civus
Minutes

Committee Hearing, May 14, 1998

Philadelphia City Council Committee HearingsMay 14, 1998

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PUBLIC WORKS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 14, 1998 9:32 a.m. - - - BILL NO. 980312 - An ordinance amending an ordinance approved May 9, 1997 (Bill No. 970183), which ordinance authorized by the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia certain premises located at 2121-37 N. Howard Street by amending the legal description of the premises being conveyed to the Redevelopment Authority, and by extending the date by which the conditions for the conveyance must be satisfied, all under certain terms and conditions. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN AUGUSTA A. CLARK COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 I N D E X Melvis Dunbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Director of Development Division Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority Joe Petrone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Real Estate Director Department of Public Property City of Philadelphia Patricia DeCarlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Norris Square Senior Citizens Center 3 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 P R O C E E D I N G S

Councilwoman Clark

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The Committee on Public Property and Public Works is now in session for the purpose of considering one bill, Bill No. 7 980312, which we ask the clerk to read at this time.

The Clerk

Bill No. 980312, an ordinance amending an ordinance approved May 9, 1997 (Bill No. 970183), which ordinance authorized by the Commissioner of Public Property to convey to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia certain premises located at 2121-37 N. Howard Street by amending the legal description of the premises being conveyed to the Redevelopment Authority, and by extending the date by which the conditions for the conveyance must be satisfied, all under certain terms and conditions.

Councilwoman Clark

Thank you. Are there persons in the room present to discuss this bill this morning? If so, spell your last name for benefit of the stenographer, and proceed with your testimony. But before you do that, let me first 4 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 establish a quorum. The Committee has present for this hearing: Councilman Frank Rizzo; Councilwoman Augusta Clark, the Chair; Council Michael Nutter, who was here -- you saw him, didn't you? -- and Councilwoman Donna Miller. Thank you. Now please proceed. (Melvis Dunbar comes forward.)

Ms. Dunbar

Good morning. My name is Melvis Dunbar, D-U-N-B-A-R. And I'm the Director of the Development Division at the Redevelopment Authority. And I'm here today to state that the Redevelopment Authority has no objection to the amendment for 2121 through 37 Howard Street.

Councilwoman Clark

Thank you. Good morning, sir.

Mr. Petrone

Good morning, Madame Chairwoman, how are? And members of the committee. My name is Joe Petrone, P-E-T-R-O-N-E. I'm the Real Estate Director for the Department of Public Property, City of Philadelphia. And I'm here on behalf of the Commissioner of Public 5 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 Property to endorse Bill No. 980312. And I stand ready to answer any questions that may be asked.

Councilwoman Clark

Thank you, Mr. Petrone. Would you, for the record, state what this bill intends to be used for.

Mr. Petrone

Senior-citizen housing. This is a City property on Norris Square. And there were some discrepancies in the legal description, and this will straighten that out.

Councilwoman Clark

Okay. Is that the purpose of this hearing.

Mr. Petrone

Yes, ma'am.

Councilwoman Clark

To straighten out a property that has already been completed?.

Mr. Petrone

Well, it will happen in the future. Melvis could answer those questions.

Ms. Dunbar

Well, actually, Miss DeCarlo, from Norris Square, is here to speak on behalf of this senior housing center.

Councilwoman Clark

Would you please join us at the table. (Patricia DeCarlo comes forward.)

Councilwoman Clark

Good morning. 6 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312

Ms. Decarlo

Good morning. My name is Patricia DeCarlo, D-E-C-A-R-L-O. The property in question is a senior citizens senior that we are converting into 35 units of senior-citizens housing, together with the senior citizens center. But in order to do that, the City would have to donate the parcel of land and the property. It is a partnership between Norris Square Civic Association and Catholic Social Services. We have received a $2.6 million allocation from HUD for 202 housing. We have also received the $200,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development. We received a commitment from OHCD to match any dollars that we raise, $15,000 per unit. We expect to be able to raise the full $525,000. And we're putting an application before PHFA. It's been submitted already. It will be decided in July. The purpose of this ordinance, as was stated before, is to amend some issues on the deed description that were incorrect, and to postpone the date by which the City would transfer over to 7 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 the RDA the property for the RDA to then transfer it to the new corporation. And the reason we've had to postpone that date from May of '98 to further on down the line is because it's taken some time to put together the financing for this project. But it's going to sit right in front of the square and, it will enable our senior citizens to have housing and then go downstairs, and they're in the center and can receive all the social services that they otherwise couldn't get because 202 HUD does not provide money for social services.

Councilwoman Clark

Okay. You say that you're extending the date from May of '98 to what date?

Mr. Petrone

May 25, 1999.

Councilwoman Clark

So, essentially, you're extending it by one year.

Ms. Dunbar

That's correct.

Councilwoman Clark

Okay. Are there any other questions by any members of the committee? (No questions.) 8 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312

Councilwoman Clark

Thank you. Are there other persons in the room who wish to speak in favor of or against the Bill No. 980312? (No response.)

Councilwoman Clark

The call went out, none answered. Thank you very much. I'll entertain a motion now. Frank?

Councilman Rizzo

I guess we're -- this is amending a -- I move to amend the amendment.

Councilwoman Clark

Well, first, we got to close the public hearing and go into public session.

Councilman Rizzo

Yeah, okay. You do that, and I'll --

Councilwoman Clark

Let me have a motion.

Councilwoman Miller

I make a motion that we close the public hearing and move on to the public meeting. (Duly seconded.)

Councilwoman Clark

All in favor? COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Aye. - - - 9 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 (Public meeting begins.)

Councilwoman Miller

I make a motion that Bill No. 980312 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation.

Mr. Petrone

You want to set the rules aside? We would request that.

Councilwoman Clark

Do you need to suspend the rules so as to --

Mr. Petrone

Suspend the rules, please. Thank you.

Ms. Dunbar

Yes, please.

Councilwoman Clark

And we'll suspend the rules so this bill can have its first reading at our next regularly-scheduled Council session. (Duly seconded.) (Vote taken.)

Councilwoman Clark

The ayes have it, and so ordered. Bill No. 980312 has been reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation, and with the further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended to as to permit first consideration at our next stated meeting. All in favor, aye?. 10 COMM. ON PUB. WORKS/PUB. PROP. - BILL NO. 980312 (Vote taken.)

Councilwoman Clark

Is there a motion to close?

Councilwoman Miller

I make a motion to close. (Duly seconded.) (Vote taken.)

Councilwoman Clark

So ordered. Thank you. (Adjourned at 9:44 a.m.) - - - 11 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, May 14, 1998. Were reported and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC PROPERTY BILL NO. 980312 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, RPR