Saline MI
1-08-2025 2:40am

Notes from the Jan. 6 Saline City Council Meeting

Saline City Council met Jan. 6 for the first time of 2025.

As previously reported, Mayor Brian Marl gave the biannual state of the city address.

Maple Road Traffic, 147 W. Michigan Ave, Saline River Trail Among Topics in Marl's Address | The Saline Post

Here's a round-up of the rest of the meeting.

Dean Girbach is joined by his brother, Brian, as he's sworn into his city office by Judge Slay.

Swearing In

Mayor Marl and Councillors Janet Dillon, Girbach and Rice were sworn-in to their offices by Judge Arianne Slay.

Councillor Janet Dillon sworn into office by Judge Slay.

Marl Reappoints Dillon, Ceo

Marl recommended the reappointment of Councillor Dillon as Mayor ProTem. Dillon will preside over the meetings in the absence of Marl. Councillor Jack Ceo is the presiding officer - meaning he'll run the meetings in the absence of Marl and Dillon.

Chris Atkin is the city's Community Development Director.

Planning Commission Reduced

City council voted 6-0 (Ceo absent) to amend an ordinance to reduce the size of the planning commission from 9 members to 7 members at the request of Community Development Director Chris Atkin. The move is being done after several resignations from the commission. Nine-member planning commissions are unusually large.

Discussion & Announcements

Councillor Nicole Rice asked the community to read a letter in the agenda to look for information about upcoming community interactions regarding the strategic plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility.

Councillor Girbach said new gutters were installed at the Saline Depot Museum. Planning Commission will meet Wednesday to discuss a property, formerly a home, that is being converted to storage. Girbach also said the city's property group will potentially be reviewing an offer to buy from one of the city's industrial parks.

Mayor Marl said he hoped to have board and commission vacancies filled by Jan. 13. Anyone who wishes to become involved can apply using a form on the city's website.

Councillor Chuck Lesch said the Saline-Lindenberg sister-city group meets at city hall Jan. 26 for its annual meeting. The Saline-Brecon group also meets. Times were not provided.

Code Enforcement Officer Job

Code enforcement will become a full-time job in Saline. It had been part time.

Community Development Director Chris Atkin said the city will seek a person with code enforcement knowledge and building trade knowledge.  The last code enforcement resigned around Thanksgiving. Atkin said a new person could be on the job by February. Councillor Dillon said she hoped the new officer might work weekends. She asked how city residents should blow the whistle on neighbors who break the rules inn the meantime. Atkin directed residents to call him. The city has a rental inspector willing to look into some of the issues.

Public Comment

Mary Hess noted that public comments should be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next Meeting

Saline City Council meets at 7 p.m. Jan. 13.

City council is expected to make a decision on whether or not support joining a public-private partnership with Praxis Properties on a green space development behind Murphy's Crossing.

City council is also expected to consider approving new rec center rules that would, among other things, allow transgender women (originally men) to use the women's changing room. At a meeting in December it was said at a council meeting that women uncomfortable with transgender women in the locker room were free to use other rooms.

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1-08-2025 7:05am

Mary Hess is incorrect.  There is no requirement to capture in the meeting minutes comments by the public.  Boards may elect to include general themes of public comments without attributing them to a specific individual by name, if they so choose.  As such, there should have been a vote on whether the Board would include such summary of public comments in the minutes. If a topic raised by someone in the public requires further consideration, it can also simply be added as an agenda item at the current or a future meeting.  As a member of the public who periodically attends these meetings, I would suggest folks should feel free to comment without concern that their comments will become part of a public record (and based on some of the comments others have made, recording such might not reflect favorably on certain Board members).

Rec Center - great place, great people.  Don't understand the transgender policy, perhaps do not have enough detail?  Certainly, if a transgender person has fully transitioned, use of the locker room corresponding to their current anatomy and identify makes perfect sense.  If they have not, it seems this is a case of disadvantaging one group to serve another.  This would occur, for example, if anatomically female patrons of the Rec Center are expected to share a locker room with an anatomically male individual who identifies as female.  To expect, say, 20 women who just finished a water aerobics class to change in shower or bathroom stalls or to have to share the only two showers and rooms in the family locker room because an anatomically male transgender individual elects to use the female locker room is disadvantaging the women - and I promise you, the vast majority if not all will not want to change in front of someone who is anatomically male.  It would seem the better solution is for those who have not transitioned to either use the locker room corresponding to their anatomy OR the family locker room which has two private rooms with private showers.

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1-09-2025 7:39am

Perhaps it is a matter of definition, Tran.  While it is true that science cannot fully replicate alternate ***, there are procedures to transition.

People born male can take hormones which, among other things, cause them to grow breasts.  Through surgery, the "adam's apple" can be shaved and the ***** altered and placed internally to create a "******".  People born female can take hormones to develop more masculine attributes, have surgery to remove breasts, have the ****** removed, and create a structure similar to a *****.  

Was hopeful would not have to be this blatant in this forum.   To put it plainly, someone with a ***** should not be in the women's locker room.  The Rec Center has a more reasonable and inclusive, responsible, and respectful alternative that considers the needs of both trans AND non-trans individuals, the family locker room, if a trans individual who has not transitioned does not want to use the locker room of their *** assigned at birth/their current anatomy.  Seems a pretty reasonable ask.

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1-09-2025 7:52am

Well, Tran, your algorithm will not allow the language required to fully and clearly respond so will attempt again in more general terms.

Perhaps it is a matter of definition, Tran.

Science is able to modify anatomy through hormones and surgery so that an individual born male has physical attributes more aligned to the female gender with which they identify and vice versus for individuals born female.  

To put it plainly, someone with male anatomy should not be in the women's locker room.  This solution accommodates trans individuals born male who identify as female and who have not fully transitioned while disadvantaging the female members of the Rec Center.  There is a solution that does not accommodate one group while disadvantaging another.  That solution is for trans individuals who have not physically transitioned and who do not want to use the locker room for individuals with the gender assigned to them at birth to use one of the existing private rooms in the family locker room.  Were we talking about a bathroom, this would be a very different matter and I think most would not object.  We are talking about a locker room which is quite different in purpose and use.     

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1-09-2025 3:41pm

People need to be smarter than an all or nothing approach. The all or nothing approach is a way to jam the politics and agendas down our throats.
Instead, there are solutions to be had.
As for definitions - they've been politicized. 
"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
I don't have trust in people who change definitions of well understood words to promote their agendas.

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1-10-2025 1:56pm

As your statement is not clear regarding your position, I would note that there is not an all or nothing approach.  There are two options.  1. The current proposal which is use the locker room that corresponds to your anatomy OR the one that corresponds to your identify regardless of anatomy.  OR 2.  What I suggest, use the locker room that corresponds to your anatomy OR the family locker room.

As for changing definitions, that is a matter of interpretation rather than fact, if I am accurately interpreting your vague inference.

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1-14-2025 8:39am

And, should this go through, when that transgender individual senses a potentially chilly reception from others needing to use the locker room, it will not be because they are transgender.  It will be because their rights, which definitely exist and need to be accommodated, have been placed above the rights of the anatomically female individuals who also need and have a right to use the locker room with a sense of comfort.

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