Transformative Climate Communities Program:
This project is part of the Strategic Growth Council which exists to wastefully spend monies derived from the State's "Cap and Trade" scheme. Among other troubling make work projects it oversees is the Transformative Climate Communities Program. Assembly Bill 2722 established the Transformative Climate Communities Program, to "...fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities as described in Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code." The goal is to "accelerate greenhouse gas reduction and advance local climate action in disadvantaged communities through an integrated, community-based approach". The Program has been awarding funding totaling approximately $140 million in "Implementation Grants". On December 6, 2016, the SGC adopted a regulation to allocate a minimum of half of the Implementation Grant funds in the City of Fresno, a minimum of one-fourth in the City of Los Angeles, and the remaining Implementation Grant funds in a third location to be determined. The Fresno grant came with a PLA and we can anticipate all other projects this group funds will do the same as the PLA is laid out quite clearly in their "Draft Scoping Guidelines" (see above link, item 12). Stay tuned for more on this.
Community Choice Aggregation:
"Regional government joint powers agencies for electricity generation" were authorized through California laws enacted in 2002 and 2011. In 2011 CFEC devised and implemented strategies to oppose a late amendment to Senate Bill 790 advanced by the IBEW that allowed union-affiliated labor management cooperation committees to spend utility ratepayer funds on activities such as the promotion of Project Labor Agreements. Regrettably, the bill was signed into law by Governor Brown with the IBEW provision included in it.
The IBEW and its affiliated LMCCs have subsequently attempted to influence the development and implementation of this new concept by lobbying for Project Labor Agreements and - when that fails - blocking proposed projects with CEQA objections (the practice of "greenmail"). We have created a plan to fight the more than 25 regions these schemes are targeted at but we need your help to make this a reality.
The current target for this effort is in Monterey County. An agenda has not yet been posted, but the first Policy Committee meeting of "Monterey Bay Community Power" has been scheduled:
Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Marina Public Library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina
Please contact CFEC today to find out how you can help us keep all this coming work PLA-free.
Department of General Services:
The DGS has two new buildings in downtown Sacramento scheduled to be built totaling $600 million in work. The first of these projects has had an RFQ sent out for it and in it there is the acknowledgement there will be a PLA covering the project (see below). CFEC is digging into this matter to find out exactly where this requirement originated. Stay tuned.
3. Project Labor Agreement (PLA)
This Project will be subject to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) pursuant to Public Contract Code section 10191(c)(2)(C). Any such PLA will be negotiated by the General Contractor and the State Building Trades, and may include provisions pre-negotiated by the State which will be included in the Request for Proposals issued to shortlisted firms.
At the State's discretion, a sample PLA may be provided as a starting place for negotiations. The Design-Build Entity, General Contractor, and all contractors and subcontractors of all tiers shall comply with the requirements set forth in the finalized PLA. The PLA may also contain community benefit provisions to ensure that a local workforce is employed on the project, with requirements intended to be provided in the Request for Proposals. By virtue of submitting an SOQ, the Design-Build Entity agrees to enter into such a PLA as described in this RFQ.
