'Challenge and change': Petoskey hears State of the Community

PETOSKEY — Community leaders gathered at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey on Friday to celebrate the successes of 2022 and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities waiting in 2023.

The auditorium was filled with business owners, educators, residents, city and county officials and more for the annual presentation. Political representation at the event included State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs), State Rep. Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix), Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Tribal Chairperson Regina Gasco-Bentley, and representatives for U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman and Sen. Gary Peters.

Hosted by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, the 2023 State of the Community highlighted six areas: education, philanthropy and community, health care, tourism, housing, and government and economy.

Chamber president Nikki Devitt welcomed those in attendance, and remarked that "challenge and change are the new constant" as the community continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and move forward into the future.

Education

Dr. David Roland Finley, president of North Central Michigan College, talked about the college’s Fast Track programs on Friday.

According to North Central, each Fast Track program results in valuable, industry-specific certification designed to meet local employers’ requirements. The program began in 2022 with the “Fast-Track Healthcare Bundle Program," which provides three certifications in clinical medical assistant, electrocardiogram (EKG) technician and phlebotomy technician. Finley said 37 medical assistants and 21 phlebotomists are expected to be certified from the first year’s cohort.

More:North Central Michigan College announces new Fast-Track Healthcare Program

There are now 11 Fast Track classes in total, ranging from HVAC to welding to mechatronics.

Philanthropy and community

Representing nonprofits, philanthropy and community initiatives, David “DJ” Jones, executive director for the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, and Peter Bucci, executive director of Harbor Hall, took the stage on Friday.

Both organizations are celebrating milestone years, with the community foundation marking its 30th anniversary in 2022 and Harbor Hall turning 50 this year.

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More:Anonymous no more, Harbor Hall is expanding to include workforce apartments

Jones said the community foundation has focused on helping to address child care needs in the community and expand housing with the ongoing Lofts at Lumber Square project. Lofts at Lumber Square is a proposed 60-unit apartment complex at the site of the former Hankey lumber yard, at the southwest corner of Emmet and Fulton streets.

Harbor Hall, a drug and alcohol treatment center near downtown, is also tackling the housing issue. Bucci said they expect to hold a ribbon cutting for their new Harbor Hall Apartments, which will hold an additional 32 beds, in the spring.

Health care

Jody Werner, health director for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, highlighted a brand new clinic that is designed to be a “one stop shop” for Medicaid clients in the area.

The Crooked Tree Wellness Clinic, at 2390 Mitchell Park Dr., just opened last month. The clinic is open to both tribal and non-tribal residents.

Werner said the tribe was partly inspired to create the clinic after its successful COVID-19 vaccine clinics, where they were able to fulfill a need and administer 10,000 vaccines throughout the community.

Tourism

Boyne Resorts was in the spotlight during Friday’s State of the Community, with both Boyne Mountain and The Highlands represented.

Mike Chumbler, president and general manager of The Highlands, and Jason Perl, general manager of Boyne Mountain, spoke about the company’s Forever Project and its goal of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. To hit that goal, the two properties have implemented changes like electric golf carts and installing alternative energy sources. For example, Boyne Mountain installed a solar array with over 4,000 panels last year. The array now accounts for about 11 percent of the resort’s energy consumption.

More:Record-breaking SkyBridge expected to open at Boyne Mountain in time for fall colors

More:Transformational journey: Boyne Highlands Resort unveils plans for future

Chumbler also spoke about The Highlands’ 2030 Transformational Journey, which started in 2021 with a new name and logo. Other upcoming changes include new chairlifts, building renovations and a 60th anniversary celebration planned for next year.

At Boyne Mountain, Perl highlighted the resort’s new SkyBridge, which opened in October and is the world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge. This year is also the mountain’s 75th anniversary, and more changes will be announced over the course of the year.

Housing

Tammy Doernenburg, director of planning and zoning for Emmet County, spoke about how the department is making incremental changes to help address the housing crisis in Northern Michigan.

Some examples include allowing ADUs (accessory dwelling units) and duplexes, as well as reducing the minimum size for houses.

Doernenburg also highlighted some ongoing housing projects that will help increase the local housing stock, including a concept in Bear Creek Township that has started excavation on 128 sites, duplexes in Maple River Township where construction is underway, duplexes on Anderson Road in Bear Creek Township where construction has started, as well as the ongoing Habitat for Humanity Meadowlands Subdivision near Alanson.

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Government and economy

Shane Horn, city manager for the City of Petoskey, and Henry Wolf, director of government relations for the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, presented together during Friday’s event.

Horn, who joined city staff in March, said he has taken notice of economic drivers in the area, like Petoskey’s vibrant downtown. He also noted that some common challenges include hiring — and retaining — staff and increasing access to affordable housing.

More:Public Schools of Petoskey to have full-time SRO in district

More:‘Exciting changes’: Planning commission hears update on housing needs

Horn said he was excited for some of the city’s upcoming projects and initiatives, which include placing a full-time School Resource Officer in the Public Schools of Petoskey and addressing repairs needed on the Little Traverse Wheelway’s collapsed section.

He also noted ongoing housing projects in the city, such as a proposed 200-unit development at the former Michigan Maple Block location and redevelopment of the former Hotel Del-Rey site.

For the chamber alliance, Wolf stressed how important partnerships and cooperation are when advocating for solutions and removing barriers. He added that identifying common denominators can help agencies build coalitions across the state.

The 2023 State of the Community booklet and event recording are available to view at www.petoskeychamber.com.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.  

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: 'Challenge and change': Petoskey hears State of the Community