TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Commission is looking to move forward with a new annual performance evaluation framework for the city manager and city attorney. Mayor Amy Shamroe and Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ness detailed the 11-step process in a memo on Feb. 19, 2026.
The evaluation framework follows a Feb. 17 meeting where the commission discussed the need for a formal review process. The new system involves a professional facilitator and input from city department heads.
The proposed framework was developed through a collaboration between the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem, City Manager Benjamin Marentette and City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht. The process is designed to provide annual performance feedback and align leadership actions with city objectives. This formal certification of the process was adopted by the City Commission during its regular meeting on Feb. 17, 2026.
Under the proposed framework, the City Commission provides direction on desired feedback themes. A professional facilitator then prepares questions to obtain that feedback. These questions must be signed off by the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem before the process begins.
The facilitator is responsible for meeting with the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem to confirm the process. They also meet with the city manager and city attorney to share the questions and provide direction regarding performance statements. This assessment is conducted annually and must be completed by June 30 each year.
Marentette, city manager and Trible-Laucht, city attorney, must create a minimum one-page performance statement. This document reflects the previous 12 months of work. The statement includes a year-in-review summary and a list of challenges going forward.
The performance statements must also address any changes made based on previous feedback. Marentette and Trible-Laucht are required to detail how they have advanced the most recently adopted goals and objectives of the City Commission. The statement includes a section for the officials to suggest how the commission could help them become more effective.
Transparency regarding employment agreements is built into the early stages of the review. The city manager and city attorney must indicate in their statements if they wish to discuss any proposed changes to their contracts. These discussions occur after the evaluation is finished and do not involve the facilitator.
By April 30, a board packet is prepared for distribution by City Clerk Sarah Lutz. This packet contains job descriptions and employment agreements for both roles. It also includes the commissioner questions, both performance statements and a list of current City Commission objectives and key results.
The packet includes the most recent performance evaluations conducted over the past year. These evaluations are distributed only to members of the City Commission. They are not shared with department head staff members.
The facilitator conducts interviews with all commission members and all department heads who are not under disciplinary action. The city manager participates in the evaluation of the city attorney. Likewise, the city attorney participates in the evaluation of the city manager.
The interview process extends to the executive directors of Traverse City Light and Power and the Downtown Development Authority. The facilitator interviews one of these directors each year, alternating between the two organizations every other year.
Following the interviews, the facilitator creates a report with a summary of overall results and detailed responses. This report is delivered to the City Commission with copies provided to Marentette and Trible-Laucht. The commission then reviews the report by the end of June, with the option for a closed session if requested.
The City Commission is scheduled to review a finalized version of the evaluation process for formal consideration on March 2, 2026. Following the completion of the annual reviews, the city manager and city attorney will meet with the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem to discuss any desired changes to their employment agreements. Any resulting changes will then be presented to the full City Commission for consideration.