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Home My WebLink About03-13-08 CCAC / Community Campus Advisory Coalition Sub-Committee Minutes`y .lit I,+J ~.~~',. ~~ ~ t 4, ~ 4 ! Ct i.l~ C, . ~ r ~ 1 ~'. ! .~ Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) a`'7~Ff'~ R~\ m .~ ~1~ ~ ._ ~ ~'~,. The meeting of the Community/Campus Advisory Coalition was held in the Council Chambers, 4th Floor County-City Building in downtown South Bend, Indiana, on March 13, 2008. The meeting was called to order at approximately 3:10 p.m. by South Bend Council 4th District Representative Ann Puzzello who filled in for AI "Buddy" Kirsits who was ill. Council Member Puzzello welcomed everyone in attendance. Those attending included: South Bend Council President Timothy A. Rouse, Tom Price as representative of Mayor Stephen Luecke, Robinson Center Adult Program Coordinator Marguerite Taylor, South Bend Code Enforcement Director Catherine Toppel, Mark Kramer's daughter representing landlords of off-campus housing, South Bend Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, IU South Bend Student Body President Ivan D. Blount, IUSB Representative Dr. Jeff Jones, University of Notre Dame Student Body President Liz Brown, University of Notre Dame Assistant Vice-President Office of VP Student Affairs M. Brian Coughlin, University of Notre Dame Associate Vice-President Resident Life, William W. Kirk, St. Mary's College Student Body President Mickey Gruscinski, St. Mary's College Representative Slandah Dievjuste replacing Karen Johnson, Holy Cross Student Body President Steven Henderson, Holy Cross Representative Daniel Cochran replacing Tina Holland, Neighborhood Resident Matthew Costello, Alcoholic Beverage Board Member Michael Carrington, South Bend Assistant City Attorney Ann-Carol Nash, South Bend Police Chief Darryl Boykins, South Bend City Clerk John Voorde, members of the news media and unidentified members of the public. Members absent: Mayor Stephen Luecke (represented by Tom Price), City Attorney Charles Leone, South Bend Council Member AI "Buddy" Kirsits, Mark Kramer (represented by his daughter). Council Member Puzzello asked that the minutes of the February 20, 2008 be approved as written. It was moved and seconded and the minutes were approved as written. Council Member Puzzello then called upon South Bend City Clerk John Voorde to administer the oath to the members of the CCAC who were not present at the last meeting. Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes Page 2 City Clerk John Voorde then administered the oath to the following individuals; IUSB Representative Dr. Jeff Jones, Holy Cross Student Body President Steven Henderson, St. Mary's College Student Body President Mickey Gruscinski, Neighborhood Resident Matthew Costello, Alcoholic Beverage Board Member Michael Carrington and South Bend Police Chief Darryl Boykins. Each of these members then signed their respective Oath of Office documents (originals will be kept on file in the South Bend Office of the City Clerk). Council Member Puzzello then asked the members to introduce themselves and comment on why they became members of the Coalition. Common reasons that ran through member comments were: • Better relationships between schools, students and the community • Safety and security of students and neighbors • Keeping the lines of communication open • Address troublesome issues before they become big problems • Provide a better quality of life for everyone The next item for discussion was the formulation of a Mission Statement for the Coalition. Items mentioned by Coalition members for inclusion in the Mission Statement included: • Safety for students and neighborhoods • Quality of life • Building and strengthening neighborhood relationships • Trash, snow shoveling, broken windows It was agreed that the Mission Statement should be broad and not target specific Universities. Common Council Attorney Kathy Cekanski-Farrand who assisted Council Members Rouse and Kirsits in the drafting of Ordinance 9785-07 that created this Coalition read a portion of the Ordinance which members agreed was a good beginning Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes Page 3 for the Mission Statement: "CCAC will provide a viable mechanism to enhance partnerships and build positive long-term relationships." Members then discussed the important points that should be incorporated into the Mission Statement. A proposed draft of the Mission Statement reads as follows: "CACC will provide a viable mechanism to enhance partnerships and build positive long-term relationships in order to address safety. for students and neighborhoods, build better neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life for all." More discussions will be held before finalizing the Mission Statement. Council member Puzzello then asked the Coalition members what they believe are the three top issues that should be addressed before the fall semester begins. There was a lengthy discussion on how to combat the problem of illegal use of single family housing in violation of zoning ordinances. Single family homes are too often occupied by more than three unrelated persons as allowed by law. It was suggested that the City needed to be proactive, contacting landlords and making them aware of the zoning regulations. Code Enforcement Director Cathy Toppel noted that the Office of Code Enforcement has sent out preemptive letters with limited success with respect to the alleged zoning violations. It is also difficult to sue landlords for violation of zoning ordinances because it is difficult to prove how many people are residing in the home. Universities are hesitant to get involved with contacting parents about housing issues and some no longer include housing lists in student packets. The suggestion was made to include members of local realtors' and landlords' associations on the Coalition to help address this problem. The other two issues that are of the most concern are student and neighborhood safety and unruly behavior. The following areas were briefly addressed: • The CCAC needs to formulate recommendations for the two (2) South Bend Common Council Committees on or before June 15t per the governing City Ordinance. • The possibility of holding Coalition meetings at other locations was suggested, but due to the public access requirement that minutes of these meetings must be maintained by the City Clerk's office and the necessity of using recording equipment, this may not be feasible. • Small sub-committees may be needed to discuss specific problems. • The Ordinance that created the Coalition is a fluid document and can be amended if necessary. Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) March 13, 2008 Meeting Minutes Page 4 Notre Dame's Student Body President Liz Brown noted that the University is hosting a Community Summit. Information has been sent out and RSVP's should be returned by March 28, 2008. She will send out reminders again. She also said they are working on a University/Community event to be held April 2, 2008. The Notre Dame Baseball team will be playing the Silverhawks at the Cove. There will be free tickets and free food available for students, alumni and community members. Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 4t" Floor County-City Building was established as the next CCAC meeting date, time and location. Council Member Puzzello thanked everyone for their input and then adjourned the CCAC meeting at 4:35 p.m. Respectfully submit ed, ~I v Council Member Ann Puzzello, Acting Chairperson Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) ~'~~ld ~rE C1~"e \':~ h~ifali$ . _~ ~. ~ I ~ LwU Sfltili~ ~'OflFiDE CITY C~£alt, S0. EEIJD, IN,