PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to request Redevelopment Agency approval of a proposed resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept a $60,000 grant awarded by the Verdugo Workforce Investment Board (VWIB) to the City of Burbank�s Management Services Department and amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-2006 budget by appropriating these grant funds.

BACKGROUND

The Cities of Burbank, Glendale, and La Canada Flintridge formed the Verdugo Consortium by a joint powers agreement signed December 14, 1999. This agreement retains Glendale�s Workforce Development Administration (WDA) as the administrator of federal workforce development, employment, and training funds on behalf of the Consortium. The Verdugo Workforce Investment Board (VWIB) is the governing body for the WDA and approves all budgetary/grant issues. VWIB has been distributing Workforce Investment Act funds from the State�s Employment Development Department via the Department of Labor since 2000.  

For the past several years, VWIB has awarded the City of Burbank a WIA grant to continue the operation of the Burbank WorkForce Connection Center as an annex of the Verdugo Jobs Center. This year the VWIB awarded the City a $60,000 grant.  This is an increase of $20,000 over last year�s grant as a result of the high quality services offered by the Burbank WorkForce Connection Center and significant usage of the facilities by job seekers.

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION

Burbank�s WorkForce Connection provides information regarding private and public sector job postings daily, as well as information regarding hiring fairs, training, and educational opportunities.  The Center also provides the following additional resources: two local newspapers, one photocopier, one fax machine, two telephones, one telecommunications device for the deaf, one visual aid device, two typing tutorial programs, six computers with internet access.  A recent addition to the Center�s resources is a self-serve job search kiosk located in the lobby of the City Hall Annex.   Staffing resources include a Human Resources Technician I and a 16-hour per week Work Trainee.   The grant funding will continue to partially fund the salaries of these two positions and the operation of the Burbank WorkForce Connection Center.

The acceptance of this grant will require the Burbank WorkForce Connection Center to serve a total of 750 participants each month, including 70 new clients. Currently, Burbank�s WorkForce Connection serves approximately 900 to 1,000 participants and 80 to100 new clients each month. Thus, staff does not foresee any difficulty in reaching the new requirements. 

FISCAL IMPACT

Accepting the Workforce Investment Act  (Adult, Dislocated Worker and Rapid Response) grant will amend the City�s budget by allocating $ 60,000 to Fund 306.ND000.48010.1065 (Intergovernmental Revenue).  In addition, this $60,000 will be appropriated to Fund 306.MS02B.60001.0000 (Salaries and Wages) to continue partial funding of the salaries for the WorkForce Connection Center staff.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Redevelopment Agency adopt the proposed resolutions and that the City Manager be authorized to negotiate the final terms of the Contract. 

Respectfully submitted,

Judie Sarquiz

Management Services Director