All right. I'm sorry. But as a legislative body, I just wanted to make it clear it wasn't us.
No, I know that. I'm just telling you that goes into our reasons for objecting.
I understand. The assessments are higher and an increased cost as well to property owners, so I understand that's the point that you're making.
They doubled it for no apparent reason. They say the property has --
Yes, and they argue anyway. The definition of the word improvement for the City of Philadelphia is it improved in the market, but we're not in the market. If we were selling, okay, I agree with that. We're just paying our taxes.
Understood. Thank you for your testimony. I don't want to cut anybody short but we are going to lose our quorum shortly, so I want to make sure that anyone else who is here to testify has an opportunity to do so. (Hand raised.)
Okay. Please come forward. (Witnesses approached Witness table.)
Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony. We are going to ask you to be brief so that we can conduct the business of the Committee.
Perfect. My name is Bianca DiPietro. I've been a member of the BID since the beginning. I've lived in Fishtown for about years. I've owned a 8 store on Frankford for 11, and 10 9 years ago we tried to do this 10 without the BID and it was just a 11 bunch of business owners getting 12 together trying to make positive 13 changes in the area, and it was 14 hard. We could not do this. 15 A lot of the retail owners are women, they're mothers. They work multiple jobs. Like, we do not have time additionally and funds to do this without the BID, so we are very thankful to have them. And as you've heard, there's a lot of concerns over safety and trash. And, yes, ideally this is something the City should be doing, but the area is growing exponentially. Whether you support it or not it's happening. And the City just does not have the resources to give us when it comes to trash removal and safety. I'm very thankful I don't have to spend the first two hours every day cleaning up trash out in front of my store, and I'm very happy that I have the security team available to assist during altercations. When in the past when you call the police, they don't show up. So it's been invaluable to us as business owners to have them as a resource, and we're better off with the BID than we are without. It's not going to be ideal for everybody, not everyone's going to like it. But I think the overall benefits that it provides to people is invaluable like I said. So I hope you support the reauthorization. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. And can we have you state your name for the record and proceed.
Yes. My name is Janae Green. I am a local business owner. Also, a resident of Fishtown and I'm a committee person within that district as well. And I'm definitely for our re-authorization. Being a business owner in the area for over 11 years now, we've been really hard struck on our corner of Front and Girard and being able to have this special security to help us and to have the City actually help with the BID of making sure that our corner is clear and helping us clean, and the police district is not overwhelmed with having so many other things to deal with, it just makes it easier having the BID. The BID not only does that, but if we want to have any special events within the community, we're able to contact Mark and Kay and they get things done for us, also with the help of you, Councilman Squilla. We're right at the corner of Front and Girard, so we technically have two different Councilmen and it's very difficult. And having the BID be the liaison to go to say, okay, we would like to get this done, who do we reach out to, it would be impossible without them. I am also now the Chairperson of the BID and I feel that -- I'm not trying to bring anything into it, but being a minority and a woman and a mother, having the BID to be something that I can count on really helps to alleviate any issues that I have within my business. So I really appreciate the BID. I appreciate everything that we have done together. Like Bianca, we started the Fishtown Co. before we had a BID just trying to help each other out before even having the City back us. So now that we actually have this BID I really, truly hope that you consider reauthorizing it for us.
Well, thank you for being here and thank you for your testimony. And is there anyone else here to testify or to offer public comment? (No response.)
Okay. Seeing none, we'll now go into our public meeting. This concludes the public hearing. We will now go into a public meeting shortly to consider the action to be taken on the bills before the Committee today. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on an amendment to Bill No. 240499.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I offer an amendment to Bill No. 240499. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the Committee. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 7 240499 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. And it's been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 240499 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. And the Chair now recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 240612.
Okay. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 240499 as amended.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 240499 as amended be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended and submit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. It's been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 7 240499 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 240612.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 240612 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended as to the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. And it has been moved and probably seconded that Bill No. 240612 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 240656.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 240656 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. And it's been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 240656 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 240661.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 240661 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. It's been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 10 240661 be reported from this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of this motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. And if there's no 2 additional remarks -- okay. The ayes have it. The motion carries. If there's no additional remarks, this concludes the business of the Committee on Rules today. We thank you very much for your attendance. Thank you.
Thank you. (Committee on Rules concluded at 11:40 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. __________________________________ TANEHA CARROLL