HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-23-18 Personnel and Finance SOU..TH
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OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
KAREEMAH FOWLER, CITY CLERK
PERSONNEL & FINANCE JULY 23, 2018 3:45 P.M.
Committee Members Present: Karen White, Gavin Ferlic, John Voorde, Regina Williams-
Preston(late)
Other Council Present: Jake Teshka, Tim Scott, Jo M. Broden
Other Council Absent: Sharon L. McBride, Oliver Davis
Others Present: Kareemah Fowler, Bianca Tirado, Graham Sparks, Aladean
DeRose, Casey Colvin, Gabriel Murei, David Boling,
Elivet Navarro
Presenters: Jitin Kain, Aladean DeRose
Agenda: Bill No. 32-18- 2018 Non-Bargaining Employee and
Officer Salary Ordinance-Amended For AmeriCorps Grant
Positions
Bill No. 18-35- Resolution Approving Continuance of
Human Rights Commission Rights Lease
Committee Chair Karen White called to order the Personnel and Finance Committee meeting at
3:45 p.m. She introduced members of the Committee and proceeded to give the floor to the
presenters.
Bill No. 32-18- 2018 Non-Bar2aininjz EmploN cc and Officer Salary Ordinance-Amended
For AmeriCorps Grant Positions
Jitin Kain, Deputy Director of Public Works with offices on the 13' floor of the County-City
Building, stated, This is an amendment to the Ordinance to add these two (2) positions. If you
recall at the last Council meeting, you amended the budget to include the AmeriCorps Grant. We
received the State grant for the project which will help low and moderate income individuals in
the community. The program requires us to hire two (2) full-time individuals. One (1) is an
Operations Manager that will be a person that is more in the field that supervises the members.
The other is a Director who will oversee the various requirements of the State level. This is an
amendment to include those two (2)positions.
Committee Chair White asked, Are these two (2) new positions in support of the sustainability
grant? Do those overlap? There is a lot of overlap and confusion in regards to the number of
AmeriCorps positions we have and who and what they are supporting.
INTEGRITY1 SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY
JENNIFER M.COFFMAN BLANCA L.T ammo JOSEPH R MOLNAR
CHIEF DEPUTY/DmECMR OF OPERATIONS DEFVI'Y/DME=R OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK
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CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK
Mr. Kain replied, There are two (2) related AmeriCorps grants. One (1) was applied through the
Community Investment office and that is the Vista grant. That is a smaller grant for some
improvements. This one (1)is the traditional AmeriCorps grant where we hire members. We have
a larger team and they can do assessments and repairs to homes. They partner with other agencies
and also make the homeowners aware of all of the opportunities offered by the City, AEP and
NIPSCO.
Committeemember Regina Williams-Preston arrived at the meeting at 3:48 p.m.
Committeemember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I apologize for my tardiness and I don't know
how many questions you have received. Do you have job descriptions?
Mr. Kain replied, Yes we have job descriptions.
Committeemember Williams-Preston asked, If not, can I have a copy we can circulate?
Mr. Kain replied, Yes, but they are posted online as well. Mr. Kain provided the Committee and
Council Members with copies of the job descriptions. Mr. Kain stated, There will be ten (10)
AmeriCorps members that are not City positions. Those are members that receive a stipend but
they are not employees.
Committeemember Williams-Preston followed up, It said something in the paper work that it
covered sixty-six percent(66%) of the wages. Was that asked? Where is the balance of that going
to?
Mr.Kain replied,The grant covers the salaries,that is about sixty-six percent(66%) and then there
are benefits. So about twenty percent (20%) of the benefits are covered through the grant and the
rest of the grant monies will be used for other program activities.
Committeemember Williams-Preston followed up, And that is coming out of the General Fund?
Mr. Kain replied, Yes, we budgeted for the entire grant and we will get reimbursed.
Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked, In terms of qualifications, how are we measuring who is
eligible for this particular program? Has that been identified yet?
Mr. Kain replied, We have not yet done that. We just received the grant and we are now in that
process. Some of the guidance comes through the grant itself.
Councilmember Broden followed up, I believe there is a renewal aspect to this, I think it was three
(3) or four(4) years. Tell me a little bit about your understanding of that possibility or probability
of that.
Mr. Kain replied, The grant is for a three (3) year period that has to have an annual update and
renewal process and then it can be extended for another three (3) years.
Councilmember Broden then asked, Can you share a little bit about the partners that have been
detailed in the grant request itself and what your sense is?Are we getting additional benefit beyond
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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK
what AEP has thrown into the mix locally? I don't want this to get them off the hook of some of
their responsibilities.
Mr. Kain replied,We are talking to AEP and NIPSCO and we are trying not to double up on efforts
or processes they have in place. We are partnering with them and asking them to either donate
manpower or equipment.
Councilmember Jake Teshka arrived at the meeting at 3:54 p.m.
Mr. Kain continued, We also want to identify needs that AEP and NIPSCO can fill. We then
become a referral service. We want to connect the services they provide.
Councilmember Broden stated, I commend the Department for going after something like this. I
do want to make sure it is not letting some of our traditional services providers in the community
off the hook.
Councilmember Broden then asked, In terms of sustainability for the Department's overall goals
on an annual basis, what is your sense in terms of marching forward on those? Where does this fit
and is it something that we can take on? Do you feel these two (2)positions will help?
Mr. Kain replied, We believe the two (2) positions are needed to maintain the operations of the
grant. Therese Dorau is our Sustainability Director and she will provide a lot of oversight. If you
also recall, as part of last year's budget, we were able to move one (1) of her positions into the
Admin and Finance office. That position is now very involved in looking at the internal functions
of our energy usage and the efficiencies that can be created. That function is certainly taken care
of.
Committee Chair White then opened the floor to members of the public wishing to speak in favor
of or in opposition to the legislation. There were none. She then turned the floor back to the
Committee for further comment or main motion.
Committeemember Gavin Ferlic made a motion to send Bill No. 32-18 to the full Council with a
favorable recommendation. Committeemember Williams-Preston seconded this motion which
carried by a voice vote of four(4) ayes.
Bill No. 18-35- Resolution Approving Continuance of Human Rights Commission Rights
Lease
Aladean DeRose, Assistant City Attorney with offices on the 12th floor of the County-City
Building, stated, I am also the Attorney for the Human Right's Commission. Since 2012, the
Council approved a lease for the South Bend Human Right's Commission for the office location
of 319 N.Niles Street in South Bend. It is an excellent location. It is downtown,next to a bus stop,
and is fully accessible. The Commission was in a City-owned property prior to that and it posed
safety risks, frankly, and that was not accessible. This building is a substantial improvement. It
was built out to the specifications and the needs of the Commission, itself, and so the lease
extended from 2012 to recently and we are just asking to continue the lease. There is an increase
of the rent based on current market factors but it is reasonable. The role of the Council,tonight, is
to determine if this is necessary. We believe it is necessary because we've done an inventory of all
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•CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK
of our City-owned properties and could not find anything that really meets the needs of the South
Bend Human Right's Commission.
Councilmember Broden asked, Is the additional rent beyond the basic rent percentage staying the
same?
Ms. DeRose replied, Yes, it is thirty-two point nine percent (32.9%) based on the Commission's
occupancy of the entire building. It is called Common Area Maintenance and it is a common and
standard component of rent.
Councilmember Broden followed up, And what is the annual operating cost in addition to the
monthly rent?
Ms. DeRose replied, We don't know because it is based on the utilities and the monthly bill but
we estimate it is about four hundred and fifty dollars ($450) per square foot. What we negotiated
was the removal of taxes and we have built into the lease that the landlord will receive that
deduction each year.
Councilmember Broden asked, So all in all, similar terms then?
Ms. DeRose replied, Similar terms.
Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, I read in the packet it was roughly a eighty-eight (88) cents
per square foot over the next five (5) years of the lease. Is that just market value increase?
Ms. DeRose replied, It is just market value. To be honest,that is very reasonable.
Councilmember Teshka followed up, Who is MedPro Properties?
Ms. DeRose replied, They are the medical practice that use the other portion of the building so the
doctors own that building.
Committee Chair White then opened the floor to members of the public wishing to speak in favor
of or in opposition to the legislation. There were none. She then turned the floor back to the
Committee for further comment or main motion.
Committeemember Gavin Ferlic made a motion to send Bill No. 18-35 to the full Council with a
favorable recommendation. Committeemember Williams-Preston seconded this motion which
carried by a voice vote of four(4) ayes.
With no further business,Committee Chair White adjourned the Personnel and Finance Committee
meeting at 4:03 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Karen White, Committee Chair
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