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Board committee advances $28.1 million JobsNow proposal; 12 HSA admin slots converted to permanent exempt
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee advanced HSA’s JobsNow package — a $28,141,437 TANF Emergency Contingency Fund grant — and voted to convert 12 administrative positions to permanent‑exempt slots. Officials said trainee wages meet the city’s minimum compensation rules and that federal stimulus funding runs through September 2010.
The Board of Supervisors’ Budget & Finance Committee on Wednesday advanced a Human Services Agency (HSA) proposal to accept and expend a $28,141,437 federal TANF Emergency Contingency Fund grant to launch the JobsNow employment program and to amend the city salary ordinance to add $7,737,578 in temporary salaries.
HSA Deputy Director for Finance Phil Arnold told the committee the program will offer multiple tiers of placement — an enhanced Community Jobs Program (CJP), private‑sector placements, and a public‑service trainee path. ‘‘The public service trainee positions are actually paid more than that. They’re paid $12.21 per hour,’’ Arnold said, when asked whether placements would meet the Minimum Compensation Ordinance. Noelle Simmons of HSA added that JobsNow eligibility is currently limited by federal stimulus language to CalWORKs recipients, though federal guidance could broaden eligibility later.
Why it matters: the money would create temporary opportunities for residents most removed from the workforce while the federal funds are available. Supervisors pressed HSA on how the program interacts with existing city workers and unionized jobs. Arnold said JobsNow is designed as a trainee and transitional program and that it ‘‘will not’’ displace current city employees.
Committee changes: Supervisors and HSA discussed making administrative positions permanent. HSA said the 12 administrative slots could be moved from temporary enumeration to the Annual Salary Ordinance (ASO) and later labeled exempt by the Department of Human Resources. On that amendment the committee held a roll‑call: Supervisor Chiu voted no; Supervisors Mercarini, Duffy and Avalos voted aye; the motion passed 4–1 to create the 12 permanent positions in the ASO.
Funding horizon and risk: Arnold told the committee the federal funding now scheduled to support these JobsNow placements runs through September 2010, and there is no guarantee of continued funding beyond that date. ‘‘There is no commitment from the federal government to continue funding beyond that,’’ Arnold said. HSA and supervisors acknowledged the risk that jobs created under the grant would be temporary and urged the agency to prioritize reemploying laid‑off city workers into any permanent administrative positions that emerge.
Next step: The committee voted to forward the ordinance and grant acceptance to the full Board of Supervisors with recommendation, including the amendment to enumerate 12 permanent administrative positions in the ASO.
