SOUTH BEND COMMON COUNCIL MEETING on October 23, 2017

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.
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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.

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