“Job Killer Bill” Approved By State Legislature
Legislation labeled a “job killer bill” by the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) has passed the state legislature and is on its way to the Governor for his signature or veto. Assembly Bill (AB 3080) limits the use of settlement and arbitration agreements to resolve labor and employment claims. The bill “essentially prohibits arbitration of labor and employment claims as a condition of employment,” according to CalChamber. The organization argues that these changes would slow down the resolution of workplace disputes and create higher costs for both employers and employees. The bill, which goes into effect January 1, 2019, would also make it illegal for an employer to prohibit an employee or independent contractor from disclosing a sexual harassment incident.
Salvation Army Sells 12-Story Downtown Office Building
The Salvation Army has sold its 199,156-square-foot office building at 180 E. Ocean Blvd. to an affiliate of Thrifty Oil Co., a Santa Fe Springs-based company. Cushman & Wakefield’s Jeffrey Cole, Robert Garey, Ed Hernandez and Nico Napolitano represented the seller. According to Cole, the building was sold “at a significant discount.” Moshe Sassover, co-CEO of Thrifty Oil Co., stated, “We are excited to participate in the revitalization of downtown Long Beach. . . . The revitalization is well underway with substantial investments by the City of Long Beach, addition of numerous quality retail and restaurant establishments, as well as the ongoing construction of thousands of new residential units.”
Forty New Officers Graduate Into Long Beach Police Department
Yesterday, 40 new Long Beach Police Department recruits graduated from the department’s 92nd academy during a ceremony held at the Terrace Theater. The officers completed 27.5 weeks of training in areas such as patrol procedures and law enforcement tactics, firearms training, weaponless defense, criminal law and more. In a statement e-mailed to constituents, Mayor Robert Garcia noted that, “due in large part to Measure A funding,” the police department has grown from 803 officers to 851 over the past few years.
Austin Metoyer Named DLBA’s New Economic Development & Policy Manager
Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) employee Austin Metoyer is taking over the role of economic development and policy manager for the organization, DLBA President and CEO Kraig Kojian announced. In this role, he is to serve as the liaison between downtown investors, businesses and brokers as they work through city entitlement and permitting processes. Metoyer has served as research and policy manager for the DLBA since February 2016. In this role, he leveraged data collection to help the organization analyze policies and take positions on issues such as the minimum wage, housing and density, according to a DLBA statement.
Grand Opening Celebration To Honor New Park
A grand opening celebration for C. David Molina Park is taking place August 28, at 9:30 a.m., 4951 Oregon Ave. The 3.3-acre park is named after Dr. Molina, who started the city’s first intensive care unit at Pacific Hospital in 1962, according to a parks department statement. Molina was the founder of Molina Healthcare, a national health plan provider that is headquartered in Long Beach. The park includes a sports field, playground, walking path, restrooms, picnic tables and other features. “This opening of the state-of-the-art C. David Molina Park is transformational for the neighborhood,” 8th District Councilmember Al Austin stated.