05-08-61 Council Meeting Minutes

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COMMUNICATION To the South Bend Common Council South Bend, Ind. Dear Sirs: ATTENTION: Joseph T. Kroll, Pres. 301 E. Haney Avenue South Bend, 14, Indiana May 5, 1961 I am writing in regard to the proposed appropriation of $16,000.00 for a Parking Survey. As I see it, the downtown area is fast becoming a "ghost" town mainly because of the lack of adequate, low -cost, public transportation. If you will think back to the time when we had good reasonable transportation to the downtown area, very few people bothered to get out their cars to go downtown -- -they took the bus, because they could get off right in the heart of the shopping area. Each time the Bus Co., increased fares people scouted around and got a ride elsewhere or pooled with other car drivers until now the buses carry very few passengers and service has been drastically curtailed. We who are widows living on Social Security have no transporation on Sunday and can't afford to take taxis - -can't even go to church on Sunday unless we beg someone for a lift. People wouldn't bother to go to the shopping centers on Sunday or after work if they could get this shopping done during the week because everyone likes to enjoy Sunday afternoon instead of making it a shopping jaunt. Besides, it's much pleasanter to shop downtown. A city the size of South Bend surely should be able to do something about it's public transportation. That is the real cause of all the congestion downtown, and no matter how many parking lots there are, they can't all be in the center of town, unless the city does go in for Municipal Parking. Better subsidize the Bus Co., and save the down- town Business establishments that are still there. Bus fares in New Orleans, La., are lOp and everybody rides the bus - -- there's no congestion of cars downtown, and a bus almost any time you want one. However, the Bus Co., the Elec. Co., and the Gas Co., operate as one entity. I really think if the City of South Bend cannot, itself, subsidize the Bus Co., it should make an effort to get some other company to do it.. The Associates Investment Co., Sears - Roebuck & Co., Romy Hammes, or some other well estab- lished concern. Yours for a greater Downtown South Bend, /s/ Mrs. C. R. Bon Durant Councilman Lehman made a motion that the communication be accepted and placed on file. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE To the Common Council of the City of South Bend: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FROM PARKING METER FEES AND FUNDS THE SUM OF $16,000.00 FOR AN OFF STREET PARKING SURVEY TO THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY TO THE CIVIL CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion IT SHOULD BE REPORTED UNFAVORABLE. /s/ T. W. Lehman, Chairman May 8, 1961 Councilman Muszynski made a motion that the report be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Lehman seconded the motion. Motion carried. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE To the Common Council of the City of South Bend: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 3702, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AS AMENDED, (Self- service Laundries), Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion IT SHOULD BE REPORTED FAVORABLE. /s/ T. W. Lehman, Chairman May 8, 1961. Councilman Glass made a motion that the report be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Ladewski seconded the motion. Motion carried. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE To the Common Council of the City of South Bend: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINAM E NO. 3702, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, (REAL ESTATE INVOLVED LOCATED ON WILLIAMS STREET, NAVARRE STREET, PORTAGE AVENUE), Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion IT SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR TWO WEEKS. /s/ T. W. Lehman, Chairman May 8, 1961. Councilman Tellson made a motion that the report be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Ladewski seconded the motion. Motion carried. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE To the Common Council of the City of South Bend: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred AN ORDINANCE CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF COIN - OPERATED DRY CLEAN ESTABLISHMENTS, Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion IT SHOULD BE REPOR UNFAVORABLE. /s/ T. W. Lehman, Chairman May 8, 1961. Councilman Muszynski made a motion that the report be accepted and placed on file. Councilman Lehman seconded the motion. Motion carried.