Monterey Regional Airport considers a "local hire" requirement
Directors of Monterey Regional Airport may require that at least half of the workers on airport public works projects come from the Monterey Bay region.
Director Bill Sabo, one of five members of the airport's board, said the district should follow the lead of several other local jurisdictions by adopting a "local hire" requirement in its rules for contractors.
"It's the right thing to do," Sabo said Thursday after the board asked for more information about his proposal.
Sabo said besides supporting airport operations, the district should do what it can to ease high unemployment in the area.
"It would help local employment, local spending and, possibly, public-assistance (costs)," he said.
The proposal, which he said is similar to measures on the books in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties and the cities of Salinas and Santa Cruz, would require contractors to ensure that at least 50 percent of construction hours on their jobs would be logged by workers from the region.
The board on Thursday asked for district staff to review the proposal, particularly as it would apply to federal contracting rules. Much of the construction money the airport district receives comes from the federal government.
"We're going to come back and report in August," said Thomas Greer, airport general manager.
Greer said such a rule could add administrative costs to a project, reflecting expenses of contractors and the district to check compliance.
But Sabo said public agencies are already required to see local prevailing wages are paid on construction projects whether workers are from the area or not.
"I don't see it as having real significant costs," he said.
Sabo said a project in which a Fresno contractor brought in an entire crew from outside the area "set me off" on the issue.
Pending resolution of an environmental lawsuit that has it stopped, a major airport airport runway-safety project represents a $25 million to $45 million construction project, Greer said.
Larry Parsons can be reached at 646-4379 [email protected] .
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