In a community that includes year-round and seasonal residents, as well as an increasing tourism market, how do you think about balancing economic drivers, natural resources, community well-being, and infrastructure needs? What concerns and opportunities do you see in our town’s unique makeup?

Our town’s unique mix of year-round residents, seasonal residents, and visitors is one of our greatest strengths, but it also means that we have to think carefully about what sustainable growth looks like.

Tourism and seasonal residency are important economic drivers. They support local businesses, create jobs, generate revenue, and bring energy and investment into the community. At the same time, I believe our long-term success depends on maintaining a strong year-round community. That means ensuring that people who work here can also afford to live here, that local businesses can operate beyond the peak season, and that residents continue to have access to the services and quality of life they need.

I am particularly concerned about the pressures that growth can place on housing, transportation, water and wastewater systems, public safety, healthcare, parking, and other infrastructure. In a resort community, infrastructure often has to accommodate peak-season demand even though the year-round population may be relatively small. We should be thoughtful about anticipating those needs rather than continually responding to them after problems arise.

Our natural resources are also economic assets, not something separate from economic development. The landscape, water, open spaces, recreational opportunities, and overall character of the community are often exactly what attract residents and visitors. Protecting those resources therefore supports both environmental stewardship and the town’s long-term economic health.

Housing is another important part of the equation. If teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, hospitality employees, municipal staff, and other members of the local workforce cannot reasonably live in or near the community, that eventually affects businesses, public services, and the character of the town itself. I would want us to explore thoughtful approaches to workforce and attainable housing while recognizing that development needs to fit the scale and character of the community.

I also see significant opportunities. A growing tourism market gives us the chance to strengthen local businesses, expand year-round economic activity, invest in recreation and public spaces, improve infrastructure, and create experiences that encourage visitors to support the community rather than simply pass through it. There may also be opportunities to better connect seasonal residents with the year-round community through volunteerism, philanthropy, civic engagement, and support of local organizations and businesses.

Ultimately, I would evaluate major decisions by asking several questions: Does this strengthen the year-round community? Does it protect the natural resources and character that make this place special? Can our infrastructure support it? Does it contribute to a healthy local economy? And will the benefits still make sense ten or twenty years from now?

I don't think economic vitality, environmental stewardship, and community well-being have to be competing goals. Done thoughtfully, they reinforce one another. The goal should not be to prevent change, but to manage change intentionally so that growth enhances the community rather than gradually changing the very qualities that make it special.

• I’ve mentioned this in a few other questions briefly…
• This topic will be forever changing from year to year. We’ve become a destination to visit from people all over the world. I think about 1/3 of the city is only year around residents. City continues to improve on its ability to handle the influx on seasonal visitors. Where I think the city could help itself is come up with a better way of charging for services from those who don’t live within the city. It’s not fair for the city residents to absorb all or much of the cost.

As the question implies, balance.and proportion are important. City council does not determine the market forces that result in business decisions at a granular level, but does have a hand in creating an environment where people want to be. There are only so many places to put more cars, only so many seats in the restaurants, only so many cooks.

"The City" has powers and limitations as to what we can do. Best is to anticipate and adapt. For example, no one saw the web-based short-term rental issue coming until it arrived. Best practice is to seek balance, scale, proportionality. The bathwater is a problem, but the baby is the priority.

We can learn a lot from the experiences of other fine communities dealing with the same issues we face; maintaining balance between individual and community interests. I will seek wisdom wherever I can find it,

Harbor Springs works best when we plan for the people who treat it as home. A 2026 study of downtown visitors shows why: the one-third who return again and again make about three-quarters of all visits. The other two-thirds come once a year. They are welcome, but the city pays for their restrooms, trash pickup, and parking in July, while our tax base barely moves and many of the jobs they support end in September. I believe we have to ask two questions of every major proposal. What does it add in February? What does it cost us in July? Then aim our downtown dollars at the off-season, when our shops and restaurants need people most.

Because of my long association with the City, I am very cognizant of the various constituencies we represent. Over the years I have interfaced with many of the different factions, past and present, and been exposed to their varied reasons for being here and hopes and assumptions about the future of this town. This is why I'm so committed to the need for a universal "Master Plan". We need to address the hard questions. Firstly, do we really believe we can direct the future of this town, or are at the mercy of forces beyond our control that are going to drive the future of Harbor Springs? If the answer to that question is "No, we want to be in control", then we can go on to questions like "Do we want to be a Tourist town like Mackinaw City?, or "Do we want to be a historical museum town like Greenfield Village"? If our answer is, "Well no, we want to be a mixture of all these types of towns", then we should get objective and say "Okay, we want to be twenty percent Tourist, Fifty percent seasonal and investment, ten percent commercial and the rest residential. I know this sounds a bit clinical, but this is where a good and mutually supported Master Plan can radically assist us in dealing with specific questions relating to everything from Budgeting to Planning and Zoning.