08-14-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CITY OFSOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Committeemember Voorde asked, Is there a new river lighting project of some kind? Mr. Perri replied, No, not immediately. Although, it's always in the back of my mind. You may recall we did hire a firm probably about a year ago to come in and look at how the River Lights Trail could evolve. So, to expand on the success of that we have there and maybe go between Colfax and Howard Park, we could make it a loop system. We've got some concepts there. We wrote a grant to the National Endowment for the Arts and got some seed money to explore those concepts. But as you can see, we're pretty busy with all these other projects and doing some final fundraising around some of these other things, so it's in here somewhere John, but not a major priority right now. Committee Chair White stated, Okay. Well, we thank you for your presentation and for the staff with all of the work that you have done and they have done and continue to do, on behalf of our citizens and the City at large. Committee Chair White then opened the floor to members of the public. Sue Kesim, 4022 Kennedy Drive, stated, I'd like to know the study down in reserves for the last five(5) years by year. I'd like to know how much of the multi-million dollar bond funds are gone versus how many years we have to pay them off. I'd like to know about park police. There seems to be a lot of crime in the parks. I have friends at Keller Park. They can't use the park after dark. So, I think we need to have that addressed and I don't know what funding there is for that. Security for the parking garages,if there's funding for that. I'd like to see a map of the neighborhoods outside the downtown. So, what funding is left for outside the downtown? I think that's important. I'm concerned that we aren't using a pay as you go type strategy. I wonder about the wisdom of taking out a bond for a giraffe and the party room when you've got twenty percent (20%) of the sewers done. The roads are on the one-hundred (100) year schedule. The water isn't up-to-date, and we have public safety needs. I wonder about your priorities on the$650,000 boom box. It wasn't built in Elkhart and it didn't even boost our local economy. That's over a half million dollars. I'm concerned about spending over$200,000 on a beam for a 1,000 pound chandelier for Phantom of the Opera. That probably damaged the ceiling, so now there's more expense on that. Arborist's licenses. I think it'd be great to make them take a class on how to properly do landscaping. I see a lot of damage to trees, which as a master gardener bothers me. I think it is part of the arborist's license we could charge more and then give them an annual class. Most of all I'd like the Council to use the needs versus wants. As you're doing this, put an N next to needs, a W next to wants. We've got huge deficits so if it's not a need,put a line through that want because that hasn't seemed to happen very much. So,just common sense.What people do at home. Is it a need? Is this a want? I don't think a giraffe and a party room is a need. We've got plenty of roads that need to be done. Eighty percent(80%)of the sewers aren't done. So, I think your priorities need to just be really cut and dry. Councilmember McBride asked, Ma'am, where is a giraffe and a party room? Where's that? Ms. Kesim stated, That was at the zoo. You guys approved that. Committee Chair White stated,Okay.Thank you. I do know that the question in regard to the beam at the Morris Performing Arts, that was a question that was asked last year. I'm going to ask Aaron EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 I[1)574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 21