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REGULAR MEETING April 22, 2019
<br /> future internal policies, and community-focused measures to reduce greenhouse emissions.
<br /> Accordingly,Council will respond to Administration proposals; act to adopt proposed plans,goals,
<br /> targets and measures as appropriate,including the consideration of a local ordinance or ordinances
<br /> by the end of 2019; and to ensure adequate funding and staffing for adopted operational climate
<br /> and community priorities. Therefore, be it resolved, the South Bend Common Council also sets,
<br /> henceforth, that the Administration create an iterative process of setting goals, tracking progress,
<br /> and reporting. Specifically, Council and the community will be provided annual progress reports
<br /> on the climate action plan well in advance of the budget planning process. Both the municipal
<br /> greenhouse gas inventory and the community greenhouse inventory will be updated every three
<br /> (3) years, and the climate action plan updated on a three(3)-year cycle.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Therefore,be it resolved, Council will seek opportunities to
<br /> demonstrate climate leadership in Indiana, throughout the Midwest, and in our own community.
<br /> It will also support the work of the Office of Sustainability and the Administration in doing the
<br /> same,including collaboration with other governmental entities and agencies, assisting in engaging
<br /> community stakeholders, and through public-private partnerships. These relationships and
<br /> activities will be essential to the design, funding, implementation and attainment of our
<br /> community's climate action plan goals. Therefore, be it resolved, that this Council commits itself
<br /> today, and strongly urges future members of the South Bend Common Council, our Mayor's
<br /> Office,and our citizenry to remain engaged in and committed to climate action. Working together,
<br /> we can confront what has been considered one of the greatest challenges of our time in proactive
<br /> and strategic ways that benefit our community, our county, and our world.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, Having read the high tour of the resolution, I ask two
<br /> (2) staff members to come forward, Therese Dorau from the Office of Sustainability and
<br /> Genevieve Miller from the Mayor's Office. Before you begin you comments, I kindly ask that the
<br /> three(3)handouts entered into the public record in Committee could also be entered into the public
<br /> record tonight (they are all available in the City Clerk's Office). Just a little bit of overview with
<br /> that, there is a wonderful presentation. Tai Verbrugge, please stand up. That will be shared online
<br /> henceforth. Thank you very much for your effort, we appreciate it. Council Members, elected
<br /> officials and department heads as well as individuals who are candidates for elected office will
<br /> also be receiving, shortly, an invitation to attend a presentation at the Jordan Hall Digital
<br /> Visualization Theater at the University of Notre Dame for additional information on this.
<br /> Specifically, it is a program presented to international leaders on this issue. So, we have the
<br /> resources in our community. Council Members, as I said, the individuals previously mentioned
<br /> will be receiving invitations to attend that presentation. I would also like to highlight Dr. Phil
<br /> Sakimoto in the crowd please, if you could please stand up.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on, So, I look forward to that in our email boxes. If I could
<br /> also just direct attention to the fact there has been a tremendous amount of information entered
<br /> into the public record on this under the Council's webpage, under the portion that is referred to as
<br /> Council Initiatives. So, if you're here first(1st) tonight on this issue or have been here throughout
<br /> and just want to see your name in the public record, I encourage you to visit the Council Initiatives
<br /> section of the website. I would also like to highlight the work of the Clerk. The members of the
<br /> Clerk's Office have been instrumental in creating that record and it would be a nice opportunity
<br /> for education going forward.
<br /> Therese Dorau, Director of the Office of Sustainability with offices located on the 13th floor of the
<br /> County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Ms. Dorau stated, Happy
<br /> Earth Day! Happy Dyngus Day! The Sustainability Office has successfully collaborated with the
<br /> Common Council on a number of initiatives in the past few years including Council's support for
<br /> energy-saving projects in City facilities, Council's support for Solarize South Bend, a program to
<br /> lower market barriers for residents wishing to go solar and co-authoring the Clean Energy
<br /> Resolution under the leadership of Councilmember Oliver Davis and former Councilmember Dave
<br /> Varner. Additionally, Council has supported other projects with clear climate benefits such as
<br /> investing in alternative fuel vehicles, green storm water infrastructure, technologies that avoid
<br /> wasting resources, and new City buildings being built to the highest standards of performance.
<br /> Each of these actions have incrementally shifted the conversation and has created a momentum in
<br /> our community. Today, however, as climate change barges into the daily lives of South Bend
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