Funds for LV workers slow in coming

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, June 13, 2002 | 10:51 a.m.

Five months after a promised cash infusion to help laid-off Las Vegas workers, government officials say $1.75 million in federal funds has been delayed by bureaucratic rules.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, in which tens of thousands were laid off in Las Vegas -- especially along the Strip -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced in January that he had helped secure the grant to pay for job training and education for laid-off workers.

But the funding has yet to reach Las Vegas -- despite more than 500 people applying to receive a portion of the monies -- a victim of bureaucratic rules officials hadn't planned for.

"Unfortunately, the process of releasing this money is frustratingly slow," Reid said Wednesday, "especially when we know that people are still in such need. But those workers who were unfortunately displaced should rest assured that money is coming, and should be coming in the next few weeks."

Reid and city officials had tried to get the funding released immediately, at one time suggesting that the city provide the money up front and be reimbursed once the monies became available, said Las Vegas Deputy City Manager Betsy Fretwell.

Their attempts were fruitless.

According to federal regulations, city officials say, the Labor Department won't allow the funding to be released until July 1. And then the city must still go through a formal application process and submit an acceptable program plan.

"We can't even turn in an application for the funding until July 1," Fretwell said.

City officials say the money may not reach Las Vegans in need until late July or possibly even September, a year after the terrorist attacks.

Labor Department officials did not return phone calls from the Sun this morning.

The funding is proposed to be distributed through the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board, which would be funneled through service providers including the Community College of Southern Nevada and the Culinary Union Training Center.

Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who serves on the board, said it's frustrating that there is funding available for laid-off workers in Las Vegas, but the monies have not yet made their way here.

"Government can be really frustrating because everything takes so long and I don't understand that," Weekly said. "I would have just thought that government was just a matter of phone calls and make it happen. And that's really not how it works."

Social service providers say while months have passed since the onslaught of layoffs, they are still feeling the effects of Sept. 11. The need for additional training and education for displaced workers is ongoing, and the funding -- when it does reach Las Vegas -- will help hundreds more.

"We've got to do what it takes to make sure that those who have been laid off are able to find work, but we also have to make sure that the solutions we devise serve the short and long term," Reid said. "Once this money is released, we will be well on our way to accomplishing that goal."

City staff members are scheduled to attend training classes put on by the Labor Department and are finalizing plans detailing how the money would be spent and the types of services offered. The Labor Department will not release the funds until the city's plan is deemed acceptable.

Fretwell said the situation is not frustrating, just a dose of reality.

"There is literally no way for them to release those funds before July 1," Fretwell said. "You just have to take that at face value and do things the best you can. We're doing the best we can to try to take care of the folks who need assistance as a result of 9/11 and also be able to make a positive impact on the work force."

While $1.75 million has evaded Las Vegas temporarily, displaced workers have benefited from National Emergency Grant funding approved in February by the Labor Department, said Richard Blue, board manager for the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board.

The board received an immediate injection of $1.8 million for displaced workers, Blue said. The board is also set to receive its yearly allocation beginning in July, totaling $6.5 million -- half of which goes toward youth.

The board's main focus is to help displaced workers find new and better opportunities through job training and education. Individuals might also come to the agency with other needs, such as rental assistance, which is considered on an individual basis.

"The primary purpose is to get them back to work," Blue said.

The board has also offered assistance to the 500 people who had contacted the city about receiving a portion of the city's grant funds, Blue said.

Blue said 954 people have registered for services through the board, which partners with MASH Village, Nevada Partners, Inc., S.T. Gregg and Associates, and Nevada Business Services Inc.

Blue said the board hasn't gotten to the point where it is turning people away, but said the federal funds will allow the agency to help even more people.

"Any resources that you get would make a difference," Blue said. "The need is still there, we are still seeing people every day. Any additional money will help."