HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-24-2023 Press Release South Bend Council Moves to Final Interview Public Portion of Hiring Process for Community Police Review Board Office DirectorCity of South Bend
Common Council
441 County-City Building ● 227 W. Jefferson Blvd
South Bend, Indiana 46601
(574) 235-9321● Fax (574) 235-9173 ● TDD (574) 235-5567 ● http://www.southbendin.gov
NEWS RELEASE
Subject: South Bend Council Moves to Final Interview Public Portion
of Hiring Process for Community Police Review Board Office
Director and Seeks Public Input on Final Questions
Date: Friday, February 24, 2023
From: Council President, Sharon L. McBride
Contact: Bob Palmer, Council Attorney: bpalmer@southbendin.gov
South Bend Council Moves to Final Interview Public Portion of Hiring
Process for Community Police Review Board Office Director and Seeks
Public Input on Final Questions
The Common Council has narrowed down the candidate hiring pool for the
position of Director of the Community Police Review Board Office and will
be hosting an open forum with the finalists on March 20, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
at the St. Joseph County Public Library in Ballroom A.
Prior to the public open forum with the finalists, the Council is seeking
public input and suggested questions for the finalist to be asked and
discussed during the March 20th public event. The public can submit
questions via email to March20TownHall@southbendin.gov or by leaving
questions in writing to Council Attorney, Bob Palmer on the 4th Floor, 227 W
Jefferson Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601. All questions and topics must be
submitted at least 48 hours in advance of the March 20th event.
Four candidates have been given invitations to participate in this final
interview round for the job of Director. The initial candidate pool began with
40 applicants. The application has continued to remain open and active and
new candidates continued to be added. In all the Council considered 51
applicants to narrow down the finalist pool.
The Council agreed to and voted on a hiring process plan in early 2022
which included two initial rounds of interviews and this third-round public
forum meeting. The final public forum was to include no more than five
candidates. The process plan also provides that the “applicants shall all
participate individually, one at a time in the meeting and not be present when
they are not participating. Each applicant will be given seven minutes to
introduce themselves and discuss their goals for the office, followed by
questioning by the facilitators. All questions and discussion shall be
Sharon L. McBride
President
Sheila Niezgodski
Vice President
Canneth Lee
Chairperson, Committee
of the Whole
Canneth Lee
First District
Henry Davis, Jr.
Second District
Sharon L. McBride
Third District
Troy Warner
Fourth District
Eli Wax
Fifth District
Sheila Niezgodski
Sixth District
Karen L. White
At Large
Rachel Tomas Morgan
At Large
Lori K Hamann
At Large
City of South Bend
Common Council
441 County-City Building ● 227 W. Jefferson Blvd
South Bend, Indiana 46601
(574) 235-9321● Fax (574) 235-9173 ● TDD (574) 235-5567 ● http://www.southbendin.gov
facilitated during the meeting by the Moderator, a City Human Resources Representative,
Council Attorney or Council President. All applicants will be asked the same questions during
this third round of interviews.
Immediately following the interview of all candidates, the meeting will be open to members of
the public for input and discussion on the applicants. This meeting is intended to be a listening
session for the Council and the Council will hold all of its input and discussion for the public
meeting described in the next paragraph. During the public input portion, the public shall be
allotted three minutes for comments and after all those have spoken that wish to speak, a second
comment time of two minutes. Following public input portion of the meeting, the Council to
provide its input into the final determinations and express its opinion on the finalists.
Following the meeting, based on the input of both the public and the Council, meeting, the
Council President, the Vice President, the immediate past Council President and the Chair of the
Health& Public Safety Committee shall hold a closed-door meeting and then file a
Recommendation Resolution recommending no more than three applicants to the Mayor as
required by the City Ordinance. The Resolution shall be considered at the next Council meeting
after its filing. The Mayor shall then select one of the applicants listed in the approved
Recommendation Resolution for the position of Director of the Community Police Review Board
Office.
###