Saline MI
6-16-2020 2:35am

Saline City Council Scorecard: Downtown Recovery Zone, City Manager Resigns, Police Chief Contract Renewed and More

Saline City Council met for 5 hours and 21 minutes Monday night to discuss multiple issues.

Here's a brief summary of Monday's activities:

  • Proceedings began at 6 p.m. with a work session to discuss the future of wastewater treatment in the city. Council was joined by attorney Roger Swets, Warren Creamer of Robert W. Baird Co, and Brian Rubel and Patti McCall of Tetra Tech. Council continues to move toward rehabbing the city's 64-year-old wastewater treatment plant in phases. Council seems unified against the idea of building a new plant at great cost to existing residents for growth that may never come.  But even the first phase of rehabbing the plant could cost $30 million. Councillor Dean Girbach said he thought the price tag was large enough that the issue should go to the voters. Attorney Swets said that since the city's wastewater treatment plant solutions may be part of a consent order from the state's environmental regulators, it could cause problems to put the project to a vote. The process is beginning to ramp up. Council still has questions about whether it will ever be able to use the contaminated Hoover property across the street. Councillor Jim Dell'Orco suggested the city consider using the property in front of the existing wastewater treatment plant. Councillor Kevin Camero-Sulak suggested property to the north of the plant could be used. Council will discuss the issues again July 6.
  • Council passed Assistant Manager Mike Greene's recommendation for a downtown Recovery Zone that will run Fridays and Saturdays from June 19-Oct. 31. This will close Ann Arbor Street from Michigan to Henry Street on the south side and from Michigan to the entrance to Parking Lot #1 on the north side, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays.  The vote was unanimous.

 

Time business is allowed within zone:
Friday(s): 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday(s): 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM
June 19th, 2020 – Saturday, October 31st pic.twitter.com/nqI9AvLJbE

— Tran Longmoore (@TranLongmoore) June 15, 2020

 

  •  Council voted 7-0 to award the 2020 dam inspection to Spicer Group. The cost is up to $3,500. It's the first time in a decade the dam has been inspected. It's supposed to be inspected every three years.
  • Council voted 7-0 to award the Woodland Drive reconstruction project to Asphalt Specialties. The project, between Davco and the Textile/Woodland roundabout project, is worth $683,496.  The work is expected to begin July 6 and may take just three or four weeks.
  • Council voted 7-0 to approve Ann Arbor Music Center's special land use request to use their 135 E. Bennett St. home for music, dance and artistic instruction. The land use request was recommended by planning commission.
  • The city approved a new contract for Police Chief Jerrod Hart. The one year contract will pay $105,519. Council agreed to award him one extra week per year in vacation time.
  • Council approved the separation agreement with resigning city manager Todd Campbell. Details of the agreement were not made public.

First, Mayor Marl thanks resigning City Manager Todd Campbell for his service. A few words from Campbell.
"This has been a distinct honor and pleasure to serve as manager for the City of Saline."
https://t.co/lp7vVyTjl1 via @YouTube

— Tran Longmoore (@TranLongmoore) June 16, 2020

  • Council agreed to pay an extra $3,752 to replace the window frames at the Oakwood Cemetery mausoleum.
  • Council approved changes to the Rec Center's membership policies. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Rec Center froze memberships. If the lockdown lasted 100 days, the membership would be extended by 100 days. According to Parks and Rec Director Carla Scruggs, additional policies are needed for members who might not be comfortable returning to the Rec Center when it reopens. Scruggs suggested three ideas. The first would keep memberships on hold until members are comfortable returning, or until Jan. 1. The second is to offer to refund the prorated memberships, but keep money in the accounts and allow members to use the funds for online classes or to reactivate memberships. A third option is to offer to refund their prorated membership fee.
  • During council announcements, Councillor Girbach reported the Saline Area Historical Society will not reopen its museums this year. It will also not celebrate the 150th anniversary of the railroad coming to Saline. The historical society will also not host its August Garage Sale.
  • Similarly, reported Councillor Janet Dillon, there will be no Fourth of July Fireworks.
  • Superintendent Steve Wyzgoski said the Industrial Drive water tower plant painting was set to begin. It's expected to last 2-3 weeks. It will retain the color, the city logo, and the Hornet logo.
  • Wyzgoski reported the wastewater treatment plant's Nova filters are operating. Most of the RBCs are operational. However, the bioscrubber is offline because of a motor issue. That's the likely culprit for increased odor in the area. He said the motor would be replaced soon.
  • Council decided not to reconsider its one-year deal allowing Brecon Grille to use the Leather Bucket Alley. Restaurant owner Paul Geragosian was asking for a three-year deal.
  • The city will try to go forward with several road and utilities project this summer - but not as many as first planned. The city hoped to do $3.2 of roadway, water and sewer work on Highland, Mills, Hillcrest, Lawson, Nichols, Watson and Whittier. The city had just one bidder and the estimate came in far higher than expected at nearly $4.6 million. The Highland Drive work, estimated at $614,056, came in at $1,055,407. DPW Director Jeff Fordice asked council to consider doing the four roads closed to the estimate (Mills, Nichols, Watson and Whittier) this year. Council was split on the proposal, with some suggesting it might be better to rebid the entire package next year. But Marl, with a slim majority, asked Fordice to forge ahead with the four-road package.

City construction coming in WAY higher than estimates. Only one bid.
Fordice suggests doing just Mills, Nichols, Watson and Whittier. Marl pushes for Highland too. pic.twitter.com/lJNV2sCcoE

— Tran Longmoore (@TranLongmoore) June 16, 2020

  • A slim majority of council also approved Girbach's recommendation for replacing DPW Director and Engineer Jeff Fordice. Fordice is moving to Oklahoma in July. The city has struggled to find anyone who can wear the DPW Director and Engineer's cap like Fordice does. Girbach and Dillon sat on the city committee to find a Fordice's successor. Girbach recommended a plan that includes 1) Making DPW assistant Director Dan Bennett the interim director 2) Using Fordice as a part-time director remotely for six months 3) Advertising for a new DPW Director and 4) Putting out a request for quotes for engineering services. 
  • Council will meet at 6 p.m. Monday to discuss a plan for managing the city  after Campbell leaves.
  • Both Mayor Marl and Councillor Christen Mitchell spoke about the potential of using Sage Solutions for its human resources needs.
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