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REGULAR MEETING January 14, 2019
<br /> they've been able to deal with that before, but many of our other sister cities haven't had to face
<br /> the CSO issues that we have to face. Not all of our sister cities have a river that goes through so
<br /> they don't have to deal with a lot of those kind of issues. We do. And we have an older City. We
<br /> have to look at that. Again, we have to look at the economy of our City and those kinds of things.
<br /> We can't sit up there and say all of that, so I am highly concerned that we are saying things without
<br /> having the answers. We didn't do it in January because there were not a lot of answers to the
<br /> questions for us to do it in January. And so, therefore, let's be real with that.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I think Councilmember Davis' point is well-
<br /> taken. As I sit here and I'm thinking I'll do one (1) thing and thinking I'll do another, what
<br /> Councilmember Broden stated about having enough discussion, it made me think that we've had
<br /> a lot of discussion. But to your point, I'm not sure how much we've had in public discussion. I
<br /> think one (1) of the things I've been thinking of is good legislation comes when we really
<br /> understand the impact. We can only do that when we really engage at a different level. I look
<br /> forward to hearing from the public tonight but I'm feeling I might need some more discussion.
<br /> Again, we aren't actually looking at charging the rates in June and so we do have time. I would
<br /> like to move to the public discussion to hear what people have to say.
<br /> This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and
<br /> opponents were given an opportunity to be heard.
<br /> Pam Claeys, 1106 Bellevue Avenue, South Bend, IN, stated, I came to this meeting not for this
<br /> issue, but I have talked to my Council Member about this issue. The concern I raised to her was
<br /> about the people who don't have money. I'm glad to see the lifeline rate and I think that is a good
<br /> step. I think we need to have money for the sewer projects. I'm not as well versed as you all are
<br /> on this, but I think this is a good step in the good direction and I encourage you to keep working
<br /> on this.
<br /> Robert Stanley, 910 Miner Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I also attended not for this purpose but
<br /> having listened to the discussions, I am in support of it. Sewers,roads and other basic utilities like
<br /> that tend to be underfunded and forgotten about. Yes, money must be managed wisely, and I have
<br /> not gone through the past five(5),ten (10),twenty(20) years to figure out all the increases in fees
<br /> and taxes that have gone toward this but in general, this seems like a very reasonable amount that
<br /> will be watched closely by the Council. So, with those cautions in mind, I am in support of this
<br /> measure.
<br /> Sharon Banicki, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Councilmember McBride and Teshka,
<br /> you haven't been around as long, so you haven't seen everything. In 2014, the Administration
<br /> came to the Council and asked for a nine percent (9%) sewer rate increase. The compromise was
<br /> five percent(5%) for the next three(3)years. So, it started out at two (2)dollars the first(1St)year,
<br /> totaling after the three(3)years in 2017 the increase was a total of six dollars and forty cent($6.40)
<br /> a month for residents. In 2015,the Administration came in and asked the Council for a rate increase
<br /> for trash. The compromise was it went up a dollar a month starting January 1, 2016, a dollar a
<br /> month, again,on January 1,2017 so a rate increase of nineteen percent(19%). In March 2018, the
<br /> Administration came in and asked for a water rate increase which the Council approved and was
<br /> just approved by the State of Indiana to add an extra four dollars and seventy-four cents ($4.74)to
<br /> the water bill. When you add that up it is over twelve dollars($12)a month for the average citizen.
<br /> That doesn't sound like much, but your fixed income people went many years without any raises,
<br /> one hundred forty-four dollars ($144) a year, every time I turn around, as you can see, the
<br /> Administration is coming with their hands out saying we need more money. The citizens cannot
<br /> afford it. We can't keep going to the citizens. You're worried about capital improvements? Well,
<br /> Smart Streets was a want, not a need. Maybe the money from there should have been used on
<br /> sewers and water.You've got to start stopping them from draining the swap because we don't have
<br /> any money left. The lifeline sounds great but for someone who makes too much money, they're
<br /> screwed, and a lot of people are going to be too proud to come in and ask for help.
<br /> Jason Banicki, 3822 West Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated,You know, for about the last seven
<br /> (7) years, we've heard time and time again from this Administration that we have to raise the
<br /> salaries of our top Administration officials to attract the best and brightest. We aren't talking two,
<br /> three or four percent (2%, 3%, 4%) like they've given the average worker or less. We are talking
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