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REGULAR MEETING JULY 14, 2003 <br />Mr. John Axelberg, 1501 East Wayne Street, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this <br />Resolution. <br />Mr. Axelberg stated that he understands that an important consideration for the Council when <br />reviewing a request for tax abatement is the company's pattern of minority hiring. He stated that a <br />Councilmember asked him a very serious question after the Community and Economic Committee <br />meeting this afternoon and he was stunned and floored and did not know how to respond. He advised <br />that he wanted to clarify some of the statistics that the Council has seen. In 2001 and 2002 the EEO <br />listings were based on twelve (12) months of hiring. He stated that this Councilmember noticed a <br />significant decline in the number of minorities that were hired in 2003. He clarified that these <br />numbers are based on five (5) months through the end of May. He further stated that the other point <br />that he would like to make is that it would have been impossible for his company to have enjoyed the <br />success that they have enjoyed over the last decade without the talent and hard work and initiative of <br />many members of South Bend's minority community and to ignore that would have been economic <br />suicide and wrong and they have not done that and absolutely could never afford to. Mr. Axelberg <br />advised that they closed on the acquisition of the Alro Steel building on Thursday. The weld shop will <br />be moved into that building along with the structure steel and tubing fabricating. This is going to <br />make room in the existing facility for a $1 million dollar investment in a 5- kilowatt laser, an eight <br />hundred (800) ton press and feed line which will be in place at the end of August. They also anticipate <br />creating ten (10) full time jobs this year as a result of the project with hopefully fifty (50) over the next <br />five (5) years. Mr. Axelberg stated that he appreciates the Council's consideration of this abatement. <br />Councilmember Pfeifer stated that she is the Councilmember which Mr. Axelberg referred to in his <br />presentation. She stated that she represents the second district and pointed out that when people come <br />before the Council and ask for a tax abatement it is the Council's responsibility to ask any questions <br />that they think are appropriate and she felt that the questions she asked were appropriate. <br />Councilmember Pfeifer stated that she wanted to make sure that Mr. Axelberg knew that she was <br />doing her duty in representing the people that she serves and she wondered why his minority <br />representation went down as the community's numbers of minority people are going up so it was a <br />very valid question. Mr. Axelberg responded that statistically he believes that after a twelve (12) <br />month period the Council will not see any sort of decline. Councilmember Pfeifer reiterated that she <br />wanted Mr. Axelberg to recognize that she asked a valid question. He stated that he did. <br />A Public Hearing was held on the Resolution at this time. <br />There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this <br />Resolution, Councilmember Varner made a motion to adopt this Resolution. Councilmember <br />Coleman seconded the motion which carried and the Resolution was adopted by a roll call vote of <br />eight (8) ayes. <br />RESOLUTION NO. 3210 -03 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE <br />CITY OF SOUTH BEND DESIGNATING CERTAIN <br />AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, <br />INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 2502 WEST <br />LAWTON STREET AND 201 NORTH OLIVE STREET <br />AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR <br />PURPOSES OF A FIVE (5) YEAR PERSONAL <br />DDnDDDTV'TAV ADA' TL `AdLATTLYInu/l/I0TT'T)•rAATi7 0_ <br />