In addition to voting on starting the process of separating Traverse City’s IT services from Grand Traverse County’s, city commissioners Monday will vote on creating and filling a new position of EMS administrator – a key leadership role as the Traverse City Fire Department prepares to become the city’s primary ambulance provider. Commissioners will also vote to approve a $250,000 contract to evaluate the city’s sewer system for inflow and infiltration problems.

EMS Administrator
Voters last year approved making the Traverse City Fire Department (TCFD) the city’s primary ambulance service, with roughly 65 percent in support and 35 percent opposed. The ballot proposal increased property taxes in the city by up to 1 mill ($1 per thousand dollars of taxable value) for a 20-year period, with the goal of providing funds “for fire department and emergency transportation services and facilities.” It is estimated that 1 mill will raise approximately $1,173,500 when first levied this year, according to the ballot language.

City commissioners this spring reviewed the proposed staffing plan for the TCFD expansion, which will require hiring nine full-time firefighters and one full-time EMS administrator. City Human Resources Director Kristine Bosley said those new employees would need to be hired in phases, gradually filling out the department. On Monday, commissioners will vote to officially create the new position of EMS administrator and authorize staff to fill the role, which could happen in early 2025, according to City Manager Liz Vogel.

In a memo, Bosley said the TCFD expansion “will bring critical benefits to public safety.” However, it “also requires increased oversight, strategic planning, and focused administration to meet the high standards expected by our residents,” she wrote. The dedicated EMS administrator role “will be essential for the progression of the coordination, and development of EMS operations for the City of Traverse City, ensuring effective service implementation, regulatory compliance, and high-quality emergency response for our community,” Bosley said.

The position would report to TCFD Fire Chief Jim Tuller and “assist in all aspects of the implementation of EMS operations,” according to Bosley. That includes complying with state and federal EMS regulations, seeking and managing grants, assisting in managing the EMS budget, coordinating with other public safety and healthcare organizations, and ensuring the department “has the tools, resources, and training needed for optimal performance,” Bosley said.

The anticipated cost for the position – including salary and benefits – is just over $70,000, according to Bosley. Funding for the position would be covered by the EMS millage.

Sewer Evaluation
City commissioners will vote Monday on approving a contract with OHM Advisors – a firm that has assisted the city in several previous sewer and water projects – for $250,000 to complete a sanitary sewer evaluation. The contract, which includes a seven percent contingency cost and went through a request-for-proposals (RFP) process, is being covered by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Traverse City has until the end of 2024 to obligate all its ARPA funding. Commissioners previously agreed to allocate $250,000 for sanitary sewer inflow and infiltration work, though hadn’t yet seen a specific contract for approval.

The study would primarily focus on the west side of the city’s sewer system, as that’s where excessive inflow and infiltration (I&I) is occurring, according to a memo from City Director of Municipal Utilities Art Krueger. Krueger previously told The Ticker that I&I are the two main culprits plaguing the city’s sewer system. Inflow occurs when water gets into the system through manhole covers or illicit connections from roof drains or basement sump pumps to the system. Infiltration occurs through cracks or loose joints in pipes when surface water seeps into the ground and forces its way into the pipes. Infiltration is a particular risk when the pipe is submerged by groundwater, which puts pressure on the pipe. In some recent years – like 2020 – more than 7.1 miles of city sewer pipes have been below Lake Michigan’s water levels.

I&I issues coupled with major rain events have previously overwhelmed city pipes and caused raw sewage to flow into the Boardman River. Under the proposed contract, OHM Advisors will complete a detailed evaluation of the west-side study area, manage and analyze collected data, and provide a final report to city commissioners. That report will include “recommendations for reducing I&I in the study area, including design and construction cost estimates,” according to Krueger.