Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout9903-09 Appropriating $43,500 From County Option Income Tax (COIT) Fund #404 to provide rentORDINANCE No. 9903-09 Passed by the Common Council of the Ciry of South Bend, Indiana February 23, 2009 Attest: RDE Attest: Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana February 24, JOH. Approved and signed by me F e b r u a r y 2 5; 20 Q~_ Ciry Clerk Mayer 20 09 Ciry Clerk President of Common Council Ordinance No . c(q 0 ~'~ AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROPRIATING $43,500.00 FROM COUNTY OPTION INCOME TAX (COIT) FUND # 404 TO PROVIDE RENT SUPPLEMENT TO THE FAMILY VIOLENCE/SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT The Family Violence/Special Victims Unit (FV/SVU) is currently housed on the second floor of the Family Justice Center Building at 711 E. Colfax Avenue in South Bend, and it is a cooperative program through the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office and the police units of South Bend, St. Joseph County and Mishawaka which assists victims of crime. Among other things, the FV/SVU helps hundreds of violent crime victims obtain civil orders of protection, and it is a valuzble community resource. Through December 2008 the FV/SVU Program was funded under the federal Family Justice Center grant program, and it has secured another grant which covers certain 2009 program expenses, but not rent. To assist the FV/SVU, both St. Joseph County and the City of South Bend have partnered cooperatively to share the 2009 rent expense of the FV/SVU, with each unit paying one half the rent, or $43,500.00 each. This Ordinance authorizes appropriation for South Bend's contribution to FV/SVU 2009 rent costs after the County has paid its one half share. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA as follows: Section I. The sum of Forty-Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($43,500.00) be and hereby is appropriated from the County Option Income Tax (COIT) Fund # 404 to pay the City of South Bend's agreed one half share of the Family Violence/Special Victims Unit (FV/SVU) 2009 rent in the building at 711 E. Colfax, South Bend, Indiana. Section II. This appropriation shall be payable after St. Joseph County has paid its one half share of the FV/SVU 2009 rent. Section III. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the Common Council, approval by the Mayor. Member, South Bend Common Council Attest: C by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana on the L-`{~ day of ~szbru..~v~ , 2 ~ , at(:.~5 o'clock ~. m. r-- City rk ~ ,~,~ -IZ.. Approved and signed by me on the Z .` day of , 2 cfl , at j 2 : ~ o'clock off. m. ~ ~~~ Mayor, City of outh Bend, Indiana F:\DATAISHARE\Legal\Wpdata\AMD\Ordinances\FV SVU Rent Appropriation OI 1509.doc 1st READIFIG ~ " Lb ~ ~ PUBLtC HEARING Z-Z3-~~ 3 rd READWG 2,-2,3-n~ NOT APPROVF~ REFERRED PASSED 2-Z~- o ~ Fll~~ In Gi~rls'~ Q~flc® JAN 2 0 2009 ,{C;~{J VOur CE TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred: BILL NO. 05-09 A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROPRIATING $43,500.00 FROM COUNTY OPTION INCOME TAX (COIT) FUND #404 TO PROVIDE RENT SUPPLEMENT TO THE FAMILY VIOLENCE/SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion, this bill is being recommended to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Ann Puzzello Chairperson, Committee of the Whole CITY OF SOUTH BEND STEPHEN J. LUECKE, MAYOR OFFICE OF THE MAYOR January 20, 2009 Mr. Derek Dieter President, South Bend Common Council 4`h Floor, County-City Building South Bend, IN 46601 Re: Ordinance Appropriating $43,500 for Rent Assistance . to The Family Violence/Special Victims Unit Dear President Dieter: The Family Violence/Special Victims Unit (FV/SVU) is a valuable community resource, located in South Bend, which, among other things, helps victims of family violence obtain civil protective orders. Unfortunately, the FV/SVU's full funding ended December 31, 2008, and while FV/5VU procured a funding grant in 2009, it does not cover the FV/SVU's rent for its building at 711 E. Colfax Avenue. The attached ordinance approves an appropriation of $43,500 to cover half the FV/SVU's rent expense in 2009. This ordinance also represents an effective partnership with St. Joseph County government which is sharing with South Bend half the 2009 rental expense of the FV/SVU. I will present this ordinance to the Common Council at all its pertinent meetings. Thank you for your consideration. ~I~P'~ E ~~;~r__':_tr~~ iiiC2 J ~,'.! 2 0 2~~ ~9 ,;Ct~t;1'OCRD4 cart cir-.~u. ~e. ~xi~~, ~t~. Sincerely, Stephen J. Luecke Mayor COUNTY-CITY BUILDING • 227 W. JEFFERSON BOULEVARD • SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601 PHONE 574!235-9261 • FAx 5741235-9892 • TDD 5741235-5567 This consolidation of government services is consistent with the recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard report, published earlier this yeaz. We have co-located highly trained investigators and prosecutorial staff members in a single unit, dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of these crimes against women and children. Unti12007, the FV/SVU was housed on the second floor of the CASIE Center building, at no cost to the County or Cities. However, the space became and remains insufficient for the staffof the FV/SVU. With the receipt of the President's Family Justice Center Initiative grant awazd, the FV/SVU was able to relocate, without incurring rent costs, to the Family Justice Center building. The Family Justice Center secured atwo-year lease of the former United Health Services building located at 711 East Colfax Avenue, South Bend, Indiana. This lease included space for the FV/SVU on the second floor of the building; the terms of the lease expired at the end of December 2008. The Family Justice Center spent over $105,000 in grant funds to make the building compliant with ADA standards, to add a medical exam room, and to install telephone and network cables necessary for the staff to perform their work tasks. Additionally, a $25,000 security system was installed, at no labor cost, by the Notre Dame Security Police Department. The FV/SVU has grown, due to an increase in the number of these cases reported in St. Joseph County: In 2003, there were 3,177 cases investigated. In 2007, there were 3,676 cases investigated. - 15.7% increase It is perhaps because of the co-location - of police detectives, from the three major police departments, with deputy prosecutors and our support staff -that it has not become necessary to increase the number of staff at the rate that the caseload has increased. Members of the FV/SVU aze dedicated to conducting thorough investigations and prosecutions of those crimes that affect the most vulnerable members of our community. They continue to do so while seeing an increase in the number of cases referred by local law enforcement. On December 16, 2008, in a public hearing, in a 7-0 vote, the St. Joseph County Council passed Ordinance 112-08, appropriating $43,500 from the "Rainy Day" fund to pay rent for the FV/SVU for 2009. On December 23, 2008, the St. Joseph Commissioners approved the ordinance in a 3-0 vote. In the ordinance, Section 2 reads: "This ordinance shall be in full force and effect contingent upon an appropriation from the City of South Bend for $43,500 from and after its passage and approval as required by law." (See attached ordinance.) The St. Joseph County Council and Commissioners, under the terms of their Ordinance, cannot issue a check to the owner of the building located at 711 East Colfax to pay rent for the FV/SVU until an "appropriation" is made by the City of South Bend. Therefore, I am writing to respectfully urge you to support the ordinance that Mayor Luecke filed on January 20, 2009, which will be presented for public hearing at the Common Council meeting scheduled for February 9, 2009. We need the Ordinance passed by the City, appropriating $43,500 to match the same amount committed by the County Ordinance to house the FV/SVU on the second floor of the building located at 711 East Colfax. The first floor is occupied by the Family Justice Center, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is responsible for, and will be paying rent for that part of the building they occupy. We are now at a crossroads. We need funding to pay the rent in order for the FV/SW to remain in their offices. If we regress by dismantling the FV/SVU, we will not have the quality of investigations that have lead to successful prosecutions. The safety of women and children in our community depends on the success of the FV/SVU in partnership with the not-for-profit Family Justice Center. Please contact me so that I may answer your questions or discuss your concerns about my request. I invite you to visit the building, and take a tour of the FV/SVU offices so that you can see for yourselves how well this model works for investigators and the prosecution staff assigned to the FV/SW. Sincerely, L'~~~ Michael A. Dvorak J ~,',~ ?. 6 2009 JC`~1~ VC~uF~CE C1TY C'~E'rK, ~0. BEP~D,1N. -- ~~i~e of the ~ro~e~uting ~ttorne~ County-City Building 227 West Jefferson Blvd., 10`" Floor South Bend, IN 46601 (574) 235-9544 Fax (574) 235-9761 January 22, 2009 South Bend Common Council County-City Building, 4th Floor 227 West Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46601 Prosecuting Attorney 60"' Judicial Circuit St. Joseph County Indiana Re: South Bend Ordinance proposing appropriation of funding for Family Violence/Special Victims Unit rental payment Dear Council Members: The activities of the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office directly impact public safety and the welfare of our community, and as such affect the quality of life for citizens in all parts of the County, including your constituents in the City of South Bend. Throughout my administration, Ihave made efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of complex investigations, including those of rape/sexual assaults, domestic violence, and child abuse. To that end, I worked with the South Bend, St. Joseph County, and Mishawaka Police Departments to reorganize the "STOP Unit" into the Family Violence/Special Victims Unit. The FV/SVU includes 25 county/city employees: 0 5 deputy prosecuting attorneys, 0 2 paralegals, 0 3 clerical support staff, 0 2 victim advocates, 0 2 prosecutor's investigators, and 0 11 police detectives from South Bend, St. Joseph County, and Mishawaka Police Departments. Qf the eleven police dPtec±ivPs assigned to t~:e FV/SVU, se~~en aze ?~signe3 by the South Bend Police Department. In 2007, the FV/SW investigated a total of 3,676 cases, of which 2,354, or 64%, originated in the city of South Bend. The statistics for 2008 are still being compiled; however, the percentage of cases originating in South Bend is consistent with previous years. The FV/SVU is funded by a grant through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, prosecutor's diversion/deferral user fees, and taxpayer dollars. It is important to note that consolidating these investigations into one Unit was done without increased cost to county or city taxpayers.