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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 06251996 - D9 i'D: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IOC-03 Contra FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Costa County DATE: June 17, 1996 rq,couK`� SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NEWCOMERS TASK FORCE SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR' ECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. DECLINE\to implement recommendation # 2 from the Newcomers Task Force, "That the Board of Supervisors commission a county-wide study of the economic contributions of the immigrant population,"on the basis that the cost of�such a study is not warranted given that we anticipate that the results of the study will undoubted show that immigrants make a substantial economic contribution to the community in which they live and work. A i m`t recommendation # 3 from the Newcomers Task Force 2. GREE to mple \ , "That the Board of Supervisors commission a study of services offered by county departments, community organizations, and the private sector that serve foreign-born newcomers,"on the condition that grant funds or some other source of funding which does not involve County general funds can be identified. t 3. DECLINE to implement recommendation # 6 from the Newcomers Task Force, "That the Board of Supervisors appoint a Newcomers Advisory Committee to oversee `the implementation of task force ` recommendations, on the basls;that we already have other groups who can undertake this duty as a part of their existing responsibilities, and instead, DIRECT the Human Relations Commission to appoint a sub-committee on immigrant issues to oversee the implementation of the recommendations from the Newcomers Task Force. \ e ti CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: .t RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER � /J 4�1 ,\SIGNATURESACTION OF BOARD ON june 199 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER x IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the six recommendations of the Newcomers Task Force listed on the Executive Summary attached, to this report are . APPROVED;. and.lthe Newcomers`Advisory Committee is REQUESTED to report to the Family and Human Services Committee on a plan fo"r financing. 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: None ABSTAIN: None OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. County Administrator ATTESTED June 25 , 1996 Contact: Pam Perls, Human Relations Commission PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: Mary Rosas, Staff to the Newcomers Task Force SUPER ORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR The Honorable Maria Alegria,Mayor Pinole and Member, Newcomers Task Force BY ,DEPUTY IOC-03 4. REAFFIRM the Board's decision of May 14, 1996 to refer recommendations 1,4 and 5 as outlined below to the Human Relations Commission and request the Commission to discuss these issues with the members of the former Newcomers Task Force and make further recommendations to the Board of Supervisors: "I) That the Board of Supervisors affirm its commitment to the full integration of immigrant newcomers in the work of county boards, commissions, committees and departments", 74) That the Board of Supervisors monitor immigrant-related state and federal policies and legislation that may restrict or limit county operations and services", and 75) That the Board of Supervisors encourage and facilitate naturalization and citizenship efforts". 5. REMOVE this item as a referral to the 1996 Internal Operations Committee. BACKGROUND: On January 9, 1996, the Board of Supervisors referred to our Committee the final report from the Newcomers Task Force which contained several recommendations, including the formation of a Newcomers Advisory Committee to oversee the implementation of the Task Force's recommendations. On May 14, 1996, the Board of Supervisors approved a report from our Committee which contained the following recommendations: 1. REFER Recommendations 1,4&5 from the attached Executive Summary of the report of the Newcomers Task Force to the Human Relations Commission and request the Human Relations Commission to discuss these issues with the members of the former Newcomers Task Force and make further recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. 2. HOLD in abeyance any action of Recommendations # 2, 3 & 6 from the attached Executive Summary of the report of the Newcomers Task Force until Supervisor Bishop has had an opportunity to discuss these recommendations with Pinole Mayor and Newcomers Task Force member Maria Alegria. Supervisor Bishop may be prepared to make an oral report of this conversation on May 14 and make further recommendations at that time. Supervisor Bishop has discussed this report with Pinole Mayor and Newcomers Task Force member Maria Alegria. For the reasons outlined above, we are suggesting alternatives for each of the recommendations from the Newcomers Task Force. Specifically in regard to our Committee's recommendation #2 above (regarding the Task Force's recommendation #3), we would certainly like to see a cataloguing of services that are available to foreign-born newcomers. However, we do not believe that we have the funds available now, nor is it likely that we will have funds available in the near future, given the budget cutting that may have to take place in order to balance the 1996-97 County Budget and in view of the numerous other pressing priorities that the Board has before it. However, if grant funds or other outside sources of funding can be identified we would certainly support undertaking such a study. -2- County Administrator Contra Board of Supervisors ` Jim Rogers County Administration Building Costa 1st District 651 Pine Street,11th Floor Jett Smith Martinez,California 94553-1229County 2nd District (510)646-4080 Gayle Bishop FAX: (510)646-4098 3rd District _ c Phil Batchelor f Mark DeSaulnier ,. . ., County Administrator 4th District -- - i Tom Torlakson May 29, 1996 , 5th District do ^. .•cA .srq cooN`� Pam Perls, Executive Director Human Relations Commission 2020 N. Broadway Street, Suite 203A Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Dear Ms. Perls: RE: FOLLOW-UP TO THE REPORT FROM THE INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NEWCOMERS TASK FORCE Attached for your information is a copy of the report from the Internal Operations Committee on this subject which the Board of Supervisors approved on May 14, 1996. Please 'note that one of the recommendations results in a referral to the Human Relations Commission from the Board of Supervisors, as follows: 1. REFER Recommendations 1,4&5 from the attached Executive Summary of the report of the Newcomers Task Force to the Human Relations Commission and request the Human Relations Commission to discuss these issues with the members of the former Newcomers Task .Force and make further recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. You can contact the former Newcomers Task Force through their staff person, Mary Rosas, 313-6148. Please let this office know after the Commission has discussed these recommendations with the members of the former Newcomers Task Force and provide this office with your comments and response to the Board of Supervisors. Very truly yours, Claude L. Van Marter Assistant County Administrator CLVM:amb Van5-47-96 Attachment cc: Supervisor Gayle Bishop Supervisor Jim Rogers Mary Rosas, Health Care for the Homeless Project, HSD TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IOC-1 6E Contra FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE :1 Costa °a Count DATE: may 6 1996 y y T'f COUN•� f SUBJECT: REPORT ON REQUEST FROM THE NEWCOMERS TASK FORCE SPECIFIC REOUEST(S).OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. REFER Recommendations 1, 4 & 5 from the attached Executive Summary of the report of the Newcomers Task Force to the Human Relations Commission and request the Human Relations Commission to discuss these issues with the members of the former Newcomers Task Force and make further recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. 2. HOLD in abeyance any action on Recommendations # 2, 3 & 6 from the attached Executive Summary of the report of the Newcomers Task Force until Supervisor Bishop has had an opportunity to discuss these recommendations with Pinole Mayor and Newcomers Task Force member Maria Alegria. Supervisor Bishop may be prepared to make an oral report of this conversation on May 14 and make further recommendations at that time. BACKGROUND: On June 27, 1995, the Board of Supervisors referred to the Internal Operations Committee the final report from the Newcomers Task Force. "The Task Force sunsetted upon presenting their final report to the Board of Supervisors. The report made six recommendations which are outlined in the attached copy of the Executive Summary from the report. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE HER f� r SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ONMayAPPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X 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 ATTESTED May 14 , 1996 Contact: Mayor Maria Alegria PHIL BATCHELOR,CLE YK OF THE BOARD OF cc: City of Pinole SUPERVISO N O Y ADMINISTRATOR 3781 Brazil Court Pinole,CA 94564 Mary Rosas, Staff to the Newcomers Task Force (Viq CAO IOC-1 Our Committee met with Mary Rosas, staff to the former Newcomers Task Force and Pinole Mayor and member of the former Newcomers Task Force Maria Alegria on May 6, 1996. Supervisor Rogers was present for this meeting. Supervisor Bishop was not present for this meeting. Mayor Alegria summarized the report and asked that our Committee endorse Recommendations#2 and # 6 in particular, regarding commissioning a county-wide study of the economic contributions of the immigrant population and establishing a Newcomers Advisory Committee to oversee the implementation of the Task Force's recommendations. She noted that the Task Force would like to have the assistance of County staff in the form of a grant writer to assist in writing a grant application for funds to finance the studies and other activities recommended by the Task Force. Supervisor Rogers promised to discuss the matter with Supervisor Bishop and make recommendations to the Board for action. Our Committee had an opportunity to discuss the matter later in the day while the Committee was still in session. We are very reluctant to recommend the formation of yet another advisory body, particularly when it appears that the role of the Human Relations Commission encompasses the concerns voiced by the former Newcomers Task Force. We think that several of the Task Force's recommendations can most appropriately be addressed by asking the Human Relations Commission to form a subcommittee on immigrant issues or taking other action to address these concerns. We have, therefore, asked that the members of the former Newcomers Task Force ask the Human Relations Commission to consider ways in which the Commission can address the concerns outlined in Recommendations # 1, 4 & 5. Our Committee is concerned about the amount of work which would be required to undertake the studies contained in the Task Force's recommendations. Even freeing a grant writer to assist in writing a grant application does not appear to our Committee to be feasible. Therefore, Supervisor Bishop agreed to talk to Mayor Alegria about the work encompassed in Recommendations #2, 4 & 5 and then to make further recommendations to the Board of Supervisors once she has had an opportunity to talk to Mayor Alegria. i - 2 - 2 EXEC077VE SUMMARY On October 5, 1993, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors created the Newcomers Task Force to recommend ways the county can improve the coordination and provision of services to immigrants, to identify ways of highlighting contributions by immigrants, and to address current immigrant issues. This final report of the Newcomers Task Force summarizes key findings about demographic trends of the immigrant population in Contra Costa, the principal policy issues related to the county's foreign born, and proposes that the Board of Supervisors adopt the following six recommendations that, taken together, serve as a basis for establishing "strong cooperative relationships between immigrants and non-immigrants." 1) That the Board of Supervisors affirm its commitment to the full integration of immigrant newcomers .in the work of county boards, commissions, committees and departments. k2 lhat the Board of Supervisors commission a county-wide study of the economic contributions of the immigrant population. 3) That the Board of Supervisors commission a study of services offered by county departments, community organizations, and the private sector that serve foreign-born newcomers. 4) That the Board of Supervisors monitor immigrant-related state and federal policies and legislation that may restrict or limit county operations and services. 5) That the Board of Supervisors encourage and facilitate naturalization and citizenship efforts. 6) That the Board of Supervisors appoint a Newcomers Advisory Committee to oversee the implementation of task force recommendations. Request to Speak Form ( THREE (3) MINUTE LIMIT) C/_ Complete this form and place It in the box near the speakers' rostrum before addressing the Board. Name: V`n Address: z 1 am speaking for myself or organiutiom CHEC;GONE: �. I wish to speak on Agenda Ran #. D q My comments will be: mal' torai _ 1 wish to s'sak on the md*d of L not wish to qealc but kaave these conWnenis for the Board to comer: Request to Speak Form �. ( THREE (3) MINUTE LIMIT Complete this form and place it In the box near the speakers' rostrum before addressing the Board. Name: .�<O tk. �De-0117 a rhorw ,?3 2- llddress: �L-3 7 C'd/d,�,�C A-e- 1 am speaking for myself_or organbatiom G Al ellj Willed C NCK ONE: 1 ,wish to speak on Agenda Item # �9 n� My comments will be; general .ilodr411 _ 1 wish to speak on the subject of I do not wish to speak but leave these comments for the Board to cc Is