Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorization for the City Manager to approve an agreement with Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County to continue the Environmental Clean-Up Opportunities (ECO) Transitional Jobs Program through FY 2023/2024 in the amount of $230,000 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
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Deadline for Action: 5/15/2023
Submitting Department: Public Works
Contact Name and Phone Number: Jason Serpa, Public Works Manager, jason.serpa@visalia.city, 713-4533 Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director, nick.bartsch@visalia.city, 713-4052
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB) to continue a Transitional Jobs Program benefitting the community through more clean-up and recycling and Visalia’s homeless population through job training and opportunities. The amount of the contract is $230,000, funded by the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (441), to pay the City’s share of the Environmental Clean-up Opportunities (ECO) program costs.
Background Discussion:
In 2017, the City of Visalia and the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB) established a program that would allow members of Visalia's homeless and low-income population to acquire the work skills necessary to obtain gainful employment while simultaneously addressing a community need, cleaning up illegally dumped material and recycling appropriate materials. Program participants are vetted and referred to the program by community partners, such as the Rescue Mission.
Upon entry to the program, participants spend up to three months working as part of a Community Services and Employment Training, Inc. (CSET) work crew, and are guided by a crew supervisor who helps prepare the participants for their transition to regular employment. Work assignments focus on picking up trash or illegally dumped material in the City right-of-way and other public areas. During this time, participants learn basic job skills such as arriving to work on time, working with others, accepting, and executing instructions, etc.
After successful completion of the initial Level I work-skills training portion of the program,
participants begin working alongside City employees in the solid waste division as a CSET level II participant under general Solid Waste Department supervision. Here, they learn to work with less direct supervision and more accountability. Work includes assembling residential trash cans, helping with deliveries, and other related duties. After acquiring skills and experience, the goal is for the participant to obtain outside employment. Since the start of the program, the City has hired 9 level II participants as hourly employees. Of those 9, 5 are still employed with the City as hourlies, 3 have moved on to better opportunities, and 1 participant has obtained a Class A driver’s license and she currently is a full-time solid waste operator as of this year!
Current Fiscal Year Outcomes
From July 2022 through March 2023, the ECO Program has had the following results:
Homeless Individuals:
• Referred to ECO: 226
• Attended Orientation: 69
• Completed Job Readiness: 42
Level I Crew Members: (40)
• Hours Worked: 5,133
• Total Wages Earned: $86,955
• Avg Wage Earned: $2,174
Level II Crew Members: (13)
• Hours Worked: 1,998
• Total Wages Earned: $39,697
• Avg Wage Earned: $3,054
Level I ECO Material Count (Litter Abatement)
• Total pounds of trash and misc. debris removed: 194,155
• Average month pounds of trash/misc. removed: 21,573
Goal versus Actual number of participants
|
|
Goal |
Actual FY21/22 |
Actual FY22/23 (July - March) |
|
Level I |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
Level II |
20 |
20 |
13 |
|
Employment |
24 |
30 |
21 |
In comparison to the previous year at this time, wages paid to level 1 participants increased by $13,500, and to level II participants by $17,000. The amount of litter picked up also increased from 143,720 lbs. to 194,155 lbs.
ECO participants also continue to obtain employment at a high rate as compared to the goals of the program. The goal of 24 placements was surpassed with 30 placements completed in FY 21/22, and this fiscal year is on pace to surpass the goal as well. It is also important to note that these placements are based only on the participants that complete the orientation. . Out of the 226 total individuals that were referred to the program, there are some that obtain employment before attending orientation, realizing success before beginning the program The opportunity to be part of the program is a good incentive to get people involved with the WIB and actively looking for employment, which can be achieved for some without actually entering the ECO program.
The City is now receiving Level II participants at a regular rate and is seeing more of a benefit for the Solid Waste Department. Even though the primary goal is the success of the participants, it becomes a win-win situation if the City of Visalia is able to fill hourly vacancies with these participants while they are on their success path.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding for this program is partially offset from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (441) Bottle Bill Revenues (Approximately $35,000) and savings from the four Solid Waste hourly positions that are held vacant since the work is performed through the ECO program. In addition, the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund realizes savings from the illegal dumping that is picked up throughout the City. Not only does this bring down the total tonnage cost of pickups, but it also decreases the number of times the City uses the contractor for illegal dumping and increases our recycling rates.
The City of Visalia’s portion of the program is $230,000 and is disbursed based on actual cost. The budget for FY 23/24 is $9,000 more than the previous year and primarily pays for operational costs of the program including vehicles, supplies, the crew supervisor, and program coordinator. The total budget increase is due to the wage increases and a small increase in total participant hours per the budget supplied by the Workforce Investment Board. If the actual costs come in less, the remainder goes back to the Solid Waste Fund.
The proposed budget is as follows:
Project Costs
City of Visalia $230,000
Workforce Investment Board $230,000
Total Cost $460,000
Prior Council Action: March 6, 2017 - Initial Program authorization June 18, 2018 - Program reauthorization for FY 18/19 June 3, 2019 - Program reauthorization for FY 19/20 June 5, 2020 - Program reauthorization for FY 20/21 June 7, 2021 - Program reauthorization for FY 21/22 June 20,2022 - Program reauthorization for FY 22/23
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Alternatives: Decline reauthorization and discontinue program. This alternative is not recommended as the program provides tangible benefit to the City at a reasonable cost.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County to continue a Transitional Jobs Program (ECO) in the amount of $230,000 to be paid for out of the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (441).
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments: FY 23/24 Draft MOU