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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-01-28 - AGENDA REPORTS - DAYWORKER PROGRESS REPORT (2)AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: January 28, 1992 SUBJECT: Dayworker Progress Report DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation BACKGROUND AV City Manager Item to be presenteesente d by: Raquel Garcia U For almost two years the City of Santa Clarita has continued to assess, research and implement Council directed actions in an effort to address' the dayworker situation in the City. The City has worked with community residents, businesses, state officials, congressional representatives, and community organizations to understand the issue and consider the feasibility of implementing new and various programs and approaches tried by other cities. This report provides an update of the City's current progress on the issue and continuing efforts underway. City's Continuing Efforts In April 1991, Council directed staff to work with congressional representatives to place pressure on the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS) to step up enforcement. of immigration laws on undocumented dayworkers. A letter signed by the Mayor was mailed to our congressional representatives asking for assistance in working with INS to ease the local situation (see attached). Thereafter, City staff met with Congressman Gallegly, the INS and other nearby cities also confronted with the same problem. The cities received support in working to resolve the day laborer problem. In ,the past, INS has had limited financial and personnel resources in addressing the responsibilities of their agency. and has focused the vast majority of its energies on counterfeit document actions and employer verification sanctions. Day laborer complaints from individual communities are addressed on an "as time permits• basis. As per direction of City .Council to pursue other options, the City also met with our local State Employment Development Department (EDD) with the intent of coordinating existing employment services, community education and outreach activities to documented workers. In addition, City staff distributed a flyer about EDD services to the dayworkers congregating along San Fernando Road. Although seen as a positive approach to connect dayworkers with existing services, this effort was unsuccessful. For dayworkers who were interested in applying, EDD did not have the organizational structure to serve non-English speaking dayworkers in their request for casual, short-term employment. As a result, this effort was discontinued and City staff began to discuss with EDD these issues which address the need for casual job availability and language barrier constraints. &Ppfloffl aaeneauemu" I In a letter to EDD's Los Angeles County regional office, staff has recommended a cooperative undertaking between the City and EDD to work on the problem. Staff has requested that EDD consider the following activities, and determine their feasibility, fiscal impact, extent of agency involvement, and EDD's willingness to participate in the activities. The proposal includes: 1. Developing a marketing plan to attract employee listings for the casual -work force in conjunction with the development of a bilingual toll free job line for casual work force between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. 2. Becoming a sponsor of community awareness fair for low income and minority families, which would include information about citizenship and immigration rights, legal rights, information on 'free health screenings, employment information. City services, employment resources, and legal aid services. 3. Conducting a profile questionnaire to gather information to identify needs and measure the akill levels of our casual work force. Mr. Al Dave, Area Administrator for the Los Angeles County, views the City's proposal a reasonable approach, but feels it needs to be reworked. He is interested in becoming a part of -public partnership, but has not scheduled a meeting with City staff to discuss and reach an understanding of what EDD can actually commit to do. Additionally, the City Council directed the initiation of a pilot night time code enforcement program aimed at enforcing health and safety laws in substandard living conditions in East Newhall, other areas of Newhall and Canyon Country. Several building and code violations were cited. The program has been discontinued after a few months into the life of the program. Monitoring Other City Programs City staff has researched the progress of other cities' efforts in dealing with their local dayworker situation. overall, cities experience difficulties in trying to reach a solution which helps dayworkers, residents and business owners, and is legally feasible and supported by civil rights organizations. It is a problem which is compounded and related to a larger immigration problem and subjected to larger global economic issues. The problem will not go away and the Cities must continue to confront the issue from a local standpoint. A few examples illustrate the issue's complexity and associated program costs. The City of Agoura Hills attempted to start a telephone hiring exchange in combination with enforcement by a city ordinance prohibiting the solicitation of work on public streets. They are currently in litigation. The city of Moorpark attempted to set up a hiring center, supported by dayworkers. However, it was not supported by the community. Other cities, such as the City of Brea, fund a center for $40,000 annually. The center offers a regulated orderly environment to match dayworkers with contractors, home owners, and other employers soliciting casual labor. It is a non-discriminatory job center. In light of learning first hand what cities do and what is successful, City staff recommends that Council consider the following interim action plan: 1. Encourage residents to contact the INS and their congressional representatives regarding the problem. 2. Continue staff efforts to coordinate with EDD and implement proposed activities. (see attached letter) 3. Direct staff to set up a meeting with landlords to address sub -standard living conditions within the City. 4. Continue its emphasis on a revitalization effort for the East Newhall and surrounding areas. It is recommended that the City Council receive the report and direct staff to implement the City's interim action plan. Attachment Letter to congressional representatives. Letter to Employment Development Department. RG:slc.PRCOUNC.81 City of Santa Clarita Jill Klajic Mayor Howard "Buck" McKeon Mayor Pro -Tem Carl Boyer, 3rd Councilmember Jo Anne Darcy Councilmember Jan Heidt Councilmember ':l y 23920 Valencia Blvd. Suite 300 City of Santa Clarita California 91355 October 17, 1991 Phone (805) 259-2489 Fax (805) 259-8125 Mr. Al Dave Acting Area Administrator Los Angeles County Employment Development Department 3424 Garfield Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 Dear Mr. Dave: For over a year, the City of Santa Clarita has been attempting to deal with the day laborer issue in our community. Although downtown Newhall is the focal point for day laborers to gather, other areas of Santa Clarita are similarly impacted. In response to merchant and citizen concerns, the City embarked on an extensive evaluation of the day laborer issue with emphasis toward :developing workable solutions. Clearly, the ''issue is .complex and not unique to Santa Clarita. The'City of Santa Clarita efforts support assisting dayworkers who have a_legal right to work in the United States. The City recognizes that the day laborer .issue is not simply an illegal alien problem. There are many documented aliens and local U.S. citizens.comprising the day laborer force. Based on council directive, the City's efforts are aimed at community education and dayworker outreach activities. City staff has been working with existing local resources to match up documented workers with available opportunities and address the types of jobs available and language barriers. In our preliminary meetings with our local Employment Development Department, we received inter -agency cooperative support, however, City staff now encounters resistance. According to EDD, working to bring to fruition steps to assist the casual workforce which includes the documented day worker population, is not possible because of current agency policies regarding day workers. In our initial meetings with EDD we proposed and discussed several day worker outreach activities which we still recommend as cooperative undertakings between the City and.EDD. We would like to ask your agency to consider each activity listed below.and work with the City to determine its feasibility, fiscal impact, and agency involvement and contribution to the activities. 1) Developing a marketing plan to attract employee listings for the casual work force in conjunction with the development of a bilingual toll free job line for casual work force between the hours of 6:00 - 9:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday. 2) Becoming sponsor of a community awareness fair for the Hispanic Families, which would include information about citizenship and immigration rights; legal .rights information, free health screenings, employment information, City services, employment resources. and legal aid services. 3) Conducting a profile questionnaire to gather information to identify needs and measure the skill levels of our casual work force. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working closely to develop workable interim solutions which will bring job seekers and job hunters together and provide education to the. community. Presently, the ,system .set up :to assistdocumented workers in finding employment, is not able to link persons who want to work. The City of Santa'Clarita ,looks. forward to working with you and appropriate agencies to proactively work toward solutions which ' will attempttomeetthe basic human needs ofday laborers and community residents. We. look forward to hearing your comments on our proposals and discussing them further. Sincerely, wlce�- i Raquel Garcia Administrative Assistant RG: s1c.107 CC: Santa Clarita Legislative Delegation 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone Suite 300 (805) 259.2489 City of Santa Clarity Fax California 91355 (805) 259.8125 City of .. Santa Clarita Federal immigration policies must be sensitive to the resultant impact on local jurisdictions. While placement facilities exist to assist documented workers in finding employment. day laborer gathering points,in our city and other communities are testimony.to.system failure in being able to link people who want to work with jobs. The federal government must work closely with local jurisdictions to develop programs which will bring job seekers and job hunters together. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working with us to address these concerns. Apri1=26.'1991t::: The Honorable Elton:Gallegly ••;r '"# •'> ''° '' ' `Member"of='Congressr..i_..:.n .;A;c:} e. s_: �e 107 Cannon House _office Building Vii ington: D:C�.'=20515, ... _-r.; _ ....._..• \" ..-.. .._ .•.._RJi Carl Boyer, 3rd - - - Dear'Congressmaa�Gal'leglyts —c Mayor JillKlalic For over a year,. the City of Santa Clarita has been attempting Mayor Pro•rem to deal with the day laborer issue in'our community. Although Jo Anne Darcy downtown Newhall is the focal point for day.flaborers to gather, Councflmember other°areas of Santa-Clarita are similarly impacted. Jan eidtVi it' -embarked In response to: merchantandcitizen concerns, -City Coueclmember. on an extensive : CIty of Santa Clarita. 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone Suite 300 (805) 259-2489 City of Santa Clarita Fax California 91355 (805) 259-8125 April,26, 1991 a The HonorableH Villiam Thomas;;` � � ' ' Member,of,Congress .` ,- 2402 -Rayburn House Office Building Vashington D.C. 20515 Carl Boyer.3rd .,, . :.'#.. '. , 1. *..• r i -c,7 Ux.. �...: e. , r,.� � Mayor Dear Congressman Thomas: tr: n, Jill Klajic For over a year, the City of Santa" Clarital has` been -attempting Mayor Pro -rem to deal with the day laborer issue in our community. Although Jo Anne Darcy downtown Newhall is the focal point for day laborers to gather, Councilmember other areas of Santa Clarita are similarly impacted. Jan Heidt - - \ ..:..tv"ANR.- a ` In responseextensive to merchant :and citizen. concerns ,sthe•;City *embarked Councilmember . - - - l + - on as evaluation of.the'day laborer ieeue. with -an eye Howard "Buck" McKeon toward developing workable solutions. -Clearly, the issue is Councilmember complex and not unique to•Santa Clarita The 1986 Immigration Reform and. Naturalization Act, which penalizes employers for hiring -.illegal aliens, was intended to resolve the issue of employment.fo= illegal' alien's: Unfortunately, this-federal.action has not.been effective in the -long term. :It.is important to recognize, ho�ener, that the day _laborer`issue is not simply an`illega`]''alien °problem. There are many.documented:aliens and local U.S. citizens-. comprising,.the day laborer force. Federal immigration policies must be sensitive to the resultant impact on local jurisdictions While placement facilities exist to assist documented workers in finding employment, day laborer gathering points in our city and other communities are testimony to system failure in being able to link people who want to work with jobs.. The federal government must work closely with local jurisdictions to develop programs which will bring job seekers and job hunters together. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working with us to address these concerns. City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone . Suite 300 (805) 259.2489 City of Santa Clarita Fax California 91355 (805) 259-8125 Dear, Congressman 11oorhead: Cad Boyer, 3rd "' ., " For over a. year, ihe`f City hof: Santa..Clarits hasbeen attempting Mayor '" to' deal with the"day laborer issue iii our, community. Although Jill Klajic downtown Newhall is the focii' poiat4or day ' libb=ars to gather, Mayor Pro -rem other areas of Santa Clarita are similarly impacted. Jo Anne Darcy Douncilmember _,. ; In response to merchant and citizen concerns,"•the'City embarked. an an extensive evaluation of the�day laborer issue with an eye Jan Heldt � -toward developing workable solutions' `Clearly; ;the issue is ' Councilmember ... - .. , .,- complex and not'unique to Santa Clarita... Howard "Buck" McKeon �:`. -.', •-.- ". ::-, . Counciimember The1986 Immigration'Heform and Naturalization Act; which penalizes•-employin nor hiring illegal.aliens,,vas'intended.to resolve the issue+of'emplby"at for,. illegal. aliens. . Unfortunately, this,federal`actioa.has not been effective in o Rawl -. the long term. ,It is importiat to secogni e; ho6ever,.,that'the day, laborer*,issue zis' not:.simply 'an "illegal alien problem. Thereare many documented'aliens and local•U S citizens comprising'the,day;'labore' er.-force j",.•.,Mrt3. Federal immigration policies must be.sensitive_ to the resultant impact on.'local jurisdictions.) While' placement'facilities exist to assistdocumented workers -in finding employment, day laborer gathering points in our city and other communities are testimony to :system failure in being -able to link.people.who want to work with jobs. The federal government must work closely with -local jurisdictions to develop programs which will bring job seekers and job hunters together. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working with us to address these concerns. e 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone Suite 300 (805) 259-2489 City of Santa Clarita Fax California 91355 (805) 259-8125 City of - . . , Santa Clarita " Carl Boyer. 3rd Mayor Jill KlajiC Mayor Pro -Tem Jo Anne Darcy Councilmember Jan Heidt Councilmember' Howard "Suck" McKeon councilmember April 26,:199X .,- The Honorable John. F -Seymour`:; Member of the 'Senate 902, Hart OfficeBuildingr Vashington,' D.C. , :20510 Dear'Serlator<Seymour: For over a year, the.City of Santa Clarita. has been attempting to deal with the day laborer issue in our community. Although downtown Mevhall is the focal point for day•1'aboreis to gather, other -areas of Santa Clarita'are similarly impacted. In response:io merchant'and citizen4concerns; the City embarked on an extensive .evaluation: of .�the day laborer issue>vith.an eye toward developing',workable'solutions. Clearly,:the'issue-is complex and:=not.unique to Santa Clarita: The 1986Immigration Reform and Naturalization Act, which ` penalizes employers .for hiring illegal alienq,- ias'intended to resolve the Iissue of employment -for illegal aliens.' Unfortunitely;;this federal action has not been effective -in fa.f t:he long term.. It. is.important:to recognize, however,.,that.the -day laborer issue -is not simply an`illegal alien problem. •There.are many documented aliens and local U.S.,citizens comprising'-theiday`laborer force.,. Federal immigration policies must be sensitive to the resultant impact on local jurisdictions. While placement facilities exist to assist documented workers in finding employment,'day laborer gathering points in our city and other communities are testimony to system failure in being able to link people who want to work with jobs. The federal government must work closely with local jurisdictions to develop programs which will bring job seekers -and job hunters together. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working with us to address these concerns. City of Santa Clarita Carl Boyer, 3rd Mayor Jill Klajic Mayor Pro -Tem Jo Anne Darcy Councilmember Jan Heidt Councilmember Howard "Buck" McKeon Councilmember 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone Suite 300 (805) 259-2489 City of Santa Clarita Fax California 91355 (805) 259-8125 April 26, 1991' The Honorable Alan:Cranston ' Hember of-the•Seaate- 112 Hart Office Building "Washington,' D.C.""20510, Deir'Senatoi Cranston: For aver a year, the City of Santa Clarita has-been attempting to deal with the day laborer issue in our community., Although downtown Newhall is the focal point for day laborers to gather, other areas -of Santa Clarita are similarly impacted. In response.to'merchant and citizen concerns, the City embarked on'an extensive evaluation of the day.laborer issue with an eye toward, developing-vorkablesolutions. Clearly'.' the; issue is complex and not unique to Santa Clarita.' The-.1986'Immigration Reform and Naturalization Act, which penalizes -employers 'for hiring illelgelsaY ens, vas.:intended to resolve the issue"of employment for illegal aliens. . Unfortunately, this'federal action has not been effective in the long term. It is,important- to:recognize; however, that the day, laborer:'issue 'is not: Simply as illegal alien problem. There are many documented aliens and local U.S. citizens comprising the day laborer force. Federal immigration policies must,be sensitive to the resultant impact on local jurisdictions. While placement facilities exist to assist•documented workers in finding employment. day laborer gathering.points in our city and other communities are testimony to system failure in being able to link people who rant to work with jobs. The federal government must work closely with local jurisdictions to develop.programs.vhich will bring job seekers and job hunters together. The City of Santa Clarita seeks your assistance in working with us to address these concerns.