Traverse City commissioners have approved establishing a new public art trail along the Boardman Lake Trail and launching a community needle exchange program.

Commissioners approved a proposal from the Traverse City Arts Commission to install public art along the Boardman Lake Trail (pictured) in partnership with TART Trails. According to project documents, the Arts Commission and TART Trails hope to collaborate on placing artwork along trails throughout the city, and chose the Boardman Lake Trail as the first targeted location.

“The Boardman Lake Trail was selected as the first trail district to focus on for several reasons, including the opportunity to collaborate with TART Trails on construction of the final trail connection along the west side of the lake,” the proposal states. “Engineered construction plans are being developed in 2018, with construction of the trail in 2018-19.”

An Art Trail Concept Plan breaks the Boardman Lake Trail up into five distinct zones that could each feature sculptures or other types of public art. The Arts Commission is proposing to place the first piece in a “Gateway Zone” located on Lake Ridge Drive at the end of Sixteenth Street.

“The Gateway Zone will be a symbolic portal or doorway to the lake and to the Art Trail – a representative gateway that will provide the opportunity to learn about Traverse City through contemporary art and sculpture,” the proposal reads. “The Art Trail’s five zones will open new opportunity to learn about Traverse City, including its appreciation for the arts and wealth of world-class arts-based organizations in the region; strong connection with nature, ecology, and strong natural resources; history and its roots in industry; and valuable educators and the opportunity and access to education, growth, and continued learning.”

The first Gateway art project on the Art Trail has a budget of $60,000. Half of those funds are anticipated to come from a Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs grant, which the Arts Commission will apply for this summer; another $10,000 will come from the Arts Commission, with the final $20,000 coming from TART Trails. The project timeline calls for seeking input on the artwork concept and location from property owners and the public this summer, then going through a public request-for-proposals (RFP) process this fall to seek artist submissions. The Arts Commission and TART Trails will also work over the next year to develop a plan for the rest of the Art Trail. Any future artwork installations beyond the Gateway piece must come back to the city commission for approval.

“There’s a lot to be planned for this, and this is kind of primarily to get us rolling to approve the scope of it so that we can start applying for grants and looking into more detailed work that we want to do,” explained City Commissioner Amy Shamroe, who also sits on the Arts Commission.

Commissioner Michele Howard said she believed the trail was “going to be a gem of our city” and recommended placing educational artwork near the city’s wastewater treatment plant to inform residents and trail users about that facility’s functions. “It’s a perfect venue for education for all the people that go past there,” Howard said. Commissioner Richard Lewis said he wanted to make sure any artwork placed along the Boardman Trail outside of the city’s boundaries would also go to Garfield Township officials for approval.

“Even though we have the easement, it’s still within their jurisdiction and we want to be a good neighbor with them – they’ve been a good partner with us,” Lewis said.

Commissioners Monday also unanimously supported establishing a needle exchange program in the community through partnerships with Harm Reduction Michigan and Addiction Treatment Services. The program was proposed by Howard, who volunteered in March to study ways in which the city could more proactively combat its opioid epidemic. The needle exchange program allows users to turn in used needles and syringes for safe disposal, as well as to obtain sterile needles and syringes free of charge. Pam Lynch, co-director of Harm Reduction Michigan, said such programs have proven to significantly reduce infectious disease outbreaks caused by users sharing needles or using the same needles over and over.

“We are having infectious disease outbreaks across this country associated with this increase of injection drug use,” Lynch said. “We know enough about addiction to know that not having a sterile syringe is not going to stop an opiate-dependent person from injecting if that’s their preferred route of administration.”

Lynch said that concerns that needle exchange programs promote drug use or increase crime are based in myth, and that data shows the programs are often successful in connecting drug users with treatment services, in addition to reducing community disease outbreaks. Addiction Treatment Services CEO Christopher Hindbaugh and Grand Traverse County Health Department Medical Director Michael Collins both championed the program to commissioners Monday. 

In addition to the needle exchange program, Howard also recommended designating $10,000 in the city’s 2018-19 budget to go toward educational programming to combat opioid addiction, making the city a “clearinghouse of information” for those seeking help. The $10,000 would help pay for educational fliers that would be distributed with city utility and tax bills, resource materials that could be placed at community locations like libraries, hospitals, and doctor offices, and an opioid awareness page on the city’s website, among other outreach efforts. Commissioners will consider approving the funding request as part of their discussion over the next two weeks on the city’s budget, which must be approved by June 4.