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Archive: June 2007 Minutes
06-11-07 Performance Measurement Committee Meeting
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Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
Performance Measurement Committee
Meeting Minutes
06/11/07
GNB Career Center
Members in attendance: Mike Kramer, Chair, Roger Masson, Carl Waal, Larry Weldon
Members absent: John Fernandes, David Maher
Workforce Development System staff attending: Ed Dennehy, Brenda Francis, Mike Travers, Lara Stone
Chair Mike Kramer called the meeting to order at 1:04 pm.
Minutes of the April 23, 2007 meeting were accepted. Motion to approve minutes made by Roger Masson, seconded by Larry Weldon.
Operations Report
The Executive Director of New Directions reported on the CC operations and distributed the Performance report. Ed reviewed the reports with members of the committee. It was noted that the only major concern that has been known to staff for some time is the dislocated worker wage goal that will go unmet. The Work Cert grant is coming to a close with approximately two classes remaining. The entered employment and completion rates for the grant are exceptionally high. This is very positive for the 130 served (vs. targeted 200 in the grant application). New Directions is working with BCC on the potential of offering a Work Cert. non-credit course staffed by New Directions employees at the Star Store. Cost issues are still being worked out. Work Cert. component continues to be written into other grants in hopes of continuing to fund it as a successful local support. With some forward funded money, there are some veterans customers who have secured funding for ITAs.
2007 WIB Survey/Charter Review
Committee reviewed the results of the GNBWIB survey for board members. Mike Kramer and Lara Stone provided some analysis and review of data. Mike noted that the ’06 return rate was 75% and that the ’07 return rate was 54%. The committee discussed possibility of having some members complete the survey at the WIB meeting scheduled later this month to increase feedback.
Specific comments and discussion will be captured in a summary report that Mike Kramer will develop. It was noted that at present it is difficult to ascertain if the concerns or lack of participation of board members in leadership, etc. are due to new board make up or has participation and/or interest and involvement in workforce development, etc. by WIB members decreased (gotten worse)?
2007 Other Charter Review Components:
PM Committee members discussed additional Charter Review components for FY ’08:
- Partners Meeting—schedule this with support of WIB staff and Ed Dennehy for October.
- Vendor input—Brenda Francis and Ed Dennehy will present an update at the September PMC meeting outlining how contract negotiations went with current/new vendors and what suggested areas for improvement exist. This will inform the PMC about need/want for any Charter Review next steps with vendors.
Other Business
PMC members discussed the current roster of WIB Committees. Mike Kramer explained that there might be a move to collapse the Planning and Performance Measurement Committees and their functions into one. Members felt strongly that the committees remain separate as they serve two important but distinct functions. Planning and Resource Development is the host committee for the WIB’s strategic planning and new resource, funding and partnership opportunity discussions. PMC is focused on total quality and continuous improvement including the Charter Review as a mechanism for measuring outcomes. Diluting the two by collapsing them would not work well. A motion was made by Roger Masson and seconded by Larry Weldon to maintain the structure of two separate committees. A unanimous vote of support for the current structure is noted.
Mondays at 1 PM continue to be a convenient time for PMC members to meet.
Motion to adjourn at 2:20 PM - made by Roger Masson, seconded by Larry Weldon. Approved.
The next PMC meeting will be scheduled for September as soon as possible.
Respectfully submitted,
Lara H. Stone
Consultant
06-07-07 Executive Committee Meeting
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Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
06/07/07
Brandon Woods of Dartmouth
Members present: Kathleen Del Sordo, Bruce Morrell, Michael Kramer, Richard Mello, Susan Peterson
Members absent: Charles R. Simpson, Chair (called); John Fernandes (called), David J. Ferreira (called), Anthony Sapienza, Charlie Winterhalter
Workforce Development System staff attending: Len Coriaty, Richard Carter, Ed Dennehy, Jean Fox, Steven Grant, Annie Massicotte
No quorum. Chair Simpson had a last-minute emergency and was unable to attend. Kathleen Del Sordo, serving as Chair in Mr. Simpson’s absence, could not formally call the meeting to order at 4:55pm, but she suggested proceeding with a brief discussion of the agenda items.
Ms. Del Sordo asked those present to review the meeting minutes from April 26 and May 10, 2007. Any questions or clarifications should be directed to Len. These minutes will be voted on at the next Executive Committee meeting.
Treasurer’s Report
Ms. Peterson indicated that there was no report available for this meeting, but Ms. Massicotte will email a copy of the completed report to the Finance Committee members.
Ms. Peterson indicated that she had both good and bad news to share. The good news: The capital costs related to the DWDA move are expected to be $10,000 - $15,000 lower than originally projected. The bad news: New Directions Southcoast’s (NDS) rent at the Quest Building has not been altered. Ed Dennehy has signed an $82,000 three-year lease on the 900 sq. ft. space. Ms. Peterson further stated that the space being vacated by Mr. Grant and his staff is not particularly usable or rentable. This results in a potential loss of approximately $10,000 per year, for the next three years.
Bruce Morell noted that there might be some state program that could utilize the space.
Lengthy discussion ensued relative to the funding of NDS. Mr. Morell referred to a letter from Mr. Dennehy to the Finance Committee that cites some issues arising from NDS’s new nonprofit status and the merger effort that were not previously contemplated. These issues include unfunded liabilities in several areas: vacation time, prearranged severance packages, and NDS cash flow. Mr. Morell suggested that these issues be placed within the purview of the Executive Committee as they are too complex for resolution at the Finance Committee level.
When asked about the current financial position of NDS, Mr. Dennehy noted that the approved budget funds the organization through FY ‘08. However, he lacks reserve funds. He is not clear on how to build a reserve, particularly in light of the fact that he will be going after his own grants.
Richard Mello felt that a tax attorney or advisor should be retained to certify the whole funding process for NDS because there does not appear to be precedent on the organizational situation and problems currently facing NDS.
Mr. Coriaty noted that the state monitors the system extensively, which should provide some level of reassurance to members. In addition, there is monthly reporting to the Finance Committee and to the Executive Committee. These reports are prepared by high-level individuals and provide a tool for oversight and accountability.
Ms. Peterson asked about fund management. The Finance Committee discusses performance dollars. Will NDS or the WIB be responsible for managing those dollars? Mr. Morell added that the City of New Bedford and New Directions were once the same entity. That is no longer the case.
Mr. Morell further added that the arrangement is highly unusual. There are now two independent nonprofits – WIB and NDS. If Ed does the work and earns the money, he would likely prefer to reap the rewards and grow his organization.
Mr. Coriaty reminded the members that he has been in deep discussion with Mr. Simpson in connection with this matter. There is agreement that the issues raised in Mr. Dennehy’s letter require resolution and that these issues are basically fallout from inadequate foresight. Mr. Simpson wants to approach the problems properly before assuming responsibility.
Ms. Del Sordo recommended the establishment of a smaller working group to tackle the NDS concerns. Ms. Peterson noted that the problems must be resolved within the next 3 to 4 months. Those assembled agreed to the establishment of a working group. Mr. Coriaty will bring the recommendation to Mr. Simpson. In addition, Mr. Coriaty noted that Mr. Simpson has some CPAs on staff that may be of use in this process.
Ms. Peterson suggested that the flow of money be contractually structured.
Ms. Del Sordo asked for clarification on the impact of the July 1 (fiscal year) date. Mr. Dennehy reiterated that the financial position of NDS is fine for the time being. Mr. Grant suggested that there may be some auditing issues to resolve, however, particularly with regard to which entity holds the funds. NDS was incorporated in October ‘06, but it was not until January ‘07 that it was treated as a corporation. Either DWDA will have a large cash balance at the end of the fiscal year, when the audit is slated to take place, or NDS will.
Ms. Peterson inquired about the tax identification number. Mr. Dennehy explained that he was able to retain the original number because only the status of the entity changed.
Mr. Morell excused himself from the meeting at 5:20 pm. The informal discussion continued among the remaining committee members.
Other Business
Revisions to FY ’08 Integrated Budget
Ms. Del Sordo asked Mr. Coriaty to expand on the budget handout regarding modifications to the integrated budget. He noted that a few small items added up to less than 2/10 of a percent worth of changes. Most noteworthy is the $4,000 gain in the ITA line item.
Performance Funds Recommendations
No discussion.
Proposed Cost Share Increase for Career Center Partners
This was covered during the Finance Committee meeting. A handout prepared by Mr. Grant broke out the cost per occupant at $2,312.45 and specified the new basic cost as increasing to approximately $770, up from $720. Finance committee members have requested additional information on total costs paid by all users. Mr. Morell stressed his desire to see fairness across the board, given that these costs have not been revisited in some time. Additionally, he would like to explore an evaluation of in-kind contributions and their role in partner cost mitigation.
Managing Growth, Development, and Challenges
Mr. Coriaty briefly discussed some of the WIB’s most recent endeavors, including Work Certified, the Apprenticeship program, and LiteracyWorks. These are testimony to the organization’s strength at identifying needs, pursuing the funding to address those needs, then launching the necessary initiatives. He explained that a staff shortage, coupled with increased demands on staff time, have resulted in a reduction in overall WIB efficiency. The FY ’08 Business Plan and Budget, and the merger are largely concluded. In addition, 11 proposals have been submitted over the last several months, which consumed significant staff time. At this point we are aware of a $500,000 award for WCTF.
The appointment of a new Youth Council Director, Richard Carter, will reduce some of the staff burden. In addition, Joan Branton has agreed to step in as a transitional Director of Operations to help position the GNBWIB for some state-initiated system-wide changes. Mr. Coriaty noted that Mr. Mackley, in his new state level role, will be addressing the 6/20 Annual Meeting on these changes.
Mr. Carter then provided a brief statement regarding his new role.
Annual Meeting – Recognition
Mr. Coriaty presented a list of suggested recipients for awards to be presented at the Annual meeting. He indicated that he would be preparing formal statements about each recipient for the award presentations. He asked that members forward any suggestions or comments to him. He also recognized the staff suggestions put forward by Mr. Dennehy and noted that Patricia Garcia is preparing a couple of suggestions for WorkCert graduates who have been very successful in their careers as a result of the training.
FY ’08 WIB Meeting Schedule
Ms. Massicotte distributed meeting schedules to those present. Mr. Coriaty noted that the Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for a Thursday this year.
Respectfully submitted,
Jean C. Fox
LiteracyWorks Entrepreneur
06-07-07 Finance Committee Meeting
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Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
Finance Committee
06/07/07
Brandon Woods of Dartmouth
Finance Committee members present: Susan Peterson, Chair; Bruce Morell, Carl Waal
Finance Committee members absent: David Pelletier (called), Maria Pinarreta, Chuck Simpson (called)
GNB WIB Member present: Richard Mello
Workforce Development System staff in attendance: Len Coriaty, Ed Dennehy, Steve Grant, Annie Massicotte
Chair Susan Peterson called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.
- Consent Agenda:
Minutes of the 04/26/07 Finance Committee meeting (and) Minutes of the 05/10/07 RD&P (and) Finance Committee JOINT meeting were approved on a motion by Carl Waal. The motion was seconded by Bruce Morell and carried unanimously. Due to the timing of this meeting the Treasurer’s Report for the period 05/05/07 through 06/02/07 was not available for this meeting, however Annie Massicotte will email a copy of the completed report to the Finance Committee members.
- Fiscal Reports / Updates: - Due to the timing of this meeting, updates were not provided.
- New Directions / DWDA Updates:
Quest Center / Lease Agreement – Ed signed a 3 year lease (through 03/31/10) - $84K per year. He stated that he might possibly be able to use DWDA’s current space and charge off to grants.
WIB/DWDA Merger – Len noted that he needs Steve to let him know how much space will be needed for the Fiscal staff. It was also uncovered that the Fiscal department will not need to have a separate server for the Fundware Software as originally informed by the IT department. It appears they should be able to connect directly to New Direction Southcoast, Inc.’s server. Print availability still needs to be tested. Deb Marcondes will be using Diane Hurley’s PC to complete this testing.
- Other Business
Revisions to Integrated Budget – Steve Grant reviewed the integrated budget revisions. He was able to add $25K to ITA’s and $15K to Dislocated Workers.
Performance Funds Policy Recommendation – Ed Dennehy distributed a memo requesting Performance money. Chucks position based on past experience is that the WIB has responsibility and oversight of these funds. Ed stated that in the future NDS may directly go after grants, but currently they need help with forward funding. He asked for TA from the WIB. Bruce Morell stated that depending on which grants are received, most are cost reimbursement. Some allow admin overhead, but don’t usually allow for build up of unrestricted funds. Bruce also stated that he feels very uncomfortable when one non-profit organization asks another non-profit organization to guarantee their debts.
Proposed Cost Share Increase – Career Center Partners – Presently MOU cost share amount is $720 for a 6X8 cube (one day), and a modest increase to $770 is recommended. The Career Center present cost is $122K per year (was $100K a few years back). Susan suggested that this cost is reviewed yearly (for a possible increase of 1-2% vs 6% over 6 years of not being increased at all). Bruce Morell stated that, as a matter of fairness and equity, he’d like to see the numbers that each agency pays as well as in-kind amounts. It was also suggested that a rider be added to each MOU stating as follows “Please note, cost may increase”. After discussion, it was agreed to table the MOU portion of this agenda.
- Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 4:48 pm on a motion made by Carl Waal, and seconded by Bruce Morell.
Next meeting date TBD
Respectfully submitted,
Annie Massicotte
Executive Assistant / Office Manager
06-07-07 Resource Development and Planning Committee Meeting
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Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
Resource Development and Planning Committee
Meeting Minutes
06/07/07
GNB WIB Conference Room 207
Members present: Richard Mello, Chair; David DeJesus, Jeff Travers, Paul Correia, Ed Dennehy, Eddie Johnson, Lisa Lemieux, Lisa Jochim
Members absent: Debora Britton-Flores, James Snow, Dean Robert Ward, Marilyn Whalley
Workforce Development System staff in attendance: Craig Baker
Meeting start at 8:05am.
Consent Agenda
Minutes of the 04/26/07 (and) 05/10/07 meetings were approved on a motion by Ed Dennehy, seconded by David DeJesus, and carried unanimously.
Funding Strategies were discussed as follows:
Retail
- DTA has space to train
- Target, Inc. rented a bldg to do recruiting
- Entry level work readiness is what we plan to do
- 1200 workers
- Mobilize partners to leverage their resources
- Approach employers for funding (build a package)
- Include employers in the planned training (to inform curriculum)
- Need a location to accommodate volume
ESOL
- Employers shy from 50% match
- Simplify state process – Call Dave Mackley to discuss simplification
- What is Jean Fox doing re: employer relationships
- What is the priority: computer skills or ESOL
- Release time kills employers – even an hour a day
- Lisa Jochim has employer information to start populating an ABE/ESOL friendly data base
- Have community groups/agencies speak out on benefits of their clients
- DOE programs do a lot of the administration that WFT expects employers to do (less of a burden)
RETM
- tie the concept to an industry
- write a proposal
- target healthcare as it runs gamut educationally
Healthcare
- Admin:
- Need medical terminology (as a bridge)
- Medical records
- coding
- (Include computer skills)
- ECCLI has been hit or miss (what are real benefits from that program?)
- w/degrees:
- Rad tech
- Resp. Therapist
- Lab sciences
- Region is at capacity for classes
- Need to hire more instructors,
there is no:
- rehab training
- pharmacology
- respiratory
- LifeStream (in 9 months development) will be a certified LPN school
- Will partner with SE Rehab
- Don't see a lot of men coming into CNA
Entry Level Skills:
- Added workshop instructor to OSCC staff to accommodate computer skills training
- Work with partners to expand capacity versus OSCC capacity
- Sentiment is to work with partners to build their capacity
- Send people to OSCC with computer skills etc.
Craig Baker presented new opportunities with Bristol Community College including offering Work Certified through BCC (non-credit course), the recent Marine Trades partnership BCC has with Massasoit, and a Mott Foundation-Courses to Employment opportunity.
He also provided brief updates on LiteracyWorks, Work Certified and WCTF funding:
LiteracyWorks: We are still looking for a Champion and need desperately to assemble and convene the Advisory Board to ensure success of this program. Lisa Jochim asked to have LiteracyWorks goals clarified and that Jean Fox get in touch with her to discuss goals, outcomes, a connection to Bishop Stang and employer connectivity and that she be included in the e-mail loop.
Work Certified: We are still looking to funding to sustain this effort and we do not feel that efforts to secure the earmarks were successful but that we need to confirm. The Advisory Board is looking for other ways to keep this going.
WCTF: We received the award but are still waiting on the contracting and official letter from CommCorp before we can move forward.
Meeting adjourned at 9:05am.
Respectfully submitted,
Craig Baker
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