Traverse City commissioners Monday approved a three-year contract for Traverse Connect to continue providing the city with economic development services and voted to hire a firm to help create a new Parks and Recreation master plan. Commissioners also touched on the city’s strategic planning process underway, which will culminate in a plan unveiling at a community summit May 19.

After recently meeting to discuss priority areas and goals for the next three years, commissioners voted 6-1 Monday – with Commissioner Jackie Anderson opposed – to execute a contract with Traverse City for economic development services. The contract, to be covered by the city’s economic development fund, will cost $52,500 in 2025-26 and increase three percent annually the next two years.

Under the contract, Traverse Connect is required to provide both written and verbal updates to city leaders throughout the year on economic development efforts, with agreed-upon focus areas outlined in the terms. Examples include business expansion support and incentives (such as state programs and tax abatements), public policy and state/federal funding (supportive housing/infrastructure), collaboration on city and regional issues (housing/homelessness solutions, transit), industry clusters and business attraction initiatives (Rural Health Innovation), and talent development and recruiting services (Creative Coast, education, training).

At the request of commissioners, Traverse Connect provided more details this week on specific initiatives it plans to target in 2025-26. One of those is ReShore 2025, an inaugural partner event with MichAuto expected to convene 100+ stakeholders from Michigan and beyond “spotlighting innovation at the intersection of water, mobility, and outdoor tech.” Another project is BlueTech Trade Mission, in which Traverse Connect – in partnership with the Canadian group AquaAction – will host a “trade mission bringing 8-10 scaling bluetech startups to Traverse City and the U.S. market, supporting their efforts to establish business operations and partnerships in our region.”

Economic strategy sessions, business expos, national outreach, redevelopment site activities, and partner progress roundtables – where city and regional leaders are convened to “share success stories, troubleshoot challenges, and align on upcoming projects” – are also on the project list. Warren Call of Traverse Connect previously told commissioners the organization is working to build “family-sustaining careers across the spectrum,” including in new and emerging technologies like drones. Traverse Connect announced Tuesday that a partnership initiative with Munson Healthcare, DroneUp, blueflite, and Central Michigan University’s Rural Health Equity Institute will launch test flights – which will simulate delivering supplies, lab samples, and medications by drone – May 8-22 between Munson Medical Center, Munson Dialysis Center, and Copper Ridge. Call said the pilot project “is the first of its kind in the Grand Traverse region,” one that will provide “valuable insights into how rural healthcare access can be improved through advancements in uncrewed aerial systems.”

Anderson opposed the Traverse Connect contract because she believed the city should have used a request-for-proposals (RFP) process for economic development services. She also cited the timing of the city’s still-unfolding strategic action plan process, saying that approving contract terms now would be “short-circuiting our ability to be responsive to those findings.” The city will host a community summit on May 19 from 4:30pm-6pm at the Traverse City Senior Center with consulting firm Future iQ to present the new draft strategic action plan, with an online public survey open now ahead of that event to gather feedback.

The plan outlines six “strategic pillars” and related action steps for each pillar, one of which is “building a thriving year-round economy.” Other pillars include “proactively manage urban design,” “strengthening placemaking and neighborhood character,” “fostering a regional collaborative approach,” “building socio-economic systems and amenities,” and “supporting environmental sustainability.” Anderson pointed out that the summit will be on the same day commissioners are set to hold a public hearing on the city’s 2025-26 budget, with the potential to align some budgetary priorities with its findings.

In addition to the Traverse Connect contract, commissioners Monday approved a $30,055 contract (plus a 10 percent contigency) with TowerPinkster to help guide the creation of a new five-year Parks and Recreation master plan. The city is required to have such an updated plan on file to be eligible for state grant funding. Parks and Recreation commissioners originally wanted to hire local firm Beckett & Raeder at a proposed cost of $65,980, citing the firm’s familiarity with the city and robust public engagement process promised in its contract deliverables. However, some city commissioners pushed back on that proposal and its costs, prompting staff to go back to the drawing board.

While those city commissioners expressed satisfaction with the new lower-cost contract from TowerPinkster, Commissioner Mitch Treadwell said it wasn’t supported by the Parks and Recreation board, who thought Beckett & Raeder’s proposal “was a scope more befitting the vision that they had for our Parks and Recreation planning for the future.” Parks and Recreation board member Scott Morey indicated as much during public comment, saying the downgrading of proposals was “not a process that makes sense” and “does not give the respect” to city parks they deserve. Commissioners nonetheless voted 5-2 to approve the TowerPinkster contract, with Treadwell and Commissioner Mi Stanley opposed.