Saline MI
3-04-2026 2:41pm

Saline City Council Digest, March 2, 2026

Saline City Council met for its first meeting of March on Monday night. Here's a summary of the action.

Harship Exemptions

City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2026 Harship Exemption Guidelines. The issue was on the consent agenda but pulled off at the request of Councillor Janet Dillon. There was concern, based on wording in the guideline language and memo language, that the city would be granting 100 percent tax exemptions to anyone meeting poverty exemption guidelines. It's always been the case that the city has granted exemptions at various levels. Councillor Jim Dell'Orco said it was his understanding that the city was continuing past practice and not automatically granting 100 percent exemption for qualifying applicants. Mayor Brian Marl asked city staff to perhaps tighten the language and confirmed no one on council believed the city should be locked in on 100 percent tax exemptions.

Managed IT Services

Council voted 7-0 to approve a contract with XFER Communications for IT assistance for $3,000 a year.

Beach Court and Sauk Trail Resurfacing

City Council awarded the Beach Court and Sauk Trail Court resurfacing projects to Asphalt Specialists LLC for $533,817. Council also awarded construction engineering services to OHM for $71,700.

City Amends Contract with Waste Management

Last year, the city reviewed the agreement with Waste Management and agreed to extend the deal until September 2030. City staff reviewed the deal and identified several concerns, determining that the deal should be updated. Here are a few of the changes:

  • Differentiating between single-family and multi-family services.
  • Updated insurance requirements with higher limits.
  • A process for consideration of extraordinary adjustments to rates.

Council approved the new language by a 7-0 vote.

Public Comment

Council is considering a request to change the format for public comment at council meetings. Currently, there are two public comment periods. The first, at the start of the meeting, is for public comment on agenda items. The second, at the end of the meeting, can be used by people to address any issue they want. Council received a request to allow people to address any issue during the first session. At times, people must sit through three hours or more of the meeting to address the council with a comment.

Reports and Other Announcements

  • Councillor Nicole Rice said the Parks Commission heard about several Girl Scouts award projects in city parks. One involves a garden of native species at Canterbury Park. A younger group is planning to build houses at Curtiss Park. Another group is planning birdhouses at a park to be determined.
  • Councillor Dean Girbach said the planning commission approved the preliminary site plan for 1080 E. Michigan, which involves retail/drive-through restaurants and residential. Girbach said the planning commission is expecting the final plan in 60-90 days. Girbach also said the commission plans to address the abandoned car wash in the future. The Fire Board will not meet this month as changes to the articles of incorporation for the Fire Authority were made by Lodi Township and the board hasn't gone over the potential budget. The Davenport-Curtiss House committee has talked with organizers of the Jazz Festival about potentially moving their event from Mill Pond Park to the House's grounds.
  • Marl added that the city's Arts and Culture committee will discuss that potential at its next meeting. Marl reminded people that the town hall on the Saline River Dam is next Monday. Marl said the Michigan Townships' Association, Michigan Municipal League, and SEMCOG are raising the alarm about pending legislation that "would usurp our zoning authority at a local level." The MML, SEMCOG and MTA have proposed an alternative called the MI Home Program: Partnership Over Preemption. 
  •  Councillor Janet Dillon said the Urban County grant will be used to install a sidewalk between Maple Oaks and Westgate on North Maple, including in front of Lectronics. She said the city should begin planning projects that might be ready to go for the next time Saline receives an Urban County grant. Dillon talked about the legislation Marl spoke of, saying it could be detrimental to Saline, noting it could allow a property owner to put a second home, even bigger than the first, on a small parcel, with no recourse for the city to control it. Marl agreed that a resolution from the city council is warranted.
  • Councillor Jim Dell'Orco said the Davenport-Curtiss working group is working earnestly. Dianna Young has agreed to work with the group pro bono to help organize key priorities and work as a team. EMU classes have begun cataloguing the house's inventory. The Asset Management discussed the Capital Improvement Plan, pothole repair protocol, the dam and more. The DPW hiring committee interview four finalists and have made a conditional offer for the leadership post.
  • Councillor Tramane Halsch said the Youth Council has a nomination for Youth of the Year.
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