COLUSA-GLENN-TRINITYCOMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, December 3, 2014, 10:30 a.m.
C.R. Gibbs American Grille, Best Western Hilltop Inn, Redding, CA
Members Present:Sandy Bechtold, Lora Ceccon, Donna Dennis, John Minniear, Cyndi Montoya, Debbie Moutter, Mike Murray, Al Schroeder, Steve Soeth,
Members Absent:Denise Carter, John Fenley, Karl Fisher, Elizabeth Kelly, Minnie Lawrence, Margie Lee, Mark Marshall, Joanne Overton, John Vafis, and Rev. Philip Zabell
Staff Present:Scott Gruendl, Bill Wathen, David Allee, and Connie Scott
Guest:Debbie DeCoito and Laurie Greig
Quorum Met: No
I.Call to Order – Lora Ceccon, Board Vice-Chairperson
Meeting called to order at 10:30 a.m.; nine present, including one alternate, ten absent.
A. Introductions – All
- Read the CAP pledge–All
II.Requests by Members of the Public to Address the Board – Lora Ceccon, Board Vice Chairperson(Pursuant to Section 54954.3 of the Ralph Brown Act) – None heard.
III.Administrative Business/Housekeeping – Staff and Board
- Meeting Notice and Posting Date– Lora Ceccon, Board Vice-Chairperson
Postings confirmed as required by 1994 Brown Act.Staff confirmed documents were posted/mailedNovember 19, 2014.
- Agenda Additions - None
C.Approval ofDecember 3, 2014 Agenda– Lora Ceccon, Board Vice Chairperson–Action
The agenda cannot be approved, as there is no quorum.
D. Approval ofSeptember 24, 2014Minutes – Lora Ceccon, Board Vice Chairperson–Action
The minutes cannot be approved, as there is no quorum.
E.Local Committee Breakout
1. Colusa County
- Nomination/Election of 2015 Chairperson – Action
- Review/Approve Term Extension – Lora Ceccon and Minnie Lawrence
As there is no quorum from Colusa County, results will be emailed to the CAP Board after the next Colusa local meeting.
2.Glenn County
- Nomination/Election of 2015 County Chairperson - Action
Reverend Philip Zabell was elected as the County Chairperson for Glenn County.
- Review/Approve Term Extensions – John Minniear and Joanne Overton
Terms were extended for both John Minniear and Joanne Overton.
3.Trinity County
- Nomination/Election of 2015 Chairperson – Action
Cindy Montoya was elected Chairperson for Trinity County.
- Review/Approve Term Extensions – Sandy Bechtold and Al Schroeder
Terms were extended for both Sandy Bechtold and Al Schroeder.
F. Nomination/Election of 2015 Officers – Chair – Action
As there is no quorum, the elections of officers will be postponed until the March 25, 2015 meeting.
G. Review/Discussion of 2015 Calendar/CAP Board and Local Meeting Locations - Action
As there is no quorum, the review of the calendar will be postponed until the March 25, 2015 meeting.
IV.Executive Director’s Report – Scott Gruendl & Bill Wathen
- Fiscal Report/Funding – Bill Wathen
Bill reviewed the Stop Light report. The Employment and Training Unit’s programs are all on track, reaching their benchmarks for spending and performance. The Weatherization and Community Service Unitis also on track and meeting their benchmarks. The Prevention, Intervention and Education Unit has some under-spending in the Community Service Block Grant, due in part to not having a Deputy Director for Community Action on staff. The Westside Domestic Violence Shelter is in red, and we are looking for new revenue sources to pay for the rent and continued maintenance on the structure. We are obligated to maintain the facility until 2022. We are in the process of re-establishing the Continuum of Care, formerly an eight county group. During 2014, plans were made to form a new continuum with Colusa, Glenn and Trinity counties as members, and to pattern the group after the CAP model. Policies and procedures are being put in place, and we hope to begin the new continuum in March of 2015.
- Staffing/Personnel – Bill Wathen
Bill noted that on our Position Allocation list, there is an allocation for a Deputy Director of Community Action. Even though we do not have this position filled at this time, we do have the allocation for it, should we decide to fill it and have the funding for it. At this time, Bill and Scott Gruendl are administering the duties of that position. Bill noted that the HHSA Program Manager position was filled through recruitment, and Shane Anderson, formerly the Community Action Coordinator for Housing and Weatherization, was the successful candidate. Luz Melgarejo is still the Community Action Coordinator for Community Action, and she has been on staff over twenty years. Luz has two staff members to assist with the phones, office work and crisis intervention. Luz’s staff is also assisting with the main switchboard function for the agency.There are four staff members who work in the field in assessments, rehabilitation, installations and follow-up. When asked by Lora Ceccon, Bill noted the total number of staff is sixteen, which includes David Allee and his Workforce Investment Act (WIA) staff.
- Emerging State/Federal Issues –Scott Gruendl
Scott Gruendl commented that as a result of the recent elections nationwide, and the shift of control from the Democrats to the Republicans, he feels that our funding options will not improve. At the state level, counties that handle re-use funding have had their contracts pulled. New contracts called for new guidelines to be re-established. Scott mentioned that as the Federal government passes funds to the state, and then the state passes those funds to the counties, there is a lot of auditing of those funds, and the state has to determine who is responsible for any auditing findings. This causes the state to be cautious and slow, which impacts our programs. Most of our funding sources have received some level of reduction. Scott presumes the state will retain some of the funding that the federal government assumes will go to the counties. Scott says reduction in funding will push us to be creative with our funds and find new partners and ways to make the most of what we have. Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors approved the action to submit paperwork for the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), which is being administered by the Housing and Community Development (HCD) department at the state level. This grant will help with the Rapid Re-Housing program, which deals with helping families who are at risk of losing their housing. This is as much a program for landlords as it is for tenants. If we get the grant approved, there will be funds for all three counties. It is a $90,000.00 grant, on a one-to one match.
- Communications Received – Scott Gruendl
We have received communication concerning performance audits, and the feedback has been affirmative. We received funding from CDBG for housing rehabilitation and the micro-enterprise grant. Sandy Bechtold asked if there was any more information concerning the formation of a hybrid model for Community Action, and Scott mentioned there was nothing new at this time. Scott did mention that he was not sure if anyone at the Agency has been tasked with researching the costs involved in forming a non-profit organization. David Allee noted that most of the community action agencies in the state attend a quarterly meeting, and at those meetings, there seems to be an even split on choosing to be a non-profit, and those who choose to be a public agency.
Scott asked for an open brain-storming timeto discuss what we do well, what improvements are needed, and what some of the needs are for each county that Community Action could help. Sandy Bechtold commented that HEAP and Weatherization have done well in Trinity County, and the new logo and truck have helped to promote Community Action to Trinity County. Emergency housing is a critical need in Trinity County. Sandy said she enjoyed the field trips to the mushroom plant in Colusa and the race track in Glenn County, which exposed her to economic opportunities that have added revenue to their respective counties. Sandy would like to have a field trip in Trinity County, so that we could see what has been developed in that county. When asked who is responsible for economic development in Trinity County, Sandy replied that the Board of Supervisors, Chamber of Commerce and the community center in Hayfork all work together in this endeavor. Sandy mentioned that Trinity County recently had a “meet and greet” with county officials and local residents, and the feedback was informative and positive. Scott said that he is currently working on having the infrastructure in place to be able to quickly respond to business interest requests. Scott mentioned that at the state level, there is a department called Cal Biz/Go Biz associated with the governor’s office on economic development, which has a goal of matching businesses that are researching California as a potential site with the counties that could support that business. Scott noted that Glenn County is in the process of developing templates on the county, so that when the state sends a Request for Information (RFI) to the county, information can be quickly assembled and submitted. Scott said that each county needs to identify what sets them apart that could attract businesses in their areas. Margie Lee expressed interest in this, and asked for copies of the templates for use in Trinity County. Scott added that it is critical to be able to identify available land in your county that could be used for new businesses. John Minniear said that he believes we do not do adequate advertising on what services our county offers. He feels that people are not aware of available services. John feels that volunteers could be a tremendous help in this area. Sandy said we should make presentations to various Chambers of Commerce and other organizations to request volunteer help. Scott recalled when we printed a series of three inserts on Community Action that were distributed in all three counties, with extra copies to hand out to their residents. Scott said he used to go to each of the three counties and do a presentation to the Board of Supervisors, using this as a means to introduce himself and explain the function of the CAP board.
V. Program Reports – Staff
Bill Wathen distributed a narrative and outcome report for the low income energy assistance program (LiHEAP) administered by the Weatherization Departmentat the HHSA for all three counties.This report reflects the outcomes for the 2014 contract. Weatherization and emergency response benchmarks are on track, and some benchmarks were exceeded. Trinity County is below their benchmark, but this is kept low for the future heating emergency needs as the weather gets colder. If there is a heating emergency, and folks are having trouble getting through the switchboard, Bill has placed a direct phone number, 934-6129, for faster assistance and direct connection to a live person, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Glenn County has exceeded their benchmarks, as more jobs are being completed using less money. The Wood, Propane and Oil benchmarks are also on track. Bill said we have had approximately a 10% decrease in funding in the last two years, and staff has learned to prioritize cases with the elderly (those who are over 60 years old), the disabled, and families with children. These three categories get priority over other cases.
VI.Presentation –Employment & Training Update- David Allee, Debbie DeCoito, Laurie Greig and Lora Ceccon
David Allee reiterated that the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is nested in the Community Action umbrella, and therefore under the purview of the CAP Board, who has jurisdictional authority over WIA in Glenn County. WIA is part of the “one stop” concept for job seekers, with two sites co-located with other programs and services. Business Services is a function of WIA, and receives some funding from WIA and from CDBG for microenterprise activities. Glenn County operates two sites, which is unique in our consortium. WIA works with the Office of Education in a semester based program for high school students.There is some funding for Veterans, and one Veteran has been working on an on-line Pharmacy Technician program. They host two job fairs per month. Medical careers training for registered nursing, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and medical assistants are on-going. The YES program still helps youths find employment, and the transportation industry is continually hiring truck drivers. Electrical lineman training is also offered in Oroville. In program year 2013-2014, all seventeen benchmarks were met.
Business Services is located at the Willows campus. It is co-located with the WIA team and CalWORKS program staff. There are two unique business services offerings. The Microenterprise Program is funded by CDBG, specifically for low to moderate income small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs or solopreneurs.The Strike Team/Navigator process came about from the collaboration of the Glenn County Economic Development Steering Committee.This system was created to assist new businesses with the startup process. Unlike microenterprise, in the Strike Team process, there is no eligibility requirement or any funding source. Technical Assistance is provided by the Business Services department, which is located at the Willows campus of the HHSA, and a retained consultant from the Chico Center for Economic Development. There is no cost to eligible entrepreneurs or small business owners. Eight businesses have been helped by the microenterprise system, and of those eight, three were not microenterprises. David discussed the concept of “Solopreneurs”, noting that there are currently 17 million Americans who are solopreneurs, and that by 2020, 50% of the workforce will be freelancers. Solopreneurs dream of being self-employed and don’t intend to ever expand beyond a one or two person operation. Some examples of solopreneurs are CPA’s, web designers, writers, consultants and pump installers, to name a few.
Laurie Greig from The SMART Business Resource Center for Trinity and Shasta Counties works for the Business Services departments for both counties, and works with the youth, adults and the dislocated programs as well. SMART is a private, non-profit organization that receives its funding from the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of California, and they are currently looking for grant funding as well. They have two locations-Redding and Weaverville. They work in partnership with the Veterans Services and EDD, speak monthly to dislocated workers, and have rapid response assistance, working with businesses that face layoffs or closure. SMART works with businesses to help them prevent layoffs (layoff aversion), using such tools as job sharing and other training opportunities. They work with economic development and small business start-up, providing data. They work with area Chambers of Commerce, local students, offer on the job training for older workers, and help with resume preparation and job search. In Business Services, SMART places over 410 free job orders, does all the pre-screening for these jobs, and providesa location for interviewing to local businesses. Debbie DeCoito interjected that they provide pre-employment skills testing, which is a “fee for service” that helps offset other costs incurred in their other programs. The worksite training program helps businesses offset the cost of initial hiring and training. They do a 10 week training period for young, inexperienced workers to prepare them for the workforce. In Shasta County, SMART holds two large job fairs per year and ten local high school fairs per year. Debbie DeCoito mentioned they work with Shasta College, who has a deputy sector navigator (as do most junior colleges). They work on providing certificates in advanced manufacturing, agriculture and small business entrepreneurship. This is a short term training that provides a certificate upon completion, which can be used to help secure employment.In Trinity County, businesses are using SMART for job postings and testing, pre-screening, work-site trainings, and work experience training. In November, Trinity County did their first Career Day in ten years. Over 400 students attended the event, with students from Hayfork being bussed in for the event. SMART partners with the Human Response Network, the Health and Human Services Welfare to Work program, the Office of Education, and other local agencies.
Lora Ceccon from Colusa County noted that in Colusa, the WIA program is a joint powers agreement between the two cities in the county-Williams and Colusa. They are an independent agency, governed by a five member board of directors. There is only one active site, which is in Colusa, with a staff of eleven. They have formula funding for the adult and dislocated workers, Rapid Response for business closures, employee recruitment, resume assistance, on the job training, labor market information, job fairs, and they have a computer lab which offers a typing program and GED preparation. Colusa has STARRS funding for dislocated workers and Health Care NEG which is special funding to train clients in the health care industry. They also have Veterans funding as well. Colusa partners with the Employment Development Department, California Human Development Corporation for migrant and farm workers, and the State Department of Rehabilitation. They hold contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services to provide services to the CalWORKS clients, the Independent Living program, a youth program teaching life skills for foster youth, an employment program for the CalWORKS clients, and they manage the transitional housing program for the county. They have a contract with behavioral health to provide services to their clients at Safe Haven, and with the probation department in the day reporting center, providing assistance to the adult probationers. WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) does not go into effect until July 1, 2015. This is the first reform of this act in fifteen years. Priority will be on out of school youth, as opposed to younger youth, requiring 75% of the spending go to this age bracket of 16-24 years old. Outreach and how they work with schools will change, and there will be more employer outreach, working with businesses, and layoff aversion training. For the changes in working with the youth, they are working on a “pre” pre-apprenticeship program, to introduce youth to the different construction jobs that are available. This is structured to appeal to the youth who do not plan to attend college but are not sure what they want to do. There will be in-classroom training where students will be introduced to the different opportunities available in the construction field. Ten to fifteen students will receive fifteen hours of classroom instruction, andwill visit construction sites. This program should start in February of 2015. Colusa has a non-profit under their One Stop, which helps make small business loans and larger loans under an intermediary lending program. Colusa County was recently approved for a rural microenterprise program from the USDA rural development, which will help continue that program. Lora said they will seek out existing businesses to see what other needs they have. Colusa County has made fourteen loans for 1.5 million dollars under the intermediary lending program, and eighteen small business loans for $166,700.