The reason I am urging us all to ask questions about the actions of “We Love Harbor Springs” is to prevent what happened last year from happening again.

𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀.

This week’s Chamber Candidate Forum kicked off the election season in Harbor Springs. The same patterns from the last election are setting up to fool us again.

Let’s go forward together.

Absentee ballots have been mailed. I’m guessing that many people have already voted. The results of the November city council election could have a serious impact on Harbor Springs.

I attended last night’s Chamber of Commerce City Council Candidate Forum. We are fortunate to have five people willing to serve. Being a city council member is a huge commitment of time and effort. The candidates answered tough questions sincerely and thoughtfully. All candidates expressed love for our city.

That brings us to yesterday's post in which we explored what 501(c)(4)s can and cannot do legally.

• 501(c)(4)s CAN engage in political campaigns. However, their “primary purpose” must be social welfare. The IRS says it may be a red flag if a majority of the organization’s budget is used for political activities.

• The State of Michigan says a 501(c)(4) CANNOT make any direct or in-kind contributions to any candidate for office.

• If a 501(c)(4) spends more than $100 to support local ballot issues in Michigan, they must disclose that spending in papers filed with the County Clerk. https://tinyurl.com/3599teyf

I want to be careful with my words here: We Love Harbor Springs may be in conflict with all of these prohibitions based on publicly available information.

Here's my way shorter take away:

Please continue to support the 501(c)(3) organizations in our community who do so much for so many, including: Harbor Springs Food Pantry, American Legion Post 281, and the Friendship Center of Harbor Springs

On the other hand, I urge you to ask questions of and scrutinize the public filings of groups claiming to be 501(c)(4) organizations. Some do incredible work to advocate for causes across the political spectrum. However, others are specifically organized to hide donors and engage in unethical activities to further their goals.

I want to be careful that what I am saying is accurate and fair. Questions have been asked as to whether We Love Harbor Springs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit because the IRS has no record of their organization. (Receipt #1)

To be absolutely clear -I really want WLHS to be a federally recognized 501(c)(4). If they are a 501(c)(4) non-profit, it is clear what rules they are supposed to follow. That makes things easier for everyone.

Things have gotten a bit muddled as to what is being asked from WLHS to prove their non-profit status. So, I want to simplify things (I hope).

These are the public documents we are asking WLHS to show the community:

1. A form from the IRS calls a "Determination Letter."

2. The organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) as assigned by the IRS.

"The September 18 planning commission meeting and public hearing went well. The main topic was planned development. It’s the thorniest part of the zoning code. There was hope that
those articles could be temporarily taken out and the rest of the code passed. After community input, the decision was made by the commission to hold off on the vote.

We Love Harbor Springs (WLHS) has hired their own city planning consultant from Grand Rapids. They gave commissioners a document with what they think our planned development articles should be. Harbor Springs already has a contract with a city planning expert from the firm Beckett and Raeder in Petoskey. I’m sure WLHS has a right to hire someone who represents their interests, but is it the right thing to do? It doesn’t feel right to me."

I wanted to pass along an update about last evening's public hearing and a related letter from a member of our community.

Last night's public hearing went about as well as it could. Several issues will continue to be examined. There seemed to be genuine agreement that the Planning Commission has done great work so far. There was appreciation for the countless hours put into getting it right. The Commission decided to continue to work on some of the issues raised in the Open Houses and hold another public hearing on October 16th.

Further, you can't have it both ways. You can't both demand that more people get involved, but also make every single meeting miserable for anyone who shows up.

Councilman Buckner said in the Harbor Light today that 1,700 hours of public work has been put in by volunteers to get the code to this point. That is a lot. Anyone was welcome to join in those hours of discussion.

What is perhaps more telling than the effort to flood the commission with identical form letters is the make up of the people who sent them.

By my rough count of the 67 form letters sent in opposition to the new code:

22 were voters in Harbor Springs (30%)

12 were homeowners in Harbor Springs (but not voters) (20%)

33 were neither voters or homeowners in Harbor Springs (50%)

This Thursday, 5:30pm, at City Hall, there is a formal public hearing on the draft of the new zoning code for Harbor Springs. This draft comes after nearly a year of work conducted in full view of the public. It has included the proper scrutiny the process is intended to provide.

Dozens and dozens of meetings have been held ---open to all. Countless hours of testimony and discussion have contributed to this draft document.

If this hearing is anything like the five most recent open houses held by the Planning Commission, it will be unpleasant.

This summer the implications and accusations of wrongdoing and incompetence returned. I attended the five recent planning commission open houses. (I’m not crazy, just troubled by the discord in our community.) By the way, I agree with WLHS that our community includes all in the 49740 zip code. That said, only the five members of the Harbor Springs City Council make decisions for the city.

The open houses were well attended, a couple had standing room only. At times, there was a palpable undercurrent of distrust and anger. Our planning commission and city staff don’t deserve that.

Linda Rachwitz has asked me to post the following letter. There are few more dedicated to a bright future for Harbor Springs than Linda. There are fewer still with the patience to and generosity to spend so much time trying to bridge our divisions. Her words should matter to all of us:

"𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱.

There is a piece of wisdom that both appears in the gospel of Luke and in the first edition of Stan Lee's Spiderman comic. In Luke it is phrased, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded." In Spiderman is reads, "With great power there also must come great responsibility."

I've been thinking a lot about those sentiments lately. At its core, the message told to us by both Luke and Lee is that we are all held accountable for helping others in need. We must do our part.

It has been a week of meetings, particularly about the zoning code. Well attended by both folks from Harbor Springs and Mystic, Connecticut.

There were good questions. Some thoughtful concerns. There were some things learned. And, as it seems there always is, some who just were three to throw sand in the gears. Several of them do not have a Harbor Springs address...

But then again, neither does "We Love Harbor Springs." For all the love for this town, none of their paperwork as an organization has a Harbor Springs address anywhere to be found.

On a lighter (but telling) note---The photo used by on this postcard urging Harbor Springs to "Wake Up" is NOT a photo of Harbor Springs.

That is a picture of Mystic, Connecticut. I have no idea how the people of Mystic feel about our zoning code. Looks like a pretty place and as the home of "Mystic Pizza" (Julia's Roberts' first big Rom Com) it is a cinematic and culinary classic! We need a movie about Turkey's!

All the big things the small group of "repeal" leaders demanded have happened. But, again, it doesn't seem to matter.

Now they have made a public call to raise nearly 4x the amount spent last fall ($75,000!) in dark money, to grab a majority on the Council, fire hard-working staff, and run residents off Boards. And get this, they want to hire a planner from Grand Rapids to take over advising the zoning process.

We Love Harbor Springs is registered in Toledo, Ohio. The political consulting firm they used to win last fall is located in Lansing. The planner they want to take over the zoning code is from Grand Rapids.

The timing of public input early in a project is so all can be heard when they can have the largest impact on the plans. Way before ground is turned---not the week the backhoes show up.

Wake up, Harbor Springs. City Council elections are November 4th and there are many who want to override our residents and replace process with constant grievance. If you think it can't happen here---look around. It already is.

It's up to us, Harbor Springs.

Let's be honest, very few residents of Harbor Springs are closely following what is happening at City Hall or with the Planning Commission. It's been summer and we are busy. But fall is coming and it is time. We need our neighbors to start paying attention.

Rather than giving up, we need to wake up.

We have City Council elections coming on November 4th. We can continue the chaos and grievance that mirrors our national politics. Or we can choose a different path.

It’s up to us, Harbor Springs.

Harbor Springs, you should be very proud of your Planning Commission. They have been genuinely true to their word and continue to make good progress on a new zoning code.

A year ago in November, the Planning Commission was asked to return to its work revising the zoning code. If you remember, the postcards we received urging us to repeal the code said:

"A Yes vote will return the zoning code to the old zoning code and allow for a new code to be written with community input."

That was what was promised. Those were the words that were used to convince voters. And it is exactly what the Planning Commission has undertaken.

Today, we all should be very proud and thankful here in Harbor Springs. The City Council has appointed Bob Buckner to replace Michael Behrmann as our new Councilperson.

The Council made an exceptional choice. Bob was appointed to the Planning Commission and has brought a kind, prepared and thoughtful approach to his work. Bob facilitated many of the public listening sessions this winter and spring. Anyone who has seen him working to find common ground will be thrilled with his appointment

When we arrived at summer on the calendar, the weather did not mess around. Whew.

Still, I’d rather this than be without power and shoveling that's for sure. As we approach the Fourth of July and things get crazy, I wanted to send you an update.

First, I have been a bit quiet here on purpose. Things are going well at City Hall. People seem to be coming together. At most of the Planning Commission meetings, it is hard to tell who was for the old zooming repeal and who was against it.