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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-27-10 (CCAC) Community Campus Advisory CoalitionY ! 41 ,~ fF. ~~ ~ t ~ ~ 1 t ~'~ ~ -~ ~ a - ,.~r ~~.. ;r `~ ' „~: Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) ~ilii Hy~~T+s Uy vC - The January 27, 2010 meeting of the Community/Campus Advisory Coalition was held at Holy Cross College. The meeting was called to order at approximately 3:37 p.m. by South Bend Common Council at Large Member AI "Buddy" Kirsits. Council Member Kirsits welcomed everyone in attendance and asked that everyone introduce themselves. Attendees included: Assistant City Attorney Ann-Carol Nash, South Bend Common Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Code Enforcement Director Catherine Toppel, South Bend Police Representative, Captain Robert Hammer, Common Council Member Ann Puzzello, University of Notre Dame Representatives, Student Body President Grant Schmidt, Brian Coughlin, and Tim Sexton, Holy Cross Representatives Sarah Fugarino, Matt Bellina, and Dan Cochran, Robinson Center Adult Program Coordinator Marguerite Taylor, Attorney Richard Nussbaum, Landlords of Off-Campus Housing Representative Mark Kramer, Northeast Neighborhood Representative, Bill Stenz, and Neighborhood Resident, Matt Costello. TRANSPO Grant Schmidt announced that the late night TRANSPO service has been very successful. Since the service started in December, ridership has averaged 150 passengers per night. The first weekend there were 406 passengers on Friday and 205 on Saturday. Today, student government passed out 4000 wallet sized cards showing the routes and pick-up times of the late night service. This should limit waiting times and hopefully avoid any incidents like the one which recently occurred. Two students waiting for the bus were assaulted by a man. The bus driver got off the bus to aid the students and was able to get them onto the bus. Grant thanked the Committee for its support in launching this service. Safety and Crime Prevention Task Force Tim Sexton reported that the Safety and Crime Prevention Task Force has held two meetings since the last CCAC meeting. The focus of the task force has been on establishing neighborhood watch programs and identifying block captains. Mr. Sexton Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) January 27, 2010 Meeting Minutes Page 2 commented that Cpl. Pat Hecklinski of the South Bend Police Department has been a very helpful resource for the task force. He also noted that there were no burglaries of off-campus student housing over the holidays. Holy Cross Sarah Fugarino reported that Holy Cross has a safety lecture given by Notre Dame police. Student government is working on a lounge renovation that should be completed by the end of the year. Robinson Center Marguerite Taylor reported that she was asked to watch the homes of six students over the Christmas break. Ms. Taylor announced a very important INDOT meeting will be held on February 18th at 6:00 p.m. at Perley School. This meeting is to discuss the widening of State Road 23 which will have a significant impact on the neighborhood. She asked that all concerned about the project and its impact on the neighborhood come to the meeting and express their concerns. Ms. Taylor also announced a reception to honor neighborhood volunteers will be held at the Robinson Center on February 26th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Snow Removal Snow removal continues to be a problem. The biggest snows this season have occurred during the Christmas break when students were not here. Cathy Toppel said that snow removal is not just the responsibility of tenants. The burden of snow removal falls on the owner of the property, especially when owners are aware that school is not in session and the students are gone. If the City has to remove the snow, it can bill the owners. Ms. Toppel will work on an ordinance allowing for ticketing residents who do not remove snow from the sidewalks in a timely manner. It was also noted that when the snow melted, litter in the form of bottles, cans and disposable cups was exposed. Both Grant Schmidt and Mark Kramer said that email reminders will be sent out to students about promptly removing snow from sidewalks. Mr. Kramer also said he has started a "Good Neighborhood" segment in his tenant newsletter. Students are asked to submit stories about what they have done to be a good neighbor. He is offering a prize of a $100.00 Master Card to the winner. Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) January 27, 2010 Meeting Minutes Page 3 Code Enforcement is also seeking additional volunteers to assist the elderly and disabled throughout the City in removing snow from sidewalks. Taxi Ordinance Work on amending the taxi ordinance is continuing. The Common Council has met twice and will continue to meet with taxi companies for input on the taxi ordinance. The next meeting will be on February 24th at 3:30 p.m. At the last meeting seven of the eleven cab companies were represented. Safety for the drivers and passengers is a major concern. Ann-Carol Nash said talks are ongoing so that all issues can be included in the ordinance. Matters such as number of cars required in the fleet, whether there is enough business for all companies to run 24 hours a day, possible licensing changes, fee changes, inspection procedures, and police response to various driverlcustomer problems are all still being discussed. Through continuing discussions those ,working on the ordinance will be able to draft a comprehensive and viable ordinance that will benefit customers, cab companies and the City. Weekend Rentals Weekend rentals are still an issue. While there is nothing to prevent owners from renting out homes on weekends only, owners need to be aware that the single family restriction of only two unrelated people per unit applies to weekend rentals too. Weekend rentals should not be made to companies where it is obvious that there will be more than two unrelated people occupying the home. Buddy Kirsits would like to see the City address oversized rental signs. He said in some cases, half sheets of plywood are being used to advertise rental properties. As to snow removal from these properties, Cathy Toppel said owners can be ticketed. She said input from neighbors would be helpful in identifying these properties. Miscellaneous Dick Nussbaum is pleased that everyone is working together so effectively. Since CCAC's inception, problems have decreased. Open lines of communication between students, neighbors, and the City have identified problems. As a result of the groups working together, solutions to those problems have been implemented. The willingness of student governments to communicate issues to the students has made all the difference. The numbers of students volunteering to assist in the neighborhoods continues to grow and their work is very much appreciated. Buddy Kirsits thanked Holy Cross for hosting the meeting. Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) January 27, 2010 Meeting Minutes Page 4 The next meeting will be will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. at a location to be announced. Council Member Kirsits thanked everyone for attending. The meeting was adjourned at 4:23 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~ Charles S. Leone, Recording Secretary Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) Council Member AI " Community/Campus rsits-Chairperson Coalition (CCAC)