Traverse City commissioners expressed support for putting a charter amendment on the fall ballot that would make it easier for petitioners to file referendums and authorized extending a contract for Eighth Street planning services at their Monday night meeting.

Commissioners will officially vote July 5 to put the proposed city charter amendment on the November 8 ballot. The amendment would eliminate an existing requirement for petitioners to attach a sworn affidavit to every petition form they submit to the city - a technicality city staff has said is cumbersome and that tripped up petitioners last year aiming to put a tall building ban on the ballot.

If approved by commissioners and voters, the new rules would eliminate the affidavit requirement. Instead, when petitions are filed, the city clerk will provide a written acknowledgement of the total number of signatures received. The form would be countersigned by the filer. The city clerk would then go through the normal process of validating the petitions and signatures.

Commissioners Monday also agreed to extend contract services with Farr Associates, the consulting firm that led a public charrette process in May to create a new design for the Eighth Street corridor. As part of the extended contract, Farr Associates will host an additional public workshop Wednesday night from 7-9pm at the Park Place Hotel dome to collect public feedback on preferred building heights and land uses in the corridor. The firm will also interview up to six local developers/firms to ascertain the development environment on Eighth Street and how zoning changes could support or hinder future growth. The extra services will cost $8,563, with funds coming from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.