Untitled Post 3632

Peter H. Askew 153 Zoll Street Harbor Springs, MI 49740 November 21, 2025 Mayor Thomas Graham, Jr., Members of the City Council City of Harbor Springs 160 Zoll Street Harbor Springs, MI 49740 Dear Mayor Graham and Members of the City Council, I urge you to take a hard and honest look at the workload being forced upon you over the next 30 days by the outgoing City Manager. The volume and pace of what he is pushing onto your agenda are unrealistic and leave you without the time necessary to exercise sound judgment on the major decisions now in front of you. Two issues rise above everything else: the 2026 budget and the selection of a new City Manager. Both require focus, time, and thoughtful decision-making, none of which are possible under the schedule you are currently being handed. The City Charter sets specific requirements for the timing of the budget hearing and the final adoption of the 2026 budget. Several of these deadlines have already been missed. The Council should now make meeting the remaining December deadlines its top priority. Instead, the November 17th meeting spent valuable time on trivial matters, including discussion of a wedding and on new member training that, while admirable, is not legally required. What is required was the submission of the 2026 budget by the City Manager on November 17th, yet that critical item never even appeared on the agenda. The hiring of a new City Manager is the most consequential decision you will make. The process must be deliberate and well considered. Instead, you are being placed on an impossible timeline. Proposals are due to the outgoing City Manager on December 4th, and you are being told to select a firm at the December 8th meeting, immediately following a public budget hearing. This means you are expected to evaluate proposals to fill one of the most important leadership roles in this city with only a few business days to review them. This is not responsible governance. It is a rushed, ill-conceived schedule being imposed by someone who is already on his way out the door. You should not allow an outgoing City Manager to force you into making poorly informed decisions that will impact this community for years to come. The stakes are too high, and our city cannot afford another misstep, especially in choosing its next City Manager. I strongly urge the Council to reassert control over its own process, reset the schedule, and prioritize work that truly matters above everything else. The zoning code presentation the outgoing City Manager is forcing upon you at the December 1s meeting, then again at a public hearing on December 15"h (his last day as the City Manager) can wait. The city does not have a zoning problem today. It has a City Manager problem. Sincerely, P.4.J Peter H. Askew Cc: Victor Sinadinoski, City Manager