Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. We will now consider Bill No. 090095.
An ordinance amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by creating new requirements relating to the submission of an Economic Opportunity Plan.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill 3/12/09 - STATED - 2ND READING pass finally. The Chief Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The Chief Clerk will please read the title of Resolution No. 090173.
Resolution approving the redevelopment contract and disposition supplement of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Point Breeze East Urban Renewal Area.
Madam President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor will indicate by (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. That completes our Calendar for today. Are there speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. As we anxiously anticipate the state of our city's address by our Mayor, we look at some difficult decisions ahead by way of our operating departments. As 10, 20 and possibly 30 percent cuts, it is important that we not forget the capital side of this budget, that in fact we've done a good job as a municipality trying to get in position for the stimulus package that is coming from Washington, that we've done a yeoman's job of preparing certain capital projects so that we could fit within the federal timeframe of taking advantage of them. But our work is yet undone. It's important that we, from the federal government perspective, have bailed out Wall Street. It's important that we continue to bail out Main Street, but what we have as a task before us in this Council is to bail out my street, which is our neighborhoods around the City. And I would urge us to take very active participation in Resolution 090178, which empowers the Fiscal Stability Committee to take a look at what we're doing line by line, point by point to maximize businesses and maximize job creation to individuals from neighborhoods. Likewise, I would urge us to have a hearing scheduled for Resolution 080959, which examines the Water Department and its upcoming contracts, of which they are in the millions and possibility even a half a billion dollars. As we look at that, each one of these contracts that are eligible for stimulus money allows us to free up needed capital money to do other needed things for our city and its infrastructure. So I would encourage us to participate in this, but not from an engineer's eyes only, from getting from Point A to Point B, but also how do we get from job creation to tax revenues generated for the City of Philadelphia, because at the end of the day, we can't count our way out of paperclips to get out of this recession. The only way we recession is build, baby, build. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I rise again and I'll pass out flyers again with Montel Williams on it. We are still every Thursday -- we have been and will be -right out in front of between Councilman Jones' office and mine with this prescription assistance program. It's called Partnership for Prescription Assistance. So we invite you to still come or your people who may come to your offices who need help with prescriptions, who need free prescriptions, because some they get for three months, some they get for longer periods of time. These are companies who donate medicine so that those in need can get them. to take advantage of this opportunity. They have a bus also that they can bring to park somewhere in your community. So you can also reserve the bus. So we've been dealing with it, I don't know, since before Christmas, maybe last spring, and we invite you all to take advantage of this needed service. And, finally, let me thank Councilman Kelly for the wonderful Irish potatoes, our wonderful sweets. And if Lou were alive, Lou would challenge everybody. I haven't been to Ireland four times, but I've been there twice. So he would challenge everybody to match that record. Thank you.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
none, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, before I make the motion, I just would like to say that my Legislative Assistant has informed us that Monday is the deadline to submit your recommendations for the fiscal stability hearing. So I'm asking all Councilmembers, whatever you have relating to fiscal stability as per the resolution, we're asking you get it in by Monday, because we must issue the document next week prior to the hearing that you've called for us to put together. One other thing. I just would like to real quickly concur with Councilman Jones, particularly with respect to his "drill, baby, drill" statement. I think it's important, because the reality is the City of Philadelphia, based on the stimulus program, will receive probably more than $150 million in this next fiscal year as a result of the stimulus program. So it's very important, particularly as it relates to construction, because the reality is the construction has the broadest implication as it relates to the number of trades opportunities for people in the City of Philadelphia, in addition to which as it relates to building revenue, you have a multiplier, because first you purchase the materials, then you build a house, which obviously creates wage taxes and provides jobs, then you sell the house, which obviously creates recording fees, transfer taxes, and somewhere down the line those people actually start paying real taxes once the ten-year tax abatement burns off. So I would just like to concur with Councilman Jones, that it is very important that we get this right the first time out. that, Madam President, I make a motion that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 19th, 2009, 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 19th at 10:00 a.m. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you. (Stated Meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.) CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on March 12, 2009, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)