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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-12-2026 Community Relations Committee Minutes OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BIANCA L. TIRADO, CITY CLERK INTEGRITY | SERVICE | ACCESSIBILITY Jasmine Jackson Matthew Neal Veronica Pitt-Payne CHIEF DEPUTY CITY CLERK / CHIEF OF STAFF DEPUTY CITY CLERK / DIRECTOR OF POLICY DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov COMMUNITY RELATIONS OCTOBER 12, 2026, 4:20 P.M. Committee Members Present: Sheila Niezgodski, Sherry Bolden- Simpson*, Dr. Heidi Beidinger, Karen L. White, Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers Committee Members Absent: Alice Pickens Other Council Present: Canneth Lee, Sharon McBride* Others Present: Bianca L. Tirado, Matthew Neal, Jasmine Jackson, Lari’onna Green, Veronica Pitt- Payne, Bob Palmer Presenters: Jenna Throw, Charles King III, Canneth Lee Agenda: Bill No. 64-26 - Amending Division 2 of Article 1 Chapter 2 of the South Bend Municipal Code Concerning the Community Police Review Board and the Community Police Review Office Bill No. 26-33 - Resolution Appointing Savino Rivera Jr. to Fill a Vacancy on the Community Police Review Board Members marked with an asterisk (*) are in virtual attendance. Please note the attached link for the meeting recording: https://docs.southbendin.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?dbid=0&repo=sbend&mediaid=414796 Committee Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers called to order the Community Relations Committee meeting at 4:37 P.M. Bill No. 64-26 – Amending Division 2 of Article 1 Chapter 2 of the South Bend Municipal Code Concerning the Community Police Review Board and the Community Police Review Office EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov Jenna Throw, City Attorney, with offices on the sixth (6th) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN 46601, presented the bill. She explained that the purpose of the proposed amendments is to help the Community Police Review Board (CPRB) achieve and sustain quorum, noting that it has been an ongoing challenge for CPRB to meet and do business. She gave a general overview of the amendments, which include updates to the training process to allow new board members to start serving sooner. The streamlined training requirements consist of an initial orientation, a structured core curriculum in the first (1st) year of service, and continuing education thereafter. Training would be available in accessible formats at no cost to board members and would be facilitated by the Director of the Community Police Review Office, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD), the City Legal Department, or various subscription-based organizations that members have access to. She said the bill would also update the CPRB quorum rules to align them with state law, noting that the current rules are stricter than what the state requires. This also aligns CPRB’s quorum and voting majority rules with those of other City boards and commissions. She added that lawful electronic participation would now count toward the attendance requirement. The terms “investigatory records” and “protected information” were explicitly defined, and some changes were made to the nomination procedures at the advice of Council Attorney Bob Palmer. Attorney Throw elaborated on the specific changes. She explained that currently, At-Large Councilmembers are required to appoint new board members from the same district as the departing member they are replacing. Upon the bill’s passage, At-Large Councilmembers would be able to appoint new members from the entire City, broadening the pool of available nominees. The attendance requirement was lowered from seventy-five percent (75%) to fifty-one percent (51%) and now includes lawful electronic participation. Circumstances including illness, caregiving, military service, bereavement, or other good cause would be considered prior to replacing a board member for attendance reasons. An initial six (6)-hour orientation session would be required before new board members can vote on a complaint or access investigatory records and protected information. Orientation would be facilitated by City personnel and would cover CPRB rules, Open Door Law, public records, confidentiality, ethics, complaint classifications, the state preponderance standard, trauma-informed and bias-aware decision making, and due process. She noted that this would replace the lengthy initial training requirement that is currently in place. Within the first twelve (12) months of service, board members would be required to complete a sixteen (16) hour core curriculum either in person, online, or through the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE). The continuing education requirement is eight (8) hours thereafter, and eligible topics are outlined in the ordinance. She stated that additional training items in the current ordinance would remain recommended opportunities, but they would not be prerequisites for service. Charles King III, Director of the Community Police Review Office, with offices at 202 South Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601, added that CPRB is part of NACOLE, which gives them access to its civilian oversight training resources. He said they intend to utilize these resources more going forward. Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers invited questions from the Committee. Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski said she has two (2) concerns. She asked about electronic participation, noting that she does not think members should be allowed to participate entirely online. She asked if new board members would be required to complete the Citizens Police EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov Academy in full. Attorney Throw explained that “lawful electronic participation” means that board members are subject to the electronic participation rules in state statute. She said the statute contains a variety of provisions that establish the allowable frequency of electronic participation, and board members would not be allowed to attend every meeting online. Charles King III said the Citizens Police Academy would be recommended. He explained that he is working with SBPD to share CPRB applications with Citizens Police Academy graduates, hoping to generate a pool of CPRB candidates who have already completed the training. He noted that he does not want the board members’ policing training to overshadow their civilian oversight training. He acknowledged that board members need to know how the police operate, and a condensed version of the Citizens Police Academy will be incorporated into orientation and an annual training retreat. Attorney Throw confirmed that the full Citizens Police Academy would be recommended but not required. Committee Member Niezgodski stated that previous board members described Citizens Police Academy as the most important piece of their training. She expressed concern about condensing this requirement. She noted that it is a twelve (12)-week course that meets once a week, and she said she believes it is a core requirement that needs to be included. Charles King III explained that there are only two (2) Citizens Police Academy sessions per year, and with the current training requirements, board members who are appointed mid-year may be unable to complete the course and start voting until the following year. He said the proposed changes would help get board members active sooner while still providing the training they need. He noted that future recruitment efforts will target individuals who have already completed the course. Committee Member Dr. Heidi Beidinger asked how many hours of training board members complete in a year. Charles King III replied that the current requirement is twelve (12) weeks of Citizens Police Academy plus an additional eight (8) hours of training. Committee Member Dr. Beidinger asked what the monthly time commitment is. Charles King III said there are public meetings every other month, and there are also special meetings and executive sessions. He confirmed that it is a significant time commitment. Committee Member Dr. Beidinger asked about potentially offering stipends to board members. Charles King III said the possibility of stipends was discussed when he started in the Director role, but nothing has been formalized. He said it might help the process. Committee Member Dr. Beidinger expressed her belief that it would help the process. She said the time commitment is unusually high for unpaid volunteers, and it would be worthwhile to EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov reimburse community members for investing their time in such an important initiative. She said she thinks this is something that should be explored. Council President Canneth Lee stated that the biggest concern is getting new board members active and eligible to participate. He echoed Committee Member Niezgodski’s comments on the value of Citizens Police Academy but acknowledged that there are a limited number of opportunities to take the course each year. He asked for confirmation that the proposed changes would give new board members a condensed version so they can get started, and they would be encouraged to take the full course once the next session opens. Charles King III confirmed that is correct. Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers held the public hearing, and nobody spoke. Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers asked Committee Members for any final comments. Committee Member Niezgodski stated that she is not in favor of stipends, noting that there are many highly qualified individuals who commit a significant amount of time to other boards in the City, and they are not paid. She asked the presenters to clarify whether Citizens Police Academy was removed as a prerequisite for participation but is still required once the next session opens, or if the condensed version replaces the twelve (12) week course entirely. Attorney Throw said the six (6)-hour condensed training would be a prerequisite for participation, and sixteen (16) hours of additional training would be required in the first (1st) year of service. She said the ordinance gives specific topics for this additional training, and many of these topics are pulled from the Citizens Police Academy curriculum. She added that there would be an annual training retreat, board members would have the option to take the full course, and individuals who have already completed the course would be actively recruited to fill future board vacancies. Committee Member Niezgodski asked for confirmation that Citizens Police Academy would not be a requirement. Attorney Throw confirmed that is correct. She said the requirements are the six (6)-hour initial orientation, sixteen (16) hours of additional training in the first (1st) year, and eight (8) hours of training each subsequent year. Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers asked if board members who complete their training hours elsewhere would receive the same information as the Citizens Police Academy. She said the full course is worthwhile, and she would like board members to be encouraged to take it. Charles King III stated that the other training opportunities would not negate the information from Citizens Police Academy, and the same topics would be covered during the six (6)-hour orientation and three (3)-day annual training retreat. He said Citizens Police Academy would be strongly recommended to any new board members who have not completed it. He agreed that it is a valuable experience. Committee Member Dr. Beidinger acknowledged Committee Member Niezgodski’s comment about stipends. She said based on her discussions with the Fourth (4th) District CPRB appointee, EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov her understanding is that the time commitment is more extensive than other boards and committees in the City. Because of this and the board’s difficulty achieving quorum, she stated that she would support stipends. Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson expressed support for the changes, noting that she had a candidate for a Fifth (5th) District vacancy who was unable to serve because she could not commit to the twelve (12)-week Citizens Police Academy. She noted that she is still struggling to find someone to fill the vacancy. Council President Lee noted that the bill would allow for lawful electronic participation and asked how this would help achieve quorum. Attorney Throw explained that the electronic participation rule intersects with the quorum rules, and at least fifty percent (50%) of the board must be present in-person for virtual attendees to be allowed to participate. She said this option would prevent members from being disqualified for attendance reasons. She said this might not directly help the board achieve quorum, but it will help the board operate more efficiently. Council President Lee noted that there are currently two (2) open seats on the board, a Fifth (5th) district vacancy and an At-Large vacancy. He asked how the bill would help the board achieve quorum based on its current membership. Attorney Throw explained that the current ordinance requires five (5) board members present to meet quorum, and state law only requires a majority. Since there are seven (7) seated members right now, the proposed changes would allow the board to conduct business with four (4) members present. She noted that the electronic participation option would allow the other members to participate online without being counted absent. Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White moved to send Bill No. 64-26 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member Bolden- Simpson and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes with one (1) Citizen Member absent. Bill No. 26-33 – Resolution Appointing Savino Rivera Jr. to Fill a Vacancy on the Community Police Review Board Council President Lee presented the bill. He stated that CRPB currently has a Third (3rd) District vacancy, and Councilmember Sharon McBride appointed Savino Rivera Jr. to fill the seat. He asked the Committee to accept the new appointee. Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers held the public hearing, and nobody spoke. Committee Member Dr. Beidinger moved to send Bill No. 26-33 to the Full Council with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Vice Chair White and carried by a vote of five (5) ayes with one (1) Citizen Member absent. Committee Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers – Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White – Aye Committee Member Dr. Heidi Beidinger – Aye Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski – Aye Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson – Aye Citizen Member Alice Pickens – Absent EXCELLENCE | ACCOUNTABILITY | INNOVATION | INCLUSION | EMPOWERMENT 300 City Hall | 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | p. 574.235.9221 | f. 574.235.9173 | www.southbendin.gov With no further business, Committee Chair Gooden-Rodgers adjourned the Community Relations Committee meeting at 5:09 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers, Committee Chair Committee Chair Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers – Aye Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White – Aye Committee Member Dr. Heidi Beidinger – Aye Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski – Aye Committee Member Sherry Bolden-Simpson – Aye Citizen Member Alice Pickens – Absent