HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-12-2026 Personnel & Finance Committee MinutesOFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
BIANCA L. T'IRADO, CITY CLERK
PERSONNEL & FINANCE
Committee Members Present:
Committee Members Absent:
Other Council Present:
Others Present:
Presenters:
Agenda:
OCTOBER 12, 2026, 4:45 P.M.
Rachel Tomas Morgan, Ophelia Gooden-
Rodgers, Caz Margenau, Karen L. White,
Sheila Niezgodski
None
Canneth Lee, Heidi Beidinger, Sharon
McBride*
Bianca L. Tirado, Jasmine Jackson,
Matthew Neal, Lari ' onna Green, Veronica
Pitt-Payne, Bob Palmer
Kyle Willis, Bianca Tirado
Bill No. 70-26 -2027 Mayor's Salary
Ordinance
Bill No. 71-26 -2027 Teamsters Salary
Ordinance
Bill No. 72-26 -2027 Nonbargaining
Salary Ordinance (Substitute)
Bill No. 73-26 -2027 City Clerk's Salary
Ordinance
Bill No. 74-26 -2027 City Clerk StaffNon-
Bargaining Salary Ordinance
Bill No. 75-26 -2027 Common Council's
Salary Ordinance
Members marked with an asterisk(*) are in virtual attendance.
Jasmine Jackson
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INTEGRITY I SERVICE I ACCESSIBILITY
Matthew cal
D l·'.PLTY CITY Ci.ERK / DIRJ•:r:TOR OF Pour:y
Veronica Pitt-Payne
Dm.u:HJR OF SPEU \L PROJU:T:;
EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERM ENT
300 City Hall J 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 I www.southbendin.gov
~ cnY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
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Please note the attached link for the meeting recording:
https://docs.southbendin.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?dbid=0&repo=sbend&mediaid=414796
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski called to order the Personnel and Finance Committee
meeting at 5 :09 P.M.
Bill No. 70-26 -2027 Mayor's Salary Ordinance
Kyle Willis, City Controller, with offices on the second (2nd) floor of City Hall, South Bend, [N
46601 , presented the bill. He said the Mayor's salary for 2027 reflects the three percent (3%)
standard increase.
Committee Chair Niezgodski held the public hearing, and nobody spoke.
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers moved to send Bill No. 70-26 to the Committee of
the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Rachel
Tomas Morgan and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Bill No. 71-26 -2027 Teamsters Salary Ordinance
Kyle Willis presented the bill. He said there is a three percent (3%) salary increase for all
Teamsters in 2027, per their current collective bargaining agreement. He noted that the current
collective bargaining agreement is valid through the end of 2028.
Committee Chair Niezgodski asked if next year's Teamsters Salary Ordinance will be the same
thing.
Kyle Willis confirmed that is correct.
Committee Chair Niezgodski held the public hearing, and nobody spoke.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan moved to send Bill No. 71-26 to the Committee of the Whole
with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers
and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Bill No. 72-26 -2027 Nonbargaining Salary Ordinance (Substitute)
Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers moved to accept Substitute Bill No. 72-26, which was
seconded by Committee Member Tomas Morgan and carried via a vote by voice.
Kyle Willis presented the bill. He gave an overview of key changes in the second (2nd) version of
EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbendin.gov
f~ CffY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFlCE OF THE CITY CLERK
the substitute bill. He said the Chief of Venues and Promotions and Director of Operations -
Venues titles were removed, and 2027 salary amounts were zeroed out for all eliminated positions.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked if anything else in the bill is different from the previous
budget presentations.
Kyle Willis confirmed that the only change from what was originally presented is the salary for
the General Manager -Venues position. He said a salary reduction was proposed for this position,
but it has been changed back to the original salary amount.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked for the rationale behind the change.
Kyle Willis said he does not have that information, since he was not part of those conversations
with Venues Parks and Arts (VPA) leadership.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked if an explanation could be provided at the 7:00 P.M.
Council meeting. ,
Kyle Willis responded affirmatively.
Committee Chair Niezgodski asked about the MS4 Coordinator position. She noted that there was
a title change and a pay decrease from the original bill filing to the first ( l st) substitute, but the
proposed five percent (5%) increase puts it back at the original salary cap of sixty-four-thousand-
three-hundred-thirty-one dollars ($64,331).
Kyle Willis said the salary for this position was entered incorrectly and adjusted to reflect the
actual increase proposed by the Department of Public Works. He noted that the MS4 Coordinator
position was formerly the MS4 Specialist position, and it is located in the Storm & Sewer
Division.
Committee Chair Niezgodski noted the Manager of Operations -Parks position has a salary cap
of ninety-one-thousand-five-hundred-twenty dollars ($91 ,520), and the Manager of Operations -
Forester position has a salary cap of seventy-seven-thousand-eight-hundred-forty-two dollars
($77,842). She asked which of those titles would apply to the new forestry position created by
VPA for 2027.
Kyle Willis replied that there are multiple managers with the Manager of Operations -Parks title.
Committee Chair Niezgodski explained that VPA proposed a new Assistant Forester position
during their budget presentation. She said she does not see the new position in the salary
ordinance, and she asked for an update at the 7:00 P.M. meeting.
Kyle Willis confirmed that he would review the VPA budget presentation and the personnel
change request they submitted to see if that position was missed.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan noted that the VPA budget presentation showed three (3)
individuals holding the Manager of Operations title with a salary cap of ninety-one-thousand-
five-hundred-twenty dollars ($91 ,520). She noted that the salary ordinance includes four ( 4)
different Manager of Operations titles, three (3) of which have specialties, but only one (1) title
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
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® CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
has the ninety-one-thousand-five-hundred-twenty dollar ($91,520) salary cap. She asked if there
should be three (3) Manager of Operations titles with a ninety-one-thousand-five-hundred-twenty
dollar ($91 ,520) salary cap.
Kyle Willis confirmed that all three (3) of those positions will have the Manager of Operations -
Parks title with the ninety-one-thousand-five-hundred-twenty dollar ($91,520) salary cap.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked for confirmation that three (3) individuals would hold
that title, but it is only in the ordinance once.
Kyle Willis confirmed that is correct. He said the salary ordinance does not require duplicate
entries for titles held by multiple individual staff members.
Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers asked for further clarification regarding the Manager of
Operations positions.
Kyle Willis clarified that all proposed Manager of Operations positions within VPA will have the
Manager of Operations -Parks title. He said some of the other Manager of Operations position
specialties, such as Manager of Operations -Distribution, reside in other departments.
Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers noted that the blue lines on the salary table are hard to read.
Committee Chair Niezgodski agreed.
Kyle Willis said the blue lines reflect positions that were added back after being inadvertently
omitted from the salary ordinance.
Committee Chair Niezgodski held the public hearing, and nobody spoke.
Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers moved to send Substitute Bill No. 72-26 to the Committee
of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Chair
Niezgodski and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes.
,_c_o_m_m_i_tt_e_e_C_h_a_ir_S_h_e_il_a_N_ie_z_go_d_s_k_i _-_A_y_e _____ C_o_m_m_i_tt_ee_V_ic_e_Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Committee Chair Niezgodski moved to hear Bill Nos. 73-26, 74-26, and 75-26 together, then vote
on the bills separately. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Gooden-Rodgers and
carried via a vote by voice.
Bill No. 73-26 -2027 City Clerk's Salary Ordinance
Bill No. 74-26 -2027 City Clerk Staff Non-Bargaining Salary Ordinance
Bill No. 75-26 -2027 Common Council's Salary Ordinance
Bianca Tirado, City Clerk, with offices on the third (3rd) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN 46601 ,
presented the bills. She showed the proposed organizational chart of the Common Council, the
City Clerk, and the City Clerk's Office staff. She explained the three (3) personnel changes
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300 City Hall I 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbend1n.gov
® CITY OF soum: BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
proposed for 2027: first (Pt), the Executive Assistant role that was moved from the Common
Council to the City Clerk's Office as full-time in 2026 will return to the Common Council as part-
time with benefits in 2027; second (2nd), the Executive Assistant -Director of Special Projects
position would receive a higher-than-standard increase to correct a discrepancy resulting from a
2023 salary cap increase that was never recorded with Human Resources; and third (3rd), the
Deputy City Clerk-Director of Policy position would be converted from non-exempt to exempt
with a higher-than-standard increase to reflect the amount of overtime earned in the role. The City
Clerk and Common Council salaries reflect the standard three percent (3%) increase.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked if all members of the City Clerk's Office staff are now
classified as exempt.
Clerk Tirado replied that the Executive Assistant -Director of Special Projects role is still non-
exempt.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan asked for confirmation that there are no changes from what
was presented at the City Clerk's Office budget hearing.
Clerk Tirado confirmed that is correct.
Committee Chair Niezgodski held the public hearing for Bill No. 73-26, and nobody spoke.
Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White moved to send Bill No. 73-26 to the Committee of the
Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Tomas
Morgan and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Committee Chair Niezgodski held a joint public hearing for Bill Nos. 74-26 and 75-26, and
nobody spoke.
Committee Member Tomas Morgan moved to send Bill No . 74-26 to the Committee of the Whole
with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Vice Chair White and
carried by a vote of five (5) ayes.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Committee Chair Niezgodski moved to send Bill No. 75-26 to the Committee of the Whole with
a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Vice Chair White and carried
by a vote of five (5) ayes.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Aye
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 1 f. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbendin.gov
~ CHY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
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Committee Chair Niezgodski thanked Committee Members for their commitment to the budget
process over the past six (6) weeks. She specifically acknowledged Citizen Member Caz
Margenau and thanked her for her participation.
With no further business, Committee Chair Niezgodski adjourned the Personnel and Finance
Committee meeting at 5:33 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sheila Niezgodski, Committee Chair
EXC ELLENC E I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbendin.gov