HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 Annual Report of the Utilities Committee SouTEI e�,
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DEC 31 2018
Jake Teshka KAREEMAH FOWLER
5th District Council Member CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND,IN
To: South Bend Common Council
The Office of the City Clerk
From: Council Member Jake Teshka, Utilities Committee Chairperson
Date: December 31, 2018
2018 Annual Report of the Utilities Committee
Dear Common Councilmembers:
As Chairperson of the Utilities Committee, I am filing this report pursuant to § 2-
10(i) of the South Bend Municipal Code. This report sets forth a summary of the key activities
conducted by the Utilities Committee throughout the year.
Duties: As noted in the South Bend Municipal Code, the Utilities Committee is charged
with the following duties:
"Oversees the various activities of all enterprise entities including, but not limited
to the Bureau of Waterworks, Bureau of Sewers and all related entities."
Members: There were four(4) Council Members serving on the Committee:
1. Councilmember David Varner, Chairperson,replaced by Jake Teshka
2. Councilmember Oliver Davis, Vice-Chairperson
3. Councilmember Randy Kelly, Member replaced by Sharon McBride
4. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston, Member
Meetings: As of the date of this Annual Report, the Utilities Committee met six (6) times
this year.
The Utilities Committee for 2018 has met or been updated for the following:
• The Solarize program led by Leah Thill, Environmental Planner for MACOG and
supported by South Bend's Office of Sustainability. The program helps connect area
businesses and individuals with resources in an effort to utilize more solar energy.
• The ongoing issue of the cost of the Clean Water Act Consent Decree, initially estimated
at 500+million dollars, now estimated at approximately 1+billion dollars including
227 W.Jefferson Blvd.Rm.441 Office: (574)235-9321 FAX: (574)235-5575
County-City Building South Bend,IN Voicemail: (574)235-5984 TDD: (574)235-5567
46601-1830 Cell: (574)292-2381 Email:JTESHKA@SOUTHBENDIN.GOV
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Jake Teshka
5th District Council Member
financing. A new plan, presented by Kieran Fahey would cost the city roughly$200M
and, in fact, have a better result than the original plan in terms of overflow output. Mr.
Fahey will work throughout 2018 with the EPA to get the old consent decree terminated
and the new plan approved.
• An update to the City's Local Standards Regulations to be in-step and compliant with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency.
• An update from Repower Indiana, a citizen advocacy group looking for local
governments' assistance in pushing Indiana Michigan Power toward renewable energy.
• A joint update with Health and Public Safety on the Lawson Fisher&Associates' study
into South Bend's sewer and flooding vulnerabilities. Many areas of need were identified,
including updating aging sewer infrastructure and utilizing the existing smart sewers in a
more effective manner. Another joint committee hearing will be called in 2019 as a
follow up.
• Establishing rates for the newly created Storm Water Utilities Fund was the topic of two
(2) committee meetings. The issue was tabled until the beginning of 2019.
The Utilities Committee is focused on the important aspects of the City's utility systems and the
effect on the quality of life of the residents of the City of South Bend.
Res ectfully Submitted,
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Council Member Jake Teshka
Utilities Committee
South Bend Common Council
227 W.Jefferson Blvd.Rm.441 Office: (574)235-9321 FAX: (574)235-5575
County-City Building South Bend,IN Voicemail: (574)235-5984 TDD: (574)235-5567
46601-1830 Cell: (574)292-2381 Email:JTESHKA@SOUTHBENDIN.GOV