HomeMy WebLinkAbout19-43 A Resolution Encouraging Continued and Increased Public Engagement between the Public and the Redevelopment Commission so
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JUN 0 5 2019 June 5, 2019
KAREEMAH FOWLER
South Bend Common Council CITY CLERK SOUTH BEND, IN
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South Bend, IN 46601
Re: A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,
ENCOURAGING CONTINUED AND INCREASED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE
PUBLIC AND THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Dear Council Members:
At the May 28, 2019 Common Council meeting, there was a significant discussion regarding the
Council's desire for changes in the meeting time for the Redevelopment Commission in order to
give residents more of an opportunity to attend the meetings and voice their opinions. This has
been a concern of Council members for long time due to requests from citizens. The Council's
consideration of the proposed TIF Realignment Resolution, Bill 19-35,prompted the discussion
of how citizens could be encouraged to attend and be engaged in Commission meetings.
In order to be responsive to citizen requests, we are formally requesting, through this resolution,
that the Redevelopment Commission change the time of its meetings to 5:00 p.m. or after and to
adopt procedures for citizens to be more engaged in Commission meetings. Although the work
of all of the City's Boards and Commissions is important and citizens are encouraged to attend
and participate in meetings, there is significant citizen interest in RDC meetings due to the
significant expenditures it approves and the magnitude of the projects it considers.
We request that this Resolution be placed on the Council's June 10, 2019 agenda.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sinc-a Yrs,
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Jo M. o , 4th District Council Me ber
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Kare White, Vice-President, S Bend
Common Council and At-Large Member
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Filed in Clerk's Office
BILL NO. 19-43 JUN 05 2019
RESOLUTION NO. KAREEMAI-H FOWLER
CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND IN
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF SOUTH BEND, ` I Pi` j , • ' - I i'.
CONTINUED AND INCREASED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE
REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Whereas, the Redevelopment Commission, pursuant to IC 36-7-14-32, is empowered to;
(1) make plans for carrying out a program of voluntary repair and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements;
(2)make plans for the enforcement of laws and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings
and improvements, and to the compulsory repair,rehabilitation, demolition, or removal of buildings and improvements;
(3)make preliminary plans outlining urban renewal activities for neighborhoods to embrace two(2)or more urban renewal
areas;
(4)make preliminary surveys, including environmental assessments,to determine if the undertaking and carrying out of an
urban renewal project are feasible;
(5)make plans for the relocation of persons (including families, business concerns, and others) displaced by an urban
renewal project;
(6)make relocation payments to or with respect to persons(including families,business concerns,and others)displaced by
an urban renewal project, for moving expenses and losses of property for which reimbursement or compensation is not
otherwise made, including the making of payments financed by the federal government; and
(7) develop, test, and report methods and techniques, and carry out demonstrations and other activities, for the prevention
and the elimination of areas needing development as defined in the conditions described in IC 36-7-1-3 in urban areas; and
Whereas,the Redevelopment Commission is comprised of five voting members, three of whom are appointed by
the Mayor and two are appointed by the South Bend Common Council. In addition, one member of the South Bend
Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees is appointed by the Mayor as a non-voting adviser to the
Commission.; and
Whereas, IC 36-7-14-3(b)gives the Common Council the statutory obligation to review and oversee the budget of
the Redevelopment Commission; and
Whereas, IC 36-7-14-13 requires the Redevelopment Commission to issue a report to the City's executive and
fiscal body which includes,in part, the names of the then qualified and acting commissioners,the names of the officers of
that body,the number of regular employees and their fixed salaries or compensation, the amount of the expenditures made
during the preceding year and their general purpose, an accounting of the tax increment revenues expended by any entity
receiving the tax increment revenues as a grant or loan from the commission,the amount of funds on hand at the close of
the calendar year, and other information necessary to disclose the activities of the commissioners and the results obtained;
and
Whereas, IC 36-7-14-13 also requires that report to include the following information set forth for each tax
increment financing district regarding the previous year:
(1)Revenues received.
(2)Expenses paid.
(3)Fund balances.
(4)The amount and maturity date for all outstanding obligations.
(5)The amount paid on outstanding obligations.
(6)A list of all the parcels and the depreciable personal property of any designated taxpayer included in each tax
increment financing district allocation area and the base assessed value and incremental assessed value for each
parcel and the depreciable personal property of any designated taxpayer in the list.
(7)To the extent that the following information has not previously been provided to the department of local
government finance:
(A)The year in which the tax increment financing district was established.
(B)The section of the Indiana Code under which the tax increment financing district was established.
(C)Whether the tax increment financing district is part of an area needing redevelopment, an economic
development area, a redevelopment project area, or an urban renewal project area.
(D)If applicable,the year in which the boundaries of the tax increment financing district were changed
and a description of those changes.
(E)The date on which the tax increment financing district will expire.
(F)A copy of each resolution adopted by the redevelopment commission that establishes or alters the tax
increment financing district; and
Whereas,the Redevelopment Commission has stated an expectation of having$28.4 million within its control
during fiscal year 2019 to address thirteen major projects; and
Whereas,the Redevelopment Commission is otherwise subject to the same laws,rules,and ordinances of a
general nature that apply to all other commissions or departments of the City; and
Whereas,the Common Council's standing Community Investment Committee is charged with overseeing the
various activities of the Community Investment Department and programs directed by this Department; and
Whereas,the mission of the Common Council is: "To make certain that our City Government is always
responsive to the needs of our residents& that the betterment of South Bend is always our highest priority"; and
Whereas,The City of South Bend is committed to delivering excellent services to its residents, including
transparency of data and internal performance management information through the City's core values of excellence,
accountability, innovation, inclusion and empowerment; and
Whereas, among the 2019 goals of the Redevelopment Commission are: 1)to improve resident engagement on
City services and direct neighborhood association support; 2)to increase meaningful information available on City
services, including better accessibility of information online; and
Whereas, among stated priorities of each of the Common Council,the City and the Redevelopment Commission
are: transparency,public engagement and the City's growth; and
Whereas, the Redevelopment Commission's currently schedule of regular meetings at 9:30 a.m. on the second
and fourth Thursdays of each month may make it difficult for many citizens of South Bend to attend and voice their
opinions regarding agenda items; and
Whereas,the Common Council believes that the mission of the Redevelopment Commission,together with the
missions of the Common Council and the City,would be better served by changing the scheduled time for Redevelopment
Commission meetings to a time 5:00 p.m. or later; and
Whereas,the Council acknowledges and appreciates the added burden and inconvenience placed on the members
of the Redevelopment Commission, its staff, volunteers and petitioners by such a change,but believes that such a change
is necessary in the best interests of the citizens of the City; and
Whereas,it is important that citizens not only be given an opportunity to attend the Redevelopment Commission
meetings,but also have an opportunity to address any agenda item by directly responding to a petitioner's presentation
and hearing any rebuttal; and
Whereas,the Redevelopment Commission has played a vital role in the development of the City in recent years
and it is anticipated that this vital role will continue into the future.
Section I. A change in the scheduled meeting time for the Redevelopment Commission from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. or later would provide more citizens of South Bend an opportunity to attend the meetings, thereby better serving the
interests of those citizens.
Section II. Adoption of rules and procedures by which any person attending such meeting is encouraged to engage
the Redevelopment Commission and those making presentations to the Commission would also better serve the interests of
the citizens of South.
Section III.The Common Council strongly encourages the Redevelopment Commission to approve and adopt the
recommendations of the Common Council, effective July 1,2019.
Section IV. This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon passage by the South Bend Common Council and
approval by the Mayor.
Tim Scott, Council President
South Bend Common Council