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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> friendly surface. That also benefits us on the back end with the CSO issues as we deal with storm <br /> water and drains there. Funding on energy savings contracts has helped us not only improve our <br /> carbon profile but also deliver taxpayer savings. We are going to get a report back soon on the <br /> evaluations of Four Winds Field,the Morris,the Palais,the softball complex and some other parks <br /> and trails. And, sidewalks. We are always hearing from Council sidewalks, sidewalks, sidewalks. <br /> We are now implementing the safe routes to school program. For this year, we are about sixty <br /> percent (60%) complete and that is represented in over 8,000 feet of sidewalk and 5,000 feet of <br /> curb. Right now it is the area around Monroe and Studebaker and we plan to add a lot of curb <br /> ramps there too. <br /> He continued, Drainage, I think, is something that has always been an issue. But with the unusual <br /> weather patterns we are experiencing, it seems like we get all our rain at once every few weeks <br /> and it has made it that much more important to be on top of that. We put $203,805 into drainage <br /> issues to-date and have plans, thanks to the budget authorized in 2018, to do another half million <br /> dollars of improvements. There has been a lot of public interest in what we have been doing with <br /> traffic calming. With Safe Streets Academy, we were awarded resources to help us do some <br /> demonstrations and we are really learning by doing before we put concrete into the ground. We <br /> have learned a lot through these pilot demonstrations that unfold around the City. When it comes <br /> to public safety,there is a lot of interest in traffic patrols, GVI, and we had a very challenging year <br /> last.mar when it came to shootings and homicides. This year we are tentatively encouraged by a <br /> summer that has gone better but we are always watching those issues very closely. We do think <br /> the funding for the GVI team has made a difference,especially when it comes to dealing with these <br /> cycles of retribution that often happen when people don't turn to law enforcement to help resolve <br /> issues that can lead to violence. We will continue to work on bike patrols, athletic league programs <br /> and anything else we can do to really shore up community policing. Of course another big thing <br /> on safety that the Council supported and that we will be doing this fall is lead testing. The long- <br /> term vision is to make sure that every child in South Bend is tested. We will start in a target area <br /> where we think that kids are most vulnerable, this fall, and we are on track to do that to shore up <br /> our local public health infrastructure. <br /> He went on,There are three(3)main categories of where we have used the lead funding authorized <br /> last year. Testing is one (1), as I just mentioned. Another one (1) is repair. We know most of this <br /> lead exposure is not coming from water but from homes, mostly paint, and we know that lead- <br /> based paint hazards are something we are going to continue working on. Not only are we doing <br /> our own work but we will be participating in grants. I believe,just literally yesterday, we clicked <br /> send on a major HUD grant that we hope will bring major resources to the City. We hope to learn <br /> more about this in November 2018 as far as whether that grant was looked on favorably. We don't <br /> know how much competition there is for it but we put in a strong application.We will also continue <br /> prioritizing lead remediation. In parks and recreation, obviously the big story is the ongoing My <br /> SB Parks & Trails Plan, commonly known as the Parks Bond. That is made possible by coupling <br /> City funds with regional cities grants and some private resources,and we have a number of projects <br /> going on including the Charles Black Center improvements. I believe that is supposed to be <br /> completed by September 2018 and we are getting close to that. It will be a fantastic resource for <br /> the neighborhood. We are also still underway on the City Cemetery and Councilmember Davis <br /> has asked us to make sure we are doing everything we can to enhance that area. I know a lot of <br /> Council Members have been interested in and have been following that. To that end, with the <br /> Cemetery Trust Fund we have been able to get headstone repair underway and we hope to make <br /> entryway improvements soon. <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 1 227 W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If 574.235.9173 1 TTD 574.235.5567 lwww.southbendin.gov <br /> 4 <br />