This report discusses the concept, features, and implementation of municipal-level community benefits agreements (CBAs) in California. This report notes that these agreements enhance trust and cooperation between employees, businesses, communities, and governments by contractually binding them to one another following CBA negotiations. Notably, where large scale development projects are bound to a community through a CBA, this report finds that the economic growth and development is more wide spread across the community where developers and communities have a CBA in place than in cases where developers are not bound to the community through some contract. This report finds that CBAs both open lines of communication between community groups and developers and foster greater coordination between communities and developers by establishing goals of development.

This report analyzes Santa Clara's proposed ranked-choice election system for two districts compared with six-winner citywide RCV elections. It shows that cross-racial coalitions may be fostered by RCV which encourages collaborative campaigning.

This ordinance amends the administrative code of the city of New York so that city employees are prohibited from inquiring into a person's immigration or citizenship status when he or she applies for or renews a food vendor's license. In addition, the ordinance requires that information about an applicant's immigration or citizenship status will not affect the consideration of a license application.

Police use of Taser stun guns to subdue suspects in California and around the nation has increased dramatically in recent years. Billed by their manufacturer, Taser International, as a non-lethal alternative to deadly force, Tasers have been purchased and deployed by a growing number of law enforcement agencies. However, while the Taser is less deadly than a traditional fi rearm, it is hardly the non-lethal weapon its manufacturer promotes under the slogan “Saving Lives Every Day.” Despite a growing number of fatalities in incidents involving police use of tasers, few departments regulate the number of times police may use a taser on an individual or provide any of their own training materials. Local officials can look to pass legislation restricting use of tasers in non-life-threatening situations, adopt taser policies at a local government and department level, and revise current training materials for officers.

This report provides a detailed economic impact of the Los Angeles Living Wage ordinace.

This local law establishes "green building" design standards for certain building construction and rehabilitation projects funded through the City's capital budget with the intent of reducing the City's electricity and water consumption, reducing air pollution, improving occupant health and worker productivity, and encouraging the development of green building in the private market. Among the types of projects covered are schools, hospitals, libraries, cultural institutions, courts, and administrative buildings, but residential projects assisted by City capital funds are not included. The Mayor is given the authority to exempt up to 20% of the value of the capital work in a given year within the different categories of capital work and accompanying design standards as defined by the bill. Reporting requirements are also established.

Experienced grocery workers with knowledge of proper sanitation procedures, health regulations, and understanding of the clientele and communities they serve are instrumental in maintaining health and safety standards in grocery establishments. As a result, this ordinance requires that grocery retailers retain employees when the stores ownership changes hands.

This report is a how to guide for cities to develop community benefits agreements. The report includes key features and lots of materials on previous CBAs in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Because the City of Los Angeles has a financial and proprietary interest in hospitality operations that lease real property from the City, it is essential that these operations conduct business efficiently and without interruption. Efficient and uninterrupted operation of hospitality operations may be threatening by labor disputes.The City can only protect its investment by requiring its hotel operations lessees to sign contracts with the labor organizations that represent employees in the hospitality industry. These contracts will prohibit the labor organizations and its members from engaging in picketing, work stoppages, boycotts or other economic interference with the business of the hospitality operators, for the duration of their lease with the City.

Any city contract or subcontract valued at $100,000 or more must require city contractors or subcontractors to pay their employees an hourly wage that is at least the living wage for the duration of the contract. The living wage shall be a wage level equivalent to at least 130% of the federal poverty level for a family of 4 or, for employers that provide basic health insurance, at least 110% of the federal poverty level. Also, a city business subsidy recipient must enter into a city business subsidy agreement with the city that includes a description of the subsidy, a statement of the public purpose for the subsidy, goals for the number of jobs created or retained, and wage goals for any jobs created or retained. Any recipient of a city contract or subsidy that fails to meet the living wage or wage goals shall not be eligible in the next contract cycle or calendar year, and shall repay to the city an amount based on the degree of compliance proportionate to the value of the contract.