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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-19 Health and Public Safety f&SOUT118i 0 uU . W ") PEACE.� � � 18 x65 OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK KAREEMAH FOWLER, CITY CLERK HEALTH & PUBLIC SAFETY APRIL 8, 2019 4:24 P.M. Committee Members Present: Jo M. Broden, John Voorde, Karen White, Oliver Davis Committee Members Absent: None Other Council Present: Tim Scott, Regina Williams-Preston, Sharon L. McBride Other Council Absent: Jake Teshka, Gavin Ferlic Others Present: Graham Sparks, Bob Palmer Presenters: Joseph Molnar, Therese Dorau Agenda: Bill No. 19-17- Scrap Metal License Climate Change Resolution Draft Committee Chair Jo M. Broden called to order the Health and Public Safety Committee meeting at 4:24 p.m. She introduced members of the Committee and proceeded to give the floor to the presenters. Bill No. 19-17- Scrap Metal License Joseph Molnar, Ordinance Violation Bureau Clerk with offices located on the 4th floor of the County-City Building, stated, This is the Scrap Metal Ordinance that comes yearly before the Council to approve business licenses for anyone dealing in scrap metal in the City. This time we are doing eight (8). As you can see in the facts and figures (available in the City Clerk's Office), we did twelve(12)last year. One(1)of those was right here(referencing a map that was displayed which is available in the City Clerk's Office). It was US Scrap and that individual decided to not use that facility anymore. So, they are not going to renew their license there. The other three (3) are all still pending. One(1) is NORI Scrap which has some issues the Fire Department is looking at. They didn't want to give their approval yet. Alternative Two (2) is working on a temporary license because, same thing, the Fire Department is still looking at them. The last one (1) was Steven Jeans but it was bought by a new owner. So,the new owner is getting the paperwork settled still. I didn't want to wait any longer to get the other eight (8) to you. So, these are the eight (8) that were approved. There are three(3)up in the second(2nd) district,there are five(5) in the sixth (6`h) and then three (3) in the second (2nd). It is the same eight (8) that did it last year. There were no new applications. Clerk Fowler will be presenting tonight at Council but I am happy to answer any questions. INTEGRITY' SERVICE'ACCESSIBILITY JENNIFER M.COFFM.ANBIAN(:A L.TIRADO JOSEPH R MOLNAR CHIEF DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1227 W.Jefferson Blvd.I South Bend,Indiana 46601 I p 574.235.9221 I f 574.235.9173 I www.southbendin.gov CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Committee Chair Broden stated, We will miss you but thank you for your hard work on this. All of these have met the important departmental approvals? Mr. Molnar replied, Yes. All of these eight (8) have. Eleven (11) were submitted this year. Eight (8) were approved by all three (3) departments and there are three (3) still on hold. Probably in a month, or two (2) months, you will get a couple of those. Committee Chair Broden then opened the floor to members of the public wishing to speak in favor of or in opposition to this legislation. There were none. She then turned the floor back to the Committee for further comment or main motion. Committeemember Oliver Davis made a motion to send Bill No. 19-17 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Committeemember Karen White seconded this motion which carried by a voice vote of four(4) ayes. Climate Change Resolution Draft Therese Dorau, Director of the Office of Sustainability with offices located on the 13th floor of the County-City Building, stated, I'm going to do just a really quick run-through to remind you of what is in the record from our extensive public hearings that were held in February. As a reminder, this material is in the public record for your review. So, on February 18th, we primarily focused on understanding the impacts that climate change would bring to South Bend. Then,on February 27th, we discussed potential local solutions and how the Sustainability Office is already trying to influence solutions, and also how Council could play a role. I want to remind everyone of the benefits to South Bend if we take climate action. Not only will it improve public health and well- being, but it will increase our resilience to environmental hazards. Councilmember Tim Scott arrived at the meeting at 4:29 p.m. Ms. Dorau went on, It will improve quality of life and will bring new and local green-tech employment opportunities. Those are great jobs because they usually involve on the ground work and they cannot be outsourced very easily. Energy and water efficient homes and buildings will reduce utility bills and allow people more economic freedom as well as protecting economically vulnerable households. Air quality will be improved as well, and they will help particularly vulnerable populations like those with chronic diseases, the elderly and the very young. She continued, So,just a reminder about where my office is and,just in case these terms strike you as unfamiliar, mitigation is reducing the emissions that cause climate change whereas adaptation is preparing for climate change that we already expect to happen. So, you can think of that as asking,are we trying to tackle the cause or relieve the symptoms? So,my office has been primarily focused on mitigation efforts. I completed and reported our measurement of greenhouse gas emissions. My next step will be to work with a consultant to set greenhouse gas reduction targets, in hopes of developing a Climate Action Plan.Adaption planning is an essential but a very different process: It involves a lot more technical expertise and some additional resources. Just a reminder about the planning scale,we definitely are doing a lot to target our own impact on the environment and climate through purchasing more sustainable vehicles and improving the sustainability of our facilities,but we really are just a small portion of the overall impact that South Bend has. So, it is EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 2 •CITY OFSOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK important to look at community-based strategies that the City Government and the Council can influence but that have a larger ripple effect. She went on, So, that is what my Climate Action Plan hopes to deduce. We want to look at community-scale strategies to reduce emissions. So, we just wrapped up the process to select a consultant to help with this. They are going to be relying on a lot of existing surveys, reports and documents and stuff that I have done in my office with interns and with other staff.They will have a knowledge of what has worked well nationally to really give us a quick turnabout, very focused, Climate Action Plan. A lot of communities have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Climate Action Planning, or, have included it into comprehensive plan activities. Many communities have created exhaustive lists of all possible measures and then duked it out as to whose priorities happen when, and that was really hard to build consensus. So, we are really focusing on what we can start doing right away and what the best fit is for South Bend in terms of what the most implementable strategies are. We aren't going to spend a lot of time and money on the planning process. We are going to spend a little bit of money and get started right away. The deliverables for this consultant are mid-range and long-range greenhouse gas reduction targets and then three (3) to five(5) near- term strategies that we could consider for implementation. She continued, What might those strategies look like? We can look to what other communities have already done to try to understand what types of strategies are common and how South Bend's specific context and priorities will influence that. These are (referencing a slide in a presentation which is available in the City Clerk's Office) the typical strategy areas. They are probably not too surprising. Transportation, Energy supplies, so, what kind of generation is bringing electricity to us? Building energy use, that is one (1) of our biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and, subsequently, cost. And then Consumption and Waste reduction. There are a couple of pretty recent reports, as recent as the fall of 2018, that did a national assessment of policies that local governments have been trying and what seems to be most popular and most impactful. So, those reports would give you a pretty good sneak peak into some of the things that might come up during the Climate Action Plan. There are two (2) excerpts I've provided to Council (which are available in the City Clerk's Office). One (1) is from the US Conference of Mayors report and one (1) is from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. Committeemember Davis interjected, Is that report, could you email that to us? Ms. Dorau replied, They are already part of the public record. So, they are available online. Ms. Dorau continued, So, it's good to know what is working nationally, but it's already good to layer in South Bend's context. Our consultant will be doing that. So, we will definitely be asking the Council to help with South Bend's context.These are some of the(referencing the presentation) prioritization filters and questions we might look at when we look at these different strategies. First (1st) of all, is it actually going to reduce emissions? Because, if it isn't going to be impactful, why would we spend money on it? Second(2nd), can we get it off the ground with existing resources or inside of an existing program? Are we going to need to develop something brand new or develop a partnership we don't have already? What will be the financial impact on individuals and businesses we might ask to make a change to reduce their emissions? Does it align with our other City priorities? So, does it support storm water management? Mobility for all people? Workforce development? Supporting new industries? Quality neighborhoods? Or, does it detract from that? And then do the strategies better the lives of the most vulnerable in South Bend and do they reflect EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 vwwJ.southbendin.gov 3 CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK the assets and needs that our community is bringing to us? So,these are all filters for weighing and prioritizing strategies that could be effective in helping us reach a greenhouse gas quota. She went on, I'll cover this slide (referencing the presentation) but when we presented this in February, we were just having a conversation about how we bring the Administration's and the Council's actions together. I think there are a lot of opportunities for us to have multiple checkpoints to make sure that we are moving forward with the same understanding of what is best for South Bend. So,we are in the first(1St)box now (referencing a slide in the presentation)where Council is considering a foundational climate resolution. The Sustainability Office is pursuing this and will yield a climate action. The result of the first (1st)plan will be these couple of really high- priority recommended strategies and the greenhouse gas reduction goals. So, it is my hope we could discuss those together and that Council would be willing to adopt those as initiatives we would want to take on. Then each one(1)of those that we do want to move forward with will need a work plan and implementation plan. That is where we would bring in a lot of the more specific financial estimates such as engineering details. It would also outline who all of our partners need to be and who needs to be at the table for those conversations. There will be implementation for each of those initiatives. That would be a really good time to bring in community and stakeholder input because they will be the ones who, once we know what the initiatives are going to be, will know how it will impact different populations around the City. That will also be another opportunity for Council to step in and voice their support. I hope that by being in long-step and by having check-ins throughout this process, what we come out with is something we all feel we can support. It is important we are on the same page. She continued, So, to the bill that will actually come before you in the next meeting, not this meeting, I want to make sure we are all comfortable with the proposed climate resolution. How I got to this draft started with reviewing the public comments from our February meetings. I then met with Administration staff and the youth leader of the South Bend Climate Champions. I worked with Councilmember Broden and I also reviewed about a dozen other community's climate resolutions. I pulled the best stuff out of all of that and put it into here, so you could see what the themes were of what the other cities are covering. It is kind of a menu, so, you could pull things out that don't need to be here or rephrase things,but, Councilmember Broden and I are interested in getting your feedback. So,as we are working on the final draft,we will make sure to incorporate any of your concerns to make sure they are in here. She went on, There are two (2) sections in here. There is the Whereas section and then there is Resolve's. The Whereas', I'm going to read through them more quickly because you'll probably want to read them in more detail but these are more statements of our shared values. Committee Chair Broden stated, In the interest of time, we can circle back to these. Quite frankly, a lot of this aligns with different points of the hearings. Could you focus more a little bit on the Resolve's section? Ms. Dorau replied, Yes. So, for the Whereas', I will just say, there are probably some areas where they are too detailed. Some of that could be moved into a cover letter and it doesn't have to be included into an actual resolution. Committeemember Davis interjected, Are there some, in terms of climate change, as it relates to transportation? EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 I I D 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 4 IICITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK Ms. Dorau replied, No. So, none of the specifics of how we get there are going to be in here yet. But, I'm sure that will be one (1) of the recommendations of the Climate Action Plan because transportation is one (1) of our most significant sources of emissions. We will not be able to do this without TRANSPO. Committeemember Davis interjected, Ok, I was just looking for the word there in there. Ms. Dorau continued, So, there are no references to specific policies in this resolution. But, when we come back and try to talk about the specific initiatives, that is when we will lay out who needs to be at the table. So, for the Resolve's, which is on the second (2n1) page, Council basically requested the Sustainability Office to complete a Climate Action Plan and set some reduction goals, details on what the process should be like and what should be considered. So, this is just kind of guidance for the work I am going to do with my consultant. I want to make sure that folks are comfortable with what is in here. The timeline is that we plan to have this completed by this fall. That last bullet under Climate Action Plan is probably the most interesting. And, these are things where you can add anything you think is important for that planning process to include. The next Resolve, updating and reporting, so, this just makes the Climate Action Plan more of an iterative process by asking the Sustainability Office to provide primary support and updates to the different pieces that go into the Climate Action Plan. I'm pretty comfortable with a three (3) year timeframe. I will do one(1)each year in the cycle, and that way we will make sure our data doesn't get out of date and our goals stay relevant. She went on, Leadership, the next Resolve, these are things that Council might do in addition to what the Administration is already doing. I hope this inspires you and I would love to see Council seek out opportunities to demonstrate Climate Leadership and also support the Administration when they do that. Examples include attending Statewide conferences, making comments downstate on legislation, and things like that. So, some bullets I had there include collaboration with other governments and agencies. TRANSPO would be a great example as well as MACOG. We really have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in Indiana. People think Bloomington is way ahead of us, but really, we're neck and neck in terms of sustainability. We can really use our City's size to our advantage and really demonstrate leadership. The last Resolve is commitment and this kind of focuses on what we do with the Climate Action Plan once we have it. I really hope you will feel ready to commit to remaining engaged in these issues. We have all come a long way in terms of our understanding. There have been Council actions in the past related to these concepts, so,this is just the natural next step in my opinion. She continued, So the bullets under here, support any internal policies, so, those could be things like City efforts with our own fleet and our own buildings. Being engaged with community focus measures as the Administration brings them to you and asks you to think about them. Being responsive and working with the Administration to tweak the plans and then adopt them. Funding and staffing levels, obviously we are going to say if something is a priority, resources need to be assigned. Then we definitely need your help to be an ambassador to your communities and your districts to help get the buy-in we need to get this stuff done. So, this will be on the April 22nd agenda, which is also Earth Day. So, drink a lot of water and show up ready to vote. If you vote and pass this on April 22nd, we will beat Goshen who has similar legislation on their April 23'1 agenda. Let's not let Goshen lap us. EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 111)574.235 5567 www.southbendin.gov 5 CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Committeemember White asked, Are we talking about a resolution or an ordinance? Committee Chair Broden replied,At this time,we are going for a resolution with the understanding we may have separate ordinances per the consultant's work. Committeemember White followed up, I think when you look at the language when you are asking what you are asking, it's confusing. I also do like the background information in regard to what the Administration and Council have done previously. I want to make sure we have clarity on what is being asked of the Council. The goal is moving toward an ordinance after we have the data to support it. Committeemember Voorde stated, As the 2020 budget is put together, some of this will be reflected in there. Ms. Dorau replied, Correct. We will have preliminary results from our consultant in June. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I would like to say thank you. I mean, this is beautiful in terms of putting together a resolution and getting it to us in advance. It's fantastic. Thank you. Committee Chair Broden replied, The public process was huge in going through those hearings, but Therese's talents are just overflowing. What I really want to direct everyone's attention to but in terms of this direction for resolution, I think this is a great way to present it prior to actually seeing on the day-of. We want to make sure it resonates with what you've heard at the meetings we've attended. I do see this as a Phase One (1) and then, you know, Phase Two (2) and Phase Three (3). Also, it will be integrated within the budget process. But I do think with regard to the commitment side, one(1) of my big concerns, if I could share, is how we are going to sustain that commitment over a multi-year timeframe and changes in Administration and Council. If we could, in some way, tee this up now and embed the commitment now with the understanding there will be more tough decisions to come but have within this sort of well thought out plan that gets at the greatest impact on greenhouse gas reduction. So, those tougher questions will come down the line and of course the dollars and the asks to follow that, this is really the easy part. But, I don't want to get lost in the language,but I wanted to focus more on, as a Council,the Resolve. Can we safely state this? Can we state more? Or, does this hit it? And, knowing that this is just one (1) part and there will be more to come that is more pointed action. It certainly won't be me sitting in this seat, but others will be. So, I do think the need was resounding. I mean, people came to us. It was very well done. I really am interested in this lead role because I think with our state of Indiana, they have a long way to go in this. If a City our size can get to a place that is actionable that has great outcomes and that hits its goals, I think we can provide a pathway for others to jump on. I really would like this Council to have the, having gone through the process thus far and with the public record that exists with the very talented staff and the supportive Administration and leadership in the Administration on this, I really think we can hit this and do really good. Ms. Dorau stated, If you have comments, you can inter-office mail me. Or, you can give them to Councilmember Broden. However it gets to me, I will be sure to incorporate your comments. Committeemember Voorde stated, A lot of this initiative came from students. They will move on, too,but do you think that commitment is there from those institutions as an ongoing basis? EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building',227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend.Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 6 )CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Ms. Dorau replied, Yeah. The students are trying to create succession with other students that are younger.The students have gotten the idea from the professors,in some regard,so those professors are staying. With no further business, Committee Chair Broden adjourned the Health and Public Safety Committee meeting at 4:53 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, 91 ni, BAeeki... Jo M. Broden, Committee Chair EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY , INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson BvId South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 7