Oceanside

City Council members on Wednesday reassigned the city’s contract with the Oceanside branch of the financially troubled Project JOVE ex-offender program to another North County company specializing in employment training.

The council unanimously turned over the $24,000 remaining on this year’s contract with Project JOVE to the San Marcos-based Institute for Development, Employment and Training Corp. (IDET) and extended the company’s contract through September, 1986. IDET is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1981 to provide training programs for the public and private sectors.

Project JOVE, which has worked with ex-offenders in Oceanside for five years, recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. San Diego County supervisors terminated their contract with the agency last week after project managers failed to account for more than $47,000 in county funds.

Although absorbed by IDET, Oceanside’s Project JOVE will continue to serve ex-offenders in need of job training on the same scale and with the same staff as in past years, said Donny Valliere, the agency’s regional director.