Leelanau Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting - July, 2023

Leelanau Business Roundtable - Quarterly Meeting

Thursday, July 13, 2022 at 9am via Zoom

PRESENTERS:

Zach Hillyer, Housing Readiness Director for Leelanau, Housing North

Storytelling Event/Fundraiser Recap

Housing North hosted a Storytelling event at Jacob’s Farm in June to raise awareness and funds to support housing solutions in Northern Michigan. The Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF) and the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) both sponsored the event. There were approximately 60 people in attendance with 5 storytellers. Raised $2,500. Stories will be posted on YouTube.

Housing Needs Assessment

A housing needs assessment was completed by Bowen National Research for the 10-county region.

The HNA includes the following work elements:

  • Demographic Analysis

  • Economic Analysis

  • Housing Supply Analysis

  • Housing Market Conditions

  • Non-Conventional Rentals

  • For-Sale Housing

  • Development Pipeline and Building Permits

The report and conclusions will provide government entities, area housing professionals, and other interested stakeholders with the base of knowledge to make informed strategic decisions on housing priorities and plans. The analysis will enable the client to understand their greatest housing needs and allow them to begin to structure policies and/or establish incentives to support targeted housing products.

Housing North held a webinar with Patrick Bowen from Bowen Research to showcase the assessment data. Click here to watch the webinar recording.

  • Leelanau County is in need of 382 rental units; and 1,953 for-sale units.

  • The full report for Leelanau County can be viewed here.

Regional Housing Plan

In September 2022, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority launched its First-Ever Statewide Housing Plan. The goal of the statewide housing plan is to address housing challenges and promote the availability of safe, affordable, and sustainable housing options for all residents within the state.

Recently, Housing North was officially chosen as the Regional Housing Partnership lead for Region D through the Statewide Housing Partnership at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Click here to access a brief document describing our role as the Regional Housing Partnership for Region D.

A community input session will be held virtually on August 8 at 3:00pm. Click here to register.

Regional Housing Partnership Survey

Through the Regional Housing Partnership, our region now has the opportunity to develop a regional housing plan and decide how, and what parts and priorities of the Statewide Housing Plan need to be implemented in our communities. The Statewide Housing Plan has EIGHT priority areas, 37 goals, and 134 strategies. Let’s decide together what fits our communities better!

Housing North is excited to join you as we capture input from residents of the 10 counties of northwest Michigan (or Region D) to help us and the other agencies involved in the planning process to prioritize the goals and strategies for our Regional Housing Plan for Region D. Click here to access the survey and help us guide more housing action!

QUESTION: (Jim Bardenhagen) Are new zoning models being introduced to townships for consideration to address workforce housing?

ANSWER: (Zach Hillyer) Zoning tool kits have been purchased and supplied to each of the townships and planning commissions for consideration.

Roundtable Discussion:

  • Patricia Soutas-Little - Childcare

    • Governor has created a new department called (MILEAP) - Michigan Dept of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. This new department will focus on early learning and higher education, improving long-term student outcomes, developing talent, and growing the economy. To learn more, click here.

    • The goal of the early childcare programs is to expand capacity and maintain existing providers. Currently, the county continues to lose providers. The birth to toddler age range is considered to be at a crisis level.

    • LPEF has partnered with Early Childhood Development Commission (ECDC) to recruit new providers.

    • Leelanau has worked to create hybrid micro-centers - a home-based program with center-based rules. The first is hosting a Grand Opening on Saturday, July 22nd in Northport. There is another being planned in Suttons Bay Schools.

    • There will be a survey going out to the 10-county region to establish a plan for addressing childcare. The goal is to target employers to determine how they can become involved in the solution.

    • Montessori is trying to expand in the region.

    • The state has also put funds into programs for pre-k children.

    • Coffia has shared that $800,000 has been put into the state budget. Some will come to Leelanau; we are awaiting disbursement information once it gets through appropriations.

    • Every provider goes through a Business BootCamp with the help of Networks Northwest. Providers are learning to run a business successfully. They are charging what it actually costs. There are tuition subsidy programs.

  • Rob Dickinson - Northwest Michigan Works

    • Introduced Chelsea Miller, new Business Services Rep for Manistee, Benzie and Leelanau

    • Reminder for businesses to use the state-wide jobs board. New jobs can be posted usually within minutes of receiving them.

  • Scott Tucker, Superintendent of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

    • Visitation

      • June - 250,000 visitors (same as 2022)

      • May - up by 15%

      • April - up by 5%

    • New mobile app is being launched which will be tied to the website and include maps, programs and hours. There will also be mobile tours.

    • SBDNL is seeing International Dark Sky Certification which will help with grant funding.

  • Brayton Farr, Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

    • County chamber is working on new website that they hope to launch soon.

The next quarterly meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 9am via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83652716214?pwd=N2x6NDlHTW1LZmpSYmw5N1I2OXpFQT09

Meeting ID: 836 5271 6214

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Thank you.

Jamie Jewell