09-22-08 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 and told never to enter into an intersection to stop traffic at any time. Having ten year olds do the work of adults is a recipe for disaster. Lastly, the emotional approach or perhaps better called an approach from the heart. They are continuing to legislate and institute programs for the children’s safety especially for those at the elementary level. They require seatbelts for everyone and require the younger children to sit in the back of a car. They have drug resistant programs, anti-bullying programs; anti-gang programs and locks on the school doors to prevent stranger danger. He stated that the program has been initiated to put yard signs in the community to alert drivers that children dart! There are warning signs and flashing lights in school zones to remind drivers when children are present. He stated that without crossing guards the only flashing lights that will be around his school are those from ambulances, police and fire vehicles rushing to an accident between a child and a distracted driver. Some children do not have the luxury of a bus or car for transportation if they live within a certain distance of the school and do not have enough money for a working car. He stated that cutting crossing guards out of the budget is just not an option for him. The only option should be to cut somewhere else. As the Governor of Indiana states in his recent campaign ad, something else needs to be cut, our children are just too important. Ms. Sharon Howse, 2013 Gertrude, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she realizes that this is an election year and it has been a very tough year on everyone. But one of these days we may have a President come out of South Bend, Indiana. With that do we want a President that comes in on crutches without a leg, without an arm, without a hand? Does the Council want this? Everyone will ask what happened, and they will say that they went to school in South Bend and because of budget cuts they eliminated the school crossing guards and got hit by a car, truck, or bus. She urged the Council to think about this, the children of the South Bend Community are very important and could very well be one of our next President’s of the United States of America. Councilmember Rouse assigned the topic of Crossing Guards to the Chairperson’s of the Health and Public Safety Committee and the Personnel & Finance Committee, those being Karen L. White and Thomas LaFountain to help find a resolution to this issue. Ms. Marlene Lowe, 59670 Thornberry Ct., South Bend, Indiana, questioned when the City Controller was talking about laying off police personnel, who was she referring to. And why was the number only two (2) people? Ms. Lowe stated that they are employed through the South Bend Police Department and wondered why Ms. Fanello stated that there were only two employees being laid-off and why the crossing guards were not mentioned. Councilmember Rouse stated that he also noticed in the statement from the Controller that the number of people being laid-off was two (2). He reiterated that Councilmember Karen White, Chairperson Health and Public Safety and Councilmember Tom LaFountain, Chairperson, Personnel and Finance will address that question. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the President Timothy Rouse adjourned the meeting at 9:22 p.m. ATTEST: ATTEST: ____________________________ ____________________________ John Voorde, City Clerk Timothy Rouse, President 35