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REGULAR MEETING September 28, 2015 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />in our endeavors. However, I don’t think that it’s appropriate for me to commit. I have no idea <br />what it might show. If it’s reasonable and usually those things fall well within what we are willing <br />and capable of doing. I know there are other things that the City is looking at. Secondly, we are <br />not escaping taxes, we’re asking to become part of the City and pay City taxes and continue our <br />track record of being good corporate citizens. I’m stuck because without going into the mechanics <br />of tax abatements, it’s not a zero sum game. <br /> <br />Councilmember Henry Davis Jr. - I wasn’t trying to suggest that you were trying to avoid taxes. <br />It was just a simple question. As you move to the county, as you could be or are trying to relocate <br />to the county the law is what I stated, that we will have to honor whatever the county gives you. <br />When or if the annexation happens. I do know we had a similar situation with another business <br />where they are not paying anything at all and so the City will not recoup any taxes from your new <br />development per the county abatement law. That is why I am asking the question. So, you are <br />still sort of saying you may or may not know what’s going on. If you don’t know you don’t know. <br /> <br />Robert Bartels- The answer is we have had no conversation with anyone about tax abatements at <br />all at this point. <br /> <br />Committee of the Whole Chairperson White- At this time we have no other questions for the <br />petitioner. We do have questions for the Director of Public Works. <br /> <br />th <br />Eric Horvath Public Works Director: Offices on the 13 Floor- I appreciate your time this <br />afternoon and I appreciate Martin’s continuing to invest in this area and keeping a store in this <br />area. I think it is great that they are doing that I also appreciate the efforts they’ve made today to <br />work with local businesses and local residents to try to minimize any impacts that their store will <br />have in this area including a traffic impact study that we are asking them to do. I think that really <br />the crux is trying to find a way to keep a store here but minimize any impacts it has through looking <br />at the lighting, looking at the landscape, and then looking at any potential traffic issues. I do want <br />to point out that the traffic impact study will tell the story in what we will ask them to do. If we <br />need dedicated turning lanes, if we need excel/ decel lines, whatever we need to do to make sure <br />we’ve got safe traffic movements that can happen out here. That will be part of that traffic study. <br />Having said that, I also need to make sure that the Council understands that Hollywood Blvd is a <br />county road and will remain a county road. As such the city will not have jurisdiction on curb cuts <br />nor will we have jurisdiction on limiting trucks or other activity. So if we want to put some type <br />of traffic control measures in there, until it’s a City street we will not have the ability to do that. I <br />do think in terms of the curb cut on Hollywood Blvd., my staff thought it’d be helpful for public <br />safety access. That we make sure we have a number of access points for police and fire for any <br />instance that would happen there. They did recommend having a cut on Hollywood Blvd. <br />However just to be clear that is county jurisdiction. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis- How long does a traffic study take and then when will you find the <br />results of that and then how will that be released to the public? Especially the neighbors and all of <br />us that in the Sixth District of South Bend. How would I and all the council find that out? Let’s <br />say everything was approved tonight. When would we find out about it and is there any voice the <br />neighbors have in that study? Do they survey them? Tell me about it. <br /> <br />Eric Horvath- Director of Public Works deferred the questions to Michael Danch. <br /> <br />Mr. Danch - They will be checking to see if the scope is correct, first. My guess is that this will <br />be about a four (4) to six (6) week process. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis- So by the end of October middle of November we would know? <br /> <br />Mr. Danch - As soon as we give it to the City, you can share it with the council members and <br />probably what would end up happening is once you see that particular study you’re either going <br />to be in contact with City Engineering to ask to them questions about what that study actually <br />represents. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis- Then the residents themselves, how can they find out about that? <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br /> <br />