11-26-01 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 26, 2001 MUNICIPAL CODE TO REVISE PROVISIONS FOR THE SCHEDULING OF LICENSE RENEWALS AND FOR THE LICENSING OF RUBBISH AND GARBAGE REMOVAL VEHICLES Councilmember Ujdak announced that the petitioner has asked that this bill be continued until the December 10, 2001 meeting of the Council. Therefore, Councilmember Coleman made a motion to continue this bill until December 10, 2001. Councilmember Varner seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. BILL NO. 108 -01 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 13 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE ADDITION OF NEW ARTICLE 2 ENTITLED PANHANDLING AND SOLICITATION REGULATIONS Councilmember Ujdak reported that the Health and Public Safety Committee and the Residential Neighborhoods Committee jointly met on this bill and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Coleman made a motion to accept the substitute version of this bill. Councilmember Aranowski seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Councilmember Karl King, 4t' District, Room 455 County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Councilmember King advised that he and Councilmember Pfeifer j ointly introduced substitute bill No. 108 -01 which would amend Chapter 13 of the South Bend Municipal Code by adding a new Article 2 that would be entitled "Panhandling and Solicitation Regulations." He advised that they propose this ordinance because of numerous complaints and growing concerns for the safety, protection and sense of security of people who use public forums arising from ongoing confrontations between panhandlers and citizens of the City. For example, in the course of their participation in the South Bend Downtown Partnership, they have been hearing for many months of a growing number of complaints about panhandlers operating in the downtown. The proposed ordinance would first prohibit panhandling in South Bend's Central Business and Entertainment Area. This area is part of the City in which great amounts of public and private effort and moneys have been invested in redeveloping properties to create a Business and Entertainment District. In the past twenty (20) years, investments totaling $436 million ($295 million in private and $141 million of public) have been made in new business, entertainment and residential projects in the South Bend Central Development Area. Councilmember King also advised that the City government has especially emphasized the development of entertainment venues and events that are intended to attract both local citizens and out -of -town visitors into the area by supporting the Century Center, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Coveleski Stadium, East Race Waterway, the Morris Performing Arts Center, the soon to be renovated Palais Royale, the South Bend Regional Museum of Art, the Studebaker National Museum, Seitz Park, Howard Park, and special events such as the Ethnic Festival, outdoor concerts, and many other events involving citizens in the central area. Also, the City and the South Bend Downtown Partnership are currently working with the South Bend Civic Theater on the possibility of a new location for that organization on the site of the former Avon Theater in the 300 block of South Michigan Street. Doing all of these things at the same time that other uses including office users have rediscovered South Bend's downtown, has been part of the City's concerted effort toward establishing our downtown, once again, as the center of St. Joseph County and a regional center for -3-