[0:03] because

[0:23] yesterday

[1:44] um

[2:04] somewhere near um

[2:32] sure

[2:42] hang out

[2:51] there

[3:01] yes

[3:36] thank you

[3:52] foreign

[4:53] foreign

[5:49] experience

[6:28] on Monday May 8th common council meeting to order Park Jones I believe you would

[6:33] like to make some comments regarding the link to this meeting and other

[6:36] expectations

[6:42] we will be muting everyone virtually not speaking by default to maintain good

[6:48] audio quality for Council Members as well as yourselves if you would like to

[6:53] speak during the meeting on specific agenda items please submit your request

[6:57] to speak in the chat in directions to do so are located in the chat we ask that

[7:03] you provide your full name and address as those are required for all speakers

[7:08] and in-person meetings if you would like to be called on during the meeting to

[7:13] provide public input again please insert your name and address in the chat and

[7:18] you will be called on during the relevant times you will be given five

[7:21] minutes to speak during public input for Citizens that wish to speak during the

[7:26] privilege of the four please insert your name and your address into the chat and

[7:31] the council president will call on you you will be given three minutes to speak

[7:36] during privilege of the floor and please be sure to unmute yourself before giving

[7:40] your remarks thank you thank you at this time we will have Reverend Andrew Brown

[7:45] amount of Missionary Baptist Church come up for the invitation

[7:52] welcome Reverend Brown

[8:00] this way by the way

[8:05] it's not quite like Sunday morning huh

[8:10] Eternal God our Father we thank you for this opportunity Lord that you have

[8:13] given us and these that are gathered here to do the business of the city of

[8:17] South Bend we pray Lord that you have bless them strengthen their minds their

[8:21] hearts and their souls and the spirits of God give them what they need to do in

[8:26] the way you would have them to do it for your words just let not to be done in

[8:29] Strife for vain Glory but alone in the somality to see mothers better than

[8:34] themselves for this was mine that was in Christ Jesus we pray that might fall

[8:38] upon these who are in the decision-making policy so God test them

[8:43] right now in the name of Jesus who is Christ amen amen amen thank you so much

[8:48] maybe stand for the Pledge of Allegiance please

[9:09] thank you

[9:12] Clark Jones will you call the role please I believe Troy Warner is um

[9:16] excused

[9:24] I know that um counselor Hammond said that she was

[9:28] going to be on Virtual

[9:40] council member Lee present

[9:44] council member Warner

[9:47] the council member wax present council member white present council

[9:54] member Thomas Morgan present council member Hammond

[10:03] vice president president McBride present we have six

[10:09] presidents thank you

[10:13] at this time we will go to the reports from the city first up we will have an

[10:18] update by Andrew Berlin from the South Bend clubs thank you so much welcome

[10:24] please state your name and address for the record Andrew Berlin Four Winds

[10:28] Field South Bend thank you

[10:32] is there a way to advance the presentation

[10:35] is there a clicker

[10:39] foreign I'll tell you when to flip okay thank

[10:43] you yeah thank you very much thank you for having me it's it's on the

[10:48] heels of some very good news that South Bend received from Indianapolis uh the

[10:52] passage of the Senate Bill 326 that sends 100 million dollars to South Bend

[10:57] in the form of 5 million dollars a year for 20 years there will be a bonding

[11:01] process of course in an effort to raise those funds earlier to do the kind of

[11:05] work that we want to do in the city but it was fantastic news and so with that

[11:10] with those uh Tailwinds I'll uh I'll proceed in the first slide I start with

[11:15] is this word imagine and the reason I start with this slide is just for a

[11:20] moment before I get into the details and I will keep my presentation relatively

[11:24] short even though I could wax on about the partnership with South Bend which

[11:29] has been magnificent uh when I first came to South Bend in 2011 and first met

[11:34] mayor licky the South Bend silverhawks were in

[11:38] trouble the team was uh having difficulty I

[11:42] would say it's failing but out of respect for our dear friend Governor

[11:45] Kernan I won't say it was quite really failing but it was really struggling I

[11:49] was on the cusp of leaving South Bend to go to the state of Illinois to a city in

[11:53] in Central Illinois and so I want just for a moment if we

[11:56] can imagine what it would have been like not to have four one's field not to have

[12:01] South Bend Cubs anchoring a significant a part of tremendous Renaissance in

[12:06] downtown South Bend but not just South Bend in the entire region you'll see on

[12:11] my presentation and I'll foreshadow it but we've had 3.2 million people come to

[12:17] South Bend coming to Four Winds field since we've

[12:20] had it and we're going to improve and increase

[12:23] that number dramatically for the next eight to ten years with the kind of that

[12:27] investment that the state is making an investment that does not require us to

[12:31] increase taxes it only keeps the income taxes the sales taxes that are paid in a

[12:36] certain part of the city from going to Indianapolis and simply staying in South

[12:39] Bend so with that that fixture in your mind what downtown looks like without

[12:44] all of this going on in our little corner downtown let's proceed with the

[12:48] presentation to the next slide

[12:52] so today the ballpark looks pretty good I'm here with Joe Hart the president of

[12:57] South Bend Cubs hina's team have done a wonderful job winning all sorts of

[13:02] Awards as you might imagine Major League Baseball when they absorb Minor League

[13:06] Baseball there used to be 160 minor league teams the United States now

[13:10] they're a little less than 140. many of those cities that used to have ballparks

[13:16] no longer have an Affiliated team no longer have minor league baseball if we

[13:20] hadn't made the improvements up into this point South Bend wouldn't have a

[13:23] baseball team either but Joe and his team at the Southwind

[13:27] Cubs have won awards for their fields the best field in minor league baseball

[13:31] we've won best ballpark in all of the United States twice in 2015 2017 but

[13:38] we're not resting on our Laurels this is not just about increasing revenues it's

[13:42] not just about having an Enterprise that makes some money but it's really it's

[13:47] about this mission that we had to really improve not only everything around us

[13:52] but also to drive economic development for all of South Bend and in particular

[13:56] in our downtown Corridor where we are it is a jewel but it's going to become even

[14:01] more special as we move forward next slide please

[14:06] it's hard to tell from this particular aerial rendering what we're going to do

[14:10] but I'm getting into a little bit of detail before I get into the detail

[14:13] however beef what the ballpark is going to look like when we slip to the next

[14:17] slide I believe that's a very short two minute video

[14:25] so it's always been more than a game if you just make sure our volume is up a

[14:30] little too but thank you

[14:34] at the beginning of the World Series of 1947 I experienced a completely new

[14:39] emotion when the knife in Latham was played this time I thought it would have

[14:44] been play for me it's always been more than just a game

[14:50] 80 years ago in this town where a handful of men and women born

[14:54] here we changed everything for Betsy Oakman and others she played

[14:58] for the southbound blue socks and Ted strong who played for the Kansas City

[15:02] monarchs baseball was a big deal even a way out

[15:09] the Studebaker alone had over a dozen Factory teams by the time Ted passed

[15:15] away in the late 70s the factory teams were mostly history

[15:20] until mayor Roger parent had an idea that would someday lead to a Renaissance

[15:24] for South Bend building a professional Stadium

[15:29] the team in the stadium nurse

[15:35] by the next mayor soon to be governor Joe Kernan ultimately found a new owner

[15:42] who not only committed to the city of South Bend but put his own money into a

[15:47] stadium owned by the citizens of this great City

[15:50] the Renaissance your head took a while but when it got

[15:55] here wow

[15:58] baseball's a big deal again and the future

[16:01] is bright the South Bend Cubs have committed to this great City for decades

[16:07] to come and legislators like Maureen Bauer David nescott Dickey Ryan micheler

[16:13] Jake teshka and others have paved the way to make

[16:21] I like the city like the dramatic causes by expanding Roger's parents original

[16:25] idea which by the way has paid off in big big

[16:29] ways baseball's more than just a game a lot

[16:34] more

[16:39] ask Ted strong here's to the next several decades of

[16:43] professional baseball in the city of South Bend and the next generation of

[16:48] professional players here's to the city

[16:52] and the citizens of South Bend Indiana [Music]

[17:05] what's marvelous about this presentation is especially the fact that it's a

[17:09] city-owned stadium owned by the people of South Bend it's created a partnership

[17:14] with me and my team for whatever we do here it stays in

[17:18] South Bend whatever we're able to achieve in improving the ballpark we

[17:22] can't and won't take it with us the Cubs are here to stay as long as you want

[17:26] them here as long as people come out to the games and so it's been a success

[17:31] but we're not done so if we go to the next slide

[17:35] you'll see some of the renderings of what we're going to be planning here

[17:39] so for example we're going to go up a whole nother deck above us where all the

[17:44] Suites will align from all the way from one end of the stadium to the other

[17:48] you'll see additional seats outside the Suites and then we'll be opening up The

[17:53] Concourse below and you'll see that in future slides you'll also see in the

[17:58] left field corner there's going to be party space convention space conference

[18:02] space and other clubs and amenities where we can attract and and bring more

[18:07] corporations to downtown South Bend to do their entertaining in our city the

[18:11] next slide please another view this time from the left

[18:15] field Corner looking back towards the center and you'll see what these look

[18:19] like again another slide

[18:24] next slide we're also going to capture some of the

[18:28] architecture of Wrigley some of the open Iron and beams that that hold up the

[18:32] signs and the lights at Wrigley were bringing those arches of Steel here to

[18:37] South Bend to kind of give a sense of the connection between Four Winds field

[18:41] the South Bend Cubs and the Chicago Cubs and if you uh remember regularly in the

[18:46] roof of Wrigley this is reminiscent of what the roof looks like there

[18:51] is also going to be a concourse in the left field Corner that'll have a bridge

[18:55] extending the top part of the Suites across to the building you saw in left

[18:59] field corner and a more dramatic entrance there in the corner of South

[19:03] Bend and it's going to have you know ivy on the walls there's going to be a large

[19:07] Concourse and of course it'll be it'll have a lot of brick and a lot of iron

[19:12] and just drive a more beautiful beautiful Park

[19:18] this is what the meeting Center will look like in left field corner

[19:24] next slide so what we also like about the

[19:28] investment in the ballpark is it's also attracted a number of different

[19:31] developments in downtown South Bend uh and as you see if you know about the

[19:36] real America baseball investment I think has attracted 60 units of housing half

[19:40] of which are aside for low-income families we built our own four IV

[19:44] apartment buildings along the outside of the Outfield with balconies overlooking

[19:49] the ballpark but there are a number of people that are building more homes more

[19:52] apartments in downtown South Bend than ever before in the last several years

[19:56] when I was here we didn't have that kind of population growth when I first

[20:00] arrived in 2011. so I'm sure all of you are very familiar with just the growth

[20:04] and the and how busy it is again downtown

[20:08] next slide

[20:11] another comment here you could read for yourself I don't I want to read the

[20:15] slides to you in the essence of time next slide

[20:20] next slide again so a little bit about Senate bill 326.

[20:25] next slide uh the original law for the psda was in

[20:31] 2017. uh excuse me it expired in 2017-17 we passed the new law 2021 to take the

[20:39] cap up to two and a half billion excuse me two and a half million the other

[20:43] number would have been uh would have been better I'm sure and then we crossed

[20:47] we increased it to 5 million just recently which is also commensurate with

[20:51] what Fort Wayne gets next slide

[20:55] uh the revenue that we're currently generating that the city is currently

[20:59] generating with income tax and sales tax in the prescribed area is easily

[21:03] expected to exceed the five million dollar Gap so it's going to ensure

[21:07] ensure a very strong bond offering which is very good news and keep the expenses

[21:11] down on the bond and of course it represents a hundred

[21:14] million dollars of new Revenue to the city of South Bend if we wait the 20

[21:17] years to collect it it's a little historical perspective

[21:21] next slide

[21:24] city was built in 1987 for just a hair less than 10 million but we rounded up

[21:29] to 10 million dollars with the work that we have done together the city and

[21:33] ourselves we have done a very good job in keeping the fine bones of that

[21:38] Stadium which is wonderful in the manner which it was built I don't know if you

[21:42] were aware of this but the foundation and the pilings that were used in

[21:46] putting the roof over the lower Concourse the same Foundation can be

[21:51] used as we go up in another floor so well actually it was it was actually

[21:55] built to contemplate a second level so save us a lot of money on

[21:59] foundational work next slide

[22:02] again something to note since 1998 no property taxes or general funds have

[22:07] been used to improve the stadium we've done it all on our own with you and

[22:12] there are only two unique sources have been used to improve the stadium and

[22:15] surrounding properties again the city and myself

[22:19] next slide I made an investment of 32 million

[22:22] dollars in the area between around nine million dollars in my own money I

[22:27] invested in the city-owned stadium I know the new when I got here the city

[22:32] was not in a position to make the investment itself so I made the

[22:35] investment for my own personal funds and then I built the four apartment

[22:39] buildings that surround the stadium but it was important to demonstrate to the

[22:43] city that that I was all in as well you would be very very hard-pressed to find

[22:48] an owner at least in minor league baseball they would have done something

[22:50] like that but when I had faith and of course at 1.75 million it was

[22:55] earned by the team through the original psda Law which was used to improve the

[22:59] stadium

[23:01] so as I said before we're not going anywhere and we've decided to extend our

[23:05] agreement through the 2044 season and it'll either be up to my sons my

[23:11] daughters or maybe another owner someday to take it and beyond that but it I plan

[23:15] to be around for a while I'll do my very level the best but I'd love to extend it

[23:19] even Beyond 2044.

[23:23] um as I mentioned before we've drawn more people the city South Bend than any

[23:26] other local amenity 3.2 million people since I arrived in South Bend

[23:31] that's to the ballpark and of course a larger enhanced Stadium

[23:35] will bring even more so the idea is that we want to increase

[23:38] the seating capacity maybe is up to about 50 percent

[23:42] there are so many games that we have throughout the season that were sold out

[23:45] this will give us the opportunity to bring more people in the more people

[23:48] that come in the more sales taxes are collected the better it is for the city

[23:53] and the city-owned stadium yeah so again I I you could imagine this

[23:59] would be so but not only with the construction but with the employees and

[24:03] the people that will be surrounding South Bend and surrounding the ballpark

[24:06] it'll bring more jobs and economic activity

[24:09] and you'll see even more PS to CDA Revenue

[24:14] um something to keep in mind and I'll be finishing up here in a moment Major

[24:18] League Baseball has imposed new standards of minor for minor league

[24:22] stadiums any stadium that doesn't keep up with the standards that Major League

[24:26] Baseball is now imposing once Major League Baseball took over Minor League

[24:30] Baseball they lose their affiliation so whether it's lights or the field or

[24:36] the facilities for the players for the umpires for the coaches having amenities

[24:41] for female coaches female Empires umpires it all has to be there or you'll

[24:46] lose your affiliation as that strict so there are going to be needs for

[24:50] improvements and we're going to make all of those improvements here with the next

[24:53] couple years and we've worked hard to make sure the

[24:56] city doesn't lose the affiliation and just so you know we're not wasting any

[25:01] time the bill was signed last Thursday and we had our first planning meeting

[25:05] with the city this morning so we had about 10 or 12 people on the

[25:10] call it was at eight at nine o'clock this morning and we're already Off to

[25:14] the Races and so I'm really excited to see that everybody is leaning in and

[25:18] leaning in very very well we're working well together as we always have

[25:24] um again just a little education this is not Tiff financing obviously Tiff

[25:28] projects are are owned by the developer in this case the project is still owned

[25:33] by the city with all of these improvements it's still a city-owned

[25:36] stadium which is terrific and the operation the professional team

[25:39] is the private investment and that's what we're doing

[25:44] next step we have to extend the area to capture the income taxes and sales taxes

[25:49] and that resolution is coming before the city council very shortly

[25:53] and we need to do that before June 30th and with that I'll take any questions

[25:57] you might have

[26:01] thank you so much for that uh awesome presentation I'm excited

[26:05] for the city and for what you all have brought to us and exciting news for our

[26:12] tax payers that we are not raising taxes and also to the attraction that is

[26:18] coming to our city and the phenomenal job that you have done over the years so

[26:22] thank you for the charge and the lead with that and have to give kudos to Joe

[26:25] for your tireless works as well so thank you so much for your efforts at this

[26:31] time I will open it up for my colleagues if there's any questions at this time

[26:36] I don't have questions I just have comments I'll open it up for questions

[26:40] and or comments so it's okay appropriate thank you so much I just want to thank

[26:43] you thank you I remember when you when you

[26:46] first started this your commitment was strong then it's

[26:49] even stronger now for your own personal investment in our city but also the

[26:55] vision that you have continuously articulated to take us higher New

[27:01] Beginnings New Visions can we imagine and to see where we're at as a city and

[27:06] the stadium and all of your uh supporters but also Joe and others it's

[27:13] been a great great experience and again I'm extremely grateful for you and your

[27:19] team and what has been done for the city of South Bend it means a great deal to

[27:24] me thank you very much we really have poured our hearts into this it's really

[27:27] been more of a best it's more than just a business

[27:30] if you imagine being in a business where you get to throw a party for 8 100 of

[27:34] your neighbors it's a it's an extraordinary experience and Joe and his

[27:38] team really do make us all look good so thank you thank you Joe

[27:42] I'll go down the line counselor Thomas Morgan yes thank you president

[27:46] yeah let's add my thanks and gratitude to

[27:51] your image of imagination your vision your investment in the city of South

[27:55] Bend I live on Chapin Street so not far from the ballpark and so have seen this

[28:01] amazing investment over the 20 years that I've lived in that neighborhood and

[28:07] we benefit every Friday from those wonderful fireworks in the summer so my

[28:13] family very much enjoys going to the ball games I my question

[28:19] um uh relates to is is part of the expansion also to um

[28:27] uh to increase the the training facility as well

[28:33] um is that part of the investment no the training facilities actually own owned

[28:37] by myself okay so any kind of work that's done on the on the performance

[28:41] center would be either the Cubs or myself investing there so that that is a

[28:46] that is my building so it won't be used for for my building okay but the rest of

[28:50] it yeah we'll we'll not only be adding and improving but we'll also you know

[28:55] since the ballpark was built in 1987 and much of like the one kitchen if you can

[29:00] believe there's only one kitchen that serves the entire Ballpark and that's on

[29:05] the second floor of the main building so that one elevator in the entire ballpark

[29:09] has to move people and food and spread it out through the entire ballpark it's

[29:13] so inefficient and and arguably just bad so we really want to improve the food

[29:20] distribution and the efficiency of the stadium as well so we'll be improving

[29:24] even the the 1987 part of this as well great and then

[29:28] you do have the best the best dogs in town we do have the best hot dogs I

[29:32] agree thank you thank you counselor Lee yes I just would

[29:35] like to say thank you for the presentation it is so good to know that

[29:39] this ballpark has been such a important part of the revitalization of the

[29:46] downtown area and my father was a baseball uh person and

[29:53] one of the greatest Pleasures was to be able to take him to the Cubs games and

[30:00] and I just want to tell you just how much joy that place brings so many

[30:06] people and uh we've taken inner city kids who've had and didn't have an

[30:11] opportunity to see a professional ball game before

[30:16] and they just had a blast and we we do it every year and so I just want to tell

[30:22] you thank you for your investment thank you for your vision and uh very much

[30:27] excited about the Cubs stadium and all that it's going to do and all that it's

[30:32] going to be so thank you very much thank you very much I appreciate it

[30:36] thank you president McBride yeah I don't have much more to add than my colleagues

[30:41] have kind of already said but um just watching that presentation and seeing

[30:45] you before us thinking of all the collaborative efforts that have brought

[30:49] the park to where it is at right now to me is just it's amazing it's part of our

[30:53] South Bend history now and you are going to be part of that history as well

[30:57] because your vision is just amazing your own personal investment because of how

[31:02] much you believed in the stadium um and it's really you know the Love of

[31:07] the Game yes I remember Joe Kernan loved baseball he truly loved it with all of

[31:13] his heart um and I'm sure that he would just love

[31:16] to see where it's at now God bless him um but thank you so much for your

[31:20] investment in the community it brings so much joy to families I've been to so

[31:24] many picnics there and events there um my grandchildren love it there they

[31:29] love to all the the activities you have for children so it's

[31:34] really just a wonderful place and a gem for the city of South Bend and I just

[31:38] can't thank you enough I know it's been a lot of work to get to where you're at

[31:41] but um you got there and and it's a blessing thank you very much and you

[31:46] know anything that's worth it takes a lot of work but but I will say this and

[31:50] Mr Lee I don't know if your father is still with us is he now he passed away

[31:54] this past February yeah it reminds me of a story when the Cubs won the World

[31:58] Series in 2016 the Chicago Tribune covered that game seven uh when the

[32:04] against the Cubs you know were about to clinch and in cemeteries throughout

[32:08] Chicago there were people sitting in lawn chairs with their laptops streaming

[32:12] the game because they wanted to be with their fathers and mothers and

[32:15] grandmothers and grandfathers to watch the game with them it really is about

[32:19] family it's you would think it's about baseball but it really isn't each and

[32:22] every one of you have made comments about how wonderful it is I agree but

[32:26] the wonderful part is actually coming there with family and friends and

[32:29] sharing an experience win or lose you can still have a great time there

[32:34] counselor wax thank you and you literally uh took the

[32:39] words out of my mouth I was going to uh comment on

[32:43] the fond memories that I had going to the

[32:46] South Bank Cubs with my father and siblings as a little kid and now being

[32:51] able to share that experience with my own children is is really wonderful and

[32:55] I just wanted to thank you for your faith in and belief in the city of South

[33:00] Bend and its future um

[33:03] sorry to change the theme by asking your question

[33:06] you mentioned the two sources of uh two income sources for the previous

[33:13] Investments you said you mentioned yourself and the other one is the city

[33:17] the city yeah so what's the total investment that's been made over the

[33:21] past well the total investment I know that my

[33:24] investment's been about 32 million dollars that's included the four

[33:28] apartment buildings in the and uh and what I've done with the stadium itself

[33:32] uh the city I would probably say about 18 million

[33:38] yeah it's been wonderful I mean to rebuild that Stadium today would

[33:42] probably be about a 75 million dollar Endeavor wow so that I think the city of

[33:46] South Bend can take a bow if you will generation about generation of leaders

[33:51] here that's something you built for about nine and a half million dollars

[33:54] actually increased in value to about 75 million dollars

[33:59] and and so the investment keeps going as long as it continues to be relevant and

[34:04] it will for many many years to come it we'll all leave it behind for the for

[34:08] the generations that come after us and it's I think it's a real Jewel it's a

[34:12] real Jewel we're the investment and then uh you mentioned so the likely procedure

[34:18] would be to issue a bond against Advanced uh yes sales tax do you have a

[34:23] timeline for that or well interest rates are a little high right now so it'll

[34:28] impact what the bond will yield so we'll try to hold off until perhaps interest

[34:33] rates improve but in the meantime we do have the funds to begin the planning

[34:37] stages and uh the hope is that we'll break ground the day after the 24 season

[34:43] because we don't want to disrupt the season itself so the day after the last

[34:47] game of 2024 we'll try to get the we will have the stadium open by the first

[34:53] day or April of 25. whether or not the whole project is done I doubt it we'll

[34:59] probably have it done sometime during the 25 season or a little bit after the

[35:02] 25 season but we'll be working on Parts outside the bowl so it won't disrupt the

[35:07] crowd or the game wonderful thank you

[35:10] I'll turn to my colleagues online to see if counselor Davis if you have any

[35:15] questions or comments and also counselor Laurie Hammond

[35:23] councilman Davis said he can't hear you so we're trying to work on that now okay

[35:34] with that being said Thank you Mr Berlin for the presentation we're looking

[35:39] forward to working with you and continued improvements we thank you so

[35:43] much the one thing I do have for you it is not the presentation you just saw but

[35:47] it's a list of all the different things that we've done from a philanthropic

[35:50] standpoint about two million dollars in philanthropy has been achieved from the

[35:55] South Bank Cubs to cities exactly so may I give this to the clerk yes please

[35:59] thank you

[36:04] thank you thank you

[36:12] at this time we will move on to our update

[36:16] on Cherry Street we have Leah Phil the director of sustainability maycog

[36:23] let me see we have Caleb here from Community investment

[36:29] yes and Chris okay oh we have the dream team

[36:34] of council members we've got a a good group here

[36:38] um and we'll uh so I'll start by introducing myself Kayla Bauer executive

[36:42] director of community investment with offices on the 14th floor of this

[36:45] building joined by Chris dressel senior planner in the Department of Community

[36:49] investment Leah till with maycog Mark espich from the St Joseph County Health

[36:54] Department and Dave Jeffers from Roberts environmental so we'll all be kind of

[36:59] switching off here to to share updates to you uh on a couple of parcels in the

[37:06] near West Side neighborhood so just to kind of give you the overview

[37:10] there were a few Parcels that came up during the near West Side neighborhood

[37:14] process as concerns for neighbors and and there have been ongoing

[37:18] conversations about a number of these Parcels so the three we're going to hone

[37:23] in on today to discuss is uh their designated here one two three number one

[37:32] is the former Oil Express property on West Washington Street which

[37:38] is owned by the South Bend Redevelopment commission

[37:41] number two just to the south of that on Cherry Street is the former South Bend

[37:46] range building privately owned and was on a certificate sale this last year it

[37:54] was a bid was placed but then was not ultimately a petition for issuance of

[38:00] that tax deed wasn't wasn't filed so that means that it will go back to tax

[38:07] delinquency Still Remains with the existing private owner and then parcel

[38:12] number three uh the former her which Iron Works which is the large groupings

[38:17] of parcels here that are along the railroad track there and the vacated

[38:22] rail line in the middle of these Parcels so three distinct Parcels here one of

[38:26] them is owned by the Redevelopment commission and we'll give you a overview

[38:30] of activities at each of the these Parcels as we proceed today so I'll

[38:35] bring Chris up and he can share a little bit more about the near West Side

[38:38] neighborhood plan which is when neighbors shared concerns about these

[38:43] parcels and kind of kicked off some activity around all three of these and

[38:48] then we'll go through each of the parcels

[38:56] thanks Caleb uh good evening everyone again Chris Trussell Department

[39:00] Community investment offices on the 14th floor of this building

[39:04] um be indulges for just for a moment to take you back to last year you recall we

[39:09] sort of initiated the conversation [Music]

[39:12] um that we're continuing today and that was also around the same time that we

[39:16] that the council's heard the uh near West Side neighborhood plan and adopted

[39:25] the same back in September so just cover a lot of information in that plan but

[39:30] just couple a couple things that we'll cover today just a quick plan project

[39:34] highlight and the Planned zoning as it pertains to our subject matter today

[39:40] uh in the near West Side neighborhood plan

[39:43] um part of a series of neighborhood plans

[39:46] that we're doing uh continuing to do for for different parts of the city in this

[39:51] plan in a number of major components in a series of projects

[39:56] um that were that we're looking to achieve over the next uh 20 years

[40:01] and those planned project areas are denoted here uh with the the numbering

[40:08] system and on the far uh west side of the neighborhood that's sort of the the

[40:14] red box highlighting this will focus on that

[40:17] and just mention a couple of these things in a little more detail one of

[40:22] which was the the commentary about industrial reuse for the area number one

[40:28] and that's the area that includes the sites that that Caleb just pointed out

[40:34] the herwich iron site and the also the site the former South Bend Range site as

[40:39] well so that was something that we wanted to address is encourage New Uses

[40:45] here an assess and address environmental

[40:48] conditions is necessary and then I'll skip the number three which is talking

[40:52] about the 1500 Block of West Washington Street that's a property that we denoted

[40:58] in the plan is one that we'd like to see

[41:02] be reused as multi-use with multi-family housing and

[41:10] uh also mixed use so um

[41:15] I'm going to point those out and then uh just to get onto the topic of

[41:20] environmental activities and some of the updates that we have

[41:24] um I think it's important to note anytime we're doing

[41:27] uh sort of brown filter activity or environmental activities like such it's

[41:32] all about reducing the number of known unknowns

[41:38] um I think we've done that we'll have those results for you very briefly very

[41:41] quickly and then obviously encountering some unknown unknowns but

[41:46] um I think we we've made some definitely made some strides in that area so

[41:51] just a recap on on some of that and give you some just some of the the

[41:55] terminology and language real quick um as the plan was used as a as a framer

[42:00] to address a whole range of issues and priorities Brownfield sites were just

[42:05] one of those and it's not a detailed road map

[42:10] um and then Brownfield that quick definition it's it's property that's

[42:14] it's experiencing uh some some hold up due to real or perceived concerns

[42:22] um and then just recognize environmental issues are complex there's a whole host

[42:26] of different ways that they can be addressed

[42:30] um and looking for solutions for future use and then in the due diligence the

[42:36] tools that we have available to us the most common ones are what's referred to

[42:39] as the phase one which is sort of a historical inventory and interview

[42:43] regarding the the use on the site and then a phase two which is looking at

[42:49] testing and and sampling going as far as a remedies remediation plan for the site

[42:56] as well so we'll take you back to that map and

[43:02] look at site number one the formal Oil Express and the 1500 Block of West

[43:07] Washington and this point I'll turn it over to Leah

[43:12] yes hi I'll keep it very brief my name is Leah thel director of sustainability

[43:16] with the Michiana area Council of governments with offices on the 11th

[43:20] floor of this building I just wanted to update you that maycog has fully funded

[43:25] the sampling work that we're talking about we're investing about forty two

[43:28] thousand dollars of our grant funding that we secured from the EPA and we have

[43:32] additional funding set aside both for additional sampling that may be needed

[43:36] on this site as well as South Bend range currently we only have eligibility to

[43:40] work on that site but this is something we prioritized from day one when we were

[43:44] applying for this funding we were thinking about this area in South Bend

[43:48] so with with that I'll introduce our environmental professional to talk a

[43:53] little bit more about the results from sampling that was conducted this year on

[43:57] this site maycog has contracted directly with metric environmental which is a

[44:02] minority-owned business and they've subcontracted with Robert's

[44:05] environmental and we have a person from Roberts Dave Jeffers who's here to talk

[44:08] with you about that so turn it over to Dave

[44:15] thank you Dave Jeffers senior hydrogeologist with Roberts

[44:18] environmental we're out of Goshen Indiana I actually live in St Joe County

[44:22] though so

[44:25] let's go ahead and Advance here how do you advance it oh there we go

[44:31] so we did sampling across the entire uh part one site if you will

[44:38] so we did a good whoops there we go

[44:43] second one now doesn't want to work

[44:48] there we go so we did sampling all these little dots

[44:52] are where we took soil groundwater and soil gas vapor samples

[44:58] and what we found in the groundwater that really isn't that bad one of our

[45:03] seven samples was over a screening level and we know the rivers over to the East

[45:08] and that exceedance was right up here at B1 which is right on the Western

[45:13] Property boundary so we actually think that exceedance is coming from an

[45:17] off-site area to the west of the property not from the actual site

[45:23] soil gas very similar results we had one exceedance and I believe that was down

[45:29] over B12 but again it was barely over what they call an item screening level

[45:35] it was very low matter of fact it's so low that we'd probably want to go back

[45:40] and confirm that that exceedance was even real if you will

[45:45] so back every one of these dots we took a soil sample so that becomes a driver a

[45:50] lot especially when you're going for redevelopment on the residential side of

[45:54] things so out of the 27 samples we took I'm a

[45:58] data guy obviously only nine of them were over and we all know our high

[46:03] school math that's 33 percent so 70 of the site we didn't have any exceedances

[46:08] in soil so which is really this whole East and central portion of the site was

[46:15] all quote unquote clean and if we take care of some of those

[46:21] with a cap or digging those up that's where we start to talk about can

[46:26] we redevelop the site well yes we can and another important consideration is

[46:32] all those samples that were over were from a layer of fill material that we

[46:37] found and it was anywhere from three to

[46:41] oh five feet thick across the site and that it could be

[46:46] it almost looks like a blackish type there's coal stored there back in the

[46:51] day Cinder gravel but that was all below the

[46:54] surface so on the surface here you have as you saw in the street view it's the

[47:00] city takes care of the side the city owns it it's mowed with a vegetative

[47:03] cover but we also found there's anywhere from 3 to 12 inches of clean topsoil

[47:10] across the site that's been added that's above this fill so I know some people

[47:15] had some concerns about children playing soccer just walking their dogs on the

[47:20] site so as long as nobody's out out there digging we should be good as far

[47:24] as a current receptor issues and then in general and Leah can attest to this that

[47:32] this site is is generally not bad we've seen way worse than this site and our

[47:38] work we've done with maycog so again I guess any questions on the data as far

[47:45] as the environmental samples I already want to wait till questions at

[47:50] the end

[47:59] good evening Mark aspect San Diego County Health Department I'm the

[48:03] director of environmental health and um offices in the eighth floor ninth

[48:09] floor of this building so

[48:11] um South Bend range on Cherry Street was brought to our

[48:16] attention by a couple councilmen and so they were concerned about it I was able

[48:22] to find a hole in the fence went in uh did an inspection of the property

[48:28] we didn't like what I was seeing ended up getting a hold of idem the Indiana

[48:33] Department of Environmental Management had them come take a look at the site

[48:37] send them a bunch of pictures there were piles of drums outside in

[48:44] various conditions a lot of them were just rusted through leaking all over the

[48:49] place some really old material in there but there was also just a lot of piles

[48:54] of combustible material that look like it could uh you know catch on fire then

[49:00] we would have this toxic plume floating over the city we wouldn't know what was

[49:04] in it so it was a pretty big concern of ours and then uh working with idem they

[49:11] reached out to EPA EPA came in immediately got everything secured we

[49:17] have a total of 76 drums on site and about 35 5 gallon or less containers

[49:26] or contact with EPA they're hoping to get the stuff out

[49:31] maybe by the end of this month it's still on site everything's been

[49:34] characterized and staged in a secure location and but then the train

[49:41] derailment in Ohio Kevin had he's been over there ever since that took place so

[49:46] but he's hoping to get the drums out at the end of this month

[49:59] great and then moving on uh to cite the third site part of this discussion which

[50:05] is the former her which Iron Works largest of the three sites don't have a

[50:10] lot from the city end to share but just wanted to share some

[50:15] changes there has been a new change in ownership there so a Rochester Metals is

[50:21] a company out of Rochester Indiana they have purchased all of the parcels that

[50:27] Encompass the herwich Iron Works site and are in the process of planning a

[50:32] potential investment there this company generally has a history of purchasing

[50:38] sites with potential environmental contamination and remediating them and

[50:42] then making Investments on the site so a good track record from the company that

[50:47] site had been under an item enforcement action and so that means that the

[50:53] Indiana Department of Environmental Management was investigating potential

[50:57] concerns there I I think the new property owner has been Cooperative

[51:01] there was a phase two conducted on the site

[51:06] I believe within the last six months and so we're optimistic with the new

[51:11] ownership that they have one been Cooperative with idem and two that that

[51:16] site is moving in a positive direction we'll be sure to engage uh cooperatively

[51:20] with that owner but that's really the the high level update there mostly has

[51:25] been handled by idem and the private owner up to this point so all that to

[51:31] say um there are definitely next steps for a

[51:34] couple of these sites the Oil Express site which is owned by the city we will

[51:39] pursue additional sampling funds available through maycog and then

[51:43] explore the opportunities for cleanup grants through the state of Indiana

[51:47] there were some points of concern on that site and so we would look to

[51:53] remediate those additionally then on Cherry Street like

[51:57] Mark shared the EPA will be out to remove those drums again those have

[52:03] already been secured they're encapsulated so there's field they just

[52:07] need to be removed from the site and disposed of properly and and we hope EPA

[52:12] will be able to do that here in short order and then additionally maycog will

[52:18] pursue potential additional sampling funds that would come with the

[52:25] cooperation of the property owner there to ensure that there hasn't been any

[52:28] additional contamination of the soil from those drums so that's kind of the

[52:35] high level overview of these sites appreciate your time and and interest in

[52:41] these and I think with that we'd be happy to take any questions

[52:45] thank you at this time I'll go down the line again if you're online I'll start

[52:48] with counselor white since I know that you had been requesting the meetings

[52:53] with the various partners with myself and the County Council and the city as

[52:58] well with maycog in the health department so if you could

[53:02] go ahead that would be great I would like to like to thank all the

[53:05] individuals that did come together we've been discussing this for quite some time

[53:11] I want to say since September or maybe later than that but I would

[53:17] like to say that for the record the concerns did not

[53:21] grow out of the plan for many of years and I want to say at least 50 some years

[53:28] there have always been concerns about Cherry Street and also about her rich

[53:34] art and so those have been ongoing concerns from the environmental

[53:39] perspective so I don't want it to be stated or view that because of the plan

[53:45] that these concerns were raised as well as as I begin to look at what type of

[53:52] investment is the Rochester company planning on putting in that site

[53:59] what type of generally they work in metal processing so some form of metal

[54:05] processing facility but I I don't have I haven't spoken directly with the company

[54:10] because you know I'm looking at is that what we want and I know may have a

[54:14] zoning concerns but if you look at housing and you looking at the West

[54:19] Washington site for

[54:23] housing if I'm not mistaken the neighborhood plan does contemplate

[54:28] multi-family housing on that on the on the Oil Express site so is that the type

[54:34] of investment that we would want homeowners to live around because not

[54:38] only we really are looking at three different issues uh the first one was

[54:43] the oral Express and less Redevelopment uh property you have stopping ran range

[54:49] which is up for tax sales again and then you have her rich R so you have these

[54:55] three entities and are they how do they come together

[55:01] to really reach a comprehensive approach towards what is best for that

[55:08] particular area again these are long-term issues

[55:13] well I think on the on the south end range property that's one that the city

[55:18] has indicated uh that our department Department of Community investment we've

[55:23] indicated our willingness to uh purchase the tax certificate

[55:28] um uh well not purchase it but have it transferred to the city from the County

[55:32] Commissioners uh generally how that's worked in the past when we've done that

[55:36] is that occurs after it is unpurchased at certificate sales so because there

[55:42] was payments made against the property taxes it will revert to tax sale and

[55:47] then certificate sale and then we would seek and requests that the County

[55:53] Commissioners transfer that tax certificate to the city so that would

[55:58] allow the city to own the South End Range site and work to remediate or

[56:04] demolish the building there whatever is necessary as we will hopefully discover

[56:09] from further sampling of that site look at it what are the plans for this

[56:15] area when you look from Walnut going all the way down to her

[56:22] rich iron when you look at Cherry Street there's only two houses I mean four

[56:27] houses and one is vacant it's not you know what's living there you go on the

[56:33] next street there's only two or three and so we look at putting permanent

[56:37] housing but you look at surrounding it's more industrial more so than you know

[56:44] wanting someone to live in that area I know I probably would not want to at all

[56:48] that surrounding me so those are concerns I have

[56:52] well I think you know the neighborhood plan contemplates potential multi-family

[56:56] there obviously there was a rezoning request a number of years ago for that

[57:00] site at this point in time we don't have any plans or you know we haven't been

[57:05] any conversations with developers related to that site and I think to the

[57:10] west of the site the herwich iron site we still believe is is a good industrial

[57:17] use would be an appropriate use there it lies on the railroad tracks it has

[57:23] historically been an industrial use and so it is still zone for industrial

[57:29] come back okay councilwoman Thomas Martin yes thank you

[57:35] thank you Mr Bauer and others for this update

[57:39] um and pertinent information I I just have a few comments and

[57:47] um question I so it's my understanding that

[57:52] in the in the 80s and 90s previous

[57:55] administrations had addressed brownfield's remediation across the city

[58:01] to some extent I know standards change over time and so that leads me to my

[58:07] question was there a particular event that triggered additional soil

[58:13] samplings at the

[58:16] at the time that the testing started

[58:21] no I Leah can potentially speak to this but I think it was primarily driven by

[58:25] Resident requests and concerns we had heard concerns about the city-owned

[58:31] property the Oil Express property and what contamination could or could not be

[58:35] there but Leah yeah I recalled um back in 2019 there

[58:42] was a city council meeting where the permanent Supportive Housing project

[58:45] came up and I think a number of the council people mentioned environmental

[58:48] concerns and it was like um what Chris was saying we just didn't

[58:52] know and not knowing is not a good position to be in if there are health

[58:56] risks related to exposure and environmental contamination so macog

[58:59] wanted to help the city know what's there and that's the step of that that

[59:03] we've taken but we don't have a current direction forward as far as a specific

[59:07] plan to use so at this point we would not do additional sampling because now

[59:11] we know it's it's not a danger but in order to redevelop it for some use it

[59:17] would need some additional sampling and limited cleanup thank you um I was oh

[59:22] just a follow-up question I um uh was at those long meetings and part of the

[59:28] neighborhood conversation around that I uh so know

[59:33] this intimately um I think my my

[59:38] I I guess kind of outstanding question is my understanding is that when we go

[59:44] to pursue additional uh well go to pursue development that these

[59:49] environmental testings occur and any remediation then what

[59:55] would happen based on what the land use is so that's I guess my my working

[1:00:00] knowledge of how we move forward to address these kinds of environmental

[1:00:05] concerns is that correct correct so you know if we were to go

[1:00:10] back to 2019 with that rezoning request if that developer itself inheritage had

[1:00:17] moved forward with the project they would have needed to conduct a phase two

[1:00:20] environmental on the site themselves and they then would have to you know if they

[1:00:27] were going to build there if there was need for remediation they would do that

[1:00:31] at that time so that that's generally standard practice uh that we have phase

[1:00:36] ones uh on on many of the properties that the city owns those are reviews of

[1:00:41] Records historical data but a phase two which involves physically boring the

[1:00:45] soils we do in circumstances where the phase one may indicate that there could

[1:00:51] be concerns and then additionally then those are always something that would be

[1:00:56] necessary before someone were to develop a site okay so that is standard practice

[1:01:01] and diligence move for moving forward yeah yeah and just real quick I think

[1:01:05] what Leah alluded to since we don't have a plan yet so once you have a plan in

[1:01:12] place where the buildings are going to be where the parking lots are going to

[1:01:15] be well then you can tailor your sampling plan so do we need to sample

[1:01:19] surface soil where there's going to be an asphalt parking lot well probably not

[1:01:24] so and so we have a good general idea of where the bad spots I guess if you will

[1:01:30] so we can work with that planner to say this would be a good spot for green

[1:01:34] space or to walk your dog and this might be better spots for a parking lot or

[1:01:38] building so you kind of try to tailor that sampling and the development to

[1:01:43] what you have you know to save cost on the remediation portion of that so

[1:01:47] that's helpful thank you yes I first of all thank you all for the

[1:01:54] presentation we know that this has been a great concern for many people for a

[1:01:59] long amount of time and I just wanted to be clear that out of 27 areas there were

[1:02:07] only nine spots that were abnormal and but and even the abnormal was very

[1:02:14] low for soil some of the spots were higher

[1:02:19] uh with lead specifically there was three spots that were high for lead but

[1:02:24] again we're not too worried about it because we know it's from that fill

[1:02:27] layer is the reason it's impacted and we have clean soils and the vegetative

[1:02:32] covers so like I said unless somebody's taking a shovel out there and or an

[1:02:37] excavator that nobody's going to contact that but so those are really the what I

[1:02:43] don't even want to call them hot spots really but the areas that would need

[1:02:46] either a cap or to be dug up and basically removed from the site

[1:02:51] how big are those areas um one's actually three of those spots

[1:02:57] are from the far northwest corner so there's actually three different spots

[1:03:01] and I think I pointed out the whole Central area and the northeastern area

[1:03:07] was there you go yep see if this thing works again

[1:03:11] okay so this cluster right up here these three borings and they were all over

[1:03:18] and then I believe it was down beef 15 here and then one spot way over here so

[1:03:24] this whole quadrant here was clean so that's kind

[1:03:28] of what we're getting at do you go ahead and clean up these spots that we know

[1:03:33] and then the rest are are just averaged out if you will and are clean

[1:03:40] below the screening levels and I'm talking residential screening levels

[1:03:44] here so that's that's what you have to contemplate as far as the cost scenario

[1:03:49] do you want to go ahead and dig those up and remove them should you just cap the

[1:03:53] whole site with what's required as two feet of clean soil so

[1:03:58] those are the things you'd have to do a cost analysis basically what's what's

[1:04:02] the best thing and I know there's limits on the grants you can get so you you

[1:04:07] know you kind of want to Factor all that in what what's your cap

[1:04:10] on cost and what can you do for that price so but it's it's definitely doable

[1:04:16] so so the consensus is that it's it's not as bad as we thought it was

[1:04:22] and the areas that are bad

[1:04:26] they can be remediated pretty easily yes yes that's a good generalization yes

[1:04:32] all right thank you I just have to understand in the simple terms

[1:04:38] councilman skowski thank you president McBride um I just had a question back to

[1:04:43] the Cherry Street 76 drums on site you said some were leaking and that they're

[1:04:50] now encapsulated and ready for removal um in the area where those were found

[1:04:55] where there'll be some samples taken there or a phase two so to

[1:05:00] speak to see exactly what that contamination is or are you just going

[1:05:05] to wait and we will fund sampling for that but we cannot do anything on site

[1:05:10] until the EPA gives us the all clear so but we have that in our plan and

[1:05:15] we've budgeted for it okay I just wanted to make sure I understood clearly that

[1:05:19] process thank you and I just want to take the time to say

[1:05:23] thank you for the collaboration and meetings that we have had over

[1:05:28] um the course of several months and talking about you know the abating of

[1:05:32] the juries as well as this site and for macog and the health department and

[1:05:39] along with idem and EPA to get involved and to want to help and coming in

[1:05:45] encapsulating everything right now it's just refreshing to hear that it's not we

[1:05:51] thought that it was bad and we do have some work to do but just happy to know

[1:05:56] that um

[1:05:58] back in 2019 I had gotten on a council on 18 and this was one of the first you

[1:06:03] know projects that was halted because they were talking about putting the

[1:06:07] permanent Supportive Housing there so to bring this to the Forefront and to get

[1:06:11] it cleaned up is uh great work so thank you so much

[1:06:20] the that site there's the lead is is covered with a cleaner surface level

[1:06:25] surface layer

[1:06:28] correct yeah how deep are how tall is that surface layer

[1:06:35] uh one LED was uh taken from a foot down uh the other lead was one to three feet

[1:06:44] and one was actually three to five feet down so

[1:06:49] thank you at this time I'll turn to my colleagues

[1:06:53] online to see if they're on and see if they have any questions I'll start with

[1:06:57] counselor Lori Hammond

[1:07:03] if not I'll turn to counselor Henry Davis to see if he has been able to

[1:07:07] adhere and to speak oh yeah I'm thank you I'm on my phone uh

[1:07:12] for whatever reason is not happening with my computer

[1:07:16] but the phone is a computer as well so whatever uh no I don't have any like

[1:07:23] thoughts or anything I I no I shouldn't say that I do

[1:07:28] I know when you go into developing an area there are obviously rules that are

[1:07:33] uh State mandated and they're federally mandated as well

[1:07:37] as as we're talking the conversation continues to talk about just the place

[1:07:41] in the dirt in the position that is exists right now

[1:07:45] what happens when a person or a developer wants to come in and redevelop

[1:07:51] the site for maybe housing or whatever it may be

[1:07:55] does that change the environment and how we look at it at that point

[1:08:01] it has to

[1:08:05] well I would yeah generally if there was a developer interested in the site

[1:08:10] um what our department would do is oftentimes the developer would say I'm

[1:08:14] interested in this site uh does the city have any phase ones or phase twos so

[1:08:20] either that historical documentation which is a phase one or the phase two

[1:08:24] which is these results of these soil borings and we would say in this case

[1:08:28] yes we've got both the phase one and a phase two and here you go and that would

[1:08:34] then help inform them of okay you know as they're laying out design for the

[1:08:39] site like Dave was alluding to maybe placing the parking lot over areas

[1:08:46] where there could be areas of concern as it relates to soil contamination that

[1:08:52] essentially caps that soil it's it doesn't need to be dug out and removed

[1:08:56] or vice versa maybe they say we want we really want to have green space here

[1:09:01] and you know in that case maybe they do remediate soils or place a cap on top of

[1:09:08] those soils so I would say that those are all things that they would look at

[1:09:13] as part of a phase one and phase two prior to Redevelopment and yeah so

[1:09:19] that's kind of the high level view there prior to Redevelopment and

[1:09:27] any other questions Mr Davis

[1:09:35] if not we'll move on um oh counselor I just wanted to make

[1:09:40] some closing comments if I can because um having lived on

[1:09:46] this area for years has always been a concern in regards to bromfields and the

[1:09:52] lack of investment and looking at some of those concerns this discussion

[1:09:57] started way before 2019 if I'm not mistaken at that time if

[1:10:04] the sopin Heritage Foundation was going to be building permanent housing on that

[1:10:10] site and there were a lot of concerns that were raised to the point that the

[1:10:15] council members decided to wait and it was my understanding that the first

[1:10:20] round of testing had been done or was being done but some of the developer

[1:10:27] developers felt that they had approval to move forward and the second testing

[1:10:34] had not been done is that correct I want to make sure I have all my facts and I

[1:10:39] think that's when we became aware that it was the need to do the second round

[1:10:44] of testing before I'm talking about the West Washington site

[1:10:50] found no evidence of extensive site-wide sampling in any of the box of records

[1:10:55] that we obtained from South Bend Heritage all that we were able to find

[1:10:59] was record that tanks had been removed on the western portion of the site and

[1:11:03] sampling right where those tanks were but we found no record of additional

[1:11:07] sampling across the whole rest of the site so that was a big question mark for

[1:11:11] us what the site conditions were so we

[1:11:14] found no record of extensive sampling okay and I think it's you know

[1:11:18] individuals have a right to ask questions I think that's one form of

[1:11:23] democracy and it's not to try to start stop any type of

[1:11:29] development but I think that as we continue to look at we know that the

[1:11:35] city of South Bend and other cities they have a lot of ground Fields you know

[1:11:39] it's just part of being we have a filling station you need to look at all

[1:11:43] kinds of things and this good conversation and I I really appreciate

[1:11:48] the collaboration with the health department with Macon with the County

[1:11:55] Commissioners with yourself and with council members as well because we have

[1:12:00] a responsibility to ensure that we do ask these tough questions and that we

[1:12:06] have the very best you know information as possible and having lived in that

[1:12:12] area for quite some time I understand the concerns that the residents had and

[1:12:18] some of them who's still there which is very very few they still have that

[1:12:22] concern they want to make sure that they're living in safe clean

[1:12:26] neighborhoods and we have the responsibility to ensure that that is

[1:12:30] the case so those are my comments thank you so much I appreciate that

[1:12:36] yes counselor I just have a comment too I really do want to thank you for the

[1:12:40] presentation that you've provided I think this help this information just

[1:12:44] provides um really good information for the

[1:12:47] neighborhood and the community in general to know where things stand and

[1:12:51] how we can move forward I do understand that you know EPA standards change over

[1:12:56] time and with changes in federal Administration and so

[1:13:02] I think um when I what I want to leave us with

[1:13:06] is that standards continually change and and trust that

[1:13:12] um that we are all watching that that city government our County and so as

[1:13:20] um as these kinds of EPA standards do change that we come back to some of

[1:13:25] these you know questions and and sites and and continue to assure that uh that

[1:13:32] we are I guess up to up to current standards

[1:13:37] um and keeping our residents safe so thank you

[1:13:41] Thank you Kirk Jones can you see if there's anyone in the virtual audience

[1:13:45] that has any questions

[1:13:50] I'm looking forward

[1:13:54] I'll turn to the public is there any questions or comments from the public

[1:14:06] counselor Davis yeah look I was trying to say something

[1:14:10] I don't know if my computer fine took over and I got it back on my computer so

[1:14:14] thank God the uh the question I well so this

[1:14:19] conversation goes a little bit further than just this particular area although

[1:14:23] it is a very important space in this community

[1:14:27] um I don't know if anyone remembers this but probably about a year ago when I

[1:14:31] talked about the areas over in the sixth district uh

[1:14:36] where you have uh like the Industrial Park area Walnut Street

[1:14:42] um going south uh towards Indiana Street is off to the left and also to the right

[1:14:49] and I was talking about how in order for us to begin to recruit employers or new

[1:14:55] employers or even maybe housing developers those areas will have to be

[1:14:59] cleaned up in order to even start having those conversations with those

[1:15:03] particular investors perhaps and so I I think it makes sense

[1:15:09] obviously the hardest discussion of my particular area but overall in areas

[1:15:14] that have not been up and have not had any sort of investment in the in the

[1:15:19] last several decades uh there's a larger discussion here in the same conversation

[1:15:24] we had I'm over here by Beck's Lake as well it's the same conversation yes we

[1:15:28] are Russ Bell City and we have moved on from that time so what did we do to

[1:15:33] cover ourselves or to make ourselves our Prime ourselves for the future

[1:15:36] development is to better quote the conversation

[1:15:40] um not to say this conversation is bad I just think overall South Bend deserves a

[1:15:44] higher level of investment to help clean up some of these areas I remember I was

[1:15:49] on council at one point in time when we were cleaning up the area where in

[1:15:52] Mission Park is at right now and how that you know took

[1:15:56] time for the grants to come in and get it cleaned up but it was an intentional

[1:16:01] effort to clean up that entire area uh it took maybe about a year year and a

[1:16:06] half but it happened at work and so if the city is interested in growing uh and

[1:16:13] being able to recruit people in here we have to clamp those in those areas no

[1:16:17] matter how small or how large it is no one wants to deal with any contamination

[1:16:22] in any level at any level in any area they move away from it because it's a

[1:16:27] headache thank you so much for your hard work Karen and sharing on this one and

[1:16:32] all those who are from um that help from maycog you know City staff Etc but it's

[1:16:38] a larger discussion and in order for South Bend to return towards greatness

[1:16:42] those areas have to be cleaned up thank you so much for your input and

[1:16:47] your comments um duly know that for the record

[1:16:51] at this time I'll open it up to the public and while we're waiting on the

[1:16:55] public to come up I will say if you are here for Bill number 1123 or 1723

[1:17:04] or 1823 they have been tabled until May 22nd

[1:17:09] again 11 23 1723 and 1823 have been

[1:17:16] tabled until May 22nd so if you are here and you are here

[1:17:21] for those purposes you can leave if you will Mr Bogner Jim Bogner 807 West

[1:17:27] Washington Street South Bend Indiana 46601 I want to thank the city for the

[1:17:31] presentation and their concerns in maycog and also the county and the folks

[1:17:35] in government that have done this one of the things that I did not hear this

[1:17:39] evening was something that concerned me deeply

[1:17:42] and that is been talked about at the federal level you can go take a look at

[1:17:47] it anywhere you pleased to with the EPA and that is environmental justice

[1:17:54] contaminated sites also the justice 40 Initiative for the

[1:17:59] first time in our nation's history the federal government has made a goal that

[1:18:03] 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal Investments flow to

[1:18:07] disadvantaged communities that are marginalized underserved and

[1:18:11] overburdened by pollution what kind of Investments fall in the

[1:18:15] justice 40 initiative climate change clean energy Energy Efficiency clean

[1:18:19] Transit affordable and sustainable housing training and Workforce

[1:18:23] Development remediation and reduction of Legacy pollution and development of

[1:18:27] critical Clean Water and Wastewater infrastructure

[1:18:31] I think there's an opportunity here to ask Community investment and the

[1:18:37] administration to focus a little bit more on Justice because it has primarily

[1:18:42] been the poor the disadvantaged the

[1:18:46] African-American community that has suffered because of this and I think

[1:18:51] it's time to uh say that if we are all members of Team South Bend

[1:18:56] there are parts of this city that don't really need South Bend's help but there

[1:19:01] are other areas that do and if you've got part of the team that needs a little

[1:19:05] bit of help you've got to go to it you've got to care for it

[1:19:09] and accepting that we have these problems and moving forward with it is

[1:19:15] something that I think is critical it's not easy for anyone to get up here and

[1:19:18] talk about this sometimes I think the city would rather me just disappear

[1:19:24] I would like to see this area cleaned up I think it can do a better job I'm

[1:19:29] grateful for what has been done and for the people who have done it

[1:19:32] but I do think that we owe it to places especially on the west side of this

[1:19:37] community to restore some honor and some dignity

[1:19:42] and some proper housing and make it a much more pleasant place

[1:19:49] to live and it's hard we all know it's hard but we can do it and if we really

[1:19:56] are a team as we all say we want to be then we've got to go to parts of the

[1:20:01] team that need the most help and that's the west side I want to thank

[1:20:06] Council for their time I know I've been a bit of a pest I want to thank the

[1:20:11] administration for their work it's never been easy

[1:20:13] but I appreciate it and I hope that out of this we will take a look at what the

[1:20:20] EPA is offering we will look at more grants we will move forward not just

[1:20:24] with this area but other areas on the west side and give it the help it

[1:20:29] deserves and I thank everybody for their time and their energy and I appreciate

[1:20:32] the privilege of your time and have a good evening thank you so much

[1:20:40] thank you for the presentation we really appreciate it

[1:20:43] at this time I would like to entertain a motion to resolve into the committee on

[1:20:47] the whole it's been moving second in the role please

[1:21:03] council member Lee I

[1:21:08] I might not be able to hear you okay can you hear me

[1:21:18] council member Davis I

[1:21:23] council member White present

[1:21:28] aye remember Thomas Morgan

[1:21:31] aye

[1:21:37] um

[1:21:47] all right again we want to announce that if you

[1:21:51] are here for Bill 11-23 it's been tabled to May 22nd if

[1:21:56] you're here for Bill 17-23 it's been tabled to May 22nd and bill 18-23 has

[1:22:04] been tabled to May 22nd and so now the committee of a whole is in session this

[1:22:10] is the portion of the council meeting where bills are given a second reading

[1:22:13] and public hearing I wish to share with you that bills that will be given a

[1:22:17] second reading in public hearing haven't been given a first reading except for a

[1:22:21] committee meeting and public hearing prior to this evening's meeting in

[1:22:24] addition you will hear from the chairperson of the committee where the

[1:22:27] bill was discussed and the results of their discussion if the proposed

[1:22:31] ordinance is a zoning ordinance a report from staff members will be given and all

[1:22:36] other situations the former presentation on the proposed ordinance will

[1:22:41] immediately follow the committee report the formal presentation shall be on time

[1:22:45] clerk Jones would you please give Bill 19-22 a second reading

[1:22:55] that's it I'm sorry 1923 sorry

[1:23:01] 1923 public hearing on an ordinance of the common Council of the city of South

[1:23:06] Bend Indiana approving a petition of The Advisory Board of zoning appeals for the

[1:23:12] property located at 506 North Olive Street councilmanic District number two

[1:23:17] in the city of South Bend Indiana

[1:23:22] all right um is there a committee report

[1:23:29] on behalf of zoning and annexation I'm not on the committee whose device

[1:23:38] counselor Davis I am yes thank you um thank you

[1:23:45] um we uh send this bill to the full council with a favor recommendation

[1:23:51] to the committee on the whole I'm sorry we send this bill to the

[1:23:55] Community Hall with a favorable recommendation

[1:23:59] thank you okay is the petition of President she is I

[1:24:04] ask that you state your name and your address and share it with us key points

[1:24:07] regarding the bill that's before us good evening Angela Smith zoning

[1:24:11] administrator for the city of South Bend with offices located on the 14th floor

[1:24:14] the petition before you this evening is for 506 Olive Street at the corner of

[1:24:18] Bertrand in Olive the petitioner is Seeking a special exception to allow for

[1:24:23] vehicle repair the property has historically been Auto

[1:24:28] oriented it was a gas station then it was a vehicle repair and then it was a

[1:24:32] car sales and now they want to legalize it as a vehicle repair again and that's

[1:24:36] what the petition is here for you this afternoon

[1:24:39] the property itself is not proposing any changes other than to bring up the code

[1:24:46] for the Landscaping so this is the current site they would be working to

[1:24:51] bring up the access points to meet the engineering standards to add a parking

[1:24:58] area screening buffer and to add streetscape Landscaping the rest of the

[1:25:02] site at this time is proposed to essentially remain as is to allow for

[1:25:06] the continued use as an auto repair this comes to you from the border zoning

[1:25:11] appeals with a favorable recommendation and the petitioner is present

[1:25:17] anything you'd like to share with us well

[1:25:22] my name is uh Cleveland Brown I own a 506 North Olive and um

[1:25:28] like I said this place is just a legendary place to me

[1:25:33] you know I probably started here at 12 years old

[1:25:36] and then it was sold to someone else and then here 40 years later here I am

[1:25:42] right back on the same corner so you know this probably

[1:25:46] 100 people in the area and I've done a lot of work for even a lot of people

[1:25:51] down here you know so I just love taking care of the community and uh

[1:25:57] keeping everybody getting back and forth to work

[1:26:00] that's really what it's about you know and then like I said earlier you know I

[1:26:04] like to grab a few of these kids that's real bad and teach them something that's

[1:26:09] really what's wrong with some of these kids they don't have anything to do no

[1:26:12] guidance you know so give them a little bit of

[1:26:16] that I believe things will change in the neighborhood

[1:26:19] thank you we we had extensive uh uh conversations

[1:26:24] in the committee but council members do you have any any questions for the

[1:26:28] petitioner at all

[1:26:32] yes I do I have a question kind of a council member Lee

[1:26:37] go ahead uh Mr Brown you uh stated that you

[1:26:42] wanted to help provide opportunity to youth uh to learn a skill

[1:26:50] that's correct my question to you have you taken that a bit further I know that

[1:26:56] the city uh delivers like inspired grants and so many other things to help

[1:27:01] undergird non-profits perhaps with financial

[1:27:06] backing to help um

[1:27:09] Google on the initiative to help youth I think that because you have a space you

[1:27:16] have a talent you have a skill as well to help teach

[1:27:20] and also to help give someone a job uh I think that your conversation will be a

[1:27:26] natural conversation with uh maybe I don't know if it's Marie Scott that's

[1:27:31] over that program still or someone else but since this is in front of me in

[1:27:36] front of us and the summer is coming and we need our kids employed and also busy

[1:27:40] doing something worthwhile uh I think it'll probably be

[1:27:45] um um

[1:27:47] a good conversation to to bring in those who are a part to say who though who

[1:27:53] does the funding for that that particular Grant I don't know if the day

[1:27:58] has passed or not but to see if you can get some of that funding to employ uh

[1:28:02] some youth in your in your in your yard okay that is correct you know so I'm not

[1:28:08] sure yeah those are a lot of things that I thought about you know but I guess I

[1:28:12] have to pass this stage first I'm sure you're gonna pass this so

[1:28:16] that's why I'm bringing it up so I don't know um who on the council is connected

[1:28:20] to that resource but um I'm hoping that somebody on this

[1:28:24] Council can help pouring him the right direction to help help develop that

[1:28:28] discussion in that conversation and hopefully that opportunity

[1:28:31] I pray to God that they do too because this is an opportunity right here for a

[1:28:36] lot of kids I mean I was a kid and I was trained very well sent to trade school

[1:28:42] and everything and it's really not that hard

[1:28:46] if I can do it anybody can do it all right well thank you very much any

[1:28:51] other council members with any questions or statements

[1:28:55] all right council member Lee yes Mr Davis who was that uh that conduit for

[1:29:02] that program it would be the second district council person

[1:29:07] I'm asking for help sir so I'm asking you who was the conduit for that program

[1:29:14] are you are you talking about you said any night grants or what what particular

[1:29:21] it's a are you talking about the alive and free grants

[1:29:24] whoever grant that can help provide him with the funding to help employ and

[1:29:30] train a youth or use for that particular for what he's trying to what he's going

[1:29:35] after

[1:29:38] oh that would probably be Community Investments wouldn't it

[1:29:43] I'm not sure sir that's why I'm asking I can't ask you that question it's a body

[1:29:48] of nine people so someone has to be answered

[1:29:51] I just don't have the answers that means we'll do we'll look into it I'll follow

[1:29:56] up with uh Mr Bauer with committed investment

[1:30:00] thank you thank you

[1:30:03] thank you all right at this time we'll go to the

[1:30:06] public hearing portion um

[1:30:10] Clark Jones is there anyone from the public commission to speak in favor of

[1:30:13] Bill 19-22 23.

[1:30:17] I looked right at it I'm sorry

[1:30:21] I

[1:30:27] do have one person in the audience okay well please state your name and

[1:30:33] address for the record

[1:30:36] yes uh Roosevelt Stewart 1222 Huey South Bend Indiana 46628

[1:30:44] um me and uh Mr Brown uh spoke uh previously a couple times before he has

[1:30:50] a um a business over there that he's been

[1:30:54] running and also uh have a piece of property over there as well and we we

[1:30:58] share both of the same interests as far as like serving and finding something

[1:31:03] for our teenage at-risk uh youth in that area

[1:31:09] um I serviced that building uh prior before you got there as far as like

[1:31:14] painting and uh things of that nature we had youth kind of watching

[1:31:19] um so I'm in support of in support of him and uh as far as like the funding

[1:31:23] into uh I think that he should be led to directing

[1:31:27] um to finding those resources so he can uh get that Vision off the ground so I'm

[1:31:32] in support of that all right thank you very much appreciate it

[1:31:36] anyone else

[1:31:39] Clark Jones is there anyone uh wishing to speak in opposition

[1:31:44] looking to see if there's any

[1:31:50] nope I don't see anyone wishing to speak in opposition of the spirit okay

[1:31:56] um well at this point the public hearing on Bill 19-23

[1:32:03] is now closed uh council members would you like to make any statements

[1:32:09] yes just want to uh thank you for all your efforts it's always wonderful when

[1:32:14] you have a business that's not only well obviously the purpose of a business is

[1:32:19] to make money and support you and your family so it's nice when you have a

[1:32:24] business owner that's looking beyond that and trying to see how we could lift

[1:32:27] up other people's along the way so thank you for that

[1:32:30] thank you I just want to say I've been known to you and the family for a long

[1:32:33] time and thank you for your hard work and giving back to the community you

[1:32:40] know we grew up on that side of town and so a lot of service in our vehicles so

[1:32:45] thank you to you and your family for all of the hard work you have done and

[1:32:49] what's to come

[1:32:56] continued efforts in the community and um this will help up with the

[1:33:01] neighborhood as you had spoken earlier as well as helping our youth so you know

[1:33:06] I'm I'm a for sure yes on this when we vote on it

[1:33:10] and I would just like to say that uh five generations of Browns have been

[1:33:15] fixing cars and doing repairs in this city

[1:33:20] um we've had experiences as uh with our

[1:33:24] snowplow truck for the church Mr Brown fixed the transmission on it and when it

[1:33:30] when it wasn't quite right he went back and fixed it again and got it right so I

[1:33:36] am very much in support of of you and your entrepreneurial spirit and not only

[1:33:40] that but your your vision to do something to help the kids that area on

[1:33:45] Olive and Bertrand is a very troubled area with some troubled spots and

[1:33:50] hopefully this will be a place of hope um in that neighborhood well can I say

[1:33:56] one thing I'm from that area yeah I grew up right

[1:34:00] there in between Lincolnway and Western and it is real bad there but

[1:34:05] I'm not scared you know not scared at all you know and

[1:34:11] everybody that comes by there every kid that comes by there instead of just I

[1:34:18] mean attacking them you just talk to him and teach because

[1:34:22] that's what's wrong in this community the teaching has stopped that's right

[1:34:26] you know and it's got to start back up or we're gonna never have control of the

[1:34:31] youngsters again ever that's right and mentors are important

[1:34:35] councilwoman Thomas Morgan

[1:34:39] I think everything has been said I just thank you for your investment and

[1:34:45] continued work and investment in in our city and with the youth that you do

[1:34:51] thank you that's right I was just like to I think

[1:34:55] we go way back I'll I don't I'm not gonna say how long with the butt uh your

[1:35:00] father grandfather I know okay uh but I would like to thank you for the point of

[1:35:06] wisdom that you just shared that they just need someone to talk with them to

[1:35:11] listen give them opportunity because all of us we've been given opportunities and

[1:35:17] we would not be where we're at now without having someone who's willing to

[1:35:22] invest and pour into us and show us that there's a better way so I really really

[1:35:28] appreciate and I know that your family they're smiling on you at this time

[1:35:35] all right we'll go to our online people before well we'll do that okay uh Mr

[1:35:42] Bowers came up and answer well I just want to say thank you Mr Brown and to

[1:35:46] address uh councilmember Davis um I I think Mr Brown Angela hopefully

[1:35:51] already shared with this with you at committee but uh vibrant places is our

[1:35:56] matching grant program for business owners so as far as making those

[1:36:00] improvements to your parking lot adding that barrier

[1:36:04] um it's a matching grant program so it can match 50 percent uh of those

[1:36:08] Investments so what just encourage that that's one option for business owners we

[1:36:14] did recently expand that program so it's a city-wide eligibility for locally

[1:36:19] owned businesses to to get those matching funds so we'll make sure you

[1:36:23] have the link in we can work on that thank you appreciate it

[1:36:26] we see um councilmatory Warner is with us would you like to have anything or

[1:36:34] I think everything has been said thank you

[1:36:37] and Mr Davis any any last statements yeah I think Caleb had it wrong he was

[1:36:43] asking about and I could be wrong but he he was saying something about a matching

[1:36:48] Grant uh for a facade and parking lot Etc that wasn't the conversation the

[1:36:54] conversation was about the ignite grant that many non-profits get to help

[1:36:59] deliver Youth Services my question was

[1:37:03] is or can he be eligible for that same type of Grant if he's talking about

[1:37:08] employing youth that's basically what those grants are meant for whether

[1:37:14] services or is meant for uh um payment right and so that's what I

[1:37:20] that that's the conversation I was trying to help undergird him with what

[1:37:24] he would need to make good on his dream if those resources are available that is

[1:37:30] my question it wasn't about a facade Grant it wasn't

[1:37:34] about anything matching okay all right thank you

[1:37:41] all right well I would not entertain a motion regarding bill 19-23

[1:37:46] let's attended to the full council with the favorable recommendation second

[1:37:50] there's been a motion in the second clerk Jones please call the roll council

[1:37:54] member Lee aye council member Warner

[1:38:02] council member Warner yourself

[1:38:13] all right okay council member wax

[1:38:17] aye council member white aye council member Thomas Morgan

[1:38:22] aye vice president

[1:38:26] aye council member Davis before I deliver my vote again I'm not

[1:38:31] sure if we're clear on what I was asking for so are we going to move forward or

[1:38:34] is somebody going to figure that out or is that is that available I mean Mr

[1:38:38] Davis hold on one second uh president McBride said that she would

[1:38:43] check to make sure okay okay

[1:38:46] she said she would check to make sure that she had the right

[1:38:50] my my answer is I thank you Mr Lee okay well we wanted to make sure

[1:38:56] on the boat uh state law requires that Mr Davis's camera be activated to be

[1:39:01] able to vote that's true

[1:39:10] Mr Davis there can you please turn your camera on to vote please

[1:39:23] is it on because I don't see it it's on but you might want to tilt it a little

[1:39:29] bit so we can see your face

[1:39:37] yeah great you want me to say I again yes yes Mr Warner aye Mr Warner thank

[1:39:43] you Mr Warner

[1:39:47] that's just what this thing all requires I didn't write it okay we have eight

[1:39:51] eyes all right thank you

[1:39:54] um it will be sent to full Council council

[1:39:58] with a favorable recommendation I will now entertain a motion to rise from the

[1:40:02] committee of the hold and report back to the full Council

[1:40:05] it's been moved in second Clark Jones please call the roll

[1:40:16] council member Warner

[1:40:30] aye council member Davis I

[1:40:34] gotta turn your camera on it is on

[1:40:38] the salon council member Lee

[1:40:42] aye president McBride aye

[1:40:46] all right motion carries

[1:40:56] the full council is back in session this portion of our meeting is where bills

[1:41:00] are given a third reading and action is taken regarding bills that were heard

[1:41:04] during the committee of the whole clerk Jones will you give Bill 1923 a third

[1:41:08] reading

[1:41:13] South Bend Indiana approving a petition of The Advisory Board of zoning appeals

[1:41:19] for the property located at 506 North Olive Street Council Manning District

[1:41:24] number two in the city of South Bend Indiana thank you council is their

[1:41:29] recommendation from the committee of the whole regarding Bill 1923 yeah Bill 19

[1:41:33] 23 Was Heard and the committee of the whole and it comes to the full council

[1:41:37] with the favorable recommendation I will now entertain a motion regarding Bill

[1:41:42] 1923

[1:41:49] second it's been moving second and clerk Jones the role please

[1:42:02] vice president aye council member Davis

[1:42:07] I

[1:42:11] council member Lee aye

[1:42:14] council member Warner aye president McBride

[1:42:18] aye thank you Bill 1923 has been adopted

[1:42:23] resolutions this is the portion of the council meeting where the common Council

[1:42:26] here bills filed as proposed resolutions the title of each proposed resolution is

[1:42:31] read by the city clerk a report from the committee chairperson of the stand

[1:42:34] committee to which the bill is referred to for an advisory review and

[1:42:38] recommendation is then given during the public portion on each proposed

[1:42:42] resolution members of the public are invited to address the council we ask

[1:42:46] that you please give your name address and comment on the bill if you have any

[1:42:49] questions they will be addressed by the presenter during their rebuttal each

[1:42:53] member of the public is limited to five minutes with those speaking in favor

[1:42:57] going first followed by those in opposition then a five-minute rebuttal

[1:43:01] for the presenter of the bill Clark Jones will you please give bill

[1:43:05] 23-21 of first reading 23-21 a resolution of the common Council

[1:43:11] of the city of South Bend Indiana designating certain areas within the

[1:43:15] city of South Bend Indiana commonly known as 3201 West Calvert Street South

[1:43:20] Bend 46613 and economic revitalization area for purposes of a five-year

[1:43:27] personal property tax abatement for verbio North America LLC

[1:43:34] thank you councilor White I would make a motion if I can that

[1:43:39] resolution 23-21 and 23-22 be heard together for

[1:43:45] purposes only for the public hearing second

[1:43:49] Dr Jones if you call the road please yes councilmember white

[1:43:54] aye council member told my

[1:43:58] aye Council council member nasty aye our vice president

[1:44:04] council member Davis aye

[1:44:07] council member Lee aye council member Warner

[1:44:13] aye

[1:44:20] okay council member wax aye president McBride aye

[1:44:26] thank you clerk Jones could you read resolution 23-22

[1:44:34] 23-22 a resolution yes we just have a comment in the in the

[1:44:39] chat if the clerk could speak directly into the microphone her microphone is

[1:44:44] not on so because I'm right here so I don't

[1:44:48] know if you wanna what can you save one of these chords will reach

[1:44:55] thank you so much oh good idea

[1:45:06] 23-22 a resolution of the common Council the city of South Bend Indiana

[1:45:11] designating certain areas within the city of South Bend Indiana commonly

[1:45:15] known as 3201 3201 West Calvert Street South Bend

[1:45:21] Indiana 46613 an economic revitalization area

[1:45:26] for purposes of an eight-year real property tax abatement proverbial North

[1:45:31] America LLC thank you you can take it with me reaches yes thank you so much

[1:45:37] please state your name and address for the record

[1:45:39] Eric Lovich director of growth and opportunity within the Department of

[1:45:42] Community investment with offices on the 14th floor of this building thank you

[1:45:48] Council before you for your consideration is a package of two

[1:45:52] declaratory resolutions for tax abatement for a company named for Bio

[1:45:56] North America LLC verbio has purchased South Bend ethanol the facility out on

[1:46:01] West Calvert Street and we'll be investing over 230 million dollars into

[1:46:07] the facility to upgrade the current process of ethanol production and also

[1:46:13] to create new renewable natural gas quite

[1:46:18] an investment over 215 million dollars in new personal property will be

[1:46:24] installed on the property thus you'll for this is the reason why there are two

[1:46:28] separate abatements for your consideration

[1:46:31] for Bio North North America LLC will is applying for two separate abatements the

[1:46:38] first is a five-year personal property tax abatement listed on your screen you

[1:46:43] will see examples of the manufacturing equipment that would be eligible for a

[1:46:49] personal property tax abatement and as I mentioned

[1:46:52] about 220 million dollars total in new equipment and soft software will be

[1:46:59] installed onto the property through this investment for Bio North

[1:47:05] America will retain all of the current jobs at the facility and within 12

[1:47:11] months we'll have create new we'll create new eight brand new jobs high

[1:47:17] paying jobs Engineers um you know roughly making you know

[1:47:22] approximately a hundred thousand dollars per position

[1:47:26] on your screen you'll see the um kind of the numbers related to the personal

[1:47:32] property tax abatement one thing to point out that there is current personal

[1:47:37] property on the property which pays property tax so the new equipment will

[1:47:43] be on top of that what you can see is that just based on our estimates we're

[1:47:48] looking at total estimated taxes during the abatement upwards to about 20

[1:47:53] million dollars 19.2 roughly and a good portion of that

[1:47:59] would be a beta overall we expect verbio to pay about three and a half million

[1:48:05] dollars in new taxes over this five-year period on the screen you can see that

[1:48:10] we're looking at by year 10 between year six and ten after the abatement expires

[1:48:15] that they would pay roughly 11 million dollars in new taxes again this is new

[1:48:19] taxes on top of what's already being paid

[1:48:23] um

[1:48:25] that's just as you look this is the abatement schedule and the estimates

[1:48:30] that we've provided through our analysis shifting shifting gears now to the real

[1:48:37] property so in order for them to make this investment they will have to build

[1:48:43] an estimated 10 new buildings on the property totaling about sixty thousand

[1:48:48] square feet their investment in building these this real property is about 11

[1:48:52] million dollars they qualify they would qualify for an eight-year property tax

[1:48:57] abatement which is what we're presenting for your consideration

[1:49:01] current taxes on the property this is real property taxes not prop not

[1:49:06] personal property taxes or about 150 000 per year with an 11 million dollar

[1:49:12] investment we anticipate that the taxes filing completion of the project would

[1:49:18] increase about three hundred thousand dollars per year

[1:49:21] the first year alone first year of the abatement alone with the abatement in

[1:49:26] place they would still pay sixty five thousand dollars more that first year

[1:49:30] than they currently than what the city is currently receiving through the

[1:49:34] property again you can see the numbers on your

[1:49:38] screen estimate during the life of the abatement we estimate about 3.6 million

[1:49:43] dollars in estimated taxes out of that amount roughly eight hundred thousand

[1:49:48] dollars would be abated again these are it's a significant investment in a

[1:49:53] property on the west side of town that we're very excited about

[1:49:56] and the president of verbio North America LLC is here he would like to say

[1:50:03] a few words provides a presentation and answer

[1:50:07] questions related to the project

[1:50:16] a good evening while we're getting the logistics going my name is Greg Northrup

[1:50:20] I live in Grand Rapids Michigan but I'm happy to be in South Bend tonight

[1:50:25] talking to you the members of the council this is a truly a

[1:50:30] wonderful time for our company hopefully after I get done with this presentation

[1:50:34] you'll agree with me it's a wonderful investment for the city of South Bend

[1:50:39] and as I alluded to earlier this afternoon it's an important part of our

[1:50:43] overall energy strategy here in the United States as we develop Renewables

[1:50:47] to mix our diverse our diversity of supply and so I walk first of all I want

[1:50:52] to thank the city staff for their support we've been in conversation with

[1:50:56] them since early March to talk about this investment we've been in a due

[1:51:00] diligence stage on potentially purchasing this site above for the last

[1:51:04] six months and what I'll tell you before I get into the details of Hoover bio is

[1:51:11] and a little bit of background is there's over 200 ethanol plants in

[1:51:16] the United States today that are operating that could be potential

[1:51:19] locations for us to do what we're proposing to do here in South Bend

[1:51:24] and we've spent time looking at those those opportunities in other states in

[1:51:28] other locations and and we will continue to do that

[1:51:32] because our plan is to build out multiple facilities here in the United

[1:51:35] States as part of our process we debated uh it's about South Bend

[1:51:40] internally a number of times as to whether this is the right decision for

[1:51:44] us to make at this point in time yeah and as you can imagine based on the

[1:51:48] amount of money that we're proposing to spend this was not an easy decision for

[1:51:53] us to make without having given good thought to why it is that we're doing it

[1:51:56] uh the long and short of it is um I would suggest you if we're not

[1:52:01] making this decision this community could be looking at a plant that would

[1:52:04] be closed

[1:52:07] um and but for the investment that we will be making we can change that

[1:52:10] scenario so that in fact we will have a plant that will be successfully

[1:52:14] operating not only making ethanol as it does today but making renewable natural

[1:52:19] gas and with that Foundation let me just do a quick recap for you

[1:52:25] as the Hoover bio is I have happily am the first employee that was hired in the

[1:52:31] United States to run the bio North American operations our company verbio

[1:52:37] has been in operation for over 25 years our CEO and founder is a grower

[1:52:43] a person that's been involved in agriculture and so when you listen to me

[1:52:47] talk about our commitment to Ag and eggs piece of the equation here you can

[1:52:52] understand our background and our commitment to using AG residues as part

[1:52:56] of a process it's not food it's AG residues that we're using to make

[1:53:01] renewable energy so that history comes with us as part of our long-term

[1:53:06] background we're located in a number of countries we have

[1:53:11] a rice straw product a rice straw project in India same thing waste stream

[1:53:17] that's being used to make renewable natural gas there we own a plant in

[1:53:21] Nevada Iowa which I'll show you a picture of here that the began operation

[1:53:25] in 2021 making renewable natural gas in the fourth quarter of this year we will

[1:53:31] start making a renewable ethanol at the same site and using that ethanol output

[1:53:36] to actually make more renewable layers gas at that site the same thing we're

[1:53:40] proposing to do here in South Bend we're a one billion dollar company in

[1:53:47] terms of sales when I started with this group five years ago we had 500

[1:53:51] employees today we have a thousand

[1:53:54] in in Nevada we have close to 100 employees in South Bend I'm happy to

[1:53:59] report as Eric alluded to that we will retain 61 of the current employees and

[1:54:05] we will add a date additional positions over the course of the next six 12

[1:54:08] months in professional positions uh additional resources for us as it

[1:54:13] relates to engineers and what you'll learn as you look more into Barbara bios

[1:54:18] history our strength is our technology we have our own internal engineering

[1:54:24] capability we're very protective of our proprietary information we do things

[1:54:28] that have made us very successful as a company and made us learn how to operate

[1:54:33] in renewable energy industry if you look at the industry and read some of the

[1:54:38] Tales there's a lot of things that haven't happened very well in Renewables

[1:54:42] and so I'm very cautious about what I say and what we do in the sense of

[1:54:47] making sure that we actually walk our talk and so we've done that and I'm

[1:54:52] proud to represent the company here today we're the largest producer

[1:54:57] biomethane or renewable natural gas we're also in the ethanol business and

[1:55:01] we're in the biodiesel business so we understand all facets of the renewable

[1:55:05] energy business as it relates to this project I'll point out to you and just

[1:55:11] to give some data in the lower right hand corner it says 35 3.5 million mmcf

[1:55:18] of natural gas at this site when it's fully developed we will make 2.8 million

[1:55:23] mmcf or almost as much as we currently make it also and there's a later slide

[1:55:28] that I'll show you that's equal to about one or two percent of the total natural

[1:55:33] gas that's used in the state of Iowa on an annual basis so while one or two

[1:55:38] percent that might seem like a lot it's coming from a waste stream that we're

[1:55:42] adding to the mix of product that actually can be used here in the state

[1:55:45] or elsewhere in the country for that matter

[1:55:48] so these are the locations for other facilities one of the things I'll

[1:55:52] reinforce that I I think I alluded to earlier today we're self-funded

[1:55:57] so we're using internal cash flows to make these Investments we're not seeking

[1:56:02] government grants or loans as a way to back up our project we believe in what

[1:56:07] we do and for that reason we've been slow to expand but I hope to to see

[1:56:13] accelerations in that growth in South Bend is another step along the way for

[1:56:16] us this is uh we don't have enough time

[1:56:19] tonight but what this intend is to do is to show you that everything we do is in

[1:56:24] a closed loop process so we take materials in we process those materials

[1:56:30] we reuse them in other portions of the plant so I'll tell you in a minute Bob

[1:56:34] what we're going to do with stillage which is the waste stream from ethanol

[1:56:37] but we take those products and when we get all done in Nevada for example we

[1:56:41] make what's called hummus and basically it's a compost type

[1:56:45] material so we take the corn Stover that we put in there to our anaerobic

[1:56:49] digestion process when we're done removing the carbon to make methane we

[1:56:54] end up with a compost type material this returns of the land

[1:56:57] and we return phosphates and nitrogenes back to the soil so we have a great

[1:57:01] relationship with Growers we're helping them with a revenue stream for their

[1:57:05] corn Stover and then we're helping them with a soil amendment on the backside of

[1:57:09] our process so everything is closed loop in terms of what we're doing

[1:57:12] we have a great relationship here in South Bend thanks to the work of the

[1:57:15] prior management with the growers in this area and I think the feedback I've

[1:57:19] gotten has been wow this is going to be great because I can tell you what the

[1:57:24] Growers had concerns about whether they were still going to have a revenue

[1:57:26] stream as it relates to Corn sales for this facility

[1:57:31] this is our largest facility it's in svet Germany

[1:57:35] and I say that as as well as the Germans would pronounce it so trust me

[1:57:40] on the left hand side you'll see where it's biomethane the large tanks there

[1:57:45] are in Aerobic digestion tanks what happens material goes in there it's an

[1:57:49] airtight oxygen no action environment and that's what allows the bugs inside

[1:57:55] to process the materials into myomethane no different than what a cow does in

[1:58:01] terms of when their processing materials through their system but similar in the

[1:58:06] concept except we do it one tank instead of seven stomachs so we're a little bit

[1:58:10] more efficient from that standpoint this site also has the biodiesel and the

[1:58:15] bioethanol as you'll see at the top and we integrate the ethanol and the bio

[1:58:20] methane at this location we do the same thing in zorbic

[1:58:25] methane and ethanol coming together so what's different about what we're doing

[1:58:30] in a traditional ethanol plant they make ethanol in the case of this

[1:58:35] location we hope to make 85 million gallons of ethanol we don't currently do

[1:58:39] it at that level but that's the plan and if we're really successful we will make

[1:58:43] more down the road but at this point my commitment is to get us back to the

[1:58:47] design level of the plant which is 85 million they produce a waste stream

[1:58:52] which is called stillage typically the steel age is turned into

[1:58:55] what's called dry distillers grains and that's used as a feed feedment

[1:59:00] supplement for cattle or other animals to make it dry obviously as the name in

[1:59:06] in Furs you have to heat it up and you dry it you spend energy drying it to

[1:59:11] make this material that we give best feed what are we gonna we're gonna take

[1:59:14] the steelage and that becomes a feedstock for our

[1:59:18] anaerobic digestion process so in the large tanks that you see the stillage

[1:59:22] will go from the ethanol production into the large tanks to make more renewable

[1:59:26] natural gas or more methane so we're basically reusing that waste stream in a

[1:59:32] way that's much more effective in the sense that we're reducing the energy

[1:59:34] consumption that's required and at the same time creating a product that we

[1:59:39] need as it relates to the diversity of Supply as renewable natural gas

[1:59:43] this is our facility in Nevada guess what it looks just like the other

[1:59:47] facilities because we apply the same design

[1:59:50] techniques the same strategies for what we're doing here in the U.S as what

[1:59:54] we've been doing in Germany for the last 10 to 15 years with the same processes

[1:59:58] this is not new technology this is what we've been doing

[2:00:01] successfully and now we're bringing that process to the United States and

[2:00:04] replicating here what makes us different is your ethanol plant will now become a

[2:00:10] biorefinery instead of just making ethanol you'll

[2:00:13] make renewable natural gas as part of the production process

[2:00:16] oh and like as I say it looks exactly the same there's one less tank here

[2:00:20] because I took this picture in a sunny day there's actually 16 tanks as we're

[2:00:25] proposing for this site which I'll show you in a minute

[2:00:28] so this is the existing site in South Bend

[2:00:32] to the west of the site there's vacant area there and so on the left hand side

[2:00:37] of the slide where you see the 16 blue dots those are the anaerobic digestion

[2:00:42] tanks that we're going to put in to make renewable natural gas at this site

[2:00:46] below that are a series of buildings and so when Eric talked about 10 buildings

[2:00:51] that we're building you can see a lot of these square boxes represent new

[2:00:54] buildings that will be part of our construction process but there are

[2:00:57] things to do like removing sulfur carbon dioxide getting gas up to pressure when

[2:01:03] we inject into the system the natural gas system that's owned by Nesco we have

[2:01:08] to increase the pressure to be able to put it into their pipeline another

[2:01:12] caveat so you understand this when we make upgraded renewable natural gas it

[2:01:17] has to look exactly like fossil Nitric gas

[2:01:20] because when we inject a molecule into the pipeline that goes into the

[2:01:24] distribution system for Indiana and the rest of this country that molecule has

[2:01:28] to look exactly the same so when it comes to your home to be used in your

[2:01:32] furnace or your water heater the water heater wants to make sure I'm getting

[2:01:36] the product I'm supposed to get so our product has to look exactly like the

[2:01:40] product that's being used as a fossil based product in the rest of the U.S

[2:01:44] natural gas system okay which means we're held to a very high standard

[2:01:47] because the utilities won't last inject unless we meet their requirements and I

[2:01:52] can tell you there's lots of testing equipment and measuring equipment to

[2:01:55] make sure we do exactly what we said there's uh we'll be making fertilizer at

[2:02:01] this site for uh resale back to our Growers as partners

[2:02:06] hummus which I mentioned was the waste product that will go back as a soil

[2:02:10] amendment um

[2:02:12] and so and then the recycle one other point we we recycle all of our water

[2:02:19] again continuous loop we're not pulling new water sources from the city or from

[2:02:24] the wells we're going to continue to use so basically the water requirement will

[2:02:28] not change significantly from where it is I'm not familiar with this but

[2:02:32] apparently this the operation of the plant has been helpful to the city as it

[2:02:36] relates to water issues potentially in that area and so I think for a benefit

[2:02:41] to the community at the same time as a result of that

[2:02:45] this is that slide I talked about where the line represents the amount of gas

[2:02:50] that's used in the state of Indiana on an annual basis and up in the corner

[2:02:53] there is the amount that we will produce at the facility so you get a sense of

[2:02:57] how much gas you actually use here how much are we going to make as part of our

[2:03:01] production process and while it doesn't seem like a big number it is a big

[2:03:05] number in the sense of the amount that we're producing at the scale that we're

[2:03:09] doing using waste streams to do this

[2:03:13] so 230 million dollars of new investment 85 million gallons of continued ethanol

[2:03:20] production the good news for us is we have a really well-trained Workforce and

[2:03:25] we're gonna we took over on May 1st we had a team of people here meeting with

[2:03:29] all of the employees I'm happy to report that went very smoothly I think I can

[2:03:35] report Faithfully that they're very happy that they have a new investor

[2:03:39] because it gives them a future because they know what's going on at the plant

[2:03:43] probably better than you and I do in terms of what needs to be done

[2:03:48] I always push our people to make sure you listen to your people because

[2:03:51] they're the ones that actually know what's going on

[2:03:53] uh 2.8 BCF of gas 61 employees retained and then new eight eight new positions

[2:04:00] in the fact sheet that I gave you there's lots more details about what it

[2:04:05] is that this is all about I'm happy to talk about this subject

[2:04:09] um at my age to be doing renewable energy just is a really nice way to to

[2:04:14] finish off things and I feel really good about what I'm able to do and I feel

[2:04:18] really good about what reviles wants to do in this community and I want to thank

[2:04:22] you for considering the tax abatement because it will be important as part of

[2:04:25] one of the financial tools you want to make sure that the Investments you're

[2:04:30] making us makes us successful and that means we have to have a complement of

[2:04:33] financial tools to deal with a risk profile so I thank you for support

[2:04:37] considering supporting us and I thank the committee this afternoon for their

[2:04:41] favorable support at least in the first round of discussions and I look forward

[2:04:45] to having many more with you any questions thank you so much at this time

[2:04:49] I will turn to my colleagues to see if there are any questions at this time

[2:04:53] counselor Thomas Morgan well I I just think it's worth reiterating a question

[2:04:58] that was raised uh earlier in committee and if you can just speak briefly to it

[2:05:02] Mr Northrop um you'll be the production of the

[2:05:06] facilities qualify for the new section 48e investment tax credit uh authorized

[2:05:15] under the inflation reduction Act of 2022 so could you speak to the

[2:05:19] requirements of that sure so the one of the critical features of the inflation

[2:05:24] reduction Act is to improve America's reliability and renewable fuels if you

[2:05:31] make renewable natural gas that's one of the things that they're trying to

[2:05:34] incentivize as a federal process to improve our overall energy policy

[2:05:39] the that section provides for what's called an investment tax credit

[2:05:44] it's equal to 30 percent of the capital investment you'll receive that back when

[2:05:49] we file our income tax return I can tell you that the IRS makes sure

[2:05:54] that we dots all the I's and Crosses all the t's as part of that though we have

[2:05:59] we'll have a commitment to improve act to pay prevailing wage rates and in fact

[2:06:05] our wage rates will be 24 above the average here in South Bend as it is

[2:06:10] we will also have it we have a commitment to higher apprentices during

[2:06:15] the construction period pipefitters electricians those types of positions

[2:06:19] and I'll tell you as a technology company we are big on interns we're big

[2:06:24] on apprentices because if you have good skill sets to operate these kinds of

[2:06:28] facilities you need talented people and we're willing to pay talented people to

[2:06:32] do great work thank you Mr Northern thank you

[2:06:36] councilor Lee I just wanted to thank them for the

[2:06:41] investment and again to reiterate when it comes to this tax abatement that

[2:06:47] even after the first year we're going to be getting sixty five thousand dollars

[2:06:51] more than what we're getting currently so again

[2:06:56] there we're not losing we're gaining plus we're getting investment in the

[2:07:02] community 61 jobs that make a hundred thousand

[2:07:06] dollars a year and eight new positions that will be I mean that's that's a win

[2:07:12] for this area my final question is this as a kid

[2:07:16] growing up in South Bend with the ethanol plan we had to deal with the

[2:07:21] smell and with what you guys are doing now

[2:07:25] does does that change that we'll we'll we not have to deal with the smell or or

[2:07:31] has has technology changed that word doesn't have that so a good question

[2:07:37] um obviously these kinds of facilities uh have some potential issues as it

[2:07:42] relates to odor issues I don't think there's any current odor issues with the

[2:07:46] ethanol operation that I'm aware of and that was part of our due diligence

[2:07:50] assessment the renewable natural gas production the methane gas is made

[2:07:55] inside of the anaerobic digestion tanks the large tanks that I showed you

[2:07:58] pictures of those are airtight tanks the only way the gas gets out there is

[2:08:04] either it's pulled through the pipe to be upgraded for pipeline quality and

[2:08:07] then injected into the system or on the photo that I is in your package there's

[2:08:12] two flares there if we were to have a problem uh with the gas the gas is moved

[2:08:18] to the flare and then it's ignited and sent into the environment so that it's

[2:08:23] not causing any odor issues or any other kinds of potential Hazard issues

[2:08:27] um it's a it's a critical it's a critical design feature of the plant but

[2:08:31] that's the way we deal with it so you shouldn't have odor issues thank you

[2:08:35] very much counselor niskowski

[2:08:39] thank you um and thank you so much for the

[2:08:43] presentation and for the potential investment with the ethanol plan I think

[2:08:47] it's so important to secure the future for that facility

[2:08:51] um and I believe this is this is a wonderful opportunity

[2:08:55] um but I just want to go back when you had talked about the fact sheet you

[2:08:59] talked about the 61 job secured another eight jobs that you'll be hiring but I

[2:09:05] believe in the presentation you made you said the total project for this indirect

[2:09:10] impact on jobs is somewhere between six to seven hundred yeah if you look at the

[2:09:17] data that our good friends at the Chamber of Commerce actually put

[2:09:19] together for us it's projected with the construction jobs that would be included

[2:09:25] as part of the process and I I don't think I looted to this but the

[2:09:28] construction will occur over a two-year three-year period with the commission is

[2:09:33] expected in 2026 it's estimated that there's approximately 650 jobs that are

[2:09:38] created in terms of what we're doing plus the construction jobs plus the

[2:09:42] other jobs within the committee on an ongoing basis they would continue to be

[2:09:46] other jobs that are supported as a result of the direct job we have data on

[2:09:50] that as well so I think if I recall the data just for

[2:09:55] our plant only the annual revenue is about 60 million dollars coming from the

[2:10:00] payroll for our existing employees and so it's obviously a significant critical

[2:10:06] number and it represents our commitment to our employees but at the same time it

[2:10:11] obviously brings Revenue sources to the community over and above what we're

[2:10:14] going to pay in terms of taxes thank you so much

[2:10:20] Muffler wax

[2:10:28] these are really high paying jobs uh both you said compared to the average

[2:10:34] but if you just you know just the number itself objectively or talking six figure

[2:10:39] jobs here so um those are wonderful jobs to maintain

[2:10:44] and to increase potentially we talked earlier today about the

[2:10:49] property tax and I believe um you stated or uh that the property

[2:10:57] tax would be depreciated on a 30-year straight line depreciation

[2:11:03] um so that would mean just to make sure that I understand that the tax revenue

[2:11:07] would of the personal property would decrease over over each year but it

[2:11:13] would continue on for about 30 years is that is that correct right were you able

[2:11:18] to and I know there wasn't a lot of time between meetings were you able to get a

[2:11:21] ballpark of what the total tax revenue might be

[2:11:25] on the new personal property

[2:11:30] council member wax I did run some numbers I

[2:11:34] full honesty I don't think they're accurate but I tried I tried doing the

[2:11:40] 30-year depreciation I again I I have

[2:11:46] um net taxes paid in the range of 85 million dollars over 30 years I don't

[2:11:50] know how accurate that is but I did I did print this out so that I could give

[2:11:55] it to you for your you know you can take your red pen to it if you okay I

[2:11:59] appreciate that because especially when uh sometimes when we're looking at

[2:12:03] personal property tax uh abatements sometimes the personal property only

[2:12:07] lasts for five to ten years so when you're evading most of the front end you

[2:12:12] know the question could be what what are we from a revenue basis of course

[2:12:16] there's other benefits to uh getting a project like this off the ground like

[2:12:20] jobs or other economic impacts in the area but just from a pure tax revenue

[2:12:26] basis uh the question is um what would we be getting in the

[2:12:31] future and so I'm happy to hear that I'll take with the the caveat that I

[2:12:36] know that this is uh back the napkin calculations last minute but it's good

[2:12:41] to know that it'll be a very significant amount of tax revenue over the next the

[2:12:45] other thing I would add to that I think you had the question earlier today you

[2:12:48] know what's the life of these plants are these assets and so the tanks themselves

[2:12:52] typically 40 to 50 years if not unheard of so the the asset will last well past

[2:12:57] the depreciation schedule so at least that person is covered for that period

[2:13:02] of time so if if these numbers uh needed a little

[2:13:06] bit fine-tuning I'd be happy to work with Eric and we can deal with it

[2:13:09] further if necessary but I think it's a good it's a good investment for the city

[2:13:13] I got the answer that I made for tonight thank you thank you thank you I'll turn

[2:13:17] to my Council colleagues online see if they have any comments or questions

[2:13:30] also Davis thank you I'm saying no and I'll turn back to council

[2:13:36] well no l is public portion time I'll open it up to the public is there any

[2:13:41] one wishing to speak in favor of

[2:13:45] resolution 2321 or 2322

[2:13:52] state your name and address for the record please sure good evening

[2:13:56] um Allison Herzig director of Economic Development South Bend Regional Chamber

[2:13:59] offices at 101 North Michigan Street we just wanted to take enough opportunity

[2:14:04] to come up and thank the council for considering

[2:14:07] verbaya's proposition for our community they are it's a significant investment

[2:14:14] we're seeing an economic impact of the construction alone over the three years

[2:14:19] of 350 million dollars on top of the economic impact that was

[2:14:25] already referenced of the jobs and so as we kind of look at the different

[2:14:29] companies that will be impacted by this investment and by the new workers we see

[2:14:36] that it it kind of rolls through the whole Community Building Services will

[2:14:41] have three jobs supported we have Employment Services of two jobs and so

[2:14:46] it kind of extrapolates out when you look at how significant this is for

[2:14:51] South Bend and for our community I really appreciate you taking the time to

[2:14:56] consider this we are very excited about the possibilities we look at the

[2:15:01] continued partnership with local farmers and businesses as a wonderful

[2:15:07] opportunity to to support services that are already existing and jobs that

[2:15:13] already exist as well as the commitment to sustainability is so very important

[2:15:18] as you all know I'm thrilled that they are considering our community thank you

[2:15:23] so much thank you so much for your comment anyone else Clark Jones do you

[2:15:28] see anyone in the virtual audience wishing to speak in favor of either

[2:15:32] resolution 2321 or 23 22. modern audience expressing interest to

[2:15:39] speak in favor of this Bill thank you I'll turn anyone wishing to speak in

[2:15:43] opposition of 23 21 or 23-22 you're welcome to come up to the podium

[2:15:53] Sheriff Nikki 3822 Ford Street not really opposed to it but I do have a

[2:15:58] question the smell was brought up last summer and the summer before that the

[2:16:05] noise coming from the ethanol plant is very disruptive to the neighborhoods and

[2:16:11] as Eli I'll tell you I don't live that close to it but yet we could hear it and

[2:16:16] if you go on Facebook they were talking about it out into the county and across

[2:16:20] Lincolnway so

[2:16:24] anyone want to address that

[2:16:32] so I'm not familiar with the noise issue um I know Tucker you want to address

[2:16:37] that

[2:16:40] please state your name and address for the record good evening I'm Chuck Tuscan

[2:16:44] general manager of South Bend ethanol reside in South Bend

[2:16:50] as as regarding the the noise issue that is related to The energy used so the the

[2:16:59] steam that is used on the back end of the process that Mr Northrop was talking

[2:17:06] about the stillage where we dry the stillage

[2:17:10] all of that initially before we even have the uh the new investment is being

[2:17:16] worked on to eliminate the discharge of the high pressure steam to the

[2:17:21] atmosphere but once we get the RNG that will that part of the process will be

[2:17:28] not used anymore so again we we apologize for the sound the noise but we

[2:17:36] are currently working on it to eliminate the discharge to the

[2:17:41] atmosphere of steam thank you so much does that satisfy your

[2:17:47] question summer will tell thank you I'm sure

[2:17:51] we'll see you again anyone else

[2:17:57] there's no one else expressing interest virtually to speak in opposition of this

[2:18:02] Bill thank you so much with that I'll turn back to my colleagues what's your

[2:18:06] pleasure

[2:18:10] for the adoption of resolution 23-21 second it's been moved in second and

[2:18:17] Clark Jones The Royal place council member Thomas Morgan

[2:18:22] aye vice president naskowski aye

[2:18:26] councilmember Davis

[2:18:29] I

[2:18:33] council member Lee aye council member Warner

[2:18:38] aye council member wax aye council member white

[2:18:43] aye president McBride aye eight eyes thank you resolution 2321 has been

[2:18:50] adopted I would like to entertain a motion

[2:18:53] regarding Bill 23 resolution 23-22

[2:18:59] the second clerk Johnson role please vice president

[2:19:05] aye council member Davis I council member Lee

[2:19:11] aye council member Warner aye council member wax I

[2:19:16] council member white I council member Thomas Morgan

[2:19:21] aye president McBride aye eight eyes

[2:19:24] thank you resolution 2322 has been adopted there are no bills on first

[2:19:30] reading I'll turn to see is there any unfinished business from the council

[2:19:37] is there any new business from Council

[2:19:42] seeing none I will open it up to the privilege of the floor

[2:19:48] individuals who wish to address the council must State their name and

[2:19:51] residential address individuals will be limited to three minutes only

[2:19:55] the maximum time for this portion of the meeting shall be 30 minutes individuals

[2:19:59] should not be permitted to the address topics which the council has heard

[2:20:03] previously on tonight's agenda the council president May assign a topic

[2:20:07] raised by an individual doing the privilege of the floor to the

[2:20:11] appropriate council member and or request the city clerk to contact the

[2:20:15] member of the city Administration for review and topics assigned and shall be

[2:20:19] responded to at the next scheduled council meeting please state your name

[2:20:22] and address for the record

[2:20:41] please state your name and address for the record please

[2:20:46] see Castle 4022 Kennedy Drive in South Bend thank you I would appreciate the

[2:20:52] council getting back to me on the items that I'm about to bring up I still

[2:20:56] haven't heard heard back on the abatement reports or if the

[2:21:01] zero dollars for 10 years was legal also um

[2:21:07] when I go to look for information it's great that there's videos of these

[2:21:11] meetings but there's no transcripts I'd like to suggest to the council and

[2:21:17] the clerk that you research something like otter a i o t t e r dot a I what

[2:21:25] happens is that the artificial intelligence listens to the meeting and

[2:21:31] creates a transcript so this would be really nice for all of

[2:21:35] us can you repeat that otter

[2:21:38] otter o t t e r dot a i there are other transcription softwares

[2:21:44] but I'm just suggesting one to start with

[2:21:49] um what I handed out to you is that there are missing Financial reports

[2:21:54] I'd like to see those uh appear on the website

[2:22:01] um in 2018 there was a city-wide debt update to the council

[2:22:06] I'd like to see you guys have a new debt update

[2:22:11] and um I'd also like to bring up that there are

[2:22:16] quite a few rape kits that have never been processed

[2:22:20] and those women have never received Justice

[2:22:23] if the rape kits had been processed and put in the system the DNA could possibly

[2:22:29] found the perpetrators it could have possibly

[2:22:33] created prevented other rapes from occurring

[2:22:39] perhaps Mr King is part of the new police board could put this on his

[2:22:43] agenda to review the unprocessed rape kits they've been unprocessed for a long

[2:22:49] time some of them may have even timed out

[2:22:51] I think that the women of our community deserve justice

[2:22:57] for that trauma obviously then they are concerned that

[2:23:03] that perpetrator comes back to them again

[2:23:06] which is very stressful for them so um I did

[2:23:12] um I'm not supposed to mention names I did approach to council members about

[2:23:17] this issue that I would like to see it um

[2:23:21] a higher priority so those are my issues and if you could

[2:23:25] get back to me I'd appreciate it and I'd love to hear on the abatements and

[2:23:31] especially on the missing Financial reports thank you

[2:23:35] thank you I just wanted to mention that on YouTube

[2:23:39] they do the transcripts that's where we get our transcripts from is from YouTube

[2:23:43] on the video when you have a video the trans but the transcripts on YouTube are

[2:23:48] not the legal documents held by the city and we use otter too and they didn't

[2:23:55] they're just weren't real good either so um but no the video is the legal

[2:24:00] document I know but I can't go through hours of videos to to scan for what the

[2:24:04] information I'm looking for right but you can you should be able to do that

[2:24:08] through YouTube I mean I know you said it's not legal but you can do that

[2:24:14] is there a legal opinion on that

[2:24:21] perfect I can't do it but you

[2:24:26] ain't no need to should have no need to

[2:24:31] I would prefer not to have to go through YouTube and I would prefer that the city

[2:24:35] have legal documents and transcripts that's my opinion thank you

[2:24:42] thank you

[2:24:48] Sharon panicky 3822 Ford Street I'm just checking back in Eli and I did spend 45

[2:24:56] minutes together he got to see myself been sixth district he got to see Bob

[2:25:02] the Builder's house he got to see the two houses that have been shot up by me

[2:25:06] he got to see a lot of different things and I'm hoping Eli through a different

[2:25:11] set of eyes than what you have seen before

[2:25:15] and did you ever figure out why the speed limit signs in the parking lot

[2:25:21] I'll wait for you to get back to me on that I just wanted to express my

[2:25:25] appreciation to Eli for giving me and I did keep it at 45 minutes but we did

[2:25:30] make a very good round tour of it also

[2:25:36] um this Wednesday is the crime stats meeting at the police department and I

[2:25:40] was there last month and some of some of the citizens are asking why doesn't the

[2:25:45] city council people come do they get this information

[2:25:49] I can't answer whether you get the same reports that we get but the officer in

[2:25:55] charge did say that they don't invite the city council to come as council

[2:26:00] members but I think it would do a world of good

[2:26:04] for the relationship if you came as Citizens to listen to what the people

[2:26:09] there are saying to hear what's going on in the neighborhoods to hear the fears

[2:26:15] and what's going on now I did have a police car parked in front of my house

[2:26:20] for two weeks they picked it up Saturday so we know it's just a matter of time

[2:26:25] before the fifth shooting happens in front the gentleman two doors down was

[2:26:30] arrested a second time they got him for resisting arrest resisting arrest

[2:26:36] because one was driving his car away then he fled from the scene he wrecked

[2:26:41] the car they caught him with the machine gun

[2:26:44] and it eludes me what the fifth was but the prosecutor

[2:26:49] drop three of the five charges from Jump Street the bond went from no bond to a

[2:26:55] thousand bonds to he was released with promise to appear

[2:26:58] the pressure needs to be put on the prosecutor because you know the police

[2:27:03] like us are getting tired of seeing the same people going to jail going to jail

[2:27:08] slap on the hand out to go this child's father was arrested last year after

[2:27:13] their house raid he got caught with guns and drugs and cocaine and he got one

[2:27:18] year probation so and I mean they're still doing what

[2:27:24] they do and there's no incentive not to do it because the prosecutor's not doing

[2:27:28] what he needs to do so whatever pressure you can put on the prosecutor would be

[2:27:34] appreciated thank you thank you yes Clark Jones

[2:27:40] um just to also let Miss Kessler know we have transcripts on our team's video as

[2:27:45] well so that would be legal

[2:27:48] thank you and for Mr Mr Nikki thank you so much I do attend weekly in my dukem's

[2:27:55] role with the police department separately from the community so I'm in

[2:28:00] on those uh private meetings of uh what's going on in the community so

[2:28:05] thank you for that but it is very informative for us to stay informed with

[2:28:09] that information thank you president McBride yes Mr Davis

[2:28:16] just just a Food For Thought

[2:28:20] um Miss benicki probably has a better conversation with the mayor than he

[2:28:24] would with the council because the marriage in direct control of the police

[2:28:27] department I understand the council members are a part of the city

[2:28:31] government and also a part of the funding mechanisms of the of the police

[2:28:36] department but as far as the enforcement tool and the conversation that she's

[2:28:40] asking that needs to happen between uh city government along with the

[2:28:46] prosecutor probably will be best served with the mayor and the prosecutor versus

[2:28:52] council member and prosecutor just a thought

[2:28:56] thank you for your input because it is County as well as I know some I think

[2:29:00] the rape kits were under the prosecutor as well but I will

[2:29:04] um I will send an email to see the status but I do uh know that years ago

[2:29:11] when we were trying to get that the rape kids that it fell under the prosecutors

[2:29:16] but but I will follow up as well the um rape kits are held in freezers at the

[2:29:22] police department some of of them got moved to a garage and so that may have

[2:29:27] broken the chain of evidence on some of them okay thank you I will follow up

[2:29:31] with that as well thank you Mr Davis I will also um

[2:29:36] advise or ask I know Mr Nicky will still come to uh Council but and and maybe she

[2:29:43] have already reached out but I will follow up with you as well Mr Nicki

[2:29:48] thank you um with that this meeting stands

[2:29:51] adjourned thank you

05-08-2023 South Bend Common Council Meeting

Transcript