DATE: May 7, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Blake Konczal, Executive Director,
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
SUBJECT: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Mandated Partner Memorandum of Understanding
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Mandated Partner Phase II Memorandum of Understanding template, in substantially similar form as attached, for use with the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board’s mandated partners.
2. Authorize the County Administrative Officer to approve and execute, on behalf of the County, all Memorandums of Understanding between the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board and its mandated partners, subject to approval by the County Counsel as to legal form, and as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, with the exception of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Social Services, which will brought before the Board for approval.
REPORT
The first recommended action approves the Memorandum of Understanding template, in substantial form. The second recommended action authorizes the County Administrative Officer to approve and execute, on behalf of the County, all Memorandums of Understanding between the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board and its mandated partners, subject to approval by the County Counsel as to legal form, and as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector. The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board (FRWDB) is currently negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each of the mandated partners, as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Pursuant to the Board’s request, the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Social Services will brought before the Board for approval. These MOUs are required by the WIOA to be in place no later than July 1, 2019.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no alternative action to the first recommended action. If a Memorandum of Understanding is not executed and in effect with each mandated partner by July 1, 2019, the County of Fresno will be out of compliance with WIOA requirements, and could lose funding for WIOA activities that benefit the residents of Fresno County. Your Board may opt not to approve the second recommended action, which would result in the FRWDB bringing 12 MOUs to your Board individually.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the Recommended Action. The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board is 100% funded by non-County sources. These have their origin primarily with the United States Department of Labor, and are supplemented by other federal and State of California grants.
DISCUSSION:
The United States Congress passed the WIOA (the “Act”), as an enhancement to the previous WIA. The Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 22, 2014, and the law took effect on July 1, 2015. The WIOA mandates that certain Federal, State, and local agencies formally partner with local Workforce Development Boards at what is now known as America’s Jobs Centers of California (AJCC), in order to refer clients between the partners for specific services to better serve the community and leverage resources from multiple sources, as appropriate.
The Act requires that MOUs be reviewed, updated as needed and renewed every three (3) years. This is the first renewal.
The following mandated partners represent the County’s areas of need:
• State of California Employment Development Department
• Representatives of Community Services Block Grant Act
• Representatives for Older Americans
• Department of Rehabilitation
• Fresno County Department of Social Services
• Representatives of Adult Education/Community Colleges
• Representatives for Native Americans
• Representatives for Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers
• Job Corps
The initial MOU process was split between Phase I and Phase II, where Phase I established the AJCC system, partnerships and shared services. These Phase I agreements were completed in July 2016. Phase II established the Resource Sharing Agreements (RSAs) between the local board and the co-located partners. The purpose of the RSAs is to share equitably in the infrastructure cost of running the One-Stop System. These RSAs also document the total costs of Career Services provided to the community across all of the Partners. These RSAs are required to be reviewed, renegotiated, and renewed every year.
With this renewal, the RSA, now known as the Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA) is now incorporated into the MOU, as Exhibit A. Each year, the IFA will be reviewed, updated as needed, and executed as an addendum to the MOU.
FRWDB staff is in final negotiation with all mandated partners for the 2019 renewal.
By approving this item, the signature process will allow the FRWDB to complete the signatory process with the Chief Local Elected Officials (County of Fresno and City of Fresno) in a timely manner. This will prevent the State of California Workforce Development Board and State of California Employment Development Department from sanctioning the Local Workforce Development Area, which could result in a possible loss of critical funding to support the local community.
The Fresno County Department of Social Services (DSS) is financially participating in the IFA, as they are co-located permanently in the comprehensive AJCC located at Manchester Center. Consequently, the MOU for DSS will be presented to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for approval at its June 4, 2019 meeting.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - MOU Template
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander