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Home My WebLink About09-14-2026 Community Investment Committee Minutes OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BIANCA L. TIRADO, CITY CLERK INTEGRITY | SERVICE | ACCESSIBILITY Jasmine Jackson Matthew Neal Veronica Pitt-Payne CHIEF DEPUTY CITY CLERK / CHIEF OF STAFF DEPUTY CITY CLERK / DIRECTOR OF POLICY DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov COMMUNITY INVESTMENT SEPTEMBER 14, 2026, 4:15 P.M. Committee Members Present: Sherry Bolden-Simpson, Sheila Niezgodski, Kevin Upton, Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers, Karen L. White Committee Members Absent: Tom Gryp Other Council Present: Canneth Lee, Rachel Tomas Morgan, Dr. Heidi Beidinger Others Present: Bianca L. Tirado, Matthew Neal, Jasmine Jackson, Lari’onna Green, Veronica Pitt- Payne, Bob Palmer Presenters: Michelle Adams, Jenna Throw, Darryl Scott Agenda: Bill No. 26-30 - Resolution to Approve the Issuance of Scrap Metal / Junk Dealers / Recycling Operation Licenses Bill No. 52-26 - Amending Chapter 4 of the South Bend Municipal Code to Establish Article 5 Containing Regulations to Implement a Permit Program for Short- Term Rentals (STRs) (Substitute) Members marked with an asterisk (*) are in virtual attendance via Microsoft Teams. Please note the attached link for the meeting recording: https://docs.southbendin.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?dbid=0&repo=sbend&mediaid=413625 Committee Chair Karen L. White called to order the Community Investment Committee meeting at 4:15 P.M. Bill No. 26-30 - Resolution to Approve the Issuance of Scrap Metal / Junk Dealers / Recycling Operation Licenses EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov Michelle Adams, Business License Administrator, with offices on the fifth (5th) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN 46601, presented the bill. She explained the multi-department review process for scrap metal license applications, which involves the South Bend Police Department, the South Bend Fire Department, Neighborhood Resources, zoning staff, and a project manager from the Department of Community Investment. She requested approval of a new license for South Bend Metal Recyclers, which passed their multi-departmental review. She noted that the facility is located on the same property as Alternative Two (2), which remains subject to a court order for hazardous tire waste, but that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has no objection to issuing a separate license to South Bend Metal Recyclers as a distinct business. She also requested approval of contingent licenses for Alternative Two (2), which must continue removing tires per the court order and not accept tires from the public, and for Republic Services, whose outstanding sprinkler repairs are expected to be completed within three (3) weeks. She requested approval of interim licenses without contingency for Big Bulldog Auto Parts and LKQ Pick Your Part Midwest. She explained that neither business was previously registered with Leads Online, but both are now in compliance. Big Bulldog Auto Parts is no longer required to register since it is no longer purchasing scrap metal from the public and will only sell through its existing inventory. LKQ registered upon being informed of the requirement. She noted that all licenses expire January 31, 2027, and all businesses will go through the full review process again upon renewal. Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski asked if Republic Services is already working with a contractor to complete their sprinkler repairs. Michelle Adams confirmed that the work is contracted and currently underway. She said the west side of the building is complete, and the east side of the building is still in progress. Committee Vice Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers said it seems like businesses only try to come into compliance when their permit renewals are approaching. She said she will not support permit renewals for these businesses in January if they are not in full compliance by that time. She asked Michelle Adams to let the applicants know that the Council takes this seriously. Michelle Adams said she would relay that message to the applicants. Council President Canneth Lee asked for confirmation that Alternative Two (2) is no longer accepting tires. Michelle Adams confirmed that is correct. Council President Lee echoed Committee Vice Chair Gooden-Rodgers’ comments, stating that applicants need to understand that their licenses will be jeopardized if they are not in compliance. He asked why tire disposal has taken so long for Alternative Two (2). Michelle Adams explained that it can be a long process to dispose of tires responsibly, and landfills do not accept tires that are too large. She explained that the multi-stage shredding process involves de-threading the tires, magnetic separation, and transporting them to a disposal location. She added that they have to pay a disposal fee for each tire, and transportation costs have been EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov high. She said they are doing everything that is required by the court order. Committee Chair White held the public hearing, and nobody spoke. Committee Member Niezgodski moved to send Bill No. 26-30 to the Full Council with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Citizen Member Kevin Upton and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes with one (1) Citizen Member absent. Committee Chair Karen L. White – Aye Committee Vice Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers – Aye Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski – Aye Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson – Aye Citizen Member Tom Gryp – Absent Citizen Member Kevin Upton – Aye Bill No. 52-26 - Amending Chapter 4 of the South Bend Municipal Code to Establish Article 5 Containing Regulations to Implement a Permit Program for Short-Term Rentals (STRs) (Substitute) Committee Member Niezgodski moved to accept the substitute, which was seconded by Committee Vice Chair Gooden-Rodgers and carried via a vote by voice. Jenna Throw, City Attorney, with offices on the sixth (6th) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN 46601, presented the bill. She stated that Substitute Bill No. 52-26 establishes a City-wide permitting system for all STRs. This would require owners to provide emergency contact information, pay a one-hundred fifty-dollar ($150) permit fee, and renew annually at no cost. To be eligible for a permit, STR use must be established by owner-occupied, special exception, or legal non-conforming status. She stated that permits would be issued within thirty (30) days of application, and operating without a permit may result in a fine of up to five-hundred dollars ($500). All existing regulations in the fire code, building code, and property maintenance code would apply, and permits may be revoked after three (3) citations, with an opportunity for a hearing. Permits may be reissued after revocation if a new permit fee is paid along with all outstanding fines. If a property changes ownership, the new owner must obtain a new permit. Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson asked Attorney Throw to repeat the three (3) ways of establishing STR use. Attorney Throw stated that STR use must be established by owner occupancy, special exception, or legal non-conforming status. Citizen Member Upton expressed concerns about enforcement logistics and said he would like more engagement with Neighborhood Associations and homeowners associations (HOAs). He asked if it would be possible to share a list of permitted properties with these entities. Darryl Scott, Executive Director of the Department of Community Investment, with offices on the fifth (5th) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN 46601, responded. He said they are considering establishing a searchable database for STR permits, but noted privacy concerns. Citizen Member Upton responded that these property addresses are publicly advertised online as EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov STRs, and the information is not private. He said he would like Neighborhood Associations to receive an STR report. Darryl Scott expressed appreciation for the feedback and said it is something they will look into. Council President Lee asked who would have access to emergency contact information. Attorney Throw said it would be shared between City departments, and the South Bend Police Department would use the information when responding to an active problem. She said they will continue to look into the possibility of establishing a searchable database. Councilmember Rachel Tomas Morgan thanked Attorney Throw and stated that permitting is an important step. She asked how other municipalities have approached the issue of public databases. Attorney Throw said she is unaware of this being done in other cities. Councilmember Tomas Morgan said she is aware of some cities listing permitted STR addresses publicly, but not contact information. She said keeping the list up to date seems to be a challenge. Committee Chair White opened the public hearing. Maggie McShane, Indiana Association of Realtors, 5923 Washington Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46220, spoke in favor of the bill. She expressed appreciation for the City’s efforts to stay consistent with Indiana’s statutory language and said STR registries are a helpful tool for enforcement at the municipal level. Mary Ellen O’Connell, 129 West North Shore Drive, South Bend, IN 46617, spoke in favor of the bill. She said she considers this a minimal and necessary step toward regulating STRs. She encouraged the Committee to amend the bill to broaden the language about applicable codes and clarify that violations should be reported to code enforcement. John Tia, 910 Twyckenham Drive, South Bend, IN 46615, spoke against the bill. He said there many properties with violations, and the ordinance singles out one (1) type of property. He opposed the one-hundred-fifty dollar ($150) permit fee and expressed concern that STR properties would be cited for frivolous complaints. Attorney Throw clarified that the ordinance references codes that the City is specifically authorized to enforce under state law, but this does not prevent the City from enforcing any of its other existing codes, as long as they are enforced in an equal manner for non-STR properties. Committee Chair White closed the public hearing. Citizen Member Upton said he would like to propose an amendment to Substitute Bill No. 52-26. Council Attorney Bob Palmer explained the procedure for amending a bill on the floor. EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov Citizen Member Upton proposed an amendment to the bill, requiring applicants to identify Neighborhood Associations or HOAs in their permit application when applicable, and requiring a quarterly report of registered STRs to be provided to these organizations. Citizen Member Upton moved to send Substitute Bill No. 52-26 with the proposed amendments to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Bolden-Simpson and defeated by a vote of two (2) ayes and three (3) nays, with one (1) Citizen Member absent. Committee Chair Karen L. White – Nay Committee Vice Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers – Nay Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski – Nay Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson – Aye Citizen Member Tom Gryp – Absent Citizen Member Kevin Upton – Aye Committee Vice Chair Gooden-Rodgers moved to send Substitute Bill No. 52-26 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Niezgodski and carried by a vote of three (3) ayes and two (2) nays, with one (1) Citizen Member absent. Committee Chair Karen L. White – Aye Committee Vice Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers – Aye Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski – Aye Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson – Nay Citizen Member Tom Gryp – Absent Citizen Member Kevin Upton – Nay With no further business, Committee Chair White adjourned the Community Investment Committee meeting at 5:06 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Karen L. White, Committee Chair