Last night, the Planning Commission held a Town Hall to hear about what residents might like to see in a new zoning code. I am so proud of the tone and tenor of the meeting. Yes, some very helpful and interesting ideas were discussed, but it was the community spirit that really stood out.

Please take some time to listen for yourself if, like me, were unable to be there in person. The video is live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=higm1BtyFT0

As we move into this time of public meetings about out new code, let's embrace our younger brains and remember our lessons in "object permanence." I hope that as many of you as possible can come to the 10 scheduled meetings to be held in the next month. But, just because you can't attend all of them, it doesn't mean they didn't happen. Comments will still be taken and new things learned.

Hello! I hope you all are enjoying the snow! I just got an email (because I am signed up for notifications) with the public engagement calendar. Over the next month, there will be both Town Halls and Open Houses to listen and learn from the residents of Harbor Springs. Holy Moly! It looks like 8 of the 10 meetings will be on Zoom.

Hello Harbor Springs! Last night the new Planning Commission held it's first meeting. Three new members were sworn in and took their seats. Great to have Chip, Kenny and Bob's voices added to the conversation.

I have posted my notes from the meeting here: https://www.forwardharborsprings.org/.../jan-9-planning...

Last night it was freezing. And yet, the feeling inside City Hall was warm and inviting. The Planning Commission gaveled to order and welcomed three new members: Cip Everest, Kenny Stewart and Bob Buckner.

Cutting, pikepole-ing and packing ice for the summer is perhaps the very best example of what some have rightly called the "symbiotic" relationship between our summer and local residents. Back in the day, if you wanted to enjoy cold drinks on wide porches while taking in the gorgeous lake views, someone needed to cut that ice in the frigid cold of winter.

So, what's the point of this frosty little story? In towns like ours, you do what you can do when you can get it done. Some have asked why code rewriting is happening in the winter. For those of us who serve on the city's committees, it is frankly when we have the time to do this kind of thing.

Welcome to 2025, Harbor Springs! This year we get to reconsider our zoning code. For those who worked so hard on the last version, this is a bittersweet opportunity. Their work last year helped to set the stage for this year’s thoughtful discussions. I know it is a bit Pollyannaish, but there aren't two sides to this conversation. There many different voices trying to find the best way forward.

Sounds simple. And it honestly can be...if everyone is willing to give a little and be honest with one another.

Volunteerism, support for both new neighbors and our neighboring communities, good thoughts and appreciation-hard to beat a meeting like this. Also, it was completed a half-hour early, an early Christmas miracle.

As we left and wished one another a happy holiday, things felt "lighter" somehow. Yes, there is a lot of work ahead of us all, but the meeting was civil, productive and there was even some laughter. This is a special place with a bright future-if we give each other a little grace and trust.

This is how it begins.

Tonight, I hope some of those who feel like they are on the outside are invited in to join us in the hard work of shaping next steps. Cheers and congratulations to all our city's appointees new and old. There is a lot of work to do and I know we can do it together!

This morning, I am inspired by the Harbor Springs 5th grade class who collected 1042 food items for the Harbor Springs Food Pantry. Each year for the last 21, our 5th graders have collected to give to those most in need. What a truly impactful tradition.

We've talked a lot about what makes community as we have discussed the zoning code, but we can learn a lot from our 5th graders. They took the time to serve others. People they did not know. Neighbors who need help.

Good morning! Wanted to share a few notes from last night's public hearing. After receiving public comments that nearly unanimously favored reinstating the old code while a new one is crafted, the Planning Commission approved a motion to recommend the City Council do just that.

Happy Thanksgiving, Harbor Springs!

There is much to be grateful for today. My intent when I started writing this message was to convey sincere gratitude. I hope that is where it ends up. This is a hard one to write, but I hope it is something that needs to be said.

We are finally at the end.

This is my 201st post since starting this effort 107 days ago. The website I launched that day has been visited 4,714 times by nearly 3,700 people from around the globe. Over 2,600 of those visitors were in and around Harbor Springs.

I am exhausted. I think as a community we all are. I hope for most of you it is a good kind of tired. The tired of knowing you tried your best and did all you could.

On behalf of the volunteers and neighbors who spent two years and 30 public meetings to craft our new zoning code, I urge you to vote "NO" to keep our code and move on.

Please cast your ballot for the servant leadership displayed by Nancy Rondel, Jamie Melke and John Lio. All exceptional candidates to lead our city in the years ahead.

If we want Harbor Springs to stay like it is, it will need to change.

We are losing full-time residents. Our population is aging. We need larger and more stable class sizes to maintain our fantastic schools. To keep our charming town vibrant, we need to take action. Doing nothing and hoping for the best is not a plan.

Ultimately, that is what the new zoning code is. A piece of a plan that looks forward rather than back. On this last day, I urge you to support your neighbors and vote "NO" to keep our new code and move on.

Yesterday, one of our neighbors stopped by to drop off candy for my two kids and a card for each. The cards said that if the kids ever needed anything, to stop by. Thanks Fred and Linda, you are a perfect example of what makes Harbor Springs such a special place to live.

There is warmth here, even when the weather turns cold. Maybe even more so when the snow flies. We rally to one another and care for those who need caring for.

Many have asked, "What do the "yes" people want?" As I have said from the beginning, the specifics are a bit of a moving target. It seems to boil down to, they want to get their way. Compromises were made, additional meetings conducted, and now a public vote is taking place all to accommodate the politics of grievance.

It is one week until Election Day. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this effort. It has been incredibly exhausting, but far more heartwarming. Our community is a special place full of extraordinary people who are neighbors in the best sense of the word.

Financial disclosures were due last Friday for campaigns in Michigan. The idea of requiring public disclosures is so voters can see who is contributing to the causes they care about. The hope is transparency helps voters be better informed about who is working to influence their vote. The forms require identifying all those who contribute to a campaign and where they live.

Well, the time has come...

We began this effort as an anonymous Harbor Springs voice for a good reason. Not because we are some big developer, but rather because my wife and her dad are local business owners. I didn't want my advocacy to hurt their business. It seems that ship has sailed.

The city received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the "yes" folks asking for everything they have about Burns & McDonnell. The theory is that this big firm is behind the whole vote "no" campaign.

They are not. They are my employer whose name auto-filled in the organization blank when I bought the web address www.votnoharborsprings.org The only thing that will come up in response to their request is my application to serve on a city board. I had to put my employer for when I applied to volunteer on a city committee (I am on the RRC). It's my sloppy error that got their name drug into this.