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SPECIAL MEETING NOVEMBER 30, 2010 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />35 years. He stated that he owns his own building and pays property taxes on that <br />building and not in a rears on those taxes as he has seen other business’ come before the <br />Council and have people believe that they are upstanding citizens when in fact they don’t <br />even pay their property taxes. The other side of the coins is that as a brief member as the <br />Council’s representative on the Redevelopment Commission he was under the impression <br />or under the State Law’s impression or as it was originally written out that the <br />Redevelopment Commission was a part of the checks and balances within the executive <br />and legislative branches of government and that somehow that commission was supposed <br />to look at things and be that filter for the Council so that you don’t have to spend valuable <br />time looking at the volumes of paper that they would swamp the commission member’s <br />with right before the meeting. He stated that he took the time to read all those things and <br />on the commission at the time when the Cove project was first beginning. He stated that <br />he looked at all the properties that were up for sale and looked at who owned the <br />properties and how the money was being spent to buy, demolish and make ready this <br />project. He stated that he objected then, because certain well connected people were <br />getting monies in excess of what should have been the expected value for those <br />properties. He stated that houses that were falling down and getting triple the price that <br />should have been in a fair open market. But because these people were somehow <br />connected with the administration these properties were still purchased with our money <br />and at premium value at times when property values were dropping dramatically all <br />around the city. When talking about checks and balances how many people are there on <br />the Redevelopment Commission? Mr. Peczkowski stated that there are five members, <br />three of those are appointed by the Mayor and two appointed by the Council. He noted <br />that it takes three votes to get a project approved and moved to the Council for a vote. He <br />questioned whether the checks and balances have been properly addressed when those <br />three out of five members are always giving the same approval and same information <br />time and time again about projects that are being brought before the Council. There are <br />no checks and balances we have become an oligarchy and it is defined as government by <br />the few and a clique. Mr. Peczkowski stated that clique is a small group of people who <br />are unfortunately for us are all members of the Democratic Party. He stated that even <br />though he is a Democrat, sad to admit, that this is a detriment to the system. He urged the <br />Council to reconsider this and not go ahead with this because it is counter-productive and <br />not fair to him as a business man to have his tax money given to another tax payer so that <br />he can compete better than he can. <br /> <br />Rita Kopala, 66559 Ivy Road, Lakeville, Indiana, stated that she remembers Mr. <br />Peczkowski on the Redevelopment Commission and was sad to see him go. She stated <br />that she attends many of the meetings in City and County government and knows what <br />goes on first hand. She stated that there are so many things that go on and she won’t be <br />able to fight this much longer, but it is just unbelievable to her when she drives through <br />town and sees what has happened to the downtown area with all the code enforcement <br />violations that need to be addressed and all the homes that have been demolished. She <br />stated that there are no decent living places left for people. She advised the Council that <br />they shouldn’t just believe that there is just Eddy Street Commons or Granger, which she <br />is well aware of because of the regional water and sewer and the people who got that <br />who are located right across from the former Sear’s building, the name escape’s her but <br />they are very well in control and took care of Wyatt and there are so many things that <br />have happened in this city and honesty isn’t one of them and neither is transparency. She <br />advised the Council that saying the word just doesn’t get it for you. She stated that she <br />has fought for it so many times and takes what she can get and that’s enough of that. She <br />stated that the Council could be honest enough when people are interested in coming to <br />the meetings to get them the information that they are looking for and when she attends <br />these meetings she finds out it’s just another clique from the Mayor’s office that is <br />speaking again. She stated that there are other things that the City needs to address and <br />when she was growing up she could walk right down Chapin Street from downtown <br />South Bend after a show to her home just off of Sample Street with no problem and never <br />had any problems there. She stated that when she worked off of Broadway Street you <br />could walk down Fellows Street, take the bus, etc., but by the time she left there you <br />couldn’t walk from the Pepsi Plant to the parking lot without someone watching you get <br />into your car. She stated that the City Administration wants to put in pipe dreams like the <br />Football Hall of Fame, how long has that thing been going on and it’s not even gone yet <br /> 21 <br /> <br />