City Council Regular Meeting

Detailed briefing

City Council Regular Meeting — January 5, 2026 ATTENDEES: All five City Council members were present; city staff, planning officials, consultants, and members of the public also participated. - Council formally established a personnel committee made up of two council members, the city attorney, clerk, and city manager. Kathy Motschall and Jamie Melke were appointed as the council representatives. The committee is advisory and is expected to provide input on personnel matters, including direction for positions such as Parks and Recreation director. - Council approved moving forward with Walsh Municipal Services for the city manager recruitment and authorized the interim city manager to enter into the contract. Recruiter Frank Walsh addressed concerns about his employment history and his simultaneous role as Branch County administrator. The motion carried. The original March 1 search target will be extended because the contract was not finalized in December. - Walsh said the January 20-23 city managers conference at Grand Traverse Resort is an important recruitment opportunity. He said potential candidates have already contacted him, although he had not begun discussions because the city’s process was not yet ready. - Council informally agreed that subcommittees should be advisory, should not make binding decisions, and should report to their parent boards or commissions. The discussion favored using members of the appointing board on its working groups. Council did not adopt a formal written policy or motion. - A public hearing examined the proposed zoning code, including planned developments, downtown parking, building height, and administrative review. The proposal has no minimum acreage for planned developments, exempts the Central Business District from parking requirements, and caps downtown buildings at 35 feet rather than specifying a number of stories. Speakers differed over whether the planned-development standards provide useful flexibility or too much subjective discretion. - Council adopted the October 21, 2025 zoning code proposal with the planning consultant’s November 20 recommendations, January 5 revisions, and added language sending a matter to the Planning Commission if any Administrative Review Committee member requests further review. The roll call produced three yes votes and two no votes, so the motion carried. Worth watching: - The planning consultant must produce a revised zoning document accurately incorporating all amendments approved in the motion. - The city manager recruitment timeline now extends beyond March 1, but no replacement completion date was set. - Council raised unresolved questions about requiring applications or council review for all events held on city property. Upcoming: An Ice Fest application is expected at the next council meeting; a Parks and Recreation event at Kiwanis Park was said to be scheduled for Saturday, January 10; the city managers conference is January 20-23. Why it matters: Council advanced the city manager search and approved zoning rules that will govern future development, downtown parking, building form, and project review.

Agenda items

• 3 · Approval of Agendaapproved
• 4 · Consent Agenda - Bills and December 15 2025 Minutesapproved
• 5A · Personnel Committee Formationapproved
• 5B · Walsh Municipal Services City Manager Recruitment Processapproved
• 5C · Subcommittee Rules and Consistency Across All Boardsdiscussed
• 5D · Zoning Code Update Ordinance No. 442 Public Hearingapproved
• 1 · Call to Order / Roll Calldiscussed
• 2 · Personnel Committee Formationdiscussed
• 3 · City Manager Search - Walsh Municipal Services Contractdiscussed
• 4 · Zoning Code Ordinance No. 442 - Public Hearingdiscussed
• 5 · Subcommittee Rulesdiscussed

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

Related issues

• Zoning / Land Usediscussed
• Marina / Harbormaster Building Renovation and Waterfront Fund Recoverydiscussed
• Electric Infrastructurediscussed