HARBOR AREA REGIONAL BOARD OF RESOURCES, INC.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

WEDNESDAY, February 21, 2007; 12:00 P.M.

City of Harbor Springs City Council Chambers

The meeting was called to order by Denise Simon at 12:05 pm.  Executive Director Danna Widmar and Assistant Preston McGregor were also present.

Minutes from January 31, 2007 were presented. Al Dika made motion to approve and Mary Ellen Hughes seconded. Motion Carried.

Widmar reported that 2006 tax returns have been completed by Sara Smith, CPA, reviewed by Michael Esposito, Treasurer, and filed. These taxes were presented to EC.

Al Dika made motion to approve and Kathie Breighner seconded. Motion Carried.

 D&O insurance policy is in place with Korthase Flinn.

Widmar has completed the interim DEQ report and the final is due by May 15, 2007.

Widmar has applied for a grant from Bay Harbor Foundation for build out monitoring.

City of Harbor Springs, resolution given on February 19, 2007

Little Traverse Township, Zoning on March 5, Board of Trustees on April 14, 2007

West Traverse Township, Planning Commission/Board of Trustees on March 14, Board of Trustees recommendation on April 10, 2007

Pleasantview Township, Board of Trustees on March 22, 2007

Friendship Township Board of Trustees recommendation on March 7, 2007

Readmond Township Board of Trustees recommendation on March 7, 2007

Cross Village Township Board of Trustees on May 1, 2007

Because of where various things are in review, specific work effort and convening of a Trail Committee will be a few months off.

The M-119 Trail project will pick back up in April.  Little is happening until then.

We’ll soon need to start working through the details of the first trail projects throughout the different jurisdictions.  Most will require some additional grant writing, convening and plan drawings.  The applications would need to wait until the Plan review process is completed and organizational decisions are made, but it would be good to start discussing actual projects, now.  Some actual projects that could be considered first:

·        Initiate Safe Routes to School program and trail development (primarily West Traverse, Little Traverse and the City of Harbor Springs locations),

·        Initiate discussions about Trail Head upgrades (Pleasantview, Little Traverse, City of Harbor Springs)

·        Conduct comprehensive inventory and description of our local wildlife and its habitat to assist with trail locating in open space areas (All, but most useful in the jurisdictions with large amounts of open space including Friendship, Pleasantview, Readmond and Cross Village)

·        Legal work to develop a local trail easement document (everyone)

·        A major joint project?

There is  a good group of people willing to work on an Open Space Working Committee for about six months with the hopes of making additional recommendations to the City and Townships.  Widmar primarily asked Planning Commission/Zoning Board members from the various communities and LTC. Notify Widmar if you would like to participate on this committee.  Responses have been received from the following:

            Mary Ellen Hughes, City of Harbor Springs PC

Joe Chattaway, LTT Zoning Board Chairperson

Richard Rule, Pleasantview PC Chairperson

Denise Simon, Friendship PC Chairperson

Bob Cardinal, Readmond PC Chairperson

Randy Frykberg, LT/WT Planning Consultant

Tom Bailey, LTC

Doug Fuller, LTC

Still needed are a  PC Member from West Traverse and someone from Cross Village, if possible.  Several of these folks met with Widmar in January to discuss how that committee might work and what it might work on.  Proposed meeting dates are the 4^th Wednesday of each month alternating between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm (we have participants who have different schedules so an alternating approach seemed to be most accommodating).  That would be Feb. 28^th at 9:00 am, March 28^th at 4:00 pm, April 25^th at 9:00 am, etc.  LTC offered a meeting space at their location in Little Traverse Township.  Here’s a list of what could be worked on:

Meet on a regular basis over the next six months toward the following:

1.      Develop recommendations for local communities on preservation techniques/ordinances including potentially a development rights ordinance (the county may be ready to begin this analysis, so we could look at both County and various Townships Ordinances), scoring systems, plan amendment proposals for pursuing state PDR funds, working maps of greenways, etc.

2.      Look at working maps across jurisdiction boundaries to develop preservation ideas (see what is recommended next door), ISOLATING (for simplicity) our area of focus to:

a.       large parcels (connecting major open space areas),

b.      waterfront access (500’ of frontage and more in the gap areas defined in the Recreation, Trails and Open Space Plan),

c.       view sites (from the various community plans),

d.      vision of the greenway connections that cross territories (may be for developer consideration and for use by neighboring jurisdictions).

3.      Develop a Map of Open Space networks, if possible, being careful to use bubbles in a way that is safe for property owners.  This might include talking with important property owners.

4.      Discuss state land management system.

5.      Determine the availability of a comprehensive inventory/description of our local wildlife/habitat for reference.

6.      Develop a Marketing or Information Piece (maybe a map) that provides personal testimonials, other examples, goals, etc.

7.      Identify possible first “demonstration” projects

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