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Minutes

WORKFORCE NETWORK OF KANSAS BOARD
March 21, 2003
Southside Education Center, Room 237
4501 E. 47th Street South, Wichita, Kansas

Board Members in attendance were Ken Bell, Ed Berger, David Cleveland, Gerald Cook, Eddie Estes, Lew Ferguson, Mike Fleming, Steve Jack for Jim Garner, Jim Kessler, Pat Kirkman, Marie Mareda, Otto Maynard, Dwayne Peaslee, Lynn Peterson, Kathy Valentine for Candace Shively, Curtis Stephens, Jack Strukel, and staff Barb Reavis and Konnie Leffler.

Guests present were David Bassett, KDHR; David Brennan, Local Area II; Mary Ellen Conlee, Local Area IV; Jim Decoursey, KDHR; Randy Fisher, KCDC; Glenn Fondoble, Local Area I; Dick Gabriel, KDHR; Linda Ramirez Gonzalez, KDHR; Nancy Guthrie, Local Area I; Robert Hull, CPRF; Wayne Isaac, Local Area IV; Andrew Jackson, KDHR; Kris Kitchen, Local Area II; George McAtee, KDHR; Linda Oborny, KSDE; Paul Osborn, Kansas Board of Regents; Abel Perez, KDHR; Maureen Toll, Regional Workforce Center, Salina Area Chamber of Commerce; and Linda Weaver, KDHR.

Chair Ken Bell called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Self-introductions were offered from the attendees who then observed a minute of silence in honor of the military forces serving in Iraq.

Minutes from the January 30, 2003 meeting were approved following a Mareda/Maynard motion.

Bell began the Chair's Report by reviewing the Workforce Network of Kansas vision, mission, structure, and guiding principles. He then reported on the National Association of State Chairs meeting (March 1-2, 2003) and the National Association of Workforce Boards meeting (March 3-4, 2003) that he and Reavis attended. The common thread throughout both the meetings was discussion of WIA reauthorization and the ensuing changes that are expected.

Bell then gave the Leadership Team report. A subset of the Leadership Team consisting of Bell, Cook, Salisbury, and Reavis have examined the contract for the proposed research project and recommend its approval. The contract was unanimously approved on a Kessler/Cook motion with Jack abstaining. Bell also reported that there is a vacancy on the Leadership Team because Dave Foster has resigned from the Board.

Task Force reports followed, with Strukel reporting on the WIA Plan Modification Task Force. Weaver and Jack explained the background and impetus of the proposed changes and the proposal to adopt the five WIA Plan Modifications passed on a Peaslee/Strukel motion.

Kessler reported on the Quality Task Force and asked that the June 27 Board Meeting be used as a strategic planning meeting. A Maynard/Cook motion to do so was approved by the Board. A Kessler/Stephens motion that Local Areas be asked to work with KDHR to determine the kinds of measurements the Board should be using to allocate incentive funds was approved.

Reavis reported that the Marketing Task Force had no official report, but that the Speakers Bureau PowerPoint was ready and would be presented to the LWIBs for their approval in the next month or so. McAtee then displayed a poster that was developed in Kansas entitled "Bold Glory," which he said was being used all over the nation. He will make a copy available to each Local Area, each One Stop, and each older worker center and is planning a marketing campaign for the poster.

Jack gave the Legislative update and reported on the $78.2 million in the Unemployment Insurance trust fund. It appears that these monies will be used to shore up the shortfall in Unemployment Insurance funds and to eliminate the first week waiting period currently required for Unemployment Insurance. He also reported that the Commission on Disability Concerns, the Advisory Commission on African American Affairs, the Kansas Office on Native American Affairs, the Advisory Committee on Hispanic Affairs, all currently part of KDHR, are being considered for a move to the Governor's Office where they would be funded out of the state General Fund. Representative Nichols has recommended using lottery dollars to restore funding to NEYEA, and there has been a recommendation that the Governor set limits on participant payments to dislocated workers. KDHR argued that this should be the responsibility or the Local Workforce Investment Boards rather than that of the Governor.

Valentine updated the group on TANF reauthorization, saying that it probably will not be addressed this year. She raised the issue that work requirements may be increased thus leaving the State with an unfunded mandate to provide childcare, which would cause potential problems with workforce development.

McGee was not available to give the Local Employment Dynamics update, but the report was presented via email by Bill Layes (see attached).

Cleveland gave a report on the IMPACT, KIT, and KIR programs, what they consist of, and how they operate.

Bell then altered the agenda to allow the Local Areas to begin their reports on WIA Performance Measures for Program Year 2001. Fondoble reported on how Local Area I has approached delivery of WIA IB services through the One Stop system by means of streamlining services and increased accountability. He also discussed how state standards are determined and that the time lag involved in using wage files isn't helpful, since some things need to be judged more quickly. They are trying to develop a look-ahead system. Kitchen reported that Local Area II had met all 17 performance measures and exceeded in 15 of the measures. She addressed the challenges of goal setting and the need to develop standards that make sense to the Local Areas.

Moving back to the agenda, Oborny gave her report on Performance Measures in Career and Technical Education--Secondary. She gave an overview of the Perkins Act, the core and additional indicators of performance, and talked about the state-adjusted levels of performance for each indicator. Next, Osborn reported on Performance Measures in Career and Technical Education--Post-Secondary. He explained the funding structure, needs for the program, statewide leadership activities, education programs, and future plans for Career and Technical Education. He also said that the Bush administration is interested in doing away with the Perkins Act

Following Osborn's presentation, Isaac addressed performance measures in Local Area IV, discussing a number of problem areas, as well as areas of success, including plans for summer youth programs and a resource manual on career alternatives outside regular baccalaureate programs. He also discussed an April event that will be held with Local Area IV partners where information about the agency and its services will be shared.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:45 p.m.