It's been moved and properly seconded. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. 190514 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 190519.
A resolution naming Broad Street, between Spruce and Locust Streets, "Patti LaBelle Way," to honor Philadelphia living legend Patti LaBelle.
In partnership with Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.) Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it. Resolution 190519 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 190529.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the Kensington North of Lehigh Redevelopment Area, identified by house number and street address as 2159 East Monmouth Street.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor say aye. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it. 190529 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 190530.
A resolution approving the redevelopment contract of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the redevelopment and urban renewal of a portion of the New Kensington-Fishtown Urban Renewal Area, identified by house number and street address as 2515 Salmon Street.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All those in favor say aye. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Resolution 109530 is adopted. Mr. Decker, 190299.
A resolution proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to revise City procurement procedures.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green. And I would like to remind you, because this is a Home Rule Charter amendment, we will need a minimum of 12 votes.
Thank you, Council President. This resolution, along with Bill No. 190290, are up for a vote today. This legislation is work Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING that we've been doing with the Kenney Administration, in particular Christine Derenick-Lopez and Iola Harper from the Office of Economic Opportunity. The goal of this legislation is to change the threshold for RFPs. For many small businesses to do the work to complete an RFP at the $34,000 level is very burdensome and challenging. In looking at cities all across the country, they have a much higher threshold. In addition, we were able to look at ways that we can amend our procurement rules to make it easier for a preference for local-based businesses. Based on these initiatives, we believe it's going to make it easier for small businesses to do business with the City of Philadelphia. This body previously approved the Best Value legislation, which was another piece of legislation to make it easier for small businesses to do business with the City of Philadelphia. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING This legislation is another step in that lane. I urge my colleagues to support not only this Resolution No. 190299 as well as the companion bill, Bill No. 190290. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. Did you make your motion?
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. Because, again, Resolution No. 190299 is an amendment to the Home Rule Charter, it requires two-thirds vote. Therefore, the question is shall the resolution be adopted. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman Bass. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman Oh. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Two-thirds of all members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the Resolution No. 190299 has been adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING title of 181063-A.
An ordinance authorizing the Philadelphia Gas Works by Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation, Philadelphia Municipal Authority, and the Commissioner of Public Property to enter into transactions and contracts regarding a liquefied natural gas project on property and facilities owned by the City of Philadelphia and operated by the Philadelphia Gas Works.
Thank you, Council President. Today I ask my colleagues to support this bill. I want to say a few words about where we are, where do we need to go, how we got there, and how this project fits. The early effects of climate change are already with us, and countries, especially the United States, have already polluted enough to lock in further negative change. We know that to Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING prevent cataclysmic changes, we must move swiftly away from reliance on extracted fossil fuel. We also know that an equitable plan to do that must balance the needs of low-income ratepayers, workers, our public-owned utility, and all our current residents and future citizens. In the absence of leadership from the federal government, state General Assembly, that responsibility falls entirely, at least for now, to the City of Philadelphia. With its limitless human potential but obvious economic needs and definitely limited financial resources, we must take action. This body has already taken action. Last year, through the leadership of Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown, this body worked with the Philadelphia Energy Authority to do a solar initiative with Community Solar that will provide 20 percent of our municipal energy spend in Adams County Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING through Adams Solar, which will be the largest solar array in Pennsylvania. Just this Monday in the Finance Committee, we voted out the CPACE, or the commercial property assessment plan energy program, or CPACE, which provides incentives for commercial and industrial buildings to invest solar on their buildings. For the most part, and I think most people do know this, but for those who do not, the majority of our climate change comes from commercial, residential, industrial buildings. So the energy that we use to operate City Hall, to operate our homes come from carbon dioxide emissions, and the legislation that we voted out of the Finance Committee on Monday that had first reading today and hopefully final passage next week shows our work towards addressing that large aspect of climate change. But we know that Philadelphia Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING must change. We have yet to develop our plan. In April, the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee heard initial testimony from several experts about how to shoulder this responsibility. Among the policies proposed were green molecules, district heating, and electrification. But option and ideas are not a blueprint. Fortunately, due to the leadership of the Office of Sustainability under the leadership of Christine Knapp and the work of PGW, the Bloomberg Foundation has awarded the City money and technical assistance to study diversifying the products that PGW offers. Even with the ongoing effort to review how their business model can evolve, there must be a broader conversation about how the City proceeds. I intend to continue to convene all stakeholders in a fair process to build a shared vision and craft an equitable plan Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING for how the City deals with climate change. In the meantime, PGW took as instructions the opportunities laid out in the report that this Council used to determine not to sell PGW. And prior to my becoming a member of this body, working for Councilmember Marian Tasco, spent almost nine months looking at the sale of PGW. Based on a review and analysis, the net result to the City would have been about $200 million. And so we've decided that we did not want to sell PGW, and so we put to PGW, as Craig White said earlier, let's look at other alternatives regarding liquefied natural gas. PGW has been looking at LNG for some time. Going back to March of 2012, they engaged Pace Global to do a market study and also a review of supply chain economics regarding LNG. In 2012, PGW also had a pilot program of sales of LNG.
In June of 2015, they issued a Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING request for information for the idea of doing LNG along with Pace Global. In January 2016, they engaged Public Financial Management to do an independent review of the possibility of liquefied natural gas. In April 2016, PGW issued a request for proposals for LNG sales. In September of 2017, PGW did a memorandum of understanding with proposers that were selected by PGW to develop LNG, and that was with the Liberty Energy Trust in September 2017. In June of 2018, the Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation Board approved this proposal. In fall of 2018, the Philadelphia Gas Commission, which I chair, completed our review, and we voted upon this on December 4th of 2018. In the winter of 2018, we took additional conversations, and in December 6th of last year, this bill was introduced into City Council. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING On February 27th of this year, the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee voted out this bill, and on March 28th of this year, we had briefings for members of City Council regarding the liquefied natural gas proposal. The project involves Liberty Energy paying to create a new liquefier to be operated by PGW employees at the existing Passyunk plant. The liquefied natural gas from Liberty would be responsible and has the best business case in offsetting the local consumption of dirtier oil and coal. This carries effectively no risk to the City of Philadelphia. The deal would guarantee one million in non-ratepayer dollars to PGW, which is otherwise severely restricted by the state PUC in how it spends money. We all know that the City has the highest level of poverty for any big city in the nation at 26 percent, and this additional non-ratepayer dollars can Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING help offset possible rate increases that the PGW may need at PUC. In addition, it will give us the resources to start to diversify and do different things with PGW. In addition, invest in some solar projects like the project that this body approved with the Philadelphia Energy Authority last year with Adams Solar and look at other ideas regarding renewables. In addition, on the desk of each member of Council, we looked at what would this proposal do compared to other facilities in the City of Philadelphia. We looked at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions' plant, which is the former Sunoco plant. 2 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. This project would do two tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. 2 million. Now, we also pushed upon Liberty Energy Trust to come up with some additional ways to reduce that type of carbon dioxide emissions. They have been Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING talking with the Mayor, and on the Mayor's list for RCAP dollars with Governor Wolf is the dollars to do a solar array. If that solar array is approved -- and we're pushing hard for that array to be approved -- that will cause a net zero emissions at this plant. As Craig White talked about, even without the solar array, this is equivalent to seven new row homes in the City of Philadelphia. And hopefully we'll be able to get the solar array, and we'll continue to push upon the Wolf Administration so that would be approved. It also is worth noting that some of the ideas that were talked about at the April 27th hearing regarding green molecules and other ideas could possibly be processed at this facility. Now, today there was an e-mail that was sent out regarding communication. There was a long list of information that was sent out to members of Council. Councilmembers also received Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING information from PGW. That community outreach included the fact that all near neighbors within a half mile radius were contacted, and numerous groups were also contacted regarding this proposal.
Since the beginning of this conversation, I've encouraged those who are engaged in advocacy to continue their work. And I'll restate that. I've made sure and I continue to say that those that support and oppose this bill, we still need your advocacy. Without the national mobilization and international strategy proportionate to the task at hand, those advancing the position that everything possible must be done to reduce the supply and demand of fossil fuels are the warning signs that we all need to focus on to make a course correction. The merits of this project are where we differ. This project is a nearly net zero emissions project at the existing plant operated by current gas Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING workers for a facility that should substitute dirtier fossil fuels and could process possibly non-fracked natural gas and guarantee the City money that it will definitely need to implement the transition from fossil fuels that we all agree must happen. For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to vote and support this bill.
Thank you, Councilman. Mr. Decker, please call the roll. Let me pose the question. Councilman, the riveting speech of yours made me lose my place. This bill has been read on two separate occasions. The question now, shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING Blackwell.
Ma'am, ma'am, we're going to take the vote. You had your time to speak. We want to take a vote. Please proceed.
Councilman Jones. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 13; the no's are four. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. (Applause.)
Thank you. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 190099.
An ordinance amending Chapter 16-300 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Maintenance and Supervision," by adding a new section requiring that all City buildings and facilities install and maintain life sustaining medical equipment including Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and advanced first aid kids.
Thank you, Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. President. I'd like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 190099-A. The amendment has been circulated to all members of Council, and I ask for the approval for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded on the amendment. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Bill No. 190099-A has been amended. It will be placed on our Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. Mr. Decker, I think I need you to read title 190154.
An ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING Year 2020.
Thank you very much, Council President. I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 190154. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council. I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor of the amendment by Councilman Oh to 190154 please say aye.
It appears that the no's have it. The amendment to 190154 has failed. Thank Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING you. Mr. Decker, just read that title again.
Bill No. 190154, an ordinance adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2020.
This bill has been heard on two separate days. The question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING Squilla.
Aye. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes.
Let the record reflect that Councilman Oh voted no. Thank you, sir. I think we already had that penciled in. Thank you. Mr. Decker, please read the title of 190290. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
An ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of The City of Philadelphia of an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to revise City procurement procedures, as approved by Resolution of the City Council.
This bill has been heard on two separate days. The question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman Greenlee. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Councilman Johnson, did you want to be recognized?
Yes. Thank you, Council President. Council President, I want to move that Bill No. 190449 be placed on the Suspension Calendar.
Bill No. 190449, an ordinance amending Title 11 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Streets," to Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING prohibit the construction of bay windows and balconies in and around the Point Breeze and Grays Ferry areas of the City.
There's a motion to place it on the Suspension Calendar. Can I get a second? (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and property seconded. All those in favor say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The bill is now placed on the Suspension Calendar. I believe we have one more bill. Mr. Decker, 190413.
An ordinance authorizing the Streets Commissioner and Procurement Commissioner to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Philadelphia Municipal Authority through Stated Meeting June 13, 2019 6/13/19 - STATED - 2ND READING which the City will assume certain rights and obligations under an agreement the Authority will enter into with Waste Management of Pennsylvania, Incorporated for the processing and marketing of recyclable materials.