Russ Steele
A regular reader sent this link from the ChicoER.com:
In a surprising and far-reaching turn of events, the nonprofit Private Industry Council of Butte County is closing down, idling more than 100 individuals directly and threatening a number of work and training programs and projects that employ more throughout the county.
Among the victims, Checkers restaurant in Oroville closed Wednesday, and Emporio clothing store and the Kitchen Shop — all training settings that employ people — will close by the weekend. Other jobs-related programs like eRecology lost hands but have some hope.
Here in Nevada County the Stonehouse Hospitality Academy and Sierra Commons was funded by the Butte PIC, as was the One-Stop Business and Career Center in Grass Valley. The APPLE Center for Sustainable Living recieved $40,000 for a worm farm that was never built. The Butte PIC was also paying the $800.00 month rent on the APPLE Center to Nevada City.
Could the APPLE Center be the next to close, without support from the Butte County PIC?
The Union has a short blurb on the story in Breaking News here. More from the ChicoER:
Peace told the Enterprise-Record Wednesday that between employees and trainees through work-force training programs, about 140 individuals have been put on furlough, related to Congress' action on the proposed national budget and other funding issues.
Stay Tuned there is more to this story to come! Watch for updates!
Updated (02-24-11, 15:00) In his "scoop" that the APPLE Center and Stonehouse Hospitality Academy will attempt to stay open, Jeff Pelline writes in reference to the APPLE effort:
The building is owned by the city, so APPLE could receive some rent relief. In addition, the store has begun to generate some revenue from its eco-store, as well as becoming an e-waste center. A plan to become a compost center remains in the works and is supported by many residents.
Well lets get to the facts. The APPLE Center is already getting a break on it's rent. The original rent was $1,200, but Nevada City decided to reduce the rent on city own buildings by about 20 percent in 2009. Details here.
The compost center was proposed to the Butte PIC as a worm farm. I wrote this to Congressman McClintock about the PIC and APPLE Center relationship:
The Butte County PIC is the service provider for the Federal Workforce Investment Act of 2000. This PIC gave the Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy (APPLE) money to refurbish a building owned by the city of Nevada City to green standards, pay the rent on the building for two years ($19,200), and $40,000 dollars to start a worm farm and create 7 management jobs, and 2-10 part time laborers jobs.
The contract was personal service agreement between A.P.P.L.E and the Butte County Private Industry Council for FY2009/2010. This Service Contract was granted based on an incomplete business plan without the Financial and Marketing Sections being completed. There was no way for the PIC Board to determine if the A.P.P.L.E Worm Farm was a viable project based on the Business Plan provided to the PIC. Nor, were there were any performance requirements stipulated in the Service Agreement.
It is now the Spring of 2011 and there is no worm farm and no jobs and we have no idea how the $40,000 dollars was spent. The city building and A.P.P.L.E Staff have been used to promote all kinds of environmental causes, but has not created any sustainable jobs. Handing out Federal money without adequate oversight and performance requirements should not be allowed.
The Apple Center has had two years and multiple generious Federal Grants to become sustainable, and so far they have failed. That is not a great record for a Center on Sustainable Living. Yet, it is testament how our tax dollars get spent when their are no performace clauses that demand results. According Mali Dyck, executive director of the APPLE Center, the PIC still own them $3,000 Dollars under the agreement. For what, a composting worm farm that is yet to be built, the promised jobs that were never created?
Update (02-24-11, 21:30) Jeff Pelline is channging the accuracy of ths above statments here. I have pdf versions of the Business Plan, signed copies of the Personal Service Agreement, an e-mail from Gene Arbaugh, Nevada City Administrator, and a fax letter from Bill Finley at Butte County PIC. I can make these documents avaiable to any interested investigators.
