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OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
KAREEMAH FowLER, CITY CLERK
PUBLIC WORKS & PROPERTY VACATION AUGUST 27, 2018 4:50 P.M.
(ORGANIZATIONAL)
Committee Members Present: John Voorde, Jo M. Broden, Gavin Ferlic
Committee Members Absent: Sharon L. McBride
Other Council Present: Karen White, Tim Scott, Oliver Davis, Jake Teshka,Regina
Williams-Preston
Other Council Absent: None
Others Present: Kareemah Fowler, Graham Sparks, Bob Palmer, Gabriel
Murei, Casey Colvin
Agenda: Organizational Meeting
Committee Chair John Voorde called to order the Zoning and Annexation Committee meeting at
4:50 p.m. He introduced members of the Committee and proceeded to open the floor to discussion.
Organizational Meeting
Committeemember Jo M. Broden stated, I think tracking things by district would be helpful. As
things hit the agenda or even in advance, maybe even a quarterly update on major projects. I think
that would be helpful. And I don't know if we get copied on any of the packet information. So I
think Committee Chairs should be copied on Board of Public Works information. We get the
agenda but we don't get the whole packet. I would like to receive that.
City Clerk Kareemah Fowler with offices on the 4th floor of the County-City Building stated,Their
packet is online like ours as well. It is very similar to ours as they have to follow the same open
door laws.
Committee Chair Voorde stated, That is a worth-while suggestion. I was hoping to get a capital
fleet status from the different departments. I mentioned that to the City Controller after the last one
(1) because I'm always concerned about that. For instance, we used to have a dedicated fund for
fire equipment and now we just have to pay for it and that can be done many different ways and
that is confusing.
City Clerk Fowler stated, We did receive the annual fleet report and that is filed in the Clerk's
Office. That came in about a month ago. It is in a binder so there isn't much of a way for us to
send it electronically but per Municipal Code it is supposed to be on file in the Clerk's Office so
that was turned in maybe a month ago. What was turned into us was not electronic.
INTEGRITY1 SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY
JENNIFER M.COFFMAN BLANCA L.TYRAno JOSEPH R MOLNAR
CHIEF DEPUTY/DHUL-MR OF OPERATIONS DEPUTY/DIRE=R OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK
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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK
Committeemember Broden asked, Does that give a schedule of replacements?
City Clerk Fowler replied, It is pretty detailed. Don't quote me on this but the second page is an
index page of what the items are, what is on file, the depreciation and I think there is a schedule
there as well.
Committee Chair Voorde then shared his experience with City fleets and their subsequent
replacement policies.
Councilmember Jake Teshka asked,Wasn't some of that vehicle replacement stuff captured in our
Capital Improvement Plan?
Committee Chair Voorde replied, Yeah, I think so.
Councilmember Teshka followed up, What you don't get with that though, too, is we are talking
about just replacement. When we talk about these vehicles, especially these types of vehicles, the
maintenance costs are also important to take into account.
Committee Chair Voorde replied, Yes, a cost-benefit analysis should be applied to all of that
maintenance.
Committeemember Broden stated, Maybe others can track this better than I can but I would like
to know the status of major projects and their associated bonds. So I'm thinking about the Parks
Bond and the CSO would be a great example too. That is very hard to track individual projects and
when they hit the budget. We are accountable to the folks in our districts.
Committee Chair Voorde replied, I can try to get that from Eric.
Councilmember Karen White stated, I know City Controller Hockenhull is going to come before
Council as part of the budget process. We are trying to identify a date to deal with all of the bond
commitments as well as TIF. We will have a separate meeting on that. There have been a lot of
questions and there are a lot of perceptions out there. I recommend starting out the budget process
next ye looking at the debt, TIF and the then go into the departments. We will have a special
meeting about that.
Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, There has been quite a bit of investigation by
some constituents on abatements. I think it would be really interesting to have some sort of report
out on that. I want to talk to Community Investment and have them assess what we spend on
abatements and then what we are getting for that. It needs to be laid out very clearly so not only
we know but then we can lay that out to our constituents as well. It's easy to get worried when we
see that big number.
Councilmember White stated, Citizens have requested a schedule of the street cleaning. Also,
neighbors want to be notified about that as well as when their alleys will be clean.
Committeemember Broden stated, Two (2) things. First, (1St) alley vacations. I think there is-a
movement in other areas and cities where people are reclaiming that alley space. In terms of this
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
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CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK
committee, we need to find a way in on that. Several neighbors have approached me on that. And
related to that,we need to figure out the need for alley grading for the neighbors that do want that.
A schedule related to that would be nice. And I think, too, quantifying the actual infrastructure
support that we give on some of these major projects is important. It is never tied back to the
competition of those projects in a real meaningful way. So we give an abatement but then it's never
quantified in a dollar amount to that project. And it used to be the case, at least on a majority of
bills, it was tracked by district. I don't see that on a routine basis. I think that is needing to happen
because it would help the public as well as the Council Members.
Committee Chair Voorde then opened the floor to members of the public wishing to speak.
Sue Kesim, 4022 Kennedy Drive, stated, Just one (1) small comment, as I watched those sewer
meetings, I think it would be helpful to actually map where the sewers are being worked on so the
public has an idea of when their sewer will actually be worked on. I just think as they are doing
the paving map, do a sewer map. I think the people in neighborhoods would be thankful for that.
That's just my one (1) little comment.
With no further business, Committee Chair Voorde adjourned the Public Works and Property
Vacation Committee meeting at 5:08 p.m.
Respect Ily'Ski bmitte
J Voor e, Committee Chair
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455 County-City Building'227 W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.55671www.southbendin.gov
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