Council to Vote on Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

A paid sick leave ordinance is on tonight's City Council agenda, but may encounter opposition from merchants as it did last year.

The paid sick leave ordinance failed last April, lacking a fourth vote needed for passage. In September, it was tabled indefinitely as more controversy arose.

Advocates who spoke at the Feb. 1 agenda-fixing session said since then, the concerns of merchants have been addressed, such as by a $2000 proposed fine for noncompliance being reduced the $750. But also on Feb. 1, Councilwoman Gloria Taylor said a compromise meeting with Special Improvement District officials was never held, and a counter proposal from the business association received no response from the city.

On Feb. 1, a small group of advocates of the paid sick leave plan attended the council meeting, but no merchants were present. Despite the reservations raised by Taylor, who is the governing body's liaison to the SID, all seven members agreed to put it up for a vote on first reading tonight.

Among details of the paid sick leave plan endorsed by NJ Working Families, workers could earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers with more than 10 employees would not have to pay more than 40 hours a year, with a 24-hour cap for those employing fewer than 10. The hours accrued could be used for the employee's illness or to take care of sick relatives. The ordinance runs to eight pages, so not all aspects can be summarized here.

Plaintalker received a copy of the one-page SID proposal, dated October 15, 2015. Its two programs are the "Paid Time Off" Incentive Program and the "Pro-Active Property Owner" Incentive Program. The former, dubbed PTO, would rely on $50,000 in Urban Enterprise Zone funding to start a program, accommodating an estimated 250 businesses. The proposal states there are 1,000 businesses in Plainfield, with 550 being part of the SID. The PTO program would give employers a 50 percent reimbursement for every $1 expended on paid time off, among other provisions.

The latter, called PAPO, would give tax credits or breaks to merchants who attend city/SID seminars on topics such as landlord-tenant relations in city business districts. The proposal also suggests use of signs to identify participants.

By contrast, all employers except federal, state and local agencies would be affected by the proposed ordinance.

The Urban Enterprise Zone program began here in 1985, but the state turned fund balances back to municipalities in 2011. Some aspects of the program, such as tax credits for job creation, still apply. The SID budget is largely composed of a surtax imposed on businesses in the SID districts. It is unclear whether the city could allocate $50,000 a year in UEZ funds for the PTO proposal.

Tonight's City Council meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice