10-16-17 Personnel and Finance (#8)

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James Mueller, Executive Director of Community Investment with offices on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, stated, The Administration's understanding is that the TIF Funds are their own taxing unit. They never cross through the General Fund. We will defer to Mr. Palmer's research for your purposes. Our understanding of the legality is that we can't restrict those funds that the Redevelopment Commission appropriates. The Mayor signed the resolution that explicitly stated no funds would be spent on construction until the completion of the economic impact and feasibility study. The Administration is committed to that. Stephanie Steele, Corporation Counsel for the City of South Bend with offices on the 12th floor of the County-City Building, stated, I would like to thank the Council for the opportunity to update the Councilmembers on the Legal Department's Budget for fiscal year 2018. It is an honor to serve the City as Corporation Counsel and we want to be sure everyone has the most information available at the time. This Department has a history of excellence and many impressive accomplishments thanks to the quality of the staff. I'm fortunate to have many of the same personnel that has been there for a number of years and we are excited to continue serving the citizens of South Bend. There are some changes we have made to the 2018 budget. Having served as a member of this team for three (3) years prior to my most recent appointment, I feel strongly in investing into three (3) specific areas. It will solidify our Department and will create a workplace culture that will allow us to thrive and succeed as well as reward and retain top talent. The three (3) areas we are focusing on are Teamwork, Cross-Training and Professional Development. The Legal Department has always had a wonderful team but this year I am challenging the Department to help their neighbor more than they have in the past to assist colleagues in need and to ensure that none of our attorneys are siloed in their respective practice areas. We are moving more toward buckets of expertise. The second area of emphasis is cross- training. By training staff in one another's practice areas,they can better support their team and fill in for each other during heavy workflow times. This builds rapport among colleagues and contributes to the trust and security of the team. It also helps us to make sure we are better able to serve the City. Professional Development is an integral part of staying on top of the most current legal issues. I want my team to know that they are encouraged in their growth as lawyers and I want to give them the resources and encouragement to expand their skillsets and use their knowledgebase to advance the mission of the City. Ms. Steele continued, To support our objectives, I recognized four (4) areas that needed to be adjusted in our budget. Moving through 2017 and into 2018, 1 will be filling two (2) attorney openings and need to account for health insurance costs for all twelve (12) members in our Department. This will help me to build and maintain our team. It will also help me to attract talent who is looking for health insurance coverage. Retaining and rewarding top legal talent is a growing priority for our Department. I would like to propose amending the salary cap to actual adjustment to give more flexibility to increase salaries in 2018. A raise in salary depends on positive performance reviews and successful achievement of identified departmental and individual objectives. An important incentive for Assistant City Attorneys is to know their Indiana Bar License fees, which are required to practice in the State of Indiana, are covered by the Legal Department. I would like to support our team by funding their dues. That makes about an eight hundred dollar ($800) increase in our budget. Staying current in the legal field is a paramount concern, particularly when it comes to specialized municipal trainings, conferences and seminars. I want my team to be competitive and well-versed in the prominent legal issues 2