Aye. STATED MEETING 247 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of all members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 220292.
An ordinance authorizing an increase in the non-electoral indebtedness of the City within the Pennsylvania constitutional limit; authorizing the Bond Committee to sell bonds at public or private negotiated sale, to provide funds toward STATED MEETING 248 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING various capital municipal purposes.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilman Green. STATED MEETING 249 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Councilman Thomas. STATED MEETING 250 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 17; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, 220322.
An ordinance amending Chapter 16-400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Surplus Properties," by adding criteria for evaluating non-competitive dispositions.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier for an amendment to Bill No. 220322.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 220322. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council.
Thank you. All in favor -- STATED MEETING 251 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
I move for the adoption of the amendment. Sorry. (Duly seconded.)
All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and Bill No. 220322 has been amended. Bill No. 220322, as amended, will be placed on our Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. Mr. Decker, do you have some additional resolutions? You're on mute.
Apologies, Mr. President. I have an ordinance that we STATED MEETING 252 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING removed from the Consent Agenda, Bill No. 210284. May I proceed?
An ordinance amending Chapter 19-2600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Business Income and Receipts Taxes," by revising certain tax rates.
Thank you. Councilman Thomas, did you want to be recognized now?
No, Council President. I just -- I remarked earlier as it related to just this Council body, our work, our support for small business and, most importantly, for us to send a message to folks not just in the region but all over the country that Philadelphia is open for business and we're going to do our best to recover from this COVID and economic crisis. So just very briefly. Thank STATED MEETING 253 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING you, Council President, and, most importantly, thank you to my colleagues who worked together closely to put us in a position to be able to make this work fiscally. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. This bill having been read on two different days, the question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman STATED MEETING 254 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Gauthier.
Sorry, Mr. President. I'm working with some old paperwork. Councilman Johnson.
Aye. STATED MEETING 255 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
All right. Thank you. The ayes are 14; the nays are STATED MEETING 256 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING three. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Any additional resolutions, Mr. Decker?
I have a resolution that was pulled from the Consent Agenda, Resolution No. 220616, entitled a "Resolution recognizing Southwest Philadelphia's own Mont Brown for his notable contributions to his community on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, August 19, 2022," introduced by Councilman Johnson.
Council President, before I move for the adoption of the resolution, this is a young man who has gone out of his way to become very successful in the entertainment industry but decided to always come back home to his neighborhood of Southwest Philadelphia to provide opportunities for STATED MEETING 257 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING the youth and also, most importantly, uplift the young people in this neighborhood. And so with that being said, Council President, I enthusiastically move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and enthusiastically seconded. All in favor of the resolution indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And I have a resolution initiating action to establish a neighborhood improvement district in an area that generally includes both sides of North Broad Street from the north side STATED MEETING 258 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING of Spring Garden Street to the south side of Indiana Avenue (excluding the 2700 through 2900 block on the west side of the street), beginning with 510 North Broad Street, and continuing to 2929 North Broad Street; it also includes 1300 Fairmount Avenue, 1406 Ridge Avenue, 1408 Ridge Avenue, 1363 West Seltzer Street, 1361 West Silver Street, and 1362 West Silver Street; designating North Broad Renaissance (the legal name of which is Avenue North Renaissance, Incorporated), which has organized itself as a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District, introduced today by Councilwoman Parker on behalf of Council President Clarke.
Thank you, Mr. President. On your behalf, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) STATED MEETING 259 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution congratulating the City of Philadelphia on winning its bid to become a Host City of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, introduced today by Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of all football fans around the world, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's STATED MEETING 260 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing and congratulating David Gates, Esquire upon the occasion of his retirement from the Pennsylvania Health Law Project for his decades of service and commitment to people with disabilities and families in need of health insurance coverage and health care services in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth, introduced today by Councilman Green.
Thank you, STATED MEETING 261 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Finance to hold hearings regarding growth in the City of Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilman Green.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. STATED MEETING 262 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold public hearings to examine what the Philadelphia Water Department is or could be doing to take advantage of new and existing federal water quality infrastructure funding to address chronic sewage overflows in overburdened communities and improve water quality of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers for public recreational use, introduced today by Councilman STATED MEETING 263 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution recognizing and honoring the life and service of Philadelphia Firefighter Lieutenant Sean Williamson, introduced today by Councilman Oh.
The STATED MEETING 264 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING Chair recognizes Councilman Oh.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And I have Resolution No. 220474, entitled a "Resolution approving the Rebuild Project Statement for Fiscal Years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 pursuant to Bill No. 170206." Mr. President, this resolution was reported from committee today and STATED MEETING 265 6/23/2022 6/23/22 - STATED - 2ND READING incorrectly scripted as 220424, which was incorrect. It was introduced by Councilwoman Bass on behalf of Council President Clarke.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. Any other resolutions, Mr. Decker? You're on mute, Mr. Decker.
I believe that's STATED MEETING 266 6/23/2022 have, Mr. President.
Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. That completes our Calendar for today. Any speeches on behalf of the minority? I think that we had a lot of speeches today.
There is a speech, Council President. I have a speech to make.
Thank you very much. Today we approved a resolution recognizing and honoring the life and service of Philadelphia Firefighter Lieutenant Sean Williamson. He lost his life in the line of duty after a fire-damaged building collapsed in the Fairhill neighborhood on June 18th, just this past weekend. STATED MEETING 267 6/23/2022 the United States Marine Corps and provided dedicated and exemplary service to our city for 27 years. He was last assigned to Ladder 18 in Tioga-Nicetown. Over his long career, he also served with the specialized Rescue 1 company, taught at the Fire Academy, and was a member of PA Task Force 1, the federal urban search and rescue team sponsored by the Philadelphia Fire Department. A mass of christian burial will be celebrated at the Epiphany of Our Lord Church on Monday, June 27 at 11:00 a.m. To honor the memory of Lieutenant Williamson, all City of Philadelphia flags will be flown at half staff for 30 days. One of the unexpected duties that I experienced when I was elected to this office was to attend the funerals of those who died in service to our city. It's a very moving, very sad and long-lasting impression when we see those STATED MEETING 268 6/23/2022 intentionally as a daily job to protect and serve. Our condolences to his family and loved ones, to all those in our firefighting community, and we certainly hold them in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much.
Sorry. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Domb.
Thank you, Council President, and thank you for the opportunity today to address my colleagues and all Philadelphians. I also want to extend my condolences, along with Councilman Oh and I guess all of us, to the family of the lieutenant who lost his life in the fire up in Fairhill. Just tragic, terrible. As we close out this Council STATED MEETING 269 6/23/2022 session, I'm feeling reflective, especially since this could be the last time I speak before City Council in my current position. We put forth a balanced budget that provides support for those in need. Frankly, it doesn't go far enough. Too many people across our city still can't get a good night's sleep, whether it's because they're worried about supporting their families or the safety of their loved ones as they hear the sounds of gunshots echo through the night. Sadly, we're no longer shocked by the shootings and murders in the middle of our streets or by the open-air drug markets or even by the less violent but regular criminal acts happening everywhere, and that is wrong. These issues are absolutely gut-wrenching. Philadelphians just don't feel safe. They don't feel safe in their homes, on their streets, in their cars, on our transit system, at their jobs, or STATED MEETING 270 6/23/2022 of worship. What we need now is leadership, a decisive and positive force to get us back on track. We can't move forward and attract more people, more businesses, more jobs, grow an economy that lifts people out of poverty or gives every child the opportunity for a bright future if we don't start urgently addressing the fundamental issue of public safety. As a member of Council, I have consistently worked doing just that. Most recently I was proud to have passed a resolution calling on our Mayor to declare a state of emergency so we can draw down federal resources to target the opioid epidemic that is ravaging Kensington. But instead of acting immediately, we've all seen the situation continue to deteriorate into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. We can and we must do better. I've also called for more accountability and oversight of STATED MEETING 271 6/23/2022 programs. These programs have proven to reduce gun violence, and while we have allocated funding to support local initiatives, we have recently seen our city's inability to even distribute the funds, let alone evaluate or measure the progress of the work. This is totally, totally unacceptable, and so is the lack of executive leadership in ensuring our departments are fully operational, including our Police Department. Hundreds of positions continue to sit vacant, and I will not stop fighting to fill each and every one of them. That's why I held a hearing and called for the revision of the residency requirements for officers, which the Administration eventually acted on. Expanding our applicant pool and building better marketing strategies will allow us to attract and retain qualified police officers. STATED MEETING 272 6/23/2022 to simply state what so many Philadelphians have shared with me as a City Councilmember: We deserve better. Philadelphians deserve a leader who will take action and who will be a positive force for change, a leader who actually wants the job, and a leader who sees each and every day as an opportunity for our city to reach its true potential, a leader to build safer communities, a leader to enthusiastically recruit new businesses, a leader to create family-sustaining jobs that shrink our wealth gap, and a leader who will actually fight poverty, not just make it more comfortable to live in. And I know these goals are achievable. I know that because I've convened business leaders and stakeholders, including those in our life science industries, and we've discussed opportunities that do exist to grow.
I've met with healthcare STATED MEETING 273 6/23/2022 to partner with us to address the growing opioid crisis. I've met with small and minority business owners who have incredible and innovative ideas about how we can foster growth in every corner of the City. But the one common theme during each of these meetings is that if people do not feel safe, none of this is possible. And without strong leadership to tackle these issues head on, these ideas and goals will continue to be shelved. We need goals paired with concrete steps to achieve them. That's ultimately what this Administration has failed to do. Philadelphia is a city of fighters and believers. We've shown time and time again we can climb out of tough times, and we will do it again. As we look forward, I ask all Philadelphians to set the bar higher. Ask yourselves who is willing to hold people accountable, who is prepared to do what's right over STATED MEETING 274 6/23/2022 convenient, who is going to put in the work to get the job done with the results you deserve. There's a lot of work ahead, but I look forward to building the necessary bridges, tackling our problems with resilience and energy, and bringing people to the table who are really excited to bring about real change for our great city. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker.
Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, on today I wanted to start by taking this opportunity to thank members of the Mount Airy Community Council and residents who came out yesterday. Even when it started raining, we stayed outside, along with the Captain of the 14th Police District, STATED MEETING 275 6/23/2022 Philadelphia Neighborhood Safety and Community Policing Plan. And one of the things we talked about, Mr. President, was that proactive call for 300 community policing officers walking the beat and on bike patrol in our neighborhoods proactively working on building and strengthening community-police relationships and not responding to crime. And we also talked about not allowing anyone to put us in a box because we were interested in supporting that Community Policing Plan, but that criminal justice reform was just as important to us. But we said something else, Mr. President, and I thought we were just having a conversation in a meeting. I had no idea that I would be in the midst of this Council session with each of you and something like this would come up and, that is, we also talked about the need to ensure that there is zero tolerance for any misuse and/or abuse of STATED MEETING 276 6/23/2022 Department in any manner, shape, or form. So we could call for community policing. We could want criminal justice reform and pursue it, but we also could have zero tolerance for any misuse and/or abuse of authority. And then I get the text from two different people in the midst of this Council session informing me that a member of our Philadelphia Police Department thought that it was appropriate over a police radio -- that's equipment that is owned by the City of Philadelphia, paid for by taxpayer residents here in the City of Philadelphia, along with our businesses -- saying those F'g N's, those F'g N's. If you wear and are honored to wear and be paid, Mr. President, a salary from our City of Philadelphia to protect and to serve us, but you think it is appropriate to use racist language over a STATED MEETING 277 6/23/2022 radio, the arrogance that it takes to do something like that, the disregard for humanity, and the willingness to embrace that kind of language as if it's second nature is something that we should continue to have zero tolerance for. So when I got these two text messages, I said, Councilmember Johnson or Jones, thank you so very much for the Citizens Police Oversight Committee, because as this investigation is going to be occurring into what exactly happened in this incident and those words being used over a police radio, I am sure that in some way, shape, or form we will be able to have our Citizens Police Oversight Committee to also review what happened and report back to us in a very transparent manner all of the facts associated with this incident. Thank you so very much, Mr. President and colleagues, for your time. STATED MEETING 278 6/23/2022
Thank you, Councilwoman. Kind of hard to hear this day and time, you know, but anyway, I'll leave that alone. To be discussed later. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I'm going to be brief as we wrap up this session. Just thank my colleagues for all their hard work and their dedication in moving the City of Philadelphia forward. " Again, the title of the Dateline segment last night was called "Bullets Over Philadelphia," and it talked about and they interviewed different individuals who have been significantly impacted by the senseless gun violence that we're STATED MEETING 279 6/23/2022 City of Philadelphia, particularly young people. And so, again, it's a constant reminder as it relates to how we must continue to keep our foot on the pedal when it comes to consistently addressing this issue. I do acknowledge the hard work that this body has been putting in with such initiatives as the 24-hour hotline that deals with violence prevention and trauma for individuals who may be significantly impacted by gun violence and other types of gun violence led by you, Council President, or the Office of Victim Advocate in which I created to help mothers and fathers who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence, or the work that Katherine Gilmore Richardson has done to provide opportunities for our young people who are hanging out on the streets in the wee hours of the mornings to participate in the curfew center, quote/unquote, curfew center to get those type of wraparound STATED MEETING 280 6/23/2022 will allow them to become productive members of our community, or addressing the issue that was recently talked about, which is critically important, which is community policing and making sure that when people are going to and from their homes, they feel safe and do not feel like they're a hostage inside their own home. So just watching that segment last night I did feel a sense of anger. I felt some sense of disappointment, but also I recognize that it's a complex issue that must be worked on comprehensively, right, with City leaders but also, most importantly, the community working in partnership together in addressing this issue. I want to also take a moment to acknowledge a new coalition of fearless young ladies who are out there addressing this issue of senseless gun violence collectively working together. They're called Mothers of the Movement. They had STATED MEETING 281 6/23/2022 held in our Caucus Room. It was originally outside, but it was raining. That group consists of Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight of Mothers in Charge, Ms. Aleida Garcia of the National Justice Homicide Alliance. You have another young lady named Terrez McCleary, which has an organization called Mothers United by Grief. You have another young lady named Felicia Pendleton, who has an organization called Mothers United by Angels, and you have Movita Johnson-Harrell, who also has an organization called the CHARLES Foundation. And these strong, fearless women have decided to come together to demand that we do more around this issue of senseless gun violence here in the City of Philadelphia. So we cannot do it alone. We have to do it in partnership with the community, and I look forward to working with all of you but, most importantly, the community and spending my summer STATED MEETING 282 6/23/2022 days working to make sure that my two sons, Isaiah and Elijah, can go to and from home feeling safe, irregardless of what's going on outside and around and, most importantly, making sure that they are safe. And so I just commend all my colleagues for the work they've done during this Council session. A lot of times it may not seem like a lot, but we put in the work, hands down, right? We're experts in our own individual fields, but we also come together like Voltron supporting one another in the collective goal to move this City of Philadelphia forward.
And so I just wanted to take a moment just to give everybody a shout-out, everybody doing the hard work. Have a blessed and prosperous summer. And with that being said, God bless everyone, and thank you for allowing me to work in partnership with all of you on the things that we have STATED MEETING 283 6/23/2022 city forward this past session. God bless.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you so much, and God bless you and your family. The Chair recognizes Councilman Green.
Thank you, Council President. I just have a few comments to say, no matter how long it takes. I think a former Mayor used to say that. But seriously, and Councilmember Domb was very reflective in his comments this afternoon, and it also gives me the opportunity to be reflective and say something that I will -- this will be the last time that I will have a chance to say a certain point of this presentation. But we've had a very challenging budget session. We're dealing with a lot of challenging issues. If you just listen to today's session, STATED MEETING 284 6/23/2022 a resolution regarding the lost firefighter here in the City of Philadelphia, to the very troubling statement that our Majority Leader, Councilmember Parker, gave in reference to another member of uniform saying things about citizens of this city. The issue that we've been dealing with in reference to how we best move our city forward and if you listen to the public comment, you had those who were saying -- and we really need growth for businesses, especially Black and Brown businesses and others that disagree with that. And we all agree that we need to move our city forward and work collaboratively together in spite of all our differences of opinion, and I think that's something that we have not seen in our city. We have not seen at the state or national level. There's too much this group versus that group. And I think in order for us to really move our city STATED MEETING 285 6/23/2022 forward, we have to work collectively together, and that's something that we need to do, and we need leadership in our city to do that. And when I say "leadership," I have to think about the fact that we as elected officials, we do not do the work we do without dedicated staff. My staff has been in this City Hall since last August of 2021, coming in Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00. As an at-large member of Council, I get around the City quite a bit, and they have been answering questions and working for constituents. We've navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm really appreciative of all of the work that they have done, because without my Council staff, I would not be in the position that I am to represent the citizens of the City of Philadelphia. And so I'm stating this, and this will be the last time that I can say this, that my Legislative Director, Frank Iannuzzi, is leaving my office to go on STATED MEETING 286 6/23/2022 And when I think about the relationship that we've had, you know, I'm a little bit taller with not as much hair, actually no hair anymore, and Frank is a little more shorter in stature with a lot of hair, but we have difference of opinions on a lot of different things. We've had a lot of different debates and different perspectives and backgrounds, but we can come together and work collectively to move forward, just like we need to move our city forward. And I want to thank Frank for always being Frank and giving me great guidance and advice, even when I'm very adamant that we should go in this direction and he keeps pushing back, no, we need to go in that direction, and various times I've listened to his sage advice, because that's what we need to do as a city. We can have debates, we can have disagreements, but we've got to work STATED MEETING 287 6/23/2022 together, because I think even with all the people that debated various topics in today's Council session, we all agree we want to have a better and brighter City of Philadelphia. And so with that, Council President, I rise and say, Mr. Iannuzzi, I thank you for your leadership.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. I hate to see him leave the City of Philadelphia, but I hope he doesn't leave his residency in the Fifth Councilmanic District.
Point of information. Point of information. He's not leaving the City of Philadelphia and he's not leaving working for the citizens of the City of Philadelphia.
Got you. All right. He brings a voice over there in that community, you know, so I want to make sure he's still around, at least in that capacity. Look forward to STATED MEETING 288 6/23/2022 you so much, Councilman. I do not see any other speeches. I'll be brief.
Council President, I went in on the Chat room. My apologies.
It was late? Okay. I can't wait until we get back in 400 so I can just kind of look out. I'm sure we'll be in 400 during the course of the summer for one thing or another. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Quinones-Sanchez.
Thank you, Council President Clarke. I just wanted to rise and remind folks that this is my fifteenth budget, seventh as Chair of Appropriations, and I believe this budget reflects the work that this Council body has done in providing leadership for the City of Philadelphia. STATED MEETING 289 6/23/2022 a lot of interests that were managed, incorporated, and are part of our budget, which is a living document. And I want to remind folks of that, because the work, it doesn't stop at the budget. It actually starts at the budget and ensuring the implementation, particularly by District Council people. And I just want to recognize that there is a lot more work to be done. As Chair of Appropriations, I really believe that the budget is a living document that continues to evolve based on needs and our responses to the constituencies of the City of Philadelphia. So I want to thank all my colleagues who had very, very good issues. I think this budget is an investment in people. It's an -- a significant investment in non-police related public safety issues in the neighborhoods that we heard, from STATED MEETING 290 6/23/2022 dumping, to potholes, to all those priorities, L&I, all of those priorities. Folks want it. And we were able to respond to the very eloquent advocacy of our ethnic chambers who have agreed with the BIRT reduction and some of the other pieces, wage reduction, that we need to tell people we are open for business, and I appreciate the fact that we did an "and" and an "and" and an "and," not an either/or. I appreciate the fact that we are not going to pin one constituency against another. That's not what leadership does. And I appreciate the fact that this particular budget, that the Administration was very responsive to issues that this Council has championed, whether it's rental assistance or some of the other things. They were quick to say we agree, whether it's the investment in the Public Defenders Office. We saw the restitution of our investment in arts. I STATED MEETING 291 6/23/2022 was the process as it's supposed to work. We start with a document, it becomes a living document, and people advocate. And so I just want to thank all my colleagues, because like many of my other colleagues, I may not get another opportunity to say that, but I did not work as hard as I did to come to this body not to appreciate the work of this body and the collective work that we do together. We come here representing certain constituencies, and we should be unapologetic about the fact that we represent certain constituencies. That is what makes the debate democratic. That is what makes the debate in terms of how we represent all the different constituencies in the City of Philadelphia be robust. And so I'm happy. I am happy for the time that I have served. I look forward to continuing to serve, and I STATED MEETING 292 6/23/2022 you, Council President, for allowing me to do the work that I do and to advocate the way that I do in helping move this forward. We have some challenges, but we have stepped up to the plate. This Council body has always stepped up to the plate, and I believe in all of my colleagues and I appreciate the work that they have done. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman and Madam Appropriations, as I always call you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Mr. President, we're getting scarily close to hinting good-byes and things like that. So the only thing I want to say is that the diversity within this Council, the passion within this Council is unprecedented in any other body I STATED MEETING 293 6/23/2022 maintain our positions. Disagree, but disagree agreeably. That's due to your leadership, Mr. President, and your guidance, and I'm grateful for that opportunity. The philosopher Jay Z once said that if you're the smartest person in the room, you should change rooms. I've never felt like I was the smartest person in the room being among my colleagues, and that is a good feeling, because no matter how daunting the problem faced in Philadelphia, I knew -- well, I had confidence in that someone in the room would come up with an idea that was meritorious of public policy consideration. Never -- and we've been through some scary rooms, Mr. President, where we had to make money where there was none, take tough tax votes, but always, always someone at that table, someone in that discussion. Sometimes you didn't want to STATED MEETING 294 6/23/2022 it anyway and we made it work, and that's what the people send us here to do. And I'm honored, honored to have served with all of you guys. And some of the back story of what you don't hear in these chambers and on this is as good as what you do, and by the time it gets to the public, it is well vetted, and that's what I'm appreciative of. Thank you, Mr. President and colleagues.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. I believe that concludes the speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority, but before I call for a motion to adjourn, I just want to say a couple of words. One, obviously I just want to thank all of you for the work that you do, the work that you've done. A lot of you bring all sorts of resumes, both political and public service, to the table, which is why I think we have had STATED MEETING 295 6/23/2022 terms of delivering under some very extremely challenging times. Didn't skip a beat, and I want to thank you all so much. Like Councilman, again, I want to thank the staff, because we get to have our name on the door, show up on TV every now and then, but they do the work. They prepare us to be in a position to have a public facing of the City Council of Philadelphia. So I can't thank them enough for all the awesome work that they do. I have to acknowledge on this day that the makeup of the Council when you come back in September, there's some level of uncertainty, August, whenever, right? But I can say that there is a level of certainty that whoever ultimately ends up being here during the course of the remaining year, there will be the same level of stability. It will be the same level of hard work. It will be the same level of passion, and it will STATED MEETING 296 6/23/2022 of the willingness to participate in the public agenda. So I've been here for a few years, some say more than a few, some say too many, right, but I've just seen the evolution of this Council in various ways during the course of the year. So I guarantee you that this Council will continue to put first and foremost the benefits of the citizens of the City of Philadelphia before we do anything else. So I want to thank you all very much. I appreciate you all. And as I say, people actually say they love the fact when they hear me say "love you, guys." So -- you know, some people actually said I was getting a little soft, you know, but every now and then, you got to be a little soft. But I just want to -Councilman Jones, I'd like to recognize you for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. STATED MEETING 297 6/23/2022 stand adjourned until Thursday, September 15th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, September 15, 2022, 10:00 a.m. in Room 400. All in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. You all be safe out there and, again, love you, guys. See you later. ) STATED MEETING 298 6/23/2022 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L.