City Clerk’s Office

The City Clerk is the Clerk of the South Bend Common Council. The Clerk is elected by the voters of the entire City. The City Clerk's official functions are set forth in Chapter Thirty-Six (36) of the Indiana Code. The City Clerk, and as many staff members as he or she determines necessary, provides City Council staff support, attends all regular and special meetings of the Council; and is required to keep an accurate journal of all such proceedings.

City of South Bend Municipal Code

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Finding City of South Bend Ordinances and Resolutions

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Alley Vacation Request

Alley Vacation Request To begin the process of vacating a public street or alley, you can retrieve an alley vacation…

Parking Ticket Amnesty Day

The Common Council passed Ordinance Number 10471-16, which gives the City Clerk the ability to declare an annual Parking Ticket Amnesty Day, the one day per year when parking ticket (overtime only) late fees will be forgiven, allowing those with unpaid parking tickets to pay the original cost of the ticket only, potentially reducing total costs owed by 50%.

View the ordinance here or learn more about Parking Ticket Amnesty Day.

Clerks Office Communications

In addition to its overall mission of maintaining the official records of the City, the Office of the City Clerk also performs the following:

Required to maintain the City Seal and administer City oaths.
Maintains custody, and controls filings, and storage of all legislation papers, minutes, and other written and recorded documents pertaining to the operation of the City government.
Oversees the entire legislative process, from the introduction to final approval and publication.
Prepares agendas and legal notices for all Council meetings.
Document compliance of Tax Abatements, CF1s, Annexations, Alley Vacations, and City required reporting per the Municipal Code
Schedules official City Council meetings and public hearings.
Acts as a liaison with City Department Heads, Outside agencies, Other branches of government, and the general public on behalf of the City Council and works closely with the Council to supply combined constituent services.
Responsible for the publication, updating, and distribution of the South Bend Code of Ordinances.
Works in cooperation with the Office of the Mayor for live broadcasting through WNIT of City Council meetings.
Processing of City Boards and Commissions.
Responsible for all functions of the City Ordinance Violations Bureau.
Issuance of Conditional Use Lawn Parking Permits (ND Lawn Parking) and Scrap Metal Licenses.
Administers the City of South Bend Amnesty Program.
Has available upon request for public reference and distribution the following documents: Copies of all transcripts, legislation, certificates, meeting notices, Council minutes, and any other matters of public information.
Marriage Officiant, Notary

For all groups and presenters who wish to be recognized at the Common Council Meetings please check in with the City Clerk’s Office beforehand.

If you would like to share your concerns or have questions for your District Councilmember, please complete this form.

The City Clerk’s Office does not record or store the following:

Birth Records and Death Records: For information regarding how to obtain these records, contact the St. Joseph County Health Department, Vital Records at 574.235.9750
Marriage Records and Court Records: For information regarding how to obtain these records, contact the St. Joseph County Clerk’s Office at 574.235.9635

Staff

Victoria Trujillo, Chief Deputy Clerk/Chief of Staff

Kenneth S.E. Hardy II, Deputy Director of Policy

Kenn, a lifelong South Bend, Indiana resident, has dedicated his life to social services and education. He is a proud graduate of Indiana University Bloomington where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Education with an endorsement in Social Studies (Secondary Education). Kenn has spent the majority of his adult life and professional career investing in the lives of others through his work with the South Bend Community School Corporation, where he began as a Substitute Teacher and later advanced to Special Education/Cross-Cat Teacher, focusing on the special needs of students in both self-contained and integrated settings. Kenn was eventually hired as the Student Services Supervisor. In this capacity, he oversaw prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youth and students. Kenn has given selflessly his time to The Youth Justice Panel Advisory Board, as well as the South Bend Community School Corporation Pack-A-Backpack and Coats for Kids Programs. Kenn is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Child Law & Policy where he hopes to continue to invest himself in our community and the lives of our children. Kenn acknowledges the importance of enhancing the lives of our young people to create a better future for our community for generations to come.

Justin LePla, Executive Assistant/Director of Special Projects

Justin LePla serves as the Executive Assistant/Director of Special Projects for the Clerk’s Office. Justin serves as the primary point of contact of internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the Clerk’s office while working to advance the Clerk’s vision of an open, honest and transparent municipal government by ensuring the preparation and maintenance of records pertaining to the business conducted by Common Council members. Justin was born and raised in Elkhart Indiana, where he graduated from Jimtown High School in 2016. Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and spent the majority of his time either stationed in Dover AFB, Delaware or deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. At Dover AFB he worked as a special handling supervisor, where he worked with other defense departments and foreign militaries performing joint inspections as well as specializing in handling and inspecting secret signature service cargo, weapons, foreign military sales, explosives, and HAZMAT. While in Dover AFB, he also worked with the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations. After completing his active-duty service commitment, Justin returned to Indiana to resume his service working as an Air Force reservist in Grissom ARB, Indiana. He currently resides in South Bend and is committed to furthering his education to help him reach his fullest potential to better serve the people in his community.