Council to Consider Requests from Celtic Festival, Tour of Washtenaw

Council meets Monday night starting with a work session at 6:45 p.m. The regular meeting opens at 7:30 p.m.

City Council will consider a resolution to set a May 2 public hearing on the 2011-12 special assessment for fire protection. The purpose is to hear and consider any objections to the city’s payment of $285,990 to help fund the department, which also serves York, Saline and Lodi townships. The city, however, is once again paying its share out of the general fund and not using a special assessment to collect funds. The budget for 2011-12 is $1.1 million. The city’s payment is the largest slice of the pie in the department’s budget. Lodi Township will pay $244,000 and will pay about $88,000., which has part of its area covered by the, will pay  $159,000 toward the operation of the fire department. The payments from the city and Lodi and Saline townships are slightly smaller for 2011-12 than they were last year. The payment for York Township is about $10,000 more than last year.

There are several other items in front of council:

• Council will consider a request to authorize the Torwood Homeowners' Association to plant 14 ornamental deciduous trees and a spruce tree in the city right-of-way. Planning Commission approved the plan Feb. 23.
• Council will consider a request to approve the Celtic Festival event planned for July 8-9 at . The request also seeks authorization for a beer and wine tent.
• Council will consider a request to authorize Anthem Sports to use city streets for a bike race and the Saline Downtown Merchants Association to host a beer and wine tent at the Tour of Washtenaw Bike Expo on May 14. The expo would be held in the city parking lot beside Little Caesar’s. The 65-mile race in Saline starts at Liberty School and ends at South Ann Arbor Street and Henry Street on May 14. The race is expected to begin at 11 a.m. and finish by 6 p.m. The expo would feature bike vendors, health related vendors, refreshments and kids activities. About 120 volunteers are needed for the event. So far, according to Downtown Director Art Trapp, there are 60. More event are planned May 14-15 in Ann Arbor.

• Jody Roberts, of the Saline Recreation Center, will present “Youth of the Year” winner Catherine Bernard. The Saline High School senior will be honored April 15 at the event held in the Ellen Ewing Performing Arts Center.

The consent agenda includes:

• A recommendation to approve the Saline American Legion’s request to use streets for the annual Memorial Day Parade. The parade takes place Monday, May 30, starting at 10 a.m.
• A recommendation to proclaim April 29 as Arbor Day in Saline and to encourage residents to plant trees and protect trees and woodlands.
• A recommendation to declare a DPW Ford F-250 pickup truck and other items as surplus property that will be sold by sealed bids, on eBay or scrapped. Other items include jewelry, baseball cards, iPods, clothing, and electronics.