A half-million-dollar fix to a hidden piece of the city’s dam system hit pause this week, as new information suggested the problem may not be as urgent, nor as straightforward, as first believed.
The Saline City Council voted April 20 to delay a decision on a proposed $580,000 repair project at the city’s mill race, citing new inspection findings, cost concerns, and the need to explore alternatives.
The Issue
The mill race is part of the Saline River dam system that once fed water to the historic mill site, now occupied by Wellers Inc. It includes a concrete culvert running beneath U.S. 12 that helps control water flow.
City crews discovered problems last fall while attempting routine maintenance. When workers exposed the structure’s stop logs, barriers that regulate water, they found the system had failed in place.
To stabilize conditions, the city installed steel plates as a temporary fix. Engineers then proposed a larger project involving a cofferdam, a temporary enclosure that allows work in dry conditions, to replace the failed components and clean out debris.
The recommended contract, submitted by Fisher Contracting, totaled $525,000, with an added contingency bringing the not-to-exceed cost to $580,000.
New Information Changes Urgency
At the April 20 meeting, City Manager Dan Swallow told council members that additional inspections revealed the situation may not be as urgent as first believed.
“We actually do have some additional information from some inspections that occurred relative to the location of the of the stop logs, as well as what occurs downstream underneath US-12. So surprisingly, the culvert and some of the trash rack and some of the other components of that structure are in better shape than what we had anticipated,” Swallow said.
He also said state regulators with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) viewed the structure as stable for now.
That assessment opened the door to reconsider options, including potentially lowering the upstream water level, a move that would require additional permitting and environmental review.
Why the Decision was Postponed
With the immediate risk reduced, officials said they needed more time to evaluate less costly or more effective solutions.
“So based on this new information, and the fact that, you know, it looks relatively stable, and that EGLE is willing to allow some time to research this further, I would recommend that we postpone this at least 60 days for a decision,” Swallow said.
Council discussion focused on balancing urgency with fiscal responsibility. Members acknowledged that while the failure of the stop logs poses a long-term concern, rushing into a half-million-dollar project without exploring alternatives could be premature.
Councilmember Janet Dillon emphasized both the seriousness of the issue and the need for clearer information before committing funds.
“There’s words being thrown about – ‘catastrophic failure,’ ‘drain the pond,’ ‘excess of liability.’ These are things that are making me extremely nervous,” Dillon said.
She added that the new information justified a pause but not a long delay.
“I do feel as though, because those words are out there, time is of the essence,” Dillon said.
The postponement, approved 5-1 with Councilmember Nicole Rice absent, pushes consideration of the project to June 15.
What Happens Next
City staff will spend the coming weeks reviewing alternatives, including whether repairs can be completed more cheaply or safely without the full cofferdam approach. They will also continue discussions with regulators and contractors.
Officials indicated that some form of repair will likely still be needed this construction season, regardless of whether the city ultimately decides to rehabilitate or remove the dam in the future.
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