New Saline DPW Director Appointed

Saline City Council appointed Brandon McNeil as the new Department of Public Works Director at the March 16 meeting, following the departure of Zach Haapala from the position.

“[McNeil] has early career experience as an operator in a large utility system, extensive knowledge of capital planning, asset management programs, with various experience with large capital construction projects, strong implementation experience of planning with management tools such as GIS and asset management software, and understanding of recent issues like lead line replacement,” City Manager Dan Swallow said. “So, we’re very pleased to recommend Mr. McNeil for the Department of Public Services Director.”

McNeil went through a multi-step hiring process, which included interviews and a tour of the Saline city and facilities he would be working in. According to council member Janet Dillon, who was a part of the interview team for the position, McNeil was “very accommodating” during the process and interacted well face-to-face with other city workers he met.

“The process makes a huge difference for us,” she said. “[…] It’s like trying out a pair of shoes. They might fit in the store, but it’s good to walk around a little in them first.”

McNeil outlined aspects of Saline’s public works that he would like to focus on as he begins, including local groundwater and the wastewater treatment plant currently being constructed.

“We want to make sure we have proper operations and maintenance plans in place, and to make sure that there’s daily checks, weekly checks on certain equipment,” he said.

McNeil’s appointment was approved unanimously.