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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Councilmember Scott followed up, Right. It doesn't seem like we're getting ahead of it either. That's perception more than anything but we know we have issues there.My thing is for everybody else, there's a nonprofit organization in St. Louis called Operation Brightside where kids run around in orange T-shirts and they're employed all summer. Hundreds of them. To do nothing but picking up trash, cut grass. That's why I brought up the youth program that you guys embrace, which is really good. But I think what we got to do is expand on that. We really want to push for that. Dan Parker, I know you're taking notes. It's something that I really want to look at because not only can we benefit the City but our youth too. Summer jobs. Mr. Perri replied, I appreciate you mentioning that. I had a note actually when I was talking about personnel that I totally skipped over. It's on the slides but this budget does include full funding again plus a little bit more for the mentor mowing program. We do want to expand it. We also, I think I mentioned last time we were together,have a new program that is a partnership with Beacon as it came out of My Brother's Keepers. It is a youth leadership academy. Right now, college students have been trained. I got to spend time with them a few weeks ago out at the Martin Luther King Center. A group of a dozen young men and a dozen young ladies are getting trained in leadership skills.Next year we hope to be able to employ some of them in various roles throughout the department. We are including money for a partnership with the Juvenile Justice Center to employ high potential at-risk youth next year. We've got four (4) positions slated for that as well as a burgeoning partnership with the Drucker Institute to identify high potential adults who are economically at-risk. So, that's a neat pilot program we're working on. Those are all interesting things. We think about every single one (1) of our positions as more than just a job because they could change lives. Thanks for giving me a chance to highlight that. There is more to come there. Committee Chair White asked, Aaron could you just refresh my mind on the graffiti program? Is that coming out of Parks? Mr. Perri stated, It is. Committee Chair White followed up, How is that going, and what dollar amount has been identified to support graffiti? Has that declined or are we experiencing an increase? Mr. Perri replied, I can get you a fuller answer on that. I'll ask John and he'll help me do that. We'll get you a response on where the numbers are. Committee Chair White followed up, Okay, but it's still it's under Parks,right? Mr. Perri replied, It is still under Parks.The code and graffiti program costs about$280,000 a year, so the work that we do with Code and Code cleanups, Code lots and graffiti. That is still in the budget. It's an important part of us. We have the standard of removing graffiti within twenty-four (24)hours of it being reported. That's the best way to combat that. We also work very closely with the Police Department. Sometimes these tags can be gang related or crime related, so we keep a good inventory. It's more than just wiping off spray paint. There's a lot to it. Committee Chair White stated, Okay.And you've been looking at some of the youth employment. It would be somewhat exciting to see, as we look at our centers, to see how we could support employment of those individuals that live within the neighborhoods that will be impacted at a different level, too, so I'll share with you some ideas that I have in that regard as well. EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 18