In a very formal way? Because that's now on some ways killing these programs. The way you've just presented it, the fact that they did not meet their numbers now leads you to no longer fund 308 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 the programs.
Well, we would not be able to fund the programs beyond Fiscal Year '05 in any event because the federal funding will not be there for us.
So am I hearing that you're prepared to serve as a bridge or a negotiator with PWDC so that these agencies who can't get funding for the reasons you just stated can be fairly considered by PWDC?
Absolutely. In fact, Director Hinton and Richard Shaeffer had a meeting with PCDC just, I think, last week. I've talked Blackwell about giving us an entry to PWDC to have those discussions greater depth. We fully recognize that we need greater employment and training opportunities for all of our clients all of our clients. And we fully recognize that we're generally better off when our clients are treated within the mainstream systems as opposed to being singled out in a homeless system.
Sure. Well then I will look to the Chair 309 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 of the Committee on homelessness and housing for us stay close -- as a member of that Committee, Madam Chair, for us like a laser beam, stay in touch with this issue so that PWDC, A, recognizes agencies in our City in the business of providing services to this population and hear the observations and judgements shared by Mr. Hess so that do what they've been legislated to do.
Thank you, Councilwoman. And we also note that one of the providers is here OIC. We thank them for coming in. They have had contracts with OESS and they are reviewing that who area. We've talked with them Mr. Nelson and we're glad he and his team are here. Let me ask one final question that the President had. Is the 15 million in the Grants Revenue Fund, is that money secured? Is that speculative or is that secured money?
We've reflected in the budget, Madam Chair, an increase of 15 million 310 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 essentially in the Grants Fund. Of that, $5 million is new dollars, Act 148 dollars, through the DHS needs based budget to support women and children in shelter. So we are hopeful and encouraged by what we've heard so far with respect to how that will play out. But that 5 million does represent new investment from the State.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Mr. Nutter, would like to ask a question?
Mr. Hess, I think this came up during Capital; I believe you came up. I wanted to ask some questions with regard to shelter services related to domestic violence. So first I'll say if you've already gone over this topic --
I've not yet had the pleasure of doing that, Councilman. We have prepared a response to your questions with respect to the Capital Budget hearing and that is in the process of being submitted to the 311 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 Chair.
Okay. Well, one, that's very good because quite honestly I don't remember what the question was.
Well, we've got one heck of an operation going on here. (Laughter.)
But I think it was around the issue of how many shelter beds do we have for victims for domestic violence, how many do we believe we actually need, the issue of -- I don't want to secret but certainly confidential or there must be some other appropriate term, but the ability of people to when they're in a dangerous situation to go somewhere that is not a known place as opposed to some of the known places that we have. And I think I also asked about the City acquiring properties specifically for 312 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 the purpose of creating that kind of environment, whether known or unknown, given much of the property acquisition activity that we're already experiencing through the NTI program. Can you respond to some of that.
I can. We looked into this, and I've worked with Carol Tracey, the Co-Chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Domestic Violence. We currently have dedicated specifically to domestic victims at an undisclosed location 46 beds. We compared that to a couple of other cities. In New York City, for example, they have 832 beds. In Chicago, a City of 3 million or about twice our size, there's 211 beds. And in Boston, City of 600,000 there is 96 beds. And so I think it supports --
Yes. That is not to say, as I think we mentioned before, that this represents all the beds available to victims of domestic violence, but these are the undisclosed locations relatively secure beds. We fully believe that we need more. We are 313 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 unclear and unsure at this point how many more. I think it is safe to say we need to at least double that inventory.
You indicated at the last hearing that, I'm going to assume, you correct me if I'm wrong, that in the disclosed environment we had the capacity if we needed to to serve I believe you said somewhere between 50 and a hundred. Did you tell me that?
That was in the undisclosed. I was incorrect. The actual number is 46.
And in the disclosed, not that I want the locations, how many are there?
So that is not designated specifically for victims of domestic violence, that's for, I've became homeless, I need to go in the shelter system, I have a domestic violence situation, I had a fire, whatever circumstance happens, there are 1500.
With regard to general services, the 1500 or undisclosed 46 specifically for domestic violence, do we find at any point in time that we are over capacity?
For the undisclosed locations of 46. It is not unusual to have all of those beds filled. It is not unusual for them to try to, you know, squeeze in an extra person or two to accommodate a specific family or a specific situation.
How often would you say that happens? 315 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
We are currently working very closely with the Mayor's Task Force on Domestic Violence and Women Against Abuse in particular to identify a new location that we would be able to expand significantly the number of undisclosed beds available to the system at any given time.
And with the new location are you talking about getting rid of the 46 at whatever location that's at, or is it on top of the 46?
I think that would depend on the location. I think our forward goal needs to be to essentially double the number of available undisclosed beds and continue the work of the task force to complete the real needs assessment that needs to happen.
And you may have just said this and it got past me. Have we identified a location? 316 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
We have identified a potential location that we're going through kind of the feasibility piece on now
Would you be the right person also to talk about the hotline?
I can certainly tell you what limited knowledge I have about the hotline. I think Carol Tracy is here also if you have specific questions.
Again, I know I'm coming in fairly late in the course of today, so I don't want to you go over any material that's already been discussed.
Councilman Nutter, can you add to that line of question, because I also had some questions around that, where we are in the process of identifying a facility, just where you are? In addition to Councilman Nutter's questions, please address 317 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 that one as well.
I can tell you that we have identified this is a need, that we meet on a weekly basis with an internal group of commissioners and directors to kind of move the facility feasibility through a process that is ongoing, and that we are hopeful of finding a location that we can do some of this work with very soon.
Actually, to follow-up the Councilwoman, can you give us a sense of the timing on this? Are there some particular obstacles? Is there a financial issue? Is it in negotiation with the property owner? And are we looking for an acquisition or lease?
We're looking at both options. We are in negotiations at the moment. I think it would be premature for me to try to guess how long that will take, but I am encouraged by the team. Joan Schlotterbeck, the Commissioner of Public 318 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 Property has been intimately involved and very supportive of our facility's needs, and I am greatly encouraged by her direct involvement in this.
Okay. Before I get to the hotline issue, but this is tied into it, are there any estimates or relatively hard numbers on -- what would you estimate is the average number of daily victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia?
I'm Carol Tracy, I'm the Director of the Women's Law Project and Co-Chair of Mayor's Task Force on Domestic violence. Councilman Nutter, there are 115,000 segregated domestic violence calls that go into 911 each year, so the numbers are enormous. There are 14,000 petitions for protection.
When you use the terminology you used earlier, you're saying -- you used a specific term "segregated." Are you telling me that you mean to indicate they are separate calls? 319 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
The Police Department two years ago segregated domestic violence calls from other domestic disturbance calls. Previously, dog bites and domestic violence were in the same category. So now they can actually count the number of domestic violence calls that come in and they heighten the priority call for which they get. In the previous fiscal year, the first full year that it was in place, there were 115,000 domestic violence calls going to 911. More than half of them had been called to the address more than once.
More than half had had a previous call to the address?
I know this is not your area, but you've been on a couple different task forces in the past. We get about, what, a million calls to 911? Do you have any recollection what those numbers are? 320 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
There's no 5 question about that. So 115,000 calls. And what is your information in terms of what happens with the vast majority of people who call seeking assistance?
I believe that somewhere on the order of to 14,000 arrests are made. 12 And in the cases in which prosecution will occur, the District Attorney's Office and Women Against Abuse verifies this, more than half of the victims decline to prosecute.
The Mayor has provided or has suggested, I guess, to Council an increase of somewhere in the order of a million dollars, $300,000 of which will go to improving the hotline services. The hotlines 321 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 are run by four independent agencies as is the domestic violence shelter and they share one hotline -- they have four different numbers. They bounce the numbers from one to the other. They have indicated that they have an extreme need for more staffing and for more technological support to provide better, more efficient technology to provide this. So three will be at least four more staff people that will be handled by this and, hopefully, this will pay for both the technical assistance and the technology itself.
I'll kind of conclude with this. What kind of efforts should the City be making -- and I know a significant step is even the Mayor creating the task force. What kinds of efforts should we be taking to try to help curtail or reduce the amount of domestic violence directed at women and families?
I think we need more services for women and families. But we also, I think, are in desperate need of services for men who batter. There are very limited 322 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 services. Almost always those services, except some something that was mentioned earlier that the DHS is funding, an organization called Menergy, almost all of the services that are available to men who batter come from criminal justice proceedings. So it's an after-the-fact service. There is, for example, no hotline that someone might call who wants to change his behavior. So I think that that's one of the issues that's very much on the agenda of the task force. And quite frankly, part of our work in the task force is looking at best practices around the country. And much to my surprise, that practice doesn't exist anywhere. And I think part of our emphasis is not what has so generally been the emphasis in domestic violence cases of looking at why does she stay as much as why does he do it and what kinds of efforts should we be developing to intervene. Some of them are, of course, at the educational level in the school systems and some are with adult men who want help, some of whom I believe want help, some of whom do benefit from the services they get 323 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 even after they've been convicted of a crime but for whom there's very little available, here or anywhere else. It's actually a national disgrace.
I think what will likely happen with the creation of hotline is we will begin to gather a lot more information than we have now and it will probably inform our service delivery system in a way that we can not even imagine yet. For example, I can certainly foresee a time before long where our emergency relocation services are dispatched to support from a service delivery standpoint women who are very difficult situations at that moment but maybe don't need police intervention yet. So I think there's a lot still to be done and learn from the collection of data as we move forward.
I could jump in here just for a second with a point of information? I would hope when you develop this hotline technology that you ask for every exemption possible because many times people 324 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 will call from a phone that is blocked, that you're able to capture through caller ID the location, the number that's being called from. Because today, unless you have a government exception, that information is not shared with normal customers. So I would hope that you'd have the ability to see a person like you just describe that are in immediate distress that we have a similar system -- and I'm on this technology committee now here in Council -- that you're able to capture all of the information from location that the person is calling from, the phone number, the address, et cetera, because if you don't have that exemption, you will be blocked from a person that has the phone line that is blocked or a pay phone or a cell phone or whatever the instrument may be. So I would hope you take a note and make sure that that happens, whatever technology you move towards.
Thank you, Councilman Nutter. 325 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
Sure. Lastly, Ms. Tracy, is the expectation in terms of the task force that there would be a report issued as a part of the work and the series of recommendations for action steps to be taken?
Yes. As we're moving along, action steps are being taken, but I would be more than happy to provide a report, an interim report, an ongoing report. I think that this is not an issue that we're going to be able to turn away from for sometime to come. So I think that it would be interim reports. And I am so appreciative of Council's interest in this because this year is really the first year that government has really paid attention to domestic violence. It has been on the shoulders of four small private agencies. So I think Police Commissioner Johnson and I would be very happy to provide a report, an interim report to Council at your desire. You tell me the appropriate committee.
Thank you. If 326 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 you could just forward it to the Chair or the Council President and then we'll get it. One last question. Are there any discussions with regard to the male side of the problem, which is basically where it starts, where the City might possibly sponsor workshops or kind of meetings for men to have these kinds of discussion either with a facilitator or some other person to come in? You know, guys are -- you know, we can be a little strange about a variety of things.
I don't know the answer to that. I can tell you that within our realm, OESS adult services, the answer is no. 16 We don't generally see the men, however. By the time folks get to us --
I understand. At that point, you actually don't want to see them.
If I could add to that, I think earlier the Department of Human Services was talking about they're working 327 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 more with some of the fatherhood initiative programs and Men United for a Better Philadelphia, and I very much would like to pull them into this discussion. I think there's probably a role for the faith-based community in dealing with the needs of men, making sure that they're held accountable for their behavior, but providing some intervention to help them stop.
It is unacceptable, and it's more than just a saying. There is no excuse. Sometimes you just need to walk away. Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Any other questions? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. I read with interest, Mr. Hess, your new housing first initiatives on your testimony. Please share with us the 328 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 obstacles that homeless men, women, and children face in finding permanent housing solutions to their homelessness. Because we know that clearly income is an issue. But for those who ultimately develop a stream of income, are you finding that there's still a lack of affordable housing for them?
Councilwoman, thank you for that question. The short answer is yes. Our housing first programs, and I've asked Dr. McGuire, our Director of chronic homeless initiatives to join me at the table. Our housing first initiatives target two groups. These are both new federal streams that we're excited to have been awarded. In fact, we were 1 of 11 cities out of 100 applicants that were fortunate enough to receive this funding.
It is, and we're very proud of that. Thank you. And it targets two groups. The first group is there is a group that Penn has done research on that 10 percent of the people that are the homeless system at any time are 329 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 what they call chronically homeless. That is to say, they've been homeless for year or more or had four occasions of homelessness in the last two years. That group that's chronically homeless occupies about 50 percent of our resources because they're constantly in and out systems. So we try to target that group to get them out of our system once and for all and living in stable housing in the community with the appropriate support of services to free up dollars to be able to have better services for other populations. And so one of our housing first programs does that by identifying our long-term shelter stayers, which we now kind of have that wanted list, you know, this group has to go, and providing them that service by being able to move them into housing at a rate of five per month with intensive, what we call, act team supportive services. There is second group. I mentioned earlier that we've been, I think, ever so fortunate in this City to be able to reduce the number of people living on our streets 330 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 from a high of 824 do 133 in Center City last week based on police count. I don't personally believe, after talking to many of these folds on the streets and the outreach teams regularly as I do, that our current intervention strategies will work for this last hard core group.
They will not work. We have engaged these folks day in and day out; week in, month in, year in and year out. We need different tools, we need strategies. And so the housing first strategy that targets folks living on our streets is designed to do that. We have that wanted list, and we're moving under Dr. McGuire's leadership with great community partners, five chronically homeless individuals a month off of our City streets into permanent housing with intensive supportive service and with good results so far, and we're very proud of that.
I certain commend you for that and also for, again, 331 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 looking for alternative funding to take care of a need that the City's becoming increasingly difficult to -- though we have the responsibility, it's becoming increasingly difficult to manage and fund. So to reach to other funding sources makes all good sense.
My final statement is to say thank you for the support you offer to our holiday program that we do for children in the shelters.
It does bring probably one of the few moments during the year that reminds me of why I do this work that I do. And we thank you for your partnership in important children's initiative.
We certainly appreciate your good work in this area, Councilwoman, and would certainly welcome any additional initiatives that you may wish to undertake in this area.
I have plenty. 332 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 You may be sorry. I'm just going to put a pin in it and say thank you.
Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments from Members of the Committee? (No response.)
Seeing none, I thank you. Thank you very much. Public Property is next. Good afternoon and welcome. We do have your written testimony, a copy of which has been given to the stenographer. She will transcribe it and in whole. I would simply ask you to abbreviate your testimony. (Testimony attached.) COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Joan Schlotterbeck, acting Public Property Commissioner for the Department of Public Property. With me on my left is Deputy Commissioner Joseph James, Deputy for Communications. Also joining me are John 333 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 Hezins to his left, he's Deputy Commissioner for Real Estate and Administration. Actually, given the late hour today, I'd be just as willing to forego the entire testimony briefing and just go straight to questions, if you don't have any problems with that.
That would be fine with me. Everybody has a copy of the Commissioner's testimony. Just a few brief questions. In FY '04 you were budgeted for 236 positions. And if in FY '05 you are budgeted for 193 positions, that's a reduction of over percent. Could you explain why you're 17 being reduced by 43 positions? 18 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Actually, the number is more like 23. The other positions are the 311 call center.
I'm sorry? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: It's actually a total of 23, and the other positions are the 311 call center. That will be an administrative transfer into our budget. 334 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
What are positions? What are the titles of those 4 positions mostly? 5 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: At this 6 point, it's a combination of a couple of very 7 top level positions in the Department that we 8 chose not to fill with DROP as well as trades. 9 I can get the details. I don't have them with 10 me. 11
SO you 12 feel that you will have no operational impact 13 on your department? 14 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: 15 Actually, we do anticipate some problems. But 16 we also anticipate having those specifically 17 with the trades dealt with by the 18 consolidation that we're analyzing for 19 city-wide consolidation of maintenance. 20
In FY '05, 21 you are requesting to transfer the SEPTA 22 operating subsidy to your budget. May I ask 23 why? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Actually, I probably would like Rob Dubow to 335 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 answer that question.
I think he just left the room. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: I frankly don't know the answer at this point.
You are requesting approximately $94,000 for transit lobbyist. Would you explain why these services are needed and who is the lobbyist. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: I forget the exact name of the company. That is normally transit subsidy. However, because that was taken out of our budget in '04 we were paying for that directly out of operating funds. It's a federal lobbyist for transportation for the City.
On of your detail, you're requesting $643,000 for centralized custodial services. Would you please explain what these funds are for and how these services are currently being provided? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: That's an initiative that would entail transferring 336 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 and consolidating custodial services into the Department of Public Property. And departments affected would be Health Department, Recreation, Streets Department.
Most of all of the maintenance then would come under Public Property? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Custodial maintenance.
They're going to be consolidated? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Into Public Property. That's what we're analyzing we're analyzing at this point. We're not there for transfer. We don't dates set. But that's the intent, to analyze it and then begin the transfer.
Council President, you had a question for me when I was out of the room about the SEPTA subsidy and why it was moved back into Public Property?
We moved it out of Public Property last year because there were 337 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 specific concerns about the cuts that SEPTA had proposed last year, and then since they've have taken those cuts off the table, so we thought it was appropriate to move it back to Public Property where it had always been.
Okay. On of the detail, it reflects a reduction $1.6 million in your electrical accounts. How are you able to do this in a time of rising energy costs? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: It's an initiative that we've taken -- basically, we're working with the Municipal Energy Office, Managing Director's Office, and our intent is to produce a report which is a bench line that will identify facilities, particularly the largest facilities that are the biggest energy users. The intent is to continue to establish a baseline. "This is your energy use for the last two years. This is where we would like you to be. We would like you to reduce the overall cost by 5 percent," and we're going to give them basic common sense approaches. And the larger 338 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 buildings we're analyze the operations of their building automation systems.
When do you think that report will be completed? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: We are working on it, and the idea would be to have it in Commissioner's hands so they can begin this initiative effective July 1. We're working with Kent Miller from the Municipal Energy Office.
Very well. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Madam President, I have been struggling trying to find my couple of questions for the Commissioner, and I have not found them, so let me just say congratulations on your new post and we wish you well. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Thank you.
And well deserved. 339 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Is Public Property responsible for actually paying the energy bills? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Yes.
This is not a trick question. Do we pay our bills on time, gas, electric, PGW, et cetera? Tell us a little bit about how well we pay our bills. I'm hearing that sometimes it takes a long time to get paid. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: I would say that that's incorrect. We do pay them on time.
Tell me how we do that when we get the bill. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Well, it depends on which utility.
Let's start with electric. Talk about cell phones. Talk about 340 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 PGW. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: I'll talk about PGW. PGW, PECO, we get the invoices in the middle of the month to the end of the month. We do some analysis. The Mayor's Municipal Energy Office also does analysis and then we process the payment. I would say they get them within the normal 10 days after that point. 11
We pay our bills 12 within 15 days? 13 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: About 14 15 days. 15
Well, I'll get back to the person that was critical of the way we pay our utility bills, and I'll get back to you if they don't agree with that. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: That's fine.
How about cell phones? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: I will ask Joe James to talk about that. I'm not necessarily versed in that. 341 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
Good afternoon, Councilman. Joseph James, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Property. The process by which we process our cell phone bill, it takes us about 30 days. The process is because when we get the bill 8 in, we get the bill in two forms. We get in both a CD format and we also get a paper bill. And we take the CD format and upload it into our call accounting system that we use to generate bills back to the departments. We also then go through the bill to make sure all the credits have been applied and we make sure that all charges that need redacted are redacted. And it takes about 30 days for us to go through that process and generate a payment.
That's a fair amount of time. But with us putting the heat on the utility companies about their collection process, I have gotten some information where we don't do the best. And now I'm go back and tell them that that is not accurate, that we pay our bills as promptly as 342 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 required. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Thanks, Madam Chair.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just very quickly. Is it my understanding based on recent very positive developments with regard to Memorial Hall and the Please Touch Museum proposal, is Public Property going to be responsible for the relocation of the Fairmount Park Commission? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Yes.
How is that proceeding along? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: We're making great progress. We're moving them into One Parkway Building.
So it's just a straight move to One Parkway? When will that happen? 343 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: It's October we're projecting to have them moved in.
October of this year? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Yes.
And what about the Accident Investigation Division of the Police Department? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: They are going to be relocated to 26th and Master Street, which is where traffic police vacated to go 501 Building.
What's the 501 Building? COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: The navy yard.
So this is kind of a musical office situation here. So you're going to park out by October, that's what you expect. And does that also fit in with the Please Touch timetable in terms of when they need to do what they need to do? 344 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
Joan to the best of my knowledge, yes. We've been planning this for a long time so that we didn't have any delays on our end.
I'm glad to here that because not too long ago it seemed like the park people were desperately in search of a location and they were looking to go possibly with the new school out in West Philly, then one of the stables somewhere else, then they were going here, they were going there, so I never had a good sense that they had really kind of found a secure home. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: We did.
Is there anyone else that would like to ask questions?
I would like to thank you and all the City departments who helped out so well and did such a great job at our office after the fire. Thank you. COMMISSIONER SCHLOTTERBECK: Oh, you're welcome. 345 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
And certainly in this beautiful room, with exception of you-know-what. Any other questions or comments? (No response.)
Thank you all very much. Good luck to you, Joan. Fleet Management is next.
Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
James Muller, Fleet Manager for the City of Philadelphia. And to my left is Bob Fox our Administrative Services Director.
Fine. We have a copy of your written testimony. It has given to the stenographer. It will be transcribed in the whole. If you want to give us the summary, fine. If not, we can go right into questions because everybody does have a copy.
I'd like to go into questioning, please 346 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
That's wonderful. Thank you. We appreciate it. (Testimony attached.)
Let me just say that you mentioned in your testimony that have or will be implementing creative strategies to significantly cut costs. Would you tell us what these strategies are?
Madam Chair, the forward thing is our fleet reduction initiative will reduce the City's fleet size by 400 vehicles or 7.3 percent of the fleet. This will result in a cost avoidance of over $4.3 million, including 1.4 million for parts and fuel, 2.2 million in acquisitions, 164,898 for parking cost, and 617,184 for labor fees. One creative solution to help ease the burden of the loss of City vehicles is that the City awarded a contract to the Philly Car Share. It's a non-profit company that provides vehicles on an hourly basis. The vehicles are parked in lots throughout the City and employees can reserve them through the internet or by telephone. Additionally, 347 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 employees can utilize the personal auto program for transportation needs. This program provides a per mile reimbursement and is currently being utilized by 258 City employees with no increase to their insurance cost.
Are all employees aware of that? I guess they are. You're requesting $3,180,000 for vehicle acquisitions. What vehicles will you be purchasing?
Police cars, compactors, fire pumpers, some ladder trucks, sweepers, large dump trucks.
We had the Fire Department in here the other day, and I don't know where these fire trucks would go.
They said they're taking that equipment out of first line of service to bump it back to second line of services, and the second line of service equipment is going to be sold or retired. Why would we be buying more equipment?
Councilman, what I 348 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 believe is what we're going to do is the new equipment is going to update the older equipment and get it out of the fleet. We have some older fire equipment in our fleet presently. What usually happens is that there's a first line service and then a 200 series. What we're doing is putting newer equipment in our 100 series which is what's used every day, and 200 series is a backup.
I understand that and that makes lot a sense. What the Fire Commissioner, I thought, testified to, because we asked this question the other day, the 11 pieces of equipment that they're talking about taking out of service, 7 engines, 4 ladders, or vice versa, that that equipment is moving to what I guess you call the 200 series and the present equipment in the 200 is going to be sold. So what new equipment are you buying and what is it replacing since we've got 11 pieces that are now apparently front line service equipment that's moving to the second tier?
Well, as you know, fire 349 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 equipment, a ladder is like $600,000 for one ladder and a pumper is $350,000. So we're not going to buy a lot of them. We'll probably buy three or four.
Of the $3 million, can you tell us how much is going for the ladders and the engines, please, the Fire Department? Can you give us a breakdown, please?
Our plans are to for the first time after 28 years or so is to lease vehicles. We're going to take our budget which is $6 million and we're going to appropriate a certain amount of that, $820,000 of it so that we can purchase large ticket items, vehicles that cost over a hundred thousand dollars and have a useful life of over 10 years. That is going to allow us to buy close to $7 million worth of equipment.
I'm just being told that all the money is in Class 400. How do you do that for leasing? If you're leasing, Bob --
We've moved 820,000 into 350 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 Class 200.
We would still like to have a breakdown for the Fire Department, please, how many vehicles and what the cost of each would be.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have one comment that I want to make is that you guys should be congratulated on the fact that you have done something that I've asked other utility companies and other municipalities, even in our Newark suburban area, that you've been able to lock into an unleaded fuel deal for a dollar a gallon. That's something that you apparently analyzed that very carefully and locked in where other people locked into a deal that the price changed on a monthly basis. And you're paying a dollar, where some other municipalities are paying $1,25, $1.30 gallon for unleaded fuel. Does that apply to diesel also? 351 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
Congratulations on that. That was a real good move. The other question I have is, what can you do -- I'm getting letters lately about our sanitation vehicles that pick up trash. I've talked to the Streets Department, and they gave me an answer that was, I think, satisfactory from the Streets Department, but I'd like to ask as it relates to Fleet Management. The truck comes down the street, it gets full. At some point they compress, they compact the truck. The next thing that happens, all of a sudden all of this water, sloppy, dirty, stinky water comes out of the truck and truck pulls away making this trail of water up the street. And apparently, it stains the street, it smells bad. The Streets Department came back and said there's a seal or something that becomes defective in the truck. And when the trucks sits out in the weather or whatever, how the water gets into truck, it really is starting 352 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 to make our neighborhoods look kind of messy when you see the trash being picked up with this trail of water. Is that accurate, what the Streets Department said about these defects in the vehicle?
Councilman Rizzo, there is a seal, a tailgate seal in the back. When the hopper closes there's a rubber seal that sometimes gets torn or ripped form foreign material when they empty the truck. And also, in the hopper itself, in the bottom of the hopper, there's a hopper plug. What I'll do is have our guys check and make sure. Sometimes we have to actually weld the plug in because the guys take them out.
How does all this water get into the truck? Is it when it rains the hopper fills up?
That and anything that's in a container when they put it in, any kind of liquids.
It's such a large 353 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 amount of water. I followed one of the trails where they compressed it for like two or three blocks and it was all garbage in the water. It was just not a nice situation to leave behind. Garbage is not nice, Councilwoman Tasco said. It's amazing just recently in the last couple months I've gotten numerous calls from people complaining about that. So if you could put some kind of a bulletin out maybe to keep an aye on that, that would be appreciated. Can't they empty these trucks from the liquid that's in them before they start their work?
When they come into your shop, if it's got 50, 60 gallons of water in it, what do they do, just leave it there?
Thanks. Great job you guys do. 354 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255
Are there any other questions or comments from members of the Committee of the witnesses? (No response.)
Thank you for your patience and thank you for doing such a great job.
Councilman Nutter, did you have questions or comments of Fleet Management?
No, I did not. And I see that the historical commission is next and I guess they're last?
I have a question but it's not related to Fleet or the Historical Commission so I'll deal with it when this is over.
Okay. Historical Commission is next. Good afternoon, I'm sure you heard 355 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 me telling the previous witness that we have copies of your written testimony. It will be given to the stenographer and it will be transcribed in whole. You have a choice to either abbreviate or either sit there and allow us to ask any questions we'd like.
I will be very brief. With me is John Farnham of the staff of the Historic Commission. Dr. Tyler would normally be here. He's home recuperating from surgery.
I think he's feeling better, and we hope that he'll be back in a couple of weeks.
Wonderful. I didn't realize he was out sick again.
That's especially good news. This is an increase for the Commission. As we see it, it's an increase in -- I would ask our statement be corrected. It looks like in increase of 60,000 not 90,000. 356 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 We're very grateful to the Mayor and the Managing Director. This will allow us to have a new staff member. And with a new staff member, we will be able to address the current needs of the Commission, which are great. My understanding is the Commission has not had an increase in staff for over years. 9
Ten years, I'm told. So this will allow us to meet our current obligations. We'd be happy to answer any questions.
Does anyone have any questions of our witness? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. As many of you know, we've been in the middle of some legislation and we've been meeting to try to resolve various issues. We do commend the Mayor also on giving them two 357 04/21/04 - WHOLE - BILL 040255 new staff members. But for the Council's information, we will be having a task force meeting. We've created a task force to deal with various issues that concern the Commissions, and we'll have our first breakfast meeting on May 24th, and then we will get back to the Council later. We intend on having a meeting in May, June and September. Am I correct, Mr. Scleroff?
We're trying to work it out so we can bring some suggestions to the Council after we've worked out so many of the fine points. So we do say thank you to them for coming and that we look forward to working closely with them.