Stated Meeting, May 29, 2025

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 29, 2025 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. ELIZABETH McCOLLUM NAZARIO, CHIEF CLERK

Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

Good morning, everyone. (Good morning.)

Members, please take your seats. I note that the hour has come and that a quorum of this Council is present. I'm asking for all visitors to please retire outside the rails. But before proceeding, I will ask all those present to please set your cell phones on silent and/or vibrate. But most importantly, please take all sidebar conversations outside of the Council chambers. How's everybody doing today? (Good.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: To give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Rabbi Eli Freedman of Rodeph Shalom. He is here today as the guest of Councilmember Rue Landau. I will ask all members and guests to please rise. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors rise.)

Good morning. Thank you, Council President Kenyatta Johnson and esteemed members of City Council. It's a privilege to honor this invocation this morning on behalf of Councilmember Rue Landau, who had her bat mitzvah at our congregation Rodeph Shalom just a few years ago. And to recognize Jewish American Heritage, (inaudible) with lifts up. The many ways Jewish Americans have helped shape this leadership, cultural creativity and moral courage here in Philadelphia, that story runs deep. Just a few blocks from this chamber is our very own Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, a landmark that reminds us of immigrant journeys, community resilience and enduring contributions by Jewish Americans, those like Rebecca Gratz, born right here in 1781 who spent her life advocating for education and social welfare for women and children. And that spirit continues today. And people like our congregant Michael Solomonov who has brought Jewish culture to the national table, literally through the food that tells the story of memory, joy and resilience. But to heritage, honestly we must acknowledge the moment that we are in, even as we celebrate these contributions. Jewish communities face a painful rise in antisemitism here and across the country. We've seen it in threats to synagogues and schools and public rhetoric, in acts of violence and fear. I am proud to say that Philadelphia has responded with resolve. Our city and state leaders have shown up not just in statements, but in partnership and in concrete actions. We are grateful for the commitment shown by this City Council to ensure that Jewish Philadelphians feel safe, heard and protected. And still, we must be clear-eyed. Antisemitism is not only rising, it is also being being used as a political weapon, not to protect Jewish communities but to divide others. Not to build bridges, but to burn them. This is not solidarity. It is opportunism and it undermines the real work of justice. Jewish tradition teaches tzedek, tzedek tirdof; justice, justice you shall pursue. The repetition is intentional. It reminds us that we are accountable not only for what we stand for, but how we stand for it. In facing hate, we must not mirror it. We must lead with courage, not fear; with compassion, not with contempt, with community, not with division. Our tradition teaches that every human being is created B'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. idea calls us to recognize the divine spark in each person and to build a society rooted in dignity, responsibility and care. In this chamber may that truth not only be spoken but enacted. May B'tzelem Elohim guide our policies, shape our debates and remind us that the work of justice belongs to all of us, and especially to those entrusted with the power to lead. Amen. (Amen.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is the Approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 15, 2025. The Chair recognizes Deputy Whip Councilmember Cindy

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 15, 2025 be approved.

It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, May 15, 2025 stand approved. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the Journal is approved. The next order of business is the request for leave of absence. And the Chair Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Majority, there are no requests for leave of absence today.

The Chair thanks the Majority Leader. The Chair recognizes Minority Leader Councilmember Kendra Brooks.

Council President, on the behalf of the Minority party I would like to request one leave of absence today for Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke, on the occasion of we might have a baby soon. (Applause.)

The Chair thanks the Minority Leader and leave will be granted. The Chair now recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's Council session.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council, and as required by law, subsequently published on an amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar and a motion placing a bill or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not listed on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilmember Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson may be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair will dispense with the regular order of business to recognize the guests and visitors joining us in chambers this morning. members of City Council, I welcome you to our Council session. We appreciate your taking the time to join us as we attend to the legislative affairs of our great city. We certainly invite you to come again. I want to take a moment to acknowledge former staff member of Councilmember Curtis Jones, who is now the Chairperson of the Philadelphia Delegation State Representative Morgan Cephas. Could you please stand please? (Applause.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilman Curtis Jones, who will present a resolution honoring the dynamic, outstanding, hard-working, cool, outgoing gentleman by the name of Tumar Alexander. (Applause.)

A dedicated public servant on the occasion of his retirement from Philadelphia city government. Would Mr. Alexander and those accompanying him please join Councilmember Jones at the podium. Joining Councilmember Curtis Jones is Councilmember and Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Jim Harrity, Minority Leader Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young, Deputy Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Councilman Quetcy Lozada, Councilmember Rue Landau, councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad and Appropriations Chairman Councilmember Mark Squilla. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors approached podium.)

Ladies and gentlemen, Councilmembers, staff, supporters of Tumar Alexander, before there was Scandal and Olivia Pope in Washington, D.C., there was Tumar Alexander of City Hall. Tumar survived four mayors-and-a-half, eight years of peace. The first time when he left, you know, every eight years there's a slaughter of staffers and people wind up getting fired. And Tumar didn't wait around for the people to come around the hallway. He said, I'm out of here. He went to go work for City Blue --

Sneakervilla.

Sneakervilla. I'm sorry. So Mayor the store where he worked and offered him $10,000 come-back-home bonus. I heard about it, right, and a pair of sneakers, right, to come back to work, which he came back. One of the telling things about -- now, I pray that my staff always do what you did. I don't care what Mayor he worked for. When he put that jersey on, he was loyal. You couldn't talk him out of it. He was 100% ten toes down for that mayor. So before we start the actual -- bear with me, Mr. President. There are two stories I'm going to tell. The first one was I'm a freshman -statute of limitations ain't over. The first one, there's a time, colleague, when the administration always comes up and says, tell me list, what are your priorities, which things do you really want. So I got the fixer here, came in my office. And I was all impressed because I've never experienced that before. So we go through and listen. And you know how I am, Mr. President. It was long as hell. I had world peace on here, global warming, stop the wars around the world. And this guy, he looks, leans in and he's checking things and he's asking questions. I'm feeling good about my list. And then he took the list, and I'm going to tell you how he -- he put it in his vest check it like this. And I said -you still got it?

No.

And he said, we got you. So I ran down chambers, Harrity. I voted for the bill. I voted for the budget. And then when you get the details of it, I'm looking for my stuff. Nothing's on there except one thing. And I ran to him, Tumar, you told me you were going to take care of every one of those pieces. And he said, I am, but you didn't think all in the first year, did you. I said, he got me. All right. So that was the first time. Second time I've been a little more seasoned. And every year, like when you go into the schoolyard, you look for the schoolyard bully. One department -- not you, the department. You look for a department that you're going to make your bones on. I ask you the hard questions until I get the right answers. So Tumar got wind this -yeah, you remember. And so, he pulled me aside. He said, Councilman, can we work this out outside of the mics. We'll come down. I promise you we're going to take care of that department, your concerns. I'm not going to say the department because then you'll know the person. And I trusted again Tumar. He's a fixer. He's the Mayor's emissary. So I said, all right. I'm going to take this off. I'm not going to ask any hard questions. And he said, we'll get right on it. A whole year goes by. He don't come down. He's ducking me. He doesn't come. So we get back to budget cycle. I said, all right, I'm going to do this. He comes back in and says, Councilman, can we work this out? I'm still waiting for the first meeting, but I did it -- I actually did (inaudible) that. You know who it is, and I've learned how to ask questions. So at the end of the day, before we read this citation good things come from North Philadelphia. Tumar Alexander is an example of that. And full circle, he's going back to North Philadelphia to make the next Tumars, the next young leaders that will be -- he's molding those young minds. Because if you haven't created your successor, you're negating your job. And I'm so very proud to call you my friend. (Applause.)

Therefore, great things come from North Philadelphia and also from the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. of which Tumar Alexander is a member. Today, the members of Philadelphia City Council are honoring and recognizing the career of Tumar Alexander, a dedicated public servant on the occasion of his retirement from the city government. Whereas, Tumar Alexander is a lifelong Philadelphian by way of North Philadelphia, proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., seasoned public servant whose 24 years of dedicated service to the City of Philadelphia have spanned across four mayoral administrations, exemplifying a profound commitment to the city's growth and well-being; and

Tumar, I promise I ain't telling no stories, no stories. We started Mayor's administration for Street. Actually, I don't want him telling any stories. Whereas, Tumar attended William Penn High School and Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a degree in Political Science, laying the foundation for his distinguished career in public service; and

I first must reiterate good things come out of North Philadelphia. Whereas, throughout his distinguished career, Alexander has held key roles in operations, policy, legislative and internal Affairs, consistently demonstrating leadership and vision in various capacities that have directly impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of city government;

Whereas -- Mr. President, may I take a point of personal privilege for a second please?

Yes, you may.

I've never had an opportunity to do this. And so, folks who do not know it was October of 2003. I'm walking into then Councilmember Darrell Clarke's office. And I see this guy sitting there just waiting for me. I'm nervous. Don't know what to do. This is my first opportunity to work anywhere ever. I'm a senior in high school and I see this guy sitting there waiting for me. His name is Tumar Alexander. Like Tumar, whatever. I mean, I was a high school kid. I mean, you know. So so many years later, Tumar has been my big brother, my mentor, my friend, my confidant. He paid for my seat deposit for law school when I didn't have it, and I didn't even go to that law school, ended up going somewhere else, right. (Applause.)

So I've never had the chance to publicly do this because he's always been in government, but he's a year and four months out. I just want to say thank you so much, Big bro, because I would not be here but for your leadership but for your mentorship. You look up mentor in the dictionary, you will see Tumar Alexander. He has mentored countless, countless young people. He has a tree of people all around government, in business and nonprofit sector. This is the definition of what a mentor is and I would not be here but for his guidance. So, Big Brother, I want to say thank you again and again and again. And I know, you know, when that happened last year, a couple years ago, you were just smiling from ear to ear, although we couldn't talk about it. But whereas, Alexander's journey into public service began with his volunteer work on former Mayor John F. Street's campaign, set the stage for his rise through the ranks of Philadelphia politics; and

Well, this is just going to be a long presentation because everybody's got a Tumar story, I'm into any Tumar stories. But I will say, listen, we thank you and we love you and we're going to miss you. And I can tell you one of my key pieces of legislation is stop-and-gos. You know, Tumar helped me all the way through. I just can't tell you how much I love you and appreciate you so we're going to miss you. Whereas, Tumar Alexander served with distinction as Chief of Staff in the Managing Director's Office during Mayor Street's administration, demonstrating exceptional leadership and a commitment to this city; and

Whereas, during the administration of former Mayor Michael Nutter, Alexander served as Deputy Mayor and as Chief liaison to City Council, facilitating cooperation and strengthening the relationship between the executive branch and the legislature; and

Whereas, in January 2016 Mayor Jim Kenney hired Alexander to serve as the Director of Legislative and External Affairs for the Managing Director's Office, where he played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the executive branch and key legislative and community partners; and

Love you, Tumar. Whereas, Alexander's outstanding performance and leadership in this role led to his promotion in January 2019 when he was named First Deputy Managing Director and Gladiator, taking on an even greater level of responsibility in managing the the essential work of city departments; and

Whereas, in October 2020 Alexander assumed the role of Managing Director, where he continued to demonstrate exemplary leadership and a steadfast commitment to building sustainable infrastructure within and across the city's departments, ensuring the efficient delivery of high-quality services to the public; and

Whereas, through his various roles in city government Alexander has worked tirelessly to ensure that the city operates effectively and that its residents receive the best possible services, making significant contributions to the operation and successes of the city Philadelphia; and

And, Tumar, I've been here since your first day. (Applause.)

And I have to say I was over here talking to Tumar, and I said, just thank you. He always helped and he always came through. And I don't remember one time calling him where it wasn't an emergency where I couldn't figure out what to do and Tumar took care of it, and that was consistent. And, Tumar, you'll really be missed. Whereas, Tumar's dedication, resilience and unwavering focus on making Philadelphia a better place for all its residents has earned him respect, admiration and gratitude from this City Council, his colleagues, the Mayor's office, and the citizens he serves; now, therefore, be it;

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that it hereby honors and recognizes the career of Tumar Alexander, a dedicated public servant on the occasion of his retirement from city government; And further resolve, that an Engrossed copy be presented to Tumar Alexander in admiration and awe of this legislative body. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Tumar Alexander for remarks.

Thank you. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilmembers. Two of the stories Curtis told was not to tell you all that from the start. The one that is true is his freshman list of about four pages long as I remember. He actually signed it for me after a few years. But let me just start by saying, first I just like to thank God, my family, my grandmother, my grandfather, people who are not here to see this and see that this kid from North Philly who tried to just every day make my family proud, make my mother proud, make people I grew up with proud and just come to city government and serve people. My first time in City Hall was an internship with City Commissioner Alex Talmadge after meeting him at a workshop at my high school when I think I was 10th, 11th grade. Sultan Ahmad, deceased, all of my mentors, a lot of my mentors aren't here with me so I'm just standing on their shoulders and trying to be an example. And also as Councilmember Young said, trying to lift up people along the way. So I think you all know I don't really like being in the limelight or standing up here hearing a long resolution, because for me it ain't about none of that. It's just about serving people and working and kind of waking up every day with a purpose and living that purpose. It was a few months ago where I had to call the Mayor and say to her, you know, I think it's time for a change for me. And that wasn't a call I took lightly. It wasn't a decision I made lightly, but it was a decision and I knew I my growth, for my family's growth. We just welcomed -- I have a baby girl, 1 year old. (Applause.)

My girlfriend and I -- and they couldn't be here because my baby girl was a little under the weather, but it was just time to step back, take a break and figure out what's next. And lo and behold, I kind of came a little bit full circle. Jeff told you all about meeting him when he was a high school senior member at Girard College. And now, I have an opportunity to work at Girard College as their Vice-president of Operations. (Applause.)

And for months, I've had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing young people in this city in I would say a little place in North Philly, but actually it's about 43 acres sitting in the heart of North Philadelphia where they're producing some amazing young people and amazing scholars each and every day. And I'm just proud to be a small, small, small spoke in the wheel to help that support out. In closing, I just want to say I thank everybody. Of course, the work of government continues. Of course, I'm proud of you all sitting in this Council and the work that you do each and every day for the citizens of Philly. Curtis, I will say you've been my big brother, but you're also like a stepdad because Jazelle Jones -Jazelle, stand up. (Applause.)

I try to always make sure, Councilmember, we kept the work relationship and your Counciling relationship separate. So when I would talk to Jazelle about that list, she kind of gave you the priority of it. That's why it took so long. But I will say if you think back to that list, we did some amazing things together and you did some amazing things in your District, right, Wynne Ballroom, Brith Sholom House and just a bunch of other things. And that's just indicative of you all and the work that you all do. So again, just thank you. Thank you for this opportunity, thank you for this family appreciate it. (Applause.)

Congratulations. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad who will present a resolution on my behalf of thanking A. Bruce Crawley, founder of Millennium 3 -(Applause.)

Founder of Millennial 3 Management, the African American Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of Visit Philadelphia for his decades of leadership and invaluable contributions to the business hospitality and political communities in Philadelphia. all those accompanying him please join Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad at the podium. And joining Dr. Nina Ahmad are the following individuals: Deputy Whip Councilmember Cindy Bass, Majority Leader Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Chair of Labor Councilmember Jim Harrity and Minority Leader Councilmember Kendra Brooks. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors approach podium.)

This is like the original revolutionary in the City of Philadelphia. So go ahead. Dr. Nina Ahmad, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President. Before I start, I just want to take just a moment to I have received from Bruce Crawley as someone who doesn't have a long, you know, I wasn't born in this city. I didn't go to high school here and this is someone who has helped me chart my path all the way here. So I'm very grateful to you, Bruce. And I just wanted to make sure that we acknowledge you, and I'm doing this on behalf of the Council President as well. This is his resolution. So a resolution thanking A. Bruce Crawley, founder of Millennium 3 Management, the African American Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of Visit Philadelphia for his decades of leadership and invaluable contributions to the business, hospitality and political Whereas, A. Bruce Crawley holds a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and Management from St. Joseph's University and a Master's Degree in Journalism from Temple University, laying the foundation for a distinguished career in business, communications and public service; and

And whereas, in 1989 Mr. Crawley founded Crawley Haskins Sloan PR & Advertising and served as President, further contributing to the growth of the communications and public relations industries; and Whereas, in 1993, he founded the Philadelphia African American Chamber of Commerce and served as Chairman for 13 years, significantly advancing the American businesses in the region; and Whereas -- I'm adding this clause -- in 2000 I had the opportunity to initially meet A. Bruce Crawley while working for former Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown. And whereas, in 2006 he founded Millennium 3 Management, Inc., a full service marketing and communications firm where he currently serves as President and principal owner; and

It's North Philly Day here today. Whereas, Crawley has been deeply involved in Philadelphia's hospitality industry, serving as a member of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Chair of their Board for five Convention Bureau's Multicultural Affairs Congress and is a founding member of Visit Philadelphia, demonstrating his commitment to enhancing the city's tourism and hospitality sectors; and Whereas, Crawley also served as a Campaign Manager and Communications Consultant for numerous state and local elected officials and played a key role as communications consultant for former Mayor John F. Street from his time as Philadelphia City Council President, through his first term as Mayor; and Whereas, from 2006 to 2014 Crawley served as a member of the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee and as Chairman of the Board Level Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Group, which is the parent company of Independence Blue Cross; and

And that was DEI he was fighting for before it was the popular thing to get involved in. Thank you, Bruce.

Yes. Yes, very exciting. As I said, living legend. I met Bruce in the '90s. Man, yeah, what a guy. Whereas, he also served as Chairman of the Collaboration for IT and Communications Excellence and organized providing computer labs and IT training for junior high school students in disadvantaged rural regions of Ghana, reflecting his commitment to global education and development; and Whereas, Mr. Crawley held several influential roles in the nonprofit sector, including as former Board member and Chair of the Brand Management Committee for the Children's Literacy Initiative and as a member of the Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity and Advisory Committee; and Whereas, he served as a trustee at St. Joe's Preparatory School and for nine years on the Board of Trustees at St. Joe's University where he was a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of Enrollment and Marketing Committee. He continues to serve as a member of the Board of Visitors for the Hobbs School of Business at St. Joe's University; and

Whereas, Mr. Crawley is a former League of Philadelphia, former Board member of the National Urban League, former Chair of Philadelphia's UNCF Telethon. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Richard Allen New Generation, and he is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; and Whereas, Mr. Crawley has received significant recognition for his exceptional contributions in his field, including being inducted into the Temple University Klein College of Media and Communications Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the St. Joseph University Hobbs School of Business School Hall of Fame in 2014; and Whereas, in recognition of his remarkable achievements on May 21, 2022, Mr. Crawley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Joseph University during its commencement ceremony, where he also delivered the commencement address to the university's advanced degree graduates; and

Whereas, since the fall of 2024 Mr. Crawley has co-hosted Dishing with Patricia, a daily audio podcast alongside Patricia Marshall Harris, in which they offer insightful discussions on current civic, economic, political and wellness matters from around the world; now, therefore, be it; Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, hereby thanks A. Bruce Crawley for his contributions to business, hospitality and political communities in Philadelphia; Further resolve, that an resolution be presented to A. Bruce Crawley as a testament of the sincere appreciation of this legislative body. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

Before I acknowledge Mr. Crawley for remarks, I want to acknowledge joining him is the President of the NAACP, President Catherine Hicks. Thank you for joining us. (Applause.)

And I also want to acknowledge one of his mentees that said we had to make this happen. If you've ever seen any of those cool videos of me on Instagram and watching me bang corners, it's the work of this young lady who's the Deputy Communications Director of Council, Ms. Meaghan Washington. So I want to acknowledge her as well. (Applause.)

The floor is yours, Mr. Bruce Crawley. The floor is yours, sir.

Thank you very much. It's an honor to be here. I want to begin my brief remarks today by extending my most sincere appreciation to each of the members of the city's most important legislative body. 5 million residents and each of its neighborhoods. You introduce and passed the laws that govern this great city. 4 billion this year. So let me say, as a native of my beloved North Central Philadelphia and as a lifelong resident of this city, that I am extremely humbled that you somehow made time in that demanding schedule to pass a resolution thanking me for my contributions to the Philadelphia's political, business and hospitality communities. Your resolution covered my leadership roles in the business, hospitality and political communities. But quite frankly, I hope you don't mind if I choose not to speak about any of that today. " young man, I thought, like many of us did, that the people who were saying that they hoped you would live in interesting times were wishing that the people to whom they were speaking would actually enjoy what life would bring them in the future. In fact, it was completely the opposite. That statement was actually meant as a dismissive curse. And in using the word interesting, they meant times that would be filled with challenge, great difficulty, good difficulty, turmoil, wars and strife. I bring that up to remind us all that we are right now indeed living in interesting times, and this has been by design. I was fortunate to have seen a wonderful movie years ago called Watch Dance. that movie? It was about a popular music company in the South and it used residents in those communities to define each musical genre that the company produced, rock and roll, jazz, et cetera. When it came -- when I was younger, I would memorize this whole thing. When it came to the part when the movie wanted to define what the musical genre called the Blues was about, the camera focused tightly on a group of older Black men who were clearly economically challenged. " That quote has stayed with me for my entire life because it was a clear political statement. He absolutely power had successfully worked over all his years on earth to deprive him of having fair, social and economic opportunity. That had gone on for so long that he had become resigned to the belief that he and his family were powerless to improve their circumstances. So he just stopped thinking about ways that would make things better for his family. At the great risk of sounding too political in these bipartisan stately government chambers, I feel obligated nevertheless to say, since you invited me, to say that in my opinion the current federal administration has been working overtime since January of this year to instill that kind of fear and hopelessness into the vast majority not to be billionaires or otherwise extremely wealthy. All the buttons are being pushed. Every constitutional right is being challenged or ignored. Access to economic, social and health care opportunity is being erased with the stroke of a pen. You know whose pen that was. Immigration which brought the Niña, Pinta, Santa Maria and hordes of slave ships in North America, has now been cast as an abominable evil, and those who can't prove that their ancestors were not born in this country are no longer welcome, but are being captured on the streets of the United States en masse, deported to maximum security prisons in places like Salvador, Guantanamo, Sudan and Rwanda. That's not in any way normal.

and people are dying as a result of these petty, racist and class-based actions. You've begun enough to recognize me and others over the past years for making contributions to society at civic and community levels, yet there seems to be precious little interest and further encouraging beyond these proclamations the kind of community and grassroots involvement that might bring solutions to these larger, insidious and anti-American policies that we're seeing online and virtually all of our traditional media outlets every day. With that, I want to sincerely thank you for today's recognition. But I also want to strongly encourage each of you to great power to help to restore fairness, equity and opportunity to this country that used to be known as the Land of Opportunity. Please know if I can help. Thank you very much. )

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

I also want to acknowledge Business Manager of Local 332 and Labor leader here in the City of Philadelphia, Mr. Sam Staten Jr., who's also joining us for presentations. (Applause.)

Also joining us for presentations is world-renowned former Rockefeller recording artist City of Philadelphia's Hip Hop you for joining us today as well for presentations, sir. (Applause.)

Even though what we do is wrong, still hustle till the sun go down...better bundle up. Let me keep it real. At this time, I also want to -- the Chair recognizes Councilman Jeffrey Jay Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. At this time, I just want to acknowledge some 5th, 6th and 7th graders from the Paul L. Dunbar School in North Philadelphia. Would y'all please rise. Thank you guys for being here so much. (Applause.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: That group is led by William Mackey North Philly. And as a young guy, got my start with Mr. Mackey going to Washington, D.C. to lobby for anti-violence funds as a kid with the citywide Youth Action Coalition. Let's give Mr. Mackey another round of applause please. (Applause.)

At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips, who will be presenting a resolution honoring and celebrating Feliz Filadelfia for its dedication to empowering youth through recreation, education and community development. Would Jose Rivera and those accompanying him please join Dr. Phillips at the podium. Joining Dr. Phillips will be Richardson, Councilmember Brian O'Neill, Councilmember Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada and Appropriations Chairman Councilmember Mark Squilla. (Councilmembers, visitors and guests approached podium.)

Well, thank you, Council President. Today I'm excited to recognize and lift up a name and a mission that embodies the power of community resilience and vision. Feliz Filadelfia is not just a youth athletic organization. It is the heartbeat of Olney. It is hope wrapped in leather gloves and baseball cleats. It is what happens when one man decides that his deserve the very best. That man is Jose Rivera. Born and raised in Olney, Jose didn't wait for a handout. He didn't ask for permission to care. Instead he saw the cracks in the system and became the solution. More than a decade ago, he looked at Hammond Field in Olney steps from his door and saw the possibility where others saw neglect. With his own hands and his own dollars and with the support of his neighbors, Jose transformed that forgotten patch of grass into a state-of-the-art sanctuary for our youth. Today Hammond Field is more than a baseball diamond. It's a launch pad, a place where young people across our city find purpose, discipline, teamwork and producing not just athletes, but scholars, leaders and future changemakers. This is what community power looks like. This is what it means to invest in our neighborhoods and believe in our children. Jose Rivera, you represent and define the model of an active community member. Just the other day a member of our community asked me, Councilmember, can you find a way to come to my neighborhood and sit on our -organizer a block meeting. Now, I've been doing that for a long time throughout my entire tenure. But one thing that I recognize that makes Jose different from other community members, he doesn't just say, can you do something. He gets involved with the process of organizing, preparing things that done. Congressman Boyle was asked by Jose Rivera in partnership to get thousands of dollars to fix the Hammond Field. $500,000 later, there's a new field that's resurfaced thanks to Jose Rivera's advocacy and partnership. Cherelle Parker asked Jose -- Jose Rivera asked Cherelle Parker as a Councilwoman to fix the clubhouse at Hammond Field, and he worked with the design and actually the community process to really get their community engaged in redesigning that field. And even today Jose calls me and talks about issues with graffiti, dumping, anything, speed bumps, and he actively says, I'm going to organize the meeting, I'm going to organize the process, but I want to see how you can help ask for what you can do. He says, I'm going to be a part of it. And that's how I was raised. That's how I understood what active citizenship looks like. Even when Cherelle Parker, years ago when I was in her ward, I wouldn't have the nerve to say to Cherelle, hey, I want you to do this, I want you to do that. I always said, how can I be a part of it. So when I organize community block meetings in my neighborhood, I organized it and asked her to be a part of it and we worked together in partnership. When I wanted voter registration, I worked with her with that. Jose's being honored because he understands what a model active community citizen is. He finds a way to be involved with the solution, and that's why he's being honored today here in front of City Council. So with that being said, let's follow his lead. Let's keep building and let's never forget the future is on that field in Olney. Even when his mother died a few months ago, a couple months ago, Jose took those children on that field and kept practicing and coaching.

His mother loved him. He was there at her bedside all the time, but Jose understood his commitment to the community and he never stopped, never stopped caring. So, Jose Rivera and all of you all who work with our children at Feliz Filadelfia in Olney, you are models of active the reasons why I decided to be part of Council. So I want to say thank you so much. Now, with that being said, let's go to the resolution: Honoring, celebrating Feliz Filadelfia for his dedication to empowering youth to recreation, education and community development; Whereas, Feliz Filadelfia, formerly known as Born to Play, was founded in 2015 by Jose Rivera with a mission to provide recreational opportunities in a safe environment for the youth of Olney, Philadelphia and beyond; and

Whereas, Feliz Filadelfia's flagship program, the Olney Angel's Baseball Team, has become a community, providing baseball, softball, T-ball and flag football opportunities for over 100 youth from Olney, Hunting Park, North Philadelphia, Lower Northeast Philadelphia and surrounding areas; Whereas, under the leadership of founder Jose Rivera, Feliz Filadelfia has expanded beyond youth sports, introducing exercise programs for both youth and adults and laying the groundwork for future educational and environmental programming to further enhance the community; and

Whereas, the renovation of the Hammond Avenue Field completed in 2021 has been a key milestone in the revitalization of the Olney neighborhood, allowing for the growth of Feliz Filadelfia safe and welcoming space for our youth to learn, play and grow; Whereas, Feliz Filadelfia having recently received its not-for-profit status, a 501(c)(3) designation, is now positioned to expand its programs with initial board directors consisting of dedicated individuals, including Jose Rivera, Edna Rivera, Alexander Crespo and Dan Gordon of the Drumcliff Foundation; and

Whereas, the organization remains deeply rooted in its Latino heritage, while welcoming participants from all backgrounds and strives to make a positive impact, not just in Olney but throughout the City of Philadelphia; and Whereas, through a teamoriented approach Feliz Filadelfia is committed to collaborating with existing organizations and offering its own programs to foster community development, health and empowerment, creating a brighter future for all participants; and

Whereas, the organization's dedication to youth development, community enrichment and social impact is exemplified by the contributions of its dedicated staff and volunteers, including coaches, board members and community leaders such as John Santiago, Freddie Gabriel, Coach Taz McDermott, Coach Evan Delgado, Coach Juan Romero, Malika Bethea, Miriam Rivera, Sandra Fontanez, Dan Gordon, Victor Juarez and many others; and Whereas, with continued support from partners and other community stakeholders, Feliz Filadelfia is well-positioned to grow its programs, expand its impact and inspire the next generation of leaders in Philadelphia, including individuals like Jose Rivera, Jr., who plays a key role in maintaining the team's field and mentoring youth by teaching them the game of baseball; now, therefore, be it;

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, we hereby honor and celebrate Feliz Filadelfia for its unwavering dedication to empowering youth through recreation, education and community development, recognizing its transformative impact on the lives of young people and throughout the City of Philadelphia; and Further resolve, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Jose Rivera, the Board members, coaches and all those who have contributed to the success of Feliz Filadelfia as an expression of the admiration and respect of this legislative body for their outstanding work in strengthening the community and providing opportunities for youth to succeed. Thank you. (Applause.)

The Chair recognizes Jose Rivera, founder and Executive Director.

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for having me here today. My name is Obviously, I'm the founder of Feliz Filadelfia, a nonprofit organization based in the heart of Olney dedicated to empowering youth through sports, mentorship and community. I'm also proud to serve as a committee man working to make sure our neighborhood's voice is heard and our youth are supported both on and off the field. I'm originally from Hunting Park, born and raised there, where I spent most of my life. I moved to Olney about 10 years ago, and that move changed everything. One day my son, Jose, Jr. -- where's my boy at, right there -- we were walking the dog through the neighborhood. We walked into the fields at Hammond Ave. We were amazed, not because of how beautiful they were but The fields were abandoned, overgrown and completely empty. The clubhouse was just out of order, and I remember thinking this place deserves better. These kids deserve better. " Not long after that walk with me and my son, I met State Rep. Anthony Bellmon and the rest is kind of history. What started as a dream, just a safe place for kids to play baseball, has grown into something much bigger. Feliz Filadelfia now runs year-round programs in baseball, softball, soccer, flag football and basketball, serving hundreds of youth in our community. But what we offer goes beyond hope, we offer structure, and above all we offer a safe environment where kids feel seen, supported and inspired. And it's not just about the games. It's about the community. Throughout the year we host events that bring families together, Easter egg hunts, bouncy houses, clowns, back-to-school giveaways, Thanksgiving turkey distributions, Christmas toy drives and plenty more. These moments remind our kids and our neighborhood that they matter. I wish my mother was here today to see this morning. She passed away three months ago, but I know, I ain't gonna get emotional. I gotcha, but I know she's watching over me and I know she's proud of the work we're doing. And of course, my son Jr. me also, continues to be a huge part of that journey. They help keep our fields maintained and teach the younger kids the game of baseball. I still remember when it was just me and my son out there cutting all three fields with a regular lawn mower for hours just so the kids could have a chance to play. We didn't have much, but we had heart. Feliz Filadelfia is growing fast. We sent teams to Camden, Virginia, Reading and this summer we're working hard to take our 19U Puerto Rico team who won two championships in a row, which will be a once-in-a-lifetime Puerto Rico experience for many of these kids, take them out to Puerto Rico. One of the things I enjoy most is when I'm not coaching, maybe I'm just at our local Shop Rite and I run into a parent or a former player, the look in their eyes say it all. They smile, they thank me. And in these moments, I'm reminded why we do this work. And I'll never forget something that the Madam Mayor Cherelle Parker did before she became Mayor. She would grab me quietly -- she would see me quietly working behind the scenes and she'd grab me and say, stop hiding, stop hiding back there, come to the front lines, I see you, I know what you're doing. That stuck with me. Because sometimes when you're focused on serving others, you don't stop to think about being seen. But she saw me and she saw all of us.

And I have to recognize Phillips, my man right there, Anthony Phillips. He's done such great work in our community. And one thing that really stood out was the installation of speed humps on Hammond Ave. That simple improvement slowed down traffic, made it safer for our kids and families walking to our fields. It may seem like a small thing but was a big deal to us and neighbors and we truly appreciate him for it. I ain't got to get bashed by Ms. Debbie anymore. None of this would be possible without support, especially from our elected officials. I want to thank Madam Mayor Cherelle Parker, Councilman Anthony Phillips, State Rep. Anthony Bellmon and Congressman Brendan Boyle for believing in our us to support the youth of Olney. We've also partnered with local schools, Parks & Recs and small businesses to make this work often with limited resources and a whole lot of passion. So I'm here not just to tell our story, but to say thank you. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for believing in these kids and thank you for recognizing the power of community. We're not just building athletes. We're building leaders. And with their continued support. We'll keep growing. Guys, y'all heard -- I heard Freeway might be here. Oh, yeah. I quote you a lot. We got to raise our kids while we're living. And that stuck with me since day one, and that's what we're doing out here with Feliz our future, man. Let's keep it going. Appreciate you guys. )

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

Chair recognizes Councilmember Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.

Thank you so much, Council President. I want to recognize the young people from Logan Elementary that are visiting us today in chambers. (Applause.)

We've been following some of these young people for a while. They did a whole assignment on Council and us in Council, and they had to act out a version of us. So it's really nice to have them in Council. We've been working on this for a while. I meant to get the picture of one of the young men dressed up as Anthony Phillips. So thank you so much, Logan Elementary.

Let's give our young people a round of applause, y'all. (Applause.)

Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome, Logan Elementary, 8th District. I also wanted to acknowledge that we have in the house today with us Myra else knows, and I know that there's going to be public comment around celebrating her later, but Myra Brown, if she could stand, is the partner with the City of Philadelphia's Future Track Program -(Applause.)

-which has placed hundreds and hundreds of folks, returning citizens into steady city employment. And so, the work that she's done there is extraordinary. But beyond that, she's the first African American Chair of the Board for Women's Way and is now stepping down from that role after a long tenure. So we wanted to recognize her and thank her for her work on behalf of women and our communities throughout the City of Philadelphia. you, Mr. President. (Applause.)

Chair recognizes Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

That was an accident. Sorry about that.

Thank you. At this time, the Chairman recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. for a resolution recognizing the members of The Links, Inc., Philadelphia Chapter and Delaware Valley Chapter. Would Philadelphia Chapter President Zakiya Black Barnett and Delaware Valley Chapter President Robin Bush and those accompanying them please join the Councilmember at the podium. And joining Councilmember Curtis Jones Cindy Bass, Majority Leader Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young, Minority Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada and Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad. (Councilmembers, guests and visitors approach podium.)

So people wondered why I donned a green attire today. Now, you're about to find out. In light of what's going on at the federal level, all of the safety nets are being cut so quickly and that many institutions are being affected by it, and those safety nets often, you know, there are a lot of organizations, Mr. President. And many of them are just loud, proud, but as soon as the crisis dissipates, so do they. know members of The Links, Delaware, Philadelphia, we see that since 1946 you've been running solid and deep but impacting us in meaningful ways. So on behalf of a grateful world, a grateful country, a grateful state and city, we want to recognize The Links today in four major areas. They are significant in arts and culture, they represent youth issues, they step up to the plate on behalf of world trends, they are involved. So if someone's hungry in a village in Kenya or in Kensington, they know and they don't just talk about it. They mandate that service. And I'm going to tell you their time, their talent, and according to Derek Green, his treasury, is involved in making sure that that mission is that, they make the difference. When the NAACP, who the Philadelphia President was here, when the Niagara movement came off of that stage right after actually the second World War, they did a worldwide lifelong membership drive. So they step up to the plate in a meaningful way. And so, therefore we recognize you today. Who's first up? Remember the whereas.

I got you. Whereas, honoring and recognizing the members of The Links, Inc., Philadelphia Chapter and Delaware Valley Chapter; and Whereas, The Links, Inc. was founded in 1946 by co-founders Sarah Strickland Scott and Margaret Hawkins of Philadelphia, who was in 4th Councilmanic District, who established a service-oriented women's organization. What began as 9 women has now grown to over 16,000 members and nearly 292 chapters across 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom; and

Whereas, The Links, Inc. stands as one of the nation's oldest and largest women-oriented volunteer service organizations dedicated to enriching and preserving the culture and economic well-being of African Americans and others of African descent; and

Whereas, the core values of The Links, Inc. encompasses friendship, integrity, honesty, service, commitment, family relationships, courage, respect for self and others, legacy, confidentiality, responsibility and accountability; and

Whereas, the members of The Links, Inc. collectively contribute over 950,000 hours of community service each year, thereby enhancing their communities and contributing to the nation's welfare. The organization has received accolades from the UN Association of New York and the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation for its exceptional programs; and

Whereas, The Links Foundation, Inc. has contributed more than $27 million to charitable causes since its founding. In 2022, The Links Foundation, Inc. named its sixth $1 million grantee the Obama Presidential Center. Other United Negro College Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Civil Rights Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture and History and the St. Jude Research Hospital; and

Whereas, The Links, Inc. offers outstanding programming across five key areas, services to youth, the arts, national trends and services, international trends and services, and health and human services, employing strategies such as public education, economic development and public policy initiatives; and

Whereas, the Philadelphia Chapter as the founding chapter of The Links, Inc. is committed to excellence in service to the Chapter of The Links was founded on November 9, 1946 by co-founders, Margaret Russell Hawkins and Sarah Strickland Scott. These women leveraged their network and resources to assemble a dynamic team of seven other Links that constituted what was originally referred to as the Philadelphia Club. Over three decades ago, it adopted the M. Hall Stanton School, an initiative supported by then Mayor Wilson Goode and has since engaged in numerous impactful programs; and

Whereas, the Delaware Valley Chapter of The Links, Inc. was chartered on November 21, 1964 with the support of the Philadelphia Chapter and has since expanded its outreach to underserved communities area. Its initiatives include voter education drives, anti-bullying programs, art workshops and health screening. The Chapter also provides supports to HBCUs such as Cheyney University and Lincoln University; and

Whereas, also The Links other affiliated chapters, including Montgomery County, Penn Towne and Bucks County, have demonstrated unwavering commitment to the organization's mission of enriching the lives of individuals in their communities through service, education and cultural enrichment, and acknowledges the collaborative spirit and impactful initiatives that these chapters have undertaken to foster growth, empowerment and unity among diverse populations in region; now, therefore, be it;

Resolved, by the Council of the City of Philadelphia, that it hereby honors and recognizes the members of The Links, Inc., Philadelphia Chapter and Delaware Valley Chapter; Further Resolve, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to The Links, Inc., Philadelphia Chapter and Delaware Valley Chapter as a testament to the sincere appreciation of this legislative body. Congratulations. (Applause.)

Before I call up the speakers, I just want to acknowledge a member of The Links, City Representative, first leader of the 4th Councilmanic District, Ms. Jazelle Jones. I want to (Applause.)

Now, I recognize Zakiya Black Barnett and Robin Bush for remarks.

Hello and good afternoon. I think it's afternoon. I just want to say thank you so much, especially to Councilman Curtis Jones for this wonderful acknowledgement. As it was said, The Links, Inc. was founded right here in Philadelphia in 1946 and it's a great city to partner with the folks in this room, the companies and corporations and other charitable organizations to continue to push this city forward. And it is our mission and our will to stand in the gap, to fill the gaps, to support where that's our mission, a group of friends serving this city together. I was going to list some of our programs and some of the things that we do and support, but it was all mentioned so eloquently in the resolution. So again, I just want to say thank you on behalf of the Philadelphia Chapter, the founding chapter, for this wonderful recognition, and we look forward to continuing to work with each of you, all of the members of the community of the city of Philadelphia, to continue to support and push this wonderful city forward. So thank you so much.

Good morning. The Delaware Valley Pennsylvania Chapter has been engaged in community service in the Philadelphia area for over 60 mentioned, everything has been so eloquently mentioned, and we are so humbled and grateful. Thank you, Councilman Jones. We are extremely honored to receive this recognition. Have a good day. (Applause.)

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

The next order of business is communications. The Chair requests that the Sergeantat-Arms deliver the messages from the Mayor to the Chief Clerk. Will the Chief Clerk please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications in her possession.

To the President and members of the of Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on the following bills: Bill Nos. 250327, 250328, 250367, 250369, 250370, 250371, 250372, 250374, 250377, 250378, 250381, 250425, 250430, 250431, 250432, 250436 approval with amendments, 250437, 250438, 250485 and 250486. To the President and members of the Council the City of Philadelphia, I am pleased to advise you that on May 27th I signed the following bill which was passed at Council at its session on May 8, 2025: Bill No. 250065. And that on May 28th I signed the following bill which was passed by Council at its session on May 8, 2025: Bill No. 240665-AA. And that on May 28th I signed the following bills which were passed by Council at a session on May 8, 2025: Bill Nos. 240581, 240750, 250067, 250068, 250149, 250123, 250151 and 250323. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your Honorable body, a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 100 Emily Street, 2315 South Marshall Street, 518 Pierce Street, 2549 South 3rd Street, 2117 South 6th Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2878 Amber Street located in the 1st Councilmanic the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1811, 2114, 2123 Fernon Street, 1930, 1932 S. Norwood Street, 1629, 1642, 1648, 1652 Point Breeze Avenue, 1824 S. 20th Street, 1835 S. 22nd Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1343 S. Colorado Street, 1508, 1509 S. Cleveland Street, 1700 S. Ringgold Street, 1808 Fernon Street, 1932 Watkins Street, 2024, 2026 Gerritt Street, 2603 Wilder Street 2635 Latona Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank a deed conveying titled 1225 South 17th Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District, pursuant to the requirements of the Commonwealth Land Bank Act; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 666 and 674 Union St; 3842, 3844, 3851, and 3855 Aspen St; 747 N. 39th St; 3902 and 3906 Brown St located in the 3rd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to 2002 North 20th Street, located in the 5th Councilmanic District, pursuant to the requirements of the Commonwealth Land Bank Act; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2847 Boudinot Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 3127, 3130 North Bancroft Street, 3108 North Broad Street, 3142, 3148, 3152, 3156, 3157 North Carlisle Street, 3123, 3131 North Chadwick Street, 1412 West Clearfield Street, 2737, 2935, 2953 N.

Hicks Street, 1709, 1711, 1713 West Lippincott Street, 3110, 3116 North Rosewood Street, 2941 North Sydenham Street, 3106, 3141 N. 15th Street and 3035 North 16th Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code. There are no more messages in my possession, Council President.

Thank you. The messages will be printed in the Journal. I just want to ask for any conversations inside the Council be to a minimum or most importantly outside the Council chambers, as we are making sure we do the audio correcting, so the sidebar conversations has an impact on my tech's ability to do his job. The next order of business is the introduction of bills and resolutions. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips.

Thank you, Council President. And also, thank you for everyone who's been congratulating me for recently completing my Ph.D. I wasn't here a couple weeks ago, but I just want to say also I have one non-privileged resolution for introduction today. And also, I may have to leave and I want to be able to vote aye on all bills and resolutions for today.

Leave is granted, sir. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the resolution.

A non-privileged resolution calling on the Office of Youth Engagement to expand its collaboration with the City Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department, PPR, to strengthen youth leadership, civic participation and cross-agency coordination, thereby ensuring youth voices are meaningfully integrated into city decisionmaking.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

Real briefly, Council President. I just wanted to -- and you acknowledged some of the folks earlier, but I wanted to acknowledge all the artists that are here, including Freeway and the other artists that came here today, to acknowledge that the month of May is going to be known as Philly as the Original Music City Month. So all the artists that's here, I just wanted to thank you for coming to Council today. We appreciate you. (Applause.)

And, Council President, if all of the artists, if all of the Philadelphia artists that are here today could just stand up so we can acknowledge you and let you know we appreciate you. (Applause.)

Is there an official resolution where we're going to be honoring them officially?

Yes, there will be, Council President. Thank you. But I just wanted to acknowledge them because I know some folks are going to have to start leaving because we had a number of presentations today. But we know how it goes. We got to pass the resolution before we do a presentation. So thank you to all the artists who came down to represent.

Let's give them a round of applause, y'all. Hey, Philly. Stand up, Philly. (Applause.)

Keep up the good work, everyone. Good job, Member Thomas. I see Dyana Williams back there. Y'all know she like world-renowned, right. Like internation -- y'all ever watching BET late one night, she pop up in an interview talking to somebody. But anyway, keep up the good work. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.

Thank you, Council President. Today I offer six bills, two on my behalf, four on your behalf and three non-privileged resolutions on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bills and resolutions.

An ordinance amending Chapter 19-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Finance, Taxes and Collections" to allow for refunds of the realty transfer taxes to victims of deed fraud, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Chapter 17-1400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Non-competitively Bid Contracts; Financial Assistance" to modify exemptions and provide for reporting and recordkeeping in connection with invocation of such exemptions, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing and approving the execution and delivery of a Service Agreement between The City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority relating to the financing of a Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) Plan which includes housing production and preservation, home affordability, home owner and renter assistance, related contractor training and support, blight and vacant property reduction, urban beautification, neighborhood infrastructure, and other related programs; approving the issuance by the Authority of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (including reimbursement obligations related to lines or letters of credit) in one or more series to finance or refinance such plan and authorizing and approving the obligation of The City of Philadelphia to pay in full when due the Service Fee and other amounts payable under the Service Agreement; authorizing certain City officers to take certain actions required to issue such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness; covenanting that The City of Philadelphia will make necessary appropriations in each of the City's fiscal years to provide for, and will make timely payments of, the Service Fee and other amounts due under the Service Agreement; requiring an annual program statement and budget to be approved by Council, and other requirements; and authorizing and approving the Director of Finance of the City and other City officials to take other necessary or appropriate actions to effectuate the purposes of this ordinance; all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance amending Section 2-112 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "City Commissioners," by removing the powers and duties of the Department of Licenses and Inspections over matters relating to weights and measures; amending Title 9, entitled "Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions," by removing provisions relating to amusement devices, and weights and measures and making related technical changes; and amending Title 19, entitled "Finance, Taxes and Collections," by eliminating provisions related to amusement licenses and weights and measures registration; all under certain conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an amendment to a lease agreement with 2401 Walnut LP, for use by the City of all or a portion of the premises located at 2401 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance constituting the TwentyEighth Supplemental Ordinance to the Restated General Water and Wastewater Revenue Bond Ordinance of 1989, as supplemented; authorizing the Bond Committee to issue and sell one or more series or subseries of tax-exempt or taxable water and wastewater revenue bonds and revenue refunding bonds; authorizing agreements to provide credit enhancement or payment or liquidity sources (or any combination of the foregoing) for such Bonds; providing that such Bonds shall bear interest at fixed or variable rates; determining the sufficiency of pledged Project Revenues; authorizing the Director of Finance to take certain actions with regard to the sale of such Bonds, the investment of proceeds thereof and the City's continuing disclosure obligations with respect to such Bonds; setting forth the use of proceeds of such Bonds; covenanting the payment of interest and principal; supplementing the Restated General Water and Wastewater Revenue Bond Ordinance of 1989; and specifying applicability of sections of The First Class City Revenue Bond Act and the Restated General Water and Wastewater Revenue Bond Ordinance of 1989.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1343 S. Colorado Street, 1508, 1509 S. Cleveland Street, 1700 S. Ringgold Street, 1808 Fernon Street, 1932 Watkins Street, 2024, 2026 Gerritt Street, 2603 Wilder Street, and 2635 Latona Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1811, 2114, 2123 Fernon Street, 1930, 1932 S. Norwood Street, 1629, 1642, 1648, 1652 Point Breeze Avenue, 1824 S. 20th Street, and 1835 S. 22nd Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank a deed conveying title to 1225 S. 17th Street, located in the 2nd Councilmanic District, pursuant to the requirements of the Commonwealth Land Bank Act.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Good morning, Council President. Today I have one non-privileged resolution and one bill for introduction both on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bill and the resolution.

An ordinance authorizing the Director of Planning and Development, on behalf of the City, to file applications with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Community Development Block Grant; to file applications to participate in the HOME Investment Partnership program and the Emergency Solutions Grant program; and to apply for a Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant; and to file applications with the Commonwealth to obtain grants under the Act of April 12, 1956, P.L. 1449, Section 4, as amended, to prevent and eliminate blight; authorizing the Director of Planning and Development and the Director of Commerce to file applications to obtain other grants from the Commonwealth; authorizing the Director of Commerce to use the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program; and authorizing the Director of Planning and Development and the Director of Commerce to enter into all understandings and assurances contained in such applications and take all necessary action to accept the grants; all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution approving the final Neighborhood Preservation Initiative Program Statement and Budget, which allocates the expenditure of the remaining 50 million of funding by various agencies for the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative Program.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.

Good morning again, Council President. I offer one resolution that I'm very excited about, declaring Philadelphia the original music city in the world. (Applause.)

Take that New York. This resolution -

I need to read the (inaudible). A privileged resolution recognizing Philadelphia as America's original music Citycelebrating its dedication to the arts, its legacy of producing world-class musicians across genres, and its powerful economic impact, generating billions in revenue, jobs, tourism, and local business growth.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Curtis Jones.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer one bill and one privileged resolution on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bill and privileged resolution.

An ordinance regulating the direction of movement of traffic on Gorgas Lane between Ridge Avenue and Lawnton Street, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a privileged resolution celebrating June as Reentry Awareness Month and honoring the achievements of returning citizens in our city.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rue Landau.

Good morning, Council President, colleagues and the public. I have one privileged resolution to introduce on your behalf.

Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk please read the title of the resolution.

A privileged resolution recognizing the month of May as Jewish American Heritage Month in the City of Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. Chair recognizes Councilmember Lozada.

Thank you, Council President. I have nothing today.

Thank you very much. Councilmember Jeffrey Jay Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today I offer one bill and two non-privileged resolutions.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the bill and resolutions.

An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk café in the vicinity of 426-28 W. Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 1500 block of Girard Avenue as "Alphonso Deal Way."

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution also naming Jefferson Street between Broad Street and 13th Street as "Donald 'Ducky' Birts Way."

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Minority Leader Kendra Brooks.

Thank you, Council President. I have no bills or resolutions today. And I also would like to be excused for official Council business. I vote aye on all bills and resolutions.

Thank you very much. Leave is granted. Chair recognizes Councilmember Chair of Labor Jim Harrity.

Thank you, Council President. I have nothing today.

Chair recognizes Councilman Chair of L&I and Transportation and Public Utilities Mike Driscoll.

Morning, Mr. President. No bills or resolutions today.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes the gentleman senior member from Northeast Philadelphia, Councilmember Brian O'Neill.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have no bills or resolutions today. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Thank you very much, sir. Chairman recognizes Appropriations Chair from South Philly Councilman Mark Squilla.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer three bills, two non-privileged resolutions.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the three bills and two non-privileged resolutions.

An ordinance repealing in its entirety the following Ordinance, approved December 23, 2024: Bill No. 240964-A02 (authorizing the City of Philadelphia to organize an authority to be known as The Arena Services District Authority, pursuant to the terms of the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing various encroachments in the vicinity of 2654 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And an ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk café in the vicinity of 2101 E York St, Philadelphia, PA 19125, under certain terms and conditions.

This bill will be referred to the appropriate committee.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2878 Amber Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 100 Emily Street, 2315 S. Marshall Street, 518 Pierce Street, 2549 S. 3rd Street, and 2117 S. 6th Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Deputy Whip from Northwest Philadelphia, Councilmember Cindy Bass.

Thank you, Mr. President. I offer one privileged resolution and one non-privileged resolution.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the titles of the resolutions.

A privileged resolution honoring Myra Brown as She Completes Her Service as Board Chair of Women’s Way, Celebrating Her Pioneering Leadership, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Lifelong Commitment to Equity, Women’s Empowerment, and Workforce Development.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar.

And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 3127, 3130 North Bancroft Street, 3108 North Broad Street, 3142, 3148, 3152, 3156, 3157 North Carlisle Street, 3123, 3131 North Chadwick Street, 1412 West Clearfield Street, 2737, 2935, 2953 N. Hicks Street, 1709, 1711, 1713 West Lippincott Street, 3110, 3116 North Rosewood Street, 2941 North Sydenham Street, 3106, 3141 N. 15th Street, and 3035 North 16th Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District in accordance with the terms of Chapter 16-700 of The Philadelphia Code.

This resolution will be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for consideration at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.

Thank you, Council President. I have one privileged resolution today.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk of the resolution.

Privileged resolution recognizing May 2025 as Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month in Philadelphia.

This resolution will be placed on today's Final Passage Calendar. The next order of business is reports from committees. Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a report from the Committee on Rules.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Rules reports out seven bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much. Would the Chief Clerk

The Committee on Rules to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 250041, an ordinance amending Section 14-303 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Common Procedures and Requirements," by authorizing the Zoning Board of Adjustment to condition zoning approval upon provision of affordable housing, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250175, an ordinance amending Chapter 14-516 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "/WST, West Overlay District," by providing for new digital sign controls; all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250371, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of area bounded by Powelton Avenue, Preston Street, Filbert Street, and 41st Street, and to amend Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code by adding Section 14-544 entitled /CSI, CSI Forensic Laboratory Overlay District, and making other related changes, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250372, an ordinance amending Section 14-533 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "/MIN, Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District," to expand applicable areas of the overlay in the vicinity of 49th Street and Woodland Avenue. Bill No. 250378, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Fox Chase Road, Castor Avenue, Street, and Alma Street. Bill No. 250436, an ordinance amending Chapter 14-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Use Regulations," and Chapter 14-700, entitled "Development Standards," to establish use requirements for above-ground garages owned by a public entity and new development standards applicable to certain areas of land located within an area bounded by 10th Street, Chestnut Street, 11th Street and Ludlow Street, all under certain terms and conditions. And Bill No. 240438, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Emily Street, 4th Street, Mercy Street, and 5th Street. There are no further from the Committee on Rules, Council President.

Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Bass for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it, the motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for a report from the Committee on Public Property and Public Works.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Public Property and Public Works reports 10 bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much. please read the report.

The Committee on Public Property and Public Works to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 250426, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to convey fee simple title or a lesser real estate interest in and to all or a portion of the property in Cobbs Creek Park bordering City Avenue in Delaware County and in Cobbs Creek Golf Course bordering City Avenue in Philadelphia County, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250433, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a sublease agreement Authority for use by the City of premises located at 1601-29 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250434, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a lease agreement for the use of all or a portion of the City-owned underground area, commonly known as Broad Street Sub-Concourse North, that neighbors the basement of the Municipal Services Building located at 1401 John F Kennedy Boulevard, under which the operator will maintain and operate the space to provide services to the community and unhoused persons, under certain terms and conditions. , for use of all or a portion of the City property bounded by the Pennypack Creek, the Delaware River, Pennypack Street, and State Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250440, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an amendment to a lease agreement with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, for use by the City, of a portion of the premises located at 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 240441, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a lease agreement with the New Market and Headhouse Conservancy for use of all or a portion of the City-owned premises, commonly known as the Headhouse and Shambles in Headhouse Square, located along 2nd Street between Pine and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the public benefit, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250484, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to acquire fee simple title or a lesser real estate interest in and portion of the property known as 1822-1830 West Cayuga Street, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250485, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to acquire fee title or a lesser interest in real estate, located on East Roosevelt Boulevard in the vicinity of Langdon Street, known as Friends Campus, for the development, occupancy and operation of a health center and enter into related agreements, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No.

240 -- 250486, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into agreements with the Development for the development of a mixed-use condominium and Health Center facility on premises located on Frankford Avenue in the vicinity of Pratt and Dyre Street; owned by FCDC Development Properties I LLC or an affiliated entity, and authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to enter into a long-term lease or sublease agreement for the occupancy and operation of the Health Center facility on said premises, and authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to acquire fee simple title to or lesser interest in the completed Health Center Facility, including a condominium unit or to facilitate the transfer of title in the completed Health Center Facility, including a Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development or the Philadelphia Municipal Authority for the benefit of the City, all under certain terms and conditions. And Bill No. 250492(sic), an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City of philadelphia, to acquire fee title or a lesser interest in real estate located on East Roosevelt Boulevard in the vicinity of Langdon Street, known as Friends Campus, for the development occupancy and operation of a health center and enter into related agreements, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable further bills to report out from the Committee on Public Property and Public Works, Council President.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Lozada for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a report from the Committee on Licenses and Inspections.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Licenses and Inspections reports out two bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you. Will the Chief Clerk please read the report.

The Committee on Transpor -- the Committee on Licenses and Inspections to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 240666, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-1000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Trades" by adding requirements and establishing certain limits related to electrical contractors, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. And Bill No. 250292, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses" to add business hour restrictions in the 1st, 7th and 8th Councilmanic Districts, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Licenses and Inspections, Council President.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a on Transportation and Public Utilities.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities reports out two bills with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much. Will the Chief Clerk please read the report.

The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 250001, an ordinance authorizing the Procurement Commissioner to enter into agreements to purchase electricity, natural gas and motor fuel for use by the City in City facilities and vehicles, including agreements that obligate payment for delivery of such energy supplies in future fiscal years, all under certain terms and conditions. And Bill No. 250487, an ordinance authorizing the Procurement Commissioner, on behalf of the City, to enter into an agreement with the Philadelphia Energy Authority to purchase electricity and certain attributes and benefits related to the generation of such electricity from Abes Run Solar, LLC, for use in connection with City facilities, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Public Utilities, Council President.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Mike Driscoll for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit the consideration of these bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad for a report from the Committee on Public Health and Human Services.

Thank you, Council President. The Committee on Public Health and Human Services reports out one bill with a favorable recommendation.

Thank you very much. please read the report. These are bills, not resolutions for the record, correct?

Correct, yes.

Thank you.

The Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless to which were referred the following bills: Bill No. 250043, an ordinance amending Subcode "A" (The Philadelphia Administrative Code) of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code (The Building, Construction and Occupancy Code), by defining affordable housing projects and establishing specific application and permitting procedures for such projects, all under certain terms and conditions. 250044, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-800 of the Philadelphia Code entitled "Landlord and Tenant" to establish requirements related to city to security deposits for residential rentals and establishing remedies for violations, all under certain terms and conditions. And Bill No. 250045, an ordinance amending Chapter 9-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Landlord and Tenant," to establish requirements related to fees charged by landlords to individuals applying for residential tenancy, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no fur -

Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

For the record, those bills read was from the Committee of Housing and Neighborhood Services. Say it for the record please.

The bills just reported out were from the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless.

Thank you very much. Also, report them to the committee, Chief Clerk, just for the record please.

And the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to which were referred the following bill: Bill No. 250213, an ordinance amending 9-633 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Sale of Electronic Smoking Devices and Unapproved Nicotine Delivery Products," to update definitions and to provide for additional penalties, enforcement, and compliance options, all under certain terms and conditions, respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation. There are no further bills to report out from the Committee on Public Health and Human Services, Council President.

All right. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)

What I would like to do Gauthier for a motion on the bills that were reported out of your committee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit consideration of these resolutions at today's session of Council. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it this resolution. These resolutions will be placed on today's Final Passage -

First Reading. Sorry.

I'm going to run that back. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Jamie Gauthier for a motion on the reports of the bills out of her committee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bills just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded the rules of Council be suspended to permit consideration of the bills just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. These bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. Now, the Chair officially recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad for a report on the Committee on Public Health and

Thank you, Council President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of the bill just read into the record by the Chief Clerk. (Duly seconded.)

Thank you very much. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to submit the consideration of this bill just read by the Chief Clerk at today's session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries. This bill will be placed on our First Reading Calendar for today. We are rocking and rolling, Chief Clerk. We got this.

Sorry, my apologies.

It's all good. We got this. The Chair recognizes -that's it for the Calendar. The next order of business is the consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from the committees with the suspension of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. These bills will be placed on the Second Reading and 2ND READING Final Passage Calendars for the next session of Council. As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar, the Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson for a motion concerning the resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a consent agenda to consider the following resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar today: Nos. 250403, 250404, 250405, 250406, 250407, 250547, 250548 and 250554. The following resolutions on the Calendar are being held: 250303, 250444 and 250527. 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of the consent agenda to consider the resolutions just read by Councilmember Majority Gilmore Richardson. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)

All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it. The motion carries and we will consider the Resolution Consent Agenda 2ND READING shortly. The Chair recognizes Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars.

Thank you, Mr. President. The following bills and resolutions are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 250266, 250267, 250550, 250325, 250327, 250367, 250368, 250369, 250370, 250374, 250377, 250381 and 250382. The following bills and resolutions on the Calendar are being held: 250273. And 250505 is being withdrawn. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Thank you. Before considering these bills and resolutions, we will consider public comment as follows: Your public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at today's Council session. All speakers must sign up in order to testify. If you have not already signed up for today's session, please do so now by giving your name to Ms. Hasson at the table outside the rails to my left. Once you have signed up, you will be called in the order in which your name appears on the sign-up sheet. Under ideal circumstances, public commenters will each have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from session-to-session. Today the time limit will be two minutes. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. When you begin speaking, you will see a green light on the podium. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, the light will turn yellow which is your reminder to conclude your remarks. Once two minutes have passed, the light will turn red and the Sergeant-at-Arms will disconnect the microphone. At that point, please yield the podium to the next speaker if you have not done so already. I also reserve the right pursuant to our rules of Council to limit repetitious comments on the same subject matter. I will now ask the Chief Clerk to read the name of our first speaker.

We have Freeway. Theresa Feo, (inaudible) Lynn Hogbin, Jeremy Blatstein and Elaine Lindy. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for having me and some artists from Philadelphia. You know, I grew up in Philadelphia. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade music was my favorite class. Music has always been a part of me. Always had a love for music. Growing up in the city of Philadelphia they say it's something in the water. They say it's that Schuylkill punch that gives all the artists the talent and the soul that comes from our city. And I'm blessed. I'm one of the ones that was able to make it out, you know. And there's so many other charted, talented artists in our city. We run the music industry. Our artists go on tour with everybody, you know, our drummers, our keyboardists. You can see us on tour with worldrenowned artists all over the world. So me and my compadres feel like it's time to make Philadelphia an official music city, and that's the reason why we're here. I'm pretty sure everyone feels the same way that I feel. And I take my hat off to Suzann Christine for putting this movement together and sparking this movement. And that's my time. I'm going to let her speak to y'all. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you, Free.

Good afternoon, Council President and Councilmembers. My name is Teresa Feo, and I'm here to testify on Bills 250266 and '267 regarding the 47th Street bike lane. I've actually handed out -- they're handing out some of my testimony and some documents that support the testimony with the number of accidents and injuries that have increased recently. My testimony -- this plan is not about safety. It's about convenience for a few affluent residents who want to feel safe, "feel safe" biking to the Schuylkill River Trail, but we're asking what about the safety of the Kingsessing community and already congested, low-income Black neighborhood. This plan reroutes traffic to our streets, bringing pollution, congestion and greater danger for our residents and children. As for 47th Street, it's a pedestrian-heavy neighborhood of disabled seniors, older residents and vulnerable children in a 15-mile-per-hour school zone. Until Philly can regulate and enforce hazardous e-bikes and scooters, a 13-foot wide bicycle highway on our street guarantees that bicycles, e-bikes will speed even faster. Other cities are already taking action. In New York City, e-bikes are now officially banned from the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach during the day after an alarming surge in pedestrian injuries last year. Central Park is redesigning its bikeways to prevent more cyclist conflicts. New York legislators are working to pass Priscilla's Law, named after a 69-year-old teacher killed by a speeding cyclist as she crossed the street. And she's not the only fatality. Legislation is pending in California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Boston, even London after similar pedestrian deaths caused by e-bike crashes. People are dying from electric bicycles and scooters, cyclists, as the bike lobby demands more protection for themselves by ignoring their own unsafe behavior. Council's job is to ensure safety, to protect the most vulnerable, not cater to the convenience of the privileged few. Please do the right thing. Vote no on these bills and send them back to the Committee on Streets to have a sensible conversation about safety for all, not just for cyclists. Thank you.

Thank you.

Lynn Hogbin speaking in opposition to Bills 250266 and '267. These bills are not needed to address the safety hazard on 47th Street. 47th Street is not a street that PennDOT has found dangerous. OTIS's own maps do not show a high number of accidents on 47th Street and show no bicycle accidents. The issue is which streets are appropriate for a protected bike lane to the Grays Ferry Bridge. OTIS now recognizes that it does not know whether it can make a bike lane on 47th Street all the way to the bridge, and these bills do not provide a bike lane to the bridge. Given that the bike lane likely cannot reach its destination on 47th Street, it's critical to consider whether use of another street would create fewer problems. 47th Street is uniquely unsuitable for this bike lane for four reasons: First, making 47th Street a major roadway into a one-way street will move its substantial southbound traffic onto other streets, burdening their residents. Second, the bike lane will create a blind intersection at 47th and Warrington that can lead to two-vehicle accidents. Third, 47th Street has an unusually congested intersection at Springfield that OTIS did not even study when it selected 47th Street. This congestion means that the bike lane will take out an excessive amount of residential parking, which would not occur with the bike lane on another street. Finally, 47th Street is the sole entry for two residential side streets that may be cut off by reducing 47th Street to one lane. The bike lane should be installed to reach its intended destination via streets that can properly accommodate it without causing other harms. I urge you to vote against Bills 250266 and 250267 or at a minimum, send them back to the Streets Committee. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

May we have Jeremy Blatstein, Elaine Lindy, Marissa Tomas, Hannah Sassaman and Dyana Williams also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon. My name is Jeremy Blatstein. I'm not here on behalf of big bike but for safety over everything. I'm here in support of the bike lane bill, along with the resolution honoring May as Jewish American Heritage Month. Imagine if Moses had a protected bike lane. Maybe it wouldn't have taken 40 years to get through the desert. Turns out infrastructure does matter and here in Philly, we're still wondering when it comes to safe streets how many more people need to be hit, injured or killed before we stop treating bike infrastructure like a luxury. 47th Street needs a protected bike lane, not paying protection. People biking to work, to school, to the store shouldn't have to gamble with their lives. We say we care about Vision Zero. Prove it. Build the bike lanes. Protect 47th Street. Protect Spruce Street. Protect Pine Street. The same goes for Jews in Philadelphia. We need protection too, especially now in the face of rising antisemitism and recent attacks. Your voice and support matter. And that leads me to the last thing we're talking about today: SEPTA. Raise your hand if you rode SEPTA in the last week, Council? Oh, look at the hands in the audience but no members of City Council riding. But we're advocating. We're singing these songs. We're going up to Harrisburg. Transit is the heart of the city. Without reliable, well-funded public transportation this city doesn't move, literally or economically. Ride the ride. Fund SEPTA. Build the bike lanes. Grow Philly to 2 millie. Thank you.

Thank you.

(Inaudible) Sassarman, Dyana Williams. May Carrie Park, Suzann Christine and Brianna Cervantes also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon. My name is Marissa Tomas. I'm speaking on behalf of my colleague Sophia (inaudible) schedros and the IMPACT Melanoma organization. Good morning -- good afternoon. My name is Sophia (inaudible). I'm a third-year medical student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and a representative of IMPACT Melanoma, a national nonprofit dedicated to skin cancer prevention and early detection. I'm here today to raise awareness about melanoma, a preventable but often deadly disease. Simple proven prevention measures like regular sunscreen use, wearing protective clothing and seeking shade during peak UV hours can significantly reduce the risk. Yet in Philadelphia many residents remain unaware of these strategies and lack access to basic tools like sunscreen. Between 2011 and 2015, Phillips reported over 4000 melanoma cases, 410 of those being deadly. Even more concerning is that nearly 20% of those cases were diagnosed at late stages, when treatment is often more difficult and outcomes are worse. Racial disparities further compound the problem. Black patients are more likely to receive late stage diagnosis and their five-year survival rate is just 66%, whereas 94% for White patients. These disparities are fueled by misconceptions such as the belief that darker skin doesn't need protection and by structural barriers to care and education. In fact, 65% of Black individuals report never using sunscreen. Philadelphia's social vulnerability index is .9465, meaning that we have some of the most underserved communities in the nation. These are the exact places where public health outreach is most needed. This is why I urge a City Council to take the following steps in conjunction with IMPACT Melanoma: Number one, install free public service sunscreen dispensers in high-risk neighborhoods; number two, fund sun safety education campaigns; number three, partner with dermatology clinics and public health organization to expand access free health care. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, members of City Council. My name is Hannah Sassaman. I'm here to testify on the resolution about Meta. I think that is 250550. And I'm with the Philly Tech Justice Collective. There's community members from all over the city who are focusing on issues of how technology and surveillance impact us and our neighbors. And one of the reasons we're really supportive of Councilmember Brooks' resolution is because of all of the mis/disinformation that's been coming to our communities around whether it's issues of the election, whether it's issues of the new administration, getting the information we need from local sources is really important in order to be able to engage in our neighborhoods and what they're trying to be doing for the dignity of all of our residents. We're also very supportive of the city getting a lot more grounded in how issues of AI and technology are impacting us every single day. We are calling on the Committee on Technology and Innovation to hold hearings on city uses of AI surveillance technology that we're spending money on that is giving data to billionaires rather than investing in the resources that we need. And we're also hopeful that in the City budget process that we can freeze spending on surveillance technologies that really don't help us but really surveil and hurt us, and to invest in technology that does help us, things like digital inclusion. And so, we're hopeful that after the passage of this resolution we can really have a deep dive on a city level about these issues, and we're really looking forward to listening to multiple city residents who are here today to say why having local media, not consolidated technology like Meta and surveillance technology mediating our lives is good for us and good for our neighborhoods. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Carrie Park, and I'm here representing independent venues, promoters and festivals on behalf of the National Independent Venue association as a proud Philadelphian or my love for Philadelphians is surpassed only by my love of live music. Before we go forward, let's go back to the early 1800s. Francis Frank Johnson, prolific African American composer who led the first American ensemble to perform before Queen Victoria in England and tour Europe, and where was he from? (Philadelphia.)

That's right. I'm here to enthusiastically support the resolution presented by Councilmember Thomas officially declaring Philadelphia as the music city we all know it to be. I want to thank Councilmember Thomas and his team for their dedication and commitment to our industry and for taking seriously both the impact and the potential. I also want to quickly acknowledge Ms. Dyana Williams, David Ivory, Sarah Lambert, Keisha Blackstone, Frank Macos, Max Wiesman and most recently, the unwavering dedication of Suzann Christine. Additionally, I want to recognize the important work in this lane being done right now by Patty Aden at GPCA, Val Gay at Creative PHL and Raheem Manning and Sophie Hang at Department of Commerce. No matter the genre, your decade, your connection to the music ecosystem, from fan to musician, institution to studio, promoter to label, venue to radio, the role that Philadelphia sound has played for centuries in shaping our city and the world is undeniable. But it's not just about where we've been, because arguably what's more important is where we are and where we're going. Philadelphia's music industry has a robust contribution to our economy and the heartbeat of our city culture. Declarations matter, but we must also understand that our impact cannot be taken for granted and we have other music cities to use as a cautionary tale as to what happens when you do not invest back in your ecosystem. Let this be a catalyst to the path to a dedicated director role who wakes up every day thinking only about supporting the Philadelphia music industry and let us back that up with specific dedicated funding to honor the past and support the future. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

My name is Suzann Christine. What city has a music industry that has made legendary worldwide moves and is a city of many firsts of over two centuries? (Philadelphia.)

What city music industry generates 6.1 billion in economic output with minimal music investment? (Philadelphia.)

Yes, Philadelphia. I want to thank Councilman Isaiah Thomas for presenting this resolution declaring us the Philadelphia Original Music City. This is long overdue, but it's happening in divine timing. The Philadelphia music industry is the driving force behind the image of our culture, our work, travels, both land and sea, touching lives worldwide, and our gifts and talents are celebrated far beyond our city limits. But here at home, our government and its citizens use our voices, our talent and our influence to uplift their causes while we receive very little in return. Now, I want everyone in this room to take a moment and imagine a rally or a sports event without your DJ. Imagine a political event with no music. Imagine a restaurant, a film or a video game without the soundtrack. That's a vision none of us should have to ever tolerate. So as you deliberate amongst yourselves about where the city dollars go, I urge you to invest into this industry. Do not forget about us. This industry is not a hobby. It is an economic engine, providing over 33,000 jobs strong and we contribute millions in taxes per year. We've supported this city and we've supported you. Now, we need that support in return. We need policies that include affordable housing for music artists. We need to increase the creative PHL budget specifically for music artist grants and to fund music education for independent artists. We need to support a music sightseeing tour or display in live music spread amongst the city of Philadelphia as we welcome an influx of visitors for 2026. This is a music city. We need to act like it. It's time to treat our industry and our artists accordingly. Thank you. (Applause.)

May we also have Brianna Cervantes, Desiree Neal, Kate Perez, Devryn Washington and Hannah Weinstein also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hi. My name is Brianna Cervantes and I'm giving comment on Bill 250550. This is Brooks' resolution, which is inexplicably linked to Bill 250273, Squilla's automated vehicle noise enforcement bill that was just tabled for today. For what purpose? I don't know. Maybe my email was convincing or maybe it's a strategy to keep me from speaking on it. I'm not here to convince you that the technology in Squilla's bill enshrines -- I'm not here to convince you that the technology used in Squilla's bill is earth shatteringly bad or novel. But what I'm here to tell you is that it is irresponsible and ethically questionable to further entrench the use of surveillance to police Philadelphians and the rules of Council should not be suspended for any bill that does that. I talked to the Councilman yesterday over email, and I can confirm that he has not done his due diligence. He admitted that he does not understand how other agencies like ICE could use the surveillance that this bill bakes into PPA enforcement. He admitted that he had done no outreach to critical stakeholders like tech justice groups. Ironically, Philadelphia Tech Justice Collective is here today to demand the City needs to hold hearings with departments where they ask them directly what kinds of technology they are using and how communities are impacted. Please see that these two things are tied together. We cannot sneak surveillance technology into bills, suspend Council rules to push surveillance onto Philadelphians. We deserve better, we deserve due diligence and we deserve smart, resourceful and communicative Councilmembers. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Good afternoon, fearless government leaders, distinguished guests and music heads alike. First giving honor to God and music that separately I would never have made it. Thank you, Marvin Sapp. I stand before you as a gospel music ambassador for the Recording Academy of Philadelphia and a songstress in this great city to which we deserve not only a day but every year, and let alone the city. Philly is undoubtedly the music mecca. There is no artist that has not come here to get BGVs, background singers, musicians, techs and a plethora of skilled artists who only have moments, sometimes 24 hours or less, to provide a flawless performance of which we always do, which is why they continue to come back with that minimal rehearsal time --

Ma'am -

Yes.

Please state your name for the record.

Desiree Dezzi Neal.

Thank you.

I ain't want to go over my two minutes. Don't count that time. As church and state remain divided, God and music never are divided. Every riff, run, trill, vamp, bar, swell, vibrato, crescendo, decrescendo and et cetera has its root in gospel music, and each and every artist has had roots where they have sung in a choir and warn that white top, that black bottom or that choir robe. Please allow those humble beginnings to indulge and allow us to have a wonderful ending of exclusively accepting all six points that we have brought before you today. Thank you in advance for your support. We're not going to say you owe us, but you love to hear us sing your play. To God be the glory. (Applause.)

Thank you.

I'm Kate Perez. It's May 29 and we just watched America and Israel build a concentration camp on the rubble of Rafah with AI-face scanning checkpoints, surrounded by armed soldiers and sending people to collect aid while still dropping bombs on them. Then we saw the Gazian people tear it down with their bare hands. They're starved to death for 88 days' hands. Meta aims to control the stories we're allowed to see. Facebook and Instagram have been caught consistently deleting Palestinian journalist' accounts. This genocide is the most deadly in history for journalists, medics and children, with the occupation already killing more than 180 journalists. On May 12, it was reported that 57 children have been killed from malnutrition just since this new blockade on March 2nd. Gazian people are starving to death and Philadelphia has a responsibility to stop working with the Occupation committing the atrocities. Just a few hours ago they called on residents to collect aid and then shot grenades and bullets behind wire fences that our tax dollars paid for. Whatsapp has been accused of fueling the Lavender AI used by the Occupation to target Palestinian individuals, tracking them based on what group chats they join. Without these journalists, we would have missed the massacres that haven't stopped for even a second. With Israel bombing a residential building two hours ago, killing 25 people and journalist Fidel Magari sharing the video of a young boy sobbing in front of the video in front of the building where his father is still trapped. Meta continues to shadow ban any creators who try to discuss Palestine, stopping us from discussing the country with the most children amputees in the world, whose limbs were torn off by their primary arm dealer Dan Zimmerman, who has a light-up sign over our roads and still allowed to sit in our city and get rich off of a holocaust. The Occupation announced plans to build 22 new illegal settlements, stealing even more Palestinian land and spitting on international law. Every surgery is performed without medication. American surgeon Dr. Sidhwa at the U.N. shared, I did not see or treat a single combatant during my five weeks in Gaza. My patients were 6-year-olds with shrapnel through their hearts and bullets in their brain, pregnant women with their pelvises obliterated and their fetuses cut in two while still in the womb. The Occupiers are our sister city. Lift the blockade. Stop doing business with an apartheid state. Free Palestine. Thank you. (Applause.)

After Devryn Washington, we have Hannah Weinstein. May Hiruy Tirfe, Sister Taliyah Taylor, Paul Birdsong, Sierra Freeman and Kristen Wells also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.) MR. WASHINGTON? Hello. My name is Devryn Washington. I'm here on behalf of Philly Tech Justice Collective. I want to echo Free Palestine, but I'm also here in support of Resolution 250550, because I do believe that we need to be pushing the federal government to hold Meta accountable for the monopoly that it has. The algorithms in today's society is a powerful thing. We've seen it generate conflict between communities. We've seen it impact our children's mental health, right, with a lot of youth committing suicide because of things that are happening on social media that seep into the classroom, right. And so, we think to protect -- we believe that to protect our communities these monopolies like Meta need to be broken up. And so, we do support having the City of Philadelphia sign on to this resolution or for our Councilmembers to sign onto this resolution. But we also want City Council to keep that same energy when thinking about the technology that their departments are using against our communities. The technology that we are purchasing through the current budget, through previous budgets that build out a very, very strong and large surveillance apparatus that the city uses that during the budget season -- during the police department's budget hearing we also heard that it's sharing data most likely with ICE, right, while we know that there are mass deportations that are happening that don't just impact undocumented folks, but also Brown people who aren't White enough, right. So we think that this is an opportunity, we know that this is an opportunity for City Council to show leadership and oversight and protect our communities, because we know that you want safe communities, we want safe communities. There's an opportunity for us to get there together. So thank you and fund the people's budget at the Alliance for Just Philly. Thanks. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Hello. I'm Carvin Hagins. Quick question -oh, my name is Carvin Hagins. Where was the sound of neo soul's birth? (Philadelphia.)

Yes. So I'm Carvin Hagins. I'm from the north side of Philadelphia. I grew up as a homeless young man in Philadelphia. Music saved my life. What's amazing about music is that I just recently got off a phone call with the Executive Office of the Music Commission of Saudi Arabia. They were speaking to me about the idea of oil and fossil fuel dying, and they're finding ways to diversify their economy and music was one of the resources. So what I learned from that conversation was that every music artist is like an oil well waiting to be fracked. The wild thing is that we have artists here that are created here, that are birthed here, that are building up their whole reputation and looking to be fracked in the city that they love. The problem is that this city does not love us back. So most of the artists, once they become great and big artists, they go somewhere else where the cities are willing to embrace them and give them the love that they need. What we're asking you to do is look to the new young artists and begin to build in them and begin to frack them and allow them to stay in the city, because we understand that there is influence behind every artist. And the beauty of it is, is that help influencers will help influencers help you. So, Philadelphia, we're just asking for you to find a way to help the influencers. We need affordable housing for the new influencers, the music-makers of this town. We actually need an office the same way Saudi Arabia has an office of Music Commission. We're asking Philadelphia to do the same thing, that you can help us help you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Hannah Weinstein. I'm here to support Councilmember Brooks' resolution on Meta. Okay. Hannah Weinstein in support of the resolution on Meta, No. 250550. Meta's products such as Facebook and Instagram feel like the only options for me to plug into what's going on in my city. Unfortunately, Meta is a private company that doesn't prioritize privacy and security. Instead they sell our data in order to make themselves richer. That means in order to engage with my community, I need to put my personal data at risk and same with my community members. For example, in Philly Thrive one of our members who is like an elder had their WhatsApp account compromised, and then there was a hacker and a scammer messaging everybody else in our group asking for money on their behalf. When our data is collected by Facebook or by the PPA looking for noise violations or by any other AI security surveillance technology used in our city, it creates more opportunities to compromise our identities. This is why we need oversight on these activities. I'm excited that the Council is considering acting on these issues with this resolution. I hope that you will also address how our city has been putting our privacy at risk with drones and surveillance cameras. We need City Council to look out for our digital safety by breaking up Meta and holding hearings in the Information and Tech Committee about how the City's budget is being spent in tech and AI. That's it. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council. My name is Hiruy Tirfe from Philadelphia, Pa. First things first, Adam Blackstone, founder of Basic Black Entertainment, is who you see playing the bass at the Super Bowl and many major award shows on television. And where did he get his education and start from? (Philadelphia.)

As stated earlier, my name is Hiruy Tirfe. I'm a jazz artist, composer, arranger, educator with the School District of Philadelphia and proud member of Local 77 Musicians Union. As Freeway stated earlier, our musicians here in Philadelphia tour over some of the top artists in the music industry. I'd like to humbly consider myself as one of them. I've toured all 50 states, Europe and Canada multiple times with people from the Roots, Patti LaBelle, Tye Tribbett, Melvin (inaudible) Bell, the list goes on and on, but my foundation in jazz and Black American music was built right here in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble Creative Music Program and the legendary club, Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. For the past six years, I've also worked closely with our Musicians Union to create the Philadelphia Musicians Coalition, advocating for our freelance and single engagement musicians, demanding fair pay, production support, professional respect, ownership of our recorded work and pension contributions when we're hired to perform at some of these venues because, as it stands today, none of these things exist. I'm here today to express my full support to declare Philadelphia as the original music city. With over 15 years in the industry, I consistently meet people who are fans of Philadelphia past, present and rising musical talent. Yet the question always comes up, why doesn't Philadelphia recognize itself in this way. History's proven itself over and over again that the city continues to make a worldwide impact socially, economically and culturally. However, we do not give ourselves the credit. In short, no one will recognize us in this way unless we do so. So today not only do I stand before you to support the declaration, but also a call for funding of a full-time music industry manager position with city government, someone who serves as a coordinator, advocate and coordinate for our music sector. This role will help create positive, economic and provide opportunities for our youth, ensure our artists today so they can thrive and most importantly, stay here in the city. Thank you for your support. (Applause.)

Thank you.

I'm Deputy Chairman, Paul Birdsong from the Black Panther Party for SelfDefense. I came here originally to speak on 250527, the Panther Party at every single one of its community unity barbecues signs children up for reading programs. So we definitely want to get involved in anything that the city is doing to catch the children before they are 8 years old, between birth and 8 years old, to get them into reading and things that keep them off the streets and keep their head in a book. However, as I told City Council President Kenyatta Johnson earlier when I spoke to him, a video was sent to my phone of a SEPTA police officer punching an unarmed Black woman in the head at Frankford Terminal. I got that video yesterday. I got it right here on my phone. That needs to stop. That officer needs to be arrested. The Panther Party for Self-Defense demands the City Council and the Philadelphia Police Department to hold this officer accountable. The woman was unarmed, had her hand on her back. The police officer punched her over the top of the head, towering over her. She was unarmed. This needs to stop. If it doesn't stop, what do you think is going to happen? It's going to cause problems in the community. We already got all the shooting happening between us with each other. We don't need riots in the street to add to it, but police officers cannot brutalize unarmed Black women in this community like that. We will not stand for it. So I want everybody, everybody who's Black in this community, to take inventory of yourself and ask yourself will you allow that to happen where you live at, will you allow unarmed Black women to be punched by the police officers who are supposed to protect this community or will you stand up against it and hold these people accountable. All power to the people. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

We have Sierra Freeman, Kristen Wells. May Richard Clark, Rodney Gardner, Danielle Allen, Lorenzo Cannon Umstead and Ramon Jones please make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon. My name is Kristen wells, though I am professionally known as Kristen Curtis. I host the Morning Show, and I am the Assistant Music Director at WXPN, a nationally recognized radio station that is based here in Philadelphia, committed to uplifting the Philadelphia music scene and playing hundreds of our artists every single year. 2 billion people across more than 100 nations were watching the first U.S. city to host a live aid simulcast concert in 1985. What city was that? (Philadelphia.)

That's right. For centuries Philadelphia has simultaneously cultivated classical musicianship and generated musical innovations. We introduced the concept of music videos with American Bandstand, produced our own brand of soul in recording studios that have attracted artists from all over the world, and we continue to foster a vibrant do-it-yourself scene. Today our music industry generates $1.6 billion in economic output, brings in $64 million in tax revenue and supports over 30,000 jobs. Yet we still lack dedicated city personnel to support this vital part of our economy and culture. Funding a full-time affiliate music industry manager in addition to declaring Philadelphia as the original music city would not just honor our past, it would also build our future. I saw this firsthand in another city that has already taken these measures, Austin, Texas, where I spent part of my career before I returned home to Philly. I will never forget the first time I got off a plane there and encountered a concert on my way to baggage claim, which instantly reinforced their self-proclaimed title as the Live Music Capital of the World, which has fueled population growth, helped the city weather the 2008 recession and streamlined event planning, which made it possible to host major awards and ceremonies like the Country Music Awards when Nashville wasn't available, and we can do the same. We support our music professionals with affordable housing initiatives, create tax incentives for venues, hotels and restaurants that uplift Philadelphia's music scene. And what I'm really saying is if a younger, smaller city that's forced to root for Dallas can do all of this, surely Philadelphia can do more. It's one thing to take a wonderful measure of renaming streets and putting names on the Avenue of the Arts. It is another to uplift our music scene and to invest in its future. And music has been putting Philadelphia on the map for centuries and it's time that we put Philadelphia music on the budget. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

I'm Rick Clark. I work with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute. So I'm the Development Director there. We're in District 2, City Council. A truly world class orchestra and ensemble music education institution. We serve over 700 talented youth musicians every year across the tristate area, much of which are from the city of Philadelphia. For more than eight decades, we have been the cornerstone of Philadelphia's music excellence, preparing students for success at the concert stage and in life. Alumni, some of which are among us here today, grace the ranks of top orchestras around the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, performing Grammywinning ensembles, tour-renowned productions, playing orchestra pits of Broadway and represent this music city with their work. For the past 15 years, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute's Tune Up Philly program has provided high-quality tuitionfree, afterschool music instruction to hundreds of students from underresourced communities with little or no arts access. This vital initiative demonstrates our deep commitment to access and belief that every child deserves a chance to experience the transformative power of music. We are honored to have recently received an official citation from Mayor Cherelle Parker recognizing the positive and lasting impact of our work throughout this city. At PYO Music Institute, we're proud to play a key role in shaping Philadelphia's identity along with the people you see her today speaking, not just as a music city but as one of America's great music cities. As America's first music city, Philadelphia has a rich legacy and we are determined to help carry it forward by nurturing the next generation of musicians, artists and cultural leaders. And here, I have a small fact to share with you today. classic contralto Marian Anderson was one of the first Black people to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 from President Lyndon B. Johnson. She also broke the racial barrier in opera for people of color, performing at the Metropolitan Opera. Where is she from? (Philadelphia.)

Thank you for the time. (Applause.)

Good afternoon. My name is Danielle Allen and I'm Vice-President of Education and Community for the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble arts. First, I have a question: Which orchestra made movie history by performing the soundtrack to Walt Disney's legendary animated film Fantasia? (Philadelphia.)

That's right. First, I'd like to acknowledge Council President Johnson for your leadership as a member of our Board of Trustees, Councilmember Thomas for presenting this resolution, and last but not least, as a lifelong resident of the 8th District, my Councilperson Cindy Bass. So on behalf of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, I stand to express our full support of Philadelphia receiving an official music city designation. Like Nashville, New Orleans, Detroit, Seattle and other great American cities, Philadelphia's rich musical heritage and sonic contributions should be formally recognized and celebrated in a way that affirms our city as a prime destination for exceptional arts and culture experiences. Our City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection has birthed an undeniable sound that spans multiple genres and unites music lovers around the world. From the sound of Philadelphia made famous by Philly International Records to the songs and dances that define teen culture on American Bandstand to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince winning the first ever Grammy for best rap and hip hop performance to iconic concerts and festivals like Live Aid and the Roots Picnic, Philadelphia artists continue to shape culture. As our region's largest performing arts presenter, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts makes an annual economic impact of $455 million and hosts more than 1 million visitors each year. And in 2024 we proudly dedicated the home of our concert hall for Marian Anderson. Naturally, we have a vested interest in amplifying Philadelphia music. We support Philadelphia as a music city and the investment in a strategic plan that will curate an experience for arts and culture in Philadelphia. Thank you. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ramon Jones. I am the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy, which many of you might know, produces the Grammy Awards which is known as music's biggest night. Thank you the legendary Patti LaBelle, who was crowned as the Godmother of Soul. Where is she from? (Philadelphia.)

When we talk about cities that have shaped music globally, Philadelphia deserves a prominent place in that conversation. For decades, Philadelphia's music recording industry has been a powerhouse of creativity, innovation and cultural influence from the incredible music recorded at the iconic Sigma Sound Studios to the soulful sounds of Philadelphia International Records with Gamble and Huff, which pioneered the birth of Philly soul. This city has given the entire world a sound that blended lush instrumentals with deep, social messages, music that has transcended borders and shaped the very fabric of genres such as R&B and pop artists like Patti, LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and the OJs not only found their voices here in Philadelphia, but they found a global audience. But Philadelphia influence doesn't stop at neo soul. The City helped ignite the rise of hip hop, launching the careers of Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince, as mentioned, the Roots and Meek Mill. The city's studios, producers and engineers have worked behind the scenes on music that has topped international charts across every genre, from jazz to rock, gospel to electronic, classical to soul, classical to folk. Beyond entertainment, Philadelphia's recording industry has been a bridge connecting communities, empowering youth and telling stories that need to be heard. It has contributed billions to the economy, provided thousands of jobs and fostered a legacy of musical excellence that continues to inspire artists across the globe. Philadelphia is one of only 12 cities in the United States that has a Recording Academy chapter. Our chapter not only encompasses Philadelphia, but also has Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey. Many of those artists and Grammy members are here in the room today, so please make your hands raised. There are so many notable artists and Grammy winners from Philadelphia and have strong ties to the city. So when we talk about the music that moves the world, we must recognize Philadelphia not only as the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, but as a global capital of sound. And for this, we support our city being designated as the Original Music City, and urge City Council to designate funds to support that infrastructure, especially through 2026 with City tourism and throughout. Thank you. (Applause.)

May we have Tone Trump, Robin Chats, Dwayne Murchison, Marquis D. Jordan and Lynn Landes make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Free Palestine. We definitely need more support for our Black women. And much peace and power to our Black musicians, Black Philadelphia musicians here in chambers today. To Council, Council President, guests, workers and the people of the city of Philadelphia, good afternoon. My name is Lorenzo P. Cannon Umstead. I am the Northeast organizer of 205 People's alliance and also represent the Philly Tech Justice Collective of the People's Tech Project. And I'm here to support Councilmember Brooks' resolution on Meta 250550. At this point in our city's time and place, it is not wise to place the most marginalized residents in our city in harm's way of the harmful surveillance technology that renders the people of this country susceptible to the selling of their personal information for the profit gain of a company that has roots in the surveillance of people's identity. There needs to be a line drawn, a serious line drawn on how much we seek to funnel personal information of people of our city at this time who are under the threats of all levels -- who are under the threats of all levels of corporation and government. There needs to be a closer look taken at the complex algorithms and how we are at risk and how to figure out what all this even means. Our people's safety is being threatened at unprecedented levels. We need city leaders to respond and support our city's people, not against. We're calling for the federal government to break up the Meta monopoly and we would like to place pressure on its legislative body to place additional pressure on its city's departments on how much we are giving in to the corporations that seek to make profit simply off of our existences. Thank you all. (Applause.)

Hello, everybody. My name is Markee Plex Djordan and I want to first thank City Council, Councilman Thomas for having us here today. I really appreciate that. I am a CEO of Monster House Entertainment, Executive Producer of the Philly Hip Hop Awards and the Urban Film Awards. And let me start off by saying we're not asking for a handout. We're asking for partnerships. And we understand it's a business. Business is predicated on the bottom line. You want to know that your partners know what they're doing and they have experience. So let me talk about experience real quick. Time is an expensive commodity that we can't get back. That's the most expensive commodity in life and we all have experience here. By the show of hands of everybody that's in the industry right now, how many people been in this industry for over five years? Raise your hands. (Hands raised.)

How many have been in the industry over 10 years? Raise your hands. (Hands raised.)

20 years? Raise your hands. (Hands raised.)

Well, not -- yeah. We got we got some OGs here. 30 years. We got any 30 years? (Hands raised.)

There we go right there, 30 years. This is telling you we have professionals in this room right now that have the time, professionalism and the know-how to do anything you need us to do as far as music and entertainment in the city, anything that's needed. We have it in this room and all over the city. We can do it for you. We just need the city to meet us halfway. Thank you very much for your time. (Applause.)

We have Lynn Landes. May Jordan Brittingham, Myra Brown, Jennifer Ross, Dyana Williams and David Jenkins Alexander also make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon. I'm Lynn Landes of Protocolsfordemocracy.org. While I support Councilmember Brooks' resolution to break up Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, I question why Councilmember -- why the Councilmember has Facebook and Instagram as well as Twitter on her own City Council web page. There is no good reason for elected officials to require their constituents to go to privately-owned social media companies in order to access their photos, information and public comments. Elected officials and government agencies can put all these things on their own websites. Besides, many people such as myself are not allowed to rejoin social media companies such as Facebook and Next Door due to undisclosed reasons but suspected political ones, in my case, my anti-vaccine and anti-COVID lockdown comments. We need to free ourselves from the grasp of social media and take back our public conversations to a more free and fair public square, which is why I strongly urge elected officials and government agencies to put all their content, including public comments, on their own websites so that anyone can at any time access them. Thank you. (Applause.)

Hello. My name is Jordan Brittingham. I work for People's Tech Project, and I'm a member of the Philly Tech Council, Tech Justice Council. We work specifically on tech issues and we are here to support Councilmember Brooks' Resolution 250550 to break up Meta. Meta has become a monopoly over our personal data and become a key figure on spreading misinformation since dropping their fact checking at the assistance of the current administration. Also, with Mark Zuckerberg supporting millions in the current administration, the city and the country need more competition when it comes to news and media, especially because Meta and others like it utilize AI to target minority communities and suppress the voices of the disenfranchised. This brings me to the City of Philadelphia and the city's use of surveillance (inaudible) tech like drones and AI to detect, for instance, loud music. The use of this type of AI is discriminatory and predatory. We hope that this Council will not allow AI to suppress the culture, voices and music of Philadelphia's Black and Brown people. I thank you, Councilwoman Brooks, for standing up to misinformation and protecting our data. As a member of the Tech Justice Collective, we hope that the City Council will call hearings regarding the purchasing and utilization of tech by city departments. Thank you. (Applause.)

After David Jenkins, Alexander, may we have Reverend Greg Holston, Sam Samore, Thomas Leishner, Emily Leishner and Ogbonna Hagins make their way to the podium. (Witnesses approached podium.)

(Inaudible).

Try now. It's still off. As soon as they started talking that AI stuff, y'all done messed the microphone up. Meta is probably watching you somewhere. COUNCIL TECH SUPPORT: Check, check.

Good afternoon, Mr. President and members of Council. David Alexander Jenkins and I rise in support of Resolution 250527, which brings focus to the chambers of the care and education of our youngest residents. Philadelphia has long understood that if we want to change the trajectory of poverty, we must begin by investing in our children, comprehensively, compassionately, boldly. From cradle to career, the city has pioneered programs that reflect this commitment. It launched the PHLpreK offering free high-quality for PreK for thousands of children funded by the Philadelphia beverage tax, Philadelphia's Community School initiative, transforming public schools into neighborhood anchors, offering food security, health care, counseling, job training and even music. It has offered Work Ready, the Philadelphia Future Track and literacy as liberation. We are among the first major cities to offer free breakfast and lunch to every public school student regardless of their income. These are not just programs. These are promises, promises that say in this city every child matters, every dream is valid, every future is worth fighting for. I come therefore before this body to affirm a simple yet powerful truth, the future that we inherit is the one that we build for our children. I come to let it be known that Philadelphia is not a city where the dignity of childhood, wellness and education is a privilege but rather one where it is a promise. I come to let it be known that we have here cemented the welfare of our children not as a footnote in policy, but as the foundation of it as we lift up families through care and support disarming poverty in our wake. Thank you. (Applause.)

Reverend Gregory Holston, 57 Block Coalition and the Tax Advisory Committee for the Tax Reform Commission. I'm here to support the resolution from 250527, the Special Committee on Early Childhood Development. And also, what really brings me here is the events that happened in Fairmount Park on Memorial Day, the violence that occurred, the two adults that were killed, the 11 people that were injured and a revelation that probably our juvenile young people were involved in this heinous act, as our Mayor has indicated. I've come before you now for seven years and said to you that we need to expend at least $100 million on gun violence prevention. Part of what is happening is that we're not really spending enough to reach enough young people to make a difference in their lives. I support this resolution for early childhood development because I'm hoping it becomes an avenue for more conversation around what our young people are going through so that we will invest more money in prevention. The reality is that our young people have been traumatized most from the time they were 4, 5, 6, 7 years old of what they've seen, the violence they've seen in the community. And I'm afraid that so many who were there at Lemon Hill on Memorial Day will have seen that violence and they will be traumatized as well. The reality is that trauma sometimes does not even come back until you're 16, 17, 18 years of age and you lose yourself, a hardness of heart, a coldness of heart, killing people in a cold way because sometimes they want to kill themselves. So the reality is that we need to invest more in our young people, $100 million in gun violence prevention and that when we cut taxes and take money out of the budget, instead of putting money and investing in our children, we all lose, we all lose. And in the long run, it's more expensive for the cost that occurs from children who have never been taken care of, never been treated for the trauma that they face. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

So we have Sam Samore, Thomas Leishner, Emily Leishner, Ogbonna Hagins and then Anne Marie Dunn. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Hi, City Council. My name is Sam Samore. I'm speaking in support of bills to 250266 and 250267. I live on 47th Street. I live at the corner of Hazel and 47th. So I'm on the street all the time. I ride my bike on 47th, I drive my car on 47th and I walk on 47th. Currently, I often don't feel safe doing any of those things. There's no space on the street for cyclists and the road is too narrow for two-way traffic. At the intersection of 47th and Baltimore especially, people drive crazily. Remember the truck that crashed (inaudible). So I think the proposed changes would give space to bicyclists and reduce the amount of chaos and the traffic on the street, making it safer for all. I also just want to point out that the people who spoke before me who said that bike lanes only benefit the privileged aren't telling the truth. It's not just rich people who use bikes. It's everyone. And I think we all know that and we can see that when we look around. So I hope you all vote for 250266 and 250267. Thanks. (Witnesses approached podium.)

Good afternoon. My name is Thomas Leishner, and I am also here to speak in support of the two bills regarding 47th Street. I live in the 3rd District and for about the past 15 years have mostly used a bicycle to commute and get around the city. And even though I'm not really one to speak into microphones, I'm here today because this bill would be transformative to the daily life of myself and my neighbors. I go down 47th a lot to go to Lee's Deli and (inaudible) and to see neighbors, and it's also been the place where I've had multiple quite scary encounters with drivers, including one just about a month ago right before the surface was removed in anticipation to the repavement. Especially with the connector bridge that was just opened connecting the Crescent Trail with the Schuylkill River Trail, I think this would be, yeah, it would just transform how I move through the city on a daily basis. Thank you for your support.

Hi. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Emily Jane Leishner, and I'm also here today speaking in support of Bills 250266 and 250267. I'm also speaking to you today as a resident of West Philadelphia where I moved first in 2010 to 47th and Baltimore Avenue, and I haven't lived outside of that district, outside of 19143 the entire time I've been in the city. It's been a really wonderful place to be a pedestrian and to be a cyclist. I do not own a car and biking is my primary mode of transportation. I bike every day to work in the city and frequently use the Grays Ferry Bridge to connect myself to the rest of South Philadelphia. I'm really familiar with 47th Street, both as a walker and as a cyclist. And it's a really scary street to be on. The street is quite wide and allows for traffic to move very quickly, and visibility with traffic parked on both sides makes it challenging for me as a pedestrian and also for me as a cyclist to see and watch out for my neighbors and other residents. The proposed changes would be really great for connecting my ability to get to the rest of the city of Philadelphia, and I also believe it would really improve the safety of residents in my neighborhood. I think it would slow down traffic, improve visibility and protect pedestrians and cyclists and all of those who don't use a car on that street. Anyway, so thanks very much to members of City Council for considering the passage of these bills. Thanks.

Ogbonna Hagins, fourth generation chattel slavery survivor and an American Freedman. I rise today to support Resolution 250300, honoring Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Service Center schools and the 20th bi-annual Carpe Diem event. That's a beautiful thing, but we have to break these words down, Juvenile Justice Service Center. Juvenile means young, our children. Justice means fairness, repair and protection under law. Service implies a duty to help. And center a place of focus where transformation should happen. But I ask you, are we delivering justice to our juveniles in Philadelphia? Justice is not just honoring them with awards and ceremonies after they've been caught up in the system. Real justice means ensuring they never have to end up there in the first place. The city is filled with young people crying out for justice, not only in detention centers but in our neighborhoods, on our corners and, yes, Lemon Hill this past Memorial Day where juveniles were shot, traumatized and had to witness violence in real time. You have the blueprint, your study, the Roadmap to Safer Communities told you that the root cause of gun violence is structural racism. Solutions, large scale investments in the areas that have been decimated by crime, violence and unemployment. And yet this body has not moved legislation to end structural racism. You have not funded the solution. You have not protected our youth in the way of justice demands. Our juveniles don't just need a center. They need to be centered in your policymaking. They don't just need services. They need systems that serve them. The best way to honor our youth in the Juvenile Justice Service Center is to make sure no more youth have to end up there. Structural racism, the Roadmap to Safer Communities, large scale investments in the areas that have been decimated by crime, violence and unemployment. Don't neglect your constitutional duty. Over and out. (Applause.)

Council President, there are no further names for public com -- one more? Okay. (Witness approached podium.)

The floor is yours, Anna Marie.

Thank you. My name is Anne Marie Dunn. I'm here as -- I'm Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Recreation here to share Commissioner Slawson's support of Councilman Anthony Phillips' resolution seeking to expand collaboration between youth engagement and the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. This resolution seeks to strengthen youth leadership, civic participation and cross-agency coordination, thereby ensuring youth voices are meaningfully integrated into city decisionmaking. Parks and Recreation has already taken steps to ensure that the youth feel involved in the city process. In response to teens not having places to meet and participate in outdoor activities, PPR created Teen Takeover. For the past two years, programming has taken place with much success at the Oval in East Fairmount Park, and we plan to expand to more sites in 2026. Additionally, this summer we are inviting youth back to the Oval through our Touchgrass Initiative. Touchgrass is typically used to tell someone to step away from their phone, computer or other screens and engage with the real world. Every Thursday night PPR will invite young people out for an assortment of youth programming that will allow them to take center stage and make the stage their own. This will include a special night for selected youth leaders to take center stage for content creation and creativity expression. This season PPR and amplified voices of young leaders through co-hosting opportunities and creative content collaborations with the PPR team. PPR intends to work alongside the youth leaders of Philadelphia to produce three to five dynamic reels to feature across PPR platforms, all driven by youth voices, vision and vibe. This initiative is a pilot program that will kick off at the Oval with the potential to grow in neighborhoods throughout the city. Applications will open on Friday, May 30th. PPR is the city's largest teen employer and we are committed to helping Philadelphia teens and young adults find their path and their voice. PPR has been working hard to develop and identify youth leaders people will feel that they are meaningfully contributing to the civic process. Our youth have demonstrated their goal is to build a nonviolent Philadelphia. Thank you.

Council President, there are no further names for public comment. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON That concludes today's public comment. We will now consider today's Resolution Consent Agenda. I will ask the Chief Clerk to read the titles of all the resolutions on the consent agenda. After each title is read, any member may object to the inclusion of the resolution on the consent agenda. Upon such an objection and without debate, the resolution will be immediately consent agenda and placed on our regular Final Passage Calendar. Will the clerk please read the titles of the resolution on the consent agenda.

Resolution 250403, a resolution appointing Chris Collum to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. 250404, a resolution appointing Allan Domb to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. 250405, a resolution appointing Jim Pearlstein to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. 250406, a resolution reappointing Carol Watson to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. 250407, a resolution reappointing Tina Byles Williams to the Board of Directors of the Center City District. 250547, a resolution also naming the 1900 block of North Judson Street as "Sister Mary Scullion Way." Resolution 250548, a resolution also naming Firth Street between 15th Street and Sydenham Street as "Earl Young Way." And Resolution 250554, a resolution also naming 7th Street between Bigler Street and the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) as "SEYAA Way" to honor the Southeast Youth Athletic Association. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON The Chair recognizes Councilman Gilmore Richards for a motion to adopt each of the resolutions on the consent agenda.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move the adoption of each of the resolutions on the Resolution Consent Agenda. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that each of the resolutions on the consent agenda be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and each of the resolutions on the consent agenda has been adopted. We will now consider the on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 250505.

A resolution renaming the Wissanoming Recreation Center to the "Margaret Tartaglione Recreation Center" to honor the life and legacy of Margaret "Marge" Tartaglione, a pioneering public servant and leader in Philadelphia’s politics.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250505.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Resolution No. 250505 be withdrawn. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250505 be withdrawn. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it and the motion carries and Resolution No. 250505 has been withdrawn. Would the Clerk please read the title of Resolution No. 250550.

A resolution calling on the federal government to maintain its antitrust litigation that would break up Meta's social media

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Majority Gilmore Richardson for a motion regarding Resolution No. 250550.

Thank you, Council President. On behalf of Councilmember Brooks, I move the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)

It has been moved and properly seconded that Resolution No. 250550 be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)

Those opposed? (No response.)

The ayes have it, the motion carries and the resolution is adopted. Will the Clerk please read the title of Bill No. 250266.

An ordinance regulating the direction of movement of traffic on the 47th Street between Chestnut Street and Kingsessing, all under certain terms and conditions.

This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall a bill pass finally. Will the Chief Clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Phillips was aye. Councilmember Gilmore Richardson.

Aye.

Councilmember Gauthier.

Aye.

Councilmember Thomas.

Aye.

Councilmember Landau.

Aye.

Councilmember Lozada.

Aye.

Councilmember Young.

Aye.

Councilmember Brooks was aye. Councilmember Harrity.

Aye.

Councilmember Driscoll.

Aye.

Councilmember O'Neill.

Aye.

Councilmember Squilla.

Aye.