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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 11, 2012 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />components. By the way of history the Human Rights Commission was located within <br />th <br />this building located on the 14 Floor. She stated that about 10 years ago, because of the <br />growth of city departments a new home was needed for the Human Rights Commission <br />and that is why the building where they are located at 301 S. St. Louis was located. <br />There was nothing else available at that time and to the best of her knowledge there is <br />nothing available today in which to place the Human Rights Commission. The building <br />at 301 S. St. Louis is beautiful, it is a WPA structure, built in 1939 on the national <br />register of historic places. But, it cannot safely house the Human Rights Commission. <br />So that brings us to why we are here this evening, and that is that the City has located a <br />property that meets all the three basic requirements of the Human Rights Commission. <br />1.) That there be a place for confidentiality, where confidentiality can be preserved, <br />which is fully ADA accessible and which is convenient and located within a bus <br />line/route, such as the building located at 319 Niles Avenue. The statute which <br />authorizes the entry into a lease requires simply that the Common Council make a finding <br />that this lease is necessary and that’s what the Resolution that they have provided offers. <br />She advised that she had drafted a substitute bill and offer that in lieu of the bill that was <br />originally presented because it contains more factual assessment of what occurred at the <br />Public Works meeting which is the required place for the public hearing on the issues of <br />necessity and reasonable of the lease. She stated that in terms of the issuance of <br />reasonableness of the lease, she stated that she has present a member the Administration <br />and Finance Department, who was part of the search process and that the City looked at <br />31 different properties and narrowed it down to six and of those six the one that is located <br />at 319 Niles meets all the test and requirements. She stated that the City of South Bend’s <br />Purchasing Manager with the City’s Department of Administration & Finance is here <br />tonight to discuss the reasonableness of this lease in light of the other options that were <br />available. She stated that they are asking the Council to adopt this Resolution. She stated <br />that the amended bill was made available to the Council prior to this evening’s meeting <br />and two sections are revised from the previous version just to be more consistent with the <br />public hearing at the Public Works Board, with is the leasing agent for the City under the <br />statutory framework. <br />She stated that this is extraordinary, it happens very rarely, and if any office of the city <br />deserves and needs new space, it’s the South Bend Human Rights Commission. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis asked what the target date to move and relocate? He stated <br />that he has been at the Human Right Commission Office and they need to get out of their <br />quickly? <br /> <br />Ms. DeRose stated that their target date is really the Council process and then the <br />preparation of a lease. What they have presented to the Council and what they have <br />presented to the Board of Public Works is a lease for $3550 per month. She stated that <br />they are still in negotiations and hoping to reduce that lease price by a few hundred <br />dollars at least and hope to do that within the next few weeks. She stated that they also <br />need the funding, there will be a request for a transfer of funds out of the special services <br />the Administration & Finance Department to the Human Rights Department so it is <br />money already within the Department of Administration & Finance being transferred to <br />the Human Rights Commission and that will take special action by they Council. When <br />that is done they hope to get moving. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis stated once that is completed and hopefully everything is <br />passed favorably, what are we looking at? <br /> <br />Ms. DeRose stated that the Commission would like to be there yesterday, realistically, <br />st <br />they are probably looking at the very earliest and hopefully the 1 of July. But that <br />assumes that everything gets done in proper order. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis asked if the rent included utilities. <br /> <br />Ms. DeRose advised yes. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis asked how much are the utilities? <br /> <br /> 5 <br /> <br />