The Civic San Diego board yesterday approved new agency and operating agreements that increase oversight and transparency of the agency's activities. The board has asked the City Council to approve the agreements at its Oct. 18 meeting. Civic San Diego replaced the San Diego Redevelopment Corp in 2012, when redevelopment agencies were dissolved statewide, and is responsible for facilitating physical and economic development in Downtown San Diego neighborhoods and underserved communities.

The nonprofit has been criticized by labor leaders and other stakeholders for allegedly making backroom deals with developers, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. Civic SD leaders say the agreement will improve the agency’s accountability and transparency to the public and City Council. It requires Civic SD to include 25% low-income units in projects the agency subsidizes, pay prevailing and living wages on these projects, and submit a comprehensive budget to the city annually. It also requires developers to aim for 50% of construction work to be performed by businesses within the city.

Critics, mainly local union leaders, oppose the agreement, which they say features weak language, did not include adequate community input, and won’t prevent the agency from making backroom deals. Carol Kim of the San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council said, "We don't feel we've been invited to the table. It really appears that this is business as usual." Rick Bates of Unite Here Local 30, the hotel workers union, said the agreements favor construction workers over hotel workers.

City of San Diego deputy chief operation officer David Graham said the agreements would require hotel operators that receive Civic SD subsidies to pay a living wage. [SDUT]