Healthier Drinking Culture discussed | Business
TRAVERSE CITY — A five-month public engagement period about Traverse City’s drinking culture drew a lot of community response.
A preliminary report laying out the foundations for the final strategic plan on the Healthier Drinking Culture project was the subject of discussion at Friday morning’s meeting of the Downtown Development Authority. The in-person meeting was the DDA board’s first since February of 2020.
Elise Crafts, founder of Statecraft and head of the DDA’s Healthy Drinking Culture project, and Megan Motil, founder and principal of Parallel Solutions, presented preliminary findings to the board in a four-page summary.
Motil said four themes developed from engagement and listening sessions:
- Care for community
- Impact versus intention
- Expectation management
- Sense of empowerment and desire to work together
“Personal responsibility was one of the biggest things to come out of the study,” Motil said.
Motil said a March survey drew 1,130 responses. The Healthier Drinking Culture also conducted 74 individual interviews and held seven listening sessions in June.
Traverse City Police Chief Jeff O’Brien addressed the DDA board and said talking to liquor license holders and developing a plan to promote healthier outcomes in regard to drinking is an example of “classic community policing.”
O’Brien said getting liquor license holders to comply with recommendations is better done by discussion than forcing acceptance through punitive measures.
“I hope they’re listening,” Mayor Jim Carruthers said.
“They are,” O’Brien responded.
Carruthers said he still hears reports about unruly drinking behavior downtown and business owners who are have to deal with vomit in private and public places.
Carruthers said a lot of people from the area avoid certain parts of downtown mid- to late evenings.
“It’s become a real challenge for locals,” Carruthers said.
Crafts said participants in the process shared “Hopes and Expectations” for the final draft including policies and licensing, training and education, and working with government and businesses to foster a more healthy culture.
Crafts said the Healthier Drinking Culture project will “facilitate a conversation” with stakeholders the first few weeks of August, which will yield a final draft plan later in the fall.
In other business at the 2-hour meeting, the DDA board:
- Heard a report from Suzanne Schulz of Progressive AE about the East Front Street project. Schulz said a walking audit of the corridor Thursday provided a lot of information, which will continue this month and in August. Progressive AE will provide the DDA with monthly updates and hopes to have design recommendations in October.
- Entered into a contract with SmithGroup for $40,000 to “update and prepare perspective model and construction cost estimates for the Sara Hardy Farmer’s Market.” In a separate motion, the board approved a contract with Nuart for $13,130 to fabricate and install 25 signs for the Sara Hardy Farmers Market.
- Recommended the City Commission approve an estimated contract of $207,965 with Traffic & Safety Control Systems to install the Verkada Video Management System in the Hardy and Old Town parking garages.
- Tabled a decision on a railing on existing riverwalk on the Boardman River near the Breakwater Development until a more cohesive plan is established for other points along the river.
- Announced it will purchase property for the long-proposed Civic Square at State and Union streets from TCF/Huntington Bank. DDA CEO Jean Derenzy expects the purchase to close in October.
- Watched a video and heard an update on the Lower Boardman River Unified Plan.
