City Council Meeting - 2023-05-15

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — May 15, 2023 • Council approved the consent agenda by roll-call vote. A resident used public comment to urge changes to short-term-rental policy, including allowing the current number of licenses to decline through attrition and requiring city-issued placards at rental properties with responsible-party contact information. • Andrea Jacobs of Housing North presented an Emmet County housing update. She said new regional housing-needs-assessment data are expected in June and identified water and sewer capacity, infrastructure expansion, traffic, and coordinated planning as major constraints on housing growth. She described regional projects and emphasized a mix of housing choices rather than affordability alone. • Staff proposed applying for an MDARD Rural Readiness grant, potentially worth up to $50,000, to help support future participation in the Housing Ready program. Staff said a successful grant could cover 80% of three years of the city’s anticipated $10,000 annual contribution, with the city providing the remaining match. A motion to apply was made and seconded; the transcript does not state the final vote. • Council accepted an MEDC grant agreement tied to the city’s zoning-code update. Staff said the award could cover 75% of consultant costs—about $25,000 of an estimated $33,000—if project milestones are met. The city is already working with Beckett & Raeder on the update. • Council discussed a request from Green Fire to keep a construction trailer at Indiantown Park through the end of the year while it builds adjacent housing for residents age 55 and older. Members said the trailer should not interfere with park use, but stressed no contractor parking on park property and restoration of any damage. A motion was made and seconded; no final vote is recorded in the transcript. • Staff announced a $75,000 Highlands chairlift-auction donation for the skate park, bringing funds above $350,000; construction was anticipated to begin in September or October. The boardwalk project was reported on pace for completion by the Fourth of July, weather permitting. Worth watching: • Whether the MDARD application is approved and whether Council continues Housing Ready funding during budget deliberations if it is not. • Completion of the zoning-code update milestones required for MEDC reimbursement. • Final action and site impacts related to the Indiantown Park trailer request. Upcoming: Joint economic-development meeting May 22 at 6 p.m.; Arbor Fest May 27, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; planting day May 24. Why it matters: Grant funding, zoning reform, and infrastructure planning will shape the city’s capacity to support future housing and development.

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