COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

DATE:

December 28, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 9, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Four-fifths

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Beverly Beasley Johnson, J.D., Director, Human Services Agency

SUBJECT:

An addition to the Salary Ordinance Amendment and approval of an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR)

RECOMMENDATION:

A.

Adopt a Salary Ordinance Amendment to add three (3) unclassified Job Development Specialist II positions; and

B.

Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) amending the FY 2006-07 Adopted Budget by increasing Intergovernmental Revenues in the amount of $488,982 and by increasing appropriations for Salaries & Benefits by $150,192 and Other Charges by $338,790 in the Employment Services budget unit.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Create opportunities for every household to participate in our prosperity

Goal (17): All households experience real gains in income.

These actions contribute to this goal and commitment by providing career training and retraining, and an opportunity for job placement allowing participants to become self-sufficient.

BACKGROUND:

The San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board (WIB), in partnership with the Santa Clara (NOVA) and San Jose Workforce Investment Boards, was awarded a Skills Testing, Assessment, and Re-Employment (STAR) grant for providing job training and employment services to dislocated workers in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Jose counties. San Mateo was awarded $488,982 under this grant.

DISCUSSION:

The San Mateo, San Jose, and NOVA WIBs have a strong history of working together to serve the needs of dislocated workers in Silicon Valley. Because the regional need for training and workforce assistance is so great, the WIBs have joined together to create a regional strategy for responding to the high levels of layoffs and job turnover.

Funds from the STAR grant will allow the San Mateo WIB to continue and increase its efforts to retrain dislocated workers for new careers. The funding will also support increased staffing to assist in job development and placement activities to serve dislocated workers. The staffing is critical due to the high levels of ongoing layoffs and the resulting need to reach these dislocated workers and assist them in securing new, self-sufficient careers.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Memo as to form. The Human Resources Department has reviewed the Salary Ordinance Amendment.

FISCAL IMPACT:

This ATR adds $488,982 to Intergovernmental Revenue and appropriates the increase in revenues and commensurate expenses within the FY 2006-07 Employment Services budget. There is no Net County Cost associated with these actions.