COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE ON LAW AND GOVERNMENT - - - Room 696, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, June 11, 2003 1:30 p.m. - - - BILL 030342 - An Ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Section 8-200 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter... RESOLUTION 030359 - Resolution proposing an amendment to Section 8-200 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter providing for the use of cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies, and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN, Chair COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ, Vice Chair COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN RICHARD MARIANO COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL - - - V A R A L L O, INCORPORATED LITIGATION SUPPORT SERVICES 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 I N D E X BILL 030342, RES. 030359 PAGE WILLIAM GAMBLE, Procurement Commissioner .... 3 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359
The Committee on Law and Government is now in Session the Committee to consider the Resolution and the Ordinance, the titles of which will be read by the Clerk of the Committee, Tim Kearney. Tim, please read both.
Bill No. 030342, an Ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to Section 8-200 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, providing for the use of cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies, as approved by Resolution of the City Council; fixing the date of a special election for such purpose; prescribing the form of ballot question to be voted on; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election. And Resolution 030359, Resolution 20 proposing an amendment to Section 8-200 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter providing for the use of cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies, and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Thank you, Mr. 4 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 Kearney. The committee will first recognize Councilwoman Reynolds, the sponsor of both the Bill 5 and Resolution.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank, Councilman Cohen for the opportunity to say a few words on this Bill and Resolution before this Committee at this time. The passage of 030342 and 030359 will allow for a question to appear on the November ballot that will ask whether or not cooperative purchasing agreements can be entered into by the City. Cooperative agreements would allow the City to partake in another government entity's contract so that the City can take advantage of better terms and conditions than it may have been able to obtain on its on. By latching on to another's government contracts, the City could save significant amounts of taxpayers dollars. For example, Houston buys widgets for $50, but the same company currently will sell to Philadelphia those same widgets for $55. By entering into a cooperative purchasing agreement, Philadelphia can join Houston's contract and save $5 a widget. 5 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 Why don't we already do this? Why is this currently not a practice in our City? The City Charter does not currently allow the City to do so. Cooperative purchasing agreements were not in existence when the City Charter was created in the '50s. 50 years later, they are prevalent throughout the country and it's time for Philadelphia to catch up. I would like to thank also our Commissioner Gamble for bringing this idea to our attention. I also would like to thank this Committee for hearing this important piece of legislation today. I do hope it receives favorable recommendation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. A quorum is present. I am David Cohen, Chairman of the Committee. To my left is Angel Ortiz, Vice Chair of the Committee. To his left is Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown who has been appointed by President Verna to serve today as a Member of this Committee. To my right is Councilmen Rizzo. And to is right is Councilman Rick Mariano. That constitutes one above a quorum for the Committee. And we appreciate 6 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 everybody's attendance, because tomorrow is the get-away day of City Council and we are very pleased you all attended. But this is a very important matter. I'm going to ask the Commissioner to come forward and be the principal witness on this Bill and Resolution. You're testifying on both. Commissioner Gamble, the Committee is happy to have you appear here today in support of this measure.
Thank you, Councilman. Good afternoon, Councilman Cohen and Members of the Law and Government Committee. My name is William Gamble, Procurement Commissioner. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of Bill No. 16 030342 and Resolution No. 030359. This Bill and Resolution provide for the use of cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies. Our City Charter currently allows us to utilize Commonwealth contracts that have gone through the competitive bid process. This amendment would allow the City to take advantage of other public agency contracts and will give the City another tool to procure in a cost-effective manner. This amendment would give the 7 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 Procurement Department the option of comparing other public agency's prices to the prices it received going through the bid process and utilizing the other public agency's prices if they were better than the ones obtained by the City. This amendment would also give the City another tool to procure items in a cost-effective manner during emergencies. In closing, this amendment will give Procurement another tool to use to procure items in an efficient, cost-effective manner, not a means to avoid the competitive bid process. This concludes my testimony. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you. I have one question. Has there been any contact with the School District with respect to this matter?
I've talked with the current purchasing director at the School District and they are very interested in doing what we call a joint venture or joint purchasing with us. By passing of this, this will allow us to do so. 8 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359
Very good. Any other questions by Members of the Committee. (No response.)
If not, thank you, Commissioner, very much for your testimony.
Are there any witnesses who wish to be heard on this matter?
Councilman Ortiz. I have in my hand the School District of Philadelphia's testimony and I ask that it be incorporated into the record.
The Chair will so order that the School District's testimony -- there's no one present here for the School District?
They give a sample of the kinds of materials that they could purchase jointly with the City such as fuel, Diesel No. 2; antifreeze; refrigerant gases; infield soil mix; lubricating oil and greases; electric motor repair; forklift repair. These are just examples of things that they could purchase.
Maybe this will begin leading the City in the opposite direction. 9 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 Everything seems to be twice and three times as expensive if the City does as when individuals do it. This is going in a healthy direction to lower the costs, so we're very grateful to the Commissioner and Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and School District for their coming up with this notion. Is there anybody else to be heard? (No response.)
We understand the School District was unable to send a person today, but we have the written testimony. It will be incorporated. The reason for their not being able to appear was because there's a current meeting ongoing of the School Reform Commission and the services of the people that were involved in this matter were needed at that meeting. If there are no further witnesses, the public hearing on this matter will be recessed -- let me just make this one mention. There will be some action either at the first meeting when Council returns from its summer recess in September. What we can do it this meeting is to give Committee approval and move to suspend the rules so that the 10 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - BILL 030342, RES. 030359 meeting tomorrow, there will be the first reading. When we get back in September the Bill -- we can pass the Resolution tomorrow, but as far as the Bill 5 is concerned, the Bill will have to wait for action in September. But we will be making the deadline to permit this to be on the November ballot. The Chair announces that Councilwoman Blackwell is also here. She's the Majority Leader of Council. We're very pleased at this large attendance today before Council gets away for its summer recess. The public hearing is now recessed. - - - 11 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC MEETING COMMITTEE ON LAW AND GOVERNMENT - - - Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - - - Public Meeting conducted by the Committee on Law and Government, held in Room 696, City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the above date, to consider action on the following: BILL 030342. RESOLUTION 030359. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN, Chair COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ, Vice Chair COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN RICHARD MARIANO COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL - - - 12 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - PUBLIC MEETING
We will go in our public meeting. The quorum consist of the same 4 members, more than necessary for a quorum. The Chair recognizes Reynolds Brown for a motion to approve both the Resolution and then separately we'll do the ordinance.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I make a motion the Bill and the Resolution be moved out of Committee with a favorable recommendation. (Duly seconded.)
With a suspension of the Rules to allow first reading at the next Session of Council.
Any opposed? 13 06/11/03 - LAW & GOVERNMENT - PUBLIC MEETING (No response.)
The ayes have it and the Resolution will be reported out for action tomorrow at the Council meeting. The Bill will be reported out with a favorable recommendation and with a request for a suspension of the Rules to permit first reading at tomorrow's Council meeting. Thank you. No further business, the Committee is adjourned.
Thank you, members. (Council adjourned at 1:40 p.m.) - - - 14 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of June 11, 2003, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: COMMITTEE ON LAW AND GOVERNMENT ___________________________ Lisa C. Bradley, RPR and Notary Public