The union seeking to set aside the approval of the Cheval Blanc hotel project has met its initial procedural hurdle. UNITE HERE Local 11 has presented the city with petitions bearing the requisite number of signatures needed to bring a referendum on the project. As set forth in the Courier’s Dec. 9 issue, the union actually circulated two petitions. One seeks to reverse the City Council’s approval of Cheval Blanc. The other seeks to set aside the development agreement signed by the city. 

Under California law, the union was tasked with obtaining 10% of all registered city voters, or approximately 2,100 signatures on each petition. According to Unite Here Local 11 Research Analyst Danielle Wilson, that goal has been met. 

The signatures must now be certified by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. 

Beverly Hills City Attorney Laurence S. Wiener confirmed that the union delivered the petitions to the Beverly Hills City Clerk by the required deadlines this week. The petitions were then hand-delivered by the City Clerk’s office to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder on Dec. 20 and 21, respectively.

“The county has 30 working days in which to process the certification. They will check the signatures and give us a report. If the numbers are sufficient, then our City Clerk will certify to the City Council that the petition has met the requirements,” said Weiner.

The California Elections Code dictates the steps that the city must follow if the petitions are certified.