PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to request City Council approval of a resolution that authorizes the City Manager to negotiate and accept a contract award from the City of Glendale for the Management Service Department to run a CalWORK�s summer youth employment program, and amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2004-05 budget by appropriating award funds.

BACKGROUND

In November 1999, under the guidelines of CalWORK (a California welfare reform program), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted 46 projects to assist welfare families to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.  One of the approved projects was the �CalWORK Youth Jobs�.  This project provides paid work-based learning opportunities for qualifying family members between the ages of 14 - 19.  In addition to job placement opportunities, these students are provided instruction in life skills, career planning, and job readiness skills.

The City of Glendale administers the �CalWORK Youth Jobs� Program for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the areas of Glendale, Burbank, and La Canada.  Although the figure differs yearly, approximately 25% of the funds received by the City of Glendale under the �CalWORK Youth Jobs� are to service qualifying youth from the Burbank area.  This amounts to $13,000 for administrative and operating costs for the summer of 2005.  However, it should be noted that there is a provision in the Program that if the amount of funding awarded to the Verdugo area changes, this amount will be increased or decreased according to the actual funds available.

Staff successfully operated this Program for the City of Glendale in the summer of 2004 under the title of DRIVE (Developing Responsible Independent Valued Employees).   Leveraging staff time among all existing summer programs, in addition to the DRIVE Program, turned out to be very challenging last year.  Therefore, it was determined that unless administrative funds were made available staff would not operate the DRIVE program for summer 2005. 

However, the City of Glendale, through their Verdugo Workforce Investment Board (VWIB), issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to administer this Program in the Burbank area for summer 2005.  Staff submitted a proposal on March 28, 2005.  VWIB recommended that the City of Burbank be awarded the contract at their April 21, 2005 meeting.   On May 17, 2005, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved VWIB�s recommendation to award the City of Burbank $13,000 to administer and operate a Summer 2005 program for at least 40 qualifying Burbank residents ages 14 -19 (in-school youth).  

The $13,000 awarded to the City of Burbank is for administrative and operating costs only and not for student wages.  The salary and benefits for all 40 program participants will be paid by the City of Glendale.  Glendale will administer the payroll for the youth workers and although working under our direction, the youth participants will be City of Glendale employees.  

The City of Burbank has 30 days from the date the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor�s approved VWIB recommendation (May 17, 2005) to accept this award from the City of Glendale.  Therefore, this award is being brought before the Council for official approval. 

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION

The CalWORK�s (DRIVE) Program offers the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of 40 Burbank, low-income and at-risk youth.  It provides these students summer employment, remedial instruction, and mentors them in job skills, career planning, and other areas that will assist in transitioning these youth into the workforce.

Staff has successfully operated and is familiar with the �CalWORK Youth Jobs� Program. The program requirements for this year are similar to last year�s requirements. The only marked difference is the increase in participant time from 160 to 200 hours.  Included in these 200 hours is 45 training hours on work readiness skills, math remedial skills, and English remedial skills.  Students are paid for all training hours as part of their wages through the City of Glendale.

The proposed award of $13,000 is sufficient to hire a seasonal Youth Employment Coordinator to operate a Summer 2005 DRIVE Program for 40 qualifying Burbank students. This award will also fund the temporary instructional staff needed to facilitate academic, life, remedial education, and job skills training for the youth participants.  In the unlikely event that funding levels should decrease, then staff will proportionately decrease the student participants and temporary staffing levels needed to administer the program.  As such, staff is confident that no existing program will suffer.  In fact, staff believes that the addition of the Summer 2005 DRIVE Program will enhance existing program goals and provide the opportunity to serve 40 additional Burbank students that will truly benefit from this Program.   Worksite placement for �CalWORK Youth Jobs� participants will be incorporated with our existing worksites and will expand the City�s opportunity to develop further community clean-up projects for the summer.

The scope of this agreement is well within the capacity of the City, mirrors previous programs, and augments already existing programs.

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact from the operation of the CalWORK�s (DRIVE) Program.  Although the City of Burbank will provide administrative and operating costs up front, all administrative and operating fees will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the Program by the City of Glendale.  There are sufficient funds in the existing Budget to front these costs as the reimbursement will be provided prior to the commencement of the fall youth employment programs.   The funds received will be adequate to complete the program as described without incurring any additional costs to Burbank. The youth wages will be paid through the City of Glendale and will not fiscally impact the City of Burbank.

Accepting this award will amend the City�s budget by increasing Fund 001�s revenue estimate as follows: $ 7,500 account 001.MS000.50010.1001 (Projects Revenue � Salaries Recovery) and $ 5,500 account 001.MS000.58999.0000 (Miscellaneous Revenue).  In addition, it appropriates $7,500 of the award to Fund 001.MS02C. 60001.000 (Salaries and Wages) for the Youth Employment Coordinator salary; $2,700 to Fund 001.MS02A.62085.0000 (Professional Services) for the hiring of a certified teacher to provide the required training; and $2,800 to Fund 001.MS02A.62300.0000 (Special Departmental Supplies) to provide necessary supplies or equipment. 

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution and that the City Manager be authorized to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the contract.

Respectfully submitted,

Judie Sarquiz

Management Services Director