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410 CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> She continued, We would like to see the EMS run costs. This pertains to the opioids, actually it <br /> could really help with the opioid case to say how much we're spending on each opioid run and <br /> EMS costs. Again, that goes along with the shootings as well but some of them might be related. <br /> We'd like to see data on the EMS responses, not Fire ones, but medically what those costs are. <br /> Again, a suggestion on the structure of personnel in the City. We have a lot of directors making <br /> high salaries, but they don't seem to be supervising a lot of people. The suggestion was made if <br /> you're going to get a directory salary that you at least supervise six (6) people or be a department <br /> head. Again,this was a suggestion and at one(1)time there was money,the Council needs to have <br /> their own budget analysts. You guys have had money scheduled for that. We think it'd be great, <br /> just like you have Bob Palmer for legal advice, we feel like you need financial advice. We think <br /> you should livestream these on Facebook. You certainly do it for Council meetings, it would be <br /> easy to do for these. There's fifty (50) plus City buildings. I think it would be great to do a study <br /> on how costs could be reduced for those in utilities. Maybe it's something the sustainability people <br /> could do.We think the meetings should start at 5:30 p.m.A lot of people work until 5:00 p.m.That <br /> doesn't give enough time to drive, find a parking space and get here. When you're speaking about <br /> spending on underserved communities, I remind you to consider seniors and the handicapped. <br /> Once again I'd like to bring up TRANSPO, looking at smaller buses, like other cities do, and if <br /> that would reduce some of our costs. A huge area of spending is professional services. It would be <br /> nice to see a breakdown of those professional services and where they're going because that seems <br /> to be an awful lot of money. (Ms. Kesim's six (6) pages of notes and questions were copied and <br /> are available in the City Clerk's Office). <br /> Jason Banicki, 3822 West Ford Street, stated, So, one (1) question right off the top was about the <br /> HR operations generalist increased pay for that Public Safety Specialist. That position's less than <br /> (4) four years old, it came online in the 2016 budget. If it wasn't already at market rate then, why <br /> are we giving it such a large increase now compared to everybody else? If you look at six (6) <br /> people in the HR department, that already is trending towards a quarter of the HR payroll. And <br /> that trends into my next point which is we keep hearing about competitive wages. Public service <br /> is not something that people get into to make a competitive market wage. You get into it to serve <br /> your community.There are other benefits that the public market does not offer that we're not taking <br /> into account when we say, "We've got to pay a competitive salary." Well, some of the advantages <br /> you get when you go into public service is you get a pension.There aren't many jobs left that offer <br /> you a pension. Public service does after ten (10) years in the state of Indiana. Typically, you have <br /> a better health care plan than most private companies offer nowadays. And at the end of the day <br /> your job is much less sensitive to market trends in the public service. It's great to say, "We've got <br /> to keep up with the private market." However, you're getting some other non-monetary benefits <br /> that we have to take into consideration. And then one(1)really big point given that we spend a lot <br /> of time from January to May talking about neighborhoods, we even have the candidate out of the <br /> Mayor's own Administration talking a lot about neighborhoods.Yet,we're spending less than$1.4 <br /> million in additional money on these neighborhoods. I fully expect whether it's the end of this year <br /> or early next year we are going to hear that somehow, some way, we have $100 million to bring <br /> South Shore downtown. We only have $1.4 million more for neighborhoods? We have got to put <br /> our money where our mouth is. We can't just say it as a campaign talking point. We can't say when <br /> it's convenient, yet we can find $100,000 for this position, $60,000 for this, that and the other. <br /> We've got to do more than$1.4 million more for these neighborhoods.They are still lagging behind <br /> and that's not enough. Thank you. <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 17 <br />