10-19-2025 11:18pm

Mill Pond Trail, Employee Health Care, Oakwood Cemetery Improvements on Monday's Saline City Council Agenda

Saline City Council meets at City Hall on Monday night.

Here's what's on the agenda:

Employee Health Care

The cost of health care for city employees is expected to rise $76,155 to $1.67 million. Employees will be responsible for about $13,000 of the increase.

With no changes to the plan, the increase in healthj insurance premiums was expected to rise nearly 21 percent or $351,000. High cost claims on the city's plan and a general increase in health insurance were blamed.

A city memo said that the Health Care Committee selected an alternative plan to lower the increase to 9.2 percent or $139,000. City Council is expected to decide on the recommendation Monday.

Mausoleum Roof Repiars

City council is expected to decide whether or not to spend up to $25,000 to repair the mausoleum roof at Oakwood Cemetery. Tremco did a roof inspection. Water infiltration is blamed for peeling paint in the mausoleum. The city is also expected to spend $25,000 on painting the mausoleum.

Cemetery Wall Engineering

City Council will be asked to approve Fleis & Vandenbrink engineering design and bidding assistance for the Oakwood Cemetery Monroe Street Retaining Wall. The cemetery board approved using Fleis & Vandenrbrink, using cemetery reserve funds. The aesthetic of the new wall is supposed to match the retaining wall that was installed on Michigan Avenue.

Plow Truck Purchase

The DPW is asking the city council to spend up to $135,730 fpr a new 2024 Tri-County Plow Truck. The truck will replace a 1995 Ford L-8000, which is to be auctioned. It's taken nearly 2 years for the truck to be constructed and should be shipped to the DPW in November or December. The city's vehicle and equipment revolving fund has roughly $782,000.

Saline River Valley Phase 1

In the consent agenda, council is expected to approve a resolution approving a contract between MDOT and the city for the Mill Pond Shared Path Project. The city's non-motorized transporation plan includes a 10-foot-wide shared-use pathway along the east side of the river through Mill Pond Park. The project is funded by a nearly $800,000 SEMCOG grant of federal funding and $323,000 from the city. MDOT is set to open bids Nov. 7. The work should take place in 2026.