06-24-02 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 24, 2002 BILL NO. 41 -02 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY: VORDEN COURT FROM THE EAST LINE OF LOT 5, BW BUSINESS PARK SUBDIVISION, RECORDED MARCH 16, 2001 AS INSTRUMENT NUMBER 0111166, TO THE END OF THE STREET FOR A DISTANCE OF 700 FEET AND A WIDTH OF 60 FEET. THE VACATION INCLUDES THE 60 FOOT RADIUS CUL -DE -SAC. BEING A PART OF BW BUSINESS PARK SUBDIVISION, CITY OF SOUTH BEND, ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Councilmember Varner reported that the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee conducted a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Mr. Thomas Veldman, on behalf of BW Business Park, LLC, 7101 Vorden Parkway, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Veldman informed the Council that this vacation is requested because they have sold six (6) lots at the west end of the business park and this road divides those lots. Without the vacation the purchaser will not be able to construct a facility on that property. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Coleman made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council. Councilmember White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. BILL NO. 45 -02 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMON COUNCIL APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE GRANTING OF AN INDEMNITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE TJX PROJECT Councilmember Aranowski reported that the Personnel & Finance Committee and the Health and Public Safety Committee conducted a joint meeting this afternoon and sends this bill to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Varner made a motion to hear the substitute version of this bill. Councilmember Coleman seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Mr. Gary Gilot, Director, Department of Public Works, 13th Floor County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Gilot stated that in order for this brown field site to be redeveloped and create the jobs and tax base in this area, the future developer, TJX, is looking for the City to indemnify for some of the environmental risks associated with the site. Mr. Gilot noted that he previously showed the Council the detailed study of the site where they have grid sampled the soil and the ground water to determine what is there and to quantify the risk. They have placed the worst case number on the environmental clean up at $1 million dollars and that is a budgeted factor in the overall TJX project budget on the City side of the ledger. Mr. Gilot further noted that putting a clean future use across the street from a public water supply well field actually lessens the City's risk in the future. This -3-