01-28-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING January 28, 2019 that. Fingers crossed we are able to get a bus for that but I just want to make sure everyone knows we are working on that diligently. We worked with TRANSPO and Tuesday through Thursday will be run fare-free, so they will be running their regular bus routes as long as possible unless we get some surprise snow. Anyone who gets on the bus will be able to ride for free for those three (3) days. As you know, most of these services are close to bus stops so if all fails with efforts in getting a bus, there will be TRANSPO. For volunteer opportunities, please contact St. Joseph County Emergency Management at 574-235-9358. As far as animals go, South Bend Animal Care and Control is reminding residents that all animals must be indoors during these extreme temperatures. If they find animals outside, they should call 574-235-9303. We also encourage residents to visit the St. Joseph County Health Department website for cold weather tips. That site is sjchd.org. 311 is also a good resource as they are equipped with all this knowledge. If an organization would like to open as a warming center, please call EMA. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston announced, There will be a public forum on homelessness hosted by the Community Forum for Economic Justice on February 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Road, 744 S. Michigan Street. The format will be a little bit different. They are actually convening homeless persons themselves to have them talk about what their needs are. It is an opportunity to share a meal and learn a little bit more about the needs of the homeless from the homeless. Councilmember Jake Teshka announced,Next week Monday,February 4th the Utilities Committee will convene to give an update on the CSO issues from Public Works. That will be here at 5:00 p.m. Councilmember Tim Scott passed out material (available in the City Clerk's Office) and stated, Pat Sylvinski from 1236 Edgewood Drive was going to come down here and I told him I would take care of it for him. They wanted all the Council Members to have this packet. This kind of goes in line with our storm water utility. This is a major issue and hopefully the storm water utility is going to take care of this. What you have off of Riverside,between Riverside and Park View on Lathrop is literally water all flooding down and then floods into his house and then the two (2) neighbors' houses. There are photos in here. We have houses along there getting water damage. It is poor drainage and bad engineering. I think at the time Lathrop was put in, it's not only a street issue but an underground storm drainage issue that is not there along there. He approached the Mayor's Office a while back and all he got was High Water signs.As long as I've been on Council, this has been flooding. I have a friend that lives back in this area and there is high water on the road as well as going into people's homes. City Clerk Kareemah Fowler announced, For citizen members on Council Standing Committees, if you are going to turn in applications to sit on any of the Council's Committees, the website is open and it will close January 31St. Applying in person at the City Clerk's Office is always an option as well. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Murray Miller, 1201 Priscilla Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, I am speaking to raise my concern with the two-dollar ($2) storm water fee the Council passed. I'm concerned there are people that won't be able to bear the cost of that two dollars ($2) considering the fact that the City raised the water rates twenty-two percent (22%) last year and another twenty-two percent (22%) this year. Back in 2015, the City added the CSO water rates and raised them five percent (5%) for three(3) years. A lot of stuff has been raised up but there hasn't actually been any CSO work done in four (4) years. I know Eric will say that they did upgrades to the water treatment plant, but they were all part of maintenance. The last CSO project was the East Bank Sewer separator number five(5). There hasn't been any movement and I know they are trying to renegotiate it,however,the money is still being paid and there is nothing being produced. I'm a little concerned with the people that can't afford all these increases. I didn't get a forty-four percent (44%) raise but the water rates went up forty-four percent(44%). I'm concerned about the residents of South Bend. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Council, President Tim Scott adjourned the meeting at 8:14 p.m. 13