07-24-72 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JULY 24, 1972 REGULAR MEETING - RECONVENED Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana reconvened in the Council Chambers of the County -City Building on Monday, July 24, 1972 at 11 :47 p.m., Council President Peter J. Nemeth presiding. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MINUTES Your committee on the inspection and supervision of minutes would respectfully report that they have inspected the minutes of the July 10 regular meeting of the Council and found them correct. They, therefore, recommend that the same be approved. /s/ Peter J. Nemeth /s/ Terry S. Miller Upon motion made by Councilman Serge, seconded by Councilman Parent, and carried, the report was accepted as read and placed on file. CITIZENS REQUESTS - MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS Mrs. Pat Forhan, President of the local Chapter of the Women's Political Caucus, said that she would like to know how the Council can say they have not cut salaries of secretaries, stenograph- ers and clerks. The maximum salaries are all lower than the present salaries in some classifi- cations. She said she did not see how it would be possible for all the present secretaries, stenographers and clerks to be moved up to the maximum salary range. This move is discriminatory against women as no men's jobs were included in the range. Councilman Taylor said that there was a need for job evaluation. The minimum for Secretary I is lower but they have raised the maximum. The Council is facing a 92 million dollar total budget and they feel there is a great need for some evaluation of salaries. Councilman Miller said that under the maximum salary range some secretaries will get a greater raise and that the ordinance will provide more flexibility which is what the Council is striving for. Constance Green, 3222 Dunham Street, spoke to protest the Council's action in setting minimum and maximum salary ranges for some positions. She said that the Council was setting this salary range on the assumption that the city will revamp and evalu- ate their employees. She asked where the extra money will go, and would any of this money go to the newly created offices of Director of Human Resources and Director of Public Safety. Council- man Nemeth said that budget cuts will be made to fund the salaries of these two directors. Councilman Taylor said that if the administration chooses to go to the maximum salary, everyone has a chance to get a raise. Mrs. Green then referred to the chart displayed earlier by the Women's Political Caucus and questioned several positions where the maximum salary in the range was less than the position now pays. Councilman Miller said that it would be possible for a secretary to have a change to a higher classification and thereby get a raise. Mrs. Green asked if each employee will be given a just evaluation of her ability in this ordinance. Councilman Nemeth said this ordinance would not provide for job evaluation but the mayor has obtained a federal grant to provide funds to do the evaluating. Mrs. Lee Swan, 2022 Swygart Street, spoke to the Council about the proposed changes in the Riley- Jackson High School boundaries. She gave figures showing which South Bend schools are integrated and which are segregated. She said the housing patterns place 79% of low income housing units on one side of town, and that these hous- ing patterns cause a high rate of black enrollment in a few of the schools with many schools having no black enrollment at all. Councilman Parent thanked Mrs. Swan for her remarks and said that, at some point, the Council ought to take a look at this matter. Mr. Kenneth Buhle, of the Teamsters Union, said that the Council had said the minimum - maximum salary range provides an option for the administration to reward girls by moving them up to another classification. He asked what happens to the girls who are already in the Secretary, Stenographer and Clerk IV classifications and wondered how they could be reclassified. He said it is his understanding employees can only be moved up in classification when a vacancy occurs. Councilman Parent said that he agrees the ordinance is indirectly discriminatory but feels that setting a range is not that important. Mr. Paul Boehm, 317 Rue Gauguin, said that with a different terminology being used in job classifications, what happens to new positions in the budget. Councilman Miller said that they are to be as presented in the proposal. Mrs. Esther Gross, 1704 Woodmont Drive, an employee of the Utilities Department, voiced her objections to the minimum - maximum rantes. She said that in the Utilities Department those secretaries and clerks in the lower paying positions should receive more than a 4% increase. She said that it would not be possible to give all the girls a change in classification as there are not that many jobs in Class Four and what do you give those who are already in Class Four? Councilman Miller said that the classifications could be changed,in the budget presentation. Mrs. Gross asked Mr. Miller if this meant you could add Class 5 and Class 6. Councilman Miller asked Mrs. Gross how many girls she needed at a $5600 salary. Mrs. Gross replied that evidently the Council wanted her to put all the girls in the $5600 classification. REPORT FROM THE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Councilman Parent, Chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Committee, made a report as follows: Meeting July 6, 1972 RE: Gasoline Station Study "The Committee members present recommend to the Council that a letter requesting the gasoline station study as outlined in the resolution be approved and sent to the Area Plan Commission. The resolution .should be struck from the record. A draft of a letter to send to the Area Plan Commission is attached to this report." Councilman Parent made a motion that the Council accept the Committee report and the recommenda- tion as to the resolution referred to therein. Councilman Taylor seconded the motion and it was carried. RE: East Side, St. Joseph River "The Committee members present discussed the report from the Area Plan Commission staff concerning the development of the East Side of the St. Joseph River, especially the section which relates directly to the proposed Civic and Cultural Center. The dis- cussion focused on the need for public control of land use in said area.