A resolution also naming the 1500 block of Wharton Street "James Mtume Way", to honor the life and legacy of renowned musician, activist, and Philadelphia native James Mtume.
Thank you. On behalf of Member Johnson, I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying STATED MEETING 77 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, 230292.
A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Housing Authority a deed conveying fee simple title to 1 through 49 Rudy Robinson Way in the Third Councilmanic District.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. STATED MEETING 78 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted. Mr. Decker, please read the title of Bill No. 230009-AA.
An ordinance amending Chapter 12-2800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Administrative Adjudication of Parking Violations," by further providing with respect to monetary penalties for on-street parking of semitrailers and truck tractors.
Councilwoman, did you need to be recognized? Never mind. Your name was still up. I didn't know if you needed to STATED MEETING 79 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING be recognized. All right. This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Aye. STATED MEETING 80 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Council President Clarke. STATED MEETING 81 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. The ayes are 15; the nays are zero. A majority of members present voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, do you have any additional resolutions?
A resolution honoring and congratulating the Champion of the Week, Diana Garcia, the Principal of Willard Elementary in Kensington, for being the recipient of the 2023 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principal Leadership, introduced today by Councilman Thomas.
Thank you, Council President. Thank you, colleagues. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. STATED MEETING 82 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution authorizing the Committee on Streets and Services to hold hearings examining the rise of paper tags to thwart criminal and safety measures that allow for the safe use of our city streets by all residents, introduced today by Councilman Thomas.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. STATED MEETING 83 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring Dr. Kahlila Johnson, Principal of Overbrook High School, for receiving the 2023 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals, introduced today by Councilman Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. STATED MEETING 84 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted.
And a resolution honoring and thanking Gweny Love Owens, on the occasion of Earth Day, for her work on environmental justice and sustainability, introduced today by Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. Before I move for the adoption of the resolution, I'd like to speak for a few moments about the extraordinary woman we are honoring here today. The Black and brown communities I represent experience a disproportionate amount of the climate injustices plaguing STATED MEETING 85 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING Philadelphia, and it is no coincidence that these are also the neighborhoods that endure the most gun violence and poverty, because wrongs like illegal dumping do not just damage the environment, they breed violence. That's why the City needs community leaders like Gweny Love Owens, who are unafraid to champion sustainability and empower neighbors to harness the power of nature to better their lives and community. Gweny's accomplishments speak for themselves. Much of her life's work centers around developing and promoting programming that heals the earth and her community at the same time. This includes urban farming and gardening, honoring nature, community clean-ups, and environmental preservation. Gweny has established Mantua Worldwide Community Incorporated to make her community and others across the City more healthy, beautiful, and sustainable. She also planted hundreds of tulips and STATED MEETING 86 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING trees, participates in the Mantua Urban Peace Garden, spearheads youth gardening programs across the region, and helped to found the Sustainable Business Network, which I led at one point in time. Just last week Gweny received a grant to expand her program Clean, Green, and Serene into Powelton Village and Mill Creek. Through this program, she teaches neighbors the most sustainable way to dispose of trash and how to keep their sidewalks and lots cleaned. I could go on and on, but it would take all day to list all of Gweny's work and accomplishments. Thanks to Gweny Love's ability to demonstrate nature's power to heal and bring people together, young people in Mantua and beyond will be able to carry on the tradition of sustainability and community building. I am so grateful for everyone that she has touched in the community and everything that she has done to promote environmental justice and STATED MEETING 87 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING sustainability, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. I can think of few better ways to acknowledge Earth Day than by honoring this true home-grown hero of environmental justice. Gweny, can you please stand so that we can honor you properly. (Applause.)
And with that, 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 STATED MEETING 88 4/20/2023 4/20/23 - STATED - 2ND READING ayes have it, and that resolution is adopted.
And a resolution proclaiming May 2023 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Philadelphia to pay tribute to the rich history and significant contributions made by generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our Country, Commonwealth, and City, introduced today by Councilman Driscoll.
Mr. President, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? STATED MEETING 89 4/20/2023 (No response.)
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, Mr. Decker. And any speeches on behalf of the minority? (No response.)
Speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Council President. Yesterday the City and I announced a settlement with IBID regarding the University City Townhomes and my Affordable Housing Preservation Overlay legislation. This has been one of the biggest fights I have taken on STATED MEETING 90 4/20/2023 office, and no one in government worked harder to protect the rights of the tenants than I and the City Law Department. I began advocating for the UC Townhomes residents in late 2020 and never stopped, even when our lawyer told me I had to remain publicly silent. In fact, I did the math and discovered that my team and I have spent well over 1,000 hours engaging the residents, participating in negotiations, and meeting with officials from all levels of government. And even though true equity means no one gets displaced from their home, the settlement is a historic win. IBID will give the City a portion of the townhome site, where we will build a 100 percent permanently affordable housing property and community green space in the heart of an amenity-rich area of opportunity undergoing rapid gentrification. And since the City will STATED MEETING 91 4/20/2023 new affordable housing site will be built on, we will never see low-income residents displaced from this valuable site again. The settlement also gives tenants of the UC Townhomes $3 and a half million over and above their relocation costs for housing needs. While no amount of money can make up for losing your home and community, I am pleased the residents will have the financial resources they need to help them settle in an area of their choosing. The monumental victory would not be possible without the strength of the UC Townhomes residents, who refused to be bulldozed by corporate interests and never stopped fighting for what they deserve. To the UC Townhomes residents and all of my constituents, know that I hear you, I see you, and I have not and will not stop fighting for what you deserve, no matter how long it takes or STATED MEETING 92 4/20/2023 in our way. The UC Townhomes is just one of many temporary affordable housing complexes at risk of going offline in the next decade. In fact, as many as 13,000 families across Philadelphia may lose their homes because of expiring affordability contracts in the next decade. That is why, if nothing else, this settlement proves it is vital that the City take a bolder and more proactive approach to affordable housing preservation. And I look forward to working with you all to do just that through the People's Preservation Package, which we will consider in Monday's Housing Committee hearing. I also call on our state and federal partners to invest in permanent deeply affordable housing. The City cannot and should not stand alone. Thank you to the City Law Department, the Department of Planning STATED MEETING 93 4/20/2023 Development, and the Kenney Administration for helping to achieve this historic outcome. Thank you to the UC Townhomes residents and neighbors for their unwavering activism around this issue. You inspire me each and every day, and I will always stand with you. And thank you to my Council colleagues who stood by me as I took on this unprecedented fight. No matter how many years it takes, I'll never stop pushing back against the immense economic forces that seek to catapult working-class Black and brown residents out of the neighborhoods their families have called home for generations. We are not disposable, and it is time we are treated with the consideration we deserve. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Councilwoman. STATED MEETING 94 4/20/2023 (Applause.)
And congratulations. There appears to be no additional speeches on behalf of the majority, going once, going twice. Councilwoman?
Yes. Good morning, everyone. American Red Cross, give blood to help save lives. Philadelphia City Council will be holding a blood drive on Friday, May the 12th from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 1400 JFK Boulevard in Room 201. Please come and support this extremely important endeavor. And if you want to schedule an appointment, you can contact my office at 215-686-3450. They are really in need of blood types O, B, and A. STATED MEETING 95 4/20/2023
Thank you, Councilwoman. That concludes the speeches on behalf of the minority and the majority. With that, the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 27th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, April 27, 2023, 10:00 a.m. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) STATED MEETING 96 4/20/2023
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. ) STATED MEETING 131 3/30/2023 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. S 36:18 venues 43:8 74:17 75:16 11 50:7, 23 81:16, 18, 19 tractors 78:20 42:21 Verna 17:20 76:14 77:16 51:8, 14 82:17, 19, 20 tradition 86:21 UC 90:6 91:7, Veterans 70:12 86:11 92:2 words 52:20 thou 2:17 traffic 15:7 17, 21 92:3 vetoed 8:7 ways 87:4 work 11:4 threat 40:13 traffic-related 93:5 vibrant 38:12 wealth 56:11, 18:6, 15 19:11 46:20 15:2 ugly 66:17 vicinity 26:16 12, 16 68:6, 7, 22:11 23:20 three 13:9 training 53:12 unafraid 85:9 victory 91:15 22, 24 27:5 84:12 25:12 52:2 Tran 41:23 Under- Vietnamese weddings 43:7 85:14 86:16 61:14 42:2, 3, 6, 7 education 43:12 Week 12:16 worked 90:3 Thursday 1:7 transcript 56:21 Village 86:9 14:22 22:25 workers 61:8, 6:7, 12, 18 97:8, 22 underfunded Violations 23:11, 15 43:4 10, 17, 22 55:11 95:12, transferred 53:20 78:17 53:25 81:11 working 17:25 57:24 undergoing violence 4:3, 4 86:7 40:25 41:2 thwart 13:3 transfers 31:25 90:24 85:4, 7 weekend 60:5 92:16 82:14 transform understand virtue 44:4 weeks 50:13 working-class time 41:6 64:16 58:19 visiting 42:20 week's 20:16 93:16 43:25 55:8, 23 transformation understands visitors 2:13, 26:4, 11, 25 World 25:18 68:18, 19 64:13 16:14 15 38:16 27:8 28:13 36:24 85:17 86:6 transition 61:3 unfortunate vital 40:9, 10 welcome 18:4 worldwide 93:20 transitioning 10:25 92:12 64:9 65:21 85:22 timeline 34:7, 4:10 61:19 unification voice 39:3 welcoming worship 63:21 9, 14 transitions 3:19 61:16 64:17 worthwhile times 3:9 5:13 union 61:17 volunteer well 11:7 21:22 55:17 trash 86:12 unique 60:20 35:16 42:8 15:20 16:13 wrong 51:10 Tina 62:20 travel 15:10 United 2:9 vote 37:14 18:23 25:15 wrongs 85:5 title 70:9 treated 93:20 35:16, 23 41:5 53:17 57:14 47:7 52:22 72:15 77:15 trees 63:15 43:24 47:4 60:5 90:11 <Y> 78:12 64:2 86:2 units 59:11 voted 8:10 went 15:15 Yeah 14:16 titles 3:15 tribute 28:7 University voting 44:21 46:9 17:5 12:10 88:7 13:11 63:4 80:3 81:5 We're 2:3 year 10:24 today 2:10, 23 triple 57:17 89:22 3:13, 25 4:7 32:2 48:13 4:15 5:24 58:11 unknown <W> 11:13 16:11, 53:13 7:11, 23 9:4, troubles 21:12 36:13 wait 50:19 12, 15 51:8 years 10:19 10:15, 16 truck 19:24 unpacks 21:13 87:2 55:4, 6 58:8, 17:14 38:4 11:14 12:12 50:19 51:3, 11 unprecedented waiting 16:25 10, 12 63:13, 45:20 46:20 14:10 23:25 78:20 3:9 93:12 51:8 52:10 14, 15, 22 64:9 48:22 53:3 28:24 31:10, true 87:6 untraceable walk 39:2 west 52:10 74:19 93:13 32:24 33:5, 90:16 97:7 73:17 walked 23:2 74:19 year's 51:4 34:6 35:5, truly 21:14 unwavering 55:17 we've 14:24 yellow 34:17 6, 17 46:13 93:7 walking 63:24 Wharton 76:13 STATED MEETING 13 4/20/2023 Yesterday 89:20 Yoon 35:5, 11, 38:20 York 15:20 young 3:17 17:25 36:18 86:19 younger 48:19 You's 49:21 51:10 youth 42:23 63:4 86:3 youth's 36:10 <Z> zero 68:8, 24 81:4 Zhang 45:5, 8, 9, 12 Zion 62:23 Zoning 20:12