Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994 TAG: 9406290068
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I think that's great," said Ken Bovard, whose daughter faced being laid off June 30. "It will give everyone involved more time to look for alternatives."
Other relatives of the 10 also were pleased by the New River Valley Community Services Board vote Thursday to temporarily extend its contract with the workshop.
"Why mess up something that has a good track record?" said parent Nick Jones.
Since being informed last month that their relatives - whose jobs at the workshop are substantially funded by the Community Services Board - would be unemployed soon, family members have conducted a public protest by asking elected officials to intervene.
Stung by the publicity, the Community Service Board agreed with Perry Slaughter, brother of one of the workers, who advised board members, "You all should rethink your decision."
The Community Service Board said its contract with the New River Valley Workshop, which employs about 75 disabled adults among its work force, was being reduced for two reasons: budget reductions and philosophical concerns that the workshop's "sheltered" environment is obsolete.
A contemporary mainstream working environment would be more progressive for the disabled adults, Community Services Board staff said. That agency pledged to help the 10 find new jobs but said success could not be guaranteed.
The policy shift upset relatives of the workers, some of whom are long-time employees of the workshop, as did the way the change was announced.
"The communication was very poor," Slaughter told the board. "You need to look at the impact on the individuals being affected."
Jones said all the evaluations of his daughter's performance indicated she was well suited to the workshop. The announcement that the Community Service Board intended to withdraw funding was sudden and "quite a blow."
"Perhaps we could have handled it better," said Community Services Board member Sandy Roberts.
She and other board members complained that Thursday's meeting was their first chance to have a say in the matter.
"We haven't even had a chance to do something about it," said Skip Schwab.
"None of the Montgomery County families made contact with board members. No one came to me. None of the Board of Supervisors contacted me ... the whole process [has been] as if we had done something wrong," Roberts said.
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors has discussed the layoffs at several meetings, and some board members have threatened to trim Community Service Board funding unless the 10 mentally disabled New River Valley Workshop employees are retained.
"I resent the Board of Supervisors calling meetings and second guessing us," said Community Services Board member Bob Peak.
Funding cutbacks by New River Valley governments contributed to the need to reduce services such as the workshop contract, the Community Service Board said. The agency says it ranks 38th among 40 Virginia Community Services Boards in share of local funding.
Nonetheless, board member David Worrell announced that Radford City Council wants to meet with Community Services Board representatives next month because of "unhappiness with the situation."
On the table at Thursday's meeting was a new $44,126 contract for 1994-95 with the New River Valley Workshop to provide employment, training and transportation to Community Services Board clients.
The new contract represents a reduction of about one-half of the current contract, and would force the workshop to lay off 10 of 16 mentally disabled workers whose jobs are supplemented by Community Services Board funding.
With the option to approve or refuse the new contract, Community Services Board members voted unanimously to continue the old contract for 30 days. Meanwhile, the board will "study options," said Executive Director Lynn Chenault.
"I feel good about that," Slaughter said. "I'm concerned about how informed people were about the circumstances."
Bob Huff, executive director of the New River Valley Workshop, said he's glad the 10 workers will stay on board longer, and is willing to discuss a new contract.
Huff said he has "some philosophical differences" with the Community Services Board's view of the workshop as a sheltered work environment. Also, Huff said he's concerned that relocating the 10 workshop employees would be a "round-hole, square peg situation."
The workshop is a private, nonprofit organization headquartered in Radford that employs about 100 workers in a variety of manufacturing and contract maintenance jobs. About three-fourths of its work force is classified as mentally disabled.
Huff said the Community Service Board contract represents only a small fraction of the workshop's annual budget. "For us, it's not about money. It's about people."
The Community Services Board will reconsider the contract at its July meeting, said Chairwoman Jean Bourne.
Individual cases of the 10 workers will be reviewed by the board, and if suitable employment alternatives aren't found, "We'll have to consider not moving them," Roberts said.
by CNB