07-24-78 Council Meeting Minutes

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2917 REGULAR MEETING JULY 24, 1978 u COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING (CONTINUED) BILL NO. 78 -78 A BILL APPROPRIATING $16,020.00 FROM LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND TO R &S 7806, LASALLE STREET AND COLFAX AVENUE IMPROVE - MENTS, WITHIN THE LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND. Mayor Peter J. Nemeth indicated that this bill, as well as the next two bills, were all connected He asked the Council to strike these bills from the record. He indicated he had met with the residents and they were concerned about the traffic that could be generated. Mr. John McDonald, 1256 E. LaSalle, indicated that the neighborhood residents had met with the Mayor, Mr. Brunner and Councilman Parent. He said the result of these meetings was that the Lasalle- Colfax study would not be made. He thanked all the people who were involved. Council Member Adams made a motion to have the Clerk read the next two bills, seconded by Council Member Dombrowski. The motion carried. BILL NO. 79 -78 A BILL APPROPRIATING $2,000.00 FROM THE LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND TO R &S 7807, WAYNE STREET AND WESTERN AVENUE, WITHIN THE LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND. BILL NO. 80 -78 A BILL APPROPRIATING $2,000.00 FROM THE LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND TO R &S 7808, MICHIGAN STREET AND MAIN STREET, WITHIN THE LOCAL ROAD AND STREET FUND. Council Member ADams made a motion to strike Bills Nos. 78 -78, 79 -78, and 80 -78, from the record, seconded by Council Member Dombrowski. The motion carried. BILL NO. 110 -78 A BILL APPROPRIATING $53,000.00 FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND FOR VARIOUS PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS TO BE AD- MINISTERED BY THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND THROUGH THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mr. Tim Eckerle, of Community Development, made the pre- sentation for the bill. He indicated this appropriation would be used for viaduct lighting im- provements at Miami Street; High Street; Marietta Street; Sample -Rush; Sample - Fellows; Michigan - Bronson; and Main - Bronson. Council Member Szymkowiak made a motion to recommend this bill to the Council favorable, seconded by Council Member Adams. The motion carried. BILL NO. 111 -78 A BILL APPROPRIATING $2,126,000.00 FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND (URGENT NEEDS GRANT) FOR THE MINI -MALL PROJECT TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, THROUGH ITS DIVISION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF REDEVELOP- MENT. This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mayor Peter J. Nemeth, made the presentation for the bill. He indicated they had been working for some time to obtain this grant for the proposed Century Mall project. He said this $2,126,000 will help defray administrative, legal, survey, planning, relocation, demolition, real estate acquisition and other related costs associated with the pro- ject. He indicated that a budget had been submitted to the Council. Council Member Dombrowski made a motion to recommend this bill to the Council favorable, seconded by Council Member Adams. The motion carried. BILL NG. 113 -78 A BILL AMENDING CHAPTER 15, ARTICLE 1, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE RAILROAD TRAINS ORDINANCE. This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Council Member Miller, made the presentation for the bill He indicated he had been requested by the neighborhood residents to submit this bill for Council approval. He indicated that Conrail trains, while on the east side of South Bend, have been particularly inconsiderate in the bud and long blowing of the whistles. Mr. James Beck, 1630 E. Randolph, read the following into the record: "My name is James T. Beck, 1630 E. Randolph St., and I am the Democratic Precinct Committeeman in 3 -19, where 6 Conrail crossings are located. I am sympathetic to my neighbors who are awakened by the loud train whistles, but I have also been approached by a number of people in my precinct who feel that the train whistles should be curtailed only at night. The crossings in question have been the scene of numerous accidents, due to the widespread disregard for the crossing gates, brought about by the gates being down for hours at a time, with no "through" train approaching. Consideration needs to be given to separating the crossings between Miami and Ironwood, so that all of the gates are not down be- cause of the presence of switch engines and local railroad traffic which are unrelated to our crossings further down the line. A person needs only attempt to get out of the line of traffic, travel to Miami Street (usually by alley), attempt to turn out onto busy Miami Street, and then start the endless wait to turn onto Lincolnway, to realize why motorists who use these crossings at Leer, Vernon, Twyckenham, Caroline, Robinson, and Ironwood, are so prone to risk their lives by going around the crossing gates. Until the crossing gate problem is solved by making each set of gates operate individually, it would be unsafe to stop trains from whistling during the daylight hours, when school children use the crossings, traffic is heavy, and the trains are not visable because of light conditions and curves in the tracks. I can go along with stopping the whistles after dark, when the light on the train is more v.isab.le and traffic conditions are lighte and do not include school children walking and riding across the tracks. This partial curtailmen of the train whistles would accommodate light sleepers and still offer protection to users of these tracks during daylight hours, who might become victims because of the crossing gate problem Signs which read, "Trains do not whistle between 9 p.m. and 5a.m." might better represent the wishes of voters in my precinct. Please make this a part of the record." Mr. Bill Weaver, 1710 S. Twyckenham, indicated he had a petition with 300 signatures to stop the whistle. Ms. Pat Kane, 1630 S. Twyckenham, indicated she lived right next to the tracks. She indicated that Conrail should be accountable for any problems on this track. Mr. Beck indicated that the GTW track was not as busy as the NYC track and the trains should whistle except from 10:00 p.m., to 5:00 a.m. Council Member Taylor made a motion to recommend this bill to the Council favorable, seconded by Council Member Dombrowski. The motion carried.