Recommending that a Tall Grass/Weed Abatement Piolt Program Focusing on Providing Youth with Working Opportunities be Implemented for the Summer of 2015

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RESOLUTION NO. ` q � �_� Substitute Bill No. 15 -35 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, RECOMMENDING THAT A TALL GRASS/WEED ABATEMENT PILOT PROGRAM FOCUSING ON PROVIDING YOUTH WITH WORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND LIFE SHILLS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THE SUMMER OF 2015 fie, for the past several months, discussions have taken place with members of the City Administration on needed updates to improve the City's tall grass /weed regulations, with those regulations aimed at updating our local procedures are set forth in Substitute Bill No. 22 -15; and Qfif;.d, in light of the proposed updates which streamline local regulations and focus on the property owner who fails to comply with paying the costs, rather than passing the costs of enforcement to the average taxpayer, there is an opportunity to create a Pilot Program which may provide limited job opportunities for youth as well as Youth mentoring skills this Summer; and dXC,wd, a Pilot Program under the jurisdiction of the Department of Code Enforcement is potentially feasible to be in operation in mid -June through November 6, 2015; and y the Department of Code Enforcement would work closely with the Law Department so that qualifying 14 years E)f age and older may have the eppeAunity to leat!n to safely inew, trim and remove debris from Git)- seleeted lecations. entities have the opportunity to provide youth mentoring skills and limited employment opportunities in assisting the City to abate environmental public nuisances Each qualifying lion pr-efi erganiFatien and entity meeting the standards set forth in the City's request for proposals would further be required to comply with: • Federal, state and local laws governing youth employment • Proper required liability insurance and worker's compensation coverage • Proper thresholds requiring supervision of all youth who are participating • Proper youth training in all aspects in the proper use, maintenance of all equipment • Proper youth training in all aspects in the proper use of safety goggles, gloves and other required items for youth safety and overall public safety • Provide the Department of Code Enforcement with before and after photos of each property assigned to be cut on a daily basis where clean -up abatement services by the youth have been provided �Jf�e information on the website for WorkOne Northern Indiana notes that "when you are young, getting a good job can be a tough process... successful job seekers foster an attitude of life -long learning'; and 6)0 a the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the U.S. Department of Labor reported that last Summer "...unemployment among youth rose by 913,000 from April to July 2014... [with] the July 2014 labor force participation rate for 16 to 24 year old mean being 63.2 percent... "; and y the Bureau of Labor Statistics for last Summer also reveal that youth employment rates were only 63.2 % for Whites, 56.2 % for Hispanics, 52.9 % for Blacks, 45.8 % for Asians leaving 3.4 million unemployed youth in July 2014 as reported in the August 13, 2014 BLS Economic News Release entitled "Employment and Unemployment Among Youth Summary ".