NoRTEC
AGENDA
WIB AND GOVERNING BOARD
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2001
10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
BEST WESTERN HILLTOP INN
REDDING, CALIFORNIA
(Last Update: 07/20/2001 5:20 PM)

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. WIB APPROVAL OF MINUTES, APRIL 26, 2001 (ACTION)

   The minutes from the April 26, 2001, meeting are attached: Minutes

   RECOMMENDED ACTION:

   WIB approval of the April 26, 2001, minutes, with revisions if needed, as mailed.

   Governing Board approval of the April 26, 2001, minutes, with revisions if needed, as mailed.

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA (ACTION)

   RECOMMENDED ACTION:

   WIB approval of the agenda, with revisions if needed, as mailed.

   Governing Board approval of the agenda, with revisions if needed, as mailed.

5. PUBLIC COMMENT (INFORMATION)

   Members of the public will be invited to make brief comments regarding any aspect of NoRTEC business.

6. WIB APPOINTMENT (INFORMATION)

   There are no nominations for appointment to the NoRTEC WIB.

7. PROGRAM COMMITTEE REPORT (ACTION)

   Michele Piller, Program Committee Chair, will present the Program Committee Report.

   1. Program Monitoring

      On-site program monitoring was completed by NoRTEC staff in each of the nine counties. NoRTEC staff verified that service providers were appropriately documenting participant eligibility and service provision. Program design was also reviewed.

      Eligibility determination appeared to be in order. The paperwork trail that documented an adult or dislocated worker's movement from one level of service to another (core to intensive to training services) was adequate, but recommendations were made to modify the documentation so that it was easier for monitors/auditors to review files for compliance. Program design and implementation in the adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs appeared to be in order.

      There were no findings.

      The next round of programmatic monitoring is tentatively scheduled for November and early December, weather permitting.

   2. State Monitoring

      There are currently no official scheduled State monitoring visits on the horizon.

      Staff have completed and returned to the State three "self-evaluation" guides: An Administrative Review Guide (which covers policy and operating procedures for WIB staff; an Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Program Review Guide, which covers the operation of programs that provide services to clients throughout the WIB's service area; and a Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Review Guide, which covers compliance with the ADA (American with Disabilities Act) and assurances that NoRTEC's and its programs are in compliance Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity provisions.

      For the most part, the State is okay with how we answered the questions in the guides. They have asked for a few items; mostly copies of policies and procedures that we are still developing, and a copy of our contract boilerplate with the service providers.

      There are also a few of unresolved issues. One is whether the NoRTEC administrative offices are required to have TDD/TDY capabilities (telephone tying machine) for the hearing impaired - for ADA compliance. Another is whether NoRTEC will be required to supply the State with a copy of the lease agreements for each of the One Stops in the NoRTEC workforce area - as part of the local cost sharing agreements. This later is an outgrowth of the generally "weak" cost allocation agreements amoung the local partners.

      Unofficial State Visits

      This past May 15, 2001, we were visited by the upper echelon of the State WIB staff; Andrew Baron, Executive Director, Paul Gussman, Deputy Director, and Dave Mar, Manager of Local Coordination. We took them on a tour of the Butte PIC's Oroville One Stop, the NoRTEC administrative office in Paradise, The Butte PIC's Baking School in Chico, and the Alliance for Workforce Development's One Stop in Quincy. Mr. Baron mentioned his trip to Quincy at the last State WIB meeting.

      More recently (July 12, 2001), we had another group of State staff visit the One Stop in Quincy: Linda Beattie, Regional Advisor, Workforce Investment Division, Donna Stearns, Program Monitor Workforce Preparation Unit, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Jon Courtway,Associate Government Program Analyst, Employment Initiatives & Integration Unit and Jane Canty, Manager; Federal, State, and Local Coordination, State WIB. They must have heard how much fun the Quincy One Stop is, not to mention the drive through the Feather River canyon.

      From all accounts so far, the visitors were favorably impressed, and have at least given lip service to being supportive in the future. I think we made some new friends.

   3. WtW Client Numbers

      The program is in the process of winding down. Most programs plan on expending all funding by June 30, 2001. There is no new funding promised. Client counts as of 06/30/01 are as follows (Note: Butte and Trinity spent all funding as of June 30, 2000.)

      Participant Counts

   4. WIA Client Numbers

      Participant Counts

   5. Caregiver Training Initiative (CTI)

      NoRTEC was funded for a total of $2,690,210 under the Caregiver Training Initiative to develop and provide training opportunities to WIA and WtW eligible clients in a sixteen county region (Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba Counties.) Approximately $1,200,000 is for NoRTEC County projects. The remaining $1,400,000 is for the other NCEN partners.

      The time frame for the project is March 1, 2001, through September 30, 2002. Contracts are mostly in place. Please see the attached for project descriptions: CTI Projects

   6. Plant Closure Update

      There have been several plant closures in the nine county area of NoRTEC over the past nine months. The following web site address is being updated as additional closures occur during the year.

      Plant Closure Update

   7. Featured Community Coordinator Report

      Each meeting the Program Committee will select one of the quarterly Community Coordinator reports to feature. Following are direct links to the reports received for the quarter ending June 30, 2001 (Note: If the link does not take you directly to the report for the April-June quarter, look for a menu selection on the web page entitled Community Coordinator or Community Coordinator Reports.) :

      Butte PIC
      Rural Human Services (Del Norte)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Lassen)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Modoc)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Plumas)
      Shasta PIC
      STEP (Siskiyou)
      Job Training Center of Tehama County
      Trinity Occupational Training (Trinity)

      It is getting a lot harder to pick a clear winner. The quality of the Community Coordinator reports is really impressive. This quarter's selection is from Trinity Occupational Training (TOT), although it was just about a tie with Lassen, Plumas, and Siskiyou, and a close call with Del Norte. The report from Del Norte was colorful, with lots of pictures and compact, easy to read information. A couple of links and a little less dramatic background color and it would have been a contender. The report from Modoc was also nice, but it has no links and is not quite as easy to read as the top picks. The report from Shasta added a picture this time, but they are still using the adobe format, so lose points for accessibility. Butte also had a nicely presented, colorful, easy to read report, but relied on Terri to turn it into an HTML page from the text file submitted by Butte.

      Welcome to Traci Peterson, the new One-Stop Community Coordinator for Lassen County. Great looking report. If not for the late posting, this may have been the quarterly selection. The Plumas report was again a top contender, and is now eligible for the "Susan Luchi" award for the most nominations without a win (for you fans of "All My Children"). The report from Siskiyou has a new look, and also would have been tough to beat with an on-time submission and a couple of links.

      Trinity also has a new Community Coordinator; welcome Linda Morecraft, and congratulations on producing such nice reports. Linda has opted for monthly reports, instead of one per quarter, and this "volume" tactic swayed the judges. The reports are compact, nicely displayed, full of information, with lots of links, and lots photographs, showcasing many of the beautiful geographic features of Trinity County. Another interesting feature is that the information is organized and presented by District.

      Note: All of the Community Coordinator reports are important and appreciated. Selecting one to highlight for the Quarter is just for fun.

   8. Modoc County One Stop Report

      Each meeting a county One Stop program will be asked to make a 10 - 15 minute presentation on some aspect of their program. The Alliance for Workforce Development (the WIA service provider in Modoc County) will present this meeting. Kelly Poindexter, Modoc Community Coordinator, and Gary Corderman, Executive Director, of the Alliance for Workforce Development will be making the presentation.

      RECOMMENDED ACTION:

      WIB approval of the Fourth Quarter Program Committee Report.

      Governing Board approval of the Fourth Quarter Program Committee Report.

8. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT (ACTION)

   B. Hamby, Finance Committee Chair, will present the Finance Committee report.

   1. PY 2000/2001 Funding (INFORMATION)

      Currently, NoRTEC has $19,866,227 in available funds for the program year July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001. This is a $10,165,785 increase over the amount available in PY 1999/2000. The increase in funding is due to the the addition of Butte and Shasta ($7,000,000), and the special project funding received during the latter part of the program year ($3,000,000).

      Project	Funds Available From 7/01/2000	Add'l Funds Requested/ Anticipated	Total
      WIA Adult	$3,777,741	$0	$3,777,741
      WIA Youth	$4,077,980	$0	$4,077,980
      WIA Dislocated	$4,216,579	$0	$4,216,579
      WIA Rapid Response	$1,205,000	$0	$1,205,000
      Welfare-To-Work	$1,426,107	$0	$1,426,107
      Incentive Funds	$205,341	$0	$205,341
      WIA Transition	$37,534	$0	$37,534
      Caregiver Training	$2,690,210	$0	$2,690,210
      Core & Intensive Project	$1,867,925	$0	$1,867,925
      Capacity Building	$25,000	$0	$25,000
      ADA Funding	$54,269	$0	$54,269
      Youth Development	$282,541	$0	$282,541
      Total	$19,866,227	$0	$19,866,227

      1. Approval of PY 2000/2001 Fourth Quarter Financial Reports (ACTION)
         1. PY 2000/2001 Contracts Summary

            NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

            This report shows the total amount of funding in contracts with the State, the source of that funding and its allocation within NoRTEC for the 00/01 program year. As of June 30, 2001, NoRTEC had a total of $19,866,227 available in State contracts for the 2000/2001 program year. This report includes only amounts available in the 2000/2001 program year. Amounts expended in prior years are not included.

         2. PY 2000/2001 Service Provider Contract Modifications

            NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

            This report shows the changes between March 31, 2001, and June 30, 2001, in the service provider contract amounts available for expenditure in the current program year. This report shows only contract amounts available in the current year. Contract amounts expended in prior years are not included.

            The significant contract modifications during the period were (1) the addition of $194,000 per county for Core and Intensive services under the Dislocated Worker program; (2) the allocation of $1,196,697 across the nine counties for the Caregiver Training Initiative (another $1,200,000 of Caregiver Training Initiative funding has been allocated to other WIB's and $118,649 is unallocated); (3) the allocation of $42,000 of Rapid Response funding per county to pay for local Internet usage charges, equipment costs necessary to maintain and improve local Internet connectivity, and local attendance costs for the Konocti conference; (4) the addition of $264,176 to Butte County for a Youth Development Grant; (5) the allocation of $48,469 to several counties for improvements required by the Americans With Disabilities Act; (6) the voluntary transfer of $23,435 in Welfare-To-Work funding from Siskiyou to Tehama; and (7) the addition of $120,000 to Shasta, $35,000 to Butte, and $25,000 to Del Norte for special Rapid Response projects.

            Please see the attachment for specific amounts allocated to each Service Provider.

         3. PY 2000/2001 Program Expenditure Report

            NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

            This report shows each subcontractor's total available balance for the program year (July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001), the cumulative expenditures for the twelve months ended June 30, 2001, and the remaining balance at June 30, 2001, for each specific funding title and program type. This report shows only contract amounts available in the current year. Contract amounts expended in a prior year are not included.

            In the past, NoRTEC service providers have generally been required to spend 90% of each year's allocated funds (Adult, Youth and Dislocated Worker) by the end of the program year. However, the WIB and Governing board waived the NoRTEC expenditure requirement for this program year.

            Most NoRTEC service providers have requested a transfer of funding from the Dislocated Worker program to the Adult program. The State has not yet processed this transfer, so the results of that transfer are not yet reflected in the service provider's allocations. As a result, some service providers show an over-expenditure in the Adult program. The over-expenditures will be eliminated when the funding transfer is processed.

            Overall, NoRTEC service providers spent 94% of the total Adult allocation, 65% of the total Youth allocation, and 80% of the Dislocated Worker allocation for the program year ended June 30, 2001. The lower Youth expenditure rate is attributable to the transition from a split summer/year-round Youth program under JTPA to a completely year-round Youth program under WIA.

            All unspent monies at June 30, 2001, will be carried into the 2001/2002 program year. There are no areas of concern at this time.

         4. PY 2000/2001 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Expenditure Report

            NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

            This report shows the Administrative Entity (AE) expenditures against the annual line item budget for the program year ended June 30, 2001. At June 30, 2001, the NoRTEC Administrative Entity had expended 99% of its operating budget, 93% of its special projects budget, and 33% of its capacity building budget.

            The expenditures in the Special Projects line-item include charges for the 99/00 Konocti conference, consultants, Internet upgrades and two WIB/GB computers

            The primary budget expenditures are detailed in the attached line-item report. There are no items of concern at this time.

         5. PY 2000/2001 NoRTEC WIB and Governing Board Expenditure Report

            NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

            This report shows the WIB and Governing Board expenditures against the annual line item budget for the nine months ended June 30, 2001. At June 30, 2001, the WIB/GB had expended 63% of its total budget. There are no items of concern at this time.

         RECOMMENDED ACTION: The WIB Finance Committee is recommending NoRTEC WIB and Governing Board approval of the PY 2000/2001 Fourth Quarter Preliminary Finance Reports.
   2. PY 2001/2002 Funding (INFORMATION)

      Currently, NoRTEC has $17,294,363 in available funds for the PY 2001/2002 Program Year. Another $1,503,750 has been requested. If all the requested funds are received, NoRTEC will have $18,798,113 available for the 2001/2002 program year.

      This represents a $1,068,114 decrease in total funding from the PY 2000/2001 program year. The decrease in funding is primarily due to the reduction in NoRTEC's allocated funds (Adult, Youth and Dislocated Worker) for the 2001/2002 program year. NoRTEC received less allocated funds in the 2000/2001 program year because of the drop in California's unemployment rate relative to the rest of the country, and in NoRTEC's relative to the rest of California.

      These numbers below do not reflect the effects of the possible Congressional funding recission.

      The special project funding in the table below (Core & Intensive, Youth Development and Caregiver Training) was made available to NoRTEC at the very end PY 2000/2001. The State did this so that they could obligate the money prior to June 30. As a practical matter, most of the funds received late in the program year will be carried into the new program year. Therefore, most of the funding for those projects is included in both the PY 2000/2001 funding table above and the PY 2001/2002 funding table below.

      Project	Funds Available From July 1, 2001	Additional Funds Requested	Total
      Adult	$3,471,215	$0	$3,471,215
      Youth	$4,953,753	$0	$4,953,753
      Dislocated Worker	$3,832,837	$0	$3,832,837
      Rapid Response	$301,250	$903,750	$1,205,000
      Welfare-To-Work	$288,273	$0	$288,273
      Core & Intensive Project	$1,510,825	$600,000	$2,110,825
      Capacity Building	$16,720	$0	$16,720
      Incentive Funds	$110,985	$0	$110,985
      Youth Development	$282,541	$0	$282,541
      Caregiver Training	$2,525,964	$0	$2,525,964
      Total	$17,294,363	$1,503,750	$18,798,113

   3. PY 2001/2002 Contracts Summary (Information)

      NOTE: This report is preliminary, but is not expected to vary significantly from the final report.

      This report shows the total amount of funding in contracts with the State, the source of that funding and its allocation within NoRTEC for the 2001/2002 program year. As of July 1, 2001, NoRTEC had a total of $17,294,363 available in State contracts for the 2001/2002 program year. This report includes only amounts available in the 2001/2002 program year. Amounts expended in prior years are not included.

   4. State Monitoring of NoRTEC (INFORMATION)

      During March, NoRTEC received an on-site monitoring from EDD to review NoRTEC's fiscal and procurement systems for compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and policies related to the WIA program. The monitor spent two days in the NoRTEC administrative office, and also visited the NoRTEC subcontractors in Tehama and Shasta Counties (a one-day whirlwind tour of a couple of hours each).
      
      We have received the final monitoring letter resulting from that visit. EDD concluded that NoRTEC is meeting the requirements of the WIA concerning financial management and procurement.

      The final monitoring letter also contained a suggestion that NoRTEC retain a copy of each Memorandum of Understanding between each Service Provider and each of that Service Provider's local One-Stop partners. NoRTEC Staff Response: NoRTEC already has an MOUE with the local partners which is on file at the NoRTEC administrative office as well as at the State. NoRTEC does not consider it prudent to assume responsibility for tracking, approving, retaining copies of, or in any other way potentially increasing our liability for, any additional local-level MOU's or agreements among independent contractors that NoRTEC is not party to. Therefore, NoRTEC has chosen not to implement the suggestion.

   5. Fiscal Monitoring of Service Providers By NoRTEC (INFORMATION)
      
      NoRTEC Finance Director Michael Cross conducted on-site fiscal and procurement reviews of all NoRTEC service providers during May and June. The areas under review included accounting systems, allowable costs, cost categories, financial reporting, cost allocation, property management and procurement.

      For the first time in at least 9 years of fiscal monitoring, there were no findings at any of the NoRTEC service providers. The service providers should be commended for their remarkable efforts.

      NoRTEC's letters of monitoring findings are available for review by interested WIB/GB members.

   6. Acceptance of PY 1999/2000 Single Audit Report (ACTION)

      NoRTEC has received its June 30, 2000, Single Audit Report. The audit was "clean," meaning that there were no findings, questioned costs, or recommendations resulting from the Audit. The WIB Finance Committee has reviewed the audit report and has recommended that the WIB accept the audit report.

      Copies of the Single Audit Report are available for review by interested members.
      
      RECOMMENDED ACTION: The WIB Finance Committee is recommending NoRTEC WIB and Governing Board approval of NoRTEC's June 30, 2000, Single Audit Report.

9. LOCAL MOU AND ONE STOP STATUS (UPDATE)

   The current status of the NoRTEC MOU agreements is:

   1. Full designation for Butte, Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama and Trinity. Del Norte, Lassen and Modoc obtained the State Department of Rehabilitation's signature in May.
   2. Temporary Designation:
      • Siskiyou/STEP - missing Rehabilitation

   The lone(ly) "Temporary Designation" One Stop is still working on State Department of Rehabilitation's signature for their MOU.

10. STATUS OF FUNDING APPLICATIONS (UPDATE)

    Good News: A Youth Development Grant for the Butte PIC was funded at $282,541. We got the first $300,000 of a $1,200,000 Rapid Response request. We also picked up $54,269 in ADA funding and $25,000 in Staff development funding.

    Bad News: We have a $1,000,000 NCEN application for Dislocated Worker funding still under consideration ($400,000 for NCCC and $600,000 for NoRTEC). So far, we have received no additional funding for Staff Development - $25,000 is customary. We requested $75,000 and got no response. We have $900,000 requested in Rapid Response funding, with an uncertain future due to the threatened recissions.

11. NORTEC WIA PLAN MODIFICATION

    NoRTEC submitted the original five year WIA plan last April, for the period July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2005.

    We are required to submit a modification to this document anytime we make any significant changes in the way we do business. These "significant changes" include receipt of new formula allocated funding. Therefore, at least once each year, we must submit a modification.

    Below are the budget summaries, participant summary, and local performance indicators and goals that will be submitted with this year's (PY 2001/2002) modification. All modifications must be approved by the WIB and Governing Board.

    Budget Summaries (four part form)

    Participant Summary

    Local Performance Indicators and Goals

    RECOMMENDED ACTION:

    WIB approval of the NoRTEC PY 2001 Plan Modification.

    Governing Board approval of the NoRTEC PY 2001 Plan Modification.

12. RAC UPDATE (INFORMATION)

    Someone from each of the "Fire Safe Monies" eligible NoRTEC counties will provide a brief update on the status of their local Resource Advisory Committees (RACs).

13. NoRTEC STATUS REPORT (INFORMATION)

    C. Brown will discuss the "State of NoRTEC," including a brief orientation, accomplishments and challenges. (This will take thirty to forty minutes.)

14. OLD BUSINESS (INFORMATION)

    Old Business Items may be brought up for discussion, at the pleasure of the NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board members.

15. NEW BUSINESS (DISCUSSION)
    1. WIB and Governing Board - Thursday, October 25, 2001, at Konocti
    2. WIB and Governing Board - Thursday, January 31, 2002, in Redding
    3. Additional New Business Items may be brought up for discussion, at the pleasure of the NoRTEC WIB/GB members.
16. ADJOURNMENT