Dear Members and Friends of the Hartland Business Association
The HBA has completed an interesting year, which saw it move from a loose group of disgruntled Hartland business owners to become an optimistic group of committed entrepreneurs unified by the belief that positive change could be achieved. We’ve discussed evidence of problems, alternative approaches including collaboration or confrontation, tools that we might use, the necessity of becoming a 501(c) organization. We’ve enjoyed beer and wine following each meeting, and we even celebrated our first birthday party together!
Importantly, we made progress toward our objective, and accomplished the following milestones:
- Became a corporation including submission of an application to be recognized as a non-profit.
- Achieved first year membership of 21 pioneering companies, each willing to join in our effort to make Hartland a great place to do business.
- Established a web presence, to serve both as our face to the public and as a repository for our corporate data, our mission, our minutes, and our activities.
- Elected an initial board of directors, and formally selected officers
- Achieved recognition by Hartland by their inclusion of the HBA in Hartland’s Strategic Plan
- Participated with Hartland in collaboration with Livingston County officials regarding establishing a broad county-wide tax abatement policy.
- Uncovered early signs that progress is possible – including the possibility of simplifying and “reducing requirements that aren’t even needed”. https://youtu.be/T1G5LEd9t-0
While we can’t take credit for it, our job got easier, because the Township implemented additional internet based interfaces – allowing each of us to stream every Board and Planning Commission meeting live or after the fact (previously only available to Comcast customers in Hartland). http://hartlandtwp.com/
The Township Supervisor’s initial reaction to formation of our group and establishment of a website was that our intent was to embarrass Township officials. We have explained that, to the contrary, our intent is to work with the Township to help them understand that their own surveys of the business community should by themselves embarrass them – that the current results of these report cards demonstrate that as far as business is concerned – Hartland is not yet “Friendly By Nature”.
Our goal in our first “official” year will be to stimulate Township officials to take action that will assure that the Township’s slogan “Friendly By Nature” moves from merely a slogan to a statement of Mission – to become a truly business friendly community.
Frank Crouse, President