Three run for Traverse City Commission seat
Oct. 22—TRAVERSE CITY — Each of the three candidates who are running for one partial term on Traverse City's city commission hope to make strides against the big issues the city faces.
Tim Pulliam, Merek Roman and Mitchell Treadwell are running in the Nov. 2 election for the remaining two years of a term that Commissioner Roger Putman will vacate in November. Putman previously cited ongoing and mounting health concerns as his reason for stepping down.
TIM PULLIAM
Pulliam said he's running because he believes the people behind the city's growth are likely coming for the same reason he did 27 years ago. That includes a diverse mix of people with different skill sets and beliefs, and he wants to preserve that asset and others.
"I feel like it's a pretty exciting time, that there's going to be an opportunity to maybe set or create some programs and policies that really help us sustain some of the things and the assets that we have here in the community," he said.
One top issue for Pulliam is ensuring people can safely get in and out of the city, he said. Zoning should encourage smart development that encourages other modes of transit, and people without vehicles or who choose not to use them should have safe and easy transportation options.
Affordable housing is another big issue for Pulliam, and the city could lose its service industry assets if those employees can't afford to live there. Current efforts to redevelop city-owned land should continue, and zoning changes plus public-private partnerships could help develop housing people can actually afford.
Pulliam said he wants to tap his energy background in helping the push toward clean power and energy efficiency. He wants the city and its utility to meet their clean energy goals, and not just by buying renewable energy credits but by focusing on programs for load management and incentivizing sustainable growth.
Pulliam has seen good ideas sputter because city leaders didn't have enough information to act, he said. He's running because he believes his skills in presenting information can guide people toward making decisions.
MEREK ROMAN
Roman is running because he has seen how the city's infrastructure needs to be prioritized, he said. Kids Creek flows through his backyard and each spring, floods drive the waters into his basement. Sewage spills into Grand Traverse Bay only highlighted the need.
"We talk about affordable housing, or housing or different types of aesthetics, and my platform is that we need to prioritize our city infrastructure so that we can actually have more housing, whether it's affordable or otherwise," he said.
Modernizing the city's water infrastructure, both drinking water and sewage systems, is a top priority for Roman, he said. He applauded the push to reroute a sewer main that runs near the Boardman River and sits atop a faltering wall foundation.
Updating the city's master plan also is important to Roman, he said. It'll be the guiding document for the next 10 to 20 years of decision-making on zoning, affordable housing, building height and other issues, so it's important that city leaders have residents' input and consensus. The city will also need professionals to guide the process.
Better transportation is becoming more necessary as the cost of living in Traverse City climbs, Roman said. He wants to partner with surrounding townships and counties, Bay Area Transportation Authority and others to make public transportation a better option for people who work in town.
Roman said he wants to maintain the city's vibrancy and feel for years to come, and believes addressing the city's infrastructure needs will keep the bay clean. He called it the most treasured possession that everyone shares.
MITCHELL TREADWELL
Treadwell said he's been active in city government for a while, both in serving on commissions and boards and in giving input. He felt an increasing need to do more, especially to create much-needed affordable housing.
"I wanted to do more than my limited capacity on the housing commission to help address that in our community, and to just work to make Traverse City a better place for people today and in the future," he said.
The city can foster more affordable housing both by adopting payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements and by partnering with developers and others to pursue grants and other programs, Treadwell said. Zoning changes could also help developers build housing at the needed price points.
Other zoning changes could better serve the city residents and preserve the city's look and feel by encouraging small-scale commercial districts, Treadwell said. Zoning that allows for delis, cafés and small shops could boost businesses that benefit local neighborhoods. And rules should better clarify where the city wants hotels and other larger-scale developments.
Treadwell also wants to focus on the city's aging infrastructure, and wants to see more investment in roads, bridges, a familing Union Street Dam and its various water systems. That includes stormwater, and he thinks that the city needs to better examine how it's handling storm runoff as climate change is set to cause more frequent flooding.
Treadwell's focus is a livable city that's focused on the future, one with more emphasis on affordable housing, economic diversity, good transit and alternative modes of mobility and a balance between the needs of permanent residents and seasonal visitors, he said.
UNCONTESTED
Two other races for city commission are uncontested.
Richard Lewis, a former city commissioner and city manager, is running unopposed for mayor.
And three candidates for three seats have no competition, either. They are city Arts Commission member Mi Stanley; incumbent Commissioner Tim Werner; and Mark Wilson, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Tribal Council vice chairman.
Write-in candidates could make either or both of these two races competitive, and the deadline to submit notice of intent is 4 p.m. Friday, as previously reported.