City Council Meeting - 2022-10-03

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs City Council Meeting — October 3, 2022 ATTENDEES: Council members Al Dega, John Leo, Nancy Rondell, John Copps and Matt McGarry were recorded present at roll call. • Council opened and closed a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Downtown Development Authority’s development plan and second amendment to its tax-increment-financing plan. The proposal would extend the plan through December 31, 2038. Staff said adoption resolutions and ordinances would be held until the October 17 meeting. • The DDA presentation described a proposed 15-year implementation cost of $1,792,500: up to $1,377,500 for development projects and $415,000 for other projects. Potential work includes streetscape, sidewalks, lighting, merchant walkway improvements, benches, bike racks, public-restroom planning, parks and business-support programs. Staff said the DDA boundaries would not change. • Staff said the TIF captures increases in taxable value above the 2014 base year and reallocates that revenue from the City, Emmet County, North Central Michigan College and Lakeview Cemetery. The presentation said it would not increase taxes for central-business-district property owners. Council members said the plan would remain subject to annual budget review and could evolve over time. • Public commenters opposed or criticized aspects of the proposal. Concerns included the 15-year term, lack of sufficiently specific projects, the condition and planning process for the merchant walkway, notice to adjacent property owners, competitive bidding, and signage directing visitors to Uptown businesses. A statement submitted for an absent property owner opposed turning the merchant walkway into a gathering area and said the owner had not been contacted before demolition near the property line. • Council approved installation of six arborvitae as a hedgerow in the street right-of-way at 821 Ottawa Street. Staff reported no utility or public-safety concern at the location. The applicant will maintain the plants, and the city retains authority to remove them if needed. A neighboring resident said he had no objection. • The city manager reported ongoing State Street sidewalk replacement and said MDOT expects M-119 to be closed through October while a plan is developed to repair a washout area. The manager also reported that Planning Commission recommended a short-term-rental scoring system and a limit of 40 short-term rentals in residential districts; the matter is expected to come before council. Worth watching: • Whether council adopts, modifies, or delays the DDA development and TIF amendments on October 17. • How the city responds to public concerns about merchant walkway planning, property access, notice and contracting. • The forthcoming council discussion of short-term-rental rules amid pending Michigan Senate consideration of related legislation. Upcoming: An M-119 Phase 3 and 4 easement meeting for affected property owners is planned for October 13; a volunteer tree-planting event is planned for October 8 at 11 a.m. Why it matters: The DDA plan would guide downtown funding and projects through 2038, while pending transportation, tree-planting and short-term-rental actions affect city infrastructure and neighborhood policy.

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