05-13-13 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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SoII The .6 City of South Bend " . a Common Council 1865 441 County -City Building. 227W. Jefferson Blvd South Bend, Indiana 46601 -1830 Derek D. Dieter President Oliver J. Davis Vice- President Karen L. White Chairperson, Committee of the Whole Tim Scott First District Henry Davis, Jr. Secand District Valerie Schey Third District Fred Ferlic Fourth District David Varner Fifth District Oliver J. Davis Sixth District Derek D. Dieter At Large Gavin Ferlic At Large Karen L. White March 15, 2013 Members of the Common Council 40' Floor County -City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 (574) 235 -9321 Fax (574) 235 -9173 http: //w .southbendin.gov Re: Proposed Ordinance Addressing Accountability of Government Actions on Buildings Declared Vacant or Abandoned Dear Council Members: I am pleased to introduce for your consideration, the attached ordinance which is aimed to bring greater accountability of tax dollars proposed to be used on vacant & abandoned properties, as well as the overall process involving properties proposed to be demolished by the City of South Bend. In a front -page article which appeared in the Sunday, March 10, 2013 South Bend Tribune entitled "50 (Almost) Down, 950 To Go ", a picture of a wrecking ball depicted the number of "Demolitions between 2008 - 2012 ": 2008 185 2009 118 2010 141 2011 25 2012 120 The above - listed demolition numbers from 2008 through 2011 were part of former Mayor Luecke's May 29, 2007 announcement that "...a three -year $6.825 million strategy to reduce the City's vacant houses by more than one - fifth, with the primary focus aimed at reducing abandoned houses by 72% "would be moving forward. At Large I am attaching a map provided to the Common Council by the former City Administration in late 2007. It depicts vacant & abandoned structures as of 2006 in the City of South Bend, and "Calls for Service" showing five (5) levels of service ranging from "absence or insignificant level, approaching negligible level, just below concern level, reaching concern level, serious level to urgent level ". That map alone highlights the critical need for a well thought out and comprehensive plan to address the multi- faceted neighborhood issues which may be compounded by vacant & abandoned buildings.