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REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 25, 2013 <br /> There was no one present wishing to speak in favor of this bill. <br /> The following individuals spoke in opposition to this bill: <br /> Mr. Davis: Who is going to keep time since Councilmember Scott is absent. <br /> Chairperson White: I am going to ask Councilmember Ferlic to keep time. <br /> Jesse Davis, P. O. Box 10205 South Bend, Indiana: I have played in sewers for 23 years in South <br /> Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, so I know a whole lot about these people's basements that flood and <br /> I feel real bad for them. But this has been an on-going problem for century, decades, for how <br /> ever far back you want to look at it. This is not something that just came up to the City yesterday <br /> and they said hey here's this decree you've got to do this tomorrow. We went through this with <br /> Mayor Luecke's administration. I sat through many City Council meetings where sewer rates <br /> were raised as Mr. Varner said. And all along we were told we are going to do this were going <br /> to do that, well these people have been suffering with sewer water in their basements for many <br /> years. They are not going to fix that overnight, there not going to fix that in the next four (4) <br /> years by 2017, and if they are, I would really like to know how they plan to do that. As far as the <br /> water going into the river it's been happening for a long time too and it needs to stop no doubt <br /> about, but this is another one of those run away trains where we've got a City Administration <br /> that keeps asking for more and more money and now they are talking about well you know we'll <br /> see lower rates later. That's never going to happen man, that's just like the county wheel tax we <br /> pay, that was supposed to be for a couple of years and it's been there forever. These rates are not <br /> going to go down, they may not have as big of an increase ten years from now,but they are still <br /> going to have an increase. So let's stop with the joking, let's stop with all the fancy glitter and <br /> glitz on these projects and let's do what needs to be done because right now let's face it money's <br /> still tight. The City claims they are tight on money, I know I am tight on money and so probably <br /> every other person in this room. So let's do what need to be done, let's forget all the fancy stuff <br /> that doesn't need to be done right now and get this problem solved. <br /> Sam Brown, Citizens United for a Better Government, (no address given): Definitely on this <br /> money issue I hope the Council will really take heed of this and see how much this is going to <br /> cost us in the long run. And let's not just spend our money and through it out there like we have <br /> a lot of money. I don't think this is something that should get passed right away we should just <br /> really do a lot of research into this. <br /> Barbara Jewel, 821 Gardner, South Bend, Indiana: There are actually three questions that I have. <br /> First of all I want to say that water is probably the most important thing we should be talking <br /> about. Because if we have bad water it is an extremely important medical problem that you will <br /> have, we all have to have clean water. However, there is one thing that I would like to say I <br /> know the bill is passed for the streets to be turned back into two-way streets it's a huge, huge <br /> money problem that we have in South Bend. Too much money has been put into this there are <br /> areas for the project that are very questionable, could some of that money be put into the sewer <br /> project, is that even possible that it could be allocated for that? That's the first one, the second <br /> one is I was looking at the way the interest was presented to us for 2014 the interest was <br /> projected to be$3.64 per month, 2015 $3.96 per month; 2016 $4.32 per month; 2017 $471 raise <br /> per month, and yet it was 9% per year or an average of$3.44 per month, it doesn't even make <br /> sense. $3.44 per month right away for 2014 it's already projected to be $3.64 per month, it <br /> doesn't even make sense. My last question is what about the areas out in the country that are still <br /> South Bend for instance Auten Road that are on sewers, I know it was brought up I believe by <br /> you Mr. Dieter, the ones that are on septic tanks, are they going to be forced to go onto sewers? I <br /> know some of the ones along that area have enforced to go into sewers is that how some of the <br /> money is now going to be gained by forcing those people to go in sewers? That is a lot of money <br /> for each of those households to have to put in a sewer. That is a question that I would like to <br /> know. I'm sure that those people out in those areas would like to know whether or not they have <br /> to pay those bills to have a sewer system put in. Thank You. <br /> Robert S. Rajski, 51778 Old Mill Road, South Bend, Indiana: To start out with, the rates that <br /> they showed on the screen are different than the rates that we got through the mail. And I would <br /> like to say you know when you retire you more or less like on a fixed income and to get an <br /> $80.00 water bill it's kind of ridiculous because I know that includes your trash and all the other <br /> 11 <br />