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REGULAR MEETING December 10, 2018
<br /> PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
<br /> Sue Kesim, 4022 Kennedy Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, I'm one (1) of the budget enthusiasts
<br /> and I thought I'd wrap up with a few comments. A little background on the circuit breaker coming
<br /> up, the rest of Indiana had the circuit breaker go into effect in 2008. We got an extension to 2020,
<br /> just St. Joseph County and Lake County, because there was way too much debt. This Mayor and
<br /> Council were charged with lowering debt because of the circuit breaker coming up. We were given
<br /> an extension that the rest of Indiana didn't get. We are currently, as of today, $290,495,504 in debt
<br /> which amounts to $2,871 per person in South Bend. According to State law, we can't exceed two
<br /> percent (2%)of the net assessed value. The net assessed value is $2,405,428,521. In terms of TIF,
<br /> it is $741,206,130. Now, one (1) of the things you have to keep in mind is when you vote for a
<br /> deficit budget, the State doesn't look very kindly on it. They have a code, IC 6-1.1-18-10 which
<br /> basically says that if you rubber stamp a deficit budget, you are found in malfeasance. The TIF for
<br /> South Bend, thirty-five percent (35%) is in TIF. Mishawaka has thirty-nine (39%) and it is
<br /> recommended that only ten percent (10%) be in TIF. This creates a downward pressure in terms
<br /> of other funding. So far there has been $100 million in abatements with this Administration. I
<br /> would like to remind everyone that as you go into 2019, the core business of the City is water,
<br /> sewer, streets and public safety. It's not to create a Potemkin Village. So when you start with your
<br /> priorities first (1St), I would like to see you are funding the sewers and water we want funded and
<br /> the streets that didn't get done this year. I would like to see those at the top of the list. I sent all of
<br /> you an email with twenty (20) suggested ways to improve the budget process. I hope you all
<br /> consider those twenty (20) things. Hopefully you found some of them useful. I think it would be
<br /> great for not just homeless but for South Bend, Mishawaka and the County to all get together to
<br /> talk about the whole County debt. That is what the State is looking at. There are fifteen (15)
<br /> counties that are having debt issues and,unfortunately, St.Joseph County is one(1)of them.Thank
<br /> and have a great holiday, everyone.
<br /> Nate Levin-Aspenson, 330 West Colfax Avenue, South Bend, IN, stated, I have a community
<br /> update for Council tonight. The upper room recovery community is an organization that runs a
<br /> men's sober living facility three(3)blocks from here at 333 North Main Street,has recently opened
<br /> its public portion of a capital campaign to expand to women services. They hope to get a new
<br /> building that,when complete,will be a sixteen(16)bed sober living facility that is open to women
<br /> who are in recovery from addition to drugs and alcohol. They had their groundbreaking about a
<br /> week and a half ago. Councilmember Jo M. Broden was there and gave me the idea to come here
<br /> and tell you all about it. Sober living is one (1) of the most important elements of addiction
<br /> recovery as we figure out, as a community, how to tackle the opioid epidemic and these other
<br /> health crisis'. It can't be understated to have that mini step which is an environment that is
<br /> supportive and conducive to recovery. It is one(1) of the older truisms in recovery that to make it
<br /> stick, you must change your people, your places and your play things. All of those things are part
<br /> of sober supportive housing. I will be around after this meeting to talk more about it with me and
<br /> you can find out more about this campaign to open this building which is about a third of the way
<br /> to its goal. Upperroomrecovery.org/womens and I am available if you would like any additional
<br /> information. Thank you.
<br /> Jason Banicki-Critchlow, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, As you guys know, I like to
<br /> read. One (1) of the things I've been reading about lately is a problem, I would say,we have here
<br /> in South Bend. We spent a couple million dollars on Lincolnway a few years ago to repave and
<br /> restripe it to attract new business. What were the first (1St) two (2) businesses we got? A Family
<br /> Dollar five(5)blocks from another one(1)and a Dollar General five(5)blocks the other direction
<br /> from the original Family Dollar. We are not the only community dealing with this epidemic. We
<br /> are at about 20,000 dollar stores, combined between the two (2) big dollar store operators,
<br /> nationally. Their plan within the next decade is to expand another 10,000,roughly to about 30,000
<br /> total. The problem you run into is when you see dollar stores, they have a continuing effect of
<br /> feeding the cycle of poverty. A lot of those people in those neighborhoods, usually their only
<br /> access to food are those stores. They have no fresh produce, meat or anything of that nature.
<br /> Typically the prices are higher, per unit, too. They are actually spending more money than they
<br /> would if they had access to fresh produce. Many communities are faced with this problem. One
<br /> (1) of the ways communities have tackled this and one (1) way I propose we do is through
<br /> something called a formula business ordinance. It allows you to pick areas of the City or the entire
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