REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 8, 2021
FROM
MARLENA SESSIONS, Director, Workforce Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to the Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit Memorandum of Understanding with Riverside County
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 3 to Agreement No. 18-159, Memorandum of Understanding with Riverside County for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit to include one additional California Workforce Development Board grant award in the amount of $350,000 and to extend the original term by five years, for a total contract term of April 3, 2018 through June 30, 2026.
2. Authorize the Director of the Workforce Development Department to execute Service Agreements, in the template format already approved by the Board of Supervisors, in a cumulative amount not to exceed $1,000,000 per year, and $5,000,000, over the extended five year term, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Authorize the Director of the Workforce Development Department to amend Exhibit A of the Memorandum of Understanding to add Service Agreements, as such agreements are executed pursuant to the delegated authority, subject to review by County Counsel.
4. Direct the Director of the Workforce Development Department to submit the amended Exhibit A to the Memorandum of Understanding and any Service Agreements executed under the delegated authority to the Clerk of the Board within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Marlena Sessions, Director, 387-9862)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit (IERPU) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (Agreement No. 18-159) with Riverside County provides the administrative framework for the expenditure of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant funds. Amendment No. 3 will add one additional grant totaling $350,000 to the MOU to allow San Bernardino County to share the grant award with Riverside County. Adequate appropriation and revenue related to the separately approved WIOA grant agreement will be included in Workforce Development Department’s 2021-22 recommended budget and future recommended budgets presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2016, the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) designated Regional Planning Units, comprised of Local Workforce Development Boards, for the purpose of implementing regional activities under WIOA. The IERPU includes the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (SBCWDB) and the Riverside County Workforce Development Board (RCWDB). On March 7, 2017 (Item No. 62) the Board approved the WIOA Inland Empire Regional Plan for program years 2017-2020 (Regional Plan), which focuses on effectively meeting the needs of employers while transitioning residents to gainful employment, breaking cycles of poverty and increasing economic equity for long lasting prosperity.
Since the creation of the Regional Plan, the IERPU has been awarded several grants by the CWDB for WIOA regional planning, plan implementation, staff and workforce board training, and expansion of industry sector strategies. Each pool of funds supports the work planned under the Regional Plan, and requires sharing of tasks and funding with the other partner agency. In order to fund the collective activities of the IERPU, the CWDB awards the grants to either Riverside County or San Bernardino County as the administrative and fiscal lead. Each County’s Workforce Development Board has separately approved these grant awards. Each grant award has a specific term and requires a contract between the two counties in order to implement the activities under the grant.
On April 3, 2018 (Item No. 38), the Board approved the IERPU MOU for a term of April 3, 2018 through June 30, 2021. The IERPU MOU was created to serve as an umbrella agreement for the use of the regional grant funds and other WIOA funding for regional plan activities to coincide with the Regional Plan. The IERPU MOU allows for the sharing of current grant funds within the IERPU, regardless of the designated administrative lead and provides a mechanism by which future funds for regional planning can be shared between the counties. Below is a listing of the two previous amendments:
|
Board Date |
Item No. |
Purpose |
|
December 17, 2019 |
67 |
Amendment No. 1 to the MOU with Riverside County for the WIOA IERPU to include two additional CWDB grant awards |
|
June 23, 2020 |
97 |
Amendment No. 2 to the MOU with Riverside County for the WIOA IERPU to include one additional CWDB grant award. |
Since the approval of the IERPU MOU Amendment No. 2, one additional grant has been awarded as follows:
|
Subgrant Number |
Description |
Grant Administrative Lead |
Grant Term |
Total Grant Allotment |
|
TBD |
Regional Planning Implementation 4.0 |
San Bernardino County |
4/01/2021 - 9/30/2022 |
$350,000 |
The IERPU MOU currently provides that any increase to an existing Total Grant Allotment set forth in Exhibit A and related Service Agreements in excess of $100,000 require approval of each County’s Board of Supervisors. Most recent grants have been awarded in amounts higher than the $100,000 threshold, therefore, this process has become administratively cumbersome and not as streamlined as envisioned. Therefore, both the SBCWDB and the RCWDB seek to increase this amount to $1,000,000 per year, $5,000,000 over the extended term of the IERPU MOU, to maximize efficiencies while operating in a fiscally responsible manner. Amendment No. 3 also updates Exhibit A of the IERPU MOU to include an additional CWDB grant and extend the current MOU term to June 30, 2026.
Coordination between Riverside and San Bernardino County is vital to the utilization of the regional funding and leveraging of resources to the greatest effect to improve the workforce system in the Inland Empire. The IERPU MOU is critical to the success of the Regional Plan.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Akins, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 20, 2021; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on April 5, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on April 6, 2021.