We’ve Got This

Another gorgeous fall weekend in the books. We are near peak color and the temperatures are feeling very October. This is the time of the year where the last of our summer guests head to warmer climates --- leaving us hardy few who call Harbor home year-round to begin to brace for snow.

Folks who call other parts of the country home, have lots of ideas about how we should run our city. Heck, people who live in Birchwood seem to have lots of thoughts as well. But ultimately it will be those of us who are registered to vote in Harbor Springs who will decided if we keep the zoning code our neighbors worked to update.

We've heard one of the complaints about the new code is that we held meetings all year round, particularly when summer guest weren't here to participate.

Turns out, we do lots of stuff all year round when it's just us. We plow the snow, we groom the hills, we keep the electricity going, fight the fires, patrol the streets, we open the stores, put on the snow tires, cheer on the kids, teach classes, drive the buses, go to church, and take care of one another.

And we go to committee meetings. The complaint sounds a lot like the city should close up shop when our guests leave. We should only do the important work required to keep our town running in the summer when it is convenient for seasonal residents to participate if they choose.

Who the heck wants to spend the entire summer in Harbor Springs stuck in committee meetings?

Look, input from all is great and can help us make better decisions. But they are ultimately OUR decisions. Being a registered voter in a community comes with rights and responsibilities. We take them seriously.

One can hope that all the folks with "yes" signs in front of their summer homes and rental properties are equally involved in the communities where they actually live.

Oh, and one more thing...you know what else we get to do that summer folks can't? We get to go to City Hall on November 5th and vote "NO" to keep our new zoning code.