City Council Meeting - 2020-03-31

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs City Council Special Meeting — March 31, 2020 ATTENDEES: Mayor Beguera; Councilmembers Cups, Johnston, Leo and Nowakowski; city staff and members of the public participated by phone, livestream and in person. • Council adopted Administrative Ordinance 2020-1, creating a temporary moratorium on short-term rentals. The action was taken amid concerns that visitors could increase local exposure to the virus and strain medical resources. The recorded roll call was five yes votes; Councilmember Johnston said her yes vote was reluctant. • The adopted motion called for any bed-and-breakfasts in the city to be included in the moratorium. Council did not set a formal expiration date in the ordinance, but agreed to revisit the issue at its May 4 meeting. Members discussed mid-May as a planning guide only, noting conditions and government orders could change. • Council separately approved refunds for short-term-rental license fees paid to the city year to date. Staff said people already occupying short-term rentals could remain through their lease or contract; future short-term rentals were discussed as needing cancellation under the moratorium. • Public commenters questioned why hotels, resorts, second homes and longer-term rentals were not treated the same as short-term rentals. Staff said the city could not regulate Boyne Highlands outside city limits, that the Colonial Inn was not taking reservations until May 15 as of the meeting, and that the governor allowed second homeowners to travel to their second homes. Council urged second homeowners and longer-term arrivals to follow self-isolation and distancing requirements. • The police chief said rental enforcement would be complaint-driven, not door-to-door. Council decided not to publish the addresses of registered short-term rentals online after discussion of privacy, security and enforcement concerns. Police said they would obtain the list and monitor properties. • In other business, council unanimously approved including a separate price for brick borders around downtown tree grates in the forthcoming sidewalk/tree-base bid. The bids had not yet gone out. Council also declined to take up a city-backed downtown gift-card promotion, suggesting it could be a DDA matter. Worth watching: • Council is scheduled to review the rental moratorium May 4; the ordinance itself was described as having no formal end date. • Staff and police need to communicate and enforce the moratorium, including any applicable bed-and-breakfast operations. • The forthcoming downtown bid should show the brick-border option as a separate cost. Upcoming: The next scheduled council meeting was identified as April 20; the first May meeting was identified as May 4. Why it matters: The council’s actions temporarily limit short-term visitor lodging while preserving a later decision point as pandemic conditions evolve.

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