The village of Northport has a new manager.

Jered Ottenwess, once Traverse City's city manager, was recently selected from of a pool of five candidates. He replaces Jim Dyer, who left Northport to become Leelanau County's new administrator.

The Ticker connected with Ottenwess to learn more about his background and plans as he settles into his new position. 

Why were you interested in the Northport manager position? 

Leelanau County, and Northport in particular, is such a spectacularly beautiful place to live and the quality of life is great. I have worked in the private sector for the past several years and I have enjoyed that, but my best fit is working in local government. I feel like I have a lot to offer in terms of my education and experience, so I have been looking for opportunities to return to working as a manager. I understand the issues that Northport faces. I have extensive experience managing similar municipalities. I am very familiar with the region, including its history, economy and culture. I think Northport has a terrific combination of stable finances, solid organization, and the potential for growth and positive change. I am honored to be a part of it. 

What's on your agenda for the first six months? 

I am focused on getting to know the village council, staff, appointed boards, other local government officials, key stakeholders, business owners, residents and the community in general. I will familiarize myself with current and upcoming issues concerning the village, a process I have already started with assistance from outgoing Village Manager Jim Dyer. Jim has been very gracious with his time and I am thankful for his commitment to a smooth transition. During the first six months, we need to adopt a FY25-26 budget and continue the process of working on an updated master plan for eventual adoption in 2026. I will review the recreation master plan as well and consider how to further implement and improve that plan. I think it is important early on to establish tangible short- and long-term goals that the village council prioritizes, so I will discuss how they would like to formalize that, maybe through specific strategic meetings or as part of the usual meeting process.

What would you like to accomplish in the long term? 

I would like to establish and maintain a positive working relationship with the village council and staff, to serve the village well during the term of my current three-year employment agreement and hopefully beyond. I am committed to maintaining the village’s fiscal health and sustainability for all future elected and appointed officials. I would like to continue building a strong organization and improve staff capabilities. My background is in urban planning and I would really like to help shape growth in a positive way. While I’ll be learning from the council and community about their priorities, I can already envision goals such as improving the zoning ordinance and other development regulations and helping address regional housing challenges. Developing attainable housing is an entrenched issue that has frustrated not only Northport and Leelanau County, but the region as a whole, for a long time. I would like to be a part of the solution to that issue in a way that respects Northport’s vision and character. Overall, I would like to leave the position better off than when I started.

What are Northport's biggest assets?

Northport is a charming community, situated in one of the most beautiful areas in the world, in my opinion. The water resources in this area are unparalleled. Whenever I describe Leelanau County to someone who is unfamiliar with the area, I invariably talk about the glacial lakes, not to mention Grand Traverse Bay and the Lake Michigan shoreline. These are all truly world-class resources. Northport is blessed with a compact, walkable core as well as less densely developed outlying areas. The surrounding natural resources, pace of life, and charming small-town atmosphere are really unique. The marina and coastline are obviously also huge assets. Property values reflect these assets, and while property values and limited developable land challenges the ability to develop attainable housing, demand for housing is one of Northport’s assets as well. From an organizational perspective, I think the Village Staff is also a great asset. I have already gotten to know some of them and I have been impressed with their dedication and commitment. The village is fortunate to have many capable, long-serving employees. I have also been impressed with the community in general, which has so many interested people willing to get involved and work together.

What are Northport's biggest challenges?

I think one of Northport's biggest challenges is shared by most small municipalities in Michigan: continuing to provide services efficiently with limited funding and resources. Compared with many states in the country Michigan has a very challenging system for funding local governments, primarily through local property taxes with severe restrictions on other local funding mechanisms and state revenue sharing. This has been a challenge for decades and will continue to be. The Village provides a range of services that are similar to most larger municipalities, yet does so with a much smaller staff and fewer resources. Northport is an attractive place to live in large part because of its charm and small-town character. Developing new housing opportunities, including at higher density, is often perceived as threatening to this character, but if the community is going to thrive and prosper it seems that development is a necessary part of that. The challenge continues to be how to balance preservation of community character with the need for sustainable, thoughtful growth.

How do you plan to interact with/involve county residents?

My priority is to serve the village council and by extension their constituents, who are also county residents. I work collaboratively and it is important to me to interact with and involve all stakeholders. I plan on having a good working relationship with county, township, and all other government agencies and officials. I consider myself to be very accessible. I think that is especially important in a small community. I like participating in community events. I enjoy interacting with residents, business owners, and anyone else with an interest in the community. I plan to improve the village’s social media presence and interact with residents this way as well.

Some people remember you from your stint as Traverse City manager. What would you like to say about that time and the time since?

I served as City Manager in Traverse City for just under two years from 2013 to 2015. I am honored to have had the privilege and proud of many of the accomplishments during that time. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding my resignation tend to overshadow the good work that we did during my tenure. That experience taught me invaluable lessons, personally and professionally. I’ve grown a great deal since then and am genuinely excited to contribute in a meaningful way to the Northport community.