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11-14-05 Council Meeting Minutes
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11-14-05 Council Meeting Minutes
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City Council - City Clerk
City Counci - Date
11/14/2005
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REGULAR MEETINGNOVEMBER 14, 2005 <br />residents and siding with the lower income residents is divisive and will lead to a weaker <br />neighborhood. Well-educated Catholic Workers with financial resources denouncing <br />others for their middle-income status and concern for the neighborhood stability is not <br />helpful. Many of the individuals being accused of lack of support for homeless persons <br />have been community leaders in social services, community development and work with <br />homeless individuals for many years. Catering to the lowest income members of the <br />community and casting aspersions on those who have helped t make the neighborhood <br />stable and diverse is no way to improve neighborhoods. The unfortunate thing is that the <br />Catholic Workers and the West Washington Neighborhood residents probably have many <br />shared goals. However, neighborhood residents are understandably aggravated by open <br />defiance of the zoning laws and being accused of racism, Not in My Back Yard’ism and <br />lack of support for homeless persons. The Catholic Workers are intent on providing <br />services to the homeless and perhaps did not understand the neighborhood and those who <br />live there and why the zoning is important. Everyone has stated his or her position and <br />now the issue needs to be resolved. The Catholic Workers have filed a request for a <br />change in the zoning, which will be acted on by the South Bend Common Council. Now, <br />the group can discuss their proposal with the neighborhood association, hopefully, in a <br />respectful and truthful manner. Neighborhood leaders can listen to the Catholic Workers <br />and state their opinion on the zoning based on the interests of the neighborhood. The <br />Common Council will vote on the zoning change and then the City Administration needs <br />to enforce the decision that is made. The zoning process is how decisions are made on <br />how real estate is used in any given area.Everyone involved needs to state their opinion, <br />respect the democratic process and then live by the decisions that are made. It is <br />unfortunate that the situation has reached such an impasse. Now everyone involved <br />needs to put their best foot forward, resolve the issue one way or another and try to work <br />together for the best interest of the neighborhood. <br />Ms. Catherine Hostetler, 125 S. Lafayette, South Bend, Indiana advised that she is the <br />Director of the St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Commission. Ms. Hostetler <br />stated that at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on <br />Monday, October 17, the members of the Historic Preservation Commission voted <br />unanimously to support Mr. Jeff Gibney’s and Ms. Charlotte Pfeifer’s opposition to the <br />location of the Catholic Workers’ Houses on West Washington Street. This area has <br />undergone decades of revitalization through the efforts of South Bend Heritage, <br />Southhold, Historic Preservation Commission, Historic Landmarks Foundation of <br />Indiana, the City of South Bend and the perseverance of its citizen homeowners to <br />reclaim this neighborhood. <br />Ms. Connie Tooley, 514 W. LaSalle Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, advised that her <br />issues are with individuals, agencies and organizations that seem to say “We can do <br />anything we want... we don’t have to follow rules”. In addition, for her its even more <br />upsetting when added to that is the veil of religiosity, using God as their excuse to tread <br />on anyone who does not agree with them, using him as an excuse to flaunt the rules <br />everyone has to abide by? It is the kind of behavior my way or else that has caused every <br />war known to man! This Catholic Worker group new exactly what they were doing when <br />they moved in and began illegal operation of a soup kitchen/transient house in our <br />neighborhood. Why they have been allowed to operate this long and even expand to <br />more houses is beyond my understanding. I as a homeowner could not get away with it. <br />She as a landlord cannot turn her single-family houses into rooming houses. Why can <br />they? However, what is even more disturbing is the total lack of any professional, <br />licensed training by anyone there. The total lack of supervision of their “residents”, <br />leaves not only the people staying there, but all who live in the neighborhood, vulnerable <br />to the actions of people who may be acting under the influence of alcoholism or drug <br />additions, or may be mentally ill, leaving all of us in harm’s way. A facility such as <br />Catholic Workers is trying to create – managed by people untrained to care for the bodies <br />and minds of those “in their care”; managed by people who, as their actions have shown, <br />don’t care about or respect anyone’s beliefs but their own does not belong in the heart of <br />a family oriented neighborhood. Moreover, to cloak their enterprise under religious <br />charity is even more offensive to me. True charity does not begin with deceit, with <br />knowingly breaking the law. True charity acts with love and respect for everyone. <br />16 <br /> <br />
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