District 7 Councilwoman on Passage of Heat Illness Prevention

Published on August 31, 2023

SAN ANTONIO (August 31, 2023) — Today, City Council voted to pass an ordinance establishing minimum requirements for heat illness prevention for city-funded contracts, with District 7’s adopted amendment to require contractors to submit a heat safety plan as part of their proposal. District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito released the following statement:

“Today marks a huge win for our city and will let us lead by example. Thankfully, the City Council was able to reach a consensus and pass this ordinance with my adopted amendment that will require contractors to include a heat safety plan in their contract proposal.

Every day, construction laborers work hard to build and prepare our city for future growth. In this excessive heat, we need to give workers fair breaks. This is not meant to harm businesses that are doing the right things, it is meant to protect the worker who may fall victim to a bad-apple contractor who does not provide basic safety requirements.

Backed by my amendment, we are showing that San Antonio values not just the labor, but the laborers themselves. Prioritizing worker safety is not just the right thing to do, it is now a precondition for doing business with the city.

Thank you to Councilwomen Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia and Teri Castillo and the Planning and Community Development Committee for spurring this discussion. We look forward to the work ahead of us and the continued upward growth of San Antonio.”