12-09-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING December 9, 2019 address the streets most in need of improvement —and used economic development to fund streetscape improvements that help to pay for themselves in economic growth. This included, of course, the famous Smart Streets program. It took some persuasion at the time that we sought the $25 million in funding that made this conversion possible —but in the two (2) short years since we delivered our reimagined downtown streets, we've seen over $100 million in net private investment, a terrific return on our public dollar —and more importantly, a healthier and more vibrant downtown. We will follow up this year with continued work on cross streets, and improvements to Michigan Street. And across the City you'll soon find new wayfinding signage, which will guide residents and visitors to South Bend's key destinations. There's another piece of infrastructure work quietly taking place —quiet being the operative word. At the urging of neighbors and Council Members, we have identified funding to bring quiet zones for train horns to the West Side. We expect to complete these safety improvements soon, so that by the end of the year trains can pass through the whole City without having to automatically sound their horns. Meanwhile, our Water Works continues to deliver billions of gallons of clean, safe drinking water every year. And many of you by now have heard me boast of the fact that our City has the "Smartest Sewers in the World," building on work that began under Mayor Luecke. Based on this technology, we believe South Bend can meet its Clean Water Act obligations for half a billion dollars less than originally proposed —saving $5,000 for every man, woman, and child in this City. We are in the process of negotiating our Consent Decree with the EPA in hopes of clearance to pursue this greener and more affordable plan. Affordability remains a very important concern. Access to clean water and sanitation are among the most fundamental of human needs. Yet, forty-three percent (43%) of families in St. Joseph County have to make daily choices about which services they can afford. The City is now in the initial planning phase of creating lifeline sewer and water rates for low-income families for basic water use, to help struggling families meet their needs affordably. In sum, we are using some of the most advanced technologies in the world, as well as making investments that amount to the largest public works project in the history of the City. And we are establishing a stormwater utility, which will help fund updates to our system and green infrastructure to keep up with extreme weather. Previously, we've been taking away dollars from our paving budget to respond to weather -related sewer updates. We shouldn't have to choose between good roads and good stormwater management. That being said, the truth is that no city can afford to build sewer infrastructure that can comfortably handle what are supposed to be once - in -a -lifetime, historic floods on a routine basis. In a span of less than two (2) years, the City has experienced two (2) such flooding events, and I fear there are more where they came from. Climate change is upon us, today. This is no longer theoretical and it is not only happening in the Arctic. We're going to make sure we're part of the solution. South Bend may be a small piece of the global puzzle, but cities around the world are increasingly coordinating our actions on climate, knowing that if our national governments fail to lead, we can still make a tremendous impact between us. That's why I have signed onto the Global Covenant of Mayors —a commitment among thousands of cities representing hundreds of millions of people around the globe, all pledging to take action to address climate change. Two (2) new fire stations and Howard Park will be certified as green, high -performing buildings. We have converted ninety-five percent (95%) of our Solid Waste fleet to run on compressed natural gas, and most of that now comes from converting human waste to biogas—fueling our City trash trucks in a closed -loop system our team has called "poop -to -power" to make our services more efficient. Sustainability is part of why we've added bike lanes and installed free electric vehicle chargers, offered solar -powered lamp posts as part of the Light Up South Bend program, and supported in -home energy efficiency assessments, all while updating our codes and procedures to make it easier to go solar. Next week, we are launching a climate action planning process, which will help us identify the best strategies for reducing emissions while supporting our community priorities. I hope to collaborate with Council to make this Climate Action Plan an official part of our community -wide strategy by the end of the year. Mayor Buttigieg continued, Perhaps the best measure of the progress of our City is the condition of our neighborhoods. This has been a top priority from the start of my Administration, beginning with the Vacant and Abandoned Properties Task Force. Since then we have continued to focus on neighborhood improvement in every part of the City. Along key corridors, we've matched small business improvements through our Fagade Matching Grant Program, from Lincoln Way West and Western Avenue to Miami Street and Mishawaka Avenue. By nurturing these corridors, we're 9