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REGULAR MEETING June 10, 2019
<br /> works for me because I'm retired. So,more evening meetings are not particularly appreciated. But
<br /> certainly, to make these meetings more available to the public is important. I have been told that
<br /> according to State Law, they couldn't have public input except on the financial and the actual TIF
<br /> Districts that they have public hearings about. I'm glad to know that is obviously not true since
<br /> you are requesting that they have public input on each agenda item. That could be very confusing,
<br /> I think, to both the Commission and the public but I think it's really essential. I remember a time
<br /> when there was a group there to speak against what the Commission was planning to do and were
<br /> told they have no right to speak. So, I think it is really important that we have that right at all public
<br /> meetings. Every time a decision is being made that affects people's lives, at that time it was about
<br /> tearing down people's houses, those things are important to have public input on. So, I'm eager to
<br /> read the resolution and I'm here to support that you all have gotten on board with the idea that they
<br /> need to be more transparent and more eager to hear public input on the issues that face the
<br /> Commission. So, I believe, without having read the resolution, that I support the resolution.
<br /> Jason Banicki-Critchlow, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, So, I did take the time to read
<br /> the resolution this weekend and I did find it to be thoroughly comprehensive and very well put
<br /> together. I can't wait to read some of the amendments and changes. I appreciate the fact that as
<br /> this process went on the Administration, at least in terms of Community Investment, seemed
<br /> willing to make some changes to the times of the meeting. That is kind of a compromise between
<br /> what the Council was asking for and what works for them. So, hopefully that means they will be
<br /> open to actually moving those meetings to a time when more people can attend. Again, when we
<br /> are talking about $30 million of tax payer money, that needs to be done at a time where more
<br /> people can see what is going on. As was pointed out just now,we need to have input into what that
<br /> $30 million is being spent on. I think sometimes the Redevelopment Commission and Community
<br /> Investment have gotten away from understanding that they are not their dollars, but they are our
<br /> tax payer dollars. We really should have input on that. I really do support this.
<br /> Councilmember Dr. Oliver Davis stated, In the afternoon, there were comments about in the past,
<br /> sometimes when they switched it, the attendance did not increase. But again, like as it has been
<br /> mentioned,you can't just say,well the same people come at 4:00 p.m. so let's switch it back again.
<br /> I think there really has to be effort made to encourage people and to let them know what is going
<br /> on. The fact is, if we have a meeting that is this full or packed, we don't change Council Meetings
<br /> just because of that or say, well, only fifteen (15) people showed up, we won't have a Council
<br /> Meeting today, we'll have it at 11:00 a.m. We still have to make it accessible to the people as best
<br /> as we can. I think with your recommendation, too, as many of our meetings can be put online as
<br /> soon as we can, I think that's important.The more that people can see,whether it's on their phones
<br /> or their computers, I think it's better for everybody. So, I'm just hoping that if a meeting change
<br /> occurs and not that many people show up, there is no push to go back.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, This resolution, I really hope the language is such in its
<br /> intent to educate, helps. I want to make sure that one (1) of these statements is actually captured
<br /> in our minutes tonight and in our discussion. I think all of us, where ever you come down on this
<br /> issue, we all want to acknowledge the Redevelopment Commission has played a vital role in the
<br /> development of our City. These proposed changes, the meeting time we are recommending, and
<br /> the input per agenda item, we don't, at least as authors of this, anticipate that will in any way
<br /> inhibit the role or the function of the Redevelopment Commission. On the contrary, we think it
<br /> will improve it.
<br /> Councilmember John Voorde stated, I don't mean to be contentious or contrary but I'm going to
<br /> vote against this resolution. It is important to state that it is not because I'm not for open
<br /> government or transparency, which is a word I think is overused. People ought to know what their
<br /> appointed Boards and Commissions are doing. We are all for that, including me. Changing the
<br /> time from whatever it is to 4:00 p.m., isn't going to do a whole lot in my mind. If it does, in terms
<br /> of participation, I will be pleasantly surprised. I think, and as I said in the note I sent to everybody
<br /> and earlier in the Committee Meeting, I'm the last one(1)on this Board to speak knowingly about
<br /> technology,but technology is there to open these meetings to the public in a much larger way than
<br /> changing the time of the meeting. We do it here. We've got cameras and these meetings are live
<br /> streamed and you can watch them later. I think, because there are important issues that affect
<br /> people every day, we ought to at least investigate the opportunity that technology provides today
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