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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-19 Council Minutes 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 April 22,2019 MEETING OF THE COUNCIL AND FOUND THEM TO BE CORRECT. THEREFORE, WE RECOMMEND THE SAME BE APPROVED: TIM SCOTT J E TESHKA APPROVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL ON: May 28, 2019 ATTEST: � _ KAR' EMAH FO ER, CITY E.f REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 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,April 22nd,2019 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Council President Tim Scott and the Invocation(Councilmember Jake Teshka) and Pledge to the Flag were given. ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Tim Scott 1St District, President Regina Williams-Preston 2nd District Sharon L. McBride PI District Jo M. Broden 4th District Jake Teshka 5th District John Voorde At-Large, Chairperson Committee of the Whole Karen L. White At-Large, Vice President COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Oliver J. Davis 6th District Gavin Ferlic At-Large OTHERS PRESENT: Kareemah Fowler City Clerk Jennifer Coffman Chief Deputy Clerk Bianca Tirado Deputy Clerk Graham Sparks Clerk Executive Assistant Bob Palmer Council Attorney REPORT FROM THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON MINUTES Councilmember John Voorde made a motion that the minutes of the April 8th, 2019 meeting of the Council be accepted and placed on file. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of seven (7) ayes. SPECIAL BUSINESS There was no special business at this time. REPORTS OF CITY OFFICES Representing the City Administration: Genevieve Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff RESOLVE INTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE PUBLIC HEARINGS There were no bills for public hearing. BILLS —THIRD READING 1 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 There were no bills for third (3rd) reading. RESOLUTIONS BILL NO. 19-23 A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE ADOPTION OF A DECLARATORY RESOLUTION DESIGNATING CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 4373 AMERITECH DRIVE, SOUTH BEND, IN 46628 AS AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR PURPOSES OF A SEVEN (7)YEAR REAL PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR HOPKINS PROPERTIES OF SOUTH BEND, LLC Dan Buckenmeyer, Director of Business Development for the Department of Community Investment with offices located on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as the presenter for this bill. Mr. Buckenmeyer stated, Good evening, Council Members. Just really quickly,looking at the two(2)we have,we have two(2)phase-ins for pieces of property that are currently contributing just over $7,000 per year to the tax rolls. At the end of these investments, these properties will contribute over $700,000 per year to the tax rolls, by our estimates. So, one hundred(100) times over improvement of the investment and tax rolls. As was noted, we are going to start with Hopkins Properties, also known as Truck Centers International. They are headquartered near St. Louis, but they are a current resident in South Bend over on Sample Street. This will consolidate and grow their operations. They currently have about forty- two (42)jobs which will be retained but by moving to this new location, right on the corner of the bypass and the tollway, and this roughly 100,000 square foot facility, they will add another thirty (30)jobs at least to South Bend's community. They are good paying jobs. They are mostly diesel technicians and those sorts of jobs. It is over a$17.8 million private investment. We are providing them with a seven (7) year tax abatement, phasing in their tax expense over time. Rich Deal, from Barnes & Thornburg with offices located at 100 North Michigan Street, South Bend, IN, served as a petitioner for this bill. Mr. Deal stated, I'm pleased to join Tyler Yates, the Vice President of Truck Centers to request your favorable consideration and hopeful support tonight. I want to thank Dan and the Department of Community Investment for laying out the background of this project for you. As Dan noted, this is a significant investment of over $18 million to facilitate a relocation and expansion for Truck Centers. It's going to enable them to increase employment by at least thirty. Projects are probably a little bit higher than that, but it would allow them to better serve their customers, which is all truck distribution in this part of the State. We appreciate your consideration and welcome any questions you might have. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, There was some community benefit we discussed, and I would just like that to be reiterated for the record. The work that you're doing with the job training, the wages and the legacy you have with your employees. Mr. Deal replied, It has been an honor for me to work with and represent Truck Centers. It is in its third(3rd)generation of ownership. Currently,Truck Centers throughout the Midwest is over seven hundred and twenty (720) employees strong. The longevity and commitment of employees is by far above average when it comes to the length of service. People have wanted to stay with and serve Truck Centers. That is because Truck Centers treats its employees with the utmost respect, they invest in their training and their future as well as offer very competitive compensation. This opportunity for Truck Centers new facility here is one (1) in which they can also emulate something they have done in Troy, Michigan, which is to have their own in-house training center. They can bring in and invite graduates from high school and other vocational schools, veterans and others, who may want to get into the diesel tech business and they can facilitate that opportunity through training onsite. That is very significant for this type of equipment for the manufacturers represented by Truck Centers. 2 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 19-27 A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE ADOPTION OF A DECLARATORY RESOLUTION DESIGNATING CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS IGNITION PARK, SOUTH BEND, IN 46601 AS AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR PURPOSES OF AN EIGHT (8)YEAR REAL PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR CATALYST THREE, LLC Dan Buckenmeyer, Director of Business Development for the Department of Community 1 Investment with offices located on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as the presenter for this bill. Mr. Buckenmeyer stated, This is an exciting addition to the Ignition Park facility. That was built sort of on the ashes of the old Studebaker Complex. We have Catalyst One(1) and Two (2)in place, as everyone knows,this will be Catalyst Three(3). It serves a very important purpose. It will not only be larger than the other(2) at about 83,000 square feet, it is being built to retain hundreds of high-quality jobs in South Bend. We are very excited to be able to serve that purpose and do it here in Ignition Park. It is a $16 million project. It will be a very attractive building along with Catalyst One (1) and Two (2) in keeping with the planning for Ignition Park. If we look out over a ten (10) year horizon, in this case yes, we are phasing in the taxes to allow the tenant company to get some of the benefits of that which come through with a triple net lease. It allows them to stay and not leave for other potentially greener pastures. Over that ten (10) year horizon, that property that I showed pays about $1,300 per year in taxes. We estimate it will pay over $1.1 million in taxes after the phase-ins take place. Again, five hundred (500)retained jobs. We are exited about the project and are excited to get it underway. Jeff Smoke, Great Lakes Capital with offices located at 112 West Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, IN, served as the petitioner for this bill. Mr. Smoke stated, I think Dan did a great job explaining the project. You are all familiar with it. To highlight, it is keeping five hundred (500) jobs here in South Bend. It is over a $16 million investment. It helps improve Ignition Park and gives us the momentum we need to go forward. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bills, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Jason Banicki-Critchlow, 3822 West Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, A couple weeks ago I got to attend the Rum Village Park Neighborhood Association meeting and they are absolutely ecstatic about this project in their neighborhood. That is not often the case when you hear about a lot of traffic coming into a particular neighborhood. But, when you go out to Indiana Avenue and you remember what it used to be like with a lot of small businesses,they see this as an opportunity to maybe bring some of those breakfast and lunch restaurants to that area because now you're going to have a lot more people who are going to need places to eat and shop. This is absolutely the kind of win-win project we need as a City. I have office space in Catalyst One (1). It is a beautiful place out there as well. It is kind of interesting. Ignition Park started with one (1) vision of what it could be, and it has kind of gone a whole different direction but that's ok. That is the kind of flexibility we need to be able to compete for jobs in this day and age. It is great to see Press Ganey and Great Lakes Capital stay here when they had so many other options at their disposal. So, if we have to abate taxes for a few years to make this happen,this is the kind of thing we need to do. Thank you. Councilmember John Voorde made a motion to adopt Bill No. 19-27. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride seconded this motion which carried by a roll call vote of seven(7) ayes. 19-33 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL CONCERNING CLIMATE RECOVERY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AIMED AT GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS FOR THE 4 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bills, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Judith Rubleske, 515 South Meade Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Good evening. Happy Dyngus Day and Earth Day! A double header today. This is a seven(7) year abatement. How much money are we talking about that will be abated over seven (7) years? Because, you know, we have a big poverty population in South Bend. I heard fifty-four percent (54%) of households just don't have enough money to get by. They live week to week. And then we have a lot of people that are really in poverty level besides that. So, I think we need to start thinking of abatements from the tax payers that are here in the City not as the tax payers are investors providing this abatement, or stakeholders. We need to think of us being bankers and ask for some collateral. Are there some stipulations? I would like to know about those with this contract for abatement. So, if it's a seven (7) year abatement,maybe one seventh(1/7)of the amount is put up as collateral. Just like bankers do. Or, they did when I worked in a bank. I worked at St. Joe Bank here in downtown. Then, after one (1) year, if they haven't met the contract guidelines they were supposed to meet, they have to give up that collateral deposit kind of thing. So, that is my suggestion. Mary Ellen O'Connell, 129 West North Shore Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, I also teach international environmental law at Notre Dame's Law School. I'm here because it's Earth Day and I'm really puzzled and disappointed to see that the City,when we are about to consider a resolution against climate change, that we would give up our tax dollars for a project that is certainly not part of the green economy. It is a part of old tech. Diesel truck engines. I would rather see our funds go to support training in the green economy. Also, this description of this beautiful new facility has asphalt, which is a greenhouse gas emitted substance. We have so many brown space areas throughout the City. That would be at least one (1) in favor of using our tax dollars to redevelop already blighted sites. This is not a green project and I oppose it as a tax payer and as somebody who is very interested in seeing the health of our City expand. Whenever you say job retainment, job expansion, people say yes. But, it's time in 2019, with climate change at a life-threatening level, to say no to old tech and yes to green projects. It will really move the City. It will be a contradiction, of sorts, to try and support a resolution to combat climate change if tax dollars are abated for this project. Thank you. The petitioners were given five(5)minutes for a rebuttal. Mr.Buckenmeyer stated,Really briefly,to answer some of the first(1St)questions,they were about the investments, commitments and so on. So, the way tax abatements work, there really isn't a net loss. It is a net gain. If we consider doing nothing in this situation, over the next ten (10) years, These properties are currently paying roughly $6,500 a year in taxes. So, looking out to the ten (10) years, that is $65,000 added to the tax rolls. If we enable this project, if we help them invest and grow in South Bend, it will actually add $2 million of taxes during that same ten (10) year period. So, this is not a loss, it is an absolute gain, and an impressive one (1). Again, there were questions and comments about folks in poverty and so on, and I think there is arguably no better way to raise folks up than to increase the number of available jobs. These are opportunities for folks to get training at a training facility for the type of jobs we are talking about here. They are very good paying jobs and it will help raise our median household income levels. I can't punish a company for locating on a highway where all of our trucks,the way they are today, are driving by. We all want a greener economy and I am certain they will evolve as the market evolves. But today, I think they are doing a great job of servicing those vehicles that are out there and are passing our community every day. That brings that income into our community. Council President Tim Scott announced,Today,these are two(2) confirming resolutions.Bill Nos. 19-23 and 19-27. We actually heard these two(2)weeks ago and they were approved unanimously by this body. They have to,by State Law, come back before us for confirming on this.That is what they are doing tonight. I want everybody to know that part because they might not have been around last week. Councilmember Jake Teshka made a motion to adopt Bill No. 19-23. Councilmember John Voorde seconded this motion by a roll call vote of seven (7) ayes. 3 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 CITY OF SOUTH BEND AND TO SUPPORT OTHER CLIMATE RELATED INITIATIVES. Councilmember Jo M.Broden,chair of the Health and Public Safety Committee,reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Jo M. Broden,201 West North Shore Drive,South Bend, IN,served as a presenter for this bill. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Members of the Council, South Bend community members gathered here today, first (1st) and foremost, Happy Earth Day! As part of our presentation, we thought it might be helpful to give a high-level overview of the flow of the legislation we are considering tonight as a Council, on your behalf as a community. However, before I go into that, the folks who will help me with that are the two (2) Council Members that are co-sponsors. I do want to acknowledge it has been truly collaborative, on behalf of the Council and the community as a whole. Within the public record, here forever more, for the City of South Bend, on the cover of this resolution is a cover letter that actually expressly calls out individuals who were very instrumental in the process. So, you know who you are. In the interest of time, I'm not going to read all of those out, but I would ask you to stand up if you have been part of the collaborative effort to bring this forward to the Council tonight. Thank you very much. Without your support and input, we would not be here at this point tonight. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, Also, just a couple things to point out, the resolution itself is very long. It is considerably long for most resolutions this Council passes. It is so because we wanted it to be educational as to the science of climate change, the impacts for our community and in response to lifting up the global call to action in reducing carbon emissions. Secondly, we wanted to recognize the various efforts that have happened already in our community relative to this issue and the pathway has been rich in terms of the Administration's leadership, both under Mayor Pete Buttigieg and also Mayor Steve Luecke, as noted in the resolution, and then most actively under the Office of Sustainability. Therese Dorau,please stand up.Thank you,very much. One (1) of our primary hopes as sponsors, co-sponsors, and as we support this tonight, we want this to be a model and a pathway for other communities throughout Indiana and the region to look to our process. The educational process frontloaded this. There was also an informed collaborative effort between our science community, institutions, our academic institutions, the work of the Council and the work of the Administration. Working together, we can make change. In response to the young individuals, working together, we can drive and make change. So, thank you very much. Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on, So, just a very high-level road trip, very briefly, if you would indulge me. The first (1st) two (2) sections of this resolution, the Whereas statements, first (1st) deal with the science of climate change. The third (31'1) and fourth (4th) deal with the impacts of climate change. Those are both global and then also here at the South Bend level, informed by Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame. So, our local experts helping us and informing us as a Council and working with us as a community to move this forward. The fifth(5th) section, I do want to emphasize this,this will be the only section that I will read from the Whereas statements. Later on, my co-sponsors will be reading the Resolve sections but the fifth (5th) section: Whereas, these and other impacts will not be equally distributed; communities that already face socioeconomic and health inequities, whether around the world or here in our community, will be most severely impacted, including youth, seniors, people of color, and low-income populations. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, I wanted to highlight that. As a Council, we are aware of that and, as we move forward on subsequent actions, that will be foremost in our mind. The sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) sections address the primary duties of cities and their primary role in ensuring public health, safety and welfare of our residents, both now and in future generations. Cities are uniquely empowered with our ability to directly influence activities that impact climate such as energy use in homes, our buildings, transportation network and promoting sustainable development. I'm going to go back,just quickly,the resolution,the next section deals with the two (2) joint Committee hearings. I want to expressly thank Councilmember Teshka who chairs the Utilities Committee, he had a willingness to get on this early and really lift this up. In my tenure, that is the first (1st) time we really ever had a joint Committee. I think in some ways we elevated it by looking at it both from a Health and Public Safety standpoint but also from a Utilities 5 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 standpoint. Expressly, as a part of the process, we tied in one (1) of our lead Council Members, and I'm sorry, not to offend anyone, but Councilmember Karen White. She has been a strong proponent, is robust and interactive with our budget process for the Council on an annual basis. She is the chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee. Thank you, Councilmember White. Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on,Those statements are to highlight Councilmember White's strong leadership but in no way diminish the work of anyone to my left, or right, or the members who are not present tonight. Everyone lifts hard on this Council and the budget process, which we will be kicking off come July, will be over fifteen (15) to twenty (20) meetings that we all sit in and make sure that our tax dollars are spent in wise ways. Going further on in the Whereas, it was important for us to include the opportunities that can be presented by taking climate action.Climate action provides opportunities for South Bend to improve our air quality, mobility, public health, social equity, energy independence and energy security, and the quality of our natural environment; it also can serve to attract jobs and economic development opportunity and increase long-term competitiveness. Action on climate change supports the development of a livable, sustainable City with a strong economy and high quality of life. Action can also improve resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, The resolution then goes into the past actions of our Mayors, our Office of Sustainability and the Council. Then, as we jump to section twelve(12), we actually acknowledge, almost a year ago to the date, Mayor Pete Buttigieg signed the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, pledging us to implement policies and to undertake measures to reduce and limit greenhouse emissions, to prepare for the impacts of climate change, to increase access to sustainable energy, and to track progress of these policies and measures in meeting or exceeding the Paris Agreement objectives. So, our pathway has been long and I'm excited tonight, as a Council, to put forth this resolution. I do want to recognize a member in tonight's audience. The Council Member that brought this to my attention, over fourteen (14) maybe fifteen(15)months ago, Randy Kelly. Please stand up. Thank you very much. Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on,Now what we will do is just kick into the heart of tonight's resolution, beginning with Councilmember White. Councilmember Karen White, 1912 Malvern Way, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Councilmember Karen White stated, Before I read the resolution into the record, I would like to thank Councilmember Broden for doing the heavy lifting. She's done an amazing job and the other Council Members as well. I really like the statement you made. Working together, we can bring about change. I think this is an excellent example of a number of individuals, from various walks of life, coming together to work on this critical issue. I started my journey in regard to becoming more aware and involved in this about a year ago. I was invited to go to the Robinson Center. A group of young individuals did that presentation and I left that meeting energized and overwhelmed. I want to give all the young people a round of applause. The future of South Bend is in good hands. Now, I'll read the Resolve portions. Councilmember Karen White continued, Therefore, be it resolved the South Bend Common Council hereby supports the City Administration's current Q-Two (2)/Q-Three(3) 2019 initiative to develop a climate action plan that: specifies climate actions most impactful in South Bend, identifies ambitious but achievable greenhouse gas reduction goals customized to South Bend, includes both immediate internal actions and longer-term programs and policies, and outlines appropriate timelines for implementing the specific climate actions and achieving the greenhouse gas reductions; and, Therefore,be it resolved,the South Bend Common Council requests this plan be completed by the Fall of 2019, and the Administration's planning process include appropriate stakeholder feedback, consider Council and Administration priorities, including but not limited to opportunities for climate action to increase social equity, maximizing benefits and minimizing impacts on individuals and businesses; and consideration of any action through the lens of the "triple bottom line." This approach posits we can slow the pace of climate change in ways that save money,build a better quality of life for our residents, and drive economic growth. Councilmember Jake Teshka, 2419 Chesire Drive, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, Therefore, be it resolved, and to this end of triple net returns, the South Bend Common Council will look to support the Administration's current and 6 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 future internal policies, and community-focused measures to reduce greenhouse emissions. Accordingly,Council will respond to Administration proposals; act to adopt proposed plans,goals, targets and measures as appropriate,including the consideration of a local ordinance or ordinances by the end of 2019; and to ensure adequate funding and staffing for adopted operational climate and community priorities. Therefore, be it resolved, the South Bend Common Council also sets, henceforth, that the Administration create an iterative process of setting goals, tracking progress, and reporting. Specifically, Council and the community will be provided annual progress reports on the climate action plan well in advance of the budget planning process. Both the municipal greenhouse gas inventory and the community greenhouse inventory will be updated every three (3) years, and the climate action plan updated on a three(3)-year cycle. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Therefore,be it resolved, Council will seek opportunities to demonstrate climate leadership in Indiana, throughout the Midwest, and in our own community. It will also support the work of the Office of Sustainability and the Administration in doing the same,including collaboration with other governmental entities and agencies, assisting in engaging community stakeholders, and through public-private partnerships. These relationships and activities will be essential to the design, funding, implementation and attainment of our community's climate action plan goals. Therefore, be it resolved, that this Council commits itself today, and strongly urges future members of the South Bend Common Council, our Mayor's Office,and our citizenry to remain engaged in and committed to climate action. Working together, we can confront what has been considered one of the greatest challenges of our time in proactive and strategic ways that benefit our community, our county, and our world. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, Having read the high tour of the resolution, I ask two (2) staff members to come forward, Therese Dorau from the Office of Sustainability and Genevieve Miller from the Mayor's Office. Before you begin you comments, I kindly ask that the three(3)handouts entered into the public record in Committee could also be entered into the public record tonight (they are all available in the City Clerk's Office). Just a little bit of overview with that, there is a wonderful presentation. Tai Verbrugge, please stand up. That will be shared online henceforth. Thank you very much for your effort, we appreciate it. Council Members, elected officials and department heads as well as individuals who are candidates for elected office will also be receiving, shortly, an invitation to attend a presentation at the Jordan Hall Digital Visualization Theater at the University of Notre Dame for additional information on this. Specifically, it is a program presented to international leaders on this issue. So, we have the resources in our community. Council Members, as I said, the individuals previously mentioned will be receiving invitations to attend that presentation. I would also like to highlight Dr. Phil Sakimoto in the crowd please, if you could please stand up. Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on, So, I look forward to that in our email boxes. If I could also just direct attention to the fact there has been a tremendous amount of information entered into the public record on this under the Council's webpage, under the portion that is referred to as Council Initiatives. So, if you're here first(1st) tonight on this issue or have been here throughout and just want to see your name in the public record, I encourage you to visit the Council Initiatives section of the website. I would also like to highlight the work of the Clerk. The members of the Clerk's Office have been instrumental in creating that record and it would be a nice opportunity for education going forward. Therese Dorau, Director of the Office of Sustainability with offices located on the 13th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Ms. Dorau stated, Happy Earth Day! Happy Dyngus Day! The Sustainability Office has successfully collaborated with the Common Council on a number of initiatives in the past few years including Council's support for energy-saving projects in City facilities, Council's support for Solarize South Bend, a program to lower market barriers for residents wishing to go solar and co-authoring the Clean Energy Resolution under the leadership of Councilmember Oliver Davis and former Councilmember Dave Varner. Additionally, Council has supported other projects with clear climate benefits such as investing in alternative fuel vehicles, green storm water infrastructure, technologies that avoid wasting resources, and new City buildings being built to the highest standards of performance. Each of these actions have incrementally shifted the conversation and has created a momentum in our community. Today, however, as climate change barges into the daily lives of South Bend 7 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 residents, we see the challenges have grown more complex and more urgent. So, must our responses be more direct,more comprehensive, and more quickly implemented. This resolution is a sensible next step for Council that builds on those past actions while rising to the seriousness and immediacy of a changing climate. This resolution was developed based on two(2)public hearings on climate science and climate policy from local experts, citizen testimony and feedback, review of more than a dozen other communities' climate legislation, review of policy recommendations from well-respected associations of local government, and a desire to collaborate closely with the Administration to develop goals and plans with the highest potential for success. This resolution will serve as a guidepost for future action by leaders on the Council, leaders in the Administration and leaders in the community. Thank you to Mayor Pete Buttigieg for his strong commitment and leadership, to Eric Horvath, the many Sustainability Office advisors, our steadfast youth leaders, countless active community members, each of you Council Members, and past members and staff for your tireless efforts to build a sustainable community where both our current and future residents can thrive. Thank you. Genevieve Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Mayor of the City of South Bend with offices located on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Ms. Miller stated, On behalf of the Mayor, I want to thank the Common Council for convening two (2) public meetings and sponsoring this resolution. You've done more than spotlight the importance of climate action. You've demonstrated a clear commitment to seeing the work through. I also want to thank Therese Dorau for your diligent work, year round, as Director of Sustainability. Your efforts have guided this City towards a brighter future by overseeing projects like installing downtown electric vehicle charges, building two (2) LEAD-Certified fire stations,joining the Global Covenant of Mayors, and improving our public green spaces. Public action remains a Mayoral priority, and thanks to strong coordination between the Council and the Administration, we are living that commitment out each day. Thank you. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, We ask for your favorable vote. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, I would just like to reiterate something I said in Committee. That is, first(1st) of all, I think it is important for this to be bipartisan. There is only one (1) option here. Secondly, I think there are many folks in our community, our State and in our country, who might fall somewhere outside of this spectrum. We talked about this in Committee,but some folks might say, look, I don't know whether our actions are contributing to climate change or whether this is a cyclical thing, or what effect it has, and I think it is important to say we can find common ground just by way of the fact we share this space. We share this planet. I think this is something that people from all different kind of mindsets and starting points can get behind and say, yes, we can do a better job as a City and as a community in the way we care for our planet and in the things that we do. I would just invite those that may look at the title of this resolution and hear the things we've been talking about and maybe instinctually have a fearful reaction, to please embrace this. Embrace this process as we move through this.This is a process.There will be further debate down the road in terms of actual policy and ordinances and things we do from here. So,we can certainly have a much more robust debate on that,but I think this is something that,together as a community, whether you're Republican, Democrat, Independent or somewhere else on the spectrum, this is something we can get behind and say we want to have a better and cleaner community for our children, grandchildren and those that come after us. Thirdly, I've heard a couple times through this process, what is little South Bend going to do about Climate Change when you have actors like China in the world, putting out all of these emissions and all of these things. I would respond to those folks, with that type of mentality, nothing would get done ever in this world. There has to be communities like ours, people who take that first (1st) or second (2nd) step and build on that momentum. For any movement or any good thing to get done, it's not easy but it's worth accomplishing. We have to take a step out in faith and do what we can do and do the things we have power over. So, I would ask Council for a favorable vote on this resolution as well. Councilmember Karen White stated, As a co-sponsor, again, it is my honor to be so. I would like to thank the Office of Sustainability, Therese, that overview really was so important because it also points to the work that had been done up to this point. So, I really appreciate that, all the work that has gone before and the work that will be coming before us. I would also like to recognize former Councilmember Randy Kelly. He had a passion to move forward on this and I would like 8 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 to thank him as well. I would like the audience to bring their attention to a piece of information that we placed in our record and that is the article from the Indiana Environmental Reporter. It was a poll that was conducted, and it concludes that a larger majority of our Hoosier State believe in climate change. It points to a number of important statements and this information will be on our website as well.Again,this is a great beginning and we will continue to move forward. I appreciate the timelines that are in the resolution because on Wednesday of this week, we will actually be starting the budget process. So, the timing moving forward is very important. We will ensure that we will meet those timelines and targets. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bills, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Julia McKenna, 410 Peashway Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I am a senior at John Adams High School. The City of South Bend's website opens with the statement, We deliver services that empower everyone to thrive. It begins with a promise to citizens that the purpose of our government is to ensure the flourishing of our community. What does it mean, then, for us to be a sustainable City? Climate change is the antithesis of this opening value statement. It does nothing but bring environmental destruction,poverty,disease, extinction and terror. No citizen will be able to thrive in a world that is ravaged by preventable disaster. How, then, can our City be effective in achieving any of our goals if we do not take aggressive steps to combat climate change? Being a young person on the tipping point of the climate crisis feels a bit like starting a board game late and not being given all the pieces. It feels like everyone else started with power-ups, money and time that I was not allotted. As a seventeen (17) year old, for my entire life, I have watched many elected leaders play with such a crisis as though it is nothing more than a game. How is there any justice in playing a game where not everyone has a fair start? How is it fair to deny children a future that is livable,purely because of an inability and unwillingness to acknowledge science and implement sustainable measures? I am here for a third (3rd) time asking you to not only support this resolution as a first(1St) step in South Bend's legislative path to climate resilience, but as part of a larger plan that will make South Bend on the right path to preparing for and mitigating climate change and its effects. In 1988, James Hanson testified before the US Senate about the dangers of climate change. I was born in July of 2001. In the thirteen (13) years between this testimony and me, nothing significant has changed. And in the seventeen (17) years since then, still, nothing significant has changed. I have grown up in a world watching everyone else play with the pieces of a future that I will be the one(1) to live out. So, I'm asking you today, whether you do it in the name of science, or justice, responsibility or politics, to please sign this resolution. We need this, and so much more, in order to make our City thrive. Thank you. It has been such an honor to work on this project in our incredible City for the last five(5) years. Jennifer Betz, 23150 Roosevelt Road, South Bend, IN, stated, I am part of two (2) groups. The Environment Network of Northern Indiana and the Open Space and Agricultural Alliance,but I'm here on my own this evening. We are very excited for all the hard work that has been done. I want to thank everyone in the room for all the effort you have put in. Especially to the young people, you have shown us that change is possible and sometimes we just have to keep working. So, thank you. I would like to encourage the Council to pass this. I think it is a wonderful step forward for our City and the possibilities are exciting. The point I really wanted to talk about is about climate leadership. I feel like on the Council, you are in a very unique position in that you are Common Council Members and are elected officials, but you are also citizens. And you, also, have elected officials who represent you. I'm here and I wanted to say something because we have a County Economic Development Director who was quoted in the South Bend Tribune on February 10th, 2018 and actually said, "We will continue to chase smokestacks." If that is the kind of thinking happening at the County level,no matter what the City does,there will still be these greater forces. Councilmember Teshka spoke out really well about the fact that we have to start small, but we have to keep pushing up. You all are in such an amazing position, if you pass this tonight, to take it forward to the County, to the Commissioners and Council and say this can't just stay in South Bend. This has to go bigger. I want to ask for both a favorable vote and also for you to join us in trying to keep pushing this up and making a world where everyone has a fair shot, as Julia so beautifully stated. Thank you. 9 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 Laura Wall, 17120 Killarney Court, Granger, IN, stated, I speak as Dr. Phil Sakimoto's collaborator and co-instructor in the original Notre Dame course in sustainability that originally drafted this proposal. I can't tell you what it means to me to see, over two (2) years later, this proposal has finally come to a vote through all of the efforts of so many people who are here today. I can't say strongly enough how important addressing climate change is for the future of all of us, individually and collectively, for all reasons articulated in the accompanying report. Action taken now by the Common Council will not only encourage a City-wide ethic of care for our environment and for each other,but it will set South Bend apart as a true national leader and a dynamic City on the frontlines of the future. I want to add, in designing our original proposal over two (2) years ago, Professor Sakimoto and I carefully weighed whether to propose a non-binding resolution, which seemed easier, or a binding ordinance, which seemed like a heavy lift. We did agree that a binding ordinance was the best pathway because we have no time to lose. Even Tom Friedman wrote last week in the New York Times because for the environment, later is too late. Later is officially over. The window for effective action is closing too fast. The science is clear. Climate scientists, worldwide, speak with one (1) voice. The consequences of inaction or of insufficient action are already devastating and will soon be much worse. Action taken now can help prevent the worst-case scenarios from becoming the reality our grandchildren face every day. The reality is the students in our class today will inherit from us the inevitable consequences of the physical and political infrastructure that we are creating today. Given this, I am all the more grateful the South Bend Common Council is bringing to a vote real action for climate recovery. I urge you to vote in favor of this resolution. Further, I also urge you to agree to revisit the climate resolution at the end of 2019 and consider upgrading it to an ordinance. Only the force of law, not the however well-meaning wishes of a resolution, will catalyze the system-wide change we must generate. Change that none of us individually, no matter how dedicated, can generate alone. I thank you all for taking so seriously your responsibility to give our children and grandchildren a real chance at a livable world. Thank you. Zachary Veazie, 56828 Hollywood Boulevard, South Bend, IN, stated, I just want to start out by saying that I am so grateful the Council is voting on this. I am grateful for the actions being taken today and I hope that you all vote in favor of it. However, while it is a great start, it's an expressed commitment by the City Council to support climate change work but there needs to be institutional change. The City should look at amending the tax abatement ordinance in such a way that businesses only received tax breaks if they solarize their business, invest in green technologies or invest in the green initiatives in this City. I think this is progress but there needs to be more done because I am currently living in a world where I'm not sure if I should be having children because, honestly, what is the point if there could be an inevitable apocalypse within my lifetime? Thank you. Steve Francis, 54174 Juday Lake Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, Good evening. Happy Earth Day! Happy Dyngus Day! I'm speaking on behalf of the nation's largest environmental organizations in the Sierra Club. I'm an elected member of the State Board of Directors and live here locally. On behalf of our 10,000 members in Indiana and more than 1,000 in the Michiana area, some of whom are in the audience, we support wholeheartedly this resolution. I commend and thank you for putting this together, especially the hard work of the three (3) sponsors and co-sponsors. And, all of the people that have come especially the kids and the students who have shown they care about their future and we should too. Climate change is real. It exists. It is human-caused. We are all part of the problem and, thus, we all have to be part of the solution. If we are going to set up a future that our next generations can follow and live in, in a sustainable way, then we have to act now. I commend you in terms of the resolution as it is stated. Last fall, the Sierra Club was involved in the integrated resource planning of the utilities in our Northern Indiana area. NIPSCO made a major announcement which shook the utility world in Indiana as well as making national news. They are going to retire their old fossil fuel plants earlier than scheduled and they are replacing them entirely with renewable energy. I hope that we can, this year, do the same in terms of our utility, Indiana&Michigan Power,which you played a role in,in terms of persuading and coaxing to retire the Rockport Coal Plant in southern Indiana. The Sierra Club has been involved in it with a consent decree for a dozen years or so. I can't speak to that right now but there is news coming on that front. I hope you play a role in the future in making sure that our utility provides clean, reliable,renewable energy and electricity for the City of South Bend. On a personal note,I installed 10 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 solar last year as a result of our Sustainability Director's program Solarize South Bend. That was rolled out to build solar in the South Bend area. I can say wholeheartedly, if anybody tells you that we don't have enough sun in Indiana, I can tell you today, April 22nd, I completed and produced enough power for all of my consumption for the month of April, and from now on I'm banking that power to save for the winter so that over the course of the year, I have a net-zero (0) home. The City can do the same. I think we need to look at the upcoming budget as an investment in our future. It is going to cost money. You're going to need a site in the City government which I think has been staffed by Therese Dorau. We need a Sustainability Office that can drive some of the initiatives forward and throughout the next dozen years or twenty(20) years we need to tackle this problem. Think of any money that you spend in energy efficiency and retrofitting buildings, building solar on all of our municipal buildings on top of the parking garages, as an investment in the future and a triple-bottom-line return. That will reduce energy costs and it will reduce operation costs. So, thank you for your support. I hope you all vote in favor of it. I hope we get resounding support for it tonight and I thank everybody showing up to show that the citizens of South Bend care about our future. We want our City to be forward-thinking and to show it is on the cutting edge of new technologies. That will also bring those green technology businesses to our City in the future and produce a solid tax base and a green economy for South Bend. So, thank you very much. Phil Sakimoto,offices located at the Main Building of the University of Notre Dame,Notre Dame, IN, stated, I teach in the first (15t) year studies program, the Sustainability Minor. On the basis of a decade and a half, the Executive branch of the Federal Government, I used to be a Program Manger for NASA, I have a sense of what you're going through here in getting this together. First (1St) of all, I really want to commend the Council, Ms. Dorau, Councilmember Broden and former Councilmember Kelly,because it is clear you have all put a tremendous amount of effort into this. You didn't just write a barebones resolution and toss it out there.You thought it through extremely carefully. You put in specific things to do which I think would be great. I really commend you for doing that. Secondly, as you go into your budget deliberations this week, I ask you to please bear in mind the fact that the City of South Bend has a tremendous resource in Therese Dorau. She can't do this alone. Let's give her the resources she needs to have a support staff, so she can carry out this mandate. The third thing is, we've been hearing about, over and over, the biggest impacts of climate change are on the poor, the low-income residents of the City and the people of color. And we keep hearing about the fact that when we do the right thing for climate,we invariably also do the right thing for improving our economy and creating new jobs. Communities throughout this county and the world have experienced this. When they really start to invest in climate mitigation, their economy booms. Invariably, we make for a healthier community because we reduce air pollution, we eat healthier, we reduce our transportation by walking and bicycling. So, everybody wins. But, what I haven't seen and which I'm really looking forward to South Bend showing the world how to do, is to make sure these benefits of taking care of our climate accrue to the people who need them the most. I'm really glad to see there is a representative from the local labor unions in the room tonight because that is another piece of this puzzle that needs to be here. As we shift to a renewable energy economy, we see that the new jobs created take care of the people who are leaving the old jobs and economy, to see the economic benefits accrue to the people who really need in them in this community. If South Bend can pull this off, which I really think it can, it is going to set an agenda for cities all over this country and all over the world. I haven't seen before a blueprint coming out of any community that shows how benefits of mitigating climate change come to the people who need them the most. We have an opportunity in this community to make this happen and I think that is the big challenge going forward. Thank you. Jay Paul,2930 Bonds Avenue, South Bend, IN, stated,The resolution is written pretty well. At the beginning it states how human activity contributes to global warming. But, why don't we start out right from the beginning, the number one(1) cause of climate change? This number one(1) cause causes more climate change on our planet than every single automobile, airplane, train and boat combined on the entire globe.This number one(1)cause is factory farming of animals and growing animals for human consumption.This factory farming of animals creates up to thirty percent(30%) more climate change than all of the automobiles, airplanes, trains and boats on the globe. So, if that can be factored in, South Bend would be a little bit more ahead of these other communities and bring a little bit more honor to us. Also, today is Earth Day, so, to honor the Earth, perhaps in 11 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 this resolution we could also state, and bring honor to South Bend, working toward a complete sanction of the butchering the Brazilian Rainforest. The rainforest is being cutdown for, number one (1), to grow soybeans to feed factory farming. Number two (2), they are butchering these forests to graze cows. So, South Bend could take a lead amongst all these communities. It would be an honorable lead to at least mention a sanction of butchering the Brazilian Rainforest. Thank you very much. Bill Stranz, 1818 South Olive Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Almost every environmentalist complains about the pollution in the air. I'm yet to understand how the City of South Bend can tie up traffic on days, everyday when people are getting out of or going into work, for instance, if you go down Lincolnway around 3:30 p.m., or so,the traffic is backed up from downtown South Bend almost all the way to the airport, bumper to bumper, going from one (1) stoplight to the next stoplight and very seldom do you get three(3) or four(4) cars through a stoplight at time. I would like to know how you can claim that this is good for the environment. You also have the same problem going north and south, and on most of the smart streets that are in the outlining areas. Thank you. Malachiah Dotson, 1006 East Campeau, South Bend, IN, stated, I want to talk about how Earth is suffering from climate change. Littering and people throwing trash outside, out of their car windows, throwing wrappers, affects the animals and water. The City's actions on climate change are important to keep our Earth clean and make it a better place. Thank you. Sincere Hopkins,226 North Wellington Street, South Bend,IN, stated, I want to talk about climate change. It's also decreasing the population of our important species of animals.Another important thing about climate change is smoking cigarettes. It causes a lot of pollution and messes up the air for animals and the people that have asthma. So, I think maybe we should ban cigarettes from now on. Thank you. Jackie Brebeck, 1855 Vaness Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I really just want to state how happy I am. I don't know if you guys saw but just sitting here and hearing it be read out loud, and hearing all the Council Members' comments, and seeing how much dedication has been put into writing this resolution and how much dedication is to come in this resolution, has been making me smile right up here. I hope you've been seeing it because it is thanks to you guys that I am smiling like this. I love to see the dedication. I love to see the timeline. This is a huge undertaking as many people have mentioned. It is inclusive and covers many different sectors such as transportation and food. But, I see the dedication and I see the clear timeline in the resolution and that makes me really happy. So, you all heard enough serious stuff from me at the other meetings, so I thought I would just say that today. Thank you, so much. Beth Sanford, 1013 North St. Peter Street, South Bend, IN, stated, One(1), thank you and Happy Earth Day! Also, Happy Dyngus Day! I want to thank you all, especially the three (3) Council Members, for putting together this resolution. I am an architect and way back in college in the late 1980's and early 1990's, I studied sustainable design as well as I worked for the Center for Energy Research and Educational Studies. Way back then, global warming was the huge thing and now it is climate change. Within that timeframe, it has just gotten worse. I think this resolution will open up doors to also start looking at how we do economic development and growth in the City. Not only within the City but areas already zoned Light Industrial, we can start bringing in businesses and look at LEAD-Certified buildings.We also have to look at giving tax abatements to companies that meet certain criteria to be able to design and build buildings that are LEAD-Certified. As well, it could open up the doors to other practices that the government uses whether it is recycling or other areas more. I applaud you for doing this and I look forward to what this may bring in the future, especially for my children. Thank you. Jason Banicki-Critchlow, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I've spent years here coming and advocating to protect our parks. Whether it was River Park, when they wanted to build the new Fire Station at Potawatomi Park or when we tried to sell off Elbel Park. Well, it doesn't do us a lot of good to protect those parks if we don't protect the environment with which we have to enjoy those parks. I think this is an absolute must. I also think it is easy for us to get lost in the abstract of this. I think it is important to remember that we've faced some very real consequences of climate change in South Bend over the last two (2) years with a one hundred (100) year storm 12 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 and a five hundred(500)year storm. People have lost their homes. So,we are not just talking about an abstract concept but a very real issue we are dealing with on a regular basis here. It is not just a thought, it is a reality for a lot of people. I want to give credit to all of the young folks that came up here and spoke. I know how intimidating it can be at times to get in front of a large room to speak. I think they all deserve a round of applause for that. Don't let the pursuit of perfection be the enemy of progress when it comes to this. We need to get this done and we need to get it done today. Randy Przybysz, 828 Kerr Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I am the Executive Director of the Solid Waste Management District of St. Joseph County. For those who don't know, the Solid Waste Management District is the fancy legislative name for the County's recycling program. We participate, or the City, participates in our curbside recycling program where we divert over 23 million pounds a year, on average, from a local landfill. That is good in that it is recycled and all, but, also probably one (1) of the bigger environmental impact that we offer is our Household Hazardous Waste Disposal facility. People can bring things from acid, mercury containing products,pesticides,old motor oil,antifreeze,combustible old stains and those sorts of things. Last year, we took in over 1.2 million pounds through that program of things that would otherwise be, in the past, poured in alley or down the drains. This community, as I go around the State as I am on the State Associations Board, is viewed as rather progressive compared to some of the others. I would love to be able to take this resolution to our next Board meeting and say, now take that, too. The District has partnered with the City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, the town of New Carlisle, North Liberty and, actually, the entire county residents, for our Household Hazardous Waste facility the last twenty (28) years. If there is anything we can do to assist, we would be happy to. On a personal note, I also want to say that several of you know that I spent several years sitting up where you are as a County Council Member. I do not recall a time that we ever spent, nine(9) Council Members, so much time together that we came up with something that this many people came and said yes. I applaud you for that. If we would have done that, I would have eaten a lot less Snickers and we would have not been passing around a bottle of Tylenol. So, thank you very much. Joshua Crudup, 17727 Tanager Lane, South Bend, IN, stated, I am a senior at St. Joe. When we are in school and we see a person getting bullied, we are supposed to step in and help that person, right? This person that is getting bullied right now is the Earth. When we bully the Earth, a lot of things are affected. Deforestation, all of these species are going extinct every single day. I just want to thank everyone in this room, and you Council Members, for being the person who is stepping in and stopping this bullying from happening to this Earth. The Earth cannot speak for itself. We have to speak for the Earth. I want to thank you for passing this ordinance. This ordinance will go down in history as being the momentum builder. I just want to thank you so much. So, thank you so much. Adam Mazurek, 14334 Shoreline Drive, Granger, IN, stated, I would like to say that, first(1st) off, I hope many of you are familiar with Unity Gardens, I was listening to the things many people said tonight, and I thought Unity Gardens is a perfect example of how these things are being implemented in our community right now. It has an effect people,providing them with health and fresh food, but also eliminating carbon from having food being driven from Florida or California, it is grown right here. I think it would be cool to, within this resolution, maybe follow the model of Unity Gardens and offer them support. That would be pretty cool if a little funding went to Unity Gardens. I think they fit this goal perfectly. Thank you. Diana Mendelsohn, 20271 West Brick Road, South Bend, IN, stated, Thirty-one (31) years ago, I was a part of organizing the first(1st) Arbor Earth Day Festival at the Colfax Cultural Center. We traveled to many parks and I'm remembering back to when Organic Resources started, thanks to Loretta Duda and Bob Krasinski and other people. Then, of course, about eight (8) or nine (9) years ago, at Howard Park, it was determined that year that Council Members want to build a newer and an elite quality level of South Bend Animal Care and Control. It took a little longer to build that facility. It was built and over the many years to come, the utilities will be much lower. Those are very positive past decisions that were made and I'm looking forward to, my little niche will be to get the Parks Department to not use Round Up and as many chemicals and that type of thing. Also, I'm a member of the Recycle Advisory Board. One (1) thing I proposed to that 13 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 Committee is to fund $1,000 for a matching grant, we need to have the schools collect all the compostable from the lunch rooms. I work at a public school and we throw away, easily, ten (10) tons of food a day. There is a lot that we could be doing, so, I'm excited about this resolution. Thank you. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, Thank you to everyone who worked on this. I want to highlight my favorite part of this. It is the timeline and the action. So often we have good intentions as a Council, we'll sign resolutions, and then we don't come back. I think we need to use this as a model moving forward, especially with things that are important issues. We actually give ourselves a goal and ensure that we meet that goal and we're not just sending out good will, and we are actually taking action. Thank you to the authors of this and let's keep that moving forward. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride stated, I want to thank Councilmember Jo M. Broden for leading this charge. Also thank you to the Administration and all of the community partners, especially the students. It is great to see the care of the young who will be highly affected by climate change. This is a great start for us. I love the collaboration and partnership and that we are finally taking a stand. It feels so good to finally come to fruition when we have been talking about it for years. So, thank you everyone who has been involved in it and we look forward to seeing it evolve. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, I will be very brief. I have a deep gratitude for everyone who has helped bring this forward. I am looking, enthusiastically, at the next few months, at the budget process that will be very important going forward to make sure we hit our goals and objectives on this and set this for success in 2020. And also, I want to also highlight that we've heard you in terms of ordinances. This is the first (1St) step. The Climate Action Plan that will immediately follow from this will direct this Council, the Administration and future Council Members with three(3)to five(5)high impact measures and goals that we will all agree upon. Some of those can just take administrative action. Some of them will require Council action in terms of ordinances. So, more to come is the very best and quick way to say that I do invite you, and I thank you for coming out tonight, but it is imperative you join us in moving this action forward. Again, budget talks begin next week. We finalize that November 1 as a Council.You need to be there and present at all of those conversations. So,it's an invite and a really heavy lean ask. So,please join us in that very important process. Thank you all, very much. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, I pretty much said my piece earlier other than wanting to thank Councilmember Broden. I think I've received some undue credit. Councilmember Broden, I would say, did all of the lifting here and I was pretty much just a tag along. So, thank you for your work, dedication and passion on this issue. Councilmember John Voorde stated, I am resoundingly supportive of this resolution. It is a pleasure to be part of this process. It is action from you guys, from the school folks to the educational institutions in this community. You help those of us who you've entrusted to do something about problems we face to develop an awareness. You've educated us and accept that there, one(1), is a problem and two (2),that we can collectively do something about it. Hopefully, as everyone said,this is a meaningful first(1St) step and as long as I'm here another six(6)to seven (7)months,I hope to join hands with the rest of the Council Members and encourage those running for office to embrace these so important measures that affect us all. It's not only important to the environment and future generations, but I think we can dispel the notion it will somehow hand- shackle the economy. It is actually going to boost the economy as we get into this. So, anyway, again, I resoundingly support this. As I said back in Committee, there are three (3) sponsors but the bulk of the work, I think the co-sponsors will admit, has been done by Therese and Councilmember Broden.But,if it were allowed, I think it's safe to say that all nine(9)of us would have been co-sponsors of this. We can't co-sponsor something in a majority because there wouldn't be any point in voting on it. I'm happy to be a part of the process and am happy so many people are involved. Hopefully you continue to be, and I know you will be. Councilmember Karen White stated, I made most of my comments earlier on and I still stand by those comments. I would like to share with the public that the budget process will start this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Century Center. This will be the time where the Administration and 14 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 Council Members will be listening to the public. Most of the department heads will be there. This is the first (1S`) step in looking at the 2020 budget. I encourage you, if you can block out your schedule for this coming Wednesday, you will be hearing from the Administration and the Council Members how we have prepared for what is called the Fiscal Curb. We have really prepared for addressing the reduction in property taxes and also other areas that will impact our income for the 2020 fiscal year. We invite each and everyone of you to come if you can. We will be there to listen to and to learn from you all, as well. Thank you so much. Councilmember Tim Scott stated, Two (2)things,Therese, I've appreciated the conversations that we've always had. One (1) thing that you all might not know about me is that I drive to Goshen everyday to work for a green company where we literally turn 15 million pounds of plastics and tire rubber into car parts that then, again,when the car wears out, can be turned back into more car parts. I do that for a reason because I'm dedicated to the green side of this world and trying to make an impact. The company is there for that same reason too, to make an impact where we can. We are literally taking water bottle, Tide bottles and all of that and turning them into car parts. And, there are plenty of companies out there doing that. If you want, please Google search St. Louis in the 1930s. I grew up in St. Louis. At one (1) point they burned so much coal, wood and oil in the winter time that, during the winter, the air would not move and during the day the streets were completely dark. They had street lights on and lights on the cars because it was so dark from the soot in the air. We are probably paying for that now with what is going on.And this is the point I brought up in Committee, along with what Councilmember Jake Teshka said, we all need to do our part. At one (1) point, they decided that wasn't good enough and they made conscience effort to make those changes. Those photos are horrifying to see what was going on.They made a change and we can make a change, too. Sometimes we look and say, everything great and cutting-edge is happening on the west coast or somewhere other than here in South Bend. What I love about this Council, we've done it over the eight (8) years I've been on Council, a lot of cutting-edge and substantial ideas taken from other places in the world and doing it first (1St) in South Bend. I'm proud of the fact we've all done this. I appreciate Councilmembers Broden, Teshka and White for their leadership on this. This asks why not? Why can we not do that here? We need to have more courage to say, we don't care if we're in the Midwest or in a Rust Belt City, we are going to make a change and we are going to do it different. I appreciate everybody in this audience for that reason and for being here. When I first (1St) got on Council, I toured the Century Center. I was actually appalled. The lighting system was in a closet, the power was literally open where you open the closet and there was literally three (3)-phase live power with no safety features and no door on it. It was powering the Century Center's light system. Literally, if you touched any of it, you would die. That was how bad it was. It was me and a version of this Council saying, no, that is not good enough and we can do better with the Century Center. You look at what Century Center has become now, it has taken multiple strides in green technology. It was really driven from this Common Council at budget time to say that is not good enough. We've made improvements and you guys are part of it. We are doing it for the younger generation, too. We hear you. We hear the fact that we have to put more into what we are doing, business wise, within the City to include sustainable and renewable energy where we can. We are going to do that. I'm committed to doing that as we go forward. I want to thank everybody for coming out. This is the most clapping we've had at a Council meeting for a long time. So, thank you all. Councilmember Jo M. Broden made a motion to adopt Bill No. 19-33. Councilmember Jake Teshka seconded this motion by a roll call vote of seven(7). BILLS ON FIRST READING There were no bills for first (1St)reading. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. 15 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Bill Stranz, 1818 South Olive Street, South Bend, IN, stated,I own Bill's Body Shop. The Mayor's secretary, I talked to her after the last meeting. She said she was going to look into my problem and talk to the City Engineer. It took a day or two (2) and he finally contacted me saying he was going to do something. That has been almost two(2)weeks ago. He finally got back with me today after I talked to the Mayor's secretary for the first (1St) time since the last time. She evidently contacted the City Engineer who said he's still studying it and they are going to do something. He called me back and left a message on the phone. That was probably about 1:00 p.m. or 1:30 p.m., I was out to lunch. I tried to call him back and I realize what today is, couldn't get any more responses. I'm going to be out of town from tomorrow morning until Saturday evening. So, he probably won't have any more comments for me and I won't be able to be around. So, if I don't hear anymore, I guess, see you at the next Council meeting. But it seems like I'm not getting very much response. I also had Right-Of-Way Jones get on me, again, today. He made his call from Fort Wayne. He's been after me to sign off on these papers. I did fax him a copy of the estimates for moving the fence back and also for paving the lot. I don't know what kind of paving they want. Also, I have a bill here for putting in a guard fence for the dog that's in the shop to keep the dog in. I have estimates on all three (3) of those. I faxed them down to him and he said he was going to fax them to the City. That's as far as that got, so, I don't know really at this point,what is going on. Also, between the driveway that goes into the shop and the driveway that goes into the side lot,there is a twenty-five(25)foot span. I would appreciate it if he would put at least a place where you could take a vehicle in there and unload it. We have stuff coming in from the suppliers and dealers and they always park in front of the shop. They unload and bring the stuff in. When they get done, there will be no parking anywhere on the street. That is my problem. I appreciate what you can do and hopefully we can get something resolved before too long. They are already out there marking the street off. Thank you. Jason Banicki, 3822 West Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I won't be able to be at the budget kickoff Wednesday, so I would like to express my top priority. As I've gone far and wide across the sixth(6th)District, I've seen and heard one(1) constant cry from my residents over there. They want to see a traffic division back in the Police Department. Every neighborhood deals with reckless driving and we shouldn't have to wait until it results in the death of a child. We used to have a Traffic Division. People drove slower when they got tickets. It's not brain surgery we are performing here. We have to find the resources for a traffic division to help improve residents' quality of life. Jennifer Betz, 23150 Roosevelt Road, South Bend, IN, stated, I'm here because right now the County is planning a 22,000-acre mega industrial complex on farm land. It might seem like that is a County issue and not a City issue except it sits on our aquafer. It will increase a lot of truck traffic. It will have a huge impact on the infrastructure, so, I'm really concerned about it and a lot of residents are really concerned about it. The problem is, the other towns and cities in the county aren't really speaking up. There were multiple people here tonight who talked about what economic development is supposed to be. We can't fight climate change unless we have a new idea of economic development. There has been some wonderful talk by candidates about inclusive economic development and I would say that has to actually be about human communities and non- human communities. It has to be sustainable. Right now, if our economic developments offices on the City and county level are not re-envisioning what economic development is, all of your hard work is not actually going to pay off. There are cities in the United States, Fort Collins, Colorado, where the economic development office actually sits under the sustainability office. It isn't separate or on top of it, it is actually underneath the sustainability office. There is so much this City could do to really lead the way about economic development being for people and the plant and not just for profit. I ask you, going forward, to be a louder voice in these conversations. Everything that is happening on the County level is intimately affecting us. Not just through our air but possibly water. So, thank you. 16 REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019 Judith Rubleske, 515 South Meade Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Our county's economic development is on a path that seems to have a lot of parallels west of us in Will County, Illinois, were Joliet is and Elwood. There is a story in the New Republic magazine, in January or February about what happened in Elwood. Please read that. Look it up and read it. The path the economic development is going,bringing all these warehouses and then smokestacks closer to New Carlisle, is not the path that any of you want to go on. Thank you. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Council, President Tim Scott adjourned the meeting at 8:44 p.m. 17