EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: July 5, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Rachel Horst, Housing and Economic Development Manager SUBJECT: Update on East Palo Alto Career Center’s Advisory Committees Recommendation
Accept the report providing an update on the East Palo Alto Career Center’s Advisory Committees.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 2: Enhance Economic Vitality
Priority No. 5: Improve Communication and Enhance Community Engagement Background
Throughout 2021, the City Council held public discussions on the governance structure of what was referred to as East Palo Alto Career Center’s Technical Advisory Committee (“TAC”). The TAC was facilitated by JobTrain, the operator of the East Palo Alto Career Center located at 2100 University Ave in East Palo Alto.
On December 7, 2021, the City Council approved a modified structure for the TAC and provided recommendations for the membership of its two subcommittees,1the Community Advisory Committee (“CAC”) and Employer Advisory Committee (“EAC”). Both subcommittees may consist of 8-10 members.
CAC Structure and Composition
The CAC must include least five East Palo Alto residents; each City Councilmember recommends a participant to JobTrain. The current membership is as follows:
1 The December 7, 2021 staff report is available at:
http://eastpaloalto.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=1460&MediaPosition=20788.652&ID=2016&CssCla ss=
• Joan Carter
• Julian Garcia
• Stewart Hyland
• Robert Jones
• Elvira Macias
• Delia Perla
• Bernadine Posadas
• Laura Ramirez
• Heather Starnes-Logwood
• Ariana Tafayo
EAC Structure and Composition
JobTrain appoints all members to the EAC. The current EAC membership is as follows:
• Annette Chu (Milestone Technologies)
• George Colon (SF Made)
• Melissa Dunn (Target)
• Michelle Godeaux (Columbia Property Trust)
• Robert Matthews (Carpenters Training Committee for Northern CA) • Mark Reyes (CSBio)
• Flo Sinogui (Teamsters 665)
A City staff member (the Housing & Economic Development Manager) sits on both the EAC and the CAC.
In 2022, both subcommittees will meet on a quarterly basis, and periodically thereafter. The members of the subcommittees set the meeting schedule, rather than JobTrain.
Quarterly Reports from JobTrain
As discussed in the previous Council reports, JobTrain is required to provide quarterly updates on the Career Center and outcomes and highlights from the CAC and EAC sub-committees.
The most recent quarterly report, dated April 15, 2022, is provided in Attachment 1, though both subcommittees had yet to hold their first meetings at the time of publication.
The next quarterly report will be the first to cover both the Career Center and sub-committee meetings. It is anticipated to be published online in September. Then, the quarterly reporting cadence will be the following:
• July-September - published online in October
• October-December - published online in January
• January-March - published online in April
• April-June - published online in July
These quarterly reports will be posted on a dedicated page of the City’s website, on which JobTrain and the CAC and EAC sub-committees may also post other updates and information, as necessary.2
The purpose of this staff report is to establish the schedule for the quarterly updates on the EAC and CAC subcommittees.
Analysis
Initial Meetings of the EAC and CAC
JobTrain conducted an orientation for all committee members on May 10, 2022, where staff presented on the JobTrain model, track record, and purpose of the subcommittees.
The EAC held its first meeting on June 8, 2022. This initial meeting consisted of an introduction of all members and a roundtable discussion on the following questions:
1. Comment on any changes in the workforce/jobseekers you have experienced or observed in the present versus the past.
2. What are your pain points in terms of hiring and retention?
3. What successful strategies, methods, ideas have you used or heard of in addressing these difficulties?
4. What are your thoughts on where the labor market is headed? The CAC held its first meeting on June 23, 2022. Community representatives introduced themselves and held a robust discussion on the visibility and public perceptions of the Career Center and how to improve outreach to prospective Career Center clients.
Meetings are held in a hybrid format, with the option to attend in-person at the East Palo Alto Career Center or via Zoom. As noted above, these meetings will be summarized in the next Career Center quarterly report submitted by JobTrain.
Fiscal Impact
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the items discussed in this staff report.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice by making the agenda and report available on the City’s website and on the bulletin board located outside of City Hall Chambers at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
2 This page can be found at: https://www.cityofepa.org/econdev/page/east-palo-alto-career-center-technical-advisory-committee-tac Attachments
1. EPA Career Center Quarterly Performance Report (April 2022)