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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 Annual Report - Health and Public Safety Committee_:.~ ~~~~ t ~4i ,QO`~4. ~~~ ~,=r~ 2009 Health and Public Safety Annual Report Date: December 3, 2009 To: The South Bend Common Council The Office of the City Clerk From: Council Member at Large Karen L. White, Chairperson Health and Public Safety Committee Introduction: As Chairperson of the Health and Public Safety Committee, I am pleased to file this 2009 Annual Report of the Health and Public Safety Committee. It is required pursuant to § 2-10 (1) of the South Bend Municipal Code which provides in part that an annual report summarizing committee activities must be filed with the Office of the City Clerk by the 2°d Monday of December. Duties and Responsibilities: As noted in the South Bend Municipal Code, the Health and Public Safety Committee is charged with the following duties: "Oversees the various activities performed by the Fire and Police Departments, EMS, Department of Code Enforcement, ordinance violations, and related health and public Safety matters". Health and Public Safety Committee Membership: This year's Committee members include: Council Member at Large Karen L. White, Chairperson 4~' District Council Member Ann Puzzello, Vice-Chairperson 2nd District Council Member Henry Davis, Jr., Member Council Member at Large Timothy A. Rouse, Member Valerie Schey, Citizen Member Marcus Ellison, Citizen Member Committee Meetings: As of this report, the Health and Public Safety Committee has met sixteen (16) times, with four (4) of these meetings being joint meeting held with the Personnel and Finance Committee. Additionally, one (1) joint meeting was held with the PARCS Committee, and one (1) joint meeting was held with the Community Relations Committee. 2009 Annual Report of the Health and Public Safety Committee December 3, 2009 Page 2 _ Like last year, the Health and Public Safety Committee held an organizational meeting in January. At this meeting, we reviewed the 2008 Annual Report, the Quality of Life Ordinances Review summary page, a 1-page Committee Action Plan form for 2009, and a 6-page Summary of Implementation and Enforcement of Quality of Life Ordinances. Additionally, the Committee members outlined t ascertain priorities for the current year. The following were determined to be the top priorities for 2009: # 1 Discussing public safety in light of the budget # 2 Assuring that the discussion process is complete and thorough # 3 Developing an Action Plan on such items as Beacon Heights # 4 Continuing discussions on improving and identifying new and/or improved funding sources for public safety The ensuing Health and Public Safety Committee meeting dealt with a wide variety of safety issues which resulted in productive dialogue and actions. The following is a summary of some of the key topics which the committee studied and reviewed: • Beacon Heights • Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.) • Creating a new Fund # 278 Police Take Home Vehicle Fund • Quality of Life Ordinances Review -noise, wheelchair accessibility downtown, skateboarding • Maintenance of Vacant lots • Special events in residentially zoned areas of the City of South Bend • School Crossing Guards • Graffiti • Taxicab regulations Banning the Use of Cell Phones and Textin~ Devices in School Zones: Following a series of committee meetings, and collaborating with the South Bend Police Department, South Bend Community School Corporation, and the City Administration, Council Members Puzzello, LaFountain and myself jointly sponsored Bill No. 48-09 which bans the use of cell phones and texting devices in school zones. That Bill was passed on July 27, 2009 as Ordinance No. 9946-09. It has been codified into the South Bend Municipal Code as § 20-131. A user-friendly brochure about the ban on the use of cell phones and texting devices in school zones was developed. That brochure has been distributed to the South Bend Community School Corporation, the South Bend Police Department, and the public at large. Between September 1St and November 16~' there have been thirteen (13) ordinance violation citations issued for violation of South Bend Municipal Code as § 20-131, according to the Ordinance Violations Bureau. Each of those citations is subject to a $75.00 fine. 2009 Annual Report of the Health and Public Safety Committee December 3, 2009 Page 3 Recommendations for the 2010 Calendar Year: In light of the Council Summits which were held this year, and the continuing financial impacts resulting from the Indiana General Assembly's enactment of HEA 1001, fiscal challenges on important health and public safety priorities will be a continuing concern in 2010. As Health and Public Safety Committee Chairperson, I believe that we must continue to monitor the ordinances which have been passed by the South Bend Common Council. Part of that includes reviewing the core missions of the various City Departments to help: • Improve the implementation and enforcement of all quality of life ordinance Improve the transparency of the training of city personnel involved with the enforcement process of all ordinances • Seek better accountability to the citizens who have an expectation that rules and regulations, once passed, will be properly implemented I also believe it is important to continue to hold "District Public Safety Committee" meetings within the various Councilmanic Districts throughout South Bend. These meetings provide opportunities for residents to articulate their concerns, and provides a forum for the City of South Bend to emphasize the importance of public safety in our community. Since the budgets for the South Bend Police Department and the South Bend Fire Department constitute the greatest percentage of the civil city budget, I believe that the Health and Public Safety Committee should collaborate with the Zoning and Annexation Committee to assure that projected costs for public safety services in proposed new areas of annexation are properly calculated in light of actual costs. Our committee is continuing to work with the Fire Administration on a new ordinance addressing fees for fire inspections. Such an ordinance is in keeping our committee goals established in January to explore new sources of income and implementing reasonable fees for services rendered. It has been a pleasure to serve as the Health and Public Safety Committee Chairperson this year. I would like to continue to serve in this capacity in 2010. Thank you. Respectfully submitted, .lc. ~ .~ ounci~'~ember Karen L. tte, Chairperson ealth and Public Safety Committee cc: Police Chief Boykins Fire Chief Buchanon Filed In Clerk's Office DEC - 4 2009 JOHN VOORDE CITY CLERK, S0. BEND, IN.