COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STATED MEETING Via Microsoft Teams Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, December 2, 2021 10:11 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILMAN ALLAN DOMB COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMAN DEREK S. GREEN COUNCILWOMAN HELEN GYM COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN CHERELLE L. PARKER COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN ISAIAH THOMAS MICHAEL A. DECKER, CHIEF CLERK 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Thank you. Thank you, and good morning to all. We're going to get started, but before we begin the Council session, I'm going to make the following announcement: Due to the continuing threat to public health from COVID-19 and the delta variant, City Council is currently meeting remotely. We are using Microsoft Teams to make this remote meeting possible. Instructions for how the public may view the meeting and offer public comment are included in the Stated Meeting notice that was published in the Daily News, the Inquirer, and the Legal Intelligencer prior to the meeting, and can also be found on PHLCouncil.com. I now note that the hour has come. The Clerk will please call the roll to take attendance, and members that are in attendance, just say a couple of words to make sure that your image is displayed on the screen. Mr. Decker, please call the 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 (No response.)
All right. We will quickly adopt another strategy. We're going to ask the Temporary Clerk, Ms. Tate. Wendy?
Can you call the roll for us, please, because we don't know where Mr. Decker is.
Good morning, Mr. President, colleagues, and the City of Philadelphia. Good morning, everyone.
Good 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 morning, Council President, colleagues. I'm present.
Good morning, Council President and colleagues. Present.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. I am present.
I don't have my sheet, Councilwoman. I got you. You're coming up. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Good morning, Council President, colleagues. I am present.
Good morning, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. And good morning, Wendy.
Good morning, everyone. Good morning, good morning, good morning.
Good morning, Council President and colleagues. I'm 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Good morning, Council President, colleagues. Present.
Good morning, Council President. Good morning, colleagues. I am present.
Good morning, and thank you very much, Wendy, for playing the role of Temporary Clerk. Mr. Decker, I see you are now displayed on the screen. Are you connected, sir?
Thank you. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Mr. President, I just want to note for the record that the Ninth District Councilwoman, who represents our Acting Chief Clerk, is present today.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I don't know how that slipped by, given the awesome representation that you give to that Ninth District that includes our Temporary Chief Clerk. Okay. We're now going to get started and everyone is in place. We have established a quorum, and we're going to give our invocation. And to give our invocation this morning, the Chair recognizes Father Edward Brady of Holy Redeemer Hospital. He is here today as the guest of Councilman O'Neill. I would ask all members and guests to please bow your heads for the invocation. Father, please proceed, and thank you so much for being here today. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Thank you, Council President and all the members of Council. And I also want to give a special thanks to Councilman Brian O'Neill for this honor. We give thanks to our creator for the many talents bestowed upon our City Council and protecting the common good. As they strive to promote your harmony, allow them to achieve consensus in all that they do. May the peaceful example of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Regina Jonas, and Mother Teresa whom in which your divine grace and guidance shine. Continue to assist us as we strive in our task to build a broader community by seeing and affirming in each other the divine potential, the seed, the Christ, the light within. Amen. (Amen.)
Father, thank you so much for your 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 morning. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
And our next order of business is the approval of the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, November 18, 2021, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Journal of the meeting for Thursday, November 18th, 2021 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded that the Journal of the meeting of Thursday, November 18, 2021 be approved. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 (No response.)
The ayes have it, and our Journal is approved. And our next order of business is requests for leave of absence, and the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker.
Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the members of Council, there are no requests for leaves of absence today.
Thank you so much. Again, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker for an issue with respect to the Sunshine Act motion concerning certain legislative matters that may arise during the course of today's session of Council and that were not listed on the Calendar circulated prior to today's session.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that any of the following matters, if considered 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 today, may be added to the agenda for this session of Council and, as required by law, subsequently published on an 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, 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 listed 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 on the Calendar that was published prior to today's session. (Duly seconded.)
7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 been moved and properly seconded that the legislative matters stated by Councilwoman Parker may be added to the agenda for today, should those matters arise during the course of this session of Council. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. And our next order of business is communications. And, Mr. Decker, please read the messages from the Mayor and any other communications that you may have in your possession.
To the President and members of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, pursuant to Sections 4-604 and 2-307 of the Home Rule Charter, I am today transmitting to the Council the 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Planning Commission on the following bills: Council amendments to Bill Nos. 210320 and 210321 and Bill Nos. 210826, 210828, 210829, 210861, 210863, 210865, 210869, 210899, and 210903. And I am transmitting for the consideration of your honorable body a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2501, 2855, 2857 Amber Street; 2143, 2155, 2157 East Birch Street; 2134, 2172 East Cambria Street; 2103, 2107 East Cumberland Street; 2107 East Dakota Street; 2478, 2480 Emerald Street; 2022 East Fletcher Street; 1929, 1935, 1943, 2215 through 17 East Harold Street; 2637, 2639, 2643, 2645, 2649 Janney Street; 2536 Jasper Street; 2639, 2641, 2643, 2653 Kensington Avenue; 2068 East Monmouth Street; 1844 East Oakdale Street; 2140, 2151, 2153, 2156 East Orleans Street; 2646, 2658 Ritter Street; 2089 East Somerset Street; 2106, 2133, 2135, 2250 and 2252 East William Street 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 1st Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2148, 2150, 2154, 2156 East Birch Street; 2032 East Lehigh Avenue; 2055, 2057 East Rush Street; 2154, 2155, 2156, 2157, 2158, 2159, 2160, 2161 East Stella Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1739, 2215 South 5th Street; 1919 South 6th Street; 2612 South 9th Street; 411, 418, 424, 432 through 34, 624 and 626 Cantrell Street; 424 and 426 Mercy Street located in the 1st Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Banks deeds conveying title to certain properties located in the First Councilmanic District; and 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2224 Wilder Street and 2715 Annin Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1932 South Salford Street located in the 2nd Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to certain properties located in the Third Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 3119 North 35th Street located in the 4th Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2929 North 13th Street located in the 5th Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 dispose of 167 East Lippincott Street; 1922, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956 North 3rd Street; 1923, 1927, 1934, 1935 North 4th Street; 1925 North 5th Street; 301, 303, 305, 307, 309, 433, 437, 537 West Berks Street; 2004, 2015 North Bodine Street; 401, 405, 407 West Hewson Street; 1851, 1916, 1922, 1936, 1940 North Leithgow Street; 313, 421 West Norris Street; 1910, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1961 North Orianna Street located in the 7th Councilmanic District; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 152 through 158 West Logan Street located in the 8th Councilmanic District, all under certain terms and conditions.
A lot of shovels in the ground coming up. Thank you, Mr. Decker. And our next order of business is the introduction of bills and 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 resolutions. And by way of a reminder, we are asking that all resolutions, including privileged resolutions, be placed on the Final Passage Calendar for the next session of Council, unless they are being referred to committee. In our current remote environment, this procedure will provide the appropriate opportunity for public comment. I want to thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation. Mr. Decker, please read the titles of the legislation that's being offered by the members today.
Yes, Mr. President. Councilwoman Parker introduces on behalf of Council President Clarke an ordinance amending Chapter 20-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Standards of Conduct and Ethics," by amending Section 20-608 entitled "Public Disclosure and Disqualification," to add or modify provisions related to disclosure of 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 financial interest.
Also for Council President Clarke, a resolution amending Resolution No. 200001-A, which provides for the Rules of the Government of the Council of the City of Philadelphia, by providing for rules regarding recusal from any legislation due to conflicts of interest.
Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson offers three resolutions. On behalf of Council President Clarke, a resolution honoring and congratulating Jazmine Sullivan for winning the 2021 BET Soul Train Music Award for Best New Album, for her critically acclaimed EP, Heaux Tales.
And on her own 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 behalf, a resolution recognizing, honoring and congratulating Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated on its 102 Founders' Day and the upcoming International Convention being held in the City of Philadelphia, July 18th through the 24th, 2022.
And a resolution recognizing, honoring and congratulating Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated on its 108th Founders' Day and the upcoming Eastern Region Conference being held in the City of Philadelphia, March 31st through April 3rd, 2022.
Councilman Jones offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance establishing a no truck parking regulation on both sides of North Daggett Street from Callowhill Street to Vine Street." 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
And a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land bank to dispose of 3119 North 35th located in the 4th Councilmanic District.
Councilman Johnson offers five resolutions, entitled a "Resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2224 Wilder Street and 2715 Annin Street"; and A resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1932 South Salford Street; and A resolution honoring American Legion Lincoln Post 89 for its service to the veterans of South Philadelphia.
And a resolution authorizing hearings by the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 examine diversity and inclusion in contracting by the City and related public sector agencies, including the School District of Philadelphia, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.
And a resolution recognizing Ryan Boyer, business manager of Laborers' District Council of Metropolitan Philadelphia and Vicinity, for making history as the first African American business manager of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council.
Councilwoman Sanchez offers a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 167 East Lippincott Street; 1922, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956 North 3rd Street; 1923, 1927, 1934, 1935 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 North 4th Street; 1925 North 5th Street; 301, 303, 305, 307, 309, 433, 437, 537 West Berks Street; 2004 and 2015 North Bodine Street; 401, 405, 407 West Hewson Street; 1851, 1916, 1922, 1936, 1940 North Leithgow Street; 313 and 421 West Norris Street; 1910, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1958, and 1961 North Orianna Street.
Councilman Green offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance signifying the intention of the City of Philadelphia to organize the Philadelphia Public Financial Authority pursuant to authority established under state law, and amending Chapters 20-600 ('Standards of Conduct and Ethics'), 20-1200 ('Lobbying'), and 17-1400 ('Non-Competitively Bid Contracts; Financial Assistance') of The Philadelphia Code to address ethics, contractual and other requirements 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 applicable to the Philadelphia Public Financial Authority."
Thank you, Council President. For about the past six years, we have been talking about creating the nation's first municipal public bank, and the bill that I introduced today is a vehicle to get us to that goal. But this bill did not come out in a vacuum, and there was a lot of people that participated in helping us to get to this point. So if you can just give me a few moments, I would like to thank some of the people that have been engaged in this process for some time. We initially started this with a feasibility study working with the Fels School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as Steve Masters, Esquire and also HR&A, a national real estate and consulting firm. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 We then worked closely with the Philadelphia Public Bank Coalition. We met for over a year and even prior to that, but over the past year, we met about every two weeks to get to the point of this bill being introduced, and a lot of the members of that Coalition have been very helpful, from the late Dr. Emma Chappell, founder of United Bank, Peter Winslow, Susan Windle, Stan Shapiro, Vanessa Lowe, Tim Brown, Professor Deb Figart, Connie Bulay (ph), Beth Finn, and Walt McRee of the National Public Banking Institute. Then since May, we have been working with outside counsel from Holland and Knight. We have been meeting with Holland and Knight and the Law Department and the Treasurer's Office twice a week since May. So I definitely want to give a shout-out to the attorneys from Holland and Knight, Kwamina Williford, Leonard Bernstein, Carol Ward, Charlie Stutts. And then from the Law Department, Renee 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Garcia, Dan Cantu-Hertlzer, Valerie Robinson, Francois Dutchie. And then from the Treasurer's Office, Natalia Dominguez and Michael Moore. In addition, a number of other local executives in this space have helped us in getting to this point, from Greg Heller at the Accelerator Fund, Emma Schapira from the Philadelphia Energy Authority, and Maryrose Myrtetus from the Philadelphia Green Capital Corporation. S. Treasury, for giving us guidance, as well as Pennsylvania Banking Secretary Richard Vague and his office and his staff, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. And then, finally, I want to really give a big shout-out to my staff, 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Frank Iannuzzi and Kyra Harris and my entire staff who have really worked with me on this legislation and getting us to this point. Now, I started this presentation with the number six, and we've been working on this legislation for about six years to create the nation's first municipal public bank, but when I think about the number six, I also have to think about here in the City of Philadelphia, only 6 percent of the businesses with employees are owned by African Americans, although the African American population of the City of Philadelphia is about 44 percent. Only 4 percent of the businesses with employees in this city are owned by people from the Latinx diaspora, although the Latin diaspora is about 15 percent of the City's population. So when you look at that 6 percent and 4 percent, that connects to the issue of our 25 percent poverty in 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 the City of Philadelphia. And the fact that these businesses are not able to grow and hire more employees is tied to the lack of access to credit, and that's something that the public bank will help to address. But when we also think about the 25 percent poverty rate, we also need to think about the fact that we've had over 500 homicides in the City of Philadelphia, and the fact that we have such a high poverty rate in our city I think is one of the key contributing factors of the homicide issues that we have in our city. I thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Councilman. That will be referred to committee.
And Councilman Green also offers a resolution recognizing the Community Design Collaborative on the 30th anniversary of 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 its founding.
Councilman Domb offers two resolutions, entitled a "Resolution calling on Mayor James F. Kenney and his Administration of the City of Philadelphia to establish and implement an Academic Expert Advisory Team in its selection and evaluation of recipients of the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant program and other anti-violence efforts during Fiscal Year 2022 and beyond."
Thank you, Council President. Thanks for the opportunity to speak this morning on this resolution. I'm introducing this resolution today that calls on the Mayor's Administration to establish and implement an academic expert advisory team to 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 assist City government with the evaluation of our violence prevention programs and to help ensure our current and future efforts are truly tackling the violence epidemic that plagues our city. I'm sure I speak for every government official, for every community member, and for every resident of this city when I say this violence is gut-wrenching for all of us. To see the highest levels of violence in modern history in these past two years is completely unacceptable. Each and every one of these murder victims or shooting victims is a human being surrounded by family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, and colleagues. This has been a devastating time, to say the very least, and if we believe everyone has an important role to play in curbing this violence, then that certainly includes our academic partners in Philadelphia. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 City Council initiated and approved a $155 million commitment to the public for the purpose of reducing violence. We owe it to ourselves and to all Philadelphians to ensure that each and every dollar we invest in violence reduction gets the results we need immediately and over the long term. In order to do that, we need to bring in a higher level of expertise in the fields of program evaluation and research. This is a field that government doesn't specialize in, and we must lean in to every evidence-based approach to violence prevention at every turn. We initiated the Violence Prevention Opportunity Monitoring Group, which included some of our academic thought leaders, and we set aside approximately $1.7 million to research and program evaluation. That's a great start, but we must also supplement these efforts with a broader level of academic experts who made a career of program 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 evaluation and can provide great value in helping the City target its resources towards impactful programming and help us monitor the effectiveness of programs over time. This is an opportunity to bring together the greatest minds from our world-class colleges and universities to work with us, to provide advice, capture data, and guide us in our review of ongoing research. City government is doing its best with the knowledge and skill set it has, but we are looking to improve on this knowledge and make better decisions moving forward. We need to start investing in evidence-based programs in government and hold ourselves accountable to those standards. I stated in Tuesday's Philadelphia Inquirer editorial, there's no magic solution, but there are ways to assess whether the City's anti-violence approaches are working. This is 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 something we have failed to do for far too long. We need to set a new path forward and invest in programs and people differently than before. We need to tap every resource we can right now. To curb this violence we're experiencing in our communities, we need to enact this program now. For all these reasons, bring in the experts, the best in the field, is not a suggestion, but an absolute necessity at this point. I want to thank my co-sponsors today, and I thank you for the time to speak today, Council President. Thank you very much.
And a resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation to hold public hearings to discuss sources of funding, investment 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 priorities, and capital budget planning related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
Councilwoman Gauthier offers one bill and one resolution, entitled "An ordinance to approve amendments to the University of Pennsylvania Master Plan in the area bounded by Walnut Street, 34th Street, Spruce Street, and 40th Street, related to the Graduate School of Education building at 3700 Walnut Street."
Next week's Calendar. Mr. Decker, was that -- I'm sorry.
And a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to certain properties located in the Third Councilmanic District.
Councilman Thomas offers one resolution, entitled a "Resolution honoring and congratulating Champion of the Week, the Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, on capturing his second National League's MVP Award and becoming the 6th Phillie to win Baseball's most prestigious award."
Councilman Squilla offers four resolutions, entitled a "Resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2501, 2855, 2857 Amber Street; 2143, 2155, 2157 East Birch Street; 2134, 2172 East Cambria Street; 2103, 2107 East 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Cumberland Street; 2107 East Dakota Street; 2478, 2480 Emerald Street; 2022 East Fletcher Street; 1929, 1935, 1943, 2215 through 17 East Harold Street; 2637, 2639, 2643, 2645, 2649 Janney Street."
And a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 2148, 2150, 2154, 2156 East Birch Street; 2032 East Lehigh Avenue; 2055, 2057 East Rush Street; 2154, 2155, 2156, 2157, 2158, 2159, 2160 and 2161 East Stella Street.
And a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to dispose of 1739, 2215 South 5th Street; 1919 South 6th Street; 2612 South 9th Street; 411, 418, 424, 432 through 34, 624 and 626 Cantrell Street.
Next week's Calendar. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
And a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Land Bank deeds conveying title to certain properties located in the First Councilman District.
Councilman Oh offers one resolution calling for public hearings in Council's Committee on Education to examine the School District's newly proposed admission process for criteria-based middle and high schools.
There are no other bills or resolutions being offered today by the members, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. That concludes our introduction 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 resolutions, and our next order of business is reports from committee. And the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker for a report from the Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee of the Whole reports out 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. 210680, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 21-1203 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Appointments to Citizens Police Oversight Commission,' by revising the qualifications for appointment," respectfully reports it has considered 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 and returns the attached bill to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Parker.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bill No. 210680. (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. 210680. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
Those opposed? (No response.) 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
The ayes have it, and that will be placed on our First Reading Calendar today. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Johnson for a report from the Committee on Rules.
Thank you, Council President. The Committee on Rules reports out nine bills with a favorable recommendation.
The Committee on Rules, to which was referred Bill No. 210683, entitled "An ordinance continuing the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District, a business improvement district encompassing certain existing and future hotel properties within the boundaries of the City of Philadelphia, and continuing the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 the neighborhood improvement district management association for the District; approving a new plan for the District, including a list of proposed programs and services related to the development and promotion of the hotel and tourism industry in the City and County of Philadelphia and their estimated cost"; and Bill No. 210686, 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 Walnut Street, 9th Street, Locust Street, and 10th Street"; and Bill No. 210689, 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 Old York Road, Broad Street, and 65th Avenue"; and Bill No. 210744, entitled "An 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Germania Street, Arendell Avenue, Delaware Avenue, and Linden Avenue"; and Bill No. 210771, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Water Commissioner, on behalf of the City, to enter into an agreement between the City and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to act as the City's agent to include and incorporate Philadelphia Water Department-identified green stormwater infrastructure projects in certain construction and improvement projects in and around the City on properties owned by the City, including, with the prior written consent and approval of the District Council Person where the Rebuild Project is located, those projects arising out of the City's 'Rebuilding Community Infrastructure' or 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 'Rebuild' Program, and on properties owned by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority"; and Bill No. 210861, entitled "An ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain portions of land located within an area bounded by Berks Street, Memphis Street, Wilt Street, and Tulip Street"; and Bill No. 210863, 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 Huntingdon Street, Howard Street, Susquehanna Avenue, American Street, Jefferson Street, and 6th Street"; and Bill No. 210865 entitled "An ordinance amending Section 14-514 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled '/FNE, Far Northeast Overlay District,' to prohibit eligibility for floor area, height, and dwelling unit bonuses and to increase 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 requirements"; and Bill No. 210869, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 14-525 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled '/SNM, South Ninth Street Market Overlay District,' to clarify existing provisions," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you, Council President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of the nine bills that were just read into the record by the Clerk. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 permit first reading this day of Bills No. 210683, 210686, 210689, 210744, 210771, 210861, 210863, 210865, and 210869. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and these bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar today. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Squilla for a report from the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
Thank you, Mr. President. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development reports out three bills with a favorable recommendation.
7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Decker, please read that report.
The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, to which was referred Bill No. 210670, entitled "An ordinance amending Chapter 9-5100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Food Delivery Services,' to modify the limitation on fees charged to food service establishments"; and Bill No. 210672, entitled "An ordinance amending Section 9-207 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled 'Motor Vehicle Repairs,' to prohibit the use of City streets for the sale or storage of motor vehicles, and revising penalties"; and Bill No. 210917, entitled "An ordinance adding a new Chapter 9-5700, entitled 'Leasing of Commercial Property,' to require commercial lessors to provide certain disclosures before entering lease agreements and to provide 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 tenants," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the reading this day of Bills No. 210670, 210672, and 210917. (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 Bills No. 210670, 210672, 210917. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.) 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
The ayes have it, and these bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar today. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Johnson for a report from the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities.
Thank you, Council President. The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities reports out two bills with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. Mr. Decker, please read that report.
The Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities, to which was referred Bill No. 210924, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 the Chief Executive Officer, Philadelphia International Airport, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into a Concession Agreement with Kale Info Solutions, Incorporated, for the implementation and operation of an Airport Cargo Community System for the Philadelphia International Airport"; and Bill No. 210925, entitled "An ordinance authorizing the Procurement Commissioner to enter into agreements to purchase electricity, natural gas and motor fuel for use by the City in City facilities and vehicles, including agreements that obligate payment for delivery of such energy supplies in future fiscal years," respectfully reports it has considered the same and returns the attached bills to Council with a favorable recommendation.
Thank you. The Chair again recognizes 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Thank you, Council President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 210924 and 210925. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading this day of Bills No. 210924 and 210925. All those in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and these bills will be placed on our First Reading Calendar today. That concludes our reports from committee, and our next order of business 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 consideration of the Calendar. I note that the bills just reported from committee with a suspension of the rules have been deemed to have their first reading and they will be placed 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, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker for a motion concerning the resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the following resolutions on the Final Passage Calendar. They are Resolution Nos. 210934, 210935, 210936, 210937, 210938, 210939, 210940, 210942, 210943, 210945, 210946, and 210947. (Duly seconded.)
7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 you. It has been moved and seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the resolutions just read by Councilwoman Parker. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and we will consider the Resolution Consent Agenda shortly. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Parker for a motion concerning the bills on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the following bills on the Second Reading 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Final Passage Calendars. They are Nos. 210671-A, 210808, 210900, 210584, 210675, 210678, 210679, 210746, 210773, 210774, 210779, 210780, 210781, 210826, 210846, 210847, and 210772. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. It has been moved and seconded that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the use of a Consent Agenda to consider the bills just read by Councilwoman Parker. All in favor indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and we will consider the Consent Agenda shortly. Councilwoman Gym, did you want to be recognized after we do the final -
Yes. Thank 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 2ND READING you. Thank you so much, Council President. I am requesting leave, as I have business that takes me out of Council and requires me to leave early, and I would like to be recorded as voting aye on all bills and resolutions.
All right. Thank you, Councilwoman. Let it be noted that Councilwoman Gym is voting aye on all bills and resolutions. Thank you, Councilwoman. The Chair again recognizes Councilwoman Parker for the purpose of calling up bills and resolutions on the regular Second Reading and Final Passage Calendar.
Thank you, Mr. President. In addition to the resolutions and bills being considered on the Consent Agenda, the following resolutions and bills are being called up from the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars today, and they are Nos. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 210944, 210901, 210690, 210776, 210798, and 210862. All other bills and resolutions are being held, Mr. President.
Thank you very much, Councilwoman. Before we proceed with the consideration of the public comment, we will now take a brief five- to ten-minute recess to give our technology professionals an opportunity to connect our speakers. We're going to take a brief break. See you in a minute. Thank you. (Short recess.)
Thank you very much, and good morning again. Now that everyone is connected to the meeting and before considering resolutions and bills we have before us for today, we will consider the public 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 comment session. It will go as follows: Public comment must concern matters on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars for possible action at a session of Council. A speaker on any of those matters must sign up in order to testify. You must call 215-686-3406 by 3:00 p.m. the day before the session to sign up for public comment. When you call, we will take your name, phone number, the number of the legislative item you are commenting on and whether you are in support of or against the legislation, and add your name to the list. We will telephone each person on the list during the Council session and invite them to our remote meeting. Under ideal circumstances, which is today, we will have three minutes to speak. However, this time limit may vary from time to time based on the volume of individuals that wish to testify. But in order to be fair to all 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the established time limit. Once invited to the meeting and asked to begin your testimony, a timer will be started. We will monitor your remaining time throughout your testimony, and when there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, you will be reminded of this. Once your allotted time has passed, you will be asked to conclude your remarks, and shortly thereafter you will be muted and disconnected from the remote meeting. I also reserve the right to limit the number of repetitious speakers and comments that are being made on the same subject matter, which could affect callbacks for public comment at the meeting. And please be aware that the public meeting is being recorded. So because the meeting is public, participants and viewers have no reasonable expectation of privacy. So by 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 continuing to be in the meeting, you are consenting to being recorded. I will now ask Mr. Decker to please read the name of the first person on our list today.
Yes, Mr. President. The first speaker we have today is Greg Mennis, commenting on 210772.
Good morning. State your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Greg Mennis. I am Director of the Strengthening Public Sector Retirement Systems Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and I appreciate the opportunity today to comment in support of this well-configured legislation, which will build on the progress the City has already made to make their pension system more sustainable. To provide some context, Philadelphia acts as the government 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 sponsor for the City's retirement plans, which administer benefits for retired workers and over 28,000 current City employees. As of Fiscal Year 2020, the system had less than 50 percent of the assets on hand to pay for promised benefits, and that's one of the lowest funded ratios among large municipal pension systems in the country. However, it's important to note that this relatively weak fiscal status is more a function of underfunding in decades past and there is clear evidence that the actions that policymakers have taken in recent years have had a significant impact on improving the fiscal health of the City's pension system. In fact, in 2018, Pew conducted a study in collaboration with the retirement plan and City officials which demonstrated that the recent reforms would in fact allow the City pension 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 system to withstand a number of different economic conditions, including a significant recession. So given all that, I think what this legislation does is help the City to continue to build on its existing strong reporting practices and provide policymakers with useful information to consider any range of economic outcomes going forward in order to preserve the retirement security for City workers and to protect the fiscal health of the City's budget. I appreciate the opportunity again to contribute to the discussion today and would be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you very much for your testimony. We appreciate it.
Good morning. State your name for the record 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 and proceed with your testimony. (No response.)
Good morning. State your name for the record and please proceed with your testimony.
Yes. My name is Mark Zachary. I'm here to comment on 210633. I'm a resident of West Kensington just north of Norris Square, and I really support the bill. I just feel like it does not go nearly far enough. There is increased density by lowering the units, the division to calculate unit sizes. However, the height limit is only increased by 7 feet. In areas like Front Street and American Street where there's so much vacant land and so much room to grow upwards, I really feel like we have the opportunity 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 to create a much higher density, much taller area, and that is an excellent way to provide affordability via a requirement for affordable housing component of the 15, 20, 25 percent -this bill is 20 percent, but 25 percent or 30 percent could even be included by going even higher. I really feel like most of the members of Council are, for whatever reason, kind of against going higher, and I don't really understand it, and most people who talk -- a lot of people who talk about this around the country would agree with me in that we have transit areas, like the El and American Street, we should go as high as we can, not 42 feet. These buildings next to the El should be much higher than that, and American Street as well. You know, there's been lots of overlays lately, especially in the Fifth District, that don't give a density bonus for affordable housing, which is honestly 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 inexplicable to me. If people want to move to the 19122 and the 19133, this increase of people is increasing competition for houses, which is driving the price up. This is -- the only way that you're going to be counteracting that is to increase the availability of housing, and you're going to do that by increasing the density and the height of buildings. I would encourage Council to have the courage to look into this stuff and tell their constituents, who constantly complain about their parking, the height of buildings next to them, that if you want affordable housing, one of the best ways to do it is to get taller. You know, we down-zoned Front Street on the west side from Diamond to Lehigh. I just -- I can't understand that. You lost 7 feet -- you lost 17 feet, and now with this bill you'll be able to go up 7 feet higher. You still 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 lost 10 feet. You lost units. You lost possible affordable units. And it's totally counterproductive to the goals of the City to provide affordable housing. Okay. I guess I have 30 seconds left. And the other thing is, the TOD designation isn't even available for Berks, York, Dauphin, Huntingdon, and Somerset, and I don't even understand why that is. The buildings along Front Street and American should be much higher, and not like 10 feet higher, they should be 100 feet, 120 feet. I encourage Council to have some vision on affordability and think about this type of stuff. This bill is excellent, but it doesn't go far enough. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much for your testimony. We appreciate it.
The next speaker is Maurice Sampson. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35
Good morning. State your name for the record. Please proceed with your testimony.
Yes. Good morning. My name is Maurice Sampson. I'm the Eastern Pennsylvania Director for Clean Water Action, and I wanted to thank you for this opportunity to speak. I wanted to speak today in support of Resolution 21035 [sic] calling on the General Assembly to adopt a package of legislation that would codify (unintelligible) by the Commonwealth to environmental justice. One element of this in particular that gives an example of the importance of this legislation, HB 2043 introduced by Representative Bullock, would allow DEP to approve permits or to turn down permits based on their cumulative impact the facility is found to add (unintelligible) as to impact the health and the quality of life, they'd be in a position to turn it down. This is monumental, and I praise 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 City Council for its support of this legislation moving forward. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for your testimony. We appreciate it.
The next speaker is Micah Gold-Markel, commenting on 210936.
Good morning. State your name for the record and please proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Micah Gold-Markel and I'm speaking in favor of Resolution No. 210936 introduced by Councilwoman Gilmore Richardson to celebrate the newest phase of Solarize Philly. Solarize Philly has allowed hundreds and hundreds of Philadelphians to go solar using a reputable and high-quality solar installation company, of which Solar States was one of the companies selected. It has put the City 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 of Philadelphia on the map in terms of being in the forefront of renewable energy for the City, but also for low-income Philadelphians through the low- to middle-income solar program, where we recently installed over 50 solar arrays for low- to middle-income Philadelphians. This would not have been possible without the partnership with the Philadelphia Energy Authority and leadership coming from City Council. So I am here today to say we need to celebrate Solarize Philly as a major success, not just in putting us on the map for solar renewable energy in the City of Philadelphia but also for creating jobs for inner city Philadelphians. Our mission is to be the onramp to the green-collar economy for inner city Philadelphians, and over the last six years, we have grown from a very small company of just a few people to 40 full-time employees. We are located here 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 in the City of Philadelphia, and this is a big win. We need to keep Solarize moving forward, and also consider how to keep good solar policy on the books here in the City of Philadelphia. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for your testimony. We appreciate it.
Good morning. State your name for the record and please proceed with your testimony.
My name is Katie Bartolotta. Good morning, President Clarke and members of City Council. Speaking today on behalf of the Philadelphia Energy Authority, also known as PEA, in support of Resolution No. 210936 celebrating the expansion of solar energy offerings through our Solarize Philly program. 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 PEA is a government entity building a robust, equitable, clean energy economy for Philadelphia. In 2016, with the leadership of Council President Clarke, we launched the Philadelphia Energy Campaign, and since then, we've supported over $170 million in energy efficiency and clean energy projects and have helped create over 1,700 jobs. As part of the Energy Campaign, PEA launched Solarize Philly in 2017 as a group discount program to support home and business owners to install rooftop solar at a reduced price with consumer protections. As Micah just mentioned in his testimony, as of 2021, over 750 households from across the City have gone solar through Solarize Philly, making it the largest program in the nation, and for every 100 installs, the program creates 15 jobs. To further the goal that all Philadelphians can enjoy clean energy, 7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 affordable, local energy sources, Solarize Philly has expanded its offerings in Phase 5, which is currently underway, to ensure that homeowners of all income levels can opt to go solar with a no-money-down lease option and no minimum credit score. So far in Phase 5, 1,200 households have signed up for the program and 33 new contracts have been signed. We thank our installers at Solar States, Superior Solar Design, and Posigen for helping us deliver affordable and accessible clean energy to homeowners while creating jobs. Recognition like this resolution sponsored by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson helps spread the word of the program's success and the new opportunities for Philadelphians to go solar. We appreciate your consideration and hope you all will support the adoption of this important resolution. Thank you.
7893a6bb-fd33-4fa1-8567-f80345645e35 Thank you for your testimony. We appreciate it.
Good morning. State your name for the record and please proceed with your testimony. (No response.)
The next speaker, Mr. President, is Michael Froehlich, Esquire.
Thank you. Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. (No response.)