10-05-11 Health and Public Safety Committee

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I� HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY OCTOBER 5.2011 5:00 p.m. .Health and Public Safety Committee Members Present: Chairperson White; Henry Davis Committee Member's Absent: Councilmember's Puzzello; Rouse Other Councilmember's Present: None Other's Present: Catherine Toppel; Kareemah Fowler; Randy Przybysz, Mayor Luecke, Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand Agenda: Continued Discussion on Illegal Dumping The Health&Safety Committee chaired by Council Member Karen L. White has prioritized discussion of issues affecting the quality of life in South Bend. Among these issues and the subject of this meetings review and discussion is the problem of illegal dumping. Chairperson White began discussion by describing the illegal dumping problem as pervasive, long standing, and particularly acute on the Westside. To effectively address the problem Karen advocated a holistic approach requiring a collaborative approach utilizing input from the city, county, state, and federal government. Any resultant ordinance would emphasize clarity and specificity. Chairperson White then asked Council Attorney Kathy Cekanski-Farrand for input. Kathy Cekanski-Farrand said the local ordinance addressing illegal dumping was last updated in 1993. In her opinion the ordinance falls short of specifying responsibility for the enforcement, the fines, or the process once violations have been determined. Chairperson White interjected that an effective comprehensive action plan, perhaps modeled after the"graffiti plan"offered by Park Superintendent Phil St. Clair was needed from the administration. Kathy Cekanski-Farrand said she was researching ordinances from other cities to glean"best practices." Kareemah Fowler, Ordinance Violation Bureau Clerk, reported that in the last 12 month period (10/1/10— 10/1/11)30 citations for illegal dumping were issued totaling$14,830 in fines, only 27% of which were collected. For nuisance violations 381 citations were issued totaling$60,625 in fines, of which$9,740 or 16%were collected. She said fines collected go to the general fund with the exception of money collected from billings for cleanup by Neighborhood Code Enforcement itself.