Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Jobsnow topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee defers HSA 'JobsNow' stimulus plan after debate over rehiring and civil‑service protections
Summary
The committee continued HSA's JobsNow TANF emergency contingency proposal, which seeks to create up to 1,000 subsidized jobs funded largely by federal stimulus dollars, after supervisors and union speakers pressed the agency on whether temporary trainee hires would supplant recently laid‑off city workers and on legal/cost‑benefit analyses.
The Human Services Agency presented 'JobsNow,' a subsidized employment program proposed under the ARRA TANF emergency contingency fund. HSA sought authority to accept and expend roughly $28.14 million in federal stimulus funds and to add 100.7 temporary FTEs to administer and place participants into public‑sector trainee positions, nonprofit placements and private‑sector wage‑subsidy jobs.
HSA Deputy Noelle Simmons described program objectives: create up to 1,000 subsidized jobs, prioritize CalWORKs clients and other low‑income residents, provide case management, and coordinate with community‑based organizations and city departments. The program would leverage a 20% local match (a mix of general fund, CalWORKs single allocation and in‑kind match from employer partners) to draw down federal funds.
Committee debate focused on three issues: (1) whether temporary 99‑10 and 99‑16 trainee positions would displace or supplant permanently laid‑off city workers; (2) the composition and amount of the $1.6M local match (HSA said $366K is general fund and the balance is existing CalWORKs allocation or third‑party in‑kind); and (3) whether the city should convert some of the administrative positions to permanent civil‑service slots to prioritize rehiring laid‑off workers. HSA and the budget analyst said the federal rules restrict the kinds of expenses that qualify and include nondisplacement protections; HSA agreed to seek Department of Human Resources and City Attorney input and to provide a fuller analysis.
Public testimony from SEIU members and laid‑off HSA employees urged that the program not be used to hire temporary at‑will staff while permanent staff remain laid off. Several speakers asked that some of the HSA administrative positions be made permanent to rehire staff who had civil‑service tenure.
After extended testimony and supervisor questions, the committee voted to continue the item to the next Wednesday to allow HSA to provide additional legal, civil‑service and cost‑benefit information and exact breakdown of the local match and to coordinate with the City Attorney and DHR.
