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REGULAR MEETING Isolated Wetlands Program Law Water Rights Parks Master Plan 2014 -2018 APRIL 25, 2016 Remarks as prepared for delivery by Mayor Buttigieg at 2016 State of the City Section 401 Water Quality Certification State Laws Cited in Bill No. 16 -08 Establishing an Elbel Advisory Committee Survey Wetlands Area Calculated TJ Mannen- Status updates for the Golf Division. All documents are available online through the Council Dropbox Link as well as on file in the City Clerk's Office. There were no questions from the Council. Those wishing to speak in favor of the bill: Aaron Perri, Director of the Parks Department with offices at 322 Walter St., thanked Councilmember Broden and the other Committeemembers for their service and leadership during this process. Mr. Perri expressed his agreement with all of the recommendations and also the Parks Board unanimously approved the recommendations as well. The process of community engagement and hiring consultants is moving along and there will be reports to the Council shortly. Jennifer Betz, 511 South Saint Joseph Street South Bend, thanked the Special Advisory Committee and the Council for all of their work on this issue. It has been a very long process and it is still ongoing. She stated that Resolution Six was not approved unanimously it was approved three (3) to two (2). She expressed concern about the work going back to the Park Board and PARC Committee because of the broken public trust and stressed she would rather the work continue at the Special Committee. It is also harder to follow this process when it is at multiple levels. She also thought the Elbel Specific language was missed in Recommendation Two. Paul Blasko, 322 E. Colfax Ave Apt 209 South Bend, spoke in favor of the resolution and thanked the Special Advisory Committee. He stated his encouragement of the process and is excited to see what Aaron Perri and the Park Board will come up with for Elbel including the ecological study and integrity. Sally Durengozski, 17888 Amberwood Ln. South Bend, thanked the Advisory Committee and their efforts. She questioned whether the Committee could disband on its own because it was formed by the Council. It should be up to the Council whether their work is done. The community has reason to still be concerned about what will happen with the work of the consultants and work of management. It would be difficult to forget how rattled the community is from the breach of trust from the Mayor's Office, the Park Board and even the PARC Committee. All of this does not give the community a good feeling to see what will happen six (6) months from now. She suggested the Special Advisory Committee continue because they were the ones to step up and really do the work the community wanted. Those wishing to speak in opposition: Ricky Klee, 2010 Hollywood Place South Bend IN, thanked the members of the Special Advisory Committee and commend their hard work. His concern is that the Mayor stated the Special Advisory Committee should be exemplary in its inclusion of diverse community voices and perspectives. The artificially limited time of the Committee resulted in many voices in the community not being heard especially racially and then also economic diversity. That is a serious omission and should cause the Council to send the Committee back. There was also no school involvement in the process. There was also no presentation given to the Committee about turning Elbel into a nature preserve and that idea should have been addressed. 15