10-28-13 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBERT 28, 2013 Councilmember Dieter: Second and Third reading. Chairperson White: Yes Councilmember Oliver Davis: We did not have a hearing on that tonight. Chairperson White: We did not have a committee hearing, so we will receive citizen’s feedback on Bill 53-13. We did not have a committee hearing. Councilmember Oliver Davis: We did not have hearing on that tonight. Chairperson White: No we did not. Councilmember Dr. David Varner: We had a hearing; we did not have public input at that time. So we are open to public input. Chairperson White: I would ask that we take action, Bill No. 46-13 will be continued in the Council Portion this coming Wednesday. At this point I would like to ask Mr. Voorde to please give second reading to Bill 53-13. Clerk Voorde: Read the title into the record. Chairperson White: Is there a committee report. I believe it’s a substitute bill before us. Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand: We need to accept it as a substitute. Councilmember Dr. David Varner: This is Bill No. 53-13. Chairperson White: Is there a motion to accept the substitute. Councilmember Varner made a motion accept the substitute version of Bill No. 53-13. Councilmember Dieter seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Chairperson White: Committee Report. Councilmember Dr. David Varner, Chairperson, Personnel & Finance Committee, reported that this committee held a committee meeting on Bill No. 53-13 this afternoon and voted to send it to the full Council with no recommendation. Chairperson White: At this time I would ask the presenter to come before the Council and we will be receiving information regarding the substitute version of Bill No. 53-13. Mayor Buttigieg: Every employee in the City of South Bend from the most Junior to the most Senior is expected to do more and more in an environment where there is often less and less in the way resources to work with. I have yet to meet any public servant here in the City that is in it for the money. But I do know that we also need to make sure that every public servant at every level in our government is adequately compensated and that were paying a fair salary and wages. And that we are keeping pace with what our peers are doing in other units of local government. This year’s salary ordinance which establishes the maximum salary allowable by law in any given position is going to reflect a number of changes we believe are needed in order to have a more internally equitable and externally competitive range of salaries and wages for our employees. So the range is from a zero percent increase to a 34 percent increase depending on what is most needed in any given job. The norm however, and what most non-bargaining civil city employees would receive under this ordinance is a raise of 2%. Now as I said some salaries specifically those which have the highest compensation set by an adjustment which we requested and the Council passed last year, will not receive a raise this year, including my own office. Partly because of the financial pressure that the city overall is under. But at the same time we need to make sure that those positions that have fallen far behind what is the norm in that particular position or similar position with similar responsibility are paid adequately. That’s why you will see based on two things city benchmarking by what I mean comparing ourselves to other cities in the area, and internal pay equity by which I mean making sure that we are paying people with similar responsibilities in the same administration can expect to make comparable payment. We will continue to look at every position at every level and now that we have an 14