03-13-08 CCAC / Community Campus Advisory Coalition Sub-Committee Minutes

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Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes Page 3 for the Mission Statement: "CCAC will provide a viable mechanism to enhance partnerships and build positive long-term relationships." Members then discussed the important points that should be incorporated into the Mission Statement. A proposed draft of the Mission Statement reads as follows: "CACC will provide a viable mechanism to enhance partnerships and build positive long-term relationships in order to address safety. for students and neighborhoods, build better neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life for all." More discussions will be held before finalizing the Mission Statement. Council member Puzzello then asked the Coalition members what they believe are the three top issues that should be addressed before the fall semester begins. There was a lengthy discussion on how to combat the problem of illegal use of single family housing in violation of zoning ordinances. Single family homes are too often occupied by more than three unrelated persons as allowed by law. It was suggested that the City needed to be proactive, contacting landlords and making them aware of the zoning regulations. Code Enforcement Director Cathy Toppel noted that the Office of Code Enforcement has sent out preemptive letters with limited success with respect to the alleged zoning violations. It is also difficult to sue landlords for violation of zoning ordinances because it is difficult to prove how many people are residing in the home. Universities are hesitant to get involved with contacting parents about housing issues and some no longer include housing lists in student packets. The suggestion was made to include members of local realtors' and landlords' associations on the Coalition to help address this problem. The other two issues that are of the most concern are student and neighborhood safety and unruly behavior. The following areas were briefly addressed: • The CCAC needs to formulate recommendations for the two (2) South Bend Common Council Committees on or before June 15t per the governing City Ordinance. • The possibility of holding Coalition meetings at other locations was suggested, but due to the public access requirement that minutes of these meetings must be maintained by the City Clerk's office and the necessity of using recording equipment, this may not be feasible. • Small sub-committees may be needed to discuss specific problems. • The Ordinance that created the Coalition is a fluid document and can be amended if necessary.