Residents parade to Marquette County Commission meeting to advocate for more support to MarqTran
Trending
MARQUETTE -- Residents of Marquette County Monday evening paraded to the Marquette County Commission chambers to ask commissioners to increase support for Marquette County Transit Authority.
"The purpose of this parade is really to invite more people to get on board with what we’re trying to do in the county, which is to seek to have our representatives be held accountable to the ways that they represent us," said Donavon Young, volunteer with We the People and organizer of the parade.
"The primary mission is to improve bus service throughout Marquette County."
We the People, a statewide nonprofit group which organized the parade, spent several months holding listening sessions across the county last year, and determined that public transportation was an area which many people wanted to see improved locally.
"We’ve been talking with the county commission for a couple of months now, and talking with the MarqTran board, to try and help them see our vision of how the bus could function a little better," said Young.
"... Our main point right now that we’re really pushing on is an upgrade to digital accessibility. Right now, the website’s pretty clunky and difficult to navigate.
"And we’re also hearing from a lot of people that (MarqTran's) map system is based on PDFs, which are unavailable for screen readers. So people’s disabilities are having a real barrier to access there.
"As well as some things like signage and mapping, so that the public more widely knows what the current bus service offers and how they can engage with it."
The marchers were also advocating for the MarqTran millage renewal, which was on Tuesday's ballot.
The parade route traveled up and down West Washington street, around the MarqTran Transfer Station and to the Marquette County Commission Chambers. Participants held signs bearing slogans such as "Fund the Bus" and "MQT County Fund Public Transit," while chanting "make the bus work for us."
At the commission meeting public comment lasted over 50 minutes, with 15 out of the 21 comments referencing public transportation.
Commenters spoke about the importance of public transportation and difficulties they have had using public transportation in Marquette County, and asked Commissioners for more support to MarqTran in the form of money and access to grant writers.
"We all ... deserve to participate fully in community life where we live, whether that’s attending a concert or a festival, getting to work, the grocery store or getting to a doctor’s appointment on time," said Katelynn Jensen during public comment. "Our public transit is key to that."
Jensen specifically asked the commission to utilize reserve funds to help MarqTran make their website more user-friendly and accessible.
During commissioner comment, commissioners responded to the outpouring of public comment.
Commissioner Dana LaLonde suggested that the MarqTran Board amend their bylaws to include a county commissioner on their board, which would improve communication between the two boards. She also suggested that MarqTran submit a budget proposal.
"If access to our community resources is a right of citizens, and I believe it is, then providing that access is an obligation of our government," said Commissioner Karl Numinen. "…Perhaps one of the things that Marquette County can do is pay for the cost of upgrading (MarqTran's) website so that we can make sure that access is actually being provided to everybody who needs it."
"We have an outstanding professional planning team that I believe can put some time and help MarqTran get grant funding," said Commission Chairman Joe Derocha. "…What I'm not supportive of is this board thinking that we're just gonna add on one more line item onto our budget."
Derocha went on to list several upcoming expenses that the county is facing, such as retirement funds for former employees and providing healthcare to those lodged in the county jail.
"It may not be a money problem," said Derocha. "This could be an institutional problem that can be fixed."
"I'm not going to say we've deep dived into the particulars of (MarqTran's) finances, but we have discovered over and over again that they're running on a very tight margin," said Ruby Miller, organizer with We the People.
"And the needed upgrades for the website exceed the skills they've got in-house. They'll probably have to hire somebody outside to make the appropriate improvements."
At Monday's meeting, the commission also voted to approve a resolution declaring cigarette butt and other tobacco waste littering to be unacceptable in Marquette County, voted to authorize the purchase of two fuel trucks for the airport and voted to approve a request to provide hangar space at the airport at a reduced rate of $1 per year for Northwoods Airlifeline, a nonprofit organization providing free air transportation for patients and families who require access to specialized medical care that is not locally available.
There was a full agenda, with several other action items. More information about the meeting can be found at https://www.co.marquette.mi.us/county_government/board_of_commissioners/current_meetings.php.