This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 000087.
An ordinance amending SECOND READING - BILL 000087 Section 2 of an ordinance, Bill No. 970348, approved July 1, 1997, authorizing and directing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 58 of an area bounded by Poplar Street, 12th Street, and Watts Street by extending the period for compliance with the authorization and conditions therein.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is, shall the bill pass finally? The clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16 the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. SPEECHES Council will stand in recess for a few minutes, please. (Council stands in recess.) (Proceedings resume.)
Bill No. 000082 will be held. This concludes the business of the Council calendar.
Are there any speeches on the part of the Minority? (No speeches on the part of the Minority.)
Are there any speeches on the part of the Majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Madam Chair, I'd like to speak. During the presentation of Blondell Reynolds, we heard a 95-year-old -
A 97-year-old woman give us an example of the mental acuity that a person of that age has and the vitality that that SPEECHES person still brings to everyday life and to her society and her neighborhood. We in this Council have been very fortunate of having that type of individual, and I've enjoyed that type of colleague in this Council for the last 15 years in David Cohen. I think for the last 15 years that I've been in this body, the intellect, the commitment, the effervescence that David Cohen shows for issues and people has been exemplary. It has been one of the most enjoyable times when Gussie Clark, David, and other individuals in this Council would just begin to defend issues and causes because of the linguistic ability that was shown, the use of the English language, it elevated not only the debate but this body to another level. I'm just -- I just want to say thank you for David Cohen being here in this body and being who he is, and I want to say thank you to my colleague. (Applause.)
The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter. SPEECHES
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Just a comment on Councilman Ortiz's remarks before I talk about what I wanted to talk about. There is a rumor that after the presentation this morning that Reverend Potter did call Councilman Cohen "sonny." (Laughter.)
And I acknowledge Councilman Ortiz's remarks, and we enjoy Councilman Cohen and wish him much longer continued service. Madam President, I wish to speak today to express a concern that has been raised during the course of our budget hearings. We had the School District in just in the past week. And there was a story in this morning's newspaper that attributes some remarks to Mayor Street, and I'd like to comment on those remarks and hope, quite honestly, that they were either taken out of context -- I was not at the meeting -- or there is further meaning to what he said. This was a meeting of education, parents and advocates, apparently, last night. SPEECHES And the Mayor was talking about the need for more funding for the School District, which, I believe, all of us generally agree is greatly needed. The story goes on to talk about the Mayor saying that there was, quote, a complete and total breakdown in the way public education is funded, a statement that I could no more -- I could certainly agree with and support no. There's no truer statement. It goes further to say that if it's not a money problem, why is everyone else in the richer suburbs throwing so much money at it? The Mayor added, "We're going to run out of money, people. We're going to run out of money, and that's the plan." And during last week's hearings with the School District, the question was asked of the Superintendent and the Board President about the funding issue and situation with the School District, and they said that they are working on a plan. I know that Mayor Street cares deeply about public education. He has been a champion for sometime, all of his public-service career, for the public schools. And as I mentioned earlier, I can only hope, Madam President -- and SPEECHES ask if you would, on behalf of the body, do some follow-up -- that there was either a context to that or that the Mayor was being somewhat facetious. My concern is that we are in the course of the process of developing, and we will have voted on shortly, a contingency plan for the Eagles practice facility and the prospect of whether or not we have new stadiums. And we in Council spent a fair amount of time working on that, and there was a fair amount of anguish and serious time and effort that went into that. My concern is that it does not appear at the moment that we have a contingency plan for the School District -- or even a Plan B, because I'm not sure that we have a Plan A at the moment for an intentionally impending funding crisis. If the teachers' contract expires at the end of August and the District potentially runs out of money, how will we negotiate a contract with them. And if there is, following this out, no contract, will schools in fact open in September? And we could find ourselves, as the Council, once these other bills pass, we have SPEECHES committed to taking action on stadiums by a particular date certain. And I quite honestly don't know how we will be able to meet those particular commitments and deadlines if our schools are not open in the fall. It seems to me that the one clearly outweighs in importance the other. And so I would ask, Madam President, on behalf of the body, if you would, to have conversation with the Mayor about this particular issue, if there could provided to Councilmembers some update as to what is going on, and what is the plan other than the prospect of just running out of money. I'm not necessarily sure that that is a plan for the 213,000 school students and their parents. And I know that the Mayor cares very deeply about this issue, I know he's very serious about this issue, and I tend to think that he might actually have more than just that particular plan up his sleeve. If there's some other strategy going on, then that's fine. But as a public official. I'd actually like to know what in the world is going on. SPEECHES Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. I was at that meeting in my district last night, where the Mayor spoke and talked about education. He did talk a lot, as the article indicates, about uniforms, but he also talked to people about standing up, parents and community leaders, about standing up and demanding the things they want in schools -- like uniforms, like smaller classes, like a lack of violence. We had a lot of discussion about school violence last night in that particular school and in another school in the same neighborhood. And he really, really tried to make people realize that it is parents and community members who have to stand up for what they want in the schools. And I think at the core of it -- I don't assume or presume to speak for him -- but he was really trying to get people to be involved in the future of our city and in the future of education of our SPEECHES children. Thank you, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. I just wanted to note that since the beginning of the year, there has been a different approach by the executive office with respect to how people are dealt with. And I just hope that what has happened over the last two and a half months changes again before Philadelphia, known as "The City That Loves You Back," becomes known as "The City That Kicks You Out." Thank you, Madam President.
The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. Councilwoman Tasco, do you want to be recognized?
Yes, yes, excuse me. Yes, I'd just like to say that the other day -- I can't remember which day it was, it must have been Tuesday, I believe -- the Mayor SPEECHES appointed an interim team for the Philadelphia Gas Works. It has taken a long time, and I've been pushing for new leadership at PGW. Although this is not a permanent team, I feel confident that this is a team that we can work with and we will have confidence in working with and receiving information from them so that any decisions that the Council or the Gas Commission may have to make will be made on information that is, I guess, correct. Mr. Kumar Kishinchand, our Water Commissioner, is going to be the acting interim CEO, and we know his record in the Water Department. Tom Knudsen is someone who has been working with the Commission and has been an advocate for a number of years, and certainly I have a lot of confidence in his ability to understand the financial aspects of PGW. But I will tell you, they will be challenged. But the Commission, as well as the Members of Council who represent this Council on the board, will be working very closely with them to see that we can hopefully turn around PGW. So we welcome them aboard, and I'm very SPEECHES glad to see the new leadership there, someone that I can have confidence in. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the Majority? (No further speeches.)
There being none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco for a motion to adjourn.
Madam President, I move that we adjourn Council until Thursday, March 23rd, 2000, at 10 a.m.
It has been moved seconded that Council stand adjourned. All in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and the motion is carried. Thank you. ADJOURNMENT (Adjourned at 11:26 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, March 16, 1999 were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter