2009 Annual Report - Health and Public Safety Committee

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2009 Annual Report of the Health and Public Safety Committee December 3, 2009 Page 3 Recommendations for the 2010 Calendar Year: In light of the Council Summits which were held this year, and the continuing financial impacts resulting from the Indiana General Assembly's enactment of HEA 1001, fiscal challenges on important health and public safety priorities will be a continuing concern in 2010. As Health and Public Safety Committee Chairperson, I believe that we must continue to monitor the ordinances which have been passed by the South Bend Common Council. Part of that includes reviewing the core missions of the various City Departments to help: • Improve the implementation and enforcement of all quality of life ordinance Improve the transparency of the training of city personnel involved with the enforcement process of all ordinances • Seek better accountability to the citizens who have an expectation that rules and regulations, once passed, will be properly implemented I also believe it is important to continue to hold "District Public Safety Committee" meetings within the various Councilmanic Districts throughout South Bend. These meetings provide opportunities for residents to articulate their concerns, and provides a forum for the City of South Bend to emphasize the importance of public safety in our community. Since the budgets for the South Bend Police Department and the South Bend Fire Department constitute the greatest percentage of the civil city budget, I believe that the Health and Public Safety Committee should collaborate with the Zoning and Annexation Committee to assure that projected costs for public safety services in proposed new areas of annexation are properly calculated in light of actual costs. Our committee is continuing to work with the Fire Administration on a new ordinance addressing fees for fire inspections. Such an ordinance is in keeping our committee goals established in January to explore new sources of income and implementing reasonable fees for services rendered. It has been a pleasure to serve as the Health and Public Safety Committee Chairperson this year. I would like to continue to serve in this capacity in 2010. Thank you. Respectfully submitted, .lc. ~ .~ ounci~'~ember Karen L. tte, Chairperson ealth and Public Safety Committee cc: Police Chief Boykins Fire Chief Buchanon Filed In Clerk's Office DEC - 4 2009 JOHN VOORDE CITY CLERK, S0. BEND, IN.