What are the biggest challenges the City is facing in the next five years, and do you have ideas on how you’d like to see those challenges addressed?

Infrastructure will always be a challenge, but always should remain a top priority. Therefore, I believe that separating our planning process for capital spending from the budget process will help us be able to prioritize projects and ensure there is funding so that our infrastructure can be maintained. We need to do this with preservation, charm, and strategic growth in mind.

Our City staff is an integral part of the everyday operations in Harbor Springs; with the anticipated upcoming staff turnover due to retirement, City Council will need to support the City Manager in assessing what positions are necessary to run the city well and within the confines of the budget. Ensuring policies are in place for recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training will need to be up to date to bring the right people on board.

Over the next five years, the challenges facing the city may be many of the same we are experiencing today: short-term rentals, lack of affordable housing, the availability of a stable workforce, and an aging population. These challenges are all interconnected. What happens with housing affects our ability to attract and retain a workforce, while our aging population creates additional needs for housing and services. These challenges, if left unaddressed, will impact the future of Harbor Springs. We need to be proactive in addressing them.

Putting off hard decisions is an expensive decision to make. A 2021 engineering study outlined that a new electric substation was needed at a price of $2.75 million. By the time the project reached the city's capital plan, the price had reached $4.67 million. We are now seeking an $8 million bond to cover the new substation. The sewer pump station at Ford Park runs on 1972 equipment, and the budget is yet to include the millions it will cost to fix or upgrade. The city needs to address the water main along Bay Street. Deferred maintenance, repairs and upgrades come back on our utility bill, with interest.

For storms or emergency situations, start with the tools we already provide. Our regional 911 center's BE ALERT and Smart911 systems send emergency notices by text, email, or phone call and let dispatchers see your medical needs ahead of time. The city could sign up every household, starting with neighbors who live alone or rely on medical equipment.

The biggest and most pressing challenge I see facing the City currently is the division and contention surrounding almost all issues being raised in the public meetings. To me, it seems, we are collectively spending a great deal of time and energy concentrating on dis-agreement. My solution is to consciously take a step back and begin to focus on fundamental principles that most of us can agree on. As we elaborate these common or shared values, we will gradually develop a consensual vision for the future of Harbor Springs that will aid us in coming to mutually agreeable answers to the many hurdles the City Faces. This common vision is what I regularly refer to as the "Master Plan". There are three main attributes that I feel are critical to the effectiveness of this "Master Plan". One; that all goals and references are clearly defined; two, that the goals be highly objective, not subjective; and three, that the goals be prioritized so that we remove doubt about how we want the city to change.

• Challenges I see coming… City Electrical Grid update. That is a major upgrade that is needed and will be up to city staff to keep things on track.
• City Infrastructure…City has a good plan already in place and we need to continue to progress and plan for future
• Preservation of downtown. This is a touchy subject and has a variety of opinions tagged to it. So much has changed over the decades and we need to find a balance between old and new. Not everyone will agree with this but need to find balance.
• Tourism and influx of people over the summer months. We’ve been over marketed the past several years. People are flocking to Harbor Springs Area, more every year. Our marina, our surroundings, it’s a beautiful area to visit. How do we manage it…can’t stop it, so we need to plan for it.
• Housing…Unfortunately this is a never-ending issue and will continue for years to come. Rentals, housing markets, and other things have contributed to the city having fewer full-time residents, and the age of those full-time residents has increased. Younger families cannot afford to live in the city and even in our surrounding townships. This will be a topic and battle for years to come. I don’t have a good answer for this one.

Internal challenges always include balancing available resources with needs, wants and demands of the community. Infrastructure will always need attention and we have some substantial projects on the horizon that require thoughtful planning and community engagement. Attracting and retaining talent, both in house staff and supporting professionals, is always a priority.

External challenges are not always forseeable, although many are obvious. We are less insulated from the rest of the world with each passing day. Allowing the community to flourish without losing the commons we share is a challenge, holding to the ideal while remaining pragmatic is also about balance.