11-27-00 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 27.2000 Casimir's Church was built and this created a dead -end alley. However, the legal paperwork was never completed. Since that time, traffic has used church property to enter and exit the east end of the blocked alley. At this time the church would like to close the usage of church property to the public because of safety concerns including the fact that there is now a Head Start Program in the school building. Mr. Fuj awa noted that in discussions at the committee meeting this afternoon they agreed that they would allow the installation of a gate which would be installed at the end of the vacation of the alley. The gate would be keyed so that trash trucks and utilities would be able to use the alley but others would not. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Ms. Sharon Czarnacki, 827 South Walnut Street, South Bend, Indiana, informed the Council that she is aware of the problem that has been going on at St. Casimir's. She also noted that she lives on an alley that is used as a thoroughfare and people speed through this area. She noted that over the years the parish community has gotten to be elderly and the use of the alley as a thoroughfare has made it become a very hazardous situation. She further noted that the church has experienced other problems such as having to fix the alley, remove snow and handle large trucks that are using the alley and not paying attention to what is around. Ms. Czarnacki reiterated Mr. Fuj awa's comments that the school building is being used for a Head Start Program and it would be a safety precaution to close the alley. -Ms. Czarnacki noted that there have been some accidents where parish property was damaged and she therefore asked that the Council allow the parish to close the alley. Mr. Gary Gilot, Director, Department of Public Works, 13`'' Floor, County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, stated for the record, that with the amendment as proposed, the Engineering Division, the Public Works Department and the Board of Public Works would support this administrative remedy for the church while taking care of the need for access to the alley for sanitation and 'public and private utility access. There being no one else present wishing to speak to the Council in favor of this bill and no one present wishing to speak in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Kelly made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill as amended. Councilmember King seconded the motion which carried by a "voice vote of eight (8) ayes. BILL NO. 10* 7 -00 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, MAKING TECHNICAL CHANGES TO ORDINANCE NO. 9127 -00 ADDRESSING THE ANNUAL PAY AND MONETARY FRINGE BENEFITS OF FIREFIGHTERS OF THE SOUTH BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2001, 2002, 2003 AND 2004 Councilmember Varner advised that the Personnel and Finance Committee met on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Ms. Kathleen Cekanski- Farrand, Common Council Attorney and Member of the City's Negotiating Team, made the presentation for this bill. Ms. Cekanski- Farrand advised that this bill is a housekeeping measure which makes three (3) changes to the ordinance that was passed in August which established salaries and monetary fringe benefits for members of the South Bend Fire Department for calendar years 2001 through 2004. This bill makes a technical change to the definitions by deleting one sentence which reads "Rank does not mean salary classification." It also clarifies the section entitled Working Out of Classification, by deleting the word "employee" and inserting the word "AEMT." Finally, it incorporates a new Section VI which addresses the pay for Safety Officers which would retain the three thousand dollar ($3,000.00) amount which each of the Safety Officers currently receives. Draft copies of this proposal were given to Wage Committee members, two (2) members of Local 362 and