|
County authorizes “Taking Charge
of your Life” series
By
Bob Robinson
GREENVILLE
– Darke County Commissioners signed an agreement Aug.
26 authorizing Darke County Job & Family Services and the
Greenville City
School District to work together regarding a training program for
unemployed,
under-employed and unskilled individuals meeting poverty level
guidelines.
Called
“Taking Charge of your Life” the 16-week program will cover
the various “how-to’s” in seeking employment, including hygiene,
interviewing
skills, clothing, family support and more.
According
to DCJFS Director Gracie Ratliff, the class meets
Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks, four hours per session.
“This
is a required class to receive benefits,” she said. “She
noted three levels of sanctions for failure to participate: 30-day loss
of
benefits, 60-day loss and six-month loss.”
Advising
the commissioners three classes had already been held,
Ratliff explained that out of 20 signed so far, about half participated
and
half of those did not graduate.
Ratliff
said federal funds pay $1,600 per class. Those who don’t
participate lose benefits that could range from $363 a month to $1,000
a month
or more.
“We
have 4,000 cases in Darke County,” she said, referring to
potential clients for the program. “We are concentrating on the
unemployed
first; after that the under-employed and unskilled.”
Ratliff
told commissioners she sees the program growing. “Those
receiving benefits are sanctioned if they don’t participate.”
She
added the program helps Ohio meet federal mandates.
“Ohio
was out of compliance,” she said. “We were giving out the
dollars without mandating work.”
On
Aug. 28 Darke County Treasurer Scott Zumbrink and the Darke
County Commissioners took proposals from seven financial institutions
to serve
as public depositories and provide general banking services for Darke
County.
The proposals were for the term Oct. 30, 2013 through Oct. 30, 2017.
The
funding amounts available were $35 million in active deposits and $35
million
in unactive deposits (Certificates of Deposit).
Two
institutions – Greenville National Bank and Second National
Bank – submitted proposals in which they would accept full amounts of
both
active and inactive. The other five – Mercer Savings Bank, Celina;
Osgood State
Bank, Osgood; Greenville Federal Bank; Farmers State Bank, New Madison
and US
Bank, Dayton – submitted proposals for a portion of one or both.
Part
of commissioner responsibility is to approve all checks and
expenditures, and monetary transfers from one funding account to
another. On
Aug. 26 commissioners approved $99,928.33 in total expenditures. Of
that
$76,565.91 was from Outside General Funds (state, federal and grant
monies) and
$11,580.44 was out of the Board of Elections General Fund for the
recent
Greenville City Schools Levy election.
Published
courtesy of The Early Bird
|
