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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-2006 Newsletter SOUTHA11 . BEND MAaCti 2006 MAYOR SSS"P P�u/ecke Letter from the Mayor THIS MONTH... Mayor's Letter Getting Things Done...Behind the Scenes New City website Goes Live! Adopt-A-Block Program Dear Neighbors: Riverbank Cleanup This past year has been a time for getting things done all around the Clean Your Files Day 2006 city. There are a multitude of ways that we are taking care of business - Spring Cleanup For A Good Cause from providing daily services efficiently and effectively,to partnering with National Youth Service Day neighborhoods, businesses and institutions for new investment and jobs, to resolving legacy issues that have been on the public agenda for decades. here. now. I am proud of our City workforce. We are committed to continuous f improvement through training and providing the best tools for our workers. Several of our departments perform behind-the-scenes work. They allow other departments to shine—it's like being a pit crew at the Indy 500, or the grounds crew at the Masters. Their work is important, but not in the spotlight. Our Legal staff provides support and advice to all departments and divisions of the City, as well as to numerous boards, commissions and n 1 1 t h R fiLLL1.LQl goy authorities. They send out the Nuisance and Drug House letters, 310 in 2005, which help to make our neighborhoods safer by keeping pressure on The City's new website is now online! disruptive behavior. They also investigate and defend claims against the With a new domain name, new look, and City. Last year the number of new claims filed was down 15% from 2004, more features and information, we are truly at its lowest since I have been Mayor. Much of this is due to better safety offering 21' Century services to our resi- procedures, training and management for front line workers. dents. Visit the new site to find out more The Department of Administration and Finance—the Controller's about these great features and services group—includes Human Resources, Information Technology (IT), Benefits available onlinel and general finance functions. We are far ahead of other municipal finance departments. We continue to win awards for financial reporting with our Features Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Performance Based Budget. • New name & design We are doing cost saving analyses of telephone usage and take home cars. • Enhanced information and navigation Our internal audit function reviews processes and procedures to make sure - New online services: that we are complying with all requirements,but also to help us operate - Access utility accounts, business license more efficiently. Through Human Resources we will review all staff information training to make sure that we are giving our staff the tools that they need to - Pay city fees and fines online be effective. We often kid that the job of the Controller is to say "No,no, - Online forms no,"but there is a spirit of saying "Yes"in the department that will help all - Information request tracking City departments find the resources they need to serve our customers well. - Secure customer information Over the next couple of months I will update you on the progress that Benefits our departments are making to help bring you the best, most effective • Streamlines citizen access to government services possible. I will also report on what we are doing to keep South . 3 clicks or less to anything you need Bend the leader in our region for commerce, business development, health . 24/7 access to services & information and education, arts, culture, sports, and entertainment. South Bend is my . Improved customer service and relations hometown. It's your hometown. It's our hometown. Let's all take respon- sibility for making it better. SI USTED NO ENTIENDE INGLES YNECESITA Sincerely, AYUDAPARATRADUCIRESTEDOCUN ENTO,O SI TIENE ALGUNA PREGUNTA, POR FAVOR LLAMEAL SR FEDERICO THON(ASISTENTEDEL Mayor Steve ALCALDE)ALTELEFONO(574)235-5858X1000. Visit Our New Website at www.SouthBendIN.gov! ADOPT A BLOCK SPRING CLEANUP Keeping Our Neighborhoods Clean! FOR A GOOD CAUSE C Adopt-A-Block is a neighborhood clean-up program that helps residents Solid Waste Management District and businesses work together to beautify our community. If you are part of a is collecting used cell phones and neighborhood group, block watch, school, service organization, or just a group morally appropriate books to be of interested neighbors, and want to foster a sense of ownership in the donated to area nonprofit agencies community,you can get involved! for reuse. They are also accepting new or • Choose a street where you live or in your neighborhood business district. slightly used shoes to send to developing • Organize at least 5-10 volunteers. countries. • Choose regular dates for your clean-ups, so that your adopted area is cleaned • All shoe sizes accepted-NO high heels,jelly at least six times from March-November. or plastic shoes, golf or cleated shoes, western The City provides: I boots, roller skates, bedroom slippers, rubber • Safety training for all volunteers; boots, sandals or shoes with tears, grass • Trash bags, rakes, and safety equipment; stains, dirty, or generally worn out. • Pick up of all trash and debris collected. Shoes must be paired, with rubber bands The Near Northwest and Westside around them for shipping, please! neighborhoods kick off their programs on Saturday,April 22. For more These items will be used by those who information or to start Adopt-A-Block in your neighbhorhood,please call the need them,rather than being dumped into the Dept. of Code Enforcement at 235-9486. landfill. Items may be dropped off at: • Solid Waste Mgnt. District Office °etas s'`'o RIVER BANK CLEANUP 621 East Jefferson Blvd., South Bend ��:.; The Friends of the St. Joseph River invite you to participate March 27- 31, 8AM- 4:30 PM i )_,�1! the an nual Spring Riverbank Cleanup on Saturday,April 1, • Household Hazardous Waste from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sign-in is at the Leeper Park 1105 East 5th St., Mishawaka island, on the east side of Michigan St., and clean up will end at March 28 - April 1, 8:30 AM- 3:30 PM the boat launch by the Darden Rd. bridge. Bring a friend and play a part in For more information, please call Jessica keeping our riverbank clean and beautiful! The South Bend Fire Department Spenner, SWMD, at 245-6604. will be on hand for safety and the Bureau of Solid Waste will assist with trash removal. Refreshments will be available. To participate, or for more information,please call Mike Hay at 271-0973. -pul Fye 10th CLEAN YOUR FILES DAY 2006 s NATIONAL YOUTH The City is once again offering a great opportunity for V you to start spring cleaning,by clearing out your files in SERVICE DAY © an environmentally friendly way. Bring your paper to be In partnership with the City of South Bend, recycled,by the car load or truck load, to Clean Your LeadND, a Youth Action Project led by stu- Files Day on Wednesday,April 19,2006, from 8:00 a.m. dents from the University of Notre Dame, is to 4:00 p.m. at the College Football Hall of Fame,located looking for community service projects for the My Contribution in downtown South Bend. month of April,to promote National Youth to Earth Day The City of South Bend, Solid Waste Management Service Day. Projects may be for an individual District of St. Joseph County and Waste Management Inc. invite the entire or organization, at a residence or business. community, including businesses, non-profit organizations, households, Student and adult volunteers are also needed to churches, schools and individuals,to help increase the amount of paper that is help accomplish the projects, and all partici- diverted from landfills by participating in the tenth annual Clean Your Files pants are invited to attend the 2nd Annual Day, a national program of the US Conference of Mayors. Community Rally on Saturday,April 22. Clean Your Files Day is one of many ways that you can join the City's LeadND aims to cultivate postive leader- environmental stewardship efforts. By collecting your yard waste for ship skills among students at three local middle recycling,you are participating in the Organic Resource Program which schools, and educate the public about the role composts yard waste into valuable mulch and compost, available free to South of youth as community leaders. They help Bend residents. By reducing debris and the flow of chemicals into storm students to identify and address needs in the drains, you help to ensure a clean river and water supply for our community. community and support them on a life-long And by properly utilizing the City's new automated trash container program, path of service and civic engagement. you help to keep our streets, alleys and neighborhoods clean. Thank you for To submit a service project, or for more your efforts to build a Clean City! information on LeadND and National Youth For more information on Clean Your Files Day,please call Jennifer Service Day,please call 631-9673, or email Jackson, Communications & Special Projects, at 235-7590. LeadND@nd.edu. Visit Our New Website at www.SouthBendIN.gov!