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REGULAR MEETING April 23, 2018 <br /> Councilmember Karen White stated, I appreciate the report. As we prepare for the 2019 budget <br /> starting in May, I encourage you to work with the Administration. I also encourage the <br /> Administration to work with the County because they are going to be developing their budget. I <br /> don't believe we can wait until the end of the year to anticipate what the impact can be in terms of <br /> additional cases. I can recall during the budget process I was concerned about giving up a position <br /> and I remain concerned. As we begin to see the uptick, that is great, but the City cannot bear the <br /> total cost. I would not wait until the end of the year. <br /> Mr. Douglas replied, We are very aware of that and we met with the County prior to us coming to <br /> you for this to happen. The County is very much aware of how we feel and we believe they are <br /> looking to put money into their budget to cover some of this. <br /> Councilmember Jo M.Broden asked,Doesn't any work merit staff time and resources,regardless? <br /> Why isn't there a tab open right now in regard to County cases? <br /> Mr. Douglas replied,According to what we do now,we do the work anyway. It has been a process. <br /> We turn no one away that comes to us with a problem of discrimination. We work with them to <br /> resolve it wherever it happens. I must mention that by doing those cases we do get compensated. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden followed up, So the source of that compensation is not the County? <br /> Mr. Douglas replied, It is federal funding and it is only for intakes. For instance if we were <br /> investigating a case, the payments we would receive for investigating is much higher than an <br /> intake. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden then asked, So don't all intakes have follow up? Doesn't that <br /> involve staff time and expertise? <br /> Mr. Douglas replied, Even though we listen to a human that walks into the office we don't always <br /> follow up because there are some things we are not allowed to do. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden followed up, Please help me understand. What is going into the <br /> analysis for the 2019 budget to come up with a number? Quoting from the cover letter, `...the <br /> Interlocal Agreement provides the potential for County cost participation in 2019 and thereafter.' <br /> Mr. Douglas replied, The reason for that is we must, because of our federal contracts, at least sit <br /> down and speak to those people. If we can assist them by pushing them toward federal agencies, <br /> we have to do that. We are prepared to at least go through the intake phase. If we have to go further, <br /> that is where the County would come in because if we are going further with cases in the County, <br /> which we are now able to investigate, the money we pay for the intake, the investigator and the <br /> correspondence, would all be a part of that. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden then asked, So what kind of tracking metrics are put in place for <br /> that intake piece? That would help us be informed of what we ask of the County. You don't have <br /> to answer that tonight. If you have that answer, great. My concern on this is that though I value the <br /> service of helping anyone that walks through the door, we have to be good stewards of the City of <br /> South Bend's budget. Particularly, on any Interlocal Agreement there are costs there somewhere. <br /> What you've described to me makes it reasonable to assume there are costs there and that there <br /> are already costs there that are occurring now. I just want to make sure that as we are going into <br /> 2019 that we are collecting the right data in terms of staff time and expertise to these non-City <br /> cases. We need to be able to project something that is reasonable. <br /> Mr. Douglas replied, The quick answer to that is most of our documentation will be done by <br /> computer. We will then take the number of investigators we have and the number of cases we have <br /> to see the differences from when we weren't taking in the cases in the County. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, I guess I'm supportive of the HUB. Your ability to be here <br /> is important,too. It's not just the cases that come in from the County but to have that expertise and <br /> tracking the staff time per case would be helpful, at least in my opinion, moving forward on the <br /> budget. Thank you for the responses. <br /> Councilmember Tim Scott asked, How long has the Human Rights Commission existed? <br /> 5 <br />