11-30-10 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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SPECIAL MEETING NOVEMBER 30, 2010 Gregg Burkowski, Roosevelt Road, South Bend, Indiana, stated that there are a few of the proposed improvements that he can see supporting such as upgrading the dugouts, locker rooms, the training rooms. He stated that the Council needs to separate the needs from the wants and not support this project with taxpayer’s money. He stated that the last thing that this city needs is more debt. Jim Cierzniak, 1518 Pine Top Trace, Mishawaka, Indiana, stated that he has a vision for this project and that is the Council marching over to the Cove with white hard hats to go over what exactly needs to be done at the cove. Then take off those white hard hats and put on green visors to go over the books very carefully. He noted that the Council voted no to the first bill tonight and he urged the Council to vote no to this bill tonight. He stated then the Council needs to sit down to see what needs to be done and what can be afforded for this project. He stated that this project should not be more than a 1 or 2 million dollar project. He stated that it is up to the Council to find out what kind of condition the Cove is really in and then to make sure that the City does not pay for more than what really needs to be done at this point in time. He stated that the Council got a good lesson on economics on the situation earlier tonight. He stated that they were told the investors paid so much and the worth is just so much, however, if the city were to make the stadium a super stadium then the value would go up and the investor’s could then sell for a much higher profit. Mr. Cierzniak stated frankly ladies and gentleman that is baseball 101. Myer Blad, Mishawaka, Indiana, asked the Council to live within the City’s means. He stated he likes going to the Cove and having the Silverhawks here however, this project is too extravagant. He urged the Council to vote against this bill. Barbara Saunders Brownell, 1407 Sunnymede, South Bend, Indiana, stated that several years ago she was part of the fundraising effort to keep the Howard Park Ice Rink open. She also stated that she was part of the effort to help keep the city’s swimming pools open. She stated that these are important facilities for the City along with the Coveleski Stadium, however, the Council needs to go over the figures and find out exactly what needs to be done and what the City is going to get the most bang for their buck. She questioned why the City would want other development competing against the Cove such as bars and restaurant’s when you can get food and drinks at the stadium. She urged the Council to review the project because this is a lot of money. She stated that her mom always said that South Bend Government has champagne taste and the people have a beer budget. Joan Strezlecki, 51330 Prescott Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, stated that it has been reported on the news that Mayor Luecke was quoted as saying that no tax payer dollars would be spent on the renovation of the stadium. She stated that it is all tax payer money. She stated that it seemed to her that the people speaking in favor of this project are people connected with the cove, those making a living from it one way or another. She stated that people like her are always ignored and don’t have voice when the City wants to raise taxes. She urged the Council to vote against this bill. Ken Peczkowski, owner Griffith Book Store, residing at 509 W. Madison, South Bend, Indiana. He stated that he also served as the Council’s representative on the South Bend Redevelopment Commission a few years ago. He stated that as a business owner he had a vision approximately 35 years ago for a business of their type to exist and thrive in the downtown area. He stated that they were courted by the then Scottsdale Mall which was the only mall and predates most of the businesses that currently exist downtown and certainly predates the Cove. He reiterated that he had a vision for a place that he and his wife could do good things by selling the things that they love and those are books and games. He stated that these two products are in competition with other members of the entertainment industry such as movies, sports, and other entities that are looking for those entertainment dollars. They are in the same competition for those dollars and to him to favor out Mr. Kernan and side with him that his team is only getting 200,00 people to show up and things aren’t so go good and the facility is starting to look shabby and that a lot of other things are going bad. Mr. Peczkowski stated that he faced that everyday for 20