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REGULAR MEETING May 28, 2019
<br /> Councilmember Dr. Oliver Davis stated,My point then is,if we don't have the authority to do that.
<br /> Mr. Corcoran does not have the authority to change the meeting time. So, how in the world can
<br /> we set up a resolution to address those issues if he is here in front of us and he doesn't even make
<br /> the decision for that? Do you see what I'm saying?
<br /> Council President Tim Scott stated, I think resolutions are part of this process to tell the
<br /> Administration that this is a priority. Nine (9) of us, or however many of us agree, need to drive
<br /> that home.While the timing isn't the greatest,we are also all welcomed to go to the Redevelopment
<br /> Commission meetings to drive that point home as well. I think it starts with a resolution, formally
<br /> stating what we need to state, and then putting it on the agenda. We need to drive that home that
<br /> there is a call to change the Redevelopment Commission.
<br /> Councilmember Dr. Oliver Davis stated, I just wanted to make sure. I mean the issue is, in 2014,
<br /> when we had the other part, we heard from Mr. Bognar this afternoon that a lot of things promised
<br /> did not come through. We just had the issue of 2016 saying we were going to get regular updates.
<br /> This is 2019, I mean, so personally, we've passed two (2) different situations very similar to this.
<br /> The follow up, on both occasions, did not net anything. So, that's my concern. We cannot do an
<br /> ordinance to control the Redevelopment Commission. The last two (2)resolutions did not do that.
<br /> It is almost to the point where we pass these and not expect anything. We need to keep the fire
<br /> under this year and next year.
<br /> Council President Tim Scott stated, I want to bring it back to Bill No. 19-35. This has been a side
<br /> bar. I think this is all good conversation and this bill has given birth to that conversation.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, Thank you, and I have some wonderful
<br /> comments later. You added sites to the acquisition list. Did I hear correctly when you said you
<br /> added those sites so that every parcel within the TIF District is on the acquisition list?
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, No. We thought about it because it would make things easier but, at the
<br /> same time, if there isn't real reason to do it, we just didn't do it. Why stir up controversy for no
<br /> reason?
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston followed up, I know we've had visioning sessions on
<br /> the Portage Elwood area and I know we extended the boundaries to include some of that area. So,
<br /> I'm curious, are those sites on the list?
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, Those were not ever on the acquisition list before, but I think if it's a
<br /> commercial or retail area, we probably would have added it into the list.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I wasn't able to discern if it was on that list or
<br /> not. When we had the visioning session, those were the questions.
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, The areas we are adding in that area, I do believe, are being added to the
<br /> acquisition list. Where we shy away from adding is if it was a residential property but, again, if it
<br /> wasn't part of an immediate plan or something we had thought about,we didn't. For instance,Coal
<br /> Line Phase Three (3), that is an idea. It may happen many years down the road, so, we did add
<br /> areas through there but where we've added other areas, we didn't add all those areas onto the list.
<br /> Council President Tim Scott stated, Just to follow up, part of it was the east side of Portage, north
<br /> of Elwood, to help with the enhancement of that commercial node that was left out of the last
<br /> realignment. That was a request on my mind.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston asked, So, you'll let me know?
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, Yes. All the addresses are on there,but I'll follow up with you.
<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 /> Janice Kimbrough, 1701 West Linden Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I am in favor of this. My
<br /> family owns quite a bit of property down College, all the way down to Brookfield, and we would
<br /> be interested in planning some redevelopment for that area. So, I'm in favor of that.
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