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REGULAR MEETING December 9, 2019
<br />building, a new playground, event space, and an ice rink and ice trail we hope will be open for
<br />skating at Thanksgiving. Maintaining a first (I") -rate parks system isn't just about enjoyment —
<br />it's about equity, value, and health. That's why we've joined the Ten (10)-Minute Walk initiative,
<br />which challenges cities to ensure that all residents are within ten (10) minutes on foot of quality
<br />green space. We're on track to reach eighty percent (80%) access by the end of 2020, unlocking
<br />benefits for thousands more South Bend residents.
<br />Mayor Buttigieg went on, Our trails have been enhanced and are increasingly interconnected.
<br />We've engaged with the neighborhood around the proposed Coal Line Trail and have applied for
<br />multiple grants to build out more connections. New this winter, VPA unveiled Trails 365, a
<br />commitment to clear major trails of snowfall within twenty-four (24) hours. And thanks to our
<br />infrastructure investment and the enthusiasm of partners like the Bike Michiana Coalition, we're
<br />now one (1) of two (2) Indiana cities to be designated a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community.
<br />Meanwhile, the Morris hosted a record number of performances —and we'll do even more this
<br />year. Tonight, you were welcomed by an improved Jon Hunt Plaza and a new marquee. Down Dr.
<br />Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Century Center is seeing increased bookings thanks to hotel
<br />rooms more than doubling in our downtown, while our participation in the State -led Regional
<br />Cities program is helping to deliver a transformed new entrance to the Potawatomi Zoo that is just
<br />the beginning of their visionary strategic plan. Since the summer of 2015, the City has come
<br />together for a weeklong celebration of arts, culture, and entertainment. What began as SB 150 has
<br />developed into Best. Week. Ever. Every neighborhood comes alive as part of this shared, award -
<br />winning experience. We're already planning for 2020 and making sure each year to again deliver
<br />the Best "Best. Week. Ever." Ever. Behind all of these activities and results is an extraordinary
<br />team of employees, striving to meet the City's mission —to deliver services that empower everyone
<br />to thrive —with hard work grounded in the Administration's values: excellence, innovation,
<br />accountability, inclusion, and empowerment. We strive to be a great employer for great employees.
<br />Early in this Administration this meant ensuring that politically unpopular salary adjustments
<br />helped bring our pay at every level more in line with competing employers. Each year since, we
<br />have done more to make sure compensation is fair and competitive. Realizing that a $7.25
<br />minimum wage is not enough to get by, we have acted to bring the minimum wage of a City
<br />employee to $10.10 an hour and continue to urge other area employers to do the same. I am also
<br />pleased to report that having completed our first (I") full year of offering paid parental leave, one
<br />(1) of the first (1") in the State to do so, the policy was a success; thirty-eight (38) employees
<br />received six (6) full weeks to get off to the right start with new children, and the City is running
<br />better than ever. These decisions helped us earn the "Best Benefits" and "Happiest Place to Work"
<br />designations from the South Bend Tribune in 2018, and we will soon introduce new benefits to
<br />encourage volunteerism and allow employees to donate vacation time to others in need. At a time
<br />when our nation remains the only industrialized country without mandatory family leave, and
<br />when minimum wages across the country are often too low to make a living, I want to re -state my
<br />conviction, based on our experience as an employer with a tight budget, that doing right by our
<br />people has made us more successful and cost-effective than ever. Behind the scenes, our
<br />Department of Law has not only helped keep City liability low but also been an engine of
<br />transparency, handling over 16,000 requests for information since I took office, with not a single
<br />finding of violation of the Access to Public Records Act. Our Office of Diversity and Inclusion
<br />has introduced a number of measures to make sure that the City of South Bend is inclusive for
<br />employees, residents, and visitors alike. Inclusive talent management is helping us to reduce
<br />barriers to employment and create a transparent promotion and retention process. We are
<br />conducting a diversity purchasing disparity study to make sure that minority and women -owned
<br />businesses in South Bend get fair opportunities to compete for City business. And we continue to
<br />work with community partners on the My Brother's Keeper Initiative, launched under President
<br />Obama and locally anchored by Beacon Medical, to tear down barriers for young men and boys of
<br />color. While we are on the topic of inclusion, I want to express my conviction on the importance
<br />of passing real, meaningful hate crimes legislation in this State. The South Bend Common Council
<br />has expressed its support, as has Governor Holcomb, yet the State Assembly has been unable to
<br />deliver. Our community stands strong for the belief that this year should be Indiana's last as one
<br />(1) of just five (5) states in the union without such a law.
<br />Mayor Buttigieg continued, Meanwhile, our fiscal team has helped the City to make the best use
<br />of taxpayer dollars. Unlike the federal government, the City does not get to print money, nor can
<br />we afford to spend without limits. Budget season always forces us to make tough decisions, and I
<br />want to thank the Common Council under the leadership of President Tim Scott and Personnel and
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