Project Sailfish requests exemption to local labor policy

By Laura Fitzgerald
Posted 7/10/19

Shamrock Construction Group requested an exemption from the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency (IDA) local labor policy for the construction of Project Sailfish.

The policy …

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Project Sailfish requests exemption to local labor policy

Posted

Shamrock Construction Group requested an exemption from the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency (IDA) local labor policy for the construction of Project Sailfish.


The policy requires developers engage or hire at least 85 percent of their construction workers from the Town of Montgomery and the local labor market in order to receive tax abatements and other benefits from the IDA. The local labor market is defined as workers living in Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. A third-party auditing firm will be engaged to monitor construction.


In a letter to the IDA, Shamrock Construction Group requested 60 percent of local labor for the structural steel construction come from Ironworkers Local 417, instead of the original 85 percent.


The law does grant an exemption if there is not an adequate amount of local labor for the project.


IDA Attorney Robert McLaughlin advised the board not to make a decision on the request until the project has been approved.


While the board heeded his advice, board member Matthew Stoddard said the board should grant the exemption when the board approves the application for financial assistance.


“I’m ok with 60 percent of local labor instead of 0 percent,” Stoddard said.


IDA Chair Jeffrey Crist said the board should have hire a labor compliance firm to assist the agency with its decision making before it would grant the exemption.


Stoddard is also president of the Iron Workers Local 417 Labor Union.

Town of Montgomery, IDA, exemptions, local labor, Project Sailfish