County Considers New Positions, BPW Changes, PACE North Sale, America Anniversary Celebration

Grand Traverse County is considering adding two new positions to help create more public transparency: a public information officer and a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) coordinator. Commissioners discussed the roles at their most recent meeting, where they also discussed the commission’s relationship with the Board of Public Works, the possible sale of the PACE North building, and the county’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Positions
The recent flooding in April represented just one of the nine times the county’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated in the last year, according to County Commission Chair Scott Sieffert. Calling that a “very high number,” Sieffert said that creating a new role of an in-house public information officer (PIO) could help the county address some “shortcomings” in the way it gets important updates out to the public.

The role is one that has been talked about “on and off for years,” said Commissioner Rob Hentschel. While the county already works with local firm Grand Bay Promotions on marketing and PR, a PIO would be dedicated to organizing internal information and coordinating communications between the county and the public. That would include helping brief elected officials so they’re able to share accurate details with constituents.

County Administrator Nate Alger cited a parallel role in the City of Traverse City with Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives Colleen Paveglio. He said staff are in the process of creating a job description and salary for the PIO role. Commissioners, who generally expressed support for the position, voted to have the role presented as part of the proposed 2027 budget planned to be finalized by the end of the year.

Staff clarified the PIO would be separate from another new position that’s been recently discussed: a FOIA coordinator. The number of FOIA requests being submitted across departments is “growing annually,” said Deputy County Administrator Chris Forsyth, who added in a memo that those requests are “surpassing the capacity of existing staff and creating challenges in processing and management.” An ad hoc committee of commissioners will review a proposed job description for the FOIA coordinator today (Wednesday), with the county also looking at posting a request-for-proposals (RFP) to find a software vendor to create a dedicated FOIA platform.

Board of Public Works
A committee of commissioners including Hentschel, Darryl Nelson, and TJ Andrews along with Alger will soon meet with the county’s Board of Public Works (BPW) to discuss the relationship between that board and the commission.

The BPW is a nine-member board that helps administer water and sewer ordinances for Acme, East Bay, Garfield, Peninsula, and Elmwood townships, as well as the City of Traverse City. BPW Chair Jeff Shaw said better alignment is needed between BPW’s bylaws and the county commission’s bylaws to allow the BPW board to “function as a business,” one that’s “essentially independent of you guys.” Shaw said BPW has “always appreciated our relationship with the county” and is seeking an “opportunity to just sit down” and clarify concerns.

The county committee will meet with BPW and bring back a report to the entire commission on potential issues that need to be resolved, with commissioners then to discuss next steps.

PACE North
Commissioners went into closed session to discuss and then came out publicly to approve a motion to exercise their due dilgence on the PACE North building on Garfield Road. 

PACE and Grand Traverse County have a complex recent history of litigation and a settlement. While PACE now owns the Garfield building, the county has the first right of refusal to purchase it if it goes on the market, according to Alger. With PACE looking to sell, commissioners authorized having the building inspected so they can receive a report and determine if they wish to exercise that right.

PACE North and One Senior Care have announced plans to seek regulatory approval to create a “new, independent foundation dedicated to serving older adults in the region,” according to a PACE North release. “Through this affiliation, PACE North will gain access to additional clinical, operational, and administrative resources to support its team and enhance local care.” The local PACE North team will remain in place under the affiliation, with “added support and resources from One Senior Care,” according to the release.
 
America Celebration
Finally, commissioners discussed plans to elevate the county’s presence at the National Cherry Festival this year and/or potentially have a larger role in commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July.

Andrews said constituents had reached out asking about the county’s plans for commemorating the Semiquincentennial. Alger said he’d spoken to the National Cherry Festival about having a more significant role this year, whether in sponsoring events or having staff and officials participate in parades and activities or helping defray festival costs. Commissioners didn’t commit to any particular course of action but are expected to continue reviewing options with staff at upcoming meetings.