City Council Regular Meeting

Detailed briefing

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING — JANUARY 20, 2025 ATTENDEES: Five council members were recorded present, including Tom Graham; several other names were not fully clear in the transcript. • Council unanimously approved the consent agenda after incorporating corrected December 16 minutes and requesting an updated event application with a map and departmental signoffs. A resident also asked the city to retain prior meeting agendas and packets online instead of replacing them when new materials are posted. • Council unanimously authorized the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society to replace the museum roof. The Society said the work is funded through its capital campaign and could begin in February. During discussion, the selected upgrade was described as a 35-year roof costing $600 more than the base option. Required insurance documents must be provided before an agreement is signed. • Michigan Public Power Agency CEO Patrick Bowland explained the city’s participation in shared power purchasing, regulatory compliance and long-term resource planning. He said renewable sources supplied 10% of Harbor Springs’ energy in 2015 and 27% in 2025. He warned that Michigan faces reliability and affordability challenges as fossil-fuel plants retire, renewable requirements increase and electricity demand grows. • The police chief reported 15,068 service events, 364 reports, 1,121 foot patrols, 5,565 property checks, 910 traffic stops and 80 crashes in 2024. The department maintained officer coverage throughout the year while staying under its overtime budget. It plans to pursue Michigan law-enforcement accreditation instead of the more expensive national CALEA program. • Parks staff reported a $500,000 donation for Kiwanis Park improvements and reviewed possible priorities including the eastern boardwalk, Zoll Street beach restrooms, Shay Park and the bike path. Council supported bringing back boardwalk design options and updated costs before deciding whether and how to proceed. Council also supported developing a fundraising committee rather than assigning all fundraising work to parks staff. • Council amended its Rules of Order to add formal approval of the agenda near the beginning of future meetings. Council reviewed, but did not approve, the draft economic development strategy. Members will return with specific questions or proposed changes. A motion to reappoint Jim Bartlett to the Harbor Commission failed; Karen Straw Donnelly was then appointed to a term expiring in 2026. Worth watching: 1. Updated eastern boardwalk options, costs and the status of property easements. 2. The funding plan for beach restroom repairs and other competing parks projects. 3. Revisions and eventual approval of the economic development strategy. Upcoming: Court of Appeals oral arguments in the Andrew Potter lawsuit are scheduled for February 5; the museum roof project may begin in February. Why it matters: Council advanced several infrastructure and governance decisions while leaving major questions about park priorities, fundraising and economic-development policy unresolved.

Agenda items

• 1 · Call to Orderdiscussed
• 2 · Roll Calldiscussed
• 3 · Approval of Agendaapproved
• 4 · Approval of Minutes - January 6, 2025approved
• 5 · MPPA Presentation - Patrick Bowlanddiscussed
• 6 · Annual Police Department Reportdiscussed
• 7 · Annual Parks and Recreation Reportdiscussed
• 8 · HSAHS Roof Replacementapproved
• 9 · Council Rules of Order Amendmentapproved
• 10 · EDS (Economic Development Strategy)tabled
• 11 · Harbor Commission Appointmentapproved
• 12 · Bills and Payrollapproved

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

Related issues

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