Letter To the Editor:
‘Our Community; Our Voice’
What we want, isn’t it a community that Council can depend on; a community of voices, of ideas, of thoughtful contributions, and of deliberate participation, open to all members of the community, that creates and builds upon a ‘community of consensus‘ in order to define our quality of life in Harbor Springs?

Through our volunteerism, our stepping up, and stepping forward, City Council has access to a community depth and breadth of knowledge for nominations to boards, authorities, committees, subcommittees and ad hoc committees – this is the ‘counsel’, the advice – that represents the voices of our community to whom City Council can turn and through which guide and support our community growth and community well-being.
City Hall has of late, guided by City Council, turned to ‘city’ committees;
-the Noise ‘City’ Committee,
-the Bluff Stability ‘City’ Committee
-the Redevelopment Ready Community ‘City’ Committee

The ‘city’ committee – normally used among governance as an ad hoc style committee – its purpose is to vet a specific concern of City Council over a short term. Often, but not always these ‘city’ committees in Harbor Springs have members appointed by City Council and function from within City Hall and report to the City Manager and can be perceived to blur the lines between administration advice and community legislation inputs especially when functioning as a ‘subcommittee’, outside of the Open Meeting Act guidelines
‘City’ committees are generally committees without public minutes, public agenda inputs, members attendance requirements or bylaws.

Yet these ‘city’ committees, acting as an appointed ‘subcommittee’, nonetheless address Council queries and offer advice and counsel to City Council without community (the public’s) Open Meeting Act oversight. We should as a community recommend ‘city’ committees, ad hoc committees and ‘subcommittees’ abide too by the Open Meeting Act guidelines and City Charter appointment guidelines, as would any other Harbor Springs board, authority, or committee.

Harbor Springs, our community, in order to fully represent the entirety of the community, needs your voice, your expertise, your depth and breadth of knowledge in order to create the community growth and wellbeing our City Council is seeking to mentor. Every board, every authority, every committee has merit and lends support to City Council’s mission – supporting a community of consensus, growth and wellbeing.
We all value volunteers and the entire community applauds you!

Offer your time to the Council to be a board member, a committee member, a member of an authority and let your commitment be known;
– volunteer to serve by giving your message and show your support to City Council during 3-minute public comment at a City Council meeting
– then impress your commitment by submitting your ‘public participation’ application to Council by way of the City Manager at the meeting
www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ CITY-OF-HARBOR-SPRINGS-CITIZEN PARTICIPATION-APPLICATION Final.pdf

Your voice, your commitment and your expertise are ‘our’ community’s best asset!
We applaud you!
WeLoveHarborSprings.org and contact us for more information at WeLoveHarborSprings@gmail.com