02-26-73 Council Meeting Minutes

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1ICOMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING (CONTINUED) the ordinance. This would be impossible unless someone bought all the property and rezoned the whole area. It would be illegal for the people on the other side to join in this petition. He concluded that the Wilsons would not be changing the character of the neighborhood. Mr. Stephens mentioned that he had fought this spot zoning last time. He brought up the case of an elderly lady in the neighborhood who cannot afford to live in the area, but her home is the only security that she has. He indicated that she had started his way of thinking on the veterinary clinic which was proposed a year ago. Mr. Dunfee indicated that he could not really sympathize with the elderly woman Mr. Stephens mentioned because he stated that property in that area on South Michig Street is very valuable and worth at least $400 a foot. I lCouncilman Szymkowiak made a motion that the ordinance go to the Council as favorable, seconded by Councilman Serge. The motion carried. IThere being no further business to come before the Committee of the Whole, Councilman Taylor made a motion to rise and report to the Council, seconded by Councilman Parent. The motion carried. IIATTEST: CITY CLERK 11REGULAR MEETING - RECONVENED ATTEST IIBe it remembered that the regular meeting of the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana reconvened in the Council Chambers at 8:32 p.m., Council President Peter J. Nemeth presiding. IIREPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MINUTES Your committee on the inspection and supervision of they have inspected the minutes of the February 12, them correct. They, therefore, recommend that the the minutes would respectfully report that 1973, regular meeting of the Council and found same be approved. s/ Peter J. Nemeth s/ Terry S. Miller Councilman Newburn made a motion that the report be accepted as read and placed on file and the minutes be approved, seconded by Councilman Taylor. The motion carried. IIREPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Councilman Taylor made a motion to waive the reading of the Report of the Committee of the Whole, seconded by Councilman Kopczynski. The motion carried by a roll call vote of nine ayes (Counciln Serge, Szymkowiak, Miller, Parent, Taylor, Kopczynski, Horvath, Newburn and Nemeth). IIREPORT FROM PATRICK GALLAGHER, SAFETY DIRECTOR Mr. Gallagher expressed his appreciation to the Council for the opportunity to speak to them in reply to the request made by Council President Nemeth. He read portions of the letter the Council President had written him, indicating that he would address his comments to three areas, they being the complaint of Kenneth Kwieran, information regarding the handling of calls by the Police ,Department and what is being done to improve the courtesy and efficiency of the department in handling the telephone calls, and a general summary of what the department has done in the pre- ceding quarter and its future objectives. In relation to Mr. Kwieran's statement about being shuffled from one office to another, Mr. Gallagher indicated that he had talked with Mr. Kwieran in his office for approximately 45 minutes about the situation. Mr. Kwieran had also stated that he had a witness to the incident; however, when Mr. Gallagher had requested that Mr. Kwieran bring the witness to his office, Mr. Kwieran had not done so. In regard to the application of Mr. Kwieran for a position on the police force, Mr. Gallagher stated that Mr. Kwieran applied on October 1, 1971, and was appointed a time for an interview and never showed up. He mentioned that the application was also incomplete. He read a report on the investigation -of the Kenneth Kwieran complaint which was researched by Donald Foy, which stated that Mr. Kwieran had alleged a lack of cooperation on the part of the Police Departme failure of the department to respond to his telephone calls, with approximately 45 minutes to an hour being taken to respond to one particular call, and allegations that the department failed to investigate a car driving over his lawn. The report also stated that Mr. Kwieran had alleged that, on one occasion, he had seen 10 police cars stopped at a restaurant. Mr. Gallagher pointed out that Mr. Foy had researched the entire log and bureau regarding the complaints, and an investiga- tion determined that Mr. Kwieran had never been to the prosecutor's office and there was no exten- sive damage to his lawn. Mr. Foy also had been informed that the School Corporation did not want to prosecute the minor lawn damage to the school. Mr. Gallagher briefly relayed Mr. Kwieran's account of the harassment he had received regarding the damage to his lawn as set out in the report He cited an incident when, on February 10, a car had been dispatched at 10:03 p.m., and had arrived at 10:05 p.m. Mr. Gallagher concluded his report on the Kwieran matter by indicating that, to research the complaint, study the log and go through the records, this particular complaint took more than 12 man hours. Councilman Kopczynski asked if Mr. Gallagher had found any of the allegations of Mr. Kwieran to be true, and Mr. Gallagher answered that Mr. Kwieran has had cars driving on the lawn and the cars also have been driven on the school property. He indicated that the Police Department has been responding to his calls and that, at one time, because of a fight in a certain part of the city, one of the cars was late in arriving at the scene of the Kwieran home. Councilman Kopczynski asked Mr. Gallagher when he had requested Mr. Kwieran to bring in the witness, and Mr. Gallagher indicated that it was approximately two weeks ago. Councilman Kopczynski then asked how long the police logs are kept, and Mr. Gallagher indicated that they are kept indefinitely because they are ,stored by computer, which procedure was started about two years ago. Councilman Kopczynski asked if Mr. Gallagher could disclose the number of police cars and how large the west side area of the city was. Mr. Gallagher indicated that the city is divided on its north - south axis with Michiga .,