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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBERT 28, 2013 <br /> <br />Officials it’s a little bit interesting. There is not the exact fit, but I understand the purpose. What <br />are your thoughts when you as you look at that and I have another couple of follow-ups? <br /> <br />Mayor Buttigieg: I think that we are always challenged in trying to make it true apples to apples <br />comparison and the point is well taken. Ft. Wayne and Indianapolis are both larger cities and in <br />the case of Indianapolis it is also governed by the same unit of government as the county itself. I <br />think that is part of why we try to go for a little of that strategy. So instead of saying we should <br />be just like Indianapolis or Ft. Wayne we are trying to make sure that since we are in the middle <br />of this pack in terms of population, size and responsibility then we also be in the middle of this <br />pack in terms of compensation. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis: Ok. Another issue that we have to look at in terms of with the <br />Water Works, now we say that we have not been able to attract anybody, we currently have <br />somebody who’s in the acting role now don’t we not. <br /> <br />Mayor Buttigieg: Yes, just to be clear we continue to have an outstanding Water Works team <br />that is making sure that we all get clean safe drinking water. But they sure deserve some <br />certainty on that leadership question. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis; Ok, the only question that I have since you just shared that we <br />have an outstanding team, without divulging and personnel issues and that kind of concept I <br />mean if we already have an outstanding team and the Water Works is already going well, and we <br />already have somebody who’s acting at the level that they are already doing, just a thought that <br />comes in why not reward good work with good work and good work with good pay and whoever <br />is local that is doing it, is doing a good job they maybe from here and may have worked their <br />way up and they may not have necessarily come from some of the well-known places, but what <br />are your thoughts of this in adjusting their salary to give them something but at the same time <br />having this huge search when somebody actually continuing to work on it and doing a good job. <br />Why not take care of home. <br /> <br />Mayor Buttigieg: I think anytime that we have a vacancy or somebody in an acting role it brings <br />up the question of how long is appropriate to keep that going. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis: Especially when they are doing a good job! <br /> <br />Mayor Buttigieg: without anything bad happening. But at the same time you know its one thing <br />to keep things right side up for some period of time, and another to do some of the work that <br />goes beyond day to day production, it’s associated with leadership. I will let Public Works <br />Director Eric Horvath tell you how things are going in the Water Works Department. <br /> <br />th <br />Eric Horvath, Director, Public Works Department, 13 Floor County-City Building, South Bend, <br />Indiana: Your point is well taken; we have got an Interim-Director there that quite honestly does <br />not want to continue to be in that role. Has served us very well, but has continued his role as net- <br />work engineer that we have kept open in the meantime and there are significant needs there that <br />need to be addressed in terms of overall operations of the Water Works Facility that we need to <br />make sure that we continue to address so that we don’t get behind. And it is obviously a very <br />important role whereas the Mayor had pointed out that we have got over 120,000 customers that <br />you are responsible for providing clean safe drinking water to and that 6.1 billion gallons a year <br />and not 1 of those gallons can have something wrong with it. So we feel that it is very important <br />to have a Director that has got a safe drinking water background that understands treatment and <br />will make sure to provide clean safe drinking to our residents and at the same time get the <br />Interim-director back to his role of net-work engineer so he can start looking at the distribution <br />system making sure that we have adequate pressure and meet the demands of the system, <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis: Ok, since you are right there. My last question is to Eric, is that <br />could you in a nutshell define your need for having a Deputy and I know what you see that roll <br />and helping your role to get the well up faster whatever, I mean tell us about that please. <br /> <br />Eric Horvath: To the Deputy Director Position? <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis: For your own department. <br /> <br />17 <br /> <br /> <br />