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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-18 Council Minutes i REPORT OF SUB-COMMITTEE ON MINUTES TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: THE SUB-COMMITTEE HAS INSPECTED THE MINUTES OF THE February 12,2018 MEETING OF THE COUNCIL AND FOUND THEM TO BE CORRECT. THEREFORE,WE RECOMMEND THE SAME BE APPROVED: TIM SCOTT L AVID VARNER APPROVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL ON: February 26,2018 ATTEST: EMAH 190VVLER, CITY CLERK REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana met in the Council Chambers of the County-City Building on Monday, February 12th 2018 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Council President Tim Scott and the Invocation(Judith Fean, Vice President for Mission, Saint Mary's College) and Pledge to the Flag were given. ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS: Tim Scott 1St District, President Regina Williams-Preston 2nd District (Vacant) 3rd District Jo M. Broden 4th District Dr. David Varner 5th District Oliver J. Davis 6th District, Vice President John Voorde At-Large Karen L. White At-Large ABSENT: Gavin Ferlic At-Large, Chairperson Committee of the Whole OTHERS PRESENT: Kareemah Fowler City Clerk Jennifer Coffinan Chief Deputy Clerk Bianca Tirado Deputy Clerk Graham Sparks Clerk Executive Assistant Bob Palmer Council Attorney REPORT FROM THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON MINUTES Councilmember Karen White made a motion that the minutes of the January 22nd, 2018 meeting of the Council be accepted and placed on file. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. SPECIAL BUSINESS BILL NO. I8-06 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA DECLARING THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 5-9, 2018 AS NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Karen L. White, 1912 Malvern Way, South Bend, IN, served as one (1) of the presenters of the bill. She stated, We are happy to have representatives from IU— South Bend with us that will be able to accept this recognition. Oliver Davis, 1801 Nash Street, South Bend, IN, served as one(1) of the presenters of the bill. He read Bill No. 18-06 into the public record. He stated, Whereas, the National School Counseling Week sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is celebrated from February_5-9, 2018, with this year's theme "School Counseling: Helping Students Realize Their Potential" to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. I REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 school systems; and, Whereas, the National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. School counselors are employed in public and private schools to help students reach their full potential; and,Whereas,school counselors are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths,interests,and talents as these traits relate to career awareness and development. School counselors help parents focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social growth of their children; and, Whereas, school counselors work with teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for themselves. School counselors seek to identify and utilize community resources that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling programs and help students become productive members of society. Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process that enables all students to achieve success in school. Ms. White stated,Now,therefore, be it Proclaimed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, as follows: Section One (1). On behalf of the citizens of the City of South Bend, Indiana, the South Bend Common Council publicly thanks and commends all of the school counselors employed in our public and private school systems for positively engaging with our youth,their parents, and fellow educators in helping further and enhance the educational,personal and social growth of students and youth across our great nation. Section Two (2). The South Bend Common Council hereby declares the week of February 5-9,2018 as National School Counseling Week in South Bend, Indiana, and sincerely thanks all school counselors for their many contributions aimed at the betterment of our youth, and especially thanks all school counselors working in the City of South Bend, Indiana, for their dedication and service. Section Three (3). This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the Common Council and approval by the Mayor. Dr. Yvonne Larrier,Associate Professor of Counseling and Human Services for IU—South Bend, 1700 Mishawaka Avenue office EA 2271, South Bend,IN, stated, Our Department prepares stellar counselors to go out into this world to work with our students and children in many facets and settings. They don't only work with children. They work with the parents and teachers of those children, too. They work with anyone that needs help. I am not sure how familiar the Council is with the latest data and statistics on mental health in the US. To get a glimpse of what is happening in our Country, one (1) in five (5) children ages thirteen(13)to eighteen(18)have, or will have, a serious mental illness such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. We also know that one (1) in five (5) adults have a serious mental illness. So we look around the room and we wonder how many people in this room have a mental illness. Eighty percent (80%) of that number will not get treatment because there are treatment and practitioner gaps. So we know that in the South Bend Area, the South Bend schools do not have elementary school counselors. It is incumbent on this community to start looking at how we can further support our children.Not only at the high school level but starting in the elementary and even in pre-kindergarten, we need to treat these children. The behaviors we see exhibited in the elementary age groups is continued into adulthood and we see that resulting in homelessness or the criminal justice system. Fifty percent (50%) of all life- time cases of mental illness begin by the age of fourteen (14). Seventy-five percent (75%) of all life-time cases of mental illness begin by the age of twenty-four(24). Thirty-seven percent(37%) of students with a mental health condition, aged fourteen (14) and older, drop out of school. That is the highest dropout rate of any disability group. Seventy percent (70%) of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems have a mental illness. Mental illness is not just a school issue, it is a community issue. We need to, as responsible stakeholders, engage all facets of our community. If we want our communities to be whole, we need to be sure that all stakeholders are fully engaged. Whatever we need to do to make that happen, we are here as a resource to provide support based on our expertise. Our communities are suffering and when we add to that the opioid crisis our State is facing, I think it is incumbent upon us to do something and not just sit back. Thank you. Hope Davis, Interim Dean of the School of Education for IU — South Bend, 1700 Mishawaka Avenue office EA 2273, South Bend, IN, stated, On behalf of the School of Education, I want to thank Dr. Larrier and the Councilmembers for the work they have done to bring this issue to the attention of the community. There is a lot of work that needs to be done and there are hundreds (100s) of children that benefit daily from the work of counselors in our community. Thank you. 2 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 Lindsey London, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, 3516 E. Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, IN,stated,I practice regularly in St.Joseph County but I grew up and have lived in Elkhart County. However because of IU—South Bend and their Counseling and Human Services Program, I have felt connected to this community. I am continuing to learn of areas of our community that need people who understand the impacts of mental health. Councilmember John Voorde stated, I fully recognize the importance of what you are doing. I don't ever remember seeing a counselor way back then. Those statistics made me a little uncomfortable. I congratulate you for what you are doing and wish you the very best. I hope others recognize the importance and can provide the right resources for you to reach out to more people because it is important. Councilmember Dr. David Varner stated, Thank you for your efforts and congratulations on the recognition. I think this has made a lot of people more aware. Statistics are always interesting to hear and it is sometimes fun to look at them a little bit deeper. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Thank you for your work because it is critical. I appreciate you coming here tonight to share this additional information. We have to do what we can in our capacity and raise this issue beyond these four(4)walls as we go out into the community as leaders. It really is incumbent of all of us to treat mental health issues just as we treat physical issues. They are on the same par as me and,at every opportunity, I try to communicate that. As best as possible, we do have opportunities to lead if it is just our voice. With these resolutions when we declare weeks to lift up issues, I'd love to make a friendly amendment and make this a month-long issue to hold up your work and its critical need. Thank you so much. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I just want to thank you all. So much of what you're talking about really hits home with me as a special educator because my area is students with emotional disabilities. It really hits home. I challenge you to do more and charge us with doing more. Bring us a proposal. Talk to Karen White. She is the Chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee and she is all about Priority-Based Budgeting. Put a proposal together. I think this kind of thing really needs legs and teeth. Whatever we can do, you guys are the experts and you need to give us something to work with. I look forward to working with you on something very tangible that we can do as a Council and community to support our residents. Council President Tim Scott stated, Thank you all. As representatives of the whole counseling world,those statistics go understated.I have a sister-in-law in the Houston Public School Area that actually caters her classes and teaching based on the counselor's recommendations. I remember as a journalist in the 1980s watching state mental health facilities, good and bad, go away. These issues turn into larger issues like criminal issues and that is not good. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of the City of South Bend, IN, stated, I just want to echo, on behalf of the City, the importance of this role. I want to thank the Council in taking the time to acknowledge them. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to adopt Bill No. 18-06 by acclamation. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. MAYOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE COMMON COUNCIL ON FINANCES AND THE GENERAL CONDITION OF THE CITY PURSUANT TO § 2-3.1 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of the City of South Bend with offices on the 141' floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, stated, Good evening. Thank you for having me and I appreciate the opportunity. As you said,this is pursuant to South Bend Municipal Code to be an annual report on the Finances and General Condition of the City. I also view this as an opportunity to frame some 3 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 of the things we begin developing roughly one (1)month from now when we have the State of the City Address. Any feedback or questions from Councilmembers is certainly encouraged and appreciated. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge Councilmember Randy Kelly who announced his resignation from the Council. I would like to express my appreciation and the City's appreciation for the work he did. The work of a City Councilmember is often thankless, unglamorous but always important. Mayor Buttigieg continued, That being said, allow me to begin with some high-level numbers to give economic context with what we are working in right now. He referenced his presentation (available online and in the City Clerk's Office). He went on, We have seen about seven hundred (700)jobs connected to the economic development work that has been done since the beginning of 2017 with about $200 million of private investment going along with that. If you look at the overall number of jobs in our City, we are up about 7,000 since 2012. This has created a radically different set of issues and problems as well as opportunities. When we saw that double-digit unemployment we saw it get below four percent (4%) at one (1) point but that didn't adjust for seasonal fluctuation.Now we are hovering right around four percent(4%). We also see labor force participation pretty strong. However there are still concerns about people who are left out of the workforce all together and those are not counted in the unemployment rates. We continue to see estimates from the Census Bureau saying that City population is up.Again,these are just estimates until the 2020 Census. By the way, we are very closely following the process of the 2020 Census because, as a City that is right around the 100,000 threshold, a lot depends for us on making sure that every person is counted. We will continue playing a pretty active role in calling for the Census Bureau to get the resources they need to do a good job when they come to do that head count in 2020. Mayor Buttigieg went on, If you remember one (1) of the big topics last year, we were about to see dramatic growth in residential units. We have now seen about half of that large number of residential units coming online in places like LaSalle, the Studebaker Lofts and there are quite a few more in the pipeline. The former Chase Tower or the Liberty Tower, the Hibberd Building, Berlin Flats and quite a lot of others are still in the process. So far, the indication is the market is absorbing those pretty quickly. What we are hearing from developers is that especially those one (1)bedroom apartments that are flying off the shelves. Also,median income is up. This is a mixed story as our per capita personal income is lower than most people might guess. Our poverty rate is high enough that I would qualify us as a low-income community. But, we have seen that poverty rate decrease from twenty-seven point eight percent (27.8%) to twenty-six point seven percent (26.7%). That is a pretty big deal as that means about 1,000 people have moved out of the Federal classification of poverty. Mayor Buttigieg continued, Place-making has been one (1) of the key focus areas for 2017 and that will continue going into 2018. We have a major investment into our Parks, Trails and Sidewalks and that is largely thanks to the Parks Bond that Council authorized. That will impact literally every neighborhood in the City of South Bend. We have also worked to make sure we are an employer of choice and to make sure we are setting an example for employers in the area. With the support of the Council, we were able to not only lift the lowest wage of City employees to ten dollars and ten cents per hour ($10.10/hr.), but as of January 1, 2018 we have also established a parental leave policy as well. As of February 7, 2018, twelve (12) employees have already have had a chance to take advantage of that program. The Homelessness Working Group, which convened last ye , had seen the visibility of its work increase. I just had an opportunity to visit the FUSE Center. It is a housing-first facility which is working with some of the most challenging cases in the City, but I have met people there that were sleeping under the viaduct so it is good to see them with a roof over their head and to see them getting the right resources they need. We have also taken steps in terms of at least being able to measure our progress on diversity and inclusion. This includes our recruitment strategies as well as our ability to track in a more nuanced and sophisticated way than the EEO format, which, is all we've had to work off of in the past. Our diversity of purchasing is not high. It is below two percent (2%). We need to be very honest as a community about the fact that we are building off a base when it comes to the extent to which the businesses that we work with as a City reflect the community that we live in. But, we have better tools than ever to actually watch that number and see what's going on. That will give more people a chance to compete for City business. 4 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 Mayor Buttigieg went on,Again,in dollar term,the biggest new thing going on is the My SB Parks & Trails initiative. The bulk of that is going to go into the ground in the next three (3) years. In this coming construction season you will see a lot of that happening. The flagship projects like the Charles Black Center should be completed by the end of the summer and, as you can see (referencing the presentation), there is a concentration on the areas around the river. But really everywhere in the east, south, and certainly west and northwest sides of the City are seeing a number of improvements that are either underway or are coming up. I would like to remind us all that this was really a creative funding stack put together by the Venues, Parks & Arts team that relied on outside funds including a Regional Cities Grant, contribution from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, support from Notre Dame, fundraising and the Parks Bond that Council authorized. Mayor Buttigieg continued,I lead with the economic good news. I want to mention that,with help from our Diversity and Inclusion team, we have been able to really zero (0) in on the driver of inequity in our City. In particular, we pay attention to this Liquid Asset Poverty rate (as shown in the presentation). There is a lot of attention on income equality or inequality, but one (1) of the things we've learned is that even where an income gap starts to close, an asset gap or the net worth and savings of a household is where some of the biggest gaps exist. Liquid Asset Poverty is a measure that is defined as, basically, not being able to cover three (3) months of expenses. If you had a sudden shock of job loss or another emergency, would you be able to, with the savings that you have,cover three(3)months of those expenses. We found that two-thirds of African-American households are at that level of Liquid Asset Poverty. Every community faces this at a pretty high level. Well, what are we doing about it? We have established a new senior-level position in the Department of Community Investment for Empowerment and Engagement and that is Alkeyna Aldridge. She is no stranger to this chamber and is off to a great start having convened a gathering with the Chicago Federal Reserve at the NNN where we helped dig into some of their research on the issue and apply it to our area. We are working on initiatives supporting affordable homeownership through our local partners. We are looking at ways to encourage and support entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities. We are also supporting financial empowerment by engaging financial institutions to be part of the solution. Mayor Buttigieg went on, Shifting now to follow up on a piece of good news that came from the State, we have been advocating for more State funding to go into roads. Last year, we were able to pave about thirty-one (3 1) travel miles or lane miles in the City. It really has been closer to twenty (20) in the past so we are enthused by what we've been able to do. What you are seeing here(referencing the presentation)also reflects the bit of good luck that I'm afraid has just run out which is why we budget on the assumption that we will have a pretty harsh winter. The last couple of years that was not true which meant there was real savings in salt during the winter time as well as pothole patching after winter. It's reasonable to expect that it will not hold this year so we will be evening back out there and that will hit the bottom line. But, we are hoping we will have resources to do more than what we've been able to do in the past with paving.There is an additional $100,000 in paving material for the City crews and another$600,000 for outsourced paving in the 2018. That means forty percent(40%)more or eight(8)more lane miles than our baseline. We've also got some new and compelling resources for condition analysis. There is even a device with an iPhone mounted to the dashboard of the vehicle that can give more objective ratings to the conditions of roads where the cracks are developing. This is contrary to the traditional method of having somebody go out with a clipboard and eyeballing it.We are also looking at a major increase in road drainage funding to cover some issues we've discovered, so that will be up from $50,000 last year to $450,000 this year. Mayor Buttigieg continued,The Light Up South Bend initiative,led by Councilmembers,has now touched just about every quadrant in the City. There was a bit of a slowdown because of AEP's inability to do some of the installations. We understand that has to do with some resources being pulled for hurricane recovery and relief,but we will be partnering with them to be sure that backlog is cleared as much as possible. Our crews are also increasingly replacing City lights with LED lamps. That is a big savings in terms of the power it uses and you can expect to see more of those in the coming year. For TIF expenditures I will give an overview of the overall levels that have been going in. The Riverwest TIF District continues to be our largest for TIF resources, Rivereast saw$10 million and the Southside saw about$4.5 million. I want to emphasize that more than half 5 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 of TIF dollars are going into public infrastructure. So we are talking about things that benefit a neighborhood and a community as a whole like roads or corridor streetscape improvements.About forty percent(40%),or the balance of that,is going into more of the project-specific initiatives that tend to command the headlines. He then showed a map in the presentation that depicted the TIF projects and their respective expenditures. Mayor Buttigieg went on, I always consider this a good time of year to review what our City workforce is doing. As we know, The vast majority of the City's employees are in public safety or public works. Parks and Rec have seasonal influxes. Then you have General Government which includes the Legal Department,the Human Rights as well as Community Investment. The overall trend is certainly not one (1) of increase. If we look back to 2012, we were at 1,133 full-time employees and we are now at 1,115. That is budgeted just with the ordinary turn of employees we are almost always below the budgeted number. There have been a few things that have changed. By the years end we were down some employees from retirements and departures. We were down six(6)but then up nine (9) as we brought on Historic Preservation, one(1) in Admin and Finance, two (2) in Public Safety, a Building Inspector, and one (1) in each Innovation, Public Works and Code Enforcement account for the other three (3). This will leap up if, as we foresee and as planned,the Century Center employees are realigned. It is largely a change on paper. Mayor Buttigieg continued, I want to zero (0) in on the topic of healthcare. For any employer,this topic is one (1) of the biggest and fastest growing sources of costs. Again, we have budgeted very conservatively just based on what we would normally do with the projections for an $18 million total healthcare bill for City employees for 2018. That being said,we now have enough time under our belt with the near-site health clinic for City employees that we can certainly regard it as a success. Health insurance costs overall in the last fifteen (15) years have gone up by fifty-six percent(56%)and yet healthcare costs,even when you factor in the cost of the clinic,were actually down seven percent (7%) in 2017 over 2016. The benchmark we expect just in general in the market is about a twelve percent(12%)year-on-year increase.I'm not saying we will see decreases every year but we are certainly bucking that trend which is great news and we will continue to watch that very closely. The other side of the coin is nationally and that is healthcare costs continue to be on the rise. Mayor Buttigieg went on, The bottom line is that, by law, we are balancing the General Fund or what we call the General Plus Fund. That Fund includes the COIT and EDIT Funds. You will see a pretty high net funding. If you look at the 2017 actual number, a$34 million surplus is depicted but part of that has to do with Bond Funds being brought in. So in coming years, you may see the reverse be the case as we are spending down those Bond balances. But our Cash Reserves is very strong. That is one (1) of the reasons we have such a good Bond Rating. Our reserve requirement is that blue line (referencing the presentation) and you'll see that, at the end of any given year, we are consistently above that. I also want to emphasize we have seen the Local Option Income Tax revenues rising. We had a real gift in 2017 when we saw a twenty percent(20%) leap. That didn't happen this year as we are at a three percent (3%) increase but it is still encouraging. That is one (1) way that economic growth benefits the City's bottom line. It is also worth mentioning that the Local Option Income Tax rate here is one point seven-five percent(1.75%)and in Elkhart it is two percent (2%). We are a quarter percent lower than our neighbors and still benefit from this. For budgeting purposes we assume a two percent(2%) increase. There are some years when that goes down but we think, on average, two percent (2%) is great. We just got reaffirmed on our Double- A (AA) Bond Rating. This is something that really reflects well on the fiscal discipline of the Administration, our predecessors and the Council. Fishers has a Triple-A(AAA)Bond Rating and that's to their credit. There are only four(4)municipalities that we found in our scan that have the Double-A (AA) level that is comparable to ours. What is notable is that the other three (3) are socioeconomically pretty wealthy suburbs of Indianapolis. It is all the more remarkable that a City with our level of income has been able to maintain that. This has allowed us to get a three percent (3%) rate on our most recent Parks Bond and so, over time, this can translate into six (6) figure dollar savings for taxpayers. Mayor Buttigieg continued, I have two (2) charts layered on each other here (referencing the presentation). The blue is the level of assessed value in our community and the red is the trend. If you look at how little the Assessed Value of our community is on paper,what we find is troubling. 6 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 We are skeptical that it really reflects the economic growth we've experienced. We would have to believe the overall value of real estate hasn't budged since 2010. We are working with the County Assessor's Office on that as it affects many other areas of our revenues. There was a per-acre is of land in our City and those findings are driving our dialogue with the Assessor's Office. analysis ty g When there is dense development, we have dramatically higher tax-value per acre. I know sometimes there is envy of places with a lot of big box stores. They certainly have value but even the most modest downtown establishment that is part of the Mixed-Use Development is likely to have a much higher per-acre tax value when we think about how we fund the operation of that land in the City. He then showed a map of taxable land in the City. Mayor Buttigieg went on, We are seeing some increase in overall property tax collections. It is up about two point two percent (2.2%) from 2015 to 2016 and we are hoping that will grow and perhaps accelerate. We did see property tax receipts a little lower than we budgeted by about half a percent but the Park Recreation Fund was higher than the previous year by about twelve percent (12%). So it sounds like this has to do with how the DLGF and the State sets the Parks levy. If that continues, we may want to recalibrate how we relate the General Fund to the Parks Fund but it should be good overall. I do want to mention one (1) thing that drove TIF receipts down quite a bit was a refund due to Meijer. That was a store that insisted,pursuant to a State law, a store that was open and serving customers be taxed the same as an empty abandoned store. We had a lot of concerns about that policy and I know it has been taken up from time to time in the State Legislature. I would point out that some stores in our community take advantage of that tax loophole and some do not and that is something to think about in terms of our community's relationship to the different retailers that we rely on. Mayor Buttigieg continued, Here is the annual reminder of the so-called fiscal curb coming in 2020. Our latest estimates place us at a possible $2.4 million reduction. This is outside of TIF so this is your Civil City dollars.The curb is a result of the elimination of the point five percent(0.5%) kicker we get on the property tax caps. If you added in TIF that would be another $3.8 million reduced but of course that is a lot easier to absorb as we are not relying on it for operations like we do the General Fund. As of now, that number is $2.4 million. That brings me to our expectation for deficits.Part of this is budget conservatism. When I showed you all this last•year,it would have projected a deficit looking forward. When we get to the actuals and the budget we are currently living in, we always find a way to bring it together. But, in a business-as-usual scenario when we are dealing with increased healthcare costs, increased pressure on finances and more costs for streets, curbs,and sidewalks,we would be at a$10 million deficit going into 2021. So the question becomes how we make sure we aren't just sticking to business-as-usual. He expanded upon a slide of the presentation that highlighted some initiatives. Mayor Buttigieg went on,First,we have talked about health care. We want to be doing everything we can to make sure that escalating healthcare costs don't harm our bottom line. Secondly,we are working on the PSAP 911 Call Center. I have a lot more confidence than I did six (6)months ago in the trajectory of it but we have to make sure the costs don't run away. We are starting to see a much more consistent flow of information including financial information.It is clearer now of how to get that into a pattern. Third,we are making sure we are in good shape with the Assessed Values of land in the City. It is not so much that the rates go higher but we want to make sure we have the right level of accuracy. Fourth, I want to mention that we are integrating our Purchasing Department. Right now we have about one hundred (100) people in the City who have some sort of purchasing authority. One (1) of the first things any business looks at when they are trying to make sure they are maximizing their dollars is that we have an as integrated as possible view on purchasing. We need to take advantage of volume discounts and better deals from vendors. We are currently in the process of getting to where we will have about twenty (20) or twenty-five (25) dedicated agents by the end of the year but we actually think we can get the number below that. We think that will yield savings. Similarly when it comes to facilities,we are trying to move in the direction where the maintenance of City-owned facilities have a common view and asset management. Mayor Buttigieg continued, So we will spend 2018 continuing to deliver on the key initiatives that were authorized in the budget for this year and that includes but is not limited to inclusive economic growth, place-making, supporting neighborhoods, quiet zones, safety, diversity, lead REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 poisoning prevention,homelessness, early childhood education and expanding access to treatment on substance abuse and overdose issues. I'm glad to answer any questions and thank you again for this opportunity to share. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I just want to thank you. I see so much here in these key initiatives and priorities that I think Councilmembers and the community have been asking for. I really think you've been listening and acting. Thank you for that. Councilmember Dr. David Varner asked, With regards to the increased funding which we now recognize is coming from the gas tax, as we look at areas to add more money I think it should go to the neighborhoods as opposed to the thoroughfares. That seems to consistently get the attention. We also say we don't have the money and now we do. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated, I enjoyed the report. Could you share to help reward those box stores that aren't taking advantage of those loopholes?Also, are there rewards for those of us that use the clinic? Also, the infrastructure report came out today from the Federal government and it is calling upon more money from State and Local governments. Mayor Buttigieg replied, I will try to have a better and more in-depth presentation on our infrastructure after I meet with some local Mayors and get a better idea of what has come out. Our initial sense is, yes, their plan for infrastructure is we are paying for it. We are looking at any new leverage that this may open up but it's certainly not what I would describe as a major infusion of new `no strings attached' capital. We will continue looking at that. I love the point of acknowledging the box stores that aren't using the loophole. Maybe one (1) thing we could do is work with the Auditor's and Assessor's Offices and compile a list of stores that, at least to our knowledge, haven't asserted that and find some way to recognize them. In regards to the clinic, we are always looking at ways to acknowledge the employees that use it. I will say that employees are rewarded primarily in terms of good health outcomes. One (1) coworker I know credits the clinic to saving his life. The Wellness Program is a benefit which employees can take advantage of that results in a discounted healthcare cost. Councilmember John Voorde stated, First of all I would like to congratulate you and the team you have put together that is doing such a good job. I was pretty skeptical about Priority-Based Budgeting but every year it seems like it is getting better. I think you're getting the hang of it. Keep up the good work and I look forward to working with you and your team on the 2019 budget. Mayor Buttigieg replied, Thank you and I appreciate that. You did what I should have done from the onset which is acknowledging the team that compares the numbers and does the hard work. They have made us proud and have allowed me to look good through their diligence, especially to Jen and the rest of the Admin and Finance team. Councilmember Karen White stated, Thank you Mayor and thank you to your Administration for the 2018 budget. It was a long process but we got there. I'm thrilled to see the commitment to our neighborhoods and all the different initiatives that reach beyond just government. It does take a village to really address these issues. I look forward to the 2019 budget and really look forward to assuring we continue down the path of addressing our neighborhoods. We need to assure the services provided meet the needs of our residents. I encourage you and your Administration to share the 2018 budget initiatives in terms of impact. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, With the issues of poverty that you addressed, and focusing on the Liquid Asset metric, I would like to share a priority for myself. I know that I've heard from folks on both sides but we need clear-cut pathways for people from renting to homeownership. There is a tremendous amount of wealth in our community that is going toward rentals. Mayor Buttigieg replied, That is a great point and that is something Community Investment is responding to. There has been very clear guidance from Council to focus on that. Often times it is more expensive to rent a property than it would be to finance the ownership of a similar property, if and only if people could get access to financing. Council President Tim Scott stated, I am glad we are looking at the Liquid Asset Poverty rates. This is truly very interesting. I see your initiatives and goals at the end and I see ten (10). There are nine (9) of us Councilmembers and I could see each of us taking on one (1) task and running 8 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 with it. I think each task has touched each of us Councilmembers. There is something on there for each of us. I'm challenging each Councilmember to be involved with the Administration to work on those things. Thank you for coming and thank you for all your work. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to suspend the rules to allow all three readings for Bill Nos. 11-18 and 12-18. Councilmember Karen White seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to have first reading of Bill No. 11-18. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a roll call vote of seven (7) ayes. 11-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10499-17 AND ORDINANCE NO. 10529-17 RELATING TO THE APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX RATES FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2018 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018 TO CORRECT A SCRIVENER'S ERROR Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to have second reading and public hearing of Bill No. 11-18. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to have first reading of Bill No. 12-18. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. 12-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 14 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH A NEW FUND: PARK BOND DEBT SERVICE FUND (312) Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston made a motion to have second reading and public hearing of Bill No. 12-18. Councilmember Karen White seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. REPORTS OF CITY OFFICES Representing the City Administration: Suzanna Fritzberg, Deputy Chief of Staff RESOLVE INTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE At 8:06 p.m. Councilmember Karen White made a motion to resolve into the Committee of the Whole. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. Council Vice President Oliver Davis presiding. Council Vice President Oliver Davis explained the procedures to be followed for tonight's meeting in accordance with Article 1, Section 2-11 of the South Bend Municipal Code. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 BILL NO. 89-17 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE,ARTICLE 3 COMMERCIAL/MIXED USE DISTRICTS TO REVISE PERMITTED USES AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. Councilmember Tim Scott made motion to accept the Substitute Bill for Bill No. 89-17. Councilmember Karen White seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. Councilmember Oliver Davis, Chair of the Zoning and Annexation Committee,reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Angela Smith, Deputy Director of the Area Plan Commission with offices on the 11th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as presenter for this bill. Ms. Smith stated, Before you is a text amendment to repeal and replace the MU, Mixed-Use, Zoning District in the Zoning Ordinance. There were several changes made and due to the length and amount of changes, we decided it was easier to repeal and replace a chapter than develop a long ordinance to replace things. In general what this ordinance is looking to do is realign the Mixed-Use District with the goals and intent of South Bend. When the Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 2004,this was pretty much modeled after an Indianapolis Ordinance that was in place at the time. Over the last thirteen (13) or fourteen (14) years, we have discovered that in many ways this district has not worked in the South Bend area. There have been numerous variances for setbacks, parking, and legal non- conforming buildings. The Department of Community Investment worked together with the Building Department as well as our office to draft an ordinance that looks of what would be an appropriate alignment of a pedestrian oriented district. This comes to you from the Area Plan Commission with a favorable recommendation. Updating the MU, Mixed-Use, District to better reflect the intent and application of the pedestrian oriented district in the urban context will simplify development and strengthen the Mixed-Use Neighborhood Centers. Michael Divita, Planner for the Department of Community Investment with offices on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as petitioner for this bill. Mr. Divita stated, Here are the series of changes that are proposed to the existing Mixed-Use District to promote more whole Mixed-Use development through a more straightforward code. The distribution of MU zones is showed on the screen(referencing a presentation which is available in the City Clerk's Office). They do tend to be along the City's major corridors and on the fringe of downtown. As with the other text amendments recently approved, these changes will reduce provisions that hold back investment and will decrease the number of rezoning special exception and variance requests that tend to always get approved. The changes will allow property owners to more fully utilize their properties by revising setbacks. The changes will also reduce the number of legal non-conforming properties and will clarify a few ambiguous provisions found in the existing code. These changes would also allow buildings to be built in a manner more consistent with traditional design to better blend the existing neighborhoods with new development. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Thanks, I missed saying that in Committees. Your office, the planner and the Area Plan Commission staff have done a lot of work on this. I just commend you for the hard work in drafting it so thank you very much. Councilmember John Voorde stated, There was a reason we continued this before. There was concern that some developers may have a problem with this.Have you heard from anyone that this is not a good thing? Mr. Divita replied, On the contrary, there is a general enthusiasm about it. These changes make development easier. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated, Could you talk about the ADA compliance of this? 10 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 Mr. Divita replied, There is a provision in the changes that explicitly state that ADA compliance is still necessary in all aspects. Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked, How is this going to be advertised to the developing community? Mr. Divita replied, The primary beneficiaries of these changes are the small-scale developers. But because they have to come to us anyway, they will already know. We could put these changes online or do workshops but they already need to go through us and we are simply just making it easier. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. None from the public wished to speak in favor of or opposition to this bill. Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to send Sub. Bill No. 89-17 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember John Voorde seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. 06-18 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTIES: STREET VACATION — WESTERN AVENUE FROM FRANCES STREET EAST 241 FEET +/- TO PARRY STREET, THE FIRST NORTH/SOUTH ALLEY EAST OF FRANCES STREET, BETWEEN WESTERN AVENUE ON THE NORTH TO THE FIRST EAST/WEST ALLEY SOUTH OF WESTERN AVENUE, SOUTH BEND,INDIANA. Councilmember John Voorde, Chair of the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with no recommendation. Jeff Ballard, Partner with Danch, Hamer & Associates with offices at 1643 Commerce Drive, South Bend, IN, served as the petitioner for the bill. Mr. Ballard stated, I am here representing Robert Henry Corporation and their offices on Frances Street as they ask for your approval of a street and alley vacation. The reason for this request is to allow the future development for the Robert Henry Corporation which owns the properties surrounding the vacations,excluding the two (2) properties on the south east portion of the north-south alley. This did go before the Board of Public Works, the Area Plan Commission, Community Investment, the Fire Department, engineering and they all came back with a favorable recommendation for this vacation. Steve Henry, President of the Robert Henry Corporation with offices at 404 S. Frances Street, South Bend, IN, stated, It really isn't to develop the property as it is more of a safety issue. We have no less than twenty (20) to thirty (30) cars turning off of Eddy Street and flying through Western every day. We have trucks in there unloading things and plow trucks moving snow. If I have a gate at the other end I can prevent people from going through there. Right now there is a gate there but I haven't closed it. I was notified it had not been vacated yet but the Board of Public Works asked me to vacate it. The properties that back up to the alley on Parry Street have been given continuous easements. This really is just a safety issue. Councilmember John Voorde asked, Does there need to be any signage put up there? Mr. Henry replied, There is already a sign at Eddy Street that says `Not a Through.' There really are only about five (5) neighbors that utilized that road. The properties that are on the east side of Parry Street are commercial properties and every one (1) of those are for sale. Councilmember John Voorde followed up, The alleys that you would be directing traffic to, are they paved by any chance? Mr. Henry replied,No, they are not. We plow them, though. 11 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Pat Kennedy, Owner of Lee Insurance Group with offices at 331 S. Eddy Street, South Bend, IN, stated, We have been there since 1975 as Western Avenue has been the east-west thoroughfare for that entire period of time. This past summer the gate was put up. I initially inquired about the gate but was told it was being closed by someone doing work. I rise in opposition to this for a couple different reasons. We have a very unique situation there because Western Avenue became a street but is an unincorporated street. There are three (3) owners of land that include Western Avenue. We have a situation now that all that traffic is now turning around in my parking lot. There is also the issue of leaving the residents on Parry Street of having no way out of their neighborhood except either on Eddy Street or by using an alley. My staff has used Western as it is the safest route to leave work. My proposal is that the entire street should be closed if this goes through. However my true position is that it should remain open. Mr. Ballard replied, I would encourage Mr. Kennedy to get with the City's Engineering Department and see what else can happen. They have already approved this action. Mr. Henry replied, I am glad to talk with Mr. Kennedy but Western Avenue is already closed. I didn't do it,the City did. If his employees are going through there now,they are technically going through private property. I was told to take this avenue as a formality that Public Works asked me to do. James Mueller, Executive Director of Community Investment with offices on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, stated, A couple months ago we did the rezoning of a nearby parcel and at that time I believe a few Councilmembers toured that site. The parcels here are very irregular. This used to be a railroad line that was abandoned. This is a mess. We have already closed off the road. Fixing this requires having to do something with someone's private property.There are a few options but this is a mess.We think this is the best solution at the moment. Councilmember Karen White stated, It was mentioned this is a mess and I agree. How can we, as a City, address this issue? Mr. Mueller replied, There are a few options but they all involve acquiring property that is currently owned by private owners. We have talked with Mr. Henry at various times about potentially relocating. That would certainly open up a lot of potential solutions. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston asked, Did we consider closing the entirety of Western Avenue? Mr. Mueller replied, Well it is already technically closed but if we cut off access, that would adversely affect a lot of the neighbors. Vice President Oliver Davis encouraged Mr. Henry to speak with Mr. Kennedy and the City to further work on overcoming the issues to this situation. Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to send Bill No. 06-18 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember John Voorde seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to hear Bill Nos. 11-18 and 12-18 together for purposes of public hearing. Councilmember Tim Scott seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. I1-18 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10499-17 AND ORDINANCE NO. 10529-17 RELATING TO THE APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX RATES FOR THE 12 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2018 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018 TO CORRECT A SCRIVENER'S ERROR 12-18 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 14 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH A NEW FUND: PARK BOND DEBT SERVICE FUND (312) Councilmember Karen White, Chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send both these bills forward with a favorable recommendation. Jen Hockenhull, City Controller with offices on 12th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as presenter for these bills. Ms. Hockenhull stated, The bills before you are to simply correct a recording error for the Parks Bond levy. Originally when we prepared the budget, we had prepared the Parks Bond and the Hall of Fame Bond as one(1)levy debt-service payment. Now we are just breaking it into two (2) separate Funds. This new Fund will be Fund#312. These are net dollars, the same money, and no new money is being requested for or spent here. Councilmember Dr. David Varner asked, This will not affect any rates? Ms. Hockenhull replied,No, it will not. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. None from the public wished to speak in favor of or opposition to this bill. Councilmember Karen White made a motion to send Bill No. 11-18 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Dr.David Varner seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to send Bill No. 12-18 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember John Voorde seconded this motion which carried unanimously by a voice vote of seven(7)ayes. RISE AND REPORT Councilmember Karen White made a motion to rise and report to full Council. Councilmember John Voorde seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. REGULAR MEETING RECONVENED Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend reconvened in the Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the County-City building at 8:43 p.m. Council President Tim Scott presided with seven(7)members present BILLS—THIRD READING BILL NO. 89-17 THIRD READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE, ARTICLE 3 13 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 COMMERCIAL/MIXED USE DISTRICTS TO REVISE PERMITTED USES AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. Councilmember Karen White made a motion to amend Bill No. 89-17 as it was in Committee of the Whole. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to pass Bill No. 89-17, as amended. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. 06-18 THIRD READING ON AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTIES: STREET VACATION— WESTERN AVENUE FROM FRANCES STREET EAST 241 FEET+/- TO PARRY STREET, THE FIRST NORTH/SOUTH ALLEY EAST OF FRANCES STREET, BETWEEN WESTERN AVENUE ON THE NORTH TO THE FIRST EAST/WEST ALLEY SOUTH OF WESTERN AVENUE, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to pass Bill No. 06-18. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. i 11-18 THIRD READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10499-17 AND ORDINANCE NO. 10529-17 RELATING TO THE APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX RATES FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2018 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018 TO CORRECT A SCRIVENER'S ERROR Councilmember Dr. David Varner made a motion to pass Bill No. 11-18. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. 12-18 THIRD READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2,ARTICLE 14 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH A NEW FUND: PARK BOND DEBT SERVICE FUND (312) Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston made a motion to pass Bill No. 12-18. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven (7) ayes. RESOLUTIONS BILL NO. 18-05 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, WAIVING NON-COMPLIANCE BY PETITIONERS JAMES A. MASTERS AND 14 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 NANCY J. MASTERS WITH IND. CODE § 6- 1.1-12.1-5 ET SEQ Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston, Vice-Chair of the Community Investment Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. James Masters, 5015 Masthead Court, South Bend, IN, served as petitioner for this bill. Mr. Masters stated, Good evening. It is my pleasure to speak to you all tonight on behalf of one (1) of my most favorite people in the world, my wife. A year ago, January2017,my wife and I bought a new home in the City limits in the farthest northwest corner of the City. In fact our backyard goes up to the City-County line. We are three quarters of a mile from the Michigan border so whenever you see the weather forecast and they talk about the storms in Berrien County, they hit us right there. One (1) of the attractions in building in the villas at Lake Blackthorn in that subdivision is, some number of years ago I believe it was November 2013, the Council passed a resolution granting five (5) year tax abatement to build there. This passed in that November when I was getting ready to file the new forms you have to file for a new house, I submitted the application for the tax abatement. The County Auditor bounced it back and said it was filed late and pointed out it had to be filed thirty (3 0) days of when the Assessor sends you the Form-11 Notice of reassessment. The problem is that notice doesn't comply with State Law because State Law requires that notice to tell you that you have to file the abatement application within thirty (30) days because it is unlike every other application to file. This must happen often enough because you have the vested authority to wave this. I ask your approval of this petition. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. None from the public wished to speak in favor of or opposition to this bill. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to pass Bill No. 18-06. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded the motion, which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. BILLS FIRST READING BILL NO. 07-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY: THE RIGHT OF WAY TO BE VACATED BEGINS AT A POINT APPROXIMATELY 565' SOUTH ON SOUTH ST. JOSEPH STREET FROM THE EAST IRELAND ROAD SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY, RUNNING SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 75', THEN WEST APPROXIMATELY 88', THEN NORTH APPROXIMATELY 109' TO A POINT APPROXIMATELY 530' SOUTH ALONG SOUTH ST. JOSEPH STREET FROM THE EAST IRELAND SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to send Bill No. 07-18 to the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on February 26th, 2018. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. 08-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHEAST CORNERS OF WESTERN AND WILLIAM AND THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF WAYNE AND 15 REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 WILLIAM COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT NO. 2 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to send Bill No. 08-18 to the Area Plan Commission for their meeting on March 20th, 2018 and then send it to the Zoning and Annexation Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on March 26th, 2018. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. 09-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND SEEKING A SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE EAST SIDE OF OLIVE STREET BETWEEN CALVERT STREET AND DELAWARE STREET, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT NO. 6 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to send Bill No. 09-18 to the Area Plan Commission for their meeting on March 20th, 2018 and then send it to the Zoning and Annexation Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on March 26th, 2018. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. 10-18 FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10546-17 BY ADDING NEW SALARIED AND WAGE POSITIONS TO THE ORDINANCE FIXING MAXIMUM SALARIES AND WAGES OF APPOINTED OFFICERS AND NON- BARAINING EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2018 Councilmember Karen White made a motion to send Bill No. 10-18 to the Personnel and Finance Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on February 26th, 2018. Councilmember John Voorde seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. UNFINISHED BUSINESS BILL NO. 18-03 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROVING A PETITION OF THE AREA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 915 27TH STREET Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to send Bill No. 18-03 to the Area Board of Zoning Appeals for their meeting on February 14th, 2018 and then send it to the Zoning and Annexation Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on February 26th, 2018. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. 16 p I i n I i I I REGULAR MEETING February 12, 2018 18-04 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROVING A PETITION OF THE AREA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2602 MISHAWAKA AVENUE Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to send Bill No. 18-04 to the Area Board of Zoning Appeals for their meeting on February 14th, 2018 and then send it to the Zoning and Annexation Committee and set it for Second Reading and Public Hearing on February 26th, 2018. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven(7) ayes. NEW BUSINESS Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, There were there (3) key points from today's Solid Waste Management meeting. The first is we voted to put out the recycling component for bid as opposed to the ten(10) year continuation with the current vendor with a five (5) year out. Secondly, the Board approved the recycling annual fee for twenty-eight dollars ($28) and the second component of the fee was to cover the HHW the Household Hazardous Waste. That fee was revised down from twelve dollars ($12)to eleven dollars ($11). That passed with two (2) votes in opposition and I was on the losing end of that vote. Going forward with regard to the contract we will be trying to put together a work group to evaluate it and score it. I will keep you posted. I think we have done a considerable amount of work to establish fair and efficient fees for these services. We look for additional input as we move forward toward a shared and equal cost across all that utilize this service. The new location for the HHW is 828 Kerr Street, South Bend, IN, 46601. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated, I think we should have a proclamation for former Councilmember Randy Kelly at our next Common Council Meeting to honor him for his years of service. PRIVILEDGE OF THE FLOOR Rod Goodchild, 837 S. 24th Street, South Bend, IN, passed out handouts for each Councilmember. He stated, I have been getting calls. I am running to set the American record straight. Five point nine (5.9) is the record and that's what I will win when I take that seventy (70) in Greensboro,North Carolina. In July in the World Games in Toronto for the Olympics in Aug us of 2020. Yes, I will be seventy (70). Anyways, coming here you know we got the sixteen (16) carvings done. You have a picture of the welcome sign. You ask how tall it is and it is forty (40) feet. My father came from the Potawatomi Nation. Menominee is just the tribe. It is just like South Bend is part of Indiana, you are still a part of Indiana. He came here as Tom Brokaw said in 1946 from a reservation that had no running water. We had a bowl that we would pump water into so we could eat. I experienced what it was like on the reservation and am very passionate about the reservation. The flag means everything to my dad. The fourteen (14)trees are unbelievable. Every tree can relate to every child and it is there. Thank you. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Council, President Tim Scott adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m. 17