08-27-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 27, 2012 BILL NO. 34-12 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 709/711 LINCOLNWAY EAST, SOUTH BEND, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT (DISTRICT 2) IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to refer Bill Nos. 32-12; 33-12 and 34-12 to the Personnel & Finance Committee and set it for Public Hearing and Third Reading on September 10, 2012. Councilmember Varner seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. NEW BUSINESS Council President Dieter asked for a moment of pray for the recovery of Brett Banasiewicz. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Jesse Davis, 133 E. Calvert, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he filed an access to public records request regarding the city leak insurance program. He asked that the Council look into this issue. Greg Brown, 1238 Diamond, South Bend, Indiana, stated that they are organizing a protest for next month. He stated that they are fed up with the injustice in South Bend. Mario Sims, no address given, President, Citizens United for a Better Government, stated that the first planning meeting for the protest will be held at the Emmanuel Church. He stated that they will be protesting the injustice that is happening in the City. Samuel Brown, 222 E. Navarre, South Bend, Indiana, stated that the South Bend Police Department doesn’t need to look outside of the department to fill the Chief of Police position. Christine Jacobs, 52942 Camellia Drive, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she was down at the police station last week and heard Chief Horvath state that the reason that the public could not tour the communication center was because they needed clearance. She stated that she has clearance; she has been a foster parent for 15 years. She stated that she feels like everything is being pushed off. She stated that she relocated here from California 15 years to what she thought was a better city, quite, smaller city. She stated that there was so much violence where she lived in California. She stated that the Mayor and Council aren’t doing anything about all what is going on here. She stated that she would like to stay here and not have to relocate again. Stephanie Jones, 4224 Irish Hills Drive, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she has lived in South Bend for about 4 years. She stated approximately 16 months ago her 16 year old son went to school at Penn High School, got into an altercation with another student, was called a nigger, and was kicked out of school. During the time that he got kicked out of school, it was over a phone. She stated that her son went over to a friend’s house the next day that was the last time she saw her son. She stated that she made a police report and her life hasn’t been the same since. She stated that she got a knock at the door from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department; she thought they had her son out in the car, he was only 16 years old, and his name was Ja’had Vasquez, African-America, and Mexican. She was asked to describe her son, and was informed that he was no longer here. She said that they told her it was asphyxiation. She stated that she thinks that someone killed her son. She was told that it was a suicide. She stated that her son was found in the back of Middleboro and Queensboro, just off of private property, a very secluded area, who does that to a child. He was found hung off of an electrical tower. She stated that there was no investigation, she went to the Sheriff’s Department and was told that she couldn’t see any pictures. She stated that ever since then it’s been a dead 8