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 FY2022/2023 in the amount of $221,847 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
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Deadline for Action: 6/30/2022
Submitting Department: Public Works
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Jason Serpa, Public Works Manager, jason.serpa@visalia.city, 713-4533
Wyndi Ferguson, Interim Public Works Director, wyndi.ferguson@visalia.city, 713-4186
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 Visalia's homeless population in the amount of $221,847, 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. 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 instruction...
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