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The City provides a full range of traditional general governmental services to its citizens. These services include police and fire protection; sanitation services; the construction and maintenance of highways, streets and infrastructure; recreational activities and cultural events. In addition to general governmental activities, the Common Council or City Board of Public Works exercises oversight over the South Bend Water Works, the South Bend Wastewater Treatment Facility, the Century Center, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Studebaker Collection, the South Bend Redevelopment Authority and several downtown parking facilities. Location St. Joseph County lies within the heartland of the manufacturing belt and metropolitan regions of the Upper Midwest and Canada. The City of South Bend is located in the north central part of Indiana, ten miles south of the Michigan state line, and is commonly known to be within the "Michiana" area. The Michiana area is a vibrant and diverse area with a strong economy based on a mix of agricultural, service, manufacturing, other commercial and tourism industries. This diverse economic mix creates varied employment opportunities for the area's residents while providing insulation via diversification from future. economic downturns. The City is approximately 90 miles east of Chicago and 140 miles north of Indianapolis. Accessibility to transportation, including Interstate 80/90, a regional airport (which is the second busiest in the state of Indiana), the South Shore rail line and a port on Lake Michigan, has supported economic growth within the community. Proximity to Chicago, the largest rail and intermodal (rail/truck/ocean/inland waterway) transfer point in the country, is a significant advantage to St. Joseph County. St. Joseph County /South Bend -Economic Conditions and Outlook St. Joseph County, with its 2000 U.S. Bureau of the Census population of 265,559, boasts a strong history of manufacturing which continues today. As a complement to that, the service industry and retail trade has also flourished, creating a balance that serves the community well. The County has experienced a net growth in population of 26,945 (11.3% increase) between 1960 and 2000. After experiencing a reduction of 2.6% during 1969 to 1983, at which time the entire Midwest was at the depth of its economic restructuring and recess, the County's population increased 4.0% between 1983 and 1990 and another 7.5% between 1990 and 2000. The total labor force in December 2003 of 135,020 in St. Joseph County is typical of the Midwest: well trained with a strong work ethic. Approximately 82.4% of the area's adult population are high school graduates or higher (as compared to the national average of 75%) with an estimated 23.6% with a Bachelor's Degree or higher. There are ten colleges, universities and technical schools within South Bend and the surrounding area including the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University of South Bend, Saint Mary's College, Bethel College and Ivy Tech State College. At the high school level, there are school-to-work transition programs that help prepare students for the world of work. St. Joseph County is currently experiencing an average unemployment rate of around 4.6% which compares favorably to the December 2002 national and State of Indiana rates of 6.0% and 4.8%, respectively. iv