City Council Meeting - 2023-02-06

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — February 6, 2023 • Council awarded a boardwalk construction bid after reviewing six proposals. Staff said bids were evaluated equally on price, proximity, company experience, and understanding of the project, with reference and background checks included. The transcript does not clearly identify the contractor selected. Staff reported the lowest bid was $526,094 and said approximately $390,000 had been raised in donations; fundraising will continue during construction. Staff estimated the city could need additional funding depending on the final project cost and donations. • Council awarded Cupps Masonry the $22,095 sidewalk contract for roughly 800 square feet on East Bluff Drive. Staff said the city received only one bid and that future annual pedestrian-walkway spending may be more than $30,000, depending on revenue and taxable values. • Council approved Ballard’s proposal, estimated at about $9,600, to replace two police-department furnaces: one serving the garage and one leaking unit in the building. Staff said the expense would come from general-fund surplus revenue. • The police chief presented the 2022 annual report. The department completed 383 reports and responded to 11,900 nature-of-events calls. It recorded 710 foot patrols, 4,615 property checks, 492 public-relations contacts, 179 traffic citations, seven operating-while-impaired cases, and 578 parking tickets. The chief identified parking enforcement technology, uniforms, in-house training, and new computers among 2023 goals. • Parks staff reported about $390,000 raised for the boardwalk and nearly $270,000 for the skate park. Skate-park construction was described as scheduled for 2023, while boardwalk fundraising continues. Other 2023 work includes the Zorn Beach playground, Kiwanis Park planning, and consideration of Harborview Park concepts. • Council adopted a Boards and Commissions Handbook and a fund-balance policy. The policy sets a minimum general-fund reserve equal to nine months of operating costs and creates a repair-and-replacement fund for infrastructure and major assets. • Council reached consensus not to pursue a year-round EarthCam downtown livestream, while indicating a limited holiday stream could be acceptable. Staff also reported that R-1 and AR short-term-rental licenses are fully allocated for 2023. Worth watching: • Continued boardwalk fundraising and the city’s eventual contribution remain unresolved. • Staff will bring sidewalk snow-removal operations and possible policy priorities back for council discussion. • The city is awaiting a legal opinion on options related to county downtown TIF capture. Upcoming: The Harbor Springs Chamber announced Coffee and Conversation at the police station on March 2, from 8 to 10 a.m. Why it matters: Council committed funds to immediate infrastructure needs while setting longer-term reserve rules and continuing major park and boardwalk projects.

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