Saline City Council recently approved the establishment of a City of Saline-Saline Main Street "Working Group" to evaluate the city's relationship with the downtown revitalization group and determine what level of financial and other support should be provided.
The working group, requested by Mayor Brian Marl, was a consent agenda issue on a recent city council agenda.
If approved, the group's membership will be composed of:
- City manager Colleen O'Toole, acting chair
- City Councillor Dean Girbach
- City Councillor Nicole Rice
- Saline Main Street Director Mary Dettling
- Saline Main Street member Lisa Roberts
- Saline Main Street member Rebecca Schneider
The group is expected to make a final report to Saline City Council and the Saline Main Street board by May 1, after which the board is expected to dissolve.
The level of city funding for the downtown has been debated - mostly privately - as Saline City Council looks for ways to save on costs.
In particular, several members of city council have openly wondered if some of the economic development work should be done by a growing economic development staff a city hall.
(Correction - This item was on a previous agenda is already approved)
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Replies
The function of Saline Main Street seems to be to put on events (previously put on by the city) that are designed to do two things 1)bring in revenue for very few businesses 2) attract new people to Saline. I agree with the latter, at least, if it didn’t come at a cost to community members. Why don’t we start focusing more on the people already IN this city? On MORE businesses here, not just those in this “club?”