Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell stresses financial health, vibrant downtown in State of City speech
Saline City Council members David Rhoads, Brian Marl and Glenn Law listen to Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell give her State of the City Address Monday night.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
The City of Saline is in good financial shape with a stable fund balance of $2 million despite "difficult economic times,” Mayor Gretchen Driskell told residents Monday night in her annual State of the City Address.
But there is still more work to be done, she said, as the Saline City Council begins choosing its project priorities during the upcoming annual budget process.
“We have adjusted employee benefits to be comparable with the private sector and will be negotiating to have benefit parity for all labor groups,” Driskell said in her speech during Monday's council meeting.
Saline's two police unions, members of Teamsters Local 214 and its nonunion employees recently agreed to concessions that will save the city about $190,000 in health care costs in 2011.
Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell gives her annual State of the City Address Monday night.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
- Create a vibrant downtown
- Maintain financial stability
- Upgrade the city's infrastructure
- Be poactive about economic growth
- Enhance communication
- Build community spirit
- Promote and develop sustainable green initiatives
- Enhance quality of life
Driskell spoke about specific efforts to improve downtown.
“Goals for this year include expanding our beautification efforts, continuing retail business attraction and identifying funding for a community pavilion.”
As part of its downtown improvement efforts, Saline is participating in the Michigan Main Street Program. Also in front of the Planning Commission is a new overlay district for the downtown that will permit greater flexibility in the types of businesses allowed through zoning.
Driskell pointed to some positive developments downtown, including plans for a winter concert series at The Stone Arch events center on South Ann Arbor Street, as well as the opening of a new family Italian restaurant called Mangiamo's.
She also pointed to the city’s complete streets program and its plan to connect areas of the city through a series of walkways.
On the economic development front, Driskell said the city is developing a program that will act as a virtual incubator for entrepreneurs.
In addition, the mayor laid out a strategy for the coming year to address blighted areas in the city, access grant funding for cultural and recreational development and develop new "tools to promote healthy living" and cultivate a cultural diversity initiative with community organizations.”
Driskell also appealed to residents to volunteer their time at the many city events held each year. ‘Civic engagement is crucial to the success of our community,” she said.
Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.