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HomeMy WebLinkAbout(P 3) Clair Marceaux_Port Arthur City Council 08-15-2023_AL UpdatesPort Arthur City Council August 15, 2023 Community Benefit Agreements 101 1 Clair Hebert Marceaux PCED, CLED Who am I? Why do I do what I do? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND 2 ATG | DCCM Who are we and what do we do? 3 Focusing On Innovation The ATG | DCCM team anticipates and responds to the changing needs of transportation, providing innovative solutions that work now and into the future. Delivering With Expertise Our team of engineers, planners, and modelers use their extensive technical and regulatory knowledge to serve our clients with expertise. Committed To Community ATG | DCCM was founded on a strong belief in serving our community, developing sustainable relationships, and sharing our success. 4 General, high-level overview of Community Benefit Agreements What are CBAs? CBA Potential Benefits Measurable Results Who negotiates CBAs? Resources available 5 Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) CBAs are strategic vehicles for community improvement, while benefiting private sector developers and both state and local governments. They are not zero-sum instruments. They are legal agreements between community benefit groups and developers, stipulating the benefits a developer agrees to fund or furnish, in exchange for community support of a project. Benefits can include commitments to hire directly from a community, contributions to economic trust funds, local workforce training guarantees and more. CBAs pivot around local and state government officials: since governments need support from their constituencies and developers need government support for items like zoning approvals, developers have clear incentives to accommodate community interests. When synergistic development models like CBAs are employed, developers experience reduced risk and communities profit from improved cost/benefit positions. 6 Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) CBA is an agreement signed by community benefit groups and a developer. Community benefit groups are coalitions comprised of neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations, unions, environmental groups and other stakeholders. CBAs can ensure that measurable, local benefits will be given to a community. They are enforceable, legally-binding contract. The CBA process should begin while energy development is still being formulated Developers should actively seek partnership with neighborhoods, as their support would raise the probability of state or local government approvals for zoning variances, state permits, and other regulatory approvals. 7 Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) C B A 8 Measurable Results How can you ensure benefits are measurable? As the range of community benefits is delineated in an agreement, the community and the developer should ensure they establish clear and measurable commitments, not just aspirational standards. CBAs should describe expectations of project deliverables, include reporting requirements, and describe how reports will be publicly available. In addition, CBAs should clearly describe both roles and responsibilities – and how information will be furnished – in order to determine compliance. Furthermore, they should describe how noncompliance will be addressed. 9 Who negotiates a CBA? CBAs are negotiated between community group leaders and a developer, prior to government approval of a development project. In some cases, a state or local government agency will play an active role in CBA negotiations. Community development advocates recognize the importance of coalition building to facilitate CBA development. Community-based organizations involved in CBA negotiations are usually formed by concerned citizens and may be built upon traditional community organizing structures, such as block clubs or church-based groups. Collective action is inherently difficult. As a result, community groups should get themselves properly organized as a Community Benefits Coalition. Organization can be informal, but there are benefits associated with more formal coalescing. Local or state government staff may or may not be involved in CBA negotiations. 10 How to begin? 11 Toolkit Reference Links CBA Resource Guide 12 Contact Information: Clair Hebert Marceaux, PCED, CLED Senior Project Manager cmarceaux@emailatg.com 337.739.1098 alliance-transportation.com Thank you for listening! Any questions? 13