City Council Meeting - 2020-02-17

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs City Council Meeting — February 17, 2020 ATTENDEES: John Cox, John Leo, CeCe Johnson, and Matt Rivera were recorded present; Maggie Turkus was absent. • Council approved the February 3 meeting minutes and authorized payment of bills after the bill committee recommended payment. • Council authorized staff to recruit a year-round, part-time Parks and Recreation Director. Staff described a 25-30-hour weekly position intended to manage parks and park staff, organize recreation programming, coordinate with organizations and businesses, and pursue grants. The estimated annual cost presented was $26,000-$39,000, with possible program-fee revenue discussed as a partial offset. • The parks presentation cited 214 responses to a public survey. Staff said respondents most commonly reported walking and swimming in city parks, while suggestions included improved bathrooms, benches and picnic tables, playground equipment, a dog park, and recreation activities such as yoga, tennis, pickleball, paddling and swimming. • Council adopted three assessing resolutions: raising the hardship-exemption asset threshold from 20% to 50% of the applicable federal poverty guideline; allowing waiver of certain late property-transfer-affidavit penalties; and allowing resident taxpayers to submit Board of Review assessment protests by letter rather than appearing in person. • A request to burn brush from tree removal near Glen Drive was deferred. The requester said burning while snow remains would be the practical option, but council sought notification and feedback from nearby property owners before considering permission. Staff suggested using the city’s usual 300-foot mailing method. • Council approved an airport lease assignment for Harbor Hangars LLC’s proposed leasehold condominium project for three hangar units. Staff also agreed to examine alternative locations for the City Hall sign because its current size and placement can obscure donated statues and interfere with garden presentation and maintenance. • Staff announced that Officer Matt Pater hopes to retire around the first part of May. The city plans to post the position, while the manager said there would not be an overlap period with a replacement. Staff also said ferry-license negotiations with the Little Traverse Bay Ferry Foundation were nearly complete. Worth watching: • Neighbor notification and a council decision on the Glen Drive brush-burning request are pending. • Staff will return with City Hall sign-location options. • Council intends to review the farmers market’s Main Street use before the summer season. Upcoming: The brush-burning request was expected to return for the March 2 council meeting; staff also expected to bring the ferry license agreement to council in March. Why it matters: The meeting moved the city toward expanded recreation services while setting follow-up steps for property impacts, downtown event management, and infrastructure accountability.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.