STATED MEETING 1 10/19/2023 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, October 19, 2023 10:37 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS COUNCILWOMAN SHARON VAUGHN MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK STATED MEETING 2 10/19/2023
Good morning, everybody. We're going to get started. Before we start, I just want to give a brief notice. We have an unprecedented number of individuals that have expressed an interest to testify. This is the people's house, so we try our best to accommodate everyone's needs. Today because of the unprecedented number, we will be paring back the timeline, because we want to give everybody that is on the list an opportunity to speak. Under the rules and the guidelines, we're actually allowed to pare back, particularly on same subject matter, meaning that if there's 30 names to testify on the same subject, we can actually under the guidelines cut it back to ten. We're not going to do that. What we're going to do is pare back the time, so everybody will have a shortened timeframe, but hopefully everybody on the list. I'm just trying to be fair. STATED MEETING 3 10/19/2023 it's not a significant number. When it's a significant number, once we get over 15, 20, we do two minutes. Today we're going to do 90 seconds. So I want to say this early on so you can adjust your testimony to reflect the 90-second timeline. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. We understand this is a very significant issue, and we want to make sure that everybody has an opportunity and have balanced testimony here today on this very important initiative. Thank you very much, and we will get started. We have established our quorum. The members have now taken their seat. We will give our invocation. And to give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Reverend G. Lamar Stewart, Pastor of Taylor Memorial Baptist Church. He is here today as the guest of STATED MEETING 4 10/19/2023 would ask all members, guests, and visitors to please rise. (Councilmembers, guests, and visitors rise.)
Thank you, Council President, and thank you, members of Council. Let us pray. God, we bless you today and we thank you. We thank you, God, for your presence. We thank you, God, for being a God of your promise. We thank you for your provision and your providence and your protection. Thank you, God, for leading and guiding our world, our city, our nation. Thank you, God, for your sovereignty and your power even in this moment. God, as we continue through this Council session, I pray that your presence and your agenda would be priority with every decision that's made. God, there's so many things STATED MEETING 5 10/19/2023 world around us that we are seeking your guidance and your prayer. We pray for the young people of the City of Philadelphia as they are going to and from school. We're praying that you would keep them protected and guided even in their neighborhoods and in communities that they are living in, oftentimes in conditions that are challenging. We pray, God, for their mind and their protection. We pray this morning for our schools and for school administrators, for those who are seeking to guide our young people and to keep them on the right path. We pray this morning for our first responders and those who are keeping our streets safe and those who are keeping order and peace within our communities. We pray for our community-based organizations and grassroot organizers STATED MEETING 6 10/19/2023 are on the front lines of justice and community transformation and healing. We pray, God, for victims and survivors of violence, particularly of gun violence, who are still trying to heal as we go into the holiday season. We pray for our seniors and those who are elderly who are trying to enjoy oftentimes retirement with just peace of mind. And we pray, God, for those who are unhoused, our homeless community, that you would guide them and protect them and give them peace and hope right now. Then finally, God, we pray for our elected officials and for this august body of Councilmembers. We pray for their families and their staff. We pray, God, that you continue to give Council and our electeds and our City leaders the discernment and wisdom and guidance that they need as they make decisions that STATED MEETING 7 10/19/2023 city, decisions around policy, decisions around funding, resolutions, and navigating local and world crisis. And, God, as we close this prayer, we're reminded of the words of the great gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. If I can help somebody as I travel along, if I can help somebody with a word or song, if I can help somebody from doing wrong, then my living shall not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a good person oft, if I can bring back beauty to a world up of wrought, if I can spread love's message as the master taught, then my living shall not be in vain. God, we pray these prayers and we pray that you will hear even our heart right now. I pray this prayer in the name that's significant to me, the name of Jesus the Christ, and for his sake, we do pray. Amen. (Amen.) STATED MEETING 8 10/19/2023
Thank you so much, Pastor, for your spiritual guidance. Council will be at ease. (Council at ease.)
Thank you again, Pastor, for your spiritual guidance this morning. We really need it. Thank you so much. Our next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 12, 2023, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 12th, 2023 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, October 12, 2023 stand approved. All in favor indicate by saying STATED MEETING 9 10/19/2023 (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and our Journal is approved. And our next order of business is request for leave of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the members, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.
The Chair thanks the gentleman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of the Council session that were not listed on the Calendar prior to our session today.
Thank you, STATED MEETING 10 10/19/2023 I move that any of the following matters, if considered today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on the amended agenda after the consideration of those matters: resolutions authorizing hearings, amendments to bills on first reading, the reconsideration of a bill vetoed by or re-called from the Mayor, amendments to bills re-called from the Mayor, resolutions taking substantive action to be voted on in this session, a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution that is not on the Calendar, and a motion placing a bill or resolution on or returning a bill or resolution from the Suspension Calendar that is not on today's Calendar. The purpose of this motion is to provide the public with notice concerning possible actions by Council that arose too late to be included in the schedule that was published prior to STATED MEETING 11 10/19/2023 (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilman Squilla may be added to the agenda for today should those matters arise during the course of the Council session. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. And our next order of business is communications. I would ask the Clerk to please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications that he may have in his possession today.
From the Mayor to the President and members of the Council STATED MEETING 12 10/19/2023 Philadelphia, I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution authorizing the conveyance of ownership interest in and the assignment of the purchase and development agreement for 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 East Somerset Street, and 3022 and 3026 North American Street located in the Seventh Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 2106 East Cumberland Street in the First Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia; and A resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 1218, 1220, 1222, and 1224 North 15th Street in the Fifth Councilmanic District; and STATED MEETING 13 10/19/2023 term of existence of The Philadelphia Parking Authority; and An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to modify certain easements and enter into an easement agreement with Famell, LLC for a portion of a parcel or parcels of land in and about the area bounded by Noble Street, 12th Street, Callowhill Street, 13th Street, more commonly known as 411 through 19 North 13th Street; and An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to grant to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, an easement on a portion of the parcel or parcels of land in and about the area bounded by Race Street, 24th Street, Spruce Street and the Schuylkill River, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. And our next order of business STATED MEETING 14 10/19/2023 is the introduction of bills and resolutions, and I would ask the Clerk to please read the titles of the legislation that's being offered by our members today.
Councilman Phillips offers four resolutions, entitled a privileged "Resolution recognizing and honoring Beneficial Multiservices LLC, located in the 9th Council District, for being a Comcast RISE awardee."
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Brilliant Stars Learning Center, located in the 9th Council District, for being a Comcast RISE Awardee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Eagle Staffing Company, located in the 9th STATED MEETING 15 10/19/2023 Council District, for being a Comcast RISE awardee.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring Vicki Riley on the occasion of her retirement.
Today's Calendar. The Chair recognizes Councilman Phillips.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues and the viewing public. Today I've introduced a resolution honoring Vicki Riley, a career public servant. (Applause.)
This Friday Vicki Riley will be retiring, so I wanted to take this opportunity to give STATED MEETING 16 10/19/2023 her her flowers while she can still smell them. I met Vicki Riley during a town hall that Cherelle Parker hosted in the 9th District and it was right after the pandemic. And we had about 40 or so vendors at that town hall, and in the midst of Cherelle's speech, she was talking and saying, I'm so excited that everyone is back from the pandemic. It's good to see everybody. And then she says, Vicki Riley, is that you? And just out of nowhere, I recognized that Vicki Riley was like a very important person in the City of Philadelphia for all of her service. And then I invited her to some block meetings that I organized as a volunteer in the 9th District for our neighborhood, and she came to every block meeting addressing issues around revenue, and she was incredible. Today I ask Vicki Riley why do you do this, what makes you -- why do you STATED MEETING 17 10/19/2023 love this? And she says, listen -- she came from Louisiana looking for an opportunity to come to Philadelphia on an adventure, she says. She just came to Philadelphia on an adventure, no job in hand. And sure enough, she created an adventure in Philly, and she's one of the greatest examples of a good City worker. So for decades Ms. Riley has served laudably as the Public Information Officer at the Philadelphia Department of Revenue. She's dedicated many years to attending more than 300 events, reaching out to various neighborhoods across the City. Mrs. Riley's impact and lasting influence can be seen in the countless homeowners she supported and informed about the Department of Revenue's assistance programs. In all that Vicki Riley has done, she's furthered the progress of our city and Philadelphians through dedication and excellence, contributed in a meaningful way to the STATED MEETING 18 10/19/2023 well-being of the communities, are integral to the functioning and wholesomeness of our city. As such, Vicki Riley's public service is much appreciated, and we want to wish her well and congratulate her on her retirement. And right before I acknowledge Vicki Riley to stand, I just also want to quickly say that Comcast RISE in our district has celebrated some amazing businesses, including one that is here today, Eagle Staffing Company. Ms. Melissa Santos, I just want -Melissa, are you here still? Stand up. Melissa Santos is one of the finer businesses in our district -(Applause.)
And the award, Comcast RISE supports entrepreneurs and small businesses with a comprehensive grant package that includes monetary grant, consultation, educational STATED MEETING 19 10/19/2023 resources. And we know small businesses are important. So to Eagle Staffing Company, we want to say thank you so much. Brilliant Stars Learning Center as well, Beneficial Multiservices, thank you so much for your work. They were also Comcast award recipients. But with that said, can our honoree who has worked for 27 years for the City of Philadelphia who retires this Friday, Ms. Vicki Riley, please stand. (Standing ovation.)
Thank you, Council President. And as you can see, she's loved.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
I just want to say to Member Phillips good job of STATED MEETING 20 10/19/2023 recognizing Ms. Riley, but I just want to give you one story. So we're out in a community meeting. It was packed to the rim, and it was about AVI. It was about raising taxes. Vicki Riley takes the mic, walks around answering questions, pointing out programs that each of my community members were eligible to take advantage of. By the end of the presentation, they were clapping about raising taxes. She cannot retire. I never saw that kind of reaction to a public servant, more or less a person who was talking about increasing taxes. So God bless you, Godspeed, and we look forward to the next chapter of your life. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 21 10/19/2023
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you, Council President. I do not want to belabor, but must rise in support of my colleague's resolution, Councilmember Phillips, in recognizing Vicki Riley for her stellar 27 years of service to the great City of Philadelphia. And I will tell you that I have had the pleasure of working with a number of people across City government who help our constituents navigate City government effectively, no one more effective than Vicki Riley. Vicki joined us every single Sunday before the pandemic at every single church visit we had for the last three years. And we restarted after the pandemic lightened up a bit, and she was with us every single weekend, not during the week, not in the evening, on weekends. And I just greatly appreciate STATED MEETING 22 10/19/2023 her bubbly spirit and sisterly effectiveness mixed with southern charm. She has just been one of the best public servants I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and I just wanted to give her kudos on a job well done and wish her well in her retirement. Thank you, Ms. Vicki. (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to add to everything that's being said about Vicki. We appreciate her so much in the 3rd District. She is always there at our events giving information about beneficial City programs and resources. This past year or so when the STATED MEETING 23 10/19/2023 assessments were raised, that was a hard time in the district. People were pretty upset. We did a number of property tax workshops. Vicki was always there. City government can be a thing that is big and confusing and complicated for constituents, but she makes it human, and she is always there and ready to engage. So my staff loves you, Vicki. Our constituents love you. Thank you so much for all of your service, and I hope you enjoy your retirement. You deserve that after giving us so many years. Thank you.
Thank you, and good luck. Mr. Decker, please proceed.
Councilman Thomas STATED MEETING 24 10/19/2023 offers a privileged resolution honoring and congratulating the Champions of the Week, Student Activists Against Sexual Assault, for their continued determination and advocacy towards sexual violence awareness and prevention at Temple University.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. Today we are joined by our Champions of the Week, the Student Activists Against Sexual Rape. Today we have the founder, Ray -- the founder and President, Ray; Vice President, Val; Rebecca and Ava. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and one in three college women have reported being raped or sexually assaulted based on some relationship they have. Fifty-seven percent of college women say that those STATED MEETING 25 10/19/2023 relationships took place while actually being enrolled in the university. This organization has done great work, including receiving $200,000 worth of free Uber rides for students to assure that people are safe when traveling to and from events, and overall they've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to work with college students to assure their safety and to do their part to fight against sexual assault. Can we have the young people who started that organization that's here today please stand so we can give them a round of applause. (Applause.)
Thank you to those amazing young people, and thank you to my colleagues for supporting our Champion of the Week. And a special shout-out to one of my staff members, Ben, who is also one of the founding STATED MEETING 26 10/19/2023 members of the organization, which is housed at Temple University. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. That will be on this week's Calendar.
Councilman Jones offers three resolutions. On behalf of Council President Clarke, a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 3112 West Dakota Street located in the 5th Councilmanic District.
And on his own behalf, Councilman Jones offers a privileged resolution authorizing the Joint Committees on Education and Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs to hold public hearings to examine the cost and liabilities for the School District and the Department of Parks and Recreation to STATED MEETING 27 10/19/2023 ease the barriers of access to youth sports.
And a non-privileged resolution also naming the 4200 block of Houghton Street as "William 'Speedy' Morris Way."
Councilwoman Lozada offers two bills and two resolutions, entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard, Adams Avenue, Ramona Street, Wyoming Avenue and Whitaker Avenue; and An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Pratt Street, Darrah Street, Dyre Street, STATED MEETING 28 10/19/2023 and Frankford Avenue.
And a privileged resolution recognizing Friday, October 20, 2023, as Community Media Day and Honoring Public, Educational, and Government Access Channels in the City of Philadelphia.
And a privileged resolution recognizing and honoring the heroism of police officer Richard Mendez, an exceptional public servant, who gave everything in his duty to the City of Philadelphia.
Councilwoman Brooks offers a privileged resolution STATED MEETING 29 10/19/2023 declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.
Councilman Harrity offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 9-2300 of The Philadelphia Code to provide greater protections for displaced contract workers." Mr. President, Councilman Harrity would like to be recognized for a motion on this ordinance.
Referred to committee. Councilman Harrity. I'm sorry.
Council President, I move that the bill be withdrawn so I can work on some of the language.
Oh, I am sorry. Thank you. STATED MEETING 30 10/19/2023 (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor of the withdrawal, please say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that bill is withdrawn. Thank you, Councilman.
And a privileged resolution honoring Carlos "King Arthur" Alvarez on his induction into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and his lifetime achievements in the music industry.
This week's Calendar. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Harrity.
Thank you, Council President and colleagues. STATED MEETING 31 10/19/2023 You know, as Councilman Phillips said, we should give flowers to people while they're here. You know, I grew up on King Arthur, listening to his radio show with my parents. To this day, my father has a jukebox in his living room that has nothing but doo-wop music in it, and we have to suffer through it every holiday. But I gest, because I'm actually a big fan of doo-wop and also a big fan of King Arthur. He was inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, along with such greats as Clyde McPhatter, the Ivy Brothers, Dee Dee Sharp. He was honored for his producing and promoting of this music. A lot of us listened to him with our families on the AM radio station, and I think it's just great that Philly gets so many honors by so many musicians and things. We are known throughout the country as a place where music thrives, and I think that it's just STATED MEETING 32 10/19/2023 great, and I think it's great that we have another one of our own, King Arthur, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So thank you.
Councilwoman Gauthier offers one bill and two resolutions, entitled "An ordinance to approve amendments to the University of Pennsylvania Master Plan in the area bounded by Walnut Street, 33rd Street, Spruce Street, and 34th Street, related to the Stuart Weitzman Hall at 220 South 33rd Street."
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1511 through 17 South 55th Street located in the 3rd Councilmanic District.
And STATED MEETING 33 10/19/2023 that will be on next week's Calendar.
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 5232 Chester Avenue, 5906 Market Street, 5908 Market Street, and 6025 Washington Avenue in the Third Councilmanic District.
Councilman Squilla offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance extending term" -- on behalf of Council President Clarke, an ordinance extending the term of the existence of The Philadelphia Parking Authority.
And a non-privileged resolution authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property to STATED MEETING 34 10/19/2023 execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority deeds conveying fee simple title to 2106 East Cumberland Street in the First Councilmanic District.
Councilwoman Bass offers a non-privileged resolution recognizing Governor Shapiro's Executive Order to create a Behavioral Health Council in which state leaders, local governments, and community providers join forces to design and implement a statewide action plan with aim to address how to effectively deliver exceptional mental health and addiction care services.
There are no other bills or resolutions being offered today by the members, Mr. President.
STATED MEETING 35 10/19/2023 much, Mr. Decker. That concludes our introduction of bills and resolutions, and our next order of business is the reports from committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for a report from the Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee of the Whole offers one bill with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. Mr. Decker, please read that report.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Committee of the Whole, to which was referred Bill No. 200253, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 20-303 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Salaries of Specified Officers,' to establish salaries based on an Annual STATED MEETING 36 10/19/2023 Plan, under certain terms and conditions," respectfully reports it has considered and amended the same and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Jones.
Thank you again, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 200253. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 200253. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
STATED MEETING 37 10/19/2023 opposed? (No response.)
The ayes have it, and this bill will be on our First Reading Calendar today. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Thomas for a report from the Committee on Streets and Services.
Good morning, Council President. The Committee on Streets and Services reports out 25 bills with a favorable recommendation.
The Committee on Streets and Services, to which was referred Bill No. 230445, entitled "An ordinance authorizing Brandywine Realty Trust to construct, own and maintain STATED MEETING 38 10/19/2023 3001 through 3003 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, 3025 John F. Kennedy, 3025 through 53 Market Street, and 3101 through 57 Market Street (Rear)"; and Bill No. 230486, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 308 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Addison Street from a point approximately eighty feet east of Fifth Street to its terminus further eastwardly therefrom"; and Bill No. 230487, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-900 ('Parking Regulations and Penalties') and 12-2800 ('Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations') of The Philadelphia Code to revise requirements, limitations, and fines with respect to angle parking"; and Bill No. 230488, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City STATED MEETING 39 10/19/2023 146 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Morse Street from Beach Street to Allen Street and Allen Street from Morse Street to its terminus northeastwardly therefrom"; and Bill No. 230489, entitled "An ordinance adding a new Chapter 12-3600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Camera-Based Enforcement Systems For Parking, Stopping, and Standing Violations That Interfere With Mass Transit,' to decrease traffic congestion, improve traffic safety, and address the climate crisis within the City of Philadelphia"; and Bill No. 230550, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the installation of all-way stop signs at the intersection of 34th Street and West Allegheny Avenue"; and Bill No. 230570, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 11-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Right of Way Management,' by amending Section 11-705, STATED MEETING 40 10/19/2023 'Construction,' by adding new provisions relating to notice"; and Bill No. 230572, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 1216 North 29th Street"; and Bill No. 230573, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 635 West Girard Avenue"; and Bill No. 230575, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 266 by striking from the City Plan and vacating the legally open portion of Lex Street from Thompson Street to its terminus southwardly therefrom"; and Bill No. 230577, entitled "An ordinance granting permission to Wynnefield/Overbrook Eruv Association, in order to demarcate the boundaries of a Wynnefield/Overbrook eruv district, to construct and maintain a clear nylon cord STATED MEETING 41 10/19/2023 including a maximum of one hundred poles and forty-five pieces of plexiglass along, over, and in public rights-of-way"; and Bill No. 230580, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 817 Christian Street"; and Bill No. 230581, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 1524 South 10th Street"; and Bill No. 230582, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 2301 East Albert Street"; and Bill No. 230584, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 9-212 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Newsstands,' by modifying the list of products that may be sold from newsstands"; and Bill No.
230621, entitled "An ordinance establishing a no truck parking regulation on both sides of Nevada Street STATED MEETING 42 10/19/2023 51st Street and West Dauphin Street"; and Bill No. 230622, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 4629 through 4631 Baltimore Avenue"; and Bill No. 230623, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 701 South 50th Street"; and Bill No. 230624, entitled "An ordinance authorizing encroachments in the nature of a sidewalk cafe in the vicinity of 4430 Pine Street"; and Bill No. 230625, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 9-208 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Sidewalk Cafes,' by permitting sidewalk cafes to be maintained in certain locations in the Sixth District of Council"; and Bill No. 230652, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 2 of an ordinance (Bill No. 170086) approved STATED MEETING 43 10/19/2023 22, 2017, entitled 'An ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 269 by relocating portions of the houselines and curblines of Convention Avenue, from Thirty-Fourth Street to Health Sciences Drive,' by extending the period for compliance with the terms and conditions stated therein"; and Bill No. 230655, entitled "An ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code, by amending Section 9-203 relating to Street Vendors, by prohibiting street vending on certain portions of Girard Avenue"; and Bill No. 230676, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-3000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Use Of An Automated Red Light Enforcement System To Prevent Red Light Violations,' by authorizing the installation of red light enforcement systems at the intersection of Belmont Avenue, Ford Road and Overbrook Avenue"; and STATED MEETING 44 10/19/2023 230677, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-3000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Use Of An Automated Red Light Enforcement System To Prevent Red Light Violations,' by authorizing the installation of red light enforcement systems at the intersection of Kelly Drive and Falls Bridge"; and Bill No. 230678, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 12-3000 of Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Use Of An Automated Red Light Enforcement System To Prevent Red Light Violations,' by authorizing the installation of red light enforcement systems at the intersection of 17th Street and Washington Avenue," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you, Mr. Decker. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Thomas. STATED MEETING 45 10/19/2023
Thank you, Council President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading this day of the 25 bills that were just read into the record by the Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of the 25 bills just read by the Clerk. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and these bills will be on our First Reading Calendar today. That concludes our reports from STATED MEETING 46 10/19/2023 2ND READING committee, and our next order of business is consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committee with a suspension of the rules have been deemed to have had a first reading. They will be on our Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar at our next session of Council. As there are no additional bills on the First Reading Calendar today, the Chair recognizes Councilman Jones for the purpose of calling up the bills and resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar today.
Thank you, Mr. President. The following resolutions and bills are being called up from Second Reading to Final Passage Calendars today: Nos. 230705, 230706, and 230708. All other resolutions and bills are being held.
Thank you very much. Before considering the STATED MEETING 47 10/19/2023 resolutions and bills on our Final Passage Calendar today, we will have our public comment. It will go as follows: Your public comment must concern matters that are on the Final Passage Calendar today. Your names will be called in the order in which you signed up. When your name is called, you will go to the podium in the middle of the Council Chamber. There's a device on that podium. There's a light. When the light turns green, it will be your time to speak. When the light turns yellow, you will have 30 seconds to conclude your remarks, and when the light turns red, we'd ask that you please adhere to our guidelines and our timeline that was established today. As I said earlier, given the volume of individuals that wish to testify today and our interest in ensuring that everybody has an opportunity and people don't have to wait STATED MEETING 48 10/19/2023 around for three hours to speak, we will be giving 90 seconds today. So, again, please adjust your testimony to reflect the 90-second timeline. Thank you very much for your interest in testifying and your participation in your government in action. Mr. Decker, please call the first name on the list.
The first speaker today, Mr. President, is Pennsylvania State Representative Jared Solomon. (No response.)
Pennsylvania State Representative Jared Solomon. (No response.)
I do not see the Rep. I don't think the Rep is here. Next name.
The next speaker is Amichai Shdimah and Cory Shdimah, STATED MEETING 49 10/19/2023 commenting on 230706. (Witnesses approached podium.)
I want to start by giving testimony to a nightmare that became reality. Early morning Saturday, October 7, my 84-year-old stepmother, Ditza Heiman, was awakened by a Red Alert. As always in this situation, she moved to a safe room inside the house. Contact with Ditza was lost around 10:00 a.m. Hours later after trying to contact her, somebody answered the phone and said it is Hamas. Later a neighbor shared that he tried to help her, come to her aid. He saw that she was escorted by terrorists and was unable to help her. He went back to his safe room. STATED MEETING 50 10/19/2023 Two days later the family found a Hamas propaganda video showing somebody breaking into her home, leading her outside, and being seated in their car. This is the last evidence we have of what happened to her, and it is very important to highlight to the world that she was (unintelligible) life. Due to chronic illness, she needs medicine. Is she getting the care she needs? There are many painful questions, but there are no answers. I want to thank Councilmembers Johnson and Driscoll for putting this important resolution forward. The resolution clearly -(Audience members yelling.)
Hold up. Hold up. Check this out. Hold up. Everybody is going to get a chance to speak. (Audience members yelling.)
Either you will participate in the STATED MEETING 51 10/19/2023 decorum of the Council or you will not be in the Council Chambers today. We're going to give everybody a chance to speak. Let everybody have their say. If you want to speak, you speak. All right? We're not doing that today. Next name.
The next speaker today is Andrea Custis, commenting on 230706. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. To the honorable members of the Philadelphia City Council, I stand before you today to express my strong support for the resolution condemning the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and calling for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. STATED MEETING 52 10/19/2023 The recent events in Israel have been deeply tragic, with the death toll of this heinous massacre surpassing 1,300 civilians. Over 3,300 individuals, including men, women, children, have been gravely injured. Let us not merely label it an attack. This was a barbaric massacre. It is heart-wrenching to think of the 150 innocent individuals, including infants and elderly Holocaust survivors, who were kidnapped and taken as hostages by Hamas. Everyone around the world must condemn terrorist acts. It is imperative to note that Hamas's intention is not to seek a two-state solution or uplift the Palestinian people, but to destroy the Jewish state and perpetrate violence against Jews. It is equally crucial to differentiate between Hamas extremist organization and the innocent Palestinians. Both Israel and Palestinians suffer due to the actions of STATED MEETING 53 10/19/2023 Hamas. So let me just close by saying I would ask City Council -(Audience members yelling.)
All right. All right. Hold up. Hold up. If you don't want to be in the room, you can just leave now, right? Or if you were scheduled to testify, then we ask that you respect the speakers. You will be given a chance to give your perspective on this issue, but you can't holler and scream at these individuals. (Applause.)
Just calm down. Everybody will have a chance to get their perspective. There will be a balanced list, but I got to tell you that if you're not going to be civil in here as it relates to allowing people to speak, you're going to be out of here. It's real simple. STATED MEETING 54 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
The next speaker, Mr. President, is Reverend Marshall Mitchell. (No response.)
The next speaker is Pastor Carl Day. (Witness approached podium.)
Pastor Carl Day, Culture Changing Christians. This morning I just want to STATED MEETING 55 10/19/2023 thank Councilman Jones for putting this resolution together. I firmly -- I'm sorry. Johnson and Driscoll. I'm sitting here looking at my man, Mr. 4th Ward. But I do want to thank you all for this resolution. First and foremost, I do condemn the attacks of Hamas, but I also recognize that there are many people right now caught in the cross-hairs of what's going on. I do want to sit there and let it be known that I'm praying for peace, reconciliation, also that the hostages will be returned back to their homes, that peace will come about between both sides, because what we're seeing right now, nothing but devastation and trauma will continue to happen right now, which makes it inevitably impossible for both sides to reconcile to further to discontinue. So my prayer is that, again, peace will come about, the terrorism STATED MEETING 56 10/19/2023 would not be condoned, terrorism would be abolished, that Hamas will show themselves and stop putting their own people at risk so that then people can move forward. So as a man of God, as a person who is on the front lines in the City that won't be disrespected by anybody in here too, by the way, I'm asking that we continue to go ahead and pray that we will go ahead -- I'm saying what I'm saying -- that we will pray and hope that this will come to an end. So may God be with everybody. Thank you.
The next speaker is Mark Zucker, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. (Witness approached podium.) STATED MEETING 57 10/19/2023
Council President, esteemed members of Council, thank you for allowing me to speak. Mark Zucker, as has been identified. I am the Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. I'm here to express our Association's support for the Resolution 230706 and to thank Councilpersons Johnson and Driscoll for introducing the resolution. While our Bar Association and this legislative body by necessity are focused primarily on local issues, there are times like this when speaking out on an international issue is warranted. This is precisely why yesterday our Bar Association issued a statement which declared as follows: As an association of thousands of lawyers who stand for mutual respect, security, and the rule of law and who STATED MEETING 58 10/19/2023 promote constructive solutions to intractable problems locally, nationally, and globally, we support this resolution condemning the horrific and brutal acts of terrorism by Hamas which have caused tremendous human suffering and death through barbaric acts that violate international law. The resolution appropriately assigns blame where it belongs, on the unilateral and inhumane acts of a terrorist organization, which has set in motion a series of events that are causing pain and anguish not only to the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel that is beyond comprehension but also consequential pain and anguish for the residents of Gaza. (Audience members yelling.)
STATED MEETING 59 10/19/2023 Thank you. (Applause.)
Jason Holtzman, commenting on 230706. (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning, Council. I'm Jason Holtzman. I'm the Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. First, I want to thank Councilmen Kenyatta Johnson and Mike Driscoll for introducing this resolution and the Councilmembers for unanimously signing on to this resolution as an acknowledgment that Hamas is a terrorist organization whose purpose is to kill Israelis and Jews without regard for STATED MEETING 60 10/19/2023 Palestinian life. On October 7th, Hamas attacked Israel, launching thousands of rockets, murdering civilians, and taking hundreds hostage. Because of Hamas, October 7, 2023 now marks the highest number of Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust. Hamas's war crimes are some of the most worst that the world has ever seen. Babies were burned. More than 40 babies were murdered. Women were raped. Elderly people, including Holocaust survivors, being murdered while in captive. (Audience members yelling.)
Like any other country under attack, Israel has the right to defend itself while remaining committed to its humanitarian values. Israel tries to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible, going out of its way to warn civilians of upcoming operations, even at the risk of Israel's military success. STATED MEETING 61 10/19/2023 (Audience members yelling.)
The same cannot be said for Hamas or their supporters, who frequently use Palestinian civilians as human shields, firing rockets for mosques, schools, and hospitals. Clear evidence reveals that terrorists in Gaza were responsible for the recent strike on a Gaza hospital that killed innocent Palestinians. (Audience members yelling.)
All right. Thank you. Thank you. This is the deal. Everybody that doesn't have a seat, you go outside. If you're scheduled to testify, you will be called, you come in and testify. All right? But we're just not going to have people just disrespecting speakers today. I mean, everybody has a list. This is a balanced list. Everybody will have an opportunity to give their STATED MEETING 62 10/19/2023 perspective, but if your intent is to come here and disrupt, you're just not going to be able to participate today. It's real simple. All right? Real simple. (Audience members yelling.)
You have to leave. (Audience members being escorted out of Chambers.)
The next speaker is Ray Epstein, commenting on 230722. (Witnesses approached podium.)
Ms. Epstein, Ray Epstein, Champions of the Week.
Good morning. My name is Ray Epstein and I'm the President of Student Activists Against Sexual Assault at Temple University. Thank you for letting me speak, Council President Clarke. STATED MEETING 63 10/19/2023 Right now on Temple University's campus, my peers are hanging t-shirts on a clothes line to represent those who have been victimized by domestic and sexual violence, and when I leave here today, I will be joining them. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and one in three college women report being in an abusive relationship. Fifty-seven percent of those college women say that those abusive relationships took place while they were enrolled at their university. Our organization is working tirelessly to reduce those numbers. We have partnered with Uber, who has awarded us $200,000 in free rides to help students get home safely when they find themselves sexually vulnerable. We are proud to be one of the many organizations in Philadelphia who are fighting to eliminate domestic violence in our city, and I am truly honored to be here to address you today. STATED MEETING 64 10/19/2023 Thank you.
He's on his way. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Good morning. I've heard the word "Hamas" before I left out to assist the young lady who was being, you know, grabbed by five grown men, STATED MEETING 65 10/19/2023 decedents of slaves who grabbed this young sister. My ring was also ripped off when I was trying to assist her, so I hope -- I'm saying it on public record that somebody, you know, can help retrieve my ring. The word "Hamas" is keep being used, and that's a word that many of you that I know for sure start hearing about a few weeks ago. I was sitting in the Caucus Room with a lady named Betty who has been protesting about Palestine and the genocide. That's a word I haven't heard anybody use today, "genocide." (Applause.)
So when people like Pastor Carl Day gets up here and speaks and talks about the Hamas and the terrorists, he learned about that two STATED MEETING 66 10/19/2023 weeks ago. That's -(Applause.)
Betty -- where you at, Betty? Betty was protesting about Palestine in 1967 when my mother was seven years old. (Applause.)
I reached out to Councilman Johnson yesterday, because he's somebody who before the recent situation, he's somebody that I've supported and genuinely love, and this conflict and this genocide has caused so much division within our city. And as I look over and I see the Councilwoman from Kensington over here and I see you guys paying attention to such -- him to have a resolution for such a global matter and we have so many local issues, we have so much poverty and violence in the City. STATED MEETING 67 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
We will remember this during election time. We will remember this during election time. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
Come on, guys, let us get through the list. All right? People want to speak. STATED MEETING 68 10/19/2023 Next name.
The next name is Nour Qutyan. (Witness approached podium.) (Applause.)
Hello. My name is Nour Qutyan and I in the strongest terms condemn this resolution that was brought forward by Johnson and Driscoll. Genocide will be not endorsed in my name. (Applause.)
(Unintelligible) and human rights (unintelligible) per our agreement as well as an apartheid state committing war crimes against stateless indigenous people. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 69 10/19/2023
Our government is funding Israel and its march to genocide, giving the state $3.8 billion annually. It was a U.S.-manufactured bomb that dropped on the Baptist Hospital in Gaza two years ago and killed over a thousand people so far (unintelligible). In the few days since, the Palestinian death toll has risen from 3,000 to 4,200. City Council is now terming this genocide as Israel's right to defend itself. Will you stand with Israel and call their war crimes self-defense when the death toll reaches 10,000? What about when it reaches 100,000? What about when it reaches 2.2 million residents in Gaza, totally erasing (unintelligible) -(Audience members yelling.)
-- and making room for amusement parks and (unintelligible). Israel wants to build over Palestinian STATED MEETING 70 10/19/2023 corpses. This is the dark future you are signing onto with this Resolution 230706. (Audience members yelling.)
This is the violence you are normalizing and justifying as moral and right. The blood of thousands was already on your hands when you all co-signed this resolution, and the blood of thousands more will stain your hands forever if you pass this resolution today. (Audience members yelling.)
(Unintelligible) your support of this resolution (unintelligible) inhumane. If you truly want lasting peace, the only way that will ever happen is to dismantle occupation, apartheid, and -(Audience members yelling.)
(Unintelligible.) STATED MEETING 71 10/19/2023 Until then, there will be no justice and there will be no peace.
Okay, guys. All right. Next speaker. People wanted to speak, let them speak, please. Next speaker.
Anusha Khan, commenting on 230706. (Witness approached podium.) (Applause.)
This is Anusha Khan speaking against Resolution 230706. This resolution stakes blame on an occupied people's resistance to colonization. There's a gross under-evaluation of the indigenous STATED MEETING 72 10/19/2023 (unintelligible) lives. There's no mention of the war crimes or condemnation of the (unintelligible) of a colonistic state of Israel that perpetrated violence over the Palestinian people over decades. The federal colony of Israel is starkly defended in this resolution, with no accountability for the inhumane conditions that have been inflicted on the West Bank and Gaza, with 4,000 dead already and more people already dying in the West Bank where Hamas has no influence. We need to propose and support a bill that calls for the cease fire and allows aid into Gaza and not (unintelligible) -(Audience members yelling.)
-- Israeli's occupation force fund. The blood is not only on your hands, Councilwomen and men. I hope you recognize the change in our democracy and see that moral conscious cannot forever STATED MEETING 73 10/19/2023 be outweighed by greed. The events set forth in motion did not begin in October 7th but instead 1948 and honestly quite prior. (Audience members yelling.)
(Unintelligible) the Palestinian people. If Israelis stop fighting, there will be peace, but if the Palestinians stop fighting, they will cease to exist. Over a thousand children are dead with countless war crimes, including white phosphorous and the collective punishment of Palestinian citizens. Israel has the power to limit electricity, water, food, and medicine in Gaza, which is the clear sign of the oppressor. There's nothing to like in the acts other than genocide. Free Palestine. Call for the cease fire and end the occupation (unintelligible). (Audience members yelling.)
Free Palestine. STATED MEETING 74 10/19/2023 (Applause.) (Audience members chanting.)
Come on, come on. Let people speak. You got a lot of people that want to speak. Next name.
Good morning. My name is Nora. How can you fit 4,000 years worth of history in a minute, in 90 seconds? It's impossible. So I ask you, did you ask your Palestinian constituents about co-writing this resolution? I highly doubt it, but I'm sure you had other people. STATED MEETING 75 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
Your callous (unintelligible) situation in the City. Let's begin with the facts that the occupied territories is the same thing as Palestine. Occupied territories is Palestine. Palestine is occupied by the apartheid state named Israel, which has been proven by human rights organizations, including an Israeli organization B'Tselem. Your resolution says committed to promoting peace, justice, and security for all people. Yet where is the acknowledgment of the dehumanization and genocide that's taking place to the Palestinian people in Gaza and -(Audience members yelling.)
-- and the arrest and killings in the West Bank, where Hamas does not exist. At least one million people are STATED MEETING 76 10/19/2023 currently displaced. That's more than half the population of Philadelphia. Imagine one million Philadelphians displaced. We talk about displacement and gentrification up in this place, right? But we don't talk about colonization and how that's gentrification and displacement. (Applause.)
Over 3,900 people have been killed, over 14,000 missing. Our people have been under siege for 16 years in a place that is six feet by -- 6 miles by 25 miles. That is actually only 1.8 square miles smaller than Philadelphia, having -- with double the population in it, being bombed, more bombs in six days than one year in Afghanistan.
Thank you. STATED MEETING 77 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
Good morning. My name is Sarah Trad. In the last two weeks, the Israeli government has used white phosphorous in Lebanon and Gaza, a human rights violation recognized by international law, and bombed the Egyptian border to stop humanitarian aid, as well as committed numerous acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. These crimes are numerous, including the IOF invasion of the Shuafat refugee camp in Al-Quds, Jerusalem, killing of over 54 Palestinians in the West Bank outside of Hamas's control, and just Tuesday the STATED MEETING 78 10/19/2023 bombing of the Anglican Hospital in the middle of Gaza City, killing 500 civilians, civilian children and staff. Israel has committed war crimes, such as killing of almost a dozen Palestinian journalists, clearly marked in white brood press attire, bombing civilian escape routes and, most shockingly, cut off an entire city's water and electricity supply. These actions have been fueled and justified by misinformation based on racism and egregiously unprofessional journalism, and they have real consequences such as when the BBC world tweeted the possibility that Hamas might be building tunnels under the Anglican Hospital a day before it was bombed. (Audience members yelling.)
This coverage is meant to homogenize the idea of the Palestinian civilian, Hamas, and so-called terrorism. It has real world consequences, and when you speak for me STATED MEETING 79 10/19/2023 and my community, I demand that you not only oppose this resolution but to use your platform to denounce the Israeli war machine and 75 years of occupation against the Palestinian people. (Applause.)
I demand that you open the borders to allow humanitarian aid and the human right to water for our community. Thank you.
Susan Abulhawa. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 80 10/19/2023 (Witness approached podium.)
This resolution is just like a city resolution that was passed in August of 1831 that condemned the so-called savage assault that was led by Nat Turner -(Applause.)
-- against defenseless women and children sleeping on the plantation in the big house. They said it was unprovoked and sickening, and they affirmed the need to whip and execute more enslaved people in self-defense to put an end to such savage ideas. My grandmothers died penniless refugees so every privileged Jew in this room and beyond can have an extra country. My mother and grandmother died waiting to go home to the stolen homes in STATED MEETING 81 10/19/2023 Jerusalem while European Jews lived in their homes, people who had no lineage in that land, while being (unintelligible) -(Audience members yelling.)
-- continuously living in the same village, but none of us are allowed to be there, but all these folks can be there just for being Jewish. Seeing all these Black faces in this room cheering a genocidal settler colonial project, it means one thing, and that is that white supremacy has become multi-racial. (Audience members yelling.)
So congratulations on this feat. (Applause.) (Audience members chanting.)
Come on. Quiet, quiet, quiet, please. Quiet, please. STATED MEETING 82 10/19/2023 Next name. (Audience member yelling.)
Here? (Witness approached podium.) (Applause.) STATED MEETING 83 10/19/2023
Good morning. My name is Dou Nya Ramadan. I oppose Resolution 23706 [sic]. As you introduced in this resolution, Councilman Johnson, you have stated and quoted violence and terrorism can never be justified as a means to achieve political goals. My question is, why has this not been applied to the United States? The fact of the matter is, that is exactly what the United States has been engaging in for years and at this very moment as we speak. The U.S. has been funding and unequivocally supporting a settler colonial expansion project and ethnic cleansing campaign since the illegal state of Israel had formed in 1948, giving $3.8 billion to Israel in military aid, in this case actively choosing violence to achieve U.S. STATED MEETING 84 10/19/2023 political interests at the expense of indigenous Palestinians and Israeli lives. It was never to protect the people living there. It wasn't a continued to be all about protecting U.S. interests. Therefore, the Zioness project needed to survive with our U.S. tax dollars and an incredibly ruthless propaganda campaign by Israel and its strongest ally, the U.S., where everyone who speaks out against this project is faced with and continues to be faced with the backlash of being castigated as a disgusting anti-Semite. If this Zioness project were ever questioned, one has always been immediately shut down and condemned. Man, I wish all racism was treated in this manner by the United States. (Applause.)
(Unintelligible) STATED MEETING 85 10/19/2023 state in this country has been justified as a means to achieve political goals. Joe Biden quite blatantly proclaimed in Congress on June 5th, 1986 that it is the best $3 billion investment we make. Were there not in Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect their interests in the region. (Audience members yelling.)
Furthermore, it is stated in this resolution that dialogue and negotiation are the only vital paths towards lasting peace and stability. Well, Council, there can't be any more dialogue or negotiation if the Palestinian population arrives at zero or in other terms it's completely exterminated or wiped off the face of this planet.
Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 86 10/19/2023
All right. All right. All right. Next speaker, Mr. Decker.
Good morning. I'm Danielle Weiss. I am your constituent, and I speak here today in my capacity as the Chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. We extend our deepest thanks to Councilman Johnson, Councilman Driscoll, and all of you today voting on Resolution 230706 for your support of Israel and for standing together with the Jewish community in this profoundly dark moment. (Audience members booing.)
Hold STATED MEETING 87 10/19/2023 on. Hold on. Hold up. Folks, hey, come on. You can't be one-sided. All right? Everybody gets a chance to speak. Respect the speaker regardless of their perspective. I just ask you to let them speak. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Please proceed.
Standing with Israel against Hamas, a terrorist regime, and with the Jewish community confirms my unending pride for being a Philadelphian. As a Jew, I am grateful that you understand the significance of Israel as the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people for more than 2,000 years (unintelligible) -(Audience members yelling.)
It makes perfect sense that this city, which birthed modern democracy, stands in solidarity with the only true liberal democracy in the Middle East. My community is grieving. STATED MEETING 88 10/19/2023 (Audience members yelling.)
Hold on, ma'am. Hold on. (Audience members yelling.)
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Are you all right? All right. Go ahead, ma'am. Continue your testimony.
Thank you. We, the Jewish community, are grieving. Our greatest Jewish value is the sanctity of human life. We mourn not only for the loss of life -(Audience members yelling.)
Hold on. Hold up. You all are like not -this is not right. All right? You can't like scream and holler. (Audience members yelling.)
I understand that, but you can't scream and holler when somebody else has a different perspective and then it's okay when you STATED MEETING 89 10/19/2023 want to cheer, right? (Audience members yelling.)
No, man. Be fair out of respect. (Audience members yelling.)
Be fair. You can have your perspective. You can testify. (Audience members yelling.)
We mourn not only for the loss of life in Israel but also the loss of innocent life in Gaza. It has been difficult to push through the pain of living through the single deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. To process this current continuing trauma, I have found solace in the immortal words of Anne Frank, child Holocaust victim, who left behind a legacy of hope and wisdom. She wrote in her diary: It really is a wonder that I STATED MEETING 90 10/19/2023 haven't dropped all of my ideals because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out, yet I keep them. Because despite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually turning into wilderness.
I hear the approaching thunder. I believe if I look up to the heavens, I think it will come out right --
-- that one of these days, this cruelty will end and peace and tranquility will return.
Thank you. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 91 10/19/2023
Sir, come on. Come on, guys. Come on, calm down, man. Come on. Come on, y'all. Next name.
My name is Tara Tarawnett and I'm here to oppose the resolution you're all about to sign on. The resolution does something very dangerous. It implies that Hamas strikes first this time. We all know this is not true, because Israel by the sheer fact of its existence always strikes first. It is a settler colonial state based on the murder and expulsion of Palestinians. STATED MEETING 92 10/19/2023 The military occupation of the West Bank, that is an example of Israel striking first. The equation of violence on both sides and the equation of casualties on both sides are also very dangerous, because there are no civilians in a settler state. They all serve in the Army for two years and they're actively participating in the colonization of land. (Applause.)
The right for colonized people to resist their colonization by any means necessary, including armed resistance, is recognized under international law. (Applause.)
When considering the question of peace, it is STATED MEETING 93 10/19/2023 always important to ask peace for whom. Israel continuing to occupy Palestinian land while ethnically cleansing and displacing Palestinians is not peace. Israel is systemically depriving Palestinians of food, water, and shelter while holding them in prison and bombing them is not peace. Israel regularly carrying out violent attacks on Palestinians is not peace. Colonization is not and will never be peace, and Palestinians, like all of us people, have the right to resist their oppressors by any means necessary. (Applause.)
If you sign on to this resolution, you all have blood on your hands. We will never forgive and we will forget. Shame on all of you. (Applause.) STATED MEETING 94 10/19/2023
All right. Quiet, please. (Audience members yelling.)
Come on. Come on. We've got people that want to speak. Come on. (Audience member yelling.)
Hey, sir, come on, you got to stop. You got to chill. All right? Next name.
My name is Betsy Piette and I oppose Resolution 230706. I have lived in the Philadelphia area for 35 years and I've watched the bombing that Israel does on a regular basis of Palestinian homes, killing and maiming Palestinian children STATED MEETING 95 10/19/2023 and families. Since 2008, they have bombed Gaza at least ten times, and I have not seen this Council pass a single resolution against that. Against that. (Applause.)
I have to ask, what would this Council have done about apartheid in South Africa? Would you have passed a resolution supporting the right of those carrying out apartheid because it's -- you know, against the attacks for those fighting apartheid? If you vote for this resolution, it's the same thing. (Applause.)
You know, I think it was Councilman Driscoll who said Israelis should have the unalienable rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Councilman Driscoll, most STATED MEETING 96 10/19/2023 of the people in Israel aren't supposed to be covered by the U.S. Constitution. Well, because a lot of them come from the U.S., so maybe they are. But what about the unalienable right of oppressed people to resist? What about that right? What about that right? Israel has become the biggest gentrifier in the world. They have taken over the entire land of an indigenous population, and they are in the process right now of murdering two million of them.
Are you going to vote for justification? What is the message to the people in Chinatown --
-- about that? Shame on you if you vote (unintelligible.) STATED MEETING 97 10/19/2023 (Applause.) (Audience members yelling.)
Come on. Everybody will have a chance -everybody that's on the list will have a chance to speak. Just calm down. Next name.
My name is Tali Ruskin. I'm a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a national organization (unintelligible) -(Audience members yelling.)
-- in solidarity with the Palestinian (unintelligible). Following Israel's STATED MEETING 98 10/19/2023 establishment on May 14th, 1948, the new Israeli government set up an unofficial body called the Transfer Committee to oversee the destruction of Palestinian towns and villages, order repopulation with Jews, and to prevent displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes. The Committee called for the, quote, destruction of villages as much as possible during military operations. Honorable Council, Israel has been forcibly wiping out entire communities of Palestinians from their land for over 75 years. They've been doing so systematically using military violence, intimidation, imprisonment, and apartheid laws to enact a decades-long slow genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. That is what you should be condemning. (Applause.)
Over the past STATED MEETING 99 10/19/2023 week, Israel has revved up its genocide efforts into turbo speed, bombing thousands, sending down the bombs on (unintelligible), killing thousands of Palestinians, including children. That is what we need to be condemning. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu posted on Twitter, this is a struggle between children of light and children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle. I'm going to repeat that. Between children of light and children of darkness. You represent a city that is a majority of people of color. How can you support that state that says that? How can you not condemn that? (Applause.)
What Israel is doing in Gaza is genocide. STATED MEETING 100 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
Good morning. My name is Tom Tropp and I'm a member of the Board of the Philadelphia/South Jersey Regional Office of the American Jewish Committee. I am here to urge members of Philadelphia Council to support Resolution 230706. First, thank you, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Councilman Mike Driscoll, for introducing the resolution, and thank you to all the other members of this Council who will vote in favor of its passage. The attack by Hamas on STATED MEETING 101 10/19/2023 October 7th was savage, barbaric, murderous. It deliberately targeted for murder the young, the old, children, even babies, and Hamas took hostages, again, the young, old, children. There's no justification, none, in a civilized world for the pure unadulterated evil that Hamas perpetrated. Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel and dedicated to the killing of Israelis. We understand that not all Palestinians are Hamas or support Hamas. We mourn the death of innocent civilians, but we also know that many of those deaths are caused by Hamas using civilians as human shields. (Audience members yelling.)
And let me add, we should be joined by all of the civilized world, the civilized world, in our demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages being held in STATED MEETING 102 10/19/2023 Gaza. The world needs to be a better place. Thank you for allowing me to speak.
Good afternoon. Hello. I'm Laura Goldman and I am a proud American Israeli. My family, some of it, has been in Israel since the 1920s. They came from Russia as part of a communist experiment. What I wanted to focus -- get the focus back on is the families that are kidnapped and they're housed in Gaza, many of them, the elderly, without medication, and also the victims that are related to this area, including Cory and Amichai's stepmother. But there's my friend, Elana, her family grew up on the kibbutz Be'eri that was destroyed. Her aunt is in the hospital, unconscious. Her uncle and cousin were shot. Also there is a professor at Temple University whose family -- he's a doctor, Jack Ludmir, who came from Peru and settled here, and his family in Israel has been destroyed. STATED MEETING 104 10/19/2023 I ask you for vanity for these families that are related to Israel. And thank you. (Applause.)
The next speaker is Collin Hawan Hemler. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. My name is Collin Kawan Hemler. For better or worse, I reside in Councilman Squilla's district. I felt moved to speak against Resolution 230706 because I don't believe City Council is properly reckoning with Philadelphia's own history of oppression. STATED MEETING 105 10/19/2023 Thirty-eight years ago on May 13th, 1985, the City of Philadelphia conducted a siege upon 6221 Osage Avenue against MOVE, a Black liberation organization. Former Mayor Wilson Goode classified MOVE as a terrorist organization, dehumanizing MOVE members. Not unlike Israel's siege on Gaza, Philadelphia police cut the home's water and electricity. On a residential block, the police fired more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition. Lieutenant Frank Powell then dropped two bombs onto the house's roof. The police decided to let the fire burn to destroy the terrorist bunker. The police shot at MOVE members, including children, who attempted to flee the flames. John, Rhonda, Theresa, Frank, Conrad, Tree, Delisha, Netta, Little Phil, Tomaso, and Raymond Africa all perished that day. As we speak, Israel is unleashing the same terror of aerial STATED MEETING 106 10/19/2023 bombardment upon the Palestinian people of Gaza. And when Israel bombed hospitals killing hundreds, they claimed there's a strike against a terrorist bunker. And the journalists, they target the journalists, just as Philadelphia targeted Mumia Abu-Jamal for daring to document these crimes.
Hello. I STATED MEETING 107 10/19/2023 am Aliyah Furman. This is my sister Michal. I want to start by thanking Councilman Johnson and Councilman Driscoll for bringing forward this resolution and to thank all of the Councilmembers for being co-sponsors. We are Jews from Judea. My family is Israeli. We immigrated here 20 years ago, and Philadelphia has opened up to us with big arms, and we're so proud to call ourselves Philadelphians. I am raising my two young sons here, Councilman Johnson, in your district and I've dedicated my career to public service working in a (unintelligible) development with many of your offices.
Good morning, Council. My name is Michal and I work in Kensington as a Philadelphia police officer. Just some personal anecdotes -you will show me respect and you will not talk while I speak. (Audience members yelling.) STATED MEETING 108 10/19/2023
As a personal anecdote, earlier this week I went to Goldie, a local Jewish restaurant, to help show my support. There was a long line of people there. I was in full uniform. People didn't think I was there to go eat. They thought I was there to protect them. They told me they were scared, and they told me that they were grateful that I was there, and I was just going there to eat. I ask that you pass this resolution so that the Jews in Philadelphia feel safe, because right now they do not. (Audience members yelling.)
Calm down. Hey, folks, folks, let them speak. Let them speak, please. Go ahead.
We are the granddaughters of Holocaust survivors, STATED MEETING 109 10/19/2023 and what terrifies me more than the Nazis and more than Hamas is the silent majority that allows this type of hate to perpetuate. I want to thank Council for not being the silent majority. I deserve to feel safe in my city as a Jew. Thank you so much. Please pass this resolution.
The next speaker is Jonathan Goldman. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon, Councilman Clarke. My name is Jonathan Goldman and I'm the Chair of the STATED MEETING 110 10/19/2023 Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, which represents Jewish federations and Jewish communities throughout Pennsylvania. It is an honor to be here. Thank you, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Mike Driscoll, for introducing this resolution and all Councilmembers for signing on it unanimously. This resolution condemns the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and not the Palestinian people. What happened that day of the attacks was different from what happened before and different from what is being cheered about in this room. Israel is a strong economic military and strategic partner of the United States and one of its most loyal allies. It is a democracy, and Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people. Israel was founded in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust to make sure STATED MEETING 111 10/19/2023 the Holocaust never happens again. Hamas -- unless you are a Jew -(Audience members yelling.)
Hold on, hold on. Sir, hold on one second. Okay. This is the way it's going to work.
If you insist on screaming and hollering when people are talking, you're going to have to leave. All right? All we ask you to do is just let people talk, right? There will be a vote. I'm just telling you, you're going to have to leave if you're going to keep screaming and hollering, right? Everybody should be respectful, period. If you can have respect for yourself, have respect for other people. STATED MEETING 112 10/19/2023 That's all we ask you to do. (Applause.)
I'm not asking you to take sides. All right? So please let people speak so we can get on to having a vote. And then once we have a vote, you will form your mindset about the people that voted. Just let people talk, please, so we can get through this process. All right? Please. (Audience member yelling.)
All right? Don't have the back and forth. This is the City Council of Philadelphia. All right? We're trying to give everybody a balanced discussion. All right? So please let that happen today. We all want democracy, right, and this is the way democracy is practiced, so let us do that today. Okay? STATED MEETING 113 10/19/2023 (Applause.)
Thank you, Councilman. Hamas's attack was not just an act of terror committed on the state of Israel but an act of terror against all Jewish people and really all civilized people throughout the world. With regard to Hamas's attack on Israel, it has been said never again is now. Jews are not in favor of genocide. We have been the victims of genocide. Hamas's horrific and barbaric terrorist attack targets civilians, women, children, and the elderly, and Hamas has taken more than 200 people hostages. Those acts of terror cannot be tolerated in Israel or anywhere, and these hostages must be released. (Audience member yelling.)
Israel is tiny. STATED MEETING 114 10/19/2023 It's the size of New Jersey. Its terrorists attacked the United States like Hamas attacked Israel. The proportional damage would be the death toll from more than a dozen 9/11's. Think about that.
The next speaker is Mark Blaskey. (Audience member yelling.)
I'm right here. My name is Mark Blaskey. I am here on STATED MEETING 115 10/19/2023 behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. I'm also an attorney with Ballard Spahr in Philadelphia, and thank you all for considering this resolution today. There's a very long history of conflict in the Middle East, obviously, and we're not here to solve that today. There have been a lot of things that have happened on both sides over the past 100 years. The conflict this resolution addresses is between Israel and a terrorist organization, not between Israel and the Palestinian people. (Applause.)
Not the Palestinians, who we know yearn for their own state and yearn to live in peace and peaceful co-existence with the state of Israel. Israel also yearns to live in peace. STATED MEETING 116 10/19/2023 What happened on October 7th was a terrorist invasion into Israel's sovereign land in which over 1,200 innocent women, men, and children were brutally killed. There can be no justification for these actions. All people everywhere must condemn these brutal acts. (Applause.)
All people must work to remove such evil from the face of the earth. All people must support unequivocally the right of Israel to defend its borders and to retaliate against and destroy this evil enemy. That is what this resolution says, and that is why this Council must adopt it. And we also must demand the release of the hostages who were removed from their homes --
-- and from the streets of Israel with no justification for their capture.
The next speaker is Rabbi David Liven. (Applause.) (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you, Mr. President, members of the City Council for the opportunity to speak. I'm going to do the impossible, which is, for a Rabbi, be brief. Thank you, Councilman Kenyatta STATED MEETING 118 10/19/2023 Johnson and Councilman Mike Driscoll, for introducing the resolution and the Councilmembers for unanimously signing on to the recognition that Hamas is a terrorist organization -(Audience member yelling.)
Hold on, hold on, hold on. (Audience members yelling.) (Audience members being escorted out of Chambers.) (Pause.)
Okay. We are going to try to get through this. All right? And I was hoping that we would be able be to get through this without an incident, but tensions are so high about a matter that, frankly speaking, we have no jurisdiction over, but we understand that -(Audience member yelling.)
So, ma'am, all of this like screaming and hollering is not going to get you STATED MEETING 119 10/19/2023 anywhere, right? So we are trying to be as fair as possible to let people speak, right? Under the rules, we actually have the ability to suspend the public comment, right, and I tried to be fair and let everybody speak by limiting the time, but it is increasingly clear that we are not going to be able to get through this, because people continue to scream and holler and interrupt based on your perspective. So I'm at a point where I'm ready to ask our colleagues to suspend the testimony. You all can submit your written testimony, and we can move on with the Council and we will ultimately have a vote on this particular resolution. I don't like to do that, but if we're not going to be able to get through this process, then I have no other choice. And I believe that people are going to vote the way they're going to vote irrespective of a lot of the things that we're seeing today. All STATED MEETING 120 10/19/2023 right? So I think based on what we have witnessed today, I'm going to make a call. It will probably be somewhat unpopular, but they put me up here to make sometimes unpopular decisions. So what we are going to do, we're going to ask individuals on the list, we have your name, we have phone numbers, and we will allow you to weigh in on the testimony via written or e-mail or others, but we must move on, particularly given the fact that it appears that we're not going to be allowed to have a civil conversation in here today. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I really tried to do this in a fair and equitable way. I think there has been balanced testimony, but for whatever reason, folks just don't want to like let people speak. So I'm going to make the call. (Audience members yelling.)
STATED MEETING 121 10/19/2023 You're not even going to let me speak. That's my point. (Audience members yelling.)
So we're going to move on on the public comment and we will proceed with the rest of the Council session. So, again, we have your numbers, and we'll make sure that you have an e-mail to weigh in on your perspective. If you have written testimony today, you can please leave that with us and we will make sure it's a matter of record in the Council document that will be published on a daily basis. All right? So we're going to move on, Mr. Decker, because it doesn't seem like we're going to be able to conduct the rest of our business in a way that I had hoped. So we have concluded our public comment. Again, thank you for your participation, and we will move on with STATED MEETING 122 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING our Calendar today. Mr. Decker, will you please read the title of Resolution No. 230705.
A resolution calling on the Administration to develop grant programs for businesses and restaurants suffering from retail theft and crime.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Jones. (Audience members yelling.) (Pause.)
Thank you. Mr. Decker, let's start over. Please read the title of Resolution No. 230705.
A resolution calling on the Administration to develop grant programs for businesses and restaurants suffering from retail theft and crime.
Thank you, STATED MEETING 123 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Resolution No. 230706.
A resolution condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and calling for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson. STATED MEETING 124 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
I wanted to just take this moment to just clarify this resolution just based upon the strong emotional reactions as relates to this resolution being offered today. This resolution specifically condemns the recent terrorist attacks launched by Hamas and calls for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. And let me be clear on that key point. Hamas has engaged in despicable acts of terror that intentionally targeted civilian populations in Israel, both Jewish and Arab, killing hundreds of civilians and taking hundreds more as hostages, including women and children. These actions surely deserve our condemnation. Just as importantly, this STATED MEETING 125 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING resolution recognizes that violence cannot form the basis for a just and lasting peace, and the resolution specifically calls for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. It's been said that this resolution makes no mention of the suffering experienced by innocent Palestinian civilians. That is not true. The resolution explicitly acknowledges Palestinians' suffering and loss and calls for a peaceful settlement to the ongoing violence. It's also been said that this resolution fails to acknowledge the deeply held national aspirations of the Palestinian people. That is not true. This resolution affirms that Council's belief that any settlement to the ongoing conflict must respect the rights and national aspirations of the Palestinian people. It's even been said that this resolution condones and encourages the STATED MEETING 126 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. Again, that is not true. The resolution expresses Council's support for a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict, and the text makes no distinction between Israelis and Palestinians when discussing the horrible impact of the war on these civilian casualties. What this resolution does say is that the Council stands for the universal and inalienable human rights, the rights of all people to live in peace, the rights of all people to politically self-determinate, the rights of all people to pursue happiness, free from fear of violence and persecution. Also the resolution states the protection of these fundamental rights for all people is indispensable to a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict. I've heard from passionate voices on both sides of this debate. A STATED MEETING 127 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING passionate debate is a vital part of our democratic process, as you just mentioned, Council President, but I ask those on both sides of this issue to read this resolution clearly and to make an informed decision about the statement the resolution actually makes. For too long we have allowed all discussions of Israel and Palestine to devolve into a zero-sum game where any perceived support for one group must necessarily come at the expense of the other. We can express our sympathy for the Israeli people and even our support for their right to self-defense without denigrating the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people. We can also express our sympathy for the suffering of innocent Palestinians without minimizing or explaining away the despicable acts of Hamas. That is what this resolution does, and I respectfully ask for the STATED MEETING 128 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING support of my colleagues with a vote of yes on this resolution. Thank you, Council President. (Applause.)
Thank you, Council President. From Philadelphia to the Middle East, every family deserves to live free from the threat of violence. Like many Philadelphians, I'm grieving for Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives in recent days, and I am deeply concerned for Israeli hostages and for the families who are now under siege in Gaza without food, water, or electricity. Military leaders in Israel and Palestine have failed to uphold its national law, and innocent families are suffering and in grave danger. I call on American leaders, STATED MEETING 129 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING including President Biden, to support an immediate cease fire and to send swift humanitarian assistance to save lives in Gaza. (Applause.)
I believe in addressing the root causes of violence wherever it occurs. Without an end to apartheid and peace for Palestinians, the cycle of trauma will always continue. (Applause.)
As Americans and as human beings, we must insist on the right of every family to live in peace and safety, and demand an end to armed occupation and violence against civilians. My heart is with any of my constituents who have family or loved ones in the region, and my office is STATED MEETING 130 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING available to support those who have been impacted by the ongoing conflict. Thank you.
I really wish we weren't voting on this right today, but there's no backdoor to the Alamo and you got to make a decision, you got to be where you are. I want to rise to say that before I signed on to this resolution, I read it three times to make sure that it did not overly disproportionately condemn what Palestinians fight for and won. But I read the Quran, I read the Bible, and I've read the Torah, and each of those books talk about how you wage war and how you should not wage war. STATED MEETING 131 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING So you can be against kidnapping of kids and those kinds of reactions, killing of the innocent, and be for justice for all people. You can -- both things can be equally true. (Applause.)
I will tell you this, that, God, I wish it didn't visit here, but I know that my colleagues, many of them, have even actually been to the Holy Lands, happily walked through them and saw the injustice and know what -- so I respect what they put forward, because I would not have signed on, kid you not. I will say this, and I will use this analogy, that bad things happen in a lot of neighborhoods, every district. I know there are people that have lived in public housing and have been almost held hostage by the crime that happens in that facility, and people that live in that STATED MEETING 132 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING public facility have gone out and done bad things and run back to that facility. But you can't blow up the projects looking for a few. That is not fair, that is not just, and that is not proportionality. So I will be voting for this resolution condemning that which is evil, but that resolution does not go deep enough to understand the hundreds of years of history in that land. And I, like my colleague Member Brooks, I pray for peace, because guess what? Those souls that are Jewish who are my brothers, those souls that are Muslim that are my brothers and sisters, I pray for equally, and a lot of times innocent people wind up in the mess that other powerful people create. So thank you, colleagues, for enduring this. I want to -- I'm not going to do "some my best friends are," but a lot of my best friends are both, and I love them both, and I fight for STATED MEETING 133 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING them both. And we have to listen sometimes with bringing controversy here, bro, like, you know. So I just wanted to bring that from my heart, that this was probably at least the most difficult day of my tenure here over the last five administrations. So thank you for your indulgence.
Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Councilman Johnson, for your leadership on this. I, just like so many, call the United States home and descended from people who fled violence, starvation, famine and oppression. We came to a STATED MEETING 134 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING nation with a history of expanding rights to all, and as I said last week, while I do not pretend to completely understand the intricacies and nuances of this conflict, I believe that a path forward must be rooted in the inalienable human rights recognized by our nation's Constitution. I believe that by providing these rights to all, while forever imperfect, while forever imperfect, peaceful progress can be achieved. I condemn all violence against innocent civilians. Wanton bloodshed has never been the answer for the call for liberty and inequity. Our call is for peace throughout Mideast today. We condemn murder and bloodshed of any innocent civilians wherever they reside and whatever their ethnicity. My heartfelt and deepest prayers are with the people of Palestine and Israel. May a new path to peace be found as we travel along this trail of STATED MEETING 135 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING tragedy. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Johnson, can you call for a motion.
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. The motion carries. The resolution is adopted. STATED MEETING 136 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING (Applause.)
Mr. Decker, will you please read the title of Resolution No. 230708.
A resolution recognizing and honoring Sid Booker, by renaming the 4600 block of North Broad Street "Sid Booker Way," to credit the life of the businessman he is today with the legacy that will forever live on.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to take a moment to completely change directions on the course of conversation.
Could you all as you leave please leave quietly. Thank you. STATED MEETING 137 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING I'm sorry, Councilwoman.
Thank you, Mr. President. I want to take a second and just really make sure that everybody knows that we're doing something really special this Saturday. And there's a lot of people when times are tough, you can't always find folks that are going to step up and speak out and work hard for our communities, and I would say for not just the African American community, not just for Logan or North Philadelphia and not just for Philadelphia by itself, but when we look at the work done by somebody like a Sid Booker, I think it really commands our attention, our respect to come out and celebrate. This is someone who has done so much for everyone in the City of Philadelphia, whether you know him or you don't know him. I really want to encourage folks to be mindful that we will be celebrating him while he is here to smell STATED MEETING 138 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING his roses this coming Saturday, the 21st, at 1:00 p.m. And I say all that to say that I move for the adoption of the resolution, Mr. President. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. I saw some names that just popped up on the screen. Anybody? You can still do it before we move on. Councilman Harrity.
I just wanted to thank Councilwoman Cindy Bass STATED MEETING 139 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING for putting in this bill. Many people might not know this, but I had the pleasure of working under Sid when he was doing his role as the Chief Deputy of the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office. You know, back then I was young staffer and I was a bit of a knucklehead, but Sid, he got me, and he would sit me down and explain things to me the way I could get it, because he knew, you know, I was a kid from the neighborhood and sometimes I didn't get all of the intricacies that were involved in actually having a position like I have. So I am truly honored that Cindy put this in, because like she said, this man has done so much for so many people, including myself. I mean, I can't tell you all the things that he's done for me, but I had some problems when I was over there and he helped me through it. I actually used to hide out in his office, because he would tell me, listen, nobody goes into my office, hide out in STATED MEETING 140 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING there. So I thank you, Cindy, and it will be an honor to be there on Saturday. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. Good to know that you were a young staffer and a knucklehead. You are now a young Councilman, no longer a knucklehead. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
A resolution recognizing and honoring Beneficial Multiservices LLC, located in the 9th Council District, for being a Comcast RISE awardee, introduced today by Councilman Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) STATED MEETING 141 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - 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 recognizing and honoring Brilliant Stars Learning Center, located in the 9th Council District, for being a Comcast RISE awardee, introduced today by Councilman Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's STATED MEETING 142 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - 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 honoring Eagle Staffing Company, located in the 9th Council District, for being a Comcast RISE awardee, introduced today by Councilman Phillips.
The Chair again recognizes Councilman Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's STATED MEETING 143 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - 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 honoring Vicki Riley on the occasion of her retirement, introduced today by Councilman Phillips.
The Chair again recognizes Councilman Phillips.
Thank you, Council President. I enthusiastically move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. STATED MEETING 144 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring and congratulating the Champions of the Week, Student Activists Against Sexual Assault, for their continued determination and advocacy toward sexual violence awareness and prevention at Temple University, introduced today by Councilman Thomas.
Thank you. Council President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's STATED MEETING 145 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - 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 authorizing the Joint Committees on Education and Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs to hold public hearings to examine the cost and liabilities for the School District and the Department of Parks and Recreation to ease the barriers of access to youth sports, introduced today by Councilman Jones.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson -Jones. I'm sorry. Councilman Jones.
Same plantation. STATED MEETING 146 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - 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 recognizing Friday, October 20, 2023, as Community Media Day and Honoring Public, Educational, and Government Access STATED MEETING 147 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Channels in the City of Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilwoman Lozada.
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 a resolution recognizing and honoring the heroism of police officer Richard Mendez, an exceptional public servant, who gave everything in his duty to the City of STATED MEETING 148 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia, introduced today by Councilwoman Lozada and Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Council President. Very quickly before I move for the adoption, I just wanted to say thank you to all of my colleagues who have been extremely supportive during this time. Officer Richard Mendez was a very close friend. His family is overwhelmed at the moment. I think I've said that many times over the course of the last few days, but they are extremely grateful for all of the support and all of the prayers that they've received over the course of the last week, I'm going to say, because I don't even know what days I'm living right now. But I want to just ask us, today we heard from a lot of very sensitive people, and sometimes when our STATED MEETING 149 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING emotions are really high, kind of violence kind of stirs, right? There's a lot of things happening in our community that oftentimes what happened to Officer Mendez ends up being the result of that, right? There's just -- people just are not stopping to think about their actions. People are not stopping to think about what they say. People are not stopping to think about how they treat others. And so I'm just asking for us to recommit ourselves to peace, to taking responsibility for ourselves and our families and just to listen and be kind to one another. And so with that, I want to move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.) STATED MEETING 150 10/19/2023 10/19/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Sure. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (All Councilmembers standing.)
And a resolution honoring Carlos "King Arthur" Alvarez on his induction into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and his lifetime achievements in the music industry, introduced today by Councilman Harrity.
I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's STATED MEETING 151 10/19/2023 seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
There are no other resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That concludes our Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on behalf of the minority? (No response.)
Speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier. STATED MEETING 152 10/19/2023
Thank you, Council President. This has been a pretty emotional session, but I could not let this day pass without acknowledging that this is my Legislative Director, Cydnea Shearlds', last Council meeting. Cydnea has been a core member of our team for two and a half years now, playing a key role in core initiatives like the People's Preservation package, the Reparations Task Force, JustServicesPHL, the Reproductive Freedom package, and countless pieces of legislation, resolutions, and hearings. Her work has greatly improved the lives of West and Southwest Philadelphians and residents citywide. She has served with excellence and grace during one of the most turbulent moments in our city's modern history. You don't have to take my word for it either, because you can find Cydnea's work lauded in publications like STATED MEETING 153 10/19/2023 Cydnea, while -- let's clap for that. (Applause.)
And I have my whole team here to cheer Cydnea on. Cydnea, while I'm very sorry to see you go, I'm excited to see you continue to thrive and grow. Your steadfast commitment to equity and uplifting marginalized communities is very inspiring to me. Thank you for your service to the City of Philadelphia and to the people of the 3rd Councilmanic District. Please join me in giving Cydnea a round of applause. (Standing ovation.)
Just one more thing. Sorry. I want to remind my colleagues as well as Council staff STATED MEETING 154 10/19/2023 briefing with Community Legal Services directly following today's Council session in the Caucus Room. The briefing will focus on supporting homeowners, preventing homelessness, helping people maintain access to gas, water, and electric service in their homes, and ensuring people with criminal records can get family-sustaining jobs. CLS is an amazing partner for this Council, so I hope that you all will join. Lunch will also be served. Hope to see you there. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Vaughn.
Thank you, Council President. First, I want to take a moment to express my deepest condolences to the family of Officer Richard Mendez in the STATED MEETING 155 10/19/2023 passing after the incident on October 12th. I also want to send my prayers and best wishes to Officer Raul Ortiz and his family as they move forward and heal together from such a traumatic experience. I want both families as well as members of the Philadelphia Police Airport Unit to know we are here for you. We stand with you. Finally, I want to commend interim Police Commissioner John Stanford for his leadership as well as the Philadelphia Police Department for their tireless efforts and swift action to deliver justice for not just these two families but for all the families impacted by the devastation of gun violence here in Philadelphia. This epidemic has affected too many lives across the nation, not just here in Philadelphia. What's even more disheartening is that the predators are STATED MEETING 156 10/19/2023 We're witnessing young people's lives being thrown away in so many disturbing ways from all the walks of life. No one, regardless of where you're from or what you look like, is immune to this plague. Yobranny Martinez Fernandez, who is just 18 years old, nothing but a child, has been arrested and charged in this case. He, along with his accomplices and others who played a role in this horrific act, upend not just the lives of Officer Mendez and Ortiz's family but their own as well. Everyone will suffer from this incident. The cynical destruction and disregard for life is the ultimate tragedy here, and it must stop. Thanks to the generosity and contributions of many, including our Councilmember Johnson and others, to the Officer Richard Mendez, Officer Raul Ortiz Reward Fund, over $275,000 was raised to help solve this case. We are STATED MEETING 157 10/19/2023 remind everyone that any piece of information or tip in this case is crucial, and if you see something, say something. Please call 215-686-TIPS to report your tip anonymously. Finally, to the knuckleheads who seek to do harm to others and wreak havoc in our city, especially those who have the audacity to come from outside our city limits and sell chaos, I want to say you better think again. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I just want to make two acknowledgments -- announcements. First and foremost, I want to echo the sentiments of my colleague Councilwoman STATED MEETING 158 10/19/2023 as Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada in thanking the Philadelphia Police Department as well as Commissioner John Stanford and their team in their swift action to bring justice to the family of Officer Mendez. And so we definitely want to thank them for, as my mentor Hardy Williams will say, staying on the case but, most importantly, moving forward towards bringing justice to that family. So we definitely want to acknowledge them. And I also want to announce that tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. we will be naming the, I guess it's, 100 block of South 22nd Street Pat Eiding Way. For those of you who have been involved in the labor movement know that Pat Eiding is an icon in the City of Philadelphia advocating for those who need a voice, particularly around labor rights, healthcare rights, worker rights and, most importantly, making sure that STATED MEETING 159 10/19/2023 to work in the environment with pride and dignity. And so that street renaming will be tomorrow, 11:00 a.m., 22nd and Market Streets, and it's going to be named Pat Eiding Way. So to all who want to come out and participate, let's come out and give Mr. Pat Eiding his flowers. Thank you very much, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Harrity.
Thank you, Council President, colleagues. I just wanted to say thank you to the staff and the deputies today for all they did to keep us safe and to keep order in this house. It is the people's house, so we do have to let the people in, but it was handled very well, I thought, and avoided some stuff that STATED MEETING 160 10/19/2023 So I thank you guys for protecting us, and I thank you for being here always, the sergeant-of-arms committee, deputies, the officers. So thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
We just want to take a moment -- and I've been in this body for a little while, since 2011, and my experience is a little different. This wasn't the only exciting time I've been here as a Councilperson. There was a couple other times where some whistles were blowing and no one can hear anybody, but nevertheless, Council President, I just want to acknowledge you for your leadership, your North Philly calm, STATED MEETING 161 10/19/2023 order in the midst of the chaos but, most importantly, recognizing that this is the people's house and providing everybody an opportunity respectfully to have an opportunity to chime in and express their issues and their concerns. And so we just want to thank you personally just for your leadership and how you carry yourself and how you represent this body. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Thank you. I wasn't always like this, but thank you, Councilman. I appreciate it. Appreciate it much. That concludes our speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority, and with that, the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion to STATED MEETING 162 10/19/2023
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 26th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Go Phils. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that Council adjourned until Thursday, October 26, 2023, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The motion carries. Thank you all very much. ) STATED MEETING 163 10/19/2023 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. m. m. S. - 63:14 true unending Val manufacture 103:22 87:23 87:13 24:18 d 144:17 91:22 69:6 unequivocal University' values 125:10,18 ly s 60:20 126:3 Uber 83:19 63:3 vanity 131:6 25:6 63:17 116:16 104:2 Trust ultimate unleashing uniform 105:25 Vaughn 37:25 67:14 108:9 154:20,21 Tuesday 156:18 unlike unilateral 105:9 158:2 77:25 ultimately 58:12 vending tunnels 119:17 unofficial unintelligi 98:3 43:15 78:18 unable ble vendors turbo 49:23 unpopular 50:9 16:8 43:14 99:3 unadulterat 120:6,7 68:19,20 ed unprofessio Vice turbulent 69:9,21,24 101:9 nal 24:18 152:21 70:15,17, STATED MEETING 44 10/19/2023 vicinity Violations, 95:16 124:7 62:19 99:2 40:7,11 ' 96:18,23 133:5 108:5 41:9,13,17 43:21 100:23 138:25 134:3 42:7,12,16 44:6,14 106:12 148:10 144:13 Vicki violence 111:19 159:19 148:20 15:7,18,24 24:7,20 112:9,10 Wanton week's 16:4,13, 29:2 52:19 119:18,23, 134:15 26:7,17 14,24 63:6,8,24 24 128:2 27:5,11 war 17:21 66:25 70:7 150:8 28:4,12,20 60:9 68:22 18:5,9 72:5 voted 69:16 72:3 29:6 30:21 19:13 20:7 83:10,25 112:11 73:13 78:5 33:2,13 21:10,17, 92:5 98:17 voting 79:4 117:8 34:8,21 22:9,20 125:2,14 86:20 126:9 weekend 23:5,11 126:18 130:13 130:24,25 21:23 143:13 128:14 132:8 Ward weekends victim 129:10,21 vulnerable 55:6 21:25 89:23 133:24 63:20 warn weeks 134:14 victimized 60:23 65:11 66:2 144:16 63:5 W 77:13 149:3 warranted victims 155:21 wage 57:19 weigh 103:14 130:24,25 120:11 violent Washington 113:16 121:11 93:11 wait 33:10 video 47:25 44:17 Weiss visit 50:3 153:2 86:5,12,13 21:20 waiting viewing 131:12 80:25 watched 87:10,20 15:16 94:23 88:11 vital wake village 89:13 85:14 110:25 water 81:8 90:13,19 127:2 155:2 73:17 villages 78:11 Weitzman voice walked 98:6,10 79:13 93:7 32:16 97:19 131:15 violate 158:22 105:10 well-being walks 58:8 128:20 18:2 voices 20:7 156:5 154:8 West violation 126:25 Walnut 77:16 ways 26:14 volume 32:14 156:4 39:20 Violations 47:22 wanted week 40:11 42:2 39:12 volunteer 15:25 21:24 72:11,13 Violations' 16:20 22:7,19 75:23 24:4,15 38:19 vote 71:11 77:24 92:2 25:23 103:10 STATED MEETING 45 10/19/2023 152:18 witnessed working year 85:10 whip 120:4 21:13 22:6 22:25 87:19 80:18 witnesses 63:15 76:22 88:2,5,16, 49:3 62:16 107:16 yearn 21 89:3,6, whistles 106:24 139:4 115:21,22 10 91:5 160:21 workshops 94:5,9 Whitaker witnessing yearns 23:5 97:3,7,22 27:20 156:3 115:24 101:20 women world years white 107:25 24:22,25 50:8 52:14 17:13 73:14 108:19 52:6 60:12 60:10 19:11 77:14 78:8 111:5 63:10,12 78:16,24 21:11,21 81:14 112:15 80:14 90:9 96:10 23:15 66:9 wholesomene 113:24 113:19 101:8,23 69:8 74:19 ss 114:18 116:5 102:3 76:17 79:5 18:4 118:7,10, 124:23 113:12 83:17 22 120:24 wilderness worse 87:17 won 121:4 90:10 104:20 92:10 130:21 122:12 William worst 94:22 word yellow 27:8 60:10 98:15 64:23 47:15 Williams 105:2 65:8,9,15 worth yesterday 158:10 107:10 152:23 25:6 74:20 57:20 115:12 Wilson words wreak 66:14 132:12 105:6 89:22 157:10 152:10 Yobranny wind work written 156:9 156:8 132:19 19:8 25:5, 119:16 yelling young wiped 10 29:22 120:12 50:18,23 25:13,21 85:19 107:20 121:12 53:5 58:20 64:24 65:3 wiping 111:9 wrote 60:16 101:4,6 98:13 116:14 89:24 61:2,12 107:13 137:11,16 62:7 64:13 139:7 wisdom Wynnefield/ 152:17,25 67:22 140:8,9 89:24 overbrook 159:2 69:22 156:3 wishes 40:22,24 worked 70:5,14, younger 155:5 Wyoming 19:11 21,24 156:2 withdrawal 27:19 worker 72:19 30:5 youth 17:9 73:6,24 Y 27:2 withdrawn 158:24 75:21 145:19 29:22 y'all 78:20 workers 30:12 91:9 81:6,16 29:13 82:3,13 STATED MEETING 46 10/19/2023 Z zero-sum 127:11 Zioness 84:8,17 zoning 27:15,16, 22,23 Zucker 56:23 57:4,6 58:23