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REGULAR MEETING October 9, 2017
<br /> workers the minimum wage that the City pays, in that first year, but then the second year and
<br /> subsequent years throughout the tax abatement, they would actually increase two percent(2%)
<br /> every single year. So, it's an exciting change to me, because we want to make sure that we are
<br /> not just supporting the people of South Bend and bringing jobs—not just jobs, but good jobs—
<br /> but we're also being business-friendly. We're paying attention to the needs of the businesses by
<br /> making sure that they have some predictability, as much as possible,throughout the time of their
<br /> agreement with the City.
<br /> Marty Wolfson, 809 Park Avenue, South Bend, IN, also served as a presenter of this bill. Mr.
<br /> Wolfson stated that, despite the misconception that the majority of low-wage workers are
<br /> teenagers, they are actually mainly adult, and of those adults a large number are women, and
<br /> many of those women are mothers. Mr. Wolfson stated that the Indiana State Legislature bars the
<br /> establishment of a minimum wage above that of the federal minimum wage, which is currently
<br /> set at seven dollars and twenty-five cents ($7.25). He stated that if the current minimum wage,
<br /> which was set in 2009, had kept up with inflation, the federal minimum wage would be eleven
<br /> dollars and twenty-three cents ($11.23) in 2017. As such, Mr. Wolfson stated that the Mayor's
<br /> proposed minimum wage of ten dollars and ten cents ($10.10) is fair for those working on
<br /> projects benefiting from tax abatements.
<br /> Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, Finally, I just want to thank the co-sponsors of this bill:
<br /> Councilman Kelly, Councilman Davis, and Councilman Voorde. I appreciate your assistance and
<br /> help throughout this process. And, really, everybody in the Community Investment Committee
<br /> taking the time inbetween all of these different meetings to really consider and think about
<br /> what's best, how we can get to that win-win. I think we got there tonight. Thank you.
<br /> This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and
<br /> opponents were given an opportunity to be heard.
<br /> Those from the public wishing to speak in favor of this bill:
<br /> Christine Fiordalis, 1705 Wall Street, South Bend, IN, stated that she is in favor of this proposed
<br /> ordinance because it is concerned with the needs of people instead of simply profit. Ms. Fiordalis
<br /> stated that society is strengthened by decisions made with this concern in mind and encouraged
<br /> the Council to vote in favor of this bill and to continue making decisions taking into account
<br /> people and the environment along with profit.
<br /> James Mueller, Executive Director of the Department of Community Investment, with offices on
<br /> the 14th Floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, stated, As you know,we thank
<br /> Councilwoman Preston for bringing this bill forward, and the Administration enthusiastically
<br /> supports it. We've gone through a lot of different language changes, here. Unfortunately, I think
<br /> we've identified one (1) final issue. The policy still stays the same, but we're wanting to raise
<br /> our tax recipient in subsequent years by two percent(2%)the effective minimum wage. As it
<br /> reads now, the language may suggest that if you start at higher than the minimum wage, that
<br /> lowest paid-and-play would have to raise by two percent (2%), which I don't believe was the
<br /> intent earlier. So, in Section 3-E, we're suggesting in the paragraph with, "In the first year of the
<br /> abatement,the lowest-paid employee is compensated at least as high as the minimum wage paid
<br /> to an employee of the City of South Bend," and the rest of that is fine. In the second part, "In the
<br /> second and subsequent years of the abatement, the effective minimum wage for the tax
<br /> abatement recipient is at least two percent(2%) higher than in the previous year." It's exactly
<br /> what we talked about earlier, we're just making sure the language matches what we all intended
<br /> to do.
<br /> There were none from the public wishing to speak in opposition to this bill.
<br /> Councilmember Gavin Ferlic asked Council Attorney Bob Palmer if the ordinance text before
<br /> him was the same as what Mr. Mueller just discussed. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated
<br /> that she understood Mr. Mueller to have stated that he discovered language that needed to be
<br /> changed since the last committee meeting. Councilmember Ferlic asked Mr. Mueller to state to
<br /> the Council the amendment necessary for the bill.
<br /> Mr. Mueller stated, "In the first year of the abatement,the lowest-paid employee is compensated
<br /> at least as high as the minimum paid to an employee of the City of South Bend." And then, in the
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