06-13-11 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 13, 2011 obligated only to support the public school system. He stated that this a pretty cut and dry issue and not a case of semantics. Do we stick to the constitution or don’t we? Dustin Saunders, 119 LaPorte, South Bend, Indiana, stated that yes the City has helped South Bend schools but Riley is on the Southside, Adams is on the eastside, you let LaSalle close without any fight and the school corporation asked for help with the bus pull off and the city made the school corporation pay for it over at Washington High School. So again, you have made the point of ignoring the Westside even with the schools. In regard to St. Joseph High School, the 1.2 million is obscene. Why don’t we turn around and even if the Council goes ahead with the plan even though he hoped that it would not go through, but if it does why doesn’t the city move the Family Dollar Store to one of the vacant store fronts downtown that they city is trying to market at a high rent that nobody wants to move in. Downtown needs a store, just move it. Then the city should be able to buy the Family Dollar for a fraction of what it would cost, because that store will be able to stay in business and still make money. Then the city could reap the benefits of getting tax dollars by relocating them downtown. Mr. Saunders stated what bothers him the most is that 1.2 million could be used anywhere else, give to the South Bend Community School Corporation for a slew of different projects that will help education the children. He stated that the shirt he is wearing tonight “Stop the Violence” the money would be better spent on curtailing crime. He stated that he would like to stop hearing the garbage spread on Channel 16 News, reporter Tricia Sloma announcing on the morning show that someone played Russian roulette with their dog. How many different crimes could be stopped with the ridiculous amount of 9.1 million dollars? He stated that he thinks that Miracle Park is a great idea for special education children, but before the city starts doing all these projects that should be done when the economy is better let’s get the crime rate down, let’s tear down the vacant house, let’s get jobs; let’s get our kids educated so the State leaves us alone. Instead of putting money into a private school where those kids are going to pack up and leave, they are not going to stay. The City is going to invest into a project that down the line those kids are not going to stay in this community. James Hall, 1445 E. LaSalle, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he agrees with a lot of things that the previous speaker just said prior to him. He stated that we are talking about projects for infrastructure but what about projects for our youth, what about projects for defeating crime and as far as the current discussion isn’t this a mute point. St. Joe High already said that if we don’t give them the 1.2 million dollars they are going to go ahead and build anyway. Why is the city using money that are tax dollars that we could be using in other ways to deter crime, help the youth, help our public schools, help our public South Bend City Neighborhoods. Why aren’t we supporting the Police Department or the Fire Department with this 1.2 million dollars? They don’t count, the city can cut their number of hours; the number of people working and the neighborhoods go less protected, less safe. He stated that he lives in the same neighborhood as Councilmember Puzzello, and they don’t worry about crime in their neighborhood. Mr. Hall stated that they should go to the Westside and walk down the street after dark on the west side. He stated that he won’t but encouraged the Council to and see if they feel safe. He asked why they aren’t investing the 1.2 million on the west side instead of giving it St. Joe High School. Mr. Hall questioned how long was this deal of buying the Family Dollar and then giving it to St. Joseph High School in the works and why didn’t the taxpayers know about until know. Greg Bukowski, 20155 Roosevelt Road, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he lives in the county and that this bill shouldn't affect him, but in fact every expenditure that the city makes affects the lives of everyone out in the County as well. He stated that he doesn’t have a problem with the small expenditures, even though he might be able to get a better deal just rebuilding the pump that they have at the golf course rather than buying a new one. The U.S. 31 project will have to be done because of the State widening the road which if fact those that live in that area did not want that project either. He stated that the 50,000 in repair at the river walk probably would be cheaper to do now than next year. But why on earth would anybody in their right mind want to spend 1.2 million dollars just to demolish the structure and give that structure to a private high school. This is an affair between the Ft. Wayne, South Bend Diocese; St. Joseph High School and the 17