04-13-15 Agenda, Packet & Committee Meeting Notice

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I -� Corr; f" Common Council City of South Bend Indiana Henry Davis, Jr., 2nd District Council Member 4'h Floor County -City Building 227 West Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46601 (574) 235 -5983 (574) 235 -9173 Facsimile (574)235 -5567 TTY/TDD March 16, 2015 Members of the Common Council 4t1i Floor County -City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 Re: Ordinance Addressing Homelessness Dear Council Members: I am pleased to introduce the attached ordinance for your review and discussion, along with several documents which set forth detailed information on homelessness. As detailed in the "Statement of Purpose and Intent" in the proposed ordinance and in the many footnotes set forth in the draft ordinance, there are many private and public agencies dedicated to providing services to assist the homeless in our community. In 2012, public discussions began which resulted in the states of Rhode Island, Illinois and Connecticut enacting laws that protect the "civil rights of people experiencing homelessness ". On June 20, 2012, Rhode Island became the first state to pass a "Homeless Bill of Rights ", with similar legislation passed in Illinois on August 22, 2013, and in Connecticut in October 1, 2013. As of late last year, other communities considering legislation addressing a homeless bills of rights included Baltimore, Maryland; Madison, Wisconsin; and the states of California, Delaware, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon; Tennessee, and Vermont. On March 2, 2015, the City- County Council in Indianapolis passed Proposal No. 291 -2014 which would recreate a new Article V in Chapter 231 of the Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County addressing "Protections for the Homeless" by a vote of 16 -13. Late this afternoon, the news media began reporting that Indianapolis Mayor Gregory A. Ballard vetoed the measure stating that is would be an "ill- conceived liability for the city ". The proposed ordinance which I am proposing is more holistic, than the Indianapolis proposal. It recognizes the many local private and public organizations who are and have dedicated themselves