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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> He continued,A more diverse workforce is something that all of us view as our responsibility. We <br /> have been able to work in new ways, thanks to the leadership of our Diversity and Inclusion <br /> Officer.It is also one(1)of the more robust internship programs.If you ever have a chance to meet <br /> the interns who work on Diversity and Inclusion,they are some really talented young people who <br /> have helped us gather data and refine our plans. Parental leave was also something we asked <br /> Council to invest in. That is part of how we attempt to be an excellent employer and that builds on <br /> the work we did on the minimum wage in previous budgets. So far we have had over twenty (20) <br /> employees take advantage of that. I don't think I can go so far as to say we have been motivating <br /> people to have kids or if this is just something people are taking advantage of, but it is clearly <br /> making a big difference for those families. We also tweaked the pension plan. The My Choice <br /> Plan offers more flexibility. It is an optional thing but it helps employees opt into a plan that in <br /> some cases makes more financial sense for both us, the employers, and the employees. The new <br /> website that was unveiled a few days ago attempts to focus more on the user experience to get the <br /> most used information up front. It is also way more mobile friendly than the last website. We are <br /> proud to offer that. <br /> He went on, The City, with support from the Council, authorized a major investment of$700,000 <br /> toward permanent supportive housing on the site of the old Oliver School. I would say that has <br /> been a success. Going down there and talking to these residents has made it very clear that some <br /> of these people would otherwise be under a bridge. There have also been challenges there. We are <br /> talking about some of the hardest to serve people in the entire County and there is no pretending <br /> that is not a factor. This is clearly something that if it weren't there, our community would be <br /> worse off. Back on the theme of diversity and inclusion, in order to do anything on the purchasing <br /> side with strong legal footing, we first (1St) have to have a disparity study that is professionally <br /> done. That will let us know how we compare to market availability. That is underway and is slated <br /> for delivery in the second(2"d)quarter of next year.Again,we appreciate the opportunity to deliver <br /> on that priority through the 2018 budget. <br /> He continued, So that is the budget we are working with this year. I would now like to talk about <br /> how we are preparing for next year. I first (1St) want to repeat some of what we have heard from <br /> the Council (referencing the presentation which is available in the City Clerk's Office). If there is <br /> one (1) theme of the Council that lines up very nicely with what we are feeling on the <br /> Administration side, it is the focus on neighborhoods. At the end of the day, every South Bend <br /> resident understands their relationship to the City first(1St) and foremost through the conditions of <br /> their neighborhood. We want to make sure we have a strong quality of life and having equitable <br /> investment in the different neighborhoods around the City is key.What does that mean,in practice? <br /> Investment toward dealing with lead, making sure we are adequately resourcing Code <br /> Enforcement,lighting as we mentioned before,there is interest in ShotSpotter,making sure public <br /> safety and traffic patrols are adequately resourced primarily through the Police Department and <br /> making sure Community Investment doesn't just go to the places that are already drawing the most <br /> investment. We want to address the areas that have been perhaps left out of the economic growth <br /> that we have experienced as a City and as a region. Curbs and sidewalks, I promise you we hear <br /> you on that issue and we are working on it. It is not just about the resources that go into it but the <br /> resources that get us the most outcomes.This is always going to be a public-private mix. Sidewalks <br /> are technically the responsibility of the private property owner but we also know that not everyone <br /> has the resources to deal with that. If we have the right well-designed City incentives, we unlock <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 1 227 W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 46601 p574.235.9221 f574.235.9173 ITTD574.235.55671www.southbendin.gov <br /> 5 <br />