REGULAR MEETING October 9, 2017
<br /> Councilmember Ferlic responded, It does not affect it on the committee level. At the committee
<br /> level, you can still have public comment, it just closes it at the full Council.
<br /> Councilmember Davis asked, So, we can still have public comment on Monday night?
<br /> Councilmember Scott responded,At the committee meeting.
<br /> Councilmember Davis asked, Second thing, now, you just mentioned about amendments: so, if
<br /> there are changes to the bill,that does not generate a public action?
<br /> Councilmember Ferlic responded,No, not when the change is in the public portion only.
<br /> Councilmember Dr. David Varner stated, I wanted to piggyback on Mr. Voorde's comments. It
<br /> wasn't that many years ago—like maybe ten(10) or twelve (12)—when we had this huge
<br /> discussion regarding the fact that there appeared to be extraordinary pay gaps between the
<br /> highest paid and the lowest paid employee. We then later embarked on this two percent(2%) as a
<br /> fairly consistent number. The math is a pretty simple deal: two percent(2%) of a larger number
<br /> is always a larger number. So, if we continue this without doing some changes, like Mr. Voorde
<br /> has suggested, that gap just gets larger. So, I think, in a discussion in the future, I'm not sure
<br /> what the appropriate approach would be—they're probably various—but I think that deserves
<br /> some consideration.
<br /> Councilmember Davis stated, We had a discussion on that a few years ago. We talked about
<br /> merit and a scale—but I don't know how that whole discussion ended or what stopped it.
<br /> Councilmember Karen White responded, If I recall correctly, a consultant was going to be
<br /> brought in for a study looking at the different salary levels and how best to deal with the gap—
<br /> and you're correct: the higher your salary is, the two percent(2%) has a greater impact than
<br /> those at the lower levels. I thought that we were looking at bringing in a consultant and I don't
<br /> know if that actually occurred, and, if so, what the recommendations were.
<br /> Councilmember Davis requested of Clerk Fowler and the Administration a review of the minutes
<br /> of Common Council meetings addressing the City budget, with the aim of rediscovering some of
<br /> the intended solutions to the pay gap problem that, since, have not been explored.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked, So,there are a number of positions—Forensic Lab Tech,
<br /> Forensic Scientist, Scientist-et-cetera, Fingerprint Examiner—could you please remind me and,
<br /> perhaps, the public as to where those are located?Are they now civilian positions that were
<br /> formally police? Do these recommendations on the salary adjustments—have they been market-
<br /> tested?Are they comparable to what other individuals are doing in neighboring communities?
<br /> How are they aligned with our strategic plan, in order to try to move some things more that
<br /> civilians could and maybe should do within the Police Department? I know it's loaded, but...
<br /> Captain Christopher Voros, South Bend Police Department, 701 West Sample Street, South
<br /> Bend, IN, stated that this bill concerns itself with the salaries of the Lab Division of the Police
<br /> Department. Captain Voros stated that a study had been done of the civilian employees of the
<br /> Department which revealed that, compared to officers,they were "woefully underpaid." Captain
<br /> Voros also stated that the Lab Division salaries were well behind the state and national average,
<br /> and that the Department aims to close that gap so as to keep South Bend Police Department
<br /> civilian jobs competitive.
<br /> Councilmember Broden asked, So, if I heard you correctly, does this close the gap? Or, where
<br /> does it get us relative to that parity with—
<br /> Captain Voros responded that the majority of civilians were taken care of in the previous year.
<br /> Captain Voros stated, We're just trying to get competitive nationally, and even within Indiana.
<br /> Councilmember Broden asked, Are there any vacancies, currently, in these specialized positions
<br /> or not? They're all filled?
<br /> Captain Voros responded, Currently, they are filled or in the process of being filled.
<br /> Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to send Bill No. 62-17 to the full Council with a
<br /> favorable recommendation and continue the bill in the Council portion only of the October 23`a
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