08-28-72 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 28, 1972 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING (CONTINUED) organization feels that the meter maids salaries and uniforms should not be in the Police De- partment budget but should come out of meter revenue. Mrs. Wlodarski said that some rank positions should be eliminated, that the meter maids should be included in the parking garage operation, that P12 Crossing Guard Relief should be eliminated, that P265 Clothing Allowance is excessive and that Radio Equipment should be eliminated. FIRE DEPARTMENT - Mr. Nemeth said the Council is proposing changing the number of Engineers to 143 and the number of Firemen in Training to 10. Secretary III should be listed at $6000, Recall Pay should be cut to $8,000, Holiday Pay should be figured at $32 per hour and the total amount reduced to $35,200, Q213 Traveling Expense should be $800; Q251 Repair of Buildings and Structures should be $7,000. Q331 Household Laundry and Cleaning at $1,500; Q37 Other Supplies at $7700, Q54 Clothing Allowance to be $70,500; Q721 Furniture and Fixtures $100; Q722 Motor Equipment $24,000; and Q726 Other Equipment $12,000. Miss Guthrie asked how the reduction in Motor Equipment to $24,000 would affect the lease - purchase plan for apparatus. Chief Jack R. Bland said that the lease - purchase plan payment is due in 1973 upon delivery of apparatus. From that point on, there will be equal payments due in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Miss Guthrie asked Chief Bland what the Motor Equipment fund would be used for. Chief Bland said that this money would be used to purchase two new ambulances. He said that, at the present time, there are three ambulances; two active and one in reserve. They are making application for a Federal grant for 50/ federal funding on two ambulances. $12,000 would be returned to the city if the federal funding is obtained. Mrs. Janet Allen asked that the Council consider closing the disparity between the Police and Fire Departments. Mrs. Wlodarski asked Chief Bland how many men are on the Fire Department. Chief Bland said there are 282. Mrs. Wlodarski said there are 231 policemen.and asked which should take priority. Chief Bland said that the cut in Repair of Buildings and Structures would only allow $651 per station to maintain them for a year. With the condition of the present structures and the prices today, this is cutting very closely there. He said he did not think the Council and the Administration wanted the Fire Stations to look disreputable. The Council questioned Chief Bland at some length about the ambulances, and Chief Bland said that the new ambulances must meet federal guidelines as to width and other space requirements and equipment required. Councilman Miller asked the Chief what percentage of time both ambulances were out at the same time and Chief Bland said that most of the time they are both out at the same time. He said the men on the ambulances are the busiest people on the department and average 20 to 25 runs a day. There was a discussion on the condition of Number #4 Fire Station on Walnut Street and Chief Bland said that it disturbs him to house men there and that he would like to get together with the administration on this problem. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES - Mr. Nemeth said the Council` -is proposing cutting R252 Repair of Equipment to $100 and R37 Other Supplies to $250. Miss Guthrie questioned the amount in R726 Other Equipment as she said the money budgeted this year has not been spent. Mr. Bert Cichowicz, City Sealer, said that the Supplies Account is to purchase the seals that are afficed to the various devices checked by the city, including seals on gasoline pump mechanisms and the meters on fuel oil delivery trucks. It is essential that these are checked and sealed to protect the citizen and the businessman. There are. outstanding bills to be paid out of this account. The money for next year is to buy a five gallon master measure calibrator which is essential. STUDEBAKER HISTORICAL COLLECTION - Mr. Nemeth said the Council is proposing to cut 5213 Travel- ing Expense to $100, S251 Repair of Building & Structures to $2,000 and 5722 Motor Equipment to 0. Mrs. Wlodarski asked why this function could not be assumed by the Northern Indiana Histor- ical Society instead of on the tax levy. Mr. James Barcome introduced Mrs. Audrey Conley from the Chamber of Commerce Convention Bureau. Mrs. Conley said that the collection belongs to the City of South Bend and is something we can be proud of. It should be included in tours of the city. The Smithsonian Institute would like to purchase two of the vehicles in the collection. Mr. Leo Newman said that the collection is an asset to South Bend both culturally and education- ally. He said that 700 people came to the recent Studebaker Driver's Club meeting in South Bend and spent over $60,000 in the city. TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT - Mr. Nemeth said the Council is proposing cutting Extra and Overtime to $15,126, T252 Repair of Equipment to $400 and T261 Other Contractual Services to $300, T332 Medical, Surgical and Dental to 0, T37 Other Supplies to $3500, T44 Other Materials•to $16,000. Mr. Clem Hazinski, Traffic Engineer, said that they have not spent much of the Extra and Over- time because the bulk of extra and overtime is spent during the summer months. There is much traffic work that cannot be done in the winter because of inclement weather. The urban renewal program and detouring of traffic have added much to the work load. Traffic signal technicians are out at all hours of the night because of knockdowns of traffic signals which must be re- placed immediately. He does not feel the department can render an efficient service if the account is cut that much. He said much of the money spent on supplies and materials is recovered and goes back into the General Fund. Councilman Miller commented that because of the addition of another signal technician for next year the reduction was made in extra and over- time. Mr. Hazinski said that hiring a technician does not affect the load of extra and over- time work. He said a city the size of South Bend would ordinarily have 10 signal technicians. Mr. Richardson said he implored the Council to take a hard look at the cut proposed in Other Supplies and Materials because of the number of accidents. He said the city still needs the money in the budget to operate until proper reimbursements are made. He said they will be coming back to the Council within the next 30 to 45 days for transfer of money from the General Fund. MUNICIPAL SERVICES FACILITY - Mr. Nemeth noted a correction to be made in this budget, changing Accounting Clerk III to Accounting Clerk II at $5980. Mrs. Wlodarski asked what the difference was between Other Garage and Motor Supplies and Repair Parts. Mr. Stanley Przybylinski, Manager of the Municipal Services Facility, said that Other Garage and Motor Supplies includes various kinds of supplies for the repair of vehicles and Repair Parts includes such things as brakes, engine blocks and wheels. Miss Guthrie asked if the Gasoline Account covers all vehicles of the city. Mr. Przybylinski said that it does and that usage is about 40,000 gallons per month. Councilman Miller asked Mr. Przybylinski if his mechanics serviced the Fire Depart- ment-vehicles. Mr Przybylinski said that the Fire Department has their own mechanics and do their own repairing. Councilman Taylor moved for a short recess at 12 :08, seconded by Councilman Kopczynski. The motion carried. The Committee of the Whole meeting reconvened at 12:25 a.m.