12-09-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING December 9, 2019 rewarding South Bend small business owners and unlocking future growth. This year we will expand the program to Portage/Elwood and Linden Avenue. This work reinforces the West Side Main Streets Plan that has added new streetscapes to Western Avenue. We have been working with residents to build out a plan for the Portage -Elwood neighborhood, and are currently visioning with the Near Northwest Neighborhood to enlist resident feedback and shape proposed projects for the future. Our Neighborhood Development team has worked to help applicants through the tax sale process for vacant lots and is collaborating with community partners like 466 Works and the NNN to develop housing in the Southeast and Near Northwest Neighborhoods, while assisting individual homeowners with housing counseling and default workouts. I was also delighted this year to announce the new South Bend Home Repair program, which brings together three (3) separate lines of effort on home repair and will make over $1 million available for neighborhood upgrades. These resources will reinforce the work of our new Office of Engagement and Economic Empowerment, which exists to promote community action and dialogue on inclusion and economic mobility, taking on efforts ranging from reducing eviction rates to improving access to capital. The City is also preparing for the upcoming 2020 Census, supporting outreach and working to strengthen the accuracy of our address database to make sure the census is fair and equitable. I am very concerned that the federal administration's proposed, untested, and legally questionable addition of a "citizenship question" to the Census will lead to an undercount in South Bend in 2020, and we are closely following the federal litigation on this issue. It's in everyone's interest for every person in this City to be counted. Mayor Buttigieg went on, The Department of Code Enforcement has continued its work keeping our neighborhoods safe and clean, not just as an enforcer but as a partner. Last year the Department partnered with resident volunteers on eighteen (18) neighborhood cleanups, triple the total from 2016, while the Animal Care & Control division has tripled adoption rates in recent years. The 1,000 days of the 1,000 houses program is behind us. We have cleared a major backlog, but the work continues for Code Enforcement on vacant and abandoned properties. From 2013 to 2018, we addressed 1,447 properties. Many were demolished, but the most heartening news is that six hundred and fifty-seven (657) of these properties —almost half —have been repaired rather than torn down. It's with a continued view to neighborhood quality of life that last week I signed into law the new Rental Safety Verification Program, or RSVP. This program will allow the City to proactively address violations in rental housing that can cause health issues and safety concerns for residents —not by adding new rules, but by empowering the City to ensure compliance with existing standards. Starting with active code cases and areas at highest risk of lead poisoning, our purpose is to protect vulnerable tenants, stimulate reinvestment, and reduce lead exposure. I want to thank our Administration team, local housing leaders, community activists, and members of the Common Council, for the collaboration that made this possible. We are also working closely with the Housing Authority of South Bend to make sure our most vulnerable residents experience safe, quality affordable housing. This has not been an easy task given reduced resources and the recent federal government shutdown. Since I first (15t) approached the board with concerns last fall, a process of improved coordination has taken place at both the staff and leadership level from the City and Housing Authority, and I want to thank Board President Dr. Calvin and the team for their commitment to strong communication. Mayor Buttigieg continued, It's hard to believe that four (4) years ago, there was no Department of Venues, Parks & Arts. The newly designed department has been recognized as a State-wide leader in parks and facilities management, and 2019 will be a year of transformation for our shared public spaces. The My SB Parks & Trails plan, representing the largest investment in public spaces in our City's history, is about to enter its most active year. Last year just ten percent (10%) of the initiative's budget had been spent; by the end of this year we expect to be over eighty percent (80%) completion. This work is City-wide. We've seen new splash pads at Fremont Park, a new dog park at Rum Village, an improved entrance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, a volunteer - driven upgrade at Kelly Park, and more. It was especially gratifying recently to open the renovated Charles Black Center in the LaSalle Park neighborhood, an investment of millions built on the simple belief that every neighborhood in this City deserves first (1st) -rate facilities. This year you' l I see enhanced access for people with disabilities. We're re -envisioning Leeper Park with a restored Studebaker Fountain, and work is underway for a transformed Howard Park with a new community