HomeMy WebLinkAboutPledging its Interest in Developments Proposed by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi IndiansAttest:
RESOLUTION
4435 -15
Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana
April 13,
15
20
Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana
April 14, 2015
City Clerk
President of Common Council
Approved and signed by me Yele" air/ I `l 1 20A,
City Clerk
RESOLUTION NO. L 3 r-1 r
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,
PLEDGING ITS INTEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENTS PROPOSED BY THE
POKAGON BAND OF POTAWATOMI INDIANS AND RECOGNIZING OUR STRATEGIC AND
VITAL PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIANA'S ONLY FEDERALLY - RECOGNIZED TRIBE IN THE STATE
4 the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana recognizes that on January 14, 2013,
the Common Council adopted Resolution No. 4228 -13 which approved a petition of the Area Board of Zoning
Appeals (ABZA) for the property located at 3733 Locust Street, South Bend, Indiana; after it received a
unanimous favorable recommendation on the request from the ABZA; and
Gq the 2013 petition requested a Special Exception for the Locust Street property to permit "a
government facility; Indiana Tribal Government Office for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, a federally
recognized Native American Tribe with a service area in the State of Indiana'; and
e the Common Council further recognizes that the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is the only
federally- recognized Indiana tribe; and further notes that the Locust Street property in South Bend provides
needed administrative services to area Tribal citizens, with testimony at the ABZA meeting noting that "we do
have a high concentration of Pokagon citizens in the South Bend area, northern Indiana, about 500 so we think
that our data would show that we would probably triple that ... serving 60 to 90 citizens a month in our building.
Some of the services we would provide are tutoring for our young students. Enrollment into our programs, our
education programs, housing, financial empowerment and social service'; and
q the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians has made "enormous strides ... to further economic
development, to develop tribal infrastructure and resources, and to improve healthcare, housing, education, and
elder services to its citizens... [and] has made it a priority to develop language and cultural programs for its citizens
to fully engage the Pokagon community in the cultural heritage and traditional lifeways of the Pokagon people
...which benefit the Indian and non - Indian communities alike "; and
the Common Council further notes that the Pokagon Band's recognition of the "importance of
maintaining a strong, self - sustaining government and strategic partnerships with state and local governments" has
only continued to grow over the years which has resulted in sustained collaboration and positive involvement.
Section I. The South Bend Common Council is proud to recognize that the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
Indians has a ten - county service delivery area with four (4) counties in southwestern Michigan and six (6)
counties, namely St. Joseph, LaPorte, Elkhart, Starke, Marshall, and Kosciusko in Indiana which includes much
of their ancestral and historical lands with the largest population concentrations remaining in the vicinity of the
"traditional villages in the St. Joseph River Valley, near the towns of Dowagiac and Hartford, Michigan and South
Bend, Indiana.
Section II. The Common Council recognizes considerable potential benefit to the City from a proposed
tribal village and related developments near Rum Village in the 6`s Councilmanic District in South Bend. The
Pokagon Band's vision includes housing units, healthcare service areas, tribal government facilities, hotel,
apartments, meeting and conference facilities, a gaming facility and parking garage; while potentially creating an
estimated 1,400 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs which would represent an in increase jobs in St.
Joseph County by 2.9 %.
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D . red erlic 4`h Dct
Dr. id Varner 5°i District
Office of the City C erk
be in full force and t m and afte its ption by the Common
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Kathleen Cekanski Farrand, Cou-nncilAA tt
Attorney
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Pete Buttigie ; ayo South Bend
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Common Council
City of South Bend Indiana
Oliver J. Davis, 6th District Council Member
4'h Floor County -City Building
227 West Jefferson Boulevard
South Bend, Indiana 46601
(574) 235 -5986 (574) 235 -9173 Facsimile (574)235 -5567 TTY /TDD
April 8, 2015
Members of the Common Council
4th Floor County -City Building
South Bend, Indiana 46601
Re: Resolution on Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Proposed Development
Dear Council Members:
You will recall that at our first regular meeting of the Common Council this year, held on January
12, 2015, John Warren, the Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians gave the
Invocation.
At our last Common Council meeting, I noted that the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs had posted
information on the web regarding the application filed by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
for the transfer and proposed development of 165.81 acres, located in the 6`h Councilmanic District,
which I am proud to represent. A link to that information and their Executive Summary has been
shared with you.
I have had the opportunity to share the attached Resolution with the City Administration. It
provides an opportunity for the Council to also address this very important topic. I recommend
that this proposed Resolution be sent to the Community Relations Committee for review,
discussion and a favorable recommendation. Thank you.
X elis
6`h District Council Member
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