2014 Annual Report - Residential Neighborhoods

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2014 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE Pursuant to § 2 -10 of the South Bend Municipal Code, the following 2014 Annual Report of the Residential Neighborhoods Committee is filed pursuant to § 2 -10 (i) 6) of the South Bend Municipal Code. It briefly highlights some of the Committee's activities The Committee members included Council Member Tim Scott who served as Vice - Chairperson; Council Member Henry Davis, Jr., and Council Member at Large Gavin Ferlic. It was especially helpful to have Mr. Jack Smith volunteer his time and talents to serve this year on the Committee as our Citizen Member. The "Residential Neighborhood Organizational Meeting" was held on February 24, 2014 where each of the members received a folder containing an agenda which highlighted the Committee's scope "oversees activities & issues related to neighborhood development & enhancement "; called for a discussion of the "formulation of 2014 Goals /Objectives'; called for discussion of the "Light Up South Bend Initiative" as well as the Standing Committee Request Protocol form. A 1 -page listing by Council Member was also provided entitled "Councilmembers Area of Interest for 2014 ", along with a 4 -page handout from the San Francisco Planning Department entitled "Eight Elements of a Great Neighborhood" which focused on: 1. "Walk to Shops — a great neighborhood has everyday stores & services within an easy walk from home. 2. Safe Streets — a great neighborhood has safety & friendly streets. 3. Get Around Easily — a great neighborhood has many ways to get around. 4. Housing Choices — a great neighborhood has a variety of housing types. 5. Gathering Places — a great neighborhood has places for people to meet & talk. 6. City Services — a great neighborhood has a full range of public services for residents. 7. Special Character — a great neighborhood has its own character. 8. Part of the Whole — great neighborhoods make great cities. During the ten (10) committee meetings which followed, the committee had discussions in conjunction with the Health & Public Safety Committee on the chronic problem property ordinance implementation with SBPD officer Keenan Lane and Uniform Division Chief Scott Ruszkowski providing valuable information to the Committee especially on Miami Hills. Valuable insights were received from many residents during the six (6) "Hitting the Pavement" Walking Tours which took place from April thru October in conjunction with the Health and Public Safety Committee. Residents were very willing to share comments candidly and it became very evident that the quality of life and the safety of their neighborhoods were top concerns. Prioritizing "neighborhoods as the heart of the city" continued to be the ongoing focus of the Committee in order to better address citizen concerns. Prior to the departure of Department of Code Enforcement Director Shubhada Kambli, a very insightful Committee meeting was held during the Summer which focused on the quality of life