Laserfiche WebLink
REGULAR MEETING JULY 24, 2006 <br />the City. This is the real answer to concerns that this Council is facing such as high <br />property tax, lack of people, deteriorating structures. Councilmember Rouse stated that <br />he is hopeful that they will have more partnerships in this manner that will not only <br />spread into Portage Prairie but into other areas of this great City and turn it around and <br />st <br />become that 21 Century City that we hope we will be. <br />A Public Hearing was held on the Resolution at this time. <br />The following individuals spoke in favor of this bill: <br />th <br />Mr. Don Inks, Director, Economic Development, 12 Floor County-City Building, 227 <br />W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, residing at 1820 Portage Avenue, South Bend, <br />Indiana, advised that he was going to make several remarks this evening. Mr. Inks stated <br />that Councilmember Rouse beat him to the punch. Mr. Inks stated that this is a great <br />project for the City of South Bend. It kicks off a 450 acre development starting with a <br />spec industrial building, but there is much, much more to come out in Portage Prairie. <br />This will be great not only for South Bend on the edge of the City, but there will be <br />benefits that will spill over into the inner-city. This project will be great for all of South <br />Bend for the edge of the City as well as the inner City. The City of South Bend supports <br />this project and supports the abatement. <br />Councilmember Pfeifer asked Mr. Inks to state in which ways this project will spill over <br />into the City. <br />Mr. Inks responded that this project will have a very positive impact on the assessed <br />value in the City of South Bend that will impact the tax rate or the tax revenue depending <br />on how the taxes are structured moving forwarding. This project is over 300 million <br />dollars of new private investment which will have a significant impact on the City’s tax <br />base. <br />Ms. Sharon Kendall, Executive Director, Community and Economic Development <br />th <br />Department, 12 Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, <br />Indiana, advised that she rarely gets up to make comments on projects. However, there <br />were a couple of things that came up in committee this afternoon that need to be <br />reiterated. There have been a number of times when the State of Indiana has sent projects <br />out over their web portal that they have, and the City of South Bend has not been able to <br />respond to, because the City does not have available space for those projects, that fit the <br />parameters of the projects. Projects like the Huron Building will give the City that <br />opportunity to do so, and get the City into the game into a very timely manner. It will <br />also give the City the opportunity to have what Mayor Luecke referred to as shovel ready <br />sites, for businesses that want to get up and running and construct facilities very quickly <br />in the City of South Bend. We don’t have too many of those areas of the size that will be <br />afforded to the City by Portage Prairie in the near future and now. She also stated that it <br />is very important to remember that this is a very unique type of project, the City has not <br />seen anything like this in the City of South Bend and it will truly be a regional draw that <br />will bring in a number of people from around the Midwest into the Community to live, <br />work, play and spend their money and their tax dollars. She urged the Council’s <br />favorable support for this project. <br />Councilmember Pfeifer stated that Ms. Kendall understands that the citizens of the City <br />are always looking for opportunities for employment. The citizens want to know when <br />the City takes their tax dollars and support an investment; they want to know if that <br />means jobs for people who live in the City? They want to know if that means <br />opportunities for them to fix up their homes, they want to know if it is going to impact <br />the school, so obviously, you can appreciate, that when people see the Council supporting <br />an investment, that they want to know if people that live in the City are going to work <br />here. One of the things that happens unfortunately, not necessarily here, but that <br />sometimes the local contractors according to some of the union representatives, going <br />around, or go through the backdoor, and don’t hire union workers, so part of what the <br />Council’s responsibility is to make sure that when they support investment, they should <br />make sure that the people who live in the City are benefiting not only by having the taxes, <br />16 <br /> <br />