to a smart phone adding their own observations. Currently, as the Traverse City map on Walkscore shows, it looks like I’m the only geek participating. However, I know there are more of you out there!
The interface is easy to use and once you create an account with Walkscore, your additions are automatically posted. You can also save images for later and post them on the computer via your browser where editing previous posts is also possible.
Problems and Gems
It needs to be pointed out that not only is the app useful to show problems, like the 12 inch gap in sidewalk shown at the right (really?), but also for pointing out gems of the community, like a favorite park, trail, or a favorite business. Walkscore actually is running a chance for people to win $500 when they add favorite local businesses between now and December 9th. Have a favorite grocery, book store, coffee shop, bakery, or hardware store? Add it.
Screengrabs of my phone show how easy it is. After you open the app, you have a choice to search what’s nearby or rentals. Tap “What’s Nearby” then tap the “add” button to open the camera. Once you have taken a decent image, follow the user interface to either add a new place (a “gem”, perhaps) or a “New problem spot.” Once there, you can name the location and then select what type of problem you observed. Is it an incomplete sidewalk? Non-existent sidewalk? Need for better design for people on bikes? Do you simply find it unappealing? Why? The end result is an image with comment added to the Walkscore map of the community.
Ready to conduct your own ongoing walking audit?
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NOTE: There is an opportunity to join others in walking audit of Lafranier Road tomorrow (Ticker), Wednesday November 28 from 11am to 12pm. If you’d like to participate the group is meeting in the parking lot of the County Office Building (2650 Lafranier) just before 11am. It is a good time to try out a new app!
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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Choices lead to happiness
Well said
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You have happier communities when they have choices. A bigger roadblock ..(to complete streets).. than funding is the willingness to commit.”
~ Wally Delamater, Village Manager of Suttons bay
During last week’s Connected Communities | Complete Streets discussion in Traverse City, Michigan. Wally has led the small village (Partnerships for Change) in planning connections for people on foot and bike to the Leelanau Trail, downtown businesses, and further north.
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These two agree…
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Reminder: Before commenting, please read the comments policy. If you feel you need to rant against the world while raising enumerable tangential issues to personally attack individuals or organizations, consider creating your own blog and tracking back to MyWHaT. If it is of value, you will attract readers. Or, send me a message with all the rants you wish; I’m a connoisseur of ranting. Otherwise, please contribute to a healthy, friendly discussion in the comments section below.
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