2014 Annual Report - Health and Public Safety

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2014 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HEALTH & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE Date: December 30, 2014 To: The South Bend Common Council The Office of the City Clerk From: Council Member Derek D. Dieter Health and Public Safety Committee Chairperson I am pleased to file the following 2014 Health and Public Safety Committee Annual Report. It is a summary of some of the key activities of the Common Council's Health and Public Safety Committee which fulfills the requirement of § 2 -10 (i) of the South Bend Municipal Code. Duties: The Health and Public Safety Committee is charged with "overseeing the many activities performed by the Department of Code Enforcement, EMS, Fire Department, Police Department, ordinance violations and related health and public safety issues ". Members: There were four (4) Council Members on this Committee, namely: Council Member Derek D. Dieter, Chairperson Council Member Dr. Fred Ferlic, Vice - Chairperson Council Member Henry Davis, Jr., Member Council Member Tim Scott, Member Citizen Member Robert Emery Meetings: The Health and Public Safety Committee was one of the more active Council Standing Committees, having met twenty -seven (27) times this year. Summary of 2014 Committee Activities: The first Health and Public Safety Committee was held on January 23, 2014 which was an organizational meeting to discuss potential committee priorities for the year. Suggested topics included receiving updates and discussing police beat strength, technology updates in both the Fire and Police Departments, chronic nuisance, 911 center consolidation, the Anti - Violence Task Force, whistle - blower implementation, and fire training complex; and Dr. Ferlic's idea to promote a program to combat the youth obesity in partnership with the private sector. Perhaps the most effective meetings were those held jointly with the Residential Neighborhoods Committee chaired by Council Member Karen L. White. Six (6) "Hitting the Pavement" Walking Tours were held where Council Members were able to hear the concerns of residents first -hand. These tours focused on areas in the I` District when we walked on April 30 " & May 19`h; in the River Park Neighborhood when we walked on June 6`h and October Is; in the Coquillard Park Neighborhood when we took to the pavement on June 17'h; and the LaSalle Park Neighborhood on July 25" . This type of