City Council

Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk MINUTES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL AUGUST 10, 2015 The regular meeting of the Hammond Common Council of the City of Hammond, Lake County, Indiana was held on August 10, 2015 in the Hammond City Council Chambers. Council President Michael Opinker presided. City Clerk Robert J. Golec facilitated. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was recited by all. Invocation by Councilwoman Venecz. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Markovich, Spitale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Opinker ABSENT: Uylaki TOTAL: 8 READING OF THE MINUTES Councilman Spitale, supported by Councilman Kalwinski, moved to accept the minutes from July 27, 2015 and place on file. AYES: ALL APPROVAL OF CLAIMS Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved to accept the claims from July 22, 2015 through August 5, 2015. Claim #4197 through claim #4464, inclusive. Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Kalwinski, moved to amend in claims: #4465 Whiting Lions Club Common Council $100.00 #4466 Councilman Higgs Common Council $2,483.64 ROLL CALL VOTE (amendment) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Opinker NAYS: None ABSENT: Uylaki Motion carried 8/0/1 AMENDMENT ADOPTED ROLL CALL VOTE (as amended) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Opinker NAYS: None ABSENT: Uylaki Motion carried 8/0/1 CLAIMS AMENDED (as amended) PUBLIC HEARINGS None MINUTES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL cont. AUGUST 10, 2015 Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk COMMUNICATIONS Councilman Higgs read correspondence to the Hammond Common Council from the Hammond Police Department inviting the council and asking for their support for the 5th Annual Police Appreciation Day on Saturday, August 22, 2015. It will be an all day free event. COMMITTEE REPORTS Community and Crime Watch Committee - Councilwoman Venecz - I’d like to announce some upcoming meetings: Thur., Aug. 20; Hessville Crime Watch; 7 p.m.; Jean Shepherd Center S. Ham’d Crime Watch; Thur., Aug. 20; Ham’d Housing Authority; 7 p.m. Thur., Aug. 13; Whiting/Robertsdale Crime Watch; Calumet College; 6:30 p.m. Thanked everyone who participated in National Night Out. The attendance exceeded their wildest dreams. It was the most successful National Night Out’s that they have hosted so far. ORDINANCE 3RD READING - FINAL PASSAGE None INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE None RESOLUTIONS None NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS 15-29 Z-15-04: Petition of Southlake Community Mental Health Center for Variance of Use From Zoning Ordinance to Allow a Community Health Center (Medical Clinic) located at 320 140th Street Councilman Kalwinski, supported by Councilman Higgs, moved the proposed ordinance to 1st and 2nd reading by title and referred it to the Council as a Whole Committee with a Letter of Intent to Consider for August 24, 2015. Councilman Kalwinski - Just to elaborate quickly, what this entails is the complex that was the St. Joe’s Boys Home, the three story building would be taken down, the parking lot would be increased and enhanced with green space and trees and the gymnasium, which is the newest building, would be converted into a two story medical healthcare clinic. The one story building, because there are three buildings in all on the complex, the one story currently houses seven or eight chronically mentally ill, is that correct, and they would remain there as well. They have been there probably the last couple of years or whenever Phoenix House in Robertsdale was cancelled out and torn down. So, next meeting there will be representatives from Southlake Mental Health NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Kalwinski cont. - Center and they’re in the audience today and their attorneys and they’ll be here for the committee meeting at 5:15 in two weeks on Monday. Council Atty. Berger - There isn’t an ordinance before the council so I think it will just have a motion to approve the petition at the next meeting. Council President Opinker - But we’re doing the 1st and 2nd now. Councilman Kalwinski - It does have a number. Council President Opinker - It has a number, 15-29. City Clerk Golec - It has a number but it’s not an ordinance. Councilman Higgs - It has a number but it doesn’t say ordinance. Councilman Kalwinski - Okay, so how do we proceed, Clerk? City Clerk Golec - The Attorney says to make a motion to adopt, I guess. Council Atty. Berger - Still do the Intent to Consider for this, but instead of doing 1st and 2nd and then the final, you just approve the petition at the next meeting. Councilman Kalwinski - Thank you, Atty. Berger. Before we do that does anybody have any questions for the representatives of Southlake Mental Health Center. Councilman Markovich - I think maybe we should have that individual come before the council now and have him give his synopsis of what’s going on and what they’re doing. Councilman Kalwinski - Is that a motion? Councilman Markovich - Motion. Councilman Kalwinski - Do we need to go to.....I second it. Councilman Markovich - We probably should go for a suspension of the rules. Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Kalwinski, moved to suspend the rules to allow a representative from Southlake Community Mental Health Center to address the council regarding the petition. AYES: ALL NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Kalwinski - Before we pass it anybody who has any questions should go ahead and get them answered. Atty. Laura Frost - Attorney representing Southlake Community Mental Health Center d/b/a Regional Health Clinic - The petition briefly, as Councilman Kalwinski said, the property is located at 321 140th Street in Hammond. It was the former location of the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys which was used as an orphanage. Again, there are three buildings on the property. There’s a gymnasium, the one story residential, the gymnasium which is not currently being used, one story residential building which houses those seven or eight residents which the councilman mentioned. Then there’s the three story residential building on 140th Street. The property is located in an R-3 zone. We’re asking for a petition for a use that’s permitted in Title 7, under 7, Section 11, as a medical clinic. Again, this would be a community health center. The petitioner has obtained a grant to operate a federally qualified health center. Just like the one they have on State Street currently. This would be open to all members of the community without regard the ability to pay. They do charge on a sliding scale so that anybody who comes to the center would be able to get healthcare services. It would be primarily primary care services. Just like you would get mainly in a physicians office. There would also be dental services available at the clinic as well. Again, the third story building is planned to be torn down to provide additional parking for the area. There will also be additional green space. We feel it will remove the existing building which is somewhat dilapidated and improve the appearance and quality of the area by the improvements that will be made. Additionally, it will provide needed services to everybody in the community. Make it easy for people to come to the doctor that live in the area. So we think it is a positive development. I do have Tony Peuquet, he is the architect for the project. He can explain a little bit more if there are developmental questions. Councilman Kalwinski - A quick question, how much is the grant for? Atty. Frost. - I don’t know. Bob Krumwied - $640 thousand. Councilman Kalwinski - And that money goes towards the two story clinic or towards the tear down or towards the parking lot? Bob Krumwied - It goes towards the operations. Councilman Kalwinski - So the monies to tear down and improve the parking lot come out of that or not? Bob Krumwied - (unclear) it could be financials. Councilman Kalwinski - Okay. And total cost of the project is... what do you estimate that to be? Bob Krumwied - $1.4 to $1.5 million. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Kalwinski - And on an annual basis what might it cost to operate that facility? Bob Krumwied - Both in terms of operation and upkeep of the building it’s probably right around $1.6 to $1.7 million. Councilman Kalwinski - I know you mentioned to me what kind of staff would be there but can you run that down again for the rest of the council? How many doctors or nurse practitioners, etc. Bob Krumwied - President and CEO of Southlake Community Mental Health Center d/b/a Regional Health Clinic - They’ll be two physicians, one nurse practitioner, and a dentist on site. As well as some ancillary staff, there’s a community outreach person, clerical office, billing folks, things of that nature. Councilman Kalwinski - And hours of operation? Bob Krumwied - Will basically be between eight and seven at night. The seven at night would only be two days a week. At some point in time we’d anticipate having Saturday morning hours, but not initially. Councilman Kalwinski - And would this be by appointment or walk-in? Bob Krumwied - Both, primarily by appointment but we will take anybody in off the street. Councilman Kalwinski - And is it for the general public? Bob Krumwied - Yes, absolutely. Councilman Kalwinski - Not defined by any certain criteria. Bob Krumwied - Nope. Anybody in need of primary care services. At the State Street site we’re seeing everybody from 3 years to I think we had a 90 year old the other day. Councilman Kalwinski - And then your Sibley operation, what kind of flow do you have on a daily basis of how many people do you see there? Bob Krumwied - General Practioner, in order for us to cover our costs needs to see about twenty four clients a day, if you can believe that. It’s a lot. And with the three folks there then we’d probably have somewhere between eighty and ninety clients going in and out. Over the course of a ten hour day. Councilman Spitale - Everyone needs insurance for this too? Bob Krumwied - They do not. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Kalwinski - And if you have insurance, it’s billed. Bob Krumwied - Yes, it is. Councilman Kalwinski - And will there be things like shots or ... Bob Krumwied - There’ll be vaccinations available, absolutely. There’ll be some modest lab work that we’ll be able to draw and send out. Councilman Kalwinski - Alright, okay. Bob Krumwied - It’s just like going to your family physician. Councilman Kalwinski - Sort of like going to the Douglas Park Clinic down the street a few blocks away and it’s been there for a long time. Bob Krumwied - Yes, long time. Councilman Emerson - You know, the dentist part is interesting to me. Is this just emergency dental care? There’ll be no cleaning, there’ll be no dental hygienist? Bob Krumwied - It’ll be all primary dental work. Councilman Emerson - So the dentist does all that? Bob Krumwied - Yes, sir. He might bring a hygienist with him from time to time. That’s all by appointment. We don’t do any walk ins on that. Councilman Kalwinski - Do you envision increasing the hours of operation? Bob Krumwied - We don’t envision increasing the hours of operation at this point in time Councilman Markovich - It was stated in our caucus that you presently have some people living there now. Is that correct? Bob Krumwied - We have a group home that we’ve operated for, I want to say six years, currently on site there. It’s a self contained facility. It’s basically it’s for elderly chronically mentally ill individuals. These are folks who have a difficult time ambulating and a long experience in the state hospital and they stay inside the facility there and the fenced in yard. Councilman Markovich - How many of them are there now? NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Bob Krumwied - Seven are there, I think, today. Councilman Markovich - Male and female? Bob Krumwied - Yes. Councilman Markovich - So that’s combined? Bob Krumwied - Yes. Councilman Markovich - Do you plan on expanding that? Bob Krumwied - No. There’s a limit in terms of zoning (unclear) anyway. Frankly, it’s an aging population of individuals that are chronically mental ill tend to be bifurcated at this point in time. Folks that are older tend to have a lot of institutional experience and are institutionalized. Folks that are having their first break and are younger are more appropriately cared for in the community through sending folks out to them as opposing to bring them in and catering to their needs. So these are folks that are largely institutionalized and can’t fend...and have a difficult time fending for themselves in the community. Councilman Kalwinski - So as this aging population passes on are you going to continue using it that way and bring in others? Bob Krumwied - As they’re available. At some point in time. Everything changes, I don’t know when that point is. I believe it to be 10 to 15 years out. Councilman Higgs - How many people do you have on staff for this facility? Bob Krumwied - There’d be about 15. Councilman Higgs - And they monitor the facility 24/7? Bob Krumwied - Oh, I’m sorry. Which facility are you talking about? The facility that’s in front of you today? Councilman Higgs - Yes. Bob Krumwied - Would be about 15, and it will not be open 24/7. Councilman Higgs - So the hours of operation would be what? Bob Krumwied - Roughly 8 to 7, five days a week and eventually, two days a week to begin with and eventually Saturday mornings. It would never be beyond 8 to 7. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Higgs - And the total investment is what now again? Bob Krumwied - Well the building itself run $1.4 to $1.5 million to get it up and running. The annual operating budget would be somewhere between $1.7 to $1.8 million about a half of which comes from the federal government, the purse of the health resources services administration. Councilman Kalwinski - And the monies coming in, will there be federal monies coming in annually? Bob Krumwied - Yes. Councilman Kalwinski - And how long is that for? Does it run out at some point? Bob Krumwied - It’s an operating grant that is renewable every three years, okay, it’s an open competition every three years so it’s always possible that we’d lose it although that would be highly unlikely. It’ll continue until such time as there’s no longer a need for care for indigent folks and, you know, again, with the increase in availability of affordable health insurance the estimates are that within the next two years 93% of the public will have some sort of health insurance. So my guess is what will happen, not my guess but my belief, is what will happen is that as those things get rolled out it’ll be a fee for service supplanted by HIP Medicaid. Councilman Spitale - How can you lose that grant? You said you had to have like 24 people coming in through the day, how could you lose that grant? You mentioned that normally in the grant that you have for three years, how could you lose that? Bob Krumwied - It’s an open competition, folks could apply for it. The only time they turn them over, however, is if there is some business issues with it for instance. The (unclear) in Chicago went bankrupt due to some poor management. But they are extraordinarily stable. As stable, if not more stable than the Community Mental Health Systems are. It’s just not likely to happen. If it does happen I won’t be here to see you anymore, I guarantee that. Councilman Emerson - Do you plan to work with families of the patients or clients? Bob Krumwied - Oh, absolutely. Anybody that wants to come in. Councilman Emerson - How many of the staff you mentioned are social workers? Bob Krumwied - They’ll be nobody there full time as a social worker or a psychologist. We won’t provide behavioral health services there. We’ll continue to provide those through the (unclear). Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Hinojosa, moved to return to the regular order of business. AYES: ALL NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Kalwinski, supported by Councilman Spitale, moved to approve the petition of Southlake Community Mental Health Center for a variance of use. ROLL CALL VOTE (approval of petition) AYES: Markovich, Spitale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Opinker NAYS: None ABSENT: Uylaki Motion carried 8/0/1 PETITION APPROVED Council President Opinker - 15-29 passes 8-0-1 with an Intent to Consider on August 24th. Councilwoman Venecz - I would like to announce an upcoming rodeo here in the city of Hammond. On Saturday, August 22nd, 3 pm at Memorial Park. This is sponsored by the East Side Community Council and Melvin Clay Urban Cowboy, Inc. The city of Hammond is also working with the East Side Community Council on this. As I said, the admission is free. It starts at 3 o’clock. And not often do we have an opportunity for our children or the adults for that matter, to attend a rodeo here in the city of Hammond. They had one a couple of years ago. It was a huge success and I invite everyone to come out. Council President Opinker - Okay also under New and Unfinished Business. We do have 2016 Budget Hearings, a schedule coming up. Actually, Monday Sept. 15, that’s the introduction of the Budget Ordinances, that’s the regularly scheduled Council Meeting. Monday, September 8th will be the public hearing, which is also a regularly scheduled Council Meeting. Saturday, October 10th will be the Department Budget Hearings, which is at 9:00 am and is open to the public. Then Tuesday, October 13th, which Monday the 12th is a holiday so we will not be having a meeting on the holiday, we’ll have a Special Meeting on Tuesday, October 13 for the adoption of the Budget Ordinance, Special Meeting date. Councilman Higgs read correspondence from United Neighborhoods, Inc. regarding his request for updated information on the property locations for the Blight Elimination program along with the enclosed listing of addresses. Councilman Markovich asked that copies be given to the council and clerk. Councilman Markovich, supported by Councilman Hinojosa, moved that a letter be sent to the school city administration to let all the school kids know that this rodeo is taking place on August 22nd, with the location and so forth to let everyone in the city of Hammond know that this is going on. AYES: ALL LETTER SENT: AUGUST 11, 2015 Councilman Higgs - I just want to thank whoever is responsible for getting 1135 164th Street demo’d and I just can’t wait until 838 Bauer is demo’d as well. But I really appreciate it. That hose has been vacant for a number of years. The trees were falling all over and the residents on Rev. Burns Dr. were extremely upset with the fact NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman Higgs cont. - of it just remaining there. And there’s one other property that I am working on extremely hard to get demo’d that’s facing Columbia Avenue, I think it’s 6404 Columbia. It’s the only property on Rev. Burns Dr. That’s facing the opposite direction from the other new homes that’s been structured under the Urban Renewal Project. So certainly I do appreciate that and Kris and the Mayor’s staff or whoever was responsible for extraditing that and making sure that it gets demo’d, I appreciate it. PUBLIC EXPRESSION Rene Greenleaf - Hammond Public Library - Here to give a humongous thank you to all of you that helped us with the Library Foundation. The library was able to open its foundation and receive its 501C3. Carlotta Blake King - From my understanding the appellate court ruled against the contracts that were negotiated between the city of Hammond and Griffith, Highland and Whiting, etc., how does that effect the bond that has been completed by the city of Hammond. Secondly, announced the Hammond Grass Roots Coalition on Saturday, August 15 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Park in an awesome display of love for our children. Councilman Higgs will be doing his 14th Annual School Supply Give away. Hammond High will also be presenting their All Students Lives Matters Rally. Kitten Gray - Thanked the council for supporting her children through the years. Recently the council helped support her daughter to go on a Historical Black College Tour. Councilman Hinojosa, supported by Councilman Spitale, moved to adjourn. AYES: ALL Michael Opinker, President ATTEST: Hammond Common Council Robert J. Golec, City Clerk Time: 6:40 pm cb Minutes approved at the Common Council meeting of August 24, 2015.