57-17 Interlocal Agreement w/Human Rights Commission

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Bill No. ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROVING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND THROUGH THE SOUTH BEND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AND THE COUNTY OF ST. JOSEPH TO ENFORCE THE COUNTY'S HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT On February 14, 2017 the St. Joseph County Council approved the St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance, Ordinance No. 18-17, which was subsequently approved by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on February 21, 2017. That ordinance is substantially equivalent to the South Bend Human Rights Ordinance codified at Chapter 2, Article 9, Sections 2-127 et seq. of the South Bend Municipal Code. The St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance designated the Indiana Civil Rights Commission as the agency to enforce the St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance,but St. Joseph County reserved the right to designate an alternative local agency to enforce the St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance at such a time as the alternative local agency would be in existence and eligible to carry out that enforcement. The South Bend Human Rights Commission is in existence and is eligible to carry out enforcement of the St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance. The St. Joseph County Council has recognized and acknowledged the benefit of designating the South Bend Human Rights Commission as the enforcement body for the St. Joseph County Human Rights Ordinance on both an interim and permanent basis. The St. Joseph County Council approved the Human Rights Ordinance Interlocal Agreement attached as Exhibit A hereto at its meeting held on September 12, 2017. Similarly, it is in the best interest of the City of South Bend that the South Bend Human Rights Commission enforce the County ordinance because it will assure a uniform, consistent approach to claims of discrimination arising in St. Joseph County, Indiana, and will be more convenient for local claimants and respondents. For the initial term of this Interlocal Agreement,the County will not pay for the services of the South Bend Human Rights Commission. That arrangement will be reviewed and evaluated at the close of the initial term.