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Residents urge dissolving DDA and call for short-term rental guidance; parks report goose-mitigation success
Summary
Multiple residents read letters urging the dissolution of the Downtown Development Authority and asked the council to return TIF funds to the general fund. Other public commenters requested clearer short-term rental rules and praised a pilot light system that moved geese off City Beach grasses.
A string of public comments at the meeting focused on three community concerns: calls to dissolve the Downtown Development Authority, requests for clearer short-term rental rules, and a parks update about geese at City Beach.
The clerk read seven written letters from residents asking the council "to support beginning the process of dissolving the Downtown Development Authority (DDA)," saying downtown no longer needs special TIF-driven development and urging that TIF funds be redirected to citywide infrastructure such as sidewalks, storm preparedness and sewer maintenance. Writers cited perceived conflicts of interest with planners and questioned continued DDA spending on downtown enhancements.
During oral public comment, several residents asked the council for clear guidance on short-term rentals. John Wayne said he had submitted AI-generated questions to staff and urged the council to decide whether business-style rentals will be permitted in residential zones and to give planning commission direction so that the commission's September review is focused and actionable.
A staff member noted that short-term rentals are regulated in city code, that the planning commission historically reviews proposed ordinance changes in the fall, and that the city has roughly 100 short-term rental licenses (estimated at about $400 per license per year, or roughly $40,000 annually in revenue), with a limit of 63 in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Parks-related comments included a presentation by Patrick O'Brien, who said the parks department deployed small orange flashing lights that ‘‘pushed the geese off the grass and onto the shoreline,’’ and that lifeguards now clean the morning waste, making the beach more usable. Parks staff plan to expand the lights along other waterfront areas next year.
Separately, the council read a proclamation recognizing the Harbor Springs High School girls soccer team for winning the 2026 MHSAA state championship; the city publicly commended coaches and student-athletes and invited residents to celebrate the team's achievement.
Council members heard the comments and directed staff to include the letters and items in future packets and to provide planning-commission guidance on short-term rentals ahead of the commission's September meeting.
