Harbor Springs City Council Meeting January 4 2021

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs City Council — January 4, 2021 • Council approved the December 21 meeting minutes and accepted the bills. No public phone, YouTube, or Zoom comments were reported at the start of public comment. • Staff outlined an accelerated schedule for a land-acquisition grant application due April 1. The city must complete public meetings, environmental work, an appraisal, fundraising commitments, and a conceptual plan. Staff said the city needs to show $1.25 million in matching funds. The property’s Great Lakes frontage and adjacency to city land may help, but its small size, wetland area, and limited traditional recreation potential could affect grant scoring. • Public input on the land proposal is planned to begin with an advertised January 18 council meeting. Staff said a survey could also be developed, but emphasized the need for real-time discussion because of the short application timeline. Ideas mentioned included an outdoor educational or interpretive park, wildlife viewing, trails, and partnerships with the Little Traverse Conservancy. • Council supported beginning fundraising planning for the land acquisition. Harbor Inc. said it is interested in playing a significant role and will discuss participation with its board. Council members and members of the public volunteered to help form a fundraising committee; staff will coordinate the committee structure. • The city discussed a possible $65,000 Kiwanis Park donation from the Mary Claire Reynolds Joyce Foundation for a magic carpet or tow rope. Staff presented it as a possible first phase of a larger winter-park vision, alongside warming-lodge, parking, bathroom, and safety improvements. Council members raised concerns about operational staffing, safety, liability, estimated usage, snow conditions, and committing before the broader plan is established. No commitment to install a lift was made. • Council adopted amended Ordinance 428 on short-term rentals. The approved amendment removed the proposed restriction on parking in the street right-of-way and replaced “fire suppressors” with “fire extinguishers.” Members said broader decisions on the number and role of short-term rentals should be informed by the master-plan update and housing discussion. Worth watching: • Whether the city can secure documented fundraising commitments for the land grant’s $1.25 million match before the April 1 deadline. • Whether the Kiwanis Park donor will allow time or flexibility for further planning rather than require an immediate lift commitment. • How master-plan findings shape future short-term-rental and year-round-housing policy. Upcoming: An advertised public discussion of the land-acquisition grant is planned for the January 18 council meeting. Why it matters: The council is balancing near-term grant and donation opportunities against long-term costs, public input, housing policy, and the city’s capacity to operate new amenities.

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