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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> generation, as the traditional three(3)Rs. Bertrand Farm moved to the City last year in partnership <br /> with Good Shepard Montessori School as a way of providing greater accessibility to food, farming <br /> and sustainability education. Not just for our students, but the greater community. The urban farm <br /> site on the school landscape allows for students,junior high especially, to get their hands dirty in <br /> nature's lifecycle studies including science,economics,permaculture,environmental conservation <br /> practices and nutrition. Giving students a deep understanding of our relationship with all living <br /> things. Relationship fuels responsibility. The urban farm at Good Shepard is a proof concept <br /> project that provides community education as well. The project will be shared with other schools <br /> and small farmers to create interest in like partnerships. I would like to see a farm on every school <br /> landscape. We provide summer farm camps for area youth, beginning farmer internships, adult <br /> permaculture and gardening classes, and a community-sponsored agriculture program. Changing <br /> food culture is a bottom-up movement, and we don't have the luxury of time. Our mission is to <br /> connect people to local food production in order to promote personal and environmental health. <br /> This begins with education. If ignorance is bliss,knowledge is responsibility. Come grow with us <br /> this summer. Thank you very much. <br /> Co-Committee Chair Teshka stated, We're running past our 7:30 p.m. deadline. We will hear out <br /> the remaining speakers that are standing. I myself have to depart to go get my children, but thank <br /> you all and I will make sure that I come back and read the record so I can hear what the remainder <br /> of you guys have to say, but you are in good hands. <br /> At 7:30 p.m., Co-Committee Chair Teshka left the meeting. <br /> Christopher Cobb, 215 East Pokagon Street, stated, I want to start by thanking the Common <br /> Council for holding these events and for the Climate Action Young Person's Alliance.This is very <br /> very highly commendable work. It's very good that we're all in the room together talking about <br /> this tonight. A few observations about where we are, I've heard two(2)different kinds of timelines <br /> tonight, an ordinance by April, and maybe an ordinance by December. My experience with <br /> governance process suggests that December may be the more realistic goal, given the way that <br /> consensus for major policy changes has to be built across a community. That said, I would urge <br /> the Council to recognize that while good governance process doesn't change in light of the climate <br /> crisis, the kind of standard incrementalism that usually suffices for addressing problems is <br /> probably not sufficient. Almost certainly not sufficient in this case. If we take more time to plan, <br /> we still need to plan for very aggressive action moving forward if we're going to do our part in <br /> mitigating the effects of climate change. This is directed more to the people in the room that we as <br /> citizens of South Bend should also be aware that we are citizens of St. Joseph County, and that <br /> what is going on in this room now is different from what may be going on in this room on other <br /> nights of the week, when other branches of our government are at work here, and I urge those <br /> present to be aware that there is what I would call counter-environmental planning going on in <br /> certain branches of county government that can lead to very large scale industrial development in <br /> northwest St. Joseph County. That could bring in a lot of very carbon intensive industry that is <br /> already committed to expanding a massive fossil fuel energy plant and other retrograde industries <br /> may also be being recruited into that industrial development. So, I would encourage you to be <br /> aware of that and to recognize that the good work that we could be doing here may be offset by <br /> bad work that is happening in the same community at the same time, just in a different area of <br /> government. So, think about bringing the same message to the County Council as well as the <br /> Common Council. We haven't heard any speakers speak about transit. Transpo has not been a <br /> shining light in South Bend in recent years, so I think there is a real opportunity there that could <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.92211f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 22 <br />