MURAL FESTIVAL UPDATE

ARTISTS & LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED

The Traverse City Arts Commission has selected artists and mural sites for the upcoming Inaugural Mural Festival, taking place September 12–17, 2025 in the North Boardman Lake District (NOBO).

After reviewing submissions, six talented artists have been chosen to create murals at seven unique locations throughout the district:

• Nik Burkhart (Maple City) – Oryana
• Jamie John (Traverse City) – The Filling Station
• Dania Grevengoed (Grand Rapids) – Bay Family Vision and EB2
• Son Visual (Grand Rapids) – Silver Spruce Brewing
• Drift Mural Co. (Ottawa, Ontario) – The Box
• Daisuke Okamoto (Los Angeles) – The Copy Shop

In the coming weeks, the Arts Commission will focus on finalizing festival programming. Planned events include a panel discussion with the muralists, a walking tour of the completed murals, and family programming in partnership with the Traverse Area District Library.



As a reminder, the Mural Festival is part of a broader placemaking effort under the North Boardman Creative Initiative, developed in partnership with TART Trails and other community organizations. The festival aims to enhance the identity and vibrancy of the NOBO District—centered around Eighth Street and the Boardman Lake Loop Trail—through large-scale public art installations.

The event builds on the energy of the City’s 2019 Eighth Street reconstruction and the completion of the Boardman Lake Loop, both of which have revitalized the area and created new opportunities for community gathering and cultural expression.

The Traverse City Arts Commission is managed on behalf of the City of Traverse City by the Downtown Development Authority. The Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in the Governmental Center Committee Room.

Those interested in supporting the efforts of the Arts Commission to increase public art initiatives throughout the City of Traverse City may make donations at the link below:

Donate Here

MARENTETTE APPOINTED AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER

APPOINTMENT THROUGH JANUARY 2026

At their July 21, 2025 meeting the City Commission appointed Benjamin Marentette as Interim City Manager through January 2026.

With over 25 years in public service, including more than 13 years as City Clerk, Marentette brings institutional knowledge, a collaborative approach, and professional training that includes a six-year public leadership development program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Marentette outlined his leadership approach during and vision ahead of his appointment as Interim City Manager to the City Commission, and provided a strategic overview of his priorities, leadership style, and expectations for staff, the Commission, and the community during the transition.

LUTZ APPOINTED AS INTERIM CITY CLERK

On July 21, 2025, the City Commission appointed Sarah Lutz as Interim City Clerk through January 2026, filling the vacancy as Benjamin Marentette serves as Interim City Manager.

Lutz has served as Deputy City Clerk since 2021. She was named Deputy Clerk of the Year in 2023 by Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks, and holds a Michigan Professional Municipal Clerk Certificate and an International Municipal Clerk Certificate.

TWO WAY MODIFICATION

THREE WAY STOP AT PINE AND W. FRONT STREET

Since the City Commission approved the extension of the Two-Way Street Pilot Project in February 2025, the DDA and City staff have been working to identify and implement targeted modifications based on data, feedback, and operational experience.

The first of these modifications is now being rolled out: a stop sign has been added for eastbound traffic at the intersection of Pine Street and W. Front Street, creating a three-way stop. This change is aimed at improving safety and traffic flow at a key crossing within the pilot area.

Background

The Two-Way Street Pilot Project began in 2022 with the goal of enhancing Downtown accessibility, safety, and connectivity by converting portions of State, Pine, and Boardman Streets from one-way to two-way traffic. The project follows an iterative approach, allowing adjustments to be made based on public input, traffic data, and conditions on the ground.

In February 2025, the City Commission approved a two-year extension of the pilot to continue testing and refining the configuration. This extension also allows time to address challenges such as limited turning options and traffic flow impacts related to the Grandview Parkway reconstruction.

Looking ahead, additional modifications under consideration include traffic signal adjustments, mid-block crosswalks, and exploration of a future conversion of Front Street to two-way traffic, a move that would represent a major shift in Downtown mobility.

Traffic Data Evaluation

Traffic data will be sought in the upcoming weeks along the project route and beyond to record the frequency and volume of pedestrians, vehicle maneuvers, and speeds. Efforts are focused on understanding how the conversion of State Street to two-way traffic is currently operating, identifying opportunities for improvements, and best understanding how traffic is flowing into, through, and out of the downtown area and the impacts it has on the neighborhoods.

Provide Your Input

As the two-way conversion is experienced, users may provide suggestions at the email, two-way@downtowntc.com.

TELL US ABOUT PARKS: PART ONE

BROWN BRIDGE TRUST FUND SURVEY #1 - LAST DAY

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. Your voice is essential to ensure this investment reflects the community’s highest priorities.

This new proposal follows previous voter-approved authorizations in 2014 and 2019 to use Brown Bridge Trust Fund dollars for park capital improvements and land acquisition. The dollars do not include maintenance, which is under general fund dollars for the parks. The most recent authorization expired on November 4, 2024.

To help shape the potential project list, we’re conducting two surveys:

Idea Generation Survey – Launches July 7 - 25, 2025

• This is a quick survey and should only take about 5 minutes to complete.
• Take the Survey

Prioritization Survey – Launches August 11 - 29, 2025

• Subscribe for a Survey Reminder

The surveys will focus on three key categories:

1. Access to Parks – Safe sidewalks, crossings, and connectivity
2. Park Improvements – Facilities, recreation spaces, and amenities
3. Land Acquisition – Facilities, recreation spaces, and amenities

This first survey gathers ideas from the public. It builds upon:

• Feedback from nearly 300 community members in Winter 2025
• Recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Commission
• Input from the Hickory Hills Advisory Committee
• City staff assessments

TELL US ABOUT PARKS: PART TWO

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.

Take the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Survey

WATER SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT

WEEK OF JULY 28TH

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 July 28th Locations

The week of July 28th, the project will be conducted on the 400 and 500 blocks of Second Street, the 100 and 200 blocks of N. Oaks Street, and the 200 block of Gillis Street. The work will cause sidewalk and intermittent street closures.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPEN HOUSE

Join the City and Jacobs Engineering for a public open house at the Traverse City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 10 am to 12:30 pm.  

Tour-goers will follow the path of wastewater as it travels through the treatment process to remove pollutants, and protect the waterway. Attendees will learn how and what microorganisms remove organic matter, the role membrane filtration plays, how biogas produced during digestion is recycled as an energy source, what happens to the solids during and after treatment, and more.

Plant tours will be provided on the half hour, with the last tour departing at 12:30 pm.

Tour Requirements

• Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult
• All participants must wear close-toed shoes
• Hard hats and safety glasses are required and will be provided
• For security purposes, photos are not permitted
• Tour may not be suitable for children under 6

ADDITIONAL CAPE SEAL LOCATIONS APPROVED

Additional locations have been added to the 2025 Cape Seal project, which now includes over 20 City streets. The new locations are as follows.

• Grant St. (Kelley St. to Hannah)
• Grant St. (North of RR tracks to 8th St.)
• Western Ave.
• Birchwood (Western to E. Bay Blvd.)

As part of a cost-effective maintenance strategy, the City plans to apply cape seal treatment to over 4 miles of local streets. This previously used technique can extend the life of pavement by 7 to 10 years. Cape sealing is a two-step road preservation process that involves applying a chip seal followed by a slurry seal or micro-surfacing. This method helps extend the life of the roadway by sealing minor cracks, improving surface quality, and providing a renewed street experience without a full reconstruction.

The City's Streets Division has been conducting asphalt repair work throughout the City in preparation of the Cape Seal project which is anticipated to begin in August 2025.

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.

Reporting on July 24, 2025 indicated all City beaches at a Level 1.

THANK YOU PARKS & RECREATION

STORM RESPONSE

A huge thank you to our dedicated Parks and Recreation team, who were deployed at 10:20 pm last night and are continuing their efforts today to clean up storm damage caused by downed trees and limbs. We’re especially grateful to our crew members and arborist for their swift response and hard work in keeping our public spaces safe and accessible!