NoRTEC
AGENDA
WIB AND GOVERNING BOARD
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2008
10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
HILLTOP GARDEN INN
REDDING, CA

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES, APRIL 24, 2008 (ACTION)

   The minutes from the April 24, 2008, meeting are attached: Minutes

   Recommended Action:

   WIB approval of the April 24, 2008, minutes, with revisions if needed, as posted.

   Governing Board approval of the April 24, 2008, 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)

   Several WIB terms expired on June 30, 2008. Several nomination letters were received at the April meeting for members wishing to be considered for reappointment. Following are nomination letters for current WIB members seeking reappointment (Click here for WIB and Governing Board member list and term expiration dates): Member List

   Connie Barton	CBO - Lassen County	Nomination Letter
   Judi Madden	Private Industry - Plumas County	Nomination Letter
   Sally LaBriere	Economic Development - Siskiyou County	Nomination Lettter

   Existing seats that are vacant on the NoRTEC WIB due to member resignation are an At-Large Labor seat (formerly filled by Barbara Hanstein) and the Community College President seat formerly held by David Pelham of College of the Siskiyous. As of the posting of this agenda, nominations to fill these two seats have not been received. Nominations may be taken from the floor at the meeting.

   Nevada County joined the NoRTEC consortium effective July 1, 2008. One of the seats from this county will represent TANF/CalWORKS, and two will represent Private Industry. As of the posting of this agenda, a nomination for the TANF/CalWORKS seat was received. If received, nominations for the Private Industry seats will be presented at the meeting.

   Alison Lehman

   TANF/CalWORKS

   Nomination Letter Application

   Recommended Action:

   Governing Board appointment of the above named individuals to the NoRTEC WIB.

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

      On-site program monitoring of NoRTEC service providers was conducted by Betti Austin, NoRTEC Program Services Director, during March - June 2008. The monitoring visits covered participant eligibility, documentation of appropriate WIA services, and overall program design for Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker. There were no findings.

   2. State Monitoring

      There have been no State monitoring visits since the last meeting. Currently, there are no future monitoring visits scheduled.

   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

      
      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 good program design, meeting local business needs, and letting the official Performance Standards take care of themselves. 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.

      With a couple of exceptions, all programs met all contract performance requirements for PY 2007/2008. Year end data is still being finalized. An update will be given at the October meeting, including sanctions for missed contract objectives if necessary.

   5. National Emergency Grant (NEG) - Storm Project 2005/2008

      NoRTEC was awarded a total of $3,076,907 to clean up damage from the storms during the winter of 2006 in Del Norte, Lassen, Plumas, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties. This funding ended on June 30, 2008. More than 300 workers were employed during this effort, and they assisted in the clean-up efforts of public property and roads.

      NoRTEC staff has had preliminary discussions with the Department of Labor and the State about the possibility of a new NEG grant to assist with damage from the forest fires. An update will be given at the meeting.

   6. Plant Closure Update

      There have been several hundred plant closures and over 12,000 laid off in the ten county area of NoRTEC since we started tracking in PY 2000. The plant closure web site address is updated as additional closures occur. There have been a dozen or so plant closures since our last meeting, and more than 360 workers have been laid off. To view the report, click on the link below, and enter ">= " and "04/01/08" in the "Date Closed" field.

      Plant Closure Update

   7. "Headline" Program Reports

      Following are direct links to the Community Coordinator reports received for the quarter ending June 30, 2008:
      
      (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)
      Alliance for Workforce Development (Sierra)
      Smart Business Resource Center (Shasta)
      STEP (Siskiyou)
      Job Training Center of Tehama County
      Smart Business Resource Center (Trinity)
      
      A few highlights from this quarter's reports are:

      • Butte County - The Business Resource teams through the One Stops continue to work with numerous employers to fill requests for employee recruitment and hiring. Some of the businesses include: Firestorm (75 positions), Gittman & Associates, Windsor Creek Care & Rehab, and Anderson & Associates. Staff are also continuing to provide montly customer service training workshops for local employers.
      • Del Norte County - Walgreens will soon be opening a pharmacy in Crescent City and the Workforce Center will be there to help them hire their employees.
      • Lassen County - On May 14, 2008, a free workshop was presented to the community about small business financing. This workshop was a collaborative effort between AFWD, Sierra College Small Business Development Center, and the Small Business Administration. The workshop covered the steps necessary to secure funding for new and existing small businesses. Close to twenty people attended the workshop.
      • Modoc County - On June 11, 2008, a meeting was held in Alturas to discuss bringing broadband to Modoc County. Topics of discussion included: (1) What broadband is, (2) A project overview, (3) Advantages to having broadband, (4) The next steps necessary to bring it to Modoc County.
      • Plumas County - The USFS in Quincy contracted with AFWD to provide Sexual Harrassment Prevention training to more than 80 employees in their district. Holly Schirmer (AFWD) provided the training and she touched upon the things supervisors can do to help prevent and handle various types of harrassment that take place at the worksite.
      • Sierra County - Plans have been announced for an alternative energy company, Renegy Holdings, to purchase Sierra Pacific Industries' idle Loyalton sawmil. Renergy focuses on acquiring, developing, and operating biomass power generation facilities in the western United States. It is possible several new jobs will be created in Sierra County if the old Sierra Pacific site becomes operational.
      • Shasta County - The report this quarter is packed full of information, and on page 9 there is a lot of information about the upcoming "Venture Island" event being held in Redding. This is an event similar to the Venture Island event held in Chico. Members were treated to a video about the Chico event during the WIRED update at the last meeting in April.
      • Siskiyou County - STEP is working to expand their fee-based services. Recently, they provided Excel training to employees of the Siskiyou County Superior Court, and payroll services to local employers.
      • Tehama County - The Job Training Center is partnering with Shasta College to provide Pharmacy Technician Training in Tehama County. JTC and the college are responding to a "growing older" population and the need for more workers trained in the medical field.
      • Trinity County - The report this quarter is packed full of information, and on page 4 there is information about Shasta College's plan to build a facility at the Trinity Alps Business Park in Weaverville. It will allow opportunities for new and different classes to be held in Weaverville.

      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.

      We will skip the regular program updates to allow time for a WIRED update (Item H.2. below).

   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	Modoc	Sierra	Trinity
         Del Norte	Plumas	Siskiyou
         Lassen	Shasta	Tehama

      2. NoRTEC Business Service Presentation (WIRED Update)

         The WIRED project is well underway. Stewart Knox, our newly hired WIRED Project Director, will present an update, including calling on program and WIB members from a number of NoRTEC counties to report on events and projects they are working on.

   9. Nevada County Update (Information)

      Bill Finley (Butte) and Kathy Schmitz (Tehama) will provide a brief update on the implementation of the Nevada County One Stop program.

   10. Staff Training and Development (Information)

       B. Austin provided a follow-up training workshop to Alliance for Workforce Development (AFWD) on May 9, 2008, and to Rural Human Services (RHS) on June 16, 2008, to assist management and staff in their continuing effort to develop effective and efficient systems/procedures for the delivery of quality client and business services.
       
       NoRTEC sponsored ten (10) business services staff to attend the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual conference and exposition in Chicago on June 23-25. Attendees were provided the opportunity to enhance and expand personal and professional skills through conference sessions that addressed a wide variety of HR and business-related topics.
       
       B. Austin is scheduled to provide facilitated discussion sessions at AFWD's retreat for front-line staff on July 21-23, 2008. Retreat sessions will focus on key AFWD program issues, including strategic planning, enhancing communication and collaboration, problem solving and creative thinking.

   11. Youth Council Report (Information)

       The Job Training Center of Tehama County was selected to staff the NoRTEC Youth Council. Kathy Schmitz, the Job Training Center's Director, will provide an update at the meeting.

   Recommended Action:

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

   WIB approval of the Fourth Quarter Program Committee Report.

   Governing Board approval of the Fourth Quarter Program Committee Report.

8. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT (ACTION)

   In the absence of B. Hamby, Finance Committee Chair, H. Oilar will present the Finance Committee report.

   1. PY 2008/2009 Funding (Information)

      Note: PY 2008/2009 funding amounts include unspent carry-forward funding from the 2007/2008 program year. The carry-forward amounts will not be finalized until service providers submit final 2007/2008 expenditure reports on August 15, 2008. Any differences in the final carry-forward amounts should be minor and should not significantly affect the total available funding for PY 2008/2009.

      NoRTEC has received the largest allocated funding increase in our history for PY 2008/2009. Allocated funding (Adult, Youth and Dislocated Worker) increased by $1,729,530 in PY 2008/2009, which is a 26% increase. After years of declining funding allocations, this is a very welcome change.
      
      NoRTEC currently has an estimated $14,697,161 in available funds for the PY 2008/2009 Program Year. An additional $1,859,400 in funding has been requested. If this funding is received, NoRTEC will have an estimated $16,556,561 in available funding for the 2008/2009 Program Year. The amount of currently available funding is $2,439,868 more than we had available to start the 2007/2008 program year.

      Project	Funds Available from July 1, 2008	Additional Funds Requested	Total
      Adult	$3,175,565	$0	$3,175,565
      Youth	$3,413,843	$0	$3,413,843
      Dislocated Worker	$2,735,191	$0	$2,735,191
      Rapid Response	$713,817	$0	$713,817
      MCLAUS VI	$1,678,790	$0	$1,678,790
      State WIRED	$250,000	$0	$250,000
      Federal WIRED	$2,232,644	$1,859,400	$4,092,044
      LVN to RN Step-Up	$474,721	$0	$474,721
      Disability Navigator	$22,590	$0	$22,590
      TOTAL	$14,697,161	$1,859,400	$16,556,561

   2. PY 2007/2008 Funding (Information)

      For the recently ended 2007/2008 Program Year, NoRTEC had a total of $18,439,601 in available funds. This is a $2,939,890 increase from the amount of funding available in PY 2006/2007. Funding for the WIRED project has allowed NoRTEC to significantly increase our funding levels. This is a welcome change from the past few years of declining funding.

       

      Project	Funds Available from July 1, 2007
      Adult	$2,864,653
      Youth	$3,079,310
      Dislocated Worker	$2,042,817
      Rapid Response	$655,809
      MCLAUS VI	$2,000,000
      State WIRED	$463,354
      Federal WIRED	$4,016,063
      MCLAUS V	$976,099
      Regional Small Business/WIRED	$125,706
      Storm 2006	$1,071,227
      LVN to RN Step-Up	$600,000
      Disability Navigator	$86,682
      LVN-RN	$426,942
      HCE Youth	$28,049
      Incentive	$2,890
      TOTAL	$18,439,601

   3. Approval of PY 2007/2008 Fourth Quarter Preliminary Financial Reports (Action)
      1. PY 2007/2008 Contracts Summary (Information)

         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 2007/2008 program year. As of June 30, 2008, NoRTEC had a total of $18,439,601 available in State contracts for the 2007/2008 program year. This report includes only amounts available in the current year. Amounts expended in prior years are not included.

      2. PY 2007/2008 Service Provider Contract Modifications

         This report shows the changes between March 31, 2008, and June 30, 2008, 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 primary contract modification in the fourth quarter was a result of congressional funding recissions. NoRTEC lost a total of $222,727 in Federal recissions. These recissions were allocated to NoRTEC service providers proportionally on the basis of funding levels. Service providers were given the choice of taking the funding recission in PY 2007/2008 or in 2008/2009. The recissions reflected on the attachment represent those service providers who elected the recission in PY 2007/2008.
         
         In addition to the funding recissions, there were some small unexpended contract balances when TOT closed which were transferred to Shasta and Trinity for services in Trinity County.
         
         The contract modifications are detailed in the attached report. There are no items of concern.

      3. PY 2007/2008 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, 2007, to June 30, 2008), the cumulative expenditures for the year ended June 30, 2008, and the remaining balance at June 30, 2008, 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.
         
         All Service Providers met all the NoRTEC required expenditure rates for allocated funds at June 30, 2008. There are no items of concern at this time.
         
         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 2007/2008 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 year ended June 30, 2008. At June 30, 2008, the NoRTEC Administrative Entity had expended 100% of its Operating budget, and 68% of its Other Projects Budget.
         
         The budget expenditures are detailed in the attached line item report.
         
         There are no items of concern at this time.

      5. PY 2007/2008 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 year ended June 30, 2008. At June 30, 2008, the WIB/Governing Board expended 96% of its total budget.
         
         There are no items of concern at this time.

      Recommended Action:

      The Finance Committee recommends approval of the PY 2007/2008 Fourth Quarter Preliminary Finance Reports.
      
      WIB approval of the PY 2007/2008 Fourth Quarter Preliminary Finance Reports.
      
      Governing Board approval of the PY 2007/2008 Fourth Quarter Preliminary Finance Reports.

   4. PY 2008/2009 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Budget (Action)

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending that the PY 2008/2009 Administrative Entity Operating Budget be approved at $929,597. This is a 4% increase over the amount approved for PY 2007/2008. The increase reflects a 3.5% cost-of-living increase for staff salaries, as well as three small line-item increases. Please see the attached AE Budget for detail.
      
      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending that the PY 2008/2009 Administrative Entity Other Projects Budget be approved at $1,325,000, which is the same amount approved for PY 2007/2008. The Other Projects Budget includes Special Projects, Capacity Building, WIRED Project, One-Stop Operator Contract, and Youth Council Contract.
      
      Sufficient funding to cover these budgets is anticipated. Please see the attached budget and narrative for details.
      
      1. Proposed PY 2008/2009 AE Budget
      2. Narrative for the Proposed PY 2008/2009 AE Budget

      Recommended Action:
      
      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending:
      
      WIB approval of the PY 2008/2009 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Operating Budget at $929,597, and the Other Projects Budget at $1,325,000, subject to the availability of funding.
      
      Governing Board approval of the PY 2008/2009 NoRTEC Administrative Entity Operating Budget at $929,597, and the Other Projects Budget at $1,325,000, subject to the availability of funding.

   5. PY 2008/2009 NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board Budget (Action)

      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending that the PY 2008/2009 WIB/Governing Board Budget be approved at $115,000. This is a $20,000 increase over the amount budgeted in PY 2007/2008, primarily due to rising travel costs for board meetings and the addition of new board members from Nevada County.
      
      Sufficient funding to cover these budgets is anticipated. Please see the attached budget and narrative for details.

      1. Proposed PY 2008/2009 WIB/Governing Board Budget
      2. Narrative for the Proposed PY 2008/2009 WIB/Governing Board Budget

      Recommended Action:
      
      The WIB Finance Committee is recommending:
      
      WIB approval of the PY 2008/2009 WIB/GB budget at $115,000, subject to the availability of funding.
      
      Governing Board approval of the PY 2008/2009 WIB/GB budget at $115,000, subject to the availability of funding.

   6. NoRTEC Fiscal Monitoring (Information)

      Fiscal and procurement monitoring of Service Providers has been completed, with the exception of AFWD. Road closures in June prevented staff from making the trip to Quincy.

      For the programs that were visited, there were no finding or items of concern. The AFWD monitoring visit has been rescheduled, and results will be communicated at the October meeting.

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

      The State conducted the current year's Fiscal and Procurement monitoring of NoRTEC during the week of April 7, 2008. The EDD monitor visited the NoRTEC Administrative Office as well as the administrative offices of the Butte PIC. Results will be communicated at the October meeting (as of the posting of this agenda, a final report has not been issued).

   Recommended Action:

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

   WIB approval of the Fourth Quarter Finance Committee Report.

   Governing Board approval of the Fourth Quarter Finance Committee Report.

9. STATUS OF FUNDING APPLICATIONS (UPDATE/ACTION)
   1. Prior Approval

      The STEM concept paper (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) was accepted by DOL, and NoRTEC was invited to submit a full proposal for this $2,000,000 project.

   2. New Applications

      Staff would like permssion to submit an application for Natonal Emergency Grant (NEG) funds to help with fire damage clean up in the affected counties, with the funding level stilll to be determined.
      
      Recommended Action:
      
      WIB approval for NoRTEC to submit an application for NEG funds to assist with fire damage clean up.

      Governing Board approval for NoRTEC to submit an application for NEG funds to assist with fire damage clean up.

10. NoRTEC MOU UPDATE AND CONTRACT EXTENSION (ACTION)

    Beginning with this past PY 2007/2008, NoRTEC contracted with North Central Counties Consortium (NCCC) to be the One Stop Operator for the NoRTEC One Stops. On the recommendations of the contractor, a number of "housekeeping" changes were made to the NoRTEC MOU, primarily to add counties that joined NoRTEC and to recognize that NoRTEC is utilizing a single One Stop Operator rather then the WIA program provider at each One Stop. No substantive changes other then these were made. Staff is seeking approval of the changes to the NoTEC MOU, and permission to renew the contract with NCCC for another year.

    Click here for a copy of the MOU NoRTEC MOU.

    Better yet, you can also find it under "Orientation." Click on "Workforce Investment Act" then select "NoRTEC MOU."
    
    Recommended Action:
    
    WIB approval for staff to update the NoRTEC MOU and to extend the One Stop Operator contract wth NCCC for PY 2008/2009.

    Governing Board approval for staff to update the NoRTEC MOU and to extend the One Stop Operator contract wth NCCC for PY 2008/2009.

11. SMALL BUSINESS UPDATE (INFORMATION)

    Ginne Mistal will provide a brief update on items of interest to Small Business.

12. OLD BUSINESS (INFORMATION)

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

13. NEW BUSINESS (DISCUSSION)
    1. The next WIB and Governing Board meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual retreat in Mt. Shasta on October 23-24, 2008.
    2. Additional New Business items may be brought up for discussion, at the pleasure of the NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board members.
14. ADJOURNMENT