County Communicator 3/2/23 Edition

COUNTY COMMUNICATOR COUNTY COMMUNICATOR

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION FOR FUTURE COUNTY COMMUNICATORS:

Upcoming Upcoming Events Events

MARCH

Learn more!

MARCH

Learn more!

4 10-11 17

16th Annual Suds & Snow Event

Join us for the 16th Annual Suds and Snow, featuring beer, wine, food, music and lots of fun. This Mardi Grasthemed event is billed as the ultimate party in the woods! For all the info and to get your ticket, please click here.

Enchantment on Ice

Prepare to be enchanted as the Traverse City Figure Skating Club brings to the ice the classic stories of Beauty and The Beast and Cinderella as well as the modern tales of Tangled and Encanto!

16th Annual Traverse City Boat Show

MEET YOUR COMMISSIONER

BRAD JEWETT District 4

Vice Chair

Brad Jewett started his first term as part of the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners in January 2019. As of 2023, Brad will serve his 3rd term while serving District 4. Brad grew up in Mesick, is a graduate of trade school, and has been a resident of Grand Traverse County for the last 33 years.

Brad became a commissioner because he wanted to be involved in helping to make decisions in the community that he works in, raise his family in, and plays in. As commissioner, he hopes to help improve in making the county into a better place to live, work in, and all around be a part of He also hopes to help make Grand Traverse County fiscally stable for future generations to come

Brad is appointed to the BATA Board, Emergency Management Committee, Grand Traverse Central Dispatch Policy Board, Local Planning Committee, and the Traverse Transportation Coordination Initiative Outside of being a Grand Traverse County Commissioner Brad and his wife own Culver Meadows where they provide high-quality 24 hr care for elderly Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Hospice Residents Brad enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the great outdoors that Grand Traverse County provides You can also find Brad spending time with his son putting in food plots and hunting

myGTC RESOURCES

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY UNIVERSITY

Have you checked out GTCU? County employees now have access to a wide variety of training materials for onboarding, Microsoft 365 and myGTC. GTCU is housed in SharePoint, and can be accessed here. Your login will be the same as your Outlook email login and password

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS OFF April 7th - Good Friday

Other ways to access SharePoint: 1 2

Browser Outlook(Email)

Desktop Outlook (Email)

Watch a tutorial on how to access SharePoint here.

VIDEO TUTORIAL ON FLIPBOOK

Things you can do in myGTC:

Just a few things we would like to highlight this month.

Update your 457(b) contributions, such as Nationwide or Mission Square - please note, going to the carrier website to update your contributions does not integrate with myGTC

Open a new 457(b) plan, such as Nationwide or Mission Square.

Update your Federal and State W-4 Tax Elections

Upload documents to your personal information such as - certifications, licenses, or anything required by your job description

Update your contact information, address, phone number or personal email address

Add or edit your Emergency Contacts

EXTRA BINDERS AVAILABLE

Attention: If you/ your department need binders, the 13th Circuit Court - Family Division has a large number of extra binders sitting in storage in the basement.

WELCOME TO GTC JUDGE HAMLYN

myGTC- TIPS

Things you can do in myGTC:

Just a few things we would like to highlight this month

Update your 457(b) contributions, such as Nationwide or Mission Square - please note, going to the carrier website to update your contributions does not integrate with myGTC

Open a new 457(b) plan, such as Nationwide or Mission Square

Update your Federal and State W-4 Tax Elections

Upload documents to your personal information such as - certifications, licenses, or anything required by your job description

Update your contact information, address, phone number or personal email address

Add or edit your Emergency Contacts

COUNTY UPDATES

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN PROJECT UPDATE

The Board of Commissioners recently authorized the engagement of the architectural and engineering firm Tower Pinkster to draft a Facilities Master Plan for both the County and City. This plan is meant to help guide both organizations in the long term plan to remodel, repurpose or redevelop existing facilities and buildings It will also provide a roadmap for future construction of new buildings to meet operation needs and the growing demand for public services Tower Pinkster will kick off this project on March 13th and should have a plan prepared by the end of the year More information will be provided directly to all Managers There also will be updates in future editions in the County Communicator.

CIVIL COUNSEL

The Board of Commissioners has engaged the law firm of Cohl, Stoker and Toskey to act as the County’s Civil Counsel County Administration is requesting all non-elected officials and department managers to send any requests for legal services by email to the attention of Deputy County Administrator Chris Forsyth, who will work with our new counsel on getting all requests reviewed and answered He also will be developing a request form that will be sent out soon.

UPCOMING PARKS AND REC EVENTS

Traverse City Boat Show

A one-of-a-kind marketplace, targeted to active people

MARVAC Michigan RV and Campgrounds

More than 40 RVs, including folding campers, motorhomes, travel trailers, and more.

Open Skate Event

Traverse City Roller Derby Hosting the Civic Center's Open Skate event (rollerskating)

Upnorth Lake and Cottage Show

The 'Up-North' Lake & Cottage Show will attract full time residents, those who own cottages or second homes in Northern Michigan, and more

Empty Bowls

Help stop food insecurity in Northwest Michigan

COUNTY UPDATES

EARTHY DAY EVENT AT THE CIVIC CENTER - RECYCLE SMART

The GTC RecycleSmart program is looking for Earth Day Celebration Partners. If your department or a local organization you know might be interested, please pass along this information and fill out this Partners Invite form The event will be held at the Civic Center on Saturday, April 22nd from 11am to 3pm.

PURCHASE ORDERS- myGTC

WELCOME TO GTC JUDGE HAMLYN WELCOME TO GTC JUDGE HAMLYN

To request a purchase order in myGTC, use "create requisition". Once requests finish the approval process and purchase orders are issued, you will receive an email in your Microsoft Office365 email account (not in Workday) to notify you that your purchase order has been issued. The email will contain the pdf of the purchase order to be sent to the vendor The email will go to the person who created the requisition request.

GOVERNMENT PARKING PERMIT

The City and Grand Traverse County have entered into a lease agreement for the Governmental Center parking lot located at 400 Boardman Avenue This agreement is being enforced and those who park in employees’ spaces or employees who have not filled out the parking form have been receiving tickets. If you have not filled out the form, you may want to do this to avoid a $15.00 ticket. The form needs to be sent to parkinginfo@downtowntc com If you do have problems with your ticket, please call them at 231 922-0241 This is only for the Governmental parking spaces and not the courthouse parking lot

Permit Holder:

Governmental Center Parking Permit

Department/Commission/Board:

Email:

Contact Phone:

Permit Start Date:

Term End Date (if blank, default 2 years):

License Plate Vehicle

This form needs to be sent to parkinginfo@downtowntc.com.

Sent to Parking:

Received from Parking:

Termination sent to Parking:

SHERRIFF'S OFFICE AWARD CEREMONY

EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR!

CORRECTIONS DIVISION

Jimmie Wood is the 2022 Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division Employee of the Year. He began his career with the GTSO in 2018. He is a CPR/First Aid Instructor, lead Firearms Instructor, and a Corrections Training Officer. He is always willing to help, has a great attitude, is motivated to expand his knowledge and certifications in the Corrections Field, and is highly dependable A true asset to the Sheriff's Office

LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION

Roger Grotefendt is the 2022 Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Division Employee of the Year He began his LE career with the GTSO in 2018. He is an Evidence Technician, Community Police Officer, Field Training Officer, and a Negotiator with the Emergency Response Team He has a unique attention to detail, is very motivated, energetic, and has a willingness to help. He is continuously one of the top performers for traffic stops, citations, and arrests. He sets a great example for other officers to follow.

YEARS OF SERVICE

The following employees celebrated milestone Years of Service in 2022:

Lt. Brian Giddis 25 Years

D/Sgt. Jarrod Bilacic 20 Years

CO Shelley Schwettmann 20 Years

Lt. Brandon Brinks 20 Years

Deputy Matt Karczewski 15 Years

Sgt. Sean Griffard 10 Years

Detective Jeff Wallace 10 Years

Deputy Brian Abbring 10 Years

Deputy Dustin Stickler 5 Years

Deputy Jessica Hendges 5 Years

Deputy Andre France 5 Years

Sgt Danica Makowski 5 Years

Deputy Amanda Peck 5 Years

CO Adam Parent 5 Years

Deputy Chris Whetstone 5 Years

COUNTY UPDATES

SHERRIFF'S OFFICE AWARD CEREMONY

2% GRANT AWARDS

Sgt Roy Raska ~ AEDs

Sgt Jon Morgan ~ PFDs & Throwropes

2022 TOP SHOTS

Sgt. Jon Morgan

2022 MADD AWARDS

Deputy Mitchell Hoffman

Deputy Hayden Talbot

AWARD OF MERIT

Deputy Thomas Hogan ~ 9/27/22

Detective Michael Matteucci ~ 10/8/22

LIFE SAVING AWARDS

Sgt. Luke McManus ~ 8/29/22

Deputy Chris Whetstone 8/29/22

Deputy Hilary Smith ~ 11/25/22

Sgt Mark Roberts ~ 11/26/22

Deputy Shane Roelofs ~ 11/26/22

ACKNOWLEDGED BY CITIZENS

Deputy Anderson

Deputy Hamilton ~2

Deputy Hoffman

Detective Horn

Deputy Kreiner

Dep M Makowski-2

Sgt Ben McManus

Sgt Luke McManus CO Parent

Deputy Peck

Deputy Preston ~ 3

Deputy J. Roelofs ~ 2

Deputy S. Roelofs

Deputy Root ~ 2

Deputy Rosa 2 Deputy Rosin

Deputy Sinz

Deputy Stickler

Deputy Talbot

Marine Deputy Taylor

Detective Wallace

Deputy Woody

ACKNOWLEDGED BY SUPERVISORS

D/Sgt Bilacic ~ 2

Lt Brinks

Deputy Flitton

Michelle Folkersma

Lt Giddis

Deputy Hamilton

Sgt L McManus

Sgt. Raska

Deputy Smith

Deputy Whetstone

Deputy Wolbers

COUNTY UPDATES UPDATES PAGE 11

CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN (COOP) DEPARTMENTS

PRIMARY CONTINUITY PLANNER REQUEST

Attention Managers, before 5 pm on March 10th a Primary Continuity Planner will need to be assigned by you, to be responsible for reporting to the Executive Team.

GTC is beginning to undergo a comprehensive Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) process with the assistance of our contractor, BOLDplanning The Executive Team will be comprised of Emergency Management, Administration, HR, Facilities, and IT have identified the following departments that will have their own plan based upon the need to immediately continue services during a disaster or incident affecting one of the facilities, or as mandated by law, mandate, or executive order

COOP Departments with individual plans (subject to adjustments as needed/directed by statute/mandate/executive order)

Administration/Human Resources/Finance/Treasurer’s Office ( Main plan )

Emergency Management

Sheriff’s Office / Jail

Health Department

9-1-1

Courts (Maybe be best to divide these plans into the separate facilities or we can divide as SCAO directs) Clerk’s Office/Register or Deeds/Equalization/GIS

Department Managers,

As announced at the January Managers Meeting, the county is undertaking the process of implementing a Continuity Of Operations Plan (COOP) and have contracted with BOLDplanning to assist us through the process.

COOP is defined by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) as an internal effort within individual components of a government to ensure the capability exists to continue essential component functions across a wide range of potential emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attackrelated emergencies.

In the wake of significant events including (but not limited to) COVID-19, the increase in active assailant incidents, and the natural disasters nationwide that are increasing in frequency and length, continuity planning has become a vital element in emergency planning. Organizations across the country at all levels including federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions have begun preparing for emergencies by engaging their staff and committing the necessary time and resources for developing effective and realistic plans The federal government has been the leader in this arena and has required all departments to produce COOPs based on published directives and guidance from the Department of Homeland Security.

Specific guidance is referenced below

Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101)

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/CPG 101 V2 30NOV2010 FINAL 508.pdf

Continuity Guidance Circular -

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/Continuity-Guidance-Circular 031218.pdf

NFPA 1600 - https://www nfpa org/assets/files/aboutthecodes/1600/1600-13-pdf pdf

To support the strategic goals for operational continuity, organizations across the country are adopting continuity planning as a high priority. Due to the prioritization by high level management, a continuity program is being developed by your organization to ensure the ability to recover and provide vital services to your constituents following a major disruption

Purpose of a Continuity Plan

Continuity of operations planning ensures the ability of an organization to recover and resume operations following a disruption It is a basic building block of any emergency planning program and is applicable not only in large-scale disaster events or emergencies, but in common non-emergency workplace disruptions as well. Examples might include:

● Facility issues such as an HVAC problem, plumbing leak, or power outage

● Relocation to new office space or the reorganization of divisional units

● Workforce reduction due to illness or absenteeism, loss of key staff due to a workforce strike, or the inability to hire a sufficient level of staff in a timely manner

● Crime or theft It is vital that organizations go through the planning process to develop viable and effective continuity plans to respond to major disasters, as well as maintain operations during smaller localized disruptions. You can think of your organization’s continuity plan as your “extra set of car keys”.

Consider the following questions:

● What type of events could cause a disruption in your workplace?

● Where would or could you go if you must leave your building?

● How would you communicate with important personnel and what would you say?

● What do you do every day that you would consider your most important functions?

● What equipment and resources are needed to complete your functions?

These are all important questions we will cover in the following pages to ensure your organization has the necessary resources to build a strong plan.

What do we need from you?

Your department has been identified as one that supplies critical operations to the county and it’s citizens and would need to continue operations in the event of a disaster or catastrophic incident. We’re asking you to identify a Primary Continuity Planner / Planning Team Chief that will hold the following responsibilities for your department’s COOP:

● Manages day to day continuity plan development

● Coordinates with the planning team within your department(s)

● Manages plan development and works with the Executive team to ensure deadlines are maintained

● Oversee tests, training, exercises, corrective action planning, and long-term planning efforts

We would like to have your designated department Primary Continuity Planner along with a backup continuity planner for larger departments no later than 5pm, March 10, 2023.

WELLNESS

Plan, Purchase, Prepare

Planning ahead may help to ease mealtime stress, reduce food waste, and help prevent those last-minute less healthy meals Here are some simple steps to help you plan, purchase, and prepare your meals! Take an inventory of ingredients you already have. Try to use the items that you have on hand You’ll save money!

Check out the sales at your local supermarkets. Sometimes a discounted price can allow you to treat yourself and your family to a special meal Remember, produce that is in season tends to be less expensive

Stock Your Pantry and Freezer with these five food groups: Vegetables, Fruits, Milk and Dairy Products, Protein, and Grains

Keep a Running Grocery List. As you finish grocery items, write them down on the list. This way you do not have to worry about forgetting anything. Or there are many grocery shopping apps available. Some apps even include information on food price and availability.

Aim for variety in meals but don’t feel like every day must be different. It is alright to have oatmeal or low-fat yogurt with berries several times a week for breakfast. The same goes for lunch; pick a few options and rotate them across a week!

Get creative with leftovers. Try leftover chicken in a stir-fry, in chili or over a salad. Cook leftover fresh or frozen veggies into a soup or casserole. Use leftover fresh or frozen fruit in a smoothie, to top cereal or yogurt, or on

Simple Hacks to Eat Healthy on a Budget

March 15, 2023 12:00 am

With the rise in food costs over this past year, it can sure seem challenging to eat healthy on a budget! However, it doesn’t have to be!

Eating a well-balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, while on a budget, is not only possible, but it is an important part of keeping you healthy. Join us on this webinar to learn budget-friendly hacks to help you plan, purchase, and prepare healthy, nutritious meals that fit within your budget!

WELLNESS

NEWS RELEASE

Released March 1, 2023

Contact: Carie Wille, Executive Director, cwille@tctrackclub.com, 763-843-5202

TRAVERSE CITY TRACK CLUB SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS

(TRAVERSE CITY, MI – March 1, 2023) – The Traverse City Track Club (TCTC) announces it will be accepting applications to its 2023-2024 academic year scholarship program beginning March 1. Graduating high school seniors or college students from Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, or Leelanau Counties seeking higher education and involved in running and/or running-related activities are welcome to apply Scholarships generally range from $500 to $2,500

Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the TCTC’s mission: “The Traverse City Track Club promotes and encourages health, fitness, fellowship, community service, family recreation and competition via running and walking We welcome all ages and abilities.”

The application window for the scholarships will be open from March 1 until March 31 The online application is coordinated through the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTCRF) and includes a unique application for the TCTC More information and a link to the application are available at tctrackclub com/scholarships

“The Traverse City Track Club is grateful to be part of a community that supports our events, such as the Bayshore Marathon, which enable us to not only play a key role in the growth of an active community, but also give back through our scholarship program,” said Janice Beyer, President of the Track Club “It is a privilege to help students aligned with our mission pursue their academic dreams ”

The Traverse City Track Club (TCTC) was founded in 1962 and has grown to become one of the largest running clubs in Michigan. TCTC welcomes runners and walkers. Since launching in 2007, the TCTC Charitable Giving Program has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships and grants. For more information, contact cwille@tctrackclub.com or go to tctrackclub com

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

CRAN-ORANGECOUSCOUSSALAD

3 cups uncooked pearl (Israeli) couscous

2 cans (14 ounces each ) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 large navel oranges, peeled and chopped

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 small red onion, chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish

vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions 1.

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork; cool In a bowl, combine couscous and the next 9 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients until blended. Pour over salad; toss to coat Garnish with additional chopped basil and reserved fennel fronds.

G T C F A C E B O O K P A G E S

GRAND TRAVERSE 911

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

ANIMAL CONTROL

PARKS & RECREATION

EMERGENCY MANAGMENT

SENIOR CENTER NETWORK

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

VETERAN AFFAIRS