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REGULAR MEETING October 9, 2017
<br /> Kieran Fahey, 404 Marquette Avenue, South Bend, IN, approached the podium to respond to
<br /> Councilmember Broden's question. Mr. Fahey stated, So,the existing ordinance that this is
<br /> replacing had already established that date, and the date is actually an awkward date of
<br /> November 23rd, 2020. So, we just round that out to the complete year of 2020, making it
<br /> December 31 st, 2020. Much of this is a long-term talk, so we're not trying to solve the problem
<br /> immediately today. We have got to make sure that the commercial businesses have an
<br /> opportunity to prepare for this and to plan accordingly.
<br /> Mr. Mueller stated, We'll clarify that we set the residential deadline to match the commercial
<br /> deadline. And then we're getting an additional year of free disconnects. What we did notice is
<br /> that this program, not everyone has awareness of it, and we really need to do a drive because this
<br /> mandate is going to come upon us, and we need to be prepared.
<br /> Councilmember Broden stated, That was my follow-up question: progress on residential and...
<br /> Mr. Fahey stated, Previously, we had two (2) dates. We had the date of December 31St, 2018
<br /> when all residents of South Bend had to be disconnected, and the commercial would get a longer
<br /> length of time, due to the fact that they are basically larger buildings and they had a lot more
<br /> work to do. We got an offer of free disconnection to the residences until the end of this year and,
<br /> so far, we have the resources to believe we can do this for another year to make sure that we can
<br /> get the final houses that are still connected. Then, we will give until 2020 for them to do it at
<br /> their own cost. We estimate that there are only about fourteen-or fifteen-hundred(1,400 or
<br /> 1,500) homes in South Bend that are still connected that haven't either gotten an exemption or
<br /> haven't applied. We are targeting those homes specifically. So, we believe that we're at a very
<br /> high percentage of disconnections across the City, at the moment.
<br /> Councilmember Broden asked, Are those fifteen-hundred(1,500)—I mean, if we map those, is
<br /> there a concentration? And then—
<br /> Mr. Fahey interjected, Yeah,we've mapped that. We know exactly where the homes are. We
<br /> have a very simple smartphone app that we can use. With the property tax bills that went out last
<br /> year—every home in South Bend, actually organized through St. Joseph County, got a specific
<br /> notice they were notified,but all you have to do is call 311; there's no complicated process.
<br /> They just call 311, and, through that,they basically have to sign a small indemnity to say that the
<br /> City identified and we do disconnection. We estimate that we have fifteen-hundred (1,500)
<br /> homes. There's possibly between two-and-a-half(2 '/2), which is an odd number, obviously,but
<br /> between two (2) and three (3) downspouts per home. For the City, it costs about forty-three
<br /> dollars ($43)to disconnect. So,we've allocated the remaining budget this year that does not yet
<br /> count for next year, as well, and we're going to continue to target the specific individual homes.
<br /> We know exactly the ones that need to be disconnected.
<br /> Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to send Bill No. 66-17 to the full Council with a
<br /> favorable recommendation. Councilmember Karen White seconded the motion which carried by
<br /> a voice vote of nine (9) ayes.
<br /> 51-17 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE OF
<br /> THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
<br /> SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROPRIATING
<br /> MONIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING
<br /> THE EXPENSES OF SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
<br /> OF THE CIVIL CITY OF SOUTH BEND,
<br /> INDIANA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
<br /> BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2018 AND ENDING
<br /> DECEMBER 31, 2018 INCLUDING ALL
<br /> OUTSTANDING CLAIMS AND OBLIGATIONS,
<br /> AND FIXING A TIME WHEN THE SAME
<br /> SHALL TAKE EFFECT
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