HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS IN THE CITY

NEW THIS YEAR: GOURDOWEEN & PUMPKIN SMASHING

Get ready for a thrilling Halloween season in Traverse City! The City of Traverse City is excited to

announce a lineup of festive events, offering fun for all ages.

Gourdoween: October 22nd-31st

A brand-new tradition is set to debut this year—Gourdoween! Get ready for a spooktacular showdown as City and Grand Traverse County departments face off in a creative challenge to craft the ultimate gourd diorama. These eerie or quirky displays will be on view at the Governmental Center, where the public will get the chance to cast their vote for their favorite between October 22nd and October 31st. Which department will win the coveted Gourdoween title? Only your vote can decide!

Halloween Open House at the Governmental Center: October 25th

Get into the Halloween spirit at the City and Grand Traverse County's family-friendly Halloween Open House! Join the fun on Friday, October 25, 2024, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Avenue. This community-favorite event offers trick-or-treating, festive activities, and a chance to meet local government staff in a fun, welcoming environment.

Kids can explore fire trucks, police vehicles, and Department of Public Services equipment while meeting local heroes who help keep our community safe. Come in costume and bring the whole family for Halloween fun!

Pumpkin Smashing Extravaganza: November 9th

The City is excited to team up with Carter’s Compost and SEEDS to announce the Pumpkin Smashing Extravaganza, a community event focused on sustainability and fun, happening on Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the City’s in-vessel composting unit, located at 143 Beitner. This free event will welcome the public to smash their pumpkins at various activity stations. In addition, pumpkin drop-off will be allowed from November 1st, and will continue until 1:00 pm on November 9th. Pumpkins should be free of any decorations and paint.

The new 20-yard in-vessel composting unit is a key part of the City’s Compost and Food Waste

Reduction project. This fully enclosed system, ideal for urban settings, can process approximately 150 tons of food waste annually.

The City aims to divert 1 ton of pumpkins from landfills. With 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins produced annually in the U.S., many end up in landfills, contributing to methane emissions—landfills account for 20% of the U.S.’s methane output. Composting pumpkins helps reduce greenhouse gases, diverts waste, and returns nutrients to the soil, improving environmental health. This event is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions and educate the public on how they can make incremental steps toward food waste reduction.

Halloween: October 31st

Halloween will take place on Thursday, October 31, 2024, within the City limits from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Participating residents are asked to promptly turn lights on and off at the specified times to indicate their participation to the public.

Please stay extra mindful of increased pedestrian traffic. Keep your headlights on, slow down, and be on the lookout for excited little ghosts and goblins who may dash out unexpectedly. Let’s keep Halloween fun and safe for everyone!

WATER SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT - WEEK OF OCTOBER 14TH

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 April 2024 and is anticipated to be completed in October 2024.

The week of October 14th, the project will continue on the 700 & 800 blocks of E. Eighth, the 400 block of Barlow, and the 800 block of State. The work will cause sidewalk and intermittent street closures. Expect traffic delays on E. Eighth Street due to lane shifting.

NEW Q&A

PLATFORM

ASK THE CITY

This week, the City introduced a new and innovative way for residents to connect directly with City staff, improve transparency, and increase accessibility to local government. The new program, titled “Ask the City,” allows residents to submit questions to City staff and receive personalized video responses.

Once a resident’s question is answered, they will be notified via email, ensuring quick and clear communication. This platform gives every community member a direct line to City employees, creating an open forum for dialogue and making it easier than ever to engage with the City.

This program will be implemented as a three-month pilot project, after which its effectiveness will be evaluated to determine its continuation based on community interest.

Residents are encouraged to take part in the conversation and explore the new platform. Additionally, a button labeled “Ask the City” on the City’s homepage will link directly to the platform. 

FALL LEAF PICK UP BEGINS OCTOBER 28TH

The Fall Loose Leaf Pick Up will begin Monday, October 28th in City neighborhoods beginning on the west side and moving eastward, over a period of 5 to 7 weekdays. Crews will then will return to the west side to repeat the process.

• Please keep leaves off of the street until Thursday, October 24th
• Do not use plastic bags - only loose leaves and biodegradable bags
• No brush or sticks - loose leaves only
• Always avoid covering catch basins when raking

SEASONAL

SURVEY

The City would like to inform the public that road surveys will be taking place in several areas of the City between now and spring of 2025. These surveys are essential for assessing the condition of our roads and planning for future improvements.

Please be aware of survey crews that may be working on the following streets, and potentially other streets or public areas: Eleventh Street, Twelfth Street, Ninth Street, Fulton Street, and Griffin Street. Surveying staff may need to enter private property to collect data. This work will not involve digging or disturbance to property, and is permissible per Michigan State Law. 

ELECTION UPDATES

NOVEMBER 2024 ELECTION

Election season is underway!

Absentee Voting

As of Thursday, September 26, 2024, Absentee Ballots are available at your City Clerk's Office, excluding Precinct 4. For those who are enrolled in the Permanent Ballot List, or who have completed an Absentee Ballot Application, the initial mailing of ballots will take place on Friday, September 27, 2024. Precinct 4 ballots have now been mailed.

A voter may run their absentee ballot through a tabulator during Early In-Person Voting or at their precinct on election day (and of course, you may still return the ballot to the City Clerk's Office by 8 pm on election day to have it tabulated by the Absent Voter Counting Board).

Electronic Notification System Now Live!

Proposal 2022-2 amended the Michigan Constitution to include a voter’s right to receive updates on the status of their absent voter (AV) ballot applications and ballots, including by electronic notification. 

Voters can now subscribe to receive electronic notifications at Michigan.gov/Vote directly, when registering to vote, or when submitting an online AV application.

Once subscribed, voters will be notified of all the following: 

• When their AV ballot or application has been received by their local clerk,  
• When their AV ballot has been sent by their local clerk, 
• If their AV ballot or application has been rejected for any deficiency, 
• Instructions for how to cure any deficiency to have their AV ballot or application accepted.  

Early In-Person Voting

Early In-Person Voting will begin on Saturday, October 26, 2024, and will run through Sunday, November 3, 2024, from 9 am to 5 pm. The Early Voting Site for voters in the City of Traverse City is at the Governmental Center, Lower Level, 400 Boardman Avenue.

Third Party Voting Advocates

During election season, third party organizations that advocate for voter participation may send you text messages, emails, and absentee ballot applications (even if you are already registered, have completed a form, etc.)

Have a question on the status of your voter registration, absentee ballot, or more?

Call your local Clerk. We are happy to help! Or visit, michigan.gov/vote to check the status of your registration, absentee ballot, and more.

PARKING UPDATES

CITY OPERATIONS AND NEW FEE STRUCTURE

New Website

Starting October 1, 2024, the Parking Department’s web presence moved to the City's website and can be accessed at traversecitymi.gov/parking.html. Payment portals will remain unchanged.

New Fee Structure

A parking rate increase will take effect on January 1, 2025. The Parking System operates through an enterprise fund, known as the Parking Fund, a dedicated financial account used exclusively for parking services. This means that all revenue—such as meter fees, citations, garage fees, permits, and rentals—directly covers the operating expenses, including wages, leases, assets, contracts, maintenance, and more.

The 2025 rate increase is being implemented to prepare for the $1.25 million Phase 2 restoration project scheduled for 2027/2028. High demand for surface parking, reflected in oversell ratios, supports the need for demand-based pricing to manage usage and ensure the long-term sustainability of parking facilities, including covering future repairs and maintenance.

Parking Rate Schedule

Parking Operations

Earlier this year, the City Commission approved the transition of parking operations from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to direct City management. Established in 1991, a City contract originally tasked the DDA with managing the Auto Parking System, primarily serving the downtown area, but operations has since expanded to include additional facilities and services across the City.

To enhance efficiency, the City officially assumed parking operations on October 7, 2024. The Parking Office and Violations Bureau will remain in the City's facility at 303 E. State Street, located within the Hardy Parking Garage.

MDOT PROJECT UPDATES

FRONT STREET INTERSECTION CLOSURE

Temporary traffic control measures during the MDOT Project deviate from the usual traffic controls. Your cooperation and diligence are essential for ensuring the safety of yourself, pedestrians, bicyclists, and fellow motorists during this period of construction. We urge all drivers to exercise caution, yield to pedestrians, and remain vigilant while navigating the MDOT Grandview Parkway Project.

Traffic Shifts & Closures

Paving activities have begun and traffic shifts are to be expected.

The Front and Grandview intersection will have a full closure until October 18, 2024, weather permitting.

Left hand turn movements when travelling west will only be allowed at Cass, Union (with short duration exceptions when work is being completed in the vicinity), and Division within the current traffic shift area.

During the remainder of Segment 2, the RB Parking Lot and West End Parking Lot will be closed. In addition, the West End Beach Restrooms are closed.

Marina access will shift between Marina Drive and the Marina parking lot.

Pedestrian Detours: TART Closed at Murchie

The Clinch Park Tunnel will be the alternate pedestrian crossing during construction.

The TART is closed just east of the Murchie Bridge to Cass Street. When utilizing the Murchie Bridge underpass, the trail is only accessible to travel east.

While crews are working on the Grandview Parkway/Front Street intersection portion of Segment 2, pedestrians will be detoured across Front Street and Grandview Parkway at the Barlow Street signalized crossing.

While crews are working on the Division Street/Grandview Parkway intersection, pedestrians will be detoured to the High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK (HAWK) signal crossing at the Elmwood Street/Grandview Parkway intersection and the signalized crossing at the Division Street/East Front Street intersection.

Additional Improvements

In addition to rebuilding the roadway, this project will include replacing concrete curb and gutter, upgrading sidewalk and ramps, improving storm sewer, and repairing the Murchie Bridge over the Boardman/Ottaway River.

During this project, the City has planned utility infrastructure improvements to coincide with the project, investing $3.2 million to replace underground water and wastewater utilities.

Businesses Open

Anticipate that the construction will affect businesses, particularly those situated along the construction zone. However, it's important to note that our local businesses will continue to operate, and by demonstrating patience, you can actively support them throughout this period of disruption.

IN THE COMMUNITY

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMUNITY THINK TANKS

Thanks to those that participated in the kick off of the City's Strategic Planning with Community Think Tanks. The discussion was great and we all came together to discuss key drivers that will impact the City's future.

In addition to these Think Tank workshops, this project will include surveys and community visioning sessions to reach as many residents as possible. Keep an eye on the project portal and join the project mailing list to stay up to date on the opportunities to get involved.