Commissioners Approve ORV Program for Sheriff’s Office, AI for Central Dispatch, Additional Project Alpha Work

After a decade-long hiatus, the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office will reboot its ORV patrol program to start enforcement on local trails. In addition to approving funding for that initiative Wednesday, county commissioners also approved a contract to use an artificial intelligence (AI) program for non-emergency calls at Central Dispatch and approved more design work for Project Alpha – the planned expansion of the county’s LaFranier Road campus.

Sheriff ORV Patrol
A surge in popularity of off-road vehicles (ORVs) prompted the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office to seek permission this week to purchase an ORV to patrol local trails.

Sheriff Mike Shea asked to use just over $21,000 in funding that was budgeted for – but not spent on – patrol cars toward purchasing an all-terrain vehicle for the department. Since 2009, state law has allowed township boards to adopt ordinances authorizing ORV use on the maintained portions of identified roads. Those approved roadways – plus a combination of trails and two-tracks – provides a vast network across northern Michigan where ORV riders can travel. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has two ORV officers assigned locally, but their enforcement is limited to official trails only. The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for enforcement elsewhere but hasn’t had an ORV program since 2014, Shea explained.

That’s become a problem as recreational ORV use has exploded in popularity, Shea said. Approximately $12 billion in ORV sales were documented in 2022, with nearly 700,000 units sold nationwide in 2023, according to Shea’s presentation. A seven percent increase in sales is expected through 2036. Nationally, 524,600 emergency room-treated injuries were attributed to ORVs from 2015 to 2019. Use of the vehicles is “increasing at a very rapid rate...and it’s not anticipated to slow down any time soon,” Shea said. He previously told the commission that off-roading has surpassed snowmobiling as the “predominant recreational vehicle traffic.”

Any ORV crash resulting in injury, death, or damages over $100 is required to be reported to law enforcement. Violations of the county’s ORV ordinance can result in civil infractions and fines up to $500. However, the lack of an ORV patrol leaves wide swaths of territory where violations aren’t monitored or enforced. “We see a public safety issue we want to try and address,” Shea said. He added that a department ORV can also provide search-and-rescue support, access remote locations, and be used in rapid response situations where full-sized vehicles are less effective – such as at festivals and parades, high-pedestrian traffic areas, and VIP visits at the airport or fairgrounds. Modern ORVs “offer GPS, stability control, and rollover protection – aligning with safety and environmental goals,” according to Shea’s presentation.

County commissioners were generally supportive of rebooting the ORV program, though some worried about the department’s ability to keep up with high-performance models on the market or to properly staff enough patrols to be effective. Saying they wanted to ensure the county ORV had reasonable amenities like air conditioning and a trailer, commissioners increased the maximum budget for the purchase to $30,000. Vice Chair TJ Andrews was the sole ‘no’ vote in the 7-1 approval of the ORV purchase (with Commissioner Brian McCallister absent), saying she felt the purchase “feels like a toy without a plan.” However, Commissioner Fern Spence – who shared her own story of being stranded in the woods with a son who had a broken arm and said that she’d seen a “really increased volume” of ORV activity – called it a “step in the right direction.” Commissioner Darryl Nelson agreed, saying the program could be expanded in the future. “This is where we should start and have something out there – have a presence,” he said.

Central Dispatch AI
County commissioners voted 7-1 Wednesday – with Andrews opposed – to purchase an artificial intelligence (AI) program to handle non-emergency calls at Grand Traverse County 911/Central Dispatch.

The three-year contract with technology firm Aurelian costs $60,000 for the first year and $72,000 annually for years two and three. The cost would be covered by eliminating an unfilled dispatcher position in Central Dispatch – the first time a county position is being replaced by AI. The software will allow an AI agent to field non-emergency calls and route callers to the right department or help get them answers, such as texting them information about the fireworks schedule at the National Cherry Festival (an example of the type of call Central Dispatch often receives, pulling staff away from actual emergencies). Aurelian representatives modeled the program for commissioners Wednesday, noting it’s customizable and designed to automatically route callers to human dispatchers if it detects certain keywords or emotional distress.

Andrews opposed the contract as she wanted to go through a bid process first – though staff said there weren’t any comparable companies matching the level of service Aurelian provides – and because she felt it was a “pilot project that we’re committing to for three years.” Representatives noted the contract can be canceled anytime during the first year, with a pro-rated refund provided to the county. Central Dispatch is expected to deploy the AI this summer and provide an update to commissioners in the fall on its use. Commissioners discussed the possibility of using such technology countywide in the future to offer AI-enhanced customer service and better information distribution to residents.

Project Alpha
Finally, commissioners Wednesday approved moving forward with design development work on the second of two planned new buildings on the LaFranier Road campus – an expansion called Project Alpha. The board in May approved proceeding with design development work on the first building, a 14,000-plus-square-foot combined emergency operations and 911/Central Dispatch center. However, they wanted more information on departmental and future county needs for the second building – a centralized storage/operations facility.

Representatives from project manager Cunningham-Limp said the building – now being referred to as a central operations building (COB) – could have its footprint slightly expanded to provide additional room for more county departments, as well as accommodate a second-floor mezzanine in the future offering another 5,000 to 7,000 square feet. The firm also reviewed options for green energy infrastructure like solar panels, a green roof, and a geothermal system. Commissioners discussed the possibility of adding a private well to serve the LaFranier campus in the future – providing a backup if public water went down as well as a cost savings for irrigating the large property – but didn’t make any decisions Wednesday on whether to pursue that project component. The board did vote to move ahead with design development work on the COB building with a geothermal system included.