OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee Meeting – October 28, 2025

Board of Supervisors — Tuesday, October 28, 2025
BodyAlameda County, California
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateTuesday, October 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:30:47
Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Good afternoon and welcome to the Alameda County Board of Supervisor Social Services Committee meeting for Monday, October 27th, 2025.

0:14

May have roll call, please.

0:16

Supervisor Fortunat.

0:18

Present, Supervisor TAM.

0:20

Present.

0:21

Are there any instructions for online participation?

0:24

Sure.

0:25

Detailed instructions are provided in the teleconferencing guidelines.

0:28

A link to the document is in today's, is included in today's agenda.

0:32

If you are joining the meeting using a computer, use a button at the bottom of your screen to raise your hand and to request a speak.

0:39

Uh, when called to speak, please unmute your microphone and state your name.

0:42

If you are calling in dial star nine to raise your hand to speak, when you are called to speak, the host will enable you to speak.

0:51

Thank you.

0:52

Let's start with the first information item, which is the volunteer income tax assistance program for the 2024 tax year or tax season update.

1:03

Good afternoon.

1:08

Vice President TAM and Supervisor Fortunato Bas.

1:10

My name is Pamela Powell, Executive Program Coordinator with the Social Services Agency.

1:15

I'm joined by Marissa Hollenbach, who served as this year's lead VIDA liaison.

1:21

So together we had the privilege of supporting the 2025 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program or VIDA, working closely with site coordinators, staff, volunteers, and community partners to write free tax preparation services to our residents.

1:37

Thank you for the opportunity to share a summary of this year's tax season, including key outcomes and recommendations for next tax season.

1:45

Next slide.

1:47

So here's the agenda of today's presentation.

1:50

We'll start with an overview of the VITA program, followed by our preparation process.

1:55

Then we will review VITA data by sites covering total returns, averages, and populations served.

2:03

We'll then discuss the key highlights and outcomes, reflect on areas of improvement, and share a few recommendations for the next tax season.

2:12

Then we'll conclude with recognizing our amazing volunteers in a quick video of our VIDA and DeVere celebration this past May.

2:22

So since 2002, the Alameda County Social Services Agency has partnered with the United Way Bay Area's free tax help program to offer free tax preparation services to low and moderate income individuals and families through VITA sites across the county.

2:40

The VIDA program helps residents file accurate tax returns, navigate the tax system, and access free funds and credits such as the earned income tax credit, all at no charge.

2:52

Additionally, the VIDA program aligns with the Alameda County's Vision 2036 goals of building a thriving and resilient population and supporting a prosperous and vibrant economy by increasing financial stability and access to resources in underserved communities.

3:09

Next slide.

3:10

Thank you.

3:12

So for planning and operation, we collaborated with community partners, including the IRS, United Way Bay Area, and site points of contact to develop the program timeline and coordinate logistics across all five CIDA locations.

3:26

We coordinated and led volunteer training and orientation sessions, including site reservations, security scheduling, and facilitation by tax law trainers.

3:36

We also manage the IRS certification process and coordinated the distribution of training materials and supplies.

3:43

In terms of site operations, so opening day was January 29th, 2025.

3:50

The Gale Steel Enterprise and Thomas L.

3:53

Berkeley sites were open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 30 to 8 30 p.m.

3:58

and also on Saturdays from 9 a.m.

4:01

to 2 p.m.

4:02

Our San Leandro sites were every Wednesday.

4:06

We worked with our county ITD to ensure Wi-Fi and printing capabilities at satellite sites and coordinate it with site points of contact to manage room setup and secure storage of program supplies.

4:19

In terms of our end of year celebration, at the end of the tax season, we celebrated to recognize volunteer contributions.

4:26

We had certificates of appreciation signed by our agency director Andrea Ford, raffle prizes, and photo collages that showcase memories from past tax seasons, and we'll share a quick video of that later at the end of our presentation.

4:40

In terms of volunteer engagement survey, this was sent after the end of the tax season, and this we use to gather feedback on the training, the site experience, and our growth opportunities.

4:52

We use some of these insights in our recommendations that we'll go over later.

4:57

So out of about 80 volunteers, we had a 30% return rate in terms of or response rate rather for the survey.

5:06

Next, I'll hand it off to Marissa to discuss the data for each site.

4:59

Thank you, Pamela.

5:13

Hello, my name is Marissa.

5:14

I was the lead VIDA liaison and have had the privilege of spending time at each site.

5:19

Before I go into the individual data, I will briefly share positive overall figures from the VIDA program.

5:27

And last tax season we filed over 2,000 tax returns between our five sites.

5:32

This slide shows the total amount of refunds issued through the VIDA program.

5:36

As you can see, the total amounts in orange, we have secured over 3 million in total refunds, over 1 million in total earned income tax credits, over 1 million in total child tax credits, and over 20,000 in total education credits.

5:52

These figures represent dollars returned directly to Alameda County households.

5:56

Next slide.

6:00

Okay, next we'll take a closer look at each FIDA site.

6:04

At our enterprise site, we primarily serve clients who lived in the East Oakland and San Leandro area.

6:10

We filed a total of 681 returns.

6:15

The average adjusted gross income of clients at this site was around 39,000.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Workforce Development█████████████████████████████████████████████53%
Community Engagement██████████████16%
Healthcare Services██████████████16%
Personnel Matters████5%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Procedural██2%
Youth Programs█1%
Adult Protective Services█1%
Economic Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee Meeting – October 28, 2025

The Social Services Committee received updates on three major programs: the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), and Workforce Development. The meeting included staff presentations, board discussion, and one public comment. No formal votes were taken; items were informational.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Kara Williams, SEIU 1021 Chapter President, spoke on IHSS, emphasizing that caseloads are a critical issue, burnout is severe, and staff need caseload standards and premium pay. She also noted that the county’s lengthy hiring process is driving away candidates.
  • No other public comments were made on agenda items or items not on the agenda.

Discussion Items

VITA Program Update (2025 Tax Season)

  • Pamela Powell (Executive Program Coordinator) and Marissa Hollenbach (VITA Lead Liaison) presented. Key outcomes: filed over 2,000 tax returns across five sites, secured over $3 million in total refunds, over $1 million in Earned Income Tax Credits, over $1 million in Child Tax Credits, and over $20,000 in Education Credits. The program saw a 16% increase from 2024 and ranked second in the Bay Area region.
  • New sites were added in District 3 (San Leandro Marina and Senior Community Center). 77% of clients were English-speaking; Spanish and other languages also served. Racial/ethnic data showed Black/African American and Latinx/Hispanic as the largest groups.
  • Recommendations for next season: consolidate to three sites (Gale Steele, Enterprise, Thomas L. Berkeley), implement tablet check-in, explore year-round service model, and partner with CalWorks training program. Next season runs January 29 – April 14, 2026.
  • Supervisor Fortunato Bas asked about low participation at the Thomas L. Berkeley site (security concerns) and how to boost outreach (e.g., childcare centers, food distributions). Staff will share marketing materials with board offices. Supervisor Tam asked about consolidation and demographics.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) & Public Authority Update

  • Nicole Hayes (Division Director), Jackie Pugh (Program Manager), and Faith Battles (Assistant Agency Director) presented. IHSS serves 32,000 recipients (62% seniors, 59% female; top city Oakland 41%). Provider registry has grown 148% since 2020, but only 31 of 37,000 providers are active (linked to cases).
  • Staffing crisis: Currently 90 social workers managing average caseload of 600 (up 68% from 2019's 325). Intake delays: applications take ~5 months to process. A Quality Improvement Action Plan (QIAP) is in place due to backlogs; no timeline for compliance.
  • CIFCO (Community First Choice Option) penalties: For Q1 FY2025-26, the county’s share of penalties is $1.2 million (based on $13.4 million in provider wages). From July 2026, counties will bear 100% of penalties.
  • Program updates: Telehealth reassessment option (TRO) launched; e-forms implementation; provider sick leave increased to 40 hours; SEIU 2015 MOU ratified with wage increases ($20 to $21.20/hr in Dec 2025, further increases through 2027).
  • Future challenges: Statewide collective bargaining legislation (SB? – proposed, advisory committee by Jan 2027, implementation no sooner than 2030); Medi-Cal policy changes may impact eligibility.
  • Supervisor Fortunato Bas queried about vacancy funding, staffing calculations (needing 60 more social workers to reach manageable caseload of 300), recruitment pipeline, and connection to workforce development. Supervisor Tam asked about burnout, overhiring strategies, automation, and the use of AI. Staff noted challenges in retaining social workers (avg tenure 5-6 yrs) and competition with telework.

Workforce Development Board Update

  • Rhonda Boykin (Director), Latoya Reed (Assistant Director), and Carl Pascal (new Management Analyst) presented. New service delivery model for WIOA adults/dislocated workers and youth; four subregional procurements. North Cities subregion had a failed procurement; Lau Family awarded a one-year contract pending new RFP.
  • Performance (PY 2024-25): 620 adults/dislocated workers served; $694,315 invested in occupational skills training; 188 youth served. Measurable skill gains: adults 51.6%, dislocated workers 63.6%. Training credential attainment: adults and dislocated workers >70%, in-school youth 60.5%, out-of-school youth 81.1%.
  • Senate Bill 617 signed Oct 1, 2025: requires employers to indicate on WARN notices if they will collaborate with workforce boards, include rapid response contact info and CalFresh access. This was a county-initiated bill.
  • Layoff data by subregion: In Eden area, healthcare and manufacturing led; North Cities had 708 layoffs mostly from a multimedia tech firm. Tri-Cities and Tri-Valley saw layoffs in tech, retail, and manufacturing.
  • ARPA-funded programs: $1.3 million for unincorporated communities, including community navigation (307 served), entrepreneurship (133 trained), early childhood education (21 enrolled, 17 completed), vocational English (52 trained), digital equity (76 enrolled, 36 completed).
  • Other programs: Step Forward (students with disabilities, 60 work placements targeted), EMS training (100% online completion, 89% full program completion, 88% passed NREMT, >50% placed at $23/hr), Marine Trades Initiative (65 enrolled, 92% graduation, 69% placed), and Department of Rehabilitation Collaboration grant ($900K, starts 2026).
  • Supervisor Fortunato Bas asked about overarching strategy, partnerships (East Bay EDA, community colleges), demographic data, and referral methods. Supervisor Tam asked about integrating displaced workers into county vacancies and work requirements for Medi-Cal. Staff will share information and coordinate with board offices.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal actions or votes were taken; all items were informational.
  • Staff will follow up on specific requests: provide VITA outreach materials to board offices; provide detailed demographic data for workforce programs; continue discussions on IHSS staffing and CIFCO penalties; coordinate with Supervisor Fortunato Bas’ office for the North Cities RFP community event.
  • The committee acknowledged the challenges in IHSS staffing and endorsed exploring innovative models (call centers, geographic assignments, AI) in consultation with labor unions.
  • Supervisor Tam noted an upcoming work session on HR improvements and vacancy rates in key departments.
  • The next VITA season volunteer orientation is scheduled for January 24, 2026, with services starting January 29, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to the Alameda County Board of Supervisor Social Services Committee meeting for Monday, October 27th, 2025. May have roll call, please. Supervisor Fortunat. Present, Supervisor TAM. Present. Are there any instructions for online participation? Sure. Detailed instructions are provided in the teleconferencing guidelines. A link to the document is in today's, is included in today's agenda. If you are joining the meeting using a computer, use a button at the bottom of your screen to raise your hand and to request a speak. Uh, when called to speak, please unmute your microphone and state your name. If you are calling in dial star nine to raise your hand to speak, when you are called to speak, the host will enable you to speak. Thank you. Let's start with the first information item, which is the volunteer income tax assistance program for the 2024 tax year or tax season update. Good afternoon. Vice President TAM and Supervisor Fortunato Bas. My name is Pamela Powell, Executive Program Coordinator with the Social Services Agency. I'm joined by Marissa Hollenbach, who served as this year's lead VIDA liaison. So together we had the privilege of supporting the 2025 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program or VIDA, working closely with site coordinators, staff, volunteers, and community partners to write free tax preparation services to our residents. Thank you for the opportunity to share a summary of this year's tax season, including key outcomes and recommendations for next tax season. Next slide. So here's the agenda of today's presentation. We'll start with an overview of the VITA program, followed by our preparation process. Then we will review VITA data by sites covering total returns, averages, and populations served. We'll then discuss the key highlights and outcomes, reflect on areas of improvement, and share a few recommendations for the next tax season. Then we'll conclude with recognizing our amazing volunteers in a quick video of our VIDA and DeVere celebration this past May. So since 2002, the Alameda County Social Services Agency has partnered with the United Way Bay Area's free tax help program to offer free tax preparation services to low and moderate income individuals and families through VITA sites across the county. The VIDA program helps residents file accurate tax returns, navigate the tax system, and access free funds and credits such as the earned income tax credit, all at no charge. Additionally, the VIDA program aligns with the Alameda County's Vision 2036 goals of building a thriving and resilient population and supporting a prosperous and vibrant economy by increasing financial stability and access to resources in underserved communities. Next slide. Thank you. So for planning and operation, we collaborated with community partners, including the IRS, United Way Bay Area, and site points of contact to develop the program timeline and coordinate logistics across all five CIDA locations. We coordinated and led volunteer training and orientation sessions, including site reservations, security scheduling, and facilitation by tax law trainers. We also manage the IRS certification process and coordinated the distribution of training materials and supplies. In terms of site operations, so opening day was January 29th, 2025. The Gale Steel Enterprise and Thomas L. Berkeley sites were open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 30 to 8 30 p.m. and also on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our San Leandro sites were every Wednesday. We worked with our county ITD to ensure Wi-Fi and printing capabilities at satellite sites and coordinate it with site points of contact to manage room setup and secure storage of program supplies. In terms of our end of year celebration, at the end of the tax season, we celebrated to recognize volunteer contributions. We had certificates of appreciation signed by our agency director Andrea Ford, raffle prizes, and photo collages that showcase memories from past tax seasons, and we'll share a quick video of that later at the end of our presentation. In terms of volunteer engagement survey, this was sent after the end of the tax season, and this we use to gather feedback on the training, the site experience, and our growth opportunities. We use some of these insights in our recommendations that we'll go over later. So out of about 80 volunteers, we had a 30% return rate in terms of or response rate rather for the survey. Next, I'll hand it off to Marissa to discuss the data for each site. Thank you, Pamela. Hello, my name is Marissa. I was the lead VIDA liaison and have had the privilege of spending time at each site.

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