10-12-09 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETINGOCTOBER 12, 2009 will continue to spiral downward if something is not done to stop the number of homes becoming vacant and then abandoned. She submitted photo copies of a number of troubled homes in the Rum Village Neighborhood. She also submitted a handout that the Rum Village Neighborhood Association developed to market their community. She stated that the residents are proud of their community and don’t want to see it decline any further. She stated that with the Council’s help to enforce the vacant and abandoned buildings Ordinance, together they can stop the decline of the neighborhood. COMMENTS REGARDING OVERGROWN VEGETATION IN THE RUM VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD Mr. Paul Duda, 2130 S. Taylor, South Bend, Indiana, advised that he would like the Council to revisit the “overgrown vegetation” section of the South Bend Municipal Code and raise the fines for homeowner’s violation this section of the code. He stated that he along with Council Member Oliver Davis toured the Rum Village Neighborhood and were shocked at how many yards were in violation. He stated that hitting the homeowner where it hurts in their pocketbooks maybe a way to get them to comply. COMMENTS REGARDING RE-EVALUATING THE APPLICATION FOR MASSAGE THERAPISTS Miaka L. Huss, 510 Coronation Gardens, South Bend, Indiana, advised that she is a licensed massage therapist in the State of Indiana. She stated that her husband is attending graduate school at the University of Notre Dame and that she wanted to open up a massage therapy business at the corner of Angela and U.S. 31 N. Ms. Huss stated that when she applied for her local business license through the Department of Administration and Finance she did not realize what a complicated process it was going to be. She asked the Council to revisit the ordinance and reconsider revising the extremely tedious application process that currently exists. She advised that massage therapists must be licensed through the State of Indiana and a one page simple application would be sufficient. Councilmember White advised that as Chairperson of the Health and Public Safety Committee this would fall under her jurisdiction and would schedule a meeting to discuss revising the massage therapy ordinance. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the President Derek D. Dieter adjourned the meeting at 8:01 p.m. ATTEST: ATTEST: ____________________________ ____________________________ John Voorde, City Clerk Derek D. Dieter, President 17