Saline City Council Meets Monday to Discuss Downtown Gathering Space, Background Checks for City Appointees

Saline City Council will meet for a work meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, to discuss the proposed downtown Gathering Space on the Kinley property.

There are a couple of key updates. Litigation brought by a downtown property owner and Council Member Dean Girbach has slowed the retail and residential development. Progress. Kinley is planning a gathering place, which it would lease to the city for $1 every ten years.

That's a lot lower than Tyler Kinley was seeking since the state government extended PA 210, which allows the city to grant a tax abatement on the property.  The city can grant a tax abatement of 1 to 10 years on new value associated with the commercial/residential development on the property, which improves the opera house building.

This was the route city officials and Kinley discussed originally, before it looked like PA 210 might not be extended.

With the lawsuit, Kinley has estimated a potential groundbreaking in April 2027 and completion in April 2028.

The city would contribute $250,000 to the development of Kinley property, including $50,000 to support a storm drain in Salt Brewery Alley and $200,000 to support a stage canopy system for community events.

Other revisions are planned.

Regular Meeting

City Council also has a 163-page agenda for the regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The consent agenda includes a couple of noteworthy items. The agenda includes minutes of a special city council meeting that wasn't televised or publicized.

City Council voted to approve a change order from Tetra Tech for more than $370,000 on the wastewater treatment plant project. In addition, the council made changes to the contract of acting city manager Chris Atkin.

Also on the consent agenda is an item about council member Dean Girbach resigning from the Davenport Curtiss Work Group.

Honoring Cheryl Hoeft and Police Women

City Council is expected to pass a proclamation honoring Cheryl Hoeft's service on the planning commission.

There is also expected to be a presentation on National Police Women Day.

City Background Checks

Background checks for members of city boards and commissions are a hot topic again.

In August, then City Manager Dan Swallow instructed a member of the Davenport-Curtiss working group to resign, sources tell The Saline Post. The person resigned and then rejoined the working group. 

A new background decision matrix could set guidelines for the city on how to respond when it learns someone has criminal issues in their background.

There's also a potential process for having HR consult with the police chief and city manager about whether to move forward with an appointment, and a potential process for appealing a decision.

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