Legislative Matters Committee Takes On Max Pac Covenant

Audience at Legislative
Matters Committee Meeting

On March 8th, the City Solicitor reported back to the Legislative Matters Committee that the covenant signed by KSS Realty did not breach the contract it signed with the City and that it cannot be mandated to hire union or local labor at the Max Pac site located at 56-61 Clyde Street. This report was in response to item #190913: Discuss in Committee That the City Solicitor appear before this Board’s Committee on Legislative Matters to discuss whether KSS has breached its covenant with the city, and if so, to take action to revoke their permits.

Police Chief, Tom Pasquerello.

The controversy surrounded the word 'encourage' which was used between the City and KSS regarding the use of specific labor. Legally, this was the only option for the city as they could not force or mandate the private developer to use union and/or local labor at the time of the development and signing of the covenant. Please check out the page dedicated to the Max Pac site for a copy of the covenant and all documents associated with the development.

Also on the agenda was item #190730: Recommend 51 Registered Voters submitting a petition for a public hearing on KSS Realty Partners and the use of union labor at the MaxPac site. This hearing already took place on February 17th and the comment period has since expired.

At the request of Alderman-At-Large Dennis Sullivan, Committee Chairman Tom Taylor allowed Jack Lister and Mary Jo Connolly, both union members, to speak in front of a filled Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.