NoRTEC
AGENDA
WIB AND GOVERNING BOARD
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2007
10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
HOLIDAY INN
CHICO, CA

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES, OCTOBER 27, 2006 (ACTION)

   The minutes from the October 27, 2006, meeting are attached: Minutes

   Recommended Action:

   WIB approval of the October 27, 2006, minutes, with revisions if needed, as posted.

   Governing Board approval of the October 27, 2006, minutes, with revisions if needed, as posted.

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. WIB APPOINTMENTS (ACTION)

   
   WIB Vacancies

   There are currently four vacancies on the NoRTEC WIB:

   1. A Private Industry seat in Modoc County,
   2. A Private Industry seat in Trinity County,
   3. A Private Industry seat in Butte County, and
   4. A newly created At-Large Labor Seat, created by the passage of California SB 293, which requires that WIBs in the
   State of Califonria have at least three members. (Currently, NoRTEC has only two.)

   William Hagge, President of Hagge Ranch, Inc., in Alturas, has been nominated for the Private Industry seat in Modoc County by the Alturas Chamber of Commerce.
   WIB Application, Nomination Letter

   Jim Jungwirth, Owner of Jefferson State Forest Products, LLC., in Hayfork, has been nominated for the Private Industry seat in Trinity County by the Trinity County Chamber of Commerce.
   WIB Application, Nomination Letter

   No nomination was received from Butte County.

   Mickey Harrington, President of the Butte/Glenn Labor Council, has expressed interest in the At-Large Labor seat. If his paperwork is submitted in time, he will be presented to the Governing Board as a nomination for this seat.

   Recommended Action:

   Governing Board appointment of the above individuals to the NoRTEC WIB, to fill the Private Industry seats in Modoc and Trinity Counties.

6. PUBLIC COMMENT (INFORMATION)

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

7. PROGRAM COMMITTEE REPORT (ACTION)

   M. Piller will present the Program Committee Report.

   1. Program Monitoring

      There has been one monitoring visit since the last meeting. Shasta SMART was monitored on March 13-14, 2007. There were no findings. The remaining spring monitoring visits have been scheduled as follows:

      April 24-25 - Butte PIC
      May 7-11 - AFWD (Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, and Sierra Counties)
      June 12-13 - JTCTC (Tehama County)
      June 14-15 - TOT (Trinity County)
      June 16, 18 - RHS (Del Norte County
      June 20-22 - STEP (Siskiyou County)

      A full report will be given at the July 2007 meeting.

   2. State Monitoring

      During the week of March 19, 2007, the State performed a data validation review on NoRTEC's reported outcomes for PY 2005/2006. A sample of files from NoRTEC Service Providers were reviewed. No official letter has been received, but unofficial word is that we passed the review with flying colors.

   3. Client Numbers
      1. One Stop Centers - Job Seekers Accessing One-Stop Centers
      2. WIA Enrollments - Job Seekers Enrolled in the WIA Program
      3. Client Exits - Outcome Information On Customers Leaving The Programs
      4. Core Service - One Stop Center Utilization Information
         
         
      5. Employer Service - One Stop Center Employer Service Information
   4. Contract Performance
      1. WIA Service Provider Contract Performance - Adult Programs

         WIA Service Provider Contract Performance - Youth Programs

         As agreed, NoRTEC has not focused a lot of attention on the details of participant performance since WIA was implemented, choosing instead to focus on meeting local business needs. Staff do, however, monitor service provider performance against objectives written into the contracts (on a quarterly basis), including cost per enrollment, placement rates, and a variety of program quality measures including average wage at placement and credential attainment measures. Generally, if a service provider is not meeting several contract objectives at the end of a quarter, they are required to submit a corrective action plan. Corrective action plans for the quarter ending March 31, 2007, are due on May 1, 2007.

         The performance report also includes information on MCLAUS V (Multiple Closures, Layoffs and Unemployment Services), the LVN to RN Upgrade project, and the LVN to RN Step-Up project (a second grant to upgrade current LVNs to RNs). Performance in the NCNTP project (Northern California Nurse Training) is also reported. The contract ended on March 31, 2007, but a final report will not be given until the July 2007 meeting as the Service Providers work to finalize data reporting.

         • MCLAUS V began on July 1, 2006, and will end on December 31, 2007. This "special project" funding is to serve dislocated workers. All Service Providers in NoRTEC are receiving a portion of this funding.
         • The LVN-RN skills upgrade program began on January 1, 2006, and will end on December 31, 2007. This "special project" funding is to be utilized to provide skills upgrade training for LVNs that wish to become RNs. The Service Providers in Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties received a portion of this funding.

         NoRTEC was recently funded for another "special project" to expand training capacity and upgrade LVNs to RNs. The term of this project is February 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, and focuses primarily on the new LVN to RN upgrade program being implement at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California. NoRTEC is planning to assist 54 LVNs with this skill upgrade training. Final allocations to programs have not yet been determined, but the Service Provider in Siskiyou County (STEP) will receive the majority of this funding. The training program will not begin until August 2007, so enrollment and performance information will not be reported until the October 2007 WIB and Governing Board meeting.

      2. WIA Business Services Performance

         This website has training opportunities for local business (Website Initiative, Internet Classroom), and a number of reports on business service usage, events and outcomes (Business Services Usage, Internet Learning Usage, Business Websites, the Community Coordinator Reports, and the most recent Market All showing number of services and market share).

   5. National Emergency Grant (NEG) - Storm Project 2005/2006

      NoRTEC was awarded a grant of $2,004,441 in February 2006 to employ Dislocated Workers to help clean up damage from the winter storms of December 2005/2006 in Del Norte, Lassen, Plumas, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties. This funding will end on June 30, 2007. As of March 31, 2007, the NoRTEC Service Providers have put the following number of participants to work:

      RHS (Del Norte County) - 68
      AFWD (Lassen and Plumas Counties) - 56
      STEP (Siskiyou County) - 28
      TOT (Trinity County) - 34

      NoRTEC submitted a request to the State in early March 2007 for and additional $2,455,700 to complete clean-up in the five county area. The State is optimistic that DOL will grant additional funding for continued clean-up. Staff is also optimistic, but believe the amount of funding granted will be less than the $2.4 million requested.

      Photos of the damage are available to view by clicking on the following link: Storm Damage Photos

   6. Plant Closure Update

      There have been several plant closures in the ten county area of NoRTEC over the past several years. The following web site address is being updated as additional closures occur. After clicking on the link below, select >= from the drop down menu, and enter 10/01/2006 under the Date Closed section to see a list of closures since the last meeting.

      Plant Closure Update

   7. "Headline" Program Reports

      What's Happening? - Each of the Program Directors will take a few minutes to share some aspect of their program (accomplished, current or future) with the WIB and Governing Board members.

      Following are direct links to the Community Coordinator reports received for the quarter ending March 31, 2007:
      
      (Note: If the link does not take you directly to the report for the January-March quarter, look for a menu selection on the web page entitled Community Coordinator or Community Coordinator Reports.)
      
      Butte PIC - No report provided.
      Rural Human Services (Del Norte) - No report provided.
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Lassen)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Modoc)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Plumas)
      Smart Business Resource Center (Shasta)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Sierra)
      STEP (Siskiyou)
      Job Training Center of Tehama County
      Trinity Occupational Training (Trinity)
      
      A few highlights from this quarter's reports are:

      • Butte County -
      • Del Norte County -
      • Lassen County - Lassen County businesses and entrepreneurs are in a unique position to expand their businesses by contracting with a large governmental sector present in the county (federal prison, USFS, Bureau of Land Management, Sierra Army Depot, and several other agencies). In order to do business with these governmental agencies, however, local businesses need to know the fundamentals on how to navigate through the complicated government contracting process. In February, the Lassen Career Network in Susanville, in a joint effort with the Federal Technology Center Procurement Technical Assistance Center, hosted a seminar entitled "Getting Started with Government Contracting." This seminar helped attendees learn what it takes to get started, including what types of goods and services the federal government buys, how to obtain the necessary registrations and classification codes, whether they qualify for certain socioeconomic programs, and a whole lot more. This seminar helped local businesses expand their operations by adding the federal government to their customer base.
      • Modoc County - On March 13, 2007, the Modoc Employment Center hosted a Job Coaching workshop. Eleven people attended the event presented by AFWD's Laurie Wann and Tonya Moore. Topics covered included improving listening skills, setting performance goals, providing performance feedback, and rewarding employees. The response to the workshop from those who attended was positive.
      • Plumas County - The 11th Annual Plumas Job Fair was held in Chester, Quincy, and Graeagle in late March. Over 50 employers and almost 200 job seekers participated in this event.
      • Shasta County - A new Business Solutions Catalog was introduced in January by a local collaborative developed to coordinate area seminar offerings. The intent of the collaborative is to provide the business community workshops and training's that target business operation improvements. The course offerings reflect the combined expertise and specialized services of local agencies contributing to the ongoing success of the business community.

        The Catalog presents six months of business classes in the areas of Business Management Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, Record keeping, Accounting & Taxes, Legal Issues and Safety. The Catalog is an effort of the Shasta Builders Exchange Training Center, Smart Business Resource Center, Shasta Regional Community Foundation-Center for Nonprofit Resources, and the Cascade Small Business Development Center.

      • Sierra County - In Loyalton, AFWD hosted a workshop on Labor Law in their new office on Main Street. Eight employers from all over Sierra County attended. With seasonal hiring in the near future, an overview of requirements and an update on changes, as well as an opportunity to ask questions was welcomed by local employers.
      • Siskiyou County - Josephine Watt, Business Services Coordinator and Joanie Zarzynski, Employer Resources Technician, recently obtained certification as Employment Law Specialists, from Columbia Southern University. The Employment Law Certification course is designed to achieve a working knowledge of federal legislation and regulations affecting employers by focusing on employee and employer rights and responsibilities from the hiring and recruitment process through the termination of employment agreement. The certification of these two individuals give employers in Siskiyou County another valuable resource through the local One-Stop.
      • Tehama County - The Job Training Center's own Kathy Garcia, was a recipient of the California Workforce Association's "Workforce Professional of the Year" award for her work with business services. Kathy received the award on April 12 at the California Workforce Association's annual conference in San Diego. This is a significant achievement for Kathy, and the Job Training Center is honored to have her recognized for her contributions to workforce development. Way to go, Kathy!
      • Trinity County - JobLink recently coordinated two one-day restaurant trainings. The classes were intended to provide participants the opportunity to acquire or enhance their restaurant skills, and to provide local restaurant owners with a much-needed labor pool. The "Cook It Up!" restaurant training was held on March 10, at La Grange Restaurant in Weaverville, and was instructed by Brad Peters, Assistant Professor Culinary Arts of Shasta College. The class covered basic skills for cooks and prep cooks. The Serve It Up class, held March 17, focused on front house skills for wait persons, bartenders, bus persons and hosts/hostesses. The demand for these courses was high, so future classes have been scheduled. "Serve It Up!" will be repeated on April 21, and "Cook It Up!" will be repeated in May.

      Please take a few minutes to read the reports from all ten counties. They are informative and fun. Our Community Coordinators are putting a lot of work into keeping you informed. We like to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts.

   8. One Stop Business Services
      1. Business Service Web Sites - NoRTEC has a number of websites addressing business services.

         NoRTEC Business Services - An overview of the NoRTEC Business Services program.

         All the NoRTEC counties have developed local business services websites that present their local business services program:

         Butte	Shasta
         Del Norte	Sierra
         Lassen	Siskiyou
         Modoc	Tehama
         Plumas	Trinity

      2. NoRTEC Business Service Presentation

         Debbie DeCoito and Karen Lee from Shasta SMART will give a presentation on their April 24 event "Best Companies to Work for in Shasta County."

   9. Staff Training (Information)

      A training and review session was provided to staff at RHS by Betti Austin on November 9-10, 2006, following an on-site inspection of RHS program files. This "programmatic and procedural" review session was a follow-up to training provided to RHS during the months of June, July, and August 2006. The purpose of the summer 2006 training was to remediate deficiencies in participant file documentation with respect to receipt of services and progress through the WIA system.
      
      NoRTEC Youth Program representatives met March 15, 2007, at a NoRTEC sponsored one day training session to update each other on their respective programs. This session was a follow-up to the youth program planning sessions NoRTEC held in February and April 2006. The focus of discussion at the March meeting was youth program design, implementation of the youth program common measures, and youth program performance to-date. There was also a review of NoRTEC expectations.

   10. Youth Council Report (Information)

       There is no Youth Council meeting this quarter.

   Recommended Action:

   The Program Committee recommends approval of the Third Quarter Program Committee Report

   WIB approval of the Third Quarter Program Committee Report.

   Governing Board approval of the Third Quarter Program Committee Report.

8. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT (ACTION)

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

   1. PY 2006/2007 Funding (Information)

      NoRTEC currently has $15,614,676 in available funds for the PY 2006/2007 Program Year. An additional $5,350,000 in funding has been requested. If this funding is received, NoRTEC will have $20,964,676 in available funding for the 2006/2007 Program Year. This would be $5,651,349 more funding than was available in the 2005/2006 program year.

       

      Project	Funds Available from July 1, 2006	Additional Funds Requested	Total
      Adult	$2,739,044	$0	$2,739,044
      Youth	$2,936,267	$0	$2,936,267
      Dislocated Worker	$2,276,309	$0	$2,276,309
      Rapid Response	$749,748	$0	$749,748
      DW Augmentation	$140,293	$0	$140,293
      MCLAUS IV	$553,384	$0	$553,384
      MCLAUS V	$2,000,000	$0	$2,000,000
      Storm 2006	$1,912,590	$0	$1,912,590
      NCNTP	$339,030	$0	$339,030
      LVN to RN	$775,760	$0	$775,760
      Incentive Funds	$8,363	$0	$8,363
      Disability Navigator	$63,888	$0	$63,888
      HCE Youth	$45,000	$0	$45,000
      RN Step-Up	$0	$600,000	$600,000
      State WIRED	$250,000	$250,000	$500,000
      Federal WIRED	$600,000	$4,500,000	$5,100,000
      Regional Small Business/WIRED	$225,000	$0	$225,000
      TOTAL	$15,614,676	$5,350,000	$20,964,676

   2. Approval of PY 2006/2007 Third Quarter Financial Reports (Action)
      1. PY 2006/2007 Contracts Summary

         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 2006/2007 program year. As of March 31, 2007, NoRTEC had a total of $15,114,676 available in State contracts for the 2006/2007 program year. This report includes only amounts available in the 2006/2007 program year. Amounts expended in prior years are not included.

      2. PY 2006/2007 Service Provider Contract Modifications

         This report shows the changes between September 30, 2006, and March 31, 2007, 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 contract modifications during this period were (1) the addition of $141,000 and $36,625 of Storms 2006 funding for Del Norte and Trinity, (2) the addition of $126,264 in Dislocated Worker funding to Tehama, (3) the addition of $45,000 in HCE Youth funding to Tehama, (4) the voluntary transfer of $25,000 of Storms 2006 funding from Lassen, Modoc, Plumas and Sierra to Siskiyou, and (3) the addition of $5,000 per Service Provider for WIRED expenses. In addition, State funding reductions resulted in a decrease of $8,850 in Navigator funding for both Del Norte and Shasta.
         
         These amounts include any unspent funds carried forward from the prior year. See report for detail.

      3. PY 2006/2007 Program Expenditure Report

         This report shows each subcontractor's total available balance for the program year (July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007), the cumulative expenditures for the nine months ended March 31, 2007, and the remaining balance at March 31, 2007, 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.
         
         The only underexpenditure this quarter is in Siskiyou's Youth program. Otherwise, all Service Provider expenditure levels are within required levels.
         
         There are no items of concern.
         
         Background: NoRTEC service providers are generally required to spend 80% of each year's allocation by the end of the program year. For the convenience of monitoring, NoRTEC uses a 20% per quarter expenditure rate as a guide for assessing expenditures throughout the fiscal year (20% first quarter, 40% second quarter, 60% third quarter and 80% final quarter). A corrective action plan (an explanation from the service provider of how they intend to utilize the funds by the end of the funding period) is automatically required from a service provider if quarterly expenditures vary by more than 10% from the quarterly target rate. The required expenditure rates apply to regular funding titles only and do not apply to special projects.
         
         "Excess" funds may be voluntarily returned by a service provider or recaptured by NoRTEC if it appears that a service provider will not be able to effectively utilize them by the end of the funding period. These funds are then redistributed to other NoRTEC service providers demonstrating a greater need, or returned to the State if they cannot be effectively utilized within the consortium. Early detection and correction of expenditure problems is important because it allows time for the funds to be put to good use by service providers in other consortium counties. In addition, the effective use of funds directly affects NoRTEC's ability to secure additional funding in future years.

      4. PY 2006/2007 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Expenditure Report

         This report shows the Administrative Entity (AE) expenditures against the annual line item budget for the nine months ended March 31, 2007. At March 31, 2007, the NoRTEC Administrative Entity had expended 69% of its Operating budget, 77% of its Special Projects budget, 5% of its WIRED project budget, and 60% of its Capacity Building budget. The expenditures are detailed in the attached line item report.
         
         There are no items of concern.

      5. PY 2006/2007 NoRTEC WIB and Governing Board Expenditure Report

         This report shows the WIB and Governing Board expenditures against the annual line item budget for the nine months ended March 31, 2007. At March 31, 2007, the WIB/Governing Board expended 64% of its total budget.
         
         There are no items of concern.

      Recommended Action:

      The Finance Committee recommends approval of the PY 2006/2007 Third Quarter Finance Reports.

      WIB approval of the PY 2006/2007 Third Quarter Finance Reports.

      Governing Board approval of the PY 2006/2007 Third Quarter Finance Reports.

   3. PY 2007/2008 NoRTEC Administrative Budget (Action)

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending that the PY 2007/2008 Administrative Entity Operating budget be approved at $812,684, the Special Projects budget be approved at $100,000, and the Capacity Building budget be approved at $50,000. These are the same amounts that were budgeted for PY 2006/2007, with some minor changes to individual line-items.
      
      A budget for the WIRED project is being proposed at $1,725,000. The budgeted amount consists of the planning grants that have been awarded and will be available for expenditure in PY 2007/2008. Nearly all the of the WIRED funding will be subcontracted to other entities. Since the final amount of WIRED funding and timing of WIRED expenditures is uncertain, the budget may need to be revisited at a later date.
      
      Please see the attached budget and narrative for details. Sufficient funding to cover this budget is anticipated.

      1. Proposed PY 2007/2008 AE Budget
      2. Narrative for the Proposed PY 2006/2007 AE Budget

      Recommended Action:

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending:

      WIB approval of the PY 2007/2008 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Operating budget at $812,684, the Special Projects budget at $100,000, the Capacity Building budget at $50,000, and the WIRED budet at $1,725,000, subject to the availability of funding.
      
      Governing Board approval of the PY 2007/2008 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Operating budget at $812,684, the Special Projects budget at $100,000, the Capacity Building budget at $50,000, and the WIRED budet at $1,725,000, subject to the availability of funding.

   4. PY 2007/2008 NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board Budget (Action)

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending that the PY 2007/2008 WIB/Governing Board Budget be approved at $75,000, subject to the availability of funding. This is the same amount budgeted in PY 2006/2007. Please refer to the Budget Narrative for more details. Sufficient funding to cover this budget is anticipated.

      1. Proposed PY 2007/2008 WIB/Governing Board Budget
      2. Narrative for the Proposed PY 2007/2008 WIB/Governing Board Budget

      Recommended Action:

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending:

      WIB approval of the PY 2007/2008 WIB/GB budget at $75,000, subject to the availability of funding.
      
      Governing Board approval of the PY 2007/2008 WIB/GB budget at $75,000, subject to the availability of funding.

   5. NoRTEC Fiscal Monitoring (Information)

      Fiscal and procurement monitoring of service providers is being conducted by staff during the period April-June 2007. Results will be communicated at the July meeting.

   6. State Fiscal and Procurement Monitoring of NoRTEC (Information)

      The State will be conducting the current year's Fiscal and Procurement monitoring of NoRTEC during the week of May 14, 2007. The results of the review will communicated to the board when received.

   Recommended Action:

   The Finance Committee recommends approval of the Third Quarter Finance Committee Report.

   WIB approval of the Third Quarter Finance Committee Report.

   Governing Board approval of the Third Quarter Finance Committee Report.

9. STATUS OF FUNDING APPLICATIONS (UPDATE)
   1. Prior Approval
      1. W.I.R.E.D. - The Department opf Labor decided to award NoRTEC (as the fiscal agent) and partners $5,000,000 to implement the proposed WIRED project.
      2. HCE Youth - This $45,000 application to the State to serve disadvantaged youth was funded.
      3. RN "Step-Up" - This application for $600,000 to assist LVN's acquire RN status was funded.
      4. State WIRED - NoRTEC received $250,000 of the $500,000 from the Governor's 15% funds to start implementing the WIRED project. (The other $250,000 wl come next py - July 1, 2007).
      5. Regional Small Business Partnership - This application for Governor's 25% funds to help wih the WIRED project was funded.
   2. New Applications

      There are no outstanding applicatons for additional funding.

10. REPORT OF THE EDUCATION/LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE (INFORMATION)

    G. Mistal will provide a brief report on what has been going on with Small Business California.

11. OLD BUSINESS (INFORMATION)

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

12. NEW BUSINESS (DISCUSSION)
    1. The next WIB and Governing Board meeting will be held on Thursday, July 26, 2007, in Redding.
    2. Additional New Business items may be brought up for discussion, at the pleasure of the NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board members.
13. ADJOURNMENT