03/26/07 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 26, 2007 Councilmember Varner, Vice-Chairperson, Personnel & Finance Committee, reported that this committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Mayor Stephen J. Luecke,14th Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mayor Luecke thanked the Council for their extensive review of the Capital Budget by taking time out on a Saturday morning and spending several hours asking questions on where dollars are going and how they are being spent. He stated that he placed on the Council seats before the meeting tonight a copy of GIS Maps indicated where those dollars are spent, such as the after-school programs, some of the Economic Development Programs, and even the CSO and long-term control plan Sewer Works Projects. As the maps indicate the projects are fairly spread evenly across the City for all the residents to take advantage of. He noted that he would be glad to continue to provide information of this nature. The Capital Budget for this year is 18 million dollars, last years Capital Budget was 19 million dollars, in 2005, the Capital Budget was 30 million, and 2004, 28 Million and 2003, 31 million. Mayor Luecke stated that the City has to be more frugal on the Capital Budget for this year. A couple of factors have led to that 18 million dollar figure, there was a 100% collection of the property taxes, due to St. Joseph County being able to finally hold a tax sale, and that allowed the City to generate more dollars in the General and Park Department's General fund, than they would have otherwise. Along with an extra distribution from the COIT and EDIT funds, the State was able to process more returns last year and that allowed for a larger distribution in those two funds. Mayor Luecke stated that he is pleased with the budget that he is presenting to the Council. He wished that there were additional dollars to allocate, because there are always more needs than there are dollars available. Catherine Fanello has provided a packet that show a summary of five (5) years of Capital Budgets and show distributions of those dollars in 2006 and 2007, he noted that the major units receiving capital dollars in 2007 are Public Works with 5.5 million Utilities 4.3 million, Community & Economic Development 4.8 million and Parks and Recreation 1.8 million approximately. The commercial corridors 1 million; l million dollars in the Northeast Neighborhood, that is really atwo-year distribution. He noted that they had appropriated $500,000 last year, but did not expend that money and so they are rolling that $500,000 into this year, along with another $500,000. $500,000 set aside for vacant housing initiative. Mayor Luecke stated that they will be coming back to the Council with more details on their recommendations on a variety of ways to bring private investment into the neighborhoods to address some of the vacant housing issues as well as certain City programs that will be working on that issue. The Good Neighbors Program, Curb & Sidewalk program again funded at $500,000 for this year. Residential street lighting and lamppost programs have been well received by the residents and the City wanted to continue to offer those initiatives. 2.1 million dollars in paving and concrete repairs. This funds the City at a replacement level for the streets and allows the City to be on a the average 20 year return cycle which is what the City needs to be on. The City is taping full advantage of the Wheel Tax Dollars that have been made available by passage by the County Council and believe that those dollars are essential to the City to be able to maintain a full force paving and concrete repair program. Some major projects Portage Avenue, introducing two new round-abouts at a cost of $855,000.300,000 for the extension of Riverside Trail. Work on Miami Road at 500,000. Setting aside $500,000 for Technology Park on the South Side of the University of Notre Dame. $200,000 put aside for splash pads, for the children to have some place keep cool during the summer. $400,000 for the Leeper Park Tennis Courts. He stated that he believes that they are using these dollars wisely. Mayor Luecke thanked the Council again for their input and suggestions and urged favorable consideration of this bill. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There being no one wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Dieter made a motion for favorable recommendation to full 10