City Council Meeting - 2023-05-01

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs City Council Meeting — May 1, 2023 ATTENDEES: John Leo, Jamie Melke, Matt Ruggiero and Nancy Rondell were recorded present; John Cups was absent. • Council approved updated short-term-rental rules. The ordinance caps licenses in the R-1 and AR districts at 61 and creates a waitlist when that cap is reached. Short-term rentals remain licensed citywide, but the cap applies only in the specified single-family districts. Staff said the city was already at 61 licenses and had no current waitlist. • Council amended the proposed short-term-rental rules on succession. If a license holder dies, the license can continue only through that calendar year. It will not transfer to a spouse or other successor; anyone seeking a future license must use the waitlist. Council discussed, but did not adopt, a Planning Commission suggestion to aim to reduce rentals to 5% of homes in the affected districts. • Ordinance No. 436, the revised noise-control ordinance, was approved. Among the changes, radios, sound amplifiers and musical instruments are limited to 55 decibels from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The ordinance also revises hours for louder lawn equipment and construction, exempts the city noon whistle, and addresses church and artificial bells. • The Farmers Market reported its 2023 season will run from May 27 through October 14, with Wednesday markets beginning May 31. The market requested a shed for equipment and signs, trash and recycling access, raised garden beds for children’s programming, and possibly a bike rack. Council discussed a shed designed on skids so it could be relocated for winter snow operations, and supported staff coordination on the requests. A trial of one garden bed was discussed. • Council approved a donation-acceptance policy to guide review of gifts to the city, including maintenance costs, public safety, aesthetics and consistency with city plans. It also approved the 2023-2028 clerical union agreement. The agreement takes effect June 1, along with City Hall hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and shorter staff lunch periods. • Staff announced three applications for a seasonal marine-enforcement officer position; an IT security assessment expected in May; Arbor Fest on May 27; and a joint economic-development forum. Worth watching: • Staff must implement and administer the new short-term-rental waitlist and communicate the new succession rule to current license holders. • Farmers Market storage, recycling, garden-bed and bike-rack details remain to be coordinated with city staff. • Council entered closed session on a proposed property and utility-related exchange involving 231 East Bluff Street; no outcome appears in the transcript. Upcoming: A joint Council, Planning Commission, DDA and Chamber economic-development meeting is scheduled for May 22 at 6 p.m. at Holy Childhood Community Center; Arbor Fest is May 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Kiwanis Park. Why it matters: The actions establish new operating rules for rentals, noise, donations and city staffing while leaving several implementation details for follow-through.

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