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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 12, 1973
<br />COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING (CONTINUED)
<br />crime rate. In relation to the Solid Waste budget, she asked if it was necessary to add an
<br />engineer, and Mr. Richardson indicated that there is going to be a great deal of additional work
<br />in that department because of the new trash pick -up program. This additional engineering would be
<br />needed through route selections and general engineering in getting the department going. He
<br />mentioned that each of the other utilities do reimburse the city. He also indicated that Mr.
<br />David Wells would be the engineer assigned to the Department of,Solid Waste as he had a good deal
<br />of experience in this matter and has worked with computers. He mentioned that, because of the
<br />additional work load, the additional salary was requested. He indicated that money has been set
<br />up for computer costs, and that Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee, had been contacted
<br />regarding their trash pick -up programs. He concluded that the new program was a very complicated
<br />one and Mr. Wells was very well qualified to assume the job. Miss Guthrie asked about the respons
<br />to the survey, and Mr. Richardson indicated that the city had received over 21,000 responses.
<br />Miss Guthrie stated that some of the funds from the Water Works was to be reimbursed. She under-
<br />stood that some of this money was to be reimbursed to the citizens and not revenue sharing. Mr.
<br />Richardson indicated that that was the original proposal and that the city was going to take the
<br />residue from property taxes and request an appropriation in March for this residue. Last
<br />December, the Council and the Administration jointly cut nine months from the Solid Waste budget.
<br />He added that the startup money for the nine months was to come from revenue sharing funds. He
<br />mentioned that the garbage pickup is funded for three months from the property taxes, and, as of
<br />April 1, there would be no more property tax money-in this program because after April 1, it was
<br />hoped the money would come from revenue sharing. Miss Guthrie again indicated that she had hoped
<br />there would be more time to study this matter as it concerned the largest amount of the revenue
<br />sharing money.
<br />Mr. Silas West, 222 Laurel Street, indicated that he felt more time could be spent on the revenue
<br />sharing proposals. He asked for an explanation of the deletion of $25,000 for the Merry Avenue
<br />project and the street lighting project. The Mayor indicated that, previously, the city had
<br />received word from the federal government that the Merry Avenue project was going to be cut down;
<br />therefore, money was appropriated in revenue sharing. Now the city has been informed that there
<br />will be enough money in the Model Cities program to cover this cost. Mr. Richardson indicated
<br />that the city was attempting to draw up a master plan for the city for an evaluation of what is
<br />needed and in what direction the city is going as far as the street lighting is concerned. He
<br />indicated that there is a great amount to be desired and that a new plan should be drawn up so
<br />that projections can be made during the next four or five years. He also indicated that he did
<br />not know where the street lights would be going. The Mayor mentioned that the practice in the
<br />community was first a request by a citizen for a street light. Then the request was examined and
<br />it was determined whether or not a street light should be installed. He mentioned that this is a
<br />hit - and -miss system. He mentioned that street lights cost up to $7.50 per month on a rental basis
<br />He mentioned that the city was trying to design a program to determine how many street lights are
<br />in the different brackets because it would be desirable to go into all the neighborhoods on a
<br />systematic basis. He also indicated that this would be related to the crime situation. Mr. West
<br />indicated that all the projects being talked about were long -range projects, and he hoped that
<br />the plans would be started soon because the money was being appropriated at this time. He
<br />mentioned that several agencies within the city had submitted proposals to the general revenue
<br />sharing and he wondered where these proposals stand. The Mayor indicated that this deals with mor
<br />than just Public Works projects and that most of the programs did not have budgets included. He
<br />mentioned that all of the social projects that were proposed cannot be funded and also, that some
<br />of the projects were county -wide and support of the county will be needed in that regard.
<br />Mrs. Frederick Mutzl, President of the St. Joseph County Fair Tax Association, thanked Mr.
<br />Richardson for his presentation and explanation regarding the revenue sharing for the Public Works
<br />programs. She asked where the money that was cut from the budget would go, and the Mayor indicate(
<br />that the money would go back into the revenue sharing fund and would be re- appropriated. Mrs.
<br />Mutzl asked how large the crew was to be on the Bureau of Solid Waste. Mr. Richardson indicated
<br />that there would be three 3 -man crews, two 2 -man crews, one 2 -man pickup crew and one city paper
<br />trash crew consisting of two men. He indicated this would be 14 less men than at present. Mrs.
<br />Mutzl asked what would happen to these men, and Mr. Richardson indicated they would be laid off.
<br />Mrs. Mutzl asked if the Park, Street or Health Departments were responsible for the summer clean-
<br />up program. Mr. Richardson indicated that this is why the program has been set up and it would
<br />involve hiring 35 young men at the age of 18 for clean -up work at the riverbanks, etc. Mrs. Mutzl
<br />asked about the storage of the motor vehicle equipment, and Mr. Richardson indicated that it would
<br />be stored at Municipal Services Facility for summer use and that most of the equipment would be
<br />seasonal. He further indicated that the dump trucks were deleted and the surplus packer trucks
<br />would be used in place of them for this program. Mrs. Mutzl indicated that several women from the
<br />Fair Tax Association took a tour recently through the Municipal Services Facility and were amazed
<br />at the amount of repair work that needs to be done on such a new building. She asked if the
<br />amount proposed would take care of the doors at the back of the garage. Mr. Richardson indicated
<br />that $8,000 would be available for repair and replacement of the overhead doors and he indicated
<br />that this problem is mainly in the paint shop.
<br />Mr. Elliott Harris, 1146 Napier Street, recognized the fact that the Mayor can made additions or
<br />deletions to any project; however, he indicated that he understood the deletion of $25,000 on the
<br />Merry Avenue project to be a last- minute decision. He briefly spoke on the funding for the pro-
<br />ject and indicated that the funds would not be received until August and the project would not get
<br />off the ground. He hoped that this money would be put back into the budget so that the project
<br />could be completed. He asked if the Mayor had given any consideration to that. Mr. James Roemer,l
<br />City Attorney, indicated that the property is owned by the South Shore Railroad. He mentioned
<br />that the city has a 45 -day option on the property and the right to extend the option if necessary.'
<br />He felt the railroad would give the city this time. He indicated that there is re- programmed
<br />funding available in the Model Cities budget and the city can move forward with the purchase of
<br />this property. Mr. Harris agreed with this; however, he indicated that he had been lead to believ(
<br />that the $25,000 coming out of revenue sharing had been suggested for other purposes. He indicate(
<br />that now, Model Cities would have to re- adjust as far as the $25,000 was concerned, and he
<br />indicated that they must also follow a procedure. He admitted that he had not been aware of the
<br />45 -day time period mentioned by City Attorney Roemer. He mentioned that the Mayor had stated that
<br />this money would be put back into revenue sharing and he wondered if the $25,000 had already been
<br />allocated somewhere else. Mr. Charles Lennon, Executive Director of the Department of
<br />Redevelopment, indicated that there has been nothing added to the Public Works budget. He also
<br />mentioned that the law reads that any money that is not appropriated must go back into the revenue
<br />sharing account, and he further indicated that nothing has changed in the Merry Avenue project.
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