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American Democracy Project
IUSB Activities Center, Rm 225, 11:30 am PANEL: Sam Centellas, Director of La Casa de Amistad, Cynthia Murphy, Recruitment/Retention Counselor IUSB, Erika, DACA Student at Ivy Tech, Marlen, DACA Student at St. Mary's * Approximately 800K DACA Students in the US and they are from all countries, not just Mexico, they include students from India, Africa, Asia, etc. * Estmates are 2,500 in Elkhart/St. Joseph Counties * Children who arrived here before the age of 16 and are under 31 years of age on June 15, 2012 Executive Order by President Obama * Individuals who are in school or possess a high school diploma * Applicants who have lived here for at least five years * People who have not committed serious crimes, confirmed with a background check and they have to be fingerprinted * Meeting these criteria will allow undocumented residents to obtain a driver’s license and Social Security number and a 2 year work authorization with a $495 fee * Students are often honor students afraid of getting in trouble and losing their status * They do not qualify for any social programs, but still have taxes deducted from their wages * They pay property and sales taxes also * They do NOT get Federal or State Tuition loans, grants, work study, Pell, University public dollars or assistance * Path to citizenship is often over a 20 year wait. Someone who came in 1995 still has no guarantee of a review in 2017 * Recinded by President Trump in September of 2017 with a 6 month grace period * Currently US House Bill #3440 and US Senate Bill #1615 would extend this program * Both the US Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO support these bills * They are often doing jobs no Americans want to do such as "simple basic jobs" * They are often at risk of being exploited by employers and it means wages overall are suppressed (Minimum wage has not increased since 2007) * Economic impact includes having many crops rot in the fields which will increase the cost of our food * "Anchor Babies" are a myth since just having a baby here does NOT make the parents citizens automatically and the child would need to reach 21 to claim parent as sponsored * People wanting to cross the Mexican/American border is actually declining as American companies build factories in Mexico * Cities with immigrants are rebounding since it means their population is increasing * Immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurs who create net positive jobs, like they have in Toledo, Ohio Ms. Cynthia Murphy: (notes not quotes) * Since DACA, there has been an increase in earning power to pay debts to family and friends, and consumer products * Student volunteer in the community since they can come out of the shadows * There is a need for more doctors and nurses to take care of aging Baby Boomers * The original Congressional Bill fell short by just 3 votes and 5 Congress members didn't vote * Need to pass a "Clean Dream Act" that isn't tied to unpopular bills Mr. Sam Centellas: (notes not quotes) * Pathway to Citizenship is complicated and long, often over 20 years * There don't need to be more statuses, there are already 5 versions * Citizenship requires meeting a lengthy checklist, including both an oral and written interview * 10-12% of voters nationally are Latino * Federal judges didn't strike down the Dream Act because it is Constitutional * Original Act was Co-sponsored by Senator Lugar (R) from Indiana * Congress is considering a "Bridge Act" that would extend the program 3 years to find a more permanent solution * There are positive community benefits to the DACA students being here since 15% bought a house and 50% got car loans * Establishment has pitted poor groups against each other Erika - DACA Student: (notes not quotes) * Came here at age 7 since her parents wanted her to get an education and have a better life * Has a Work Permit, has to pay for her own books, housing and out-of-state tuition * It's like living in a "Glass Bubble" that can break at any time * Hard to live with uncertainty Marlen - DACA Student: (notes not quotes) * Has a "Mixed Family Status" where her mother, brother and sister are all full citizens * Family Re-unification takes years * Ran away from Mexico to be with them at age 12 and crossed by herself with 15 others, only 10 made it * With DACA she can drive without fear, is able to go to school, work (contributing taxes), interact with the community * Provide a better life for her son * Says her 7 yr old son worries about her leaving him and is very stressed * Knows there is probably a 20 year wait to get citizenship Audience Comments: (notes not quotes) * Fear and Bigotry keep people divided * Ignorance of the facts keeps people from supporting * Oppression remains as long as groups remain fragmented, which keeps the establishment from solving the issues in Congress * "No Human is Illegal" #DACA For more information on the topic, contact La Casa de Amistad - "To support DACA, please contact Walorski on House Bill #3440" For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver
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Councilpersons Present: All
Bill #17-49 Property located at 4321 S. Michigan Street NOTE: Variance to allow a Tattoo Parlor Bill #17-50 Property located at 315 N. Main Street Bill # 54-17 Rezoning for 3333 N. Kenmore Street NOTE: Rezoning at 3333 Kenmore – There is concern about the height with the airport nearby. Although there are 2 yards close by, they do not want to do any landscaping and take out mature trees. Drainage is of concern. Curb cut-ins are too close to solvent storage tanks where trucks enter and exit – fire hazard with toxic chemicals? Bill #55-17 Substitute Rezoning 212 E. South Street - Passed NOTE: Rezoning for 212 S. Street – Staff noted this would not be ideal (See page 3 of 3) “Not compatible with the residential character of the neighborhood.” "Most desirable use is one that is compatible with the single-family neighborhood.” Property Values – “If the site is developed for retail uses, surrounding property values could be adversely affected.” The developer wants to reduce landscaping to NONE and avoid the 10 parking spaces to NONE, which means people will park where residents want to park. Staff recommends, “Unfavorable” This house will be come a multi-lawyer office. Bill #17-71 Old National Area Fiscal Plan Bill #12-17 Rezoning and Annexation for Douglas & SR 23 17330 SR 23 - Tabled until Nov 13th NOTE: People spoke in opposition to this at the Area Planning Commission Rezoning 17330 SR 23 – 3 people took the time to come out and speak against this. They want to cut the driveway from the required 15’ to 6’ which isn’t the length of a car. 52 hedge plants are required and they want to only put in half. They want to exceed outside seating by double. Will this also cut into a 5’ ADA access sidewalk area? Bill #69-17 Street & Alley Vacation Corby and Eddy Street Residents spoke out against this stating it blocks access to their homes and city services such as trash pick-up and snow removal. Council tabled until Nov 13th asking the owner and residents to meet and work things out. Bill #17-69 Substitute Tax Abatement modification of GLC SBDC II NOTE: Abatement amount = $1,107,260 Bill #78-17 Substitute Tax Abatement Enforcement Amendment Tabled until Nov 13th NOTE: If someone receiving a Tax Abatement does not comply with the terms, they may be fined. City only needs to audit 5 of the Abatement recipients a year Bill #17-72 Issuing & Authorizing Bonds for SB Redevelopment District NOTE: Only 36 out of the 52 parks will get repair or upgrades. 16 will get no upgrades. Parks getting upgrades include: Kennedy, Fremont and Charles Black 22 Parks will get restrooms upgraded to ADA and 3 parks will get Universal Access playgrounds. There will be a "Series K" acquisition of properties to give more neighborhoods access to a park within 10 minutes walking distance. The funding will continue the College Football Hall of Fame Bond that ends in February 2018. Councilman Oliver Davis expressed a desire to make sure Transpo Routes connect and stop at various parks so all residents have access to them, especially since those speaking said they use other parks due to a lack of parks on the Westside. Bill #17-73 Issuing & Authorizing Bonds for SB PARK DISTRICT ***$12,200,000 Bond*** to fund improvements to Pulaski, Leeper, Howard and Seitz Parks, Riverfront Trail in River West TIF NOTE: The City will be borrowing money to do these projects by issuing a $12,200,000 bond with up to a 5% interest rate These bonds could extend to 2033 and cost up to $15M total Paying this back will be added to property taxes for approximately the next 15 years Issuing a Bond is = to a person putting expenses on a credit card. They will take 15 years to pay it off. The people paying these expenses are the Citizens with increased property taxes if TIF is not available. The concern is the River West TIF will expire before this is paid. Councilperson Jo Borden noted that Howard and Seitz parks are not physically located in the River West TIF District, they are ajacent to it. Instead of staying within their means and waiting until the City can afford these costs or paying with TIF moneys, it's now an added burden at a higher cost because there is now interest which will equal approiximately $2.8M. Every time you hear the City is "ISSUING A BOND" know that means your property taxes will be increasing or they are continuing a previous debt. Realize that Seniors on a fixed income and many of the poor in SB often lose their homes since they can't pay the increasing property taxes, meanwhile businesses are given huge abatements from paying their taxes Bill #75-17 October 2017 Transfer Ordinance - Passed Bill #76-17 October Civil City Appropriation - Passed $40,000 FROM GENERAL FUND (#101) NOTE: Additional Audit Fees due to SBACC Fund issues $117,571 FROM PARKS FUND (#201) $25,000 FROM COMMUNITY INVESTMENT OPERATING FUND (#211) $80,000 FROM STATE-SEIZED DRUG MONEY FUND (#216) $2,733 FROM UNSAFE BUILDING FUND (#219) $97,000 FROM LOCAL ROADS & STREETS FUND (#251) $25,000 FROM POLICE GRANTS FUND (#292) $90,000 FROM FEDERAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT FUND (#299) $362 FROM ZOO ENDOWMENT FUND (#403) $40,000 FROM PARKS CAPITAL FUND (#405) $11,755 FROM PROJECT RELEAF FUND (#655) NOTE: This is to raise the hourly rate to $11/hour and offer a bonus if people stay all 7 weeks $396,500 FROM SMART STREETS DEBT SERVICE FUND (#756). NOTE: Yet another $396K is being spent over and above on "Smart Streets" City received an award for them. Bill #77-17 Substitute October 2017 Enterprise Funds Ordinance - Passed $20,000 FROM EMS OPERATING FUND (#287) $7,823 FROM CONSOLIDATED BUILDING FUND – CODE ENFORCEMENT (#600) $100,000 FROM SEWER INSURANCE FUND (#640) $288,850 FROM SEWAGE WORKS OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FUND (#641) $10,800 FROM SEWAGE DEPRECIATION FUND (#642) $200 FROM 2011 SEWER BOND FUND (#659). Bill #62-17 Substitute Fixing Maximum 2018 Salaries for Non-Bargaining Employees - Passed 7-2 Councilperson's Regina Williams-Preston and Oliver Davis voted Nay. NOTE: This allows the Mayor to give people up to $500 a month Auto allowance and up to $100 a month Cell phone allowance at his discretion. If all employees were given $100/mo or $1,200/year for cell phones and $500/mo or $6,000/year for auto allowance, how much would this be? How much is currently being given? This means the Mayor has the discretion of giving any employee and extra $7,200/year. (g) Allowances, (1) Auto Allowances (2) Cell Phone Allowances NOTE: Departments were advised to only increase salaries by 2% Some changed the job title and increased the amounts substantially above the 2% The Mayor removed his request for the Public Safety Director position. There were 4 new positions including a PR position for Public Works, 10 new Titles, 2 added from the County Historical Preservation 19 positions ignored the 2% and received more. The Mayor says this "normalizes" salaries and are "best practices". This is an area the Council is taking a closer look at in the next budget. Bill #65-17 Fixing Maximum Annual Pay and Benefits for SBFFD for 2018-2021 - Passed NOTE: This is decided by a Union Bargaining unit for the Fire Department Bill #51-17 3rd Reading Appropriating Monies for the purpose of defraying expenses - Passed NOTE: This is done when an area exceeds its budgeted amount and they need to cover the added expenses Bill #52-17 3rd Reading Appropriateing Monies for the purpose of defraying designated Enterprise Funds - Passed RESOLUTIONS: Bill #17-49 Zoning Appeal for 4321 S. Michigan Street Bill #17-50 Zoning Appeal for 315 N. Main Street This request if for an addiction treatment center for women. Upper Room Recovery Inc. They operate one for men next to this property. Bill #17-61 TAX ABATEMENT for 5 years for Masterbuilt, 325 S. Walnut Street, SB Bill #17-63 TAX ABATEMENT for 7 years for Tri-Pac, Inc. 3333 N. Kenmore St, SB Bill #17-67 TAX ABATEMENT for 5 years for Tri-Pac, Inc on Personal Property Taxes Bill #17-69 TAX ABATEMENT for GLC SBDC II, LLC. 23464 Adams Road, SB 46628 - Passed 8-1 NOTE: Abatement amount = $1,107,260 Instead of a graduated 9 year tiered Abatement, they are being given a 100% Abatement Bill # 17-71 ANNEXATION Old National Area - Tabled until Nov 13th Bill # 17-72 REDEVELOPMENT BONDS for the Parks - Passed Bill # 17-73 ISSUING PARK BONDS $12,200,000 (See notes above) - Passed BILLS 1st READING: Bill #79-17 TAX ABATEMENT Amending sections 2-84.9(c) and 2-84.9 (e) of Chapter 2, Article 6 NOTE: Requires those receiving tax abatements to pay a minimum of $10.10/hour to their employees SPECIAL EXPLANATION BY COUNCIL ATTORNEY: He explained that funds first come into the City and the Council can determine what funds go to Redevelopment. This was in response to the Ardmore Issue. It will mean the Council can decide to release/hold the $25M for the Ardmore/South Shore project. At this time $125K has been funded to study alternatives. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Bill #17-79 Zoning Appeal for 3419 W. Washington Street, SB NOTE: This reduced the amount of parking down to 116 spaces CONCLUSION: Councilperson Karen White stated she felt the Budget Process was open with 18 Public Hearings and that their priorities and Budget reflects the Citizen needs. For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver UPDATE on the RENAISSANCE DISTRICT
October 13, 2017, League of Women Voters, Chocolate Cafe Presenter: Willow Wetherall This District is 80 city blocks and is bordered by Chapin/Western/Sample/Michigan Studebaker used to be 128 acres of land The buildings have 1.2M Square Feet Houses 25 Telecommunication Companies Investment to date is $68.6M City/State/Federal provided $14,600,000 Kevin Smith has provided $54,015,100 He has been able to finance this project with his IQI Balanced Intelligence Companies which include: Deluxe Sheet Metal, Union Station Technology Center, Lone Wolf Construction, Infinity Fiber, South Bend Warehousing & Distribution, Woodsmith, International Thought Institute Note: Kevin Smith has an amazing amount of energy and vision Half of the 250,000 Square Feet space is already occupied It is the largest man-made structure in Northern Indiana and is made from poured in place concrete with columns every 25' It would have cost more to tear it down than to rehab it Both lead and asbestos contamination has been removed Unlike many developers, Kevin Smith has reused and recycled while incorporating the latest state-of-the-art sustainability practices on a massive scale The new windows are custom 3 pane glass windows with a brick imprint to update the look while preserving aspects of the past Rather than discard the hardwood factory floors, they were repurposed into new items while providing training and jobs for students in the surrounding neighborhoods For years, monthly update meetings have been held that both keep the public aware of the progress and solicit input The Renaissance District has some sharp contrasts - High tech innovation and homeless centers In an effort to accomodate both extremes, the Working Group was created The Working Group educated 200 people, which included 47 non-profits and government entities They discovered it costs taxpayers $15K/year to house and care for someone vs. $33K if they are living on the streets FUSE is working to provide more permanent housing NOTE: It's exciting to see so much positive progress! For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver TOPIC: Dog Park, Abatements, Budget, 100 Year Anniversary, Home Downspouts, Train Quiet Zones
October 9, 2017, County-City Building, 4th Floor Present - All Council Members 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Celebrate and honor the first African-American Church in South Bend @ 310 W. Monroe Street, SB 48-17 Chapter 2, Article 6 on TAX ABATEMENT REQUIREMENTS This requires those businesses getting a Tax Abatement to have wages equal to or above the minimum wage the City offers with increases of 2% every year. The minimum City wage is currently $10.10/hour. This is done to increase the number of higher paying jobs in the City. 17-60 MASTERBILT PERSONAL PROPERTY ABATEMENT They are investing in a new piece of $575K equipment which will result in hiring 2 more people at $18/hr so the City is giving them $16,292 off their taxes. 17-62 / 17-66 TRIPAC INC They got a 7 Yr Abatement on their taxes for moving from Michigan to 3333 N. Kenmore St. They promise to add 60 new jobs in the next 3 years that pay $18 - $33/hr and bring $5M in business Their Abatement was listed at $83,911 + $17,237 = $101,228 Total off their taxes 17-68 GREAT LAKES CAPITAL SPEC BLDG II 9 Yr Tax Abatement for a new building and 10 new jobs. Given $1,107,260 off their taxes NOTES: (Not exact quotes) Gavin Ferlic likes to use "Aggressing Tax Abatements". He is the Chairperson of the Community Investment Committee and works with Elevate Ventures, an Investment Firm. He said large Tax Abatements are less risk to the City than TIFs and other financing of private businesses. Jo Broden would like the Redevelopment Committee to meet at a later time in the day so more Citizens can attend these meetings and for there to be a Public Portion. Currently the Public is not allowed any input. Dr. Dave Varner noted SB has been handing out Tax Abatements for over 20+ years and Community Investment needs to come up with another way of attracting business. John Voorde noted the Abatement process is much more open than it used to be since years ago one person decided the property taxes--the Assessor. He held that position at one time. Regina Williams-Preston noted her constituents would prefer funding of peace building with a Citizen Review Board for Policing, Lead programs, more curbs and sidewalks and funding to help revitalize homes of those with low incomes, not just businesses. Karen L. White expressed an interest in greater funding for early childhood education. Marty Wolfson of the Forum for Economic Justice said he would like more spending and emphasis on neighborhoods, lead programs, low cost housing and more public input into Redevelopment. Audience - Would you be interested in a post detailing how much Tax Income has been given away in the last 10 years in the form of Abatements? 66-17 DISCONNECTING DOWNSPOUTS Chapter 17, Article 1, Section 17-4 In an effort to reduce water into sewers, the City requires all homes to be disconnected from the sewers. There are currently 1,400 - 1,500 left that are not in compliance. Businesses are allowed to continue to dump into the sewers if they pay a one time fee based on the square footage of their roofs. They said it is too much of a hardship to ask businesses to disconnect. 51-17 / 52-17 DEFRAYING EXPENSES of DEPARTMENTS - Council voted in Favor to pass this. Oliver Davis, Jr. asked for this to be continued and objected to the closing of public input. NOTE: There were an extensive number of accounts, but $ AMOUNTS WERE NOT DISCLOSED. 59-17 CITY CLERK received a 2% pay increase 60-17 COUNCIL receieved a 2% pay increase to $19,411 61-17 MAYOR receieved a 2% pay increase to $108,710 62- 17 NON-BARGAINING EMPLOYEES - Continued NOTE: Although they are only supposed to receive a 2% increase there have been some cases where the job title has been changed with a substantial increase. In the case of Police Department Techs that do fingerprinting and other crime analysis, the salaries were raised to be competitive in the industry and keep them here in SB. Dr. Dave Varner remarked that in the past, people making under $50K would get 2% increase and those over would only receive a flat $500 to reduce a pay gap since 2% of a higher salary was much higher. John Voorde concurred this was the case in the past. 63-17 TEAMSTER EMPLOYEES - Wages were set for 2017-2020 64-17 POLICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES - Barganing was accepted for 2018 65-17 FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES - Continued since they are still in negotiation 17-64 CHANGE IN THE RIVER WEST DEVELOPMENT AREA The Council voted to move the City Cemetary, Leeper Park, Studebaker Museum and the History Museum into this TIF district to make funding available to them. NOTE: Different areas of the City are part of different TIF Disctricts and they have different $ amounts available to spend on civic projects or private businesses. By adjusting these boundaries, more or less $ becomes available in that area. 17-65 STUDY OF RAILROAD CROSSINGS There are two different railroads that run through the City. One has 90 trains a day and the other has 16 a day, which can result in a lot of horns. This study would look at what it would take to make more of the City "Quiet Zones" to improve the quality of life. FIRST READINGS - There were 12 of them. This was a 7 page Agenda. Only two will be highlighted here. 72-17 Chapter 21, Article 3 - PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE It changes Setback provisions, outdoor seating, changes landscaping requirements and parking. NOTE: Why? It is NOT OKAY to allow cafe seating that completely blocks sidewalks and expects people to use bike lanes to walk around these cafes. ADA requires 5' of sidewalk for anyone to pass through. Tuesday the Public Board of Works ONCE AGAIN approved a permit which is voilation. The City claims to be "Pedestrian Friendly" but does not seem to care if those with disabilities can easily walk through an area. This has been granted to Aloft, Fiddler's Hearth and others. 76-17 APPROPRIATING ADDITIONAL FUNDS Included in this is $396,500 more for "Smart Streets". The previous Controller, John Murphy, estimates the REAL cost to be around $41M. TOTAL 2018 BUDGET = $387,352,221 Still time this week to contact your Council Person to express what YOU want tax $ spent on. See list on the "Weekly Meetings Posts" when there is a Council Meeting. DOG PARK ANNOUNCEMENT 10:00 am at Rum Village on Wednesday, October 11th, $25K approved by Public Board of Works for Designs For more articles or meetings: #MichianaObserver SOUTH BEND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION
Monday, 5:30 pm (Broadcast Live WETL 91.7 FM) 215 S. Martin Luther King Drive, 3rd Floor 574.393.6000 SOUTH BEND COMMON COUNCIL Monday 3:30 pm, County-City Building, Conference Rm, 4th floor 7:00 pm, County-City Building, Council Chambers, 4th floor (Broadcast Live) District 1: Tim Scott ~ [email protected] District 2: Regina Williams-Preston ~ [email protected] District 3: Randy Kelly ~ [email protected] District 4: Jo Broden ~ [email protected] District 5: David A. Varner ~ [email protected] District 6: Oliver J. Davis ~ [email protected] At-Large: Gavin Ferlic ~ [email protected] At-Large: John Voorde ~ [email protected] At-Large: Karen L. White ~ [email protected] Common Council ~ [email protected] 574.235.9321 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS Tuesday, 9:30 am, County-City Building, 13th floor Linda Martin, Board Secretary, 574.235.9251 COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, 6:00 pm, County-City Building, Council Chambers, 4th floor 574.235.9658 MACOG Policy Board Meeting Wednesday, 10 am, 11th Floor County City Building NEW DOG PARK ANNOUNCEMENT Wednesday, 10 am, Rum Village Park 2626 S. Gertrude St, South Bend, 46614 REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION Thursday, 9:30 am, County-City Building, 13th floor Mary Brazinsky, Board Secretary, 574.235.9337 -------------------------------------------------------- On Site Prayer Ministry Vigil Thursday, 5:30 pm For 26-year-old Dijon Jones, who was shot and killed on September 23rd in South Bend. Ravina Park. PLEASE NOTE DIRECTIONS: Due to limited parking (one side of the street only) the easiest way to get to the vigil site is to take Miami Street south from Lincoln Way East to Broadway, then turn right. You can park on the north side of Broadway, or the west side of Lebanon streets (they border the park). 574-387-1490. Housing and Economic Development Forum: Racial Injustice in South Bend Thursday, October 12, 6-8 PM St. Joseph County Main Library, 304 S Main Street, Colfax Auditorium League of Women Voters Friday, Noon, Chocolate Cafe, 122 S. Michigan Street, SB Learn about the new developments in the Rennaisance District County Agendas and Minutes http://www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/agendacenter Note: Call for schedule changes For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver County-City Building, 4th Floor
Councilpersons Present: Karen L. White, Jo Broden, Dr. David Varner, Tim Scott, Oliver Davis, Jr., John Voorde COUNCIL BUDGET: Salaries & Wages (9 persons) $215,052 Professional Services $163,619 Fringe Benefits $155,414 Interfund Allocations for IT and Print Shop $60,257 Other Costs $ 12,427 Travel & Training $6,000 Supplies $ 2,200 TOTAL BUDGET $614,969 Paid internship for a PR Person $36,840 Contracted Legal Services $125,619 Additional Legal Services $29,000 COUNCILPERSON RESPONSIBILITIES: They hold over 20 Council Meetings a year Attend close to 100 committee meetings Host over 10 open budget sessions Answer Citizen Questions Work with City Departments Meetings with the Mayor and department heads Attend public functions Write both resolutions and ordinances Serve on other boards and commissions Visit and evaluate areas requesting zoning variances Research issues NOTE: They make $19,411 annually. Raising their annual compensation to at least $25K would be reasonable considering their time. When calculating all these hours, the SB Councilperson makes less than minimum wage. They have begun to stream Council Meetings to YouTube and Facebook if you want to review any of the meetings They are highlighting local artists in the Council Chamber areas CITY CLERK BUDGET: Salary & Wages $246,162 NOTE: City Clerk makes $74,460 Fringe Benefits $116,379 Supplies $7,800 Professional Services $40,800 Printing & Advertising $22,050 Educ/Training $3,000 Travel $6,950 Repairs/Maintenance $5,000 Interfund Allocations $89,863 Insurance $1,043 Other Services $5,100 TOTAL BUDGET $544,147 IT Allocation for 2018 $87,648 In 2017 there was $1,400 for cell phones In 2016 Airfare to International Clerk Conference $1,000 In 2016 Travel/Hotel $3,500 in 2016 "Dues" $1,000, also budgeted for 2018 $1,000 In 2016 Copier Maintenance $4,000 4 Employees: Chief Deputy Clerk/Director of Operations NOTE: Requesting a $5K salary increase Deputy Clerk/Director of Policy Ordinance Violations Bureau Clerk Council Secretary Scanned/OCR/Indexed records from 1865 - 1929 Using Granicus Software Has opt-in for email distribution list Training from Indiana Public Access Counselor Working to "remain in compliance by meeting all open-door law requirements (deadlines), etc." Working on increased transparency to the community CITY CLERK PROGRAM COSTS: Council & Committee Meetings $49,419.75 Constituent Queries $28,183.83 Community Events/Outreach $23,477.84 Records Distrib/Retention $21,743.78 Municipal code Admin/Compliance $21,358.44 Council & Committee Meetings - Presentations/WNIT $16,624.81 Special Mtg/Study Comm/Ad Hoc Advisory $16,504.20 Records Distrib/Retention $13,574.10 Legal $12,434.91 Boards & Commissions $11,707.81 Tech Support $7,432.46 ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS BUREAU: New Parking Program with Warning Tickets Amnesty Day brought in payments for over 500 tickets Interactive Parking Maps for Residential Lawn Parking 279 Lawn Parking Permits Income $10,434.60 7,369 parking tickets Income $34,645 401 appeals 2,008 tickets sent to collections 11 Scrap Metal Licenses Income $2,750 TOTAL PROGAM COSTS: $70,101.39 IT INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY BUDGET: Revenue $6,850,931 (They get $ from other City Depts for their services) 311 Call Center $592,867 IT/311 Costs $6,258,064 ------ Personnel $2,373,819 Supplies $102,493 Professional Services $1,209,300 Educ/Training $77,900 Travel $26,710 Repairs/Main $2,499,381 Debt Service $221,115 Insurance $5,067 Other Services $385,124 Budgeted into other department's budgets $976,000 Tech Refresh $57,793.97 (4 year cycle) Consolidation of telephone services $373,000 Top Salaries: Chief Technology Officer $100,284 Chief Innovation Officer $100,284 Director of Innovation $73,440 Director of Infrastructure $73,440 Infrastrucure Manager $64,955 Director of Applications $73,440 Applications Manager $53,613 Director of Services $73,440 Director of Business Analytics $73,440 (Part of Smart Streets) TeleStaff for SBPD Changed to new Data Portal SBPD Transparency Portal Performance Management for Utilities, VPA (Parks), SBPD GIS - Geographic Info System (Mapping) $11,352 "Heavily assisted in implementation of PSAP" (911 Center) Travel for 2018 - Annual Conference $5,400 ($6,033 in 2017) Conference Fee $750 NOTES: Plan to add "Director of Civic Innovation" $74,980K to do community outreach and PR "empower all residents to the innovation economy" Neighborhood Survey for $21K to "assess resident satisfaction at a neighborhood level" Natl Network for $25K Plan to have a new City Website up April 2018 IT Services 45 facilities Received some grants - Noted by Jo Broden City invested $1.2M in 1996 in exchange for 36 Internet Strands and only 22 are used now because of rings. Dr. David Varner noted this gives the City free MetroNet use forever. (Great investment!) Bill Dunn - Asked of there would be Data Portal Training to help citizens access and utilize City data. Also asked for the "Open Checkbook" data to return so citizens can see all checks written by the City and to whom they were written. For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver October 2, 2017, 2:00 pm, St. Paul's Center, Ironwood Drive
Host: AARP of Michiana, Serving Seniors for over 53 years 4 SPEAKERS: Investigator Timothy Taylor SBPD, Fraud Investigations - 574-235-7489 PFC James Burns SBPD, Abuse and Neighborhood Watch 574-235-9401 Neighborhood Watch is the 1st Thursday of the month, 6:45 pm at the SBPD Attorney Jessica Brock, Indiana Legal Services, Inc. LAVA Program Legal Assistance for Victimized Adults 844-243-8570 Case Manager Loretta Bowes, Family Justice Center, Senior Abuse Cases, 574-235-5420 Please call them if you or someone you know needs assistance in any of these areas. Document Shredding Event this Saturday at Zikers, 1240 S. Byrkit, Mishwaka. $10 suggested donation will help our furry friends at PetRefuge. Win-Win From Investigator Tim Taylor: * Don't put out mail at the end of your driveway, put it in a blue postal box or go to the post office * Don't believe a call about your grandchild being in an accident scam * Don't use home improvement people who come to your door * Asphault sealing scam just puts oil on your driveway that washes off * Contact Officer Taylor if you are a victim of Identity Theft and need assistance * He has free Identity Theft brochures for your groups From Officer James Burns: * Don't believe IRS threat calls, you will receive mail notices * Don't believe banking calls after someone dies. They won't update the person's info over the phone. You need to go to the bank directly and fill out paperwork. * Don't put everything in your wallet. Only carry what you need and have a second "throw away wallet" to give them that just has some cash in it. * Put your valuables in different pockets * Snap your purse to the strap in the grocery cart so they can't easily grab it while you shop * Let your bank know your travel areas * Welcomes you to Neighborhood Watch Other Tips: * Freeze your credit with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (Keep password in a safe place) * Don't hang your purse on the back of your chair * When online setting up social media accounts, give a fake birthday * Caller ID #'s are now being faked to have the same Area code and first 3 digits as yours * Don't say "yes" when someone calls, it may sign you up for charges on your phone bill From Attorney Jessica Brock: * LAVA assists those over 60 years of age or disabled * Areas of Elder Abuse or Financial Exploitation * Financial Exploitation is often by Guardians or those with Power of Attorney * 1 in 9 of Seniors are victims of abuse * Services are free if qualified * To represent, the person must be mentally clear and not have "limited capacity" * Be sure your Power of Attorney has built in protections like an annual review with multiple people * Guardians and Power of Attorney persons must keep 6 years of financial records on hand and be able to produce them within 60 days * Free handouts from the Federal Trade Commission From Loretta Bowes: * Serves all of St. Joseph County for those over 50 years of age * Funded by a grant - Services are free * Can also pay for a cab to the office and back if needed * Income level is not a requirement for assistance * Areas covered include: Domestic violence, neglect, abuse, stalking and exploitation AARP Michiana is a non-profit bringing educational events to seniors. They meet on the 1st Monday of the month at St. Paul's, 3602 S. Ironwood Dr, South Bend, IN 46614 For more articles or meetings: #MichianaObserver  October 2, 2017, 6:00 pm @ Century Center
REQUEST TO GET AN INCREASE IN YOUR RATES If you do not want an estimated annual increase of $361.20 per year on your I&M Electric bill, the Citizen's Action Coalition is suggesting you attend the meeting on Monday. Their address is: 603 E. Washington Street, Suite 502, Indianapolis, IN 46204 www. citact. org Proposed increase is on the MONTHLY FIXED CHARGE from $7.30 to $18.00 This means over 1 year your bill will increase $128.40 even if you don't use any more electricity This is especially hard on those on a fixed income or living at or below the poverty level. There is also a request for an increase in the KILOWATT RATE from $0.08634 to $0.10819 For the average homeowner this will increase their bill by $19.40 a month or $232.80 a year In the last 10 years, average monthly electric bills have already increased 62% The other 22% of your Electric Bill is TRACKERS/RIDERS that add an average of $23.55 to your monthly bill or $282.60 per year These include: FAC - Fuel Cost Adjustment Rider (reduction) LCM - Nuclear Life Cycle Management Rider DSM - Demand Side Management Rider PJM - PJM Cost Rider OSS - Off-System Sales Margin Sharing Rider SP - Solar Power Rider NOTE: Indiana has discontinued the right for Solar users to sell back power at a better rate FMR - Federal Mandate Rider CCTR - Clean Coal Technology Rider CSR - Capacity Settlement Rider ECCR - Environmental Cost Compliance Rider (reduction) DC - Depreciation Credit (reduction) If you are against these increases, you are encouraged to contact: Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, Attn: Bill Fine CAUSE # 44967 115 W. Washington St., Suite 1500S Indianapolis, IN 46204 [email protected] 888-441-2492 I&M continues to invest in and use the Rockport Coal-Fired Plant, which is both polluting and a health threat to miners Instead of installing "Smart Meters" 5 years ago, they chose to install technologically obsolete meters. They now need to pay to take those out and put in the new meters. For more articles & meetings: #MichianaObserver #RateIncrease |
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