After months and months of debate and discussion, some northern Michigan communities are starting to spend their American Rescue Plan Funds.
Traverse City is one of those communities, but a proposed expense raised questions amongst the very people who it was supposed to help.
"Our stations, both station one and station two, are both 1970s American architecture,” Traverse City Firefighter Local 646 President Jacob Steichen said.
The station is Jacob Steichen's home away from home. He knows it well and knows its downfalls. "They both have some serious deficiencies when it comes to gender neutrality and ABA compliance,” Steichen said. "When it's time to use the bathroom, we allow everyone to use the bathroom in peace,” Steichen said.
It's not luxurious, but for a department with a lot of needs, renovating this was not a priority.