The city’s Workforce Investment Board (WIB) has approved spending $200,000 of federal jobs money to hire a part time staff person to coordinate the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program and to support the work of nonprofit agencies that provide summer jobs.

City staff, speaking at Thursday’s WIB meeting, said the Mayor’s office had requested that that the WIB find a way to support the summer jobs program.

Explaining the proposal, staff said that only $50,000 would be used to pay for the part time coordinator position, and $150,000 would be used as direct services to agencies that create youth jobs.

However, they never specified what those direct services to youth agencies are.

According to the city report, the $200,000 would be used to “coordinate summer employment activities overall… (and) disburse funds to service providers to maximize summer employment opportunities.”

“I believe this motion is out of order,” said Gay Plair Cobb, CEO of the Oakland Private Industry Council, explaining that recommendations for expenditures of youth money must first go to the WIB Youth Council.

However, the Youth Council did not make a recommendation because it had lacked a quorum when the issue was discussed. The City Attorney ruled that the motion was not out of order.

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However, according to Cobb, “Even if it were in order, (this expenditure) is a very problematic proposition.” Instead of using money that should be earmarked for service to the unemployed, she said, the WIB should be asking, “What other sources of revenue we can look at to support” the administration of the summer jobs program.

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