COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, December 4, 2008 8:45 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI, CHAIR COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILWOMAN MARIA QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO BILL 080897 - An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 within the Aviation Fund... BILL 080898 - An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 within the General Fund... BILL 080899 - An ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal year 2008 within the Water Fund... - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good morning. The Committee on Appropriations in now in session. Will the Clerk please read the title of the bills.
Bill No. 080897, an ordinance authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 within the Aviation Fund from certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions to certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions. Bill No. 080898, an ordinance 16 authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 within the General Fund from certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions to certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions. Bill No. 080899, an ordinance 23 authorizing transfers in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 within the Water Fund from certain or all City offices, 3 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. departments, boards and commissions to certain or all City offices, departments, boards and commissions.
Thank you. Is someone from the Administration here? (Witness approached the witness table.)
-- members of the Committee. I'm Steve Agostini, Budget Director for the City. I'm here to offer testimony on the bills that were just described, 080898 on the General Fund, 080897 on the Aviation Fund and 080899 on the Water Fund. These are end-of-year transfers in order to allow us to clean up our books in order to complete the closing of the financial statements for the end of 4 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. the year. I'll go through this quickly and then take any questions that you might have. With respect to the General Fund, there's an exhibit, Exhibit A, that shows transfers. The largest of those 8 are for the Police Department, about 10.7 9 million, to fund increased uniform 10 overtime costs for the crime reduction 11 plan that was implemented earlier this 12 year; approximately $5 million for the 13 Office of the Director of Finance to fund 14 indemnity payments for legal claims; 15 about 3.7 million for the First Judicial 16 District to fund payroll and other costs; 17 and then the Mayor's Office of 18 Information Services, about 1.7 million, 19 for telecommunication costs, and then, finally, the Law Department, about 1.1 million, to fund higher-than-anticipated costs for legal counsel. In the Aviation Fund, we're asking for $817,000 to cover pension costs associated with employees of the 5 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. Fund, and then in the Water Fund, about 845,000 for a variety of costs to defray the work of Law Department and the Mayor's Office of Information Services. As I said, that's sort of a highlight. If there are additional questions, I'm happy to answer them, and there are other representatives from the departments here as well.
Yes. Thank you very much. Yes, suspension for first reading today. Thank you.
Thank you. I'd like to recognize Councilman Rizzo, Councilwoman Sanchez --
No. 23 Just a minute. You're going a little too fast here, Frank. Councilwoman Sanchez, 6 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. Councilwoman Miller and Councilman Goode. Thank you very much. Now we'll recognize you, Councilman.
Thank you. Could you please, Budget Director, explain the issue with the Aviation Fund. I thought the Aviation Fund was funded by the airline industry at the airport. How does moving City money into the Aviation Fund, how does that transaction work? Maybe I'm just incorrect in my knowledge of how the Aviation Fund works, but I didn't know there was public money in that.
Councilmember, you are correct. It would be Aviation Fund. I believe that this is to cover pension costs that would go into the pension system, but -- it's just moving money within the Fund.
But that's 7 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. not what it sounds like.
I would agree with you, that is not what it sounds like, but that's what it is.
So why would you transfer money within the Aviation Fund?
There may be money that's in the wrong classification; for example, in terms of employee benefits.
And it would either come from a Class 100 or some other place within the Fund.
Okay. I understand. Thank you. I just wanted to know you're reading their stuff.
Are there any other questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Well, 8 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. seeing none, we'll go into our public meeting.
Thank you very much. That ends our public hearing. We will now go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller for the purpose of reporting Bill 080897.
Thank you. I move that Bill No. 080897 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session. (Duly seconded.)
Opposed? (No response.) 9 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc.
Thank you. Therefore, Bill 080897 will be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation, with a suspension of the rules so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode for Bill 080898.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 080898 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation, that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
Opposed? (No response.) 10 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc.
Therefore, Bill 080898 will be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez for Bill 080899.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 12 080899 be moved out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and the rules of Council be suspended to allow first reading at our next public session. (Duly seconded.)
Thank you. Therefore, Bill 080899 will be reported out of this Committee with a 11 12/4/08 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 080897, etc. favorable recommendation and the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at the next session of Council. Thank you all very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. (Committee on Appropriations adjourned at 8:55 a.m.) - - - 12 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 on December 4, 2008, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)