MINUTES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Transcription

1 MINUTES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 The regular meeting of e Hammond Common Council of e City of Hammond, Lake County, Indiana was held on September 24, 2018 in e Hammond City Council Chambers. Council President Janet Venecz presided. City Clerk facilitated. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was recited by all. Invocation by Council President Venecz. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Markovich, Spitale, Kalwinski, Torres, Higgs, Emerson, Woerpel, Rakos, Venecz ABSENT: None TOTAL: 9 READING OF THE MINUTES Councilman Spitale, supported by Councilman Emerson, moved to accept e minutes from September 10, 2018 and place on file. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to approve e claims from September 5, 2018 rough September 19, Claim #5383 rough claim #5686, inclusive. Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to amend in claim: #5687 Hammond Fire Dept. Common Council $ ROLL CALL VOTE (amendment) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Kalwinski, Torres, Higgs, Emerson, Woerpel, Rakos, Venecz NAYS: None ABSENT: None Motion carried 9/0/0 AMENDMENT ADOPTED ROLL CALL VOTE (as amended) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Kalwinski, Torres, Higgs, Emerson, Woerpel, Rakos, Venecz NAYS: None ABSENT: None Motion carried 9/0/0 CLAIMS APPROVED (as amended) PUBLIC HEARINGS None 1

2 COMMUNICATIONS Councilman Higgs read correspondence from Shane M. Gamez regarding his neighborhood garages and gates being snowed in and damaged by e plows. Councilman Higgs, supported by Councilman Torres, moved to send a copy of e correspondence from Shane M. Gamez to e Mayor. LETTER SENT: SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 Councilman Higgs congratulated e Mayor and e city of Hammond on e opening of e Sports Complex is Thursday. COMMITTEE REPORTS Council as a Whole Committee - Councilman Woerpel - Brought out Community and Crime Watch Committee - Councilwoman Venecz - Announced upcoming meetings: Tues., Sept. 25; Pulaski Park N. A.; American Legion; 6:30 p.m. S. Hohman Ave. N. W.; Thurs., Sept. 27; Trinity Lueran Church; 6:30 p.m. Edison Community Watch and e East Side Community Council in partnership wi Home Depot will once again host e 7 Annual Trunk or Treat. It will be Saturday, October 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Home Depot. Organizations are welcome to join in and advertise. RD ORDINANCE 3 READING - FINAL PASSAGE An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 8108 known as Section of e Hammond Municipal Code as it pertains to EMT s/paramedics Councilman Emerson, supported by Councilman Kalwinski, moved for passage. Councilman Emerson - This ordinance basically amends e previous ordinance taking away a specific number of people at events in a building and focuses on e type of activity at is going on. If a question exists to e nature of e event, final determination shall be made by e Park Board Commissioners. Councilman Higgs - I would like to have Phil Taillon step to e podium and explain e importance of is ordinance. Phil Taillon, Chief of Staff - As Councilman Emerson stated, is is pretty simple as far as an amendment to a current ordinance at was created a long time ago after an incident at a kick boxing tournament in which, unfortunately, ere was a fatality. At e time, it was decided at if ere is an event in e city on any city property at two EMT personnel would be required for any event at has a hundred people or more. 2

3 RD ORDINANCE 3 READING - FINAL PASSAGE cont. Chief of Staff Taillon - Well, in a lot of situations it really didn t make a lot of sense. Because if you have a Pampered Woman show at e Jean Shepherd Center, or you have chess club, or you have a Little League Event, we basically were requiring at two EMT be on site. What we found over e years, especially as we get closer to, as Councilman Higgs said, our Sports Complex is opening on Thursday, and I know Mark Heintz, our Director of Parks, was here earlier discussing is. What we found was at certain events are bypassing e city of Hammond and going to oer communities because ey do not have at requirement. If ey ought it was important for em to have EMT personnel or police personnel ey would make sure ey did so but ey were going to different communities so at ey weren t mandated to do so. What is does, it still addresses e real issue, which is, if you do have full contact sport activity, boxing, kick boxing, martial arts, also e circus because wi animals you never know, sometimes ere could be some issues, and I ink any type of vehicle situation, en we do still mandate at ey have EMT on site. However, for e less evasive type sports, soccer, basketball, chess, you know whatever it may be, now ey are not mandated to have e EMT. I do want to bring up at e Sports Complex does have a budget specifically set aside for police and fire personnel so at if ere is an event or a tournament where it makes sense for us to have folks on site to lessen our risk or liability because of at specific event, we will still do so. The budget is pretty significant. So I feel like is meets e best of bo worlds because we love our fire department, we love what ey do, we love what e EMT does. We use em all e time. If anybody was at e concerts is weekend, you saw em walking around. If you were at e Festival of e Lakes you see em walking around e Festival of e Lakes. We basically were putting a law in place at didn t make a lot of sense in a lot of situations. Councilman Higgs - What year was e original ordinance at we are amending tonight? Chief of Staff Taillon - I don t have it in front of me but I want to say it was in Councilman Kalwinski - When ose special decisions are made, what are e parameters used to figure at out? Chief of Staff Taillon - I ink it really comes down to e fact of wi e specific event, what type of risk is ere, and I would say, I guess, risk could be looked at different ways. You know, if you re playing soccer you could sprain an ankle, obviously. But a sprained ankle, typically, you re not going to call an ambulance and be transported to a hospital. You re typically going to put some ice on it and let it heal and maybe go see e doctor e next day. So I ink it s really, e best way of putting is at you re gonna look at each individual event and activity and say, What kind of risk is ere at potentially you would need an ambulance if worse case scenario occurs? As I mentioned in e caucus, my son has been playing soccer since he was five years old, he s eighteen now. In ose irteen years, I ve never seen, one time, an ambulance show up at any soccer facility or soccer event. The way it s written currently, we were asking folks, if you have a Little League game you re supposed to have EMT s on site. The new hockey complex, at s gonna be under construction here in e next five weeks, e way it s written you d have to have two EMT s on site for every single event at was going on at e hockey complex. It just doesn t make sense in ose situations. I ink it does make sense when you have a boxing event, for example, at e Civic Center. You have e Police vs e Fire, even a charity event. Because in ose situations you could have contact at could cause a concussion or somebody could go unconscious and it makes sense to have somebody on staff, at needs immediate treatment. 3

4 RD ORDINANCE 3 READING - FINAL PASSAGE cont. Councilman Kalwinski - In e special instances not laid out in e ordinance, en e Park Board decides wheer to put EMT s or police ere. Is at what you re telling us? Chief of Staff Taillon - That would be correct. To me at makes a lot more sense an every single event at comes in rough e city come to e council. Councilman Higgs - If you could identify ose particular events for e council and e general public. Chief of Staff Taillon - The ones at are listed in e amended ordinance are kick boxing, martial arts, boxing, any type of vehicular event and e circus. But at doesn t mean if ere s some event at comes up at would fit really well into mandating EMT s at s were I believe e Park Board will step up and say, This event makes sense, ere could be an issue, let s make sure we have EMT s on site. Councilman Woerpel - Theoretically, if somebody was to have a wedding at e Civic Center, ey needed EMT s ere e way e current ordinance was written, right? Chief of Staff Taillon - Correct. Councilman Woerpel - Same ing wi e Shepherd Center? Chief of Staff Taillon - Correct. Any city property where ere s an event of a hundred people or more, according to e ordinance ey are mandated to have two EMT s on site. I ink what you might ink is, ere s been events where ey haven t been ere. Technically, ey would be breaking e law in at situation. I know Mark Heintz brought up when he was in ere, as recently as August we lost a basketball camp at was looking at Hammond and because ere was mandating EMT s, which e cost is what it is, I don t know off e top of my head, but let s just say it might be five to six hundred dollars, ey end up choosing to go to a complex in Gary instead because ey did not have to pay at fee. So ose types of events where ey re working wi a shoestring budget, you know, ey re not necessarily ere to make a ton of money but to really just host an event and add value to whatever organization ey belong to, at s where you really cause Hammond to... Councilman Woerpel - I guess what I m getting at is, it s not like we re giving e Park Board e right to write e ordinance. It s basically e Park Board has a right to make a stipulation as far as issuing e permit or e contract at, Oh, by e way, you need EMT s at is event, correct? Chief of Staff Taillon - Correct. ROLL CALL VOTE (passage) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Kalwinski, Torres, Higgs, Emerson, Woerpel, Rakos, Venecz NAYS: None ABSENT: None Motion carried 9/0/0 ORDINANCE NO PASSED 4

5 INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES An Ordinance Amending e Code of Ordinances of e City of Hammond to Permit e Use of District Casino Money to be used to Remove Dangerous Trees from Property owned by e City st nd Councilman Higgs, supported by Councilman Spitale, moved e proposed ordinance to 1 and 2 reading and referred it to e Council as a Whole Committee. Councilman Higgs - The purpose of is particular ordinance is at particularly in my district when I m out ere, ere are a number of trees at are not actually being cut down and ere s a certain amount of money at is designated for tree removal and if we should run out of money, because money is allocated to each district councilman, we could utilize at in emergency situations to remove e tree. So is happens quite frequently roughout my district and certainly I don t want anyone to be in danger by trees at are sitting over eir property or vacant lots at are owned by Redevelopment, or e city of Hammond. So if e funds run out we can use (unclear) in terms of addressing e concerns of e citizens of our great city. That s e purpose of e ordinance. Councilman Torres - I agree wi Councilman Higgs because I have a few areas in my district where I have asked for trees to be removed and for some reason ey re not removed and I ink it s because of a lack of money. Even ough we have an allotted fund rough e Park Department for is, is could supplement at fund in case it is needed. Councilman Higgs - Also, just like, of course, ere s Redevelopment projects taking place in my district at MLK Park, but certainly Harrison Park has been an issue wi trees as well over e years and I ve been working extremely hard wi Mark just trying to get a new pavilion built. Fortunately we have oer projects going on in conjunction wi e efforts of e Mayor, which I congratulate, and I applaud his efforts. Alough I may live particularly in e area where e park is being done, every park is important roughout e entire district and certainly Harrison Park is in desperate need of repairs. So I would hope at in e coming year we can do someing in regards to addressing some of e concerns in Harrison Park as well. Council President Venecz - All in favor? Opposed? RESOLUTIONS None NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS Councilman Higgs - During caucus we had discussion in regards to e property at 936 Conkey Street in which I recently honored Ms. Pearline Jenkins who was a fighter in e community and stood for injustice and fought for justice for all e citizens of e great city. She served as president of e Hammond chapter of e NAACP for a number of years as well as a member of e Mount Zion Church. Due to her passing e property became vacant and I was fortunate enough to get her artifacts out of e property and submit em to e church. 5

6 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Higgs cont. - However, e gentleman at purchased e property seems to act as ough for some reason it s being overlooked and he s not given an opportunity to actually have e property rehabbed. Well, e director from Code Enforcement came and addressed e Council in Caucus and basically told us at at s not true. So, again, I don t have a dog in e show. I m basically standing up for what s right and I m not taking sides in regards to addressing it but what was discussed was e fact at he has addressed is issue wi e Code Enforcement Inspector, e head of e department, in terms of addressing e concerns of e property and e deplorable condition which is existing in e property and e repairs at are needed to bring it up to code. However, if you do not, I repeat, do not fix e property and make it into livable conditions, unfortunately you can not keep e property. Prior to is I had personally put is, as well as a number of homes wiin my district on e list for demolition. Because e property sat vacant for a number of years and no one wants to look at an eye sore in eir community. Especially when you go $120 ousand homes sitting just adjacent to is property. So, I would hope at e gentleman, and I will reach out to him to schedule a meeting wi me, him and e Code Enforcement Inspector to address any of his additional concerns as it relates to is particular property at 936 Conkey. Hopefully ey will be able to resolve is issue and if not, e property will probably be condemned. Unfortunately, e citizens of e great city are more an welcome to address e Council and e Council at Large and speak in regards to is property because Ms. Pearline was a pioneer in e community and if ey can come up wi some general ideas in regards to rehabbing e property, or fixing e property, or making it livable, ey are more an welcome to do so. So, in saying at, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear at e Code Inspector came before e council and addressed e concerns and e repairs at are needed rd to keep is property in e 3 District of our great city. Thank God I was able to name e street after Ms. Pearline because she was a fighter. Councilman Rakos, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to change e October 9, 2018 meeting to October 1, 2018 and e October 22, 2018 meeting to October 15, Councilman Woerpel - I just want to make e residents of e 5 District aware, because I have gotten some calls about is but currently under e gaming ordinance where it says what we can spend money on, I ink it s item d. Trees, I ve given $100,000 in e 5 District to cut e trees away from e lights and to cut e low hanging branches across e streets and I know a lot of residents have come out when e tree guys are out ere if ey can go completely around e trees in eir yard and I just want to clarify at because is program, is tree account, is run rough e Park Dept. at we can cut stuff at is hanging over our sidewalks, our streets and our lights, but we can t go completely around e trees in e yards. Because I ve been questioned on at while is tree program s been going on. Council President Venecz - Because at extends into private property? Councilman Woerpel - Correct. But if it s hanging over our right of ways, or in front of our stop signs, or over our lights, we can cut it back away if it s on private property. 6

7 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Torres, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to have a letter sent to e Sewer Dept Director, Jack Smi, ere is some kind of sewer problem on e soubound lane of Columbia Avenue, e 5400 block, right across from Columbia Park. It s tying up traffic pretty good, clogging it up. It s been going on for about two mons and if he can give e residents a time frame as to when e repairs are going to be complete, whatever ey are repairing. It is a sewer problem I understand. Councilman Markovich - I am aware of at area ere, and talking to e Superintendent and probably Dean Button knows, being on e Sanitary Board, at at at intersection ere are several sewer lines at are crisscrossing ere and right now ey have a cave in. You can see a low spot at is blocked off wi ose parking ings ere and right now e problem ere is funding, wheer ey can find e money, because it s an emergency type situation. It s not just at one area ere because everying intercepts ere at Columbia and, I believe, Michigan Avenue, not Michigan but Summer Street. Whatever it is, Michigan and Columbia. So ere is an issue ere. It s not just e one but it s a tie in of crisscross sections coming from e nor, sou, east and west. So, all of em sewers. They re going out for bids right now to get at taken care of. I would suggest, and I agree wi you, going sou on at Columbia Avenue at gets backed up during e day at rush hour and maybe only five or six cars go rough. I don t know if at s timed. I ve sat ere myself and waited for ree lights. Maybe if ey can extend at going soubound to maybe a minute, set e timer on at, and east west traffic maybe can be shortened. Right now it s a lot of traffic going in ere. But e traffic on ere on Michigan, it is Michigan correct Dean, eir leaving Calumet Avenue because of e backup on e overpass ere. So, if ey can set e timers to allow more traffic to go sou. It s no problem going nor, it s just going sou at it gets backed up because I ve timed it, it s maybe 15 to 20 seconds only for at green light and only five or six cars can get rough. So at s giving you e background on what s happening ere, so if you want to rescind your letter it s up to you but you re sending it to Jack Smi who is e foreman but it probably should be addressed to e Sanitary District in at respect. I m not telling you what to do but I m just giving you e background on at. Councilman Torres - I can add e Sanitary District to at letter. If it s funding or someing I can help wi, we got a little money left in e gaming. Maybe I can help. So, I need to know about it. If it is a funding issue or whatever e issue is. But at s been going on for two mons and e tru is I very seldom see anybody working on it. It s just blocked, and it is causing e problem at Councilman Markovich says it is. So, add to e letter if you may, Clerk, if ere is someing at I can help wi, I ll gladly help. Councilman Markovich - I know one figure is $150 ousand. So, if you ve got an extra $150 ousand you want to row in but everybody is well aware at e present gaming ordinance, when ey do new streets, at 10% is supposed to go for new sewers and so for and all of at. But, you know, it s up to em what ey are going to do about it. Council President Venecz - All in favor? Opposed? LETTERS SENT: SEPTEMBER 25,

8 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Higgs read an announcement from e Hammond Sports Complex regarding e Men s Basketball League. On September 20, 2018 ey will be hosting a Mens s 40 and up Basketball League from October 8 rough December 10. There will be ten games plus a tournament. Register at e Complex in e main office. Registration fee is $700. Councilman Emerson - I do not have an extra $160 ousand is time of year but I wish I did. But anyway I rd wanted to compliment Engineering who in turn talked to e striping people. We4 overlayed part of 173 is rd year and a couple residents called wi complaints about e crosswalks on VanBuren and 173 not being done and rough a call to Engineering I noticed today at ey were done. So people can walk between e crosswalks and e whole project is complete. Councilman Higgs read an announcement from e Hammond Sports Complex regarding e Men s Basketball Fall League. September 20, 2018 ey will host a Men s Fall Basketball League from October 8 rough December 10 on Monday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be 10 games plus a tournament. Register at e Complex. Registration fee is $600. Councilman Higgs - As we all know, all our District Councilmen has an appointee on e casino funding for e 501(c)(3). Organizations at receive funding roughout e year, however, I have not had a representative to sit to represent my district in quite some time. Councilman Higgs, supported by Councilman Torres, moved to send a letter so he can represent his district in regards to e allocation of e casino funds. Each District Councilman as well s e At Larges are supposed to be sitting on is committee but for some reason or anoer I don t ink at s been happening. So he motioned is letter so he could get an appointee appointed for his district. LETTER SENT: SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 Councilman Higgs announced e Hammond Fire Department is celebrating eir Fire Prevention Open House on Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fire Station 8 located at 6350 Parrish Avenue. Councilman Higgs - I again would like to ank e Mayor. I see e park is starting to be redeveloped here in my district and I would want to certainly ank him for his efforts in working togeer to get is accomplished. So I look forward to seeing e results of at and I plan to schedule a meeting shortly wi e Superintendent of Parks in regards to any additional ings at can be added in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luer King. Council President Venecz announced at e city of Hammond is taking applications for Hammers for Hearts. The last day at e applications will be taken is October 5. This is for any senior, disabled or low income families who are looking for some work to be done on eir homes such as painting, stair repairs, ings of at nature. A fai based group will be here next year in June and ey will help out people who apply and qualify. You can contact Owana Miller at , option number 2, by October 5. 8

9 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. nd st Council President Venecz announced e 32 Volunteer Annual Awards Breakfast on November 1. The Department of Planning & Development is taking applications for individuals or organizations at you might ink deserves to be acknowledged as a volunteer here in e city of Hammond. You can contact Owana Miller at , option number 2, to submit applications. Councilman Higgs - I want to ank e board of directors at e Mt. Zion Pleasantview Plaza as well as e community affairs coordinator and e director of e great facility named after Dr. A. A.R. Burns. Recently ey had a 35 anniversary of e complex and I was able to present Ms. Burns wi a dozen roses as well as a plaque from her Councilman in regards to all e hard work and contributions at ey contributed to our great city. Wiout Ms. Burns, Ms. Pearline and Rev. Burns e facility wouldn t have even been built. So certainly, and a number of oer people of course were part of it, but we appreciate eir efforts and certainly if ere s anying I could do in regards to e complex, certainly I am here and willing to do such. I really, really, really want to congratulate Ms. Burns for all her hard work and her efforts. Councilman Emerson announced Hammond 5 Annual Veteran s Appreciation Day Parade on Saturday, November 10 at 10 a.m. in Hammond s 5 and 6 Districts. The route travels from Olcott Avenue down 173 Street to Hessville Park at e Veteran s Memorial. rd Councilman Higgs read an announcement from e Hammond Sports Complex regarding a Four on Four Volleyball Tournament on September 21, The complex is hosting a Four by Four Volleyball Tournament on November 24, 2018 at 11 a.m. There is a 112 team limit. Each team gets a maximum five player roster. Coed maximum of two women. Four Division Men s Elite Coed and Women s Elite prizes to be announced. Registration at e Complex in e main office. Registration team fee $120 by November 2, Council President Venecz announced at is Saturday, September 29, 2018 from 9 to 11 a.m. e department heads budget hearings will be held in e Council Chambers. Councilman Higgs - Seeing at we have ere are so many children here in our audience I just want to remind em at, I m not on e School Board, I am e City Councilman, but for your benefit I did try to implement a program which is called Safari Brainware. It s a tutoring program at actually lasted for about a year and we were trying to get funding rough e School City of Hammond. However, ere are individuals at are running for School Board is term and some of em were sitting ere previously and ere are people at are running currently and I would hope at ey are interested in e children and not emselves and you are important to not just me but e entire city. So, Safari Brainware is a wonderful program and it s about implementing programs at can help your (unclear) skills as well as your physical and mental skills. So, e first year was funded by a private donor and we went before e school board to try to get it in all e schools and for whatever reason ey refused to implement it. But, it s election year and let s see what s happening. PUBLIC EXPRESSION Demetrius McNeil - Why are ere oranges fences around e trees? 9

10 PUBLIC EXPRESSION cont. George Stoya - I was almost put to sleep ere by Councilman Higgs droning on. Is ere any remedy to is? Because obviously he s grandstanding. I don t know why anybody here doesn t speak up about it. You can just run rough it and just say it all at one time and stop disrupting e continuity of is meeting. I m a little leery of e ordinance concerning e determination of what a risk is when using e Sports Complex and will it be recognized by any court of law should e city be sued. Being at e city is self insured. There was no reference to any external auority or reference by which e scope of risk was determined. Just cause you say it s so don t make it so. When it s challenged all bets are off. Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to return to New and Unfinished Business. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Higgs - Just for clarification, ere s no need for me to grandstand. I can take e fact at you may not like me but I m gonna do my job. The reality of it is I m addressing e concerns so at e citizens at are not here at may be watching will be aware of it and I don t need e political attacks or e criticism of someone at doesn t even live in my district. Councilman Emerson - To address e young man s question, I believe e red X means e tree is coming down eventually. Dean Button, City Engineer - He s asking about e orange fence around e tree. It s tree protection. Councilman Rakos, supported by Councilman Kalwinski, moved to return to e regular order of business. Councilman Higgs, supported by Councilman Spitale, moved to adjourn. ATTEST: Janet Venecz, President Hammond Common Council, City Clerk Time: 7:10 p.m. cb Minutes approved at e Common Council meeting of October 1,