SHELBY - Along with all of the new construction developments in the Village of Shelby, there were a number of other discussion and action items on its meeting agendas in the month of August.
At the Aug. 10 village council meeting, Village Administrator Phil Morse shared an interesting “gap analysis” report prepared by Curtis Burdette, Executive Director of the Oceana County Economic Alliance (OCEA). The report was put together using available market data and economic research tools and provided information about the goods and services Shelby-area residents are currently purchasing outside the community. It highlighted potential business development opportunities and investment within the village. The key conclusion of the report was, “Shelby doesn’t lack demand. It is failing to capture existing demand already flowing through nearby retail corridors.”
“This report was built using ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute), a widely regarded gold standard source for economic data and research, and was calibrated for Shelby-scale communities. That said, it should be seen as an introductory or high-level analysis rather than the kind of deeply robust evaluation produced by trained economic analysts working directly in the field, such as the team from ESRI. While informed by recognized ESRI best practices, the OCEA analysis was developed using locally available tools and expertise, without direct ESRI resources or support,” explained Burdette in an email following the meeting.
The trade area analyzed was Shelby village proper, in addition to Shelby and Ferry townships, an estimated 7,000 people, with a median household income of $50,000 to $60,000. The report also took into account the increase in demand related to the area’s tourism.
Using regional retail behavior data available from Mobile Data Insights, the report indicated there are a total of 5.6 million annual visits to retail locations north and south of the trade area named above. Part of the analysis looked at retail establishments such as restaurants, bars and/or cafes, specialty retail, apparel and gifts, personal services and grocery stores. Based on the data gathered and compiled, “Shelby residents are routine, repeat consumers actively spending outside of the village,” stated the report.
Given this information, it is believed that with further economic development and investment in the village, existing trips out of the area could be intercepted and the following additional businesses could be supported by locals - two to three new restaurants, one to two new cafes, two to three new boutique retail shops and two to four new tourism shops.
“Shelby is currently capturing only 25-50 percent of retail demand in key downtown sectors, indicating significant unmet demand and strong opportunity for business recruitment and downtown revitalization,” the report went on.
The report noted that while downtown Shelby's strengths include a walkable corridor, centralized location and existing building stock, weaknesses needing to be addressed include aging infrastructure and buildings, lack of anchor tenants and high renovation costs.
An implementation strategy that could be pursued over the next 10 years suggested a three-phase strategy and tools that could be utilized for funding these strategies.
The report concluded with, “The Village of Shelby is located within a high-volume regional retail system generating millions of trips annually. Both modeled and real-world data confirm that demand exists, consumers are active and spending is leaving the village. However, by implementing a retail 'interception strategy' and targeted downtown investment, Shelby can reverse current ‘retail leakage,’ support multiple new businesses and build a sustainable, active commercial district.”
"We love our businesses, and this report demonstrates we could support more of them. It also demonstrates the retail 'leakage' categories that people go to neighboring communities (for), such as Fremont, Ludington or Muskegon. Expanding local options in these categories would give residents the opportunity to shop locally and keep more dollars circulating within the community," Morse said.
In other Aug. 10 council meeting happenings, the village council went into closed session at the conclusion of regular business to meet with Morse regarding his annual performance review and discuss his annual compensation package.
While most of what was discussed during that closed session is not available to the public. Mike Termer, chairperson of the village Personnel Committee, did comment later, “Phil received a favorable review (from) the council, voting to extend a 3.5% merit increase commensurate with his work. The village council sees Phil as a positive attribute (for the) work he has done and his plans to see the village become a safe, appealing community. Phil, as our administrator, is doing an exceptional job; he continues to be challenged with the (village's) growth while striving to meet the needs of our community. He is approachable and welcomes community involvement and interactions. We are thankful for his continued service.”
The village’s noon siren, which stopped working after an attempt to correct its timing, is still non-operational. The plan is to relocate the siren. Stay tuned to village emails and posts for updates.
According to an audit presentation of Fiscal Year 2026, which ended Feb. 28, by village accountant Brickley DeLong, the village’s major funds ended their last fiscal year with the following balances: General Fund at $741,428; Major Streets at $667,689; and Local Streets at $449,438. The unrestricted available balances starting March 1, 2026 were: Sewer Fund at $367,568 and Water Fund at $703,092.
The next Shelby Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14 beginning at 6 p.m. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the village hall.
Several other items of business were presented and discussed at both August council meetings. Full meeting packets, including the approved minutes for both meetings, are available at www.shelbyvillage.com, under the Government tab, then Meeting packets, Minutes and Documents.
