Colleen O'Toole Replaced by Elle Cole, Who Will be City Manager on an Interim Basis

Colleen O'Toole will no longer be the manager of the City of Saline at the end of the month.

Elle Cole, recently promoted to Deputy City Manager from Treasurer, will replace O'Toole on an interim basis. O'Toole, hired in 2020, was the first woman and lesbian to hold the city manager's position in Saline. She was tasked with managing the costly rehabilitation and improvement of sorely neglected infrastructure.

No resignation letter was on the agenda, nor was there a vote on termination. One councillor characterized the split as mutual. Mayor Brian Marl said O'Toole is departing the city on Jan. 31.

Instead, the agenda included a motion to approve Marl's recommendation to approve a transition team to meet with Cole and to approve a contract with Cole to serve as interim manager.

Both motions were passed with 6-0 votes. Councillor Jack Ceo was absent.

Marl was the only member of council to speak to the issue, reading from a statement.

"We'd like to thank Miss O'Toole for her dedicated service to the Saline Community over the past several years.  Many important initiatives have been spearheaded since 2020 and a number of long-term, systemic problems have been addressed," Marl said. "I'm intensely proud of our city's track record in recent years. That said, undoubtedly, there are challenges that persist to ensure we continue our forward momentum and address the issues our residents care most about."

Marl recommended that Cole begin working as acting city manager immediately. The contract approved by council states she would begin the job Jan. 13. Her contract calls for 10 percent annual salary increase to $145,200, plus benefits and a $5,400 car allowance. Legal counsel must still approve the contract.

After the meeting, O'Toole and council members did not have comments that shed light on the matter. The mayor referred The Saline Post to a paper copy of his statement.

During the meeting, O'Toole expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the city and said Saline was in good hands.

"I know I'm leaving behind a team that is more than capable of continuing that trend of success and continue to build on the future needs of the community," O'Toole said. "There are a lot of folks ready to step up and I'm happy to do my part to make this transition smooth for the next person."

Cole delivered a speech praising the city and its residents. 

"I can say Saline is truly a city I am honored to be a part of," Cole said.

She also thanked O'Toole for her contributions to Saline. Cole noted O'Toole's work on EGLE's consistent order against the city for the wastewater treatment plant's environmental violations (which happened before her tenure), the $80 million wastewater treatment plant project (and securing $13 million in federal and state funds (to somewhat minimize Saline's utility rates), tracking the condition of Saline's infrastructure assets, and shifting Saline's approach from reactive to proactive when it comes to improving infrastructure. She also praised her work on social issues and a renewed focus on grants to help pay for improvements (such as the Mill Pond Park trail planned for this year.)

It's not clear when this decision was made.

Over the weekend, The Saline Post downloaded the agenda packet and it did include an agenda item from Mayor Marl called "transitional items." There was no corresponding documentation or motions.

That changed when a new agenda was uploaded Monday.

The transitional team comprises Councillors Janet Dillon and Dean Girbach, Cole, Community Development Director Chris Atkin, Parks and Rec Director Sunshine Lambert, Police Chief Marlene Radzik, and Marl as an alternate.

The team will prep and review city council agendas. It will also prioritize ongoing infrastructure projects and issues involving water and wastewater while integrating a new DPW director. The team will also update council on the city manager search.

O'Toole's departure and Cole's ascension was greeted with curiosity on social media. People involved with Saline Main Street, however, expressed some support for the change.

During O'Toole's tenure, members of the downtown business community were unhappy when the city listened to Fire Chief Jason Sperle's recommendations to stop closing South Ann Arbor Street for events due to several fire code violations. More recently, O'Toole supported Police Chief Marlene Radzik's and the city attorney's recommendations not to allow the social district's common area to cross Michigan Avenue. The decision froze Dan's Downtown Tavern out of the stroll-and-drink plans.

Saline Main Street has big plans for a greenspace behind Bill Kinley's South Ann Arbor Street project - but it comes with a tight timeline for deciding whether to contribute public money to a complicated public-private project.

That decision was initially planned for the Jan. 13 meeting but is now scheduled for a meeting at 6 p.m., Jan. 27.

More News from Saline

• Saline Craft Show Gift Basket Contest Calling all individuals, classrooms, athletic teams, clubs, businesses, and families!
• WINTER WEATHER: Plan on Slippery Road Conditions and Changing Visibility The National Weather Services in Detroit/Pontiac has issued a winter weather advisory until 2 p.m. Tuesday.