City of Harbor Springs Parks and Recreation Board 3.10.26

Detailed briefing

### March 10, 2026 — Parks & Recreation Board Meeting ✓ SUMMARIZED **Meeting Date:** Tuesday, March 10, 2026 **Video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSauBj1CzI4 **Summary Posted to WLHS Banter:** Saturday, March 14, 2026, 08:00 UTC **Key Discussion Signals:** - Interim City Manager Kyle Knight told the board he had been contacted about a possible Monday agenda item involving an effort to eliminate the Tree Board and Parks & Recreation Board, and possibly address DDA structure separately. - Knight said council could disband the Tree Board and Parks & Recreation Board with three votes, while DDA authority may differ because of funding/legal structure. - Board members discussed that replacing an official advisory board with a "club" would reduce transparency, accountability, continuity, and staff support. - Participants argued the boards provide free civic labor, local knowledge, CIP prioritization help, and public process value at very low cost. - Easter egg hunt confirmed for April 4, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. **Civic Implications:** - This is a live governance issue, not just parks programming. - Removing advisory boards would likely weaken citizen participation and institutional memory more than it would solve budget pressure. - If council wants structural change, residents deserve a clear public rationale, legal basis, and an apples-to-apples comparison of what would be lost versus saved.

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