Work The Polls On Election Day

Written on October 26, 2011 at 5:05 pm, by admin

If you have ever wondered how to become more active in government, there are plenty of opportunities for you that do not involve running for elected office.  Michigan has 83 counties, 274 cities, 1,242 townships, and 259 villages.  During an election, each of these units of government requires a staff of paid workers to work at the polls.

Election inspectors are people who are paid to assist voters at the polls on Election Day.  Registered voters interested in serving as election inspectors must submit an election inspector application to their local clerk.  In addition to their name, address, and date of birth, applicants must include their political party preference and qualifications to fill the position such as education or experience.

An election inspector must be a registered voter of the county.  They cannot be a challenger, candidate, member of a candidate’s immediate family, or a member of the local Board of Canvassers.  Anyone convicted of a felony or an election crime may not serve.

Why not consider helping your community and become more active in local government by becoming a election inspector.  2012 will be a busy election year and we are seeking additional workers.

Contact Saline City Hall, Clerk’s Office 734 429-4907 extension 2216, 2214, or 2209 with questions.

Submit completed applications to City Clerk’s Office, Attn. Jackie Lindimore, 100 N. Harris Street, Saline, MI 48176 or drop off at City Hall.

147 W. Michigan Avenue (formerly the Village Market Place + Lofts site) Update

Written on July 15, 2011 at 12:57 pm, by admin

Anyone that has seen the property located at 147 W. Michigan Avenue in the last few months knows that huge improvements have take place beginning this past spring.  The property is under new ownership, since December 2010, as a result of a Sheriff’s sale of the property caused by foreclosure.  The new owners are a group of contractors that have liens on the property as a result of doing work for the former owner and not being paid as part of the failed Village Market Place + Lofts development.

The new owners have earth balanced the property, installed a new storm water drain, removed the unsightly security fencing and generally cleaned up the site.  The owners will be spreading top soil on the site and putting grass seed down in the near future.  The new owners have placed the property on the market with the intention of selling the property to make up for not being paid for all of their work on the site.

The property was on its way to being foreclosed upon by the Washtenaw County Treasurer’s Office because of past due property taxes winter/spring 2011.  However, the new owners of 147 W. Michigan Avenue have made the necessary payments to keep the property out of tax foreclosure.

We are hopeful and optimistic that the community will see a positive outcome at 147 W. Michigan Avenue in the not too distant future.  But at least in the interim, the property looks 100% better and is no longer the eyesore negatively impacting downtown Saline.

16th Annual Saline Celtic Festival

Written on June 28, 2011 at 2:26 pm, by admin

July 7–9 • Celebrating Welsh, Irish and Scottish traditions, honoring the Celtic nations and their cultures

The 16th Annual Saline Celtic Festival kicks off on Thursday, July 7th with a Celtic Dinner and Whisky Tasting at Mac’s Acadian Grille, located at 102 E. Michigan Avenue, Saline. Friday night, July 8th, is Pub in the Park starting at 5:30 p.m. and promises food, drinks and music for a $5.00 gate fee into the Red Dragon tent. Beth Patterson and Celtic rock band, Road Kilt, will provide the entertainment. There will also be dance and music workshops for participants to enjoy for only $8.00. Additionally, families can come and enjoy a free evening of jousters, merchants, and enjoy a great night! Come hang out and relax with neighbors and friends while strolling through the park. Friday will also host the popular Mr. Pretty Legs Kilt competition. Saturday, July 9, is Festival Day! The festivities begin with a 5K run followed by Opening Ceremonies to celebrate Welsh, Irish and Scottish traditions, honoring the Celtic nations and their cultures.

The performances begin at 9:00 am with the Scottish Highland Dance Competition followed throughout the day with Irish Dance Competitions, new to the festival this year! Back by popular demand are the Highland Athletes! The caber and sheaf toss will highlight a 7-event competition. This year will also include an all-amateur open event for men and women of all ages. Saturday’s stage entertainment will begin at noon with three stages of live entertainment throughout the day and will feature traditional Irish and original music by Blue Fiddle for the evening Pub Stage. Great activities for families to enjoy on Saturday include Rugby Tournaments, Millie the Mill Pond Monster, the Wee Folk Area, Sheep Dog Demonstrations, Jousting Knights on Horseback, Dark Ages Living History Viking Encampment and much more. And what would the festival be without the Highland Pipe Bands? The bands, individual pipers, and drummers will compete for medals and bragging rights. The color and sounds will lift your heart.
There will be food and merchant vendors available at a variety of locations within the park selling authentic Celtic food and great merchandise. There’s something for everyone to enjoy during the Saline Celtic Festival! The Festival runs through 11:00 pm. Tickets will be available at the Celtic Festival Office, Saline City Hall and other local businesses beginning June 1st. Please visit the festival’s website for ticket locations at www.salineceltic.org. Would you like to attend the Festival for free? Just become a volunteer. For a few hours of work (really more like play) you are given free admission as part of the great party.

For more information on the Celtic Festival or to volunteer, contact the Saline Celtic Festival office at 734-944-2810, by e-mail at celticfest@cityofsaline.org. Come and enjoy the party!

SATURDAY TICKET PRICES: Children 12 and under are FREE
• Advance tickets are $10.00.
• Tickets purchased at the gate for adults 18 +: $15.00
• Tickets purchased at the gate for children ages 13-17: $5.00
• Tickets purchases at the gate for senior citizens: $10.00
• Tickets purchased at the gate after 8:00 p.m.: $5.00

State of the City Address

Written on January 28, 2011 at 10:32 am, by admin

State of the City
January 2011

It is a privilege to report to you on the state of affairs of this great city.  We have a community that is thriving, thanks to the continued commitment of our citizens, city employees, and elected officials. Even in these difficult economic times, we are seeing new investment by local businesses and housing value stabilization.  In this Address, I will review our current activities and outline our future priorities.

Saline is in a good financial position. Our long range financial plan shows a stable fund balance of approximately $2M or 20% over the next 5 years. While some funding remains at risk, such as state revenue sharing, we believe that property values in our community have stabilized. We have adjusted employee benefits to be comparable with the private sector and will be negotiating to have benefit parity for all labor groups. We have a viable plan to pay down our unfunded retirement liability over several years. The city has been able to maintain our millage rate through the diligent work of city employees, identifying opportunities for cost savings and revenue enhancement.

This year we completed our biannual citizen survey.  The results can be found on our website (cityofsaline.org) under the city council section. I am delighted to report that the city received very positive ratings compared to the benchmarks. We are always looking for opportunities for improvement, and take your feedback very seriously.  We utilize the survey results for our annual goal setting process, which we have just completed.

The city council has had several work sessions to update our goals for next year in preparation for developing the budget. They will be formally adopted next council meeting and put on the city website. We have continued with the same overarching goals which focus on enhancing our ability to continue as a successful 21^st century city. The goals are; a vibrant downtown, maintain financial stability, upgrade infrastructure, proactive economic development, enhance communication, build community spirit, promote and develop sustainable green initiatives, and enhance our quality of life.

Our downtown is the heart of our city, a place for residents and visitors to shop, eat and play. The city has been participating in the Michigan Main Street Program, learning about best practices and tools communities use to further enhance this crucial area of our community. We had a successful summer concert series, which will be continued  next year. A new initiative is being developed by community members for a winter concert series at The Stone Arch on South Ann Arbor Street. I know everyone is looking forward to the opening of Mangiamo’s by the Toaramina family this next month.  It will be a family Italian restaurant with a pizza oven, and of course their delicious ice cream will also be served. The unfinished development, Village Marketplace, continues to be a challenge to cleanup. We have a default judgement against the developer and are looking at options to improve the aesthetics of the parcel. Goals for this next year include expanding our beautification efforts, continue retail business attraction and identifying funding for a community pavilion.  Additionally, we will be working with the downtown stakeholders to develop an overlay district in the downtown. This will enable us to further improve the structural elements of the downtown through our zoning and site plan review process.

Maintaining financial stability is of vital importance to our city council and staff. We recognize the importance of thoughtful investment in the city and have great respect for the fact that we are using your tax dollars. Over the last decade we have made significant investments in capital projects and we are in positioned well for the future. We know that your decision to live and work in Saline is based on the value you get for your tax dollars. We do a broad brush five year financial document, so we can be responsive to trends that affect us in a timely manner, adjusting our projected expenditures accordingly.

Upgrading infrastructure is a continuous challenge for the city and is of vital importance to our quality of life and attractiveness as a community. Evaluating, programming, and implementing projects can be complex and costly. We are developing a Capital Improvements Program Report that will be available on our website when our budget process is complete in the spring. Last year we reconstructed Willis Road implementing the complete streets policy that we have developed. Our non-motorized plan is being implemented in segments, this year we are working with the library on a link between Maple Road and Harris Street. We installed the illuminated cross walk on Woodland Drive with assistance from grant money. We plan to identify a reliable funding stream for our transportation system as the current bond proceeds are rapidly disappearing.

Proactive economic development will include all commercial businesses in infrastructure planning and events. We currently work with the SACC as partners in the development of promotional events. We also work with AnnArbor SPARK, and the MEDC coordinating regular retention visits to our larger businesses. Additionally, we plan to develop a program that supports entrepreneurship by promoting business mentoring, acting as virtual incubator space. The relationships we develop with our local businesses are of utmost importance to our future, and we hope they consider the city a partner in our mutual success.

City council and staff are always looking for opportunities to improve communication.. We have invested in two websites, an operational government type, and an events & promotional type. We learned from the survey results that most of you get city information from our quarterly FYI, which goes out in the water bills.  However, the most timely information regarding city operations and activities will be found on our websites 24/7.

Civic engagement is crucial to the success of our community. Our multiple boards, commissions, and events, such as Summerfest & Celtic Festival, are run by volunteers. In this time of shrinking budgets we need you more than ever to get involved. Volunteering is a great way to give back and you can do it for a onetime event or multiple activities.  It is also a great way to make new friends and be part of something bigger than you. The city website has a volunteer page that allows you to contact the organizer for each event. Also we will be hosting a volunteer table at future public events, so come on out, meet some new folks, and contribute!

As a city, we have been identifying opportunities to promote and support sustainable practices addressing the wise use of our resources. We have had an energy audit completed and are implementing the suggestions for improvement. This next year our goals are to expand the recycling program to commercial areas and public events. Through the environmental commission we plan to expand educational offerings, such as rain barrel making, assisting citizens in their commitment to conservation. Additionally, we plan to identify opportunities for use of alternative energy programs that could be applicable to homes and businesses.

Our final strategic goal, one that is impacted by all of the above goals, is enhancing the quality of life. City council, employees and commissions are continually working on ideas that would provide a positive impact. Specifically, this year we plan to address blighted areas, access grant funding for cultural and recreational development, continue to develop tools to promote healthy living, and develop a cultural diversity initiative with community organizations. We opened the ice rink at Henne field in December and it is being well used. This fall we look forward to visitors from both our sister city programs, Lindenberg, Germany and Brecon, Wales. Host families are being recruited now if you would be interested in expanding your world to include other cultures.

Our council is looking forward to an exciting year ahead. We have two new council members, Dean Girbach and Linda TerHaar. They have been participating in our goal setting and bring a fresh perspective to this council. Additionally we have seasoned councilmembers, Pat Ivey, Glenn Law, Brian Marl, and David Rhoads. I look forward to working with this council because of our strong commitment to serving you.

In summary, your city government is working hard for you. We have an excellent quality of life, great schools, and a stable local economy due to community pride and participation. We hope to see you downtown this weekend at our 1^st annual Winterfest. Thank you for your continued support, because of you, Saline is a great place to live, work, and play.

Former Village Market Place + Lofts Project Status

Written on January 6, 2011 at 11:43 am, by admin

As you all are aware, there is a large hole near the west end of downtown Saline.  The hole is the result of a mixed use (retail and residential) development that would have been a very nice addition to downtown Saline, but fell victim to the economy being turned upside down in 2008; similar to thousands of projects around the nation.  First, some brief history of the Village Market Place + Lofts project.  The project received required City approvals in 2007 and began environmental clean-up efforts in early 2008 with installation of underground utilities beginning as well.  Unfortunately, the summer of 2008 saw the project developer lose bank financing for the project, which resulted in the construction activity coming to an abrupt halt.

The project’s original site plan approval expired in February 2009.  The developer, Mike Concannon, requested and received multiple extensions of the site plan approval, with the final extension expiring in February 2010.  The Saline Planning Commission voted unanimously in February 2010 to not extend the Village Market Place + Lofts site plan approval.  Additionally, the Saline City Council voted unanimously to revoke the project’s special land use permit in February 2010 after receiving a recommendation from the Saline Planning Commission to do the same.

During the multiple site plan extensions, Mr. Concannon claimed to be pursuing and actually to have secured new financing to complete the project.  Unfortunately, according to Mr. Concannon, the project was not able to actually take possession of the necessary financing.  Mr. Concannon also submitted a letter to the Saline Planning Commission with the last request for site plan extension that was not granted.  The letter blamed the banking institutions for not granting financing for the project’s business tenants.  Mr. Concannon wrote in his last letter that, “This action by the banks effectively kills the Project.”

City staff sent a letter dated April 8, 2010 to Mr. Concannen regarding the status of the Village Market Place + Lofts; specifically two items – general maintenance per the Saline Zoning Code and protection of the public health and welfare.  The general maintenance per the Saline Zoning Code included two items:  1) Mowing of grass/weeds to a height of seven inches or less and 2) Removing junk/debris from the property.  The protection of the public health and welfare included four items:  1) That the land be graded, filled and drained so that water problems do not negatively impact the public health, safety and welfare; 2) That the land be graded, filled and drained so that it can be maintained in an urban lawn-like manner and not attract or contribute to anything deleterious to the urban environment or its activities; 3) That the perimeter fencing be maintained in a safe and serviceable manner; and 4) That the cross-lot sanitary lead for 101 South Lewis Street be reconnected to the service line the developer installed under US-12, near the Lewis Street/US-12 intersection.  City staff included two deadlines in the April 8, 2010 letter.  The first deadline required Mr. Concannon to submit a remediation plan to address the above items by May 1, 2010 to be reviewed by City staff.  The second deadline required Mr. Concannon to complete the necessary site remediation improvements by July 1, 2010.  May 1, 2010 and July 1, 2010 both came and went without any reply from Mr. Concannon.

The Saline City Council voted unanimously at their July 12, 2010 regular City Council meeting to file a lawsuit against Mr. Concannon and partnerships.  City Attorney Allan Grossman filed a lawsuit as of July 29, 2010, against The Concannon Company, The Village Market Place + Lofts and SRV Ventures regarding the four parcels that make up the new defunct project.  The complaint filed by the City of Saline as of July includes two counts.  The first count claims the property is a nuisance per se – zoning use violations.  The second count includes failure to reimburse the City of Saline for installing a temporary sidewalk (along US-12).  There was not any response to the Court or the City by the defendants.  On November 5, 2010, City Attorney Grossman went before the Honorable Judge Timothy P. Connors requesting a default judgment against the defendants.  Judge Connors granted the default judgment in the City of Saline’s favor.

The next step is to determine how, if the City is able, to enforce the default judgment and make the defendants comply with the decision of the Court.  Additionally, the four property parcels in question are currently in the middle of being foreclosed upon by Washtenaw County due to unpaid property taxes.  The redemption period for the owners to pay off the back taxes will expire March 31, 2011.  The Washtenaw County Treasurer’s Office posted the properties in question with a “Notice of Show Cause Hearing and Judicial Foreclosure Hearing.”  The show cause hearing is scheduled for February 9, 2011 and the judicial foreclosure hearing is scheduled for February 23, 2011.  The properties in question will be auctioned off once the redemption period has expired.

As you all can see, the City of Saline has been and will continue to actively pursue a resolution to the issue of the “big hole” in downtown Saline.  Right, wrong or indifferent, the process is what the process is and it takes a significant amount of time to go through.  There are still some significant questions that will only be answered in time, such as will the current property owners redeem the property by paying the back taxes?  If not, who will end up owning the property and for how much?  And, how/when will the property be cleaned up and restored to a more acceptable level?  Please contact Todd Campbell, City Manager at 429-3148 or by e-mail at tcampbell@cityofsaline.org with any questions/comments.

Get involved, we need you!

Written on November 30, 2010 at 11:39 am, by admin

City seeking volunteers with diverse interests

The City of Saline is pleased to announce upcoming opportunities for citizens to get involved within their own community. Volunteering for one of the City’s Boards or Commissions is a way to brainstorm, socialize and get to know your friends and neighbors, while making Saline a better place to live, work and play. It is the perfect way to give back, and there are positions available for just about any interest or passion.

If you think City government consists of long meetings in closed up board rooms, think again. How about sharing your passion for arts and culture with others, then implementing your ideas onto our sidewalks and public spaces? Or maybe you‘d like to find a way to bring artistic events to Saline‘s unique and state of the art venues? The Arts and Culture Commission is a group who encourages the growth and expansion of visual arts, drama, music, dance, history and humanities.

If your interests find you outdoors, the Parks Commission is an advisory body to the City Council advising City staff on park planning, construction and maintenance of our parks and playgrounds in a way that keeps them fun and useful for residents. Projects implemented into Saline parks make a big difference. Resident Patty Hart likes to play tennis in Curtiss Park. She was so excited to find a brand new surface last year on the courts. “It’s beautiful, and much safer with a non-skid surface, and it‘s blue!” Hart said. If you like to get your hands dirty or have a knack with a green thumb, there are 191 acres of property managed by Saline Parks and Recreation; certainly there are spaces which need your ideas on cleaning up and beautification.

With so many opportunities to give back to the Saline community, it is clear the difference one person can make with just an hour or two per month. “Volunteers are the backbone of what makes a great community,” says Mayor Gretchen Driskell, “and serving on one of the Boards or Commissions is a really valuable way to give back, and it’s fun!”

The Environmental Commission offered a fun and interesting opportunity this year when they conducted a taste test to see how Saline’s tap water rated against packaged water products. The workshop was part of a study conducted by the group to see the impact bottled water is having on the environment.

Other posts available include seats on the Economic Development Corporation or Business Development Association for those with savvy business expertise. There is also the Planning Commission, Historic District Commission, Bixby Marionette Trust, Celtic Festival, Zoning Board, Cemetery Board of Appeals, Youth Council and more. The Youth Council is for middle school and high school students looking to learn more about local government and implement a voice of their own. The Youth Council has grown and developed into a group that have been able to make significant impacts in the Saline community since its inception in 2002.

There are a number of Boards and Commissions to choose from. Applications are available at City Hall or by following this link. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 429-4907 ext. 2209 or at dhill@cityofsaline.org with questions. Applications are given to the mayor’s office, at which point Mayor Driskell will make a recommendation to the members of City Council. All appointments for the year will be made the first Monday in January.

This time of year sets a natural background for giving. What better way to give back to our Saline families and neighbors than to give a few hours of our time? In this way we help to guarantee a continued path of growth, development and enrichment, in a place we are proud to call home.

General Elections are Fast Approaching!

Written on August 26, 2010 at 3:41 pm, by admin

The General Election is fast approaching.  Saline City voters will be going to the polls on Tuesday, November 2nd  to vote for three (3) City Councilmembers and the Mayor.   Those candidates who have filed their Nominating Petitions in time to appear on the ballot for Councilmember are:   Dean Benjamin Girbach, Brian Marl, David Rhoads and Jim Roth.  Mayor Gretchen Driskell is running unopposed for the office of Mayor.

The last day to register to vote for the November General Election is Monday, October 4.  You may register at any Secretary of State office, or at Saline City Hall located at 100 N. Harris Street, Saline.  City Hall is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2.   Polling places for city residents are as follows:

Precinct #1                  Liberty School (Gym), 7265 Saline-Ann Arbor Road
Precinct #2                  Liberty School (Gym), 7265 Saline-Ann Arbor Road
Precinct #3                  First United Methodist Church, 1200 N. Ann Arbor, corner of Woodland

Please check your voter registration card to determine where you should vote; be sure you are in the correct precinct.  If you do not have a voter identification card, or are unsure where you vote, please contact the Clerk’s office prior to election day.

Applications for Absentee Ballots were mailed on August 26th to all registered voters  who requested to be on the City’s permanent absentee voter list.  If you haven’t received your application, or if you need an application for an absentee ballot, please contact the Clerk’s office.

Absentee ballots for the General Election are now available in the Clerk’s officer.  To vote by absentee ballot you must make written application in person at City Hall or by mail.  Applications are also available on the city’s website:  www.cityofsaline.org Saline City Hall will be open on Saturday, October 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the purpose of issuing absentee ballots.  October 30  is the last day an absentee ballot can be taken out of the Clerk’s office for voting.  On Monday, November 1  an absentee ballot may be applied for and voted in the Clerk’s office up until 4:00 p.m.  Any questions regarding voter registration, where you vote, or application for an absentee ballot should be directed to the City Clerk’s office by calling 429-4907, extensions 2209, 2214 or 2216.

Absentee ballots can be returned at Saline City Hall, by mail, or they can be placed in the City’s drop box located in City Parking Lot #3 ( look for the City’s silver drop box at the north end of

City Parking Lot #3 – behind Comerica Bank – it is identified with the city logo).   All absentee ballots must be received in the Clerk’s office by 8:00 p.m. on Election day in order to be counted.

Saline Summerfest 2010

Written on August 2, 2010 at 9:32 am, by admin

The 2010 Saline Summerfest will be held on North & South Ann Arbor Street, East McKay Street, Hall Rd., Bennett St. and many of the adjacent parking lots in downtown Saline. This annual Saline city event starts on August 6, 2010 at 5:00 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. and then again on Saturday August 7, 2010 from 8:00 A.M. until 11:00 P.M.

The first modern day Summerfest was held on North and South Ann Arbor Street in the parking lot behind the Pineapple house. It was great, attendance was up, volunteers were up and people roamed the closed streets downtown. It was so good that there was little or no roam to move on both Friday and Saturday night. The following year and since it has been in the Parking lot behind the Brecon Grille as well as North and South Ann Arbor Street, McKay Street and Hall Road.

Music, Friday nights featured band is 56 Haze and Saturday nights featured band is G-Daddy’s. Also playing on Saturday are Dr. Pocket, the Horse Cave Trio, Loose Dogs Bite, Motor City Outlaws and the New Horizon band.

Food & Refreshments include the Fireman’s Chicken Dinners, Christians Catering Hamburgers, the Saline Lindenberg brats, the Lions club ice cream cones, the Kiwanis Hot Dogs and pretzels from Benny’s Bakery. All are located in the parking lot off South Ann Arbor Street just across the way from the beer and wine tent.

Picnic in the Park was billed as “Saline Family reunion held just before the kid’s went back to school. There was also a Summerfest held uptown with the merchants and as I understand it, sidewalk sales etc usually a week after the Picnic in the park. All this was around 1994, so about 16 years ago. About 5 years ago, with dwindling attendance and volunteer help it was decided to move things downtown.

Adult Entertainment on Friday night is the Rotary Casino night and Saturday night is the Black Jack tournament. Free Trolley rides by the Saline Historic Society learning a little more about the History of Saline. Bingo sponsored by the American Legion will start at 1:30 on Saturday.

Kids can enjoy the Fishing contest Saturday morning, games at Union School, volley ball at the Rec Center, mini car races and the Guitar Hero Tournament. The Teen Block party caps off Saturday evening for those under 21.

Other entertainment includes the Saline Twirlettes, Tea Kwan Do demonstration, and various dance groups performing their routines before an enthusiastic crowd of Saline residents. a limbo contest.

Shopping includes the 40 juried crafters that will be out on South Ann Arbor Street selling their wares. We will also have a dozen vendors with information and or products not considered a craft on the Union School sidewalk.

New this year is “Touch a Truck” where we will be displaying fire engines the DARE car, the armored personal carrier, an ambulance, an 18 wheeler gravel hauler the vacuum truck and a street sweeper.

The 5K race starts at 8:30 A.M. on North Harris Street just north of City Hall. Last year we had 285 runners and we are expecting about 400 this year.

This event is the coordination of the City of Saline, the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, the Saline Downtown Merchants, the Saline Street Machines, many of the local churches, the Saline Fireman, The Saline Historic Society, the service clubs and a large group of Volunteers. All this is made possible by the many generous sponsors who have donated to cover the cost of this event. Stop in and enjoy some food, music and entertainment before returning to another year of School.

County Clean-Up Day

Written on July 15, 2010 at 2:16 pm, by admin

County Clean-up Day

The Washtenaw County Solid Waste Program will be holding a regional environmental clean-up day in your area on:

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 9am-2pm
Eastern Michigan University, Rynearson Stadium Parking Lot
799 N. Hewitt Rd, Ypsilanti, MI

Acceptable Materials Include:

• Traditional recyclable materials – glass, cardboard, plastic, paper, scrap metal
• Freon appliances
• Household hazardous materials – cleaning supplies, motor oil, oil-based paints
• Furniture
• Old tires
• Electronic equipment

Suggested Donation of $10.00

Residents may bring up to 4 tires for free, but will be asked for a $5 donation for each additional tire.  Residents may bring 1 of the following items for free:  television, washer, dryer, Freon containing appliance or computer.  Residents will be asked to donate $10 for each additional item.

Businesses and out-of-county residents are
restricted from attending.

No household garbage will be accepted!

Please contact 734.222.3827 for further information.

State of the City July 2010

Written on July 15, 2010 at 2:08 pm, by admin

Mayor Gretchen Driskell

January 2010

Thank you for the opportunity to report on the state of our great city. It is an honor to share good news in these trying times. Thanks to the excellent relationships with our businesses, schools, community organizations and citizens our town has a very positive outlook for our future. I am happy to report that our city is maintaining a stable financial position while continuing to support and invest in the most important attributes of successful 21st century cities.

Our downtown contributes significantly to our community identity and quality of life. The city recently was accepted into the Michigan Main Street program as an associate. This national program has been instrumental in significant improvements in downtowns around the country. The program has a toolkit of options for building a stronger healthier downtown in partnership with all of the stakeholders. The city has already been partnering with the chamber and the downtown merchants association to coordinate multiple events. This program will leverage the current activities into a more coordinated and successful approach. We also are looking for opportunities to continue to beautify the downtown, the latest of which are the hanging flower baskets at the four corners. We have gotten very positive feedback on this program and intend to extend the baskets further down each street.
I am also delighted to report that there has been significant economic development activity occurring in the downtown. After several years of sitting empty an important building (formerly known as Kelly’s) will be opening once again. The purchase of the building by the Toaramina family, who also own Mickey’s Dairy Twist and are active

partners in the Saline business community, is very exciting for our community. They will be opening a family style Italian restaurant called Mangiamo’s this fall. The former R&B building comprising over 65,000 square feet was purchased by the local business Sun Engineering for offices and manufacturing. This will bring added investment and additional foot traffic to our downtown. Additionally the high tech company Quantum Signal has completed a purchase agreement, subject to some contingencies, to buy Union School and locate their offices there. This will bring an additional 30plus people to our downtown economy.

Financially, Saline is in a healthy position with an estimated 30% fund balance at June 30th. We are fortunate to be experiencing significant investment by businesses in our community. Sherer Trier and Flatout Bread Company are undergoing building expansions. The ACH facility expanded its production equipment by adding $45M worth of high tech equipment. Operationally, the city is continually evaluating opportunities for cost saving and efficiencies. Our budget for next year is stable without any change to our current millage. Our 5 year financial analysis has enabled us to minimize financial swings in our bottom line by responding in a timely manner to potential crises. Recent examples included cutting back on capital projects when the potential for ACH closure arose and the layoff of 9% of our employee base when property values were significantly trending down.

This year city management found additional savings by replacing the DPW director position with an internal candidate thereby reducing yet again our total employee base. Implementation of the operational review recommendations and accessing financial consulting expertise through the SEMCOG benchmarking program have provided the city with more effective financial management. We cannot continue to reduce staffing without a reduction in services. We are hoping that the economy will improve so that we can maintain the high level of service that Saline is known for.

Communicating with our citizens and businesses is a key factor in the success of our community. Relying on analyses of revenue trends, demographics, and research on best practices enables us to develop effective plans for the future. While all of our planning processes include public meetings and hearings, we are using our updated website as our most effective tool to communicate the final report. On our website, cityofsaline.org, you will find multiple documents that outline the vision for our community. Our 2010/2011 Budget, adopted in June, was added today. The city strategic plan, used to prioritize our goals across the spectrum of city services, was recently added. The Parks Commission completed the 2010 recreation master plan this spring and you can find this in the parks section. This document assists us in coordinated efforts for accessing grants and improving healthy living and recreation in the city.

Please spend some time reviewing the website and learning about the city priorities and goals. We will be sending our biennial citizen survey shortly to find out your opinion of our city. I hope you will participate in our information gathering so that we may more effectively serve you, and I hope that you find our updated website a useful tool.

Other important facets of a viable 21st century community include consideration of our environment and implementing green initiatives. Our environmental commission has been active in acquiring storm drain markers through a county grant. These markers protect our water system and will be installed by community volunteers. Additionally they have identified recycle containers to be located in our downtown and a report was just completed on the opportunities for green initiatives in city operations.

Our community is fortunate to have an active arts and culture environment. The 212 Arts Center, in partnership with the Saline District Library and the Saline Rec Center, has developed a new program for our young people (in addition to the Arts to Go in our parks). Look for the wind socks around town that artists and our youth have created to enliven our landscape. Check out the events calendar for Make A Splash, on their website twotwelvearts.org, for fun family activities. Our Arts & Culture committee is working on a public art installation that could also be used as street furniture. They are also participating in the countywide Arts Alliance program and plan to add a Saline site to the county ArtWalk this fall.

The community continues to support and enjoy outdoor events and festivals. Our summer music concert series continues every Fri nite thru August 13th with a variety of musical genres. The annual Summerfest, Aug 6&7 will have lots of arts and crafts, music, and fun activities for all ages. Harvest of the Arts/Oktoberfest will be held September 25 hosting a fine art show, the puppet festival, and promotion of the culture of our sister city in Lindenberg, Germany. Keep up to date on all the exciting events by joining besaline.org, our events website!

This week is Celtic Festival week. In its 14th year, the festival celebrates Celtic heritage and our sister city in Brecon Wales. Activities start Thursday evening and run through Saturday night. Please look at the website, salineceltic.org, to see the myriad of choices and find out where you can buy tickets in advance for a $5 discount.

In summary, it is clear from this address that we have an active and vibrant community. We are a community that supports its residents and businesses, and the support is reciprocated by investment and participation in our city activities. I hope we see you out and about at one of our venues, whether it is fishing in the park or dancing in the streets. Thank you for helping our city employees and city council make Saline a great place to be!