Vote on Mill Pond May Have to Wait

Saline City Council, months ago, decided it wanted to leave the question about removing Mill Pond and the dam or restoring the old Saline River to the voters.

But time is quickly running out on council if it wants to put the ballot on the November ballot. Clerk Terri Royal reminded council that to get on the ballot, the question must be to the Clerk's office by Aug. 11 and to the county by Aug. 12.

Council still hasn't had public, meaningful conversations about the language. The city's lawyers have not yet crafted language. Council doesn't meet again until Aug. 10. Without scheduling a public meeting, the city couldn't debate language. And if they wished to change whatever was drafted, it would likely need to go back to the attorneys and be reviewed again by council.

"We're getting down to crunch time here. If there was a fervent desire to get this on the November ballot, we would not only need all of the material by next week, we would also need to call a special meeting because our next meeting is on the 10th. That's probably not enough time to turn the necessary documents around for approval," Mayor Brian Marl said. "In saying all that, there's no requirement this be on the November 2026 ballot.  We would have other subsequent options in 2027 or beyond."

Marl polled members of council

Councilor Nicole Rice said she was ready to approve ballot language but "with the caveat that if we don't have it right, we put it off because there's no rush to failure."

Councilor Dean Girbach didn't want to get tied to a potentially faulty referendum.

"I don't want to strap ourselves - we know it's not a binding decision, but being able to repair the dam vs. fixing it. There's all types of things going on. We need to have the right information. If we can't do this in two weeks, I think we are basically paralyzed when we make decisions. We are basically rushed through it. So I don't see how we do this for November," Girbach said.

Councilor Janet Dillon agreed.

"The ship has sale timing-wise. We do not have time as a body to review this to have it out into the public for at least one first reading before it's approved," Dillon said. "What we've learned from past decisions is, when we make rushed decisions, they are bad decisions."

Pro-pond and Pro-river residents have been gearing up for an election for weeks. Taking it to a vote was a common sentiment among candidates in the 2025 city election.

Councilor Jim Dell'Orco said the public will be frustrated if the city delays action.

"My position is unchanged. This is the third time I've been asked this question," Dell'Orco said. "This is not our decision. This is the public's decision, and the more we delay, and the more we pretend like we're doing something and do nothing, we're going to frustrate the public."

Councilor Tramane Halsch agreed with Dell'Orco. He said he was incredibly disappointed that it may not appear on the November ballot.

"Regardless of where people stand, they want clear, consistent and balanced language on the ballot, and I think we owe it to our community to ensure that," Halsch said. "I plan to do everything in my power to make sure that if it's not only the November ballot, it's on the next available ballot as soon as possible because I think we owe our community the chance to decide the fate of that dam."

Marl understood Halsch's point, but he did not sound keen on a special election.

"I've said all along, and if we are going to put this issue to a vote, it should be on a ballot in an election where the largest, most diverse swath of our electorate is participating. I would be looking at a ballot where turnout was going to be high," Marl said.

Marl said the timing of the ballot language wasn't the only issue.

"I'm not just looking at ballot language; I'm looking to develop educational materials so that our citizens can indeed make an informed decision on this issue," Marl said. "It's unlikely that this is going to make it to the November 2026 ballot."

The issue will likly be on the agenda at the Aug. 10 meeting.

The issue drew the public's attention once again.

David Rhoads, former council member, said removing the dam was permanent.

"If the vote has to remove it, that's irrevocable. You know, you can't bring it back. If the move is to repair it, then there are still possibilities of keeping Mill Pond, and if sometime in the future, things change, then, it could be removed," Rhoads said.

He encouraged citizens, council members, city staff and the city's attorney to devise language.

"I would encourage you to make it as neutral as it is possible," Rhoads said.

City resident and former city engineer Tesha Humphriss siad she was excited about the opportunity to restore the Saline River.

"The short shory is that Saline owns a long list of aging assets with increasing maintenance needs," she said. "Ultimately, sound asset management principles will help to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent where they provide the greatest long-term value. . What does it truly cost to own the dam, maintain it, and continue investing in it. Over the years, we found that removal is less expensive over the long term."

She also said that the city might find more opportunities to find grants if it chose to remove the dam.

There were many other public comments before and after the meeting.

More News from Saline

• What to do in Saline: Farmers Market, Beatles Tribute, 4H Auction and Much More Check out our community calendar to find out what's happening this week.
• Paul Cherry, Proud 'Girl Dad,' Took 7th in the Indianapolis 500, was a Toolmaker at General Motors Paul Michael Cherry, age 90, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Saline, Michigan, after a brief illness.