We Are
HARBOR SPRINGS

 How Can We Better Represent Everyone in Harbor Springs?

Harbor Springs is a blend of old and new, with a rich history and a diverse community. Our residents include year-round locals, part-time homeowners, and long-time visitors, and we believe everyone deserves to be heard.

Our role is simple: ensure the community can see, understand, and evaluate how decisions are made in City Hall, using documents, data, and open process, so every resident has equal access to information.

What is We Love Harbor Springs?

We Love Harbor Springs was established to ensure the full community is heard: year‑round residents, part‑time homeowners, business owners, and long‑time visitors alike. Our group is made up of over 1,400 people from all walks of life, including voters, full-time and part-time residents, multi-generational families, and occasional visitors. WLHS is powered by 50+ volunteers focused on city policy, planning, and process.

We are a 501(c)(4) civic organization focused on policy education and participation. We don’t tell anyone how to vote; we publish facts and process‑focused explainers so neighbors can decide for themselves. We are committed to facilitating dialogue and transparency between the community and city leaders. We do not control what they do if they join boards or commissions.

City processes can be complex, technical, and time-limited. Not everyone can attend weekday meetings or track long documents. WLHS helps close that gap. We read the materials, verify the record, and summarize what changed, how decisions were made, and what options were considered so the full community can participate on equal footing.

As a 501(c)(4), certain filings, including Form 990, are public. For cybersecurity and privacy reasons, we provide these documents by request rather than hosting them online. Email us at weloveharborsprings@gmail.com and we will provide filed reports promptly. Additional IRS forms sometimes mentioned publicly (8871, 1024-A, 8976) are either not required for 501(c)(4)s or not public disclosure documents.

• For Copies of relevant State or Federal filings, please contact: weloveharborsprings@gmail.com

As the city faces important decisions, we strive to engage the whole community, ensuring every voice is considered. We do this through research, communication, legal support, and providing clear, accessible information about local issues. WLHS’s goal is to empower voters, property owners, the tribe, and area townships with transparency over development in the region. We invest in expert research, legal review, and public‑records work so residents can see options, trade‑offs, and constraints clearly.

Our goal is to help preserve the unique character of Harbor Springs while guiding citizens through the decision-making process, whether it’s zoning changes, housing concerns, or city governance. We also work to ensure the city charter aligns with constitutional law and serves all residents fairly.

We focus on transparency and engagement, not taking sides but ensuring that every resident, regardless of when they are in town, has access to the information they need to stay involved. WLHS is supported by more than 140 donors.  Each from Harbor Springs or the area townships.  No external money.  Many choose to remain anonymous, as they do with many of their donations to area foundations and causes.  Donations support research, public-records work, and factual reporting, not political campaigning or candidate strategy.

We Do

• Summarize Council, Planning Commission, and DDA actions using primary documents (minutes, staff reports, adopted ordinances).

• Show numbers with context: baselines, trends, and trade‑offs.

• Correct mistakes quickly and prominently. Always willing – just contact us.

• Provide advice for other policy groups and citizens traversing issues with City Hall.

• Hire consultants to advise on policy matters, evaluate FOIA requests, and draft recommended legislation.

• Dampen rumors and drive to facts, to help calm the discussion

We Don’t

• Coordinate strategy with candidates, campaigns, or developers.

• Register voters

Our Team and Supporters

We are a collective effort of passionate individuals who volunteer their time to research, write, attend meetings, and keep the community informed. We are made up of full-time residents, business owners, researchers, and passionate locals dedicated to preserving what makes Harbor Springs special.

Why We’re Involved

We Love Harbor Springs was founded by people who deeply care about the community’s well-being. From preserving the city’s charm to ensuring fair governance, we are committed to helping Harbor Springs maintain its unique identity for generations to come.

Harbor Springs works best when decisions are understandable, options are visible, and residents can evaluate proposals based on shared facts. WLHS helps make that possible.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,
We Love Harbor Springs, Inc.

Board of Officers

• Maureen Kenney, President 30+ Year resident
• Tim Patton, VP Harbor Springs Voter, Business Owner, resident
• Janie Jenkins, Treasurer Harbor Springs resident, Voter
• Mark Wagoner, Secretary – Mark also serves as legal counsel for WLHS

Service Providers

To ensure we comply with all State and Federal laws for 501(c)(4), we have engaged a skilled CPA and legal firm.

• CPA – Clifton Larson Allen
• Legal – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Supporters and Volunteers

We are 50+ dedicated individuals who contribute by writing content, conducting community outreach, conducting research, and attending City Hall meetings. Content published under We Love Harbor Springs is a team effort, so attributed to the organization rather than an individual.  All content is written by volunteers unless explicitly noted, for example, a consultant’s report.

Our principal focus is on regional policy to preserve and protect Harbor Springs.  Many of our volunteers are also active in other volunteer and political activities.  Many donors and volunteers prefer to remain anonymous, so they are not listed.

• Nan Mautz – Harbor Springs Resident
• Helen and Kevin Gitre – Harbor Springs Residents
• Becky Baccus – Harbor Springs Resident
• Jim and Cindy Randazzo – Harbor Springs Residents
• Cindy Demerino – Harbor Springs Resident
• John McHenry – Harbor Springs Resident
• The Anton Family – Harbor Springs Residents
• Debby Pirrung – Harbor Springs Resident
• Trigg and Ellen Waller – Harbor Springs Residents
• Pam and Fred Ball – Harbor Springs Residents
• Juan and Jennifer Muzquiz – Harbor Springs Residents
• Seth and Consuelo Pierrepont – Harbor Springs Residents
• Robert and Patricia Hall – Harbor Springs Residents
• Frank Raine – Harbor Springs Resident
• Lotsie and Rik Holton – Harbor Springs Residents
• Patrick Kenney – Harbor Springs Resident
• Mike and Mauri Kilbourn: Harbor Springs Residents. Advocate for voting YES on the ballot proposal to send the new zoning code back to the Planning Commission for revisions, believing that preserving Harbor Springs’ charm is crucial.
• Amy Waller and David Anderson – Harbor Springs Residents
• Jim Sprow – Harbor Springs Residents
• Andrew Pappas – Harbor Springs Residents
• John Canadro – Harbor Springs Residents 

There has been a concerning effort to question the rights of our volunteers and supporters to participate in City discussions or vote.   It has caused many volunteers and supporters to avoid and ask to avoid public notice.  Anonymous support of free speech is a foundational principle of the United States, notably starting with the Federalist Papers, and extending to this day in the rules associated with 501(c)4 organizations.

Researchers

Harbor Springs residents and visitors. We strive to preserve Harbor Springs’ unique history and natural beauty, providing factual research that guides the articles we share with the public.

Karin Reid Offield: Harbor Springs Resident. With a backgound in equestrian promotion and land conservation, Karin successfully worked with the Sedona, AZ community to prevent development. She attends City Council, Planning Commission, and Downtown Development Authority  meetings to understand Harbor Springs’ leadership process.

Carter Williams: Harbor Springs Resident. Focused on national policy and innovation to cure diabetes and improve agriculture. Carter values Harbor Springs’ sense of community and its unique blend of residents and visitors, advocating for sensible growth.

Jay Kenney: Harbor Springs Resident.  As an internal medicine doctor, Jay focuses on improving health and well-being. His involvement with WLHS stems from years of a deep appreciation for Harbor Springs’ natural beauty and historic character, advocating for new leadership to address ongoing community conflicts.

Maureen Kenney: Harbor Springs Resident. A six-year involvement in city issues, Maureen has become an advocate for preserving Harbor Springs’ beauty and historic integrity, particularly concerned about the rushed approval of the zoning changes.

Newsletter

Our policy-focused newsletter has more than 1,400 active subscribers.  It is designed to educate the community on policy and activity in the City, so that citizens and property owners can engage more effectively on policy.  It is an intense weekly effort that follows the various committees and activities in the City and Emmet County.

Our Sourcing Rules

While we are a volunteer organization, we make mistakes; our editorial standards and sourcing strive to adhere to the following:

• Our coverage is document‑first. We cite meeting minutes, ordinances, budgets, assessor and planning reports, and adopted policies. We strive to correct mistakes quickly and welcome fact‑checks.

• Primary sources. We link to City Council, Planning Commission, and DDA minutes; staff and assessor reports; adopted ordinances; and official budgets.

• Citation style: Quotes or Link + concise attribution (e.g., “Council minutes, December 20, 2021”).

• Numbers with a baseline. Every number gets context and a “so‑what” sentence.

• Corrections policy: When we err, we fix it within the online text and note the change at the bottom of the page. Contact us anytime.