08-27-01 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 27,^2001 BILL NO. 71 -01 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL APPROPRIATING $432,143 WITHIN FUND 212 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADMINISTERING THE AMERICORPS PROGRAM Councilmember Aranowski reported that the Personnel & Finance Committee met on this bill and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Ms. Beth Leonard, Director, Financial and Program Management, Community & Economic Development, 1200 County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Ms. Leonard advised that in May the City was asked to consider administering the Americorps Program for South Bend because the current administrator was unable to carry out the administration any longer. The City has decided to take this on and this bill will provide funds for Americorp members who are volunteers and who will work with several of the not - for - profit agencies from the period September 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002. 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 was no one present wishing to speak to the Council in favor of this bill. The following individual spoke in opposition. Mr. Jim Cierzniak, 1156 East Victoria, South Bend, Indiana, commented that this program originated with former President Clinton. He stated that this program is a fraud and that there is less to this program than meets the eye. He asked the City to turn it down and have nothing to do with the program. A member from the audience asked what the Americorps Program is about and how it works. In rebuttal, Ms. Leonard stated that the program is a way to promote national service throughout the country. Members are volunteers that are given a living stipend for one (1) year to provide one thousand seven hundred (1,700) hours of community service. If they successfully complete the year, they will also receive an education award that can be used toward tuition or college expenses or can be used retroactively to pay off student loans that they may have incurred. Mr. Gary Gilot, who is a member of the Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism, advised that the Americorp Program is one of the major elements of the Corporation for National Service. This program provides young people with an opportunity to give back. The Americorps Program is a domestic peace corp program with a year of service and the offer to continue education. Mr. Gilot recounted his experience with this program for seven (7) years in Elkhart, Indiana. He noted that South Bend has seventeen (17) different programs under this umbrella working primarily with the human service area at the Center for the Homeless, at LaCasa and various other social service agencies that serve the community. It is good in terms of cost effective service delivery to the community for people who have great need but it is also good for the young people who give a year of their life in service. They grow and develop new skills and develop a service ethic that is with them for the rest of their life. Councilmember King clarified that it was his understanding that the City will receive a fee to cover the administrative costs. Ms. Leonard stated that that was correct and the City will receive approximately fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). She noted that there is no out of pocket costs to the City in managing this program. Councilmember Varner noted that the participating organizations provide a cash match. Ms. Leonard stated that the match is fifteen per cent (15 %). She further stated that the stipend dollars come directly from the federal government and the cash match from the agencies.