Designating Tax Abatement - Requesting a Special Exception - University of Notre Dame DU LAC, and Innovation Park at Notre Dame, Inc

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Hello to all... I am currently in Denver for the DNC. I regret that I cannot be in attendance for today's meetings but I have a few concerns. After a trip to Notre Dame Friday with a few other council members I came to understand that Notre Dame's commitment to our tax base or South Bend's growth is not clear. A question was asked about Notre Dame's commitment to our city and we never got an answer. I hope in the near future their commitment will be more than volunteer services and a homeless shelter and we will be able to sit with them to document our true commitment to each other. I hope that Notre Dame will invest dollars into our city's budget for the fire and police services that they use on a daily basis. My heart leads me to vote NO to any tax abatement for Innovation Park. We are on the brink of cutting well paying jobs for civil servants with families who have small children. These servants are depended upon by their families to 'bring home the bacon'. Our city needs a huge financial blessing now and not in 5-10 years. Notre Dame is working on a $500 million project that appears to be well underway and completely financed. I will not feel good about giving anyone else a tax abatement with the fear of cutting city services. Our constituents need to know how they will gain or lose from any of these projects. In no way shape or form am I against Notre Dame or their expansion but I am definitely PRO-SOUTH BEND! We (South Bend Common Council) need to have a plan in place to make sure the residual dollars flow into South Bend from this tech park, and giving tax abatement does not foster that particular growth. A tax abatement will continue to encourage companies and outsiders not to pay their way unlike the residents that we serve. A good question to ask... Are people from SOUTH BEND, such as skilled laborers and local minority contractors, going to have a hand in working to build this beautiful addition to Notre Dame's campus? Another question to ask... What happens to our downtown growth and downtown businesses? I understand this project will happen in South Bend's city limits but what happens to South Bend's core? This project encompasses Eddy Street Commons and Nano-technology and we as residents of South Bend are hoping that this project works within the next 15 years. Many of us may not be here to see it what happens in 15 years if it ever happens. What is South Bend's plan to increase revenue stream into this city without looking forward to the next great project that comes thru Notre Dame? What is South Bend's next great project and when was the last one? I hope that we as a council look at these tax abatement thoroughly before we continue to mortgage our children's future away. I hope all goes well with you and look forward to seeing everyone next week. I am so hyped up about the DNC so I can join in on the chant of "YES WE CAN! ! !" God Bless! 'l r V~ ~~, ~, r ~ ~`ii~d in ~~~~~'~ ~~~ice AUG 2 5 2008 J(~i~{tJ VOLPCE CITY CLEti;~, S0. ~ahN, IN.