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REGULAR MEETING May 13, 2019
<br /> Council Vice President Karen White stated, Thank you so much for your comments. We had an
<br /> update from the Director of Public Works, Eric Horvath, and he did share with us some of that. He
<br /> will be giving additional comments to the public. Thank you for sharing that with the Council.
<br /> Richard Urda, 3104 Springbrook Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, I just want to say that Troop 111
<br /> appreciates the courtesy of the education the Council has given us tonight. It is typical of all of our
<br /> experiences. Here, we want to thank especially the members of Council that aren't going to be
<br /> with us as they complete their terms. Thank you for your service to our community,we very much
<br /> appreciate it. For those of you returning, we look forward to hearing from you again in the not-
<br /> too-distant future.
<br /> Joe Sutherland Jr., 310 East Oakside Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I apologize, I got a haircut
<br /> from the 80's. I have a petition for each one(1)of you and I have six(6)signatures on the petition.
<br /> I would like to give it to your folks (available in the City Clerk's Office). At the same time, I've
<br /> got some pictures I would like you folks to look at, if you would please(which are available in the
<br /> City Clerk's Office). The petition is for, on Oakside, between Carrol and Fellows, there is only
<br /> parking on one (1) side of the street. There are three (3) signs posted that say No Parking on the
<br /> south side of the street. So, us folks have to use the alleyway to get to and from our homes. If we
<br /> have company over,they have to use the alleyway as well. That being said,these six(6) signatures
<br /> contemplate you all paving the alley between Carrol and Fellows Street. There is a picture in there
<br /> on Prairie Avenue where one (1) of the alleys have been paved in the City of South Bend. I think
<br /> it is a step that could benefit us all, especially the folks who live there that want to have visitors
<br /> come over. It is an issue I have been dealing with for twenty(20) years. At the same time, for me,
<br /> to ask you guys to invest, I believe I have to invest into my community to make it look nice, also.
<br /> So, you'll see two (2)pictures of my home at 310. My wife and I have put brand new windows in
<br /> about eight(8) years ago. That cost about$4,000. We also finished the front of our house last year
<br /> and that cost us$6,000. So, I believe we are doing our part in making our neighborhood look good.
<br /> I hope you guys consider this situation and paving of the alley. Initially, the City set up the
<br /> development over there and they just didn't make the street wide enough for parking on both sides
<br /> of the street. Lastly, I would like to assess a lot right across the street from my house. It is a vacant
<br /> lot. There was a house there and the City did us well and they tore it down but that created an
<br /> empty lot. This empty lot is going to sit there for a good thirty (30) or forty (40) years because I
<br /> had a good friend of mine, who is an architect, tell me to put a house on that lot,just like mine
<br /> would initially cost about $110,000. On my best day, I could sell my house for$80,000. Nobody
<br /> is going to make that investment. I think that lot will sit open for thirty(30)years or so. If we could
<br /> plant trees out there, have the City Arborist come out there and strategically plant trees, it would
<br /> close the hole there, give fresh breathing air, and help people not notice the tall grass growing
<br /> there. I've hit the City with five (5) phone calls because the grass was in excess of twelve (12)
<br /> inches. Well if you've got four(4) foot trees there, you won't notice the grass. Thank you for your
<br /> time.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, There has been considerable discussion across the
<br /> community about the South Bend Animal Care and Control Ordinance. Anybody who has been
<br /> following this might be aware that it has been four (4) years in the works, I think. I suggest that
<br /> this does fall under the Health and Public Safety Committee responsibilities and there will be
<br /> several meetings,more than one(1),possibly two (2),because it is such a substantial change. That
<br /> will be separate from a Council Meeting Monday. I have been in conversations with our Code
<br /> Enforcement Department Director, Tracy Skibins, and we will try to calendar those dates to bring
<br /> that forward in a real transparent and methodical way, so we can have a good community
<br /> discussion on that and then the Council will be well-informed about those changes we are being
<br /> asked to look at. Secondly, this is a request and I know Councilmember Davis is not here to affirm
<br /> this, but for consideration on Bill No. 15-19, I think our community would benefit from having a
<br /> separate meeting before it goes to the Area Plan Commission for their consideration. I think it is
<br /> an Area Plan recommendation and I don't think Council has had much education or input on that
<br /> actual piece. I think it is an important change that should be made but I think it would benefit the
<br /> community if we actually had it presented at a Committee-level more thoroughly.
<br /> Council Vice President Karen White instructed the City Clerk's Office to reach out to
<br /> Councilmember Davis, chair of the Zoning and Annexation Committee, on behalf of
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