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<br />Councilmember Specht opposed additional City requirements, citing existing State regulations, <br />the City's reputable developers, potential administrative burdens and costs, and concern that <br />additional regulations could discourage development. <br /> <br />Councilmember Olson agreed that existing State requirements and City screening procedures were <br />sufficient and that there was no need to impose additional labor standards. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman, responding remotely, supported stronger provisions in TIF agreements <br />addressing wage theft, payroll fraud, unethical labor practices, and similar violations by <br />contractors and subcontractors receiving City assistance. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen explained that similar language had been included in the proposed <br />Trident TIF agreement and could allow the City to withhold TIF payments. However, enforcement <br />could potentially result in litigation. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman viewed this approach as a reasonable middle ground between broader regulation <br />and existing requirements. He also supported apprenticeship opportunities but was reluctant to <br />require participation in formal State-certified programs because that could disadvantage smaller <br />contractors that provide their own training. <br /> <br />Councilmember Buscher supported strengthening responsible-bidder requirements so that <br />contractors with documented labor violations could be deemed ineligible before contracts were <br />awarded. She maintained that stronger standards were compatible with supporting responsible <br />businesses and protecting workers, and reiterated the potential value of apprenticeship <br />requirements in creating local employment opportunities. <br /> <br />Mr. Watkins agreed that stronger responsible contractor standards could allow the City to consider <br />contractor qualifications beyond simply selecting the lowest bid. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman asked whether the previously drafted Trident provisions considered contractors’ <br />prior labor violations. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen confirmed that the language required subcontractors to certify that they <br />had no adverse determinations for wage theft or payroll fraud during the preceding three years. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman supported applying a three-year lookback for serious labor violations and <br />incorporating the Exhibit C protections into the City's contractor requirements, while remaining <br />opposed to broader prevailing-wage or apprenticeship mandates. <br /> <br />Acting Mayor Riley summarized that a majority of the Council did not support proceeding with <br />the broader prevailing wage and labor standards proposal but appeared willing to consider <br />strengthening the City's responsible bidder requirements. <br /> <br />Councilmember Buscher suggested using previously drafted language to establish a Citywide <br />policy that could be referenced in future development and TIF agreements. <br />City Council Work Session / August 10, 2026 <br />Page 3 of 5 <br />