09-12-60 Council Meeting Minutes

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COMMUNICATION Frank J. Bruggner Acting Mayor Common Council City of South Bend South Bend, Indiana Gentlemen: usr LQr1DFa 14 , 170V September 12, 1960 I write this letter to inform the Common Council of South Bend that it will have the complete cooperation of my office. I acknowledge that your Council is the legislative body of the City. It is my desire that we coordinate our activities to continue the fine program that our beloved late Mayor Edward F. Voorde began and was able to carry through until his untimely death. I want you to know that my office and my department heads will always be available for consultation and information for your body at any and all times. It is my desire that we continue to carry out Mr. Voorde's program. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Frank J. Bruggner Acting Mayor Councilman Ladewski made a motion that the communication be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Muszynski s ed the motion, Motion carried. REPORT OF CONTROLLER FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, 1960 Balance on Hand First of Month --------------------------------------------------------------------- $3,787,137.75 Receiptsduring month ------------------------ ------------------------------------------------- - - - - -$ 501,431.90 Disbursements during Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,043,747.54 Balance on Hand July 31, 1960 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $3,244,822.11 REPORT OF CONTROLLER FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1960 Balance on Hand First of Month------------------------------------------- - - - - -- $3,244,822.11 --------------- - - - -- Receiptsduring Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $1,074,643.39 Disbursements during Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,047,543.26 Balance on Hand August 31, 1960 -------------------------------------------------------------------- $3,271,922.24 Councilman Muszynski made a motion that the reports of the Controller be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Lehman seconded the motion. Motion carried. REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT Mr. Paul Krueper, Jr. Councilman Drom Fourth District South Bend, Indiana Dear Councilman Krueper: August 12, 1960 This Department has been notified by the City Clerk's Office that you would like to have a report on the extent of Dutch elm disease in South Bend and what is being done to curb it. First I should like to refer you to Chapter 30 of the South Bend Code which is the ordinance coverning trees and shrubs. This ordinance in substance places the responsibility for the planting, care, trrimming and removal of trees upon the owner of such real estate. In case of emergency work on the trees or removals may be made by the Park Department. We estimate such emergencies, caused by storms, cost to the Park Department from $5,000.00 to $,10,000.00 per year. I have been sending articles to the newspapers concerning Dutch elm disease since 1955 in order that our citizens may be made aware of the situation. In 1956 we made a survey.of street treesein South Bend and found that there were a total of 8,267 American Elms along our streets. At the same time a study in our parks revealed a total of 5,602 American Elm trees. We had only seven cases of Dutch elm disease in South Bend in 1955. Since then the disease has spread rapidly. In March, 1956, we requested all licensed arborists and nurserymen to attend a meeting at the Park Administration Building. At this meeting we explained Dutch elm disease, showed a 20 minute film on the disease and furnished all persons present with mimeographed directions for -formulations to be used in preventative spraying. We also set up a reporting system and furnished all licensed arborists with mimeographed forms for such a report. Howe with no State law or City ordinance to require observance the system failed because of apathy. For your information I am enclosing some of the mimeographed material furnished to newspapers and arborists. We requested and received an increase in our Park Budget funds to buy spray materials to be used on elms in our Parks. However, in spite of our efforts we have presently, by count last week, a total of 104 American elms which are dead or dying in the parks. These trees are being removed as rapidly as our small forestry department can handle them. Probably all of the elms which will die this year are already dead or show positive indication, of the disease. Many of the park dead elms have had a preventative spray. However, this spring was wet, cold and windy and it was impossible for us to spray all of our park elm trees in the short period when weather was favorably A check of permits to remove street trees made on August 11th reveals that 234 permits have been issued in 1960 up to that time for the removal of dead or dying elm trees in the tree and lawn areas. We have no way of knowing how many have been removed from rear and side yards. A drive around South Bend will disclose perhaps one hundred or more dead or dying elm trees which have not been removed at this time. We have approximately fifty calls per week to our office concerning street trees. Not- withstanding all of the newspaper publicity on this matter a good share of our citizens believe that the cost of operating a department for trimming and removal of street trees is included in their taxes. Of course this is not true. If a street tree program were to be adopted this would cost an additional $100,000.00 or more per year. This estimate is based on the cost of a similar department at Fort Wayne which is called "Tree Preservation" and had a budget of $120,000.00 in 1960. In conclusion, information concerning the feasibility of saving the elms by a costly preventative spray program