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Buckner elected chair; Warren chosen vice chair as Harbor Springs planning commission sets 2026 calendar
Summary
At its January organizational meeting, the Harbor Springs Planning Commission elected Bob Buckner as chair and Vanessa Warren as vice chair, approved the 2026 meeting schedule and accepted minutes with a name-correction; members set priorities for upcoming reviews of building heights and the town's signage code.
Bob Buckner was elected chair of the Harbor Springs Planning Commission in a unanimous roll-call vote at the commission's Jan. 5 organizational meeting. Vanessa Warren was elected vice chair in a subsequent unanimous roll-call vote.
The meeting opened with staff member Jeff calling the roll; members present included Mark Vicklestein, Barry Lusgard, Jeannie Benjamin, Kenny Stewart, Tony Johnson, Chip Everest and Garen Capian, establishing a quorum. The commission approved the prior meeting minutes "with that correction" after a member drew attention to a misspelled name in the draft.
Commissioners also approved the proposed 2026 meeting schedule, retaining a regular slot on the third Thursday of each month with a submission deadline of noon the prior month. Staff said the extended lead time has provided firms and staff more opportunity to prepare materials and reduced last-minute changes.
Staff reported there were no proposed changes to the commission's bylaws after review by legal counsel and the zoning authority; because no amendments were recommended, no formal action on the bylaws was required. Commissioners were told that any proposals for amendment could be referred to the city attorney for drafting.
Members welcomed two new commissioners and used the member-comments portion of the agenda to flag topics for deeper review at future meetings. The body agreed to prioritize a focused review of building-height provisions at the next meeting and to begin a larger project to update the city's signage code in coming months, a process staff said will require considerable discussion and legal consideration.
The meeting adjourned after closing business. The commission will convene next month to consider two site plans and to begin its building-heights review.
