January 2024 Meeting Summary
Summary of COMIDA Meeting for January 16th, 2024Observed by Deborah Rice Gordon
This COMIDA meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKw8FQHxD0A
Public Comments
Timothy Starwald from Iron Workers Union local #33 asked for clarification on a local labor waiver for the Fairlife project. Specifically, is the required certification to install the berm wall for the contractor or the individual worker? The Board responded that the certification policy applies to the individual. The paperwork for this waiver has not been issued as of this date. The Board will investigate and get back to Mr. Starwald.
Monitoring reports:
- A local labor monitoring report was given by Kevin Loweke. In December, the residency of 392 workers was checked with 8 having a proof of residency or an out of area issue. All sites complied by the end of the month. There was a question about activity occurring at the front of Medley Center and if that is being monitored. COMIDA staff are sorting out the original applications to understand requirements.
- The 2023 annual labor monitoring report was given. A total of 7,526 workers were monitored with 230 having a non-compliance issue. All sites were in compliance within 24 hours of the initial site visit.
- The local labor exemptions report was given by Brian LaFountain. One exemption was requested for the Fairlife project in Webster. No local labor was available for the drilling and blasting of bedrock at the site.
The end of year numbers finished strong with $5.6 million in cash and equivalents. A little more than $4 million was invested in treasuries. Income was $5.9 million and two projects closed in the last quarter and accounted for over 80% of income. Ten percent of fee revenue was committed to the workforce development fund. Overall, this was one of the best years on record.
Project Modifications:
The following modification request was approved:
- Unither Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, LLC for an increase in project costs and an extension of their sales tax exemption through December 31st 2024 for their facility in Henrietta.
- Angelica Perez-Delgado, President and CEO and Lucia Colindres, Chief Program Officer of the Ibero- American Action League discussed their business, trades and language workforce training programs. Partnerships are being discussed with several employers seeking to fill open positions. COMIDA has supported the organization financially with a contract for $1 million to be given over a four-year period. A yearly status update from the League is a requirement. The board approved a payment of $250,000 for the second year of the contract.
- A program for commercial driver license (CDL) training was presented by Rebecca Horowitz, Assistant Director at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development. They are seeking support to expand their program, become a road test site and hire a CDL coordinator. A request for $219,045 over a two-year period was approved.
- A question was raised about the status of Amazon’s job creation and community support targets. Amazon will be contacted for a status update.
- A meeting was held earlier in the day and a review of the current investment strategy and workforce development fund allocation were discussed. A request for proposal (RFP) for a finance advisor is being recommended to assist with investment decisions. Last year, an additional 20% of revenue was committed to workforce fund. A commitment of an additional 20% was approved for the new year.