City Council Meeting - 2022-12-19

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — December 19, 2022 • Council confirmed the DDA special assessment roll after a public hearing. Staff said the roll covers businesses in the DDA district and described the assessment as $1 per day. No public comment on the roll was recorded before the council approved the resolution. • Council adopted the 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Plan. The plan removed the estimated $40,000 Ford Park window-replacement project because the future use of that building is not known. Staff emphasized that the capital plan is a planning tool and does not itself approve each listed project. • Council approved the 2022 amended budget and the 2023 proposed budget. Changes included limiting an operating transfer to $25,000 rather than $150,000 and not committing city funds to the boardwalk project at this time. Staff said the general fund is projected to have about a $101,000 surplus, which could be reserved for the boardwalk if needed. • Harbor Springs Market received approval for proposed parking and site changes that extend partly into city right-of-way. Conditions require a drainage plan, removal of the northernmost proposed parking space on Harrison Street near a hydrant and intersection, and an agreement that the business will repave the area if city utility or infrastructure work requires excavation there. • Council agreed to restart Charter amendment work focused on outdated provisions and provisions that conflict with state law. The goal discussed was possible placement on a November ballot, though staff noted the work would need to move quickly and require Attorney General review and public education. • Council made board and commission appointments and reappointments, including action affecting the ZBA, Planning Commission, Parks Board, Tree Board, DDA, and Board of Review. The Parks Board was discussed for expansion to seven members, with a later ordinance or bylaw change anticipated. Worth watching: • Whether Charter amendment proposals can be prepared, reviewed, and submitted in time for a November ballot. • Harbor Springs Market’s drainage design and right-of-way agreement before the parking changes proceed. • Boardwalk construction bids and the remaining fundraising needed for the project. Upcoming: The next council meeting is January 16; city offices, DPW, and City Hall were announced closed December 23 and 26 and December 30 and January 2. The city noise survey remains open through February 1. Why it matters: The council set the city’s near-term budget and capital priorities while advancing a downtown assessment, a major private-site parking change, and potential Charter modernization.

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