11-14-05 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETINGNOVEMBER 14, 2005 This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Dieter made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill and to continue this bill in the Council portion until the November 28, 2005 meeting of the Council. Councilmember Puzzello seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. BILL NO. 74-05 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 4, SECTION 9-22 PROVIDING FOR LEAF REMOVAL AND COLLECTION RATES Councilmember Timothy A. Rouse, Vice-Chairperson, Utilities Committee, reported that this committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. th Mr. Gary Gilot, P.E., Director of Public Works, 13 Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Gilot advised that the City of South Bend has had an exemplary leaf collection program to serve its citizens for many years. While the issue has been a controversy in the unincorporated areas, the City has continued to serve the needs in an environmentally friendly way. Mr. Gilot stated that the City provides a cost-effective alternative to burning leaves or burying them in landfill space that could best be used for other materials, by composting the leaves at Organic Resources and produce a product of value. The current rate for releaf in South Bend is 33 cents per month. It covers some temporary labor hires and care of the vacuum and leaf box equipment. It hasn’t covered the nearly 200 hours of effort by the street departments employees to get this task accomplished in the narrow window that Mother Nature gives us between the end of the paving program and the start of snow and ice control. The program has been subsidized by the street department, which is Motor Vehicle Highway gas tax funded. The cost of street department labor and equipment associated with the Releaf effort necessitates an adjustment to fully absorbed fee basis for Releaf to 99 cents per month. This is a 66-cent increase, but still less than a buck a month or $12 per year for a sustainable compliment- generating municipal service.The minor fee will allow us to continue covering the costs of this well-regarded program. Comparative fees under the private enterprise approach to this service in the unincorporated areas are believed to be in the $45-50 range. The City has used attrition to reduce the workforce in the street department by 15 people over the last 5 years because MVH funds would not support prior staffing. We have improved efficiency and upgraded technology and will continue to do so, but must take this financial burden off MVH funding if the City is able to have the resources to deliver the level of service for year-round traditional street department functions like paving, patching, and grading, snow and ice control. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Dieter made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill and to continue this bill in the Council portion until the November 28, 2005 meeting of the Council. Councilmember Rouse seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. 26