03-29-16 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING MARCH 29, 2016 political coward and vote this, but what is really difficult is to stand with the common people and make a choice and stand in the face of people who wish to oppress your choice takes bravery. John Hosinski, 502 W. Washington St., stated he came here as someone who has a great love of this Council and served on this Council in the past. All seven (7) of his children hate that he smokes and he can remember a time when he used to sit in his office in this building where he would smoke and it was totally legal, times have changed. Everyone here gets it that smoking is bad for people, people tell him that all the time and everyone knows it. Those arguments are not disputed and it's banned basically everywhere already. Mr. Hosinski asked what big problem are we trying to fix because the problem no longer exists. We have not really seen any aggrieved party in this case. Smoking bans should be everywhere except these few private establishments left and have a sign on the door saying these are the people who haven't figured it out yet and quit. Pat Mulligan, 1705 South Bend Ave., this ordinance will murder our businesses. Mr Mulligan loves this City and this community. Mr. Mulligan stated he moved to this great city of South Bend because he loves Notre Dame. He cashed in everything he had to start his bar and he is proud of his business that he has worked eight (8) years to build his customer base both smokers and non - smokers both blue collar workers and white collar workers and on the door is a sign that says twenty -one (2 1) and up. We need to focus on the two (2) shootings that happened last night not this issue, lets protect our police and firefighters. Let's make this City and community safe, we are not bothering anybody. People have a choice to come into my bar, no one is forced. The casino is coming in and it's going to have smoking. This bill will kill our businesses. Things are starting to go well in this city, we have seen the turnaround, let's not jeopardize that. We don't want vacant buildings in this city. He implored the Council to think real hard tonight about this decision because it will murder these bars. Warren Diltz, 1454 Garland Circle South Bend IN, stated his family has been doing business in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan for over seventy (70) years. His family has been putting video games, juke boxes, pool tables and other bar games in every location that would allow them to do so and bars are a big part of his business. He was the one that brought the comparison list of bars from Elkhart. When a bar closes the liquor license does not go away immediately. Some claimed that the bar closed earlier but bar names do not necessarily correspond with the corporation name on the license. Mr. Diltz stated his information is not anecdotal and he is the expert in this area, there are at least seventeen (17) vacant taverns in the city of Elkhart and none outside the city limits. Yes some businesses have opened but they have been big corporations that don't reinvest that money back in the town like these small businesses. The fact that you find this information anecdotal is proof that a fact finding study needs to be undertaken because there is information you don't have, don't understand, and could learn from businesses in these areas. Mr. Diltz stated he would be happy to be a part of a study to answer some of those questions. Don Ruscoski, 5028 Ford St., stated he is the finance officer of the American Legion Post 357 and has been on their board for eleven (11) years. This post has done so much remodeling on this smoking area, they had to put in special doors that cost over $8,000 to satisfy smoking requirements and now if this is passed all of that was for nothing and it's ridiculous because that is money thrown right out the window. Our post went non - smoking for one week and lost $3,861 during that week alone. Gavin Ferlic has never once came to our club or called us and we have an answering machine. He has not contacted every bar. Right across the street from our post is another one that is in St. Joseph County and if you pass this it will only take a year or year and a half until we close because our customers will leave and join that club. Mr. Ruscoski asked if these councilmembers are going to go to their employees and tell them they are out of a job. Mr. Ruscoski asked the Council to not pass this bill. Donna Mitchel, 1236 Longfellow South Bend, stated the Council has gone about this in the wrong way. She has had several people in her family who have died of cancer but her problem is that these people have businesses and the people who go there do not have a gun to their head they are adults. The Council is elected to represent us and you should have made a law stating all bars in the future cannot have smoking in their bars so then the owner could make the choice if they want to open the business. Then they have other choices but this way these owners have no 12