Something important happened at the City Opera House last Monday evening.
More than 400 people showed up for a community "conversation" called "Traverse City Tomorrow." It was televised live on public access television and also streamed live at UpNorthMedia.org on the Internet.
The turnout was a surprise to just about everyone. Even City Manager R. Ben Bifoss, who organized the session as a first step to the city commission's upcoming yearly strategic planning session, had expected 200 people at the most.
The size of the crowd is important. It's a call for more moderated community chats like this on a variety of subjects and diverse panelists of all ages. It's a message for area residents and local leaders.
The message is this: People in Traverse City are engaged. They care about the Traverse City of the future. They want to be asked what they think. They know that now is the time to make the future they envision. They believe that in a global economy, we have to think big and outside the box, aim high, network, move fast and stay connected.
There are probably several reasons that 400 people came out on a winter night to attend this conversation. The panelists were diverse: Michael Moore, co-founder of the Traverse City Film Festival; Rotary Charities director Marsha Smith; Northwestern Michigan College president Tim Nelson; Black Star Farms managing partner Don Coe; Munson Medical Center President/CEO Ed Ness; and Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
City government proved itself to be an "in-touch," responsive and responsible leader on Monday night. The turnout is an indicator of the changing nature of our world, our community, our neighborhoods and our communication systems in a global economy. It points out how important inter-governmental networking, collaboration and cooperation are in today's economy.
Bifoss invited county and township elected officials and also promoted the evening a variety of ways: e-mail, Facebook, Mayor Chris Bzdok's "Plan for TC" blog, newspaper, radio and TV. Community TV Channel 97, the public access station, broadcast the evening live and streamed it live on the Internet for many who couldn't make it downtown.
Thanks to Moore and local residents, the conversation about Traverse City Tomorrow included much-needed talk about what Traverse City leaders and residents must do today if we want a robust and healthy future in a global economy. One of Moore's important points was wiring Traverse City for the 21st Century so Traverse City can compete and attract the kinds of businesses that will offer better-paying jobs.
If Bifoss and city commissioners wanted a to-do list for 2010, they got an ambitious one.
Other ideas offered by panelists and residents included: More "workforce" affordable housing. Green energy. Green jobs. Tunneling Grandview Parkway or making it safer for pedestrians. More local food markets. Doubling the consumption of locally grown food. And engaging younger residents and panelists in similar conversations.
Traverse City Tomorrow was a great starting point. Let's keep it going. Let's keep conversing. And let's make sure we keep our public-access channels strong and accessible to our public.
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