What's the largest skateboarding company? Who produces the most equipment, supplies and those kind of things?
Please. Make sure to identify yourself for the record.
All right. My name is Josh Kalis. I've been a professional skateboarder for about six years now maybe, as a professional. I will tell you that the companies that I skate for, my shoe company and my board company, are probably one of the biggest in the world. And 135 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 the issue about the vert skateboarding --
The shoe company is DC Shoes, and the board company is Alien Workshop. And there's -- addressing the vert skating and the street skating, 90 percent of skateboarders nowadays are street-skaters. I mean, I make a lot of money skateboarding, and all street-skaters are people that buy my company's stuff with my name on it. There is not one vert skater that comes to Love Park to skate, you know what I mean? It's like, if you build FDR, right, but you still got all of these people coming to Love Park, right, that means obviously, if you were to building another vert skate park, it ain't going to -- it's not going to fix anything. What street skateboarders want, they come to City Hall to skate the stairs, the handrails. They go to Love Park to skate the 136 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 ledges, you know, like the planters and stuff like that. They don't want to skate their stuff. There's only this many of skateboarders want to skate there, you know? And as far as getting seen by the public, they don't -- street-skaters don't care about that. They just want to skate stuff that's smooth, fast, fun, you can hit things all over the place without having to stop and go hit this one. You know, Love Park, the way it's set up is, you can hit one ledge, then the next ledge, and then, boom, there's like a big ledge off three steps. You know, like, they want to -- it looks cool, you know? I mean, it's fun to skate. And you go there, you film your video part, tourists come there to skate, all the business people, Queen Village an Wawa and all of them places, they love skateboarders 'cause we come in there and spend so much money, you know? I mean, all we want to do is skate.
I guess all we want to do is kind of stop spending money on replacing --
I'm sorry, I'm nervous. 137 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147
No, I think you're doing a good job of trying to give us some idea as to what the mindset is. All we're trying to figure out and get this record clear on is that if we were to move forward and invest potentially in a facility, it would have to be something that would get people off of the public space. And I don't know, from your testimony, whether or not I can be assured that's going to happen.
You probably will never, ever get rid of all 100 percent, but if there was a place that was good enough that -- I mean, people come from all over the world to skate Love Park, you know, I mean all over the world. And if there was a place like -- that was like she said, equal to Love Park, I mean, why would you want to skate Love Park then? You'd want to go skate this place. I mean, like I said to Mr. Nutter one time, I said, there will always be, you know, your downtown city lurkers that want to go skate the streets and this and that. I mean, that will always happen. 138 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 But as far as a spot where everyone can just come and join and hang out and go to the store and come back and skate and film their video parts and kids can come and meet the pros and they get to see all their favorite people there, and professionals from California come there to skate and film their video parts, I mean, it's crazy.
Would there be some way for you or for a group of you to maybe talk to your companies, the companies that sponsor you, to see if they would be interested in putting forth some type of design?
Yeah. I got -- as a matter of fact, in Chicago, they just banned skateboarding in the Loop. I don't know if you're familiar with Chicago, but they banned it in the Loop, and they couldn't -- I mean, they got so popular that, I mean, they couldn't do anything. I mean, cops were beating up skateboarders and stuff because they got so many skateboarders. So, finally, the city is building, as we speak right now, a giant skate park right down on -- right by Oak Street Beach, which is in between the lake and downtown. I mean, it's right 139 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 there. I mean, I can get information from them and bring it to ya'll and show ya'll and --
I think part of what we need to see is what would be acceptable in the way of design. The issue of cost and location would have to be more of an economic issue overall and what the wherewithal of the City was to do this kind of stuff. But my point is that rather than us hit and miss, take shots in the dark as to what works and what doesn't, perhaps professionally designed, professionally consulted public space could be designed to replace the Love Park experience. It may be helpful in giving us some guidance as to what the cost might be and what the location has to be.
And I can give you names of probably five or six professionals that live here in Philadelphia, that pay taxes in Philadelphia, that make over six digits a year skateboarding. And I can give you names of those people who can help design it, to make sure that it's exactly what street skateboarders want to skate. And I can give you information from my people in Chicago 140 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 on how much the city had to put towards --
Josh, good afternoon. Did you -- I was away from the chair a little bit. Did you share any information with regard to potential locations, whether it's down at FDR Park or other locations for any proposed new site?
All right. Well, my man right here has got nice locations. I'm not really -- I couldn't really think of any great ones. I spoke to you one time maybe about Penn's Landing, but that might be kind of, I don't know, it might be hard to get to. I'm not sure you want to -- you want me to pass the microphone to --
Just hold on a second. And I know you also mentioned about -- I 141 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 thought I heard you say something about your sneaker deal or contract, but I didn't hear what you said about that. That's an agreement you have a line of sneakers, is that --
No. The skateboard sneaker company has a line of sneakers that they make, and once you get to a certain level, they allow you to design a sneaker because they feel your name and how popular you are, that if your name and your design was the sneaker, they would give that to you and you'd get a percentage off the royalties.
Okay, that's interesting. This gentleman has a potential site?
There's two Joshes -- Kalis and myself. I had -- this morning, as a matter of 142 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 fact, I was thinking that the Franklin Square location, the old Franklin Square location near the Seventh Street precinct would be an outstanding --
Are you talking about down by the police administration building?
Yes, Seventh Street? Yeah, Seventh Street, I believe. I felt like that would -- that would be an ideal setting. It would be near the new Independence Mall expansion, it would be near the proposed and very controversial stadium site. Of course, who knows about that. But it would also be close enough to Center City that if it was adequate, as an alternative to Love Park, it would also be adequate as an alternative in the sense that it would be in a similar location people enjoy. People enjoy coming into the City to skate, and I think they would still be -- I do think that they would go there, especially if the law, if it was passed, if it is -- if your proposal is passed, that if it's enforced strenuously, if it's enforced strenuously and 143 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 there's an alternative, together, those two things can accomplish, I think, both goals. But one without the other is no good, it's just no good. I don't know of many sites because I don't know what land is available in the City for that type of thing. I know that the idea of the recreation facilities, putting in, you know, a two- or three-tennis court-size facility is an excellent idea, and right along the lines of what you were thinking because if a -- I'll use the baseball diamond comparison. Baseball players get baseball diamonds and they're sprinkled all over the City. And increasingly, skateboarding is a massively popular and very legitimate sport, so --
And in some neighbors, roller hockey has increased in importance and we have add roller hockey facilities at the recreation facilities.
So I think that there's a very good compromise here to be made. 144 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147
I know when I started playing roller hockey in 1970 --
You don't have to give a date, Councilman. (Laughter.)
Like three people in the whole neighborhood had played it, and they said --
They were all playing basketball and looking at us, saying, What are you guys doing? And now seems to have to have exploded.
I would like to add one thing, but Bernie does have a point about the actual damage to Love Park. And while I realize that you've come up with the estimates, and there's not a lot of argument that skateboarding is part of the problem, but Bernie did have a couple of ideas about maybe where else some of this might be going, just to deflect a little bit of the criticism directed at skateboarding in this 145 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 situation.
Hello. My name's Bernard McDonald, and I've been a skateboarder for the past ten years. I'm pretty much a local skateboarder in Philadelphia. What he was just talking about, like, the actual real damage to Love Park that they were talking about, these numbers and figures, I think that they're a combination of exaggerations and even fabrications because the only thing that I've ever seen in place at Love Park are the blocks on the ground. You know how, like, it's blocks -- like, that's what the ground's made out of? Sometimes they break when the police trucks drive up the two steps and come chasing after us. I've seen 'em drive over, and the next thing you know, the little blocks are collapsing and breaking. It is physically impossible for a skateboard wheel to do that. I don't care how hard you land or how high you jump and land. You could come straight down and no matter how hard you do that, it's not going to break. 146 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 And as far as like the chips, like the chunks taken out of some of the ledges, those are from the bikes, you know what I mean? Like the BMX bikes that jump up and do it. I will admit that skateboarding scuffs up ledges and puts black on it, it, you know, rounds it out a little bit, but no like real significant damage, like what these people over here were talking about. And, also, it's laws like these that are chasing young people out of Philadelphia. I mean, you're talking about people, Oh, why did they move to the suburbs and this and that? Well, I believe that with all these ordinances and all these laws being passed and just -- it's just chasing people out. I mean, like, to say that you can't be in a public park because, oh, you're riding a skateboard or you're doing whatever, it's just ridiculous. I just thinks it's ridiculous 'cause it's a public park, it's there for the public to use. And we are the public, we are the taxpaying citizens. And I do vote. I mean, I know a lot of people here vote too also. You 147 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 might not think that, but it's, you know, whatever. And I just don't see how you can ban people from a public park. But as for, like, the compromise that you're talking about, like building skate parks or whatever, that would significantly work if, like Mr. Nims over here said, if you sprinkle them all around the City like -- not, like, build, like, a real big park but build, like, little parks, like, in different neighborhoods, like, all over the City and, like, a couple downtown, you know, maybe around Penn's Landing or over by -- I think he was talking about between Fifth and Sixth on Arch Street. We used to call it "Flower Park," but they tore it down. I've noticed that that got torn down recently. I was thinking maybe that would even be a spot. And also in the playgrounds around the City, like, we get kicked out of there sometimes by the police. I don't understand it, it doesn't make sense to me, but we'll be skating, like, a plastic bench, and they're telling us that we're going to break it, or a metal bench, and they're telling us we're going to break it and we got to 148 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 get out of here. Maybe build some ledges or some, like, you know, a little set of stairs or something for skateboarding, like a grind bar or something specifically for skateboarding. And each of these little -- like, you know, how, like, the little tennis courts and, like, the basketball courts and they'll have the swings for the kids, you know what I mean?
I think you have a general sense from many of us that we would like to take a look at that. Those are clearly our facilities, they are easy to try to figure out the elements that you might be able to do in those particular places. And, quite honestly, it would probably be easier and quicker, potentially even more cost-effective to look at that as a model of what you could add on to a current recreation facility, as opposed to trying to acquire what, in some instances, may be a rather sizeable parcel of property to just build a fully laid-out, you know, replica or model of Love Park.
So, I mean, all of us in our individual capacities could look at the 149 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 recreation facilities in our respective districts, see what land might be available that's, you know, part of that. Some of them have no particular expansion opportunities, some do.
But also -- I'm sorry, are you done? I didn't mean to interrupt or anything.
A lot of people come from all over the world, like tourists. Like, these are tourists that come in here and they spend money like -- just like. . .
You're talking about, like you're scared the tourists are going to be afraid of us and they're not going to want to come through Love Park, or whatever, or like the people that live here -- well, that's just not -- overall, that's just not true, 'cause there's more people that -- they come and they watch us skateboard, and they're, like, yeah, that's great, I think that's awesome. If you ask anybody, like, they'll tell you that, you know, like, there's 150 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 nothing wrong with that, I don't see anything wrong with it. People come -- tourists come from all over the world just to skate at Love Park or just to skate -- not just at Love Park, in all of Philadelphia but mostly Love Park. I just don't see why we can't -- like, we all pay taxes. Why can't you just say, Oh, well, if there's damage at, like, these, you know, these ledges or whatever, why can't we just have it? You know what I mean? Like, why can't we just have Love Park and a couple of the public parks or whatever? Mostly Love Park and just say, you know, that's just a skateboard park. 'Cause that's what Mayor Rendell did. I believe it was '91 or '92. I remember they tried to ban skateboarding back then, and Mayor Rendell said, Oh, well, we're just going to let them have Love Park, we're not going to enforce that. And it worked just fine for a few years. And then I don't know what happened. I guess he changed his mind or something.
You might want to talk to him about that. 151 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147
Most of my questions have already been answered by the other members of Council asking the questions. I have to admit that when I'm satellite-surfing occasionally, I stop at the channel where the professional skateboarding is being broadcast, and that was leading me to the discussion, whether we could reproduce what you encounter outside of this building, at Love Park and at other locations that you skateboard on public property. And I assume, watching that professional televised skateboarding competition, that that is about the best it can get. So you can reproduce in an environment, in a location pretty much getting -- I see you shaking your head so I know you're going to disagree with me. But you can get it almost there, to be as competitive and as challenging and as all -- what of the things that make this such an exciting activity? Am I correct?
Well, I see what you're saying, but that's because -- I mean, like -- like 152 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 what has already been mentioned, there's a difference between street-skating and what you see on ESPN. Like that's mostly vert skating that you see on there; you know what I mean? Like, that's like ESPN, and they don't really know that much about skateboarding, and so they're more excited about the vert skating, so that's what they put on TV. But like Josh Kalis said, 90 percent of the skateboarders are street-skaters; you know what I mean? Like, we don't -- we have videos and magazines, but you don't really see us on ESPN or on TV really much at all.
If we could build a facility, and I think you've already covered this and I think this issue's been addressed.
If we can build -- if a architect can design a fountain that's really neat for you guys and ladies to skateboard over, that could be reproduced at another location, with a more durable product that would not be subjected to damage and require a lot of maintenance, 153 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 whatever the product is, I don't know, but I guess my question again is, can there be a satisfactory design that would give you all the things that you want and make it as exciting as possible, but in a location that would satisfy Council, satisfy the police, satisfy the Administration?
Absolutely, but it might cost a lot of money. You know, like a replica of Love Park would be great, yeah. I mean, I'm sure -- I mean, I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure a lot of people would rather skate a replica of Love Park rather than getting chased and beaten by police; you know what I mean?
Right. We're here to be -- we want to be accurate with you, and we want you to be that way with us, okay?
I've been slammed on my 154 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 face by the police, I've been kicked in the gut, I've been punched in the head; yes, I have.
I tried to complain about an officer once but it just -- whenever I called back, they were, like, Oh I don't know what you're talking about. You know, they just -- they just ignore you 'cause you're just some punk kid on a skateboard.
My name is Brian Lathrop. I'm speaking on behalf of Friends of FDR 155 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 Skateboard Park. I'm a member of Friends of FDR Park, I work with the Fairmount Park Commission, and I do want to thank them for designating that land. There were imperfections but we made the most of a -- an acceptable situation. If you go down and take a look at it, you'll see we've progressed monumentally. And I'm in that percent that Josh 10 Kalis referred to. I don't skate street at all, but I sincerely would hope that you vote against this ordinance without sincere and extensive further discussion on providing some other alternative, as has been discussed for the past hour or so, about how you can't take something away without providing some alternative. We can't ignore the popularity that skateboarding has in this country. It's a multimillion industry; it may be in the billions now, I'm not sure, I couldn't find the figures to present to you but it's up there. That's not something that's going to go away quietly. You've addressed some important issues in terms of the appeal that the urban environment has to kids, and they're realistic. I think it's 156 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 realistic for us to consider an alternative. If we can do a replica affordably of a park, that would be great. It would probably substantially lessen -- radically lessen the amount of damage that's occur there. I don't think anybody, in good, clear conscience, can realistically sit here and say, on your behalf as well, that you're going to completely eliminate street-skating. I don't think that's realistic. However, I think you can substantially reduce it. You know, the FDR -- I did want to address a couple points that were made about FDR Park because it, too, is a world-class facility. And I've met people from Australia, England, all over the world who come specifically to skate the park. There's some people here who have been on magazine covers at that park several times. You know, it has brought Philadelphia a lot of acclaim. Philadelphia, in general, is a big, big draw for skaters, and they are a part of the economy. We pay taxes here, I live in the City, I live in West Philadelphia. I vote, I pay my 157 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 taxes, and I would like to see some of that designated in the way that we've been discussing over and over about, why can't we have the same kind of opportunities, have input in the design of parks at areas designated throughout the City. We can take our lead from multiple communities out in California, who are building -- municipalities and townships who are building all kinds of public parks. Some of them are better than others. You know, some of them are mediocre. The important thing, if we're going to take this initiative, is, if you're going to further discuss it and you're sincere about making these alternative skate areas, the skaters have to be involved. It can't be a talk-down type of initiative where you get a landscape architect in who thinks he knows what he's doing, or she, and makes these places so that the kids don't not want to skate. You know, I respect Josh Kalis' lack of desire to skate transition. I happen to love vert skating down at FDR, that's my first love. And there are hundreds of people who use that daily, particularly in the summertime now that school's 158 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 out. But you'll see, you go down there on any given day when the weather's nice, and it's a phenomenal thing. And if you make it visible, let me tell you, the tourists will come. There are people who from all over to stop at FDR, take a look, and they are mesmerized by what's going on down there, the level of skills and ability that's going on. It's a magical place. And we can have -- and there's no 11 reason why this has to be such a -- I mean, I understand that there has been damage, and I understand that street-skating does inflict some damage.
It's not intentional damage, and, you know I think there's a way we can turn this into a positive instead of, you know, trying to chop it off and cut skating off cold, without looking at the comprehensive picture. And if you have any questions, I'd be -- feel free to ask them.
If this bill becomes an ordinance and you're prohibited from skating in the area or skateboarding in the areas that you presently do and there is no alternative, where 159 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 will you go?
I think -- personally, I'm not a street-skater, I'm going to speak my opinion and turn it over to the guys who I know are street-skaters. You're going to have problems, kids are going to continue to do it.
They'll continue to do it right where they've been doing it.
I think that you're going to find a persistence in finding new street areas to skate. If they're not doing it in Love Park --
Other than telling me that you'd break the law, tell me where you would consider an alternative location that would be legal.
There are none, there are none. There's FDR Skate Park, but that just fulfills the needs of a small percentage of 160 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 existing skateboarders. You know, we'd love to expand that at some point, to have maybe a street area; however, you know, it's -- we already addressed the issues of remote location and it's kind of in a No Man's Land down there under the bridge, with the rats and stuff.
Oh, it's definitely urban. But I think, you know, my answer is fairly -- I'm being honest with you. I don't see that there's an alternative. And that's why I say I think kids are going to persist because there is no alternative. You've heard countless skaters here talk about that FDR does not fulfill my needs.
Well, the alternative, then -- and, again, I'm not trying to be cute with you, but the alternative is to not skate there. That's the alternative, other than to break the law, but I don't want to debate that with you. I was just trying to find -- I was thinking you might go to Ardmore or King of 161 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 Prussia.
No. I think that, you know the whole -- the Councilmembers -- I can't remember specifically who mentioned it, but they were talking about the appeal of the urban environment. You know, that's a draw. I mean, I'm 36, I'm still skating. I know that the 18-year-olds and the 16-year-old's are digging on the urban -- they want to get down and get into the city, and that's fine, and, you know, that's a big draw. And that's not going to change.
Okay, very good. Are you keeping up with those year-old's? 15
Just for the record, if people think that Philadelphia laws and ordinances are restrictive, try skating on public property in Ardmore, you'll find out that your fine will probably be substantially more than $300 and you may even spend some time locked up. One of the problems that we face as a 162 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 city is that some of us who run the City and live here believe that we are a lot less restrictive for public-behavior issues than our surrounding suburbs, and I guess that's one of the things that kind of angers me on personal level, is that the level of behavior that's expected and demanded in the surrounding suburban counties is not the way it is here in Philadelphia, even though people may feel we are restrictive and tough.
May I comment on that? I think that you need to consider a lot more of a mishmash of socioeconomic backgrounds in the city; and, therefore, you have to be more lenient, 'cause I think in terms of a lack of education, those are issues you need to consider as well. You talk about surrounding suburbs, you're talking about wealthy areas that are higher education and, you know, that's a different ball of wax.
I understand but, I mean, it's the same thing we face when we're dealing with public-behavior issues at our sports complexes, which do not have anything to do with the people in this room, but people who arrested for disorderly, drunken behavior, public 163 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 urination, and other issues at the Veterans Stadium and Eagles games, for example, turn out to be three-quarters non-City residents. And I guess the frustration is that it's the City residents that get the reputation Philadelphia fans and drunk and rowdy and booing Philadelphia fans, when they're really not; they're from Springfield and Easton and the Poconos and the surrounding suburban counties. And it's very frustrating for us and our reputation, but that's a whole another issue. Councilmember Blackwell.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I appeal for the sake of a compromise. And I think that all I've heard today points out that that certainly is what the skateboarders are opting for, and that's a compromise. I totally agree with that and certainly am ready to volunteer on any committee that you may form to do that. I have to make a presentation outside of the office, so I have to leave, but I would like to be reported as voting aye, if there's a 164 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 vote on all bills, with the exception of this one. If you opt to vote on this, then I'll be voting no on this one, on Bill 147.
I don't know what the result of the vote is going to be but one of the things that I will recommend, as chair of the committee today, is that we will introduce a resolution on Thursday, asking for the Public Property Committee to investigate available public-owned land throughout the City and in the Center City area and outside the Center City area, to determine what may be available and appropriate, to spread out, so to speak, the developed FDR-like or Love Park-like possibilities, whether they be in the fringe of Center City, whether they be on the border, for example, in Councilman Nutter's district, in the border of Philadelphia and Montgomery County to kind of spread out the opportunities and to look at what is publicly owned, and we'll introduce that resolution on Thursday to give the committee a chance to do that, maybe it will be a joint resolution between Public Property and Recreation.
Thank you. 165 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 We'll be happy to support that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Is there anyone else to testify on this particular bill? (No response.)
Okay, seeing none, that will conclude the hearing of the Public Property and Public Works committee. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter, I believe, for amendments. Councilmember Blackwell, could I ask you for the possibility of leaving your "yes" vote on all bills with the exception of Bill No. 147.
Let the record indicate that Councilwoman Blackwell is voting yes on all bills, with the exception of Bill No. 147.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In fact, that's what I thought I had said. Unfortunately, I do have to leave to make a presentation, and but certainly I would like to be reported as voting aye on all bills and resolutions, with the exception of Bill No. 147, for which I vote no. 166 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147
The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill 7 109.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000109 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
The bill's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 20 000109 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill No. 178. 167 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000178 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
The bill's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 14 000178 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill No. 315.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000315 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session. 168 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 (Duly seconded.)
The bill's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 000315 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill 341.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000341 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
It's moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. 169 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 Bill No. 000341 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill 352.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000352 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
The bill's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 000352 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. 170 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for a motion on Bill 353.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000353 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session.
The bill's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 000353 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation, and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Clarke for a motion on Bill No. 370.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I make a motion that Bill No. 370 be reported out of committee with a favorable 171 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 recommendation and a request for a suspension of the rules. (Duly seconded.)
Moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. Bill No. 000370 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Rizzo for a motion on Bill No. 414.
I move that Bill No. 16 000414 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for a suspension of the rules.
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. 172 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 Bill No. 000414 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nutter for the purposes of offering amendments to Bill No. 147.
Mr. Chairman, I have two amendments, which I would like to read into the record on Bill No. 000147. The first amendment, which is listed as amendment number one, is deleting c on the first page of the bill, Section 10-610(1)(c), the wording on any public sidewalks where the use of a skateboard has been prohibited pursuant to the provisions of Section 10-611 (relating to sidewalk behavior). The second amendment replaces that deletion with the following language, this would be listed as amendment number 2, which was passed out: (c) on portions of private property, including but not limited to, outdoor plazas that 173 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 are dedicated to use by the general public, where the owner of such public property has posted a notice indicating that skateboarding is prohibited on the property. Those are the two amendments.
You are correct, Mr. Chairman. That was on number one.. The third amendment is to Section 12 10-610 on , number (3), letter (b). The amendment would make that section read as follows: An additional penalty for violation of Section 10-610(1) shall be the forfeiture of any skateboard used in violation of this section, unless it is proven to the court by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant does not own the skateboard and the owner did not or could not have reasonably known that the skateboard would be used in violation of this section. Additional new language: Further, the total amount of any penalty assessed for each violation, taking into account the value of both 174 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 the fine and forfeiture, shall not exceed $300. Those are all the amendments to Bill 4 147, Mr. Chairman.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter for the purpose of moving the amendments.
Mr. Chairman, I move the adoption of the amendments as read into the record.
Move and seconded. All in favor, aye? There is one opposed. That's Councilmember Blackwell leaving here "no" vote. The amendments are, therefore, approved. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Nutter for a motion to move the amended Bill No. 20 147.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 000147, as amended, be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit 175 6/13/00 Public Property - Bill 000147 first reading at our next session.
Moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There is one no-vote, that is Councilmember Blackwell. Bill No. 147, as amended, will be reported out of this committee favorably and a request will be made for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. That will conclude the business of the Committee on Public Property and Public Works. Thank you very much for your attendance. (Adjourned at 4:25 p.m.) - - - 176 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Tuesday, June 13, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PUBLIC WORKS BILL NO.'S 000109, 000147, 000178, 000315 000341, 000352, 000353, 000370 000414 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter