18 and 19
Susana Barrios
From:PatrickJPepper <pjpepper@msn.com>
Sent:Tuesday, May 16,
To:Public Comment
Cc:Jill
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Agenda Items 18 &19 - Hotel and Event Center Minimum Wage, Worker
Retention and Hotel Worker Safety and Workload Initiative
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Completed
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Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I am writing to ask that you to direct City Staff to do Comprehensive Impact Analysis of the Item19 - Hotel and
Event Center minimum Wage, Worker Retention and Hotel Worker Safety and Workload Initiative before
taking action on the Proposed Initiative.
I was on the Budget Commission for ten years and know how important the resort area hotels, Convention
Center and event centers are to the annual City Budget. This Initiative may have a significant negative impact
to City revenues if adopted by driving up the operating cost to operate the Convention Center and hotels
throughout Anaheim. If the cost to hold conventions and rent rooms goes up as a result of this Initiative,
conventions will move to lower cost locations and the TOT from hotels will be reduced as travelers find less
expensive accommodations in other cities. The impact would definitely hit Public Safety as the Police and Fire
Budget is over 70% of the General Fund.
I can tell you from personal experience as a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
(AIAA) and the SAE International that where to hold a conference is cost driven and a very competitive
environment between cities that have convention facilities. The cost to large corporations that participate,
sponsor and exhibit at a major conference can easily run well over $500,000. When costs go up with no added
value, professional organizations look for other locations to maintain/increase participation as this is a major
source of their annual revenue.
This proposed Initiative by Unite Here Local 11 seeks to take control of local businesses by mandating wage
increases and establishing new regulations under the guise of worker safety. In reality all it will do is inflate
prices beyond market rates, destroy small business owners that must comply with the new regulations, and
reduce employment as conventions/travelers move to lower cost locations, along with negatively impacting City
revenues.
As Unite Here Local 11 has qualified this Initiative Ballot Measure, I ask you in closing to please have the City
Staff perform a Comprehensive Cost Impact Analysis so that you and the voters in Anaheim can understand
what the impacts to the city will be if it is adopted.
Thank you for your time and service to our community.
1
Patrick Pepper
2