Title
Authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service and the Committee on Licenses and Inspections to hold joint public hearings to review and investigate construction industry practices to identify any weaknesses in the City's current inspection and enforcement procedures and explore appropriate remedies, and in furtherance of such investigation, authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
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WHEREAS, It is imperative for public safety that the City have in place and follow comprehensive inspection and enforcement procedures to ensure that all contractors and subcontractors comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to, obtaining appropriate licensing and permits, filing all required paperwork, providing safety on the worksite, paying all appropriate taxes and fees, and ensuring fair hiring practices and full remuneration of all employees; and
WHEREAS, It is important that subcontractors be well qualified to perform the required work on a project and that they be monitored for the quality of their performance and to ensure that they are complying with all applicable laws and regulations; and
WHEREAS, Comprehensive oversight of subcontractors as well as prime contractors will also ensure that subcontractor employees are fully qualified to do their jobs, that they are compensated in accordance with the law and that all appropriate taxes are being paid on behalf of the employees; and
WHEREAS, It is equally important to examine the bidding process for City contracts to determine whether the process has adequate safeguards to ensure that bids awarded on public works projects have been made in good faith and reasonably reflect the contract price, and that contractors have not underbid, with the hope that they will be awarded the contract, and will later make up the loss thr...
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