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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07211987 - IO.4 40. 41, TO ~ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE C,�..,,��',l}}tr,a July 13 , 1987 C )sta DATE: C4Wr'�1 / SUBJECT: General Assistance Workfare Program l It� SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AM JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Authorize the Chair of the. Board of Supervisors to send letters to this County' s Legislative Delegation advising them that County staff are working on proposed legislation which would improve the General Assistance program by, among other things, requiring employable General Assistance applicants to perform meaningful work as a condition of assistance, along with other measures which we believe will improve the General Assistance Program. 2. Encourage ongoing conversations among the departments involved in the General Assistance Workfare Program and affected employee organizations (County Administrator, Social Services Department, General Services Department, Public Works Department, and Local #1) to insure that any misunderstandings are identified and addressed immediately in terms of the operation of the General Assistance Workfare program. Also request the Director of Social Services to consider referring General Assistance recipients to all known job training and apprenticeship programs. Also request the County Administrator to meet with the involved departments regarding the need to backfill General Assistance. workfare crew leaders to cover for vacation, sick leave, and other necessary absences. 3 . Remove this item as a referral to our Committee, leaving on referral, however, the issue of possible legislation relating to the General Assistance Program in the 1988 Session of the legislature. 4 . Authorize the Internal Operations Committee and Supervisor Powers to meet with the Legal Services Foundation Board of Directors to discuss the Board' s concerns regarding the General Assistance Program. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES /SIGNATURE:X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE-is). - Nancy �Fand`en p Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD ON July 21 , 1987 A.'-PROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT } AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. County Administrator JUL 21 198T cc: Social Services Department ATTESTED Public Works Dept. PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF General Services Dept. SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Personnel County Counsel M382/7�a.l #1 BY _,DEPUTY J Page 2 BACKGROUND: On June 16, 1987, the Board approved a report from our Committee outlining a number of actions which should be taken in regard to the General Assistance Workfare Program. Meetings have taken place involving the affected County departments and Local #1. All of these parties met with our Committee on July 13 and indicated that the General Assistance Workfare Program is generally operating well and that most misunderstandings which may have existed have been clarified and resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. The one remaining issue brought to our attention by the General Services Department is contained in recommendation No. 2 regarding the need to provide crew leaders when the existing crew leaders are not available. The problem, as it was explained to our Committee, is that former crew leaders, who were demoted when the number of workfare crews was reduced, are available and are trained as crew leaders. However, the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Local #1 provides that the individual cannot be paid for ten days after they assume new job responsibilities. In the case of the crew leaders, they are frequently asked to fill in for only a day or two occasionally and, therefore, never qualify for the additional pay. While both Local #1 and the General Services Department have indicated their willingness to waive this provision in the Memorandum of Understanding, the County Personnel Department is apparently concerned regarding the precedent which may be established and the resulting increased cost to the County. The remaining major issue which has impacted the General Assistance Workfare program is the issue of court decisions and legislation which have restricted the ability of the County to require General Assistance applicants to participate in the Workfare program as a condition of eligibility. As was outlined in our previous report, which the Board approved on June 16, County Counsel has indicated that some of these problems can be resolved through additional legislation. County Counsel, and the Social Services Director, should return proposed legislation to our Committee by not later than August 31, 1987 . In the meantime, we believe a letter to our legislators is important in order to alert them to these problems and to the fact that we are going to be proposing some legislative solutions.