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Mayor Pete Buttigieg delivered his second State of the City address, Wednesday, in South Bend. (WSBT/Ted Land / March 20, 2013) |
SOUTH BEND -- Mayor Pete Buttigieg says the city needs to start taking more risks and trying new ideas if it's going to have a successful 2013.
He laid out his vision, including some new projects for the coming year, during his second State of the City address, Wednesday evening.
“The state of our city rests on historic strengths and new hopes,” he told a crowd in the auditorium of Lasalle Intermediate Academy, “and we already have everything it takes to open the next chapter in South Bend's story.”
On the public safety front, the mayor says he wants to build a new firefighter training center, where crews can learn new skills and practice techniques they already know.
In addition, he plans to form an anti-violence commission, which will include the police chief and representatives from the community.
“This commission is not there to write a report,” Buttigieg said, “it is there to stop the shooting and at their first meeting in April I will call on them to apply evidence-based approaches that have worked in other communities.”
The mayor also wants to spruce up downtown, continue developing along the river, and make those one way streets, two-way.
He says the city is in "solid financial health" even in these lean times, and that South Bend is positioned to try some new ideas.
“I think Pete did a marvelous job,” said Tim Scott a common council member representing the 1st district, “he covered pretty much everything.”
“It’s his speech, it's his night, I'll leave it at that,” said common council member Derek Dieter when asked if the address lacked any specific points, “we'll just keep working together as a unit of the government entity that we are.”
“I think Mayor Buttigieg did an excellent job in outlining the different aspects of where we have gone and now I think we need to take that to another level and make sure that all of the benefits of the city are spread throughout the whole entire city,” said council member Oliver Davis, who represents the 6th district.
