2008-11-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Thursday, November 6, 2008 AT 5:00 p.m. IN THE “City Space” in the th Charlottesville Community Design Center, 100 5 Street, S.E. (downtown mall side of the Market Street Parking Garage, formerly the Visitors Center) THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Work Session: Poverty BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Jeanne Cox CITY SPACE – November 6, 2008 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Dr. Brown, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Huja, Mr. Norris, Mr. Taliaferro. Mr. Robert Cox, Director of Social Services, gave a presentation on poverty that included information on the following: how poverty is defined by experts around the country and by social service recipients; census poverty thresholds; the number of people in poverty; and client caseloads. Mr. Cox reviewed anti-poverty programs and workforce development initiatives in Charlottesville. Mr. Norris said he thinks one of the most effective ways to get people out of poverty is through the partnership between the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development (TJPED) and the Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN). Mr. Michael Harvey, Director of TJPED, said he is sitting down with others to identify what key issues need to be addressed, including the chronically unemployed, tailoring training for young people to specific needs locally, and the chronically underemployed. Dr. Brown asked if there is support available or the need for people to take advantage of opportunities (i.e., pursing a LPN), and Mr. Cox said there are not a lot of programs that provide training, funding and childcare. Ms. Edwards said people need help with case management. Mr. Harvey said that is a vision of the Governor’s One Stop program. Mr. Norris asked if there is data or evidence to indicate there is a greater need for apprenticeships and training for young people. Mr. Cox said there is no doubt there is a huge need, and said two programs offered now are Upward Bound and the City’s Summer Youth Internship Program. Ms. Edwards said the problem is that people start working and then their benefits are cut off. Mr. Cox said policies have improved but that is still a problem. Ms. Sue Moffett, Chief of Benefit Programs for the Department of Social Services, said that under federal guidelines TANF checks are provided until a client’s salary exceeds a certain percentage of the poverty level. She said after a year of work, food stamps and TANF payments stop. She said this means that working is often a wash for people. Mr. Norris said minimum wage increases have never been applied to the inflation rate. He said a key strategy is to reduce the high school drop out rate.