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41)CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE O F THE CLERK
<br /> Jim Bognar, 807 W. Washington Street, stated, First (1st) of all, I would like to thank
<br /> Councilmember White.Out of all of the meetings we've ever had,this discussion with the majority
<br /> of Council and everybody here from the Administration is something that this City needs,it shows
<br /> unity, it shows positivity, and it's necessary, and it has come about under your leadership. Thank
<br /> you for the hard work that you have done. I also want to mention that I took a look at where we
<br /> were in 2014 and where we are today. Not just with graphs, but in the total rebuilding of this
<br /> Administration so that it will better help support the City. One (1) of the things that hasn't been
<br /> rebuilt is the Council. One (1) of the things that I sat and thought about what the Council should
<br /> consider is,much like they have an attorney, a financial analyst.Not someone who stops you from
<br /> talking to people in Jennifer's office, but that is part of the Administration. You need someone
<br /> who can help and give you answers to questions that people have. You do have the ability to be
<br /> able to do that, and preferably, someone who understands the uniqueness of government budgets.
<br /> The questions people are asking could be minimized and streamlined. Also, we treat this budget
<br /> process as best we can. We start with all of this enthusiasm in May. By the time we get to October,
<br /> we just want to pass this thing to be done with it.But really,the budget never stops.There is always
<br /> a change in money that goes from one (1) place to another, and that leads to all kinds of rumors
<br /> and innuendos, so I think this is amazing. This never would have happened three (3) or four (4)
<br /> years ago. I think the opportunity is there for the Council to reach out across the aisle. All you
<br /> have to do is pass a budget,nothing else. I think it is important and incumbent upon all of you and
<br /> the Administration to come more than when you just have to do something. My recommendation
<br /> is that it shouldn't just stop at a vote. There has to be a better way to talk about debt, what we're
<br /> doing, and how effective we are. One (1) other thing that is critical is that department heads will
<br /> always talk about what works. Very rarely will they talk about what doesn't. I think there has to
<br /> be some connection between where we are and where we're going. If it doesn't work,that's not a
<br /> bad thing, it just means we have to do something better. We're finally to a point where we're
<br /> starting to come together. I thank the Council for taking their time, as well as the Administration.
<br /> The fact of the matter is that this is a much different community now, and we have to treat it that
<br /> way.
<br /> Sharon Banicki, 3822 Ford Street, stated, I'm not sure why the City Clerk needs two (2)people to
<br /> get a higher raise than normal. The interns are supposed to help with the workload,not increase it,
<br /> but they're supposed to decrease it. These are paid interns, so if the paid interns are causing more
<br /> work for the employees in the office,then maybe you need to look at the paid interns. But you're
<br /> just adding more money on more money. My understanding is that Code Enforcement has asked
<br /> for their own financial person to help with collecting money from the ordinances, which will
<br /> lighten the load of the ordinance person in the City Clerk's Office, but yet the justification is the
<br /> Ordinance Clerk in the City Clerk's Office will have more work. It's redundant, it doesn't work.
<br /> They can't both be picking up more work. Amnesty Day is not a special day, it's part of the job.
<br /> It's one(1)day that they work harder on in the year,but if they were doing the work all year round,
<br /> then it wouldn't fall on one (1) day. For the Fire Department, I'm sad that they're dropping their
<br /> request for the extra person for the Community Paramedic. From what I've heard from the Fire
<br /> Department and people who have been working around it, it's a great thing. I'm hoping he'll
<br /> reconsider, and if not the two (2) full people, at least one and a half(1.5). We could go through
<br /> this whole budget page by page, but it started two (2) years ago when all the directors had to be
<br /> making $90,000, then last year we had to bring up several more directors because they're only
<br /> making $75,000 but this director is making $90,000. This budget cycle, we're back to the same
<br /> thing again. You're getting these big increase requests to bring everybody up to this high scale,
<br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
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