Grand Traverse County shared its 2020 Annual Report on Wednesday, highlighting everything from its COVID-19 response strategy to major county projects. The Ticker has compiled some of the key takeaways from the report, including notable numbers or metrics, as well as other notable highlights.

By the Numbers
339: The number of reservations the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Department tracked for “field, pavilion, and other facility rentals.”

1,096: The number of building permits issued by the Construction Code Department in 2020. The department also tracked 1,732 electrical, 2,242 mechanical, and 1,043 plumbing permits.

1,826: The number of birth certificates issues by the County Clerk’s office. The clerk also issued

1,544 death certificates, 539 marriage licenses, and 1,816 concealed pistol licenses.

200: The number of laptops “located, built, and deployed” by the IT department to support remote work among county employees.

Over 3,000: The tally of calls received by the county’s Resource Recovery RecycleSmart hotline. Through hotline inquiries, the county was able to collect and recycle 98,502 pounds of household hazardous waste, 60,000 pounds of scrap tires, and over 16,000 pounds of batteries.

2,519: The number of seniors receiving weekly frozen meal deliveries from the Senior Center Network and the Commission on Aging.

$7 million: The amount paid by the county to the Municipal Employees' Retirement System (MERS) of Michigan, to reduce unfunded pension liability. The county plans to make an additional $7.85 million payment in 2021, with the goal of ensuring that the MERS pension fund “will be fully funded by 2034.”

$10,000: The size of the grant, given by the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, to install a trail system on the vacant land adjacent to the Grand Traverse County Health Department building. The trails provide a spot for county employees to walk on their breaks, as well as a recreation opportunity for nearby neighborhoods.

$957,617.10: The money collected by the county from real estate transactions within Grand Traverse County in 2020 – up from $903,394.25 the year before.

94,204: The estimated population of Grand Traverse County in 2020, a 0.6 percent increase from 2019.

Other Highlights
The 2020 Annual Report also highlights several other major milestones or projects for Grand Traverse County, including:

 - Forming the Grand Traverse County COVID-19 Joint Operation's Center (JOC), which brings together county leaders in government, health and human services, education, and the business community to “create a community-wide approach” to the challenges posed by COVID-19.

 - Developing and implementing a new master site plan for the Civic Center.

 - Passing a resolution to change Cherry Capital Airport’s governance model, thereby creating the Northwest Regional Airport Authority.

 - Partnering with the City of Traverse CITY and TART to help complete the Boardman Lake Loop Trail.

 - Purchasing the Camp Pugsley Gun Range for training of local law enforcement officers.

 - Establishing the Electronic Permitting and Inspection Center (EPIC-GT) an online permitting platform that provides a single portal for residents, developers, and others “to apply for permits related to construction such as addressing, building, land use, and soil erosion.”

Grand Traverse County’s full 2020 report can be found here.