11-22-04 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 22,2004 their operation that if you have to look at if you are in the Martin's shopping center. That bin will no longer be in plain site thanks to the steering committee. South Bend Family Dentistry has received a clean and polish from the Portage Avenue Steering Committee by upgrades that have been made to their facility along Portage Avenue. The Portage Foot Clinic received significant dollars in relocate its office and remain on Portage Avenue and some of the improvements specifically the handicap access and the sign out front are evidence of the committee's participation in that move. The State Farm Insurance Agency that has long been located at the corner of Portage and Elwood has done some landscape improvements to their facility and are currently in the process of moving to what was formerly the 1St Source Bank Building. This building has been empty for several years and the committee is looking forward to keeping Mr. Daryl Raines right in the heart of the Portage Avenue. There is also a contemplated change in the align in bus pick-up at the corner of Portage and Elwood that it will make it more friendly and less congestive at the corner as people who are looking to board the Transpo System will have a new location along Elwood, that will take some of the pressure off that heavily trafficked corner. In the future for 2005, there are corridor intersection that are contemplated in a couple of key corners that are not currently traffic signed or lighted, that have over the years posed certain traffic safety problems for those coming onto or exiting Portage Avenue. The committee is looking forward to doing some predevelopment work for specific buildings along Portage Avenue that may have outlived their current use and may be in need of demolition, such as the Omniplex (Old Dwerys Brewery) that sits just off Portage Avenue at 1408 Elwood. The committee is currently undergoing projects at 1335 Portage Avenue, which many of us growing up knew as Portage Sunoco, the Snyder Brothers Garage to King Street where the State Farm Agency is going to relocate with landscaping and a much softer look to the area. The committee is putting into place a design review concept so as when we look at future improvements along Portage Avenue that we will have the benefit of a guide that everyone can work from in terms of what is acceptable and what makes the most sense as we allocate funds for future improvements along Portage Avenue. Councilmember Coleman commended the Steering Committee as well as Co-Chair Karen Ainsley, the Near Northwest Neighborhood Director, along with the City of South Bend Department of Economic Development's staff and their neighborhood planners who we work so closely throughout the process of making these improvements along Portage Avenue. Councilmember Coleman stated that he would like to acknowledge the other corridors of the City that are benefiting from this same funding. Councilmember Coleman advised that he has had many duties that he has been honored to participate in as a Councilmember at Large, this is one that he wanted to highlight this evening,because it truly has created great benefits for people who live along Portage Avenue. RESOLUTION NO. 3399-04 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMENDING THE 2004 SOUTH BEND POLICE DEPARTMENT SWAT MEMBERS FOR WINNING THE 2004 SWAT SKILLS COMPETITION Whereas, the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, notes that on September 23, 2004, eleven (11) teams representing the Elkhart Police Department, the South Bend Police Department, the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, the Indiana State Police, the Elkhart County SWAT Division and the Goshen Police Department met in Elkhart to participate in a SWAT Skills Competition; and Whereas, the SWAT Skills Competition included: agility course testing; endurance, strength and balance; handgun skills with shooting taking place from seven yards; long gun skills with shooting taking place from 142 yards, sub-gun skills; precision marksman skills; room clearing, and working in a chemical environment with masks; and Whereas, the average time of all teams was 32:02, with the South Bend Police Department SWAT Team having the winning time of 25:22; and 2