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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 Annual Report - Personnel and Finance Committee~ SpUTH B ~. O ~\~~1~III~(f(~N~. • 1865 • 2009 Personnel and Finance Committee Annual Report Date: December 7, 2009 To: The South Bend Common Council The Office of the City Clerk From: 3rd District Council Member Thomas LaFountain, Chairperson Personnel and Finance Committee The following 2009 Annual Report is a summary of some of the key activities of the Common Council's Personnel and Finance Committee. This report is a requirement of § 2-10 (i) of the South Bend Municipal Code. Duties: The Personnel and Finance Committee is charged with "overseeing the various activities performed by the Department of Administration and Finance, salaries, budgets, fiscal matters and personnel policies and procedures of the City". Members: There were four (4) Council Members on this Committee, namely: Council Member Karen L. White, who is the Vice-Chairperson of this Committee; Council Member Oliver Davis, Dr. David Varner, and myself as Chairperson. Meetings: To date this year, the Personnel and Finance Committee has held thirty- two (32) meetings, with another Committee meeting scheduled for December 14t1i which has many proposed ordinances sent for review and recommendation. Last year the Personnel and Finance Committee met a total of thirty-one (31) times. We had no citizen members this year. Summary of 2009 Committee Activities: Some of the key topics reviewed, discussed and acted upon by the Personnel and Finance Committee this year included: • Reviewing financial reports which included historical information from the City Controller's Office as of 12/31/08; reviewing Revenue Reports as of 12/31/08 and reviewing Expenditure Reports as of 12/31/08 • Reviewing application/compliance requests for scrap metal/junk dealers licenses which have been more timely processed since taken over by the Office of the City Clerk • Reviewing several appropriation ordinances 2009 Personnel and Finance Committee Annual Report December 7, 2009 Page 2 • Jointly reviewed with the Health and Public Safety Committee user fee increases proposed in Bill No. 29-09 which is currently pending in Committee. This Bill jointly sponsored by three (3) Council Members proposes a fee to help defray costs for dignitary protection • Reviewed a Bill to create a Police Take Home Vehicle Fund ,Fund # 278 where the monthly payments from Police Officers would be deposited for liability insurance for the take home vehicle program • Reviewed several ordinances to reduce budget appropriations involving funds from the General Fund, Parks Funds, MVH Fund, COIT Fund, and others in light of HEA 1001 passed by the Indiana General Assembly • Reviewed proposed resolutions addressing Property Tax Relief LOIT @ .5%; Public Safety LOIT @ .25%; and CEDIT @ .2% • Multiple budget meetings on the 2010 civil city budget which culminated in three (3) separate ordinances addressing the levying and fixing of tax rates for 2010; reviewing an appropriation ordinance for 2010; and reviewing Enterprise Funds appropriation ordinance • Reviewing with the Health and Public Safety Committee the proposed compensation ordinances for 2010 for the sworn members of the South Bend Police Department and the South Bend Fire Department • Reviewing proposed ordinances establishing maximum salaries for the Mayor, City Clerk, Common Council Members, non-bargaining employees, and Teamster employees Serving on the City's Advisory Negotiating Team: As Chairperson of the Personnel and Finance Committee, I also spent many hours serving as a member of the City's Advisory Negotiating Team, along with Council Member Karen L. White on the City Team who met with the union representatives for the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge # 36. Council Member Ann Puzzello and Council Member Henry Davis, Jr. served on the City Team who met with the union representatives for the South Bend Firefighters' Association, Local # 362 of the International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO. Both Teams were successful in reaching agreement on maximum salaries, wages and monetary fringe benefits with both unions for 2010. As noted in last year's Personnel and Finance Annual Report, the Common Council is the final authority on the setting of maximum salaries and monetary fringe benefits; with the Board of Public Safety being the final authority on working conditions. 2009 Personnel and Finance Committee Annual Report December 7, 2008 Page 3 Recommendations for 2010: 2010 will be a challenging year financially for the City of South Bend, similar to the fiscal challenges we faced in 2009. This is a result of the effects of the "Circuit Breaker" state law (HEA 1001) enacted by the Indiana General Assembly. In last year's Personnel and Finance Committee Annual Report, I recommended that discussions should continue on key priorities for the city, both in the short term and the long term. In addition to the P & F Committee meetings, priority-based budgeted was a key topic of discussion at the various Council Summits held this year. I believe that this process should continue with further discussions taking place on: • Possible state law changes for more new revenue options such as a food and beverage tax • Possible state law changes involving greater accountability of TIF appropriations • Improved tracking of fees for services rendered by the various city departments and improved tracking of payment for ordinance violations for greater accountability • Greater emphasis on cost-benefit analysis on all monetary requests submitted for consideration by the Common Council I would like to thank everyone for assisting me as the Chairperson of the Personnel and Finance Committee. It has been very challenging, but also rewarding, as we continue to diligently oversee the stewardship of our City's finances. Respectfully submitted, Council Member Thomas LaFountain, Chairperson Personnel and Finance Committee cc: Mayor Stephen Luecke Gregg Zientara, City Controller ~~vr~,s a ~;€Rce ~t~v~ In 7 ~=~.` ~~C nF CITY C~°„~,s~":.~ ~',-;