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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 13, 2011 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Dollar General Store. This is private sector business not city business. He stated that he <br />does not believe that facilitating the construction of the new high school includes buying <br />and donating property at the taxpayer’s expense. Facilitation of construction of the <br />school is streamlining the permit process and necessary inspections that go along with <br />this project so it can be erected in a reasonable length of time. If the Council approves <br />this, Dollar General Store is paying property taxes it consists of about 5 to 7 percent of <br />the total land that we are talking about that St. Joseph High School wants to build on. He <br />stated that when the city buys that property it is another property that is not going to be <br />contributing to the tax base of this community. He stated that there 187 parcels that are <br />going to come off the tax rolls when the project at U.S. 31 is complete also. He stated <br />that he could mention a half dozen properties that this administration has taken off the tax <br />rolls and haven’t been replaced some of them bars they wanted to close so they bought <br />them at market value. He stated that he doesn’t think this is good government, let the <br />private sector take care of private sector business and the public sector take care of the <br />public sector business and he doesn’t believe that the public sector business is buying and <br />selling real estate. <br /> <br />Jim Cierzniak, 1518 Pine Top Trace, Mishawaka, Indiana, commended Councilmember <br />Henry Davis. He stated that the Mayor comes up here and acts like with a 1.2 million <br />dollar investment we are going to leverage a 35 million dollar project. While the school <br />is being built as we speak. He stated that others got up this evening and still carrying on <br />that fiction that somehow this million dollars is necessary to get the project going that is <br />not true. He stated that as he understands it the Family Dollar Store is on the footprint of <br />the football stadium, so we are talking about a football stadium here. St. Joe can play <br />their games at Clay, School Field, and Jackson and should especially play their games at <br />Marian High School where there is a fine football stadium. There is no compelling <br />reason for this Council to vote for money to build a stadium that duplicates a stadium, <br />which duplicates another stadium etc. This is not necessary that it is done therefore it is <br />necessary that it is not done. He stated that he is going to be contacting the Bishop of <br />Ft.Wayne/South Bend to let him know that he is making a big mistake if he allows this <br />transaction to take place. The Catholics ought to pay for it themselves. We shouldn’t <br />have a project that is going to raise the ire of the community this is a very unpopular <br />project. Quid pro quo who get’s what? When St. Joe High School announces that they <br />are going to set up the Joe Kernan Memorial Chair in political philosophy and that Steve <br />Luecke will be the first holder of that chair, Mr. Cierzniak stated that he will know then <br />that we have gone too far. <br /> <br />Glenda Rae Hernandez, 702 E. South Street, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she thinks <br />there are more pressing needs than for the proposal for St. Joseph High School. She <br />stated that a couple of years ago cuts were made in the City budget for fear that the tax <br />caps might deprive us of all kinds of money. That was one of the reasons that the <br />Council passed one of the income taxes. For two years the Human Rights Commission <br />has had to make due without a secretary. This is one department that she has personal <br />knowledge of; she is assuming there were other cuts throughout the city as well. She <br />stated that she thinks restoring some of those jobs would be much more important. She <br />stated that she is very concerned about the purchase of the store for a private sectarian <br />school. Especially since that store is the only place that some people living in that area <br />have to buy their necessities. She stated that the northeast neighborhood was told that the <br />Eddy Street Commons would have retail and so the neighborhood bought into but you <br />can see the kind of retail that they have is not what the people in the neighborhood need. <br />She stated that her suggestion is that the Department of Redevelopment work with the <br />Family Dollar to relocate it just as they did with Habitat’s Restore when they help them <br />move so that Ivy Tech could have that property on Sample Street. She stated that as was <br />mentioned before St. Joe can play football wherever. They don’t have to have the <br />football field in order to get the school built. She stated that they already mentioned that <br />they are going to build the school once they can raise the money for buying the Family <br />Dollar let them do that themselves without the city intervening in between. She stated <br />that it was mentioned about beautifying the Lincolnway West Gateway into the city and <br />she stated that 25 years ago when the Monroe Park Project started one of the things that <br />was done and was not a complete rehab but was providing paint and small repairs for <br />every single house in the area and you wouldn’t believe how many people said how much <br /> 18 <br /> <br />