01-28-13 Common Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 28, 2013 Whereas, the 1973 ordinance noted that the “Civic Center would enhance the participation potential of the community and compliment the industrial, commercial and academic growth of the South Bend Metropolitan Area…[with] the City of South Bend desire to establish an authority to maintain, control and operate said Civic Center…”; and Whereas, the 1973 ordinance further called for the initial 9-member board to have “not more than five of whom shall be members of one political party, who shall be representatives of…” the Mayor’s five (5) appointments including one (1) Hotel-Motel Tax Board representative, two (2) “Michiana Area” residents, one (1) “South Bend resident”, and one (1) representative for the South Bend Community School Corporation; and the Common Council’s four (4) representing one (1) from the Parks and Recreation Board, one (1) representing the Industrial Museum, one (1) representing the South Bend Art Center, and one (1) representing the Michiana Arts and Sciences Council [Section I of Ordinance]; and Whereas, the 1973 ordinance creating the Civic Center Authority further provided that the Authority was to “…submit an annual budget to the Common Council in the same manner as city departments” [Section IV of Ordinance] Whereas, on October 11, 1982, as part of the requirements of Indiana Code § 36-4-9-4, Ordinance No. 7108-82 was passed by the Common Council which formally amended the South Bend Municipal Code by establishing the executive department and other administration functions which the City “considers necessary to perform efficiently the administrative functions required to fulfill the needs of the City’s citizens” which specifically included the continuance of the South Bend Civic Center Board of Managers pursuant to Indiana Code § 36-10-2-5; Whereas, in late 2006, Global Spectrum, the Philadelphia-based company was hired to manage the Century Center; and in February of 2011 their General Manager resigned with a replacement General Manager being hired thereafter; and Whereas, in December of 2012 the Century Center Board of Managers, City Administration and the Common Council received a copy of the report issued by the Chicago- based AECOM Technical Services which was paid for by redevelopment monies to study the economic impact of the Century Center compared to similar convention centers having similar demographics as well as to review the overall management of the Century Center; and Whereas, as of this date, neither the Century Center Board of Managers or the Common Council have publicly discussed the information set forth in the AECOM Report which noted among other things that the Century Center holds a low number of convention and trade shows compared to other facilities; and Whereas, South Bend Municipal Code § 2-10 (i) specifically authorizes the Council’s Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee to oversee “…the various activities of the Century Center…” and further provides that the Council’s Personnel and Finance Committee oversee various fiscal matters of the city. Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana as follows: Section I. The Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, notes that the current contract with Global Spectrum expires on June 30, 2013. Section II. The Council believes that public dialogue needs to take place on developing requests for proposals (RFP) which truly reflect best practices for managing civic centers, which is open, responsible to our citizens and transparent. Furthermore, the pros and cons of developing RFPs which would permit interested parties a variety of efficient management styles including but not limited to in-house management would be in the greater good of our City. 9