09-05-18 Personnel and Finance (#6)

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK She continued, Next year, we are looking to focus on the full implementation of the new Human Resource information system.This is KRONOS.We are working to try and implement that shortly and are trying to expand that usage in 2019. We are also working to implement a harassment training program for employees in response to the bill you all had passed earlier this year. I think we have a really great vendor through ClearLaw. It has a fantastic online training program and we'll be able to hit all of the people important to Council including seasonal folks. One (1) of our major goals for next year is to try and make sure we are being thoughtful about employee benefits. We've been really lucky to have a pretty healthy balance in Fund#711 but we know, and I think it is pretty well-known, that employee health care costs continue to rise. We are going to take a look at what options we have to continue being a great employer for great employees by providing competitive benefits while also being thoughtful to be sure those benefits are sustainably funded. This year, there won't be any increase to the employee in their portion of the premiums. We are exploring opportunities to help build employee engagement and culture by offering some potential paid-time for volunteer activities and team-building activities as well. Christina Brooks, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the City of South Bend with offices located on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, stated, Good evening, Council. I will first(1st) start with the Human Rights Commission. The purpose of the Human Rights Commission is to study and act upon the problems which involve relationships between members of different ethnic groups, sexes, sexual orientation or gender identity, nationality, disability and families with children. The South Bend Human Rights Commission's authority lies in enforcing employment, fair housing, public accommodations and education. Their goal is to ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals and to provide legal recourse in the areas of discrimination. The Human Rights Commission provides keys to unlock the doors of discrimination. I'll begin with some of the accomplishments of 2018. She continued, We hosted, this year, the Indiana Consortium of State and Local Human Rights Agencies and the annual Fair Housing Training. We provided, and will be providing, education and outreach at various events throughout St. Joseph County. We attended the EEOC National Training Conference and will be attending the HUD National Training Conference in Washington, D.C. next week. We successfully maintained federal contracts with EEOC, HUD and Community Investment. We requested an upward modification for EEOC funds due to the increase in case closures. Our Executive Director Lonnie Douglas was reappointed to the EEOC FEPA Chair Committee. She went on, The goals and challenges for 2019 remain that we will continue the policy that all cases filed and retained for our investigation must be completed within one hundred and eighty (180)days or less.We continue to see grants and other forms of revenue to supplement the General Fund budget. We will maintain federal contracts with EEOC, HUD and Community Investment as well as provide opportunities for staff to attend training by EEOC and HUD. Challenges due to the increase in case load has created a need to fill a part-time Administrative Assistant position for employment. She then introduced Human Right Commission staff in attendance at the meeting. She continued, Where the numbers are concerned, since the Human Rights Commission took on the County,we haven't established a baseline yet because we haven't been in the process for a full year. But just based on looking at the numbers from November 2017 to present, we have seen an increase in the number of cases coming from St. Joseph County. We've broken those numbers down. The total number of charges taken and investigated by the South Bend Human Rights EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1 227 W.Jefferson Bvld 1 South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.92211f 574.235.91731 TTD 574.235.5567 1www.southbendin.gov 20