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SPEAKER: Dr. Elizabeth Bennion
MEETING: League of Women Voters May 11, 2018, Noon, Chocolate Cafe Dr. Bennion started off explaining her own political influence in society is wide ranging. As a mother, daughter, engaged citizen, civic educator, political scientist, media host, professor, author and facilitating the American Democracy Project she is helping shape the conversation about politics with those she reaches. She explained our political socialization comes from many places as we grow up. Our family, school, media, culture, neighborhood, religion, peer groups, social groups, workplace, military and opinion leaders all help shape our political view of the world. In particular, our parents views shape us. When parents disagree politically the person often ends up being an independent voter or identifying with the mother's political preferences. Three other areas also shape our political viewpoint: demographics, personality and hormones. Demographics include our age, gender, race and sexual orientation. Those with a paranoid or authoritarian personality type have stronger political leanings. The hormones that play a role are seratonin, which makes people more conservative and dopamine which makes people more liberal. Future studies may show our genes contribute to our self-identified political ideology. Each person's civic identity includes their partisanship, political ideology and political engagement. She reflected on her early interest in politics that began in the Carter vs Reagan campaign, the fight for the ERA amendment, going to the polls with her parents, political discussions and her mother's involvement in the League of Women Voters. As a mother of four children ages 3, 10, 12 and 14, she is mindful to develop their interest in the political process. Like her parents, she takes her children to the polls to vote to encourage them to continue the desire to be part of the election process. Political discussions include her children, they read the paper, attend rallies, parades, enjoy public spaces, learn about history, celebrate significant historical figures and volunteer in the community to better understand changing social issues. Discussions are civil and teach their children good people don't always politically agree, including her and her husband. What is key she reminds all of us is that, "facts matter". Critical reasoning can cut through rhetoric and bring people to logical and fair conclusions. It's necessary to try to have equal rights for others. In spite of more efforts to encourage women to run for office, there is still a political ambition gender gap. She is encouraged by the numbers of organizations working on training women how to run for office. She concluded with, "Memories build trust. Memories build solidarity. Memories build identity." Dr. Bennion is a professor of political science at Indiana University where her emphasis is on American politics. She is also the founding director of the IUSB American Democracy Project of IU South Bend, Director of Voter Services and Education for the League of Women Voters of the South Bend and the host of WNIT Politically Speaking. For more meetings and articles: #MichianaObserver #CivicMedia
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Community Investment Meeting - Gavin Ferlic Chairman
4/19/18, 5 pm, County-City Building 4th Floor Present: Gavin Ferlic, Tim Scott, Oliver Davis, Karen White, Regina Williams-Preston, John Voorde, Jo Broden Absent: Dr. David Varner, Sharon McBride Eric Horvath, Director of Public Works, says both the study and technical notes will be posted on the City website. Although the Council asked for the study in advance of this meeting, they did not receive it. It seems the South Bend Tribune may have gotten an advance copy. Study was done by AECOM, which is based in Chicago and knows our region. Earl Wacker, Gary Foil and Chris Brewer did the study and presented it. All have decades of experience. FIVE AREAS WERE STUDIED: 1. New Chocolate Factory development 2. Honeywell area 3. Amtrak location 4. Downtown - not all the way to Union Station, but would use South Street for the tracks 5. Realignment at the Airport TIME COMPARISONS: Currently the trip between Chicago and South Bend is rated at 115 minutes Future Estimated Times are: 82 Minutes - Chocolate Factory 82 Minutes - Honeywell 82 Minutes - Amtrak 84 Minutes - Downtown 84 Minutes - Realigned Airport Surprisingly, very little difference RIDERSHIP COMPARISONS: Estimated for the year 2040 698 Chocolate Factory 729 Honeywell 731 Amtrak 735 Downtown 727 Realigned Airport Again, very little difference A tool called STOPS was used to make these estimates. It's used by the Federal Government and accounts for ridership, travel times and full schedules. Also taken into account was ridership for ND Games, slower growth in our area, retail space is declining due to online shopping, office space is decreasing from 250 SF to 150 SF COST COMPARISONS: Calculated at 2017 dollar values, but may need to consider interest could rise to 4% $44.3M Chocolate Factory $23.9M Honeywell - Honeywell is the 5th largest industrial plat in SB $31.7M Amtrak $102.3M Downtown $29.5M Realigned Airport OPERATION & MAINTENANCE COSTS: $247,430 Chocolate Factory $577,430 Honeywell $577,430 Amtrack $577,430 Downtown $247,430 Airport (Because parking and security is already in place) ECONOMIC FACTORS: These were based on potential development and support of: Residential, Industrial, Retail, Office and Stormwater These were based on looking at the quarter to half mile radius around each location. One of the main concerns for downtown is where stormwater would go. They noted there isn't enough open space for water absorption. Development in the Airport area will be limited due to height of buildings and types of trees to accomodate air traffic restrictions. Chocolate factory will be requiring a sewer extension and is hilly, making it harder for a train. According to Federal standards, SB has about 500 acres of land available for industrial development. Walking to the train was also considered since most people only want to walk .25 to .50 mile to a train station. Honeywell site will need to address a conflict with frieght train lines and crossing those safely. Horn blowing issues would need to be addressed with SSM/ASM silent crossing requirements. Promotion for South Bend would include selling people "second homes" who reside in Chicago. Mike Nolan noted the train station at the Airport was supposed to be "temporary" and it has been there since 1992. EXPANDED ECONOMIC IMPACT: 10 year outlook $15.4M Chocolate Factory $14.1M Honeywell $19.4M Honeywell Mixed Use $11.4M Amtrak $45.1M Downtown $8.8M Proposed Airport $7.2M Current Airport COMMENTS FROM MAYOR: (paraphrased) 1. Noted there is not much variance in time calculations 2. The re-routing at the Airport is more expensive and gives less economic development 3. Downtown would give the highest reward, but would also cost the most, so funding would be an issue at over $100M 4. Honeywell option can be done for much less as a "Skinny Option" 5. Speed to complete the project is also a consideration and he would like to see it completed by 2020 COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council had requested the report in advance so they could review it and ask better questions, but did not get advance access. They stated they will have more questions once they have reviewed it and plan to hold additional public meetings on it. CITIZEN COMMENTS: (Only 2 Minutes per person was allowed and only 5 people were allowed to comment per Tim Scott, Council President) NOTE: All comments are paraphrased * Richard Collins - Head of the Ardmore Neighborhood initiative, thanked the Council and Mayor for considering alternatives to spare the Ardmore Neighborhood * If developed at Honeywell, he hopes adding retail and other development would lower crime. Also concerned about well water safety. * Hopes this will permanently take going through Ardmore off the table as an option since other options look better * Kevin Smith, Developer of the Rennaisance District since 1979, says he hopes his develpment will add 3K tech jobs to the area and would like it to go to the downtown so it can draw in tech workers who stay here 4 days of the week and 3 days in Chicago. Also cited we have an Internet "Carrier Hotel" in place. * Expressed concern that as long as we remain on Eastern Time and Chicago is on Central Time, the hour time difference will make it hard for people to adjust sleep schedules when working and living in two different time zones. MICHIANA OBSERVER COMMENTS: * Didn't hear any references to "Quality of Life" mentioned * Spoke to the study presenters to encourage thoughtful planning for those with disabilities that need to travel by train to get to treatments in Chicago * Needs to be a valuable lesson to both the Mayor and Community Development to listen to the Citizens and not just execute plans they like. Crowd sourcing with Citizens is valuable and brings in a variety of needed perspectives. For more articles and meetings, #MichianaObserver #CitizenMedia
March 29, 2018 at Radio Station WUBS
Panelists: Mr. James Mueller, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Ms. Alkenya Aldridge, Ms. Regina Williams-Preston Moderator: Mr. Nate Levin-Aspenson Mayor: * 1,000 homes in 1,000 Days - 1,122 Identified, 689 Demolished, 10 Deconstructed at a $7.5M expense NOTE: This program was started in February 2013 and ended in September 2015, but with no clear rebuilding plan * There are 30K less people in South Bend than when these homes were built * Definition of "Vacant & Abandoned" is unoccupied for 90 days with code violations and there is a public hearing process * "Need to better support those who need help" & "Open to new ideas on how to handle struggling people" * Landlords have taken advantage of minorities * Planning to do a "Disparity Study" * Expanding "Pathways Program" * Problems are "Poverty, equality and income" NOTE: Per capita income in the City of SB is BELOW $20,000 * "Unlocking public value is the answer" * "Restriping and paving helps stimulate investment" * Thinks the County needs to Reassess home values Mueller: * 80 new homes on the list * Last year 90% repaired and 10% demolished * Feds have higher qualifying restrictions than the City for receiving financing * No intent to go after people's homes, the problem is people take on "money pits" * We have barriers in zoning codes NOTE: Council voted to give them 27 areas where they can bypass the Council on zoning issues and rarely does Council vote against a zoning request * Currently planning to develop the South Shore Track Area Aldridge: * History of the community is lost when they come down * South Bend HIP previously had $300K * Funding will be $650K in 2018 with COIT and EDIT funding, CDBG Funding * Targeting zones for blight elimination and rehab for current owners * More people could qualify if they took off the limits of people being in collection and having a bankruptcy within the last 2 years * "Honor legacy residents" and help educate them on how to care for a home * "Hurry Home" is a program to move people towards home ownership in homes valued under $50K * Banks don't like to lend for homes under $50K because they can't make money on them * Chicago Federal Reserve suggested "Micro Lending" * "Youth Build" is another program * "Community Wins" is a grant for minority owned businesses * Lost industrial job base has caused loss and she wants people to move back to Westside neighborhoods * We need to build business capacity and infrastructure NOTE: The City just recently created her position to do outreach to the community on housing issues and have not had a person dedicated to it before in Community Investment Department * There are no CDC's (Community Development Corporations) on the Westside and non-profits don't have the capacity to help NOTE: CDC's are a way to move tax funding to programs that rebuild people's homes and neighborhoods Williams-Preston: * We need to learn from the past and invest before they get beyond repair to we aren't tearing down history * Regina is a 3rd generation of the "Better Homes" program * There need to be historical markers to preserve the African-American history here * $650K COIT and EDIT funding is not enough for the scope of the problem * Need to get the word out on how people can qualify * Most of the properties on the demolition list were NOT tax delinquent. People want to hang on to their "family land" * Next generation that inherited the homes weren't prepared to take care of homes * 75% of people owned the homes that were demolished lived here in Indiana * Code violations are Civil Penalties where people only have 60 days to fix a problem * Feels City uses aggressive code enforcement and it shouldn't be done in areas with the lowest market strength * Policy, laws and code are fair but are applied in unfair ways that target people * Have to look at internal policies and how minorities are targeted * There needs to be oversight and recourse for Citizens * Fines not paid are added to property tax amounts, people lose their homes and then the neighborhood becomes gentrified CITIZEN COMMENTS: * Not enough inclusion to teach young black men the trades * Need to be more concerned about lead testing in homes with older kids and rentals, not just 6 year olds NOTE: Mayor responded the screening of 6 year olds at schools is to establish a baseline of the studies * Concerned about gentrification (pushing out lower cost housing to build newer higher cost housing) NOTE: Mayor responded that "One size doesn't fit all" so he is continuing to study the problems * Suggested people buy a property, live in it for 6 months and then apply for an equity line of credit NOTE: Mayor said there is currently a "credit gap" * Citizen says there is a program by Cass Community Association in Detroit that is addressing the problem well and wants SB to look at what they are doing * Tired of the Drewrys Property problems and wants City to move faster on it NOTE: Answer was there are legal issues being resolved. There is no solution at this time and no City budget to deal with it * Lived 31 years on Freemont and part of the LaSalle Neighborhood Association - wants streets paved, alleys graded NOTE: The City is systematically closing alleys * Member of Kennedy Park Neighborhood Association says the root cause of the problem is poverty. There needs to be economic development on the Westside, Community Land Grants and urban agriculture * Wants to know $'s spent on Westside NOTE: Answer given was $485K along the corridors leading to downtown. Now that they have re-done downtown they will start to work on "nodes" elsewhere in the City * Don't see locals as part of this development - don't hire outside people to give advice - ask residents what they want and need * Abatement accountability is lacking * Tax credit projects and money is going to millionaires and not helping regular people MICHIANA OBSERVER COMMENTS: These are some RESOURCES for Citizens on Housing: * HUD Certified Housing Counseling 574-235-9475 * Community Homebuyers Program 574-235-5880 * SBHIP South Bend Home Improvement Program 574-235-5880 * Urban Enterprise Association V2V Repair Matching Grant Program 574-235-5879 * Vacant and Abandoned Resident Legal Assistance Program 574-235-5879 * South Bend Heritage 574-289-1066 * Hurry Home Program (in the works with LaCasa de Amistad) 574-233-2120 * Community Wins Program through Wells Fargo [email protected] * Youth Build Program teaches youth skill trades 617-623-9900 * Alkenya Aldridge, Director of Engagement & Economic Empowerment at City of South Bend 574-235-5896 NOTE: In the last ten years there has been $853,431,946 given for business tax abatements on what would have been taxable property for more property tax income and $6,566,969,016 in TIF's used in the last 10 years. (TIF is Tax Incremental Financing) On average over $700M per year Source: Page 244 of the City of South Bend Annual Fiscal Report ending 12/31/2016 We have one of the largest TIF areas in the state of Indiana outside Indianapolis. TIF's can be used for business development incentives, as well as, infrastructure such as sewers, roads, etc. Most recent TIF award in SB was to the Cascades Project across from the Century Center for $5M. This complex will include $1.5M penthouse and $500K condos. For the Berlin Project, which are the condos outside 4 Winds Field, the Mayor awarded close to $4M in TIF and sold them the property for $2 (two dollars). For reference, the average total budget for the City of SB is about $310M per year. Mayor has budgeted $650K to help housing issues in 2018. For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver #MySouthBend #CitizenMedia March 26, 2018, 7pm, County-City Building 4th Floor
Council Present: All Bill #18-11 to Honor the Riley Boys' Basketball Team for its success Bill # 08-18 Rezoning for property at W. Wayne to the North; S. Taylor Street to the West; W. Western Ave to the South; S. William Street to the East 331 -333 W. Western Ave and 401 N. Lafayette Street - Alley vacation and established as MU - Mixed Use Bill #09-18 Rezoning to vacate alley - Lots 247 through 258 of Highland Park 2nd Addition and between Lots 252 and 253, to be established as GI - General Industrial District Bill #15-18 Budget Transfers for 2018 $150K from SBPD to the Mayor's Office for the Goodwill Strategic Focus Outreach Unit - Community Oriented Policing and this is part of the EDIT Funding $2M for the Crossings Grant for the intersection of Ironwood and Corby for repaving and repairs and this is part of the LOIT Fund Bill #16-18 Civil City Funds (Substitute Bill) * Studebaker/Oliver Revitalization Grant - EPA Brownsfield Grant $37,500 * Central Services Fund #222 for $10,000 Grant * Liability Insurance Reserve #226 - EPA Related Issues $900,000 Brownfields in the Studebaker area NOTE: Liability Reserves are where Settlements are paid from. There is a normally a $1M reserve to use across all departments and the normal level of this fund is $2M. * Local Roads & Bridge Grant - Ironwood/Corby Community Crossings $2,000,000 * Parks non-reverting Capital for mowing engines & Veterans Memorial Park $20,000 * 2015 Parks Bond Capital to increase it by $91,412 Bill #17-18 Appropriating Additional Funds under the Enterprise Funds (Substitute Bill) * Parking Garage Fund #601 for $77,000 * Water Works O&M Fund #620 for $52,250 * Century Center Capital Fund #671 for $20,000 Bill #18-18 to Establish NEW FUNDS * Fire Station #9 Fund #350 * TIF Parks Bond Debt Service Fund #351 * TIF Parks Bond Capital Fund #452 (These create the Accounting numbers for these funds. No amounts given.) NOTE: Coming up on the April 9th Meeting is money for the Cemetary out of the River West Fund, but there is an April 1st deadline. RESOLUTIONS: Bill #18-03 Zoning Appeal at 915 27th Street to allow a Child Caring Institution in the OB Office Buffer District (Rite of Passage Program to be called the "Woodford Home") This facility will create 70 jobs and there will be a 4 to 1 ratio of students to staff. Under their license there will be a maximum of 12 young men. All have nowhere to go live and some have timed out of Foster Care and need skills to transition. The concern is they would turn to bad things to survive on the streets. They are expected to do community service, attend church and attend school. The program works to get them scholarships. There are currently 23K kids in need of a way to transition back into society and only 2% have a program to help them. They are driving to and from school and supervised when out in the community. The students are in the program for around 6 months on average. Approximately 40 people spoke in favor, including the President of the River Park Neighborhood Association. No one spoke against it. Councilwoman Sharon McBride who works at the Ducomb Center voted against it. The rest of the Council voted in favor. It passed. Bill #18-12 Interlocal Agreement between SB and St. Joseph County for: MUTUAL OPERATION OF SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT UNITS known as METRO UNITS addressing crimes of Special Gravity in St. Joseph County 3 Additional Investigators at $103,000 per officer annually = $308,500 Council wants to know if they are providing more money than others. Councilman Tim Scott said the County needs to fund the programs they have initiated and he would like to see metrics. He also said he was originally told there was a need for 260 officers to properly staff the SBPD and there are currently 230, 8 in training and 5 in line for next year. The SBPD Chief is concerned about the large number of officers planning to retire in the near future. The Metro Unit is slated to have 16 officers and there are only 13 because of long term vacancies. South Bend Provides: 4 Special Victims Unit, 4 Metro Homicide, 5 Domestic Violence Mishawaka Provides: 2 Special Victims Unit, 1 Metro Homicide, 1 Domestic Violence St. Joseph County: 2 Special Victims Unit, 3 Metro Homicide, 1 Domestic Violence The 3 additional Special Victim Unit Officers are decided by the Prosecutor and are covered in the 2018 budget. The Metro Units cover Family Violence, Drugs and Homocides. FIRST READINGS: Bill #19-18 Alley Vacation for First North/South Alley east of Arthur Street running from Campau Street on the South to the first east-west alley on the North for 156' Bill #20-18 Establishing Parking Restrictions - 17 rules Bill #21-18 to Establish responsible bidding practives and submission requirements on Public Works Projects Question - How will this apply to the Parks Department having it's own building permit? NOTE: The new Cascades Project on the former Wharf Restaurant site across the river from the Century Center received $5M in TIF from taxpayers and will be requesting Abatements from property taxes. This is expected to be a $45M project with a $1.5M penthouse and $500K condos. City expressed the need to give the $5M TIF and will likely give Tax Abatements. Lately Abatements have meant no taxes for a full 6 years. Thursday at 6:30 pm the Mayor will be part of a panel at the WUBS Radio Station on LincolnWay to discuss the housing crisis on the Westside and Southeast sides of South Bend. This meeting is open to the public. Citizens want to discuss how regular citizens can be helped. NOTE: There will also be a Budget Information Meeting at the Main Public Library in the Humphreys Room at 5:30 pm with Councilwoman Karen White (City) and Councilwoman Diana Hess (County) Prior to Full Council Meeting at 5:00 pm, the Council held a closed Executive Session to discuss the Wiretapping case per Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(2)(B) Priviledge of the Floor: * 8 or so objected to the placement of trailers near Ivy Tech for the Homeless. They pointed out their property values continue to devalue as more and more social services are put in their area. They would like other areas of the City to share these services. * "National Stop the Bleed Day" is THIS SATURDAY. Beacon will be offering 4 FREE sessions to teach Citizens how to stop bleeding due to gunshot wounds or accidents. In 2017 there were 102 shootings and 16 people died. For more info contact Stacie at 574-647-2853 * Sue Kesim encouraged the Council to Budget for and pass out medical health information tubes as part of their upcoming neighborhood walking tours. There is a sticker for the door, a magnet for the frig and then a tube with medical information is placed in the frig. Medics like these since it saves time and lives. Coming up...Notes on the Minority Business Enterprise/Women's Business Enterprise Utilization Board, Flood Update Meeting and Housing Meeting at WUBS on Thursday For meeting information and more articles: #MichianaObserver #MySouthBend #CivicMedia MBE/WBE - Minority Owned and Women Owned Businesses
March 28, 2018, 4 pm, County-City Building 4th floor Present: Councilwoman Karen White, Councilman Tim Scott, Common Council Attorney Bob Palmer, Director of Public Works Eric Horvath, Purchasing Michael Schimt, Diversity Officer Christina Brooks, City Clerk Kareemah Fowler Appointees Present: Ms. Cheryl Ashe, Mr. Jonathon Gonzalez Absent: Jas Alexander Need to fill appointee vacancy from the Chamber of Commerce Last meeting was held 2015. There was a 2 year dormant period with no meetings. There were 6 standing recommendations from a June 2013 meeting: * Accept additional certifications from 2 agencies * Expand ordinance #10081-11 to include local minority owned and women owned businesses * Insert "Good faith efforts" into Section 14.5-3(e)(6) * Change reporting relationship with Diversity Compliance Officer * Change the title of the Diversity Officer * Recommend Personnel & Finance Subcommittee Chair as a liason Motion by Rev. Breckenridge and 2nd by Sam Centellas, vote 5-0 * Ms. White - Need to review the Ordinance and 6 point summary * Ms. Brooks - Dirverstiy Purchasing Report Outreach Events Disparity Study Legislative Intent & Compliance Make recommendations to the City Need to eliminate barriers Training and outreach Handbook changes Simplicity for the City to buy Mentoring Need department procurement forecasts Will look at those that are $50K or more per purchase State/Federal guildlines for Disparity Study - Hired someone to do this in April * Mr. Horvath says strengthening the "Good Faith Effort" and helping them get bonds would help Bidding in for Public Works and Direct Purchasing are different processes Need to also look at Sub-contractors * Mr. Gonzalez will look at outreach to the Latino Chamber * There are currently 16 certifiying agencies online that range from free to $300 * They must be recognized by the State of Indiana * Need to have been in business for a certain number of years, show payroll records, I9's, licenses, bonding and tax records PURCHASING: * $101,702,744.20 of purchasing in 2017 * 5,715 Purchase Orders * $773,120 or 0.76% were Minority Owned Businesses * $1,122,451 or 1.10% were Women Owned Businesses * Combined this was $1,895,000 in 2017 which is 1.86%, or .06% improvement over 2016 * 1,349 registered vendors, 4 are Minority and 20 were Women Businesses, but many were not from this area - California, Illinois, Colorado, etc. Ms. Ashe - There needs to be more emphasis on local businesses CITIZEN COMMENTS: Mr. Brown commented at a Council Meeting says it needs to be easier for people to get permitted by the Building Department MICHIANA OBSERVER COMMENTS: * Need to be more "Green/Environmental" purchases to give us a better future * Upfront materials and carrying costs can often be an obstacle to small businesses who do not have working capital or time to go through certification * Also track Union Labor that is local * Document how this is tracked with Parks building directly with their own building permit and not bidding out * Both SCORE and SBA counseling is available for small businesses on Wednesday Mornings at 9 am at 101Co3 in Mishawaka after the weekly networking meeting For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver #MySouth Bend #CitizenMedia @MichianaObserver on FB (Please Like/Share)  March 27, 2018, County-City Building 4th Floor
Present for the Utilities Meeting were Councilman Varner, Councilwoman White, Councilwoman Williams-Preston, Councilman Tim Scott * Setting Rates - No increases are planned * Director of Public Works is in discussions with the Detroit Army Corp of Engineers about funding possibilities * 2018 Flood Crest was 12' 7" * 2016 Flood Crest was 4'4" * Notre Dame data is from 1931 - 2017 and shows the flood on Feb 21-22 of 2018 to be at a 2,500 year flood level * SB has approximately 40 sq miles * Indiana & Michigan areas affected included 15 counties, 3,742 river miles, 3rd largest watershed * Most calls were from these areas: Keller Park, Northshore Triangle, Riverside and Emerson Blvd * From 2015 - 2017 the Sewer Department has received 1,758 calls in these 3 years * 150 year old system * 100 year old pipes still being used in some areas * 60 year interceptor flow of sewage to the river * CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) - Water pressure was so high the water flowed away from the river * There is 15 years remaining in the CSO plan * Governor Kernan Walkway/Wall sustained about $480K in damage * Wastewater Treatment Plant sustained about $225K in damage * Parks overall sustained about $2.5M * East Bank Riverwalk sustained about $285K in damage * East Bank Trail sustained about $1.5M (including the Dog Park area) * 2400 Block of Riverside Drive sustained about $200K in damage * Park equipment was a total loss at Pinhook Park * Slope failures are still a concern and more damage may be discovered * City has a $500K Deductible and there are 2 Different Insurance companies * FEMA may be part of the process * 2 types of evaluations - public and private * Discussion that AEP owns the Elkhart dam. They may ask that the Army Corp of engineers take it over during floods to determine how open it should be and the amount of damage that can occur downstream * Some people can get a reimbursement for their valves if they were damaged or failed. Contact their department for the rules/conditions PROJECTS for 2018: * Electric upgrades * Demolition of Motor Control Centers * Switches & Wiring * New Switches & Wiring * Install generators * Rehab on 4 Belt Filter Presses to compress sludge - $200K #1 is done, even though it is compressing "#2" ;-) * Raw Sewage Pump #2 is $250K * Rehab manholes and sewer pipe linings $1.5M annually * Drainage projects to help residents * Ravina Park/Bowman Creek stabilization - Utilizing $100K donation from the Pokagon and River West TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) * Improve drainage at Martin's Erskine Plaza on Ireland with $120K from the Southside TIF * Improving Colfax from Main to Michigan Streets $1.5M * Improvements to Charles Martin Youth Center and LWW for $1.1M out of the River West TIF * St. Joseph Streetscape $350K * Sheridan Ave - 2,500 feet of roadway & sewer installation from the River West TIF NEW DEVELOPMENTS: North areas with Eddy Street Commons continue to add to the sewage and water needs Upcoming - removal of forests near the toll road to build 160 house development which will add to about 60K gallons of sewage per day Removing forests and covering land with more houses and roads will mean less absorption of water CITIZEN COMMENTS: * Many in Keller Park are renters that ended up with 5' of sewage in their basements so they may just move away and not come back * Need to study the amount of water coming off Holy Cross land and into the Northshore Triangle area Eric Horvath responded it will be studied and they may be able to address this issue when building the Coal Line Trail * During the storms the City should have told the rest of the residents area wide to cut back on water use to reduce the amount of sewage they got coming into their basements * During the storm and for a week after there was brown water coming out of the faucets and they think the City should have given "boil orders" and tested the water SURVEY: The City of South Bend’s Department of Public Works is conducting a sewer survey and is seeking information from residents. We’d like for homeowners who experienced flooding this past February to fill out the survey, which can be found at http://southbend2018sewerstudy.com/. The survey should be completed by Monday, April 30. For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver #MySouthBend #CitizenMedia @MichianaObserver (Please Like/Share) March 20, 2018, 6 pm - 8 pm, Holy Cross College Driscoll Auditorium
Moderator: Barb Sutton, Neighborhood Association President SB Common Council Representation: Jo Broden, 3rd District St. Joseph County Emergency Management: John Antonucci 235-9378 City Engineer and Director of Public Works: Eric Horvath NOTE: There is a Utilities Meeting coming up. For more information contact Ms. Broden at 235-5978 Also, Meeting on the 27th at the County-City Building @5:30 pm to continue the discussion. For neighborhood updates use "NEXT DOOR" Code: GDNMYN - NextDoor dot com * 700 hundred homes affected in St. Joseph County * 65 with Major Damage * 464 homes total in the Triangle area * Indiana Overall - 34 Counties with 500 homes destroyed * 1,300 in Elkhart County * John Antonucci said, "FEMA gravy train is done." * It's up to the President if any relief monies are given REPORTING FLOOD DAMAGE: Working on getting FEMA Grants that could give people up to $35K for their damaged homes People need to make sure they call the 235-9378 and report all their damage to qualify. FEMA will be in St. Joseph County for the NEXT 2 WEEKS, so now is the time to make an appointment. Homeowners need to document dates, where water came in, kind of water, photos of damages, photos of repairs, all receipts and license #'s of contractors They will need to know if you already have "Gate Valves" installed. There is a 30 day waiting period before people can buy flood insurance. People have different policies. Some had a "Sewer Backup" rider, some had "Intermingling Water" and others had "Direct or Indirect Water". If there are additional trash items, call 311 for free pickup. Also call if streets need to be swept. There is a local Disaster Relief Fund Citizens experienced multiple problems: * Flooding * Ground water coming in through basement walls (High Water Table) * Sewer Backup Insurance and FEMA cover differently, so be sure to read carefully before submitting claims and the wording of them. Eric Horvath noted they are looking at two phases: * Preparedness with Emergency Planning * Mitigation Problems on 600 block of Northshore Blvd where road collapsed: * Sandy Soil * Erosion * Applied for Grant * Need in involve Army Corp of Engineers, IDEM and DNR since river may be changing course or deepening there to determine exactly "SAGE Plan" is being worked on Eric Horvath: $105M already spent and $713M more needed (Note: Entire annual City Budget is around $300M. City spent around $47M on "Smart Streets", $4M + for "Coal Line Bike Trail" and just issued bonds for $50M to spend on parks and a $600K Parks Entertainment vehicle built by the same people who built the Oscar Meyer Mobile) Eric Horvath commented, "It would cost billions to have a completely separated sewer system." 50% of the City still has combined sewers Many of the "Lateral" pipes are over 100 years old in this area Data for sewers was based on 2.5" of rain in 24 hours and this was a 10 year evaluation 1992 they applied the 5 largest storms to the model SEWER VALVES: All the red dots on the map are sewer backup (City has a Residential Basement Valve Program that will reimburse up 50% up to $1,500 using a licensed plumber - call 235-9251 for information) Building Department can tell you if a company is licensed or not. They recommend a "multi-flap" design For the program it needs to be a single family home, primary residence and connected to the South Bend City Sewers DOWNSPOUTS: All the yellow dots are where downspouts are still connected Home Downspouts are required to be disconnected per Ordinance #5253-70, Chapter 17, Article 1, Section 17-4 (City has a downspout disconnection program - call 235-9251 for information) Businesses can pay a nominal one time fee and continue to be connected and drain into the sewers with no further charges MOLD CLEANUP: They recommend a product called "Mold Control" and getting a license mold remediation company. FLOOD LEVELS: August 2016 - 5.5 Billion Gallons/Day flowed through SB February 2018 - 14.5 Billion Gallons/Day flowed through SB CONSULTANT: City is hiring the firm of Lang, Feeney and Associates to evaluate the problems They won't be working on it for another 3 months There was a 20 year plan that involves storage tanks and CSO6 which is a 2.5K acre area by Prairie Avenue City needs more storage tanks since the water table is high There are currently 35 CSO Basins There is an 84" high pipe at Angela Blvd to handle the main water in the sewers CITIZEN COMMENTS: * Want maps of sewers and maps of damaged areas released Eric Horvath answer: We have some information on the City G.I.S. and they are working off 1965 maps of the sewers that are often inaccurate at this point. * Citizen estimate - $16M worth of property damage in the Triangle area * FEMA Flood maps show Blue areas for "100 year flood levels" and Brown areas for "500 year flood levels" (see picture) Citizen is concerned being in "flood area" will signigicantly lower property values * Andrew Hughes had research and comments about the ground water levels * House at 722 Marquette was "Ground Zero" for flooding * They are concerned the water is coming down the hill from 933 and into the neighborhood. Backside of Angela is flowing into the alley. Eric Horvath answer: We are looking at how the installation of the "Coal Line Trail" could possibly divert and help the situation. * Citizens were frustrated at the lack of helpful information early on - days later was "too late". They also didn't like the "nasty letter" they got from the Building Department saying they had to have their furnaces working within 9 days. * Citizens couldn't watch the news for details with no electricity and bailing out their homes with 36" of sewage in their basement * A former Councilman and Chair of the Board of Works says he worries the Eddy Street Commons area is overloading the Triangle area MICHIANA OBSERVER SUGGESTIONS: Provide the Citizens with the following in an emergency situation: * Phone charging Stations * Bring in Portable WiFi * Provide generators to help keep sump pumps running * Port-O-Potty for residents to use since homes are flooded * Bring in heavy duty sump pumps since small home ones burned out * Bring in sewer trucks to pump out basements and dump in another area away from the flooded area * Provide cases of "Mold Control" and organize local volunteers to help clean * Get out a list of resources on paper as soon as possible since people didn't have power * Have other City employees chip in to take calls and distribute forms to residents * Worry about parks later and put residents FIRST #MichianaObserver #MySouthBend 7:00 pm, County-City Building, 4th Floor
Present: ALL NEW Councilperson! NEW Coffee Shop! NEW Fire Station! NEW Menards! NEW Data Portal for City Info! NEW Ballroom! Update on Solar, Floods and Potholes Bill #04-18 Ordinance Variances for the new #9 Fire Station at 2104, 2108, 2112 E. Mishawaka Ave and 914, 918 S. 21st Street - Passed Unanimously * One resident decided to remain in their home instead of sell * 3 Owners of the 5 properties did sell to the City * The Station will be funded by a bond * The resident to the South of the Station requested a 6' White Vinyl Fence to seperate the properties and this was granted * Station will be 10,000 square feet with 3 Bays, one is for the Boat Truck/Trailer * This station will have an Ambulance * Bids for the building of the Station will be opened on Tuesday * See Picture for future view Bill #18-07 LaSalle Apartments need to be reassessed now that they are renovated - Passed Unanimously * 67 Apartments * 90 Spaces for Parking * New Ballroom for Weddings and Events * Apartments are at 100% Occupancy Bill #10-18 Menard's US 31 and Ireland Road - Passed Unanimously * They will be building the new Menard's on the old K-Mart site and needed a piece of St. Joseph Street. * This will clear the way to begin construction on the site. * BigR owns the building they are currently in on Ireland. Bill #10-18 Change in Venues, Parks and Arts Staffing - Passed Unanimously * The City will be making 8 people direct employees that were previously under a management contract. * These are at the Century Center. * There is a new organizational chart * Aaron Perri thinks this will save $200K. He would like to spend the money on Business & Development * Councilman Davis questioned if this if the is the case since now the City will be paying their benefits * Transition will occur on April 2nd * No firm amounts were given in the Early Council Meeting UPDATE: 2018 Budget Amendment Schedule & City Wage will be given to the Council 4 times a year. * Councilwoman White asked for a list of those who are at the top of their pay. * Councilman Voorde asked about structuring the salary increases differently since 2% is different amount for those with higher/lower wages. (Per past discussions, this means higher salaries would not get a full 2% if their increase exceeds a certain dollar amount to be more fair.) * Information will now be posted in "Gateway" so you the Citizen can get financial information directly on this link: https:// gateway.ifonline.org Go to "Indiana Gateway", "Report Builder", "Employee Compensation", "St. Joseph County", "City of South Bend" The nice part is you can choose how to sort it different ways. This has to be updated on the site by January 31st every year * New Assistant Controller is Ben Dougherty from the Legal Department UPDATE: Solarize Program with Leah Thill, Environmental Planner, MACOG For more information: Look at the Michiana Observer post on July 19, 2017 * They held 8 workshops with 320+ Participants * 97 Projects with 76 of them installed in 2017 * South Bend 164.4 kW, Goshen 485.8 kW, Others 55.4 kW for a total of 705.8 kW hours new Solar! * Average Home 6 - 9 kW required * 5.8 kW replaces 60% electricity for an average Hoosier household Bill #18-04 Former Bank at 2602 Mishawaka Avenue to become a Coffee Shop with a drive through - Passed Unanimously * There were 5 setback variances approved so this can become the future location of a Biggby Coffee * Councilman Davis asked if they will be serving hot chocolate - answer was "yes" both hot and cold * The City is planning to award Facade Grants to businesses along this area Bill #18-03 was postponed until 3/25/18 Bill #13-18 FIRST READING for ALLEY VACATION for E/W of Emerson Street and N/S between Northside Blvd and Hildreth Street * If you live along these Alleys you need to come to the Council if you do not want this or have concerns and let them know in advance UPDATE: Ardmore Study with South Shore * Councilman Davis asked where they are in the process and to be apprised of the report UPDATE: Zoning and Annexation * The City owned area between Taylor, Lafayette, Western and Wayne is being made all the same Zoning so it can be sold * Disposition process will begin after zoning is uniform UPDATE: Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Recycling Programs * The $11 fee for HHW passed * The $28 fee for Curbside Recycling passed * If they had not extended this fee schedule, the cost for curbside recycling would have gone back up to $40 UPDATE: Flood Information from Enginering - Eric Horvath Mayor is out of town so he gave a letter to the Council stating he is "Concerned about roads and parks as the waters recede" There are currently 17 parks and trails closed, so those remain his top concern. * River crested at 12.7' on Thursday at 1:30 am * Past highest crest was 10.9' * Level at 4pm on Wednesday is expected to be 8', currently 9.8' * Streets still closed include: Riverside east/west, Buckhorn and Northside * Bowman Creek was kept clear and running which reduced some of the flooding * River water is pushing back up into the sewers instead of running out * Wastewater Treatment plant still has the chlorine section under 2' of water * Treating industrial waste from IN/Kote and others first and letting regular waste continue to enter the river * The entire plant was closed on Wednesday at 9 pm and reopened at 6 am on Thursday * 315 reports of flood damage have been submitted, 180 are in South Bend * Be sure to report any damages to 574-235-9378 * There will be "Solid Waste Amnesty" for those disposing of flood damaged carpet, etc. Free of Charge, just call 311 for the pick-up * There are 500 homes that had electricity turned off that need to be inspected before it can be turned back on. Contact the Building Department for the Inspection through 311. * Homes on Emerson Drive may be a total loss. There were 30 electrical shutoffs there. * The new 3rd District Councilwoman, Sharon McBride previously had done Waste Water Treatment Plant inspections * In 2016, the SBA offered lost cost loans to people. Some of those were wrapped into mortgages. For those who could not afford loans, there was $500K in grants available. * At this time, drinking water for the City has not been affected, however, if you have a well, it is recommended you test it. UPDATE: Pot Holes * 4 State Crews have been out filling holes * The State is responsible for Sample Street and it is scheduled to be resurfaced * Councilwoman Preston would like two maps posted online - One for pot holes reported/filled so people don't continue to call for the same ones and a map for Code Enforcement violations Thank you for the Like/Shares! We appreciate your interest and support! For more Meetings and Articles: Michiana Observer on Facebook #CivicMedia #MySouthBend South Bend Common Council vs. South Bend City Administration in Superior Court - Filing on January 29, 2018 EXCERPT "C. The parties now desire that the Disputes which now exist, had previously existed or may have existed between them regarding the Recordings and/or alleged use of Recordings (which Disputes have been the subject of respective lawsuits described above and are now cpllectively referred to as the “Lawsuits”) be immediately settled and that the Parties be spared the trouble and expense of further litigation. (From Paragraph 1 on Page 2 of Settlement Agreement) A. The City will pay to Tim Corbett, Steve Richmond, David Wells, Brian Young and Sandy Young the total sum of $500,000.00 made payable to each Plaintiff and Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak. B. The Parties acknowledge that the Recordings and the tape cassettes (the “Cassettes”) which contain portions of the Recordings and which were made by Karen DePaepe and given to Darryl Boykins remain the subject of a subpoena by the common Council of South Bend (the “Subpoena”). The Plaintiffs will continue to pursue their declaratory judgment action seeking to quash the Subpoena. The City will comply with any ruling on the validity of the Subpoena. However, if the Plaintiffs prevail, the city will deliver the Cassettes to legal counsel for the Plaintiffs." To see the ENTIRE document, download the PDF. 
County-City Building 4th Floor
Present: All ANNUAL BOARD OF FINANCE MEETING Election of Officers CITY OFFICES REPORT - Mayor * Killing of two teens this month 1. Needs to stop 2. Need info shared with authorities 3. Need to break cycle of violence * Praised the street outreach of those at Goodwill * Call 311 with location of pot holes * FUSE Project has 20 people now * City employees now have parental leave available to them * New airline routes mean 93K more seats available * Study on Armore/South Shore is nearing completion and waiting on "Economic Impact" part of it Councilman Oliver Davis asked for advance notice and information on this * City purchased $773K from Minority Businesses and $1.2M from Women Owned Businesses in 2017 * PSAP (911 Call Center) has a new Director and things are going well * Lime Bike - 10K rides in December ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT City Investments overall - return was 0.82% on 107 Funds, TIF receiving the most interest income Bill # 02-18 AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS For construction of the New Fire Station #9 and an additional classroom on the Taylor Street Fire Training Center Bonds in $5K denominations, not exceeding 6% Fire Station #9 has a historical designation and was built in 1926 FAVORABLE - Unanimous Bill # 03-18 APPROPRIATING of BONDS Series 2018 for $5,430,000 $500K will be for the new fire station with an estimated cost of $330 per sq ft The new classroom will be a pre-fab construction to keep costs low and cost about $110 per sq ft FAVORABLE - Unanimous Bill #18-02 Rescinding Resolution #4663-17 Indiana Task Force One MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) Approval Between City of SB and Indianapolis, urban search and rescue task force within the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Indianapolis dissolved their end of this because they eliminated their "Public Safety Department". The new/same agreement was reached with the Indianapolis City directly. FAVORABLE - Unanimous Bill #89-17 Mixed Use District Zoning Text Amendments - See Charts on Michiana Observer Post on FB Nov 27, 2017 NOTE: They were asked to ammend and put in specific language making it clear all businesses need to leave the required 5-6' access, but don't feel it is necessary. Further, this bill allows Community Development to take up more of private owned property without input, recourse or review by the Council. Citizens will have no rights. NOTE: The public is able to attend Redevelopment Meetings but no public input is allowed. This was TABLED Bill #01-18 Transfer of Zoning Related Responsibilities This transfers the South Bend City Building Department into the County Area Planning Department (Consolidation and transfer of power) FAVORABLE - Unanimous Bill #06-18 (First Reading) Street Vacation Western Ave from Frances Street East 241' to Parry Street, the first North/South Alley East of Frances Street, Between Western Ave on the North to the first East/West Alley South of Western Ave FAVORABLE - Unanimous PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Jesse Davis - Brought to the Council's attention some people with city connections get priviledged treatment even though they march for equal rights and treatment. He referenced people brought in for the same offense of OWI got different results. One had to pay a $500 bond and the other was released on recognizance. Sue Kesim * Asked the Council to increase the funding for the "Transitions Program" the city has with WorkOne. The City put in $100K but it runs out too quickly. The program is for residents needing funds for training to improve their careers. * Asked the Council to keep an eye on when HeadStart waiting lists go unfunded and to use community influence to get the funding for them. * Went to the Neighborhood Watch meeting - There are 200 Block Captains and the police would like 1,200 so Citizens can help lower crime in the City. She suggested the Council reach out to their constituents. * Expressed dismay there were over 100 shootings and 16 gun related deaths in 2017 and the year is beginning with the death of two teens. 1. Asked if Anger Management classes are still being taught in the schools 2. Suggested teaching Violence De-escalation workshops in the neighborhoods 3. Suggested putting together a local TV documentary program that shows what happens when someone is shot--ER, what happens to the body, PD Case management, Court, Family/Friends/Acquaintenances (close to 300 people are affected) to help people understand the real impact of just one death. 4. Start training the community on how to treat gunshot wounds since last year there were 100 shootings. She said a person can bleed out in under 3 minutes so those close need to know how to reduce bleeding until medics arrive. She said we teach the community CPR an how to help with strokes and this needs to be the new training. (Only 3 minutes is allowed for a Citizen to express ideas or concerns, so her last 3 points were not heard.) Councilwoman Karen White made the announcement there will be a meeting on February 22, from 6-8 pm by Memorial Hospital about the Opiod Crisis in South Bend. For more articles/meetings: #MichianaObserver |
AuthorCitizens attending community events to inform other Citizens. Archives
May 2019
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