Flood money could provide temporary workers to Harrisburg
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The City of Harrisburg has an opportunity to employ people in the area, complete some needed projects, support local business and get some equipment free of charge due to a federal grant.
Illinois received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor intended to help workers who lost their jobs due to severe storms and help the long-term unemployed find some temporary work.
Harrisburg entered the program and is able to receive up to $1 million to fund flood-related projects. Man-Tra-Con of Marion is distributing the grant money and Man-Tra-Con met with city department heads Friday to explain the program and answer questions.
Man-Tra-Con pays the wages, rents needed equipment, covers liability insurance and manages worker's compensation claims so there is little -- if any -- cost to the city due to the program.
"They have to have lost a job in the last two years," Man-Tra-Con CEO Kathy Lively said.
Eligible workers are those who have temporarily lost a job due to the spring storms and floods, are a Workforce Investment Act dislocated worker or are long-term unemployed. The unemployed includes veterans returning from overseas.
"We are hoping to find a lot of veterans we can give temporary employment to as they come back, relocate and get back to normal life," Lively said.
Lively said the temporary work would not end unemployment compensation money an unemployed worker receives, but would interrupt it during the period of temporary employment.
"What it will do is interrupt benefits. It doesn't erase benefits. It extends them," Lively said.
The temporary work looks good to future permanent employers on a resume.
Temporary workers may work up to 1040 hours, until they receive $12,000 in wages or work for six months, Lively said.
The grant provides items such as clothing, hard hats, chainsaw chaps, Weedeaters, chainsaws, leather gloves and other necessary equipment. Man-Tra-Con has its list of vendors for that equipment, but if the equipment is available in the local area they can be bought from those businesses.
"The great thing is you get to keep these items," Lively said.
Water Superintendent Ron Fearheiley said the major flood-related construction project for the city is cleaning out and shaping about 2 miles of the Pankey Branch drainage ditch south of the sewerage treatment plant to Sloan Street. The north portion of Pankey Branch has been cleaned.
Fire Chief Bill Summers said there are trailers in town that have been damaged by the flood and asked if the temporary laborers could be used to demolish those. Lively said they could be and Man-Tra-Con would rent Dumpsters and rent trucks if needed for that work.
Lively said the city will have control over who works for them, though Man-Tra-Con determines their initial eligibility.
The city also has control over wages. Lively suggested wages between $8.50 an hour and $12 an hour.
"To me it's a no-brainer," Mayor Eric Gregg said.
"There are just a couple things we have to wrap our hands around."
One of those things is upsetting union labor, especially in the operation of large equipment.
City heads agreed to contact area union representatives and get an idea of their feelings toward the program.
Lively said the Harrisburg is in a unique position because few agencies other than the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have taken advantage of the program.
"In our grant you guys are in. We've reached out, reached out and reached out and you guys answered the call," Lively said.
"You guys will wind up being the poster child for the feds."
Gregg said the cooperation could lead to new opportunities.
"If the bright, shining light is on us we could have good opportunities down the road," Gregg said.
Gregg said he could produce a list of projects for the workers in the next few days and would make a work space for Man-Tra-Con Career Specialist Brian Stoner in City Hall.
Gregg said he would like to invite potential applicants to meet with Man-Tra-Con at some point later this week.
People interested in participating may fill out a pre-application form at the Web site http://www.mantracon.org/new_flood_recovery.htm.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
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