REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Consider Amending the City of Sunnyvale's Minimum Wage Ordinance to Delay the Start of Annual Consumer Price Index Adjustments from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020
Report
BACKGROUND
On October 28, 2014, Council adopted a Minimum Wage Ordinance (Ordinance) to increase the hourly minimum wage to $10.30. On April 21, 2016, Council amended the Ordinance by changing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the U.S. city average to the Bay Area average and increased the Sunnyvale's minimum wage to $15 according the following schedule:
* $11 per hour on July 1, 2015
* $13 per hour on January 1, 2017
* $15 per hour on January 1, 2018
In 2017, the Santa Clara County Cities Association (Association) voted to keep the "regional minimum wage" issue as a priority. As part of that effort, Cupertino, San Jose, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Los Altos, and Santa Clara joined the regional effort and adopted ordinances to incrementally raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2019 with annual CPI adjustments to start on January or July 2020.
At a February 27, 2018 Council Study Session, staff provided an update regarding the City and the region's efforts regarding the increase to a $15 per hour minimum wage. Consistent with the City's ordinance, Sunnyvale's current minimum wage is $15 per hour and may be adjusted based on the Bay Area CPI on January 1, 2019. Mayor Hendricks requested that staff bring this item back for formal Council action regarding whether, for regional consistency, to delay the start of the CPI adjustment from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020.
EXISTING POLICY
Section 3.80.040 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, entitled "Minimum Wage."
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council's providing direction regarding minimum wage increases does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental policy making and administrative ac...
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