Speaker 1: Report from Economic and Property Development recommendation to accept funds totaling 3.9 million funded by the Community Economic Adjustment assistance for reductions in defense industry employment and execute a contract with blue drop performance learning in the amount of 2.5 million to develop web based platform materials citywide.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilman, actually, let me turn this over for our staff report. We have a quick report from.
Speaker 10: Nick Schulz, executive director of the Workforce Investment Board. Good evening, Honorable Mayor Garcia, members of council. The item before you is the acceptance of an award from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Assistance under the Defense Industry Adjustment Program and is related to the impending closure of the Boeing facility in Long Beach due to elimination in the C-17 weapons system. Air support for communities, in fact impacted by factory closures and laid off employees focuses on developing adjustment and implementation strategies. Our local adjustment strategies focus on regional job creation through business development and expansion, workforce development and community economic diversification. Pacific Gateway aggressively pursued this program because we understood the uniqueness of the defense industry can create obstacles for communities affected by defense downsizing because firms and workers develop specialized skills and competencies designed to serve designed to serve government and military customers. They are challenged when trying to enter new markets and new sectors. Second, we know we must plan for the long haul and assume that we will not immediately be able to replace all the lost defense jobs. Replacing those jobs or adding new jobs in the communities is a long term proposition, and it is unlikely that a single new employer will ever absorb the entire impact. Instead, we are focused on developing strategies that support multiple economic drivers to replace lost defense jobs. When faced with downsizing, large defense contractors opt to remain focused on defense and government business, while in contrast, many smaller firms in the supply chain have interest in pursuing new markets or diversification opportunities . We want to help local firms assess their competitive assets and challenges and design appropriate strategies for new business development by focusing on strong partnerships and a commitment to change as critical success factors. We believe we can ensure a successful community transition occurs. Thank you and I'd be happy to answer any questions.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Is there any public comment on this item seen on Councilman Richardson?
Speaker 3: Just want to take a moment and again, say congratulations. This is yet a second week of of great work represented on our agenda from our workforce organization. And I look forward to seeing the cumulative totals when we review our federal legislation by the numbers, because I have a I have a I'm going to guess that we're we're we're we're going to be well ahead of where we were last year in terms of our performance and in receiving federal support. So congratulations and great work.
Speaker 0: Councilman. Mango. I'm sorry. My apologies. Councilman Austin.
Speaker 8: Thank you. And I'd also just like to say congratulations. I think this is this is good news, as good as it can get with considering that we are we're dealing with a plant closure. I can remember when the career transition center was was developed originally to deal with major reductions in force with the job losses associated with the McDonnell Douglas and Boeing back in the nineties. And this is this is bittersweet. So I think this is good. I'm a little kind of curious because I know that most of the workforce that that has will be leaving or that has left the the plant there. Many of those are 20 plus year employees and curious what type of retraining they will have as through through this service. Do you have any specifics on that? Mr..
Speaker 10: So actually, this is very different than anything we've brought forward to you before. This actually doesn't fund retraining specifically as Department of Labor will pay for that training. And we do have a national emergency grant to fund specific skill development for laid off Boeing workers in the pipeline. What the OJ grant does is actually allow us to build infrastructure that extends our reach out. So professional employees, those folks are sometimes hesitant to walk into a center like we operate, or those folks who actually have the skills to navigate the career pathway and access specific services on their own. This platform will actually extend our whole suite of services, as well as take the training courses offered by our partner providers, the ones that they can afford through online access. This will actually make those trainings available to folks without ever having to walk into our center or into a classroom.
Speaker 8: Thank you, Mr. Schulz. And I'm not sure if you mentioned how we we identified this fund or these funds.
Speaker 10: So actually, the Office of Economic Adjustment had actually worked with Long Beach as a community before when the Navy was in town. It is not a competitive solicitation like many of the things we move forward. It's specifically for a community that loses a prime defense contractor similar to the BRAC process you would see when a base would close.
Speaker 8: Thank you so much.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilwoman Mongo.
Speaker 1: I want to thank our our team again for doing such a great job on this. Many of my colleagues joined me last night at the grand opening of Mercedes in the old MD. Facility. And as we transition the supply chain of the region, it is great for our city to be a leader in this, and it would not be possible without the great work. Thank you to the city manager and the Workforce Development Team. Nick, you have been a beacon of light for this city since you've started. We just cannot say enough about the great work that you've done and the number of new jobs that are going to be in the pipeline. So look for another council agenda item coming soon that will help our Long Beach residents get these these best and brightest jobs. We were already out there meeting. I met with a couple of VP of the companies within the last week, and I can't wait to bring that on board. And I know that with Nick's help, it'll be a successful project. So thank you all.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman Ringo.
Speaker 9: Thank you very much. I also want to give kudos to staff for bringing this forward. I do have a couple of questions in regards to the length of this funding. Is it a one year, two year project one? How long it's going to go.
Speaker 10: Current amount you will be approving runs through September of 2016. Based on the progress in the deliverables of the plan, we have the opportunity to continue to find relevant, relevant projects through.
Speaker 9: And what would some of those delivery deliverables include, such as.
Speaker 10: Deliverables are in three categories. First categories economic development and planning that include that includes a data collection and analysis of existing industries. It includes and industry cluster mapping as well as public engagement around the economic drivers and growth opportunities for the Long Beach community. The second part of the grant revolves around land use and infrastructure planning. This is with regard to long time, long term use or transition of the facility. So there's a financial feasibility analysis involved with that land use and infrastructure planning as well as a C-17 transitional master plan. And that would be developed based on opportunities that that are shown to have promise out of the economic analysis that's conducted. And then the third piece of the plan that we've talked about in Councilmember Austin's questions is the assistance to impacted defense firms and workers. And that's there's. The C-17 defense and dislocated worker platform, as well as direct assistance to C-17 supply chain firms.
Speaker 9: Yeah, that that third component was one that has most interest for me in the sense that do we have some kind of background on these employees as to a level of experience, education, ability to transition to other jobs in the in the not only in that in their own industry, but transition to jobs locally within within their own labor market here. And also perhaps even and we will have many opportunities within the city of Long Beach with perhaps some positions within the city itself.
Speaker 10: So fortunately, Boeing's complied with all their notice requirements under the WARN Act. We do have both positioned and positioned in number in each position and job descriptions related to almost 1600 folks impacted by the final closure. We're able to do some talent mapping with that. Look at the knowledge, skills and abilities of those folks coming out of the coming out of the Boeing closure and then map that over to existing opportunities in the labor force. And if there is not a consistent or highly predictive match for them to gain reemployment quickly to take a look at training opportunities that we have available locally that would help to close the skill gap and get them reemployed.
Speaker 9: Finally, in regards to the last part you spoke about, in terms of the mapping, the opportunities for retooling, retraining obviously is important. Are they going to be connected somehow with our OPI programs or lobby City College should they want to continue their education or enhance whatever it is they have?
Speaker 10: Again, there's we can have more of that discussion when we bring forward the specific request for for to accept the training dollars related to the laid off worker. Again, those will be federal workforce investment dollars that assist in that regard. So we are. Mandated to use what they call the employment training provider list. It's a state sourced list. You have to pass the standards set by the Bureau of Post Post-Secondary and Private Education, and you have to meet performance to continue to be on that list. Local rope programs, local Long Beach City College programs, CSU ALB PA programs, as well as private proprietary programs appear on that list.
Speaker 9: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Any public comment on the item?
Speaker 2: Very good, Kirk, as he addressed this is an interesting fund. I've never I never have gotten inside of it. But I'm wondering, in all seriousness, whether or not. This fund or a fund like it from the federal government might be used. To take the aircraft facilities. And. Make that, as I suggested a couple times before of it using. That our new City Hall complex period. We could put nine floors there especially. Certainly that building is more than ample to handle on one floor. What we have here are nine floors. And other city offices. Let's examine the possibility. See whether or not those funds exist. The case could be made that this is also as a result of employment. Industry is city wide in the in due to the reduction of military service and so forth or of military equipment or demand, therefore . So let's take a look at that if that money is there. One other quick, very quick footnote on the Queen Mary. Since you are the Stewarts, please never again refer to the funnels as smokestacks.
Speaker 0: Larry, that's a wrong a wrong item. So thank you very much. Members, please go ahead and cast your vote.
Speaker 1: Motion carries.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next item, please.
Speaker 1: Report from Financial Management Recommendation to execute a contract with the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee to receive and expand local government match program funds in the amount not to exceed 1.4 million citywide.
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all documents, and any needed subsequent amendments, with the Department of Defense through the Office of Economic Adjustment, to accept funds totaling $3,995,609 funded by the Community Economic Adjustment Assistance for Reductions in Defense Industry Employment to implement a project that would address the economic and workforce impact of the C-17 plant closure, for the term of June 1, 2015  through September 30, 2016; execute a contract with Bluedrop Performance Learning in the amount of $2,500,000 to develop web-based platform materials to assist dislocated workers in transitioning their skills; and 

Increase appropriations in the Community Development Grants Fund (SR 150) in the Economic and Property Development Department (EP) by $3,645,609.  (Citywide)