FOURTEENTH STREET IMPROVEMENTS

PARTIAL MILL PROJECT CONSIDERED

At their August 18, 2025 meeting, the City Commission will consider authorizing funding for an in-house partial mill and pave project on Fourteenth Street. The roadway has experienced escalating maintenance costs and frequent pothole patching, particularly during freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rains.

The proposed interim work would mill two inches of asphalt along both the curb and centerline, then overlay three inches of new asphalt on the drive lanes between Cass Street and Maple Street. The Veterans Drive intersection would be excluded due to its good condition, helping to minimize traffic disruptions. This temporary improvement is expected to extend the roadway’s life, improve drivability, and reduce emergency maintenance needs for the next three years until a full mill and overlay of the corridor is planned to take place.

In 2023, Traverse City and the surrounding region earned Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) designation, a federal status for urbanized areas with populations over 50,000, based on U.S. Census data. This designation provides access to federal funding for transportation improvements through coordinated regional planning. The City's first MPO-funded project was the Veteran’s Drive reconstruction project. Fourteenth Street has also been approved for MPO funding, with a complete mill and fill of the corridor, including upgrading pedestrian crossings to current ADA standards, planned for 2028. The current proposal serves as a stopgap measure until that full mill and fill begins.

If approved, the project is not anticipated to not exceed $250,000 and will be funded through the Road Millage Fund.

PARK IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIZATION SURVEY

BROWN BRIDGE TRUST FUND DOLLARS

The City is preparing a ballot proposal for November 2025 that would allocate $3 million from the Brown Bridge Trust Fund to enhance portions of our 34 City parks. This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact—your voice is essential to help shape these priorities.

The survey focuses on prioritizing projects in three key categories:

Access to Parks – Safe sidewalks, crossings, and connectivity

• Brown Bridge Quiet Area New Trailhead: Spring Lake (newly acquired land)
• Bryant Park Access: Improved pedestrian and bicycle access
• ADA Access Improvements: For example, Hannah, Lay, and Ashton Parks
• Boardman Lake Loop Trail Access: For example, safe crosswalk at Sixteenth and Cass Street
• Pedestrian Scale Lighting: For example, Hull and Wags West parks

Park Improvements – Facilities, recreation spaces, and amenities

• Hickory Hills Mountain Bike Trail Design & Development
• Trees: Increasing canopy and shade
• Covered Pavillions: For example, Hull, F&M, and Darrow Parks
• Playground Equipment (including traditional and interactive features like musical elements): For example, Sunset, Hull, Jupiter, and Lay Parks
• Lake Shore Restoration: For example, erosion control (bank stabilization), water quality improvement (storm water and e. coli), native vegetation, access (recreation use and beach), and education (signage)
• Pickball & Tennis Court Reconstruction at Slabtown Corners
• Vault Toilets: Brown Bridge Quiet Area (Spring Lake and Additional Trailhead)
• Picnic Tables & Benches: Increase and replace for unified look
• Waste Receptacles: Increase and replace for unified look

Acquisition – Opportunities for expanding or enhancing parkland in City neighborhoods

The draft list gathers ideas from the public and builds upon more than 500 survey respondents, recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Commission, input from the Hickory Hills Advisory Committee, and City staff assessments.

Take the survey today, it only takes minutes!

CRIME VICTIM RESOURCES

SUPPORT & COMPENSATION PROGRAMS

The City is grateful for the many support systems in place to provide resources to assist victims of criminal mass violence. Information on the Crime Victim Compensation Program and a Virtual Resiliency Center is now available for those impacted by the July 26, 2025 Walmart incident.

Crime Victim Compensation Program

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Victim Services is actively responding to the incident that occurred on July 26, 2025. The Crime Victim Compensation program is available to assist with counseling, lost wages, transportation, and other expenses for eligible individuals and victims impacted by the tragedy at Walmart. This may include individuals who were injured, witnesses, individuals who were in direct proximity to the crime and first responders who responded to the incident.

Learn More

Virtual Resiliency Center

The National Mass Violence Center has launched a Virtual Resiliency Center webpage in coordination with the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor's Office. Resources include victim and social services, social connection and empowerment, health and wellness, and managing grief and trauma.

Learn More

Subscribe for Updates

Proximate victims and community members affected by the incident may subscribe for notifications on the court case.

Subscribe Here

Victim Forum

The public is invited to an informational forum on August 25, 2025 for victims and family members of the Walmart stabbing incident on July 26, 2025. The purpose of the forum is to share information and expertise in coping in the wake of this tragic event.

Learn More

FISHPASS PROJECT

CONSTRUCTION & PROGRESS UPDATES

This week’s FishPass update highlights recent progress on cofferdam installation and explains the use of different pile-driving methods, as well as the precautionary measures in place to protect surrounding properties. Two types of equipment are being utilized: a vibratory hammer, which is faster and used for most sheet pile installation, and an impact hammer, which is employed in sensitive areas to minimize vibrations near existing structures. From the outset of the project, more than 20 vibration and settlement monitors have been operating around the site to ensure work remains well below thresholds for neighboring properties. To date, all monitoring results confirm full compliance, below construction thresholds in both vibration and settlement.

Week of August 11, 2025

The contractor has completed installation of the upstream portion of the sheet pile cofferdam. Impact hammer work for this location is now finished. The next step is the downstream portion of the cofferdam, which will be installed using the vibratory hammer and is expected to take 1–2 weeks to complete. Overall, Phase 2 cofferdam installation is anticipated to be completed by August 19.

Looking Ahead

Beginning in late September, the contractor will install a small amount of permanent sheeting for the dam and bridge foundations. This work will also involve both the vibratory and impact hammers but will be shorter in duration than the current installation. Once completed, no further hammer-related work will occur for nearly a year, until most temporary sheeting is removed.

FishPass represents the culmination of approximately two decades of restoration efforts on the Boardman/Ottaway River, aiming to reconnect the river with Lake Michigan. It addresses the deteriorating Union Street Dam, replacing it with a new, complete barrier to all fish while incorporating innovative technology to selectively pass desirable species and block harmful invaders like sea lamprey.

WATER SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT

WEEK OF AUGUST 18TH

Michigan's 2017 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) designates galvanized water services as lead service lines if they "are or ever were" connected to a lead gooseneck, requiring utilities to pay for replacing private water services from the curb stop to the building. Lead goosenecks, installed before the mid-1940s, are 3-foot lead pipes used between the brass connection to the water main and a galvanized pipe.

The City has since installed copper services and has no known fully lead service lines. Not all private galvanized lines need replacement; those originally connected to City-owned copper services don't require replacement. The water service line replacement project started in May 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in fall 2025.

Week of August 18th Locations

The week of August 18th, the project will be conducted on the 100 and 200 blocks of N. Oak Street, the 200 block of Gillis Street, the 200 block of Garland Street, the 600 block of W. Front Street, and the 300 block of Grandview Parkway. The work will cause sidewalk and intermittent street closures. The work on W. Front Street and Grandview Parkway will result in a lane closure and traffic shift.

PUBLIC BEACH

MONITORING & TESTING

The Environmental Health Division of the Grand Traverse County Health Department works closely with the City of Traverse City, Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, and the Traverse City State Park to ensure the health and safety of several public beaches in Grand Traverse County.

The Watershed Center administers grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to sample surface water from swim areas of the beaches. The water samples are analyzed for E. coli, a relatively harmless organism that may indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogenic microorganisms.

The Beach Monitoring Dashboard is updated weekly on Thursdays. If any beaches report a "Level 2" or higher, those specific beaches will then be resampled. Resample results will be available and published 24 hours later.

On Thursday, August 14, 2025, all beaches reported at a Level 1 for full body contact.

FIVE YEAR PARKS & RECREATION MASTER PLAN SURVEY

The City is updating its Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This plan will help guide the City as it develops and improves its parks and recreation system over the next five years.

The City’s current plan is set to expire at the end of 2025. In order to remain eligible for grant opportunities, an approved five-year plan must be submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources by February 1, 2026.

Parks & Recreation Master Plan Survey

Input is being sought for parks and recreation priorities over the next five years. This survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.

BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY APPLICATION & SURVEY

The City has submitted an application to the League of American Bicyclists to be recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC). This designation reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to promoting safe, accessible, and enjoyable biking for all residents and visitors.

As part of the review process, the League is conducting a national survey to gather input from people who bike, or want to bike, in communities that applied for the 2025 program.

Your feedback will help both the League and the City better understand current bicycling conditions and identify opportunities for improvement.

IN THE COMMUNITY

BOARDMAN/OTTAWAY ADVENTURE

Several of the City’s department heads enjoyed a paddling retreat on the Boardman/Ottaway River near the City's Brown Bridge Quiet Area. A special thanks to DPS Director Frank Dituri, whose deep knowledge and passion for the river and surrounding land made him the perfect guide for the adventure.