HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 Annual Report - Personnel & Finance CommitteeDate: December 2., 2011
2011 Annual Report
of the
Personnel and Finance Committee
South -Bend Common Council
To: The South Bend Common Council
The Office of the City Clerk
From: Council Member Tom LaFountain, Chairperson
Personnel and Finance Committee
I am submitting the following Annual Report of the activities of the Council's Personnel and
Finance Standing Committee which is a requirement of § 2 -10 (i) of the South Bend Municipal
Code. 2011 was, like 2010 a busy year for this standing committee.
Background Information:
Duties: The Personnel and Finance Standing 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" pursuant to § 2 -10 (i)
(7) of the South Bend Municipal Code. (Emphasis added)
Members: There were four (4) Council Members on this Committee, namely:
Council Member Oliver Davis Council Member Karen L. White, Vice - Chairperson
Council Member Dr. David Varner Council Member Tom LaFountain, Chaiperson
Meetings and Topics:
Meetings: The Personnel and Finance Committee held twenty -six (26) meetings this year,
which I believe is the most meetings that any of the eleven (11) Standing Committees have met.
Seven (7) of those committee meetings were exclusively devoted to reviewing and discussing the
proposed 2012 civil city budget, including the enterprise operations.
The topics for the other committee meetings focused on the following subject matters:
• Bill No. 11 -12 Review and positive recommendation for licenses for scrap metal operations
• Bill No. 87 -10 Adding three (3) new positions to the Water Division
• Bill No. 11 -3 1 Reviewing and sending positive recommendation on block party regulations
• Bill No. 27 -11 Appropriation ordinance
• Bill No. 37 -11 Budget transfers
• Bill No. 38 -11 Budget transfers
2011 Personnel and Finance Committee Annual Report
December 2, 2011
Page 2
• Bill No. 40 -11 Appropriation for capital improvements at the Conservatory
• Bill No. 41 -11 Appropriation for Miracle Park
• Bill No. 11 -47 Animal control requests
Additionally, on August 15, 2011, discussions took place on the implementation of the MBE /WBE
Utilization Board.
The detailed review of annual civil city budgets, proposed appropriations and transfers requires a lot
of time, effort, and patience, to assure that city priorities which are in the best interests of our
community and its residents are being properly addressed. This is perhaps the most important duty
of all of the many duties and responsibilities of the Council.
I would like to again thank all of the Council Members who served with me on the Personnel and
Finance Committee these past few years.
Overall, it has been a pleasure to serve as the Chairperson of the Personnel and Finance Committee.
It was also a good learning experience to also be a part of the City Negotiating Teams with the
police and fire teams representing their union memberships. Those meetings were also very long
and at times tedious, but in the end the tentative agreements which we were able to reach; which
were ratified by the union memberships and approved by the Council were positive.
I wish the 2012 South Bead - Cannon Council all the best. Thank you.
[ember Tom LaFountain, Chairperson
and Finance Committee
cc: Mayor Stephen Luecke
Gregg Zientara, City Controller