City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 17, 2015
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Contract Between the Alexandria Office of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to Continue as a Fair Employment Practices Agency.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: City Council consideration of a contract for the Office of Human Rights to remain a designated Fair Employment Practices Agency (FEPA) of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and to receive funding in the amount of $34,500 to investigate and resolve complaints of employment discrimination brought by persons employed within the City of Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council authorize the City Manager to sign the contract
with the EEOC for funding in the amount of $34,500 for the Alexandria Office of Human Rights to continue as a Fair Employment Practices Agency (FEPA).
BACKGROUND: Pursuant to Section 706 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and federal implementing regulations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is offering to award a contract to the Alexandria Office of Human Rights to investigate and resolve 46 complaints of discrimination that originate within the City of Alexandria and are covered under both the City's Human Rights Code and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). The contract covers the performance period corresponding to the federal fiscal year 2015 (October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015) and is renewable for two additional federal fiscal years, FFY 2016 and FFY 2017. The contract can be modified based on performance.
For the past 30 years the Alexandria Office of Human Rights has participated in the FEPA program, and has had a work-sharing agreement with the Washington Field Office of the EEOC. This program enables local human rights agencies to receive EEOC funds to offset the cost of investigating complaints that are covered under both federal laws and the local human rights ordinance, which are complaints against employers in the City, with fifteen or more employees, that allege discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.
All of the employment discrimination cases filed with the City of Alexandria Human Rights Office and covered by the EEOC contract are filed locally within the Human Rights Office, not with the Washington Field Office downtown, but are deemed dual-filed.
DISCUSSION: The EEOC contract will provide $32,200 for the personnel and non-personnel costs directly associated with investigating 46 employment discrimination complaints during the period from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, at $700 per case. An additional $1,300 has been allocated for travel and costs related to attendance at EEOC-sponsored training for state and local program directors, and another $1,000 has been allocated for outreach, for a total contact amount of $34,500.
FISCAL IMPACT: Although there is no requirement for the City to provide a cash match or an in-kind match for these funds, the City is responsible for the typical administrative costs associated with this contract. These costs include financial and reporting oversight provided by the Office of Human Rights, as well as by the Office of Management and Budget and by the Finance Department.
STAFF:
Jean M. Kelleher, Director, Office of Human Rights
Debra Collins, Deputy City Manager