CareerPoint Northbay

Storm-Related Cleanup Brings Jobs to Lake County

Temporary employment supports a return to the workforce for the unemployed.

The North Bay has seen significant impacts from weather events in the past year, including last March’s violent storms that triggered flooding in Lake County. The storm left county and city parks and streets littered with debris and fallen trees. It created broken and buckled streets, damaged walkways, eroded areas along the shoreline, and damaged community parks and other resources. While FEMA has provided funds to assist in many of the major repair projects, these funds do not cover the costs associated with many of the cleanup projects.

County staff also are addressing recovery and rebuilding efforts following three consecutive years of devastating fires. Now, through a national grant program, CareerPoint Lake is assisting the County of Lake and City of Lakeport in its efforts to clean up and recover from flood and fire damage by connecting people who are unemployed to short-term, paid jobs with the county and city.

The grant funding, awarded to Workforce Alliance of the North Bay to support cleanup efforts, pays the individuals hired to assist with cleanup and repairs of the East Lake Landfill, helping the County save about $40,000 in labor costs and allowing it to hire the workers needed to get the job done. The work is expected to prevent or reduce damage from future storms. So far, 21 people have been hired into temporary jobs, with at least 17 more workers needed by September.

“This program has allowed Lake County workers to complete deadlines that would not have been possible if they had to delegate county manpower alone to the cleaning projects,” noted Public Works Supervisor Kris Byrd. “The 2017 NDW Grant workers have been helpful in completing the projects.”

The program not only helps the county; it also helps people gain on the job experience that often leads to other employment opportunities. The County of Lake has hired two workers, and one worker continues to work with the City of Lakeport following their temporary assignments. Other workers have found jobs at local businesses that are working on cleanup and recovery efforts from the recent fire in neighboring Mendocino County.

With or without the NDWG Storm Grant, CareerPoint Lake is a strong partner for the County of Lake and the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, providing work opportunities benefitting the job seekers and the communities around us. For more information on job opportunities through CareerPoint, contact the center nearest you.